《Beautiful CEO's Super Expert》


 Chapter 1: The Beauty Falls into the Water

    ```


    Although Jianghai City was still hot as a furnace during the day in midsummer, the nights were still filled with cool breezes, which felt refreshinglyfortable on the skin.


    Even though Jianghai is a bustling metropolis, it was now past midnight, so there were very few pedestrians on the roads, as most people had work the next day.


    In the southeast direction of Jianghai City, there is arge bridge known as Jianghai Bridge, whose body has be somewhat mottled, clearly showing its age.


    There were almost no pedestrians near the bridge because it is almost abandoned.


    Two years ago, the Jianghai city government built a new bridge a few kilometers away from Jianghai Bridge, so this old bridge was hardly used by anyone anymore.


    Especially now that it waste at night, so there were even fewer people.


    However, at this moment by the bridge, there was a red dot, flickering and dimming, quite conspicuous.


    That was the lit end of a cigarette.


    Where there is smoke, naturally, there is someone smoking...


    Upon closer inspection, one would discover a young man in his early twenties, standing there like a statue, as if he had merged with the night.


    If it weren''t for his asional smoking, it would be really hard to notice his presence.


    A gust of wind came, ruffling his slightly long bangs on his forehead, his eyes were deep and carried a hint of vicissitudes, as if they held endless stories to tell.


    His eyes were quietly watching the distant waters, wondering what he was thinking about...


    No one knew that he had been standing there for three hours and forty-three minutes, and during those hours, he hadn''t moved a single step...


    Of course, at this moment, he was not alone on the bridge; a woman with long hair down her back was standing about ten meters away from him, also looking into the distance, without saying a word.


    The long-haired woman had also been standing there for half an hour by then, and during that time, neither of them had exchanged a word.


    After all, they were only strangers to each other!


    "ck, ck, ck"


    Suddenly, the sound of high heels tapping on the concrete bridge resonated in the quiet night, very clear.


    "Could I borrow a cigarette?"


    The long-haired woman walked up to Su Chen and casually asked.


    Su Chen was taken aback for a moment, not expecting the woman to approach for a cigarette. Then he nodded, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and handed one to her.


    "Thank you!"


    The woman with long hair stretched out her slender and pale fingers to take it, and expertly ced it between her lips.


    Su Chen noticed that her clothes had no pockets, and she likely didn''t have a lighter, so he put out his hand to shield the wind and pressed down on his lighter. A fiery me shot out immediately.


    The woman brushed her shoulder-length hair to one side, then tilted her head slightly and leaned forward toward the me.


    A faint fragrance wafted over immediately, and by the light of the me, Su Chen caught his first glimpse of the long-haired woman''s face, causing his heart to tremble.


    Her skin was as delicate as cream, her bright eyes like pools of autumn water, and her small, moist lips carried a special kind of allure¡ªa face as refined as an exquisite oval.


    However, what made Su Chen''s heart tremble was not just her stunning beauty, but also the thick sorrow on her face that almost couldn''t be concealed...


    All of this happened in a moment. After lighting the cigarette, the long-haired woman stood up straight again and then took a deep drag...


    "Smoking doesn''t really help with anything."


    Su Chen thought for a while and then spoke faintly, although his gaze still remained on the distance.


    ```


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the long-haired woman turned to look at him, clearly not expecting him to suddenly utter such a statement.


    The woman paused, lightly pursing her lips as she sighed, "I have to do something."


    "After tonight, tomorrow will be a bit better."


    Su Chen watched the water quietly, speaking softly, unsure whether he was addressing the woman or himself.


    Xiao Yaning''s heart was jolted, and then she sighed, "Is it useful?"


    "Maybe."


    Su Chen murmured, taking hisst puff of smoke, then with a flick of his fingers, the glowing red tip described a beautiful arc through the air and fell into the water...


    "I''m leaving."


    Su Chen walked toward the bridge, stretching out a hand to wave behind him.


    However, before he had gone a few hundred meters, he suddenly heard a "thud" and quickly turned to look back. The woman''s figure was no longer on the bridge.


    Su Chen was greatly rmed, rushing back with several bounding steps and then peering into the water at the exact spot below where the long-haired woman had been standing, where ripples were still spreading, and the woman''s figure had disappeared.


    Hastily removing his shoes, Su Chen jumped in. Fortunately, the river''s current was not too strong, and next to the ripples, he saw the woman still sinking downward.


    Su Chen swam below her, lifted her up, and then slowly made his way to the shore.


    "Hey, wake up, wake up,"


    Su Chen gently pped her cheeks, but the woman showed no response. With no other option, Su Chen had to begin emergency resuscitation.


    He crossed his hands over her chest and began to press down forcefully. Seeing no response from her, Su Chen took a deep breath, pinched her nose, made her cherry lips part slightly, and quickly sealed his own lips over hers.


    But now was clearly not the time to think about such things. Although Su Chen was no gentleman, he wasn''t about to take advantage of someone in peril.


    Continuing topress her chest and administer breaths, after several attempts, the woman suddenly spat out a mouthful of water and slowly opened her eyes.


    "Hey, you''re finally awake. That was exhausting."


    Su Chen sat down on the ground nearby, gasping for air. The effort had worn him out.


    "Hey, just did a bit of work and already tired like this. If only my Dantian were still there, I wouldn''t be in such a sorry state!"


    Su Chen let out a wryugh, thinking to himself that he truly had be a wreck...


    "What''s got you so despondent that you''d want to end it all?"


    Su Chen sighed faintly and looked toward the woman, his eyes suddenly brightening.


    The woman''s clothes clung tightly to her body because they were soaked, highlighting every curve of her shapely figure.


    Distracted by the urgency of resuscitation, he hadn''t paid any attention to her figure.


    Now that he had a moment to spare, the sight of her made him marvel at the perfection of her physique.


    Although Su Chen hadn''t expected the woman to be so magnificent both in face and figure, there was not a hint of lewdness in his eyes.


    For Su Chen, he had seen far too many stunning beauties!


    Even if the woman in front of him ranked among the top few he had seen, Su Chen still felt no desire to do anything.


    Since returning to the urban life, he had be very detached from many things...

 Chapter 2: The Cold Wife at Home

    "Why did you save me?"


    The womany on the ground and spoke faintly, her tone devoid of any color. Her eyes, which should have been sparkling with life, were now utterly empty, and she seemedpletely devoid of vitality.


    "I won''t ask what happened to you. I only want to tell you one thing, being alive means there''s still hope."


    Su Chen casually plucked a de of wild grass and put it in his mouth.


    "Hope?" the woman murmured. "I don''t see it."


    Thinking of that man and that family, she felt overwhelmed with a sense of powerlessness, just like earlier in the river, unable to grasp onto anything.


    Besides death, she could think of no other way out.


    "Just because you can''t see it doesn''t mean it doesn''t exist, but if you die now, then it really won''t exist anymore."


    Su Chen stood up, brushed the dirt off his body, and said,


    "I have to go now. If you still can''t figure it out and still want to die, I won''t stop you. But let me say one more thing¡ªdying is actually the easiest part; it''s living that''s the hardest. No one will truly pity you except yourself."


    After saying this, Su Chen walked away without looking back. In his view, he had done everything he could.


    If that woman truly chose death, he wouldn''t feel a bit of guilt. Just like he had told the girl, people have to be responsible for themselves!


    ...


    Grand Epoch Court was one of the top three upscale viplexes in Jianghai City. As Jiangnan is the most economically developed region in Huaxia, and Jianghai being the wealthiest city in Jiangnan, it''s obvious what kind of wealthy people could afford to live there.


    Su Chen jogged his way into the entrance of Grand Epoch Court. Most of the lights in theplex were already out by then.


    Watching the figure of Su Chen, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts costing just a few dozen yuan, a fat security guard in the booth scoffed disdainfully:


    "This guy really struck it lucky, to think he lives with President Lin?"


    A shorter security guard next to him said sourly, "Maybe they''re just rtives, not boyfriend and girlfriend."


    "Of course not. President Lin is known as the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan. Why would she fancy such a poor guy? But just living under the same roof with President Lin is what many men dream of."


    The fat guard''s fleshy face showed a longing expression:


    "Not just living together, I''d give up five years of my life just to have a meal with her!"


    Hearing this, the other guards nodded in agreement.


    "What are you daydreaming for?"


    Suddenly, a middle-aged guard smacked the back of the fat guard''s head:


    "Given you guys, even if you gave up ten years of your life, it would be hopeless. Now, stop dreaming and get back to patrolling."


    The fat guard rubbed his head and grinned obsequiously, "Going now, going now."


    With that, he led the other guards out on patrol.


    Of course, Su Chen was unaware of the scene in the guard booth. Now, he had reached the front door of a detached vi, his expression changing to one of careless disregard, a stark contrast to the person on the bridge earlier.


    Su Chen took out a key, unlocked the front door, and was about to tiptoe inside, but saw that the lights were still on. Seated on the couch was a woman in her twenties who was stunningly beautiful.


    This was a woman one could never forget after a single nce, even for someone like Su Chen, who had seen countless women. When he first met her, he couldn''t help but shudder, an involuntary thought crossing his mind.


    At first sight, she captivates the city; at a second nce, she conquers the nation!


    She possessed wlessly perfect features bestowed by Heaven itself ¨C whether her enchanting eyes, her delicately high bridge of a nose, or her cherry-red, moist lips, each was iparably exquisite!


    To the envy of countless women, not only were her features wless, but her figure was also the golden ratio of golden ratios, curvaceous and well-defined.


    At that moment, she was dressed in an ivory silk nightgown, exposing some of her pale, milk-like skin, which was irresistibly touchable.


    However, Su Chen no longer felt the initial awe when he saw her now, as this woman was just too cold, colder even than the Siberian air.


    Su Chen often muttered to himself, how apt that her name was Lin Ruoxue¡ªshe was indeed as cold as snow.


    But even so, Su Chen had to endure because Lin Ruoxue was his¡ªwife!


    Yes, Lin Ruoxue, hailed as a goddess by many and the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan, was indeed Su Chen''s wife.


    Once this news was released, one could imagine, it would instantly cause a huge stir in Jiangnan and even the entire Huaxia!


    And Su Chen might just be thrown into the sea and fed to the fishes by Lin Ruoxue''s admirers!


    The reason Su Chen was still alive and well was that aside from the Lin Family and his old ghost master, no one knew about it.


    Even within the Lin Family, apart from Lin Ruoxue''s parents and grandfather, other members hadn''t even seen him.


    They had merely gone to the civil affairs bureau and gotten a marriage certificate; the rest of the Lin Family just knew he existed, but nothing more about him.


    However, Su Chen felt no pride as the husband of the most beautiful woman, because in the six months they had been married, let alone consummating the marriage, they hadn''t even held hands.


    Of course, Su Chen wasn''t exactly desperate for anything, but they were at least husband and wife; the least they could do was to treat each other with respect, right?


    But every time Lin Ruoxue saw him, her face was cold, as if Su Chen were her sworn enemy.


    In Lin Ruoxue''s heart, Su Chen indeed was her mortal enemy, because this man shattered all her expectations and dreams about her partner.


    Su Chen was too far from the ideal man she worshipped in her heart; Lin Ruoxue desired a man who was capable of taking the world in hand with his pen and securing peace with his might.


    If her grandfather hadn''t used the threat of not undergoing surgery unless she married, how could she ever have married a man who seemed without prospects and was full of issues?


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t know how many nights she''d spent agonizing over why her grandfather insisted she marry such a worthless man.


    But this situation was not only frustrating for Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen was also very frustrated.


    If it weren''t for that incident afterwards, his Dantian being destroyed and feeling utterly disenchanted with life, almost having suicidal thoughts, indifferent to everything, how could he have agreed to his old master''s proposal to marry a woman he''d never met in Jianghai City, moreover, as a son-inw?


    Even if she was as beautiful as a celestial being!


    Although he regretted it now, what''s done was done, it was toote.


    When Su Chen entered, Lin Ruoxue nced up at him, noticed he was all damp, and frowned slightly.


    Su Chen also noticed her subtle movement, but he didn''t n to say anything and just casually sat down on the couch, then lit a cigarette.


    Muddy feet knocked against the coffee table, he leaned back on the sofa, exhaled a smoke ring, and watched it slowly drift towards the ceiling.


    Lin Ruoxue gently covered her nose and revealed a look of disgust, then shifted slightly further away.


    "Speak, what are you waiting for?"


    Su Chenzily said, not deluded into thinking Lin Ruoxue was worried about him, which was why she waited until now.


    Watching Su Chen''s carefree demeanor, Lin Ruoxue felt infuriated. Even if you can''t be the man of my dreams, can''t you at least behave decently?


    Lin Ruoxue took a deep breath and coldly said,


    "Tomorrow is my mother''s birthday, we are going to the old house for dinner together."


    "Fine, I got it."


    Su Chen stubbed out the cigarette and walked upstairs...


    Lin Ruoxue had waited so long just to say that sentence. But she didn''t have Su Chen''s number and their schedules didn''t align, so she had no choice but to wait for Su Chen to return.


    The fact that the couple didn''t even have each other''s numbers highlighted an extraordinary peculiarity in their rtionship.


    Lin Ruoxue watched Su Chen''s retreating figure, shook her head, and also headed upstairs.


    The two entered their respective rooms one after the other without exchanging a word...

 Chapter 3: Nine Yang Divine Skill

    After returning to his room, Su Chen did not turn on the light; instead, he sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and silently began to circte his cultivation technique.


    An hourter, Su Chen opened his eyes and sighed helplessly,


    "It''s still no use, my shattered Dantian shows no sign of healing. It''s been a year; it seems there really is no hope."


    Su Cheny disheartenedly on the bed, gazing at the ceiling. Throughout the year, he had circted his cultivation technique several times each day to see if there were any changes to his Dantian, but after repeated disappointments, he had be somewhat numb.


    Thinking of his shattered Dantian, Su Chen couldn''t help but recall that incident.


    Although a year had passed, he still couldn''t understand why his brother-in-arms, who had once faced life and death with him, would betray him, causing him to fall into the siege of five to six Qi Refinement Peak and somete-stage cultivators.


    That incident not only shattered his Dantian but also reduced his strength from being nearly unbeatable at the brink of Meridian Expansion to that of a disabled person. The first organization of the Dark World, Nether Temple, which he had founded, was also taken away by that once brother.


    If it hadn''t been for his plunge into an abyss thousands of feet deep, leading everyone to believe he had no chance of survival, he might not be living so peacefully now.


    "Tang Gang! Why?"


    Su Chen clenched his fists tightly, blood dripping from his palms to the bed, unnoticed by him.


    More chilling to Su Chen than the destruction of his cultivation and the loss of the Temple was the betrayal of who he once thought was a brother for life.


    It was because of this that Su Chen felt disheartened and even contemted suicide several times.


    If not for an important matter still undone, Su Chen might have already been buried in that abyss.


    It was this faint notion that enabled him to drag his scarred body to the foot of the Kunlun Mountains. His old ghost of a master lived in a thatched cottage halfway up the Kunlun Mountains.


    The thought that kept Su Chen alive was about the true circumstances surrounding his parents'' deaths. Su Chen had been investigating the mystery of his parents'' demise for years, but, involving some of the most powerful families in Huaxia, he hadn''t gathered much useful information.


    Although Su Chen himself originated from those ranks, after his parents died, the Su Family had cast him out when he was only six years old.


    He retained only sparse, vague memories of the Su Family.


    Of course, the present Su Chen wasn''t entirely without power; after all, he had once been the undisputed king of the West''s Dark World!


    However, those forces were kept in the shadows and represented the real core strength of the Nether Temple, not to be easily revealed unless absolutely necessary.


    The incident a year ago happened too suddenly; he had no time to mobilize those forces, otherwise, he wouldn''t have fallen into such peril.


    Moreover, since that incident, Su Chen had lost his former ambition to dominate the world; now, aside from uncovering the true cause of his parents'' death, he would rather live an ordinary life, leading a quiet existence.


    But to uncover the truth about his parents'' deaths, he would inevitably have to confront those supreme families in Yanjing, whose powers were as unfathomable as the ocean.


    "It seems that to understand what happened to the Su Family back then, just having those hidden strengths is not enough; I still need to have formidable personal power."


    Su Chen muttered to himself. Yet, as he nced at his Dantian, his gaze once again dimmed.


    "Right, since conventional methods have beenpletely useless, why not try that method?"


    Suddenly, Su Chen''s eyes lit up. He quickly jumped down from the bed and excitedly rummaged under it, eventually dragging out an old wooden chest from a corner.


    The chest was covered in dust, clearly undisturbed for a long time. Su Chen retrieved a small key from the drawer and opened the chest.


    No one would expect that inside this ordinary-looking chest were various unparalleled treasures, each capable of causing a stir in the world of collectors if brought out.


    However, Su Chen didn''t give a single nce at those treasures, rudely shoving them aside, not caring in the slightest that they might be damaged.


    When his gaze fell upon a sheepskin scroll at the bottom of the box, Su Chen disyed a relieved smile.


    He carefully lifted the worn and yellowed sheepskin scroll, his heart pounding "thud thud."


    Because this scroll was hisst hope for resuming cultivation!


    The origin of this scroll was unclear to him; all he knew was that when he was expelled from the Su Family mansion at the age of five, the scroll had already been with him.


    The scroll documented a cultivation technique called the Nine Yang Divine Technique.


    To cultivate the Nine Yang Divine Technique, the first step was to shatter the Dantian and reshape it!


    The reason Su Chen hadn''t practiced this seemingly powerful cultivation technique was partially because no martial artist dared to shatter their own Dantian, which was the foundation of a cultivator.


    Furthermore, the Nine Yang Divine Technique was too bizarre and greatly differed from the martial arts cultivation methods Su Chen knew.


    Also, Old Ghost Master once said that although the cultivation of this technique was incredibly fast and powerful, it inevitably involved three great tribtions.


    Each tribtion was a life-and-death ordeal, and anyone who survived all three tribtions was certainly a miracle among miracles!


    Despite this, Su Chen still decided to try, because he had no choice!


    Moreover, his Dantian was already shattered, which might have been an arrangement of fate.


    Of course, there was an undisclosed reason why Su Chen decided to practice this cultivation method; every time he touched the sheepskin scroll, he felt a familiar sensation, just like at this moment.


    His hand gently covered the scroll, immediately feeling a bloodline connection that was ancient and extensive, seemingly connected to the deste antiquity...


    Su Chen caressed it for a while, gathered his thoughts, then got back into bed, sat cross-legged, and began to carefully observe the ancient scrollid out on his thighs.


    Afterward, he closed his eyes again and began to practice following the content of the first section.


    In the beginning, he felt a bit awkward since this technique was very different from typical cultivation methods.


    Fortunately, his talent was exceptional and after exploring for an hour, Su Chen gradually found the key.


    After circting a full circle as demonstrated by the scroll, Su Chen''s heart suddenly shook, for he noticed that there was a slight movement in his previously silent Dantian.


    Suppressing the euphoria in his heart, Su Chen continued to practice the Nine Yang Divine Technique, and as time passed, the ruins of the shattered Dantian started to shift gradually outward.


    Su Chen knew this was just the first step of the cleansing work. There was still a long way to go before the Dantian''s restoration, but he was already very satisfied for he finally saw a glimmer of hope.


    It was now past four in the morning, Su Chen was drenched in sweat, his T-shirt and shortspletely soaked, but he kept circting the first section of the Nine Yang Divine Technique over and over in a frenzy.


    Only when the first rays of morning light prated the room through the window did Su Chen stop practicing. He carefully felt his Dantian and discovered that the Dantian, which had been shattered for a year, now showed signs of being reshaped, even if just slightly.


    Suppressing the urge to burst outughing, Su Chen got out of bed, opened the window, and looking at the bright sunlight, was filled with confidence!


    He believed that before long, his shattered Dantian would be sessfully reshaped!


    This time, he might go even further than before!

 Chapter 4 - 4 The Beautiful Morning Time

    Su Chen slid the sheepskin scroll under his pillow and prepared to put the box away when he remembered that today he had to attend his mother-inw''s birthday banquet with Lin Ruoxue, so he casually took a small bag out of it and slipped it into his pocket.


    Despite not having slept all night, Su Chen didn''t feel weary at all, on the contrary, he felt spirited and as if he had an inexhaustible supply of energy.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve exercised, go for a fewps," he said to himself.


    No sooner had he said it than Su Chen limbered up his legs and dashed out the door.


    Since his marriage to Lin Ruoxue half a year ago, this was the first time Su Chen had risen so early; due to the double blow of his cultivation being ruined and betrayal by his brothers, he had somewhat given up on himself and been drifting along in recent months.


    However, practicing the Nine Yang Divine Techniquest night finally gave him a glimmer of hope, and once again, he found new hope in life.


    Although Grand Epoch Court was a vimunity, it wasn''t in a remote location, but rather a tranquil spot not far from the city center.


    By the time Su Chen left theplex, the streets were already dotted with people heading to work, and thick mists rose in front of the stalls selling breakfast.


    Not long after he started running, Su Chen encountered a woman heading in the opposite direction, also on a morning run.


    The woman had a ponytail and wore a ck sports bra and ck leggings, which entuated her striking figure in full disy.


    Therge expanse of exposed skin was a healthy wheat color, and her trim waist didn''t have an ounce of excess fat, faintly revealing sexy abs.


    Although it was merely a fleeting glimpse, Su Chen still noticed that the woman was very pretty, although a bit less sopared to the ice mountain at home, but undoubtedly, she was a rare beauty.


    Su Chen merely appreciated her as one would something beautiful, took a nce, and continued running forward.


    The scenery in the early morning always had a special feel, and after running for over half an hour, Su Chen started to head back.


    But as he was about to return to Grand Epoch Court, he saw the attractive woman he''d encountered before leaning on the railing by the roadside, one shoe off, with an expression of pain on her face.


    Su Chen jogged up to her and asked,


    "What''s wrong? Are you hurt?"


    "Yes, they were doing road works up ahead and I identally twisted my ankle. I tried to keep going, but I just couldn''t bear it," Xu Xinran said, frowning slightly.


    "If you don''t mind, I can take a look at it for you," Su Chen said casually.


    Xu Xinran''s eyes lit up, "Can you treat it? Are you a doctor?"


    "No," Su Chen shook his head, "But I can handle a sprain like this, no problem."


    Xu Xinran thought for a moment, with no other options at hand, and figured if this young man couldn''t heal her, she would just take a taxi to the hospital. There was nothing to lose.


    Seeing her nod, Su Chen bent down, took her delicate foot into his hands, and ced it on his knee.


    And to tell the truth, the beauty''s foot was indeed exquisite, smooth, and tender, like milk, prompting an instinctive caress from Su Chen.


    Xu Xinran shivered involuntarily; she hadn''t overthought it before, but now, watching him hold her foot, she couldn''t help but feel bashful, her cheeks flushing a shade of red.


    Sometimeter, Xu Xinran calmed her fluttering heart and stealthily nced at the young man squatting before her, noticing his eyes were clear and his expression deeply focused. At that moment, he seemed to have a special allure.


    About five minutester, Xu Xinran was amazed to feel a noticeable warmth where Su Chen was massaging her ankle. After a few more minutes, Su Chen put her foot down and said,


    "Alright, put on your shoe and try walking."


    "So quick!"


    Xu Xinran put her shoe on with some skepticism and took a few steps. To her surprise, not only was the pain gone, but there was no difort at all.


    This discovery astounded Xu Xinran; even seasoned practitioners might not be able to heal so quickly; at the very least, one would expect some recovery time to be necessary.


    "Are you sure you are not a doctor?" Xu Xinran asked again.


    "It''s not." Su Chen spread his hands, then waved and ran off.


    "What an interesting man."


    Xu Xinran muttered, as she was quite confident in her appearance and figure.


    This was the first man she met who had not tried to strike up a conversation with her on purpose, even seeming a bit evasive.


    Of course, for Su Chen, this was just something he did casually, he hadn''t thought too much about it.


    When Su Chen returned to the vi where Lin Ruoxue was, it was just a little past six o''clock.


    Seeing Su Chening in from outside, Wang Ma, who was cleaning, couldn''t help but widen her eyes as if she had seen a ghost.


    "Wang Ma, what''s with that expression? You look like you''ve seen a ghost."


    Su Chen touched his nose and said with a smile.


    "Isn''t it just like seeing a ghost!"


    Wang Ma muttered to herself in her heart, but naturally, she wouldn''t say it out loud, after all, he was the son-inw, even if only in name.


    "Son-inw, why did you get up so early today?" Wang Ma asked.


    Wang Ma had been taking care of Lin Ruoxue since she was little, and after Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen got married and moved out, Wang Ma also came along to take care of the couple''s daily life.


    "Oh, I couldn''t sleep, so I got up," Su Chen replied casually, then headed towards the kitchen, "Wang Ma, let me make breakfast today, you take a break."


    Wang Ma was stunned for several seconds when she heard Su Chen''s words, quickly putting down her work and saying:


    "Hey, son-inw, how can you do this kind of work?"


    "It''s no problem, we all live in the same house, does it matter who does it?"


    Su Chen smiled as he pushed Wang Ma, who was entering the kitchen, out and then took out various food ingredients from the refrigerator.


    Watching Su Chen skillfully prepare breakfast, Wang Ma felt as if the sun had risen from the west.


    "What''s gotten into son-inw? It feels like he is a different person, not only getting up so early but also taking the initiative to make breakfast."


    Wang Ma couldn''t help but smile at the corners of her mouth, thinking that if the son-inw could always be like this, it would indeed be a blessing for the young miss.


    Wang Ma had been taking care of Lin Ruoxue for almost twenty years in the Lin Family, and she had long considered Lin Ruoxue like a daughter, naturally hoping Lin Ruoxue would have a happy life.


    It didn''t take long before Su Chen had made a whole table of breakfast, both Chinese and Western dishes, and each one wasplete with color, fragrance, and vor, drawing amazement from Wang Ma.


    Just then, Lin Ruoxue got up. When she reached the top of the stairs, she smelled an inviting fragrance.


    "Wang Ma, what delicious food are you making today? It smells so good."


    Lin Ruoxue stretchedzily and said.


    Wang Ma looked at Lin Ruoxue with a smiling face and said:


    "Miss, today''s food wasn''t made by me, but by your husband."


    "Food is ready, Wang Ma, let''s eat together."


    Su Chen, carrying a pot of steaming porridge, walked out of the kitchen and saw Lin Ruoxue.


    But this nce almost caused Su Chen to have a nosebleed, as Lin Ruoxue was wearing a silk camisole, revealing ample whiteness and her sexy corbone at the neckline.


    Even more fatal was the fact that the hem of the camisole was very short, fully exposing those long, slender, and pale legs to the air.


    And as Lin Ruoxue was standing on the stairs above him, Su Chen looked up, and the angle was just too perfect!

 Chapter 5 - 5 Delicious Breakfast

    Lin Ruoxue suddenly realized that Su Chen''s gaze seemed to be fixed on her, and she hurriedly lowered her head to check herself, only to be shocked with a huge start.


    "Ahhh~~~"


    Lin Ruoxue let out a shriek, then quickly turned around and dashed upstairs, soon followed by a loud ''bang'' as she shut the door.


    Su Chen withdrew his gaze, curled his lip, and muttered, "Was that really necessary?"


    Seeing this scene, even the housemaid, Wang Ma, couldn''t help but shake her head with a wry smile as she continued cleaning.


    Once she closed the door behind her, Lin Ruoxue leaned against it and pressed her hand against her rapidly beating chest, feeling a bit of heat on her face.


    "So embarrassing! Why did this jerk get up so early?"


    In fact, this wasn''t really Lin Ruoxue''s fault, because since the two of them had gotten married, Su Chen had never gotten up before 10 o''clock! And it was evenmon for him to sleep till noon.


    So, when Lin Ruoxue got up in the morning, she wouldn''t even think about the presence of another man in the house¡ªalthough that man was her husband in name.


    About fifteen minutester, Lin Ruoxue had calmed down and changed her clothes before she went downstairs.


    Looking at the table of exquisite breakfast, Lin Ruoxue asked with suspicion, "Did you make all these?"


    While eating porridge, Su Chen heard Lin Ruoxue''s question, looked up at her, but didn''t respond to her, which slightly irritated Lin Ruoxue.


    But if Su Chen wasn''t going to speak, someone else would. Wang Ma said with a smile,


    "Yes, Miss, I watched the young master make it with my own eyes. I really didn''t expect his cooking to be so good."


    "Wang Ma, don''t work any longer,e and eat with us,"


    Su Chen said kindly to Wang Ma.


    "All right, Wang Ma is in luck today to taste the young master''s cooking skills."


    Wang Ma happily replied, "Miss, you sit down and eat as well."


    Lin Ruoxue hesitated a bit, annoyed by Su Chen''s attitude, and of course, with her personality, she wouldn''t eat the breakfast prepared by Su Chen. However, the sight of the breakfast really piqued her appetite.


    Knowing her temperament very well after taking care of her for so many years, Wang Ma simply pulled her down to sit, and Lin Ruoxue sat down as well.


    Su Chen filled a small bowl with porridge for Wang Ma but ignored Lin Ruoxue, who clearly understood that Su Chen was deliberately snubbing her, and a dark line immediately appeared on her forehead.


    It was Wang Ma''s considerate action that offered Lin Ruoxue a sandwich, handed it to her.


    "Mmm, mmm, this is really good, young master, your porridge is so well made,"


    Wang Ma said while taking a sip of the porridge, full of praises.


    Lin Ruoxue nced at Wang Ma, thinking: Can it be that exaggerated? It''s just a bowl of porridge, right?


    Feeling a bit spiteful, Lin Ruoxue took a bite of the sandwich in her hand, and instantly, her eyes lit up.


    Even with just a gentle bite, she dared say that she had never tasted such a unique and delicious sandwich in her life, the taste and sensation were indescribable.


    Lin Ruoxue finished the whole sandwich in no time and swiftly forgot the displeasure she had just felt. She then sessively drank two bowls of porridge and even had some of the other dishes until she felt quite full and finally stopped.


    Just as she stopped, she noticed that Su Chen and Wang Ma were both watching her, Su Chen with a look of astonishment and Wang Ma with a strangely amused smile. This scene immediately made Lin Ruoxue''s face turn red with embarrassment.


    "Alright, I''m off to work now."


    Lin Ruoxue grabbed her bag and made a hasty exit.


    Even after driving all the way to thepany, Lin Ruoxue still felt her heart stubbornly pounding nonstop. However, a sudden revtion struck her.


    "Why did that jerk get up so early today? And he even made breakfast. Where did he learn to cook? How did he get so good?"


    Lin Ruoxue was not a womancking in experience; on the contrary, she had tasted many of the world''s top delicacies, but she felt that none of them couldpare to the simple breakfast that Su Chen made that morning.


    In Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, Su Chen had always been a good-for-nothing jerk, embodying nearly all the ws that men could have. She never would have imagined that such a man could possess such impressive culinary skills.


    What she didn''t know was that Su Chen''s cooking skills were honed by a picky old bastard of a master, someone who even deemed Michelin three-star chefs'' creations as unfit for consumption garbage.


    Think about it, nearly 20 years of relentless training by such a deranged master would ensure anyone''s culinary skills weren''t half bad, much less Su Chen who had an exceptionally acute understanding of whatever he did. Hence, his exquisite cooking was entirely understandable.


    Little did Su Chen expect that a breakfast he made on a whim would cause the icy Lin Ruoxue to think so much. But even if he knew, he wouldn''t care.


    Shortly after Lin Ruoxue left the house, Su Chen also went out, prepared to look for a job. Since he wanted to truly live an ordinary life, he couldn''t idle away his days doing nothing.


    This was probably the first time in his life that he was going job-hunting. Lacking any other options, he could only go to the job market to have a look.


    On his way to the job market, he suddenly saw several recruitment ads posted at the base of a tall building¡ªall from Belle Group, offering various positions. There were ordinary jobs like salespeople and executive assistants, but also senior positions like senior engineers and public rtions directors, and of course, entry-level jobs like security guards and drivers.


    Of course, Su Chen didn''t measure jobs based on sry while choosing a position. His goal in finding work was solely to integrate himself actively into ordinary life.


    After considering his options, Su Chen decided to apply for a driver''s position, mainly because being a driver offered more freedom. He had never been fond of constraints. The idea of being white-cor, stuck in an office chair all day, was just too ufortable for him.


    When Su Chen arrived at the twelfth floor of the building, following the instructions, there were already quite a few people standing outside arge conference room, conversing in low voices.


    "Brother, what position are you applying for?"


    A somewhat jolly-looking chubby man sidled up to Su Chen and asked.


    "Driver."


    "Brother, you''re truly an experienced driver. Many of Belle Group''s executives are super beauties!"


    The chubby man smacked his forehead, "Why didn''t I think of applying for a driver''s position? It''s like a dream opportunity to get close to those beauties!"


    Of course, Su Chen knew that the chubby man was just talking, as most people would prefer a better opportunity than working as a driver if they had the choice.


    "Really? Does Belle Group have a lot of beauties?"


    Su Chen looked at the chubby man''s regretful expression and was somewhat skeptical.


    "Of course, everyone in Jianghai knows that Belle has the highest quantity and quality of beauties!"


    A man wearing an Armani suit chimed in.


    "Then why do I only see men here? I haven''t seen a single woman."


    Su Chen had noticed earlier that all those waiting for their interviews were men, so he asked, puzzled.


    "You''re not aware, but the men and women have separate interviews," said the chubby man, who apparently knew much more than Su Chen did.


    Women are forever the catalyst for male conversation. In no time, all the men had gathered to talk about Belle Group''s beauties, even going as far as ranking them in their minds.

 Chapter 6 - 6 Wrong Place

    A middle-aged woman walked by at this time, still radiating charm.


    "Those attending the PR Director''s recruitment, please take a seat in the conference room. In fifteen minutes, Director Xia herself wille to distribute the test papers," the middle-aged woman said expressionlessly.


    "Ah, it''s actually Director Xiaing in person!"


    "My goddess, I''m finally going to meet my goddess!"


    "I really made the right decision toe today, I''ll actually get to see one of Belle Corporation''s three golden flowers!"


    Upon hearing that Director Xia would being, amotion immediately erupted in the crowd, which made Su Chen very curious as to who exactly this Director Xia was.


    "Buddy, I''m going in first." The fatty pped Su Chen''s shoulder and grinned.


    Subsequently, about a dozen people entered the conference room, and when they saw that the seats inside were already full, the middle-aged woman stopped the few remaining men who wanted to go in:


    "The rest will have to wait for the next session in two hours."


    After saying that, the middle-aged woman left.


    The few who hadn''t secured a seat sighed and walked out. With another two hours to wait, it made more sense to take a stroll than to wait around foolishly.


    Su Chen, however, hadn''t left, as the recruitment for the Security Department would start in 20 minutes, and the Drivers Department that Su Chen was applying for was managed by the Security Department.


    Three minutes had barely passed when the fatty Su Chen had chatted with hurried out of the room, frowning with an odd gait.


    "Buddy, help me out, hold my ce in there for me, I need to run to the restroom."


    The fatty spoke to Su Chen with a pained expression:


    "I think the lobster I ate yesterday wasn''t cleaned properly, ugh, such bad luck!"


    "Sure, but make it quick."


    After thinking it over, Su Chen realized that since he still had nearly 20 minutes until his own interview, doing this small favor was no big deal.


    "Thank you, thank you so much, pal! I''ll treat you to dinner tonight," said the fatty, pping his hands together in gratitude.


    "No need, it''s just a small gesture. Hurry up!"


    Before Su Chen could finish speaking, the fatty was already dashing toward the restroom at the end of the hall, looking quite hapless.


    Su Chen shook his head and entered the conference room, taking a seat in the only avable chair. As soon as he sat down, he noticed that everyone was still enthusiastically discussing the mysterious Director of Human Resources, Xia Qiuru.


    Although the discussion was animated, few of them had actually seen Xia Qiuru herself; most information was hearsay, so now they were all craning their necks in anticipation of the goddess''s arrival.


    However, Su Chen wasn''t too preupied with all that and was instead feeling a bit impatient. Ten minutes had passed, and the fatty hadn''t returned. Without his number, Su Chen had no choice but to wait.


    Right at that moment, the sound of "ck ck ck" from high heels echoed in the hallway outside. Then, the conference room door swung open, and a faint scent wafted in.


    Just as the door was pushed open, everyone turned their heads, followed by the sound of dry throats "gurgling, gurgling".


    Su Chen looked up and saw a city beauty dressed in an OL suit, tall and slender, with her curves perfectly showcased by the ck professional attire.


    To Su Chen''s surprise, her appearance was refined and elegant, probably simr to the woman who had been rescued from the waterst night; however, herplexion was somewhat cold, which somewhat resembled someone at his own home.


    Su Chen nced at her and then withdrew his gaze, but when he inadvertently swept over the others, he saw all of them staring, mouths wide open, some even on the verge of drooling.


    Xia Qiuru seemed quite ustomed to this scene, but when her gaze swept over Su Chen, she was slightly astonished to find rity in his eyes.


    Xia Qiuru encountered for the first time a manpletely immune to her charms and couldn''t help but give him a second look, noting that although this man looked ordinary, he was the type who grew on you, and he seemed somewhat weathered.


    Such a feel would normally be found in a man in his forties or fifties, who, having experienced life, was indifferent to everything, yet it didn''t seem out of ce in this man in his twenties!


    These thoughts were fleeting, and after scanning the room, Xia Qiuru said indifferently,


    "I will now distribute the test papers. During the written exam, please remain quiet and follow the rules."


    After these words, Xia Qiuru began handing out the papers.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but grow anxious. How could that fatso be taking so long in the bathroom!


    When Xia Qiuru ced a set of exam papers in front of him, Su Chen quickly said,


    "Sorry, I''m not here to take the test for the PR department director."


    "Then why are you here?"


    Xia Qiuru asked coldly, her eyebrows knit together.


    "I came for a driver''s interview; I''m in the wrong ce."


    Su Chen didn''t say he was saving a seat for the fatso to avoid causing any trouble.


    "Since you''re here, just sit tight. The exam has already begun, and no one is allowed to leave the room. If you want to leave, you''ll have to wait half an hour to hand in your paper."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s reason, Xia Qiuru gave him a sharp nce¡ªas if he coulde up with a more preposterous excuse.


    Left with no choice, Su Chen stayed, nning to hand in a nk paper after half an hour and then go take the driver''s test, being only about fifteen minuteste.


    Once the papers were distributed, everyone else immediately bent over to answer the questions, eager not only for thepany of the beauties but also driven by the well-known high remuneration of the Belle Corporation.


    Of course, there was one exception. Without anything to do, Su Chen began to observe Xia Qiuru, who was sitting in front of him, her ck pencil skirt outlining a wonderfully curved arc on her posterior.


    Her long legs, d in ck stockings, were crossed and slowly swinging, her high heels slightly hooked, and strands of hair falling down.


    Xia Qiuru seemed to sense something, looked up, and discovered Su Chen staring at her, and following his gaze, she realized he was looking right at that spot.


    Xia Qiuru immediately felt anger rising. She had initially thought he was a gentleman, but he turned out to be just like the other men, a lecher.


    Xia Qiuru gave Su Chen a sharp nce, but he seemed oblivious, still quietly appreciating her figure.


    Xia Qiuru felt extremely ufortable under Su Chen''s gaze, as if invisible hands were viting her, and it felt as though countless ants were crawling inside her...

 Chapter 7 - 7 Freaks

    Xia Qiuru simply couldn''t stand Su Chen''s uninhibited gaze, so she stood up and walked to the back, all the way to the door.


    Feeling rather embarrassed to turn his head and look, Su Chen, in a fit of boredom, started to examine the exam paper. There weren''t many questions on it, just one side, but they were all essay questions.


    Most of the questions required solutions for various public rtions crises, and of course, Su Chen knew the standard answers, but they weren''t the answers he had in mind.


    With a flourish of his pen, Su Chen filled in the same word under each of these questions¡ªfight!


    Anyone who has wandered through the Dark World knows that all rules are built on one foundation, and that is strength!


    When your strength is enough, you are right even when you''re wrong; when your strength isn''t enough, you are wrong even when you''re right.


    Essentially, this is also the truew of existence in this world!


    Soon Su Chen reached thest question, which was a bit different from the others¡ªit required a brief introduction to Belle Group in different nationalnguages.


    Upon seeing this question, Su Chen couldn''t help but smile. The ambition of Belle Group seemed quite grand, it looked like they were ready to venture into the international market.


    Naturally, Su Chen couldn''t just write "fight" for this question, or he would look like a madman.


    After some thought, he began to answer, but he quickly ran into a problem, because this was thest question, and there wasn''t much space left at the bottom of the page. He had only used about a dozen nationalnguages to introduce Belle Group when he ran out of room.


    Su Chen had no choice but to flip to the back and continue writing "swish swish" on the back, and before long, the entire section was filled.


    Su Chen took out his phone and saw that half an hour had passed, so he simply got up, walked to the back, and handed his exam paper to Xia Qiuru.


    "I can leave now, right?"


    Su Chen nced at the towering front of Xia Qiuru and narrowed his eyes with a cramped smile.


    Seeing that his gaze was still not proper, Xia Qiuru fiercely said, "Get lost!"


    Just as Su Chen opened the door, ready to leave, he suddenly turned back, blew into Xia Qiuru''s ear, and whispered softly,


    "Director Xia, your bra is too small, if you wear it for too long, it might affect your development!"


    After finishing his sentence, a loud "bang" of the door closing could be heard.


    "Asshole! Hooligan!"


    Xia Qiuru was stunned for a moment before she realized what had happened, her face flushed with embarrassment as she cursed.


    Everyone was startled by Xia Qiuru''s shout, and they all turned their heads in surprise to look at her.


    Xia Qiuru felt even more humiliated and tried to put on a stern face:


    "What are you looking at! Get back to your exam!"


    After leaving the conference room, Su Chen went to a slightly smaller room next door to interview for a driver''s position. The interview for the driver wasn''t as formal as for the PR Director; after a brief understanding of the situation and a test drive, it was almost done.


    Although Su Chen''s Dantian was destroyed, his other skills and abilities were still intact. The destruction of his Dantian only affected his Martial Arts Cultivation; thus, interviewing for a simple driver''s position was still easily within his grasp. After the interview, the interviewer told him toe to thepany at 8 a.m. the next day for work.


    After leaving the Belle Building, Su Chen took a deep breath of fresh air and muttered to himself:


    "Is this what it''s like to officially start living a normal life? It doesn''t seem too hard to ept."


    Having nothing else to do, Su Chen started wandering aimlessly around the streets...


    ....


    In an office of the Belle Building, Xia Qiuru was carefully reviewing the test papers from the two groups of candidates who took the written exam today.


    Sometimes her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, at other times she smiled knowingly. All in all, there were quite a few talented individuals among the applicants, yet none that truly dazzled her.


    In fact, what Belle Group valued most in hiring a Public Rtions Director this time was thest question, which was to introduce the Belle Group in multiplenguages, because thepany''s next development focus would be the international market.


    The most any of the test papers that Xia Qiuru reviewed had was four or fivenguages, aside from the two main types of Chinese and English, mainly focusing onmonnguages like Korean, French, Japanese, Spanish, and German.


    After examining one test paper, Xia Qiuru casually pulled out the next one. Upon seeing this test paper, a surge of anger involuntarily burst forth in her eyes.


    Under every question on that test paper was a bold and ring "´ò" character.


    "Which asshole''s paper is this? It''s downright hooliganism. If public rtions were just about ''hitting,'' they might as well hire a bunch of thugs! I bet this person is a scoundrel themselves," Xia Qiuru thought indignantly, "Such a person even dares to try their luck at Belle Group."


    Just as Xia Qiuru was about to discard this test paper as trash, her eyes suddenly locked onto something.


    She noticed that thest question on this person''s paper was densely packed with text, in stark contrast to the previous crude single character.


    Xia Qiuru quickly ced the test paper back in front of her and started to read it carefully. She discovered that this individual had used over a dozennguages, of which she could only roughly recognize five or six, many she had never even seen before.


    A look of shock filled Xia Qiuru''s eyes. What kind of freak was this, knowing so manynguages!


    Xia Qiuru didn''t suspect the person was just scribbling nonsense, because the introductions in thenguages that she did recognize were not only grammatically correct but also eloquently phrased, clearly indicating proficiency.


    From this, his linguistic talent was terrifyingly apparent!


    However, being thorough and conscientious in her work, Xia Qiuru set that test paper aside and then started checking the othernguages on theputer.


    As time went by, the astonishment on Xia Qiuru''s face grew increasingly intense, to the point where even sweat began to drip down.


    Apart from thosemonnguages, there were Arabic, Hindi, Mongolian, and evennguages from smaller nations such as Macedonian, Maori, Georgian, and so on.


    At that moment, a breeze blew in through the window, sweeping the test paper onto the floor. Xia Qiuru quickly got up from her seat, intent on picking it up.


    However, when her gaze fell upon the test paper, Xia Qiuru''s eyes involuntarily widened, her cherry-red lips parting in shock as if she had seen a ghost...


    For Xia Qiuru, the current situation was more shocking than encountering a ghost!


    It turned out that when the test paper was blown down by the wind, itnded upside down. The back, which should have been clean, was nowpletely filled with writing, not a single gap remaining.


    Xia Qiuru hurriedly bent over to pick up the test paper, staring at it dumbfounded. It took a few minutes for her toe back to her senses, whereupon she sat down at her desk with a face full of amazement.


    Xia Qiuru roughly counted and found that there were at least 150nguages written on it. This was absolutely astounding!


    "I must contact this person right away! Such a talent is truly once in a century!"


    Xia Qiuru immediately decided, but when she looked at the ce for the name, she was stunned...


    Because that space was nk, the candidate had not written their name at all!


    Xia Qiuru instantly became nervous, carefully recalling the person who had submitted that answer sheet. A few minutester, her eyes suddenly brightened.


    The test paper seemed to be thest one from the first batch, which meant it should belong to the first person who turned in their paper.


    "The first person to turn in their paper..."


    An image of a sly man suddenly forced its way into Xia Qiuru''s mind...


    "So it was you!"

 Chapter 8 - 8 Profile

    "This matter must be reported to the chairman."


    Xia Qiuru pondered for a moment, then stood up and walked towards the chairman''s office.


    "Chairman Lin, I have something that I must report to you."


    As soon as Xia Qiuru pushed open the grand door of the chairman''s office, she saw an unimaginably beautiful woman who was just about to walk out.


    If Su Chen had seen this woman, he would have been greatly surprised because she was his wife, at least in name¡ªLin Ruoxue!


    "Qiuru, it''s you. Let''s talk about it tomorrow. My mom has her birthday tonight, and I need to hurry or I won''t make it in time,"


    Lin Ruoxue apologized with a smile and then left like a whirlwind, leaving Xia Qiuru with no choice but to return to her office, the image of that man who had said her cup size was small shing in her mind.


    Having wandered the streets for half a day, Su Chen nced at the time and saw it was already past five o''clock, so he turned and headed in the direction of Grand Epoch Court; after all, he still had to join Lin Ruoxue for dinner at the old house in the evening.


    As Su Chen arrived at the entrance, a BMW 7 Series happened to pull up behind him, and parked outside the vi¡ªit was obviously Lin Ruoxue arriving home.


    The two entered the house one after the other. Lin Ruoxue went straight upstairs upon entering, while Su Chen sat down on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and began to smoke contentedly.


    "Thud, thud, thud"


    A few minutester, footsteps were heard on the stairs, and Su Chen looked up to find his eyes suddenly widening because Lin Ruoxue looked stunningly beautiful at that moment!


    Even though Su Chen''s heart was usually calm, he couldn''t help but feel amazed!


    Moreover, Lin Ruoxue had applied a light makeup, which made her already captivating beauty even more enchanting, with her ck, lustrous hair tossed stylishly to one side!


    Su Chen was stunned by the beautiful sight, frozen for several seconds.


    When Lin Ruoxue looked up and saw Su Chen staring intently at her, she felt a mixture of annoyance and shyness¡ªthis jerk seemed to be looking at her like this for the first time!


    This stirred a slight ripple in her heart!


    However, her gaze quickly cooled down again:


    "Why haven''t you changed your clothes yet? Do you really intend to go to my mother''s birthday banquet like this?"


    When Lin Ruoxue saw Su Chen wearing an old, unsightly T-shirt and baggy shorts with flip-flops, anger surged within her heart!


    "What''s wrong with this outfit? It''sfortable and simple!"


    Su Chen blew a smoke ring and looked sideways at Lin Ruoxue as he spoke; his wife was alright in every aspect, but the one thing that he couldn''tmend was her temper, which most of the time was as cold as an iceberg!


    "We''re going to my mother''s birthday banquet. Shouldn''t you at least try to look presentable to show some respect?"


    Lin Ruoxue suppressed the anger in her heart and said coldly.


    "It''s only family attending, so why bother with these formalities? Besides, respect isn''t determined by an outfit."


    Su Chen retorted without any hesitation.


    Lin Ruoxue was quite angered, but due to the cold rtionship between the two, she couldn''t force him to change.


    However, like he said, it was just a family gathering for her mother''s birthday, and they were not hosting a grand reception. Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to let him be; it was not like she could do anything about it!


    "Let''s go,"


    Lin Ruoxue walked out the door first, with Su Chenzily getting up to follow her.


    Lin Ruoxue''s BMW sped along the roads of Jianghai City, but the air inside the car was chillingly cold, primarily because it emanated from Lin Ruoxue herself.


    "Today is my mother''s fiftieth birthday, and most of the Lin Family will be there, so I hope you pay attention to your words and actions tonight, and don''t be too impolite."


    Just before they were about to arrive at the Lin Family''s old house, Lin Ruoxue instructed Su Chen.


    "Fine, I''ll be a good husband and a good son-inw today."


    Su Chen replied casually, not taking the Lin Family members seriously at all.


    To the former King of the Underworld, those people were nothing more than ants.


    Lin Ruoxue frowned slightly at the mention of "good husband" and "good son-inw", obviously still not quite ustomed to these titles. She couldn''t help but turn to look at him.


    She only saw him quietly looking out the window, and from her angle, she could only see half of his profile!


    Yet it was this half-profile that made her momentarily lose herself!


    What kind of side profile was it that gave her a feeling of depth andplexity hard to describe, yet was so intriguing!


    Su Chen felt Lin Ruoxue''s gaze and turned his head to look at her, his expression returning to normal.


    Seeing that he had turned to look, Lin Ruoxue quickly turned her head away and continued driving, focusing on the road ahead.


    In her heart, she secretly thought: The feeling she had for that moment must have been an illusion, definitely!


    Soon, they arrived at the Lin Family''s old house. Lin Ruoxue parked the car in an open space in front of the courtyard, and they walked towards the house together. Before entering the courtyard, Lin Ruoxue uncharacteristically took Su Chen''s arm.


    Su Chen was totally baffled by Lin Ruoxue''s sudden gesture and stared at her in disbelief. Could his charm be so great that it caused the Ice Beauty to throw herself into his arms willingly?


    Lin Ruoxue seemed to read Su Chen''s thoughts and said softly, "I just don''t want to worry my parents and grandfather."


    Hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen revealed an expression of understanding, as he immediately knew what Lin Ruoxue was thinking.


    After all, they were legally husband and wife, and those who cared about her naturally hoped that they would be a loving couple living happily together.


    If she were distant from Su Chen, as parents and grandfather, they would inevitably be concerned and anxious.


    Lin Ruoxue''s actions were solely to prevent her parents and grandfather from worrying about her, and for the first time, Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue seriously and smiled knowingly.


    This seemingly cold goddess had a heart that actually knew how to consider others, after all!


    However, as a man, he could not let a woman take the initiative. Su Chen withdrew the arm Lin Ruoxue had taken and suddenly embraced her.


    Lin Ruoxue shuddered; she had not expected Su Chen to suddenly wrap his arms around her.


    Out of instinct, Lin Ruoxue tried to break free, but she hadn''t anticipated that Su Chen''s grip would be as unyielding as a vice, making it impossible for her to escape.


    "If you''re going to y a role, y it thoroughly. Be serious; we''re being watched!" Su Chen whispered in Lin Ruoxue''s ear.


    By then, Su Chen had already walked into the courtyard with his arm around Lin Ruoxue''s waist, and as soon as they entered, they immediately captured the gaze of several servants bustling in the courtyard.


    The servants, witnessing the closeness between Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen, were taken aback.


    Lin Ruoxue, seeing this scene, resigned herself to being embraced by him.


    "Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you embrace my sister?" At that moment, a haughty voice called out.


    Following suit, a young man in LEVIS jeans and a ck and brown leather jacket stood in front of Su Chen...

 Chapter 9 - 9 You Should Be Grateful

    Su Chen looked at the angry young man in front of him, smiled slightly, then turned to look at Lin Ruoxue.


    "This is my younger brother, Lin Hao, my own brother," Lin Ruoxue said somewhat helplessly, then her expression turned serious as she looked at the young man in front of her, "So you know toe back, huh!"


    "It''s Mom''s fiftieth birthday, of course I had toe back," Lin Hao retorted, curling his lips disdainfully as he looked at Su Chen, "And who are you? Daring to embrace my sister like that."


    Lin Hao certainly knew that this man was the brother-inw spoken of at home, only he did not acknowledge him.


    Who was his sister? Not only was she naturally beautiful and crowned as the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan, but she also controlled the vast assets of the Lin Family. How could someone whose name he had never even heard of be worthy of her?


    He had only found out about this matter when he returned yesterday. The family had always kept it from him, by themand of Old Master Lin, and no one in the Lin Family dared to disobey.


    Because Old Master Lin knew what kind of temper his grandson had and feared that he would disrupt this matter if he returned.


    But Lin Hao was bound to return for his mother''s grand fiftieth celebration, so he would inevitably meet Su Chen and find out about Lin Ruoxue''s marriage, so yesterday, as soon as he returned, Old Master Lin told him the truth.


    Upon hearing the news, Lin Hao almost flipped the table in anger, but he restrained himself out of respect for Old Master Lin''s authority.


    Today, he had been waiting in the courtyard all day to see just who this man was who had married his extraordinarily beautiful sister!


    Upon seeing him, his patience eroded even further, because this man was even more unworthy than he had imagined!


    He had thought that his sister, even if not married into one of those super-rich families, at least would have married some boss or a high-level executive who had studied abroad.


    But the man in front of him, wearing a worn T-shirt, baggy shorts, and dragging along flip-flops, looked no better than a migrant worker!


    This really was like a fresh flower stuck in cow dung!


    Su Chen nced at the young man before him and could probably guess what he was thinking. The corners of his mouth curled into a mischievous smile, and suddenly he kissed Lin Ruoxue''s delicate cheek.


    "Now, do you still need to ask this foolish question?" Su Chen nced sideways at his new uncle-inw.


    "You bastard!"


    Lin Hao understood that it was intentional, and feeling a surge of rage, he immediately threw a punch at Su Chen.


    Lin Hao was physically robust, and having practiced Taekwondo from a young age, he was quite aplished, so his punch was indeed explosive.


    Many onlookers gasped at the scene, expecting the seemingly frail young man to be knocked out instantly.


    Su Chen watched Lin Hao''s punching, but appeared utterly unconcerned, regarding it as mere child''s y.


    Although his Dantian was damaged, it only affected his Martial Arts Cultivation, primarily in terms of utilizing Yuan Qi, but it didn''t significantly impact his various skills inbat and grappling, aside from reductions in strength, speed, and stamina.


    Keep in mind that even relying solely on his skill in Martial Arts, there were absolutely no more than three people in the world who could surpass him!


    So even without Yuan Qi, he was still capable of matching someone at the Primary Stage of Qi Refinement Realm, and even in facing someone at the Middle Stage of Qi Refinement Realm, he could protect himself.


    After all, any skill honed to its limit is not to be underestimated!


    "Stop!"


    Just as Su Chen was preparing to teach his cheeky uncle-inw a lesson, two shouts rang out simultaneously.


    One voice came from an elderly man walking out of the house, while the other voice came from Lin Ruoxue''s beside him.


    Lin Ruoxue had beenpletely stunned by Su Chen''s sudden kiss, and when she came to her senses, she was shocked to see her younger brother swinging his huge fist at Su Chen, knowing all too well that her brother had always been good at fighting.


    The other voice was from Old Master Lin, who hade outside after hearing the report from the servant. He hadn''t expected to witness this scene and immediately roared angrily.


    Upon hearing the roar, Lin Hao unconsciously withdrew his fist while still ring fiercely at Su Chen, who acted as if he hadn''t seen it.


    "Lin Hao, is this your cultivation? Dare to strike your own brother-inw!" Old Master Lin stepped forward and huffed coldly.


    Having controlled the Lin Family for decades, Old Master Lin had an innate authority. Despite Lin Hao''s arrogance outside, he didn''t dare act recklessly in front of Old Master Lin.


    "Grandfather, how is this guy worthy of my sister?"


    Although he dared not continue the fight, Lin Hao still expressed his resentment.


    "Forget about others, mind yourself. Look at you, over twenty years old and still so unserious."


    Old Master Lin snorted and then ignored him, walking up to Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue. Seeing their close interaction, he couldn''t help but feelforted.


    "Su Chen, Ruoxue, you''re here! Good, good!" Old Master Lin said with a beaming smile.


    "Grandfather, how have you been feelingtely?"


    Su Chen wasn''t sure what Old Master Lin meant by ''good'', as he had only met Old Master Lin once before while registering the marriage with Lin Ruoxue.


    "No need to worry, I''ve been doing the massages you told me about, and I feel my health is getting better and better, I could live another twenty years with no problems!"


    Old Master Lin''s heartyughter rang out once again.


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen in surprise. She had no idea about the massages Su Chen had taught her grandfather. Could he also treat illnesses?


    However, seeing the grandfather''s vitality seemed much improvedpared to half a year ago, Lin Ruoxue, who had always been very close to her grandfather and concerned about his health, wouldn''t havepromised under his threat of not getting surgery without her marriage.


    It was something she could not understand; why did her grandfather, who always cherished her, insist she marry someone who seemed riddled with ws.


    "Alright, let''s not stand in the yard,e on in! Everyone wants to see you!"


    The old master led them towards the house, passing by Lin Hao, who gritted his teeth and said:


    "You''re lucky today!"


    "You should be d you kept an arm," Su Chen replied indifferently.


    The living room of the Su Family old mansion was quiterge, about a hundred square meters, with around a dozen people sitting around chatting. Upon seeing Old Master Lin and Su Chen enter, they all stopped their conversations and looked toward them.


    "Oh, is this the new son-inw! After half a year, we finally see him in person today!" A woman in her fifties stepped forward, then turned to a couple and said, "Lao San, you and your wife have really kept this good son-inw well hidden."


    Upon hearing the woman''s words, the others let out a low snicker.


    This sister-inw was really too harsh; it was clear that she was using her words to mock Lao San''s family.

 Chapter 10 - 10 Fool

    Everyone looked toward Su Chen and upon seeing his attire, they all disyed a contemptuous gaze, especially a young woman with heavy makeup who even showed a smirk of schadenfreude.


    The "third couple" in the woman''s mention appeared frustrated and helpless, nced at Su Chen, and sighed softly.


    "That''s my aunt," Lin Ruoxue whispered to Su Chen, revealing the identity of the woman who had just spoken. Su Chen nodded.


    After they married, Lin Ruoxue had roughly exined the Lin Family''s situation to him. Old Master Lin had three sons and one daughter. The eldest was Lin Wenlong, the second was Lin Wenbin, the third was Lin Wenqing, and the youngest, the daughter, was Lin Wenting.


    Lin Ruoxue was the daughter of Lin Wenqing, the third son, and the woman who had just spoken was Lin Wenlong''s wife, Li Yan.


    Su Chen thought to himself, "It seems the Lin family also has its intrigues!"


    As for Li Yan''s sarcasm, Su Chen didn''t care at all, but his indifference bothered others, such as Old Master Lin and Lin Wenqing''s couple, whose faces immediately darkened.


    "Don''t stoop to your sister-inw''s level."


    Sitting next to Lin Wenqing, Lin Wenting quietly tugged at her brother''s sleeve, prompting Lin Wenqing to nod in response.


    "Are you my cousin-inw, Su Chen?"


    Just when the atmosphere was bing somewhat awkward, a somewhat immature voice rang out. A girl, looking like a delicate porcin doll and about eleven or twelve years old, walked up to Su Chen, took his arm, and asked.


    Everyone couldn''t help but be amazed. This little girl was Lin Wenting''s daughter, Lin Ruohan, who for some special reasons, did not take her father''s surname, but her mother''s instead.


    The Lin family knew that although Lin Ruohan was only around eleven or twelve, she was a real prodigy!


    Not only was she exquisitely beautiful¡ªa sure beauty¡ªand her mind was always unfathomable. What shocked everyone was that she could almost immediately grasp even the most abstruse subjects taught at university.


    She was considered a prodigy not only because of her appearance and unknowable high IQ. More crucially, it was her personality. Apart from her mother, she was extremely cold to everyone, even members of the Lin family.


    Her bright eyes seemed able to see through everything. The Lin family''s elders didn''t dare meet her gaze, and they often sighed, wondering whether this little witch would be a blessing or a curse for the Lin family!


    Su Chen had not expected this pretty and cute little girl to suddenlye over and greet him. He gently bent down, touched her little cheek, and smiled, saying:


    "Yes, I am your cousin-inw! What''s your name?"


    Su Chen liked the little girl very much, hiszy demeanor changing to show a rare warm smile.


    Seeing Su Chen''s action, Lin Wenting thought her daughter would certainly be upset because she knew how much her daughter hated others touching her body, especially her face.


    However, what happened nextpletely surprised her. Her daughter looked at Su Chen and said,


    "My name is Lin Ruohan, 11 years old. Can I call you ''Brother Su''?"


    "Of course!"


    The little girl then said somethingpletely unexpected to everyone.


    "Brother Su, don''t you think these people are just a bunch of idiots?"


    As soon as she spoke, everyone was stunned, not sure what expression to make. If an adult had said this, they would have been furious, even to the point of violence, since being called idiots was intolerable.


    Yet, when such words came from a family member, particrly from an eleven-year-old girl, they were at a loss for what to do.


    Could they really punish this little girl?


    They didn''t understand why the daughter of the family''s fourth child would suddenly blurt out such a statement, especially to the new son-inw.


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Lin Ruohan with a face of astonishment; she had not expected this little niece of hers to make such an outburst. Lin Ruoxue had only met Lin Ruohan asionally and had heard from her aunt that her daughter was a prodigy, unpredictable, and today she had truly witnessed it.


    Startled, Su Chen then saw a glint of unfathomable agility in the little girl''s eyes, which sparked a thought in him. He then seriously said to her,


    "You shouldn''t have said that just now."


    "Why?" Lin Ruohen''s eyes showed a hint of confusion, "They really are a bunch of idiots, aren''t they?"


    "Stupid is an insulting word, and once you insult someone, you must be sure you can crush thempletely! And clearly, you don''t have that ability yet."


    "Furthermore, these people are your rtives. Saying it out loud would embarrass them, even though they might indeed be fools."


    "Brother Su, I get it now. I can think of them as fools, but I shouldn''t say it out loud, right?"


    Lin Ruohan twirled her dark eyes, suddenly having an epiphany.


    "Very smart!"


    Su Chen pinched the little girl''s rosy cheeks and chuckled softly!


    The people in the room listened to their conversation, their faces turning shades of purple and green; something just didn''t sit right with them.


    The little girl saying this was one thing, they could take the loss silently, but for you, a grown man, to call them fools was utterly presumptuous.


    "Su Chen, you''re too arrogant. In our Lin Family''s house, daring to call us fools." A young woman, heavily made up and stylishly dressed, mmed her hand on the table, "Uncle, how can you tolerate your beloved son-inw insulting us like that?"


    This woman was none other than Lin Ruoxue''s second uncle''s daughter, Lin Ruomei, who had always tried topete with Lin Ruoxue but was always far behind in both looks and academics, which over time had seeded resentment towards Lin Ruoxue.


    She was overjoyed, something she had never anticipated; Lin Ruoxue, who had always overshadowed her, had married such a worthless husband. She finally had something to surpass Lin Ruoxue in, and it was the most important thing for a woman¡ªthe man!


    Lin Ruomei''s current boyfriend was a Harvard graduate, a senior executive in a multinational corporation, and had her parents-inw not wished to keep the gather simple, just a family dinner, she would have brought her boyfriend over to show off already.


    Thus, hearing Su Chen''s words, she was the first to react impatiently.


    Hearing Lin Ruomei''s words, the others also began chiming in, denouncing Su Chen for hisck of manners. Lin Wenqing and his wife, along with Lin Wenting, showed embarrassed expressions, especially since their son-inw and daughter were the ones indirectly calling them fools.


    They, too, thought Su Chen had gone a bit too far. Lin Ruohan was just a child, and everyone could overlook her words, but after all, you are an adult.


    Although it started with the sister-inw''s sarcasm and others'' sneering faces, this ce was still the Lin Family''s house.


    "Enough, let''s not dwell on some careless words."


    The old patriarch of the Lin Family waved his hand disapprovingly at the noisy scene, his gaze sweeping over Su Chen and his granddaughter, thoughtful.


    Lin Wenqing and his wife, along with Lin Wenting, also apologized to everyone, and the matter was settled.


    "Alright, it''s about time. Everyone, please take your seats!" The old man of the Lin Family gestured grandly, and people began moving towards the tables.


    Su Chen also helped Lin Ruohan to the table, walking by her side. Lin Ruoxue intended to grab her other little hand, but the girl didn''t let her touch it at all.


    In the end, Lin Ruohan sat between Lin Wenting and Su Chen, and Lin Ruoxue naturally took her ce next to Su Chen.


    Today was the fiftieth birthday of Lin Ruoxue''s mother, Zhang Xin, so everyone was toasting to her, and she graciously reciprocated each one.


    "Mom, both of us will also toast to you, wishing you forever youthfulness!"


    Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen stood up together to toast her mother.


    Zhang Xin nced at Su Chen''s disgruntled appearance, then at her elegant daughter, sighed softly, and managed a strained smile:


    "If you both are happy, that''s all that matters to me."


    Zhang Xin well knew that this marriage was too harsh on her daughter, but she and her husband were somewhat timid, always reverent in front of the old patriarch.


    So, when the old patriarch was adamant about them marrying, Lin Wenqing and his wife had no choice but to hope that the couple would grow to love each other and live a happy life.


    "We are good."


    Daughter and mother connected by heart, Lin Ruoxue instantly knew her mother''s thoughts and quickly reassured her, even snuggling closer to Su Chen to appear more intimate.


    "Good, good, that''s good." Zhang Xin felt slightly better seeing this, turned her head to Su Chen seriously, and said, "Su Chen, Ruoxue is in your care now. Please take good care of her!"


    "Sure, don''t worry!"


    What else could Su Chen say in response to a mother''s simple request?


    Just thinking about their indifferent rtionship, Su Chen really didn''t have much confidence.

 Chapter 11 - 11 Each Harboring Their Own Schemes

    After three rounds of drinks, the heavily made-up woman who had scolded Su Chen earlier stood up. She took out an exquisite box from her bag and handed it to Zhang Xin:


    "Auntie Three, this is my birthday gift to you, just a little something. I hope Auntie Three will ept it."


    Zhang Xin got up to take it, saying repeatedly, "Ah, Ruomei, you child, why spend the money?"


    "Auntie Three, open it up and see what good stuff Ruomei has brought you." Someone heckled, and the others also expressed their eagerness to see.


    Hearing that everyone wanted to have a look, Zhang Xin opened the box, and as soon as it was opened, several women gasped.


    "It''s actually Dior''s special limited-edition set, and it''s theplete set."


    "Yes, I''ve wanted this makeup set for a long time, but I''ve never been able to find it."


    "Of course, there are only 1000 sets avable worldwide, it''s truly a rare find. I heard that this makeup set is now being resold for over a hundred thousand per set."


    "The money is a trivial matter; what''s precious is Ruomei''s thoughtfulness towards Auntie Three."


    At this moment, a young man dressed in a blue Ferragamo suit idly spoke while twirling his wine ss.


    The young man had handsome features and amanding presence, unmistakably the air of an elite, he was Lin Wenlong''s only son, Lin Chao, who had just returned from studying abroad.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but take an extra look at him, because from the time Su Chen entered up until now, this had been the first time the man spoke.


    More importantly, Su Chen had a feeling there was a different meaning behind this man''s genteel exterior, not just what he showed on the surface.


    Hearing Lin Chao''s words, the others nodded too. Indeed, while a gift worth tens of thousands might not amaze the Lin family, the thoughtfulness behind it was indeed praiseworthy.


    "Big brother, you are making me blush," Lin Ruomei said with a slight smile, deliberately ncing at Lin Ruoxue, "This was arranged by my boyfriend, he''s a high-level executive in a multinationalpany. They just happen to have some business dealings with Dior, so he had the advantage of proximity."


    "So that''s the case, it seems like Second Brother will soon have a prominent son-inw, right!"


    Eldest brother Lin Wenlong chuckled, and Lin Wenbin and his wife were overjoyed, their smiles so wide they couldn''t close their mouths. Only Lin Wenqing and his spouse felt somewhat awkward.


    At this moment, many in the Lin family were looking at their son-inw Su Chen, their eyes not hiding the scorn they felt.


    Lin Ruoxue was also getting rather angry. She could certainly tell this was a deliberate provocation against her nominal husband, if somewhat subtle.


    Although she had no real affection for this man, he was, after all, her husband byw, and more importantly, Lin Ruoxue understood that these people were ostensibly making life difficult for Su Chen, but in reality, their target was herself.


    In the end, Su Chen presented no conflict of interest for them; how he was really didn''t matter to them.


    It was different for her. Since she had taken over the Lin Corporation, she had touched on too many of their interests, especially Lin Wenlong''s family.


    Lin Wenlong''s family had always wanted to see Lin Chao take charge of Lin Corporation, which was understandable as Lin Chao was the eldest grandson.


    Yet, since she had taken the reigns of Lin Corporation, the results had far exceeded everyone''s expectations, and with Grandfather''s support, they had failed to seed in a power grab.


    They had probably heard about her marriage and once again harbored those aspirations, hence they had Lin Chao return to the country. However, Lin Ruoxue was unwilling to let go of the Lin Corporation she had painstakingly managed for over two years.


    It wasn''t that she was power-hungry or money-loving, it was that it was her career, and she still had many dreams to fulfill!


    Thinking about how her marriage had led to Su Chen being mocked, Lin Ruoxue felt somewhat guilty and involuntarily nced at the man next to her.


    To her surprise, Su Chen seemed unfazed, continuing to eat and drink as if nothing had happened and seemingly unaffected by the situation.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but wonder whether this man was simply thick-skinned or if he had seen it all and had be indifferent to such things.


    At the moment, Lin Ruoxue preferred to believe the former.


    Feeling Lin Ruoxue''s gaze, Su Chen smiled slightly and whispered,


    "It seems your days are going to be tough."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t expect that the other party had already seen through everything; her eyes filled with confusion. She found that she couldn''t quite see through this man who had lived with her for half a year.


    Just then, Lin Chao stood up with a standard gentleman-like smile on his face and pulled out a delicate little box.


    He took the initiative to open the small box, and suddenly a dazzling silver-white ne appeared before everyone.


    "Auntie, I''m ayman, and my gift might not be as thoughtful as Ruomei''s, just somemon item. I hope you won''t find it contemptible," he said.


    A faint smile on his face, Lin Chao casually handed the small box to Zhang Xin.


    However, the other younger members of the Lin Family gasped as they saw the gift Lin Chao produced.


    "Big brother, the diamond on this ne is sorge; itpletely overshadows my gift," Lin Ruomei deliberately said with a bit of grievance.


    "Look at how pure the diamond is, and so big too. Whether it''s the cut or the craftsmanship, it''s wless. I bet it can''t be had for less than four or five hundred thousand."


    Another younger Lin Family member eximed in admiration.


    Zhang Xin, who actually came from a modest family, though she had married into the Lin Family for many years, still retained her frugal and pure character. Hearing that the ne was so expensive, she quickly said,


    "Xiao Chao, this is too valuable; your auntie can''t ept it."


    Lin Wenqing, who taught at a university, also felt it inappropriate upon hearing how expensive the item was.


    He had already thought that the set of cosmetics Lin Ruomei had given was too much, but seeing his wife so enamored with it, and recalling that he hadn''t given his wife anything nice for many years, he held back.


    But that was already his limit, and now that Lin Chao had brought out an even more valuable ne, he felt even more uneasy.


    "Uncle, Auntie, we are all family here. Talking about money is just being formal. This is your nephew''s heartfelt wish. Wouldn''t you hurt your nephew''s feelings?"


    Lin Chao smiled and pushed the box that Zhang Xin had handed back over to her.


    Zhang Xin looked at her husband with some difficulty, sensing that something was not quite right.


    In the past, when family members celebrated birthdays, everyone also gave gifts, but they were mostly things worth a few thousand yuan; ten or twenty thousand would be considered a lot. It wasn''t that the Lin Family couldn''t afford more, but because everyone was family, there really wasn''t any need for extravagance.


    But today, Lin Ruomei and Lin Chao had consecutively brought out extremely expensive gifts, leaving the couple in a dilemma of whether to ept or refuse.


    Just as Zhang Xin and her husband felt stuck, the eldest, Lin Wenlong, spoke,


    "Little brother, this is the children''s filial piety, just ept it. Besides, Xiao Chao has just returned from studying abroad, and we''ll have to trouble Ruoxue to arrange a position for Xiao Chao in the corporation!"


    "Exactly, little brother, Xin, you two don''t need to be polite. In the future, with Xiao Chao and Ruoxue managing our family''s corporation together, Lin Corporation will surely thrive. What''s the cost of a giftpared to that?"


    Lin Wenlong''s wife, Li Yan, likewise said with a beaming smile.


    Su Chen sneered. Sure enough, the drama was unfolding!


    The previous sentence was about arranging a position for Lin Chao, and the next instant, it switched to the two of them managing together, with Lin Chao''s name subtly mentioned before Lin Ruoxue''s.

 Chapter 12 - 12 Gifts

    Even the typically honest and simple Lin Wenqing and his wife now understood the eldest brother''s family''s intentions¡ªthey were aiming to seize power!


    Looking at the reactions of the other members of the Lin Family, they guessed that the eldest brother''s family had already greeted them and even promised them benefits.


    But with the eldest brother''s family speaking to this extent, it would be indecent for them not to ept. Their only real concern was that it would be difficult for their daughter; thus, they turned to look at her.


    "Mom and Dad, this is also big brother''s kind gesture, you should ept it," Lin Ruoxue said with a light smile, "As for big brother wanting toe work at the corporation, I will arrange it as soon as possible and will notify big brother immediately once I have."


    Lin Ruoxue knew that Lin Chao joining the corporation was inevitable, even Grandpa would find it hard to object, so she might as well appear magnanimous and, most importantly, to seize the initiative first.


    With just a few words, Lin Ruoxue had clearly delineated the hierarchical rtionship between her and another person.


    "Then thank you for the extravagant gift, little Chao."


    It was only after hearing her daughter''s words that Zhang Xin finally took the ne box back.


    After that, many younger members also presented their gifts, which Zhang Xin epted one by one, expressing her thanks.


    "The gifts we younger ones brought are merely modest tokens; I guess everyone is most looking forward to the gift from the new son-inw," said one.


    "Su Chen, bring out your gift and let everyone feast their eyes," Lin Chao said to Su Chen with a friendly smile, a sharp glint shing through his eyes.


    "Yes, Su Chen, let''s see what gift you have for third aunt," another chimed in.


    "I bet the new son-inw''s gift must be the most precious of all¡ªreally looking forward to it!" another added.


    The members of the Lin Family bantered, their eyes full of mockery as they turned towards Su Chen, as if ready to watch a spectacle unfold.


    In their minds, given Su Chen''s shabby appearance, he surely didn''t have a gift, and even if he did, it would certainly be something not worth showing.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately felt awkward, as she hadn''t anticipated Lin Chao''s sudden challenge and assumed Su Chen definitely wouldn''t have prepared a gift.


    Because she knew, Su Chen simply had no money.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but me herself; she should have prepared a gift for him so that he wouldn''t be in such an embarrassing situation now.


    However, it was not Lin Ruoxue''s fault entirely since their rtionship was so cold that she normally wouldn''t even spare a thought for this husband of hers.


    Lin Ruoxue had already given her own gift to her mother the day before, a high-end massage chair, so she didn''t have a gift with her today; otherwise, she could have produced it now to help Su Chen out of a tight spot.


    Old Master Lin looked around at everyone and clearly understood the eldest family''s mindset¡ªthey wanted to embarrass Su Chen publicly, and by doing so, embarrass Lin Wenqing''s family as well.


    They did this, of course, for the sake of Lin Corporation. After all, Lin Ruoxue was a woman, and with her husband considered useless, there would seem to be no reason for her to keep hoarding the position of Chairman of Lin Corporation.


    Old Master Lin also didn''t know Su Chen''s true identity and had always thought Su Chen was a penniless fellow. Old Master Lin''s adamant decision to have Lin Ruoxue marry Su Chen actually had a reason.


    When Lin Ruoxue was young, she suffered from a peculiar illness¡ªonce falling ill, her body would be as cold as an ice cer, her breathing barely perceptible.


    The Lin Family sought treatment from major hospitals both domestically and abroad, as well as various Chinese medicine practitioners, but none could diagnose the cause, let alone cure it.


    Just when the Lin Family had lost hope for Lin Ruoxue, a Taoist mysteriously appeared in Old Master Lin''s study one night.


    The Taoist imed he could cure Lin Ruoxue''s illness. However, he didn''t want money; he had only one condition: that when the girl grew up, she must marry his disciple, and he insisted that this matter be kept strictly confidential, never to be disclosed!


    For the old patriarch of the Lin Family, he simply had no choice, and moreover, if the Taoist could really cure his granddaughter, it meant he must be a noble expert, indicating that his disciple would also be no ordinary person in the future.


    Indeed, after the Taoist treated Lin Ruoxue, her cold disease finally disappeared, and over the years, it never recurred.


    The old patriarch was a man who kept his word, so when Su Chen came to him with the token, he immediately agreed to honor the marriage arrangement from years ago, although he wasn''t particrly pleased with Su Chen.


    This was the character of the older generation¡ªthey held promises to be even more important than life itself!


    Of course, all of this was only known to the old patriarch and the Taoist. The rest of the family didn''t understand, and when the patriarch initially decided to marry his most treasured granddaughter to a man whose name they hadn''t even heard, the Lin Family thought the patriarch had be muddled with illness.


    Just as the old patriarch was preparing to help Su Chen out of the predicament, Zhang Xin spoke up:


    "No need, no need, the two of them had already sent over their gift a couple of days ago, an massage chair, which both Wenqing and I feel very good using."


    "Indeed, after massaging for two days, I feel that my old bones are much relieved," Lin Wenqing also immediately chimed in.


    "That''s not right! Third brother, you still told me yesterday that this was a birthday gift from Ruoxue to you, didn''t mention it was from the son-inw, oh!"


    Zhao Jie, the wife of the second eldest, Lin Wenbin, nced at Su Chen and saidnguidly.


    No sooner had her words fallen than the atmosphere turned even more awkward. The old patriarch was somewhat unable to bear seeing Su Chen embarrassed by everyone, but before he could speak up, Su Chen had already stood up.


    "How could I not have a gift for mom''s birthday?"


    Just as everyone was anticipating the drama, Su Chen stood up and reached into his pocket.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone was somewhat surprised; they hadn''t expected this "construction worker" to really bring a gift. They were curious to see what this fellow could possibly present.


    Lin Ruoxue was also slightly startled; she hadn''t expected Su Chen to have prepared a gift.


    And the eyes of Lin Ruohan, sitting beside Su Chen, suddenly lit up. While others had been targeting Su Chen both openly and quietly, she had been coldly observing from the side, and now, seeing Su Chen finally respond, she immediately became excited.


    When everyone saw Su Chen pull out a worn and mottled little cloth bag, the disdain in their eyes grew even thicker.


    Indeed, judging by the bag, whatever this "construction worker" had brought could not be anything of value.


    Lin Ruoxue herself was speechless; if you don''t have anything presentable, then don''t pretend, she thought. Knowing full well that they had malicious intentions, wasn''t this just giving them the opportunity to mock?


    "Mom, this is the gift I have for you," Su Chen handed the cloth bag to Zhang Xin.


    "All right, mom will ept it, thank you," she said.


    Zhang Xin, taking the cloth bag, was about to put it away, convinced that there couldn''t be anything of value inside.


    However, the eldest and the second eldest''s families weren''t about to let her get her way. Lin Ruomei said with a tremblingugh,


    "Third aunt, take out the gift, let us all see what the new nephew-inw has brought for you."


    The other members of the Lin Family also joined in, urging Zhang Xin to open the cloth bag to take a look.


    Zhang Xin looked at Su Chen, and seeing his indifferent expression, she reluctantly opened the bag and took out its contents.


    No sooner had she taken out the object than it emitted a blinding light, dazzling everyone''s eyes almost to the point of being unable to open them...

 Chapter 13: The Deep-Sea Finest Blue Diamond

    ```


    "A blue diamond, it''s actually the rare blue diamond!"


    As soon as Lin Hao saw the item his mother had taken out, he immediately eximed in surprise.


    Blue diamonds are rare indeed, so even many of the Lin Family members had never seen one, and they all crowded around to take a look.


    "Such arge blue diamond must be worth at least three to four million."


    A distantly rted Lin Family member couldn''t help butment aloud.


    Upon hearing that the item could be worth so much money, everyone was shocked beyond additional words.


    Zhang Xin was startled upon learning its value and immediately protested,


    "Su Chen, this item is too expensive, I can''t possibly ept it."


    "Third sister-inw, may I take a look at it?"


    Lin Wenting squinted slightly as she looked at the blue diamond in Zhang Xin''s hand.


    Zhang Xin passed the blue diamond to Lin Wenting, who took several minutes to carefully inspect it before speaking pensively,


    "This is not an ordinary blue diamond. This is a top-quality blue diamond. Look at this color, brilliance, and cut¡ªthey are all rare. I estimate it''s worth at least ten million, and if it went up for auction, it could fetch up to twenty million."


    Lin Wenting''s words undoubtedly set the Lin Family abuzz with shock and astonishment, as everyone''s gaze toward Su Chen was filled with confusion and amazement!


    No one had expected that this shabbily dressed young man could casually pull out a treasure worth millions!


    Probably the whole of Jianghai seldom had someone capable of doing something like this!


    Who would be so wealthy as to carry around an item worth millions with them, and moreover, keep it in an old cloth bag?


    Lin Ruoxue''s gaze was also filled with question marks as she looked at Su Chen. How could he possess such an expensive item?


    If he had so much money, why did he still dress so shabbily every day, looking like a loser who couldn''t be propped up even with a wall?


    Just as the Lin Family members were overwhelmed with shock, the little girl Lin Ruohan, who had been quiet so far, spoke up again:


    "Mom, you''re wrong. That''s not just a top-quality blue diamond; that''s a top-quality Deep Sea Blue Diamond!"


    Upon hearing her daughter''s words, Lin Wenting was so surprised that her eyeballs nearly popped out.


    "What is a top-quality Deep Sea Blue Diamond?" someone hastily asked.


    The others also looked at Lin Ruohan with eager faces. They were not too surprised that this little ''monster'' knew about such rare and odd things.


    "The Deep Sea Blue Diamond is formed in the seas more than three thousand meters deep, nurtured over tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years, and is extremely rare! The one that Brother Su brought out is also a top-quality among Deep Sea Blue Diamonds, something that is sought after but rarely found."


    Little Ruohan shook her little head with an air of an experienced person as she spoke, her eyes twinkling with an unfathomable gleam.


    "So how much is this treasure worth?"


    Little Ruobin asked Lin Ruohan directly, and everyone else''s faces showed anticipation. This was the question they were all most concerned about, even the alwaysposed Lin Chao showed a look of eagerness.


    Little Ruohan nced at the crowd and raised three slender, white fingers.


    "Thirty million?!"


    Even the worldly Lin Family members couldn''t help but bulge their eyes in disbelief.


    Once again, the shocked gaze of the Lin Family members was directed at Su Chen, the haggardly dressed fellow. How could he have such a treasure?


    At that moment, little Ruohan cleared her throat and spoke calmly,


    "I''m talking about US dors."


    "What, US dors?"


    "Thirty million US dors?"


    "Little Ruohan, you aren''t just talking nonsense, are you?"


    Upon hearing Lin Ruohan''s words, Lin Chao''s body jerked, and he stared nkly at Su Chen. Zhang Xin had just received the blue diamond from Lin Wenting, and at the mention of the staggering figure, she almost dropped it in shock, but fortunately, she was quick to catch it.


    "Pfft, believe it or not, unworldly," Lin Ruohan muttered disdainfully.


    The Lin family patriarch looked at Su Chen, then at his granddaughter, but said nothing, seemingly lost in thought.


    ```


    Zhang Xin was now holding the diamond as if she were holding a bomb, uneasy and anxious. Thirty million US dors, that''s two hundred million Huaxia currency! She had never seen so much money in her entire life.


    As far as she knew, Lin Corporation''s total assets amounted to no more than twenty-three billion, with liquid funds probably only amounting to three to five billion.


    "Su Chen, I really can''t ept this thing. It''s too, too, too precious," Zhang Xin said as she put the blue diamond back into the cloth bag and handed it to Su Chen, "This item is so valuable, you shouldn''t carry it with you. It''s best kept in a bank''s safe deposit box."


    For her, the son-inw''s belongings were, of course, her daughter''s as well. Seeing Su Chen carrying it so casually, she was extremely worried.


    "Mom, don''t listen to the little girl''s nonsense. It''s not real; I bought it at a high imitation store for two thousand yuan. It''s just made to look very realistic," Su Chen exined with a light smile, appearing very casual, "Look at me, do I look like someone who would have something so valuable?"


    "Of course not, that''s clearly..."


    Lin Ruohan retorted without thinking, but halfway through her sentence, she felt Su Chen stealthily kick her under the table and give her a subtle re. She promptly shut her mouth.


    "Really?" Zhang Xin asked, still skeptical.


    "Of course, look, even if I were sold, I wouldn''t fetch that much money," Su Chen said, allowing a bitter smile to appear at the corners of his mouth.


    Su Chen''s acting was spot on, and since everyone already found it hard to believe that he possessed something so valuable, they easily believed his words. Zhang Xin then reassuredly put the cloth bag away.


    "I thought so! How could he have something so valuable?"


    "Exactly, looking at him, it''s just not possible. I bet even the two thousand yuan is an exaggeration," one remarked.


    "That''s right, luckily, he''s a decent person, quite honest."


    "Honest? He''s probably just scared that someone knowledgeable might expose himter, which would be even more embarrassing," another added.


    The Lin family members were suddenly abuzz with conversation, and the previously repressed atmosphere sparked to life once more.


    The elder members of the first and second branches visibly sighed in relief, looking at Su Chen with renewed disdain.


    Lin Wenting and Lin Ruoxue meanwhile were pondering as they watched Su Chen closely. They had been sitting right beside Su Chen and Lin Ruohan and had not missed the subtle exchanges between the two.


    Su Chen sighed as he looked at the little girl pouting silently beside him. He had thought that the item he showed at the small Lin family gathering would go unrecognized.


    To his surprise, none of the adults in the Lin family recognized it, but an eleven-year-old girl did.


    "Don''t be angry, little one. What gift do you want? Su Gorge will get it for youter," he said, affectionately scratching Lin Ruohan''s cheek and smiling.


    "Really?" The little girl''s watery eyes immediately sparkled brightly upon hearing his words.


    "Of course. You think I would deceive a little girl like you?"


    "Then I don''t want a gift," Lin Ruohan said, tilting her head after a moment''s thought, "I want you to promise to do something for me."


    "What is it?" Su Chen was a bit puzzled. What could this little girl need him to do?


    But Lin Ruohan simply shook her head, "I can''t tell you now, but you have to promise me first."


    Seeing the pleading look in the little girl''s eyes, Su Chen was moved and blurted out, "Okay, Su Gorge promises you!"


    "Then let''s pinky swear!" Lin Ruohan said seriously, extending her plump little pinky.


    Su Chen couldn''t help butugh but still extended his finger to hook hers.


    "Pinky swear, hang myself from a tree, a hundred years, promise won''t flee!"


    The little girl''s childish voice rang out, her expression earnest.


    Lin Wenting and Lin Ruoxue, watching this scene unfold, found it entertaining and chuckled behind their hands.


    "You look so much better when you smile like this. Always having a cold face, people will think you''ve hit menopause prematurely!" Su Chenmented when he saw Lin Ruoxue smiling, clearly dazzled by her.


    "You''re the one going through menopause. Your whole family is going through menopause," Lin Ruoxue retorted, her briefly lightened moodpletely dispelled by Su Chen''s remark...

 Chapter 14: The Mysterious Phone Call

    At ten o''clock at night, the nightlife in Jianghai was just beginning. From a distance, neon lights flickered everywhere, and the young men and women who had stayed indoors during the day had also started to hit the streets.


    Sitting in the car, Su Chen rolled down the window and watched the parade of long, bare legs passing by, finding the sight extremely pleasing to the eye.


    "That thing is real, right?" Lin Ruoxue, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.


    "What are you talking about?" Su Chen turned his head in confusion.


    "I mean, the blue diamond you showed at dinner, it''s real, isn''t it? Ruohan wasn''t wrong, was she?"


    Lin Ruoxue tidied up her windswept and somewhat disheveled hair and said nonchntly.


    "Do you believe it?" Su Chen asked indifferently and then turned his head back toward the window.


    Do you believe it? Lin Ruoxue didn''t know. If it had been before, she would have definitely said she didn''t believe, but now, she was a bit unsure.


    "Grandpa wants me to arrange something for you to do at thepany, too. He says it''s not good for you to keep going without a proper job."


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue spoke again.


    "No need, I''ve found a job today."


    "What job?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen with some surprise, obviously not expecting him to take the initiative to find a job.


    "Driver."


    "You can drive?"


    "Is that strange?"


    Su Chen closed the car window casually and said.


    Yes, it wasn''t strange to know how to drive. It was only because Lin Ruoxue''s knowledge of him had been virtually nil before that she was surprised.


    Since he had already found a job, Lin Ruoxue didn''t say anything more.


    Just at that moment, a somewhat strange ringtone sounded, and Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but be curious. This was the first time she had heard Su Chen''s phone ring.


    It was weird when you think about it. During the more than half a year they had lived together, Lin Ruoxue seemed to have never heard Su Chen''s phone ring, which made her wonder who was calling.


    Lin Ruoxue turned to look at Su Chen and noticed that his face had taken on an unusual color, as if he was deliberately suppressing his emotions.


    "Stop the car; I have something to do. Just drop me off at the roadside," Su Chen said, pulling out his phone to look but not immediately answering.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue slowly stopped the car and, after letting Su Chen out, she drove away.


    "Whose call is it that''s so secretive?" Lin Ruoxue murmured softly. She realized her husband seemed to be bing more and more mysterious.


    Su Chen watched Lin Ruoxue drive away before taking a deep breath and then answering the phone.


    "Hall Master, I knew you hadn''t died. I just knew, you wouldn''t die," came an incredibly excited voice as soon as the call connected.


    "I''m fine, Lone Wolf, how are the brothers doing? How''s the situation at the Temple?"


    Although Su Chen had always restrained himself from thinking about the past, it was, after all, the result of his life''s effort; to say he didn''t care would be a lie.


    "I called you precisely to discuss this matter," Lone Wolf''s voice sounded somewhat grave over the phone, "After you disappeared, Tang Gang took over the Nether Temple. However, because your prestige is so high and the brothers sensed something unclean about his involvement in the affair, they have been reluctant to ept him."


    "He had no choice, so yesterday he already left the Temple with a few of his confidants in secret, which is why we dared to contact you. If he knew you were still alive, he definitely wouldn''t let you be." Lone Wolf continued, "There''s a rumor that there''s a problem with your Dantian, is that true? If so, you should hurry back to the Temple, it''s too dangerous for you outside."


    Su Chen could feel Lone Wolf''s concern for him and he paused before saying:


    "Don''t worry, I have a sense of it, who''s in charge at the Temple now? Is it still Demon?"


    "Yes, everything is still being done ording to the rules you set. In your absence, the Service Hall,posed of Demon, Eniel, and Jester, has taken joint responsibility," Lone Wolf replied, "They asked me to make this call. Us old brothers never believed you were dead, and sure enough... Hahaha~~"


    "Hold on, for now, let''s not let them know about me. If they ask, tell them you couldn''t get through."


    Su Chen understood Lone Wolf''s feelings, but he still decided to keep the news of his survival to himself for the time being.


    "But, Hall Master, we all miss you very much, especially Eniel. If it weren''t for us holding her back, she would have gone after Tang Gang recklessly."


    "Make sure she''s stopped, don''t let her act rashly. Tang Gang himself isn''t frightening, but the power behind him is not to be underestimated and isn''t something she can handle."


    Su Chen urgently conveyed this with solemnity, although he was still unsure of who the true mastermind behind the affair was, one thing was certain: the opponent was definitely not an ordinary Dark World organization.


    Only an organization that could mobilize five to six Qi Refinement Peak experts in one go is almost unseen in the Dark World, not to mention the numerous Late Stage Qi Refinement experts.


    It was precisely because he sensed the deep waters of the situation that Su Chen didn''t dare to act recklessly; he must first recover his own Cultivation before dealing with the affair.


    "I understand, so the old brothers, Demon and Jester, have decided to confirm your whereabouts first before discussing further matters." Lone Wolf nodded over the phone, "However, Hall Master, you know Eniel''s temper¡­"


    At these words, Su Chen couldn''t help but reveal a wry smile; he certainly understood the temper of Eniel, the princess of an old European royal family¡ªif she truly lost her temper, there was nobody under heaven who could stop her, except perhaps for Su Chen himself.


    "I know, if there''s any special situation, contact me anytime."


    "Alright, I understand." Lone Wolf finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but then he hesitantly added, "Hall Master, there''s something else I need to report to you..."


    "What''s the matter?"


    Su Chen frowned slightly as he detected the seriousness in Lone Wolf''s voice.


    "When Tang Gang fled yesterday, he took many documents from theboratory with him; it''s clear that he had been nning this for a long time. We couldn''t discover it in time, and when we did, it was already toote."


    "What? Theboratory''s documents were stolen?!"


    The usuallyposed Su Chen suddenly raised his voice in questioning, his tone clearly tense.


    "I''m sorry, Hall Master, this is our responsibility."


    "This isn''t your fault; there''s no need for self-me."


    Su Chen understood that Tang Gang and the forces behind him must have been plotting for a long time; with the thoughtful nning against the unaware, it was inevitable that Demon and the others would not react in time.


    "Hall Master, is there something particrly important in theboratory?"


    Lone Wolf asked cautiously, his tone tinged with trepidation, as it was rare for Su Chen to have such an extreme reaction.


    "Just some old documents, nothing particrly significant," Su Chen reassured him, "Okay, that''s all for now, we''ll be in touch if anythinges up."


    "Hall Master, are you really noting back now?" Lone Wolf asked, a touch intively.


    "I still have some things to handle here; we''ll talk once I''m done." Su Chen said, and then he hung up the phone.

 Chapter 15 - 15 Does It Matter?

    After hanging up with Lone Wolf, Su Chen''s mind was flooded with thoughts, and he lit a cigarette unconsciously, inhaling deeply.


    In fact, Tang Gang''s inability to gain others'' trust and being forced to leave was something Su Chen had foreseen. After all, Nether Temple was built from the ground up by him, and veterans like Demon and Clown were his brothers who had been through life and death with him countless times.


    Of course, Su Chen had once considered Tang Gang a good brother, and even people like Lone Wolf had an okay rtionship with Tang Gang, but nonepared to the bond they shared with him.


    After all, Tang Gang joined Nether Temple more than a year after its establishment, by which time Nether Temple had already made a name for itself in the Dark World, rising like a new star!


    Now looking back, Su Chen couldn''t help but suspect that Tang Gang''s initial inclusion might have been as a pawn, with his eyes possibly set on the things in theb.


    Thinking about the stolenb, Su Chen''s head began to ache. He wasn''t too worried about the theft of other research oues, except for one thing that deeply unsettled him¡ªthe human gic experiment data.


    That experiment had actually already made preliminary breakthroughs, but it was Su Chen who ordered the research to be stopped because he felt the technology was an affront to humanity.


    If Tang Gang''s and his backers'' real objective was indeed the human gic data, then the consequences would be unimaginable!


    Su Chen''s thoughts wereplicated, and he suddenly felt an urge to drink. As it happened, he was walking on Jianghai''s famous bar street, and without hesitation, he stepped into a bar named "Intoxication."


    Upon entering, he was greeted with extremely dynamic music and the dazzling, swirling lights that illuminated the dancing crowd, where numerous men and women gyrated, unleashing their repressed passions!


    However, what caught everyone''s attention was the woman on the raised stage in the center of the dance floor.


    Though her features were indistinct in the dim lighting, her exceptional figure was evident to all.


    She performed various challenging dance moves, her brte wavy hair flowing wildly, sensual and charming!


    Even Su Chen couldn''t help but watch the woman for a few extra seconds before heading to the bar and ordering a bottle of rum.


    Rum is one of the strongest liquors in the world. Su Chen took a big gulp, feeling the familiar burn in his throat and stomach, which slightly soothed his mood.


    "You don''t see many people ordering such a strong drink."


    A woman''s voice came from behind Su Chen, rhythmic and pleasant to the ear.


    "Nor do you see such a beautiful woman often."


    Su Chen turned and saw that the woman who approached him was the dancer from the center of the stage. He gave a slight smile and said nonchntly.


    He noticed though many men looked over, not one approached her, immediately understanding this woman must have some status!


    Otherwise, those men would have swarmed over like flies.


    The bartender, seeing the woman approach, immediately handed her a drink called "Nichs" without waiting for her order, which also indicated the woman was far from ordinary.


    "Men whoe here usually do so to hunt for beauty, yet I noticed you seem to have no such intentions and came specifically for a drink," the woman said lightly, brushing her hair from her forehead and looking at Su Chen with interest.


    "How do you know it isn''t just another approach?" Su Chen swirled his drink and smiled, "Like right now, for instance."


    "Giggle, giggle, giggle"


    The womanughed at Su Chen''s words, her gaze coy as she said, "Could it be that your target is me?"


    "Why not?" Su Chen nced at the woman and nodded, "I don''t think this bar has anyone more deserving than you."


    Even though the woman was quite extraordinary, Su Chen''s prating gaze made her heart quiver, and then she looked at Su Chen and asked:


    "Then do you know who I am?"


    "Does it matter? Only one thing needs to be confirmed."


    "Which aspect?"


    The woman tilted her head with interest. It was the first time she had encountered a man who dared to speak to her like this, probably even Dragon wouldn''t dare to do this.


    "You are a woman, I am a man."


    "Hehe, interesting," the woman extended a slender hand, "Let''s get to know each other again, Ye Mei."


    "As expected, true to your name, Su Chen."


    Su Chen also extended his hand, and when he grasped that slender hand, he felt it, it was the hand of someone who had killed before.


    Su Chen''s calm appearance left Ye Mei feeling a bit puzzled, as she looked at Su Chen and asked:


    "Haven''t you heard of my name?"


    "Perhaps you are somewhat famous, but what does that have to do with me? I''m only interested in one thing right now."


    Su Chen finished the remaining rum in his ss and poured himself another.


    "What?"


    "Whether we go to your ce or a hotel today. If it''s a hotel, I''m broke, I''m afraid you''d have to cover the room fee."


    The moment Su Chen''s words fell, it immediately caused a great uproar among those nearby.


    The intimate demeanor of the two had already sparked the jealousy of many men, and at this moment, this raggedly dressed fellow actually wanted to get into bed with Ye Mei. Their gazes were filled with jealousy, but even more so with schadenfreude.


    "What''s with this guy, he''s got some nerve."


    "No matter what, this ignorant guy is definitely going to be unlucky today!"


    "Last year, there seemed to be a young master from the north who wanted to have his way with Ye Mei, then he just disappeared without a trace."


    "What do you mean ''disappeared without a trace?'' His body was fished out of the river the next day."


    Upon hearing this, the people around looked at Su Chen with even more pity in their eyes.


    "He must be from out of town. If he knew he was flirting with the infamous Blood Rose, he would''ve run away long ago."


    "Perhaps he''s another romantic ghost willing to die under the peony flower?"


    "Can''t say for sure, I''ve beening to this bar for a few years now, and I''ve never seen Blood Rose chat so enthusiastically with a man. Maybe she really fancies this guy."


    "It is indeed rare, but why would Blood Rose fancy such a guy? Look at what he''s wearing, it''s too shabby."


    The people around nodded in agreement, what status did Blood Rose have, and how could she fancy a man like that?


    The surrounding chatter naturally reached the ears of the two, and Ye Mei raised an eyebrow and asked with a lightugh:


    "Do you still hold the same thought as before?"


    "Of course!"


    "Really interesting. However, taking me away won''t be that easy."


    Ye Mei hadn''t expected this man to remain soposed after hearing those remarks, and he still insisted on his previous idea¡ªhe couldn''t tell if the man before her was really that lecherous or had something to rely on!


    Based on her feeling, Ye Mei also didn''t think that this person would be the type who couldn''t move when they saw a beautiful woman, so that was worth looking into!

 Chapter 16 - 16 Too Shameless

    "Oh, let''s hear it, what are the conditions?"


    "If you want to take me away, naturally you need the ability to do so, at the very least you have to beat me."


    "There''s no need for men and women to get into apetition, I think blending smoothly is better."


    Once Su Chen spoke, a wave of jeers broke out from the crowd, yet Ye Mei noticed the opposite party didn''t show any signs of embarrassment or difort.


    "Look, if you don''t show your abilities, these people won''t agree either. Could it be that Mr. Su is scared?"


    Ye Mei provocatively spoke while her fingertips gently glided across Su Chen''s chest, causing the other men to grow restless.


    "The challenge gambit doesn''t work on me," Su Chen said, his demeanor still as serene as a light breeze, "But if you want apetition, I will give it a try. What did you have in mind?"


    "Since we are in a bar, it''s naturally about drinks, whether it''s drinking or cocktail making, or something else, you decide."


    Ye Mei flicked her hair back, confidently speaking, and of course, she had the confidence.


    "In terms of drinking, being a woman, winning against you wouldn''t be honorable, let''s go with cocktail making instead," Su Chen replied casually.


    "Damn, this guy is crazy, going against Blood Rose in cocktail making?"


    "This guy probably has no idea about Blood Rose''s level in cocktail making;st time an internationally top mixologist got crushed."


    "That''s not all, heard that Blood Rose went to the capitalst time andpeted with Zhao Hongyan, who''s called the king of cocktail masters in China. The result is unknown, but Zhao Hongyan, who''s always been arrogant,ter imed he''s not the best cocktail maker in China."


    "Looks like this guy is really out of luck!"


    "If it were something else, there might still be some suspense, but in cocktail making, there''s simply no chance of winning."


    "You''ve heard it too, how about we change it to something else?"


    Ye Mei''s alluring eyes twinkled as she looked at Su Chen with a not-quite-smiling expression.


    "No need, let''s finish early so we can ''get down to business'' sooner," Su Chen responded, his eyes predatorily scanning over Ye Mei''s curvaceous body.


    When had Ye Mei ever been looked at so closely by a man? It made her body react unnaturally. However, she quickly adjusted her mood and responded:


    "It seems Mr. Su is very confident! For fairness, it''s better we mix the same cocktail. What drink would you like topete in?"


    "I just heard them calling you ''Blood Rose,'' coincidentally there''s a cocktail called ''Blood Rose.'' Let''s go with that," Su Chen dismissively waved his hand, as if it didn''t matter what theypeted in.


    But the onlookers were all shocked, and then a mocking expression appeared on their faces¡­


    Dose this guy not know that Ye Mei is called ''Blood Rose'' not just because she''s beautiful but ruthlessly fierce, and most importantly because her best cocktail is the ''Blood Rose''?


    Even Ye Mei couldn''t help but feel amused; this guy not only chose her strongest cocktail but, more coincidentally, chose the ''Blood Rose'' itself!


    Ye Mei couldn''t help but look at the man in front of her, finding a meaningful smile on his face¡ªcould it be he knew that ''Blood Rose'' was her best cocktail?


    "Then let''s begin."


    Ye Mei collected herself and walked behind the bar, Su Chen following; the two stood side by side, ready to start mixing drinks.


    The spectators also moved closer, as witnessing ''Blood Rose'' personally making cocktails was a rare opportunity they didn''t want to miss.


    Once Ye Mei entered the bar area, her demeanor turned solemn, no longer showing her previously delightful smile, as if she were undertaking a grand endeavor.


    She carefully selected each ingredient and quantity, then arranged everything ording to her habit.


    After getting everything prepared, she casually nced at Su Chen, but found him with his arms crossed over his chest, leisurely watching her.


    "What is this guy doing? He hasn''t done anything yet?"


    "Is this guy actually clueless about mixing drinks, trying to learn on the spot?"


    "Really? Can bartending be learned just by watching a few times?"


    "At first, I thought he dared topete with the Blood Rose in bartending, and I thought he had some skills, but it turns out he''s just a clown."


    Ye Mei''s face also looked a bit displeased, could it be that this guy really doesn''t know how to make cocktails and wants to learn on the spot by watching her and then try to mimic her?


    Even if you manage to learn, could you possibly surpass the original creator?


    "If you''re not mixing drinks, why are you watching me?" Ye Mei asked somewhat displeased.


    "Mixing drinks myself is boring, watching a beautiful woman mix drinks is much more delightful."


    Su Chen replied casually, yet his gaze did not shift away from her.


    Seeing him like this, Ye Mei ignored him and continued to focus on her own actions.


    Ye Mei''s cocktail mixing was smooth and naturally elegant, a delight to the observers whovishly praised her skills.


    When they looked at Su Chen, their nces were filled with contempt; in their eyes, Su Chen was nothing more than a clown who tried to act cool but ended up being a fool, and as for the oue, was there any doubt?


    After a series of bizarre gestures, Ye Mei mmed her cocktail ss down on the bar!


    "Okay, turn off the lights!"


    Ye Mei gently exhaled and instructed.


    As the lights dimmed, everyone''s eyes widened at the sight of the red liquid in the ss.


    "It''s changing, it''s changing!"


    Suddenly someone eximed, and then everyone was amazed to see that the color of the red liquid at the center of the ss gradually deepened, while the surrounding liquid became much lighter, creating a distinct division of colors.


    "It''s unbelievable, it''s not just ayer separation, but aplete separation."


    "It seems that ''Blood Rose''s'' cocktail mixing skills have improved again!"


    "Shh, don''t talk, look, it''s starting to transform!"


    The crowd fell silent once again as they noticed the dark red in the middle of the ss gradually forming into the shape of a blooming red rose, encased by a lighter shade of red, making it strikingly prominent!


    "It''s magnificent! It''s wonderful!"


    Everyone was overwhelmed by Ye Mei''s profound bartending skills; it was truly a work of art!


    "How about that, now you admit defeat?"


    Ye Mei''s voice changed from its previous charm, bing very cold, she had originally thought this man was somewhat extraordinary but turned out to be so unworthy!


    The onlookers unanimously criticized Su Chen''s shamelessness.


    "Miss Ye, does our bet still stand? If I win, you''lle with me."


    Su Chen lit a cigarette, took a casual puff, and asked with a smile.


    "Of course!" Ye Mei sneered scornfully, "But where is the cocktail you mixed?"


    "Isn''t this it?"


    Su Chen pointed to a cocktail on the bar and said.


    "Cut it out, that''s shameless, that''s the cocktail Miss Ye just mixed, what does it have to do with you?"


    "Indeed, there''s no match for such unscrupulousness! Today I''ve really seen it all!"


    The crowd immediately voiced their disdain towards Su Chen, this guy was not only a clown but also had character issues, he even imed Ye Mei''s freshly mixed cocktail as his own.


    Ye Mei was also utterly infuriated, she decided tonight she must teach this ridiculous man a lesson, to let him know why the "Rose" is so famed!


    Just at that moment, Su Chen, who had been still until then, gave a slight smile, and then he gently shook the cocktail on the bar that Ye Mei had just mixed, the "Blood Rose"...

 Chapter 17: The Real "Blood Rose

    All the people were puzzled, wondering what this guy was up to!


    However, a momentter, everyone''s expressions became rather strange.


    Because the way Su Chen shook the ss was too beautiful, it was unheard of.


    His wrist seemed as flexible as if it had no bones, constantly changing directions in his hand ¡ª sometimes upright, sometimes lying horizontally, and sometimes even upside down. Incredibly, not a single drop of the liquid inside spilled out.


    "This guy seems to have some tricks up his sleeve."


    "Yeah, the ss keeps changing directions, and yet no liquid spills out, it''s truly strange."


    "Probably because his movements are too fast!"


    "Yes, that must be it!"


    The other people echoed the sentiment, as they could think of no other exnation.


    Unlike the others'' surprise, Ye Mei''s eyes gleamed with seriousness; she knew that the liquid not spilling was not due to the speed, but control!


    This man''s mastery over the liquid in the ss had reached a certain realm, which was why it was so!


    Ye Mei realized that her previous judgment had beenpletely wrong. Someone with such control definitely knew how to mix drinks; she just didn''t understand what he intended to do by shaking the drink she had prepared.


    Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shed through Ye Mei''s mind. He couldn''t be nning to...


    Ye Mei watched this man, who casually smoked and shook the ss, feeling deeply shocked!


    "Impossible, it definitely can''t be!" Ye Mei was startled by her own wild idea, "That kind of drink is said to have been made only once by the world''s greatest mixologist, Colin Peter. How could he possibly make it?"


    However, other than this exnation, Ye Mei couldn''t think of any other reason that could exin Su Chen''s actions!


    "Alright, just a few seconds until it''s time to witness a miracle!"


    Su Chen ced the ss down on the bar and then stylishly took a drag of his cigarette, blowing out a perfect ring of smoke.


    All eyes turned back to the bar, especially Ye Mei, who looked on with grave anticipation!


    "It moved, it moved!" The person closest loudly eximed.


    What followed was a scene that the onlookers would never forget in their lifetimes. They watched as the blood-red rose in the middle slowly rose from the water, while the pale-colored liquid around it gently descended.


    After a few dozen seconds, a vibrant blood-red rose appeared to bloom on the surface of the water, miraculously made of the liquid itself!


    "How is this possible?"


    "Yes, thispletely defies thews of physics!"


    "It''s breathtaking, unimaginable!"


    The onlookers all gasped in astonishment, unable to believe what they were seeing.


    "Miss Ye, this ''Bloody Rose'' is for you."


    Su Chen picked up the ss and, smiling, handed it to Ye Mei.


    However, Ye Mei didn''t take it and instead stared nkly at the smiling man in front of her, utterly astonished.


    Just as she suspected, he had indeed created a real ''Bloody Rose''. Who exactly was this man? Ye Mei''s heart was filled with questions.


    "Miss Ye, won''t you taste this drink?" Su Chen smiled and said again.


    "Oh, thank you." Ye Mei took the ss and sipped.


    The moment it touched her lips, Ye Mei was shocked once more, as though the vor of the drink was eighty percent simr to what she had mixed, the different twenty percent was the essence that entirely elevated the taste to another level!


    Ye Mei gently closed her eyes, savoring the taste in her mouth, and after a while, slowly opened her eyes and sighed,


    "I lost, fair and square!"


    "So, should I fulfill our bet now?"


    Su Chen''s lips curved slightly upward, speaking somewhat frivolously.


    Ye Mei''s cheeks turned slightly red, as she had not anticipated things would actually progress to this point. She initially approached him because she felt there was something special about this man.


    The subsequent conversation made her feel even more intrigued by him. Although she had proposed a bet stating if she won, he would leave with her, it was merely a joke. Moreover, she had never imagined she would actually lose.


    Essentially, Ye Mei was not as open as her appearance suggested, so she felt somewhat at a loss in response to Su Chen''s question.


    Of course, Ye Mei wasn''t very worried or frightened. In Jianghai, except for a few individuals, no one could force her to do anything.


    It was just that for the first time, she was interested in a man and did not want to refuse him by force.


    "Who dares to disrespect Miss Ye!"


    At that moment, a rough voice suddenly carried in from the entrance.


    Upon hearing this voice, everyone''s expression changed instantly, and they made way, revealing a group of about a dozen men in ck suitsing forward.


    The one at the front wore sunsses, had a buzz cut, a well-built body, broad shoulders, and muscles so tense they seemed ready to burst through his clothes.


    "Who is this guy? He looks really imposing!"


    "You don''t know him? He is the notorious Third Master!"


    "Are you talking about Third Master Wan Sheng from Dragon Prosperity Society?"


    "Who else in Jianghai could carry the title of ''Third Master''?"


    Those who had never seen Third Master showed expressions of shock when they realized who was approaching.


    "Why would hee here? This is Blood Rose territory."


    "Don''t you know? Dragon Master has always treated Blood Rose as off-limits. Though he hasn''t seeded himself, he wouldn''t allow anyone else a chance! It seems someone must have let slip about what''s happening here."


    "I''ve heard rumors to that effect, but didn''t expect them to be true."


    "Shush, this is going to be interesting, that young man is in trouble."


    "Indeed, in the Realm of Jiangnan, except for the four great families, who would dare not to show respect to Dragon Master? We''d better pray for him."


    Upon seeing Wan Sheng arrive, Ye Mei tensed up immediately and stealthily signaled to a subordinate in the corner.


    However, when she looked at Su Chen, she saw no hint of nervousness; it seemed as if none of this concerned him at all.


    Ye Mei thought to herself, he probably had no idea who the Third Master was, otherwise he wouldn''t be so calm.


    "I heard you want to take Miss Ye away?"


    Wan Sheng walked up to Su Chen and Ye Mei, asking arrogantly.


    "Wan Sheng, this is Blood Rose territory, not a ce for the Dragon Prosperity Society to run wild," Ye Mei stepped forward, standing in front of Su Chen, unyielding.


    "''Blood Rose'', you should understand what Dragon Master feels for you. Dragon Master respects you, so he hasn''t done anything excessive. However, if you leave with this young man today, that would be quite disrespectful to Dragon Master."


    Wan Sheng pulled a chair over from the side. His ck leather shoes pped onto it with a ''smack'', and he grunted, "Not showing respect to Dragon Master is the same as showing disrespect to us at Dragon Prosperity Society. So, should I intervene?"

 Chapter 18: 100 million US dollars

    "This is my own business, when did it be Dragon Prosperity Society''s concern?" Ye Mei was well aware of Dragon Lord''s feelings for her, but she was not willing to relent, "Today I''m leaving with him. I really want to see how Dragon Prosperity Society will deal with me, ''Blood Rose''!"


    As she spoke, Blood Rose boldly hooked Su Chen''s arm, appearing very affectionate. However, the onlookers didn''t show any envy, but rather pitied the man.


    Once someone became a thorn in the side of Dragon Prosperity Society, they likely wouldn''t even know how they died.


    "Blood Rose" certainly wouldn''t use the innocent Su Chen as her scapegoat. If necessary, she would do her best to protect this man. Her current actions were undoubtedly a test for Dragon Prosperity Society.


    Just then, Wan Sheng suddenlyughed disdainfully, saying,


    "You ask this man, now, even if you''re willing, would he dare to take you away?"


    The others nodded in agreement. Yes, in this situation, as long as the man wasn''t a fool, he should understand that these people were not to be trifled with, and the wisest decision was to protect himself wisely.


    "Blood Rose" also looked despondently at Su Chen, realizing that no man would dare to take her away at this point, as that would undoubtedly mean going head-to-head with Dragon Prosperity Society.


    Although this man''s bartending skills had impressed her, making him seem extraordinary, she didn''t believe that he truly had the courage or strength to confront Dragon Prosperity Society.


    "You''re also interested in Miss Ye, so that makes things easy. I''m a businessman; everything is negotiable,"


    Su Chen said to Wan Sheng lightly.


    As expected, the man ultimately capitted. Yes, if it were oneself, one would probably only do the same. With such power disparity, ying tough would only lead to embarrassment.


    "Oh, and what are your terms?"


    Wan Sheng, somewhat surprised, removed his sunsses. He hadn''t expected this young man to dare to set terms at this time.


    "As I said, I''m a businessman, and a businessman talks money,"


    Su Chen replied with a sycophantic smile, his right thumb and forefingering together in a gesture asking for money.


    "Haha, very appropriate. Alright, Third Master is in a good mood today. You name the price, Third Master will satisfy you!"


    Wan Sheng burst intoughter and provocatively nced at Ye Mei as if to say, look, this is the man you''ve chosen.


    Ye Mei''s expression suddenly darkened. Although she had not expected him to confront Dragon Prosperity Society for her, this was too disgraceful, treating himself like amodity to be sold.


    Ye Mei had already decided, even if Dragon Prosperity Society spared him, she would not forgive this despicable man!


    "I knew Third Master you were generous, I won''t ask for much,"


    Su Chen said with a face full of ttery, then slowly raised a finger.


    "Ten thousand? You''re not greedy," Wan Sheng said generously.


    However, he then saw Su Chen shaking his head with a smiling face as he gestured with his raised finger:


    "A hundred thousand? Fine, since you''re so sensible, let''s make it a hundred thousand."


    To everyone''s surprise, Su Chen shook his finger again, his face still wearing a pleasant smile.


    "Have you gone mad wanting money? Do you want a million!"


    Wan Sheng''s face hardened as he erupted in anger, thinking this kid was really pushing his limits.


    Ye Mei looked at Su Chen with disgust, thinking how greedy he was. Didn''t he realize that he might get the money but he wouldn''t live to spend it?


    But this was better, angering Dragon Prosperity Society; let them chop up this shameless scumbag, saving her the effort!


    "Looking at you guys, with your designer suits and full style, why are you acting so miserly?"


    Su Chen dropped his hand back into his pocket, shook his head, and sighed.


    "Then you tell me, how much do you really want? Enlighten me,"


    Wan Sheng said, infuriated by the young man, gritting his teeth.


    "One billion," Su Chen said lightly, "US dors."


    "What, has he gone mad? A hundred million, in US dors?"


    "This kid must have something wrong with his brain, extorting the Dragon Prosperity Society of all people."


    "Exactly, that''s not how you seek death."


    "Are you sure?"


    Wan Shengughed bitterly out of sheer frustration, but the stormy look on his face made it clear he was on the verge of exploding.


    "Of course, don''t you think such a beautiful woman is worth that much money?"


    Su Chen nced at the astonished Ye Mei and said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    "Are you fucking ying me?"


    Wan Sheng also fully understood now and suddenly exuded a sharp aura.


    "p, p, p!"


    Su Chen pped his hands, looking at Wan Sheng mockingly:


    "Not as dumb as I thought!"


    Su Chen wrapped an arm around Ye Mei''s soft waist and pulled her into his embrace:


    "A beauty like this, do you think I would just hand her over?"


    Everyone was dumbfounded by Su Chen''s sudden actions and words. Did this kid realize what situation he was in?


    Had he really lost his senses because of a beautiful woman? People seemed to have already foreseen the bloody scene about to unfold!


    "You, you . . ."


    Ye Mei was also confused by Su Chen, not understanding what this man really wanted to do.


    At the same time, ripples began to form deep within her heart. This man had left too deep an impression on her. He had already changed her mood several times tonight, to the extent that she did not even realize she was still being embraced by him.


    "Can''t find your words, huh? Have you fallen in love with me already?"


    Su Chen gently lifted Ye Mei''s pristine chin and lightly pecked her red lips.


    Ye Mei suddenly awoke, breaking free from his embrace. Her face turned red all the way up to her neck, making her look irresistibly charming and heart-stirring!


    "Absolutely not."


    Ye Mei retorted weakly, but her voice sounded more like a coquettish whine.


    "You''re asking for death!"


    Wan Sheng, already infuriated by Su Chen''s antics, could no longer contain his anger upon seeing the two flirt. He swung his fist towards Su Chen with full force.


    Wan Sheng, as the third head of the Dragon Prosperity Society, was also skilled in martial arts. His punching power, whistling through the air, tore at the atmosphere as he aimed straight for Su Chen.


    "Stop!"


    Ye Mei was shocked to see Wan Sheng strike, knowing full well his skill. From appearances alone, Su Chen was no match for Wan Sheng, and it was possible for him to be seriously injured by the blow.


    However, how could an enraged Wan Sheng possibly stop? All of his anger was concentrated in the fist he swung. He intended to make the naive young man kneel and beg for mercy!


    When the fist was just a few centimeters from his face, Su Chen still did not move, as if he had been frozen in shock by the sudden punch.


    The onlookers all covered their eyes, unable to watch the violent scene that was about to unfold!


    Ye Mei''s heart was in her throat; she had never felt so scared before!


    Just then, Su Chen moved. He subtly shifted his step, and Wan Sheng''s fierce punch just brushed by Su Chen''s ear. Then, Su Chen gently patted Wan Sheng''s chest with the back of his hand, as if a breeze had caressed it.

 Chapter 19: Do You Believe It or Not?

    However, something unimaginable happened. It was as if Wan Sheng had been fiercely hammered at the heart. All of a sudden, Wan Sheng bent over, clutching his chest, his face showing an expression of immense pain!


    Everyone was stunned. They had never imagined this oue. The young man seemed hardly to have moved, only lightly brushing Wan Sheng''s chest; how had Wan Sheng turned out like this?


    Ye Mei also widened her beautiful eyes, disbelievingly watching Su Chen. She knew just how strong Wan Sheng''s resilience was.


    Years ago, when Dragon Prosperity Society and another force were vying for territory, Wan Sheng had taken seven knives, blood pouring out, yet his face remained unchanged!


    Yet now, such a ruthless man had changed so drastically from just a brush of this man''s hand. It was evident how immense the damage this seemingly light touch had caused!


    Although Su Chen had inflicted severe damage in the first round, he was still very unsatisfied.


    "If it was before, this brush could have thrown him over five meters. Ah, this is the huge difference without Yuan Qi. Now, I can only attack using the structural weaknesses of the human body, but the effect is much worse."


    Su Chen sighed to himself. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do but slowly continue his cultivation. Luckily, he was now seeing hope.


    However, only Wan Sheng truly felt how fierce Su Chen''s strike had been. Although the force wasn''t particrly great, it made his internal organs churn like a torrent and even gave him a tearing pain!


    Despite feeling shocked, Wan Sheng knew he couldn''t back down now; otherwise, he would bring great disgrace to Dragon Prosperity Society, and Lord Dragon would not let him off!


    "What the hell are you standing there for? Go, take this kid down!" Wan Sheng barked at his men.


    Wan Sheng''s men had been restless all along, but since the rules of Dragon Prosperity Society were strict, without Wan Sheng''smand, they dared not take action.


    Finally, having received the order, they charged like lions breaking out of a cage.


    Seeing this, Ye Mei was about tomand her men to step in, but Su Chen pulled her delicate hand and whispered in her ear,


    "No need for your men to intervene. I can handle this trash alone."


    His words were soft, yet they carried an undeniable sense of authority. Ye Mei looked at his calm smile and finally nodded.


    Su Chen watched as the crowd rushed towards him, the fierce fire that had been dormant in his heart for over a year reignited, and he once again felt that familiar sensation! It was like a beast sensing the smell of blood!


    Su Chen roared and plunged into the crowd. His actions were a provocation to the men of Dragon Prosperity Society, and so they furiously attacked him.


    Surprisingly, Su Chen moved through the crowd like a fish through water, striking from the skies, with ease. All their attacks only hit the air around him.


    Each of his strikes caused severe damage to the men of Dragon Prosperity Society, whether it was a p, a punch, an elbow strike, a kick, or a sweep. His movements were as fluid and beautiful as clouds flowing across the sky.


    In less than five minutes, a dozen or so men from Dragon Prosperity Society were lying on the ground, moaning in pain.


    Everyone watching this scene found it unbelievable, feeling as if they were watching an American blockbuster movie.


    Wan Sheng also seemed as if he had seen a ghost, his gaze filled with fear as he looked at Su Chen. He knew that he had encountered a tough opponent, and perhaps only Lord Dragon could face this young man!


    Ye Mei also stared at Su Chen in astonishment, wondering who this man she had just flirted with was. His skills were incredible!


    "Miss Ye, now that the obstacles are cleared, shall we go to the hotel to talk about life''s aspirations?"


    For Su Chen, what had just happened was simply a minor incident that he had dealt with as a matter of course; nothing was more important than discussing life''s aspirations with a beautiful woman!


    Ye Mei couldn''t help butugh and cry. This man was still fixated on that matter¡ªhe truly was an oddity!


    "Kid, if you dare to touch ''Blood Rose'' today, Lord Dragon will not let you off!"


    Before Ye Mei could speak, Wan Sheng had already verbally threatened.


    "He''s right, today''s incident has already caused you undeserved suffering. If we keep any connection, it won''t end well for you."


    Worry also covered Ye Mei''s beautiful face. She knew better than anyone how formidable the Dragon Prosperity Society was, especially Boss Dragon, a fearsome figure.


    Even the Four Great Families wouldn''t take it upon themselves to provoke this underground big shot of Jianghai!


    "Oh, it seems that this Boss Dragon really is someone noteworthy!"


    Su Chen walked up to Wan Sheng, smiling and touching his chin.


    "Good that you understand! I see you''re someone noteworthy too. If you leave now and drop the idea of targeting ''Blood Rose,'' I might let you off."


    Wan Sheng, thinking Su Chen was truly scared, said arrogantly with his head tilted back.


    "p!"


    Unexpected by everyone, Su Chen suddenly pped Wan Sheng, knocking him to the ground.


    "Giving you face, and you really thought you deserved it."


    The always grinning and carefree Su Chen, to everyone''s surprise, suddenly delivered a loud p to Wan Sheng.


    The p startled everyone. The onlookers couldn''t believe what they had just seen, and they rubbed their eyes vigorously.


    "What just happened? Can someone tell me?"


    "This guy is too audacious, daring to p Third Master in front of so many people!"


    "The fight earlier could be chalked up to Third Master being outssed, no more to be said, but this p is a direct insult to Third Master and even the Dragon Prosperity Society!"


    "Now the Dragon Prosperity Society won''t let him off; he''s still too young, too full of Blood Qi!"


    After the shock, everyone mentally sentenced the young man to death!


    Ye Mei hadn''t expected the usually harmless Su Chen to suddenly make such a move. After the p, she realized that they had truly be mortal enemies!


    Oh, this guy, why so impulsive?


    If it had been just the earlier conflict, she might have been able to mediate, and Boss Dragon might have spared him considering her intervention, but now?


    Ye Mei knew without thinking what the oue would be¡ªafter all, hitting someone is bad enough, but hitting the face? Well, since it all started because of me, I must protect him now.


    "You dare hit me?"


    Wan Sheng, touching his swollen face, was in disbelief. In his years in Jianghai, no one had ever dared to treat him like this.


    "Say one more word, and I''ll have you dead here today, believe it or not?"


    Su Chen tilted his head slightly, his eyebrows arching as he spoke word for word to Wan Sheng.


    Although his face wore a smile, Wan Sheng, whose hands were stained with countless blood, felt chilled to the bone in that moment, as if facing a supreme monarch, quashing any thought of rebellion!


    Wan Sheng felt his throat go dry, truly unable to speak another word, nor daring to!


    At that moment, he felt that if he really said another word, Su Chen would not hesitate to kill him!

 Chapter 20 - 20 Dantian Shaping

    "My mood for today has been ruined by these eyesores; let''s discuss life and dreams some other time."


    Su Chen walked back to Ye Mei''s side and said with a hint of regret, then a mischievous grin spread across his face, sending Ye Mei''s heart fluttering, unsure of what this oddball was nning to do.


    "Even though it''s not happening today, make sure you bathe and stay clean, waiting for my royal visit, alright?"


    Su Chen suddenly whispered slyly into Ye Mei''s ear.


    "Dream on!"


    Ye Mei''s face instantly flushed with embarrassment, and she let out a light scoff.


    "Smack!"


    Suddenly, a loud p resounded, and Su Chenughed heartily:


    "Wait for me, okay!"


    "Jerk!"


    Ye Mei touched her pert buttocks, feeling a hot sting.


    "This jerk, he hits so hard!"


    The crowd had already been defeated by Su Chen; not only had he shut up the formidable Third Master with just a few words, but he also flirted with "Blood Rose" right in front of everyone!


    What kind of freak was this?! The people couldn''t help but think to themselves. Looking at Su Chen, their eyes filled with awe. Joking aside, who could mess with a man who dared to p the Third Master''s face and spank "Blood Rose" in public?


    "Here''s my phone number; make sure to give me a call, okay."


    Su Chen said with a cheeky smile as he took Ye Mei''s hand and wrote a string of numbers in her palm.


    Then he waved his hand and walked towards the exit, his devilish voice travelling from afar:


    "Tell your Dragon Lord that from now on, Miss Ye is my woman. If he dares touch her, I will annihte your Dragon Prosperity Society!"


    The patrons of the Mesmerizing Bar were all stunned by Su Chen''s domineering words, doubting their own ears once again.


    This guy actually wasn''t concerned about Dragon Lording after him; instead, he warned Dragon Lord that he would annihte the Dragon Prosperity Society!


    Did he even know what kind of existence the Dragon Prosperity Society was? Almost everyone thought he was insane!


    But Ye Mei, watching Su Chen''s departing figure, had a peculiar gleam in her eyes!


    At that moment, this man hadpletely conquered her!


    Humorous, gentle, domineering, tough, mysterious¡ªthat was the man Ye Mei had been desperately searching for!


    ....


    After the bar''s little interlude, the irritation Su Chen felt from past events had alsorgely subsided, and he strolled leisurely to the Grand Epoch Court.


    When he got home, Lin Ruoxue and Mrs. Wang were already asleep, so Su Chen simply entered his room, sat on the bed, and started to cultivate.


    Having explored the day before, Su Chen was now much more familiar with the process, so he quickly entered a good state, and with Su Chen continuously operating his cultivation technique, his Dantian began reshaping at a visible pace!


    Suddenly, Su Chen felt a humming in his Dantian, and he immediately became alert, focusing all his attention. He knew this was a sign that his Dantian was about to be reshaped.


    The more critical the moment, the less he dared to be careless, carefully introspecting, he noticed that only a small edge was still not perfect.


    He kept operating his cultivation technique, specifically repairing that area, knowing that the Dantian is a foundation for cultivation, and for most people, the Dantian is predetermined at birth and cannot be alteredter in life.


    Now that Su Chen had the opportunity to reshape it, he naturally wanted to make his Dantian as perfect as possible!


    The further one advanced in cultivation, the more important the Dantian became, amon knowledge in the realm of Martial Arts.


    Gradually, Su Chen''s body waspletely soaked, but he didn''t care at all, as all his focus was gathered upon his dantian.


    Finally, Su Chen felt a warmth at his dantian. He sensed a resonating vibration there, like a phoenix soaring to the heavens!


    "Hard work pays off for those who are diligent!"


    Su Chen was filled with ecstasy in his heart. It was only then that he realized his face and body were covered in sweat. He wiped away the perspiration with his hand andughed foolishly.


    But this joy was shared by no one else, which made him feel somewhat less ted!


    "This Nine Yang Divine Technique is really miraculous¡ªit actually restored my damaged dantian in just two nights!"


    Su Chen was also secretly astonished by the power of the Nine Yang Divine Technique.


    Deciding to strike while the iron was hot, Su Chen continued to cultivate the second volume. He wanted to find out what was different about this volumepared to his previous cultivation.


    Su Chen first silently recited the mantra, considered its key points, and then closed his eyes to begin cultivation.


    As Su Chen followed the mantra and channeled the cultivation technique, he felt as if basking in the warm sun of a winter day, his whole body loosening up.


    When Su Chen opened his eyes again, he found that daylight hade, yet he had hardly felt the passage of time!


    Looking inward, Su Chen was amazed to discover he had unknowingly entered the First Layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, a realization that nearly drove him to ecstasy.


    He had finally set foot on the path of true cultivation again. Though it was just the First Layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, Su Chen believed that, with time, he would return to his former strength and even surpass it!


    He also knew that the further one progressed in cultivation, the more challenging it became, but he was already mentally prepared for it!


    Although he had now entered the First Layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, he was not yet able to use Yuan Qi for attacks, as his body could store only a small amount of Yuan Qi. He could only use it to nourish his body to withstand the pressure brought by advancing to higher realms.


    Su Chen walked happily to the bathroom and took a shower, as the sticky sweat on his body was rather ufortable.


    After the shower, Su Chen felt refreshed. Then he went into the kitchen and started preparing breakfast.


    As usual, the maid got up at six in the morning. When she heard noises from the kitchen, she hurried to take a look and saw Su Chen busy at work.


    The maid couldn''t help but be surprised. It seemed that this son-inw had really changed, getting up so early for two consecutive days to make breakfast.


    "Good morning, son-inw." The maid greeted him with a smile.


    "You''re up, Auntie. Just wait a moment; breakfast will be ready soon."


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "No rush, I still have to clean up. Let''s wait for the youngdy to get up and we can eat together."


    Shortly after, just when Su Chen had finished preparing breakfast, Lin Ruoxue also came downstairs.


    Lin Ruoxue had learned from the previous day and made sure she waspletely ready beforeing down.


    Su Chen quickly invited them both to sit down for breakfast. Lin Ruoxue sat at the table, looking at the sumptuous breakfast, and then ncing at Su Chen, she felt something was odd.


    What had gotten into this guy these past two days? There didn''t seem to be anything in particr happening, so why had he suddenly changed like a different person?


    Although Lin Ruoxue was still a bit unustomed to it, this kind of change didn''t seem that unpleasant. If he could keep this up and they could continue living like this, she might be able to ept it.


    "What are you staring at? Are you daydreaming about someone?"


    Su Chen noticed that Lin Ruoxue was staring at him with a strange look, which puzzled him.


    "You''re the one daydreaming about someone. Let''s just eat," Lin Ruoxue snapped back impatiently. Then, she took out a car key and tossed it to him, "Since you''ve started working, you can take the BMW in the garage to drive."


    "A BMW, eh? Not bad, great for impressing thedies."


    Su Chen picked up the car keys, looked them over, and whistled in admiration.

 Chapter 21: First Arrival at the Security Department

    Upon hearing these words, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned cold, she hadn''t expected that although the man had improved in other aspects, he had developed a lecherous problem.


    In fact, he didn''t know that this was actually Su Chen''s original personality: carefree and unrestrained. It was just because of that incident a year ago that he seemed to have be a different person.


    Nowadays, because he had made progress in his cultivation, his mood had recovered, and naturally, he had returned to his former self.


    However, when it came to being lecherous, Lin Ruoxue remembered the incident yesterday when he had stealthily stolen a kiss, something no man had ever dared to do to her before.


    Therefore, Lin Ruoxue''s expression became even colder, but she still took a deep breath and huffed,


    "We should exchange phone numbers."


    "Why?"


    Su Chen lifted his head, his face full of confusion, wondering why the Ice Beauty suddenly wanted his number. Could it be that she wanted to... with me?


    "Don''t overthink it, it''s just for convenience in case there''s something special to contact about in the future."


    Lin Ruoxue knew exactly where Su Chen''s thoughts were going just by looking at his expression.


    "Oh, alright."


    After exchanging numbers, the atmosphere between the two turned cold again, without any further conversation.


    Watching the two of them, Wang Ma actually felt thatpared to before, there was a subtle difference in their rtionship, even though they were not aware of it themselves.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue left first, and half an hourter, Su Chen headed to the garage and drove out a BMW 5 Series.


    Su Chen parked the car in the parking lot beneath the Belle Group''s building and then made his way to the Security Department.


    The Driver''s Department was a small division under the Security Department, and normally they would wait on duty inside the Security Department, which is why Su Chen came here.


    The Belle Group was also a well-knownpany in Jianghai City, and even their Security Department was spacious, bright, and made for afortable working environment for its employees.


    "You must be the new guy from the Driver''s Department, right? Wee, wee!"


    A simple-looking middle-aged man greeted Su Chen with enthusiasm as he walked in.


    "Hello, my name is Su Chen, it''s my first day at work."


    Su Chen responded with a smile as well.


    "Hehe, good, I am Liu Yuan," introduced the middle-aged man, "Come on, let me introduce you to everyone."


    "This is Chen Yong, this is Fan Zhongbo, that robust one is Meng Shan, and that somewhat shy guy over there is Yu Ting..."


    The middle-aged man enthusiastically introduced everyone to Su Chen, who nodded and greeted each one in turn, and most of them smiled back and said hello.


    "Brothers, I''m new here and hope for your support. When we have time, let''s get together; my treat," said Su Chen generously.


    No sooner had his words fallen than the people in the Security Department cheered, immediately epting their new colleague.


    However, there was one exception, that being the Driver''s Department supervisor, Pang San. Su Chen''s warm wee by everyone was definitely not good news for him.


    Although he was just a driver supervisor, he took his modest leadership position very seriously.


    This position was obtained through his own sister''s rtionship, as she was the mistress of the head of the Security Department, Zhang Mingyu.


    "Quiet! What''s all this noise? Act like professionals, and get back to work!"


    At that moment, a stern shout came from the entrance, and a man with a sneaky appearance walked in.


    Seeing the man, everyone immediately quieted down, though their eyes were filled with contempt.


    "His name is Cao Kun, the deputy head of the Security Department. He''s not very capable, but because he''s theckey of the head of Security, Zhang Mingyu, he has secured this position."


    Liu Yuan quietly exined to Su Chen, who nodded in understanding.


    "Are you the new guy?"


    Cao Kun looked at Su Chen, who strutted confidently, and casually nodded in response.


    "Come on, follow me to the minister to report for duty."


    After saying this, Cao Kun turned around and walked out the door. Su Chen shrugged nonchntly and followed him out.


    When they reached the door of an office, Cao Kun cautiously advised,


    "When you meet the minister inside, make sure to be respectful. Whatever the minister says, you listen."


    Su Chen, however, didn''t pay him any attention and maintained an air of indifference, making Cao Kun mistakenly believe that Su Chen had fully taken in his advice.


    After opening the door, Su Chen walked in after Cao Kun, who immediately put on a different face, grinning obsequiously as he bowed and ttered,


    "The minister is indeed hardworking, starting the diligent work so early in the morning."


    With his naturally sly and rat-like appearance, his smile seemedical, like a clown performer.


    Zhang Mingyu, however, was quite pleased by such ttery and said with a touch of emotion,


    "There''s no helping it, as the head of the security department, I have to be diligent and responsible. Otherwise, how could I live up to thepany?"


    "Who is this?" Only then did Zhang Mingyu notice that there was a young stranger standing behind Cao Kun.


    "He''s the new driver we hired, Su Chen. I''ve brought him to report to the minister."


    "Oh, a new guy?"


    Zhang Mingyu walked out from behind the desk to scrutinize Su Chen, his gaze clearly evaluating.


    However, after a while, Zhang Mingyu didn''t notice anything special about Su Chen, so he sat back down behind his desk.


    "When you''re in our security department, you must abide by our rules, got it?" Zhang Mingyu spoke indifferently, "In our department, the most important thing is to follow orders. What I dislike the most are people who don''t stick to their roles."


    Su Chen found the obvious warning and threat in Zhang Mingyu''s words somewhat amusing but decided not to say anything, merely nodding to show he understood.


    "As a driver, you won''t have much to do on regr days. When there''s a need for the car, your team leader Pang San will inform you," Zhang Mingyu gave a brief instruction, "After this, you can go to the HR department to take care of the employment formalities."


    With that, he signaled for Su Chen to leave, while Cao Kun remained, apparently having some matters to discuss with Zhang Mingyu.


    ....


    In the president''s office of Belle Group, Lin Ruoxue stood in front of arge floor-to-ceiling window, deep in thought for a long time before turning to address Xia Qiuru, who was sitting on the sofa, with seriousness,


    "Director Xia, we must find this person at any cost!"


    "Okay, I will utilize all resources to locate this individual."


    "Hurry up with this task. Such talent is rare. If we''re not quick, otherpanies will surely poach them."


    Lin Ruoxue was extremely excited at the moment, for Belle Group was now breaking into international markets, and what they needed most was a talent proficient in variousnguages!


    And that unnamed person was an expert in nearly two hundrednguages, calling them a genius would be an understatement, they were practically a monster!


    Xia Qiuru also felt the weight of Lin Ruoxue''s emphasis on this individual and immediately sensed an immense pressure.


    Actually, her heart was also anxious; after all, she knew absolutely nothing about this person, except for the cheeky impression they had left when they departed.


    "Let''s start searching, if all else fails, I''ll have to ask my cousin for help. After all, the police will have a much easier time locating a person than we would."


    Sitting in her office chair, Xia Qiuru thought helplessly.


    Just then, a series of "knock knock" sounds on the door broke her train of thought.


    "Come in!"


    As soon as she spoke, the office door opened, and a man walked in.


    Upon seeing the man who entered, Xia Qiuru instantly leaped up from her seat...

 Chapter 22 - 22 Su Chen with Problematic Thoughts

    "Why are you here!?"


    Xia Qiuru hadn''t expected that the person she had just been longing to find would suddenly appear in front of her, it felt like a dream.


    Xia Qiuru''s response startled Su Chen; he wondered why she was so excited to see him. Could she still be angry about yesterday''s incident?


    As Su Chen looked at Xia Qiuru, the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Indeed, women hold grudges!


    "First of all, I apologize for yesterday''s joke. You can''t mix personal feelings with business!"


    Not mentioning it would have been better. The moment he brought it up, Xia Qiuru thought about how he had unabashedly stared at her and even flirted with her before leaving yesterday.


    But there was a more pressing matter at hand, so Xia Qiuru had to suppress her anger and looked at Su Chen, asking:


    "Answer my question first. Why are you here?"


    "Didn''t I say yesterday? I came for a driver''s interview, and today I started work, now I''m here toplete the hiring process."


    Su Chen was also puzzled seeing her serious demeanor.


    "You were really here for a driver''s interview yesterday?"


    Xia Qiuru felt her brain couldn''t keep up; this man, proficient in nearly two hundred countries'' affairs, was really interviewing for a low-level driver''s position!


    A talent like him could easily walk into any corporation and effortlessly attain a high-ranking position!


    "Of course, and look, today I officially started working."


    Su Chen said naturally, as Xia Qiuru looked into his calm eyes and matter-of-fact demeanor, her head felt even more dizzy.


    Suddenly, an idea shed through her mind, and she hurriedly came over, grabbed Su Chen''s hand with an excited expression, and said:


    "Hurry and follow me!"


    Su Chen was also confused; this woman had just been startling and now she suddenly wanted to drag him away.


    Could she have taken a liking to me?


    Should I just give in? Or should I really give in? That''s the question!


    "Hey, why the rush? It''s still early!"


    Su Chen still considered himself a person of virtue; doing that kind of thing in broad daylight was still quite embarrassing, although it wasn''t really an issue during the day, the key point was that this was only their second meeting.


    "What do you mean, ''early''? I can''t wait any longer." Xia Qiuru quickened her pace, pulling Su Chen along as she walked eagerly forward, smiling triumphantly. "I was just thinking about you, and here you show up at my doorstep."


    Xia Qiuru''s wordspletely scrambled Su Chen''s brain. Could someone tell me what she just said?


    Can''t wait any longer? She was just thinking about me? Show up at my doorstep?


    Su Chen suddenly felt like he was facing a fierce torrential beast, ready to devour him at any moment!


    Are the women in Huaxia so open and desperate now?


    Or is it that my charm is so great that shepletely lost her restraint?


    "I mean, miss, everyone says women in their thirties are like wolves and in their forties like tigers, but you''re only in your twenties, how can you be so thirsty?"


    Su Chen asked, genuinely puzzled, with an innocent expression on his face. A man really shouldn''t be too handsome!


    "What did you say?"


    While fiercely pulling Su Chen''s hand along, Xia Qiuru suddenly paused, stopped in her tracks, turned, and looked at Su Chen with rage:


    "What sort of person do you take me for? What are you bbering about!"


    "It''s broad daylight. Why are you in such a rush? Listen, beauty, this is only our second meeting. Even if you like me, isn''t this a bit too soon?"


    Su Chen thought to himself, ''You''ve already taken action, can''t I say a few words about it? This is so unreasonable!''


    "Do you think too highly of yourself? Why would I fall for you?"


    Xia Qiuru was so angry she felt like her lungs would explode. This jerk actually thought she wanted to do *that* with him!


    And he''s saying I''m in a rush? Desperate?


    Xia Qiuru swore she had never met someone so shameless. She was the distinguished HR Director of Belle Corporation. How could she fall for such a scoundrel?


    "If you hadn''t been pulling on me, saying you couldn''t wait, and even thinking about me just now?"


    Su Chen said grumpily, ''Is this woman switching gears too quickly or what? Was it just because I called her desperate?''


    It was only then that Xia Qiuru realized that her actions and words could indeed have been misleading, and it seemed she really couldn''t me him.


    No, wait, it must be because his mind is filthy that he thought that way.


    Yes, that''s right. It''s not my words that are the problem, it''s his dirty mind!


    "Our CEO wants to see you. Hurry up ande with me!" Xia Qiuru released Su Chen''s hand and spoke coldly.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but wonder. Why are all the women around him like this? His woman at home is like this, and so is this director here! Always so cold!


    But then again, why would the CEO know about me and want to meet me?


    Su Chen couldn''t figure it out but still followed Xia Qiuru to the CEO''s office.


    After the secretary announced them, Xia Qiuru led Su Chen inside.


    "Director Xia, why did you leave and thene back again?"


    Busy Lin Ruoxue looked up and curiously asked Xia Qiuru.


    But when she saw Su Chen behind Xia Qiuru, her eyes widened in shock!


    Su Chen was simrly incredulous as he looked at Lin Ruoxue. He never expected the CEO of Belle Corporation to be Lin Ruoxue!


    "What''s with those expressions? Do you know each other?"


    Seeing both of them looking as if they''d seen a ghost, their eyes nearly popping out, Xia Qiuru was a bit puzzled.


    "Ah, oh, no, no," Lin Ruoxue quickly hid her surprise, then pretended nothing was amiss and asked, "Did youe back because something happened, Director Xia?"


    Lin Ruoxue was overwhelmed to suddenly see Su Chen, her husband in name, in her office and even forgot to ask Xia Qiuru why she had brought him here.


    "Oh, President Lin, I''ve already found the person."


    Xia Qiuru said excitedly, ncing at Su Chen, unable toprehend how this guy could know so manynguages.


    "Really? That was quick. Who is it? Please invite them over!"


    Lin Ruoxue also stood up excitedly, clutching her pen tightly.


    "Hmm? It''s him!" Xia Qiuru pointed at Su Chen, "It''s quite a coincidence, he actually came to interview for a driver position at ourpany yesterday. He just came to my office toplete the hiring process, so I brought him straight to you."


    "Him!?" Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen, her face filled with disbelief. "Are you sure you''re not mistaken?"


    "Of course I''m sure! I remember clearly."


    Xia Qiuru red at Su Chen, teeth clenched, unable to forget this scoundrel who flirted with her even while submitting his papers!


    Lin Ruoxue simply couldn''t believe that the person she had been desperately searching for turned out to be Su Chen. If she didn''t know Xia Qiuru''s integrity, she wouldn''t believe it to death.

 Chapter 23: The First Intimate Encounter

    "Alright, Director Xia, please go ahead with your work; I''d like to have a private word with this gentleman,"


    Lin Ruoxue wanted to send Xia Qiuru away first; she wasn''t ready for the people in the corporation to know about her rtionship with Su Chen.


    "Okay, then I''ll step out,"


    After leaving Lin Ruoxue''s office, Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but frown. By all rights, this conversation should have fallen within her scope of work as the HR Director, and if anyone should not be excluded, it was certainly not her.


    Furthermore, considering the abnormality of the two''s interaction upon meeting, Xia Qiuru felt even more strongly that their rtionship was out of the ordinary.


    Impossible. Lin Ruoxue was recognized as the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan and also sat at the helm of the multi-billion-dor Belle Corporation. How could she possibly have any involvement with a man who looked like a bum?


    Xia Qiuru quickly dismissed this unreliable thought from her mind. However, the fact that this guy could speak so manynguages made her wonder if he really was an ordinary person after all.


    Confused by her own thoughts, Xia Qiuru simply shook her head and decided not to think about it anymore.


    In Lin Ruoxue''s office, she had been staring nkly at Su Chen for two minutes. Just as he was starting to feel anxious, she spoke:


    "Who exactly are you?"


    Su Chen was taken aback; he had not expected Lin Ruoxue to suddenly ask him such a question.


    Indeed, who was he?


    Even Su Chen couldn''t answer that question, so he intentionallyughed and said,


    "Who else could I be? Your husband in name."


    "How do you exin this?"


    Lin Ruoxue pulled out a test paper from her drawer and spread it out on the desk.


    Seeing that test paper, Su Chen instantly understood everything; it was all because of this test paper.


    Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes fixed sternly on Su Chen, not missing a single detail.


    She found that her husband seemed to be more and more mysterious, harder and harder to read.


    Just yesterday, he casually produced what could very likely be a blue diamond worth tens of millions of US dors; and today, she discovered he was proficient in thenguages of nearly two hundred countries and regions.


    Neither of these things would normally happen to an ordinary person. If the blue diamond from yesterday could still possibly be a fake, then what about today''s revtion?


    This was something tangible, and there could be no faking it.


    This puzzled her. Who exactly was this husband of hers who seemed so aimless all this while?


    If he was not an ordinary person, then why had he been in that state for the past half year? What on earth had happened to him?


    Su Chen also knew that Lin Ruoxue must have had doubts about his identity. It wasn''t that he deliberately wanted to hide it; it''s just that his identity was far too special, and he was afraid it might scare her or bring her some trouble.


    "Oh, it''s nothing much, really. I just worked on a construction site abroad for a few years. There were people from all over the world there, and it just so happened that I have some natural talent fornguages. Spending everyday together, I just picked them up,"


    After some thought, Su Chen still decided not to reveal the truth to Lin Ruoxue for the time being.


    "Really?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen skeptically, trying to gauge whether he was lying. However, after observing for a while, she still couldn''t determine if it was true or not.


    "Of course it''s true. What else did you think?"


    Su Chen deliberately acted nonchnt and casual, then poured himself a ss of water and sat down on the sofa.


    Lin Ruoxue certainly didn''t believe Su Chen''s exnation. How could someone be proficient in so manynguages just by working on a construction site? However, she also realized that Su Chen didn''t want to tell her.


    "Since you''re proficient in multiplenguages, you can go to the PR department and be the deputy director."


    "No way, I''m not interested. I quite like being a driver."


    Su Chen hurriedly spoke as if being a driver was the best job in the world.


    "Why?"


    Lin Ruoxue really couldn''t understand why he would rather be a driver than take the enviable position of deputy director. It was truly odd!


    "Freedom! Unlike deputy directors who are busy like dogs every day. Only a crazy person would do that!"


    Seeing his carefree demeanor, Lin Ruoxue felt he was hopeless, a lost cause. And to think she had believed he hadpletely changed his ways.


    "Suit yourself. Go andplete the onboarding process now," Lin Ruoxue said with an icy tone. "Also, after you''re done, collect two sets of staff uniforms. This isn''t home; you need to watch your image."


    But Su Chen was already used to Lin Ruoxue''s demeanor and didn''t take it to heart. Instead, he started to roam around Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Your office is really nice. I''lle here for my naps from now on."


    As Su Chen observed, his eyes glimmered with admiration, and he nodded non-stop in praise.


    "Impossible. Besides, doesn''t the security department have its own rest room?"


    Lin Ruoxue outright rejected the suggestion. How could she possibly agree to Su Chen''s unreasonable request? It would not only be awkward for her but also a hassle if someone else stumbled upon them.


    "But the air conditioning in the security rest room isn''t as good as yours, and the sofa isn''t as soft as yours. Your sofa is much morefortable."


    With that, Su Chen actuallyid down on the sofa, closed his eyes, and began to rest. He had been cultivating thest two nights, and now, lying on this soft sofa, he truly felt sleepy.


    "Get out right now! This isn''t a ce for you to sleep," Lin Ruoxue urged, but Su Chen turned a deaf ear and even turned over to make himself morefortable.


    Lin Ruoxue wasn''t expecting him to be so shameless. She hurriedly ran over to pull on Su Chen''s arm, trying to get him up.


    However, how could Lin Ruoxue''s delicate body possibly move a big man like Su Chen?


    Lin Ruoxue saw that he was still as immovable as a dead pig, which made her even more anxious. Her face turned red with urgency; this was her office, and being seen like this would be terrible.


    Lin Ruoxue gritted her teeth, stamped her foot, and using both hands, pulled on Su Chen''s arm with all her might as if summoning her infant strength.


    "President, Young Master Liu..."


    Just then, with a "creak," the door to Lin Ruoxue''s office was pushed open.


    Lin Ruoxue, startled by the sound of the door, lost her bnce and tumbled right onto Su Chen.


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue to suddenly fall on top of him. His eyes shot open, and the two stared at each other, both utterly stunned in that instant.


    Su Chen suddenly felt a soft sensation against his chest and a faint fragrance wafting into his nostrils, which caused his heart to flutter uncontrobly.


    Somewhat inexplicably, or as if possessed, Su Chen instinctively wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoxue''s soft and slender waist.


    "President, I''m sorry, I didn''t see anything!"


    The young secretary who had pushed open the door, a girl in her early twenties, had not expected to walk in on the president in such a situation. She was startled and quickly retreated out of the room, closing the door behind her.

 Chapter 24 - 24 Liu Qing Visits

    Hearing the secretary''s voice, Lin Ruoxue suddenly snapped awake and immediately felt a pair of hands ying tricks around her waist. She quickly pushed Su Chen away and stood up in a hurry.


    A deep blush flushed across her face immediately. Lin Ruoxue could feel her face burning hot, as if it would drip water, blooming like a flower!


    Su Chen, looking at Lin Ruoxue''s expression, couldn''t help but find it adorable. What was the big deal that made her blush like that?


    Little did he know, this was the first time Lin Ruoxue had been so close to a man. The impact on her inner world could hardly be the same as his thick-skinned self.


    Lin Ruoxue red at Su Chen in feigned anger, then pressed down on her chest, trying to calm her wildly beating heart.


    Feeling somewhat better, Lin Ruoxue then instructed her junior secretary toe in.


    "Secretary Chen, what''s the matter?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked as if nothing had happened, pretending everything was normal.


    "¡­"


    This secretary, Chen Guo, was a university graduate of just two years, with a delicate appearance that gave off afortable vibe.


    It was also because of this, and the fact that she graduated from a prestigious university, that Lin Ruoxue chose her from many applicants to be her secretary.


    At that moment, the junior secretary nced at Lin Ruoxue, then at Su Chen sitting on the sofa, seeming hesitant to speak.


    "Just say what you have to say. There''s no need to hem and haw."


    Lin Ruoxue knew Chen Guo was wary because Su Chen was present, but since he was ostensibly her husband, asking him to leave now would definitely embarrass him.


    Chen Guo didn''t know his identity, so a bit of reticence was normal, but after all, she was his legal wife, so it wouldn''t do to act too dismissively.


    Chen Guo was slightly taken aback upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, then understood; seeing how they were just now, their rtionship was clear.


    Maybe soon the two of them would be a family. She derided herself for being so dense!


    Su Chen was somewhat surprised by Lin Ruoxue''s words; indeed, this woman wasn''t as cold as she appeared on the outside.


    "Master Liu is downstairs. He said he hase to see you. Do you want to meet him now?"


    As she spoke, Chen Guo stole a nce at Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen, looking a bit awkward.


    She knew that this Master Liu had been pursuing her boss. Not only was he suave and extraordinarily handsome, but he was also the heir to the Liu Family.


    The Liu Family was one of the Four Great Families in Jiangnan. In Jiangnan, the Four Great Families were almost celestial beings, entrenched in all industries with extensive connections and resources.


    Chen Guo had always assumed that Lin Ruoxue would eventually marry Liu Qing, as the two seemed perfectly matched, just like a real-life prince and princess.


    However, today''s events had stunned her. Lin Ruoxue had gotten involved with a man who looked like a construction worker on the sofa, and it happened right in her office.


    Chen Guo couldn''t fathom why Lin Ruoxue would forsake the grand heir of the Liu Family and be with a man she herself couldn''t even admire.


    If Liu Qing knew about this, this young man might face catastrophic consequences!


    Lin Ruoxue heard that it was Liu Qinging and immediately looked panicked, like a thief caught red-handed.


    Su Chen quickly noticed the odd expressions on the two women and immediately realized¡ªthis so-called Master Liu must be a suitor of Lin Ruoxue''s.


    Su Chen wasn''t surprised by this at all, as his wife was known as Jiangnan''s most beautiful woman, and having suitors was quite normal.


    "Go invite Master Liu in."


    Lin Ruoxue said. If she didn''t see him now, wouldn''t it seem even more like she had something to hide?


    A momentter, a tall and handsome man walked in, dressed in a vintage Italian tailored blue suit, his face adorned with a standard smile.


    However, when he saw Su Chen sitting on the sofa, his eyes involuntarily narrowed, but he quickly returned to normal.


    His reaction did not escape Su Chen''s eyes, and he immediately judged him to be a hypocritical and malicious person.


    "Who is this?"


    Liu Qing asked naturally, without seeming abrupt or rash.


    Lin Ruoxue did not want strangers to know about their rtionship, but she was worried that rifying their rtionship might make Su Chen overthink.


    While she was in a dilemma, Su Chen casually stood up.


    "Hello, I am the new driver hired by Belle Corporation, Su Chen. It''s a pleasure to meet you," Su Chen extended his hand enthusiastically.


    Liu Qing genuinely did not want to shake hands with someone who seemed like a mereborer; disgust flickered in his eyes, but for the sake of maintaining his image in front of Lin Ruoxue, he still extended his hand.


    The moment their hands touched, Liu Qing swiftly withdrew his, a trace of confusion shing through his mind.


    Why would Lin Ruoxue personally meet a driver who had just been hired, especially since the guy seemed so casual andcked the usual restraint employees show when meeting their boss?


    However, Liu Qing did not take Su Chen very seriously; after all, the gap between them was enormous. He believed he could simply flick his finger to dispose of this loser.


    But Su Chen''s thoughts were simrly dismissive.


    "Ruoxue, I managed to get two front-row tickets to Sara''s concert and would like to invite you to join me," he said.


    Liu Qing looked at Lin Ruoxue with affection. To him, only Lin Ruoxue, the top beauty of Jiangnan, was worthy of being the heir of the Liu Family.


    He knew Sara had always been Lin Ruoxue''s favorite violinist and that Sara, the sensational violinist, had taken the world by storm. Her concerts were genuinely a tough ticket to secure!


    Moreover, Sara''s transcendent beauty, which crossed geographical and national boundaries, drove countless people wild!


    It could be said that the most stressful and headache-inducing aspect of a Sara concert was the security, because the fans were so frenzied that idents like stampedes were always a risk.


    Sara is in Huaxia? Su Chen was slightly startled, but neither Lin Ruoxue nor Liu Qing noticed his brief moment of surprise.


    Lin Ruoxue felt exceedingly awkward hearing Liu Qing''s invite, especially since it was made in front of her husband, addressing her endearingly as "Ruoxue."


    Although she and Su Chen were not emotionally close, he was still her husband byw, and this situation was bound to make him ufortable.


    Lin Ruoxue felt inexplicably nervous, not because she had any feelings for Liu Qing ¡ª in fact, she felt nothing for him ¡ª but being in front of Su Chen made her instinctively tense, and even she could not exin why.


    "No, I have some work to attend to this evening, but thank you for the invitation, Young Master Liu."


    Although she longed to attend Sara''s concert, Lin Ruoxue tactfully declined to avoid giving Liu Qing any wrong ideas and to prevent any misunderstanding by Su Chen.


    Upon hearing this, Liu Qing immediately became anxious, as opportunities for close contact with Lin Ruoxue were incredibly rare.


    "Ruoxue, work can be done anytime, and you shouldn''t focus only on work," Liu Qing earnestly said, "An opportunity like Sara''s concert in Huaxia doesn''te often, it might be years before shees again."


    Lin Ruoxue was somewhat conflicted. She had always wanted to attend a live Sara concert, but had never been able to make the time. With the rarity of Sara visiting Huaxia, and being in Jianghai at that, it truly was a rare opportunity.


    "Ms. Lin, Young Master Liu is right. You work so hard; it''s fitting that you take some time to rx."


    Su Chen also noticed Lin Ruoxue''s desire to go but realized that it was because of him that she declined.


    His heart warmed at the thought, and he also missed Sara, the little girl who had always clung to him back in the day. Truth be told, he quite missed that young girl.

 Chapter 25 - 25 The Swindler and The Fool

    "Ms. Lin, I''ve always liked Sara and would love to join in on the fun,"


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue with a teasing smile, winking secretly at her.


    Lin Ruoxue''s recently calmed face once again flushed slightly; this guy, always acting up, even in front of others.


    Yet Lin Ruoxue found Su Chen''s words a bit odd; didn''t this guy know that Liu Qing harbored ill intentions towards his wife?


    Was this jerk trying to get rid of himself quickly so he could go enjoy himself?


    However, if that were the case, he shouldn''t have suggested going along; what exactly was he up to?


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t quite figure out Su Chen''s thoughts, but she did understand the meaning behind his wink just now.


    "All right, you cane with us," Lin Ruoxue nodded slightly.


    "It wouldn''t be proper to bring him, and moreover, I only have two tickets, and the tickets for Sara''s concert sold out a long time ago."


    Once Liu Qing heard Lin Ruoxue was nning to bring this construction-worker-like driver, he instantly became wary.


    Under normal circumstances, a driver would never make such a request, yet he did.


    What was even stranger was that Lin Ruoxue just agreed, causing Liu Qing to immediately realize there was something unusual about the rtionship between the two.


    He couldn''t understand why Lin Ruoxue would hold such a guy in a different regard, which made him somewhat annoyed and jealous.


    But what shocked him even more was that Lin Ruoxue went on to say directly, "Then I won''t go either."


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue, suddenly feeling the urge to hold her and give her a good kiss; his wife was usually quite indifferent towards him, yet she defended him so staunchly at this crucial moment.


    "Don''t worry, I have a friend at the ticket center; I can get the tickets," Su Chen said with a light smile.


    "That''s great; then I''lle pick up both of you this evening."


    Liu Qing forced himself to appear very happy, though if it weren''t for Lin Ruoxue''s resolute attitude, he wouldn''t want to deal with such an annoying guy like Su Chen.


    "No need, we''ll just meet at the theater entrance tonight,"


    Lin Ruoxue stood up and said, a clear indication she was seeing him out. Liu Qing naturally didn''t want to be kicked out, iming he had other matters and left.


    "What did you mean just now?"


    Once again, only Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen were left in the office; Lin Ruoxue''s face was once more covered in frost.


    "I only said that because you seemed to want to go, okay? Why are you treating me like a dog biting Lv Dongbin?"


    Su Chen pouted, speaking nonchntly.


    "Can''t you see, can''t you see¡­"


    "Can''t see what?"


    Suddenly, Su Chen walked over to the opposite side of Lin Ruoxue''s desk, leaning forward with his hands braced on the desk, a mischievous smile on his lips.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately smelled the faint masculine scent emanating from Su Chen, and seeing his rascally grin so close to her own, her heart trembled, and her cheeks grew hotter.


    Lin Ruoxue intended to say, don''t you realize that Liu Qing harbors ulterior motives for your wife? But she felt too embarrassed to voice it out.


    "Are you saying he harbors inappropriate thoughts towards you?"


    "If you saw through it, why did you still let me go?"


    "I let you go because you wanted to, and as for that Liu Qing, if he behaves himself, fine, otherwise..."


    A fierce glint shed in Su Chen''s eyes, and then he switched his expression, saying with a smile,


    "Wife, you''re defending me so much today, you couldn''t have really fallen for me, could you?"


    "You''re overthinking it..."


    Lin Ruoxue felt a bit flustered. She still wasn''t ustomed to Su Chen suddenly speaking to her in such a manner, leaving her somewhat at a loss.


    Lin Ruoxue''s defense of Su Chen today wasn''t due to strong feelings for him; it was simply because she was traditionally minded, following the adage of ''where you go, I go'' regardless of the circumstances.


    "Also, don''t do anything rash. Liu Qing is the heir of the Liu Family, not someone you can provoke, and even our Lin Family doesn''t dare to mess with them."


    "Psh, it doesn''t matter who he is; if he dares toy a finger on my wife, he''s asking for death," Su Chen shrugged, unperturbed.


    "Stop calling me ''wife''. It sounds terrible," Lin Ruoxue frowned, still ufortable with the term.


    Despite this, Su Chen''s words had made her feel something unusual, a feeling she had never experienced before.


    "The Liu Family is one of the Four Great Families. The Four Great Families are not as simple as you think. Even if something happens, you mustn''t act impulsively!"


    Lin Ruoxue was worried Su Chen wouldn''t understand the gravity of the situation and might cause a disaster, so she warned him solemnly.


    After leaving Lin Ruoxue''s office, Su Chen found an old phone number and dialed it...


    ....


    Hu¨¢ng Hotel was situated in the bustling heart of Jianghai City; it was the only six-star hotel in the city, and its clientele was exclusively the wealthy and distinguished.


    At this moment, in a presidential suite of Hu¨¢ng Hotel, a woman in a long white dress was silently gazing at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, her expression filled with longing.


    "I''vee,e to your kingdom, but where are you?"


    "Sara, are you thinking about that man again? I''ve told you countless times; he might just be a fraud. After all these years, he has never looked for you."


    The middle-aged woman beside her was also at a loss; she couldn''t understand what kind of man could make this princess so obsessed.


    "Maybe, even if he''s a fraud, I''m willing to be the fool who got tricked," a yful smile appeared on the woman''s peerless face, which then turned mncholic, "but he didn''t even give me the chance to be fooled. Perhaps, in his heart, he genuinely sees me only as a sister."


    "Sara, Prince Ka is deeply in love with you, following you around the world on tour. Why can''t you give him a chance? Maybe if you start a new rtionship, you could forget him."


    "Julia, you don''t understand, once you''ve met certain people, it''s impossible to make room for anyone else in your heart."


    The woman shook her head; she couldn''t let go, nor did she want to.


    "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, Prince Ka has arranged a celebration banquet for you, after tonight''s concert."


    Julia said as she gently tapped her forehead, but she knew it was to no avail; Sara wasn''t likely to attend.


    As expected, the woman shook her head, saying, "Forget it, it will be toote after the concert. I''d better not go."


    Just then, the sound of a cellphone ringing broke the silence, emanating from the bedroom inside. The ring tone was unusual; Julia, who had been with her for two years, had never heard it before.


    Julia couldn''t help but feel puzzled; this wasn''t the ringtone of Sara''s usual phone. Could it be that she had another phone Julia knew nothing about?


    While Julia was grappling with her doubts, Sara, lifting the hem of her white dress, dashed past her like a gust of wind and rushed into the bedroom...

 Chapter 26 - 26 Little Girl

    Julia was taken aback, what call could make her so anxious, she had never seen Sara lose herposure like this before, she quickly followed her into the bedroom.


    Sara seemed a little flustered as she took out a cell phone from a secretpartment in her purse, the ringing sound had juste from that phone.


    Julia could see the excitement on Sara''s face, the wless beauty tinted with a deep blush, her breath quick, even her hands holding the phone were trembling slightly!


    A bad feeling immediately surged in Julia''s heart, could the call be from "him"? If it really was, how would she exin it to Prince Ka?


    Sara pressed her hand against her undting chest, trying to calm her emotions, and then she answered the call.


    "Little girl, are you alright?"


    As soon as the call connected, a familiar male voice came through.


    "Master, I''m not a little girl anymore, okay?"


    Sara couldn''t help the tears that started flowing uncontrobly as she heard the voice, she had waited too long for this moment.


    "Master, I''ve missed you so much!"


    "Little girl, I''ve missed you too."


    "You miss me but don''te to see me, liar."


    Upon hearing Sara''s coquettish voice, Su Chen couldn''t help but give a bitter smile. How could he not want to see this little girl? But back then, he was the Hall Master of Nether Temple, with countless enemies.


    If people knew he was associated with Sara, it would definitely bring her trouble, or even danger, but it was not something he could easily exin.


    "Alright, I''lle to see your concert tonight, to see if the little girl has be a grown woman."


    "Really? That''s great! Where are you now, I''ll send someone to pick you up, Master."


    The moment Sara heard that Su Chen would being to her concert, she was so excited she leapt up, no trace of her usual reserve remained.


    "No need, I''m in Jianghai. I''lle by myself, just get me two tickets."


    "What?! You''re in Jianghai? Then I''m going to find you right now."


    Sara could never have dreamed that the person she had longed to see in her dreams was actually in the same city as her, what a coincidence.


    "This must be what''s called fate," Sara thought sweetly.


    "No need, no need, you just focus on preparing for the performance. Have someone send the tickets to me."


    "But I''ve missed you so much!"


    Sara''s voice was so sweet it was cloying, irresistible.


    "Tomorrow, tomorrow I will take you out."


    Su Chen really did miss this little girl, so he said.


    "Then it''s a promise, no backing out!" Sara quickly said.


    "Okay, I promise you, really scared of you, little girl."


    "Alright, I''ll have someone send the tickets over in a bit, just give me an address."


    ....


    After hanging up the phone, Sara seemed like apletely different person, she was radiating happiness and joy, impossible to hide!


    "Sara, who was that on the phone just now? You seem so happy."


    Julia asked casually, "Howe I didn''t know you had a master?"


    Julia was somewhat puzzled and confused, where did this mastere from, could it not be the person she''s been yearning for in her heart?


    But looking at her demure, womanly manner, there probably wasn''t anyone else involved.


    "Julia, you will go to Belle Group a littleter to deliver two tickets to someone,"


    Sara did not answer Julia''s question, but instead instructed her seriously.


    "Okay," Julia decided she would still meet that person first before making any judgements.


    .....


    After making the call, Su Chen went again to Xia Qiuru toplete the hiring procedures, and then he went to the logistics department to pick up two sets of driver uniforms before returning to the security department to sit down and drink some tea.


    Before long, a phone call came in, saying someone was delivering tickets for Sara, and Su Chen immediately ran downstairs.


    At the foot of the Belle Building, Su Chen spotted a blonde, blue-eyed middle-aged woman who looked shrewd and capable.


    "Miss Julia?"


    Su Chen didn''t speak English, fortunately, Julia was fluent in five or sixnguages, including Chinese.


    Julia had thought that the man capable of leaving such an indelible impression on Sara would definitely stand out from the crowd, the center of attention wherever he went, an extraordinary individual.


    But she had never imagined it would be a man like this¡ªquite good-looking, but certainly not stunning. And judging by the clothes he wore, they were clearly the uniform of a security guard or driver.


    "You are Su Chen?"


    Julia''s expression instantly cooled. This kind of man was not even worthy to lift Sara''s skirt, let alone anything else.


    She guessed that Sara must have met this man by chance when she was a little girl and was deceived by his sweet words, hence her lingering thoughts. After all, a girl''s heart is the easiest to immerse in the dreams woven by a man.


    Su Chen couldn''t care less about Julia''s attitude and simply nodded slightly.


    "These are two tickets Sara asked me to deliver to you," Julia handed the tickets to Su Chen, "I must warn you, Sara is not someone you can aspire to. I don''t care how you came to know Sara initially, but I hope you will stay away from her in the future."


    "Are you Sara''s agent?" Su Chen scrutinized Julia before asking.


    "Yes, any problems?" Su Chen''s gaze made her ufortable, as if he saw right through her.


    "I also have a piece of advice for you. If you truly have Sara''s best interests at heart, I won''t mind your disrespectful words. But if you have any sinister intentions concerning her, there won''t be a person or a ce in this world that can ensure your safety!" Su Chen stated indifferently, his casual tone belied by his evident determination.


    "Who do you think you are? You''re not afraid of straining your tongue with your bluster. No wonder Sara was fooled by a scum like you."


    As far as she was concerned, Su Chen''s words were a joke. Not even the President of America dared speak in such a way, let alone him¡ªa security guard or a driver, what gave him the right?


    "That''s all I have to say. Be careful!"


    Julia lost any interest in conversing with such a man. To think she had been nervous about meeting him, only to find he was nothing but an insignificant ant.


    The moment Julia sat in the car, she reported today''s situation to Prince Ka. A year ago, Julia had already submitted to Ka''s wealth.


    And in ordance with the promise made back then, should Ka seed in getting Sara, she would receive a substantial sum of money¡ªa sumrge enough to let her livefortably for several lifetimes. This was why she had been working tirelessly to bring the two together.


    Ka, also staying at the Brilliant Hotel, was wearing a ssic ck tailcoat, his usually handsome face twisted with frustration.


    "Bang!"


    Ka threw his wine ss against the wall in an act of venting, shattering it to pieces, apanied by his roar:


    "Sara is mine, whoever dares to take my rose will pay with their life!"


    His face was covered with a sinister look, and a fire of rage burned in his heart.


    "Tonight, I want to see what kind of person you are!"

 Chapter 27 - 27 Lin Hao Gets Beaten

    Just as he entered the doors of Belle Building, Su Chen saw a woman rushing over in a frenzy, nearly colliding with him.


    Upon a closer look, it turned out to be Lin Ruoxue, her face filled with a panicked and anxious expression, her hair even a bit disheveled.


    "What happened? You seem in such a hurry."


    Su Chen quickly asked, wondering what could rattle the usuallyposed Lin Ruoxue.


    "Lin Hao has been beaten up, and he''s in the hospital now."


    Seeing no one else around, Lin Ruoxue filled Su Chen in on the situation.


    "I''ll go with you."


    Lin Ruoxue nced at Su Chen, seemingly stunned by his words.


    "Even though he doesn''t like me much, after all, he''s my brother-inw, and it''s only right for me to visit," Su Chen said with a smile as he touched his nose.


    "Alright then, let''s go together."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t hesitate; all she was worried about right now was her brother.


    Luckily, it wasn''t rush hour, and soon they drove to the hospital, found Lin Hao''s room, and Lin Ruoxue ran straight to it.


    Bursting into the room, Lin Ruoxue saw Lin Hao with bandages on his arm, his body covered in bruises, looking rather pitiful.


    "Little Hao, where else are you hurt? Why did you get into a fight? You really won''t give anyone peace of mind."


    Seeing her little brother in such a state, Lin Ruoxue''s tears threatened to fall.


    "Sis, I''m fine. Why are you being just like mom? I wouldn''t have told you if I''d known," Lin Hao said with a hint of a headache, frustrated by the trouble caused by women.


    "To look like this and still say it''s nothing, how worried mom and dad would be."


    Although Lin Ruoxue often came across as cold, in the face of her own family, the softer side of a woman revealed itself.


    "I called you here because of this. I definitely can''t go home looking like this; help me tell mom and dad that I need to go away for a few days."


    Lin Hao was speaking when he suddenly caught sight of Su Chen behind him, his expression immediately shifting:


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Little Hao, he''s your brother-inw, mind your manners," Lin Ruoxue said.


    "Sister, I already know everything there is to know about your marriage, and grandpa must be senile to have pushed you into this," Lin Hao said with resentment and pity, "Sister, think about it, how many young masters want to pursue you, and Young Master Liu is wholly smitten with you. Which one of them isn''t a hundred times better than this guy?"


    During the birthday banquet for Lin''s mother, it had been embarrassing when a fake diamond was presented, and for that, he had been the joke among peers in the family a few times, saying she married a fine husband.


    Seeing Su Chen now, Lin Hao''s anger surged uncontrobly.


    Listening to her brother''s words, Lin Ruoxue once again felt embarrassed; however, she couldn''t refute his valid point.


    Yet, at that moment, under the threat to her grandfather''s life, what could she have done?


    Although in the past few days, Lin Ruoxue also felt Su Chen might not be as simple as he appeared, it was still just her intuition without any evidence.


    "Whether you ept it or not, I am now your brother-inw. What can you do to me? Being able to say a few harsh words, what skill is that?"


    Su Chen gave a disdainful sneer, looking at Lin Hao contemptuously.


    Already a man of impulsive passion, Lin Hao could hardly bear such provocation; his eyes reddened.


    But with an injured arm and some flesh wounds to his legs, he couldn''t move and hence had no way to deal with Su Chen.


    "Just wait until I recover, then I''ll see how I''ll sort you out, and avenge my sister!"


    Lin Hao red at Su Chen as though looking at an enemy; in his heart, Lin Ruoxue was the epitome of perfection, and no man deserved her, much less a piece of trash like Su Chen!


    ```


    "What nonsense are you spouting? He''s your brother-inw, why would youy a hand on him? If you dare mess around, see how I''ll deal with you."


    Su Chen was still her husband in name, and Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but find it ridiculous and a bit of a headache that her brother would fight with him.


    "Anyone can talk tough, look at you, beaten up like a dead dog."


    Su Chen looked at Lin Hao with disdain and took pleasure in his misfortune on purpose.


    Lin Ruoxue red at him fiercely, thinking to herself, he''s already in this state and you''re still provoking him.


    "Who''s the family member? Come over here."


    Just then, a doctor walked in and asked.


    "That would be me." Lin Ruoxue hurriedly responded, "Su Chen, take care of things here, I''ll go with the doctor."


    Su Chen nodded, moved a chair over from the side to sit by the bed, and faced Lin Hao''s unfriendly gaze without a care.


    "Your sister''s not here, so tell me, how did you get like this? Who did this to you?"


    "What''s it to you? Besides, telling you is useless."


    Lin Hao spoke harshly, angered that this bastard had just called him a dead dog, which hurt his pride greatly.


    "Tsk, you''ve been beaten like this and still don''t dare to say who did it. What a wimp you''ve be."


    Lin Hao, a hot-blooded young man, couldn''t stand being called a coward to his face and immediately retorted:


    "What''s there to be afraid of saying, it was Long Xiaobin. I was out for breakfast with my girlfriend, and when she was on her way to the restroom, she encountered him and he harassed her. I happened to see it and punched him, then his bodyguards came at me."


    Truth be told, Lin Hao wouldn''t have dared to make a move had he recognized Long Xiaobin, as Long Xiaobin was none other than the only beloved son of Dragon Lord.


    And who was Dragon Lord? He was a figure second only to the Four Great Families! Certainly not someone the Lin Family could contend with.


    "So, what do you n to do about this? Just let it go?" Su Chen casually picked up an apple and began to peel it.


    "What can I do? Long Xiaobin is Dragon Lord''s son, and Dragon Lord is not someone I can afford to provoke."


    Lin Hao sighed. Although impulsive and passionate, he was no fool; fighting Dragon Lord was like an egg against a rock.


    "Do you want revenge?"


    Su Chen handed him the peeled apple and asked indifferently.


    Lin Hao didn''t answer but rolled his eyes at Su Chen, thinking to himself, isn''t that obvious?


    He might want revenge, but what could he use to get it?


    "If you want to get back at him, call me this afternoon."


    Su Chen took out a pen and paper from the bedside cab, wrote down a number, and handed it to him.


    "Don''t be reckless, do you know who Dragon Lord is? He''s the leader of Jiangnan''s underground forces!"


    Lin Hao abruptly sat up from the bed, looking at Su Chen as if he were crazy.


    "Does it matter?" Su Chen smiled faintly, "If you''ve been hit and don''t even dare to hit back, don''t pretend to be a man in front of me ever again."


    Stung by Su Chen''s words, Lin Hao''s face flushed with anger, and his blood boiled with fervor: "Fine! Let''s do it!"


    After speaking, Lin Hao couldn''t help but look at Su Chen curiously, wondering how this guy dared to take on the Dragon Prosperity Society. He really didn''t know if this guy was missing a screw.


    But since things had escted to this point, if he backed down now, it would be too humiliating, especially in front of Su Chen, whom he had always looked down upon, so he gritted his teeth andmitted.


    In fact, Su Chen''s decision to trouble the Dragon Prosperity Society wasn''t just because Lin Hao had been beaten¡ªit was certainly an important reason, since Lin Hao was his brother-inw after all.


    But another reason was that he had already gotten into trouble with the Dragon Prosperity Society the previous night.


    As far as Su Chen was concerned, it was better to strike first rather than wait for the other side to make a move.


    ```

 Chapter 28 - 28 Times Up

    Lin Hao wasn''t seriously injured. All he needed to do was to keep the wound dry for these few days and change the dressing on time, and Lin Ruoxue''s hanging heart finally settled down.


    However, to be on the safe side, she asked Lin Hao to rest in the hospital for another two days, then seeing there was nothing troubling, she returned to thepany with Su Chen.


    When they got back to Belle Group, it was lunchtime. Su Chen went to the cafeteria for lunch and then returned to the security department''s lounge to rest.


    He had barely settled down when the phone rang; it was Lin Hao calling. Su Chen couldn''t help but smile slightly, then drove the BMW back to the hospital to pick up Lin Hao.


    "What are you nning to do?"


    As soon as he got into the car, Lin Hao asked eagerly.


    "Where is that Long Xiaobin now?"


    "Don''t know. That guy doesn''t have a fixed ce," Lin Hao shook his head.


    "Do you know where the headquarters of the Dragon Prosperity Society is?" Su Chen lit a cigarette and then passed one to Lin Hao.


    "What the hell is this crappy smoke? It''s choking me to death," Lin Hao coughed as soon as he took a puff, his face then turned pale, "Why are you asking about the Dragon Prosperity Society headquarters? What do you want to do?"


    "Since we can''t find him, of course, we''ll have to ask his father for him."


    Su Chen took a drag and said nonchntly.


    Lin Hao jumped at Su Chen''s words. Was this guy insane? Going to Dragon Lord to ask for his son? He couldn''t believe he''d thought of it.


    Initially, Lin Hao had assumed Su Chen wanted to find a quiet ce, y a sneaky trick, and give Long Xiaobin an unnoticed lesson. To his surprise, Su Chen was actually considering going directly to the Dragon Prosperity Society to demand the person!


    "Are you sure?"


    Lin Hao looked at Su Chen in shock, his voice trembling as he asked.


    "Nonsense! Address!" Su Chen said, getting impatient and frowning, "Are you a man or not with all your whining?"


    "Alright, you are ruthless! Jiangyang Road, Longteng Building!"


    Lin Hao took a big drag of that harsh cigarette he wasn''t used to. He felt somewhat afraid but at the same time somewhat excited!


    "Roar!"


    Su Chen floored the gas pedal, and the BMW 5 Series shot out like an unstrung arrow.


    Twenty minutester, the BMW stopped outside the Longteng Building, and two young men got out.


    Walking into Longteng Building with the casual air of someone browsing a shopping mall was Su Chen, followed by Lin Hao, whose heartbeat sped up, and his legs even began to tremble.


    He looked at the unfazed Su Chen and couldn''t help wondering, was this guy not afraid of anything? Or was hepletely unaware of who Dragon Lord was?


    "Sir, how may I assist you?"


    The reception desk was manned by a very beautiful young woman dressed in a purple cheongsam, her face adorned with a professional smile.


    "Five minutes, have your Dragon Lorde down," Su Chen said casually, his tone as natural as eating and drinking.


    But both the receptionist and Lin Hao beside her were taken aback. The receptionist looked at Su Chen as if he were a lunatic.


    As for Lin Hao next to him, he was on the verge of tears; he could already foresee the tragic scene that would unfold.


    Boss, even if you came to pick a fight, you should at least have started with a polite "Excuse me, please inform him, I have something to discuss with your Dragon Lord," right?


    Who knew this guy would just start out with an ultimatum in his tone, and five minutes? As if they would even acknowledge you!


    "Sir, if there''s nothing else, please leave. The Longteng Building is not a ce for you to cause trouble!"


    The receptionist''s face also turned cold, she had worked here for several years and had never encountered someone so full of themselves at the Dragon Teng Building!


    If it weren''t for the fact that he was quite easy on the eyes, she would have had someone throw him out already, while Lin Hao beside him was constantly tugging at his sleeve, giving him meaningful looks.


    "If I don''t see your Dragon Lord in five minutes, I start smashing the ce."


    Su Chen said indifferently, his face still wearing a sinister smile. After that, he lit a cigarette and sat down on the sofa nearby.


    "What''s wrong with your leg? It won''t stop shaking?"


    Su Chen nced at the anxiously seated Lin Hao and asked curiously.


    Lin Hao waspletely dumbfounded by now; his brother-inw was too fierce! What did he just say?


    Start smashing the ce in five minutes?


    Did he know where he was? This was too audacious! Lin Hao already regretted following him here; this was simply courting death!


    "What if Dragon Lord doesn''te down in five minutes? Are you really going to smash the ce?"


    Lin Hao swallowed, his throat dry as he looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "Of course, what else?" Su Chen said as if it was only natural, "Do you think I''m joking?"


    The receptionist watched Su Chen coldly from her spot on the sofa, thinking to myself, I want to see how you''re going to wrap this up in five minutes. I don''t believe that in Jiangnan, anyone would dare to trash the Dragon Teng Building!


    These five minutes were unbearably long for Lin Hao; cold sweat was already trickling down his forehead, and his body had stiffened.


    He nced at Su Chen, who lookedpletely indifferent, and still couldn''t believe that this guy would really dare to do such a thing!


    As time ticked away, Su Chen looked up at therge clock in the lobby and suddenly smiled faintly:


    "Time''s up!"


    This statement hit Lin Hao''s ears like a bolt of lightning. He took a look at Su Chen and saw that the other party had already stood up and was limbering up.


    The receptionist had been watching themotion here all along, keeping an eye on the time. Seeing this man really stand up as soon as the five minutes were up, her heart skipped a beat.


    "This guy wouldn''t really dare to do that, would he?"


    As if to answer the receptionist''s spection, Su Chen kicked the ss coffee table in front of the sofa, shattering it into pieces; the broken ss ttered on the floor, making a loud noise.


    "Ah ah ah~~~~"


    This sound startled everyone on the lower floors, causing them to turn their gazes towards Su Chen''s direction.


    Another figure kicked over a cab with one foot, then picked up a vase and, without caring whether it was valuable or not, smashed it against the wall with a loud "bang."


    The receptionist was terrified, and it took her a moment to react. She hastily dialed a number: "Quick, someone is trashing the ce!"


    After that, she hid under the counter, feeling that this person was truly a madman, daring even to trash Dragon Lord''s turf.


    Lin Hao, sitting on the sofa, could no longerprehend what was happening.


    He¡ªreally did it!


    He couldn''t help but feel frightened; he knew all too well the power of Dragon Lord. Today the two of them were bound to lose at least half their lives!


    At this moment, Su Chen wasn''t thinking so much; he was in the midst of a smashing spree!


    The only thing that irked him was theck of a handy tool; the efficiency was just too low!


    "Lin Hao, quick, find a crowbar or something more convenient. This smashing is too slow."


    Su Chen shouted at the dumbfounded Lin Hao.

 Chapter 29: Massacre in All Directions

    The crowd beneath the Dragon Prosperity Society Building stared in disbelief at Su Chen,pletely astonished that someone would brazenly smash the headquarters of the Dragon Prosperity Society!


    Even though wood shavings were flying and ss was shattering everywhere, not a single person left; after all, witnessing the destruction of the Dragon Prosperity Society Building was an opportunity that came once in a hundred years!


    It wasn''t long before the first floor of the Dragon Prosperity Society Building was in aplete mess...


    It was at this moment that a series of disordered footsteps emerged from the staircase, and the men who appeared before Su Chen were a dozen men d in ck tight-fitting outfits, each one with a fierce look, bulging muscles, obviously not to be trifiled with.


    "Who dares to run wild in the Dragon Prosperity Society Building! Get out here!"


    A rather thin man stepped out from the crowd, with a buzz cut, and fairly tall, at most around one seventy centimeters, but he exuded a sense of danger as though his slight frame contained an endless supply of energy.


    He was Feng Ang, the fourth leader of the Dragon Prosperity Society. He had once been in an Israeli military training camp known as the devil''s, with horrifyingly formidable skills. Even among the numerous skilled members of the Dragon Prosperity Society, he ranked only after the Dragon Lord himself.


    If it weren''t for his younger age and lesser experience, he would have taken the second chair long ago!


    When the onlookers saw Feng Ang step forward, they immediately fell silent; everyone knew that Feng Ang was the most ruthless and vicious in the Dragon Prosperity Society!


    Their nces towards Su Chen were full of sympathy, for no one marked by Feng Ang had ever met with a good end!


    Seeing Feng Ang approaching, the courage of the receptionist girl grew considerably, and she stood up from the ground.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Hao, who had been shaking with fear up to now, moved beside Su Chen, though he was still frightened.


    This act won Su Chen''s approval; at least this little brother-inw had some spine.


    "Who did this, step forward!"


    After Feng Ang came down, Su Chen had already temporarily stopped his destruction, so he didn''t know who had caused the initialmotion.


    "I did," Su Chen nced at Feng Ang and said indifferently, "Are you the Dragon Lord?"


    "You think you can see the Dragon Lord whenever you wish?" Feng Ang''s face was filled with rage, "Do you realize what ce you are smashing? Have you thought about the consequences?"


    "If you''re not the Dragon Lord, why the fuss?" Su Chen waved his hand as if shooing a fly, "Get lost, I''ve no interest in dealing with you."


    Feng Ang, seeing Su Chen so shamelessly insult him, could no longer hold back and roared:


    "Attack, break this guy''s damned legs for me!"


    His dozen men also shouted and rushed forth¡ªthis kid dared to be so arrogant at the Dragon Prosperity Society headquarters, he was clearly tired of living!


    Lin Hao, watching from the side, immediately became timid; he knew all too well that the members of the Dragon Prosperity Society headquarters were one in ten thousand champions, each not to be taken lightly.


    It was all Su Chen''s fault, the damn fool, why did he have to be so showy? Did he think the Dragon Prosperity Society Building was a ce where you could just show off?


    But in the end, this was a mess he himself had caused, soe what may, he was prepared to fight with all he had!


    However, what he could hardly believe happened¡ªinstead of retreating, Su Chen advanced, instantly darting forward with an agile step.


    The man charging in the front saw Su Chen rush toward him and was immediately ted, lifting his fists asrge as casserole dishes, swinging them toward Su Chen''s temples.


    Just when he thought he was about tond the hit, suddenly, from the side, a hand reached out, grabbed his wrist, and immobilized him.


    Meanwhile, a person nearby had already nearly kicked Su Chen in the waist, his straight leg whipping up like an iron bar, stirring up a fierce wind.


    If an ordinary person were to be hit by that kick, they would have to lie in a hospital bed for at least a year or even longer. Just then, Su Chen also unleashed a kick, but actingter, he struck first, hitting the other person''s thigh directly.


    The man''s body uncontrobly spun half a turn in the air before crashing heavily to the ground with a "thud," his thigh grotesquely deformed.


    By now, Su Chen had reached the First Layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, his strength much greater than before, and this was him still holding back intentionally.


    As he delivered that kick, the hand that Su Chen used to grab the other man''s wrist also gave a slight tug, and the opponent''s arm immediately hung limp like a noodle.


    After dealing with the two closest to him, another person charged at him. He had seen the sorry state of his twopanions and was furious, gathering all his strength and leaning toward Su Chen.


    His signature skill was the Leaning on the Mountain from Baji Fist, a move of tremendous power; even a ck bear would hardly escape death if it were hit by it.


    However, just as he was about to lean into Su Chen, Su Chen pivoted on his foot, instead leaning into the man''s body and spinning past him, followed swiftly by an elbow strike hitting the man''s back hard. The man let out a muffled groan and copsed.


    After Su Chen had taken care of three men, only about 20 seconds had passed. Seizing the moment, Su Chen charged into the crowd, moving with ease among the members of the Dragon Prosperity Society, who were like toys against him.


    Two or three minutester, there were only the sounds of moaning on the ground...


    The onlookers were dumbfounded, realizing just how skilled this man was, no wonder he dared to challenge the Dragon Prosperity Society!


    However, the most shocked was Lin Hao, who stared at the rxed Su Chen, unable to utter a word.


    How could this guy be so terrifying? Was he the same worthless brother-inw from his memory?


    In an instant, Lin Hao felt as though he did not recognize this person at all. At that moment, Su Chen stood there like a god, supremely alone!


    "So you are a practitioner, no wonder you dared to be arrogant at the Dragon Tower," Feng Ang said, looking at his men lying on the ground, his face uglier than ever. "If you think that just by having some skill, you can defecate and urinate on the Dragon Prosperity Society''s head, then you are sorely mistaken."


    "I advise you to quickly notify your ''Dragon Lord''; otherwise, the consequences will be more than you can bear."


    Su Chen didn''t take Feng Ang''s threats seriously; in his heart, these people were nothing but trash he could crush with one foot.


    "Pretty arrogant, let me see if you have the credentials!"


    Wherever Feng Ang went, he was called "Fourth Master," but today, he was repeatedly ignored by this much younger man, which made him feel immensely ashamed!


    He suddenly shouted loudly and charged at Su Chen, his fist thundering towards Su Chen''s chest!


    His fist was notrge at all, but it contained immense energy, cutting through the air''s resistance like a cannonball shooting straight at its target.


    However, just as his fist touched Su Chen''s coat, it strangely changed direction and morphed from fist to palm, chopping towards Su Chen''s neck.


    This move was an Assassin''s Trick that Feng Ang had created, one he had never used before, reserved for a critical moment to achieve a one-strike kill.


    He had already noticed that Su Chen''s movements were far from simple, definitely not inferior to his own, thus he used his strongest hidden move right from the start.


    He believed that no matter how powerful the opponent was, they couldn''t possibly dodge this attack. Indeed, at this instant, his palm was at the same height as Su Chen''s neck, and the other showed no sign of reaction.


    Feng Ang''s heart leapt with joy, and, applying force, his palm-de slid down across Su Chen''s neck, when suddenly he noticed that Su Chen had begun to smile weirdly...

 Chapter 30: Clashing with Each Other

    Feng Ang couldn''t help but tremble inside, but at this moment all his strength was concentrated in his palms and he simply had no way to respond, particrly since he had no idea what Su Chen intended to do.


    Just as his hand was sliding down, Su Chen suddenly tilted his head back slightly, narrowly avoiding Feng Ang''s deadly move.


    "Not good!"


    Feng Ang''s martial arts were not mediocre, and he immediately realized the w in his move.


    Because his move was purely offensive without defense, if someone dodged and then counterattacked, his body would be an easy target!


    It was just that he was too confident in his own move to ever consider that someone might dodge it.


    "Bang!"


    After dodging that palm, Su Chen immediately punched towards Feng Ang''s chest. Feng Ang''s body immediately flew backward like a kite with its string cut, then crashed against the wall behind him, creating multiple echoes.


    The fallen Feng Ang tried to struggle to his feet, but just as he was slightly up, a sweet sensation hit his throat, and he spewed out a mouthful of fresh blood, copsing once more...


    Feng Ang was horrified, he hadn''t anticipated the tremendous power of this man''s punch, but what he didn''t know was that Su Chen had only used thirty percent of his strength.


    The onlookers were also stunned by the power of Su Chen''s punch. This young man was terrifying! Even the mighty Feng Ang had nearly been killed by his fist!


    Lin Hao was utterly shocked. What kind of freak was his brother-inw!


    However, despite this, he still felt uneasy, knowing that as long as Master Long didn''t show up, none of this would mean anything and might even provoke a greater retaliation.


    At that moment, the elevator doors suddenly opened and six people walked out. At the front was a man whose hair was already somewhat gray, appearing to be over sixty years old.


    He wore a ck Sun Yat-sen suit, stood straight, and his eyes sparkled fiercely with an inherent authority!


    He was Long Xiaoshan, the ruler of the underground forces in Jiangnan, Master Long!


    As he appeared, almost everyone bowed and eximed, "Master Long!"


    However, Long Xiaoshan ignored the others and walked straight up to Su Chen, smiling at him.


    "Young man, this is not how one behaves as a guest," Long Xiaoshan said lightly, "I see you are talented. Here''s the deal, sever one of your arms, and we can consider the matter settled."


    His tone was light but left no room for dissent! In his view, this was already quite generous.


    The onlookers also nodded vigorously, indeed, you came to someone''s territory and defeated so many from the Dragon Prosperity Society, even knocking one of the Four Great Families'' heads nearly to death. Asking you to sever an arm really wasn''t too much.


    Even Lin Hao thought this was probably the best oue he could imagine. In his view, Long Xiaoshan had always been vengeful, and this level of leniency was rare indeed.


    Actually, Lin Hao thought too highly of Long Xiaoshan. This was not a sudden rise ofpassion but because he was somewhat baffled by Su Chen as a young man.


    Those who have reached a status like Long Xiaoshan''s in this field tend to be more cautious than others, and always kept a backdoor in their dealings!


    Since he couldn''t see through him, it was better not to burn all bridges.


    Yet, he couldn''t show weakness and simply let Su Chen and hispanion leave; doing so would make the Dragon Prosperity Society aughingstock and he wouldn''t be able to maintain control anymore.


    After weighing his options, he decided to demand the severing of an arm, believing that unless the other party waspletely foolish, they would ept his terms.


    As for why the other party had suddenly decided to cause trouble, there had to be a reason, but that could be discussedter; if necessary, giving the other party some face wasn''t out of the question.


    In any case, Long Xiaoshan believed that he had already expressed the utmost goodwill.


    "I''ll do it." Lin Hao stood up and said, "This matter started because of me, so this arm is on me!"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Hao somewhat surprisingly. His brother-inw had surprised him twice today, and unexpectedly, he was quite a man. If possible, maybe he could give him an opportunityter on.


    "Lin Hao,e stand behind me."


    Su Chen pulled Lin Hao back. In the past, Lin Hao would never listen to him, but now he did not dare to retort and obediently stood behind Su Chen.


    Su Chen took two steps forward, stopping less than a meter away from Long Xiaoshan, and just looked at him with a faint smile on his face.


    "Long Xiaoshan? Just because everyone calls you ''Boss Long,'' do you really think you are one?"


    Su Chen reached out and lightly patted Long Xiaoshan''s face.


    This action made everyone''s jaw drop to the ground, this guy was outrageously bold, daring to pat Boss Long''s face in public.


    The members of the Dragon Prosperity Society red furiously at Su Chen, as if they wanted to tear him apart, holding Boss Long in high esteem in their hearts.


    Even the Family Heads of the Four Great Families didn''t dare to speak to Boss Long in this manner, let alone take such an action.


    "Young man, do you know what you are doing?"


    Long Xiaoshan asked with slightly squinted eyes, those familiar with Long Xiaoshan knew he was on the verge of rage.


    However, all of this was meaningless to Su Chen, who just shrugged:


    "Have you been in Jiangnan too long and really think you''re the best?"


    "Your son harassed my friend''s girlfriend and even hit him." Su Chen pointed at Lin Hao, "I came here today with no other agenda. Hand your son over, I''ll cripple one of his legs, and we''ll call it even."


    The surrounding crowd exploded upon hearing Su Chen''s words, impressed by the young man''s boldness!


    Boss Long demanded one of his arms, but not only did he not ept, he even demanded one of Long Xiaobin''s legs, matching up without giving in an inch!


    But who in Jiangnan didn''t know that Long Xiaobin was Boss Long''s Achilles heel? Anyone who dared touch a hair on Long Xiaobin, Boss Long would fight to the death!


    "Young man! Don''t be too arrogant, do you know the consequences of what you just said?"


    Long Xiaoshan''s voice was deep and his gaze was fiercely menacing, his whole body exuding a powerful aura!


    Both the onlookers and the members of the Dragon Prosperity Society felt a great pressureing over them, making it somewhat hard to breathe.


    Of course, this amount of pressure had absolutely no effect on Su Chen; he looked up at the clock and said:


    "One hour. If I don''t see Long Xiaobin by then, you better be ready to collect his corpse!"


    Lin Hao almost fainted behind him, he''s done it again!


    Previously it was five minutes, now it''s one hour; before it was smashing the ce, now it''s demanding Long Xiaobin''s life!


    Lin Hao felt as though he was dreaming, unable to believe that what was happening was real!

 Chapter 31: The Devil

    "Oh, I almost forgot, I guess you already know aboutst night''s affair at the Passion Bar. I bet you''re still looking for that person." Su Chen again walked over to the sofa and sat down, "No need to look anymore, that person is me!"


    "So it was you!"


    Jiangnan was indeed looking for the man who deredst night that he was going to wipe out the Dragon Prosperity Society. To his surprise, it was none other than the young man in front of him.


    "Well, it seems you won''t shed a tear until you see the coffin," Jiangnan said gravely, giving orders, "You guys, give him a warm wee, and remember, don''t kill him; I want to have some fun with him."


    As soon as he finished speaking, five men stepped out from behind Jiangnan. These men had no expressions on their faces and no fluctuation of aura on their bodies, as if they were five wooden figures.


    They took positions in five different directions, coincidentally corresponding to the principles of the Five Elements¡ªthe tactical arrangement allowed for both offense and defense!


    If these five men were challenged individually, none of them would be a match for Feng Ang. However, once they formed a formation, even five Feng Angs might not be able to escape.


    "Interesting."


    After taking a nce, Su Chen''s eyes slightly lit up. This Dragon Prosperity Society truly was something.


    Su Chen slowly stood up, walked to the center of the five men with his hands sped behind his back, looked at them nonchntly, and said calmly:


    "Begin."


    Right after his words fell, the men positioned in the wood and water directions attacked first¡ªone of them aiming a kick directly at Su Chen''s back, and the other sweeping towards Su Chen''s knees.


    Meanwhile, the other men also readied themselves, their eyes fixed on Su Chen as if locking onto prey!


    However, contrary to everyone''s expectations, Su Chenpletely ignored the attacks from those two men; instead, he turned and darted straight towards the man at the position of metal.


    In that moment, his speed reached an extreme; the others only saw a shadow sh by...


    The others were puzzled by Su Chen''s strange action, but Jiangnan''s expression grew stern!


    The man at the metal position waspletely unguarded, and given Su Chen''s incredible speed, he was directly struck by Su Chen''s palm, then spat blood and was sent flying, his life and death unknown!


    Seeing this, Jiangnan sighed, knowing that despite Su Chen having made only one move, these five men had already been defeated!


    Because that one move by Su Chen had broken the entire formation, rendering the power of the Five Elements Formation unusable.


    What a remarkable young man!


    Jiangnan sighed inwardly, puzzled about when such a character had emerged from Jianghai.


    Su Chen? He had never heard that name before.


    "This man must be eliminated, otherwise, once hees into his own, the problems will be endless!" Jiangnan secretly resolved.


    The situation in the area was indeed as Jiangnan had expected; within minutes, the five men were all lying on the ground,pletely incapacitated.


    Jiangnan did not call for more men, knowing that against such a skilled opponent, more men would only mean more casualties.


    Jiangnan looked at Su Chen, his eyes filled with gravity, while Su Chen looked back teasefully, his lips curving slightly upward!


    The observers all held their breath, everyone understood that the ultimate battle was about to begin!


    Jiangnan was finally going to make his move!


    Everyone was tremendously excited; none of them had ever seen Jiangnan in action before, and this event was bound to be the top news in Jianghai!


    Between Long Xiaoshan and this young man, who would win? This was the result everyone was waiting for.


    Truthfully, even though Su Chen had already made an indelible impression today, not many people were confident in his victory at this time!


    Because Long Xiaoshan''s reputation in Jiangnan was indeed too high!


    The truth was that since Long Xiaoshan hade to Jiangnan twenty years ago to fight for his domain, he had never tasted defeat!


    "Young man, today you have truly broadened my horizons," Long Xiaoshan said proudly as he looked at Su Chen, "But meeting me today, this is where it ends for you!"


    As he spoke, his body emitted a strong aura again. This time the aura was vastly different from before, like a vortex, seemingly absorbing everything around it.


    The onlookers observing Long Xiaoshan couldn''t help but feel an urge to submit, an impulse that seemed entirely uncontroble!


    "Qi Refinement Realm First Layer, no wonder he''s so confident."


    Su Chen instantly recognized Long Xiaoshan''s Martial Arts Cultivation. Although Su Chen was also at the Qi Refinement Realm First Layer, he was not worried at all.


    Although the two of them were in the same realm, their understanding of Martial Arts was on entirely different levels; after all, Su Chen had once been a half-step Meridian Expansion grandmaster!


    Without experiencing that level, one could neverprehend the true essence of Martial Arts!


    This was not something that talent or anything else couldpensate for. It was like a chasm that could not be crossed!


    Different from Long Xiaoshan, who was enveloped in a massive aura, Su Chen appeared calm and carefree.


    "One minute,"


    Su Chen said lightly, extending one finger.


    Before Long Xiaoshan couldprehend the meaning of Su Chen''s words, he already saw a shadow swiftly passing by; then he saw a fist wrapped in a whirlwind appearing in front of him.


    Long Xiaoshan hadn''t expected the opponent''s speed to be so fast; he hurriedly raised his arm to block the ferocious punch.


    However, there wasn''t the anticipated violent collision, as the opponent''s fist had mysteriously circled around his blocking arm and appeared in front of him.


    Startled, Long Xiaoshan instinctively bent down to dodge the punch; fortunately, his reaction was timely as the punch stopped just in front of his chest.


    Before Long Xiaoshan could catch his breath, he then saw a whip kicking at him, the kick stirring the air and piercing the void with a whooshing sound.


    Long Xiaoshan used both hands to block the fierce strike, and he felt a tingling numbness in his arms.


    Yet at that moment, he saw Su Chen had already leaped up, his left leg bending forward at a 90-degree angle, heading straight for his chest.


    In that instant, the opponent''s speed was at its ultimate, and Long Xiaoshan had never thought that a person could move this fast!


    "Bang!"


    A massive collision sounded, and a figure flew out like a cannonball, solidly smashing into the marble floor.


    The onlookers fixed their eyes and saw that the figure lying on the ground wasn''t Su Chen as they had imagined but the underworld king of Jianghai¡ªBoss Long!


    This result was beyond everyone''s expectation; they had never thought even Boss Long would be no match for this young man!


    All eyes turned to Su Chen, filled with awe!


    It was as though they were looking at a devil!

 Chapter 32: The Summons of Death

    Lin Hao vigorously rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what was happening before him.


    The son-inw, whom almost everyone in the Lin Family deemed worthless, had actually defeated Long Xiaoshan, the underground boss of Jiangnan, and the process was so effortless that Long Xiaoshan hardly had any power to fight back!


    However, that wasn''t the end of it. The people present today were destined to be surprised to the utmost, as they saw Su Chen, after flinging Long Xiaoshan aside, walk over to him and then stepped on his face.


    "Now there are only forty-five minutes left. If you don''t want to pick up your son''s corpse, hurry up and have him roll back here," Su Chen said from above, looking down at Long Xiaoshan with an indifferent expression.


    At that moment, everyone felt something¡ªthis young man was not joking!


    Long Xiaoshan''s body trembled as he looked up at the young man''s expressionless face and suddenly roared:


    "Hurry up and make the call, have that bastarde back!"


    Even though Long Xiaoshan''s face was being stepped on and his words were slurred, his meaning was clear enough to understand.


    One of his subordinates quickly made the call, whispered a few words, then walked over to Long Xiaoshan.


    "Boss Long, the Young Master says he is racing with friends at Chicken Mountain and can''t make it back," the subordinate reported cautiously.


    "Can I make a call to ask him toe back?"


    As he spoke, Long Xiaoshan''s mouth twitched with anguish and frustration. He, the mighty boss of the Dragon Prosperity Society, had never felt so humiliated.


    But what could he do when outmatched?


    Su Chen cast him a nce and then lifted his foot. Long Xiaoshan scrambled to his feet and pulled out his phone.


    "You beast, hurry the hell up ande back!"


    Long Xiaoshan shouted into the phone, feeling a twinge of pain from his injured mouth as he spoke.


    "Dad, I can''t make it back from Chicken Mountain! What''s so urgent?" Long Xiaobin replied from the other end, feeling quite annoyed, wondering what madness had seized the old man.


    "If you can''t get back in forty minutes, I''ll freeze all your bank cards and take back your house. I mean what I say!"


    Long Xiaoshan knew that if he told Long Xiaobin his life was in danger, he would never believe it and might even think he was insane.


    But telling him he would freeze his money and take back his house might be believable because he had done so before.


    "Alright, alright, I''lle back then!"


    With no other choice, Long Xiaobin hung up and immediately drove towards the city.


    And the first floor of Dragon Rise Building became quiet again, quiet to the point of eeriness, as everyone waited in anticipation.


    "Eight minutes left."


    Half an hourter, Su Chen looked at the time and said casually.


    Meanwhile, Long Xiaoshan''s face was now covered in sweat as he silently prayed in his heart.


    He felt extremely awkward inside. What kind of situation was this, calling his own son back to have someone break his legs?


    It was so absurd, it was hardly believable, especiallying from him, Long Xiaoshan!


    "Three minutes left."


    Su Chen''s voice drifted through the air again like a death knell, causing everyone''s hearts to tighten.


    Just then, a roaring sound erupted at the entrance of Dragon Rise Building. Hearing this noise, Long Xiaoshan''s previously tight heart suddenly rxed.


    He knew this sound very well¡ªit was his son''s Lamborghini''s roar.


    "What''s going on, Dad? Why were you in such a rush to call me back?" Long Xiaobin said irritably as he walked through the door. When he saw the mess on the floor and many Dragon Prosperity Society members lying around, he was shocked, "What happened? Who the hell did this?"


    ```


    "Smack!"


    Long Xiaoshan suddenly rushed over as if he were fully revived and pped his son with a resounding p!


    "Are you senile? What are you hitting me for?"


    Startled, Long Xiaobin jumped up. This was the first time Long Xiaoshan had ever hit him, and the reason was utterly confusing!


    "Don''t you know what you did this morning? Go and apologize to this brother right away!"


    Long Xiaoshan pointed at Lin Hao and ordered sternly.


    Following his father''s pointed direction, Long Xiaobin immediately recognized the man as the one who had punched him that morning, althoughter this man was beaten even worse by the security guards.


    "Him? Dad, you must be joking!" Long Xiaobin suddenlyughed hysterically, "He doesn''t deserve it! Dad, are you out of your mind?"


    He found it utterly ridiculous that Long Xiaoshan was asking him to apologize to someone whose name he didn''t even know. How could that be possible?


    "No, you''re wrong, it''s not an apology, but a leg."


    Su Chen, who had been sitting on the couch, stood up and said casually.


    Long Xiaoshan''s heart sank; he had hoped that if his son showed good behavior and sincerity, maybe Su Chen would let him off the hook.


    "So it''s you backing him up. What do you think you are?"


    Always arrogant with his father''s power behind him, Long Xiaobin had never taken Su Chen, a stranger, seriously.


    "Can''t these people lying on the ground give you a clue?" Su Chen shook his head with a sigh.


    "You beat these people up?"


    Long Xiaobin asked in disbelief. It was then that he noticed his father also seemed to have suffered quite a bit.


    Long Xiaobin immediately understood that the Dragon Prosperity Society had been dealt a severe blow today, which exined why his father had hurriedly called him back.


    But who exactly was this guy? Not even his own father could match him.


    "Do I need to do it myself?"


    Su Chen nced coldly at Long Xiaoshan, the look so piercing that it made Long Xiaoshan shiver.


    "Break one leg of this beast!"


    Long Xiaoshan, true to his ruthless nature, immediately gave the order. He was aware that if the young man acted, it wouldn''t just be about breaking a leg.


    "No, Dad, I''m still young!"


    Long Xiaobin immediately knelt down, clinging to Long Xiaoshan''s calf and wailed, gone was his earlier arrogance.


    "Son, just bear with it." Long Xiaoshan turned his head away and sighed, "me yourself for provoking someone you shouldn''t have."


    "Do it!"


    Long Xiaoshan ordered sharply, seeing impatience sh across Su Chen''s face.


    Two of the Dragon Prosperity Society''s men immediately stepped forward, ready to drag Long Xiaobin away. Just at that moment, the sound of police sirens came from outside Long Teng Tower.


    What followed was a cluttered but orderly sound of footsteps as thirty-some policemen walked in.


    "Officers, someone here hasmitted intentional assault, quickly arrest him."


    Long Xiaobin, who had just been in dire straits,tched onto the arrival of the police like a lifeline and rushed over to them.


    Even Long Xiaoshan felt a secret surge of relief. Maybe with the police arriving, the situation could take a turn.


    Although relying on the police might look weak, he had already lost enough face for today; he didn''t care about that anymore.


    ```

 Chapter 33: Hello, Chief

    As soon as Jiang Lixing walked into the Dragon Ascend Building, he was shocked by the scene before him and quickly aimed his gun inside, other police officers also swiftly drew their guns.


    Just ten minutes earlier, he had received a report iming that the public had reported someone smashing up the Dragon Ascend Building and injuring many people; at the time, he hadn''t quite believed it.


    After all, the Dragon Ascend Building was the stronghold of the Dragon Prosperity Society; who would have the courage, let alone the capability?


    However, as the city''s Police Chief, Jiang Lixing still took it seriously and immediately dispatched police forces, and he also personally came to oversee things, anxious that mishandling the matter could lead to grave consequences.


    But as he entered, a figure rushed toward him, and upon closer inspection, he realized it was Long Xiaoshan''s son, Long Xiaobin.


    "What happened? Exin yourself," Jiang Lixing''s expression was extremely stern.


    "It was this guy; he came to our Dragon Ascend Building and started hitting and smashing things up. Chief Jiang, look at this, so many people have been injured by him."


    Long Xiaobin, pointing at Su Chen, disyed an "angry" expression on his face.


    At this point, Long Xiaoshan also came over and, sping his hands, said,


    "Chief Jiang, my son is correct. Please capture this criminal as soon as possible!"


    Ordinarily, Long Xiaoshan might not respect Jiang Lixing, the Police Chief, but now, the officer was his only hope to save his son''s leg.


    No matter what, Jiang Lixing ultimately represented the government.


    "Mr. Long, I still need to investigate this matter, please understand."


    Jiang Lixing hesitated for a moment before responding. His tone was also rather courteous, given Long Xiaoshan''s status.


    "Of course, Chief Jiang, feel free to investigate."


    Long Xiaoshan was not worried about the investigation since everything he said was true.


    "The two of you, go bring that man here, and also, clean up the scene and make everyone unrted leave."


    Jiang Lixing issued an order, and immediately two police officers approached Su Chen, while others started dispersing the spectators, quickly driving them all out.


    Su Chen, of course, had noticed the arrival of the police and seemed unconcerned about it.


    However, what surprised him was that among these police officers, he actually saw the woman who had twisted her ankle during a morning run a few days ago.


    Xu Xinran naturally saw Su Chen too, and she couldn''t help but wonder what kind of person he was, daring to vandalize the Dragon Ascend Building and injure so many people?


    Actually, her impression of Su Chen was quite good; fortunately, she had met him that morning, otherwise, her foot would have taken who knows how long to heal?


    Despite this, she had no intention of protecting him; if he really had broken thew, she would definitely arrest him without hesitation.


    "Sir, pleasee with us, our chief has some questions he would like to ask you," the two police officers said solemnly as they approached Su Chen.


    "If he wants to ask something, let hime here himself."


    The two police officers became furious upon hearing this and extended their hands to forcibly take him away, but Su Chen simply lifted a foot and, with two "bangs," kicked both officers to the ground.


    The members of the Dragon Prosperity Society were once again dumbfounded; this guy actually dared to openly assault the police, even they, the Dragon Prosperity Society, including the Four Great Families, wouldn''t dare to confront the police openly like this!


    After all, that represented the state apparatus!


    The other police officers were even more enraged; this young man was too arrogant, showing no respect for the police, practically courting death!


    Jiang Lixing''s expression also turned cold, and then he walked directly to Su Chen with all the police officers following behind him.


    "Do you realize you''ve just assaulted a police officer?" Jiang Lixing asked, his face stern as he looked at Su Chen.


    "I know." Su Chen lit a cigarette, took an easy drag, as if the police around him were thin air.


    "And these destructions¡ªare they your doing? Did you injure these people?"


    "Indeed." Su Chen lightly flicked his cigarette ash, nodding.


    This really confused everyone; they thought Su Chen would definitely make a few evasive arguments, but he very lightly acknowledged everything.


    "Then there''s nothing more to say, take him away!"


    Jiang Lixing waved his hand, and immediately several policemen approached, their guns aimed at him.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Stop the nonsense, take him away!"


    Seeing Su Chen''s abnormal reaction, Jiang Lixing slightly furrowed his eyebrows.


    Long Xiaoshan and his son both startedughing, their faces saying, "You were so arrogant, what now?"


    "You two seem quite happy, huh?"


    Su Chen tilted his head, a strange smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.


    "So what if we are?"


    Long Xiaoshan''s son''s face was flush with a triumphant expression, viciously letting out a breath of spite.


    "Young man, it''s easy to fall from a high ce!"


    Long Xiaoshan came over and patted Su Chen on the shoulder, like a wise elder.


    Xu Xinran watched the indifferent demeanor of Su Chen, suddenly puzzled; did this man understand what his situation was right now?


    If these charges held up, he would be sentenced for many years, and if Long Xiaoshan were to interfere, it could be even decades more!


    "People always think too highly of themselves," Su Chen shook his head and pulled out a ck document from his pocket, throwing it to Jiang Lixing, "Take a look at this before you decide to take me away."


    Jiang Lixing scoffed as he caught it, thinking, regardless of whatever trick you''re ying, today I will take you to the station.


    Jiang Lixing gave Su Chen a quick nce before he opened the ck document.


    As he looked it over, Jiang Lixing''s body suddenly shook, cold sweat streamed down his forehead, and his face turned deathly pale!


    The hand holding the document couldn''t stop trembling, and his pupils contracted sharply!


    "Chief, what''s wrong?"


    Xu Xinran noticed the sudden change in Jiang Lixing and quickly asked with concern.


    "It''s nothing."


    Upon hearing Xu Xinran''s question, Jiang Lixing quickly closed the ck document.


    Then he made a move that shocked everyone present; he walked over to Su Chen with the ck document in both hands, his expression respectful!


    After Su Chen took the document back and stuffed it into his pocket, Jiang Lixing saluted with a formal military salute and shouted loudly:


    "Greetings, Chief!"


    This shout, like rolling thunder, dumbfounded everyone!


    What was going on?


    What had Jiang Lixing just called him? Chief?


    Was this some kind of international joke?


    He looked to be just in his twenties¡ªwas there such a young chief?


    Xu Xinran waspletely stunned as well, staring at Su Chen with wide eyes, her mind recalling that morning when he had massaged her feet.


    How could this guy be some kind of chief?


    The Long father and son were as if struck by a bolt of Thunderp, stupidly staring at Su Chen, their heads spinning, gripped by a sense of unreality!

 Chapter 34: The Spirit of the Nation

    "Director Jiang, this guy is clearly a criminal; don''t be fooled by him! Arrest him immediately!"


    Long Xiaobin couldn''t believe the scene before his eyes and burst out yelling.


    Jiang Lixing''s expression turned severe as he drew his pistol, disengaged the safety, and pressed it firmly against Long Xiaobin''s forehead.


    "Defaming a superior officer; I have the right to shoot you on the spot!"


    Father and son Long Xiaoshan were both terrified by the sudden action of Jiang Lixing drawing his gun, especially with such a determined attitude!


    Not just the Long family, but everyone in the room, including the police, were stunned.


    At the same time, deep doubt filled their hearts. Just what was this young man''s identity?


    Could even themander of a military district not have made Jiang Lixing act this way!


    "Please, Director Jiang, be careful of idental discharge," Long Xiaoshan said with a convulsing face, waving his hands, "Absolutely not, Director Jiang, this is no joking matter."


    At that moment, Xu Xinran also stepped forward, her pretty face filled with anxiety:


    "Director, don''t be rash! You will also be held ountable if you pull that trigger!"


    However, Jiang Lixing''s finger on the trigger remainedpletely still. His gaze turned to Su Chen, waiting for hismand.


    Everyone understood that if Su Chen nodded, Jiang Lixing would pull the trigger without a moment''s hesitation!


    Underneath the gun, Long Xiaobin''s mouth kept moving, too frightened to utter a word, suddenly a trickle of water could be heard.


    It turned out that Long Xiaobin had been scared into incontinence.


    "Put away your gun."


    Just then, Su Chen finally spoke.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Immediately, Jiang Lixing holstered his weapon and stood straight off to the side, his expression solemn, without any hesitation.


    "Director Jiang, there''s nothing for you here anymore, you may withdraw your team!"


    "Yes, sir!" Jiang Lixing''s response was still simple and direct.


    "Keep my identity confidential; anyone who dares to leak it will bear the consequences!"


    Su Chen''s gaze swept over everyone present, and everyone who made eye contact with him instinctively lowered their heads.


    Every person there realized the importance of this young man. Unless they wished for death, they would even have to be careful of their sleep talking.


    Jiang Lixing was efficient; less than a minuteter, the team was gone without a trace.


    "Old Long, I trust you know what to do now."


    Su Chen said to Long Xiaoshan indifferently, but to his ears, the words sounded like they came from Hell.


    "Rest assured, Mr. Su, I''ll definitely give you a satisfactory exnation!"


    Long Xiaoshan bowed, at this point he dared not utter a single word of refusal.


    Moreover, he knew by now, a mere leg wouldn''t suffice to exin things away.


    Su Chen knew well; as long as Long Xiaoshan wasn''t insane, he wouldn''t dare to pull any tricks anymore.


    Su Chen nodded, then turned to Lin Hao and said, "Let''s go!"


    But Su Chen had walked a few steps and noticed Lin Hao hadn''t followed. Turning around, he saw Lin Hao standing still, dazed and with a vacant look in his eyes!


    Su Chen walked over and gave him a pat: "What are you dazing at, let''s go."


    "Oh." Lin Hao finally snapped to reality, dazedly following Su Chen out.


    It wasn''t until they were outside, jolted by the cold wind, that Lin Hao fully awakened, looking at Su Chen with a particrly strange gaze!


    "Brother-inw, who are you really?"


    Lin Hao hesitated for a moment but still voiced the deepest question in his heart, calling Su Chen "brother-inw" for the first time.


    Previously, he had refused to acknowledge him as a brother-inw because he thought Su Chen was nothing but trash, utterly unworthy of Lin Ruoxue.


    However, today''s events had shown him that it wasn''t a matter of whether Su Chen was worthy of Lin Ruoxue, but whether Lin Ruoxue was worthy of him.


    Just the thought that Jiang Lixing would draw his gun and even kill someone for him was enough to hint at how terrifying his true identity must be!


    "Don''t worry about who I am. You just need to know one thing, and that is I am your brother-inw."


    Su Chen looked at Lin Hao with a somewhat solemn expression, "Also, I hope you don''t tell your sister about what happened today for the time being."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t talk recklessly. And even if I did, she wouldn''t believe it," Lin Hao nodded, "So, you''re going to keep this from my sister forever?"


    "Maybe I will find an appropriate opportunity to tell her myself in the future."


    However, Su Chen didn''t know whether he and Lin Ruoxue would have a future; he could only take things one step at a time.


    "Alright, I''ll take you to the hospital now. Let''s not have your sister find out you sneaked out."


    .....


    "Master, why were you so impulsive just now? What exactly is that person''s identity?"


    In the police car, Xu Xinran looked at Jiang Lixing with a puzzled face, her expression still showing the shock from before.


    Xu Xinran and Jiang Lixing were not only superior and subordinate, but they also shared a mentor-student rtionship. Xu Xinran had followed Jiang Lixing since she entered the police department, learning a lot from him.


    "Stop asking, I won''t tell you about that person''s identity. It''s the nation''s top secret!"


    Jiang Lixing spoke with his eyes half-closed, his mind still recalling the content on that small ck document.


    It stated: Major General Su Chen.


    But that wasn''t what shocked Jiang Lixing the most.


    What truly shocked, or rather stunned, Jiang Lixing was the annotation beneath it: "National Soul!"


    Even thinking with his rear, Jiang Lixing could understand the incredible significance of this man!


    Xu Xinran covered her mouth in astonishment, her beautiful eyes wide open, her face filled with disbelief!


    This guy, how old is he to have such a top-secret identity? It''s just absurd!


    At this moment, Xu Xinran couldn''t help but feel a deep interest in the man she had only met once.


    .....


    After sending Lin Hao back to the hospital, Su Chen returned to the security department of Belle Corporation and spent the afternoon doing nothing much.


    After dinner, he drove the BMW 5 Series with Lin Ruoxue to the Jianghai Concert Hall. When they arrived, Liu Qing was already waiting at the entrance.


    Liu Qing was indeed a handsome talent, radiating a charisma even just by standing there. Several women approached him trying to strike up a conversation, but he politely rejected them all.


    However, when he saw Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue appear, he quickly came over to greet them.


    "Ruoxue, here''s your ticket, take it." Liu Qing handed a ticket to Lin Ruoxue.


    "No need, Mr. Lin already has tickets, middle of the sixth row,"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, lifting the two tickets he held in his hand. Although Su Chen wasn''t very close to Lin Ruoxue emotionally, she was still his wife. Always trying to flirt with my wife in front of me, do you think I don''t exist?


    Liu Qing couldn''t help but fume secretly, this fellow was truly courting death, continuously spoiling his chances.


    "Mr. Su, a driver should know his ce; Ruoxue should sit with me."


    Although Liu Qing''s expression remained pleasant, his words carried a hint of threat.

 Chapter 35: Attitude

    However, contrary to his expectation, Lin Ruoxue directly said:


    "Young Master Liu, thank you for your kindness, but to avoid any misunderstandings, I''d rather sit with our Belle employees."


    The meaning of Lin Ruoxue was clear, she had no such feelings for him, and this was the first time Lin Ruoxue truly expressed rejection.


    In the past, Lin Ruoxue had also declined his various invitations, always using work as an excuse, but the recent statement about avoiding misunderstandings was a clear expression of her stance.


    Liu Qing felt a sudden surge of anger, calling her a tainted girl inside his mind, truly believing she was the epitome of chastity. He swore that sooner orter he would have her in his bed and see how reserved she could still be!


    Of course, he would never show this thought, but Liu Qing was not willing to let go and quickly said:


    "Ruoxue, this is the first row middle seat, why sit so far away?"


    In his opinion, the middle of the first row was obviously the best position. Lin Ruoxue looked at him, hesitated to speak, obviously not wanting to hurt his pride since he was the Liu Family heir.


    However, Su Chen didn''t have so many scruples, and he chuckled:


    "Young Master Liu, right? Do you understand concerts?"


    "Nonsense, do you think I don''t understand, and you, a driver, do?"


    Liu Qing nced at Su Chen and disdainfully said.


    "Although I don''t know much, I still know more than you, a young master," Su Chen said with a faint smile, "Only someone like you, an ignorant pretender, would say the first row is better than the sixth."


    "What did you say?"


    Immediate fire shot from Liu Qing''s eyes; this mere driver dared to openly insult him by calling him a pretender¡ªthis was seeking death!


    But because Lin Ruoxue was present, he didn''tsh out immediately, otherwise he would have already instructed the nearby bodyguards to take action.


    Lin Ruoxue was also taken aback when she heard Su Chen''s words; he was Liu Qing, the heir of the Liu Family¡ªwhen had he ever been cursed like this?


    "Young Master Liu, don''t be angry, Su Chen speaks without thinking, it wasn''t intentional. I apologize on his behalf."


    Lin Ruoxue said hurriedly; this guy was ultimately her husband and she didn''t understand why the usually non-confrontational Su Chen suddenly became so sharp.


    Liu Qing, truly the Liu Family heir, although furious enough to explode, still managed to control his temper and gritted his teeth as he spat out:


    "Then you tell me, why is the sixth row better than the first?"


    Su Chen, not caring about the other''s murderous tone, exined as if educating a child:


    "Because a typical concert doesn''t just have one sound, the beautiful melody isposed of these sounds, and they need space to blend before forming a perfect melody. The positions in the first two or three rows hear sounds that haven''t had enough time to blend fully, and many times the effect is actually the worst."


    "Moreover, even the sound from a single performance needs the reflection of the ceiling, stage canopy, walls, including side walls, the ground, ceiling, stage canopy, and other multiple reflections to fully merge together before the sound can reach the most perfect realm!"


    "Typical concert hall design positions the middle of the sixth to eighth rows as the area with the best sound effects, also known as the ''Emperor''s spot.''"


    "Young Master Liu, do you understand now?"


    Su Chen looked at Liu Qing, his face clearly mocking.


    Liu Qing felt a burning pain, he had not expected this broken driver to actually spout such a confusing spiel.


    Liu Qing wouldn''t know these things; he fundamentally disliked attending concerts and was even less likely to understand, he just pretended to love them to please Lin Ruoxue.


    At this moment, Liu Qing felt as if he had been pped in the face in public, his shame and anger reaching their peak, and his heart filled with hatred for Su Chen.


    Lin Ruoxue''s pretty face was also full of surprise as she gazed at Su Chen with a meaningful look. How could this guy, who seemedpletely out of ce at a sophisticated event like a concert, know so much?


    Although Lin Ruoxue knew that rows 6-8 were the best seats at a concert, she didn''t know the reasons behind it, which was not surprising since most people wouldn''t study such things.


    Although Liu Qing wished he could throw Su Chen into the river to feed the fish, he still behaved gracefully in front of Lin Ruoxue:


    "Listening to Mr. Su today is more enlightening than reading books for ten years. Well then, I won''t insist."


    At this moment, Liu Qing had no face to invite Lin Ruoxue to sit in the first row, especially since Su Chen had clearly only taken out two tickets, obviously not intending to include him.


    Seeing that it was about time, the trio headed inside, with Su Chen watching Liu Qing''s back, his eyes narrowing slightly.


    This Liu Qing was even more cunning than he had imagined, he would need to be more cautious.


    Su Chen hadn''t provoked Liu Qing today on a whim but had nned it all along; he wanted to see how much Liu Qing could endure.


    After entering the concert hall, the three of them split up, Liu Qing sitting in the front while Lin Ruoxue naturally took her seat beside Su Chen in the middle of the sixth row.


    People who came to the concert hall generally maintained high standards of behavior. Although the performance had not yet started, the audience was waiting quietly, with not a hint of uproar.


    Right at eight o''clock, the stage lights came on, and a woman dressed in a ssical qipao walked onto the stage; she was tonight''s host.


    With her signature smile and pleasant voice, she said:


    "Wee to the final stop of the Sara Global Concert, Jianghai, Huaxia. Let''s enjoy a wonderful evening together."


    The host repeated her greeting in both English and Chinese, and her introduction was concise as Sara had been extremely popr in the past two years, with countless fans worldwide; no lengthy introductions or emotional speeches were needed.


    As soon as the host finished speaking, the audience erupted into enthusiastic apuse.


    After finishing her opening speech, the host withdrew, and the lights dimmed slightly. A huge cage-like object began to rise slowly from beneath the stage.


    Suddenly, the cage lit up, and people then realized that it was made of crystal, shining brilliantly under the lights.


    Inside the cage, there stood an egg-shaped oval object which, at that moment, began to slowly crack open.


    A woman dressed in a snow-white long dress appeared inside. As soon as she appeared, the audience burst into an apuse many times warmer than before, nearly lifting the roof off!


    The audience, having expected Sara to start ying without a word as usual, was puzzled when she hesitated, which created a wave of surprise among them.


    Backstage, Julia also felt a bit strange; a sense of unease grew in her heart, stemming from the man she had encountered during the day.


    Sara stood on the stage, scanning the audience below and caught sight of the man who had haunted her dreams; uncontroble tears twinkled in her gaze.

 Chapter 36: Following in Your Footsteps

    "Ladies and gentlemen, good evening," she said, "I''m so d you coulde to my concert..."


    Just as Sara began to speak, the overwhelming apuse from the audience interrupted her, their faces flushed with excitement, their palms red from pping.


    This was no surprise, as Sara used to leave immediately after performing without saying a single word¡ªyet today, she spoke before she even started to y.


    Sara gestured with her hand, and the venue fell silent immediately, a feat perhaps even well-trained soldiers could not achieve.


    "Today is the happiest day of my life!" Sara''s voice choked up, "Because the person I''ve been waiting for has finallye to see my show!"


    Sara''s gaze remained fixed in one direction, her deep affection palpable to anyone.


    The audience was shocked, the implications of Sara''s words sending their minds racing.


    Who could Sara be referring to? What was their rtionship?


    "Su Chen, why do I feel like Sara has been looking at you this whole time?"


    It must be said, a woman''s intuition can be a fearsome thing.


    "How could that be?" Su Chenughed self-deprecatingly, "As if I could know someone like her."


    "Right, even heads of state who want to meet her get turned down. How could she know you? Guess my brain''s got water in it."


    Lin Ruoxue, too, was startled by her own thoughts and then shook her head, dismissing the possibility as impossible.


    Looking at Sara on stage, Su Chen also sighed inwardly. He was only too aware of Sara''s feelings, yet back then, she had been just a little girl, and he had merely seen her as a little sister.


    But the little girl from those days had blossomed into a stunning woman, so much so that even Su Chen had been taken aback by her at first sight.


    "Master, thank you foring today." Sara''s eyes werepletely red, "I know you''ve always seen me as a little sister, but I don''t want to be your sister. I want to be the love of your life."


    At these words, a clear teardrop fell, touching the hearts of countless people!


    "Master, I followed in your footsteps to your homnd! Just to breathe the air you once breathed!"


    "I had no expectations of seeing you again, but God took pity, allowing me to meet you once more."


    "In the country you lived in, on the stage I adore, I am dering my feelings to you. I have no regrets!"


    Facing such angelic words of deep affection from this woman, a chord was struck deep within everyone''s heart.


    They were filled with deep envy for the man so dearly loved by such a woman, women included!


    They could also foresee that tomorrow the newspapers and inte around the world would go wild reporting this sensational news!


    For the past two years, the media paparazzi all over the world had been trying to pry into Sara''s private life but hade up empty-handed.


    No one could have imagined that at a concert in Huaxia, Sara would openly confess to a man, quite the explosive news!


    "How could any man be so heartless? His brain must be squashed by a door!"


    Lin Ruoxue cursed under her breath, her beautiful eyes glistened with tears, and she even began to sob.


    Su Chen also let out a wry smile. If she knew that the man Sara was referring to was him, he wondered whether Lin Ruoxue would still feel the same way.


    "Alright, I have taken enough of everyone''s time today," Sara said, lifting her hand gently to wipe away tears, and revealing a stunningly beautiful smile, "The first piece I''m going to y today is Ssati''s ''Gypsy Airs''."


    "Master, this is also one of your favorite pieces, and I dedicate it to you."


    After she spoke, Sara looked affectionately at Su Chen, then bowed her head and began to y. The room instantly fell silent.


    Soon, the strong and powerful orchestral introduction began, followed by a mncholic melody that flowed from the strings, filling the hall and reaching into everyone''s hearts, evoking an inexplicable sadness.


    Every person familiar with the piece immediately envisioned the impoverished lives of the gypsies and their existence marred by discrimination, giving rise to a surge of pity andpassion deep within.


    Unconsciously, the light harmonics and the soft melodies yed by the intricate plucking of the left hand slightly eased the audience''s sadness while adding a bit of sprightliness.


    Even in sadness, there was beauty; despite the gypsies'' impoverished lives, they did not despair but lived with tenacity.


    Yet, despite their indomitable spirit, they could not escape their fate¡ªto wander, for wandering was their theme.


    Generation after generation, it had always been so. God had never favored them, and at this moment, the sorrow in the music reached its peak, a thick sense of grief enveloping everyone''s hearts, seeping into their souls.


    All the audience members were deeply immersed in this sadness, even feeling their hearts knot up with emotion.


    But gypsies would not surrender to fate or give up on themselves. Despite the hardships, despite discrimination, despite the constant wandering, they still longed for a good life.


    The music then abruptly changed to a very fast allegro, contrasting starkly with the previous mood and creating a sense of grandeur. It was as if one could see gypsies, even under those circumstances, still able to sing and dance, their voices spreading through the forests, echoing across the fields...


    It seemed like all the spectators could see the sunrise slowly climbing up from over the hill, illuminating thend!


    When the piece ended, everyone was still under the spell of the alternating sadness and joy. The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with everyone''s emotions still rippling...


    No one knew how long it had been before a round of apuse suddenly broke out.


    Then a second, a third, a fourth... until everyone in the audience was pping vigorously, growing louder and louder...


    Excitement lit up everyone''s faces. This was the best rendition of ''Gypsy Airs'' they had ever heard, surpassing ssic versions by Mutter, Haifiz, Friedman!


    After that, Sara went on to y ''Ave Maria'', ''The Lark'', ''Meditation'', ''Mendelssohn''s Violin Concerto in E Minor'', and other world-renowned masterpieces, each one receiving fervent adoration from the audience.


    However, the most astounding performance that evening was still ''Gypsy Airs''. The level of technical skill demonstrated had reached the pinnacle of perfection!


    After exiting the concert hall, Liu Qing intended to invite Lin Ruoxue to have supper together, but she kindly declined, so he left alone.


    Standing outside the door of the concert hall, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but sigh:


    "This trip was so worth it! Especially for ''Gypsy Airs'', it was wonderful!"


    "It was alright," Suzhen said casually, but this offhandment provoked great indignation from Lin Ruoxue.


    "What do you mean ''alright''? You didn''t y it, so why the false modesty!"

 Chapter 37: Meeting Each Other

    Su Chen sheepishly touched his nose, indeed realizing that women are a species not easily provoked. He quickly begged for mercy:


    "Not bad, not bad, really good!"


    Lin Ruoxue heard that he was just glossing over and suddenly thought of his previous exnation about the positions inside the concert hall, her eyes lighting up:


    "Then tell me, why is it ''not bad''? Exin seriously, no glossing over allowed!"


    "Do I really need to say it?"


    "You must say it!"


    "Alright then, I''ll just say a bit." Su Chen smiled lightly, "Sara''s performance just now was definitely wless in terms of technique, perhaps because she wanted to y it too well, it actually took on a bit of artisanship."


    At first, Lin Ruoxue was just listening casually, but after Su Chen finished his sentence, her expression immediately became serious and she perked up her ears.


    "However, the key issue is not there. In the ''Song of the Wanderer,'' Sara''s interpretation was sad, deste, and sorrowful, but the true essence of the song is about indignation, grandeur, and poignancy. Sara''s performance had too much of a woman''s grievances andcked the spirit of the Gypsies'' unyielding wandering."


    "Insightful!" Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help eximing, Su Chen''s exnation suddenly enlightened her, and she quickly asked, "Doesn''t Sara know this? What should she do then?"


    "There''s no way." Su Chen gave a wry smile; if there were a way, he would have already taught it to Sara. "At the end of the day, Sara''s hand is that of a woman, her inherent temperament is painted on by God, that is her nature as a woman, unchangeable."


    "So regarding this particr piece, her inherent temperament means she will never reach the highest Realm, it''s just impossible."


    Su Chen sighed, feeling a sense of regret.


    Lin Ruoxue was by now stunned, just staring at Su Chen, suddenly feeling that this man was so familiar, yet so strange.


    "Who are you really?"


    For some reason, Lin Ruoxue blurted out the question.


    "You''re taking a few casual remarks seriously?" Su Chen lightly patted her shoulder, "Let''s go."


    Lin Ruoxue followed behind Su Chen, looking at him withplex emotions. She knew for sure that what he had just said was not careless talk; without sufficient depth, one simply couldn''t make those remarks.


    Looking at the man who was her husband in name, she found, more and more, that he was like a mystery. She suddenly felt an urge to understand him, something that would have been unthinkable before.


    Just as the two were about to get into the car, Su Chen''s phone rang. He took it out, nced at it, and then fell silent for a moment.


    "Do you have something to do?" Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "Yeah, a little something. You go ahead, take the car. I''ll just take a cab."


    "Alright." Then, as if possessed, Lin Ruoxue said something unexpected, "Come home early."


    Afterward, they both froze...


    "Okay!"


    Su Chen answered with a smile, feeling a warm current slowly flowing through his heart...


    Lin Ruoxue felt her face instantly turn red and slightly hot; she hurriedly dashed into the car, pressed the elerator, and sped away...


    "The hardest thing to repay is a beauty''s favor!"


    After lighting a cigarette, Su Chen walked straight toward the backstage of the concert hall. Just as he was about to enter, a female staff member stopped him.


    "Who are you? Unauthorized personnel are not allowed here."


    The staff member''s expression was serious and stern as she looked at Su Chen with eyes full of caution; after all, the performer here today was Sara, not just anyone else.


    If there were anypses in her work, she reckoned she''d be out on her ears by tomorrow.


    "I''m here to see Sara."


    Su Chen said with a smile, understanding that the other person was just doing her job. Su Chen didn''t take offense.


    "Do you think Sara is someone you can see whenever you want?" the female staffer said with disdain in her eyes, "Look at yourself, what do you think you are?"


    In her mind, the staffer thought he must be one of those delusional toads wanting to eat swan meat!


    "What kind of attitude is that?" Su Chen frowned, understanding her preventing his entry as part of her job, but to be insulted was uncalled for.


    "I had thought that employees at the Jianghai Concert Hall would have some ss, but it seems I was mistaken to find someone like you here."


    "Hmph, attitude depends on who it is directed at. With someone like you, what kind of attitude do you expect me to have?"


    The female staffer felt no remorse, her face showing utter disgust as she looked at Su Chen dressed in his driver''s uniform.


    She thought: How dare someone like youe to Sara''s concert? Can you even understand it? Pretending to be a big deal!


    "She''s right, this isn''t a ce for just any Tom, Dick, or Harry."


    Just then, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed middle-aged woman emerged. Despite heavy makeup, the crow''s feet at the corners of her eyes were still visible.


    That was indeed Sara''s manager, Julia, who patted the female staffer on the shoulder, "Good job."


    The staffer instantly felt a tingling sensation of excitement: "Thank you for the praise, Miss Julia, I''m just doing my duty."


    Julia nodded and then approached Su Chen, speaking coldly:


    "Didn''t I tell you to keep your distance from Sara? What are you doing here?"


    "This is between Sara and me, it''s not really your ce to interfere," Su Chen replied indifferently, shrugging his shoulders without bothering to conceal his disdain.


    "If you''re going to be so obstinate, don''t me me for being rude," Julia''s demeanor chilled as she called out to several security guards standing nearby, "Come here, throw this man out!"


    The security guards, upon hearing the order, hurried over. Just as they were about toy hands on Su Chen, a sharp cry rang out from inside.


    "Stop!"


    Immediately, a graceful figure rushed out lifting her skirts and ran straight into Su Chen''s arms.


    The security and the female staffer were taken aback, confused by the situation unfolding before them!


    Sara, revered as the "Holy Goddess," was actually hurtling into the arms of a man who seemed to be just a driver. It was simply too unbelievable!


    However, mes of anger shot from Julia''s eyes, but she dared not be presumptuous in Sara''s presence.


    "Master, I''ve missed you so much!"


    After a moment, Sara looked up at Su Chen and spoke, her eyes brimming with tenderness so dense it was nearly tangible.


    "I''ve missed you too, little one," Su Chen said as he gently tousled Sara''s blonde hair, his eyes full of adoration, "Let me take a good look at you. Indeed, look how you''ve grown into a youngdy in just a few years."


    Seeing her reminded Su Chen of the time he had met her in Africa, back when he was still the Chief Instructor of Huaxia''s most secretive unit, the Eighth Brigade...

 Chapter 38: Unforgettable Eyes

    At that time, Sara''s mother was a member of the Doctors Without Borders group and had gone to Africa for support.


    Sara''s mother and her father had divorced long ago, so Sara also had to go to Africa with her mother. Unfortunately, the country they were in happened to erupt into war, with the government forces and the Revolutionary Army spreading war across the entire country, enveloping the nation in the smoke of gunfire.


    Sara''s mother tragically lost her life in this war, and the entire medical team got scattered while trying to escape from the war.


    At that time, Su Chen happened to be in that country on a top-secret mission. Just as they were about to finish their mission and return, Su Chen faintly heard the sound of a girl sobbing nearby.


    Following the sound, Su Chen walked to a corner of a factory that had been bombed, where he saw a dirty, skinny little girl with a ponytail.


    Her floral dress was so torn it was hardly recognizable, and her face was covered in dust, obscuring her original appearance.


    But her eyes were exceptionally bright¡ªSu Chen would never forget the watery eyes of the little girl as she looked up at him.


    Those eyes held numbness, hope, longing, fear, and defiance...


    The look in the little girl''s eyes struck a chord in the softest part of Su Chen''s heart.


    It was that look that made Su Chen determined to take her with him...


    "Of course! You''re not allowed to call me ''little girl'' anymore."


    Sara pouted her cherry lips and spoke coquettishly.


    "Alright, alright," Su Chen couldn''t help but smile.


    This scenepletely baffled everyone. What exactly was the rtionship between these two people?


    The female employee nearby had turned pale, realizing without a doubt that the man''s rtionship with Sara was not ordinary, and she had really done something foolish!


    She just couldn''tprehend how two people so different in age could be connected.


    These workers and security guards hadn''t watched the concert due to their duties, so they were also unaware of the incidents that had urred during the concert.


    If they had known, they would definitely have understood that this man dressed in a driver''s uniform was the man Sara had confessed her feelings for during the concert.


    "Alright, this gentleman is here at my request. You all go about your business," Saramanded, and the female employee and the guards, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly nodded in agreement.


    Su Chen didn''t take the opportunity to cause trouble for the female employee; to him, it really wasn''t worth fussing over too much with such people.


    Sara held Su Chen''s hand and walked backstage, frequently turning to look at him, her face blooming with happiness like a flower.


    "Master, wait for me a moment; I''m going to change clothes. Then, you can take me out for a stroll," Sara said sweetly, and Su Chen nodded.


    After Sara entered the changing room, Su Chen sat down on a chair alone and casually began flipping through a magazine.


    About five minutester, Sara came out dressed in a casual style, looking full of youthful vigour.


    Su Chen silently marveled that the little girl from those days had unexpectedly turned into such a beautiful woman and had be a global superstar.


    He couldn''t help butpare Sara with Lin Ruoxue; both women were gifts from God, both could be called genuine beauties!


    However, the two women made Su Chen feelpletely different, each belonging to a different type.


    "Let''s go,"


    Sara said with a sweet smile, hooking her arm through Su Chen''s as they walked out, coincidentally running into Julia who was walking in.


    "Miss, are you going out?" Julia asked.


    "Yes, I''m going out for a stroll with him," Sara nodded, her face beaming with happiness.


    "No way!" Julia''s expression turned serious as she nced at Su Chen, "Miss, what if you are recognized when you go out? What if something happens to you? How will I exin it to thepany?"


    "It won''t happen, Julia," Sara raised her sunsses and hat in one hand, "Look, I''m fully equipped."


    At that moment, a man wearing a ck tailcoat and looking very handsome with long bangs covering one side of his forehead walked through the door. He had an unmistakable noble air about him; he was Prince Ka.


    When he saw Sara clinging to Su Chen''s arm, a sh of anger crossed his face.


    It was this man who had stolen the woman he loved, and the look he gave Su Chen was both jealous and disdainful!


    Why should a mere driver be worthy of a woman as pure and noble as Sara!


    Although his fury had reached its peak, he still tried hard to control himself, not to burst out, because that would only make Sara despise him more.


    "Sara, I have prepared a celebration party for you, and I hope you can attend."


    Ka''s face carried a standard smile, appearing gentle and elegant, but within that smile flickered a subtle scent of conspiracy, barely discernible.


    "Alright, since you are so thoughtful, we will attend."


    Just when Sara was about to refuse, Su Chen spoke up.


    Su Chen nced at the man with aristocratic temperament and then at Julia, without a doubt, this man must have been notified by Julia.


    Su Chen wanted to see what tricks the other party wanted to y.


    "Then, alright."


    Sara also nodded her head, to her, it didn''t matter where they went as long as she was with Su Chen. Since he wanted to go, there was no harm in going.


    The celebration party was arranged in the grand hall on the first floor of the hotel where they were staying, not too far from the concert hall. About fifteen minutester, the group arrived.


    By the time Su Chen and his party arrived, many people had already gathered in the hall, including senior executives from the Shanghai Concert Hall, senior executives from the Tianyu Entertainment Company hosting the concert in Huaxia, and some top executives from Sara''spany, Grammy Company.


    Of course, there were also some significant figures, most of whom were there to get closer to Sara.


    As Sara and her party walked in, people crowded around to congratte her and also aptly expressed their admiration.


    Sara, already adept at handling such situations, responded very politely with thanks.


    When they saw Su Chen standing beside Sara, dressed in a driver''s uniform, a flicker of doubt passed through their eyes, wondering how such a person could be there, especially standing close to Sara.


    "Who is this?"


    A man in his thirties dressed in a light blue suit frowned, he was the vice president of Grammy Company and Sara''s superior.


    "Pete, he is my friend, I invited him here," Sara introduced.


    "Sara, how do you have friends from Huaxia?" Pete looked at Su Chen with scrutinizing eyes.


    Sara felt this, and immediately showed her displeasure, her expression chilling:


    "Pete, this is my personal affair, you don''t need to know about it."


    For a superstar like Sara, her say in thepany was actually more significant than this so-called vice president.


    In other words, Grammy could do without Pete, but absolutely could not do without Sara!


    "Sara, I''m just concerned about you, you''re too naive, I''m afraid you might get deceived by some people."


    Seeing Sara upset, Pete quickly exined.


    "Sara, Pete is just showing his concern for you, after all, there are too many viins nowadays, and even more who have their eyes on you," Julia echoed, constantly watching Su Chen, implying more than she said.


    "Julia, you have repeatedly shed with Su Chen, what exactly do you mean?" Sara''s face was covered with frost, "If you keep this up, you might as well not follow me anymore."


    Sara had wanted to burst out on several asions when Julia had troubled Su Chen backstage; she had held back only because Julia had always taken good care of her.


    To think she would start again at this time, did she think herself made of mud?


    "No, miss, I only¡­"


    Julia immediately panicked upon hearing this, knowing that if Sara no longer wanted her as her manager, she would lose everything.


    As far as Grammy Company and Prince Ka were concerned, she would then have no value to offer.

 Chapter 39: The Scent of Conspiracy

    Pete, seeing Sara defending this man and disregarding Julia, who was quite close to her, was terrified and dared not speak further.


    The surrounding crowd was also shocked by this scene.


    What exactly was the rtionship between this man and Sara? She seemed somitted.


    Some who had just attended the concert were even murmuring to themselves, wondering if this man could be the "master" Sara mentioned.


    Ka''s slender eyes sparkled with sharp light, cursing at this damned man and this shameless woman!


    Jealousy, like a me,pletely engulfed Ka, and he began to hate Sara as well.


    During the whole process, Su Chen just stood with his hands in his pockets, a faint smile on his lips, not saying a word. Many people had alreadybeled him as a kept man.


    After greeting Sara, these people all gathered around Prince Ka. They had previously learned of his identity, so they crowded closer to him.


    Everyone wore a ttering smile, utteringplimentary words. For them, establishing a connection with the prince from the A country''s royal family could bring huge benefits to their corporations orpanies.


    The influence of the A country''s royal family was enormous; manyrge organizations and financial groups had their backing.


    Facing these sycophantic people, which made him nauseous, Ka was visibly uninterested, and everyone knew it was because of Sara. They all understood that Ka''s visit to Huaxia was due to Sara.


    Some mentally astute people had even started to n on embarrassing Su Chen to win Ka''s favor.


    After having a champagne toast with the crowd, Sara and Su Chen found a corner, enjoying the buffet and chatting cheerfully.


    From a distance, two resentful gazes were shot their way, naturally from Ka and Julia. Su Chen acted as if he hadn''t seen them.


    "How much longer will you stay in Huaxia?" Su Chen asked casually as he ate.


    "Tomorrow," Sara said, somewhat sadly, reluctantly.


    "So soon, is there something urgent?"


    "Yes, the day after tomorrow is my mother''s death anniversary." Sara''s face turned somber, "I still remember that day. If it weren''t for you, I might not be here either."


    "Silly girl, don''t talk nonsense." Su Chen looked at Sara with some heartache, "You are an angel sent from heaven, how could anything happen to you?"


    "What time is your flight tomorrow? I''ll see you off." Su Chen suddenly asked.


    "No, no, don''t bother." Sara quickly shook her head, seeing Su Chen''s puzzled look, she sighed, "I''m afraid if I see you, I won''t want to leave."


    "Silly girl, you cane to see me anytime, it''s not like we won''t meet again."


    Su Chen deliberately appeared very optimistic, although he himself was not without reluctance.


    "Really?" Sara immediately cheered up upon hearing Su Chen''s words, her expression as sweet as if she had eaten candy.


    "Who was that woman sitting with you today?" Sara suddenly looked mischievously at Su Chen, "She''s so beautiful! I''ve never seen such a beautiful woman before!"


    Su Chen''s face turned slightly embarrassed, a bit sheepish, the kind of expression Sara had never seen on him before, which made her even more curious.


    "Tell me!" Sara tugged at his arm, swinging it back and forth.


    "She''s my wife."


    Su Chen answered softly, his expression as if he had done something wrong.


    "Really? You got married." Sara suddenly widened her eyes, looking at Su Chen with utter surprise.


    "Are you alright?"


    Su Chen noticed that there was no sad expression on Sara''s face, which also made him curious, knowing her feelings for him.


    "You think I''d be sad?" Sara blinked yfully, "Sister Du isn''t sad, why should I be?"


    "That''s also good, only such a woman deserves a master like you," Sara spoke without any hesitation, "from now on, that sister will be the eldest, Sister Du will be the middle, and I''ll be the youngest."


    "What are you talking about? I have nothing to do with your Sister Du!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help butugh and shake his head at the mention of that woman, Du Hanbing, even he shuddered at the thought of her.


    "At such a young age, what nonsense fills your head!"


    Su Chen unceremoniously tapped on Sara''s forehead.


    "I''ve already apologized, what more do you want?" Sara said, looking aggrieved, "Moreover, Sister Du likes you so much, do you think you can avoid her?"


    Su Chen looked at Sara, speechless...


    At that moment, Julia walked over with two sses of red wine.


    She handed one of the sses to Sara and said apologetically:


    "Sara, I''m sorry about today. I really was just concerned about you, this ss is to apologize."


    Sara, seeing Julia''s apologetic expression, felt her anger subside slightly, but still spoke earnestly:


    "I don''t want there to be any hard feelings between us, but you need to understand that Su Chen is the most important person in my life. You can offend me, but offending him, that''s not okay!"


    "Miss, I understand." Julia turned and gave a slight bow to Su Chen, "Mr. Su, I''m sorry."


    Su Chen looked at Julia with a half-smile, nomittal, and Julia felt his gaze was like a knife, making her unable to meet his eyes.


    "Miss, this ss is for you, I''m really sorry."


    "Okay, cheers."


    Sara clinked sses with her and was about to drink, but on the other side, Julia didn''t drink, but just stared intently at Sara''s movements.


    Watching Sara bring the ss to her lips, she couldn''t help but reveal a faint, triumphant smile.


    Just when she thought she had seeded, a voice sounded from nearby.


    "Hold on!"


    Sara immediately paused, confused, looking at Su Chen while Julia''s heart leapt into her throat.


    Nevertheless, she still pretended to be calm and said:


    "Mr. Su, I''ve already apologized, I''ve already said sorry. Don''t you n to forgive me?"


    Julia, true to her background in the entertainment industry, had a facial expression that perfectly mixed grievance with dissatisfaction.


    But Sara understood Su Chen very well and knew that he was not so petty.


    Su Chen took the ss from Sara''s hand and handed it to Julia:


    "It''s nothing, it''s just that Sara isn''t feeling very well today and shouldn''t drink much. Your ss has less, so why don''t you two switch?"


    "It''s no bother, if Sara isn''t feeling well, she should just drink less, there''s no problem if she doesn''t finish it."


    Julia, hearing Su Chen suggest they switch sses, became even more nervous. Had he seen through her?


    "That''s too wasteful, such good red wine." Su Chen smiled faintly, but his arm remained extended, "The capable should take on more, you go ahead and drink more."


    "Yes, Julia, I have more in my ss, I''ll give it to you."


    Although Sara didn''t understand why Su Chen was doing this, she trusted him unconditionally and supported him.


    "I''m sorry, miss, but I also happen to not feel well today, I can''t drink that much."


    By now, Julia was no longer as calm as before, appearing somewhat panicked.

 Chapter 40 - 40 To Drink or Not to Drink

    ```


    Even the simple-minded Sara could tell something was off by now. Why was it that Julia absolutely refused to drink her own ss of wine?


    Sara''s gaze shifted to the wine ss in Su Chen''s hand, and it seemed she began to understand.


    "Julia, you should just drink it," Sara''s eyes were fixed on Julia, "Since you''re not feeling well, just drink half, then I''ll forgive you."


    Julia became immediately distressed. By now, she was certain that man must have noticed something wrong with the wine she had given to Sara; otherwise, he wouldn''t have acted like this.


    Damn it, the drug is colorless and tasteless; how did this bastard figure it out?


    Julia nced inadvertently at Su Chen, only to find him looking back at her with a mocking expression, as if watching a monkey perform.


    "Miss, I''ve expressed my apologies very sincerely. But your attitude is a bit too aggressive. I''m afraid I cannot oblige," she said, feigning great anger and turning to leave. Of course, she wasn''t going to drink that ss of wine.


    "I''m afraid you won''t be able to leave today without drinking this ss of wine," Su Chen said, shaking his wine ss with a slight smile.


    "What do you mean? You wouldn''t dare to force me here, would you?" Julia said disdainfully. After all, this ce was filled with prominent figures, and she really wasn''t afraid of what Su Chen might do.


    "p!"


    As if answering Julia, a loud p suddenly rang out, startling everyone. They all turned their gazes toward Su Chen.


    "I said you''re not leaving without finishing this drink," Su Chen stated calmly.


    "You dared to hit me?" Julia pointed at her now-swollen half-face and screeched, "I''m going to kill you!"


    So saying, Julia lunged at Su Chen with both hands. She had never been pped in her life, let alone by someone like Su Chen, which infuriated her to no end!


    "Boom!"


    However, before her hands could even touch Su Chen''s clothes, she was casually kicked in the abdomen by Su Chen; her body curled up as she flew back three or four meters, then heavily knelt on the ground.


    Everyone was instantly stunned by this scene; it was their first time witnessing such a physical confrontation in such a setting, which was entirely unbing of their status.


    "What are you doing? Why are you hitting someone for no reason?"


    Pete was the first to call out angrily, after all, Julia was with theirpany, and it would beughable if he didn''t speak up.


    "I''m telling you, you won''t be able to leave today unless you give our Grammy Company an exnation for this," he said.


    The others also started to condemn Su Chen''s crude behavior, demanding an apology.


    For them, choosing between backing Pete, affiliated with a multinationalpany, or supporting Su Chen, a mere driver, was an easy decision. Moreover, it was indeed this little driver who had struck someone.


    Unconcerned with these suddenly ''justice''-filled individuals, Su Chen walked straight over to Julia, carrying the wine ss, and squatted down in front of her.


    "Will you drink it yourself or shall I feed it to you?"


    On Su Chen''s face was a warm smile, though to Julia, it seemed more like that of a demon.


    "I won''t drink!"


    After saying so, Julia mped her lips shut, her eyes shooting daggers, seething with hate as her stomach churned like a tumultuous sea.


    "In which case, I''ll just have to feed it to you," Su Chen shook his head and sighed.


    "Sir, don''t you mess around, or I''ll not be polite with you!"


    Pete spoke up again, feeling very slighted by Su Chen''splete disregard earlier. He wanted to reim his presence.


    "You are being very annoying, do you know that?"


    ```


    Su Chen stood up and threw a resounding p across Pete''s face, fed up with his incessant prattling.


    "You dare hit me?" Pete, a top executive at Grammy, an entertainment industry behemoth, was ustomed to respect and ttery everywhere he went. Now he was publicly humiliated by some unknown youngster, which made him roar immediately:


    "I''m going to alert the Jianghai City government to have you, this bastard, arrested!"


    "Scum, this guy is totally a hooligan!"


    "Right, call the police and have him arrested. He''s a disgrace to all of us from Jianghai!"


    "It''s not just a disgrace to Jianghai. In the eyes of our international friends, it''s a disgrace to our Huaxia. He must be severely punished!"


    Everyone at the scene became righteously indignant in an instant, as if Su Chen was an unforgivable criminal!


    But Su Chen ignored these chattering people, moved swiftly as lightning, grabbed Pete''s hair, and dragged him forward.


    A chorus of gasps erupted from the crowd at the sight they couldn''t help but imagine as incredibly painful!


    Su Chen dragged Pete over to a wall and, holding his hair firmly, he mmed his head against it with clean precision.


    "Bang, bang, bang~~"


    After hitting his head against the wall seven or eight times, Su Chen finally let go, dropping Pete by the wall like a dead dog.


    By then, Pete''s face was drenched in blood, looking quite gruesome, but Su Chen had controlled it just right; he wasn''t unconscious and still had a clear mind.


    The area fell silent; everyone was stunned by Su Chen''s brutal actions.


    What a joke, facing such a ferocious thug. If one became a scapegoat and suffered the same fate, wasn''t that suicide? Their heads were not made of metal, after all.


    However, while these people remained silent, someone else spoke up. Ka, who had been quiet so far, now spoke indifferently:


    "Mr. Su, Mr. Pete was merely speaking up for his subordinates. Your actions might be a bit inappropriate."


    "Oh, and what about it?" Su Chen nced at Ka with a nt.


    "You must give an exnation to the two individuals you''ve injured."


    "And what kind of exnation would you like?"


    "Seeing as you''re a friend of Sara''s, we won''t call the police on you despite the severity of your assaults. However, you must kneel and apologize."


    At first, Ka''s words were gentle, but her tone became fierce when she mentioned kneeling and apologizing.


    As a Prince from Country A, he naturally exuded an aura and dignity that made it easy for people to submit.


    The crowd that had quieted down before now became noisy again, the atmosphere even more intense than earlier since Ka had set the precedent.


    Surely this brazen fellow wouldn''t dare toy a hand on Prince Ka¡ªsuch an act could provoke a diplomatic incident.


    Yet Su Chen let out a sinister smile:


    "Rest assured, I will give you an exnation soon, one that will satisfy you. But for now, I need to finish what I''ve started."


    "If anyone else dares to ther on, think about the consequences first!"


    Su Chen swept his gaze over the crowd; his gaze suddenly turned incredibly cold, as if it were from the underworld, sending a shiver down the spine of anyone it touched.


    Seeing Pete still curled up by the wall, not a single person dared to step forward.


    As Su Chen approached again, Julia was shaking uncontrobly:


    "Don''te any closer, please, don''te any closer..."

 Chapter 41: You Think I Wouldnt Dare to Touch You

    However, Su Chen remained unmoved, hoisting her up directly, his hand mping down on her gills, causing her mouth to open.


    "Gulp gulp"


    Su Chen roughly poured half a cup of wine into her mouth, then casually threw her onto the ground.


    As soon as she hit the ground, Julia frantically wed at her own throat, trying to vomit out the wine that had been forced into her.


    But after all, it was liquid, not solid food. She wed desperately until tears came out, yet it did no good.


    The others, witnessing this scene, also understood¡ªthe wine was probably far from simple!


    "You''re going too far!" Ka pointed angrily at Su Chen and shouted, "To force-feed Miss Julia wine in public like this, I won''t let you off today."


    "p p p~~"


    The response to Ka was a burst of apuse, "Prince Ka, is it? I really admire your thick skin."


    Su Chen looked at Ka with a yful expression, "Didn''t you just ask me for an exnation? Alright, I''ll give you one."


    "Drink that remaining half cup of wine, and consider it the exnation I owe you."


    Su Chen pointed to the cup of wine he had ced on a table.


    "What do you mean?"


    Ka''s face instantly became grim, but inside he wondered, could this guy know that I had Julia drug Sara and instruct her to do it?


    But even if he knows, what of it? Surely he wouldn''t darey a hand on me, would he? I''m not Pete or Julia¡ªa conflict with me would be a diplomatic incident!


    Ka believed that even with all the courage in the world, Su Chen wouldn''t dare to touch him.


    "You should know what I mean. If you''re going to feign ignorance, that''s fine by me," Su Chen shrugged nonchntly. "However, let me give you a piece of advice¡ªif you drink that half cup of wine now of your own ord, I''ll consider the matter closed. Otherwise, be prepared to live as a cripple for the rest of your life."


    As soon as Su Chen''s words fell, everyone was taken aback. They were all clever people who had roughly guessed the truth of the matter¡ªit was nothing more than Ka coborating with Julia to drug Sara. As for the nature of the drug, it was apparent without saying.


    Nevertheless, brazenly threatening to leave Prince Ka crippled was too audacious, who was he? He wasn''t Pete or Julia.


    It was fine to hit Pete and Julia since Sara had his back¡ªafter all, they were from the samepany.


    But what about Ka? If he was attacked, resolving the situation wouldn''t be so easy.


    Anyone with a bit of sense probably wouldn''t actually take action, guessing that this young man was just spouting harsh threats.


    Naturally, Ka harbored the same thoughts; he didn''t take Su Chen seriously at all. Even if the drugging might be exposed, he didn''t feel the slightest fear.


    However, since the drugging was now seemingly discovered by the other party, Ka decided to drop all pretenses. He looked at Su Chen contemptuously and said:


    "Even if I gave you the courage, you wouldn''t dare to touch me. I''ll be upfront with you¡ªSara is mine, and no one else cany a finger on her. If you''re smart, stay away from her; otherwise, you might just encounter a tragic disaster one of these days."


    "In your dreams!"


    Sara, who had left the initiative to Su Chen and hadn''t spoken until now, flushed with anger upon hearing Ka''s words.


    "Sara, this man really isn''t worthy of you. Don''t you understand my feelings for you?"


    Ka continued to look at Sara with deep affection, his heart filled with resentment, wondering why she was so blind, preferring this useless man over casting a nce at him.


    "Prince Ka, are you really that confident I wouldn''t dare to touch you?"


    Su Chen pulled Sara behind him and tilted his head, genuinely curious. Why was this guy so confident? Was it simply because of his damn Prince title?


    Ka didn''t say anything, but the disdain in his gaze towards Su Chen said it all!


    "Bang!"


    Just as everyone thought Su Chen would eventually back down, suddenly, a huge noise erupted.


    Right next to Su Chen was a wine rack, filled with dozens of fine wine bottles. He casually grabbed one of the bottles and, with a backhand swing, smashed it over Ka''s head.


    With the "bang" of the impact, the bottle shattered instantly, ss splinters flying, wine spattering everywhere, and a swath of red liquid flowed down Ka''s forehead¡ªit was unclear whether it was blood or wine.


    Everyone was stunned by Su Chen''s sudden action, staring dumbfounded at the young man who still seemed nonchnt, as if in a dream.


    Ka held her forehead with one hand and pointed at Su Chen with the other, her face showing utter disbelief!


    "You, you..."


    "Bang!"


    Just as Ka had barely started her sentence with "You", another huge noise erupted.


    Again, ss shattered everywhere, and drinks flooded the area, while Ka swayed precariously, finding it hard to even stand!


    Everyone waspletely dumbfounded. This man''s actions had entirely exceeded their imaginations¡ªthis was a prince of a country! He was smashing things up just like that!


    "You''re seeking death!"


    Ka managed to stand upright, squeezing a few words through her clenched teeth, her eyes zing with fury, like lightning bolts shooting towards Su Chen.


    "Such a f*cking nag!"


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen casually grabbed another wine bottle and smashed it against Ka''s temple. This time Ka couldn''t stay on his feet and fell to the ground.


    "Do you think I''m joking with you?"


    Su Chen said with a faint smile, taking seven or eight bottles from the shelf, and cing them beside Ka.


    Every single person suddenly felt their hearts leap. What in the world was this guy nning to do?


    "Remember what I said just now?" Su Chen squatted down with a smile, "I did say I would make you disabled for life. Of course, I intend to keep my promise."


    "Do you even know what you''re doing?" Ka managed to say defiantly, though his voice was clearly trembling, "You''re ying with fire!"


    "Am I?"


    Su Chen replied with a faint smile, then picked up a bottle and smashed it with force against Ka''s left knee.


    When Su Chen had previously hit his head, he had deliberately held back his strength¡ªknocking him out or killing him immediately would have been no fun.


    But this time, Su Chen increased his force significantly, and along with the sound of the shattering bottle came Ka''s agonizing scream that was absolutely inhumane!


    Ka felt as if his kneecap had been shattered, an excruciating pain rapidly spreading through his body.


    The others watching this scene felt their hearts nearly stop!


    Some had even thought about calling the police, but seeing how brutal Su Chen was, they put down the phone they had just picked up.


    They all had amon understanding¡ªit was best not to meddle in such affairs!


    As for what torment Prince Ka would suffer and whether this young man would face retaliationter, that was none of their business.


    The Huaxia people have always been particrly adept at self-preservation: as long as I''m safe, all is well!


    Su Chen, however, was indifferent to Ka''s wails, methodically picking up another bottle and smashing it against his right leg, followed by both of his arms.


    Every time Ka fainted from the pain, he was woken up by another blow, the agony of which he wouldn''t forget in several lifetimes!


    He looked at Su Chen''s expressionless face as if he was looking at a devil. Just what kind of person was this guy? He was so ruthlessly brutal!


    "Job''s done!"


    After disabling Ka''s limbs, Su Chen dusted off his hands and stood up, his face still wearing a shallow smile, as if he was an innocent bystander.


    "Have you thought about the consequences of doing this?"


    Ka, enduring the severe pain in his body, red at Su Chen maliciously.


    Of course, this was also the thought of everyone present. Enjoying the beating was one thing, but the aftermath would probably be unbearable.


    Assaulting a prince of a nation was not a trifle, but a grave matter!


    "Really?"


    Su Chen responded indifferently, then pulled a phone out of his pocket, dialed a number, and turned on the speakerphone.

 Chapter 42 - 42 Pluto

    Everyone, including Ka, was confused. What call was this boy making now?


    Could he be calling for reinforcements? But surely nobody could sort out this mess, could they?


    The phone was quickly connected, and from the other end came an old voice that carried an overbearing authority:


    "Who are you? How did you get this number?"


    "You old fart, have you be so senile that you don''t even recognize my voice anymore?"


    "You, you, how can you...?"


    As soon as Su Chen spoke, the voice on the phone immediately became frightened, mixed with an inexplicable agitation.


    "Did you all think I was dead? So even your son dares to be presumptuous in front of me?"


    Su Chen''s voice suddenly turned severe, and a tremendous pressure spread out, pressing down on everyone in the room so much that they found it hard to breathe.


    Since their conversation was in English, most of the people on the scene could understand it.


    However, they were puzzled about why he was making a call at this time and who on earth was the person speaking with him?


    At the same time, the crowd was surprised to see that Prince Ka had turned deathly pale, his body trembling non-stop! It seemed even more intense than the reaction he had when Su Chen beat him earlier.


    "It''s good that you''re well, sir. I knew it, your luck is as boundless as the heavens, and surely nothing would happen to you!"


    The voice on the phone was evidently filled with careful ttery, "Which damned son of mine has offended you, sir? For the sake of our many years of friendship, please be merciful."


    "Talk to your father yourself!" Su Chen tossed the phone to Ka.


    Everyone was immediately shocked. They never imagined that the person just speaking with Su Chen was actually Prince Ka''s father, that is, the King of Country A?


    How did this young man in a chauffeur''s uniforme to know the King of Country A? This was utterly inconceivable.


    But what shocked the crowd the most was that the King, during the phone call, clearly showed great respect and fear towards this man. The ttery and appeasement in his tone were undeniable!


    Now everyone looked at Su Chen with a serious gaze, wondering just who this young man was!


    Ka''s surprise at this moment was even more intense than anyone else''s. He never dreamed that this person would know his own father!


    For the first time, a deep unease took hold in his heart, but he still shakily picked up the phone.


    "Father."


    "Speak, what have you done?"


    The voice on the phone was extremely stern, and Ka was hearing his father question him in such a tone for the first time.


    He was the youngest of his father''s sons, always the favorite since childhood. Whatever he did, his father would indulge him unconditionally, which had nurtured his arrogant nature.


    "I didn''t do much, just said a few words that might have upset that guy just now, but this bastard actually broke all my limbs!"


    Although Ka now knew that the man in front of him was connected to his father, he still couldn''t control the hatred in his heart when he spoke of him.


    "You fool, do you want to die? If you dare to disrespect that gentleman again, I will immediately banish you from the royal family!"


    A furious shout immediately came from the phone, and the threat of being banished from the royal family really frightened Ka.


    "But Father, he did beat me into a cripple, I might never be able to stand again. Is it just going to be left at that?"


    Ka sobbed, saying that he was starting to understand; he dreaded that today''s beating had been in vain. How could he, who had always been spoiled and pampered, be content with this?


    "Tell me the truth, what exactly did you do?"


    The person on the other end of the phone ignored his sobs and asked directly.


    "I, I..."


    With his father pressing for an answer, Ka fumbled with his mouth but couldn''t speak.


    Su Chen took the phone from Ka''s hand:


    "Since your son is too embarrassed to say it, I''ll tell you. Your precious son drugged my sister''s drink. What do you think I should do with him?"


    "What?" A cry of shock immediately came from the other end of the phone, "Lord Nine Nether, please show mercy. For my sake, spare his life! I beg you! I beg of you!"


    The voice on the phone made everyone present sharply inhale; who exactly was this young man?


    As the King of a country, his most beloved youngest son was crippled by him, yet he was not thinking of revenge but was pleading, with such fervor, for the other party to spare his son''s life?


    "Father, why are you begging him? Does he dare to kill me, a Prince of the realm!"


    Ka''s anger overcame his panic, and he shouted into the phone.


    "Idiot! You don''t know how to seek death properly. What are you? In front of Lord Nine Nether, even if you died, it would be a meaningless death. Do you think your life is worth any more than that of a pig''s to Lord Nine Nether? Cough cough cough!"


    The aged voice on the phone also burst into an angry roar out of frustration and was apanied by a fit of coughing, clearly due to the excitement.


    Lord Nine Nether? What kind of being is that?


    Everyone was unclear about the meaning behind the so-called Lord Nine Nether, but they grasped anotheryer of meaning quite well.


    That is, if this young man killed Prince Ka, it wouldn''t even cause a ripple, let alone an international dispute.


    If anyone else had said this, the crowd would not have believed it, but since it was said by the King of Country A, they could not help but believe it.


    Now, everyone''s gaze towards Su Chen was no longer just awe, butplete veneration as if looking up to a deity.


    And Ka was utterly deted, his eyes somewhat vacant. He couldn''t understand why a Prince of a country had fallen to such a state, crippled and reduced to just letting it go and even having to beg for his own life.


    "Lord Nine Nether, please, for the sake of my few remaining years, spare Ka! I beg you!"


    The King of Country A''s pleading voice made everyone feel a touch of sorrow, even more so for Su Chen, who had known him for many years.


    "Alright, today I''ll spare him for your sake. Send someone to pick him up," said Su Chen with a sigh.


    After all, Ka had vited Su Chen''s taboo by drugging Sara, or else he wouldn''t have dealt such a harsh punishment.


    "Additionally, you should know to keep your own mouth shut."


    Su Chen turned off the speaker and said indifferently.


    "Don''t worry, Lord Nine Nether, I understand the gravity of the situation," the King of Country A hurriedly responded.


    After hanging up the phone, Su Chen gave Ka a cold nce, which made Ka feel as if he were being dragged into the Nine Nether Abyss.

 Chapter 43: Honeyed Words

    "Let''s go."


    Su Chen took Sara''s hand and walked towards the door. Anyone close to them automatically stepped back a few paces.


    Just as they reached the door, a series of exmations and noisy voices came from inside. Out of curiosity, Sara nced back only to find Julia ripping her own clothes while lunging at a man beside her¡­


    The man was taken aback and hastily dodged away. Julia then continued to throw herself at another man, and by this time, most of her clothes had been ripped off, revealing a sudden glimpse of spring!


    Initially, Sara felt that Su Chen had been a bit too harsh, but now, after witnessing this scene, she thought the earlier lesson wasn''t harsh enough!


    If it hadn''t been for Su Chen, she might have been in Julia''s current state by now, no, Ka would certainly have taken her to a hotel, and her fate would have been easy to imagine!


    If such a thing really happened, she would rather die!


    Su Chen took Sara to a barbecue stall, had somete-night snacks, drank a few bottles of beer, and then sent her back to the hotel.


    Sara was reluctant to go back, but Su Chen had Lin Ruoxue''s previous words, "Come back early," on his mind.


    It took Su Chen over ten minutes to coax the tiresome Sara upstairs, then he hailed a cab back to Lin Ruoxue''s vi.


    Upon entering the house, Su Chen found Lin Ruoxue lying on her side on the couch, leaning against one end, wearing an asymmetrical neckline nightgown.


    This position fully exposed her slender legs to the air. Because of her sleeping posture, coupled with the asymmetrical neckline nightie she wore, the spring view at her neckline also treated Su Chen to a delightful sight.


    The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Su Chen standing not far from her.


    And his gaze was fixed intently on a certain part of her, as if he were looking at a delicious dish¡­


    Lin Ruoxue felt a bit strange, looked down at herself, and then realized why he had that expression.


    "Pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue shot Su Chen a reproachful nce, then sat up and straightened her clothes.


    "You can''t me me for this." Su Chen sat down on the couch, lit a cigarette, and said, "Confucius himself said that food and sex are nature''s dictates; this only proves that my wife is too beautiful. If you looked like no pig would snout and no dog would gnaw at you, I wouldn''t even look your way if you paid me!"


    "Smooth talker!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned slightly red, thinking to herself how sweet this guy''s words had be.


    "Alright, go take a bath and sleep, I''m tired too," Lin Ruoxue said, and then she got up and walked upstairs.


    "Hey, you weren''t waiting for me all this time, were you?" Su Chen''s "annoying" voice came from behind.


    Lin Ruoxue paused for a moment, then hummed without turning her head:


    "In your dreams!"


    Su Chen watched Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful back, rubbed his chin, feeling that their rtionship had improved quite a bit from before.


    If this were before, such a conversation would have been impossible; both of them would simply have treated each other like air.


    "Seems like having such a wife isn''t too bad," Su Chen murmured, "If possible, living on like this wouldn''t be too bad either."


    After returning to his own room, Su Chen continued his cultivation practice, but today he had no breakthroughs; he only consolidated his previous Realm a bit more.


    Su Chen wasn''t in a hurry though; he knew that maintaining the pace of progress like before was impossible. Cultivation was like this; the further one got, the more difficult it became.


    For instance, he had previously been stuck at the half-step Meridian Expansion Realm for as long as two years without a true breakthrough to the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    When it was a little past five in the morning, Su Chen ended his night of cultivation, took a shower, and started making breakfast.


    After the past two days, Lin Ruoxue wasn''t surprised anymore and simply enjoyed the fruits of Su Chen''s busy efforts, even making a fewments here and there.


    Seeing the thaw in the rtionship between the two, Wang Ma was in a great mood, her face always adorned with an ambiguous smile.


    After breakfast, it was Lin Ruoxue who left first. Su Chen wasn''t the president and didn''t have the self-discipline to arrive early and stayte; as long as he arrived a bit before the bell and wasn''tte, that was enough.


    "Brothers who haven''t had breakfast yet,e and get it quickly."


    Su Chen made a lot of breakfast and didn''t want to waste it, so he packed it up and brought it for the security department''s staff.


    "I haven''t eaten yet!"


    "Me neither!"


    "And me, save one for me!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s invitation, the security department became immediately enthusiastic, and the big bag of food Su Chen brought was quickly divided up.


    "This tastes so good, where did you buy this stuff, Su Chen?"


    "Exactly, I''ve never had such tasty soup dumplings before. Tell me where to get them, I''ll buy some next time."


    ...


    "Sorry, you can''t buy these; I made them myself!"


    "You''re not kidding, are you?"


    "Su Chen, who knew you had this skill!"


    "Su Chen, if I were a woman, I''d marry you just for your cooking skills."


    "Keep dreaming! With your genes, even if you were a woman, you''d be no better than Zhu Bajie! I wouldn''t want you even if you paid me!"


    Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, a muffled grunt came through:


    "What are you doing? What''s going on? It''s work time, who allowed you to have breakfast!"


    "Vice Director Cao, there are still ten minutes before work!" Su Chen nced at the sneaky-faced Cao Kun, "Everyone, carry on eating."


    "No eating!" When Cao Kun saw that everyone continued to eat, he felt his face couldn''t hold the embarrassment, "Even if it''s not work time yet, this is thepany, an office ce, is this where you''re supposed to have breakfast?"


    "Whoever dares to continue eating, say goodbye to this month''s bonus."


    Cao Kun swept a gaze over everyone, and seeing that they all hesitated, he couldn''t help but smirk triumphantly, although that smirk looked rather lecherous!


    "Oh, is that so?" Su Chen said with a smile that was not quite a smile, looking at Cao Kun, "Just now, I passed by someone''s office and saw that very someone feasting away inside! I wonder if we''re applying the same rules to everyone?"


    "Who are you talking about?" Cao Kun jumped up like a caught fox, "Make yourself clear."


    "The guilty one knows." Su Chen snorted, "You haven''t even wiped the grease from the corner of your mouth clean yet!"


    "Right, I saw it too. If you''re going to deduct bonuses, it should be for all of us!"


    "Indeed, otherwise we won''t ept it!"


    "If you only deduct ours, we''ll go to the president and let him judge!"


    The staff had always looked down upon and couldn''t stand Cao Kun, the sycophant. Now with Su Chen taking the lead, everyone joined together in their defiance against Cao Kun.

 Chapter 44: The President is My Wife

    Cao Kun hadn''t expected that he would so easily incur public wrath, and suddenly he did not dare to confront everyone directly anymore. If this matter truly got to the president, he might not expect good consequences.


    He instantly shot two hateful nces toward Su Chen, considering this guy the root of everything!


    Cao Kun had noticed how popr Su Chen became upon his arrival and worried that he might threaten his position, which was why he attempted to sabotage him. However, he didn''t expect that it would backfire and hurt himself instead.


    "What''s all this noise! Don''t you have anything better to do!"


    At that moment, an authoritative voice came through and everyone quieted down upon hearing it.


    Then a square-faced, fairly dignified middle-aged man walked in. He was the head of the security department, Zhang Mingyu.


    Zhang Mingyu was different from Cao Kun; he had quite a bit of prestige in the security department. However, people feared rather than respected him.


    Su Chen sensitively noticed that Zhang Mingyu had aplex look in his eyes when he nced at him, which made him somewhat puzzled.


    But his puzzle was quickly solved as Zhang Mingyu said to him:


    "Su Chen, the president wants you to go to her office immediately."


    After speaking, Zhang Mingyu left, and Cao Kun naturally scurried out after him.


    Everyone was astonished. How could the president know about this new driver?


    Even if she did, why would she call him to the office early in the morning?


    "Su Chen, why would the president ask for you in her office?"


    Liu Yuan couldn''t help but ask curiously, and everyone else perked up their ears.


    "I don''t know," Su Chen shrugged and said.


    "Do you know the president?" Meng Shan also asked, his face full of curiosity.


    "Hmm," Su Chen nodded.


    "What''s your rtionship with her?"


    "Nothing special," said Su Chen nonchntly.


    "Impossible, if there were nothing between you, the president would not have called for you so early in the morning. Why keep secrets from us?"


    Although Meng Shan was a man, he was still young, and his curiosity was intense.


    "Fine, I''ll just tell you all," Su Chen nced at everyone and said, "Actually, President Lin is my wife."


    "Cut it out, if you don''t want to tell, just don''t, but there''s no need for such tall tales!"


    Meng Shan waved his hand,pletely disbelieving Su Chen''s statement, "If the president is your wife, then Sara is my lover!"


    "Yeah, Su Chen, we won''t force you if you don''t want to share, but you can''t just say anything. Be careful with making jokes about the president, lest you get fired," Liu Yuan warned Su Chen earnestly.


    "Alright, I was indeed joking just now. I''ll be more mindful in the future."


    Su Chen smiled bitterly. Why does no one believe the truth?


    In Zhang Mingyu''s office, Cao Kun was also quite nervous:


    "Chief, why would the president call for that guy with the surname Su? What is his rtionship with the president?"


    "I don''t know," Zhang Mingyu took a puff of his cigar, immediately obscuring his face in smoke. His expression was very serious, "But that guy is definitely not simple. Keep a close watch on him."


    "Yes, Chief. I''ve noticed that too, that guy is no good!"


    Cao Kun said angrily, his stress suddenly increased when he heard about the rtionship between Su Chen and Director Lin.


    Zhang Mingyu, however, did not pay attention to Cao Kun''s petty thoughts. He was quietly meditating: It seemed necessary to tell Vice President Ma about this matter.


    ....


    "Hello, Mr. Su. Director Lin instructed that you can go straight in when you arrive."


    As Su Chen approached Lin Ruoxue''s office, her secretary Chen Guo stood up and said.


    Su Chen nodded, pushed open therge door of the office, and inside, Lin Ruoxue was looking at a document.


    "What''s the matter that you''re looking for me so early in the morning?"


    After entering, Su Chen nonchntly picked up Lin Ruoxue''s teacup and poured himself a cup of coffee, then leisurely sat down on the sofa.


    By the time Lin Ruoxue realized it, Su Chen had already started drinking. This bastard, actually using her teacup!


    "Your coffee is really not bad!"


    Su Chen clicked his tongue in appreciation and even licked the residual coffee from the edge of the teacup with his tongue.


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyebrows furrowed as she watched this scene. Thinking about how she always used that teacup for her tea, she suddenly felt ufortable.


    She was a woman with a mania for cleanliness, normally not even allowing others to touch her personal belongings, and yet this bastard had the audacity to make such an obscene gesture with her teacup!


    If it were any other item, Lin Ruoxue would have thrown it away immediately, but this teacup was aing-of-age gift from her grandfather on her eighteenth birthday, meant to make her feel her grandfather''s presence every day.


    This caused Lin Ruoxue to feel, for a period of time afterward, as if Su Chen''s lips had just licked over her teacup every time she drank tea.


    Su Chen looked up and noticed that Lin Ruoxue was staring at the teacup in his hand with an icy expression, so he simply finished the coffee and then ced the cup back on Lin Ruoxue''s desk.


    "Is it really such a big deal that I used your teacup? Do you have to give me such a frosty reception?"


    Su Chen curled his lip and, not waiting for Lin Ruoxue to explode, continued, "Say it, what do you want to talk to me about?"


    It was only then that Lin Ruoxue remembered that she did have something to ask him, so she put aside the matter at hand.


    "Tell me, what have you done to Little Hao?" Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes were fixed tightly on Su Chen.


    "Eh, what did Lin Hao, that stinky brat, say?"


    Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat. Did Lin Hao tell Lin Ruoxue about yesterday''s event?


    But after a moment''s thought, Su Chen deemed it unlikely, growing even more curious about what exactly Lin Hao had said that made Lin Ruoxue summon him first thing in the morning.


    "He, he said¡­"


    Lin Ruoxue hesitated for a long time but still couldn''t articte what Lin Hao had actually said.


    It was because she was too embarrassed to repeat Lin Hao''s words in front of Su Chen.


    The situation was actually very simple. This morning, as soon as Lin Ruoxue arrived at the office, she remembered that Lin Hao was still in the hospital and made a call to check on him.


    Unexpectedly, her brother didn''t speak much before telling her to treat her brother-inw well, to hold onto this man at all costs, and to move forward quickly with things like getting married and having a baby.


    Lin Ruoxue was naturally taken aback, knowing how much her brother had previously disapproved of her husband. To think that in the blink of an eye, his attitude had taken a 360-degree turn.


    She hurriedly asked for the reason, but Lin Hao was evasive, and when questioned further, he simply hung up the phone.


    Unable to fathom Lin Hao''s sudden change of heart, Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to call Su Chen to her.


    "What exactly did he say?"


    Seeing a blush suddenly appear on Lin Ruoxue''s pretty face, Su Chen also felt very strange...

 Chapter 45: Su Chens Unrequited Love

    "It''s nothing! All right, it''s over." Lin Ruoxue waved her hand in feigned impatience, "You better leave now."


    Yet, the slight panic in her eyes was still caught by Su Chen, who became even more curious.


    Just as Su Chen was about to ask further, the office door was suddenly flung open.


    "President Lin, something terrible has happened..."


    As Xia Qiuru pushed the door and entered, she froze upon seeing Su Chen there, wondering, How is he here?


    "Director Xia, what happened?"


    The moment Lin Ruoxue saw the panic on Xia Qiuru''s face, she knew something serious had urred.


    "Oh, President Lin, the marketing department just called to say that our representatives who went to negotiate with Bald Hui were beaten up."


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s question, Xia Qiuru quickly recovered from her surprise and responded.


    "What?" Lin Ruoxue gasped in shock, "How is the injured person? Has he been taken to the hospital?"


    "He''s already been taken there, it seems his leg was broken, and it might take about six months to heal."


    "Damn! These people are outright thugs!" Lin Ruoxue mmed the desk and cursed angrily.


    "President Lin, these people are indeed ruffians! The question is, what do we do now?"


    Xia Qiuru sighed deeply ¡ª this matter was really troublesome.


    "Let''s do this, Director Xia, you go in my ce to handle this. I can offer a higher price, but only up to 15% more than our nned budget. If they don''t agree, call the police." Lin Ruoxue gave it some thought and continued, "Then, visit the hospital and see the injured employee. Tell him that thepany will cover all his medical expenses and continue to pay his sry while he recovers."


    The reason Lin Ruoxue did not immediately call the police was that she knew Bald Hui and his men were inherently bullies. Sending him to jail now would not be the end ¡ª he''d be back in a few months, looking for trouble again.


    By that time, for arge corporation like Belle, Bald Hui might not pose much of a threat.


    But the type of retaliation the injured employee could face was another matter.


    Not even the police could do much about these kind of people, and for them, spending a few months in jail was nothing unusual.


    "Aren''t you going over?" Xia Qiuru asked, somewhat curiously.


    "I have a meeting set with Mr. Zhang from the Northeast soon, so I can''t go myself. I''m afraid I have to leave it to you."


    "Okay, I understand. I''ll go now."


    Xia Qiuru, always efficient in handling tasks, turned around and prepared to leave.


    "Wait." Lin Ruoxue suddenly stopped Xia Qiuru, "Let Su Chen apany you."


    "There''s no need, no need, I can go by myself."


    Xia Qiuru hurriedly waved her hands, clearly not fond of Su Chen.


    "Qiuru, please, let him go with you. I''m notfortable with you going alone; it''s more reassuring to have a man with you."


    Considering Bald Hui and his men, Xia Qiuru felt a bit uneasy and thus agreed.


    Su Chen watched the two women push and pull, thinking, Did anyone ask me?


    Of course, these thoughts were kept to himself. At times like this, he naturally would not stand idly by.


    "Director Xia, I''ll fetch the car. Just wait for me at the main entrance."


    ....


    Three minutester, Su Chen picked up Xia Qiuru in the car, and headed towards the north of the city.


    In the car, Xia Qiuru briefly exined the situation to Su Chen.


    Earlier this year, Belle Corporation had acquired a plot ofnd in the East of the city to build a new skyscraper, intended as the new office address for its pharmaceuticalpany.


    Originally, there had been over thirty households on that plot ofnd, most of whom had relocated after Belle Corporation paid them a substantial demolition resettlement fee.


    However, there were still two households that hadn''t been demolished. Belle Corporation found out that during the demolition period, a local gang leader named Bald Hui had deviously acquired the houses from the original residents and hadpleted all the legal procedures for the transfer.


    When Belle Corporation approached Bald Hui for negotiations, he made an outrageous demand of twenty million.


    Naturally, Belle Corporation couldn''t agree, and several attempts to negotiate had failed. This time was even more preposterous, as Bald Hui had even broken the leg of the person who went to negotiate.


    "So, this is a huge loss for the corporation, isn''t it?" Su Chen tilted his head and asked.


    "Isn''t it just? The dy has already caused a loss of at least two million,"


    Xia Qiuru sighed, her expression somewhat mncholic¡ªshe held little confidence in her current mission.


    "Don''t worry," Su Chen replied lightly with a smile, "the matter can be resolved today."


    "I''m not as optimistic as you are. You don''t know how troublesome that Bald Hui can be!"


    Xia Qiuru shook her head and then asked curiously, "Whose car is this? I don''t remember seeing a BMW in ourpany fleet."


    "This is my wife''s; I borrowed it for a while."


    "You''re married?" Xia Qiuru asked in surprise, "And your wife seems quite wealthy."


    "What, are you feeling down because I''m married?" Su Chen nced at Xia Qiuru''s delicate face. "If you don''t mind, I can make you my mistress."


    "In your dreams!" Xia Qiuru spat lightly, "I''m not blind like your wife, to fall for a scoundrel like you!"


    Xia Qiuru immediately recalled how Su Chen had flirted with her before. This scoundrel was still mischievous even after getting married, which really spoke volumes about his character!


    No matter how much Su Chen teased her after that, Xia Qiuru ignored himpletely, her face as cold as ice¡­


    Su Chen was frustrated. Everything was fine just moments ago, so why had she suddenly changed?


    Truly, the heart of a woman is as elusive as a needle at the bottom of the ocean!


    "Could she actually have fallen for me and now be jealous that I''m married?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but think narcissistically¡­


    ...


    In the office of Zhang Mingyu, head of security at Belle Corporation, Cao Kun ingratiatingly reported:


    "Director, weren''t you always keeping a tab on Xia Qiuru? Just now, she left with that guy Su Chen, and he was driving."


    "Hmm? It seems like none of thepany cars were used today," Zhang Mingyu asked with a slight frown.


    "It''s not apany car. It''s a BMW 5 Series," Cao Kun suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Director, should we tell Vice President Ma about this? He''s always been interested in Xia Qiuru."


    "Let me think about this for a moment; you can go now."


    After Cao Kun left, Zhang Mingyu stood in front of the window deep in thought. What was the deal with this new guy who seemed to have connections with the president and Xia Qiuru!


    .....


    "It''s that arcade up ahead¡ªBald Hui is the boss here, and he usually hangs out here with his cronies,"


    As they neared their destination, Xia Qiuru finally spoke up.


    "I thought you would never speak to me again,"


    Su Chen gave a small smile and stopped the car in front of the arcade.


    "You better watch your mouthter on; those guys aren''t reasonable, and I wouldn''t want you to get hurt and me me for not warning you,"


    Xia Qiuru held back Su Chen, who was heading straight inside, and said.

 Chapter 46 - 46 Too Tasteless

    "Alright, I''ll do as you say," Su Chen said indifferently, nodding his head.


    Only then did Xia Qiuru let go of his arm and followed him into the arcade.


    "Hey, what are you doing here?"


    A young man wearing a ck, low-quality leather jacket and dyed yellow hair immediately blocked Su Chen''s way as he saw him.


    "I am here to see your boss, Liu Hui. Is he in?"


    Xia Qiuru stepped out from behind Su Chen and asked. Since Liu Hui was called that, Xia Qiuru addressed him as "boss Liu."


    The sight of Xia Qiuru immediately made the young man''s eyes gleam with excitement; such a beautiful girl was a rare sight indeed.


    "Is your boss around?"


    As the young man stared at her continuously, Xia Qiuru felt ufortable and asked again.


    "Oh, yes, yes," he hurriedly responded. "Hold on, I''ll go and inform him."


    The young man then rushed off and pushed open the door of an office farther inside.


    "Boss, a girl just came outside looking for you," the young man said with a sleazy smile on his face. "Boss, you really should check this girl out. She''s absolutely stunning¡ªthe face, the figure! Wow!"


    As he spoke, he almost drooled, and Liu Hui, seeing his desperate look, grew interested. He was just about to get up but sat back down again.


    "You go, invite her in, and be polite."


    "Got it!" The young man responded and then ran out, approaching Xia Qiuru. "Come with me, our boss has agreed to see you."


    After saying this, he led Xia Qiuru and Su Chen to Liu Hui''s office door and then pushed it open and walked in.


    As soon as Liu Hui saw Xia Qiuru, his eyes widened in shock. The young man was right¡ªthis girl was absolutely stunning!


    Her long hair, slightly pinned up, and her delicate facial features were incredibly captivating, and what was more, her figure was truly elegant and alluring.


    She was dressed in a ck business suit, with a white blouse underneath that was tightly filled, and a hip-hugging skirt that outlined her curves.


    This woman was truly exceptional!


    Liu Hui couldn''t help but swallow his saliva and then swallowed again. As for Su Chen, he waspletely ignored.


    "Boss Liu, I am the HR Director from Belle Corporation. I am here to discuss the relocation of those two households with you," Xia Qiuru said, enduring the disgusting gaze from him.


    "You are from Belle Corporation?"


    Liu Hui became alert after hearing Xia Qiuru''s voice, and a strange glint shed in his eyes.


    "Indeed, I hope we can have a good talk and settle the matter concerning those two households as quickly as possible," Xia Qiuru said seriously. Meanwhile, Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lips. "Are you stupid, talking official business with a thug? It''s like ying the lute to a cow!"


    "I also want to resolve this quickly," Liu Hui spread his hands. "I''ve already made my offer; it''s you who haven''t epted, not my problem."


    "Boss Liu, it''s not that we''re unwilling to ept, but the price you''ve set is just outrageous! You''re basically extorting us!"


    As soon as Xia Qiuru saw their attitude, she knew that negotiations were likely going to fail again today.


    "You can eat whatever you like, but words must not be carelessly spoken," Liu Hui''s face turned cold suddenly, "Those two buildings are now mine; I will sell them if I wish, and if I don''t wish to sell, I won''t. As for the price, if you ept it we can talk, if not, forget it. I''m not forcing you."


    "Mr. Liu, we really came here with a sincere attitude. Could you possibly show some leniency? You know that we cannot agree to the price you are asking. Can''t you suggest a reasonable price? Moreover, if you have any other demands, we will try our best to meet them," Xia Qiuru pleaded, sighing as she thought about the many days the project had already been dyed and the many ways work had been impacted.


    "Why didn''t you say this earlier?" Liu Hui''s eyes narrowed as he stared at the towering figure in front of Xia Qiuru, "I, Liu Hui, am not unreasonable, especially when dealing with a beauty like Director Xia!"


    "Really? That''s great!" Although Xia Qiuru felt ufortable under Liu Hui''s gaze, she immediately got excited at his words, "Tell me, whatever your demands are, just mention them."


    "Well, I do need to think carefully about it."


    Liu Hui stroked his chin, walked out from behind the desk, and came up to Xia Qiuru.


    "What if I said I want Director Xia to spend a night with me? Director Xia is so beautiful, and I, Liu Hui, always listen to beautiful women."


    Liu Hui moved close to Xia Qiuru''s body, inhaling her light fragrance, his face intoxicated.


    "p!"


    Caught off guard, Liu Hui''s face received a fierce p from Xia Qiuru, sending him staggering back with five slim finger marks appearing on his face.


    "Despicable!"


    Xia Qiuru shouted furiously, her face bright red, eyes sparkling with humiliation!


    "You bitch, you''re looking for death!" Liu Hui, having been pped, flew into a rage, "Huang Mao, close the door!"


    "What are you going to do? Don''t mess with me, I''ll call the police if youe any closer!"


    As a woman, Xia Qiuru immediately panicked when she saw Liu Hui''s ferocious look as he steadily approached her.


    "You bitch, I actually wanted to be nice to you, but you had to be so disrespectful!" Liu Hui touched his burning cheek and said, "Since it''s like this, don''t me me for being a brute!"


    "Having my way with such a beautiful officedy in the office, it must feel extremely thrilling! Hahaha!"


    Liu Hui said as he burst into a mercilessugh while Xia Qiuru looked like amb ready for ughter.


    Xia Qiuru nearly burst into tears, she had not anticipated encountering such a situation during the negotiation.


    "Could it be that the purity I''ve maintained for over twenty years is going to be ruined by this scum today?"


    Xia Qiuru was terrified and deeply unwilling, but she was just a woman, what could she do against Liu Hui, a physically imposing man?


    Moreover, Liu Hui''s men were definitely outside, and she couldn''t escape no matter what.


    "Go ahead, cry! Let it all out!" Liu Huiughed maniacally, "I love watching women cry under me!"


    As Liu Hui reached out arge hand towards Xia Qiuru, just as he thought he was about to grab her, he suddenly found that he couldn''t move his outstretched hand, and another hand suddenly appeared, grabbing his wrist.


    "You''re a man too; this is really shameless,"


    a faint voice drifted over...

 Chapter 47 - 47 Who is the pig?

    Baldy Hui couldn''t help but feel some surprise; he hadn''t expected this unfamiliar young man to dare obstruct his way.


    Actually, it wasn''t just Baldy Hui who felt this way, but Xia Qiuru as well.


    Clearly, just now, both of them had automatically ignored the presence of Su Chen standing aside.


    In their eyes, this kid was just a driver, surely he wouldn''t dare to interfere.


    Even if he were bold enough to intervene, he certainly wouldn''t be able to handle it. Not to mention anything else, just looking at his buildpared to Baldy Hui''s, the difference was more than slight.


    Seeing Su Chen take action, Xia Qiuru, who had already plunged into despair, suddenly saw a spark of hope light up in her eyes, though it quickly faded away again.


    How could Su Chen possibly be a match for Baldy Hui, not to mention the numerous henchmen thetter had?


    The hope that had just sprung in Qiuru''s heart shattered instantly, but she was still deeply touched by Su Chen''s gesture!


    After all, the two of them weren''t really rted, and she believed that most men would choose to remain silent at this moment, because one wrong move could result in a severe beating from the other party!


    "Don''t stick your nose into this, let go!"


    Baldy Hui violently tried to shake off the grip on his wrist, only to find that Su Chen''s grip was like it was fixed in ce, not moving in the slightest!


    "Kid, are you tired of living?"


    Baldy Hui frowned and red at Su Chen with a menacing look on his face.


    At this moment, Xia Qiuru also spoke up:


    "Su Chen, don''t get involved in this. These people are not ones you can afford to offend. I don''t want to drag you into this."


    Actually, what Qiuru hoped for more was that Su Chen could take the opportunity to run out and call the police. That way, she might have a slim chance of being saved.


    "She''s right. If you know what''s good for you, scram to the side. Otherwise, I''ll make sure you''re carried in upright and taken out horizontally today!"


    Baldy Hui nced at Su Chen and put even more strength into his attempt, but it was still to no avail.


    Baldy Hui couldn''t help but feel taken aback but didn''t take it too seriously. He thought Su Chen was naturally strong, and although notmon, such people did exist.


    "Blondie, hurry up and call the brothers in to tidy up this little punk."


    "You, showing off for what? If you had slipped out just now and called the cops, you might have been able to save me," Xia Qiuru said reproachfully as she nced sideways at Su Chen, "but now, both of us are done for."


    "Don''t worry, Director Xia. How could I bear to see such a great beauty end up under a pig like him?" Su Chen winked at Xia Qiuru, "I might as well take advantage of you myself. At least I''ve got some good looks, right?"


    "You jerk, it''s infuriating! Even at a time like this, you''re still trying to take advantage of me!"


    Xia Qiuruined annoyedly, really not understanding if this guy was missing a few screws.


    "Who are you calling a pig?"


    Held in ce by his wrist, Baldy Hui could only re at Su Chen with venom.


    "Are you sick in the head?" Su Chen tilted his head and smirked, "Anyone with eyes and a conscience should know that obviously, you''re the pig!"


    "Fine, I won''t waste time bantering with you. Soon, you''ll find out who the real pig is!"


    Baldy Hui was still somewhat wary of Su Chen''s strength and nned to wait for his subordinates toe before dealing with this guy properly!


    Soon after, a group of men dressed in various peculiar outfits with hair dyed in multiple colors walked in.


    "Boss!" The men called out as they came in.


    However, when they saw Baldy Hui, gripped by the wrist by Su Chen, they all became furious.


    "Let go of our boss, or I''ll chop you to pieces!"


    "Let go immediately, or I''ll make you kneel and beg for mercy."


    "Right, not only kill him, but his whole family as well!"


    "All right, since you all seem to want it so badly, I''ll give it back to you."


    Su Chen pushed Bald Hui forward, then lifted a foot and gave a kick to the other''s rear end. Bald Hui immediately staggered, almost falling headlong to the ground, but luckily his minions caught him.


    Bald Hui, regaining his freedom, was seething with anger. He had been a tyrant in this area for many years and had never suffered such humiliation. Today, he was actually caught by a mere driver and even got kicked.


    This blow to his pride made him lose face. Bald Hui''s eyes shot daggers at Su Chen, and with a sweep of his arm, hemanded:


    "Go, take this bastard down for me!"


    His minions also knew that their boss had lost face. They all scrambled to show off, vying to make a good impression.


    Although they knew Su Chen must be skilled¡ªotherwise, their boss wouldn''t have been subdued by him¡ªthey were not afraid.


    Even if this guy has some skills, there are a dozen of us. Just one kick each, and we could stomp him to death!


    Seeing the ruffians charging at him, Su Chen''s expression remained calm, and the corners of his mouth even curled into a slight smile.


    Meanwhile, Xia Qiuru was petrified with fear, a white-cor director who spent her days in an office and had never seen such a scene before; she was rooted to the spot.


    "Stand behind me."


    Su Chen pulled on Xia Qiuru''s hand and positioned her behind himself.


    It was only then that Xia Qiuru snapped out of it. Looking at Su Chen, who wasn''t particrly tall, she felt a sense of security.


    It was as if as long as this man was around, she wouldn''t have to fear even if the sky fell.


    At that moment, she suddenly felt that this man might not be as annoying as she had thought...


    Su Chen, of course, was unaware of Xia Qiuru''s thoughts at that moment; he was coolly watching the approaching crowd.


    Suddenly, he lifted one leg and kicked decisively and cleanly at the person who rushed to the forefront.


    Su Chen''s kick seemed unremarkable, but the man simply couldn''t dodge and was kicked away by Su Chen in an instant.


    The office space was already small, and the people behind were knocked down en masse, causing chaos.


    "What are you doing? Hurry up and get him!"


    Bald Hui was close to fuming when he saw this scene.


    The ones knocked down began to get scared and rushed again toward Su Chen.


    Su Chen saw a baseball bat on the wall beside him and grabbed it, swinging "bang bang" at the two closest to him.


    Those two didn''t even know what hit them before Su Chen knocked them out, copsing to the ground.


    By then, Su Chen had enough and didn''t want to waste time with these people any longer, so he charged straight at the crowd.


    His baseball bat fell repeatedly, and like it was enchanted, every strike ensured someone copsed to the ground.


    In less than two minutes, about a dozen peopley sprawled on the ground, with only Bald Hui left standing.


    Bald Hui looked at Su Chen as if he were a monster. Who was this guy? A dozen men were quickly taken down just like that?


    Bald Hui''s legs were already weakening, and he stared nkly at his subordinates groaning on the ground.


    "Come here."


    Su Chen crooked his finger at Bald Hui, a smile on his face that filled Bald Hui''s heart with dread!

 Chapter 48: The Reasonable Su Chen

    "What do you want?"


    Although scared, Bald Hui still forced himself to stay calm, unwilling to beughed at by the other party.


    Director Xia, which one of our group''s people did he break the leg of?" Su Chen turned to look at Xia Qiuru, "Was it the left leg?"


    "What?"


    Xia Qiuru blinked slightly upon hearing Su Chen''s question.


    "I see, it seems so."


    Su Chen nodded and swung the baseball bat towards Bald Hui''s left leg.


    "Ah!!!!"


    A crackling sound of bone breaking was heard, and Bald Hui fell to the ground, clutching his left leg and rolling in agony!


    Bald Hui wanted to dodge, but he realized he simply couldn''t!


    Xia Qiuru waspletely confused by Su Chen; I clearly didn''t say anything just now! It was you who mentioned the left leg!


    "Is it not?"


    Su Chen raised his eyebrows slightly as he saw Xia Qiuru''s puzzled look.


    "No, it seems to be the right leg."


    Xia Qiuru hasn''t seen the injured person either, so she wasn''t sure about the situation.


    "Sorry about that, I hit the wrong leg just now," Su Chen apologized to Bald Hui, who was still howling on the ground. "This time I won''t make a mistake. Please stretch out your right leg."


    Hearing this, Bald Hui felt like he was going to pass out, but the intense pain kept him conscious.


    This guy is a freak. You want to break my thigh, and you still want me to stretch it out for you? Are you dumb or am I dumb!


    "Come on, stretch it out!" Su Chen coaxingly said, like the neighbor''s big boy, "Be good, it''s just for a moment, it will be over quickly."


    Lying on the ground, Bald Hui wanted to cry without tears; he originally thought he was bad enough, without morals, without shame!


    But today he realized thatpared to the man in front of him, he was practically a model young man!


    Meanwhile, Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but smile wryly as she listened to Su Chen''s child-soothing words, which reminded her of how doctors coax children during vinations.


    However, she felt little sympathy for Bald Hui. If it weren''t for Su Chen, her own predicament today would have been beyond imagining!


    Thinking this, she looked at Su Chen, who was still interacting with Bald Hui, feeling a strange emotion quietly rising within her.


    This guy seems quite interesting!


    "No, please, don''t hit me anymore! I beg you!"


    Bald Hui never knew that having a leg broken could be so painful!


    "Uh, you''re making this difficult for me," Su Chen appeared somewhat troubled, "How about you give me a reason first?"


    "I promise you, we''ll go with your demolition price,"


    Bald Hui suddenly shouted with a glint in his eyes, isn''t this what these two came for?


    Xia Qiuru was immediately overjoyed, indeed the evil needs the "evil" to grind!


    Xia Qiuru was about to agree when Su Chen spoke before her.


    "That doesn''t sound good! One yuan per square meter isn''t so good," Su Chen said somewhat embarrassingly, "How about this, I''ll decide. Let''s do 1.5 yuan per square meter."


    As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Xia Qiuru waspletely stunned and gaped at Su Chen, unable to utter a single word.


    Bald Hui''s reaction was simr, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at Su Chen, seemingly even forgetting the pain in his leg for a moment.


    "Brother, I bought these two properties from the original residents for seven thousand per square meter; your price is practically like giving it away to you for free," Bald Huimented.


    Actually, Bald Hui wasn''t lying¡ªthe general cost of relocation in that area was ten thousand per square meter, and Lin Ruoxue had set the price at thirteen thousand to expedite the process.


    Bald Hui himself had used various means to acquire two properties from the original residents for seven thousand per square meter, with a total area of 268 square meters, meaning his cost was close to two million.


    "What brother? Do I look that old?" Su Chen''s face soured upon hearing the other''s words, "Besides, what kind of person am I? Am I unreasonable? Why would I let you give it to me for free? Payment is a must, not a cent less."


    "As for your im of seven thousand per square meter, that''s simply impossible¡ªyou must have been swindled," Su Chen said, his expression softening, "but you must see reason; you can''t expect me to bear the loss just because you were deceived."


    "I really can''t, big..." Bald Hui began to say ''brother'' again but quickly caught himself.


    "Is that so?" Su Chen sighed softly, raising the baseball bat in his hand slightly, "then there''s no choice."


    "No, no, I agree, isn''t that enough?"


    Bald Hui noticed Su Chen''s gaze shifting towards his right leg, trembled with fear, and hastily agreed, though his heart was bleeding.


    "Alright then, Director Xia, I''ll leave the rest to you."


    At this moment, Xia Qiuru waspletely dumbfounded, not expecting thest two properties'' relocation issues to be resolved so suddenly and at a price cheaper than cabbage.


    1.5 yuan per square meter, 268 square meters for about 400 yuan¡ªwhat can 400 yuan do nowadays? It could barely cover a meal at an average restaurant.


    Wasn''t this practically like giving it away for free? And yet Su Chen had the nerve to act as if he was being generously fair.


    In encountering a guy like Su Chen, Bald Hui could only me his bad luck!


    "What, Director Xia, do you think 1.5 yuan is still too high?" Su Chen asked when he noticed Xia Qiuru hadn''t reacted.


    "No, no, it''s fine."


    Xia Qiuru quickly pulled out the contract and a pen from her bag, and under Su Chen''s watchful eye, Bald Hui signed his name resentfully.


    "Alright, let''s go."


    Xia Qiuru put the signed contract back in her bag and said to Su Chen, while Bald Hui trembled with excitement upon hearing this.


    He didn''t care about anything else now and just wished this gue would leave quickly, fearful that the other party might change his mind and cause more trouble.


    However, the great Murphy''s Law tells us, the more people fear something, the more likely it is to happen.


    When Su Chen heard Xia Qiuru''s words, he gently shook his head:


    "Our business isn''t finished yet."


    "Sir, what else is there?"


    Bald Hui, a hulking brute, trembled violently upon hearing Su Chen''s words, his eyes filled with terror, looking absurdly like a frightened little animal.


    "It''s about thepensation, of course."


    Su Chen lit a cigarette, took a puff, and slowly blew the smoke into Bald Hui''s face.


    "Whatpensation? How much?"


    Bald Hui waspletely baffled, "I''ve already been beaten up like this by you, if there''s anypensation, you should be the onepensating me."


    "Ten million!"

 Chapter 49 - 49 Extortion

    "What? Why don''t you go rob someone!"


    Bald Hui thought he was going to be extorted for a few hundred thousand, and he had already prepared to pay off the nuisance, but then the demand for ten million came out of nowhere, causing him to cry out in shock.


    Xia Qiuru was also taken aback by the price Su Chen proposed, just after he had already taken a harsh cut, he went for an even more ruthless demand.


    "Ten million is already a small amount," Su Chen curled his lips, looking disdainfully at Bald Hui, "If it weren''t for the fact that you''re a broke loser, do you really think ten million would be enough?"


    "This is extortion!"


    Bald Hui said with a mournful expression, ten million? What a joke, wouldn''t that cost him his life?


    "Make it clear! Who is extorting whom?" Su Chen threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stamped on it fiercely, his indignation palpable, "I''m aw-abiding citizen, and this ten million has a justified basis!"


    "Then tell me, what''s the basis?"


    When Bald Hui heard him im to be aw-abiding citizen, he almost spat in his face in disdain. Could you be any more shameless?


    He really wanted to hear this nonsense justification for the ten million.


    "Alright, since you want to know, I''ll break it down for you," Su Chen began counting on his fingers, "First of all, there''s the loss of work fee. You upied these two properties, causing dys in our group''s schedule. Just that loss alone, asking for five million from you isn''t too much, is it?"


    Upon hearing this, Xia Qiuru was immediately confused; she had just discussed a figure of over two million with him in the car, but he just doubled it as soon as he began talking.


    Even so, shouldn''t this money be paid by Bald Hui?


    There was no precedent of a nail house being charged for a developer''s dy!


    Bald Hui had the same thought and was about to rebut when Su Chen held up a second finger:


    "Also, you injured our group''s colleague, and he may never be able to work again. Asking you topensate three million isn''t too much, right?"


    When Bald Hui heard what Su Chen said, a frown immediately appeared on his forehead.


    Who is he trying to fool here? It was true that the injured person was hurt by him, but with a year and a half at most needed for recovery, how could it be that he wouldn''t be able to work for a lifetime?


    But again, before he could argue, Su Chen raised another finger:


    "Furthermore, you were nning to misbehave with my colleague here, causing great emotional and mental harm. Asking you for two million inpensation is reasonable, isn''t it?"


    "Add it all up, and ites exactly to ten million. Now, prepare to pay."


    Having finished speaking, Su Chen pulled up a chair to sit down, as if he was just waiting to collect the money.


    "All of this isplete nonsense. Why should I pay for the dys and lost earnings of your project? Moreover, that person''s injuries aren''t severe at all¡ªhow could he possibly be out of work for a lifetime? And I didn''t even touch thisdy, so why should I pay two million more?"


    "What I say goes. How much I say is how much it is. What, you have a problem with that?"


    Su Chen had no desire to argue with Bald Hui anymore. At the end of the day, he was just messing with him¡ªextorting him!


    "You''repletely unreasonable!"


    For Bald Hui, ten million was no trifling sum. How could he possibly afford topensate that amount?


    "Fine, since you say I''m unreasonable, I''ll show you what that looks like. The price has gone up, now it''s twelve million!"


    "Dream on, not a chance!" Bald Hui spit out a few words through clenched teeth.


    "Fourteen million!" A calm voice flowed from Su Chen''s mouth as if nothing was amiss.


    "I''d rather die thanply!"


    Bald Hui, enduring intense pain, threw back his head with a resigned-to-fate expression.


    "Sixteen million!" After half a minute, Su Chen spoke again.


    As Su Chen continued to raise the price, Bald Hui simply fell silent; the thought of forking over such an amount was truly more unbearable than death!


    "Eighteen million!"


    "Twenty million!" When he announced twenty million, Su Chen stood up from his chair and looked at Bald Hui with a faint smile, "Believe me, you''ll dly pay this sum."


    "Impossible!"


    Bald Hui was already prepared for the worst, for he was after all a local strongman with some backbone.


    But Su Chen just shook his head and took out an old cloth bag from his pocket, then spread it on Bald Hui''s desk.


    In the bag were various silver needles, differing in thickness and length. Su Chen took out five Silver Needles and, holding them between his fingers, walked towards Bald Hui.


    Seeing this, Bald Hui couldn''t help but shiver inwardly, not knowing what this bastard was up to, yet he had a very bad feeling about it.


    Qiuru, equally bewildered, wondered why Su Chen would carry silver needles with him¡ªcould he perform acupuncture?


    Even if that were the case, what was he doing right now?


    "Trust me, soon you''ll experience something you''ve never felt in your life, something you''ll never forget."


    With these words, Su Chen swiftly inserted a Silver Needle near Bald Hui''s fractured knee and flicked it with his finger.


    "What on earth are you doing?"


    Bald Hui said in terror, and although he hadn''t yet felt anything unusual in his body, an instinctive fear had taken hold of him!


    Su Chen paid no mind to Bald Hui and struck again like lightning, inserting another Silver Needle into the Baihui acupoint on the top of Bald Hui''s head.


    This insertion caused Bald Hui to feel an even more intense pain than before, but to avoid showing weakness in front of Su Chen, he continued to bear it silently, though cold sweat was already streaming down his forehead.


    Quickly, Su Chen inserted the remaining three Silver Needles into different parts of Bald Hui''s body.


    "Ahh~~~~!"


    As soon as thest Silver Needle went in, Bald Hui let out a sky-piercing scream!


    The sound alone was enough to make one''s skin crawl, and his roar seemed to vent all the pain in his body, mixed with immense fear!


    Bald Hui swore he had never imagined pain could be so excruciating!


    The pain was not localized but spread throughout his body, with each nerve ending being incessantly tugged and torn apart!


    Although Bald Hui had never gone through childbirth, he was certain thatpared to the pain he was feeling now, the pain of childbirth was child''s y!


    Before long, Bald Hui''s snot and tears were streaming down; his face and body flushed red, and the pain caused his entire body to spasm!


    Xia Qiuru could hardly bear to watch Bald Hui''s suffering; his pitiful screams seemed toe straight from the soul.


    Qiuru couldn''t help but look at Su Chen¡ªwhat kind of man was he? What had he done to Bald Hui to make a grown man look like this?

 Chapter 50: Pain Nerve

    "Alright, now let''s see just how tough our bald boss Hui really is," Su Chen pped his hands and stood up. "If you canst three minutes, we''ll call it a day."


    But things did not go as hoped, and in less than a minute, the bald Hui was trembling as he said:


    "Please, I beg you, I''ll give you whatever you want, just pull them out now!"


    "Oh, you can''t take it this soon? Hold on a bit longer, just bear it for two more minutes for twenty million!"


    Su Chen tilted his head and teased the bald Hui.


    "No, please, I''ll give you the twenty million, just take out these Silver Needles!"


    The bald Hui really wanted tost two more minutes, but he just couldn''t!


    The relentless stimtion of nerve endings was more than he could bear for even one second longer!


    Xia Qiuru was astounded by the extent of Bald Hui''s suffering, seeing him pass up the chance to make ten million per minute.


    "Alright," Su Chen''s hand swept over bald Hui''s body, and five Silver Needles appeared in Su Chen''s hand.


    "Ah, what a pity, I was just starting to enjoy this."


    Su Chen clicked his tongue with regret. Hearing this, the bald Hui on the ground almost passed out.


    It wasn''t from the pain; it was from the frustration caused by Su Chen.


    "Alright, time to pay up." Su Chen stretched out his hand towards Xia Qiuru, "Give me a bank card."


    "What for? Don''t you have your own?"


    "Do I look like I carry a bank card?" Su Chen rolled his eyes.


    "Who doesn''t have a bank card these days?"


    Though she said this, Xia Qiuru still took out a bank card and handed it to Su Chen.


    After receiving the card, Su Chen thoughtfully handed aptop to bald Hui. Although his face wore a smile, bald Hui felt like crying.


    "Boss, I don''t have that much money in my ount, only 18 million," bald Hui said cautiously to Su Chen, "Can I owe the other two million for now?"


    "I am a man endowed with kindness, let''s just forget about the two million," Su Chen waved his hand generously, nonchnt.


    The other two felt exceedingly awkward when they heard Su Chen say this. If he could be considered kind-hearted, then every thug on the street could be counted as a saint.


    Though that was what he thought, bald Hui still had to appear overflowing with gratitude.


    Because his recent ordeal was too momentous to forget, Su Chen appeared in his eyes to be nothing short of demonic!


    "Alright, let''s go," said Su Chen.


    After bald Huipleted the transfer, Su Chen casually patted his shoulder, "It was a pleasure to meet you, I had a great time this afternoon!"


    "I um also pleased to meet you, Mr. Su, I had a great time too!"


    Bald Hui managed a strained smile, thinking to himself, "Of course, you had fun, not only did you take my two houses, but you also extorted 18 million from me."


    ....


    "Su Chen, when should I transfer this money to you?"


    Sitting in the car, Xia Qiuru asked somewhat nervously; her ount had never held this much money before, which made her quite uneasy.


    "Just keep it with you for now, let''s split the money into three parts: one for you, one for me, and the third for the employee who got injured."


    As for money, Su Chen had no concept of it; at the Temple, financial resources were managed by the "God of Wealth," and he had hardly ever asked about them.


    "No, I can''t use this money."


    Xia Qiuru quickly waved her hand, a third of it, that was 6 million!


    Even for her, a senior executive at Belle Corporation, that was nearly ten years'' sry!


    "Don''t be polite, this money was extorted anyway, just take it."


    "I really can''t ept it, it''s too much money, you better just tell me your bank ount number quickly, and I''ll transfer it to you."


    Xia Qiuru was very principled. She believed this money had nothing to do with her, but she was still surprised that Su Chen voluntarily wanted to give a third to the employee who was injured.


    Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but take a few more nces at Su Chen. He didn''t look like someone who had money, so why was he so indifferent about such arge sum?


    "I don''t have a bank card, you just keep it for now, but remember, 6 million of that is mine, don''t you dare keep it," Su Chen joked intentionally.


    "Then go get a card made, it''s very simple," Xia Qiuru still wouldn''t give up.


    But no matter what, Su Chen refused to get a bank card, which left Xia Qiuru with no choice but to keep it for him for the time being.


    Actually, Su Chen had his reasons for not getting a bank card; he feared someone might track him down through it, as he didn''t want anyone disturbing his peaceful life, at least not until his Cultivation had recovered to a certain extent


    "Anyone who marries you really has bad luck, not caring about money, how would life go on?"


    Xia Qiuru couldn''t understand Su Chen''s behavior, and she felt helpless.


    "How about you be my girlfriend then?" Su Chen teased casually, "That way you could keep an eye on me."


    "As if! I would never!" Xia Qiuru spat out, her face slightly blushing.


    If it were before, Xia Qiuru would never have reacted like this, but hearing Su Chen''s words now, she couldn''t help but recall the scene where Su Chen had stood in front of her.


    At that time, Su Chen seemed to be enveloped in ayer of halo, causing slight ripples in her heart.


    "This guy actually looks quite appealing when you take a good look at him, maybe he wouldn''t be bad with a little cleanup!"


    Xia Qiuru sneaked a nce at Su Chen''s profile, thinking to herself, her heartbeat gradually speeding up.


    "What are you looking at?" Su Chen, feeling Xia Qiuru''s stares, grinned, "Don''t tell me, Director Xia has fallen for me?"


    "In your dreams!" Xia Qiuru quickly turned her head away, hiding her thoughts and asked nonchntly, "I was just wondering why those Silver Needles made Bald Hui suffer so much, unable to stand even for a moment."


    Although this was just an excuse to cover up her emotions, it was indeed a question that Xia Qiuru had.


    "It''s nothing, my Silver Needles just happened to stimte his pain nerves, making a normal pain instantly amplify ten or even a hundred times more."


    "Is it really that miraculous?"


    Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but cover her mouth, showing a surprised expression.


    .......


    Su Chen drove the car, and soon they were back at Belle Corporation, walking into Lin Ruoxue''s office together.


    "How did things go? All set?"


    As soon as they entered, Lin Ruoxue eagerly asked, and only rxed after seeing Xia Qiuru nod.


    "How much did it cost?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked casually, she wasn''t too worried, it would just be a maximum of 15% higher than budgeted.

 Chapter 51 - 51 Am I an Idiot?

    Lin Ruoxue had waited for a while and had not heard Xia Qiuru''s response, which she found somewhat strange.


    She looked up and saw Xia Qiuru seemingly wanting to speak but stopping herself, and asionally ncing at Su Chen, which made her even more puzzled.


    "Go ahead and tell me, how much money was spent? Even if it is slightly higher than the 15% I mentioned before, I understand that this matter is difficult to handle."


    Lin Ruoxue thought that Xia Qiuru was hesitant to speak because she had taken it upon herself to raise the price.


    "The total cost was 402 yuan," Xia Qiuru mumbled softly, revealing a figure.


    "What?" Lin Ruoxue thought she had heard wrong and suddenly stood up, "How much did you say?"


    "402," Xia Qiuru repeated the number, well aware of why Lin Ruoxue reacted this way.


    She guessed that anyone who heard this number would react the same way. Even she, as the person involved, was still confused about what had happened, feeling it was so surreal.


    "What exactly happened?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s exquisitely beautiful face immediately turned serious, as this situation was obviously abnormal.


    "Su Chen, you exin!"


    After noticing that Xia Qiuru''s gaze towards Su Chen was tentative, Lin Ruoxue immediately understood that he must be involved in this matter.


    However, she could notprehend how her nominal husband had convinced Bald Hui to agree to this price, given that Bald Hui was certainly no saint.


    "What''s there to fuss about?" Su Chenughed heartily, "Don''t you know who I am? Under my influence, Bald Hui quickly recognized his errors and the impurities he had umted in his soul over the years."


    "The wisdom of Buddha talks about feeding one''s body to tigers. I, too, took on an attitude of curing the sick and saving people, helping him to atone for his sins. I reluctantly epted his conditions. Initially, he intended to give us two properties for free, but who am I? How could I do such a thing?"


    "Finally, under his persistent pleas, I could not bear to refuse a person who sincerely regretted, so I ended up purchasing the ownership of those two properties at the price of 1.5 yuan per square meter."


    As Su Chen eloquently narrated, Xia Qiuru on the side looked at him with her mouth agape, a myriad of thoughts racing through her mind!


    Is this even possible?


    And now, Lin Ruoxue''s face had frosted over, her eyes shooting sharp beams, her bosom heaving as if it were about to burst through her clothes at any moment.


    "Shut up!"


    Just as Su Chen was about to delve into more details, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t bear it any longer:


    "Su Chen, do you think I''m an idiot?"


    "Uh, how could that be? Who doesn''t know that President Lin is a goddess endowed with both beauty and brains!"


    Su Chen was quick to tter, but Lin Ruoxue was not buying it at all. Her beautiful eyes were fixed tightly on Su Chen:


    "Since I''m not an idiot, then why are you telling me such an idiotic reason?"


    "I''m telling the truth! God help me!" Su Chen made an aggrieved face and continued, "Not only that, but Bald Hui even voluntarily offered topensate the injured employee with six million yuan as atonement. The money has already been transferred to Director Xia''s bank ount."


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue was also shocked. Could it be that Bald Hui, a thuggish ruffian, had truly had a change of heart?


    Lin Ruoxue certainly didn''t believe it, but apart from that reason, what else could exin why Bald Hui would forgo the demolitionpensation and even pay out six million yuan?


    "Is what he said true?"


    Lin Ruoxue turned to Xia Qiuru and asked, as she still trusted Xia Qiuru''s character.


    "Guangtou Hui reallypensated arge sum of money."


    Xia Qiuru gave a bitter smile, she did not want to lie to Lin Ruoxue, nor did she want to expose Su Chen''s lie.


    "Could it be the sun really rose from the west?"


    Lin Ruoxue, unable to figure it out, could only dejectedly wave her hand and send Su Chen away, then started discussing work with Xia Qiuru.


    Su Chen, naturally indifferent to Lin Ruoxue''s attitude, returned to the security room after leaving Lin Ruoxue''s office. Just as he sat down, his mobile phone rang.


    Su Chen took out his phone and saw it was an unfamiliar number, so he answered it. Immediately, a melodious voice tinged with allure came through.


    It turned out the call was from Ye Mei, who wanted to invite him to have dinner at Yuntian Clubhouse.


    Upon hearing her voice, Su Chen reminisced about the first time he saw her on stage, stunning everyone with her wild, sexy pole dance.


    Undoubtedly, she was a woman with fatal attraction to any man, exuding a seductive aura all over.


    Although Su Chen did not know the reason for her actions, it did not hinder his enthusiasm to meet the beauty, perhaps some memorable stories might even unfold!


    As Su Chen was indulging in fantasies about a provocative scene, a set of heavy footsteps approached him.


    "Su Chen,e to my office."


    The person was Zhang Mingyu, the head of security, his expression as stern as ever. His demeanor kept most of the security staff quite fearful of him, and it was rumored that he had once served in a special forces unit, adding to the reasons not to defy him.


    "Okay."


    Although Su Chen was somewhat displeased that his reverie was interrupted, he nodded in agreement.


    "Close the door."


    As soon as he entered the room, Zhang Mingyu instructed Su Chen who had followed.


    After closing the door, Zhang Mingyu sat down on the sofa and lit a cigar.


    Su Chen also casually found a chair and sat opposite him, but this act made Zhang Mingyu frown slightly.


    Zhang Mingyu was already displeased inside, as anyone else entering would do so with the utmost respect and obedience.


    Yet this person, with an indifferent demeanor, sat down without waiting for an instruction, clearly showing ack of respect towards him.


    However, Zhang Mingyu, capable of being head of security, was not a man of impulsive nature and said nothing about Su Chen''s behavior.


    Zhang Mingyu quietly smoked his cigar, then fixed his piercing, sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, straight onto Su Chen''s. Many people couldn''t maintain eye contact under his gaze for more than a few seconds before their hearts would race and they would look away.


    But today, he faced Su Chen, the former Hall Master of the Nether Temple, worshipped by countless as a deity!


    Under his hawk-like piercing gaze, Su Chen showed no reaction; his demeanor was natural, his heartbeat steady, and his lips curled slightly, hinting at a smile.


    Thus, as they stared at each other, the seconds ticked by until five minutes had passed, and neither had spoken a word.


    Zhang Mingyu secretly marveled, surprised that this man could withstand such a long stare.


    He felt once more that this man was definitely out of the ordinary!

 Chapter 52 - 52 Watertight

    Atst, Zhang Mingyu couldn''t bear it anymore and spoke up.


    "Su Chen, have you gotten used to the group these two days?"


    Of course, he wouldn''t dive straight into the main topic. However, it was rare that Zhang Mingyu was smiling while asking, almost as if he had practiced it!


    "Not bad, the colleagues and environment are quite satisfactory in every aspect."


    Su Chen was also ying tai chi, waiting for the other party to reveal their true intentions.


    When it came to these superficial maneuvers, Zhang Mingyu was undoubtedly far behind!


    "That''s good. You will gradually discover more benefits of the group."


    Zhang Mingyu, with a beaming smile, stood up to pour a ss of water for Su Chen, then settled back into the sofa, pretending to ask nonchntly:


    "I heard you yed chauffeur for Director Xia today. You''re quite lucky,d¡ªmany people are envious!"


    "I just happened to be conscripted on the spot."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately understood¡ªit was about Xia Qiuru!


    He still didn''t know why Zhang Mingyu was interested in Xia Qiuru; could it be that he was attracted to her?


    Su Chen thought that might indeed be a possibility, given Xia Qiuru''s appearance, physique, education, and cultivation!


    If that were indeed the case, then Zhang Mingyu truly had an eye for quality.


    In his view, Xia Qiuru was indeed a rare gem of a woman!


    "Oh, is that so? What a coincidence!"


    Zhang Mingyu nced at Su Chen and said:


    "How do you find Director Xia as a person? What did you two talk about?"


    Su Chen noticed that Zhang Mingyu, though appearing calm, had his eyes slightly narrowed and his body slightly stiffened¡ªa natural manifestation of nervousness!


    But Zhang Mingyu covered it well. If it weren''t for Su Chen, it would have been impossible for someone else to notice, or at least very difficult to detect!


    "We didn''t talk much." Su Chen shook his head and chuckled bitterly, "She''s a major director in the group, high above and beyond. How could she have a chat with a mere chauffeur like me?"


    Afterward, Zhang Mingyu made several more probing remarks, but Su Chen''s replies were watertight and left no room for probing, so Zhang Mingyu eventually had to give up in the face of gaining no useful information.


    However, Zhang Mingyu''s behavior made Su Chen overturn his previous guess. If Zhang Mingyu were simply infatuated with Xia Qiuru, his behavior wouldn''t be like this.


    "Why is Zhang Mingyu so concerned about this young woman, Xia Qiuru?"


    With this question in mind, Su Chen left Zhang Mingyu''s office, and his entire afternoon subsequently passed in idleness.


    Even though there were instances requiring driving, the seasoned employees were naturally given priority since every trip was linked to their bonus.


    These were typical working-ss individuals, living paycheck to paycheck!


    In this way, it naturally wouldn''t be Su Chen''s turn, the neer, unless there was a real shortage of hands!


    Of course, Su Chen didn''t mind and rather enjoyed the leisure!


    As soon as six o''clock arrived, and it was time to leave work, he left and drove the BMW 5 Series towards the Yuntian Clubhouse.


    It was the peak of rush hour, and as Jianghai was a major city, the streets were bustling with traffic. Fortunately, Su Chen wasn''t in a hurry and drove slowly.


    About half an hourter, he finally arrived at the grand entrance of the Yuntian Clubhouse.


    The Yuntian Clubhouse was a very upscale club in Jianghai City, impressive and majestic from the outside!


    Inside, one could find everything from dining and drinking to entertainment, where you could enjoy top-level services as long as you had the money.


    After Su Chen parked his car at the entrance and got out, a beautifully dressed PRdy came over immediately.


    "Sir, do you have a reservation?"


    The lovely PRdy wore a professional smile, which was very pleasant!


    Su Chen nodded: "I''m a guest of Miss Ye Mei."


    "You must be Mr. Su, please follow me,"


    The attractive PRdy immediately understood and made a weing gesture:


    "Miss Ye has instructed to take you to her as soon as you arrive."


    "Okay."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen followed the PRdy into the club. Surprisingly, instead of leading him to a private room, she took him straight through the club''s lobby to its rear.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but murmur to himself, Wasn''t I invited for a meal?


    What on earth is Ye Mei up to?


    At that moment, his curiosity about Ye Mei''s intentions only grew!


    Soon Su Chen and the PRdy arrived at a quiet little stone-paved path, with vines entwining on both sides and scarcely visited by people.


    It must be said, the environment here was truly lovely!


    After crossing the stone path, what appeared before Su Chen was an open-air hot spring, and he was momentarily stunned.


    Not for any other reason, but for the incredibly graceful figure in the hot spring not far away.


    The silhouette in the water seemed unaware of an outsider''s arrival, showing no extra movements.


    "Miss Ye, Mr. Su is here,"


    the PRdy announced by the hot spring, then immediately retreated courteously.


    Only then did Ye Mei turn her head around. Upon seeing Su Chen, she stood up and casually draped a bathrobe over herself.


    "Mr. Su has arrived."


    Ye Mei stepped out of the hot spring pool and said with a slight smile.


    "When beauty invites, how could I disappoint? It would be terribly rude, wouldn''t it?"


    Su Chen said with a light smile.


    "But I wonder, what exactly does Miss Ye need from me?"


    Su Chen continued.


    "To dine, of course!"


    Ye Mei chuckled and said:


    "It is my honor to have someone like Mr. Su here, it''s not easy!"


    "How could it be? If Miss Ye invites me daily, I would willingly ept every day!"


    Su Chen said, a hint of amusement in his smile.


    He certainly knew that Ye Mei''s invitation was not for something as simple as just dining!


    However, he was indeed still curious about what Ye Mei''s sudden invitation meant!


    Hearing Su Chen''s jest, Ye Mei alsoughed heartily, "Giggle," finding him quite an interesting man. Then she said:


    "No hurry, we can chat slowly over dinner!"


    "Mr. Su, please wait here for a moment. I''ll go change my clothes and be right back!"


    Ye Mei said with a lightugh once again.


    "Okay."


    Su Chen nodded. Although curious, he was not in a rush!


    Ye Mei then turned and walked toward a small cabin not far away, while Su Chen looked around leisurely.


    The beautiful and peaceful environment was indeed a rare gem!


    Shortly afterward, Su Chen alsoy down on a nearby lounge chair, and took a leisurely nap ...

 Chapter 53 - 53 Need a Reason

    After waiting about ten minutes, a bustle of footsteps began to sound, and Su Chen opened his eyes, stood up, and turned to look back.


    He saw Ye Mei approaching in a set of ck leather jacket and pants, her raven hair casually draped over her shoulders, instantly lighting up his eyes.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh, thinking how changeable this woman was. She appearedpletely different from before, earlier she had seemed more seductive, and now she exuded a wilder charm!


    However, one thing remained the same, and that was the seductive aura emanating from her, something that simply could not be concealed!


    "Let''s go!"


    Ye Mei walked over and naturally linked her arm with Su Chen''s. A yful smile spread across his face as he epted her gesture.


    He was curious to see what this woman''s intentions were.


    In a short while, the two arrived in the clubhouse''s foyer and then stepped onto a spiral staircase.


    This staircase was quite distinctive, reminiscent of a winding mountain road, extending all the way to the top floor.


    "The design of this restaurant is quite exquisite."


    After reaching the top floor, Su Chen nodded in admiration.


    From the quiet hot springs at the back to this staircase and many other details, Su Chen could tell that the designer had put in a lot of thought.


    "Of course, and not only that, the designer herself is a great beauty,"


    Ye Mei turned to look at Su Chen, blinked, and seemed somewhat mysterious.


    "Oh, is that so? Now I''m rather curious." Su Chen said with a lightugh, "Do you know the designer by any chance?"


    With a secretive smile, Ye Mei didn''t answer Su Chen''s question. Instead, she headed to a private room, pushed the door open, and walked in.


    Inside, a table set with food and drink was alreadyid out, and steam was rising, evidently prepared in advance by Ye Mei.


    Su Chen casually took a seat, and Ye Mei sat next to him, even scooting her chair closer to his side.


    Su Chen thought to himself: Why sit so close in this heat?


    Of course, Su Chen didn''t really voice such a mood-killing remark.


    "Try this, the snake soup is a signature dish of this clubhouse, very nourishing for the body."


    Ye Mei stood up, served Su Chen a bowl, and ced it in front of him.


    "Thank you."


    Su Chen said, then began to taste it.


    "Indeed, it''s delicious, fresh on the pte!"


    "I''m d Mr. Su likes it. Their dishes are quite good; try them all."


    A faint smile was always present on Ye Mei''s pretty face as she attended to Su Chen like he was the lord of the manor.


    "I should be sober enough now, let''s drink a bit."


    A momentter, Su Chen wiped the corner of his mouth and said with a smile.


    "Alright, then I''ll join Mr. Su for a drink."


    Ye Mei poured a ss of wine for each of them, clinked sses with Su Chen, and took a sip.


    After drinking, Ye Mei noticed that Su Chen was staring at her, his face disying a faint, indescribable smile.


    And he didn''t raise his ss to drink but continued to casually swirl it around.


    "Mr. Su, why aren''t you drinking? Is the wine not to your liking?"


    Upon seeing Su Chen''s smile, Ye Mei''s heart trembled slightly, but she quickly leaned in closer to him, her voice bing somewhat husky.


    "No, the wine is fine." Su Chen set his ss down, staring at Ye Mei''s face, "I just need a reason."


    "I don''t quite understand what Mr. Su means."


    Ye Mei''s heart skipped a beat at his words, yet she managed to keep herposure.


    "In that case, I''m leaving."


    Su Chen stood up directly and walked towards the door.


    "Mr. Su, please wait a moment,"


    Just as Su Chen reached the door and was about to touch the doorknob, an anxious and tense voice came from behind him.


    Ye Mei had not expected him to be so decisive, especially since she was quite confident in her own looks!


    Most people, upon seeing a beauty like herself, would cling to her!


    But this man, without a word being said, simply stood up and walked away without a hint of hesitation, catching her off guard and forcing her to involuntarily speak up to retain him!


    Hearing Ye Mei''s voice, Su Chen''s body paused slightly, his footsteps momentarily halted, and his hand on the doorknob stopped as well.


    "Mr. Su, could you please sit down and talk this over slowly?"


    When Ye Mei saw Su Chen stop, she immediately walked over, pulled him back to his seat, and only then did she feel somewhat relieved.


    "What exactly did Mr. Su mean just now, could you please rify?"


    Ye Mei asked cautiously.


    "Isn''t the meaning quite obvious? The actions Miss Ye took today probably aren''t without reason, are they?"


    Su Chen nced at the somewhat flustered Ye Mei:


    "I still have a sense of self-awareness. I''m not so narcissistic as to believe that I have the charm to make Miss Ye fall in love at first sight!"


    For Su Chen, from the encounter at the hot springs to now sitting beside him, none of it could be without reason!


    "Why would Mr. Su think so little of himself? Could it not be possible that I have fallen for Mr. Su?"


    Ye Mei looked at Su Chen as she said:


    "Mr. Su is quite a charming man, after all!"


    This remark Ye Mei made wasn''t just talk; although he wasn''t the kind of man who stunned people at first nce, he was certainly someone who grew on you the more you looked!


    "No," Su Chen shook his head, "One''s eyes do not deceive, and your eyes tell me that your actions today are not pure!"


    "Miss Ye, do you think I can still drink this wine?"


    Su Chen looked at the flustered Ye Mei and smiled faintly.


    "Is Mr. Su suspecting that I put something in this wine?" Ye Mei''s elegant eyebrows furrowed slightly.


    "Of course not, for if that were the case, you wouldn''t be sitting here sofortably," Su Chen looked at Ye Mei and asked, "Now tell me, what exactly is the reason for Miss Ye''s actions today."


    Ye Mei was just about to speak when Su Chen waved his hand:


    "From now on, I do not wish to hear any insincere probes from Miss Ye''s mouth."


    The force of Su Chen''s words made Ye Mei, who was about to speak, close her mouth again.


    After a moment, Ye Mei took a deep breath before looking at Su Chen:


    "The cause for today''s events dates back to something that happened yesterday afternoon. I want to ask, was that person you?"


    "Are you referring to the incident at Dragon Ascend Building?"


    Su Chen tilted his head slightly, suddenly seeming to understand.


    "Yes, that''s the incident I''m talking about."


    Ye Mei nodded slightly, looking at Su Chen with a face showing signs of nervousness, and her heartbeat quickened a bit!


    After all, everything before was merely spection!


    "You''re right, that person was indeed me,"


    Su Chen replied indifferently, not denying it and openly admitting it.


    Hearing this, Ye Mei was greatly shocked!


    Although she had suspected it, getting confirmation still made her feel incredulous!

 Chapter 54 - 54 What I Want is You

    ```


    For her, Lord Long and Dragon Tower were undoubtedly the objects of her focused attention.


    So when the incident happened yesterday, she soon received a report from below, saying that someone had smashed the ce at Dragon Tower, which greatly surprised Ye Mei.


    She immediately started to investigate who this audacious man was, the one who dared to touch the tiger''s buttocks?


    She quickly gathered quite a bit of information from the people who had been cleared out by the police, and from the descriptions of the onlookers, the image of the mysterious man who appeared at the bar the night before naturally sprung to Ye Mei''s mind.


    Connecting this to the phrase the man had uttered before departing that night¡ªabout wiping out the Dragon Prosperity Society¡ªYe Mei had a strong feeling that he was the very person she was looking for!


    What left Ye Mei even more incredulous was thatter, there were rumors saying the police had shown up, but the man came out unscathed.


    Ye Mei had also wanted to inquire about what had happened after the crowd was dispersed, but she was unable to learn anything else, as everyone who was present was tight-lipped!


    Having wed her way through the ranks for several years, Ye Mei also realized that the subsequent events likely involved ssified matters!


    This, on the contrary, sparked an even greater interest in this mysterious man within Ye Mei!


    If the truth was indeed as she suspected, perhaps this man could really help her fulfill a long-standing wish.


    Ye Mei was decisive. Once she had a n, she immediately put it into action, which led to the invitation of today.


    However, she hadn''t anticipated that this man would be able to hold his own under her own "seduction," stayingpletely unruffled!


    She was keenly aware of her own allure and, therefore, her interest in this man grew even more, not as simple as before, with a significant part of it stemming from an instinctual curiosity about him.


    Ye Mei graduallyposed herself and then said sincerely,


    "I assume Mr. Su has guessed the intention behind my request."


    "You probably have something that you need my help with, concerning Long Xiaoshan, right?" Su Chen thought that Ye Mei wanted to shake off Long Xiaoshan''s harassment, so he said, "If that''s the case, you can rest assured, he won''t dare to harass you again."


    To Su Chen''s surprise, Ye Mei shook her head, her face disying a hint of disappointing dimness that inspired pity.


    "What is it then?"


    "Have you heard of the Four Great Families of Jiangnan?"


    Instead of stating the specifics, Ye Mei asked Su Chen such a question.


    "I''ve heard of them, the Wu, Liu, L¨¹, and Yun families, but I don''t know the details."


    Su Chen indeed often heard of the reputation of the Four Great Families, who, without a doubt, were the rulers of their respective domains in Jiangnan!


    However, in Su Chen''s eyes, they were nothing more than slightlyrger ants, not deserving of much concern.


    "Mr. Su, the help I require is rted to one of the Four Great Families, as to what it is, I cannot tell you right now, but I hope that when the timees, Mr. Su can lend me a helping hand," Ye Mei''s beautiful eyes were filled with an expectant look, her tone brimming with sincerity.


    It was clear that the matter she had not mentioned was very, very important to her.


    After waiting for a moment and seeing Su Chen remain silent, the sparkle in Ye Mei''s eyes gradually faded, and she appeared visibly disheartened.


    Indeed, they were strangers without any ties; why would he be an enemy of the Four Great Families for her?


    After all, those Four Great Families were so powerful, like colossal entities!


    Thinking this, Ye Mei couldn''t help but let out a bitterugh, realizing that her request was indeed too excessive.


    ```


    Truth be told, even if Su Chen were willing to help, she didn''t think there was any chance or possibility, but no matter what, she had to try.


    "Mr. Su, if you find it difficult, then let''s forget about it, it was just my wishful thinking," Ye Mei said with a smile, though anyone could see it was forced.


    Just when Ye Mei thought all hope was lost, Su Chen spoke indifferently,


    "Give me a reason, or rather, why should I help you? What''s in it for me?"


    "You say, whatever you want, all my properties, savings, everything I own, I can give to you!"


    Ye Mei was like a drowning person clutching at a straw, her expression agitated, her voice trembling!


    "Do you think I need those?" Su Chen said indifferently.


    Ye Mei deted like a punctured ball, hanging her head and sighing.


    Yes, if he truly had the power to stand against the Four Great Families, why would he care about her possessions?


    "Mr. Su, apart from these mundane things, I really don''t have anything else, except for myself."


    Ye Mei looked up pleadingly at Su Chen, only to see a hint of a "sly" smile on his lips.


    "What I want is you."


    Although Su Chen''s tone was mild, it left no room for doubt, as if a king weremanding his subject!


    "But?"


    Ye Mei bit her cherry red lips, torn inside. Although she had seduced Su Chen before, that had only been a probe.


    And now, he openly wanted her. Ye Mei might exude a sultry charm, but in reality, she was just a woman in her twenties who had never even had her first time.


    Yet thinking of her heart''s deepest desire, Ye Mei''s gaze gradually became resolute.


    "I agree to you, from now on, I am yours, you can have my body whenever you want."


    Ye Mei was somewhat puzzled. If he really wanted her, why had he reacted that way to her seduction before?


    While Ye Mei inwardly agreed, she felt a hint of disgust towards Su Chen, believing him to be extremely hypocritical! And to think she had originally thought he was a real man!


    Su Chen hadn''t expected his words to make Ye Mei think so much. Hearing her response, he shook his head.


    "What I want is not your body, but your loyalty and submission!"


    Ye Mei was momentarily taken aback, and then her face flushed red, realizing she had misunderstood him.


    It wasn''t her fault though! His ambiguous words were too easily misconstrued.


    "Okay, I agree, and once you help me fulfill my wish, you will be my master, and I will do anything you say!"


    Seeing Su Chen looking towards her, Ye Mei said without hesitation, ready to bind herself to him.


    "When you truly fall in love with me, perhaps I will taste this red rose of yours."


    A crafty smile yed again on Su Chen''s lips as he gently blew into Ye Mei''s ear.


    That sly smile caused Ye Mei''s heart to leap wildly, and the breath made her shiver.


    She discovered that at this moment, Su Chen seemed to possess a special kind of magic and allure that she couldn''t resist.

 Chapter 55: Reencountering Xiao Yaning

    "Impossible!" Ye Mei nced at Su Chen and said coquettishly, then poured herself a ss of red wine and raised it, "Can Mr. Su have a drink with this littledy now?"


    "Of course."


    Su Chen picked up his ss and gently clinked it with Ye Mei''s. Just as he was about to drink, the door was suddenly pushed open.


    "Yo, Ye Mei, you really know how to choose a ce, secretly meeting with your little lover here, huh?"


    As this voice sounded, a woman dressed in a qipao walked in.


    As Su Chen turned his head and had yet to see the woman''s face, his eyes were drawn to a pair of long legs!


    "Top-notch leg model!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but inwardlypliment. Those long legs, partially visible under the high-slit qipao, were even more suggestive!


    "Yaning, what are you doing here?"


    Although Ye Mei was a bit surprised to see the neer, she was happy and stood up.


    "You find it odd that I''m at my own club?" The neer leaned close to Ye Mei and whispered softly, "Just now Xiao Yue told me she saw you, and I didn''t believe it. I thought you''d definitely tell me if you came. I didn''t expect it really was you."


    "Who is this guy? Your boyfriend?"


    The neer nced at Su Chen and suddenly felt he looked familiar, but couldn''t remember where she had seen him.


    "Why are you gossiping too? No, he''s just an ordinary friend."


    Ye Mei lightly stamped her foot, a blush appearing on her delicate face.


    "Yeah right, who would believe that? I''ve never seen you alone with a man these past years."


    The neer took another look at Su Chen, finding him more familiar the more she looked.


    On the side, Su Chen found Ye Mei''s shy demeanor rather amusing. He hadn''t expected this underground queen of Jianghai to have such a side.


    As for the woman who had just walked in, Su Chen recognized her immediately; she was the woman who had borrowed a cigarette from him and then jumped into the river that night.


    It waste at night after all, and the lighting was very dim, so it was normal for her not to recognize him right away.


    At that time, Su Chen had already noticed her remarkable looks and excellent figure, but he hadn''t realized she possessed such irresistibly long legs.


    However, she seemed much more lively todaypared to that night. He wondered what had happened to her to drive her to such desperation.


    Finding the two women still whispering among themselves, Su Chen, out of sheer boredom, lit a cigarette.


    "It''s you!"


    The woman who had been "examining" Ye Mei saw Su Chen smoking and suddenly eximed as if struck by lightning, then covered her mouth, her face full of disbelief.


    "What, you know him?" Ye Mei was greatly surprised by her friend''s reaction.


    "Are you the guy from that night?" Xiao Yaning stepped closer, probing cautiously.


    Su Chen looked at her and nodded slightly, acknowledging it.


    "It really is you! I''ve been wondering if I''d ever meet you again! I didn''t expect it to be such a coincidence." Xiao Yaning''s expression was one of great surprise, much like winning a lottery.


    That night, she had just had another fight with her father, feeling extremely downhearted, plus the pressure umted over more than a year led her to impulsively attempt to jump into the river.


    Looking back, she was terrified by her own actions. If it hadn''t been for that man, she might have been lost forever.


    Since then, she had this inexplicable hope of meeting the man who had saved her again, though she knew that, in this vast sea of people, the chances were slim.


    She never expected that today, in her own club, she would meet him again!


    No wonder she felt he looked familiar!


    "Has the matter been resolved?" Su Chen spoke softly upon seeing the other person somewhat excited.


    "Not yet." Xiao Yaning''s agitated expression faltered slightly, but she quickly smiled and said, "But it''s okay, just like you said, as long as we''re alive, there''s hope! I won''t give up."


    "It''s good that you''ve thought it through." Su Chen was also pleased with her change of attitude.


    "Hey, what are you two doing?" Ye Mei stared at them for a few seconds, "What are you two talking about? Why can''t I understand?"


    "It''s nothing."


    Xiao Yaning replied nonchntly. Although she and Ye Mei were close friends, there were some things she didn''t share, like her attempted jump into the river.


    "I was about to introduce you to each other, but it seems that''s not necessary."


    Ye Mei spoke with a hint of sourness, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    "We''ve only met once; I still don''t even know her name."


    "Yes, he and I aren''t what you imagine, and I still don''t know your boyfriend''s name either."


    Xiao Yaning looked at Ye Mei somewhat amused, her tone teasing.


    "I told you he''s not my boyfriend."


    Ye Mei was confused and even more unclear about their rtionship.


    "Then let me introduce you, this is Su Chen, and this is my close friend, Xiao Yaning."


    "I see you two arepletely different personalities; how did you be close friends?"


    Su Chen asked curiously. Although Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning were both very beautiful, they werepletely different types of women. How could they be good friends?


    "It''s all fate."


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning looked at each other andughed together.


    At that moment, in another private room at the Yun Tian Club, sat a young man. He was dressed in a top-notch, hand-tailored white suit, around twenty-something, looking haughty, as if he disdained everything around him.


    He also had an arm around a good-looking girl who appeared to be a college student, looking utterly dependent on him.


    The young man''s one hand was wandering over her body at will while the girl wore a pleasing smile, though her eyes flickered with a hint of contempt, hard to notice.


    Around him, several bodyguards stood, all in ck tight suits and well-built muscles. Though they wore sunsses, the fierce look on their faces was quite evident!


    At that moment, a man with delicate and tender skin pushed the door open and walked in, came up to the young man, and whispered a few words into his ear.


    Is that true? You didn''t see it wrong?"


    A sinister smile appeared on the young man''s face, and his eyes gradually narrowed.


    "I''m sure I''m not mistaken. I just went to the restroom, passed by the corridor, heard a voice that seemed familiar, took a peek, and it was her, Xiao Yaning was there too, and there was a man."


    The delicate-skinned man said with a ttering tone and a mischievous grin on his face.


    "A man?" The young man''s brow furrowed, "What man?"


    "I don''t know him, never seen him, probably in his twenties."


    "You should have seen everyone around Jiangnan with a bit of a name, if you don''t know him, he must be some nobody." The young man''s face showed a look of disdain, "But her being with Xiao Yaning and a man, that is interesting! Should have called the Young Master Li from the Li Family over to watch the drama!"


    "How about I call Li''s Young Master now?"


    The delicate-skinned man''s lips curled up with a wicked smile, as if he had stumbled upon something interesting.


    "No rush, let me go and see first, after all, she is from my Wu Family! I should at least say hello."


    "Young Master said right, I''ll take you there now."

 Chapter 56: 56th Chapter: The Struggle Between Women

    After spending some time together, Su Chen, Ye Mei, and Xiao Yaning had grown quite familiar with each other. The trio chatted merrily, presenting an image of harmony.


    However, beneath the surface, "turbulent undercurrents" flowed. Ye Mei would asionally hint at his past with Xiao Yaning, while Xiao Yaning would also subtly probe the rtionship between Ye Mei and himself.


    The two women also seemed to bepetitively spirited, constantly taking turns to toast Su Chen. In no time, Su Chen had nearly two bottles of alcohol in his system.


    What made things even more unbearable was that both women were also sneakily throwing seductive nces his way, making him exim he couldn''t stand it!


    Women truly are a mysterious species. If it were any one of them alone with Su Chen, they would probably be afraid of him doing something, of course, Ye Mei''s previous intentional seduction not included.


    But now, when the two women were together andpeted, it seemed as if they were afraid Su Chen wouldn''t do anything.


    It wasn''t that the two women had really developed feelings for Su Chen, at most they just had a favorable impression of him.


    The main reason was the covert struggle between the two women. Although they were close friends, they were still women in this respect and were no exception. Su Chen was merely the tool they used in their fight.


    Suddenly, Su Chen felt a foot gently caressing his calf under the table. The delicate foot kept sliding up and down his leg.


    Shivering slightly, Su Chen turned to look at Ye Mei, who was sending him an irresistibly enchanting gaze.


    "This girl, she really thinks I''m a sick cat if I don''t show my ws."


    Su Chen clenched his teeth and abruptly reached out, capturing the mischievous foot under the table.


    She hadn''t expected the normally obedient Su Chen to suddenlyunch an attack.


    "Let go."


    Ye Mei immediately became anxious; if Xiao Yaning at her side saw this, it would be disastrous.


    Su Chen, smiling, gently shook his head, but his hands didn''t stop. Ye Mei''s foot was simply too exquisite for him to let go easily.


    Eventually, Su Chen did let her go, and she quickly adjusted her posture to sit up straight and proper.


    "Oh."


    Xiao Yaning''s eyes were full of suspicion, obviously sensing something fishy between the two.


    Just then, the private room''s door was abruptly pushed open, and five or six people walked in.


    Upon seeing these individuals, the expressions on both women''s faces changed dramatically, especially Ye Mei, who had a particrly strong reaction.


    "Wu Yuanpin, what are you doing here?"


    Xiao Yaning called out unweingly.


    "I heard Miss Ye was dining here, so I specially came to offer a toast. What, am I unwee?"


    Wu Yuanpin took a seat at the table with an air of nonchnce.


    "Yes, you are unwee! Please leave immediately!"


    Ye Mei''s tone softened slightly but her face still wore ayer of Ice Frost.


    "You are from our Wu Family, although a bastard, you''re still one of us. To speak to me like this!"


    Wu Yuanpin was not a man who knew how to hold back, and seeing that the two women did not give him any face, he felt disgraced.


    "I have no rtionship with the Wu Family!"


    Ye Mei''s voice was thick with contempt when she mentioned the Wu Family, as if it were something filthy.


    "Oh, what about your mother? She''s still living in our Wu Family''s mansion, isn''t she? When I go back today, I''ll ask her how she managed to raise such an ungrateful child! Hmph!"


    "If you have the guts,e at me, but don''t touch my mother, or I swear I will never let you off, even if it kills me!"


    Ye Mei, upon hearing Wu Yuanpin threaten her with her mother, suddenly shouted out in agitation.


    "Never let me off? Just you, or your so-called Red Rose?"


    Wu Yuanpin dismissed Ye Mei''s threat with contempt, curling his lips.


    "And who is this man? Don''t forget, you''re going to be part of the Situ Family soon."


    "Dream on! Over my dead body!" Ye Mei immediately pulled Su Chen closer, "I have a boyfriend now, and he''s the one!"


    "You''re her boyfriend?"


    Wu Yuanpin, upon hearing this, turned to look at Su Chen, his eyes shooting out two fierce glints.


    "So what if I am? What if I''m not?"


    Su Chen wasn''t particrly interested in dealing with someone like Wu Yuanpin, and spoke in an indolent tone.


    For a scion like Wu Yuanpin, nothing was more intolerable than being disregarded, and Su Chen''s casual demeanor was undoubtedly a hit to his sensitive pride.


    "Who the hell are you to speak to our Young Master like that! Do you even know who our Young Master is?"


    Before Wu Yuanpin could explode, theckey beside him¡ªa fellow with delicate features¡ªalready started screeching in rebuke.


    "Uh, where did this fancy-boye from?" Su Chen nced at the man with a somewhat strange look, "Out with it, then. What exactly is your Young Master?"


    "Our Young Master isn''t a thing!"


    The "fancy-boy," in his haste, blurted out his response and then realized his mistake.


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning both covered their mouths, snickering at the slip-up, and Wu Yuanpin''s face instantly darkened with a cloud of anger.


    "Get lost, idiot!"


    Wu Yuanpin barked, and the "fancy-boy" immediately retreated to the back, trembling with fear.


    Wu Yuanpin walked directly up to Su Chen and said:


    Continuing from before, if you''re not that bastard''s man, you''d better scram. But if you are, then think carefully if you can bear the consequences."


    "Let me tell you, this is the Wu Family''s business, and you''d best weigh your options carefully! Don''t get yourself killed over a woman without even knowing how it happened!"


    Wu Yuanpin''s haughty head tilted up slightly, his nostrils ring at Su Chen, who was in in employee attire and hardly worth a nce in his eyes.


    "p!"


    Before his words could settle, a resounding p rang out in the small private room, the echo reverberating off the walls.


    The few people present were immediately shocked, unable to believe that anyone in Jiangnan territory dared to p Wu Yuanpin! And on the face, no less!


    Who was Wu Yuanpin? He wasn''t just any Tom, Dick, or Harry. He was the Second Young Master of the number one prestigious Wu Family in Jiangnan, and he was the beloved grandson of Old Madam Wu!


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning realized instantly the gravity of the situation and their faces turned incredibly tense.


    Wu Yuanpin touched his cheek, utterly astonished. He had actually been pped across the face?!

 Chapter 57 - 57 You can give it a try

    "Do you fucking know what you''re doing?"


    Wu Yuanpin''s eyes zed with raging fury. His bodyguards were rubbing their hands together eagerly, ready to show off their skills, but since Wu Yuanpin hadn''t given the order yet, they didn''t dare to move.


    "p!"


    The response he got was still a resounding p. After hitting him, Su Chen''s hands slipped back into his pockets, his face carrying a light smile as he looked at Wu Yuanpin.


    "Dare to curse my woman, this is just an appetizer."


    Upon hearing this, Ye Mei suddenly felt a special sensation in her heart; so this was how good it felt to be protected and cared for!


    Wu Yuanpin was nearly going insane. What the fuck was up with this guy? He was clearly a lunatic!


    "What the fuck are you waiting for? Get him!"


    Upon receiving the orders, the bodyguards immediately stamped the ground fiercely and charged over.


    Wu Yuanpin exerted his strength to flip the round table aside, and the dishes immediately shattered on impact, "ng ng" scattering across the floor, sshing soup and bits everywhere, even on Su Chen and the other two.


    When Su Chen saw the imposing group of five or six men approaching, he was calm andposed. He had already noticed that these were no ordinary men; in terms ofbat prowess, they were on par with ace special forces.


    Ye Mei also had some perception and could tell these men were extraordinary. Not to mention her own subordinates, even Dragon Prosperity Society''s elite forces couldn''tpete with these men.


    "The Four Great Families are indeed the Four Great Families. Besides having big shots in all fields, it''s the strength they hide within that is truly terrifying," she thought.


    Ye Mei sighed silently and then nced at Su Chen, feeling a bit apologetic for dragging him into this chaos.


    She wasn''t sure whether Su Chen could handle these men, as they were not just any foes like those from Dragon Prosperity Society.


    What she didn''t know was that to Su Chen''s eyes, there was no difference between these men and those from Dragon Prosperity Society; they were all matters that could be dealt with a wave of his hand.


    Faced with two men who had already charged in front of him, fists raised ready to strike, Su Chen directlyunched two punches, meeting them head-on.


    "Boom!"


    A loud bang echoed, followed by two clear "crack" sounds.


    The two bodyguards immediately felt an excruciating pain; the bones in their hands were crushed to a fracture.


    The two of them couldn''t believe that this seemingly ordinary young man possessed such strength!


    Su Chen smirked coldly; for him who had entered the First Layer of Qi Refinement, this was just a trifling disy of his prowess!


    The others, unaware of what happened, also charged in. Su Chen leaped into the air and swept out a leg in a whipping motion.


    The men behind him clearly saw the leging and tried to dodge, but his leg followed them like a shadow.


    "Bang, bang, bang~~~"


    By the time Su Chennded, the remaining bodyguards were also spinning to the ground, howling in pain!


    Everything happened too quickly for the onlookers to react before it was all over.


    Ye Mei looked at Su Chen as if he were a freak.


    He was way too strong! It was like watching an adult y a game with children.


    At this moment, Ye Mei''s confidence increased; maybe he really was the one fated to help her.


    Although Ye Mei didn''t want to get her hopes up too much, the possibility seemed a lot better than the previous despair.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Yaning had been scared speechless just a moment ago, and now she slowly recovered, looking at Su Chen with shining eyes.


    The scene she had just witnessed was too impressive; the man seemed like a towering hero, standing proud between heaven and earth!


    Xiao Yaning felt her little heart beating uncontrobly, her cheeks slightly flushed.


    Wu Yuanpin couldn''t believe what had just happened; he knew exactly who these people were, and he never expected them to be like trash in front of this young man.


    This could only mean one thing: the young man was extremely skilled!


    Although Wu Yuanpin was shocked, he was not scared; after all, he was a member of the Wu Family!


    However, he had clearly forgotten the incident with the two ps just now. His Wu Family identity had made himwless and arrogant over the years.


    But he wasn''t a fool; knowing that the man before him was a bit tricky, he coldly said,


    "Fine, today I misjudged, we''ll meet another day. Let''s go!"


    After speaking, he prepared to leave, and his bodyguards also helped each other up, trembling as they stood and followed behind him.


    Just as Wu Yuanpin had taken a few steps, anguid voice rang out from behind him again.


    "Did I say you could leave?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Wu Yuanpin suddenly turned around, his eyes narrowing, sending a sharp re towards Su Chen:


    "What? Beating up my men is not enough for you? Kid, don''t push your luck!"


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning also anxiously tugged at his arm, the message clear: let it go.


    However, Su Chen had his own ns; he gently shook off their arms and then gave them a slight smile.


    That smile, as if magical, gave a sense of security, and the women''s anxious feelings eased a bit.


    "I really don''t know what crap you have in your head." Su Chen stepped closer to Wu Yuanpin, "You were the one who wanted to hit someone, and you''re the one who wants to leave after being unable to hit back. Do you think such a good deal exists in this world?"


    "Who the hell gave you such privilege? Who the hell spoiled you like this?"


    The normally mild-mannered Su Chen suddenly yelled, startling everyone.


    "So what do you want?"


    Wu Yuanpin maintained his haughty tone and posture, curious to see what tricks this wretched-looking man had up his sleeve.


    "Lick the food off the floor clean," Su Chen said calmly.


    "What did you say?" Wu Yuanpinughed incredulously, pointing at his own nose, "You want me to lick the food clean off the floor? Are you out of your mind?!"


    The bodyguards and that dandy also burst intoughter as if they''d heard the funniest joke.


    Even Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning felt as though they were hearing a bizarre dream. Wu Yuanpin licking the floor clean? What a daring thought!


    Doing so would create an insurmountable enmity with the Wu Family, especially with the actual power holder, Madam Wu.


    Yet Su Chen seemed not to hear theughter:


    "If you don''t lick it clean today, you won''t be able to leave this room."


    His voice was very faint, very calm.


    "And if I don''t? Do you really dare to stop me?" Wu Yuanpin scoffed.


    "You can try and see."


    "Hmph, let''s go!"


    Wu Yuanpin immediately lifted his leg and walked towards the door. If he didn''t dare to leave now, that would be the real loss of face!


    But just as his hand touched the doorknob and opened the door a crack, a silver light flickered in the air.


    Immediately after, a "hmph" was heard; Wu Yuanpin staggered and fell toward the door.


    The door that had just been cracked open was shut again by the impact of his body...

 Chapter 58: Stray Dog

    Other people, surprised by Wu Yuanpin''s sudden copse since no one had touched him, eventually realized what had happened when they saw a silver needle shaking on his ankle.


    Yet, they found it incredible that this man, from such a distance, had controlled Wu Yuanpin''s body with just a silver needle¡ªit was utterly unthinkable!


    After falling to the ground, Wu Yuanpin didn''t feel any pain, but he couldn''t muster any strength in his legs.


    "What are you doing?" Wu Yuanpin said as he saw Su Chen approaching with a smile, feeling scared for the first time in his life, "I warn you, I am a son of the Wu Family. If you dare disrespect me, the Wu family will not let you go!"


    "Is that so?"


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen kicked Wu Yuanpin in the body, and Wu Yuanpin immediately felt a pang of physical pain.


    "Since you''re not willing to eat, then I''ll just have to help you."


    Su Chen dragged Wu Yuanpin roughly to where the food was spilled, then forcefully pressed his face down into the dishes.


    "Open your mouth!" Su Chen ordered.


    But how could Wu Yuanpin possibly open his mouth? His lips were tightly closed, his gaze filled with hatred as he looked at Su Chen.


    Su Chen didn''t care about what he thought, pulled his head up, and tightly grasped both sides of his mouth.


    As soon as Wu Yuanpin''s mouth opened, Su Chen grabbed a handful of food and forcefully stuffed it into his mouth.


    "Mmmm~~~"


    Wu Yuanpin made a pitiful whimpering noise, tears almost streaming out, while his face got smeared with various leaves and broth.


    The other onlookers also felt a sense of unreality seeing Wu Yuanpin in this state.


    This was Wu Yuanpin, after all!


    "Next, are you going to eat by yourself, or shall I feed you?"


    Su Chen tilted his head slightly, a sadistic smile appeared on his face.


    "I, I''ll eat by myself!"


    Wu Yuanpin said haltingly, finally realizing his predicament.


    He had always believed that being a son of the Wu Family was the ultimate protection, but he had not anticipated that this nerve-wracked young man would shatter that protection into pieces!


    Under everyone''s gaze, Wu Yuanpin finally lowered his proud head and, lying on the ground, began licking up the food inch by inch, overwhelmed by a flood of humiliation.


    He swore in his heart to tear this young man to pieces and ensure a miserable end for him!


    Ye Mei, watching Wu Yuanpin, who had always looked down on her, now reduced to a wretched dog, felt a surge of pleasure!


    She had waited for this moment for over twenty years!


    Yet at the same time, she was deeply worried. Su Chen humiliating Wu Yuanpin like this would surely provoke the Wu Family''s wrath!


    Facing the Wu Family''s ferocious retaliation, could Su Chen remain unharmed?


    Ye Mei had no confidence in her heart, understanding the strength of the Four Great Families far better than the average person from Jiangnan, havinge from their ranks.


    But the more she knew, the more frightening she found the Four Great Families!


    However, worrying was of no use now; it was time to meet force with force and counter measures with measures.


    Next to her, Xiao Yaning''s gaze at Su Chen grew even more radiant.


    I never expected such a crude, savage side from this seemingly unremarkable young man!


    After more than half an hour, Wu Yuanpin had finally cleaned up all the food on the floor, then looked up at Su Chen with a face full of anticipation.


    "Scram."


    Su Chen waved his hand and removed the Silver Needles from Wu Yuanpin''s body.


    Wu Yuanpin and his subordinates immediately fled like they''d received a pardon, scrambling out the door.


    Not long after Wu Yuanpin and his group had left, Su Chen and Ye Mei also departed.


    Ye Mei left her car at the Cloud Sky Clubhouse and got into Su Chen''s BMW.


    The day''s events had a significant impact on Ye Mei; she remained quiet throughout the ride, her face marked by deep worry.


    "Are you worried the Wu Family will seek revenge?"


    Su Chen understood what she was thinking and asked casually.


    "Of course I''m worried, aren''t you?"


    Ye Mei was curious as she looked at him, observing that he seemed unaffected.


    "What is there to worry about? It''s just the Wu Family after all."


    "You don''t understand the power of the Four Great Families; if they decide to retaliate, you won''t even know how you died."


    Ye Mei gave Su Chen a scornful look, annoyed at his bravado, especially his casual dismissal of the Wu Family!


    "Are you worried about me?"


    Su Chen smiled faintly and reached out to hold Ye Mei''s hand, noting how cold it felt.


    "As if I''d worry about you!"


    Ye Mei nced sideways at Su Chen and tried to pull her hand away, but he was holding it too tightly, so she ended up letting him continue to hold it.


    "The things you told me today are rted to the Wu Family, aren''t they?"


    After a moment, Su Chen suddenly asked.


    "Yes, that''s right." Ye Mei nodded.


    "Can you tell me exactly what''s going on?"


    At that moment, Su Chen''s tone was very gentle, knowing that this was something deeply buried in Ye Mei''s heart.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Ye Mei didn''t answer immediately but opened the car window and looked outside for a while before she finally began to speak slowly:


    "I am the illegitimate daughter of Wu Jinjun, the Family Head of the Wu Family. My mother fell in love with the handsome Wu Jinjun while she was still in college. At that time, she didn''t know that he was already married. It was toote by the time she found out, as she was already pregnant with me."


    "What''s more, my mother had deeply fallen for him by then and couldn''t leave him. Afterward, the old madam of the Wu Family found out about the affair and took my mother to the Wu Family mansion, considering she was carrying the Wu Family''s offspring. At that time, the Wu Familycked male heirs, with only Wu Yuanli in the grandson generation; the old madam probably hoped my mother would give birth to a boy."


    "However, contrary to her wishes, it was a daughter. From then on, my mother''s miserable life started. The old madam grew increasingly displeased with us, never showing a good face, and if she disapproved of us, others certainly didn''t treat us with any respect either."


    "The most critical person was Leanne Jing, Wu Jinjun''s official wife. She saw my mother as a thorn in her side from day one but didn''t dare to make a move at first because the old madam protected my mother. But since my birth and the old madam''s growing coldness towards us, Liang Jing began to trouble my mother increasingly, especially after she gave birth to Wu Yuanpin, bing utterly unbridled!"


    "She not only made my mother do the work of a servant but also created all kinds of difficulties for us. Our dwelling was an abandoned storeroom; when it rained, half of the roof leaked, and the cold winds during winter were bone-chilling. One could say, my mother''s decades in the Wu Family mansion were even worse than those of the lowliest servant."


    "And your father? Does he not care? You are his daughter, after all!"


    Learning about Ye Mei''s harsh past, Su Chen couldn''t help but feel pity and held her hand even tighter...

 Chapter 59: Ye Meis Thoughts

    ```


    "Him?" Ye Mei sneered with contempt, "He''s nothing but a spineless wimp. Although nominally the head of the Wu Family, in reality, all the major decisions are made by the Wu family''s matriarch, and the minor ones by his wife, Liang Jing."


    When speaking of her father Wu Jinjun, a deep resentment surged within Ye Mei, which was hardly surprising. Anyone in her position would probably feel the same.


    However, Su Chen wasn''t surprised. The cutthroat rivalry, treachery, and coldness of human rtionships within arge family were beyond the imagination of outsiders.


    "Then why didn''t you and your mother leave?" Su Chen asked curiously.


    "At first, my mother couldn''t bear to leave Wu Jinjun, she still had feelings for him; after all, he was her first love. But by the time she started to give up on Wu Jinjun, the situation changed."


    "One day four years ago, several people arrived at the Wu Familypound. Among them, a young man with an exceptionally noble presence took the lead. Iter found out that they were from the Situ Family of Yanjing, and the leader was their third son. He took an interest in me and proposed to the Wu Family that very day."


    "For the Wu Family, the Situ Family of Yandu was an aspirational match, one they could only dream of. Of course, they jumped at the chance to be inws with them and immediately agreed. Later, when the Wu family matriarch personally discussed the matter with my mother and me, I vehemently opposed it and even threatened to take my own life."


    "The matriarch didn''t expect my stance to be so resolute, so she had no choice but to temporarily shelve the matter. I knew they wouldn''t give up easily, so I immediately left the Wu house."


    "They just let you go? Without trying to stop you?" Su Chen asked again, knowing thoserge families were never so benevolent.


    "I was also puzzled at the time, thinking they had let their guard down, but Iter learned they had already prepared a countermeasure. Just as I was about to board a ne to a ce the Wu Family couldn''t find me, they stopped me at the airport. They threatened me with my mother''s wellbeing, saying if I dared to leave Jianghai, she would suffer! So I had no choice but to stay in Jianghai and struggle on."


    Su Chen thought to himself that as a woman, Ye Mei''s choice of path was likely mostly motivated by the desire to gain power to protect herself and her mother.


    "Not only that, they also gave me a deadline. I must marry into the Situ Family before my twenty-fifth birthday. And now, half a year from now, I''ll be twenty-five. By then, the third son of the Situ Family will also have returned from studying abroad."


    Ye Mei continued,


    "The Wu Family pressured me on one side while they began to work on my mother on the other. Everyone in the Wu Family softened their attitude towards my mother, even the Wu family matriarch often sought heart-to-heart talks with her, telling her about the benefits of marrying into the Situ Family. Even Liang Jing, Wu Jinjun''s wife, started acting sisterly towards my mother. Wu Jinjun, shameless as he is, even brought up old affections with my mother again!"


    "But I know it''s all for their own benefit. The Wu family matriarch and Wu Jinjun are like that, and so is Liang Jing. She cares only because her son, Wu Yuanpin, is the favorite of the old matriarch and is most likely to be the Wu Family heir!"


    "What do you want me to help you with?" Su Chen looked at the somewhat agitated Ye Mei and sighed softly to himself.


    "If I try to take my mother out, the Wu Family will surely stop me. I hope that when the timees, you can lend me a helping hand to sessfully take my mother away."


    Ye Mei looked into Su Chen''s eyes with a pleading gaze.


    "Alright, if that''s the case, let''s go get her tomorrow." Su Chen naturally wouldn''t refuse; to him, this was a minor task.


    "No." Ye Mei was startled when Su Chen said they would get her mother the next day, "Do you think the Wu Family is a vegetable market that you cane and go as you please? It''s not that easy to break in. We must be fully prepared, only then is there a glimmer of hope."


    "Fine, just let me know when you''re ready," Su Chen replied nonchntly, shrugging it off. He knew Ye Mei wouldn''t trust him even if he said he was confident.


    But there was no rush; there was still half a year left, wasn''t there?


    "The most critical thing right now isn''t here, but my mother''s attitude. She can''t see through the Wu Family''s ill intentions. Last year, when I hinted at taking her away from the Wu house to escape somewhere else, she refused to leave no matter what. In the end, she even persuaded me to marry Situ Yuan, saying that marrying into the Situ Family would mean a worry-free life forever."


    ```


    Ye Mei rubbed her temples with a headache and said helplessly,


    "I know that on one hand, she''s been bewitched by the Wu Family and truly believes that what she''s doing is for my benefit. But the more important reason is that she still has lingering feelings for Wu Jinjun and is reluctant to leave him."


    "So what do you n to do?"


    Su Chen felt pity for that lovelorn woman, but he didn''t have any good solutions for such a situation either.


    "I can only keep persuading her. At the same time, I''m getting ready, so the moment the opportunity arises, we''ll take immediate action!"


    As she said this, a resolute light shone from Ye Mei''s eyes!


    "Great! No problem!" Su Chen smiled at her, "After you get her out, what''s the n? The Situ Family won''t give up so easily, right?"


    Mention of the Situ Family brought a profound sense of powerlessness to Ye Mei''s heart. She wasn''t confident dealing with the Wu Family, let alone taking on the Situ Family of Yandu, whose strength was many times greater.


    "By then, we''ll just have to take it one step at a time. If there''s really no other way, I''ll have to flee to some remote country."


    Ye Mei sighed deeply. Opposing the Situ Family was something she couldn''t even dare to think about!


    "Don''t worry, with me here, everything will be fine."


    Su Chen thought to himself: The Situ Family? The death of my parents probably couldn''t have happened without your involvement!


    If that''s the case, then let''s have you be the first to taste my de!


    "Okay, I believe you!"


    Ye Mei smiled, thinking that Su Chen was merely trying tofort her, after all, the Situ Family was one of the top few families in Huaxia!


    Su Chen could see Ye Mei''s disbelief, but he didn''t say much. He simply smiled and continued driving the BMW towards her residence.


    "I''m here."


    When they reached a high-end apartmentplex, Ye Mei spoke up.


    Su Chen parked the car, and Ye Mei got out. Then she walked over to Su Chen''s side and tapped on the window:


    "What''s the matter, noting up for a bit? Want to go for a cup of coffee?"


    "Better not, I''m afraid I won''t be able to leave once I go up."


    Alone with a woman at night in a room, Su Chen wasn''t sure he could endure it, especially since he had just recently admired her explosive figure.


    That burning passion was still lingering within Su Chen''s body!

 Chapter 60 - 60 Ghost Doctor Su Chen

    Su Chen returned to Lin Ruoxue''s vi, and it was already after nine o''clock, Mrs. Wang had gone to bed, but the light in Lin Ruoxue''s upstairs study was still on.


    "Lin Ruoxue, this CEO''s job really isn''t easy!"


    Su Chen sighed and was about to go back to his own room when he suddenly heard a series of low groansing from the upstairs study, sounding very painful.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but stop in his tracks, just in time to hear a "thud," as if something had been knocked over onto the floor.


    "What''s happened?"


    Startled, Su Chen quickly sprinted up the stairs and pushed the door to the study wide open.


    He saw a chair toppled over to one side, while Lin Ruoxue was sitting on the ground, clutching her stomach, deeply furrowing her brow, and beads of cold sweat were forming on her forehead, looking very much in pain.


    "What''s wrong?" Su Chen quickly set the chair upright, then helped Lin Ruoxue to sit down.


    "Stomachache, my old problem." Lin Ruoxue asked with particr curiosity, "How did you get here?"


    "I heard some noise from downstairs." Su Chen''s face showed a look of concern, "Does it hurt a lot?"


    "It''s nothing, it will pass in a while."


    Lin Ruoxue said through gritted teeth, suddenly another wave of sharp pain struck, causing her to involuntarily grimace.


    "You''re in this state, and it''s ''nothing.''" Su Chen put on a stern face, "Give me your hand."


    "What for?"


    "Just extend it when I say so, why ask so many questions!" Su Chen retorted without any pleasantries.


    This was the first time Su Chen had spoken to Lin Ruoxue in this manner, and she was momentarily stunned.


    By the time she came to her senses, her delicate hand was already in Su Chen''s grasp, and she could clearly feel Su Chen stroking her hand.


    Really, Su Chen couldn''t be med; Lin Ruoxue''s skin was just too good, silky and tender.


    Lin Ruoxue had never been touched by a man like this, she quickly tried to retract her hand, only to have Su Chen catch it once again.


    "Don''t move, I''m going to take your pulse."


    Without any embarrassment about having just touched her hand, Su Chen rested a finger gently on Lin Ruoxue''s wrist.


    "Huh? You know how to do this, too?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes were shing non-stop, surprised as she looked at Su Chen.


    "Nonsense, I am the Divine Doctor, nicknamed the Ghost Doctor, and my consultation fee starts at five million US dors."


    Su Chen curled his lips, stating indifferently.


    This part was no lie by Su Chen; he was indeed known as the Ghost Doctor, partly because his medical methods were unpredictable like spirits, and partly because he could snatch people back from death''s door.


    The one thing that few people knew was that the Netherworld Hall Master and the Ghost Doctor were the same person, something the outside world would never guess.


    "Psh, boasting, nobody believes that!" Lin Ruoxue sneered at Su Chen''s words, "Five million US dors? Who would spend that much money on medical treatment?"


    "When a person''s life is nearly gone, how much money do you think they wouldn''t spend?"


    Su Chen spoke offhandedly, but his expression was growing more serious.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Lin Ruoxue also noticed Su Chen''s solemn expression, and couldn''t help but feel a "thump" in her heart.


    "It''s nothing serious, just acute gastritis."


    Su Chen tried to downy the situation to keep Lin Ruoxue from worrying.


    Actually, his heart was heavy, because in addition to the sudden outbreak of acute gastritis, he discovered that there seemed to be an extremely cold energy lurking within Lin Ruoxue''s body.


    Since he was only at the First Layer of Qi Refinement, he couldn''t use True Qi to investigate what that thing truly was, but his instincts told him it was terrifying.


    If he wanted to help Lin Ruoxue clear that extremely cold energy from her body, he would need to be at least at the Sixth Layer to have a chance.


    The only constion was that, for the moment, this energy had not caused any substantive harm to Lin Ruoxue''s body.


    It was like a seed, lurking inside Lin Ruoxue, seemingly slumbering, yet also appearing to be slowly nurturing something.


    "I really can''t stand the pain anymore, just take me to the hospital."


    Lin Ruoxue had intended to endure, but the pain was too intense, making her feel almost unable to hold on.


    "With me here, the Divine Doctor, why go to a hospital?"


    Su Chen curled his lips, indifferent to the many big shots who queued up for his medical attention. Now he was actively offering to treat Lin Ruoxue, yet she didn''t believe in him.


    "Please stop joking, okay? I''m really in a lot of pain."


    Lin Ruoxue covered her stomach with one hand and propped herself up on the sofa with the other, her speech was already somewhat difficult.


    "How about we make a wager?"


    Su Chen became annoyed upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, feeling as if his status as the Ghost Doctor was being equated to some street swindler in her eyes.


    "What kind of wager?"


    Lin Ruoxue lifted her head slightly, her slender pale neck raising as she looked at Su Chen, curiosity in her beautiful eyes.


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a slight, roguish smile, as he said lightly,


    "Let me try, and I guarantee to cure you within fifteen minutes. If I can''t, you can demand something of me, no take-backs; if I do, you''ll have to agree to a request of mine, no take-backs."


    "Fifteen minutes?" Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes suddenly widened, "Are you kidding?"


    "Do I look like I''m joking?"


    Su Chen felt frankly annoyed, thinking how he, the Divine Doctor, had been reduced to using such tactics to get someone to agree to treatment.


    However, considering the patient was his wife, he felt slightly better.


    "Alright, I''ll let you try. But we need to agree on the requests first, in case you ask for something excessive..."


    Although Lin Ruoxue believed Su Chen couldn''t win, she still mentioned it just in case.


    What if he actually won and asked her to do that sort of embarrassing thing? Could she really agree to it?


    "Fine, then state your request first."


    Su Chen didn''t mind, because he knew he couldn''t possibly lose. If he couldn''t cure such a minor illness, he might as well drown himself in a bath.


    After thinking for a moment, a sharp glint shed in Lin Ruoxue''s eyes as she stared at Su Chen and said,


    "If I really win, you tell me your true identity and all your secrets!"


    Recently, Lin Ruoxue had noticed her husband bing more mysterious, and his identity seemed not to be as simple as it appeared.


    Lin Ruoxue had tried to probe into it, but Su Chen clearly wasn''t nning to tell her, and she couldn''t do anything about it.


    If she could take this opportunity to get the information she wanted, then it couldn''t be better.


    Su Chen was momentarily stunned. He hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue to suddenly make such a request, and for a moment didn''t know how to reply.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t miss Su Chen''s reaction, and her heart suddenly jolted!


    Her husband in name indeed had secrets!

 Chapter 61 - 61 That Sort of Thing What Sort of Thing?

    "How about it? You''re not too scared to bet, are you?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s cherry-red, alluring lips puckered slightly, with a hint of "provocation".


    "Fine, I ept, but what if I win?"


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly, fully aware of the youngdy''s attempt to goad him.


    "What then?"


    Lin Ruoxue regarded Su Chen warily, her stomachache seemingly lessened by the distraction of his attention.


    "Well," Su Chen stroked his chin, his lips revealing that rogueish grin once more, "I''ll have to think about that."


    "Spill it!"


    Lin Ruoxue, seeing Su Chen''s mischievous demeanor, felt like a little rabbit that had stumbled into a big, bad wolf''s trap.


    "If I win, I want you..." Su Chen paused deliberately at this point.


    "No way!"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately rejected outright, thinking to herself that this guy was absolutely up to no good!


    "I haven''t even said it yet, how can you say it''s not eptable?"


    Su Chen nced at Lin Ruoxue''s stunning face and teased her yfully.


    "Isn''t it just that kind of thing you''re talking about? Don''t think I don''t know! Humph!"


    Lin Ruoxue huffed, silently praising herself for making him reveal his demands ahead of time¡ªa wise move, indeed.


    "What kind of thing is that? I really don''t know," Su Chen leaned closer to Lin Ruoxue''s face, the distance between them not even ten centimeters. Su Chen could clearly smell the faint fragrance emanating from Lin Ruoxue, which was very pleasant.


    Naturally, Lin Ruoxue also scented the distinctive masculine aroma from Su Chen, which made her face turn red.


    "Exactly what matter is it? President Lin."


    Su Chen feigned ignorance as he asked, a sly twinkle in his eyes.


    "It''s that matter, don''t y dumb!"


    The closeness of the two and Su Chen''s rather embarrassing question gave the atmosphere a somewhat flirtatious undercurrent.


    Lin Ruoxue''s heartbeat quickened, and her face grew warmer.


    "I''m genuinely confused, not pretending, so please enlighten me, President Lin."


    Su Chen leaned in even closer, the two now able to feel each other''s breath.


    "What you were talking about is surely that matter between men and women," Lin Ruoxue whispered in a flustered and panicked tone.


    "The matter between men and women? What is it? I don''t understand," Su Chen touched his head, looking utterly bewildered, appearing like a pure, inexperienced boy.


    Su Chen disyed an innocent, aggrieved expression, as if Lin Ruoxue was bullying him, which infuriated her to the point of wanting to smack him.


    "You just said, said, ''I want you''... isn''t that what you meant?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face flushed as she gritted her teeth to speak, feeling even more embarrassed as she uttered the words "I want you".


    "As heaven is my witness," Su Chen raised two fingers towards the sky, "I really didn''t mean that."


    "Then what did you mean?"


    Lin Ruoxue retorted irritably. Could it be that what she heard with her own ears didn''t count?


    "I didn''t even finish my sentence, yet you jumped to conclusions," Su Chen said with some "disdain," "That only suggests that your own thoughts are unhealthy, always thinking about that sort of thing to make such an association."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue felt like spitting out a mouthful of blood. What was this scoundrel talking about?


    Me, having an unhealthy mind? Me, always thinking about that kind of thing?


    A flush of shame appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s face, and her eyes shot towards Su Chen like sharp daggers.


    "President Lin, since we''ve gotten the certificate, if you really wanted to exploit me, you wouldn''t need to go through all this trouble¡ªjust saying the word would suffice. I could bear the hardship if necessary."


    Su Chen''s expression seemed somewhat valiant, like a warrior ready to face death.


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned utterly dark. She wants to exploit me? And he''d bear the hardship?


    Lin Ruoxue wished she had a block of tofu to smash her head against!


    She never imagined her husband could be so shameless. Indeed, extreme shamelessness is invincible!


    "Alright, since you say I''m taking things out of context, why don''t you tell me what you were nning to say?"


    Lin Ruoxue scoffed coldly. She really wanted to see what kind of ivory Su Chen could spit out of his dog''s mouth!


    "I hadn''t thought it through yet, but since my wife has such needs, of course I should satisfy them."


    That familiar mischievous smile once again spread across Su Chen''s face.


    At this point, Lin Ruoxue was close to tears. How did it be about her having these needs?


    But facing Su Chen''s smear campaign again, she felt powerless to retort, because this guy could always say something even more shameless.


    Right now, all she wanted was to hear what kind of demands he would make.


    "Hmm~~~"


    Just then, the pain that had slightly subsided minutes ago struck fiercely again, and Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but groan in pain.


    "What''s the matter?" Su Chen hurried to support Lin Ruoxue''s shoulder andid her down.


    "Just tell me your demand," urged Lin Ruoxue, holding her stomach.


    "Forget it, you''re in pain like this, we''d better hurry and treat it."


    Su Chen took out a long cloth bag from his pocket and spread it out on the coffee table¡ªit was the bag for his Silver Needles.


    "No, you must say it!"


    Unexpectedly, Lin Ruoxue became stubborn.


    She was a person of principles. She had made a request earlier, and Su Chen hadn''t yet, so naturally, she couldn''t agree¡ªit wouldn''t be fair!


    "Really want me to say it?"


    "Hurry up."


    "Alright, this is because you asked me to say it."


    Su Chen leaned down and whispered a few words into Lin Ruoxue''s ear.


    "You, you, you, shameless!"


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue''s cheeks blushed intensely once again, her entire face blooming like a radiant peony!


    "You asked me to say it,"


    Su Chen spread his hands, nonchntly remarking.


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue felt an even more violent spasm of pain, as if her abdomen was cramping.


    "Fine, I agree!"


    Lin Ruoxue gritted her teeth and stared intensely at Su Chen.


    The pain in her stomach was bing unbearable, so she quickly agreed to Su Chen''s demand. She just wanted him to hurry up and save her. Even if he couldn''t cure her, as long as it didn''t hurt so much, that would be enough.


    The main reason she agreed was actually that deep down, she didn''t believe Su Chen could cure her within fifteen minutes.


    Because that was simply a joke! Lin Ruoxue doubted he could cure her at all, let alone in fifteen minutes.


    Lin Ruoxue believed, not even those real masters of traditional Chinese medicine could achieve this feat!

 Chapter 62 - 62 Treating Illness

    Lin Ruoxue was willing to let Su Chen give it a try, instead of going straight to the hospital, because the nearest top-tier hospital was nearly an hour''s drive from her home, and she clearly found it difficult to endure for such a long time.


    Lin Ruoxue had been seriously ill as a child, and the old Lin Master did not trust her to be treated in a small hospital, so he insisted that she must go to a top-tier hospital for medical treatment.


    "Aren''t you going to treat me quickly?"


    Lin Ruoxue, seeing Su Chen still hesitating and dallying, immediately spoke out.


    She could only hope now that Su Chen was really as impressive as he imed to be.


    As for the request he made, Lin Ruoxue was too preupied to consider it, because her pain was getting worse by the minute.


    "I need you to lift your shirt up a bit, so I can ce the needle,"


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue somewhat awkwardly.


    Lin Ruoxue was slightly startled, her face reddening again, but because herplexion was somewhat pale at the moment, it was not very noticeable.


    Lin Ruoxue understood that since this was a medical treatment, some physical contact might be inevitable.


    She hesitated for a few seconds, then reached out and lifted her shirt up a little.


    Lin Ruoxue closed her eyes, once again lifted her shirt up a bit, exposing a patch of snowy white.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s smooth, creamy waist, Su Chen couldn''t help but swallow. Her slender willowy waist was devoid of any excess fat and faintly revealed two sexy lines.


    How does this girl maintain such a great figure without even working out?


    Su Chen could onlyment the unfairness of the Creator, as a beauty like Lin Ruoxue, who seemed to have taken the essence of nature, was indeed rare!


    "What am I thinking about? Right now, I am a doctor!"


    Su Chen silently admonished himself, steadied his mind, then pulled out a Silver Needle from the cloth bag and wiped it between the tworgest ribs.


    Then, he took out two slightly shorter and thicker Silver Needles and inserted them above the acupoints of the waist, followed by cing another needle about an inch and a half above the belly button.


    After these few needles were in ce, Lin Ruoxue felt the intense pain she had been experiencing dissipate a lot, and herplexion returned to normal. She couldn''t help but be amazed!


    She looked at Su Chen with an even more inquisitive gaze.


    However, at this moment, Su Chen didn''t have the mind to care about these, because he was facing an even more awkward dilemma.


    "What''s the matter? Is it done?"


    Seeing Su Chen suddenly stop, Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "Not yet."


    Then hurry up."


    Now, Lin Ruoxue had gained a bit more confidence in Su Chen''s medical skills; even if it didn''t cure her, it probably wouldn''t make things worse, at least reducing some pain.


    "This, this, this," Su Chen stuttered for a while before he managed to say what he wanted to say, "for this, I now need you to unfasten the button on your pants, as I need to use a needle near your belly button."


    Lin Ruoxue was immediately stunned, with a flush of red climbing up her face and reaching her neck.


    The contact just now had already pushed beyond Lin Ruoxue''sfort zone, but she had endured it for the sake of treatment.


    But now? To actually have to unfasten her pants button, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t get past this hurdle in her heart.


    "Do I really have to do this?" Lin Ruoxue''s heart was filled with turmoil; she hadn''t expected such a situation to arise.


    "Yes. It''s necessary because I need to ce a needle two inches below and three inches below your belly button," Su Chen nodded, his expression very serious.


    "You aren''t taking advantage of me under the guise of treating me, are you?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen with skepticism; she did not have much trust in Su Chen''s character.


    "Am I really that bad in your eyes?" Su Chen asked with a bitter smile, shaking his head, "If you want topletely cure the issue in your stomach, it must be done this way."


    "Can you reallypletely cure my stomach ailment?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue became very excited, grabbing onto Su Chen''s arm with one hand.


    This severe case of acute gastritis was the first for Lin Ruoxue, but her stomach ailments had been recurring frequently, happening two or three times a year.


    It was likely that this severe outbreak was due to the lingering issues from before.


    "I guarantee it!" Su Chen affirmed with a firm nod, "And I am just a doctor now. In the eyes of a doctor, there''s no distinction between sexes, only patients."


    "Alright, I trust you."


    After some thought, Lin Ruoxue made up her mind.


    She had been tormented by her stomach ailment for many years.


    Lin Ruoxue''s hands slowly moved to the button of her pants, and seeing Su Chen watching her every move, she suddenly felt extremely shy.


    "Turn around," Lin Ruoxue halted her actions.


    "What''s there to be afraid of, you''ll have to see it in a bit anyway."


    Su Chen simply couldn''t understand women''s thoughts.


    "No, turn around," she insisted.


    "Alright, alright."


    With certain requests from women, it''s best for a man not to argue but just toply.


    Seeing Su Chen turn away, the tension in Lin Ruoxue''s heart finally eased a bit, and then she slowly unbuttoned her pants.


    "I''m ready."


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice trembled slightly as she spoke, clearly very nervous.


    No wonder, Lin Ruoxue, although in her twenties, had never had a boyfriend, nor had she ever been so intimately close to a man before.


    Knowing her nervousness, Su Chen did not waste any more time, swiftly drawing out two Silver Needles, targeting the acupuncture points just below Lin Ruoxue''s navel.


    Lin Ruoxue''s heart thumped loudly; she could vividly feel the heat flushing her face, her body feeling as though it was burning.


    Su Chen''s movements were lightning-fast, inserting the two Silver Needles urately into the points, two cun and eight fen deep, without the slightest deviation.


    Following that, Su Chen''s right hand deftly twisted the ends of each Silver Needle, gently rotating them.


    With Su Chen''s maniption, involuntary soft gasps escaped from Lin Ruoxue''s lips, as if originating from deep within her throat,ced with both pain and seemingly a hint of pleasure.


    This truly reflected Lin Ruoxue''s current state; she felt a heaviness of pain, yet at the same time, an unprecedented sensation of lightness.


    It was an extraordinary sensation, yet indescribable in words.


    Momentster, Su Chen ceased his movement and began extracting the Silver Needles, one by one. As thest needle was removed, Lin Ruoxue suddenly sat up, emitting a long, muffled groan.


    "We''re done."


    Su Chen said with a smile, putting away the Silver Needles.


    Upon hearing that, Lin Ruoxue immediately felt for any pain and found itpletely gone; her body was filled with energy.


    Lin Ruoxue had never felt thisfortable before. Her body had always felt as if it was weighed down by lead, constantly burdened, but now, it was as if all the shackles had been removed, leaving her feeling utterly light and free!

 Chapter 63: Husband, I Love You

    "How about that? My medical skills aren''t bad, right?" Su Chen winked at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Not bad." Lin Ruoxue gave a perfunctory reply, the stubborn Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t give in so easily!


    But seeing the beads of sweat on Su Chen''s forehead, she still felt somewhat moved.


    However, her curiosity about the secrets her husband held deepened.


    Not only could he cook dishes that Michelin-starred chefs couldn''t match, but his knowledge of music was also profoundly deep!


    Today, he had demonstrated unmatched medical skills. Although she didn''t know the extent of Su Chen''s medical skills, she knew they must be extraordinary.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have cured her chronic condition so quickly!


    More likely, he might even casually give away something worth millions of US dors!


    Who exactly was her husband? How many things about him did she not know?


    Lin Ruoxue felt that Su Chen was filled with too many secrets worth exploring, like a treasure chest.


    "I must figure all this out!"


    Lin Ruoxue silently resolved in her heart.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Su Chen noticed Lin Ruoxue''s increasingly strange gaze and couldn''t help but ask.


    "Nothing."


    Lin Ruoxue shook her head, burying her thoughts deep inside.


    "Well then, what about our bet?" Su Chen revealed a slightly mischievous smile. "Aren''t you supposed to fulfill the wager now?"


    "Ah~~~"


    Lin Ruoxue was still happy about getting healthier, but she had clearly forgotten that once Su Chen truly cured her, she would have to fulfill the bet.


    Thinking of Su Chen''s previous excessive request, Lin Ruoxue''s face blushed again, and she didn''t dare meet Su Chen''s gaze.


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue to have such an adorable side, and immediately felt a mischievous urge to tease her a bit.


    But he also knew that Lin Ruoxue, the Ice Beauty, would never do that kind of thing.


    He had made the request on a whim and hadn''t taken it seriously, but obviously, Su Chen wasn''t going to let her off easily either.


    "What''s wrong? Hurry up, I''ve been waiting!" Su Chen urged.


    "Can we do itter? I''m not ready yet."


    Lin Ruoxue clenched her fists nervously and asked somewhat uneasily.


    "What do you need to get ready for? If you want to back out, just say it." Su Chen''s face showed an ''I knew it'' expression. "After all, you''re the CEO, and I''m just a driver. There''s nothing I can do if you want to back out."


    "Who''s backing out! Make yourself clear!"


    Lin Ruoxue, who had battled in the business world, valued integrity above all, and now being used of backing out was something she couldn''t tolerate.


    "You made a bet but aren''t fulfilling it. Isn''t that backing out? But you don''t have to worry, I figured you were that kind of person already."


    Su Chen lit a cigarette nonchntly and said,


    "After all, this is typical behavior for you businessmen."


    "Who said I''m backing out?! Bring it on, I''m not scared of anyone!"


    A surge of impulsive energy burst from Lin Ruoxue''s chest, and she blurted out those words, but she regretted them as soon as she spoke.


    "Uh, are you serious?" Su Chen suddenly widened his eyes, his face filled with disbelief. "You''re not joking?"


    "I, I . . ."


    Lin Ruoxue started to stammer, wanting to take back her words, but that would mean backing down, and the usually assertive Lin Ruoxue was not ustomed to doing so.


    "Forget it, I knew you were just kidding." Su Chen purposely showed a look of "contempt," "Let''s treat this bet as a joke, not to be taken seriously."


    Su Chen''s contempt deeply wounded Lin Ruoxue''s strong sense of pride. When had she ever been looked down upon like this?


    Su Chen''s expression seemed to say, I knew you wouldn''t keep your word, I won''t bother with you.


    For Lin Ruoxue, this was unbearable!


    "Fine, bring it on, I''ll fulfill the bet right now!"


    A heroic aura emerged on Lin Ruoxue''s face, as if she was about to leap into a dragon''s den or a tiger''sir.


    "There''s no need to force yourself." Su Chen shook his head and sighed.


    "No, I must do it, I will fulfill the bet right now." Lin Ruoxue''s fighting spirit waspletely ignited by Su Chen''s disdainful attitude.


    "Really want to?" Su Chen still couldn''t believe that Lin Ruoxue was actually going to fulfill that bet.


    He had only intended to provoke her, but had underestimated Lin Ruoxue''s pride. At this moment, Lin Ruoxue seemed determined to go through with it no matter what.


    "I must!" Lin Ruoxue''s emotions were somewhat agitated, her eyes shooting out two intense beams of fire!


    "Alright then, since you insist, I''ll reluctantly agree."


    Su Chen expressed his helplessness. Watching his shameless demeanor, Lin Ruoxue felt like taking off her high heels and vehemently pping his face with the soles, since he seemed to have no shame at all.


    "Come on!"


    Su Chen spread his arms, looking like amb to the ughter.


    His face again betrayed a deep, mischievous smile as he watched Lin Ruoxue, who seemed somewhat uneasy on the couch.


    Lin Ruoxue slowly stood up, and under Su Chen''s intensely invasive gaze, she trembled like a frightened little rabbit, feeling a bit stiff all over.


    The words she had spoken before were powered by a surging sense of injustice in her chest; now that she really had to fulfill the bet, she became incredibly nervous and flustered.


    Especially under Su Chen''s presumptuous gaze, it felt as if her clothes were being stripped off by his eyes.


    Thinking about the embarrassing act she was about to perform, Lin Ruoxue felt like her body was on fire, getting hotter by the moment!


    "Close your eyes."


    Lin Ruoxue spoke softly, her head lowered.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen obediently closed his eyes, and Lin Ruoxue felt slightly better, then slowly moved towards him.


    Hearing the sound of her approaching footsteps and the distinctive fragrance of Lin Ruoxue''s body wafting over, Su Chen''s heart also began to beat uncontrobly.


    "Closer, closer, even closer."


    Su Chen''s heartbeat quickened even more, making him curse himself silently for being so pathetic; he was not a novice, and besides, he was facing his legally wedded wife¡ªwhat was there to be nervous about?


    Just then, Lin Ruoxue had already walked up to him, the distance between them barely an inch.


    Looking at Su Chen''s somewhat immature face, Lin Ruoxue''s heart nearly leapt out of her throat!


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue was still engaged in a fierce mental battle, her longstanding conservatism making it hard for her to take that step.


    "To hell with it, better to die early than live in torment!"


    Fortunately, this guy was still her husband in name, which lessened her sense of guilt somewhat.


    With a resigned-to-fate mindset, Lin Ruoxue slowly tiptoed and, like a dragonfly skimming the water, kissed Su Chen on the cheek while cooingly calling out:


    "Hubby, I love you!"

 Chapter 64 - 64 Lin Ruoxues Thoughts

    Su Chen felt something extremely soft press against his face, which was incrediblyfortable.


    The whiny voice of Lin Ruoxue in his ears sounded like music from heaven, turning all his bones to mush.


    Slowly, Su Chen opened his eyes, only to see that Lin Ruoxue''s face was already flushed with embarrassment.


    Her gaze darted about, avoiding meeting Su Chen''s mischievous look.


    "You bad guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue scolded him silently in her heart.


    But what could she do since she had lost the bet? It was all the fault of that guy for making such a bizarre request, demanding she kiss him and also call out "Husband, I love you!"


    She really didn''t know how he came up with such a wicked idea.


    In sharp contrast to Lin Ruoxue''s intense emotions, Su Chen was feeling utterly delighted.


    He hadn''t expected that Lin Ruoxue, the icy beauty, would take the initiative to kiss him and even cry out "Husband, I love you!"


    Even now, Su Chen was still savoring that tender sensation!


    It was just too brief a moment.


    Lin Ruoxue sneakily nced at Su Chen and saw that one of his hands was still touching the spot she had kissed, which made her feel even more embarrassed!


    "What are you still doing here? Get going!"


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t know what else might happen if he continued to stay. In her eyes, Su Chen was definitely a dangerous creature!


    "Alright, I''m leaving."


    Su Chen walked out with a goofy smile, as if he had found a Gold Ingot.


    After Su Chen had left, Lin Ruoxue quickly closed the door, then flung herself onto the couch, covering her face with her hands, feeling a bit overheated.


    Today''s events were absolutely a first for Lin Ruoxue¡ªa groundbreaking day.


    First, Su Chen had seen her body while treating her illness, even the more private areas, which she could overlook since Su Chen was in the role of a doctor.


    But what happened afterwards was something Lin Ruoxue had never dreamt she would do of her own volition¡ªshe had actually taken the initiative to kiss that guy, and uttered those mushy words.


    "I''m going to die, I''m going to die!"


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue still buried her head in the couch, her face as red as a ripe apple that seemed to ooze juice when pinched. At that moment, she wished to be an ostrich.


    Just then, the door suddenly creaked open.


    Lin Ruoxue jumped in surprise, immediately sitting up, only to see Su Chen walking in with a small bowl in his hand.


    "What are you doing back here?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen with a guarded expression, asking coldly.


    "Wife, why is your face so red?" Su Chen asked with confusion.


    "It''s nothing!" Lin Ruoxue became somewhat flustered upon hearing Su Chen''s words, then cooled down again, "Don''t call me that in the future, although I just... Anyway, you''re not allowed to call me that."


    Lin Ruoxue was still not used to being addressed with the affectionate term "wife."


    "Alright, President Lin, I''ve just made some date and yam soup. Hurry up and drink it while it''s hot; it''s good for your stomach," Su Chen didn''t mind Lin Ruoxue''s attitude at all, "Even though you''re already cured, you still need to nourish yourself, can''t be too careless."


    "Alright, I know. You can go now."


    Lin Ruoxue was slightly stunned before she waved her hand, feeling an inexplicable irritation in her heart.


    "Okay, drink it while it''s hot." Su Chen ced the bowl on the desk, then walked out and closed the door behind him.


    Once again, Lin Ruoxue found herself alone in the room. She slowly approached the desk, looking at the bowl of soup still steaming, aplex emotion spreading in her heart.


    ....


    Days went by one after another, and in the following months, Su Chen led a rtively quiet life without encountering any major turbulence.


    However, after the incident that night, there was a subtle change in his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue. Although not obvious, it was indeed there.


    There was also a slight change in the situation within the security department, mainly because ever since Su Chen arrived, thepany''s two beauties, Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru, would directly call for Su Chen when they needed a car for official matters.


    This filled Pang San, the head of the driver''s department, and Cao Kun, the deputy department head, with hostility towards Su Chen, fearing for the security of their positions, while others envied his frequent private time with the two beauties.


    As for these petty minds, Su Chen couldn''t be bothered to care, pretending not to see their resentful gazes.


    However, there was one thing that Su Chen found strange: Wu Yuanpin, the second young master of the Wu Family, had not taken any action against him, which was decidedly out of character for scions of such prominent families.


    To them, face was of utmost importance. Having been humiliated by Su Chen that day, Wu Yuanpin should have immediately sought frenzied revenge.


    Su Chen estimated that there must be some important matter preupying him, and it was surely not out of magnanimity that he had spared him.


    In the meantime, Su Chen frequently gathered with Ye Mei at the Cloud Sky Club, and naturally, he would often encounter Xiao Yaning. Every time Su Chen saw her, his gaze was drawn to her legs, which could be described as superb.


    What frustrated Su Chen, though, was that Ye Mei didn''t seem to have the slightest inclination to treat him as her master. Whenever Su Chen expressed dissatisfaction, Ye Mei always said that she would fulfill her promise after the matters with the Wu Family were settled.


    Su Chen just mentioned it casually, as he found this way of interacting with Ye Mei quitefortable. He was now more inclined to regard Ye Mei as a partner.


    Having no significant power in Huaxia, he did have ns to groom Ye Mei, which was the main reason he needed her loyalty back then.


    Nevertheless, the most exciting event for Su Chen in the past few months was his cultivation experiencing another breakthrough!


    During this period, his cultivation progressed from the Qi Refinement First Layer to the Qi Refinement Fifth Layer, achieving preliminary externalization of True Qi.


    This speed was, without a doubt, many times faster than his first attempt at cultivation!


    What he didn''t expect was finding that the True Yuan refined through the Nine Yang Divine Technique was much more potent than what he possessed before.


    This directly resulted in a consequence where his current strength could match that of an ordinary cultivator at the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer to Ninth Layer, which was very close to the Qi Refinement Peak.


    He believed that if he reached the Qi Refinement Seventh Layer or Eighth Layer, he could certainly im to be invincible in the Qi Refinement Realm!


    By then, he would nearly be unstoppable in this world, although he knew there was the Meridian Expansion Realm above the Qi Refinement Realm. But in his many years, Su Chen had never encountered a master of the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    As for masters at half-step Meridian Expansion, as far as he knew, there were only two or three in the whole world.


    Of course, he was once among them.


    Not to mention half-step Meridian Expansion, there are only a few who can reach the Qi Refinement Peak in this world!


    The miraculous effects of the Nine Yang Divine Technique caught Su Chen by surprise. Whether it was cultivation speed or the purity of True Yuan, both are crucial for a cultivator.


    This further strengthened Su Chen''s determination to continue training in this amazing Cultivation Technique. As for the three great cmities mentioned by his old master, Su Chen was prepared.


    Since ancient times, which path to the highest peak has ever been easy to walk?!

 Chapter 65 - 65 The One Who Comes to Do Harm

    Su Chen was so desperate to gain power because of a thorn buried deep in his heart, the truth about his parents'' death.


    At that time, Su Chen was too young to remember anything, and he only had a vague impression of the Su Family''srge courtyard.


    After his parents died suddenly, he was cast out; had he not encountered Old Ghost Master during his wandering, he might not even be alive now!


    Over the years, he had tried hard to investigate the truth about what happened back then, but even with the Nether Temple''s powerful intelligence capabilities, he still hadn''t managed to rify the matter.


    On the surface, it seemed like an internal power struggle within the Su Family, but Su Chen had a feeling from some small clues that the truth might be far moreplicated.


    Hidden behind it all seemed to be an even darker conspiracy!


    Su Chen knew that to tear a hole in the conspiracy, he must possess a powerful force! Otherwise, everything would be in vain!


    The top-tier magnate families in Huaxia were not just for show; their profound heritage was beyond everyone''s imagination.


    .....


    "Su Chen, wait up!"


    Just off work, Su Chen was about to go to the garage to get his car when a voice came from behind.


    Su Chen stopped and turned around to see Lin Chao chasing after him, a bit out of breath, but with a warm smile on his face.


    "What''s up?" Su Chen asked, somewhat puzzled.


    Lin Chao hade to thepany three days after Su Chen joined, and Lin Ruoxue had arranged for him the position of marketing director; after all, he was the eldest legitimate grandson of the Lin Family, and Lin Ruoxue couldn''t possibly assign him a minor role.


    The reason he was made marketing director was that the deputy director was Lin Ruoxue''s confidant.


    Lin Ruoxue had been in the business world for so long, she naturally wouldn''t be so naive as to not be cautious of others.


    In these days, Su Chen had seen him a few times, and he always pretended not to recognize Su Chen, not even a nod of acquaintance.


    Su Chen naturally didn''t pay him any mind¡ªhe always treated others with the respect they gave him.


    But why was Lin Chao stopping him now? Instinctively, Su Chen felt this guy definitely wasn''t harboring any good intentions.


    "What, are you heading home?" Lin Chao jogged a few steps and came up to Su Chen.


    Su Chen nodded but didn''t speak, waiting for him to continue.


    "Are you free tonight?" Lin Chao patted Su Chen''s shoulder affectionately, as if they were close, "We haven''t had a one-on-one get-together since you started at thepany, have we?"


    "We''re rtives after all, we shouldmunicate more, we''re all family, right?"


    "Better not, I appreciate the thought," Su Chen replied.


    Su Chen didn''t really want to deal with someone like Lin Chao, but to not make things difficult for Lin Ruoxue, he maintained a cordial facade.


    "Su Chen, if you don''t agree, it means you look down on me." Lin Chao deliberately put on a serious face, but then winked, whispering in Su Chen''s ear, "I heard that Yun Tian Club has some pretty girls, we should go and have some fresh experiences together!"


    Without waiting for Su Chen to respond, Lin Chao grabbed Su Chen''s arm and headed toward his car:


    "Don''t worry, I won''t tell Ruoxue, this is our secret as men."


    With things having progressed to this point, Su Chen no longer declined and got into Lin Chao''s Mercedes, curious to see what Lin Chao was up to.


    It was the peak of rush hour, and what should have been about a twenty-minute car ride took almost an hour.


    The two first settled into a small room and had a quick bite, then made their way to a VIP suite.


    As they walked down the corridor to the suite, Xiao Yaning also came toward them.


    Lin Chao saw Xiao Yaning smiling and instinctively thought she was smiling at him.


    At that moment, there were only two people in the corridor: him and Su Chen. Lin Chao absolutely did not believe that a woman like Xiao Yaning would ever acknowledge someone dressed in a driver''s uniform, looking like a loser like Su Chen.


    "Miss Xiao."


    Lin Chao''s mouth curved up fifteen degrees in a standard smile, though his gaze asionally drifted to Xiao Yaning''s slender legs beneath her cheongsam.


    "Mr. Lin, wee," Xiao Yaning said as a matter of etiquette before turning to Su Chen with a smile, "Big Brother Su, you''ve arrived!"


    Her manner was very casual, as if they were old friends.


    Because of Ye Mei, the two of them had grown quite familiar with each other, and she knew that Su Chen was a carefree and rxed person.


    "Why isn''t she here?"


    Xiao Yaning looked behind her and didn''t see Ye Mei, which she found odd, because he usually came with Ye Mei.


    "I came with some friends today," Su Chen smiled.


    "Oh, I see! So today you''re here to do something naughty!"


    She suddenly whispered close to Su Chen''s ear. Xiao Yaning had been wondering why Su Chen woulde to the massage room area, and it turned out that Ye Mei hadn''te with him.


    It seems men can''t resist the temptation to stray!


    Although this ce did not provide erotic services, having those sprightly young girls press against you was indeed very enjoyable.


    And many customers couldn''t help but take advantage of the young girls¡ªit was very normal.


    "What are you talking about! I''m just here to rx with my friend."


    Seeing Xiao Yaning''s suggestive smile, Su Chen knew she got the wrong idea.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t tell Ye Mei," Xiao Yaning said with a knowing look.


    "I will call over a couple of our top girls to take good care of Big Brother Su."


    Before Su Chen could exin, Xiao Yaning already walked away with graceful steps and a twisting slender waist.


    "Su Chen, it seems you''re a regr here, I underestimated you." Lin Chao thought Su Chen knew Xiao Yaning because he frequented this ce for massages, so he asked in a low voice, "What did Miss Xiao say to you just now?"


    "Nothing much, just small talk," Su Chen replied offhandedly.


    "Su Chen, considering we are practically family, let me give you a heads up," Lin Chao suddenly said with a serious expression, "Although it''s normal for a man to have his indulgences outside, this Xiao Yaning is not just anyone, and you must never set your sights on her."


    "Oh? Why''s that?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked. Although he was quite familiar with Xiao Yaning, he didn''t know much about her background. After all, they hadn''t known each other for long, and it wasn''t polite to pry into personal matters without her offering that information.


    "This Xiao Yaning is the only daughter of the Xiao Family, just like our Lin Family, they are considered a second-tier family in Jiangnan. But that''s not the key point. The crucial thing is, Xiao Yaning is the woman Lv Shixin, the Young Master of the Lv Family, has taken a liking to. He''s already made it clear that he''d fight anyone who dares toy a finger on Xiao Yaning."


    Lin Chao lowered his voice intentionally as he spoke,


    "Do you know the status of the Lv Family? They are one of the Four Great Families. Once Lv Shixin has spoken, who else would dare to pursue Xiao Yaning? Only someone with a death wish."


    Lin Chao was intentionally trying to ingratiate himself with Su Chen today, so he shared everything he knew without reservation, showing apletely open-hearted attitude.

 Chapter 66: Instigation

    "And I heard that the Lv Family has already approached the Xiao Family for a marriage proposal, and Yaning''s father has agreed, but strangely no wedding news has emerged yet."


    "Oh, so that''s it."


    Only then did Su Chen understand why Xiao Yaning always seemed so mncholic, and why she suddenly jumped into the river that day; he guessed it all had something to do with this matter.


    "Don''t worry, Xiao Yaning and I are just ordinary friends," Su Chen said casually.


    "That''s good!" Lin Chao nodded, pointing to a private room in front of them, "This is the ce, let''s go in."


    Soon a waiter brought in two sets of clothes for them to change into, prepared flower tea, and set a fruit tter on the table.


    "Su Chen, how have you and Ruoxue been recently?"


    While changing, Lin Chao asked very "casually."


    "Not bad."


    Su Chen knew Lin Chao wouldn''t invite him out for no reason; there had to be a motive.


    Indeed, Lin Ruoxue was mentioned so quickly.


    "Su Chen, even if you don''t tell me, I know your days at home aren''t so easy," Lin Chao said with a smile, "My cousin, she''s just too strong-willed, too career-oriented."


    "Actually, it''s fine, she''s not having an easy time either."


    Su Chen changed clothes, then sat down and took a sip from his tea cup.


    "I''ve seen you smoke too," Lin Chao pulled out a pack of cigarettes, offered one to Su Chen, "Try this one, it''s specially sent by my friend, military-supply, only avable to militarymanders, and chief of staff level."


    Su Chen took it and knew from the smell that it indeed was military-supply, but not reserved formanders or chief staffs; even apany or battalionmander could get these cigarettes.


    However, he wasn''t too particr about cigarettes; when conditions were harsh, he could roll up some leaves and have a smoke.


    Seeing Su Chen smoking already, he also lit one for himself, sat next to Su Chen, and sighed, "What you said is really true, Ruoxue really isn''t having it easy. She has to take care of so many things in such arge corporation, the pressure must be immense, it pains me to even watch."


    "Speaking of which, Ruoxue is just a twenty-five or twenty-six-year-old girl. Girls her age should be dating, watching movies, traveling around, enjoying life, but instead she has to spend every day in the office, dealing with those tedious documents."


    As Lin Chao spoke, he looked genuinely heartbroken.


    "That''s true, I''ve tried advising her, but she won''t listen."


    Su Chen shook his head and said, pretending not to understand Lin Chao''s intentions, while looking genuinely at Lin Chao,


    "Big brother, why don''t you talk to Ruoxue, she definitely still listens to you."


    Lin Chao thought silently, "This guy is really a blockhead," would he still need to bring this rascal if he could influence her himself?


    If he really were to say something, it would only make Lin Ruoxue more wary of him.


    Of course, he would never reveal these thoughts. He took a drag of his cigarette and said with some difficulty,


    "After all, this is a matter between you and Ruoxue as husband and wife, how could I, as a cousin, intrude?"


    "That''s true too."


    Su Chen acted like aplete fool, and Lin Chao''s disdain for him grew internally.


    If it weren''t for Su Chen''s utility value, he really wouldn''t want to be around this bumpkin!


    "Su Chen, have you and Ruoxue not done that kind of thing yet?"


    Suddenly, Lin Chao leaned in close to Su Chen and lowered his voice.


    "How could that be? Why would you think so?"


    Su Chen''s face reddened slightly, showing an appropriately awkward expression.


    "Buddy, stop hiding it when you''re in front of me." Lin Chao extended a hand to loop around the neck of Su Chen, bypassing the coffee table between them, and sighed, "Everyone in our family knows what''s going on with your marriage to Ruoxue, and given her cold nature, I''m afraid..."


    Su Chen frowned slightly as he felt himself being embraced and subtly dodged.


    Lin Chao didn''t seem to mind and withdrew his hand naturally.


    "But despite that, I''m still quite envious of you; after all, Ruoxue is so beautiful. If I weren''t her cousin, I definitely wouldn''t let her go either."


    Lin Chao''sment wasn''t insincere, considering the title of the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan isn''t just for anyone.


    "It''s like seeing a delicacy but not being able to eat it, what''s the use of looks!"


    Su Chen''s face fell as he sighed, yet he was thinking inside, "Why has this weasel suddenly be interested in my marital life with Lin Ruoxue?"


    Without showing any emotion, Su Chen continued to y dumb; he wanted to see what Lin Chao was really up to.


    "That''s true, it''s even more painful than not seeing, it''s downright torture!"


    Lin Chao pressed the finished cigarette into the ashtray on the coffee table, then took a sip of tea and sympathized deeply with Su Chen''s predicament.


    "Su Chen, haven''t you thought about doing something to change this situation?"


    Lin Chao blinked at Su Chen, a sly glint passing through his eyes.


    "I have thought about it too," Su Chen sighed deeply and took a harsh drag of his cigarette, "You have no idea how cold that woman Lin Ruoxue is!"


    "Women are like that, just pretending to be reserved!" Lin Chao said with a look of someone who understood women deepy, "Especially girls as outstanding as Ruoxue."


    "So, what should I do then?"


    Su Chen perked up, looking at Lin Chao expectantly, like an elementary school student.


    Lin Chao was pleased with this effect. He took another sip of tea, then spoke mysteriously:


    "No matter how outstanding a woman is, she is still a woman, and as long as she is a woman, she has her weaknesses. Once you seize them, taking her down will not be a problem!"


    "What weaknesses?"


    Su Chen quickly asked, evidently very excited.


    "Actually, it''s nothing much. It''s just a woman''s sense of chastity. If you can find an opportunity to genuinely spend a romantic night with her, then everything will naturally fall into ce," Lin Chao coaxed Su Chen gently, "Especially for a proud and outstanding woman like Lin Ruoxue. If you be her first man, she will never forget you in her lifetime, and you''ll have a special ce in her heart!"


    "But I haven''t even held her hand, how can I possibly do that with her?"


    Su Chen showed a troubled expression, but inwardly he cursed, "Lin Chao really is despicable and cunning."


    However, he was rather urate in his understanding of women, especially proud and outstanding women like Lin Ruoxue; who knows how many respectable youngdies this scoundrel had ruined.


    "That''s not difficult." Lin Chao said confidently, "Just pick a special day, then prepare a candlelight dinner or watch a movie. In short, create some romantic atmosphere, and it will be much easier."


    "If that''s not enough, you could discreetly add something to her drink or food. After all, you are already husband and wife. Even if she finds out, she can''t do much to you. Once you turn the uncooked rice into cooked rice, she will have to ept it."


    After a pause, Lin Chao continued to educate Su Chen, whom he saw as utterly na?ve.


    Little did he know, these tricks seemed outdated in Su Chen''s view, or to use a popr phrase, simply too "low"!

 Chapter 67: Oh, Im so scared!

    Although Su Chen held nothing but contempt for Lin Chao''s character and methods, he didn''t show any of it outwardly, still pretending to y along.


    "That would work?" Su Chen''s eyes suddenly widened, then he shook his head repeatedly, "I can''t do that."


    "How do you know you can''t do it if you haven''t tried?" Lin Chao, looking exasperated as if he couldn''t make steel from iron, hurriedly said, "Although she might be a bit resistant at first, men, well, need to be a bit more dominant! She''s your wife after all¡ªwhat does it matter if you sleep with her?"


    "Believe me, once you''ve had a skin-to-skin rtionship with her, your rtionship will definitely undergo a fundamental change." Lin Chao spoke earnestly, appearing as if he truly had Su Chen''s best interests at heart, "If the two of you could have a child, then that would be even better."


    Suddenly, Su Chen had an epiphany. Lin Chao had taken a long way around, but his real focus was this!


    It was easy to imagine that once Lin Ruoxue was really pregnant, she would be unable to attend to the group for a considerable period, which would be the perfect opportunity for him to seize power, wouldn''t it?


    Furthermore, once a woman has a child, she might not retain the same level of career ambition, as her child will undoubtedly take up the most important ce in her life.


    So, no matter what, this was all advantageous to his aim to take control of Belle Group and was fraught with benefits and no drawbacks.


    Even Su Chen couldn''t help but admire his painstaking effort!


    "You agree it''s true, don''t you?"


    Lin Chao looked at Su Chen and said sincerely.


    "Mm, what you''re saying makes sense."


    Su Chen responded indifferently. Having drawn out the other party''s true intentions, he was no longer interested in continuing the charade.


    Lin Chao also felt that suddenly, Su Chen seemed a bit different, but he couldn''t quite pinpoint what was different.


    Just then, the door to the private room opened, and in walked two masseuses who were both very pretty and delicate.


    Especially one of them, who exhibited the distinct gentle and supple quality of the women from Jiangnan, was quite appealing.


    After a brief chat, Su Chen found out that her hometown was in a town in a county beneath Jianghai, and her name was Xiao Wen.


    Herpanion was from the northeast, named Xiao Jing, also pretty, butcking somewhat in temperament. However, she made up for it with a good figure.


    Lin Chao had intended to cozy up to Su Chen today, and of course, he would let Su Chen have Xiao Wen, who was of better quality. Su Chen didn''t go through the motions of being too polite or refusing.


    The two meny down on the massage beds, keeping a meter''s distance, closed their eyes, and rested.


    The masseuses'' skilled hands gently kneaded and massaged their bodies, indeed a real pleasure!


    "Sir, is the pressure okay for you?"


    Xiao Wen pressed down firmly on Su Chen''s shoulders with her hands and asked softly.


    "Quite good," Su Chen replied, "How long have you been in this profession? You don''t look very old."


    "I''m 20 this year, and I''ve been doing this for three years."


    Xiao Wen''s voice was as soft as water and pleasing to the ear.


    "You started working so young; why didn''t you continue your studies?"


    Su Chen asked casually. After waiting a few seconds without hearing her respond, he turned his head and noticed a slightly embarrassed expression on her face.


    "Never mind, it was just a casual question."


    "It''s nothing," Xiao Wen said with a light smile, her expression returning to normal as she sighed softly, "Where Ie from is quite poor, and both my parents have beenid off. There''s also my younger brother at home, so I had to drop out of school and work."


    "So, do you want to continue your studies?"


    "I do wish to, but..."


    Xiao Wen hadn''t finished speaking when a woman in her thirties rushed in like the wind, looking very anxious.


    "Xiao Wen,e here for a moment." The person motioned Xiao Wen over with a wave of the hand.


    "What''s the matter, Manager Yu?" Xiao Wen apologized to Su Chen and then walked over.


    Manager Yu whispered a few words into Xiao Wen''s ear, and Xiao Wen''s face immediately turned pale.


    "I won''t go, why has hee again?!"


    Panic and tension swept across Xiao Wen''s face, and she shook her head repeatedly.


    "Xiao Wen, how can you be so thoughtless?" Manager Yu''s face slightly fell, "I know he''s troublesome, and has some issues, but he''s not someone we can afford to offend!"


    "But..."


    Xiao Wen''s expression was torn, even pained.


    "Just bear with it for a bit, think of your parents, think of your younger brother."


    Manager Yu continued tofort her, sighing softly to herself.


    "What''s happened?"


    Lin Chao, seeing the two whisper for some time, couldn''t help but speak up.


    "I''m sorry, dear guests." Manager Yu approached with a smile, apologetically saying, "Just now, a customer specifically asked for Xiao Wen to serve him, could we possibly assign you another technician?"


    "What? What do you take us for?"


    Upon hearing they were to be assigned another technician, Lin Chao''s face darkened immediately. It was a huge snub, especially in front of Su Chen.


    "Boss, please, calm down, I know this isn''t right, but that customer is really not someone to be trifled with. You seem like a cultured man, please be understanding towards us."


    Manager Yu had a way with words, and her speech made it slightly embarrassing for one to make an issue out of it.


    But that didn''t mean Lin Chao was about to give in; if he really allowed the technician assigned to him to be switched out, it would be a huge loss of face.


    "No change! If anyone should be switched, let that person be switched. There has to be some respect for who came first."


    Lin Chao t-out refused.


    "Boss, that customer is really trouble! Could you please be generous and let this go?"


    Manager Yu had sized up many people and could tell that Lin Chao was definitely not an ordinary man, but the person beside him who had been quiet seemed unremarkable.


    However, thinking about the Young Master''s temper, she felt somewhat helpless, today''s matter was really troublesome.


    "What''s so difficult about that? If he has anyints, let hime to me directly. I don''t believe he''d have the audacity to be presumptuous in front of me!"


    Lin Chao sat up from the massage bed, speaking with an air of arrogance.


    After all, the Lin Family was a prominent one in Jianghai, and as the Lin Family''s eldest legitimate grandson, Lin Chao had some standing.


    "Who is talking with such a big mouth?"


    Just then, the door to the room was abruptly pushed open, and three or four men dressed in ck outfits walked in.


    These men had a solemn demeanor, did not smile, and stood with their hands crossed in front, looking as unmoving as pines, clearly not to be messed with.


    A young man in his twenties emerged from among them, dressed in a punk style, wearing sunsses, and looking mockingly at Lin Chao.


    The only thing out of ce was his limping gait.


    "Yo, who is this big man, scaring me so much my little heart is trembling!"


    The young man exaggeratedly said as he took off his sunsses with one hand.


    Seeing the young man, Xiao Wen trembled with fear and herplexion turned several shades paler...

 Chapter 68: Failing to Show Off and Getting Beaten Instead

    Although the young man said he was scared, there was not a trace of fear on his face. Clearly, he was mocking Lin Chao.


    Lin Chao couldn''t stand being looked down upon like this and said sternly,


    "Who are you? This is my private room, please leave immediately."


    He also noticed that those dressed in ck tight clothes were not ordinary bodyguards, so he didn''t dare say anything excessive.


    "Leave? Did I hear that right?" The young manughed loudly as if he had just heard a hrious joke. He pointed a finger on Lin Chao''s temple and prodded, "Is your brain fried?"


    "Bastard!"


    Lin Chao, after all, was a young man and as the eldest grandson of the Lin Family, it was the first time someone had pointed at his head and insulted him like this. His anger red up immediately.


    "Bang!"


    Lin Chao swung a punch at the young man suddenly, hitting right on the young man''s nose bridge. Blood immediately began flowing from his nose.


    "You''re courting death!" The young man''s expression turned cold instantly, and rage shed in his eyes, "Go, mess this guy up for me!"


    Upon hearing this, those muscr bodyguards immediately stepped forward.


    "What are you trying to do? Don''te any closer." Lin Chao was scared when he saw this. He knew he had messed up right after throwing the punch, "Do you know who I am? I am¡­"


    Before he could finish his sentence, a flurry of punches rained down on him, pummeling Lin Chao relentlessly.


    "Stop hitting, I beg you, don''t hit my face!"


    Lin Chao could only hug his head with both hands, crouching on the ground, but even so, the men didn''t stop and continued to beat and kick him.


    "Alright, don''t kill him."


    A momentter, the young man finally spoke and stopped the bodyguards.


    By then, Lin Chao''s face was swollen and bruised, his clothes werepletely ripped, and not a trace of his noble demeanor remained. He looked worse than a beggar.


    "Bang!"


    The young man, not yet satisfied, kicked Lin Chao in the chest with his limp leg, knocking Lin Chao to the ground.


    "Don''t say who you are. Do you know who I am?"


    The young man pointed at his own nose and said.


    Lin Chao shook his head nkly. Honestly, he really didn''t know who this young man was.


    At that moment, his heart was filled with gloom. He must have not consulted the almanac before leaving the house today; how else would he have encountered this Demon!


    "You better look clearly, kid." The young man patted Lin Chao''s well-maintained and smooth face and said, "I am Long Xiaobin!"


    Upon hearing the young man''s words, Lin Chao''s body trembled violently. He was Long Xiaobin? The precious son of Lord Long?


    Lin Chao had certainly heard of Long Xiaobin, he just didn''t recognize the person in front of him.


    "Young Master Long, I am sorry, I didn''t recognize the great figure in front of me."


    When Lin Chao heard that the young man was Long Xiaobin, he immediately felt deted. The Dragon Prosperity Society had a status in Jiangnan only second to the Four Great Families, far beyond their Lin Family''s reach.


    Furthermore, Lord Long had only this one precious son. Opposing him was tantamount to throwing himself against a rock.


    "You know your ce! Humph."


    Long Xiaobin spat contemptuously in front of Lin Chao and then let him go. By now, Lin Chao was drenched in cold sweat out of fear.


    "You dirtbag, now it''s time for me to properly entertain you." Long Xiaobin turned and walked over to Xiao Wen, who was totally scared out of her wits, "Damn, a prostitute acting all high and mighty with me!"


    "I am not!"


    Xiao Wen retorted stubbornly, tears swirling in her eyes, but she held them back from falling.


    "Talking back? I like some spirit," a sinister smile spread across Dragon Xiaobin''s face, "I''ll take good care of you in a bit!"


    "Come with me now," Dragon Xiaobinmanded, then turned around to head out.


    But when he reached the doorway, he realized that Xiao Wen hadn''t followed, and his face suddenly turned icy:


    "What the hell are you staring at? Let''s go!"


    "I''m not going!"


    Xiao Wen frantically shook her head, stepping back two paces.


    At this moment, her heart was filled with fear. This Young Master from the Dragon family was not human, but a twisted soul who had previously groped her under the pretext of a massage. He seemed to gain particr pleasure from pinching people.


    Every time she finished massaging him, Xiao Wen''s arms and legs would be covered in bruises.


    Xiao Wen had developed a deep psychological shadow because of him, and she was relieved he hadn''te for several months, believing he wouldn''t return. But today, that demon had reappeared...


    "Stupid bitch, don''t turn your nose up at me."


    Dragon Xiaobin''s face darkened immediately, he stepped forward, and grabbed Xiao Wen''s slender arm.


    "Let go, you''re hurting me."


    Xiao Wen desperately tried to pull away, but how could she match Dragon Xiaobin''s strength? Though he limped a bit.


    "Manager Yu, help me!"


    Xiao Wen nced back at Manager Yu and cried out for help.


    Manager Yu''s eyes flickered withpassion, but ultimately, he didn''t say a word, merely sighing.


    After all, he was facing Dragon Xiaobin; what could she do?


    Seeing Manager Yu''s expression, Xiao Wen immediately despaired, her heart sinking slowly...


    "What kind of pig is this? So noisy, can''t even rest properly, really."


    Just then, azy voice rang out, sounding somewhat displeased.


    Su Chen, who had been lying down and sleeping, lifted his head, looking visibly annoyed!


    Upon hearing this voice, both Lin Chao and Manager Yu''s expressions changed drastically!


    The person in question was Dragon Xiaobin, the only son of Dragon Lord!


    Someone actually dared to openly call him a pig, wasn''t that courting death?


    Lin Chao was internally fuming, this idiot, always so quiet, but then he had to utter such a sentence.


    Wasn''t this practically killing him? After all, he was the one who had brought him here.


    Sure enough, that voice filled with rage came from Dragon Xiaobin:


    "Who just called me a pig? Step forward!"


    Simultaneously, Dragon Xiaobin turned around, his expression icy cold, his gaze sweeping over a few faces.


    However, when his gazended on Su Chen, seeing thetter also coldly staring at him, Dragon Xiaobin, upon recognizing his face, suddenly shuddered uncontrobly!


    "Young Master Dragon, I have nothing to do with this man. I don''t know him!"


    Upon hearing Dragon Xiaobin''s words, Lin Chao quickly disassociated himself.


    Joking aside, he did not want to get beaten up again! That was not a pleasant experience.


    But as he looked at Dragon Xiaobin, he saw thetter suddenly trembling like he had seen a ghost, his pupils shrinking rapidly...

 Chapter 69 - 69 I am a Pig

    "Young Master Long, what''s wrong with you?"


    Seeing Long Xiaobin like this, Lin Chao was scared out of his wits and hurriedly asked with caution.


    He wondered if Long Xiaobin had be like this just because of what Su Chen said! He felt even more uneasy in his heart!


    The manager and the two technicians were also looking at Long Xiaobin, feeling baffled and wondering why he suddenly acted like this!


    Long Xiaobin didn''t answer Lin Chao''s question, but suddenly dashed forward like an arrow and reached in front of Su Chen. Everyone else thought he was going to severely deal with the man who had just called him a pig and they covered their eyes, unable to watch Su Chen''s tragic fate!


    However, what happened next was utterly shocking and unbelievable to them!


    The always arrogant Long Xiaobin dragged hisme legs and went straight to Su Chen.


    But he didn''t beat up Su Chen; instead, he "thud" knelt on the ground.


    "Mr. Su, I''m sorry, I was talking nonsense just now!" Long Xiaobin pped his own face left and right, delivering several loud ps, "Please, your elderly grace is great, just let me go as if I were one of your farts!"


    The others who saw this scene were already stunned, with shocked eyes almost popping out!


    What was going on?


    Not only did Long Xiaobin not beat up the young man who insulted him, but he knelt down to him and kept pping his own face!


    And he was really pping himself! Just after a few ps, his whole face turned red and swollen! Moreover, he was looking at Su Chen with such nervousness, showing extreme fear on his face!


    All the people present could no longer keep theirposure! What in the world happened to this world?


    He was Long Xiaobin, Young Master Long ah!


    Even the Family Heads of the Four Great Families in Jiangnan might not be able to make Long Xiaobin end up like this!


    The most shocked person in the room was Lin Chao. He stared at everything with a face full of astonishment, feeling that his brain suddenly couldn''t make sense of it all.


    He didn''t understand why the Crown Prince of Dragon Prosperity Society was so afraid of his cheap brother-inw!


    He didn''t understand why the once immensely arrogant Long Xiaobin now looked like a rat seeing a cat when he faced Su Chen!


    Lin Chao didn''t understand, and even Long Xiaobin himself didn''t understand why the first time he went out in these few months, he encountered this Demon again!


    Yes, a Demon, in Long Xiaobin''s eyes, Su Chen was an absolute Demon!


    Seeing this man, he remembered the incident that happened a few months ago at Dragon Prosperity Society.


    That day, after the man left, his father Long Xiaoshan picked up a wooden stick, tears in his eyes, and said to him:


    "Son, for your life, you must endure this suffering!"


    Then, Long Xiaoshan swung the stick hard and personally broke his son''s two legs.


    Long Xiaobin didn''t resist much, knowing that this was already the best oue for him.


    The man was not only physically strong to a ridiculous extent, but his backing was something they didn''t even dare to contemte.


    But without even using their brains, they understood that a man who could make Jiang Lixing of the city police department disregard discipline and publicly draw a gun to kill someone, was definitely not someone they could afford to provoke!


    Although Long Xiaoshan broke his own son''s legs, that was, after all, his only biological son, which was in some ways more important than his own life.


    So he wouldn''t really cripple him for life. If he did, he would end his own lineage.


    Of course, he also didn''t dare to hit too lightly; in case the man was not satisfied, the consequences would be severe!


    Normally, Long Xiaobin''s injuries should have kept him in bed for a year to possibly recover, but how could he endure that?


    So, as soon as he was slightly able to move, he went out to get some fresh air...


    But little did he expect that the first time he went out to eat in months, he would encounter that gue again!


    At this moment, Long Xiaobin was extremely scared; his back waspletely drenched...


    "It''s you, Young Master Long." Su Chen slowly sat up and leisurely said, "I was wondering who dared to disturb my sleep; it turns out it was you, Long the eldest young master."


    "Mr. Su, I was in the wrong just now, disturbing your elder''s rest. I''m truly sorry, I deserve to die!"


    As he said this, Long Xiaobin pped both sides of his already swollen face, perhaps hoping to make them more symmetrical.


    "Sorry, Young Master Long, I identally called you a pig just now. Shall I apologize to you?"


    Su Chen looked at Long Xiaobin with a narrow frown and a trace of apology on his face.


    "No need, no need, Mr. Su, you were right, I am a pig!"


    Long Xiaobin was scared witless, hastily shaking his head.


    Even if Su Chen were willing to apologize, Long Xiaobin would have to dare to ept it!


    Meanwhile, everyone else waspletely at a loss. What in the hell was going on?


    The grand Young Master Long, in front of this man, had stooped so low as to call himself a pig!


    If this got out, people would hardly dare believe it. Some might even think he was crazy!


    Everyone could see that Long Xiaobin was truly terrified of this man to his very bones.


    But why?


    Could this man be some kind of significant figure?


    However, he didn''t look the part; he rather seemed more like a migrant worker.


    Lin Chao waspletely baffled as he observed Su Chen. How could he connect this son-inw, whom he had never held in esteem, with what was happening right now?


    Could it be that I''ve been blind? Is this guy simply ying the fool to catch the wise?


    A sense of dread began to settle in Lin Chao''s heart. If that was the case, his desire to control the Lin Family''s business would be even more challenging!


    "Xiao Wen,e here."


    Su Chen suddenly called out in a gentle voice.


    "Ah, oh."


    Xiao Wen walked toward Su Chen with a bewildered face.


    "Xiao Wen, tell me, what did this guy do to you? You seem so afraid of him."


    Su Chen nced indifferently at Long Xiaobin and asked Xiao Wen.


    Upon hearing this, Long Xiaobin was suddenly frightened, his body quivering as he continuously kowtowed to Xiao Wen:


    "Graciousdy, I was wrong to you in the past, I''m here to apologize. Graciousdy, it was all my fault, my fault."


    He truly looked like a penitent believer, with tears and snot running down his face.


    Xiao Wen was a gentle and tenderhearted girl by nature. Seeing Long Xiaobin in such a state, she also began to feel somewhat sorry for him.


    "Mr. Su, it''s nothing serious, it''s all in the past."


    Xiao Wen spoke softly, not understanding why Young Master Long was so afraid of Mr. Su, who seemed very ordinary and not that frightening, and who treated her with courtesy.


    "Thank you, graciousdy, thank you, graciousdy. No words can express my gratitude!"


    Long Xiaobin sped his hands together, continuously bowing to Xiao Wen, which made her somewhat embarrassed, her cheeks turning slightly red.


    "As for the past, since Xiao Wen is unwilling to pursue it, I''ll let it go," Su Chen said coldly, "but what you did to Xiao Wen, you know in your heart. Now, I''m giving you a chance to redeem yourself by your actions."


    "You say it, I''ll definitely do it!"


    Long Xiaobin immediately assured, finally breathing a sigh of relief.


    He knew that today''s crisis was eventually behind him!

 Chapter 70: Beautiful Things

    "Xiao Wen has a wish to continue her studies. You know what to do, right?"


    Su Chen stepped down from the massage bed, looking down at Long Bin with a faint expression.


    "I understand, rest assured, I will find the best school for her. She won''t have to worry about food, clothing, housing, or transportation¡ªI will arrange everything perfectly, guaranteeing that Sister Wen is satisfied."


    Long Bin patted his chest "thump thump" with confidence. He had initially thought it was some major issue. Who knew it would be such a trivial matter?


    At that moment, Xiao Wen looked at Su Chen timidly and said,


    "Mr. Su, this... "


    "Xiao Wen, don''t overthink it. Just consider itpensation from this guy."


    Su Chen knew she felt somewhat embarrassed to ept these sudden benefits, so he tried tofort her from another perspective.


    "Yes, yes, Mr. Su is right, this is my littlepensation."


    Long Bin was afraid Xiao Wen would refuse¡ªit was his chance for redemption. If he missed it, he didn''t know how Su Chen would treat him!


    Moreover, he might be able to use this opportunity to build a rtionship with Mr. Su!


    He had realized that there was no need to offend someone as high and mighty as Mr. Su.


    If he could establish a connection, it might be a tremendous boon for both Dragon Prosperity Society and himself!


    Therefore, Long Bin was actually more anxious about this matter than either Xiao Wen or Su Chen.


    "Sister Wen, please give me a chance to make it up to you. I won''t have peace of mind otherwise, unless you still can''t forgive me!"


    Long Bin''s acting was quite convincing; his appearance of sincerity was so effective that Xiao Wen was caught off guard.


    "p p!"


    Long Bin fiercely pped his own face:


    "Sister Wen, if you''re still not satisfied, I''ll keep pping myself until you are!"


    With that, he raised his hand again, ready to p himself...


    "Okay, stop it. I agree, isn''t that enough?"


    Xiao Wen was out of options. She couldn''t bear to see Long Bin like this, especially since it was her own doing. After all, she was simply too kind-hearted.


    Of course, there was another reason¡ªshe really wanted to return to school, particrly to experience university life, which she had always longed for.


    Xiao Wen also understood that all of this was thanks to Mr. Su Chen standing before her.


    When she looked at Su Chen, her eyes were filled with gratitude, not only for pulling her from darkness but also for leading her towards the light!


    "Alright, you''d better take your people and get out of here," Su Chen waved his hand dismissively. "Remember, don''t bully people using your power anymore. Otherwise, it won''t be this easy next time!"


    "Understood, understood!" Long Bin nodded eagerly. "I will definitely change, I promise to change!"


    After saying this, he made a quick exit with a group of bodyguards...


    "Su Chen, you..."


    Lin Chao approached Su Chen shakily, attempting to ask something, but Su Chen spoke first:


    "You go ahead, I still have some things to take care of here."


    Lin Chao hesitated before nodding, "Alright then, I''ll be leaving."


    He understood that he had misjudged the situation. This brother-inw was definitely not an ordinary man!


    "Mr. Su, thank you so much for today. Do you need to continue the massage?"


    After the others left, only Su Chen and Xiao Wen remained. This somehow made Xiao Wen unexpectedly shy.


    "No need, and from now on, there''s no need to call me Mr. Su either, just call me Su Chen." Su Chen moved back to his chair, took a sip of his tea, and found it a bit cold, "Xiao Wen, could you pour me a cup of hot tea?"


    "Ah, sure." Xiao Wen hurried to the corner, picked up the kettle, and refilled Su Chen''s cup with hot water, saying, "That won''t do, I''ll still call you Big Brother Su."


    "That''s fine, as you wish, Xiao Wen, you can go back to your work, I''ll leave after I finish this cup of tea."


    "Okay, then I''ll go first." Xiao Wen slowly backed out.


    "Alright, enough with the show,e out."


    Su Chen blew on his tea, took a sip, and spokenguidly.


    "I was worried about interrupting your fun."


    Xiao Yaning walked in from outside with a smile, secretly wondering, how did this guy know I was out here?


    "Why didn''t you keep the youngdy? She has you in her heart, you know!"


    Xiao Yaning spun around gracefully and sat down across the tea table from Su Chen.


    Just as she turned to sit down, Su Chen caught a glimpse through the slits of her qipao...


    Xiao Yaning turned her head to see Su Chen''s somewhat dull gaze, and with a little thought, she understood what was going on, feeling slightly ashamed and angry.


    This guy, always looking at the next best thing even while eating from his own bowl!


    "Whether that youngdy has me in her heart, I don''t know and I don''t care. What I''m curious about is whether Miss Xiao has me in her heart?"


    Su Chen''s teasing gaze shot toward Xiao Yaning, stirring something inside her.


    "Ye Mei isn''t here, and you''re already being naughty? Are all men so fickle?"


    Xiao Yaning gave him a nting nce and lightly retorted.


    "I''m not fickle, I just don''t refuse beautiful things."


    Su Chen shamelessly returned.


    "What was that all about just now?"


    After exchanging a few idle words, Xiao Yaning finally got to the main topic.


    "What do you mean ''what was that all about''?" Su Chen pretended to be dumb and confused.


    "You know what I''m asking about," Xiao Yaning responded irritably, "Why was Long Xiaobin so afraid of you?"


    Xiao Yaning had actually arrived earlier, and when she heard from people downstairs that Long Xiaobin was causing trouble in the private room where Su Chen was, she was instantly rmed.


    She knew all too well who Long Xiaobin was and was afraid that Su Chen would be at a disadvantage, so she hurried over.


    However, as she rushed to the door and was about to enter, she happened to catch the scene of Long Xiaobin "thudding" to his knees in front of Su Chen.


    This sight took herpletely by surprise, and for some reason, she didn''t go in, but crouched to the side, quietly watching the situation develop.


    What happened next was beyond her belief; the normally unruly Young Master Long was even tamer than a cat in front of Su Chen.


    The incident during theirst meal, where Wu Yuanpin was humiliated, only made her think of Su Chen as a hot-blooded, righteous, and heroic figure. But this time, what happened made her start contemting much more.


    Although Wu Yuanpin''s status was higher than Long Xiaobin''s, what happened today undoubtedly implied much more.


    No wonder Ye Mei, such a proud and lofty person, would be with this man. Indeed, he wasn''t ordinary!


    This reminded her of the first time they met, on thatte night, on that rarely traveled bridge.


    A young man stood there quietly, smoking, his expression one of mncholy, his whole being radiating an intense air of decadence...


    Back then, he seemed like apletely different person from the one in front of her now!

 Chapter 71 - 71 Assaulted

    Xiao Yaning suddenly had a strong feeling that the man before her must have a story.


    In his heart, he couldn''t be as nd or even as giggly as he appeared on the outside. Perhaps it was all just a disguise.


    Xiao Yaning''s eyes were fixed on Su Chen, as if trying to discern something.


    Feeling a bit creeped out by her bright, watery gaze, Su Chen lit a cigarette and said earnestly,


    "He was certainly subdued by my great personality. A profligate like him, under the radiance of my great personality, would have all his inner dark and hidden corners turned inside out. He had no choice but to bow his head in reverence, which shows that the guy was not beyond redemption."


    "Did you see how he pped his own face and wept bitterly afterward? It was truly moving. It shows that he truly repented," Su Chen said without noticing Xiao Yaning''s disdainful look. Shaking his head, he added, "I guess I can be considered as ''saving souls'' as the Buddha said."


    "Su Chen, can I ask you something?"


    Xiao Yaning asked out of the blue, and Su Chen nodded.


    "Can you be even more shameless?"


    Xiao Yaning sighed. Did this guy think everyone else was foolish? Did Long Xiaobin repent and show penitence? He was clearly frightened by you, wasn''t he?


    Of course, she understood that Su Chen didn''t want to tell her the reason, so she didn''t press further.


    Xiao Yaning was a person who knew her boundaries and propriety. She wasn''t that familiar with Su Chen yet.


    However, what she didn''t expect was for Su Chen to reply to her somewhat sarcastic question without any hesitation with one word¡ª "Yes"!


    .....


    Since Su Chen came with Lin Chao, he could only take a taxi when leaving.


    After getting into the car, he dozed off in the back seat. The driver was a local from Jianghai and quite talkative. Addressing Su Chen as "young brother" and chatting, Su Chen responded intermittently.


    Just as the car entered a somewhat secluded alley, Su Chen''s eyes suddenly snapped open, as if shooting out sharp light.


    "Driver, please stop the car," Su Chen called out, tapping the driver on the shoulder from behind.


    "What''s up, young brother?" the taxi driver asked, hitting the brakes and turning around.


    "It''s nothing, I just remembered that I have a friend nearby. Since I''m passing by, I might as well drop in for a visit."


    "Where is it? Shall I give you a lift?"


    "No need, it''s just a few steps away. I''ll walk over."


    "Alright then, that''ll be 19 yuan."


    Su Chen handed over a 20: "Keep the change, thanks," he said.


    "What are you talking about; okay, I''m off then. It''s gettingte. Take care by yourself."


    "Sure."


    Stepping out of the cab, Su Chen waved at the driver, who elerated away.


    Turning his head, Su Chen''s eyes suddenly grew cold, devoid of any warmth, as if originating from the Netherworld.


    At that moment, Su Chen no longer bore any trace of the friendliness he had shown while speaking with the taxi driver.


    "Now that you''re here, show yourselves."


    No sooner had he spoken than four people stood up from the bushes on either side, walking out confidently to stand in front of Su Chen.


    All these people were dressed in specially made robes, some resembling practice attire and others like Taoist robes. Among them, three were wearing white robes, and one, who appeared to be the leader, was d in a ck robe, nearly impossible to see in the darkness.


    "Kid, not bad with your ears, actually being able to detect our concealment."


    The leader in the ck robe addressed Su Chen, feeling somewhat surprised inside. With their level of cultivation, it was ordinarily very hard for someone concealed amongst the trees to be discovered, let alone by average people; even ace scouts would hardly stand a chance.


    Because they were all practitioners of Martial Arts, able to hide their presence and blend in with the world around them.


    "Just with your Primary Stage Qi Refinement cultivation, discovering you poses no challenge," Su Chen remarked.


    Of course, Su Chen had recognized they were Martial Arts practitioners as well; the three in white robes were at the First Layer of Qi Refinement, while the leader in ck was at the secondyer of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the group shuddered violently, unable to believe that the young man had discerned their cultivation levels at a nce.


    This could only point to one fact, that the person before them was also a practitioner of Martial Arts!


    This turn of events had indeed surprised them; it seemed the situation was slightly more troublesome than they had anticipated.


    Despite this, they weren''t afraid. In their view, someone as young as their adversary could at most possess Primary Stage Qi Refinement, not much different from them.


    But they were four to one, so although the situation proved a bit tricky, they were confident in capturing this young man.


    "Who sent you here?"


    With his hands casually tucked into his pockets, Su Chen asked indifferently.


    "You don''t need to know. All that matters is that today is the day you die," the man in the ck robe said coldly, feeling slighted by Su Chen''s cavalier attitude.


    "Then let me have a guess," Su Chen tilted his head slightly, "Is it that trash Wu Yuanpin who sent you?"


    After arriving in Jianghai, Su Chen figured that among those he had provoked, probably only the Wu Family, as the head of the Four Great Families, had the clout to send four Martial Arts practitioners in one go.


    It was somewhat surprising to Su Chen that the Wu Family had such deep resources; it seemed there was good reason for the Four Great Families to have stood firm in Jiangnan for a hundred years.


    Of course, in Su Chen''s eyes, this was still nothing significant; leaving other factors aside, just any high-level action team from the Nether Temple couldpletely crush them.


    "Dare to call our Young Master trash, you must be tired of living," one of the younger men in white robes said, ring at Su Chen fiercely as he spoke.


    "But what I said is the truth. Isn''t he trash?" Su Chen looked disdainful as he curled his lip, "Not just him, in my eyes, all of you are nothing but trash."


    "You''re courting death!"


    The young man who had just spoken suddenly stomped the ground, lunging at Su Chen like an arrow released from its bow.


    The others didn''t stop him, curious to see just how capable this arrogant youth was, speaking with such audacity.


    The white-robed young man, when about two meters away from Su Chen, suddenly leapt into the air,shing out with a precise snap kick towards Su Chen.


    His leg was straight as a rod, ripping through the air, aiming directly at Su Chen!


    His expertise in leg techniques was profound, the power of his kick fierce like thunder, stirring up a gust of wind wherever it passed.


    In an instant, the formidable snap kick was less than half a meter in front of Su Chen''s face.


    Yet, at this moment, Su Chen''s hands remained in his pockets, his expression serene.


    The white-robed young man''spanions all sneered inwardly at the young man''s ignorance, not even attempting to dodge at this point, thinking he no longer had a chance.

 Chapter 72: Abyss-like Eyes

    ```


    However, at that very moment, thepanions in white robes saw Su Chen finally free one hand, and then he casually reached up and pressed against the overwhelmingly powerful kicking from above.


    The white-robed youth''spanions all shook their heads in secrecy, thinking this young man was far too overconfident. He was so ignorant of the strength in hispanion''s leg; it was almost certain this young man''s arm would be broken.


    "Bang!"


    A short and muffled sound erupted, and the figure looming above was suddenly sent spinning backward through the air, crashing heavily to the ground before the three men.


    "Qing Lin, how are you?"


    The one in the ck robe was shocked and immediately crouched down to check hispanion''s injuries, with the other two also gathering around.


    "I..."


    Just as the white-robed youth thrown through the air uttered a word, he felt a sweetness in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "Young Master, how is he?" The other twopanions looked to the middle-aged man in ck robes.


    "His leg bone is fractured, and his internal organs are ruptured. It will be difficult to heal in less than two or three years," he said.


    The man in the ck robe shook his head and sighed with relief, gentlyying hispanion on the ground. He then looked coldly towards Su Chen.


    "You went a bit too far with that blow, didn''t you?" he said.


    Rage filled the eyes of the man in ck as he looked at Su Chen, but his heart was also filled with shock. Just what was this young man''s cultivation? A random palm of his had inflicted such severe injuries on hispanion!


    "Your words are quite ridiculous," Su Chen retorted with a cold huff. "Could it be that only he''s allowed to hit me and I''m not allowed to fight back? If Icked the strength and his kick hadnded, you should well know the consequences. Thus, I''ve actually let him off easy, or else he''d already be dead by now."


    His words rendered the group before him speechless, but it was not possible for them to just let Su Chen go; otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to exin themselves upon returning.


    "In that case, let''s see the truth through our actions!" The man in ck robes vibrated with a sudden release of powerful energy. "Brothers, together!"


    After speaking, he charged towards Su Chen, followed by the other two men who knew well of Su Chen''s impressive strength.


    The three men were all stronger than the youth before them. As they charged forward, their momentum was overwhelming, resembling uncaged beasts with the wind howling around them.


    Before the man in ck could reach him, his fist was already closing in on Su Chen. His punch, thrown straight and parallel to the ground, appeared mundane, but Su Chen knew this fist contained much greater power than the formidable kick from earlier.


    At the same time, Su Chen also threw a punch, seemingly prepared to sh head-on with the man in ck!


    Seeing this, a coldugh arose in the heart of the man in ck.


    He was confident in his level punch, his most practiced move. He could instantly gather all the energy in his body into his arm, and then, upon contact with his target, concentrate all that power into his fist.


    So far, the ck-robed man had not met anyone who could match his fist, because most people could at best focus only twenty to thirty percent of their body''s strength into their fist.


    The other twopanions, seeing that this young man actually wanted to trade blows with their leader, also felt a surge of joy internally.


    In their eyes, since the opponent chose this method, it meant the fight was about to end, and their pace slowed slightly.


    "Boom!"


    The instant the two fists connected, a vast sound erupted, and the air around the point of collision seemed distorted in that moment.


    Then came a clear and piercing "crack" sound, and at the same time, a figure was sent flying back like a cannonball until it struck a pine tree and came to a halt before falling to the ground.


    "Young Master!"


    "Young Master!"


    ```


    The two of them, upon witnessing this scene, immediately cried out in surprise. They had never imagined it would be the man in ck who flew out, and they wanted to rush over to check on him.


    But how could Su Chen let them have their way!


    With a quick shift of his footsteps, his body shot out instantaneously, his speed so fast it was hard to believe.


    The remaining two men in white robes also felt Su Chen''s approach, but they couldn''t see his figure clearly. All they saw was an afterimage.


    In their panic, they hastily threw two punches at the afterimage, only to hit empty air.


    As they were still searching for Su Chen''s whereabouts, they suddenly realized the afterimage had already reached them.


    "Bang Bang!"


    Su Chen''s fists struck out together, hitting the two men in their chests, sending them flying in opposite directions into the bushes...


    Su Chen''s speed was too fast just now, whether it was his movement technique or his punches, they were too quick for them to react.


    The several men lying injured on the ground looked up at Su Chen''s young face with a surge of immense fear in their hearts; this young man was just too terrifying!


    They feltpletely powerless in front of him, wondering how their Young Master ever got involved with someone like this?


    Su Chen walked up to the man in ck, looked down at him and said,


    "Go back and tell Wu Yuanpin, this is just a warning. If there''s a next time, I might not be so nice!"


    His eyes were like the abyss, and the man in ck felt a chill in his heart just looking at them!


    Such eyes, it was his first time seeing them, as if they belonged to someone who had crawled out of a mountain of corpses in the Netherworld!


    The man in ck couldn''t imagine seeing such a gaze in a young person.


    ....


    By the time Su Chen returned to Lin Ruoxue''s vi, he had already resumed his casual, slightly cynical, unruly expression.


    When Su Chen walked in, Lin Ruoxue was sitting on the couch in a silk purple pajama, quietly absorbed in "Anna Karenina," with such concentration that she didn''t even look away when reaching for a slice of watermelon.


    Mrs. Wang was tidying up when she saw Su Chen walk in. She was about to call out to him, but Su Chen quickly "shushed" her, then tiptoed over to the side of the coffee table.


    Just as Lin Ruoxue was about to reach for another slice of watermelon, Su Chen timely ced a finger where Lin Ruoxue''s delicate hand was reaching.


    The engrossed Lin Ruoxue didn''t notice, and she picked it up and brought it directly to her lips.


    It wasn''t until Lin Ruoxue licked Su Chen''s finger that she realized something was amiss. She looked down abruptly, only to find that what she had put in her mouth was a finger.


    ncing up, she saw Su Chen standing to one side, watching her with a mischievous grin and a look of satisfaction on his face.


    "Ah~~~~" Lin Ruoxue suddenly screamed, "Jerk, pervert, what are you doing?"


    Lin Ruoxue quickly spat into the nearby trash can several times, feeling a rush of frustration.


    She had actually licked his finger!


    "What are you doing is the question!" Su Chen feigned a frustrated expression, "I just wanted to eat that piece of watermelon, but you just picked it up and licked it."


    Su Chen vigorously wiped his finger on his T-shirt, his face showing a bit of "disgust":


    "Ah, it''s all your saliva, who knows if it''s poisoned!"

 Chapter 73: 73

    "Asshole! I''m going to kill you!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue snapped! She stormed toward him barefoot.


    This guy clearly took advantage, and yet he acted innocent, even saying that her saliva was poison when she hadn''t evenined about his fingers being germy!


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue''s reaction to be so intense, and, scared, he turned and ran.


    "You were the one who wanted to eat, not me!" Su Chen called out as he ran, "Besides, it was you eating me, not the other way around, why are you overreacting!"


    The more Lin Ruoxue listened, the angrier and more embarrassed she became. This guy was shameless, mes of anger shooting from her beautiful eyes!


    "Su Chen, stop right there!" Lin Ruoxue suddenly stood still, hands on her hips, and yelled.


    Seeing that she had stopped, Su Chen stopped too. Standing about three or four meters apart, Su Chen pursed his lips and said:


    "Don''t be mad, I''ll just lick your fingers too and then we''ll be equal, okay? I promise I won''t mind."


    "Su Chen, you big asshole, I''m not giving up until I kill you today!"


    By this time, Lin Ruoxue''s heart was aze with towering rage, her eyes nearly crimson!


    Once again, she started chasing Su Chen around the living room but every time she nearly caught up to him, he would twist away and escape.


    Because of this, Lin Ruoxue''s mounting rage was impossible to vent, growingrger by the moment as if it would ignite at any second.


    "Young master, miss, please stop your antics. You''re not tired from running, but my eyes are tired from watching you."


    Wang Ma, caught betweenughter and tears, found the two chasing each other in the living room both hrious and heartwarming!


    Unknowingly, her eyes filled with tears. Wang Ma stealthily wiped her eyes with her sleeve.


    Just then, Lin Ruoxue caught up to Wang Ma and, turning her head, saw her wiping away tears. She immediately stopped in her tracks.


    "Wang Ma, why are you crying?"


    Forgoing the chase, Lin Ruoxue hurried over to ask Wang Ma.


    Since Su Chen was farther away, hearing that Wang Ma was crying, he too approached:


    "What''s happened, Wang Ma?"


    "Nothing, nothing, miss, young master, I''m just happy," Wang Ma replied, stopping her crying and smiling.


    "Then tell me, Wang Ma, what''s got you so happy? I want to hear too," Lin Ruoxue said, smiling curiously as she held Wang Ma''s hand.


    Wang Ma patted the back of Lin Ruoxue''s hand and sighed:


    "I''m happy seeing how close the miss and the young master are now."


    "Wang Ma, are you blind? How can you say we''re close?" Lin Ruoxue suddenly widened her eyes. They had just been fighting ferociously, and yet Wang Ma said their rtionship was good?


    "Of course, miss, haven''t you heard? Fighting is an expression of endearment, scolding is a form of love," Wang Ma said humorously, ncing at Lin Ruoxue, "It really worried me back when you and the young master wouldn''t even speak to each other."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s cheeks flushed a deeper red, and her voice became slightly coyer:


    "Wang Ma, what are you talking about? Fighting is love, scolding is endearment? That sounds terrible."


    But in her heart, she contemted how her rtionship with Su Chen had indeed changed recently, his image frequently appearing in her mind.


    Sometimes when he wasn''t at home, it felt as though something was missing, leaving her feeling somewhat empty.


    No, what am I thinking? Since when did this guy be so important?


    Lin Ruoxue kept trying to justify the changes in her heart, when suddenly she saw Su Chen sneakily winking at her, looking as annoying as ever.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately found her reason, believing that the reason she kept thinking about him was entirely because this guy had be more and more annoying.


    Yes, it must be that!


    At that moment, Mrs. Wang also took Su Chen''s big hand and ced it on the back of Lin Ruoxue''s hand, then held it tightly:


    "Miss, young master, you must take good care of each other. That way, even if I die, I''ll rest easy."


    "Mrs. Wang, don''t talk about dying, it''s so unlucky!"


    Lin Ruoxue pouted, speaking unhappily.


    "Miss, at my age, there''s nothing left to avoid," Mrs. Wang said with a slight smile. "Over these past days, I''ve seen that the young master is a rare good man; you should cherish him! Not to criticize you, miss, but your temper could use some adjusting as well."


    "What! Mrs. Wang, what''s gotten into you today? Talking all this nonsense. Where is he good? He is clearly a big bad guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue slightly pouted her moist cherry lips and huffed, looking every bit the young woman she was!


    Mrs. Wang affectionately stroked Lin Ruoxue''s hair and turned to instruct Su Chen:


    "Young master, if I''m gone one day, you must be good to the miss and protect her in every way."


    "Mrs. Wang, what are you saying? I see you living many more decades easily. Besides, we''ll need your help to look after our children in the future!"


    Su Chen noticed Mrs. Wang''s mncholic mood, so he teased her deliberately.


    "Alright, alright," Mrs. Wang immediately gleamed with excitement, "if that day reallyes, I''ll be waking up smiling even in my dreams."


    Mrs. Wang had taken care of Lin Ruoxue since she was a child and, having no children of her own, had long considered her as her own daughter. So, hearing Su Chen say this, she couldn''t stop smiling.


    "Don''t worry, Mrs. Wang, that day will definitelye, and not just one, we n to have a whole ss for you to look after, so you better take good care of yourself."


    "Alright, alright, don''t worry, I can handle even more children," Mrs. Wang looked at Su Chen, liking him more and more.


    "What, do you think I''m a sow? An entire ss!"


    Listening to Mrs. Wang and Su Chen''s back-and-forth, Lin Ruoxue had already turned thoroughly red with embarrassment and finally couldn''t hold back a coquettish shout.


    "So, how many do you want to have?"


    Su Chen tilted his head, asking curiously.


    "Yeah, how many do you want to have?"


    Mrs. Wang pressed Lin Ruoxue further.


    "Have... have..." Lin Ruoxue was led astray by the two, seriously considering the question of how many to have, until she saw Su Chen''s mischievous expression and finally snapped back, "Have your big-headed ghost! Who wants to have kids with you!"


    After saying that, she turned and ran upstairs, heading straight into her room, followed by the sound of a door mming shut.


    Su Chen and Mrs. Wang caught each other''s nce and burst intoughter simultaneously...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a vi''s study in the Eastern District of Jianghai, a dim deskmp was on.


    Sitting behind the desk was a man in his forties, his temples slightly graying, his face appearing quite schrly, yet the shine in his eyes added a sharpness to his demeanor.


    And seated across the desk was a young man, with a noble air, perfectly tailored clothes entuating his fine physique.


    "You''ve been pursuing the Lin Family girl for over a year now. Any progress?"


    The middle-aged man looked at the young man and asked indifferently.

 Chapter 74 - 74 The Foundation of Establishing Roots

    "No, Lin Ruoxue is just impervious to persuasion." The young man shook his head in dejection, "I''ve been strategizing every step of the way, and at one point Lin Ruoxue had actually be less cold towards me, but these past few months it seems like we''ve gone back to how things were before, no, actually, it''s as if she''s even more distant than before. She appears to be deliberately maintaining a distance."


    "Oh, is that so." The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment before speaking, "Everything has its cause and effect, have you found out what caused this?"


    "I''ve thought about this issue, but no matter how much I ponder, there seems to be only one possibility, but that possibility also seems quite unlikely, so I am very confused."


    The young man''s eyes revealed a look of great perplexity.


    "Tell me what you''re thinking."


    The middle-aged man picked up his teacup and took a shallow sip.


    "It''s about someone. I feel that since this person appeared, Lin Ruoxue''s attitude towards me has changed."


    "Who is he?"


    The middle-aged man put down his teacup, his eyes suddenly darting two sharp beams.


    "That''s where the problem lies, he seems quite close to Lin Ruoxue, but in reality, he''s just a driver for the Belle Corporation." The young man replied respectfully, "I don''t think Lin Ruoxue would be interested in a driver, not even if she were blind."


    "You make a good point, even if Lin Ruoxue agreed, the Lin Family wouldn''t." The middle-aged man shook his head with a look of puzzlement in his eyes, "Did you investigate his background?"


    "Of course I did, but what''s eerie is that I couldn''t find out anything."


    "What do you mean you couldn''t find out anything?"


    The middle-aged man suddenly sat up straight from the back of his chair, leaning forward, staring at the young man.


    "I had a friend at the city bureau check, but his records were aplete nk!"


    "Aplete nk?"


    The middle-aged man stood from his chair, his brow furrowed. He slowly took out a Cuban cigar from a box on his desk and lit it.


    "Do you know what marrying Lin Ruoxue would mean for our Liu Family?"


    After a moment, the middle-aged man said leisurely.


    "I understand, several areas of Belle Corporation''s business have already caused a huge impact on our Liu Corporation." The young man nodded, "Especially therge amount of capital she has invested in pharmaceutical research and development."


    "Indeed! Currently, most of our domestic pharmaceuticalpanies are producing generic drugs, but three years ago when this youngdy first took over the Belle Corporation, she invested a huge sum in the research of innovative drugs, quite audacious indeed!"


    The middle-aged man remarked wistfully, "Now, she has finally seen the returns, with the country providing strong support for innovative drugs, the rapid development of Belle Corporation''s pharmaceutical division is foreseeable for the future."


    "Furthermore, this youngdy has also invested considerable funds in inte finance, artificial intelligence, and other areas, achieving some sess. These are all industries with huge potential for the future!"


    "Father, you''re right, isn''t this also the reason why we initially wanted Lin Ruoxue as a daughter-inw for the Liu Family?"


    This young man is none other than the heir to the Liu Family, Liu Qing, and the middle-aged man is his father, the current Family Head, Liu Yongyuan.


    "If we could really marry Lin Ruoxue, we would definitely make a fortune!" Liu Qing continued, "But if Lin Ruoxue is truly unwilling, shouldn''t we start preparing a second n?"


    "Qing''er, do you think I want you to marry Lin Ruoxue just to make some extra money?"


    Hearing Liu Qing''s words, the middle-aged man shook his head, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.


    "Why is that?"


    Liu Qing was puzzled. His father wanted him to marry Lin Ruoxue, wasn''t it because he valued the huge market potential and profits of Belle''s various sectors in the future?


    "Compared to Belle, what I value more is the person Lin Ruoxue. As long as she is there, no matter where she is, she will achieve something. Therefore, even without Belle, you must marry her."


    Liu Yongyuan returned to his desk and sat down:


    "Of course, we cannot give up on Belle either, just like you said, its future development is incalcble, especially under Lin Ruoxue''s leadership. It might even rival our Liu Corporation in theing ten or twenty years."


    "I understand now, Father, I was too short-sighted."


    "No, you still don''t understand," Liu Yongyuan sighed slightly, "Do you know why I ce so much importance on Lin Ruoxue and Belle?"


    "Isn''t it for the reasons you just mentioned?"


    Liu Qing was puzzled again. Hadn''t his father just exined it?


    Wasn''t it because of Lin Ruoxue''s exceptional business talent and Belle''s promising future prospects? What else could there be?


    "If you still look at things this way, then you have deeply disappointed me!" Liu Yongyuan''s eyes suddenly became severe, staring at Liu Qing like a tiger. "I really don''t know what you have learned during your years abroad, how immature! How can I entrust the great Liu Family to you with this kind of thinking?"


    Seeing his father so stern all of a sudden, Liu Qing broke into a cold sweat. In his memory, this was the first time his father had reprimanded him with such an attitude.


    But he did not understand. How was he being immature?


    "Please enlighten me, Father! I truly can''t think of any other reasons."


    Liu Qing looked at his father nervously, listening carefully. He knew there was a huge gap between him and his father and there was much more for him to learn.


    "People say that Jiangnan has the Four Great Families, but do you really understand the true meaning behind these families?"


    Liu Yongyuan leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes slightly, and then leisurely asked after a moment.


    "Is it not because our four families are the most powerful?"


    Liu Qing spoke cautiously. He had known since he was a child that their Liu Family was one of the Four Great Families of Jiangnan, an exalted existence, but he had never truly considered the profound meaning of these families.


    "That is certainly due to strength. Although we, the Wu Family, the Lv Family, and the Yun Family are collectively known as the Four Great Families, each family has a notable position and strength in various industries. However, the situation for each family is different."


    At this point, Liu Yongyuan''s eyes opened again:


    "But every family that has stood for a century has its roots, its foundation. Let''s not talk about the others for now, do you know what the foundation of the Liu Family is?"


    "The foundation?" Liu Qing chewed over the words, his mind seemingly understanding, yet not fully grasping the concept. He raised his head and looked earnestly at his father, "Please make it clear, Father."


    "The foundation of our Liu Family lies inmerce!" Liu Yongyuan exhaled, continuing, "This is the real reason why I value Lin Ruoxue and Belle so much."


    "In Jiangnan, our Liu Family''smercial strength is the most formidable. This is also the fundamental reason why we are among the Four Great Families! And by marrying Lin Ruoxue and taking control of Belle, it is equivalent to making our roots spread deeper and be more secure!"


    "I understand now! Only by setting our roots deeply and ensuring a solid foundation can our Liu Family prosper and thrive!"


    Liu Qing finally grasped the true meaning behind his father''s intention for him to pursue Lin Ruoxue, and he couldn''t help but admire his father''s strategic thinking and earnest intentions!

 Chapter 75: Car Accident

    "If things go well, one day in the future, we might just be able to be a top-tier family like the Zheng Family, who also started inmerce, just like us,"


    Liu Yongyuan turned to look at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, feeling a storm of ambitions stirring in his heart.


    "The Zheng Family in Yanjing?"


    Liu Qing eximed in shock, looking at his father with disbelief.


    He had never imagined that his father harbored such grand ambitions: the Zheng Family in Yanjing, what a presence that was!


    They were one of Huaxia''s top families, with immeasurable strength and heritage. Although their Liu Family also counted as a significant force in Jiangnan, inparison with the Zheng Family of Yanjing, they were hardly worth mentioning. They weren''t even in the same league!


    Seeing the shocked expression on Liu Qing''s face, Liu Yongyuan smiled slightly:


    "What? You think it''s impossible?"


    "To be honest, I''ve never dared to dream that big¡ªit''s the Zheng Family in Yanjing!"


    Liu Qing shook his head with a wry smile, his admiration for his father growing inside him.


    "If you can secure Lin Ruoxue and the Belle Corporation, it could very well be a reality one day!"


    Liu Yongyuan encouraged him with a hopeful look.


    "Even if we can''t reach the heights of the Zheng Family, at least our Liu Family''s strength will surge dramatically. Recing the Wu Family as the foremost among the Four Great Families of Jiangnan will be within easy reach."


    "Okay, Father, don''t worry. I will figure out a way to marry Lin Ruoxue and take control of the Belle Corporation,"


    Liu Qing was inspired by his father''s ambitious vision, speaking with unwavering resolve.


    "Good, I believe in you," Liu Yongyuan chuckled as he walked over to Liu Qing and patted him on the shoulder, "As for that young man you think might be an obstacle, if we can''t find out enough about him, we''ll just have to eliminate him."


    .....


    Su Chen was, of course,pletely unaware of what was transpiring in the Liu family''s mansion.


    The next morning, just like every day in recent months, he rose early to make breakfast.


    Wang Ma and Lin Ruoxue had grown used to this routine, now only finding it surprising if he didn''t cook.


    However, it seemed that Lin Ruoxue hadn''t quite recovered from her state the previous day and deliberately avoided Su Chen''s gaze during breakfast.


    She wolfed down a few bites before hurrying off to work in her car.


    Su Chen found, rather amusingly, that his wife seemed to be growing cuter by the day!


    Shortly afterward, Su Chen leisurely drove his BMW 5 Series to work, humming an unknown tune and lightly tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.


    Just as he was about to reach the Belle Building, he suddenly found the road ahead was blocked. The long queue of cars couldn''t move at all, and many people were gathered around, seemingly discussing something.


    With no option to proceed, Su Chen had no choice but to get out and see what was happening.


    Upon reaching the crowd, he realized it was an ident¡ªa giant truck had collided with a Cadic. The Cadic was so mangled it was nearly unrecognizable; the hood waspletely crushed, one side''s window had shattered, and the other door was wide open, resembling a heap of scrap metal.


    "Mom, hang in there, please hang on, the physician will be here soon."


    Just then, a tense, trembling voice rang out.


    Su Chen looked closer and saw a very beautiful woman in her twenties desperately shouting at another middle-aged woman, her face full of panic.


    The middle-aged woman was covered in blood, her head drooping to one side, her long hair drenched in blood and sticking to her face, obscuring her features.


    Her abdomen had been impaled by a steel pipe from the broken car window, and blood kept flowing out!


    "Where''s the physician? Why isn''t the physician here yet!"


    The young woman shouted madly outwards, her forehead also injured with fresh blood seeping out, but at that moment, she didn''t care about her wounds at all.


    "The doctor is here, the doctor is here!"


    Just then, the siren of the ambnce resounded, and the crowd voluntarily cleared a path.


    As soon as the paramedics disembarked, they immediately rushed over with a stretcher. Leading the way was a physician in his fifties and a younger doctor, probably in his twenties, who looked like his assistant or student.


    Meanwhile, another group of five or six people hurried over from a different direction, led by a middle-aged man who looked very authoritative, clearly a high-ranking official, his expression extremely grave at the moment.


    Upon seeing this group, a burst of exmations erupted from the crowd.


    "Look, who is thating?"


    "Ah, it''s Mayor Tang, why has hee?"


    "Indeed, it is Mayor Tang. What is he doing here this early in the morning? Could he just be passing by?"


    The paramedics and Mayor Tang Mingji''s group almost arrived simultaneously at the scene of the ident.


    The attending physician and the paramedics were also surprised by the appearance of Tang Mingji and promptly greeted him:


    "Good day, Mayor Tang."


    Tang Mingji immediately waved his hand:


    "Never mind me, you guys hurry up and rescue the patient."


    Then he said to the woman in the car:


    "Xiaoyun,e out quickly, don''t obstruct the doctors'' work."


    The young woman inside the car hurriedly stepped out and approached Tang Mingji, crying:


    "Dad, mom won''t be in trouble, will she?"


    "No, we must trust the doctors."


    Tang Mingji embraced the young woman, gently patting her shoulder tofort her.


    The attending physician trembled, not expecting that the victim of the car crash was Mayor Tang''s wife. Suddenly, he felt the pressure immensely increase.


    Normally, a car ident wouldn''t require his presence, but he hade personally after hearing the rtives'' descriptions at the scene because he felt the situation was quite serious.


    Now, he was unsure whethering today was right or wrong.


    The onlooking crowd hadn''t expected that the woman was Mayor Tang''s wife either.


    The attending physician checked the situation and his expression immediately turned very serious; it was much more severe than he had imagined.


    "Mayor Tang, hurry up and notify the fire department to start extrication, make sure they hurry!"


    As soon as the physician had finished his examination, he shouted loudly to Tang Mingji.


    No sooner had he spoken than Tang Mingji''s assistant immediately contacted the fire brigade. Then, the physician stepped back and reported to Tang Mingji:


    "Mayor Tang, the situation is much more serious than we anticipated; you need to be prepared mentally!"


    "Doctor, please, you must save my mother! I beg you!"


    The young woman suddenly grasped the physician''s clothes, her face showing a pleading look.


    "Rest assured, we will do our utmost!"


    The physician patted the young woman''s hand,forting her as he spoke.


    "Tell me, what exactly is the situation now?"


    Tang Mingji was also extremely nervous inside, but he still tried to calm himself down, knowing that being nervous or scared would not help solve the problem at this moment.

 Chapter 76 - 76 100%

    "The situation now is that the car door ispletely jammed. We must break it open to remove the steel pipe stuck in the patient''s body, but once we pry open the door and pull out the steel pipe to relieve the pressure, there will definitely be major blood loss,"


    "Moreover, from my observation, the position where the steel pipe has entered is also very poor¡ªit''s directly in the vena cava. Once there''s major blood loss, she''ll likely experience severe hypovolemic shock within six to ten minutes. Even if I''m fast enough and lucky, it will still take at least three minutes to find the bleeding point and temporarily stop the bleeding. However, the blood loss in those three minutes could reach up to two thousand milliliters."


    "Furthermore, we''re outside, and even in the best scenario, it would take nearly twenty minutes to get to the hospital''s operating room. This could likely cause ischemic damage to the heart and brain, and such damage is irreversible."


    "Plus, it would take at least ten to twenty minutes for the fire department to arrive. The patient is continuously losing blood, so the situation is indeed very critical."


    The lead physician sighed and said, hisplexion turning grim as he hadn''t expected the situation to be this severe.


    Hearing the lead physician''s words, Tang Mingji and Tang Yun felt their hearts sink to the lowest depths.


    Though they didn''t quite understand all the medical jargon, they realized that the situation was indeed dire.


    "Let me do it!"


    Just then, a faint voice came through.


    Tang Mingji and his daughter along with the lead physician all turned their heads to see a young man approaching.


    "I can break it open immediately and remove the steel pipe."


    Su Chen walked up to Tang Mingji, his daughter, and the lead physician and spoke again.


    "Don''t mess around. Do you know the force required for this? How could you manage?" the lead physician said, visibly agitated, waving his hand dismissively. "Young man, you better hurry off, don''t make trouble."


    Su Chen wasn''t offended by the lead physician''s attitude, instead, he simply smiled:


    "Doctor, you should be aware, from now until the fire department''s arrival, it will take at least ten or so minutes. Then removing the steel pipe and your immediate hemostatic emergency treatment until reaching the hospital''s emergency room¡ªhow long all that would take. What do you think are the chances of the patient''s survival then? I say two in ten, and that''s being generous. Given that, why not let me try?"


    "You understand medicine?"


    The lead physician asked, his surprise evident upon hearing Su Chen''s words. In his heart, even two in ten was a stretch; he reckoned even one in ten was difficult.


    "I know a bit, just the basics."


    "Are you really sure?" the lead physician asked sternly, looking at Su Chen. "Since you know some medicine, you should understand that if carelessly done, causing discement, then the situation could be extremely grave."


    "I understand," Su Chen nodded.


    "Mayor Tang, this is currently the most effective solution avable. What do you think..."


    The lead physician turned to Tang Mingji, although already agreeing internally, he still needed to seek the opinion of Tang Mingji as the family member and as the mayor.


    "Young man, are you really confident?" Tang Mingji asked seriously.


    "I assure you!" Su Chen replied firmly, nodding his head.


    "Alright, I trust you."


    Tang Mingji saw an unppable demeanor in the other''s eyes, and was somewhat surprised internally; few people confronted him, the mayor, with such a calm demeanor.


    "Alright, prepare to break it open," the lead physician said, seeing Tang Mingji''s approval, then turned to Tang Mingji and his daughter, "What''s the patient''s blood type? I''ll have the hospital prepare."


    "I''m not quite sure. Tang Yun, do you know your mother''s blood type?"


    As the mayor, Tang Mingji, who was busy all the time, couldn''t remember his wife''s blood type.


    "I''m not quite sure either, butst time I apanied mom to the hospital for a checkup, her blood was tested; I think it was something like RH negative O-type or something," Tang Yun replied, scratching her head as she thought.


    "What did you say?"


    The lead physician''s voice suddenly grew much louder as he shouted in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at Tang Yun.


    Su Chen also stopped in his tracks; this was extremely unlucky!


    "What''s wrong?"


    Tang Mingji and his daughter, upon seeing the doctor''s reaction, suddenly felt bewildered.


    "What did you say?" The chief physician,pletely overwhelmed by the situation, lost control of his tone, and said to Tang Mingji and his daughter, "RH-negative blood is ''panda blood.''"


    Then he suddenly realized something, and hurriedly shouted at his young assistant:


    "Quickly notify the hospital to immediately request eight units of RH-negative O-type red blood cells from the blood bank."


    "Okay, I''ll call right away!"


    The young assistant was clearly terrified by the situation.


    A minuteter, the young assistant, looking dejected, said to the chief physician:


    "The blood bank has five units of RH-negative blood in reserve, which can be delivered to the hospital in 50 minutes. The remaining three units will take about an hour and twenty minutes to gather."


    "It''s over, it''s over!"


    The chief physician, as if defeated, leaned powerlessly against the battered car body.


    "How can it be over! Doctor! You absolutely must not give up!" Tang Yun was so frightened that she fell to her knees in front of the chief physician, crying, "Doctor, please, save my mother?"


    "I wish I could, but it takes more than an hour to procure the blood, and no one can endure such a long period of cerebral ischemia." The chief physician helped Tang Yun to her feet, "You should prepare for the worst."


    "Are you just going to watch my mother die and do nothing?"


    Tang Yun, unable to ept the grim news about her mother, copsed to the ground as soon as she stood up.


    "It''s not that I don''t want to, it''s simply impossible!"


    "I have a way."


    Watching Tang Yun cry with the sorrow of losing her loved one, Su Chen was reminded of his own mother and spoke up.


    "Ah, you really have a way?"


    Tang Yun shot up to her feet and grabbed Su Chen''s arm, asking anxiously as if she had grasped a lifeline when nearly drowning.


    Though it was just a straw, it at least gave her hope!


    "Young man, don''t speak without understanding, in this situation, even a Divine Doctor couldn''t save her."


    The chief physician sternly scolded him, thinking that this young man was merely being recklessly boastful.


    "So, what solution do you have right now?"


    Su Chen didn''t retort but simply asked calmly.


    The chief physician hung his head and sighed, shaking it.


    "Given that, what are youining about here?" Su Chen nced at him, "No matter how bad the situation is, what else can be done?"


    "Indeed, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, we must try." Tang Mingji walked over and asked Su Chen, "Young man, how confident are you?"


    Su Chen held up a single finger.


    "Only 10 percent?" Tang Mingji''s heart sank, then he took a deep breath, "Alright, let''s try it, it''s still better than having no hope at all."


    Su Chen gently shook his head.


    "Not even 10 percent?"


    Tang Mingji cried out, immediately feeling as though a huge stone was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.


    Tang Yun, who had just regained a glimmer of spirit, lingered in despair once more. No chance, not even 10 percent ¡ª wasn''t her mother''s situation still likely dire?


    "No, you misunderstood." Su Chen began calmly:


    "I meant 100 percent!"

 Chapter 77: Is This Still Human?

    In an instant, everyone was shocked by Su Chen''s words!


    The chief physician had just dered there was absolutely no hope, yet this young man imed he could cure the patient, a im that was outrageously optimistic!


    "Young man, you are boasting too much! You are simply disregarding the most basic medical knowledge!"


    The chief physician sternly rebuked, seeing it as nothing more than a pipe dream.


    Even now, in the operating room, surrounded by blood, with such severe injuries, he only had a 30% chance of saving the patient.


    Not to mention the present situation outside, facing severe blood loss.


    Under such circumstances, even the world''s best doctors would be powerless after such a long period of cerebral ischemia, not even a deity could save her!


    "The situation now is that he has no way to save your loved one, while I guarantee I can save her, it''s up to you to decide what to do,"


    Su Chen ignored the chief physician''s scolding and directly handed the choice over to Tang Mingji and his daughter.


    In Su Chen''s view, one''s understanding determines their limit, and no amount of exnation would make the other party believe if it involved an unfamiliar domain.


    "Father, it''s your decision to make."


    Tang Yun herself was very conflicted, the young man''s words did not provide any reassurance, and if he had imed a 20 to 30% or 30 to 40% chance, she might have believed him a little.


    But for him to im a 100% certainty was too much, making her increasingly suspect that he was just a chatan selling some miraculous cure.


    "Alright, I''ve made my decision, young man, give it a try."


    Tang Mingji, with the decisiveness of a leader, quickly made a decision.


    Actually, he had no other choice, faced with only two options: either watch his wife die or let this young man try, despite thetter seeming unreliable.


    "Fine, but let me be clear, if you want me to save your wife, everyone from the hospital must follow my orders,"


    Su Chen suddenly spoke with a stern face, a stark contrast to his previously casual demeanour.


    "Good, Dr. Du, you and everyone from your hospital must obey this young man from now on,"


    Tang Mingji, seeing his name on the chief physician''s badge, gave him a piercing look, carrying with him the authority of a mayor.


    Though Dr. Du was reluctant, he dared not talk back in front of Tang Mingji.


    "I''d like to see how you n to save this doomed person." Dr. Du sneered to himself.


    "Dr. Du, contact your hospital now, have them prepare 1500 milliliters of zero-degree saline," Su Chen''s expression was solemn, his eyes sparkling with a dazzling light, "Also, tell the chief of staff to rush the blood supply."


    "Zero-degree saline? Are you sure?"


    Dr. Du stared at Su Chen in astonishment, knowing that saline is usually warmed before being administered to patients.


    Even in special circumstances, they only used sub-cooled saline at most.


    "Stop wasting time, get the hospital ready, or you''ll be directly responsible for the patient''s death!"


    Su Chen shouted at Dr. Du, as he really had no time to argue; time was of the essence!


    "Fine, I''ll make the call."


    Dr. Du, startled by Su Chen''s shout, hurriedly pulled out his phone.


    At this moment, Su Chen began the extraction, and what stunned everyone was that he used no tools but his bare hands instead.


    The car door had beenpressed and waspletely jammed, making it impossible to pull out the square steel tube that had pierced into the middle-aged woman''s body.


    Su Chen grabbed the car window and pulled forcefully; the window immediately began to visibly deform, slowly shrinking outward.


    Onlookers gazed at Su Chen as if he were a monster, marveling at the immense strength it took to deform the crushed car window with his bare hands!


    "Ah~~"


    Su Chen suddenly let out a long howl, and with a strong push of his hands, all one could hear was a "bang" as the car window was pulled down.


    After removing thergest car window, the others were easier to handle, and Su Chen cleaned up the steel scattered all around.


    "Scissors, scalpel, hemostat, gauze, hurry up."


    Su Chen reached his hand backward, and immediately one of the paramedics handed him the items.


    "Physician Du, you''ll pull out the steel tube, while I''ll expand the chest wound and stop the bleeding," Su Chen quickly instructed Du Sheng, "When you pull it, be sure to maintain steadiness to prevent internal discement."


    "How about I pull out the steel tube and you handle the bleeding? I can find the bleeding point and stop the bleeding within three minutes."


    Du Sheng believed that few could match his speed in this regard, and now, the faster the action, the less the bleeding, the more assured they were in saving the patient.


    "Stop the nonsense and do as I say!"


    Su Chen coldly shouted, without any courtesy.


    Du Sheng''s face turned red with embarrassment. This guy was really disrespectful; he thought who he was. If Tang Mingji were not here, he would have walked away long ago.


    "Fine, let me see what you are capable of!"


    Du Sheng also snorted with an unhappy face.


    "Are you ready?" Su Chen, not bothering with Du Sheng''s thoughts, shouted to the other medical staff, "Get ready to establish an intravenous pathway, administer bnce solution, maintain blood pressure."


    "Okay!"


    The medical staff responded at once and immediately turned around to prepare.


    "I''m ready too."


    Although Du Sheng was displeased with Su Chen, it was a critical moment for saving a life, so he could not afford to hold a grudge against Su Chen.


    In this regard, Su Chen felt a slight respect for him.


    "Okay, when I count to three, you pull out the steel tube immediately!" Su Chen took a deep breath and then yelled, "One, two, three, pull."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Du Sheng used his hands to forcefully pull out the steel tube embedded in the middle-aged woman''s body, causing a copious amount of blood to spurt out like a fountain, drenching Su Chen.


    At the same time, Su Chen was already using gauze to block the area where the blood was gushing, while his other hand searched for the bleeding point, but the blood continued to flow profusely.


    "I''ve found the bleeding point, now remove the gauze."


    Su Chen said, and instantly picked up the scissors and scalpel.


    "That fast?"


    Du Sheng was stunned; it was very rapid. In less than 20 seconds, he had already found the bleeding point.


    "What are you waiting for, hurry up!"


    "Oh, right!"


    Du Sheng quickly responded and then removed the gauze, while at the same time, Su Chen had begun the hemostasis work.


    "It''s done, now you all prepare to open up the intravenous pathway and administer the bnce solution."


    Su Chen put down the hemostat and exhaled.


    At that instant, Du Sheng and the paramedics were all stunned, staring dumbfoundedly at Su Chen.


    Is he even human?

 Chapter 78: Artificial Hibernation

    "Get moving, what are you staring at!"


    Su Chen saw that these people were still not moving, so he shouted again.


    Only then did those people snap to their senses and hurriedly began to act.


    "Hurry up, get on the ambnce, to the hospital!" Du Sheng seemed to have glimpsed a sliver of hope, and after setting up an IV bnce solution for the middle-aged woman, he shouted at Tang Mingji, "Mayor Tang, you all hurry onto the ambnce, we''re going to the hospital!"


    "Okay!"


    Tang Mingji and Tang Yun also scrambled onto the ambnce in a flurry, and the medical staff quickly lifted the middle-aged woman onto the ambnce.


    "Get moving, what are you staring at!"


    Su Chen saw that these people were still not moving, so he shouted again.


    Only then did those people snap to their senses and hurriedly began to act.


    "Hurry up, get on the ambnce, to the hospital!" Du Sheng seemed to have glimpsed a sliver of hope, and after setting up an IV bnce solution for the middle-aged woman, he shouted at Tang Mingji, "Mayor Tang, you all hurry onto the ambnce, we''re going to the hospital!"


    "Okay!"


    Tang Mingji and Tang Yun also scrambled onto the ambnce in a flurry, and just as the driver was about to start the vehicle, Su Chen walked over:


    "You get down, I''ll drive!"


    "How can this be? This..."


    The driver hadn''t finished speaking when Su Chen pulled open the door and yanked him out:


    "Go to the back."


    After saying that, Su Chen shut the door, and the driver had no choice but to run to the back.


    "You''re the driver, what are you doing here?"


    Du Sheng saw the drivere up and asked in surprise.


    "That young man wanted to drive, my words were not even out when he dragged me out," said the driver indignantly. "He''s just savage!"


    The others exchanged nces, looking at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what this young man was up to.


    "Dr. Du, what do you think of this young man? Can he save my wife?"


    Tang Mingji asked anxiously, as he waspletely ignorant about medicine and could only turn to Du Sheng for help.


    "I don''t know," Du Sheng shook his head, equally puzzled, "If you had asked me earlier, then I would definitely have said it was impossible, but now..."


    "What about now?"


    Tang Yun leaned forward, her heart inexplicably skipping a beat.


    "Now it''s hard to say, I''m a bit at a loss about this young man. Did you see the way he stopped the bleeding for the patient just now? It was simply astonishing!"


    There was a look of wonder on Du Sheng''s face; he still couldn''t believe what had just happened.


    "What was so astonishing?"


    Although Tang Yun had been watching at the time, she hadn''t noticed anything special, as she waspletely unfamiliar with medicine.


    "Just now, this young man took less than a minute to find the bleeding point and stop the bleeding," Du Sheng said, looking towards Tang Mingji and his daughter. "Do you know what that means?"


    Tang Mingji and his daughter shook their heads nkly.


    "Let me put it this way," Du Sheng continued, "Under those circumstances, even the best surgeons in the world would need at least about two minutes, and if I did it, with good luck, maybe three minutes. And when ites to this, I am the fastest in Jiangnan, without any bragging."


    Du Sheng simply couldn''t figure out how the young man had managed it!


    "Indeed, that''s terrifying. I waspletely stupefied just now; his speed was so fast, it was almost like a miracle!"


    Du Sheng''s assistant was also full of sighs, eximing in amazement!


    Tang Mingji and his daughter exchanged a nce and finally understood why Du Sheng and those medical personnel were so shocked!


    "So you''re saying his medical skills are very exquisite, and he might be able to save my mother?"


    Tang Yun suddenly saw hope again. Since his medical skills were so exquisite, it wasn''t impossible to save her own mother!


    "It''s hard to say, although theoretically it seems unlikely, but medicine is different from other sciences. There''s a saying in medicine that there''s no absolute in medicine, which means anything is possible."


    Du Sheng furrowed his eyebrows, he had also been thinking about what methods this young man could possibly have.


    Just then, he suddenly thought of the zero-degree saline that the young man had asked him to prepare, and his mind exploded.


    "I understand now, I finally understand," Du Sheng suddenly jumped up, rubbing his hands nonstop, "His guts are too big, to actually think of using that method, it''s inconceivable, really inconceivable!"


    "What method?" Tang Mingji and Tang Yun hurriedly grabbed Du Sheng, who suddenly seemed crazed.


    "He must be thinking of using hypothermic treatment, also known as artificial hibernation, to snatch a period of time while waiting for blood to arrive."


    Du Sheng, excited and gesturing wildly, exined to Tang Mingji and his daughter, and with great emotion he sighed,


    "That''s insanely bold!"


    "What exactly is going on? Give me a clear exnation," Tang Yun said, feelingpletely baffled by Du Sheng''s words.


    "That means injecting zero-degree saline into the bloodstream, causing a rapid cooling of all vital organs, reducing cellr activity, and reducing the oxygen requirements of the blood, thus alleviating permanent damage caused by ischemia and low blood pressure to the vital organs. At this point, the patient will be in a temporary vegetative state, which buys precious time for the rescue."


    Du Sheng calmed his excited emotions and said to Tang Mingji and his daughter.


    "So, there''s hope for my mother?"


    Tang Yun looked at Du Sheng with a hopeful face; she seemed to see a glimmer of light in the vast darkness.


    "I''ve only seen this method by chance in the American Trauma Society''s journals. I''ve never heard of anyone actually doing it in practice!"


    "Because the biggest issue with this approach is that there is a limit to the human body''s tolerance for cold. If it exceeds this limit, even for a minute, the patient can go from a temporary vegetative state to a permanent vegetative state."


    "So this young man is really something, and crazy enough! Of course, this is also currently the only method that could save the patient."


    Du Sheng took a deep breath and sighed,


    "Being able toe up with and dare to use such a method, he''s definitely a leading figure in the medical field! It''s just that he''s so young, it''s unbelievable!"


    "You guys are really lucky, if it weren''t for this young man today, I can confidently say that your loved one would definitely not have been saved, but now there''s at least some hope!"


    "Yun''er, no matter whether this young man can save your mother today, we must thank him properly!"


    Tang Mingji was also moved by the mercy of the heavens, and at the same time, he became curious about Su Chen.


    Being so young and yet possessing such profound medical skills was extremely rare!


    "Yes, I will definitely thank him properly."


    Tang Yun nodded, praying silently in her heart for her mother''s safety.


    "Here we are, let''s hurry and get out of the car."


    Feeling the care to a stop, Du Sheng''s young assistant pointed out.


    "Already?"


    Du Sheng was stunned for a moment. How many minutes had it been?


    Tang Mingji and his daughter were also surprised. Looking at the time, it had only been six minutes since thest part of their journey, and the speed had reached nearly 200 kilometers per hour.


    In a developed metropolis like Jianghai, reaching a speed of 200 kilometers per hour is a staggering concept!


    What kind of driving skill would that require? Probably not even the most badass driver could achieve that!

 Chapter 79: The Limit Time

    However, given the urgency of the situation, no one was dwelling on Su Chen''s driving skills; they hurriedly pushed the patient into the operating room.


    A 1500-milliliter bag of zero-degree saline solution was already prepared. Just as Su Chen was about to inject the patient, Du Sheng asked tentatively,


    "Are you nning on using hypothermia therapy?"


    "You''re not entirely foolish¡ªyou even know about this," Su Chen nced at him with surprise and nodded, "Correct, I''m using an artificial hibernation approach."


    "I''ve also seen this method in the journals of the American Trauma Society," said Du Sheng, who was now thoroughly impressed by Su Chen, so much so that he didn''t mind thetter''s attitude. He asked earnestly, "But there is a limit to how much cold the human body can take, and exceeding this limit can have serious consequences."


    "I know. Rest assured, I can control the limit."


    Su Chen casually replied as he injected the cold saline solution into the central vein of the middle-aged woman.


    Then, he took out an old, worn cloth bag from his pocket, unfolded it, and the silver needles inside sparkled with a cold silver sheen under the operating room lights.


    "What are you doing now? Is that for acupuncture?"


    Seeing Su Chen pull out the silver needles, Du Sheng was immediately astonished¡ªwas he thinking ofbining Western and Chinese medicine?


    "Weren''t you just concerned about exceeding the patient''s limit? You are indeed right to worry; with this saline injected, the human body can endure a maximum of 35-40 minutes, which is far from sufficient," Su Chen said while pulling out the silver needles, "That''s why I need to extend this limit."


    "So, you''re nning to do it with acupuncture?"


    Confused, Du Sheng asked. He had never heard of such an effect from acupuncture.


    "Yes, with this. The principle is tooplex to exin to you," Su Chen replied.


    He held three silver needles between his fingers and then swiftly inserted them around the injured area of the middle-aged woman,


    "All you need to know is that, after this acupuncture, the total limit she can withstand is an hour and forty minutes. To be absolutely safe, the blood must arrive within an hour and a half."


    "You can calcte the patient''s limit for endurance?"


    Du Sheng was utterly shocked¡ªhe clearly remembered the journal saying that no one in the world could urately calcte the limit of endurance under hypothermia.


    After the three silver needles were inserted, Du Sheng immediately witnessed a scene he had never seen before. The tails of the needles were trembling incessantly, and at the points where the needles touched the skin, a faint milky halo flickered.


    What he didn''t know was that those halos were actually Su Chen''s True Yuan. He was using it to stimte the patient''s vital acupuncture points, sending True Yuan into her body through these points, to nourish the cells and rece some of the functions performed by blood oxygen to a certain extent.


    Subsequently, Su Chen applied needles to other critical acupoints. By the time he finished this work, he was drenched in sweat and nearly exhausted.


    "Physician Du, I leave the uing surgery to you. As long as you do the surgery well and make sure eight units of blood arrive within an hour and a half, she will certainly be fine," Su Chen said.


    "Okay, you can rest assured. If I still can''t save her after what you''ve done, then I might as well not call myself a doctor," answered Du Sheng.


    From the moment he had removed the steel pipe, the young man had handled everything perfectly, and now he had even managed to buy more than an hour of time.


    Du Sheng firmly believed that if he still could not save the patient in such circumstances, it would be a great disservice both to the patient and to the young man''s efforts.


    "You should rest a bit on the side."


    Seeing Su Chen exhausted and soaked with sweat, Du Sheng suggested.


    Du Sheng''s assistant immediately brought a chair for Su Chen and then began assisting in the operation.


    Su Chen indeed felt extremely tired; this series of treatments had nearly depleted all the True Yuan in his body.


    He reflected inwardly that his own strength was still insufficient¡ªif he had been able to cultivate to the seventh or eighth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, none of this would have been so troublesome.


    Should he truly reach that Realm, he would be able to use the Gxy Divine Needle, and such a minor injury would be nothing at all to him, solvable within mere minutes.


    After more than thirty minutes had passed, the first batch of five units of blood had arrived; the medical staff sprinted to the operating room with it.


    Su Chen''s heart eased by half. Another half-hourter, the remaining three units of blood were also delivered.


    Du Sheng, as the chief physician, performed the surgery perfectly.


    When the surgery waspleted, and a few minutes had passed, the middle-aged woman finally opened her eyes, but because she was still very weak, she couldn''t speak just yet.


    The medical staff pushed the patient out of the operating room together, and Tang Mingji and his daughter had been waiting anxiously.


    Upon seeing the patiente out, they hurried over.


    "Mom!"


    "Wan Zhen!"


    The middle-aged woman smiled at her husband and daughter.


    "Mayor Tang, the patient is still very weak and cannot speak," Du Sheng instructed the medical staff, "Hurry and take the patient to the intensive care unit."


    "Doctor Du, what''s the situation now?"


    Although Tang Mingji saw that his wife had woken up, he was still very worried.


    "Please rest assured, Mayor Tang, the surgery was very sessful, and your wife is in good condition. All she needs is some rest, and she''ll be fine."


    "I can''t thank you enough! Thank you for saving her life!"


    Tang Mingji gripped Du Sheng''s hand tightly, his expression full of excitement.


    Tang Yun''s eyes brimmed with gratitude towards Du Sheng. This brief hour had rollercoastered her emotions from deep sorrow to great joy!


    "What I did is something any qualified physician could have done," Du Sheng said with a slight smile, "The person you really should be thanking is Mr. Su."


    "Mr. Su? Which Mr. Su?" Tang Yun''s face showed confusion; she did not recognize any Mr. Su.


    "You mean that young man! Yes, where is he?"


    Tang Mingji suddenly realized.


    "Yes, that''s him. He''s just too tired, and he rested for a while," Du Sheng remarked with a feeling of respect, "If it weren''t for him buying us more than an hour today, the patient would have been beyond help, beyond the reach of gods or King Yan."


    It was then that Tang Yun came to understand that the young man''s surname was Su, and just at that moment, she happened to see Su Chen slowly walking out. His face was ashen, and his clothes damp.


    "Mr. Su, what happened to you?"


    Tang Yun hurried over and supported Su Chen, who looked as if he might copse at any moment, concern evident on her face.


    "It''s nothing, I''ll be fine after some rest," Su Chen said with a forced smile. Only then did he take a clear look at the young woman''s features and was momentarily astonished by her beauty.


    A delicate and exquisite nose, a pair of bright eyes, as beautiful as Liu Yue Mei, with cherry-red lips slightly turned up¡ªthis was a face of breathtaking beauty!


    She wore a khaki-colored, simple yet stylish trench coat, and light blue skinny jeans that outlined her long legs and perfectly rounded curves.

 Chapter 80: Stand Up for Me

    The only thing out of ce about Tang Yun was a patch of gauze stuck on her forehead.


    It had been applied by a nurse while they were waiting just a while ago.


    "What are you staring at me for?"


    Tang Yun had noticed that Su Chen had been staring at her and couldn''t help feeling a bit puzzled.


    "Beautiful!" Su Chen said involuntarily.


    "You..."


    Tang Yun''s face turned red, and she started to get a little angry. If it weren''t for the fact that he had just saved her mother, she would have shoved this scoundrel to the ground already.


    "Sorry, just a little joke."


    At that moment, Su Chen also realized what he had said and hurriedly exined, although his face did not show much embarrassment.


    "Mr. Su, one does not thank their savior with mere words!" Tang Mingji also hurriedly came over, supporting Su Chen on the other side, "Mr. Su, you are our family''s lifesaver. This weekend, I''m hosting a banquet at my home in your honor, and I insist you must not decline."


    "That''s really not necessary, it was just a small effort on my part."


    Su Chen declined, exining that his act of rescue was purely a result of the sorrowful look on Tang Yun''s face, which had reminded him of his own mother, not for any reward.


    Tang Mingji, seeing his refusal, discreetly gave Tang Yun a look.


    "Mr. Su, this might have been a small effort for you, but for our family, it was a great deed of kindness. Please honor us with your presence; otherwise, we''d feel terribly guilty."


    Although Tang Yun was somewhat displeased with Su Chen''s earlier action, he had after all saved her mother.


    Compared to that, the offense was trivial.


    "We''ll see."


    Su Chen intended to brush it off, but Tang Mingji seemed to sense this too, persistently took his number, and also gave him his own.


    .....


    Upon stepping outside the hospital, Su Chen took a deep breath of fresh air, finally feeling his body''s functions gradually returning.


    When Su Chen circted his Cultivation Technique to look inside himself, he found that the True Yuan inside him was almost exhausted, and it would probably take several days of cultivation to fully recover.


    Remembering that his car was still at the ident scene, he hailed a taxi there, then drove to work at the security department of the Belle Building.


    Just after he entered the security room, poured a cup of tea, and sat down, Cao Kun came in with a dark face and walked straight up to Su Chen.


    "Don''t you have any sense of discipline? Look at the time now!"


    Cao Kun chastised him with a displeased expression. His act seemed insincere, and his rat-like face just made it more annoying.


    Su Chen picked up a newspaper, covered his face with it, then swiveled his chair around, giving Cao Kun his back.


    Seeing Su Chen disregard him like that made Cao Kun furious. The others in the security department seemed to enjoy Cao Kun''s difort, which made him feel even more humiliated.


    "Bang!"


    "What kind of attitude is that? Stand up!"


    Cao Kun mmed the table and yelled with a gloomy face.


    Su Chen acted as if he hadn''t heard, fiddled with his ears, and continued reading the paper.


    The others, seeing this, couldn''t help but cover their mouths and snicker, pointing fingers at Cao Kun.


    "What are you looking at? Don''t you have anything better to do?"


    Cao Kun''s face darkened as he scolded the crowd.


    The others merely smirked and then pretended to be busy. Although they didn''t like looking at him and didn''t respect him, he did, after all, have the title of deputy director.


    The key point was that he had Zhang Mingyu backing him up, so they still had to perform some surface-level duties.


    Seeing that everyone was busy, Cao Kun''s face slightly improved, fulfilling his vanity just a bit.


    "Su Chen, I''m telling you onest time, stand up, or face the consequences!


    Clenching his teeth and seething with anger, Cao Kun signaled to Pang San, the leader of the driver division.


    "Su Chen, I''m not one to criticize, but your attitude has a problem," Pang San chimed in, nodding like a leader, "The deputy director is speaking for your benefit. Can''t you just listen properly?"


    "Who do you think you are?"


    Su Chen gave Pang San a disdainful nce, well aware that these two had long harbored dislike toward him and were looking for trouble now.


    Indeed, as Su Chen had anticipated, Cao Kun and Pang San had been seeking chances to get rid of him for days, ideally throwing him out of thepany.


    Whenever Presidents Lin and Xia needed a car for official business in recent days, they had specifically asked for Su Chen, which certainly meant he had be more familiar with these two high-ranking female leaders than they were.


    All they needed was to make a fewments in front of these two, then recing him would be a simple matter.


    Both felt a genuine threat, so they had long agreed to push this kid out of the corporation at the first chance they got.


    The trouble was that this kid always clocked in on time for work, clocked out on time, and unless directed otherwise by his superiors, did nothing else at thepany¡ªnothing done meant nothing wrong, which was why they hadn''t found an opportunity yet.


    Today, half an hour into the work day, the usually punctual Su Chen had still not arrived. Pang San quickly realized this was an opportunity and sent a message to Cao Kun about it.


    Immediately, Cao Kun was alert. In fact, before Su Chen had arrived, Cao Kun had been hiding in a corner, watching the main entrance. He followed as soon as Su Chen entered, leading to the scene now unfolding.


    "Su Chen, you really think too highly of yourself. I''m at least supposed to be your direct supervisor," Pang San said, lengthening his face and speaking coldly, "You don''t respect me, fine, but do you dare to ignore what Minister Cao says?"


    "Are you two flies buzzing in an outhouse? Just buzzing and buzzing nonstop!"


    Disgusted, Su Chen waved his hand as if he were shooing away flies.


    "Su Chen, I''m giving you three seconds to stand up!"


    A surge of anger welled up in Cao Kun, who mmed his hand down on the table, making the teacup lid jump.


    Su Chen seemed not to hear him. He picked up the teacup, blew on the tea leaves floating on top, and leisurely sipped.


    Cao Kun, after all, was a deputy director, used to strutting around his patch in the security department. He couldn''t stand being ignored like this.


    Moreover, with so many people watching, if he couldn''t handle this guy, who would listen to him in the future?


    "You damn well stand up."


    Since this guy wasn''t giving him any face, Cao Kun wasn''t going to be gentle anymore. He reached out and grabbed Su Chen by the cor, trying to pull him up.


    But despite using all his strength, going red in the face, Su Chen remained as immovable as a rock in his chair.


    Su Chen, though currently almost devoid of True Yuan, wasn''t someone Cao Kun could just pull around.


    It wasn''t just him¡ªunless it was a cultivator, no ordinary person could budge him an inch if he just used a bit of the Thousand Weight Drop technique!

 Chapter 81: Turning Black into White

    Su Chen turned his face with a jesting look at the blushing Cao Kun, his mouth curving slightly upwards, filled with mockery.


    Cao Kun was deeply provoked by Su Chen''s expression, his head heated in the moment, and he picked up an iron rod from the corner of the desk and smashed it down towards Su Chen.


    The iron rod had just been left there by another driver who had not yet had time to put it away after fixing a car, and when everyone saw Cao Kun take the iron rod and smash it down, they were all startled and eximed in shock.


    Just as everyone thought Su Chen would be smashed to the point of a bloody head, they suddenly saw a figure fly up, directly "bang" into the wall, and then fell onto the ground.


    Upon closer inspection, they realized that the one who had flown out was not Su Chen, but Cao Kun, who held the iron rod; the rod itself traced a beautiful arc as it ttered to the ground.


    "Section Chief Cao!"


    Pang San shrieked, quickly rushing over.


    "Section Chief Cao, how are you?"


    Pang San lifted Cao Kun''s head to rest on his shoulder and asked anxiously.


    "I''m not..." Cao Kun was about to say he was fine when his eyes suddenly twinkled, pretending to whimper weakly, "I can''t take it, I''m going to die."


    While speaking, he subtly pinched Pang San, who was a bit puzzled, looking at Cao Kun with a face full of confusion. When he saw Cao Kun slyly wink at him, he immediately understood Cao Kun''s intention.


    "Su Chen, you dare to attack in public! I''m going to fire you!"


    Pang San''s face was filled with righteous indignation, his tone impassioned as if Su Chen had trulymitted some heinous, universally condemned act.


    "He was the one who attacked first!"


    Meng Shan, formerly a soldier, was very straightforward and immediately countered when he saw Pang San so dishonestly turning the me around.


    "What did you say?"


    Pang San hummed coldly, and although Meng Shan was not his subordinate, as a low-level employee, Pang San naturally did not show a good face to Meng Shan, who was singing a different tune.


    Meng Shan was about to say something more but was pulled by Liu Yuan, the honest man beside him.


    "Don''t act rashly, these two are doing it on purpose."


    Although Liu Yuan was honest, he was older and had experienced more, and had long seen through their trickery.


    Su Chen watched their performance with a cold smile, clear about just how much force he had put into his kick just now.


    It would be somewhat ufortable, certainly, but definitely not as painful as Cao Kun was pretending to be, to the extent that he couldn''t stand up.


    "Hmph!"


    Meng Shan grunted and said nothing. Liu Yuan usually looked out for him, so he could take Liu Yuan''s words to heart.


    "I heard noises from outside, what''s all this ruckus during work hours!"


    Just at that moment, Zhang Mingyu entered with a stern face. When he saw Cao Kun on the ground, his face immediately changed.


    "Who can tell me what happened here?"


    Zhang Mingyu hummed, also with a cold face, but the oppressive presence he brought with him was not something that Pang San and Cao Kun, these two buffoons, couldpete with.


    What perfect timing!


    Su Chen sneered inwardly, watching Zhang Mingyu''s seemingly angered appearance, thinking, Act, just keep acting!


    He didn''t believe for a second that Zhang Mingyu was unaware of the day''s events, which might even have been orchestrated by him.


    Su Chen had long seen that Zhang Mingyu was not a man of good nature, his usual facade was just very convincing, making people fear rather than dislike him, and some even admired him.


    "Pang San, what exactly happened? Exin everything to me in detail, and don''t you dare hide anything!"


    "Yes, Minister." Pang San had wanted to squeeze out a couple of tears to appear pitiful, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn''t muster any, so he had to give up. Then, with a face full of tragic sorrow, he began to recount, "Minister, this morning, Su Chen was almost two hourste, so Deputy Minister Cao came over to ask for the reason. But Su Chenpletely ignored him, which angered Minister Cao, and he asked him to stand up. Still getting no response, the Deputy Minister tried to scare him with an iron rod, but who would have thought Su Chen would kick Minister Cao away with one foot, sending him crashing into the wall."


    "That''s nonsense!" Meng Shan, bursting with righteous indignation, shook off Liu Yuan who was holding him back.


    "Where did I say nonsense? Isn''t it true that Deputy Minister Cao got hurt by that bastard Su Chen?"


    Pang San put down Cao Kun and jumped up, shouting as if he had suffered a great injustice.


    Two sharp glints burst from Zhang Mingyu''s eyes, and he gave Meng Shan a quick, almost imperceptible nce.


    Sadly, Meng Shan was very straightforward and didn''t notice Zhang Mingyu''s look at all. Pointing at Pang San, he said:


    "Indeed, that part is true, but was Cao Kun using the iron rod just to scare someone? He was clearly trying to hit someone. So many people here, so many eyes, they all saw it clearly."


    "What do you all say, is it as Meng Shan said?"


    Zhang Mingyu asked the people around him in a dispassionate tone.


    "We were all busy just now and didn''t notice."


    "Indeed, the incident happened so quickly, we really did not pay attention."


    Everyone else more or less said the same thing, excusing themselves from involvement.


    Many among them had noticed Zhang Mingyu''s nce and instantly became cautious. To avoid bringing disaster upon themselves, they all chose to protect their own interests.


    Of course, Su Chen usually got along well with everyone, and they also didn''t want to tantly lie.


    "Aren''t there surveince cameras? Just review the footage and everything will be clear."


    Meng Shan, as straightforward as ever, voiced what many were thinking.


    Upon hearing Meng Shan''s words, both Cao Kun and Pang San stiffened, and immediately a cold sweat broke out.


    "Don''t I know about the surveince cameras?" Zhang Mingyu said irritably, "The maintenance department just informed me that several cameras near the office are broken. I came here to find out what was really going on, but to my surprise, I walked into an incident involving assault!"


    "A brawl in the security department, this has never happened before here, and it must be dealt with seriously!"


    Zhang Mingyu had, without anyone realizing, already set the tone of the incident. He didn''t emphasize the reason, but focused on the fact that someone was assaulted.


    Even if they were naive, everyone understood Zhang Mingyu''s stance and felt relieved that they had chosen to protect themselves just moments before.


    As for them, of course keeping their jobs was most important. As for justice and fairness, those had long been thrown to the dogs.


    At this point, everyone looked at Su Chen with sympathy. To their surprise, Su Chen didn''t show any emotional fluctuation, and even had a faint smile ying on his lips.


    "Su Chen, how do you suggest we handle this situation?"


    Zhang Mingyu looked at Su Chen, his face showing a troubled expression.


    "How does Minister Zhang wish to deal with it?"


    Su Chen smiled faintly, as if the issue were none of his business.


    "You see, regarding the cause of the incident, everyone has their own version, and I can''t tell who''s telling the truth," Zhang Mingyu sighed, "But the fact you assaulted someone is undeniable, right?"


    "Indeed, I did hit him, and I won''t deny that," Su Chen replied calmly, tilting his head.


    He was curious to see exactly what Zhang Mingyu was up to...

 Chapter 82: Putting on a Play

    "Let''s do this, since we''re all colleagues here, why don''t you resign voluntarily?" Zhang Mingyu sighed, looking genuinely regretful, then turned to Pang San and instructed, "You, get two people to take Deputy Director Cao to the hospital. By the looks of it, his injuries aren''t light."


    "Okay, I''ll go now."


    Pang San responded and called two people to help lift Cao Kun, preparing to take him to the hospital.


    Cao Kun also cooperatively moaned and groaned, appearing to be in great pain, and really looked as if he wouldn''tst much longer in this world.


    "Hold on."


    Just as they reached the door, a faint voice sounded.


    "Do you have something else to say?"


    Zhang Mingyu, serious and unsmiling, looked at Su Chen and asked, not knowing what he intended to do.


    "How can he leave when things aren''t clear yet? He''s the direct party involved, isn''t he?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and smiled inscrutably.


    "Didn''t you see how badly Deputy Director Cao is injured? Are you responsible if any dy leads to irreversible consequences?"


    Pang San scolded righteously, aware that Cao Kun''s injuries were not that serious, but if they took too long and exposed any ws, it would be bad.


    And if they got him to the hospital now, whether the injuries were severe or not, wouldn''t it depend entirely on their own say-so?


    "Don''t worry, he won''t die."


    Su Chen''s fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, looking very serene.


    The others were astonished to see him act so nonchnt; with things havinge to this point, how could he be so utterly unperturbed?


    "Ow, it hurts so badly, I can hardly take it anymore."


    At that moment, Cao Kun''s exaggerated cries of pain conveniently rang out. Cao Kun himself was somewhat uneasy, afraid that more things could go wrong as time passed.


    "What are you standing there for, let''s go." Pang San urged the other two carrying Cao Kun with him, saying, "Don''t you see how much pain the Deputy Director is in?"


    Just when the two were about to step forward, Su Chen''s indifferent voice came through once again.


    "Pang San, I''ll say it again, if you dare to take one step out that door, then you really will be carried out."


    Su Chen''s voice wasn''t loud, but it struck Pang San''s heart like a hammer. Pang San turned around to see Su Chen staring at him with a smile.


    Yes, a smile; although it wasn''t obvious, Pang San distinctly felt it.


    His smile was eerie, indescribably disconcerting, and indeed, Pang San didn''t dare move another step.


    "Useless!" Zhang Mingyu, seeing him actually stopped by a word from Su Chen, berated, "Just go, I don''t believe he dares to do anything!"


    Heartened by Zhang Mingyu''s words, Pang San''s confidence returned. Zhang Mingyu was no Cao Kun, who was only good for ttering superiors and was otherwise useless.


    Pang San knew that Zhang Mingyu was a retired member from a Huaxia ace special forces unit!


    With him there, what was there for Pang San to worry about?


    With this thought, Pang San''s body shook, and he said to the other two:


    "Let''s go, don''t listen to this kid''s nonsense!"


    The other two had no choice but to go ahead with heavy hearts. Pang San was at the back, lifting. Seeing the other two step out while Su Chen still stood in ce, he couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    "This kid is just trying to scare people. To think I was actually intimidated by him, how embarrassing."


    Pang San secretly thought as he lifted his foot, ready to walk out, when suddenly he noticed a figure shing before his very eyes.


    Then he felt someone grab his cor and toss him backward, and the next thing he knew, he was flying through the air...


    His body traced a perfect parab in the air before crashing heavily onto the office desk, scattering documents, teacups, and the like all over the floor.


    And Cao Kun, having suddenly one less person to bnce him, toppled over onto the door threshold with a painful cry ¡ª this time for real!


    Everyone else was startled by this sudden turn of events. Su Chen always seemed so amiable but who would''ve thought he could be so violent once he started fighting!


    First, he had kicked Cao Kun flying, and now it was Pang San''s turn!


    Unlike the others, a serious expression surfaced in Zhang Mingyu''s eyes.


    He had been paying special attention to Su Chen''s movements a moment ago but was toote to stop him when he realized Su Chen had made his move.


    Because in that instant, his speed was simply too fast!


    So fast that Zhang Mingyu saw only a blur whizzing past him!


    "I was right in my judgment after all; this Su Chen is definitely not an ordinary person!"


    Zhang Mingyu''s eyes flickered, and he solemnly resolved that this man must not be allowed to stay; he had to be driven out!


    Afternding on the office desk, Pang Fei tried to get up, but just as he propped up his body a little, he felt a surging in his abdomen and then a sweet taste in his throat as a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out.


    Su Chen''s blow had been much heavier than that kick he had delivered to Cao Kun. Since these people could no longer restrain themselves, he might as well resolve the issuepletely today.


    Su Chen had be much more tolerant than before. Although he had long known of their hostility towards him, he had been toozy to bother with them as long as they didn''t overstep.


    But now that they had lost patience and struck, they should be prepared to face the consequences.


    Even though Su Chen''s body was temporarily devoid of True Yuan, dealing with these insects was still effortless for him.


    Even Zhang Mingyu, who once served as a member of some elite special forces, was no different from amb to the ughter in Su Chen''s eyes.


    After all, when it came to hand-to-handbat, there was no one in this world who could be confident of beating him.


    After throwing Pang San out, Su Chen didn''t bother with him anymore. With casual steps, he walked over to Cao Kun, dragged him back into the room from the door threshold, and kicked the door shut.


    "Let go, let me go!" Panicked, Cao Kun struggled as Su Chen dragged him, "What in the world do you want?"


    "Of course, I just want to have a nice chat with you," Su Chen let go of Cao Kun, stood up, and kicked him, "Get up, stop faking death!"


    "Who''s faking death?" As soon as Cao Kun heard Su Chen''s words, he immediately raised his head and protested, "You kicked me so hard I can''t stand up."


    "Ow, it hurts like hell!"


    While saying this, he even clutched his stomach and howled in pain.


    "Alright then, since you say I''ve beaten you to the point where you can''t stand up, I might as well truly cripple you," Su Chen said.


    Su Chen lifted one foot over Cao Kun''s knee, as if about to stomp down.


    Cao Kun didn''t expect this guy to be so devious as to actually do it, and frightened, he quickly rolled to the side and leapt to his feet.


    "Oh, so now you can stand up again!" Su Chen said with a cocked head and in a mocking tone, "Deputy Director Cao, your injury sure has healed quickly!"


    The others couldn''t help but snicker quietly; this act was failing!


    Cao Kun''s face instantly turned beet red, as if a monkey''s backside, embarrassed and wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

 Chapter 83 - 83 Hes Not Human at All

    "What a useless piece of crap!"


    Zhang Mingyu muttered under his breath, quietly watching from the side without saying anything.


    His schemes ran deep, and he would not intervene lightly before understanding Su Chen''s intentions.


    He realized that his previous interference had been slightly premature, putting himself at a certain disadvantage.


    He silently warned himself to be cautious this time!


    "Tell me, what exactly happened today?"


    Su Chen pped his hands and nced at Cao Kun as he asked.


    "What do you mean what happened?"


    A jolt of panic struck Cao Kun, though he deliberately put on a puzzled face, managing to look quite innocent.


    "Since you''re ying dumb, let me make myself clearer. Who nned today''s event, and what was the purpose?"


    Su Chen had already understood that everything that happened today had been arranged in advance by the other party.


    On the surface, it seemed like Cao Kun had been provoked by Su Chen, unable to resist the urge to hit Su Chen with an iron rod, but then got kicked by Su Chen.


    But now, Su Chen realized that when Cao Kun saw the kicking, a sly light distinctly shed in his eyes.


    Yet that was not the most critical point; what was crucial was that Zhang Mingyu''s timing in entering was just too coincidental.


    In other words, all this had been calcted in advance.


    Even if Su Chen hadn''t kicked him at that moment, Cao Kun''s iron rod would not have fallen.


    Of course, he had other methods to force Su Chen to take action, and once Su Chen did, he would havepletely fallen into their trap.


    Initially, things indeed developed ording to their n, butter, Su Chen broke the trajectory of the eventspletely unreasonably, which left them somewhat at a loss.


    "It was obviously you who started the fight and hurt someone, and now you''re using others? Is there now left?"


    Cao Kun was shocked and then reacted as if his tail had been stepped on, jumping up and appearing rather shrewish.


    The others also felt that Su Chen had gone too far. Although it was wrong for Cao Kun to feign injury, Su Chen was the one who hit someone, and now he was using the other party of premeditation, which seemed unjust.


    "Do you really think I can''t do anything to you just because you refuse to admit it?"


    Su Chen revealed a wicked smile and said nonchntly.


    "Refuse to admit what? I have nothing to confess!"


    Though Cao Kun seemed calm on the surface, he was bing more and more panicked inside.


    He didn''t understand how Su Chen knew; he thought back carefully and didn''t think he had shown any ws.


    "Since that''s the case, there''s nothing more to say."


    Su Chen''s expression remained as calm as still water, not rushed or anxious.


    After the initial panic, Cao Kun also gradually calmed down.


    Even if Su Chen guessed it was all premeditated, what could he do without evidence?


    A smug look slowly appeared on Cao Kun''s face, a hint of provocation flickering in his eyes.


    Cao Kun nced at Su Chen inadvertently and noticed that he was bending over to pick up the iron rod that had fallen to the ground.


    Hisplexion changed dramatically, and his expression suddenly became tense:


    "You, you, what are you trying to do?"


    "Idiot!"


    Before the words had faded, Su Chen swung the iron rod, smashing it down hard on Cao Kun''s thigh.


    "Ahhhh~~~~"


    Cao Kun couldn''t hold on any longer, copsing to the ground with a long, agonized scream.


    That sound was heartbreakingly sorrowful, enough to make a listener weep! It was deeply moving!


    Luckily, the soundproofing in the security room was effective, otherwise it would have startled everyone in the building.


    "Su Chen, you''repletely out of line, I''m going to fire you immediately!"


    Zhang Mingyu hadn''t expected Su Chen to be so ruthless, and he felt he had to speak up at this point.


    "Don''t be anxious, your chance to perform wille."


    Su Chen nced at him coldly, speaking with a profound meaning.


    But that one look sent chills down Zhang Mingyu''s spine, as if he had plunged into an icy cave. What kind of gaze was that! It was so cold! So sinister! It seemed to emanate from the eighteenth level of Hell, from the depths of the Netherworld! It made one shudder with fear!


    In that instant, Zhang Mingyufeelt as if his heart had stopped beating, his whole body paralyzed! He couldn''t even utter a single word!


    "I don''t mind if you continue to y dumb." Su Chen said unhurriedly, "I will crush every bone in your body inch by inch until you talk."


    Su Chen''s demeanor was as if he were discussing an insignificant trifle, yet Cao Kun''s body couldn''t help shaking uncontrobly.


    The devil, this young man was a downright devil!


    Not just Cao Kun, but almost everyone present had the same thought.


    They decided, from now on, they must never provoke this young man they had always overlooked!


    Otherwise, they might end up in the same predicament as Cao Kun by some unlucky chance.


    "It seems you still don''t n to talk."


    Su Chen squatted down, his face still wearing a faint smile.


    "I have nothing to say. Bymitting such an open act of violence, I will definitely call the police to have you arrested!"


    Cao Kun still refused to concede. He knew that once he did, his fate would be sealed, not that his current predicament was much better.


    At the same time, he was gambling, betting that Su Chen wouldn''t dare to do something so utterly inhumane.


    However, he obviously gambled wrong!


    Su Chen grasped his shinbone with one hand and with a slight effort, a clear "crack" sound was heard!


    It was the sound of bone breaking, a sound that sent shivers down the spine just by hearing it.


    This time Cao Kun didn''t scream out, not because it wasn''t painful, but because the pain had knocked him out cold instantly.


    Naturally, Su Chen wouldn''t let him off so easily, as that would be too regrettable, like a "Traveller in the Night."


    With a flick of his finger on Cao Kun''s cranial acupoint, Cao Kun abruptly woke up.


    The ensuing scream was a hundred times more miserable than the previous one and sounded as if it could flip the roof over.


    Su Chen paid no attention to Cao Kun''s wails. He slowly ced his hand on his knee, and just as Su Chen was about to apply pressure, Cao Kun finally could not endure any longer.


    "I''ll talk, I''ll talk, I''ll talk!"


    Cao Kun blurted out hastily, hisplexion deathly pale, his entire face covered with cold sweat!


    "You''re giving up so easily?" Su Chen said with a slight dissatisfaction, pursing his lips, "There are 206 bones in the human body, I was nning on going through them one by one. Who knew you''d give in after just one."


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Cao Kun was almost scared into passing out again, having already had more than enough with just that one bone.


    If it really went as Su Chen said, to break all his bones one by one, he''d rather run to the top of Belle Building and leap to his death!


    The others were also frightened by Su Chen''s words. If they were to describe this young man with one phrase.


    It would be¡ª he''s not human at all!

 Chapter 84: Forced Confession

    "Speak up," Su Chen pped his hands and casually sat down on the ground, "Although I''m really annoyed, I still act reasonably. Since you are going to talk today, I''ll let you off the hook."


    Act reasonably? You call this reasonable?


    Cao Kun almost passed out again upon hearing this, not from pain but from anger!


    Although he thought so, Cao Kun didn''t dare to show any of it. He endured the severe pain and said:


    "I''m sorry, today''s incident was indeed premeditated by me. I wanted to provoke you into making a move so that I could take advantage and drive you out."


    When the crowd heard Cao Kun''s words, they were immediately in an uproar. It turned out the situation was exactly as Su Chen had described¡ªit really was Cao Kun''s scheme!


    The crowd, who had initially felt some sympathy for Cao Kun''s tragic situation and had someints against Su Chen, now looked at Cao Kun with disdain.


    "Why?"


    Su Chen asked as if having a heart-to-heart, showing no signs that he had justmitted those heinous acts.


    "Because, because President Lin and Director Xia always specifically ask for you to drive, and I was worried that once you be familiar with them, a casual word from you would threaten my position."


    Cao Kun revealed his intentions without reservation, and the crowd finally understood why he had done what he did.


    After speaking, Cao Kun seemed deted. He knew that his position as deputy director was definitely gone.


    Forget deputy director, even remaining as a regr employee seemed doubtful.


    "I''ve said everything, can you let me go now?"


    Cao Kun gritted his teeth and spat out the words, his heart full of resentment towards Su Chen!


    "Wait," Su Chen waved his hand, "No rush."


    "I''ve already confessed everything. What more do you want?"


    Cao Kun couldn''t help but roar out.


    "Just onest question." Su Chen raised a finger and looked at Cao Kun, "With your brain, you couldn''t havee up with this n. I want to know who is really behind this!"


    Su Chen knew who it was, but he wanted Cao Kun to say it himself.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Cao Kun''s face suddenly changed, and instinctively he nced in a certain direction, only to see a sharp glint shooting his way that chilled his heart!


    "I don''t understand what you''re talking about. This was obviously my own idea, it has nothing to do with anyone else!"


    "Is that so?"


    Su Chen nced at him obliquely, his words brief as his hand once again reached for Cao Kun''s knee.


    "You can''t be so unreasonable!"


    Cao Kun''s body shook as he roared "righteously."


    His words naturally had no effect on Su Chen, whoserge hand pressed down once again.


    Just like before, a clearer sound of bone cracking echoed...


    "Ah~~~~"


    Cao Kun couldn''t endure it anymore; his body uncontrobly began to roll on the ground, his facial features twitching.


    "If you''re still unwilling to talk, then I don''t mind finishing the job I started!"


    Su Chen''s devilish voice once again echoed in Cao Kun''s ears.


    "I''ll talk, I''ll tell you, please just don''t hit me again."


    Cao Kun said in a broken voice, no longer able to care about anything else, not wanting to experience that kind of pain ever again.


    "Su Chen, you''re too arrogant!"


    Just then, a furious voice resounded, and at the same time, Su Chen felt a gust of wind blow past him from behind.


    Zhang Mingyu was very confident in his fighting skills; he had once been a prominent fighter in the military district and had defeated many skilled opponents in the military martial artspetition, winning second ce.


    Although Su Chen''s speed had surprised him earlier, that didn''t mean he couldn''t be his match.


    Moreover, his attack waspletely unexpected, a true strike without warning. He believed that even if Su Chen was formidable, he couldn''t dodge his well-prepared punch.


    It seemed the reality was as he had imagined, at this moment his fist was only two inches away from the back of Su Chen''s head, and yet there was no reaction from him; Zhang Mingyu couldn''t help but sneer internally.


    "So overconfident!"


    Right then, Su Chen''s expression turned cold, and he grunted.


    Just as the fist was about to smash into his head, he slightly tilted his head, narrowly evading Zhang Mingyu''s punch. The unstoppable fist brushed past his ear.


    Zhang Mingyu was slightly startled, not expecting Su Chen to dodge his deadly strike at thest moment!


    Just as he was about to retract his fist, Su Chen suddenly extended a hand and firmly grasped it.


    Zhang Mingyu forcefully tried to break free and continue retracting his fist.


    But Su Chen was not interested in a contest of strength; instead, he moved forward, pressing against Zhang Mingyu''s fist and closing the distance between them.


    In an instant, Zhang Mingyu was shocked, and just as he tried to retreat and put some distance between them, he saw Su Chen spin around, pressing his back tightly against him, and then delivered an elbow strike to his chest!


    "Hmm!"


    Zhang Mingyu grunted in pain, bending over.


    Su Chen, of course, didn''t miss this opportunity. With a high split, he pressed directly onto Zhang Mingyu''s back, pinning him to the ground, swallowing dust.


    In a moment, Zhang Mingyu''s face turned ominously dark as he struggled to get up, only to be pressed down heavily by Su Chen''s weight as he tried to lift up a bit.


    Zhang Mingyu, unwilling to give in, exerted all his strength, trying to flip Su Chen over, but no matter how hard he pushed, Su Chen sat immovably on his back like a great mountain.


    Zhang Mingyu had never suffered such humiliation; his face turned so dark it seemed water might drip from it, his eyes emitting a terrifying fierceness, yet with Su Chen sitting on his back, he couldn''t see his re.


    Even if Su Chen had seen it, he wouldn''t have cared!


    The rage of ants is powerless against an elephant!


    The onlookers were stunned by this scene; they didn''t know Su Chen''s background, but they did know Zhang Mingyu''s prowess.


    Seeing Zhang Mingyupletely subdued without resistance in just one round made them all the more wary of Su Chen.


    Such a person was beyond their capacity to provoke!


    The crowd secretly rejoiced that they hadn''t conflicted with him earlier!


    "Minister Zhang, can''t hold on any longer, can you?" Su Chen sat on his back and smiled slightly, "I thought you could keep enduring it!"


    "Su Chen, don''t push people too far!"


    Zhang Mingyu gritted his teeth, overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of shame!


    "Pushing too far?" Su Chen burst into coldughter upon hearing Zhang Mingyu''s words, "Who is really pushing too far?"


    "Cao Kun, aren''t you going to speak?"


    Su Chen nced at Cao Kun, who seemed a bit dumbfounded, and snorted.


    "I''ll talk, I''ll talk, I''ll tell everything."


    Cao Kun''s voice grew quieter, his head hung low, resigned...

 Chapter 85: Let Me Have a Cigarette First

    "Cao Kun, you''d better think before you speak and clear your mind!"


    Zhang Mingyu struggled to lift his head and looked at Cao Kun, a sinister shade crossing his eyes.


    Cao Kun was struck by Zhang Mingyu''s sharp gaze, and his heart involuntarily shuddered!


    "Smack!"


    Su Chen pped the back of Zhang Mingyu''s head:


    "Even now, you''re still not behaving!"


    Zhang Mingyu had just lifted his head when Su Chen struck it down again, his mouth even made intimate contact with the ground.


    Cao Kun finally realized, understanding that Su Chen, not the always-feared Zhang Mingyu, was in control of the situation now, and even he himself had be a desperate fugitive!


    Cao Kun took a deep breath and said word by word:


    "This was all orchestrated by Zhang Mingyu; he taught me every step."


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone showed an expression of ''just as we thought.'' Zhang Mingyu''s earlier behavior had already led them to this spection, and now it was merely confirmed!


    Zhang Mingyu also closed his eyes, showing a defeated look. He knew his time as the head of security was over.


    Zhang Mingyu was different from the likes of Cao Kun; he cared a lot about his reputation. Even if thepany didn''t fire him, he wouldn''t have the nerve to cling to his position.


    Although everyone had already guessed he was the mastermind, guessing and revealing it openly were fundamentally different.


    As long as Cao Kun kept silent, he could have continued in his role as head, confident that no one would dare speak out.


    But now, Zhang Mingyu shook his head in despair, cursing himself for having a fool as a teammate!


    "Are you satisfied now?"


    Zhang Mingyu tried to turn his head to stare at Su Chen, but Su Chen pressed down on him, making it impossible for him to fully turn around.


    "Satisfied?" Su Chen responded as if he had heard a joke,ughing dryly, "You think it ends here after you schemed against me?"


    "So, what more do you want?"


    Zhang Mingyu''s heart shuddered, trembling as he spoke, a surge of inexplicable unease rising within him!


    "You''ll find out soon."


    Su Chenughed coldly; he was too naive to think he could get away with scheming against him so easily.


    If it were the old Su Chen, Zhang Mingyu would already be dead. Although the current Su Chen wouldn''t kill him, he certainly wasn''t going to let him off easily.


    The others were also curious about what Su Chen would do next, but they would soon find out.


    Su Chen stood up and reopened the door. As soon as Su Chen left, Zhang Mingyu immediately felt an immense relief.


    He was about to get up, but then a turmoil in his stomach made it impossible for him to straighten up.


    Su Chen came back in, looking at him with a coldugh that made Zhang Mingyu''s heart chill.


    "Thud!"


    Just then, Su Chen lifted his foot and kicked Zhang Mingyu in the stomach. Zhang Mingyu let out a muffled grunt and flew out of the door, hitting the corridor wall before he fell to the ground.


    "What on earth do you want to do?"


    Zhang Mingyu watched Su Chen approaching, seemingly aware of what he intended to do, his eyes contracting incessantly, his body shaking uncontrobly.


    "It seems you''ve already guessed."


    A sinister smile appeared on Su Chen''s face, but to Zhang Mingyu, it was utterly terrifying.


    "Such a thrilling spectacle is certainly best enjoyed by as many people as possible. Minister Zhang, don''t disappoint me, oh¡ªI look forward to your performance!"


    With a slight smile, Su Chen once again kicked Zhang Mingyu''s body, sending him arcing through the air before crashing down about five or six meters ahead.


    Since the security department was located on the ground floor of the Belle Building in a more secluded area, everyone passing through the corridor could be witnessed from the main lobby.


    The people in the lobby, hearing the noise from the corridor, turned their heads and were greeted with a sight that left them dumbfounded.


    They saw one man kicking another like a ser ball, constantly sending him flying up into the air before falling back down.


    The rest of the security department personnel also followed outside, staring at Su Chen''s expressionless face, yet feeling inside that it was better to provoke King Yan than to provoke Su Chen.


    This guy was indeed sinister enough, ruthless enough!


    He knew that Zhang Mingyu was particrly proud, yet he deliberately kicked him towards the lobby, allowing everyone to see Zhang Mingyu''s miserable state.


    This was clearly hitting someone in the face, hitting them where it hurts the most!


    Indeed, this was Su Chen''s intention. Since you value your face so much, I''llpletely tear it off!


    Soon, Su Chen had kicked Zhang Mingyu to the entrance of the lobby on the ground floor. Everyone in the lobby crowded around, yet all of them wore a baffled expression, unclear about what had happened.


    Someone asked who these two were. However, no one seemed to recognize them, knowing only by their attire that they were from the security department.


    Su Chen was just a recent hire at the bottom rung of the department, and since the security department wasn''t popr, it was reasonable that no one recognized him.


    As for Zhang Mingyu, he had been kicked such that his face was swollen and bruised beyond recognition.


    Looking around, Su Chen saw only about twenty or thirty people and shook his head, feeling the effect was not significant enough.


    He nced outside at the open space beyond the entrance, where the foot traffic was much heavier.


    His eyes suddenly lit up, and he once again delivered a crisp kick, sending Zhang Mingyu flying out of the main entrance.


    "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    Su Chen kept kicking and walking, walking and kicking, and it didn''t take long before he had kicked Zhang Mingyu into the middle of the open space in front of the Belle Building, drawing the attention of everyone around.


    By this time, Zhang Mingyu had already passed out, as any person continuously kicked like this would.


    However, Su Chen certainly wasn''t going to let him just remain unconscious. He acted swiftly, tapping on his temple, and Zhang Mingyu immediately came to.


    Actually, each of Su Chen''s kicks was meticulously executed. While they left Zhang Mingyu looking quite pitiful, they were never lethal.


    When Zhang Mingyu woke up and saw so many people around him, he was so mortified he almost wished he could just die.


    Upon realizing he was lying on the ground in front of the building, Zhang Mingyu''s heart sankpletely.


    Looking at Su Chen, his eyes zed with hatred. He silently swore that as long as he lived, he would have Su Chen dismembered into ten thousand pieces!


    Su Chenpletely disregarded Zhang Mingyu''s hateful look, took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and took a deep drag before smiling at Zhang Mingyu


    "Don''t rush, I need to have a smoke and rest for a bit."


    Not long ago, treating Mrs. Tang Mingji not only depleted all the True Yuan in his body but also consumed a considerable amount of his own energy, so this series of activities had left Su Chen feeling somewhat tired.

 Chapter 86: Just Because of You

    The bystanders were somewhat taken aback after hearing Su Chen''s words. Who exactly was this young man?


    He had tortured someone to this extent and still had the leisure to smoke?


    "Zhang Mingyu, did you ever think you''d end up like this when you schemed against me?"


    Su Chen looked down and chuckled at Zhang Mingyu lying on the ground, his gaze as if staring at a stray dog.


    The onlookers were stunned. What had he just said?


    Zhang Mingyu? The man lying on the ground like a dead pig was the Head of Security, Zhang Mingyu?


    Although the security department wasn''t as morous as other departments, Zhang Mingyu was still a head, so most of Belle Group''s employees recognized him.


    The crowd couldn''t help but crane their necks to take a closer look at the man on the ground, and finally, they could vaguely make out that it was indeed Zhang Mingyu.


    Zhang Mingyu, seeing everyone looking at him, was so embarrassed that his face turned red, but his face was so bruised it was hard to tell.


    Zhang Mingyu''s resentment toward Su Chen rapidly climbed to an unbearable degree.


    He definitely did it on purpose! He deliberately called out my name!


    "Su Chen, I won''t let you go!"


    Zhang Mingyu said bitterly, word by word.


    "Do you think your threats work on me?" Su Chen crouched in front of Zhang Mingyu and sneered, "But since you mentioned it, I should return the favor in some way. After all, reciprocation is a virtue of Huaxia!"


    Su Chen slowly rolled up his sleeves! The hearts of the onlookers suddenly lifted.


    "Smack! Smack smack! Smack smack smack!"


    Su Chen pped Zhang Mingyu''s face back and forth, making it p loudly!


    The bystanders watching Su Chen''s actions unconsciously twitched their faces, as if the ps were hitting their own cheeks. It looked painful!


    "Su Chen, stop!"


    Just when Su Chen was enthusiastically pping, a sharp shout sounded from outside the crowd, followed by a figure pushing through the crowd anding forward.


    Her appearance caused a stir at the scene because she was none other than Xia Qiuru, a famously beautiful director in Jianghai City!


    Xia Qiuru had been working in her office when she suddenly heard the noise outside.


    She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and to her surprise, she spotted Su Chen, so she quickly ran downstairs.


    When she reached the scene, she found Su Chen enthusiastically pping someone.


    "Director Xia, why are you here?"


    Upon hearing the voice, Su Chen turned his head, saw Xia Qiuru, and stopped his actions, smiling at her rxedly.


    "What do you mean, why am I here?" Xia Qiuru red at him irritably, "Tell me, what are you doing?"


    Xia Qiuru didn''t start by ming Su Chen, because through several months of interaction, she had be quite familiar with him.


    In her eyes, although Su Chen had his ws, he was basically a reasonable person, and there had to be a reason for his actions!


    "Just feeling itchy hands, practicing a bit."


    Su Chen shrugged his shoulders, looking indifferent.


    The onlookers were speechless hearing his response.


    Feeling itchy hands? Was that even a reason?


    You could beat someone up like this just because your hands felt itchy?


    However, there was another question in everyone''s mind: how did Xia Qiuru seem so familiar with this young man?


    "Stop talking nonsense." Xia Qiuru red at him, her voice severe, "Now tell me, what exactly happened?"


    "What are you all gathered here for?"


    Just as Su Chen was about to speak, another voice came over, followed by a portly man walking towards them.


    As this man arrived, people in the crowd started whispering.


    "Why has hee?"


    "Yeah, what''s he doing here?"


    "You don''t know? Wherever Director Xia is, Deputy General Manager Ma is sure to appear."


    The others smiled knowingly after hearing this, obviously they had heard this saying before.


    "Ah! Who did this?"


    As soon as Ma Yuemin entered, he saw a person lying on the ground with a bruised and swollen face and eximed immediately.


    "Mr. Ma, you must stand up for me!"


    The moment Zhang Mingyu saw Ma Yuemin arrive, a gleam shed in his eyes!


    "Who are you?"


    Ma Yuemin, recognizing the voice as somewhat familiar, asked in surprise.


    "Mr. Ma, don''t you recognize me?"


    Zhang Mingyu said with a tremble, his face looking mournful.


    Shaking his head, Ma Yuemin thought to himself, "You look near death¡ªno one would recognize you!"


    "Mr. Ma, I am Zhang Mingyu!"


    "Zhang Mingyu? You are Zhang Mingyu?"


    Ma Yuemin suddenly looked stunned, and after examining him closely, he realized it indeed was the familiar Zhang Mingyu.


    Xia Qiuru was also shocked. She hadn''t expected the person beaten up by Su Chen to be his direct boss, Zhang Mingyu.


    "Who did this! Step forward!"


    Ma Yuemin scanned the surrounding crowd and bellowed loudly, his voice filled with rage!


    The onlookers involuntarily turned their gaze toward Su Chen.


    "Was it you?"


    Ma Yuemin red at Su Chen, asking menacingly.


    "So what if it was?"


    Su Chen, hands in his pockets, casually lifted his head, meeting Ma Yuemin''s gaze.


    "Good, your admission is enough," Ma Yuemin snorted coldly and said, "I''m going to fire you immediately, and have you locked up in the police station!"


    "Wait!"


    Xia Qiuru became anxious when she heard Ma Yuemin intended to fire Su Chen and send him to the police station.


    "Director Xia, do you have something to say?"


    Upon realizing it was Xia Qiuru speaking, Ma Yuemin immediately changed his expression.


    "The situation isn''t clear yet, the facts are still unknown; how can you dispose of it so rashly?"


    "Regardless of the specifics, the fact that he injured someone is true!"


    Ma Yuemin sternly said, as Zhang Mingyu was an important subordinate he had been nurturing in secret. How could he let his assant go?


    "Apuse~~"


    Suddenly, a burst of unexpected apuse rang out, and the corners of Su Chen''s mouth gently curved into a smile:


    "You want to fire me? And send me to the police station?"


    "So what if I do? I''m telling you, you have to pay a price for your actions!"


    Ma Yuemin nced at the security uniform on Su Chen and haughtily raised his head.


    "Just you?" Su Chen nced at him disdainfully and said mockingly, "You think your face is really that big just because it''s long?"


    The crowd couldn''t help but snicker quietly at Su Chen''s remark, taking a nce at Ma Yuemin''s indeed not so small face.


    They also admired the young man greatly. This was Ma Yuemin, after all¡ªthere were hardly a few in the corporation who would dare to insult him to his face.


    "What''s your name? How dare you speak to me like that!"


    Angrily, Ma Yuemin shouted.


    "He''s Su Chen, a new driver in our security department who hasn''t been here long,"


    Before Su Chen could speak, Zhang Mingyu, still lying on the ground, divulged his information.


    "Su Chen?"


    Ma Yuemin murmured, as if he had heard the name somewhere before...

 Chapter 87 - 87 Lin Ruoxue Defends Her Husband

    "Su Chen, the new driver?"


    Ma Yuemin furrowed his brows in recollection, when suddenly, a flicker of realization lit up his mind, and he finally remembered the name Su Chen.


    That was a few months ago, when Zhang Mingyu had reported to him, saying that there was a new driver in their department who seemed not so simple, and who moreover seemed to be quite close to Xia Qiuru.


    At the time, he had not taken it seriously, thinking that Zhang Mingyu was being paranoid; after all, how could someone of Xia Qiuru''s appearance and status possibly have anything to do with a low-level driver?


    Even so, he had casually mentioned, "Since you have your suspicions, just find an asion to get rid of him."


    Now, seeing Xia Qiuru''s anxious expression, Ma Yuemin finally believed that the rtionship between these two might indeed be out of the ordinary.


    This realization only hardened Ma Yuemin''s determination to deal with Su Chen¡ªXia Qiuru was his forbidden fruit, and he absolutely would not allow any other man toy a finger on her!


    "Su Chen, is it?" Ma Yuemin sneered mockingly, "What did you just say? Just because of me?"


    "I''m telling you now, just because of me, I want to fire you this instant. Let''s see who dares to object?"


    Ma Yuemin spoke with an air of dominance; as the vice president of the group, of course he had the authority to dismiss a lowly driver.


    "I object!"


    Yet, before his words were finished, two voices rang out simultaneously.


    One of the voices was Xia Qiuru''s, while the other came from outside the crowd.


    When the crowd saw who owned that voice, their jaws dropped, and they instinctively cleared a pathway.


    It was beyond all of their expectations: not only had the internal dispute of the security department drawn Xia Qiuru and Ma Yuemin, but now even President Lin had arrived!


    What did President Lin just say? She objects?


    The onlookers immediately became excited inside; a direct confrontation between the president and the vice president was a rare sight indeed, and for it to be over such an inconspicuous driver made it all the more incredible!


    In an instant, Ma Yuemin was also stunned; he had not expected Lin Ruoxue herself toe, and not only that, she was openly disagreeing with him, wasn''t this equivalent to pping him in the face in public?


    "President Lin, what do you mean?"


    Ma Yuemin''s face darkened immediately, knowing well he had his own grounds for his actions.


    He wasn''t just some employee Lin Ruoxue had hired; he was also one of Belle Group''s owners, holding 15% of the Belle Group''s shares.


    He did not believe that Lin Ruoxue would really fall out with him over a driver!


    "My meaning is quite clear," Lin Ruoxue spoke after arriving, not sparing Su Chen a nce as if they were strangers.


    "At Belle Group, we are a ce that talks reason. Whether hiring or firing, there must be a reason that is convincing!"


    Su Chen chuckled to himself, this girl sure could put on an act.


    But inside, he appreciated Lin Ruoxue standing up for him; once they were back, he''d have to properly reward her!


    "What more reason do we need? Isn''t him injuring someone enough?" Ma Yuemin retorted with a cold snort.


    "Of course, it''s not enough," Lin Ruoxue argued firmly, "Then Vice President Ma, do you know why he hit someone?"


    Ma Yuemin, clueless about the details, could only shake his head.


    "Since you do not even know why he hit someone, isn''t it a bit too hasty to just proceed with the punishment?"


    Lin Ruoxue said calmly, looking at Ma Yuemin, "Shouldn''t we first rify the ins and outs of the matter?"


    "Alright, I agree,"


    Lin Ruoxue''s every sentence was impable, leaving Ma Yuemin no choice but to nod in aggrieved agreement.


    He then lengthened his face and asked, "Who knows what happened here? Step forward and speak."


    In an instant, the eyes of those around gathered on the security department personnel.


    Seeing that everyone was looking at them, the security department members involuntarily took a step back.


    It was a joke¡ª even a fool could see this was a fight among the gods, and us little devils better stay out of trouble by minding our own business.


    "Speak up, whoever knows about the situation shoulde forward and talk, I guarantee you''ll be safe!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s gaze toward the security department members was filled with encouragement; she also believed Su Chen wouldn''t have resorted to violence without good reason.


    However, she still harbored some resentment toward Su Chen, thinking he was too reckless¡ªlook at the state he left people in.


    Actually, Lin Ruoxue was busy with the data for an important meeting in the afternoon when suddenly her secretary, Chen Guo, burst in and told her Su Chen had beaten up the head of security, Zhang Mingyu.


    As Lin Ruoxue''s secretary, Chen Guo had long guessed that Su Chen had an unusual rtionship with her, and sure enough, after hearing her report, Lin Ruoxue''s face went pale, and then she ran out in a panic.


    "I''ll talk!"


    At that moment, a hand stretched out from the crowd, and a sturdy-looking young man stepped forward¡ªhe was none other than the straightforward boy of the security department, Meng Shan!


    After Meng Shan stepped out, he recounted the event exactly as it urred, without embellishment or leaving out any details.


    The more Ma Yuemin listened, the darker his face grew, though he just held back from erupting in front of everyone.


    He understood now¡ªZhang Mingyu was simply carrying out his instructions to have this fellow driven out.


    It was just that man''s calctions are no match for heaven''s; he hadn''t expected to be the one cleaned up instead.


    Mourning the fate of such a loyal follower, Ma Yuemin was filled with deep hatred!


    Actually, Ma Yuemin was rather presumptuous; Zhang Mingyu''s desire to get rid of Su Chen was entirely because he couldn''t see through the young man and didn''t want such an uncertainty on his turf.


    "Vice-President Ma, you now understand what happened, right?"


    After listening to Meng Shan, Lin Ruoxue also felt a weight lift from her heart¡ªhaving the upper hand meant things would be easier to handle.


    Ma Yuemin, with a dark face, did not answer but instead asked:


    "So how does President Lin n to handle this?"


    "How about this," Lin Ruoxue pondered for a moment before saying, "Let Su Chen cover Zhang Mingyu''s medical bills, and write a 5,000-word reflection to submit to the administrative department."


    When Su Chen heard that not only did Lin Ruoxue want him to pay for the medical expenses but also to write a reflection, he immediately became unhappy.


    Just as he was about to speak out, he caught Lin Ruoxue''s fierce re and quickly shut his mouth.


    "Forget it, considering you stood up for me, I won''t hold it against you," Su Chen muttered to himself.


    "Is that all? Is Zhang Mingyu just going to be beaten for nothing?"


    Unable to hold back, Ma Yuemin roared angrily, Lin Ruoxue was clearly covering for this guy named Su Chen!


    He was somewhat puzzled, though¡ªwhy would Lin Ruoxue do that? Could it be that she had some rtionship with Su Chen?


    With this thought, Ma Yuemin nced at Su Chen, only to find the man looking at the situation with his hands in his pockets and legs shaking as if enjoying a good show, seemingly unconcerned.

 Chapter 88: Women Are All Insincere

    Ma Yuemin saw Su Chen like this and then took a look at Zhang Mingyu lying on the ground like a dead pig, and suddenly felt his breath stuck in his throat, unable to escape.


    "So what else do you want?" Lin Ruoxue''s face showed ayer of frost, "It''s clearly Zhang Mingyu''s own fault. He tried to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice. Who can he me for that?"


    "I want to call the police, I don''t believe it, this thug whomitted violence in broad daylight can get away with this!"


    Ma Yuemin knew that since Lin Ruoxue had this attitude, it was unlikely that he could fire her.


    "Alright then." Lin Ruoxue let out a coldugh and said to Ma Yuemin with a meaningful look, "Go ahead and call the police. Maybe there are little or big ghosts behind him, and it would be best to catch them all in one go!"


    After hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Ma Yuemin shuddered violently and suddenly found himself unable to speak.


    He thought to himself, how could he be so stupid, what if Zhang Mingyu implicated him, after all, he had instructed him to do this.


    "Alright, let''s handle this matter as Director Lin has said."


    Ma Yuemin let out a low sigh, like a defeated rooster.


    And Zhang Mingyu, lying on the ground, also deted all at once, his eyes rolling up as he stared at the blue sky and white clouds above.


    Lin Ruoxue then ordered people to take the injured Zhang Mingyu, Cao Kun, and Pang San to the hospital, before she arrogantly walked away with a twist of her hips.


    The bystanders gradually dispersed, but each of them took a good look at Su Chen before they left, silently memorizing his face.


    Seeing that Lin Ruoxue had no intention of talking to him, Su Chen touched his nose and headed towards the security room as well.


    However, after just two steps, Xia Qiuru followed him, her face full of amusement as she watched him.


    "Director Xia, why are you looking at me like that?" Su Chen felt a little uneasy under Xia Qiuru''s gaze and said with a smile, "If you keep looking at me like that, I might think you''re implying something, you know."


    "Implying what?" Xia Qiuru asked as she tossed her hair.


    "What do you think?" Su Chen revealed a mischievous smile, "Of course, it means you''re thinking of having a secret romp with me. I may not be a fresh young thing, but I''m still rather presentable and suave, right?"


    "Pah." Xia Qiuru''s eyes shed angrily, and she suddenly kicked at Su Chen''s leg, "Shameless! Secret romp with you? In your dreams. I wouldn''t consider it even if you paid me!"


    "That''s fine, I know women always say one thing but mean another. They say ''no, no'' with their mouths, but their hearts can''t wait, can they!"


    Once again, Su Chen showed that cheeky smile that Xia Qiuru was all too familiar with.


    "You jerk!"


    Xia Qiuru raised her foot to kick Su Chen''s butt, but he twisted his waist and dodged, chuckling, "It''s okay, I know you''re just shy; I won''t take it to heart."


    Xia Qiuru tried to catch up and give this indiscreet guy a good lesson, but suddenly she realized many people were pointing at them and whispering. Her face flushed red, and she stopped in her tracks.


    Xia Qiuru stared at Su Chen''s swaggering back, her teeth itching with hatred.


    "Damn it, I just wanted to ask about his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue, but I let him lead the conversation astray again."


    And behind her, Ma Yuemin watched the two of them frolicking, his eyes shooting out an uncontroble fury.


    "Bitch, so you''ve taken a liking to this guy. No wonder you''ve been putting on airs with me!"


    When Su Chen returned to the security room, everyone looked at him strangely, and even more so, no one came close to him.


    Su Chen understood as well; the day''s events must have been a big shock to them, but he believed things would get better after some time.


    .....


    "Bang, bang, bang!"


    In a five-star suite in Jianghai, a young man was crazily smashing various items and equipment in the room.


    His face was a mask of fury, contorted with rage!


    And not far from him, several people were kneeling there, sweating profusely, not daring to utter a word.


    "Useless, all of you are just a bunch of useless trash!"


    The young man viciously kicked one of them, aiming directly at the other''s chest. The man didn''t dare resist and was immediately flipped over onto the carpet.


    "What did you tell me?" the young man pointed at those kneeling on the ground, ticking them off one by one, "Didn''t you swear there was no problem? And promised to bring him before me for my disposal."


    "Where is he now? Where?"


    The young man''s volume suddenly rose by eight degrees, bellowing.


    "Look at you pathetic lot, not only did you fail to bring the guy to me, but each of you got beaten up like a bunch of pigs!"


    "Second Young Master, it truly isn''t our fault this time. The opponent''s strength was simply too terrifying. I would estimate that their power has already reached the Triple or even Fourth Layer of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    The leader mustered the courage to exin. He was the man in the ck robe who had ambushed Su Chen that night, and the other three with him were the men in white robes from the same evening.


    As for the young man, it was none other than Wu Yuanpin, who was itching for revenge against Su Chen.


    "What Triple Layer, Fourth Layer? Speak clearly to me!"


    Wu Yuanpin was, of course,pletely ignorant about cultivation matters; it baffled him that the four Tiger Guards provided by his family all failed to handle that guy.


    It was well-known that each of the four was a formidable force, rarely matched throughout Jiangnan.


    "Let me put it this way to you, that person''s strength is on par with several of our Rank Leaders. Now, do you understand, Young Master?"


    "What did you say?" A look of shock shed in Wu Yuanpin''s eyes. "That guy is that powerful?"


    "Second Young Master, I swear on my life that I am telling the truth. If it were not so, we would have captured him even at the risk of our lives."


    The leader raised a hand to swear, and the others nodded vigorously in agreement.


    Wu Yuanpin slumped into a chair beside him, never having imagined that the unremarkable-looking young man possessed such formidable strength!


    "Second Young Master, how did you manage to provoke such a person?"


    The leader asked cautiously, eyeing Wu Yuanpin.


    "It wasn''t me who provoked him; it was that bastard who offended me," Wu Yuanpin burst out, unable to calm his thoughts as he remembered the day he was forced to lick food off the ground, the greatest humiliation of his life!


    "I don''t care how strong he is; I want him dead!"


    Fire zed from Wu Yuanpin''s eyes as he spoke word by word.


    "Then we only have the option of informing the family so that one of the Rank Leaders can take action."


    The leader shook his head and sighed.


    "Idiot!" Wu Yuanpin suddenly pped the man, "If I could ask for them, do you think I need you to tell me? Don''t you know my eldest brother has always been vying with me for the sessor''s position? Do you want them tough at me?"


    "Second Young Master, I misspoke, I''m sorry."


    The leader immediately bowed his head in apology.


    Wu Yuanpin ignored him, his brows furrowed as he fell into deep thought...

 Chapter 89 - 89 Welcome Supervision

    That day Su Chen almost spent the entire day ying games on theputer, unable to master other online games, he could only entertain himself with low-end ones like Fight the Landlord; nheless, he was having a great time.


    Just before the end of the workday, Lin Ruoxue sent him a text message asking him toe home early because they were having guests.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but wonder, who would visit their home?


    In the half year since he and Lin Ruoxue had been married, it seemed no guests had ever visited.


    "Who cares, I''ll just go back and see," he thought.


    Taking his car keys, Su Chen left, and when he arrived home, he noticed that Lin Ruoxue''s car was already in the garage.


    "Wife, I''m back!"


    As soon as Su Chen opened the front door, he called out in a cheesy manner.


    Hearing this cheesy voice, Lin Ruoxue sitting on the couch immediately felt goosebumps all over her body.


    "Brother Su, you''re back."


    Suddenly, a childish voice chimed in, and a little girl excitedly threw herself into his embrace.


    "Ruohan, it''s you! Howe you''re here?"


    Su Chen picked up the little girl and happily yed with her.


    "Ever since shest saw you, she''s been nagging me to take her to visit,"


    Lin Ruohan''s mother, which is Lin Ruoxue''s aunt Lin Wenting, stood up from the couch and said with a smile,


    "But you both are so busy with work, I didn''t want to bother you. This time, I simply couldn''t say no to her, so I hope it''s not too much trouble."


    "What are you saying, Auntie?" Lin Ruoxue came over with a slight smile, "If she wants toe, then let here."


    "It''s strange, really, the child is usually indifferent to others, but she hit it off with Su Chen right away."


    Watching her daughter get along so well with Su Chen, Lin Wenting smiled.


    "Dinner''s ready!"


    At that moment, Wang Ma called out from the kitchen, and everyone took their seats around the table, with Lin Ruohan naturally sticking close to Su Chen.


    "Auntie, since you''re here, why not stay for a few more days?"


    During the meal, Lin Ruoxue suggested.


    "No, I still have to rush to Yandu tonight; my flight ticket is booked for 9 p.m.," said Lin Wenting with an apologetic smile, "Next time, let''s talk about it then."


    "Ruoxue, I see Su Chen really likes kids, why not have one of your own while you''re young?"


    Lin Wenting watched as Su Chen and her daughter barely ate, chattering away, seemingly having a great time together.


    "Aunt, what are you talking about?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned a shade of red at Lin Wenting''s sudden shift to the topic of having children.


    "What am I talking about? Don''t you know how eager your parents are for a grandchild?"


    Lin Wenting rolled her eyes and said somewhat irritably.


    "Yes, youngdy, the young master really is a good man," Wang Ma chimed in to agree, "He gets up early every morning to make breakfast, not only creating a diverse menu but the taste, truly, is unmatched even by hotel chefs."


    Lin Wenting was stunned, not so much by Su Chen''s cooking skills, but by the fact that he would rise early every morning to make breakfast for Lin Ruoxue¡ªsuch men were truly rare now.


    And looking at the two of them, especially Lin Ruoxue''s shy, little woman demeanor, their rtionship did not seem as bad as she had previously imagined.


    The real purpose of Lin Wenting bringing up the idea of having children was to gauge their reaction and see what their situation really was.


    She knew about Lin Ruoxue being forced to marry Su Chen and felt very sorry for her.


    ```


    However, it seemed today that there had been a delightful change in their rtionship, which also filled Lin Wenting, the aunt, with satisfaction.


    And judging by Wang Mom''s attitude, this Su Chen really was a rare good man!


    Thinking this, Lin Wenting also started to y her part with more earnest, huffing and saying:


    "Ruoxue, did you hear what I just said?"


    "I got it, I''ll try my best."


    Lin Ruoxue replied in a small voice, her face blushing deeply.


    "I know you too well, a workaholic. I''m giving you a deadline, six months, you must be pregnant in six months."


    Lin Wenting put down her chopsticks and stared at Lin Ruoxue sternly.


    "How can there be a deadline? It''s not like it happens just because you say so."


    Lin Ruoxue muttered, wishing she could sink under the table.


    She was also baffled, wondering what had gotten into her aunt today that she was suddenly pushing her to have kids.


    "Heh, if I don''t press you, who knows when you''ll ever get around to it," Lin Wenting said. "Let me tell you, if there''s no news in six months, I''ll have your parentse over to supervise you two!"


    "Ah!"


    Lin Ruoxue was taken aback, wasn''t this too much?


    "Aunt, rest assured, we''ll definitely try our hardest."


    Su Chen had a sly smile on his face as he served Lin Wenting another dish; this aunt was really awesome!


    His heart suddenly blossomed with joy, and all he wanted to say was, wee the supervision, wee the guidance!


    Oh, forget the guidance, better to explore and practice on his own!


    When Lin Ruoxue looked up, she saw Su Chen''s silly grin and felt even more annoyed.


    "What are youughing at!"


    Lin Ruoxue red at Su Chen furiously, no matter how she looked at him, he seemed like a bad guy!


    "What''s with that attitude? Is this how you talk to your husband usually?" Lin Wenting nced at the pouting Lin Ruoxue. "If you were half as proactive as Su Chen, what''s so hard about getting pregnant in six months!"


    "No worries, no worries," Su Chen said cheerfully. "Ruoxue is just stressed from work usually, which is why she''s a bit short-tempered, I don''t mind it."


    "See, having such a tolerant husband is truly a blessing you''ve cultivated."


    Lin Wenting was starting to resemble a mother-inw sizing up her son-inw, the more she saw of Su Chen, the more she liked him.


    Lin Ruoxue really felt like she was about to explode with anger, why was her aunt suddenly so protective of this Su Chen?


    What she didn''t know was that Lin Wenting''s change of attitude was entirely because of her. If the two of them had still been as cold as they were a few months ago, without exchanging a single word, Lin Wenting certainly wouldn''t have said these things.


    But now, it seemed that Lin Ruoxue wasn''t as repulsed by Su Chen as she had imagined, and there was even a hint of a young couple teasing each other, which was why Lin Wenting acted as the catalyst.


    As the aunt who had watched her grow up since she was little, of course she hoped Lin Ruoxue would have a happy life!


    Throughout the rest of the meal, Lin Ruoxue was grumpy, feeling utterly displeased, especially when seeing Su Chen continuouslyughing foolishly, she was tempted to whack his head with a chopstick.


    "Alright, it''s about time for me to leave, I''ll be off now, take good care of Ruohan these next few days," Lin Wenting said after eating some fruit following dinner, looking at her watch.


    "I''ll take you to the airport."


    Lin Ruoxue stood up, casually picking up a jacket to put on...


    ```

 Chapter 90: Hidden Dragon in the Abyss

    "You should stay home tonight," Lin Wenting turned to Su Chen and said, "Su Chen, can you give me a lift?"


    "No problem, it''s a small matter."


    Su Chen cheerfully agreed and ran out to get the car.


    "Ruoxue, I think Su Chen is really quite decent. You should get along well with him, and you need to change your bad temper!"


    Taking the opportunity while Su Chen was fetching the car, Lin Wenting earnestly advised Lin Ruoxue.


    "I know."


    Lin Ruoxue''s face reddened again as she nodded.


    At that moment, Su Chen had also driven the car to the front door, and after a few words of advice to her daughter, Lin Wenting climbed into the passenger seat.


    It was now October, and the weather had turned slightly cold, especially the temperature difference during the day was still significant.


    Seeing that Lin Wenting''s clothes were somewhat thin, Su Chen proactively closed the car windows. This small gesture still won Lin Wenting''s approval.


    "Su Chen, Ruoxue usually has a bit of a temper, you need to be more tolerant."


    As the car weaved through the neon lights, Lin Wenting suddenly spoke.


    "Auntie, rest assured, I am aware of it," Su Chen smiled as he turned his head back.


    "Actually, Ruoxue is under a lot of pressure. I believe you noticed during yourst visit to the old house, my eldest brother and the second brother are also restless people."


    Lin Wenting sighed. She and the third brother, Lin Ruoxue''s father, were the closest among the siblings, because Lin Wenqing was the most honest among them.


    "Them? Just clowns jumping on the stage."


    Su Chen casually shrugged his shoulders.


    "Su Chen, you''re not an ordinary person, are you?"


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Wenting pondered for a bit and then said what she had long wanted to say.


    Su Chen was slightly startled, he naturally understood that Lin Wenting''s words just now were more of a statement than a question.


    "Su Chen, if you find it inconvenient to speak, don''t force yourself," Lin Wenting said, seeing Su Chen had not spoken, "the diamond you gifted for Ruoxue''s mother''s birthday, I was a bit skeptical, so I took it to a jewelry store for verification, and they told me that the diamond was priceless!"


    "I think, a person who can gift such an item casually must not be an ordinary person!"


    Su Chen then realized, it was that diamond that had given him away, he thought for a moment and said:


    "Auntie, it''s not that I don''t want to tell you, but my identity is too sensitive, and if it gets out, I''m afraid it might bring danger to you."


    "I shouldn''t have asked, don''t mind me," Lin Wenting smiled, "but you and Ruoxue are married, and it''s not right to keep hiding this, don''t you agree?"


    "You are right, it''s just that my identity is a bit special," Su Chen turned his head to look at Lin Wenting and said, "But rest assured, I will find a chance to tell everyone."


    "Good, I trust you. With you by Ruoxue''s side, I am also reassured."


    Lin Wenting nodded. Among the younger generation of the Lin family, she cared about Lin Ruoxue the most.


    "Auntie, why are you going to Yandu this time?" Su Chen suddenly asked.


    "Just some personal business."


    Clearly, Lin Wenting was not too keen on discussing why she was going to Yandu, and Su Chen naturally didn''t press further.


    "Auntie, if you encounter any issues in Yandu that you can''t solve, feel free to call me."


    Su Chen spoke with concern, as he certainly saw that Lin Wenting genuinely cared for Lin Ruoxue, and thus felt a familial warmth towards her.


    "Do you have connections in Yandu?"


    "A bit, general problems should be manageable."


    Lin Wenting couldn''t help but be a bit surprised. Who exactly was this Su Chen? He even had connections with Yandu. She became even more curious about her niece''s husband!


    Perhaps Ruoxue inadvertently hit the nail on the head and really found a hidden dragon in the depths!


    "Okay, then thank you in advance. If I really need help, I will bother you."


    By this time, they had already arrived at the airport, and Wenting got out of the car and thanked Su Chen.


    "Auntie, we are family, no need to be so formal."


    "Alright, then I won''t be polite," Wenting said, findingfort in Su Chen''s words about being family. She waved her hand, "Okay, I''m going in now. You can leave too."


    Su Chen nodded, waved back at Wenting, and then turned around and drove away.


    Meanwhile, in Ruoxue''s vi, Ruoxue and Ruohan, the two cousins, were sitting on the sofa staring at each other.


    It was past 9 o''clock, and Ruoxue had wanted to coax her to sleep, but Ruohan, the little girl, wouldn''t have it and insisted on waiting for Su Chen to keep herpany.


    "Ruohan, what''s so good about that guy that you like him so much? Even I, your cousin, am getting jealous."


    Ruoxue sighed. How could this little girl be so close to that jerk, Su Chen?


    "Be content! Marrying Brother Su is a blessing from your past life!"


    Ruohan gave Ruoxue a sideways nce and snorted maturely.


    "It''s his good fortune, really. He''s irresponsible andcks ambition, and his looks are at best tolerable."


    "What do you know?" Ruohan looked at Ruoxue and asked. "Do you know what kind of person Brother Su is?"


    "Ruohan, do you know what kind of person he is?"


    Ruoxue felt a sudden shiver in her heart and blurted out.


    "Do you know why I''m so close to Brother Su?"


    Ruohan didn''t answer Ruoxue''s question but switched the topic instead.


    "Why?"


    Ruoxue had unconsciouslypletely followed Ruohan''s thought process.


    Thinking of something, Ruohan''s face turned somewhat somber and said:


    "I want Brother Su to seek justice for my mom!"


    Ruoxue waspletely stunned, not expecting Ruohan to say such a thing.


    "Ruohan, the justice you''re talking about is...?"


    "The Zheng Family!"


    Ruohan suddenly raised her head, her eyes watery, emitting aplex and difficult-to-discern expression.


    "The Zheng Family?" Ruoxue said in shock, quickly adding, "I know you hate your dad and your grandfather..."


    "He is not my dad, and that old thing is not my grandfather!"


    Ruohan interrupted Ruoxue before she could finish.


    Ruoxue looked at the coldness in Ruohan''s eyes and sighed.


    She knew too well that the Zheng Family''s actions in treating the aunt and her daughter were indeed despicable, and she often felt indignant on her aunt''s behalf.


    But that was the Zheng Family of Yandu. What could they possibly do?


    Although the Lin Family had some influence in Jianghai, in the eyes of the Zheng Family of Yandu, they probably weren''t even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth!


    "Ruohan, I know you harbor hatred towards the Zheng Family, and so does your cousin, but after all, that is the Zheng Family. You''ve known since you were young what they are capable of. Even if we hate them, what can we do?"


    Ruoxue looked at the hate in Ruohan''s eyes, her heart aching¡ªnone of this should have to be borne by such a young girl...

 Chapter 91: Two Monsters

    "There was no way before, but that doesn''t mean there isn''t now."


    Lin Ruohan suddenly burst into a smile, blooming like a winter plum blossoming against the cold wind.


    Lin Ruoxue was also startled by this girl''s shifting emotions.


    "How is there a way now?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously, unable toprehend how there could be a way now.


    "Brother Su, ah, you''re really slow!" Lin Ruohan disdainfully nced at Lin Ruoxue, "Didn''t I just say that I want Brother Su to seek justice for my mom?"


    "Su Chen? Him? What makes him capable?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes widened dramatically, her face filled with disbelief.


    She had some suspicions that Su Chen was no ordinary person, but she had never dared to associate him with the Zheng Family, one of Huaxia''s top-tier families.


    Not to mention the Zheng Family, even the thought of the Four Great Families of Jiangnan was unimaginable!


    "All because of the coat Brother Su worest time he visited the old mansion!"


    Lin Ruohan seemed to recall something, a dazzling gleam shed in her eyes.


    "A coat? There was nothing special about it, wasn''t it just some cheap street vendor clothes?"


    Speaking of the coat, how could Lin Ruoxue forget? She had even been sulking for a while because Su Chen refused to change his clothes!


    "Cheap? You try spending a billion and see if you can buy one like it anywhere in the world."


    Lin Ruohan looked disdainfully at Lin Ruoxue, her gaze akin to a wealthy person looking down on a bumpkin.


    "What?!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes widened significantly, her stunning face full of shock!


    "That ragged coat is worth a billion?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t believe that a coat, no different from cheap street goods, could be so valuable.


    "You really are slow, when I said you couldn''t buy it for a billion, I didn''t mean that the coat was worth a billion."


    Lin Ruoxue, the formidable businesswoman, received another brutal blow from the young Ruohan.


    But this wasn''t the first time, Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to swallow her pride and asked shamelessly:


    "What''s so special about that coat that you can''t even buy it for a billion?"


    "Nothing much, it just has a logo on it, a unique mark of vier."


    "vier, who is that? A tailor?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously, a name she had never heard before.


    "A tailor, yes, but one who has refused to serve Prince William and the First Lady of America."


    "Refused what, making clothes for them?"


    "What else? In the past ten years, it''s said he has only made clothes for five people."


    That familiar look of contempt reappeared on Lin Ruohan''s face.


    However, Lin Ruoxue was too shocked to notice Lin Ruohan''s expression, but even if she did, she couldn''t do much about this cheeky girl.


    "Are you saying Su Chen is one of those five people?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but speak out, her mind tumultuous with the implications and hidden meanings in Lin Ruohan''s words.


    A tailor who could refuse to clothe Prince William and the First Lady of America, and yet, that tailor had made clothes for her nominal husband!


    Lin Ruohan, hearing Lin Ruoxue''s question, was toozy to answer and just rolled her eyes twice.


    "Now you understand, don''t you? Brother Su is not just an ordinary person at all," Lin Ruohan said proudly. "Also, about that superb Deep Sea Blue Diamond I looked upst time, do you want to know the specifics?"


    "Yes!"


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue was filled with curiosity about Su Chen, this husband of hers¡ªwhat kind of person was he really!


    "ording to the information I found, that blue diamond was originally locked in a safe in an African president''s bedroom. But one night, the president mysteriously died, and everything in the safe disappeared, yet that diamond has now appeared in Brother Su''s hands!"


    Lin Ruoxue waspletely stunned at this point, her mouth agape. She could hardly imagine the implications behind Lin Ruohan''s words.


    Was this still the Su Chen she knew? It felt like listening to a legend!


    Lin Ruoxue''s gaze toward Lin Ruohan was filled with wonder, no wonder this girl acted so intimately when she first met Su Chen!


    Lin Ruohan seemed to know what Lin Ruoxue was thinking, and she pouted as she said,


    "Do you think I am being affectionate with Brother Su just to use him? Actually, you are wrong. Brother Su is indeed more interesting than you all. I really like being with him. Besides, I will tell Brother Su about the Zheng Family''s matters first and listen to his opinion."


    Just at that moment, the doors creaked open.


    "Brother Su!"


    As soon as Lin Ruohan saw Su Chen, she beamed with joy and then pounced on him.


    "Haven''t you gone to bed yet?"


    Su Chen, also very happy to see her, picked her up and hoisted her high, spinning her around in a circle.


    Lin Ruohan''s giggle echoed throughout the whole vi!


    Lin Ruoxue watched the two of them happily and suddenly two words popped into her mind!


    "Monster!"


    Yes, that''s right, "Monster," not only regarding Su Chen but also Lin Ruohan.


    Letting Su Chen''s matters aside, Lin Ruohan, this little girl of just eleven, thinking such thoughts ¡ª it really sends chills down one''s spine!


    She was somewhat puzzled. How did such a little girl like Lin Ruohan know about these matters?


    "Honey, why are you looking at me like that?"


    Su Chen suddenly noticed Lin Ruoxue staring at him with a very strange expression, so he put down Lin Ruohan and asked.


    "It''s nothing, I''m going upstairs to rest."


    Lin Ruoxue turned around and headed upstairs.


    "Absolutely baffling."


    Su Chen muttered to himself, not minding too much, then smiled at Lin Ruohan,


    "Alright, it''s gettingte. You should go to bed. Brother Su will take you to school tomorrow morning."


    "Brother Su, will you tuck me into bed, please!"


    Lin Ruohan, ying coquettishly, tugged at Su Chen''s arm.


    "Alright!"


    Seeing Lin Ruohan''s pleading gaze, Su Chen agreed.


    Su Chen apanied Lin Ruohan into her room, told her a short story until she waspletely asleep, and then tiptoed out of her room.


    But when Su Chen stepped into his own room, he was immediately dumbstruck¡ªhis bedsheets and everything were gone.


    Just as Su Chen was puzzled, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was Lin Ruoxue.


    "What is this woman up to? Calling from within the house."


    Su Chen scoffed but still answered the call.


    "What''s the matter?" Su Chen askedzily.


    But after waiting for several seconds, Lin Ruoxue didn''t speak.


    "If you don''t talk, I''m hanging up."


    "Don''t, Su Chen,e to my room."


    The voice on the other end of the phone sounded somewhat shy and nervous.


    "What did you say?"


    Su Chen suddenly stiffened upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, his spirits instantly lifted.


    "If you didn''t hear, never mind."


    Lin Ruoxue huffed in a sullen tone.


    "Heard it, heard it, I''ming right up!"


    Su Chen hung up the phone, and his heart immediately started "thumping" wildly.


    Could it be that his luck was turning? Was this girl unable to endure the long night and finally saw the light?


    With his heart surging with excitement, Su Chen hurried anxiously towards the upstairs...

 Chapter 92: Su Chen in his sleep

    Su Chen walked up to the door of Lin Ruoxue''s room and tried to gently push it open; the door creaked open with ease.


    Lin Ruoxue, dressed in her pajamas, was lying on the bed, flipping through a magazine. However, her eyes didn''t seem to focus on the magazine; she appeared somewhat distracted.


    But when she saw Su Chen sneaking in, she immediately pretended to read with great interest.


    "Wife, where are my things from the bed?"


    It was Su Chen''s first time entering Lin Ruoxue''s boudoir, and he naturally felt a bit excited. Lin Ruoxue''s room, like her, was simply but tastefully decorated.


    "I put them away," Lin Ruoxue said deliberately calmly, "Do you want Aunt to find out we''re sleeping in separate rooms?"


    "Oh, I see."


    Su Chen gave a sheepish smile, wishing he could p himself for asking such a question.


    "Hasn''t Aunt already left?"


    Su Chen didn''t know what came over him, maybe it was the excitement that short-circuited his brain, for he blurted out an even more foolish remark.


    "Isn''t Ruohan still here?"


    Lin Ruoxue hummed in annoyance, as if she was extremely reluctant to share a room with him.


    "You know Ruohan is sharp. If she finds out, it won''t be good. So sleep here for the next few days," Lin Ruoxue continued, her voice getting softer and almost inaudible towards the end.


    "Wise as always, my dear wife."


    Su Chen beamed and ttered her, then he lifted a corner of the nket, ready to crawl in, but the moment he touched the bed, Lin Ruoxue''s leg shot out and kicked him off.


    "What are you doing?"


    Su Chen suddenly got annoyed. He was all smiles, and yet he was treated like this. It was utterly intolerable.


    "What are youing up here for?"


    Lin Ruoxue clutched the nket tightly, eyeing Su Chen with a wary expression.


    "What nonsense, I''m obviously here to sleep. Didn''t you tell me to sleep here?"


    "I told you to sleep in this room, but I didn''t say you could get on the bed!"


    "Then where should I sleep?"


    Su Chen was immediately puzzled and asked.


    "Here, make yourself a spot on the floor," Lin Ruoxue suggested, pointing to the floor.


    "What? You want me to sleep on the floor?" Su Chen immediately frowned and retorted, "No way, I won''t sleep! Just give me the nket and I''ll go back to my own room."


    Lin Ruoxue was taken aback; she hadn''t expected Su Chen to refuse. The idea of sharing a room with Su Chen was already a stretch for her, let alone sharing a bed. She couldn''t do it, at least not now.


    But she couldn''t allow Su Chen to return to his room either. If Ruohan found out and told their parents, they would surely worry all over again.


    "What exactly do you want?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen through gritted teeth, her eyes seeming to ze with fire.


    "I''m not sleeping on the floor, deal with it!"


    Su Chen spread his hands helplessly, pretending not to notice the frost on Lin Ruoxue''s face.


    As Lin Ruoxue stared at his resolute, indifferent face, she felt so annoyed that her teeth itched, but she had no way to get back at him.


    "Fine, then sleep on another nket on the bed, but you are absolutely not to have any inappropriate thoughts."


    After a few minutes, Lin Ruoxue saw that Su Chen was not giving in; she had no choice but topromise.


    "Alright, don''t worry. Don''t you trust my character?"


    The moment Su Chen heard Lin Ruoxue agree to let him sleep on the bed, he immediately grinned mischievously.


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes and thought to herself, "I really can''t trust your character!"


    Su Chen opened the wardrobe and pulled out a brand-new quilt to spread on the bed, his movements brisk and efficient.


    "Waited for so long, finally until today; dreamed for so long, finally to make dreamse true..."


    After spreading the quilt, he flipped into it, humming an old song, but the tune was nowhere near correct.


    A perfectly motivational song sounded indecent in his rendition, giving Lin Ruoxue an intense feeling of inviting a wolf into her home.


    "You''re not allowed to cross this line, or else..."


    Lin Ruoxue extended her slender hand and drew a line in the middle of their shared quilt, as if it were the boundary between two great territories.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t cross this line,"


    Su Chen agreed nonchntly, but he couldn''t care less¡ªthe moment he fell asleep, who would still be concerned about such things?


    Seeing how readily he agreed, Lin Ruoxue didn''t feel more at ease but instead became more anxious.


    She thought for a moment, then got out of bed, opened the drawer on the vanity, and Su Chen watched as Lin Ruoxue rummaged through, curious about what she was looking for.


    "Found it!"


    Suddenly, Lin Ruoxue eximed happily, then turned around, a gleaming pair of scissors in her hand.


    "What are you doing with scissors? Put those away!"


    Su Chen hurriedly said when he saw Lin Ruoxue holding the scissors.


    "Hmph, it''s a self-defense tool,"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at a certain part below Su Chen and made a cutting gesture.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s fierce expression, Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt a chill between his legs.


    "I wouldn''t dare, I wouldn''t dare!"


    Su Chen quickly shook his head, immediately dismissing a certain thought.


    If he were to identally go too far, it could impact the happiness of histter life, which would be too much of a loss.


    "Hmph, I didn''t think you would dare!"


    Lin Ruoxue snorted and climbed back onto the bed, carefully cing the scissors under her pillow.


    Only then did Lin Ruoxue feel a slight sense of security, and with that, she turned off the light and closed her eyes.


    But how could she dare to sleep with a man beside her? Even though this man was her husband.


    About half an hourter, Su Chen''s lengthy breathing could be heard, suggesting he had fallen asleep.


    Lin Ruoxue gently turned on themp on the bedside table, looked at Su Chen beside her, and found he hadpletely entered dreand.


    "Su Chen, Su Chen."


    Lin Ruoxue called out quietly twice and, seeing no reaction from him, finally let her guard down.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t immediately turn off the light and go to sleep, but instead propped her head on one hand and tilted her head to carefully observe Su Chen.


    Under the soft glow of themp, his features were sharply defined, his face chiseled to perfection, with thick brows, a prominent nose, and moderately full lips slightly pursed.


    "Actually, he is quite good-looking,"


    Lin Ruoxue thought to herself, but she quickly blushed at this thought, her heart fluttering chaotically, thankful that there was no one else in the room.


    Lin Ruoxue calmed her emotions and again scrutinized him carefully.


    Did he have something on his mind? Otherwise, why would his eyebrows be furrowed even in sleep? The sorrow in his eyes seemed so thick it couldn''t be dissolved.


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of heartache and instinctively extended a finger, wanting to smooth away the sadness around his eyes.

 Chapter 93: Did You Sleep Well?

    Just as her slender hand touched Su Chen''s eyebrow, Su Chen brushed her hand away and mumbled with a blurry, unclear voice:


    "Don''t move!"


    Lin Ruoxue, frightened, quickly withdrew her hand. After a minute, when Su Chen''s long breaths again filled the room, Lin Ruoxue''s tense heart finally settled.


    "Just like a child!"


    A faint smile appeared on the corner of Lin Ruoxue''s mouth.


    "Su Chen, who exactly are you?"


    Lin Ruoxue murmured as she watched his sleeping face. If what that girl Ruohan said was all true, what had you been through all these years? How did you get through it?


    Suddenly, Lin Ruoxue felt that the man lying beside her, her legal husband, was like a mystery.


    And she knew nothing about this mystery!


    Looking at Su Chen asleep, Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt an urge to understand everything about him. This feeling was quite abrupt yet very strong, impossible to ignore!


    .....


    The next morning, when warm sunlight streamed through the window into the room, both woke up almost simultaneously.


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue, still in her dreams, suddenly felt ufortable, so she rubbed her bleary eyes.


    Then she looked down and saw one of Su Chen''s legs nonchntly resting on her own!


    "Jerk, hooligan!"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately pushed Su Chen away, and with a "thud," she rolled out of bed, standing barefoot on the floor and pointing at Su Chen as she scolded him.


    No wonder she felt ufortable. It would be strange to feelfortable with this guy''s leg on her!


    At this moment, her face alternated between red and white, half from embarrassment and half from anger.


    Su Chen also awoke from Lin Ruoxue''s scolding, fully realizing what he had done, as he was nearly awake already.


    "Sorry, that..." Su Chen said with an awkward smile, exining, "It was purely instinct, yes, instinct!"


    Lin Ruoxue felt even more embarrassed upon hearing Su Chen''s exnation. This jerk had done something bad and still had the nerve to talk about instincts!


    To Lin Ruoxue, it was not just a simple matter of a leg bump; who knew whether this jerk was deliberately taking advantage of her!


    Just as Lin Ruoxue was about to continue scolding Su Chen, she suddenly noticed that he was staring at her!


    "Ah~~~"


    Lin Ruoxue looked down, puzzled, and immediately let out a high-pitched scream!


    But no sooner had she cried out than she quickly covered her mouth, worried that Wang''s mother and little Ruohan might hear her.


    "You''re just a big pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue grabbed a pillow nearby and threw it at Su Chen.


    It turned out that her getting out of bed so suddenly meant she hadn''t had time to straighten her nightgown, which naturally looked a bit indecent!


    "It was clearly your own oversight, not me peeking."


    Su Chen pursed his lips, got up calmly, as if nothing had happened.


    Lin Ruoxue, hearing this, even more infuriated!


    With an unnamed rage burning inside her, she could only beat up the pillow vigorously while Su Chen was in the bathroom washing up, as if the little figure smiling mischievously on that pillow was Su Chen himself!


    "Wife, don''t hurt your hand!"


    Upon emerging from the bathroom and seeing Lin Ruoxue''s adorable actions, Su Chen teased with a sly smile, and before Lin Ruoxue could react, he walked out the door.


    "Jerk!"


    Just as Lin Ruoxue had calmed down a bit, Su Chen stirred her anger again, and she angrily threw a pillow at him, but it ended up hitting the just-closed door.


    "Damn! Jerk! Pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue used all the words she could think of on Su Chen, but he could no longer hear them.


    "Good morning, Mrs. Wang!"


    Su Chen greeted Mrs. Wang with enthusiasm.


    "Good morning, sir," replied Mrs. Wang with a smile. "Sir, breakfast will be ready in a moment."


    "Great, I''ll go wake Ruohan up."


    Su Chen said with a smile, then headed to little Ruohan''s room, knocked on the door, called her, and returned after hearing a response.


    When Su Chen sat down at the dining table, Lin Ruoxue also happened toe down from upstairs.


    Lin Ruoxue, true to her reputation as a tough businesswoman, managed to regain her usualposure in just a few minutes.


    Then little Ruohan also came over ready for breakfast after washing up!


    "Sir, miss, did you sleep wellst night?"


    During breakfast, Mrs. Wang asked with a knowing smile, her eyes darting back and forth between Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue''s faces, as if looking for clues!


    Actually, before Lin Wenting arrived yesterday, Lin Ruoxue had already informed Mrs. Wang to gather up the bedsheets and duvet covers from Su Chen''s room, saying they would sleep in the same room tonight, and she instructed Mrs. Wang not to tell Lin Wenting about their sleeping arrangements.


    Mrs. Wang naturally knew that Lin Ruoxue did it to deceive those who might be watching, but they were all young people, and it was entirely possible that something might happen if one could not restrain oneself!


    Especially since their rtionship had clearly improved recently, it was hard to say!


    "Very good, very good."


    Su Chen said with a full smile, picked up a fried dough stick and bit into it hard, as if it tasted even better.


    Seeing Su Chen''scent look made Lin Ruoxue even more frustrated, but she couldn''t say anything and just bowed her head to silently drink her porridge.


    "Mrs. Wang, I''m sorry for sleeping in and troubling you to make breakfast."


    Su Chen said to Mrs. Wang with a smile.


    "What are you talking about, sir? This is what I should do. Besides, you have been doing it for several months, so it''s nothing for me to do it for a day,"


    Mrs. Wang said, blinking meaningfully:


    "And besides, sir must have been really tired yesterday, so sleeping a bit more is only right."


    "Oh, it''s okay, it''s okay!"


    Su Chen chuckled awkwardly, not expecting Mrs. Wang to have such a nosy heart!


    Listening to their conversation, Lin Ruoxue really wanted to hide under the table with her bowl!


    Although Lin Ruoxue had never been involved in a romantic rtionship, she was familiar with the idea, wasn''t she?


    Moreover, being as smart as she was, how could she not understand what Mrs. Wang meant.


    Lin Ruoxue''s face gradually turned red, feeling very hot, and she thought to herself, Fortunately, Mrs. Wang didn''t ask me; I''ll just pretend I didn''t hear it.


    But just when she feared it the most, Mrs. Wang''s teasing voice rang out again:


    "Miss, did you also sleep wellst night?"


    Lin Ruoxue really wanted to retort "Not at all," but the words turned into "Very well."


    After she spoke, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned even redder, as if it were about to drip water.

 Chapter 94: Seeing Tang Yun Again

    Lin Ruoxue ate breakfast without really tasting it and hurriedly finished to drive to work.


    Su Chen, on the other hand, had no such concerns and only stopped eating after he was fully sated.


    "Let''s go, Ruohan, Brother Su will take you to school."


    "Okay!"


    Little Ruohan immediately became excited, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and couldn''t wait to leave.


    Throughout the journey, little Ruohan chattered non-stop, and she kept asking questions as well.


    To Su Chen''s surprise, the topics this little girl spoke about and the questions she asked werepletely beyond what a girl her age should know.


    For example, she would ask Su Chen about things learned in university, like advanced mathematics, calculus, quantum physics, various economics and finance subjects, and so on.


    She would even discuss international events, such as what impact Brexit might have on Europe''s economy and why Trump unexpectedly defeated the representative of the elite ss, Hiry, and so on.


    Su Chen finally understood why the Lin Family treated this little girl like a monster.


    This was not what an eleven-year-old would ask!


    Moreover, she was delicately beautiful, a spitting image of Lin Ruoxue, with quite the resemnce to her.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but wonder, what kind of man would be able to handle this little girl in the future?


    Fortunately, Su Chen was also an oddity with an exceptional ability to learn, proficient in many things, so he managed to cope with Ruohan''s questions.


    However, what surprised Su Chen the most was that this little girl even knew about the Dark World, and was aware of the ck List and the Heaven List.


    These were things only those within the Dark World would know, with the ck List being a ranking of assassins and the Heaven List, a ranking of overall strength.


    "Brother Su, have you heard of these two lists?" Little Ruohan asked curiously, her eyes on Su Chen, "I''ve heard that the people on those lists are all incredibly powerful."


    "I think I''ve heard of them."


    Su Chen nodded while continuing to drive.


    How could he not know? He had been at the top of both lists, and as long as he was there, everyone else could only vie for second ce!


    It wasn''t until the incident a year ago that the outside world thought he was dead, and his name was then removed.


    Even now, Su Chen''s feats were a legend in the Dark World! A myth!


    "Tell me about it, I really want to know," little Ruohan pleaded, her eyes aze with keen interest.


    "I''ve only heard about it, I''m not too clear on the details myself."


    Su Chen smiled and shook his head. Now, he only wanted a peaceful life and didn''t want any ties with his past, and he even refused to think about it.


    It was as if those things happened in a previous life, long blown away by the wind.


    When Ruohan heard his response, she immediately looked disappointed. Su Chen smiled and patted her head.


    The school Ruohan attended wasn''t far from Lin Ruoxue''s vi, and they arrived before long.


    Su Chen parked the car at the school gate, and they both got out. Seeing that her shoces hade loose, he bent down to tie them for her.


    "Pay attention in ss, I''lle pick you up after school."


    Su Chen patted little Ruohan''s shoulder and said.


    "Got it." Ruohan nodded, and just then, she saw a woman walking by and quickly called out, "Good morning, Miss Tang!"


    "Oh, it''s Ruohan! Good morning," the woman stopped when she heard the shout and then, seeing a familiar face, she spoke with surprise, "Mr. Su, what are you doing here?"


    "It''s you, so you''re a teacher?"


    Su Chen was also somewhat taken aback as he realized that this female teacher was Tang Mingji''s daughter, Tang Yun.


    "Mm-hmm." Tang Yun nodded slightly, hesitantly asking, "Mr. Su, is Ruohan your daughter?"


    Tang Yun had only seen Ruohan''s mother before and had never met her father, hence the question.


    "No, no, you''re mistaken." Su Chen quickly gestured with his hands, rifying, "She''s my rtive''s daughter."


    "Su Brother, you know Teacher Tang?"


    "Yeah, I''ve seen her," Su Chen casually replied. "Now, you should hurry to your ssroom."


    "Okay, Su Brother, remember to pick me up in the evening!"


    Lin Ruohan waved to Su Chen and Tang Yun and then made her way to the ssroom.


    "I, I, I should go now."


    Left alone with Tang Yun, Su Chen wanted to say something, but finding no topic, he took his leave.


    "Oh, alright, goodbye then." Tang Yun also seemed a bit uneasy, and it wasn''t until Su Chen got into his car that she suddenly called out, "Mr. Su, don''t forget to visit my home this weekend!"


    By then Su Chen had started the car and driven off, and it was unclear whether he had heard her.


    However, what no one knew was that Lin Ruohan, the little girl, hadn''t gone into her ssroom. Instead, she ducked into a corner and made a phone call.


    "Cousin, I have some news for you, your rival has appeared!"


    Lin Ruohan whispered into the phone, as if sharing a secret.


    "What rival?"


    Lin Ruoxue, who had just sat down to get to work, immediately asked upon hearing this.


    "Let me tell you, but you can''t tell Su Brother. This morning when Su Brother was taking me to school, we happened to run into our homeroom teacher, Miss Tang. They seemed to get along very well!"


    "Isn''t that normal? Your Su Brother probably wants the teacher to take special care of your studies," Lin Ruoxue retorted.


    "Psh, that''s not it! They didn''t just meet today; they''ve known each other for a long time." Lin Ruohan lowered her voice again,


    "Cousin, you really can''t let your guard down. Our Teacher Tang is so pretty, almost as pretty as you, but the most important thing is she''s gentle and feminine. Much better than your ice-cold demeanor!"


    "Really?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but blurt out.


    "Of course, we''re family after all, would I lie to you? Alright, I need to head to ss now."


    After hanging up the phone, Lin Ruohan showed a sly, fox-like smile.


    "Su Brother, I just did you a big favor!"


    ...¡­


    Lin Ruoxue, who had just finished the call and intended to work on some documents, found herself unexinably irritated and unable to focus on a single word.


    All she could think about were Lin Ruohan''s words and Su Chen''s image.


    "Secretary Chen,e in for a moment."


    Lin Ruoxue called out towards the door, and Chen Guo immediately entered.


    Lin Ruoxue had wanted to send Chen Guo to the security department to notify Su Chen to report to her as soon as he arrived for work, but upon reflection, what was she going to say to him? How could she even bring it up?


    "Nevermind, you can go."


    Lin Ruoxue waved her hand in irritation, dismissing Chen Guo.


    Chen Guo, the young woman, was left utterly baffled by Lin Ruoxue, who had summoned her, said nothing, and then sent her away.

 Chapter 95: The Anxious Lin Ruoxue

    Su Chen arrived at the Belle Building, just in time to meet Xia Qiuru.


    "Su Chen, I was just looking for you for something."


    Xia Qiuru grabbed Su Chen''s arm and said.


    "Director Xia, this is thepany. Don''t pull and tug; it won''t look good if others see us."


    Su Chen said with a sly smile.


    "I don''t mind, what are you worried about!" Xia Qiuru rolled her eyes and pouted.


    "Alright, what''s up?"


    Just now, Su Chen was only joking.


    "Oh, it''s like this, I have to attend a dinner tonight, can you give me a ride there?"


    "What time?"


    "Six o''clock."


    "I''m sorry, I''m a bit busy at that time, you should ask someone else."


    Su Chen needed to pick up Lin Ruohan at that time, so he had to apologize.


    "Really busy?"


    Xia Qiuru looked at him suspiciously.


    "Really busy, I swear on my puppy!"


    Su Chen nodded earnestly.


    "Alright, then I''ll ask Zhao Tong to take me."


    Xia Qiuru said, somewhat disappointed.


    "Zhao Tong is pretty good, very conscientious and responsible." Su Chenughed and said, "I''ll go inside first."


    Xia Qiuru nodded, watching Su Chen''s retreating figure and suddenly started feeling a bit of a headache.


    Because the dinner tonight was one she and Ma Yuemin were attending together, and she was very aware of Ma Yuemin''s intentions toward her, she wasn''t feeling very reassured, which was why she wanted Su Chen to take her there.


    In her eyes, although Su Chen seemed careless, he gave her a sense of security that others couldn''t provide!


    "There will be other people there too, so I guess Ma Yuemin won''t dare to do anything reckless."


    Xia Qiuru had to console herself like this, but her heart was still somewhat uneasy.


    .....


    Lin Ruoxue felt restless the entire half-day in the office, seemingly unable to concentrate on anything.


    Just then, Chen Guo pushed the door open and came in:


    "Ms. Lin, have you finished reviewing the document that was sent this morning? The PR department just came to ask about it."


    "Ah! The document? What document?"


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue''s mind was aplete mess; she couldn''t even remember any document.


    "The one in your hands right now. Have you looked at it yet?"


    Chen Guo pointed curiously at a document in Lin Ruoxue''s hands, wondering what was up with Ms. Lin today.


    "Ah? This one? Just ask them to wait a bit, I''m looking at it right now."


    Lin Ruoxue said, trying to appear calm, but she hadn''t actually read a single word yet.


    "Okay, then I''ll leave you to it."


    "Wait!"


    Just as Chen Guo turned around, Lin Ruoxue''s voice rang out.


    "Ms. Lin, is there anything else?"


    "Oh, can you ask Su Chen from the driver''s division toe over?"


    Lin Ruoxue ordered very "casually."


    "Okay."


    Chen Guo agreed and then left the room.


    A momentter, the door to Lin Ruoxue''s office was pushed open, and Su Chen''s annoying face appeared in front of Lin Ruoxue again.


    "This jerk doesn''t even knock!"


    Lin Ruoxue had mentioned it many times, but he had never once remembered.


    "Honey, what did you want to see me about?"


    As soon as Su Chen arrived, he did not consider himself an outsider, plopping down on the sofa with aplete air of entitlement and knocking his legs onto the coffee table like he owned the ce!


    "I called you over, I called you over..." Lin Ruoxue stuttered, "Oh, I wanted to ask if dropping Ruohan off at school went smoothly this morning?"


    "It went pretty smoothly!"


    Su Chen thought to himself, what could go wrong with just taking a kid to school.


    "Was there anything unusual on the way?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes intensely fixed on Su Chen as though trying to see right through him.


    "Nothing unusual!"


    Su Chen was baffled by Lin Ruoxue''s questioning; he didn''t understand what was going on with her.


    Not to mention him; even Lin Ruoxue herself couldn''t figure out what was wrong.


    "Then... then..."


    Lin Ruoxue very much wanted to ask about that female teacher, but she didn''t know how to bring it up, which only added to her frustration and confusion.


    "What do you really want to ask?"


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue somewhat conflicted, Su Chen asked.


    "It''s nothing!"


    "Alright then, if there''s nothing, I''ll be going." Su Chen pursed his lips and stood up.


    "Wait!"


    Seeing Su Chen about to leave, Lin Ruoxue felt a sudden panic surge within her and blurted out.


    Su Chen gave Lin Ruoxue a puzzled look, waiting for her to continue.


    The moment she spoke, Lin Ruoxue regretted it, wondering why she was keeping him here.


    Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head, and she thought of a perfect excuse.


    "Oh, I mainly wanted to discuss with you the appointment issues in the security department."


    Having found an excuse, Lin Ruoxue gradually calmed down,


    "Look, since Zhang Mingyu, Cao Kun, and Pang San definitely won''t be returning to work, several leadership positions in the security department are now vacant."


    "Who do you think would be appropriate for these positions?"


    "You can arrange that yourselves; I have no objections."


    Su Chen was toozy to bother with these matters, better to spend the time ying a few more rounds of card games!


    "Didn''t I ask for your opinion because you know the situation well?" Lin Ruoxue probed, "How about you take the role of Head of Security?"


    Actually, Lin Ruoxue had thought about this quite some time ago, since Su Chen was her husband, and it didn''t seem right for him to just be a driver.


    Plus, his handling of Zhang Mingyu and others yesterday proved hispetence; if Zhang Mingyu could do it, why couldn''t he?


    The reason she hadn''t suggested it earlier was because Zhang Mingyu was doing okay, and hadn''t made any mistakes; it wasn''t right just to disce someone.


    Furthermore, Lin Ruoxue also faintly felt that Zhang Mingyu was backed by Ma Yuemin, which made her somewhat apprehensive.


    But what she hadn''t expected was that as soon as she mentioned the idea, Su Chen immediately sprang up, shaking his head vehemently, refusing.


    "Do you really enjoy being a driver that much?"


    Lin Ruoxue scolded him, frustrated.


    "What''s so bad about being a driver? It''spletely liberating!"


    Su Chen shrugged; he really hadn''t thought of any job morefortable than being a driver!


    Not even the position of security department head, or even CEO would make him switch!


    Seeing hisck of ambition, Lin Ruoxue got angry, partially due to this attribute that she had disliked about him before.


    But, as Su Chen insisted on not epting, she had no choice but to eventually agree to his suggestion, appointing Meng Shan as the new Head of Security and Liu Yuan as the deputy.


    Meng Shan was a just person, popr among people, and also a military veteran with some real skills; his only weakness was being a bit impulsive. Liu Yuan, being reliable and steady,plemented him well.


    Additionally, the two had a good rtionship, which would facilitate effectivemunication.


    Unable to persuade Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen reluctantly agreed to take a step back and be the head of the driver''s department, taking over Pang San''s previous position.


    However, until Su Chen walked out, Lin Ruoxue had still not managed to ask the question she wanted, but her irritable mood had slightly improved.

 Chapter 96 - 96 What If Its Like This?

    As it neared six o''clock, Su Chen drove to the entrance of Ruohan''s school, where students had begun to trickle out.


    Bored, Su Chen leaned against the car door and lit a cigarette, puffing away.


    "Mr. Su, are you here to pick up Ruohan?"


    Just then, a voice reached him, and Su Chen turned his head to see that it was Tang Yun, whom he had just met that morning.


    "Yes," Su Chen nodded.


    "Then you might have to wait another half hour; their ss has an activity today."


    "No problem, I''m not busy anyway."


    "I''ll keep youpany if you don''t mind, Mr. Su," Tang Yun said with a smile.


    "Of course, it would be an honor," Su Chen replied with a smile.


    Thus, the two of them leaned against the car and chatted casually. Students asionally greeted Tang Yun, and she responded with smiles.


    "Mr. Su, howe you''re so young yet so skilled in medicine?"


    Tang Yun suddenly asked, a question she had long harbored.


    In her mind, all the renowned doctors were old and grizzled.


    "It''s nothing, not worth mentioning."


    Su Chen answered evasively, and seeing he didn''t want to talk about it, Tang Yun did not pursue the question further.


    At that moment, a Rolls-Royce suddenly drifted to a stop in front of them, startling the nearby students, though thankfully, no one was injured.


    Behind the Rolls-Royce, two Mercedes cars also stopped, with several bodyguard-like figures sitting inside, visible through the windows.


    A young man in his thirties, dressed impably and with well-groomed hair, stepped out of the Rolls-Royce with an air of grace.


    With arge bouquet of roses in hand, the young man approached Tang Yun, bowed courteously, and said,


    "These are for you, my dear Princess!"


    "Wu Yuanli, I''ve told you before, stop pestering me."


    Upon seeing the young man, Tang Yun''s face clouded over.


    "Teacher Tang, you''re breaking my heart. My admiration for you is like the endless flow of a river¡­"


    The young man, undeterred, looked at Tang Yun with deep emotion.


    "STOP!!!!!"


    Tang Yun felt goosebumps all over and quickly cut off his flowery speech.


    Su Chen watched the scene unfold with amusement, sensing that beneath the young man''s seemingly foolish surface lurked a deeply scheming nature.


    "Teacher Tang, have I moved you beyond words?" Wu Yuanli''s face bloomed into a smile, "I knew it! How could you possibly not see my sincere heart?"


    "Wu Yuanli, I''m telling you for thest time!" Tang Yun, unable to endure his narcissism anymore, shouted, "It''s impossible between us, so just give up!"


    "Tang Yun, let me tell you for thest time, I won''t give up,"


    Wu Yuanli said seriously, tone by tone.


    At a loss with what to do with the persistent Wu Yuanli, Tang Yun pondered for a moment before saying,


    "Wu Yuanli, let me be honest with you, I already have a boyfriend! So please stop wasting your efforts!"


    "Who? I wasn''t aware," Wu Yuanli didn''t take her words to heart, confidently saying, "Bring this man out for me to see. If he really is your boyfriend, I might consider stepping back."


    In fact, Wu Yuanli had already thoroughly investigated the men around Tang Yun, and he knew whether she had a boyfriend or not.


    Upon hearing Wu Yuanli''s words, Tang Yun couldn''t help but feel a sense of defeat. Where could she find such a man?


    She had only mentioned having a boyfriend hoping he would back off.


    "Miss Tang, I''ve been waiting here. Call him out to meet me!"


    Wu Yuanli said jokingly as he looked at Tang Yun.


    Faced with Wu Yuanli''s relentless pressure, Tang Yun also had no solution.


    Although the other party didn''t dare to truly harm her, having someone pestering her like this was always annoying.


    Suddenly, her gaze shifted and she caught Su Chen watching themotion with a smile on his face.


    Tang Yun immediately became irritated. Here I am so upset, and you have the nerve to stand there enjoying the show, she thought, just about to scold him, when her eyes brightened and a slow smile spread across her lips.


    "Wu Yuanli, didn''t you want to see my boyfriend?" Tang Yun suddenly took Su Chen''s arm and raised her slender neck, saying, "Here he is!"


    "Him?"


    Wu Yuanli''s eyeballs nearly fell out as he scoffed,


    "Tang Yun, if you''re going to fake a boyfriend, at least find someone decent. Look at his clothes¡ªis he a security guard or a driver? I bet even this BMW belongs to his boss."


    When Wu Yuanli first arrived, he indeed saw the two chatting, and thought he was some student''s parent.


    "Hey, what do you mean by that? What''s wrong with being a security guard or a driver? Can''t they have girlfriends?"


    Su Chen, originally annoyed at Tang Yun for using him as a shield, was about to rify himself when Wu Yuanli''s disdainful remarks made him even more irritable.


    "Is she really your girlfriend?"


    Wu Yuanli asked with a dark face.


    "What if she is?"


    Su Chen said arrogantly, tilting his head, and wrapped his arm around Tang Yun''s shoulders, pulling her closer to him.


    Tang Yun wanted to pull away, but Su Chen''s hands were like iron mps, making her immovable.


    Seeing she couldn''t break free, Tang Yun resigned herself to the situation, thinking maybe this would indeed discourage Wu Yuanli. With that thought, she even wrapped an arm around Su Chen.


    "I''m warning you, there are some women you can''t touch, you''d better take your filthy hands off her!"


    Wu Yuanli, seeing Su Chen holding the woman he loved so intimately, had his face cloud over instantly.


    "Can''t handle this? What about this?"


    Su Chen gave a devilish smile and spun around, pressing Tang Yun onto the hood of the car, his body pressing down as well.


    Su Chen looked at Tang Yun''s delicate face and moist lips, felt a stir in his heart, and leaned down to kiss her.


    Boom!


    Tang Yun''s body suddenly trembled violently, her mind going nk!


    "Wh-wh-what~~~"


    Tang Yun did not expect Su Chen to suddenly make such a move, and when she came to her senses, she immediately began to struggle fiercely.


    But her hands were tightly held by Su Chen, and her legs were pinned under him,pletely immobile.


    "Damn it!"


    Wu Yuanli watched this scene, his eyes bulging with rage!


    Furious, Wu Yuanli threw a punch directly at the back of Su Chen''s head.


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, kicked back instantly, sending him flying.


    "Young Master!"


    Seeing this, the bodyguard from the Mercedes quickly opened the car door and rushed out...

 Chapter 97 - 97 Su Chen, Save Me

    "Trash! Attack, and trash this kid!"


    Wu Yuanli roared crazily, but soon after he finished speaking, his chest and abdomen churned, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    On hearing themand, Wu Yuanli''s bodyguards immediately charged at Su Chen! Their momentum was like rivers and mountains in torrent, unstoppable!


    "Consider this a minor punishment for randomly using others to save yourself."


    It was a while before Su Chen finally let go of Tang Yun, and softly blew in her ear as he spoke.


    Before he had finished speaking, he spun around and charged straight towards Wu Yuanli''s bodyguards!


    Tang Yun felt her body go weak as if she had lost all strength, her face flushed red, and her heart pounded wildly!


    Tang Yun was so embarrassed she wished she could disappear right then and there. Her first kiss, which she had maintained for over twenty years, was taken just like that. Moreover, his hand had... she still felt a faint pain there!


    What''s more, this happened right at the school gates. She didn''t even need to think about it; she knew many students and parents must have seen that passionate scene!


    She was sure to be the talk of the school tomorrow!


    "It''s all this jerk''s fault!"


    As Tang Yun thought about it, she couldn''t help but look up at the guy who took her first kiss, only to get the shock of her life.


    The bodyguards, who were so formidable moments ago, were all lying on the ground, groaning in pain!


    At that moment, Su Chen was approaching her with a smile on his face.


    "Did you do all this?"


    Tang Yun''s beautiful eyes widened in shock!


    She knew that Wu Yuanli was the Wu Family''s Young Master, and his bodyguards couldn''t possibly be ordinary. Yet this annoying guy had taken them all down in less than a minute, which was simply terrifying!


    "Just some trash!" Su Chen shrugged dismissively, smiled at the peachy-faced Tang Yun, and said, "Shall we continue, Miss Tang?"


    "Continue my foot!"


    Tang Yun snorted delicately and turned to run away...


    "Sweet and soft, the taste was quite good too!"


    Su Chen watched Tang Yun''s fleeing figure and muttered, reminiscing about the feeling...


    "Brother Su!"


    Little Ruohan''s childish voice interrupted Su Chen''s reverie.


    "Let''s go, get in the car!"


    "Brother Su, what happened to these people?"


    Little Ruohan looked curiously at Wu Yuanli and his bodyguards lying on the ground.


    "I guess they were practicing some martial arts!"


    Su Chen said nonchntly, then got into the car, not sparing another nce at them.


    "Who practices lying down on the ground? Weird," Little Ruohan muttered as she also got into the car.


    Wu Yuanli and his group, overhearing their conversation, were so angry that they spurted out blood and then fainted.


    By the time the two arrived home, Lin Ruoxue had already gotten back,


    and to Su Chen''s surprise, Lin Ruoxue was busy in the kitchen with Wang Ma.


    Probably because Little Ruohan was home, Lin Ruoxue was also trying to embody the image of a virtuous wife and mother.


    Su Chen felt that if Lin Ruoxue could always be like this, it would be perfect!


    But he also knew that this was just a wishful thinking.


    Lin Ruohan, seeing this scene, had a different idea; she thought that her phone call in the morning had worked, prompting her cousin to feel the crisis and act this way.


    Thinking this, Little Ruohan''s eyes twinkled, and she quietly said to Su Chen:


    "Brother Su, today I really did you a big favor. You should thank me!"


    "What kind of help did you offer me?" Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "Did you notice anything unusual about your wife today?" Ruohan whispered in a mysteriously hushed tone.


    "Unusual?"


    Mumbling to himself, Su Chen began to recollect, and true enough, there seemed Something a bit off about Lin Ruoxue today.


    Besides her unprecedented decision to cook, her unusual reaction when he visited her office that morning also caught his attention.


    Could all this be rted to this little girl?


    "Come on, tell me, what exactly did you do?"


    Having witnessed this little girl''s monstrous capabilities, Su Chen was not one to underestimate her and hurriedly pressed for an answer.


    "Big brother Su, do you know what to do if a puppy won''t eat?"


    Instead of responding directly to Su Chen''s question, Ruohan abruptly changed the subject.


    Su Chen shook his head nkly, feeling confounded by this little girl.


    "Silly! You just need to ce another puppy next to it topete for the food. That way it''ll feel threatened and will start to value its food more!"


    A cunning sparkle crossed Ruohan''s watery eyes:


    "And me, I merely ced such a puppy for you!"


    "What kind of nonsense is this!"


    Su Chen muttered to himself and turned to enter his room; his True Yuan had been entirely depleted earlier. Since he had shared a room with Lin Ruoxue the previous night, it hadn''t been convenient to cultivate.


    Though he managed to find a secluded ce to cultivate for a few hours in the afternoon, restoring about twenty to thirty percent of his True Yuan, it still wasn''t nearly enough, so he had to make good use of his time.


    By the time Wang Ma called them to dinner over an hourter, Su Chen''s True Yuan had recovered by just over thirty percent.


    Currently only at the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, Su Chen''s True Yuan depleted quickly but recovered quickly as well!


    "Wife, did you cook these dishes? I really want to try them!"


    Su Chen walked over to the table, suddenly feeling quite hungry as he viewed the assortment of dishes.


    "I, I..."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned red, and she stammered not knowing what to say.


    Thankfully, Wang Ma came to her rescue with a smile:


    "Son-inw, Miss had a hand in all these dishes; she helped me with each one. Please eat more!"


    "I don''t believe it, she hasn''t even figured out the difference between MSG and salt yet, has she?"


    Su Chen quipped, curling his lip.


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than Lin Ruoxue''s face turned even redder, and Wang Ma couldn''t help but burst outughing...


    Turns out, Su Chen was right; Lin Ruoxue had almost mistaken salt for MSG while cooking. If it hadn''t been for Wang Ma noticing in time and stopping her, one dish might have been ruined.


    "Eat if you want, but stop making nonsensicalments if you don''t!"


    Lin Ruoxue huffed, feeling a bit humiliated.


    "Of course I''m eating. Only a fool wouldn''t!"


    Su Chen stuffed a big bite of food into his mouth defiantly and shot Lin Ruoxue a provocative look.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t do anything about him and could only keep her head down and eat, fuming silently.


    Suddenly, Su Chen''s phone began to ring and everyone stopped eating and looked at him.


    "Let me check." Su Chen chuckled foolishly as he pulled out his phone. "It''s Director Xia."


    "Director Xia, what''s the matter? Why are you calling sote?"


    In front of his wife, Su Chen dared not speak anything frivolous, maintaining a serious front.


    "Su Chen, save me..."


    The weak voice of Xia Qiuru came through the phone, shortly before the call was abruptly disconnected...

 Chapter 98: Someones in Trouble

    "What''s wrong?"


    Lin Ruoxue, seeing Su Chen''s expression suddenly turn grave, quickly asked with concern.


    "Xia Qiuru is in trouble!" Su Chen said gravely, then he looked up at Lin Ruoxue, "Where is she attending the dinner?"


    "Splendid Hotel."


    "Okay, I''ll go there!"


    Su Chen dashed out of the vi. Lin Ruoxue opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately, she didn''t manage to speak.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t know what exactly had happened to Xia Qiuru; she not only started worrying about her, but was also concerned about Su Chen going there alone.


    At the same time, a huge question arose in her heart: what exactly was the rtionship between Su Chen and this Xia Qiuru?


    Why would Xia Qiuru call Su Chen when she was in trouble? Why was Su Chen so anxious?


    How did he know Xia Qiuru was at a dinner?


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but think about the incident yesterday; Xia Qiuru was also present at the scene then. She hadn''t thought much of it at the time.


    Now it seemed, things were not as simple as they appeared...


    However, these questions merely shed through Lin Ruoxue''s mind; after all, now was not the time to ponder such things.


    "Miss, don''t worry, the young master will be fine," Wang Ma reassured Lin Ruoxue, seeing the worry on her face.


    Ruohan continued eating nonchntly and even added gleefully:


    "Someone''s going to be in trouble!"


    .....


    In a luxurious suite of the Splendid Hotel, Ma Yuemin looked at Xia Qiuru on the bed, his heart pounding with excitement as he slowly walked over!


    "Vice President Ma, what are you doing?!"


    While a trace of lucidity remained in Xia Qiuru''s mind, fear overwhelmed her!


    "Qiuru, my admiration for you hasn''t been a matter of just one or two days. Don''t you understand my feelings?"


    Ma Yuemin, looking at Xia Qiuru, said excitedly!


    "Vice President Ma, please, let me go!!"


    Xia Qiuru shook her head desperately, fear reaching its peak.


    She wanted to flee, but she was too weak to do anything...


    At that moment, Xia Qiuru felt hopeless. Tears trickled down her face as Ma Yuemin approached...


    .....


    "Bang!"


    Just then, a loud noise erupted as the door was suddenly kicked open, and a figure darted in.


    "Su Chen!"


    As Ma Yuemin turned his head and recognized the person, his face instantly turned cold, and he spat out through gritted teeth:


    "Su Chen, save me!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, Xia Qiuru felt as though she was dreaming, and a surge of hope welled up inside her.


    He ¡ª he really came!


    "Vice President Ma, what a mood!"


    Seeing that Xia Qiuru hadn''t suffered any physical harm, Su Chen, who had been anxious, finally rxed.


    He picked up a bottle of red wine from the table, poured himself a ss, sat down on a chair, and wore a faint smile on his face.


    "What are you doing here?" Ma Yuemin demanded with a dark expression, "This has nothing to do with you, get out!"


    In his mind, Su Chen was just an obscure little chauffeur, and he didn''t matter at all!


    "Vice President Ma, I came to watch a y, treating the audience like this ispletely hical!"


    Su Chen, with his legs crossed, gently swirled the wine ss in his hand and smiled as if he truly was just there to watch a y!


    "Watch a y? Watch your head! If you want to watch a y, go watch your mom!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Ma Yuemin immediately cursed angrily.


    Watch a y? Crazy!


    "What did you say?"


    Su Chen''s expression instantly turned cold, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly by a lot, like a cold cer!


    Su Chen slowly stood up, a powerful pressure emanating from him.


    Ma Yuemin and Xia Qiuru were both enveloped by this pressure, finding it hard to breathe, and the figure standing in front of them seemed not to be a person but an insurmountable mountain!


    "The words you just spoke have already sentenced you to death!"


    Su Chen withdrew his aura and said coldly.


    He looked at Ma Yuemin as if he were looking at a dead man!


    For him, talking about his mother was crossing a line, and anyone who did would pay a heavy price!


    "Hmph, sentenced to death?" Ma Yuemin scoffed and said, "Who can''t brag? Who do you think you are? I don''t believe you have the guts to kill me!"


    When Su Chen retracted his aura, Ma Yuemin regained hisposure. Hearing Su Chen''s words, he didn''t take him seriously and thought he was just a young man bragging mindlessly.


    "No, I''ve thought about it, killing you would be letting you off too easily." Su Chen shook his head and said lightly.


    "What exactly do you want to do?"


    Seeing the calm look on Su Chen''s face, Ma Yuemin started to feel uneasy.


    "I want you to drink this bottle of wine?"


    Su Chen pointed at the wine bottle on the table and said.


    "Why should I? Just because you say drink, I should drink? I refuse!"


    Ma Yuemin''s heart skipped a beat, could he have realized there was something wrong with this wine?


    Impossible, that drug I got at a high price is colorless and tasteless; there''s no way he could tell!


    "Then I''ll have to feed you myself."


    Su Chen spread his hands, conveying a sense of helplessness, then he picked up the wine bottle and walked toward Ma Yuemin.


    Knowing he was no match for Su Chen, Ma Yuemin seized the opportunity to try and escape!


    After all, this guy had even dealt with Zhang Mingyu, let alone himself.


    Even though he held a higher position in the corporation than Zhang Mingyu, when it came to personalbat abilities, he was far inferior.


    How could Su Chen possibly let him escape? When Ma Yuemin passed by him, he gently stuck out a leg, sending Ma Yuemin crashing down!


    In his panic, Ma Yuemin tried to get up, but Su Chen immediately stepped on his chest.


    Ma Yuemin immediately felt a sharp pain as if a few of his ribs were broken by the stomp!


    "Don''t mess around, I''m the corporation''s vice president!"


    Seeing Su Chen looking down at him with a cold smirk, Ma Yuemin felt his heart pounding with rm.


    "Precisely because you are Vice President Ma, that''s why I need to ''treat'' you well." Su Chen raised the wine bottle in his hand and smiled, "This is an ''82 Lafite, such a good wine should not be wasted!"


    "You drink it, it''s fine if you drink it! If you like it, I''ll even send you a few more bottles!"


    Ma Yuemin said hurriedly, his eyes showing a look of terror as he gazed at the wine bottle.


    "Ah, I''m just a simple driver, how could I afford to drink such fine wine, Vice President Ma, you should have it!"


    Saying so, Su Chen crouched down, pried open Ma Yuemin''s mouth, and poured the entire bottle of wine down his throat...


    Ma Yuemin''s eyes widened in terror, desperately shaking his head trying to break free, but it was all in vain...

 Chapter 99 - 99 Skull Society

    "Cough, cough!"


    Having been forced to drink most of a bottle by Su Chen, Ma Yuemin''s tears flowed.


    "Can I leave now?"


    A fierce fire shot from Ma Yuemin''s eyes as he looked at Su Chen.


    "Don''t rush, wait a moment." Su Chen waved his hand and then watched him coldly, "Do you remember what I just said?"


    "What?"


    "Killing you would be too easy!" Su Chen said, word by word, "I''ve always been a man of my word, and I''ll make no exception for you!"


    "You, you''re crazy, what do you want exactly?"


    At that moment, Ma Yuemin was truly frightened and couldn''t help but shout.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a knock sounded at the door.


    With a secretive smile, Su Chen shouted toward the door, "Come in!"


    A somewhat limping young man pushed open the door and came in.


    "Mr. Su, I''m here."


    The young man bowed as he spoke.


    He nced around at the situation inside and almost guessed what had happened!


    He thought to himself: This guy is really unfortunate, why did he have to mess with this one!


    Do you know who this is? And he dared to provoke him?!


    "Young Master Long, I''ll leave the rest to you. I trust you won''t let me down!"


    Su Chen patted Long Xiaobin''s shoulder.


    Feeling like he was almost floating after Su Chen''s pat, Long Xiaobin couldn''t help feeling exhrated.


    "It''s my honor to solve problems for Mr. Su!"


    Long Xiaobin immediately responded solemnly!


    "Su Chen, what are you going to do?"


    By this time, Ma Yuemin grew even more terrified, not knowing what awaited him!


    "Su Chen, no, please Mr. Su, I beg you to let me go!"


    Ma Yuemin sped Su Chen''s pants, pleading.


    "Get lost!"


    Su Chen kicked him away and then carried the nearly delirious Xia Qiuru out the door.


    He had called Long Xiaobin over because Xia Qiuru needed urgent treatment, but he didn''t want to let Ma Yuemin off easily!


    "I''ll leave this to you!"


    Passing by Long Xiaobin, Su Chen gave such instructions.


    "Mr. Su, don''t worry!"


    Long Xiaobin nodded.


    ...


    No sooner had Su Chen stepped out of the hotel entrance than Xia Qiuru in his arms started to fidget.


    "Director Xia, hold on a little longer!"


    However, Su Chen didn''t get much enjoyment, it was more of a torment!


    He hastened his steps to the car door, stuffing Xia Qiuru inside!


    "What''s happening? To think I''ve be such a Liu Xiahui!"


    Su Chen chuckled bitterly.


    "Director Xia, just bear with it a bit longer, I''ll treat you first."


    Then Su Chen also got into the driver''s seat and continuously transferred True Yuan into Xia Qiuru''s body through his palm.


    Xia Qiuru instantly felt a gentle stream flowing within her, nourishing her body.


    It took about ten minutes for Xia Qiuru to gradually calm down.


    A bitter, herplexion finally returned to normal, and she fell asleep...


    Su Chen didn''t want to disturb her, so he took off his coat and draped it over her, then got out of the car alone.


    Su Chen, looking at the hurried passersby on the road, suddenly felt as if he were worlds apart. He took out a cigarette pack, lit one, and began to smoke.


    The cigarette end flickered dimly and brightly in the night, and Su Chen smoked, lost in thought...


    Just then, his phone suddenly rang. Su Chen looked at the number and his expression immediately turned serious.


    Because it was a call from Lone Wolf, and if there wasn''t something important, Lone Wolf wouldn''t be calling at this time.


    "Lone Wolf, has something happened to the Temple?"


    Su Chen asked as soon as he answered the call.


    "No, there''s nothing wrong with the Temple! Rest assured!"


    "So, why did you call...?"


    "Hall Master, there''s a situation I think I should report to you!"


    One could hear hesitation in Lone Wolf''s voice.


    "Out with it, what is it?"


    Su Chen knew Lone Wolf well; he would definitely not show this behavior if he didn''t feel it was important.


    "Here''s the thing, Hall Master! Over the past few months, an organization called ''Skull Society'' suddenly appeared in the Dark World. They swept through many veteran forces as soon as they emerged, they even destroyed the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps. They arose like aet, suddenly pulling everything together."


    "Do you have any other information about the Skull Society?"


    Su Chen asked gravely, and his heart was also surprised. After all, the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps was not something anybody could just squash; they were among the top 20 in strength in the Dark World.


    The newly formed Skull Society''s capability to annihte such an organization made Su Chen extremely cautious!

 Chapter 100: Abrupt Changes in the Wind and Cloud

    "There''s another message from Military de," he said. "Not long ago, he led a team from Group B to America to carry out a mission and they happened to run into the Skull Society. They suffered a heavy loss."


    "ording to him, the members of the Skull Society seemed to be not human at all. In battle, they fought with the tactics of a suicide squad. Yet, their healing abilities were incredibly strong; wounded areas healed almost at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even stranger, their blood seemed to be blue!"


    "What!" Su Chen eximed in surprise, "Did you just say their blood is blue?"


    "Yes!" Lone Wolf was a bit puzzled by the Hall Master''s sudden reaction. "ording to Military de, that''s what he saw. He witnessed the blood from the wounds of many Skull Society members was a blue liquid."


    "I understand. Notify Shadow to collect as much information on the Skull Society as possible, and say it''s at my request! If necessary, I might return sometimeter!"


    "Really?"


    Lone Wolf, upon hearing Su Chen''s intention to return, immediately cried out in excitement.


    Was the Nether King finally about to make hiseback? Lone Wolf eagerly anticipated that moment!


    "Really, but it''s unlikely to be soon¡ªat least not for a few months!"


    Su Chen originally had no desire to have any more connections with his past and wanted to live a quiet life, but reality forced him to reappear before the world.


    Because of¡ªthe Skull Society!


    If Su Chen''s guess was correct, the Skull Society should be an organization founded by Tang Gang after he escaped from the Nether Temple.


    And those blue-blooded individuals should be Gene Warriors created through human gic data Tang Gang stole from ab!


    They should belong to the second generation of Gene Warriors, while the first generation''s blood should be green.


    If Tang Gang were to fully master this technology, it would bring catastrophic consequences to humanity, to the world¡ªSu Chen had to stop and destroy it!


    After all, these things originated from him, and he bore ultimate responsibility!


    But before that, he must strive to enhance his own strength; he had to reach at least the peak of Qi Refinement!


    "Hall Master, with this development, Demon and Eniel will definitely know the news, especially Eniel. You be careful yourself," Lone Wolf prayed silently for Su Chen.


    Su Chen also sighed. There wasn''t a good solution to this problem.


    After finishing the call with Lone Wolf, Su Chen lit another cigarette, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted as the weight on his shoulders seemed to increase suddenly.


    At that moment, Xia Qiuru also woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she remembered the previous scene and her face flushed with embarrassment.


    "What have I done!"


    Xia Qiuru covered her face with her hands, feeling the heat on her cheeks!


    How could I have been so crazy?


    Although Xia Qiuru knew she had been drugged before, she still couldn''t ept her unrestrained behavior!


    Fortunately, Su Chen had some scruples, otherwise, she didn''t dare to continue the thought...


    Thinking of Su Chen, her eyes involuntarily drifted to the figure outside the car¡ªa silhouette that appeared somewhat lonely and heavy in the faint night.


    The Su Chen at that moment seemed very different from the usual man who joked and liked to take advantage of her¡ªnot the same person!


    Was he troubled by something?


    As Xia Qiuru pondered, she felt that beneath Su Chen''s frivolous exteriory untold stories that could not be shared with others!


    Xia Qiuru quietly watched Su Chen''s back, touched the coat over her body, and a smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of her mouth...


    "You''re awake?"


    Su Chen turned his head just in time to see Xia Qiuru looking at him, and he smiled slightly.


    "Yes!"


    Xia Qiuru, like a child caught stealing candy, blushed even redder.


    Especially because not long ago the two had been so intimately close, which made Xia Qiuru''s heart inexplicably restless.


    "I''ll take you home," Su Chen said indifferently, tossing the cigarette butt on the ground.


    "Thank you for today," Xia Qiuru said, looking out at the scenery shing by outside the window.


    "It was nothing," he replied.


    Su Chen chuckled and gave her a nce, casually shrugging his shoulders.


    The ride was quiet, and Su Chen dropped Xia Qiuru off at the entrance of her residence before turning back.


    Xia Qiuru watched the car''s tail lights fade into the distance, sighing softly.


    Just as she was about to turn around and head inside, a familiar voice reached her ears.


    "Cousin, be careful not to turn into a stone pining for her husband!"


    A woman dressed in a police uniform appeared before her, bearing a resemnce to Xia Qiuru and equally stunning!


    Despite wearing a police uniform, it could not hide her exquisite curves!


    If Su Chen were here, he would recognize her too, for she was the well-known police beauty from Jianghai Police Department¡ªXu Xinran!


    "What are you doing here?"


    "What kind of question is that? I''m obviously going home," Xu Xinran said, ncing in the direction Xia Qiuru had been staring at. She asked, "Who was that just now? You were practically lost in a daze."


    "You''re the one who''s dazed," Xia Qiuru retorted with an inward flush of embarrassment and her face turned a shade of peach.


    "You really are smitten, Cousin," Xu Xinran eximed in surprise as though she had discovered a new continent. "Look, you''re blushing."


    "Speak up, who was it?"


    Women all have a love for gossip, and Xu Xinran, a police officer, was no exception!


    Xu Xinran was genuinely curious; she knew just how high her cousin''s standards were!


    Many young masters and elites had attempted to pursue her, only to be met with disdain.


    Who could he possibly be? The one to make her cousin fall head over heels?


    "If you keep spouting nonsense, I''ll tear your mouth apart!"


    Xia Qiuru charged at Xu Xinran in embarrassment and annoyance, and Xu Xinran quickly fled toward the house, shouting as she ran:


    "She''s trying to silence me by murder!"


    The two women chased and ran all the way to the house they rented together...


    ...


    The moment Su Chen returned to his vi, Lin Ruoxue hurried over:


    "How did it go? Are you all right? And Qiuru, is she fine too?"


    "Everything''s fine! I''ve already taken her home."


    Su Chen felt warmth from Lin Ruoxue''s concern; the feeling was quiteforting.


    But suddenly, Su Chen noticed that Lin Ruoxue''s expression turned cold, like the frost of a bitterly cold winter day!


    "I''m going to sleep, and tonight you''re sleeping on the couch!"


    Lin Ruoxue left him with those cold words and went upstairs without looking back.


    What''s happened? She was just showing concern, why did things change so suddenly?


    "Su Brother, are you in trouble?"


    Little Ruohan watched Su Chen with a schadenfreude grin, while Mrs. Wang also sighed and shook her head after ncing at him.


    "What''s all this about?"


    Su Chen felt like a monk puzzled by a riddle, his face full of confusion!


    "Su Brother, I can''t help you with this one. It''s already good enough that Cousin didn''t hit you," Little Ruohan spoke with hands sped behind her back and an air of pretended maturity, shaking her head with a sigh.


    "I didn''t do anything, did I?"


    Su Chen spread his hands, indicating his innocence.


    "You call this innocent? Su Brother, better go look at yourself in the mirror first!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately ran to the bathroom, and when he saw his face in the mirror, he was dumbfounded...


    On his face were several prominent lipstick marks, incredibly conspicuous!

 Chapter 101: Ambushing Lin Ruoxue

    "Housekeeper Wang, this is really a misunderstanding!"


    Su Chen said dejectedly as he walked out of the bathroom.


    "Son-inw, I believe you, but what''s the use of telling me?"


    Housekeeper Wang nced at Su Chen, also helpless.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen hung his head and trudged upstairs...


    "Wife! I''m here!"


    Su Chen gently pushed open the door, and that familiar, silly smile once again spread across his face.


    "Don''t call me wife!"


    Lin Ruoxue sat on the bed, giving Su Chen a cold nce, full of disgust.


    "Okay, Lin Ruoxue, I''m telling you, things are not what you think, do you believe me?"


    Su Chen gave a wry smile. It seemed that Lin Ruoxue was really furious. Before, she seemed to have epted the term "wife," but now she was averse to it again.


    "You think I''d believe you?"


    Lin Ruoxue snorted disdainfully through her nose.


    "Just hear me out..."


    Su Chen sat down beside the bed, cing his hands on Lin Ruoxue''s fragrant shoulders.


    But as soon as his hands touched her, Lin Ruoxue violently twisted her body, trying to shake off Su Chen''s touch.


    Because her movement was too abrupt, her elbow struck Su Chen''s chest.


    "Ah!"


    Su Chen let out a pained cry, bending over and clutching his chest, pain etched on his face.


    "Stop pretending!"


    Lin Ruoxue thought Su Chen was certainly faking it and continued to look at him coldly.


    However, after a moment, she noticed that Su Chen was still holding his chest and seemed to be in even more pain.


    Lin Ruoxue''s heart started to panic, and she tentatively asked,


    "You''re not really hurt by my elbow, are you?"


    Su Chen waved his hand, indicating he was in too much pain to speak.


    Seeing him this way, Lin Ruoxue became even more unsettled. She had been too angry before and didn''t realize how forcefully she had acted.


    Did I overreact in my anger and hit him too hard?


    "Let me check."


    Lin Ruoxue tried to unbutton Su Chen''s shirt to inspect the injury, but at that moment, Su Chen suddenly hugged her tight.


    "You still care about me, don''t you?"


    Su Chen whispered into Lin Ruoxue''s ear, his head bowed.


    "You jerk, let go of me."


    Caught off guard, Lin Ruoxue immediately started to struggle, but Su Chen''s arms were wrapped tightly around her, preventing her from moving.


    "Liar, you big liar!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s fists pounded Su Chen''s back repeatedly, but he neither resisted nor spoke, simply letting her quietly vent.


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue ran out of energy and her arms naturally fell to her sides.


    "Can you listen to me exin now?"


    Su Chen said softly as he gently stroked Lin Ruoxue''s hair.


    "It''s not like anyone is stopping you from speaking, say it or don''t!"


    Lin Ruoxue snorted, now showing a bit more of a petnt woman''s attitude.


    Su Chen was speechless upon hearing this. Could you even take in what I said with the way you were acting just now?


    But he understood that women and petty people are difficult to please, hence he didn''t dwell much on the issue.


    Next, Su Chen exined the whole matter to Lin Ruoxue, of course omitting the details about having over a dozen plump women attend to Ma Yuemin and the passionate kiss with Xia Qiuru.


    "Damn Ma Yuemin!" Lin Ruoxue clenched her fists in anger after listening, "I knew he coveted Qiuru''s beauty, thinking that with others present, he wouldn''t dare to act rashly. I didn''t expect..."


    "Those people had been intoxicated by Ma Yuemin long ago,pletely passed out."


    "You''re sure Qiuru is alright now?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but feel terrified at the thought that if Su Chen hadn''t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable!


    She would have felt guilty for life!


    "Don''t worry, I''ve already taken care of her," Su Chen said with a mischievous smile as he looked at Lin Ruoxue, "Have you forgotten? I am the Divine Doctor, after all!"


    When Lin Ruoxue heard Su Chen mention the Divine Doctor, images from thest time he treated her, along with that embarrassingly cheeky bet, came flooding back.


    Lin Ruoxue''s cheeks flushed unconsciously, and Su Chen, unable to contain himself, blurted out:


    "Wife, you''re so beautiful!"


    "Smooth talker!"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a sidelong nce, one filled with boundless charm!


    Especially for Lin Ruoxue, the Ice Beauty, it had a unique allure!


    Lowering his head, he kissed her rosy lips...


    ...


    "Son-inw, have you sweet-talked her yet?"


    Wang Ma looked at Su Chen, who descended the stairs with a spring in his step, and grinned wryly.


    "Mhm!"


    Su Chen nodded, and though he had thick skin, Wang Ma''s smile made him feel a bit embarrassed.


    Su Chen hadn''t expected that in just one evening he would kiss three women, all of whom were peerlessly beautiful!


    First was Tang Yun, then Xia Qiuru, andstly, his wife, Lin Ruoxue!


    He shamelesslypared the feeling of kissing each woman in his heart and found that indeed, each had its own vor!


    But every single one was intoxicating, a trap one could lose themselves in!


    "Wang Ma, is there any food left?"


    Su Chen called out, having been interrupted by Xia Qiuru''s phone call before he finished dinner, and he was indeed feeling a bit hungry now.


    "There is, but it''s a bit cold; I''ll warm it up for you."


    "No need for the trouble."


    Su Chen headed straight to the kitchen, served himself a bowl of rice, and started eating.


    After finishing dinner, Su Chen returned to Lin Ruoxue''s room.


    Lin Ruoxue''s cheeks were still blushing, her heart beating wildly. That was her first kiss!


    And she had been unprepared for Su Chen''s wild iming of it!


    Lin Ruoxue cursed Su Chen countless times in her heart as a "pervert, bastard!"


    When Su Chen was about to get into bed, Lin Ruoxue firmly rejected him.


    Lin Ruoxue truly didn''t dare to share the bed with him any longer, fearful that herst line of defense would be breached.


    Kissing Su Chen was already something she had never dared to imagine before, and she was determined to guard this final barrier!


    She secretly resolved that until she fully epted him, she would not let him cross that line!


    Su Chen had no choice but to make a makeshift bed on the floor andy down to sleep.


    He knew that yesterday''s tactic of helplessness could only be used once, and today it seemed Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t give in no matter what.


    But to have such a beautiful woman within reach yet remain untouchable was a torment for Su Chen too, wasn''t it?


    So, after Lin Ruoxue fell into deep sleep, Su Chen quietly snuck back to his own room and sat on his bed to begin his Cultivation.


    After a night of Cultivation, Su Chen''s True Yuan had once again recovered to more than sixty percent...

 Chapter 102 - 102 Leave Your Life to Me

    After finishing his cultivation, Su Chen took a bath and then got busy with breakfast again.


    For him, making breakfast was no longer a burden, but had be a pleasure.


    Everything was ready just as Lin Ruoxue got up.


    Unlike the chattering Ruohan, Lin Ruoxue seemed very silent throughout breakfast, even avoiding Su Chen''s gaze.


    What Su Chen did not know was that Lin Ruoxue''s heart was not at peace. That morning, when she didn''t see Su Chen in the room, she panicked for no apparent reason.


    She hurriedly opened the bedroom door and, upon seeing Su Chen busy in the kitchen downstairs, felt relieved.


    "When did this bad guy be so important to me?"


    This fact was hard for Lin Ruoxue to believe, yet it happened, inexplicably starting at some unknown point.


    Lin Ruoxue''s mind was in turmoil, and she ate her breakfast hastily before going to work.


    Unaware of Lin Ruoxue''s change, Su Chen, after breakfast, drove Ruohan to school just like the day before.


    With such a chatterbox like Ruohan by his side, Su Chen felt as if spring had arrived, and his mood was very good.


    "Brother Su, what''s wrong?"


    Suddenly, Ruohan noticed Su Chen''s expression darken and asked curiously.


    "It''s nothing, Ruohan, make sure your seatbelt is fastened."


    Su Chen said quietly, his eyes fixed on the rearview mirror on a Range Rover.


    The vehicle had been maintaining a distance of about 200 meters from his BMW. If it were for a short stretch, it would be one thing, but after Su Chen took several turns, and the Range Rover still kept the same distance, he could not help but be suspicious.


    To confirm his suspicion, Su Chen deliberately drove the car towards a more secluded area, and indeed, that vehicle maintained a 200-meter following distance.


    "Boss, why has this guy driven to such a godforsaken ce?" the driver in the Range Rover asked the thirty-something-year-old man pretending to nap in the back, "Has he found out about us?"


    "Isn''t that perfect? I was worried that there would be too many people on the main road, making it difficult to make a move," retorted a young man in a leather jacket and pants from the passenger seat, flipping a gleaming dagger skillfully in his hand.


    The man in the back seat who had been feigning sleep now opened his eyes, nced casually outside the window, and said indifferently:


    "Let''s do it here. Instruct Ah Hu to act!"


    "Yes!"


    The area Su Chen had driven to was a district awaiting development by the government, with demolished buildings on either side and a road full of potholes. There were no pedestrians to be seen.


    As Su Chen spected, if the other party wanted to make a move, this ce was indeed an excellent spot.


    As if to confirm Su Chen''s suspicion, just as he reached a T-junction, a Mercedes SUV rushed out from the front at high speed, performing a stylish drift that blocked Su Chen''s way forward.


    At the same time, the Range Rover from behind elerated, cutting off Su Chen''s retreat and pushing his BMW to the roadside.


    Three men stepped out of each car, all with resolute expressions and tense muscles¡ªa clear sign they were not to be messed with!


    "Brother Su, are these people all here for you?"


    To Su Chen''s surprise, Ruohan was not the slightest bit afraid upon seeing these menacing men; instead, her eyes sparked with excitement!


    "Indeed a monster!"


    Su Chen sighed to himself, but still spoke to her gently:


    "Ruohan, Brother Su has to handle this. You close your eyes, and don''t open them until I say you can."


    "It''s okay, Brother Su, I''m not scared at all!"


    "If you listen to Brother Su, then close your eyes. I don''t want you to see anything unclean!"


    Su Chen looked seriously at Ruohan, his demeanor solemn!


    "Okay, I''ll listen to Brother Su and promise not to peek!"


    Little Ruohan pondered for a moment, then nodded her head.


    "That''s a good girl!"


    Su Chen smiled as he stroked Little Ruohan''s silky hair.


    After seeing that Little Ruohan obediently closed her eyes, Su Chen also pushed the car door open and stepped out, his eyes filled with Ice Frost!


    "Who sent you?"


    Su Chen stood with his hands behind his back, speaking coldly, his gaze full of chill.


    "You don''t need to know that."


    The thirty-something-year-old leader looked puzzled at the young man''s calmness; his face showed no sign of fear.


    "Perhaps he knows there is no escape, so he''s feigningposure," the leader thought.


    "Then you won''t need to go back either, leave your lives with me!"


    Su Chen''s voice was light, his expression indifferent.


    Murderous intent spread throughout Su Chen''s heart. If these men had targeted only him, maybe he would have stopped at teaching them a lesson.


    But they had dared toy their hands on them while Little Ruohan was still in the car; they had crossed Su Chen''s line!


    One could imagine what they would do to Little Ruohan if they overpowered Su Chen.


    Clearly, they wouldn''t let go of a witness, even if she was just a little girl.


    Therefore, there was no need to spare these people''s lives!


    The men couldn''t help but tremble inwardly at this expression.


    It was a gaze akin to the Grim Reaper''s, seeing them as if they were six dead men already!


    "Fuck, who do you think you are? Acting all high and mighty! Don''t catch your tongue in the wind!"


    The leather-jacketed young man ying with a dagger looked disdainfully at Su Chen; even though he had been briefly startled, he thought it must have been an illusion.


    Before his words finished, he felt a sudden blur of movement before him, followed by his neck being grasped and hoisted up by a strong hand.


    "Ugh, ugh, ugh~~"


    The young man in the leather jacket suddenly found it difficult to breathe, unable to utter a word, his face turning beet red.


    He looked down at the young man in front of him, his eyes filled with shock!


    The others were stunned, staring nkly at the scene, utterly failing to react.


    Who was this person? How could he move so fast?


    "Let''s start with you!"


    Su Chen''s calm voice rang out again...


    "Don''t!"


    The leader suddenly came to his senses, looking at Su Chen''s indifferent gaze, and shouted in panic.


    But it was toote. As soon as his words ended, a clear "snap" sound was heard, and the leather-jacketed young man''s head twisted to one side...


    The remaining five men were shaken to the core!


    They had not expected the young man to be so decisive, to kill without a moment''s hesitation.


    They couldn''t help but turn their gaze toward Su Chen, whose face remained calm, utterly devoid of ripples.


    In his eyes, a human life seemed no different from a random cat or dog...

 Chapter 103: Honest Boy Meng Shan

    "Your move was rather heavy, wasn''t it?"


    The thirty-something leader said in a deep voice, his face grim.


    He had thought that dealing with a twenty-something young man with their skills would be easy, but he hadn''t expected the other party to be such a difficult character!


    "Do you think it makes any sense to say such things now?"


    "Indeed, it''s meaningless. It''s all about victory and defeat," said the leader, looking at Su Chen, "Let us brothers witness your prowess then!"


    The leader knew that the young man in front of him was not easy to deal with, so he did not boast about taking him on in singlebat.


    No sooner had he finished speaking than the rest of his men also surrounded Su Chen from several positions.


    Su Chen looked at them with disdain, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, feeling an eager stirring in his heart!


    He felt his long-suppressed bloodthirsty nature throbbing restlessly!


    "Brothers, attack!"


    The leader shouted, and several men charged at Su Chen from different directions.


    Having fought side by side for many years, they had developed an extraordinary understanding and could often handle opponents stronger than themselves with ease!


    Although Su Chen''s previous performance had impressed them, they were not very afraid.


    After all, it was just because their opponent had taken advantage of their unpreparedness tounch a sneak attack.


    They firmly believed that under their vignt defense, this young man would definitely not fare well!


    Su Chen watched the assassins charging towards him, stood still, and even slowly closed his eyes.


    This reaction from Su Chen waspletely unexpected to them; they felt as if they had been insulted, and they attacked him with even greater fury, quickly reaching his side.


    Blows from all directions struck at Su Chen at the same time, and only then did Su Chen slowly stretch out his hands and directly pped the nearest person.


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen''s speed did not seem very fast, but the man could not dodge and was struck in the chest by Su Chen''s palm.


    The man felt as if he had been fiercely hammered by a massive weight, and he was sent flying backward, spraying a cloud of blood in mid-air.


    The other four were briefly stunned, then turned their heads to theirpanion, only to see his chest had caved in significantly, obviously beyond saving!


    Horror filled their eyes!


    Damn it! Just who was this young man?


    How could his strength be so extraordinary?


    In the midst of their coordinated attack, he had still managed to kill one of their own with a single move!


    A strong sense of crisis spread among the remaining four...


    "Now it''s your turn, don''t waste any more time. I still have to drop a kid off at schoolter!"


    Su Chen smirked; these men were too weak, not even enough to warm him up.


    "Brothers, let''s go all out!"


    The leader shouted again, his powerful aura bursting forth.


    The other men also looked serious,unching another fierce attack on Su Chen!


    Su Chen took a step to the left, reached out, grabbed one of them by the clothes,, and then, with a fierce swing forward, the man shot out like a cannonball.


    He did not stop until his head hit a deserted wall, and his skullpletely shattered, spilling blood and brain matter all over the ce¡ªa truly horrific sight!


    The remaining few, seeing this scene, were filled with rage, their eyes emitting endless mes.


    However, none of this had any effect on Su Chen, who looked utterly indifferent, like the Grim Reaper from the Netherworld!


    At this moment, these men appeared as skeletons in his eyes...


    Su Chen coldly eyed the fistsing from the left and right, reached out, and the two men couldn''t budge at all.


    Sensing an excellent opportunity, the leader immediately moved to attack Su Chen head-on.


    "Overestimating your abilities!"


    Su Chen sneered loudly and kicked out directly, sending the man flying seven or eight meters back, his chest heaving!


    Simultaneously, Su Chen grabbed the arms of the two men and forcibly smashed them together with a "bang," and both men''s heads instantly split open.


    Actually, everything happened within just one minute!


    The thirty-something leader couldn''t believe his eyes as he looked at hispanion''s corpse!


    Is he even human? He''s aplete demon! A real demon!


    "Aren''t you going to tell who''s behind all this?"


    Su Chen slowly approached him...


    His eyes shed urgently, knowing he couldn''t escape, the gap between their strengths was like heaven and earth!


    He knew the other party had spared his life to find out the mastermind, but could he say it?


    He couldn''t!


    Thinking this, his eyes suddenly became determined, and he forcefully crushed a tooth.


    "Not good!"


    Noticing the change in his expression, Su Chen''s figure shifted, and he immediately reached his side.


    Unfortunately, it was toote, as purple-ck blood slowly streamed from the corner of his mouth...


    Su Chen sighed and stood up, then made a call to Jiang Lixing to handle the scene.


    After the call, Su Chen drove towards the elementary school where Ruohan was.


    "Alright, you can open your eyes now."


    After turning a corner, Su Chen gently said.


    "Brother Su, you''re not hurt, right?"


    As soon as she opened her eyes, little Ruohan asked anxiously.


    Little Ruohan knew Su Chen didn''t want her to see what had just happened, and she obediently did not peek. Moreover, the BMW''s instion was so good that she knew nothing of their brief conversation.


    "Don''t worry! Brother Su won''t let anyone hurt little Ruohan!"


    Su Chen fondly tousled her hair.


    "You''ve messed up my hair!"


    Little Ruohan pouted and hummed discontentedly.


    Seeing her adorable expression, Su Chen burst outughing...


    ....


    "Who could it be?"


    Sitting at the security department''s desk, Su Chen frowned in thought.


    However, after pondering for a moment and still clueless, Su Chen simply stopped thinking about it.


    Since the adversary had missed this time, they must have a backup n. Su Chen thought, just wait and see; he was indifferent to it.


    "Brother Su, thank you!"


    Just then, a voice sounded beside Su Chen.


    Su Chen turned to see Meng Shan and Liu Yuan both bending down to bow to him.


    "What are you doing?" Su Chen quickly helped the two men up.


    "Brother Su, we''ve found out it was you who rmended our promotions to the president, we really appreciate it!"


    Meng Shan was visibly excited. When the appointment came through this morning, he couldn''t believe it until the president called him to his office to discuss it.


    "Yeah, Su Chen, thanks a lot!"


    Gratitude filled Liu Yuan''s face.


    Although Su Chen did not care about the leadership position, this was a huge deal for Meng Shan and Liu Yuan!


    "What are you talking about? I don''t understand what you mean?"


    Su Chen deliberately exhibited a confused expression.


    "Brother Su, you can stop pretending now, President Lin already told us."


    Meng Shan immediately saw through Su Chen''s facade, he was still the straightforward boy...

 Chapter 104: Awesome

    "Alright, I just mentioned it casually, you don''t have to be like this. Just work wholeheartedly for the group in the future, that''s all."


    Su Chen understood Lin Ruoxue''s intention quite well, it was nothing more than to make the two feel grateful and indebted to him.


    His wife really lived up to being a powerful woman, she had quite the knack for manipting people.


    "Working hard for the group is a given," Meng Shan pped his chest and assured, "But expressing our gratitude to you, Brother Su, is also a must. Liu Yuan and I would like to invite you to dinner tonight, you can''t refuse!"


    "Yeah, Su Chen, you definitely have to give us this face!" Liu Yuan echoed on the side.


    Faced with their heartfelt invitations, Su Chen found it hard to decline and could only agree.


    After work, Su Chen went to pick up little Ruohan from school as usual, and then drove to the destination¡ªthe Shiwetian Restaurant.


    The name was down-to-earth, but the prices here were anything but, with an average spend of over a thousand per person.


    Guided by the waiter, Su Chen entered the private room Meng Shan had reserved, where Meng Shan and Liu Yuan were already waiting.


    "You two, why choose this ce? The food looks good but doesn''t taste it, and it''s insanely expensive. Wouldn''t it be so much better to go to a food stall? It''s rxed and unrestrained."


    As soon as Su Chen entered, he started to reproach them.


    Meng Shan and Liu Yuan knew that Su Chen was trying to save them money, which warmed their hearts.


    "Once in a while, it''s ok," Meng Shan led Su Chen to the head of the table, smiling, "Brother Su, you rmended me for a promotion, and the extra sry is worth more than this meal. So shouldn''t I treat you to a nice dinner?"


    "Just this once, not as a precedent, next time we get together, let''s hit up a food stall."


    "Alright, as Brother Su wishes, we''ll go to a food stall from now on!"


    Meng Shan stood up with his ss in hand,


    "Brother Su, I toast to you!"


    Su Chen also stood up, clinked sses with him, and both men downed their drinks in one gulp.


    Then Liu Yuan did the same, and downed a ss with Su Chen as well.


    It was then that the group sat down to eat, casually chatting about this and that, and their camaraderie quickly heated up...


    Within an hour, the three of them had already drunk more than two bottles of white liquor, with Meng Shan and Liu Yuan slightly tipsy.


    Lowering his guard, Su Chen, too, became a bit muddled after a few rounds of drinks.


    "Brother Su, I''ve always wanted to ask, what exactly is your rtionship with Director Lin? Howe she listens to you?"


    Suddenly, Meng Shan hooked his arm around Su Chen''s neck, their heads so close they could smell the strong scent of alcohol on each other.


    Hearing Meng Shan''s question made Liu Yuan''s ears perk up; he was also curious about the same thing.


    "My rtionship with Director Lin? You might not believe it if I told you."


    Su Chen nced at them both, answering with an air of mystery.


    "Come on, tell us! We won''t know if we believe it or not until you say it!" Meng Shan urged.


    "Actually..." Su Chen paused, then lowered his voice, "Director Lin is my wife!"


    Su Chen was expecting to see shock on their faces, but instead, they looked at him with disdain.


    "Brother Su, you''ve already made that joke before, it''s not funny at all,"


    Meng Shan rolled his eyes, utterly disbelieving Su Chen''s drunken words.


    "Su Chen, I know you fancy Director Lin, there''s nothing wrong with that. After all, which man wouldn''t like someone as stunning as Director Lin?"


    Liu Yuan sighed and shook his head,


    "But we have to be realistic about our own worth. Someone like her is out of our league. Just getting to see her often is already a huge blessing."


    "None of you believe it?"


    Su Chen didn''t expect that his rare moment of honesty would be met with such a response.


    Meng Shan and Liu Yuan ignored Su Chen''s "delirious" words and continued to eat their food, asionally looking at Su Chen with sympathetic eyes.


    The alcohol started to get to Su Chen, and he inexplicably felt his pride had been wounded.


    "I''ll prove it to you all!"


    Su Chen took out his mobile phone and pped it onto the table with a "snap".


    Meng Shan and Liu Yuan were both baffled by Su Chen and stared at him nkly, wondering what he was up to.


    Su Chen gave them a secretive smile, dialed a number, then pressed the speakerphone button, and the "du-du" sound of the ringing echoed.


    "What''s up?"


    The call was quickly answered, and Lin Ruoxue''s characteristically indifferent voice came through.


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s voice, Meng Shan and Liu Yuan hastily stopped what they were doing and quieted down.


    What Su Chen said next nearly scared them into dropping their chopsticks on the floor. All they heard was Su Chen coyly ingratiating himself:


    "Wife, I''m eating at the ''Food is the God'' restaurant. Therge yellow croaker here is quite well prepared. Should I pack a portion to bring back to you?"


    "No need! Is this why you called?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice remained terse and cool.


    "Yes, as your husband, I should always keep my wife in mind!"


    Su Chen continued to tter in a servile manner.


    "There''s no need. I''ve already had dinner. Finish up ande home early."


    Lin Ruoxue''s tone had softened slightly, and after she finished speaking, she hung up the phone.


    At this point, Meng Shan and Liu Yuan both looked at Su Chen in shock, speechless for quite some time.


    They never imagined that Lin, the favored daughter of heaven, was actually Su Chen''s wife!


    That was Lin, after all¡ªthe unanimously recognized number one beauty in Jiangnan!


    A coveted businesswoman CEO chased by numerous wealthy heirs!


    To say that men crossed rivers just to see her was no exaggeration! Yet such a woman, no, a goddess, turned out to be the wife of a driver!


    Who would believe it if it were told?


    They figured iming to have won ten million in the lottery would seem more credible!


    "What do you think? Do you believe it now?"


    Su Chen shook his mobile phone in his hand, sporting a somewhat "triumphant" smile.


    "Awesome!"


    Meng Shan and Liu Yuan both gave Su Chen a thumbs-up, their amazement still echoing in their hearts!


    "Shush!" Su Chen whispered, "You guys better not spread this around; Lin doesn''t want others to know."


    "Understood, understood."


    The two of them simultaneously covered their mouths, keeping this enormous secret tightly locked in their hearts!


    Looking at Su Chen, they now seemed to understand why he didn''t take up the minister position himself!


    With Lin Ruoxue as a wife, did it really matter whether he was a minister or not?


    As long as he took good care of such a celestial-like wife, what else wasn''t his for the taking?


    "Bro Su, from now on, you are my real brother! My admiration for you can''t be expressed in words!"


    Meng Shan stood up, poured himself a full ss of alcohol, and downed it in one go.


    "Su Chen, I''m not good with words either, it''s all in the drink," Liu Yuan followed suit and drank it down in one gulp.


    Both were shrewd men; why wouldn''t they cling to such a thick thigh as the CEO''s husband when given the chance?


    It wasn''t that they were particrly opportunistic; it just underscored the importance of connections in Huaxia today!

 Chapter 105: The Conscientious Su Chen

    ```


    Upon learning that Su Chen was actually Lin Ruoxue''s husband, Meng Shan and Liu Yuan treated Su Chen with even more enthusiasm than before, taking turns toasting him.


    Thus, Su Chen probably drank more than a bottle of liquor on his own. When drinking with them, he hadn''t used any Inner Strength, so at that moment, he was not much different from an ordinary person.


    In fact, wasn''t this exactly what Su Chen wanted, to let himself get drunk?


    But after so much liquor, his head was spinning, and he felt the urge to urinate.


    "I''m going to the restroom."


    Su Chen staggered to his feet and said.


    "Bro Su, let me apany you."


    Meng Shan had just stood up when his head sank, and he sat down again.


    "No need, just sit and keep drinking."


    Su Chen waved his hand, then tottered toward the restroom.


    The restroom was at the end of the corridor, where a window was usually left open to air out the ce.


    When Su Chen got there, a gust of cold wind blew, and he suddenly felt his stomach churning.


    "Wow!"


    He couldn''t hold it in and vomited on the spot.


    However, he didn''t vomit on the ground but on a white dress in front of him.


    "Bastard! What are you doing!"


    A voice filled with fury scolded near Su Chen''s ear.


    After vomiting, Su Chen sobered up a bit and vaguely realized what he had done.


    "I''m sorry," Su Chen quickly apologized, "let me help you clean it up!"


    Having said that, Su Chen took out a pack of tissues from his pocket and pulled out a few sheets.


    Since Su Chen had mainly vomited on the hem and thigh of the dress, he immediately bent down to wipe the affected areas.


    When Su Chen''s broad hand touched that slender thigh, he felt a soft and smooth sensation!


    "Bastard! Let go!"


    Yunyao had not expected to be vomited on by a drunkard just as she stepped out of the restroom, and even less did she expect that while she was thinking about what to do, the drunkard''s vile hand would actually climb onto her thigh.


    Even though he seemed to be trying to clean her up, she still felt a wave of embarrassment and anger being wiped by a man''srge hand like this!


    "No! I must clean you up thoroughly!"


    Su Chen, with his head down, continued to carefully wipe the long thigh with a tissue.


    "You don''t need to, just get away from me!"


    Yunyao had intended to step back and escape his grasp, only for him to suddenly reach out again, grabbing the back of her other thigh.


    Su Chen sighed inwardly and instinctively stroked it once.


    "Bastard! Let go!" Yunyao shouted angrily again.


    "Stop moving!" Su Chen got irritated as well, "I said I''d clean it up, and I will!"


    Su Chen once again bent down and started wiping seriously, seemingly not missing an inch...


    Yunyao felt like crying without tears. What on earth was happening?


    She tried to escape his grip, but to no avail; he was holding on tightly, preventing her from moving.


    "Okay, that''s about it."


    After several minutes, Su Chen straightened up and spoke.


    However, when he saw the woman''s face in front of him, a sh of shock crossed his eyes.


    She was tall, around one meter seventy, with skin as white as suet, bright eyes, white teeth, and red lips. Her slightly made-up face was stunningly beautiful!


    "I''m truly sorry, and how much does this dress cost? I''llpensate you with a new one."


    Su Chen once again expressed his sincerity with an apologetic face.


    "No need!"


    Yunyao''s face was covered with frost. After she spoke, she walked away in her high heels, ''ck ck ck''. She didn''t want to stay there another minute.


    "Why are women these days all so cold? I did apologize, didn''t I? Besides, it''s not like I did it on purpose."


    ```


    Su Chen watched the woman''s graceful retreating figure and smacked his lips.


    ....


    Su Chen''s dinner with them didn''t end until after 9 p.m. He smoked a couple of cigarettes at the restaurant''s entrance and felt a bit more sober after the chilly breeze, then drove back home.


    When he arrived home, he discovered that Lin Wenting was also there.


    "Su Chen is back!"


    As soon as she saw Su Chene back, Lin Wenting immediately said with a smile, but Su Chen noticed her smile seemed forced, as though she had something on her mind.


    "Hmm, auntie is here."


    Su Chen nced casually and noticed that little Ruohan was pouting on the couch, seemingly in a huff with someone.


    "Little Ruohan, why the long face? Who has upset you?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile, sitting down beside her.


    "Who would dare to upset her!" Lin Wenting said helplessly, "I want to take her back, and she''s somewhat reluctant to leave."


    "Auntie, if she doesn''t want to go, let her stay here."


    Lin Ruoxue also chimed in.


    "Didn''t we already agree? We''ve bothered you guys enough these past couple of days, and you all have to work anyway."


    Lin Wenting turned to little Ruohan with a smile,


    "Ruohan, be a good girl and go with mom. In a little while, I''ll bring you back here to y for a few days. If you don''t behave, I won''t allow you toe here anymore."


    "Okay, but you promise me you''ll bring me back here after a while."


    Lin Ruohan looked at Lin Wenting somewhat aggrievedly until Lin Wenting nodded, and then she finally cheered up a bit.


    "Hurry up and pack your backpack and everything in your room."


    "Okay."


    After little Ruohan left, Su Chen asked:


    "Auntie, did things go smoothly in Yandu this time?"


    "Not bad, quite smoothly."


    Su Chen immediately sensed insincerity in Lin Wenting''s response but he didn''t call her out on it; after all, everyone has their own world.


    "That''s good then. If there really is something troubling you, you must tell me."


    Su Chen''s expression was very sincere; he had graduallye to regard Lin Wenting as a true family member.


    "All right, don''t worry."


    Although Lin Wenting felt somewhat heavy-hearted, Su Chen''s words still brought her a touch of warmth.


    ....


    After little Ruohan left, a practical problemy before Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue, namely where Su Chen would sleep that night.


    "I might as well move back to my own room."


    After a moment of silence, Su Chen slowly spoke up.


    "Whatever!"


    Lin Ruoxue said coldly and turned to walk upstairs.


    After spending two days under the same roof, Lin Ruoxue was actually starting to ept Su Chen''s presence.


    As long as Su Chen didn''t overstep, she could even ept sharing a bed with him.


    But as much as she was epting, it wasn''t something a woman should be proposing, right?


    Lin Ruoxue had hoped that such matters would simply go unmentioned, that their cohabitation be implicitly understood, or that Su Chen would bring it up, at which point she could agree and that would settle it.


    Yet to her surprise, his first words were about moving back to his room. Was she a tiger, ready to eat him up?


    Moreover, if anyone should be concerned, it should be me, right?


    A minuteter, Lin Ruoxue came downstairs carrying a bundle of bed sheets and handed them to Su Chen without a word, then ran back upstairs, "thud thud thud."


    Poor Su Chen waspletely clueless about the situation and even less about Lin Ruoxue''s inner thoughts; his desire to return to his own room was primarily for the convenience of cultivation.


    Because if he shared a room with Lin Ruoxue, he would have to exin his situation to her, and Su Chen wasn''t quite ready for that.

 Chapter 106 - 106 Acting

    "Assistant Yu, is there still no news?"


    In a private room of a high-end nightclub in Jianghai, a young man of noble demeanor asked coldly.


    "No, there isn''t."


    A man standing below him shook his head, trembling with fear, worried that he might anger the young man in front of him.


    "What in the world is going on? Six people and not a single piece of news from any of them?"


    The young man furrowed his brows, pondering the various possibilities, yet he didn''t have the slightest clue.


    "Could there have been some kind of ident?"


    Assistant Yu ventured to ask.


    "What kind of ident?"


    The young man''s eyebrows twisted as he turned to give him a look.


    "Could it be that they were all taken out by the target..."


    Assistant Yu gestured across his neck with a hand.


    "Impossible," the young man stated unequivocally, "I''m well aware of their capabilities. Let alone Su Chen, even Long Xiaoshan would find it impossible to wipe them all out."


    "But if that''s not the case, then why haven''t we received any news?"


    "Perhaps something unforeseen has happened."


    The young man rubbed his temples; he was Liu Qing, the heir to the Liu Family, one of the Four Great Families of Jiangnan.


    He would not have acted against Su Chen so hastily, but he had identally learned that Su Chen was living together with Lin Ruoxue, which was something Liu Qing, who had always considered Lin Ruoxue his possession, could no longer tolerate.


    Moreover, not long ago, his father had discussed with him the significance of Lin Ruoxue to the Liu Family, which made Liu Qing even less able to tolerate Su Chen''s existence.


    Although he couldn''t be certain that the two of them were indeed in a romantic rtionship, this was without a doubt a very dangerous signal!


    Just then, a series of knocks on the door suddenly sounded.


    "Come in."


    No sooner had he spoken than a man with a tense expression hurried in.


    "Young Master, there''s news."


    "What news? Speak quickly!"


    Liu Qing, upon hearing there was news, asked eagerly.


    Although he appeared calm on the surface, in his heart, he had been somewhat uneasy.


    For him, the unknown was the most terrifying!


    "One of our brother''s cousins works at the police station, and this morning, Chief Jiang Lixing led several of them to a murder scene in the development zone. ording to him, there were six bodies, with three having their brains blown out, two with copsed chests, and another who had poisoned himself. It was a truly gruesome sight!"


    "However, what''s strange is that Jiang Lixing didn''t order them to collect evidence or look for the murderer. Instead, he ordered aplete clean-up of the scene and warned them not to leak any information. Our brother specifically invited him out for a meal and coaxed the information out of him while he was drunk."


    After reporting, the man quietly took his ce to the side.


    Liu Qing and Assistant Yu were both somewhat stunned; they had not expected such news.


    The amount of information it contained was enormous, and they could almost certainly assume that those six people were the ones they had sent out.


    But who could have killed them, and with such brutality?


    Could it really be the unremarkable Su Chen?


    Liu Qing shook his head, finding it impossible to associate the mysterious perpetrator with Su Chen''s frivolous image.


    However, what rmed Liu Qing even more was the peculiar reaction of Police Chief Jiang Lixing.


    Liu Qing intuitively sensed that there might be some undisclosed special reasons behind it!


    "Put the n to assassinate Su Chen on hold for now."


    This unexpected news forced Liu Qing to be more cautious.


    ....


    The next day, early in the morning, Su Chen finished his cultivation routine and, as usual, took a bath before making breakfast.


    As soon as he arrived at Belle Corporation, he heard an explosive piece of news¡ªDeputy General Ma Yuemin had submitted his resignation to the board due to "health issues."


    "After battling it out with those insatiable, bby women, no wonder his health is failing!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lips in disdain, then quickly dismissed the news and started ying Landlord on hisputer.


    After only a couple of games, his phone began to ring, and a small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth when he saw the caller was Xiao Yaning.


    "Miss Xiao, missing me already?"


    Su Chen''s tone was slightly flirtatious, and he half-expected her to retort with a shy scold, but instead, he was immediately greeted with a rather seductive and pleasing voice:


    "Yes, have you been missing me?"


    "Of course. To be apart for a single day feels like an eternity."


    Su Chen replied nonchntly, though Xiao Yaning''s uncharacteristically flirty behavior put him instantly on guard.


    "Since that''s the case, let''s have lunch together."


    Xiao Yaning''s voice was dripping with sweetness, enough to melt anyone''s resolve.


    "Sure, how can I decline an invitation from a beauty? You set the time and ce."


    Su Chen readily agreed, curious to see what this beautiful Xiaody was up to.


    Soon after, Xiao Yaning sent the details: 11:30 at the Grand Enjoyment Hotel.


    Su Chen was familiar with the hotel; it was one of the most upscale in Jianghai.


    Since he had nothing much to do at the office, he left at 11 in his car, and neither Meng Shan nor Liu Yuan made anyment.


    When Su Chen arrived at 11:20, Xiao Yaning was already waiting for him on the hotel''s porch.


    Today, Xiao Yaning wore a sleeveless white chiffon blouse that revealed her fair, lotus root-like arms.


    Her lower half was d in a blue hip-hugging mini skirt that wrapped around her perfectly rounded hips, with long, fair legs exposed to the air.


    All in all, she exuded a vibe of youthful maturity with a touch of sexiness¡ªa truly captivating charm!


    The breeze tossed her hair into slight disarray, and she asionally reached out with her slender hands to fix it, her stunning face showing a hint of anxiousness.


    It was only when she saw Su Chen approaching that she allowed a relieved smile to appear.


    "You''re here!"


    As soon as Su Chen stepped onto the porch, Xiao Yaning greeted him with a warm smile and cozily linked her arm through his.


    Su Chen was briefly taken aback, but then a mischievous smile yed across his lips as he withdrew his hand and wrapped his arm around her waist instead.


    Xiao Yaning''s waist was soft and smooth, free of any excess fat, feeling extremely nice to the touch.


    "If we''re going to y a role, let''s be professional about it."


    Su Chen whispered in her ear.


    "You know?"


    Xiao Yaning turned her head to look at Su Chen, her beautiful eyes shing with surprise.


    "I don''t know, but I can tell you''re nning to use me as a prop," Su Chen said with a self-mockingugh. "I''m not so vain as to believe the great beauty Xiao has fallen for me."


    "I''m sorry, Su Chen," Xiao Yaning said apologetically. "I didn''t tell you in advance because I was afraid you would refuse. I really couldn''t find anyone else, but I will exin the reasons to you afterward."


    "It''s okay. But if I''m making such a big sacrifice, you''ll have topensate me properly!"


    Su Chen nced at the city beauty beside him, speaking with a meaningful tone.


    "Of course, definitely! However you say I shouldpensate you, I will!"


    Xiao Yaning hastily agreed, her greatest fear being that Su Chen might just walk away.


    As long as he was willing to stay and y this part with her, nothing else mattered.

 Chapter 107 - 107 Is this evidence enough?

    When Xiao Yaning pushed open the private room door, Su Chen was immediately dumbfounded. He had thought that inside would be one of Xiao Yaning''s suitors, but to his surprise, the man sitting there was in his fifties, dressed meticulously, clearly a person from the upper echelons of society.


    Could such an old man also be pursuing Xiao Yaning? But on second thought, it seemed normal. In this society, money is king. Aren''t there plenty of old men in their sixties or seventies who seek out twenty-year-old models?


    Upon seeing the cold, scrutinizing gaze of the man''s stern face, Su Chen became even more certain of his judgment.


    "Another old cow looking for tender grass!" Su Chen shook his head and sighed to himself.


    "Who is he?"


    The older man saw Su Chen enter and immediately asked in a stern voice, his eyes filled with hostility.


    "You old geezer must have a problem in your head."


    Since Su Chen had promised Xiao Yaning, of course, he wanted to put on a good show. He forcefully took Xiao Yaning into his arms and hugged her tightly.


    Then, he lifted his head slightly and looked down on the man with disdain, saying:


    "I''m her boyfriend. I advise you, old man, to give up on that idea. Just look at your age. You want to be an old bull eating tender grass; aren''t you afraid of ruining your teeth?"


    "You insolent!"


    The older man''s face turned beet red as he pointed at Su Chen and yelled, his hand trembling slightly¡ªevidently enraged by Su Chen.


    Xiao Yaning quickly tugged at Su Chen, then took a step forward and said earnestly:


    "Dad, this is the boyfriend I mentioned to you before, Su Chen."


    After saying this, she rolled her eyes at Su Chen, then introduced:


    "Su Chen, this is my dad, Xiao Dingguo."


    Xiao Yaning had emphasized the word "Dad" heavily, and Su Chen''s face also revealed a trace of embarrassment.


    Well, this turned out to be a major blunder!


    "Uncle, I''m sorry, I didn''t know it was you." Su Chen quickly bent over to pour a cup of tea for Xiao Yaning''s father, Xiao Dingguo, "It''s also Yaning''s fault for not giving me a heads-up."


    "Wasn''t she just trying to surprise you?"


    Xiao Yaning coquettishly looked at Su Chen, her expression full of deep affection, though it was unclear how much of it was genuine.


    "You are Yaning''s boyfriend?"


    Xiao Dingguo had no intention of picking up the teacup and examined Su Chen coldly after he and Xiao Yaning sat down.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen nodded and gazed at Xiao Yaning tenderly, hisrge hand still holding her delicate one, as if he couldn''t bear to let go.


    Although Xiao Yaning knew this was all an act, being looked at like this by Su Chen still made her heart flutter uncontrobly, bringing a flush of shyness to her pretty face.


    "I do not approve!"


    Xiao Dingguo stated his position directly, without any preamble.


    Su Chen was stunned. Was it because he had just been rude to him?


    But that couldn''t be right. How could a father dismiss his daughter''s suitor over such a misunderstanding? And he had apologized too! Su Chen was somewhat baffled by the reason.


    Xiao Yaning, who was at his side, seemed to have anticipated her father''s attitude all along, and her expression immediately dimmed.


    Momentster, Xiao Yaning raised her beautiful face, filled with defiance:


    "Dad, I like him, so I won''t break up with him!"


    "Hmph, don''t think I don''t know he''s just someone you brought in to act." Xiao Dingguo looked at Xiao Yaning indifferently, "I''ll tell you, the Second Young Master from the Lv Family has alreadye to ask for your hand in marriage, and I have agreed. You will marry him, whether you like it or not!"


    "Over my dead body! I will never marry him!"


    Xiao Yaning also roared back, her expression intense.


    "Uncle Xiao, how can you prove that I''m not Yaning''s boyfriend?"


    Su Chen patted Xiao Yaning''s hand and asked Xiao Dingguo indifferently.


    It was only now that he truly understood the real reason why Xiao Yaning had dragged him into this act¡ªit was because of her father''s forced marriage.


    Could it be that this Lv Family is not an ordinary family, and could it possibly be the same Lv Family from the Four Great Families?


    No wonder she and Ye Mei could be best friends, it turns out both of their circumstances were quite simr, both being forced to marry men they did not love.


    One was from the Situ Family, the other from the Lv Family, both were entities they could not afford to provoke!


    "I don''t have evidence to prove it, nor do I need to," Xiao Dingguo said confidently, "She is my daughter, can her thoughts really escape my eyes?"


    "You don''t have evidence to prove I''m not, but what if I have evidence to prove I am?"


    Su Chen''s expression remained calm, as if everything was within his control.


    "What evidence?"


    Xiao Dingguo''s heart clenched suddenly, and he stared at Su Chen with a stern gaze.


    Su Chen gave him a contemptuous nce, then turned his head and looked at Xiao Yaning affectionately.


    Xiao Yaning''s eyes dodged slightly; she didn''t know what Su Chen was about to do.


    All of a sudden, Su Chen reached out arge hand, gently lifted Xiao Yaning''s smooth chin, and then leaned down...


    When Su Chen''s lips pressed down, Xiao Yaning''s mind buzzed; she had not anticipated that Su Chen would suddenly make such a move.


    And in front of her own father, which made Xiao Yaning even more embarrassed!


    Instinctively, she wanted to push Su Chen away, but then she thought that perhaps only in this way would her father give up.


    With that thought, Xiao Yaning epted Su Chen''s advance and even actively wrapped her arms around Su Chen''s neck, passionately responding...


    "Stop it!"


    Xiao Dingguo felt like he had been hammered in the chest, struggling for breath, as he roared at the sight of their fervent kiss.


    "Is this evidence convincing enough?"


    Su Chen released Xiao Yaning and turned his head to challenge Xiao Dingguo with a taunting look.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Yaning, now flushed and gasping for air, dared not look at Su Chen or her own father.


    "Even if you truly are boyfriend and girlfriend, I still won''t agree!"


    Xiao Dingguo hade to believe the rtionship between this man and his daughter was indeed extraordinary.


    As the saying goes, ''A father knows his daughter best.'' Xiao Dingguo was aware of how guarded his daughter was towards the opposite sex.


    "Why not?"


    Su Chen wasn''t infuriated but calmly poured himself a cup of tea and took a light sip.


    "Do I even need to ask? Look at what you''re wearing. Are you a driver or a security guard?" Xiao Dingguo said with some disdain, "What makes you think you deserve my daughter? What''s your monthly sry? Three thousand? Five thousand? Or eight thousand?"


    "Just because I have a low status and earn a small sry?"


    "Of course not. Even if you were an overseas-educated elite with an annual sry of millions, I still wouldn''t agree."


    At this, Xiao Dingguo''s expression grew proud,


    "Do you know who that Second Young Master Lv, who wants to marry Yaning, is? He is from the Lv Family, one of the Four Great Families!"


    "Now look at yourself, what makes you think you canpete with Second Young Master Lv?" Xiao Dingguo said with a sense of superiority, "I advise you, if you know what''s good for you, stay away from my daughter, or else even if I let you go, Second Young Master Lv won''t!"


    "What if I say no?"


    Su Chen tilted his head, his face still wearing a faint smile...

 Chapter 108: Obsession in the Heart

    Xiao Yaning, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, couldn''t help but hold on to him. She felt moved inside, especially since the other party was from one of the Four Great Families, the Lv Family.


    Actually, Xiao Yaning had hesitated for a long time before deciding to have Su Chen pretend to be her boyfriend; one major concern was precisely this.


    Although the Second Young Master of the Lv Family was an uneducated and unruly scion, he was also a fanatic. Who could know what crazy actions he might take!


    Xiao Yaning ultimately decided to let Su Chen pretend to be her boyfriend because she was literally driven into a corner, and secondly, because of the incident with Long Xiaobin kneeling at the clubhouse, which made her feel that perhaps Su Chen was no ordinary man.


    Of course, there might have been another reason Xiao Yaning hadn''t realized¡ªshe had an unclear feeling toward Su Chen.


    "You little rascal, do you know what you''re doing?" Xiao Dingguo''s gaze suddenly turned sinister as he gritted his teeth, "You are courting death!"


    "Is that so?" Su Chen nced sideways at Xiao Dingguo, "Yet you betray your own daughter like this, do you even deserve to be a father!"


    "I''m doing this for her own good!" Xiao Dingguo jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on, "Marrying into the Lv Family would not only strengthen our Xiao Corporation but also allow her to be a wealthy wife, a person above others for life! What a wonderful life that would be! Would you rather have her endure hardship with you!"


    "I would!"


    Xiao Yaning dered, raising her head before looking at Xiao Dingguo with disgust,


    "In the end, isn''t it because you want to cling to the high branches of the Lv Family, all for the sake of your corporation''s development!"


    "What''s wrong with that? Isn''t a woman meant to be with a man? What does it matter which man she is with? As long as ites with a good price!"


    Xiao Dingguo hummed self-righteously, without feeling there was anything wrong with his words.


    "You!"


    Xiao Yaning''s face was filled with disbelief¡ªshe couldn''t believe such filthy words coulde from her father''s mouth!


    Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Was this her father? Perhaps in his eyes, I was just an item!


    "Get out!"


    Su Chen stood up and threw the hot water from his cup right at Xiao Dingguo''s face, unable to stand looking at this man''s vile face any longer.


    "You little beast! How dare you!"


    Xiao Dingguo immediately became infuriated. This nobody dared to ssh him; his eyes emitted a fierce glint.


    He pushed the chair aside and charged at Su Chen, his hands wing at the air.


    "p!"


    Xiao Dingguo hadn''t even reached Su Chen when Su Chen harshly pped him, causing half of his face to swell up.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    Xiao Dingguo roared and lunged at him again.


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen lifted his leg and kicked, sending him flying several meters back until he crashed into a wall and stopped.


    Xiao Dingguo clenched his abdomen in pain, ring hatefully at Su Chen, but he knew that this guy was trained and he definitely was no match for him.


    "You wait, I won''t let you get away with this!"


    Xiao Dingguo left angrily with one hand covering his stomach. Just as he pulled open the door, Su Chen''s chilling voice rang out behind him.


    "If it weren''t for the fact that you raised Yaning alone for over twenty years, you''d be dead already."


    Xiao Dingguo''s body stiffened, then he closed the door and walked out.


    Su Chen saw that Yaning was still tearfully upset, sighed softly, and said in a gentle voice:


    "The first time I met you, did you jump into the river because of this?"


    Yaning wiped her tears and nodded:


    "At that time, I really was utterly despondent. I just wanted to end it all, not wanting to suffer anymore."


    Su Chen, feeling heartbroken, pulled her into his arms, whispering softly:


    "Let me take you home."


    "Okay."


    Yaning didn''t live with her father. Since falling out with him, she had bought a detached vi and lived there alone.


    Xiao Yaning''s viplex was just ordinary, not like Lin Ruoxue''s top-tier vi¡ªit was closer to the suburbs, but at least it was quiet.


    When Su Chen supported Xiao Yaning as they entered the courtyard, a woman in her fifties or sixties immediately came out.


    "Miss, what happened to you?"


    With a worried expression, the woman quickly took hold of the other side.


    "Aunt Gui, I''m feeling a bit unwell. I''m just going home to rest."


    "Who is this?" Aunt Gui eyed Su Chen hesitantly.


    "Oh, he''s my boyfriend, Su Chen."


    After she said this, Xiao Yaning''s face turned slightly red.


    Aunt Gui was startled for a moment, then scrutinized Su Chen from top to bottom.


    "Hello, Aunt Gui!"


    Being scrutinized by a middle-aged woman made Su Chen feel somewhat ufortable.


    "Hello!"


    Aunt Gui realized she had been a bit abrupt and responded with a smile.


    After they went inside, Aunt Gui first apanied Xiao Yaning to her room upstairs, helped her to bed, and then came back down.


    "Did Miss quarrel with his lordship? Oh, I mean Miss''s father."


    Aunt Gui asked as she poured a cup of tea for Su Chen.


    Su Chen didn''t know what to say, so he just nodded.


    "His lordship¡­" Aunt Gui shook her head and sighed, "The Miss has it tough!"


    "Don''t worry, everything will pass."


    Su Chen reassured her.


    "I hope so!"


    "Oh, Aunt Gui, let me leave you my number in case you need to call me for anything."


    Su Chen was also a bit worried about Xiao Yaning''s condition.


    "Alright, alright."


    Aunt Gui pulled out an old-fashioned mobile phone and handed it over. Su Chen saved his number and handed it back.


    "Alright, I must be going now."


    Seeing that there was nothing more he needed to do, Su Chen took his leave.


    Aunt Gui walked with him all the way to the gate.


    ...


    On a tree-lined path in Jianghai, a BMW car was parked quietly on the roadside, with several cigarette butts scattered on the ground outside the window.


    A somewhat gaunt figure sat in the car, the sunlight filtered through the trees on both sides casting shadows that made him appear lonely and forlorn.


    The altercation today between Xiao Yaning and her father still had his nerves on edge; his cold, profit-driven father had made him think of the Su Family.


    As one of Yandu''s top families, the Su Family was not much different: everything was about profit!


    They were even worse than Xiao Dingguo, hiding untold filth under their respectable facade!


    Thinking of the Su Family reminded him of his parents. On the surface, it seemed as though the dispute over position between his father''s "uncle''s" family and his own parents had led to his parents'' deaths. Yet, the intelligence group led by Shadow had sniffed out some other clues from the tendrils of evidence.


    The events of that year seemed not as straightforward as they appeared on the surface; it seemed that other Yandu families were also involved.


    However, since these families were among Huaxia''s top families, it was hard for outsiders to really dig into the intricacies.


    Moreover, Su Chen had been too young at that time to remember anything, so the investigation had not made any substantial breakthroughs.


    The truth behind his parents'' deaths had been like a massive rock pressing on his heart. If not for that, perhaps he might not have had the resolve to struggle back to the residence of the old man in the Kunlun Mountains after he had jumped off the cliff a year ago.


    It was this obsession that had kept him going until now!

 Chapter 109: Secretive, Airtight

    Although the Wu Family was the leader among the Four Great Families of Jiangnan, their ancestral home was not as conspicuous as their reputation suggested.


    The Wu Family''s ancestral home was located in City South of Jianghai, an estate that was somewhat old and consisted of several separate courtyards.


    Aside from its slightlyrger area, there seemed to be nothing particrly special about the residence from the outside.


    If it was your first time seeing this house, you''d never believe it was the Wu Family''s ancestral home.


    However, those who truly knew this residence were aware that it was far more than it appeared on the surface. Not to mention its rigorous defenses, most of the people who entered and left were influential figures whose every step could shake Jiangnan.


    At this moment, in one of the separate courtyards inside, a man in his fifties dressed in traditional attire was strolling around.


    Although he was over fifty, he was very well maintained and had a vibrant spirit, looking no different from a man in his forties.


    Soon, a young man under thirty walked in and bowed to the middle-aged man in traditional attire:


    "Father!"


    "Follow me to the study," he said.


    "Yes!"


    The two entered a somewhat dimly lit study one after the other. This study was different from others¡ªas one stood inside, it was not the scent of books that filled the air, but rather the cold metallic atmosphere.


    The young man didn''t like this study very much, or more precisely, he was quite ufortable with it.


    He didn''t understand why his father always preferred to think and have important conversations in this cold study¡ªlike now.


    The middle-aged man in traditional attire noticed the young man''s difort and asked indifferently:


    "Do you know why I like to think and talk here?"


    "I do not."


    The young man answered honestly.


    "Secrecy ensures no leaks," the middle-aged man enunciated slowly, "The saying goes, ''Teach the Dao only to the worthy, and impart thews only to the discreet.''"


    "Son takes heed," he replied.


    "Good, take a seat," he beckoned.


    They sat down across from each other, with tea equipment in between, and the elder in traditional attire started to brew tea, his movements fluid and practiced¡ªa testament to years of refinement.


    "Please let me do it, how could I let you, father, undertake such a task?"


    The young man reached out, preparing to take over the teapot.


    "Haha, there''s no need for such formalities between us father and son," replied the middle-aged man with a slight smile, "Besides, I can hardly stomach the tea you brew."


    "That is true, how could my skill in brewing teapare with yours, father?"


    The young man smoothly offered apliment.


    The middle-aged man chuckled softly, neither confirming nor denying, as he poured tea for himself and the young man.


    "Try it, this is genuine Xinyang Maojian, much more enjoyable than those expensive teas sold in the market."


    The middle-aged man took a light sip and a look of pleasure appeared on his face.


    The young man mimicked the older man''s action, taking a shallow sip, andughed:


    "I can''t make out the difference; to me, all teas taste the same."


    "Forget it, giving you fine tea is a waste,"ughed the middle-aged man, before casually asking, "You''ve had a bit of trouble recently, haven''t you?"


    "A minor issue, not worth your concern, father," replied the young man.


    The young man''s heart skipped a beat. How did his father know about it?


    "Not worth my concern?" The middle-aged man suddenly scoffed coldly, "It involves that girl Tang Yun, doesn''t it?"


    "Yes!"


    The sudden coldugh from the middle-aged man made the young man''s hair stand on end, and he replied nervously.


    "Speak, what exactly happened?"


    "Yes!"


    The young man was Wu Yuanli, the eldest son of the Wu Family, and the middle-aged man in traditional attire was his father¡ªWu Jingui.


    Seeing the stern look on his father, Wu Jingui''s face, Wu Yuanli didn''t dare to hide anything. He recounted the evening''s events in detail, including Su Chen and Tang Yun''s passionate kiss and the fact that he was beaten up.


    After listening to his son''s ount, Wu Jingui did not fly into a rage, nor did he speak of taking any action against Su Chen. Instead, he furrowed his brow and fell into deep thought.


    He was very clear about the strength of the bodyguards he had assigned to his son; each was capable of handling several top-notch special forces soldiers on their own.


    Moreover, the leader among them had been arranged by the olddy herself, a member of the mysterious force under the olddy''smand.


    Although the olddy favored the second son''s child Wu Yuanpin, Wu Yuanli was still her own flesh and blood, and just as much a part of the Wu Family''s lineage.


    Yet, to think none of these people could match up to that young man; this made Wu Jingui have to consider the matter seriously.


    "Do you know why I agreed to your pursuit of Tang Yun?"


    Seeing that his son had encountered such a situation without reporting to him, Wu Jingui was somewhat disappointed, as it showed his son had not grasped the importance of the matter.


    "It probably has to do with her father, Tang Mingji has a very promising career," Wu Yuanli looked at his father and ventured a guess.


    "That''s certainly one of the reasons, but it''s not the main one," Wu Jingui shook his head, thinking it seemed necessary to share some information with his son.


    "Then what is the main reason?"


    Wu Jingui was puzzled; his pursuit of Tang Yun had not been deeply thought out, and was mainly due to her beauty.


    "Do you know the surname of Tang Mingji''s wife?"


    "I don''t."


    Wu Yuanli shook his head. How could he know that, and why would he care what Tang''s wife''s surname was?


    "Her surname is Pei!"


    Wu Jingui''s eyes, sharp as an eagle''s, fixed upon Wu Yuanli as he spoke gravely.


    "What about the surname Pei?"


    Wu Yuanli asked, still not understanding, his voice faltering.


    "What about the surname Pei? Think about it yourself!" Wu Jingui huffed disdainfully.


    "Pei?"


    An epiphany struck Wu Yuanli as he saw the extremely serious expression on his father''s face, like a bolt of lightning had hit his mind.


    "Father, do you mean that Tang''s wifees from that family?" Wu Yuanli''s face was full of shock, his mouth agape.


    "Humph, luckily you''re notpletely clueless!"


    Having received his father''s confirmation, Wu Yuanli waspletely dumbfounded.


    That was the Pei Family, the entity second only to the Shen Family among Huaxia''s top families!


    "Moreover, the old Pei patriarch is said to adore that granddaughter of his. Just think, if you marry Tang Yun, would the Wu Family sessor be far from reach?" Wu Jingui said gravely. "Not only could you secure the sessor position, but you could also take the Wu Family to the next level."


    "I understand! I will definitely win over Tang Yun!"


    Wu Jingui felt his blood boiling with boundless enthusiasm as he dered.


    "And that young man? What do you n to do about him?" Wu Jingui asked again, taking a sip from his teacup.


    "Father, rest assured, I won''t let him go! Whoever dares to block my path must pay the price!"


    Wu Yuanli had already nned not to let go of Su Chen; now that he knew of Tang Yun''s true identity, it was even less likely.


    "You don''t have to worry about this matter, I''ll take care of it," Wu Jingui stated indifferently. Wu Yuanli wanted to object, but upon catching the frightening glint in his father''s eyes, he promptly shut his mouth.


    As Wu Yuanli left the study, a shadow shed out from behind the curtain, clothed in a ck Taoist robe with not a single breath of his presence leaking out.


    If one were not deliberately searching, one might not even notice his presence; he was like a shadow, concealed in the darkness...


    "Uncle Chen, what do you think about the young man mentioned by Yuanli?"


    Wu Jingui did not turn back, as if he knew the other person would be there.


    "Somewhat interesting."


    "As you know, we can''t let others find out about this, so I have to trouble you, Uncle Chen."


    "Fine. I will give you a result within three days," said the man.


    "With Uncle Chen handling it, what worries do I have?"


    After finishing the conversation, Wu Jingui walked out of the study...

 Chapter 110 - 110 "Madman

    Su Chen returned to the Belle Building past two in the afternoon, and as soon as he entered the security room, Meng Shan told him that Xia Qiuru hade looking for him.


    Since Su Chen had nothing else to do anyway, he scurried off to Xia Qiuru''s office.


    "Come in!"


    Xia Qiuru was buried in her work. At the sound of the knock, she casually spoke.


    When she looked up and saw that it was Su Chen entering, Xia Qiuru shed an understanding smile and stopped what she was doing.


    "What does Director Xia summon me for?"


    Su Chen asked with a mischievous smile.


    "Can''t I call you here if it''s nothing important?"


    Xia Qiuru rolled her beautiful eyes and spoke in a slightly irritated tone.


    "Of course, it would be my honor!"


    Su Chen walked directly up to Xia Qiuru''s desk, standing on the other side, gazing at her.


    Seeing her delicate features up close was indeed a delightful sight!


    Being stared at so closely by Su Chen, Xia Qiuru immediately felt flustered.


    Although they hadn''t mentioned the incident from the other day, it didn''t mean it could be treated as if it had never happened.


    A direct consequence was that Xia Qiuru hadn''t rested well in the past few days. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Su Chen''s face.


    This made her pretty face look somewhat haggard and dark circles had formed under her eyes.


    "What exactly did you want to see me for?"


    Su Chen leaned forward, his hands on the desk, looking intently at her.


    "Oh, about the other day, thanks to your help, I wanted to invite you over to my ce for a meal as a token of gratitude."


    Xia Qiuru dodged Su Chen''s intense gaze somewhat panickily, trying to calm herself.


    "To your ce, huh?"


    Su Chen straightened up, muttering to himself.


    "Yes, is there a problem?"


    Xia Qiuru''s face blushed slightly. It was her first time inviting a guest to her ce, especially a young man, so naturally, she felt a bit nervous!


    "Of course, there''s no problem. It would be an honor!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. Why were there always beautiful women asking him out for meals recently?


    It was Xiao Yaning at noon, and now Xia Qiuru in the evening, oh, and there was Tang Yunter.


    Though after that incident the other day, Tang Yun probably would feel awkward asking him out again.


    Could it be that his luck with women had turned for the better? Su Chen thought joyfully and couldn''t help but smile shamelessly!


    "What are youughing at?"


    Seeing Su Chen suddenly smiling, Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but be curious.


    "Oh, it''s nothing, just happy to receive an invitation from the beautiful Director Xia,"


    Su Chen said quickly,ing out of his daydream.


    Xia Qiuru looked at him suspiciously, but did not say anything.


    "You seem a bit worn out?"


    Su Chen then said with concern.


    "I haven''t rested well thesest few days."


    Xia Qiuru said offhandedly.


    "You should take care to rest more. Work is important, but your health is vital!"


    Su Chen told Xia Qiuru.


    "Yes, I know, I''ll take care of myself!"


    Upon hearing this, Xia Qiuru nodded, feeling quite happy that Su Chen was so concerned about her, her heart sweet and content!


    "Well then, if there''s nothing else, you can go now,"


    Xia Qiuru said.


    "Alright then!"


    Su Chen nodded and added,


    "Remember to take care of yourself!"


    "I know!"


    Xia Qiuru retorted yfully.


    Su Chen grinned at this and then walked out.


    "This guy, such a nag!"


    After Su Chen left, Xia Qiuru muttered, her pretty face breaking into a smile again, filled with happiness!


    ....


    As Su Chen left Xia Qiuru''s office and was heading toward the security room through the hall, he ran into Meng Shan.


    "Hello, Brother Su!"


    Meng Shan immediately greeted him respectfully upon seeing Su Chen.


    "Meng Shan, now that you''re the head of the security department, stop calling me that,"


    Su Chen said, patting Meng Shan''s shoulder.


    Meng Shan was just about to say something more when suddenly there was amotion at the entrance of the hall, and then a dozen people in ck suits walked in.


    They were arranged in two lines, and in the middle was a young man in a white suit, wearing sunsses, walking with his head slightly tilted back, exuding arrogance.


    "Who is this guy, acting so pompous?"


    Su Chen muttered, somewhat annoyed.


    "Brother Su, you don''t know him?"


    Meng Shan said in surprise, clearly amazed that Su Chen didn''t recognize this person.


    "Is he famous? Is it so strange that I don''t know him?"


    "He''s none other than Yunlong, the Young Master of the Yun Family. This guy is notoriously reckless in Jiangnan, doesn''t bother about anyone''s background or status, and is not shy about striking anyone,


    "Even the young masters of the Wu Family, Liu Qing, and the Lv Family, dare not provoke him! People outside even call him ''Crazy''!"


    Meng Shan whispered to Su Chen, his voice trembling slightly when he mentioned ''Crazy'', which showed how infamous this young man was!


    "He seems quite a character, doesn''t he? What''s he doing in ourpany?"


    Su Chen found the fellow quite interesting but didn''t pay too much mind.


    "Seems like some important cooperation talks? But I''ve only heard rumors about it,"


    Meng Shan, as the head of security, was not very clear on the core affairs of thepany.


    At that moment, Xia Qiuru had already reached the lobby and promptly approached Yunlong and his group.


    "Mr. Yun, I didn''t expect you to arrive so early, half an hour earlier than our scheduled time,"


    Xia Qiuru said with a smile, extending her delicate hand.


    Yunlong did not reach out to shake her hand, but slightly pushed his sunsses down to scrutinize Xia Qiuru more closely, his eyes revealing a hint of surprise:


    "Hahaha, they say the Belle Building is filled with beauties, and indeed it is!"

 Chapter 111 - 111 Damn it

    "Yunlong was joking!"


    As a career professional, Xia Qiuru was well ustomed to suchpliments.


    "Damn, that''s too pretentious,ing in and not even taking off his sunsses. When Director Xia and he shook hands, he just ignored him. Totally rude!"


    Meng Shan, as a member of Belle Corporation, also felt quite aggravated seeing this.


    "Not just pretentious, but a bit lecherous too!" sneered Su Chen.


    Meng Shan nodded vehemently, clearly in agreement.


    "Where is Lin Ruoxue? I''vee in person and she didn''t evene downstairs to greet me; that''s a bit too arrogant!" Yunlong huffed.


    "Ms. Lin didn''t know you woulde early, she''ll be right down."


    Xia Qiuru exined with a smile.


    "It seems my face isn''t big enough!"


    "What are you talking about, Yunlong? Such an esteemed guest, we couldn''t even ask for more!"


    At that moment, a voice rang out, and Lin Ruoxue stepped out of the elevator and appeared in the lobby, with several other executives, including Lin Chao, behind her.


    That day, Lin Ruoxue wore a beige bodycon dress with a light blue zer over it, dressing with a sophisticated, mature charm.


    As she stood in the lobby, all eyes naturally shifted to her, as though the whole lobby brightened a bit.


    This was the aura of Lin Ruoxue; wherever she was, just by standing there, even without speaking, no one could ignore her presence!


    Upon seeing Lin Ruoxue, Yunlong''s eyes immediately sparkled with admiration:


    "Everyone says President Lin is the number one beauty of Jiangnan. I used to think they were all exaggerating, puffing themselves up, but I didn''t expect it to be true. Even more stunning than I imagined! Hahaha~~~"


    Yunlongughed unabashedly.


    The people from Belle Corporation all changed their expressions; Yunlong''sment was utterly unreasonable!


    In such a professional setting, to describe the president with terms like "stunning" carried an insulting implication.


    Su Chen was also angered by these words, but he refrained from reacting.


    Because he knew Lin Ruoxue was a very decisive person, and acting recklessly could bring consequences that Lin Ruoxue might not want to see.


    "Yunlong, please mind yournguage!"


    As the only woman among the executives besides Lin Ruoxue, Xia Qiuru diplomatically voiced her displeasure.


    "I always speak like this; besides, I wasplimenting your Ms. Lin. Not many women would get such praise from me!"


    Yunlong''s attitude remained unimproved, still exuding an air of arrogance.


    Though the crowd was angry, they were helpless in the moment to do anything against Yun Family''s Young Master.


    Considering the importance of these negotiations, Lin Ruoxue swallowed her frustration and managed a professional smile:


    "Since that''s the case, thanks for your praise, Yunlong. Let''s head to the conference room!"


    Yunlong nodded and followed Lin Ruoxue up the stairs...


    ....


    In the spacious conference room, everyone walked in and took their seats. One side of the long conference table was taken by Belle Corporation''s executives, while Yunlong sat alone on the other side, his bodyguards standing straight behind him.


    Although Yunlong was just one against a group, he was not at all overshadowed in terms of presence!


    "Mr. Yun, a representative of yourpany had already preliminarily discussed this matter with usst time, but, frankly speaking, your terms are too harsh, and Belle Corporation cannot agree to them," Lin Ruoxue stated, making her stance clear as soon as she sat down.


    "Is that so?" Yunlong crossed his legs and took a gentle sip of his tea, speaking indifferently, "As far as I know, hasn''t your investment in the inte finance sector already exceeded several billion?"


    Lin Ruoxue did not rush to respond and quietly watched Yunlong, waiting for him to continue.


    "You must also be aware that the inte finance sector has recently been gued with chaos, and the higher-ups have resolved to rectify this phenomenon."


    Yunlong nced at the people from Belle Corporation and continued,


    "One important measure is the issuance of licenses, and I think that in the future, any inte financepany without a license will be shut down."


    "So what?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly realized that Yunlong was not the arrogant fool she had imagined him to be; his predictions for the industry were insightful.


    This was a formidable opponent!


    "If you do not agree to Yun Corporation''s demands, I am confident that I can prevent you from obtaining a license, believe it or not!" Yunlong said confidently, having grasped the other party''s critical weakness, unafraid Lin Ruoxue would disagree.


    "Are you threatening me?"


    A sharp gleam shot from Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes, and a hint of anger appeared on her stunning face.


    "Think whatever you like; I am merely stating a fact," Yunlong replied, stretching his arm back, and someone immediately handed him a cigar.


    Yunlong lit the cigar and started to smoke, quickly filling the meeting room with smoke.


    However, the people from Belle Corporation were too preupied to bother with Yunlong''s unreasonable behavior; they were all pondering what to do!


    If it had been someone else who said this, they might have dismissed it with augh, buting from Yunlong, they had no choice but to believe it.


    The Yun Family, being one of the Four Great Families, definitely had the power!


    But the terms Yun Corporation proposed for the partnership were too drastic; they actually wanted to invest 20% and hold 51% of the shares!


    This was not just a problem of disproportionate investment and returns; more crucially, Yun Corporation aimed to hold 51% of the shares, clearly seeking absolute control!


    This was something Lin Ruoxue and Belle Corporation could not agree to no matter what!


    But if they didn''t agree, and they really couldn''t obtain a licenseter, would they just let their investment of several billion go to waste?


    "Ms. Lin, think it over carefully and contact me whenever you''ve made up your mind; I''ll give you three days," Yunlong said nonchntly, shrugging his shoulders, his sunsses never leaving his face throughout the meeting.


    "Alright, we''ll consider it," Lin Ruoxue sighed dejectedly, "Let us escort you out."


    Yunlong did not politely refuse and stood up to walk out, with Lin Ruoxue and the senior executives of Belle Corporation following behind him.


    As Yunlong reached the hall and saw a figure approaching, he immediately stopped, took off his sunsses, rubbed his eyes, and abruptly cursed:


    "Damn!"


    Everyone in the hall was startled by Yunlong''s sudden reaction, and Lin Ruoxue, following behind, was also slightly taken aback, not understanding what was happening.


    Su Chen was also startled by the shout, looked up, and saw the brash Yun Family''s Young Master staring at him in a daze, his mouth slightly open...

 Chapter 112 - 112 Boss, is it really you?

    Being stared at by such a big guy made Su Chen''s whole body break out in goosebumps; could this dude be into guys or what?


    Could it be because he''s so handsome that he caught his eye? Su Chen couldn''t help but shiver!


    As everyone looked on with astonishment, Yunlong walked step by step toward Su Chen, his footsteps seeming heavy, each one tremendously difficult.


    His gaze was fixed on Su Chen as if he wanted to see right through him!


    "Stop!" Su Chen, seeing that the guy was actually walking towards him, quickly yelled, "What are you staring at me for, huh? Let me tell you, I''m not into that, go find your dad if that''s what you''re looking for!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone was startled.


    Especially the executives from the Belle Corporation, who were mostly clutching at their throats!


    This was the Yun Family''s eldest son, the infamous ''madman'' in Jiangnan!


    How could you shame someone publicly like this, not afraid he''d toss you into the river to feed the fish?


    Moreover, the Belle Corporation was currently seeking favors from him, and as an employee, weren''t you throwing oil on the fire?


    This surely meant that Yun Family''s eldest son was even less likely to give in now!


    "Su Chen, do you know who this is? This is our Belle Corporation''s esteemed guest! Come over here and apologize at once!"


    Before anyone else could speak, Lin Chao took the initiative to step forward.


    "p!"


    Before he could finish, he was soundly pped to the ground.


    And the person who did it was none other than the esteemed guest he was defending¡ªYunlong!


    The crowd in the hall was stunned once more; what on earth was going on?


    Had the Yun Family''s eldest son gone crazy; why would he p someone defending him?


    "Mr. Yun, you..."


    Lin Chao, too, was covering his face, utterly incredulous.


    Yet Yunlong was not even ncing at him; his eyes were solely on Su Chen!


    "Boss, is it really you?"


    When Yunlong said these shaky words to Su Chen, everyone was shocked, including Lin Ruoxue standing there dumbfounded!


    "Who are you?"


    Su Chen was also a bit puzzled; when had he ever been referred to as "boss"?


    He had many nicknames, but it seemed like no one, either domestically or internationally, had ever called him that.


    "Boss, I''m Thorn!"


    Yunlong brought his entire face close to Su Chen''s.


    Seeing this, everyone was a bit dumbstruck; where was Yunlong''s usual arrogance? Looking at Su Chen, he resembled those brain-dead elementary kids meeting their idol.


    However, the nickname "Thorn" seemed quite fitting for him!


    For Yunlong, he always did as he pleased, incredibly arrogant, and no one could control him, not even his old man.


    However, there was one exception, and that man''s name was¡ªSu Chen!


    Yunlong had been a super military enthusiast since he was a child, particrly fascinated with war and especially special operations.


    Therefore, as soon as he turned sixteen, he defied his family''s opposition and resolutely joined the army.


    And Yunlong actually did have quite a stubborn streak; he worked hard and, after passing throughyer byyer of selection, became a part of the military district''s ace special forces.


    The Yun Family patriarch, seeing that his son had indeed made a name for himself in the military, let him be, reasoning that the experience would be beneficial for toughening him up.


    On one asion, Huaxia held a selectionpetition to choose among the ace special forces units nationwide, and the slots were extremely limited!


    Those who were picked were the aces of aces! They would undergo a three-month intensive training program.


    The military districtmander revealed that a mysterious high-profile figure would serve as their instructor!


    Yunlong naturally felt an itch to participate, and to secure this rare opportunity, he trained in an almost inhuman manner during that period, constantly pushing his body''s limits, day and night!


    Eventually, hard work paid off, and he passed the selection, joining the ranks as one of the members!


    However, he hadn''t expected thatpared to the three months of torment thaty ahead, the grueling training he had undergone previously was like paradise.


    When he and the other ace special forces soldiers from across the country first set foot into that mysterious training camp deep in the mountains, they were all stunned.


    What kind of godforsaken ce was this!


    Not to mention ack ofmunication signals, even basic food and water were absent, and they had no proper shelter, but had to pitch tents themselves.


    At night, they could even hear wolves howling, and snakes, insects, rodents, and ants were everywhere to be seen.


    It wasn''t until the third day that another person arrived, even younger than the youngest of them.


    At first, they thought he was ater student but were shocked to find out that the youngster imed to be the instructor. Moreover, he arrogantly dered:


    "From today on, I am your boss. For the next three months, you must obey my orders unconditionally, even if I tell you to drink pee, you must do so without hesitation!"


    These were the ace agents from various military districts, none of whom could tolerate such provocation, especially given this guy''s youthful appearance; he probably had just graduated from high school!


    Nevertheless, the young man ignored their angry stares and said pompously:


    "If anyone disagrees, step forward! If you don''t obey me, I will beat you until you do!"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than dozens of men stepped forward, clearly none willing to back down.


    These ace special forces soldiers thought that this young pup would be intimidated by their resolve and calm down a bit.


    Unexpectedly, the youngster merely nced at them disdainfully and said lightly:


    "Since none of you agree, thene at me together!"


    Hearing that, everyone was dumbfounded!


    These were dozens of ace special forces soldiers, each capable of taking on many opponents alone, and this young man was inviting them all to attack him at once!


    For a moment, they all wondered if this guy was out of his mind, or a patient who had escaped from a mental institution.


    His words filled them with hesitation, as attacking one person with so many seemed like a victory without honor, especially when the opponent looked so young.


    While they were hesitating, the arrogant young man spoke again:


    "Are you all cowards, scared to attack one man? If so, go home, chop off what''s between your legs, and never im to be men again!"


    Military men are hot-blooded, especially these ace special forces soldiers, who couldn''t stand such tant humiliation!


    No one knows who shouted "Charge!", but immediately, everyone charged towards the young man with overwhelming momentum.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, merely three minutes passed, just three short minutes, and all of the men were lying on the ground, utterly powerless to fight back!


    Even more astonishing, the young man had used only one hand from start to finish, and his feet hadn''t moved an inch!


    These ace special forces soldiers looked at the young man and were deeply shocked in their hearts!


    What kind of devil was this person?


    So young, and yet his strength was so incredibly formidable!

 Chapter 113: Glorious Years

    The military has always been a world where the strong are respected, and after this, everyone respected this young instructor wholeheartedly, both verbally and in their hearts!


    However, during the training that followed, these ace special forces truly experienced the devilish nature of this instructor, and even today, the memories are still vivid.


    The first thing this young man taught them was how to sleep, which drewughter from the group when they first heard it¡ªeveryone thought, "Who can''t sleep? Isn''t that simple?"


    It didn''t take long for them to realize they hadughed too soon.


    This young man actually required them to fall asleep within three minutes when they were most excited and to enter deep sleep within five minutes!


    Even immortals couldn''t aplish such a task. Naturally, at the beginning, no one seeded!


    His punishment was also very simple: no food, no water, no sleep for three days!


    Then, he taught a set of meditation techniques. Many people didn''t take this mysterious subject seriously at first.


    The young man didn''t say much. Afterpleting the instruction, he had everyone try to sleep again.


    Despite being extremely tired, under these conditions of dry throat and gnawing hunger, it became even harder to fall asleep.


    Only an extremely small number of people managed to enter deep sleep through the techniques he taught.


    As for those who still couldn''t sleep, he gave them only a small cup of water and a bun, followed by another three days of starvation.


    His punishments were simple and brutal!


    After three days, the young man taught the meditation techniques again, and this time, everybody started to seriously grasp its subtleties.


    To their surprise, although their stomachs were unbearably hungry, the meditation techniques allowed their minds to enter a serene state, and they quickly fell asleep.


    Of course, there were still a few who didn''t pass. The young man remained silent as always and simply called in a helicopter to send those people back to their original units.


    Just as those who passed felt a sigh of relief for surviving the week''s ordeal, the young man ruthlessly shattered their illusions once again!


    The following week was theplete opposite of the previous one: he forced them to stay awake. Not only were they deprived of sleep during that week, but they also had toplete various tasks.


    None of these tasks were easy. They demanded a lot of both mental and physical strength!


    By the third day, almost everyone had run out of strength, their heads filled with mush.


    Yet this young man was utterly unmoved, like a cold-blooded creature!


    His punishments also became more varied, but each was clearly not easy to endure.


    Like this, he continuously stimted everyone''s potential, over and over to the point where even they couldn''t believe what they were capable of achieving!


    The phrase the young man said most often was¡ª"Don''t think of yourself as human!"


    Of course, the eliminations continued relentlessly!


    Next, he conducted various kinds of training, most of which were unheard of by these ace special forces.


    Two monthster, the team was still reduced to fewer than 20 people, with two-thirds no longer present.


    By then, the various trainings werergelypleted, and the next month, the young man led them in realbat exercises.


    For the remaining dozen or so people, this month was an experience they would never forget for the rest of their lives.


    It could also be the most incredible and fantastical month of their lives!


    From Central Asia to Eastern Europe, from Latin America to Africa, they left their shadows all over the world...


    In Syria, they fought against the Revolutionary Army to rescue expatriates;


    They had also prated deep into the mountains and destroyed a terrorist camp with thousands of members;


    They equally, based on a slender thread of clues, took down a multinationalpany from America.


    And the true nature of thispany was an espionage firm primarily conducting operations against China.


    ...


    Over the past month, they had executed several incidents that shocked the internationalmunity.


    It''s just that they cleaned up their tracks so thoroughly that no one knew it was their doing!


    When they returned to these deep mountains that day, all of them had lost their previous radiance, each looking like frostbitten eggnts.


    It was because they knew that this young man¡ªtheir leader¡ªwas about to leave them, and perhaps from then on, they would scatter to the corners of the world, never to meet again...


    It was also on that day that they learned the young man''s name for the first time¡ªSu Chen!


    From then on, the name "Su Chen" was deeply etched in these people''s hearts.


    He was their leader, and in their hearts, a god!


    When Yunlong returned to his original unit, although he was immediately promoted, he had already lost the desire to stay in the military.


    Having seen the highest views, returning to the original unit seemed rather tasteless and uninteresting.


    Moreover, at that time, the Yun Family patriarch was in poor health and urgently summoned him to take over, so he left the military.


    Although he had left the unit, his thoughts were always on his leader, the man he could say had changed his destiny for life!


    Only after following him did he realize just how wonderful the world could be!


    Fortunately, the Yun Family had significant influence in Jiangnan, so he asked a friend from the provincial Public Security Department to look up information on Su Chen.


    That friend readily agreed, but unexpectedly, just two dayster, he came knocking.


    "Who exactly is this big shot you had me investigate? He even managed to rm the Special Security Bureau?"


    As soon as that friend from the provincial department saw him, he started toin, his expression still somewhat shocked.


    "How is that possible?"


    Yunlong was also astonished; he knew that matters involving the Special Security Bureau were major issues!


    He had merely investigated someone''s information, so why had it directly rmed the Special Security Bureau, bypassing even the National Security Bureau?


    He couldn''t help but privately wonder, what exactly was his leader''s identity?


    "That''s not all," said Yunlong''s friend incredulously. "I had just looked up his information, opened it, and do you know what I saw? Six-star ssified secrecy."


    "Less than a secondter, my phone rang. He said he was from the Special Security Bureau, and he gave me a severe warning."


    "Six-star ssified secrecy?"


    Yunlong waspletely dumbfounded; having served in the military, he knew what six-star meant¡ªit was the highest level of ssified information!


    If leaked, it would constitute an undeniable crime of treason!


    Not only would the person responsible be executed by firing squad, but also everyone rted to them would face life imprisonment!


    At this thought, Yunlong was already breaking out in a cold sweat...


    "You think it ended there?"


    His friend twisted his mouth and said.


    "What else could there be?"


    Yunlong, nowpletely ovee, blurted out.


    "An hour after that phone call, the director of the Special Security Bureau actually took a special flight from Yandu to see me personally. He found me, conducted a thorough investigation, and I was only released half an hour ago."


    Hearing this, Yunlong''s mind waspletely unable to process it.


    His friend had barely clicked open the file, saw nothing, and yet, within an hour, the director of the Special Security Bureau had rushed over personally!


    The implications of this were almost self-evident!

 Chapter 114: One Family

    After that friend had said his goodbyes and left, Yunlong hadn''t reacted.


    By the time he fully came to his senses, he couldn''t help but feel a chill of fear!


    It turned out that the young leader was an untouchable presence for him!


    Be it in power or status!


    Soon, his heart swelled with endless glory! After all, they had once fought side by side!


    Since then, Yunlong dared not harbor such thoughts anymore, but deep inside, he still couldn''t let go.


    But he had never imagined that he would meet the leader again at Belle Corporation!


    ....


    "Troublemaker?"


    Su Chen felt that the name seemed somewhat familiar, and looking at the face before him, it seemed somewhat recognizable as well.


    "It''s you!" Su Chen finally connected the name with the face, realizing with a start, "Aren''t you the troublemaker who wanted to introduce your sister to me?"


    "Yes, boss, you finally remembered!"


    Yunlong gave Su Chen a bear hug, his face a mixture of tears andughter, much like a child.


    The others watching this scene werepletely stunned. What was this situation?


    "Boss?"


    Lin Ruoxue murmured softly, a sharp gleam shing through her eyes, barely noticeable.


    It seemed that her instincts were right; her husband was indeed no ordinary man!


    "Boss, howe you are here?"


    Yunlong asked curiously. In his mind, such a person should be like the Divine Dragon, elusive.


    "I work here!"


    Su Chen shrugged as if it were the most natural thing.


    "You work here?"


    "Yes, I''m a driver at Belle Corporation. Where else would I be working?"


    "A driver?"


    Yunlong dug at his ear, unable to believe Su Chen''s words. This was a terrifying figure with a six-star top-secret identity, and he was working as a mere driver at the insignificant Belle Corporation.


    A wave of anger rose from the depths of Yunlong''s heart. He turned his head and red at Lin Ruoxue, his voice suddenly raised:


    "Lin Ruoxue, you wretched woman making my boss work as a driver, well done!"


    "Who are you calling a wretched woman? Mind your words!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned bright red with anger. She had never been pointed at and insulted like this in her life, and it was incredibly vulgar!


    "Calling you that is putting it mildly. You treat my boss this way; believe it or not, I will burn down this damned Belle Building!"


    Yunlong once again showcased his unrestrained nature, saying outright:


    "I dere, from this point forward, the negotiations between Yun Corporation and Belle Corporation are broken off!"


    The executives at Belle Corporation, including Lin Ruoxue, were shocked. They hadn''t anticipated Yunlong making such a rash decision.


    This meant Yunlong would definitely try to prevent Belle Corporation from obtaining the license, which was undoubtedly a severe blow for Belle Corporation!


    Simrly, it was also an astonishing loss for Yun Corporation. After all, a sessful coboration between the two corporations could see Yun Corporation making profits in the billions each year.


    Yet, despite such immense interests, Yunlong said he was giving up just because of a mere driver.


    Lin Ruoxue and other executives, including Xia Qiuru, had never anticipated that Su Chen held such a high position in the opposing party''s heart!


    "Cough, cough!"


    Su Chen felt a bit awkward seeing Yunlong like this, so he gently pulled him aside and whispered a few sentences in his ear.


    The crowd didn''t know what Su Chen had said to him, but they saw Yunlong''s face changing constantly.


    "No wonder you are willingly being a driver here! That''s really clever!"


    After saying that, Yunlong walked up to Lin Ruoxue with a ttering smile and said:


    "So, we are all family here, huh? It''s like a flood has washed over the Dragon King''s temple."


    "The things I just said, you can just ignore them as if they were nothing. There''s no need to talk about our cooperation anymore, our Yun Corporation will contribute 20% and take 10% of the shares!"


    The people from Belle Corporation were stunned. They hadn''t expected such a dramatic twist!


    And it was clear that this was just giving money to Belle Corporation!


    "Let''s do this, our Yun Corporation will take 5%, you know I can''t exin anything lower to those old folks at the board."


    Seeing that Lin Ruoxue showed no reaction, Yunlong spoke up again.


    "No need, no need." Lin Ruoxue finally reacted and hurriedly refused, "You contribute 20% of the funds and take 30% of the shares."


    This was actually a fairly equitable scenario in Lin Ruoxue''s heart, as having the Yun Family''s connections was a great benefit to Belle Corporation''s growth, so 10% more shares was quite reasonable.


    The proposal Lin Ruoxue had offered was actually the best oue Belle Corporation had originally hoped for, they were even prepared to sacrifice 40% of the shares.


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong immediately pretended to be unhappy:


    "Miss Lin, you are pping me in the face here! Considering our boss''s rtionship, I shouldn''t even take any shares, I already feel embarrassed having taken some."


    "Miss Lin, no need to say more, let''s settle for 5% and sign the contract today!"


    Yunlong dered decisively with a wave of his hand.


    Lin Ruoxue felt a bit troubled, as it seemed too ruthless and unfair.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but look at Su Chen, knowing that all this was because of her husband!


    The term "our own family" mentioned by Yunlong just now had said it all, Su Chen must have revealed their rtionship in his whispers.


    In fact, Lin Ruoxue was mostly shocked, wondering what exactly her husband''s identity was?


    He could make Yunlong give up such great benefits. This was no small amount of money; the future profits were definitely expected to be over tens of billions!


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue looking at him, Su Chen gently nodded. He never had much concept of money; during his time at Nether Temple, he handed all his money over to the "God of Wealth" to manage.


    So Su Chen didn''t really know how much money he had, nor even the rough amount, as he rarely used money himself.


    Moreover, Yunlong was not one to suffer a loss, it was clear he had set his sights on Su Chen.


    But who asked him to be Lin Ruoxue''s husband? Even if it was paying debts of his wife, it was indeed justified!


    Seeing Su Chen nod, Lin Ruoxue hesitantly agreed.


    "Then please, Miss Lin, notify me when the documents are ready, and I''ll just sign and stamp them."


    Yunlong said with a smiling face.


    "Shouldn''t we discuss the details of the contract first, then sign it?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked naturally, as it was a contract involving a huge amount of money!


    The executives from Belle Corporation thought the same; usually, such contracts, even after reaching preliminary cooperation intentions, took forever to discuss the details.


    "No need for such trouble, don''t I trust you? We are all family here, no need for so much fuss."


    The people from Belle Corporation were dumbfounded. Such a high-price contract handled so casually was simply too reckless!


    Furthermore, they were perplexed as this was the second time Yunlong mentioned "our family."


    How did they suddenly be one family?

 Chapter 115: The Old Thing

    ```


    Of course, these doubts were just fleeting thoughts in everyone''s mind, and they were soon wrapped in immense joy!


    Not only had they reached a cooperation with Yun Corporation today, but they did so with a n they couldn''t have even imagined.


    One could foresee that the future growth of Belle Corporation would be even more rapid! It might even grow into one of the nation''s toppanies!


    As members of the team, the benefits they''d receive were obvious!


    However, Lin Ruoxue was a cautious person in doing business and didn''t agree to sign the contract immediately¡ªshe set the time for three dayster.


    After all, there were many details she needed to consider thoroughly; to this Yunlong readily agreed.


    For Yunlong, these matters were no longer important; the only thing that mattered was Su Chen!


    "Boss, these are special-supply cigarettes I managed to get from a former armymander; give them a try."


    Yunlong pulled out a box from his pocket, took out a cigarette, and handed it to Su Chen, knowing that Su Chen didn''t like smoking cigars.


    After receiving the cigarette, Su Chen casually put it in his mouth; Yunlong quickly took a lighter from his subordinate, bent down, and lit it for Su Chen.


    Seeing this scene, everyone once again found it unbelievable¡ªwho was this guy?


    In front of him, Yunlong didn''t have the slightest air of the young master; he waspletely like a little follower!


    And Su Chen didn''t feel there was anything amiss, naturally epting it all.


    Afterward, Yunlong also lit a cigarette for himself, and the two men, as if oblivious, started to puff smoke in the lobby.


    Although there was a rule in Belle Building that smoking was not allowed in the lobby, no one dared to stop them at this moment.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t bother with them either, and instead, had everyone return to their workstations.


    Before leaving, two people gave Su Chen a deep look¡ªone was Xia Qiuru, and the other was Lin Chao.


    "Boss, just what''s your identity? I once had a friend from the provincial department try to investigate you but hadn''t expected that... that it would actually rm the head of the Special Security Bureau!"


    Seeing that everyone had dispersed, Yunlong asked in a lowered voice.


    He still felt a chill down his spine when he thought back to the incident.


    "What, that old geezer gave you trouble?"


    Instead of being upset about Yunlong investigating him, Su Chen seemed indifferent, since Yunlong wouldn''t be able to find anything anyway.


    "The old geezer is who?"


    Yunlong asked off-handedly, then he realized who Su Chen was referring to as the ''old geezer.''


    Yunlong''s body shivered involuntarily¡ªthat was the head of the Special Security Bureau!


    The head of the Special Security Bureau not only had a revered position but also wielded limitless power!


    To directly call such a person an ''old guy'' was enough to make anyone shiver.


    "That''s the head of the Special Security Bureau, Boss¡ªit would be better to show some respect,"


    Yunlong suggested nervously.


    "Respect my ass! That old geezer hasn''t yet done what he promised me two years ago!" Su Chen said disdainfully, and with a snort, "Hmph! If I ever see him, I''ll kick his ass¡ªdamn it!"


    Talking about that ''old geezer'' made Su Chen angry; he had once asked the man to investigate the situation of the Five Great Families in Yandu, especially the matter concerning the Su Family back then.


    But the old geezer had been dragging it out, and even now, hadn''t given him any substantial information!


    It wasn''t as if Su Chen didn''t understand that the old geezer was doing it on purpose; the reasons were quite apparent to him.


    Essentially, it was because the Five Great Families had such profound heritage and strength that he didn''t want to provoke them, and also, he didn''t want to disrupt the bnce and cause upheaval!


    At this moment, Yunlong''s fairly handsome face had turned pale with fright!


    Was Boss joking? To kick the head of the Special Security Bureau''s ass was incredibly audacious!


    Even if your identity was extraordinary, it didn''t seem bold enough to kick the head of the Special Security Bureau''s ass, right?


    That was a person directly responsible to the highest echelons of the nation!


    "What''s wrong with you? You''ve turned pale¡ªare you that frightened?"


    Su Chen nced at Yunlong and said casually,


    "It''s not the first time I''ve kicked him; that old geezer is already used to it from me."


    Yunlong''s face wentpletely nk¡ªwhat was the Boss saying?


    ```


    Kicking up a habit?


    Seeing his indifferent look, it didn''t feel like they were talking about the chief of the Special Security Bureau, but more like some random Tom, Dick, or Harry!


    Yunlong''s head waspletely spinning!


    Although it sounded like a fairy tale, based on Yunlong''s understanding of the boss, he knew it had to be true!


    Yunlong had long known that this young boss''s identity was terrifying, but he hadn''t thought it would be to this extent!


    Too scary!


    "Okay, you can go now. I''ll treat you to a meal in a couple of days."


    With a flick of his finger, Su Chen sent the cigarette butt flying in a beautiful arc,nding perfectly in the ashtray on the front desk.


    This move did startle the girl at the front desk.


    "Boss, you''re joking, right? How could I let you spend money on me?"


    Yunlong said with a face full of adoration, smiling like a fanboy.


    "Fine," Su Chen replied, not standing on ceremony as he patted Yunlong''s shoulder, "I''m going to work now."


    ....


    No sooner had Su Chen entered the security room than Lin Ruoxue''s call came through, asking him toe to her office.


    Su Chen knew all too well why Lin Ruoxue was calling him and went with a wry smile.


    "Wifey, I''m here!"


    After pushing the door open, Su Chen walked straight to Lin Ruoxue''s desk and sat down.


    He called out in an overly cheesy way, with a familiar, smug look on his face.


    "You know why I called you here, don''t you?"


    Lin Ruoxue directly ignored Su Chen''s performance and asked with an expressionless face.


    "Wifey, could it be that you want?" Su Chen''s expression became a bit shy, "Could it be you like it in the office?"


    "What in the office? What are you thinking about?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen, a trace of confusion appearing on her face.


    "Of course, I''m talking about that kind of thing!" Su Chen leaned in closer, grinning, "Wifey, I thought you were a conservative woman, but I didn''t expect you to be so open-minded! Actually wanting to spice things up in the office!"


    "I haven''t tried that either! Let''s hurry up and do it!"


    As he spoke, Su Chen began to frantically strip.....


    "Pfft!" Lin Ruoxue just took a sip of tea and sprayed it directly on Su Chen''s face, "What are you thinking about?"


    She couldn''t help but spit out¡ª "Pervert!"


    This bastard! His thoughts are too dirty!


    When had she ever given off that kind of vibe? How did he even get to that point?


    Talking about spicing things up in the office¡ªas if he wished!


    "That''s not what you meant?"


    Su Chen wiped the tea off his face, showing a hint of disappointment.


    "Of course not! Disgusting, get out of here!"


    Lin Ruoxue pointed at the door, her face as cold as frost as she scolded.


    "Fine, I''ll leave! Why be so fierce?"


    Su Chen pulled a long face and turned to walk towards the door.


    But he had only taken a few steps when a voice called out from behind!


    "Wait!"


    Su Chen paused mid-step, inwardly sighing that he hadn''t managed to escape after all!


    "You did that on purpose, didn''t you!"


    Lin Ruoxue seemed to have seen through Su Chen''s intentions, speaking up directly.

 Chapter 116: He Was Once My Soldier

    "What did you say? I can''t understand," Su Chen said as he scratched the back of his head, feigning confusion.


    "Since that''s the case, I''ll just ask directly. What exactly is your rtionship with this Young Master of the Yun Family? Why does he call you ''boss''?"


    Lin Ruoxue did not beat around the bush; true to her straightforward nature, her beautiful eyes were fixed intently on Su Chen.


    "What do you mean by that? You can insult my character, but you can''t insult my aesthetics and sexual orientation! I am a pure man, with no thoughts of fooling around!"


    Su Chen widened his eyes and covered his chest with his hands, loudly retorting with a look of terror.


    However, Lin Ruoxue did not react at all to Su Chen''s exaggerated acting; she continued to stare at him coldly.


    It was clear that Lin Ruoxue meant he should not try to change the subject.


    Faced with Lin Ruoxue''s clear, bright gaze, Su Chen soon lost the battle. His eyes steadily focused on her, Su Chen felt that her gaze was even more terrifying than being pointed at with ten heavy weapons.


    "Alright, I''ll tell you," Su Chen spread his hands and said, "He used to be my soldier."


    "Your soldier?" Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes suddenly widened, and she quickly asked, "You were a soldier?"


    Su Chen nodded, realizing she knew absolutely nothing about her husband.


    But looking at his casual demeanor, it hardly seemed he could have been in the strictly disciplined military.


    And that elder son of the Yun Family, with his haughty and spoiled image, was far from the image of a military man she had in mind!


    What kind of soldiers were they? Could it be something like pig farming?


    "Is there anything else you''re keeping from me? Take this opportunity to tell it all," Lin Ruoxue said, quickly regaining herposure and seizing the momentum.


    Su Chen was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his head and seriously said to Lin Ruoxue:


    "Ruoxue, some aspects of my past are quite special; for your own good, I can''t tell you now. When the time is right, I will tell you everything without holding anything back. Trust me!"


    Watching Lin Ruoxue''s serious expression, she nodded:


    "I look forward to that day!"


    After speaking, Lin Ruoxue sat down to continue working, waving her hand without looking up at Su Chen:


    "You can leave now, and close the door."


    Su Chen touched his nose and quietly left.


    Just then, Su Chen''s phone received a message from Xia Qiuru, saying she had already gone to buy groceries and asked him to meet her directly at the gate of her residentialplex at 6:30 PM.


    It was only around five o''clock at that time, and with more than an hour left, Su Chen had no choice but to return to the security room and started ying online card games.


    At ten past six, he picked up his car keys and drove to the gate of the residentialplex where Xia Qiuru lived.


    When he arrived, Xia Qiuru had just returned from grocery shopping. They smiled at each other and walked side by side into theplex.


    Xia Qiuru currently lived in a rented house¡ªshe wasn''t a local of Jianghai.


    Being Jiangnan''s political, economic, and cultural hub, property prices in Jianghai were inevitably sky-high.


    Although Xia Qiuru was an executive at Belle Corporation, she still found the housing prices a burden.


    Moreover, she needed to send money home regrly to her mother and younger brother, so Xia Qiuru''s financial pressure was quite significant.


    Although Xia Qiuru''s house was rented, it was tastefully and stylishly decorated by her.


    The moment Su Chen walked in, he experienced afortable and warm feeling.


    The house was a two-bedroom and two-living-room apartment, with the floors, walls, and furniture all impably clean.


    The overall style of the house was Nordic, full of minimalist and fashionable ir.


    From various details, it was evident that Xia Qiuru was indeed the kind of woman you would want to marry and take home.


    In this respect, Lin Ruoxue paled inparison to her!


    "Su Chen, sit on the sofa and read some magazines while I cook," Xia Qiuru said with a smile.


    "Director Xia, go on with your work; don''t worry about me."


    "We should consider each other as friends by now, so stop calling me ''director'' all the time."


    Xia Qiuru said this with feigned displeasure.


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback, "Then what should I call you?"


    "Just call me Qiuru."


    After she said this, Xia Qiuru felt a slight warmth on her cheeks; she hurriedly picked up some vegetables and walked into the kitchen.


    "Qiuru? That does sound quite nice."


    Su Chen thought to himself, and then he sat down on the sofa.


    Su Chen could see the busy silhouette in the kitchen from where he sat; surprisingly, it gave him a feeling of reassurance.


    Simrly, Xia Qiuru, who was busy in the kitchen, asionally nced at Su Chen, who was flipping through a magazine on the living room sofa, and she suddenly felt a sense of home.


    That must be what they mean by "peaceful years."


    Suddenly, Xia Qiuru turned her head and saw Su Chen quietly leaning by the door, watching her.


    "When did you get here? I didn''t hear a sound."


    Being looked at with such tenderness by Su Chen, Xia Qiuru suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach.


    "It''s because you were too focused," Su Chen smiled and said.


    "You should just stay on the sofa and read your magazine!"


    "You do your thing; I won''t bother you."


    Su Chen continued to look at her tenderly, his feet not moving an inch.


    Xia Qiuru had no choice but to continue chopping vegetables, but she felt her heart start to flutter...


    However, she had to force her heart to calm down; just as she was feeling a bit moreposed, suddenly a pair ofrge hands embraced her from behind.


    Xia Qiuru''s delicate body trembled violently; just as she thought to pull away, Su Chen''s distinctly masculine and maic voice sounded next to her ear.


    "Don''t move!"


    The voice, as if magical, struck her instantly, leaving Xia Qiuru without the strength or will to resist.


    "This is nice!"


    Su Chen embraced Xia Qiuru, inhaled her unique scent, slightly closed his eyes, and whispered gently.


    "This isn''t right."


    Xia Qiuru''s voice was as faint as a mosquito; her face was flushed, and she seemed to have lost all her strength. If not for Su Chen holding her, she might have copsed.


    "What''s wrong with it?"


    Su Chenid his head on Xia Qiuru''s shoulder and pulled a mischievous smile.


    "We, we..."


    Xia Qiuru didn''t know how to express herself, feeling her heart pounding wildly!


    "It''s alright, don''t say anything. Just focus on what you were doing."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s casual words, Xia Qiuru thought, how can I stay calm with you doing this?


    But she had no better option, so she continued chopping vegetables with a perturbed heart.


    At that moment, Su Chen suddenly lightly kissed her earlobe, as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming the water.


    Xia Qiuru felt as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning; her body jerked violently!


    "Ah~~"


    A soft cry rang out, for Xia Qiuru''s mind had been in turmoil, and her hand had slipped, identally cutting herself; bright red blood flowed from her delicate fingers...


    "How can you be so careless?"


    Su Chen quickly grabbed Xia Qiuru''s bleeding finger and started sucking on it...

 Chapter 117 - 117 Cousin, Youve Learned to be Naughty

    Xia Qiuru waspletely baffled, her mind a nk!


    "Alright, do you have any band-aids at home?"


    Su Chen then asked.


    "Yes, yes!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s voice, Xia Qiuru snapped out of it and hurriedly responded.


    Xia Qiuru stumbled into the room, closed the door, and leaned against it, her body going limp.


    She touched her cheek with her hand, feeling as if her face was on fire, and her heart was pounding nonstop!


    It took several minutes before she felt a bit better, and Xia Qiuru suddenly remembered she hade in to look for a band-aid.


    When Xia Qiuru returned to the kitchen, she adamantly refused to let Su Chen stay there any longer, and, mustering all her strength, she pushed him out.


    Su Chen pursed his lips and reluctantly went back to the couch, continuing to flip through the magazines he found boring.


    After a while, Xia Qiuru hurried out and went straight to the main door.


    "Qiuru, where are you going?"


    Su Chen called out ''Qiuru'' very naturally, as if he had done it many times before.


    "Oh, I just realized we''re out of vinegar, I''m going to the supermarket to buy a bottle," Xia Qiuru paused then added, "Why don''t you take a shower? Dinner will be in a while."


    "Is that really alright?"


    Su Chen asked awkwardly.


    "There''s nothing awkward about it, there''s a new towel in the bathroom drawer, just take one and use it."


    After saying this, Xia Qiuru hurriedly opened the door and left.


    Su Chen really wasn''t interested in those fashion magazines, and thought a shower might be more refreshing, so he went into the bathroom to prepare for it.


    Su Chen took a blue towel from the bathroom drawer, then got ready for a shower!


    "Cousin, I''m back!"


    Just then, a yful voice suddenly came from outside the door.


    Immediately, the bathroom door was pushed open, and a slender figure came in.


    Instantly, eyes met eyes, and both of them froze, the air seemingly stopping.


    "Ah~~~"


    A few secondster, a sharp scream erupted abruptly!


    "What are you screaming for, I''m still fully clothed!"


    Su Chen said exasperatedly.


    Hearing this, the woman slowly opened her eyes, and indeed, he was still dressed!


    Actually, it was no wonder she yelled, anyone would be startled in such a situation!


    Just as she was about to scold him, her eyes suddenly widened, eximing:


    "Why is it you?"


    "It''s you!"


    Su Chen also recognized the woman; she was the police officer from Jianghai Police Station¡ªXu Xinran.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Xu Xinran asked, looking wary.


    "Officer Xu, are you sure we should chat here?"


    Su Chen sighed helplessly.


    Upon hearing this, Xu Xinran''s cheeks flushed, and she quickly stepped out.


    After Xu Xinran left, Su Chen finally started his shower.


    At that moment, Xu Xinran was in the living room, feeling very strange. How on earth was this guy here?!


    Stealing?


    Impossible. Could it be that burrs nowadays are so bold that they not only steal but also take a bath at the owner''s ce?


    Moreover, this guy''s identity was extraordinary; it was impossible for him to be here to steal!


    A momentter, when Su Chen had quickly showered and dressed, he found Xu Xinran sitting upright on the couch, in a posture ready to interrogate a suspect!


    "Can we talk now, about what you are doing here?"


    As soon as Su Chen came out, Xu Xinran promptly asked, her eyes full of scrutiny.


    "I wanted to ask you the same? What are you doing here?"


    Su Chen shrugged casually.


    "I live here, where else would I be?"


    Xu Xinran responded, clearly annoyed!


    "You live here?"


    Su Chen''s eyes widened, remarking on the incredible coincidence!


    "Now can you tell me why you''re here?"


    Xu Xinran''s tone was cold and serious, as if she were interrogating a suspect.


    For her, the appearance of this man, who had left a deep impression on her, was just too bizarre!


    Could this guy have some ulterior motive?!


    "Qiuru invited me here," Su Chen finally confessed.


    "You''re saying my cousin invited you here?"


    Xu Xinran looked incredulous upon hearing this, but since he mentioned her cousin''s name, it seemed credible!


    She knew well that her cousin always kept her distance from men.


    It was unimaginable that today she had actually invited this man to her home¡ªit was truly extraordinary!


    "Eh, Xinran, why are you back?"


    Just then, Xia Qiuru came back, surprised to find her cousin there.


    At that moment, she too was puzzled; wasn''t this girl supposed to visit her parents today?


    Beyond her surprise, Xia Qiuru also felt somewhat awkward, as if she had been caught doing something naughty.


    "Cousin, you''ve been naughty, huh! Bringing a man back home while I was away!"


    Upon seeing Xia Qiuru blush, Xu Xinran immediately stood up and teased with a narrowed smile.

 Chapter 118: Hes No Ordinary Person

    Since the man was invited by her cousin, she rxed a bit.


    "You silly girl, what are you talking about?"


    Xia Qiuru''s pretty face heated up as she red at Xu Xinran.


    "Oh, why is someone''s face turning red? It doesn''t seem hot today!"


    Xu Xinran tilted her head and said with a bizarre smile.


    Being teased by her cousin in this way made Xia Qiuru feel even more embarrassed, especially in front of Su Chen, who was involved.


    "Alright, let me introduce you," Xia Qiuru had no choice but to pretend she hadn''t heard Xu Xinran''s teasing and forcefully changed the subject, "This is Su Chen, my colleague, and this is Xu Xinran, my cousin and also a policewoman."


    Both of them nodded at each other as if they had just met.


    Actually, they had only met three times in total, but each time left a deep impression on Xu Xinran.


    The first time was during a run when she had sprained her ankle, and it was Su Chen who healed her. She was amazed by his miraculous medical skill even then.


    The second time was at the Longteng Building, and that was the most shocking event of her life!


    Director Jiang Lixing actually addressed him as a senior officer and would even draw a gun to kill for him.


    She had be curious about this young man''s real identity back then, but her master and director, Jiang Lixing, did not tell her, only saying it was the nation''s top secret!


    The third encounter happened today, and they ran into each other in the bathroom while he was showering!


    The scene at that time was really...


    Thinking of the bathroom scene, Xu Xinran suddenly remembered that the lingerie she changed out of yesterday was still in there!


    "Oh no, did he see it?"


    Xu Xinran really wanted tofort herself that maybe he didn''t see it, but reason told her that was almost impossible, especially because it was so conspicuous!


    If it had been any other lingerie, it might not have been so bad, but why did it have to be that one?


    Xu Xinran was immediately filled with regret, for she had bought that lingerie under the encouragement of several close friends!


    Xu Xinran sneaked a nce at Su Chen, and Su Chen naturally felt it.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Su Chen also looked at Xu Xinran, feeling that her gaze was somewhat strange.


    Looking at her, Su Chen couldn''t help but recall the glimpse of spring he saw when he identally tore a piece of her clothing off earlier.


    He hadn''t expected this woman''s assets to be so impressive!


    That E-cup lingerie couldn''t be hers, could it?


    Thinking this, Su Chen blurted out:


    "You''re an E..."


    Su Chen had just spoken when he realized that was inappropriate.


    How could he say such a thing in front of ady?


    "Xinran,e help me wash the vegetables."


    At that moment, Xia Qiuru''s voice came from the kitchen; she had gone to cook right after introducing them.


    "Oh,ing," Xu Xinran quickly responded, then red fiercely at Su Chen, "Don''t you say a word!"


    Xu Xinran was nowpletely certain that Su Chen had definitely seen...


    "Why is your face red?"


    Once Xu Xinran entered the kitchen, Xia Qiuru looked at her and asked.


    "It''s nothing."


    Xu Xinran quickly grabbed the vegetables and started washing them in the sink, using the task to mask her fluster.


    Luckily, Xia Qiuru just asked casually and didn''t probe further.


    "Cousin, your rtionship with Su Chen isn''t just that of colleagues, right?"


    After a while, Xu Xinran finally calmed down a bit and started gossiping again.


    "Of course, what else did you think?"


    Xia Qiuru had already braced herself, so she managed to remain rtivelyposed.


    "It doesn''t seem like it, he even calls you Qiuru so affectionately, so tenderly!"


    "We''re friends, there''s nothing wrong with that, right?"


    In fact, Xia Qiuru herself wasn''t sure what her rtionship with Su Chen was at the moment, and her mind was a bit fuzzy.


    To say they were lovers wasn''t clearly defined, and honestly, it was somewhatcking; to say they weren''t lovers, yet he had treated her in such a way!


    "I don''t believe that at all!" Xu Xinran scoffed, "Don''t forget what I do for a living, looking at you like this, nobody would believe you''re not smitten."


    "Alright, alright, you know best!"


    Xia Qiuru casually dismissed it, not wanting to continue this somewhat annoying topic.


    Two people working together got things done much faster than one. Before long, Xia Qiuru had prepared several exquisite dishes and served them on the table.


    "Qiuru, I didn''t expect you to be such a good cook, anyone who marries you is truly fortunate!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but praise her, looking at the delicious dishes full of color and aroma, he really did feel hungry!


    "Since my cousin is so great, why don''t you marry her!"


    Xu Xinran chimed in naturally.


    "Xinran!"


    Xia Qiuru suddenly felt embarrassed and red at Xu Xinran.


    At the same time, she looked nervously at Su Chen. When she saw that Su Chen was also silently feeling awkward, her mood instantly dimmed.


    At that moment, Su Chen''s mind was also veryplex. He didn''t know why he had acted that way towards Xia Qiuru before, perhaps it was a moment of affection!


    But Su Chen couldn''t make any promises, since he was already married, although the rtionship with Lin Ruoxue was quite different from that of an ordinary married couple, he was indeed taken.


    To say Su Chen had no feelings for Xia Qiuru would be the first thing he didn''t believe!


    But what could he do about it? So he could only remain silent...


    "Alright, Xinran was just joking, don''t mind her." Xia Qiuru, ever the understanding woman, took the initiative to break the awkward silence, saying, "Hungry, right? Let''s eat."


    "Okay."


    Su Chen smiled and sat down.


    The meal was quite enjoyable, and everyone chatted happily, but there was always a certain unusual atmosphere, which nobody pointed out.


    When they finished dinner, it had begun to rain heavily outside.


    "Qiuru, it''s gettingte. I should leave now,"


    After chatting for a while, Su Chen stood up and said.


    "It''s raining heavily right now, why not sit for a while longer, and leave when the rain lightens up?"


    Xia Qiuru looked at the pouring rain outside and said.


    "It''s fine, I came by car, I won''t get wet."


    "Okay then." Seeing that he insisted on leaving, Xia Qiuru didn''t want to press him to stay and said, "Your car is parked outside theplex, let me get you an umbre."


    Su Chen nodded his head. Although he didn''t mind the rain, he couldn''t ignore Xia Qiuru''s kindness.


    ......


    When Su Chen walked out of the door, Xia Qiuru went to the balcony and looked downward.


    She watched Su Chen appear downstairs, and then watched as he gradually disappeared in the rain...


    She just sighed deeply!


    Xu Xinran, who was by her side, felt a pang of sympathy seeing her like this.


    After pondering for a moment, she bit her lip and said:


    "Cousin, he''s no ordinary man!"

 Chapter 119 - 119 True Yuan Manifestation

    "I know," Xia Qiuru replied indifferently.


    Of course, she was well aware of it. How could someone who could willinglly make the arrogant and wild heir of the Yun Family submit be simple?


    But what about it?


    To Xia Qiuru, whether he was simple or not wasn''t important.


    What mattered was the person himself, his heart.


    After finishing speaking, Xia Qiuru returned to the house, followed by Xu Xinran.


    ....


    Su Chen was driving along the streets of Jianghai. Since it was alreadyte in the evening and it was raining heavily, there were almost no pedestrians on the roads.


    Most of the shops had closed, too; only the dim street lights were still on, illuminating the swaying rain strands with unusual rity.


    Su Chen controlled the steering wheel with one hand and smoked with the other, his mind somewhatplicated.


    He was somewhat unsure about how to handle his rtionship with Xia Qiuru. He couldn''t pretend that he didn''t feel Xia Qiuru''s affection for him.


    If it had been the Su Chen of before, he wouldn''t be so conflicted. Everyone is a man or a woman after all. Whether it''s sleeping together or breaking up, just let nature take its course.


    But the Su Chen of now could no longer be so carefree!


    Before, he could effortlessly juggle multiple women at the same time, but now, just two women already gave him a headache.


    Maybe I really am getting old, he thought to himself.


    Just as Su Chen was feeling irritable, he suddenly saw a figure appearing before his car.


    The person wore a ck Taoist robe, with a face full of deep lines as though carved by time itself.


    He appeared silently, as if descending from the sky!


    Su Chen stopped the car and got out, his expression somewhat impatient.


    He could tell that this old man was no ordinary person. By his estimate, this old man was at least at the Qi Refinement Realm Triple Layer.


    "You don''t seem surprised to see me," said the old man, his voice somewhat hoarse.


    "Are you here to kill me?" Su Chen asked, tilting his head and not paying too much attention to the other.


    Now he was at the Qi Refinement Realm Fifth Layer, and the True Yuan of the Nine Yang Divine Technique he cultivated was enormously dense. His Fifth Layer Realm was already equivalent to the Seventh or Eighth Layer Realm of an average cultivator.


    Although he wasn''t in top condition at the moment and his True Yuan hadn''t fully recovered, dealing with someone in the Triple Layer Realm would be a piece of cake.


    "I''m not here to kill you, but I don''t mind doing so," the old man said, his tone t and unwavering.


    "If that''s the case, then make your move," Su Chen said, getting a bit impatient, as he needed to head home quickly.


    "If you''re so eager to die, then I shall fulfill your wish," the old man spoke, and no sooner had his words fallen than he disappeared on the spot, reappearing in front of Su Chen in an instant.


    Also appearing in front of Su Chen was a withered palm, powerful and imposing, cutting through the void with such force that even the falling rain was dispersed.


    Seeing that the young man before him still had no reaction, a cold smile appeared on the corners of the old man''s mouth.


    He was very confident in his own strength. After all, he had reached the Qi Refinement Realm Triple Layer and was even close to stepping into the Fourth Layer.


    In his eyes, the young man before him was already dead. Facing his palm, it was toote for the young man to react in any way.


    The speed and strength of an attack from someone in the Qi Refinement Triple Layer Realm was no joke; even arge elephant could be killed with a single p, let alone this young man!


    Just as the withered palm was less than thirty centimeters away from him, Su Chen moved, but all he did was casually extend a hand and p towards the other''s palm.


    "Delusional!"


    Seeing the young man''s careless appearance, the elder snorted coldly.


    He felt the young man before him simply didn''t take him seriously, which was a huge blow to his ego!


    If you''re seeking death, then don''t me me for being ruthless!


    The elder had hesitated about sparing the man''s life, but now he had no qualms whatsoever!


    His withered palm struck with even greater force than before, unstoppable!


    "Bang!"


    Soon, two palms met, creating a thunderous roar.


    The elder suddenly felt as if he''d been struck by a high-speed train, his body involuntarily flying backward, skidding across the pavement for over a dozen meters before crashing down heavily.


    The elder coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, struggling to rise, staring in horror at the young man before him.


    Who was this young man? How could his strength be so immense?


    "Stop showing off in front of me, don''t you know you appearing out of nowhere in the middle of the night like a ghost could scare the babies?"


    Su Chen disdainfully spit out at the elder.


    The elder nearly choked on his own blood again, as Su Chen''s words nearly provoked another hemorrhage. His murky eyes red at Su Chen, teeth clenched, saying,


    "I underestimated your excellency, but if you think you''ve won, you''re sadly mistaken!"


    Schrs carry scales in their hearts, warriors carry des¡ªthis is what''s known as spirit!


    Su Chen''s strength hadn''t made the elder back down; instead, it ignited his fighting will!


    Trembling, he fished out a red pill from his pocket and swallowed it.


    As soon as he consumed the pill, his face turned beet red, his body immediately radiating an even more imposing aura, halting even the winds and storms!


    Su Chen watched coldly, making no move to intervene.


    He had guessed that the elder had taken some sort of pill that temporarily boosted potential, pills that, despite their apparent effects, damaged the bodily functions of a martial artist.


    And sure enough, as he had expected, after swallowing the pill, the elder''s cultivation rapidly broke through the Fourth Layer Realm, reaching the pinnacle of the Fourth Layer, and even the threshold of the Fifth Layer Realm was faintly visible!


    Feeling his cultivation soar, the elder''s confidence surged!


    He believed that the young man before him, no matter how rebellious, couldn''t possibly have reached the Fifth Layer Realm at such a young age.


    Because between the Fourth and Fifth Layer Realms there lies a threshold; once reaching the Fifth Layer Realm, one can emit True Yuan externally, which is a feat iparable to the previous four realms!


    "Are you ready to die?"


    The elder''s hoarse voice rang out again, his deeply lined face contorting ferociously.


    "We''ll see if you have the ability to make that happen."


    Su Chen replied indifferently.


    All of a sudden, with a loud shout, the elder moved, a blur darting towards Su Chen.


    Su Chen, without moving, simply chopped with his hand as if it were a de, shing at the approaching blur.


    A crescent-shaped milky white energy wave shot rapidly toward the blur.


    "Ah~~"


    A scream suddenly pierced the air, and the blur froze before crashing heavily to the ground.


    The elder looked down at his abdomen, only to see a deep cut to the bone, a gruesome sight!


    "True Yuan released externally?!"


    The elder looked up at the young man before him, eyes filled with shock!

 Chapter 120 - 120 Unsettled Cold Rainy Night

    The Daoist-robed elder had not expected that this young man could actually project his True Yuan externally!


    Yet he appeared to be only in his twenties; could it be that at such a young age, he had already reached the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm or even higher?


    "What a monster!"


    The Daoist-robed elder couldn''t help but sigh, thinking how could such strength in one so young be anything but monstrous?


    The elder never even considered running away because he knew that even if he tried, he wouldn''t seed!


    "Speak, who sent you, and what do you want?"


    Su Chen walked up to the elder and looked at him coldly.


    "I am not strong enough; I have lost and I ept that. If you want to kill me, I have noints, but to get anything from me ¨C impossible!"


    The elder spoke calmly, his voice somewhat weakened due to his injuries.


    Su Chen stared into his eyes and knew he wouldn''t talk. Although he had ways to make the elder speak the truth, Su Chen just wasn''t in the mood anymore.


    "You may go."


    Su Chen waved his hand, feeling somewhat listless.


    "You''re letting me go?"


    The elder thought he had misheard and blurted out the question.


    "Go."


    Su Chen turned and walked toward his car.


    "Thank you!"


    Enduring the pain, the elder stood up, cupped his hands towards Su Chen''s retreating figure, and then turned to leave.


    No sooner had the elder taken a few steps than Su Chen''s ice-cold voice rang out over the deste road.


    "Go back and tell your Family Head, this is the only time!"


    The elder''s aged body trembled, he nodded, and continued on his way...


    Meanwhile, Su Chen drove back towards the Grand Epoch Court. He had let the old man go,rgely because the elder had shown no real intent to kill at the start!


    Su Chen also had a good idea of who might have sent the elder; it was likely one of the Wu, Liu, or Lu families.


    By the time Su Chen got back to Lin Ruoxue''s vi, it was already past ten, and Maid Wang had gone to bed long ago, but the light in Lin Ruoxue''s study was still on.


    Su Chen didn''t disturb them and went straight to his room to begin his cultivation. Although he had won the night''s battle with ease, it had still depleted a significant amount of his True Yuan, especially the final release of his True Yuan.


    ....


    At the same time, at the Wu Family estate.


    Wu Jingui pushed open the heavy door of his study and immediately saw the pale-faced elder lying on a chair.


    "Uncle Chen, you''ve been injured?!"


    Wu Jingui''s heart shook, and he quickly approached.


    "I''m sorry, my lord, I failed to handle the task you entrusted to me."


    The elder tried to sit up slightly, his voice heavy as he spoke.


    "We''ll talk about thatter. Your injury is what matters!"


    Wu Jingui hurriedly supported the elder''s shoulders, helping him to lie back properly, worry etched deep into his face.


    Wu Jingui''s expression was not feigned, though it was not because he had a deep emotional bond with the elder.


    It was because this elder was too important to him!


    "I''m fine, my lord. I know my own body."


    The elder coughed twice and said.


    Upon hearing the elder''s words, Wu Jingui''s anxiety eased, and he asked with a grave face:


    "Uncle Chen, who exactly inflicted these injuries on you?"


    In his view, Uncle Chen was one of the top figures in the Jiangnan region; aside from the mysterious retainer of the olddy, Wu Jingui never thought anyone could hurt Uncle Chen.


    "My lord, the fact that I made it back alive is already fortunate enough; my opponent showed me mercy."


    The elderly man sighed, his expression still somewhat bewildered.


    "What?"


    Wu Jingui was startled by the old man''s words, not only was Uncle Chen''s injury shocking enough, but the idea that it was because the other party had held back was unbelievable to him.


    "Who did it, exactly?"


    Wu Jingui could never have imagined that such a powerful figure existed within the boundaries of Jiangnan!


    Suddenly, an idea shed through his mind, and he asked:


    "Could it be the young man I asked you to deal with?"


    After saying this, Wu Jingui mockingly shook his head andughed:


    "I must be overthinking, how could it be possible?"


    "It was him!"


    With just a light statement from the old man, Wu Jingui''s head spun and he stood frozen in ce.


    "Him? How is that possible?" Wu Jingui squeezed out a smile, "Uncle Chen, stop joking around, he''s just over twenty years old, how could he...?"


    "I wish this were a joke, but it is indeed true!"


    Seeing the old man''s serious demeanor, Wu Jingui finally believed his words.


    Wu Jingui had some difficulty epting such a reality, it felt like a dream.


    He had originally thought that the old man had provoked some particrly important person while doing a task, which is why he got injured.


    He never expected it to be that young man!


    After all, the old man had said he would deliver results in three days, and Wu Jingui had no idea he had gone to confront the young man today.


    "Master, we should not provoke this person, and also, tell the eldest young master not to sh with him."


    The old man had once received Wu Jingui''s kindness, hence he had always been very loyal to him.


    "I understand, and I will instruct Yuanli," Wu Jingui nodded and then asked, "Uncle Chen, how strong is he exactly?"


    "Unfathomable!"


    Hearing Wu Jingui''s question, the old man''s mind couldn''t help but conjure up the young man''s face as he continued,


    "He might even surpass that patron of the olddy! The key issue is that he''s so young¡ªwho dares to imagine what he could achieve in the future!"


    Wu Jingui waspletely dumbfounded, now finally having a rough understanding of the young man''s strength.


    The young man''s strength surpassing that mysterious patron was simply inconceivable!


    Wu Jingui may not be an ordinary person, after a while he calmed down and began to analyze the pros and cons of the situation.


    The first thing that could be certain was that this was a man you could only make friends with and not afford to offend, even if you could not be friends, you definitely could not make an enemy of him!


    Then, Wu Jingui remembered a piece of news he had received not long ago, and the corners of his mouth slowly formed a meaningful smile...


    It seemed that the young prodigal from the second branch also had a bit of conflict with this young man. This could be quite interesting...


    ....


    This rainy night was destined to be an extraordinary one.


    At the same moment, inside a room in the Lin family''s old residence, a young man and a middle-aged man sat facing each other; both of their expressions were somewhat grave.


    "Chao''er, from what you''re telling me, our family''s new son-inw is truly no ordinary person!"


    The middle-aged man heaved a long sigh.


    "Indeed, he''s a bit elusive, but when you look at him, he doesn''t seem to be anything special."


    The young man frowned, a look of confusion on his face.


    This young man was none other than Lin Chao, and the middle-aged man was his father, Lin Wenlong.


    He hade specifically to discuss with his father about the incident that had urred this afternoon at the Belle Corporation involving Yun Family''s eldest young master.


    "That is what you call a true master,"


    Lin Wenlong lit a cigarette, took a puff, and spoke leisurely,


    "Young Master Long, the eldest young master of the Yun Family, either one is a well-known figure in Jiangnan. Both of them regard the young man with the surname Su in such a way¡ªit''s something that forces us to be cautious."

 Chapter 121 - 121 Plan B

    "So I came to ask Father for advice."


    Lin Chao agreed with his father''s opinion.


    "First and foremost, nobody else should know about this matter, not even your mother," Lin Wenlong said thoughtfully, "If the other family members learn of this, it might unavoidably shake their confidence in us."


    "I understand; don''t worry, Father."


    "Moreover, given the current situation, we can no longer proceed with n A. Let''s initiate n B," Lin Wenlong looked at Lin Chao and asked, "How are you handling that little secretary, Ruoxue?"


    "No problem, it''d be quite embarrassing for me if I couldn''t handle a young girl in the throes of her first love!"


    Lin Chaoughed, his expression somewhat proud.


    "This person is crucial; you have to deal with her carefully and ensure there are no failures!"


    Seeing him a bit casual, Lin Wenlong sternly warned.


    "I understand, Father."


    Seeing his father''s expression, Lin Chao also grew serious and nodded.


    "Is there anything else you need to tell me, Father?"


    After a moment, Lin Chao, seeing that his father hadn''t spoken, carefully asked.


    After pondering for a while, Lin Wenlong said lightly:


    "You could try interacting more with Young Master Liu."


    "Liu Qing?" Lin Chao was taken aback, somewhat puzzled.


    "Doesn''t he like Ruoxue? Maybe one day he could prove useful."


    Lin Wenlong revealed a sly smile, a sh of shrewdness sparkling in his eyes.


    ....


    Su Chen waspletely unaware of the events that had unfolded around him that night, and of course, he didn''t care about them at all.


    Over the next few days, Su Chen''s life was very mundane, with nothing special happening, except that Xia Qiuru seemed to be avoiding him.


    Xu Xinran did call a couple of times, warning him not to speak of the underwear incident, or else.


    Su Chen hardly took the policewoman''s threats seriously and dismissed them casually.


    Meanwhile, the weekend had already passed, and indeed, Tang Yun did not call to invite him over as a guest.


    However, Su Chen understood, after all, considering how he had treated her!


    Perhaps she was still at home, sticking needles into a voodoo doll of Su Chen! Not to mention inviting him out to dinner.


    Though he didn''t receive an invitation from Tang Yun, he did receive one from Xiao Yaning.


    That day, as soon as Su Chen reached the security office of the group, he received a call from Xiao Yaning, who wanted to thank him for his help the other day by inviting him for lunch.


    She specifically mentioned that it was just a simple lunch together, especially since thest time she invited him was essentially to use Su Chen as a shield, and they hadn''t actually eaten anything that day.


    Xiao Yaning also felt quite apologetic about it.


    Considering the beautifuldy''s kind invitation, Su Chen naturally wouldn''t rudely decline.


    All morning Su Chen was idle, so he had no choice but to y cards online.


    Now in the security department, no matter what he did, no one dared to criticize him.


    On the contrary, both the deputy head and head of the department had to treat him like a guardian deity!


    When it was finally time for lunch, Su Chen drove to Watermark West City, poetically named, but in fact, it was a standard high-end Western restaurant.


    Upon entering, Xiao Yaning spotted him immediately and waved him over.


    "Why did you suddenly invite me to eat Western food?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile as soon as he sat down.


    "Actually, I wouldn''t say I particrly love Western food, I just really like the atmosphere here."


    Xiao Yaning gestured to summon the waiter, then ordered two steaks, a bottle of red wine, a sd, and some desserts.


    Su Chen, having heard this, casually looked around the Western restaurant; indeed, the restaurant had a taste of its own.


    The restaurant did not have any private rooms, all patrons dined in the main hall where tables were seemingly ced haphazardly, yet there was an asymmetrical beauty to it!


    Moreover, the restaurant had a stage with a piano, a violin, and various other instruments, often there would be performances.


    At that moment, a man in his thirties wearing a tailcoat was ying a famous piano piece, "Vanessa''s Smile."


    "It really is quite nice," Su Chen nodded, then nced at Xiao Yaning, "No wonder you dressed up so nicely! I thought you dressed up for me, but turns out it was for this restaurant."


    Today, Xiao Yaning wore light makeup and donned a light green tight-fitting long dress.


    The dress perfectly showcased her devilish and exquisite curves, just like a beautiful mermaid!


    "You wish!"


    Xiao Yaning retorted coquettishly, rolling her eyes at Su Chen¡ªshe truly was enchanting!


    For a moment, Su Chen felt his heart uncontrobly skip a beat.


    Xiao Yaning might not admit it, but it wasn''t necessarily without the intention of impressing someone special, although she would never confess such a thing verbally.


    "Feeling better?"


    Su Chen suddenly asked, actually quite worried about Xiao Yaning''s state the previous day.


    "What do you think?" Xiao Yaning offered a brief smile, "Much better, don''t worry."


    "That''s good," Su Chen nodded.


    At that moment, the waiter brought the food they ordered. Xiao Yaning opened the wine bottle, poured a ss for each of them, and then raising her ss sincerely, she said:


    "Su Chen, let me toast to you first, thank you!"


    "We''re friends, no need for formalities."


    Su Chen also raised his ss to clink with hers, then drank it all in one gulp.


    "Let''s eat! I''ve been starving."


    Xiao Yaning dered and began to tuck in heartily.


    The two chatted casually while eating.


    Su Chen was quite humorous, making Xiao Yaningugh countless times.


    In between, Xiao Yaning probed into the real rtionship between him and his close friend Ye Mei, though Su Chen skillfully dodged all her inquiries.


    Of course, this was just a minor interlude. Overall, both of them were in a very rxed and pleasant mood.


    Suddenly, Su Chen noticed that Xiao Yaning''s expression turned sour, her face twisting into an ugly expression, her gaze fixed stiffly on something.


    Following her gaze, Su Chen saw a group of people walking towards them.


    These were all men in ck suits, towering and bulky, with exploding muscles and terrifying ferocity on their faces, clearly not men of benevolence.


    Among these burly men was a young man dressed in a hip-hop style, wearing a baseball cap backwards.


    This young man, among the muscr men, looked quite distinctive, but to the discerning eye, it was clear that these men in ck suits were undoubtedly his bodyguards.


    As soon as the young man entered the restaurant, he began scanning around, looking for potential catches.


    Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if he had spotted some treasure and quickly stepped forward...

 Chapter 122: The Madman Lv Shixin

    "Yo, isn''t this the great beauty Xiao Yaning?"


    Even from a distance, the voice of the hip-hop youth rang out.


    His voice was tinged with recklessness, arrogance, and an air of nonchnce, with no consideration for others around.


    Most of those dining in this Western restaurant were white-cored, high-quality professionals.


    Everyone here dined quietly, controlling the volume of their conversations so as not to disturb others.


    Thus, when the boisterous voice of the hip-hop youth rose, many people looked over in displeasure.


    However, upon seeing the menacing bodyguards, and especially the youth''s face, everyone immediately hid their displeasure and pretended they heard nothing.


    Clearly, most people were familiar with this youth.


    Of course, there were a few who didn''t recognize him, so they quietly asked someone nearby. Upon learning of his identity, their faces immediately showed a trace of shock.


    "Xiao Yaning, who is this?"


    Upon seeing Xiao Yaning, the hip-hop youth had eyes for no one else.


    It was only as he got closer that he noticed a young man sitting opposite Xiao Yaning, and his face immediately darkened.


    "Who he is, is none of your business!"


    Xiao Yaning looked at the hip-hop youth with a face full of disgust.


    At the same time, she was somewhat puzzled¡ªcould it be that her father hadn''t told him about Su Chen? No wonder he hadn''t been bothering her these past few days!


    Otherwise, with his temperament, he would have already caused amotion!


    By now, themotion at Xiao Yaning''s table had drawn the eyes of the entire restaurant.


    "Xiao Yaning, you should remember your status; you are my fianc¨¦e!" the hip-hop youth said darkly.


    "That was something Xiao Dingguo agreed to, not something I ever did!"


    "You''ll agree eventually! No woman that Young Master has set his sights on has ever slipped through my fingers!"


    The hip-hop youth boasted arrogantly, then turned his head towards Su Chen,


    "You have thirty seconds to get lost!"


    Ever since the youth had appeared, Su Chen had only nced at him before lowering his head to eat his steak.


    Now, upon hearing the hip-hop youth''s words, he slowly raised his head and frowned slightly,


    "Who is this idiot?"


    As soon as the words fell, all the people in the restaurant burst into an uproar.


    "Damn, is this kid asking for death? Does he know who he''s talking to?"


    "Yeah, to dare curse at Lv Shixin like that, he really must be tired of living!"


    "I heard this Lv Shixin is utterly ruthless; this young man is in for it now!"


    "Not just ruthless¡ªyou know the Yun Family''s Young Master has a nickname called ''Madman'', do you know what Lv Shixin''s nickname is?"


    "What is it?" someone asked curiously.


    "Lunatic!" the previous person replied in a hushed, mysterious tone.


    "Why do they call him that?"


    "Because his actions cannot be predicted bymon sense; they''re entirely based on his whims and moods, and sometimes when he gets vicious, it''s simply horrifying!"


    "I''ve also heard about it. Apparently, there was a time when he took a liking to a female celebrity who already had a boyfriend. Understandably, she did not agree. But just two dayster, that man was dead, his body dumped in the wilderness, mutted beyond recognition by wild dogs. And shortly after, that female celebrity disappeared as well."


    "Then what happened?"


    With hearts still racing from fear, everyone''s curiosity was piqued further by the narrator.


    "Then I heard that it was only after half a year that the female celebrity reappeared, but she had already gone insane, and she''s still living in the asylum!"


    Everyone gasped sharply, their eyes filled with trepidation when they looked at the hip-hop youth again!


    At the same time, they silently prayed for Su Chen, hoping she wouldn''t be another body abandoned in the wilderness.


    Xiao Yaning was also full of concern. She hadn''t expected Su Chen toe out with such a heavy blow!


    "What did you say?"


    After Su Chen uttered the phrase "idiotic youth," the hip-hop youth''s brain was somewhat befuddled.


    From his childhood to adulthood, no one had ever dared to speak to him like that, not even the so-called "madman" Yunlong.


    He couldn''t believe that this stranger in front of him, dressed in a security uniform and lookingpletely like a loser, actually dared to say that.


    "It seems you''re not just an idiot with a bad brain, but your ears are bad too. Do you want me to stuff you back into your mother''s womb to be remade?"


    Su Chen nonchntly said as he picked up a ss of red wine and took a sip.


    Upon hearing these words, the crowd nearly toppled over, amazed at how tough this young man was!


    "Even a god can''t save him now!" some people sighed and shook their heads.


    The rest of the people also nodded in silent agreement.


    "You''re courting death!"


    The hip-hop youth clenched his teeth, spitting out the words from between his teeth.


    "Lv Shixin, take out your anger on me! He has nothing to do with this!"


    Seeing the hip-hop youth''s demeanor, Xiao Yaning knew he was seething with rage and trembled inwardly, quickly standing up.


    "Xiao Yaning, what is your rtionship with him?"


    Lv Shixin was even more furious seeing Xiao Yaning still protecting this boy at such a time!


    At the same time, a me of jealousy was rising in his heart...


    Xiao Yaning was about to say that Su Chen was just a friend of hers, but before she could open her mouth, Su Chen stood up and wrapped his arm around her slim waist.


    "To say your brain doesn''t work really seems to be true. Do we even need to state what our rtionship is?"


    Su Chen''s mouth curved slightly upward, looking at Lv Shixin with a face full of disdain.


    As Xiao Yaning was wearing a tight-fitting dress today, Su Chen''srge hand felt particrly clear and delightful as it wrapped around her waist.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but feel an itch in his heart and gently caressed her waist with hisrge hand.


    Xiao Yaning didn''t expect that at a time like this, this guy still had the mood to misbehave, and she shivered involuntarily!


    The crowd didn''t expect the plot to escte so quickly, turning into a scene of two menpeting for one woman, and one of the protagonists was the Young Master of the Lv Family!


    Of course, not many people were optimistic about Su Chen; they all thought thatpeting with the Young Master of the Lv Family for a woman was sheer foolishness!


    Who are they? What is their status?


    And then look at you, the two of you are not even on the same level!


    The anger of humiliationbined with a head clouded by jealousy made Lv Shixin unable to bear it any longer!


    He raised his fist in rage and swung at Su Chen, his face twisted in ferocity!


    He wouldn''t calm the fury in his heart until he crippled this detestable bastard!


    "Don''t!"


    Seeing Lv Shixin suddenly make a move, Xiao Yaning was startled and instinctively cried out.


    The onlooking crowd also tensed up, while also feeling a hidden excitement!


    However, Su Chen remained unmoved; to be honest, he was toozy toy a hand on someone as inconsequential as Lv Shixin...

 Chapter 123: Eniel is Coming

    When Lv Shixin''s fist had already swung towards Su Chen''s face, it was only then that Su Chen casually picked up a fork from the table and held it in front of him.


    "Pfft!"


    As it happened, Lv Shixin''s fist collided with the fork, and because his strength was so fierce, he couldn''t stop in time. His fist was instantly pierced by the steel fork, with the other end protruding out the back of his hand.


    Blood "gurgled" out, quickly soaking his palm and dripping onto the ground.


    "Ah~~~ you bastard!"


    Lv Shixin felt a drilling pain and let out an exaggerated scream!


    "This isn''t my fault, oh," Su Chen said, spreading his hands to show his innocence.


    Nobody else had clearly seen what happened; they just felt that Lv Shixin''s fist weirdly headed straight towards the fork.


    "You dog couple! I will kill you both!"


    Lv Shixin yelled angrily, fiery rage shooting from his eyes.


    "p!"


    Suddenly, a loud p rang out, and Lv Shixin was sent sprawling to the floor.


    The crowd was also stunned!


    This was the Lv Family''s second young master! Someone dared to p him in public!


    "You dare to hit me?!"


    Lv Shixin looked up at Su Chen''s stern face in disbelief.


    He had never imagined that he would one day be publicly pped. More than the pain, it was the loss of face he couldn''t bear.


    "Your mouth is too dirty. I''m helping you clean it up," said Su Chen indifferently.


    "Are you all dead men standing there?! What are you waiting for! Take down this brat for me!"


    Lv Shixin, seeing his bodyguards standing there dumbly, got angry and shouted.


    "Yes, sir!"


    The bodyguards immediately answered, having been dazed by the sudden turn of events.


    They too had never thought someone would actually dare toy a hand on their young master!


    Although they were formidable themselves to be selected as the bodyguards for the second young master, in reality, they hadn''t had to use their skills in a long time.


    Because within Jiangnan''s territory, no one had been bold enough to attack Lv Shixin!


    That''s why they werepletely frozen when the incident first happened!


    Now, hearing Lv Shixin''s screams, they came to their senses, each emitting a powerful aura.


    The people in the restaurant immediately felt an oppressive atmosphere, their breathing bing tense.


    Xiao Yaning also felt so scared her body became unsteady, cold sweat breaking out on her palms.


    "With me here, you''ll be fine."


    Su Chen gripped her soft hand and said with a smile.


    Su Chen''s smile was infectious. Xiao Yaning looked at his face and felt the warmth of hisrge hand, which gave her a bit of reassurance.


    "Charge!"


    The leading bodyguard shouted and rushed over, the others following closely behind.


    "Bring it on!"


    Su Chen let go of Xiao Yaning''s hand and charged at the bodyguards.


    "Be careful!"


    Watching Su Chen''s retreating figure, Xiao Yaning''s heart rose with concern once more.


    Although she had seen him discipline Wu Yuanpin''s bodyguards at her Cloud Heaven Clubst time and knew he had some skills, she couldn''t help but worry.


    After all, there were more people this time thanst. Could Su Chen still win?


    The onlookers also held their breath, some faint-hearted women even covering their eyes, not bearing to see a young man beaten miserably.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, a minuteter, Lv Shixin''s imposing bodyguards were all lying on the ground, screaming in pain!


    Everyone rubbed their eyes, unable to believe what was happening right before their eyes!


    They hadn''t even seen how the young man had made his move, and those burly bodyguards had fallen one after another, no longer able to stand up.


    Xiao Yaning''s delicate mouth fell slightly open, her beautiful eyes filled with shock!


    Her gaze couldn''t help but be drawn to the somewhat slender figure, and for a moment, it seemed as if there was a light swirling around him!


    She now began to understand why Long Xiaobin had been so reverent towards him!


    Lv Shixin watched Su Chen and couldn''t help but shiver. Was this guy even human? How could he fight like that?


    "Have you finished eating?"


    Su Chen didn''t pay any attention to Lv Shixin but instead looked at Xiao Yaning.


    "Mhm, let''s go."


    Xiao Yaning felt a bit ufortable with the scene and wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    "Okay!"


    Su Chen nodded and took Xiao Yaning''s hand.


    Seeing the two about to leave, Lv Shixin''s heart suddenly rxed; he had been genuinely afraid that the young man would do something drastic.


    After walking a few steps, Su Chen suddenly stopped and turned to look at Lv Shixin.


    "What do you want to do? I warn you, I''m the Lv Family''s second Young Master! You better not mess around!"


    Su Chen heaved a sigh inwardly, wondering why all these young masters uttered the same words when they were afraid.


    If he really wanted to deal with him, would he care about their so-called families?


    But now, Su Chen had grown toozy to make a move against them, as long as they did not go too far.


    Of course, if they went over the line, Su Chen wouldn''t mind eliminating one or two scum, contributing to the social atmosphere.


    "Just to mention, Xiao Yaning is my woman. If you want to do something, you better be prepared to face the same consequences."


    Su Chen said indifferently, and after speaking, he left without looking back...


    "What are you looking at? Believe it or not, I''ll gouge your eyeballs out!"


    After Su Chen left, Lv Shixin yelled at those who were dining, his face turning into a single dark line, as if he saw everyone pointing and whispering about him in their hearts...


    "You dog couple, just wait! I won''t let you off!"


    Lv Shixin swore darkly to himself...


    ....


    "I''m off to work; are you heading back to the clubhouse?"


    After stepping out of the restaurant''s door, Su Chen asked.


    "Yeah, you should be careful these days, Lv Shixin is a mad dog," Xiao Yaning thought for a moment but still felt somewhat worried and advised.


    In her heart, no, in the hearts of the people of Jiangnan, the Four Great Families were still untouchable and on a high pedestal!


    Although Su Chen had already impressed Long Xiaobin, the Four Great Families were not something the Dragon Prosperity Society couldpare with.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be careful," Su Chen didn''t want her to worry. He nodded and thought to himself, "It''ll be best if he knows his ce, otherwise..."


    After separating at the entrance of the restaurant, Su Chen drove back to the Belle Building.


    But just as he returned to the security room and was about to lie down and rest, his phone rang.


    He took out his phone and saw that it was Lone Wolf calling; he quickly answered.


    "Hall Master, I''ve got bad news for you, brace yourself!"


    As soon as the call connected, he heard Lone Wolf''s voice, which sounded mournful.


    Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he quickly sat up:


    "Spit it out, what happened?"


    "Eniel ising to Huaxia."


    "What did you say?"


    He, who had been sitting, suddenly jumped up, his face filled with panic!

 Chapter 124 - 124 Of course, the stronger the drink, the better

    "Hall Master, I just wanted to give you a heads up, so you could be mentally prepared."


    After saying that, Lone Wolf hung up the phone.


    Su Chen''s hand holding the phone also drooped, his face ghastly pale like a frostbitten eggnt.


    "Su bro, what''s wrong with you? Are you sick?"


    Meng Shan passed by, nced at Su Chen, noticed something was off, and hastily asked with concern.


    "I''m fine, just go about your business!"


    Su Chen waved his hand, appearing very impatient.


    "Alright then, Su bro, call me if you need anything."


    Meng Shan could see that his mood wasn''t too good, so he walked away gloomily.


    "What should I do now?"


    Su Chen murmured to himself, frowning deeply.


    Not having contacted her for such a long time was bad enough, let alone if Eniel found out he was already married.


    Actually, Su Chen did miss her quite a bit, but he had no idea what kind of earth-shattering thing that woman might do.


    It was entirely possible that if her princess temper red up, she could go straight for Lin Ruoxue''s life.


    For the next half a day, Su Chen was in a state of anxious anticipation, so worried that he even failed to notice when it was time to leave work.


    This was absolutely unprecedented for Su Chen, who never stayed in the office a minute longer than necessary.


    Today Su Chen felt rather gloomy and really wanted a drink, so he drove to Ye Mei''s bar.


    "Howe you''re here?"


    At that moment, Ye Mei was on the first floor of the bar, instructing a waiter on something when she saw Su Chen suddenly appear and couldn''t help but feel curious, since it had been some days since they had seen each other.


    "Here for a drink," Su Chen forced a smile, then knocked on the bar, "A ss of rum."


    The waiter quickly ced the drink on the bar, and Su Chen picked it up and downed it in one go:


    "Another one."


    "This drink is too strong, maybe you should switch to something else," Ye Mei said softly, seeing that his mood wasn''t too good and gently persuading him.


    "What''s the point of drinking if not to drink something strong?"


    Su Chen chuckled, took the ss, and gulped down arge mouthful.


    After drinking a bit, Su Chen''s mood slightly improved.


    "Then I''ll join you."


    Ye Mei snatched the ss straight from Su Chen''s hand and finished the remaining half in one go.


    "Cough cough!"


    Ye Mei, having her first taste of such strong liquor, and a half-ss at that, started coughing right after finishing it, tears nearly welling up, feeling a burning sensation in her throat.


    "If you''re not used to it, why insist on taking my drink?"


    Su Chen shook his head andughed, well aware that Ye Mei was worried about him drinking too much.


    "I really don''t get why you like such strong drinks. They don''t taste good at all," Ye Mei said with reddened eyes.


    "This is a man''s drink, not meant for you women to consume."


    "Didn''t expect you to be such a chauvinist, even dividing drinks by gender," Ye Mei nced at him sideways, teasingly said,


    "Feeling better now?"


    "Much better, thanks to you," Su Chen looked into her eyes and said earnestly.


    "Why so formal!" Ye Mei also started feeling a bit awkward under his gaze...


    Meanwhile, in a VIP room of a nightclub in Jianghai, a young man with an extraordinary demeanor sat on a sofa, nked by two very attractive women on either side.


    Both women, who looked to be about eighteen or neen, were dressed in ck spaghetti strap dresses.


    At that moment, one of the women reached out her slender hand, feeding a grape into the young man''s mouth, then extended her hand, waiting for him to spit out the seed.


    The man''s hands, however, were not idle, constantly roaming over the two women''s bodies...


    Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a man with a "rabbit-like" face entered, his expression showing excitement.


    "Have you no manners anymore, don''t you know to knock?"


    The young man pulled a face and snorted.


    "Young Master, great news, great news!"


    "Rabbit Face" hurried over to the young man, speaking excitedly.


    "What great news?"


    The young man spit the grape seed into one of the woman''s hands and askedzily.


    "I have found a way to deal with that Su kid!"


    "What way? Spit it out!"


    Upon hearing this, the young man abruptly sat up straight.


    "Rabbit Face" nced at the two women on the sofa, hesitated, then stopped speaking.


    The young man immediately understood and shooed the two women out.


    "Speak, what way?"


    No sooner had the women left and closed the door, the young man asked impatiently.


    Thinking of that Su kid, he felt an itching hatred, wishing he could chop him into pieces and feed him to the dogs!


    This young man was none other than Wu Yuanpin, who had once been forced by Su Chen to lick food off the ground.


    Although he hadn''t gone looking for trouble with Su Chen these past days, that did not mean he had forgotten about the incident.


    That incident was an enormous humiliation for him, but unfortunately, the other person was too strong, and several of the experts he sent had been injured by him.


    In order not to give his elder uncle''s branch of the family an opportunity to cause trouble, he didn''t dare tell his family about it.


    But he had been waiting for an opportunity for revenge, so naturally, he was very excited to hear there was a way to deal with that guy!


    "Young Master, do you know about the Dark World?"


    "Rabbit Face" lowered his voice and looked at Wu Yuanpin with a mysterious air.


    "No, what''s that?"


    Wu Yuanpin shook his head. The Dark World, what was that? He had never even heard of it.


    "The Dark World is an order established separately from our world, where everyone is a top expert..."


    Before "Rabbit Face" could finish, Wu Yuanpin interrupted him impatiently:


    "What does all this have to do with dealing with that Su guy?"


    "There''s a top expert from the Dark World in Huaxia right now, we can pay him to take care of that Su fellow!"


    Despite being interrupted, "Rabbit Face" didn''t dare show any displeasure and directly stated his idea.


    "Paying someone to do it is fine, but Su is so skilled... Are you sure that person can handle him?"


    Wu Yuanpin still remembered the ck-robed man mentioning that Su''s strength was probablyparable to the three Rank Leaders of the family. He was doubtful whether the person in question had sufficient skill.


    "You can rest assured, Young Master. In the Dark World, there are two lists, the ck List and the Sky List, which rank the world''s assassins. The man I mentioned goes by ''Ghost'' and ranks sixteen on the ck List, his skill is more than enough to kill that Su!"


    "And how does this personpare to the three Rank Leaders of our family?"


    While the man sounded quite formidable, Wu Yuanpin remained cautious, as he was not clear about the true level of strength of the ck List''s sixteenth rank.


    For a clear reference, he asked how this person measured up against the three Rank Leaders of the family, especially since the ck-robed man had imed Su''s strength was on par with them.


    If this individual''s strength surpassed the three Rank Leaders, then dealing with Su would naturally not be a problem.


    As Wu Yuanpin''s close follower, "Rabbit Face" was well aware of the family''s three Rank Leaders.


    Upon hearing Wu Yuanpin''s question, "Rabbit Face" disyed a hint of scorn:


    "Those three Rank Leaders are far behind whenpared to him, they''re not even fit to carry his shoes!"

 Chapter 125 - 125 Dark World

    "How is that possible?"


    Wu Yuanpin eximed in shock, as in his eyes, the three Rank Leaders were already top-tier existences. Even when considering the entire Huaxia, the number of people who surpassed them could be counted on one hand.


    "What I''m telling you is the truth, Young Master. You also know that the Second Rank Leader is a bit lecherous. I often find him some beautiful women, so we have a pretty good rtionship,"


    "Rabbit Gentleman" said, winking,


    "He once told me about some things in the Dark World. He said that in the Dark World, he could only rank around 300 at most, and the Top Rank Leader could perhaps rank about 200 or even higher. But do you know what it means to be the sixteenth on the ck List? That''s at least top fifty, and even top thirty is possible!"


    "This Dark World is that amazing?!"


    Wu Yuanpin waspletely dumbfounded. The three Rank Leaders, who were once seen as his world''s pinnacle, were just ordinary yers in another''s eyes, whichpletely shattered his worldview.


    It''s not that I don''t understand; it''s that this world is too crazy!


    "And that''s not all! Young Master, did you know? Some of the big powers in the Dark World even control the governments of some small countries. Even strong nations like America and Luo Country don''t dare to provoke them because their presidents are human too. Offend them, and who knows, they might just drop dead suddenly!"


    "So those superpowers prefer to establish a semi-cooperative rtionship with them."


    "Please, we must invite this significant figure!"


    Wu Yuanpin pped his thigh in excitement, realizing that the stronger the opponent, the more assured he would be in dealing with that Su kid, right?


    Wu Yuanpin''s eyes zed with intense fervor; he seemed to have already envisioned Su Chen kneeling at his feet like a dead dog, instantly feeling an indescribable rush of pleasure!


    Moreover, if he established contact with such an impressive figure, what would he have to worry about in the future!


    "Young Master, about the fee..."


    "Rabbit Gentleman" showed a somewhat troubled expression on his face.


    "Money is not an issue, just say it, how much do you need?"


    Wu Yuanpin said carelessly, waving his hand grandly.


    "25 million US Dors!"


    "What?! That much?"


    Even as the Young Master of the Wu Family, Wu Yuanpin got quite a shock upon hearing the amount of money.


    "Young Master, you must understand who we''re dealing with. You know better than I do that you get what you pay for!"


    In fact, the real cost was only 20 million; the additional 5 million was tacked on by "Rabbit Gentleman."


    After all, following behind you, one should get a little something for future settlement needs, right?


    Who would want to listen to yourmands all day long for no benefit? They''re not that desperate!


    "You have a point, okay, no problem, I''ll pay!"


    Wu Yuanpin said through gritted teeth, his hatred for Su Chen overwhelming everything else!


    But this was still not a small sum, and Wu Yuanpin felt a pang of pain.


    .....


    After drinking several cups of alcohol and chatting with Ye Mei for a while, Su Chen returned home, feeling much better.


    He figured out that worrying was useless; if trouble came, he would face it head-on.


    He didn''t believe he couldn''t handle a woman!


    By the time he got back to the vi, it was already veryte; Lin Ruoxue and Wang Ma were both asleep, so Su Chen went straight to his room to start his cultivation practice.


    He felt that since entering the Fifth Layer Realm of Qi Refinement, his cultivation speed had slowedpared to before, but this was quite understandable, as cultivation was always more challenging towards theter stages.


    It was like climbing a mountain, where the steepest and hardest parts are near the summit!


    Therefore, Su Chen wasn''t in too much of a hurry and continued his routine cultivation. He knew that in cultivation, a clear and unhurried mind was crucial, and one should never rush for quick sess.


    After cultivating through the night, Su Chen wasn''t just undisturbed but seemed more spirited than ever.


    As always, he took a cold shower and then started making breakfast.


    When Wang Ma got up and saw him cooking, she had grown ustomed to it and began to clean the house.


    When breakfast was ready, Wang Ma had almost finished cleaning, and at that moment, Lin Ruoxue also came downstairs.


    "Oh, you''reing with me to a banquet tonight."


    Lin Ruoxue mentioned casually while they were having breakfast.


    "What banquet?"


    Su Chen paused in his actions and asked with some confusion.


    "It''s the celebration banquet for the sessful coboration between Belle Corporation and Yun Corporation, and wasn''t it all thanks to you?"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a look, speaking in an irritated tone. When would this guy start focusing on serious matters?


    "Isn''t it enough for you to attend the celebration? What''s the point of me going?"


    Su Chen indeed had little interest in such banquets, where everyone was insincere, seemingly harmonious but actually only interested in their own benefits.


    "You''ll be my malepanion."


    Lin Ruoxue said indifferently, her face still showing little emotion.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately showed an incredulous expression, his mouth falling slightly open.


    After a while, he twisted ufortably and said:


    "Isn''t that kind of inappropriate? You''re the CEO, and I''m just a small-time driver. I better not go."


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s anger red up instantly. She had taken a long time to decide to invite him, and now this jerk was putting on airs.


    "Are you going or not!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face suddenly turned cold, as frosty as thousand-year ice.


    "Yes, yes, yes!"


    Su Chen hurriedly nodded, like a startled little deer.


    "Even though you''re mypanion, you still must not reveal our rtionship!"


    With him agreeing to attend, Lin Ruoxue''s expression eased a bit, but she still cautioned him.


    "Tch, I don''t even want people to know that I''m married to an ice sculpture!"


    Su Chen muttered under his breath, clearly dissatisfied.


    "What did you say!"


    Just as Lin Ruoxue''s anger had started to subside, it red up again at his words. She was about to explode but was interrupted by Wang Ma.


    "Hurry up and eat, you can talkter. Otherwise, breakfast will get cold."


    Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to swallow the anger rising in her chest and start eating breakfast sullenly.


    "By the way, dress more formally tonight, not likest time."


    A whileter, Lin Ruoxue suddenly said, referring to the time her mother Zhang Xin had her birthday.


    That day he hade in a T-shirt and big shorts, and to this day, the Lin Family members still teased him about it.


    Su Chen nodded; the issuest time was that his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue had been like that of strangers, which is why he couldn''t be bothered to dress up.


    But things were different now. Over the past few months, their rtionship had noticeably improved, and besides, this was a formal dinner involving the image of Belle Corporation, so he agreed to it.


    Seeing him agree, Lin Ruoxue finally breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment, she asked uncertainly:


    "Do you have any formal clothes?"


    "No, I''ll go out and buy a set at noon."


    Su Chen shook his head; all his clothes were still at Nether Temple.


    "Forget it, I''ll go with you to buy themter."


    With many important guests returning for tonight''s banquet, it was quite significant, so she was not entirely confident about her unreliable husband.

 Chapter 126: Salty Pigs Hand

    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue made a phone call back to her corporation, informing her secretary, Chen Guo, that she wouldn''t be going to the office that morning.


    Then, around nine o''clock, she drove with Su Chen to the Kai Shopping Mall.


    Kai Shopping Mall is aprehensive mall and ranks among the top in Jianghai.


    The first floor houses various general merchandise, the second floor is for women''s wear, and the third floor is for men''s wear.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t have the habit of browsing through malls, so she took Su Chen directly to the third floor.


    They casually strolled around first and discovered that the ce indeed had everything one could imagine, like Corneliani, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Zegna... all had their boutiques, and they casually walked into a Dolce & Gabbana store.


    As soon as the two of them entered, they immediately attracted everyone''s attention in the store, and of course, all eyes were on Lin Ruoxue, while Su Chen was automatically ignored.


    Both men and women were stunned by Lin Ruoxue''s celestial beauty and unparalleled perfect figure!


    Su Chen sighed, as they had faced the same issue when they were walking outside earlier: wherever Lin Ruoxue went, the turn-back rate was absolutely 100%, mesmerizing men and women of all ages!


    It seems having a wife with too much charm can indeed be a troublesome affair!


    "You are Lin Ruoxue?!"


    Suddenly a surprised voice sounded, belonging to a young woman, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, who was with her boyfriend shopping for clothes.


    Upon hearing her voice, everyone''s eyes widened in disbelief!


    Upon closer inspection, she indeed closely resembled the perfect woman from the magazines!


    Lin Ruoxue just smiled and nodded her head. Even though she was smiling, she still gave off a cold demeanor, which was actually just her natural temperament.


    "President Lin, could you give me an autograph?"


    "President Lin, can we take a picture together?"


    "President Lin, our whole family really likes you!"


    "President Lin, I was your junior in school, we..."


    Once Lin Ruoxue confirmed her identity, everyone went crazy and rushed over.


    Lin Ruoxue usually didn''t go shopping, and she hadn''t expected herself to cause such a huge sensation.


    Since these people were fans of his wife, Su Chen initially did not get involved.


    But when he saw a man sneakily extending his hand towards Lin Ruoxue in the noisy crowd, intent on inappropriate behavior, Su Chen immediately took action.


    "Ah~~~ It hurts, you jerk, what are you doing?"


    The guy who had been intending to misbehave thought he was about to touch the dream goddess''s body, and just as he was getting excited, suddenly a big hand fiercely grabbed his wrist and twisted it.


    His body immediately turned awkwardly, and his outstretched arm hung in the air.


    The others surrounding Lin Ruoxue were also taken aback by this sudden scene and stared nkly, not understanding what had happened.


    "Su Chen, what happened?" Lin Ruoxue asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "Let him exin it himself." Su Chen exerted a slight force on his hand, and that guy immediately started howling, "Speak up, what were you just doing?"


    "What did I do? I just wanted to take a photo with President Lin. Why are you grabbing me?"


    The guy lied smoothly, as he obviously couldn''t admit he was trying to take advantage. Otherwise, he would certainly have been beaten up by Lin Ruoxue''s fans.


    Even if these people weren''t Lin Ruoxue''s fans, he wouldn''t fare any better; he knew people despised such indecent acts.


    "President, your bodyguard is reallycking in manners, totally unreasonable!" the guy even turned the tables against him first.


    Hearing this, the others also looked at Su Chen with suspicion.


    "It seems you''re not nning to confess honestly."


    Su Chen didn''t pay attention to the gazes of others, a slight smile lifting the corners of his mouth, revealing a trace of a smirk.


    He was almost admiring the guy''s acting skills; even now, he still pretended to be so righteous and aggrieved.


    By now, Lin Ruoxue hade to understand Su Chen to some extent, so she didn''t speak, leaving the matter entirely to Su Chen to handle.


    "I haven''t done anything, what do you want me to confess?"


    The person had already decided to stubbornly deny everything, since the other party had no evidence, there was nothing to fear!


    "Do you think I can''t do anything to you just because I don''t have evidence?"


    Su Chen said lightly with a smile on his lips.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the person''s heart skipped a beat. How did he know what I was thinking?


    "Don''t worry, you will tell the truth."


    Su Chen tilted his head and smiled, suddenly producing a silver needle in his hand.


    "What are you going to do?"


    Seeing the silver needle shining with a cold light, the person couldn''t help but feel a bit frightened.


    Su Chen didn''t pay attention to the person and quickly moved his hand like lightning, inserting the silver needle into his other arm.


    "You..."


    "Snap!"


    The person had just uttered a word when he involuntarily raised his arm and fiercely pped himself.


    "This..."


    "Snap!"


    The person was terrified and just about to ask what was happening when he involuntarily pped himself again with a loud smack.


    Everyone else was also stunned, their mouths twitching continuously; they didn''t understand why this guy suddenly started hitting himself, and so forcefully too¡ªit looked painful.


    When they saw the silver needle on his arm, they immediately understood that it must be the young man''s doing.


    Realizing this, everyone felt a chill down their spines. What kind of technique was this? It was simply unfathomable!


    Meanwhile, the guy kept pping his own face, each p seeming to use all his strength. One side of his face hadpletely swollen up like a pig''s head, and he couldn''t utter a single word.


    Lin Ruoxue, standing nearby, looked at Su Chen with a peculiar expression. Was what he had told herst time actually true? Could he really be some kind of Ghost Doctor?


    "Now it''s up to you whether or not you want to talk. If you don''t, the pping will continue," Su Chen said indifferently. "By the way, I should tell you that only I can remove this needle. If you randomly have someone else take it out, don''t me me if your arm bes useless."


    "If you don''t believe me, feel free to try."


    Su Chen casually shrugged his shoulders.


    "*£¤&;#@~~~"


    The guy stuttered a bunch of gibberish that couldn''t be understood clearly.


    During this time, he must have pped himself at least seven or eight more times. One side of his face even began to ooze some blood, looking quite pitiful.


    "Oh, I forgot you can''t talk right now," Su Chen suddenly realized, pping his forehead in a sudden moment of rity. "How about this: if you''re willing to talk, just nod. If you''re not, there''s no need to shake your head, just keep pping yourself."


    Having said this, Su Chen crossed his arms in front of his chest and leisurely began to watch the scene unfold.


    After all, he wasn''t in a hurry¡­

 Chapter 127 - 127 Perfect Man

    The man quickly pped himself while nodding his head, looking quiteical.


    "Alright, I''ll let you go for today."


    Su Chen brushed his hand, and the Silver Needle on the man''s arm vanished.


    "Okay, you can speak now."


    "Er... No... At that time, I wanted Dongfang''s tofu."


    The man lowered his head as he spoke, not daring to look at the crowd. But as soon as he finished, Su Chen pped the back of his head:


    "What the hell are you saying? Speak clearly! If you don''t clean up your act, I''ll give you a taste of what you just felt!"


    The man jolted in fright and, despite the sharp pain on his face, tried his best to enunciate clearly and repeat his sentence.


    It was then that the crowd understood what he was saying¡ªI originally wanted to eat Lin''s president''s tofu.


    "Beat him to death, this trash!"


    "Yes, this scum, a social reject!"


    "How dare he think of eating my goddess''s tofu, he''s asking for death!"


    Upon hearing that he had intended to eat Lin Ruoxue''s tofu, the crowd immediately became furious, everyone was ready to throw punches.


    Especially the women; at this moment, they were even fiercer than the men. They indiscriminately grabbed his hair, and some stretched out their long nails to scratch his face and body.


    Even more, when the guy was crouching on the ground covering his face, someone in high heels kicked him...


    In the end, it was the manager who, fearing trouble, spent a long time calming the people down before they reluctantly backed off.


    When the crowd dispersed, his clothes were all torn, and his body was covered in bruises and not a patch of skin was left unscathed.


    The guy also wanted to cry but had no tears; he had only wanted to sneakily steal a tofu but ended up in such a plight without even getting a taste.


    As the man limped out of the store, loudughter erupted from behind; he hurriedly quickened his pace to leave this sorrowful ce...


    "Manager Lin, is there anything I can do for you?"


    Knowing Lin Ruoxue''s identity, the manager naturally came over to tend to her personally.


    The other people were also taken aback. Why would Lin Ruoxue visit a men''s clothing store? Maybe she was buying clothes for a male family member?


    "Get him a suit, something suitable for a dinner event."


    Lin Ruoxue casually indicated Su Chen next to her.


    As soon as she spoke, not only the manager was stunned, but everyone else was too.


    Wasn''t he Lin Ruoxue''s bodyguard? Why would Lin Ruoxue buy clothes for him?


    Although everyone in Jianghai knew that Lin Ruoxue was generous with her staff, being generous didn''t usually extend to buying clothes, and certainly not apanied by her personally!


    You should never underestimate the gossip-loving heart of the people, especially when the subject is a celebrity like Lin Ruoxue.


    "Could this man be Manager Lin''s boyfriend?"


    "How could that be? You''ve watched too many idol dramas."


    "Exactly, look at this guy, his clothes are clearly those of a security guard or a driver. How could Lin Ruoxue fall for him?"


    "True, although his skill with the Silver Needle just now wasn''t bad, he''s simply from a different worldpared to Lin Ruoxue!"


    "Actually, don''t say that. This man does have a kind of enduring look to him, it''s not impossible for Lin Ruoxue to be involved with him."


    Some women scrutinized Su Chen closely and muttered.


    "Please, with which eye do you see him as enduring? Seriously, women are so clueless. If Lin Ruoxue ever has a boyfriend, he''d definitely be a young master or an elite returnee from abroad, not someone like him."


    The voice emitting this sound was naturally a man''s, tinged with a hint of sour grapes.


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue heard the crowd''s discussions too, but since neither cared much about others'' opinions, they didn''t bother to exin.


    Su Chen thought if these people knew he was Lin Ruoxue''s husband, he wondered what their reaction would be! It seemed quite amusing to him.


    At that moment, the store manager also realized something and quickly said:


    "Right this way, please. These are all thetest designs of the season, Miss Lin and this gentleman can take a look."


    For someone of Lin Ruoxue''s stature, the manager naturally rmended the best items in the store.


    "No need, I''ll look around myself."


    Su Chen waved his hand and then began to browse around the store. When he saw a blue suit hanging on the farthest rack, his eyes lit up immediately.


    "This one will do."


    Su Chen casually took the suit off the rack.


    "Sir, that''s a style from five years ago, it''s quite outdated. Maybe you''d like to look at some other options?"


    The manager, seeing the suit, sincerely suggested this because they had nned to sell that piece at a 70% discount.


    "Pick another one."


    After hearing the manager''s words, Lin Ruoxue also gently suggested.


    "No need, just this one," Su Chen slightly raised his hand and said, "Honestly, this is the only piece in your store that even slightly catches my eye."


    The manager was displeased when he heard this. What did he mean by only this piece catches his eye, and only slightly at that?


    What about all the other clothes?


    The other customers in the store were also quite annoyed by this remark, wasn''t it indirectly questioning their taste?


    Everyone looked at Su Chen in a way that brought the same word to their minds¡ªshow-off!


    "Then try it on first, if it doesn''t work, we''ll find another one."


    Seeing his insistence, Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to agree but decided to have him try it on first for safety''s sake.


    If it looked alright, she would let him have his way.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen nodded and went into the fitting room. Before he went in, Lin Ruoxue picked another shirt and handed it to him.


    A momentter, Su Chen came out of the fitting room in his new clothes.


    But as he stepped out, he saw the waiting Lin Ruoxue staring at him with wide, moist eyes, showing a shocked expression, as if she didn''t recognize him.


    At that moment, a voice in Lin Ruoxue''s heart was saying: So handsome, so stylish!


    Previously, Su Chen always dressed in baggy t-shirts and shorts, which made him look a bit thin, but actually, Su Chen''s physique had always been quite standard.


    Now, wearing a more fitting shirt and suit jacket, he showcased his perfect figure.


    His inherently somewhat delicate face now also had a special mature vor.


    These two conflicting feelings on one face gave him an even stronger sense of Eastern mystique!


    The more Lin Ruoxue looked at him, the more she found him good-looking and pleasing to the eye!


    For some reason, Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt that elegance, nobility, wildness, free-spiritedness, coldness, and mystery were all perfectly fused together in him!


    She almost felt as if he transcended the mundane world, like an angele from heaven filled with a divine sense yet also like a lord from the Netherworld exuding a cold, mysterious air!


    It wasn''t just the two of them. Otherdies and gentlemen in the store, for a moment, were somewhat dazed too.

 Chapter 128: Desirable Su Chen

    "He''s too charming!"


    "So handsome!"


    "How can there be such a perfect man in the world!"


    ...


    The women instantly turned into fangirls, staring at Su Chen with nk minds.


    The men, seeing their femalepanions'' reactions, didn''t feel jealous. Instead, they felt inferior!


    Simply because the difference was too great!


    Now looking at him and Lin Ruoxue, the previous disharmony was gone, only to say they were a perfect match!


    If one had to differentiate between the two, perhaps Lin Ruoxue was slightly out of her league. This was mainly because the man''s charisma at that time was truly extraordinary.


    "What, are you stupefied?"


    Su Chen gently tapped on Lin Ruoxue''s shoulder, bringing her back to reality.


    "Hmm, pretty decent looking."


    Lin Ruoxue pretended to be nonchnt, but in reality, her heart was beating chaotically.


    Seeing her stubbornness, Su Chen didn''t say much, a slight smile lifting the corners of his mouth, revealing a mischievous grin.


    Seeing Su Chen''s mischievous smile, thedies present once again swooned, nearly fainting.


    "Alright, let''s settle the bill."


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue, without a hint of embarrassment of being a kept man.


    The women didn''t see anything wrong with it, and if possible, they were all willing to let him be a kept man too.


    But ncing at Lin Ruoxue, they felt this idea was somewhat far-fetched!


    Whether in terms of wealth or appearance, they were far behind Lin Ruoxue.


    At this point, almost everyone believed that they might really be a couple!


    After paying, just as they were preparing to leave, the store manager hesitantly made a request:


    "Sir, may I take a photo of you to disy in our shop window?"


    "No problem!"


    For such a small request, Su Chen naturally wouldn''t refuse.


    But what stunned him was, as the store manager brought out the camera, other women also raised their phones, rushing to take photos of him.


    For a moment, Su Chen felt like he was a panda being exhibited...


    This scene also made Lin Ruoxue feel a mix of amusement and disbelief. When had this guy be such a big deal?


    ....


    After returning from the Kayle Mall, they first went home to put away their clothes and changed into staff uniforms before they drove back to the Belle Building.


    Just as Su Chen parked the car in the parking lot, he received a text message from Xia Qiuru, asking him toe to her office immediately after returning to the corporation.


    Su Chen looked at the message and was puzzled, wondering what Xia Qiuru, who had been avoiding him these days, wanted from him.


    He shook his head. Since he couldn''t figure it out, why not just go and ask her?


    Now for Su Chen, entering Xia Qiuru''s office was just like entering Lin Ruoxue''s office; he just pushed the door and entered.


    At that time, Xia Qiuru was resting her elbows on her hands, frowning in thought. She suddenly felt someone entering and was about to reprimand.


    But when she saw it was Su Chen, she held back her words, and her face even flushed a bit because the person she had just been thinking about was this troublemaker!


    "Qiuru, what did you need me for?"


    Su Chen saw an apple that had been eaten halfway on Xia Qiuru''s desk, picked it up, and took a bite.


    Honestly, he was quite thirsty, and after taking a bite, he put the apple back in its ce.


    Xia Qiuru stared at the row of bite marks on the apple, her face turning even more shy.


    Was this guy doing it on purpose? If she ate it again, wouldn''t that mean she was eating his saliva?


    "What''s the matter? Don''t tell me you''re so stingy that you can''t even share a bite of your apple?"


    Su Chen saw Xia Qiuru''s expression changing continuously, her eyes fixed on the apple, so he asked aloud.


    "How can I eat it now?"


    Xia Qiuru red at him reproachfully.


    "What''s the big deal? It''s just being picky."


    Su Chen pursed his lips. To tell the truth, he had also realized something was amiss, but he couldn''t admit it aloud.


    "Do you actually want me to eat your saliva?"


    In the end, Xia Qiuru picked up the apple and threw it into the trash.


    "As if we haven''t shared that before!"


    Su Chen blurted out without thinking.


    But as soon as he had spoken, both became suddenly silent, involuntarily remembering that windy, moonless night in the car.


    Xia Qiuru''s face turnedpletely red, like a ripe peach about to drip with juice...


    Su Chen was also extremely embarrassed, cursing himself internally for being such a fool!


    For a moment, the air seemed to be filled with an ambiguous atmosphere, and silence sometimes only served to make things slide toward a worse scenario.


    Aplex emotion spread in the hearts of both, as if something was sinking...


    "Ahem, I should head out first."


    Su Chen looked at Xia Qiuru uneasily.


    "Alright."


    Xia Qiuru instinctively nodded, feeling a warmth in her body.


    But before Su Chen reached the door, Xia Qiuru''s voice called out again.


    "Wait a moment."


    "Qiuru, what else is there?"


    Su Chen stopped in his tracks and turned around.


    "This, that..." Xia Qiuru hesitated, then said, "This evening, our corporation and Yun Corporation have a celebration banquet. Did you know?"


    Su Chen nodded:


    "I''ve heard, what about it?"


    "I was thinking, I was thinking..."


    "Thinking what?"


    Seeing her hesitant speech, Su Chen tilted his head and asked.


    "I want you to be my malepanion!"


    Taking a deep breath, Xia Qiuru mustered her courage and looked up at Su Chen as she spoke.


    "This, this..."


    Now it was Su Chen''s turn to be at a loss for words, his face showing a bit of difficulty.


    "What, you don''t want to? If not, forget it."


    Xia Qiuru, seeing his reluctant look, started to get somewhat annoyed.


    "It''s not like that..."


    "Then what is it?"


    At that moment, Xia Qiuru felt very wronged; tears nearly escaping her eyes. She had taken such an initiative as a woman, yet you still...


    "Well, Ms. Lin has also asked me to be herpanion, and I''ve already agreed to her, so..."


    Su Chen said softly, somehow feeling a bit guilty in his heart.


    Upon hearing this, Xia Qiuru waspletely stunned, feeling rather surreal.


    Ms. Lin had actually invited him to be herpanion?


    She knew that Lin Ruoxue usually attended these banquets alone, never with a malepanion.


    But why would Lin Ruoxue invite him to be herpanion?


    What exactly was their rtionship?


    For a moment, many thoughts shed through Xia Qiuru''s mind, and her expression gradually darkened.


    "Let''s just forget about it then."


    Xia Qiuru forced a weak smile, ultimately not voicing the doubts in her heart.

 Chapter 129: Little Wife

    The Belle Hotel was located in the bustling center of Jianghai City and was one of the few five-star hotels in Jianghai.


    By a little past six in the evening, the entrance of the Belle Hotel was already filled with a variety of luxury cars. Any car worth less than a million seemed somewhat out of ce here.


    Although the Belle Hotel was usually bustling with guests, today, it was even livelier than usual, and the standards were set higher.


    Because today, there was to be a celebration of the sessful cooperation between the Belle Group and Yun Corporation. One was led by the CEO known as the number one beauty of Jiangnan, and the other belonged to one of the Four Great Families, the Yun Family.


    Just hearing this headliner was enough to cause a sensation; many businessmen had used their various connections to attend this celebration.


    If they could seize this opportunity to get acquainted with the Yun Family, it would be a step to the heavens. Even establishing a connection with the Belle Group would be immensely beneficial.


    Even if none of these opportunities came to pass, merely getting a close look at Lin Ruoxue, the number one beauty of Jiangnan, made it worth the effort!


    Although Lin Ruoxue was the host, she didn''t actually need toe early to greet the guests; arriving on time was enough.


    The rest was all well arranged by the hotel staff, and Xia Qiuru along with some of thepany''s senior executives had arrived early. They would entertain some of the important guests on behalf of Lin Ruoxue.


    Surprisingly, the people from the Yun Family had all arrived early as well.


    When Yunlong appeared, he was apanied by a woman who had a beautiful face and a fine figure, and her demeanor was notcking either.


    As soon as Yunlong walked in, those who had been waiting rushed to greet him.


    The businessmen initially thought that the woman with Yunlong was his new girlfriend, but a reminder from someone else told them she was actually his sister, the young mistress of the Yun Family¡ªYunyao.


    The businessmen who were not acquainted with Yunyao secretly felt relieved; a careless word could have spelled trouble for them.


    It wasn''t surprising, really, as Yunyao seldom attended such events, so it was quite normal that not many people recognized her.


    "Get lost, all of you, get lost!"


    Yunlong, feeling irritated by the crowd''s incessant buzzing, waved his hand to shoo them away.


    Facing Yunlong, who was nicknamed "Madman," those people didn''t dare to say a word and obediently dispersed.


    "Yunlong, you really need to work on your temper," Yunyao said as she looked at her brother''s careless demeanor, "These are all people from the business world. Even if you don''t like them, you should still exchange a few polite words."


    "Cut it out, as if your temper is any better. When you get fiery, even I get scared!"


    "What did you say?"


    Yunyao''s eyebrows suddenly furrowed, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at Yunlong.


    "I misspoke, sis, don''t be mad."


    Yunlong, seeing Yunyao''s expression, was startled and quickly apologized.


    But it was already toote; Yunyao''s ear-pulling skills were perfected, and with a swift move, she grabbed Yunlong''s ear:


    "Getting bold, are we? Daring to mock your sister!"


    "Let go, let go, it hurts!"


    Yunlong quickly pleaded with both hands.


    "This will teach you a lesson."


    Yunyao knocked his forehead with her other hand before finally letting go.


    "You''re really a violent woman! Who would dare to marry you in the future!"


    Yunlong muttered under his breath.


    "Hm? What did you say, itching for more trouble?"


    Yunyao gave him a cold, sidelong nce, causing Yunlong''s heart to skip a beat.


    "Nothing, I didn''t say anything." Yunlong quickly gestured with his hands, then whispered, "Sis, when my boss arrivester, I''ll introduce him to you."


    "Who exactly is your boss? You''ve been talking about him every day; I''m nearly getting calluses on my ears,"


    Yunyao was also very curious about who this person her brother talked about really was!


    Given her brother''s usually proud temperament, his admiration for that person was remarkable!


    "I don''t know the boss''s identity, but I am sure he is a true chosen one of the heavens!"


    Yunlong said proudly, with a proud and gratified expression emerging on his face.


    "It''s a shame the boss is already married, otherwise I would have introduced you to him. I reckon only a man like the boss could tame you."


    Yunlong shook his head and sighed, showing a hint of regret.


    Upon hearing this, Yunyao was momentarily speechless. Was this brother really her own blood?


    You indulge in hero-worship yourself, but do you really need to sell out your own sister as well?


    Little did she know that what he would say next was going to make Yunyao spit blood.


    "Actually, for a man like the boss to have several women is quite normal. Sister, you could be his mistress!"


    Yunlong pondered for a moment and spoke, his expression serious as if he was really considering the possibility.


    "Do you want to die?"


    Yunyao''s face turned cold as she spoke sharply, what was this guy thinking?


    Actually suggesting that she be the so-called boss''s mistress? That was simply ridiculous!


    For her, the great Miss Yun, to be someone''s mistress? Saying that out loud would probably make peopleugh their heads off.


    For a moment, Yunyao thought that this "boss" from Yunlong''s mouth was some cult leader who had brainwashed her brother!


    Otherwise, how could he say such absurd things?


    "Don''t look so unwilling. The boss has very high standards. It''s not even certain whether he would take a fancy to you or not!"


    Yunlong slightly pouted and muttered, guessing that one wouldn''t catch the boss''s eye without exceptional natural beauty and grace.


    This could be deduced from the wife the boss had chosen¡ªLin Ruoxue was what sort of woman, unanimously recognized as the foremost beauty of Jiangnan!


    Although his sister was also quite a beauty, she was still slightly inferiorpared to Lin Ruoxue.


    At this, Yunyao nearly cked out and almost copsed to the floor; she had always been confident in her looks and figure!


    How had ite to her not even being worthy of being someone''s mistress?


    "Tch, tch, tch, what am I even thinking? Am I, the great Miss Yun, someone to be made a mistress?"


    Yunyao''s face alternated between red and ck, all thanks to Yunlong, that scoundrel, for dragging her down this mental road.


    Just as she was ready to give Yunlong''s mouth a good fixing, someone nearby suddenly said, "President Lin has arrived."


    Yunlong and Yunyao immediately turned their heads to look towards the entrance.


    What entered the hotel door was a couple, whose appearance was so striking it dazzled everyone present.


    A truly handsome man and a beautiful woman!


    The two seemed as if they had stepped right out of a painting, with an otherworldly aura!


    Lin Ruoxue was dressed in a white gossamer dress, exuding an aura of purity, and her features were so exquisite they were beyond reproach!


    Su Chen, on the other hand, was in a blue suit, which perfectly showcased his outstanding physique.


    The hint of a devilish smile at the corner of his mouth added a touch of nobility and mystique!

 Chapter 130: Big Brother

    "He really deserves to be the boss!"


    It was also the first time Yunlong had seen Su Chen dressed like this, and he couldn''t help but sigh in admiration.


    However, when he noticed that many people had gathered around, he didn''t join the crowd, nning to greet himter.


    "Is he the man you were talking about?"


    Yunyao was somewhat bedazzled when she first saw this man!


    "Mhm, what do you think? The boss is pretty good, isn''t he? Feeling a bit heartstruck, are you?"


    Yunlong teased her, squeezing her shoulder.


    "Who said that? Not at all!"


    Although Yunyao said this, a hint of redness had already crept up on her face quietly.


    But as she looked at the man, she suddenly felt he was somewhat familiar, yet she couldn''t quite remember where from right away.


    From afar, Xia Qiuru stared at Su Chen, also not expecting him to be so dazzling today!


    This man really wasn''t an ordinary person!


    Xia Qiuru thought to herself, only her heart was a bit bitter as she watched him intimately arm in arm with Lin Ruoxue!


    Lin Ruoxue, faced with everyone''spliments, nodding and indicating with a hand on Su Chen''s arm, was still maintaining a professional smile.


    This sort of thing was second nature to her by now.


    After a while, after everyone had greeted each other, they all dispersed.


    Those who really wanted to make connections would certainly not choose this moment; they would definitely wait for a more convenient moment when they could talk privately.


    Even though the crowd had dispersed, people''s gazes still focused on the two, and they began to specte about Su Chen''s identity.


    "What do you guys think this man does?"


    "Don''t know, probably some big shot from out of town?"


    "Yeah, probably, otherwise why would he be Lin Ruoxue''s malepanion?"


    "What do you think their rtionship is?"


    "Isn''t that obvious, they must be a couple, when have you ever seen Lin Ruoxue bring a malepanion to a banquet?"


    "Speaking of which, this could get interesting, I heard Young Master Liu was alsoing tonight."


    "Really? Then this trip is definitely worth it."


    A bizarreugh suddenly broke out in the crowd...


    "Cut it out, that guy is not any big shot!"


    Someone who knew the inside story scoffed.


    "What''s going on? Do you know something we don''t?"


    Everyone else pricked up their ears.


    "That guy is not any big shot, he''s just a driver for the Belle Corporation."


    "What?"


    The crowd was stunned for a moment, what the heck? A driver?


    "For real? He doesn''t look like a driver."


    "Of course it''s true, an employee from the Belle Corporation just mentioned it earlier. As for looking the part, doesn''t the saying go, ''Fine feathers make fine birds''?"


    The person divulging the information acted somewhat smug, believing they held insider information.


    "Then he''s definitely not Lin Ruoxue''s partner, how could Lin Ruoxue possibly choose a driver? She probably just saw that he looked decent and asked him to pose as her malepanion for the time being."


    The others nodded in agreement, epting this judgment.


    "Big brother, over here!"


    Just then, an abrupt voice rang out.


    The crowd followed the voice, only to see Yunlong vigorously waving in a certain direction.


    After calling out, Yunlong excitedly pulled Yunyao and ran over that way.


    The crowd was shocked; whom was Young Master Yun calling for?


    Who could this person be, that even the "madman" of the Yun family would address as "big brother"?


    However, when they saw Yunlong, with Yunyao in tow, approach Su Chen and respectfully call out "big brother" once more, everyone was dumbstruck!


    Especially the person who had just leaked the information that Su Chen was a driver, now felt their face burn with embarrassment.


    ```


    Are you kidding me? Could someone who makes Yun Family''s Young Master call him big brother be just an ordinary driver?


    Even if he''s a driver, he''s the fighter jet among drivers, okay!


    People wanted to move closer to hear what they were saying, but thinking of Yun Family''s Young Master''s glorious deeds, they all stopped in their tracks.


    "Big brother, you''re here!"


    Yunlong walked up to him and excitedly called out. He called Su Chen big brother because a few days ago when they had ate-night snack together, Su Chen said now that he''s no longer in the army, he shouldn''t be called ''boss''.


    So Yunlong had no qualms about calling him big brother, and Su Chen didn''t seem to mind either.


    "Hello, sister-inw!"


    Yunlong then turned to Lin Ruoxue with respect and greeted her.


    Lin Ruoxue''s face instantly turned red. This was the first time someone had called her sister-inw, and it felt quite strange to her.


    "Hmm."


    Although she was very shy, Lin Ruoxue still nodded in response, but her voice was so soft that only she could hear it.


    Yunyao, standing beside them, was surprised. So Yunlong''s ''big brother'' was actually the man of Lin Ruoxue, the number one beauty of Jiangnan!


    No wonder Yunlong said he had high standards a moment ago!


    Yunyao might also be a super beauty, but even in front of someone like Lin Ruoxue, she still felt considerable pressure.


    "Big brother, let me introduce you, this is my sister, Yunyao. Sister, this is the ''boss'' I was telling you about, Su Chen."


    Yunlong enthusiastically introduced them, and Yunyao found Su Chen to be more familiar the more she looked at him.


    "Hello, I''m Su Chen."


    Since the person was Yunlong''s sister, it wouldn''t hurt to get to know her. He reached out his hand.


    "It''s you?!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s voice, Yunyao immediately remembered where she had seen him before.


    So the man her brother had been talking about every day was him¡ªtalk about a small world indeed!


    "Miss, do we know each other?"


    Su Chen was puzzled. He took a closer look at Yunyao but truly had no recollection of her.


    "Who are you calling miss? Your whole family are misses!"


    Yunyao jumped up as if someone had stepped on her tail.


    "Yunlong, is your sister sick or what? She''s acting like she''s eaten gunpowder!"


    Yunyao''s reaction left Su Chen feeling utterly baffled,pletely unreasonable!


    "You''re the one who''s eaten gunpowder." Yunyao immediately shot back, then through gritted teeth, she said, "Take a good look at me, do you really not recognize me?"


    "Truly, I don''t recognize you!"


    Su Chen took another look at Yunyao, and he had to admit that Yunlong''s sister indeed was quite beautiful¡ªit''s no wonder Yunlong kept telling him how pretty his sister was and wanted to introduce her to him!


    But Su Chen really had no memory of her!


    "Since you''re so forgetful, let me jog your memory." Ayer of Ice Frost surfaced on Yunyao''s face as she said, "Belle Restaurant, outside the restroom!"


    "Belle Restaurant? Restroom?"


    Su Chen carefully thought back, then suddenly pped his forehead and realized:


    "Oh, it''s you! I''m really sorry about that day, I drank too much."


    With Yunyao''s reminder, Su Chen finally remembered that day''s scene. Meng Shan and Liu Yuan had invited him out for a meal, he had drunk a bit too much, and then he vomited by the restroom door, just so happened to hit a woman.


    He hadn''t expected that woman to be Yunlong''s sister.


    "Big brother, what''s this about? What''s this Belle Restaurant, and what about a restroom?"


    Yunlong too was confused by their exchange, while Lin Ruoxue looked at them with scrutinizing eyes.


    "Oh, that day I went to Belle to dine with two colleagues, and I had a bit too much to drink. I vomited right outside the restroom, and it just so happened tond on your sister."


    Though Su Chen was speaking to Yunlong, his true intent was to exin it to Lin Ruoxue.


    "Oh, so that''s what happened." Yunlong turned to Yunyao and said, "Sister, it was all just a misunderstanding! Is it really worth getting that angry over?"


    "Not only did he vomit on me, he also..."


    "What else did he do?" Yunlong eagerly asked.


    "Oh, nothing."


    Yunyao shook her head and didn''t continue. Otherwise, would she really tell them this man not only vomited on her, but also touched her thigh?


    ```

 Chapter 131: Yunlongs Trap for His Sister

    Thinking about what this guy had done that day, Yunyao still felt as if there were ants crawling on her thigh!


    They say a woman''s intuition is the most sensitive and urate, and Lin Ruoxue looked suspiciously at the two, feeling that things were not as simple as Su Chen had described.


    However, Yunlong, being quite carefree, said dismissively,


    "That''s all sorted then, it''s just a small matter. Besides, this also shows that you two are destined!"


    "Destined? More like a cursed fate!"


    Yunyao thought angrily.


    "Big brother, I need to talk to you about something."


    Yunlong tugged at Su Chen''s arm, and the two walked to the side, back to the two women, but they were only a couple of steps away from Lin Ruoxue and Yunyao.


    "Big brother, what do you think of my sister?"


    Yunlong asked Su Chen with a mysterious air.


    "She''s fine, what about her?"


    "What do you mean ''she''s fine''? She''s great, okay? Look at her, that face, that figure. She''s got the face, the breasts, the butt, and those long legs..."


    "Wait, why are you telling me all this?"


    Su Chen interrupted him quickly, looking wary, feeling that the youngster was up to no good.


    "Even though you already have a gorgeous wife, I wouldn''t mind introducing my sister to you." Yunlong said cheekily, winking at Su Chen, "She could be the concubine. Big brother, think about it, one arm around your wife and the other around my sister. What a wonderful thing that would be!"


    It must be said, Yunlong''s suggestion was indeed very tempting!


    Su Chen imagined what it would feel like to have a super beauty on each arm, and he unwittingly started blushing.


    The thought was really exciting!


    Su Chen quickly realized something was off. It could be understandableing from someone else, but Yunlong was Yunyao''s own brother!


    What kind of brother tantly offers his sister as a concubine to someone?


    "Yunlong, do you have a death wish?"


    Suddenly, a loud voice rang out behind them, startling everyone in the hall.


    Turning around, they saw Yunyao with a flushed face, gritting her teeth so hard that her chest heaved as if she were a volcano ready to erupt at any moment!


    And next to her, Lin Ruoxue was also giving off a frosty vibe, her eyes coldly fixed on Su Chen.


    It turned out, the two men hadn''t been very careful with their conversation, nor had they made any attempt to lower their voices, so their words had fallen clearly on the ears of the two women.


    At first, the two women were curious about what the two men were discussing.


    When they heard Yunlong boasting about Yunyao''s attributes, both began to feel embarrassed and blushed.


    Especially Yunyao, whose own brother was discussing her body features with another man, felt so ashamed she wished she could just crawl into a crack in the ground.


    She wanted to stop them initially, but felt too embarrassed, and thought of pretending she hadn''t heard anything.


    But she hadn''t expected her brother to go too far, actually suggesting her as a concubine for that guy, and she couldn''t hold back any longer!


    Yunlong had earlier told her about introducing her as a concubine, and she thought he was joking, but now he had actually said it out loud.


    Yunyao really doubted if this was still her own brother.


    Even though you admire this man so much, do you need to sacrifice your sister for it?


    Worst of all, it was in front of someone else''s wife. Yunyao felt her face had beenpletely lost by her brother!


    "Mr. Lin, I didn''t agree to this, it was all him talking."


    As soon as Su Chen saw their expressions, he immediately realized that their conversation had been overheard.


    Adhering to the principle of "better him than me," Su Chen did not hesitate to betray Yunlong.


    Upon hearing this, Yunyao immediately felt displeased. What do you mean, you would disdain me even if I were your secondary wife?


    Of course, in front of Lin Ruoxue, she couldn''t voice this thought¡ªher resentment toward Su Chen only deepened internally.


    "Sister, Sis, what I said just now was nonsense, just a joke."


    Yunlong also dared not refute Su Chen and could only apologize reluctantly, but a sly gleam briefly passed through his aggrieved eyes.


    "Sister, you will thank me for this one day!"


    Yunlong muttered to himself internally. As an ace among special forces, he would never make such a rookie mistake!


    For him, finding the best brother-inw for his sister was of utmost importance.


    In his eyes, the boss was the best!


    As for the fact that the boss already had a wife, he didn''t care at all¡ªfor those in their high society, it wasn''t an issue!


    However, what the oue will be still depends on future developments. But he believed that once his sister understood this man, she would definitely fall in love with him.


    Su Chen also realized that Yunlong did this on purpose, he just didn''t understand his motive.


    But one thing was certain¡ªYunlong would not harm him. He was still confident in that.


    Just then, amotion suddenly erupted among the crowd, and everyone looked toward the entrance.


    Su Chen and the others naturally turned to look in that direction and saw a young man with shiny pomaded hair walking in.


    The young man wore a tailored high-quality suit and sported thetest Rolex on his wrist.


    Following him were a dozen or so individuals who, by their solid muscles, were clearly trained fighters!


    Upon entering, he ignored those who approached to greet him and walked straight toward Lin Ruoxue.


    The crowd, seeing the direction the young man was heading, immediately revealed gleeful smiles.


    "Looks like Young Master Liu came prepared. This is going to be good!"


    "Yeah, who in Jiangnan doesn''t know that Young Master Liu fancies Lin Ruoxue?"


    "One is Young Master Liu, the other is Young Master Yun''s older brother. Who do you think will win?"


    "Definitely Young Master Liu, what''s there to question?"


    "That''s not necessarily true; after all, the man is Young Master Yun''s older brother! How could he be simple?"


    "Who knows what kind of deal this older brother is? It''s not like we don''t know ''Yun the Madman'' always does as he pleases. That young man might just be acting on a whim; his identity might not be so impressive!"


    At these words, everyone nodded; they all knew a little about Yunlong''s way of doing things.


    Compared to the unknown young man, people subconsciously favored Young Master Liu more. After all, the power of the Four Great Families had long been embedded in the hearts of the people of Jiangnan.


    "Indeed, we business people are the most well-informed. Whether it''s the big shots from the Northeast or the top families in Yanjing, we may not be familiar with them, but at least we''ve heard of them. But this Su Chen guy seems to be unknown to everyone."


    "That is true. It seems this guy really doesn''t have any background, having met Yun just by chance."


    Almost everyone nodded in agreement. Indeed, as businessmen who travel all around, they hadn''t heard this name before, which only indicated it wasn''t anything special.


    "But if Young Master Yun intervenes, Young Master Liu will definitely give him face; it''s unlikely there will be a direct conflict."


    "True. At Young Master Liu''s level, even if he wants to teach thatd a lesson, he wouldn''t do it openly. Just a slight move behind the scenes and that guy would be in big trouble."


    Unknowingly, almost everyone present had voiced skepticism about the young man''s chances.


    It seemed his fate depended entirely on Liu Qing''s mood...


    Meanwhile, amid the chatter, Liu Qing had also reached Lin Ruoxue''s side...

 Chapter 132: The Young Master Liu with Kidney Deficiency

    Yunlong saw Liu Qing approaching and a cold smirk crossed his lips, while Liu Qing treated Yunlong as if he were air.


    What outsiders didn''t know was, in fact, the rtionship between the two was quite poor; in the end, it was simply a case of mutual disdain.


    Yunlong couldn''t stand Liu Qing''s hypocrisy and feigned nobility, while Liu Qing couldn''t stand Yunlong''s arrogance and sense of superiority.


    "Aren''t you worried?"


    Yunyao, standing nearby and noticing the roses in Liu Qing''s hands, asked in a low voice, her curiosity apparent.


    "We just need to watch."


    Yunlong appeared nonchnt, thinking that it would be best if Liu Qing had some self-awareness, or else he would be the only one losing face.


    Yunyao couldn''t help but feel a bit strange. Did Yunlong really have such confidence in this guy?


    To be honest, Yunyao was somewhat worried; after all, Liu Qing was the heir of the Liu Family, and no one understood better than her just how powerful the Four Great Families were.


    "Ruoxue, congrattions on the sessful cooperation with Yun Corporation."


    Liu Qing said with gentlemanly grace before handing over the roses he had been holding to Lin Ruoxue.


    "Thank you!"


    Lin Ruoxue nodded but hesitated in the face of the bouquet of roses.


    If they were any other flowers, she might have epted them, but roses were a bit different.


    Moreover, everyone knew he had been pursuing her, which only added to the potential for misunderstanding.


    "Young Master Liu has honored us with his presence, why bring flowers?"


    Su Chen stepped forward from beside Lin Ruoxue, took the roses from Liu Qing''s hands, more taking or snatching them than receiving.


    Liu Qing hadn''t nned on letting go, but somehow the flowers ended up in Su Chen''s hands.


    After grabbing the flowers, Su Chen immediately tossed them to Yunlong:


    "It looks like the flowers at the front desk are a bit wilted, you might as well rece them."


    "Sure, big brother, I''ll do it right now."


    Yunlong grinned and readily agreed, his heart blossoming with joy, thinking his big brother really knew how to y dirty.


    Lin Ruoxue and Yunyao standing nearby covered their mouths to hide their snickers. This guy was just too wicked!


    The others were also somewhat stunned. This young man was being too disrespectful to Young Master Liu, using the fresh flowers meant for Lin Ruoxue as mere decoration at the hotel''s front desk.


    This was a tant p in the face of Young Master Liu!


    At this moment, Liu Qing''s face had already taken on a chilly shade, but he still made an effort to act unaffected.


    This bastard, constantly ruining his efforts, deserved to be taught a lesson in manners when the opportunity arose.


    Meanwhile, he found it strange that Yunlong seemed to have a good rtionship with him!


    But considering Yunlong''s unique behavior and style, he didn''t take it too much to heart.


    This made Liu Qing disdain Yunlong even more, presuming that only a bizarre young master like Yunlong would fraternize with such a lowly person without regard for his own status.


    Remembering that there were more important things to attend to that day, Liu Qing temporarily set aside these minor irritations.


    "Ruoxue, when the banquet begins, I would like to invite you to dance the first dance with me. May I have the honor?"


    Liu Qing''s smile remained graceful as if the previous incident hadn''t affected him at all.


    Even the crowd was impressed by this disy ofposure, praising him as a true scion of a great family!


    In response, Yunlong, who had just returned from cing the flowers, simply sneered and curled his lip.


    "I''m sorry, I have already promised Mr. Su that I would dance the first dance with him," Lin Ruoxue said, politely declining Liu Qing''s invitation.


    Upon hearing this, Liu Qing''s face instantly turned cold, and a sharp light shed in his eyes:


    "He''s just a driver, not quite an appropriate status, right?"


    "What''s wrong with being my driver? I''m proud of my driver! Still better than you, a young master so indulged in women that you''re practically impotent!"


    Su Chen held his head high, speaking arrogantly as if being a driver was the greatest job in the world!


    Su Chen had long been annoyed by this seemingly respectable fellow, who actually dared to make a move on his woman.


    "Who are you calling impotent?"


    Liu Qing scolded angrily, able to tolerate almost anything else, but this attacked his manhood, how could he endure it?


    "Whoever''s impotent knows it."


    Su Chen curled his lips, spitting the words casually.


    "Bro, is that guy really impotent?"


    Upon hearing Liu Qing might be impotent, Yunlong was instantly energized, adding fuel to the fire.


    "Of course, just look at him," Su Chen pointed at Liu Qing, "his feet unsteady, his pelvis sagging, dark swollen circles under his eyes, dry eyes, lifeless skin, these are all ssic signs of impotence, of course, he hides it well."


    "You watch when he goes to the restroom, definitely a split urine stream."


    "It really is!" Yunlong''s eyes lit up as if he had discovered a new continent, gloatingly retorting, "So it turns out you really are impotent, Young Master Liu!"


    Yunyao, Lin Ruoxue, and the other women present also blushed with embarrassment. These two had no shame, actually discussing this issue in public!


    More people looked towards Young Master Liu with peculiar nces, secretly pondering if the young man''s earnest ims meant that Young Master Liu did have ''that'' problem.


    "Yunlong, do you really think I wouldn''t dare to touch you?"


    Liu Qing felt many people pointing at him, his eyes zed with fury, and his face darkened.


    "Come on, like I''m scared of you. If you''re so tough, bite me!"


    Yunlong red at Liu Qing defiantly, naturally not taking Liu Qing''s threats to heart.


    The crowd watched as the confrontation between the two young masters escted, their expressions filled with excitement¡ªsuch direct conflicts between individuals of their status were rare!


    However, the oue disappointed them. Remembering something he had to doter, Liu Qing forcibly suppressed his anger, saying coldly,


    "Yunlong, you have guts. We''ll just wait and see!"


    But his gaze towards Su Chen was filled with malice¡ªit was always this guy who made him eat humble pie and lose face!


    He would definitely n well when he got back, this time he had to throw him into the river to feed the fish!


    In response to Liu Qing''s harsh words, Yunlong just rolled his eyes.


    "Ruoxue, don''t listen to their nonsense, my body is in great shape! If you don''t believe me, I can show you my medical report!"


    Liu Qing genuinely worried that Lin Ruoxue might believe that guy''s words, even though he was speaking the truth!


    "This has nothing to do with me, but of course, I believe Young Master Liu''s body is fine,"


    Lin Ruoxue said somewhat awkwardly. What else could she say?


    To avoid any misunderstanding, she made it a point to say that it had nothing to do with her first.


    "That''s good, that''s good. I wonder if you could give me a few minutes of your time, Ruoxue, I want to give you a surprise."


    Liu Qing''s mind rxed, then he added mysteriously.


    "What surprise?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, puzzled.


    "Just wait a moment, and you''ll find out." Liu Qing said cryptically, then pulled out his phone and dialed a number, "You guys cane in now."


    As soon as his words fell, more than a dozen people ran in, each holding something in their hands.


    Everyone was perplexed, wondering what Liu Qing was up to.


    Su Chen, too, did not speak; he actually wanted to see what sort of trick this guy was going to pull.

 Chapter 133 - 133 Find me a handy one

    The people had burst into action as soon as they entered: first, several of them scattered rose petals around Lin Ruoxue and Liu Qing.


    Then, a few others ced a circle of candles on those petals, forming a heart shape, and lit them all.


    After these preparations, a woman in a floor-length gown began ying the violin beside them.


    It was then that everyone suddenly realized what this young master Liu intended to do.


    He was going to propose!


    As everyone expected, Liu Qing suddenly knelt on one knee before Lin Ruoxue and pulled out an exquisitely delicate box from his pocket.


    At this moment, all eyes turned to Su Chen to see his reaction; however, they saw only a remarkably calm expression.


    Su Chen''s expression convinced everyone even more of their earlier assumption that he was just a temporarypanion Lin Ruoxue had pulled in.


    Otherwise, how could he possibly remain so calm?


    "Ruoxue, I believe you already understand my feelings for you. I hope you can give me a chance to prove my love for you!"


    Liu Qing opened the box, and instantly, a dazzling light burst forth!


    "What arge diamond! Ah, why is this diamond pink?"


    "You don''t know? That''s a pink diamond; it''s far more expensive than ordinary ones."


    "If it were given to me, I''d be so happy I might faint."


    The sparkly diamond ring made everyone widen their eyes; the diamond''s cut and quality were of the highest order, especially since it was the rare pink type.


    Especially the women, who were nearly blinded by the size and brilliance of the diamond ring.


    Such a pink diamond ring wouldn''t be less than twenty million; although the businessmen present were not short of money, spending millions on a ring was still something they were reluctant to do.


    "Ruoxue, do I need to cut out my heart for you to see?"


    Liu Qing looked at Lin Ruoxue with deep affection, appearing every bit the lovesick suitor.


    Actually, Liu Qing had originally nned to propose after the opening dance at the banquet, which would have seemed more natural and the atmosphere more fitting.


    But he had not expected Su Chen, this fellow, to mess it up.


    "Big brother!"


    Yunlong came up beside Su Chen and called out, his face questioning.


    His intention was clear, to ask Su Chen what to do.


    "Find me something handy."


    Su Chen spoke indifferently.


    "Roger that!"


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong instantly became excited, as if he had returned to the days of fighting alongside his boss.


    After saying that, he ran off swiftly like the wind, leaving Yunyao puzzled beside him.


    She obviously heard their conversation but didn''t understand what Su Chen meant by something ''handy''.


    And there was her unreliable brother, acting as if he had been injected with adrenaline.


    Lin Ruoxue was undoubtedly the most embarrassed person at the moment¡ªshe had not expected such a scene!


    Feeling everyone''s eyes on her, Lin Ruoxue also became somewhat flustered, especially with her husband right beside her!


    The spectators were also guessing whether Lin Ruoxue would ept Liu Qing''s proposal. In their view, even if Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t ept immediately, she probably wouldn''t reject him outright.


    However, contrary to everyone''s expectations, Lin Ruoxue truly rejected him outright.


    "Young Master Liu, thank you for your kindness, but I cannot ept your sentiments,"


    Lin Ruoxue''s tone was gentle, but her meaning couldn''t have been clearer.


    "Why?"


    Liu Qing asked, his expression filled with reluctance and pain.


    Just then, Yunlong came running back excitedly, holding a iron rod slightlyrger than a thumb.


    "Big brother, will this do?" Yunlong handed the iron rod to Su Chen.


    "It''ll have to do."


    Su Chen nonchntly took the iron rod, weighing it in his hand.


    Everyone present found this scene somewhat bizarre, unsure of what the young man was doing with an iron rod at that moment.


    Yunyao was also puzzled and turned to her younger brother to ask,


    "Why is he holding an iron rod?"


    "Sis, just wait and watch the show!" Yunlong said with a mysterious smile.


    Liu Qing had also noticed this, but he was currently anxiously awaiting Lin Ruoxue''s response, naturally not paying much attention to Su Chen.


    "Bang!"


    Just then, without any warning, Su Chen swung the iron rod down at Liu Qing, creating a loud noise!


    Liu Qing immediately fell to the side and passed out!


    Silent!


    Terrifying silence!


    Everyone at the scene was frozen!


    Was this man crazy?


    He had just smashed the iron rod down on Liu Qing of the Liu Family, one of the Four Great Families, without hesitation!


    Lin Ruoxue was also stunned by Su Chen''s sudden, wild action, her face expressionless!


    Yunyao''s mouth gaped open in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief!


    This guy was too fierce!


    However, the craziness did not stop there!


    "Bang bang bang~~"


    The young man, holding the iron rod, recklessly started to pummel Liu Qing''s head and face ruthlessly!


    "Ahhhh~~~"


    Liu Qing, who had just passed out, was awoken by the furious beating and let out a sky-high scream of agony!


    By this time, everyone waspletely stunned!


    Was this person even human? Did he know whom he was beating?


    He was whipping Liu Qing like an animal!


    Did he not know how to spell "death"?


    "Looking for death!"


    Liu Qing''s bodyguards were also dazed at first but now snapped back to reality.


    Seeing the young master beaten like this right before their eyes was undoubtedly a huge dereliction on their part!


    To make up for their fault, those bodyguards, faces red with anger, charged aggressively at Su Chen!


    Watching the bodyguards attack like tigers descending the mountain, everyone felt chills down their spines, thinking that the young man was doomed.


    They even felt a bit of satisfaction in their hearts; that''s what you get for being so arrogant, they thought.


    Liu Qing is one of the Four Great Families. Who did he think he was to dare strike him? Utterly ignorant of life and death!


    Lin Ruoxue''s heart also clenched; why couldn''t this guy stay out of trouble?


    "A mere jester!"


    Su Chen scoffed, not even moving from his spot.


    As the bodyguards rushed at him, Su Chen swung his rod, knocking each one down efficiently, quickly felling a group before him.


    The scene quieted down once again, with everyone incredulously watching the young man!


    Was this guy too formidable inbat?


    How did Liu Qing''s formidable-looking bodyguards seem like rubbish under his hands, offering no resistance whatsoever?


    It was the first time Lin Ruoxue had seen Su Chen make a move, her beautiful eyes intently watching him.


    Yunyao, standing nearby, was also deeply shocked; she now somewhat understood why her brother adored this man so much!

 Chapter 134: Unrivaled

    Yunyao gazed at the man''s retreating figure, feeling an authentic arrogance, dominance, and a spirit that looked down upon the world!


    Although her younger brother also gave off such an impression,pared with the man before her, there was a huge distinction as if between clouds and mud!


    "You dare to hit me?"


    Liu Qing, clutching his abdomen and enduring immense pain, asked inplete disbelief.


    He didn''t even know how many ces on his body had been severely injured; he felt that even a slight movement brought an intolerable surge of pain!


    But for the sake of the Liu Family''s and his own dignity, he endured without moaning and groaning on the ground like those bodyguards.


    It had to be said that Liu Qing''s bones were indeed much tougher than the average person''s.


    The reason he had screamed earlier was that the sessive beatings hadpletely exceeded his threshold, a natural reaction!


    But when Su Chen stopped for a moment, he also stopped screaming.


    "This is just a small lesson for you," Su Chen said indifferently, "If you dare to covet President Lin again, get your father ready to collect your corpse!"


    What is the meaning of shocking the audience!


    What is the meaning of being unrivaled!


    At this moment, Su Chen perfectly embodied both!


    Who else would dare to utter such ruthless words in front of everyone, to let the Lin Family Head prepare for his son''s corpse collection!


    "Do you really dare kill Liu Qing, big brother?"


    Yunyao asked Yunlong uncertainly, the public beating of Liu Qing by Su Chen had totally exceeded her expectations.


    She couldn''t believe that Su Chen would truly kill Liu Qing; that would be utterly severing the Liu Family''s foundation!


    Wouldn''t the Liu Family go all out to fight him to the death?


    Upon hearing his sister''s question, Yunlong''s lips curled into a mocking, contemptuous smile:


    "Killing a Liu Qing? If the boss truly bes angry, it would be justifiable for him to annihte Liu Qing''s entire n!"


    "Who exactly is this guy?"


    Yunyao''s heart trembled; she had not expected her brother to say such words!


    She knew her brother seemed carefree but was actually a very shrewd person, although few could see it.


    "I am not particrly clear about that, but there is one thing I can be sure of..."


    As he said this, Yunlong looked up at the somewhat slender figure and said leisurely,


    "And that is, in the eyes of the boss, the Four Great Families really aren''t worth much."


    "Sister, you are often in Jiangnan, so you inevitably feel that the Four Great Families are unshakable and high above. But the world is vast, and in the eyes of the truly powerful, the Four Great Families really aren''t much."


    Yunyao looked deeply at her younger brother and said reflectively,


    "You''ve grown up; our Yun Family has a sessor. I look forward to you taking the Yun Family to greater heights!"


    "Sister, now you see how good I am to you, right? A man like the boss is worthy of being your other half, isn''t he?"


    The tone shifted abruptly, as the once serious Yunlong suddenly grinned mischievously at Yunyao.


    "You''re clever enough now, aren''t you! Are you trying to win over your big brother by offering me up like merchandise!"


    Yunyao shot Yunlong a cold nce, though of course, she didn''t really believe her brother was that heartless.


    "I swear, I really think only the boss is worthy of you, that''s why I brought you two together."


    Yunlong raised three fingers and swore to the heavens,


    "You are my own sister; would I ever harm you? Actually, when I first met the boss, I thought of introducing you to him. But then he disappeared, and when we met again, to my surprise, he was already married."


    "But being married is no big deal. A man like the boss, how could he possibly have only one woman? So now that you are with the boss, you can still be the second. If you dy any longer, I''m afraid you won''t even know your own rank in line!"


    "What on earth are you bbering about now? Watch it, or I''ll tear your mouth apart!"


    Yunyao''s pretty face flushed red, her brother''s words were just too unpleasant. What does he mean by not knowing her ce? Does Yunyao really have to y second fiddle to anyone?


    Hmph, no matter who this guy is, it''s impossible!


    However, matters of the heart are the most enigmatic and uncontroble. Unknown to Yunyao, at this moment, Su Chen''s silhouette had unknowingly cast a shadow in her heart.


    "Such big talk! Aren''t you afraid a strong wind might snap your tongue off!"


    Liu Qing was initially stunned by Su Chen''s astonishing remark, but once he snapped back to reality, he immediately retaliated.


    "If you''re not afraid of the Liu Family sending off the white-haired to the ck-haired, then by all means, go ahead and try!"


    Su Chen simply shrugged nonchntly.


    Lin Ruoxue was worried that the situation might escte further, so she quickly called the hotel''s security staff to send Liu Qing and his bodyguards to the hospital.


    As Liu Qing was lifted onto the stretcher, he shot a fiery re at Su Chen: "You just wait! I won''t let you off!"


    Su Chen, on the other hand, just smiled lightly, then raised his ss to him without saying a word.


    After Liu Qing left, everyone looked at Su Chen with wariness in their eyes. Forget about striking up a conversation with him, they didn''t even dare to get close.


    Are you kidding? This is the fierce man who didn''t hesitate to fight Liu''s young master. If one identally provoked him, wouldn''t they not even know how they died?


    Su Chen couldn''t care less, he actually preferred the peace and quiet!


    However, not everyone was keeping their distance from Su Chen, on the contrary, someone became rather interested in him.


    "Mr. Su, you really made quite the spectacle of yourself today!"


    Yunyao approached him gracefully, champagne in hand, looking truly enchanting.


    While she believed it''s impossible for her to have any romantic involvement with this man, it didn''t stop her from wanting to understand this extraordinary individual.


    "It''s nothing, just a little stretching of the muscles, no big deal."


    Yunyao was speechless. You turned Liu''s young master into that state and call it no big deal; then, by your standards, what''s considered a big deal?


    "Miss Yun, could it be that after seeing my impressive demeanor, you''ve fallen for me just like that?"


    Su Chen uttered cheekily, naturally flirting with her.


    "Keep dreaming!"


    Yunyao snorted delicately, her face showing a hint of disdain!


    "What are you talking about?"


    Before they knew it, Lin Ruoxue, who was a few meters away just moments ago, had alreadye up to Su Chen''s side, asking with a light smile.


    And her delicate hand was already twisting at Su Chen''s waist, causing him to inhale sharply from the pain.


    "Nothing much, we were justmenting on how nice the weather is today."


    Su Chen blurted out a casual fib.


    "Oh, are we in the United Kingdom now, where people chat about the weather upon meeting?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice had a dark undertone as she spoke again.


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Yunyao''s face turned red; she might not have done anything, but she felt as though she was caught in the act by a legitimate wife!


    "You two chat."


    Yunyao said simply and turned away with her champagne ss...


    "Wife, can you let go, please? We really weren''t talking about anything."


    Even though Su Chen''s cultivation was exceptional, being twisted at the waist was still painfully annoying...

 Chapter 135: 135 Chapter: Tang Yuns Invitation

    By the time Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue left the hotel, it was already 10:30 at night, and almost all of the guests from the celebration banquet had left.


    It was almost November by then, and the weather was starting to turn cold. As soon as they walked out of the hotel, a cold breeze hit them, and Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but shiver.


    Seeing this, Su Chen quickly took off his suit jacket and draped it over her. Lin Ruoxue paused for a moment, then said:


    "Let''s go."


    Although Lin Ruoxue didn''t say any words of thanks, a warm current flowed through her heart.


    "Humiliating Liu Qing like you did today, the Liu Family won''t let it go easily."


    After the car had been driving for a while, Lin Ruoxue, who was sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly spoke up.


    In fact, this matter had been weighing on her mind; she was both worried about what trouble it might bring to the Belle Corporation and more worried that something might happen to Su Chen.


    After all, that was the Liu Family; if they wanted revenge, Su Chen would probably find it difficult to withstand, right?


    "Are you worried about me?"


    Su Chen turned and nced at Lin Ruoxue, noticing her face full of worry, so he yfully teased her.


    "Who''s worried about you! It would be good if you, that bad guy, died!"


    A faint blush tinted Lin Ruoxue''s exquisitely beautiful face as she spat out those words.


    Her demeanor was entirely that of a little woman, much cuter than her usual cold appearance.


    This would have never happened to the Lin Ruoxue of the past.


    "Don''t worry, wife, with me here, nothing will happen."


    Su Chen reached out a hand and held Lin Ruoxue''s tender hand, smiling as heforted her.


    Lin Ruoxue''s worry eased somewhat as her hand was held by Su Chen''srger one, and after a little while, she suddenly asked:


    "Su Chen, howe your skills are so formidable?"


    Lin Ruoxue had never imagined that her flippant husband could possess such powerful strength.


    "Didn''t I tell you I used to be a soldier? Isn''t it normal to have some hand-to-handbat skills?"


    "Really?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at him skeptically, not believing Su Chen''s ims of just having a littlebat skill.


    Even on her knees she knew that Liu Qing''s bodyguards couldn''t just be run-of-the-mill men, yet they were no match for him, which was enough to show his strength was far from ordinary!


    However, seeing that Su Chen was not willing to borate, she did not press any further.


    The rest of the ride was quiet, and soon they arrived home; after bidding each other goodnight, they went off to rest.


    Of course, Su Chen did not actually rest upon entering his room, but began his cultivation...


    .....


    "Doctor Qiao, how is my son?"


    Late at night, in a VIP room of Jianghai Hospital, Liu Yongyuan nervously asked the attending physician, grasping his arm.


    "Ah, Family Head Liu, your son''s condition is still quite serious. There are multiple fractures in his body, and he definitely won''t be able to get out of bed for several months."


    Doctor Qiao sighed and could only tell the truth.


    "Okay, thank you."


    Liu Yongyuan shook the doctor''s hand to express his gratitude.


    "No trouble at all, that''s my job. I''ll be going now, keep your sonpany. Call me anytime if you need anything."


    "Okay."


    Shortly after the doctor left, Liu Qing also woke up. When he saw his father standing beside him, his eyes immediately red with the fire of hatred:


    "Dad, I want revenge!"


    His fist was clenched tight, and his face twisted with ferocity, like an enraged beast!


    "I know everything that''s happened; you just focus on getting better. Leave the revenge to me, you can rest assured I''ll make him pay the price!"


    When Liu Yongyuan first heard that his son had been beaten, he was incredibly agitated and furious.


    He never expected that in Jiangnan, someone would dare to touch a member of the Liu Family, and his son at that!


    If the Liu Family didn''t retaliate for this, how would they have any face left to stand on in Jiangnan?


    "No, Father, this time I want to take matters into my own hands!" Liu Qing said through clenched teeth, his face ashen with rage, "I want to make his life unbearable, to the point where he begs for mercy kneeling in front of me!"


    "Good! Truly a son of Liu Yongyuan! You''ll rise where you''ve fallen. Don''t worry; this time, the resources of the Liu Family are at your disposal, but you must ensure that this kid never gets the chance to turn things around ever again!"


    "Thank you, Father! He won''t be so lucky this time!"


    When Liu Qing heard that he could use the family''s resources as he pleased, his eyes gleamed with fierce light!


    ......


    Su Chen, of course, had no way of knowing what was happening between the father and son of the Liu Family.


    After a night of cultivation, Su Chen felt clear-headed and refreshed.


    Today happened to be the weekend, and since Su Chen didn''t have to work, he went out for a stroll after breakfast.


    However, as the CEO, Lin Ruoxue still had some urgent documents to deal with, so she went to thepany.


    Su Chen''s stroll through the streets was aimless, with no particr destination in mind; by noon, he simply had a bowl of wontons outside.


    After lunch, Su Chen lost interest in continuing to wander around and drove back to the vi.


    Wang Ma was also not at home, having gone out for some reason, so Su Chen returned to his room and resumed his cultivation.


    When it came to cultivation, Su Chen was always very diligent. He knew that sess doesn''t just fall from the sky without reason and that it all depends on one''s own efforts!


    But he had only been cultivating for a while when the phone rang. Picking it up, Su Chen saw an unfamiliar number and casually hung up.


    However, within two minutes, the phone rang again, and Su Chen answered it somewhat irritably.


    "Hello, what kind of nutcase are you?"


    Su Chen was already annoyed as he picked up the phone, thinking it was some telemarketer calling.


    "Jerk! You''re the nutcase!"


    A crisp female voice came from the other end of the line.


    "Who are you?"


    Su Chen found the voice somewhat familiar.


    "My parents are inviting you to have dinner at our house tonight; if you''re not avable, then never mind."


    An exasperated voice came through the phone again.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately remembered who it was; it was that girl Tang Yun.


    From her tone, it seemed she was hoping he would say he was too busy. Thinking of this, a sly smile appeared on his lips, as he cheekily said:


    "With such a gracious invitation from Teacher Tang, I''ll make time even if I''m busy."


    He was also a bit puzzled; wasn''t he invitedst weekend? Why did the calle this weekend?


    When Tang Yun on the other end heard this, she felt even more aggravated and said angrily:


    "Half past six in the evening, Building 2 of the Municipal Committeepound."


    After saying that, she hung up the phone and tossed it aside, then threw herself onto the bed.


    If possible, Tang Yun really didn''t want to make this call, but her parents kept pushing her every other day, and she had no other choice.


    Her father, Tang Mingji, had already asked her to invite Su Chenst weekend. She lied, saying she called, but he was too busy toe.


    She thought the matter had blown over, but a few days ago, her parents pressed the issue again, telling her to call and ask.


    Tang Yun knew she couldn''t keep putting it off; she couldn''t say he was busy every time, so she made the call reluctantly.


    Thinking of seeing that bad guy in the evening, Tang Yun couldn''t help but recall the image of him taking liberties with her at the school gate that evening...

 Chapter 136: Girlish Heart

    Remembering that embarrassing scene, a blush crept onto Tang Yun''s pretty face, and it felt scalding hot when she touched it with her hand!


    "It''s all that jerk''s fault!"


    Tang Yun cursed to herself. Since that incident in the evening, she had quickly be the talk of the school!


    Many teachers teased her, asking her to bring her "precious boyfriend" out for everyone to see.


    Tang Yun wanted to exin that he wasn''t her boyfriend at all, but no one believed her, seeing as how intimate the two had been.


    Not only that, but she''d also overheard students whispering, "Teacher Tang kissed an uncle right at the main gate."


    Upon hearing these remarks, Tang Yun truly felt so embarrassed she could die!


    Yet, she couldn''t prevent it, and it only took a few days for the whole school to learn about it.


    Especially the passionate scene at the school gate, which had been blown out of proportion!


    Every time she thought about it, Tang Yun wished she could kill that jerk!


    .....


    A little past six in the evening, Tang Yun was dragged by her parents to wait on the front steps for that jerk.


    "Whye so early? Weren''t we supposed to meet at six-thirty?"


    Tang Yun grumbled unhappily, pouting her lips.


    "What kind of attitude is that, child? This person is your mother''s lifesaver!"


    Tang Mingji immediately frowned, scolding her sternly.


    Tang Yun shrank her neck and didn''t dare to speak anymore, though her face still looked quite frustrated.


    About ten minutester, a BMW 5 series stopped below the steps, and a young man got out of the car.


    "Mr. Su, wee!"


    Tang Mingji and his wife Pei Rou walked down immediately, warmly greeting him.


    Although Tang Yun was reluctant, she followed them down nheless.


    "Mr. Su, we really owe you a huge thank you for saving my life. Without you, I might have..."


    Mrs. Tang spoke with an elegant and melodious voice, clearly indicating her refined upbringing.


    However, Su Chen felt that Mrs. Tang''s gaze on him was a bit strange, although it might also have been his imagination.


    "It was nothing, Auntie, don''t dwell on it too much," Su Chen nced at Mrs. Tang and asked, "Auntie, how do you feel now?"


    "Pretty good, the doctor said as long as I rest and don''t overwork myself, I should recover after some time."


    "That''s good to hear!" Su Chen nodded.


    "Mr. Su, we finally got you toe over today. Last week, Yun''er tried to call you, but you said you were busy with work and didn''t have time, which was a bit disappointing. But luckily, today you could make it, haha!"


    Tang Mingjiughed heartily.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Su Chen looked back at Tang Yun, with a meaningful, mischievous smile tugging at his lips.


    So it was all this little miss''s doing!


    Tang Yun hadn''t expected her father to suddenly expose her lie. Her face immediately turned red.


    Especially when she saw Su Chen looking her way, wearing that mocking smile, she felt even more embarrassed and humiliated.


    "Alright, let''s not stand at the door and talk, pleasee inside."


    Tang Mingji said with a smile, then led everyone inside.


    "Yun''er, why don''t you show Mr. Su around? You young folks should get to know each other more, and I''ll call you when dinner''s ready," Pei Rou said as soon as they entered the house.


    "That''s right, the young people should enjoy their time. Yun''er, take good care of Mr. Su."


    Tang Mingji echoed.


    "I know," Tang Yun replied reluctantly and then tugged at Su Chen, "Let''s go upstairs and talk."


    "Okay."


    Su Chen nodded, still wearing a faint smile.


    Tang Mingji and his wife thought Su Chen was just being polite and enthusiastic because he continued to smile, but only Tang Yun knew what that smile really meant.


    That''s why she hurriedly pulled Su Chen upstairs, afraid he would tell her parents she had never actually called him.


    Watching the two go upstairs, Pei Rou looked at her husband and whispered:


    "Mingji, what do you think of this young man?"


    "He''s pretty good, what''s up?"


    Sitting on the couch reading the newspaper, Tang Mingji naturally responded to his wife''s question.


    "You''re really dense. I was asking how he and our Yun''er... would get along?"


    Pei Rou winked at Tang Mingji and whispered.


    "So that''s your n." Tang Mingji ced the newspaper on the coffee table,ughing out loud, "You really are..."


    "Come on, do you think this young man is a good match for our Yun''er?"


    Pei Rou sat down next to her husband, eagerly asking.


    "Well, I must say, the two of them do look quite suitable together, not much age difference, and they look well-matched. The kid also seems pretty easy-going."


    Tang Mingji thought for a moment and continued,


    "The most important thing is the kid''s character. Look at him, knowing full well who I am after saving your life, he didn''t make any demands and even avoided deliberately connecting with us."


    "So, you agree then?" Pei Rou''s face lit up with a happy smile, "I think this kid is quite good too."


    "Ahem, what we think is suitable doesn''t matter if the kid herself doesn''t like him."


    Tang Mingji said cheerfully, picking up the newspaper again.


    "We should still let them spend time together to find out; we can create more opportunities for them!"


    Pei Rou spoke while her eyes rolled, thinking of some n.


    Tang Mingji nced at his wife and shook his head with a smile...


    Unaware of what was happening downstairs, Tang Yun would definitely want to bash her head with a drill if she knew her parents were already nning to match her with Su Chen.


    Let''s roll back the time a few minutes earlier.


    As soon as Su Chen went upstairs, Tang Yun pulled him into a room.


    "What are you doing? Even if we have to do something, there''s no need to rush like this!"


    Being pulled like this, Su Chen frowned unhappily.


    Upon entering the room, Su Chen smelled a faint fragrance, refreshing and very pleasant!


    "What are you talking about?"


    Tang Yun twisted her beautiful eyebrows and spat out coldly.


    This guy really can''t say anything nice!


    "Then what''s the rush for dragging me into this room?"


    Su Chen said as a matter of course.


    "I dragged you in here to warn you, you must not tell my parents about that incident!"


    Tang Yun red fiercely at Su Chen, her eyes intentionally fierce.


    "Which incident?"


    Su Chen didn''t care about the young girl''s threat; instead, he began observing the room carefully, noticing that it was decorated very cutely and warmly, with pink as the base color throughout.


    "Don''t pretend to be confused, you know what I''m talking about!"


    Tang Yun stretched her face long, speaking in a cold tone.


    "Oh, you mean the incident where you lied to your parents about calling me."


    As if just remembering, Su Chen pped his forehead, then tilted his head and looked at Tang Yun,


    "But why should I, a kind and honest good kid, help you lie?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Tang Yun almost vomited in disgust. Kind and honest? You''ve got to be kidding!


    Who was it that did that thing at the school gates!


    "What exactly do you want?"


    Tang Yun struggled to suppress the anger in her heart, her face covered with frost.


    "I need to think about that." Su Chen stroked his chin, then suddenly asked, "Is this your room?"


    "What of it?"


    "Nothing much, just didn''t expect a youngdy like you to still have such a girlish heart!"


    Su Chen sighed leisurely.

 Chapter 137 - 137 Continue as You Were

    "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"


    Having heard Su Chen''s words, Tang Yun immediately red up with embarrassment.


    "Huh? What did you just say, who''s getting on in years?"


    mes seemed to spurt from Tang Yun''s beautiful eyes once again as she red at Su Chen, looking as if she wanted to devour him.


    "Whoever knows what I''m talking about knows!"


    Su Chen found that teasing this beautiful teacher was quite an interesting thing to do.


    "You bastard!"


    Tang Yun''s pretty face turned beet red, and she swung her hand to p Su Chen''s face.


    Seeing Tang Yun''s palming his way, Su Chen coolly ducked his head and slightly shifted his neck, using the motion to divert her force, causing Tang Yun''s slender arm to wrap around his neck, making it look as though she was embracing him.


    "Mr. Su, Yun''er, dinner''s ready."


    Just then, Pei Rou pushed open the door, and when she saw the scene before her, she froze in ce.


    At that moment, Tang Yun was half-lying in Su Chen''s arms, with one of his hands embracing her and the other resting on her body.


    And Tang Yun''s delicate arms were wrapped around Su Chen''s neck, their postures extremely intimate, resembling a couple in the throes of passionate love.


    Then, Pei Rou said something that left both of them stunned.


    "Carry on, it''s okay if dinner is a littlete."


    After speaking, Pei Rou hastily retreated and even closed the door behind them.


    What in the world was happening?


    Su Chen was utterly bewildered. What was happening? Was there really such a mother?


    Not just Su Chen was dumbfounded, so was Tang Yun. What on earth was her mother doing?


    However, being seen by her mother in such a state with a strange man, she was extremely embarrassed, her cheeks flushing red like a ripe apple, tempting enough to make one want to take a bite.


    Tang Yun suddenly felt Su Chen''s somewhat scorching breath and looked up, only then realizing she was still lying in his arms!


    She quickly withdrew her arm with a "swoosh," trying to escape Su Chen''s embrace.


    But Su Chen''s arms were firmly wrapped around her, leaving her unable to move.


    "Let go of me!"


    At that moment, Tang Yun''s heart was "thumping" wildly, and she dared not look at Su Chen anymore.


    "What''s the rush? Didn''t your mom just tell us to carry on?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a smile, revealing a hint of mischief.


    Tang Yun felt like Su Chen was a big bad wolf at that moment and she was a vulnerable little white rabbit. Panic-stricken, she used all her strength to break free from his grip.


    Having sessfully escaped, Tang Yun didn''t look back and dashed out the door.


    Su Chen smirked awkwardly and followed out.


    "Yun''er, why is your face so red?"


    Seeing Tang Yun''s flushed face, Tang Mingji quickly asked with curiosity.


    "I..."


    Before Tang Yun could respond, she was interrupted by her mother, Pei Rou:


    "What''s it to you asking about a woman''s affairs?"


    "I''m just asking, what''s the harm?"


    Tang Mingji muttered, smacking his lips.


    Tang Yun felt like her mother must have misunderstood something and wanted to exin, but she didn''t know where to start.


    "Yun''er, when did you and Xiao Su start seeing each other?"


    Pei Rou pulled Tang Yun aside and asked softly, hardly able to hide the amusement in her tone.


    "Mom, what are you talking about? We''re not..."


    "Not what? I saw everything. I know you''re shy, so I won''t ask further."


    Tang Yun truly felt like crying but had no tears. She grew even more resentful of Su Chen: it was all this jerk''s fault!


    At that moment, Su Chen also came downstairs, and upon seeing him, Pei Rou eagerly said:


    "Xiao Su, are you hungry? It will be ready soon. I specially stewed a hen today; you should have some extra soup."


    "Sure, thank you, Auntie."


    Su Chen was puzzled. It was "Mr. Su" just before, so why had it suddenly changed to "Xiao Su"?


    And why was Lady Tang staring at him constantly?


    When Tang Yun heard her mother tell him to have more soup, how could she not understand the implication?


    She felt even more ashamed to look at Su Chen, feeling utterly embarrassed!


    In less than ten minutes, the servant Guo Ma finally announced that dinner was ready, and everyone gathered around the table.


    As soon as the dishes were served, Pei Roudled a big bowl of chicken soup and chicken for Su Chen:


    "Xiao Su, eat more. A stewed hen is the best for nourishing the body."


    Pei Rou looked at Su Chen with eyes filled with tenderness, and even Tang Mingji felt that his wife''s enthusiasm was a bit over the top.


    Tang Yun was so embarrassed she wished she could crawl under the table. If Su Chen found out about her mother''s thoughts, she wouldn''t have the courage to go on living.


    "Thank you, Auntie, but I can do it myself,"


    stood up Su Chen, also feeling ttered.


    "Alright, alright, you serve yourself then,"


    smiled Pei Rou as she nodded.


    "Su Chen, are you a local from Jianghai?"


    "No."


    "Then what do your parents do? Do you have any other siblings at home?"


    "Mom, why are you asking these questions?"


    By this time, Tang Yun''s face had turned as red as her neck, and she dared not lift her head to look at anyone.


    "What''s wrong with asking? I''m just inquiring because I took a liking to Su Chen. I wouldn''t bother asking anyone else!"


    "It''s alright, Auntie," Su Chen said with a smile. "My parents are no longer alive. I''m an orphan."


    Even if Su Chen was slow to catch on, by this point, he had realized thedy of the Tang Family''s intentions, prompting a bitter smile from him.


    Hearing that Su Chen was an orphan, the Tang Family members were all taken aback, with even Tang Yun raising her head to look at him.


    Tang Yun thought to herself that she hadn''t realized his life story was so tragic.


    "I''m sorry, Su Chen, Auntie..."


    Pei Rou also felt somewhat apologetic.


    "It''s fine, Auntie. It''s been many years, and I''m doing well now, aren''t I?"


    A light, carefree smile appeared on Su Chen''s face.


    "That''s right, people always need to look ahead. You have a good attitude,"


    nodded Tang Mingji as hemended.


    "It''s okay, Su Chen. From now on, treat our home as your own ande visit whenever you want."


    A smile faintly appeared on Pei Rou''s face.


    Pei Rou''s words were quite ordinary, but Tang Yun knew her mother''s true intentions.


    Facing such a mother, Tang Yun could only sigh helplessly.


    It wasn''t until around nine o''clock in the evening that dinner finally concluded.


    During that time, everyone had a pleasant conversation, and Su Chen felt the warmth of family that he had not experienced for a long time.


    "Uncle, Auntie, it''s gettingte. I should be going now,"


    seeing that it was indeedte, Su Chen stood up and prepared to leave.


    "Why don''t you stay a little longer?"


    "No, Auntie, I wille back to visit you both next time."


    "That''s what you said; I''ll be waiting,"


    "Alright, then I''ll take my leave now,"


    said Su Chen as he turned and walked out the door.


    "Yun''er, go send Su Chen off,"


    pushed Pei Rou Tang Yun out without any room for argument.


    Just as Su Chen stepped off the porch, he saw Tang Yuning out and asked,


    "Why did youe out?"


    "My mom asked me to send you off,"


    Tang Yun said indignantly, puffing her cheeks.


    "Auntie is really considerate,"


    "Ms. Tang, is your mom trying to pick me as her son-inw?"


    When they got to the car, Su Chen suddenly asked with a mischievous smile.


    "In your dreams! Don''t tter yourself!"


    Tang Yun immediately jumped up, excited.


    "Yeah right, with your temper, I wouldn''t take you even if you were given to me for free!"


    snorted Su Chen disdainfully,


    "Aside from warming a bed, what else can you do?"


    After saying that, Su Chen got into the car.


    "Su Chen, you jerk!"


    The sound of Tang Yun''s spiteful voice rose as Su Chen stepped on the gas and quickly drove away...

 Chapter 138 - 138 Mom, Is That Superman?

    The weekend passed in a blink, and it was time to go to work again. Su Chen went to the Belle Group as usual after having breakfast.


    But now, even he had nothing much to do there, he usually spent time ying online games like Landlord to pass the time.


    It wasn''t until lunchtime that Su Chen went to the cafeteria for a quick meal, nning to rest afterwards in the security department''s break room.


    But no sooner had hein down than his phone began to ring. It was a call from Xiao Yaning''s servant, Aunt Gui.


    Su Chen immediately sensed that something might have happened to Xiao Yaning and hurriedly answered the call.


    "Mr. Su! The Lv Family''s Young Master and the old master havee to snatch the youngdy away! Please hurry and save..."


    The call had just connected when Aunt Gui''s panicked voice came through, but she was cut off before she could finish speaking.


    A cold frost spread across Su Chen''s face, and a formidable killing intent began to emanate from him.


    Did these young masters really take his warnings for farts?


    Did they truly believe he would not dare to kill?


    If that''s the case, let''s start with you, Lv Family''s Young Master!


    A shiny BMW car sped along the roads of Jianghai, drawing the curious looks of many passers-by.


    What was normally a forty-minute drive, Su Chen managed in just twelve or thirteen minutes.


    As soon as Su Chen stepped into the courtyard of Xiao Yaning''s vi, he witnessed a scene that made his blood boil.


    He saw a middle-aged man continually kicking Aunt Gui, cursing non-stop:


    "You old thing, always taking sides! Who were you calling just now?"


    "Master, the youngdy is your daughter, you can''t do this!"


    Aunt Gui, lying on the ground covered in blood and dirt, was clearly not lightly beaten, yet she was still pleading with the middle-aged man.


    And that middle-aged man was Xiao Yaning''s father, Xiao Dingguo, who was acting like a madman at the moment.


    "You meddlesome old witch, I''ll kick you to death!"


    Xiao Dingguo lifted his leg to kick again, but just as he did, someone lifted him from behind.


    "Beast!"


    With a light flick of his arms, Su Chen tossed Xiao Dingguo out like trash.


    "Bang!"


    His head made intimate contact with a nearby courtyard wall, and he immediately passed out.


    If it weren''t for the fact that he was Xiao Yaning''s father, Su Chen might have killed him then and there!


    "Mr. Su, please go and save the youngdy quickly, Lv Shixin has abducted her!"


    On seeing Su Chen, hope immediately kindled in Aunt Gui''s eyes.


    "I know, Aunt Gui, let me help you up first."


    Su Chen walked over and helped Aunt Gui to her feet.


    "Mr. Su, I''m okay, please go and save the youngdy quickly!"


    Anxiety etched itself across Aunt Gui''s face.


    "Don''t worry, as long as I''m here, your youngdy will be fine."


    Su Chen soothingly reassured, then quickly checked Aunt Gui and found that she had only superficial injuries¡ªit looked serious, but it was nothing life-threatening.


    Still, he administered first aid to her and then helped her to sit on the couch inside the house.


    "Mr. Su, I''m really okay, please go and save the youngdy quickly."


    Aunt Gui pleaded urgently, her face filled with deep concern.


    "Alright, I''m on it. What car were they in?"


    "It seemed like a silver-gray van, I don''t really remember the license te, but I remember thest two digits were 63, it was a seven-seater."


    "Okay, I got it. Aunt Gui, rest assured, I will bring your youngdy back unharmed!"


    Having said that, Su Chen left in a gust of wind, giving no further attention to the unconscious Xiao Dingguo on the ground.


    He was confident in his own actions; it would take Xiao Dingguo four or five hours to wake up.


    The moment Su Chen got into the car, he immediately dialed an encrypted number.


    It was picked up in less than a second!


    "Hall Master..."


    A surprised girl''s voice immediately came through the phone, but she was cut off as soon as she began to speak:


    "Shadow, I need you to find me a van in Huaxia''s Jianghai right now, silver-gray, seven-seater, with thest two digits of the license te being 63. Send the location to my phone in one minute."


    "Piece of cake."


    A rxed voice came through the phone.


    About thirty secondster, Su Chen''s cell phone vibrated, disying a clear moving red dot.


    Su Chen nced at it and immediately floored the gas pedal:


    "Shadow, I need you topletely shield my car now so that no surveince cameras can capture it."


    "No problem, bingo!"


    Su Chen drove at full speed for about ten minutes before he saw the silver-gray van.


    At this time, he was only about one or two kilometers away from the van.


    During this time, many traffic police noticed the speeding car running red lights and wanted to pursue it, but they quickly lost track. When they tried to ess surveince information, they found no trace of the car at all.


    At this moment, for some unknown reason ahead, all the cars had stopped, thoroughly clogging the road.


    Seeing that the van was getting further and further away, Su Chen had no choice but to get out of his car and then climb onto the roof, proceeding to run across it!


    Those sitting in their cars suddenly felt a jolt on the roof and came out to check.


    However, they only saw a fleeting shadow gliding over the rooftops of the cars, like a gust of wind.


    All of them had a look of having seen a ghost. What was that? How could it be so fast?


    "Mommy, is that Superman?"


    A child cradled in his mother''s arms asked with a milky voice.


    "Yes, that is Superman, Uncle. He must be catching naughty kids, so are you going to be good from now on?"


    The mother educated her son opportunely.


    "Then I''m going to be a naughty kid so Superman Uncle wille catch me, and I can meet Superman Uncle."


    Upon hearing her son''s words, the mother was taken aback!


    Su Chen quickly passed through the blocked section of road, then jumped down from the roof and continued chasing after the van at unrelenting speed.


    At this point, Xiao Yaning was held by two burly men, her arms pinned down in the back seat of the van, struggling in vain.


    "Miss Xiao, stop struggling. You''d better save your strength."


    Lv Shixin, sitting in the middle, turned his head and said with a smile.


    "Let me go, Lv Shixin!"


    Xiao Yaning''s pretty face was flushed, her beautiful eyes filled with rage as she looked at Lv Shixin.


    "You are my woman; how could I bear to let you go?"


    "Don''t even think about it!"


    Xiao Yaning spat at Lv Shixin, her face full of indignation and distress.


    "You don''t have a say in that!"


    Lv Shixin touched the saliva on his face, then brought it to his nose to smell, and said indulgently,


    "I never imagined even your saliva would be so fragrant."


    "Pervert, disgusting!"


    Xiao Yaning looked at Lv Shixin with an overwhelming sense of repulsion surging in her heart!


    "Haha, the more viciously you curse, the more excited I get. Anyway, you''re going to be my woman soon!"


    Lv Shixin suddenlyughed neurotically; theugh was as unpleasant as could be!


    "In your dreams! I would rather die than be your woman!"


    "Hmph, do you think you can die if you want to?"


    Lv Shixin suddenly leaned in close to Xiao Yaning, sneering in her ear:


    "Even if you want to die, you have to wait until after I''ve had my way with you! Hahaha~~~~"


    Upon hearing Lv Shixin''s words, Xiao Yaning''s delicate body began trembling uncontrobly!


    Was she really going to be defiled by this bastard?

 Chapter 139: Too Late

    Xiao Yaning, in her utter despair, couldn''t help but envision Su Chen''s face, which carried a hint of a roguish smile.


    How great it would be if he could appear here now!


    However, Xiao Yaning also knew that it was merely wishful thinking!


    How could he possibly know she had been kidnapped? Even if he knew, how could he possibly know where she was?


    The car continued to speed along, and Xiao Yaning''s heart sank bit by bit.


    As they were about to reach the hotel, Lv Shixin''s excitement began to surge uncontrobly. His eyes swept voraciously over Xiao Yaning''s curvaceous and graceful body, filled with desire!


    "Bang!"


    Just then, suddenly a car window shattered, creating a loud noise, and the broken ss shed everyone inside, leaving several marks on the faces of those sitting near the window.


    Xiao Yaning, sitting between two burly men, luckily did not suffer any injuries!


    Everyone in the car was shocked, and before they could understand what was happening, one of the car doors was yanked open, and a figure shed inside.


    The driver too, startled by the suddenmotion, hastily hit the brakes!


    "Where are all of you headed?"


    After entering, Su Chen saw that Xiao Yaning was not hurt, and his anxious heart was relieved.


    "Su Chen, save me!"


    Xiao Yaning, having suddenly seen Su Chen, shouted excitedly.


    "So it is you!"


    Lv Shixin, seeing the man who had suddenly appeared and who had humiliated him before, immediately shot a sharp re!


    The others did not recognize Su Chen, and they were all startled by his sudden appearance.


    Remember, this was happening in a rapidly moving car, how did this man get on?


    "Young Master Lv, it seems you did not remember my words," Su Chen said coolly. "I told youst time, if you proceed with anything, you''d better be prepared to face the consequences."


    Upon hearing this, Lv Shixin indeed remembered this man''s terrifying skills, and he truly felt apprehensive.


    However, of course, he would not show any cowardice in front of Su Chen and instead puffed out his chest and said loudly:


    "Stop trying to scare us, young master here isn''t afraid of you!"


    Then he bellowed at the others:


    "Get him, beat this kid down, and after that, each of you gets an extra million!"


    This time, Lv Shixin had not used his family''s people, but rather hired some desperate thugs!


    Almost all of these men had blood on their hands!


    Upon hearing the promise of an extra million, their eyes turned red!


    Although they were surprised by this young man''s sudden appearance on the moving vehicle, seeing his somewhat skinny physique, they weren''t really afraid!


    The leader shouted and lunged at Su Chen with clenched fists.


    Seeing their boss getting involved, the others, including the recently driving driver, also reached out trying to grab Su Chen.


    In the confined space of the car, where it was impossible to use their legs, they could only use their hands.


    Su Chen ignored their attacks and instead reached out with both hands, grabbing two of the men by the neck and exerted a slight force.


    Two distinct "crack" noises followed, and the heads of the two men instantly dropped to the side. Su Chen let go, and both men slumped down.


    "You killed them?"


    The rest of the men, seeing this scene, were taken aback. Although they had killed people too, they absolutely couldn''t do it as casually as the young man in front of them.


    It was as if in his eyes, their lives were as insignificant as weeds!


    "Not just them, all of you are going to die today!"


    Su Chen coldly swept over these desperate men. For him, killing them carried no psychological burden whatsoever.


    "Hurry up! What are you still waiting for? Today, it''s either his death or yours!"


    Lv Shixin, already terrified by Su Chen, shouted with trembling legs!


    The remaining thugs exchanged nces, then all pounced on Su Chen simultaneously.


    However, Su Chen remained calm and collected, his hands striking out simultaneously.


    The sound of necks snapping incessantly filled the air, and soon, all of them fell to the ground, breathless!


    "Now it''s your turn!"


    Su Chen dusted off his hands and stepped over the bodies, walking toward Lv Shixin.


    "Don''te any closer! Come any closer and I''ll shoot!"


    Lv Shixin, seeing Su Chen approaching like a devil, kept retreating while shakily pulling out a pistol from his pocket and pointing it at Su Chen.


    "Su Chen, be careful!"


    Xiao Yaning had been stunned by Su Chen''s actions, but when Lv Shixin pulled out the pistol, she reacted and yelled frantically.


    Su Chen seemed not to hear their voices and continued walking directly toward Lv Shixin, a faint smile on his lips.


    "Bang!"


    Unable to bear Su Chen''s oppression any longer, Lv Shixin couldn''t help but close his eyes and pull the trigger!


    "No!"


    With that gunshot, Xiao Yaning also screamed heartbreakingly, unable to bear the sight of Su Chen falling.


    At such a close distance, both of them thought that Su Chen was undoubtedly doomed!


    "Young Master Lv, your shooting skills aren''t very good!"


    Su Chen shook his head and sighed.


    "You''re not dead!"


    Lv Shixin opened his eyes to find Su Chen still standing there perfectly fine and felt like he was seeing a ghost.


    How could it be possible? The distance between them was barely over a meter; how could he have dodged it?


    "Su Chen, you''re really all right! That''s great!"


    Xiao Yaning was so excited she would have thrown herself into Su Chen''s arms if she hadn''t been bound hand and foot, unable to move!


    "For him to think he could kill me, he''s not qualified!"


    Su Chen spoke with a faint smile, radiating a powerful, confident aura.


    "Damn it¡ªI don''t believe I can''t kill you!"


    Lv Shixin, eyes zing with anger, intended to keep shooting, but just then, a shadow shed in front of him.


    By the time he regained his senses, he realized his own hand was empty, and when he looked up, a dark gun muzzle was already aimed at him.


    Lv Shixin was terrified; he had no idea how his gun had ended up in the hands of this guy so quickly.


    But now was not the time to think about that, because he was already under the other''s gun, and with just a light pull of the trigger, his life would be over!


    "Big brother, I was wrong, please let me go."


    Lv Shixin knelt down with a "thud," begging,


    "I''ll give you money, as much as you want!"


    "Do you believe what I said now? Actions have consequences!"


    Su Chen nced at him and spoke.


    "I believe, I believe it! It''s all my fault! Big brother, please! I don''t want to die!"


    Lv Shixin hurriedly nodded and said.


    "It''s toote, you better go confess to King Yan!"


    Su Chen''s expression instantly turned cold, a murderous aura abruptly rising!


    "You can''t kill me! I am..."


    "Bang!"


    Before Lv Shixin could finish his sentence, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet hole appeared between his eyebrows!

 Chapter 140: I Killed

    Jiangnan had carried Xiao Yaning back home where Xiao Dingguo was still unconscious by the wall. Xiao Yaning walked slowly to his side, turned her head to Su Chen, and asked:


    "Can you wake him up?"


    "Yes."


    Su Chen drew out two Silver Needles and pierced one each into Xiao Dingguo''s Baihui and Qingming acupoints. Xiao Dingguo then slowly opened his eyes.


    The first thing he saw was the detestable face of Su Chen, and his face immediately twisted with malice as he burst into a furious tirade:


    "You little bastard, how dare you throw me!"


    "p!"


    Su Chen was toozy to argue with this kind of person and gave him a p across the face.


    "You son of a bitch!"


    Xiao Dingguo red at Su Chen, his eyes aze with fury.


    "p!"


    Su Chen didn''t bother to waste words with him and pped him again.


    After being pped hard twice, Xiao Dingguo wised up and finally realized that if things continued this way, he would be the only one suffering.


    Xiao Dingguo''s eyes shifted, and he suddenly spotted Xiao Yaning not far away, his expression immediately showing surprise.


    "Why are you here?"


    "Where else did you think I would be?" Xiao Yaning scoffed coldly. "I should be in bed with the Young Master of the Lv Family, right?"


    Her tone was indifferent, her eyes filled with a chilling coldness!


    Gazing at Xiao Dingguo with eyes full of contempt, disdain, and revulsion, she had thought that even a tiger wouldn''t eat its own cubs, and there was only so bad Xiao Dingguo could be.


    But she had never imagined that he would personally bring Lv Shixin over and hand her over to him!


    From that moment, this father was dead to her!


    "Yaning, I am your father, how could I harm you?"


    Once again, Xiao Dingguo yed the emotional card as he said to Xiao Yaning,


    "What''s wrong with marrying Young Master Lv? From now on, you would be the Young Mistress of the Lv Family!"


    Xiao Yaning felt deep revulsion at the hideousness of his countenance. Was this man really her father?


    "Xiao Dingguo, I dere: from this moment on, I renounce my rtionship with you as father and daughter, and I will make a public announcement in the newspaper tomorrow!"


    Xiao Yaning took a deep breath and said resolutely.


    "You want to sever our father-daughter rtionship?"


    Xiao Dingguo''s eyes widened in disbelief as he pointed at his nose and asked. He could hardly believe his own ears.


    "Correct, because you don''t deserve to be a father at all!"


    Xiao Yaning looked at Xiao Dingguo with a face full of Hanshuang, her gaze unwaveringly determined!


    "Fine, Xiao Yaning, how ruthless of you!"


    Xiao Dingguo struggled to get up from the ground, pointing at Xiao Yaning and saying:


    "But you are wrong, I am not unworthy to be your father; I am simply not your father at all!"


    "What did you say?"


    The words of Xiao Dingguo struck Xiao Yaning like a bolt from the blue, her mind went nk, and she could barely stand. Fortunately, Su Chen was there to support her in time.


    "It''s not a secret anymore, so I might as well tell you, you were just an orphan that my wife picked up from the welfare institution, you''re not our biological daughter at all!"


    Xiao Dingguo''s expression was somewhat maniacal as he spat out:


    "If it wasn''t for my wife''s insistence, I wouldn''t even want to keep you, this wild seed!"


    More than twenty years ago, unable to have children, Xiao Dingguo''s wife, who dearly loved kids, had adopted a girl from the welfare institution.


    Xiao Dingguo originally did not want the girl because she was not his own, but his wife really liked this delicately molded little girl.


    Reluctantly, he agreed to keep the young girl.


    Although they kept her, Xiao Dingguo was very indifferent towards her and paid no attention to her affairs. Her upbringing and education were all managed by his wife.


    When the girl was fourteen, his wife died of illness, and Xiao Dingguo thought about kicking the girl out.


    But he suddenly realized that this girl was an absolute beauty in the making, and as a businessman, Xiao Dingguo immediately recognized the girl''s value.


    Thus, instead of kicking the girl out, he began, contrary to his usual behavior, to take an interest in her!


    Events indeed developed just as he had anticipated: as the girl grew older, her beauty also increased, and she could truly be considered one in ten thousand!


    So, he took her to various business banquets, hoping that some important figure would take a fancy to the girl.


    To his surprise, the girl caught the eye of the Second Young Master from the Lv Family!


    What sort of family was the Lv Family? They were one of the Four Great Families in Jiangnan!


    As soon as the Second Young Master expressed his admiration for the girl, Xiao Dingguo agreed without a second thought!


    However, what he hadn''t expected was that the girl would oppose this arranged marriage so vehemently, no matter how much he tried to persuade her, she wouldn''t budge!


    And so, the situation had escted to what it was today...


    "So that''s how it is, no wonder you wouldn''t even nce at me when I was a child."


    Xiao Yaning muttered with an empty gaze, realizing that his kindness to herter on was probably because he saw her as nothing more than an item, a tool!


    "Are you done talking? If you''re done, then get lost!"


    Su Chen, supporting Xiao Yaning, cast a cold nce at Xiao Dingguo.


    "Fine, I''ll leave! But Xiao Yaning, don''t think that you''ll have no problems with Young Master Lv just because you cut ties with me as a father. Sooner orter, you will marry into the Lv Family!"


    After speaking, Xiao Dingguo dragged his injured body towards the courtyard gate.


    "I''m afraid you''re going to be disappointed, Lv Shixin is already dead!"


    Su Chen''s voice suddenly rang out behind him.


    "What did you say? The Second Young Master is dead? How is that possible?"


    Xiao Dingguo turned around abruptly, his face full of shock!


    This was the Second Young Master of the Lv Family! How could he suddenly have died?


    "You should be receiving the news any moment now, then you''ll know if it''s true or not."


    "How did Young Master Lv die?"


    Xiao Dingguo stared nkly at Su Chen as he asked.


    "I killed him."


    Su Chen said matter-of-factly, as if it were just a trifling matter.


    But hearing this, Xiao Dingguo waspletely bbergasted!


    This young man had actually killed the Second Young Master?!


    This was far too unbelievable!


    "I should have killed you to silence you, but considering that you did raise Yaning after all, I''ll let you go today."


    As Xiao Dingguo was still in a daze, Su Chen''s icy voice came again:


    "However, I hope you can keep your mouth shut. If you can''t manage that, I won''t mind making you shut up forever!"


    Xiao Dingguo looked at the young man''sposed face and felt a chill in his heart. He hurriedly quickened his pace and left the courtyard as if there was something terrifying inside!


    After Xiao Dingguo left, Su Chen immediately helped Xiao Yaning into the house. Once inside, they discovered that Aunt Gui had already fallen asleep on the couch, no wonder she hadn''te out earlier!


    Su Chen didn''t disturb Aunt Gui and directly helped Xiao Yaning upstairs to her boudoir.


    After helping Xiao Yaning to bed and tucking her in, he saw that herplexion was still somewhat pale and asked with concern:


    "Are you alright?"


    "I''m fine, I just need to rest for a while!"


    Xiao Yaning forced a slight smile.


    Su Chen understood that Xiao Yaning hadn''t yet recovered from the truth she had just faced.


    The blow to her must have been enormous!


    "Alright, you rest. I''ll stay here with you!"


    Su Chen said softly.


    "Mhm."


    Xiao Yaning looked at Su Chen''s face and felt an unprecedented sense of peace.


    She was indeed exhausted today and soon fell asleep.


    Seeing her asleep, Su Chen stepped out, quietly closed the door behind him,


    and as he passed by downstairs, he picked up a nket and covered Aunt Gui with it...

 Chapter 141 - 141 Video from Huaxia

    Su Chen left Xiao Yaning''s vi by the time it was nearly off work, so he simply went straight home.


    When he returned home, Wang Ma was cooking dinner, Su Chen greeted her and went straight to practice cultivation.


    What Su Chen didn''t know was that at this moment, Jianghai hadpletely blown up.


    An earth-shaking piece of news was being discussed everywhere in Jianghai.


    It was that the Second Young Master of the Lv Family, one of the Four Great Families of Jiangnan, had been murdered in broad daylight, his body found inside a van parked by the roadside.


    Everyone was deeply shocked by this sudden news.


    After all, the Four Great Families were the most elite existence in Jiangnan!


    And for a member of the legitimate line of the Lv Family, one of the Four Great Families, to be murdered inside a vehicle parked on the side of the road was simply unbelievable!


    Everyone was wildly specting, who would dare to cross the Four Great Families?


    Soon, not just Jianghai, but the entire Jiangnan was abuzz with the discussion of the murder of the Lv Family''s Second Young Master.


    Jianghai''s Public Security Bureau mobilized all officers, fullymitted to tracking down the murderer!


    However, after reviewing all the surveince footage, they only found a fleeting shadow, leaving them with no leads to pursue!


    The true upper echelons had ess to more information than the average person, and when they learned that at the scene of Lv Shixin''s murder, there were also seven or eight wanted murderers, they were even more terrified!


    And there was another detail that sent chills down their spines, that was, everyone at the scene had been killed by having their throat bones crushed by hand!


    Just thinking about that scene made them too scared to even sleep...


    However, aside from the Lv Family, those most shaken by this event were the other three of the Four Great Families of Jiangnan!


    The Wu, Liu, and Yun families called urgent family meetings to discuss the matter.


    Their anxiety was quite understandable, for if someone dared to target the Lv Family, who could assure that they wouldn''t target the others too?


    Another reason the three families couldn''t ignore was that they had no idea who this formidable opponent was!


    After all, for decades no one had ever dared toy a hand on a member of the Four Great Families.


    Because that was equivalent to forging a deadly feud!


    Nobody dared to pluck the whiskers of the tiger that was the Four Great Families!


    But now someone had not only dared to make a move but had also seeded, which forced the Four Great Families to take the matter seriously!


    It seemed a fierce dragon had crossed the river!


    They came to such a conclusion with a sigh.


    Each family issued orders to their younger generation to go out less recently, and even if they had to go out for some reason, they were strictly advised not to cause any trouble!


    .....


    The Ans Mountains were the longest mountain range in the world, in which sat the world''s highest dormant volcano that was rarely visited by man or beast.


    Unbeknownst to anyone, half a year ago, a grand edifice was suddenly constructed halfway up this dormant volcano!


    To call it grand was not due to its luxury, but because of its huge area, upying a full third of the mountainside.


    From the outside, the building was far from beautiful, with not only its peculiar shape but also its dark grey walls, made of unknown materials, giving off a grim and oppressive feeling!


    A watchtower was positioned at every point of thepass around this building, capable of bringing the nearby area within a 10-kilometer radius under surveince.


    If one could enter the inside of this building, itsyout would seem quite unnatural.


    The building was more like abination of an experimental base, a military-controlled area, and an office area all in one.


    The interior was mainly divided into two parts, with the area closest to the inside being a row of bungalows. In front of every bungalow, two men in camouge stood guard with submachine guns at the ready, their expressions solemn!


    Opposite the row of bungalows was a massive cylindrical building with a milky-white exterior, at its entrance stood a piece of high-tech security equipment, nked by two men on each side wielding submachine guns.


    asionally, individuals dressed in whiteb coats, resembling research personnel, would emerge from the bungalows and enter the cylindrical building.


    However, each person had to pass through a check by the guards at the entrance and be scanned by that high-tech equipment before they could go in.


    Between the bungalows and the circr building, three teams of eight patrolled back and forth non-stop to ensure that not even a fly could get in.


    The defense in the area closer to the outside was not as strict as the inside, but patrols still incessantly went back and forth.


    That area was then divided into several different functional zones, which actually looked more like they were meant for office use.


    If you were familiar with the inside situation, you would know that the outside part was divided into the following areas, respectively: information gathering area, information analysis area,batmand area, punishment area, rest area, and so on.


    Beyond that, there were a few offices in the middle of the entire building. These offices looked no different from ordinary offices on the outside, but they were entirely different inside.


    Firstly, all signals inside were blocked, and could only be connected through an encrypted password. Secondly, the walls, including doors and windows, were resistant to mortar attacks. Not to mention functions like soundproofing.


    And the method of opening these office doors was something that ordinary people couldn''t possibly think of, it wasn''t fingerprint identification or voice recognition, but a brainwave interaction system!


    In other words, if you wanted to sneak into these offices, it waspletely impossible!


    At that moment, a middle-aged woman rushed out of the information analysis area and headed straight for the biggest office.


    The middle-aged woman arrived in front of the office, entered her number on a transparent screen in the air, and then quietly waited to the side.


    A few secondster, the door suddenly opened.


    The middle-aged woman quickly walked in and stopped a meter away from a desk.


    Sitting behind that desk was a man in his forties, his face cold and his eyes devoid of any color.


    If Su Chen were here, he would have recognized him immediately, because he was¡ªTang Gang!


    The very person who had betrayed Su Chen, resulting in him being besieged by numerous experts to the point where his Dantian was shattered!


    "Number 36, do you have a situation to report to me?"


    Tang Gang raised his head and looked at the middle-aged woman in front of him, asking indifferently.


    "Yes, Chairman, our information gathering team just obtained a video from Huaxia Jianghai. After analysis by our information analysis team, we believe it''s necessary to report this situation to you," the middle-aged woman said as she ced a USB drive on Tang Gang''s desk, then immediately retreated back to her original position.


    "Huaxia?!"


    Upon hearing these two words, Tang Gang''s eyes suddenly narrowed, and a fierce glint burst forth!


    The middle-aged woman couldn''t help but shiver; it was the first time she had seen the Chairman react so strongly to a piece of news!


    "Isn''t he just a Huaxia national?" Tang Gang murmured...

 Chapter 142: Thousands of Miles Away

    "Where did this videoe from?" Tang Gang asked coldly.


    "It was identally captured by a drone enthusiast from Jianghai, Huaxia, and then he uploaded it to the inte," the middle-aged woman replied, bowing.


    "Alright, I know, you can leave now."


    Tang Gang waved his hand, and the middle-aged woman left, and the office door closed once again.


    "He really isn''t dead!"


    Tang Gang looked at the lingering shadow on the screen, certain without needing any technical means that it was indeed him!


    They had fought side by side for nearly two years; he knew him too well!


    "Worthy of being the Hall Master, even a shattered Dantian can be repaired!"


    Tang Gang clenched his teeth and said, a surge of fighting spirit rising in his chest!


    "Even if you can return to your former self, what does it matter? As long as I have human gics in my hand, what is there to fear!"


    .....


    Meanwhile, in an ancient pce in central Europe.


    Four or five people gathered in a room filled with various devices, staring unblinkingly at a screen!


    "It really is the Hall Master! It has to be the Hall Master! So mboyant, haha~~~"


    A man, prettier than a woman, excitedly waved his fist.


    "Joker, you get this excited seeing this bastard?"


    A blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman, whose stunning beauty made all men swoon, coldly snorted.


    Compared to her features, her figure was equally impressive, a fiery-hot figure with perfect proportions!


    Hearing the woman''s words, everyone couldn''t help but cover their mouths and snicker!


    "Eniel, weren''t you moring a few days ago to go to Huaxia to find him?"


    A square-faced man asked curiously, his face expressionless and simple-looking.


    "Hahaha~~~~"


    The crowd could no longer hold back and burst into boomingughter!


    "Demon, you!"


    Eniel''s face flushed red, and she red at the square-faced man.


    "Why are you ring at me? You were the one who said it! I wasn''t the only one who heard it."


    The square-faced man muttered innocently.


    The crowdughed again, and Joker gave the square-faced man a thumbs up:


    "Demon, nicely done!"


    Eniel, feeling even more embarrassed, raised her hand and smacked the back of a giggling girl''s head:


    "Shadow, you little girl, what are youughing at? Don''t pick up their bad habits!"


    "Oh, now she''s picking up bad habits? Shadow should be learning them from the Hall Master if anyone!"


    Joker winked and said with a mischievous grin.


    The crowd burst outughing once more, even the usually simple-minded Demon joined in.


    They all felt that since the Hall Master disappeared, it had been a long time since they had been this happy...


    .....


    Thousands of miles away, Su Chen was oblivious to these happenings.


    At that moment, he finally felt a loosening in the Realm that had been stagnant for so long.


    By his estimation, in a few days, he might advance to thete stage of the Fifth Layer Realm and see the threshold of the Sixth Layer Realm.


    Just then, Wang Ma called out that dinner was ready, and Su Chen immediately stopped his cultivation and came out.


    "What have you been hiding in your room for?"


    Lin Ruoxue had been back for a while, and she looked at Su Chen emerging from the room and asked curiously.


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen responded with a cunning counter-question.


    "How would I know what bad things you''re doing in there?"


    Lin Ruoxue retorted with a pout.


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue and suddenly remembered the mysterious and extremely cold energy hidden inside her body.


    "Ruoxue, let me check your body after dinner!" Su Chen blurted out.


    "Why? I think I''m quite healthy, there''s no problem at all."


    Lin Ruoxue gave Su Chen a suspicious nce,


    "You''re not just trying to take advantage of me under the pretext of examining me, are you?"


    When it came to body examinations, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but remember the ambiguous scene during herst treatment by Su Chen, as well as that bet which still made her feel somewhat embarrassed to this day.


    "What are you thinking?" Su Chen said in frustration, "I just want to check and see if your stomach ailment has beenpletely cured or if there are any signs of recurrence. Isn''t it normal to have follow-ups in hospitals?"


    "Didn''t you sayst time that it waspletely cured? Moreover, I haven''t had any stomach pain in the past few months."


    Speaking of this, Lin Ruoxue still admired Su Chen; she hadn''t expected her chronic stomach ailment, which hadn''t improved for many years, to be cured by his few silver needles.


    "I''m just being cautious. Better safe than sorry."


    Su Chen naturally wouldn''t tell Lin Ruoxue about the other things inside her body; otherwise, it would definitely frighten her.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue saw that he made some sense, so she agreed.


    After dinner, both went to Lin Ruoxue''s room. As soon as Su Chen entered, he immediately felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    "How will you check?"


    Being alone in a room with Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue felt somewhat apprehensive; in her experience, nothing good ever happened when she was alone with him.


    "Like this, sit cross-legged on the bed," Su Chen instructed after a moment''s thought.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately followed his instructions and sat down on the bed.


    Su Chen also took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, sitting opposite Lin Ruoxue.


    "What are you doing?"


    Seeing Su Chen also getting on the bed, Lin Ruoxue was startled and quickly scooted back.


    "Of course, I''m here to examine you! What else did you think?"


    Su Chen was speechless and thought to himself, did he really look that much like a bad person?


    If Lin Ruoxue knew his thoughts, she would definitely respond affirmatively ¡ª you are!


    "Oh, alright then."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned slightly red.


    "This time I need to ce my hand on your abdomen to feel what''s going on inside."


    Su Chen exined beforehand, to prevent Lin Ruoxue from getting startledter on.


    "You need to do that?"


    Hearing that he would put his hand on her abdomen, Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, and her face turned even redder.


    "Don''t think too much, just consider me as a regr doctor."


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s hesitation, Su Chen pulled out the same argument asst time.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded shyly. What else could she say or do?


    Seeing her agreement, Su Chen quickly took a deep breath twice, then extended his right hand to cover Lin Ruoxue''s lower abdomen.


    As soon as Su Chen''s hand touched her, Lin Ruoxue''s delicate body involuntarily shivered, and her face flushed almost to the point of dripping water.


    Even though there was clothing between them, Su Chen could still feel Lin Ruoxue''s smooth skin, which momentarily distracted him.


    However, Su Chen knew this wasn''t the time to think about those things, and he quickly focused his thoughts elsewhere.


    Su Chen silently operated his cultivation technique, sending a strand of True Yuan from Lin Ruoxue''s lower abdomen into her body...

 Chapter 143: Seeds? Spirit Insects?

    Su Chen, considering Lin Ruoxue''s tolerance, could only slowly transfer his True Yuan into her bit by bit.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately felt a warm current flowing within her body, seemingly nourishing her and providing greatfort, herplexion gradually bing rosy.


    However, after transferring over a dozen strands, Su Chen still couldn''t determine what that mysterious entity was, merely sensing its vague presence.


    But theyer of cold, negative energy enshrouding it, Su Chen sensed clearly.


    It was like a baby, quietly lying dormant inside Lin Ruoxue''s body, and like a seed, gestating within her.


    Su Chen transferred a few more strands of True Yuan, and upon entering Lin Ruoxue''s body, they encircled the outermostyer of that mysterious "seed," separated by that coldyer of energy.


    Lin Ruoxue instantly felt an even stronger warm current, her face immediately revealing a look offort and pleasure, her cheeks flushing, the redness spreading to her slender and fair neck.


    Su Chen discovered that even without his active control, the True Yuan still orbited the seed, as if it naturally attracted True Yuan.


    Su Chen tried hard to manipte the True Yuan to examine the seed, but was unable to see it clearly because of the cold energyyer blocking the view.


    Considering Lin Ruoxue''s tolerance, Su Chen didn''t dare to transfer more True Yuan.


    But without adding more True Yuan, he couldn''t see clearly, which made Su Chen furrow his brow!


    "No choice, I have to try."


    With determination on his face, Su Chen silently clenched his teeth.


    He controlled a few strands of True Yuan again, then slowly guided them through the cold energy to the core of the "seed."


    However, as the True Yuan passed through the outsideyer of cold energy, they werergely absorbed by it.


    "What in the world is this? Not only does it attract True Yuan, but it actually absorbs it?"


    Surprised, Su Chen immediately drew all the True Yuan that had surrounded the outermost part of the seed and sent it inside.


    Like before, most of the True Yuan were absorbed, but this time there was much more, so a significant amount still made it to the innermost part.


    At that moment, Su Chen finally saw the rough shape of the "seed"; it was about the size of an adult''s thumb, whiter than snow, round and plump.


    Still unsatisfied, Su Chen continued to guide the remaining True Yuan into the core of the seed, eager to find out what it truly was.


    However, as soon as he had led a few strands of True Yuan inside, the "seed," like a disturbed sleeping baby, stirred slightly.


    In an instant, Su Chen felt an immensely vast and chilling energy that sent shivers down his spine.


    The cold aura seemed toe from and of ice beyond the Nine Nether!


    The cold breath emanating from the core of the "seed" was many times stronger than what covered the surface!


    "Mmm!~~~"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned instantly pale and she let out a pained moan, her delicate brows tightly furrowed.


    Su Chen looked up and saw a thinyer of Ice Frost forming on her exquisitely beautiful face.


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue had actually entered a state of deep unconsciousness,pletely unaware of what was happening to her body.


    Shocked, Su Chen promptly operated his Cultivation Technique, drawing the cold energy through the True Yuan to Lin Ruoxue''s lower abdomen, then transferring it onto himself.


    But since most of the True Yuan had been absorbed by that mysterious energy, he had only managed to draw out a little.


    Therefore, Su Chen transferred some more True Yuan into Lin Ruoxue''s body and continued to draw out the cold energy onto himself.


    He didn''t dare to transfer too much True Yuan at a time, so he had to go back and forth.


    After several attempts, the Ice Frost on Lin Ruoxue''s face finally disappeared, her paleplexion returning to some degree, her expression no longer as pained as before.


    Her consciousness also gradually returned to normal, allowing her to perceive her surroundings once again.


    And the "seed" once again fell into silence, quietly lying there as if nothing had happened!


    "Pfft!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but spit out a mouthful of fresh blood onto the bed!


    A grave expression emerged on his face. He had thought that reaching the Qi Refinement Sixth Layer Realm would be enough to help Lin Ruoxue remove that mysterious thing, but now it seemed far from sufficient!


    Because the energy contained in that "seed" was astoundingly great!


    "Su Chen, what''s wrong with you?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes snapped open and she was startled to see Su Chen spitting out blood. Her face instantly filled with a look of sheer panic!


    "It''s nothing, it''s just that my wife is so beautiful, I got a bit carried away just now."


    Su Chen said with a faint smile.


    "How can it be nothing? Look how pale your face is!"


    Lin Ruoxue had no idea about what had just happened. She didn''t understand; Su Chen was fine just moments ago, how could he be like this, even vomiting blood?


    "Let me take you to the hospital!"


    Lin Ruoxue said as she was about to get out of bed, but Su Chen quickly grabbed her arm and shook his head:


    "Trust me, I''m fine. I just need to rest for a bit."


    "Really?"


    "Mhm, don''t worry."


    Su Chen nodded and forced a difficult smile.


    "Then, sleep here today."


    Lin Ruoxue said softly, her pretty face flushing with a trace of crimson after she spoke.


    "Okay!"


    Su Chen thought for a moment and nodded. He felt a wave of emotion slowly spreading in his heart.


    He knew all too well that Lin Ruoxue was doing this because she was worried about him.


    Although the best course of action for Su Chen now would be to return to his cultivation to heal his internal injury, he agreed to stay to put Lin Ruoxue''s mind at ease.


    After Lin Ruoxue changed the blood-stained bedsheets and duvet cover, she let Su Chen get into bed to rest. Shey down as well.


    Of course, the two of them slept in separate nkets. Lin Ruoxue wasn''t ready to share a bed with Su Chen yet!


    ....


    "Who has disturbed my spirit insect?!"


    What Su Chen did not know was that just when the "seed" had stirred,


    In a secret chamber within a mountain stronghold in the southwest of Huaxia, an old crone who was deep in meditation abruptly opened her eyes, and an aura like that of a rotten corpse wafted from her!


    The old crone had wanted to sense further, but the disturbance quickly died away.


    "Could it be that the spirit insect is close to awakening? The time is also approaching for its sessful incubation."


    The old woman furrowed her brows slightly, her eye sockets sunken, her face almost fleshless, resembling ayer of skin wrapped around bones.


    "It was not easy for this old body to find a Nine Yin Physique to incubate the spirit insect. No one shall thwart my efforts!"


    The old crone said in a heavy tone, a malevolent glint shing in her eyes...

 Chapter 144: 144 Eniel Princess

    Su Chen tiptoed out of Lin Ruoxue''s room after confirming she was sound asleep and returned to his own bedroom.


    He activated his Cultivation Technique to inspect his body internally and discovered that his internal injuries were still quite severe.


    "I can''t figure out why that thing inside Lin Ruoxue''s body is so domineering! Who could have tampered with her?"


    Su Chen muttered to himself, fully aware that the mysterious "seed" couldn''t be natural and must have been ced there by someone.


    But who could it be? What''s the purpose? And why choose Lin Ruoxue?


    A myriad of questions burst into Su Chen''s mind, yet he couldn''t make sense of any of them.


    "Forget it, I won''t think about it anymore."


    Su Chen shook his head and sat down on the bed to start cultivating.


    He silently ran his Cultivation Technique, guiding the True Yuan within his body to nourish and heal his injured internal organs and heart.


    To Su Chen''s surprise, the healing effect of the True Yuan on his injuries was remarkably effective.


    He had only practiced several Full Circles, and the internal injuries had alreadypletely healed, leaving no trace of damage.


    "This Nine Yang Divine Technique is truly miraculous!"


    Although Su Chen had witnessed the wonders of this Cultivation Technique before, he couldn''t help but exhale in admiration once again.


    The next morning, the weather was fine, and afterpleting his cultivation, Su Chen still went to prepare breakfast.


    "If you''re not feeling well, you shouldn''t be getting up so early to make breakfast."


    Around 7 o''clock, Lin Ruoxue came downstairs, saw Su Chen busy in the kitchen, and couldn''t help but make ament.


    "It''s okay, I feel much better after sleeping."


    Su Chen said with a smile, cing the freshly baked bread on the table.


    "Son-inw, what happened to you?"


    When Mother Wang heard he wasn''t feeling well, she immediately asked with concern.


    "It''s nothing, Mother Wang. Don''t listen to Ruoxue''s exaggerations. She''s making a big deal out of nothing."


    Su Chen tapped Mother Wang''s shoulder to reassure her.


    "How can you say the young miss is making a big deal out of nothing? She''s just concerned about you, isn''t she?"


    Mother Wang''s lips curved into a smile as she spoke, ncing at Lin Ruoxue, who suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed.


    "Alright, let''s sit down and have breakfast."


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue looking a bit bashful, Mother Wang didn''t say anything more.


    Upon hearing this, both Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue sat down and started having breakfast.


    "Su Chen, next month, Sloley Group will visit our Huaxia looking for a local partner, with the first stop set in Jianghai. You will be my trantor then."


    Lin Ruoxue casually mentioned while eating her sandwich.


    "Thud."


    The half-eaten deep-fried dough stick that Su Chen just stuffed into his mouth suddenly dropped onto the table.


    "What did you just say?"


    Su Chen''s eyes, wide like precious stones, gaped in surprise as he spoke, his expression suddenly tensing up.


    "The Sloley Group ising to visit Huaxia, what about it?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked up to see Su Chen''s shocked face and asked curiously.


    "Nothing, it''s nothing,"


    Su Chen said somewhat frantically, picking up the half-eaten dough stick from the table and putting it back into his mouth.


    "How ridiculous," Lin Ruoxue muttered with a curl of her lip, "That settles it then, you''ll be my trantor."


    "I''m not going! Isn''t your English very good?"


    Su Chen shook his head so furiously it nearly fell off, thinking to himself, are you kidding me? How could I go? Isn''t that just masochism?


    "You have to go. My English is enough formunication, but the person in charge of Sloley Group is from the country of Stet, and don''t you speak Stetian? I think if wemunicate in their nativenguage, it might make them feel more wee and show greater sincerity!"


    Lin Ruoxue said earnestly, looking at Su Chen. Sloley Group is a world-renowned multinational corporation with businesses covering finance, hotels, fashion, healthcare, the inte, and more.


    Moreover, the Sloley Group is part of the royal industry of Stet, a country in Europe. Although Stet is just an ancient country, theirmercial empire covers the entire world!


    Lin Ruoxue had long harbored the ambition to break into the international market, which is why she ced great importance on the uing visit of the Sloley Group!


    She had already made up her mind that no matter what, she would be a partner of Sloley Group this time!


    "I''m not going anyway!"


    Su Chen, like a child, threw a temper tantrum.


    "You!..."


    Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes suddenly filled with anger, staring intently at Su Chen...


    "Staring at me is useless, I''m not going anyway."


    Truth be told, Lin Ruoxue''s gaze was like needles, and Su Chen was really a bit overwhelmed!


    "Son-inw, please help the young miss, it''s not easy for her!"


    Madam Wang also softly pleaded with Su Chen...


    "Madam Wang, it''s not that I don''t want to help, it''s that I can''t..."


    Su Chen sighed.


    "Madam Wang, you don''t need to beg this jerk, I don''t need his help!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat out coldly, her face covered with frost, and a wave of grievances surged in her heart.


    She had thought that their rtionship had already improved quite a bit and that she had gradually epted him, but she didn''t expect him to refuse to help with even this small matter, it seems it was just her wishful thinking!


    With this thought, tears gradually welled up in Lin Ruoxue''s eyes. She wanted to hold them back, but the tears fell uncontrobly.


    "Why are you crying now?"


    Seeing the always strong Lin Ruoxue crying, Su Chen suddenly panicked.


    He rushed over quickly, supported Lin Ruoxue''s fragrant shoulders, and asked softly,


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Don''t bother with me, you won''t care anyway no matter what happens to me, so why put on an act of being the good guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue flung her arms, trying to shake off Su Chen''s hand from her shoulder.


    "What are you saying, you''re my wife, if I don''t care for you, who will?!"


    Su Chen took a tissue from the box on the table and wiped her tears.


    "Get lost!"


    Lin Ruoxue pushed Su Chen''s hand away and spat out coldly.


    Actually, she wasn''t crying because Su Chen refused to be her trantor per se, but mainly because she felt that she had no importance in his eyes through this incident, which was why she felt aggrieved and sad.


    It''s just that she might not have realized this herself.


    "What if I be your trantor?"


    Su Chen, who couldn''t stand to see a woman cry, especially since this woman was his wife, could only grit his teeth and agree.


    "As if I''m begging you, no need!"


    Lin Ruoxue took a tissue herself and wiped her tears.


    "Of course, it''s not you begging me, it''s me begging my dear wife, could you please give me the opportunity to serve you just this once?"


    Su Chen pleaded with a pitiful look.


    "Pfft!"


    The Lin Ruoxue who just a moment ago had been crying couldn''t help butugh at Su Chen''s antics, her smile was truly captivating, like the blooming of spring flowers!


    However, Lin Ruoxue immediately resumed her cold demeanor.


    "You said it, you''re the one begging me."


    "Yes, yes, yes, I''m begging my dear wife!"


    Su Chen hastened to nod in agreement.


    "Alright then, I''ll give you this opportunity."


    Lin Ruoxue spoke indifferently, a faint smile curving the corners of her mouth...


    After Lin Ruoxue left, Su Chen showed a bitter face, as if someone owed him 500 dors.


    "What am I going to do now?"


    Su Chen sighed to the heavens...


    The reason why Su Chen was reluctant to be Lin Ruoxue''s trantor was because the person in charge of the Sloley Group was the princess of the ancient country of Stet.


    Her name was¡ªEniel!

 Chapter 145: Conditions

    Because of the Eniel incident, Su Chen was in a bad mood all morning. He''d originally thought that even if Eniel came to look for him, she woulde alone.


    If that were the case, he might have been able to deal with her quietly.


    However, he didn''t expect her toe under the guise of a visit to China by the Sloley Group, which guaranteed that she would definitely meet Lin Ruoxue.


    Thinking about these two women running into each other, Su Chen couldn''t help but shiver!


    For him, this would definitely not be a good thing!


    Just as he was worrying, Meng Shan suddenly came over and said to him with a mischievous smile,


    "Bro Su, there''s a beauty at the door looking for you."


    "A beauty looking for me? Who could it be?"


    Su Chen was slightly startled and ran out.


    "Bro Su is really something, having such a beautiful wife like President Lin and still fooling around with others! Why don''t I have such luck?"


    Meng Shan said wistfully as he watched Su Chen''s retreating figure.


    Su Chen had just reached the entrance of the Belle Building when he saw a lightly made-up beauty with her hair tied back in a ponytail, revealing her curvaceous figure, standing there.


    "It''s you? Howe you''re here?" Su Chen asked in surprise.


    "I just visited my cousin, and I thought I''d check up on you as well. Why, aren''t you weing me?"


    Xu Xinran tilted her head and her cherry lips pouted slightly, pretending to be angry.


    "How could I not? Officer Xuing to see me, I am truly ttered! But you are a police officer, and I''m just an ordinary citizen. Of course, I''d be a bit scared if you suddenly looked for me!"


    Su Chen made an exaggerated expression and said, indeed feeling quite puzzled as to why this youngdy would suddenly look for him.


    Su Chen certainly wasn''t vain enough to think that Xu Xinran came to see him because she missed him; it must be true that ''No news is good news''!


    "Cut it out, have you done something bad?" Xu Xinran gave him a sideways nce and teased, "Otherwise, why are you so afraid of the police?"


    "If I did something bad, it''s because I saw something I shouldn''t have seen."


    Su Chen winked at Xu Xinran and said in a low voice.


    "You jerk! How dare you bring that up!"


    Xu Xinran was seething with embarrassment and anger, and sheshed out at Su Chen with a kick aimed below the belt!


    Of course, she clearly recalled that Su Chen was referring to thest time he saw her lingerie left in the bathroom.


    Su Chen saw her kicking, quickly mped his legs together tightly, trapping Xu Xinran''s long leg between them.


    "You bastard! Let go!"


    Xu Xinran struggled to pull her leg back, but Su Chen had mped it so tightly that she couldn''t break free.


    At this moment, she could only stand on one leg like a mingo while passing pedestrians looked on at the scene with murmurs of amazement.


    Xu Xinran''s face turned beet red with mortification, wishing she could just crawl into a hole and hide.


    Especially seeing Su Chen looking at her with a smug smile, she felt even more embarrassed!


    At that time, at a window upstairs, a stunning silhouette saw the scene below and her face instantly frosted over,


    "This guy, he''s at it again!"


    Su Chen, as if sensing something, immediately looked up and caught a glimpse of a graceful figure walking away from the window.


    "Damn it! Lin Ruoxue must have seen it!"


    Su Chen cursed inwardly and quickly released his legs.


    "You jerk, I..."


    Xu Xinran rubbed her slightly reddened ankle while ring furiously at Su Chen.


    Just as she was about to berate him, he interrupted her.


    "Spit it out, what exactly do you want by looking for me?"


    Su Chen nced at her and asked casually.


    "I..."


    Xu Xinran stood up, about to say something, but then suddenly hesitated.


    She indeed had something to ask for his help with, but now that things had developed this way, how could she still have the nerve to speak?


    Moreover, the favor she needed from him was of that sort! Thinking about it, Xu Xinran''s face flushed red again.


    For a moment, Xu Xinran was also somewhat hesitant, but who else could she ask if not him?


    Aside from her colleagues at the police station, she didn''t know any other men!


    "Speak up, if you have something to say, or I''m leaving."


    Su Chen pursed his lips and turned to leave.


    "Wait a second."


    Xu Xinran panicked and quickly grabbed Su Chen''s arm.


    "What are you doing?"


    Su Chen turned around and spat out.


    "Sorry, just a moment, I have something to tell you."


    Xu Xinran hurriedly let go of Su Chen''s arm and whispered.


    Su Chen tilted his chin up, gesturing for her to continue.


    "Are you free tonight?"


    Xu Xinran asked with her head down, feeling her heart thumping erratically.


    "Doing what?"


    Su Chen asked suspiciously, it''s always for a reason that one visits the temple.


    "This, this..." Xu Xinran hesitated for a few seconds, then suddenly lifted her head and said, "Could you apany me to a ss reunion tonight?"


    "What?"


    Su Chen waspletely stunned upon hearing Xu Xinran''s request.


    He thought it was something serious, but it turned out to be an invitation to a ss reunion!


    "Why?" Su Chen asked, tilting his head.


    "I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend."


    Xu Xinran said shyly, her cheeks flushing a brilliant red, looking utterly beautiful!


    "What, me be your boyfriend?" Su Chen''s eyes widened, and he shook his head immediately, "No, no, you should find someone else!"


    "Will you do it or not?"


    Xu Xinran stamped her foot in frustration, thinking to herself, if I had anyone else to ask, why would I bother with you, asshole?


    "No, I have my principles!"


    Su Chen staunchly refused with an air of integrity; he had already been seen by the wife earlier, and if he went to pretend to be her boyfriend tonight and Lin Ruoxue found out about it, that would be terrible!


    "Really, you can''t do it?"


    Xu Xinran''s eyes suddenly brightened, and a sly smile appeared on her lips.


    "No way!"


    "Well then, if you don''t agree, I''m going upstairs right now to tell my cousin that you harassed me."


    Xu Xinran slightly tilted her elegant neck, threatening him.


    "You wouldn''t dare?!"


    Su Chen had not expected Xu Xinran to pull such a move.


    "You think I wouldn''t dare? I''m going right now!"


    Xu Xinran said as she took a step toward the interior.


    "Fine, I agree, alright!" Su Chen gritted his teeth and spat out, then red at her fiercely, "You''re ruthless!"


    "We''re friends, right! Besides, it''s not like you''re losing out!"


    Xu Xinran pped Su Chen on the shoulder happily as if she had won a great victory, andughed.


    "I''ll help you, but you have to agree to one condition for me."


    Su Chen looked at Xu Xinran displeased, then his face broke into a cunning, fox-like grin.


    Little girl, trying to outwit me? You''ve got a long way to go!


    "What condition?"


    "My condition is that next time, you have to wear that purplece lingerie just for me."


    Su Chen leaned in close to her, whispering in her ear.


    After he finished speaking, Su Chen lightly blew air into Xu Xinran''s ear...


    Xu Xinran''s delicate body shivered uncontrobly, her face flushing so red it seemed it could drip water...

 Chapter 146: So You Fancy Purple

    "No way!" Xu Xinran refused without hesitation, her pretty face flushed with extreme indignation.


    What a bastard he was to think so wishfully, actually wanting her to wear that set of lingerie alone for him to see, how could that be possible?


    Not to mention wearing it, just the thought of that scene was already unbearable for Xu Xinran!


    "Really not possible?"


    Su Chen seemed to ask nonchntly.


    "Absolutely not possible!"


    "Then forget it, let''s also drop the matter where you asked me to pretend to be your boyfriend!"


    Su Chen shrugged as he spoke.


    "Aren''t you afraid I''ll tell cousin that you molested me?"


    Xu Xinran said coldly, her beautiful eyes brimming with fury!


    "Whatever, go tell Qiuru." Su Chen spread his hands indifferently, "After all, it''s not my reputation that''s tarnished!"


    "Fine, I''ll go right now!"


    After Xu Xinran spoke, she walked towards the door, originally thinking Su Chen was just bluffing her, but when she got to the elevator door, she saw Su Chen still standing at the original spot.


    Xu Xinran''s spirit deted instantly. She, of course, wouldn''t really go and say that to her cousin. Not to mention whether her cousin would believe it, the biggest loser in this situation would be herself!


    There''s no reason for a youngdy to smear her own reputation.


    With no other choice, she had to return to Su Chen''s side again.


    "Why didn''t you go?"


    Su Chen asked with a teasing smile, having figured out that Xu Xinran, being such a prideful woman, definitely wouldn''t go through with saying that.


    Originally, Su Chen didn''t n to pretend to be the boyfriend, but if the policewoman really agreed to his request, then it might be worth considering!


    After all, helping others is the source of happiness!


    Su Chen thought smugly to himself, his lips involuntarily curling up into a seductive smile!


    "You''ve won, I agree to it!"


    Xu Xinran said in defeat, staring at Su Chen''s hateful face and itching with annoyance!


    If it wasn''t for that guy also being there, Xu Xinran would rather die than agree to such an outrageous request!


    "OK, then I''ll reluctantly y your boyfriend for today!"


    Su Chen said indifferently, though his heart was already pounding wildly at the thought of Xu Xinran wearing that purplece lingerie, almost causing his nosebleed to flow out.


    "Meet me at my house at 7 PM to pick me up!" Xu Xinran said coldly.


    Before her words fell, she had already turned and left...


    ......


    It was now deep autumn and the days had be much shorter than in summer. When Su Chen arrived at the gate of Xu Xinran''smunity at 6:50 PM, it had already gotten dark.


    Su Chen lighted a cigarette and leaned against the car door, waiting for Xu Xinran toe down.


    Two minutester, an incredibly gorgeous figure appeared in Su Chen''s line of sight.


    Despite the dim light, Su Chen was still taken aback by her stunning appearance. The cigarette dangling from his mouth dropped to the ground with a "plop".


    "What''s the matter? Is there a problem?"


    When Xu Xinran arrived beside Su Chen, noticing that he was staring straight at her, she asked with confusion.


    "Xinran, you''re too beautiful today!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but exim.


    Today, Xu Xinran was wearing an off-shoulder purple cinched evening dress, exposing her fair and smooth shoulders and her delicate, sexy corbone to the air.


    The dress was very figure-hugging, and her wless figure was entuated to perfection by it!


    Yet, what was still the most captivating were the towering peaks in front of her, the scale of which was spectacr!


    Usually always dressed in a police uniform, she seemed to have buried this great figure.


    "Thank you!" Xu Xinran felt a bit pleased upon hearing Su Chen''spliment but her expression cooled immediately when she nced at Su Chen''s attire, "You''re going wearing that security guard uniform?"


    "What''s the matter? You didn''t tell me we had to dress up!" Su Chen pouted, "Besides, it''s nice enough that I''m willing to apany you, and now you''re nitpicking."


    "Let''s just leave it at that."


    Seeing the time, Xu Xinran realized it was toote to change anything, so she let it go.


    "Tianfu Hotel."


    Xu Xinran directed as soon as she got into the car.


    "Is this a high school reunion or a college reunion? Pretty wealthy, huh?"


    Su Chen chuckled softly and pressed down on the elerator.


    Su Chen knew about the Tianfu Hotel as well; it was a Five-Star Level hotel located in the east of Jianghai City.


    "All my college friends are from the political and legal system, so of course, it''s a high school reunion."


    Xu Xinran answered casually, but her expression was somewhat worried, as if she was concerned about something.


    "Xinran, you seem to be quite fond of purple!"


    Suddenly, Su Chen nced in front of her with a meaningful remark.


    "Huh?"


    Xu Xinran was startled for a moment, but then she understood what Su Chen meant!


    "Do you have a death wish?"


    Xu Xinran twisted his waist angrily and red at him fiercely.


    "Oh, I was wrong, I was just joking."


    Caught in his vulnerable spot, Su Chen could only hastily beg for mercy!


    "You''re not allowed to mention that again!"


    Xu Xinran warned with chilly eyes, tightening her grip on him.


    "Alright, alright, I promise I won''t mention it."


    A wise man does not court danger, Su Chen quickly raised his hand to guarantee.


    However, as soon as Xu Xinran let go of his hand, he muttered under his breath:


    "Anyway, you''ll still have to wear it for me to see!"


    Xu Xinran''s face darkened immediately upon hearing that, this jerk!


    She was now somewhat regretting asking him to do her a favor!


    But by now, they were almost at the hotel, and it was toote for regrets.


    When they parked the car in the parking lot and quickly walked to the hotel''s entrance, Xu Xinran immediately sidled up to Su Chen, hooking her arm around his!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but think of thest time he had y-acted in front of Xiao Dingguo with Xiao Yaning, and unconsciously, a slight mischievous smile formed on his lips.


    Just like before, he pulled his arm free from Xu Xinran''s and wrapped it around her delicate waist instead.


    Xu Xinran''s evening gown was quite thin, and Su Chen could distinctly feel the smoothness of her skin underneath.


    "What are you doing?"


    Xu Xinran was startled, quickly reaching to push his hand away.


    But far from being pushed away, his grip only tightened.


    "Aren''t I your boyfriend? Isn''t this normal?"


    Su Chen said with a casual smile.


    At his words, Xu Xinran could only give up, as they had already entered the hotel doors.


    "You bastard, you''ll pay for this!"


    With no other choice, Xu Xinran could only make a fierce retort.


    Su Chen didn''t care about a woman''s threats; instead, he lowered his head and sniffed her neck.


    "So it''s Annick Goutal - Petite Ch¨¦rie, I like it!"


    Xu Xinran''s body trembled involuntarily. How did he know such a niche perfume instantly?

 Chapter 147 - 147 Scent of a Woman

    "How could you know?"


    Xu Xinran asked in astonishment, knowing that Annick Goutal''s perfumes were very niche. Not to mention men, even among women, few knew of this brand.


    She had stumbled across this perfume herself and had fallen in love with its fresh scent after just one whiff.


    But how did he know? Moreover, he even knew she used the ''Apr¨¨s L''ond¨¦e'' series, which was simply inconceivable!


    "This perfume gives one the cool sensation of a spring garden after the rain, and it carries the moist fragrance of gardenia. Its inspirationes from a garden on a clear morning following a thunderstorm."


    Su Chen spoke as if he were a perfume master,


    "The ''Apr¨¨s L''ond¨¦e'' series has top notes of Sicilian lemon, citrus aroma, and peri for an Oriental ir. The middle notes are ginger and magnolia, which bnce each other perfectly, one strong, one gentle. But the most special is its base note, a blend of Indian jasmine and Indonesian yellow champaca, creating an exotic appeal that enriches the delicate scent of gardenias."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Xu Xinran waspletely bbergasted. What kind of creature was this guy?


    You''re a man; do you really need to understand women''s perfume so thoroughly?


    "How do you know all this?"


    Xu Xinran asked falteringly, her beautiful eyes filled with shock!


    Not to mention others, even as someone who wore this perfume, she didn''t know as much about it as he did.


    "By scent, one can know a woman. How can one understand women without understanding perfume?"


    Su Chen smiled mischievously, and he gave Xu Xinran a flirtatious nce.


    "Rogue!"


    That nce was like an electric current striking Xu Xinran''s body. Her heart fluttered, and her face turned red as she retorted softly.


    Just then, a thin young man came walking towards them, holding a ss of red wine. As he passed by Xu Xinran, he suddenly slipped, falling towards her and tipping the wine ss in her direction.


    Just as the red wine was about to spill onto Xu Xinran, a pair ofrge hands suddenly steadied the young man and the wine ss.


    "The floor is slippery; be careful when walking," Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Thank you, thank you!" Thenky youth repeatedly nodded his thanks, and then, full of apology, he said to Xu Xinran, "I''m sorry, so sorry. My apologies."


    "It''s all right!"


    Xu Xinran gave a slight smile and waved her hand dismissively.


    "I''m really very sorry!"


    Thenky youth pressed his hands together in apology, the sincerity evident!


    After saying this, he turned and walked out the front door. Su Chen looked back at the retreating figure of the young man, his eyes gradually narrowing.


    Thenky youth took out his phone as soon as he stepped outside the door and immediately made a call:


    "Wang Yan, I''ve failed."


    "What? You failed? Didn''t you assure me you werepletely sure to seed?"


    A sharp female voice responded on the phone immediately.


    "I had already seeded, but in the end, her boyfriend ruined it."


    "She brought a man with her? How do you know that''s her boyfriend?"


    The woman on the phone asked eagerly.


    "That man was always holding her. If he''s not her boyfriend, then what is he?" Thenky youth sneered.


    "All right, I understand."


    With that, the woman hung up the phone.


    In a women''s restroom at the Tianfu Hotel, a fairly attractive woman with heavy makeup stuffed her phone into her purse, her face marked with a resentful expression.


    "Xu Xinran, you''re just lucky this time!"


    After she finished speaking, she walked out of the restroom and headed towards a private room. By the time she entered the room, herplexion had returned to normal.


    She scanned the room and didn''t see the figure she wanted to see, so she couldn''t help asking a woman beside her:


    "Where''s Chu Jian?"


    "Oh, he''s gone to settle the bill. We had agreed to split it, but he insisted on treating us. He probably didn''t want to miss the opportunity, so he rushed to pay before anyone else."


    "If he wants to treat, let him. After all, such a small amount of money is nothing but a drop in the bucket for President Chu."


    "That''s true. I heard Chu''spany is about to go public, right? His fortune is probably going to multiply again."


    "It''s unbelievable that among all of us old ssmates, we''d have such a big boss!"


    Speaking of Chu Jian, the male ssmates, in particr, felt a mix of admiration, envy, and resentment.


    It''s truly maddening topare oneself to others!


    "Wang Yan, you''re just like you were in high school,ing in and asking about Chu Jian right away. You''re really on his tail!"


    One of the guys joked.


    "Of course! If I had such a boyfriend, I would cling to him tightly!"


    A girl said with a touch of resentment.


    "As if you could, have you seen yourself? How can youpare with our great beauty, Wang Yan?"


    Another guy chimed in with a joke.


    "Shao Bo, you bastard, I''m going to tear your mouth apart!"


    The girl he was talking about red fiercely at him, but she wasn''t really angry.


    She knew that he was joking, and of course, most of the reason was topliment Wang Yan.


    "Xiao Jing, don''t listen to his nonsense!" Wang Yan said gently with a smile, "He''s just sour because he can''t have what he wants!"


    Just then, the guy previously referred to as Shao Bo suddenly said:


    "I wonder if Xu Xinran wille today?"


    As soon as he spoke, he quickly covered his mouth, knowing he had said something he shouldn''t have.


    Upon hearing the name Xu Xinran, the atmosphere in the room immediately quietened down and became a bit awkward.


    Especially for Wang Yan, when she heard Xu Xinran''s name, a trace of malice shed across her eyes!


    And those male ssmates, their eyes were filled with anticipation.


    Back in school, Xu Xinran was always recognized as the most beautiful girl, and most of the male students considered her the woman of their dreams.


    Almost every one of these guys had confessed to Xu Xinran, either openly or secretly, but they were all rejected by her.


    However, the most persistent pursuer was Chu Jian. To win Xu Xinran over, he resolutely gave up the sciences, which he was good at, and switched to the humanities, which he was not as strong in.


    Not only that, but he also moved out of his family''s vi and rented a ce near Xu Xinran''s home, all so he could walk home with her every day.


    Because of this, his ssmates gave him the nickname "Love Fool" in high school!


    Despite all his efforts, he still didn''t manage to win Xu Xinran''s heart in the end.


    Having no other choice, he turned to ept Wang Yan''s affection, and for him, Wang Yan was more of a bed partner in his eyes.


    After all these years, his heart still hadn''t let go of that stunning figure!


    Wang Yan, being very close to him, naturally understood all this too well, which is why she always considered Xu Xinran a thorn in her side!


    Just then, a graceful figure appeared in the room, causing everyone to gasp at the sight.


    The male ssmates, in particr, were aze with desire, their breathing growing rapid...

 Chapter 148: 6000 a month, huh?

    When Xu Xinran appeared in the private room, all gazes were instantly captivated by her presence.


    At this moment, she was like a princess, dignified and perfect, untouchable!


    No need for words, no need for actions, everyone else''s brilliance dimmed in an instant!


    None of them had anticipated that after a few years, the former campus belle would turn into such a stunning woman!


    She was pretty before, but she was iparable to what she had be now!


    If she was previously a budding flower, now she had fully blossomed, radiating beauty all around!


    Now, Xu Xinran''s looks and figure could both be considered top-notch!


    The married men cursed themselves for marrying too early, while the single ones contemted dumping their current girlfriends to pursue this once campus belle!


    However, that was just wishful thinking, as Xu Xinran now made them feel utterly ashamed of themselves!


    It''s said that women are the most jealous creatures, and this was no exception.


    Seeing Xu Xinran stealing the spotlight upon arrival, the other women''s eyes immediately shot envious res!


    Especially Wang Yan, who looked at Xu Xinran with eyes as sharp as a dagger, wishing she could kill her on the spot!


    However, when she saw Su Chen standing beside Xu Xinran, a yful smile involuntarily emerged on her face.


    "Yo, Xinran, you''vee, you look so beautiful today," Wang Yan praised with feigned sincerity, then turned her head slightly as if she had just noticed Su Chen, and asked in confusion, "Xinran, who is this...?"


    Upon hearing Wang Yan''s question, everyone''s attention finally shifted to Su Chen.


    me it on today''s Xu Xinran being too eye-catching; none of them had noticed the man standing next to her before.


    Perhaps they had seen him unintentionally, but they naturally disregarded him!


    But when everyone saw the man dressed in a security guard uniform, they couldn''t help but frown, showing a look of disdain!


    Upon closer inspection, they were furious to see that this man was even wrapping his arm around Xu Xinran''s slim waist!


    Why should you, a mere security guard, be holding our dream goddess!


    Could it be that this unremarkable-looking driver has already won the heart of their goddess?


    "Yes, Xinran, the two of you seem so close, could it be that this gentleman is your boyfriend?"


    Another woman chimed in, her eyes revealing a hint of mockery that she couldn''t hide!


    Indeed, Xu Xinran nced shyly at Su Chen and said:


    "Yes, he is my boyfriend, Su Chen."


    Hearing the campus goddess admit their rtionship aloud, the men felt as if they heard the sound of their hearts bleeding!


    They sighed in unison: "Another beauty has been taken by an unworthy man!"


    However, what they failed to realize was thatpared to this man, they seemed more like the unworthy ones.


    "Xinran, what does your boyfriend do?" Wang Yan asked affectionately as if having a casual conversation between old ssmates.


    The other women snickered at Wang Yan''s question.


    Wang Yan was definitely doing it on purpose; she already noticed the man was dressed either as a security guard or a driver, and yet she asked this way, clearly intending to embarrass him.


    The men also showed a hint of schadenfreude.


    The women and men in the room had different starting points, though; the women targeted Xu Xinran, hating her for overshadowing them, while the men targeted Su Chen, hating him for stealing their goddess!


    But in the end, their focus converged on mocking Su Chen''s identity.


    "Su Chen is now a foreman for Belle Group''s drivers!"


    Xu Xinran not only felt there was nothing awkward about Su Chen''s status, but she actually drew closer to him.


    She knew in her heart that Su Chen''s identity couldn''t possibly be that simple, otherwise why would even the bureau chief refer to him as a senior official?


    She also knew that his identity was top-secret and couldn''t be revealed, so she had never asked about it since they started interacting, although she was incredibly curious!


    However, she really couldn''t understand how such a hooligan, always looking to take advantage of her, could possibly be a senior official.


    "I do know about Belle Group, but after all, being just a driver, how is he worthy of you? You''re the school belle!"


    Wang Yan sighed with some regret,


    "How about this, let Shao Bo find a job for your boyfriend? He''s now an executive in apany. Shao Bo, no problem, right?"


    Wang Yan, of course, would not introduce Su Chen to Chu Jian''spany¡ªit would just create an opportunity for them to meet.


    "Of course no problem." The man named Shao Bo stood up and walked over to Xu Xinran, his gaze toward her filled with desire, "Old ssmate, ah, Xinran, I might refuse others, but I must help you out."


    "That''s for sure, you once pursued Xinran. If you can''t help with such a small favor, I''d feel disappointed for Xinran!"


    Another male studentughed heartily and exposed Shao Bo''s past.


    Actually, it was very impolite for that male student to say such a thing, especially since Su Chen, the boyfriend, was still there.


    It seemed like no one at the scene took the driver seriously at all, and the others all startedughing along.


    "What are youughing at? As if none of you ever pursued her!"


    Shao Bo feigned anger and said, then he couldn''t help butugh himself.


    For some reason, Xu Xinran''s heart suddenly became flustered. She looked at Su Chen with concern, and seeing that he was his usual self, she felt somewhat relieved.


    What''s wrong with me? Why am I so concerned about what he thinks? He''s just pretending to be my boyfriend, isn''t he?


    Could it be that I''ve really fallen for him?


    Impossible, impossible! We''ve only met a few times, how could that be?


    Xu Xinran quickly dismissed the terrifying thought that had suddenly surfaced in her mind.


    "Actually, if Xinran doesn''t mind, I can start pursuing her again right now!"


    Shao Bo looked at Xu Xinran as if he had casually made a remark.


    Shao Bo''s words were even more outrageous than the previous man''s, an extremeck of manners!


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone''s eyes turned to Su Chen, but when they saw that his expression still bore a slight smile, they couldn''t help but look down on him.


    Someone''s talking about stealing your girlfriend right in front of you, and you''re still indifferent¡ªis indeed a total loser!


    Although Su Chen didn''t react, Xu Xinran''s pretty face had already turned cold:


    "I mind! Shao Bo, don''t you think it''s inappropriate to say that in front of my boyfriend?"


    "I''m sorry, I was just joking. I apologize,"


    Shao Bo smiled sheepishly and said:


    "To show my apology, have your boyfriend report to mypany tomorrow. I''ll get him a back office job, room and board included, 5000 a month, definitely better than being a driver, right?"


    Actually, his offer was also selfish; if that guy stayed there, Xu Xinran would definitely visit him frequently, and wouldn''t that give him a chance?


    Just as Xu Xinran was about to refuse, Su Chen, who had been silent up to this point, spoke up:


    "I make 6000 a month at Belle Group!"

 Chapter 149: Living Together for 13 Days

    After hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone in the room was about to faint!


    Was this guy here to joke around?


    Couldn''t he see that Shao Bo was deliberately humiliating him and harboring malice?


    This guy''s focus was not elsewhere but on this 1000 yuan discrepancy!


    Could there really be people who are so carefree to this extent?


    How could Xu Xinran fall for such a man?


    Seeing the indifferent look on Su Chen''s face, all the people present werepletely overwhelmed by him!


    "Why are you all looking at me like that? What I said is true, if you don''t believe me, I can show you my pay slip!"


    Su Chen said earnestly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked at Su Chen as if he were insane!


    A ck line also appeared on Xu Xinran''s forehead, big brother, are you here to help or to make things worse?


    "What are you talking about, why is it so lively?"


    At that moment, a well-dressed, upright, and handsome man walked in from outside, clearly a sessful figure!


    He walked in, first scanning everyone with confusion; when he saw the ravishing Xu Xinran, his eyes suddenly lit up, and a hint of ardor appeared on his face!


    He hadn''t expected that after a few years, this woman would be so beautiful and so charismatic! Truly a woman worth my Chu Jian''s attention!


    He quickly walked up to Xu Xinran, extended a hand, and said with a smile:


    "Xinran, it''s been what, four or five years since west saw each other?"


    Up close, looking at Xu Xinran''s delicate face and stunning figure, a hint of greed involuntarily appeared on his face.


    When Xu Xinran saw this man approaching her, her expression inevitably tensed, and she involuntarily leaned towards Su Chen!


    Su Chen naturally noticed Xu Xinran''s odd behavior, and a mischievous smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.


    The main character finally showed up, huh? Xu Xinran probably invited him to y the role of her fake boyfriend because of this man!


    "Hmm, long time no see."


    Xu Xinran extended her slender hand and shook his briefly¡ªcontact was made and quickly broken.


    "Oh, who is this?"


    When Chu Jian nced and saw Su Chen standing beside her, he asked in confusion; but noticing that Su Chen was actually holding Xu Xinran, his face immediately darkened.


    "He is Xinran''s boyfriend, what''s his name again, oh, Su Chen."


    Before Xu Xinran could answer, Wang Yan had already walked over with a wine ss, swaying her hips, and said with a teasing look.


    "Boyfriend? Howe I didn''t know you had any boyfriend?"


    Chu Jian bit down on his mr and said, his normally handsome face sinkingpletely!


    "We haven''t seen each other for several years, how would you know if I had a boyfriend?"


    Xu Xinran was also somewhat irritated inside, you are nobody to me, whether or not I have a boyfriend is none of your business.


    "Even though we haven''t seen each other for a few years, I''ve been keeping an eye on you, I know everything about you, whether you have a boyfriend or not, I''m crystal clear about it."


    As soon as Chu Jian''s words fell, the crowd burst into murmurs!


    So Chu Jian had never forgotten Xu Xinran! He was truly deeply in love!


    At that moment, everyone''s gaze curiously turned towards Wang Yan, eager to see her reaction.


    She clenched her hands tightly, her still-pretty face flushed with shame, and her eyes fixed firmly on Xu Xinran.


    Everyone couldn''t help but shake their heads and sigh, unable to believe that after so many years with Wang Yan, Chu Jian still hadn''t forgotten Xu Xinran! This was unbearable for Wang Yan!


    Shao Bo was also full of regret now¡ªhad he known that Chu Jian had never let go of Xu Xinran, he would not have teased her earlier.


    Although he considered himself a sessful person,pared to Chu Jian he was in apletely different league!


    He had hoped to leverage their old school ties to get Chu Jian to give him a boost!


    Xu Xinran hadn''t expected Chu Jian to be investigating her, and now she couldn''t hide her panic.


    "Right, we haven''t been together long, so it''s normal you wouldn''t know," Su Chen said nonchntly, "Well, countingst night, we''ve only been living together for thirteen days."


    "You''re already living together?"


    Chu Jian''s voice was low, and he looked at Su Chen with eyes like a wild beast, as if he wanted to tear him apart.


    "Yes, we just unlocked 108 different positions, and more are still being discussed."


    Su Chen said naturally, meeting the sharp gleam in Chu Jian''s eyes!


    "What are you talking about?"


    Xu Xinran hit Su Chen shyly, her face covered in blush, looking incredibly delicate!


    Su Chen''s mention of them living together already had her embarrassed, but then this scoundrel had to mention unlocking 108 positions ¡ª how was Xu Xinran supposed to face others now?


    "What''s the big deal? We''re all adults here; it''s just some bedroom talk,"


    Su Chen smacked his lips and shrugged nonchntly.


    "You''re still talking!"


    Xu Xinran''s incredibly beautiful face was nowpletely flushed, this guy was just too unrestrained!


    Never mind that none of that was true, even if it was, could you say such things in public?


    Pfft, pfft, pfft, why would she ever do such embarrassing things with him!


    Chu Jian watched the two flirt and argue, and jealousy erupted within him, pushing him to the brink!


    "Are you a security guard or a driver, or maybe a doorman? How are you worthy of Xinran?"


    Chu Jian said through gritted teeth, his face burning with rage.


    He had never moved on from Xu Xinran, and seeing her today more beautiful and charming than ever, he couldn''t let go.


    "He''s a driver; I just said I''d introduce him to a job in the logistics department of mypany, offering him 5,000 a month. But this kid said he makes 6,000 a month as a driver and seemed to look down on the job I offered!"


    As soon as Chu Jian finished, Shao Bo hastened to add, sucking up to him.


    "So, you''re a driver. Alright, I''ll give you 5 million, just stay away from Xinran!"


    Chu Jian looked disdainfully at Su Chen and named an outrageous price!


    Everyone gasped when they heard Chu Jian''s words¡ªit was 5 million!


    And that kid was just a driver with a monthly sry in the thousands. How many years would it take him to make that much!


    Not to mention him being just a driver, even those among them who had done well and be executives or high-skilled workers inpanies were making only a few hundred thousand a year!


    So even they were strongly tempted by the amount; it made their blood boil!


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on Su Chen, waiting for his decision.


    In their opinion, there was no need to think about it!


    They believed that under Chu Jian''s financial onught, this little driver would definitely give up Xu Xinran!


    Although Xu Xinran was a woman every man dreamed of having, after all, it was 5 million!

 Chapter 150: Priceless Treasure

    Under the watchful eyes of many, Su Chen smiled calmly, then raised a finger and shook it as he spoke:


    "Too little!"


    "Damn, this guy must be crazy about money!"


    "Exactly, 5 million, and he still thinks it''s too little?"


    "Does this guy have a problem with his brain? Does he know how many zeros are in 5 million?"


    "Is this bastard treating Xinran like a raremodity, trying to heavily extort Chu Jian?"


    "Probably, I feel sad for Xinran. How could she fall for such a man?"


    As soon as Su Chen spoke, the crowd erupted, all criticizing Su Chen!


    However, a smug look shed across Chu Jian''s eyes; it turned out he thought the money was too little, which made things easier.


    For him at this point, any problem that could be solved with money wasn''t really a problem. He too slowly raised a finger:


    "Ten million!"


    One word caused a huge uproar!


    When Chu Jian casually mentioned the figure of ten million, everyone was utterly shocked!


    Yet to everyone''s surprise, Su Chen still shook his head:


    "Still too little!"


    At this moment, people no longer knew how to describe this guy!


    Ten million and you still find it too little, how much exactly do you want?


    That''s the money you couldn''t earn in a lifetime, no, several lifetimes!


    Seeing that he still thought it was too little, Chu Jian couldn''t help but get a little angry.


    "Twenty million!"


    Chu Jian took a deep breath and said sternly.


    The crowd at the scene was utterly dizzy!


    Twenty million!


    Let alone a girlfriend, selling his mother to him wouldn''t be a problem!


    Although Xu Xinran is a super beauty, twenty million should be enough to make him let go, right?


    Wang Yan''s look at Xu Xinran was no longer just jealousy, her eyes were bloodshot with endless burning hatred!


    At this moment, not only did she hate Xu Xinran, but she also started to hate Chu Jian!


    He could actually offer so much money just to make her boyfriend leave without even knowing if Xu Xinran would ept him.


    And what about herself? She had yed so many tricky tricks with him yesterday, and he wouldn''t even buy her a Porsche worth just over a million!


    Am I really that cheap? Is Xu Xinran a pure white sacred lotus?


    Didn''t you hear what that guy said, that they have lived together for more than ten days, unlocking over a hundred positions?


    Although Wang Yan was hateful, she didn''t n on leaving Chu Jian, for finding such a rich groom these days was too difficult!


    However, Su Chen shocked everyone once again!


    He shook his head again indicating it was too little!


    People werepletely at a loss for words, some even begrudgingly started to admire the guy!


    They all wondered, just how much money would it take for this kid to let go?


    Chu Jian was alreadypletely furious, this guy was too greedy, not satisfied even with twenty million!


    He was rich, but his money wasn''t just blown in by the wind!


    But as he nced at Xu Xinran''s stunning beauty and exquisite curves, he suppressed the anger in his heart and squeezed out a number through gritted teeth:


    "Fifty million!"


    The scene suddenly fellpletely silent, you could hear a pin drop!


    Fifty million! A number no one even dared to think about, just spoken by Chu Jian!


    No one expected that Chu Jian''s determination to win Xu Xinran was so strong!


    Just to make her boyfriend leave, he was willing to pay the price of fifty million!


    An old saying goes that a smile from a beauty costs a fortune, and Chu Jian''s actions now certainly live up to that saying!


    Everyone thought, this time you can''t possibly refuse, can you?


    Although Xu Xinran knew he was no ordinary person, the figure of fifty million still made her heart skip a beat when she heard it.


    She nced nervously at Su Chen, uncertain about what choice he would make.


    After all, just because someone''s identity is extraordinary doesn''t necessarily mean they are wealthy! And looking at his usual demeanor, he didn''t seem like a rich man at all. And in today''s society, what doesn''t require money?


    "Too little, far from enough!"


    Su Chen shook his head and sighed.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone felt as if the world had turned upside down!


    Is this guy even human? This is fifty million we''re talking about!


    He looks so ordinary, yet he''s so tough!


    He actually refuses to budge even for fifty million and even says it''s too little, far from enough!


    So, how much do you actually want?


    But there was no need for them to ask, as Chu Jian had already asked for them.


    He bellowed with a darkened face:


    "Then name a price, how much will it take for you to leave Xinran alone!"


    After hearing his words, Su Chen looked deeply at Xu Xinran and said calmly:


    "No amount of money would be enough. Xinran is priceless to me!"


    Wow, what a wave of dog food!


    They never expected that this guy never even thought of letting go!


    The men looked at Su Chen with a newfound respect.


    Frankly speaking, if it came down to the same choice, every single one of them would have taken the fifty million!


    Women are emotional! When the women in the crowd heard Su Chen''s words, they were deeply touched!


    Each of them felt that marrying such a man would be ideal;


    one who''s only got eyes for them no matter the temptation!


    Xu Xinran felt this especially strongly. When Su Chen said she was priceless, her heart fluttered wildly, and her gaze towards Su Chen was filled with love, tender and soft!


    Suddenly, Xu Xinran tiptoed, stretched out her slender arms and wrapped them around Su Chen''s neck, giving him a light peck on the cheek.


    Su Chen, surprised by the kiss, was momentarily stunned, thinking to himself that this was just acting, but did she have to make it so realistic?


    "Su Chen, let''s go!"


    After the kiss, Xu Xinran took Su Chen''s hand and started walking out, no longer wishing to stay any longer.


    "Wait a minute!"


    Just as they took a few steps, a voice called out from behind.


    "You have something else?" Xu Xinran turned and nced at Chu Jian.


    "Xinran, what just happened was my fault, I apologize to you both."


    Chu Jian had by now realized that his approach today was misguided, yet he truly hadn''t expected that in the face of such a huge sum, this young driver could still hold his ground.


    "Let it go, it''s over now,"


    After all, they were old ssmates, and he had taken care of her before, so Xu Xinran wasn''t inclined to dwell on it.


    Besides, they hadn''t suffered any actual harm today.


    "Xinran, you know that I did this because I haven''t been able to forget you, but seeing today that you''ve finally found such a wonderful other half, I''m happy for you."


    Chu Jian, truly a talent capable of taking apany public, immediately switched strategies when his earlier tactic didn''t work.


    Seeing Chu Jian say this, Xu Xinran''s expression finally softened a bit, and Chu Jian, noticing this, continued:


    "Actually, you should thank me, because if it wasn''t for my actions today, how could you have known how devoted Mr. Su is to you?"


    Chu Jian''s statement was spot on!


    After hearing this, any lingering dissatisfaction in Xu Xinran''s heartpletely vanished!


    She couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen next to her, her cheeks blushing deep red,pletely looking the part of a smitten woman, far from the poised and formidable police officer she was!

 Chapter 151: Xiao Su, why are you here?

    "Xinran, look, it''s rare for us old ssmates to gather like this after so many years. It wouldn''t be right for you to just leave,"


    Chu Jian seized the moment to speak, his sole purpose was to make Xu Xinran stay.


    "Yeah, Xinran, we really miss you. Why don''t you stay a little longer?"


    "Xinran, I also said some things earlier that I shouldn''t have, I''ll punish myself with three drinkster."


    "Xinran, we are old ssmates after all, let''s just stay and have a meal together!"


    Hearing Chu Jian speak like this, the others also chimed in one after another.


    "Well, fine."


    After all, they were old ssmates, and with so many people speaking up, if Xu Xinran still insisted on leaving, it would seem rather inappropriate.


    Su Chen didn''t really care, he wasn''t interested in dealing with these people.


    "Good, let''s not just stand here talking, everyone sit down, the dishes will be served soon."


    Shao Bo also said with a smile at this moment.


    "Chu Jian, howe you were outside for so long just now?"


    When everyone had sat down, a male ssmate asked.


    "Oh, I just happened to meet Mayor Tang, so we chatted for a bit."


    Chu Jian casually mentioned, while his gaze involuntarily nced towards Xu Xinran sitting next to Su Chen.


    He wanted to show her how outstanding he, Chu Jian, was and that missing out on him would be a great loss for her!


    Chu Jian had figured it out, they had just gotten together and were still in the throes of romance, it was naturally difficult for him to split them apart.


    But as time passed, he believed, Xu Xinran would definitely see the difference between him and her driver boyfriend, and she would realize who the better choice was!


    If a direct assault wouldn''t work, then he would switch to a war of attrition. Ultimately, Xu Xinran would definitely be his!


    "Oh, is Mayor Tang here too? Chu Jian, are you very close with Mayor Tang?"


    "Well, kind of. We''ve met a few times at some events, had a couple of meals, and Mayor Tang is very optimistic about ourpany."


    Chu Jian stated rather nonchntly, but his expression couldn''t quite hide his pride.


    When he saw a hint of surprise in Su Chen''s eyes, he felt even morecent!


    You bumpkin, my heights are not something you can reach!


    In time, you wille to realize this fact! Some women are not meant for you to possess!


    Little did he know, Su Chen''s surprise was because he hadn''t expected Tang Mingji to be here, and he was considering whether to go over and greet him!


    After all, the Tang family had always been very courteous and warm towards him!


    However, as soon as Chu Jian spoke, the others started discussing it.


    "Chu Jian, getting Mayor Tang''s recognition could mean limitless prospects for you!"


    "Yes, with the support of the government, Chu''spany is sure to soar high!"


    "Definitely, and Mayor Tang being so young and already the mayor of a major economic city like Jianghai, his future is unimaginable!"


    "I heard from a friend that Mayor Tang will definitely enter the provincialmittee in the next two or three years!"


    "Really?"


    "It should be right, my friend is also in the system, and his words are quite reliable."


    The crowd couldn''t help but suck in a breath of cold air, a member of the provincialmittee¡ªthat''s a real high-ranking official!


    And from Jiangnan, one of the most economically developed regions in the country, just unimaginable!


    Moreover, Tang Mingji is still so young!


    As they thought of this, everyone couldn''t help but turn their gaze towards Chu Jian, showing expressions of envy!


    Su Chen hadn''t expected that Tang Mingji would still be a rising star in the political scene.


    However, he didn''t feel much about it; to him, being a provincialmittee leader was no big deal!


    Xu Xinran, sitting next to Su Chen, felt simrly indifferent, not caring about such matters at all.


    During their casual chat, the waiter had already served quite a few dishes.


    "Come on, stop talking; let''s eat,"


    Chu Jian warmly called out, acting very much like a host.


    Throughout the meal, there wasughter and clinking of sses, somewhat resembling the demeanor of schrs and literati.


    Su Chen just wasn''t interested in joining them, focusing solely on eating his meal.


    For him, nothing was more important than a meal!


    Just then, a refined middle-aged man briskly walked in.


    When everyone saw the person arriving, they were all visibly shocked and quickly stood up.


    "Mayor Tang, what brings you here?"


    Chu Jian quickly came forward, his face glowing with excitement.


    "Oh, I was just having dinner next door with some citymittee leaders and a distinguished expert from America in the tech field. I just passed by here on my way to the restroom, so I thought toe over and say hello,"


    Tang Mingji said warmly, his tone friendly yet carrying the inherent authority of someone in a high position.


    "How could I let youe here by yourself? I should have been the one to greet you,"


    Chu Jian, visibly ttered, replied. He hadn''t expected Tang Mingji to personallye over and greet him.


    Whether it was a mere coincidence or not, for him, it was an honor!


    Especially in front of his old ssmates and the woman he loved, it significantly boosted his prestige.


    Indeed, seeing how close Chu Jian and Tang Mingji seemed, his ssmates couldn''t hide their envy.


    "Why bother with formalities? Whether youe to me or Ie to you, doesn''t it all amount to the same thing?" Tang Mingji patted Chu Jian''s shoulder casually, "Besides, yourpany has also made significant contributions to Jianghai''s development. It''s no big deal for me toe and say hello."


    When Tang Mingji patted him like that, Chu Jian immediately felt his whole body rx.


    "Mayor Tang, let me toast to you."


    Chu Jian quickly took a clean wine ss from the cab in the private room and poured wine for both himself and Tang Mingji.


    Tang Mingji took the wine ss and smiled:


    "Let''s do this; I''ll toast to everyone."


    Raising his wine ss, Tang Mingji gestured to everyone.


    The others also excitedly raised their sses and then downed their drinks in one go.


    Having important matters to discuss, Tang Mingji naturally couldn''t drink much, just taking a sip, which nobody could object to.


    That Tang Mingji would initiate a toast was already a pleasant surprise; they hadn''t expected him to be so approachable.


    After finishing his drink, Tang Mingji casually nced at everyone. When he noticed that there was still one person who hadn''t stood up at all, he frowned slightly.


    However, as soon as he recognized who it was, a gleam of delight immediately shone in his eyes.


    Everyone naturally noticed the change in Tang Mingji''s demeanor and instinctively followed his gaze.


    Ignoring the others, Tang Mingji walked straight towards the young man seated and said with surprise:


    "Little Su, what are you doing here?"

 Chapter 152: The Noble Benefactor

    "Little Su, howe you''re here?"


    Tang Mingji eximed in surprise, a genuine smile of joy spreading across his face.


    Everyone couldn''t help but be taken aback. How did Mayor Tang know this young driver?


    These two were clearly frompletely different worlds!


    Realizing that Tang Mingji had already seen him and having no other option, Su Chen stood up and greeted him with a smile,


    "Hello Uncle Tang."


    Su Chen hadn''t nned on meeting Tang Mingji, especially since Mrs. Tang had intended to set him up with Tang Yun, and he was here today as Xu Xinran''s boyfriend.


    He didn''t know if Tang Mingji shared the same idea, and if he did, that would be too awkward!


    So, when everyone stood up to wee Tang Mingji, he remained seated, hoping that Tang Mingji hadn''t noticed him and it would be best to just miss each other.


    But things didn''t go as he wished, and in the end, Tang Mingji did spot him, so he had no choice but to stand up.


    However, when his affectionate greeting "Uncle Tang" rang out, everyone at the scene was stunned!


    Especially Chu Jian and Wang Yan!


    Could it be that this driver they had always looked down upon was actually a rtive of Tang Mingji?


    They were already regretting having made fun of Su Chen!


    But this couldn''t be med on them. Who would have thought that such a lowly driver would know a big shot like Tang Mingji!


    "Mayor Tang, you know Mr. Su?"


    Chu Jian asked with palpable unease, now hoping that the rtionship between the two wasn''t that close.


    After all, given the age gap, it would be normal for Su Chen to address him as uncle in passing, as a mark of politeness, without it necessarily meaning anything deeper.


    However, Tang Mingji''s next words shattered his hopepletely as he nodded earnestly,


    "Indeed, Little Su is a VIP in our household, no, rather a life-saving benefactor!"


    As soon as Tang Mingji spoke, the entire ce was in an uproar!


    No one could have imagined that this young driver was not only acquainted with Tang Mingji but was also a distinguished guest and even a life-saving benefactor of their family!


    This connection was simply too astonishing!


    Upon hearing Tang Mingji''s words, Chu Jian was so startled that he jolted, his pupils contracting rapidly, a vague fear taking hold of him!


    As someone in business, there was nothing he feared more than offending the government.


    A mere document, a policy, could finish you off without you even knowing how it happened!


    Involuntarily, his gaze shifted towards Su Chen while he cursed in his mind,


    You bastard, with such a solid connection to Tang Mingji, why on earth are you still working as some lousy driver! Isn''t this ying with people?


    ying the fool to snare the tiger isn''t done like this! You are practically feigning to be a mouse to eat a tiger!


    Even though he thought this, Chu Jian didn''t dare to show it at the moment!


    As for Xu Xinran, she didn''t even dare to think about it now!


    "Su Chen, what are you doing here?"


    Tang Mingji asked once again.


    "Well, I''m apanying my girlfriend to the school reunion,"


    Su Chen nced at Xu Xinran and replied somewhat sheepishly.


    "Oh, this is your girlfriend?" Tang Mingji followed Su Chen''s gaze to Xu Xinran, nodded, and smiled, "Not bad, you have good taste."


    Xu Xinran turned somewhat bashful upon hearing Tang Mingji''s praise...


    Naturally, Tang Mingji knew his wife had thoughts of having him as a son-inw, but he wasn''t bothered.


    He was quite open-minded; he believed matters concerning the young should be left to themselves.


    However, he did think even more highly of Su Chen''s character, particrly because when he entered, Su Chen hadn''t stood up to wee him but had remained seated instead.


    He thought that Su Chen didn''t want people to know about their rtionship, not wishing to take advantage of his status!


    Little did he know that Su Chen had other reasons...


    "Mr. Chu, I didn''t expect you and Su''s girlfriend were old ssmates!"


    Tang Mingji smiled, his tone noticeably warmer than before.


    "Yes, yes, we were high school ssmates."


    Chu Jian stammered, right now his greatest fear was Su Chen disclosing their previous issues to Tang Mingji.


    He knew all too well that Tang Mingji''s sudden warmth towards him was solely because of the young driver he had looked down upon.


    However, Su Chen didn''t have such thoughts at all. To paraphrase ''summer insects cannot discuss ice,'' the two were simply not on the same level, and Su Chen wasn''t even considering him.


    Tang Mingji had important guests to attend to, so he couldn''t linger and soon stood up to take his leave.


    But before leaving, he still said to Su Chen:


    "Su, visit us for a meal when you have the time. Your Aunt Pei has been talking about you all the time!"


    "Certainly, I''ll make sure to visit when I find the time."


    Su Chen could only nod his head and agree.


    After Tang Mingji left, everyone''s gazes towards Su Chen changed. There was no more disdain as before, just eyes shining with eagerness, as if beholding a rare treasure.


    "Mr. Su, I apologize sincerely. I was blind to your worth before and offended you!"


    Chu Jian was a character¡ªone who could take it as well as dish it out. He filled his cup to the brim and then downed it in one gulp.


    "Let''s consider the matter settled."


    Su Chen nodded indifferently. He didn''t take Chu Jian''s initial arrogance or subsequent fawning to heart.


    To tell the truth, there were too many people like Chu Jian. He couldn''t take offense at them all even if he wanted to!


    "Thank you, Mr. Su, for your magnanimous forgiveness!" Chu Jian said with an ingratiating smile.


    "Mr. Su, I owe you an apology as well, for any previous affront!"


    Shao Bo also stood up, drank arge ss of red wine in one gulp, and Su Chen simply nodded in response.


    Afterwards, each person toasted to him, each offering a flurry of apologies, even Wang Yan did the same.


    Once they resumed eating, nearly everyone was deliberately trying to strike up a conversation with both Su Chen and Xu Xinran. They were, without a doubt, the center of attention at the event!


    Su Chen was nonchnt about the whole affair, but Xu Xinran started to feel somewhat ufortable...


    At that moment, two wait staff entered, one of them carrying arge soup pot.


    "The snake soup is here, everyone please try it. This is Tianfu Hotel''s signature dish, with manying from afar just to taste it," Chu Jian cheerfully introduced to everyone.


    "Then I must have a little more." Someone seconded.


    "This gentleman isn''t wrong, our snake soup is nationally renowned. Many people drive for hours just for a taste of this soup!" the waiter holding the pot boasted proudly as he ced it in the center of the round table.


    The two wait staff then began serving up snake soup for everyone. To truly enjoy the vor and get the most nutrition from snake soup, it must be eaten hot, so typically waiters serve each customer a bowl personally after it''s brought to the table.


    Soon, the waiter who had been carrying the pot approached Xu Xinran, picked up the bowl in front of her, and began todle soup into it.


    "Thank you!"


    Out of politeness, Xu Xinran thanked him.


    "You''re wee," the waiter replied with a slight smile and then ced the soup bowl before her.


    Just as the bowl was about to be set down, the waiter''s eyes shed coldly, and a dagger suddenly sprang from his sleeve.


    The waiter grasped the dagger and swiftly shed at Xu Xinran''s neck!


    His movements were as fast as lightning, akin to a spectral apparition!

 Chapter 153: Deity

    "Ah~~~"


    Seeing this sudden scene, everyone screamed in fright.


    Xu Xinran, seeing the dagger shing straight towards her neck, was also terrified to the point of losing herposure!


    Fortunately, as a police officer, she had some basics, and her body was very flexible, so in this critical moment, she slightly leaned back.


    She thought this lean back would definitely allow her to dodge the attack, but to her surprise, just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the dagger followed her like a shadow, and was now less than a centimeter from her slender, white neck!


    Too fast! How could it be so fast?


    Shock filled Xu Xinran''s beautiful eyes!


    She almost felt the sharp edge of the dagger would sh her throat in the next second!


    The lean back just now was her limit; she had done everything she could do.


    But the opponent''s speed was just too fast,pletely beyond her ability to defend!


    She had never imagined that a person''s speed could reach such an extent!


    Xu Xinran gently closed her eyes, waiting for the arrival of death...


    However, in this moment of extreme peril, two fingers suddenly extended from an angle...


    Xu Xinran didn''t feel the cold touch on her neck and thus opened her eyes in confusion!


    But when she saw clearly what was in front of her, she was utterly dumbfounded!


    Su Chen was using only two fingers to firmly mp the lightning-fast dagger, preventing it from advancing an inch!


    This was too incredible!


    The waiter clearly hadn''t expected that someone could actually catch his dagger, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t push it forward even a bit!


    Who exactly is this person? How terrifyingly strong!


    Su Chen coldly looked at him, a wicked smile curving his lips.


    Seeing this smile, the waiter couldn''t help but feel goosebumps all over his body!


    It was as if he heard the call of the Grim Reaper!


    This feeling was unprovoked, yet very strong!


    Just then, as Su Chen was holding the dagger between his fingers, he casually performed a First Turn, and the dagger was already in Su Chen''s hand.


    "What''s going on?"


    The waiter''s eyes shed with a look of horror!


    However, before he could figure it out, the dagger was shing towards his own neck!


    His movements were slow, his technique was ordinary, as he clumsily swiped it toward him.


    The waiter initially didn''t take it seriously but realized when he tried to dodge that this ordinary move had covered all his escape routes.


    It seemed no matter how he dodged, he was within his opponent''s control!


    This eerie situation immediately terrified him, and a cold sweat broke out on his body due to extreme fear!


    Watching as the de''s edge got closer and closer, he was unable to do anything, like amb waiting for the ughter!


    "Puchi!"


    Without any surprise, the de gently sliced through the windpipe, bringing up a mist of blood!


    "Thud!"


    The waiter''s body fell straight backward.


    Seeing the assassin was dead, Su Chen was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly he felt an overwhelming intent to kill enveloping him, causing his hair to stand on end!


    This murderous intent came from behind him, appearing suddenly, without any warning!


    When he sensed that murderous intent, he was already at the most critical moment!


    Su Chen immediately realized that this was a top-tier assassin!


    Only the most elite assassins couldpletely conceal their presence and emit murderous intent at the veryst moment!


    With his extraordinary Perception, Su Chen immediately sensed that the opponent''s de was aimed at the junction between the fourth and fifth vertebrae!


    If struck here, at best he would bepletely paralyzed, at worst he would die instantly!


    Su Chen was even more certain of the opponent''s identity, this must be a top-tier assassin who knew human anatomy like the back of his hand!


    In a desperate situation, Su Chen forcibly twisted his body, and his figure immediately contorted into a strange S-shape like a snake, narrowly avoiding that fatal blow!


    At the same time, he also turned around to face the assassin directly!


    And that assassin was actually the other waiter who hade in earlier!


    Su Chen now finally understood that the previous waiter''s attempt to assassinate Xu Xinran was merely a diversion, the real target was actually himself!


    The assassin, seeing that Su Chen had managed to dodge his lethal strike, was also quite surprised, but there was not a single change in his expression!


    He immediately grabbed the dagger in his hand and thrust it swiftly toward Su Chen''s abdomen, with a speed much faster than that which he had used on Xu Xinran!


    Xu Xinran watched this scene, her heart jumping to her throat, wanting to shout "Be careful," but she couldn''t make a sound!


    Su Chen looked calmly at the assassin, a cold smirk appearing on his lips!


    I was careless just now and almost let you seed in your sneak attack, do you think now you can harm me even slightly?


    The assassin''s speed was too fast, the de was before Su Chen in the blink of an eye, even the air from the de''s edge began lifting his clothes.


    Just when everyone thought he was about to plunge the dagger into Su Chen''s abdomen, he lifted it at an unusual angle instead!


    At this moment, a smirk of triumph appeared on the assassin''s face, thinking Su Chen wouldn''t expect that the previous move was a feint, the real killing move was this final lift!


    However, just as the assassin thought he was about to sh open his stomach, a mocking voice rang out.


    "You think that''s enough?"


    Su Chen coldly uttered, while simultaneously reaching out to grasp his wrist, forcefully twisting it.


    "Crack!"


    A clear sound of bone snapping echoed.


    "How is this possible?"


    The assassin''s face showed an expression of disbelief, not to mention his unexpected changes in the attack, even with a straightforward approach, almost no one could grab his wrist.


    He was very confident in his speed, to say nothing of grabbing him, hardly anyone in this world could even see his movements clearly!


    "Nothing is impossible!" Su Chen sneered, "For you, a mere R-level assassin to think of killing me, is far too presumptuous!"


    The assassin was even more shocked now, he hadn''t expected the other to identify his skill level so precisely!


    This could only mean one thing, that the other also came from that world!


    "Who exactly are you?"


    The assassin looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "Seeing as you''re about to die, I might as well let you die with some understanding," Su Chen said indifferently.


    As soon as the words fell, a ck card slowly floated down from mid-air,nding beside the assassin, who curiously picked it up.


    The ck card in the light radiated a cold, deste aura!


    When he clearly saw what was on the card, he trembled with horror, his face turning pale!


    His gaze was full of shock, looking at the young man standing before him, filled with awe!


    It was as if he was looking at a deity!

 Chapter 154: Mysterious Black Card

    "You are the King of the Underworld? Aren''t you already...?" the assassin asked, trembling with fear.


    He simply could not believe that his target was that legendary figure!


    "Already dead, is that it?"


    Su Chen''s voice was chilling, devoid of any emotion, as he had already released the assassin''s wrist by then.


    "That''s the rumor outside," the assassin cautiously answered.


    Although he had regained his freedom, he had no intention of running away.


    Perhaps he had harbored such a thought when he was caught, but upon learning the identity of his captor, he immediately discarded it.


    Thinking of escaping in front of the King of the Underworld could only mean he was a fool!


    Even though there were rumors that he had died or had been gravely injured, the assassin had heard too many tales about him!


    Even an injured King of the Underworld was not someone he could provoke!


    Moreover, at this moment, the King of the Underworld seemed perfectly fine!


    "Hmph, if I do not wish to die, even heaven cannot take me!"


    Su Chen coldly stated, emitting a powerful aura that instantly filled the air.


    The people around immediately felt as if breathing had be difficult, and even the assassin felt as though he was being crushed by a mountain, unable to stand!


    "Truly the King of the Underworld!"


    The assassin thought to himself, looking at Su Chen with admiration in his eyes.


    In fact, not just him, countless people in the Dark World regarded the King of the Underworld as their idol and motivation!


    Hence, when news of the King''s fall spread, it actually caused quite a disturbance in the Dark World!


    "Your Highness the King of the Underworld, today I have offended you. Although I was unaware of your identity, I also know that I havemitted a capital offense!"


    The assassin said solemnly,


    "I beg your Highness, grant me the opportunity to end my own life!"


    Su Chen nced at him, then nodded slightly.


    He did not inquire about the mastermind behind the assassin, as he knew that even if he asked, the other party would not reveal it.


    Maintaining confidentiality for their employer is the lifelong creed of an assassin, especially so for top-tier assassins!


    Although Su Chen had ways to make him talk, those methods were too cruel, and Su Chen did not wish to resort to them at that moment.


    "Thank you!"


    The assassin said gratefully, then took a dagger and cut his own throat without a moment''s hesitation!


    He knew this was the best oue, not only sparing himself from suffering but also protecting his family!


    When blood sprayed out of the assassin''s throat, everyone at the scene waspletely dumbfounded!


    The events had unfolded too quickly, so quickly that the people barely had time to react!


    At that moment, all were wondering, who exactly is this man?


    He was not only skilled, but he also killed a man without blinking an eye!


    What''s more crucial is, he could decide life and death with just a word!


    The assassin, merely knowing he was the King of the Underworld, had not hesitated to kill himself!


    Such a terrifying deterrent power!


    Although they did not fully understand what being the King of the Underworld entailed!


    Everyone who looked at Su Chen did so with fear and awe in their eyes!


    Just then, the door suddenly echoed with a rustling of footsteps, orderly yet loud.


    Director Jiang Lixing and a dozen police officers walked in, and upon seeing the two bodies on the ground, he immediately asked in a stern voice,


    "What exactly happened here?"


    It turned out that earlier, when Su Chen had killed the first person, someone had already stealthily called the police.


    Seeing the arrival of the police, people felt a bit bolder, not so afraid anymore.


    However, they did not leave; they wanted to see how this young man would exin the two lives taken!


    Although they were all assassins, these were, after all, two human lives!


    Jiang Lixing''s cold gaze swept over the crowd, but when his eyesnded on Su Chen, his body shook violently. Then, under everyone''s watchful eyes, he strode forward to Su Chen, gave a formal military salute, and shouted:


    "Greetings, Commander!"


    Everyone was once again deeply shocked!


    Jiang Lixing actually called this young man Commander?


    To think that he is the esteemed Chief!


    Is there something wrong with my ears? Or is this world just absurd?


    Isn''t he just a mere driver?


    How is he both the King of the Underworld and a Commander?


    Who the hell can tell me what exactly is his identity?


    At this point, his rtionship with Tang Mingji became the least of everyone''s concerns!


    "Alright, leave this matter for you to handle," Su Chen instructed indifferently.


    "Yes, rest assured, Commander!"


    Jiang Lixing spoke out loud, but when he noticed his disciple and subordinate by Su Chen''s side, a hint of surprise shed in his eyes!


    Xu Xinran, seeing Jiang Lixing looking towards her, felt somewhat embarrassed, her cheeks blushing lightly.


    "You all can leave now," Su Chen waved his hand to the people at the scene and then continued sternly, "Don''t speak of today''s events. Anyone who leaks this will be charged with espionage!"


    "Yes, yes! Rest assured, we definitely won''t talk nonsense!"


    Chu Jian was quick to agree, and the others also nodded vigorously.


    Even if they were foolish, they understood that this young man was an existence beyond their reach for a lifetime!


    Today, the shock this young man had brought them was tremendous!


    Su Chen knew that even if these people didn''t talk about today, his identity could not be kept secret for long.


    Shadow, that young girl, had already told him that the video of him rescuing people had been captured and uploaded online.


    Su Chen believed that Tang Gang and the forces behind him had already seen the video. Perhaps it wouldn''t be long before he could no longer enjoy his peaceful days.


    Therefore, Su Chen silently decided that he must intensify his Cultivation. Otherwise, he wouldn''t even be able to protect those around him.


    His current strength was still too weak, not even half of what it had been at his peak!


    After Chu Jian and the others left, Su Chen gently took Xu Xinran''s hand and whispered:


    "Let''s go too."


    "Mm."


    Xu Xinran somewhat hazily agreed, and then followed Su Chen out.


    Even when passing by Jiang Lixing, she did not greet him because she was too embarrassed...


    As Su Chen''s BMW drove along the roads of Jianghai, Xu Xinran still felt dizzy, feeling that today''s events didn''t seem real!


    "Who exactly are you?"


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Xu Xinran gazed at Su Chen''s distinct profile and thought to herself:


    "Why did that person call you the ''King of the Underworld''?


    Why did theymit suicide without hesitation upon finding out you were the ''King of the Underworld''?


    What have you experienced in your past that has made you who you are today?"

 Chapter 155: Writing Stories

    By now it was almost ten at night, and since it waste autumn, men and women weren''t as keen on nightlife as they had been during the summer, so there were few pedestrians or vehicles on the road.


    Su Chen quickly delivered Xu Xinran to the entrance of her residentialplex.


    "Su Chen, thank you for today. I''m heading off now, good night."


    Xu Xinran said in a somewhat shy, quiet voice.


    "Hold on a second."


    Just as Xu Xinran was about to open the door to get out of the car, Su Cheng stopped her:


    "About that, when are you going to fulfill our agreement?"


    Su Chen asked with a sly smile curving his lips.


    "I, I¡­"


    Upon hearing this, Xu Xinran immediately felt an unstoppable blushe over her, clearly understanding the nature of the agreement he referred to!


    She had already forgotten about the thing she promised Su Chen but now, noticing him bringing it up, her heart rate began to increase!


    Finally, she didn''t say a word and turned around to run away in a flurry...


    Su Chen''s loudughter erupted behind her. Xu Xinran ran even faster, as if something monstrous were chasing her.


    .....


    After teasing Xu Xinran, Su Chen turned around and headed back home. On the way back, he recalled the assassin''s knife targeted at his back earlier that evening, which still frightened him.


    It wasn''t that the de could have caused much harm, but Su Chen knew he should never have given the assassin the chance to strike.


    This was partly because his current strength was far from its peak, and more importantly, because thefortable days had dulled his vignce and numbed his instinct for danger!


    If he had been as carefree as he was tonight in the past, he probably wouldn''t have survived many such encounters!


    Now that Tang Gang and his backers knew he was still alive, they would definitely not let him be.


    Su Chen thought, it seems that from now on, he had to be constantly on alert, not just for his sake, but for Lin Ruoxue''s as well!


    With these thoughts, he drove and soon arrived at the vi entrance.


    When Su Chen opened the door and walked in, he found Lin Ruoxue sitting primly on the sofa, her stunning face shaded with ayer of cold ice, like a harsh winter snow!


    Seeing Su Chen enter, Lin Ruoxue didn''t say a word and just coldly observed him.


    Upon seeing Lin Ruoxue like this, Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat and he immediately thought reflexively that he must have upset the young miss again.


    At that moment, he suddenly remembered the silhouette he had seen looking upward at thepany''s gate that afternoon!


    "Honey, let me exin¡­"


    Su Chen, being a flexible and resilient husband, tried to justify himself.


    However, he could barely start his exnation when he found he couldn''t continue because he truly had no idea what to say.


    Was he supposed to tell Lin Ruoxue that he had been pretending to be someone else''s boyfriend?


    That would probably be unforgivable to any wife!


    "Why aren''t you speaking? Go on, exin!"


    Lin Ruoxue mocked him with a sideway re, her tone still as chilly as an ice cer.


    That look seemed to say, "I''d like to see you talk your way out of this!"


    "Oh, right." Just as Su Chen found himself at a loss for words, a spark of inspiration shed in his eyes, and a light smile appeared on his lips, "The woman you saw this afternoon is a police officer!"


    "A police officer? What did she want with you?"


    Upon hearing the woman was a police officer, Lin Ruoxue suddenly became anxious.


    "Oh, it was nothing, just a misunderstanding."


    Su Chen said casually while carefully observing Lin Ruoxue''s expression:


    "A few days ago, I was driving down the road and happened upon someone who had copsed by the roadside. Being the kind-hearted person I am, I couldn''t just ignore him, so I helped him up and took him to the hospital."


    "But unexpectedly, no good deed goes unpunished. After he got better, he went to the police station and used me of knocking him down, and then the police came looking for me."


    "How did they find you? And weren''t there any cameras there?"


    Lin Ruoxue, the astute businesswoman, listened to Su Chen''s story, searching for any inconsistencies.


    "I''m not sure, they probably knew I was with Belle Corporation because of my employee uniform," Su Chen said uncertainly as he scratched his head, "As for cameras, it''s unfortunately, they were out of order a few days before it happened."


    This seemed usible; Lin Ruoxue nodded, indicating for him to continue.


    "The officer said someone used me of causing injury and wanted to take me to the station. Naturally, I refused, and then she attempted to enforce it, but you know I have some physical skills!"


    Su Chen recounted animatedly, his face still bearing traces of anger, as though it were truly so:


    "The policewoman got really mad, and a small struggle ensued, so that''s what turned into the scene you saw from the building!"


    After finishing his story, Su Chen felt his throat go dry, and he casually picked up a teacup from the coffee table and downed the chrysanthemum tea inside.


    He thought to himself, making up stories really isn''t easy at all! My brain cells have been dying by the dozen.


    Lin Ruoxue wanted to stop him, but Su Chen had already put the cup to his lips; she hesitated for a moment and then let it be, as it wasn''t the first time...


    Although Su Chen''s story sounded usible, Lin Ruoxue still wasn''tpletely convinced. She cast a skeptical nce at him:


    "Was everything you just said true?"


    "I swear, it''s more real than pure gold and silver!"


    Su Chen dered fervently.


    "What about tonight, then? Where were you tonight?"


    Lin Ruoxue snorted coldly, though her expression had warmed slightlypared to before.


    "Ah, speaking of tonight, it''s been even more frustrating." Su Chen sighed and shook his head, "I had just finished work and was about to drive home when that policewoman and a few others stopped me, insisting I go to the station to give a full statement."


    "After thinking it over, to avoid further trouble, I decided to go with them to rify the matter, which is why it took until now."


    "That makes sense. So, is everything cleared up now?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, still somewhat worried.

 Chapter 156 - 156 Stewing Soup

    "I got it all sorted out, how else would they have let mee back?" Su Chen said with a mischievous smile as he sat down next to Lin Ruoxue,ughing, "Wife, do you believe me now?"


    "I never said I didn''t believe you."


    Lin Ruoxue retorted with a pout.


    Hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but pout. Who was the one with an ice-cold face that could almost freeze someone to death just now?


    However, he dared not voice this thought, in case it upset Lin Ruoxue just as things were calming down. That would be more trouble than it was worth!


    "Wife, you wronged me. Shouldn''t youpensate my injured soul a little?"


    Su Chen teased, while simultaneously leaning slightly towards Lin Ruoxue.


    "What, what are you trying to do?"


    Lin Ruoxue, like a frightened little deer, immediately curled up.


    She knew her husband well; he might be a good person, but he was definitely not a straightforward one!


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen''s lips curved up slightly, a mischievous charm emanating from him, causing Lin Ruoxue''s heart to flutter involuntarily.


    "I''m warning you, don''t mess around!"


    At this moment, the distance between the two was very, very close!


    When Lin Ruoxue saw Su Chen''s face up close, a deep blush spread across her beautiful face!


    She heard her heart beating "thump thump" nonstop. The situation made her somewhat intoxicated yet somewhat afraid.


    Su Chen was hardly better off. He had only intended to tease Lin Ruoxue a bit!


    But as he looked closely at Lin Ruoxue''s stunning face, his head slowly lowered...


    With nowhere to hide, Lin Ruoxue seemed to have resigned herself and slowly closed her eyes...


    "Ah!!!"


    Just at this critical moment, a sudden voice rang out in the empty living room.


    Both of them jumped in shock and looked towards the source of the sound, only to see Wang Ma staring at them with a surprised face, her mouth gaping so wide, one could stuff an egg into it.


    "Sorry, miss, son-inw, please continue!"


    After a brief pause, Wang Ma hurriedly said, then turned to leave.


    "Wang Ma, wait a minute!"


    Lin Ruoxue, her face crimson with embarrassment, forcefully pushed Su Chen up and then called out.


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s shout, Wang Ma also stopped in her tracks. Seeing that the two had separated, she no longer hid her presence.


    "Miss, what is it?"


    Wang Ma turned her head and asked.


    "Wang Ma, you just..."


    Lin Ruoxue hesitated, unsure of how to phrase her embarrassment, her face as red as a raging fire.


    It was utterly mortifying, being seen in such a scene by Wang Ma!


    Although nothing happened, it was still tremendously embarrassing, especially in front of Wang Ma who had cared for her since childhood!


    "Oh, I was just about to go to the bathroom." Wang Ma exined, then apologized to them both, saying, "Son-inw, miss, I''m really sorry for the disturbance."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen casually waved his hand, indicating it was not a problem.


    Lin Ruoxue, however, was already blushing to her toes, dying of embarrassment!


    "Wang Ma, what just happened wasn''t what you think..."


    Lin Ruoxue, extremely mortified, red fiercely at Su Chen. Her eyes seemed to say, ''It''s all your fault, you bad man!''


    "Ah, I understand!"


    Wang Ma didn''t wait for Lin Ruoxue to finish her sentence but interrupted with a yful smile on her face!


    Su Chen also watched from the side, his face full ofughter!

 Chapter 157 - 157 Petty Lin Ruoxue

    "Lin Ruoxue looked at the two people beaming with smiles and felt that her impable reputation of over twenty years had been lost just like that!


    ''Madam Wang, it''s gettingte. You should hurry to rest.''


    Lin Ruoxue said with concern, feeling that nothing good ever happened when Madam Wang and Su Chen were together.


    ''Hmm, then I''ll go to rest first. It''s better for you two to go to your room to avoid catching a cold,'' Madam Wang said with a meaningful tone, then walked toward her own bedroom, her voice still carrying from afar:


    ''Looks like the master is looking forward to a grandchild soon!''


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue almost sprayed out the mouthful of tea she had just sipped.


    Her pretty face flushed again, and she didn''t know how many times she had blushed that evening; it seemed like her cheeks had never cooled down.


    In her heart, she muttered, wondering when Madam Wang had be as annoying as this guy!


    ''Wife, let''s also go back to our room,'' Su Chen smirked again, ''Didn''t Madam Wang tell us not to catch cold?''


    ''Get lost, go back to your own room.''


    Lin Ruoxue spat out, how could she possibly let this bastard get close to her now? That bastard had tarnished her reputation!


    After that, Lin Ruoxue ''stomped stomped stomped'' upstairs, her steps so heavy they seemed about to break the stairs.


    ''Why so stingy?'' Su Chen curled his lips and returned to his own room.


    Once back in his room, Su Chen naturally began to intensify his cultivation. By now, Tang Gang and the powers behind him had likely learned he was still alive.


    This filled him with a sense of urgency, knowing that with his current strength, not to mention protecting Lin Ruoxue and the people he cared about, even he himself could not ensure his own safety.


    Su Chen sat cross-legged on the bed, immersing himself in cultivation wholeheartedly...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in a high-end apartment in Jianghai.


    Wu Yuanpin was engaged in the most primal activity with a newly popr actress on a round bed!


    Not far from him, a man who resembled ''Rabbit Gentleman'' watched his phone anxiously.


    ''What''s the matter, no news yet?''


    Wu Yuanpin asked while in the midst of his activity, his tone somewhat unsatisfied.


    ''Not yet.''


    ''Rabbit Gentleman'' answered uneasily.


    ''Then call him and ask how things are going.''


    ''Young Master Wu, are youfortable?''


    The actress asked with a flushed face full of allure, then pulled the nket over to cover Wu Yuanpin.


    ''Comfortable, you little minx. You look so innocent, I didn''t expect you to be so energetic!''


    Wu Yuanpin pped the actress on the buttocks and said,


    ''Get lost then, the leadingdy in Director Lin''s next film is you.''


    ''Thank you, Young Master Wu!''


    The actress hugged Wu Yuanpin excitedly, nted a fierce kiss on his face, and then began to dress.


    ''Young Master, I don''t have the contact details of the other party,'' ''Rabbit Gentleman'' said with a tremble, steeling himself, ''He said earlier that if the job was done, he''d contact me proactively, and if it''s past 11:30, there would be no need for me to contact him.''


    By the end of his speech, ''Rabbit Gentleman''s'' head hadpletely dropped, and he dared not look at Wu Yuanpin''s face.


    ''What time is it now?''


    ''11:58,'' ''Rabbit Gentleman'' said, trembling.


    ''You''re not about to tell me that my 25 million US dors have gone to waste, are you?''


    Wu Yuanpin stood up abruptly wrapped in a robe, his face ashen as he asked.


    That was 25 million US dors, which equates to almost two hundred million in Huaxia currency!


    Hearing Wu Yuanpin''s angry voice, ''Rabbit Gentleman'' shuddered uncontrobly, not daring to respond.


    ''Speak!''


    Wu Yuanpin suddenly roared, startling the actress beside him.


    "Young Master Wu, don''t be so angry! Mind your health."


    The actress walked up to Wu Yuanpin, a delicate hand tracing over his chest as she spoke in a whining tone.


    "p!"


    Wu Yuanpin reflexively delivered a loud p to the actress''s face and coldly spat out:


    "Scram!"


    The actress, upon seeing Wu Yuanpin''s murderous gaze, was immediately frightened and hurriedly opened the door to run out.


    "Speak!"


    Wu Yuanpin once again roared at "Rank Leader."


    "Yes!"


    "Rank Leader" struggled to utter a word, his voice trembling!


    "Bang"


    Wu Yuanpin casually picked up a teacup from the bedside cab and hurled it at "Rank Leader," striking him in the forehead. A stream of crimson blood immediately began flowing down his face.


    "Bastard!"


    Wu Yuanpin shouted angrily, his face covered with frost!


    Although he was the Wu Family''s Young Master, 25 million US dors was not a small amount to him, as he had not yet inherited the vast wealth of the Wu Family.


    "How are you going to exin this to me?"


    Wu Yuanpin asked coldly, his eyes filled with mes of rage.


    "Young Master, I''m sorry!"


    "Rank Leader" immediately fell to his knees, weeping and pleading,


    "I beg you, Young Master, please spare me!"


    "Spare you? Heh, if you get those 25 million US dors back or if you kill that Su guy, I''ll spare you."


    Wu Yuanpin snorted coldly, his gaze upon "Rank Leader" filled with indifference!


    Hearing Wu Yuanpin''s words, "Rank Leader" felt utterly hopeless!


    He didn''t even know where that assassin was, how could he possibly demand the money?


    Moreover, even if he knew, he wouldn''t dare. After all, the assassin was a top killer; it would be a stroke of luck if he wasn''t ughtered himself.


    And as for that Su kid, he was almost as strong as a Rank Leader; how could he possibly kill him? There wasn''t the slightest chance!


    "Since you can''t do it then don''t me me for being ruthless!" Wu Yuanpin called out towards the door, "Come in!"


    As soon as his words faded, two men dressed in ck suits entered the room.


    "Take him out, dispose of him cleanly!"


    Wu Yuanpin waved his hand, and the two men lifted "Rank Leader" from the ground and dragged him away; the sounds of his pleas could still be heard from afar.


    When Wu Yuanpin was left alone in the room, he lit a cigar in agitation, pondering what had actually happened.


    It seemed there were only two possibilities now: either the assassin wasn''t as formidable as he imed, running away with the money; or something unexpected had happened, causing the assassination to fail.


    Putting himself in the other''s shoes, Wu Yuanpin was more inclined to believe the first possibility.


    "Damn it, I should have only given him a 5 million deposit at first."


    Wu Yuanpin thought begrudgingly, but at that time "Rank Leader" had told him the rule was to pay the full amount upfront.


    Desperate to eliminate Su Chen, Wu Yuanpin hadn''t thought it through and had handed over the entire sum!


    Now, remembering this made Wu Yuanpin''s heart ache!


    This heartache soon turned into deeper hatred towards Su Chen!


    "Su, I don''t believe you''ll always be this lucky! Sooner orter, I''ll kill you!"


    Wu Yuanpin swore to himself, the fires of vengeance burning in his heart, and his eyes gradually reddened...

 Chapter 158: The Little Couple

    Pressure can ignite a person''s potential, and immense pressure can unleash potential that one might not even imagine!


    Early in the morning, when Su Chen finished his cultivation practice, he felt his progress from that single night surpassed the total of the previous ten days!


    Although he was still at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement, he faintly sensed that he was on the verge of crossing the threshold to the Sixth Layer, seemingly just one opportunity away from leaping over it.


    This, without a doubt, gave Su Chen more confidence and assurance in facing theplex future thaty ahead!


    Indeed, just as Su Chen had predicted, after a few more days of cultivation, on Sunday night, apanied by a suppressed long howl from Su Chen, he suddenly broke through to the Sixth Layer Realm of Qi Refinement!


    After entering the Sixth Layer Realm, Su Chen not only felt that the True Yuan within his body had be more robust, but even his muscles and bones had undergone changes, bing at least thirty percent thicker than before¡ªsomething he had never experienced in his previous cultivation practices.


    What was even more incredible was that not only had his muscles and bones be sturdier, but their resilience had also increased significantly,pletely defyingmon sense.


    Generally speaking, the finer the muscles and bones, the more resilient they should be. Su Chen racked his brain but couldn''t understand why this was happening, and eventually attributed it to the mysteries of the Nine Yang Divine Technique.


    However, for Su Chen at present, the most important thing was not to study this issue, but that he urgently needed to find a quieter house.


    If he had not deliberately suppressed his voicest night during that long howl, it surely would have alerted Lin Ruoxue and Aunt Wang.


    With the improvement of his cultivation realm, future disruptions were bound to be greater, which would make it very inconvenient for him to stay in Lin Ruoxue''s vi.


    Fortunately, today was the weekend, so after eating breakfast, Su Chen went out to look for a house.


    But after browsing dozens of agencies until after four o''clock in the afternoon, he still hadn''t found a house that truly satisfied him.


    This situation was unexpected for him, and he couldn''t help feeling depressed, so he stood at the entrance of a real estate agency and lit a cigarette.


    "Little Su?!"


    Just then, a voice rang out next to him. Su Chen turned to look, and it turned out to be Tang Mingji''s wife, Pei Rou.


    "Little Su, it really is you! I thought I was seeing things when I saw you from a distance just now," Pei Rou approached with a smile on her face.


    "Auntie, hello."


    Su Chen crushed out his cigarette and greeted with a smile as well.


    "Little Su, what brings you here?" Pei Rou nced around and noticed all the agencies, then asked, "Are you nning to buy a house?"


    "Yes, I''m looking for a quiet ce," Su Chen nodded.


    "Did you find one?"


    Pei Rou couldn''t help being curious; how could Little Su, so young, afford to buy a house?


    She knew well that with Jianghai being a famous economic hub of the country, the housing prices there had already reached exorbitant levels.


    Though curious, Pei Rou refrained from asking such a personal question.


    "Not yet, I''ve been looking around and haven''t found anything particrly suitable," Su Chen said somewhat dejectedly, shaking his head.


    "Forget about house hunting for today. It''s a coincidence that we met., Let''s go to my house for dinner," Pei Rou suggested.


    "I think I''d better not. It''s too much trouble," Su Chen declined.


    "What trouble? Youing over would make me happy," Pei Rou wouldn''t take no for an answer and took his arm, walking forward.


    Seeing Pei Rou''s persistence, Su Chen found himself unable to refuse, and smiled helplessly:


    "Auntie, I''ll go then. Please don''t pull me," he said.


    "That''s more like it," Pei Rou released Su Chen''s arm only when he agreed.


    "Auntie, my car is just up ahead," Su Chen mentioned.


    "Great, today I will be your passenger," Pei Rou''s face beamed with a smile, seemingly more and more pleased with Su Chen as she looked at him.


    They were not far from the municipalmitteepound, and it took only a few minutes to get there.


    When Tang Yun saw that Su Chen hade again, she immediately acted as if facing a great threat, as if a terrorist attack were upon her.


    "Why are you here again?!"


    Tang Yun watched Su Chen warily, asking coldly.


    "What kind of way is that to speak, child?" Pei Rou tugged at Tang Yun, "I just happened to run into little Su on the street, so I invited him over for dinner. Is that not okay?"


    "Little Su is here! Wee, wee!"


    Upon hearing the voice, Tang Mingji came out and, seeing that it was Su Chen, he too greeted him warmly.


    Although Tang Mingji was the head of a city, busy with myriad affairs every day, he also paid great attention to family life.


    Therefore, on Sundays, unless there was something particrly important, he would always stay at home with his family.


    From this perspective, Tang Mingji truly could be considered a perfect man.


    "Teacher Tang, long time no see!"


    Su Chen greeted Tang Yun with a cheeky smile.


    "It would be better if we never saw each other again!"


    Tang Yun replied coldly, reminded of Su Chen''s parting words the previous weekend, "Apart from warming a bed, what else can you do?"


    Throughout the week, every time Tang Yun recalled those words, she gritted her teeth in anger, wishing she could grind him to dust!


    Yet, unexpectedly, just a few dayster, this bastard stood brazenly before her again.


    And the smile on his face was somehow just insufferable!


    "Yun''er, what are you talking about? Is this how you treat your guests?"


    Tang Mingji''s face also deliberately fell at this point,


    "After all, Su Chen is your mother''s lifesaver. Is this how you treat him? Apologize to Su Chen!"


    "Dad, you don''t know, he, he..."


    "What about him?" Tang Mingji snorted coldly.


    "Nothing."


    In the end, Tang Yun could only muster a begrudging apology to Su Chen.


    Tang Yun was indeed helpless; could she possibly tell her parents those unpleasant words?


    As for the indecent incident at the school gate, she most certainly could not mention that either.


    Although Tang Yun''s mouth spoke words of apology, Su Chen could clearly see the anger in her eyes, but he didn''t care at all.


    "No problem at all."


    Su Chen said with a cheerfulugh.


    "Look how polite little Su is, and then look at you..."


    Tang Mingji was just about to scold his daughter some more when his wife Pei Rou interrupted him:


    "Is it really necessary for you to make such a fuss over a little spat between you two?"


    In Pei Rou''s view, there must have been some unpleasantness between them recently.


    As soon as Pei Rou finished speaking, Tang Yun waspletely stunned!


    What?! Me and him? A couple?


    What kind of international joke is that? I''d rather smash my head and be done with it!


    Su Chen also wore a puzzled expression; Madame Tang''s imagination was certainly running wild.


    How did she deduce that me and Tang Yun are a couple?


    Both of them knew it must have been the scene in the bedroom that caused her misunderstanding.


    But neither of them ever expected that Pei Rou would jump to the conclusion that they were a couple from that!


    That''s surely too big a misunderstanding!


    Tang Mingji,pletely unaware of the situation in the bedroomst week, was utterly confused.


    "Little Su, don''t you already have a girlfriend?"


    Tang Mingji asked, somewhat sheepishly.

 Chapter 159 - 159 I Know

    "Su Chen, don''t you already have a girlfriend?"


    Tang Mingji muttered, clearly remembering that he had seen his girlfriend at the Tianfu Hotel just a few days ago!


    "What, you have a girlfriend now?"


    Upon hearing Tang Mingji''s words, Tang Yun didn''t react much, merely sighing, "Who is so blind to choose this bastard."


    However, Pei Rou exploded like a bomb, her entire being as if struck by lightning, hair on end, eyes chilling cold!


    "No, that..."


    "What do you mean ''no, that''? What else do you have to say!"


    At this moment, Pei Rou had already lost her previously cheerful demeanor, her well-maintained face now covered in dark clouds!


    "I and her..."


    Pei Rou didn''t let Su Chen utter a full sentence, bursting out like a tigress:


    "What about you and her, how can you even have the face to mention ''you and her'' when you have already been intimate with our Yun''er..."


    "You are two-timing, get out, our family does not wee morally corrupt individuals like you!"


    Pei Rou pointed at the door, shouting at Su Chen, no longer wanting to see this jerk!


    "What? You two..."


    Tang Mingji was also dumbfounded, staring fixedly at Tang Yun and Su Chen, his eyes filled with shock!


    He had thought his wife simply found the young man appealing and wanted to matchmake them, but from his wife''s words, it seemed the two had already be intimate.


    "Mom, you''ve misunderstood..."


    Although Tang Yun disliked Su Chen, and really, really detested him, she felt her mother had clearly misunderstood him, so she attempted to rify.


    But at that moment, Pei Rou was on the verge of rage, not in the mood to listen, cutting her off:


    "Misunderstood? What did I misunderstand, haven''t you been intimate with him?"


    Tang Yun was about to assert that she indeed hadn''t been intimate with him, but she suddenly recalled how he had forcibly kissed her at the school gates.


    If that wasn''t considered intimacy, what would be? Thus, Tang Yun hesitated.


    "See, you can''t even admit you weren''t," Pei Rou snorted coldly, "No more to say now, huh!"


    Under Mrs. Tang''s torrential bout, Su Chen had no chance to speak, sitting there listening to her tirade like a scolded child.


    He was extremely frustrated, thinking, what have I done to deserve this?


    "Madam, what did you mean by ''intimacy''? The two of them..."


    Tang Mingji was still shocked by the mention of intimacy, asking puzzledly.


    "This is fromst week''s incident when this bastard came to our house for dinner, and he went upstairs with Yun''er, right?"


    Pei Rou, still furious, spat to her husband:


    "Then dinner was ready, and I went upstairs to call them to eat. Then, I just pushed the door and you know what I saw?"


    "What?" Tang Mingji also became tense.


    "The two of them were actually... Ah, I''m too embarrassed to say it, it''s so embarrassing!"


    Upon hearing Pei Rou''s words, Su Chen felt dizzy, almost toppling to the ground!


    What are you embarrassed to say? What exactly did we do?


    Will you please rify? Don''t you realize you''re letting people''s imaginations run wild here?


    Tang Yun''s pretty face also reddened suddenly, as if steamed by vapor.


    She and that jerk indeed had some physical contact, but it was nothing like what her mother implied!


    Hearing her mother''s words, it was clear she thought they were involved in something shameful!


    Indeed, upon hearing his wife''s words, Tang Mingji''s face immediately darkened.


    "Uncle, aunt, may I say something?"


    Su Chen sighed helplessly.


    "What else do you have to say now, you..."


    Lady Tang didn''t seem to intend to let Su Chen speak and started to berate him again!


    However, before she could finish, Tang Mingji gestured with his hand to stop her outburst and said,


    "Regardless, we must give him a chance to speak. If you have anything to say, say it quickly!"


    "Uncle, Auntie, that girl is not my girlfriend; we''re just ordinary friends. That day I was just helping her out by pretending to be her boyfriend, and I''m not with Miss Tang either..."


    Just as Su Chen was about to continue exining that there was nothing going on between him and Tang Yun, Pei Rou widened her eyes and immediately asked,


    "Pretending to be a boyfriend? What exactly is going on?"


    Confusion filled Pei Rou''s face, and Tang Mingji was a bit puzzled as well.


    "Oh, it was like this: that day my friend needed to go to a ss reunion, and one of her ssmates had been making advances towards her, so she asked me to pretend to be her boyfriend and go with her."


    "It just so happened that Uncle Tang was there, saw me, and asked why I hade, so I had to say it was to apany my girlfriend."


    "So that''s what happened!"


    Pei Rou showed a look of sudden realization and her face brightened again,


    "Oh, Su, how could you not have mentioned this sooner?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but roll his eyes, thinking to himself: You''d been firing questions like a machine gun; did you give me a chance to speak?


    However, he only thought this and would not actually say it out loud.


    Tang Mingji, hearing this, also smiled, his expression returning to normal.


    "Tang Yun, are you upset with Su over this?" Pei Rou looked at her daughter, speaking earnestly, "Su Chen was just helping a friend, why lose such a big temper?"


    Upon hearing this, Tang Yun was again dumbfounded. What was all this about?


    Did her mother think she was jealous because Su Chen was helping another girl?


    Jealous over him?


    Su Chen was also stunned; he had to admire Lady Tang''s imagination!


    At that moment, Pei Rou spoke to Su Chen again,


    "Su, you have our Tang Yun already; you need to be careful and maintain a distance when interacting with other women."


    Tang Yun and Su Chen, looking at Pei Rou''s smiling face, were utterly speechless...


    Tang Yun felt even more embarrassed and flushed with heat!


    So shameful! Who knows what this jerk is thinking about her?


    At this point, Su Chen was utterly baffled; how had one exnation cleared one misunderstanding while seemingly worsening another?


    No, he had to make things clear!


    Su Chen looked at Pei Rou and earnestly said,


    "Auntie, Miss Tang and I really aren''t..."


    "Not boyfriend and girlfriend, right?"


    Pei Rou, smiling, picked up where Su Chen left off.


    "You know?" Su Chen suddenly widened his eyes.


    "Of course, I know. I was young once, too! After a fight, words like ''break up'' or ''never seeing each other again'' just spit out without thinking."


    Pei Rou seemed to see through everything and kindly advised,


    "Let me tell you both, quarrel by all means, but avoid saying things like ''breaking up,'' ''not boyfriend and girlfriend,'' or ''never seeing each other again.'' Repeating those hurts the rtionship!"


    "Alright, I''ll go check on the kitchen to see how the meal ising along. You both talk."


    With that, Pei Rou took her husband and left, leaving a stunned Su Chen and Tang Yun behind...

 Chapter 160: What Else Do You Have to Say Now?

    "It''s all your fault, you jerk!"


    In the living room, Tang Yun threw a cushion at Su Chen with a face full of embarrassed anger.


    Now the misunderstanding with the parents wasplete!


    No matter how he tried to exin, his parents probably thought he was just having a spat with him.


    "It really isn''t my fault." Su Chen''s face fell, looking innocent as he spread his hands, "You saw it, I tried to exin, but who knew..."


    Su Chen felt helpless. He had to admire Mrs. Tang''s formidable presence!


    When Tang Yun heard what Su Chen said, her face also fell, she slumped on the sofa pouting, sulking by herself.


    But the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She and this guy had absolutely nothing going on, so why were they being lumped together?


    She nced at Su Chen next to her and noticed he wasn''t bothered at all, even casually picking up a banana from the coffee table and starting to eat it with relish.


    Suddenly, Su Chen noticed Tang Yun staring intently at him¡ªor more specifically, at the banana in his hand¡ªand said with loaded meaning,


    "Why are you staring at me like that, do you want a banana too?"


    "I don''t want one!" Tang Yun huffed.


    "Have one, eating bananas is good for your body, not only does it beautify and nourish the skin, but it also helps with physical and mental health!"


    Su Chen plucked one off and handed it to Tang Yun, his face wearing a cheeky, mischievous smile.


    Tang Yun wasn''t naive about matters between men and women. She was slightly stunned and immediately understood the implication of his words.


    "Disgusting!"


    Tang Yun spat with her face blushing red.


    "How am I disgusting?" Su Chen was unhappy, "You kept staring at my banana. I thought you wanted it, so I gave it to you. Even if you don''t thank me, there''s no need to insult me."


    "You jerk! Who wants to eat your banana?"


    The anger that had been building up in Tang Yun''s heart suddenly exploded. She lunged at Su Chen with bared teeth and ws.


    Caught off guard by Tang Yun''s sudden fury, Su Chen was momentarily stunned. In that instant, Tang Yun had pinned him down on the sofa.


    Having the upper hand, Tang Yun straddled him and started raining down punches on his chest like raindrops.


    The sofa was quite narrow and Su Chen didn''t dare move too much for fear of identally flipping Tang Yun off. Moreover, her punches felt more like tickles to him and caused no harm at all; in fact, Su Chen rather enjoyed it!


    "You bad egg, for bullying me, for bullying me."


    Tang Yun continued to hit and curse, and, as she did, she started to cry pitifully, tears seemingly unstoppable.


    Su Chen also felt frustrated. I''m the one getting beaten and haven''t cried yet; howe you, the attacker, are crying first?


    "Alright, alright, stop crying," Su Chen grabbed her fists, "You''ve hit and you''ve scolded, isn''t it time to cool off?"


    "Bad guy, it''s all because of you!"


    After hitting and scolding Su Chen for a while, Tang Yun''s anger had somewhat subsided,


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, she snorted displeasedly at him, reproachfully ncing at him. That nce was genuinely full of bashful charm, utterly captivating!


    Su Chen did not expect Ms. Tang to show such a side. His heart stirred, and he couldn''t help but sh a wicked smile:


    "Ms. Tang, since uncle and aunt believe we''ve ''that,'' why don''t we just go along with our elders'' wishes?"


    "Don''t you dare!"


    "Oh, you two!"


    The two of them jumped in shock, turned their heads to look, and saw Pei Rou and Tang Mingji staring at them in astonishment.


    But most importantly, at that moment, Tang Yun was still straddling Su Chen, and that posture was simply...


    Getting caught in the act by someone''s parents was quite embarrassing for Su Chen, and it was also a moment of impulse.


    At the same time, he felt a bit frustrated; howe his misdeeds were interrupted twice in a row? A few days ago at home, he was caught by Wang''s mom and today, even worse, he was caught by Pei Rou''s parents.


    Su Chen immediately concluded that one should nevermit misdeeds in the living room...


    However, unlike Wang''s mom who turned and fled, Pei Rou came over with a radiant face, while Tang Mingji followed behind her with an embarrassed look.


    Seeing his mother approach, Tang Yun was shocked and realized she was still straddling Su Chen. She quickly climbed off him.


    "Is there anything left to say now?"


    Pei Rou nced at the two and spoke meaningfully.


    Su Chen sighed deeply, opened his mouth, but said nothing.


    Yeah, what was there left to say?


    Even if he said something now, would it matter?


    Tang Yun''s face turned even redder, her shyness apparent, and she felt furious at Su Chen, the troublemaker!


    Now, any attempt at exnation would only make things worse...


    "Alright, go wash up and get ready for dinner."


    Pei Rou didn''t tease them any further and went off to the kitchen to serve the dishes.


    "Hey, you guys should be a bit more mindful of the influence in the future."


    Tang Mingji sighed slightly and went to help in the kitchen as well.


    "What do we do now?"


    After Tang Mingji and his wife left, Su Chen asked somewhat uncertainly.


    "How should I know?" Tang Yun, frustrated, snapped, "Deal with the mess you created yourself!"


    "How do I deal with it?" Su Chen''s face showed his difficulty, "Do you think exining would still work?"


    "I don''t care!"


    Tang Yun looked at Su Chen, her eyes almost spitting fire, furious that he had again taken liberties with her and caused her parents topletely misunderstand her!


    "You don''t care, I don''t care either!"


    Su Chen stood up and headed to the bathroom...


    "You..."


    Tang Yun watched his back, wishing she could pounce on him and bite him to death!


    During dinner, Pei Rou was even more enthusiastic towards Su Chen, to the point that even someone as thick-skinned as him felt embarrassed.


    Moreover, Tang Mingji often looked at him with a beaming smile.


    With such care, Su Chen dared not say much, and simply kept his head down eating.


    "Su Chen, you want to buy a house, is it because you want to move out with Yun''er?"


    Pei Rou suddenly asked while eating.


    At Pei Rou''s words, Su Chen nearly spat out a mouthful of rice and looked at her stammeringly!


    Before Su Chen could exin anything, Pei Rou continued:


    "Actually, there''s no need for you to move out. You can move in with Yun''er upstairs. Her father and I are very open-minded, and we are seldom at home, so we won''t disturb you."


    Su Chen waspletely baffled; he could only silently admire Mrs. Tang''s invincibility and strength!

 Chapter 161 - 161 Hes Back

    As dusk was about to fall, a stretched silver Rolls-Royce slowly made its way into Jianghai Airport.


    The appearance of this rare luxury sedan instantly caused a sensation at Jianghai Airport, with all eyes drawn to it in a moment.


    If the onlookers knew that this car''s price tag was close to a hundred million, they would be even more shocked and awed.


    However, what shocked people the most wasn''t the car''s luxury, but its special license te, with a series of 9s that were particrly eye-catching.


    Seeing this unique license te number, anyone who wasn''t an idiot would immediately understand that the person sitting inside was either incredibly rich or of high status!


    The stretched Rolls-Royce slowly came to a stop at the airport entrance. As soon as it stopped, two men in ck suits walked up to the rear seat.


    One man opened the car door with one hand and held the roof with the other, while another person helped an old man out of the car, who held a cane in his hand.


    Once the old man got out of the car, he stood next to it, his gaze deeply fixed on the airport''s main entrance.


    The temples of the old man were somewhat grey and his body slightly stooped. He stood quietly in the wind with his cane, his silver-white hair fluttering, giving him a somewhat deste appearance.


    However, if you looked closely, you could see that although the old man seemed aged, his eyes still held sharpness and authority!


    "Isn''t that Old Master Lv?" someone suddenly eximed.


    "What Old Master Lv?"


    "Of course, it''s Lv Fang, the Family Head of the Lv Family, one of the Four Great Families. In Jiangnan, besides him, who else could be called Old Master Lv!"


    "No wonder, eh? I was guessing who the owner of this awesome car might be. So, it''s him!"


    "Eh, why has Old Master Lv suddenly be so old? I saw him at an event not long ago, and he was quite hale and hearty!"


    "Shush, keep it down. Aren''t you aware that his youngest son died a few days ago? The blow must have been enormous!"


    "That''s true, it''s truly pitiable for a white-haired person to send off a ck-haired one!"


    "What do you think, who could have done that? I heard the police still haven''t caught the killer!"


    "Who knows? But whoever dares toy hands on the Four Great Families on Jiangnan''s territory must not be a simple character. We, the small-eyed and small-nosedmon folk, better stay out of such battles between immortals."


    "You''re right!"


    Upon hearing that the old man was indeed Old Master Lv, the onlookers started to talk among themselves.


    "What do you think? Who could Old Master Lv be here to pick up?" someone suddenly asked.


    "Don''t know. We wouldn''t be privy to the affairs of such big shots."


    "Do you think it could be ''that person'' returning?"


    The person who had just spoken suddenly lowered his voice, a strange glimmer in his eyes.


    "Him? No way, right?"


    With the mention of ''that person,'' everyone gasped and looked a mix of frightened and excited.


    The crowd naturally knew who ''that person'' was, and it was precisely because they knew that they were so astonished!


    If it really was ''that person'' returning, then not just Jianghai but the whole of Jiangnan was in for a lively time!


    The crowd had their own affairs, but the thought that it might truly be ''that person''ing back made everyone stay put, eager to witness the answer.


    About twenty minutester, a man around thirty years old dressed in a white shirt and white trousers walked out from the airport''s main entrance.


    He was quite handsome, with well-defined features and flowing hair, his bangs slightly covering one eye. He was pulling a ck suitcase with one hand and holding a white suit jacket with the other.


    When he saw the old man standing next to the Rolls-Royce, he immediately showed a warm, spring-like smile and quickened his step towards the elder.


    At this moment, the onlookers also showed their undeniable shock, all eyes fixed on the man in the white shirt.


    "Is it really him returning?!" someone murmured.


    "Yes! He''s back! He''s really back!"


    The rest of the crowd also echoed in a somewhat dazed manner.


    "You''re back!"


    Seeing the man in the white shirt approach, the elder revealed a gratified smile.


    "Yes, I''m back!"


    The man in the white shirt handed his suitcase and suit jacket to another man beside the elder, then opened his arms and hugged the elder tightly.


    "Good to have you back, good to have you back!"


    The elder patted the man''s back, speaking with a trembling voice.


    After a while, they separated. The elder looked at the man who had grown more mature and sighed,


    "It''s just a pity about your brother..."


    "I already know about it. I came back for this exact reason." The man gripped the elder''s somewhat cold hand and said solemnly, "Father, rest assured, whoever killed my brother, I will make them pay the price!"


    Seeing his father so impacted by his brother''s death, a sinister light shed through the man''s ck pupils...


    "Yes, your father believes in you!" The elder nodded.


    "Alright, it''s chilly out. Let''s get in the car."


    Upon saying this, the man personally opened the car door for the elder.


    Soon, the stretched Rolls-Royce left, growing smaller in the distance...


    The onlookers watching the car fade away were all sighing!


    With this Lv Family''s eldest son returning, it seems Jiangnan is going to be restless again...


    Yes, that man in the white shirt was indeed the eldest son of the Lv Family¡ªLv Shimo!


    A name known to everyone in Jiangnan!


    .....


    A little past eight in the evening, Su Chen finally finished the extremely difficult and awkward dinner.


    Just as he was preparing to make his excuses and slip away, Pei Rou said with a cheerful smile:


    "You young people should go out and have fun, instead of always staying at home."


    "But I don''t want to go out."


    Before Su Chen could speak, Tang Yun had already started to refuse.


    "What do you mean ''don''t want to go out''? What''s the point of young people always staying at home? There''s no vitality at all."


    Pei Rou dragged Tang Yun, who had just finished dinner and was resting on the sofa, to her feet, then turned to Su Chen and said:


    "Take Xiaoyun out for some fun, and bring her backter, can you?"


    What else could Su Chen say? He could only agree to it.


    Tang Yun originally didn''t want to go out, but surprisingly, Pei Rou pushed her straight out the door and even all the way down to the steps.


    "Go on, go on." Pei Rou waved her hand, "Have a good time."


    Left with no choice, Tang Yun could only walk towards his car with Su Chen.


    "If it gets toote, it''s no problem not toe back."


    Just as the two were about to bend down and get in the car, Pei Rou''s voice rang out again.


    Both of them went dark in front of their eyes, nearly banging their heads on the car roof...

 Chapter 162: A Different Tang Yun

    "Where are we going now?"


    After driving a distance from the municipalmitteepound, Su Chen pulled over to the side of the road, then turned to Tang Yun in the passenger seat and asked.


    "How should I know?"


    Tang Yun huffed dismissively.


    Su Chen thought to himself that they certainly couldn''t go back now because Pei Rou had specifically instructed him to drop Tang Yun off, unless...


    With this thought, Su Chen nced at Tang Yun, and quietly suggested:


    "How about this, I go home, and you can go to any friend''s ce. Didn''t your mom say that if it''s toote we don''t need toe back?"


    "Can''t youe up with a reliable idea?" Tang Yun snapped upon hearing this, "Do you even want my parents to misunderstand what''s going on between us? What would my mom think of us if I don''t go home today?"


    "What can she think? It''s not like they haven''t thought that way already."


    Su Chen muttered quietly.


    "What did you say?"


    Tang Yun red at him, her expression icy cold.


    "Nothing, nothing." Su Chen was now careful not to provoke her further, "So, where do you say we go now?"


    "Let me think..."


    Tang Yun propped her chin in her hands as she pondered, ncing at Su Chen. The clear waters in her eyes gradually began to shine...


    "Let''s go, to the Seafront Apartments on Shijing Road."


    "What are we doing there?" Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "Just go if I tell you to. Why all the questions?"


    Tang Yun huffed coldly again.


    Su Chen touched his nose, said nothing, and stepped on the gas.


    The Seafront Apartments were a mid to high-end residentialplex mostly targeted at female white-cor workers.


    Due to its reasonable pricing and good location, it was well-liked by female white-cor workers.


    About twenty minutester, Su Chen parked the car in front of the Seafront Apartments.


    "Wait here for me for a while, I''ll be right back."


    After saying this, Tang Yun pushed open the car door and ran out, then swiped a card to enter the building.


    Su Chen also got out of the car and lit a cigarette.


    Truth be told, the quality of women at the Seafront Apartments was pretty good; Su Chen had only been waiting for about ten minutes and had already seen two or three attractive girls.


    As soon as they saw the BMW 5 series by Su Chen''s side, their eyes lit up, and upon seeing that he was somewhat handsome and appeared stylish while smoking, they prepared toe over and chat.


    However, when they recognized the driver''s uniform on Su Chen, they showed a trace of disdain and walked away.


    Su Chen didn''t feel there was anything wrong with that; after all, society was just like that, scorning the poor rather than the promiscuous.


    But it was getting irritating that Tang Yun was taking so long toe down.


    He wondered why Tang Yun hade here. Did she have a friend living here?


    Another seven or eight minutes passed, and a woman walked by, head down.


    Upon seeing this woman, Su Chen''s eyes immediately zed with intense light!


    She was dressed in tight leather clothes and boots, exuding amanding presence.


    The leather outfit perfectly showcased her incredibly curvy, stunning figure, revealing enticing contours that captivated the soul!


    Unable to help himself, Su Chen swallowed and looked up, thinking the woman with such a sensational figure must be beautiful!


    When he saw her exquisitely delicate face, he was dumbstruck!


    It was not because she wasn''t beautiful, nor because she was excessively beautiful, but because the woman was ¡ª Tang Yun!


    Su Chen could hardly believe that in less than half an hour, Tang Yun hadpletely transformed!


    At this moment, there was not a trace of the teacher''s gentleness and dignity about her!


    Her usually tied-up hair was now let down, casually flowing behind her, adding a touch of wildness and allure!


    "You?"


    Su Chen stared at Tang Yun, dumbfounded, unable to speak.


    If he could, he just wanted to say now ¡ª "Does your mom know?"


    "What''s wrong, don''t recognize me?"


    Tang Yun looked at Su Chen with a goofy expression, patted his shoulder robustly.


    "Almost didn''t recognize you."


    Su Chen nodded dumbly.


    "Come on, I''ll take you to a great ce." Tang Yun said as she walked ahead.


    "Then get in the car. Surely we aren''t going on foot?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but call out as Tang Yun kept walking straight ahead.


    "Leave your car here; we''ll take mine."


    Tang Yun walked directly into a nearby parking lot, and Su Chen had no choice but to follow.


    At this moment, he waspletely confused by Tang Yun, having no idea what she was nning.


    Soon, Tang Yun stopped in front of a Ferrari and slid into the car.


    "Get in!"


    Seeing Su Chen still standing there dumbfounded, Tang Yun immediately called out.


    "Oh, sure."


    Su Chen got into the car, still in a daze.


    "Roar!"


    The car started with a loud booming sound.


    Hearing this, Su Chen knew the car must have been modified, and not just slightly.


    He guessed that the modifications must have been expensive. He never thought Tang Yun would have such a hobby.


    "How can you afford such an expensive car?"


    Su Chen asked curiously, wondering if it was Tang Mingji... After all, such a sports car must cost at least several million!


    "What are you thinking? My dad is a good official, and this car was a birthday gift from my granddad."


    Seeing Su Chen''s expression, Tang Yun immediately knew what he was thinking and retorted.


    As the Ferrari just hit the road, Tang Yun immediately elerated, and the car let out a beast-like growl, shooting forward like an arrow.


    "Why are you driving so fast? Don''t you know that safetyes first?" Su Chen kindly reminded her.


    "This is nothing."


    Tang Yun snorted coldly, a yful smile crossed her lips, and she pressed the elerator slightly, reaching a speed of 150 kilometers per hour.


    "Crazy!"


    Su Chen muttered under his breath and just let her be.


    "Where are we actually going?"


    After a while, Su Chen noticed Tang Yun was driving further away, almost to the outskirts, and asked curiously.


    "Flying Eagle Mountain."


    "What are we doing there?"


    "Why so many questions? You''ll know when we get there."


    Tang Yun pursed her lips, annoyed that Su Chen seemed unfazed by her fast driving.


    Previously on the highway, she had not dared to elerate further, but now they were in a more secluded, deserted area, so Tang Yun pressed the gas pedal down again.


    The needle on the car''s dashboard quickly jumped to 200, and the Ferrari streaked forward like a phantom!


    Su Chen was indeed startled by Tang Yun''s sudden burst of speed, and quickly said:


    "You in a hurry to be reborn or what, driving so fast!"


    "I like it! Any of your business?"


    Tang Yun was pleased with Su Chen''s reaction, her lips curving into a smug smile.


    Seeing Tang Yun''s smile, Su Chen understood her mindset.


    He couldn''t help but chuckle and shook his head, then leaned back in the seat, settling in for a bit...

 Chapter 163: Too Ambitious, Arent We?

    ```


    Tang Yun felt even more annoyed when she saw that Su Chen not only wasn''t scared, but even closed his eyes to rest!


    ying tough, huh?


    Tang Yun clenched her teeth and continued to increase the horsepower, but because the speed had already reached 200, her personal limit, she didn''t dare to push it further.


    The needle on the dashboard kept jumping, from 200 to 210, then quickly to 220.


    Tang Yun thought, surely he must be scared stiff at this speed!


    ncing over, she found Su Chen still with his eyes closed, an expression of calm on his face.


    Apetitive spirit rose in Tang Yun''s heart, and the unvented anger fueled her foot to press harder on the gas pedal.


    The needle on the dashboard once again whipped around, swiftly reaching 250!


    The roaring of the Ferrari grew fiercer, the scenery outside the window blurring past in streaks. In the dark of night, the Ferrari zoomed by like a phantom blur!


    Not just Su Chen, even the driving Tang Yun was starting to feel scared at this point; the speed was simply too fast.


    Just when she thought that Su Chen must be terrified this time, she heard a sustained breathing...


    She turned her head abruptly, only to find that this guy had actually fallen asleep!


    A corner of his mouth seemed to be about to drool, perhaps due to an ufortable sleeping position, he even shifted a little, seeking a morefortable pose.


    What kind of person is this?


    To actually be able to sleep at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour?


    Isn''t his heart a bit too big?


    Isn''t he afraid I might identally crash into something, leading to a car wreck and death?


    Tang Yun felt utterly defeated by this carefree fellow and dejectedly slowed down to 150.


    After driving another dozen kilometers, Tang Yun stopped at the foot of a mountain.


    "Have we arrived?"


    When Su Chen felt the car stop, he too woke up leisurely.


    "Yes, we''re here, get out."


    Tang Yun''s tone was very annoyed, extremely annoyed, as she pushed open the door and got out of the car. Su Chen curled his lips and followed suit.


    As soon as Su Chen got out of the car, he saw various luxurious cars parked at the foot of the mountain: Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Porsches... all were present!


    Seeing those luxury cars, Su Chen immediately understood that Tang Yun was here for a car race.


    He hadn''t expected that Tang Yun, a teacher, would have such a hobby¡ªa stark contrast to the impression she gave.


    And at the foot of this mountain, there was even a rather upscale club.


    Not far from the club, there was a vast gravel za where a bonfire had already been lit, and hundreds of young people were wildly partying around it!


    These youngsters were dressed in garish clothes, their hair dyed in all kinds of disarray, with shining earrings and such. Especially the young girls, who were dressed even more revealingly!


    Some of these young people were singing loudly, some ying in bands, otherspeting in drinking, and some who had taken drugs were staggering around¡ªit really was a wild and chaotic scene.


    As Su Chen took in the sight, he couldn''t help frowning:


    "Do youe here to y often?"


    ```


    If Tang Yun came here often, his fondness and impression of her would plummet to rock bottom. Such a Tang Yun, he would only keep at arm''s length.


    "I haven''t been here in two or three years either," Tang Yun, also disgusted by the scene, said, "It wasn''t like this before. When did it be so murky and foul?"


    "This is pointless. Let''s go."


    As Tang Yun viewed the chaotic sights and lost interest, she was about to turn and leave when a young man in a floral shirt and casual trousers walked over, holding a bottle of champagne in his hand!


    Trailing behind him were several other men dressed in gaudy, garish clothing.


    "Yo, Teacher Tang, why do you want to leave as soon as you arrive?"


    The man in the floral shirt sidled up to Tang Yun, his eyes gleaming with lewdness as he asked.


    His gaze on Tang Yun was filled with lust and greed, roving over her body''s key parts continuously.


    Tang Yun felt very ufortable under the stare of the man in the floral shirt. The reason she hadn''te here for two or three years was precisely because of this man.


    Since meeting him for the first time on Flying Eagle Mountain three years ago, he had harbored ulterior motives towards her. After several incidents of harassment, Tang Yun stoppeding here.


    Although Tang Yun hadn''t returned, he had found out about the school where she taught.


    Every so often, he would show up at the school, sometimes inviting her to the movies, other times to dinner, constantly changing his approaches.


    Even though Tang Yun had never agreed, he clung to her like a stubborn ster. Tang Yun had long found him extremely bothersome.


    However, this man in a floral shirt knew that Tang Yun was Tang Mingji''s daughter, so he did not dare do anything too underhanded.


    The man in the floral shirt''s dogged pursuit of Tang Yun was not necessarily without reason rted to Tang Mingji. After all, marrying the daughter of Tang Mingji would bring great benefits to his family, apart from the fact that Tang Yun was also exceptionally beautiful.


    And since it was just a normal pursuit, he was not afraid of what Tang Mingji might do to him.


    Wu Yuanli and his son, of course, were aware of this situation, but they had not interfered.


    One reason was that Tang Yun had absolutely no interest in the man, even to the point of revulsion, so Wu Yuanli and his son naturally weren''t worried.


    More importantly, because the man was the only son of Jianghai''s richest man, Pan Wendo, making a move on him would create too muchmotion, inevitably drawing the attention of certain individuals.


    And once that happened, these people would quickly trace the connection between the Tang Family and the Pei Family of Yandu, which would be immensely detrimental to their ns!


    It must be mentioned here that Tang Mingji was a man with great pride. He had achieved his position mainly through his own abilities and hard work!


    Moreover, he did not want others to know about his rtionship with the Pei Family and even took pains to conceal it, which is why few people knew that his wife was the daughter of the Pei Family in Yandu.


    Of course, Pan Wendo''s status as the richest man was only on the surface, or rather, it was what the so-called wealth rankings showed.


    In reality, the true titans of wealth are hidden. No one can urately gauge their wealth, such as the Four Great Families of Jiangnan.


    But even if it is just the nominal richest man, that is still something remarkable, easily worth three to five hundred billion, which is more than most people could amass in their lifetime or even over several generations.


    "There''s something at home I need to attend to, so I''ll leave first."


    Upon the man in the floral shirt''s questioning, Tang Yun responded dismissively, a hint of displeasure shing in her beautiful eyes.


    "How can you not take a couple ofps around here?"


    The man in the floral shirt said jokingly, knowing all too well that Tang Yun''s im of having matters at home was just an excuse!


    "I have no interest."


    Tang Yun''s tone remained cold. To say who Tang Yun despised the most, this man before her was unquestionably at the top of the list, even far surpassing Su Chen.

 Chapter 164: Pan An

    "Tang Yun, do you really have to disrespect Pan An like this?"


    The man in the floral shirt suddenly darkened his expression, a hint of anger spreading across his brow.


    If it weren''t for the fact that your father is Tang Mingji, I would have drugged you into bed long ago.


    By then, it would be all about what I want, molding you however I please!


    Where would you even get the chance to act like a Holy Maiden?


    "Hahahaha~~~"


    Just then, a sudden loudughter broke out, unrestrained and wild.


    "What are you even?"


    Pan An''s face was covered in frost, his expression so dark it seemed it could drip water.


    He clearly knew what the other wasughing at, and it was exactly what he loathed!


    "No, wait, let meugh a bit more."


    Su Chen couldn''t help himself looking at Pan An''s height of about 1.6 meters and his face full of e,


    "Was it your mom or your dad who named you Pan An? It''s absolutely ingenious!"


    "Do you want to die?"


    Pan An couldn''t stand people mocking his name, and now, this young man in the security guard uniform had undoubtedly touched his sore spot!


    Actually, it wasn''t Pan An''s fault; when he was born, he indeed was prettier than most children.


    And since he was Pan Wendo''s first son, and eventually the only child, Pan Wendo inevitably valued him and named him after an ancient handsome man.


    However, contrary to expectations, Pan An grew more and more deviated,pletely disappointing his parents'' hopes!


    "Young Master Pan, I apologize, my friend has had a bit too much to drink tonight, I apologize on his behalf."


    Seeing that Pan An was on the verge of exploding, Tang Yun hurriedly interjected.


    Even though Tang Yun really detested Su Chen, he was, after all, the one she brought, and she didn''t want any conflict between him and Pan An.


    Su Chen felt that mocking someone''s name was not nice, but he just couldn''t help himself in that moment.


    Thus, he didn''t take much offense at the harsh words Pan An had just said.


    "Hmm, if you want me to spare him, that''s possible, but you have to agree to a condition."


    In his rage, Pan An''s eyes suddenly sparkled, a sly smile appearing on his lips.


    "What condition?" Tang Yun suddenly felt a bad premonition.


    "Let''s have apetition, if I win, you have dinner with me..."


    "Impossible!"


    Before Pan An could finish, Tang Yun coldly refused, already suspecting that this fellow was up to no good, and indeed she was right!


    "Don''t reject it so hastily!" Pan An confidently said, "Wait till I finish speaking before you refuse."


    "Release your fart already!"


    Pan An wasn''t bothered by Tang Yun''s cursing and confidently said:


    "If I win, you have dinner with me; if you win, not only will I spare your friend, but I also promise never to harass you again! How about that, isn''t the bet sincere enough?"


    "Really?"


    It must be said, Pan An really captured Tang Yun''s mind well; simply sparing Su Chen wouldn''t have truly convinced her topete.


    But the promise not to harass her anymore truly tempted Tang Yun, for she was absolutely fed up with him!


    "Of course, I promise!"


    Pan An nodded earnestly.


    "Okay! I agree, tell me how we''llpare."


    Although Tang Yun didn''t know if the opponent''s assurance was reliable, she was still willing to give it a try.


    If this guy could really stop pestering her, the world would be at peace!


    Pan An was already the center of attention, and with a rare beauty like Tang Yun by his side, the self-entertaining crowd quickly gathered around them.


    "Let''s make it fair, best two out of three rounds, each person sets the rules once, and everyone sets the rules for the final match! How about that?"


    Pan An looked confidently at Tang Yun and said. As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted into spirited cheers and whistles.


    "Okay!"


    Tang Yun immediately nodded in agreement.


    Su Chen nced at Pan An, a cold smirk forming at the corner of his mouth, he had long realized that this guy definitely had a backup n.


    "Ladies first, you set the rules for the first round."


    Pan An said graciously, exhibiting quite the gentlemanly demeanor.


    However, his demeanor, in Tang Yun''s eyes, felt somewhat nauseating.


    "No need, you set them!"


    Tang Yun said with a cold face.


    "Alright, then I''ll say it."


    A sly, triumphant glint shed in Pan An''s eyes as he said:


    "There''s a 500-meter track over there; we''ll start from the starting point together. We not onlypare who gets there first but also who''s front wheel is closest to the finish line."


    "That''s eptable, but what if one person is faster, yet their distance from the finish line is greater?"


    Tang Yun nodded, her pretty face showing a solemn expression.


    The rules proposed by Pan An were much more difficult than those of a typical race, as controlling the distance of the front wheel to the finish line, especially at high speeds, was too challenging.


    Not to mention, the track''s length was only 500 meters!


    "The one with the faster speed is the winner, but the distance between the front wheel and the finish line must not exceed 30 centimeters. If both are within 30 centimeters, it''s decided by speed; if one is within and the other outside 30 centimeters, the one within 30 centimeters wins; if both are outside 30 centimeters, we race again. How does that sound?"


    "That''s eptable."


    The look on Tang Yun''s face became even more serious; 30 centimeters, in the process of driving a car, was practically negligible.


    It''s evident just how difficult this contest would be!


    "I haven''t finished speaking yet." Pan An''s smile slightly curved upwards as he continued, "To make it more challenging and exciting, there will be a person lying at the finish line on eachne."


    Hearing Pan An''s words, the crowd immediately burst into even more fervent cheers and shouts, as these young people craved excitement!


    Now that they heard such a thrilling rule, naturally, everyone became incredibly excited!


    "No, that''s too dangerous!"


    A shocked expression appeared on Tang Yun''s face as she immediately objected.


    If one wasn''t careful, the car might very well run over someone, this game was too risky!


    "What? Can''t handle it? You had already agreed to the race, and if you give up this round, you''re automatically the loser!"


    Pan An gave Tang Yun a provocative look with a confidence that he had her beaten.


    "Fine, I''ll race!"


    Deep down, Tang Yun was naturallypetitive, how could sheck the courage to step onto the race track?


    She had already decided, first and foremost to ensure the safety of the person lying down, and only then aim for victory! After all, human lives were more important than anything!


    Moreover, not racing meant definite loss, while racing at least offered a chance to win!


    Besides, Pan An might not necessarily beat her!

 Chapter 165: Professional Racer Zhou Yuan

    ```


    Just then, a man walked out of the nearby nightclub, with a little-known model in his arms, who, despite not being famous, had both good looks and a nice figure.


    After he left the nightclub, he headed straight towards the crowd.


    "Look, who''s that?"


    Someone quickly took notice of him and eximed.


    "Eh, isn''t that Zhou Yuan?"


    "It really is! I heard he just won a professional racing championship and is recognized as a rising star in the Huaxia racing world!"


    "For sure, he''s the proud disciple of our Huaxia racing king, Gu Xinghan!"


    "Strange, what''s a professional race car driver doinging to our ce?"


    Everyone was puzzled, and no one knew why he hade back!


    Tang Yun certainly noticed Zhou Yuan''s approach, and she too was excited, for he was a professional racer and a future star with great expectations!


    Could it be that he was the big shot they were referring to earlier?


    Tang Yun guessed right, for Zhou Yuan was indeed a hot new star. If it weren''t for some connection with Pan An, he wouldn''t bothering to a ce like this.


    For him, the level here was too low!


    On seeing Zhou Yuan''s arrival, Pan An couldn''t help but reveal a smug smile:


    "Brother Zhou,ter you just enjoy yourself with our lovelydy here!"


    Pan An''s invitation for Zhou Yuan toe today was originally intended to show off, but he hadn''t expected that Tang Yun, who hadn''t been seen for a few years, would turn up.


    He immediately thought of using a race to get Tang Yun to dine with him, so when speaking with Tang Yun earlier, he discreetly instructed his men to invite Zhou Yuan for help, promising him a star to y with tonight.


    For Zhou Yuan, it was a simple favor, and naturally, he agreed readily.


    "Sure, I love keeping beautiespany."


    Zhou Yuan nced at Tang Yun, and his eyes immediately lit up with a fiery glow.


    This chick is quite a catch! Even prettier than the little model in his arms and with a better figure!


    Upon hearing their conversation, the crowd immediately stirred.


    "What, Zhou Yuan racing against her? Is there even any need for a contest?"


    "That''s just using a bazooka to swat a mosquito, such an overkill!"


    "Damn, this chick is done for! Pan An''s meal is in the bag!"


    .......


    "Pan An, you''re shameless, how can you let someone race in your ce?"


    Tang Yun was also shocked, and she immediately blushed and began pointing the finger.


    Racing against Zhou Yuan? That was something she wouldn''t even dare dream of! There was absolutely no hope of winning, okay?


    "We didn''t say anything before about not allowing substitutes in the race. If you can find someone, I won''t mind," Pan An said with a shrug, an indifferent smile on his face.


    Tang Yun was instantly at a loss for words,pletely flustered.


    Where could she find someone now? Even if she found someone, could theypare to Zhou Yuan?


    And right now, the only person beside her was Su Chen. Thinking of Su Chen, Tang Yun couldn''t help but nce at him and noticed that he was acting as if nothing was happening, still smoking.


    Not only that, but he was also chatting up a pretty girl next to him, making herugh so much that her chest kept trembling.


    "Scoundrel!"


    Tang Yun cursed softly, then shook her head. Having him race would be even worse than her taking the wheel.


    After all, she was an amateur racer, and though he was a driver too, driving and racing werepletely different things.


    Just now on the road when she only reached 150 km/h, he told her to slow down¡ªit was evident that if she let him race, the loss would only be more crushing!


    "Alright, let''s start!"


    ```


    Tang Yun decided to go all out, if she loses, so be it, if she has to dine with that disgusting guy, she could just endure it and it would pass.


    ...


    Ahead on the track, two SUVs were parked there, engines already running, like arrows on a drawn bow, ready to shoot out at any moment.


    The expressions of the two people sitting inside the vehicles were vastly different, one full of confidence and ease, the other extremely anxious.


    At the other end of the track, hot girls quietlyy there, one arm pressed tightly against the finish line.


    Although they were also very scared, the temptation of Young Master Pan An''s 500,000 was enough for them to take the risk.


    Because of the presence of people ahead and the low chassis of sports cars, both chose SUVs.


    Luckily, with so many vehicles on site, finding two SUVs wasn''t a difficult task.


    For such a short distance, the performance and speed of the vehicles were no longer that important, what mattered was the driver''s control and psychological quality!


    "Babe, don''t cry if you loseter. If you want to cry,e cry in my arms, haha~~~"


    Zhou Yuan said to Tang Yun beside him with unmatched arrogance!


    Of course, he had the capital to be arrogant!


    Tang Yun paid no attention to Zhou Yuan''s provocation, looking at the girl lying ahead, she felt so nervous she was at her limit, and her palms were already sweating as they gripped the steering wheel.


    At that moment, a hot girl wearing a tube top and hot pants walked between the two vehicles.


    Smiling at both cars, she began the countdown.


    The scene quieted down, everyone held their breath in anticipation...


    The hot girl held up a small g in one hand and extended three fingers with the other, then folded down one finger and then another.


    Finally, she swung the g down sharply while folding down thest finger!


    In that instant, a roar erupted, and the two vehicles shot out almost simultaneously.


    Su Chen watched this unfold and shook his head. Although the two cars seemed to have started at the same time, there was actually a difference in timing.


    Zhou Yuan''s reaction time was at least 0.3 seconds faster than Tang Yun''s. Don''t underestimate these 0.3 seconds, in a high-levelpetition, these 0.3 seconds could decide the oue!


    Because the distance was so short and people were ahead, Tang Yun didn''t dare to go too fast from the start, but rather elerated gradually, so when she had not yetpleted one third of the distance, Zhou Yuan''s vehicle had already reached the midpoint.


    By the time two-thirds of the track had passed, Zhou Yuan had shifted down from high to medium speed and maintained a steady pace, and when it was thest 50 meters, he gradually began to step on the brakes.


    As Zhou Yuan''s vehicle drew closer, the girl lying on the ground closed her eyes tightly, too nervous to even take a nce.


    When Zhou Yuan''s vehicle stopped, Tang Yun had just reached two-thirds of the distance, but she didn''t stop either and continued driving forward.


    ording to the rules, there was a 30 centimeter priority principle, what if Zhou Yuan''s front wheel was more than 30 centimeters from the finish line? As long as she could get within 30 centimeters, it would be considered her victory.


    Although she knew the chances of that happening were slim, she had to try!


    Tang Yun couldn''t control the vehicle as precisely as Zhou Yuan did, so after two-thirds of the way, she started to constantly adjust her speed, sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down.


    Since she had already lost in terms of speed, she started to slowly apply the brakes during the final 80 meters.


    When the vehicle finally stopped, Tang Yun exhaled deeply, releasing the tension that filled her heart.


    Once both vehicles had stopped, the two hot girls on the ground managed to get out from under the cars, and people immediately came up to help them up.


    Both girls felt their legs were nearly giving out, hardly able to stand.


    You can imagine how much pressure they were under just now...


    "Tang Yun, 32 centimeters."


    "Zhou Yuan 14 centimeters!"


    Shouts came from those measuring the distance between the front wheels of the vehicles and the finish line.


    As soon as these words were spoken, a murmur of astonishment rippled through the crowd!


    They weren''t too surprised by Tang Yun''s 32 centimeters; if they were the ones driving, they might not have done as well.


    What amazed them was Zhou Yuan''s 14 centimeters, what precise control and calction that must have taken!

 Chapter 166 - 166 I Want to Exchange for Her

    Although Tang Yun had already anticipated such an oue, she still felt a wave of dejection.


    Did she really have to have dinner with that disgusting guy?


    ncing at Pan An, Tang Yun found him smiling smugly at her, his eyes gleaming with unhidden possessiveness!


    The moment Tang Yun''s eyes met his, she immediately turned her head away, refusing to look at him any longer!


    However, Tang Yun''s attempt to ignore him didn''t deter Pan An; instead, he took the initiative to approach her:


    "How about it, Teacher Tang? Ready to admit defeat?"


    "In your dreams!"


    Tang Yun spat out coldly.


    "Alright then, for the next round, Teacher Tang, please set the question!"


    Pan An said teasingly, his gaze roaming over Tang Yun impishly, making her feel extremely ufortable.


    As Tang Yun was pondering what kind of rule she could set to maximize her advantage, suddenly a faint voice sounded from nearby.


    "I''ll take this round."


    Everyone was taken aback, wondering who was so bold as to challenge Zhou Yuan.


    When they saw that the source of the voice was someone dressed in a security guard uniform, they immediately burst into a tidal wave ofughter!


    Their eyes looked at Su Chen as if he were a clown.


    "You...? Hahaha~~~"


    Pan Anughed uproariously, holding his belly with one hand and pointing at Su Chen with the other:


    "Sorry, I just can''t help it, let meugh a bit more."


    There was no doubt that Pan An''s words were a form of retaliation for the earlier mockery Su Chen had directed at his name.


    "That''s fine."


    Su Chen nodded indifferently.


    The crowd thought this kid was either a joker or insane!


    After several minutes, Pan An finally regained hisposure and then asked:


    "Are you sure?"


    A mocking smile still lingered on his face.


    "Is it not permitted?"


    Su Chen tilted his head, expressionless.


    "Of course, it''s permitted," Pan An replied, unable to contain hisughter, then looked at Tang Yun, "You''re sure you want him to substitute?"


    "Su Chen, stop messing around!"


    Tang Yun tugged at Su Chen''s sleeve, scolding angrily:


    "This is car racing, not the same as being a chauffeur."


    This guy, what''s he doing throwing a wrench in the works now!


    Although Tang Yun didn''t hold much hope of winning herself, it would surely be more reliable than having him step in, right?


    "Oh, a driver, huh! No wonder! After all, driving every day, right!"


    The crowdughed uproariously again, their words dripping with sarcasm!


    "Do you want to win?"


    Su Chen''s demeanor had changed from his usual frivolity in her presence, and he asked her seriously.


    He didn''t pay any attention to the mockery of the others; in his eyes, these ants weren''t worth his notice.


    "Of course I do, but..."


    "Then that''s enough, if you want to win, just listen to me."


    "But..."


    Although Su Chen spoke with certainty, that was Zhou Yuan they were talking about!


    Even if it wasn''t Zhou Yuan, Tang Yun wouldn''t believe he could win against any average amateur racer.


    "Trust me!"


    Su Chen said, gripping Tang Yun''s shoulders, his tone carrying a powerful confidence, his eyes alight with resolve!


    His eyes seemed to possess a sort of magic,pelling her to be lost in them, causing Tang Yun to nod her head somewhat dizzily.


    "Now I need your absolute trust, even if your life is in danger, you need to believe in me, can you do that?"


    Tang Yun''s heart trembled involuntarily as she heard these words; she couldn''t help but look up at him again, and she realized that at this moment, Su Chen seemed more serious than ever before!


    His expression, his eyes, his tone, and his strong hands all seemed to provide her with a sense of safety and strength!


    "Yes!"


    For some reason, looking at this man whom she hadn''t known for very long, Tang Yun''s heart was inexplicably filled with trust!


    "Good! As long as you trust me, I can help you win!"


    When Su Chen said this, he was filled with tremendous confidence, as if he was stating a mere fact!


    "Big talker!"


    Pan An, who had naturally heard the conversation, couldn''t help but sneer.


    "Quite arrogant!"


    Zhou Yuan scorned with a nce at Su Chen, not taking his so-called driver into consideration at all.


    "Are we still racing or not? All this jabbering¡ªyou know, the loudmouths are usually the first to die, right?"


    Su Chen nced at them and coldly retorted.


    His words instantly left the two speechless, rolling their eyes without a word to say.


    "Fine, keep being cocky. You''ll be crying soon enough!"


    Zhou Yuan could only speak through gritted teeth with a green face.


    "Who ends up crying remains to be seen,"


    Su Chen remarked coolly.


    "Enough, stop wasting time, let''s hear your rules,"


    Pan An said with a displeased expression.


    Tang Yun didn''t speak but looked towards Su Chen, who immediately gave her a reassuring look.


    "Let''s do this¡ªI can''t be bothered to think of any new rules, so let''s just stick with the earlier ones for another race,"


    Su Chen shrugged indifferently, as if the race were not a big deal at all.


    "Su Chen, how about we change the..."


    Tang Yun suggested softly. After all, the previous rules had been set by Pan An and were surely advantageous for their performance.


    "No need, for such trash, do we need to y mind games with him?"


    Su Chen waved his hand dismissively and spoke carelessly.


    "Damn, isn''t that a bit too arrogant, calling Zhou Yuan trash?"


    "Yeah, it''s like he has no regard for anyone. Not even the world''s top racers would dare to say such a thing!"


    "Indeed, ignorance is truly bliss!"


    ........


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the crowd immediately erupted, using Su Chen of his arrogance!


    Tang Yun too felt a sense of ckness before her eyes, speechless, thinking if even Zhou Yuan was considered trash, then what was she? The trash of trash?


    However, the situation being what it was, she could only take one step at a time...


    Zhou Yuan himself was nowpletely furious, his gaze fixed tightly on Su Chen.


    This guy, daring to look down on him like this, he would make sure Su Chen was thoroughly convinced in his loss, leaving him without a word to say!


    "Alright, let''s get started,"


    Zhou Yuan said, with frustration evident on his face, before he started heading toward the starting line.


    Pan An pulled out another 500,000 yuan and asked the two girls from before if they were still willing to lie there.


    The two girls, seeing that there was no harm done previously, immediately agreed, after all, that was 500,000 yuan!


    "Wait!"


    At this moment, Su Chen''s voice rang out again.


    "What now?"


    Pan An asked, annoyed.


    "I want to switch people."


    "Weren''t you the one who wanted to switch out Tang Yun just now? Now who do you want to switch? Are you having second thoughts?" Pan Dan''s lips curled up scornfully, "Are you scared now? At least you seem to have some sense of your own capabilities!"


    The crowd generally shared this opinion and couldn''t help but despise Su Chen even more. Just a moment ago, he was all high and mighty, yet now he was getting cold feet before even starting?


    "No, I want to switch her." Su Chen smiled, pointing to one of the girls who had justin down at the finish line, "I want Teacher Tang to lie there."

 Chapter 167 - 167 The Lunatic

    When Su Chen specified that Tang Yun should rece a girl lying there in the front, everyone was bbergasted.


    "What are you thinking?" Pan An angrily seized the opportunity, "How can you let Tang Teacher''s precious daughter lie there, taking such a risk?"


    "Yes, Tang Teacher is the Mayor Tang''s daughter. Can you take responsibility if anything happens?" someone immediately chimed in.


    "Just you, what if you hurt Teacher Tang? Our Young Master Pan would be heartbroken! Ha ha~~~"


    This was clearly another young person fawning over Pan An.


    Su Chen ignored the chirping voices and turned his gaze to Tang Yun.


    Tang Yun met his gaze, and after a few seconds of silent eye contact, she suddenly bit her moist red lips and said:


    "I''m willing!"


    When they heard Tang Yun''s firm "I''m willing," the crowd felt incredulous once again!


    They knew that lying there required great courage, as a slight mishap could lead to serious consequences!


    They knew that the two girls currently lying there were doing it for 500,000 yuan, but what was Tang Yun doing it for?


    It made no sense at all!


    They only felt that Tang Yun had be just like that guy, turning into a lunatic!


    At that moment, Su Chen smiled knowingly.


    He didn''t care about the others'' attitudes, what mattered to him was only Tang Yun''s attitude.


    If Tang Yun had just given a negative response, Su Chen would have definitely walked away. What was the point of wading into these waters for someone who didn''t trust him?


    Tang Yun herself didn''t know why she had said those three words just now, but it seemed that a mysterious force was driving her, making her unable to say "no."


    "No way, I disagree."


    Just then, Pan An loudly objected:


    "What difference does it make who lies there? I still disagree with Teacher Tang taking this risk!"


    Pan An''s objection was quite understandable; first off, Tang Yun was ultimately Tang Mingji''s daughter. If something really happened, Tang Mingji would definitely not let him off, considering Tang Yun waspeting with him.


    Although his father was reputed as the richest man in Jianghai, facing Tang Mingji''s anger might still be terribly difficult.


    Moreover, Tang Yun was also the goddess in his heart, and naturally, he didn''t want her to face any danger. The sentiment of cherishing beauty is something every man has, and Pan An was no exception.


    However, no matter how much he objected, it still didn''t change Tang Yun''s attitude, and under her insistence, he had no choice but to relent.


    Deep down, Tang Yun actually trusted Su Chen. She knew he had a reason for asking her to lie there, and she didn''t know why she trusted this man so much; she just did.


    Under everyone''s eyes, Tang Yun went to the endpoint andy down.


    Her leather outfit already entuated her graceful figure, and now lying down, her exquisite curves were making all the men restless.


    Su Chen thought to himself, if only she were lying on a bed right now!


    Not just Su Chen, most of the men present were thinking the same ¡ª she was truly a beauty!


    "Can we start now?"


    Zhou Yuan was already impatient, urging again at this moment.


    "Since you can''t wait to lose, let''s indulge you, start now."


    With that, Su Chen walked to the car and climbed in.


    Everyone was speechless at his audacity, all waiting to see him get a lesson from Zhou Yuan and end up looking disheveled.


    Some people had even set up a betting table on the side already cing their bets.


    Zhou Yuan''s odds were 1 to 1.01, while Su Chen''s odds were 1 to 500.


    Just from these odds, it was clear that in everyone''s minds, there was no suspense in thispetition!


    Even though Su Chen''s odds were astonishing, almost everyone ced their bets on Zhou Yuan''s side.


    Although the odds were a bit low, there was still a 1% return, which they saw aspletely risk-free, as secure as the returns from a bank.


    On the other hand, Su Chen''s odds, though higher, seemed no different from throwing money into the water in the eyes of the crowd.


    Yet, among the crowd, there was a girl who ced ten thousand yuan on Su Chen, not because she had confidence in Su Chen, but because she thought Su Chen was quite handsome!


    Many of these people were rich second-generation kids, and the rest, if not rich second-generation, also came from not-so-poor families.


    So, in the end, the amount bet on Zhou Yuan exceeded several million, while Su Chen only had that girl''s ten thousand yuan.


    Seeing that both cars were ready, the previous hot beauty came back to the middle to start the countdown once more!


    The crowd at the scene was still casually chatting and doing their own things, only asionally ncing over at the track because in their eyes, the oue had already been decided!


    Watching the hot beauty''s countdown, Tang Yun, who was in front of Su Chen''s car, couldn''t help but grow nervous, her little heart "thumping" madly!


    As the hot beauty swung her small g sharply downwards, the two vehicles burst out like wild animals sprinting across the grasnds.


    In that instant, Zhou Yuan''s initially carefree heart tightened.


    Laymen watch the excitement; experts watch the technique!


    To others, the two cars appeared to start almost simultaneously, but Zhou Yuan knew he was at least 0.2 seconds slower than his opponent.


    Zhou Yuan immediately let go of hiscency, knowing he had encountered a truepetitor!


    "Damn, has this guy gone mad!"


    Just then, a terrified scream erupted from the crowd!


    Upon hearing this, everyone immediately looked toward the track, and when they did, they were all stunned!


    They saw that from the start, Su Chen''s car had gone into full eleration!


    Right away, Zhou Yuan''s car was left behind by half a car''s length!


    No one had expected this guy to drive so insanely!


    Zhou Yuan was also shocked; he had pressed down on the gas pedal significantly, thinking he was bold enough, but he hadn''t expected the guy next to him to be even more reckless!


    Zhou Yuan immediately deduced that this guy must have floored the pedal right from the start!


    "What a madman!"


    Zhou Yuan could not help but curse, speeding up as well, but he also didn''t dare to press the pedal to the metal.


    Seeing the two carspletely sprinting at high speed on the track, everyone was dumbfounded!


    At that moment, Tang Yun also noticed this and stiffened, feeling as if her heart might jump out at any moment!


    People noticed that Su Chen''s car reached its top speed within just three or four seconds of starting!


    "Damn, it''s a 500-meter track, not a 5-kilometer track! Who drives like this!"


    Upon seeing this scene, someone immediately eximed.


    "Damn, it''s already past the midpoint, and this guy still isn''t slowing down!"


    "Crazy, absolutely crazy!"


    "Too crazy! Can this guy even stop in time?"


    "Impossible to stop, with this speed, this distance, it''s too difficult!"


    "What do you mean ''too difficult''? It''s simply impossible."


    "Look quick, only a third of the track left, and this guy still hasn''t slowed down!"


    Watching the car that seemed like a fleeting shadow, everyone grew immensely tense.


    They had never seen, nor even heard of, someone so insane!


    Tang Yun, watching the car that was almost in front of her blink, already had cold sweat on her forehead, her face ghastly pale...

 Chapter 168: Miracle

    At this extremely critical moment, Tang Yun suddenly remembered the question Su Chen had asked before.


    "I need your absolute trust right now, even if it poses a risk to your life. Can you do that?"


    At that moment, Tang Yun finally understood the true meaning behind Su Chen''s words!


    With this realization, Tang Yun once again calmed down, slowly closed her eyes, and waited for that moment toe!


    Although she was still very nervous, she chose to trust him!


    At the same time, a harsh sound of tires screeching against the ground filled the air, piercingly loud!


    By then, they had only a quarter of the distance left to the finish line!


    "Isn''t it toote to brake now?"


    The crowd couldn''t help but shake their heads, seemingly anticipating the tires rolling over a beauty like Tang Yun!


    They even dared not watch the imminent gruesome scene, covering their eyes one after another!


    Pan An was also incredibly nervous, feeling as if someone was choking him, unable to utter a single word!


    Due to the intense friction, a long skid mark had been left on the ground!


    "Huh, it actually stopped?"


    Someone couldn''t resist their curiosity and stole a nce, then expressed their disbelief immediately.


    Following this exmation of surprise, the others also removed their hands and looked toward the finish line.


    "Impossible! How could it stop with such speed, in such a short distance?"


    "Yeah, that''s not scientific at all, is it?"


    "Did it run over Ms. Tang?"


    Actually, whether it had run over Tang Yun or not, being able to stop at the finish line was already totally beyond everyone''s expectations!


    By then, Zhou Yuan had also graduallye to a halt at the finish line, then got out of the car.


    "Ms. Tang, how are you?"


    The crowd didn''t dare look but tentatively called out.


    Not hearing Tang Yun''s response, the crowd''s hearts couldn''t help but be filled with panic.


    "Ms. Tang!"


    The person who had just spoken asked again, their voice trembling!


    "Rx, I''m fine!"


    This time, Tang Yun''s voice finally came through, hearing her say she was fine, the crowd finally rxed.


    Without anyone instructing, the two people in charge of measuring the distance immediately rushed to the finish line to start measuring the front wheel''s distance from the finish line.


    "How is it? Have you measured it yet?"


    The crowd immediately urged, eager to know the result!


    "Zhou Yuan, 9 centimeters!"


    The person in charge of measuring shouted incredulously!


    "What, 9 centimeters?"


    "That''s amazing, isn''t it? Faster speed thanst time, and a shorter distance?"


    "Worthy of being a star pupil of the racing king!"


    "This skill, unimaginable!"


    "Yeah, I feel Zhou Yuan has already surpassed his mentor''s level at the same age, his future is truly boundless!"


    Everyone was deeply impressed by Zhou Yuan, and they couldn''t help but look at him admiringly.


    However, there was not a trace of smugness in Zhou Yuan''s eyes; rather, they were more solemn!


    "What about the other one? How did it do?"


    Someone casually asked then, assuming that having Su Chen stop the car before the finish line without running over Tang Yun, under such high speed, was already a miracle.


    As for the precise control of the distance from the front wheel to the finish line, they held little hope.


    After all, to demand such precision under such conditions was really asking too much!


    "Speak up, how much is it?"


    Seeing the person measuring the other car''s distance did not respond, the one who had asked earlier urged again.


    However, still no answer came...


    "Are you dead? Come on, just how much is it!"


    Pan An was anxiously waiting, and not hearing a reply for a long time, he couldn''t help but curse out loud.


    "As long as this guy is over 30 centimeters away, no matter how fast he is, he still loses," Pan An thought to himself.


    In his view, controlling the distance to within 30 centimeters at such high speed was almost impossible!


    The person woke up upon hearing Pan An''s curses and struggled to stand up unsteadily, his face filled with shock, yet he still had no reply!


    Just as everyone was about to urge him again, the man gently uttered a number:


    "0."


    "What?"


    Everyone thought there was a problem with their ears, not hearing clearly, and asked again involuntarily.


    And upon hearing this number, Zhou Yuan''s body violently shook...


    "0."


    The man took a deep breath, then said solemnly!


    "0? What does that mean?" everyone asked in confusion.


    "You take a look for yourselves, and you''ll understand!"


    The man sighed, then stepped aside.


    Carrying their confusion, everyone walked over and then bent down.


    "My god!"


    "My god!"


    "My god!"


    ...


    Three people, three consecutive crude exmations of astonishment,pletely aroused the curiosity of those whose view was blocked behind them.


    "Hurry up and tell us, how much is it?"


    "Yeah, quit keeping us in suspense, just tell us already!"


    ...


    "This..."


    The first three people who gathered around slowly stood up, their faces as shocked as the man earlier!


    One of them seemed ready to say something, then shook his head and sighed:


    "You better see it for yourselves!"


    However, the reactions of the next few people were almost identical to those of the first three.


    Not just them, almost everyone who followed had the same reaction!


    Soon, everyone had bent down to see, and every face disyed an expression of disbelief, dumbly staring at Su Chen who was smoking nearby!


    Even Pan An and Zhou Yuan were no exception!


    Is this guy even human?


    How could he achieve that?


    Everyone simply couldn''t believe what they had just witnessed because it was truly unbelievable!


    It turned out, Su Chen''s SUV''s front wheel not only perfectly pressed against the finish line, but it was also tightly positioned alongside Tang Yun''s leather jacket sleeve without a single gap.


    Just a slight further motion would have crushed Tang Yun''s arm!


    This could no longer be described as a miracle, but rather as a divine act!


    With that crazy speed and such precise control, it was mind-boggling just to think about it!


    At that moment, Su Chen backed up the car slightly, letting Tang Yun stand up directly.


    But by then, Tang Yun found herselfpletely weak, without any strength left.


    When Su Chen''s car hood passed by her face earlier, she almost thought she was going to die!


    Even now, she was still terrified!


    Su Chen knew she was quite frightened and quickly got out of the car to help her up.


    "I lost, fairly and squarely!"


    Zhou Yuan walked up to Su Chen, bowed deeply and lowered his proud head!


    In the face of such overwhelming power, all his pride and boastfulness were instantaneously shattered...

 Chapter 169 - 169 Luck?

    "Do we need to race again?" Su Chen asked indifferently.


    "No need, continuing would only be humiliating ourselves even further."


    Zhou Yuan shook his head, his face filled with dejection.


    He''d once thought that among the young generation of drivers in Huaxia, he was the very best!


    Today, this man younger than himself taught him an old saying¡ªthat there''s always someone better out there!


    "Brother Zhou, there''s still one round left! Right now it''s just a draw!" Pan An heard Zhou Yuan say no more racing and immediately became anxious. He was still thinking about his candlelit dinner with Tang Yun, right?


    "Brother Zhou, it might just be that this kid got lucky!"


    In Pan An''s view, it wasn''t lost until it was bet, so how could he give up before the bet?


    "Young Master Pan, do not mistake ignorance for courage." Zhou Yuan looked at him with contempt. "Luck? Give it a try and let me see your luck! Do you know what this gentleman just did?"


    "What did he do?"


    Pan An stuttered his question, and everyone else perked up their ears.


    "Let me tell you about how he ''got lucky''!"


    Zhou Yuan only slightly mocked Pan An, after all, he was the son of Pan Wendo:


    "This gentleman started by mming the elerator to the max, elerating to the top speed in the shortest theoretical time, then timed the distance to the finish line perfectly, releasing the elerator and, at the moment he released it, he mmed the brakes to the bottom!"


    "The whole process looks simple without much to say, but it tests the iparable visual acuity,putational ability, and precise control that have to be taken to the extreme, where the most crucial thing still is a strong mental quality!"


    "Let alone almost no one has this ability, even if you had it, you might not have the guts!"


    "This truly is a perfect interpretation of violence aesthetics in racing! The ultimate simplicity of the great way indeed!" Zhou Yuan sighed with a sense of admiration on his face.


    Although people didn''t understand the precise meaning of Zhou Yuan''s words, just by looking at the expression on his face, they could guess that it was an incredibly high realm!


    Women are very emotional, and Tang Yun had just felt that this guy was really amazing!


    Now, hearing Zhou Yuan''s profound exnation, she couldn''t help but look at Su Chen, her pretty face unconsciously revealing a touch of admiration!


    It seemed that Su Chen was especially appealing at that moment!


    Someone once said that once a woman admires a man, her downfall isn''t far away...


    Pan An also hung his head at that moment, but his eyes were filled with a cold light!


    So what if he''s great at driving? Dare to spoil my n, and you''ll pay the price!


    However, after listening to Zhou Yuan''s exnation, he didn''t insist on continuing the race, and instead, he conceded with feigned generosity.


    Su Chen felt a bit embarrassed by Zhou Yuan''s praise. He really wanted to say it was no big deal!


    But fearing it might seem like showing off, he simply kept his mouth shut.


    The reason Su Chen could achieve this was not just because his driving skills were superb, but there was another crucial point¡ªhis cultivation!


    The Qi Refinement of the Sixth Layer Realm from the Nine Yang Divine Technique was already almost approaching the Qi Refinement Peak of ordinary cultivators.


    At this level, a Martial Artist''s perception, control of the body, and so on have all reached a whole new realm!


    If it weren''t for this, he wouldn''t have been able to achieve such precise control, at least not within a 2-4 centimeter margin of error.


    Of course, beating Zhou Yuan was certainly no problem.


    "I won, haha~~ I won!"


    Just then, a girl suddenly jumped up as if she had gone crazy, her face full of excitement.


    The girl''s exaggerated reaction quickly caught everyone''s attention, and they all looked at her as if she were a lunatic.


    "Haha~~~ I, five million!"


    The girl, ecstatic, ran towards Su Chen and then kissed him on the face!


    "Handsome, thanks!"


    The girl ran off after the kiss, a blush still tinged on her pretty face...


    Only then did the crowd remember that it was this girl who had ced a bet of ten thousand yuan on that person.


    At that time, there were a few people who mocked her, saying she might as well have thrown the ten thousand yuan into the water, but they didn''t expect...


    At this moment, the most frustrated person in the room was the banker. He had only collected a total of 4.5 million yuan in bets, meaning he not only didn''t earn a single cent but also had to pay out 500,000 yuan!


    "Doing the job of a banker..." that person couldn''t help but let out a sigh.


    However, for him, a few hundred thousand would not lead to welching on a debt, but such a situation waspletely unexpected!


    Su Chen was also a bit dazed; he hadn''t expected the girl would suddenly run over and kiss him.


    But seeing that the girl was pretty, Su Chen couldn''t help but grin from ear to ear.


    If the girl had been so ugly that not even a dog would nce at her, Su Chen would''ve probably kicked her away by now.


    Just as Su Chen was still indulging in the little happiness of being kissed by a beauty, a sudden pain shot through his waist.


    "Enjoy a little girl''s kiss much?"


    Tang Yun twisted his waist with one soft hand and said with a smile that was not really a smile, making Su Chen suddenly tense up.


    "No, no, how could that be?"


    Su Chen, enduring the pain, quickly waved his hands and said.


    However, at that moment, Su Chen''s mouth betrayed him, promptly adding:


    "If you kissed me, I''d be happy!"


    "What did you say?"


    The expression on Tang Yun''s face immediately frosted over, and the gentle hand twisting Su Chen''s waist turned another half circle, moving from 180 degrees to 360 degrees.


    Su Chen''s mouth involuntarily widened again, this time not out of happiness, but from pain!


    Even with Su Chen''s astonishing cultivation, having his waist twisted like that was still painful.


    "Nothing."


    Su Chen felt the more he said, the worse it got, so he chose to remain silent.


    He found it strange, why did women like to twist people so much?


    Tang Yun only twisted a little before letting go, but her pretty face soon flushed with color.


    She thought to herself, what am I doing? What does it matter to me if someone else kisses him?


    Why should I get angry? What''s more, why am I even angry?


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    Su Chen asked, noticing her odd behavior; why did she go from being so icy to blushing all of a sudden?


    "Mind your own business!"


    Tang Yun rolled her eyes in annoyance, terrified her little thoughts had been seen through!


    Su Chen immediately felt awkward and didn''t know what to say, confirming that women really are the most baffling creatures!


    Su Chen decided not to waste any more brain cells on this profound issue.


    Meanwhile, Pan An, who wasn''t too far away, watching the two''s lovey-dovey spat, felt his anger surging even more!


    It felt as if a beloved toy had been snatched away from him...


    He secretly resolved that he must find a chance to give this kid a good lesson!


    Of course, Pan An was somewhat scheming, and he wouldn''t do anything under today''s circumstances, otherwise, others would only think he couldn''t handle losing!

 Chapter 170: The Clown is Coming

    It was past 11 PM when Su Chen finally dropped Tang Yun back at the municipalmitteepound. Before that, the two had gone to Ocean Apartment because Tang Yun needed to change back into her previous clothes and park the Ferrari there.


    As Su Chen''s BMW stopped at the front door of Building No. 2 of the municipalmittee, Pei Rou was alreadying out.


    "Did you have fun?"


    Pei Rou asked with a grin, but the implication behind that smile was unmistakable.


    "Yeah, it was pretty fun," Su Chen nodded before asking, "Auntie, why haven''t you rested yet?"


    "Of course, I was waiting for you two!" Pei Rou said with a smile, "How could I rest easy without you guys back?"


    "Don''t do this in the future," Tang Yun said with a touch of moved concern.


    "It''s fine, next time if it''s thiste, no need toe back. Just give a call to let me know you''re safe," Pei Rou instructed naturally.


    Both of them felt a bit awkward hearing what Pei Rou had said; it seemed like shepletely mistook their rtionship.


    Neither of them tried to exin, knowing it would be pointless anyways; Pei Rou wouldn''t believe them no matter what.


    "Auntie, it''s gettingte, I should leave," Su Chen quickly said, just in case Pei Rou suggested that he stay over, which would be troublesome.


    Based on Su Chen''s understanding of Madam Tang, she was very likely to suggest such a thing.


    "Alright, drive safely, Su," Pei Rou instructed, not having thought of that at the moment.


    "Okay, I will," Su Chen quickly got into his car and vanished in a cloud of dust.


    "This kid, even though I told him to drive slowly, he''s still driving so fast!"


    Pei Rouined as she and Tang Yun entered the house together.


    However, Tang Yun found herself suffering from insomnia that night, with her mind in utter turmoil...


    Of course, all of this was unknown to Su Chen. When he returned to the vi, Lin Ruoxue and Wang''s mother had already gone to bed; they were long ustomed to himing homete at night.


    Without dy, Su Chen went straight to his room to start his daily cultivation...


    The next day''s weather was splendid, with a clear sky as far as the eye could see¡ªa rare sight in the deep autumn.


    The weather was beautiful, and so was Su Chen''s mood, though this good feeling somewhat faded as soon as he arrived at thepany.


    Because just as he was walking toward thepany''s entrance, he happened to run into Xia Qiuru. Xia Qiuru was on her way out, and he had intended to greet her.


    But as soon as Xia Qiuru saw him, she quickly lowered her head, sped up her pace, and breezed past him without a word as if he were a gust of wind...


    Leaving Su Chen with a raised hand awkwardly suspended midair...


    Seeing this, Su Chen could only let out a silent sigh. Ever since thest time she asked him to be her date and he rejected her, she seemed to have been avoiding him.


    "Looks like I need to find a good time to have a proper talk with Xia Qiuru," Su Chen sighed and shook his head as he headed back to the security department.


    Due to Xia Qiuru''s behavior, Su Chen''s mood was a bit off, to the point where he didn''t even feel like ying games, and justy back in his chair, zoning out.


    Suddenly, his cell phone on the desk started to ring. He nced at it indifferently, intending not to answer, but when he saw the very familiar number on the screen, he immediately sat up.


    "Could it be something happened at the Temple?" Su Chen answered the phone somewhat nervously.


    "Hall Master dear, you''re going to miss me to death!" A voice even more annoying than Su Chen''s came from the other end of the line.


    After hearing that annoying voice, Su Chen''s heart eased, and he immediately scoffed:


    "Jester, why would you contact me if it''s nothing? Didn''t I tell Lone Wolf to let you guys know not to bother me if it''s nothing?"


    Though his words sounded harsh, there was a hint of nostalgia in his heart for the familiar voice.


    "After such a long time, don''t you miss us at all?" came a somewhat intive voice from the other end.


    How could Su Chen possibly not miss them? But still, his mouth said:


    "Miss what, you bunch of assholes? Aside from causing me trouble everywhere every day, what else can you do? I''d rather be far away from you guys for some peace!"


    "But we miss you," came the abrupt response over the phone. "How about Ie to see you?"


    "Don''t you dare! Just stay put in Europe!"


    Su Chen eximed in shock, quickly adding.


    If this guy came over, who knew what kind of trouble he might stir up?


    "Haha, it''s toote, I''m already on the ne, I''ll arrive in Jianghai at 11!"


    After saying that, the call was ended.


    "This asshole!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but curse under his breath, yet he was powerless to do anything about it.


    In the Nether Temple, these old brothers, aside from being utterly obedient to him and not daring to contradict him on important matters, didn''t treat him as the Hall Master at all other times.


    Even though Clown hadn''t arrived yet, Su Chen was already starting to feel a headacheing on!


    In the Nether Temple, aside from Su Chen, this guy was the most restless.


    However, besides the impending headache, Su Chen was genuinely pleased; after all, it had been over a year since he''d seen them, and he indeed missed them a lot.


    Since his brother wasing, Su Chen naturally wanted to go pick him up, so at 10:40, he grabbed his car keys and rushed out the door in a hurry.


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue happened to be returning from an errand outside, and the two of them almost collided at the doorway.


    "Why are you in such a rush?"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a nce and asked.


    "Oh, my brother''sing, I''m going to pick him up at the airport."


    Having said that, Su Chen kept heading out the door.


    Watching his figure, Lin Ruoxue''s eyes suddenly brightened, and she immediately called out:


    "Wait!"


    "What is it?"


    Su Chen stopped in his tracks and asked, puzzled.


    "I don''t really have anything going on. Let''s go together."


    Lin Ruoxue proposed casually.


    "Youing with me?"


    Su Chen''s expression grew even more confused, unclear on what Lin Ruoxue was up to.


    "Can''t I? Or do you feel ashamed to be seen with me? Or maybe you don''t want your brothers to know you have a wife like me?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s countenance suddenly turned cold as she spoke.


    She didn''t realize that this was the first time she referred to herself as Su Chen''s wife.


    Even if Su Chen used those words, she used to find them awkward, but now she had said them quite naturally.


    "How could that be? Right now, I wish I could take a megaphone and tell the whole world you''re my wife!"


    Seeing that Lin Ruoxue was upset, Su Chen immediately puffed out his chest and stated proudly, raising his voice by several decibels.


    Although Su Chen still didn''t know why Lin Ruoxue suddenly wanted to join him in picking someone up, he knew what to say at the moment to please a woman.


    After all, women need to be cajoled!


    "Keep it down, will you? What if someone hears you?"


    Lin Ruoxue startled, quickly interjecting.


    She hurriedly looked around; thankfully, there weren''t many people nearby. Sighing in relief, she patted her chest.


    "See, it''s not that I don''t want people to know you''re my wife, but you don''t want to. That''s what they call ''Officials are allowed to set fires, butmoners can''t even light amp''!"


    Su Chen teased her, looking at her anxious demeanor.

 Chapter 171: Airport Reality Show

    In fact, Su Chen knew that the reason Lin Ruoxue still didn''t want others to know about their rtionship was that she hadn''tpletely, thoroughly epted him yet.


    Although they seemed to be heading in that direction, they indeed hadn''t reached fruition!


    However, given the special circumstances and background of their marriage, the fact that they could get along like this now was something no one had expected.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue also felt somewhat embarrassed, as if she was being a bit unreasonable.


    Yes, she didn''t want others to know about their rtionship, yet she demanded that he not hide it in front of his friends, which seemed rather illogical.


    But the proud Lin Ruoxue, how could she admit she was at fault? Especially in front of this guy, Su Chen.


    So she shifted the topic directly:


    "Fine, if you really don''t want to take me, I won''t mind."


    Lin Ruoxue slightly squinted her eyes, appearing utterly indifferent.


    But if Su Chen had any sense, he would know that the more Lin Ruoxue pretended to not care, the more she actually cared about the matter.


    If today Su Chen truly refused to bring her along, Lin Ruoxue would definitely make him suffer afterward, and it was hard to ensure Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t get all sorts of bizarre ideas.


    "How could I? My dear wife, I''m just worried my brothers are too crude and might upset you."


    Su Chen quickly showed a ttering smile, while Lin Ruoxue looked like a queen in front of him.


    "No worries, since they are your brothers, they are like family, no need to fuss over it."


    Lin Ruoxue appeared very magnanimous, which made Su Chen increasingly uneasy.


    But at this point, there was nothing else to do but to y it by ear.


    "Then fine, wife, wait here for a moment, I''ll go get the car."


    Having said that, Su Chen ran off toward the parking lot.


    .....


    "Su Chen, is your brother really that crude?"


    Seeing that they were almost at the airport, Lin Ruoxue asked nervously.


    Lin Ruoxue, after all, was a high-caliber elite, somewhat apprehensive about dealing with crude people.


    "Not at all, I was just joking but¡­"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but shake his head with a chuckle; he hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue would still be worried about this issue.


    "But what?"


    Lin Ruoxue tilted her head, curiously asking.


    "Never mind, you''ll see in a bit."


    Thinking that Lin Ruoxue would soon meet that guy, Su Chen felt a bit of a headache. It would be okay if that fellow was merely a bit crude, but¡­


    "What''s your brother''s name?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked again, feeling quite nervous as she was about to meet someone from Su Chen''s circle for the first time.


    She had long realized that her husband was no ordinary person, so what would his brothers be like?


    The reason Lin Ruoxue wanted toe today was to understand her husband through the people around him.


    Since she couldn''t find an opening from him, perhaps she could pick up some clues from his brother!


    "You can just call him ''Joker.''"


    Su Chen casually replied.


    "Joker? Is he a stage performer or something?"


    Lin Ruoxue, like a curious baby, wondered why someone would have that name.


    "That''s his nickname, just call him that."


    In fact, what Joker''s real name was, even Su Chen didn''t know; he only knew that his surname seemed to be Li.


    Joker seemed always very secretive about his real name, and Su Chen knew everyone had their secrets, so he didn''t pry.


    All he needed to know was that he was his brother, and that was enough!


    As for anything else, it didn''t matter at all!


    When the car stopped in front of the airport, the two men got out and immediately noticed a crowd gathered at the za in front of the airport entrance, apparently watching something.


    Su Chen, holding Lin Ruoxue''s hand, also moved forward a few steps to see what was happening.


    However, as soon as she saw the scene, Lin Ruoxue''s pretty face turned red in an instant.


    Because at that moment, a passionate drama was unfolding, involving a seemingly young man and a woman dressed like a flight attendant, engaging in a French kiss!


    Such a disy of affection in a public ce was indeed rare in Huaxia, a somewhat conservative country, no wonder so many people were watching.


    Adults with children covered the children''s eyes with their hands.


    Su Chen watched the scene, grinding his mrs tightly, his face full of annoyance!


    "I''ll go first, I''ll wait for you tonight!"


    The woman, looking like a flight attendant, gazed at the man with adoration, reluctant to part!


    "Okay, you go ahead, I''ll definitelye tonight!"


    The man tenderly kissed the woman on the forehead, then waved his hand.


    "Alright then."


    The woman, looking like a flight attendant, kept looking back as she walked away until she got into a taxi.


    It was then that the crowd got a clear look at the man''s face, causing some surprise!


    This man was unique, not handsome in the usual sense, but beautiful!


    Yes, beautiful, perhaps it might seem incredible to describe a man as beautiful.


    But once you saw this man, your mind couldn''t help but conjure up such a feeling!


    Even some women felt an inferiorityplex upon seeing him!


    His demeanor was also different from that of ordinary men, very soft and changeable!


    "Su Chen, where is your brother? Look, has he arrived?"


    Lin Ruoxue just instinctively looked around, as she didn''t recognize Su Chen''s brother.


    "He arrived early!"


    Su Chen stared straight ahead, spitting out his words with a re of anger.


    "Where is he?" Lin Ruoxue asked anxiously.


    "It''s him!"


    Su Chen''s gaze intensely fixed on one direction.


    Lin Ruoxue followed Su Chen''s gaze and saw a man running towards them.


    "Him? Wasn''t he just....?"


    Lin Ruoxue covered her mouth in surprise, her face full of disbelief.


    Wasn''t he the beautiful man who had just been performing a live show in the za?


    He was actually Su Chen''s brother?


    The moment the beautiful man saw Su Chen, his eyes immediately sparkled, and he quickly ran over.


    "Your High... "


    He had just uttered a word when he saw Su Chen slightly shake his head, and he quickly stopped speaking.


    Because Lin Ruoxue was standing in front of Su Chen, she didn''t notice his gesture.


    "Boss!"


    The beautiful man walked up to Su Chen and threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly, his face full of excitement!

 Chapter 172: Are Your Eyes Uncomfortable?

    "Alright, alright, cut the cheese, man. I''m not into that stuff!"


    Su Chen hugged him briefly before letting go and nced at him with a cold eye:


    "So, what was that all about just now?"


    "Just now? Oh, she''s a flight attendant I picked up on the airne."


    The handsome man said nonchntly.


    The moment Lin Ruoxue heard this, she nearly fainted. What kind of person was this?


    In just the short span of two or three hours on the ne, he had managed to pick up a flight attendant.


    Not only that, but they had managed to put on a live show right at the front gate upon disembarking the ne!


    That speed, that progress was ridiculously fast!


    "I didn''t even know she was a flight attendant. I was asking what you were doing at the front gate just now. Couldn''t you wait?"


    If it had been any normal day, Su Chen wouldn''t have said anything, since he himself wasn''t much better in the past.


    But today was different, today he hade with Lin Ruoxue!


    Seeing such a scene the first time they met, could Lin Ruoxue have a good impression of him?


    Wouldn''t she think, ''A person is known by thepany he keeps,'' and assume he wasn''t any better?


    "Ah, boss, you have no idea," the joker said somewhat gloomily, "This chick insisted on introducing me to her parents as soon as we got off the ne. Just kidding, we just met, and she''s already talking about meeting her parents. Isn''t that going to scare me to death?"


    "I refused, and she got upset, so I had to use that master move you taught me. Just like you said, ''There isn''t a woman that a long French kiss can''t fix.''"


    The joker didn''t notice Su Chen winking and gesturing at him and proudly blurted out:


    "So I decided to go to the hotelter tonight to reallyfort her!"


    "Are you done?!"


    Su Chen couldn''t bear it anymore. This guy, totallycking a filter, did he not see that there was someone else standing next to him?


    The joker certainly did notice, and was momentarily stunned!


    It''s just that since he had just met Su Chen, he hadn''t had the chance to flirt; he even thought Lin Ruoxue was just a passerby!


    "What''s up, boss?" the joker asked, bewildered by Su Chen''s shout, smacking his lips, "Isn''t this all the stuff you taught me?"


    Su Chen felt extremely frustrated!


    He had known that this guy was definitely going to cause trouble, but he hadn''t expected him to stir up such a big mess so quickly!


    He hadn''t even had the chance to introduce Lin Ruoxue properly before his antics had almostpletely exposed him!


    As soon as the joker spoke out, Su Chen felt the air around him drop several degrees, and his back turned cold!


    "I''m fine!" Su Chen said irritably.


    "Su Chen, are you really okay?" Lin Ruoxue looked at him profoundly and said, "Why were you blinking so much just now? Are your eyes ufortable?"


    "If your eyes are really ufortable, you should see a doctor."


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice was unnaturally gentle, but the gentler she was, the more Su Chen felt a chill!


    "No, really, I''m fine. A bug just flew into my eye a moment ago."


    Su Chen said sheepishly, while pretending to rub his eye.


    The joker watching this scene couldn''t help but widen his eyes.


    Is this true? Who is this woman?


    The usually fearless Hall Master seemed to be quite afraid of her!


    Even in front of Eniel, the Hall Master never seemed this subdued!


    "This is..."


    The joker asked Su Chen curiously.


    Su Chen gave him a cold look and retorted:


    "Your sister-inw!"


    "What?" The joker looked like he had seen a ghost, his eyes wide as he stared at Su Chen, "Boss, you got married?"


    The clown harshly pped his own mouth, Look at what I just said!


    I actually said those things in front of my brother''s wife, no wonder the boss reacted that way!


    "Sister-inw, I''m sorry, I was spouting nonsense just now, don''t take it seriously!"


    The clown''s expression suddenly turned solemn:


    "I swear, the boss never taught me any of that, I made it all up!"


    Su Chen''s expression darkened even more. Is saying this now of any use?


    Lin Ruoxue isn''t a fool, saying this now only makes things worse!


    What a pig of a teammate!


    Yet, Lin Ruoxue''s responsepletely surprised Su Chen. She extended her slim hand and gently shook hands with the clown, then asked:


    "How should I address you?"


    Lin Ruoxue always felt that calling someone a clown was impolite, especially when he was such a handsome man¡ªit felt even more awkward!


    Her beautiful face blushed, as she was called sister-inw for the first time in her life, she couldn''t help but feel a bit shy!


    She initially thought she would find it hard to ept, but as it turned out, it wasn''t that hard to ept at all, in fact, she was somewhat enjoying the title!


    "Sister-inw, you can just call me Clown."


    The clownughed goofily, after all, this sister-inw is truly beautiful,paring favorably with Eniel, even surpassing her in some ways!


    Only such a woman would be worthy of the Hall Master, the clown thought to himself.


    Of course, that was from the perspective of Dongfang people, since the clown was also from Huaxia.


    No wonder the Hall Master is willing to stay here and isn''t keen on returning to the Temple. It turns out there''s a beauty apanying him!


    "Then I''ll call you Brother Clown," Lin Ruoxue said warmly, smiling gently, her eyes clear like a pool of fresh water as she looked at him, "Brother Clown, don''t worry, I of course believe what you say, you wouldn''t lie to your sister-inw, right?"


    "Of, of course."


    The clown couldn''t look directly into Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, slightly guilty in his response.


    That sister-inw''s gaze was really powerful!


    Being looked at like that, it''s really hard to lie!


    Su Chen felt his nerves were a bit frazzled. What was Lin Ruoxue ying at?


    "Come on, you must be hungry, let me take you to eat,"


    Lin Ruoxue said enthusiastically, calling the clown to get into the car.


    Naturally, Su Chen was the driver, Lin Ruoxue sat in the passenger seat, and the clown sat in the back.


    The clown immediately felt an immense honor, for it was the Hall Master himself driving for him!


    After returning to the Temple, he would definitely boast about this! The clown joyfully thought...


    The car soon stopped in front of a high-end restaurant. Su Chen had initially nned to find just any food stall, as there was really no need for formality between him and the clown.


    But Lin Ruoxue insisted and would not agree, saying how could she skimp on their first meal with Brother Clown?


    With no choice, Su Chen could only drive here.


    It was the peak lunch hour, and the ce was already full. Su Chen and hispanions waited ten minutes before getting a free table.


    Once seated, Lin Ruoxue asked the clown what he liked to eat, to which the clown simply replied, "Anything."


    So, Lin Ruoxue ordered seven or eight dishes, the restaurant''s specialties, then handed the menu to the waiter.


    Lin Ruoxue thought the eight dishes would be enough for three people, but unexpectedly, the clown alone polished off five or six dishes and ate three bowls of rice.


    "Brother Clown, you came back from Africa, didn''t you?" Lin Ruoxue asked in surprise.


    Of course, it was just a joking remark.


    But, with his mouth full and without looking up, the clown replied:


    "How did you know?" I just dide back from Africa. I was there to kill..."


    The word "kill" had barely left the clown''s mouth when he immediately felt an intense scrutiny shooting towards him from the side...

 Chapter 173: Lin Ruoxues Little Scheme

    The clown sensed that sharp look and couldn''t help but shudder.


    He knew exactly where that intensity wasing from and hurriedly looked up,ughing,


    "..pletely forgot to bring anything, I didn''t expect the resources over there to be so scarce, not even food to eat!"


    It must be said, the clown''s adaptability and acting skills were top-notch; feeling that sharp gaze, he instantly changed the word "kill" to "fool" and perfectly rounded off his sentence.


    After speaking, both the clown and Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh in relief.


    However, they ultimately underestimated Lin Ruoxue''s observational skills and intellect!


    In fact, right when she first met him, Lin Ruoxue had noticed the clown utter a "dian," but he quickly corrected himself, so Lin Ruoxue didn''t know what it was supposed to mean.


    However, Lin Ruoxue silently took note of this sound, and now hearing another "sha," although the clown quickly covered it up with "foolishly foolish," Lin Ruoxue instinctively felt that he meant to say something else.


    Yet at the moment, Lin Ruoxue still pretended to be oblivious, smiling cheerfully,


    "No worries, eat slowly, we can order more if it''s not enough."


    "It''s enough, it''s enough!" the clown quickly waved his hand.


    "Brother Clown, is your amodation arranged?"


    Today, Lin Ruoxue was truly ying the gracious host, brimming with enthusiasm. In fact, this was all because she was eager to learn about Su Chen''s past.


    And the clown''s arrival gave her hope!


    "Sister-inw, I''ve already booked a hotel."


    Feeling privileged by Lin Ruoxue''s warmth, he hurriedly responded.


    "That''s good, just let me know if you need anything."


    "Okay, thanks, sister-inw."


    The clown''s repeated calls of "sister-inw" were very endearing, allowing Lin Ruoxue''s inner joy to feel fully appreciated.


    Afterward, they exchanged phone numbers, and of course, the number the clown gave her was just a regr one, not the heavily encrypted one.


    Su Chen silently observed all this, always feeling that Lin Ruoxue might be plotting something...


    As Su Chen and the others were dining, suddenly, a young man walked in from outside, followed by several burly men who clearly looked like bodyguards.


    The young man''s walk was incredibly arrogant, causing other diners to turn and stare!


    The moment the female manager saw these peoplee in, she quickly went up to the young man in the middle, smiling,


    "Young Master Pan, wee."


    "Hmm," the young man nonchntly nodded.


    "Young Master Pan, I''m sorry but it''s peak dining time and all our tables are full. Could you please wait a moment on the chairs over there?"


    The female manager said uneasily, knowing that Young Master Pan was not known for his patience.


    Sure enough, as soon as the manager asked him to wait, he immediately became displeased:


    "What kind of lousy restaurant is this that even makes me, Young Master, wait?"


    "Give you two minutes, hurry up and clear a table for me,"


    said the young man, waving his hand impatiently.


    "This..." the manager immediately became troubled, "Young Master Pan, other guests are still eating, it''s difficult for me to ask them to leave!"


    "That''s your problem!"


    A guest, upon seeing the young man being so unreasonable, was about to scold him when someone nearby pulled him back.


    "Don''t act rashly, this is the son of the richest man in the Pan family."


    Hearing that this was the son of the Pan family''s richest man, the guest immediately backed down.


    The young man arrogantly swept his gaze over the diners in the restaurant who dared not speak their anger and sneered disdainfully.


    Just then, a figure suddenly caught his eye, and a dark smile appeared on his lips as he walked straight over.


    "Well, if it isn''t the race car god?"


    As Su Chen was eating, a sarcastic voice rang out beside him.


    "Young Master Pan, do you need something? If not, don''t disturb my meal with my friends."


    Su Chen said indifferently without even lifting his head.


    Su Chen had noticed Pan An, the arrogant young man who had walked in, as he was the same person he had encounteredst night, but he hadn''t expected him toe specifically to cause trouble.


    However, Su Chen didn''t really take him, a profligate scion, seriously and continued eating.


    Pan An was always the center of attention wherever he went, surrounded by ttering people. He couldn''t stand being ignored by Su Chen like this!


    Just as he was about to lose his temper, he suddenly nced to the side and abruptly realized that the woman sitting next to him was Lin Ruoxue. He immediately said,


    "Oh, isn''t this President Lin of Belle Corporation?"


    Earlier, all his attention had been taken by Su Chen, which was why he did not notice Lin Ruoxue''s presence.


    Once Pan An saw Lin Ruoxue, his eyes couldn''t be pulled away from her, especially since she was wearing a silver business suit that perfectly showcased her figure.


    It was impossible for Pan An not to have any thoughts about Lin Ruoxue, as she was recognized as the number one beauty in Jiangnan!


    However, it was merely wishful thinking, as everyone in Jiangnan knew that the eldest young master of the Liu Family was particrly fond of Lin Ruoxue!


    Even though his father was called the richest man in Jiangnan, he didn''t dare to act presumptuously in front of the eldest young master of the Liu Family.


    But what he never expected was that the dream goddess of all men in Jiangnan would be having lunch with some minor driver, and this same driver was also his enemy!


    Lin Ruoxue knew of this young master from the Pan Family''s reputation, so she ignored himpletely, which she might not have done if his father were present.


    "Why are you still here? Waiting for me to invite you to lunch?"


    Su Chen nced at him disdainfully; the fellow was standing besides like an annoying fly.


    "Lucky brat, enjoying thepany of beauties. Yesterday it was Tang Yun, and today it''s President Lin. You really have some skills!"


    Pan An said with a darkened face, his anger rising as this guy consistently disregarded him.


    As soon as Pan An finished speaking, Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat as he saw two pairs of eyes staring straight at him.


    Lin Ruoxue''s gaze was full of cold frost, while the jester nearby looked at Su Chen with a gleeful expression.


    That gaze seemed to say, "Boss, you''re in trouble!"


    "Get lost!"


    Su Chen was infuriated and yelled at Pan An; this jerk was just ruining his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue!


    "You telling who to get lost?"


    Pan An''s face turned so dark it was nearly dripping, infuriated by Su Chen''s repeated disrespect, which was intolerable.


    Pan An''s temper had beenpletely provoked by Su Chen, and without thinking twice, he swung his fist at Su Chen.


    However, Su Chen just sat there, not moving at all, still casually picking up food!


    "Take that, you poser!"


    Pan An saw that Su Chen was not dodging and smirked coldly.


    After all, he had trained in Taekwondo and even held a blue belt; he believed that his punch would definitely turn this guy into a mess!


    Just when he thought his fist would smash into Su Chen''s head the next second, he suddenly couldn''t swing it down anymore.


    Because, unknown to him, a pair of big hands had already grabbed his neck, lifting him off the ground¡­

 Chapter 174 - 174 Arrogant Clown

    Unaware, Pan An found himself suddenly hoisted by the neck, which left him shocked since he was someone with a bit of a background.


    "You... you..."


    Being choked was naturally unpleasant. He struggled to lower his head to see who was so bold as toy their hands on him, when a very handsome man''s face entered his line of sight.


    There was even a faint smile on his face, as if he wasn''t holding a person in his hands at all!


    The crowd in the restaurant, witnessing this scene, all showed expressions of shock. This was none other than Pan Wendo''s only son!


    To dare act this way in public was topletely disregard Pan Wendo!


    How could Pan Wendo, the richest man in Jianghai, be an ordinary person?


    Many people knew that Pan Wendo had influence in both the legitimate and the underworld. How could he let someone humiliate his son and let it go?


    "Su Chen, he''s the sole son of the tycoon Pan Wendo, that clown, he..."


    Lin Ruoxue gently tugged on Su Chen''s sleeve, ayer of worry appearing on her face.


    "Don''t worry, it''s alright. The clown knows his limits."


    Su Chen patted Lin Ruoxue''s hand reassuringly, smiling as he spoke.


    Lin Ruoxue was at a loss for words. With things like this, calling it having limits?


    "Let go of our young master!"


    Pan An''s bodyguards also shouted in anger, then rushed forward.


    Pan An was the boss''s only son. If anything happened to him, they would surely be in big trouble!


    Seeing the momentum of these bodyguards, the other people in the restaurant stepped aside to avoid being coteral damage.


    However, contrary to everyone''s expectations, up to this point, the handsome man was still gripping Pan An''s neck, with no intention of letting go!


    Looking at the iing bodyguards, a look of disdain shed in the clown''s eyes.


    Such riff-raff weren''t even worth his effort. If the people from the Dark World knew that the infamous clown brother was actually fighting with this trash, they would probably dieughing.


    But now, it was just him and the Hall Master there; surely they couldn''t expect the Hall Master to act, right? That would be even moreughable.


    What he didn''t know was that since Su Chen arrived in Jianghai, he''d been forced to deal with such trash numerous times.


    Even Su Chen himself felt a bit embarrassed, as it always seemed like he was picking on children!


    But since those people provoked him, what could he do?


    He wasn''t a saint able to turn the other cheek.


    Pan An''s bodyguards arrived quickly but fell even faster. The clown just swept his leg, and three or four men went down, unable to get up again.


    And thest two bodyguards were simply kicked away by the clown, one with each foot.


    The whole process was crisp and efficient, with not a hint of hesitation, and one of his hands was still clutching Pan An''s neck!


    Pan An, held in mid-air, nearly wet himself with fear at the sight!


    Was this man a devil? How could he be so powerful?


    His bodyguards were not simple characters, yet in the hands of this man, they were like toy dolls, not on the same level at all!


    "Do you know who you have in your hand?"


    The head bodyguard on the ground shouted fiercely. Although amazed by the opponent''s prowess, he wasn''t too scared.


    After all, this world still paid heed to one''s background and power, and in Jiangnan, their boss was a top-tier presence, on par with the Dragon Prosperity Society and second only to the four major families!


    That is to say, in Jiangnan, right after the four major families, it would be their boss and Long Xiaoshan!


    "Oh, what kind of big shot is this guy? Why don''t you enlighten me?" The clown''s mouth curled into an amused smirk, asking casually.


    "Our boss is none other than Mr. Pan Wendo, the richest man in Jianghai! And this gentleman in your hand is his only son!"


    The head bodyguard lifted his head slightly, proudly stating:


    "I''m telling you, if you know what''s good for you, let go of our Young Master immediately, or else..."


    "Oh, your dad is that powerful, huh?"


    The clown looked at Pan An, deliberately making a terrified expression.


    Pan An really believed the clown was frightened by his background, so he immediately raised his proud head and gave the clown a sidelong nce.


    It was as if he were saying, "You better recognize!"


    Then, the clown really did let Pan An go. As soon as he was free, Pan An couldn''t help coughing, after all, anyone would feel ufortable being choked for so long.


    The others, seeing the handsome man finally release Young Master Pan, also thought he must have gotten scared.


    Indeed, in Jiangnan, aside from the four great families, there truly was no one who dared to mess with Pan Wendo!


    "You all wait and see!"


    After catching his breath a little, Pan An nced at the few men and said coldly.


    Then he was ready to turn around and leave, not even caring about the bodyguards lying on the ground.


    "Did I say you could leave?"


    Just as Pan An had taken no more than a few steps, azy voice sounded from behind him.


    Unable to help himself, Pan An stopped in his tracks and looked back, finding that it was the handsome man who had choked him speaking.


    "What do you mean?"


    Pan An asked coldly, feeling some confusion, thinking that letting him go was out of fear, so you should want me to leave, right?


    The others also mostly had the same idea, so at this moment, hearing the clown''s voice, they were also somewhat unclear about what he intended to do.


    The clown, however, paid no mind to what everyone was thinking, but simply said lightly:


    "Since your dad is so mighty, why don''t you call him over and I''ll beat you up again right in front of him."


    The clown spoke casually, as if he were talking about a very trivial matter.


    However, to the ears of those around, it was like a bolt from the blue, shocking everyone!


    What did this man say?


    To have Young Master Pan call his father over, so he could beat him up again in his presence?


    Does he know who Young Master Pan''s father is? That''s Pan Wendo, isn''t it?


    To want to beat his son up again in front of Pan Wendo?


    Such words were just too arrogant! Even the four great families wouldn''t dare to say such things lightly, right?


    Pan An and the bodyguards on the ground were all stunned as well!


    For many years, they had never encountered someone so arrogant!


    This wasn''t just ordinary arrogance, this was outrageously unchecked arrogance!


    "What? Don''t believe me?" The clown tilted his head and let out a coldugh, "Or should I beat him up too, so you and your father can keep each otherpany?"


    As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd was close to fainting, feeling like their minds couldn''t cope.


    Did this guy know what nonsense he was spouting?


    Not only wanting to beat up his son in front of Pan Wendo but also beat up Pan Wendo himself!


    It was as if, in his eyes, Pan Wendo and his son were akin to pigs and dogs!


    Crazy, definitely crazy!


    Pan An couldn''t believe his own ears.


    He never thought that in Jiangnan, someone would dare to utter such words!

 Chapter 175 - 175 As You Wish

    "Su Chen, let it go, we shouldn''t let things escte too much."


    Lin Ruoxue tugged on Su Chen''s sleeve again, whispering.


    She knew that the situation had already escted quite a lot, and she wondered if it could be salvaged at all.


    But they couldn''t just do nothing and watch as things spiraled even more out of control.


    She also hadn''t expected the jester to be so arrogant, so wild!


    Indeed, these two brothers were worthy of the name. Thest time, Su Chen beat up Liu Qing in public at the banquet.


    And this brother of his was even more impressive; he hadn''t even been off the ne for an hour before he got into it with Pan Wendo, the son of Jianghai''s top tycoon, and he even boasted about taking care of his father Pan Wendo as well!


    Who were these people? Didn''t they know what fear was?


    Truth be told, ever since Su Chen beat up Liu Qingst time, she had been worried till now!


    For this reason, she had asked Su Chen what to do several times, because after all, that was the Liu Family, one of the four great families, which Lin Ruoxue could not contend with!


    But every time, Su Chen told her not to worry, that there wouldn''t be any trouble, as if he didn''t take the matter to heart at all.


    Lin Ruoxue knew that Su Chen was no ordinary person, and certainly not a fool, so she could only follow his lead, hoping that he really had a way to solve the problem.


    Seeing the look of concern on Lin Ruoxue''s face, Su Chen softly said:


    "Forget it, Joker, let him go!"


    In the handling of specific matters, the Joker and others from the Nether Temple never showed any disobedience or hesitation towards Su Chen; it was a habit formed over a long time!


    So upon hearing Su Chen''s voice, the Joker waved his hand:


    "Get lost!"


    His demeanor was like shooing away flies and then he returned to his seat, and curled his lip:


    "Damn, that was so unsatisfying!"


    "Would you be satisfied if you hit his father?" Su Chen asked with a light chuckle.


    "Yeah, they''re all the same trash, no fun at all," the Joker said listlessly, "It''s not even worth..."


    This time he stopped himself without needing a reminder from Su Chen.


    It seemed he had not yet grown ustomed to themon life of showing his tail but hiding his head.


    Lin Ruoxue, hearing their conversation, was even more shocked; in their eyes, it seemed like Pan Wendo and his son were not even worth a nce.


    On what basis? How could they not even care about the richest man in Jianghai?


    Lin Ruoxue felt that the more she got to know her husband, the more questions she had!


    After eating for a while longer, the Joker finished a bowl of rice and cleared all the dishes before they all got ready to leave.


    But just as they stood up, amanding voice rang out at the entrance:


    "Who was it just now that said they wanted to beat my son in front of me?"


    Apanied by that voice were two men: one middle-aged with a refined air, and the other a man in his sixties with slightly graying temples but with more vibrancy and a more masculine aura than the middle-aged man.


    Both of them exuded the dignity and air of authority of high-ranking individuals, obviously no ordinary men.


    Behind them followed Pan An, with a sly, triumphant look on his face!


    Trailing behind Pan An were a dozen muscr men, who looked like they were not to be trifled with.


    The moment the leading two men appeared, everyone in the restaurant was stunned!


    Pan Wendo, Long Xiaoshan -- these two big shots appeared together?


    It was rare to see even one of these high-profile figures, let alone both of them making an appearance together in this restaurant.


    The customers who were about to leave all stopped in their tracks, as such scenes were too rare to miss!


    They then turned their eyes to the handsome man, knowing without a doubt


    It turned out that Pan Wendo was just having tea and discussing business with Long Xiaoshan at a nearby teahouse when he unexpectedly received a call from his son, saying he and his bodyguard had been beaten up.


    Moreover, that guy even said he wanted to beat his son in front of him once more, and what was even more outrageous was that he said he would beat him as well!


    At first, Pan Wendo thought he had heard wrong. After all, such a im was simply too incredible to believe!


    Only when his son swore it was true did he believe that someone actually dared to strike at his tiger whiskers!


    Pan Wendo immediately asked for the address, told him to wait at the entrance, and then prepared to meet this arrogant fellow.


    Seeing his reaction, Long Xiaoshan casually asked what had happened.


    When he heard the details of the incident, he also became interested; he hadn''t expected that there would be such a brazen person.


    "What I''ve said, what about it?"


    The jester stood up when he heard the question and took a step forward, casually speaking.


    "You still n to hit me together with my son?"


    Pan Wendo looked at the other party and saw it was just a young man dressed in in clothes, which made him even more furious.


    He had thought that someone who dared to talk so tough must be an unusual figure, but he didn''t expect it to be such an unknown young whipper-snapper!


    "Indeed, I had already nned to let you off, but you had toe to me on your own ord!"


    The jester cast a yful nce at the other party.


    Long Xiaoshan, on the other hand, didn''t say a word; after all, he was just apanying Pan Wendo.


    What was most important was that his eyes were sharper than Pan Wendo''s; he instinctively felt that this young man was no ordinary person!


    But Pan Wendo didn''t take the other party seriously at all and coldly snorted:


    "I''ll just stand right here. I want to see how you''re going to hit me."


    "As you wish!" the jester said indifferently.


    Before the words had died away, a swift shadow shed by.


    Then everyone was horrified to see that Pan Wendo was being held by the neck and lifted up by the handsome man, exactly like what had happened to his son before.


    Everyone was stunned, not expecting that the handsome man would actually dare toy hands on Pan Wendo, and without a moment''s hesitation!


    Long Xiaoshan was even more shocked!


    With his Qi Refinement First Layer cultivation, he hadn''t noticed how the young man had struck at all, let alone intercepted!


    Who exactly was this young man, and how did he possess such formidable strength?


    Pan Wendo, suspended in mid-air, wore an expression of utter disbelief on his face!


    "Do you believe I could break your neck right now?"


    The handsome man''s voice was very light, even gentle, but it sent a shock through everyone''s hearts!


    This handsome man was actually threatening to kill Pan Wendo!


    "You dare!" Pan An stepped forward and yelled furiously, "Let go of my father this instant, or you''ll regret it!"


    "Really?"


    The handsome man gave Pan An a wicked smile, slightly tightened his fingers, and Pan Wendo''s face immediately swelled to the color of a pig''s liver!


    "p!"


    A loud smack was heard.


    "If you don''t want your father to die, shut the hell up!"


    Long Xiaoshan yelled at Pan An, having sensed a hint of killing intent from the handsome man just before.


    He had no doubt that the man would indeed dare to twist Pan Wendo''s neck!

 Chapter 176 - 176 Mr. Su

    Pan An was directly pped unconscious by Long Xiaoshan, preparing to say something, but constrained by Long Xiaoshan''s might, he just puckered his lips and didn''t utter a word.


    After hitting Pan An, Long Xiaoshan didn''t bother with that prodigal son anymore and turned his attention to the jester:


    "Sir, on behalf of both father and son, I offer you an apology, and I hope you can show magnanimity!"


    In fact, Long Xiaoshan and Pan Wendao did not share a deep bond, but only because they had just coborated on a veryrge project.


    If something truly happened to Pan Wendao, the loss to him would be substantial, which is why he personally plead for mercy on Pan Wendao''s behalf.


    Everyone gasped in shock; they had never expected Long Xiaoshan, the underground boss of Jianghai, to actually show weakness before this handsome man.


    "Why should I?"


    The jester nced sideways at Long Xiaoshan and spoke.


    Hearing this, Long Xiaoshan couldn''t help feeling somewhat angry; he had already lowered his stance so much, yet this fellow was still unrelenting¡ªand he was a local bigshot, after all!


    Just then, a faint voice came through:


    "Jester, that will do, let''s leave it at that!"


    It must be said that the current Su Chen had changed a lotpared to before; he now preferred a peaceful life.


    Generally, as long as others didn''t cross his bottom line, he wouldn''t push things to the extreme.


    So even if the young masters from the Wu Family and Liu Family had conflicts with him, he didn''t think about doing anything drastic to them, at most just a lesson.


    Of course, if these people went too far, he wouldn''t mind wiping out their centuries of heritage once and for all!


    The jester seemed taken aback upon hearing Su Chen''s words, sensing that Su Chen had changed.


    The previous Su Chen would never speak like this; after all, people like Pan Wendao were mere ants, easily squashed.


    Although confused, he followed Su Chen''s order without fail and released Pan Wendao on the spot.


    Pan Wendao was gearing up to explode, but saw Long Xiaoshan beside him suddenly tremble, his face changing color in an instant.


    Before he could ask, he saw Long Xiaoshan shudder as he stepped forward, walking step by step until he reached a young man.


    "Mr. Su!"


    Long Xiaoshan bowed before the young man, his body making a perfect 90-degree angle, his tone humble!


    Witnessing this scene, everyone was dumbfounded, their minds seemingly blown away.


    What''s going on?


    The mighty boss Long Xiaoshan was actually bending his back to a young man!


    And with such devotion, such humility!


    Was this real?


    The crowd felt as if they were in a dream, unable to believe their eyes!


    Even Long Xiaoshan''s plea to that handsome man hadn''t shaken the crowd as profoundly as this moment!


    "Long Ye, you..."


    Pan Wendao was even more incredulous than others; he knew just how arrogant Long Xiaoshan was, barely concealing his disdain for the Four Great Families.


    It was such an exceedingly proud man who was now adopting such a posture before a young man, utterly shocking and bewildering Pan Wendao!


    "So it''s you, Boss Long. Long time no see."


    Su Chen nced at him faintly, casually remarking with a slight smile still lingering on his lips.


    "In front of Mr. Su, I dare not call myself Boss Long. Mr. Su can just call me Xiaoshan."


    Long Xiaoshan''s head bowed even lower, his tone became even more humbly respectful.


    Lin Ruoxue stood beside, watching Su Chen with a look of utter infatuation; she certainly knew who Long Xiaoshan standing before them was, but it was precisely because she knew that she found it even more unbelievable!


    "Boss, is this a new dog you''ve taken under your wing?"


    At this moment, the clown walked up and asked casually.


    "No," Su Chen shook his head.


    "I thought as much, how could such a weakling be fit to be your dog, boss!"


    The clown nodded as if this made sense to him.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd hadpletely lost it; could it be that the great boss Long Xiaoshan wasn''t even qualified to be someone''s dog?


    Seeing that Long Xiaoshan didn''t dare to retort after such humiliating words were spoken, everyone felt even more baffled.


    It wasn''t that Long Xiaoshan didn''t want to, but rather that he didn''t dare!


    What a joke, whether it was the other''s heaven-defying strength or his powerful background, neither was something he couldpare with.


    People like Long Xiaoshan may seem more hot-blooded than anyone else, but in reality, no one understands better than him the principle of knowing when to advance or retreat!


    In their line of work, if one doesn''t know when to advance or retreat, one might even die without understanding why.


    "You can stand up now," Su Chen said casually, "Your son has already helped me outst time; our score is already settled."


    What Su Chen was referring to was the time when Long Xiaobin had helped him by finding some plump women to entertain Ma Yuemin.


    "I heard about that from my boy; it was merely a trivial favor," Long Xiaoshan said with a slight smile, slowly straightening his body, feeling his back drenched in sweat.


    "Alright, you can all leave now, let''s just consider today''s incident a misunderstanding," Su Chen said.


    "Then thank you, Mr. Su, for your magnanimity. I believe Mr. Pan will surely make a special visit to apologizeter!"


    Long Xiaoshan let out a sigh of relief and said:


    "Then we will take our leave and not disturb Mr. Su any further."


    With that, Long Xiaoshan took his leave.


    Pan Wendo knew that Long Xiaoshan wouldn''t do such a thing without reason, so without saying a word, he also followed suit.


    At this moment, the gazes of everyone in the restaurant toward Su Chen were filled with strangeness; they had originally thought that the beautiful man was impressive enough.


    Yet, they hadn''t anticipated that the most impressive was actually the quiet young man, who had barely spoken or been very noticeable at all!


    Shortly after Long Xiaoshan and the others had left, Su Chen and his twopanions also made their way out.


    "Do you have anything you want to say to me?"


    Just as they stepped out of the restaurant''s main entrance, Lin Ruoxue stared at Su Chen with intense curiosity.


    "The time hasn''te yet, when it does, I will tell you everything, all of it!" Su Chen said, meeting Lin Ruoxue''s gaze with sincerity.


    He had long since realized that Lin Ruoxue had begun to suspect his true identity; after all, as husband and wife, she could always sense when something was off.


    However, Su Chen also knew that his true identity couldn''t be kept secret for much longer, but he hoped that day wouldeter rather than sooner.


    After all, knowing the truth was bound to cause Ruoxue to worry, for his world was not one that ordinary people could understand.


    He hoped that by the time Lin Ruoxue discovered the truth, he would have amassed enough strength to protect both himself and her, as well as everyone else he cared for!


    In that moment, Su Chen genuinely felt his heart soften.


    Lin Ruoxue looked at his sharply contoured face, then nodded:


    "I''ll be waiting for that day toe!"

 Chapter 177: The Big Shot in the Sky

    "Master Long, why did you act so..."


    After leaving the restaurant, Pan Wendo didn''t get into his car, but instead joined Long Xiaoshan''s vehicle.


    "So subservient, right?"


    Long Xiaoshan turned to nce at Pan Wendo beside him and smiled slightly, as if he didn''t find the word "subservient" particrly hard to utter.


    "I didn''t mean that, I..." Pan Wendo began, somewhat embarrassedly trying to exin.


    "You don''t need to cover for me; it was indeed very subservient!"


    Long Xiaoshanughed self-deprecatingly, then shook his head and sighed.


    "But I have no choice but to be subservient!"


    There was a hint of mncholy and loneliness in his eyes...


    "Who exactly is that young man?"


    Pan Wendo was suddenly startled; he hadn''t expected Long Xiaoshan to say that.


    "Him?" Long Xiaoshan''s eyes showed a hint of bewilderment, "I don''t know who he really is, but he must be one of those high and mighty figures from above!"


    Indeed, with such unfathomable strength and a background powerful enough to make Jiang Lixing draw a gun and kill someone on his behalf, if he''s not a high and mighty figure, then what is he?


    "Old Pan, considering our years of friendship, let me advise you, this is not the kind of person you or I should provoke!"


    Pan Wendo waspletely stunned by the information Long Xiaoshan revealed. If someone of Long Xiaoshan''s stature says he''s a high and mighty figure, just how powerful must that young man be?


    An image of that young man emerged in Pan Wendo''s mind, almost feeling absurd!


    But with his years of experience, he could tell that Long Xiaoshan wasn''t lying to him.


    "You might want to personally go and apologize in a couple of days, though, of course, it''s up to you to decide. I''ve said all I have to say."


    Long Xiaoshan patted Pan Wendo''s thigh, offering some advice.


    "I understand, thank you for the advice, Master Long!"


    Pan Wendo formally bowed his hands and then opened the car door and got out, as Long Xiaoshan''s car then drove away.


    "Dad, are we just leaving like this? Should I find someone to teach those two a lesson?"


    Pan An had been waiting nearby. Seeing his father get out of the car, he immediately stepped forward and spoke, a fierce glint shing in his eyes!


    The incident today was an enormous disgrace for him and the Pan Family; how could a spirited young master like himself just let it go?


    "p!"


    Pan Wendo harshly pped his son across the face, shouting harshly:


    "If you want to die, go die by yourself; don''t drag the entire Pan Family down with you!"


    Pan An was stunned by his father''s p, feeling extremely frustrated. What got into the old man today!


    ........


    After getting into the car, Su Chen and his twopanions first needed to drop off Lin Ruoxue at the corporation, as she was the CEO and had many decisions waiting for her every day.


    After dropping off Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen left with Xia Qiuru. Needless to say, Lin Ruoxue had nothing toin about and even specifically told Su Chen that he didn''t need toe to work in the afternoon, advising him to enjoy a good time exploring Jianghai with Xia Qiuru.


    Not only that, Lin Ruoxue had also given Su Chen a bank card, which didn''t contain a lot of money, but it still had around one or two hundred thousand.


    Lin Ruoxue thought Su Chen didn''t have much money. In fact, a few days ago, Su Chen really didn''t have much, but now he indeed had money, and quite a lot.


    A few days ago, Xia Qiuru stubbornly returned the money she''d extorted from Bald Hui back to Su Chen, apparently wanting to make a clear break with Su Chen!


    At that time, Su Chen insisted he didn''t have a bank card and refused to get one, but Xia Qiuru directly stuffed her card into his hand, containing exactly 12 million.


    Seeing Xia Qiuru''s determined attitude, Su Chen eventually epted it¡ªotherwise, how would he have had the money to buy a house yesterday?


    Su Chen didn''t take the jester around as Lin Ruoxue had instructed, but instead went straight to the hotel room where the jester was staying.


    Going to the hotel room wasn''t due to a romantic reason, but because it was suitable for conversation.


    "Hall Master, how did you end up getting married?"


    As soon as the jester entered the room, he voiced the question in his heart. Now that no one else was around, the jester naturally reverted to the form of address that the two of them originally used.


    "What''s so strange about that? Isn''t getting married a very normal thing?"


    Su Chen sat down on the sofa in the room and lit a cigarette.


    The jester didn''t smoke, so Su Chen didn''t offer him one.


    "It might not be strange for others, but it is very strange for you, Hall Master," the jester said, ncing at Su Chen. "You once said, ''Through the myriad flowers I pass, yet not a single leaf do I touch.''"


    "Actually, it was my old geezer of a master who arranged the marriage for me. He said it had been agreed upon many years ago," Su Chen gently exhaled a smoke ring. "At that time, I had been betrayed by Tang Gang and was seriously injured, I had lost all hope and just agreed to it in a daze."


    "Speaking of which, Hall Master, what exactly happened back then? Why did Tang Gang betray the temple, and how could someone as powerful as you get injured?"


    The jester asked nervously, as until now, neither he nor the other members of the temple knew what had happened.


    "Back then?"


    Hearing the jester ask about the incident from over a year ago, Su Chen showed a reminiscing expression, as if it were a very distant memory.


    "Back then, Tang Gang told me he''d received news that a mountain range in East Africa had manifested a divine sign. You must have heard the legend too¡ªwhen a divine sign appears, a world-ss treasure emerges."


    "I didn''t know whether the legend was true or not but wanted to see for myself. At that time, too many people were monitoring my whereabouts, so I decided to go alone. Tang Gang said he also wanted to see it for himself. Thinking that having more people might be better in case of emergencies, I took him along, especially since he also had the power of the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer at that time."


    "And then?" the jester eagerly asked, swept along by Su Chen''s narrative.


    "But just as we emerged from a primitive forest in a mountain range, we were ambushed by over twenty people, among whom five or six were at the Qi Refinement Peak, and the rest were above the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer. I even suspected that one of those at the Qi Refinement Peak had already reached a Half-step Meridian Expansion."


    Su Chen took another deep drag on his cigarette, recalling the scene.


    Of course, in the Dark World, power levels aren''t ssified by Eastern realms but are indicated by alphabets.


    For example, the Qi Refinement Primary Stage, epassing the First Layer to the Second Layer, is known as Grade A; the Third Layer to the Fourth Layer is known as Grade R... the Eighth Layer to Qi Refinement Peak is known as Grade S, Qi Refinement Peak itself is known as Grade SS, and Half-step Meridian Expansion is termed as Super S!


    Until now, Su Chen hadn''t encountered a real Meridian Expansion realm master, and he didn''t know if such powerful beings really existed, but his old master did assure him that they did.


    Although the terms differ, the essence is the same. Since the jester was also from Huaxia, Su Chen described the situation using the Eastern realm ssification method when he narrated.


    "What?! Five or six at the Qi Refinement Peak along with over ten above the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, and possibly even one Half-step Meridian Expansion!"


    The jester''s eyes widened in shock!


    That was terrifying! No wonder even the Hall Master with his formidable power had been injured.


    Moreover, there was one traitor among them...

 Chapter 178: Man and Monster

    "What happened afterwards?"


    Even though he wasn''t there in person, just listening to Su Chen''s narration had Joker so nervous he felt his heart might leap out of his chest.


    After all, the situation was so perilous!


    And for the Hall Master to survive under those circumstances was truly unimaginable!


    "The result was that I killed three at the Qi Refinement Peak and about eleven or twelve at the eighth or ninthyer, while my own dantian was shattered, and I was forced to jump off a cliff. Fortunately, I managed to save my life."


    Su Chen smiled lightly, as if he were talking about someone else''s story.


    If this had been half a year ago, he definitely wouldn''t have been able to speak so casually, but in the recent months, as he returned to the path of cultivation, he had let go of the past.


    Although he had let go, it didn''t mean that he would forgive those who had betrayed him; it was just that he wasn''t strong enough yet, so he could only wait quietly...


    "What! Dantian shattered?!"


    Joker was greatly shocked, being a martial artist, he naturally understood what the dantian meant to a person, and even more so what a shattered dantian meant to a cultivator!


    "Then you now...?"


    Joker asked Su Chen with immense anxiety, considering Su Chen was the pir of their hearts and the symbol of the Nether Temple!


    "Don''t worry, I have already repaired my dantian, and my cultivation is almost at the level of an average cultivator''s Qi Refinement eighth or ninthyer."


    Su Chen''s face showed a warm smile as he looked at Joker.


    He wasn''t afraid to reveal his cultivation level among the old brothers of the Temple. He believed that even if he had no cultivation at all, they wouldn''t entertain any other thoughts.


    These old brothers were different from Tang Gang. Although Su Chen had also considered Tang Gang a brother, he had always been somewhat wary of him.


    It could be said that Tang Gang never fully gained Su Chen''s trust, at most, possessing only eighty percent of it!


    But even that eighty percent was enough to cause Su Chen great pain, for it marked the first and only time someone had betrayed the Temple so far!


    The taste of betrayal was truly unbearable, almost enough to break Su Chen''s will.


    The reason Su Chen fell for the trap and got injured at the time was partly because he was genuinely interested in the so-called miracle, which made him let down his guard; and partly because he was too arrogant, believing his strength could crush everything.


    He could never have imagined that Tang Gang could bring so many absolute experts!


    When Joker, who sat at Su Chen''s left hand, heard Su Chen''s words, he was filled with shock!


    The Hall Master is indeed the Hall Master!


    To be able to repair a shattered dantian was something Joker had never heard of before!


    And for the Hall Master to recover to a realm equivalent to the eighth or ninthyer so quickly, that pace was just too astonishing!


    "Don''t look at me like that; I can''t even beat you now," Su Chen joked casually.


    "Hall Master is joking, even with ten times the courage, I wouldn''t dare!"


    Joker chuckled sheepishly, then nced at Su Chen and said teasingly:


    "But whether Eniel has that kind of courage, I don''t know."


    Upon mentioning Eniel, Su Chen couldn''t help feeling wistful:


    "How has she beentely?"


    "Well, after knowing that you, the Hall Master, were not dead, she first cried a lot, then cursed you in her room for an entire day, all of which the Demon overheard unintentionally."


    The Clown nced at Su Chen and seeing him make a bitter face, continued:


    "She was about toe kill you immediately, but she had some matters to take care of and couldn''t leave right away. However, she ising next month."


    "Hall Master, you better pray for good luck!"


    The Clown said with schadenfreude:


    "She''s already dying to kill you now. If she finds out that you''re married, uh uh uh, I really can''t bear to think about it!"


    As he spoke, the Clown shivered as if he''d thought of something terrifying.


    Actually, what gave Su Chen a headache was exactly this matter, but there was no solution at the moment, and he could only y it by ear when the time came.


    "By the way, Hall Master, do you know why Tang Gang betrayed the Temple?"


    After making a couple of jokes, the Clown steered the conversation back to serious matters.


    "It''s still unclear, but if I''m not mistaken, he wasn''tter bought off by someone; he was nted there from the beginning by some mysterious force."


    Su Chen slightly furrowed his brow and said.


    "So, their purpose was just to eliminate you, Hall Master?"


    "That''s just one of their goals, but the most important should be the human gic experiment data from theb."


    "Human genes, what''s that? Howe I don''t know about it?"


    The Clown asked in surprise.


    "Not only you, but even the Demon and Eniel don''t know. Only I know about this," Su Chen sighed, "The project hadn''t been going long before I stopped it. I realized then that if these experimental results were used by people with bad intentions, it would be catastrophic, so I stopped it quickly."


    "Last time, didn''t Military de encounter some of the Skull Society in America, people who fought recklessly, healed incredibly fast, and whose blood was blue? Those were created using human gic maniption."


    "You mean to say that the Skull Society was founded by that traitor Tang Gang, and that those creatures were created using the human gic experimental data stolen from ourb?"


    The Clown asked hurriedly, his face filled with shock!


    He hadn''t expected that the Skull Society was established by that traitor Tang Gang, nor that those monsters were created using the experimental results that had leaked from the Temple!


    "That''s likely the case." At this moment, a solemn expression also appeared on Su Chen''s face, "That''s why I''ve had Shadow gather information on this. After all, this incident is due to me, so I have to destroy it no matter what, or else the consequences are unimaginable!"


    "Hall Master, is it really that severe? I''ve heard Military de say that although those blue-blooded freaks are a bit tricky to deal with, they can still be taken care of."


    "That''s only the second generation. What if they develop the third, fourth, fifth generation? He definitely won''t stop his research like I did."


    Su Chen nced at the Clown and said:


    "But the crux of the problem is not even that; these creatures were all normal people, all transformed by them into this. This is too inhumane! If we don''t destroy it, how many people will be implicated!"


    "I understand now; this is indeed a big trouble!"


    Hearing Su Chen say this, the Clown finally realized the severity of the problem!


    Such atrocities were too inhuman, and he didn''t need to think to know how terrible it was to turn people into monsters!

 Chapter 179: Intimate Gift

    After 5 p.m., Su Chen left the Clown''s hotel¡ªhe was kicked out.


    That evening, the Clown had a candlelight dinner nned with a stewardess he''d picked up on the ne, and then...


    Regarding the Clown''s behavior that prioritized romance over friendship, what could Su Chen say? He could only leave on his own ord.


    Going to thepany at this hour was definitely out of the question; it was nearly closing time. Was he supposed to go just to have a cup of tea?


    As Su Chen aimlessly wandered the streets, his phone suddenly rang.


    It was Xiao Yaning calling to invite him to dinner, and without a second thought, Su Chen epted the invitation.


    Heh, I too get dates with girls!


    Su Chen quickly arrived at the agreed-upon restaurant. As soon as he approached the entrance, a waiter greeted him. After Su Chen provided the private room number, the waiter promptly led him there.


    "Yaning, have you missed me?"


    Su Chen''s voice arrived before he did, but when he pushed the door open and saw what was inside, he started to feel somewhat embarrassed.


    Ye Mei was also there.


    Upon his entrance, Ye Mei gave him and Xiao Yaning a yful look.


    Xiao Yaning hadn''t expected this guy to spout such flirtatious words upon arrival. If it had been just the two of them, it wouldn''t have been a problem.


    But her close girlfriend Ye Mei was also there, which was quite embarrassing...


    Moreover, ording to her estimation, the rtionship between these two seemed somewhat ambiguous, which made Xiao Yaning''s cheeks flush even more.


    "Ye Mei, you''re here too?"


    Su Chen gave a sheepish smile. After spending some time together, they had be good friends, so their way of addressing each other had be much more casual.


    Initially, Su Chen had asked for Ye Mei''splete loyalty, to which Ye Mei had agreed, seeming as though their rtionship was that of master and servant.


    But after spending time together, Ye Mei appeared to have no such inclination, and nowadays, Su Chen wasn''t ustomed to this kind of rtionship either; they were more like good friends.


    "It seems you find me superfluous, an obstacle here!" Ye Mei said with a smile, picking up the coat draped over the chair. "If that''s the case, I might as well leave."


    As she spoke, Ye Mei actually stood up as if she were really about to leave.


    At Ye Mei''s words, Xiao Yaning became even more embarrassed.


    "Ye Mei, what are you talking about? You can''t leave today of all days; it''s your birthday!"


    Xiao Yaning hurriedly grabbed Ye Mei''s arm and spoke, her face blushing even deeper.


    Ye Mei was just putting on an act, making a joke, so she sat back down.


    Actually, it wasn''t Xiao Yaning who had invited Su Chen today; it was Ye Mei who had asked her to do so, only Ye Mei was a bit embarrassed to say so herself.


    She felt that inviting him for her birthday would seem to signify something...


    Women''s thoughts are always somewhat peculiar.


    "Ye Mei, it''s your birthday today? Why didn''t you say so earlier? I would have prepared a gift for you!"


    Su Chen settled down on a chair.


    "Really?"


    "Of course, it''s true."


    "If you really want to give me a gift, then give me that pendant,"


    Ye Mei said with a smile, pointing to the rectangr pendant hanging in front of Su Chen''s chest, which depicted a cloud with a ck dragon soaring above it, roaring furiously.


    "This pendant?"


    Su Chen held the pendant in his hand and asked.


    "Yes, just that one. What, you can''t bear to part with it?"


    Ye Mei smiled and nodded.


    Su Chen hesitated. Although the pendant might look ordinary and was not valuable, he had been wearing it since he was a child.


    "It''s not worth much. I''ll find you a better er," Su Chen said.


    "No need, I specifically like that one."


    Ye Mei had onlymented on the pendant because its pattern was quite special; she had mentioned it casually.


    But with women, you just can never tell. If Su Chen had directly given it to her, she might not have cared that much.


    Yet now that Su Chen hesitated, she became genuinely interested.


    "Alright, it''s your birthday today, I''ll do as you say."


    Su Chen actually didn''t consider the pendant all that important, it was just a habit to wear it.


    Su Chen took off the pendant and handed it to Ye Mei, but instead of reaching out to take it, she said:


    "You help me put it on."


    "Are you two flirting with each other?" Xiao Yaning feigned displeasure and said, "It feels like I''m the superfluous one now. Should I make some room for you two?"


    "Stop it, can''t we just have a nice dinner?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but smile bitterly. What did these two women want?


    "Look at that, how nice you are to Ye Mei, and this is the attitude you give me!"


    "Alright, alright, my fault, okay? Madam!"


    "That''s more like it."


    Seeing that Su Chen admitted his fault, Xiao Yaning temporarily let him off the hook, but Ye Mei also urged:


    "Hurry up, help me with it."


    "Fine."


    Su Chen curled his lips, took the pendant, and moved behind Ye Mei.


    Su Chen first brushed Ye Mei''s long hair to one side, revealing her white, smooth nape, then looped the pendant around her front and started to put it on her.


    Perhaps due to the long time, the sp seemed to have rusted and deformed, and it wasn''t easy to fasten at once.


    After several attempts without sess, Su Chen leaned down, closing in on Ye Mei''s nape, thoroughly fidgeting with it.


    Ye Mei immediately felt a wave of heavy breathing on her tender nape, making her heart itch, and Su Chen''srge hand asionally touched her skin, all of which made her heart race, her face and ears blush with heat.


    "What are you doing? Have you finished?"


    Ye Mei shyly asked, her voice a bit alluring.


    "Almost done, it''s been a while and it''s a bit deformed."


    Su Chen said:


    "Strange, it came off so easily. Why is it so hard to put it on?"


    A few minutester, Su Chen finally managed to secure the sp, and let out a sigh of relief:


    "There."


    However, when Su Chen exhaled, Ye Mei''s delicate body couldn''t help but tremble.


    Xiao Yaning naturally noticed Ye Mei''s reaction but didn''t say anything, instead casting Ye Mei a meaningful nce.


    Ye Mei hurriedly dodged Xiao Yaning''s gaze, trying to act as if nothing had happened.


    Soon, the waiter had served all the food and brought two bottles of red wine.


    They first toasted the birthday girl, Ye Mei, and then began to eat.


    After a while, Xiao Yaning looked at Su Chen and said:


    "Su Chen, you can''t show favoritism. When it''s my birthday, you also have to give me a present."


    "Of course, no problem. I will make sure to give you something valuable then."


    Su Chen took a sip of his red wine, casually speaking. He didn''t mind such a small request at all.


    "I don''t need some expensive present. You gave Ye Mei something so intimate; I want something personal from you too!"


    Xiao Yaning gave Su Chen a flirtatious look, her lips parting softly, perhaps not without an intention topete with Ye Mei.


    "Well, apart from this pendant, the only thing personal left is my underwear. Do you want it?"


    Upon hearing Xiao Yaning''s words, a naughty smile appeared on Su Chen''s face:


    "If you want it, I can take it off right now for you, guaranteed original vor!"

 Chapter 180 - 180 Phillip Family

    As soon as Su Chen had finished speaking, he was unsurprisingly ganged up on by two women.


    It could only be said that this guy was truly shameless. Faced with a flurry of yful punches, Su Chen had no choice but to beg for mercy.


    Dealing with Xiao Yaning was one thing, but Ye Mei was the big sister after all¡ªhow could she not have some tricks up her sleeve?


    However, naturally, the two women didn''t really mean to do anything to Su Chen; it was merely their way of venting their embarrassment and indignation. Once they were tired, they naturally stopped.


    Then, as if nothing had happened, the group resumed eating and drinking, and they were incredibly happy.


    "Ye Mei, what have you been up totely? You seem quite busy," Su Chen suddenly asked. The reason for his question was that during a phone call a while back, Ye Mei had hung up after just a few sentences, iming she had things to do.


    "Recently, I''ve been busy with a transformation, so there''s a bit more to do," Ye Mei said nonchntly.


    "A transformation? What kind?"


    "You know, a lot of our Red Rose''s business involves unorthodox operations, and these can''tst forever. So, I''m thinking of taking advantage of our current situation to shift gears," she exined.


    "After all, only legitimate business can endure in the long run, and if done well, it can bring in much more than any shady deals," Ye Mei said with confidence, showing a hint of a business tycoon''s demeanor. Su Chen felt that at this moment, Ye Mei even had a bit of Lin Ruoxue''s aura about her.


    "I support your idea, wish you sess!" Su Chen raised his ss with a smile.


    "I support you too, Ye Mei. Why don''t I join you in your endeavors?" Xiao Yaning also raised her ss, looking quite excited.


    "What about your club?" Su Chen asked curiously, as he knew that the club was doing well.


    "Yeah, Yaning, you have to manage that club. How will you have the energy for this?" Ye Mei joined in with a question of her own.


    "That thing belongs to him. Since I am not his daughter, and he never treated me as such, how could I possibly want his property? I returned it to him a few days ago," Xiao Yaning said coldly, feeling some turmoil in her heart at the mention of him.


    Hearing Xiao Yaning''s words, both Su Chen and Ye Mei let out a sigh. Ye Mei had already heard about that day''s events from Xiao Yaning, except, of course, for Su Chen''s homicide.


    Momentster, Ye Mei broke into a smile and said heartily:


    "Alright, from now on you''re with me, sister. I''ll show you the good life, spice up your drinks, and we''ll hang out with the hottest guys!"


    "Deal, but you have to let me have the hot guys when we meet them!"


    "Of course!"


    The two women clinked sses fiercely and downed their drinks.


    And that wasn''t all; the two seemed so happy about working together that they went on to drink several more sses.


    A flush of rosiness crept onto both women''s cheeks, making them look stunning!


    "What a couple of crazy women!"


    Su Chen muttered, displeased, and pouted. Hang out with the hottest guys? Could there be anyone hotter than him?


    "Yo, is our little Chen Chen upset?"


    Ye Mei, perhaps a little tipsy or just yful, walked over to Su Chen, draped her arm over his shoulder, and chuckled.


    Inspired by Ye Mei, Xiao Yaning seemed to catch the craziness as well, approaching Su Chen from the other side and gently caressing his cheek:


    "You''re quite good-looking too. How about your two sisters take care of you first?"


    Caught between these two crazy women, Su Chen was at a loss for words while the unique fragrance emanating from their bodies reached his nose, stirring desires within him.


    "Can you both please sit back down?"


    Su Chen pleaded, as the two female ruffians were now extending their delicate hands and yfully touching him all over.


    And Su Chen, as a man, found it very difficult to remain unaffected in such a situation.


    "Perhaps they really are drunk," he thought to himself. What other exnation could there be?


    However, when the two women caught each other''s nces, they saw a hint of shyness on each other''s faces.


    Yet they both pretended to bepletely unaware and continued to tease Su Chen.


    Perhaps they were seven parts drunk and three parts sober, taking advantage of the alcohol to do things they normally wanted to do but did not dare.


    Su Chen was being attended to by two super beauties like this and felt his body heat up. He wanted desperately to just go for it, but his reason told him he absolutely must not.


    What is even happening here?


    It''s always me flirting with beauties; I never imagined that today I would be the one being teased by two beauties and that I would have to endure it!


    "No way!"


    Suddenly, Su Chen stood up, pushing the two women away a bit, because just now, Ye Mei''s slender hand had already touched his belt.


    "I''m going to use the restroom."


    Su Chen didn''t wait for the women to react before pulling open the door and running out.


    After Su Chen ran out, both women felt incredibly awkward.


    They both thought:


    What on earth did I just do? It was so embarrassing! So hooligan! To do such things to a man...


    "I''m going to use the restroom."


    "I''m going to use the restroom."


    The two women spoke at the same time, and they even said the same thing.


    The two women left with their faces flushed, thankfully the restaurant had more than one restroom, each heading in a different direction.


    Of course, what they went out for was not really to relieve themselves, but to wash their faces!


    After returning from the restroom, Su Chen found nobody else around and was somewhat puzzled.


    However, a few minutester, both women also came back one after the other.


    Once seated again, the three of them just focused on their meals without speaking. Regarding the earlier incident, they all tacitly did not mention a single word about it.


    The scene was very quiet, so quiet it could even be described as eerie.


    Just then, a ringtone sounded, breaking the silence with its abruptness.


    "Mine,"


    Ye Mei said with a smile and answered the call.


    To Su Chen and Xiao Yaning''s surprise, Ye Mei''s expression grew more and more excited as she listened to the call, as if she had stumbled upon some fantastic news.


    "What''s up? Did something good happen? You seem thrilled," Su Chen asked immediately after Ye Mei hung up.


    "Good news, the best news," Ye Mei chirped, her face beaming with joy, "Just now, the person in charge of Almei Group in Asia contacted us, saying they''re interested in cooperating with us and want to discuss it further in a few days."


    After deciding to shift gears, Ye Mei had been looking for partners to coborate with, but domestic corporations knew all about the background of Red Rose and were a bit hesitant about cooperation.


    In her desperation, Ye Mei turned her attention overseas and, through a fortunate encounter, got acquainted with the Asia regional head of Almei Corporation. She instantly realized this was a great opportunity.


    So she acted quickly, and after paying a hefty price, finally received an expression of interest in cooperation.


    "You know what? This Almei Corporation is no small deal; their headquarters are in Europe, and it''s said they''re backed by the mysterious Phillip Family."


    Ye Mei''s eyes shimmered with excitement, and her whole demeanor was like that of a little girl who had received her favorite gift.


    "The Phillip Family?"


    Upon hearing the name "Phillip Family," Su Chen couldn''t help but murmur it.

 Chapter 181 - 181 Director of the Special Security Bureau, Qin Ming

    Upon hearing the mention of the Phillip Family, a brief expression of astonishment appeared on Su Chen''s face, but it returned to normal in the blink of an eye.


    "You know about this family?" Ye Mei asked oddly upon hearing Su Chen''s murmur.


    "I don''t know them, I''ve just heard of them,"


    he replied casually.


    In fact, Su Chen was very familiar with this ancient and mysterious European family, and they even had some connections.


    The Phillip Family not only had deep rtionships with many royal families but also held tremendous influence in many sectors such as energy, medicine, and finance.


    Now, hearing that Ye Mei was going to do business with the Phillip Family, he immediately worried for her.


    He knew that the Phillip Family waspletely ruthless; Ye Mei''s cooperation with them was essentially dancing with wolves.


    Well, let Ye Mei handle it herself for now; if it really came to difficulties, he could simply make a phone call.


    Ye Mei had urgent matters to handle and left first, as cooperating with a transnationalpany like Almei required ample preparation, and time was tight.


    After Ye Mei left, only Xiao Yaning and Su Chen remained in the private room, making Xiao Yaning even more nervous, especially after what had just happened.


    However, Su Chen didn''t have the same psychological burden; he looked at Xiao Yaning and asked,


    "Have you really let go of that matter?"


    "Yes, I''ve thought it through. At worst, we will just be strangers from now on. It''s nothing serious."


    Xiao Yaning said casually, trying to seem at ease, but Su Chen still saw a hint of sadness in her eyes.


    He understood, after all; how could someone sever ties just like that with a man she had called dad all her life?


    "It''s gettingte; I should take you home," Su Chen said softly.


    "Okay," Xiao Yaning nodded.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in a brightly lit building in Yandu,


    if you paid attention regrly, you would know that this building is always like this every night, never turning off the lights because people are working here all the time.


    This is because it houses the Special Security Bureau of Huaxia Country. Although it''s just one bureau, it''s an institution even more formidable than the National Security Department!


    Past ten at night, on the ground floor of the building, a man anxiously stood by the elevator waiting for it. As soon as the elevator opened, he hurried in, not noticing a girl running out.


    "Ouch."


    A soft groan echoed. The girl looked up and nced sidelong at the man:


    "Uncle Liu, are you trying to kill me?"


    The girl, sporting a ponytail that swayed endearingly, had a cute and lovely face, resembling a doll.


    Her proportions were also excellent, and while her important features had not yet fully matured, one could already tell that she would grow up to be a beauty.


    "I''m sorry, Hanshuang. I have urgent matters to report to the director!"


    Uncle Liu, standing in the elevator, apologized before preparing to close the door.


    Unexpectedly, at that moment, a petite figure leapt in.


    "Uncle Liu, what''s the emergency?"


    Du Hanshuang asked curiously, eyes twinkling brightly.


    By then, the elevator doors had shut, and the lift began to rise slowly.


    "Hanshuang, you know the rules; I really can''t say anything."


    It was clear that Uncle Liu was very indulgent towards her, but despite his fondness, he dared not break the rules.


    "Just tell me a little,"


    Hanshuang immediately started to act like a little brat, grabbing Liu Jie''s arm and shaking it vigorously.


    "Even if you break your Uncle Liu''s arm, I still can''t tell you!"


    Liu Jie gave a bitter smile and said that in their line of work, discipline was always the top priority.


    "If you won''t tell, fine, hmph!"


    At that moment, the elevator arrived, and as soon as the door opened, Hanshuang ran off, showing her petnce.


    Liu Jie helplessly shook his head and walked to an office door and knocked.


    "Come in."


    A deep voice followed from inside, and upon hearing it, Liu Jie pushed the door and entered.


    "Old Liu, what brings you here?"


    Inside was a man, the director of the Special Security Bureau, Qin Ming, a man in his fifties with somewhat graying hair.


    Seeing that it was Liu Jie, Qin Ming casually asked and continued to focus on his work.


    "Director Qin, I have just received intelligence that someone from the Nether Temple has entered Huaxia Country,"


    Liu Jie reported, standing straight.


    "Who is it?"


    Qin Ming asked indifferently.


    "The Joker!"


    "Who?"


    Qin Ming immediately stopped his pen and stood up abruptly, his face serious!


    "Nether Temple, the Joker!"


    Liu Jie repeated.


    "Have you figured out what he''s here for?"


    "Not yet, I came right over as soon as I received the intel about his arrival in Huaxia. All I know is that he is on a flight arriving in Jianghai."


    "We must handle this carefully, let me think it over."


    Qin Ming sat down again, frowning, he had thought it was just a small fry from the Nether Temple, but it turned out to be the notoriously infamous Joker.


    Intelligence showed that the Joker was one of the top three individuals in the Nether Temple, apart from the mysterious Hall Master¡ªa core among cores!


    Then, Qin Ming remembered a piece of intelligence he had seen the previous day, mentioning that Princess Eniel from Stlore was due to visit Huaxia next month.


    Even though she wasing in her capacity as the head of Slore, Qin Ming, as the director of the Special Security Bureau, was well aware of her other identity¡ªone of the three giants of the Nether Temple, just like the Joker. And her first stop appeared to be Jianghai too!


    Why were these top figures from the Nether Templeing to Huaxia one after another in such a short span of time, and all to the same ce¡ªJianghai?


    What deep-seated reasony behind this? Or was something significant about to happen in Jianghai? Qin Ming was utterly baffled.


    If Qin Ming had known that Su Chen was the Hall Master of the Nether Temple, he might not have been so troubled, but he didn''t know.


    He indeed knew Su Chen, but the identity he knew was another aspect of Su Chen; he had never imagined that the mysterious King of Netherworld was Su Chen.


    Moreover, he had not received any information about Su Chen for over a year. He had even heard that Su Chen had met with an ident¡ªthe details of whether he was dead or alive were still unknown, and it had saddened him for quite some time.


    "Alright then, Old Liu, take a team over, and be ready to make any necessary decisions on the spot."


    Qin Ming thought for a while and finally made a decision:


    "But if the opponent does not take any actions harming our national interest, you don''t need to intervene, just keep track and report back."


    The reason Qin Ming made such a decision was because, in the past, the Nether Temple had never targeted Huaxia Country, and on several asions, it had even subtly aided them.


    Although this was the case, with a character like the Joker entering the country, Qin Ming could not just do nothing.

 Chapter 182 - 182 Colluding Villains

    It was veryte when Su Chen dropped Xiao Yaning off at her vi in the suburbs, just as Xiao Yaning was about to get out of the car, she paused, nced at Su Chen, as if she had something she hesitated to say.


    "What is it? Just say it, we don''t need to stand on ceremony with each other, do we?" Su Chen said with a smile.


    However, Xiao Yaning didn''t show any sign of smiling, she pondered for a moment, then said:


    "Be careful, Lv Shimo hase back!"


    "Lv Shimo? Who is he? What does his return have to do with me?"


    Su Chen smiled nonchntly.


    "He''s the elder brother of Lv Shixin, his own brother!" Xiao Yaning''s expression grew grave, "Su Chen, you must not take this lightly. Lv Shimo is not so simple; he''s entirely different from his brother, Lv Shixin."


    "Different in what way?"


    A faint smirk formed at the corner of Su Chen''s lips, disying a somewhat cynical air.


    "Lv Shimo is really aplicated character. Let me put it this way, you know Yunlong, the young master of the Yun Family, who is called a ''madman''? Even he is very wary of Lv Shimo and never dares to offend him!"


    Xiao Yaning adjusted her posture and continued, looking at Su Chen:


    "This man is deep and cunning, intelligent, and his methods are extremely ruthless! It can be said that among the younger generation of the Four Great Families, he is the most formidable!"


    "And yet he mysteriously disappeared five years ago, without a trace. Nobody knows where he went or what he did! And now, just days after the death of Lv Shixin, he has returned. You can imagine that he must havee back for revenge on behalf of his brother."


    "I understand, I''ll be careful."


    Though Su Chen still didn''t take this person very seriously, to not cause Xiao Yaning to worry, he nodded his head anyway.


    Seeing that he had finally taken her words to heart, Xiao Yaning felt a bit relieved, then she got out of the car and entered the yard, while Su Chen turned around and left.


    "Lv Shimo?" As Su Chen drove, puffing on his cigarette, he murmured, "If you really want to y, I wouldn''t mind apanying you."


    As he said this, a yful smile involuntarily curled at the corner of his mouth.


    In Su Chen''s view, no matter what kind of person Lv Shimo was, faced with absolute strength, he was still just an ant!


    After returning to the vi, Su Chen went straight to his room to start his Cultivation.


    For Su Chen, Lv Shimo wasn''t worth mentioning, but Tang Gang and the power behind him were like a sword hanging over his head, never knowing when it would fall.


    .......


    On the same night, in a VIP hospital room at Jianghai Hospital.


    At this time, there were two young men in the room, one lying in the bed, the other sitting beside it. Both were strikingly handsome and dashing.


    "Sorry about that, Lin, for not epting your invitation to dinner a while ago. I was just too busy to make room in my schedule," Liu Qing, lying in the hospital bed, said with an apologetic look.


    "Once I''m better, I''ll be the host. You muste, Lin!"


    "Between brothers like us, it''s all good," Lin Chao said with a slight smile, then looked at Liu Qing, "Your health is what''s most important, Liu. There''ll be plenty of chances for dinner."


    In his heart, Lin Chao understood all too well the real reason why Liu Qing hadn''t epted his previous invitation¡ªit was nothing more than disdain for him.


    Now that Liu Qing had been beaten to this state by that guy Su Chen, he hade down off his high horse, and the fact that he had personally called Lin Chao toe probably meant he was hoping to get some information from him.


    But Lin Chao didn''t mind this at all; Liu Qing wanted to use him just as much as he wanted to use Liu Qing himself.


    If both got what they wanted, that was all that mattered.


    "Liu, what did the doctor say? Nothing serious with your health, right?"


    Lin Chao asked with a look of concern, trying hard to appear deeply sympathetic.


    "It''s nothing serious, in a few days I''ll be able to sit in a wheelchair and move around a bit. However, a full recovery is going to take at least half a year."


    As Liu Qing spoke these words, they were filled with anger, and he couldn''t help but think of the person responsible for his current state!


    Given the chance, Liu Qing was determined to torture him thoroughly, all the way till death!


    "You really hate Su Chen that kid, don''t you?" Lin Chao asked knowingly.


    "Hmph, I can''t wait to y his skin off!"


    Liu Qing spat out through gritted teeth, his eyes brimming with a terrifying glint!


    "Actually, if you ask me, it''s not entirely his fault, although he did go too far!"


    Lin Chao shook his head and sighed.


    "What did you say?" Liu Qing immediately red back furiously and yelled, "This isn''t his fault, you''re saying it''s mine?"


    Lin Chao did not care about Liu Qing''s rage and calmly said,


    "Do you know why he hit you?"


    "How should I know? He''s a lunatic! What does my proposal have to do with him!"


    Liu Qingined indignantly. Although he said this, in truth, he wanted to know the answer as well.


    He wanted to know why, when he proposed to Lin Ruoxue, that guy would beat him like a rabid dog.


    He had asked Lin Chao over for this very reason, as Lin Chao was also a member of the Lin Family; he might know something.


    "Young Master Liu, you''re mistaken, it actually does concern him." Lin Chao suddenly smiled mysteriously and asked, "Do you know what rtionship he has with Lin Ruoxue?"


    "Could he actually have some rtion with Lin Ruoxue?"


    Liu Qing''s heart clenched, and he quickly asked out loud.


    "Certainly, and their rtionship is quite special." Saying this, Lin Chao deliberately paused, then nced at Liu Qing and said slowly, "He is Lin Ruoxue''s husband."


    "What, you''re proposing to Lin Ruoxue, you think he could remain indifferent?"


    "What? He is Lin Ruoxue''s husband?"


    At hearing Lin Chao''s words, Liu Qing waspletely dumbfounded.


    He had thought Su Chen was just another one of Lin Ruoxue''s suitors, at most having some romantic rtionship with her, but he hadn''t expected that the two were actually married!


    If these words hade from someone else''s mouth, he might not have believed them, buting from Lin Chao, there was no way he couldn''t believe it!


    "This Damned pair, they''ve been making a fool out of me! I''ll kill them both!"


    Liu Qing suddenly felt like he was being toyed with, his rage uncontroble and rising to the surface.


    "Young Master Liu, let''s not beat around the bush. They are also my targets,"


    Lin Chao said, pretending to be candid:


    "I believe my intentions are crystal clear to you, Young Master Liu. If you don''t mind, I would like to propose an alliance with you!"


    After finishing his piece, Lin Chao stretched out a hand, holding Liu Qing''s gaze steadily.


    "How could I? From now on, we are brothers!"


    Liu Qing also extended his hand and firmly shook hands with Lin Chao. They then looked at each other and erupted intoughter together.


    However, thatughter bore a hint of conspiring rogues...

 Chapter 183: Tea House

    The two chatted for a while longer before Lin Chao took his leave. Liu Qing watched Lin Chao''s retreating figure and let out a cold snort:


    "Do you think I would hand over the Lin family''s assets to you after securing Lin Ruoxue? Dream on!"


    .....


    The next morning, the jester called Su Chen to invite him to have breakfast together.


    Su Chen had just made breakfast and was about to ask him toe over, but the jester mentioned there was someone else, so he declined.


    It immediately became clear to Su Chen that this "someone else" must be the flight attendant from yesterday.


    So, Su Chen didn''t insist and, after mentioning it to Lin Ruoxue, he left.


    Arriving at the teahouse ording to the jester''s directions, Su Chen walked in and saw the jester waving at him, so he headed straight over.


    Seeing Su Chen approach, the girl next to the jester seemed a bit embarrassed as her face reddened slightly.


    "Say ''big brother''," the jester nudged the girl''s shoulder.


    "Big brother."


    The girl seemed somewhat shy, and even a bit too timid to look at Su Chen.


    "Big brother, this is Han Xiao, my girlfriend," the jester introduced with a smile.


    Upon hearing the jester''s words, Su Chen was slightly taken aback; the jester had never added the phrase "my girlfriend" when introducing a new femalepanion before, only disclosing their names.


    It seemed the jester was truly serious about this girl!


    But that was a good thing; Su Chen hoped his old pals could settle down a bit.


    Only then did Su Chen take a closer look at the girl. Beautiful and well-shaped, for sure, since she was a flight attendant, but what pleased Su Chen the most was that she had natural beauty and did not dress up like an inte celebrity, as many girls do nowadays.


    ording to Su Chen''s years of experience in judging character, she appeared to be a sincere, simple, and kind-hearted girl.


    The jester''s taste wasn''t bad at all!


    "Jester, treat her well. Don''t let her down!"


    Su Chen said with a chuckle and sent a warning nce in his direction.


    Su Chen only said this because he saw the girl was genuinely nice. He would not have bothered if she were just another fling.


    Feeling Su Chen''s gaze, the jester stiffened and hurriedly replied:


    "Boss, you can rest assured, I''ll be good to Han Xiao."


    "Big brother, have a bun."


    Seemingly pleased by Su Chen''s words, Han Xiao swiftly picked up a bun for Su Chen and ced it on his te.


    Still shy to look at him, her face was tinted with a tinge of rosiness.


    "Don''t call me big brother from now on, just Su Bro will do," Su Chen joked, biting into the bun, "Han Xiao, are you a bit scared of me? I''m not that frightening, am I?"


    "No, not at all, Su Bro is very kind..."


    Han Xiao began to wave her hands frantically, trying to exin. In her rush, she almost knocked over a dish of vinegar in front of her.


    "Han Xiao is just a bit shy, that''s all."


    The jester exined, seeing Han Xiao embarrassed.


    "Doesn''t look like it to me. Yesterday at the airport entrance, Han Xiao seemed pretty bold!"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than the jesterughed it off, seemingly unconcerned.


    Meanwhile, Han Xiao''s face flushed deeply, as if one could squeeze water out of her cheeks, more charming and alluring than before, causing the jester next to her to be somewhat enthralled.


    The jester was no stranger to beautiful women, but it was the sight of an innocent girl like Han Xiao suddenly disying such expression that added a unique charm!


    "Why do you have to tell Su Bro everything?"


    Han Xiao, head bowed, pinched the jester at the waist and whispered with faux ferocity.


    Han Xiao''s movements naturally didn''t escape Su Chen''s sharp eyes, and he couldn''t help but exim:


    "It seems like a woman''s knack for giving someone a hard time is congenital!"


    "Little Han, you''re unfairly ming my buddy here." Su Chen said with a hint of a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his mouth, "Didn''t you know that I was the one who picked him up from the airport yesterday? I witnessed that live show of yours at the airport entrance with my very own eyes. That scene was really¡­"


    He couldn''t help but click his tongue in admiration.


    At this point, Han Xiao''s head was nearly buried in his arms on the table. He hadn''t expected Su Chen to have seen yesterday''s incident and to now bring it up.


    In fact, Han Xiao hadn''t anticipated bing so wild when he was with the Clown, and then there wasst night¡­


    Thinking ofst night, Han Xiao could feel his face zing with heat...


    "Alright, alright, let''s drop it and focus on breakfast."


    Su Chen was just teasing, and seeing how Han Xiao''s face had turned red, he stopped.


    "Boss, do you feel like there are a few little bugs watching us?"


    Suddenly, the Clown said quietly, looking down.


    "Mmm, I noticed them the moment I walked in, those three at three o''clock."


    Su Chen nodded and said:


    "Don''t mind them, let''s just eat our own meal."


    "Are they from the Special Security Bureau?"


    "Who else could they be but them? That old fellow''s subordinates are getting more and more disappointing."


    Su Chen rolled his eyes, seemingly frustrated at their ineptitude.


    "Uncle Liu, we''ve checked out the girl thoroughly. She''s a flight attendant, with an identity beyond reproach. But what about this young man who just came in?"


    A girl with a ponytail asked casually, as if it was justmon chatter.


    Not far behind Su Chen''s group, there were three people sitting at a table, looking no different from regr diners.


    The only difference was that their eyes nced over at Su Chen''s table every few seconds.


    "Don''t know, he looks like somepany''s security guard or driver or something like that."


    Liu Jie furrowed his brow, saying somewhat uncertainly.


    "How could a character like the Clown be rted to a security guard or a driver?" Du Hanshuang also looked puzzled, "And it seems that the Clown holds this person in high regard."


    "Who knows? Indeed, it''s quite strange!"


    "Who cares? We''ll just check it out when we get back." The young man sitting beside them spoke nonchntly, "Hanshuang, the buns here taste pretty good, give them a try."


    With that, the young man picked up a bun for Du Hanshuang.


    "No need, I don''t like buns."


    A flicker of distaste crossed Du Hanshuang''s eyes as she passed the bun back to the young man.


    Watching these two youngsters in front of him, Liu Jie couldn''t help but sigh, wondering if bringing these two along had been the right decision.


    It turned out that yesterday, when Liu Jie was ordered by Qin Ming to prepare to set off with a team of three, he happened to run into Du Hanshuang at the door.


    To the discerning eye, it was obvious he was about to leave on a mission, which made Du Hanshuang insist on tagging along.


    Worn down by her persistence, Liu Jie had no choice but to agree, fortunate that he still had that much authority.


    But unexpectedly, once Du Hanshuang said she would join, Zheng Shu, the young master, also wanted toe along.


    It was the same this morning. Liu Jie had nned to follow and investigate on his own, only to find Du Hanshuang closely watching his every move from her room.


    The moment he stepped out the door, the young girl appeared!


    With Du Hanshuang''s eyes fixed on Liu Jie, and Zheng Shu always watching Du Hanshuang''s every move, he too naturally showed up.


    Liu Jie thought that since it was just surveince to scope things out, he might as well let these two have their way¡­

 Chapter 184 - 184 Teasing Du Hanshuang

    "Hanshuang, what''s wrong?"


    Liu Jie saw Du Hanshuang''s frown growing tighter as if she was deep in thought, so he asked.


    "Why do I feel like that new person looks a bit familiar, like I''ve seen him somewhere before?"


    Du Hanshuang hesitated before speaking.


    "Where have you seen him?"


    Liu Jie quickly asked.


    "I don''t know, he seems a bit familiar, but I just can''t remember," Du Hanshuang thought for a moment and then shook her head in dismay, "Maybe it''s just my imagination."


    "It probably is, girlie. You were staring at my room all night yesterday, didn''t you barely sleep?"


    Liu Jie nced at her dark circles and teased with augh.


    "Hehe, nothing escapes Uncle Liu''s perception."


    Du Hanshuang chuckled dryly, offering up a bit of ttery.


    In fact, there was another person with dark circles, but neither of them was too willing to acknowledge it.


    Just then, Su Chen and his group had finished breakfast and came out, then they split up at the door.


    With Han Xiao apanying him, the clown naturally didn''t need Su Chen anymore¡ªin fact, he would have found him in the way if he were there!


    Su Chen, notcking in perception, also decided to drive off to work.


    No sooner had they left than Liu Jie and his group also walked out nonchntly.


    "Hanshuang, you and Zheng Shu follow that young man. I''ll follow the clown."


    "No need, let Zheng Shu stick with you, Uncle Liu."


    Du Hanshuang pursed her lips slightly as she spoke.


    "How can that be? You''re a girl, how can we not worry?"


    Zheng Shu became anxious upon hearing Du Hanshuang''s words. He was here precisely to spend more time with Du Hanshuang.


    "What could a little security guard or driver do to me? The clown is a dangerous person; you''d better stay with Uncle Liu, it''s safer that way."


    Du Hanshuang retorted.


    "Hanshuang has a point, Zheng Shu, better you follow me."


    Liu Jie couldn''t help but chuckle at Du Hanshuang, well aware that the girl didn''t want to be with Zheng Shu.


    Yet she phrased it as if it was all for her own safety.


    However, Liu Jie wasn''t upset; on the contrary, he had always quite liked this youngdy Du Hanshuang.


    When Zheng Shu saw that Liu Jie agreed, he had no choice but to follow sullenly and get into a car with Liu Jie.


    Du Hanshuang turned and drove off in another car, trailing behind Su Chen from a distance.


    Not long after Du Hanshuang started following, Su Chen had already noticed her.


    Partly because of Su Chen''s own formidable strength, now at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, his perceptive abilities had greatly enhanced, and partly because Du Hanshuang was too inexperienced.


    "Little girl, you dare to try tracking others before your feathers are full-grown."


    Su Chen, looking at Du Hanshuang''s car through the rearview mirror, said to himself, a sly smile curling at the corner of his mouth.


    Then he stopped in front of a shop and quickly walked inside.


    Seeing Su Chen enter the store, Du Hanshuang immediately hit the gas, speeding over and parking her car before quickly following him inside.


    However, as soon as she entered, Du Hanshuang''s face flushed a deep red, and she even dared not look at the surroundings.


    Because this was an adult store!


    Du Hanshuang was still just a 19-year-old girl, and although many girls her age were quite knowledgeable, even more so than men, Hanshuang was different.


    She had always been well protected by her family, and hadn''t even had a boyfriend until now.


    But even though she hadn''t had a boyfriend, she knew what all the items disyed in the store were.


    After all, in an age of information overload, how could she not have stumbled across this knowledge?


    The store owner was a thirty-something-year-old young woman with a slightly worldly air but very warm-hearted. Seeing a customer walk in, she hurriedly approached:


    "Miss, what are you looking for? We''ve got a veryprehensive selection here, whatever you want, we have it."


    Upon hearing the shop owner''s words, Hanshuang''s face turned even redder with embarrassment, like a ripe peach, and she could only muster a weak response:


    "I''m just looking around."


    After saying that, she didn''t dare raise her head to look at anyone. Seeing her like this, the shop owner was somewhat surprised; after all, such shy young women were rare these days.


    "No worries, just have a look around. I''ll introduce you to some of our bestsellers to see if you like any."


    The shop owner then went on to introduce Hanshuang to several products popr among young men and women, but with each one described, Hanshuang''s face grew a shade redder.


    However, Hanshuang had no choice but to pretend to listen attentively, so as not to let Su Chen see through her!


    Little did she know, in Su Chen''s eyes, she had already exposed many faults!


    "What do you think, miss? Do you see anything you like?" the enthusiastic owner asked.


    "I''ll look around some more," Hanshuang murmured with a crimson face.


    "Sure, take your time. When you''re ready, I''ll give you a discount to ensure your satisfaction."


    With that, the shop owner sashayed back to the front desk with a twist in her step.


    It was still morning and not very busy; besides Su Chen and Du Hanshuang, there was only one other couple in the store.


    Hanshuang pretended to stroll casually up to Su Chen. Seeing him peruse the items with great interest, she cursed inwardly:


    It''s all this jerk''s fault! Otherwise, she wouldn''t have found herself in such an embarrassing situation!


    This guy surely was up to no good, showing up in a ce like this so early in the morning!


    "Miss, are you nning to buy this?" Su Chen casually picked up a box of Durex in front of Hanshuang and said with a smile, "Try this kind, it''s the new model this year. Not only is it ultra-thin, but it also has asting feature. Your boyfriend will definitely like it!"


    Hanshuang froze. She didn''t know whether to take it or leave it, especially considering the implication in Su Chen''s words, it was exceedingly embarrassing for a young woman like her!


    "Thanks, I''ll look around some more."


    Hanshuang said, her head still lowered, not daring to look at Su Chen.


    "Alright then, I offered you good advice just now, remember that!"


    Su Chen left after speaking, without buying anything.


    Seeing Su Chen leave, Hanshuang quickly followed him out, but before leaving, she took the Durex that Su Chen had rmended and paid for it.


    Of course, this was to avoid revealing any faults.


    Having teased the youngdy a bit, Su Chen left in a particrly good mood, ignoring her as if she didn''t exist.


    After returning to thepany, Su Chen carried on as usual, drinking tea, ying online games, and when he was bored, he would go to Lin Ruoxue''s office to tease her a little.


    He didn''t dare enter Xia Qiuru''s office, though, as she had been rather coldtely!


    It seemed as if she and Lin Ruoxue had switched personalities, with Ruoxue bing less cold, and Qiuru cooling off considerably.


    While Su Chen was living it up in thepany, poor Hanshuang could only sit in the car by the roadside, eating bread and drinking bottled water, all the while keeping an eye on Su Chen''s movements...

 Chapter 185: Natural Disaster OR Man-Made Disaster

    Just like that, dumbfounded and foolish, Du Hanshuang had monitored alongside a road next to the Belle Building for an entire day, but to no avail.


    After Su Chen finished work and drove home, Du Hanshuang still followed him but stopped at the entrance of the Grand Epoch Court.


    Then, acting cute with the security guard and saying a few nice words, she managed to find out Su Chen''s address.


    However, what surprised her was that the vi where the little driver lived actually belonged to Lin Ruoxue, the president of the Belle Group.


    Although she was far away in Yandu, she had heard of Lin Ruoxue, the number one beauty of Jiangnan.


    "This little driver really is suspicious!"


    Du Hanshuang thought proudly, otherwise, how could he live with a favoreddy like Lin Ruoxue?


    This discovery suddenly made Du Hanshuang feel much better about her day''s frustration; she decided she must follow this lead.


    Du Hanshuang, outside the residential area''s wall, stared intently at a vi inside. Fortunately, there were no other buildings blocking her view, so she could see quite clearly.


    Just at that moment, a car stopped beside her.


    A man in his early thirties got out of the car, then walked over to her car, opened the passenger door, and sat inside.


    "Hanshuang, you should go back, you''ve been following him all day."


    Yu Gang said with a smile.


    "Yu, no worries, I''ll stay with you for a while."


    Du Hanshuang said, clearly enthusiastic.


    "Alright then, it''s getting cold, drink this milk tea first to warm up your stomach."


    Yu Gang handed Du Hanshuang a cup of milk tea he had bought for himself.


    "Thank you, Yu. I knew it, you treat me the best!"


    Du Hanshuang unceremoniously took the milk tea and began to drink it.


    "So, any valuable clues?"


    Yu Gang lit a cigarette and casually asked.


    "Actually, yes." Du Hanshuang said happily, "This little driver is actually living with Lin Ruoxue."


    "The Lin Ruoxue, the number one beauty of Jiangnan?"


    "Exactly, her! Yu, think about it, isn''t it strange? One is a low-level driver, and the other is the most admired beauty and president of the Belle Group. Two people with such big differences in status living together, interesting, right?"


    "It really is interesting!"


    Yu Gang nodded, then yfully touched Du Hanshuang''s ponytail and smiled:


    "I didn''t expect you, youngdy, to really dig up some information."


    "Don''t underestimate me, please!" Du Hanshuang nced at Yu Gang with displeasure and asked, "Have you guys found out anything about this man''s identity?"


    "Nothing special." Yu Gang shook his head.


    In fact, after thest incident where Yunlong wanted to investigate Su Chen''s records, it drew the attention of the highest-ranking individuals, who soon sensed something amiss.


    The issue was, although it was impossible to obtain any information from the records, it also inadvertently confirmed to those intent on investigating that Su Chen was no ordinary person!


    This, in turn, made the other party even more unwilling to give up and kept a tight watch on him.


    The best course of action was to create a new record, one that was in but wless!


    So, after the incident with Yunlong, Su Chen''s real records had beenpletely hidden, and the number of people in the whole of Huaxia who had the authority to view those records certainly would not exceed five!


    Yu Gang and others naturally did not belong to those five, so what they saw was only an ordinary record that had been carefully prepared.


    "Has Liu returned?" Du Hanshuang asked.


    "Yes, he''s gone back. Xiao Li and Xiao Kong went to take over."


    Yu Gang nodded and said:


    "You should head back now, it''s enough for me to be here alone."


    "Alright then."


    Seeing that she agreed, Yu Gang got out of the car and returned to his own vehicle, while Du Hanshuang also drove her car away.


    Su Chenpletely ignored the outside situation, finishing dinner, he returned to his room and continued his cultivation...


    .....


    At eleven o''clock in the evening, the lights were still on in a room at the Lv Family''s vi, a study room.


    An extraordinary many on a recliner inside. His eyes were closed, but he was not asleep; he was contemting certain matters.


    Then, a creaking sound of the door opening was heard as an old man entered, carrying a teacup.


    The man lying down suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam shooting out, like a dozing wild beast, until he saw who it was and his gaze softened.


    "Father, what brings you here?"


    Lv Shimo quickly stood up to help Lv Fang sit down.


    "I came to check on you and to bring you a cup of ginseng tea."


    "Such a thing shouldn''t trouble Father, just let the servants handle it."


    Lv Shimo said, somewhat overwhelmed by the affection.


    "It''s fine, I couldn''t sleep anyway." Lv Fang waved his hand, inquiring, "What were you thinking about just now?"


    "I was thinking about who killed my brother."


    "Who?"


    Lv Fang sat up straight, asking sternly.


    "Don''t know yet," Lv Shimo shook his head, adding, "But it must be rted to that woman, Xiao Yaning!"


    "Are you sure?" Lv Fang was well aware that his son had been courting this girl.


    "This is the conclusion I''ve reached after long analysis, it''s very likely to be urate."


    Lv Shimo spoke with intense confidence.


    "What do you n to do?"


    Lv Fang asked, the death of his younger son, Lv Shixin, had always been the deepest wound in his heart, one that couldn''t heal without bringing the murderer to justice!


    "Don''t worry, Father, I have a n; I won''t let my brother''s death be in vain."


    "Good, I believe in you."


    Lv Fang stood up shakily, pointing to the teacup on the table, he said:


    "Drink that cup of ginseng tea and rest early!"


    Saying this, he headed towards the door.


    "Alright, Father, take care!"


    .....


    The next morning, as Su Chen was leaving themunity, he nced at the car beside him, his eyes lighting up slightly: Oh, a change of guard and vehicle!


    However, Su Chen didn''t bother with it and continued driving toward the Belle Building.


    As soon as Su Chen arrived at the Belle Building, he saw a crowd standing at the entrance, seemingly in the midst of some incident.


    Upon asking, he found out that the head of the Public Rtions Department had died in a car ident on his way to work that morning.


    People had gathered and were discussing just this.


    Being colleagues in the same corporation and seeing each other frequently, everyone was inevitably stirred.


    Su Chen had met this head of Public Rtions a few times but wasn''t very familiar with him, apparently, he was a highly talented individual from Harvard who Lin Ruoxue had spent a lot of money to recruit.


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue also came down, and upon seeing her, everyone quieted down.


    "Everyone, please return to your respective workstations for now. Those who wish to visit can go together after work this evening."


    Lin Ruoxue''s authority in the corporation was still quite high, upon hermand, they all dispersed.


    Su Chenmented with a shake of his head and headed to the security department. After all, disasters, both natural and man-made, happen every day...


    But what Su Chen didn''t know yet was that this was not some natural disaster at all, but entirely a man-made cmity!

 Chapter 186: Shopping for Clothes with Ye Mei

    At 6:30 in the evening, there were already a few hundred people standing at the entrance of the Belle Building, all wanting to visit the home of the Public Rtions Manager.


    This goes to show that the manager who was in the car ident was quite popr.


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue came down, she felt a bit of a headache seeing so many people, knowing it was impossible for them all to go together.


    In the end, it was decided that only the heads and deputy heads of each department and a few top executives of the group would represent all the employees to pay a visit.


    Even so, there were nearly twenty people, who took seats in eight cars. Luckily, Belle Group was arge conglomerate, so there was no shortage of vehicles.


    The drivers were naturally from the driver''s department, and Su Chen was of course Lin Ruoxue''s personal driver.


    The deceased PR Manager lived in the eastern part of the city, which was a distance away from the Belle Group.


    "Wife, has the police report about Minister Xiao''s deathe out yet?" Su Chen asked.


    "Yes, it has. It''s an idental car ident with no suspicion."


    Lin Ruoxue said somewhat wearily.


    "Wife, you look very tired. Why don''t you take a nap first, and I''ll wake you when we arrive?"


    After all, she was his own wife, whom else would Su Chen dote on if not her?


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue agreed with a sound and then closed her eyes.


    Thankfully, Su Chen''s driving skills were solid, and he drove very smoothly the whole way with hardly any bumps, so Lin Ruoxue actually fell asleep.


    After about half an hour, they had already arrived at the PR Manager''s home.


    Naturally, Lin Ruoxue led the way, followed by a dozen or so people, all dressed in ck. The line of people walked into the mourning hall and first looked at the manager lying in the coffin.


    Due to the car ident, the sight was somewhat tragic, and some colleagues who were close to him could not help but shed tears upon seeing this scene.


    However, Su Chen at the back noticed a detail, almost all the colleagues took a look at the deceased, except for Lin Chao. He not only avoided looking, but he also intentionally kept a distance from the coffin.


    But since everyone was immersed in grief, no one noticed this detail.


    After looking at the deceased, Lin Ruoxue led everyone to offer incense, and then theyforted the kneeling widow and their 5-year-old daughter.


    "Sister-inw, if there are any difficulties at home, just tell me, don''t be polite!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at the mother and daughter and sighed slightly as she spoke, and the others echoed her sentiments.


    After all, the death of a man was a huge blow to any family!


    The widow repeatedly expressed her gratitude and even had her daughter kowtow to everyone.


    Before leaving, Lin Ruoxue secretly handed the widow a bank card, which contained a hundred thousand yuan.


    Soon after, everyone turned to leave, and in that moment, Su Chen noticed a glint of sharpness sh in Lin Chao''s eyes. Though it was faint, Su Chen caught it because he had been somewhat suspicious of him already and was paying more attention to him.


    Even so, Su Chen didn''t say anything at that moment. If this matter was really rted to him, what was his purpose?


    At this point, Su Chen was still not clear about it, so he could only keep his thoughts to himself for the time being.


    After leaving, the group returned to thepany first and then took their cars home. Naturally, Su Chen parted ways with Lin Ruoxue.


    When Su Chen was driving back to Grand Epoch Court, he noticed that the person following him had changed again, as had the car. It was neither the girl from yesterday nor the man from the morning.


    However, Su Chen simply ignored it, as if they didn''t exist.


    The next morning, after having breakfast, Su Chen returned to the security department to find there was nothing much to do, either drinking tea or ying online Landlord.


    Having spent a lot of time on it recently, Su Chen had lost much interest in ying Landlord and was feeling even more bored.


    It went on like this until noon. After a simple lunch, Su Chen was getting ready to go back for a nap.


    ```


    However, before he reached the security department, his phone rang. It was Ye Mei calling, asking if he had time to apany her to buy clothes.


    Su Chen, having nothing better to do, agreed to go along. Keepingpany with a beauty was a lot better than hanging out in the security department with those big guys, right?


    Su Chen first drove to the Rose Mansion, which served as the headquarters of Red Rose. Ye Mei usually worked there.


    When Su Chen arrived, Ye Mei was already waiting at the entrance.


    "Where are we going to buy clothes?"


    After Ye Mei got into the passenger seat, Su Chen asked.


    "Kylie Mall."


    "Got it."


    Su Chen was familiar with Kylie Mall; he had been there before when Lin Ruoxue bought him clothes.


    "Why the sudden urge to buy clothes? Don''t you have anything to wear?" Su Chen teased with a smirk, "Maybe you''d be more charming without clothes on!"


    "It''s you who should go without clothes!" Ye Mei spat back with a blush, "I need to buy them because I''ll soon be negotiating with Almei Corporation! I''ll have to wear formal attire, which I''ve never shopped for before!"


    "So that''s why," Su Chen smiled, "I''ve no idea what you''ll look like in formal wear."


    "Then just imagine it," Ye Mei said shyly, "If you want, I''ll wear it for youter."


    "I can only imagine you without any clothes on, and that''s all I want to see, too."


    Su Chen nced at the prominence of Ye Mei''s chest and said.


    "You pervert!"


    Embarrassed and angry, Ye Mei cursed while her delicate hand twisted sharply at Su Chen''s waist.


    "Stop it, stop it, I''m driving!"


    Su Chen immediately felt a pang of pain, thinking, couldn''t she have chosen a better ce for that?


    Ye Mei had only twisted his waist briefly before letting go, but she was still seething inside.


    "What are you looking at! Just drive your car!"


    Ye Mei snapped irritably, wishing she could gouge out his roving eyes.


    "A look won''t make it shrink. Why so stingy?"


    Su Chen muttered, before focusing on driving the car and quickly arriving at Kylie Mall.


    Since the women''s clothing was on the second floor, they went directly there.


    Though the second floor had many women''s clothing brands, almost all of them were well-known internationalbels, the options for formal wear were limited.


    Eventually, they entered a Massimo Dutti store, a sister brand to Zara, with a higher status and, of course, much higher prices than Zara.


    Their style exuded a touch of Spanish leisure; the deep sea blue suit was their signature.


    Ye Mei quickly picked out a set of formal wear, a light zer. She tried it on and the effect was indeed very good.


    Then she chose a round-neck T-shirt to pair with it, which looked really stylish; even Su Chen was impressed.


    "Alright, let''s go with this one," Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Okay."


    Ye Mei then changed out of the clothes, ready to go to the checkout.


    Just at that moment, A voice rang out from the entrance.


    "Xiaomei, is that you?"


    Upon hearing this voice, Ye Mei''s face immediately changed...


    ```

 Chapter 187: Of course, marrying me

    "Ye Mei, I didn''t expect it to be really you!"


    A woman who looked dignified and elegant walked in, saying with a face full of surprise:


    "I just thought it looked a bit like you at the entrance, I thought I had seen wrong!"


    Upon seeing this woman enter, the store manager immediately greeted her:


    "Mrs. Wu, good to see you!"


    Although Mrs. Wu hadn''t bought clothes from this store, she often shopped at the other major brand stores on this floor, so the manager recognized her.


    "This is...?"


    The store manager nced at Ye Mei, asking with some confusion.


    "This is my daughter!"


    Mrs. Wu enthusiastically and proudly dered, appearing to have a very good rtionship with Ye Mei.


    The other customers in the store showed a look of shock upon hearing that this woman was Mrs. Wu.


    In Jiangnan, the only one who could be called Mrs. Wu was naturally Wu Jinjun''s wife, the Family Head of the Wu Family.


    Although Wu Jinjun had an older brother, Wu Jingui, whose wife was also Mrs. Wu, she had passed away.


    So now there was only one Mrs. Wu, and that was the woman right before them.


    "So you''re the Young Master of the Wu Family, I apologize for the oversight just now!"


    The store manager was greatly surprised and quickly apologized.


    At the same time, she was utterly puzzled, as the Wu Family was only known to have two sons. She had never heard of a daughter.


    Even though she was curious, she did not dare to show it.


    The affairs of a powerful family like the Wu Family were not something a person of her status could inquire about.


    The other customers in the store had the same thought, but their gazes toward Ye Mei were filled with envy!


    Being the Young Master of the Wu Family, what an honor that was!


    However, contrary to everyone''s expectations, upon hearing Mrs. Wu''s words, Ye Mei let out a cold snort:


    "Mrs. Wu, I am not your daughter, nor do I have the qualifications to be your daughter."


    Moreover, her face was covered with frost, appearing extremely cold.


    What was going on?


    Upon hearing Ye Mei''s words, everyone was stunned and confused about the situation.


    "Ye Mei, I know there''s resentment in your heart, indeed, there were many things I did wrong in the past, and I will make them up to you."


    Mrs. Wu, feeling a little humiliated by Ye Mei''s public rejection, was somewhat irritated but still held back for the sake of the bigger picture.


    "Ye Mei, are you looking to buy clothes? How about I pay for this piece? Consider it a gift from me, also to express my apology, okay?"


    Mrs. Wu thought that she had already lowered herself enough, even humbling herself more than she ever had in her life.


    But for the sake of the Wu Family, for the sake of her son, she had to win over Ye Mei, who she considered an illegitimate child in her heart.


    After all, the Young Master from the Situ Family of Yandu had taken an interest in her!


    "No need, even if I, Ye Mei, am poor, I still have money to buy clothes."


    Ye Mei unhesitatingly rejected Mrs. Wu''s so-called "goodwill."


    In her heart, the years of suffering and grievances she and her mother had endured could hardly be offset by a mere piece of clothing.


    Furthermore, Mrs. Wu had ulterior motives!


    The people in the store realized at once that this was yet another drama of grievances within the wealthy ss!


    So they calmly settled in to watch as bystanders, curious about how the story would unfold!


    "Ye Mei, what exactly will it take for you to forgive me?"


    Seeing Ye Mei''s refusal to be cooperative, Mrs. Wu felt her anger rising within her.


    But thinking of her son, she still restrained herself and asked through gritted teeth.


    "Forgive?" Ye Mei couldn''t help butugh out loud, mocking, "Mrs. Wu, are you seriously asking for my forgiveness?"


    "What else?" replied Mrs. Wu, taking a deep breath, "Ye Mei, whether your surname is Wu or Ye, it doesn''t change the fact that you are a daughter of the Wu Family."


    "Moreover, to show my remorse, I''ve already moved your mother out of her previous residence and into the main house. What else do you expect me, expect the Wu Family to do?"


    "How touching!"


    Ye Mei said with a bitter smile and a long sigh, then looked straight into Mrs. Wu''s eyes:


    "But why is it that my mother and I lived all those years in that cluttered room that leaked during the rain, and snowed through during the snow, without you ever moving us?"


    "Why is it that right after the Situ Family''s son from Yandu proposed, you immediately moved her to the main house?"


    "And besides, it wasn''t you who asked my mother to move, it was that old hag of the Wu Family. Of course, you''re all cut from the same cloth, and she''s no better than the rest."


    Hearing this, the crowd couldn''t help but be abuzz, as there was just too much information in Ye Mei''s words!


    It turned out that this girl was an illegitimate child, but she had caught the eye of a son from the Situ Family of Yandu, and so the Wu Family suddenly treated her and her mother like treasures.


    One has to admire the imagination of the people; they had figured out the general situation from just a few words from Ye Mei and were quite urate to boot!


    However, the crowd was still shocked to hear Ye Mei referring to the Wu Family''s matriarch as an old hag.


    After all, that Madam Wu was one of the highest-ranking members of the Four Great Families, and even the heads of the other three families had to address her as their junior!


    Moreover, with the Wu Family being the strongest among the Four Great Families, it only added weight to Madam Wu''s stature!


    Yet here this woman was, publicly calling her an old hag, which was simply inconceivable!


    But the crowd didn''t say anything; they just continued to watch silently, for such drama was rare indeed.


    Mrs. Wu, seeing Ye Mei airing the Wu Family''s dirtyundry in public, flushed a cycle of red and white with anger.


    And Ye Mei, as if venting all the resentment and frustration that had built up over years, continued:


    "In the end, don''t you just want me to willingly marry into the Situ Family?"


    "That old hag wants totch onto the high branches of the Situ Family to glorify the Wu Family; and you, Mrs. Wu, because your son is the old hag''s darling, decided as the next heir, its strength is naturally beneficial for your son."


    "Would you two women with hearts of snakes and scorpions do this otherwise?"


    "Yes, yes, Ye Mei, I never thought we would be met with such thoughts from you after all the kindness we have shown. It''s truly heartbreaking!"


    Mrs. Wu said darkly, her face clouding over.


    "Kindness from you?" Ye Mei sneered: "Kindness from a dog, but you? Never!"


    "I tell you, even if I die, I will not marry the son of the Situ Family!"


    "What''s wrong with marrying into the Situ Family? That is an opportunity others would beg for."


    Mrs. Wu spat out furiously:


    "If you don''t want to marry into a family like the Situ Family, then whom do you wish to marry?"


    "Of course, I want to marry myself!"


    Just then, azy voice sounded from the side...

 Chapter 188: My Hand Hurts from Typing

    With the rise of this voice, a young figure emerged from behind Ye Mei.


    For a moment, all eyes were on him, including that of Mrs. Wu.


    "Who do you think you are? You have no right to speak here!"


    Mrs. Wu had already lost a lot of face over Ye Mei today and was furious.


    However, given that Ye Mei''s affair concerned the major matter of an alliance through marriage with the Situ Family, she could endure it for the sake of the Wu Family, for her son.


    But at this moment, someone from who knows where had suddenly sprung up, daring to speak to her in such a manner!


    Mrs. Wu hadn''t even clearly heard what the young man had said, but his attitude alone was enough to enrage her.


    Can everyone just interrupt her when she is speaking?


    "I am Ye Mei''s boyfriend, so tell me, do I have the right to speak now?"


    Su Chen wrapped an arm around Ye Mei''s fragrant shoulders, pulling her closer to his embrace, and looked at Mrs. Wu with a provocative face.


    Mrs. Wu, as if struck by lightning, jolted and looked at them in disbelief.


    "Ye Mei, is what he said true?"


    Mrs. Wu asked coldly, and a wave of chill suddenly emanated from her.


    Although the patrons in the shop were at a distance, they could clearly sense it.


    Ye Mei hesitated for a moment, but when she saw Su Chen smiling at her, she mustered up the courage and nodded:


    "Yes, he is my boyfriend!"


    "No, I do not agree, and the Wu Family certainly will not agree!"


    Mrs. Wu dered sternly:


    "What status does this man have? How is he worthy of you?"


    "What status? I''m nothing but the ''bastard'' you all talk about, and besides, who I date is my freedom, it doesn''t require your agreement, nor the Wu Family''s!"


    Ye Mei said self-deprecatingly, her tone filled with defiance!


    "Ye Mei, I advise you, if not for your own sake, at least think about your mother."


    Mrs. Wu seethed, her words clearly threatening.


    "You..."


    Facing Mrs. Wu''s threat, Ye Mei became infuriated, herplexion turning bright red, but she was at a loss for words.


    Indeed, her mother was still in the Wu Family''s old residence, and she was ultimately at their mercy.


    She could dismiss others, but how could she neglect her mother, with whom she had survived against all odds?


    She hadn''t expected that Mrs. Wu, a figure of high status, would stoop to publicly use her own mother to coerce her.


    The onlookers also felt that Mrs. Wu''s actions were somewhat disgraceful, but they dared not say anything.


    After all, it was the Wu Family, the head of the Four Great Families, and they didn''t want to offend them with a singlement, thus inviting trouble upon themselves.


    Seeing Ye Mei''s demeanor, Mrs. Wu immediately became smug:


    "That''s more like it. Ye Mei, the wise adapts, it''s best for you to obediently marry the young master of the Situ Family. It is good for you, your mother, and the Wu Family, why not do it willingly?"


    For her, Ye Mei was a vital pawn that could potentially lead the Wu Family to greater heights, and Mrs. Wu could not tolerate Ye Mei marrying someone else, especially when her son was likely to be the next Family Head.


    "p p p!"


    Just then, a round of apuse suddenly erupted.


    Su Chen pped his hands and said tauntingly:


    "Today, I''ve truly witnessed the grandeur of the Wu Family''s century-old noble house! Such exceptional manners, what an eye-opener!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was startled because they could hear the sarcasm in the young man''s words.


    They cautiously looked at Mrs. Wu, only to see that her face, which was previously full of pride, had now darkened to the point it seemed it would drip water.


    "What did you say?"


    Madam Wu stared fixedly at the young man, squeezing a few words out from between her clenched teeth.


    By now, the fury in her heart had already ignited; in all these years, no one had ever dared to speak of the Wu Family like this!


    "Can''t your Wu Family show a bit of fucking decency?"


    Su Chen pointed a finger at Madam Wu''s nose andughed,pletely disregarding her rage.


    The crowd was even more shocked now. Had this young man gotten tired of living?


    He actually dared to point at Madam Wu''s nose and curse the Wu Family, and his words were so offensive!


    "What kind of dog shit are you? When is it your turn to meddle in the affairs of our Wu Family!"


    Madam Wu swatted away Su Chen''s finger with disdain.


    "Meddle?" Su Chen looked at Madam Wu''s heavily made-up face and sneered, "Keep spouting nonsense, and I''ll really get physical!"


    "Get physical? Do you really think you have the guts to hit me?" Madam Wu, as if hearing the world''s funniest joke, leaned her face toward Su Chen and taunted with amusement, "Here I am right in front of you, just try moving a muscle!"


    "p!"


    Before Madam Wu could finish her sentence, a resounding p rang out.


    Silence fell over everyone in that moment!


    Holy shit! Did this young man really hit her?


    This was Madam Wu, and he had actually done it¡ªhit her without a moment''s hesitation!


    Madam Wu was stunned as well, not even feeling the pain, just finding that moment so surreal!


    She had never expected that this young man would actually dare to hit her!


    Had this guy lost his mind?


    "You!..."


    Madam Wu pointed at Su Chen, her face in utter disbelief!


    "p!"


    Another loud p echoed, and everyone felt their hearts skip a beat!


    "What ''you?'' I merely did as you asked," Su Chen said as he shook his hand, "Everyone heard; you asked me to move a muscle, so I did more than just that¡ªI gave you a bonus too!"


    Su Chen shook his hand and added:


    "But really, your face is quite thick; my hand actually hurts."


    The crowd almost burst intoughter at Su Chen''s words. This guy was just too much!


    Your hand hurts, but how much must Madam Wu''s face hurt?


    However, out of fear of the Wu Family''s might, no one dared to let out augh, all struggling to contain their amusement.


    The crowd nced at Madam Wu and saw that both sides of her face were swelling up, fiery red.


    The five clear finger marks were shocking to behold!


    But then they also began to worry for this young man¡ªhow could Madam Wu let this public humiliation slide?


    Sure enough, after a moment of stunned silence, Madam Wu, with ws bared, lunged at Su Chen like a shrew.


    "You bastard! You''re seeking death!"


    Madam Wu shrieked, her ragepletely stripping away any reason, feeling her fury burn wildly within her.


    For decades, she had never been hit by anyone, let alone pped in the face¡ªa humiliation she foundpletely unbearable!


    All she wanted now was to tear this insolent brute to pieces!


    Facing Madam Wu, who charged at him like a mad dog, Su Chen''s lips curled into a cold smile; he simply lifted his leg and kicked out.


    Madam Wu hadn''t even gotten close to Su Chen when she was sent flying, her body mming into a nearby wall with a loud "thud."


    As her body fell, Madam Wu brought down a clothes rack too, scattering clothes all over the ground!


    Looking at Madam Wu sprawled on the floor like a dead dog, the onlookers all gasped, their mouths agape in shock...

 Chapter 189 - 189 A Bunch of Trash

    Just as everyone had yet to recover, Su Chen rushed directly to Mrs. Wu and then straddled her.


    "p, p, p~~~"


    A storm of ps rose and fell in session, sounding in a contrasting, punctuated rhythm.


    It left the people at the scene terrified, and even just watching, it felt as though they could feel the immense pain themselves!


    All were dumbstruck, unable to make any superfluous reaction!


    At that moment, some exceptionally strong beliefs in their minds seemed to be gradually crumbling.


    It turned out that in Jiangnan, there were also madmen who dared to meddle with someone from the Four Great Families! And it was such a humiliating form of beating!


    They didn''t know whether to call this young man brave or impulsive, but in any case, he did it, and he seemed to enjoy it immensely!


    After a brief moment of shock, Ye Mei inexplicably felt a sense of exhration!


    It was this woman who had made her and her mother suffer so much over the years!


    Although almost everyone in the Wu Family disdained her and her mother, without a doubt, this woman was the most excessive!


    Unable to do anything to Wu Jinjun, she vented all her fury on her and her mother.


    Now, seeing her in such a pitiful state, Ye Mei felt likeughing, but tears streamed down her face instead...


    As for Wu Family''s retaliation against Su Chen, although she was worried, it was already like this, what was the use of worrying now?


    Perhaps if she had stopped him before Su Chen made a move, it might have been somewhat useful.


    But Su Chen, that guy, acted too quickly!


    So quickly that she didn''t have time to react before it already turned out like this.


    When Su Chen delivered the first p, like everyone else, she waspletely stunned, not expecting him to strike so unreasonably.


    And she did not expect that he would follow it up with another p, and then... it turned out like this...


    It seemed that before taking action, he hadn''t considered at all who the other party was or what consequences it could bring upon himself.


    Ye Mei knew he was venting her anger. She had known him for a long time and hade to understand a bit of his character, knowing he wasn''t someone unreasonable.


    The only exnation was that it was for her...


    Thinking about this, Ye Mei couldn''t help but nce at his somewhat immature face, feeling a warm current slowly flowing through her heart.


    For someone like Ye Mei, who had experienced the cold and warm of human rtionships from a young age, she felt more acutely and cared more about others'' care and affection!


    However, what Ye Mei didn''t know was that on one hand, Su Chen indeed did it for her, as she had told him about her childhood experiences, so he knew about the hardships she and her mother had faced;


    On the other hand, from Ye Mei, he saw himself, their experiences were so simr, both being the superfluous ones in arge family.


    But they were also both fortunate¡ªYe Mei had her mother to rely on, and he had that old ghost master for constion.


    "That''s it for today!"


    After a full three minutes, Su Chen stood up and dusted off his hands.


    Just at that moment, a series of heavy, hurried footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the door.


    Following that, about a dozen men in security uniforms appeared; each of them was strong and muscr, their bodies bulging with muscles, instantly giving off a formidable vibe!


    The leader, wearing ck sunsses, took them off as he entered the room, revealing a face full of rugged features!


    It turned out, while Su Chen was attacking Mrs. Wu, the store manager had already secretly called security.


    Su Chen naturally noticed the surreptitious actions of the manager behind the counter, but he didn''t pay any attention and continued to whip Mrs. Wu.


    Seeing the security guards, Su Chen merely gave the manager a fleeting nce without a word.


    The moment the manager met Su Chen''s gaze, she couldn''t help but shiver all over, as if his eyes were as deep as an abyss, making her shudder.


    However, she reassured herself, thinking, now that security had arrived, what was there to be afraid of?


    He might be tough, but could he really overpower so many security guards?


    "Who dares to create trouble in Kaile Mall?"


    The leading man asked arrogantly, his cold gaze sweeping across everyone''s faces.


    "Captain Li, it''s this young man. He beat Mrs. Wu of the Wu Family into this state in our store!"


    The manager pointed at Su Chen and then at the prone Mrs. Wu, emphasizing the words ''Mrs. Wu of the Wu Family'' with particr emphasis.


    Captain Li understood instantly and was utterly shocked, not expecting Mrs. Wu to be the one assaulted!


    When he saw Mrs. Wu on the ground, he jumped even more, for by then Mrs. Wu hadpletely turned into a battered mess, unrecognizable from before.


    However, he quickly became invigorated, seeing this as a great opportunity to prove himself!


    If he could avenge Mrs. Wu, wouldn''t his future be set?


    But he was utterly astonished, wondering who would dare to hit Mrs. Wu, and be so brutal at that!


    Indeed, someone was really tired of living!


    Then his gaze shifted to Su Chen. Seeing the somewhat naive looking young man, a dismissive sneer appeared on his face.


    He thought he was dealing with some powerful figure, only to find a green youngd; a fierce grin immediately spread across his face.


    "Brothers, send a few men to teach this kid a lesson on how to behave!"


    With a wave of Captain Li''s hand, several burly men stepped forward, all looking down on Su Mo disdainfully as they did a few warm-up movements, and soon there was a series of cracking sounds from their bodies.


    The onlookers shivered at the sound, and seeing their fierce and fearsome demeanor, they couldn''t help but step back, fearing coteral damage.


    At the same time, they looked worriedly at the somewhat skinny young man and sighed silently, thinking this young man was about to face misfortune!


    Not to mention anything else, just on physical size they were not in the same league ¨C how could these men, who were security guards, have poor fighting skills?


    Yet Su Chen seemed to not hold them in regard at all, ncing at them and said indifferently:


    "Don''t waste time, all of youe at once. And you,e along too."


    Su Chen gestured to Captain Li with a beckoning hand, his expression utterly nonchnt.


    Everyone who heard Su Chen''s words nearly fainted.


    Boss, it''s really not the time to act tough!


    Hmph, let''s see how you can stay arrogant when you''re beaten to a pulp shortly!


    The security guards felt as if they had been greatly insulted, their faces reddening and muscles bulging as they clenched their fists.


    Seeing Su Chen''s arrogant demeanor, Captain Li couldn''t help butugh angrily:


    "Kid, you''re quite the arrogant one!"


    "A bunch of trash really taking themselves seriously,"


    Su Chen said expressionlessly, as he nced at the security guards and scoffed.

 Chapter 190 - 190 Who are You?

    The onlookers watching the young man''s growing boastfulness felt on the spot that this fellow deserved a beating!


    Without any strength, why all the bluster, let alone teaming up? They really don''t know how they''ll die!


    I was worried about him for nothing just now! Getting beaten is his own fault!


    "Give this brat a good lesson for me, and I''ll pay each of you half a million!"


    At this moment, Mrs. Wu, who had been knocked out by Su Chen, came to her senses. Catching sight of the dozen or so burly security guards, her eyes immediately gleamed. Bearing the severe pain on both sides of her face, she said viciously.


    The security guards, hearing the 500,000, were instantly enlivened¡ªthat was nearly ten years'' worth of their sries!


    "Alright, brothers, since this young brother looks down on us so much, let''s give him a good time!"


    Captain Li said through gritted teeth, his eyes shing with a ruthless light!


    Since Mrs. Wu was willing to go as high as 50,000 per person, his own would only be more, and he was filled with fighting spirit.


    The security guards had been holding back, and now, hearing their captain''s words, they charged, fists clenched in anger.


    Seeing the furious rush of the security guards, Su Chen''s face remained calm, as if they were merely air to him...


    As the first one charged at Su Chen, ready to swing his fist down, Su Chen simply kicked out.


    The man immediately flew backward, knocking into two or three people behind him.


    Enraged, two more security guards charged at Su Chen, one throwing a punch while the other sent a sharp side kick whistling toward Su Chen.


    With a clean punch, Su Chen sted the one swinging his fist against the wall, then grabbed the leg of the man attempting the side kick and pulled him forward, followed by a smack of his palm.


    The man spat blood violently and crashed into three or four people behind him, all of whomy groaning on the ground, a testament to the power of Su Chen''s palm.


    Captain Li, realizing Su Chen''s prowess after he had injured several of his men with just a nce, had a coldness suddenly appear on his face, and anger shed in his eyes.


    "Brothers, bring weapons!"


    Captain Li bellowed, as he drew the baton from behind him.


    The other security guards hadn''t expected the young man to be so tough; they too drew their batons, their eyes gleaming as they looked at Su Chen.


    But Su Chen still acted as if nothing was happening, standing there, neither pleased nor angry,pletely disregarding them.


    "Charge!"


    Captain Li, feeling humiliated and angered by their contempt, roared and led the charge.


    The other security guards, emboldened by their captain''s lead, also surged forward with their batons.


    Captain Li quickly closed in on Su Chen, raising his baton high and then nting it down toward Su Mo''s shoulder.


    His speed was extremely fast; the baton whooshed through the air, leaving behind a silver streak.


    Not only that, but simultaneously, his other fist changed from palm to punch, thundering towards Su Chen''s chest.


    As the baton was about to hit Su Mo''s shoulder and the fist nearly touched Su Mo''s chest, Su Mo''s hands shot out, grasping the wrists of both hands.


    Captain Li was startled when Su Chen grabbed hold of his wrists. He tried to pull back, but found Su Chen''s grip was as firm as a vice.


    Looking up, he saw the young man''s face carrying a faint smile, which sent a shiver down his spine.


    Then, Su Chen bent his wrists downwards, and a "crack" sound was heard; both of Captain Li''s wrists were fractured, making him grimace in pain.


    All of this had happened within a matter of seconds, and seeing their captain at a disadvantage, the other security guards were even more furious.


    At this point, seven or eight more security guards rushed to Su Chen''s vicinity, but Su Chen wasn''t nning to toy with them anymore.


    He rapidly threw his hands out, and soon, "bang bang bang~~~" noises followed.


    Looking again, the seven or eight security guards were lying on the ground, each appearing to have sustained serious injuries, wailing nonstop...


    Thest five or six security guards who followed behind were petrified by this scene, standing still, not daring to move forward even a step.


    This man was too terrifying! He was like a devil incarnate!


    Captain Li was also staring at the young man in shock, as his security guards were like toys in the hands of this person,pletelycking the strength to fight back.


    And to think, these were the best of the bunch he had carefully selected!


    Who on earth was this person? How could he be so formidable?


    The onlookers were equally dumbfounded as they watched Su Chen, secretly sighing that it was no wonder this young man was so arrogant earlier, as he indeed possessed real strength!


    This wasn''t a fight. It was more like a game between an adult and children, no, infants!


    A few women were looking at Su Chen, with his aura of an easygoing king, their eyes sparkling!


    They imagined that having a fierce tussle with this young man in bed must be quite a delightful thing!


    Su Chen cast a casual nce around, and everyone he looked at felt a shiver in their hearts.


    Seeing Su Chen''s gaze turn towards her, the store manager''s legs started to tremble uncontrobly.


    She had not expected the security guards to be so useless, with so many of them unable to subdue a single person!


    However, after ncing at her, Su Chen paid her no further attention and walked over to Mrs. Wu, who was lying on the ground.


    "What are you going to do? I warn you, don''t try anything rash!"


    Mrs. Wu saw Su Chen approaching her and immediately became fearful, her voice trembling as if leaking air.


    And as she spoke, her body retreated further back, but unfortunately, she was already too close to the wall and quickly ran out of room.


    She could only curl up, looking at the young man in terror!


    It was indeed a pitiful sight!


    She had believed that no one in Jiangnan would dare toy a hand on her, yet today she had encountered such a lunatic!


    At that moment, the sound of high heels cking against the ground resounded.


    Everyone turned to look, and a fashionably dressed woman wearing an OL suit appeared at the doorway. Her hair was pinned up high, her face exquisite, nearly on par with Ye Mei.


    And that suit perfectly encapsted her superb figure, giving her an air ofpetence yet fashion savvy.


    "Miss Yun, quickly, have someone arrest this violent man!"


    Upon seeing this woman, Mrs. Wu immediately cried out excitedly, like a drowning person grasping at a straw.


    However, because she talked too fast, she felt a fierce pain pulling at the sides of her face!


    "You are?"


    Yunyao, seeing the person who had spoken, was startlingly taken aback before asking hesitantly.


    This KaiLe Mall was actually a property of the Yun Family, and she was in charge of it, spending most of her time working here.


    She had rushed over after hearing reports that someone was causing trouble on the second floor.


    "I''m Liang Jing ah!"


    Mrs. Wu lifted her head, brushing her disheveled hair to one side so that Yunyao could see her clearly.


    Upon hearing that it was Liang Jing, Yunyao''s heart skipped a beat, and she leaned in to take a closer look, eventually making out the features of the other woman.


    Wasn''t this the wife of the Wu Family head, Liang Jing?

 Chapter 191 - 191 I Disagree

    "Madam Wu, who has done this to you?"


    Yunyao hurriedly asked, her heart reaching the peak of shock!


    Moreover, her reaction was even more intense than that of others because she too belonged to one of the Four Great Families and felt a certain sorrow for the misfortune of her kin.


    After all, the Wu Family was not just one of the Four Great Families, but the leader of them all!


    The other three families might squabble over who ranked second, but no one dared to question the Wu Family''s position at the top.


    Yet here was the Madam of Jiangnan''s most elite household, publicly assaulted and left in such a state¡ªhow could Yunyao not be shocked?


    Her first thought was that the person who hit Madam Wu must surely be mad!


    "It was him, this bastard!"


    Madam Wu immediately pointed at Su Chen, who was standing not far from her, and spat out those words with mes of hatred burning in her eyes...


    She knew that this mall belonged to the Yun Family, and upon seeing Yunyao, she felt as though she had seen her salvation.


    Yunyao quickly followed the direction of Madam Wu''s finger and saw a young man with a mischievous smirk on his lips.


    "You?!"


    When Yunyao recognized his face, she was even more astonished.


    She could not believe that the person Madam Wu was pointing at was Su Chen, so-called elder brother to her own brother.


    Seeing him deepened the shock in Yunyao''s heart!


    This guy was simply a disaster!


    How could he stir up trouble everywhere he went, and the targets were always noteworthyst time he had an altercation with the eldest son of the Liu Family, and today it was Madam Wu!


    But one thing remained the same: his ruthlessness was no less.


    Last time, he went as far as to wield an iron rod against the eldest son of the Liu Family; today, though she had not seen the incident unfold, just by looking at Madam Wu''s demeanor, she knew the encounter must have been equally merciless!


    "Miss Yun, we meet again!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, surprisingly not expecting to encounter Yunlong''s sister here.


    "Mr. Su, life really is full of unexpected encounters!"


    Yunyao''s heart was filled with doubts at this point¡ªwhat should she do now?


    If the assant had been just anybody else, it might have been simple, but it was him; even in consideration of her brother''s face, she could not act too harshly.


    Besides, ording to her brother, this man was not just anybody, but possibly someone even above the Four Great Families!


    Even though she found it hard to believe her brother''s words on a rational level, she had to tread carefully.


    On one side was the wife of the Family Head of the leading Wu Family, and on the other was her brother''s elder brother, who might also be a significant figure!


    What was she to do?


    Many of the onlookers did not recognize Yunyao, but some did, and after somemunication, they all became aware.


    Seeing two figures from the Four Great Families aroused even more excitement amongst the crowd, and they stayed to observe how things would unfold.


    Especially upon seeing that Miss Yun seemed to know the young man who had struck Madam Wu, they found the matter even more intriguing.


    However, not everyone shared this sentiment; at that moment, the store manager was scared out of her wits!


    She never expected that the young man would know Miss Yun, who was responsible for the mall; a single word from her could cost the manager her job.


    She was also frustrated, as the man who had appeared to be an average Joe not only dared to violently assault Madam Wu but also knew Miss Yun¡ªwho exactly was he?


    Madam Wu, lying on the ground and realizing the two knew each other, was also startled and inexplicably fearful; she now ced all her hopes on Yunyao.


    Ye Mei, meanwhile, remained silent without expressing any attitude, entrusting all matters to the man; she felt that with him around, all problems would be solved!


    Soon, all eyes converged on Yunyao as they waited to see how she would handle the situation.


    "Come here, tell me exactly what happened,"


    Yunyao beckoned to the store manager, speaking with a stern face:


    "Speak the truth, not a word concealed!"


    "Yes, Miss Yun."


    The store manager, trembling, walked over to Yunyao''s side and recounted the events.


    After listening to the manager''s ount, Yunyao also understood the general situation.


    She had heard about the Wu Family''s illegitimate daughter''s intended marriage to the Situ Family, which had caused quite a stir among the other families for a while.


    Because if the Wu Family were to cling to the high branches of Yandu''s Situ Family, it would be even more difficult to shake!


    At that moment, she couldn''t help but nce at Ye Mei standing behind Su Chen, realizing that this girl was the one whom the young master of the Situ Family was interested in ¡ª she really was beautiful!


    Yunyao did not know that Ye Mei was the "Red Rose"; although she had heard of the Red Rose, she had never met her, since a Red Rose didn''t have the status to draw the attention of the Four Great Families.


    Yunyao''s gaze soon fell on Su Chen, and she sighed to herself, so it turned out that he was risking his neck in a passion for a beauty today!


    As for Su Chen''s actions, Yunyao actually admired them in her heart, after all, every woman wishes to have a man who would be so boldly reckless for them!


    However, admiration aside, still the troublesome matter at hand needed to be resolved!


    Yunyao pondered for a moment and said:


    "Well, I know both parties here. Consider this a favor to me; let''s just call this a misunderstanding, what do you say?"


    "Fine, I''ll give Miss Yun this face, and we''ll consider the matter settled today,"


    The Lady Wu agreed after a moment''s thought.


    However, her agreement was not solely out of respect for Yunyao, but rather due to the current situation, what if the young man went mad and beat her up?


    It was better to step down gracefully now and seek slow revengeter!


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they heard Lady Wu was willing to reconcile.


    In their minds, since Lady Wu was willing to make amends, the young man should agree too, especially considering the other party was from the Wu Family, and he had already beaten someone to this extent.


    All eyes instantly fell on Su Chen, ready to see the young man nod in agreement, so they could disperse.


    Ye Mei also tugged at him from behind, hoping he would let the matter rest, considering how much of a scene had already been made today.


    Su Chen, however, shook his head and said lightly:


    "I don''t agree."


    As soon as these wordsnded, everyone was sharply taken aback!


    Had this young man lost his mind?


    Lady Wu was willing to reconcile, and yet this youngster still refused!


    After all, the other party was from the Jiangnan''s leading Wu Family!


    "It seems I have put Miss Yun in a difficult position!"


    Su Chen smiled lightly, ncing at Yunyao.


    Yunyao was indeed put on the spot. If it were anyone else, she wouldn''t hesitate to support Su Chen, even considering her brother''s rtionship.


    But the other party was from the Wu Family, a power far surpassing their own Yun Family!


    How could Yunyao rashly offend such a behemoth?

 Chapter 192 - 192 The Wu Family Is No Exception

    "Since Miss Yunyao finds it so difficult, then you should stay out of today''s matter."


    Su Chen said casually, then stepped forward, standing in front of Mrs. Wu, looking down at her with a yful smile on his lips.


    "What are you going to do? I''m telling you, I belong to the Wu Family, and the Wu Family will not let you go!"


    Mrs. Wu, seeing the young man''s indifferent demeanor, couldn''t help but feel a twitch in her heart.


    Yunyao, seeing that Su Chen seemed relentless, was also shocked and hurriedly came forward, saying:


    "Mr. Su, please show mercy where you can."


    "Show mercy where I can?" Su Chen scoffed, "Miss Yunyao, if I let her go now, do you think she will let me go afterwards?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Yunyao was suddenly at a loss for words.


    Yes, how could the Wu Family not seek revenge after Mrs. Wu had been humiliated like this?


    If the Wu Family treated this as if it never happened, where would their dignity lie?


    Moreover, Yunyao knew that Mrs. Wu Jinjun was someone who always sought revenge, and she would definitely seek it at all costs!


    The other onlookers also deeply sighed, no wonder this young man was unwilling to reconcile.


    Because whether he reconciled or not, he had already made an enemy of the Wu Family, and now he had to face the wrath of the Wu Family!


    As for whether he could endure it, that was unknown, but the crowd almost had no hope.


    After all, in the hearts of everyone from Jiangnan, the Wu Family had always been an invincible force!


    Su Chen tilted his head, looking at Yunyao, and continued to say:


    "Since I know she won''t let me go, why should I easily let her go? But that''s not the main reason I''m unwilling to let her go."


    "Then why?"


    Yunyao blurted out, unable toprehend; if it wasn''t for that reason, then what was it?


    "Because Ye Mei is my friend."


    Su Chen said earnestly, word by word:


    "Humiliating and threatening my friend, and a few mere ps make it all right? She thinks too highly of herself!"


    "But she is from the Wu Family after all!"


    Yunyao couldn''t help but speak out, thinking, those ps have really disfigured her!


    "So what if it is the Wu Family?" Su Chen nced at Yunyao, casually saying, "In my heart, my friends are a hundred times more important than the Wu Family!"


    "But the Wu Family is the head of the Four Great Families!"


    Seeing Su Chen still so dismissive, Yunyao quickly added.


    "The Four Great Families? Hmph, mere ants."


    Su Chen said casually, exuding strong confidence.


    The crowd of onlookersughed sneeringly upon hearing Su Chen''s words.


    This young man was too arrogant, too boastful! In his eyes, the Four Great Families were spoken of as if they were mere ants; perhaps he had no idea of the terrifying behemoth the Four Great Families really were!


    Yunyao, seeing Su Chen''s confident expression, felt a strange tremor in her heart!


    Her instincts told her that maybe this young man was really, as her brother said, an existence that even the Four Great Families had to look up to!


    But her logic told her that it was impossible!


    Being part of the Four Great Families herself, she naturally understood how terrifying the Four Great Families could be!


    Those not in the know could hardly understand the strength they possessed!


    She found it hard to believe that this seemingly ordinary young man could possess such great power!


    "Mrs. Wu, you''ve always humiliated others, never being humiliated yourself, right?"


    Su Chen ignored everyone else''s thoughts, but stooped to look at Mrs. Wu, Liang Jing, on the ground, his lips curling into a cold smirk:


    "Today I''m going to teach you a lesson, that anyone who does wrong must pay a price."


    "The Wu Family is no exception!"


    After saying that, Su Chen immediately reached out and grabbed Mrs. Wu''s long hair, then dragged her out!


    "Ahhhh~~~"


    Mrs. Wu immediately felt her scalp tighten, and a burst of severe pain struck, making her cry out involuntarily.


    Everyone was shocked by Su Chen''s sudden and wild action, not expecting such brutality from the young man!


    Once Su Chen pulled, Mrs. Wu fell to the ground.


    Su Chen, however, did not care and continued to drag Mrs. Wu along the ground.


    To lessen the pain of her scalp being torn, Mrs. Wu hurriedly crawled forward on her hands and knees, like a dog!


    The onlooking crowd, witnessing this scene, felt a chill down their spines!


    Looking at the young man''s expressionless face, they all thought he was aplete devil!


    Yunyao felt the same way; she never imagined that Su Chen, knowing the woman was from the Wu Family, would still torture Mrs. Wu in such an almost insulting manner!


    Was he really not afraid of the Wu Family''s retaliation?


    Damn it! What kind of confidence did this young man have to act like this? What did he rely on?


    She had asked her brother the same question, but he refused to reveal anything.


    After hesitating, Yunyao quickly followed, and the onlookers also trailed behind, their faces filled with intense excitement!


    Not just in Huaxia, but around the world, people have a psychology of enjoying seeing the mighty fall, as was the case with Mrs. Wu!


    Previously, Mrs. Wu was a high and untouchable figure, and now she was being dragged along like a stray dog.


    This situation gave them a kind of perverse pleasure!


    People on the second floor who saw a young man dragging a woman along the corridor were also amazed.


    Those individuals also followed to see what was happening. When they learned that the woman being dragged on the ground was actually the wife of the Wu Family Head, they were even more shocked!


    Soon, nearly everyone on the second floor ran over to this side...


    "Bastard! How dare you humiliate me, I will kill you!"


    Mrs. Wu cursed while crawling forward on her hands and knees...


    Seeing so many people witness her being dragged like a wild dog, her shame turned into raging fury!


    Her face, and the face of the Wu Family, was utterly disgraced!


    "Su Chen, please, just stop!"


    Yunyao called out anxiously from behind.


    Su Chen, however,pletely ignored her words and yanked Mrs. Wu''s hair harshly.


    "Ahhhh~~~"


    Mrs. Wu immediately let out a scream like a pig being ughtered, feeling as if her scalp was about toe off, and tears and snot poured out together.


    The massive crowd following behind just by hearing such screams felt a surge of empathy pain.


    Especially the store manager, who turned pale, terrified to her core!


    She had not anticipated the young man to be so fierce, and she deeply feared he might treat her the same way.


    Su Chen just kept dragging Mrs. Wu along, oblivious to others.


    "Su Chen, let''s just stop!"


    Ye Mei, seeing the situation getting out of control and growing increasingly worried, said.


    Su Chen then softened his icy demeanor and gently said to Ye Mei:


    "Don''t worry, leave it to me. I''ll properly avenge you and your mother today, consider itpensation for your years of suffering!"


    Hearing Su Chen''sst words, Ye Mei felt a warmth in her heart, recalling the difficulties and suffering she and her mother had faced since her childhood, bringing her a sense of satisfaction!


    If that''s the case, she thought, let him be. Whatever the consequences, I''ll face them with him...

 Chapter 193: The Winds of Jiangnan Are Rising

    And behind a pir on the second-floor corridor, a girl peeped out, her eyes sparkling as she muttered to herself:


    "This guy is so vicious!"


    Naturally, that girl was Du Hanshuang who had just taken over the morning shift to follow Su Chen; she had thought it would be another ordinary day, but unexpectedly, she stumbled upon such a thrilling scene.


    Su Chen, of course, knew that this youngdy was hiding there. He had spotted her as soon as he came out of the Belle Building, except today the little girl had switched to a different car.


    Su Chen didn''t bother with her and continued dragging Mrs. Wu, Liang Jing, along, with the asional sound of pig-like screams echoing through the corridor!


    Before long, when Su Chen saw the door to a manager''s office, he kicked it open with one foot.


    The manager was still in the line of people following behind; he had alsoe out when he heard themotion.


    When he saw Yunyao following as well, he didn''t say a word, instead staying by Yunyao''s side.


    After all, with Yunyao here, it wasn''t his ce to intervene.


    Everyone was taken aback when Su Chen suddenly kicked open an office door, clueless about what he intended to do.


    Su Chen then dragged Mrs. Wu into the office, followed by Yunyao, Ye Mei, the store manager, and of course, some other people.


    However, more people were left outside, simply because they couldn''t squeeze in.


    Once Su Chen entered the office, he kicked open the door to the bathroom and dragged Mrs. Wu in like a stray dog.


    Yunyao and the others watched in iprehension, unclear on what Su Chen wanted to do, but a bad feeling began to emerge in everyone''s mind.


    Mrs. Wu felt terrified, not knowing what this young man was nning to do to her!


    Su Chen, however, ignored the nces of the others. He dragged Mrs. Wu to the toilet, then poured half a bottle of the toilet cleaner "Jiecuiling" into the bowl.


    Following that, Su Chen let out a coldugh, stuffed her head into the toilet, and pressed the flush button!


    It was then that everyone understood what this young man was going to do!


    They turned pale with fear, realizing how ruthless the young man was!


    He was actually using this method to deal with Mrs. Wu! And only he coulde up with such an idea.


    Moments before, when Mrs. Wu realized what Su Chen was about to do, she paled in fright.


    So when Su Chen pressed her head into the toilet, she began to struggle violently, but to no avail.


    She soon felt herself being submerged in water that had a foul, choking smell!


    It didn''t take long for Mrs. Wu to feel like she was close to suffocating and she started to thrash desperately.


    Her hands iled in the air, and her feet kicked hard against the ground, but Su Chen held her head down firmly, not giving her any chance to escape.


    Yunyao watched Su Mo, dumbfounded, filled with horror!


    Yunlong''s elder brother was extremely ruthless in his actions!


    At that moment, Yunyao looked at the expressionless Su Chen and saw a real grim reaper!


    His demeanor was incredibly cold, exuding an icy chill, which held a deste and ancient aura within it!


    At that instant, Yunyao even thought that Su Chen might publically kill Liang Jing.


    After a minute had passed, just when Mrs. Wu thought she was about to die, Su Chen suddenly jerked her head up with a ssh.


    "Cough cough cough~~"


    Madam Wu immediately started coughing frantically, her face a kaleidoscope of colors¡ªred, white, and blue mixed together,pletely obscuring her original appearance.


    Witnessing this scene, Yunyao and others couldn''t help but feel a surge ofpassion, because it was just too tragic!


    Madam Wu''s eyes spouted furious mes as she red at Su Chen, her teeth chattering with a ''ck ck'' noise.


    However, Su Chen acted as if he didn''t see her, pressing down hard on the back of her head once again and shoving her into the toilet, continuing to flush!


    At the same time, he poured the remaining half of the "Mr. Mighty" cleaner into the toilet; Madam Wu struggled violently once more, but it was all in vain...


    The onlookers had run out of expressions to make, as the young man was simply too ruthless!


    Everyone gave Su Chen a wide berth, as if he were a man-eating beast!


    Except for two people, Yunyao and Ye Mei.


    The store manager was so frightened she could hardly stand steady, and would have fallen to the ground if not for the people holding her up.


    "Su Chen, that''s enough, don''t continue,"


    Ye Mei said softly, as the day''s events had far exceeded her expectations.


    "Fine, we''ll leave it at this for today,"


    Su Chen finally nodded and said.


    Seeing this, Yunyao also let out a long sigh of relief; the demon had finally stopped his hand.


    If Su Chen identally caused a death, Jiangnan would truly be shaken!


    Su Chen yanked Madam Wu up abruptly, then threw her to the floor like a dead dog.


    "Cough cough cough!"


    Madam Wu coughed violently again, as if to expel all her internal organs.


    For a moment just now, she truly felt like she was about to die!


    Gazing down at the disheveled Madam Wu on the ground, Su Chen said coldly:


    "Today, I''ve given you a little lesson. You and the Wu Family had better not harbor any thoughts of retaliation. If you really want to y, I don''t mind joining you, but the Wu Family had better be able to handle it!"


    After saying that, Su Chen took Ye Mei''s soft hand and walked out, the crowd automatically parting to create a pathway for him, even keeping their distance.


    Madam Wu, on the other hand, didn''t utter a word, but the mes burning in her eyes said it all¡ªshe had not taken Su Chen''s warning to heart.


    "A joke, you''ve humiliated me like this, and you think I would let you off the hook? Dream on!"


    Madam Wu snorted darkly as she watched Su Chen''s retreating figure.


    As Su Chen passed by Yunyao, he paused slightly before continuing on.


    The crowd, however, remained frozen, unable to believe what they had just witnessed!


    After all, that was the Wu Family!


    Even though Su Chen had moved away, Madam Wu''s gaze still clung to that door, her face edged with endless frost and her eyes twinkling with thick mes of anger.


    Now, the only thought in her mind was¡ªrevenge, harsh revenge!


    Seeing Madam Wu''s hateful expression, Yunyao knew that this incident would definitely have a sequel; she felt a storm brewing in Jiangnan...


    But she was powerless to do anything about it, only to watch how things unfolded, to see if that young man was indeed, as her brother had said, not at all afraid of the Wu Family!

 Chapter 194 - 194 Lady Wu

    Su Chen came out and immediately sent Ye Mei back, of course, due to unforeseen circumstances, he didn''t even buy clothes.


    However, these were trivial matters. Ye Mei nned to simply buy a set herself tomorrow. When she said she wanted to buy clothes today, she might have also wanted to see Su Chen; buying clothes was just an excuse.


    Su Chen was somewhat surprised that the little girl hadn''t followed him.


    What he didn''t know was that at that moment, the little girl was at the Kalei Mall asking around about what Su Chen had just done inside!


    When she heard that Su Chen had actually stuffed that woman into a toilet and flushed it with toilet cleaner, she couldn''t help but stare wide-eyed:


    "That guy is so violent! But it''s so thrilling! I like it!"


    And with that pretty and cute Lolita face, she also found out that the woman who was stuffed into the toilet was the wife of the Wu Family Head, the leader of the Four Great Families in Jiangnan!


    This unexpected situation made her even more excited!


    "I guessed it! This guy is definitely no ordinary person."


    Du Hanshuang said proudly, her little face filled with glee.


    In her mind, could an ordinary person live with Lin Ruoxue?


    Could an ordinary person take on more than a dozen security guards alone?


    Would an ordinary person dare to beat that so-called Mrs. Wu to that state and stuff her into the toilet?


    Yeah, she must tell Uncle Liu about this situation when she changes shifts and goes back tonight!


    Afterward, Du Hanshuang got into her car and hurried to the Belle Building. Upon reaching the Belle Building, she first went into the parking garage to look around and saw that Su Chen''s car was indeed parked there.


    Since the security room was located on the first floor of the lobby, closest to the outer wall, she listened outside the building for a while until she heard Su Chen''s voice, then she reassuredly returned to her car.


    ......


    Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Wu family mansion, a woman stumbled in, her face swollen like a pig''s head, disheveled and still dripping wet!


    "Who are you?" A female servant of the Wu family immediately scolded upon seeing the woman, "Do you think the Wu family is somewhere you can just waltz into?"


    "You cur, don''t you even recognize who I am?"


    The disheveled woman slurred her words in anger.


    "Who knows who you are?" the servant snorted coldly, then turned to two men beside her, "Hurry up and throw this crazy woman out!"


    As the saying goes, even a low-ranking official at the door of the prime minister considers himself above others. This was why the servants of the Wu family generally felt superior, and so they tended to be quite blunt in their speech.


    Of course, that was towards outsiders!


    This was just the outermost perimeter of the Wu residence, so the security wasn''t very tight, with only a few scattered guards who kept a casual eye on the ce.


    The servant had just spoken to the two closest guards.


    "Smack!"


    No sooner had the servant finished speaking than the disheveled woman pped her across the face:


    "Open your damn eyes and see who I am?"


    Upon hearing this, both the servant and the two men who had walked over were slightly startled, feeling that the voice sounded very familiar.


    When the female servant took a closer look, she was shocked and immediately kneeled down:


    "Madam, I''m so sorry! I didn''t realize it was you!"


    After she spoke, she pped herself several times, each p resounding crisply.


    The two men who hade over were also taken aback and quickly stepped forward to ask:


    "Madam, what happened to you?"


    Mrs. Wu didn''t bother answering the men''s question, instead coldly staring at the kneeling servant, she spat out:


    "Give her twenty ps on the mouth, then throw her out!"


    "Yes, Madam."


    The two men immediately responded, then looked at the female servant with guilt.


    They spent almost every day together; they were very familiar with each other, how could they bear toy a hand on her?


    But with thedy watching right next to them, they had to do it, or else they would be the ones driven away.


    "Madam, please spare me this once, please don''t cast me out."


    The female servant suddenly threw herself in front of Mrs. Wu, clung to her shins, and sobbed:


    "My father has died, my mother is ill, my brother is still in school, our whole family relies solely on me!"


    "Please, Madam, you can beat or punish me however you like, just don''t cast me out!"


    The two men, who were originally ready to start, also stopped, looking towards Mrs. Wu, hoping she would show mercy.


    However, based on their knowledge of thisdy, they also knew it was unlikely.


    Indeed, Mrs. Wu looked disdainfully at the servant girl and kicked her away, then gave the two men a cold nce:


    "What are you standing around for, do you want to leave with her?"


    "We wouldn''t dare, Madam!"


    The two men shuddered and quickly responded.


    By now, they had no other choice, they had to drag the female servant to the side, where one of the men quietly said "Sorry, Sister Yan."


    Soon after, the exterior courtyard of the Wu Family echoed with the sound of a series of sharp ps.


    In front of Mrs. Wu, the two men did not dare to hold back, so halfway through, the servant girl''s cheeks were already slightly bleeding.


    Mrs. Wu watched the servant girl coldly ¨C she seemed to see that young man who had humiliated her kneeling before her, and felt an indescribable twisted pleasure in her heart!


    Themotion in the Wu Family''s outer courtyard quickly drew the attention of others, and many people ran over to see what was happening.


    When they saw a woman with a swollen face and disheveled hair, they were startled.


    However, when they saw two of their own guards pping Sister Yan, they did not immediately speak up, but they looked intently at the disheveled woman, wanting to see exactly who she was.


    One of them, with sharp eyes, immediately recognized that it was their owndy, and ran towards the back courtyard, shouting as he went:


    "Master, Old Madam, something has happened to the Madam!"


    With that cry, the entire Wu Family''s old mansion was alerted!


    But Mrs. Wu did not prevent her own disgrace from being exposed, because the more people who saw her like this, the more shame Old Madam would feel!


    When the time came for revenge, it would be even crueller. Now, for her, face was already secondary; whatever face was to be lost was already lost outside.


    What was most imperative now was to make sure that young man suffered a terrible fate!


    As long as she could achieve this objective, she didn''t care about losing some face.


    And it was precisely because of this reason that she did not immediately go to the hospital, but went home first, in order to let especially Old Madam Wu see her in this state.


    After all, all the power in the Wu Family was in the hands of Old Madam, although her husband was the so-called Family Head, it was merely in name.


    By this time, Sister Yan had been beaten by the two men and thrown out; when everyone saw the female servant being thrown out, they said nothing, knowing for sure that she must have inadvertently offended the Madam.


    The number of people driven out by the Madam every year wasn''t ten, then it was eight; they were not too surprised by this.


    "What exactly happened?"


    In a moment, an old yetmanding voice sounded.


    An approximately seventy-year-old olddy, her hair somewhat gray but still very lively, appeared in the Wu Family''s outermost courtyard.


    Her eyes slightly lifted, cheekbones slightly protruding, and hollowed cheeks ¨C one could tell she was quite a critical and sharp-tongued person.

 Chapter 195 - 195 Yeah, what a coincidence

    As soon as Madame Wu appeared, everyone immediately fell silent, which showed the authority Madame Wu held in the Wu Family.


    Following behind her were her two sons and two grandsons, and of course, some other members of the Wu Family as well.


    Upon seeing Madame Wu, Liang Jing rushed forward and knelt down in front of her, crying out:


    "Mom!"


    The cry was so mournful and sad that it tugged at one''s heartstrings!


    Madame Wu was dumbfounded by the cry, looking at the woman with a swollen face like a battered pig, she thought to herself, "Who the hell is this?"


    It was Wu Yuanpin who immediately recognized her voice, and he was so startled that he hurried forward to help her up:


    "Mom, what happened to you?"


    Upon hearing Wu Yuanpin''s words, the rest of the Wu Family members felt a shiver in their hearts.


    Is this Liang Jing? How did she be like this?


    Upon a closer look, who else could it be but her?


    "Liang Jing? What happened to you?" Madame Wu asked hastily.


    "Mom, I was beaten into this state!"


    As soon as these words were spoken, all the members of the Wu Family were profoundly shocked!


    Who dares to strike a member of the Wu Family, and even the Wu matriarch!


    Isn''t that like digging one''s grave, seeking an early death?


    Even the servants of the Wu Family were in an uproar; having been with the Wu Family for many years, they had only heard about members of the Wu Family bullying others, not once did they see someone daring toy a hand on them!


    They all began to discuss in surprise as if witnessing a spectacle!


    "Who is it? Who dares to touch my Wu Family members!"


    Madame Wu struck the ground fiercely with her cane, shouting angrily!


    The well-maintained face was suddenly clouded with anger, and her eyes sparkled with fury!


    "It was a young man named Su Chen, who is Ye Mei''s boyfriend!"


    Madame Wu said furiously.


    Liang Jing knew what mattered most to Madame Wu, so she threw another bombshell!


    For Madame Wu, besides the reputation of the Wu Family, the most important thing currently was the marriage alliance with the Situ Family.


    Wu Yuanpin and Wu Yuanli, father and son, both had their pupils shrink sharply upon hearing the name Su Chen!


    "Liang Jing, what exactly happened?"


    Madame Wu asked with a gloomy face, her cloudy eyes fixed on Liang Jing, as she exuded an overwhelming pressure.


    Everyone at the scene became as still as if they were surrounded by a cold chill, even daring not to move.


    "Yes."


    Then Liang Jing recounted the day''s events without any omission!


    After hearing Liang Jing''s words, everyone present was stunned; wasn''t this Su Chen fellow too audacious?


    Not only did he beat Madame Wu, but he also dragged her by her hair along the corridor, right in front of so many people.


    In the end, he even stuffed Madame Wu''s head into a toilet and flushed using toilet cleaner!


    They hadn''t seen the scene themselves, but just listening to Madame Wu''s narration, they felt chilled to the bone!


    In Jiangnan, that there was someone who dared to humiliate the Wu matriarch in such a manner was simply unimaginable!


    "Grandmother, you must seek justice for my mom! Please do not let that boy off the hook!"


    Wu Yuanpin suddenly knelt in front of Madame Wu, bursting into tears, appearing deeply aggrieved!


    Whether it was truly for his mother or for himself was difficult to say.


    Previously, Wu Yuanpin had been considering how to transform his personal vendetta against Su into hatred against him from the entire Wu Family.


    However, because his cousin Wu Yuanli existed, he also dared not tell the olddy about the humiliating situation Su Chen had forced him into, having to lick the ground like a dog.


    Because the olddy would definitely consider, if she chose him as the Family Head, that incident¡ªif known by others¡ªwould undoubtedly invite discussion, and it would show the Wu Family Head had once been forced to lie on the ground and lick it like a dog.


    This is a loss the Wu Family''s century-old reputation could not bear!


    In this way, he becamepletely disconnected from the possibility of bing the Family Head.


    Although the olddy liked him very much, this affection paled inparison to the Wu Family''s century-long reputation.


    Therefore, even though he deeply despised that bastard Su Chen, he never dared tell the olddy.


    He hadn''t expected that today his mother would have done him a big favor.


    While he was somewhat angry, he felt a hint of secret pleasure subconsciously.


    Behind Madame Wu, Wu Jinjun''s elder brother Wu Jingui showed an undetectable smile!


    "Yuanpin, get up! Rest assured, I won''t let that bastard off!"


    Madame Wu said sternly, a fierce glint shing in her eyes while a murderous intent crossed her mind!


    Whether for the sake of the Wu Family''s face, or for the grand matter of marriage alliance with Yandu''s Situ Family, Madame Wu could not let that young man named Su Chen go!


    "Go to the hospital now, what a disgrace!"


    Madame Wu snorted coldly and then turned to walk towards the backyard, with Wu Jingui and his son by her side.


    Meanwhile, Wu Jinjun and his son hurriedly took Liang Jing to the hospital...


    .....


    At the same time, a private ne slowlynded at Jianghai Airport, and five blond, blue-eyed foreigners walked out from the ne.


    Excluding one, the other four seemed somewhat different from typical foreigners, their eyes bluer and their hair sparser.


    Most importantly, their walking posture was evidently different from that of normal people, appearing somewhat awkward!


    Moreover, the four individuals showed no expression on their faces, resembling robots as they continued looking straight ahead.


    When they exited the airport, an extended Bentley was already waiting there.


    The five spoke not a word, pulled open the doors of the Bentley, and got in, then the Bentley sped away...


    "Mr. Gloro, here are the documents about that person you requested."


    A man sitting in the passenger seat handed a file bag to the only man among the five who looked rtively normal:


    "This is all we could find."


    "I understand,"


    Mr. Gloro immediately opened the file bag and pulled out the documents.


    Upon seeing the first page, he paused, muttering:


    "Pluto, I never expected you to be a mere driver, no wonder no one could trace your whereabouts."


    .....


    After returning to the security department of the group, Su Chen yed online Landlord for a while, but soon found it boring.


    Feeling somewhat hungry at that moment, he decided to go out and grab something to eat, especially since there were quite a few snack spots near the Belle Building.


    Su Chen went to a pancake stand not far across from the Belle Building and bought two pancakes for five yuan each, which was quite reasonable.


    Then he walked back, suddenly stopping his steps and staring intently at a car.


    Seeing Su Chen looking over, Du Hanshuang inside the car got startled and was about to duck down when he already came running.


    "Youngdy, I didn''t expect us to meet here!"


    Su Chen said with a face full of surprise, as if encountering a friend in a foreignnd.


    "Yes, what a coincidence."


    Du Hanshuang could only smile sheepishly...

 Chapter 196: Are You Satisfied?

    "Little girl, why are you here?"


    Su Chen pulled the car door open and sat inside, feigning a puzzled look as he asked.


    Actually, he was just bored and wanted to tease this little girl because he found her quite amusing.


    "I, I... "


    Du Hanshuang hadn''t expected Su Chen to suddenly approach, so she was at a loss for words. She certainly couldn''t say she was following him.


    "Why so nervous? Why is your face all red?"


    "It''s not, it''s just a bit stuffy in the car."


    Du Hanshuang said awkwardly, her mind racing. Was he aware that she was following him, or did he really just bump into her by chance?


    "Why are you here?"


    Du Hanshuang tried to calm herself and asked casually.


    "I work here, where else would I be?"


    Su Chen handed her a pancake and asked:


    "Hungry or not, want to eat one?"


    "This... "


    Honestly, Du Hanshuang hadn''t eaten lunch yet and was quite hungry, but felt a bit embarrassed.


    "No problem, it''s just a pancake."


    Su Chen appeared very generous, directly cing the pancake in Du Hanshuang''s small hand.


    "Then, thank you."


    Du Hanshuang took a bite of the pancake, and must say, it was quite delicious.


    "Little girl, the condoms I rmendedst time were good, right?" Suddenly, Su Chen winked and said suggestively, "Your boyfriend must be quite satisfied, huh?"


    "Pfft!"


    Du Hanshuang suddenly spat out the pancake she had just bitten into, her face instantly flushing a deep red!


    This damned jerk!


    He had already made her embarrass herself enough that day, and now he brought it up again!


    And asking if she was satisfied? Satisfied, my foot!


    Where did I even get a boyfriend, only good enough for blowing bubbles!


    "Why so agitated?"


    Su Chen pulled out two tissues and began cleaning up the spilled pancake as he continued:


    "If that kind wasn''t satisfactory, I have others to rmend; I could take you there next time!"


    "No need, no need!"


    Du Hanshuang waved her hands frantically; she didn''t want to enter that kind of store again because... it was too embarrassing!


    "What''s there to be afraid of? This is about your personal experience, a matter of physical and mental health, not to be taken lightly!"


    Su Chen said earnestly, as if it were a matter of utmost importance.


    "Why not go right now?"


    "No, no need,st time''s was quite good."


    Du Hanshuang''s face was flushed red as she hastily replied, her voice barely a whisper as she uttered the words "quite good."


    "See, I told you, that''s the one I use. The experience is incredible. Even my wife was very satisfied!"


    Su Chen boasted with pride, his face hinting at a reminiscing smile.


    If Lin Ruoxue heard Su Chen''s ramblings, she would surely spit him dead with a gulp of salt soda, saying, "When was I ever satisfied? No, when did I ever do that with you?"


    Being satisfied? As if you could wish!


    Meanwhile, Du Hanshuang waspletely speechless. How could this guy have no shame?


    Discussing this topic with me, a young girl, really?


    "You must feel quite extraordinary too, just like my wife?"


    Su Chen turned to her, asking with a smile, his expression containing a hint of sleaze.


    His demeanor was casual, just as asking someone "Have you eaten?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s question, Du Hanshuang wished she could just die right there; this guy was truly shameless.


    But what could she do?


    She could only nod silently:


    "Hmm!"


    The sound seemed toe from his nose, barely audible.


    Du Hanshuang already felt her face burning hot, as if it could cook an egg.


    In her life, she had never encountered such an awkward moment, discussing this kind of issue with a strange man on the street!


    She couldn''t even get angry but had to respond perfunctorily, what was this all about?


    "Youngdy, would you like to see the ce where I work?"


    Su Chen suddenly tilted his head and asked.


    "Is that appropriate?"


    Honestly, Du Hanshuang was quite interested. After all, it offered a chance to observe her target up close and in more depth.


    "There''s nothing inappropriate about it, let''s go."


    Su Chen got out of the car directly, and Du Hanshuang followed him, heading toward the Belle Building together.


    As soon as they entered the security department, Meng Shan asked:


    "Brother Su, is this your daughter? She''s so beautiful!"


    Su Chen pped the back of his head:


    "Do I look like I have a daughter this old?"


    "My mistake, Brother Su, it''s not very likely."


    Meng Shan rubbed the back of his head and chuckled.


    Indeed, this girl looked at least in herte teens; how could she possibly be Brother Su''s daughter?


    He had merely blurted it out without thinking.


    Du Hanshuang also had a face full of disdain. Me, his daughter? I''d rather die!


    That shameless jerk, does he deserve a daughter as pretty and cute as me?


    "Here, take a seat."


    Su Chen pointed to a seat next to him.


    "Do you usually work here?"


    After sitting down, Du Hanshuang looked around:


    "Nice environment!"


    "Of course, our Belle Corporation is a bigpany!"


    Su Chen said proudly, even though it belonged to the Lin Family and not Lin Ruoxue, his wife was the CEO after all! He was very proud of that.


    Seeing that Su Chen had brought such a pretty and cute girl, the security department staff were all quite curious, and they all came over to greet Du Hanshuang.


    Du Hanshuang kept calling them "uncle" and "brother," quickly blending in with the security department''s staff.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but shake his head and smile, knowing full well the young girl''s intentions.


    Didn''t she just want to fetch more information about him from the people around him?


    Thus, Du Hanshuang stayed at Su Chen''s workce until the end of the workday, then left the Belle Building with him.


    At that time, the shift change hadn''t happened yet, since it wasn''t until eight o''clock at night, so she just drove back to the hotel.


    Luckily, knowing where Su Chen lived, Du Hanshuang wasn''t too worried about not having anyone to follow for an hour or two.


    "It''s a good time to go back and report today''s situation to Uncle Liu."


    Du Hanshuang thought to herself.


    During her time in the Belle Building, she did ask Su Chen some indirect questions, but he cleverly dodged all of them.


    Dealing with such a young girl was still easy for Su Chen.


    Du Hanshuang not only failed to get the information she wanted but Su Chen even managed to extract some things from her without her noticing!


    Not long after leaving the Belle Building, Su Chen noticed two cars tailing him. From his estimation, these were likely people from the Wu Family.


    That woman was indeed just as he had predicted, not willing to let things go!


    No wonder, people from theserge families naturally think they can only bully others and can''t stand being humiliated by others!


    In this respect, whether it''s the families from Jiangnan or those from Yandu, they are all the same!


    But the Wu Family''s reaction was indeed swift!


    "Since that''s the case, why not give you a deeper lesson?"


    Su Chen murmured, his lips gradually curling into a sly, faint smile...

 Chapter 197: Shameless Su Chen

    Because it was the evening rush hour, the roads were very crowded; however, the two cars following Su Chen managed to stick close behind him, consistently maintaining a distance of about three hundred meters.


    Clearly, the people in both cars were experienced, for this distance was close enough to avoid losing him and yet far enough to not be easily detected.


    However, what they did not know was that this was only true under normal circumstances.


    When the person they were tailing was Su Chen, none of it mattered...


    Su Chen didn''t want to cause amotion in the city area, and he estimated that these people wouldn''t make a move in such a ce either. They would surely wait until they were unnoticed.


    So, Su Chen didn''t bother with them for the time being and drove straight into Grand Epoch Court.


    As expected, the two cars stopped outside the gate of Grand Epoch Court, and one of the men leaped over the courtyard wall next to them to get inside.


    Only after watching Su Chen enter a vi did he return...


    "How did it go? Did you find out anything?"


    The person sitting in the car wearing a white robe asked. His robe was unique, resembling both a martial arts uniform and a Taoist robe.


    "Mhm, it''s that one."


    The man who just came back nodded and then pointed to one of the vis.


    "Alright, you can go back."


    The man in the white robe waved his hand, and the other person returned to one of the cars behind them.


    "Team leader, what do we do now?"


    The white-robed man nced at the person in a ck robe sitting beside him. His clothing was the same as the white-robed man''s, just a different color.


    "Wait!"


    The ck-robed man said, and then closed his eyes to rest.


    Seeing him do this, the others had no choice but to wait as well...


    This time, a total of six people hade, two in ck and white robes, and there were four others.


    However, it was clear that among these people the ck-robed was the most revered, followed by the white-robed, for their strength was the greatest!


    But the other four were no ordinary people either, their skills were on par with those of special forces in the military zone!


    Of course, they could not bepared to the ck-robed and white-robed individuals because they were Martial Artists.


    The Wu Family''s guards were divided into two parts, one overt, like those four people, numbering about forty or fifty; the other, covert, like the ck-robed and white-robed individuals, with an undisclosed number.


    After seven in the evening, Lin Ruoxue returned home, and Su Chen stopped his Qi refinement, stepping out of the room for dinner.


    For the past few months, this had been the daily routine, because Su Chen would usuallye back an hour or two earlier. So he would go to his room to practice Qi refinement while waiting for Lin Ruoxue to return, and then they would have dinner together.


    He felt that having dinner with Lin Ruoxue and Mother Wang was a very happy, very warm thing to do.


    At that time, he would feel like he also had a home, even though his wife was still rather cold.


    "Wife, you''ve been looking worn outtely. Have some more soup."


    Su Chen was very enthusiastic as he served Lin Ruoxue a bowl of fish soup, his face brimming with a happy smile.


    "Enough already, I can serve myself. You eat your own."


    Lin Ruoxue took the soup bowl, set it to the side without drinking, and casually asked:


    "Today, it seems you brought a girl to thepany, right?"


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen''s heart gave a slight tremble, and he quickly responded:


    "Yes, wife, you''re really well-informed. Who told you?"


    Having lived with Lin Ruoxue for so long, Su Chen had more or less figured out her temperament; the more nonchnt she acted, the more cautious you had to be!


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue to learn about this matter so quickly, and he immediately realized there was a traitor among them!


    But who could it be? Meng Shan? Liu Yuan? Or someone else?


    "Do I look pretty?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked gently as she picked up a few strands of green vegetables.


    "Not pretty!"


    Su Chen replied without thinking. If he didn''t know what to say at a time like this, wouldn''t all the years he spent charmingdies have been in vain?


    "But I''ve heard that she''s quite pretty."


    Lin Ruoxue tilted her head and looked at Su Chen with a calm face.


    "Whoever said that must be blind or has never seen a beauty."


    Su Chen immediately stood up, unabashedly lifted his head, and proimed:


    "I''m with a fairy like you every day, my love. My taste has improved so much I can no longerpare. In my eyes, aside from my wife, all other women are about the same as gnawed by pigs."


    Hearing Su Chen''s shameless words, even a cold beauty like Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help blushing.


    Really, am I as good as you say I am?


    But her heart still swelled with joy, and she finally let Su Chen off the hook.


    Seeing this, Su Chen also let out a sigh of relief. He had finally passed this test.


    Meanwhile, Wang Ma stood nearby with a face full of disbelief, wanting to say:


    "Son-inw, I understand you want to tter your wife, but do you have to be so shameless? Ruoxue is pretty, but it''s not like the other women are as you described, gnawed by pigs. Aren''t you insulting me too?"


    But Su Chen wasn''t worried about that right now. The whole world could wait, for the most important was his wife!


    At this moment, a whispering voice came from the flower bushes five meters outside Lin Ruoxue''s vi.


    "Mr. Luo, this guy really has a way with women. I''ve learned something today," one person said softly.


    "Are you thinking of going home and trying the same, to coax your wife?" the man in the white robe chuckled just as quietly, clearly indicating he was Mr. Luo.


    "Psh, I can''t be bothered to tter that shrew. If I''m going to tter anyone, it''s Xiao Cui!" The man snickered and continued:


    "It''s really surprising. Lin Ruoxue, the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan, turns out to be this guy''s wife. He''s quite lucky with thedies, eh?"


    "What does that matter? After tonight, he won''t be able to enjoy any fortune of that kind anymore!"


    "That''s true. Mr. Luo, after we deal with this guy tonight, shall we also have a taste of Jiangnan''s number one beauty?"


    The previous speaker licked his lips and said:


    "Look at Lin Ruoxue''s face, her figure, her demeanor. If I could be with a woman like that for just one round, I''d dly give up ten years of my life!"


    Hearing this, the man in the white robe also felt his heart itch and his mouth go dry, ncing at the man in the ck robe.


    He knew that all decisions today were in the hands of the man in ck.


    The others felt the same, all gazing longingly at the man in the ck robe.


    "What are you thinking about? Let''s take care of business first," the man in the ck robe said, though his own heart was restless. Gazing at Lin Ruoxue from a distance, he felt a warmth spread through his body.


    What they didn''t know was that, despite their voices being very low, they had been overheard by Su Chen.


    Su Chen, now a Sixth Layer Realm cultivator, approaching the peak of Qi Refinement, had developed exceedingly acute senses.


    A faint, bloodthirsty smile appeared on Su Chen''s face at that moment:


    "Just for those words you''ve said, there is no chance I will let you leave with your lives!"

 Chapter 198: The Voice Behind

    It was just after eight in the evening, following dinner and some dessert, when Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to continue working, and Su Chen returned to his own room to start cultivating.


    Of course, while Su Chen was cultivating, he was fully capable of multitasking, keeping an ear out for any sounds outside!


    By eleven, Lin Ruoxue had turned off her lights and gone to bed, and a few minutester, Su Chen did the same.


    Of course, it was entirely based on the sound of the switch that Su Chen knew those people had not yet made their move, surely waiting for everyone to be sound asleep before acting.


    Moreover, the first target would definitely be himself, they wouldn''t dare touch Mother Wang or Lin Ruoxue before dealing with him.


    But how could Su Chen give them that opportunity?


    "Mr. He, is it about time?"


    An hourter, a man outside the vi asked somewhat anxiously.


    The "Mr. He" he referred to was naturally the man in the ck robe.


    The others also looked at him eagerly; they were all still waiting to have a taste of Jiangnan''s number one beauty!


    "Alright, get ready to move. First, take down the window, then enter through it. Let''s deal with that young man together first," the man in the ck robe said after a moment''s contemtion, feeling that the people inside must be asleep by now.


    Just as they were about to get up, a faint voice came from behind them.


    "Why go through the window when there''s a door?"


    At the sound of that voice, everyone jumped in fright.


    It was no wonder, given the deste surroundings and the clear moonlit starry sky, that a sudden voice behind them would be so eerie!


    Moreover, these were no ordinary people; the mere fact that someone had gotten so close without being noticed made them fearful!


    Especially the men in ck and white robes, who instantly broke out in cold sweats, knowing all too well what this implied!


    All turned rigidly, facing a young man with his hands in his pockets and a cigarette in his mouth.


    The glowing tip of the cigarette flickered in the night, starkly conspicuous, while a mocking smile yed upon the young man''s face as he watched them...


    When they discerned his features by the moonlight, they were utterly astonished!


    Because this young man was precisely the target they intended to kill!


    They had thought taking down this young man would be easy, but it now seemed he was much trickier than they had anticipated!


    Although before leaving, Madam Wu had informed them that this young man was formidable, having taken down more than a dozen security guards by himself.


    But at the time, they had been dismissive; to them, defeating a dozen security guards seemed trivial, almost any one of them could do it.


    However, their opinions were undoubtedly different now. Many could take down over a dozen guards, but very few could appear behind them soundlessly!


    At this moment, the men in the white and ck robes exchanged nces, then nodded to each other subtly.


    Su Chen, seeing the man in the ck robe and the white robe, immediately understood that the four assassins he had encountered when he took the taxi home were from the Wu Family, as their clothes were the same.


    Those four must undoubtedly have been sent by Wu Yuanpin, though Su Chen was curious as his previous encounter with one ck-robed and three white-robed men had been resolved by him, why the people sent now seemed even weaker,prising only one in ck and one in white.


    Su Chen could tell that among the six present, only these two were martial artists; the rest could at best be considered skilled fighters.


    It seemed Wu Yuanpin hadn''t informed his family about the previous incident; however, Su Chen quickly realized this was likely due to the family''s pride.


    But now was not the time to think about this, Su Chen tilted his head and casually asked,


    "Are you here to capture me, or to kill me?"


    "Does it make a difference?"


    The man in the ck robe shot back, his muscles tensing in readiness for the next move.


    "There''s no difference; you all are eventually staying here today."


    Su Chen gave a faint smile.


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, those six men were shocked!


    Judging by the young man''s words, he intended to take their lives!


    That was overly arrogant!


    Even if we underestimated you, thinking you could handle all six of us is too conceited!


    This was especially true for the four ordinary men.


    "You are certainly boastful!"


    The man in the ck robe snorted coldly.


    "If you don''t believe it, feel free to try."


    Su Chen casually shrugged.


    "Fine, then let''s witness your great skills!"


    The man in the ck robe shouted:


    "Everyone, attack together!"


    As soon as the words were spoken, the four men roared and charged at Su Chen like a rushing river, with overwhelming momentum!


    Su Chen snorted coldly, flicked his cigarette butt casually and it shot out like a bullet, hitting one of them right in the eye.


    The man immediately stopped in his tracks, covering his eye and crying out in pain...


    At the same time, Su Chen''s figure shed, and he instantly appeared in front of the other three men, then his hands shot out like lightning and simultaneously grabbed two of their necks.


    Unexpectedly, the ck-robed man and the white-robed man at the back did not charge forward but turned around and fled instantly, the speed was indeed quick!


    "Thinking of escaping?" Su Chen watched the ck-robed and white-robed men getting further away and sneered, "Do you think you can?"


    Meanwhile, he exerted a slight force with his hands, and two "crack" sounds followed, then Su Chen nonchntly threw the two lifeless bodies to the ground.


    The other man was horrified to see that the young man had dispatched his tworades in an instant!


    He turned his head to find that his side''s two strongest yers had already fled, which terrified him even more, and he too prepared to turn and run.


    But before he could turn around, the young man''s foot kicked out. He was taken aback, hastily crossed his arms to block the iing attack.


    "Bang!"


    "Crack!"


    The muffled sound and the sound of bone breaking urred simultaneously, and his body flew out like a kite with its string cut.


    When he hit the ground, not only were his arms broken, but his chest was also caved in heavily, clearly dead beyond any doubt!


    The man whose eye was burned by Su Chen''s cigarette butt had be thest survivor other than the two martial artists who had run away due to his initial hesitation.


    Seeing Su Chen approaching, knowing he could not escape, he immediately knelt down:


    "Big brother, please, spare me!"


    Su Chen coldly snorted without any expression, then pped down, and the man''s head burst open like a watermelon, with red and white stters all over the ground...


    Su Chen would spare no one, particrly not him, as he remembered his voice being the one who initially spoke about wanting to "taste" Lin Ruoxue.


    Now that Lin Ruoxue had be Su Chen''s protective talisman, he could not tolerate the man who had defiled his wife living...

 Chapter 199 - 199 Kill

    Su Chen had dealt with those four men in no more than ten seconds, and by that time, the men in ck and white robes had already run outside of the residential area.


    It was deep into the night, and the roads were devoid of pedestrians.


    Their speed was undeniably fast, and their understanding exceeded that of the other four. When the young man had silently appeared behind them, they had already realized that his strength surpassed theirs.


    That''s why they chose to run away the moment Su Chen entangled the other four!


    However, just as they thought they were about to be safe, they suddenly stopped in their tracks.


    Because a figure appeared in front of them...


    Seeing this figure that had appeared out of nowhere, the two of them couldn''t help but be greatly shocked. How could this guy be so fast?


    "Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Isn''t that a bit impolite?"


    Su Chen said indifferently, his lips still curled in a mocking smile.


    The two men disregarded Su Chen''s words and simultaneouslyunched their most ferocious attack on him unexpectedly!


    Having fought side by side for many years, they had developed an extraordinary rapport.


    Since they couldn''t escape, their only choice was to fight with all their might. Besides, this man might not be as strong as they feared.


    They were confident that two against one, they might not kill him, but escaping should pose no problem at all!


    The two of them gathered all of their energy at once, raised their fists, and swung at Su Chen''s body. Their speed was as fast as thunder, with each aiming for one of his temples!


    The force unleashed by two Qi Refinement Realm Martial Artists was naturally extraordinary, with their fists cutting through the air like steel knives, causing the surrounding air to tremble violently.


    What they didn''t expect was that when their fists were less than thirty centimeters away from the young man''s temples, he still hadn''t made any move, let alone counterattack.


    In the blink of an eye, the distance was only twenty centimeters, and the young man still hadn''t moved an inch!


    This astonished the men in ck and white robes, and they simultaneously revealed expressions of delight¡ªthis distance left no chance for a response!


    Their attack had originally been just a probe, at most an attempt to seize the initiative, and they hadn''t expected to strike so sessfully!


    After all, they had previously considered this young man to be quite formidable, and couldn''t understand how he had managed to appear so silently before.


    Soon, their fists were only ten centimeters away from the young man''s temples, yet he still stood immobile like a statue, while their fists continued to shoot forward like lightning!


    Their lips couldn''t help but curve into a reassured smile, sure now that there was no chance left!


    Not even the three Rank Leaders back home would have a chance at this distance if they still hadn''t moved!


    In their eyes, even if the young man was extremely powerful, he couldn''t possibly be a match for the three Rank Leaders!


    Their fists continued relentlessly forward like cannonballs, within a breath''s time, they were only three centimeters away from the young man''s temples, the wind from their punches even slightly lifting his hair.


    Just as they thought the next moment would blow the young man''s head apart, he finally moved...


    He casually stepped back, dodging the two fatal strikes effortlessly!


    Because their punches were too fast, they couldn''t stop, continuing forward due to inertia!


    "Bang!"


    Unable to stop, the fists of the men in white and ck robes collided with each other, creating a thunderous noise!


    The man in the white robe involuntarily staggered back five or six steps before stopping, while the man in the ck robe also retreated two steps!


    "How is that possible?!"


    After stopping, both men couldn''t help but turn their gazes to the young man, their eyes filled with shock!


    They had never imagined that at such a close distance, the young man could actually dodge it!


    The young man''s retreat just now seemed casual, but it was extremely fast and eerily unpredictable; they hadn''t seen clearly how it had happened!


    Moreover, it was clear that the timing had been calcted by the young man well in advance, not a moment too soon, nor toote; everything was just right!


    The two immediately realized the young man in front of them was not too weak but too strong!


    Both couldn''t help but wear a solemn expression, exchanging nces, they saw a determination in each other''s eyes.


    Since ancient times, the path of Mount Hua was the only route, where heroes meet and the valiant prevail!


    The two shuddered, releasing their powerful auras unrestrained.


    Shouting loudly, they once again charged fiercely towards Su Chen.


    As they approached Su Chen, the man in the white robe threw another punch, while the man in ck delivered a powerful kick towards Su Chen.


    "Jumping clowns, overestimating yourselves!"


    Seeing their full-powered strikes, Su Chen snorted coldly. He then pped out with his palm, meeting the white robe''s punch.


    The instant the white robed man''s fist made contact with Su Chen''s palm, it felt like it had hit a steel te. Not only did it hurt, but it could go no further!


    The man in the white robe was shocked and hastily tried to withdraw his fist, but how could Su Chen let him have that chance?


    Su Chen immediately transformed his palm into a w, enveloping the white robe''s fist, and a surge of True Yuan transferred from his palm caused the man''s arm to emit a sound of fracturing bones.


    At the same time, Su Chen slightly sidestepped to dodge the ck robe''s kick, then his other hand flicked a side edge as a de, chopping down at the ck robe''s thigh!


    The man in ck, who had been mid-air, crashed heavily to the ground, hands tightly clutching his thigh.


    Both men were tough indeed, enduring the immense pain without screaming, but their eyes were filled with immense fear as they looked at the young man.


    This young man was too strong! So powerful that they had no chance to resist!


    Su Chen, however, paid no heed to their thoughts, as his only goal today was to kill!


    If the Wu Family still wouldn''t stay in line, then he would keep killing!


    He wanted to see just how many members of the Wu Family were worth his de!


    At that moment, the man in white''s fist was still tightly wrapped by Su Chen''s palm, but that arm was already useless. Su Chen didn''t care; with a light pull on that arm, he brought the man in white right to his face.


    Su Chen directly flicked his finger against the man''s throat, immediately shattering his throat bone, and the body slowly fell.


    Walking past under the terrified gaze of the man in ck, he stomped directly on his chest, caving it in!


    Having killed six people in one go, Su Chen''s heart remained undisturbed as if he was doing something utterly mundane.


    Afterwards, Su Chen drove the car out of the garage, loaded all six bodies in, then drove to a big bridge and threw the bodies over.


    Having done all this, Su Chen returned to the vi and continued with his cultivation, as if nothing had happened...

 Chapter 200 - 200 Du Hanshuangs Anger

    In a hotel room in Jianghai, Du Hanshuang was excitedly jabbering away to a middle-aged man across from her about the day''s events.


    Liu Jie had some matters to attend to and came back a bitte, but to his surprise, as soon as he entered the room, Du Hanshuang pounced on him, eager to share the day''s happenings.


    As he listened to Du Hanshuang''s ount, Liu Jie''s brows began to furrow increasingly.


    Although Du Hanshuang was not very clear on the Wu Family''s influence in Jiangnan, Liu Jie was fully aware, and being from Jiangnan himself, he had firsthand experience of the Wu Family''s prestige there!


    Even though he was now a middle-level leader in the Special Security Bureau and didn''t fear the Wu Family too much, what gave this young driver the audacity?


    At first, Liu Jie didn''t pay much attention to the young driver; otherwise, he wouldn''t have allowed Du Hanshuang, a greenhorn, to track him.


    But now, Liu Jie realized he might have been mistaken; this little driver seemed not to be as simple as he appeared on the surface.


    "What happened next? Did he just go back to the Belle Corporation? Was there anything else that urred?"


    Liu Jie asked gravely as he looked at Du Hanshuang.


    "This... no, nothing else..."


    Du Hanshuang''s pretty face suddenly flushed with redness, involuntarily recalling the embarrassing topics Su Chen had discussed with her in the car.


    Seeing her suddenly hesitant and her cheeks turning red, Liu Jie felt a bit perplexed but surmised from experience that there must be more to the story.


    "Hanshuang, if there''s anything else, you must tell Uncle Liu¡ªit''s very important!"


    Liu Jie, with a solemn expression, indeed managed to intimidate Du Hanshuang into speaking. She understood the nature of their work; not one clue could be missed as any detail might prove key to solving the problem.


    "Is it really that important?"


    She whispered, not wanting to divulge such mortifying details.


    "It really is!"


    Liu Jie insisted, looking straight into Du Hanshuang''s eyes and speaking word by word, while he also grew curious about what could possibly make the girl so embarrassed.


    "Then I''ll tell you, Uncle Liu," Du Hanshuang said with a red face, "but you mustn''t tell anyone else!"


    "Alright, Uncle Liu promises you."


    "It''s just that the first time I followed him, he went into a store, and then..."


    Previously, Du Hanshuang had not mentioned that Su Chen had entered an adult store and that she had followed him in. Seeing Uncle Liu treating the matter so seriously, she dared not hide it any longer.


    Indeed, Du Hanshuang was quite innocent. She went on to describe, without omission, the events of that day, what had transpired in the car that afternoon, and even her visit to the security department of the Belle Corporation¡ªnot skipping a single word.


    After speaking, Du Hanshuang felt her face burning even hotter, her little heart pounding wildly!


    Liu Jie managed to listen withoutughing yet looked at Du Hanshuang with a strange expression on his face, shaking his head without saying a word.


    "Uncle Liu, why are you looking at me like that?"


    Seeing Liu Jie tilting his head and regarding her with a peculiar look, Du Hanshuang felt even more embarrassed.


    "Never mind, you don''t need to follow him anymore."


    Liu Jie sighed.


    "Why? That guy is obviously not normal!"


    Du Hanshuang quickly asked, bewildered why Uncle Liu would suddenly say not to follow after she had just uncovered so many clues.


    "He''s already noticed you, what''s the point of following him?"


    Liu Jie rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed.


    Du Hanshuang was momentarily stunned, then quickly caught on and asked urgently:


    "Are you saying that him going into that store and saying those things to me in the car was all deliberate?"


    "What do you think?" Liu Jie sighed slightly and looked at Du Hanshuang before saying, "Ah, what a foolish girl!"


    Fire sparks immediately zed in Du Hanshuang''s eyes, as mes surged from her Dantian.


    "This bastard, how dare he toy with me like this! I will never let you off!"


    .....


    Simrly, on this very night, in the basement of an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Jianghai.


    A somewhat portly middle-aged man was dragged in by two burly men, a ck cloth bag covering his head.


    "Who are you? Why have you kidnapped me?"


    The middle-aged man screamed in panic, but no one answered him.


    Then, one of the burly men removed the bag from his head, and a dim pendant light swung in front of the middle-aged man.


    The light made him ufortable, and he shielded his eyes with a hand, taking a few seconds to adjust.


    "Who exactly are you people? Do you know who I am? I am Xiao Dingguo, the chairman of the Xiao Corporation!"


    The middle-aged man shouted again, seemingly full of authority, but inside, he was terrified to the core!


    He was having a wonderful time with his mistress when suddenly, two men burst in and knocked him unconscious.


    When he woke up, he found himself in a car with his hands and feet bound.


    He had no idea where the car was heading; he could only feel it speeding along.


    However, faced with the man''s shouting, the two burly men showed no reaction, simply standing quietly by his side.


    "Chairman Xiao, long time no see!"


    Just then, a voice came from outside the door, followed by a man in his early thirties entering. His voice was calm, his smile warm.


    But the moment Xiao Dingguo saw the man, he felt his entire body turn cold.


    "Lv, Young Master Lv, why have you kidnapped me?"


    Xiao Dingguo asked with a tremble in his voice, his eyes darting away.


    "Of course, it is to discuss some matters with Chairman Xiao. I was afraid you might be too busy to grant me a meeting, which is why I resorted to such an uncivilized approach."


    Lv Shimo smiled as he walked up to Xiao Dingguo, gazing steadily at him.


    "What business does Young Master Lv wish to discuss with me?"


    Xiao Dingguo asked, lips quivering slightly, not daring to meet Lv Shimo''s gaze.


    "Why pretend to be confused, Chairman Xiao?" Lv Shimo said lightly, "It''s about my younger brother''s incident, of course."


    "I really don''t understand what you mean, Young Master Lv. How could your brother''s affair involve me?"


    Xiao Dingguo feigned a puzzled look and asked as ifposed.


    "I think my brother''s death is certainly connected to your darling daughter. Who else should I ask if not you, her father?"


    "How is that possible? How could the death of Second Young Master Lv be rted to Xiao Yaning?


    Xiao Dingguo, having been around the block a few times, yed his part well, and continued,


    "Moreover, that ingrate Xiao Yaning has already severed father-daughter ties with me. You must be aware if you read the newspapers, Young Master Lv."


    Xiao Dingguo''s reluctance to give up Su Chen was not to protect Su Chen, but rather because he was afraid!


    He couldn''t forget Su Chen''s warning and those indifferent, deathly eyes before he left; just thinking about them sent chills down his spine.


    If this guy didn''t hesitate to kill Second Young Master Lv, would he care about taking one more life¡ªhis own?

 Chapter 201 - 201 Undercover The Mole

    Xiao Dingguo might have kept saying he didn''t know, but who was Lv Shimo?


    The moment he stepped in and noticed Xiao Dingguo''s eyes drifting, not daring to meet his own, he was certain¡ªhis guess was correct, Xiao Dingguo must be an informed insider.


    "Young Master Lv, I really do not know anything about your brother''s affair, please let me go!"


    Xiao Dingguo pleaded earnestly.


    "It seems that Chairman Xiao won''t shed tears until he sees the coffin, then I''m afraid I must show some disrespect."


    Lv Shimo walked to the side, lit a cigar, and started smoking.


    The two hefty men immediately hoisted Lv Shimo up, leaving his feet dangling in the air, and Xiao Dingguo immediately felt as if every muscle in his body was being stretched, causing excruciating pain.


    At that moment, one of the burly men grabbed a stick from the side and began to beat Xiao Dingguo with it.


    "Bang bang bang~~~"


    The sound of heavy impacts reverberated non-stop in the basement. Soon, Xiao Dingguo spat out a pool of fresh blood.


    If possible, he really wanted to reveal that person''s name, but he feared death more than anyone.


    It was just a beating now, he thought, endure it and it will pass. He believed Lv Shimo was just testing him, and if he persisted in keeping silent, he would eventually let him go.


    Die or take a beating, Xiao Dingguo naturally chose thetter, although it was also very painful.


    Ten minutester, Xiao Dingguo already felt as if his internal organs had shifted out of ce, and the scars on his body were horrific to look at.


    Xiao Dingguo might have never imagined that he could endure such severe pain!


    It was a belief that sustained him, the thought that enduring would mean it would soon pass, but if he spoke up, he might lose his life!


    It must be said, sometimes the fear of death can unleash infinite potential, as in the case of Xiao Dingguo at that moment!


    "p p p~~"


    At that moment, apuse rang out. Lv Shimo walked up to Xiao Dingguo with a smile, clucking in admiration:


    "I did not expect, Chairman Xiao, that you would be such a tough nut to crack!"


    Lv Shimo did not appear to be worried at all about whether Xiao Dingguo would speak; he remained calm andposed.


    "Lv, Young, Master, I, really, don''t , know."


    Xiao Dingguo muttered weakly.


    "Is that so?"


    Lv Shimo turned around, walked over to a table by the wall with a box on it, opened the box, and took out a syringe and a bottle of reagent.


    He then inserted the needle into the reagent bottle, drawing out some of the liquid, which was a pale yellow color.


    With the syringe in hand, Lv Shimo walked back to Xiao Dingguo, his face still adorned with a professional smile.


    "Lv, Young Master, what, what are you going to do?"


    Seeing this scene, Xiao Dingguo couldn''t help but tremble with fright.


    People are most afraid of the unknown, and Xiao Dingguo had no idea what the consequences would be if this substance were injected into his body.


    "Chairman Xiao, this is a concentrated nerve-stimting drug. If after three injections, you still insist you do not know, only then will I believe that you truly do not know."


    As he spoke, Lv Shimo nced at the two musclemen, and they immediately stepped forward to restrain Xiao Dingguo''s body.


    Lv Shimo walked over with a serene expression, inserted the needle into Xiao Dingguo''s vein, and slowly injected a bit of the pale yellow liquid, then released his grip on him.


    But with just that little amount, Xiao Dingguo''s eyes soon became bloodshot, his suspended body violently shaking, and his facial features seemed to contort together.


    It was evident the pain he was enduring, a pain Xiao Dingguo had never imagined¡ªevery pore, every cell seemed to be aching!


    His eyes gradually lost focus, his movements grew milder, and a whileter, hepletely passed out.


    "Ssh water on him to wake him up."


    Lv Shimo coldly ordered, and the two musclemen immediately went to fetch two buckets of ice water from the car, and furiously poured them over Xiao Dingguo''s body.


    Xiao Dingguo experienced a jolt and immediately snapped awake. When he saw Lv Shimo''s seemingly harmless face, his heart trembled violently!


    "Chairman Xiao, ready to talk now? Or shall we try another jab?"


    Lv Shimo once again lifted the syringe and walked toward Xiao Dingguo.


    "Don''t, don''t, please, I''ll talk, I''ll talk!"


    Xiao Dingguo shook his head in terror, gazing at the syringe. He was so frightened that he could not bear to go through that terrible experience again!


    "That''s more like it, why make things hard for yourself?"


    Lv Shimo passed the syringe to a burly man beside him with a smile.


    "Su Chen."


    Xiao Dingguo murmured a name.


    ......


    Su Chen was naturally clueless about what was happening in the basement in the outskirts of Jianghai that night.


    The next morning, after he finished his Cultivation, he proceeded to make breakfast as usual. After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue left the house first, and it was almost half an hourter when Su Chen left.


    Upon arriving at the security department, Meng Shan, as usual, took the initiative to brew him a cup of tea.


    But today, Su Chen did not thank him as usual. Instead, he looked at him scrutinizingly, making Meng Shan feel uneasy.


    "Brother Su, why are you staring at me like that?"


    Meng Shan asked, his voice tinged with nervousness.


    "Meng Shan, have you done anything to betray me?"


    Su Chen asked coolly.


    "How could that be?" Meng Shan''s eyes widened in innocence as he swore with his hand raised, "You''re like a brother to me, how could I ever betray you?"


    "Really? No betrayal?"


    Su Chen gave him a skeptical look.


    "Absolutely not!"


    Meng Shan responded without hesitation.


    "Alright then, go about your business."


    Su Chen waved his hand and furrowed his brows in thought.


    If not Meng Shan, then who could it be? Who was Lin Ruoxue''s "undercover agent" nted close to him?


    Su Chen''s gaze swept over the faces of everyone in the security department, imagining who the "traitor" could be.


    But after a moment''s observation, he came up empty, which irritated him.


    The thought of any little thing he did reaching Lin Ruoxue''s ears made Su Chen feel on edge, as if he''d be constipated even going to the bathroom!


    Was he overthinking it, with no such person existing at all?


    Or was it because he went through the lobby with the girl yesterday and someone else saw, so they told Lin Ruoxue?


    But it made no sense; while it was certain people had seen them in the busy lobby, no one in the group knew about his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue apart from Meng Shan and Liu Yuan¡ªhow would they tell Lin Ruoxue without any reason?


    Thus, Su Chen was certain there must be a "mole," and that mole was within the security department!


    Could it be Liu Yuan?


    However, Su Chen quickly dismissed this thought; Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t seek out someone as honest as Liu Yuan.


    Just as Su Chen was anxiously fretting over the "mole," a roar like that of a mighty lioness erupted outside the Belle Building:


    "Su Chen, you bastard! Get out here to me now!"

 Chapter 202: A Miscarriage of Justice Through the Ages, Su Chen

    As soon as that roar of the lioness from the river east erupted, it immediately shook the entire Belle Building.


    Many people ran out to see what was happening, while others clung to the windows to look down.


    Ever since he had publicly beaten Zhang Mingyu and others, Su Chen''s name had be well-known throughout the Belle Building.


    Everyone began specting, who was this girl, and what was she doing looking for Su Chen?


    Most people''s thoughts inevitably drifted towards thoughts of romantic abandonment, just look at her¡ªher face full of anger, grief, and even a bit of shyness. What else could it be if not romantic abandonment?


    Upstairs, Lin Ruoxue also coldly watched from above, her teeth tightly clenched.


    Xia Qiuru behaved simrly, though her expression also carried a hint of reluctance...


    The security department was on the first floor, and of course, the people inside heard it all and couldn''t help but cast strange nces at Su Chen.


    "Brother Su, what did you do to that girl? You made here and explode early in the morning," Meng Shan asked with a suggestive look, "Did you knock her downst night and then deny it?"


    "Knock your head, how would I know what''s going on?"


    Su Chen smacked him on the head and then stood up to walk out.


    By this time, a crowd had gathered at the entrance of the Belle Building. Work was boring enough, and a juicy scene like this just couldn''t be missed.


    The moment Su Chen stepped out, those women began pointing and whispering about him.


    "It''s him, utterly shameless, not even sparing such a young girl."


    "Yeah, he looks handsome and I used to admire him, but I never expected him to be a beast in human clothing."


    "Exactly, I misjudged him too. This little girl looks about eighteen or neen, maybe not even eighteen yet, still a minor, and that beast had the heart toy a hand on her!"


    "You guys just don''t understand, do you? This is called a Lolitaplex!"


    At that moment, a man walked by, a look of envy on his face as he spoke.


    "Exactly, isn''t there a saying? ''Lolitas have three virtues: light body, soft figure, easy to knock down!''"


    Another man chimed in dreamily, clearly one of those well-acquainted with this sentiment.


    "Right, and look at this Lolita, so iconic; she really is a top-notch Lolita!"


    "You men are indeed all b@$#&^%, bastards!"


    "Exactly, someone should stuff you beasts in human clothing back into the womb for reformation, to thoroughly reform your thoughts."


    "What reform? It would be better to crush your bones and scatter your ashes, otherwise you''d juste out and ravage nature again!"


    ...


    As soon as the men finished speaking, they immediately attracted a wave of fervent condemnation from the femalerades, scaring them into shutting up and sheepishly retreating back to the male camp.


    The voices of these people naturally all entered Su Chen''s ears, and he couldn''t help but bitterly smile. He hadn''t said anything, hadn''t done anything, and yet how had he be the target of usation by thousands?


    However, Du Hanshuang wasn''t as perceptive as Su Chen, and since everyone deliberately lowered their voices while discussing, she naturally didn''t know what everyone had said.


    The moment she saw Su Chene out, two beams of sharp light shot from Du Hanshuang''s beautiful eyes directly at Su Chen, like thunder and lightning.


    Her pretty face was also covered with dark clouds, her gaze fiercely fixed on Su Chen.


    When Su Chen saw this young girl looking like she wanted to eat someone, he was also greatly startled, wondering if this youngdy had taken the wrong medicine this morning.


    "What are you looking for me for?"


    Su Chen asked, clearly annoyed.


    Seeing him still ying dumb, Du Hanshuang''s chest heaved violently as she coldly spat out:


    "Don''t you know what you did yesterday?"


    As these words were uttered, the crowd immediately burst into an uproar, firmly convinced it was a love scandal caused by Su Chen''s irresponsibility from beginning to end.


    "Little girl, you can eat carelessly, but you shouldn''t speak carelessly!" Su Chen feltpletely ndered and dered righteously, "Tell me, what exactly did I do yesterday?"


    "You, you were in the car yesterday..."


    Du Hanshuang found it somewhat difficult to talk about that matter, stomping her foot and said indignantly:


    "Oh, such embarrassing things, I''m too ashamed to even say it! Are you still pretending to be confused?"


    However, what Du Hanshuang didn''t know was that her words gave the crowd endless room for imagination...


    "In the car, eh! That''s pretty wild!"


    "Hmm, it must have been thrilling, just thinking about it makes one insanely jealous!"


    "Did you hear what she said? Such embarrassing things she couldn''t even speak of, must have been very open y!"


    ...


    Of course, these were the voices of the money-hungry wolves, the women certainly didn''t speak like that.


    "Beast, a beast in human clothing!"


    "Scum! They should castrate him!"


    "Castration is nothing, such scum shouldn''t even be alive!"


    Upon hearing the women''s discussion, Su Chen couldn''t help but exhale, Indeed, a woman''s heart is most toxic!


    And those money-hungry wolves aren''t any better, do you all think I''m as filthy as you?


    The floor Lin Ruoxue was on wasn''t particrly high, and since the windows were open, she could almost hear Du Hanshuang''s words.


    At that moment, her stunning face was covered in frost, looking like anyone who approached could be frozen solid.


    "This bastard! He spoke so nicely yesterday, turns out it was all lies! And in the car... Hmph!"


    "Could it be that he can''t eat at home, so he has to go out and cheat?"


    Su Chen suddenly heard a familiar "Hmph" in his ears and hurriedly looked up towards the upper floors, only to see a freezing gaze directed at him.


    Su Chen immediately felt as if he had fallen into an ice cer, Oh no, the madam has surely misunderstood!


    No, I must make her understand clearly!


    "Youngdy, I''m telling you, don''t nder me," Su Chen said earnestly, "You tell everyone clearly, what exactly did I do to you yesterday?"


    The crowd looked at Su Chen, some angrily, some seriously, and began to feel a bit suspicious.


    Could it be that we guessed wrong, and it''s not what we thought?


    Lin Ruoxue''s expression also eased a bit, maybe I misunderstood? Let''s hear what this girl has to say first!


    Looking at the girl, she didn''t seem like someone who would lie.


    "How could I exin it any clearer!"


    Du Hanshuang suddenly became a bit coy, her face flushed as she said:


    "It''s about that matter with the condom yesterday, oh, it''s so embarrassing!"


    The crowd burst into an uproar once again, they were just a bit puzzled before, but now the evidence seemed clear!


    Mentioning a condom, what else could it be but that sort of thing?


    At that moment, the women''s gaze towards Su Chen grew even more disdainful, and the expression on Lin Ruoxue''s face upstairs grew colder still...

 Chapter 203: The Man in the Photo

    Upon hearing Du Hanshuang''s words, Su Chen really felt an impulse to bash his head against something.


    This girl had only spoken two sentences, but those two sentences hadpletely sculpted Su Chen into the image of a lecher!


    If it had been under normal circumstances, he might have let it go, but Lin Ruoxue was still watching from upstairs!


    Su Chen decided he absolutely could not let this girl continue speaking, who knows what else mighte out of her mouth.


    Though she wasn''t exactly lying, her words were just too easily misinterpreted, weren''t they?


    "Come with me!"


    Su Chen, feeling exasperated, grabbed Du Hanshuang''s slender arm and pulled her toward a secluded spot nearby.


    Naturally, Du Hanshuang was not pleased with his roughness and instinctively tried to dodge his grip, but found that even after attempting to evade, her arm was still firmly caught by him.


    That shocked Du Hanshuang quite a bit, considering she was a Qi Refinement First Layer expert with exceptional talent, especially noted for her agile movements!


    If not for these abilities, she wouldn''t have been recruited by the Special Security Bureau, a ce that wasn''t known for amodating ckers.


    But Du Hanshuang had never imagined that, with her impressive skills, she would be unable to avoid this man''s casual grasp, which really surprised her!


    As she was still stunned, Su Chen had already pulled her along and continued walking straight ahead¡­


    The crowd watched this scene unfold with some confusion. What was Su Chen trying to do?


    Was he, driven by anger and embarrassment, nning to threaten the young woman?


    The others didn''t go after them to see what was happening, not because they didn''t want to, but because Lin Ruoxue had alreadye down.


    "What are you all doing here? Don''t any of you have work to do?"


    Lin Ruoxue said coldly.


    People looked at Lin Ruoxue''s ice-cold face, one that seemed like it could freeze someone to death, and not daring even to breathe heavily, they quickly went inside and returned to their desks.


    After everyone left, Lin Ruoxue looked at the two figures behind the small grove from a distance, her beautiful eyes shooting mes.


    The mes seemed like they could incinerate the entire grove along with those two figures to ashes.


    "Let go, you''re hurting me!"


    Du Hanshuang, clearly annoyed, pouted and said.


    "Spit it out, what exactly are you here for today?"


    Su Chen also released Du Hanshuang''s arm, his face cloudy as he looked at her.


    He didn''t mind being misunderstood by others, but he didn''t want to be misunderstood by Lin Ruoxue. Yesterday, he had only just barely cated her, only to have this girl stir up such a scene early this morning, making him sound lurid¡ªlike he had dirtied his trousers, guilty even if innocent.


    "You''re asking me what I''m here for? Were you doing it on purpose in the car yesterday?"


    Du Hanshuang thought to herself, ''You''re annoyed? I''m the one who''s really annoyed, alright?''


    "What do you mean ''on purpose''?"


    "Did you already know I was tracking you, and did you deliberately walk into that adult shop that day? And what about thosements about condoms in the car yesterday¡ªwere you saying those on purpose too?"


    Now that they were free from the gaze of onlookers, Du Hanshuang no longer held back and fired off the questions she''d been wanting to ask like a barrage of bullets.


    Only then did Su Chene to realize why the girl was so furious this morning.


    So she knew he had been fooling her!


    With that thought in mind, Su Chen couldn''t help but start tough, then he asked,


    "Did you tell anyone else about these incidents?"


    In Su Chen''s view, if this girl hadn''t realized she was being yed after walking into that shop the first day, she definitely wouldn''t have caught onter.


    The only possibility was that she had told someone else, who had then enlightened her.


    It hadn''t urred to Su Chen that this young woman would have shared such things with others, which was quite naively adorable of her!


    "So you did know all along!"


    Du Hanshuang was no fool, just a bit naive.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, it became clear to her that he had indeed discovered her presence early on and had indeed been toying with her.


    This strong sense of pride would not allow her to endure it. Her beautiful eyes red at him like sharp des, her cute little fists were clenched tightly, and her teeth gnashed with a "click click" sound.


    "Why are you staring at me like that? Who allowed you to track me!"


    Su Chen pretended to be weak as he spoke, and honestly, this little girl did look quite intimidating.


    "You jerk!"


    Du Hanshuang threw a punch at Su Chen''s face without hesitation, as if she couldn''t stand to look at his detestable face any longer.


    Although her investigative skills were poor, her talent in Martial Arts was indeed considerable. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been able to enter the First Layer of Qi Refinement at such a young age.


    That little pink fist was as fast as lightning, with a formidable momentum, and the "sizzle" of the air being torn followed its path...


    "I''m telling you, you don''t hit someone in the face when you punch!"


    Su Chen, startled by the power of the Fist Mang, quickly dodged to Du Hanshuang''s back.


    If this girl had hit anywhere else, Su Chen would have let it go, considering it as letting her vent.


    But if you aim for the face, how could that be okay? That''s the moneymaker!


    Seeing her punch hit nothing but air, Du Hanshuang grew even more enraged, ready to turn around and attack again.


    Just at that moment, two hands suddenly reached out from behind her, grabbing her arms.


    Du Hanshuang was shocked and immediately tried to elbow her attacker, but the person behind her was quicker, firmly controlling her arms and leaving her no space to exert force.


    "You jerk! Let go of me!"


    Du Hanshuang began to struggle violently, her face flushing a bright red.


    "Why should I? You want to hit me and want me to let you go? No such luck."


    Su Chen teased her in response.


    "If you hadn''t teased me, would I have hit you?"


    Du Hanshuang tried hard to turn around, but she could only move a little, catching a glimpse of Su Chen''s profile.


    That, too, was only because Su Chen hadn''t held her too tightly on purpose.


    "If you hadn''t tracked me, could I have teased you?"


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "You jerk, do you have some kind of ulterior motive towards me?"


    This had been bothering Du Hanshuang for a while. This guy intentionally entered that shop and said those embarrassing things to her. Could it be that he had some dirty ideas about her?


    In today''s society, there were far too many sleazy men, and it wouldn''t be a surprise if this one was just the same!


    "Psh, with your ''airport'', you can''t evenpare to a small bun, I''m not blind."


    Su Chen nced disdainfully at Du Hanshuang''s chest as he spoke.


    Of course, Su Chen was doing this on purpose. Honestly speaking, the girl did look quite charming.


    Although Su Chen harbored no such intentions, he had to admit that she was a beauty in the making; it was just that she hadn''t fully matured yet.


    Su Chen thought that upon hearing hisment, the girl would definitely be more furious and might even want to fight him to the death.


    But, to Su Chen''s surprise, she didn''t react at all, which really took him aback!


    He quickly nced at the girl and saw her twisting her body to stare steadfastly at him, with a puzzled expression emerging on her face.


    "Girl, don''t tell me you''ve fallen for me because I''m handsome?"


    Su Chen hooked up a mischievous smile and purposely teased her.


    Upon seeing that smile, a lightning bolt seemed to sh through Du Hanshuang''s mind.


    Although she could only see half of Su Chen''s profile, that slight smirk, in that instant, ovepped with an image from her memory.


    Du Hanshuang immediately eximed in shock:


    "I know who you are! You''re the man in my sister''s photo!"

 Chapter 204: Brother-in-law?

    Su Chen was momentarily startled when he heard Du Hanshuang''s words, and he let go of her involuntarily.


    "Exactly, it must be you!"


    After regaining her freedom, Du Hanshuang didn''t rush forward but stared intently at Su Chen''s face as she spoke, though her words seemed more for her own affirmation.


    She had often seen her sister holding a photograph, quietly lost in sorrow, her expression lonely. She had also caught glimpses of that photograph.


    It featured a man, or to be precise, a man''s profile.


    The man had distinct features, with a slightly mischievous smile on his face, projecting a somewhat cynical air.


    She had once asked her sister who he was, but her sister just sighed and said nothing.


    Although her sister said nothing, Du Hanshuang had remembered that profile.


    Just a moment ago, when Su Chen revealed a mischievous smile, Du Hanshuang, looking from the side, was surprised to discover that he looked exactly like the man in her sister''s photograph.


    No wonder that day at the tea house, she thought he looked vaguely familiar. That exins it.


    "What''s your sister''s name?"


    Su Chen, slightly puzzled, tilted his head. He wasn''t sure if he was the man this young girl was referring to, because he had indeed entangled himself in numerous affairs in the past.


    "Du Hanbing!"


    Looking at Su Chen''s face, Du Hanshuang said word by word:


    "Do you still remember this name?"


    "You are Hanbing''s sister?"


    Su Chen suddenly widened his eyes in disbelief, then his expression grew mncholic.


    Du Hanbing¡ªhow could he forget that name?


    It was a name etched into his marrow, flowing in his blood!


    They had fought side by side for over two years, countless times skirting the edge of danger,forting and relying on each other!


    Butter, due to certain reasons, he had to leave that ce, departing without saying goodbye to anyone!


    They probably still me me to this day! Especially Hanbing, she must hate me by now!


    He was not unaware of Du Hanbing''s affection for him, but the ce they were in simply did not allow such feelings to arise!


    "Is Hanbing, doing well?"


    Su Chen asked hesitantly, his voice low and hoarse, as if something was choking his throat.


    "You really are that man!"


    With a burst of excitement, Du Hanshuang blurted out, previously even the greatest certainty was just a conjecture, but now this man''s words had confirmed her guess!


    Du Hanshuang couldn''t understand, what sort of person was her sister? To say she was a crucial national asset wouldn''t be an exaggeration, so how could she be entangled with this ordinary driver?


    Who exactly is this ordinary driver?


    At this moment, Du Hanshuang hadpletely forgotten her initial intention to reproach Su Chen for deceiving her, her mind filled only with questions about who Su Chen really was and what his rtionship was with her sister.


    She was certain that this man must have had an extraordinary rtionship with her sister!


    That much was obvious, or why else would her sister hold his photograph in sadness?


    Trusting her intuition, Du Hanshuang was almost certain that this man was her sister''s lover!


    "Are you my brother-inw?"


    Being rather straightforward, Du Hanshuang voiced her thoughts.


    This question, however, took Su Chen by surprise, and he shook his head slightly:


    "No."


    "Does my sister like you?"


    Du Hanshuang pressed on, her pretty face full of curiosity.


    But this question left Su Chen wondering how to respond, as any answer seemed incorrect.


    "Perhaps!" Su Chen said hesitantly.


    "What do you mean, ''perhaps''? I guess it must be," Du Hanshuang seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Su Chen''s answer, "You don''t know, I''ve seen my sister staring at your photograph, just staring nkly, like a mummy!"


    Hanshuang''s words made Su Chen fall silent, feeling as if his heart was being pressed by arge stone, making it hard for him to breathe.


    "So, do you like my sister?"


    Hanshuang spoke up again; because of her sister Hanbing, she now regarded Su Chen with a sense of kinship. The displeasures of the past seemed less important!


    This question made it even harder for Su Chen to respond, so he changed the subject:


    "Since you are Hanbing''s sister, let''s just call off our past disagreements! Okay, you go on with your tasks, I need to get to work."


    Having said that, Su Chen headed toward the Belle Building.


    "No, you have to tell me!"


    Hanshuang couldn''t easily let go of the man her sister had been longing for.


    "My sister is so beautiful, you wouldn''t believe how many people in Yandu like her! You must like her too, right?"


    "Also, why aren''t you two together? Is there some reason?"


    ...


    Hanshuang followed behind Su Chen, rattling off a barrage of questions like a little sparrow.


    "Where do you get all these questions from? Go busy yourself!"


    Su Chen flicked Hanshuang''s forehead with his finger, expressing his headache.


    After speaking, he quickened his pace and ran into the Belle Building, leaving Hanshuang behind as she didn''t pursue him after seeing him reluctant to answer any of her questions.


    She then clenched her small pink fists while watching Su Chen''s retreating figure:


    "Hmph, I will figure out what happened between you and my sister!"


    Then she turned and left, immediately making a phone call as soon as she sat in the car.


    "I''m going to share this good news with my sister right now; she will definitely be thrilled to hear it!"


    However, "beep" sound came from the other end of the phone before it went to voicemail.


    "Ah, she must be on a mission again. I''ll just have to wait until shees back to tell her."


    Hanshuang sighed, then stepped on the gas and drove back.


    .....


    Upon entering the Belle Building, Su Chen didn''t head to the security department but directly took the elevator to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    Kidding aside, Lin Ruoxue was so angry earlier that he had to exin things to her first¡ªafter all, she is his wife!


    The secretary outside, Chen Guo, wasn''t surprised to see Su Chen approaching; after all, this guy was almost alwaysing here once or twice a day.


    And from her observation, this guy had quite an unusual rtionship with the CEO!


    Almost every time after seeing him, the CEO would show some emotional changes, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.


    It must be noted, making the normally serious Lin Ruoxue emotionally fluctuate like this was no small feat.


    "President Lin, are you there?"


    Su Chen called out tentatively from outside the door.


    "President Lin, are you there?"


    Seeing no response from inside, Su Chen called out again.


    Chen Guo found this scene somewhat surprising; after all, this guy usually barged right in. What made him suddenly so polite today?


    But the CEO was inside¡ªwhy wasn''t she responding?


    "President Lin, I''ming in, okay?"


    Seeing no answer from Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen knew she had to be angry, which made him even more determined to rify everything.


    Then, nervously gripping the doorknob, Su Chen slowly pushed open the door, but just as he had opened it halfway, there came a roar from Lin Ruoxue.


    "Get out!"


    The following moment, a folder came flying over...


    Lin Ruoxue''s outburst also took Chen Guo by surprise; she had never seen Lin Ruoxue lose her temper like that!


    (ps: Today, because I am traveling home and the journey is long, the second update was dyed! I''ve promised my readers three updates today; rest assured, it will be done! The fourth update depends on the situation and I will try my best!)

 Chapter 205 - 205 Special Security Bureau

    Su Chen faced the flying folder without blocking it and even deliberately tilted his head to let a corner of the folder hit his forehead.


    Without a doubt, Su Chen intended to start with an act of self-harm!


    As expected, seeing Su Chen hit by the folder he threw, and noticing a faint bruise on his forehead, Lin Ruoxue was slightly stunned, her expression tensing.


    She was about to rise to check on him, but upon recalling the prior incident, she immediately sat back down, her face covered with ayer of frost!


    Su Chen hurriedly closed the door, picked up the documents, and then slowly walked towards Lin Ruoxue''s office desk, his face bearing a warm smile.


    Well, that was his perception, but this smile, in Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, seemed rather sleazy, just like him!


    It must be said, women are like that, when they see you in a good light, everything is good, but when they see you in a bad light, everything is bad, just like Su Chen at this moment.


    "Wife, are you angry?"


    Su Chen walked to the desk, neatly arranged the documents on it, and looked at Lin Ruoxue with a yful smile.


    Lin Ruoxuepletely ignored him, casually picked up a document to read, and even turned her chair to the side so that she faced him with her profile.


    Her thoughts were, isn''t that a foolish question?


    While flirting around outside, do you expect me, as your wife, to be happy about it?


    Although we haven''t truly consummated our marriage, we still have a marriage certificate issued by the state!


    "Wife, you are really beautiful, even your profile is so lovely!"


    Su Chen sincerely praised, though it was not just a matter of making conversation.


    Lin Ruoxue appeared not to hear, still focused on her document, even marking it with a pen, seemingly very serious.


    Su Chen, seeing Lin Ruoxue this way, felt somewhat disheartened as if punching cotton...


    He had originally nned to take a detour, first to ease the atmosphere, then slowly exin, but it turned out that Lin Ruoxue had absolutely no interest in babbling with him!


    Feeling helpless, Su Chen had to get to the point:


    "Wife, if I said today''s incident was a misunderstanding, would you believe me?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue''s hand paused for a moment, then she gave him a faint nce.


    That nce seemed to say¡ª "What do you think? Am I an idiot?"


    To be honest, if it were Su Chen himself, he probably wouldn''t believe it either, because Du Hanshuang''s few words were indeed ambiguous, leaving much room for imagination!


    For women, the most frightening thing is the imagination, and once the imagination starts, it''s not far from wild guesses!


    Lin Ruoxue had even conjured up numerous scenarios of him with that girl in the car in her mind, each time making her teeth itch with frustration!


    If it were before, Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t care, letting him y however he liked as long as it didn''t affect her.


    However, after these months together, to tell the truth, Su Chen had gradually entered her heart and upied a significant ce!


    Now facing such incidents, Lin Ruoxue found it somewhat unbearable!


    "I know you definitely won''t believe it, wife, I wouldn''t either, but this really is a misunderstanding!"


    Su Chen said, hanging his head, feeling very frustrated by this incident!


    At this moment, Su Chen wished he could p himself. Why did he even enter that adult store, why tease her at all?


    If she wanted to follow, just let her follow!


    After this lesson, Su Chen truly understood the meaning of the phrase¡ª "If you don''t seek death, you won''t die!"


    "What misunderstanding? Tell me about it!"


    Lin Ruoxue turned her body around, set down the document, her icy face mixed with a mocking tone, her beautiful eyes coldly staring at Su Chen.


    Her demeanor clearly said, keep making things up! I want to see what you cane up with!


    Su Chen initially had some confidence in resolving this matter, but upon seeing Lin Ruoxue''s expression, that confidence instantly shattered.


    However, he couldn''t me Lin Ruoxue, since he had brought this upon himself!


    Had Lin Ruoxue shown no reaction, their rtionship would truly be worrisome!


    Nheless, the most troublesome issue at the moment was still how to keep Lin Ruoxue from being angry, but how could he exin this matter?


    To rify the situation naturally involved mentioning that Du Hanshuang had been tracking him, which raised an obvious question: who was she, and why was she tracking him?


    This involved the identity of "the clown," after all, he was being tracked because of "the clown." Once the clown''s identity was involved, what about his own identity, being his brother?


    Moreover, Lin Ruoxue had already been suspecting his identity, and now it was even more difficult to exin.


    However, to spare Lin Ruoxue from heartache, Su Chen decided to reveal a bit of information to her.


    Moreover, he estimated that Tang Gang and the forces behind him would likely take action soon, which would mentally prepare Lin Ruoxue a bit as well.


    "Wife, haven''t you long suspected that my identity is extraordinary?"


    Su Chen looked into Lin Ruoxue''s eyes and said solemnly.


    Lin Ruoxue was somewhat stunned upon hearing Su Chen''s words, indeed, his identity had always been her biggest puzzle, but since he always avoided discussing it, she felt helpless.


    Only this wasn''t about the issue at hand, but rather his involvement with that girl; why was he bringing this up now?


    "Don''t try to change the subject!"


    Lin Ruoxue snorted coldly, thinking that Su Chen was trying to divert her attention by bringing up his identity.


    "I''m not changing the subject, because today''s incident is rted to this."


    Su Chen''s expression was very calm, even a bit serious.


    This made Lin Ruoxue also feel a bit nervous, her beautiful eyes fixed on Su Chen as she waited for him to continue.


    "Indeed, you guessed right, my identity is indeed not ordinary, but what exactly it is, I still can''t tell you at the moment. Not just me, but even the clown''s identity is very extraordinary."


    Su Chen lit a cigarette, took a drag, slowly blew out a ring of smoke, and continued:


    "For some special reasons, not many people know my identity right now, but a lot of people do know the clown''s identity. As soon as the clown entered Huaxia, he was targeted."


    "That day, I was having breakfast with the clown, so they also targeted me, although they do not know my identity."


    "What does that girl have to do with it?" Lin Ruoxue asked with a puzzled face.


    "That girl, she came to track me."


    "Track you?" Lin Ruoxue was greatly surprised and quickly asked, "Then who exactly is that girl?"


    "Special Security Bureau."


    "Special Security Bureau? Never heard of it."


    Lin Ruoxue shook her head, as she had never heard of this name before.


    "You''ve definitely heard of the National Security Bureau, right? You could think of the Special Security Bureau as being more mysterious, having a higher rank, and wielding greater power than the National Security Bureau. It''s just a more formidable unit than the National Security Bureau."


    Su Chen couldn''t be more specific with Lin Ruoxue, so he exined in a straightforward and simple manner!


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, Lin Ruoxue was momentarily stunned!


    She had heard of the National Security Bureau, knowing it to be a very mysterious unit with great power and formidable personnel!


    But Su Chen said that the Special Security Bureau was even more mysterious and powerful, much more formidable in all aspects, which really shocked Lin Ruoxue!


    The fact that such a powerful entity had set its sights on the clown as soon as he entered Huaxia, what did that imply?


    It only indicated that the clown''s identity was also very powerful! Otherwise, how could he have caught their attention so immediately?


    If the clown''s identity was so powerful, what about Su Chen¡ªthe clown''s elder brother?


    How terrifying must his identity be?


    Lin Ruoxue stared nkly at the man in front of her, her husband, unable to think any further...

 Chapter 206 - 206 Assassination

    "Who exactly are you? Why would the Special Security Bureau be after you?"


    Lin Ruoxue wondered if her husband was some kind of terrorist.


    Otherwise, why would he be targeted by the Special Security Bureau, an organization even more powerful than the National Security Bureau?


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Su Chen could tell what Lin Ruoxue was thinking by looking at her expression, and couldn''t help but let out augh.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not some base member, being targeted just because the clown''s identity is indeed not ordinary. They are unclear about what the clown is doing in Huaxia and are just a bit uneasy," he exined.


    "Really?"


    Having never dealt with matters at this level, Lin Ruoxue asked somewhat nervously.


    "Really!"


    Seeing her still worried, Su Chen added another line,


    "Let me put it this way, if the director knew I was here, he''d definitely scurry over to light my cigarette and serve me tea!"


    "How about that? Impressive, right? Aren''t you starting to admire me?"


    Su Chen couldn''t be serious for a few minutes and started to fool around again, grinning as he spoke and even giving Lin Ruoxue a wink.


    "Pfft!"


    Lin Ruoxue was amused by his antics andughed, her smile blooming like a flower:


    "Keep bragging!"


    Lin Ruoxue naturally didn''t believe Su Chen''s words. How could such an important figure light his cigarette and serve him tea?


    Just from Su Chen''s brief introduction, Lin Ruoxue had already gleaned the level of authority the Special Security Bureau possessed!


    It was possible that Su Chen knew someone from there. In her heart, she thought that perhaps Su Chen''s identity was indeed not ordinary, but he surely wasn''t important enough for such high-level figures to pay their respects to him!


    Su Chen smiled and didn''t argue, thinking that if there was a chance in the future, he might let that old guy treat him and Lin Ruoxue to a meal, but for now, it was not possible.


    "Everything''s okay now, right? Then I''m off!"


    Seeing that Lin Ruoxue''splexion had returned to normal, no longer icy cold like before, he prepared to leave.


    "Hmm, get lost!"


    As soon as she spoke, Su Chen hastily turned around to leave.


    But just as he took a few steps, an angry voice sounded from behind him!


    "You stop right there!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s shout startled Su Chen enough to immediately halt his steps. Turning around, he looked at her with some confusion:


    "Is there something else?"


    "Oh, hello there! Su Chen! You''ve learned to be slippery now, huh?"


    Lin Ruoxue tilted her head, looking at him mockingly, as the ice that had just melted off her face began to reform.


    "What''s the matter exactly?"


    Su Chen feltpletely baffled by her, like a monk who couldn''t touch his own head.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Lin Ruoxue let out a coldugh,


    "Up to now, you still haven''t exined why that girl came over this morning, and what exactly did she mean by those words?!"


    At this moment, Su Chen had to admire how astute his wife was. After all that talk, she still hadn''t forgotten the original issue!


    No wonder many people say it''s better to have a slightly foolish wife. Having such a sharp one who can''t be fooled, he thought, was really...


    But those things, Su Chen really didn''t know how to exin them to Lin Ruoxue. Thick-skinned as he was, he still felt awkward talking about those matters with his own wife!


    "So? You still don''t n toe clean?"


    What could Su Chen do? He could only carefully, timidly, and apprehensively share the whole story of how he had teased Du Hanshuang, keeping a nervous watch on Lin Ruoxue''s face as he spoke.


    Lin Ruoxue listened to Su Chen''s narration and finally understood the whole story.


    She waspletely speechless, not knowing whether tough or cry.


    All she could say was that her husband was really¡ªtoo despicable!


    If she had been that girl, she probably would have fought him desperately too!


    "Wife, I was wrong this time, I''m sorry!"


    Su Chen lowered his head in front of Lin Ruoxue, probably only Lin Ruoxue could make him admit his wrongs so honestly in this world.


    But who let her be his wife?


    Of course, Su Chen was not afraid of Lin Ruoxue, but respected her, which is what a man should do.


    "Don''t do it so casually in the future."


    After hearing Su Chen''s exnation, most of the anger in Lin Ruoxue''s heart had dissipated.


    However, the expression on her face did not improve much, Lin Ruoxue thought that she had to teach this guy a lesson.


    However, Su Chen had already heard from the tone of Lin Ruoxue that her attitude had softened, and he quickly struck while the iron was hot, saying behind her:


    "Wife, let me give you a massage!"


    With a cheekyugh, Su Chen came up behind Lin Ruoxue, his hands resting on her fragrant shoulders.


    "No need!"


    Lin Ruoxue shrugged her shoulders back and immediately stood up.


    This guy, every time she got angry, he would pull this stunt; this time, she definitely could not let him have his way.


    Although his massage skills were really good, every time after she was massaged by him, Lin Ruoxue felt refreshed and light all over!


    "You can go, I need to continue working!"


    Lin Ruoxue said in a calm tone.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen could onlyugh sheepishly, sighing to himself: It seems that the massage trick isn''t working that well anymore, I have to research other ways to coax my wife in the future.


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly sensed a sh of light, and his entire nervous system tensed up instantly, his pupils shrinking sharply!


    "Get down!"


    Su Chen pushed Lin Ruoxue down to the ground with one hand, his movements exceedingly swift!


    At the same time, a bullet instantly pierced the window ss, flying over Su Chen''s head and lodging into the opposite wall.


    "Stay down and don''t move!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Su Chen''s figure shed, and he darted behind the wall, then quickly nced outside.


    He saw a figure with blond hair and blue eyes carrying a case moving swiftly across the rooftop opposite.


    Su Chen did not immediately go out to chase because he was not sure if there were other enemies around, and naturally, Lin Ruoxue''s safety was the most important.


    However, Su Chen''s anger had already beenpletely provoked. His face was as cold as Ice Frost, giving a bone-chilling sensation!


    Those people''s target was clearly himself. If it were a normal situation, Su Chen would not have been so angry, but they actually attempted an assassination in front of Lin Ruoxue, which was unforgivable!


    Lin Ruoxue, seeing Su Chen''s stern face, was also taken aback; she had never seen Su Chen like this before!


    "Su Chen, what exactly is going on?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked timidly, after all, this was the first time she had encountered an assassination attempt, and she was quite stunned!


    "It''s okay now, that person has already fled!"


    Su Chen deliberately showed a slight smile, trying tofort Lin Ruoxue, to make her less afraid.


    But how could Lin Ruoxue not be afraid? That was a bullet!


    If she had been just a little bit slower, the consequences... Lin Ruoxue didn''t even dare to imagine!

 Chapter 207: Testing

    After a moment, Su Chen confirmed there was no longer any danger and let Lin Ruoxue get up.


    As she sat back down in her chair, Lin Ruoxue''s stunning face was still ashen, her heart pounding with residual fear!


    After all, Lin Ruoxue was nothing more than a woman, despite often appearing independent and assertive; she was ultimately just a woman.


    That she managed to maintain a semnce of calm to this point was quite impressive, not just for her¡ªany man facing such a situation would likely have been scared to wet himself!


    After offering her a few words offort, Su Chen took out a phone.


    "Joker, get to Belle Building in eight minutes!"


    Having said that, he hung up.


    "Okay!"


    The response from the other end was crisp and decisive, with no mention of where they were or any excuses of not being able to make it.


    For the people of Nether Temple, an order was an order!


    How youpleted it was your own business.


    At many critical junctures, there was no room for excuses or reasons!


    Although Nether Temple was a force in the Dark World, its adherence to discipline was among the top in the world, which was not unrted to Su Chen''s background in that mysterious unit.


    Joker was shopping with Han Xiao when he received Su Chen''s call, but as soon as he heard what Su Chen said, he immediately knew there had been an incident.


    Not daring to dy, he quickly hailed a cab to send Han Xiao home, then casually stole a Cadic on the roadside.


    This was child''s y for Joker; in less than a minute, the Cadic was speeding along the streets of Jianghai...


    Before long, Joker had already arrived at the base of Belle Building, just 7 minutes and 25 seconds after Su Chen''s call had ended!


    Su Chen waved to Joker from downstairs, and Joker quickly came up, then pushed the door and walked in.


    "Boss, what happened?"


    Joker hurriedly asked, but as his eyes swept across the small hole in the window, they narrowed, and a boundless murderous aura began to emanate from him!


    "Boss, who did this? Are they really begging King Yan to take their lives?"


    As Joker''s murderous aura spread, the air in the entire office seemed to freeze, making Lin Ruoxue suddenly stiffen, her breathing bing difficult as if she was enveloped by something...


    Su Chen immediately noticed Lin Ruoxue''s difort and shot Joker a stern look. Joker quickly reined in his killing intent, an awkward expression crossing his face.


    "Check the rooftop opposite."


    Su Chen ordered, and Joker went out immediately.


    Although Su Chen believed that no assassin would dare toe now, he still couldn''t be careless. He stayed by Lin Ruoxue''s side, particrly as he was concerned about her current state.


    Not muchter, Joker came back in, ready to report, but he stopped as soon as he caught Su Chen''s gaze.


    "You two go out and talk!"


    Lin Ruoxue by now also understood that their identities were extraordinary and knew that Su Chen had things he didn''t want her to know.


    However, she understood. Everyone had their secrets; as long as he cared about her, it was fine.


    And at the moment of danger, he had thought of her first¡ªthat was enough!


    "No need, we can talk by the window."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile, nonchntly moving to the window, followed by Joker.


    Feeling a warm surge pass through her, Lin Ruoxue knew he was concerned about her safety.


    "How is it? Did you find anything?" Su Chen asked, leaning against the window frame.


    "Nothing was found; the other party cleaned up very neatly, hardly leaving any traces."


    The clown shook his head and said,


    "The only thing we can be sure of is that there was only one assassin."


    Su Chen nodded, he had guessed as much. From the fact that the other party fired only one shot before immediately retreating and other signs, it was clear that this was an experienced sniper!


    "Boss, who do you think did this?" the clown asked.


    "My intuition tells me it''s probably rted to Tang Gang."


    Su Chen frowned slightly, although there was no evidence, he felt that it was Tang Gang''s doing.


    "This guy really has a guts to the sky, daring to repeatedly act against you!"


    The clown''s eyes shed with anger as he said indignantly,


    "Sooner orter, I willpletely eradicate his damn Skull Society!"


    The clown didn''t question Su Chen''s intuition because countless past experiences had taught him that the Hall Master''s intuition was the most reliable!


    Who knows how many times they had relied on his intuition to get through danger!


    "Today''s incident was just a probe," Su Chen said calmly at this moment, "He''s actually more afraid than anyone now, worried that I wille for his life. So, of course, he wants to get rid of this huge concern of his as soon as possible."


    "What do we do now? You''re not going to let this slide, are you?"


    "How could I?" Su Chen''s eyes emitted a fierce light, "Since he hase, does he think he can leave?"


    "Moreover, I judge that Tang Gang would not send only one person. I''ll give you three days to find their hideout. Since they dare toe, then let them stay here forever!"


    When Su Chen said this, his tone was mild, but his body exuded an air of a king, at this moment he had a domineering aura!


    The clown felt Su Chen''s momentum, and his frame shook with excitement revealing in his eyes!


    He felt like the Hall Master of old was back!


    "Yes!"


    The clown respectfully agreed with a voice and then hurried out.


    Now he alone had to locate a few people in the vast Jianghai within three days, the time was indeed tight.


    Su Chen noticed that Lin Ruoxue still looked quite unwell, and knowing that she had been quite frightened today, he decided to send her back to rest.


    Of course, Su Chen stayed at home with her, chatting with her to ease her mind...


    .....


    Meanwhile, at the Wu Family''s old house.


    "Why is there still no news?"


    The old Mrs. Wu looked gloomily at the middle-aged man in a purple robe in front of her.


    "I''ve already contacted them and haven''t gotten through. Moreover, I''ve sent several groups to search, but there''s not a single clue."


    The man in the purple robe replied with a trembling voice, lowering his head. He too was puzzled ¡ª how could the people he sent suddenly evaporate into thin air?


    "Old madam, I suspect they might have already encountered an ident, or even be dead."


    "Dead?" Old Mrs. Wu gave him a cold look, suddenly raising her voice, "Four experts, two martial artists, sent to deal with one young man, and you tell me they''re dead? Do you think that''s possible?"


    The man in the purple robe shook his head, not daring to say anything else. He also found his own guess hard to believe, considering he was well aware of those people''s strengths.


    But aside from that, what else could exin the current situation?


    "Continue to send people to find out what happened to those folks, and, that young man must die! I''m entrusting this task to you to handle fully!"


    Old Mrs. Wu swung her walking stick, pointing at the man in the purple robe as she spoke, her eyes filled with ice-cold frost!

 Chapter 208: Su Chens Ambition

    In the following two or three days, Su Chen was practically inseparable from Lin Ruoxue, following her wherever she went.


    Whether Lin Ruoxue was in the office, out negotiating with people, or in a meeting, Su Chen lingered by her side, giving Lin Ruoxue no end of headaches.


    He even stood guard outside the women''s restroom when she went in, and had she not been so insistent against it, he would have even gone in to keep watch.


    Lin Ruoxue was utterly exasperated by him. You''d think if he nted himself there, he''d stay put, but no, the guy had to be restless.


    For example, once when she was discussing a partnership with a fairly attractive woman, this guy kept staring at her, and always towards the ces he shouldn''t, making the woman so ufortable that she bolted after only 20 minutes of conversation.


    Then there was the time when they were in apany-wide meeting, and for some reason, this guy just started smoking nonchntly, drawing everyone''s gaze, shattering any semnce of a meeting atmosphere.


    Each time Lin Ruoxue reprimanded him, he would grin and promise to pay attention next time, but when it came to crunch time, he''d always pull some stunt!


    Because of these incidents in the past few days, every time people in the group saw the two together, they couldn''t help specting, discussing what exactly was the rtionship between this little driver and President Lin.


    It was at times like these that Meng Shan felt the immense pain of keeping a secret. He really wanted to shout out¡ªI know!


    But remembering Su Chen''s warning, he would dete, shutting his mouth, and it was so frustrating!


    ......


    Sitting in her office, Lin Ruoxue thought about the important HR meeting scheduled for the afternoon and started to feel the beginnings of a headache, wondering what kind of inappropriate thing Su Chen would do this time.


    Without meaning to, she nced over at the guy on the sofa, who was smoking, drinking her coffee, and holding a copy of a men''s fashion magazine, looking utterly contented!


    Even worse, he seemed to be enraptured by something he had read, his eyes shining with lecherous glee, almost drooling with excitement.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t have to look to know it was probably some beauty or the like; after all, it was a men''s magazine, known as Huaxia''s yboy!


    "Just endure for two more days, two more days. I''m not angry, I''m not angry," Lin Ruoxue kept reminding herself because this jerk had said the problem would be resolved in four or five days, and he wouldn''t need to follow her around anymore.


    Lin Ruoxue hadn''t asked him why it would be resolved in four or five days, nor had she asked how he nned to resolve it.


    On this matter, Lin Ruoxue still trusted him unconditionally.


    "Wifey, why are you looking at me like that?"


    Su Chen suddenly looked up at Lin Ruoxue, who was ring at him angrily, and couldn''t help feeling a bit puzzled.


    "It''s nothing."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t want to waste her breath on him; it was pointless anyway.


    However, Lin Ruoxue might not have wanted to deal with him, but Su Chen didn''t let her off the hook. He excitedly rushed over with the magazine in hand, spreading it out in front of Lin Ruoxue.


    "Wifey, look at this swimsuit, what do you think?"


    Su Chen asked excitedly, his face brimming with delight.


    Lin Ruoxue only took a brief glimpse at the page before she turned her gaze away, blushing, because the image was indeed...


    Yet Su Chen followed her gaze, magazine in tow, pointing to another picture:


    "Wifey, look at this one-piece swimsuit. Though it''s not as revealing as a bikini, it hides the essence of beauty. This desire for exposure yet shyness is what it''s all about."


    Su Chen spoke without restraint, praising the swimsuit-d woman on the page, clicking his tongue in admiration!


    Meanwhile, Lin Ruoxue''s face was flushing deeper and deeper. This guy, he was shameless!


    It''s one thing for him to look at this filthy stuff by himself, but why make me look at it?


    And it''s not enough just to look; he even has to discuss and elevate it to a matter of aesthetics!


    To put it inly, isn''t it just lust?


    And talking about concealed and shy beauty, that''s just...


    "Do you really think it looks good?"


    For some reason, Lin Ruoxue asked timidly, her face still red as she then lowered her head.


    "Of course, it does!"


    Su Chen didn''t hesitate to spit out his words, his eyes gleaming as if he were staring at a peerless treasure:


    "Look at this bodysuit, it truly captures the philosophical essence of ''what is concealed is revealed, and what is revealed is concealed.'' Although it doesn''t reveal much, it leaves endless room for the imagination!"


    Lin Ruoxue waspletely dumbfounded; this guy hadpletely lost all sense of shame!


    It was just a swimsuit, and he elevated it to a matter of aesthetics, and now even philosophy!


    Are you not afraid the sages will jump out of their graves and strangle you?


    "Honey, how about we go to the beach sometime, and you buy a suit like this to wear?"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue with a face full of hope, expectancy, and longing, imagining how his wife, so beautiful and with a figure so perfect it was unreal, would look in such a garment!


    It''s too much! Just thinking about it is enough to give me a nosebleed!


    After hearing what Su Chen said, Lin Ruoxue gave him a meaningful look.


    No wonder he was lecturing me at length. So that was his aim!


    A fox is always a fox; its tail will show eventually!


    Under Su Chen''s burning gaze, Lin Ruoxue lightly opened her lips and said:


    "In your dreams!"


    After that, Lin Ruoxue got up and walked out. Su Chen naturally followed her, continuing his persistent chatter:


    "Think about it, really, don''t you want to capture your most splendid moments? I can take photos of you, my photography skills are really good!"


    "Everyone says that beautiful things are meant to be shared. Isn''t it a waste to always wrap up your gorgeous figure so tightly?"


    ...


    No matter how eloquent Su Chen was, Lin Ruoxue remained unmoved!


    You have to know, Lin Ruoxue usually wouldn''t even wear sleeveless clothes, let alone that kind of outfit.


    Although it wasn''t a bikini, it would reveal quite a bit of skin, far beyond what she was willing to ept!


    Seeing that his talking was getting nowhere and Lin Ruoxue still hadn''t given in, Su Chen started to feel a bit frustrated.


    Others have wives, and they can embrace the virtues of marriage every day. Why can''t I even fulfill the simple wish of feasting my eyes on my own wife?


    It''s just infuriating topare!


    .....


    Almost at the same time, in an office of the Belle Building, a man in a suit and leather shoes was on the phone, his face bearing a confident and smug smile!


    "Lin Chao, your Belle Group should be having a meeting to decide on the Public Rtions Department head this afternoon, right?"


    A simrly young voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "Hmm, right, Meng Shan, your information is quite up-to-date!"


    Lin Chao said in a rxed and happy tone.


    "You confident?"


    The person on the other end of the phone asked.


    "Of course, whether it''s experience, capability, or the rules, it should be Vice Director Niu Xuewen stepping up."


    "Then let me take this opportunity to wish Lin Chao all the best in advance!"


    "I have to thank Meng Shan for your help! If Director Xiao hadn''t encountered that misfortune, it wouldn''t have been Niu Xuewen''s turn!"


    Lin Chao said meaningfully.


    "It was his own doing; who told him not to recognize what was good for him?"


    "Absolutely! The wise adapt to the times! Haha~~"


    Lin Chao''s hearty and carefreeughter echoed through the office...

 Chapter 209: The Story of the Chicken Leg and the Good Boy

    Lin Ruoxue usually ate her lunch in thepany cafeteria, and today was no exception.


    Su Chen had been closely following Lin Ruoxue. Although he appeared yful and carefree, he was actually constantly alert to everything around him.


    After getting their food, Su Chen, as usual, sat opposite her. It had been like this for the past couple of days.


    The people in thepany were bing more and more puzzled, wondering why these two were inseparable these days.


    Could it be that they were dating? But that seemed impossible!


    Who was Lin Ruoxue? The president of Belle Group, the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan, the dream lover of countless wealthy young men!


    And what about Su Chen? While handsome and somewhat charming, he was just a driver earning a few thousand a month!


    How could these two possibly get together? Unless the sun crashed into Earth...


    But even if, by some slim chance, they were actually dating, did they really need to be together all the time?


    Even if it was true love, it didn''t need to be this intense!


    Lin Ruoxue was well aware of the pointing fingers and buzzing gossip around her, but what could she do?


    Even if Lin Ruoxue weren''t afraid of danger and wanted to send him away, she couldn''t make him leave!


    This guy even dared to enter the women''s restroom, which showed how thick-skinned he was!


    Thus, Lin Ruoxue could only pretend not to hear these discussions.


    She thought to herself, if everyone knew this jerk was her husband, she wondered what their expressions would be.


    Xia Qiuru watched the two from a distance, feeling inexplicably irritable and saddened; it was just very ufortable.


    The food tasted like wax in her mouth. She really wanted to stop looking and stop thinking, but some things just couldn''t be controlled at will.


    It was like a spring. The more youpress it, the higher it bounces. Xia Qiuru felt she might go insane if this continued!


    But every time she encountered Su Chen, she didn''t know why she felt the urge to flee quickly!


    Was it because she feared hearing something she didn''t want to hear, or was she afraid of getting an answer she didn''t want?


    Xia Qiuru couldn''t quite exin it herself...


    Perhaps this was why the word "emotion" could be so torturous.


    Xia Qiuru quickly finished her lunch and went back to her office. Su Chen, of course, had no way of knowing about herplex feelings.


    At that moment, his attention was all on Lin Ruoxue.


    "President Lin, eat some meat, don''t just eat vegetables."


    Su Chen ced a chicken drumstick in her lunch box.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately grimaced. Being a germaphobe, how could she eat something from someone else''s te? Even if that person was her husband, she couldn''t ept it.


    "No, you eat it."


    Lin Ruoxue nned to give the chicken drumstick back to Su Chen, but he quickly held it down with his chopsticks and chuckled,


    "It''s fine, I''m healthy, missing one won''t hurt me. Look at you, you''ve lost weight recently. You should eat this drumstick."


    "I really don''t need it."


    Lin Ruoxue still tried to return the drumstick to him.


    "Come on, be good, eat it. How else will you have the energy to work?"


    Su Chen coaxed Lin Ruoxue like coaxing a child, making her feel a bit embarrassed.


    Two women sitting at a nearby table, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, suddenly widened their eyes, feeling a sense of unreality!


    What had he just said to President Lin?¡ª"Be good!"


    That was just too cheesy! It''s something only a couple deeply in love would say!


    The two women exchanged nces, both revealing expressions of shock!


    Looking at Lin Ruoxue, her face had turned red, just like a woman in love!


    The two women suddenly felt as if they had discovered a new continent, their expressions instantly filled with excitement, almost desperate to share this astounding discovery right away!


    So it turned out that Su Chen and President Lin really were a couple!


    Faced with Su Chen''s relentless teasing, Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to nibble at that chicken leg, a strange feeling rising in her heart.


    After Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen finished eating and left, those two women immediately shared their great discovery with their best friends.


    As a result, the news spread from one person to ten, ten to a hundred, a hundred to a thousand¡ªin less than an hour, almost the entire group knew the story about "the chicken leg and ''Be good!''"


    Of course, Lin Ruoxue, who got busy in her office after lunch, was oblivious to all this.


    At the moment, Lin Ruoxue was busy preparing for the afternoon''s HR meeting, especially since the previous PR director had passed away; naturally, a new director needed to be chosen.


    For Lin Ruoxue, who was keen on entering the international market, the PR department was obviously a very crucial department, and the choice of PR director was of the utmost importance.


    Important as it might seem, there didn''t seem to be much choice; from any aspect, the candidate was almost already decided¡ªit was the current deputy director, Niu Xuewen.


    Lin Ruoxue had even heard that he had prepared a celebration banquet for that evening. Although she wasn''t too fond of such behavior, after all, it was a minor issue as he waspetent.


    Around 2 p.m., Lin Ruoxue walked into the meeting room with Su Chen, or, to be precise, Su Chen followed her in.


    As they entered the meeting room, Lin Ruoxue sensitively noticed that everyone was looking at her strangely.


    Although people had been giving her and Su Chen odd nces over the past few days, this time it was clearly different.


    Just as Lin Ruoxue was puzzled by this, a female director she usually got along well with spoke up:


    "President Lin, the lunch today was especially delicious, wasn''t it? Especially that chicken leg, it must have been really tasty, right?"


    As the female director said this, she also gave Lin Ruoxue a teasing look.


    "Of course, it was eaten with a ''Be good,'' how could it not be delicious?"


    In this exchange, everyone in the meeting room burst intoughter, even Lin Chao joined inughing.


    Right then, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned red as a monkey''s butt, and she finally understood why everyone had been looking at her so strangely just now.


    It turned out the scene in the cafeteria had already be public knowledge, and looking at the situation, probably the whole group was aware of it already!


    Thinking this, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but feel a bit shy, and somewhat annoyed, she gave Su Chen a re¡ªit was all this troublemaker''s fault!


    Why did he have to pick up that chicken leg?!


    Unlike the heartyughter of others, Xia Qiuruughed very reluctantly.


    No wonder he refused to ept me¡ªit seems he had already gotten close with President Lin!


    If Su Chen had been close with any other woman, Xia Qiuru would have been very upset, but if it was Lin Ruoxue, she could only offer a bitter smile.


    In terms of looks, Lin Ruoxue was widely recognized as the number one beauty of Jiangnan, and although she considered herself pretty, she was still somewhat behind Lin Ruoxue.


    In terms of status, in terms of wealth, Lin Ruoxue was way out of her league...


    Although he had mentioned he was married the first time she rode in his car, Xia Qiuru had been somewhat skeptical all along.


    At this moment, she was even more certain; that was just a joke he had made back then.


    If he truly were married, how could someone as noble as Lin Ruoxue be with him?


    At that moment, Xia Qiuru decided to bury her feelings for him, letting them fade slowly as time passed...

 Chapter 210: Of course, its me

    "Alright, alright, stopughing¡ªlet''s start the meeting!"


    The female minister who had just spoken saw that Lin Ruoxue was too embarrassed to contain herself, and thus, she intervened to save her from further embarrassment.


    It was then that the crowd curbed theirughter, adopting a somewhat serious demeanor.


    Lin Ruoxue sent a nce of gratitude toward the female minister and thenposed herself, beginning the meeting''s agenda for the day.


    But a slight blush still lingered on her fair cheeks...


    "Today, we primarily need to discuss the session of the new Public Rtions Director. Everyone''s opinions are wee."


    In work mode, Lin Ruoxue was apletely different person from the somewhat girlish figure she was moments before, her gestures exuding an aura of authority thatmanded solemnity from the attendees.


    Although Lin Ruoxue held the ultimate decision-making power regarding personnel appointments, under normal circumstances she would seek the opinions of various parties, and she also respected the views of these middle and senior leaders.


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue finished speaking, someone stood up:


    "Director Lin, I believe that for the position of Public Rtions Director, no one is more suited than the current Deputy Director, Niu Xuewen. He has worked diligently in the department for many years and has always been hardworking andint-free."


    Hearing this, the crowd nodded in agreement.


    "Exactly, Director Lin. Not to mention Niu''s numerous contributions to thepany over the years, just on the basic criteria of capability and experience, he is the best candidate."


    Another minister added in agreement.


    "Right, Niu Xuewen is good."


    "I think he''s fit for the job!"


    "Indeed, Niu Xuewen undoubtedly deserves to seed as the Director."


    ...


    Before long, almost everyone had expressed their stance, which was that no one other than Niu Xuewen was fit for the position of Public Rtions Director.


    Watching this scene unfold, Lin Chao''s lips gradually curled into a smileced with profound meaning.


    The Marketing Department was nearly in hand. If he managed to secure the Public Rtions Department, and then two or three more departments, he would have the capacity to wrestle with Lin Ruoxue.


    At this thought, Lin Chao''s eyes inevitably drifted to the woman sitting opposite him, Xia Qiuru. If he could win her over, he would indeed be adding wings to a tiger.


    The Human Resources Department was even more crucial than the Public Rtions Department, and Lin Ruoxue greatly valued and trusted this woman. If he could secure her allegiance, couldn''t he ce his own people however he wished?


    When that time came, even overshadowing Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t be out of the question, after all, her shareholding wasn''t much more than his own. The majority of Belle Corporation''s shares were still held by the old man.


    Lin Ruoxue, hearing everyone unanimously rmending Niu Xuewen, didn''t find it too surprising, but she didn''t reveal her own stance, merely sweeping her gaze lightly over the crowd:


    "Does anyone have any other candidates?"


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, everyone fell silent; not a single person spoke, clearly indicating that they had no other candidates in mind.


    "Very well, since no one else has any objections, let''s officially appoint..."


    Lin Ruoxue paused for a moment, ready to make her final decision.


    At this moment, despite appearing calm on the surface, Niu Wenxue''s heart was racing to an extreme, overwhelmed with tension and excitement. He could even hear his own heart pounding thrillingly.


    He had been waiting for this day for too long!


    He should have been next in line thest time the position of Public Rtions Director was vacant, but for some reason, Lin Ruoxue decided on an open recruitment process instead.


    And she had indeed recruited a formidable candidate, Director Xiao, who not only graduated from a prestigious university but also had experience in arge multinationalpany.


    Compared to such an individual, Niu Xuewen felt significantly outssed...


    While he was feeling downcast, Lin Chao sought him out and invited him for a meal.


    The implicit message was that if Niu Xuewen decided to side with him, he could help him secure the position of Head of the Public Rtions Department.


    Although Niu Xuewen thought it unlikely, he agreed, after all, Lin Chao was the eldest legitimate grandson of the Lin Family, and it was uncertain who would take over the Belle Group.


    If he sided with him early on, perhaps he could get a huge return in the future!


    However, what he never expected was that just a few dayster, Director Xiao was killed in a car ident, and the police couldn''t find any evidence¡ªit was closed as an idental case.


    But he knew, it was definitely not an ident, it was man-made!


    After that, he became deeply anxious and frightened, he hadn''t expected that Lin Chao would dare to murder someone!


    Of course, he also became even more wary and frightened of Lin Chao, not daring to go against his words.


    Despite this, he was still excited and thrilled that the long-awaited position of Head of the Public Rtions Department was about to fall into hisp!


    He looked at Lin Ruoxue with a face full of anticipation, waiting for her to say his name.


    But just then, a somewhat casual, somewhatzy voice rang out.


    "Wait a minute, I have another candidate."


    When Lin Ruoxue heard this voice, ayer of frost appeared on her face. She thought this guy had finally settled down a bit today, but unexpectedly, at the critical moment, he showed up again.


    The others were initially startled, then quickly grew angry.


    What right does a little driver have to speak out of turn at such an asion? Even if you are in a rtionship with Lin Ruoxue, you should still know your ce, right?!


    During thest meeting, his public smoking had already dissatisfied everyone, but since Lin Ruoxue hadn''t said anything, they all refrained from objecting.


    But today was too much¡ªthis was a discussion about an important appointment within the group!


    However, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Chao''s heart sank with a thud, and a bad premonition welled up inside him.


    "Su Chen, we are in a meeting, don''t speak out of turn," Lin Ruoxue shot him a warning nce with her beautiful eyes.


    However, Su Chen appeared to be indifferent, with his hands in his pockets he said:


    "Didn''t you just ask if there were any other candidates? Why can''t I speak if I have another candidate?"


    Upon hearing his words, the rest of the group felt he was being deliberately provocative. The General Manager had indeed asked¡ªbut she asked us, the leaders, not you, a little driver.


    This guy is really taking himself too seriously!


    Lin Ruoxue knew that this guy had a stubborn nature and if she got entangled with him, there was no telling when it would end.


    So she asked him perfunctorily:


    "So tell me, who is your other candidate?"


    The others also looked at him with contempt, as if to say, let''s see what kind of candidate you cane up with!


    Do you know the Belle Group better than any of us?


    Amidst everyone''s gaze, Su Chen casually pointed to himself and said:


    "Of course, the candidate I''m talking about is none other than myself."


    Upon hearing his words, everyone was somewhat dumbfounded.


    You? A small driver? You actually want to be the Head of the Public Rtions Department? Are you sure you''re not joking?

 Chapter 211: Heavens Favored Child Lin Ruoxue

    However, unlike everyone else''s shock and scorn, a spark of understanding flickered in the beautiful eyes of Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru!


    They both knew just how heaven-defying Su Chen''snguage abilities were!


    To this day, they still couldn''t forget that test paper thoroughly introducing Belle Corporation with nearly two hundrednguages from various countries and regions.


    And for a Public Rtions department, proficiency in multiplenguages was clearly the most critical requirement!


    This was especially true for a corporation like Belle that aimed to break into the international market.


    The only thing that puzzled Lin Ruoxue was why he had repeatedly refused her invitations to join the Public Rtions department in the past, yet today he was volunteering for it?


    Regardless, this was a good development, and besides, Lin Ruoxue didn''t want her husband to remain a low-level driver indefinitely.


    Just when everyone thought Lin Ruoxue was going to reject Su Chen''s far-fetched request, she announced with unassable authority,


    "Fine, from now on, you are the Head of the Public Rtions department!"


    As soon as these words were uttered, amotion erupted among the crowd!


    Lin Chao''s expression grew stern, and his eyes shed with a sinister gleam!


    However, he didn''t rush to object because he knew there were more than just one or two people dissatisfied with Lin Ruoxue''s decision!


    Niu Xuewen''s face, in particr, was clouded with anger, his chest heaving with barely contained fury due to the tense atmosphere.


    Sure enough, someone promptly stood up:


    "President Lin, I oppose your appointment. Su Chen is only a driver,pletelycking experience in PR work," one person protested.


    "Indeed, I also object. The Head of the Public Rtions department is a key leadership position within our corporation. It cannot be granted so casually!"


    Thesements were now an implicit challenge to Lin Ruoxue''s authority.


    "President Lin, you mustn''t let personal feelings interfere with your professional decisions. I have nothing against Su Chen personally, but this appointment of yours is sheer chaos!"


    The speaker was a hot-tempered veteran vice president, his words pointedly using Lin Ruoxue, even going as far as tobel her decision as ''chaotic,'' clearly indicating his level of anger!


    With the veteran''s lead, others voiced their true thoughts.


    In essence, they were saying, Lin Ruoxue, you cannot grant such a critical position in the corporation to your lover, it''s an extreme disservice to thepany!


    Normally, Lin Ruoxue maintained significant respect in the corporation, certainly due to her ability and fairness in handling affairs.


    Now, to see everyone unanimously turn against her shows how outraged they were by Lin Ruoxue''s recent decision!


    Lin Chao, seeing the crowd''s fervent reaction, couldn''t help but reveal a yful smile.


    He then stood up, his eyes fixed on Lin Ruoxue as he said,


    "President Lin, I know you have a special rtionship with Su Chen, but I hope you can keep your personal and professional lives separate. Belle Corporation is not solely yours."


    Lin Chao''s identity extended beyond just being the Deputy Head of the Marketing Department; as a member of the Lin Family, his opinions carried considerable weight.


    Su Chen, seeing that Lin Chao had finally spoken up, disyed a faint smile on his face!


    His previous suggestion was merely a probe, designed to gauge Lin Chao''s reaction, and Lin Chao''s behavior had confirmed his suspicions.


    Undoubtedly, the death of that department head, Director Xiao, must be linked to him, and Vice Head Niu Xuewen was undoubtedly on his side...


    For a brief moment, everyone''s attention turned to Lin Ruoxue, awaiting her decision!


    To be honest, most employees of Belle Corporation felt a strong sense of belonging, wanting the corporation to thrive.


    If it wasn''t so, they wouldn''t be opposing so vehemently. After all, this is the Lin Family''s enterprise; why should it matter to us whether it prospers or fails?


    Facing the usations from the crowd, Lin Ruoxue remained unmoved, as if she had anticipated this very scene, her lips curving into a sly smile.


    "You all are the elite of the Belle Group, with exceptional skills and insights. In your opinion, what is the most important ability for the head of the public rtions department?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, smiling as she swept her gaze over everyone.


    "Firstly, it naturally involves handling various emergencies, especially the ability to manage crises, and secondly, the ability tomunicate and interact."


    The senior vice president, who had been with thepany for a long time, answered naturally.


    At this moment, everyone looked at Lin Ruoxue with puzzled faces, not understanding why she was asking these questions.


    "Vice President Tu was right just now. Wouldn''t you all like to know why I asked this question?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly said with a slight smile.


    Everyone nodded unconsciously, their confusion deepening on their faces.


    Su Chen stood beside Lin Ruoxue, watching her confidence, and silently sighed to himself. His wife was really something, takingplete control of the situation with just a few words, leading everyone to unconsciously follow her line of thought.


    Su Chenmented again at the unfairness of the heavens. Not only had they bestowed Lin Ruoxue with an extremely beautiful face and a perfect body that made all men fantasize,


    That wasn''t enough; they also gave her extraordinary intelligence and ability!


    Su Chen seriously wondered if Lin Ruoxue had spent her past life doing good deeds, for why else would the heavens be so generous to her?


    Of course, this was just a fleeting thought from Su Chen.


    "Since I insist on appointing Su Chen, and you all disagree, you all know that I, Lin Ruoxue, am not someone who makes decisions unterally, right?"


    Lin Ruoxue remarked gravely.


    "Indeed, President Lin has always been open-minded."


    "That''s right, President Lin has always been fair and just in our eyes, and we hope that you will always remain so."


    ...


    Faced with Lin Ruoxue''s question, everyone began to outdo one another in ttery, praising her for her fairness and impartiality, kindness, the ability to listen to candid advice, open-mindedness, and so on.


    At the same time, most of them also indirectly expressed the hope that Lin Ruoxue would continue in this manner and not let personal preferences tarnish the glowing image she held in everyone''s minds.


    Of course, specifically in the current appointment of the public rtions head, they hoped she would change her mind and appoint Niu Xuewen instead of Su Chen.


    Lin Ruoxue clearly understood the subtext of everyone''s words and smiled as she said:


    "Since there is a disagreement, we should all think of a way to resolve it and find a solution that everyone can ept¡ªdon''t you think that would make sense?"


    Naturally, there were no other responses to such a question, and everyone nodded in agreement, but how to resolve it?


    "Does President Lin have any specific methods in mind?"


    The somewhat hot-tempered Vice President Tu asked.


    Although he had a bit of a temper, he truly regarded the Belle Group as his own child.


    He had been striving alongside Old Mr. Lin for decades, and even though Mr. Lin had retired, he still couldn''t bear to leave.


    "A method? Well, there is one."


    Lin Ruoxue looked at the curious eyes of the crowd, paused slightly, and then said with a smile:


    "That would be to have the two of thempete on the spot."

 Chapter 212: Spirited Su Chen

    Everyone was a bit stunned when they heard Lin Ruoxue''s words.


    Have thempete in a match?


    Honestly, no one had expected Lin Ruoxue to suddenly propose such a method.


    "President Lin, what do you n to have thempete in? How will theypete?"


    The female minister who was quite close to Lin Ruoxue asked hesitantly.


    "Since it''s about selecting the leader of the Public Rtions department, naturally, it should be based on the requirements of the PR department."


    Lin Ruoxue said leisurely:


    "Just now, Vice President Tu also said that the most important aspects of the PR department are two abilities, one is the ability to handle emergencies, and the other ismunication skills. How about we base thepetition around these two aspects?"


    "That could work, but how will we judge it?"


    Vice President Tu slightly furrowed his brow and continued:


    "The ability to handle emergencies andmunication skills are both quite subjective, it''s hard to say who''s better or worse."


    "How about this, let thempete in how manynguages they are proficient in? This is easier to quantify, andnguage skill is also one of the most crucial basic skills in the PR department, especially for our Belle Corporation, which will soon be entering the international market. This ability is particrly important."


    "What does everyone think?"


    Vice President Tu turned his head, consulting everyone''s opinions.


    "Agreeable."


    "I think it''s feasible."


    "Let''s do it this way, it''s a fair solution, fair to both the young and the old!"


    ...


    The crowd quickly reached a consensus and agreed to the n proposed by Vice President Tu.


    "Well... okay then," Lin Ruoxue pretended to be a bit reluctant, "Since everyone agrees to this n, let''s go with it."


    In reality, her heart was already blossoming with joy. Vice President Tu was just too perfect, she hadn''t yet brought up thenguage skillspetition, and he had already taken the initiative to propose it.


    In everyone''s view, this n was clearly biased towards Niu Xuewen, or rather, it seemed specially designed for him, as most people already favored him.


    Because handling emergencies ormunicating with people is more about personal ability and talent. Su Chen may not have worked in PR before, but perhaps he was more agile and adept at handling such matters?


    Or maybe this young man had always been good at dealing with people?


    These were all unknowns, yet very possible.


    Being proficient in several foreignnguages, on the other hand, was different; you either know them or you don''t!


    It''s not something you can understand just by being smart or clever.


    Even if you had an IQ of 200, if you hadn''t learned English, asking you to speak it would still result in silence.


    As far as they knew, Niu Xuewen was proficient in thenguages of eight countries and regions, which was why he had made it to the position of Deputy Director of the PR department.


    And the other person was just a driver; how manynguages could he understand?


    If he really could surpass Niu Xuewen, would he still be just a driver?


    They just hoped he wouldn''t embarrass himself too muchter on, after all, that would also reflect poorly on President Lin!


    What they didn''t know was that Lin Ruoxue was already itching with anticipation to see their shocked expressionster.


    This was also quite understandable; after all, Lin Ruoxue was a woman and naturally hoped that her other half would be admired rather than despised and ridiculed.


    Of course, you could also call it vanity, but every woman harbors such thoughts, and Lin Ruoxue was no exception!


    At this moment, Su Chen was also a bit stunned. He hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue to actually have himpete against the other person.


    Honestly, Su Chen really had no interest inpeting with such a guy, wouldn''t that be demeaning?


    However, after seeing the expectant look in Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, a mischievous smile appeared in his eyes.


    "Honey, you really want me topete, don''t you?"


    Su Chen asked quietly beside Lin Ruoxue''s delicate earlobe, controlling his volume so well that those nearby could barely hear him.


    Lin Ruoxue hadn''t expected Su Chen to whisper to her in such a public setting, and a blush immediately flew across her pretty face.


    The crowd wasn''t blind and naturally noticed their intimate behavior, especially since Lin Ruoxue''s face had turned even redder!


    Feeling shy under everyone''s gaze, Lin Ruoxue hastily nodded almost imperceptibly.


    "Then you promise me, next time we go to the beach, you''ll wear that type of swimsuit."


    Su Chen leaned in even closer to speak, his breath so hot that Lin Ruoxue could feel it.


    However, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, her beautiful eyes shot out a ze of fury!


    This jerk! Thinking about that kind of thing at a time like this!


    Definitely a bad apple, a hoodlum, a pervert!


    "If you don''t agree, then forget it. I''m not interested inpeting with someone as dull as a pig!"


    Su Chen saidzily, acting as if he had Lin Ruoxuepletely figured out.


    This left Lin Ruoxue even more speechless, a chill flickering in her eyes!


    This jerk! Threatening her at this time!


    Would Lin Ruoxue agree to him?


    The answer was¡ªyes!


    Lin Ruoxue truly didn''t want to agree, but since she had already spoken, how could she back down now? How would she maintain her prestige in thepany?


    "Fine, I promise you, I''ll wear that outfit for you!"


    Lin Ruoxue said, biting her lip, flush and furious.


    "You shameless jerk, just you wait!"


    Lin Ruoxue silently vowed to teach this man a lesson, to show him why the flowers are so red!


    "Alright, honey, today I''ll really boost your spirits!"


    As soon as he heard Lin Ruoxue agree to wear that outfit, Su Chen''s spirits soared, his eyes gleaming with excitement.


    The people in the conference room saw his sudden change and thought he had gone mad!


    Little did they know, he waspletely stimted by his own adrenaline!


    "Hey, that, whatever your name, how do you want topete?"


    Su Chen, invigorated, lifted his head and said arrogantly.


    They say motivation breeds effort, and at this moment, Su Chen was full of drive, ready to crush his opponent!


    "Whatever you want!"


    Niu Xuewen had long found him intolerable; what should have been a secured senior manager position for himself suddenly facedpetition from this young driver.


    Did you think having a special rtionship with Lin Ruoxue would help? Soon you''ll see what real disparity looks like!


    "You set the rules then. I don''t want you crying after you lose."


    Su Chen stood with his hands behind his back, casting a dismissive nce at Niu Xuewen, filled with disdain.


    The crowd was stunned by Su Chen''s words, questioning where he got such confidence.


    Rather than worrying about others crying, don''t end up crying yourself!


    Seeing Su Chen''s dominating demeanor, Lin Ruoxue became suspicious¡ªcould that one-piece swimsuit be so tempting to him?


    Had it really boosted the morale of this usually nonchnt bad boy so enormously!?

 Chapter 213 - 213 Competition

    Lin Ruoxue thought this way simply because, she had to admit, she really didn''t understand the world of men!


    After hearing what Su Chen had said, Niu Xuewen also felt that the guy was overly arrogant. Pointing to the corporate profile of the Belle Group on the wall, he said,


    "Let''s just read through our group''s introduction in thenguages we know, shall we? This is simple, right?"


    As soon as the words were out, Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru''s faces looked somewhat strange.


    Because the test they had originally contained a section where they had to simply introduce the Belle Group, and now this was happening again, how could it be such a coincidence?


    Su Chen, on the other hand, didn''t mind and waved his hand, "You go first."


    Niu Xuewen was not polite and then read aloud with expression,


    "Bei Group was established in 1993, formerly Bei Fashion Co., Ltd.


    Group''s existing business includes fashion, health care, finance..."


    Everyone immediately knew this was English. As middle and upper management of the Belle Group, most were graduates of prestigious universities, so their English abilities need not be mentioned.


    However, Niu Xuewen''s pronunciation was truly very standard, having a genuine British ent, which most people couldn''t achieve.


    Seeing everyone''s admiring expressions, Niu Xuewen continued and read emotively in anothernguage,


    "Bei Group se estableci¨® en 1993, anteriormente Bei Fashion Co., Ltd.


    El negocio existente del grupo incluye moda, cuidado de salud y finanzas..."


    "Whatnguage is that?" someone asked quietly.


    "Spanish, I studied it in college, but I''ve almost forgotten it all, haha."


    Spanish is also amonnguage, and it wasn''t strange that some of these elites knew it.


    Next, Niu Xuewen read the group''s introduction in Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, Russian, French, and German, a total of eight foreignnguages!


    Although others were not as proficient as Niu Xuewen in so manynguages, eachnguage had one or two people who understood it, since these were all rtivelymonnguages.


    Listening to his voice rising and falling rhythmically was truly a pleasure, and admiration shone in their eyes!


    If you included his native Chinese, that made ninenguages. How could such a person not be the head of the public rtions department?


    They all suspected that Lin Ruoxue was blinded by love, wanting her driver boyfriend to be the head of the public rtions department!


    The look everyone gave Su Chen was devoid of expectation; they even doubted whether this guy could recognize all twenty-six letters of the English alphabet!


    "Are you done talking?"


    Su Chen cocked his head, casually asked, his expression revealing not a hint of disturbance, very calm.


    Everyone thought he was just pretending, convinced that he must have felt hopeless after listening to Niu Xuewen''s performance and hence feigned calmness!


    Yes, that must be it!


    "Good, now let''s see Mr. Su''s performance,"


    Niu Xuewen naturally didn''t think his opponent could surpass him, so his tone inevitably carried a bit of arrogance and even contempt.


    "Naturally, I won''t disappoint you!"


    Su Chen said tly, then shed an impish smile at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Weirdo!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face blushed slightly as she scolded softly, her eyes gleaming with a sharp light as she stared at Su Chen''s figure, looking forward to his performance.


    "Ahem~~"


    Su Chen cleared his throat, but immediately drew a scornful look from Niu Xuewen:


    "Acting strange!"


    Lin Chao looked at Su Chen, also disying a thoughtful expression. He naturally didn''t believe Su Chen could best Niu Xuewen, but this guy always brought surprises, so he felt somewhat uneasy.


    Just then, Su Chen spoke,


    "Bei Group se estableci¨® en 1993, anteriormente Bei Fashion Co., Ltd.


    The existing business of the group includes fashion, health care, and finance..."


    Su Chen naturally used English first.


    As soon as he finished reading, there were some surprised murmurs from the crowd.


    "I didn''t expect, this guy really knows English?"


    "Yes, he speaks quite standardly, very much like a local."


    "Pfft, what''s so strange about that? Nowadays even taxi drivers know a little English."


    Su Chen ignored the others'' remarks and continued by reading in Spanish:


    "Bei Group was established in 1993, formerly Bei Fashion Co., Ltd.


    The existing business of the group includes fashion, health care, and finance..."


    "It''s really unexpected, he knows Spanish too."


    "Yes, we really underestimated him, who would have thought a mere driver could speak two foreignnguages."


    The person who had mocked Su Chen earlier about taxi drivers knowing English just snorted coldly and did not speak.


    Next, just like Niu Xuewen had done earlier, Su Chen used Korean and Japanese to introduce himself again.


    People were initially ready to ridicule him, but as time passed, they gradually became more and more astonished!


    They didn''t expect Su Chen to really know so manynguages. They initially thought he couldn''t even speak basic English, but now he had spoken fournguages.


    Most of them could only speak two or three foreignnguages at most; very few knew four.


    Lin Ruoxue, listening to everyone''s exmations, thought to herself, the best is yet toe!


    Next, Su Chen used Indonesian, Russian, French, and German¡ªthe samenguages previously used by Niu Xuewen¡ªto read again!


    When Su Chen finished reading, everyone was already dumbstruck. Was this guy really just a driver?


    A driver who could speak eight foreignnguages; wasn''t that utterly unimaginable?


    Everyone looked at him with incredibly strange expressions, as if they were seeing him for the first time!


    Niu Xuewen, too, was utterly astonished and shocked, unable to believe the scene before his eyes!


    Lin Chao also gaped, staring dazedly at Su Chen, thinking to himself, who in the world is this guy? Every time he brought a different and extraordinary feeling!


    Looking at his rascal-like appearance, how could he be someone proficient in eight foreignnguages?


    "How about that? Have you had enough?"


    Su Chen looked teasingly at Niu Xuewen, with a slight smile on his lips.


    "I understand now, I understand."


    Niu Xuewen''s mind shed, and he suddenly shouted:


    "You must have listened to my reading earlier and memorized it!"


    "Exactly, that must be it! If you can, try anothernguage!"


    Niu Xuewen seemed to have made an exciting discovery and called out excitedly.


    In an instant, everyone also cast doubtful nces at Su Chen.


    It must be said, what Niu Xuewen suggested was possible. Wasn''t Yang Guo in "The Return of the Condor Heroes" able to mimic Dalba''s Mongoliannguage just after learning it on the spot?


    Even so, that would still be outrageous. To be able to memorize eightpletely differentnguages after hearing them only once¡ªhow powerful would one''s memory have to be?!


    But now, what mattered wasn''t aparison of memory, but the matter of knowing several foreignnguages.


    "Hmph, it seems you won''t shed tears until you see your coffin!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly and continued speaking:


    "Buna¨ªodh Bei Group i 1993, Bei Fashion Co., Ltd before then.


    ¨¢ir¨ªtear ar ghn¨® reatha an Ghr¨²pa faisean, c¨²ram sl¨¢inte, airgeadas..."

 Chapter 214: Pig-Brained Lin Chao

    When Su Chen spoke, the others were all stunned!


    This guy actually knows more than just ninenguages, this is the tenthnguage now, and excluding Chinese, that''s the ninth one!


    Nine foreignnguages, what kind of concept is that? They wouldn''t even dare to think about it!


    Especially because the man''s identity is just a mere driver!


    It''s simply unbelievable!


    "Whatnguage did this guy just speak?" someone quietly asked.


    However, almost everyone shook their heads, their faces filled with bewilderment, and upon looking around, it turned out that no one knew.


    "Su Chen, you wouldn''t speak gibberish and pretend it''s anguage, would you? By that logic, even a gori''s grunts could be considered anguage, right?"


    Lin Chao began to scoff suspiciously, a cold smirk spreading across his face.


    With Lin Chao''s gloomy mindset, he wouldn''t have been the first to speak out, but his wellid ns for the day had been disrupted by this man, which greatly irritated him.


    Moreover, the position of the head of the PR department was critical, absolutely indispensable. They say concern leads to chaos, so Lin Chao seized the opportunity to make trouble.


    Faces among the others also revealed varying degrees of skepticism. Su Chen simply couldn''t be bothered with this group, casually ncing over everyone.


    Although Su Chen''s gaze was neither sharp nor expressive, it made everyone somewhat ufortable.


    It was a condescending look, one that disdained to argue with them, a gaze that summer insects would not understand about ice...


    This was something the elite group found hard to ept. Even if he had cursed loudly, they wouldn''t have felt this way...


    Furthermore, the man was just a driver, and this vast disparity made them as ufortable as if swallowing flies, yet they couldn''tsh out.


    For a moment, the meeting room became eerily quiet, and right then, a faint voice spoke up:


    "It sounds like he was speaking Irish."


    The voice was timid and somewhat uncertain, but as soon as it was heard, all eyes turned toward it.


    It was a shy, somewhat dull young man, but he was quite capable and had graduated from one of the top universities domestically, currently a middle manager at Belle Group, and also a key talent they were cultivating.


    Now that everyone was looking at him, his face couldn''t help but flush slightly.


    "Xiao Fan, how do you know it was Irish he spoke?"


    Deputy Director Tu quickly asked, but knowing he was thin-skinned and easily blushed, his tone was very gentle, which was rare for his normally hot-tempered self.


    "My girlfriend works as a trantor, and one of thenguages she deals with is Irish. I''ve learned a bit from her, and I only understood a few words of what Mr. Su just said, but it should be Irish."


    Xiao Fan said cautiously.


    Everyone knew Xiao Fan was an honest person who would never lie, so their gaze involuntarily shifted back to the small driver standing beside Lin Ruoxue.


    This time, their looks were much moreplex. A mere driver, knowing nine foreignnguages¡ªhow could anyone believe that?


    Just then, a mocking voice rose.


    "A few words suffice, is that it? This is too childish!"


    Niu Xuewen, seeing his grasp on the department head position slipping away, blurted out in desperation.


    As soon as he finished, all eyes turned to Niu Xuewen, but their looks were not that friendly. They all sensed his sour grapes mentality.


    However, his words were not entirely unreasonable, though most people still believed that thenguage Su Chen had just spoken was indeed Irish.


    Lin Chao signaled subtly with his eyes, and soon a few more people stood up to express their doubts about Su Chen.


    As more people began to question, those who initially believed in Su Chen began to waver, a hint of suspicion appearing in their eyes.


    People are like that, having a herd mentality, and there''s a book called "The Crowd: A Study of the Popr Mind" that specifically discusses this.


    Seeing the few who suddenly stood up, Su Chen couldn''t help but smile coldly.


    He had been worried about how to deal with Lin Chao''s confidants, and here they were delivering themselves to him.


    Su Chen noticed that a glint also passed through Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes, clearly thinking along the same lines.


    Lin Chao looked very shrewd, but he was actually foolish, not nearly on the same level as his wife, and he remained oblivious while being yed!


    "Vice Minister Niu does make a good point."


    Just as everyone was puzzled, Lin Ruoxue slowly spoke up.


    After hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, the crowd became even more confused. Hadn''t Lin always supported Su Chen? Why was he suddenly agreeing with Niu Xuewen?


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t pay attention to everyone''s thoughts and continued,


    "Xiao Fan, can you contact your girlfriend now?"


    "Yes."


    When the president asked, Xiao Fan quickly nodded and answered.


    "Good, then please contact your girlfriend now and let Su Chen speak to her about tranting something, then won''t it be confirmed?"


    "That''s right, Lin really has considered everything."


    The Vice President Tu smiled and nodded in approval, and the others also agreed one by one.


    So, Xiao Fan took out his phone, dialed his girlfriend''s number, and switched on the speakerphone.


    "Why are you calling me at this time, do you miss me?"


    The voice that came through the phone was immediately sweet and pleasant to hear.


    Everyone couldn''t help but "pfft"ugh out loud, though they all covered their mouths, the person on the other end didn''t hear, and Xiao Fan''s face turned even redder.


    "No, Xiaoyuan, I need a favor from you."


    Xiao Fan said hesitantly,


    "I need you to help my colleague trante a piece of Irish, is that okay?"


    "No problem, it''s a small matter."


    You could tell from her voice that the girl on the other end was a straightforward person, whichplemented the somewhat shy Xiao Fan quite well.


    "Great, I''ve already turned on the speakerphone, listen to this," Xiao Fan said.


    Su Chen hadn''t wanted to fuss over this matter but, thinking about the favor Lin Ruoxue had agreed to do for her, she decided to go ahead reluctantly.


    As the saying goes, even under the peony tree, a ghost would still be flirtatious, let alone such a small matter, right?


    "Buna¨ªodh Bei Group i 1993, Bei Fashion Co., Ltd previously.


    Group''s current business includes fashion, health care, finance..."


    Su Chen repeated what she had previously read aloud towards Xiao Fan''s phone.


    "Hmm, this is standard Irish, it means..."


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Xiaoyuan on the phone started tranting, and of course, the meaning was the same as Belle Group''s introduction.


    Everyone looked at Su Chen in astonishment; by now, it waspletely confirmed!


    This little driver really was fluent in ninenguages!


    Before this, if someone had told them Su Chen knew ninenguages, they would have never believed it.


    But at this moment, with the fact right before their eyes, they couldn''t help but believe it!


    Just then, Su Chen continued speaking into the phone:


    "Xiaoyuan, right? Hello, I am Xiao Fan''s colleague. I have a question for you, may I ask it?"


    Su Chen didn''t actually know Xiao Fan''s real name. She had just overheard everyone calling him that.


    "Hello, of course."


    The person on the other end, Xiaoyuan, still sounded very friendly towards her boyfriend''s colleague.


    "Thank you. I''d like to ask, how manynguages do you know?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, everyone was slightly taken aback, wondering why he was asking this...

 Chapter 215: Kicked in the Head by a Donkey

    ```


    "Aside from Chinese, I speak a total of five foreignnguages, which are Bulgarian, Irish, English, Russian, and Latin. Additionally, I have a basic understanding of dic and Danish, but only enough for daily conversation, not sufficient for trantion,"


    replied Xiaoyuan truthfully, although unsure of Su Chen''s purpose.


    "Alright, I''ll say a few sentences now, can you help me trante them?"


    "No trouble at all, easily done."


    Then Su Chen rattled off a long string of words, which no one present could understand.


    And the person on the other end of the line seemed to bepletely stunned and, after a moment, asked with amazement:


    "Fan Peicheng, who exactly is this colleague of yours?"


    "What''s up?"


    Fan Peicheng, whose full name was just mentioned, was also puzzled by his girlfriend''s words.


    "Do you know what your colleague just said?"


    "What?"


    asked Fan Peicheng spontaneously.


    The rest of the people also looked confused, unclear about the situation.


    "Your colleague just spoke in Bulgarian, Latin, dic, and Danish, of course, the meanings were the same as before."


    Xiaoyuan excitedly blurted out over the phone:


    "And his pronunciation is incredibly authentic, just like a native speaker. By sound alone, it''s hard to discern the difference!"


    "Just tell me who he is? I must really learn from him if I get the chance!"


    No sooner had she finished speaking than everyone in the room was shocked!


    Everyone looked at Su Chen with strange expressions, as if seeing a monster!


    They had thought his previous disy was the peak, but he had just effortlessly spoken four differentnguages!


    Now, they finally understood the meaning behind Su Chen''s earlier question. Besides thenguages he had already mentioned, he tranted the same sentences into several othernguages that the person on the phone could understand.


    So the question arises, how manynguages does he really speak?


    It''s terrifying to think about! No wonder everyone was so shocked!


    And it wasn''t just that he knew them; he was proficient. Didn''t you hear what Fan Peicheng''s girlfriend said? His pronunciation was just like that of the locals, and she, a professional trantor, even wanted to ask for his guidance. That''s just too scary!


    "He, he''s currently a driver for our group,"


    Fan Peicheng said, somewhat embarrassedly.


    "A driver?" The voice on the other end suddenly shot up eight octaves, "Are you sure you''re not messing with me?"


    "Really, why would I mess with you?"


    "Then your leaders'' brains must have been kicked by a donkey, to have such a talented person working as a driver!"


    Xiaoyuan outrightined over the phone, as if she had suffered an injustice herself.


    Fan Peicheng was startled and hastily hung up the phone. Then he cautiously nced at Lin Ruoxue, seeing only her face full of exasperation...


    The rest couldn''t help butugh, though there were a few who didn''t smile, their expressions even resembling someone who had lost their parents.


    "Fan, don''t be scared, your girlfriend wasn''t wrong!"


    Vice Director Tuughed heartily:


    "To have someone as talented as Su Chen driving for us, we leaders really must have been kicked in the head by a donkey! Hahaha~~~"


    The others also burst intoughter with this, which helped Lin Ruoxue out of her awkward situation.


    "Fan, your girlfriend was just making a joke, don''t take it to heart."


    Seeing Fan Peicheng still looked uneasy, Lin Ruoxueforted him with soothing words.


    "Thank you, President Lin."


    Fan Peicheng felt a little relieved after hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words.


    "Does anyone still have any objections to my appointment of Su Chen now?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a smile, looking around at everyone.


    ```


    "I strongly agree!" Vice President Tu was the first to raise his hand andughed, "If even Su Chen isn''t fit for the job, then who is? Even if he has less experience, he can learn gradually!"


    "I agree too!"


    "I agree as well!"


    ...


    For a moment, almost everyone raised their hands, even Niu Xuewen, Lin Chao, and several of Lin Chao''s confidants did the same.


    Although they were reluctant, they knew the tide had turned, and any further opposition would be futile...


    "Alright, then I hereby formally appoint Su Chen as the new Head of the Public Rtions Department!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s decision was final, and the matter was settled.


    "Su Chen, just how manynguages can you speak?"


    Vice President Tu asked curiously, and upon hearing this, everyone else also looked at Su Chen with curiosity¡ªthey all wanted to know.


    Su Chen touched his head somewhat embarrassedly and said:


    "I guess I know a bit of thenguages from the countries and regions you''ve heard of."


    Su Chen thought this response was rather modest, but everyone waspletely dumbfounded!


    Nobody knew whether to call him a genius or a freak!


    In any case, he was an utterly speechless fellow!


    Seeing how everyone reacted, Lin Ruoxue felt a thrill of pleasure as if she had eaten ice on a scorching day¡ªshe wanted everyone to see that her man, Lin Ruoxue''s man, was someone she could be proud of!


    Of course, this was also a little bit of feminine cunning from Lin Ruoxue...


    Although she had decided to let go, Xia Qiuru still felt a twinge of heartache upon seeing the happy smile on Lin Ruoxue''s face...


    "Ruoxue, you have good taste."


    By now, the meeting was over, and while packing up his things, Vice President Tu looked at Lin Ruoxue with a yful tone.


    In business matters, Vice President Tu always called her President Lin, but in personal matters, he called her Ruoxue, after all, he was from the same generation as old man Lin and regarded Lin Ruoxue as a junior in his own family.


    "Uncle Tu, why are you making fun of me too?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s pretty face blushed as she coquettishly retorted.


    The others, seeing Lin Ruoxue''s girlish demeanor, alsoughed, but it was all in good spirits.


    They were also genuinely surprised; indeed, a woman in love was extraordinary¡ªwhere had they ever seen President Lin like this before!


    ....


    "Wife, I did pretty well today, didn''t I?"


    Once back in Lin Ruoxue''s office, Su Chen made himself useful like presenting a treasure by preparing a cup of tea for Lin Ruoxue and handing it to her.


    "Hmm, not bad!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with an indifferent face.


    "What do you mean ''not bad''?" Su Chen immediately felt disgruntled, "It was very good, right!"


    "Very good, happy now?"


    Lin Ruoxue sighed.


    "Since that''s the case, when are we..."


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue, raised his eyebrows suggestively, and said with a flirtatious tone.


    "Doing what?"


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue saw Su Chen like this, her guard immediately went up!


    "Wife, you wouldn''t be thinking of backing out, would you?"


    Su Chen''s eyes widened immediately, protesting fiercely:


    "You promised me clearly in the meeting room!"


    Only then did Lin Ruoxue realize he was referring to that matter.


    Su Chen hadn''t even mentioned it, but as soon as he did, Lin Ruoxue''s anger red up...

 Chapter 216 - 216 The Great Kindness of a Beauty

    ```


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help thinking about what had happened just now, in the meeting room, under everyone''s gaze, this guy actually threatened her!


    She hadn''t even sought reckoning with him yet, and this guy had already taken the initiative to bring it up.


    Did he really think she was easy to bully?


    In fact, Lin Ruoxue had already started to ept him gradually, and if he insisted on wanting to see her in that kind of dress, she might not necessarily refuse.


    What truly enraged Lin Ruoxue was that this bastard actually "ckmailed" her, and at such a critical moment!


    In an instant, Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes narrowed, seemingly with lightning and thunder shing within them, while her face clouded over, giving one the feeling that a fierce storm was about to arrive!


    Su Chen''s heart pounded when he saw Lin Ruoxue like this. What''s wrong with this girl? Why am I feeling so scared all of a sudden?


    "Don''t look at me like that!" Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue, "Don''t think that by looking at me this way, I will..."


    Just then, a sudden ring from the mobile phone sounded.


    Su Chen heaved a sigh of relief that the ringtone came at just the right time, and he immediately answered the call once he saw it was from Clown.


    "Boss, I''ve found the address of those people, they are indeed from the Skull Society."


    "How did you know?" Su Chen asked in a deep voice.


    "Because I discovered the Gene Modifiers you mentioned earlier, it matches with the data Military de brought back that time."


    "Alright, I got it."


    After Su Chen finished talking to Clown, he became silent, he had anticipated that Tang Gang would send someone, but that was expected.


    His silence was due to the Gene Modifiers mentioned by Clown, which were things that had slipped out of his own hands and had now be tools for aiding tyranny, something he could not forgive.


    It was just right to check it out tonight. How far Tang Gang''s research had progressed and to eliminate this potential danger at the same time wouldn''t let Su Chen rest easy otherwise.


    Seeing him like this, Lin Ruoxue set aside her mood and quickly asked:


    "What''s wrong? What happened?"


    "Nothing," Su Chen replied with a light smile and shook his head, then revealed a mischievous grin: "Wife, let''s talk about that swimsuit issue!"


    At this moment, Su Chen was like a lustful man, just short of drooling.


    However, Lin Ruoxue was not swayed by Su Chen''s expression, instead staring nkly at him, which made Su Chen somewhat uneasy.


    Just as Su Chen was about to speak, Lin Ruoxue spoke first:


    "Su Chen, will you promise me something?"


    "Sure!"


    Suddenly, Lin Ruoxue''s serious demeanor also confused Su Chen a bit, and he nodded in agreement without thinking.


    "From now on, your identity, the things you have to do, I won''t ask too much, and when you think the time is right, you will naturally tell me," Lin Ruoxue said earnestly, her eyes locked on Su Chen''s.


    "But I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you must take care of yourself, don''t be in danger, and don''t get hurt and worry me!"


    After hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen looked at her intently for a while before he said with a sigh:


    "Women as exquisite as you are few, and women as intelligent as you are even fewer."


    "Alright, I promise you!"


    With a promise so weighty from ady, what more could Su Chen say?


    Although he knew that all sorts of dangers and unforeseen circumstances were inevitable in the future, at that moment, that was all he could say.


    Lin Ruoxue also knew that some things could not be changed with just a few words from her.


    She just hoped that Su Chen would be more careful, so that in dangerous moments, he would be more protective of himself.


    The two of them then quieted down, Lin Ruoxue seriously dealt with the documents, while Su Chen sat quietly beside her on the couch.


    .....


    ```


    After dinner, Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue:


    "I''m stepping out for a bit."


    "Okay, be careful ande back early."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t ask him what he was going to do, she probably had some idea.


    "Hmm, don''t worry, I''ll definitely be back in no more than two hours."


    Su Chen smiled and then walked out.


    "I''ll be waiting for you."


    The sound of Lin Ruoxue''s voice followed him as he left...


    .....


    Su Chen walked straight to the outside of themunity and got into a Mercedes.


    The clown in the car didn''t say a word, just stepped on the gas, and the Mercedes immediately left the ce...


    Half an hourter, the car stopped about a kilometer outside a suburban mansion.


    "Those people are hiding in the basement of this mansion; it was originally built by a family, but I''m afraid the owners have met with some misfortune."


    The clown pointed to the mansion and said.


    "Let''s get out of the car!"


    Su Chen got out first, closely followed by the other.


    Today''s task could actually be handled by the clown alone, but Su Chen came mainly to see what the Gene Modifiers were like; he wanted to be fully informed.


    Both of them disappeared in a blur, shooting over like shadows, and in no time arrived outside the mansion''s courtyard wall.


    At that moment, there were five people inside the basement, all gathered around a circr table, which had a detailed map of Jianghai on it.


    "I''ve figured out the target''s daily pattern over the past few days; he usually leaves for work at the Belle Corporation around eight in the morning, then goes to the corporation''s cafeteria for lunch around noon, and returns home around six in the evening."


    "Our best chance to strike is either in the morning on his way to work or in the afternoon on his way home since that''s when there''s rush hour traffic. There are often traffic jams, especially on this stretch of road¡ªit''s almost a daily urrence¡ªand it''s a route the target has to take!"


    One of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed men pointed to a spot on the map as he spoke, clearly the leader of the operation, Gloro.


    The other four were staring dumbly at the map, nodding andmitting that location to memory.


    "The n sounds good!"


    Suddenly, a mocking voice came from the basement stairwell.


    Truth be told, Su Chen hadn''t noticed Gloro''s tracking because he was always at least a kilometer or two behind.


    Su Chen wasn''t a god, and his cultivation was limited as well, so it was quite normal he hadn''t detected the surveince from such a distance.


    All five people in the room jerked in surprise at the sudden voice and hurriedly turned toward the stairwell, where they saw two young men emerge.


    As soon as Gloro saw these two individuals, his muscles tensed, and his pupils shrank dramatically!


    "The Military de, Clown!"


    Gloro gritted out a few words through clenched teeth.


    He didn''t expect the Military de to suddenly appear here, let alone that the Clown would be with him.


    He had recently arrived in Huaxia and had also received information from headquarters that the Clown was here as well.


    At first, he was so nervous that he nearly gave up the mission and returned, but the Skull Society''s punishment for failing a task was too dreadful, worse than death, so Gloro begrudgingly stayed on.


    However, after several days of tracking Su Chen, he realized that the Clown was never actually with him, which steadily put his mind at ease.


    As long as he took care of the Military de quickly and then immediately fled back to headquarters, he would bepletely safe.


    In his eyes, the current Military de was nothing but a paper tiger; despite the grand reputation, it no longer matched reality!

 Chapter 217: Do You Think You Are Still the King of Hell from Before?

    In Gloro''s view, what prospects could a person with a shattered Dantian have in Martial Arts?


    Although the chairman had instructed him to be careful and told him that Su Chen had very likely repaired his shattered Dantian and recovered some of his cultivation,


    Gloro did not take it to heart. Even if it had been repaired, how good could it bepared to before? Moreover, it had been just over a year since his Dantian was shattered. How strong could he have gotten after recovering a bit of cultivation? He could reach, at most, R-level, which is roughly equivalent to Qi Refinement Triple Layer¡ªFourth Layer, right?


    Although he himself was at R-level, he had four Gene Modifiers by his side. With their strength, they couldpletely handle an S-level fighter (between Qi Refinement Eighth Layer and Qi Refinement Peak, but not at the Peak).


    Such abination against someone whose Dantian had shattered not long ago was almost without any suspense.


    Moreover, a few days ago, he couldn''t contain himself and made an assassination attempt with a sniper rifle, but the target dodged it.


    To this, Gloro did not pay much attention either, as in his eyes, Su Chen was already his prey.


    But what he never expected was that before he could make a move, the other party came to him, and brought the Clown with him.


    You should know, the Clown is a bona fide SS-level expert (at the Peak of Qi Refinement)!


    Upon seeing the two of them, a glint of sharp light condensed in Gloro''s eyes, his face full of seriousness.


    Nevertheless, he had some skill and immediately made a decision:


    "You four, go tie up that man."


    Gloro pointed to the Clown and ordered, while he himself approached Su Chen.


    His n was to quickly take care of Su Chen and then join the other four Gene Modifiers in an all-out effort to kill the Clown.


    If that didn''t work, he would use those four to stall the Clown and escape himself. As long as he took care of Su Chen, his mission could be considered perfectly aplished.


    Su Chen and the Clown immediately understood Gloro''s intentions. The Clown could not help but snort and thought,


    Do you think the Hall Master is easy to deal with just because his Dantian was shattered? That''s courting death!


    It''s not just about dealing with a piece of trash at the Fourth Layer Realm, even the Clown himself wouldn''t stand a forty percent chance against the Hall Master if he really set his mind on confronting him.


    Although the Hall Master said he was currently at Qi Refinement Sixth Layer Realm and he, the Clown, was at Qi Refinement Peak, on the way from getting out of the car to the vi just now, despite giving it his all, the Clown only managed to just keep up with the Hall Master''s speed.


    And from the effortless way the Hall Master moved, it was clear he was holding back!


    This might seem like a simple question of running speed, but it has to do with the amount of True Yuan inside the body and its control and usage.


    This oue shocked the Clown deeply. The Hall Master had just reached the Sixth Layer Realm and was already so formidable; what if he recovered to his former state of half-step Meridian Expansion?


    The Clown didn''t even dare to think about it!


    All he could say was, the Hall Master is the Hall Master! He should not be taken lightly!


    Unfortunately, Gloro clearly did not understand this. He approached Su Chen with a confident smile on his face.


    At the same time, the four Gene Modifiers charged at the Clown. As they began running, the ground trembled, as if they were about to stomp the basement into a copse!


    The Clown looked at the four with a devilishly amused smile...


    "Take your time." Su Chen instructed.


    Of course, Su Chen said this not because he enjoyed torturing people, but because he wanted to gauge these Gene Modifiers.


    "Alright, I''ll y with them then," the Clown said calmly, looking at the four, then dismissively crooked his finger.


    "Why don''t we watch the show first andpare notes after they''re done battling?" Su Chen said, tilting his head nonchntly toward Gloro.


    "Hmph, Hades, you''re not scared, are you?" Gloro sneered, thinking he had seen through the other''s alleged cowardice:


    "I don''t have time to waste with you, let''s get straight to it!"


    "Ah, I actually wanted to give you a few more moments to live, but I didn''t expect you to be so eager to die!"


    Su Chen shook his head and sighed:


    "Since that''s the case, I''ll grant your wish."


    "Su Chen, you really are full of hot air!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Gloro burst into loudughter:


    "Do you still think you''re the Death King of old? I''m calling you Death King to give you face!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Gloro sprang out like a cheetah, with both hands balled into fists. One of his fists swung towards Su Chen''s waist.


    At the same time, the other fist aimed for Su Chen''s throat.


    Gloro, after all, was a Fourth Layer Realm expert, so his punches were quite powerful, instantly stirring up a gust of wind that seemed to tear through the air!


    Su Chen, facing Gloro''s attack, slightly twisted his waist and tilted his head, dodging it easily.


    His movements seemed rxed and graceful, with a touch of nonchnce.


    Moreover, while avoiding Gloro''s attack, Su Chen was also watching the Clown''s movements on the side.


    By now, the Clown was thoroughly engaged in battle with those four Gene Modifiers, and even though he was outnumbered, he handled it with ease.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen noticed that these four seemed to have no concept of flexibility. They relied on their brute physical strength in a straightforward manner, without much variety in their tactics.


    And after a while, when their attacks proved fruitless, their temper seemed to be more irritable.


    "Just as I thought, Gene Modifiers are not mature in their thinking! No wonder they need a normal person tomand them!"


    The human gene project was initially researched under the direction of Su Chen, so his understanding of this technology far surpassed that of others.


    One major drawback of human gene modification was the sharp decline in intelligence, almost to the level of a child, while the temper became even more unstable!


    Gloro, seeing Su Chen still watching the side while fighting him, clearly did not take him seriously, which made him feel extremely insulted!


    Therefore, Gloro''s attack became even more fierce, and the wind howled with his movements!


    However, no matter how swift his attack was, Su Chen could skillfully dodge it without even casting a nce!


    Gloro was bing more and more shocked by the moment; he already felt that he was no match for his opponent.


    But it hadn''t been long since Su Chen''s Dantian was shattered, so how could he have be so strong so quickly?


    This was simply defyingmon sense!


    However, at this moment, Su Chen''s attention was entirely on those human gene Modified, and he couldn''t care less about Gloro''s thoughts.


    The reason he had not immediately dealt with trash like Gloro was, of course, part of his strategic thinking.


    "Clown, spice things up a bit."


    "No problem."


    The Clown gave a slight smile, then slid on one knee to dodge an attack from one of them, and immediately afterward, hended a punch on another''s waist and abdomen.


    "Bang!"


    That person was immediately sent flying by the Clown''s punch, hitting the wall hard and falling down.


    But a few secondster, that person stood up again and rejoined the battle.


    "These Gene Modifiers seem to have a stronger physique than I thought!"


    Watching this scene, Su Chen frowned slightly...

 Chapter 218: The Divine Needle Strikes

    The Clown was utterly shocked to see the person stand up so quickly and rejoin the battle!


    After all, although he had only used thirty percent of his strength just now, it was by no means trivial to deal with!


    A punch like that, even if it were to hit a tiger, would have either killed it or severely injured it!


    Seeing this situation, the Clown couldn''t help but put on a grim expression. No wonder the Hall Master valued these Gene Modifiers so much.


    This was only the Second Generation, but what about the Third, Fourth, Fifth Generation?


    One could imagine that their strength would be iparable to the present, and even far surpass the current levels!


    The most crucial point was that these creatures could be mass-produced!


    If you are impressive as an individual, what if he makes ten, a hundred, or even a thousand of them? Can you still withstand it?


    During his contemtion, the Clown deflected a heavy punch with one hand while simultaneously kicking at the chest of another who had just been repelled and was rushing back in!


    "Boom!"


    This time the Clown used seventy percent of his force, and that person immediately flew backward, hitting a wall. The moment he hit it, the whole room shook!


    That person also groaned and fell to the ground.


    However, in less than a minute, that person staggered to his feet again.


    But he did not attack right away; instead, he leaned on his knees to catch his breath, clearly still reeling from the Clown''s kick.


    Gloro also noticed the situation on the Clown''s side, and upon seeing the four Gene Modifiers beingpletely suppressed by the Clown, he couldn''t help but shout out:


    "2¡ª1¡ª1."


    Upon hearing Gloro''s voice, the four men immediately split into threebat units, with two facing the Clown head-on and the remaining two attacking from both sides.


    Su Chen waited for this moment. He had kept Gloro alive to see how the Gene Modifiers would perform under someone''s guidance.


    Andter, after he had dealt with Gloro, what the Gene Modifiers'' performance would be like.


    At least for now, their fighting style was somewhat clumsy, but they followed a certain method, especially after Gloro''s shout, they were able to react quickly and change formation!


    But what would the situation be like without Gloro, the normal person?


    While Su Chen leisurely toyed with Gloro, he observed the four Gene Modifiers.


    The four Gene Modifiers were clearly better off after changing their formationpared to before, but this was also because the Clown was not using his full strength.


    The Clown also understood Su Chen''s intention and deliberately held back.


    Though multitasking, Su Chen remained calm and unhurried.


    After watching for a while, Su Chen had a fairly good understanding of the current situation, and after blocking Gloro''s side kick, he sneered:


    "The game should aboute to an end now."


    "rmist talk!"


    Gloro snorted coldly, his footsteps shifting deceptively as he threw a side hook punch at Su Chen''s jaw with formidable force!


    Though Su Chen''s strength exceeded his expectations, he did not believe that Su Chen could easily kill him now.


    Watching his move, Su Chen also stepped back just in time to dodge Gloro''s attack, letting the hook punch slide past his face.


    At the same time, Su Chen suddenly extended a hand, reaching for Gloro.


    The hand''s appearance was extremely strange, as if it hade into being out of thin air. Gloro was taken aback and hurriedly tried to dodge, but it was already toote!


    Before he could react, Su Chen had already seized his throat.


    "How can it be so fast?!"


    Gloro''s head exploded with a bang. That grab just now was faster than even an S-ss master!


    He stared at Su Chen in shock, filled with astonishment!


    Had his Dantian really shattered before?


    How could someone whose Dantian had shattered be so powerful? And in such a short amount of time, no less!


    However, Su Chen''s face was calm, as if what he held in his hand was nothing but a thing. He applied a slight force with his hand, and soon there was a "snap" indicating a fractured throat bone.


    Su Chen threw Gloro on the ground carelessly, then sat down in the chair.


    Seeing Gloro dead, the four Gene Modifiers became even more frenzied. Their eyes turned bluer, and their attacks became more ferocious!


    "Use the dagger," Su Chen ordered.


    The Clown, upon hearing themand, produced a dagger shing with silver light from nowhere and swiftly sliced at one person''s arm.


    His speed was like lightning, the victim could not react in time, and immediately a mist of blue blood erupted from the arm.


    The strange thing was, instead of a gush of blood continuing to flow, it now fell drop by drop. And Su Chen noticed that the wound was healing at a visible rate,pletely recovering within just a minute or two.


    Meanwhile, The Clown had left several wounds on the others, but without exception, they all healed just as quickly as the first man''s did.


    "As expected, these second-generation Gene Modifiers exceed my expectations in both physical strength and the speed of wound healing," Su Chen said.


    Hs face grew even more solemn¡ªthese were just second-generation after all!


    Those men, after being wounded, became even more vtile, and at this moment they abandoned any pretense of formation and unleashed their full power in an attack on The Clown!


    Under such a frenzied assault, even The Clown, using only seventy percent of his strength, began to feel a bit of pressure.


    Su Chen had seen enough and pulled several Silver Needles out of his pocket. With a flick of his wrist, the needles shot out rapidly.


    In the dim basement light, the Silver Needles emitted a chilling, biting gleam.


    Suddenly, the four Gene Modifiers werepletely immobilized, as if the pause button had been hit.


    "Fortunately, their acupuncture points haven''t changed," Su Chen sighed with relief, which counted as the only good news that day. It slightly lifted the heavy weight on his heart.


    The Clown, witnessing the scene, was also filled with shock.


    He could not believe that the four Gene Modifiers, with whom he''d been evenly matched, were dealt with so effortlessly by the Hall Master!


    Even though he had not used his full strength, he had still exerted seventy percent of his power!


    He had long heard of the Hall Master''s mysterious and unfathomable Silver Needle skills but had never seen them in action, as the Hall Master rarely used them before.


    Today, he finally had the chance to witness their power, and the result was beyond belief for his own eyes!


    If only he were fortunate enough to see the Hall Master wield a dagger. He had heard that the Hall Master''s dagger techniques were masterful!


    In the entire Temple, it seemed that only Eniel had seen the Hall Master use it once, when he decapitated over a hundred people in a base with a single dagger, taking just two minutes!

 Chapter 219: Return

    After dinner, since Su Chen had left, Lin Ruoxue had not gone upstairs but had stayed in the living room downstairs waiting.


    Although she held a magazine in her hand, she actually hadn''t read a single word.


    Her mind, her heart was filled with the shadow of Su Chen; her nerves were continuously tense.


    Lin Ruoxue had never felt this way before, to be so anxious and concerned about someone!


    She had never thought that she would have such moments. Previously, all her thoughts had been on Belle Corporation; beyond that, she was indifferent to other matters.


    But now, that bad guy had quietly walked into her heart, asionally bringing to mind that somewhat cheeky, somewhat naughty face.


    She didn''t know why, but her heart felt restless tonight, listening to the "tick tock" of the clock on the wall, she felt her breathing was not smooth.


    Just then, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock echoed, and Lin Ruoxue''s heart tightened, she quickly ran over.


    When she saw that familiar face, Lin Ruoxue''s heart calmed down instantly.


    She didn''t rush to hug him or anything, but softly said,


    "Back already?"


    "Yeah, I''m back."


    "Good, get some rest early."


    After speaking, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs. Though she had not said much, Su Chen could clearly see the concern in her eyes.


    Su Chen, watching Lin Ruoxue''s departing figure, felt warmth in his heart. The feeling of someone waiting, someone caring, was truly wonderful!


    Still, it was slightly cold. Couldn''t she say something like "Wee back, hubby!" or give a kiss to show her feelings?


    Of course, this could only be considered Su Chen''s fond wish for now. As for when he could receive such treatment, Su Chen could only chuckle to himself.


    After Lin Ruoxue went upstairs, Su Chen returned to his room and began his cultivation.


    Now that Tang Gang had discovered him, today''s few people were merely a test. It was foreseeable that his troubles would likely increase moving forward.


    For Tang Gang, Su Chen was undoubtedly his nightmare; Tang would definitely not rest until he had eliminated him.


    At present, his power was still far from sufficient topletely eradicate the Skull Society.


    Although Su Chen was confident he could aplish this by using the Nether Temple and his hidden forces, he was not yet willing to risk the entire Nether Temple.


    Those people were his brothers, not tools. Even if they could eliminate the Skull Society, the cost would be absolutely significant.


    Moreover, Su Chen didn''t yet want to expose the deeply hidden trump cards he held, because what he feared was not only Tang Gang and his Skull Society but also the power behind Tang Gang.


    That was undoubtedly a terrifying presence!


    This could be inferred from the ambush more than a year ago, where they had suddenly deployed five or six Qi Refinement Peak masters and more than a dozen above the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer.


    These masters already numbered about the same as those in in sight in the Nether Temple, and this could very well just be the tip of the iceberg of that power!


    One could say that Su Chen now felt an unprecedented pressure, a pressure that made him even more focused and fervent during his cultivation!


    Moreover, apart from Tang Gang and his power behind him, there was another matter weighing heavily on his heart ¡ª the truth behind his parents'' deaths.


    It involved several top families in Yandu; the waters were certainly not shallow, and might even be moreplicated than Tang Gang''s affairs!


    And to resolve these matters, the most crucial point was strength!


    Only when his strength was strong enough could he sweep away all those demons and monsters!


    After these days of cultivation, Su Chen''s Qi Refinement Sixth Layer Realm had stabilized, and next, he would climb to the Seventh Layer.


    Cultivation was like climbing upward, the further one went, the harder and more dangerous it became, but Su Chen''s heart was as steadfast as a rock, and he was fearless!


    After a night of cultivation, Su Chen suddenly felt refreshed and spirited, and the pressure in his heart seemed to have lightened. Today, he really felt like going for a run.


    Honestly, Su Chen nowadays really didn''t need to run to exercise his body; it was of no use to him anymore.


    He just loved the feeling of running, it made him feel closer to nature.


    Acting on the thought, Su Chen changed his shoes and darted out in his shorts, running on the streets of Jianghai at around five or six in the morning, feeling fantastic.


    A few environmental workers were cleaning, and although it was chilly in the early morning, perspiration was already evident on their foreheads.


    Meanwhile, a nearby noodle shop had already opened. Steam billowed from the boiler at the entrance, and the old couple who owned it were continuously busy.


    Since it was still early, only a few people were spotted sitting there, eating noodles.


    Looking at this scene, Su Chen felt a warmth in his heart, thinking that ordinary days should be just like this.


    Compared to his past life, which was fraught with danger, this was truly living!


    Moved, Su Chen stepped into the shop.


    "Boss, a bowl of dumpling noodles, please."


    "Alright, just a moment."


    "Take your time, no rush."


    Su Chen took a seat at an empty table. Next to him was a mother and daughter, the girl appearing around fourteen or fifteen years old, probably a middle or high school student.


    They say students in Huaxia are under a lot of stress, and Su Chen truly saw it now, considering it was so early and she was already preparing for school.


    "Boss, a bowl of dumpling noodles, please."


    "Alright, please have a seat inside."


    Just then another customer entered, calling out, to which the boss responded warmly.


    Su Chen listened to the voice that seemed familiar and couldn''t help but turn to look.


    He saw a young woman entering, wearing a ck sports crop top and ck leggings, her figure absolutely stunning!


    Her skin was a healthy wheat color, and tiny beads of sweat could be seen on her cheeks and her slender neck.


    She exuded a youthful, fashionable, and sexy allure, extremely charismatic!


    As she entered, almost everyone''s gaze was drawn to her, though she seemed ustomed to it, ncing around briefly until her eyes suddenly lit up:


    "Why are you here?"


    She then sat down opposite Su Chen, her face full of surprise.


    "I''m here for breakfast, of course!"


    Su Chen hadn''t expected to encounter this policewoman here, and it seemed like the first time he saw her, she was dressed the same.


    It was clear she was very dedicated to exercising and maintaining her figure.


    "Here you go, your dumpling noodles are ready."


    Shortly after, the shop owner''s wife ced two bowls of dumpling noodles on the table.


    "Didn''t expect our tastes to be quite simr," Su Chenughed.


    "I''ve loved them since I was a kid,"


    Xu Xinran also started using her chopsticks.


    "You really do have a nice figure!"


    Su Chen said casually as he nced at her.


    When Su Chen said this, he genuinely didn''t mean anything else; it was purely apliment.


    But Xu Xinran''s face flushed suddenly, looking utterly charming...

 Chapter 220 - 220 Happiness Comes Too Suddenly

    To tell the truth, Xu Xinran was not a shy person at all; otherwise, she wouldn''t have be a police officer.


    The reason she was blushing now was entirely because the person speaking to her was Su Chen.


    Ever since thest ss reunion, Su Chen''s figure had appeared in Xu Xinran''s mind multiple times every day, unannounced, like a curse!


    Moreover, her master Jiang Lixing had also teased her about it a few times, which further embedded Su Chen''s image in her heart.


    She knew it wasn''t right; after all, he was the man her cousin liked. But some things are just uncontroble. The less she wanted to think about him, the more he invaded her thoughts.


    It caused her considerable pain and even some guilt¡ªsometimes she dared not look her cousin in the eyes.


    Although Xu Xinran had appeared calm upon first encountering Su Chen, only she knew that her heart was already churning with turmoil!


    So, when she heard Su Chen say "You have a great figure," a phrase with a tinge of ambiguity, she couldn''t help but blush, even feeling a bit hot.


    Seeing her suddenly blush, Su Chen was quite puzzled. Was a casualment about her figure really cause for such blushing?


    And she wasn''t usually this humorless!


    "Why are you blushing like that?" Su Chen cocked his head and asked.


    "Maybe it''s because I got too hot from running just now."


    Xu Xinran''s voice was clearly flustered, her eyes flickering.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lip. Who are you kidding? You weren''t blushing when you walked in, okay?


    "Alright, eat up, it''s getting cold."


    Seeing that Su Chen was still staring at her, Xu Xinran felt both embarrassed and slightly irritated.


    Su Chen chuckled but said nothing.


    After finishing their meal, the two of them walked out together.


    "Where are you heading?" Su Chen asked.


    "What else could I be doing? Obviously going home to shower and head to work."


    Xu Xinran gave him a white nce.


    At the mention of a shower, Su Chen immediately thought of the promise they had made before. He sidestepped closer to Xu Xinran, nearly leaning his upper body on her shoulder.


    Xu Xinran was startled and thought he had something in mind. Just as she was about to step aside, Su Chen''s voice sounded in her ear.


    "When do you n to wear that purple set... for me to see?"


    Su Chen raised an eyebrow, a sly smile on his lips.


    If it weren''t for Xu Xinran bringing up the shower, Su Chen might have almost forgotten about that incident.


    Of course, he didn''t really expect Xu Xinran to keep that promise.


    He had mentioned it now merely to tease the beautiful policewoman.


    However, to his surprise, after a moment of silence, Xu Xinran replied:


    "Can it wait a bit? I''m not ready yet!"


    Her voice was soft, quiet, shy, and nervous, but Su Chen still heard it clearly.


    For a moment, Su Chen was also taken aback, feeling an unexpected surge of happiness!


    "What did you just say?"


    Su Chen was somewhat uncertain and quickly asked again.


    "Didn''t you already hear it?"


    Xu Xinran spoke and ran off, leaving Su Chen alone in a daze. After a while, a smug smile spread across his face!


    When he got home, Su Chen specifically went to the bathroom, earnestly gazing at his reflection in the mirror, assessing whether he had be even more handsome.


    Otherwise, why would Xu Xinran agree to such a thing?


    But after a while, Su Chen still hadn''t noticed any changes in himself and couldn''t help but think to himself, "Could that girl have noticed my inner beauty?"


    Just then, Auntie Wang also happened to get up, and as soon as Su Chen came out, he immediately asked:


    "Auntie Wang, have I gotten handsomertely?"


    Auntie Wang was startled by Su Chen''s question at first but then pursed her lips and started tough:


    "Son-inw, you''ve always been handsome. If Auntie Wang were twenty or thirty years younger, I would surely like you too!"


    "Auntie Wang, you really know what to say!"


    Su Chen was even more overjoyed upon hearing Auntie Wang''s words.


    "What do you mean I know what to say? I''m just speaking the truth, you know."


    "Auntie Wang, if I were twenty or thirty years older, I would surely like you too."


    "Son-inw, are youplimenting me or making fun of me?"


    Auntie Wang retorted, not pleased, but just a secondter, she couldn''t help but startughing as well.


    The two of them were very familiar with each other, practically like half of a family, so Su Chen would often joke around with her.


    He found that Auntie Wang was actually a very humorous person,pletely different from the cold Lin Ruoxue.


    Normally it was like this: one would make breakfast and the other would clean up; they''d chat andugh¡ªa veryfortable arrangement!


    Today was no different; Su Chen walked into the kitchen,ughing. Even though he had already eaten, Auntie Wang and Lin Ruoxue hadn''t yet!


    As usual, around the time breakfast was almost ready, Lin Ruoxue also got up.


    It wasn''t that Lin Ruoxue was waiting for breakfast to get out of bed, but rather Su Chen made breakfast ording to the time Lin Ruoxue usually woke up.


    Now that the two of them had gotten much closer¡ªno, rather much more intimate¡ªLin Ruoxue wasn''t that guarded anymore and often came downstairs in her pajamas.


    Su Chen gazed at Lin Ruoxue, wearing her loose silk pajamas, with her face sporting a mane of fluffy hair and still showing signs of sleep, and thought that she had a different kind ofzy beauty at that moment!


    He had to admit, his wife was always a sight for sore eyes, no matter when he looked at her!


    Seeing Su Chen staring at her, Lin Ruoxue scoffed and said, "Dummy!"


    "Even a dummy is shocked by the beauty of his wife!" Su Chen instantly replied.


    Lin Ruoxue felt a slight joy in her heart upon hearing Su Chen''s words and thought to herself, "Howe this guy''s getting sweeter by the day?"


    Auntie Wang, seeing the two of them like this, felt sweetness in her heart as well, her face unable to conceal her smile.


    Soon, they all sat down for breakfast together, a harmonious scene. Su Chen had already eaten, but he still joined them for a bowl of porridge.


    "You should start working at the public rtions department today."


    Lin Ruoxue took a bite of her sandwich and said casually.


    "Ah, maybe in a few days."


    Truthfully, Su Chen had grown ustomed to working in the security department. There, he was the boss; Meng Shan and Liu Yuan pampered him so much, he really didn''t want to leave.


    If it hadn''t been for not wanting to let Lin Chao seed that day, he wouldn''t have wanted to meddle.


    "No way, without rules there''s no square and circle. You''re already the head of the public rtions department now, what does it look like still hanging around the security department!"


    As soon as the topic of work came up, Lin Ruoxue immediately switched gears, turning into her usual ice-cold face!


    "Alright, alright, I''ll go, isn''t that enough?"


    Seeing her like this, Su Chen quickly nodded and agreed.


    He could ignore others, but what could Su Chen do about his wife''s words?


    If the old brothers from the Nether Temple knew that the Hall Master had be henpecked, they''d probablyugh their heads off!


    Perhaps each of them would be scrambling to hold onto Lin Ruoxue''s coattails...

 Chapter 221: The Women in the Public Relations Department

    Su Chen finished breakfast and headed to work, with his first stop being a farewell to hisrades in the security department, having spent several months working together.


    Everyone had heard that Su Chen was transferring to the public rtions department, so there was a sense of reluctant parting. Meng Shan, that rascal, was almost wailing, nearly throwing his arms around Su Chen''s legs.


    Of course, Su Chen could tell right away that the kid was putting on a show, while Liu Yuan seemed more genuine, a hint of sadness appearing on his face.


    "What''s the matter with you all?"


    pping his hands with augh, Su Chen said:


    "It''s not like I''m going far, just upstairs, right? If you need anything, you can always find me, I''m only a quick trot away to drop by, aren''t I?"


    At these words, everyone brightened up. Yeah, it was just a short walk, wasn''t it?


    "Su Chen, it''s fine for you toe down to our department for a visit, but it might be inappropriate for us to look for you in the public rtions department."


    Liu Yuan said hesitantly.


    "Old Liu, what''s my status now?"


    Su Chen asked, draping an arm around Liu Yuan''s neck.


    "The head of the public rtions department?"


    "Right, Su Ge is the big boss of the public rtions department, who would dare toin if we go there!"


    Before Su Chen could reply, Meng Shan shouted out loud, making it sound like he was the head of the public rtions department!


    The crowd also came to a realization. Yeah, Su Ge was the boss over there, what did they have to worry about?


    The mncholy of parting was washed away in an instant, and they even agreed to have a dinner together in a few days.


    Carrying his personal belongings, Su Chen arrived on the fourth floor, where the public rtions department was located.


    Of course, thisyer wasn''t solely upied by the public rtions; the nning and finance departments were also there.


    Having led at Belle Group for several months now, Su Chen hadn''t been there before, but he knew where the public rtions department was and headed straight there.


    I must say, when Su Chen entered the public rtions department, he was quite startled by the throng of women inside.


    So many beauties!


    Scanning the room, Su Chen noticed that besides seven or eight men, the rest were all women, most of whom were rather attractive.


    "Yo, where did this little brothere from?"


    As soon as Su Chen walked in, three or four women immediately crowded around him, with the most seductive one stepping forward and asking.


    That woman reached out to touch Su Chen''s chest, which made him jump back in rm.


    "What are you doing?"


    Su Chen eximed, quickly crossing his hands over his chest defensively.


    His reaction made the womenugh; the new boss was quite adorable!


    "You don''t know yet? Lin Jie is giving you a physical exam!"


    Another stylishly dressed woman in herte twenties giggled, wearing a tight short dress that perfectly entuated her sexy curves.


    "I''m healthy, no need for a check-up,"


    Said Su Chen as he dodged.


    But hands are no match for a gang of female hooligans, especially when there are three or four of them.


    Momentster, Su Chen''s body and arms were covered in w marks.


    Su Chen wanted to cry but had no tears. Had he entered a matriarchal society?


    Why were the women here so fierce!


    And didn''t they know he was the new department head? Weren''t they afraid that he would give them a hard time in the future?


    Seeing Su Chen like this, the women became even more enthusiastic, and this little brother, although somewhat delicate-looking, was quite a sight!


    Su Chen was shocked. As the mighty lord of the underworld, he was being managed by these young women. If word got out, could he even show his face?


    Su Chen decided to strike back. As he looked at these women who were getting handsy with him, a devilishly charming smile appeared on his lips.


    Su Chen unobtrusively also took the opportunity to feel them up, and the tactile sensation was really quite pleasant!


    "Ah~~"


    The two women caught off guard immediately let out a cry of surprise as Su Chen made his move.


    "What are you doing?"


    The seductive woman asked, obviously she had also been sneakily attacked by Su Chen just now.


    "Since all of you sisters are so kind as to offer to check my body, it''s only natural that I should return the favor and examine your bodies as well!"


    Su Chen shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile.


    "Pervert!"


    "Hooligan!"


    The two women spat out in disgust, their faces blushing with a hint of red.


    Su Chen couldn''t help feeling depressed, wondering why it was perfectly fine when they touched him, but he wasbeled a hooligan for doing the same to them.


    However, Su Chen''s skin was thick, and he immediately showed a cheeky grin and said,


    "I can be even more of a hooligan if you''d like! Are you interested in trying it out?"


    The crowd of women were startled by his demeanor, realizing that the innocent act he put on earlier waspletely feigned!


    "Look, you just had to tease the new director, and now you''ve gotten yourselves into trouble!"


    At this moment, a woman who was slightly older, but still in her thirties, came over. A teasing smile yed on her lips as she scanned the group of women.


    "Not at all, we just wanted to see what kind of man the president fancies."


    "Yeah, the man Ms. Lin is into¡ªwhat better opportunity to get a proper experience than this one? What are we waiting for?"


    "Li-jie, you should try it too, he has a really nice touch!"


    ...


    After hearing what these women said, Su Chen was speechless, realizing that they were treating him this way simply because of Lin Ruoxue.


    He was also aware that by now the entirepany seemed to know that he was Lin Ruoxue''s boyfriend, or at least that''s what they thought.


    In the minds of these people, Lin Ruoxue was considered an unattainable being. Now that her man was here, how could these female "wolves" of the public rtions department resist?


    Of course, this was not to say they were indiscriminate in matters of men and women¡ªpeople working in public rtions tend to be more outgoing by nature.


    And since they all knew that Su Chen used to be just a driver, they really didn''t have much fear of him in their hearts.


    "Okay, stop joking around."


    The woman who was just referred to as Li-jie spoke to Su Chen,


    "Director, let me introduce you to our colleagues in the Public Rtions department first."


    "Sure."


    Su Chen smiled and nodded. He had figured out that this Li-jie seemed tomand quite a bit of respect in the Public Rtions department. Everyone listened to her, and she seemed quite reliable.


    Via Li-jie''s introduction, Su Chen finally learned that the most enchanting-looking woman was named Zhao Lin, and there was another very stylish woman with a great figure named Ran Ting.


    And the thirty-something Li-jie was surnamed Qin, named Qin Li.


    Su Chen greeted everyone with a smile, and they all felt that this new director seemed pretty easygoing.


    "Director, I heard you made quite the ssh in the Public Rtions department yesterday. Would you tell us about it, please?"


    The fashionable Ran Ting leaned slightly towards Su Chen as she asked. Previously calling Su Chen "little brother" was just a joke.


    After all, he was the director, and they couldn''t keep calling him that. She still had that much sense of propriety.


    Upon hearing Ran Ting''s question, everyone else also looked attentively at Su Chen.


    The scene in the meeting room yesterday had already spread like wildfire. Everyone was talking about it as if it were a duel between martial arts masters!


    Now that the main character was right here, they naturally wanted to ask for details...

 Chapter 222: The Arrival of a Good Life

    ```


    "It''s nothing, it''s not that exaggerated."


    Su Chen considered himself a rather low-key person, so he was reluctant to talk much about his own shining deeds.


    "Yeah right, I''ve heard about it, youpletely annihted Niu Xuewen."


    The most enchantingly beautiful Zhao Lin rolled her eyes and continued:


    "I''ve disliked that Niu Xuewen for a long time. He''s always so arrogant. He even hinted that he wanted me to be his mistress."


    "Exactly, he also tried to make me his loverst time. I didn''t agree, and he set such an ridiculously high sales target for me that I lost my bonus!"


    Ran Ting was also deeply resentful as she cursed vehemently.


    Afterwards, several other peopleined about being harassed by Niu Xuewen, all quite attractive-looking.


    "Yeah, this Niu Xuewen, he''s capable alright, but his character..."


    Qin Li also sighed and shook her head...


    Su Chen hadn''t expected that Niu Xuewen, who appeared quite schrly and part of the Orthodox Sect, was actually such a despicable beast.


    Yes, a beast. If you want to woo women, it''s understandable, but do it openly and fairly, making them genuinely fall in love with you¡ªthat''s the real skill.


    Using their career prospects and sries as leverage, that''s just low!


    Just then, a cough sounded from outside the door, followed by a figure walking in¡ªit was Niu Xuewen himself.


    Upon seeing him, everyone stopped talking. They clearly still feared him, after all, he had been the deputy minister for quite some time.


    "Uh, Minister Su, you''re already here. I was about toe and invite you!"


    When Niu Xuewen saw Su Chen, his pupils shrank for a moment and then he forced a smile, which looked somewhat strained and deliberate.


    Su Chen looked at him with a taunting sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth, and didn''t say a word.


    Hmph, invite me? If you really wanted to invite me, would you have waited until now? Look at the time.


    Niu Xuewen, seeing that Su Chen was ignoring him, felt awkward and angry at the same time.


    However, having been in the workce for many years, he still had some poise, so he continued to smile and said:


    "How about I introduce you to our colleagues in the Public Rtions Department? Our Public Rtions Department is known for having the most beautiful women in the entire group."


    At this point, Su Chen hadn''t reacted, but the man himself looked particrly eager.


    "No need, I''ve already gotten acquainted with everyone just now."


    Su Chen casually stated, without even ncing at Niu Xuewen.


    Niu Xuewen, feeling publicly snubbed by Su Chen and unable to save face in front of everyone, saw hisplexion gradually darken.


    The others, especially the women, felt a mix of fear and exhration at this scene!


    Niu Xuewen really wanted to explode with rage, but he held back his anger, considering his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue.


    "Then, shall I take you to see the minister''s office?"


    Niu Xuewen forced out a smile and said:


    "Our Public Rtions Minister''s office is really well-decorated, not only spacious but also with a great view."


    "Deputy Minister Niu, you''ve wanted to move in there for a long time, haven''t you?"


    Su Chen sarcastically taunted Niu Xuewen, emphasizing the word "deputy" particrly hard, causing Niu Xuewen''s face to turn the color of liver.


    The people of the Public Rtions Department couldn''t help but snicker, finding this new minister to be really mean!


    They say never hit a person in the face and never expose someone''s shoring, yet he would deliberately rub salt in the wound.


    In the Public Rtions Department, who didn''t know that this Deputy Minister Niu had long coveted that position!


    Especially in the days following Manager Xiao''s death, he acted more arrogantly than ever, as if the minister''s job was already in his pocket!


    In fact, not just him, almost the whole group thought so, yet to their surprise, a dark horse emerged!


    Truth be told, Su Chen wasn''t usually this unkind, but after hearing about Niu Xuewen''s deeds from the others, he couldn''t help but feel a profound disdain for the man, and naturally, he didn''t have any pleasant demeanor to show him.


    As for whether Niu Xuewen would be angry, Su Chen couldn''t care less!


    ```


    At this moment, Niu Xuewen''s face hadpletely darkened, his eyes burning with anger.


    "Director Su, the office is in the second room next door, and there''s a sign above it."


    Since this guy was not giving him any face, why should he embarrass himself here?


    After Niu Xuewen finished speaking, he was ready to turn around and leave, when Su Chen''s voice rang out behind him:


    "No need, I''ll work right here!"


    Niu Xuewen immediately stopped in his tracks and hesitated before saying:


    "Director Su, this doesn''t seem to follow protocol, does it?"


    "Are you the director, or am I the director?"


    Su Chen replied with a sly retort, then turned to everyone with a smile and said:


    "Does everyone wee me?"


    "Wee, wee~~~"


    The crowd immediately burst into cheers, especially Zhao Lin and Ran Ting, who cheered the loudest!


    "Good then, Zhao Lin, please arrange a desk for me hereter."


    Su Chen pondered "seriously" before saying:


    "Hmm, it should face everyone, so I can better supervise whether everyone is working hard."


    "Sure, I''ll take care of it in a bit."


    Zhao Lin replied happily.


    Su Chen, looking at the pretty women in the Public Rtions Department, instantly felt much better.


    He couldn''t help thinking to himself what an idiot would go to that cold and quiet office!


    Sitting here was much better, facing these beauties every day would surely be more motivating, wouldn''t it?


    Although he had no intention of doing any actual work, these beauties, gazing at him, a handsome guy, would surely work even harder!


    This was also why he wanted his desk to be facing everyone; he intended to "supervise" them well!


    Seeing Su Chen getting along with everyone so quickly, Niu Xuewen''s face grew even darker, and with a cold snort, he turned his head and left!


    "Director, you were really domineering just now!"


    "Yeah, did you see the look on that bull''s face? Haha, I just want tough thinking about it!"


    "Director, that line of yours was so cool! I bet that guy is so angry he could spit blood!"


    ...


    As soon as Niu Xuewen left, the women swarmed around Su Chen again, with some nearly clinging onto him.


    He even felt softness from all sides, not knowing exactly whose it was!


    The excessive enthusiasm of these women was even making the usually thick-skinned Su Chen feel overwhelmed!


    After the incident with Niu Xuewen, everyone suddenly felt a lot closer to him, so they were even more rxed around him.


    "Let''s make some space, everyone, I need to go report to the president."


    With his hands, Su Chen tried to push the women outward, not knowing if he touched an inappropriate spot.


    After pushing through the crowd, Su Chen finally broke free and stood up straight.


    "Sigh, is it to report on work or..."


    Zhao Lin threw a sultry look at Su Chen, her face full of insinuation!


    The others also burst intoughter following her lead.


    Overwhelmed, Su Chen quickly escaped and headed towards Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    Walking along, Su Chen couldn''t help but feel delighted. Had he known that the Public Rtions Department had so many beauties, and they were so enthusiastic, he would have epted Lin Ruoxue''s offer sooner.


    Su Chen felt that going to work in the future wouldn''t be as boring as it had been in the Security Department!

 Chapter 223: Too Little Given

    At the same time, in the meeting room of Rose Mansion.


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning were sitting on one side of the conference table, while on the other side sat a middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man was elegant, with gold-rimmed sses, dressed head to toe in top-tier brands, clearly a big shot. He was Yuan Dong, the Asia region head of Almei Corporation.


    Behind him was an old man and a young man. Both were expressionless, and their attire was unlike any brand or style Ye Mei had ever seen, somewhat resembling the garb of medieval nobility.


    "Ms. Ye, how have you considered our terms?"


    Yuan Dong quietly watched Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning, confident, admiring the graceful figures beneath their business suits, a hint of undisclosed desire shing in the depths of his eyes.


    He hadn''t expected the two women from Red Rose to be so beautiful and shapely. Getting both into bed for a threesome would certainly be enjoyable!


    "President Yuan, to be honest, your terms are a bit excessive."


    Ye Mei looked at Yuan Dong, her face full of indignation.


    The Almei Corporation was too bullying. For a project coboration between the twopanies, not only did Red Rose have to advance all the initial expenses, but the financing in thete stage was also to be split between the twopanies in a 40-60 ratio, with Ye Mei contributing 60%.


    That might have been eptable, but the profit-sharing ratio should mirror the investment ratio, right?


    Moreover, Ye Mei was taking on all the initial risks, and anyone who understood business knew that the initial risks were the greatest!


    Yet Almei Corporation wanted to take seventy percent of the profits, which was tant extortion!


    Ye Mei hadn''t expected them to be so ruthless. They were like a hungry wolf, a wolf that devours without spitting out the bones!


    However, coboration with Almei Corporation was something Ye Mei had long dreamed of. It was a critical opportunity for Red Rose''s transformation. If sessful, Red Rose would embark on apletely different path of development!


    If not for this, given such harsh conditions, Ye Mei would have walked away long ago; it was clearly an unequal treaty!


    Anger also covered the beautiful face of Xiao Yaning sitting next to Ye Mei, her fists clenched tightly beneath the table, as if she might explode at any moment!


    Yuan Dong was well aware of the two women''s anger and reluctance, yet he didn''t care in the slightest.


    The powerful intelligence system of the Phillip Family had long since informed him about the situation of Red Rose.


    He knew that domestically, there were no reputable corporate groups willing to coborate with them, and abroad, theycked connections.


    Which meant, he had them cornered!


    Of course, the actual decision-making today did not fall on him but rather on the two individuals behind him!


    He didn''t know their true identities, only that they were beings he absolutely could not afford to offend!


    Timing was essential, and the Phillip Family also valued the vast market of Huaxia, which was why they had sent such important people; otherwise, a project worth several billion wouldn''t warrant their visit.


    "President Yuan, considering how much we''ve put in and how little we get back, isn''t that a bit unfair? With this, I can''t even exin it to my team!"


    Ye Mei said, though distressed, she knew she had to endure for the future of Red Rose.


    "Ms. Ye, that''s not the right way to put it. On the business field, what really has value isn''t just money but brands, reputation, recognition, channels, capabilities¡ªthese intangible things! If we had to put a mary value on what our Almei Corporation brings, it would far exceed the amount you''ve mentioned,"


    Yuan Dong spoke fluently about this subject. In terms of eloquence in this area, how could Ye Meipare to Yuan Dong who had graduated with an MBA from Harvard and had been battling on the business field for so many years?


    Ye Mei was immediately at a loss for words, unable to utter a single one.


    But she felt she waspletely being robbed, and there was nothing she could say about it.


    Forget it, consider it paying for a ticket to enter the game.


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning exchanged nces, both nodding slightly yet still somewhat unwilling.


    "All right, this time we will agree to yourpany''s request,"


    Ye Mei stood up and extended her delicate hand, saying:


    "We hope yourpany can support us more in the future."


    "Sure, sure!"


    Yuan Dongughed heartily and also extended a hand.


    Since the conference table was quite wide, the two were far apart, so to shake hands, they had to lean forward slightly.


    As Ye Mei bent slightly to shake hands with Yuan Dong, the pendant hidden under her shirt suddenly fell out and dangled in front of her.


    The elderly man sitting behind Yuan Dong immediately narrowed his pupils, and a shocked expression appeared on his previously calm face!


    He suddenly stood up from his chair. His movement was so sudden that he even knocked over the chair, but the elderly man paid it no mind.


    His expression changed, and he stuttered:


    "Where did you get this pendant from?"


    His previously dim eyes suddenly shot out two sharp arrows, firmly staring at Ye Mei...


    Everyone was startled by the elderly man''s sudden action and looked at him bewildered.


    Ye Mei was also somewhat bewildered; she hadn''t expected that her pendant would cause such a loss ofposure in the elderly man who hadn''t spoken a word until now!


    Ye Mei honestly said, "It was a birthday gift from a friend of mine."


    But in fact, it was from Su Chen; she was too embarrassed to say so.


    Xiao Yaning was also a bit puzzled about the situation. She had been there when Su Chen gave Ye Mei the pendant and hadn''t thought it was anything valuable!


    Upon hearing Ye Mei''s words, the elderly man took a deep breath and murmured:


    "I didn''t expect you to be that person''s friend!"


    After a moment, the elderly man finally recovered from his shock and said:


    "All previous contract ns are void! The new contract n is that Almei Corporation will provide ny percent of the funding, and Almei Corporation will only take ten percent of the profits. Is that eptable to you?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was startled; this was almost like giving it away for free!


    Seeing that Ye Mei didn''t respond, the elderly man quickly said:


    "How about this, Almei Corporation will provide all the funding, and we at Almei Corporation won''t take a single penny of the profits."


    "Ms. Ye, does this seem eptable to you? If you''re still not satisfied, we can negotiate further."


    The elderly man said respectfully, his voice even trembling slightly.


    "Grandfather Augustus, you are just the steward of the Phillip Family; how can you give away our family''s assets so freely?"


    The young man said discontentedly, Augustus truly had be senile!


    "Yes, respected Sir, this would be too big of a loss for our Almei Corporation."


    Yuan Dong also agreed, shocked, failing to understand why the elderly man would suddenly act this way.


    "Hammam Young Master, you can report this to the Family Head. I believe the Family Head will only me me for giving too little, not too much,"


    The elderly man cast a nce at the young man and said indifferently.

 Chapter 224 - 224 What Kind of Person Is He Exactly?

    After hearing what the old man said, everyone was truly shocked!


    Even now, to think that what was given was too little?


    It was simply inconceivable that the Phillip Family, known worldwide for never being short-changed, would now consider giving something away for free¡ªand even fear giving too little!


    The young man fell silent too; he believed that Augustus would never dare to deceive him!


    But why? What was the mystery behind that pendant that could make the alwaysposed steward Augustus lose hisposure?


    "Miss Ye, do you find this eptable? Of course, if you have any other requirements, please state them, and our Phillip Family will do everything possible to fulfill them!"


    The old man asked again, respectfully.


    "Yes, yes!"


    Ye Mei hurriedly nodded her head and said, still feeling as if she were in a dream, everything seemed so surreal.


    "Very well! We will draft a new contract as soon as possible and deliver it personally for signing."


    After hearing Ye Mei''s words, the old man finally rxed slightly and showed a satisfied smile.


    The old man pointed solemnly at the pendant on Ye Mei''s chest and said sincerely:


    "Miss Ye, please take good care of this pendant, and also, could you ry a message to the person who gave you the pendant? Tell him that the Head of the Phillip Family sends his regards and is always waiting to wee his esteemed arrival."


    Upon hearing the old man''s words, everyone was deeply shocked once again!


    What did that old man just say? The Head of the Phillip Family sends his regards? And is always waiting for his esteemed arrival?


    Could it be that even the head of the Phillip Family held such respect and fear for this mysterious figure?


    That was simply terrifying!


    Probably not even the president of a country could make the head of the Phillip Family behave like this!


    The group from Almei Corporation had left a long time ago, and Ye Mei was still in shock, unable to snap out of it...


    Ye Mei hadpletely no idea what was happening; the event had surpassed her understanding!


    And Xiao Yaning was not much better off either.


    Both of them stood there stupefied for a long, long time, with a dazed look in their eyes ¨C they didn''t even notice when the other people had left.


    It took quite some time before the two of them began toe to their senses.


    "Who in the world is he?" Xiao Yaning couldn''t help asking.


    "I don''t know," Ye Mei shook her head.


    Although they didn''t mention any names, they both knew who they were talking about.


    They also knew that this person was no ordinary individual.


    But they had never imagined he would be extraordinary to this extent!


    It was too frightening, okay!


    That was the Phillip Family! A family with ancient and profound heritage that was unfathomable!


    If even the head of such a family respected him to this extent, then how terrifying must his identity be?


    .....


    Outside the Rose Mansion, a street was lined with a shiny, vintage Bentley car.


    Inside the car, besides the old man and the young boy in the back row, there was only one driver.


    "Why? Grandpa Augustus, whose pendant is it actually? Why did you behave that way?"


    Hamman, of course, also noticed that everything was because of that pendant and the person behind it.


    The elderly man named Augustus looked at the face of the puzzled young man and suddenly asked:


    "Do you know of the Nether Temple?"


    "Of course, the Nether Temple is a great marvel of the Dark World, and I have always admired them." Hamman suddenly paused, saying incredulously, "Could it be that the pendant belongs to some important figure from the Nether Temple?"


    As a Young Master of the Phillip Family, he certainly had heard of the Dark World, and if it indeed belonged to someone important from there, then it all made sense.


    "Not only that," Augustus shook his head and said, "It is worn by the Hall Master of the Nether Temple himself. He once visited our family, and I saw it!"


    Upon hearing Augustus''s words, Hamman waspletely stunned. He had never imagined that the seemingly ordinary pendant could actually belong to such a significant figure!


    "Now you understand why I acted as I did," Augustus nced at the young man and said, "It''s obvious that the woman has an unusual rtionship with him, so we should try to amodate any requests she may have in the future."


    "Yes, I understand!" Hamman nodded solemnly, then said, "Aren''t there rumors outside that he is dead?"


    "I don''t know what the situation is, but that''s not for us to question. However, this news can certainly be reported to the Family Head."


    "If that person is really not dead, things are going to get lively!"


    A spark of excitement shot through Hamman''s eyes as he spoke.


    ......


    As for what was happening inside Rose Mansion, Su Chen was naturally unaware, and even if he knew, he wouldn''t care, since his identity had already been revealed.


    The most important thing for him right now, of course, was to spend time with his wife! No, it should be to appease his wife!


    "Niu Xuewen just told me that you want to move your office to the same area as the employees?"


    Lin Ruoxue spoke casually, but her gaze towards Su Chen was filled with obvious scrutiny.


    "Ah, that guy actually snitched."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately became indignant:


    "He has the nerve. Do you know what the women in the public rtions department said to me the moment I got there?"


    "What did they say?"


    "They allined about that beast, suggesting that he tried to secretly manipte them with implicit rules. When they refused, he would trip them up everywhere, such a scumbag!"


    "Really?"


    Ayer of frost formed on Lin Ruoxue''s face; she detested such behavior the most. However, Niu Xuewen did not seem like that kind of person!


    Of course, she did not question Su Chen. In such matters, she believed he would not speak without basis, and it seems she had been mistaken.


    "Of course! You should see how happy those women were when I arrived. They are afraid that if that beast really bes the manager, they will have no good days ahead!"


    Su Chen spoke righteously, making himself out to be a hero:


    "Several people told me that if that Niu something guy really bes the manager, they would quit!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue also could not help but fear the repercussions. If that were true, the public rtions department she had worked so hard to establish would fall apart.


    The impact on Belle Corporation''s uing foray into international markets would absolutely be huge! Not to mention, it could damage Belle Corporation''s reputation.


    In that moment, Lin Ruoxue had decided to get rid of Niu Xuewen, but due to her consideration for Lin Chao, she would not act immediately.


    "Alright, I''m aware of this matter now."


    Lin Ruoxue said, then turned to nce at Su Chen:


    "Now tell me about the incident just now, why do you need to move to where the employees work."


    Su Chen had already prepared a reason for this and immediately replied:


    "I have my reasons for doing this. First, since I have just arrived and am not yet familiar with everyone, this can speed up the process; secondly, it''s easier for me to ''supervise'' their work there. With me, their director, watching, who would dare to ck off?"


    "Really?"


    Lin Ruoxue tilted her head and asked softly, the expression on her face taking on a significant meaning, as if she had seen through Su Chen....

 Chapter 225 - 225 The Death of Xiao Dingguo

    As soon as Su Chen met Lin Ruoxue''s gaze, his heart involuntarily trembled, as if he had been caught doing something wrong.


    However, he knew that Lin Ruoxue was very shrewd, so he dared not show any signs of timidity. Instead, he pretended to be forthright and said,


    "Of course, honey, I''m making contributions to thepany. Otherwise, it would be sofortable to just enjoy the air conditioning and take a nap in the office. Don''t you think you should reward me?"


    "Enough, enough."


    Lin Ruoxue slightly frowned and waved her hand:


    "Get on with your work!"


    With that, she indeed sat down and ignored Su Chen. Su Chen felt bored being alone and was also afraid Lin Ruoxue would see through his little schemes, so without a word, he left.


    Only after hearing the door close did Lin Ruoxue lift her head, looking toward the office door, her teeth biting down hard, a trace of Ice Frost appearing on her face:


    "Jerk, do you really think I don''t know what you''re thinking?!"


    After all, Lin Ruoxue had lived under the same roof with him for so long and hade to understand his character quite well. Supervising? What supervision? It was all just an excuse because he couldn''t bear to part with those flirtatious girls.


    When he returned to the Public Rtions department, Zhao Lin had already arranged his desk and chair for him, even thoughtfully adding a First Layer of nket.


    Sitting at the desk and looking at the dazzling array of beauties opposite him, Su Chen couldn''t help feeling a bit proud.


    He thought he had hidden his motives well, but little did he know, Lin Ruoxue had already seen through his little tricks.


    The men in the Public Rtions department were okay, but the women were not used to having a man sitting opposite them for the first time.


    Moreover, this man''s gaze seemed quite restless.


    "Director, why do you keep staring at our thighs?"


    Ran Ting pouted her cherry lips as she spoke, appearing somewhat angry, but her voice sounded more like she was coquettishlyining.


    "Ran Ting, you see, I''m studying here. I''ve noticed that your legs seem a bit crooked. Could you stand up and walk a couple of steps for me?"


    "Really?"


    As soon as Ran Ting heard this, she immediately panicked. After all, a woman''s legs are extremely valuable. Isn''t there a saying¡ªbeauty lies in the thighs?


    Ran Ting quickly stood up and took a few steps, looking at Su Chen and asking:


    "Director, how about it? Is there a problem?"


    "Ah, well, turn around and let me have a look."


    Startled, Su Chen said, reining in his direct gaze.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Ran Ting turned around and took a few more steps.


    Watching Ran Ting''s long legs, Su Chen couldn''t help but click his tongue in admiration. What a pair of beautiful legs!


    "How about it?"


    Ran Ting turned her head just in time to catch Su Chen''s "lecherous" gaze and the drool that was about to spill out.


    "Director, are you deliberately taking advantage of me?"


    Ran Ting''s face blushed as she pretended to be somewhat angry and retorted.


    The others burst intoughter upon hearing Ran Ting''s words; they had long seen through Su Chen''s intentions, yet Ran Ting was still oblivious.


    Hearing Ran Ting''s words, Su Chen felt somewhat embarrassed, but of course, he couldn''t admit it.


    "Would I do such a thing? Look closely with a ruler¡ªthere''s definitely no straight line at the center of your right leg. There might be a 0.5-0.8 deviation."


    Su Chen said earnestly, though he didn''t forget to continue admiring Ran Ting''s legs.


    "Really?"


    Ran Ting, seeing the serious look on Su Chen''s face, was also fooled and looked anxious.


    The others were also shocked. Could it be that the director was really helping Ran Ting check?


    "Of course, it''s true. I swear on my integrity," Su Chen dered with a smug look on his face.


    ```


    What he didn''t say, however, was that everyone''s legs have a certain deviation, and Ran Ting''s deviation waspletely within the normal range, with no issues whatsoever.


    "So what do I do?"


    Ran Ting had always taken pride in her figure, so hearing that her legs might not be straight made her understandably nervous.


    "No big deal, when I have time, I''ll teach you a set of exercises. Just practice them frequently, and you''ll be fine."


    When Su Chen said this, a distinct brightness sparkled in his eyes.


    "Thank you so much, Director!"


    Ran Ting ran over happily and pecked Su Chen on the face, though she made sure it was just a light touch.


    The others, seeing this, burst intoughter, and Ran Ting''s face turned a slight shade of red.


    Su Chen, too, smiled shyly, thinking it''s incredible how enthusiastic his colleagues from the public rtions department were!


    At the same time, he wiped off the lipstick mark left by Ran Ting, thinking that if Lin Ruoxue found out about this, he was in big trouble!


    Just then, Su Chen''s phone rang. He quickly answered upon seeing it was Xiao Yaning calling.


    After hanging up the phone, Su Chen stood there in a daze.


    "Xiao Dingguo is dead?!"


    He muttered with a puzzled look on his face.


    "I need to step out for a bit, you all better work hard."


    Su Chen stood up, said those words, and started walking out, but paused at the door:


    "Anyone caught cking, I''ll spank you when I get back!"


    The women immediately blushed and spat at him, and Su Chenughed heartily before dashing off.


    "This Director is quite interesting,"


    Ran Ting recalled the previous moment with a smile, realizingter on that Su Chen must have purposely bamboozled her.


    "Of course, you would find him interesting after you''ve kissed him,"


    a woman beside her teased.


    "I''ve figured it out; this little director is totally a little pervert. Strangely enough, it seems like I don''t dislike him."


    Zhao Lin said with a yful smile, also finding the new director quite a character.


    The other women nodded in agreement, feeling that the new director was quite special.


    Calling him a good person didn''t quite fit, as he always seemed a bit naughty, thinking of taking advantage of them on his first day; yet tobel him a bad person didn''t seem right either, as they didn''t despise him and even enjoyed joking around with him.


    Of course, they also noticed that Su Chen didn''t really seem to want to do anything to them. More so, he wasn''t putting on any airs of a director.


    Su Chen had no idea that his true colors were being assessed in such a way.


    But at the moment, he had no time to think about these things. Ever since he received Xiao Yaning''s call, he was constantly pondering who could have killed Xiao Dingguo.


    The incident had heightened his alertness; he had a hundred reasons not to believe it was an ident.


    Su Chen soon drove to the police station, where Xiao Yaning was already waiting for him. She approached as soon as she saw his car.


    "What exactly happened?" Su Chen asked, frowning slightly.


    "I don''t know either. The police station called a moment ago to inform us that Xiao Dingguo''s body was found in the river."


    Xiao Yaning exined that she was shocked by Su Chen''s identity with Ye Mei when the sudden call came in from the police station, reporting the discovery of Xiao Dingguo''s body in the river and asking her toe down to the station.


    Xiao Yaning was stunned at the time; although she had severed the father-daughter rtionship with Xiao Yaning, he was still the man who had raised her for over twenty years, the man she had always called dad!


    How could she remain indifferent?


    But he was fine, so how could he have suddenly died?


    ```

 Chapter 226: The Mystery of Death

    "Then let''s go inside and talk,"


    Su Chen saw she also wasn''t clear, so he walked straight in.


    Jiang Lixing''s office was right at the edge, and through the windows inside, one could see the courtyard.


    He was looking at a file when he suddenly looked up and saw Su Chen walking through the courtyard; he was startled and rushed out.


    As soon as Jiang Lixing ran out, Su Chen saw him. Seeing that he was about to speak, he quickly and imperceptibly shook his head.


    Jiang Lixing nced at the woman beside him and immediately understood.


    "Mr. Su, may I ask what brings you to our police station?"


    Jiang Lixing pretended it was official business and said.


    "Oh, Director Jiang, this time I''m just apanying a friend,"


    Su Chen pointed to Xiao Yaning beside him and said:


    "Her name is Xiao Yaning, she used to be the daughter of Xiao Dingguo, but she has already severed that rtionship. Your police station just notified her toe."


    As soon as Jiang Lixing heard this, he realized and apologetically said:


    "I''m really sorry; we also know that you''re no longer rted as father and daughter, but since Xiao Dingguo no longer has any other rtives, we had no choice but to notify Miss Xiao."


    "It''s okay."


    Xiao Yaning found it strange that Su Chen and Jiang Lixing knew each other, but she didn''t say anything.


    "Director Jiang, can you tell me exactly what is going on?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "Of course," Jiang Lixing paused slightly before saying, "This morning, two fishing boats found a body in the river while they were fishing, and then they reported it to the police. We immediately sent someone to the scene."


    "ording to the preliminary assessment of the medical examiner, the victim likely died during the night four days ago. The exact cause of death will be determined after you have seen the body and the medical examiner performs an autopsy for a definitive answer. Additionally, the victim''s body was covered in scars, clearly having suffered torture before death."


    "How did you know the victim was Xiao Dingguo?"


    As far as Su Chen was concerned, after four days immersed in the river, the body would definitely be too disfigured to identify.


    "Oh, actually, there''s quite a coincidence. Xiao Dingguo had some run-ins with thew in his early business days, so he had a criminal record and fingerprints on file. We matched them and they corresponded."


    Jiang Lixing exined with a smile.


    Su Chen nodded; that exined things.


    However, his focus wasn''t there, but rather on the fact that Xiao Dingguo had suffered torture before his death. Who could it have been, and why?


    He felt this matter was very likely rted to Lv Shixin''s death.


    The two, led by Jiang Lixing, arrived in a room where Xiao Dingguo''s bodyy, covered with a white cloth.


    "The condition of the victim may be somewhat shocking, so you should brace yourselves,"


    Jiang Lixing said, his words mainly directed at Xiao Yaning.


    "Okay!"


    Xiao Yaning took a couple of deep breaths and then nodded.


    Although Xiao Yaning was psychologically prepared, when Jiang Lixing lifted the white cloth, she couldn''t help feeling nauseous and quickly ran to the bathroom, where she vomited violently before feeling better.


    Because Xiao Dingguo''s state of death was too miserable!


    Not only was his face unrecognizable from soaking in the river water, but the intercrossed wounds on his body were also exceptionally horrifying; most importantly, it seemed that all the muscles and bones in his body were somewhat distorted.


    Not just Xiao Yaning¡ªprobably anyone would have been unable to handle that sight!


    In contrast to Xiao Yaning''s reaction, the moment Su Chen set eyes on the corpse, a gleam shed in his eyes!


    He felt nothing in particr for the rest, but what made him somewhat astonished was the twisted muscles and tendons of Xiao Dingguo.


    Clearly, they had been stimted by some drug, most likely a neurologically active one that, by stimting neurons, inflicted inhuman pain and simultaneously caused physiological changes.


    From what Su Chen knew, there were at least five drugs with such effects. Obviously, the method was extremely cruel!


    This waspletely different from Su Chen using Silver Needle to force a confession, which was simply pure pain. Although it felt unbearable at the moment, it actually caused almost no harm to the human body.


    But with these drugs, even if some people could bear it, they were almost as good as useless afterward!


    Su Chen would never resort to such methods unless he was dealing with people who hadmitted heinous crimes¡ªit was just too inhumane!


    Just from this detail alone, Su Chen could tell that the person behind this was a boundless, fiercely cruel individual!


    "Okay, cover it up."


    Su Chen sighed.


    "Wait!"


    At that moment, Xiao Yaning had also returned. She walked to the end of the body, lifted the white cloth covering it, and arge mole on the right leg caught the eye.


    "It''s really him, it''s really him!"


    Xiao Yaning couldn''t help but cry out. She thought she would be overjoyed at his death.


    But when the moment truly arrived, she couldn''t help but shed tears.


    "All right, all right, don''t look anymore."


    Su Chen wrapped his arm around the somewhat unsteady Xiao Yaning while signaling Jiang Lixing to cover the body again.


    "Let me know if there are any further developments."


    Su Chen said to Jiang Lixing, who naturally agreed immediately.


    As Su Chen was walking out of the yard with Xiao Yaning in his arms, a pair of beautiful eyes stared at his retreating figure from upstairs.


    "This bastard! How many women has he been involved with?!"


    Xu Xinran clenched her fists, speaking resentfully; it was unclear whether she was upset for Xia Qiuru or for herself.


    Su Chen directly took Xiao Yaning back to her vi rather than to Rose Mansion, knowing that in her current state she definitely couldn''t work anymore.


    Su Chen intended to leave as soon as he had delivered Xiao Yaning, but she was clearly badly shaken and wanted him to stay with her for a while longer.


    Seeing she was a bit off, he kept herpany, and knowing she had no appetite, he even cooked her some porridge.


    Unexpectedly, thispanysted untilte in the evening.


    "It''s reallyte, I have to go."


    Su Chen said somewhat apologetically; after all, he was a married man.


    "Okay, then go, drive carefully."


    Seeing that it was almost 9 p.m. and her mood had improved a bit, Xiao Yaning let Su Chen go, although she still felt a little scared inside.


    "You should rest early."


    Su Chen advised her before he left the yard and drove away.


    Xiao Yaning''s vi was in the suburbs, where there were already few people around, and it was even more deserted at night.


    And with hardly any street lights along the road, the outside was almost pitch ck, illuminated only by the headlight of Su Chen''s car and intermittent bird calls from the woods on both sides.


    Just then, several figures suddenly dashed out from the bushes by the roadside, moving incredibly fast.


    Some of them ran towards the front of Su Chen''s car, while others headed to the rear, seemingly intent on trapping Su Chen...

 Chapter 227 - 227 Trouble Arises

    Su Chen''s face darkened as soon as he saw the attire of these people, the Wu Family really was like a lingering ghost!


    The reason he recognized them as people from the Wu Family at a nce was because their clothing was the same as those who hade to assassinate him thest two times, all in ck and white robes.


    However, they had learned from theirst experience and arranged for six martial artists toe over, including two in ck robes and four in white robes.


    At both the front and rear of the vehicle, there stood one person in a ck robe and two in white robes, yet they were all very vignt, after all, the few people who hade outst time haven''t been heard from to this day!


    Of course, what they dreaded was not Su Chen, they saw him as just a man in his twenties, quite ordinary in appearance, nothing special, and they did not take him seriously at all.


    What they feared was whether there were any hidden masters around this guy who might strike at a critical moment, so they had all set up an ambush well in advance.


    Su Chen pushed open the door and stepped out, then leaned against the car door and lit a cigarette:


    "Your Wu Family really has a lot of trash like you, never dying off, huh!"


    Su Chen was also quite vexed; although such trash didn''t have much strength, dealing with them was still quite a hassle!


    "Who are you calling trash?!"


    One of the people in white robes immediately responded, and the others all red at Su Chen with fierce eyes.


    You see, they were all martial artists who had always considered themselves superior, after all, not many in Huaxia could be martial artists.


    Now to be called trash, and by such an ordinary young man at that, their anger was imaginable.


    "Are there any others here?"


    Su Chen exhaled a ring of smoke into the night air, speaking leisurely:


    "Not only are you trash, but it seems your brains aren''t too bright either!"


    When had these people ever been so belittled, they immediately red up in great anger!


    "Pretty arrogant kid, I''d like to see what makes you so arrogant!"


    The person in ck at the front also felt that this young man was too arrogant and yelled:


    "Attack!"


    As soon as the words fell, the other two in white robes also charged forward immediately. The running of the three martial artists made the nearby ground tremble, causing bursts of noise, and it seemed like some of the nearby sleeping residents were awoken.


    At the same time, the people at the back spread out a bit to prevent Su Chen from escaping.


    Su Chen watched the three people charging at him, his eyes shing with a cold gleam!


    He had no intention of ying games with these people and directly circted his cultivation technique, gathering True Yuan in the palm of his hand and struck out with one palm.


    In the darkness, a faint milky white energy wave appeared and surged directly towards the three people in front!


    "Ah~~~"


    In an instant, several miserable cries sounded in the night, and then silence returned...


    The three people at the back suddenly showed a look of great shock; they could all tell that what had just been released was True Yuan!


    Emitting True Yuan, that was something only those above the Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement could do!


    Looking at the young man in front of them, who was in his twenties and seemed no different from a university graduate, the three people couldn''t help but feel shivers run down their spines.


    Previously, they had thought the disappearance of thest batch was due to some peerless master by this kid''s side, but they never imagined that this peerless master would actually turn out to be the young man himself.


    In his twenties and already at the Fifth Layer Realm of Qi Refinement, no, quite possibly even beyond, this was too frightening!


    How could someone so young possess such cultivation, and if he were to keep growing, where would his endpoint be?


    "Retreat quickly!"


    The person in the ck robe yelled frantically and immediately started to flee.


    Joking aside, a master who could emit True Yuan was not someone he could withstand; better to save his own life while he could!


    "Running now, don''t you think it''s a little toote?"


    Su Chen let out a coldugh and took another swing with his palm...


    "Pfft!"


    All three people simultaneously pitched forward and fell, each coughing up arge mouthful of fresh blood.


    Because they were a bit further away just now, the ck-robed person whose strength was slightly deeper was severely injured but not dead.


    Struggling, he managed to twist his head to look at his twopanions and saw that their clothes were torn and their backs were nearly caved in; they were clearly dead!


    The power of True Yuan emission was too terrifying! They had absolutely no strength to fight back!


    Of course, part of this was because they were too panicked upon realizing that Su Chen could emit his True Yuan, otherwise they could have put up a bit of a blockade, but that was all they could have managed.


    Hearing the footsteps behind him, the ck-robed person endured the extreme pain and turned his body to face Su Chen head-on.


    But he didn''t say anything, knowing that he was doomed to die.


    "Could you grant me a quick death, please?"


    "As you wish!"


    "Thank you!"


    As soon as his words fell, a bullet hole appeared in the center of his forehead...


    ......


    Su Chen disposed of the corpses in a ce where no one would think to look and continued driving back.


    Just as Su Chen was about to reach the Grand Epoch Court''smunity gate, he suddenly felt a vibration in the skin over his chest.


    This vibration was very slight and indistinguishable from the body''s normal pulsations.


    However, it was this faint throbbing that transformed Su Chen''s expression drastically, a tension appeared that he had never shown before.


    He reached into his chest and gently tore off something; a flesh-colored piece of thin material appeared in his hand.


    He quickly stuffed the thin piece into his ear, and immediately a voice came through:


    "Master, there''s been an incident at Safe House No. 9. Doctor Hughes is dead, Doctor Gaia has been taken."


    "I am sorry, Master, it is a failure on my part, and I am willing to ept punishment!"


    "Now is not the time for punishment, what exactly happened?"


    Su Chen''s expression was as dark as still water; his worst fears had happened, and it was a matter of great severity!


    Both individuals were absolute authorities in the field of human gics; the Nether Temple''s human gic experiments had been conducted under their supervision.


    "I don''t know what happened," said the person on the other end of the phone, with deep guilt.


    "This afternoon, just an hour ago, Doctor Gaia wanted to go out for a stroll, so Agent 14 and I apanied him, leaving Agent 12 at the safe house to protect Doctor Hughes."


    "When we reached a small street with street vendors, Doctor Gaia seemed very interested in the trinkets and stopped to look. Agent 14 stayed close to protect him, while I kept an eye on the surroundings for any anomalies."


    "Suddenly, a car came careening from the other side. As it passed by Doctor Gaia, two people jumped out¡ªone engaging Agent 14 and the other grabbing Doctor Gaia and taking him onto the car."


    "At the same time, the person engaging Agent 14 scattered some Soul-confusing Powder, took the opportunity to jump on the car, and escaped. Agent 14 and I wanted to pursue, but suddenly a band of mercenaries who just happened to pass by blocked us, so... "


    "What else?" Su Chen asked in a deep voice.


    Worried that something might have happened to the safe house, we rushed back, but it was toote; by the time we returned, Agent 12 was mortally wounded, barely breathing, and Doctor Hughesy in a pool of blood, shot by a bullet from Agent 12''s gun."


    "Alright, I''ve got it. You and Agent 14 have one thing to do for me: find out which group of mercenaries suddenly appeared to block your path and keep a close watch on them. I am on my way there now!"


    "Yes, Master!"

 Chapter 228 - 228 Injuries and Departures

    ```


    Su Chen made a phone call to Shadow Guard Number 4, and immediately took out his cell phone and dialed another number.


    "Nether King, I didn''t expect you to still be alive?!"


    A heartyugh came from the other end of the phone, but the person on the line was clearly very surprised by the call, although theughter masked a lot.


    "How could I possibly die if you, Sea King, are still breathing?"


    Su Chen replied unreservedly:


    "Cut the crap, I need your help with something right now."


    "I''m all ears for help, but the price?"


    "Leave the money matters to God of Wealth, I need you to arrange a boat to pick me up near the South Seas, I''ll probably arrive tomorrow."


    "Alright, no problem!"


    "Remember, all electronic systems on the boat must bepletely removed."


    "Nether King, seems like you''re in quite a bit of trouble!"


    Sea King teased with a chuckling tone, removal of electronic systems is naturally for the fear of being tracked.


    "That''s none of your business!"


    Having said that, Su Chen hung up the call.


    He wasn''t the slightest bit worried about Sea King trying any tricks, unless Sea King himself had a death wish.


    After finishing the call, Su Chen took a deep breath for a full minute, calming his emotionspletely before driving back to the vi.


    As he pushed the door open, an icy voice came out.


    "Where have you been all day?"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a sidelong nce, her beautiful eyes brimming with a hint of anger.


    This jerk, on his first day at the PR department, disappeared for most of it. Has he no sense of decorum?


    "Oh, that, I went with a friend to the police station today."


    "The police station? What did you go there for?"


    Ordinary people tend to get nervous upon hearing about the police station, including Lin Ruoxue, of course.


    Once she heard Su Chen visited the police station, she immediately forgot her anger and asked hastily.


    "My friend''s father''s corpse was found in the river, so the police station notified her toe down. She was a bit scared to go alone, so she asked me to apany her."


    Su Chen was telling the truth, and seeing Lin Ruoxue''s expression soften slightly, he continued:


    "Because her father died in a particrly gruesome way, she took a heavy hit, so I stayed with her a little longer."


    So that was the reason; it was understandable. But couldn''t this jerk have at least informed her, so she wouldn''t have been so worried?


    Just as Su Chen was walking toward his room, Lin Ruoxue''s voice rang out from behind him again.


    "Your friend is a woman, right?"


    Su Chen''s steps faltered, and he turned around with some trepidation to nod.


    "Pretty good-looking, I bet?"


    "No, not at all! She looks like she''s been gnawed on by a pig!"


    Su Chen quickly waved his hands, deliberately expressing a look of disgust on his face.


    Fortunately, Xiao Yaning didn''t know; if she did, and found out that Su Chen hadpared her looks to something gnawed on by a pig, she would have gone berserk!


    After saying this, Su Chen immediately retreated to his room, fearful that Lin Ruoxue would continue her interrogation.


    Once back in his room, he opened the box from under his bed and took out several items, cing them on his body.


    This trip to Africa was sure to be extremely dangerous, as could be gathered from Shadow Guard Number 4''s description.


    After all, every Shadow Guard was an elite, and even the weakest among them had reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement!


    Even they had suffered heavily, which indicated the strength of their opponents was not to be underestimated. His own strength hadn''t fully recovered yet, how could he be at ease without bringing some life-saving gadgets?


    ```


    The Shadow Guard could be described as a force meticulously cultivated by Su Chen a few years in advance, for if there was anyone in this world truly devoted to Su Chen, it would certainly be these Shadow Guards, who had never seen the light of day!


    Each of these individuals was carefully selected and personally trained by Su Chen; all three team leaders were at the Qi Refinement Peak, and even the overall leader, Number One, was on the verge of entering the Meridian Expansion''s half-step realm. The rest ranged from the seventh to the ninthyer of Qi Refinement.


    If this power were to be revealed, the entirety of the Dark World would probably be frightened out of their wits!


    Who would have the courage to contend with so many top-notch experts?


    However, they were scattered around various locations, with their base deep in the Amazon Jungle, thus their existence was unknown to anyone, including the people within the Nether Temple!


    If a few Shadow Guards had been with him during that ambush, he wouldn''t have been driven into a corner.


    When Su Chen emerged from the room, Lin Ruoxue was still on the sofa, leisurely eating a cantaloupe and reading a magazine.


    If possible, Su Chen really didn''t want to take the risk of traveling so far to Africa; staying home with his wife would be much nicer.


    But some things always needed someone to take care of them, and Su Chen didn''t have the grand ideal of saving all of humanity, but he did have his own sense of responsibility and bottom line.


    Lin Ruoxue naturally noticed that Su Chen hade out. At first, she didn''t pay much attention, but after a few minutes, noticing that he was still standing in the same spot, she felt that something was off.


    Under normal circumstances, this rascal would definitely be finding ways to get close to her.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but raise her head and nce at him, seeing a trace of hesitation and difficulty on his face, she felt even more that something serious was happening, and it wasn''t something trivial.


    "Is there something you want to tell me?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, looking at Su Chen with suspicion.


    "Yeah, I need to go out for a while."


    Su Chen felt that he was increasingly reluctant to leave this home. In the past, if he were alone, he would have just walked out without so many second thoughts.


    "Well, go then. Remember toe back early."


    Lin Ruoxue thought it was something significant, but when she heard that Su Chen was just stepping out for a while, she was considerably relieved.


    "Don''t go flirting around. Be honest."


    Listening to Lin Ruoxue''s instructions, Su Chen found it a bit amusing, yet felt a different kind of warmth.


    "I''m going to Africa."


    Su Chen said, somewhat hesitant to look at Lin Ruoxue''s face, not knowing why. Maybe he feared seeing her look worried.


    "What?!"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly stood up from the sofa, not even putting on her slippers.


    Her beautiful eyes stared at Su Chen, and her heart was in turmoil.


    "Africa?"


    Her cherry lips muttered in disbelief.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue with difficulty and nodded.


    "Why?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t understand why he suddenly needed to go to Africa in the middle of the night.


    "Something came up over there that I have to attend to. It was ast-minute decision."


    "Is it absolutely necessary for you to go?"


    In Lin Ruoxue''s mind, the mention of Africa brought thoughts of disease, gues, poverty, backwardness, savagery, wars, and other words rted to danger.


    "Absolutely necessary!"


    Although it broke his heart, Su Chen still firmly nodded.


    "How long will you be gone?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice trembled as she asked, knowing that she couldn''t stop him. Tears began to well up in her beautiful eyes.


    Yet she tried hard to keep them from falling...

 Chapter 229: Departure

    "If it''s fast, ten days; at most, no more than a month."


    "That long?"


    Lin Ruoxue fought back tears and managed to show a slight smile:


    "Okay, you go, but call me every day to check in, that''s all."


    "I''ll try my best!"


    Facing such a simple request from Lin Ruoxue that he couldn''t even fulfill made Su Chen feel very guilty, but he had no choice.


    What kind of situations might arise, he wasn''t clear either.


    "Is it dangerous?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked this question and felt it was superfluous, but without asking, she always felt uneasy!


    "Don''t worry!"


    Su Chen walked over, took her into his arms, and said:


    "I promise you, I''ll definitelye back safely to see you!"


    "You promise!"


    Lin Ruoxue said, looking up at Su Chen.


    "I promise!"


    Su Chen raised three fingers and swore, telling himself that even if it was for Lin Ruoxue, he must return safely.


    "During this time, I''ll have Clowne over to stay, you ask Wang''s mom to prepare him a guest room tomorrow."


    Su Chen said, now he couldn''t feel at ease leaving Lin Ruoxue alone, especially since he seemed to have offended quite a few people.


    "Is that necessary?!"


    Lin Ruoxue was not quite used to having strange men in her home.


    "It''s necessary, I can''t be at ease with you alone, if someone takes advantage of my absence to kidnap my beauty, I''ll have nowhere to cry."


    Su Chen made a joke to lighten the mood.


    "Pfft!"


    Lin Ruoxue burst intoughter:


    "Don''t worry, I won''t let them, no one can take me away."


    "Okay, I''ll ask Wang''s mom to get a room ready tomorrow."


    "That''s my good girl, okay, I''m leaving now."


    Su Chen said reluctantly, then kissed Lin Ruoxue''s pale and tender forehead gently, this time Lin Ruoxue did not refuse.


    After the kiss, Su Chen turned around and left; he didn''t take any clothes, much like a traveler.


    "Come back early!"


    "Okay!"


    Then the sound of the door closing with a "bang" echoed, striking Lin Ruoxue''s heart as well.


    Looking at the empty room, Lin Ruoxue felt somewhat forlorn and a little afraid!


    She was afraid that the man who had just walked out wouldn''te back again, having grown ustomed to his presence, even to his faults!


    She would rather he tease her every day than go to that ce in Africa, especially since what he had to do was definitely very dangerous!


    At that moment, two lines of poetry involuntarily popped into her head: "Pity the bones by the riverbank without rest, still the man in the dreams of a maiden''s bower."


    Lin Ruoxue felt like a wife from the past, waiting for her husband''s return from deployment.


    Spit spit spit, how could her husband possibly end up buried by the riverbank! He must return triumphant!


    "Yes, he definitely will!"


    Lin Ruoxue affirmed resolutely in her heart.


    "If hees back safely this time, I, I, will be true husband and wife with him!"


    Lin Ruoxue thought so... and then fell asleep on the couch...


    ......


    After leaving, Su Chen first called Clown, telling him to move in tomorrow to protect Lin Ruoxue.


    Clown understood the protocol, Su Chen didn''t tell him what he was up to, and he didn''t ask.


    However, he insisted on not moving into Lin Ruoxue''s vi, since she was his sister-inw and it wasn''t quite proper.


    In his words, the car had plenty of space to sleep in, and hadn''t he slept blissfully in caves before?


    Su Chen just let him be, as it wasn''t really a big deal to him.


    After finishing the call with the clown, he made another call to Shadow, instructing her to monitor all departures from Canyabi, including flights, trains, and other vehicles.


    He also sent a photo of Doctor Gaia to Shadow, telling her to immediately report via encrypted satellite phone if she spotted this person.


    However, Su Chen also knew the likelihood was slim; if these people were to leave, they would most likely take the sea route like he did, and it wouldn''t be through official means, since it was much safer that way.


    If they were discovered via the sky or bynd, the Nether Temple wasn''t short of rocketunchers and various heavy weapons.


    Taking the sea route was different, as any approaching ship on the vast ocean surface would be detected immediately, allowing them to respond calmly.


    After the calls, Su Chen drove to Jiangwan City, a city further south of Jianghai, where there were ships that could go directly to the South Sea.


    This time, Su Chen''s route was to set off from Jiangwan City to the South Sea, then through the Strait of a, and on through the Indian Ocean, which would take him directly to Africa.


    The reason he didn''t take a ne, or a train, or even a car, was naturally to avoid being tracked.


    Moreover, Su Chen nned to avoid official transportation for the entire journey because it was easy to be found through the electronic systems, even if he used a fake name.


    Since the enemies had targeted Doctor Gaia and Doctor Hughes, they would certainly pay attention to his movements!


    If you ask why Su Chen was so anxious about these two people, it was because they were leading figures in the field of human gics!


    ording to Su Chen''s estimation, the attack must have been orchestrated by Tang Gang''s Skull Society and their backing forces, as Tang Gang alone couldn''t possibly have found that location by himself.


    And their aim in abducting these two doctors was surely for human gic modification.


    Now, even though Doctor Hughes had already died, Doctor Gaia was still alive!


    One could say Doctor Gaia was the most crucial talent in this technology; initially, the research at the Nether Temple had beenpleted under Doctor Gaia''s leadership.


    It was onlyter that Su Chen realized the problems and urgently halted it, then arranged for these two most important talents to be ced in a safe house in Canyabi, Africa, with three Shadow Guards for personal protection.


    If they really got hold of Doctor Gaia, it would undoubtedly greatly advance their n for human gic modification, which was precisely why Su Chen had to rush there.


    Su Chen stopped his car at a dock and then stood there smoking a cigarette while waiting.


    Sure enough, before Su Chen finished his cigarette, a person approached.


    "Buddy, could I borrow a light?"


    It was a man in his thirties, his skin darkened and somewhat dry, possibly from frequently being exposed to sea winds.


    At that moment, he had a cigarette in his mouth and looked at Su Chen with a scrutinizing gaze.


    Su Chen smiled faintly and took out his lighter to light it for him.


    The man took a leisurely drag and said,


    "Are you looking to head out?"


    Su Chen nodded,


    "The South Sea, towards the Strait of a."


    "Going that way, huh? Well, the cost isn''t low, it''s thirty thousand."


    The man clearly saw that Su Chen''s car was nice, so he quoted a higher price than usual. In reality, twenty thousand would have been enough.


    He said thirty thousand because haggling was expected; if he met a client who didn''t know better and had plenty of money, then he would make a pretty profit.


    "I''ll give you fifty thousand, but I need to leave immediately!"


    Su Chen said casually with a light smile.


    The man was clearly taken aback, then said solemnly,


    "If you''re in such a rush, I need to check!"


    Su Chen nodded, understanding that the man was just a middleman.


    "Alright. If you can get me there quickly, I can add more!"


    "Sure, don''t worry. I know all the boats here, as long as the money is right, everything is easy!"


    Encountering such a generous client, the man was very enthusiastic and quickly went aside to make a phone call.


    About ten minutester, the man came back.


    "Buddy, you''re in luck, there''s a ship ready to leave now, but it''ll cost an extra twenty thousand."


    "Okay, that''s fine."


    For Su Chen, money was never an issue; what mattered was speed!

 Chapter 230 - 230 An Encounter on the Way

    "Okay, I''ll notify him to bring the boat over now."


    The man said and then made another phone call.


    Afterward, he and Su Chen leaned against the car door and waited.


    "Come have a smoke," the man offered Su Chen a cigarette, "The quality isn''t the best, don''t mind it."


    Su Chen stood to earn over ten thousand from this deal alone, so naturally, he was very enthusiastic and attentive.


    "Not at all," Su Chen said as he took the cigarette, which cost about a dozen or so renminbi a pack¡ªnot too bad.


    But Su Chen didn''t care about it since sometimes he would make do with smoking rolled-up leaves.


    Just as they finished their cigarettes, a rumbling noise approached.


    "Here ites!"


    The man threw his cigarette butt on the ground and started running forward, with Su Chen following behind.


    "Lao Yu, that was quick!"


    "Of course, didn''t you say the client was in a hurry?"


    In their line of work, there was a rule to never ask clients about their reasons.


    "Lao Yu, this is the young brother here," said the man as he introduced them.


    "This is Lao Yu, he''ll be the one to take you."


    "Hello!"


    Lao Yu walked forward and extended his hand.


    "Thank you for this," Su Chen replied, shaking hands with him. Lao Yu''s hand was very rough.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but size up the man, who was darker than the man he''d just been with and seemed to be in his forties, with wrinkles already etched onto his face.


    "No trouble at all, pleasee aboard. However, there are already two other guests on the boat, they had booked earlier," Lao Yu said apologetically.


    "No problem," Su Chen gestured with his hand and then boarded the boat...


    The vessel Su Chen boarded was a fishing boat; of course, unlike the ones in fishing viges, this one was powered, otherwise, it would take forever to reach the South Sea!


    After boarding, Su Chen encountered the two guests mentioned by Lao Yu. It was a man and a woman, huddling close together, appearing very intimate.


    The pair seemed well-matched, the man handsome and distinguished; the woman beautiful and shapely.


    However, Su Chen''s brow furrowed slightly, for he detected the scent of blood and medicinal herbs in the air.


    Clearly, at least one of them was injured, possibly both.


    Still, as strangers, Su Chen did not inquire further but merely nodded in acknowledgment. The couple nodded back, and then everyone fell silent.


    At night, all that could be heard was the sound of the fishing boat cutting through the waves and the howling sea wind.


    The couple seemed noticeably cold, huddling even closer together and shivering uncontrobly; sleep was nearly impossible in such conditions.


    "Here, use this to cover your girlfriend," Su Chen offered, taking off his jacket and handing it to the man. The cold was nothing to Su Chen.


    The man and woman were initially surprised by Su Chen''s gesture, then their faces turned shyly red with embarrassment.


    "Thank you!"


    The man took Su Chen''s jacket and carefully draped it over the woman.


    With this exchange, the awkwardness among them lessened.


    "Sir, where might you be headed?" the man asked.


    "Africa."


    Su Chen pulled a cigarette from the pack and tossed it over:


    "Have a smoke to ward off the chill."


    Then he lit one for himself and threw the lighter over as well.


    For smokers, cigarettes could be incredibly powerful.


    For instance, a cigarette could make a boring moment less tedious, ease a sour mood a bit when you''re feeling down, make hunger less gnawing, or even make you feel less cold when it''s chilly¡­


    Whether it was actually effective or just a cebo, smokers always found a reason to light up.


    "Thanks!"


    The man caught the cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it, but Su Chen could tell from the way he smoked that he wasn''t a smoker.


    "Cough cough~~~"


    Sure enough, after just one puff, the man began to cough, and it seemed to agitate his wound, causing his eyebrows to furrow.


    "If you can''t handle it, don''t force yourself!"


    The woman cast a nce at the man and said.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine, Jiao, don''t worry."


    The man gently stroked the woman''s hair and smiled.


    "I''m sorry¡­"


    He said to Su Chen with an apologetic shake of his head and a smile, his expression somewhat helpless.


    "It''s my oversight, if you''re not used to it, don''t smoke," Su Chen replied, never one to force others.


    "Really, it''s fine. Just got a bit choked at first, but it''s better now."


    As he spoke, the man took a couple more drags and exhaled:


    "You see, it kind of looks the part now, doesn''t it?"


    "Pssh, such vanity."


    The girl pouted and stood up, walking towards the outside of the cabin.


    It wasn''t until the girl stood up that Su Chen realized just how impressive her figure was, truly devilish, and she was over 1.7 meters tall.


    The only w was that her leg appeared to be injured, giving her a limp and detracting from the beauty.


    Su Chen only nced once before averting his gaze; after all, her boyfriend was right there!


    But her boyfriend seemed quite interesting.


    After some conversation, they learned that his surname was Su, and he learned that theirs was Mu.


    By the next morning, the fishing boat had arrived in a City. Su Chen, Old Yu, and the couple exchanged brief farewells before parting ways.


    Su Chen didn''t linger and went straight to Formosa Castle located slightly north of the city center. Built by the Portuguese hundreds of years ago, its current master was the Sea King, Arthur.


    Given that the Strait of a was an essential maritime chokepoint, it was only natural for the Sea King, who thrived on the sea, to have a transit point there.


    .....


    Meanwhile, that same morning in Jianghai.


    As usual, a servant from the Wu Family opened therge gates of the outer courtyard early in the morning, but as soon as he did, he was stunned by the scene before him.


    "Dead bodies, dead bodies, so many dead bodies!"


    The servant shouted as he ran back inside, his face marked by sheer panic!


    In the early morning, most of the Wu Family were just getting up. Upon hearing the servant''s terrifying screams, they were all momentarily stunned, and then they rushed out to the courtyard.


    Soon, a crowd gathered at the entrance, and when they saw the scene outside, everyone was dumbstruck!


    Six bodies were piled up in a heap by the entrance, creating a shocking tableau.


    The thick scent of blood lingered in the air, and some of the more faint-hearted had already begun to vomit on the side, for the sight was too horrifying!


    "What''s happened again?"


    An annoyed voice hummed from the back of the crowd¡­

 Chapter 231 - 231 Sea King OR Landlord Tycoon

    Madam Wu has been extremely unlucky these days. Some time ago, her daughter-inw was beaten until she looked like a pig''s head by a young man in public, whichpletely embarrassed the Wu Family''s century-old reputation.


    After that, several of the masters sent to take revenge on the young man suddenly disappeared without a trace, and there''s still no news to this day.


    Therefore, Madam Wu has been quite irritable these past few days. She didn''t expect an uproar so early in the morning, which made her very displeased.


    "Madam, please take a look."


    A servant helped Madam Wu to the front, and as soon as she saw the piled-up corpses in front of her, her vision darkened, and she almost fainted. Fortunately, there were people on both sides to support her, so she didn''t fall.


    "Who did this?!"


    Madam Wu screamed with a shrill voice, her face showing a deep malevolence!


    Hearing Madam Wu take charge, everyone else trembled with fear and didn''t dare to utter a breath...


    In fact, Wu Jingui and Wu Yuanpin, the uncle and nephew pair, both knew who did it, but they had their reasons for not speaking up.


    Wu Jinjun, the Family Head of the Wu Family, was utterly baffled and muttered,


    "What on earth is going on?"


    "Go, ask the Rank Leader toe here."


    Madam Wu ordered her personal maid.


    Soon, a person in a purple robe walked over.


    "Madam, may I know why you''ve called for me?"


    The person in the purple robe asked respectfully.


    "Take a good look for yourself!"


    Madam Wu huffed angrily, with a trace of dissatisfaction shing in her eyes.


    The others also stepped aside a bit to allow the person in the purple robe to see.


    As for the identity of this person in the purple robe, apart from a few core members of the Wu Family, most people didn''t know, but they were aware that the core members of the Wu Family treated him with great respect.


    When the person in the purple robe saw the scene at the entrance, he too was shocked!


    Weren''t these the people he had sent out to deal with that young man?


    How did their corpses end up here?


    "Madam, perhaps we should have someone take care of the bodies first."


    The person in the purple robe subtly signaled Madam Wu with his eyes.


    "Fine, eldest, take care of it,"


    Madam Wu told her eldest son Wu Jingui, who naturally agreed.


    Madam Wu knew the person in the purple robe had something to say to her, so she went straight back to her room, and the person in the purple robe followed.


    After returning to the room, Madam Wu first sent all the servants away, then turned to the person in the purple robe and said,


    "Speak your mind."


    "Madam, I''m afraid that group of people we sent before is likely more dead than alive," the person in the purple robe sighed.


    "I''ve already figured as much. Tell me something useful,"


    If Madam Wu couldn''t even think of that, she wouldn''t deserve to have controlled the Wu Family for so many years.


    "The Assassin''s power has at least reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement, which is the strength of a Third Rank Leader; otherwise, this couldn''t have happened. Of course, it could be even higher!"


    The person in the purple robe pondered briefly before speaking.


    Madam Wu was shocked and hastily asked,


    "Are you saying that young man has already..."


    "No, it''s absolutely impossible for it to be that young man. He''s only in his twenties; how could his Cultivation have reached the Fourth Layer or even higher?"


    The person in the purple robe shook his head repeatedly, not believing it could be the act of that young man.


    To know, he himself had only reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement at the age of thirty-eight and was already considered quite talented.


    How could someone in their early twenties possibly achieve that?


    "So you mean, there''s a master beside him?"


    Madam Wu analyzed and inquired.


    "That''s likely the case, otherwise, there''s no other exnation."


    "Are you sure it wasn''t that young man?"


    Madam Wu did not understand much about martial arts, so she had no choice but to consult the man in the purple robe.


    "Definitely not!"


    The man in the purple robe had no doubt about it!


    "That''s good, as long as it''s not him himself, there will always be an opportunity!"


    After this incident, Madam Wu''s determination to kill Su Chen had not only remained unchanged but had grown even stronger!


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a vi at the Grand Epoch Court.


    Lin Ruoxue was eating breakfast while spacing out, her expression somewhat vacant.


    "Miss, your chopsticks are upside down,"


    Wang Ma sighed as she watched Lin Ruoxue''s abnormal behavior.


    "Oh."


    Lin Ruoxue saw that they were indeed upside down, and Wang Ma handed her a new pair of chopsticks.


    "Miss, what on earth did the young master go off to do?"


    Wang Ma was also baffled; she had not seen the young master this morning and had found the miss asleep on the couch.


    Wang Ma feltpelled to ask, and Lin Ruoxue simply said that Su Chen had something to do and would be away for a while.


    Seeing the miss so distraught, Wang Ma couldn''t help but ask again.


    "I don''t know."


    Lin Ruoxue murmured. Suddenly, she felt as if she and Su Chen were worlds apart.


    Although they had always lived together, she knew nothing of his past; she was even in the dark about what he was doing yesterday.


    This feeling of helplessness made Lin Ruoxue very ufortable; she didn''t know if he was hungry, cold, or in danger right now.


    The only thing she could do besides waiting seemed to be... nothing at all.


    "No, this won''t do. If he returns safely this time, I must integrate into his life! Otherwise, what am I to do the next time he is in trouble? Just wait helplessly, unable to do anything?"


    Lin Ruoxue made up her mind!


    Wang Ma had always been worried about theck of intimacy between the two, but now there seemed to be no need to worry about that. Seeing the miss''s condition made it clear how important the young master was to her.


    But this only made Wang Ma more concerned for the miss, fearing she wouldn''t hold up.


    "Wang Ma, I''ve lost my appetite; I''m going to work now,"


    Lin Ruoxue stood up and said, feeling as if she had no appetite without him around.


    "Miss, have a little more to eat, you''ve hardly touched anything!"


    "It''s okay, I can eat at the office if I get hungry,"


    Lin Ruoxue squeezed out a thin smile and then walked out the front door...


    ......


    In a City, the moment Su Chen approached the castle, two people came up to him:


    "Excuse me, are you Mr. Su?"


    "Hmm,"


    Su Chen nodded.


    "Please follow us, Mr. Su."


    The two guided Su Chen further inside. Honestly, he had visited several of Sea King''s residences before, but this was his first timeing to this castle in a.


    After passing through several winding corridors, Su Chen finally entered the grand hall of the castle.


    The hall was spacious, with sparse furnishings, giving it an open feel. In the center stood arge armchair, covered in a thick velvety nket.


    Sitting atop it was a blond-haired, blue-eyed Westerner with deep-set eyes and prominent cheekbones. His hair was tied into a small braid, which made him look quite trendy, and he was wearing a pair of boots.


    At the moment, he was tapping one foot on the chair, half-leaning, with a pretty young girl on each side massaging him.


    The most extravagant part was that there was even a young girl specifically feeding him...


    Upon entering and witnessing the scene, Su Chen was momentarily stunned!


    Is this guy the Sea King or some kind of feudal lord...

 Chapter 232: Arrival at Kandu

    As soon as Sea King Arthur saw him, his eyes lit up. He quickly ceased tapping his foot and then walked over to Su Chen with open arms:


    "Dear Su, we meet again!"


    "Yeah, it''s been more than two years since we parted in South America, hasn''t it?"


    Su Chen also embraced him lightly andughed.


    Su Chen had originally only nned to ask Sea King to prepare a ship for him, but Sea King suddenly called to say he was in the vicinity of a and wanted to meet him.


    Since Su Chen also had something to ask him, he agreed.


    "Arthur, what is this all about?"


    Su Chen asked in a baffled manner, pointing at the pretty young girls and the armchair.


    "Haha, I really have to thank you for this!"


    As soon as Arthur heard Su Chen ask about it, he burst intoughter.


    "What does it have to do with me? I don''t recall being this corrupt, do I?"


    Su Chen looked at Arthur with a puzzled face.


    "Of course, it has to do with you. Didn''t you once tell me how those oldndlords in Huaxia used to live like gods? They didn''t have to lift a finger to dress, with beautiful maids doing it all for them."


    "Even at meal times, they had people to feed them and someone to massage them at the same time. Come night, they could even switch between different chambermaids."


    "When I first heard that, I was astounded; isn''t that the exact life I want? Why do I earn so much money if not to enjoy it?"


    Arthur''s boisterous voice echoed through the spacious hall:


    "Su, look, how is it? It''sparable to your pastndlords, right?"


    Arthur was beaming with pride as he said this.


    Su Chen was at a loss for words, realizing he had unintentionally nted this idea.


    He had spoken casually at the time, little did he know this guy would take it so to heart!


    "You''re awesome!"


    Su Chen could only give him a thumbs-up.


    "You can''t say this isn''t the life, huh!"


    Arthur spoke with a face full of reminiscence.


    "Alright, let''s not dwell on small talk, is the ship I asked for ready?"


    Su Chen did not have much time to waste. It had been almost 10 hours since the incident, and it would take another dozen hours to reach Africa, plus a few more hours to get to the destination.


    In total, it was approaching 30 hours. Although Su Chen estimated that with the current war-torn situation in Canyabi, their departure would also be time-consuming.


    Moreover, traveling by sea was not so easy. Cambria was in the central part of Africa, and to take the sea route, one could go west through the Antic Ocean or east through the Indian Ocean.


    One could also head south from the Cape of Good Hope near South Africa, but Su Chen reckoned that was unlikely due to the great distance.


    Regardless of the route taken, it would be necessary to pass through several countries to enter the sea territory, and many countries in Africa were unstable, especially at their borders, which were focal points for conflicts.


    Even though dealing with those people and local armed forces in a conflict wasn''t too difficult, it would certainly take some time.


    And time was exactly what Su Chen needed the most right now.


    Of course, even with the slimmest chance, Su Chen had to try, because if Doctor Gaia was really taken away by those people, the consequences would be unimaginable!


    "It is ready, we can set off at any time."


    When Arthur discussed serious matters, his yful demeanor faded:


    "And as per your request, all electronic systems have been removed, except for the essential parts of the propulsion device."


    "Okay, for the money you''re owed, just ask God of Wealth and it''s yours, tell me which ship, I need to leave right now."


    "No, this time I''m going with you, I have some business to attend to in Africa anyway, it''ll be good to havepany on the journey!" Arthur said.


    "Then let''s set off!"


    "Su, are you in such a rush?"


    "It''s urgent!"


    "All right, I was actually hoping to have you stay for a meal, but fine, let''s go!"


    Arthur had no choice, he could see that whatever Su Chen was involved with must be incredibly important.


    The two quickly arrived at the port and boarded a very luxurious cruise ship.


    Upon boarding, Su Chen was taken aback; he had to admit, Arthur was increasingly indulging himself, the facilities inside were even more luxurious than a seven-star hotel.


    After boarding the ship, Su Chen was no longer in a hurry, fretting was pointless, he could only wait; upon inquiry, he learned that even at the fastest speed it would take about eleven or twelve hours to reach Djibouti.


    Sea King had some connections in Djibouti, and after disembarking, he arranged a rugged Hummer for Su Chen, suitable for tearing across the African teau.


    It was rtively easy for Su Chen to cross through several countries by himself, and after more than three hours of rapid driving, he finally arrived at the capital of Canyabi, Kandu...


    On his journey through Canyabi, chaos was everywhere, with explosions and gunfire amon sight.


    Not only were government forces shing with rebel forces, but there were also many mercenaries, assassins, and other underworld forces; war-torn countries were always a paradise for such people.


    Along the way, Su Chen encountered several small-time thieves attempting to rob him, but he handled them with ease.


    He had thought the capital, Kandu, would be somewhat better, but upon arrival, he found it to be even more chaotic; buildings were hardly intact, and beggars in tattered clothes littered the streets.


    Sometimes, as one walked down the street, a bullet coulde flying out of nowhere, iming a life.


    Su Chen had not expected the situation in Canyabi to deteriorate to this extent, but none of it concerned him.


    He drove directly to a jungle in the northeast suburbs of Kandu, then tore open the flesh-colored patch from his chest again and inserted it into his ear; it was amunication device exclusively for use with the Shadow Guard.


    A few secondster, a man around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old emerged from the depths of the jungle.


    "Master, I have failed in my duties, I''m sorry!"


    The man immediately knelt down as soon as he saw Su Chen, his face filled with guilt.


    He knew how important the two doctors were, and the Master entrusting them to his care was the greatest disy of trust; yet he had botched the matter!


    "Get up, now is not the time for this, the most important thing now is to solve the problem," Su Chen said, with a stern face.


    "Have you found out about that Mercenary Corps I asked you to investigate?"


    Su Chen was convinced that the Mercenary Corps suddenly blocking the Shadow Guard was no coincidence, not even eight hundred coincidences could be so coincidental.


    "We''ve found out, it''s the Eagle Mercenary Corps from Africa, they''ve been active here for several years, one of therger mercenary organizations in Canyabi, right now number 14 is monitoring them near theirir," reported number 4 of the Shadow Guard.


    "Then let''s go see number 12 first," Su Chen nodded.


    "Master, number 12 is critically injured, it''s very unlikely he''ll make it," number 4 of the Shadow Guard said, sounding sorrowful.


    "Let''s take a look first," Su Chen said, frowning slightly...

 Chapter 233 - 233 Eagle Mercenary Corps

    Guard No. 4 led Su Chen into the depths of the jungle and stopped at a spot, where he pushed aside some vines. As the vines were moved, something resembling a manhole cover was revealed.


    Then, Guard No. 4 pressed on a slightly raised area of a tree nearby, and the manhole cover immediately opened.


    Below the manhole covery Safehouse No. 9, the former residence of two doctors and three guards.


    One could say the safehouse was secure enough. Ordinary people would never think to look for a safehouse in the middle of a jungle, much less underground, and especially not with such extensive cover.


    It could be said that unless one was actively searching, even if you passed by, you wouldn''t notice the safehouse.


    This was something Su Chen couldn''t understand; how did those people find the safehouse?


    But now was not the time to worry about that. The most pressing concerns were operative No. 12 and Doctor Gaia.


    When Su Chen entered the safehouse below, he was momentarily stunned. All the furniture and electronic equipment had been wrecked, strewn across the floor.


    Even the iron tes on the walls were deformed, looking like a scene of destruction, reflecting the intensity of thebat that had taken ce!


    Lying on a bed with a broken support leg was a young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. Hisplexion was ashen, with at least seven or eight deep wounds that revealed bone.


    The treatment he had received so far was only rudimentary. In Canyabi, a country gued by war, hospitals were virtually paralyzed.


    Guard No. 4 had no choice but to try to find some simple medicine to treat him.


    Even with Su Chen''s cultivation, he could barely sense the young man''s breath, which tightened his heart and caused a cold light to sh in his eyes!


    Every guard was the fruit of hisbor. Although he was strict with them and sometimes even harsh, wasn''t this another form of care?


    After all, he had personally selected and trained them, watching them grow step by step to where they were today. He had deep affection for each of his operatives.


    Su Chen quickly stepped forward to examine the young man and felt somewhat relieved.


    "Master, how is No. 14?" Guard No. 4 asked anxiously.


    "It''s okay, the spark of life is still there."


    Su Chen took out a long cloth bag from his person and drew out more than a dozen silver needles, then inserted them into various acupoints all over No. 12''s body, twisting the ends of the needles gently.


    Half an hourter, Su Chen pulled out the silver needles one by one, with No. 12 grunting in pain with each removal.


    By then, Su Chen was drenched in sweat. The treatment, seemingly effortless, had in fact drained him greatly. One misstep, and No. 12 could have died on the spot.


    When all the silver needles were removed, No. 12 finally awakened slowly.


    Upon seeing Su Chen, he was momentarily stunned, then attempted to get off the bed to bow, but Su Chen quickly held him down:


    "Justy down and rest easy."


    "Master, why have youe?" No. 12 hadn''t expected the master toe personally, and was naturally extremely moved.


    "Never mind that for now. Tell me what happened. Why did you kill Doctor Hughes?"


    Su Chen had his thoughts; perhaps No. 12 didn''t want Doctor Hughes to fall into their hands.


    "Master, it wasn''t that I wanted to kill him. Doctor Hughes knelt down and begged me to do it. He didn''t want to fall into their hands."


    The words of Guard No. 12 surprised Su Chen; he hadn''t expected Doctor Hughes to have made the request himself.


    It seemed the doctor had guessed what those people intended for him. As a scientist, he naturally didn''t want to take part in any activity that vited human ethics.


    With a deep sigh, Su Chen felt a pang of guilt towards Doctor Hughes. After all, it was he who had initially asked the doctor to assist with human gic research.


    His n was to arrange for the two doctors to conduct normal gic research in Huaxia Country after some time, as they both were outstanding scientists and shouldn''t be stuck in Canyabi indefinitely.


    And Huaxia was not a ce where just anyone could act recklessly. At most, they would have to stealthily manage their affairs. It could be said that Huaxia was one of the most feared nations by the powers in the Dark World.


    However, before he had the chance to relocate them, disaster struck. Given the circumstances, Su Chen could only do his best to take care of the remaining family topensate.


    "Alright then, you just focus on recovering."


    Su Chen gently patted No. 12 on the shoulder, then turned to Guard No. 4:


    "Come on, we''re going to pay the Eagle Mercenary Corps a visit."


    Su Chen estimated that those people wouldn''t return; they must be hurrying back as fast as possible, so Number 12 here wouldn''t be in any danger.


    Together with Number 4 of the Shadow Guards, Su Chen made his way through the city until they reached the outskirts of a manor to the south of Kandu, where Number 14 of the Shadow Guards was already waiting.


    "Master!"


    As soon as he saw Su Chen, he immediately knelt down.


    "Rise. Are all their people inside?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "Yes, most of them are, including their leader."


    "Good, let''s go in."


    "Just walk in like this?"


    Shadow Guard Number 14 asked, somewhat surprised.


    "What else?"


    Su Chen snorted coldly and strode toward the manor''s gate; Number 4 and Number 14 of the Shadow Guards naturally followed closely behind him.


    At that moment, there were two guards stationed at the entrance of the manor, both fully armed, holding submachine guns and constantly scanning the surroundings.


    "Stop, what are you doing?"


    Seeing Su Chen and the others approaching, one of the guards quickly called out, his submachine gun aimed at them, his expression alert.


    Of course, he spoke in the localnguage. Although Su Chen understood, he disregarded it and continued to head straight toward the gate.


    Just as that guard was about to open fire, a figure darted out from behind Su Chen, instantly appearing in front of the guard, grasping his neck, and with a gentle squeeze, the guard''s throat was shattered.


    The other guard was greatly shocked; his submachine gun immediately opened fire, only to find, after a wild spray of bullets, that the three of them were still standing there unharmed!


    As if he had seen a ghost, the guard quickly ran towards the interior of the manor while shouting:


    "Attack, attack!"


    Soon, more than thirty people came out from the manor; in fact, even without his shouts, the people inside had already heard the gunfire.


    Su Chen''s party didn''t bother with the guard and strolled in, as if entering their own courtyard.


    Seeing Su Chen and his twopanions walk in, those people quickly scattered and surrounded them.


    "Who are you? What are you doing here?"


    One of them who seemed to be the leader demanded in a harsh voice.


    "Where''s your boss? Tell him to roll out here quickly."


    Su Chen spoke indifferently, seemingly oblivious to the dozen heavy weapons aimed at him, and naturally in the samenguage.


    "Who do you think you are to want to see the boss of the Eagle Mercenary Corps!"


    The leader-like figureughed arrogantly.


    "You have three minutes to get your boss out here, or your Eagle Mercenary Corps can consider itself erased from this world!"


    Su Chen''s voice was calm,pletely ignoring the leader''s sarcastic remarks.


    "What, erased?"


    The leader was amused toughter:


    "Are you freaking joking with me? A mere brat like you!"


    The other thirty-something people also burst into crazyughter, as if they had heard the funniest thing.


    However, hisughter was still spreading when it abruptly stopped!


    "Ah~~~ my hand..."


    Suddenly, he felt a blur in front of him and a sharp pain in his wrist.


    He looked down in horror to find that his hand had been severed at the wrist without his knowing, blood gushing out...

 Chapter 234: Two SS-Level Experts

    The others, upon hearing the leader''s screams, also looked over and were horrified when they saw a severed hand on the ground.


    They had just seen a fleeting figure, but had not seen anyone make a move. How did the deputy leader lose his hand?


    Was this a haunting?


    The mercenaries, looking at the three surrounded people, were filled with shock! They knew without a doubt that it was their doing.


    "Shoot them, shoot them dead!"


    The leader, whose hand had been cut off, roared with bloodshot eyes.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a "rat-tat-tat" of gunfire erupted like firecrackers, with the muzzle mes jumping continuously!


    They thought that in such a dense barrage of bullets, the opponents would surely be killed. However, they suddenly noticed several afterimages darting through the mes...


    Soon, the gunfire ceased. Not because they were out of bullets, but because all those who had been shooting were down.


    These people had their throats shed, blood gushing out, bodies convulsing violently, going still after a few moments...


    Some had their necks broken, dead instantly.


    Only the deputy leader, missing a hand, was still standing. He stared nkly at the corpses scattered on the ground, feeling that these few people were like Asuras from Hell. They were too terrifying!


    For Su Chen and hispanions, these men were too weak, not a single Martial Artist among them.


    For Qi Refinement experts like Su Chen, even if they wielded heavy weapons, they were mere ants...


    "It seems hardly hospitable to ughter this way upon entering my manor," came a rough voice all of a sudden, as a man with a full beard strode out from the main building of the manor.


    He was very tall, about 1.9 meters, and he was Victor, the leader of the Eagle Mercenary Corps.


    And behind him were fifty to sixty fully armed men.


    Victor had not intended toe out initially, after all, he was the boss!


    However, he had not expected these few to be so overpoweringly strong, wiping out so many of his men with a single move!


    It made him involuntarily think of the mysterious group that had visited two nights ago. They, too, were elusive like the Divine Dragon, their cultivation depth unfathomable!


    Victor could not help but specte, these people might be connected to them?


    If that was the case, that spelled trouble, especially since his children were still in their hands!


    Su Chen nced at him and snorted coldly,


    "It''s a pity I''m not a guest, but a creditor here to collect a debt."


    "A debt? What debt? I''m not aware of any debt," Victor asked with some confusion and unease stirring inside him.


    "Yesterday afternoon, on Campo Street," Su Chen stated tly.


    Hearing the words "Campo Street," Victor''s heart involuntarily shuddered.


    Just as he feared, it was rted to that incident!


    Then, someone from behind Victor came forward and whispered in his ear. Victor nced at the two Shadow Guards behind Su Chen, his expression growing more solemn.


    "I understand now, my brother here just informed me. Yesterday on Campo Street, it seems there was a misunderstanding with the two gentlemen behind you."


    Victor''s solemn expression softened, carrying a slight apologetic tone,


    "It was entirely a misunderstanding. My men were chasing a traitor in the organization on the street at that time."


    Although Su Chen and hispanions had killed so many of his men, Victor had no intention of starting a conflict.


    Becuase from the very moment the other party made their move, he had seen that these were not men to be trifled with; even if he engaged them, his losses would be severe.


    But he was not overly afraid; after all, the ones killed just now were only the outer members of the organization, and theirbat effectiveness was not on the same level as the dozens behind him.


    However, if the matter could be resolved peacefully, that would be best. As for the men who had died, they were just recruited anyway; it would suffice to spend some money to recruit more.


    After all, for war-torn Canyabi, the most abundant were the desperadoes; here, life was the cheapestmodity.


    "Is that so?"


    A cold smirk appeared on Su Chen''s lips, it seemed the leader of the Eagle Mercenary Corps was not nning to be honest.


    "Naturally, to express my apologies on behalf of Victor, why don''t you all stay and have dinner with us tonight?"


    The expression on Victor''s face was full of sincerity.


    "It seems you do not wish to tell the truth, do you?"


    Su Chen nced coldly at Victor, his face calm.


    "Sir, what do you mean by this?"


    Victor stretched his face long and said:


    "I''ve kindly expressed my apologies, yet you are so ungrateful; do not me me for being ruthless if I turn my face."


    "Show them out!"


    Victor called out coldly, and immediately someone stepped forward, gesturing for Su Chen and the others to leave.


    Seeing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but reveal a yful smile:


    "I''ll give you onest chance; if you confess honestly, I might consider sparing you and your subordinates!"


    Victor, seeing this young man so disrespectful, grew somewhat angry.


    Could it be he didn''t show his power, they really took him for a weakling?


    Not to mention his numerous capable subordinates and weapons, he himself was an S-level expert!


    The scene of action from the other party a moment ago, might seem magical in the eyes of ordinary people, but actually, many Martial Arts masters could achieve it, so he was not so surprised!


    He believed, he and his men were more or less a match for them, the chances of winning should be fifty-fifty.


    Of course, this was just Victor''s internal thought...


    Looking at Su Chen and hispanions, Victor took a deep breath and said:


    "Since you all are so disrespectful to the Eagle Mercenary Corps., then don''t me me for being impolite!"


    As Victor''s words fell, the fifty or sixty people behind him immediately scattered, forming groups of five in a fan-shaped battle formation, obviously well-trained!


    They also pulled the triggers in their hands, and the courtyard immediately erupted with gunfire!


    At the same time, the figures of Su Chen and hispanions shed, moving even faster than before, ghost-like, flitting through various positions in the area!


    The silver light continuously flickered in the arena, the gleam of daggers!


    With each flicker of the silver light, a dense mist of blood arose, neat and clean!


    Of course, there were also sounds of fracturedrynx bones continuously rising; Su Chen rarely used daggers unless absolutely necessary.


    Victor, watching this scene, waspletely stunned, muttering:


    "Two SS-level experts?"


    Others might not understand, but he did. If he had known that they were two SS-level experts (Qi Refinement Peak), he would never have taken action!


    Wasn''t that just asking for trouble?


    But now it was toote, and he could only watch as each of his trained elites was either shed across the throat or had theirrynx bones crushed!


    He was mistaken, though; Su Chen''s true Cultivation had not yet reached the SS level; he was only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement.


    However, because he practiced the tyrannical and mysterious Nine Yang Divine Technique, his Cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refinement was almost equivalent to that of a regr Martial Artist near the Qi Refinement Peak.


    But it was just close to the Qi Refinement Peak, not there yet.


    The reason Victor had this misconception was entirely because Su Chen had once reached a higher realm, and his understanding and control of True Yuan were iparable to ordinary people.


    Thus, he could use True Yuan more thoroughly and perfectly, so Su Chen''s actualbat power was also roughly equivalent to that of a regr Martial Artist at the Qi Refinement Peak, or even higher!

 Chapter 235 - 235 Inquiry and Travel

    In this respect, Victor wasn''t wrong to say that two SS-level masters were involved.


    Besides Su Chen, the other SS-level master was naturally Shadow Guard Number Four, while Shadow Guard Number Fourteen was somewhat weaker, only at the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer and striving for the Ninth Layer.


    For the Shadow Guards, daggers were their weapons of choice, since Su Chen''s specialties were daggers and Silver Needles, and they were all trained by Su Chen himself!


    In just about a minute, Victor''s fifty-plus elite subordinates were already lying in pools of blood!


    Victor looked on dumbfounded at the carnage, without even raising a hand, for he knew as soon as he saw two SS-level masters that any struggle would be futile.


    S-level and SS-level may seem simr, but there is actually a vast gulf between them, and of course, it''s even more of a chasm whenpared to Super S-level!


    "Who exactly are you?"


    Victor asked, trembling, his face filled with sheer terror.


    "You don''t need to know that. You just need to tell me who sent you to Campo Street yesterday, and where they''ve gone now,"


    Su Chen stated, hands sped behind his back.


    "I don''t know."


    Victor shook his head.


    Let alone that he truly didn''t know, even if he did, he couldn''t say! His children were still in their hands!


    "Master, why not let me have a try? I don''t believe we can''t pry his mouth open,"


    Number Four stepped forward and said.


    "No need, I have a way to make him talk."


    Su Chen gently shook his head. If brute force was required, he would have instructed the two Shadow Guards to act on the way here.


    But with a mercenary leader like Victor, you never know whether what he says is true or false¡ªfalling for a trick could have quite severe consequences.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Victor couldn''t help but feel terrified.


    "He has a way to make me talk? What could it be?"


    "You two, grab him."


    Su Chenmanded, and immediately two Shadow Guards shed towards Victor.


    Victor naturally wanted to resist, but against an SS-level master and an S-level master, resistance was futile. It didn''t take long for the two Shadow Guards to subdue him.


    Su Chen took four Silver Needles out of his pocket and walked over to Victor.


    "What are you going to do?"


    Victor saw the glinting Silver Needles, his pupils involuntarily widening in horror!


    Su Chen, however, smiled faintly and did not utter a word.


    He first inserted a Silver Needle half an inch below Victor''s temple and flicked it gently, making the needle produce a faint buzzing sound.


    Instantly, Victor''s gaze began to scatter.


    Then Su Chen inserted another needle in the same spot on the other side, flicked it lightly, and Victor''s eyes seemed almost to closepletely, devoid of any color.


    Su Chen then put the remaining two Silver Needles into acupoints on the top of Victor''s head, gently twisting them.


    As Su Chen twisted, Victor''s eyes suddenly widened, yet they still shone with no trace of light.


    "What is your name?"


    Su Chen''s voice was very soft, very enchanting, like a whisper.


    "My name is Victor."


    Victor answered mechanically.


    The two Shadow Guards were utterly shocked by this scene, wondering if this was the so-called hypnosis.


    They hadn''t expected their master to be capable of even this, was there anything in the world their master couldn''t do?


    In fact, this was not hypnosis but the use of ancient acupuncture to control brain activity, far more sophisticated than any so-called hypnosis.


    "Who are you?" Su Chen continued to ask.


    "I used to be an assassin, now I''m the leader of the Eagle Mercenary Corps."


    "Why did you go to Campo Street yesterday afternoon to stop those two men?"


    "The day before yesterday, two men came to my room; they were very powerful. They kidnapped my children and wife and asked me to do them a small favor the next afternoon. It was to stop those two men when they made their move, to keep them from catching up."


    Upon hearing this, the two Shadow Guards immediately became enraged, as it was exactly as their master had predicted, a deliberate setup!


    But with their master here, naturally, everything was up to him!


    "Do you know who they were?"


    "I don''t know. I only heard one of them mention ''Golden Knight.''"


    "Golden Knight?"


    Su Chen murmured upon hearing this code word, something he had never heard before.


    Could this be a title of honor within Tang Gang''s hidden forces?


    "Do you know where they were heading?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Did they mention any ce name?"


    Upon Su Chen''s question, Victor frowned, pondering deeply.


    "Har, Harcourt Port, something about a ship. They stayed at my manor that night, I heard it identally."


    Upon hearing these words, Su Chen finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Harcourt Port, then they must be entering the Antic Ocean from the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa!


    After finishing his questioning, Su Chen gently crushed Victor''s windpipe to prevent him from passing any messages afterward, and because this man was no good person either.


    Su Chen had no psychological burden in killing this kind of man.


    "Let''s go, we must hurry westward!"


    Before setting off, Su Chen still made a call to Sea King to keep an eye out for any private ships leaving the Gulf of Guinea in the next day or two, with about 4¨C8 S-rank or higher experts onboard, and one kidnapped person.


    The Gulf of Guinea is in the southern part of Nigeria, and when Su Chen and hisrades had just entered Nigeria, they received a call from Sea King.


    Sea King informed him that two hours ago, a cruise ship matching his description seemed to be sailing towards South America from the Gulf of Guinea.


    Su Chen instinctively felt that it must be the ship he was searching for; Sea King would not have made the call without some level of certainty.


    That these people had only left now probably aligned with Su Chen''s expectations; they had encountered some trouble on the road and likely shed with the local military forces.


    Because scattered forces could not possibly have dyed them for so long.


    As for why Su Chen had managed to travel unimpeded, it was naturally rted to his ck military identification; whatever army saw Su Chen''s Major General title, they were not willing to provoke him.


    Moreover, a Major General from Huaxia was even less likely to be trifled with. Besides, Su Chen had no impact on them; they would have to be out of their minds to disadvantage Su Chen and his party.


    "Speed up!"


    At this moment, Su Chenmanded, after a day of extreme speeding, the Humvee hardly looked the part anymore.


    "Yes!"


    Shadow Guard #4 continued to elerate...


    After several more hours of frantic travel, the three finally reached the Gulf of Guinea...

 Chapter 236 - 236 Golden Knight

    On the dock, the speedboat prepared by Sea King drifted aimlessly, and although Su Chen and hispanions were weary from the journey, they dared not dy a moment longer, untying the mooring rope and starting the engine right away.


    Su Chen piloted one boat alone while two Shadow Guards manned the other.


    The speedboat zipped through the waves like a whirlwind, and at this moment, Su Chen was still excited.


    He had thought for sure he would be toote,ing here partly resigned to fate after having done what he could.


    Otherwise, if those people had indeed used Doctor Gaia to make significant strides in human gic modification, then surely more innocents would suffer, and how could he be at peace with his conscience?


    But what he hadn''t expected was that there might actually be a chance of catching up!


    "No matter who you are, you won''t get away with this this time!"


    Su Chen thought to himself that he would rather kill Doctor Gaia than allow him to fall into their hands if it came down to it.


    Of course, as long as there was the slightest chance, Su Chen would do his utmost to rescue him.


    However, the current difficulty was that although their speedboats were faster than the adversary''s cruise ship, they had no idea where thetter was in the vast sea!


    Even though Sea King said they had headed toward South America, the sea was so vast, how could they possibly find them?


    And what if the other party suddenly changed course?


    But hope was right in front of them; giving up was simply not an option!


    After traveling for more than two hours, Su Chen instructed the two Shadow Guards to separate from him by a distance and search; if they found any trace of the enemy, they were to immediately shoot a signal re.


    As Su Chen steered the speedboat, he kept an eye on the vessels on the sea, his hair tousled by the wind and his clothes making a swishing noise.


    However, another two hours passed with no results, and Su Chen''s mood inevitably grew heavier.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but curse as he looked out at the boundless sea:


    "Damn it! Where the hell are these bastards!"


    Just then, Su Chen''s eyes suddenly lit up as he saw a small wooden carving floating on the sea surface not far ahead...


    His heart skipped a beat, and he slowly approached; when he picked up the small wooden carving, he became immensely excited.


    It was a human figure carving that bore a slight resemnce to Doctor Gaia. Su Chen knew this was a birthday gift from Doctor Gaia''s daughter, which he had always carried close to his body and never left behind!


    "Heaven helps those who help themselves!"


    Su Chen kissed the carving fervently and thenunched a signal re.


    After all, his cultivation was still not strong enough, and he was unclear about the true strength of the opponents, so caution was of the essence.


    A little whileter, the two Shadow Guards also arrived.


    "Master, have you found their trail?"


    "Yes, they should be ahead. Let''s spread out one kilometer and search; still look for the signal res as a sign."


    "Understood!"


    Seeing that carving, Su Chen''s heart finally settled down somewhat!


    Sailing off once again, Su Chen felt his heart surge anew, as if the passion that hadn''t stirred for a long time was also igniting.


    In Jianghai, he asionally encountered martial artists whose strength was very weak and not worth mentioning, but he was about to face true experts!


    As a martial artist, everyone craved to match skills with stronger opponents, regardless of whether they were friend or foe.


    Yet, after a while, Su Chen still hadn''t found any trace and couldn''t help but feel uncertain.


    He was certain that these people should be near this route, but where could they have gone?


    Just then, a sudden explosion rang out, startling Su Chen who hastened to locate the direction of the explosion. He quickly determined the direction was to the northwest.


    Su Chen realized that the Shadow Guards might have encountered the enemy, so he hurriedly increased the speed of his boat to rush over there!


    As expected, after a short while, Su Chen saw a cruise ship firing at the Shadow Guards'' speedboat, who were using the nimble movements and speed of the speedboat to dodge continuously. They were also advancing in a serpentine pattern while dodging, which was extremely dangerous!


    No wonder these people were operating such a cumbersome cruise ship¡ªit had been modified and was equipped with artillery!


    Su Chen immediately approached the cruise ship from another direction at high speed. The enemy naturally noticed him as well and quickly diverted some of their firepower towards Su Chen.


    This way, the pressure on the two Shadow Guards was greatly reduced. There were a few times just now when they were almost hit.


    Moreover, with Su Chen''s arrival, their confidence also grew stronger, and they approached the cruise ship at an even faster pace!


    "Hurry, hurry, fire!"


    Seeing the two speedboats getting closer, themander in themand room was jumping mad with rage and kept shouting orders!


    He couldn''t help but look towards the people in a nearby cabin who were still eating and drinking, and he cursed under his breath:


    "What the hell, still acting all high and mighty at a time like this!"


    Of course, he didn''t dare to say these words out loud, after all, even the Chairman was polite to them, so what was he inparison?


    It wasn''t long before Su Chen and the two Shadow Guards were very close to the cruise ship, which was already within a blind spot for the artillery¡ªit simply couldn''t hit them.


    Taking advantage of this, Su Chen and the two Shadow Guards leaped onto the deck.


    Right at that moment, twenty or thirty blond, blue-eyed individuals suddenly emerged from nowhere.


    Su Chen recognized at a nce that these people were Gene Modifiers, and like the ones from before, they were all second generation!


    "Kill!"


    Without any hesitation towards these people, Su Chen bellowed an attack and took the lead in charging forward.


    Seeing their master take action, the two Shadow Guards naturally did not want to fall behind and also tightly grasped their daggers, rushing into the fight.


    Although the Gene Modifiers were physically strong, they were no match for Su Chen and the two Shadow Guards in the night. After all, these were only second-generation Modifiers!


    They understood that these people were merely cannon fodder.


    Soon, Su Chen and hispanions had dealt with these individuals cleanly, and themander in themand room trembled as he watched the scene unfold.


    What kind of monsters were these?


    "p p p~~~"


    Just then, a round of apuse abruptly rang out, and several figures emerged from within the cabin.


    "The Sea King truly lives up to his name. To think that your Dantian could recover so quickly after being shattered, and even reiming such a realm, I must admit I''m impressed!"


    One of them pped andughed. Although his mouth spoke words of admiration, there was no hint of real respect in his expression.


    A total of seven individuals had emerged, all wearing diagonal cored garments made of what seemed like satin, with their hemlines stretching down below their knees and all cors standing upright.


    Three of them were dressed in golden clothing which sparkled under the sunlight, while the other four were dressed in silver, exuding an air of nobility!


    They all wore a proud expression as if they were naturally superior!


    In reality, they too were somewhat surprised. How did he get here? The organization hadn''t sent any message!


    It seemed he hade covertly, and yet he had arrived so swiftly.


    However, upon seeing these individuals, Su Chen''s face was covered with a bone-chilling frost, his eyes filled with a cold intensity!


    He clearly remembered those who had ambushed him more than a year ago, causing his Dantian to shatter and forcing him to leap off a cliff. Their attire was identical to that of the people before him now!


    And those in the golden clothes also made Su Chen involuntarily recall the term "Golden Knight" previously mentioned by Victor.

 Chapter 237 - 237 Su Chens Attitude

    "So it''s you!"


    Su Chen squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, and immediately, a boundless killing intent radiated from his body!


    "It seems the Lord of the Netherworld harbors deep grudges against us!"


    The man who had just ppedughed after ncing at hispanions, and the others joined in, theirughter tinged with mockery.


    "Since it''s you, then leave your lives here today!"


    When Su Chen spoke, his tone was light and calm, as if stating a matter of fact.


    It wasn''t that Su Chen''s strength was necessarily superior to his opponents'', but rather this tone demonstrated his attitude!


    Yes, today, he would make these people stay, no matter the cost!


    Yet, those seven people behaved as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world. One of them shook his head and said:


    "Su Chen, do you really think that because others honor you as the Lord of the Netherworld, you truly are a king?"


    "Su Chen, perhaps the you of the past could have done it, but now, you''re being far too arrogant!"


    Another person chimed in.


    He had reason to say that;st time they mobilized so many experts to ambush the enemy, and still, three Golden Knights and eleven or twelve Silver Knights were killed by him.


    Truthfully, that battle had shocked many within the organization; no one expected the Lord of the Netherworld''s cultivation to be so profound!


    But at that time, after all, he was at a super S-level realm (Half-step Meridian Expansion), they were amazed but also understood. But now...


    These people felt that Su Chen was joking; it was simply impossible!


    After all, Golden Knights were all SS-level experts, and Silver Knights had reached the S-level.


    Although there was an SS-level and S-level expert on the other side, they were obviously at a numerical disadvantage, which they had also deduced from the recent actions of the two Shadow Guards.


    As for Su Chen, his Dantian had been shattered for over a year, so how high could his cultivation be now?


    Even if he were a martial arts prodigy that came once in a hundred years, in such a short time, he could at most reach S-level, right?


    And it was very likely he hadn''t even reached that.


    That was why they found Su Chen''s words to beughable. Of course, this was also because Su Chen had deliberately reserved his strength while dealing with the Gene Modifiers, creating a false impression for them.


    Today''s Su Chen had learned to conceal his skills, no longer revealing his sharp edges as he used to!


    "If that''s the case, then let''s try!"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "Su Chen,st time you were just lucky, this time prepare to be buried in the bellies of fish!"


    One of the Golden Knights snorted coldly, obviously irritated by Su Chen''s arrogance.


    At that moment, the two Shadow Guards also made ready for battle, recognizing that their master had been put in dangerst time by these people''srades.


    To the Shadow Guards, the master was their heaven, and everything they had was given by their master.


    Since these people were the culprits of thest incident, just like the master said, they should leave their lives behind!


    For a time, the air between the two sides seemed to solidify, and the confined space crackled as if with thunder and lightning.


    Unlike the solemnity of Su Chen and hispanions, the seven people opposite seemed somewhat indifferent, as if they did not take Su Chen and his group seriously.


    But silence was just the prelude to theing storm, and with a war cry from a Silver Knight, the standoff was on the brink of eruption!


    Two Silver Knights charged towards Shadow Guard Number 14, another two rushed at Su Chen, while the three Golden Knights went straight for Shadow Guard Number 4.


    In their eyes, this could almost immediately decide the winner, as they had the absolute upper hand in all three mini battlegrounds.


    Seeing this, Su Chen grew tense; although Shadow Guard Number 14 could hold his ground against two, Shadow Guard Number 4 was in grave danger.


    Though he was an SS-level expert, so were his opponents, and there were three of them.


    Clearly, they also wanted to concentrate their superior forces to eliminate the most dangerous individual on Su Chen''s side first.


    The situation now was that he had to quickly deal with the two Silver Knights by his side and then support Shadow Guard Number 4.


    As Su Chen was contemting, one of the Silver Knights already threw a punch at him, with a fist that seemed to tear a channel through the air, a faint glow lingering on the knuckle.


    Su Chen dodged the attack with a swift sidestep and reached out to grab the attacker''s wrist, but the Silver Knight was quick to react and dipped his hand to avoid Su Chen''s grasp.


    However, what the knight didn''t expect was that this was just a feint from Su Chen; his hand suddenly elerated as it passed above the Silver Knight''s wrist, aiming straight for his throat!


    The Silver Knight was startled and quickly tilted his head back, just fast enough to avoid Su Chen''s fingertips that barely grazed his throat, leaving a few bloody marks.


    Without giving him time to react, Su Chen pressed forward with another punch, thunderous in its momentum!


    With Su Chen''s strength, that earlier grasp could have been lethal, but he did not want to reveal his true power so quickly, so he continued to limit his strength to the S-level.


    The overall strength of his opponents was clearly superior to theirs, so he had to unleash his full potential at the most critical moment!


    The previous Silver Knight obviously didn''t expect Su Chen tounch another attack so soon and became somewhat panicked.


    At that moment, he caught a glimpse of Su Chen''s back and couldn''t help revealing a hint of joy.


    Su Chen naturally also sensed another person attacking him from behind; he flipped his wrist and three silver needles "whooshed" out.


    The attacker saw a sh of cold light and quickly sidestepped, and taking advantage of this opening, Su Chen threw a heavy and forceful punch.


    The previous Silver Knight immediately raised his arms to block, but he hadn''t anticipated that Su Chen''s move was still a feint.


    Just as his fist was about to collide with the opponent''s arms, Su Chen changed his fist into a w, eerily bypassing his arms, seizing his throat, then twisting fiercely to break the knight''s neck.


    It could be said that Su Chen''s series of actions did not exceed the speed and strength of an S-level expert; it mainly relied on the cunning and unexpected aspects of Martial Arts.


    Therefore, to the onlookers, he seemed at most an S-level expert, but that was enough to shock them.


    In just over a year, he had cultivated from a crippled man with a shattered Dantian to S-level, which was already inconceivable.


    If they knew that Su Chen had only started cultivating again a few months ago and that his strength was far beyond S-level, who knows what they would have thought!


    Just as Su Chen had just twisted the neck of that Silver Knight, the other Silver Knight''s attack had arrived.


    Having witnessed hisrade''s death, his punch was filled with rage, and both the power and speed reached their peak.


    In battles between experts of simr strength, they generally do not choose to externally release their True Yuan, because the further the distance, the weaker the power of True Yuan bes.


    Only when there is a significant difference in their Realms do they disregard this.


    Only by sticking True Yuan to the surface of the body or a weapon can they exert the greatest destructive effect!

 Chapter 238: Outsmarting

    The person attacking from behind saw that Su Chen had no way to avoid it and couldn''t help revealing a hint of joy at the corner of his mouth!


    "Bang!"


    The palm of that Silver Knightnded on Su Chen''s back as expected.


    "Puh!"


    Su Chen immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and fell forward.


    The two Shadow Guards nearby became greatly anxious upon seeing this, but they were entangled by the opposition and couldn''t free themselves.


    However, what no one noticed was that, at the instant the Silver Knight''s palm touched Su Chen''s back, his back bent into an eerie arc, already dissipating most of the opponent''s force.


    And that mouthful of fresh blood was, of course, deliberately spat out by Su Chen, naturally to trick his opponent into the trap.


    Indeed, seeing Su Chen spitting out blood, the Silver Knight was not suspicious and leapt into the air, smashing his elbow fiercely towards Su Chen''s head with zing speed.


    If that hit hadnded, Su Chen''s brain would definitely have burst open.


    However, as the Silver Knight fell from above, Su Chen eerily rolled over, a cold smile appearing on his lips.


    The Silver Knight realized he had been deceived upon seeing Su Chen''s expression, but it was already toote.


    A leg shadow shed by, and the Silver Knight was immediately sent flying, followed by three Silver Needles that pursued and left him no chance to dodge!


    Afterward, the Silver Knight mmed heavily onto the deck of the cruise ship, three Silver Needles stuck precisely in his forehead.


    The rest of the opponents'' faces turned grim upon seeing this scene. They seemingly didn''t expect that Su Chen could take down two Silver Knights, and so swiftly at that.


    The two Shadow Guards, however, were instantly invigorated.


    Shadow Guard No. 14, who had been oppressed to death, was now faintly matching the fight with the two opponents again.


    Of course, he had already sustained some minor injuries by now, but the problem didn''t seem too serious.


    On the other side, the situation for Shadow Guard No. 4 looked far more pessimistic, as he was facing three Golden Knights.


    Under the siege of those individuals, Shadow Guard No. 4 had no power to counterattacked, could only keep blocking and dodging. Even so, the three Golden Knights still asionally left some traces on his body.


    Although the fight hadn''tsted long, he had already umted several wounds, looking like a fading flower in the rain, ready to fall at any moment.


    At this moment, two Golden Knights in front eachunched a palm strike towards Shadow Guard No. 4; the Palm Prints raised gusts of wind, the True Yuan in the heart of their palms surging.


    Shadow Guard No. 4 was greatly shocked and hastily twisted his body, narrowly dodging one of their attacks, but he couldn''t evade the other and had to forcefully counter with both palms.


    At the same time, a leg whipped towards him from the side. That leg, like an iron rod, shattered the void, charging straight for his thigh!


    Shadow Guard No. 4''s heart skipped a beat, caught in a pincer attack, he had no choice but to fight back with all he had!


    Just as the leg of the Golden Knight was about to hit him, suddenly another leg stretched out diagonally, fitting perfectly between that and Shadow Guard No. 4''s thigh.


    "Bang!"


    A loud noise erupted immediately, Su Chen''s leg swelled up from the collision because he had not dared to reveal his full strength just yet.


    At the same time, Shadow Guard No. 4''s palms met the Golden Knight''s palms; the temperature of the air around the two''s palms instantly rose, and a sizzling sound emitted from the air.


    "Boom!"


    Both of them retreated upon contact, the Golden Knight took two steps back, but Shadow Guard No. 4 retreated a full four steps away; of course, this was also due to the severity of Shadow Guard No. 4''s injuries.


    "You''re seeking death!"


    The man who had just attacked Shadow Guard No. 4 with his leg clearly hadn''t expected Su Chen to intervene; after all, this was a battlefield for SS-level experts, and being S-level simply wasn''t enough!


    While S-level and SS-level might seem simr, the difference in strength was huge.


    "You? Just a piece of trash!"


    Su Chen sneered, his actions clearly intended to infuriate his opponent. Once enraged, emotion would overrule reason, leading to mistakes.


    "You, an S-level, dare to call me trash?"


    The Golden Knight said incredulously, as if he heard a joke.


    Meanwhile, the other two Golden Knights were too busy fighting with Shadow Guard No. 4 to pay attention to their exchange of words.


    "If you''re so gutsy, let''s have a one-on-one duel. If you can beat me in three moves, you''ll have proven your skill!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly, a look of contempt on his face.


    "Fine, since you''re so eager to die, I''ll oblige you!"


    The Golden Knight said through gritted teeth, and his huge frame shuddered, his golden robe rustling as his killing intent burst forth!


    He then stomped on the deck, leaping into the air. His fist shot out like a cannonball, the speed so great only a blur was visible.


    Three moves? He nned to kill this arrogant brat in just one, making him pay for his words and actions!


    His punch descended like divine thunder from the sky, and due to its incredible speed, the space around his clenched fist seemed to distort.


    Indeed, his punch concentrated all his power, unstoppable!


    If it really connected, not just an S-level expert, even an SS-level one would suffer severe injuries!


    However, witnessing this, a bright gleam shed in Su Chen''s eyes. This was the moment he had been waiting for!


    The Golden Knight''s powerful punch had a major w: it left him wide open, virtually defenseless.


    This wasn''t an oversight on his part, but he believed his speed was so fast that someone with S-level abilities could never touch him.


    What he didn''t know was that Su Chen had been intentionally hiding his true strength.


    Just as his Fist Mang was forty centimeters from Su Chen, Su Chen''s figure flickered ghost-like, moving closer to his body.


    In that instant, he moved even faster than his opponent, and a dagger sprang from his sleeve, which Su Chen grabbed with a backhanded grip.


    The Golden Knight''s pupils shrank sharply, his heart quivering!


    He had never expected Su Chen''s speed to be so fast; a chilling dread pierced him immediately!


    The other two Golden Knights had also been keeping an eye on the situation and were shocked by Su Chen''s ghostly movements.


    "My god! That''s definitely SS-level!"


    Of course, Su Chen paid no mind to their astonishment. When he was less than half a meter away from the Golden Knight, his arm raised, and a streak of silver shed!


    After realizing the danger, the Golden Knight quickly retracted his fist and shifted his body, but Su Chen''s dagger had already, eerily, been waiting along the path of his evasion and then swept across his neck as gently as a spring breeze brushing willows.


    "Thud!"


    The Golden Knight fell face-up onto the deck, raising a cloud of dust...

 Chapter 239: The Power Behind

    Due to the unexpected turn of events in the arena, the opponents were all momentarily stunned, staring dumbfounded at Su Chen''s thin frame, pausing their attack and creating some distance from the two Shadow Guards.


    They couldn''t believe that a person whose Dantian had been shattered just over a year ago had now achieved SS-level strength!


    This guy''s cultivation speed was incredibly fast! It was unheard of!


    The two Shadow Guards also took this opportunity to rest briefly. They weren''t foolish enough to counterattack immediately, knowing the enemy would be on guard.


    Su Chen, however, showed no expression, as if killing a Golden Knight was a very normal thing for him.


    He walked over to the two Shadow Guards and handed them two white pills:


    "Eat this."


    The Shadow Guards, without a moment''s hesitation, took the pills and swallowed them.


    No sooner had they consumed the pills than their eyes began to redden, and their abdomens felt as if they were ame.


    But soon, they felt their depleted True Yuan slowly replenishing, quickly reaching a saturated state!


    In astonishment, they looked at Su Chen. The pill was miraculous!


    This was actually one of Su Chen''s preparations. At the time, he had taken only two things with him: a dagger and these pills.


    After all, he wasn''t sure what kind of fierce battle he was going to face, so it was better to be prepared.


    The pills weren''t his, but belonged to his old ghost master, totaling only five, extremely precious!


    These were given to him by his master before he came to Jianghai, in case he encountered any dangerous situations again.


    Of course, these pills were only useful for those in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    The adversaries noticed the peculiar state of the two Shadow Guards. Initially nearing depletion of True Yuan, they now seemed to have suddenly regained their vitality!


    Their faces grew stern as their advantage had diminished. Their side only surpassed the opponent by one S-level expert, but in this situation, that hardly counted as an advantage anymore.


    "I told you, today you will leave your lives here!"


    Su Chen repeated his prior statement, with the same tone as before.


    "We''ll see if you have the skill for that," retorted a Golden Knight, undervalued as his side''s strength was not inferior to the opponent''s.


    They all knew that the Golden Knight who had been killed had been caught off-guard by Su Chen''s SS-level prowess and had been too careless.


    Now that they were on alert, it was impossible for Su Chen tounch a surprise attack again.


    "Then let us battle!"


    Su Chen dered, his aura instantly climbing to its peak, leaving nothing in reserve!


    At that moment, he was like a War God descending to earth, his visage exuding a sovereign''smanding presence!


    As his words fell, the two Shadow Guards also stood closely with him, their expressions excited!


    The two Golden Knights and two Silver Knights also gathered together, ready for the final showdown!


    Soon, the group was locked in fiercebat, the wind howling, the space around them tearing, the air temperature soaring, with True Yuan ceaselessly being released.


    If an ordinary person were watching nearby, they couldn''t make out a single person, only catching glimpses of figures shing.


    Before long, a figure was flung out of the fray and fell into the sea; it was a Silver Knight, clearly the first casualty.


    Then, a sh of silver light streaked by and a burst of blood mist sprayed out; another Silver Knight fell on the deck.


    The two Golden Knights'' expressions grew graver by the moment, not expecting the opponent''sbat power to be so formidable!


    Especially the so-called Netherworld King, whose disyed strength subtly seemed to surpass the usual SS-level experts, leaving them not only shocked but also somewhat baffled.


    No wonder the High Priest insisted on eliminating this man, he truly is a monster!


    However, Su Chen had no particr thoughts, he did not care who his opponent was, now he only wanted to do one thing, that was to kill!


    At that moment, a Golden Knight''s leg swept towards Su Chen again with a gust of wind. This time, Su Chen did not block but instead flicked his wrist, releasing three silver needles.


    Seeing the silver needlesing, the Golden Knight hurriedly raised his leg to dodge. Just then, Su Chen, like a cheetah, sprang forward, his arm fully extended, the dagger in his hand emanating a chilling cold light!


    With this strike, Su Chen mobilized all his True Yuan, reaching a terrifying speed!


    "Puchi!"


    The dagger suddenly plunged into the opponent''s taut leg muscles. Su Chen didn''t pull out the dagger but let go immediately, his hand transforming into a knife, shing at his thigh.


    "Ah~"


    The Golden Knight couldn''t help but grunt, his body stiffening.


    Strike while the enemy is sick, take his life!


    At the same time, Su Chen had already turned sideways, moving to his side, and pped towards his heart!


    The Golden Knight''s body was still twisting, so he couldn''t dodge in time, and Su Chen firmly struck him!


    Then his body flew backward, crashing into the cabin wall, his heart area deeply sunken in!


    At this moment, only one Golden Knight was left in the area. He also began to feel profound fear. Although he was still resisting the attacks from two Shadow Guards, his momentum was growing weaker.


    When he saw Su Chen approaching, he became even more terrified!


    Su Chen did not move but coldly said,


    "If you tell me your identity, I can spare your life!"


    For Su Chen, he knew absolutely nothing about the power behind Tang Gang, and this feeling of being watched from behind was very ufortable!


    He still liked the feeling of having everything under control, and considering the current situation, the strength of this power was definitely beyond his imagination!


    Otherwise, why would there always be several SS-rank experts involved?


    Could it be that SS-grade experts have be so worthless now?


    "Hmph, don''t even think about it. I''ll tell you, offending us, even if you run to the ends of the earth, you will surely die!"


    Upon mentioning his identity, the Golden Knight''s face disyed an arrogant look, fighting while saying,


    "The only thing I can tell you is, our existence is beyond your imagination, and your Nether Temple is nothing but child''s y in our eyes!"


    "Oh, really? Your life is now in my hands!"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "So what? Believe me, even if I die, you''ll be joining me soon!"


    Su Chen also saw that this Golden Knight seemed to have blind confidence and loyalty to his organization.


    Just as Su Chen was preparing to capture him and extract some information through acupuncture, unexpectedly, the guy suddenly copsed.


    This indeed baffled Su Chen and two of the Shadow Guards. Shadow Guard Number Four hurried over to check.


    "High purity potassium cyanide!"


    The Golden Knight obviously knew he was no match for the others and to prevent being tortured into revealing information, chose to end his life instead.


    "It seems Tang Gang''s backing is indeed not trivial!"


    Su Chen muttered...

 Chapter 240: Explosion

    In fact, Su Chen wasn''t really afraid of Tang Gang and his Skull Society; after all, Tang Gang''s strength was merely at the Qi Refinement Peak, a notch below a clown''s.


    What he really feared was Tang''s Gene Modifiers program. Should Tang Gang make a significant breakthrough in this field, he would surely capture countless people for modification, a scene Su Chen was loath to witness!


    Because that would not only harm more innocents but also boost his own power considerably.


    Think about it, today six or seven, maybe even seven or eight second-generation Gene Modifiers can contend with a Qi Refinement Peak.


    What about the third, fourth, or fifth generation?


    And what if there are a hundred, five hundred, a thousand or more?


    Moreover, killing Tang Gang would be futile, as he was clearly just a puppet. The power controlling everything was still behind him!


    And the power behind him was different; it was an absolutely terrifying entity!


    While Su Chen was deep in Meditation, he suddenly noticed two people quietly boarding a small boat at the stern, dragging a person along. It was unmistakably Doctor Gaia, and though hooded, Su Chen recognized him at a nce!


    Themand room officer had been monitoring the deck through the screen. He thought the people even the chairman feared would handle the intruders, but unexpectedly, not only did they fail to neutralize the adversary, they all died instead.


    So, he immediately seized the moment when no one was paying attention, dragged Doctor Gaia, and prepared to sneak away.


    The chairman had said, if they didn''t bring back Doctor Gaia, he and his family were as good as dead!


    Seeing this, Su Chen immediately dashed forward a few strides and jumped down from the high cruise deck.


    Themand officer felt the small boat shake and hurriedly looked back, only to see the young man.


    Looking again at the distance between the yacht and the small boat, he felt like he''d seen a ghost.


    Such a distance, and he just jumped over like that?


    The other person steering the boat had a simr reaction, somewhat stupefied.


    Su Chen, of course, paid no mind to the two men, simply delivering a side kick, a blur of legs, and the two were instantly sent flying into the vast sea.


    After the kick, he just coolly nced at the two bodies in the air, but that gaze made Su Chen''s skin crawl.


    Because he saw something white sh in themander''s hand¡ªit was a bomb remote control!


    Then Su Chen also saw a package-like object hidden at the edge of the small boat.


    It was a condensed bomb!


    Su Chen tensed up and quickly pulled Gaia in front, then, embracing him, leapt fiercely into the sea!


    "Boom, boom, boom~~~"


    At the same time, a earth-shattering explosion erupted, mes shot into the sky...


    "Master!~~~"


    The two Shadow Guards also changed expressions drastically, screaming heart-wrenchingly...


    .....


    In Jianghai, in the president''s office of the Belle Building.


    Lin Ruoxue was holding a teacup, waiting for water, while looking out the window, the stupendous beauty of her face marked by a faint worry.


    "Ah~"


    Suddenly, a scream escaped Lin Ruoxue''s lips as her delicate hand let go, and the teacup crashed sharply to the floor.


    Lin Ruoxue looked down at her slender hand, noticing the fingertips had reddened slightly from the scalding water.


    "President, what happened?"


    Hearing the sound of the smashing teacup, the secretary Chen Guo immediately entered the room.


    "It''s nothing, just identally scalded by the hot water."


    Lin Ruoxue said mildly.


    "President, are you alright?"


    Chen Guo asked cautiously. These days President Lin was clearly out of sorts, always seeming somewhat absent-minded.


    Not only was her work efficiency much lower than before, but she also often made some basic mistakes. Now, she even burned her hand while waiting for the water.


    Such things were absolutely unimaginable before, but they had happened now!


    "It''s okay, you can go out."


    Lin Ruoxue sat back down at her desk and rubbed her somewhat swollen head.


    "President, shouldn''t we clean up here?"


    "No need, you go ahead, I want to be alone for a while."


    "Okay."


    Although Chen Guo was somewhat suspicious, she could onlyply once Lin Ruoxue had spoken.


    The vast office was once again left with only Lin Ruoxue, who couldn''t read a single word of those documents.


    She once again came to the window, opened it, and looked at the white clouds floating above the blue sky, sighing deeply.


    Why hadn''t the calle?


    It had been three days without a call from him. Could something have happened?


    She turned her head and looked at the shattered teacup on the floor, and a bad feeling surged in her heart.


    Could this broken teacup be a sign of something? Thinking of this, Lin Ruoxue''s heart became even more disturbed.


    She slowly walked over to where the teacup had shattered and squatted down, picking up the pieces one by one.


    At the same time, she couldn''t help but remember how Su Chen always used to drink tea from her cup.


    Back then, she was really both angry and annoyed at him, yet there was nothing she could do about him.


    But now, this teacup was already broken...


    At that moment, suddenly a cold wind blew in. Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but look outside and noticed that the clear sky had now turned somewhat gloomy; a big mass of dark clouds was approaching, looking like it was about to rain...


    At Belle Building Two, Tang Yun was sitting on the sofa, pouting sulkily, while Pei Rou by her side was somewhat incessantly chattering:


    "Yun''er, why don''t you call Su Chen again to see if he has returned from his business trip yet?"


    "Mom, didn''t I just call yesterday? No one answered."


    "Then try calling again, one phone call is no big deal."


    "I won''t call!"


    Tang Yun felt that her rtionship with Su Chen was bing more serious, and moreover, her father had secretly told her just yesterday that her mom was already picking dates.


    What was all this about?


    "Why are you so stubborn? Are you having a quarrel with Su Chen?"


    Pei Rou''s face couldn''t help but show a look of urgency.


    "Mom, I want to seriously tell you something."


    Tang Yun turned to face Pei Rou and said.


    "What is it?"


    "Su Chen and I really have nothing going on; we are just friends at most, not what you think."


    Tang Yun''s expression was serious and resolute. She had to stop her mother from meddling further, as it was embarrassing, making it seem like she couldn''t get married.


    "I know, you guys must have had a quarrel."


    Pei Rou patted Tang Yun''s shoulder and consoled her earnestly:


    "Yun''er, let me tell you, it''s normal for young couples to fight, the fight at the head of the bed ends at the end of it!"


    Upon hearing her mother''s words, Tang Yun immediately slumped back onto the sofa.


    "God, help me!"

 Chapter 241: The Returnee on a Stormy Night

    "Yun''er, just make another call!"


    Pei Rou tugged at Tang Yun.


    Unable to bear her mother''s nagging any longer, Tang Yun had no choice but to dial Su Chen''s number again.


    "We''re sorry, the mobile phone you''ve dialed is switched off."


    The call connected to a soft yet somewhat robotic female voice.


    "Still switched off."


    Tang Yun threw her phone onto the coffee table and said.


    At the same time, she couldn''t help but curse internally¡ªthis guy must definitely be up to no good; otherwise, why would anyone switch off their phone nowadays?


    In her view, even if someone was in a meeting, at most they would just set their phone to silent or vibrate.


    Thinking this, Tang Yun inexplicably started to feel rather annoyed.


    "This child, why is his phone still off?" Pei Rou, frowning, muttered to herself, "I even specially bought his favorite dishes!"


    Upon hearing her mother''s words, Tang Yun was rendered speechless and couldn''t help asking somewhat sourly:


    "Mom, who is your child here, him or me? You''ve never treated me this well!"


    "Of course both of you," replied Pei Rou, lifting her head, her expression revealing nothing but fondness for Su Chen.


    Great, it''s circled back to him again. Tang Yun felt a wave of dizziness and truly couldn''t understand what was so great about this guy¡ªwhy did her mom like him so much?


    To the point of buying his favorite dishes without even knowing whether he woulde or not.


    Unlike Pei Rou, in Tang Yun''s eyes, this guy was just a hateful, annoying bad egg!


    ......


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning, having sessfully partnered with Almei Corporation, had been swamped these past few days.


    However, during the asional moments of respite, they would also think of that bad yet mysterious guy, inevitably voicing someints:


    "Does a business trip need to take this long? And he even switched off his phone?"


    ......


    Xia Qiuru, on the other hand, hadn''t made any phone calls but found it peculiar and worrisome not having seen that figure around the corporation for quite a few days.


    Su Chen himself probably never imagined that his absence had affected so many people''s moods.


    Of course, it wasn''t just these women; many other people were confused by Su Chen''s sudden disappearance.


    That evening, as the sky dimmed, a drifting heavy rain began to fall over Jianghai, continuing without a hint of cessation well into the night.


    Now deep into autumn, Jianghai''s nights were naturally sparse of pedestrians, especially during such rainy nights where not a single soul could be seen, save for the asional bark of a dog.


    The rain, buffeted by the cold wind, zigzagged beneath the dim streetlights as a figure slowly approached from a distance, his steps unsteady.


    The storm and the downpourshed onto his face and body, yet he seemed to mind not at all, for not far ahead, someone was waiting for him...


    It was just past 9 pm, and Lin Ruoxue was having dinner with wang ma, as the relentless downpour continued to batter against the windowpanes.


    This only aggravated Lin Ruoxue''s already restless and uneasy mood.


    "Wang ma, I''m not eating anymore; I''m going upstairs."


    Lin Ruoxue stood up and said.


    Wang ma nced at the nearly untouched bowl of rice and sighed.


    Though it had been only a few days, Lin Ruoxue had visibly lost weight and her face showed signs of haggardness.


    Just then, a knock at the door suddenly rose above the noise of the rain, though it was dulled by the downpour, rendering it barely audible.


    "Wang ma, is someone knocking at the door?"


    Lin Ruoxue, standing on the staircase, turned her head back and asked hesitantly.


    "Seems like it, let me check."


    Wang ma pricked up her ears and responded after listening a moment.


    Lin Ruoxue continued to walk upstairs...


    "Madam, young master!"


    When Wang Ma opened the door and clearly saw the person standing outside, she couldn''t help but tremble as she called out, her face filled with surprise and joy!


    Lin Ruoxue heard this voice and was jolted!


    She struggled to turn her head, gazing towards the entrance where there was also a gaze fixed on her, a familiar smile on the face, slightly mischievous.


    For a moment, uncontroble tears shimmered in her beautiful eyes, and then those crystal droplets slid down her exquisite face, falling onto the staircase...


    "Husband!"


    Lin Ruoxue let out a sharp cry and bolted towards the doorway; wearing a business suit, her movement was awkward. Over the short distance, she nearly fell two or three times.


    But she didn''t care about that at all, her eyes were solely on the man at the door!


    "Husband!"


    Lin Ruoxue tightly embraced the man, using all her strength as if loosening her grip just slightly would cause the man to slip away from her.


    "Wife!"


    Su Chen''s arms were also wrapped around Lin Ruoxue''s back, as he murmured softly.


    Finally home, eh! It feels great!


    In Su Chen''s memory, this was the first time Lin Ruoxue had called him "husband!"


    "Husband!"


    Lin Ruoxue hugged Su Chen even tighter, the anxiety and fear of the past few days all released in an instant!


    "Hmm~"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly heard a muffled grunt and quickly looked up at Su Chen.


    "Husband, what''s wrong with you?"


    Lin Ruoxue saw Su Chen frown, apparently in some pain, and quickly asked.


    "Nothing at all!"


    Su Chen said yfully, smiling.


    "Nonsense, what''s actually wrong? Tell me!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face became stern, showing an almost tigerish authority.


    "I got a bit injured, just agitated the wound a little just now."


    Su Chen pretended to be very casual about it.


    "Where is it? Which part did you hurt?"


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue heard that Su Chen was injured, she became extremely nervous and quickly started to check him thoroughly, grabbing his arm.


    "It''s nothing, just a minor injury."


    Su Chen said, dismissing it with a smile.


    Just as Lin Ruoxue was about to continue questioning, Wang Ma spoke up:


    "Miss, you and the young master shoulde inside first, it''s windy and there''s a heavy rain outside."


    "Yes, yes, let''s hurry inside."


    Lin Ruoxue gently pped her forehead, chiding herself for her carelessness.


    "You go change out of your wet clothes first, thene out and eat."


    Lin Ruoxue urged, then instructed Wang Ma to quickly reheat the food.


    "Alright!"


    He actually felt that upon returning this time, his cold and aloof wife seemed to have suddenly turned into a nagging olddy.


    Su Chen might have guessed that Lin Ruoxue would be worried, but he had really not expected her to worry to such an extent!

 Chapter 242: Why dont you come to my room tonight?

    After returning to his room, Su Chen first took off his coat, then carefully peeled off the shirt underneath.


    Many areas of the shirt were stuck to his flesh and blood, so he had to move slowly, even so, the pain still made him grimace.


    It took him about five or six minutes to remove the shirt, and when he looked at it, he discovered at least five or six bright patches of bloodstains.


    Seeing these bloodstains, Su Chen couldn''t help but remember the situation that day; he was lucky it was him, had it been anyone else, they might not have even known what they had been sted into.


    That was a condensed bomb!


    Its power was who knows how many times greater than that of ordinary bombs!


    Although Su Chen had reacted, his actions were inevitably slow because he had to save Doctor Gaia.


    Of course, if he had been alone, he wouldn''t have escaped unscathed either, but he certainly would have fared better and not been so severely injured.


    At that time, because he was too close to the center of the explosion, Su Chen had been knocked unconscious all at once, even though he had instantly unleashed a substantial amount of True Yuan to protect his body.


    Otherwise, just with the power of that condensed bomb, neither Su Chen nor Doctor Gaia would have survived.


    Fortunately, two Shadow Guards were nearby and promptly saved both him and Doctor Gaia.


    Su Chen had not expected that after dealing with so many experts, he would capsize in a gutter.


    This was, on one hand, due to his carelessness, and on the other because he truly did not expect the enemy to nt a bomb on the escape boat, and a condensed one at that!


    Subsequently, Su Chen was unconscious for nearly 30 hours before he finally came to, and the first thing he did was contact the ship king to arrange his return.


    Su Chen didn''t know why, but he suddenly wanted to return to Jianghai, to that vi; this feeling was very strong¡ªstronger than he had ever felt before!


    The reason he contacted the ship king was, naturally, for secrecy.


    The ship king was still dealing with matters in Africa and couldn''te in person, but still agreed to all of Su Chen''s requests.


    Actually, Su Chen had already been cultivating on the ship for two days, recovering from many of his injuries. If Lin Ruoxue had seen his initial state, she probably would have been scared stiff!


    Because that situation was really too frightening!


    This incident made Su Chen hate the force behind Tang Gang even more, and he vowed to thoroughly eradicate it!


    To be honest, although Su Chen was very wary of the power behind Tang Gang, to say he was afraid would be an exaggeration.


    The reason was that he was now cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique, a heaven-defying cultivation technique whose speed and power far exceeded other cultivation techniques in the world.


    This was fully demonstrated in the recent rescue of Gaia, where at the mere realm of Qi Refinement Level Six, he was able to y a Golden Knight at the Qi Refinement Peak.


    While this was partly because he had reached a higher realm before and had deeper control over True Yuan, it was undeniable that the critical factor was the overwhelming power of the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    So, what when he cultivated to a higher realm? Like the Qi Refinement Peak, or half-step Meridian Expansion, or even higher realms, what would he have to fear then?


    Su Chen believed that with enough time, he could definitely eliminate that mysterious power!


    Time, now for him, was the most crucial factor!


    ....


    "Su Chen, are you alright?"


    Lin Ruoxue, seeing that Su Chen had been in his room for a long while, couldn''t help but call out from outside.


    "Missed me already after such a short while?"


    Su Chen opened the door with a mischievous smile and said,


    "Wife, why didn''t you call me husband? I haven''t had enough of that yet!"


    Upon hearing what Su Chen said, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned crimson.


    The truth was, those first couple of times she had called him that instinctively, and now that she had calmed down a bit, she found it a bit mushy and difficult to say.


    "Can you give me a little more time, please?"


    Lin Ruoxue said softly.


    "Alright, no matter what you call me, you''re still my wife!"


    "Mmm!"


    "Son-inw, dinner is ready. Come and eat."


    "Thank you, Wang Ma!"


    "Wang Ma, serve me a bowl too, I''m hungry as well," Lin Ruoxue called out with a smile.


    "Alright."


    "Son-inw, you''re finally back."


    After Wang Ma brought the dishes back to the table, she sat down with a smile:


    "You have no idea, while you were gone, Miss was so distraught that she lost her appetite. Look at how thin she''s be."


    Su Chen quickly took a closer look and noticed that Lin Ruoxue had indeed lost a considerable amount of weight and seemed to be in poor spirits. In the excitement of his return, Su Chen hadn''t paid much attention.


    "Wife, why don''t you take better care of yourself?"


    Su Chen said with a serious expression as he admonished her.


    "Not at all,"


    Even though Su Chen was scolding her, Lin Ruoxue felt sweet inside:


    "Don''t listen to Wang Ma''s nonsense."


    "Haven''t you? Don''t you look at yourself in the mirror these days?"


    Su Chen''s gaze moved down Lin Ruoxue''s face:


    "Everything seems to have shrunk a bit there!"


    Seeing his lecherous gaze, Lin Ruoxue immediately knew what he was referring to and blushed with anger:


    "Where are you looking?"


    If it were just the two of them, it wouldn''t have mattered if he looked, but Wang Ma was still around!


    Wang Ma, with her advanced age, had seen it all and had long be an insightful person.


    "Ah, I can''t stay up as I used to. I''m going to sleep now. Son-inw, Miss, you should rest early too!"


    Wang Ma deliberately stretchedzily and yawned as she spoke.


    Lin Ruoxue understood that Wang Ma was excusing herself, which made her feel even more embarrassed.


    "It''s all your fault!"


    "What''s wrong with it? Wang Ma is not an outsider,"


    Su Chen seemed to be carefree, speaking his mind.


    "Here, have another drumstick!"


    Su Chen put the biggest chicken leg into Lin Ruoxue''s bowl.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but recall the "Good girl and the drumstick" story that had spread throughout thepany, which made her hesitant to leave her office for a while.


    But seeing Su Chen''s worried expression, Lin Ruoxue took small bites of the chicken leg.


    Although it was just a simple dinner, Su Chen felt very satisfied!


    He couldn''t help but think to himself how nice it was to be home!


    If possible, he truly wished he could live an ordinary life, simply and quietly with Lin Ruoxue.


    But Su Chen knew this was nothing more than a luxury for him...


    After dinner, the two of them sat on the sofa and chatted for a while. Of course, Su Chen was somewhat mischievous during the conversation, not just with his eyes but also with his hands, often touching ces he shouldn''t.


    Lin Ruoxue felt helpless about this and could only pretend not to notice.


    Time passed, and around 11 p.m., Su Chen nced at the clock. It was about time for him to start his cultivation, as it would take another two or three days for his injuries to heal properly.


    "Alright, I''m going to rest now. You should go to sleep early too, don''t overwork yourself,"


    Su Chen stood up, ready to return to his own room.


    "How about, youe to my room tonight?"


    Lin Ruoxue mumbled shyly, her voice very weak. After she spoke, her face was covered with a blush...

 Chapter 243: Xiao Bai and the Old Driver

    "What did you say?"


    Su Chen thought he must have heard wrong, so he asked again, his heart beating uncontrobly.


    "Or, you coulde to my room tonight."


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice became even softer, her face turning redder, and she hardly dared to lift her head.


    But this time Su Chen heard clearly, his eyes widening as he stared dumbly at Lin Ruoxue.


    He felt like his heart had leapt into his eyes, and he started to feel somewhat helpless.


    Although Su Chen had already shared a room with Lin Ruoxue before, that was ast resort, only to prevent the little sprite Lin Ruohan from seeing through them.


    This time, however, the situation waspletely different!


    "Forget it if you don''t want to go."


    Seeing no reaction from him, Lin Ruoxue stamped her foot in a mixture of embarrassment and anger, then turned and headed upstairs.


    "I''ll go, I''ll go, I''ll go!"


    Su Chen finally reacted, hastily repeating his consent before chasing after her.


    He''d be a fool not to take such a golden opportunity; it was just that happiness hade so unexpectedly!


    When the two entered the bedroom and Su Chen locked the door behind them, Lin Ruoxue''s heartbeat couldn''t help but speed up.


    "Wife, it''s gettingte; we should hurry up and go to bed."


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue''s stunning visage somewhat nervously and said, feeling his throat go dry.


    "Mm!"


    That single "mm" totally stimted Su Chen''s adrenaline, and he quickly started taking off his jacket.


    "Mm~~"


    But because his movements were a bit too vigorous, he identally pulled at his wound, causing him to grunt in pain.


    "Did you hurt your wound again?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a look of concern:


    "Hurry up and take it off, let me take a look."


    "It''s fine."


    Su Chen was too excited and nearly forgot that if they were to do that kind of thing, they would inevitably have to be fully honest with each other, and his injuries would also be discovered by Lin Ruoxue. She would naturally be worried or even scared, which was thest thing Su Chen wanted to see.


    Moreover, there were far more wounds on his body than just from this one time.


    No wonder, when the Ice Beauty Lin Ruoxue suddenly issued a "call of love," it would have been strange for Su Chen to remain rational!


    Indeed, haste does not bring sess. Look, he had aggravated his wound again.


    "Still saying it''s nothing, are you going to take it off or not!"


    Lin Ruoxue said as she started to help him.


    "Don''t, don''t, don''t; there''s really nothing to see."


    Su Chen said, pulling away Lin Ruoxue''s gentle hands.


    "If you do that again, I''ll cry harassment!"


    "Go ahead and cry!"


    Lin Ruoxue snorted coldly:


    "Are you going to take it off yourself, or should I do it for you?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but be surprised; was this still the aloof number one beauty of Jiangnan?


    She seemedpletely like a hooligan!


    Faced with Lin Ruoxue''s sudden change, Su Chen had no choice but toply.


    "Fine, I''ll take it off, okay?"


    His tone and expression were full of frustration and grievances, as if he had been vited.


    "Don''t get scared in a minute, okay?"


    Su Chen warned her.


    "What''s there to be scared of? Just hurry up and take it off."


    Lin Ruoxue thought, it''s just a little injury, what''s there to be afraid of? Really!


    But momentster, Lin Ruoxue realized she was terribly mistaken.


    When Su Chen hesitantly took off his T-shirt to reveal his upper body, Lin Ruoxue''s eyes widened in shock, her hand unconsciously covering her parted cherry lips, her face awestruck.


    "This! This! This!..."


    Lin Ruoxue struggled to say a word, her beautiful eyes staring nkly at Su Chen''s body, her mind going nk!


    Was that even a human body? It was crisscrossed with scars, patchy and messy, with hardly any unmarred skin left.


    Especially the five or six fresh wounds, where blood continued to seep out, were extremely striking!


    Seeing this scene, Lin Ruoxue waspletely stunned!


    Although some scars seemed very old, they still gave an impressive shock!


    How could he have so many wounds?


    How did he manage to survive with so many injuries?


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but extend her delicate hand, gently touching Su Chen''s body.


    When her fingers slid over those new and old wounds, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart, a pain so deep that tears uncontrobly fell like broken pearls, more and more rapidly...


    "How did this happen?"


    Lin Ruoxue softly asked as her fingers caressed a small round hole in Su Chen''s chest.


    "Of course it''s from a bullet, but it''s long healed."


    Su Chen gently embraced Lin Ruoxue and said,


    "Don''t worry, it''s nothing serious."


    "Still you say it''s nothing serious with wounds like these!"


    Lin Ruoxue quickly grabbed Su Chen''s arm and insisted,


    "Come on, we''re going to the hospital!"


    It was a joke to think such serious injuries didn''t need hospital attention.


    "No need, have you forgotten? Your husband is a Divine Doctor!"


    With his Nine Yang Divine Technique inherently being the best healing method, when he operated the cultivation technique and the True Yuan circted within his body, it continually nourished and repaired his body.


    "Are you sure we don''t need to go to the hospital?"


    Lin Ruoxue knew he was skilled in medical arts, hadn''t he cured her stomach ailmentst time? Nheless, she still asked with concern.


    "Really, there''s no need."


    Su Chen grabbed her soft hand with a mischievous smile and teased,


    "I think we should focus on more important matters right now!"


    The moment Lin Ruoxue''s fingers brushed against his body, he found it hard to control himself.


    Since Lin Ruoxue had already discovered his condition, there was naturally no reason to hold back any longer.


    "What important matters?"


    As Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen''s mischievous smile, her heart started "thumping" wildly, feeling just like a small rabbit about to be devoured at any moment.


    And that big bad wolf was none other than the Su Chen right in front of her.


    Lin Ruoxue wasn''t oblivious to what Su Chen was referring to, her question was rather born out of a woman''s modesty.


    After all, that''s how women are¡ªthey know exactly what the other is implying, but still, they feign confusion when they need to.


    "What do you think? Of course, it''s..."


    Su Chen gazed at Lin Ruoxue''s enchanting figure with a desire filled expression and continued.


    "But, but, with such serious injuries on your body, are you able to move?"


    Although Lin Ruoxue hadn''t experienced the matters between men and women, she wasn''t ignorant¡ªshe might not have eaten pork, but she had certainly seen pigs run.


    Even without knowledge, she understood that this affair would undoubtedly require a considerable amount of physical strength and movement.


    Could it be he wanted me on top? It seemed that position didn''t require much from the man.


    But such a posture, how embarrassing!


    Lin Ruoxue thought to herself, and soon her charming face was flushed with a rosy blush!


    "Wife, what are you thinking about?"


    Su Chen asked with a puzzled look,


    "We''re just going to sleep, what''s there to move?"


    "Weren''t you thinking of ''that''?"


    "Which ''that'' are you talking about?"


    "You know, ''that''!"


    Lin Ruoxue felt her face burning up; how could this rascal not know which ''that'' she was referring to?


    Moreover, wasn''t that the ''important matter'' he had just brought up? Now he was pretending to be clueless with her, how infuriating!


    "Which ''that''? Wife, I really don''t know what you mean!"


    At this moment, Su Chen didn''t look like an experienced yer at all, but rather like aplete innocent!

 Chapter 244: Endure!

    "It''s that kind of thing between a man and a woman! You know what I mean!"


    Lin Ruoxue felt this bad guy was definitely doing it on purpose, forcing her to say it out loud.


    "Wife, you''re so dirty!"


    Su Chen, as if he had just met Lin Ruoxue, suddenly widened his eyes and said incredulously,


    "Who would have thought, such a pure and noble person like you would actually want to do that sort of thing!"


    Lin Ruoxue was immediately infuriated¡ªthis bastard!


    Wasn''t this clearly making a counter-usation?


    "Weren''t you the one who just mentioned it?"


    Lin Ruoxue had just been bashfully shy, but after hearing Su Chen call her dirty, her anger red up.


    Her beautiful eyes stared fixedly at Su Chen, wishing she could bite him!


    "What did I say? I don''t think I mentioned that sort of thing at all!"


    Su Chen spread his hands wide, looking very confused and innocent.


    "Then what were you referring to when you mentioned ''serious matters'' just now?"


    Lin Ruoxue nearly asked through gritted teeth.


    "Of course it''s about sleeping, what else could it be? Isn''t sleeping the most serious matter?"


    Su Chen retorted naturally.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue waspletely speechless. She could be sure that this guy was doing it on purpose!


    Based on the tone and expression he had used before, Lin Ruoxue could guarantee that when this guy said "serious matter," he definitely wasn''t thinking about sleep!


    Moreover, there are several meanings of sleeping, especially in the context of a man and a woman together.


    "Go back to your own room to sleep!"


    Lin Ruoxue pointed decisively at the bedroom door, intending to kick Su Chen out.


    She had been preparing to slowly start epting him, even if some of his actions were a bit much, she might tolerate them.


    But she never thought that a few words from him would dispel all her good moods!


    "Wife, I was just joking with you before,"


    Su Chen moved forward and wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoxue''s slender waist, chuckling.


    Su Chen, of course, dreamed of walking the human path with Lin Ruoxue; it had always been his aspiration!


    But s, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!


    Removing his clothes could cause his wound to hurt, let alone doing that sort of thing. Wouldn''t that be the death of him?


    Lin Ruoxue was exasperated by his childishness, yet she still didn''t show him any good expression. She struggled slightly and said,


    "I''m not interested in joking with you. Just roll back to your own room."


    "Hmm~~"


    A muffled groan came from Su Chen again as he clutched at his wound on his waist, crying out in pain.


    "Su Chen, what''s wrong with you?"


    Lin Ruoxue was also startled, having been so angry just a moment ago that she forgot about his injury. She must have strained his wound in her struggle.


    "It''s nothing serious, I can hang on!"


    Su Chen''s expression showed great pain as he clenched his teeth tightly.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to do that just now."


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly reached out with both hands and embraced Lin Ruoxue again:


    "Wife, please don''t be mad anymore, okay?"


    Faced with such a shameless husband, what else could Lin Ruoxue say? She could only nod her head.


    "Let''s go to sleep now."


    "Hmm!"


    "You turn off the lights."


    "Why should I turn off the lights?"


    "I, I, just turn them off!"


    "If I turn off the lights, won''t I be unable to see you, Wife?"


    "Why do you need to see me when we''re going to sleep?"


    "Because Wife, you''re beautiful!"


    "Really?"


    "Truer than pure gold, Wife. Can I hold you while we sleep?"


    "...Hmm, but you are not allowed to move around."


    "Don''t worry, I promise not to move."


    ...


    "Naughty, where are you putting your hand?"


    "sorry, sorry, my mistake, my mistake."


    "Honey, will you tell me a story?"


    "Of course, what story do you want to hear?"


    "Anything."


    "Alright then, let me tell you the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."


    "Okay."


    ...


    "Honey, you''re making it up, the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs isn''t like that at all."


    "This is a new version."


    "What new version? Honey, that story is so wicked!"


    "Am I wicked?"


    "Don''t, honey!"


    ...


    "Honey, you really are too naughty, such a rascal!"


    "It''s just a little tickling, how is that bad?"


    "I''m ticklish!"


    ...


    "Honey, are you ufortable?"


    "No..."


    "But you look like you''re really suffering!"


    "It''s a bit ufortable."


    "So what should we do?"


    "...Endure!..."


    "Oh, okay then, I''m going to sleep now, there''s a lot of work tomorrow!"


    "Alright, you sleep first."


    "Aren''t you sleeping?"


    "I''ll go take a cold shower first!"


    ...


    The next morning, Su Chen awoke quite early, and for the first time, the normally refreshed man had dark circles under his eyes that looked quite severe.


    "Honey, did you sleep wellst night? You look so tired!"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, looking at Su Chen''s dark circles. Afterst night''s bonding, Lin Ruoxue was gradually getting used to calling him ''husband''.


    "It''s nothing, probably just haven''t fully adjusted to the time zone yet."


    Su Chen wanted to say that hugging a beautiful woman and not being able to do anything would hardly lead to a good night''s sleep!


    "Wife, I should go back to my own room to sleep tonight."


    "Okay, husband, thank you!"


    Lin Ruoxue felt that Su Chen saying so was entirely not to make her feel ufortable, even though she had already decided to be a true wife as soon as Su Chen returned. But when the moment actually came, Lin Ruoxue found herself uncontrobly nervous.


    She felt she still needed some time to prepare.


    "You are my wife, and of course, I will respect your wishes."


    Actually, Su Chen wanting to move back to his own room was partly because Lin Ruoxue seemed not to be fully ready for marital intimacy.


    Maybe she was trying hard to ept it, but after all, these things took time, and Su Chen did not want to force her.


    He hoped everything woulde naturally because Lin Ruoxue was the one he wanted to spend his life with!


    On the other hand, he also needed to quickly recover from his injuries and enhance his cultivation, since he currently had many enemies.


    "Husband, you are so kind!"


    "Of course, don''t you know whose husband I am!"


    "Hey, young master, miss, Wang Ma can hardly stand it anymore, oh!"


    Wang Ma, seeing the two of them openly disying their affection, couldn''t help but feel her ss heart wavering.


    "Wang Ma, do you want me to find you a partner?"


    Su Chen said with a mischievous grin.


    "Young master, how can you tease Wang Ma too! Wang Ma is getting angry!"


    Wang Ma said feigningly upset, but in reality, seeing Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen getting along so well made her happier than if she had eaten honey!


    "Wang Ma, you couldn''t possibly be that petty!"


    Su Chen was still joking around, leaving Wang Ma not knowing whether tough or cry...

 Chapter 245: Hope Diamond

    Su Chen had finished breakfast and was originally nning to go to the group, but Lin Ruoxue insisted that he should stay at home to rest.


    Thinking about it, Su Chen felt it was a good idea, as this would allow for faster recovery from his injuries, so he agreed and went into the room to begin his cultivation practice.


    That evening, when Lin Ruoxue returned home from work, she hurriedly asked Su Chen to check on her injuries again.


    What shocked her immensely was that the horrifying wounds on Su Chen''s body seemed to have healed by seventy to eighty percent.


    She couldn''t help but feel amazed. This was too miraculous! Not even the most advanced medical techniques in the world could heal so quickly!


    "How is it, wife? Now you know, your husband''s title as Ghost Doctor isn''t just for show!"


    Su Chen said with feigned pride.


    Having heard his words, Lin Ruoxue actually nodded in agreement this time, because the proof was right there!


    Little did she know that this was entirely due to the miraculous effects of Su Chen''s cultivation technique.


    Of course, even if Su Chen told Lin Ruoxue the truth, she probably wouldn''t believe it and might even think he was crazy.


    Nevertheless, Lin Ruoxue''s heart, which had been in suspense, was finally able to rx quite a bit...


    "Oh, wife, there''s something I need to tell you. The Clown is leaving tomorrow."


    Su Chen suddenly mentioned casually.


    Actually, when Su Chen returned home the previous night, he had already met with the Clown at the door, since the Clown had been ensuring Lin Ruoxue''s safety all this time.


    The Clown, of course, was different from Lin Ruoxue. He immediately noticed that these injuries were caused by a bomb and was somewhat astonished as to what the Hall Master had been doing this time to have sustained such serious injuries.


    However, Su Chen didn''t say anything, and the Clown didn''t ask either. Although the two were brothers, Su Chen was, after all, the Hall Master, and that was a basic rule!


    Now that Su Chen had returned, the Clown could naturally go back. However, before leaving, the Clown mentioned that he would return to the Temple tomorrow.


    But Su Chen was quite puzzled. Wasn''t the Clown hitting it off with that flight attendant Han Xiao? Why was he returning so soon?


    The answer the Clown gave left Su Chen at a loss for words.


    Because Eniel wasing!


    "Oh my, why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t helpining.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Su Chen was also somewhat puzzled.


    "What do you mean, what''s the matter?"


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes:


    "He''s leaving, shouldn''t we give him a farewell dinner?"


    "Is that necessary?!"


    Su Chen knew the rtionship he had with the Clown; there was no need for such formalities.


    But in Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, it was seen differently; she felt it would be very rude not to do so.


    "What do you mean not necessary? Call him now and invite the Clown to dinner. It''s not yet seven o''clock, not toote. Maybe he hasn''t had dinner yet."


    "Isn''t that too troublesome? Let''s not do that."


    "Are you going to call or not?"


    "I''ll call."


    Left with no choice, Su Chen reluctantly made a call to the Clown, inviting him for dinner, and inquiring if he had already eaten.


    In fact, the Clown was in the midst of having dinner, but upon hearing that the Hall Master was inviting him, he quickly said he hadn''t eaten yet. After all, this was an invitation from the Hall Master, a rare opportunity!


    Although it was ast-minute affair, Lin Ruoxue meticulously chose the restaurant¡ª Li Yun Xuan, a very unique dining ce located in the city center''s square.


    Lin Ruoxue had been there once before to apany clients for a meal and thought the ambience was quite nice.


    As the hosts inviting guests, Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen naturally arrived first and then ordered food and drinks.


    It wasn''t long before the clown came in as well, and he immediately spotted them and made a beeline over.


    "Boss, why the formality, inviting me to dinner out of the blue!"


    The clown spoke with a touch of pleasantly surprised appreciation.


    "Cut it out, I wouldn''t bother inviting you; it was your sister-inw who insisted on giving you a proper send-off when she heard you were leaving."


    Su Chen said disdainfully.


    "Sister-inw, thank you so much!"


    The clown quickly turned to Lin Ruoxue and expressed his thanks. He had been wondering when the Hall Master ever got so sentimental¡ªit was the sister-inw''s idea, which made perfect sense to him.


    Despite his initial confusion, he felt genuinely moved and was bing more epting of Lin Ruoxue as his sister-inw.


    Honestly, at first, the clown had some resistance towards Lin Ruoxue. After all, what was the status of the Hall Master? And apart from being pretty, what else did you have?


    Didn''t you see Eniel, the Royal Princess, still waiting earnestly? And she''s not less attractive than you!


    It could be said that the clown''s initial respect for Lin Ruoxue was solely because of Su Chen. If it had been someone else, he would have treated them the same.


    But after interacting with her, especially during these recent days when he was responsible for her protection, the clown gradually changed his attitude.


    He discovered that Lin Ruoxue was indeed an independent, smart, and strong woman who truly loved the Hall Master. During the days the Hall Master was away, the clown could clearly feel that she was distracted and lost in thought, yet despite this, she remained strong.


    In summary, in the clown''s current view, Lin Ruoxue was a woman worthy of admiration, perhaps truly suited for the Hall Master!


    "Why so formal, brother Clown? You deserve all of this."


    Lin Ruoxue obviously wanted to do well as the hostess in front of Su Chen''s brothers.


    "Sister-inw, I came in a hurry this time and didn''t bring anything really good. Please, ept this modest gift,"


    The clown passed an exquisite box to Lin Ruoxue. Just from the box alone, one could tell that the contents were not ordinary.


    "Sister-inw, I was nning on giving you the gift right before I left, but why not take it now?"


    "Thank you, brother Clown."


    Lin Ruoxue happily epted the box, not because she cared for the gift itself¡ªafter all, she was in control of such arge enterprise and was no stranger to fine things. Her delight stemmed entirely from the fact that the gift came from Su Chen''s brother, which signified recognition of her.


    "Wife, open it and see; if you''re not satisfied, we''ll have him pick something else next time."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "What are you talking about? It''s the thought that counts, don''t you understand?"


    Lin Ruoxue spoke as she opened the exquisite box to find a burgundy diamond ne. Surrounding the burgundy diamond were crystals set into the piece, and the chain was slightly thinner than your typical diamond ne.


    At first nce, Lin Ruoxue didn''t think much of the burgundy diamond ne, but the more she looked at it, the more familiar it felt, as if she had seen it somewhere before.


    Seeing the ne, Su Chen cast an inadvertent nce at the clown, surprised that he had brought out such an item.


    "This, is this the Hope Diamond?"


    Suddenly, a bolt of realization struck Lin Ruoxue, and she remembered where she had seen it¡ªin a magazine.


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes widened with incredulity as she asked.


    "Sister-inw indeed has an exceptional perception; yes, this is the Hope Diamond,"


    The clown praised her.


    "Really, is it really so!"


    Lin Ruoxue felt as if she were in a dream, hardly believing it was real.


    After all, it was the Hope Diamond!


    Legend had it that whoever possessed this diamond would enjoy the favor of the Goddess of Fortune.


    Its former owners included two of the world''s richest men and four heads of state; thest rumored owner was said to be the President of America.


    It could be said, countless formidable figures in the world desperately wished to get their hands on this diamond of luck!

 Chapter 246: Su Chen, the Wife-Pampering Maniac

    But how could such a highly coveted item end up in the hands of a jester?


    Lin Ruoxue was shocked once again, staring nkly at the jester and Su Chen.


    That pervasive question in her mind surfaced yet again¡ªjust who exactly are they?


    "Sister-inw, do you think this gift is alright?"


    The jester asked in a soft voice.


    Hearing the jester''s question, Lin Ruoxue snapped back to reality.


    What did he ask? Is this gift alright?


    If such a gift isn''t alright, then what kind of gift would be?


    "Jester, this gift is too valuable! I can''t ept it, sister-inw!"


    It''s a joke; such gifts have already transcended the realm of money. Lin Ruoxue was just an entrepreneur; how could she dare to ept it?


    "Sister-inw, it''s just a gift, you wouldn''t refuse to give the jester face, would you?"


    The jester yfully pretended to be somewhat angry.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but look towards Su Chen, after all, this was his brother.


    "Wife, just ept the jester''s good intentions."


    Su Chen nodded and seemed not to take the matter too seriously.


    "Alright, jester, thank you."


    "It''s nothing, as long as you like it, sister-inw."


    At that point, the waiter had already begun bringing out the dishes, and the three of them started to eat.


    After the meal, Lin Ruoxue went to pay the bill while Su Chen and the jester waited for her in the hallway.


    "Hall Master, Eniel will be arriving soon. What are you nning to do about sister-inw''s situation..."


    The jester asked with some unease. In truth, the jester insisted on leaving before Eniel arrived because he knew that if Eniel found out that Su Chen was married and he hadn''t told her, she would never forgive him.


    Remembering Eniel''s temper when she lost her cool, the jester was quite afraid!


    "What''s the n, there''s no damn n!"


    Su Chen spat out a swear word; he himself didn''t know what to do!


    "Then I can only light three sticks of incense for you from faraway Europe."


    The jester taunted with a bit of schadenfreude.


    Su Chen was about to teach him a lesson when Lin Ruoxue came out, and he immediately withdrew the hand that he had just extended.


    "Jester, what time is your flight tomorrow? Su Chen and I could go see you off," Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "Sister-inw, no need to trouble yourselves, Han Xiao will send me off!"


    The jester blinked, speaking with a hint of shyness.


    "Then fine, we won''t be the third wheel."


    Lin Ruoxue had already learned from Su Chen about the air hostess named Han Xiao, and hearing that she would be the one to see off the jester, she didn''t insist further.


    ....


    In a study room of the Lv Family vi, one wall was stered with numerous papers, densely packed and annotated with many different colored pens.


    In the center of those papers, a photo was pinned, showing a young man''s image.


    Standing in front of that wall was a man in his early thirties who was currently staring at the photo, his lips unconsciously curling into a strange smile.


    "Su Chen, the husband of Jiangnan''s top beauty Lin Ruoxue, the elder brother of Cloud Lunatic, interesting!"


    .......


    Early the next day, after a night of cultivation, Su Chen''s injuries were almostpletely healed, and he felt he was on the verge of breaking through to the Seventh Layer Realm of Qi Refinement.


    Delighted by this, and in a good mood, Su Chen started to make breakfast again. Despite not having done so for a while, he was still familiar with the task.


    "Good morning, Auntie Wang!"


    Not long after Su Chen started making breakfast, Auntie Wang had gotten up.


    "Good morning, son-inw. Why didn''t you sleep in a bit longer?" Auntie Wang asked.


    "I couldn''t sleep anymore."


    "Son-inw, where did you sleepst night?"


    Mother Wang whispered, sneaking closer to ask.


    Su Chen didn''t speak but pointed to his own room.


    "Oh, son-inw, I thought you were joking yesterday. Haven''t you undone all your good work now?"


    Mother Wang sighed.


    "Well, let''s give Ruoxue a bit more time," Su Chen smiled.


    "Mmm, son-inw, you really are a good person."


    Mother Wang was also infected by Su Chen''s smile and couldn''t help but praise him.


    But then Su Chen shamelessly followed up with,


    "Yeah, I think I''m a good person too!"


    With that, Mother Wang had nothing to say in response. She realized that this son-inw had absolutely no idea about modesty or humility!


    "Tsk, you good person, my foot!"


    At that moment, a voice came from upstairs, followed by an absolutely gorgeous woman in a pink robeing down the stairs.


    Lin Ruoxue hadn''t nned to interrupt, but when she heard Su Chen, that scoundrel, actually calling himself a good person, she couldn''t help but retort.


    If he''s a good person, are there any bad people left in this world?


    "Wife, why did you get up so early today? Couldn''t sleep without your husband by your side, could you?"


    Su Chen said teasingly.


    "Not at all!"


    Lin Ruoxue pouted, even if it was true, she couldn''t admit it - after all, it would just inte that scoundrel''s ego!


    "Then why did you get up so early?"


    Su Chen, with a cheeky smile that just begged for a punch, stared at her beautiful eyes and asked.


    "What''s it to you?! I''ll get up whenever I want to get up!"


    Lin Ruoxue red at Su Chen fiercely, trying to cover up her own guilt.


    Actually, Lin Ruoxue had woken up in a daze and reached for someone next to her, only to find no one there, not even warmth in the bed, and she immediately panicked and woke up.


    Then she remembered Su Chen hadn''t slept with her. She tried to go back to sleep but couldn''t, so she got up instead.


    Seeing that she was getting flustered, Su Chen decided not to tease her anymore and continued making breakfast.


    "Honey, do you want my help?"


    Lin Ruoxue had intended to call him ''husband,'' but after thinking about how he mocked her just moments ago, she held back the term of endearment.


    "Wife, can you?"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue skeptically, full of doubt.


    "Underestimating me, huh? I''m going to help today no matter what."


    ...


    An hourter, in the kitchen.


    "Wife, I beg you, please just go. You can go back to bed if you want!


    "Isn''t it faster with two people?"


    "I think sometimes two people are not necessarily more effective than one."


    "Su Chen, what do you mean? Are you saying I''m clumsy?!"


    "How could that be, wife? You''re reading too much into it. I just think that these are not the kind of tasks for a fairy who is so breathtakingly beautiful. Leave them to your husband."


    "That''s more like it. Alright then, I''m heading upstairs. I still have a report to deal with anyway!"


    Lin Ruoxue also felt that she really wasn''t good at these things. It seemed she might be making more of a mess by trying to help.


    Of course, she would never admit it. How embarrassing it would be for the president of the Belle Corporation to not know how to make breakfast!


    After Lin Ruoxue went upstairs, Mother Wang gave Su Chen a quiet thumbs up!


    Really, with a mouth like son-inw''s, what girl couldn''t he charm!

 Chapter 247: Bad Minister

    Just like any other day, the two of them finished breakfast and went to work separately. Even though they were going to the same ce, Lin Ruoxue, who was rather shy, refused to go with Su Chen.


    Because if people from thepany found out that the two of them were going to work together early in the morning, it would definitely cause a stir. Rumors of them living together would surely arise.


    Su Chen didn''t really care about this. He was no longer in the security department and his schedule had changed, so the time he left the house was almost the same as Lin Ruoxue''s.


    "I wonder if the beauties in the PR department miss me."


    As Su Chen drove, he thought about it and felt that it was unlikely. After all, they had only spent less than half a day together.


    However, when he arrived at the PR department, he was taken aback...


    Seeing him, the women first let out a piercing scream, then crazily surged forward, as if they were wolves that hadn''t eaten meat for a long time. Su Chen was genuinely scared by their fervor.


    "Ladies, can we please stay calm!"


    Su Chen tried to escape, but it didn''t work. He couldn''t very well release his True Yuan and send these enthusiastic women flying, could he?


    "Stay calm? We''ve missed you to death, Director."


    The enchanting Zhao Lin cooed, practically gluing herself to Su Chen''s body.


    Aren''t you all beauties? Shouldn''t you be a bit more reserved?


    Even though I''m quite handsome, it''s not necessary to be like this!


    Su Chen shamelessly thought to himself.


    "Director, where have you been these days? We thought you had abandoned us!"


    Dressed fashionably and with an excellent figure, Ran Ting yfully chided him with a hint of grievance in her tone. To the uninitiated, it might seem like there was something ndestine between the two!


    ...


    Half an hourter, Su Chen found that his body had been touched countless times, and his face was smeared with all sorts of lipsticks¡ªpink, purple, bright red, you name it.


    If Lin Ruoxue were to see this scene, who knows what kind of torment would await him!


    Of course, Su Chen hadn''t been idle during this half-hour either. A touch here, a pinch there¡ªthe feeling was really great!


    After all, it''s only polite to return the favor!


    Honestly, ever since Su Chen stoppeding, everyone in the PR department, especially the women, seemed to feel like something was missing. Their workcked the usual drive!


    They were puzzled too. The mischievous director had only been with them for less than a day, so why did they miss him so much?


    If Su Chen knew the women''s thoughts, he would certainly say, shamelessly, that it was of course because of his irresistible charm!


    "Ladies, in light of your warm wee, I''m inviting all the PR department colleagues to dine at the Lijing Restaurant tonight!"


    Having taken advantage of them so much, it was only right to show some gratitude!


    That way, next time we can all continue to y together happily!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone in the PR department erupted into enthusiastic cheers, including the few male colleagues.


    Of course, the charming beauties were really who Su Chen intended to treat!


    "Zhao Lin, call to reserve the private roomter."


    Su Chen gave the order, and Zhao Lin happily agreed.


    "What''s all this noise? What a spectacle!"


    Just then, a reprimanding voice sounded, and a man with a stern face walked in.


    However, when he saw Su Chen''s face, he was obviously stunned for a moment, and his expression slightly changed. Although he quickly regainedposure, how could he escape Su Chen''s notice?


    "So it''s Director Su who has returned!"


    Niu Xuewen forced a smile and said, while cursing inwardly, why had this troublemaker suddenlye back?


    During the days when Su Chen was away, he had finally found the feeling of being in charge again. But just when he was enjoying himself, that damned guy came back.


    "Vice Director Niu, why does your smile look uglier than crying? Could it be that you''re not happy to see me back?"


    Su Chen nced at him and spoke in a tone that was neither cold nor warm.


    As soon as the women heard what Su Chen said, they couldn''t help but burst intoughter.


    The director was still as wicked as ever, but I like it!


    The reason theycked motivation to work these days was not only because Su Chen was gone but also because of Niu Xuewen.


    They were deeply afraid of falling back into this beast''s clutches. After all, Su Chen didn''t say anything when he left, no one knew where he had gone, or if he woulde back.


    That was also a major reason why they were so excited to see Su Chen.


    One could say that as much as they despised Niu Xuewen, they loved Su Chen just as much!


    Moreover, this new director was such an interesting person.


    In this respect, Su Chen really had to thank Niu Xuewen for his contrasting effect; isn''t it true in movies and TV shows that the more despicable the viin, the more the hero wins over people''s hearts?


    Seeing Su Chen return and starting off by snubbing him, Niu Xuewen felt some resentment, but remembering his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue, he had to hold back a bit.


    "How could that be? Director Su, you have no idea how happy I am that you are back!"


    Not only did Su Chen and the others not believe that line, even Niu Xuewen himself didn''t believe it. Happy? Happy my ass!


    "Really?"


    "Of course it''s true, absolutely true. I swear!"


    Niu Xuewen put on a serious and earnest expression and raised three fingers.


    Su Chen responded with a coldugh to Niu Xuewen''s words.


    "Heh heh, I noticed everyone seemed to be having quite a lively discussion just now. What were you all talking about?"


    Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Niu Xuewen asked somewhat awkwardly.


    "Oh, just now, the director mentioned treating the entire Public Rtions department to dinner at Lijing."


    Ran Ting lifted her slender neck and said proudly.


    "Really? This meal should be on me. How could I let the director foot the bill?"


    Niu Xuewen said eagerly.


    "But we didn''t n on inviting you!"


    Su Chen nced at Niu Xuewen with some surprise.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Niu Xuewen''s face turned the color of liver once again!


    Wasn''t this a p in the face in front of everyone?


    "The thing is, we just counted the number of people, and it''s just enough for two tables. If we add one more person, would we not need another table? That would be such a waste, don''t you think, Vice Director Niu?"


    "Right, Director Su makes sense. Then I won''t go."


    Although Niu Xuewen said this, he was already hating Su Chen to death in his heart. This guy had made him lose face several times already.


    The others, hearing the exchange between the two, also struggled to hold back theirughter; in their hearts, they had already burst outughing.


    Su Chen was really too wicked; saying outright that he wouldn''t invite someone was humiliating enough for Niu Xuewen, but toe up with such a reason was even more brutal.


    Everyone in the Public Rtions department knew that, apart from the two directors, there were a total of 24 people. With Su Chen, that made 25 people¡ªa prime number. How could it possibly be exactly enough for two tables?


    This was even more unbearable for Niu Xuewen than being pped in public!


    And besides, when had we ever counted the number of people? That was an outright lie!

 Chapter 248: Conquest and Show-off

    "Minister, you''re really slick!"


    Zhao Lin threw Su Chen a flirty look.


    "Exactly, utterly slick!"


    Ran Ting echoed in agreement.


    The other women also nodded, clearly agreeing with this view.


    "What have I done to be slick? Beauties, are you misunderstanding me?"


    Su Chen acted all innocent, like a harmless, obedient child.


    "Oh please, excluding the minister, our PR department has 24 people, 25 including you, so how could it be exactly two tables?"


    Ran Ting gave him a disdainful look and said,


    "You''re still iming you''re not slick!"


    "Ah, is that so? I studied math under a PE teacher when I was young, didn''t learn it well. Why don''t one of you invite Vice Minister Niu again?"


    Su Chen tentatively said.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone was speechless again. Wasn''t that making it even more awkward?


    It was like you had just pped someone on the left cheek and then asked them to stick out the right cheek to be pped again. That was just too much!


    If they had been Niu Xuewen, they definitely would have wished for a hole to crawl into!


    "Alright, everyone stop fooling around and let''s start working!"


    Su Chen finally remembered his responsibilities as a minister, his expression stern.


    "Oh, put on whatever act you want!"


    Zhao Lin muttered under her breath before settling back to her seat.


    The others also began their work.


    Because Su Chen was back, everyone seemed to have regained their enthusiasm, especially the women.


    Except the minister''s eyes were sneakily fixated on them, which made them feel a bit ufortable.


    Noticing Su Chen''s gaze constantly on her ample chest, Zhao Lin deliberately stuck her chest out, as if in defiance!


    "Hmph, you think you''re so great just because they''re big!"


    Following the principle of "it''s free to look," Su Chen shamelessly fixed his gaze there!


    But Su Chen''s gaze was too intense, almost as if he was trying to see through her, Zhao Lin couldn''t bear it after a while and returned to a normal posture!


    Su Chen''s gaze then moved from Zhao Lin and started searching for a new target!


    Huh, that beautiful youngdy seems to be Shu Yin, and today she''s actually wearing a low-cut top!


    She''s pretty indeed, just a bit t there.


    Hmm, should find a chance to talk to her, give her a massage, help her grow properly!


    Otherwise, how will she have enough milk for her childrenter? I am doing this for both her and her future children''s good!


    Who''s that next to Shu Yin, wasn''t it something ''man'' in her name?


    Tsk tsk, that tiny waist is truly top-notch! No excess fat at all, must find a chance to ask her how she does it!


    But when ites to figures, Ran Ting is a real stunner!


    That curve, that grace!


    Can''t take it anymore, my nose is going to bleed!


    Su Chen immediately ran off to the restroom¡­


    As soon as Su Chen left, the women burst into an uproar!


    "That perverted minister, always staring at our chests!"


    "Exactly, he was staring at my thighs just a moment ago!"


    "Not only did he look at my chest, he kept eyeing my backside too; it made my heart pound nervously."


    "Me too, when the minister''s eyes were on my waist, I felt like a pair ofrge hands were caressing me, my face all flushed!"


    ...


    Almost every woman began tosh out at Minister Su Chen!


    Even Qin Li, a married woman with children, felt his lecherous gaze earlier!


    Strangely, as the women spoke ill of Su Chen, sounding like they were using his beastly acts, it felt more like they wereparing and showing off!


    Perhaps they weren''t even aware of this mentality¡­


    After a while, Su Chen came back and saw everyone staring at him as he sat down, so he jokingly said,


    "Everyone, continue to work diligently and stop looking around."


    His tone was just like that of a grade school teacher instructing students.


    The women couldn''t help but mutter to themselves: You better watch your own eyes first!


    Just then, Su Chen''s phone rang.


    Of course, this was his new phone; the previous one had beenpletely destroyed in an explosion.


    Although his phone was specially made by Shadow, it couldn''t withstand the power of a concentrated bomb!


    Even though his phone was custom-made, the main specialty was in the chip and software inside, not that the material of the phone was particrly special; at best, it was only of somewhat better quality than ordinary phones.


    Luckily, he had a strong memory, so as soon as he saw the number, he remembered whose it was¡ªit was Tang Yun''s mother, Pei Rou.


    "Hello, Auntie Pei!"


    Su Chen stood up and went out to answer the call.


    Pei Rou was really good to him, so he sincerely regarded her as an elder.


    "Su, have you returned from your business trip?"


    "Yes, I got back the night beforest."


    "That''s great, it''s the weekend tomorrow. Why don''t youe over for dinner?"


    "Wouldn''t that be too much trouble?"


    "Not at all, it''s no trouble. Your presence would make me so happy!"


    "Let''s not,"


    Su Chen didn''t want to refuse, but Pei Rou was always trying to set him up with Tang Yun!


    "Su, don''t I even deserve the courtesy of being granted a dinner invitation? I am asking you again, will youe or not?"


    "I''lle!"


    With Pei Rou putting it that way, it was hard for Su Chen to refuse without offending her.


    "That''s more like it. Come early tomorrow; Auntie is preparing all your favorite dishes!"


    Pei Rou''s tone was clearly happier.


    Originally, Pei Rou had wanted Tang Yun to make the call, but Tang Yun refused, so she had to take matters into her own hands.


    "Thank you, Auntie."


    "Don''t mention it, go on with your work!"


    Pei Rou said affectionately.


    "Okay!"


    ......


    After finishing the call, Su Chen returned to his desk and sat down. Of course, he still had not much to do, so he just enjoyed the sight of the various beauties in the public rtions department!


    Time passed until the end of the workday, and Su Chen led the twenty-some members of the public rtions department, divided into eight or nine cars, grandly off to the Lijing Hotel.


    Luckily, most of these people drove, so there was no worry about transportation.


    When the women of the public rtions department stepped out of their cars with their long, elegant legs, they instantly attracted everyone''s attention!


    Men drooled over these vibrant, sexy beauties.


    A few men among the crowd even cast envious nces, especially at the young man surrounded by some of the prettiest women, wishing they could be in his ce!


    The women of the public rtions department seemed ustomed to such gazes from men and walked into the hotel lobby as if no one was around.


    "Room 09! I reserved it over the phone."


    Zhao Lin said to the receptionist, swaying her hips.


    "Great, can you please provide your mobile number for verification?"


    The receptionist asked.


    "158******"


    Zhao Lin gave her mobile number.


    "I''m sorry, but the number is incorrect."


    The receptionist said apologetically to Zhao Lin.


    "What? That''s not possible. I called this afternoon around three, you were the receptionist, don''t you remember?"


    Zhao Lin was suddenly rmed and quickly asked, as the others also gathered around¡­

 Chapter 249 - 249 Greetings to Mr. Su

    ```


    "I''m sorry, but we operate in three shifts, and I didn''t start my shift until five o''clock. Plus, no matter who it is, we can only arrange ording to what the hotel system shows,"


    the server also expressed helplessness.


    "But when I called to make the reservation, the girl on the phone said I was lucky to have gotten thest private room, which is room 09."


    Zhao Lin exined, her expression anxious, as it wasn''t just her personal issue but the whole public rtions department''s affair.


    Seeing Zhao Lin''s serious manner, the server checked again and finally said:


    "I''m really sorry, but I have checked again, and there is no reservation under your name. Room 09 has been reserved by another guest."


    "What do we do now?"


    Zhao Lin asked Su Chen, clearly not expecting the reserved room to be missing.


    "Get your manager over here!"


    Su Chen stepped forward and demanded casually.


    "Okay, please wait a moment."


    The server hurriedly ced a call to the manager.


    After a while, a woman in her forties, with heavy makeup, approached. Her perfume was so strong, it was detectable from a distance and rather overpowering.


    "Are you the ones looking for me?"


    Tian Yufen, seeing a group of people standing at the service desk, naturally guessed they were there for her.


    "That''s right, I''m looking for you!"


    Su Chen nodded and subtly covered her nose.


    "May I know what you need me for?"


    Tian Yufen, seeing Su Mo and the others dressed in ordinary employee uniforms, immediately showed a hint of scorn on her face.


    "I suspect someone at your hotel has tampered with the room reservation information. We reserved room 09 this afternoon, and now your server tells us it has been reserved by someone else."


    Su Mo said to Tian Yufen in a calm tone.


    "Don''t spout nonsense! How could our Lijing Hotel ever do such a thing?"


    Tian Yufen reacted defensively, her face tense as if she was stepping on her own tail.


    Because it was she who had altered the room reservation information, reserving thest private room for a more esteemed guest!


    "Then I request to see the server data for room reservations to ensure you have indeed not altered the reservation information!"


    Su Chen made a very reasonable request.


    "And who are you? We cannot possibly allow an outsider to check our group''s server!"


    Tian Yufen was startled. If she really allowed them to check, wouldn''t it confirm that she had altered the reservation information?


    She thought it wouldn''t be a big deal, as she had done this several times before without any issue.


    Usually, when people who had made a reservation found out they weren''t sessful, they would at most curse a little and then just go to another restaurant.


    She did not expect today''s group to be so troublesome, actually demanding to see the server information.


    "I won''t ask to see any other data, just have your technician retrieve today''s reservation information for room 09 for me to inspect."


    Su Chen made another fair and logical request, as all record logs are saved on the server in the back end.


    Ordinarily, if a guest makes such a request, the hotel wouldply to prove their innocence.


    But the more reasonable Su Chen''s requests were, the more panic-stricken Tian Yufen felt, and she eximed angrily:


    "Impossible, our hotel has no such rule. If you continue to make an unreasonable scene, I''ll have security throw you out."


    ```


    "What''s going on with your hotel? Is this how you treat customers?"


    "I suppose you''re feeling guilty now, aren''t you?"


    "You actually tampered with a guest''s booking information. Your hotel has really lost its ss!"


    Upon hearing that Tian Yufen actually wanted to kick them out, the women from the public rtions department immediately blew up.


    When it came to verbal sparring, they had never been afraid of anyone!


    The noise of the dispute drew many onlookers.


    After understanding what happened, the crowd also started demanding the hotel provide the original booking information to Su Chen and his group, as their request was perfectly reasonable.


    Seeing the situation blow up like this, Tian Yufen panicked, wondering what to do now.


    Just as Tian Yufen was at a loss, a line of four or five people walked in through the hotel''s entrance.


    Upon seeing this group, a gleam appeared in Tian Yufen''s eyes. She hurriedly ran up to the man at the front and said:


    "Master Pan, you''re finally here. There are people here trying to take the private room you booked. I told them someone else already booked it, but they insist it was theirs first and are making a huge fuss."


    "Hmm? Who dares to try to snatch the room I booked?"


    Pan An spoke with his head held high, obviously aware of the situation. He knew from his phone call with Tian Yufen earlier that the private rooms were all booked.


    However, Tian Yufen took the initiative to book one for him by changing someone else''s reservation to Pan An''s.


    Pan An naturally had no objections, and upon hearing Tian Yufen''s words, he understood it was the guests whose reservation he had taken who were now causing a scene.


    When the onlookers realized that the neer was none other than the sole son of Jianghai''s wealthiest tycoon, Pan Wendo, they dared not speak another word!


    Although they roughly grasped what had happened, it was clear that Tian Yufen had modified someone''s booking to please Master Pan, switching it to Pan An''s.


    The onlookers turned to look at Su Chen and his party, sighing softly. If it were ordinary people, you might argue.


    But what can you do when up against the son of the richest man in town?


    Zhao Lin, Ran Ting, and the others, upon realizing it was Pan An who had taken their room, were secretly fuming, yet they dared not say anything!


    After all, to the richest man of Jianghai, they were nothing but ants, and they dared not entertain thoughts of contention.


    "Manager, let''s just go to another ce,"


    Ran Ting said softly, tugging at Su Chen''s clothes.


    But Su Chen remained nonchnt, his voice tinged with light sarcasm:


    "Master Pan is quite imposing indeed!"


    "Who is it? Who dares to speak to me like that!"


    Pan An, hearing that someone dared to speak to him in such a manner, quickly looked in the direction of the voice.


    When he saw the face of the person who had spoken, his heart skipped a beat!


    Pan An hurried over to Su Chen, trembling...


    The onlookers watched as Pan An approached the young man who had spoken up, shaking their heads slightly.


    "This young man actually dare to talk back to Master Pan, he is definitely going to be unlucky."


    "Probably trying to act the hero in front of all those beauties."


    "Just afraid that instead of bing a hero, he''ll end up ying the fool..."


    Right when everyone was convinced Su Chen was about to face misfortune, they witnessed a scene that shocked them to the core!


    They saw the usually arrogant and domineering Master Pan bow to the young man, saying respectfully:


    "Pan An greets Mr. Su!"

 Chapter 250: Disliked Him, Beat Him Up

    Upon hearing Pan An''s words, everyone was dumbfounded!


    What the heck was going on?


    The son of the wealthiest man was actually bowing in respect to this young man, and from the look of it, Pan An seemed quite afraid!


    After all, Pan Wendo could almost be considered the top figure in Jiangnan besides the Four Great Families!


    And this young man had managed to make such a figure bow in respect¡ªwhat kind of big shot was he?


    The truth is, Pan An didn''t know much about the young man''s background either.


    Ever since that incident, his father had sternly warned him never to conflict with this young man.


    If he were to meet him, he must maintain politeness and courtesy!


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t even know how he might die!


    He believed his father wouldn''t deceive him, after all, he was the only heir of the Pan Family.


    Moreover, since his father had already visited with heavy gifts to apologize, and even his father had to bow his head to this man, how could he possibly provoke him!


    Although Pan An was usually impulsive and arrogant, he also had his own cunning.


    That''s why when he saw Su Chen today, he kept his posture very low!


    Upon hearing Pan An''s words, Su Chen slightly nodded his head.


    This was because the Pan father and son were clever; otherwise, Su Chen wouldn''t mind warming up a bit.


    Seeing this, everyone in the public rtions department was utterly stunned!


    Who exactly was this new director who couldmand such respect from Pan An?


    Up to this point, in their eyes, this director was only a bit na,ughty, a bit flirty, somewhat of a scoundrel, and rather down-to-earth; otherwise, there seemed nothing particrly outstanding about him.


    However, this seemingly ordinary young director had instilled such fear in the son of the wealthiest man, which shocked them tremendously!


    That''s when they suddenly remembered a few stories about Su Chen that circted within the group.


    Like the time he beat up the former heads of the security department, or when Yunlong from the Yun Family¡ªone of the Four Great Families¡ªcalled him ''Boss'', and the rumored aff.airs with General Manager Lin.


    It seemed this guy was never ordinary; it''s just that he appeared so, causing everyone in the public rtions department to forget the incidents that had happened.


    Seeing this, Tian Yufen''s face turned pale and she could hardly stand.


    Using her toes, she could guess what sort of figure could make Pan An so humble!


    She hadn''t expected that, in trying to please Pan An, she had offended someone even more influential than him!


    Tian Yufen truly felt like crying without tears, full of regret!


    "I believe everyone understands the circumstances of this matter. Now, I''m going to have dinner with my colleagues, you can find another restaurant for yourself,"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "Yes, yes," Pan An hastily agreed and then said to Tian Yufen, "Today''s expenses for Mr. Su and his group are on my ount. Serve them well, and your fate depends on Mr. Su."


    "Yes, I will serve them well," Tian Yufen nodded repeatedly and then said to Su Chen, "Mr. Su, today''s incident was my fault. I shouldn''t have changed your colleague''s reserved room to curry favor with Master Pan!"


    "Well, considering that you admitted your mistake voluntarily instead of shirking responsibility, I''ll give you another chance. It''s better to be honest in the future!"


    Su Chen shot her a nce and said, to be honest, he had no interest in quibbling with such a trivial person.


    After saying this, Su Chen led arge group of colleagues into Room 09, which was quite spacious. The table wasrge enough, and even with two tables arranged inside, it didn''t feel crowded.


    "Director, why is Master Pan so respectful to you, and he even seemed a bit scared?"


    After sitting down, Ran Ting couldn''t help but ask,


    The others immediately stopped as well and looked at Su Chen. They also wanted to know the same thing.


    After all, he was the son of the wealthiest man, a figure from the heavens to them!


    "It''s nothing, I just didn''t like the look of him once and beat him up!"


    Su Chen said nonchntly, shrugging his shoulders.


    The rest of the crowd was dumbfounded!


    That was the son of the wealthiest man!


    You just didn''t like the look of him and beat him up!


    It was as if he hadn''t beaten Pan An, but some random street cat or dog!


    At the same time, the crowd''s view of him turned strange again.


    It was strange enough that he had beaten Pan An, but for him to be sitting here unharmed afterward was even stranger.


    Not only was he sitting here unharmed, but the beaten Pan An was even respectful to him, making it not just strange, but downright eerie!


    However, thinking that someone like Yunlong called him "Big Brother" and a woman like Lin Ruoxue was his woman, it seemed somewhat understandable.


    For a while, everyone felt a bit conflicted, primarily because Su Chen didn''t look like some big shot at all!


    Especially after interacting with him, although they found him peculiar, they always felt that he was nothing like the legendary powerhouse they had heard about.


    If Su Chen knew their thoughts, he would definitely say, "Bro, I''m just keeping a low profile, alright!"


    Haven''t you heard the saying? Keeping a low profile is the coolest way to show off!


    "Don''t overthink it, that Pan An is just a spoiled brat, nothing impressive. In my eyes, he''s far fromparing to you beauties!"


    Seeing the crowd a bit startled, Su Chen couldn''t help but burst outughing, his gaze scanning over the women with a predatory look!


    The women who were subjected to his indomitable gaze all started blushing.


    Cries of "Pervert, lecher, little rascal, jerk," and the like were incessant, though most of them were half-joking.


    At this moment, Tian Yufen also began serving the dishes, all signature dishes from the scenic hotel!


    After the events that had transpired, Tian Yufen naturally paid extra attention to Su Chen''s private room, handling everything personally.


    Tian Yufen was terrified that Su Chen might be even slightly dissatisfied, for that would have been disastrous for her...


    Seeing that the dishes were all served, everyone raised their sses and downed a drink together.


    Su Chen, seeing so many women, had intended to order some wine and grape wine for them.


    But out of nowhere, Zhao Lin mmed the table and shouted loudly:


    "What, you think you''re too good for us? Serve us the strong stuff."


    The crowd tried to persuade her for a while, but Zhao Lin insisted on drinking the strong stuff.


    It wasn''t just for herself; she wouldn''t allow anyone else to drink anything different.


    Everyone had no choice but to let her have her way, which was fortunate since their job in public rtions sometimes required them to drink a few sses with clients, so they all had some tolerance for alcohol.


    However, after drinking a little of the strong alcohol, the majority of the women''s faces turned rosy, strikingly radiant, like blossoming flowers!


    "Manager, tell us how you got together with President Lin,"


    Zhao Lin suddenly leaned an arm on Su Chen''s shoulder,ing closer and asked in a sugary voice.


    The scent of her breath, mixed with her body fragrance, drifted towards Su Chen.


    The aroma was a bit unique and somewhat intoxicating, smelling really good!

 Chapter 251: Huge Sacrifice

    "What setup are you talking about? That sounds so harsh, I totally won her over with my charm, alright!"


    Su Chen retorted, clearly annoyed.


    "Then tell us how you conquered our icy CEO here."


    Zhao Lin leaned in closer to Su Chen, nearly pressing against him.


    "Yeah, hurry and tell us!"


    The other women, upon hearing Zhao Lin''s inquiry, also started urging him on, each looking like a busybody, and the male colleagues were no exception.


    Lin Ruoxue had always been seen as a perfect woman by everyone, especially to those at Belle Corporation.


    However, the more unattainable she seemed, the more interested people were in gossiping about her.


    It''s like how ordinary people are obsessed with celebrities'' scandals, because those stars are normally beyond their reach!


    Seeing their necks stretching out, Su Chen leisurely said:


    "Didn''t I tell you already? It was of course by charm!"


    "Psh, nonsense, I don''t see any charm in you at all,"


    Ran Ting on Su Chen''s other side said, clearly displeased.


    "Exactly, I don''t see it either."


    The other women agreed one after another.


    "That''s because I''ve kept it well hidden, okay? What if I revealed it and all you women fell in love with me? What then?"


    Su Chen said shamelessly.


    His shameless behavior made the women want to take off their high heels and p him twice, asking him:


    "Can you be any more shameless? All fall in love with you, dream on!"


    Seeing that he wasn''t willing to spill the beans, everyone eventually gave up and started eating, drinking, and chatting. The atmosphere quickly became lively.


    "Manager, I know you don''t want to talk about things rted to President Lin in front of so many people. Can you tell me quietly?"


    Unintentionally, Zhao Lin moved her whole body even closer, whispering in Su Chen''s ear, and even blew a breath of air.


    Su Chen suddenly felt a surge of restlessness and cursed silently, "Little temptress!"


    At that moment, everyone was busy eating and talking, and nobody seemed to notice Zhao Lin''s subtle move, except Ran Ting, who was sitting on the other side of Su Chen.


    This was of course because Ran Ting had been paying close attention to Su Chen.


    Hearing Zhao Lin whisper, she couldn''t help but shake Su Chen''s arm and say:


    "Manager, can you tell me too? I promise I won''t tell anyone else!"


    "Do you really want to know?"


    Su Chen turned his head and asked the two beauties on either side of him.


    "Hmm!"


    "Hmm!"


    Both women nodded simultaneously, their faces filled with anticipation.


    "I could tell you, but what''s in it for me?"


    At that moment, Su Chen''s gaze at Zhao Lin and Ran Ting was like a big bad wolf eyeing little bunnies!


    Zhao Lin pondered for a moment, then suddenly, while nobody was paying attention, she swiftly kissed Su Chen on the cheek.


    Su Chen was immediately stunned, his mind unable to catch up.


    Just then, Ran Ting also quickly left a bright lipstick mark on his other cheek!


    Su Chen waspletely dumbfounded!


    He had only meant to tease them casually and had not intended anything serious; it was just his mischievous nature acting up.


    He had not expected that their curiosity about Lin Ruoxue''s gossip was so intense that they would make such a significant sacrifice!


    Curiosity indeed kills the cat!


    "Are we good now?!"


    Zhao Lin said, a blush spreading across her pretty face.


    She didn''t even know why she had made such a move, perhaps it was because of the alcohol.


    "Spill it already!"


    Ran Ting was also urging eagerly.


    "Alright then, since you''ve all made such sacrifices, I''ll tell you. Everyone,e closer."


    Su Chen said mysteriously.


    Upon hearing this, both women''s eyes sparkled, and they moved extremely close to Su Chen¡ªthis was about Jiangnan''s number one beauty, Lin''s, scandal after all, just the thought of it was exciting!


    "As for how I conquered your boss Lin, it''s actually just two words."


    Saying this, Su Chen deliberately paused, then spat out two words:


    "Great in bed!"


    The two women were initially stunned, then their faces flushed with crimson.


    They had long passed the age where they thought holding hands could lead to pregnancy, and they quickly understood what Su Chen meant by being great in bed!


    "Hooligan!"


    "Pervert!"


    "Jerk!"


    ...


    For a moment, the two women threw every curse they could think of at Su Chen.


    "What are you doing? I''m telling the truth!"


    Su Chen spread his hands innocently.


    "Like we''d believe you!"


    Zhao Lin couldn''t help but roll her eyes.


    "Exactly, Lin is such a high-minded woman, how could she because of..."


    Ran Ting echoed in agreement, but those two words were too embarrassing for her to say aloud.


    "The ''being great'' I was talking about refers to being great at pampering women, what are you thinking?"


    Su Chen looked dismissively at the two women:


    "Where did you two fangirls'' minds go?"


    The two women were instantly dumbfounded when they heard Su Chen''s exnation. Was that what he meant by being great?


    "Ah, who would have thought, who would have thought... You two look quite serious, yet your minds are full of such filthy thoughts!"


    Su Chen sighed lengthily, his face a picture of sorrow.


    The two women felt their faces burning up to their necks, utterly embarrassed!


    But isn''t that what those two words usually mean?


    Especially with Su Chen''s expression, it was as if they were fallen women.


    This made them even more embarrassed, forcing them to just keep their heads down!


    In fact, this was also because they didn''t know Su Chen well enough, having not known him for long.


    If Lin Ruoxue had been there, she would have immediately realized that he was definitely setting up a verbal trap!


    Seeing the shy, blushing faces of the two women, Su Chen couldn''t help but think that maybe he had gone too far, after all, they were two delicate beauties!


    After a meal, both women seemed to have not yet recovered from their earlier embarrassment...


    After dinner, Su Chen thoughtfully called cars for those who hadn''t driven themselves and arranged designated drivers for those who had¡ªhe was especially concerned for the girls'' safety.


    Only when everyone had left did Su Chen drive home alone, still very sober.


    Upon arriving home, Lin Ruoxue was already working in the upstairs study, and Su Chen did not disturb her, instead he went into his own room and began his cultivation.


    He felt that he could break through to the Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement soon, needing only an opportunity to do so.


    Although it was the weekend the next day, Su Chen still got up early to make breakfast because Lin Ruoxue didn''t have the habit of sleeping in and generally woke up noter than 7:30 AM.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue went out to meet a client, while Su Chen nned to return to his room to continue his cultivation, aiming to break through to the Seventh Layer Realm as quickly as possible!


    He had just sat down cross-legged on a mat when a knock came at the door, and since the maid had gone out to buy groceries, he had to get up to answer it himself.


    When he opened the door, he found indeed a woman standing there, but it wasn''t Lin Ruoxue...

 Chapter 252 - 252 Looking at the Photo Album

    "Brother-inw!"


    As soon as Du Hanshuang saw Su Chen, her face broke into a smile, and she called out affectionately.


    "Hold on, who''s your brother-inw?"


    Su Chen waspletely flustered by Hanshuang''s nonsensical address, and he stammered out the question.


    "Of course it''s you, who else is here?"


    Du Hanshuang strutted in confidently:


    "Right, brother-inw, why are you living with Lin Ruoxue? You guys aren''t... you know, right?"


    "None of your business; kids shouldn''t ask about adult matters."


    Su Chen uttered impatiently:


    "Anyway, why are you here?"


    "I''m here to see you, is that not okay? Besides, who says I''m little? I''m definitely not little anymore."


    Du Hanshuang puffed up her chest and dered with a slight tilt of her head.


    "Psh, with your t chest, even sticking it out is at most a little mound."


    Su Chen nced at her chest and curled his lip.


    "You pervert! I was talking about age; and who says I''m small there?"


    Du Hanshuang swung her little fist and took a swing at Su Chen, of course not hitting him for real, after all, she too possessed the strength of Qi Refinement First Layer.


    "Alright, cut the nonsense, what did you reallye here for?"


    Su Chen was indeed quite vexed by this young girl, but not because of her per se, but because she was Du Hanbing''s sister.


    The mere sight of her naturally made Su Chen think of her sister, Du Hanbing, and thinking of Du Hanbing gave him a bit of a headache.


    In fact, the matter regarding Du Hanbing was also something that Su Chen found rather troubling; he had not yet decided how to deal with it.


    Before he had a good solution, he could only y ostrich...


    "I''vee to bid you farewell; I''m heading back to Yandu this afternoon."


    Du Hanshuang said with a touch of reluctance.


    Naturally, Du Hanshuang wasn''t sad to leave Su Chen, but rather she didn''t want to give up the freedom she had in Jianghai.


    Once back in Yandu, with so many people managing her, it would not be asfortable as in Jianghai.


    After all, here she only had Uncle Liu to answer to, and this Uncle Liu was extremely indulgent with her.


    "Then go ahead; whye to me for a farewell?"


    Su Chen knew why the people from the Special Security Bureau were leaving; with the clowns gone from Huaxia, what was the point of sticking around?


    "You are my brother-inw after all; of course, I have to tell you!"


    The way Du Hanshuang called him brother-inw seemed very natural, but it just made Su Chen''s head hurt again.


    "Brother-inw, will youe to Yandu?"


    Du Hanshuang looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "Probably!"


    Su Chen replied; he would have to go to Yandu sooner orter, after all, that''s where he hoped to find the truth about his parents'' death.


    "That''s fantastic! When youe, you muste find me to hang out!"


    Upon hearing that he would visit, Du Hanshuang instantly brightened up.


    "We''ll see."


    .....


    It wasn''t long before Du Hanshuang left, and Su Chen naturally continued to go back to his room for Cultivation.


    He practiced until past four in the afternoon, stopping only when Pei Rou called him to have dinner.


    When Su Chen arrived at Building No.2 of the Municipal Committeepound, it was just about five o''clock.


    As soon as Pei Rou saw Su Chen, her face lit up like a blooming flower, while Tang Yun at her side did not have such a pleasant expression; she red at him with displeasure.


    Today, Mayor Tang Mingji was not home, as he had gone down for an inspection, leaving only Tang Yun, her mother, and a servant at home.


    "Ms. Tang, hello!"


    Even though Tang Yun''s expression was unfriendly, Su Chen still greeted her warmly.


    "Xiao Su, the two of you are really too polite."


    Tang Yun didn''t pick up the conversation, but Pei Rou spoke up first:


    "Come on, Xiao Su, take a seat and have some tea first. This is top-notch chrysanthemum tea, very fragrant. Give it a try."


    "Thank you, Auntie."


    Su Chen took a seat on the sofa and casually reached out his hand, touching something next to him.


    "What''s this?"


    He picked it up and asked.


    "These are pictures of our Yun''er. You haven''t seen them before, have you? Let me introduce you!"


    As soon as she mentioned this, Pei Rou immediately became enthusiastic. She took the photo album and sat down next to Su Chen.


    "Mom, that''s my private stuff. How could you show it to him?"


    Tang Yun reached out to snatch the album away.


    "What''s the harm in looking? It''s not like Xiao Su is a stranger!"


    Pei Rou retorted, clearly annoyed.


    "Exactly, it''s not like I''ll lose a piece of flesh just by looking."


    Su Chen also gave Tang Yun a challenging look. To be honest, he was quite interested in Tang Yun''s album.


    "Exactly!"


    Pei Rou muttered and opened the album.


    Seeing her mother and Su Chen studying her photos, Tang Yun huffed and puffed her way upstairs.


    In reality, looking through the album was no big deal; she just didn''t want that bad guy to see it.


    However, the two people on the sofa paid no attention to her.


    "Xiao Su, look, this was taken during our family trip this spring. Don''t you think Yun''er looks really pretty in this dress?"


    Pei Rou said with undeniable pride.


    "Yeah, she does look quite pretty."


    Su Chen nodded. He wasn''t just saying that to be polite.


    Because Tang Yun, dressed in a light ink-green floral dress and dancing among the flowers, indeed looked beautiful and oozed intellectual charm.


    ...


    "Xiao Su, now take a look at this one. This is Yun''er''s graduation photo. Doesn''t she look sunny and a bit green?"


    "Yeah, she does seem a little different from now; she seems more mature."


    "Her figure is better too! Haven''t you noticed, she was slightly chubbier back thenpared to now."


    "That''s quite nice too, cuter back then!"


    "Of course, everything looks good in the eyes of the beholder, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!"


    "......."


    ...


    "Oh, this was taken on her tenth birthday. Look how happy she is smiling, her face smeared all over with cake."


    As Pei Rou introduced the photos to Su Chen, she sighed:


    "Time flies. Yun''er has grown up, and Auntie has gotten older too!"


    "Auntie, you haven''t aged a bit. If I walked out with you, people would definitely think you''re my sister!"


    "Even though I know you''re just ttering me, Auntie still feels very happy about it."


    Pei Rou smiled as she spoke, but there was still a trace of mncholy in her gaze.


    After all, Pei Rou had been considered a great beauty in Yandu in her youth, and nothing is more cruel than a general in his twilight years or a beauty with graying hair.


    "Auntie, do I look like someone who would lie?"


    Before Pei Rou could answer, Su Chen boasted on his own:


    "Definitely not, so everything I say is the absolute truth!"


    At that moment, Tang Yun wasing down from upstairs and overheard Su Chen''s words, her lips curling disdainfully:


    "You don''t look like one because you absolutely are one!"


    "Xiao Su, go ahead and sweet-talk Auntie."


    "How could it be sweet-talk?"


    Su Chen adjusted his position and looked at Pei Rou, asking:


    "Auntie, what do you think is the most important thing for a woman?"

 Chapter 253: The Story of the Photo

    "Appearance?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, Pei Rou thought for a moment and then spoke.


    But Su Chen just shook his head and smiled without saying a word.


    "Figure?"


    Su Chen again smiled as he shook his head.


    Having just walked downstairs, Tang Yun also paused in confusion, not appearance, not figure, then what is the most important thing for a woman?


    "Ability?"


    "Husband?"


    ...


    Pei Rou suggested a few more answers, but Su Chen still shook his head at each one.


    Pei Rou grew even more curious, and so did Tang Yun, who had juste down the stairs.


    Although she pretended not to care, she kept listening to the conversation between her mother and Su Chen.


    "It''s obviously the scent!"


    Su Chen no longer kept them in suspense and casually said:


    "Appearances can be altered, figures can be trained, but scent, that unique scent that cannot be acquired without the cleansings of time."


    "You have already experienced the ups and downs of life, the joys and sorrows, and have reached a Realm where you can leisurely watch the flowers bloom and wither in the courtyard, and the clouds roll and unfold in the sky!"


    "Women of your age are like a subtly exquisite wine, not distinguished at first sip, but after tasting, they provide an endless aftertaste!"


    "And aunty, you are truly the supreme gem among these fine wines!"


    Su Chen nced at Tang Yun nearby and dismissively scoffed:


    "Don''t be fooled by Teacher Tang''s youthful appearance, pretty face, and fine figure. When ites to a woman''s allure, aunty, she is miles behind you¡ªYou are the true epitome of a woman!"


    People always say that ttery is no big feat, but making someone believe it is what really counts!


    With this flood of words from Su Chen, Pei Rou was overjoyed beyond measure, her previous dispiritedness vanishing without a trace.


    Of course, she found herself increasingly fond and pleased with Su Chen as she watched him!


    Not far away, Tang Yun couldn''t help but mutter quietly:


    "You need topliment my mom, but did you have to diss me too? But this guy sure has a way with words. If someoneplimented me like that, I''d be over the moon too. No wonder mom likes this scoundrel so much!"


    "Su, you really know how to sweet-talk girls. But did you sweet-talk our Yun into your arms like this?"


    Pei Rou shot nces at Su Chen and Tang Yun with a suggestive look.


    "......"


    Su Chen had nothing to say and just continued looking through photographs, until his eyes suddenly lit up:


    "Is this Teacher Tang too?"


    "Of course, this is her album, so of course it''s all her in there."


    "I didn''t expect this, Teacher Tang, you even have a nude photo!"


    Su Chen''s eyes widened in admiring astonishment.


    "What?!"


    Tang Yun was startled and hurriedly rushed over.


    Su Chen was on guard and, seeing her charge towards him, slightly raised the album in his hand causing Tang Yun to miss himpletely.


    A miss would have been fine, but because she moved so hastily, she ended up right in Su Chen''s arms!


    "Teacher Tang, what are you doing?"


    Su Chen asked with a puzzled tilt of his head.


    "You jerk!"


    In a burst of embarrassment and urgency, Tang Yun tried to get up quickly, but because she was leaning forward in Su Chen''s embrace, and because Pei Rou had just mopped the marble floor making it still slippery, Tang Yun slipped as she tried to stand, tumbling down again.


    This time her face smacked right into Su Chen''s thigh, an exceptionally awkward situation!


    "Su Chen, you bastard!"


    At this moment, Tang Yun wanted to kill Su Chen, and she was still thinking about those nude photos, which she couldn''t recall ever taking!


    "Su Chen, stop teasing Yun,"


    Pei Rou, seeing the pair joking around, couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Auntie, I''m not teasing her ¡ª it''s true! She''s not wearing anything at all!"


    Su Chen raised the album high above his head, tilting his head to admire the photo:


    "Tsk tsk, this level of exposure...!"


    It took a great effort for Tang Yun to get up, but hearing this, her face darkened again as if about to drip water!


    But she really couldn''t remember when she had taken such photos; this definitely wasn''t something she would do!


    "Give it to me!"


    No sooner had Tang Yun stood up than she lunged to snatch the album, but it was in Su Chen''s hands¡ªhow could she possibly grab it?


    "Yun, don''t listen to Su''s nonsense. It''s just a picture of you as a bare-butt two-year-old,"


    Pei Rou said with a smile.


    Tang Yun was stunned for a moment. She knew the photo; though it was just a picture of her crawling on the ground at two years old, it was still slightly...


    It was fine for family to see it, but how could a stranger like Su Chen see it? And he not only saw it but spoke of it so suggestively, making Tang Yun terribly embarrassed, feeling her face burning hot.


    How could she have forgotten about that photo? If she had remembered, she wouldn''t have let him see the album at all!


    "Miss Tang, I didn''t expect your skin to be so fair and tender back then!"


    As Su Chen spoke, he sneakily nced toward Tang Yun''s back.


    Though Pei Rou didn''t notice Su Chen''s gaze, Tang Yun distinctly felt it targeted at her.


    "Pervert!"


    Tang Yun muttered under her breath, her face burning with shame.


    Su Chen waspletely unconcerned about Tang Yun''s anger, instead beginning to revel in his own amusement, which made Tang Yun even more irritated!


    Pei Rou justughed it off, taking it as a small joke between the two of them.


    "Su Chen,e here, I need to talk to you,"


    After saying this, Tang Yun headed upstairs.


    Su Chen initially didn''t want to go up, but with Pei Rou insistently pushing him, he had no choice but to follow.


    Once upstairs, Tang Yun entered her room, and Su Chen quickly followed her in.


    "Miss Tang, what did you call me here for?"


    As soon as he entered, Su Chen nonchntlyy down on Tang Yun''s bed, noting how surprisingly soft it was!


    Tang Yun didn''t respond but instead went and locked the door from behind, even adding the chain.


    Seeing Tang Yun lock the door, Su Chen suddenly sat up:


    "Miss Tang, what are you trying to do? I''ll have you know I''m pure!"


    Su Chen crossed his arms in front of his chest in a defensive manner:


    "Let me tell you, don''t think about doing anything inappropriate to me!"


    Upon hearing his words, Tang Yun''s face turned even darker, almost spitting out blood!


    Could this guy be any more shameless? She would never do anything inappropriate to him ¡ª she''d sooner kill him!


    "Although I am quite handsome and have a good physique, and my skills in that area aren''t bad either, I''m definitely not that kind of person!"


    Su Chen said with an air of chastity.


    Tang Yun waspletely speechless at Su Chen''s shameless behavior, her face darkened and she said:


    "I have no interest in you!"


    "Ah!"


    Su Chen was momentarily stunned and then patted his chest as though he had narrowly escaped a cmity and said:


    "That''s good, that''s good!"

 Chapter 254: Im Already Married

    "Why did you close the door?"


    "I have something to tell you."


    Tang Yun saw him sitting on her bed, so she dragged a chair over and sat down.


    "What''s up?"


    Su Chen casually asked before lying down on Tang Yun''s bed again.


    "Obviously, it''s about the two of us."


    "What about us? Don''t scare me, there''s nothing wrong between us!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen suddenly sat up again.


    Tang Yun started to feel annoyed seeing him react this way. Are you that afraid of having something to do with me? Am I that terrible?


    Tsk tsk tsk, what am I thinking? It''s as if I want something to happen with him.


    "I''m talking about the misunderstanding our parents have about us, we have to solve it!"


    Tang Yun rolled her eyes.


    Speaking of this, Tang Yun felt a surge of anger with nowhere to vent.


    "How do we solve it? I''ve got no idea."


    Su Chen saidzily, feeling helpless against Tang Yun''s mother.


    "Didn''t you cause this mess? If not you, who will solve it!"


    Tang Yun saw him shrugging it off and immediately got furious.


    "We need to talk about this seriously, how could it be my fault? It was clearly your aunt who misunderstood on her own; what could I do?"


    "If it weren''t for that time at our house, when my mother saw what the room and the couch looked like, would she have misunderstood?"


    "That doesn''t seem to be my fault, though."


    Su Chen said this with a bit of guilt, but he also felt helpless against Pei Rou.


    "I don''t care, we need to solve this now. My dad told me a couple of days ago that my mom is already picking a date."


    "What?! Picking a date?"


    Su Chen sat up sharply from the bed once more. If his previous reactions had contained elements of teasing Tang Yun as a joke, this time he was truly scared out of his wits!


    "What do we do now?"


    Su Chen also panicked. If it were just a misunderstanding by Pei Rou, it would still be manageable, but now that she''s picking dates, things have really escted!


    "How would I know!"


    Tang Yun responded irritably.


    "But I''m already married! What do we do now?"


    Su Chen couldn''t sit still anymore; he stood up, rubbing his hands together, at a loss.


    "You''re married?"


    Tang Yun waspletely stunned, asking numbly.


    For some reason, she suddenly felt as if something was snatched away from her heart.


    "Yes! What do we do now?"


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Pei Rou to act so swiftly; they had only met two or three times, after all!


    "How would I know?"


    At this moment, Tang Yun''s mind was also in a mess, especially after hearing that Su Chen was already married, which made her brain feel tangled in a mess of threads!


    "Why didn''t you say you were married earlier?"


    Tang Yun couldn''t help butin. If he had mentioned it the first time, all this wouldn''t have happened!


    "Firstly, this is my personal matter. You didn''t ask, and I didn''t feel the need to mention it specially. Besides, I''ve only visited two or three times, and I thought I''d find a suitable opportunity to exin everythingter. But I didn''t expect things to develop so quickly, so rapidly!"


    Su Chen also regretted not having mentioned it the first time.


    Back then, he saw Pei Rou was too enthusiastic and too happy, and he didn''t have the heart to spoil her mood. He thought he''d find the opportunity to mention itter, as there was plenty of time.


    But he never expected Pei Rou to be such a decisive person, already picking dates!


    This caught him off guard!


    Tang Yun, upon hearing this, also felt that he made some sense. She hadn''t expected her mother to be so eager and quick about this matter!


    "So what should we do now?"


    Tang Yun red fiercely at Su Chen.


    "How should I know? Maybe I should just tell her that I''m already married."


    Su Chen looked anxiously at Tang Yun and asked.


    "No way!"


    Tang Yun immediately rejected Su Chen''s suggestion, as it could have been manageable had it been the first time.


    If they were to tell her mother now, who knows how much it might shock her, especially since she almostpletely regarded him as her son.


    "Why? It seems like this is the only way now."


    Su Chen asked, puzzled, considering this the quickest and most straightforward solution at the moment.


    "My mother has a heart condition; she just had surgery the year beforest. What if this shocks her into the hospital?"


    Su Chen actually wanted to say, "No worry, I can cure her," but clearly, it wasn''t the right time to say this, or else Tang Yun would kill him!


    "Then what do you suggest we do?"


    Su Chen spread his hands and asked.


    Tang Yun thought for a moment, then said:


    "Hmm, like this, if my mom really brings up marriage, you can say we''re still young and want to wait a couple more years, then I''ll gradually work on her."


    "Alright, we''ll just have to go with that for now then."


    Understanding the situation, Su Chen nced at Tang Yun:


    "Why don''t you say it yourself?"


    "Nonsense, if I say it, my mom is definitely going to scold me! It''s different for you, she wouldn''t feel right scolding you!"


    Tang Yun retorted as if it were obvious.


    "You''re pretty smart,"


    Su Chen muttered, visibly annoyed.


    "Just consider that I owe you a favor, okay?"


    Having resolved a major issue, Tang Yun felt somewhat relieved. However, thinking about Su Chen being married still felt oddly disturbing, and she couldn''t quite exin why.


    "Sure, you''ve got to remember that!"


    A faint sly smile emerged on Su Chen''s lips.


    "Enough, enough, stop nagging!"


    "Little Su, Yun''er, dinner is ready!"


    At that moment, Pei Rou''s voice came from outside the door. Pei Rou was also worried that if she walked in and saw something she shouldn''t, it would be awkward.


    "Oh, got it."


    Tang Yun responded, unlocked the door, and opened it.


    Hearing the sound of the lock and seeing Su Chen lying on the bed, Pei Rou''s expression grew strange.


    From her perspective, with the door locked and Su Chen lying on the bed, what good could they possibly be doing?


    "Hurry ande eat!"


    Pei Rou said sharply, then left.


    Su Chen and Tang Yun saw Pei Rou''s strange expression and felt a bit surprised but didn''t think much of it.


    During dinner, Pei Rou suddenly asked:


    "Little Su, that house you wanted to buy, did you get it?"


    Initially, Pei Rou thought the two wanted to create a private world for themselves, then Su Chen exined that he was looking for a quiet ce to work on something.


    "Not yet."


    These past few days, Su Chen hadn''t really looked into purchasing a house, but this was indeed an urgent matter for him to resolve.


    "Then don''t bother looking anymore. I just remembered, Yun''s cousin has an estate by Jianghai''s north side at Jiangyang Lake. You could check it out and see if it''s suitable."


    Pei Rou had also just recalled this matter, so she took the opportunity to bring it up.

 Chapter 255: Not Feverish

    "Then, thanks to Auntie Pei, may I know the price of the estate? I''ll go and take a look tomorrow, and if it''s suitable, I''ll transfer the money to you!"


    Jiangyang Lake was a ce Su Chen knew of, but he wasn''t aware of an estate there; after all, he seldom went to that area.


    "What''s this talk about money, eh?" Tang Yun said. "Since my cousin isn''t using it, you can just use it temporarily!"


    "How could I do that?"


    "There''s nothing to worry about, we''re all family here. If you bring up money again, I will get angry, you know!"


    Pei Rou deliberately lengthened her face as she spoke.


    "Then, thanks to Auntie Pei."


    Su Chen felt rather helpless about Pei Rou referring to them as family!


    "There''s no need to be polite. Don''t worry, I talked to Cousin Yun over the phone yesterday, and she agreed. You can use it with peace of mind."


    After all, it wasn''t Pei Rou''s property; naturally, she had to speak to the owner first, and although she knew that the other party wouldn''t mind, it still had to be mentioned.


    Although Su Chen didn''t know who Tang Yun''s cousin was, he thought it was quite generous to lend out an estate with just a phone call.


    "Su, are you avable tomorrow afternoon? Why not let Yun apany you to take a look then?"


    "Alright, then thanks, Teacher Tang."


    Su Chen smiled and nced at Tang Yun, who gave him a fierce look in return.


    Throughout the meal, Pei Rou didn''t bring up the matter of setting a date; perhaps she hadn''t decided yet.


    Around 8 p.m., Su Chen was full from the meal and wine and went back home.


    ......


    The next day, just after 1 p.m., Tang Yun drove to the outside of the Grand Epoch Courtplex and then made a call to Su Chen.


    As soon as Su Chen received the call, he immediately ran out and then got into the passenger seat of Tang Yun''s car.


    He had purposefully stayed home that afternoon, waiting for Tang Yun.


    "Why didn''t you drive your own car?"


    Tang Yun frowned slightly in displeasure as he got in.


    "Why would I bother driving when I can ride in a beauty''s car?" Su Chen replied matter-of-factly.


    Upon hearing this, a row of ck lines appeared on Tang Yun''s forehead.


    She then looked around at the rows of upscale vis and asked curiously, "How can a mere driver like you live in such a nice vi?"


    To be honest, when Su Chen told her he lived in the Grand Epoch Court, she thought he was joking! After all, this was one of the best vi areas in the whole of Jianghai, and even Jiangnan!


    Each of these vis were sky-high in price, beyond the imagination of ordinary people!


    "This isn''t mine; it''s my wife''s house!" Su Chen replied, not without a touch of pride.


    "You, you..." When Tang Yun heard this, she looked at him with utter disdain:


    "I didn''t expect you to be that kind of person!"


    "What kind of person am I?" Su Chen asked, feelingpletely confused.


    "You tell me, I am too embarrassed to even say it out loud!"


    Tang Yun''s expression had morphed from disdain to utter disgust, and she shifted as far away from Su Chen as she could, as if he were something repugnant.


    "What''s wrong with me?" Su Chen was genuinely puzzled, wondering what he had done to make her so reluctant to even speak.


    "What''s wrong? Don''t you have any shame? I can''t believe you have the audacity to be so proud of being a kept man!"


    Tang Yun hadpletely lost hope in Su Chen; in her view, Su Chen''s wife must be a wealthy woman, and Su Chen himself was surely trading his body for money.


    After all, he was somewhat handsome and easy on the eyes, so it wasn''t too hard to understand why a rich woman would be attracted to him.


    But this sort of thing was just too disgusting, and it''s a shame she had previously thought of him in a somewhat different light...


    Su Chen was suddenly startled but, upon reflection, he appeared indeed to be the type to live off a woman.


    However, living off a woman like Lin Ruoxue, who was wealthy, attractive, and had a great figure, was not something just anyone could manage.


    This is all thanks to brother''s extraordinary charm; others who want to partake aren''t even qualified!


    However, Tang Yun didn''t see it this way; in her heart, she had already imagined Su Chen''s wife to be one of those wealthy women who were fat and pig-like, and Su Chen as the pretty boy kept by her money.


    Isn''t that how they always depict it in TV dramas?


    "Living off a woman also takes skill, brother, and not just anyone can do it!"


    When Su Chen said this, his expression was filled with pride!


    This made Tang Yun disdain him even more, and she said resentfully,


    "I can''t believe you''re not ashamed to sell your body. I''ve really misjudged you!"


    "Wait a minute, who''s selling their body?"


    Su Chen quickly asked, as it concerned his reputation, and naturally, he needed to clear things up!


    "Marrying a rich wife, isn''t that just trading your body for money and material things? What''s there to deny! Otherwise, how could you live in such a nice vi?"


    "I''d love to trade my body, but the key is that my wife would have to want it!"


    Su Chen shook his head sadly and sighed.


    When Tang Yun heard this, she was stunned. What did he mean by that?


    The wealthy wife married him simply for his body, right?


    "Aren''t you marrying the kind of rich wife depicted on TV¡ªwho''s so fat she loses her shape¡ªjust for the money?"


    Tang Yun asked, puzzled.


    "Miss Tang, have you been watching too many movies and TV shows?"


    Su Chen nced at her speechlessly and proudly said,


    "Who says rich wives are always so fat they look like pigs? My wife is even more beautiful than you and she''s a genuine rich wife indeed!"


    "Keep boasting!"


    Tang Yun sneered dismissively; she was confident in her own looks, not stunning enough to cause the downfall of a city, but certainly a great beauty!


    How could someone even more beautiful and wealthier than herself marry such a scoundrel?


    It simply didn''t make any sense!


    Unless the woman was blind!


    A wealthy woman willing to marry such a bad guy was surely exceptionally ugly!


    That''s why Tang Yun initially thought Su Chen had knelt under someone else''s pomegranate skirt for money...


    "Whatever, if you don''t believe it, that''s your loss!"


    Su Chen shrugged indifferently.


    "I really don''t believe it; show her to me sometime. I want to see for myself if she''s truly more beautiful than me!"


    Tang Yun spat out the words through gritted teeth, not believing a single bit of what Su Chen said.


    "Actually, you don''t need to see her; you''ll know who she is as soon as I say her name."


    Su Chen rolled down the car window and casually lit a cigarette,


    "Not just you, but there isn''t a person in Jiangnan who doesn''t know my wife!"


    "Keep dreaming, you think your wife is Lin Ruoxue, Jiangnan''s number one beauty? Everyone in Jiangnan knows your wife indeed!"


    Tang Yun scoffed, clearly thinking that Su Chen was full of hot air.


    "How did you know?"


    Su Chen suddenly widened his eyes and asked.


    "Know what?"


    Tang Yun waspletely confused by his question, her face nk.


    "Of course, that Lin Ruoxue is my wife!"


    Mentioning his wife, Su Chen couldn''t help but show a smug expression.


    "Huh! What did you say?"


    Tang Yun reached out to touch Su Chen''s forehead,


    "You''re not feverish, so why are you talking nonsense?"


    In Tang Yun''s view, how could a woman as exceptional as Lin Ruoxue marry such a loser?


    She would sooner believe that the sun would rise from the west tomorrow than believe that Lin Ruoxue was the wife of this scoundrel!

 Chapter 256: 256

    Tang Yun had always been quite aloof, and there were only two women in the world who truly earned her respect.


    One was her own cousin, and the other was Lin Ruoxue.


    There''s no need to mention her cousin for now, because that''s a woman beyond description with words.


    And as for Lin Ruoxue, setting aside her beauty that made countless women jealous, just the fact that she had taken the Belle Corporation to a higher level within a mere two or three years was enough tomand respect!


    At this moment, Su Chen, this despicable fellow she had always disliked, was actually iming that Lin Ruoxue was his wife, which made it hard for Tang Yun to believe.


    "If you don''t believe it, forget it. Let''s go!"


    Su Chen said nonchntly. He indeed was very eager to go see if that estate was suitable!


    "Are you serious?"


    If Su Chen insisted that Lin Ruoxue was his wife, Tang Yun would tend to disbelieve him further, thinking he was engaging in wild fantasies and daydreams.


    However, Su Chen''s indifferent attitude now made her hesitate a bit.


    "Of course, it''s true. Didn''t you just see me walking out of that vi?"


    Su Chen pointed to the residence he shared with Lin Ruoxue and said:


    "You can ask around if you don''t believe it and see if that vi belongs to Lin Ruoxue."


    With his words, it was essentially confirmed that Lin Ruoxue really was his wife!


    He would never make such a im if she wasn''t.


    Of course, Tang Yun thought this on the premise that she knew Su Chen had a wife, so naturally, if the house he had just exited was indeed Lin Ruoxue''s, it would be natural to assume Lin Ruoxue was his wife.


    Unlike Tang Yun, Du Hanshuang was unaware that Su Chen was married, so even knowing he and Lin Ruoxue lived together, she would at most suspect their rtionship was unusual, never guessing they could be a married couple, or otherwise, she would have already told her sister the explosive news.


    For a while, Tang Yun looked at Su Chen''s face, not quite knowing what to say.


    Lin Ruoxue, his wife? That was too incredible!


    Even though Lin Ruoxue could be considered a wealthydy, she waspletely different from the kind of wealthy woman she had imagined! That kind of woman was every man''s dream!


    Just like he said, that ''soft rice'' truly wasn''t something just anyone could eat!


    "Let''s go, hurry up and take a look at your cousin''s estate."


    Seeing herpletely dazed, Su Chen couldn''t help but remind her.


    "Oh, okay."


    Tang Yun stepped on the elerator absent-mindedly, her mind still in a daze.


    It took a long drive before her mind gradually cleared, during which she nearly rear-ended several times.


    She could only me the shock of the information she had just received for being too great, and she couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen several times, unable to believe it could be true!


    After driving for about forty minutes, they finally arrived near Jiangyang Lake.


    After getting out of the car and walking for a while, they saw an estate that looked very impressive from the outside, standing tall.


    Around the estate, there were only a few sporadic houses that didn''t seem like formal homes but more like temporary resting ces built by fishermen.


    "That estate over there belongs to my cousin,"


    Tang Yun said, extending a delicate finger to point at the estate ahead.


    "Is your cousin from Jianghai? Why does she have an estate here?"


    Su Chen was quite surprised. Why would anyone think of building an estate here?


    Because it was a solitary estate, it obviously wasn''t built by a developer.


    "My cousin is from Yandu. I''ve heard her talk about this estate; she won it in a bet," Tang Yun replied.


    From where they currently were, there was a small slope around 500 meters long they needed to climb to get to the estate, which was also built to facilitate drainage nearby.


    "Huh, won in a bet?"


    Su Chen was slightly stunned when he heard Tang Yun''s words, because the cost of building this mansion was definitely not cheap, at least twenty to thirty million yuan.


    And that such a mansion was won by Tang Yun''s cousin through a bet, he had never considered that possibility.


    For a moment, Su Chen was filled with curiosity about Tang Yun''s cousin...


    "What happened? Tell me about it."


    "I''m not very clear about the specifics, it was just something she mentioned in passing before."


    As Tang Yun climbed upwards, she couldn''t help but exim with admiration:


    "My cousin is truly a remarkable woman. I have never seen anyone like her, although she..."


    "Although she what?"


    Su Chen, seeing her hesitate to continue, asked with curiosity.


    "It''s nothing."


    Tang Yun obviously did not want to tell Su Chen too much about her cousin.


    Seeing that she did not wish to borate, Su Chen did not press further, but he made a mental note of this woman he had never met.


    Soon, the two reached the entrance of the mansion at the top of the slope, right opposite to the onlyke near Jianghai¡ªJiangyang Lake.


    Standing at the mansion''s entrance, they immediately felt the refreshing breeze and the fresh air.


    What surprised him the most was that he found the True Yuan here was much denser than in ordinary ces!


    He thought to himself that if he cultivated here, he would definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort!


    Su Chen guessed that this might be because the ce was close to theke.


    As Su Chen nced into the mansion, he felt that every part of it exuded extraordinariness.


    Not to mention the exquisite materials used, just looking at its feng shui, it was an exceptionally auspicious spot.


    Although his understanding of feng shui was limited, he knew that this was a ce in the true sense of "gathering wind and harboring qi"!


    It seemed that the original owner who built this mansion was not an ordinary person either!


    "Come in!"


    Tang Yun, without the depth of Su Chen''s insights, took out the keys, opened the door, and called Su Chen toe in.


    Upon entering the courtyard, the first thing that caught their eyes was the grassywn, with a narrow path in the middle for walking.


    After winding down the twisting path, they arrived in front of the main building of the mansion, which had red brick walls and flying eaves carved at the top, giving it an ancient and ssic vor.


    Then Tang Yun took Su Chen on a brief tour of the rooms including the basement. Su Chen was indifferent to them, simply taking a casual look around.


    "What do you think? Are you satisfied?"


    After more than half an hour, they walked out of the hall, and Tang Yun asked casually.


    "Satisfied, extremely satisfied!"


    Su Chen said, delighted:


    "Please pass my thanks to your cousin. Tell her I''m very grateful, and if there''s anything I can help her with in the future, just let me know."


    Indeed, from all aspects, the mansion was very suitable for his cultivation, especially since the True Yuan here was incredibly dense, which pleasantly surprised him!


    "Perhaps she might actually need your help in the future."


    Tang Yun said something that seemed to have a deeper meaning, as if alluding to something.


    "No problem!"


    Su Chen replied with a generous wave of his hand, for after all, she had lent him such a wonderful ce; helping out was the least he could do.


    However, at this moment, Su Chen would never have thought that such a small favor would lead to many events in the days that followed; events that were unimaginable at present.


    If one were to look back from a future point in time, many of these events might find their origin in this very mansion and that small promise...

 Chapter 257: Everyone Says Its Good After Using It

    Su Chen and Tang Yun briefly lingered, took a look around the environment, and then left.


    On the way back, Su Chen happened to receive a call from Xiao Yaning. Xiao Yaning had actually contacted him the previous day to ask him to apany her to awyer''s office, concerning the matters about Xiao Dingguo''s will.


    So Su Chen had Tang Yun drop him off at thewyer''s office Xiao Yaning had mentioned.


    Just as Su Chen got off in front of the building where thew office was located, Xiao Yaning happily greeted him.


    "You''re here!"


    "Yeah!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly. After not seeing her for so many days, it was quite heartwarming to meet again.


    "Lawyer He has been waiting, let''s go in."


    "Okay!"


    "Su Chen, where have you been these past days? Tell me the truth!"


    "Didn''t I tell you? On a business trip!"


    "A business trip that requires turning off your phone? You must be joking!"


    "My phone fell into the water and broke."


    "Really?"


    "Really! Why do you sound like my wife, asking all these questions!"


    "Tch, who''s your wife! Shameless!"


    .....


    Sitting in the car, Tang Yun saw that shameless guy being intimate with a woman whose looks and figure were not inferior to her own, and a hint of coldness shed in her eyes.


    "This jerk, having a wife like Lin Ruoxue and still fooling around!"


    "Besides, what''s so great about him? Have these women gone blind? How could they fall for him!"


    Although Tang Yun was sitting inside the car, she could tell, just from a woman''s intuition, that the beautiful woman definitely fancied that jerk!


    "Bang!"


    "Beep~~~"


    Tang Yun couldn''t hold her anger, mmed her hand down on the steering wheel, and hit the horn, emitting a long honk.


    Su Chen and Xiao Yaning, who had just walked to the building entrance, were startled by the honk behind them and couldn''t help but look back.


    "Who just drove you here, is she crazy, honking in the middle of the parking lot?"


    "Ignore her, she must be going through menopause, hormonal imbnce probably!"


    Su Chen nced back and then turned to Xiao Yaning, curling his lips.


    "Yeah, I think so too!"


    Laughing, the two of them entered the building.


    Tang Yun, filled with indignation, turned around and left¡­


    ....


    Su Chen and Xiao Yaning took the elevator directly to the 10th floor because thewyer''s office Xiao Yaning was visiting was located there.


    Xiao Yaning led Su Chen to a very private room, where three people were already seated, including awyer and two notaries.


    "Ms. Xiao, good day. And this gentleman is¡­"


    Lawyer He nced at Su Chen and asked.


    "My friend, apanying me here."


    Lawyer He nodded at Su Chen, then said:


    "Let''s get started then."


    "Alright."


    After a quick verification of documents, Lawyer He began to read Xiao Dingguo''s will.


    Originally, Xiao Yaning had not intended toe, but she figured since he had raised her for so many years, she might as well make the visit.


    However, as Xiao Yaning listened to the entire content of the will, she was somewhat dumbfounded.


    It turned out, Xiao Dingguo had left all of his movable and immovable properties and shares in severalpanies to Xiao Yaning!


    Most importantly, the date Xiao Dingguo made the will was after Xiao Yaning had publicly disowned him.


    This left Xiao Yaning feeling extremely conflicted; she couldn''t understand why Xiao Dingguo would leave everything to her.


    She didn''t know if it was because Xiao Dingguo really had no other rtives, or if he still felt a fatherly affection toward her.


    By the time they stepped out of the building, Xiao Yaning''s mind was still in a haze.


    "Su Chen, why do you think he did this?"


    Xiao Yaning felt her mind had turned to mush and could only hope that Su Chen could give her an answer.


    "I think, although he was selfish, he always had some feelings for you. After all, having been together for over twenty years, it''s hard for people to bepletely heartless!"


    Su Chen had not expected Xiao Dingguo to make such arrangements, which left him somewhat sighing.


    "Yaning, you''ve be a little richdy now, how do you n to spend the money? How about maintaining me?"


    Seeing her mood wasn''t great, Su Chen joked on purpose.


    "Maintain you? Is it expensive?"


    "Not expensive at all. I assure you it''s a bargain. You can try me out, and if you''re not satisfied within seven days, you can return it. What do you say? Miss Wealthy, Xiao, consider it?"


    Su Chen cheekily blinked and said:


    "Not to boast, but with someone like me, suitable for both the hall and the kitchen, and definitely the bedroom, everyone who has tried, approves!"


    "Pfft!"


    Yaning burst outughing at his words, tilting her head as she looked at him:


    "Really?"


    "Of course it''s true. I''m offering you an annual package at a 20% discount right now, and there''s a discount for renewals if you''re satisfied!"


    "Why do I feel like you sound like those guys selling miracle cures on the bridge?"


    Yaning''s mood had quite improved with his teasing.


    "Su Chen, no jokes, how do you think I should spend this money?"


    "What are you nning?"


    "I''m thinking of investing most of it in Ye Mei''spany as she''s short on funds right now, and I want to donate some to the orphanage. After all, my mom adopted me from there; it''s kind of like giving back."


    Yaning, although somewhat vague about her feelings towards Xiao Dingguo, still held deep affection for his wife, since that woman had provided most of the nurturing in her life!


    "Good, that sounds like a great n. I''ll join you in a few days to visit the orphanage."


    Because Jianghai was essentially an orphanage, there was no need to inquire which one it was.


    "Thanks, Su Chen!"


    Yaning said sincerely.


    "Why so formal? We''re friends after all!"


    "Yeah!"


    .....


    Meanwhile, at the old Yun Family mansion in Jianghai.


    Yunyao was busy at a table in the living room, with a man in his fifties by his side who looked like an ordinary middle-aged person. Naturally, he was the father of Yunyao and Yunlong, and the Family Head of the Yun Family, Yun Shiqing.


    The two were writing something and discussing,ughing and talking, portraying a harmonious scene.


    "Yo, old man, you''ve gotten busy too!"


    At that moment, a young man sauntered in, wearing a leather jacket and whistling softly.


    "I''ve been telling you to help out. Where on earth have you been loafing around?"


    Yunyao, seeing Yunlong''s demeanor, furrowed his brow and huffed coldly.


    "Of course I have my own matters to attend to, isn''t the old man helping out?"


    Yunlong sat down and picked up a cup from the table, drinking from it without a care whose it was.


    "Yunlong, how many times have I told you not to use my cup!"


    "Sis, why be so stingy?"


    Yunlong said brashly, thenid his head on the table:


    "So, how about it? Is the charity event attendee list finalized yet, or do you need my help?"


    "Almost done. By the time you help, the preserved veggies would have cooled."


    Yunyao rolled her eyes in annoyance.


    Yun Shiqing, watching the siblings bicker, smiled faintly but did not interrupt.


    In suchrge families, it was rare to see siblings get along as well as they did.


    This was something Yun Shiqing took great pride in.


    "Where''s the invitation for my big brother? I''m taking it to him tomorrow!"


    Suddenly, Yunlong said, then started rummaging through a pile of invitations on the table:


    "Where is it? Sis, help me look for it."


    "Stop rummaging. I didn''t write one."


    Yunyao nced at Yunlong somewhat guiltily.


    "What?!"


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong immediately exploded...

 Chapter 258: 18-year-old Instructor

    "What, you didn''t even send an invitation to my elder brother?"


    Yunlong''splexion immediately darkened:


    "Yunyao, give me an exnation!"


    "Yunlong, is that how you speak to your sister?"


    Yun Shiqing, who was standing beside, also harrumphed, as he had heard about Yunlong''s elder brother.


    Last time, because of this elder brother, thed actually gave up so much in benefits to cooperate with the Belle Group, which had indeed sparked quite a controversy within Yun Corporation at the time.


    Afterwards, Yun Shiqing had asked why, and thed had said that the man was his formermanding officer in the military, had taught him a lot, and had even saved his life, so he was the person he respected the most.


    Once Yun Shiqing heard that it was his son''s lifesaver, he didn''t say anything further, forcefully suppressing the opposing views; after all, whenpared to his son''s life, those benefits seemed trifling.


    However, Yun Shiqing was indeed curious about his son''s statement that this person was the one he respected the most. They say no one knows a son better than his father, and he knew just how proud his own son was, always wanting an opportunity to meet the man.


    At the same time, he also found it strange that Yunyao, knowing the man was Yunlong''s elder brother, could have forgotten the invitation.


    After all, the charity event was mainly being managed by his daughter, and naturally, the details of the invitations were her responsibility; he would onlye to lend a hand when he was a little free.


    "Sorry, sis, I was too impulsive just now, but you have to give me a reason for this."


    Yunlong had apologized for his remarks just now, but he still insisted on an exnation, and his expression was very serious, which was quite rare for the often frivolous Yunlong!


    "This, Yunlong, there may have been a small friction between your sister and himst time, and he might have some issues with me," Yunyao stuttered, having not informed the family of the incident at the Kale Building; thus, they were still unaware.


    "What? You had a friction with elder brother? You better tell me right now, what exactly happened?"


    Yunlong''s eyes burned with intensity as he stared at Yunyao, his face incredibly tense.


    Yunyao had thought the matter was no big deal, but seeing her brother like this, she couldn''t help feeling nervous.


    Then, Yunyao gave a detailed ount of the incident where Su Chen had viciously humiliated Mrs. Wu at the Kale Building, along with her own attitude during the event.


    After Yunyao finished recounting the events of that day, Yun Shiqing waspletely stunned!


    Yunlong''s elder brother had brazenly humiliated Mrs. Wu of the Wu Family in front of a public gathering; such audacity!


    Keep in mind, the Wu Family is the head of the Four Great Families of Jiangnan!


    Is Yunlong''s elder brother seeking death?


    "So what about now? Is Yunlong''s elder brother still alright? Did the Wu Family not seek revenge?"


    Yun Shiqing was all too familiar with the two women of the Wu Family, Mrs. Wu and the Old Madame Wu; they were absolutely the type to hold grudges and would not let Yunlong''s elder brother off the hook.


    "Humph, revenge, as if they, the Wu Family, are even worthy!"


    Yunlong could not hold back and mmed his fist on the table,menting:


    "Sis, what am I to say about you, you''re being so naive!"


    "That is the Wu Family, after all. I can''t just offend them for no reason just because he''s your elder brother."


    Yunyao had her own perspective on this matter all along.


    Yun Shiqing, hearing his daughter''s words, nodded in agreement, apparently approving of Yunyao''s stance.


    "Sis, it seems you still don''t trust your brother, huh."


    Yunlong shook his head and sighed:


    "I''ve told you before, in my elder brother''s eyes, the Wu Family is nothing but a fart!"


    "You think I wanted you to cultivate a good rtionship with my elder brother just because he was my formermander? More importantly, it is for the sake of our Yun Family!"


    Upon hearing his son''s words, Yun Shiqing was suddenly taken aback; it was the first time he had heard his son speak so disparagingly of the Wu Family.


    What kind of person was his elder brother, capable of making his son speak in such terms?


    Yunyao had always been skeptical of Yunlong''s words, so she never ryed to her father what she considered to be her brother''s somewhat insane ramblings.


    However, as the Family Head of the Yun Family, Yun Shiqing''s astuteness was not something Yunyao could match; he immediately sensed the extraordinary information hidden behind his son''s words.


    "Yunlong, who exactly is your elder brother? What makes you so confident in him?"


    Yun Shiqing asked with a stern face, sensing that this might be a matter of great significance for the Yun Family!


    "Alright, today I''ll give you a little insight to prevent certain individuals from being so presumptuous!"


    Yunlong paused for a moment and then nced at Yunyao, speaking with some dissatisfaction.


    Embarrassed, Yunyao perked up her ears; she too was curious to know why her brother was so blindly confident in that fellow.


    "Firstly, what I''m about to tell you today is top secret. If it gets leaked, our Yun Family is definitely headed for a disaster!"


    Yunlong looked at his father and sister, saying solemnly.


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao were both startled by Yunlong''s first statement and nodded unconsciously, their hearts instantly racing.


    "Alright, tell us, your sister and I will absolutely keep it secret!"


    Yun Shiqing spoke earnestly; he could tell his son was not joking.


    "Dad, sister, you both remember that I once served as an ace special forces soldier in the military district, right?"


    "Yes, I remember, Dad has always been proud of you for that!"


    Indeed, it was quite an aplishment for Yunlong, who had been nurtured and pampered since childhood, to achieve such a feat!


    "I remember too, but brother, what about it?"


    "There is one thing you don''t know, and that is that there once was a selectionpetition for ace special forces soldiers across the whole of Huaxia. That is to say, we were to select the ace of aces from all of Huaxia''s ace special forces soldiers!"


    "I was selected after undergoing inhumanly rigorous training, and we, the chosen aces, were sent to a base for two months of devil-like training and a month of hellish real-world exercises!"


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao were somewhat taken aback; they had never heard Yunlong mention this before.


    "Son, you are truly remarkable!"


    "Brother, well done!"


    The two of them eximed almost in unison, knowing without having to think that thepetition to be the ace of aces must have been extremely fierce and brutal!


    Those selected were certainly Huaxia''s finest soldiers!


    Of course, this was something worth their admiration!


    "Dad, sister, do you know who the instructor was for us, the aces among the ace special forces soldiers?"


    Yunlong suddenly looked at Yun Shiqing and Yunyao and asked.


    "Who was it?"


    Yunyao blurted out.


    "Yunlong, you''re not going to tell me that instructor was your elder brother, are you?"


    With a sh of insight, Yun Shiqing looked at Yunlong incredulously.


    "That''s right, it was him!"


    Yunlong said with a face full of glory.


    "But how old was he at that time? How could he possibly be the instructor for you aces among aces?"


    Yunyao couldn''t believe it, that seemingly unremarkable young man had such a status.


    "18 years old!"


    Yunlong revealed a number thatpletely stunned Yun Shiqing and his daughter!

 Chapter 259: Characters Who Reach the Sky

    When Yunlong mentioned "18 years old," Yun Shiqing and his daughter werepletely stunned!


    18 years old, an instructor to the ace of aces in special forces!


    How could this sound like a myth?


    18 years old was typically the age when most kids would have just graduated from high school, and he could already...


    How did he manage that?


    "For such a young man, would you, the elite of the elites in special forces, ept him?"


    Yun Shiqing, although he had never been in the military, knew that people in the military were usually very proud.


    Especially since these were the most outstanding soldiers in all of Huaxia!


    "At first, naturally, they wouldn''t ept him, but after sparring with him, they werepletely convinced," Yunlong recalled.


    "Why?"


    "Why?"


    Yunlong thought back to those days, shook his head with a wry smile, and sighed,


    "The boss stood still with both feet nted on the ground, and with just one hand, he defeated all of us!"


    "What?!"


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao were dumbfounded again. Standing still with both feet, using just one hand?


    What kind of monster was this?


    Even dealing with dozens of ordinary people like that would have been impressive, let alone the fact they were all among the ace of aces of special forces!


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao knew all too well just how terrifying these people''s skills were!


    However, what Yunlong said next shocked them even more!


    All they heard Yunlong, with a sigh of emotion, saying,


    "And moreover, the boss only took three minutes throughout the entire process, andter, we found out he was actually holding back his true strength."


    Three minutes? And he was holding back?


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao werepletely speechless! Was this even human?


    If it were anyone else saying this, they would never believe it and would certainly retort, "Could you die from not bragging?"


    However, the one speaking now was Yunlong, and the seriousness of the situation forced them to believe him.


    Especially Yunyao, who could never reconcile the rogue who first met her by touching her thigh with the god-like figure her brother described.


    Yunlong seemed to have anticipated his father''s and sister''s reactions and continued in recollection,


    "You can''t even imagine what the following months were like for us. But due to confidentiality, I can''t divulge the specifics of our training to you. However, I can tell you that it was truly torturous, squeezing out every bit of a person''s potential every minute, every second!"


    "The thing the boss said the most was ¡ª ''Don''t think of yourself too much as a human!''"


    Though Yunlong didn''t go into specifics, Yun Shiqing and Yunyao could still sense the extreme pain and torment from between the lines of Yunlong''s words.


    And the person who could say "Don''t think of yourself too much as a human" must have a heart of steel!


    What they didn''t know was that Su Chen was even tougher on himself, and by a wide margin!


    "In thest month, we followed the boss across half the Earth, aplished many significant tasks, and even caused international shockwaves! Of course, I still can''t tell you the specifics."


    Yunlong was, after all, a soldier, and he maintained his military integrity.


    "I understand," said Yun Shiqing, nodding his head.


    Yunyao also looked at her brother with a face full of astonishment, realizing all of a sudden that she might not know enough about her brother, not nearly enough!


    Perhaps, he was far more outstanding than she could have ever imagined!


    "Is this why you trust your boss so much, is he the reason you respect your ''big brother'' that much?" Yun Shiqing asked.


    "Of course, it''s not just that, Father. Remember when you were not feeling well for a while and I came back from the military?"


    "Yes, I remember."


    "Aftering back, I still missed my boss and was always a bit curious about his real identity, so I asked a friend at the provincial office to look into it. Do you know what he found?"


    "What exactly is his identity?"


    Yun Shiqing''s heart suddenly clenched, his eyes intently fixed on his son, feeling that what he was about to say might reveal a significant matter.


    Yunyao''s eyes also widened with curiosity, as she too wondered about the true nature of Yunlong''s older brother!


    However, Yunlong shook his head and said:


    "I don''t know, the document showed it was ''six-star top secret''. Do you understand what six-star top secret means? It''s the highest level of military confidentiality!"


    Yunlong nced at his father and sister, who werepletely dumbfounded, and continued:


    "And that''s not even the most astonishing part. Do you know what happened next?"


    "What?"


    Yun Shiqing, his throat dry, asked. The six-star top secret status was shocking enough, but his son suggested even more astonishing revtions!


    It was something Yun Shiqing could hardly imagine!


    Yunyao''s reaction was even more foolish than Yun Shiqing''s; she simply stared nkly at her younger brother.


    "Just after my friend saw the six-star top secret document, his phone rang. Do you know who called?"


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao, after hearing Yunlong''s question, shook their heads nkly, feeling utterly overwhelmed.


    "The Special Security Bureau!"


    Yunlong uttered the three words softly.


    Upon hearing the words Special Security Bureau, Yun Shiqing couldn''t help but shiver involuntarily.


    Being the head of the Yun Family, he was naturally very aware of what kind of entity the Special Security Bureau was.


    The shock he felt this time was far more intense than before!


    Even though Yunlong''s older brother''s status involved the highest level of military secrecy, Yunlong''s friend hadn''t actually seen any information. Logically, this shouldn''t have rmed the Special Security Bureau, especially since he was just a police officer.


    "However, what my friend didn''t expect was that, one hourter, the director of the Special Security Bureau personally took a dedicated flight over, found my friend, and conducted a detailed interrogation!"


    Yunlong dropped the biggest bombshell, leaving Yun Shiqing and Yunyao utterly stunned!


    They couldn''t believe that just for checking someone''s identity¡ªwithout even essing any actual data¡ªthe director of the Special Security Bureau would personally rush over to interrogate.


    What did this imply?


    They didn''t need to think to realize, it could only mean that the person Yunlong''s friend tried to look up held an immensely high and influential status!


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao just sat there, staring nkly at Yunlong, their minds wiped nk!


    The information and implications behind what Yunlong had just revealed were astonishing!


    After who knows how long, they finally regained someposure.


    They now understood why Yunlong had previously insisted that they must keep everything strictly confidential!


    Yes, if the information Yunlong shared today were to leak from their mouths, it could spell disaster for the Yun Family!


    "Yunlong, you did the right thing! Even if he is not your brother, we absolutely must support such a person resolutely!"


    Yun Shiqing nodded emphatically.


    "Brother, I was wrong about that matter, I''ll write his invitation personally and deliver it myself!"


    After hearing her brother''s exnation, Yunyao also realized the grave mistake she had made.


    Compared to such a figure, what is the Wu Family?


    "Dad, Sis, I hope our family can form a good rtionship with Big Brother, partly because of personal affection, and partly because it''s genuinely in the Yun Family''s best interest!"


    "Yunlong, your sister and I now understand your intentions, rest assured, such a situation won''t happen again!"


    Yun Shiqing looked at his son earnestly as he spoke, simultaneously making a silent decision in his heart.

 Chapter 260: Su Chens Big Move

    Regarding the incidents at the Yun Family, Su Chen naturally didn''t know. He and Xiao Yaning had just been chatting at the entrance of the building when Ye Mei called to hurry Xiao Yaning back, iming there was some urgent matter to discuss.


    Initially, Su Chen had nned for Xiao Yaning to give him a ride, but now he had to take a cab back home.


    Once he arrived home, he found Lin Ruoxue sitting cross-legged on the sofa, eating muskmelon and flipping through a fashion magazine.


    "Oh, honey, you finished your errands so quickly?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    Although it was Sunday, as a president Lin Ruoxue was still busy. She had gone out to talk business right after lunch.


    "From the sound of it, it seems like you didn''t want me toe back?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced sideways at Su Chen with a slight frown.


    "How could that be?"


    Su Chen grinned and sat down next to Lin Ruoxue, casually stretching out an arm around her fragrant shoulders:


    "I could never get enough of you every day. How could I not want you back?"


    "Behave yourself!"


    Lin Ruoxue watched as his hands started wandering again and lightly pped them away.


    "Honey, is the muskmelon sweet?"


    Su Chen chuckled sheepishly, trying to make small talk.


    "Of course it''s sweet, why?"


    Lin Ruoxue continued to read her magazine, without even lifting her head as she spoke.


    "Could you feed me a piece, please?"


    Su Chen edged closer to Lin Ruoxue.


    "There''s some on the coffee table. No one''s stopping you from eating!"


    Seeing hime closer, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but shift to the side.


    "Honey, would you feed me a piece, please?"


    Su Chen looked pleadingly at Lin Ruoxue with a cheeky expression.


    "Don''t you have hands?"


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes at Su Chen''s request, thinking, feed you like a baby?


    "It''s different when you feed me. It definitely tastes better with you."


    Su Chen always enjoyed teasing his usually aloof wife, who had already thawed quite a bitpared to her earlier frosty self, though she was still rather cool.


    "No way, if you want some, eat it yourself, or forget it!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat out bluntly, far from indulging in such flirtatious acts.


    It must be said that Lin Ruoxue alwayscked a bit of yfulness in how she interacted with the opposite sex.


    "Are you really not going to feed me?"


    Su Chen gazed at Lin Ruoxue''s stunning face, a mischievous smile forming at the corner of his mouth.


    "Absolutely not!"


    Though Su Chen''s smile made Lin Ruoxue''s heart flutter, she still refused without hesitation.


    "Then don''t me me for using my ultimate move, hehehe~~~"


    As Su Chen spoke, he chuckled ominously and suddenly pounced on Lin Ruoxue, reaching out with his yful hands.


    "Su Chen, stop it!"


    "No~~~, Su Chen!"


    ...


    "Honey, please, stop it!


    "Ahhh~~~, I can''t take it anymore!"


    "Honey, please, stop!"


    "I''m tickled to death, no more~"


    "Good husband, dear husband, handsome husband, please!"


    "Husband, is that okay now?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice was even tinged with a hint of crying...


    "That''s more like it!"


    Su Chen resettled on the sofa with a smug look, his legs crossed like an old grandee!


    Since discovering two days ago that Lin Ruoxue was extremely ticklish, he had acquired a new method to handle his icy wife.


    It was his first time employing it, and the result was better than expected. Hadn''t he heard her spew out mushy titles like "good husband, dear husband, handsome husband"?


    In the past, that would have been inconceivable!


    After sitting up, Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen''s smug expression, feeling utterly wronged, just like a bullied young wife!


    "Hurry up, husband is waiting!"


    Su Chen carelessly leaned back on the sofa, hands draped over each side.


    Seeing him like this made Lin Ruoxue want to bite him, but fearing another round of his teasing, she endured and then extended her slender hand to pick up a piece of cantaloupe and held it up in front of Su Chen.


    "What''s with your attitude?"


    Su Chen grunted and said,


    "Is that how you feed someone?"


    Lin Ruoxue was infuriated, that bastard was pushing his luck even further!


    But feeling helpless as this bastard had her weak spot, she could only suppress her anger and push the cantaloupe closer to his mouth.


    However, even as Lin Ruoxue''s hand grew tired from holding it up, Su Chen still hadn''t opened his mouth.


    "You jerk, are you going to eat it or not?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t hold back any longer and scolded, her face filled with frost!


    "Wow, seems like someone''s quite opinionated?!"


    Su Chen gave a sideways nce at Lin Ruoxue''s waist, making a teasing remark.


    The moment Su Chen looked toward her waist, Lin Ruoxue shivered, her demeanor immediately deted because she was most ticklish there!


    "What exactly do you want?"


    Lin Ruoxue was on the verge of crying, feeling that her husband was truly incorrigible!


    "Of course, it''s to provideprehensive service."


    Su Chen replied somewhat irritably:


    "Forget it, let me feed you instead!"


    As he said this, Su Chen took the fork with cantaloupe from Lin Ruoxue''s hand, held it up to her face with one hand, and waited below with the other, his face full of appeasement:


    "Wife, this melon is very sweet, try it,e on, open up!"


    "See, this is how it should be done. Was that so hard?"


    Listening to Su Chen''s cheesy words, Lin Ruoxue involuntarily shuddered!


    "I can''t do this!"


    Just hearing it was unbearable for Lin Ruoxue, let alone doing it herself!


    "Really?"


    Su Chen drawled out his words intentionally, his gaze once again settling on Lin Ruoxue''s waist.


    "You''re shameless!"


    "If I''m shameless, then so be it!"


    "You jerk!"


    "If I''m a jerk, then so be it!"


    Su Chenpletely disregarded Lin Ruoxue''s berating, acting as if it were praise!


    Lin Ruoxue was at her wits'' end with this shameless husband!


    After hesitating for a long time, Lin Ruoxue finally slowly lifted the piece of cantaloupe to Su Chen''s mouth, mimicking him and said:


    "Husband, this melon is very sweet, have a taste,e on, open up!"


    After saying this, Lin Ruoxue''s entire face blushed, feeling a bit heated.


    It was only then that Su Chen leisurely opened his mouth. Lin Ruoxue quickly shoved the cantaloupe into it, then slipped on her shoes and dashed upstairs.


    Su Chen, watching Lin Ruoxue''s graceful departure, was secretly pleased with himself, thinking that training his icy wife was still very promising!


    However, he still felt the burden of a long road ahead. Yes, he would have to continue to work hard!


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue burst upstairs, she went directly into her room, shut the door, and threw herself onto the bed, pulling the quilt over her face!


    "Jerk, shameless, rogue, scoundrel..."


    For a moment, Lin Ruoxue cursed with all the derogatory terms for a bad person she could think of. She touched her face again, feeling it still burning hot...

 Chapter 261 - 261 Qi Refinement Seventh Layer Realm

    Lin Ruoxue''s anger at Su Chen hadn''t subsided by dinner time, and as she ate, she was still ring at him viciously.


    Since Mrs. Wang hadn''t been home that afternoon, she had no idea what had happened.


    Now, watching this scene, she was a bit puzzled; the two of them had been fine at lunch, so what could have gone wrong since then?


    "Mrs. Wang, where did you buy that cantaloupe?"


    Su Chen suddenly asked Mrs. Wang.


    "What''s the matter, son-inw? Is there any problem?"


    "I just think it''s delicious!"


    Su Chen said, giving Lin Ruoxue a meaningful nce.


    Seeing him bringing up the cantaloupe again, Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes instantly shot out two sharp arrows, aiming straight at Su Chen!


    "Oh, is that so? I just bought it at the fruit shop next to the neighborhood. If you think it''s delicious, son-inw, I''ll buy a couple more next time," Mrs. Wang said with a cheerful smile.


    "No need, Mrs. Wang, don''t ever buy cantaloupe again," Lin Ruoxue spat out viciously.


    "Eh, Miss, aren''t you the one who likes cantaloupe the most?" Mrs. Wang asked in slight astonishment.


    "Pfft!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but burst outughing upon hearing Mrs. Wang''s words.


    "What are youughing at!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with some indignation, then dered,


    "I will never eat cantaloupe again!"


    "How can that be?"


    Su Chen said earnestly as he tried to persuade her,


    "Wife, cantaloupe not only quenches thirst, relieves anxiety, and beautifies the skin, but most importantly, it can make ''that'' fuller!"


    As he said ''that'', Su Chen couldn''t help but nce at Lin Ruoxue''s majestic area.


    "Pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue cursed in a whisper, keeping her voice very low because Mrs. Wang was there.


    Su Chen chuckled and continued to bury his head in his meal.


    After a while, he looked up and said,


    "Wife, I won''t be going to the corporation for the next couple of days; I''ve got some business to take care of."


    "You''re going out again?"


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue heard that Su Chen was going out again, she immediately became anxious.


    Any little annoyance she had just dissipated on the spot.


    "Didn''t you juste back?"


    Lin Ruoxue still vividly remembered the shocking wounds on his body when he had returned a few days ago!


    "Don''t worry, there''s absolutely no danger this time, it''s just some minor things to handle."


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue to react so strongly and immediately understood why she was so concerned.


    After all, she was worried about him, it seemed the impact of his injuryst time was quite significant for Lin Ruoxue.


    Thinking of this, Su Chen revealed a gentle smile:


    "Wife, don''t worry, there''s no danger this time, I promise. If worstes to worst, I''ll strip down for you to check when I get back!"


    "Who wants to check!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face reddened slightly as she retorted, although she did feel a bit more at ease at the moment.


    In fact, Su Chen wasn''t nning on doing anything else but wished to cultivate in the manor for two days, hoping to break through to Qi Refinement''s Seventh Layer Realm!


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s face switch from angry to anxious, Wang Ma couldn''t help butment, "The world of young people is tooplicated..."


    .....


    Because he had to go to the manor to cultivate the next day, Su Chen wasn''t preparing to cultivate that night. Cultivation wasn''t always about non-stop practice.


    It was like a singer practicing vocal scales; they needed to do it every day, but only for a set amount of time.


    So, after Lin Ruoxue turned off the lights and went to bed, Su Chen sneakily crawled into Lin Ruoxue''s fragrant chamber, ying the role of a thief stealing beauty.


    Although they didn''t engage in the actual deed, he didn''t miss any opportunity to take advantage of her, and Lin Ruoxue couldn''t really do anything about him.


    Moreover, Lin Ruoxue found that she was bing increasingly ustomed to his mischief.


    The next morning, Su Chen came downstairs beaming with pride and satisfaction, while Lin Ruoxue looked somewhat haggard, her face showing a mix of grief and shyness!


    Upon seeing this scene, Wang Ma immediately realized what had happened and looked at them with a knowing, teasing nce.


    Thick-skinned as he was, Su Chen didn''t think much of it, but Lin Ruoxue felt embarrassed.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue went to work, and Su Chen set off in his car, humming a tune on his way to the manor by Jiangyang Lake.


    As Su Chen approached Jiangyang Lake, he noticed that the air here was much fresher than elsewhere, especially at the manor''s gate where the feeling was even stronger.


    Taking a deep breath, Su Chen opened the manor''s gate and walked in, heading straight for the main building at the back.


    The main building had many rooms, at least twenty or thirty. Su Chen casually picked a room, sat down cross-legged, and started cultivating.


    As soon as Su Chen began his cultivation technique, his body started absorbing the True Yuan from the surroundings.


    It was then that he truly felt the richness of the True Yuan here.


    After only ten minutes, he felt the True Yuan he had absorbed was almost equivalent to half an hour''s worth from before, if not more!


    This situation instantly boosted Su Chen''s confidence, and he immersed himself even more wholeheartedly in his cultivation.


    Thus, Su Chen cultivated from that morning straight through to the next afternoon without eating or drinking, but he didn''t feel the slightest bit of hunger or thirst.


    Finally, with a long howl that echoed through the manor, Su Chen abruptly opened his eyes, which shone like ck gems at that moment.


    "I''ve finally stepped into the Qi Refinement''s Seventh Layer Realm!"


    Su Chen muttered to himself.


    Even though it was only the Seventh Layer, he felt much stronger than before, and now dealing with a cultivator at Qi Refinement Peak would hardly be a challenge.


    Even if faced with two Qi Refinement Peak cultivators working together, he had some confidence in prevailing!


    Of course, if it came to a half-step Meridian Expansion realm cultivator, his confidence wouldn''t be as high. Though only a step separated half-step Meridian Expansion from Qi Refinement Peak, most people couldn''t make that step in their entire lives!


    Because half-step Meridian Expansion already touched upon another major Realm, the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    It wasn''t just about one''s own cultivation level, but alsoprehension, fate, and several other factors, none of which could becking!


    This was the reason why there were so few half-step Meridian Expansion cultivators in the world, they were extremely rare!


    However, Su Chen believed that given time, he would certainly reach that Realm because he had once glimpsed the view from those heights.


    And what would his true strength be like if he were to reach that realm by cultivating the domineering and mysterious Nine Yang Divine Technique?


    As for this, Su Chen didn''t know, for the Nine Yang Divine Technique was too overpowering. Even though he was only at Qi Refinement''s Seventh Layer Realm, in terms of the sheer density of his True Yuan, he was not inferior to an average cultivator''s Qi Refinement Peak!


    Moreover, his understanding of True Yuan was far superior to others, and it was for this reason that he had the confidence to defeat any Qi Refinement Peak cultivator!

 Chapter 262 - 262 Hostile Takeover

    After Su Chen finished his cultivation, he took a bath in one of the bathrooms. The facilities in this estate are quite luxurious and fully equipped.


    After the bath, Su Chen felt refreshed and energized, and then he drove off to the Belle Building.


    After all, Lin Ruoxue had been worried, so it was better to show up earlier to put her at ease.


    Su Chen parked his car in the parking lot and directly went to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Chen Guo, you seem to be getting lovelier and loveliertely?"


    As Su Chen arrived at the door of Lin Ruoxue''s office, he saw her secretary, Chen Guo, and teased her with a light chuckle.


    "Shush, there''s trouble. The president is in a bad mood."


    The young girl Chen Guo whispered mysteriously.


    "Ah, what happened?" Su Chen asked anxiously.


    "I''m not sure about the details, but it seems to be something about the group''s stock issue."


    Chen Guo said with some uncertainty.


    "Su, you should hurry and see the president."


    It was this young girl who was the first in the entire group to notice that there was something special between Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue!


    "Alright, thank you. I''ll treat you to a meal when we have time!"


    The young girl was quite innocent and charming, endearing to others.


    "Thank you, Su!"


    "You''re wee."


    Su Chen then gently pushed open the door of Lin Ruoxue''s office and walked in.


    As expected, he saw Lin Ruoxue sitting there with a worried expression, her eyes fixed intently on theputer screen in front of her. She was scribbling on some paper next to her, and only noticed him when he approached the desk.


    "Husband, you''re back."


    Upon seeing Su Chen, a flicker of joy passed through Lin Ruoxue''s eyes. She tried to stand up but felt dizzy halfway and copsed back into her seat.


    "Wife, what''s wrong with you?"


    Su Chen was startled and hurried over to support her:


    "Howe you''ve be like this after just two days without me?"


    "I''m fine."


    Lin Ruoxue tried to force a smile, clearly not wanting to worry Su Chen.


    Little did she know, seeing her forced appearance made Su Chen even more concerned.


    "Still saying you''re fine? Look at yourself, you''ve be so haggard."


    Su Chen reproached her, knowing from her look that her brain was temporarily suffering fromck of oxygen due to too much stress and nervous tension.


    "Haven''t you eaten lunch yet?"


    "I''ve eaten."


    "Tell the truth."


    "I just don''t have any appetite; I can''t eat."


    "How can that be okay? Just wait for me a moment."


    After saying that, Su Chen ran out, and Lin Ruoxue didn''t know what he was up to.


    At this time of day, going to the cafeteria for food, at four in the afternoon, where could there be any meals avable?


    However, Lin Ruoxue was too anxious about the many things she still had to deal with at the moment, so she temporarily ignored what Su Chen was doing.


    Perhaps it was because he came back, Lin Ruoxue felt an inexplicable sense of support, and the heavy burden she had been carrying the past couple of days seemed to lighten significantly.


    Engrossed in her work, half an hour passed by for Lin Ruoxue without her noticing.


    Just then, the door creaked open, and a figure slipped inside¡ªit was naturally Su Chen.


    He was carrying a bag in each hand, and the bags contained several boxes.


    "Wife, stop working, let''s eat first!"


    Su Chen ced the bags on the coffee table in front of the sofa and took out the boxes one by one.


    "How could there still be food in the cafeteria at this hour?" Lin Ruoxue asked in surprise.


    "Of course, there was nothing ready-made, but there were always ingredients avable. This is what your husband just made for you."


    Su Chen ingratiatingly spoke.


    "You made this?"


    "Of course, hurry up and taste it, I guarantee your satisfaction!"


    "Well then."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t really feel like eating, but since he made it with his own hands, she decided to casuallye over and take a few bites.


    "This is tofu with minced pork stuffed in mushrooms, this is shrimp with egg yolk, this is lotus pond stir-fry, and there''s also a tomato egg soup."


    Su Chen lifted the lids off the containers one by one:


    "Come on, try them, they are all quite light."


    Su Chen knew her appetite was not good, so naturally, he wouldn''t make anything too greasy.


    "Hmm, it really looks good."


    As soon as Su Chen opened the lids, Lin Ruoxue was greeted with the faint scent of the dishes, which was quite appetizing!


    "Come on, let''s eat!"


    Su Chen handed over chopsticks and a small box of rice to Lin Ruoxue.


    "Thank you, Husband!"


    Su Chen was so considerate and thoughtful, and Lin Ruoxue was very moved, feeling a warm current flowing through her heart.


    The feeling of having a husband was indeed wonderful!


    Lin Ruoxue looked at the colorful and fragrant dishes, her appetite was stimted, and she started to eat eagerly.


    "Wow, this is so delicious, Husband, how did you make this shrimp with egg yolk? The egg yolk is crispy and fragrant, and the shrimp is slippery and tender!"


    "Hmm, this lotus pond stir-fry is also good, tasty and not greasy at all, it''s really delicious!"


    ......


    Lin Ruoxue praised almost every dish as she ate. It wasn''t ttery, but genuine enjoyment of the food.


    Before, she only knew that her husband was very good at making various kinds of breakfast, even better than the chefs at big hotels.


    But she had never thought that he could also cook these dishes so deliciously!


    Lin Ruoxue almost thought he must have been a chef before, and not just any chef, but a master chef!


    Originally nning to just eat a few bites to show politeness, Lin Ruoxue not only finished the rice but also ate more than half of almost all the dishes until she couldn''t eat anymore and stopped!


    After finishing her meal, when she saw Su Chen watching her with a strange look in his eyes, her face blushed, and she felt somewhat embarrassed.


    "Are you full?"


    There was a smile at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth as he spoke.


    "Yes, full."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded her head.


    "Now, tell me what''s going on, exactly what happened?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but wonder, what could it be that made the always strong Lin Ruoxue be so haggard in just a day or two?


    "It''s not a big deal?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes evaded as she spoke.


    "Still keeping secrets from your husband?"


    Su Chen reached out and wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoxue''s shoulders, speaking with a smile.


    The infectious smile on Su Chen''s face made Lin Ruoxue ponder for a moment before speaking:


    "It''s not a big deal, it''s just that I feel someone is maliciously acquiring the shares of Belle Corporation. It''s a newly registeredpany, and I was trying to trace the source of the other party''s funds, but it seems like they were prepared and didn''t leave any clues."


    "Are you certain it''s a hostile takeover?" Su Chen asked.


    He now understood why Lin Ruoxue was under such great pressure thesest few days. If it was indeed a hostile takeover, then the situation was really very serious!


    "I''m about seventy to eighty percent sure, but I should be able to handle it!"


    Lin Ruoxue said this with confidence because the Lin Family had absolute control over Belle Corporation.


    "Mmm, if there''s any difficulty you can''t solve, don''t forget you still have your husband, right?"


    Su Chen didn''t take over the issue because he knew that Lin Ruoxue was an independent and strong-willed person who didn''t want to rely on anyone, even if that person was her own husband.


    So all he needed to do was to be Lin Ruoxue''s strong support!

 Chapter 263: Colluding in Crime

    "I know, honey, don''t worry about it."


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue felt a warm feeling inside, but she didn''t think he could be of much help.


    Although her husband was mysterious and very good at many things, like cooking and medicine, even fighting seemed to be his strong suit.


    However, the business world was different; everyone says that the marketce is a battlefield, where there is no room for even a bit of weakness.


    "Come here, you''ve been so tired these past two days. Let me give you a massage."


    Without waiting for Lin Ruoxue to refuse, Su Chen had already walked behind the sofa, cing hisrge hands on her fragrant shoulders.


    Lin Ruoxue was indeed a bit tired, so she didn''t refuse Su Chen''s kind offer.


    As Su Chen massaged her, they chatted, of course, most of the time he talked, and Lin Ruoxue listened.


    After a while, Su Chen noticed that Lin Ruoxue hadn''t said anything for several minutes. Curious, he leaned over to look at her and found that she had fallen asleep.


    "What a stubborn girl!"


    Looking at the worry and exhaustion on her beautiful face, Su Chen sighed, then he took off his jacket to cover her, poured a cup of boiled water, sealed it with a lid, and ced it on the coffee table.


    Then, Su Chen tiptoed out...


    .....


    That night, in a high-ss nightclub in Jianghai, in one of the private rooms, two men sat side by side on a sofa, and another man was sitting in a wheelchair beside them.


    Most peoplee to nightclubs like this for pleasure, but oddly enough, these men didn''t seek anydies''pany, only ordering two bottles of red wine.


    Of course, these two bottles weren''t just ordinary red wine, but Larche red wine¡ªperhaps a name unknown to many.


    But to give you an idea of its luxury, it costs much more than "Lafite," a single bottle might equal many people''s annual sry!


    The men frequently raised their sses,ughing and talking as if they were celebrating something.


    "Young Master Liu, the victory today wasn''t too shabby, huh!"


    The other young man sitting down clinked his ss gently with the man in the wheelchair, asking. He was none other than the eldest grandson of the Lin Family¡ªLin Chao.


    "Mm-hmm, we''ve already acquired 6% of Belle Corporation''s shares."


    Sitting in the wheelchair, Liu Qing replied with a smug expression:


    "However, Lin Ruoxue is quite responsive, and the measures she took were decisive. Otherwise, today''s results would have been much more significant."


    "She found out?"


    Lin Chao was suddenly startled, feeling some apprehension towards his cousin Ruoxue.


    "Rx, Lin Shao, at most she suspects someone is targeting Belle Corporation. She couldn''t possibly trace it back to us. I used a newly registeredpany, and the source of funds came through an offshorepany, absolutely safe!"


    Liu Qing took a light sip of the red wine, a confident expression surfacing on his face.


    "That''s good, that''s good!"


    Hearing Liu Qing''s reassurance, Lin Chao''s mind was at ease.


    "Young Master Liu, how many more shares do we need now?"


    The other, somewhat unhealthy-looking middle-aged man on the sofa asked.


    If someone from Belle Corporation were here, they would never recognize this middle-aged man as Belle Corporation''s former Vice President¡ªMa Yuemin!


    After being ravaged by those women, each weighing over 200 pounds and looking like pigs, for three days and two nights, he fell seriously ill, and his mind became a bit abnormal.


    After all, anyone would have been driven to madness by such an ordeal!


    His family sent him to the psychiatric department at Jianghai Hospital for a long time before he gradually returned to normal. Although he was no longer as crazed as he had been at the beginning, his personality had be even more extreme.


    In his eyes, Su Chen had be the deepest thorn in his heart!


    Once he conspired with Liu Qing and Lin Chao, he finally understood why Lin Ruoxue would protect Su Chen. So, it turned out these two were a pair!


    From then on, he loathed Lin Ruoxue as well, swearing to make both of them wish for death!


    After that incident, he had changed from a stout, shiny-faced man to his current somewhat sickly and frail appearance, hardly recognizable as the same person!


    Upon hearing Ma Yuemin''s words, Liu Qing smiled and looked at Lin Chao beside him:


    "As for how many more shares we need, that depends on Young Master Lin''s capabilities. Lin Chao, how is your situation unfolding?"


    "Don''t worry, Liu Qing. I''ve already convinced my second uncle with his 5% stake - he doesn''t care which side he''s on as long as there''s a benefit."


    "And what about the 5% from your little aunt? Any hope there?" Liu Qing asked.


    "It''s unlikely. My little aunt has always been close to my third uncle''s family. It''s almost impossible for her to support me!" Lin Chao frowned slightly as he spoke.


    "So that means the shares we hold include your father''s 5%, your second uncle''s 5%, Brother Ma''s 15%, and the 6% we acquired today, totaling 31%."


    Liu Qing continued, calcting:


    "Lin Ruoxue''s side has her father''s 5%, plus her own 10% as the CEO''s management shares. If we add your little aunt''s 5%, that''s 20%. Plus, she reacted today and snapped up 3% in the open market, totaling 23%."


    "That leaves 46% of the shares outstanding, with your family patriarch holding 30% of those. This means we only have a chance at the remaining 16% of shares on the open market."


    "With your family patriarch and Lin Ruoxue controlling abined 55% of shares, the old man''s stance is crucial. If he supports Lin Ruoxue, whatever we do is in vain. So, even if he doesn''t support us, we absolutely must prevent him from backing Lin Ruoxue!"


    "I understand. Rest assured, Liu Qing, I''ve made several preparations!" Lin Chao replied, a vicious glint in his eyes.


    "That''s good to hear. As long as you take care of your family patriarch, all we need is to secure more than 4% of the shares. Then, with over 35% in our hands, victory is assured!"


    Liu Qing mmed the armrest of his wheelchair with intensity and dered.


    At the same time, he was seething with bitterness inside:


    "Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue, you think you can outy me by working together? I''ll make you taste the consequences of crossing me. This is just the first step. As for you, Lin Ruoxue, you wretched woman, I''ll make you beg under me sooner orter!"


    Indeed, to the three people present, the married couple Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue cast a long shadow over their hearts!


    This was the primary reason they came together, conspiring in their shameful alliance!


    ......


    Meanwhile, Su Chen was unaware that Liu Qing, Lin Chao, and the others had joined forces, ready to target him and Lin Ruoxue.


    Even if he knew, he wouldn''t care in the slightest. If these petty clowns jumped too high, he would simply p them down!


    For Su Chen, the most important thing at that moment was, of course, the chicken soup about to boil in the pot...


    He had noticed Lin Ruoxue looked haggard, so on the way back, he had bought an old hen, hoping to nourish her body.


    If he, her husband, didn''t cherish her, then who would?

 Chapter 264 - 264 I Just Suddenly Wanted to Hug My Husband

    "Son-inw, do you need any help from me?"


    Mrs. Wang watched Su Chen busying in the kitchen and couldn''t help but ask.


    "No need, Mrs. Wang, you go rest."


    By now it was already past 9 p.m. He and Mrs. Wang had already had dinner, while Lin Ruoxue hadn''te back yet because of business at the group.


    "Son-inw, you are such a good man, it''s truly a blessing for Miss to have married you."


    Mrs. Wang sincerely praised him, having lived most of her life she had never seen a man like the son-inw before!


    Other men might also cook, but none did so almost every day for breakfast, and none made it as delicious as he did.


    Now he was even taking the initiative to stew a chicken soup for Miss.


    Although he looked somewhat unreliable, Mrs. Wang had realized that actually, the son-inw was very responsible.


    Moreover, upon a closer look, the son-inw was quite irresistible, truly a perfect husband material for a woman!


    Yes, better hurry and encourage Miss and son-inw to have a child, only then would they truly be one!


    What if such a good son-inw gets seduced away by some vixen?


    After all, men like the son-inw are a rare breed!


    Su Chen had absolutely not expected that just stewing some chicken soup would get Mrs. Wang to think so much, even to the point of considering having children...


    "Mrs. Wang, you make me feel embarrassed by saying so, and besides, I am the one who married into the family, technically it''s your Miss who married me, ha ha~~"


    Su Chen said casually.


    However, this casual remark made Mrs. Wang worry again:


    "Could it be that the son-inw feels ufortable about being married into the family? No wonder, which normal man would want that? But this is a tricky matter; I''ll have to find a chance to talk with Miss about it. It wouldn''t be good if son-inw has been harboring this issue."


    What she didn''t know was that Su Chen didn''t care about such formalities at all; he had just made a casual joke earlier.


    Just then, the sound of the door opening suddenly rang out, and Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but exim as she entered:


    "Mrs. Wang, what are you up to? It smells amazing!"


    "It''s not me; it''s the son-inw stewing chicken soup!"


    Hearing Lin Ruoxue''s voice, Mrs. Wang immediately snapped out of her daze and walked over to Lin Ruoxue with a smile.


    "Husband, why are you stewing chicken soup sote?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously.


    "Of course, it''s for you, Miss. The son-inw himself bought a hen and brought it back, saying that Miss you have been too tiredtely, and he wanted to nourish your body."


    Before Su Chen could speak, Mrs. Wang spoke for him, and her eyes were smiling so much that they were nearly slits.


    Upon hearing that Su Chen had specially made the hen soup for her, Lin Ruoxue felt a slight twinge in her nose, touched by how attentive and considerate this man was.


    He had specially made several light dishes for her in the afternoon, and now after dinner, he was even stewing soup for her...


    "Wife, you''re back!"


    Su Chen turned around, gave Lin Ruoxue a gentle smile, then turned back to continue his busyness...


    "Alright, now that Miss is back, I will go rest."


    Mrs. Wang said with a smile, then whispered in Lin Ruoxue''s ear:


    "Miss, you better hold tight to such a good man!"


    Lin Ruoxue nodded slightly, her pretty face showing a hint of blush.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue nod, Mrs. Wang also smiled and returned to her room.


    Once Mrs. Wang had left, only Lin Ruoxue remained in the hallway. She stood at the kitchen door, watching the steam rising from the soup and the busy figure within, feeling a sense of warmth.


    At that moment, she had a strong desire for time to stop and forever capture this moment!


    Perhaps, rather than achieving great business sess, this moment was what he should truly cherish.


    It seemed as though a magical force gently propelled Lin Ruoxue toward that figure...


    "Husband, you''re so good!"


    Lin Ruoxue extended her slender arms to embrace Su Chen from behind, pressing her face tightly against his back, feeling the warmth of his body.


    "Wife, what''s wrong?"


    Su Chen was slightly startled and quickly asked, as such intimate actions were not typical of Lin Ruoxue.


    "It''s nothing, I just suddenly wanted to hug you, husband."


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes were slightly closed as she murmured.


    "Wife, are you really okay?"


    Su Chen put down what he was doing and turned around to look at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Really, I''m fine."


    Lin Ruoxue still embraced Su Chen, then slightly lifted her head to look deeply into his well-defined face, and then she made a move that even she hadn''t anticipated.


    At that moment, something stirred in Lin Ruoxue''s heart. She tiptoed and kissed Su Chen''s cheek, then quickly retreated.


    Su Chen''s mind went nk. Lin Ruoxue had taken the initiative to kiss him?


    What was this all about? Had he finally seen the light after waiting so long?


    Su Chen looked dazedly at the slightly shy but stunningly beautiful face in his arms and those cherry lips, and he could no longer hold back, bending down to press his lips to hers...


    This time, it was Lin Ruoxue''s turn to be stunned, but before long, she began to respond, albeit awkwardly.


    Su Chen felt Lin Ruoxue''s passion, which was tremendously encouraging, and his hands began to wander...


    Just as Su Chen was ready to take it further, Lin Ruoxue suddenly opened her eyes wide and forcefully pushed him away.


    "What''s wrong, wife?" Su Chen asked, perplexed.


    "The soup spilled..."


    Lin Ruoxue pointed to the soup pot behind Su Chen, her breath uneven.


    "Ah?!"


    Su Chen was momentarily startled, then quickly turned around, only to see that the soup had spilled all over the countertop.


    Su Chen quickly turned off the stove, then wiped the area around it clean with a cloth.


    He med himself for being too absorbed just now, so much so that he hadn''t heard the sound of the soup spilling.


    Lin Ruoxue looked at his frantic, busy figure, and her face involuntarily began to ze like the sunset!


    Was that person just now really me?


    How could I have taken such an initiative? It''s so embarrassing!


    If Mrs. Wang knew about it, she would probablyugh at me!


    But that thing wasn''t so bad to ept; the feeling just now seemed quite special.


    The faint tobo taste in his mouth seemed rather nice too...


    "Tsss, Lin Ruoxue, what are you thinking? You''re so shameless!"


    Not long after savoring that feeling, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but me herself again.


    Although it wasn''t the first time she and Su Chen had kissed, in the past, it had always been him causing it, giving her an excuse.


    But this time, it was different because it was entirely her own initiative from the start!


    Therefore, Lin Ruoxue''s mind was a jumble of thoughts, aplete mess...

 Chapter 265 - 265 The Old Master is Critically Ill

    "Honey, the chicken soup is ready. Please go sit down, I''ll bring it to you,"


    A momentter, Su Chen spoke up, but he didn''t notice anything unusual about Lin Ruoxue.


    "Oh."


    Lin Ruoxue obediently went to sit at the dinner table, but her face still looked a little flushed.


    Soon after, Su Chen brought a steaming bowl of chicken soup to her, setting it down in front of Lin Ruoxue, and then he ran to get her a pair of chopsticks and a small soup spoon.


    "Wife, have a taste!"


    Su Chen said, looking at Lin Ruoxue.


    Just as Lin Ruoxue was getting ready to drink the soup, Su Chen spoke up again:


    "Careful, it''s hot."


    Then Su Chen simply took Lin Ruoxue''s soup bowl and started blowing on the chicken soup.


    If it had been anyone else, Lin Ruoxue would certainly have refused to drink that bowl of chicken soup, as she was fastidious about cleanliness.


    But at this moment, she didn''t feel any aversion at all; instead, she was filled with gratitude!


    "There, the temperature should be just right now."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Thank you, hubby,"


    Lin Ruoxue spoke softly, and then she finished the whole bowl of chicken soup. Of course, it was not only because Su Chen had made it so well but also because Lin Ruoxue felt happy inside.


    After finishing the chicken soup, they wished each other goodnight, and Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to work, and Su Chen returned to his room as well.


    However, once Lin Ruoxue had turned off the lights, he drove to the estate by Jiangyang Lake to continue his cultivation.


    The next morning, he drove back home very early to make breakfast. Since he leftte and returned early when there were hardly any cars on the road, it only took him about fifteen minutes to get home, which wasn''t too troublesome.


    After having breakfast together, they each drove to the group''s office.


    Once back in her office, Lin Ruoxue began her intense day of work, especially after the incident that could have been a hostile stock acquisition emerged the day before; she dared not neglect her duties!


    After the stock market opened at 9 a.m., Lin Ruoxue became even more tense.


    Unlike Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen returned to the Public Rtions Department and had almost nothing to do; he could be considered the most rxed PR Director Belle Group had ever had.


    In fact, the PR Director usually had quite a few things to handle, but Su Chen delegated all of the work to his employees, only taking charge of the more important matters.


    Fortunately, there were many staff members in the PR Department, so the work distributed to each person wasn''t much, and their rtionship with Su Chen was also good.


    However, those beauties would still oftenin that he was a Zhou the Skinflint, though, of course, their words were more jest than truth.


    Today was no exception. After entering the PR Department, Su Chen greeted those beauties, chatted for a bit, and then found himself with nothing to do.


    So, as usual, he took a seat at his desk, sipped his tea, "supervised" the beauties at work, and enjoyed a leisurely time!


    Just then, a graceful shadow rushed in hurriedly, almost colliding with Su Chen''s desk due to her speed.


    "Chen Guo, what are you doing here? And in such a hurry!"


    Surprised, Su Chen asked, with other members of the PR Department turning to look at Chen Guo.


    "Brother Su, it''s not good, something''s happened!"


    Secretary Chen Guo said, panting.


    "What''s happened?"


    Su Chen asked quickly, his expression tensing up at once, for Chen Guo was Lin Ruoxue''s secretary, so it was very likely something had happened to Lin Ruoxue.


    "President Lin, she just fainted suddenly!"


    "What?!"


    Su Chen''s eyes widened as he grabbed Chen Guo''s shoulders and asked.


    "President Lin has fainted!"


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen abruptly stood up and dashed towards the door, even knocking over the chair behind him...


    Su Chen''s heart was truly in a state of urgent panic, not even waiting for the elevator, he ran upstairs directly.


    Fortunately, Lin Ruoxue''s office wasn''t on a high floor, so Su Chen quickly arrived and then fiercely pushed open the door.


    He saw Lin Ruoxue lying on the ground next to her office desk, her face deathly pale...


    A shock went through Su Chen''s heart, and he hurriedly rushed over to gently lift Lin Ruoxue up, his face already dark as water!


    However, after a brief check, Su Chen managed to calm down, realizing that Lin Ruoxue had fainted due to a sudden surge of anger.


    Considering her inherently weak constitution and recent stress, it was understandable, but what exactly had happened to make Lin Ruoxue faint from anger?


    Was it because of the unknown force that maliciously bought up Belle Corporation''s stock yesterday?


    But Su Chen wasn''t concerned about that, his only concern right now was Lin Ruoxue''s health.


    At this time, the secretary Chen Guo also ran in, and as soon as she entered, she hastily asked,


    "Su bro, Ms. Lin isn''t going to be in trouble, is she?"


    "Don''t worry, it''s nothing serious."


    Su Chen smiled at the young girl, Chen Guo,


    "Thank you for informing me in time."


    "No need to thank me, Su bro, it''s what I should do."


    The young girl had just taken a wild guess when she suddenly heard a "bang" from inside the office, so she quickly called out "Ms. Lin" twice, but got no response, which led her to push the door open and enter.


    The scene she encountered upon entering frightened her: seeing Lin Ruoxue lying on the ground, herplexion as pale as snowkes, and so she hurriedly ran down to find Su Chen. At that time, the only person she could think to turn to was Su Chen.


    Su Chen then carried Lin Ruoxue andid her on the sofa before cing a hand on her lower abdomen and transferring a small amount of True Yuan into her body.


    Soon, Lin Ruoxue''splexion gradually became rosy, which amazed the watching Chen Guo.


    After a little while, Lin Ruoxue finally came to slowly.


    "Ruoxue, you''re awake!"


    Because the young girl, Chen Guo, was still around, Su Chen didn''t call Lin Ruoxue wife, knowing that she didn''t want others to know about their marital rtionship yet.


    However, Su Chen didn''t n to reveal it, Lin Ruoxue did so herself.


    Upon waking and seeing Su Chen at her side, Lin Ruoxue suddenly grasped his arm, her expression one of utter fear and anxiety,


    "Husband, hurry to the hospital, quick, quick, quick!"


    "Wife, you had just fainted, but now you have been cured by your husband, what do we need a hospital for?"


    Su Chen chuckled as he spoke, and since Lin Ruoxue herself had already called out, there was no need for him to keep hiding it.


    "It''s not me, it''s grandpa, my dad just called me, saying grandpa is critically ill!"


    Lin Ruoxue said urgently as she began to stand up.


    "The old man is critically ill?"


    Su Chen was suddenly stunned; the old man was in good health, how could he suddenly be critically ill?


    He was confident in his medical skills, having examined the old man himself, and ording to his assessment, the old man could easily live another ten years without any issues.


    "Let''s go quickly!"


    Lin Ruoxue pulled at Su Chen, who was still dazed.


    "Oh, okay, okay!"


    Su Chen quickly got up and followed Lin Ruoxue out of the office, leaving the young girl, Chen Guo, standing bewildered in the office.


    "So Ms. Lin and Su bro are husband and wife!"


    The young girl, Chen Guo, murmured, her face a mix of bewilderment and shock...

 Chapter 266: How Can You Save Someone Who is Already Dead?

    By the time Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue rushed to the surgical room entrance at Jianghai Hospital, all the members of the Lin Family had already arrived, gathering around the surgery room door with faces full of anxiety.


    Although the old master had retired several years ago and no longer even inquired about family matters, let alone the affairs of the group.


    In recent years, the only time the old master had spoken up was regarding his granddaughter Lin Ruoxue''s marriage, to the point where the Lin family members had gradually started to feel his absence.


    However, when the old master suddenly copsed, everyone was shocked and only then did they realize that it was the old master who had led the Lin Family from a minor n to bing today''s second-tier Jianghai family over the decades.


    After the old master copsed, everyone couldn''t help but internally ask, "Without the old master at the helm, how far could the Lin Family''s big ship continue to sail?"


    Yet everyonecked confidence in this respect, and thus they all started to fear, worried that the old master might pass away!


    During this time of extreme anxiety as everyone waited, Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue by her small hand and arrived.


    "Sister, brother-inw, grandfather he..."


    As soon as he saw Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue, Lin Hao immediately ran over, but struggled to continue speaking after starting his sentence.


    Although the old master was usually very strict with his grandson, he could still feel the love in it.


    "Ruoxue, Little Su, you''re here!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s father Lin Wenqing greeted them simply, his entire mind focused on his father!


    It was Lin Ruoxue''s mother, Zhang Xin, who immediately walked over and looked at Lin Ruoxue, saying:


    "Ruoxue, why do you look so pale?"


    Then she nced at Su Chen and somewhat reproachfully said:


    "Little Su, why aren''t you taking good care of Ruoxue?"


    "Yes, Mom, it''s my neglect, I will definitely take good care of Ruoxue.


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Mom, it''s not Su Chen''s fault, it''s just that there''s been too much going on with the group recently,"


    Seeing Su Chen being med due to her, Lin Ruoxue immediately felt somewhat apologetic and defended him.


    "Work is endless, health is the most important. How can your father and I not worry when you''re like this?"


    Zhang Xin chided her daughter with a nce.


    "I understand."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded reluctantly, then quickly asked:


    "Mom, what exactly happened to Grandfather? How could he suddenly be critically ill?"


    "I don''t know either, he was fine after breakfast this morning, then he was just sitting in the yard on the sun lounger, and suddenly, inexplicably, he copsed to the ground,"


    Zhang Xin recalled the scene in the morning and felt it was very strange:


    "Then we immediately rushed your grandfather to the hospital. After the examination, the doctor said it was acute heart failure and that he must be rescued immediately, and also mentioned that there was not much hope, urging us to be mentally prepared!"


    Upon saying this, Zhang Xin also showed a sorrowful expression.


    With Grandfather in there being resuscitated, Lin Ruoxue could do nothing but silently pray, hoping that Grandfather could pull through this ordeal.


    Listening to this, Su Chen felteven more that the situation was strange, even eerie.


    Although it''s normal for elderly people to suddenly face life-threatening issues, Su Chen was very clear about the old master''s health, which definitely should not have resulted in this!


    Just then, Lin Wenlong and his son also walked towards Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen.


    "Ruoxue, don''t worry too much. The old master has the fortune of the heavens and will be fine."


    Lin Wenlong patted Lin Ruoxue''s shoulder and sighed.


    "Yes, Ruoxue, Grandfather always valued you the most, he wouldn''t want you to worry like this,"


    Lin Chao also chimed in.


    "I know, I believe that Grandfather will be fine."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded.


    Just then, the lights in the operating room suddenly went out.


    As soon as the lights went out, the Lin Family involuntarily tensed, knowing that this meant the surgery had ended, but they did not yet know the oue.


    Soon, the door to the operating room opened, and several doctors walked out.


    The Lin Family immediately crowded around, bombarding the doctors with questions about the elderly man''s condition.


    The lead doctor looked at the Lin Family and shook his head slightly,


    "I''m sorry, we did everything we could. Mr. Lin has passed away, but he passed peacefully."


    Upon hearing that the doctors had done their best, many started crying on the spot, including Lin Ruoxue, who burst into tears in Su Chen''s arms...


    "Doctor Xu, how could this happen? My father was fine this morning!"


    Lin Wenting suddenly lunged forward, desperately grabbing the lead doctor''s arm, crying and asking.


    Doctor Xu immediately tried to remove Lin Wenting''s hand, but she was holding on too tightly, so he could only sigh and exin,


    "Miss Lin, I understand how you feel, but your father had acute heart failure, so it happened so suddenly... We really did our best."


    "Little sister, the dead cannot be revived, you need to let go."


    Lin Wenlong stepped forward and pulled away the heartbroken Lin Wenting.


    "Big brother, Dad is dead~~~"


    Lin Wenting also copsed on Lin Wenlong''s shoulder and cried...


    "Little sister, Dad was of a venerable age, and he passed away peacefully. That''s what Doctor Xu also said. You should try to ept it."


    Lin Wenlong patted Lin Wenting''s back tofort her.


    "Can I go see Grandpa now?"


    Just then, a voice rose, sounding especially striking amid the mournful weeping.


    Su Chen grew increasingly puzzled; how could Grandpa suddenly sumb to acute heart failure?


    Without seeing for himself, he felt he could not be at peace!


    When everyone heard Su Chen''s words, they stopped crying and looked at him in bewilderment, not understanding his meaning.


    "Of course, you can."


    Doctor Xu nodded, as it was only natural for the family to want to see the deceased, and they had no reason to deny them.


    However, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue''s eyes suddenly lit up, and she quickly said,


    "Right, honey, didn''t you say you were the Ghost Doctor? Didn''t you im that there is no one you can''t save in this world? Please go and save Grandpa quickly!"


    It was only then that Lin Ruoxue remembered her husband possessed divine medical skills.


    In her grief, she had been confused; even with Su Chen''s great skills, he could not revive the dead!


    Hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, others thought she had been driven mad by the news of the old man''s death. The man was already dead; how could he be saved?


    And that young man who had married into the family hardly seemed like someone skilled in medicine, let alone a Ghost Doctor. More like fooling ghosts!


    "Miss Lin, the old man is already dead; his heart has stopped beating. Even Hua Tuo could not revive him if he were alive!"


    The lead doctor, Xu Bo, said disdainfully, clearly holding the title of Ghost Doctor in contempt.


    After all, Xu Bo had graduated from Harvard Medical School, and such doctors who studied abroad had little tolerance for "Ghost Doctors" or "Divine Doctors" with their airs of chatanism.


    Especially when the person was so young¡ªif it had been an elderly Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner with white hair, he might have believed it a bit.


    Upon hearing Xu Bo''s words, Lin Ruoxue''s expression also dimmed, realizing, indeed, Grandpa was dead, a fixed reality that couldn''t be changed!


    However, contrary to what everyone had anticipated, upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s suggestion, Su Chen simply nodded and said,


    "Let''s go have a look first!"

 Chapter 267 - 267 Speckled Ball Poison

    Upon hearing Su Chen say he would go take a look first, everyone was stunned because his statement clearly implied that there might still be hope for salvation.


    But please, the person was already dead. Let''s not even discuss whether he could practice medicine; even if he could, even if his medical skills were sky-high, what could he do for a dead person?


    For a moment, the Lin Family thought this son-inw who had married into the family was a fool. How could he say something so foolish?


    It wasn''t just others; even Lin Ruoxue couldn''t believe it because it was absolutely againstmon sense!


    However, Su Chen didn''t pay any attention to what the others were thinking and instead, walked directly into the operating room; the other Lin family members and a few doctors also followed him in.


    They thought this young man was a bit "off" but still decided to follow and see.


    As soon as Su Chen entered one of the operating rooms, he saw Old Master Lin lying there serenely with a peaceful expression on his face!


    The line on the heart monitor next to him, however, was a t, unwavering straight line!


    But Su Chen didn''t look at the disys of those machines, instead cing his hand on Old Master Lin''s heart.


    Then, he extended a finger to Old Master Lin''s temple, seemingly sensing something!


    "Just as I thought!"


    By then, the rest of the Lin family had also entered; as soon as they saw Old Master Lin motionless on the operating table, and the t line on the heart monitor beside them, they immediately rushed to his side and burst into tears.


    As the main doctor Xu Bo watched Su Chen''s movements, he couldn''t help but sneer, thinking this guy was just putting on an act.


    If your hand could sense anything, what use would we have for these precise instruments?


    Could your hand possibly be more sophisticated than these advanced instruments?


    "Everyone, shut up!"


    Suddenly,, a shout erupted, startling everyone greatly!


    All the cries stopped abruptly, and everyone froze, wondering what was wrong with this person!


    "Su Chen, what do you mean by this? Grandfather is dead; can''t we even cry?"


    Lin Chao responded in an usatory tone immediately.


    As soon as Lin Chao spoke, many rtives echoed his sentiment, while others looked puzzledly at Su Chen.


    "Lin Chao, do you actually wish for the Old Master to be dead?"


    Su Chen nced at him, with a profound implication in his words.


    "Su Chen, don''t nder me; when did I say I wished for the Old Master to die?"


    Lin Chao, as if he had his tail stepped on, immediately retorted:


    "The fact is, the Old Master has already passed away; what''s wrong with me, his grandson, crying over this?"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Chao, his face flushed and agitated, and said nothing. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, watching him quietly, a yful smile appearing on the corner of his mouth!


    Lin Chao also started to feel very ufortable under Su Chen''s gaze, as if he had been stripped bare!


    Just when Lin Chao could hardly withstand the gaze anymore, Su Chen spoke lightly:


    "You might be disappointed, but Old Master Lin is not yet dead!"


    "Why would I be disappointed if the Old Master isn''t dead?"


    Lin Chao hurriedly replied, then his pupils widened sharply:


    "What did you say? Grandfather isn''t dead?"


    Lin Chao suddenlypletely froze, his brain went nk!


    Not dead? How could that be possible?


    Lin Chao''s face was not only filled with shock but also carried a hint of fear!


    The rest of the Lin family were also dumbfounded, visibly unresponsive!


    After a good twenty to thirty seconds, Lin Wenting was the first to snap out of it and grabbed Su Chen:


    "Su Chen, are you serious?!"


    Lin Wenting couldn''t believe it; the doctor had just announced the death, but Su Chen imed that he wasn''t dead!


    Although it seemed inconceivable, she preferred to believe it was true!


    Of course, at that moment, Lin Wenting waspletely overwhelmed by her emotions, bereft of what one might call rationality.


    Hearing Lin Wenting''s words, everyone else also came to their senses, and all eyes were fixed on Su Chen, feeling somewhat dazed!


    Of course, almost everyone doubted what Su Chen had said, including Lin Ruoxue''s parents.


    Although they did not believe him, they still hoped for Su Chen''s response, with a tiny bit of hope lingering in their subconscious, even knowing it was almost impossible!


    However, before Su Chen could respond, Xu Bo had already spoken:


    "Impossible! All the indicators clearly and unmistakably show that the patient is dead. This is science, understand!"


    Hearing Xu Bo''s firm statement, the little hope that had arisen in everyone immediately dissipated...


    Compared with Su Chen, they still believed the doctor''s words more.


    "Is that so? It seems Dr. Xu is very confident in his medical skills!"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Of course, I am a graduate of Harvard Medical School, after all!"


    Xu Bo dered with not a little pride.


    Hearing Xu Bo''s words, everyone immediately showed a look of envy and admiration; after all, Harvard is the highest academy in the world!


    They also believed his words more; could a graduate of Harvard Medical School not even know whether a patient was dead or not?


    Yet, Su Chen was not at all impressed with that so-called Harvard Medical School but continued to ask:


    "Then, can you exin why the old man suddenly had acute heart failure?"


    "Well, there are many causes of acute heart failure. The elder Lin was old, and his heart had not been in good shape before, so this condition is entirely possible."


    Xu Bo said hesitantly.


    It wasn''t that his medical skills werecking, but because medicine, unlike other sciences, is not absolute. In medical science, there is a famous saying¡ªthere are no absolutes in medicine!


    After all, the human body is indeed far tooplex!


    "Hmph, let me tell you!"


    Su Chen said lightly:


    "The old man''s condition was due to¡ªpoisoning!"


    "Poisoning?"


    Not only was Xu Bopletely stunned, but the members of the Lin Family were also dumbfounded!


    "How do you know? And what poison was the patient suffering from?"


    Xu Bo asked hurriedly, his face full of disbelief since he had not previously detected any signs of poisoning in the old man!


    "Have you heard of Speckled Ball Poison?"


    "Speckled Ball Poison? Oh, I''ve heard of it; it''s a very rare toxin."


    Xu Bo said somewhat falteringly:


    "Are you saying that the patient was poisoned with this type of poison?"


    "Correct, the patient was indeed poisoned with Speckled Ball Poison."


    Su Chen stated naturally, as if he were stating an objective fact.


    "True, people poisoned with Speckled Ball Poison may indeed suffer from acute heart failure, but how can you be so sure that the patient was poisoned with it? After all, there are many other causes that can lead to acute heart failure."


    Xu Bo argued logically, but he was still shocked that this young man knew about the highly specialized and extremely rare poison, Speckled Ball Poison!

 Chapter 268: Treating the Dying Person

    "Then you can check the patient''s palms and the back of his neck," Su Chen said.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, the other members of the Lin Family were all puzzled, not understanding what Su Chen really meant.


    However, Xu Bo seemed to think of something, his body suddenly shook, and then he quickly tilted the old master Lin''s head slightly.


    When he saw something resembling a green speckled mark on the back of the neck, his pupils shrank sharply.


    Then he hurriedly ran to the back and looked at the sole of old master Lin''s foot.


    "This, this...?"


    Xu Bo pointed at old master Lin, somewhat inartictely.


    "Dr. Xu, what exactly is it?"


    Lin Wenting''s heart also trembled, asking anxiously.


    "It really is... really is¡ªpoisoned!"


    Xu Bo muttered, his expression filled with shock!


    He had just remembered that people poisoned with Speckled Ball Poison''s most distinctive feature was akin to green speckled marks on the soles of the feet and the back of the neck.


    He couldn''t help but look towards Su Chen; who exactly was this young man?


    How could he spot the poisoning at a nce, and even know exactly what poison it was?


    And the members of the Lin Family were instantly astir!


    They had never expected that the old master would actually be poisoned!


    Of course, they were also curious about how Su Chen knew this, but they didn''t have time to ponder that right now.


    Because what they were thinking about was, how did the old master get poisoned? Who could have poisoned him?


    The old master was basically at home every day, rarely going out, so the most likely culprit would naturally be someone within the household, but who could it be?


    Each person couldn''t help but take a nce at the people around them, specting who it could be, but this matter was just too serious, and nobody dared to speak recklessly!


    This was murder, and what''s more, the murder of the old master!


    In fact, Lin Wenlong and his son had both trembled slightly when Su Chen first revealed that the old master was poisoned.


    But since everyone''s gaze and thoughts were on the old master at that time, who would notice this?


    "But the person is already dead, even if we know it was caused by poison, it''s useless!"


    Xu Bo couldn''t help saying, his attitude not as arrogant as before.


    "Dead?"


    Su Chen curled his lip, saying with full confidence,


    "Today I will let you witness what is called ''resurrecting the dead''!"


    The members of the Lin Family shuddered again upon hearing this, what, resurrecting the dead?


    Was he joking?


    After speaking, Su Chen took out the long cloth bag he was carrying, then ced the cloth bag on the bedside table, and took out two Silver Needles.


    Just as Su Chen was preparing to insert the needles, suddenly a voice sounded.


    "Stop!"


    Lin Chao stepped out from the crowd, saying sternly,


    "Su Chen, grandfather is already dead, I won''t allow you to offend him like this!"


    "Lin Chao, what do you mean?"


    Su Chen paused slightly, giving Lin Chao a meaningful nce.


    Seeing Su Chen look at him that way, Lin Chao''s heart tightened, but he still pretended to be righteous and indignant as he said,


    "Su Chen, do you not understand the principle that death is paramount? Dr. Xu already dered that grandfather is gone, what you''re doing is hugely disrespectful to grandfather!"


    To speak the truth, people in Huaxia do take the principle of death being paramount seriously; that is, once someone dies, their body should not be tampered with as it would be seen as disrespect to the deceased.


    But the current problem is, Dr. Xu said the patient had already died, yet Su Chen imed that the person was not dead yet, and there lies a huge difference.


    If old master Lin truly had passed, then anything Su Chen does to the body would obviously be inappropriate.


    But if old master Lin wasn''t dead, Su Chen''s actions would bepletely justified.


    If it had been earlier, everyone would have certainly trusted Dr. Xu''s judgment, but just now Su Chen had mentioned the poisoning that even Dr. Xu had not detected, and this caused everyone to hesitate.


    "What do you all think, none of you agree with me treating the old man?"


    Su Chen swept his gaze over everyone and asked with a light chuckle.


    "Husband, is Grandpa really not dead? Can you truly bring Grandpa back to life?"


    Lin Ruoxue walked over and asked solemnly.


    "Wife, do you not trust your husband anymore?"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Okay, Husband, I believe you!"


    Seeing Su Chen''s smile, Lin Ruoxue also inexplicably gained more confidence.


    "I also believe in Su Chen!"


    At this moment, Lin Wenting also stood up to show her support for Su Chen.


    "I believe in Brother-inw too!" This was the voice of Lin Hao.


    Seeing their daughter and younger sister already in agreement, the couple Lin Wenqing and Zhang Xin also nodded in consent.


    Following them, the second child of the Lin Family, Lin Wenbin''s family, also agreed and nodded.


    Seeing that three of the patriarch''s four children had given their consent, the other branches of the family also agreed to let Su Chen give it a try.


    Although they still thought there was little hope, they obviously did not wish for the patriarch to die.


    "Chao, let little Su have a try. Even though death is significant, we mustn''t give up as long as there is a sliver of possibility," Lin Wenlong spoke at this point, and then looked at Su Chen and added,


    "Su Chen, it''s all on you now."


    "I won''t disappoint you."


    Su Chen said with an implication.


    Seeing that the Lin Family had all agreed, the doctors couldn''t say much more, even though they thought it was a pointless endeavor.


    A person already confirmed dead, what was there to save?


    "Since that''s the case, you all should leave now."


    Su Chen waved his hand and said.


    "Alright, everyone, let''s go out and allow Su Chen to work in peace."


    Lin Wenting cooperated in ushering everyone out.


    "Mr. Su, may I stay and observe?"


    Though Xu Bo trusted his judgment, he began to waver slightly, recalling how this young man instantly recognized the poison that the elder had suffered from.


    Su Chen nced at him and then nodded:


    "Then, you can assist me."


    "Thank you very much."


    Xu Bo actually wanted to see what this young man was basing his ability to cure death upon!


    Now, only Su Chen and Xu Bo were left in the operating room. Su Chen''s expression became extremely serious instantly, a stark change from his previous demeanor, and even Xu Bo couldn''t help but marvel.


    Su Chen, however, paid no mind to Xu Bo''s thoughts. He took the two Silver Needles that he had been holding between his fingers and thrust them into the patriarch''s heart area.


    He then gently twisted the needles, and soon, a strange phenomenon urred!


    One could see that fresh blood began to ooze slowly from the edges of the two needles, mixed with a very faint ck color, clearly indicating poisoned blood.


    "Eh, when I operated on the old man, howe I didn''t notice any ckness in the blood?"


    Xu Bo asked in surprise, thinking that if he had seen this scene earlier, he would have guessed poison right away.


    But the fact was, he had operated for several hours, and the patient had bled a lot, but it was all bright red.


    Su Chen did not answer him because even if he did, the other party surely would not understand.


    The ancient art of Chinese medicine can hardly be exined in a word or two, and right now, Su Chen had neither the interest nor the time to give the other party a lesson.


    Because if Su Chen didn''t act, it was fine, but once he started, he absolutely couldn''t stop, otherwise the patriarch would really be gone...

 Chapter 269 - 269 "Resurrection

    After a full five minutes, the blood oozing from the edge of the silver needles turned a bright red, with not a trace of ck shadow remaining. At that moment, Su Chen flicked his wrist and removed the silver needles.


    Next, Su Chen took out three even longer silver needles and inserted them into the base of the neck and two spots with bluish blemishes on the soles of the feet, prating three inches deep!


    "Come, help me prop up the old man,"


    Su Chenmanded.


    "Okay!"


    Xu Bo hastily agreed and then sat by the bed, helping the old man to sit up.


    Su Chen also took off his shoes and sat behind the old man, while his palms gently patted his temples, but his hands did not leave. Instead, they remained firmly pressed against them.


    Xu Bo watched this scene, feeling that there was something marvelous about it, as if they were in a martial arts drama.


    At that moment, Su Chen had no excess thoughts to ponder what Xu Bo was thinking; he was channeling strand by strand of True Yuan into the old man''s brain to stimte and nourish the neurons within.


    Due to the uniqueness of the human brain, Su Chen could only transfer the True Yuan slowly, bit by bit, and constantly sense the changes within.


    Xu Bo was unsure how much time had passed, but his arms were getting tired from supporting the old man.


    "Beep beep~~"


    Just then, a piece of nearby monitoring equipment suddenly emitted a very faint sound, but to Xu Bo, the tiny "beep beep" rang like a resounding bell, striking fiercely at his heart.


    Shocked, he quickly turned to look at the heart rate monitor next to him, and upon seeing it, his entire head seemed to explode with the sight!


    A line that had been straight on the monitor now showed slight fluctuations. Although tiny, there was indeed movement!


    Xu Bo was instantly filled with astonishment, hardly believing his own eyes!


    The man was alive! He had truly brought a "dead man" back to life!


    If it had been earlier, Xu Bo would have never believed such a thing, but now, the fact was right before his own eyes!


    "Hold him steady!"


    Then Su Chen''s calm voice resounded.


    "Ah! Oh!"


    Xu Bo had been so startled that he failed to support the old man properly, nearly letting him fall back down.


    "I''m sorry!"


    Xu Bo apologized earnestly and quickly extended his hands to steady the old man, no longer daring to be careless.


    As time passed, the heart rate monitor showed the heartbeat growing stronger and stronger...


    "That''s enough!"


    After a while, Su Chen finally released his hands and removed the three silver needles from the base of the old man''s neck and the soles of his feet, then gently helped the old man lie back down.


    By then, Su Chen was drenched in sweat and his face was somewhat pale.


    Though the True Yuan he had transferred to the old man was not much, it required him to maintain a high level of mental tension, which was indeed very taxing.


    "The old man should wake up in a little while,"


    Su Chen informed Xu Bo:


    "However, the old man''s body is still very weak and he will need to stay in the hospital for some time. Please take good care of him."


    "Rest assured, I will definitely keep an eye on the old man''s vital signs."


    Xu Bo immediately promised and then, perhaps out of reluctance or concern, manually checked the old man''s heartbeat, pulse, and breathing himself.


    He found that though these were still weak, they had indeed resumed.


    The old man had trulye back to life...


    "Let''s go outside. They must be anxious waiting,"


    Su Chen said with a smile, then walked out through therge doors of the outermost operating room.


    Because there were other operating rooms nearby, the hospital wouldn''t have agreed to let them wait outside the old man''s operating room.


    To be honest, it was already an exception that they were allowed to enter the operating room directly; that was only because the other party was the Lin Family.


    If it were ordinary people, at most, only one person would be allowed, which was already quite humane for Jianghai Hospital.


    Most hospitals wouldn''t allow even one person.


    At this point, everyone had already been waiting anxiously. As soon as they saw Su Chen and Xu Boe out, they immediately surrounded them.


    "How did it go?"


    Lin Wenting and Lin Ruoxue both stared at the two men with burning eyes, their voices trembling slightly.


    "Let Dr. Xu exin."


    Su Chen casually shrugged his shoulders.


    As soon as these words were spoken, all eyes from the Lin Family were focused on Xu Bo.


    Xu Bo certainly felt everyone''s gaze, and his mouth moved slightly:


    "The old man, he..."


    When Xu Bo got to this point, he somehow found himself unable to continue. Even now, he still couldn''t believe what had just happened; it was as if he was in a dream!


    Seeing that Xu Bo didn''t continue, everyone''s heart sank immediately, sighing to themselves that, after all, no miracle had urred.


    "The old man, the old man, he''s alive!"


    Just at that moment, Xu Bo regained hisposure, took a deep breath, and spoke.


    Upon hearing Xu Bo''s words, everyone was stunned, as if the pause button had been pressed; their eyes wide, ears perked...


    The scene suddenly quieted down...


    Su Chen and Xu Bo clearly hadn''t expected such a reaction, and they too were somewhat taken aback.


    Had the news stunned all these people into stupidity?


    "Husband, is what Dr. Xu said true? Did you really save Grandpa?"


    Suddenly, Lin Ruoxue grabbed Su Chen, her voice filled with disbelief.


    "Of course it''s true. Have you forgotten? Your husband is the Ghost Doctor!"


    Su Chen said somewhat "smugly"!


    "Mwah!"


    "Husband, you are amazing!"


    Lin Ruoxue excitedly hugged Su Chen and kissed him, her eyes already shimmering with tears.


    Lin Ruoxue had always had a deep affection for the old man, which is why she had been so ovee with anxiety upon hearing the news of his critical condition that she fainted.


    Receiving Lin Ruoxue''s sweet kiss as a reward, Su Chen immediately felt that his efforts had been worthwhile!


    This was already the second time in just a couple of days that Lin Ruoxue, the icy beauty, had taken the initiative to kiss him. Not bad, not bad!


    At this moment, the other members of the Lin Family also came to their senses and kept confirming the old man''s "revival" with Xu Bo.


    Only when Xu Bo assured them time and again that the old man really hade back to life did they truly believe this fact!


    All eyes involuntarily turned to Su Chen¡ªthe son-inw they had always looked down upon for marrying into the family.


    Just who was this son-inw who had joined their family, capable of reviving someone the hospital had dered dead?


    This was simply too unbelievable, too inconceivable!


    Lin Wenting''s gaze lingered thoughtfully on Su Chen; it seemed that Ruoxue''s husband was truly no ordinary man.


    The Deep Sea Blue Diamond he casually took out, his medical skills that could bring the dead back to life, each aspect was shockingly astounding!


    Yet the eyes of Lin Wenlong and his son narrowed gradually, their gaze at Su Chen seemed to contain something indescribable...

 Chapter 270: The Definition of Death

    "Little Su, today I really owe you a huge one! Thank you!"


    Lin Wenqing held onto Su Chen''s hand, sighing deeply with emotion.


    "Dad, this is what I should do, it''s nothing."


    Su Chen said with a light smile.


    Following that, the other members of the Lin Family also expressed their gratitude towards Su Chen, which was of course to be expected.


    They began to see Su Chen in a new light, as if the son-inw who had joined their family was not as useless as they had imagined!


    "Mr. Su, the old man had clearly passed away, so how did you suddenly revive him?"


    Xu Bo suddenly asked beside them, his mind unsettled by the question. If he didn''t get an answer, he probably wouldn''t be able to sleep at night.


    Because this was simply defying the logic of science!


    The people of the Lin Family also turned their gazes towards Su Chen, filled with confusion. They too were puzzled as to how Su Chen was able to revive someone who had died.


    It seems that Doctor Xu was still struggling with this question. It appeared that he was someone who took his profession very seriously and had a strong spirit for research.


    Now that he had some time, Su Chen decided to shed some light on the subject. He looked at Xu Bo and said:


    "Because the old man didn''t die at all. There is nobody in the world who can treat a truly dead person."


    Although Su Chen was known for his astonishing medical skills, he had no methods for dealing with a dead person. He could only revive the old gentleman because he hadn''t actually died.


    "But Mr. Lin had clearly already..."


    Xu Bo feltpletely confused after hearing what Su Chen said.


    Not dead? How is that possible?


    Mr. Lin had clearly died!


    "Doctor Xu, how do you medically determine a person''s true death?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked a somewhat peculiar question.


    "Previously, an individual''s death was traditionally defined by the cessation of breathing and heartbeat, but with the advancement of modern medicine, devices such as pacemakers and venttors can save people who have stopped breathing and whose hearts have stopped beating. Now, legal death is recognized by brain death as the standard for an individual''s death."


    Although Xu Bo didn''t understand what Su Chen was getting at, he still answered seriously:


    "As for determining brain death, there are mainly four criteria: 1. Coma that is irreversible, with no response to stimuli; 2. Lack of spontaneous breathing; 3. No reflexes, dted pupils, fixed, with disappearance of light reflex; 4. An isoelectric EEG, that is, a t-line EEG, sustained for more than 10 minutes."


    "Right, this is indeed the precise definition of death in medical textbooks."


    Su Chen first nodded in agreement and then nced at Xu Bo, asking with a light chuckle:


    "But can that really confirm that a person is dead?"


    "Of course, isn''t that enough?" Xu Bo''s face was full of puzzlement.


    "Of course it''s not enough, far from enough. Just like you said before, death used to be defined by the cessation of breathing and heartbeats. But now, many methods can restore breathing and heartbeat. So, now that brain death is the standard, simrly, how can you be sure that a person who is brain-dead is truly dead? What if technology develops methods to reverse brain death in the future?"


    Su Chen shrugged his shoulders, asking quite casually.


    Though Su Chen spoke casually, Xu Bo felt a sudden jolt in his heart!


    Yes, if breathing and heartbeat were inurate indicators of life in the past, does that mean brain death is an urate measure now?


    The human body is soplex, who knows what secrets are yet to be discovered?


    Xu Bo felt as if someone had opened up his Ren and Du meridians in a sh, his mind suddenly enlightened!


    At that moment, Su Chen''s voice rang out again.


    "Moreover, are you sure that those four points you mentioned can definitively determine someone''s brain death?"


    Su Chen once again threw out a question that left Xu Bo utterly shocked.


    "Wasn''t it all that bad? Couldn''t they dere brain death yet?"


    Xu Bo asked hesitantly, feeling his prior knowledgepletely copse.


    "Of course not, I can tell you for certain, the old man did not suffer brain death. His neurons in the brain simply lost their activity temporarily, and what I did was stimte that activity."


    Of course, Su Chen did not exin how he stimted the True Yuan, because that involved True Yuan, and even if he had exined it, the other party would not have understood.


    However, he did rify the most basic principle involved.


    After hearing this, Xu Bo immediately understood and then stared at Su Chen with eyes full of shock and admiration!


    "Mr. Su, you truly deserve the title ''Ghost Doctor''!"


    Xu Bo bowed deeply and spoke sincerely.


    Such a person, such skill, if not a "Ghost Doctor" then what?


    Seeing the attitude of Xu Bo, a Harvard Medical School graduate, everyone gained a clearer realization of Su Chen''s exceptional medical skills!


    "Dr. Xu, can we go in and see the old master now?"


    Without having seen it for herself, Lin Wenting still felt a little uneasy.


    "Let''s wait a while for that, there are still surgeries going on in the other operating rooms. But don''t worry, the old master will be brought out soon, and then you can directly go to the ward to see him."


    "Alright then."


    Hearing Xu Bo say this, Lin Wenting had no choice but to let it go, as she was not an unreasonable woman.


    .....


    In a VIP single room of Jianghai Hospital, the Lin family''s elderly mastery quietly on the hospital bed, surrounded by the anxious Lin family members waiting...


    A few minutester, the elderly master slowly woke up.


    "Dad, you''ve finally woken up!"


    Lin Wenting threw herself onto the old man''s body, crying.


    "Grandpa, you finally woke up, you scared us to death!"


    Lin Ruoxue spoke as well, with tears in her eyes.


    The others also started calling out to the old master, and seeing the head of the Lin family awake atst, their hearts settled down.


    "What happened to me?"


    The elderly master looked at everyone and asked in confusion.


    "What happened? Do you realize that you nearly lost your life? If it weren''t for Su Chen, today you could have..."


    Lin Wenting spoke with lingering fear.


    "Little Su?"


    The elderly master muttered, then looked at Lin Wenting:


    "Wenting, what exactly happened? Tell me everything."


    "Today, you were sunbathing in the courtyard when you suddenly fainted, and then we hurriedly took you to the hospital..."


    Lin Wenting recounted everything that had happened that day in detail.


    When he heard the word ''poisoned'', a sharp light shed through the elderly master''s murky eyes, and his nce gently swept across everyone''s faces...


    After listening to Lin Wenting''s recount, the elderly master sighed deeply, then beckoned to Su Chen:


    "Little Su,e here."

 Chapter 271: Everyone Urges to Have a Baby

    "Grandpa, you just woke up, you should talk less,"


    Su Chen walked over and sat down by the bed.


    "It''s fine, I know my own body."


    Lin''s Grandfather grasped Su Chen''s hand, gently patting:


    "Today, thanks to you, otherwise our Lin Family would have... "


    Lin''s Grandfather looked at Su Chen''s face and couldn''t help but sigh inwardly: I knew it, that old Taoist cured Ruoxue''s strange illness, his disciple couldn''t be an ordinary person either!


    "Didn''t I tell you, Grandpa? You still have a long life ahead of you; you keep living!"


    This wasn''t just tofort the old man¡ªdespite his age, Lin''s Grandfather''s bodily functions were still rtively normal, and there wouldn''t likely be any major problems for at least the next ten years.


    "Alright, this old man will try to live a bit longer, to see you and Ruoxue''s children born and grow up,"


    Lin''s Grandfather said with a smile.


    "Grandpa, what are you talking about?"


    As soon as the grandfather mentioned children, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned a shade of crimson.


    "Ruoxue, did you hear that? You should hurry," and Su Chen, you also need to put in effort!"


    Lin Wenting also nced at the two,menting in a teasing tone.


    "Trying my best, trying my best!"


    Su Chen chuckled awkwardly, giving Lin Ruoxue a meaningful look and thought to himself that it really depended on Lin Ruoxue; his own efforts alone were useless!


    "Aunt, why are you teasing too?"


    Lin Ruoxue retorted coyly, her beautiful face turning even redder. Seeing Su Chen looking at her, she understood perfectly his implication and couldn''t help but re at him.


    "How is this teasing? This is a matter of life; your dad and I have almost turned gray waiting!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s mother also deliberately made a long face as she spoke.


    Lin Ruoxue felt like crying without tears; how did they suddenly be so concerned about her having children?


    Thinking of having children with that rascal Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue''s heart started beating a lot faster, yet it still felt somewhat strange, and she couldn''t quite say why.


    "Ruoxue, do you still me me for insisting you marry Su Chen back then?"


    Lin''s Grandfather looked at Lin Ruoxue, suddenly speaking whimsically.


    In reality, the housekeeper had already told the Grandfather that Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen''s rtionship had rapidly heated up recently, so the grandfather now teased with this remark.


    "Grandpa, when have I ever med you?"


    Lin Ruoxue muttered softly, her fingers twining together, and herplexion flushed red as blood!


    "No?"


    Lin''s Grandfather deliberately elongated his tone as he spoke.


    "Grandpa..."


    Lin Ruoxue stamped her foot in embarrassment, the very picture of a little woman!


    "Hahaha~~~"


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue like this, everyone in the Lin Family couldn''t help but burst intoughter.


    Hearing thisughter, Lin Ruoxue wished she could just find a crack in the ground to crawl into...


    Just then, Lin Ruoxue''s mobile phone rang, and she hurriedly answered it.


    At the same time, she was secretly thankful for the person making the call; it came just in time! Otherwise, she really couldn''t have stayed any longer.


    "What?!"


    However, as soon as Lin Ruoxue heard the voice on the other end of the phone, she couldn''t help but exim, and the previous flush on her face instantly turned white!


    After she hung up the phone, she seemed still somewhat dazed.


    The people of the Lin Family, seeing Lin Ruoxue''s reaction, quieted down instantly.


    "Ruoxue, what happened?"


    Granpa Lin asked in a deep voice from his hospital bed.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. You just focus on your recovery, Grandpa."


    Grandpa Lin had just taken a walk through the gates of death, and naturally, Lin Ruoxue did not want him to worry too much.


    However, Grandpa Lin might have let it go if it were something trivial, but seeing Lin Ruoxue''s expression indicated it wasn''t a minor issue, how could Grandpa Lin possibly not ask.


    "Ruoxue, if you want me to rest easy, don''t hide it from me!"


    Grandpa Lin said urgently, perhaps a bit stirred emotionally, and couldn''t help but cough.


    The Lin Family members immediately became tense, and Su Chen had already extended a hand to smooth Grandpa Lin''s breathing at the first instance.


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen hesitantly, clearly asking if Grandpa could handle the news.


    Seeing Su Chen nod at her, Lin Ruoxue slowly began to speak.


    It turned out that it was thepany group who had called her just now to inform her that the newpany, which appeared to be maliciously acquiring shares in Belle Group, had made another bid forty minutes ago.


    (Making a bid is a professional term in the stock market, meaning when an investor holds 5% of a publicly tradedpany''s issued shares, they must report to the securities regtory authority and the stock exchange in writing, notify the publicly tradedpany, and make an announcement. It is known in the industry as "making a bid.")


    "You just said ''again.'' Was there a previous instance?"


    Although Grandpa Lin was still quite weak, his mind was clear, and he quickly caught the critical point.


    "Yes, they already made a bid yesterday."


    Lin Ruoxue said solemnly, realizing the situation was getting more serious.


    However, Grandpa Lin thought even more about why someone would suddenly attack Belle Group, why he was poisoned at this sensitive time, and nearly lost his life?


    The members of the Lin Family saw Grandpa Lin suddenly fall silent and dared not even breathe loudly.


    After a long time, Grandpa Lin finally raised his head, looked around at everyone, and then spoke solemnly:


    "I am now announcing a decision, I will transfer all of my 30% shares to Ruoxue''s name!"


    Upon hearing Grandpa Lin''s words, Su Chen couldn''t help but show a look of admiration; it seemed Grandpa Lin was a wise man!


    However, the rest of the Lin Family members virtually exploded in uproar.


    "Dad, you can''t be so biased! Ruoxue is your granddaughter, isn''t Ruomei your granddaughter too?"


    Wenbin, the second son, immediately spoke up as if someone had stolen something from him.


    Lin Ruomei was currently traveling abroad with her boyfriend, not in the country, so Wenbin naturally had to speak up for his daughter.


    "Dad, Wenbin has a point. Not just Ruomei, Wenxiao is the eldest legitimate grandson of the Lin Family! Isn''t this a bit too much?"


    Wenlong, the eldest son, was also shocked and quickly chimed in.


    "Am I being unreasonable?"


    Grandpa Lin nced at Wenlong and scoffed:


    "I can understand Wenbin saying this, but you..."


    The rest of the Lin Family did not quite understand why Grandpa Lin said this, but Wenlong felt a "thump" in his heart and quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet Grandpa Lin''s gaze!


    Grandpa Lin''s eyes widened again as he coldly scanned the crowd, and everyone who met his eyes instinctively lowered their heads.


    Grandpa Lin''s authority, built up over many years in the Lin Family, was still unchallenged!


    "This is my final decision, regardless of whether or not you have objections, whatever objections!"


    Grandpa Lin''s words boomed like a hammer sealing the decision, exuding an imposing aura!


    Once again, Grandpa Lin demonstrated his extremely strict side before everyone¡­

 Chapter 272: Because Mrs. Lin is my wife.

    An hourter, everyone left the old man''s sickroom.


    Although everyone was still unsatisfied with the old man''s decision, they dared not act out due to his imposing aura.


    This alsoid the groundwork for some troubles toe...


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue returned to Belle Corporation, after all, thepany''s stock had just been targeted, and Lin Ruoxue still had a lot of issues to handle.


    After returning to the Belle Building, Lin Ruoxue went straight to her CEO office.


    However, Su Chen did not immediately go back to the public rtions department but stepped out of the building and made a phone call:


    "God of Wealth, there''s something I need you to handle..."


    "Sure, no problem."


    The voice on the other end of the phone was very crisp and clear.


    After making the call, Su Chen felt refreshed and spirited.


    He believed that in themercial battlefield, as long as the God of Wealth made a move, there would definitely be no issues, and all he had to do was wait for the result!


    Just as Su Chen was about to walk back into the Belle Building, he coincidentally encountered Xia Qiuru, who was heading out.


    "Minister Su, hello."


    Su Chen had thought she would avoid him again, but unexpectedly, she took the initiative to speak.


    Although she initiated the conversation, Su Chen felt uneasy.


    Because of her indifferent tone and the way she addressed him as Minister Su, it was clear that she wanted to keep a distance.


    "Qiuru, Director Xia, where are you going?"


    Su Chen was at a loss for words at first, having nned to call her Qiuru, but considering Xia Qiuru wanted to keep a distance, he reluctantly changed it to Director Xia.


    Xia Qiuru, upon hearing him address her as Director Xia, felt a slight sting in her heart and a trace of destion shed in her eyes before she concealed it.


    "Oh, I''m a bit tired. I''m going across to have a coffee and rx a bit."


    Xia Qiuru forced a small smile as she spoke.


    Opposite Belle, there was a Green Ind Coffee caf¨¦. People from nearby corporations who were tired from work or had business talks often went there.


    "May I join you for a coffee?"


    Su Chen suddenly smiled and asked, actually wanting to find an opportunity to talk to Xia Qiuru.


    "Sure."


    Xia Qiuru hesitated a bit then nodded.


    The two walked without speaking, and the silencested until they sat down face-to-face at a table in the caf¨¦. They hardly exchanged a word the whole way.


    Honestly, the atmosphere was a bit awkward. Su Chen didn''t like it, but Xia Qiuru didn''t like it either.


    Neither knew what to say, so silence became their only choice...


    "What would you like to drink?"


    At that moment, a person dressed as a waiter came over and broke the silence.


    "Mhiato."


    Xia Qiuru casually said, then looked at Su Chen:


    "What about you?"


    "Mocha, I guess."


    At that moment, Su Chen really didn''t care what he drank and said just any coffee.


    The waiter took note and left.


    "I seem to remember that you used to lovette. Why the change today?"


    Su Chen had also had coffee with Xia Qiuru a few times before, so he was aware of her preference.


    "It''s nice of you to remember, but I wanted a mhiato today."


    Xia Qiuru showed a slightly bitter smile.


    "Why?"


    Su Chen found her response a bit odd.


    Xia Qiuru smiled faintly, softly opened her painted lips, and said:


    "Do you know that every type of coffee has a meaning?"


    Su Chen shook his head, as he had indeed never considered this.


    "Mhiato means ''marked.''


    Xia Qiuru looked at Su Chen, her eyes filled with aplex mix of emotions.


    "I need to tuck my feelings for you away, to preserve this mark that belongs to me!"


    After hearing Xia Qiuru''s slightly decisive words, Su Chen was once again at a loss for words...


    "I... I..."


    Su Chen seemed to want to say something, but found he truly didn''t know what to say.


    "You don''t need to feel guilty or anything, this is my own issue, it''s just me being foolish."


    Xia Qiuru shook her head with a self-deprecating smile.


    "The coffee for both of you is ready."


    Just then, the waiter came over and ced the coffees in front of them.


    "Thank you!"


    Xia Qiuru said, then fell silent again, quietly stirring her coffee.


    Su Chen didn''t drink his coffee either and, after a long while, he sighed softly:


    "Qiuru, I''m aware of your feelings for me, but I can''t ept them because I¡ªam already married."


    Since he had brought it up, Su Chen decided not to hide anymore but to exin things clearly.


    However, Su Chen hadn''t expected that his exnation would only make things worse. The moment he exined, Xia Qiuru''s pretty face instantly was covered with frost, and she stood up abruptly:


    "Su Chen, I don''t me you for not liking me, but do you find it amusing to make up such lies?"


    "I, Xia Qiuru, am not shameless. I don''t need you to push me away with such methods. I''m not that despicable!"


    The decibels in Xia Qiuru''s voice rose higher as she spoke, and by the end, she was almost shouting, attracting sidelong nces from others in the coffee shop since it was usually a very quiet ce.


    "Qiuru, what nonsense are you talking about? I''m telling the truth!"


    Su Chen waspletely baffled by Xia Qiuru''s sudden anger!


    "Really?"


    Xia Qiuru realized she had been too excited, and deliberately lowered her voice a bit, though the anger on her face was clearly visible. She gritted her teeth and said:


    "Do you think I''m stupid, or do you think Lin Ruoxue is stupid? If you had a wife, would someone like Lin Ruoxue be with you? Don''t tell me Lin Ruoxue has nothing to do with you!"


    "Lin Ruoxue indeed has something to do with me."


    "Good that you admit it!"


    "Because Lin Ruoxue is my wife!"


    Su Chen said lightly.


    Xia Qiuru was stunned for a moment, her beautiful eyes wide open, staring fixedly at Su Chen.


    "Because Lin Ruoxue is my wife!"


    That sentence from Su Chen reyed in Xia Qiuru''s mind over and over again...


    All the anger, all the sadness, all the emotions at that moment turned into shock!


    "You just, just said, Lin Ruoxue is... your wife?"


    Xia Qiuru asked again, incredulously struggling for words.


    "Yes, she is my wife."


    Su Chen nodded:


    "But Ruoxue doesn''t want others to know about our rtionship yet, which is why I didn''t say anything before."


    "So that''s it, now I understand everything!"


    Xia Qiuru also sat down somewhat dejectedly, the corners of her mouth revealing a self-mocking smile.


    "Qiuru, are you okay?"


    Su Chen asked with some concern.


    "I''m fine."


    Xia Qiuru lightly waved her hand and said:


    "Sorry, Su Chen, I misunderstood you before."


    "It''s okay, no problem."


    Su Chen said carelessly, not minding at all.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t talk nonsense, and can we still be good friends in the future?"


    Xia Qiuru bit her lip slightly and asked sincerely.


    "Of course, I always like making friends with beautiful women."


    Now that their misunderstanding was resolved, Su Chen felt very relieved. In a good mood, he began to speak cheekily again...

 Chapter 273: In This Life, We Can Only Be Good Friends

    "Su Chen, how did you end up marrying President Lin?"


    Xia Qiuru tilted her head and asked.


    "What, is it strange?"


    Su Chen smiled wryly.


    "It is a bit strange, it feels like you two are from different worlds."


    Xia Qiuru sipped her coffee lightly and said.


    "Actually, not to mention you find it strange, I myself find it a bit odd too, haha."


    Thinking about his marriage to Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen sometimes still felt it was a bit surreal.


    A man whose hands were stained with blood had actually be husband to a city beauty.


    If it had been the Su Chen of a year ago, he would never have thought that something like this would happen.


    He had thought that one day, when he was tired, he might go with Eniel to a ce where no one knew them and live out the rest of his days in peace.


    "How are you two getting along?"


    Xia Qiuru asked with some curiosity as well.


    She knew Lin Ruoxue was a cool, even icy person, very strong-willed, with a strong sense of career. In contrast, Su Chen wasid-back, as if nothing really mattered to him, just muddling along.


    Could such two people really live together?


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen spread his hands helplessly:


    "Your President Lin is absolutely like an ice sculpture, but luckily my skills are profound, and I''ve already melted a bit of this ice sculpture."


    "No wonder President Lin seems to have changed a bit recently, not as cold as before, it''s your credit, huh!"


    Xia Qiuru chuckled softly.


    "Of course! Before the charm of this handsome guy, she naturally bows her head in submission!"


    "Keep dreaming!"


    Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but give him a nk look, oozing allure, which made Su Chen''s heart waver!


    "Dreaming? You fell for me, didn''t you?"


    Su Chen blurted out, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could p himself!


    The two of them had finally gotten over their past emotional entanglements, yet he...


    Xia Qiuru''s face also turned slightly red when she heard Su Chen''s words, and once again, the atmosphere turned a bit awkward.


    However, it was Xia Qiuru who eventually broke the ice, smiling lightly:


    "Yes, you''re so charming, I''m totally addicted to you, happy now?"


    The words Xia Qiuru spoke sounded like a joke, but exactly how much truth and how much falsehood they contained was something only she knew...


    "Qiuru, you really are a good woman, I believe you''ll definitely find your other half in the future, and he will be better than me!"


    Su Chen said earnestly, and that was what he hoped for. If there were no Lin Ruoxue, or if his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue were still like it was at the beginning, he might really have epted Xia Qiuru.


    To tell the truth, a woman like Xia Qiuru, with a delicate appearance, a graceful figure, and who was gentle, genteel, and considerate, is what countless men dream of bringing home!


    "Isn''t it true that whether a man or a woman is rejecting someone, they always say you are a good person, you will find someone better?"


    Xia Qiuru looked at Su Chen and smiled wryly.


    "I, I really mean it!"


    After hearing Xia Qiuru''s words, Su Chen also started to feel a bit embarrassed.


    "I know, don''t be nervous, I was just joking with you."


    Xia Qiuru stood up andughed:


    "Let''s go, I need to get back to work, or your wife might dock my pay."


    "Okay!"


    Su Chen followed Xia Qiuru out, feeling a bit depressed.


    In the past, he had moved among so many women with ease, so why did such a small matter now seem to put him in such an awkward position?


    I''m really getting more and more useless!


    In fact, Su Chen understood that he could no longer be as carefree as before!


    "Are you going to the public rtions department now?"


    While they were standing in front of the elevator waiting, Xia Qiuru casually asked.


    "Yeah, but I''m just going through the motions."


    Su Chenughed.


    Just then, the elevator "dinged" and the doors opened, and they both stepped in, finding themselves alone inside.


    Although they had cleared the air just a moment ago, in the small confines of the elevator, they still felt somewhat uneasy.


    The elevator reached the third floor first, where the public rtions department was located, and Su Chen hastily fled out as if running for his life.


    Xia Qiuru watched his retreating figure grow smaller through the narrowing elevator doors, feeling a sense of mncholy¡ªperhaps in this life, this was all they would be, just good friends!


    Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Xia Qiuru seemed to suddenly remember something, quickly pulled the doors open, and then used her foot to keep them from shutting.


    "Wait a minute!"


    Xia Qiuru called out to Su Chen''s back.


    "Is there something else?"


    Hearing the shout, Su Chen immediately stopped, turned around, and took a few steps back towards the elevator, asking in surprise.


    "Oh, there''s something I want to ask you, have you upset my cousintely?"


    Xia Qiuru suddenly asked.


    "Nope, I only saw her once recently at a noodle shop, where we sat at the same table and I had a bowl of dumpling noodles, that''s all."


    Su Chen was somewhat puzzled:


    "What''s the matter?"


    "Nothing much, just asking. You go ahead with your work!"


    Xia Qiuru withdrew her foot, and the elevator doors closed quickly, continuing to rise¡­


    Xia Qiuru inside the elevator also slightly furrowed her brows:


    "If Su Chen hasn''t upset her, why would Xinran be at home secretly cursing ''stinky Su Chen, dead Su Chen, bad Su Chen'' and the like?"


    .....


    Seeing that Xia Qiuru didn''t say anything else and the elevator had closed, Su Chen also turned and continued towards the public rtions department.


    However, Xia Qiuru''s mention of her cousin Xu Xinran reminded him of thest time that girl promised to show him her sexy lingerie.


    "Should I find an opportunity to take a look?"


    Su Chen pondered to himself, slowly hooking up a mischievous smile on his lips, not even noticing as he walked into the public rtions department.


    Thedies of the public rtions department were chatting when Su Chen walked in with a wicked smile, which made their hearts skip a beat.


    It wasn''t because they were timid, but Su Chen''s smile was just too devilish, as if he was up to no good!


    "Chief, are you thinking about some beauty again?"


    Ran Ting, being close with Su Chen, was the first to ask.


    Hearing Ran Ting''s words, Su Chen was also jolted out of his reverie and curled his lip, saying:


    "With all you beauties here, who else could I be thinking about?!"


    "Yeah right, who believes that? You were definitely thinking about a woman just now, and probably imagining some not so kid-friendly scenes!"


    Zhao Lin also gave Su Chen a look.


    Su Chen was immediately rmed, damn, this Zhao Lin must be a witch; how did she guess so urately?


    "See, I was right, wasn''t I? Chief, you better not deny it!"


    Zhao Lin guessed as much from Su Chen''s expression.


    "Nonsense, what kind of person do you take me for?" Su Chen retorted with a bit of guilt.


    Being exposed, especially with thoughts of that nature, Su Chen felt a little embarrassed.


    After all, one still needs to keep up appearances!

 Chapter 274: The Musings of the Women in the Public Relations Department

    Ran Ting immediately rolled her eyes at Su Chen''s shameless remark, thinking if you weren''t that kind of person, howe I still have a small bruise on my butt?


    The other women mostly thought the same because, more or less, they had all been harassed by Su Chen, this bad guy. Of course, they had also taken their chances with him¡ªcall it fair exchange!


    "Director, how was President Lin this morning? Everything okay?"


    This morning when Chen Guo said that President Lin had fainted, they were also taken aback and worried about Lin Ruoxue for a while.


    Although Lin Ruoxue was usually cold, she was still quite popr. Especially since Belle Corporation had been flourishing under her leadership, it gave them confidence in their future careers.


    If something really happened to Lin Ruoxue, it wouldn''t be good for Belle Corporation or for them personally.


    So, both professionally and personally, everyone hoped nothing would happen to Lin Ruoxue.


    "Don''t worry, President Lin is fine now, she has alreadye back to work."


    Su Chen sat down at his desk and pretended to knock on the desktop:


    "Come on, stop chatting, and get back to work!"


    Just then, the sound of high heels "cking" echoed down the hallway, and soon a figure appeared at the entrance of the PR department.


    The people in the PR department couldn''t help but turn their gaze towards the door, where a tall woman about 1.7 meters appeared, stunning with her long hair slightly tied back¡ªa truly imposing presence!


    She wore a ck and white striped T-shirt paired with a beige zer and high-waisted slim fit trousers that showed off her pale ankles and calf slightly.


    Her feet were adorned with silver-grey high heels that entuated her long, statuesque legs!


    This outfit made her look incredibly fresh,petent, and effortlessly chic, yet sexy and fashionable!


    Although the beauties in the PR department felt they were quite attractive, they still felt somewhat inferior in front of such a woman.


    Not to mention other aspects, even their demeanor fell short by a considerable margin, but if they knew who this woman was, they would probably think it was to be expected.


    When Su Chen saw this stunning figure suddenly appear at the doorway of the PR department, he was slightly startled, then approached her:


    "What brings you here?"


    "Of course, I''m here to see you."


    Yunyao thought to herself, isn''t that obvious? You''re the only person here I know, of course, I came to see you.


    If this were the old Yunyao, she would have rolled her eyes already, but just two days ago, she found out about his frightening identity, so she was now a bit reserved.


    "To see me? What for?"


    Su Chen was puzzled to hear she was here for him, but seeing the gossipy look in the eyes of thedies of the PR department, he said:


    "Let''s go to my office to talk."


    After speaking, Su Chen headed towards the nearby office. Although he didn''t usually work there, he still kept it. Su Chen only asionally used it when he felt tired and wanted to rest for a while.


    After all, the director''s office had a small rest area with only a single bed.


    Yunyao was somewhat speechless¡ªjust two sentences, why go to the office?


    It made it seem like they had some kind of secret.


    But the more Su Chen did this, the more curious and spective the women of the PR department became¡­


    "What do you think, what''s the rtionship between that woman and the director?"


    "I don''t know, but it seems like their rtionship is somewhat unusual!"


    "Unusual, indeed! But our director really has a way with women; already having Lin Ruoxue, the top beauty of Jiangnan as his girlfriend, and now another beautiful woman hase knocking on his door."


    "And that''s not all! You guys forgot, a few days ago a little girl also came looking for him, and she seemed pretty beautiful too."


    "That''s true, but it''s no wonder. Our manager is so witty, and he looks a bit naughty and slightly lecherous, yet he''s also very attentive and mysterious. Isn''t that type of man exactly what women like?"


    "Zhao Lin, are you talking about yourself? You''ve been making eyes at the manager for a while now. Come on, admit it, you''ve fallen for him, haven''t you?"


    "So what if I have? Ran Ting, aren''t you the same? This morning I saw you deliberately wiping the manager down."


    "As if you haven''t done the same."


    Everyone burst intoughter upon hearing this.


    "Laughing, are we? Whoever hasn''t made a move on the manager, step forward now!"


    The women immediately stoppedughing momentarily, their cheeks blushing...


    In the corner, a few men thought to themselves, we definitely haven''t.


    But in the PR department, overwhelmingly dominated by women, it was always women who took charge while the few men wouldn''t dare to speak out of line.


    Otherwise, if these women ganged up on them, they wouldn''t have an easy time.


    Still, they envied Su Chen. After all, they were all men, so why the disparity?


    "What do you think the manager and that woman are doing in the office?"


    All of a sudden, Ran Ting asked, her eyes gleaming brightly.


    "Ran Ting, are you trying to y innocent with me?"


    Zhao Lin sent her a disdainful look:


    "Our flirty manager is always getting touchy-feely with us, in the office, in a closed space, alone with a woman. Do you really think he''d behave himself?"


    "Exactly, especially since the woman is such a beauty!"


    "Do you think we should tell President Lin to catch them in the act?"


    The prospect of Lin Ruoxue swinging open the office door seemed extremely intriguing and explosive to Zhao Lin.


    Upon hearing Zhao Lin''s words, everyone began to imagine such a scenario and couldn''t help but feel tempted.


    Of course, they were just thinking about it; they wouldn''t really do such a thing. After all, at the end of the day, it was someone''s private affair.


    Besides, the manager''s rtionship with that woman being unusual was just their spection. What if they were discussing official matters?


    If Su Chen knew these women were thinking so much just because he went to the office, he would rather die than go.


    The so-called "People''s words are dreadful" was exactly this!


    And if he knew about it, he would definitely ask:


    "Is this the image I have in your hearts?"


    Fortunately for him, he had no idea. At this moment, he was watching Yunyao in front of him, resting his leg on the office desk, then he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.


    "Speak, what do you need from me?"


    Su Chen slowly blew out a smoke ring and watched as it slowly drifted towards the ceiling.


    Seeing his unruly demeanor, Yunyao found it impossible to imagine that he was the same person her brother had spoken of!


    Because the difference between the two was simply too vast!


    One could say, one was a hero who stood tall, while the other was just a bug in the sewage!

 Chapter 275: Fast and Efficient

    Yunyao still couldn''t associate the man before her with the grand image of him described by her brother, yet she still pulled out an invitation and ced it on the table.


    "On the 18th of this month, our Yun Family will hold a charity dinner at Lantian Club. I hope Mr. Su can attend at that time."


    "A charity dinner?"


    Su Chen muttered. To tell the truth, he wasn''t very interested in these kinds of gatherings.


    However, he guessed it was Yunlong''s idea; after all, he was a soldier under hismand, so it was good to make an appearance.


    "Alright, if nothing speciales up, I''ll attend."


    Su Chen nced at her and asked,


    "Miss Yun, did youe here just to deliver this invitation?"


    "That, about the incidentst time at Kayley Mall..."


    Yunyao hesitated, still unsure how to express herself properly, considering her attitude back then was reserved and she hadn''t supported the other party.


    "That incident is over!"


    Su Chen waved his hand. That was just a trivial matter to him.


    "Did the Wu Family cause you any trouble afterward?"


    Yunyao hesitated before asking, as this question was indeed what she was most keen to ask.


    In her view, the Wu Family had lost face badly and would naturally not let things rest; retaliation was inevitable.


    Yet, seeing him lying herefortably now, could it be that he had neutralized the Wu Family''s reprisal?


    She knew that the Wu Family harbored some secret experts, which was one of the primary reasons the other three families didn''t dare provoke them. Could it be that those experts had alsoe back empty-handed?


    "What trouble? I haven''t done anything excessive, have I?"


    Su Chen, of course, wouldn''t tell Yunyao that he had already killed several people from the Wu Family. Wouldn''t that be asking for trouble?


    Yunyao waspletely speechless after hearing his words. You beat Mrs. Wu to that extent, stuffed her into a toilet, and humiliated her, and that wasn''t excessive?


    Then what would be excessive for you?


    "Alright, is there anything else?"


    Su Chen stood up and said, sensing that Yunlong''s sister might be trying to pry something out of him.


    Seeing his demeanor, Yunyao felt she had no choice but to take her leave, clearly sensing he was showing her out.


    However, Su Chen''s attitude also left Yunyao feeling quite insulted; she was annoyed.


    After all, people usually treated her with utmost respect, and this guy, on the other hand, had started showing her out after a few words.


    "Oh, if Director Lin is free, I hope both of you cane!"


    Yunyao said before leaving.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen understood. It must have been Yunlong who told her about his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue, but he didn''t really mind either.


    After Yunyao left, Su Chen headed back to the PR department!


    As soon as he walked in again, the women crowded around him again.


    "Director, you came back so soon?!"


    Zhao Lin Youyou asked, her expression quite suggestive.


    "What do you mean ''so soon''?"


    Su Chen was perplexed, sensing the women looking at him with strange expressions.


    "Oh, we were just noting how quickly you came back!"


    Ran Ting also said, her face meaningful as she spoke.


    "Efficiency, you know!"


    Su Chen boasted somewhat proudly.


    "The director''s efficiency is indeed fast!"


    "Yes, the director''s work efficiency is really high!"


    ...


    For a moment, the women all praised Su Chen for his quick work and high efficiency!


    Hearing all these praises, Su Chen should have been very happy¡ªhe was happy after all, since everyone likes beingplimented, right?


    But Su Chen was a little unable to feel happy; he always felt there was some hidden meaning in these women''s tones, but he couldn''t figure out what it could be.


    A momentter, everyone returned to their seats to work¡ªthe first priority is, after all, work, as they have to earn their sries!


    As Su Chen watched the lingering mischievous smiles on everyone''s faces, he felt even more uneasy. So, he slowly walked over and sat next to a young woman in her early twenties.


    "Manager, you¡­"


    Seeing Su Chen sit beside her, Shu Yin immediately became nervous, and her pretty face flushed crimson.


    Although Shu Yin sometimes dressed quite fashionably, those who knew her well were aware that she was actually quite shy and honest.


    The others, seeing Su Chen sit next to Shu Yin, were puzzled and secretly amazed¡ªwas Su Chen really not going to leave even Shu Yin alone? That was beastly!


    "What are you looking at! Get back to work properly, or I will deduct your bonuses!"


    Su Chen "fiercely" scanned the crowd; he was now ustomed to referring to himself as the manager.


    Although they didn''t believe Su Chen would really deduct their bonuses, everyone still turned their heads and pretended to start working, but their ears were pricked up sharply.


    "Shu Yin, how has Brother Su treated you normally?"


    Su Chen put away his "ferocious" look, recing it with what he thought was a very amiable smile.


    "Very good."


    Shu Yin nodded, since Su Chen had asked the question, what else could she say?


    Even if Su Chen had not been nice to her, she would still have had to say this; besides, Su Chen did actually take good care of her.


    "That''s good, then can you tell Brother Su why everyone''s looks were a bit strange just now?"


    Su Chen asked, somewhat puzzled.


    Sitting near Shu Yin, a few women almost burst outughing when they heard Su Chen''s question, but they held it in, though their bodies obviously shook with the effort.


    When Shu Yin heard Su Chen''s question, her face also turned "scarlet," her heart pounding rapidly.


    "Shu Yin, do you know why?"


    Seeing her like this, Su Chen grew more baffled and continued to ask.


    "I know."


    Shu Yin nodded slightly, her voice as faint as a mosquito''s.


    "So what is the reason?"


    Su Chen perked up and continued to inquire.


    "This, this¡­"


    Shu Yin suddenly stuttered, her face turning a deep shade of red, as if water was about to drip from it.


    She certainly knew the reason, but how could she say it?


    She simply couldn''t bring herself to say it!


    "Shu Yin, you said I treat you well, and you can''t even tell Brother Su this little thing?"


    Su Chen deliberately put on a stern face.


    Seeing Su Chen like this, Shu Yin also became somewhat panicked.


    "I, I''ll say it."


    Since Su Chen had said this, what else could Shu Yin do?


    Then she whispered for a while into Su Chen''s ear. After speaking, she felt her earlobes burning hot.


    After listening, Su Chen was dumbfounded!


    All these women in the public rtions department¡ªwhat kind of people were they? They werepletely a bunch of rowdies!


    He had merely chatted with Yunyao for a few moments, and these women had all rted it to intimate affairs between men and women.


    It must be said, these women were truly formidable!


    Even though he could tolerate all that, the fact that these women doubted his capabilities in that regard was absolutely intolerable!


    This was a big deal involving Su Chen''s dignity and boundary as a man!


    He now finally understood the real meaning behind theirments about his quick actions and high efficiency¡­

 Chapter 276: The Shock of the Man in the Purple Robe

    Su Chen, though hatefully itching with frustration, really had no solution; he couldn''t prove anything!


    He could exin that his earlier visit to the office wasn''t what everyone thought¡ªthat they had merely chatted for a bit.


    But it always felt awkward, and it even seemed to make things worse!


    They might even think that Su Chen was intentionally hiding something, which was entirely possible!


    Su Chen was quite depressed as he looked at those gossiping women, wishing he could just execute them on the spot, make them beg for mercy, and show them how utterly wrong their assumptions were!


    Of course, it was just a thought...


    Even as he drove home after work, Su Chen still felt somewhat annoyed.


    After all, no man suspected of being inadequate in that regard could easily brush it off!


    However, as soon as he returned to Grand Epoch Court, Su Chen''s annoyance vanished into thin air. Now, Lin Ruoxue''s vi was not just a ce of residence for him, but a home!


    Thinking of this, and considering that it was only him, Wang Ma, and three people in the house, Su Chen felt a warmth in his heart.


    "Wang Ma!"


    As soon as Su Chen opened the door, he called out habitually.


    After waiting for two seconds without a reply, Su Chen felt that something was off, as Wang Ma usually responded immediately.


    Moreover, as it was just getting into early winter, it became dark early, and by now, the house was already dim.


    Usually, Wang Ma would have already turned on the lights, but today, she hadn''t.


    All these details instantly put Su Chen on alert. He didn''t turn on the lights either, but instead, silently surveyed the house. By now, he had reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement and his senses had significantly sharpened, so the dim light didn''t hinder him at all.


    After checking, Su Chen noticed that there were clear signs that someone had been there. Ordinary people might not notice, but he could!


    "Since you''vee, why hide? Come out!"


    Su Chen said sternly, looking towards the staircase.


    "p p p!"


    A round of apuse sounded, followed by several people emerging from behind the staircase.


    "Your perception ismendable!"


    The leader praised. He thought they had cleaned up the traces well enough, and after Su Chen entered, they immediately held their breath.


    They had intended to ambush him, but Su Chen quickly detected their presence, startling the leader!


    "It''s not that my perception is good; it''s that you did a poor job cleaning up your traces."


    Su Chen retorted with a mouth twist, annoyed that the Wu Family''s people hade again, as bothersome as flies!


    But this time, there was a new addition, a person in a purple robe, seemingly of a slightly higher rank.


    Su Chen also noted that the man was at the Fifth Layer Realm of Qi Refinement. Frankly, such strength didn''t pose much of a threat in Su Chen''s eyes anymore.


    Although Su Chen spoke the truth, his words ignited anger in the group.


    Just as one of them was about to speak, Su Chen spoke first:


    "How is Wang Ma?"


    "You mean that servant?"


    The leader in the purple robe smiled casually, pointing behind the staircase:


    "Don''t worry, she''s fine. I just made sure she had a good sleep, so she wouldn''t interrupt our business."


    Relieved to hear that Wang Ma was unharmed, Su Chen''s heart settled. Honestly, after spending these days together, he hade to view Wang Ma as family.


    If they really had killed Wang Ma, Su Chen would definitely have made them taste a fate worse than death today.


    However, even though they did not kill Wang Ma, Su Chen did not n to let them go, at most giving them a quick end, which was already a disy of his merciful heart.


    At the same time, he was also somewhat astonished; the Wu Family really seemed to be quite interesting, having nurtured so many martial artists.


    Although these people were not high-grade in his mind, in the secr world, they definitely counted as extremely powerful beings!


    "Su Chen, would you like to settle this yourself, or do you want us to help you end it?"


    The man in the purple robe spoke confidently, even though Su Chen had seen through their hiding ce, he still did not take him too seriously.


    Because he was too young! He did not believe that this young man posed any threat to them!


    What he had always feared was merely some peerless master by the young man''s side, after all, the several groups he sent had either vanished without a trace or been killed.


    Today, he decided to make a move here because he had confirmed that at this moment, there was only him nearby!


    Su Chen tilted his head, he was quite curious as to where the purple-robed man''s confidence came from.


    It seemed that killing so many people earlier had still not taught the Wu Family people a lesson!


    If that was the case, then the solution was simple¡ªjust continue killing!


    "I am standing right here, and my head is right here, if you have the ability,e and take it yourself."


    Su Chen stated ndly.


    "Since you are so stubborn, then don''t me us for being unkind!"


    As soon as the purple-robed man finished speaking, the people in ck and white robes beside him immediately rushed towards Su Chen, moving swiftly, and arrived in front of Su Chen in the blink of an eye.


    Yet Su Chen scoffed coldly, and his hands struck out like blossoming lotuses!


    "Bang bang bang!"


    Before those people could even reach Su Chen, they had already been pped away, and almost simultaneously, theynded in different parts of the living room, each one with blood trailing from the corner of their mouth and copsed chests!


    Clearly, all these people had been killed by a single palm strike from Su Chen!


    Seeing this scene, the purple-robed man''s body broke out in a cold sweat, his hair standing on end!


    What was this young man¡ªa human or a ghost?


    The speed of the young man''s attack just now was too fast, so fast that even he, a Qi Refinement Fifth Layer realm master, had almost failed to see it clearly, and the force of his single palm was terrifyingly powerful!


    "Were all the earlier groups killed by you?"


    The purple-robed man asked in shock, at this moment, he also realized that he might have been mistaken earlier.


    There might not be any supreme master by this young man''s side; it was very likely that he himself was the true master!


    But he was still so young, how could this be possible?


    At such a young age, to have such a realm, what kind of heaven-defying talent in Martial Arts must he possess!


    But Su Chen''s next words thoroughly confirmed his judgment. He heard him say tly:


    "Since you Wu Family people are numerous and unafraid of death, then I can only fulfill your wish."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the body of the man in the purple robe couldn''t help but tremble, his eyes narrowed, and his expression turned grave!


    This young man must be eliminated as soon as possible, otherwise, when hees into his full strength, the Wu Family really will be in grave danger!


    Thinking this, the purple-robed man immediately emitted a dense killing intent, and a robust oppressive force began spreading throughout the living room!


    In that instant, the cirction of the air slowed down abruptly...

 Chapter 277: Provoked the Wrong Person (Long Chapter)

    ```


    At the center of the overwhelming pressure where Su Chen stood, he remained unflinching, seemingly unaffected in the slightest.


    Just then, the figure in the purple robe shed, immediately darting towards Su Chen like a lingering shadow.


    Somehow, a whip had appeared in his hand, about two meters long, wrapped in cowhide with ayer of small steel rings encircling it.


    Just looking at such a whip was enough to send a shiver down one''s spine, let alone the damage it would inflict upon striking flesh¡ªa guarantee of skin tearing and flesh bursting!


    What was even more terrifying was that three sharp hooks dangled from the tail end of the whip!


    Suddenly, the man in the purple robeshed out with the whip toward Su Chen, its trajectory incredibly strange!


    The whip tore through the air, bringing forth a burst of strong wind and crackling sounds as True Yuan radiated from it, casting a faint milky glow.


    Su Chen watched the ferocious whip hurtle towards him yet casually extended a hand as if reaching out to catch a leaf falling from a tree!


    When the man in the purple robe saw this, a cold sneer immediately curled the corners of his mouth.


    This young man is far too arrogant, thinking you understand the power of my whip?


    But in the next instant, the man in the purple robe stoodpletely dumbstruck, his face a mask of idiocy and shock, as if he had seen a ghost!


    Because he saw¡ªthe young man in front of him had indeed caught his whip so nonchntly!


    What shocked him even more was that after the young man caught the whip, he could no longer control it in his hand!


    The purple-robed man was most proud of his skill with the whip!


    He never imagined that not only could this young man effortlessly catch his full-force strike but also control the whip, rendering him unable to wield it!


    At that moment, Su Chen gently pulled, drawing the whip towards himself, and the man in the purple robe, following the force, was pulled closer to Su Chen!


    In an instant, he was only three to four meters away from Su Chen, which shocked the man, and he immediately sensed the danger.


    He hastily let go of the whip, attempting to retreat and put some distance between himself and Su Chen!


    But it was already toote, as Su Chen struck out with a palm from afar, and a surge of robust True Yuan burst forth!


    "Ahh~~~"


    The man in the purple robe was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing into the stairs and finallynding heavily on the ground.


    The two iron posts of the staircase werepletely deformed from the impact, indicating the immense force of the collision!


    As the man in the purple robe fell to the ground, he couldn''t help but look down and saw a bowl-sized hole in his abdomen, his intestines already spilling out; he knew he was about to die...


    "You... actually have... Qi Refinement... Eighth Layer..."


    At this moment, he looked up at the young man, his eyes full of terror!


    He clearly sensed that the thickness of the True Yuan released by the young man could only be achieved by someone above the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer!


    This factpletely overturned his understanding; a man in his twenties with cultivation above the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer was simply inconceivable!


    He also realized that the Wu Family had truly provoked someone they shouldn''t have, and they would likely pay a steep price for it!


    However, these concerns were no longer his to bear, for before he could finish his sentence, he had already taken hisst breath...


    If he had known that Su Chen had held back and not used his full strength, one wonders if he would have been scared back to life...


    After dealing with these people, Su Chen quickly checked on Mother Wang''s condition and, finding her just unconscious, was relieved. However, he didn''t wake her up immediately but instead carried her to the sofa.


    Then Su Chen drove the car to the door, loaded the bodies into it.


    He then returned to clean the bloodstains in the house to prevent Mother Wang or Lin Ruoxue from being frightened upon their awakening or return!


    Having finished these chores, he drove to a secluded spot to dispose of the corpses...


    When Su Chen returned home, Lin Ruoxue had not yete back, and Mother Wang was still unconscious...


    Su Chen took out a silver needle and pricked Mother Wang''s Heavenly Court acupoint; a few secondster, she slowly woke up!


    "Thieves, there are thieves!"


    Mother Wang eximed excitedly as she awoke.


    "Mother Wang, I scared the thief away," Su Chen said, holding her hand and smiling.


    "Ah, son-inw, you''re back!"


    It took Mother Wang a moment to notice Su Chen.


    "Son-inw, did you see those thieves too?"


    "Yes, they were about to steal when I came back. I scared them away, and they all jumped out the window and ran."


    "That''s good, that''s good."


    Mother Wang said, looking at Su Chen:


    ```


    "Son-inw, you wouldn''t believe it, I was sitting down for dinner when suddenly someone knocked me out from behind. Thieves these days are so bold, still daring to steal with people at home!"


    "It really was daring, but it''s good that you''re okay, Wang Ma."


    Su Chen chimed in with a chuckling response.


    "Son-inw, did we lose anything at home?"


    Wang Ma was still a bit worried.


    "No, no, you can rest easy!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "That''s good then."


    Wang Ma was reassured, but then she suddenly pped her thigh and eximed:


    "Oh no, I haven''t finished cooking dinner yet!"


    Immediately, Wang Ma hurried back into the kitchen to busily resume her work...


    ......


    It was the same nightclub, the same private room where Liu Qing, Lin Chao, and Ma Yuemin once again gathered.


    However, today they weren''t as high-spirited as before, their faces expressing a mix of heaviness and dejection!


    "Lin Chao, your family''s patriarch is way too biased," Ma Yueminmented with a hint of sarcasm:


    "You''re the eldest legitimate grandson, yet he transferred all his shares to Lin Ruoxue alone!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Chao''s expression grew even darker. Indeed, the fact that the old man gave all his shares to his granddaughter Lin Ruoxue was a clear p in the face to him, the eldest grandson!


    "Yeah, Lin Chao, how did your family''s patriarch suddenly make such a decision?" Liu Qing also asked with some confusion.


    "I suspect the old man has guessed that it was our doing with the poison, but due to family ties, he refrained from taking any drastic actions," Lin Chao said, frowning deeply:


    "By doing this, he hopes to crush our ambitions. After all, this puts Lin Ruoxue in absolute control of the shares."


    "But you really went too far, not even sparing your own grandfather!" Ma Yuemin said lightly, ncing at Lin Chao with an ironic twist of his mouth.


    After that horrific incident, Ma Yuemin had be much more radical and cared less about others'' feelings when he spoke.


    Before, he would never have made such a remark to someone''s face, but now, he was indifferent.


    As expected, Lin Chao exploded as soon as he heard Ma Yuemin''s words.


    "What are you implying, Mr. Ma?!"


    "Isn''t it obvious? You''re shooting yourself in the foot," Ma Yuemin retorted disdainfully with a sneer.


    Lin Chao''s face immediately clouded over with anger, and his fists clenched tightly...


    Seeing the two on the verge of conflict, Liu Qing quickly tried to mediate:


    "Gentlemen, please, let''s be reasonable. We''re all on the same side. What''s this all about!"


    Being the Liu Family''s heir, Liu Qing''s words carried significant weight:


    "Brother Ma, what you said just now was indeed inappropriate. After all, Lin Chao is one of us," Liu Qing said calmly to Ma Yuemin.


    As Ma Yuemin was about to respond, Liu Qing gestured with his hand, and Ma Yuemin swallowed his words.


    Liu Qing then turned to Lin Chao and said:


    "I have to say, Lin Chao, your strategy of using poison wasn''t very wise. I told you to handle your family''s patriarch, not to kill him!"


    "And what do you mean by that?" Lin Chao responded irritably, feeling as if Liu Qing was just harping on after the event:


    "You don''t know how much the old man valued that girl, Lin Ruoxue. It was almost impossible to get his support for me. Otherwise, why would I have done something with such high risks?"


    "Lin Chao, why do you always focus on the patriarch? Why can''t you think about the problem from a different angle?" Liu Qing said slowly, his eyes narrowing with a fleeting glint of cold shrewdness passing through them...

 Chapter 278 - 278 Conspiracy

    "Look at this from another angle? What angle?"


    Lin Chao became immediately confused upon hearing Liu Qing''s words, and blurted out.


    Ma Yuemin was simrly perplexed, unable to grasp what Liu Qing was scheming.


    "Actually, it''s quite simple. When I say look at this from another angle, I mean to shift the focus away from the old master, and onto another person."


    Liu Qing nced at both of them, and spoke with a mysterious air.


    "Shift it onto another person? Who?"


    Lin Chao slightly furrowed his brows, then suddenly a light bulb went off in his head, and he eximed:


    "Are you talking about Lin Ruoxue?"


    "Hahaha, correct, Lin Shao is indeed keen-witted, getting it in one guess!"


    Liu Qing pped his hands in appreciation andughed out loud.


    "But why is that?"


    Ma Yuemin still hadn''t figured out the reason, and it has to be said that, after that incident, although Ma Yuemin''s personality had be more extreme, his mind wasn''t as nimble as before.


    "Don''t you understand?"


    Liu Qing, pleased with himself, began to exin to Ma Yuemin:


    "Even if we deal with Old Master Lin, we would still have to face Lin Ruoxue, a woman not to be underestimated. She''s no pushover."


    "But if we take out Lin Ruoxue, everything changes. Whether Old Master Lin knows it was Lin Shao or not, he would have no other choice."


    "The reason the old master skipped Lin Shao''s father''s generation and chose Lin Ruoxue shows that he has no faith in that generation at all."


    "In the third generation, the Lin Family has four people: Lin Shao, Lin Ruomei, Lin Ruoxue, and Lin Ruohan; Lin Ruohan is still a child. Apart from Lin Ruoxue, there is only Lin Ruomei left. Do you think Lin Ruomei canpete with Lin Shao?"


    "Exactly, with this in mind, even if Old Master Lin knows it was Lin Shao, he would probably have to suppress the matter, because only Lin Shao has the ability to steer the Lin Family ship!"


    Ma Yuemin also expressed his agreement and a cruel smile appeared on his face.


    Compared to dealing with Old Master Lin, directly targeting Lin Ruoxue gave him a certain sense of pleasure, and any past unpleasantness with Lin Chao also vanished. After all, they were still in the same boat now.


    "However, it won''t be so easy to deal with Lin Ruoxue."


    Lin Chao also agreed with Liu Qing''s point, as for arge family, although kinship exists, there''s no question that the family''s interests are paramount!


    If Lin Ruoxue really died, he believed that no matter how much the old master cherished Lin Ruoxue or how much he hated them, father and son, in the end, he would have to hand over the Lin Family into his care.


    Because apart from Lin Ruoxue, he was the only one with the qualifications and ability!


    But when it came to getting rid of Lin Ruoxue, he still didn''t have much confidence. This wasn''t just because Lin Ruoxue was not an easy beauty to deal with, but more importantly, she had Su Chen by her side, whose depth he did not know.


    If they were to really pull this off, he might have to activate a hidden move he had prepared in advance.


    "Lin Shao, we''re just discussing directions for now, not immediately implementing anything. There will always be opportunities."


    Liu Qing said with a smile.


    The other two nodded silently...


    ......


    It was past nine at night when Lin Ruoxue finally returned, looking somewhat haggard after a long day full of events and workingte.


    "Wife, you''re back."


    The moment Su Chen saw Lin Ruoxue enter, he immediately got her slippers and took her bag, every bit the model husband.


    "Thank you, husband."


    Lin Ruoxue softly said.


    "Ah~~, what are you doing?"


    But as soon as the words left her mouth, she cried out in panic.


    It turned out that Su Chen suddenly lifted her thigh and picked her up. This abrupt movement gave Lin Ruoxue quite the scare, and she instinctively stretched out her slender hand to hook around Su Chen''s neck.


    "Wife, you''ve worked hard, let your husband carry you to the sofa to rest."


    Su Chen chuckled, though his actions were simply a spur-of-the-moment decision.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue was at a loss for words. It was only a few steps away; how could it be that tiring to need carrying?


    "Wife, you seem quite heavy, and pretty fleshy too!"


    Su Chen teased as he blinked.


    "What do you mean? Are you saying I''m fat?"


    Lin Ruoxue retorted with displeasure, puffing up slightly. Being called fat was every woman''s archenemy, and naturally, no woman, Lin Ruoxue included, liked to hear it.


    "Of course not, my wife is just perfect."


    Su Chen walked to the sofa and sat down, not letting go of Lin Ruoxue, but instead, he made her sit on hisp.


    Lin Ruoxue also epted his actions without struggling to get down; she felt quitefortable being held by him, and the feeling was quite special.


    "Wife, do you know what the best figure for a woman is?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked Lin Ruoxue.


    "What''s it like?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s pretty face showed a trace of puzzlement at the question.


    "It''s when you look skinny, but feel chubby to the touch."


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a sly smile:


    "Just like you, wife."


    As Su Chen spoke, his eyes roamed Lin Ruoxue''s body with ill-intent, and moved by his desires, his rogue hand also reached out towards Lin Ruoxue, exploring that plush sensation.


    "You pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face blushed as she spat out when she felt Su Chen''s misbehaving.


    She intended to break free from Su Chen''s devilish grasp immediately, but somehow, Su Chen''s other hand was tightly circling her waist.


    Of course, this was partly because Lin Ruoxue wasn''t trying too hard to escape. Her struggle was more of an instinctive shyness, purely symbolic in nature.


    Moreover, Lin Ruoxue had grown somewhat ustomed to Su Chen''s asional tactile ways. If one day he behavedpletely, it would actually be abnormal!


    Before long, Lin Ruoxue''s face became excessively flushed, even her breathing turned a bit uneven.


    "Miss, dinner is ready."


    At that moment, Auntie Wang came out and called.


    Startled by Auntie Wang''s voice, Lin Ruoxue abruptly pushed Su Chen away, quickly getting off his leg with a crimson face....


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue suddenly getting off her son-inw''sp, and looking the way she did, Auntie Wang couldn''t help but show an ambiguous smile on her face.


    "Is it ready? I''m actually really hungry."


    Lin Ruoxue tried to cover up by saying so, but inside she was immensely embarrassed...


    Su Chen saw her attempt to hide her embarrassment and couldn''t help but grin, finding her quite adorable!


    A momentter, Auntie Wang brought the food to the table, and Lin Ruoxue sat down to eat.


    However, Auntie Wang and Su Chen had already eaten since they would wait for Lin Ruoxue to have dinner together if she wasn''t toote.


    If she was toote, then Auntie Wang and Su Chen would usually eat first, and Lin Ruoxue would reheat the food when she arrived.


    After all, Auntie Wang was of an age that didn''t allow her to go hungry for too long....

 Chapter 279 - 279 Drunk Xu Xinran

    After dinner, Mrs. Wang quickly cleaned up and went to bed, and Lin Ruoxue also prepared to go upstairs to continue working.


    "Huh, Husband, why is this corner of the staircase damaged? Even the iron column is bent like this?"


    Lin Ruoxue had just stepped on the staircase when she noticed the corner seemed to be damaged by some heavy object, so she asked curiously.


    "Ah, really? I didn''t know that."


    Su Chen pretended to be clueless and went up:


    "Yeah, what happened here? Should we ask Mrs. Wang?"


    "Never mind, Mrs. Wang has already gone to bed. You can just get someone to fix it tomorrow."


    Lin Ruoxue thought for a moment and said. Although she found it odd, she didn''t pay it much attention.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll find someone to fix it tomorrow."


    Su Chen immediately agreed, he hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue not to press for a reason, otherwise, it would have been difficult to exin.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded and continued upstairs, as she still had a lot to do!


    After Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to work, Su Chen also quietly left the house, intending to go to the manor to cultivate.


    But just as he had driven not far from home, he saw a woman on the roadside staggering along, holding a bottle of liquor.


    He initially didn''t n to bother with it, after all, there were so many drunks, how could he manage all of them?


    But as he drove past her, he briefly nced and realized that the woman looked somewhat familiar.


    Just then, the woman''s legs gave out, and she leaned against a roadside railing and copsed onto the ground, sitting down.


    By then Su Chen had already driven a bit past her, he quickly pulled over to the side of the road, then turned back.


    When he got to her, he found she had fallen asleep, yet still clutching that bottle of liquor tightly in her hand.


    Moving her scattered hair aside from her face to take a closer look, wasn''t this Xu Xinran, that little girl?


    He felt puzzled, why was this little girl drinking so muchte at night, wandering on the streets?


    "Hey, wake up!"


    Su Chen lightly tapped her little face, but Xu Xinran showed no reaction.


    "Hey, wake up!"


    Su Chen increased his force slightly and tapped her face again.


    "Ah~~ who is it!"


    This time Xu Xinran woke up, swinging her arms in the air and muttered discontentedly.


    "It''s me, why did you drink so much?"


    Su Chen was really puzzled, knowing that Xu Xinran was a police officer who rarely drank since it could lead to trouble.


    What had happened today that she ended up like this?


    "It''s you, you bad guy!"


    Upon seeing the figure in front of her, Xu Xinran startedughing:


    "How did youe here?"


    Su Chen found himself both amused and exasperated by her state, I came to help you, how am I a bad guy now?


    "The ground is cold,e on, get up."


    Su Chen took her delicate hand, trying to help her up.


    But unexpectedly, Xu Xinran and the little girl simplyy on the ground, refusing to get up.


    "Miss, what do you really want?"


    Su Chen hadn''t expected a drunk Xu Xinran to be this difficult to deal with, and he couldn''t just leave her there, especially since she was Xia Qiuru''s cousin.


    Their rtionship was quite good, and Su Chen had even pretended to be her prop boyfriend!


    "Hug! I want a hug!"


    Sitting on the ground, leaning against the roadside railing, Xu Xinran opened her arms and pouted at Su Chen, her cute face covered in a charming, wine-red flush.


    "Do you know who I am?"


    Su Chen was a bit baffled too. You sure you know who I am, and you still want a hug?


    "Aren''t you just that bad guy?"


    Xu Xinran rolled her eyes at him, a hint of seduction in her gaze.


    That look made Su Chen''s heart flutter, not expecting Officer Xu to have such a feminine moment.


    But I didn''t do anything bad, so why do Ie across as a bad guy or a bad thing in his mouth?


    Am I really that bad? Su Chen thought annoyedly.


    However, seeing her drunk like this, Su Chen was toozy to argue with her.


    "This, it''s not quite appropriate for me to hug you. Let me help you up instead," Su Chen said.


    If Lin Ruoxue or the women from the public rtions department heard this, they would definitely be surprised and exim that the sun had risen from the west.


    You see, he always tried to take advantage of every situation, creating opportunities if there weren''t any.


    Actually, Su Chen wasn''t really a Liu Xiahui, but Xu Xinran being drunk gave him a sense of taking advantage of someone''s vulnerability.


    Had Xu Xinran been sober and issued such an enthusiastic invitation, Su Chen would have epted without hesitation!


    "No, hug! Just a hug!"


    Xu Xinran wiggled her body slightly, her moist cherry lips pouting as she began to act coquettishly.


    "Really want a hug?"


    "Hug! Hug!"


    Xu Xinran opened her arms again, her body slightly leaning forward. However, since she was drunk, her body seemed unstable, as if she could fall down at any moment...


    "Alright, this is per your request!"


    Su Chen pretended to admonish, and then hooked one arm around her knees and the other around her back, lifting her up.


    Today, Xu Xinran was wearing a thin, form-fitting dress, not only perfectly showcasing her curves but also allowing Su Chen to clearly feel her smooth skin beneath the clothes.


    Su Chen carried her towards his car, then opened the back door and tossed her onto the back seat.


    Just as Su Chen was about to stand up, Xu Xinran suddenly reached out both hands, sped his neck tightly, not letting him get up, and even pulled him towards her.


    Already bending awkwardly, Su Chen was yanked by the neck by Xu Xinran, causing his body to stagger and fall onto her.


    And his face was pressed against something soft, Su Chen hastily propped himself up on both sides of the seat, trying to get up.


    But just as he lifted his head a bit, Xu Xinran also moved her pretty face closer:


    "Kiss!"


    "What kiss? Let go!"


    Su Chen had not expected that Xu Xinran drunk would be like this. Earlier, just wanting a hug was one thing, but now she wanted a kiss too!


    "Mmm~~~, I want a kiss!"


    Xu Xinran started acting coquettishly again, then her red lips moved closer...


    Su Chen looked at her fiery red lips, his heart also heating up...


    "No!"


    Su Chen''s body shook suddenly, and he quickly pried open Xu Xinran''s slender hands, then retreated like fleeing, closing the back door behind him.


    After closing the door, Su Chen couldn''t help but pat his "thumping" heart.


    He thought if he let it drag on, God knows what this drunk woman might do next...

 Chapter 280: Want a Kiss

    Su Chen initially thought that after he had broken free, this issue would be temporarily put to rest.


    But unexpectedly, just as he settled into the driver''s seat, Xu Xinran started acting up again.


    As soon as she saw Su Chen sitting in the driver''s seat, she stood up again, then leaned over the seat, her pretty face eagerly closing in on Su Chen''s:


    "Kissy! Kissy!~~~" Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Themotion almost caused Su Chen to crash into the curb, and he was speechless. Did she really want to y kissy that badly?


    Su Chen, somewhat impatient, pushed her away, and Xu Xinran immediately fell back into the seat. Su Chen then pressed the gas pedal, the car roared, and they left the ce.


    However, what Su Chen didn''t expect was that Xu Xinran, who had just tumbled back into her seat, stood unsteadily again and moved her morous face close to Su Chen:


    "Kissy! Kissy~~"


    Su Chen, utterly devoid of pity, pushed her back again...


    But after a few seconds, that pretty face once again appeared beside Su Chen:


    "Kissy! Kissy~~~"


    Su Chen was thoroughly defeated by Xu Xinran''s persistent spirit!


    "Alright, alright!"


    Su Chen turned his head and kissed her on the cheek:


    "Happy now?!"


    After saying this, Su Chen continued to turn his head and look at the road ahead.


    "Mm~~ you kissed the wrong spot, not there, it''s here!"


    Xu Xinran extended a slender finger, pointing to her red lips and said coquettishly.


    "Why are you so troublesome?"


    Su Chenmented helplessly.


    "Mmm mmm mmm~~~ Kissy!"


    Xu Xinran puckered her cherry lips.


    "Kissy, then kissy!"


    Su Chen grabbed her head and nted a fierce kiss on her mouth, somewhat venting his frustration.


    "Now, are you satisfied?"


    Su Chen really had his hands full with this Xu Xinran. If she had been this enthusiastic and throwing herself at him while sober, he would have already taken care of her!


    "Want more!~~~"


    Xu Xinran continued to pout, as if she had just tasted something delightful and couldn''t bear to let it go.


    "To hell with that!"


    Su Chen pushed her back again, snapping fiercely:


    "If you get up again, I''m going to spank you and throw you out of the car!"


    Hearing these words from Su Chen, Xu Xinran finally stopped climbing over, no longer trying to get to him. It was uncertain whether she was afraid of being spanked, of being thrown out of the car, or if she was just content with the kisses she''d gotten.


    Seeing that she wasn''t climbing over anymore, Su Chen also secretly breathed a sigh of relief and sped toward the residential area where Xu Xinran lived...


    "Where are we going?"


    Xu Xinran looked at the rapidly retreating lights outside the window and mumbled drowsily.


    "Of course, I''m taking you home. Where else would we go?"


    Su Chen replied irritably, rolling his eyes, though the Xu Xinran behind him couldn''t see.


    "Not going home, not going home!"


    Who knew that upon hearing this, Xu Xinran would behave like a lunatic, standing up and shaking Su Chen''s shoulders.


    Shaken by her, Su Chen''s hand trembled, and the car swerved off course, nearly hitting a nearby utility pole. Luckily, Su Chen reacted in time to hit the brakes, avoiding a tragic ident.


    "If you''re not going home, where are you going?"


    Su Chen really wanted to just dump this troublesome policewoman on the main road, she was such a hassle!


    "I don''t care, I''m not going home anyway!"


    Xu Xinran childishly retorted, her eyes then lit up:


    "Drinking, let''s go drinking!"


    Su Chen was at his wit''s end with this girl, already so drunk and still wanting to drink?!


    "Should I take you home instead?"


    Su Chen turned his head to look at Xu Xinran and asked.


    "No, no, I don''t want to go home today! Hmm, not going home!"


    Xu Xinran muttered in a daze.


    "Did you get into a fight with Qiuru?"


    Su Chen tentatively asked. In his opinion, Xu Xinran''s refusal to go home must mean the two had quarreled.


    "Cousin? No, we didn''t fight!"


    Xu Xinran slurred:


    "Cousin, she, no, no, she doesn''t let me, me, drink, I don''t want to, to go... go home!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen suddenly understood why she didn''t want to go home. So, she was afraid of Xia Qiuru scolding her!


    "Are you really drunk or just pretending?"


    Su Chen asked with a chuckle, she was so far gone yet still remembered Xia Qiuru forbidding her from drinking.


    But Xu Xinran didn''t respond. Su Chen turned his head to look and discovered she had already fallen asleep in the back seat.


    Since Xu Xinran didn''t want to go home, it wasn''t right for Su Chen to forcibly take her back. Generally, he respected others'' personal wishes.


    Luckily, he was heading to the manor anyway, so he brought Xu Xinran along. There was plenty of room, and the previous owner had left all sorts of daily necessities, so staying one night wouldn''t be a problem.


    After arriving at the manor, Su Chen parked the car and then carried Xu Xinran inside. He had carried her once already and didn''t mind doing it again.


    And since she had just fallen deeply asleep, Su Chen didn''t dare wake her up. Who knew what kinds of antics she might pull upon waking up!


    Su Chen entered a bedroom and gently ced Xu Xinran on the bed. Just as he was about to pull up the nket over her,


    Xu Xinran suddenly let out a "wow", as if she was going to vomit, but nothing came out.


    Su Chen was startled and quickly said,


    "Wait here, I''ll get you a basin!"


    Su Chen turned and ran towards the door, but before he reached it, sounds of vomiting echoed from behind him.


    Su Chen turned back to look and waspletely dumbfounded...


    .....


    The next morning, as the early sunlight shone into the room, Xu Xinran woke up groggily.


    She felt a headacheing on and couldn''t help but rub her head. However, when she fully opened her eyes, she was utterly bewildered.


    "Where is this ce? How did I end up here?"


    She hurriedly got out of bed, but when she looked down at her clothes, she waspletely stunned!


    "What happened? These aren''t my clothes!"


    Xu Xinran''s heart suddenly started beating "thump thump", and she became incredibly tense!


    Could it be that someone had...st night?


    Fortunately, she was a police officer, which kept her from beingpletely overwhelmed by this unexpected development.


    Though Xu Xinran was a police officer, in the end, she was also a woman, and facing such a situation, her mind was already in turmoil...


    Xu Xinran slowly walked out of the room and discovered that there were so many rooms in this ce, dozens of them, but not a soul in sight.


    This somewhat eerie scene made her heart leap to her throat...


    Just then, she heard a faint noiseing from a nearby room and cautiously made her way towards it...

 Chapter 281: Bizarre Case

    When Xu Xinran moved over there and saw that familiar figure inside, she was instantly stunned.


    "You''re awake!"


    Su Chen, hearing footsteps, turned his head to look at Xu Xinran and smiled,


    "Just a moment, the porridge will be ready soon."


    "Oh." Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Xu Xinran felt her brain wasn''t working all of a sudden,pletely bewildered.


    "Why is he here?"


    "Could it be that he was the one who... to mest night?"


    Xu Xinran was momentarily in a state of turmoil; if someone else had done that to her, she definitely wouldn''t have been able to ept it and would have fought them desperately,


    But when that person was Su Chen, she was a bit at a loss about what to do; for a moment, various emotions flooded her.


    "Come, help me bring these two dishes to the table, breakfast will be ready soon..."


    Seeing her standing there dumbfounded, Su Chen said something to her.


    "Oh."


    Xu Xinran mumbled a response,pletely like a wooden doll.


    "Forget it, I''ll do it myselfter."


    Thinking she still hadn''t sobered up from the alcohol, Su Chen said this.


    After ten minutes, Su Chen finished his work, and the two sat down together at a dining table.


    "You were drunk yesterday, so you should have some porridge today to nourish your stomach," Su Chen said as he served her a bowl of porridge


    "Thank you."


    Xu Xinran nodded shyly and, after some thought, couldn''t help but ask,


    "How did I end up here?"


    Su Chen put down his chopsticks upon hearing her question and looked at her curiously,


    "Do you know you got drunk yesterday?"


    "I know."


    "Do you remember what happened after that?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    However, that question made Xu Xinran''s heart tighten!


    Could it be that he really... to her...


    "Think again!"


    Su Chen''s mouth curled into a wry smile, as she had given him a hard timest night, but now thedy had woken up and remembered nothing.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Xu Xinran frowned and tried hard to remember, but after a while, she still couldn''t recall anything.


    "Let me remind you, ''kiss''!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but say as he saw her like this.


    At the word ''kiss'' from Su Chen, a sh of lightning went through Xu Xinran''s mind, and a scene suddenly appeared in her head.


    The scene went like this: in a car, a drunken woman kept asking the man who was driving for a kiss, the man pushed her away in disgust several times, but the woman persisted in her request...


    At this thought, Xu Xinran''s face flushed red, and she hung her head low...


    She couldn''t believe that such a thing could have been done by her, how embarrassing was that?


    "Do you remember now?"


    Seeing her like this, Su Chen intentionally asked, a yful smile spreading across his face.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Xu Xinran wanted to bury her face in the ground, unable to bear answering his question.


    "Just eat the porridge first; it won''t taste good when it gets cold," Su Chen said, having intended just to tease her a bit.


    "Fine."


    After Xu Xinran had a bowl of porridge, she did feel much morefortable all over, so Su Chen served her another bowl.


    After taking a few sips, she still couldn''t help but ask,


    "But how did I end up here?"


    "What do you think? You refused to go home, so I had to bring you here; this ce is borrowed from someone," Su Chen said nonchntly.


    "Then the clothes on me..."


    Xu Xinran asked, her face turning crimson as she looked down.


    "I changed them,"


    Xu Xinran had not finished speaking when Su Chen took over.


    "It was him, after all!"


    A tremor gripped Xu Xinran''s heart as she asked in trepidation,


    "Then, what about yesterday..."


    "What happened yesterday?"


    Su Chen nced at her suspiciously.


    "Nothing, nothing..."


    Xu Xinran said somewhat frantically, her eyes flickering constantly...


    "You don''t think I did something to you yesterday, do you?"


    Seeing her like this, Su Chen instantly understood what she was thinking and asked, unable to helpughing and crying at the same time.


    "Didn''t you?"


    Xu Xinran was also confused by Su Chen''s words.


    "Of course not, do I look like such a beast? You vomited all over yourself yesterday, how could I not change your clothes?"


    Su Chen curled his lip as he said,


    "Lucky for you, there were some clothes here; otherwise, you would have had to wear just your underwear."


    So that''s what it was!


    Xu Xinran immediately breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Su Chen''s words.


    But although nothing happened, the undeniable fact was that he had seen her naked body!


    And whether he had done anything else was still unknown!


    As she thought about this, Xu Xinran''s face once again flushed a deep red, and an odd feeling suddenly surged in her heart...


    "By the way, why did you drink so much yesterday? Was there something bothering you?"


    Having finished breakfast, Su Chen casually lit a cigarette and asked.


    "What else could it be? I was irritated by a case and wanted to have a couple of drinks. Who knew..."


    Xu Xinran sighed.


    "Which case?"


    It seemed strange to Su Chen that any case could upset Xu Xinran so much that she resorted to drowning her sorrows.


    Normally, internal police cases shouldn''t be discussed with outsiders, but considering the chief''s attitude toward him, Xu Xinran figured it wouldn''t hurt to share a bit.


    "Actually, it''s a missing-person case, another girl has vanished."


    As she mentioned this, Xu Xinran''s eyes suddenly shed with anger:


    "She''s the thirty-sixth girl to go missing in the past six months."


    "Oh, it''s a missing-person case. Those are always tricky; you can''t rush things, you need to take it slow."


    Su Chen gently consoled her, although he too was surprised inside¡ªthirty-six cases in half a year seemed excessively high.


    "It''s not as simple as you think."


    Xu Xinran shook her head with a bitter smile,


    "All of the missing are girls aged 16 to 28, and they were all virgins. What''s more crucial is that after some time, their corpses are discovered somewhere, in a very horrifying state."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Su Chen frowned deeply¡ªthis was indeed highly unusual.


    "What did the corpses look like?"


    Su Chen asked in a grave tone.


    "Yes, the most bizarre part is those bodies; the condition of the corpses is truly chilling."


    Xu Xinran''s face involuntarily showed a look ofplex fear, and she still felt a creepy sensation when she thought about those bodies:


    "Their bodies were incredibly pale, all the blood inside dried up, and the whole person looked like an old woman. I''ve never seen anything like it before."


    Hearing Xu Yunyao''s words, Su Chen''s pupils tightened sharply¡ªhe had a feeling that there was something very unusual about this case.


    He had some theories in mind, but nothing was certain yet.


    "Yesterday we received another report of a missing girl, 21 years old, and after a long search, we still have no leads."


    Xu Xinran shook her head in distress,


    "I''m guessing it''s another case with little hope."


    "Is that why you were in such a bad mood and went to drink?"


    Su Chen asked softly, now understanding why she got so drunkst night.


    "Yes, the death of those girls weighs heavily on my heart, it''s very upsetting."


    Xu Xinran nodded.

 Chapter 282: Welfare Institute

    "Alright, you don''t need to worry too much about it, things will work out when ites to it."


    Su Chen said, trying tofort her.


    "Hmm, I''m just feeling a bit down," Xu Xinran nodded.


    "Let''s go, I''ll take you to work."


    Upon seeing her finish eating, Su Chen stood up and offered.


    The Jianghai Police Department was located a bit to the east of the center of Jianghai City, and after leaving, Su Chen drove straight there.


    "Su Chen, can you teach me martial arts in the future?"


    As they were getting close to the police department, Xu Xinran suddenly asked.


    In fact, ever since Su Chen had taken action at the ss reunion, Xu Xinran had wanted to learn martial arts from him but had never found the opportunity. Today seemed like the perfect chance, so she broached the subject.


    During the ss reunion, when confronted by two assassins, Su Chen''s actions had left a very deep impression on her.


    As a police officer, she naturally wanted to improve her own martial arts abilities so that she''d have a better chance when facing criminals.


    "Sure, no problem," he agreed readily.


    To be honest, when it came to martial arts, there really was no better teacher in the world than him.


    Within a few minutes, they arrived at the entrance of the police department. Just as Xu Xinran was about to get out of the car, Su Chen said:


    "Let me know next time when there''s a missing person or a body found."


    "I''ll have to ask the chief about that," Xu Xinran said, seeming a bit troubled.


    "Of course," Su Chen understood that Jiang Lixing would probably be more than happy to have him involved!


    Su Chen was so concerned about this case because he had some suspicions, and to confirm whether they were right or not, he needed more information.


    If his hunch was correct, then the situation could be quite serious!


    ......


    After dropping off Xu Xinran, Su Chen headed to the corporation. Belle Corporation wasn''t too far from the police department, just a few streets away.


    This morning, because Xu Xinran got drunk the night before, Su Chen had stayed with her to make breakfast and hadn''t returned home to prepare breakfast for Lin Ruoxue.


    Of course, Su Chen had already called Mrs. Wang in the morning to tell her he would be out due to some matters. After all, now that he had a home, it was natural to let someone know when he was going out.


    Otherwise, not seeing him early in the morning would certainly cause Lin Ruoxue and Mrs. Wang to worry.


    Upon his arrival at Belle Corporation, Su Chen was about to visit Lin Ruoxue''s office when his phone rang.


    It turned out to be Xiao Yaning, asking him to apany her to the orphanage.


    Only then did Su Chen remember that he had promised to apany her to the orphanage to make a donation today.


    Su Chen had no choice but to return to the parking lot to get his car, driving towards Rose Mansion, where Xiao Yaning was already waiting at the entrance.


    Once in the car, they headed straight for the orphanage in the northern part of the city.


    The orphanage was located near the suburbs in the north, and it took Su Chen more than forty minutes to reach it.


    As they got out of the car, they were greeted by a building spanning over a dozen acres with arge yard outside. In the yard, row after row of low houses were visible, but they were all quite old, with many bricks and tiles peeling off the walls.


    The two walked around the yard for a while and saw only a few children ying but did not see any staff members.


    Finally, a worker dressed as a plumber crossed their path, and Xiao Yaning quickly called out to him:


    "Master, wait a moment."


    The man dressed like a plumber stopped when he heard the call and looked towards Xiao Yaning:


    "Are you calling me?"


    "Yes, master, may I ask where the director''s office is?" Xiao Yaning approached and asked.


    "The director?"


    The man looked at Xiao Yaning and Su Chen curiously:


    "Is this your first time here?"


    "Hmm, yes, but how did master know?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "If you had been here before, you wouldn''t ask that question. The director of this ce hardly makes it here twice a year."


    The handyman with the appearance of an electrician said.


    "Then who is in charge of the orphanage normally?"


    Xiao Yaning asked, she too was somewhat angered. Noting twice a year, what kind of director is that!


    "Of course, it''s Teacher Yao. She is such a good person. Without her, these children would have nothing to eat."


    The electrician pointed to some children ying in the yard as he spoke.


    "Teacher Yao, who is that?"


    "Oh, Teacher Yao is the deputy director here, and she has been working here for over thirty years."


    The electrician said with a sense of emotion:


    "Without Teacher Yao, this orphanage would have copsed a long time ago. Not only does she take care of these children''s daily needs, but she also teaches them to read."


    Speaking of Teacher Yao, the electrician''s floodgates of talk opened:


    "Not only that, but Teacher Yao also took all of her pension and put it into the orphanage. But her pension can''t be that much. Raising so many children is very difficult, and she often does odd jobs for people."


    "Like today, meing to fix the electricity and plumbing, I didn''t charge a penny out of respect for Teacher Yao."


    "Master, you are a good person too."


    Xiao Yaning sincerely praised.


    "What good person, when someone like Teacher Yao is struggling so much, I just consider it as going with the flow and umting blessings, doing a little something for these poor children."


    The electrician shook his head and smiled.


    "Where is Teacher Yao''s office?"


    Xiao Yaning asked, after hearing the electrician''s words, she too hade to respect Teacher Yao greatly.


    "It''s on the second floor, the third office to the left."


    The electrician pointed to the only two-story building in the yard as he spoke.


    "Alright, thank you, Master!"


    "You''re wee, I''ll be off to get busy then."


    "Sure, take care, Master."


    After the electrician left, Su Chen and Xiao Yaning headed straight for the two-story building.


    When they arrived at the door of the room the electrician had mentioned, they saw a woman in her sixties feeding a six- or seven-year-old boy with a bowl and a spoon.


    "Come, Xiao Wei, have another bite, open wide."


    The olddy affectionately said to the little boy.


    The boy obediently opened his mouth when he heard the olddy''s words, and she spoon-fed him some porridge.


    However, the child spilled most of it, thankfully the olddy was prepared and caught it with the bowl.


    Only then did the olddy notice the new arrivals at the door:


    "Who are you looking for?"


    The olddy asked curiously, as this orphanage rarely had visitors.


    The little boy, upon seeing strangers, showed a sh of fear in his eyes and quickly hid behind the olddy.


    "You are Teacher Yao, aren''t you?"


    Xiao Yaning asked with a smile.


    "I am Teacher Yao, who are you...?"


    "We have some matters we''d like to discuss with you, would that be convenient?"


    "It''s possible, but wait a moment, please. I need to finish feeding the child first,"


    the olddy said apologetically.


    "No problem, take your time. We''re not in a hurry."


    After speaking, Xiao Yaning and Su Chen quietly waited on the side...

 Chapter 283: Heart of a Child

    About ten minutester, the teacher in her sixties, Ms. Yao, finally finished feeding the little boy.


    "Little Wei, why don''t you go out and y with the other kids?"


    Ms. Yao spoke gently, and the boy named Little Wei nodded somewhat woodenly and then left.


    "Ms. Yao, the child looks quite old, why is he still needing¡­"


    Xiao Yaning asked curiously, but her sentence was cut short as Su Chen beside her tugged at her arm.


    "It''s nothing, that little boy called Little Wei was abandoned, and here there is some..."


    Ms. Yao pointed to her own head as she spoke.


    "I''m sorry, I..."


    Xiao Yaning rubbed her hands together somewhat awkwardly.


    "It''s fine, no harm done. Please, have a seat," Ms. Yao invited, gesturing to two very worn chairs in the office.


    Besides the visibly shaky chair of Ms. Yao, these were the only other two chairs left in the office.


    "What brings you two here?"


    Ms. Yao took out two disposable cups, poured some boiled water for them, and asked after handing them the cups.


    "Ms. Yao, do you remember an event over twenty years ago when a little girl was adopted by a Mrs. Xiao?"


    Xiao Yaning asked.


    "Mrs. Xiao?"


    Ms. Yao thought for a moment, then shook her head,


    "I don''t remember."


    "Her original name was Li Suqin. She¡­"


    Xiao Yaning was there partly to make a donation, and partly to find out about her life before her mother adopted her.


    "You''re talking about Suqin? Of course, I remember her," Ms. Yao suddenly recalled as she heard the name Li Suqin


    "She used to volunteer here every one or two months."


    "Do you remember the girl she adopted?"


    Xiao Yaning asked eagerly, looking at Ms. Yao.


    "How could I forget? That little girl was so pretty. The orphanage was quite lively back then, with many people around, all of whom liked that little girl. Everyone said she''d grow up to be a beauty."


    Ms. Yao revealed a nostalgic look as soon as she mentioned the little girl,


    "I remember not long after that girl came to the orphanage, Suqin was volunteering like usual. The moment she saw the little girl, she fell in love, and after spending half a day with her, she decided to take her home."


    "Oh, why are you asking about this?"


    Ms. Yao suddenly became a bit wary, her gaze scrutinizing Xiao Yaning.


    "I am that girl."


    At that moment, Xiao Yaning''s eyes were brimming with tears; she was indeed the child her mother had adopted from this orphanage.


    "You are Yaning?"


    Ms. Yao''s eyes widened, and she stood up abruptly, in shock!


    Xiao Yaning nodded:


    "Yes, I am Yaning."


    Indeed, that was always what her mom called her.


    "Is it really you?"


    Ms. Yao walked excitedly to Xiao Yaning''s side, examining her from head to toe,


    "Child, how have you been all these years?"


    "Good, quite good,"


    Xiao Yaning, too, was as happy as if she had seen her own kin, nodding continuously.


    "That''s good, Suqin is such a kind-hearted person. I knew she wouldn''t mistreat you."


    Ms. Yao took her hand and patted it vigorously.


    Then, the two women, hand in hand, began to chat about family life.


    Su Chen also found it peculiarly simple, wondering how two people who had just met could have so much to talk about.


    Do women naturally never run out of topics, whether they are young or old?


    After half an hour, the two of them had be much more familiar, as if they had known each other for many years.


    "Yaning, is this your husband or boyfriend?"


    Teacher Yao looked at Su Chen and asked,


    "Good taste, quite a talented look."


    "This is my friend."


    Xiao Yaning said with a blush on her face.


    "Oh, I see, you''re still dating, right?"


    Teacher Yao revealed a knowing smile,


    "But Yaning, you need to hurry up, you''re already 25, and I think this young man is very nice."


    Su Chen, standing by, nodded in agreement upon hearing this, thinking indeed that the elderly have a keen eye!


    Xiao Yaning, hearing this, became even more bashful and deliberately diverted the topic,


    "Teacher Yao, why is it just you and a few children in this orphanage?"


    "Ah, there used to be seven or eight people, but now they''re all gone..."


    Teacher Yao sighed deeply.


    "Why?"


    "Actually, it''s no fault of theirs, since they too have families to support. But the money allocated annually by the government is so little that we can''t even talk about sries, let alone problems feeding a few children."


    "How much is allocated annually?"


    "Twenty thousand."


    "What?!"


    Xiao Yaning immediately widened her eyes in disbelief.


    Twenty thousand? What can such a little amount do in the big city of Jianghai?


    No wonder the orphanage is in such disrepair, no wonder there''s no one left!


    Su Chen was also taken aback by this figure, twenty thousand? What a joke!


    There must be some problem here, the government would never allocate so little to an orphanage.


    "Ah, if the money is a bit short, it''s short, but I can still manage to feed these children."


    Teacher Yao gave a helpless smile.


    "Teacher Yao, I am mainly here today to make a donation."


    Xiao Yaning pulled out a check from her wallet and handed it to Teacher Yao.


    "Then on behalf of these children, I thank you."


    Teacher Yao initially thought Xiao Yaning would donate a few thousand at most, perhaps twenty thousand, but when she saw the string of zeros, she was suddenly stunned...


    "No, Yaning, this is too much, I can''t ept it!"


    Teacher Yao hurriedly handed the check back to Xiao Yaning, as the amount indeed shocked her, it was fifty million!


    "Teacher Yao, you must ept this money, and besides, if it were in respect for you, I definitely wouldn''t have given so much, this is all for these poor children."


    Xiao Yaning forcefully handed the check back,


    "After all, I once lived here myself, and now that I am somewhat capable, consider it my way of giving thanks. If it weren''t for the orphanage taking me in, I might not have survived to this day."


    "All right, then on behalf of these children, I thank you again."


    Teacher Yao suddenly "plumped" down on her knees in front of Xiao Yaning, deciding to ept the check because Xiao Yaning''s remark "it''s all for these poor children" had moved her.


    "Teacher Yao, what are you doing?"


    Xiao Yaning quickly helped Teacher Yao up, and Su Chen also came over to help, holding great respect in his heart for such an elderly person.


    Sometimes, it isn''t your wealth or power that earns others'' respect, but a sincere heart that wins genuine regard!


    "With this money, I can now properly renovate the orphanage. You don''t know, most of the buildings are uninhabitable now."


    With the check in hand, Teacher Yao''s eyes gleamed with intensity, shaking with excitement as she said,


    "And now if there are orphans, I can take them in too. Do you know? In these past years because of financial pressure, I''ve been afraid to take in any orphans sent here, having to send them to other orphanages because I couldn''t afford to keep them!"

 Chapter 284: The Origin of Xiao Yaning

    "Teacher Yao, please don''t work so hard in the future, hire more people, after all, you are also getting older,"


    Xiao Yaning said with some heartache.


    "It''s okay, I''m still quite fit, but as children increase, we definitely will need more help,"


    Teacher Yao carefully hid the check close to his body.


    "Teacher Yao, I want to ask, how did Ie to the orphanage back then?"


    Xiao Yaning suddenly asked.


    "Oh, that matter, let me think,"


    Teacher Yao frowned and thought a bit before saying:


    "Actually, you were brought here by a farmer. Over twenty years ago, the area north of the orphanage had not yet been developed; it was all farnd. One farmer went to the fields early in the morning and suddenly found a little girl sitting on the ridges of the field, crying, her face all dirty."


    "That farmer thought she belonged to a nearby family, but after waiting for half the day and seeing that no one came to im her, he had no choice but to bring her to the welfare institute."


    Teacher Yao looked at Xiao Yaning and smiled:


    "Once we washed that little girl''s face, we found out she was actually a pretty little thing that made you instantly like her!"


    Hearing this, Xiao Yaning blushed a bit, feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    "Right, I almost forgot!"


    Teacher Yao suddenly smacked his thigh, startling both Su Chen and Xiao Yaning.


    "Teacher Yao, what''s wrong?"


    Xiao Yaning asked curiously.


    "Ningning, there''s something I don''t know if I should tell you,"


    Teacher Yao looked at Xiao Yaning somewhat hesitantly:


    "This might be rted to your parentage, a few years ago a man came looking for you, he might be your biological father, he said..."


    "I don''t want to know."


    Xiao Yaning immediately interrupted Teacher Yao, her face showing distinct coolness:


    "Since they abandoned me in the field ridges, and didn''t want me, then I have no rtion with them!"


    In Xiao Yaning''s heart, she had only one rtive, her mother Li Suqin.


    She would rather im Xiao Dingguo as her father, instead of acknowledging that man who could be her biological father.


    After all, Xiao Dingguo, though unrted by blood, had raised her for so many years.


    What about that so-called biological father? What had he done?


    He just abandoned her in a field ridge, leaving her to fend for herself!


    To have given birth to her, yet not want her, such biological parents she would rather not have!


    "Okay, if you don''t want to know, we won''t talk about it."


    Teacher Yao also heaved a sigh:


    "Besides, that man only came once, trying to get in touch now would probably be very difficult."


    Hearing this, Xiao Yaning felt an even colder smile within, thinking if he really cared, why did he onlye once?


    After a while, she prepared to say goodbye:


    "Teacher Yao, if you ever have any difficulties in the future, let me know. Don''t bear it alone, I will alsoe to visit you more often."


    "Okay, don''t worry, there won''t be any problems."


    The biggest issue for the welfare institute was ack of funds, but with Xiao Yaning''s donation of fifty million, all those problems were resolved, after all, it''s still a money-driven society.


    "Then, we''ll be leaving now."


    "Alright, have a safe journey,"


    Teacher Yao escorted them to the gate before turning back.


    After leaving the welfare institute, Su Chen noticed that Xiao Yaning seemed a bit upset.


    He knew it must have been rted to the man Teacher Yao had mentioned, who might be her biological father; after all, it''s difficult for anyone to remain calm in such a situation.


    Su Chen didn''t n to say anything; such matters need time to heal. Words from others are often useless.


    After dropping Xiao Yaning off at Rose Mansion, Su Chen returned to Belle Building.


    The first stop was obviously Lin Ruoxue''s office. Lin Ruoxue was somewhat angry about his disappearance early in the morning and his absence from work, but under Su Chen''s unashamed persistence, she eventually forgave her rascal husband.


    After settling things with his wife, Su Chen returned to the public rtions department, feelingpletely refreshed. By now, everyone in the department was ustomed to the new manager''s habit of arrivingte, leaving early, or even disappearing for days at a time.


    However, as soon as Su Chen saw these women, he remembered their previous doubts about his capabilities.


    "What are you all doing? Look at yourselves!"


    Su Chen deliberately put on a stern face as he looked at the groups of women chatting together and coldlymanded,


    "Get back to your positions and work. Is the group paying you to chat?"


    Upon seeing Su Chen''s demeanor, Ran Ting couldn''t help but purse her lips:


    "What''s with the manager today? He''s started raving as soon as he arrived!"


    "Who knows? Maybe he had a fight with the chief Lin?"


    Zhao Lin spected.


    "Probably so!"


    The others nodded in agreement and then sauntered back to their desks.


    Su Chen felt that these women in the public rtions department were bing increasingly presumptuous,pletely disregarding him as their manager.


    So, he decided that he had to rebuild his authority as the manager!


    "Ran Ting, make a cup of tea for the manager."


    "Zhao Lin, the manager seems to have overworked himself. My shoulders are a bit sore,e and give them a squeeze!"


    "Shu Yin, go to the mailroom and ask why today''s newspaper hasn''t been delivered yet!"


    .....


    Although the women were displeased, under Su Chen''s oppressive authority, they had no choice but toply.


    "Zhao Lin, did you skip breakfast or something? Why so weak?"


    "....."


    "Goodness, Zhao Lin, are you trying to pull me apart!"


    Upon hearing his words, Zhao Lin almost wished to punch him dead. How could this old man be so difficult to please?


    By then, Ran Ting walked in with Su Chen''s cup of tea and ced it by his desk.


    "Pah, what kind of tea is this? Don''t you know you should wash the leaves first? Do you even understand tea?"


    "Go make it again!"


    "....."


    After a while, Ran Ting came back with the teacup again.


    Su Chen sniffed it slightly and frowned:


    "Is this how you wash the leaves? Smell this, does it even taste like tea? I might as well drink in water!"


    "Manager, the newspaper is here!"


    "Good, thank you."


    Su Chen turned to Ran Ting and Zhao Lin behind him and scoffed:


    "Look at that, Shu Yin gets things done efficiently. Look at you two, older than her but can''t even manage the simplest tasks!"


    Shu Yin herself felt embarrassed by this praise, thinking, I just went to fetch a newspaper, does that warrant suchmendation from the manager? It''s like I did something extraordinary!


    Moreover, if you''re going to praise, why deliberately belittle the other two sisters?


    Upon hearing this, Ran Ting and Zhao Lin straight away ignored Su Chen and walked towards their desks.


    "You two, what attitude is this? Can''t your manager even speak to you now?"


    "The group hired us to work, not to serve you, the old master!"


    Ran Ting also realized that Su Chen was deliberately ying them.


    "Exactly!"


    Zhao Lin also loudly agreed.


    Su Chen found himself at a loss in this situation, after all, they did make sense!


    He could not help but feel a headacheing on, as it seemed that establishing authority was not going to be easy. He needed to think of another way...


    Actually, others were even more troubled than he was, like the Liu Family, like Liu Qing...

 Chapter 285: Business War

    The Yui Building, a high-end skyscraper towering over the city center at over three hundred meters, is andmark of Jianghai City.


    Everyone in Jiangnan knows that this Yui Building houses the headquarters of the Liu Corporation.


    At this very moment, within a two hundred square meter office at the top of the Yui Building, a group of people stood trembling in fear.


    Although the weather had already cooled, these individuals were sweating bullets, not daring even to breathe loudly!


    In front of them sat a young man, shockingly confined to a wheelchair, his face ashen, eyes filled with angry mes!


    "What exactly happened?"


    Even though seated in a wheelchair, Liu Qing''s aura pressured the crowd to the point where none of them dared raise their heads, such was the might of a superior!


    Hearing their young master''s words, no one in the group opened their mouths. Who would want to draw fire and be the first to speak at a time like this?


    Seeing that no one was speaking, Liu Qing was immediately enveloped by a rising tide of nameless anger!


    "Worthless! A bunch of worthless idiots!"


    Liu Qing burst into a tirade of curses before pointing at a middle-aged man dressed in a ck suit and wearing gold-rimmed sses:


    "Lu Hua, you are the head of the investment department. You speak!"


    By now, there was no way for the man called Lu Hua to hide, so he had to step forward:


    "Young Master Liu, we haven''t figured out the specifics yet, but the opponent''s tactics were fierce. In just the time span of yesterday afternoon, they targeted all our affiliatepanies."


    "The stock prices of thosepanies were driven to high positions in an instant, but with the market opening today, they began dumping shares like mad, offloading far more than what they had swept from the secondary market. I suspect they have already acquired a substantial amount from various institutions."


    "All thepanies we chose to hold shares in have high growth potential. Why would those institutions willingly let go of such stocks?"


    Liu Qing asked in a solemn voice. It could be understood if it were one or twopanies, but allpanies Liu Corporation had invested in experiencing this was clearly abnormal.


    "That can only mean one thing."


    Lu Hua said in a subdued tone.


    "Meaning what?"


    "They were offered a high price, a sky-high price, that the institutions simply couldn''t refuse."


    Lu Hua provided his assessment.


    Liu Qing had thought of this point as well, but the question was why. He didn''t need to think twice to know the cost of obtaining those shares in such a short time frame.


    It was definitely a price far exceeding the valuation of thosepanies!


    But what could their reason be? From what we can see now, there is only one, it''s targeted at Liu Corporation, or to put it more bluntly, at the Liu Family!


    But who could it be, brazenly causing damage to Liu Corporation regardless of the costs?


    So far, the aggressor''s actions have been too outrageous, as if money meant nothing to them!


    Could it be Lin Ruoxue, that woman? Could it be that having learned the person behind Belle Corporation was indeed himself, she hadunched a counterattack against Liu Corporation?


    The thought had barely crossed Liu Qing''s mind before he dismissed it.


    Because let alone the fact that Lin Ruoxue couldn''t possibly know the previous incidents were his doing, even if she did know, shecked the capability to do what was happening now!


    Apart from Lin Ruoxue, who else would have both the motive and the capability to do this?


    Actually, they had be alert yesterday afternoon when Liu Corporation''s affiliatedpanies'' stock started being wildly acquired and had even prepared contingency ns.


    But no one had anticipated that the adversary wouldmence such frenzied selling as the market opened today, offloading a volume far greater than what had been purchased yesterday, and by a wide margin.


    This massive selloff resulted in continuous drops in stock prices, which also triggered a panic in the market, leading individual investors and even institutions to start dumping their holdings.


    In an instant, the share prices of thepanies in which Liu Corporation held stakes plummeted as if falling off a cliff. To date, the least affected stock had lost 50% of its value, with some plummeting by as much as 80%.


    Meaning, in just a few hours since the market opened, the Liu Family''s paper wealth had evaporated by hundreds of billions!


    Even more terrifying was that the situation was deteriorating rapidly!


    Of course, as long as they held those stocks, they hadn''t lost yet, after all, they were goodpanies, and their prices were bound to rise eventually.


    "Mr. Liu, there''s something I''m not sure if I should say?"


    Lu Hua looked at Liu Qing anxiously and blurted out.


    "With the way things are, just let it out!"


    Liu Qing let out a cold huff.


    Despite Liu Qing''s scolding, Lu Hua didn''t dare to show the slightest dissatisfaction, and instead spoke seriously:


    "Mr. Liu, I''m worried that they might turn their guns on Liu Corporation at any moment!"


    Upon hearing this, Liu Qing''s body shook, and his expression became highly tense!


    Indeed, if the opposition employed the same tactic on Liu Corporation, it would be disastrous, and they had to prepare in advance!


    After all, Liu Corporation was different from those portfoliopanies, it was the lifeline of the Liu Family!


    Especially for the business-centric Liu Family!


    At that moment, the door suddenly burst open, and a man in his thirties ran in frantically!


    "Mr. Liu, Mr. Liu, something... something..."


    "What''s with the disturbance, get out, don''t you know the rules? Not even knocking on the door when youe in!"


    The already frustrated Liu Qing scolded furiously.


    The man who ran in was startled, quickly retreated, closed the door properly, and then knocked on it.


    "Get in here!"


    Hearing Liu Qing''s voice, the man immediately pushed the door and came in again.


    "What''s the matter that has you so flustered?"


    Liu Qing asked impatiently.


    "Mr. Liu, something has happened."


    The man who had just entered gasped:


    "We just found out that a mysterious force is sweeping up the stocks of Liu Corporation!"


    "Bang!"


    Liu Qing was stunned upon hearing this, he suddenly snatched up the ashtray beside him and hurled it at the man:


    "Damn it, why didn''t you say something so important sooner?!"


    The ashtray hit the man right on the head, and blood immediately started to flow, but he did not dare to wipe it away.


    He was also quite frustrated, as he was about to report that immediately, but it was Liu Qing who insisted he step out to knock on the door first.


    How could the me now fall on him?


    But who could argue with the boss? The man was angry but didn''t dare to speak out.


    Liu Qing, on the other hand, didn''t pay any attention to what the neer was thinking; what he was feeling now was a bone-chilling cold!


    The very thing they were just worrying about hade true in the blink of an eye¡ªthe opposition had really made a move on Liu Corporation! And they had acted so fast!


    They meant to go head-to-head with the Liu Family!


    "Quick, quick, quick! From now on, you will all work from here, this ce is both themand center and the war room!"


    Liu Qing suddenly snapped to attention, pping his hands anxiously:


    "Everyone be on high alert, we must win this battle!"


    (ps: The stock market depicted in this text doesn''t follow the price limit trading system used in China, hence this rification.)

 Chapter 286: Escalation of the Situation

    At this moment, those standing in Liu Qing''s office were all top executives of Liu Corporation, especially from the investment, finance, and securities departments. Thepany''s stock affairs were inherently their responsibility.


    Soon, staff had arranged seven or eight desks in Liu Qing''s spacious office, and people had also brought over theirptops and simr equipment.


    Then they all dove into their work with 100%mitment, and the atmosphere in the room instantly became tense and electrifying.


    "What''s the situation now?"


    As everyone took their seats, Liu Qing asked in a grave voice.


    "Mr. Liu, the other party hasn''t made a move to acquire a substantial share (as exined earlier, this refers to holding 5% of apany''s stock).


    "No, Mr. Liu, judging by the current stock price trend, it''s impossible that their purchase is less than a 5% stake!"


    "Yes, thepany''s stock price has already risen by 8 points!"


    Normally, a rise in stock price would be a cause for celebration, but at this moment, the mood was not one of excitement, but of panic!


    Yes, panic, and extreme panic at that!


    ording to previous instances, this was the other party collecting chips, and once they had gathered enough, they would certainly engage in a mad sell-off in a short time, plummeting the stock price dramatically!


    "It has risen 10 points now!"


    Another cry of rm came.


    Just then, a loud "thud" of a door being pushed open sounded, and a man in his forties, his temples already graying, burst in.


    The man was none other than Liu Yongyuan, the Family Head of the Liu Family. Usually, Liu Yongyuan exuded an air of refinement and geniality in the presence of outsiders.


    But at this moment, his face bore none of that; it was as dark as storm clouds, almost dripping with gloom.


    "Father, something''s happened!"


    Upon seeing Liu Yongyuan, Liu Qing immediately said, his tension easing slightly as if he had found his mainstay.


    "I know!"


    Liu Yongyuan nodded and said,


    "What''s the status now?"


    "It has risen by 10 points, and it''s not clear yet how much stock the other side has swept up. They haven''t dered their holdings yet."


    Since they hadn''t dered their holdings, there was no need for an announcement, so they had no way of knowing how many chips the other side held.


    "Chairman, I suspect the other side is operating through multiple ounts, each controlled just below the deration threshold (5%), but the actual shares they hold are far more than 5%!"


    Lu Hua said pensively, his heart filled with unease.


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone''s hearts tightened¡ªthis was indeed a very likely possibility!


    "Have you contacted those institutions holding Liu Corporation''s stock?"


    Liu Yongyuan urgently asked Liu Qing,


    "If not, do it right away. Tell them we''re willing to buy their stock in Liu Corporation at a price 10% above the market."


    "Dad, is that necessary? Those institutions have been cooperating with the Liu Family for so many years, they wouldn''t strike us when we''re down, would they?"


    Liu Qing was reluctant to spend so much money; after all, the stock price had already risen sharply by 10% in a short time. Buying now at a price 10% above the market meant paying a price 20% higher than yesterday''s closing.


    That was no small amount of money!


    "Fool, do you still harbor hopes of luck at this time?"


    Liu Yongyuan roared at Liu Qing,pletely devoid of his usual demeanor.


    Liu Yongyuan, having been through much, knew that so-called friendships were unreliable at such times.


    Only by holding as much of Liu Corporation''s stock as possible could they prevent the other party from causing trouble!


    At his father''s roar, Liu Qing was also shaken violently!


    He had never seen his father lose hisposure like that!


    He hurriedly took out his phone and dialed the first number.


    "Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off."


    A mechanical female voice came through the phone.


    "Keep dialing others."


    Since it was on speaker, Liu Yongyuan also heard the voice just now and coldly instructed.


    Liu Qing quickly dialed another institution head''s number.


    "Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off."


    The voice on the phone still signaled a shutdown. This time, without Liu Yongyuan''s instruction, Liu Qing dialed another institution''s number.


    Meanwhile, everyone else held their breath, knowing full well that something serious had happened, and a dreadful feeling surged in everyone''s hearts!


    When the phones of six institutions had been dialed with no one answering, the hearts of Liu Qing and his son sank to the bottom!


    The opponent had acted too quickly and too ruthlessly!


    They had almostpletely blocked their way out!


    Liu Yongyuan fell silent for a moment, then took out his phone and dialed a number.


    "Dial tone..."


    This time, though there was no shutdown notice, no one answered after several seconds.


    Liu Yongyuan''s heart also fluttered with the "dial tone..." sounding, his anxiety reaching its peak.


    Just as Liu Yongyuan was about to hang up, a voice came through the phone.


    "Family Head Liu!"


    Upon hearing this voice, Liu Yongyuan immediately rxed and took a deep breath, saying,


    "Chairman Yu, what is the meaning of this? Why can''t any of the office phones be reached?"


    "Family Head Liu, logically, I shouldn''t even answer this call, but considering our decades of friendship and the significant favor you once did for me, I picked it up."


    Chairman Yu sighed from the other end of the phone.


    "Chairman Yu, could you rify a bit more?"


    Upon hearing this, Liu Yongyuan''s heart tightened again; he realized something serious must have happened!


    "Family Head Liu, let me be frank with you. Just before closing time yesterday, someone came to us wanting to buy our Liu Corporation stocks."


    "Chairman Yu, after all these years of partnership, you didn''t really sell them, did you?"


    "We''ve already sold them because we simply could not refuse the price offered. You know, ourpany is a partnership; it''s not just up to me."


    "What exactly was the offer? Our Liu Corporation has been growing rapidly."


    "A price you would never expect!"


    "And that is?"


    "Double! And I heard they also bought Liu Corporation stocks from other institutions."


    Upon hearing this, Liu Yongyuan instantly gasped, his mind reeling!


    Double, have they gone mad?


    You know, Liu Corporation is apany with substantial market value. Even though those institutions altogether held only about 16% of Liu Corporation stocks, that still amounted to a worth of several billion!


    Double, wouldn''t that be over a hundred billion?!


    Who exactly have we offended?


    To go such insane lengths to destroy us?

 Chapter 287: Heavy Blow to the Liu Family

    "Hurry, immediately, dump all our other stocks now!"


    After hanging up the phone, Liu Yongyuan let out a roar.


    "Dad, the prices of those stocks have fallen by more than half, we''ll suffer a huge loss if we sell now!"


    Liu Qing argued with a pained expression.


    "At this point, we can''t worry about that anymore. If the other side starts to sell off aggressively, our stock price will result in catastrophic consequences."


    Even though it was an emergency, Liu Yongyuan still took the time to exin briefly:


    "Stabilizing Liu Corporation''s stock price is of the utmost importance now. We must gather as much cash as possible to brace for unforeseen events!"


    "But we could apply for a trading halt!"


    Liu Qing still spoke somewhat reluctantly.


    "The application for a trading halt can only be processed after the market closes. There''s still an hour and a half to go, and God knows what could happen!"


    Liu Yongyuan was also reeling from the session of events, barely holding on.


    "Chairman, the other side has started dumping!"


    At that moment, the head of the securities department screamed out.


    Liu Yongyuan and Liu Qing both felt their hearts tighten. Had it started so soon?


    The two of them approached aputer at the same time, and on its screen was the minute-by-minute stock price chart of Liu Corporation. There, on the list of sell orders, were threerge orders, each over a billion yuan!


    Everyone knew that this was just the beginning!


    Indeed, upon seeing those threerge orders, retail investors also started to panic, rapidly selling off their shares. Five minutester, Liu Corporation''s stock price had already fallen by three points.


    "There are morerge orders appearing, Chairman!"


    ......


    As soon as it turned three o''clock in the afternoon, the constantly fluctuating numbers on theputer screen stopped, as if tired.


    The few people working in Liu Qing''s office all had a somewhat vacant look in their eyes, their clothes soaked with cold sweat, but they felt nothing.


    Because the past hour and a half had been too crazy!


    Liu Yongyuan also copsed onto the sofa, pulling a cigar from the box on the coffee table, then struck a lighter. However, his hand holding the lighter was shaking so much that after a full minute, the cigar remained unlit...


    Liu Qing was staring nkly out of the window, lost...


    He felt as if it was all a dream, uncertain how things hade to pass...


    Everyone understood that after this battle, the Liu Family was no longer what it used to be!


    Because after today, although the Liu Family was still thergest shareholder of Liu Corporation, thepany''s market value had shrunk by at least a third or more.


    And in this afternoon''s invisible battle, the Liu Family''s liquid funds had also been nearly exhausted.


    Furthermore, the losses caused by the fire-sale of shares in their affiliatedpanies were immeasurable.


    Aplete defeat, a disaster too painful to witness, could be said to be the true portrayal of the Liu Family today!


    However, what left the Liu father and son most uneasy was that they didn''t even know who their opponent was!


    One thing was certain, after this event, the Liu Family had be theggard among the Four Great Families of Jiangnan.


    If previously they were on par with the Lu and Yun families, aside from the Wu Family, then after today, they were undoubtedly at the very bottom.


    Even the name of the Four Great Families seemed somewhat undeserved now, since the Liu Family''s foundation was essentially inmerce.


    A business defeat might not affect the other families as much, but for the Liu Family, it was a fatal blow!


    "Apply for a trading halt!"


    Liu Yongyuan struggled to stand up from his seat, then shakily made his way toward the door, seeming to have aged a great deal in an instant...


    "Who exactly is it?"


    Liu Qing, sitting in a wheelchair, his eyes filled with a cold and grim light, his fists clenched tightly!


    Yet no one could answer his question...


    .......


    The events that unfolded in the capital market today also caused a huge stir throughout Jiangnan!


    Everyone was discussing what had happened to the Liu Corporation, what had be of the Liu Family?


    Anyone with a bit of sense could see that the Liu Family had been ruthlessly targeted!


    But the question was, who dared to take action against the Liu Family, and to do so with such precision and ferocity?


    Everyone became aware that after today''s events, the Liu Family had suffered a severe blow to their vitality.


    And those who were unsettled had already started to stir, after all, the Liu Family was a juicy piece of meat!


    Su Chen naturally heard these discussions as well; he found a quiet ce and made a phone call:


    "God of Wealth, the moves against the Liu Family were your doing, weren''t they."


    "Exactly, didn''t you ask me to check which force was behind the recent move against Belle Corporation?"


    "It was the Liu Family?"


    "Exactly, the newpany''s source of funds was the Liu Family. Though they''ve been secretive, it''s impossible to hide from me. I just took the opportunity to teach them a lesson for you. How''s that? Satisfactory, isn''t it?"


    "God of Wealth, you''re still the same as before, devouring others without spitting out the bones!"


    "Hades, I''ll take that as apliment from you! Ha ha~~~"


    A heartyugh came from the other end of the phone.


    Su Chen knew that entrusting this matter to God of Wealth would definitely not disappoint him.


    "Hades, they experienced a devastating loss in the capital market today, do you want me to continue targeting their core industry?"


    "Let it be, today''s incident will serve as a lesson for them. After all, this is Huaxia, I don''t want others to notice your trace."


    "Rest assured, it''s impossible for anyone to trace me!"


    God of Wealth was absolutely confident in this respect.


    "Still, be careful."


    Su Chen thought for a moment and said, after all, a figure like God of Wealth was too sensitive, even more so than a jester.


    After all, this was Huaxia, where all aspects of society were stable, and a person like God of Wealth was clearly the most unstable element, easily targeted.


    "Alright then, I''ll listen to you."


    This matter was a trifle for God of Wealth, and since Su Chen disagreed, he had no objections.


    ......


    "It''s time to pay him a visit."


    After hanging up the phone, Su Chen drove to the northern part of Jianghai, and after nearly an hour''s drive, he arrived at an area overgrown with weeds, with a narrow path in the middle.


    Su Chen drove straight along that narrow path, the tall weeds on both sides even exceeding the height of the car roof. He passed through that area and reached a bumpy stretch of road, the vehicle jolting violently.


    In front of this pit-ridden stretch of road was an abandoned factory. Su Chen parked at the entrance of the abandoned factory and walked in...


    He didn''t linger above the factory floor but took a quick look around and went straight down to the basement...

 Chapter 288: Doctor Gaias Shock

    Walking into the basement, instead of feeling dank and eerie, it was very dry and warm.


    Su Chen gently knocked on a door three times, two long and one short, and then the door automatically opened.


    "Master!"


    Immediately, a person walked out and knelt in front of Su Chen¡ªit was Shadow Guard number 14 who had apanied Su Chen back to the country.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen had already sent Shadow Guard number 4 back to move the injured number 12 to another location.


    "Rise."


    Su Chen said casually,


    "How is Doctor Gaia doing?"


    "He woke up yesterday and is in quite a good condition."


    "Oh, let''s go see him."


    Su Chen''s eyes lit up, and he immediately spoke.


    Su Chen had always been concerned about Gaia''s condition. Although he had shielded Doctor Gaia with his own body during the bomb explosion, the condensed power of the bomb was overwhelming, and the shockwave still knocked them both unconscious.


    Although the impact on Su Chen was much greater, his own body was robust, so he woke up soon after.


    However, Doctor Gaia''s condition was much more serious. He remained unconscious even until Su Chen brought him back to the country.


    For safety, Su Chen still arranged for him to be temporarily ced in this abandoned factory basement, to be well cared for by the Shadow Guard.


    Of course, Su Chen had already checked Gaia''s body to ensure there were no major issues, but there was no certainty as to when he would wake up.


    Hearing that Doctor Gaia had awakened and was in good condition, Su Chen was naturally delighted.


    "Good."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Shadow Guard number 14 then led Su Chen into a small room next door.


    "Gaia, this was my oversight, I''m sorry."


    Su Chen said apologetically to the somewhat portly blond-haired, blue-eyed man on the bed.


    If it wasn''t for him, the other party would not have been involved in these matters, nor would there have been subsequent issues.


    "Su, why say such things? How could this be your fault?"


    Doctor Gaia looked indeed in good spirits, and smiled, saying:


    "I knew you''d rescue me. See, I''mpletely unharmed, aren''t I?"


    "I''m sorry for the inconvenience of staying in this basement, but it''s just for safety," Su Chen said.


    "No problem, it''s quite nice here, aside from being a bit boring."


    Gaia waved his hand, as he had never been particr about his living conditions:


    "However, I suspect you didn''t bring me to Huaxia Country just to hide me here."


    "True, I indeed have some thoughts."


    Su Chen, feeling like his little scheme had been seen through, smiled sheepishly:


    "I was thinking of having you work in my wife''s corporation."


    Su Chen brought Gaia back to Huaxia mainly for safety, as Huaxia Country is arguably the safest nation in the world.


    Whether it was the Dark World or any other force, anyone thinking of causing trouble in Huaxia Country would have to weigh their decisions heavily. Even those who came would not dare to move openly inrge scales, only sporadic masters would try to strike secretly.


    Besides, Doctor Gaia is a rare authority in the field of gics, and if he achieves significant scientific research within Huaxia Country, it would certainly be a great boon for the country.


    Of course, the greatest beneficiary would naturally be the Belle Corporation, since it''s better to keep the benefits within one''s own group!


    Moreover, now that the old man had transferred all his shares to Lin Ruoxue, the Belle Corporation could be considered hers to a certain extent, so Su Chen naturally wanted to seek benefits for his wife!


    Doctor Gaia was momentarily stunned upon hearing Su Chen''s words, and asked in surprise:


    "Su, you''re married? When did this happen?"


    "Not long after I returned to the country, it was arranged by the elders,"


    Su Chen nodded.


    "Well then, if it''s your wife''s corporation, there''s no problem at all."


    Gaia and Su Chen were old friends, and he trusted Su Chenpletely; otherwise, he wouldn''t have initially agreed to go to the Nether Temple.


    Su Chen was also very moved by Gaia''s trust.


    "Great, then I''ll first take you to meet my wife, and then arrange a ce for you to stay in my residential area, so I can look after you if anything happens."


    Su Chen then said to Shadow Guard number 14:


    "From now on, you will be specifically responsible for Doctor Gaia''s safety!"


    "Yes, Master!"


    Shadow Guard Number 14 immediately knelt down.


    "Rise, do not kneel in Huaxia Country from now on, and do not call me master; call me Brother Su instead."


    "Your subordinate dares not!"


    Shadow Guard Number 14 responded, trembling with fear. Calling the master ''Brother Su'' was a boldness he did not possess, and in his view, it was also disrespectful!


    "This is an order!"


    "Yes!"


    An order was paramount, something ingrained deeply in the bones of the Shadow Guards!


    "Su, with such subordinates, you are truly fortunate!"


    Gaia watched this scene unfold and remarked sentimentally. He could tell that the person in front of him would not hesitate to die for Su Chen.


    "No, they are not my subordinates; they are my brothers."


    Su Chen said solemnly:


    "I hope every one of them lives well!"


    Upon hearing this, Shadow Guard Number 14''s body shook violently!


    He had not expected the master to regard them, the typically unseen Shadow Guards, in such a way!


    A fervent passion ignited instantly within him...


    "Alright, let me first take you to see my wife."


    Su Chen said casually:


    "Are you well?"


    "No problem, I am actually eager to see what kind of woman has tamed you, haha~~"


    Gaiaughed heartily, genuinely curious about what the wife of the great Nether King looked like.


    "You''ll see soon."


    Su Chen smiled and walked out first...


    About an hourter, Su Chen led Gaia and Shadow Guard Number 14 to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Chen Guo, is Director Lin in?"


    Su Chen asked Chen Guo casually.


    The secretary immediately became nervous:


    "Yes, she''s in, Su¡­"


    Chen Guo was about to call him Brother Su as before, but the thought of him being Director Lin''s husband made it a bit difficult to utter the word.


    "Still, call me Brother Su, Chen Guo. You must keep this secret for Brother Su!"


    Su Chen, understanding the secretary''s reaction, said half-jokingly.


    "I didn''t b, Su... Brother Su."


    Chen Guo quickly raised her little hand, promising. Clearly, she understood that Su Chen was referring to his marital rtionship with Director Lin.


    "Alright, thank you, Chen Guo. You go on with your tasks."


    Su Chen said as he pushed open the door to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Husband, you''re here!"


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t even need to look up to know it was definitely Su Chen, for no one else dared to enter her office without knocking!


    "Wife, are you tired? Let me massage you a bit."


    Su Chen naturally walked behind Lin Ruoxue and began kneading her shoulders.


    "A little, just be gentler."


    Lin Ruoxue said casually while writing something on a document.


    "Alright, is this pressure alright?"


    Su Chen lessened his strength slightly and asked after kneading a bit.


    "Hmm, it''s about right."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded. She was already ustomed to Su Chen''s massages, finding themfortable.


    Doctor Gaia, following Su Chen into the office, was stunned by the scene!


    This! Was this the same man who struck terror into the hearts of countless people as the Nether King?

 Chapter 289: Gaias Joining

    ```


    Doctor Gaia looked at the man before him, who was diligent and even somewhat ttering and ingratiating, and felt his worldview copse in an instant!


    He believed that if anyone who knew Su Chen saw this scene, they would never believe that the man in front of them could be the Underworld King!


    Because this was simply the behavior of a subservient husband!


    Look at how he tended to his wife, massaging her and pouring tea; it was clear that he was so familiar with this routine that he must have done it countless times.


    Lin Ruoxue was enjoying the meticulous massage from Su Chen when she suddenly looked up and noticed two people standing in front of her, quickly standing up with a blush on her face.


    "Who are these two...?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked hesitantly, feeling somewhat annoyed that there were outsiders present and this guy hadn''t mentioned it earlier.


    "Oh, this is a friend of mine, take a look, do you recognize this person?"


    Su Chen also paused the massage and, smiling, pointed at Doctor Gaia as he asked.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue walked out from behind her desk and stared intently at the blond-haired, blue-eyed man in front of her. A few secondster, her face showed a shocked expression:


    "You, you''re Doctor Gaia?"


    As a Master of Medicine herself, Lin Ruoxue was naturally familiar with Doctor Gaia, a supreme authority in the medical field. She had not only seen pictures of him in magazines but also his lecture videos.


    But what she couldn''t believe was how such a high-profile individual would appear in Huaxia, let alone in her own office¡ªit was simply inconceivable!


    "Hello, I am Joseph Gaia!"


    Doctor Gaia extended a hand in friendly greeting.


    "Hello, I am Lin Ruoxue."


    Lin Ruoxue extended her hand somewhat bewilderedly and gently shook hands with Gaia, her gaze filled with shock.


    "Ms. Lin, no need to be formal. I''m a friend of Su''s, and he invited me to work at your group. I wonder if Ms. Lin would wee me?"


    Gaia smiled and nced at Lin Ruoxue, who indeed was stunningly beautiful, with not a single w to be seen, even in his Western eyes¡ªshe was breathtakingly beautiful!


    Gaia nced yfully at Su Chen, thinking that even heroes have a soft spot for beautiful women.


    Seeing Gaia nce over, Su Chen was not the least embarrassed; instead, he seemed quite pleased with himself.


    However, upon hearing Doctor Gaia''s words, Lin Ruoxue waspletely stunned!


    What? Doctor Gaia was going to work at her group?


    Good heavens, this must be a joke?


    Who was Doctor Gaia? He was a talent fiercely sought after by the strongest pharmaceuticalpanies around the globe!


    And he was considering joining the Belle Group?


    Lin Ruoxue simply couldn''t believe her ears!


    And what did he just say? He was Su Chen''s friend?


    How on earth did her husband know a great scientist like Doctor Gaia?


    This undoubtedly gave Lin Ruoxue a strong sense of dissonance!


    "What''s the matter? Ms. Lin, do you not wee me?"


    Gaia asked with a smile.


    "Ah."


    Lin Ruoxue finally snapped out of her daze and hastily said:


    "How could I not? Wee, wee!"


    "I just didn''t expect Doctor Gaia to condescend to join our humble Belle Group!"


    What Lin Ruoxue said was indeed heartfelt; for someone like Doctor Gaia, the Belle Group really was a bit too small.


    ```


    "The size doesn''t really matter; what concerns me is whether your equipment can meet my research needs,"


    For scientists like Gaia, this is the most important thing; everything else is negotiable.


    If the Belle Group cannot satisfy his research needs, he wouldn''t stay, even with the favor from Su Chen.


    "Alright, rest assured, I will take you to our pharmaceutical subsidiary to have a lookter. If there is anything insufficient or any instrument that needs to be purchased, just let us know!"


    As a businesswoman, Lin Ruoxue certainly understood the value of Doctor Gaia!


    In fact, the Belle Group''s pharmaceutical division had also been conducting research on gene life science, but due to theck of top talent in this area, it hadn''t made much progress!


    Now that Doctor Gaia was right in front of her, how could she pass up such a great opportunity?


    In truth, gene life science is not inherently evil; only those who misuse it are to me.


    This technology, in the hands of Tang Gang and the forces behind him, became something harmful. They used this technology for human modification, to achieve their own unspeakable goals.


    Whereas, in the hands of a legitimate organization like the Belle Group, it couldpletely turn into an affair benefiting the public. With this technology, many of the diseases that currently gue humanity and are incurable, like cancer, could be treated!


    Of course, the economic benefits it could bring in the future were also incredibly astonishing, even incalcble!


    "Okay, we''ll go take a look in a while."


    Doctor Gaia nodded in agreement.


    "Darling, due to some special reasons, Doctor Gaia needs to change his name. From now on, you can call him Gibson,"


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue, and then pointed to the 14th Shadow Guard:


    "This gentleman, you can call him Gu Ming. Outwardly, he is Doctor Gaia''s assistant, but in reality, he is responsible for Doctor Gaia''s safety."


    For security reasons, Su Chen had already arranged another identity for Gaia. This was something he could easily do by simply speaking with Jiang Lixing; it wasn''t difficult at all.


    On the way here, he had already discussed this with Doctor Gaia, who understood Su Chen''s reasons for doing so.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxuepletely trusted Su Chen in this aspect, knowing that he must have a good reason for his actions.


    Then, the party went to a pharmaceuticalpany owned by the Belle Group in the east of the city, which had been constructed not long after Su Chen''s arrival.


    Back then, to get this ce, Su Chen had to teach the bald Hui a lesson and extorted tens of millions from him!


    Now, a very modern, high-tech pharmaceuticalpany had been built there.


    Upon arrival, Lin Ruoxue put her husband Su Chen aside and began to show Doctor Gaia around.


    Su Chen followed them like a junior assistant, scarcely finding an opportunity to speak, feeling somewhat neglected and wronged.


    Listening to Lin Ruoxue''s introduction, Doctor Gaia kept nodding. The state of Belle Group''s pharmaceutical division far exceeded his expectations; both the equipment and the personnel were much better than he had imagined.


    With these, Doctor Gaia could tell that this was an ambitious group!


    "Good, I can stay."


    After touring the facility, Gaia had made up his mind.


    "Thank you, we will definitely support your research to the fullest!"


    Lin Ruoxue shook Gaia''s hand excitedly, feeling as if an enormous pie had just fallen into herp.


    "However, Madam Lin, to conduct my research, we need to acquire a few pieces of equipment."


    Gaia spoke earnestly, then listed several names of extremely advanced equipment.


    "Okay, no problem! I''ll have someone start on that tomorrow!"


    Lin Ruoxue was of course aware of the equipment Gaia needed; their prices were astronomical, and together, they might cost up to 500 million US dors. But Lin Ruoxue agreed without hesitation.


    Because she knew it was absolutely worth it!

 Chapter 290: Husband, what are you looking at?

    A few people lingered briefly in the pharmaceutical department before heading back.


    Driving was naturally Shadow Guard No. 14, now known as Gu Ming, with Doctor Gaia sitting in the front passenger seat, while Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue were in the back.


    "Wife, find some time to help Doctor Gaia find a ce to live in ourmunity. It''s convenient for taking care of any matters."


    On the way back, Su Chen casually said.


    "Okay, I''ll call Wang''s mom in a bit to see what she can find."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded, then said:


    "Doctor Gaia, why don''t you stay in thepany for the next few days? It''s just that the environment is a bit simple."


    Doctor Gaia did not immediately agree upon hearing this but looked toward Su Chen since he trusted Su Chen for security concerns.


    After thinking for a moment, Su Chen figured that several days had passed, and Tang Gang and his backers hadn''t made a move, which likely meant they hadn''t noticed his intervention. At least for now, it seemed safe, especially being in Huaxia. So he nodded his head.


    Seeing Su Chen nod, Doctor Gaia also happily agreed.


    Watching this scene, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but feel surprised but didn''t say much more.


    After arriving at thepany, Lin Ruoxue first took Doctor Gaia to the employee rest area, where there were also a few suites.


    Even though Lin Ruoxue previously mentioned the environment was a bit simple, it was actually quite nice, certainly no worse than a three-star hotel.


    "Doctor Gaia, why don''t you make do with staying here for a few days until I find a proper house and then move there?"


    Lin Ruoxue said apologetically, after all, having such an esteemed Doctor staying here was a bit improper.


    "It''s very good, I''m satisfied,"


    Doctor Gaia nodded, after all,pared to the previous safehouse and that basement, this ce truly was heaven.


    "Gaia, you should rest here for now,"


    Su Chen said since Doctor Gaia''s body had not fully recovered yet.


    "Doctor Gaia, we''ll be off then, you should rest well."


    After finishing, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue left, and the Shadow Guard naturally stayed there to ensure Gaia''s safety.


    "Wife, today I made quite the contribution to thepany, didn''t I?"


    As soon as he returned to Lin Ruoxue''s office, Su Chen brought his face close to hers, with a mischievous expression.


    "I suppose so!"


    Because they had secured a rare talent like Doctor Gaia, Lin Ruoxue was in a particrly good mood!


    "So, shouldn''t I receive a little reward from my wife?"


    Su Chen blinked at Lin Ruoxue, his eyes twinkling with an unidentifiable light.


    Lin Ruoxue knew Su Chen all too well, and seeing that expression, she knew he was up to something naughty again.


    "What reward?"


    Lin Ruoxue feigned ignorance, but her beautifully blushing cheeks betrayed her.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s coy demeanor, Su Chen felt a surge of heat in his heart. He wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoxue''s delicate waist and lifted his mouth into a yful smile:


    "Of course, it''s this."


    At the sight of Su Chen''s roguish smile, Lin Ruoxue''s heart began to race. She felt a mix of fear and shyness,bined with a hint of anticipation.


    Her ambivalent coyness immediately ignited a spark in Su Chen''s heart, and he swiftly lowered his head to nt a kiss...


    "Mmm mmm mmm..."


    At first, Lin Ruoxue tried to struggle, but her hands quickly loosened, and she gave up resisting.


    Momentster, Su Chen released the now slightly breathless Lin Ruoxue, a smug smile on his face.


    "You bad thing, you pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen with his "little man triumphs" expression and huffed in disapproval, her pretty face already flushed a deep red as if water were about to drip from it...


    "A woman doesn''t love a man who''s not bad!"


    Su Chenughed heartily and theny down on the sofa in Lin Ruoxue''s office...


    Lin Ruoxue just vented a bit and then sat down to work, as she had long grown ustomed to this guy''s frivolity...


    "By the way, wife,e with me to Lantian Club tomorrow night."


    Lying on the sofa, admiring a "Men''s Wear" magazine, Su Chen suddenly said.


    "What for?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked up and asked, but as she did, she caught sight of the provocative image of a woman in a swimsuit spread across the pages of the magazine Su Chen had opened.


    She immediately clenched her teeth tightly, her eyes shooting daggers!


    This bastard, does he really like looking at swimsuit models that much?


    Especially since this was right after they had been intimate, it was all the more infuriating for Lin Ruoxue.


    "Oh, the Yun Family is hosting a charity dinner there tomorrow, and they''ve invited both of us to attend."


    Su Chen said casually, because his head was turned in Lin Ruoxue''s direction, he didn''t see her face turning sour.


    "Oh, okay then!"


    Lin Ruoxue suppressed her anger and responded indifferently:


    "Husband, what are you looking at?"


    "Oh, I''m studying the attire considerations necessary for public rtions work."


    Su Chen lied effortlessly:


    "This ''Men''s Wear'' magazine is the trend of men''s fashion; it includes advice on what to wear for many different asions, like what to wear to a cocktail party, or what to wear when meeting important clients... In short, it''s quite meaningful for our Public Rtions department."


    "Really? You''re so diligent, husband, not forgetting about work even while resting!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face was covered in cold frost as she spoke with biting sarcasm.


    "Of course, I am your husband after all, setting a good example!"


    Su Chen waspletely oblivious to Lin Ruoxue''s tone, smugly boasted.


    At his words, Lin Ruoxue''s frosty expression instantly darkened!


    Could this bastard be any more shameless?


    He was clearly ogling swimsuit models and yet imed he was working¡ªdo you call this work on a regr basis?


    If this is setting an example, Belle Corporation would have copsed long ago!


    "Then, do tell, what kind of asion is suitable for wearing a swimsuit?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice rose ominously again.


    "Speaking of swimsuits, well, that''s a deep subject..."


    Su Chen was about to expound grandly on his unique insights and experiences regarding swimsuits, but he suddenly sensed something amiss in the air around him...


    He quickly turned his head to meet a stunning face that was clouded over, looking like a thunderstorm ready to burst, at any moment!


    And within those beautiful eyes shed a terrifying sharpness, fixated on something...


    "Wife, let me exin..."


    Su Chen immediately realized something bad was afoot, scrambled off the sofa, and was about to run to Lin Ruoxue, but her icy voice already rang out:


    "Get out! I want you to get out immediately!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face was frosted over as she pointed towards the door...

 Chapter 291 - 291 Su Chens Sophistry

    Su Chen had been ready to keep making trouble, but seeing Lin Ruoxue''s expression, he could only reluctantly leave.


    "Su bro, did you make Director Lin angry again?"


    At the doorway, Chen Guo saw Su Chen looking like a frostbitten eggnt and couldn''t help but ask curiously.


    "When Director Lin''s mood improves, let me know."


    Su Chen felt he really needed to train this little secretary to be his personal spy.


    "No problem, Su bro!"


    The little secretary Chen Guo made a yful OK gesture.


    "Great, thank you. I''ll send you a Dior limited edition makeup set in a few days."


    Su Chen knew that these young girls could only be tied down with small benefits.


    Indeed, at the mention of the Dior limited edition, Chen Guo''s eyes lit up with excitement!


    "Really? Su bro!"


    As someone who often followed fashion, Chen Guo certainly knew how much a Dior limited edition set was worth¡ªit was tens of thousands of yuan.


    For a secretary like her, she normally wouldn''t dare spend that much!


    "Of course it''s true. When have I ever lied to you?"


    For Su Chen, tens of thousands of yuan was nothing if it meant cing such a personal spy close to his wife. It was indeed a worthwhile deal.


    "However, if Director Lin has any issues, you must tell me in time, okay?"


    "Don''t worry!"


    Chen Guo agreed without hesitation. After all, Su Chen and Director Lin were a couple, so telling Su Chen shouldn''t be a problem, right?


    Seeing that Chen Guo had agreed, Su Chen rxed and returned to the Public Rtions department.


    Since Lin Ruoxue was furious at the moment, he figured staying would probably do him no good. It was better to wait until her mood improved before coaxing her.


    .......


    "Bang!"


    In the Wu Family''s Old Madam Wu''s room, she fiercely swung her cane, shattering a Qing Dynasty vase directly!


    There was a man in purple robes standing in Old Madam Wu''s room¡ªnot the same Mr. Luo asst time but a slightly younger one.


    Seeing Old Madam Wu so enraged that she even smashed her favorite vase, he did not dare to say a word, just stood with his head bowed.


    "Where is the second Rank Leader? It''s been two days, and there''s still no sign of him?"


    The second Rank Leader mentioned by Old Madam Wu was indeed the previous man in purple robes, Mr. Luo, and the man now standing here was the third Rank Leader, surnamed Yuan.


    "Old Madam Wu, I really don''t know. I''ve already scattered many people to look for him, but there''s still no clue."


    The third Rank Leader, Yuan Wen, helplessly shook his head:


    "I don''t even know what the second Rank Leader went to do."


    Yuan Wen didn''t know, but Old Madam Wu was very clear. She didn''t need to guess to know that Mr. Luo must have personally gone to deal with that young man named Su!


    But what was strange was that it had been two days, and he hadn''t yet returned to report, which was what made Old Madam Wu most uneasy.


    Could it be that the young man had such a powerful martial artist by his side that even Mr. Luo''s personal intervention was futile, and he himself had met with danger?


    This spection startled Old Madam Wu. Although emotionally she believed it impossible, reason told her it could very well be true!


    "Alright, you can go now. I want to rest."


    Old Madam Wu suddenly waved her hand listlessly, and Yuan Wen hurriedly left.


    After Yuan Wen left, Old Madam Wuy down on a recliner, feeling inexplicably irritated.


    To deal with that young man named Su, the Wu Family''s martial artists had almost been cut in half¡ªsuch a cost was too great!


    Now even a great master like the second Rank Leader might have encountered danger!


    "We can''t continue to take blind action any longer. This matter must be put on hold for now!"


    Old Madam Wu murmured, her heart nearly bleeding!


    Of course, this did not mean Old Madam Wu would let go of that young man¡­


    .....


    Su Chen went straight home after work, and Lin Ruoxue, having no particr matters today, came back shortly after Su Chen arrived home.


    As soon as she entered, Lin Ruoxue was still wearing a gloomy expression, cold and indifferent, as if she didn''t see Su Chen at all.


    Seeing this scene, Mrs. Wang didn''t even bother to intervene, as their quarrels happened every other day, and she was used to it.


    No matter how angry the miss was, wasn''t she always eventually coaxed intopliance by the son-inw?


    And there he goes again...


    "Honey, I was wrong about today."


    Su Chen said, drooping his head.


    "Where were you wrong?"


    Hearing Su Chen admit his fault, Lin Ruoxue''s expression slightly softened.


    "I shouldn''t have lied."


    "What else?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him sideways, thinking, he''s really good at dodging the important points, is it just about the lying?


    "What else?"


    Su Chen touched his head in confusion, wasn''t it just enhancing ''looking at beautiful women'' into ''discussing work''?


    "You tell me?"


    Lin Ruoxue almost gritted her teeth as she squeezed these words out, this jerk, still ying dumb!


    "Oh, I get it now!"


    Suddenly, Su Chen revealed an expression of sudden realization, then with an ambiguous smile, he said:


    "Honey, you''re jealous, aren''t you?"


    "As if I''d be jealous over you!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat out, but her expression obviously didn''t quite match her words.


    "Still saying you''re not?"


    A knowing smile appeared on Su Chen''s lips, he had thought Lin Ruoxue''s anger was mainly about him lying, and that she wasn''t really bothered about him watching the beautiful women.


    Little did he know, he had itpletely backwards; what truly upset Lin Ruoxue was indeed him looking at that swimsuit model. The lying wasn''t the main issue!


    "Honey, you really need to understand me!"


    Then, Su Chen shook his head and sighed.


    At these words, Lin Ruoxue''s eyes red up again.


    You, looking all lusty at some swimsuit models, and you want me, your wife, to understand?


    Where in the world does this logice from?


    Nevertheless, Lin Ruoxue didn''t say anything, but just coldly nced at him with half-closed eyes, as if to say, let''s see what pearls of wisdom you can spit out next!


    Feeling Lin Ruoxue''s gaze, Su Chen''s heart pounded nervously, but he still looked seriously at Lin Ruoxue and spoke:


    "Honey, I am a normal man with normal physiological needs. Besides, facing a great beauty like you every day, do you think it''s possible for me not to react at all?"


    Lin Ruoxue blushed at these words, why on earth did he have to bring up men, physiological needs out of nowhere?


    But Su Chen didn''t care about Lin Ruoxue''s embarrassment and continued:


    "But you''re not ready to ept it yet, and I am a man who respects his wife; of course, I wouldn''t force you, right?"


    "So what should I do then? If I looked for other women, you definitely wouldn''t agree, not to mention that even I wouldn''t agree to that!"


    "So, as a good man of the new century, I can only look at magazines and admire the beauties there, just to alleviate a bit, isn''t it a normal thing for a man?"


    Su Chen seemed to have gotten into his element, rambling on and about without any signs of stopping.


    Listening to Su Chen''s sophistry, Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt a headache brewing...


    This guy was inly lustful, yet his twist of words somehow turned into a hallmark of a good man?


    And oddly enough, he seemed to make a tiny bit of sense...

 Chapter 292 - 292 Charity Banquet

    "Besides, if my wife is willing to give me a little show, why would I ever want to look at those vulgar vixens in the magazines?"


    When Su Chen reached this point, his eyes couldn''t help but brighten as he leaned closer to Lin Ruoxue:


    "Wife, I just remembered, you promised to model a swimsuit for me, didn''t you? When are you going to keep that promise?"


    Lin Ruoxue was defeated by her shameless husband. How could he talk in circles and always end up with it being about her?


    And somehow, it seemed like it was her fault he was looking at other women?


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t know whether tough or cry...


    However, mentioning the promise about the swimsuit did cause Lin Ruoxue''s face to turn red.


    At the time, she had agreed to it as a mere stopgap measure. To actually wear it for Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue didn''t have the courage, even though he was her husband.


    "Alright, I''ll let you off the hook for today''s incident. Just be more careful in the future."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t want to bicker with this rascal any longer, so she ended the topic with a bit of guilt in her voice.


    Actually, Su Chen was even more guilty than she was. Seeing that Lin Ruoxue had finally stopped dwelling on the earlier issue, he couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    At this time, their attentive housekeeper quietly gave Su Chen a thumbs up.


    She thought to herself, with the master''s gift of the gab, the miss didn''t stand a chance!


    Indeed, the miss had already surrendered...


    Before long, the housekeeper called them to eat. At the dining table, Su Chen was very attentive, serving dishes and pouring soup for Lin Ruoxue, which chased away thest bit of difort in her heart.


    After dinner, as usual, Lin Ruoxue went back upstairs to work, and sometimeter, Su Chen also drove off to the estate.


    Then, early the next morning, he returned promptly to make breakfast for Lin Ruoxue, so the two women in the house werepletely unaware that Su Chen had gone out during the night.


    After breakfast, they headed off to their respective offices as usual. Once at thepany, Lin Ruoxue began busying herself with the order for several top-notch devices required by Doctor Gaia.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen went back to the public rtions department and goofed around with the women there. Although he had acted very seriously the day before, nobody really took it seriously.


    Especially Ran Ting and Zhao Lin, those two women took their revenge on Su Chen for ying tricks on them the previous day.


    Their revenge was simple, and of course, quite rough ¨C they took every chance to yfully harass Su Chen!


    After frolicking with them for a while, Su Chen realized his chest was beginning to hurt. He sneakily checked and found several bruises that were both purple and blue, not knowing for sure who had pinched him.


    And so the afternoon passed leisurely. Yunlong called to confirm whether Su Chen was attending the charity g that evening.


    Once Su Chen confirmed that he would be attending, Yunlong happily hung up the phone.


    Su Chen then visited Lin Ruoxue''s office, reminding her not to forget about the charity g, only to find out that she wouldn''t be able to attend.


    One of the equipment suppliers she needed to purchase from had scheduled a remote technical discussion with Lin Ruoxue that evening. After all, it was high-tech equipment; a few hours of consultation were definitely necessary.


    So that evening, Su Chen could only attend the Lantian Club solo.


    By then, the front of Lantian Club was already crowded with luxury cars. Su Chen''s BMW 5 Series, which was a pretty decent car on any other day, now seemed somewhat out of ce.


    After all, this was a charity ball hosted by the Yun Family. The guests they invited were sure to be of high status. Such is the nature of these circles.


    If you don''t possess the financial standing, trying to enter this circle would only invite ridicule from others.


    However, Su Chen had long since stopped judging a person''s worth by these worldly standards. As far as he was concerned, things like luxury cars and worth were just superficial.


    After parking his car, Su Chen walked confidently towards the club''s entrance.


    Some influential guests who had arrived around the same time eyed Su Chen''s car and attire with a hint of contempt.


    While this young man might not stand out in a crowd, in today''s setting he was decidedly "low."


    The attendees at the charity g were no less than multi-billionaires, with quite a few eclipsing the hundred-billion mark.


    Just then, a stretch Lincoln limousine pulled up, and the so-called wealthy individuals who had just arrived immediately gathered around it.


    As an elderly man and a young man stepped out of the vehicle, the crowd enthusiastically greeted them:


    "Hello, Director Pan, hello, Young Master Pan!"


    Pan Wendo and Pan An also nodded slightly to these people, signaling they had greeted them.


    Just then, Pan Wendo caught sight of a familiar figure ahead and his eyes lit up; he tentatively called out,


    "Is that Mr. Su ahead?"


    Some of the people around were slightly stunned. Mr. Su? Which Mr. Su?


    Who is the wealthy Pan calling?


    Su Chen seemed to hear someone calling him from behind and thus stopped, turning his head to look back.


    As soon as Pan Wendo saw the young man''s face, he excitedly approached him,


    "Mr. Su, it really is you! I thought my eyes had deceived me just now!"


    Those who had previously looked down on Su Chen in their hearts were suddenly filled with amazement!


    Who was this guy?


    Why was the wealthy Pan being so courteous to him, and even appearing somewhat eager to please?


    At this moment, Pan An, standing behind Pan Wendo, also politely said, "Good day, Mr. Su."


    "You''ve alsoe?"


    Su Chen nced at Pan Wendo and his son and asked casually.


    "Yes, we''re leveraging the tform provided by Yun Family to contribute a bit to the charity event,"


    Pan Wendo said with a smile,


    "Let''s go in together, Mr. Su."


    "Sure, after you."


    "Please, Mr. Su, you go first,"


    Pan Wendo bowed slightly and stepped back to gesture.


    Upon seeing this scene, the crowd was even more shocked; those with a modicum of understanding about etiquette knew that Pan Wendo was voluntarily lowering his own status!


    Who on earth was this ordinary-looking young man, to be able to make the wealthy Pan lower his status?


    "Big brother, you''re here!"


    At that moment, a joyful voice came from the entrance of Lantian Club.


    Soon after, a young man in his twenties ran excitedly towards Su Chen.


    "Big brother, I''m so d you coulde!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, Yunlong immediately showed an excited expression that he couldn''t hide.


    "Even if I don''t give face to anyone else, I''ve got to give it to you, kid!"


    Su Chen said with augh, patting Yunlong on the shoulder; Yunlong felt as if he was floating with that pat.


    The people who had witnessed this scene were even more astonished; their eyes nearly popped out!


    What? The Yun Family''s young heir was calling this young man big brother?


    They were all well-informed individuals and had heard about Yunlong calling someone big brother at the celebration banquet held by Yun Corporation and Belle Group.


    They had originally thought it was some incredibly powerful person, but they never expected it to be this seemingly ordinary young man they had seen before!


    Another incident also came to mind at this moment.


    It was at that celebration banquet that Yunlong''s elder brother had crippled the Liu Family''s young heir in public, resulting in thetter still being confined to a wheelchair until now!


    Thinking of these things, the onlookers began to look at Su Chen with a sense of reverence, daring not show the slightest sense of disrespect!


    It was no joke, this was someone who had struck the Liu heir whenever he pleased; how could they, with their minor influence, dare to provoke him?

 Chapter 293 - 293 Yunyao and Su Chen

    Just at this moment, a stunningly beautiful woman also walked down from the corridor at the entrance of Lantian Club.


    One could see that her long hair was slightly pulled up and tied behind her head, with a strand hanging down on each side of her ears, very enchanting.


    Her upper body was d in a striped, off-the-shoulder, form-fitting knitted top, which was slightly transparent, giving off a subtly revealing impression.


    For her lower half, she wore a ck leather skirt that exuded ss, matched with a pair of ck stockings and high heels.


    The whole ensemble gave an astonishingly morous impression, making it impossible to look away!


    The people at the entrance couldn''t help but show a slightly dazed expression when they saw her.


    As the woman approached, Yunlong immediately waved and said with a cheerful expression on his face:


    "Sis,e and meet my big brother!"


    "It''s a pleasure to have Mr. Su attend our Yun Family''s charity dinner."


    Yunyao walked up to Su Chen and stretched out a hand as white and delicate as a lotus root.


    "Don''t mention it."


    Su Chen said indifferently,


    "You look very beautiful today!"


    As Su Chen held that soft hand, a feel of silky tenderness passed through his touch, and, as if possessed, he gently traced his fingertip across the palm of her hand.


    Yunyao didn''t expect Su Chen to act so boldly in front of a crowd, causing her to tremble involuntarily!


    She then quickly tried to withdraw her hand, hoping to escape his grasp, but to her surprise, he was holding on tightly, and her attempt to pull away was unsessful.


    Yunyao shot him an angry and embarrassed nce. Su Chen then realized his action and hastily let go, smiling awkwardly:


    "Sorry, reflex, reflex!"


    Seeing that he had released her hand, Yunyao quickly pulled it back, her cheeks flushing involuntarily.


    This guy was really too shameless! Not only did he act inappropriately, but he also had the nerve to call it a reflex?! Absolutely disgraceful!


    However, standing at the busy entrance, it was inappropriate for her to show anger, so she had to suppress it. But her gaze towards Su Chen was no longer as friendly.


    Seeing Su Chenpliment his sister''s beauty, Yunlong''s smile blossomed like a flower.


    "Big brother, not to boast, but my sister''s looks and figure are top-notch wherever she goes, don''t you think?"


    Yunlong gestured over Yunyao''s body while talking enthusiastically to Su Chen.


    "That is true."


    Su Chen nodded and said, indeed, Yunyao''s appearance and figure were exceptionally rare!


    Moreover, as the Young Mistress of the Yun Family, her temperament naturally exuded a unique and noble aurapared to other beauties, adding a certain charm!


    Yet, listening to Yunlong praising his sister felt somewhat off!


    It was like a vendor hawking his wares to passersby¡ªexcept Yunyao was his sister, making it kind of awkward!


    Yunyao also felt strange being gestured at by her brother as though she were a disy item.


    More so, as more and more guests arrived and the ones already present stopped to watch, Yunyao felt extremely humiliated!


    As if Yunlong''s gestures weren''t enough, he then pulled Yunyao over to Su Chen''s side:


    "Look, they match so well together¡ªhandsome man and beautifuldy!"


    Yunlong admired them and then said,


    "Truly a perfect match made in heaven. What does everyone think¡ªisn''t that right?"


    When the Yun family''s young master spoke, the others naturally began tovish praise as well.


    They talked of a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a talented youth and a lovely maiden, a perfect couple ordained by heaven¡ªa match made in heaven and predestined by fate. In the end, they had exhausted all the idiomatic expressions they knew and couldn''t find any more to use.


    At the same time, everyone was a bit shocked. Could it be that the Yun family was nning to marry Miss Yun off to this young man?


    Yunlong''s actions had not only caused Yunyao to blush with shyness, her pretty face a fiery red, but they had also turned Su Chen a brilliant red, utterly embarrassed!


    "p, p, p!"


    "Indeed, a perfect match!"


    At that moment, a youth in his thirties wearing a beige suit and apuding as he walked over from a distance, a faint smile on his face.


    His suit, clearly tailored by a handmade workshop, perfectly showcased his impable physique.


    As soon as everyone present saw the young man approaching, their expressions subtly changed, including those of siblings Yunlong and Yunyao.


    This made Su Chen slightly surprised. He knew Yunlong to be fearless and was curious to ask,


    "Who''s that? Putting on airs much?"


    Hearing this, Yunyao nced at Su Chen, thinking that perhaps only Yunlong, with his mysterious background, would dare call this person pretentious. She certainly wouldn''t dare to.


    "Lv Shimo!"


    Yunlong stared at the young man, uttering three words from his mouth.


    Su Chen was taken aback. So, this was Lv Shimo?


    Upon hearing that name, his mind immediately conjured the image of Lv Shixin, whom he had killed; that must be his brother, right?!


    Immediately following that, the gruesome corpse of Xiao Dingguo appeared in Su Chen''s mind.


    The reason he remembered Xiao Dingguo was because he had suspected that his death might be rted to Lv Shixin''s and that this incident urred shortly after Lv Shimo had returned.


    Linking these events together, Su Chen intuitively felt it very likely that Xiao Dingguo''s death was the work of the seemingly harmless young man before him!


    With that thought, Su Chen''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    To think the young master of the Lv family knew how to use nerve agents for interrogation, he was certainly no simple character!


    "Why would hee here?"


    Yunlong muttered with a frown.


    "Is there something wrong with himing?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "Big brother, you may not know, but besides the triennial Jiangnan Commerce meeting, other families from the Four Great Families generally do not attend each other''s events. That''s an unspoken rule."


    "Of course, Liu Qing showing up at our celebration with Belle Groupst time was an exception. He had intentions towards my sister-inw. But aside from him, big brother, did you see anyone else from the prominent familiesing over?"


    Su Chen hadn''t realized there was such a rule, but Yunlong''s words only made him more certain that the Lv family''s young master likely came for him.


    The young master Lv, upon passing by each person, was respectfully greeted by everyone present.


    However, young master Lv couldn''t be bothered to respond and walked straight toward Su Chen.


    No sooner had Yunlong finished speaking than Lv Shimo approached Su Chen and extended a long, elegant hand:


    "I''ve long heard that Yun the Madman took on an older brother and have always wanted to meet you. Today, my wish has finally been granted."


    Facing the outstretched hand of Lv Shimo, Su Chen instead slipped his hand into his pocket, then tilted his head to look at him, a barely discernible smile at the corner of his mouth.


    After a brief pause, he spoke leisurely,


    "Young master Lv, is it? Instead of staying home to mourn, what are you doing bouncing around here?"

 Chapter 294: Testing the Waters

    The crowd at the door was immediately in an uproar when they heard Su Chen''s words!


    This is Young Master Lv after all!


    Who is Young Master Lv? He is the top young master among the Four Great Families!


    Whether it''s the two young masters of the Wu Family or Yun the Madman, they all fall short in front of Lv Shimo!


    It''s not because of family background or status, but purely because of the man Lv Shimo is!


    He deserves the respect!


    Many people in Jiangnan say that once these younger generations grow up, it''s uncertain whether the Wu Family can maintain its title as the number one family in Jiangnan.


    The most important reason for this is the presence of Lv Shimo, the number one young master!


    Yet, this young man, who embodies thousands of glories, was publicly ridiculed by Su Chen, being told that he''s making a fuss for nothing!


    What''s more, he was told to go back and keep vigil, and as to for whom¡ªdo you even have to ask?


    Of course, for the recently deceased Lv Shixin, his own younger brother!


    As these words were spoken, everyone''s hearts couldn''t help but tremble, and they looked anxiously at Lv Shimo.


    And Lv Shimo''s face suddenly turned gloomy, his eyes sharply narrowed!


    He hade here today to probe into Su Chen, but he hadn''t expected that upon their first meeting, the other party would be so disrespectful, even to the point of openly tearing off the facade!


    Although the other party was the murderer who killed his younger brother, Lv Shimo was a man of great schemes and never fought unprepared.


    Today, he only intended to test the depths of this so-called husband of Lin Ruoxue, the elder brother of Yunlong, without having any particr intentions.


    But to his surprise, Su Chen''s remark forced him to reveal his stance!


    Should he react in fury and confrontation immediately, or should he swallow his pride and hold back?


    For a moment, Lv Shimo hesitated. Although Su Chen''s words made him ufortable and even very angry,


    he had long passed the age of acting impulsively and wouldn''t lose his calm due to verbal attacks.


    His experiences abroad had taught him that words are sometimes the weakest form of power, and only strength is the foundation of everything!


    Any decision he made was considered from one aspect only, which is what''s most advantageous for himself.


    After a moment, Lv Shimo still decided to temporarily hold back, with a somewhat cold tone he said,


    "The death of my younger brother indeed saddens me, but life must go on, mustn''t it? You can''t always wallow in pain. Besides, this is for charity, contributing to society, how can you call it making a fuss for nothing?"


    Although Lv Shimo''s reply was neither servile nor overbearing, the crowd was still amazed. Young Master Lv actually did not get angry, something the former him would have never tolerated¡ªhe would have killed the young man before him long ago!


    Could it be that even Young Master Lv is wary of him?


    This time, Su Chen once again refreshed people''s understanding of him, feeling that this mysterious young man who suddenly appeared was indeed enigmatic!


    Su Chen didn''t care about what the people were thinking, but rather looked at Lv Shimo with amusement. His manner might have seemed unreasonable, but wasn''t it also a form of probing?


    And the result of the probe satisfied him. This Lv Shimo was indeed no ordinary man!


    He himself could certainly y along if Lv wished to y.


    Of course, Su Chen waspletely treating this matter as if a cat were toying with a mouse, for a Lv Shimo was truly not worth his notice.


    "Everyone has arrived, why are you still standing here? Hurry up ande in!"


    At that moment, a hearty voice rang out, followed by a middle-aged man with a beaming smile walking over.


    "Greetings, Family Head Yun!"


    The crowd called out one by one, their faces showing a trace of respect, entirely different from the wary attitude they had towards Lv Shimo a moment ago.


    "Uncle Yun, I hope you don''t mind me dropping by uninvited?"


    Lv Shimo''s face, which had just been gloomy, now cleared, and he joked with a smile.


    "How could that be? It''s our Yun Family''s honor to have you visit! Pleasee in!"


    Yun Shiqing spoke warmly, then beckoned everyone inside.


    As Lv Shimo and the various guests proceeded inside, Yun Shiqing carefully examined Su Chen.


    Like his daughter Yunyao, at first nce, he couldn''t associate Su Chen with the astonishing figure his son had described.


    The reason was the same: this young man looked too ordinary, apart from being somewhat good-looking!


    However, after making eye contact with the young man for a moment, he inexplicably felt an imposing pressure, a natural and indescribable sensibility, yet it was undeniably real!


    This gave Yun Shiqing, a super tycoon of Jiangnan, quite a shock!


    "You must be Mr. Su, right?"


    Yun Shiqing quickly averted his gaze from the other''s and said:


    "Yunlong has mentioned you before. I''ve always wanted to meet you, and today I finally have the chance to see you in person! It''s a great pleasure indeed!"


    "You''re too kind. Yunlong is like a younger brother to me, so you''re something of an elder to me as well."


    Su Chen felt that Yun Shiqing was just genuinely curious about him and didn''t mean any harm, so he responded politely.


    "Good, good, you''re wee to visit our Yun Family more often!"


    Yun Shiqing''s eyes creased into lines as he smiled broadly, then said to Yunlong and Yunyao:


    "You two apany Mr. Su inside. Take good care of Mr. Su. Uncle Liu at the door will take care of any other guests who haven''t arrived yet."


    Uncle Liu, mentioned by Yun Shiqing, was the head steward of the Yun Family and had worked there for many years.


    "Okay, then."


    Although Yunyao was somewhat reluctant, she dared not disobey her father.


    Yunlong, however, was quite excited and immediately led Su Chen up the stairs, while Yunyao pouted at Su Chen''s side.


    There was much to do at the charity g, so naturally, Yun Shiqing busied himself elsewhere.


    "Miss Yun, you seem a bit unhappy? Don''t want to keep mepany?"


    Seeing Yunyao pouting, Su Chen deliberately asked.


    He certainly knew that Yunyao was still angry over his impulsive act of impropriety earlier.


    "How could that be?"


    Before Yunyao could speak, Yunlong jumped in:


    "Big brother, you have no idea, my sister has been asking at home whether you woulde for the past couple of days, and she''s even been so worried she hasn''t been eating well!"


    Yunyao''s eyes widened in disbelief. When did I ever ask if he wasing?


    When did I ever get so worried about his arrival that I didn''t eat well?


    Looking at Yunlong, who was making up stories with a straight face, Yunyao couldn''t help but wonder if this was really her own brother.


    "Look, hasn''t my sister lost a lot of weight since she sent you the invitation a few days ago?"


    Yunlong winked at Su Chen and asked.


    "She has indeed lost a lot of weight!"


    Su Chen scanned Yunyao''s figure, especially noting her ample chest before nodding affirmatively, acknowledging she did seem slimmer than before.


    Yeah, they seem a bit... smaller as well.

 Chapter 295: Admiration?

    "Do you know why?"


    Yunlong said with dramatic ir:


    "It''s because she was so worried whether Big Brother woulde or not, she lost her appetitepletely!"


    Hearing Yunlong fabricate such tant lies, Yunyao was entirely speechless, and so embarrassed she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into!


    She had indeed lost some weight over the past few days.


    But that was entirely because of a nasty cold she caught due to a recent change from warm to cold weather!


    Yunyao felt like her little brother hadpletely thrown away her dignity, making it seem as though she was so infatuated with this guy.


    Upon hearing Yunlong''s words, Su Chen couldn''t help but nce at Yunyao. Could it be that he already held such a significant ce in Miss Yun''s heart?


    When Yunyao saw him looking over, she felt her face burning up even more, especially because there seemed to be a barely discernible, meaningful smile on his face, which made her heart flutter slightly.


    "Don''t listen to Yunlong''s nonsense, I didn''t¡­"


    Yunyao''s words had barely left her mouth when Yunlong interrupted:


    "Didn''t what? I know you''re just shy, my sister, and too embarrassed to say it. So, I, as your little brother, simply have to step in and help, otherwise how would Big Brother know about your feelings?"


    Although Yunlong seemed to have the best intentions, Yunyao didn''t feel thankful at all. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to kill her little brother!


    Because he was just too indiscreet! If he had been telling the truth, fine, but this wasplete fabrication, pure invention!


    What would this lecherous, bad guy think?


    Yes, in Yunyao''s eyes, no matter how mysterious or fearsome Su Chen''s identity was, one undeniable fact remained ¡ª he was a lecher!


    She could never forget their first encounter, nor the way that guy had taken liberties with her thigh!


    And today, he even had the nerve to y tricks on her palm in broad daylight!


    Weren''t these events telling enough?


    Being thought of as infatuated by a lecher to the point of losing her appetite, how could Yunyao bear it, how could she face anyone?


    If Su Chen knew what was going through Yunyao''s mind, he would be very surprised. The Miss Yun had only seen him a few times. How could she know him so well?


    Su Chen never considered being lecherous a bad thing, after all, the love for beauty is a part of human nature!


    Of course, Su Chen wouldn''t use vile methods to get a woman. Compared to getting a woman''s body, using one''s charm to conquer a beauty''s heart was definitely more challenging!


    Although his charm had not been discovered by many...


    As they spoke, the three of them had already walked into the Lantian Club. There were already many guests inside. Seeing the Yun Family''s Young Master and Young Miss apanying a young man, everyone was quite amazed.


    After hearing about the scene at the entrance from some people who had just walked in, they became even more curious about this young man.


    "Sis, you keep my Big Brotherpany, I''m going to attend to the other guests," Yunlong said immediately upon entering the club. Before Yunyao could react, he had already disappeared.


    Leaving only Yunyao and Su Chen there, an awkward and subtle tension filling the air between them.


    "My brother was just talking nonsense earlier, don''t take it seriously," Yunyao said in a low voice, her face blushing.


    "It''s okay, I know you''re too embarrassed, it''s all my fault," Su Chen looked at Yunyao seriously and said:


    "It''s normal for you to like someone like me. I''m very happy, after all, you are so beautiful. But I still have to say sorry. Even though you are Yunlong''s sister¡­"


    "I''m sure you know, I''m already married, and my rtionship with my wife is very good, so I can only apologize for Miss Yun''s affections."


    Watching Su Chen''s serious demeanor, Yunyao waspletely dumbfounded, feeling as if thunder was rolling in her head!


    What was this guy saying? She had feelings for him?


    He''s too full of himself, isn''t he?


    And what''s this supposed to mean, rejecting me?


    His tone even seemed gentle and filled with regret, should I even thank him for that?


    In an instant, Yunyao felt the world spin, and she almost toppled over.


    "Me, admire you? In your dreams!"


    There were people all around, so Yunyao deliberately bit her gum and said:


    "Even if I were to admire a pig, I wouldn''t admire a bastard like you!"


    Su Chen heard this and couldn''t help shaking his head and sighing:


    "Miss Yun Family, would you really admire a pig? Obviously not, which just goes to show how against your true feelings that statement was!"


    "Liking or admiring someone is very normal, especially for an outstanding man like myself. It''s just that the timing of our meeting is off. Earlier, orter, perhaps there would have been a possibility between us, but right now, it''s impossible."


    At that moment, Yunyao didn''t even know how to describe the man in front of her.


    To call him a narcissist felt too mild; does this guy really think all the women in the world should like him, even fall for him?


    "Bang!"


    "Oh~~~"


    Since she couldn''t outtalk him, Yunyao decided to take action, or rather, to kick; she suddenly lifted a foot and aimed her high heel directly at the top of Su Chen''s foot.


    Out of sheer anger, she used almost all her strength!


    As her foot came down, a long "oh" of agony escaped Su Chen''s mouth.


    Hearing this agonized cry, everyone turned to look and see what had happened.


    What they saw was Miss Yun Family walking ahead with her head held high as if she had won a great victory, while the young man hopped around grimacing and clutching his foot.


    Su Chen had not anticipated in the slightest that Yunyao would suddenly do something like this, so he was entirely unprepared.


    And Yunyao''s high heel, being over fifteen centimeters long and slender, its destructive power can be well imagined!


    This was Su Chen after all, had it been someone else, their foot bones might have been crushed...


    Yunlong, who was not far away, felt broody upon viewing this scene. Were his sister and Lantian natural adversaries?


    They couldn''t even be together for two or three minutes without an incident urring?


    "Sis, what did you do to Lantian?"


    Yunlong approached Yunyao and asked:


    "Why does Lantian seem to be in such pain?"


    "He deserves it!"


    Yunyao retorted, then coldly nced at Yunlong:


    "We''ll settle your scoreter!"


    Yunlong touched his nose and then walked over to Su Chen:


    "Lantian, what happened? How did my sister hurt you?"


    "How did she hurt me? Take a look!"


    Su Chen extended his foot out irritably.


    Upon seeing a fingernail-sized indentation on the shoe, Yunlong immediately understood what his sister had done.


    No wonder Lantian was hopping around holding his foot; it must really hurt!

 Chapter 296: Provocation

    On one side was his own sister, and on the other was his former boss, now big brother, Yunlong, who also couldn''t manage to attend to both, and could only shake his head with a sigh¡ªhis sister''s kick, no, her footwork, was too ruthless!


    "Alright then, go about your business, I''ll just wander around by myself."


    Enduring the pain on the top of his foot, Su Chen waved to Yunlong.


    "Okay, call me if you need anything."


    After saying that, Yunlong left; as hosts, the Yun Family naturally had many things to deal with, so Yunlong didn''t linger unnecessarily.


    Moreover, he knew that Su Chen didn''t like being followed, except possibly by beautiful women.


    In reality, what they called a charity banquet, the banquet was the main event, charity was just an incidental aspect, and it was just a better-sounding pretext.


    For these privileged and wealthy individuals, what mattered was theworking during the dinner, where many important coborations or business opportunities often emerged out of casual conversations.


    As for the charity auction after the dinner, it was sufficient to just throw in some collectibles or money casually; these were all small matters.


    Therefore, to facilitate everyone''sworking, the banquet was in buffet style, allowing guests to move around freely.


    Of course, there were also some models and female celebrities present¡ªafter all, if there were only gentlemen, without the setting off by beauties, it would lose much of its interest.


    These models and female celebrities also had their own agendas, as these were billionaires with fortunes ranging from tens to hundreds of billions. Who knows if some wealthy sponsor might take a liking to them and invest in a movie for them or something.


    If lucky, they might even catch a wealthy husband and marry into a rich family to be a young madam, who could tell?


    Thus, these models and female celebrities were all meticulously dressed tonight, looking particrly radiant!


    These female models and celebrities were also quite familiar with Jiangnan''s upper-ss figures; these were mandatory courses for them.


    So shortly after the banquet started, they all began to scout for their respective targets...


    Although Su Chen did not intend to develop more than a friendly rtionship with these models and female celebrities, that didn''t prevent him from sipping red wine while appreciating the graceful figures of these beauties.


    "Mr. Su, have your eye on anyone? Just say the word, and I''ll sort it out for you."


    At that moment, a somewhat teasing voice sounded next to Su Chen.


    Su Chen turned his head to see Lv Shimo walking over, with a woman wearing a strapless dress on his arm.


    This woman wasn''t only dressed seductively, but she also had a rare appearance and figure.


    Among all the female models and stars present, she was almost top-tier, evenparable to Yunyao, the only thing shecked was the temperament.


    The woman''s head rested slightly on Lv Shimo''s chest, looking very dependent, her face filled with pride and satisfaction.


    After all, being favored by the young master Lv was a dream for many women!


    Seeing Lv Shimo speaking to this young man, the woman couldn''t help but be curious about his identity.


    Since she had just arrived minutes ago, she wasn''t very clear about what had happened earlier and the rtionship between Su Chen and the Yun Family''s young master.


    So, seeing Su Chen''s very ordinary attire, her eyes involuntarily shed a hint of contempt, especially his gaze fixated on her chest, which made her feel vited!


    She didn''t mind being watched; if those affluent and powerful people stared, she might even deliberately pose to let them see more clearly.


    But if the observer was an ordinary person like the one in front of her, dressed in what looked like an employee''s uniform, that was insufferable for her.


    To put it in her own words, "With such a fine figure and such a beautiful face, do you, a loser, deserve to see? Can you even appreciate it?"


    There''s an apt saying, even if one is selling themselves, they should fetch a fair price to do justice to themselves, no?


    Su Chen hadn''t expected this young master Lv to be like a cockroach that couldn''t be squashed; he hadn''t gone looking for him, yet he hade over to pester him again.


    Hearing young master Lv''s words, Su Chen looked at the beauty in his arms with a yful gaze:


    "The most beautiful women have already been snatched up by young master Lv, so how am I supposed to choose?"


    Regarding the woman in Lv Shimo''s arms, Su Chen knew her name as well, Jiang Ying. She was a very popr actress recently, and it was said that her dinner event price had soared to tens of millions.


    "Mr. Su wouldn''t have taken a fancy to Jiang Ying, would he?"


    Lv Shimo slightly squinted his eyes, gazing at Su Chen.


    Su Chen naturally didn''t back down and met his gaze, stating indifferently,


    "What if I said yes? I wonder if the esteemed young master Lv would be willing to give her up?"


    Upon hearing these words, a sharp glint involuntarily shot from Lv Shimo''s eyes.


    Indeed, this Su Chen was a figure with a sharp edge!


    Most people would have trouble not losing their temper after his provocation, as his words seemed to leave no room for retreat.


    For example, now openly coveting someone else''spanion is something very difficult for any man to tolerate.


    Before Lv Shimo could respond, the mention of these words caused Jiang Ying in his arms to jump in shock.


    This man, who in her eyes wasparable to a loser, actually wanted her, which threw her into a state of panic all of a sudden.


    "Great young master Lv, please don''t."


    Jiang Ying pressed closer into Lv Shimo''s embrace and looked up at him. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, presenting a truly pitiable figure.


    "Worthy of being an actress!"


    Lv Shimo couldn''t help but exim upon seeing Jiang Ying''s expression; that deer-in-the-headlights look was truly endearing!


    But after all, Lv Shimo was not an ordinary man; in his eyes, women were just ythings!


    As for so-called face, what practical use did it have?


    If this woman could help him understand Su Chen a bit more, then she would be serving her purpose.


    "Little Jiang, Mr. Su taking a liking to you is your good fortune. Go keep Mr. Supany!"


    Lv Shimo decisively pushed the beauty in his arms toward Su Chen, adding:


    "She''s just a woman, after all. If Mr. Su likes her, take her."


    Su Chen naturally didn''t stand on ceremony either, directly taking Jiang Ying''s slender waist and stating coolly,


    "Then I''ll thank the great young master Lv."


    Having said that, he extended a finger and gently lifted Jiang Ying''s smooth chin:


    "Are you very unwilling to apany me?"


    "Not at all, Mr. Su."


    Although she was indeed very unwilling, it was great young master Lv''s request, so she could only endure it.


    Because once she defied great young master Lv, her fate would surely be miserable!


    "Is that so?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a wicked smile, and in front of Lv Shimo, he pressed a kiss onto those wet red lips...


    Indeed, very fragrant, very sweet!


    Jiang Ying knew she was just an actress, serving as a mere vase in such a setting.


    Regarding Su Chen''s frivolity, she could only suffer in extreme frustration...

 Chapter 297 - 297 Subtle Warning

    Su Chen was indeed an expert in the arts of seduction, and within moments, he had the female star Jiang Ying panting and almost unable to stand...


    Though Jiang Ying felt extremely unwilling and stifled inside, for some reason, her body had honestly responded.


    Her head was spinning, and she hadn''t even noticed that many people were looking in their direction; if she had known, she would have been even more embarrassed.


    Actually, when Lv Shimo had approached Su Chen''s side, many people had already taken notice, but of course, it wasn''t because of Su Chen, but rather because of Lv Shimo.


    After all, wherever Lv Shimo went, he was the absolute center of attention!


    When Su Chen proposed to have Lv Shimo''s femalepanion, everyone was shocked, although for those present, women weren''t really a big deal.


    But to openly demand someone''s femalepanion, that was extremely insulting!


    What waspletely unexpected to them was that Lv Shimo had actually sent his femalepanion to the other side without any hesitation.


    And that young man not only dly epted her but also immediately got intimate with the female star, as if no one was around!


    "Big bro is truly big bro! This skill, these methods, tsk tsk..."


    Yunlong watched Su Chen''s performance, full of admiration and a hint of yearning!


    Meanwhile, Yunyao, who was standing by the side, had a hint of frost appear on her pretty face, and her judgment of Su Chen became even firmer!


    He was a thorough andplete lech!


    Of course, there was also a shy thumping in her heart. This guy was not only lecherous, but also shameless, to pull off such a thing in front of arge audience!


    Especially those pig''s trotters of his, where were they wandering?


    "Sister, look at big bro''s skill. If you were with my big bro, you''d enjoy it so much, right?"


    Yunlong was admiring Su Chen''s French kissing, not noticing the change in Yunyao''s expression at all.


    Upon hearing these words, Yunyao''s face immediately darkened. She couldn''t imagine what it would be like if she were that female star.


    At this moment, in Yunyao''s heart, she would rather bash her head and die than be subjected to the frivolity of this lecher...


    A few minutester, Su Chen finally released the female star Jiang Ying, and she immediately felt her face burning, blushing intensely...


    She stole a nce at Su Chen, and noticed he was smirking at her. She quickly lowered her head, her heart pounding "thump thump" again, and her face grew even hotter.


    Though she looked down on the young man in front of her, the intimate feeling from a moment ago lingered in her heart, refusing to fade away...


    After looking at Jiang Ying for a while, Su Chen shifted his gaze to the cid face of Lv Shimo opposite him.


    Lv Shimo was calm as if nothing had happened, still with a faint smile, looking at Su Chen.


    Actually, Su Chen''s actions were not driven by lust; after all, he wasn''t starving to that extent.


    His main purpose was to probe and challenge, to see Lv Shimo''s reaction.


    Of course, he did get the answer he wanted.


    Through the recent incident and the one at the entrance, though neither was a big deal, Su Chen could firmly conclude that this was a man with deep strategies and very pragmatic.


    Nowadays, impulsive people are not to be feared; rather, it''s these pragmatic individuals who have the fewest weaknesses!


    "Lv Shimo, Miss Jiang is truly delightful, thank you for your generous offer."


    Su Chen deliberately licked his lips, as if still unsatisfied, and spoke.


    "If Mr. Su is pleased, that''s good enough."


    Lv Shimo shrugged indifferently:


    "Then, Jiang Ying, you just keep Mr. Supany."


    "Yes."


    Facing themand of the Lv family''s eldest son, Jiang Ying had no choice but to agree, though in her heart she truly did not want to apany the man beside her.


    In the entertainment industry for a long time, women often be a bit more vain and mercenary, a product of the environment.


    If you don''t act this way, you be an outlier, utterly unable to survive in this circle.


    In Jiang Ying''s eyes, Su Chen waspletely without any value for exploitation; you could tell just by looking at his attire that at best he was just apany executive.


    What she couldn''t understand, however, was why this young man dared to ask Lv Shimo for her¡ª and why Lv Shimo truly handed her over to him.


    People in the entertainment industry, especially women, often possess only petty cleverness and no great wisdom.


    For example, if Yunyao were in her shoes, she would surely realize immediately that this young man was not as simple as he seemed!


    But Jiang Yingcked such vision and awareness, which left her even more confused...


    "Mr. Su, everyone has a love for beauty. Compared to Miss Jiang, the one in your home is truly a beauty, coveted by all of Jiangnan!"


    As Su Chen was about to walk away with Jiang Ying in his arms, Lv Shimo''s detached voice rang out:


    "As the ancients said, amon man is not guilty, but he is guilty if he carries a jade. Mr. Su, you should be careful not to let someone steal or damage that ''jewel'' in your home."


    While speaking, Lv Shimo nced at Su Chen, a yful look on his face.


    Upon hearing Lv Shimo''s words, Su Chen''s expression remained calm, as if nothing could disturb him.


    He understood all too well that Lv Shimo was warning him about Lin Ruoxue, albeit in a subtle way.


    No sooner had Lv Shimo finished speaking than Yunlong and Yunyao sensed trouble and quickly stepped up to Su Chen''s side.


    "Su Chen, today is our Bai family''s charity banquet, could you please show some restraint?"


    Yunyao said with a tense pull on Su Chen''s arm.


    Yunlong stood silently aside, not saying a word.


    Because he knew, if the older brother had decided on something, persuasion was useless.


    Jiang Ying, seeing this scene, was a bit stunned.


    Who exactly was the man who had made light of her? Even the Yun family''s young miss was pleading to talk to him?


    And what did Miss Yun mean by that? Was she worried that this man would do something to Lv Shimo?


    Although Jiang Ying didn''t quite understand what Lv Shimo meant, she could still sense the malice in his words.


    Could it be that just because of those words, this man would dare to do something detrimental to Lv Shimo? Jiang Ying found it utterly unbelievable.


    Although the female star Jiang Ying couldn''t believe Su Chen would do anything, Lv Shimo seemed to be expecting Su Chen to do something...


    Lv Shimo was a pragmatic man; each of his words had a purpose, not frivolously provoking Su Chen without reason.


    After that remark, Lv Shimo still watched Su Chen with a faint smile.


    At this moment, almost all eyes in the room were on this spot, and although they didn''t understand what had just happened, they could still feel a tense atmosphere in the air.


    Just then, Su Chen took a step forward, his face still expressionless, even his eyes devoid of any trace of emotion...

 Chapter 298: The Reverse Scale

    Su Chen''s step forward made everyone''s heart involuntarily tighten, as if they could sense something was about to happen!


    However, Lv Shimo acted as if nothing was happening at all, with even a hint of a triumphant smile curling up the corner of his mouth.


    Su Chen naturally noticed Lv Shimo''s expression but didn''t care and suddenly reached out arge hand, grabbing straight for Lv Shimo''s throat without any attempt to hide his movement.


    Seeing Su Chen''s action, the smile on Lv Shimo''s face grew thicker, and he moved slightly, ready to dodge the hand Su Chen had stretched out.


    However, a breathter, the smile on Lv Shimo''s face was abruptly frozen, his face showing a look of astonishment.


    Because he had thought that once he moved, he would definitely be able to dodge the iing hand.


    Yet, to his surprise, as soon as he had stabilized his posture, Su Chen''s hand still moved straight for his throat as if it had anticipated his movement, even predicting where he would move to!


    With his heart tightening suddenly, Lv Shimo hurriedly shed away again, this time with even greater speed.


    But to his utter astonishment, before his body could stabilize, that familiarrge hand yet again appeared in front of him, less than twenty centimeters from his throat!


    And that hand, so unremarkably ordinary, stretched forth imcably as if there was no stopping it, but Lv Shimo felt like he had nowhere to flee...


    How could this be possible?


    Witnessing this scene, Lv Shimo felt as if he''d seen a ghost, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat, hisplexion turning pale in an instant...


    Just as Lv Shimo was about to dodge again, he found he couldn''t move at all.


    Because thatrge hand had already predictably mped onto his throat!


    Though it seemedplicated, the whole episode had taken just a second or two, not even.


    When Su Chen''srge hand clenched Lv Shimo''s neck, everyone couldn''t help but gasp!


    This young man was too audacious!


    He actually dared to treat Lv Shimo this way!


    Even some who had attended the previous celebration banquet hosted by Yun Corporation and Belle Corporation, who had witnessed Su Chen beating up Liu Qing, were shocked!


    Because in their minds, Lv Shimo and Liu Qing were onpletely different levels!


    In terms of methods, mindset, or other aspects, Liu Qing was far inferior to Lv Shimo!


    And Jiang Ying, standing beside Su Chen, had been scared stiff!


    So this guy really dared to do it?!


    Her mind was instantly muddled...


    "You think you can be fearless just because you''ve reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement?"


    Su Chen''s hand on Lv Shimo''s neck applied a slight force, his eyes shing with disdain.


    As soon as Su Chen spoke, a flushed Lv Shimo widened his eyes in shock!


    He had not expected Su Chen to pinpoint his Cultivation level so effortlessly!


    How could he know?


    Connecting it with the bizarre encounter earlier, a thought struck him like lightning!


    Could it be that he too was a Martial Artist, and one with a higher Realm than himself?


    Upon further contemtion, Lv Shimo felt certain of it!


    Otherwise, there was no way to exin how he couldn''t escape the peculiar situation earlier.


    Realizing this, Lv Shimo''s heart slowly sank...


    When he provoked Su Chen, he knew that Su Chen was daring enough to make a move, considering the precedent of publicly beating Liu Qing.


    And Lv Shimo also knew that Su Chen had some skills, after all, Liu Qing''s capable Bodyguards had been taken down by him.


    But to Lv Shimo, this was insignificant as he was a Martial Artist, and moreover a master of the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement!


    Therefore, without any fear, Lv Shimo dismissed Su Chen, thinking what could his fighting skills amount to?


    He believed that if it really came to blows, the one to face misfortune and embarrassment would surely be himself!


    But he could never have imagined that with just an effortless grab, he would already be unable to resist!


    The so-called Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement Realm seemed like a joke in the eyes of the other!


    "You provoke me like this, don''t you fear I''ll kill you?"


    Su Chen slightly squinted his eyes, uttering the words devoid of any emotional tone.


    In Su Chen''s view, this Lv Shimo was simply courting death to even dare use Lin Ruoxue as a threat against him.


    Everyone knows, a dragon has a reverse scale, and touching it means certain death!


    And Lin Ruoxue was his, Su Chen''s, reverse scale!


    As soon as his words fell, everyone was astounded!


    This young man actually wanted to kill Young Master Lv? Was he joking?


    The crowd couldn''t help but turn their gaze to the young man, only to see his expression calm, giving no hint of his thoughts!


    But Lv Shimo clearly felt a strong intent to kill emanating from the other person!


    He didn''t doubt, not for a second, that the next moment, the other party would break his neck without hesitation!


    For a martial artist of his caliber, killing someone was just too easy a task...


    At this moment, Lv Shimo deeply regretted his previous actions; he had undoubtedly pushed himself towards a path of death!


    Indeed, Su Chen''s indifferent voice rang out again:


    "Since you so desire to apany your little brother, I''ll see you off!"


    Su Chen slightly increased the force in his hand, and Lv Shimo''s face, which had been red, quickly turned purple.


    Su Chen didn''t break his neck right away; he wanted the other person to experience the slow approach of death!


    Watching this scene, everyone felt their hearts clenching, as if they were about to suffocate!


    Yunyao was also in shock; she hadn''t expected that Su Chen actually intended to kill Lv Shimo!


    And alongside Su Chen, Jiang Ying had already be utterly nk-minded, merely staring dumbfounded at the calm-faced Su Chen...


    "Mr. Su, please be merciful!"


    Just then, a terrified voice came from the entrance; a middle-aged man rushed over¡ªit was Yun Shiqing, the father of Yunlong and Yunyao.


    "What, are you trying to stop me?"


    Su Chen nced at Yun Shiqing, speaking faintly, a sharp chill shooting out from his eyes!


    Upon encountering that chilling gaze, Yun Shiqing couldn''t help but shiver violently!


    What kind of eyes were those?!


    That pair of ck pupils seemed as if they originated from the deepest depths of the Nine Nether, filled with a sinister, cold aura that sent shivers down one''s spine!


    "No, no!"


    Yun Shiqing quickly waved his hands:


    "I just have something I wish to say to Mr. Su. After it''s said, you can make your decision, how about that?"


    Su Chen looked at Yun Shiqing, who had hurried over, and felt a bit curious, wondering what he wanted to say to him.


    "Alright, say it."


    Su Chen pondered for a moment, then nodded.


    Seeing Su Chen''s consent, Yun Shiqing quickly walked up to him and whispered something into his ear.


    "Is that the truth?"


    Su Chen turned to look at Yun Shiqing; he hadn''t expected Yun Shiqing to inform him of such news.


    "Absolutely true!"


    Yun Shiqing nodded earnestly.


    For a moment, Su Chen''s brows slightly furrowed, then the corners of his mouth couldn''t help but reveal a meaningful smile...

 Chapter 299: Fatal Weakness

    Su Chen gave Lv Shimo a cold nce and saw that he was already terrified to the point where his legs were weak, his teeth chattering, and hisplexion had be a purplish-white!


    It turned out he was all bark and no bite!


    For such a person, Su Chen was even more disdainful.


    "Today, I''ll spare your miserable life!"


    Su Chen said nonchntly and let go. Upon hearing this, a glint of light immediately shed in the previously despair-filled eyes of Lv Shimo.


    "Bang!"


    Before Lv Shimo could react, Su Chen''s foot had alreadynded squarely on his chest with a thunderous noise!


    Lv Shimo''s body immediately slid out about ten meters like a cannonball, then heavily knelt on the ground, leaning forward.


    Lv Shimo suddenly felt an intense pain in his knees, and his internal organs seemed to churn violently...


    But he knew that he had managed to save his life, which was fortunate amidst the misfortune!


    Enduring the severe pain throughout his body, Lv Shimo struggled to stand up, then moved slowly towards the door without looking back...


    "Be careful, next time you won''t be so lucky!"


    Just as Lv Shimo reached the entrance, Su Chen''s indifferent voice came from behind him.


    Lv Shimo''s body paused slightly, then he shuffled outside, step by step...


    At this moment, the eyes of everyone looking at Su Chen had changed; most of them had by now heard through informed sources about his previous public beating of Liu Qing.


    Humiliating and beating up members of the Four Great Families one after another was an unprecedented big event in Jiangnan for a hundred years!


    The question that lingered in everyone''s minds was, who exactly was this young man who dared tomit such an outrageous act?


    Of course, what puzzled them even more was what exactly Yun Shiqing had said to that young man to make him eventually let Lv Young Master go?


    Not just the others were confused, even Yunyao and Yunlong, the siblings, were baffled and in the dark.


    However, only the two people involved knew what had happened, and it appeared they did not intend to divulge anything.


    On the other side, Lv Shimo had just walked out of the Lantian Club''s main entrance when his driver, waiting in the car, saw him.


    Seeing his young master in such a state, the driver was taken aback and hurriedly got out of the car to run over.


    "Young Master, what happened to you?"


    The driver, seeing the traces of blood on Lv Shimo''s mouth, immediately asked anxiously and reached out to help him up.


    "It''s nothing, just wait a moment."


    Lv Shimo leaned on his driver and then looked back at the club''s closed doors, as if his gaze could prate the door to see the scene inside.


    "Su Chen, I''ve found your Achilles'' heel, you just wait!"


    Lv Shimo murmured to himself.


    The next time he truly struck, he would ensureplete sess!


    As said before, Lv Shimo did not provoke Su Chen using Lin Ruoxue for no reason; he wanted to see what position Jiangnan''s number one beauty held in Su Chen''s heart!


    Now, he had his answer, and it was a very satisfactory one at that.


    The only thing was that the price paid was a little too high, nearly costing him his life, something Lv Shimo had not anticipated.


    "Let''s go."


    Lv Shimo turned and slowly descended the steps, and soon, his car left the Lantian Club...


    Although Lv Shimo had left, the charity dinner had to continue, but the guests'' minds weren''t fully in it anymore.


    After the dinner, everyone went upstairs to the prearranged auction hall.


    In the end, about two hundred million Huaxia currency was collected in donations, all of which were given to children in impoverished mountainous areas through charity organizations.


    Su Chen also followed the local custom and spent a million to bid on a brooch, which he gave to Jiang Ying. After all, he had been disrespectful to her before, so this brooch served as an apology.


    Jiang Ying also received Su Chen''s gift with a mix of joy and apprehension. Even if she was naive, she now understood that she hadpletely misjudged this man!


    Putting aside her previous prejudices, now she seemed to even recall the faint scent of tobo from his mouth... it was pleasant...


    As for Su Chen giving a gift to Jiang Ying, Yunyao''sment was: He''s up to no good, harboring ulterior motives!


    Around 9 o''clock, the guests gradually dispersed, and Su Chen bid farewell to the Yun Family members and prepared to leave.


    Yun Shiqing and Yunlong enthusiastically invited Su Chen to visit the Yun Family often, while Yunyao pouted unhappily on the side.


    "Sure, I will visit when I have time."


    While saying this, Su Chenughed as he looked at Yunyao beside him.


    After finishing, Su Chen turned and left...


    "Dad, why do you invite him to our house?"


    Yunyao pouted her cherry lips and said.


    "What''s the matter? He is, after all, your brother''s elder brother, and it''s only polite, right?"


    Yun Shiqing found Yunyao''s angry look quite strange, as if he was baffled.


    Yunlong, on the other hand, snickered secretly on the side, and Yunyao red fiercely at him before storming off in a huff...


    ......


    As soon as Su Chen arrived at the front door of the vi and stopped the car, he saw the lights of another car approaching from behind.


    He turned around and immediately recognized it as Lin Ruoxue''s car, so he waited at the door.


    "Wife, you''re just getting back now?"


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue''s car stopped, Su Chen immediately rushed over to help open the car door and carry the bags, showing none of the airs he had at the Lantian clubhouse.


    If those who were present at the time saw this scene, they would certainly doubt whether this was the same person.


    The contrast was just too great, wasn''t it?!


    "Mhm, the equipment that Doctor Gaia requested are all high-end; how could they be arranged so quickly? I still have some issues I need to discuss with Doctor Gaia tomorrow!"


    Lin Ruoxue got out of the car and rubbed her slightly sore shoulders as she spoke.


    "Tired?" Su Chen asked, seeing Lin Ruoxue''s weary appearance.


    "Yeah, a little."


    Lin Ruoxue casually said:


    "You open the door, andter you can give me a massage."


    "Sure, no problem. First, let''s have dinner, and after dinner, hubby will give you a full-body massage!" Su Chen said while opening the door.


    When they entered the house, Wang Ma was not around; after all, it was almost 10 o''clock by then, and Wang Ma usually went to bed at this time.


    After Lin Ruoxue came in and changed into slippers, shey down on the couch. As soon as her body touched the soft sofa, she felt a great deal morefortable.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen immediately went into the kitchen to warm up the food for Lin Ruoxue.


    After about fifteen minutes, Su Chen served the steaming hot meal on the table.


    Lin Ruoxue sat down at the table, and seeing the fragrant meal, she showed a contented smile, thinking to herself again:


    "It''s so good to have a husband!"

 Chapter 300 - 300 Sleeping Beauty

    Perhaps it was because work was exhausting or because she was really too hungry, Lin Ruoxue ate a lot this dinner, only stopping after cleaning out several of her favorite dishespletely.


    "Honey, did I eat too much? Look, my stomach is a bit round," she said.


    Lin Ruoxue unbuttoned her suit and, through her shirt, anxiously touched her stomach.


    Beautiful women are like this: they love to eat, but after eating, they worry about getting fat. Although Lin Ruoxue didn''t have any ws in her figure, she couldn''t help but worry a little.


    "Really?"


    Su Chen said, and he also reached out to Lin Ruoxue, cing his hand on her stomach.


    Although her stomach was slightly more protruded than usual, as she had just eaten, he could still tell that there wasn''t a trace of excess fat.


    "Honey, when I get old and not pretty, will you not want me anymore and like those young girls?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at Su Chen and said, knowing well that this bad guy was taking advantage of the situation.


    However, as long as it wasn''t too over the top, Lin Ruoxue generally let him be; after all, who made her end up with such a husband?


    "How could that be? Do you think your husband is that kind of person? Besides, wife, you''re surely going to be even more charming. I''m more afraid that one day you might find me unappealing and kick me to the curb?"


    Su Chen, now adept at sweet talking, could do it as soon as he opened his mouth, sometimes even he admired his own skill.


    "I would never, as long as you don''t do something to betray me, I won''t leave you!"


    Lin Ruoxue shyly muttered, seeming to say it to Su Chen but sounding more like she was reassuring herself.


    "Don''t worry, we will definitely grow old together. I even want to show you all the splendors of this world!"


    Su Chen said, looking deeply into Lin Ruoxue''s eyes.


    Listening to these sweet nothings, Lin Ruoxue felt incredibly moved, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world.


    Just then, Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt Su Chen''s wandering hands gradually climbing upwards!


    "p!"


    Lin Ruoxue fiercely pped Su Chen''s mischievous hand away, snorting coldly:


    "What are you doing?"


    "Sorry, I couldn''t help myself, couldn''t help myself!"


    Su Chen retracted his hand, still bearing a red mark, rubbed the back of his head and gave a sheepish smile, showing no real embarrassment.


    It was just a pity in his heart...


    "Wife, weren''t you very tired just now?"


    Su Chen changed the subject:


    "Why don''t you sit on the sofa, and I''ll give you a massage?"


    Lin Ruoxue had wanted to refuse since she knew Su Chen would not behave, but thinking it over since it wasn''t the first time and she really did have some backache and pain, she nodded.


    Then Lin Ruoxue walked to the sofa, sat down, leaned her back against it, and Su Chen thoughtfully grabbed a cushion for her to lean on, then he moved behind her and gently began to knead her shoulders with his hands.


    Lin Ruoxue slightly closed her eyes, enjoying Su Chen''s expert massaging skills, even better than professional masseurs.


    Lin Ruoxue had really been too tired recently, and it didn''t take long before she fell asleep on the sofa, her ck hair draping down.


    Seeing her asleep, Su Chen stopped massaging and gently picked her up and walked upstairs.


    Upon entering Lin Ruoxue''s bedroom, Su Chen carefullyid her on the bed and then pulled up the duvet to cover her.


    Throughout the entire process, Su Chen was extremely careful, ensuring that Lin Ruoxue couldn''t perceive any disturbance.


    After he finished, Su Chen didn''t leave immediately but instead bent down and crouched in front of Lin Ruoxue''s bed, quietly observing her.


    The bright moonlight streamed through the window, casting its light on Lin Ruoxue''s face, which was filled with a sanctified radiance at that moment!


    He had to admit, his wife was truly a gift from heaven, a rare beauty. Even in her sleep, she was so beautiful that it stirred the heart!


    What was even more valuable was that his wife wasn''t just a trophy; her capabilities were undeniable, otherwise she couldn''t have made the Belle Corporation so sessful.


    Moreover, she possessed many qualities that many womencked¡ªindependence, strength, and kindness!


    At this moment, as Su Chen watched Lin Ruoxue deep in sleep, he couldn''t help but think, "Having such a wife, what more could one ask for!"


    "Husband!"


    Suddenly, Lin Ruoxue turned in her sleep and murmured.


    Su Chen jumped in surprise and somewhat frantically lowered his head as if he were a thief afraid of getting caught.


    However, after turning over, Lin Ruoxue fell back asleep, and the sound of her lengthy breathing filled the room once more.


    It turned out that Lin Ruoxue was just talking in her sleep.


    Su Chen patted his heart and then lifted his head again.


    Then he thought, "I''m watching my own wife, what am I afraid of, acting like a thief?"


    Su Chen scorned his own uselessness and then pulled the quilt, which had been kicked askew when Lin Ruoxue turned, back over her long legs.


    Su Chen watched Lin Ruoxue''s stunning face for a while longer before standing up and slowly bending down to gently kiss her smooth, pale forehead.


    Lin Ruoxue continued to sleep soundly, with no reaction at all.


    After kissing Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen tiptoed out, gently closing the door behind him with a satisfied smile on his face.


    After descending the stairs, Su Chen walked out of the vi and then drove to the manor.


    Unless necessary, Su Chen didn''t waste any time that could be spent on cultivation.


    Upon arriving at the manor, Su Chen went directly into the usual room where he cultivated and began to focus on his cultivation.


    But he hadn''t been cultivating for long when the nearby phone rang. It was Xu Xinran calling.


    "Officer Xu, why are you looking for me sote at night? Could it be the long night has left you feeling too lonely?"


    It had to be said, Su Chen always unconsciously showed his mischievous side, as he did just now.


    "Where are you now? Are you in that manor?"


    On the other end of the phone, Xu Xinran didn''t take offense at his flippant remark, but directly asked about his current location, remembering that he had previously mentioned he often came here to rest at night.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen expressed his bewilderment.


    As Su Chen was about to ask her why she wanted to know his location, Xu Xinran had already hung up the phone.


    He couldn''t help but wonder, could this girl really be so lonely that she wanted toe over to see him?


    Thinking about it, he found it unlikely; although they hadn''t known each other for long, he knew she was not that kind of woman.


    Su Chen curled his lip and ced his phone aside, then once again immersed himself in his cultivation.

 Chapter 301 - 301 Xu Xinran Arrives

    Just as Su Chen had settled back into his cultivation for a bit, he heard the doorbell ringing outside the courtyard.


    Given the size of the estate, the sound of the doorbell was quite loud.


    After hearing the doorbell, Su Chen had to stop once again, then he walked out of the house and went to the estate''s main gate.


    When Su Chen saw who was standing at the door, he was instantly taken aback.


    He hadn''t expected Xu Xinran to actuallye, and she was even carrying a big bag!


    "Why did youe?"


    Su Chen asked awkwardly, knowing full well that it was already past 11 pm.


    "If I didn''te, would I call and ask what you''re up to?"


    Xu Xinran rolled her eyes in annoyance:


    "So, you''re not going to let me in?"


    "Oh, sorry."


    Smiling apologetically, Su Chen quickly opened the gate.


    After they walked into the main building, the two sat down on the couch in the living room.


    "What brings you here in the middle of the night?"


    A mischievous smile appeared on Su Chen''s face as he looked at Xu Xinran:


    "You''re not actuallying here because the long, lonely night got to you, right?"


    "You''re the lonely one!"


    Xu Xinran retorted with a blush, clearly aware of the sleazy thoughts he harbored.


    Men really are all the same!


    "If you''re not lonely, whye to my ce?"


    Su Chen genuinely couldn''t figure out why Xu Xinran woulde to his ce in the middle of the night.


    "Why is your mind so filthy, always thinking such thoughts?"


    When Xu Xinran first met him, she had a pretty good impression of him, but now she was increasingly feeling that he was not a good person.


    "Please, a womanes over in the middle of the night, what else am I supposed to think?"


    Su Chen scoffed dismissively, feeling that it was obvious¡ªa woman visiting a man in the dead of night clearly indicated her intentions, right?


    Moreover, the woman was very beautiful, and the man was perfectly normal; anyone would think that way, right?


    Upon hearing this, Xu Xinran was momentarily stunned, seemingly realizing that herte-night visit might indeed seem inappropriate.


    "Anyway, that''s not why I came."


    Xu Xinran, getting a bit impatient, stood up and said:


    "I''m going to stay here for a few days. Which room can I use?"


    "What? You''re staying here for a few days?"


    Su Chen''s eyes widened in genuine surprise, and if he had been teasing Xu Xinran earlier, now he was truly astonished!


    No wonder she brought a big bag¡ªit was her n to stay.


    "Yeah, is that a problem?"


    Xu Xinran also realized that there was no need to be too polite with this guy:


    "I''ll just stay in the same room I stayed inst time, facing south with good sunlight."


    "Suit yourself."


    Su Chen shrugged, thinking to himself that she was not stupid at all.


    But since Xu Xinran had already arrived, he obviously couldn''t just send her away.


    "Do you have anything to eat? I''m hungry."


    After taking her big bag into the room, Xu Xinran came back out and said.


    "You''re not my wife, if you''re hungry cook for yourself, there are noodles in the kitchen."


    Su Chen tly refused, this girl really didn''t consider herself an outsider.


    "Wishful thinking!"


    Xu Xinran spat out in response, then stood there with a flushed face.


    "Aren''t you hungry? Why don''t you go downstairs and get something?"


    Su Chen looked at her as she didn''t move and asked curiously.


    "I don''t know how."


    Xu Xinran said, lowering her head and speaking in a tiny, embarrassed voice.


    Su Chen was speechless for a moment. He really wanted to ask, how did you survive into your twenties if you can''t even cook noodles?


    Even his wife, Lin Ruoxue, who was a total klutz in daily life, knew how to cook, right?


    Su Chen was defeated by this officer Xu, sighed slowly, and then looked at her with a strange expression.


    Seeing Su Chen look at her like that, Xu Xinran felt even more embarrassed!


    Indeed, it was somewhat shameful for a woman in her twenties not to know how to cook noodles.


    But it wasn''t her fault. At home, her parents had taken care of everything; after starting work, she rented with her cousin who knew how to do everything, so she never bothered to learn.


    A few minutester, Xu Xinran, seeing Su Chen still looking at her with disdain, couldn''t help but feel her embarrassment turning into anger.


    "So what if I can''t cook noodles? Is that so strange?"


    Xu Xinran retorted, her voice filled with embarrassed indignation.


    "Indeed, it is strange."


    Su Chen nodded, then shook his head disapprovingly


    "With the way you''re neither diligent nor knowledgeable about basic things, who would dare to marry you?"


    "I haverge breasts and a perky butt, there are plenty of people who want to marry me! You don''t need to worry about it!"


    Xu Xinran shot back, fuming.


    As the words fell, Su Chen was stunned, unable to believe this fierce statementing from the policewoman.


    "Really? Let''s see."


    Then, a devilish smile curled on Su Chen''s lips as he sized up Xu Xinran with his chin in his hand.


    Admittedly, Xu Xinran''s figure was impable, just as she had described¡ªcurvy and voluptuous!


    Feeling Su Chen''s intense gaze, Xu Xinran felt flustered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She had blurted out those words impulsively, simply because she was so irritated by hisment.


    No sooner had the words left her mouth than she realized they were inappropriate, but it was toote. What was said was like spilled water, impossible to take back.


    "Fine, since you haverge breasts and a perky butt, I''ll help you cook the noodles."


    Su Chen said dismissively, then he headed towards the kitchen


    Since Xu Xinran didn''t know how, what other choice did he have but to do it himself?


    But as he was leaving, Su Chen still threw her a look full of meaning.


    Xu Xinran knew what that look meant¡ªcontempt for a woman who couldn''t even cook noodles.


    Xu Xinran watched Su Chen''s retreating figure, clenched her fist in anger, and vowed to herself that she must learn to cook noodles. She couldn''t let him look down on her!


    Yes, she would start learning tomorrow!


    Having made up her mind, Xu Xinran immediately got to work. She sat on the sofa and looked up methods to cook noodles.


    The inte was incredibly efficient; it instantly returned numerous ways to cook noodles, which triggered Xu Xinran''s choice paralysis, leaving her unsure of which method to learn.


    "What are you looking at so intently?"


    A whileter, Su Chen walked over with arge bowl of noodles and set it on the table.


    "Nothing."


    Xu Xinran flusteredly put away her phone, and instantly, a delicious scent wafted over.


    "It smells amazing! You finished cooking it so quickly?"


    Xu Xinran said casually as she sat down at the table.


    "It''s just noodles, how long could it take."


    Su Chen said indifferently, then lit a cigarette


    "So, tell me, why did youe over sote?"


    He of course knew that Xu Xinran hadn''te over just because she was lonely. That was just his way of joking.


    As for the real reason, he didn''t know either. It would have to be Xu Xinran who would tell...

 Chapter 302 - 302 Xu Xinrans Thoughts

    "What else could it be, of course it''s about my cousin."


    Xu Xinran took a bite of her noodles and sighed,


    "These past couple of days, her temper has been pretty bad. For some reason, she''s always angry, and it''s dangerous. Her face is always sullen, so I''ve hidden myself away over here."


    "Qiuru? What''s wrong with her exactly?"


    Xia Qiuru still held a special ce in Su Chen''s heart, although they had made it clear to each other that they were just going to be good friends from now on.


    But in reality, both of them knew that some feelings can''t just be erased onmand.


    As soon as Su Chen heard about Xia Qiuru, he immediately asked anxiously.


    Seeing Su Chen''s anxious expression, Xu Xinran felt a sourness in her heart:


    "What else could have happened? Her parents are pressuring her to marry, calling her every day to go on blind dates with some guy. It''s driving her mad."


    "Then she should just go and see. If the guy isn''t bad, she could just date him and see how it goes," Su Chen replied.


    Although he felt somewhat ufortable about Xia Qiuru seeing another man, he knew he couldn''t be that selfish.


    Because he was already married, he couldn''t give her a proper status, so whether he liked it or not, he had to let go and wish her happiness.


    "You men really are heartless and merciless creatures!"


    Xu Xinran had felt sour earlier when Su Chen seemed so worried about his cousin, but now, hearing what Su Chen said, a wave of anger rose within her.


    "Don''t tell me you don''t know who Qiuru likes in her heart."


    Xu Xinran put down her chopsticks and said coldly.


    Her words struck Su Chen like a blow, leaving him suddenly speechless and falling into silence.


    Xu Xinran also had a fiery temper, and seeing Su Chen silent, she became even more infuriated.


    "My cousin must be blind, fancying someone like you whocks responsibility!"


    "Xinran, I won''t deny that I have a liking for Qiuru, possibly even a strong fondness, but I''m already married. What can I do?" Su Chen took a deep drag of his cigarette and spoke faintly.


    At his words, Xu Xinran was stupefied, the anger in her body deting like a balloon pricked with a hole.


    "You, you''re married?"


    Xu Xinran asked, her face full of confusion, her mind seeming to go nk all at once.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen nodded. If it weren''t for the fact that he was already married, he might really have epted Xia Qiuru''s feelings, as she indeed was such a wonderful woman.


    "Alright, it''s gettingte. I''m going to head back to my room."


    "You haven''t finished your noodles yet?"


    "I don''t want them anymore."


    "Bang!"


    Xu Xinran returned to the bedroom with a wooden expression and promptly closed the door behind her.


    "What''s gotten into this girl? Why would she react like this to hearing about my marriage?"


    Su Chen muttered to himself, but didn''t think too much of it. He tidied up briefly and went to cultivate.


    "He''s actually married?"


    "Why would he get married?"


    "How could he just get married?"


    ...


    Xu Xinran tossed and turned in bed, gued by this question, her headache growing worse the more she thought...


    She didn''t know how much time had passed before she finally drifted off to sleep.


    In her dream, she saw a man walking toward her with a wicked smile on his face...


    "Ah!"


    At that moment, Xu Xinran suddenly woke up from her sleep, letting out a faint startled cry.


    "Was I dreaming? How could I dream of that bastard?"


    Xu Xinran found her heartbeat to be very fast, and when she touched her cheek with her hand, she found her face was already burning hot.


    After a while, her heartbeat slowly calmed down. She looked outside the window and saw that the sky was already lightly bright. Not feeling like sleeping anymore, she decided to get dressed and get up.


    At this time, Su Chen had justpleted thest cycle of his cultivation technique. His whole body was in a very mystical state, ethereal and light!


    "Hoo~~"


    Twenty minutester, Su Chen finally opened his eyes and let out a long breath. Tonight''s cultivation was alsoplete.


    The estate truly deserved to be a ce of heavenly spirit and earthly talent. He had only been cultivating here for a few days, yet he felt that his Seventh Layer realm had already be very stable, which greatly exceeded his expectations.


    After finishing his cultivation, Su Chen simply took a quick shower and then walked out, just as dawn was breaking.


    As he stepped out of the house, he saw a graceful figure practicing on thewn in front of him, one moment kicking high, the next throwing a hook punch.


    The movements, fluid like drifting clouds and flowing water, were a pleasure to watch!


    "Officer Xu, you''re quite diligent!"


    A little whileter, Su Chen walked up and said casually.


    "Why are you up so early?"


    Xu Xinran nced at him and asked, her heart tensing slightly as she recalled the dream from the night!


    "I have to go back and make breakfast for my wife," Su Chen replied with a natural smile.


    "Oh."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Xinran''s expression immediately dimmed.


    That''s right, he already had a wife. She hadn''t expected him to be so caring toward his wife, rushing back to make her breakfast so early in the morning.


    Huh, why isn''t he sleeping with his wife but staying alone in this estate?


    Could it be that their rtionship isn''t good?


    At this thought, Xu Xinran''s heart started to race again...


    Su Chen looked at the young woman''s changing expressions and felt puzzled, not understanding what she was thinking.


    However, he didn''t think too much about it; after all, a woman''s thoughts are always veryplex!


    Just then, Xu Xinran''s mobile phone, which was ced on a stone table nearby, rang. She saw that it was Jiang Lixing who was calling and quickly answered the phone.


    After the call ended, Xu Xinran''s face suddenly turned very pale.


    "What''s the matter?"


    When she hung up, Su Chen asked, somewhat surprised.


    "The body of that young girl who went missing has been found," Xu Xinran said, somewhat dejectedly.


    "Let''s go, I''lle with you to take a look," Su Chen said with a somber expression, recalling the bizarre missing person case Xu Xinran had spoken about before.


    "But we need the approval of the chief!" Xu Xinran replied:


    "I need to ask for permission."


    "No problem, I''ll speak with him when we get there," Su Chen reassured Xu Xinran:


    "Let''s hurry up and go!"


    Soon, the two of them got into Su Chen''s BMW and sped off toward the southeast of Jianghai City...

 Chapter 303: Unexplainable Misunderstanding

    It was just after five in the morning, and winter was fast approaching, so there were hardly any pedestrians on the road, just a few scattered sanitation workers cleaning the streets.


    Su Chen had been driving for less than thirty minutes before he arrived near the crime scene located on the southeastern edge of Jianghai City.


    This ce was even beyond the suburbs, surrounded by farnd and fish ponds, with no residents for miles around, truly a ce where even birds wouldn''t bother to defecate.


    By the time Su Chen and Xu Xinran arrived, the area was already cordoned off with police tape.


    In a small grove next to the fish pond, several police officers had gathered, and all turned their heads at the sound of the approaching vehicle.


    "It''s Xuing."


    A police officer casually remarked to hispanion.


    "She sure arrived quickly, probably got woken up by the noise."


    "Hey, why has Xu brought a man with her?"


    "Yeah, I bet it''s her boyfriend, who came to drop her off, right?"


    "I never heard Xu mention she had a boyfriend."


    "Does she have to announce everything? This early in the morning, the two of them showing up together, doesn''t that say it all?"


    "You mean, they''re living together already?"


    "Obviously, what else?"


    ......


    While a few police officers were chatting idly, Jiang Lixing nearby also saw Xu Xinran walking over with a man.


    When he got a clear view of the man''s face, he was taken aback and hurried over in a fluster, nearly falling over on the uneven road.


    The other officers, seeing the superintendent''s reaction, were a bit confused but immediately followed suit.


    "Greetings, sir!"


    Jiang Lixing ran up to Su Chen and saluted him with proper military respect.


    The officers who had followed were startled by the scene. Why was the superintendent saluting this young man and addressing him as "sir"? Who exactly was this boyfriend of Xu Xinran?


    "All right, I''m just here to have a look,"


    Su Chen waved his hand and said,


    "I''ve heard Xinran mention this case¡ªthere have been several dozen young women murdered, right?"


    "Yes, sir, the case is indeed perplexing and terrifyingly bizarre,"


    Jiang Lixing dropped his hand and sighed,


    "The case has already attracted the attention of the provincial office, and even the ministry, ordering me to solve it and apprehend the culprit quickly. But up to now, we still don''t have any leads¡ªwhat are we supposed to use to crack the case?"


    As Jiang Lixing reported, he nced over at Xu Xinran standing beside Su Chen, wondering to himself if the two had already moved in together.


    Otherwise, why would they havee together this early in the morning?


    Xu Xinran, seeing the odd look Jiang Lixing gave her, naturally understood what he was thinking, and her pretty face instantly flushed with color.


    "Let''s take a look at the body first,"


    Su Chen said nonchntly.


    "Yes!"


    Jiang Lixing immediately responded,


    "The body is in that small grove over there. I''ll take you to see it."


    Having said this, Jiang Lixing led Su Chen towards the direction of the grove.


    The officers who hade along, however, were all surrounding Xu Xinran, their faces full of curiosity.


    "Xinran, who exactly is your boyfriend? Why does the superintendent call him ''sir''?"


    One of the officers, who was quite close with Xu Xinran, asked.


    He really couldn''t believe it: how could a young man just over twenty years old possibly be some kind of high-ranking officer?


    "I''m just an ordinary friend of his, and I don''t even know who he is?"


    Xu Xinran answered embarrassingly, her face flushed with shame.


    "Come on, Xinran, what''s the point in keeping secrets from us?"


    Another police officer sneered:


    "Living together and still iming to be just friends, are you ''just friends'' who share the same bed?"


    At these words, the rest of the police all chuckled, and Xu Xinran''s pretty face turned almost as red as a monkey''s butt.


    "It''s not what you think, we just stayed at the same cest night and didn''t sleep in the same room."


    Xu Xinran still tried her best to exin because her reputation was at stake.


    "Xinran, do you think we would believe that?"


    The officer who had previously been on good terms with her spoke up again:


    "We''re all police officers, not some three-year-old kids. Do any of you believe that?"


    The others all shook their heads vigorously, clearly thinking that Xu Xinran was lying.


    Xu Xinran felt like she was going to faint; how could no one believe her when she told the truth?


    "Xu, we''re in the 21st century now; there''s nothing wrong with cohabiting, no need to hide it."


    At this point, an older police officer also said something meaningful.


    "Alright, you''re all right, okay?"


    Knowing that no matter what she said they wouldn''t believe her, Xu Xinran simply went along with what they were saying to stop them from annoying her further.


    After she finished talking, Xu Xinran walked towards the grove.


    "So what exactly is the status of this boyfriend of yours?"


    A few police officers followed Xu Xinran, persistently asking.


    These officers had not participated in the operations at Dragon Ascend Building and Tianfu Hotel reunions, so they didn''t recognize Su Chen.


    If a different group of officers who had participated in those two operations were here, they would certainly have recognized Su Chen.


    After all, a high-ranking officer in his twenties is too memorable!


    "I really don''t know?"


    Xu Xinran spread her hands as she kept walking forward.


    "How can that be? He''s supposed to be your boyfriend. How could you not even know his status?"


    The police were still somewhat reluctant to let it go.


    This time, Xu Xinran found it impossible to brush them off because she truly didn''t know!


    As they were talking, Su Chen had already followed Jiang Lixing into the woods.


    After advancing a little further, they came upon a forensic pathologist, d in a whiteb coat, busy at work, conducting a preliminary autopsy.


    "How is it, Dr. Tong, have you determined the cause of death?"


    Jiang Lixing approached the pathologist and asked.


    "Yes, it has been determined; like the dozens of other young female victims before her, she died of excessive blood loss."


    Dr. Tong, the middle-aged and slightly overweight pathologist, replied promptly upon hearing Jiang Lixing''s question.


    Su Chen, upon seeing this corpse, immediately narrowed his eyes, a sharp gleam bursting forth!


    The body was indeed just as Xu Xinran had described to him before: pale and bloodless, the skin akin to that of a withered old woman, nothing like that of a 21-year-old in the prime of youth.


    By this time, Xu Xinran and several other police officers had also arrived at the scene. Although Xu Xinran had seen this sight many times, she still couldn''t help feeling queasy.


    She quickly reached into her pocket, took out a bag of preserved plums, and popped one into her mouth.


    Meanwhile, the other officers tried their best to avoid looking at the body, as the sight was simply too disturbing...

 Chapter 304: Blood Cultivator

    ```


    Su Chen stared at the corpse for a while, then lit a cigarette and sank into deep thought.


    "Su Chen, how is it going, any findings?"


    Xu Xinran asked softly.


    Su Chen didn''t answer, and after a while, he turned the body over so that it wasying face down on the ground.


    The coroner beside him was about to scold, as the body at the crime scene was not to be tampered with.


    However, after seeing Jiang Lixing shake his head at him, he swallowed the words that had reached his lips.


    At the same time, he was somewhat surprised, who was this young man?


    Su Chen paid no attention to others'' thoughts, but started a meticulous search on the body, leaving onlookers clueless about what he was looking for.


    Finally, when Su Chen saw a striking set of bite marks on the back of the corpse, his pupils contracted once again!


    "Are you the coroner? I want to ask if the numerous previous victims were like this girl, all having such a bite mark on their bodies?"


    Su Chen asked with a frown after crushing out his cigarette end on the ground.


    Hearing Su Chen''s question, the coroner couldn''t help but nce at Jiang Lixing, as this was insider case information that could not be disclosed casually.


    "Answer all questions!"


    Jiang Lixing ordered simply and directly.


    "Yes."


    After receiving Jiang Lixing''s permission, the coroner then said to Su Chen:


    "What this gentleman said is correct, the previous thirty-six victims were just like the one today, each with a set of bite marks like this."


    "And I''ve also made carefulparisons and found that the spacing and size of the bite marks are exactly the same, definitely made by the same."


    "However, what''s strange is that we''vepared it with many animals, but haven''t identified which animal left these bite marks."


    "They must be from a mold teeth guard."


    Su Chenmented casually, though his expression grew increasingly grave.


    "Mold teeth guard?"


    The coroner was slightly startled, then nodded:


    "That''s a possibility."


    "Chief, does this mean these girls all died because someone bit through their blood vessels, leading to excessive bleeding?"


    Jiang Lixing''s face showed a look of shock, for only humans would use teeth guards!


    "Of course, what else did you think?"


    "I had spected that it was some kind of beast with a special preference for young females that captured these girls and then drained their blood!"


    Jiang Lixing said with a lingering fear:


    "But how is that possible? How could a personmit such inhumane, horrific acts? These are all young girls!"


    The others, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, reacted much like Jiang Lixing.


    After all, the manner of the girls'' deaths was too grievous; a beast would be understandable, but how could it be a human?


    Just looking at these bodies was frightening to them, how could the killer manage to do it?


    And why would hemit such acts? It made no sense at all!


    "What''s so strange about that, sometimes humans are far more beastly than the beasts themselves."


    Su Chen ignored the shock of Jiang Lixing and others, and inspected the body again to see if there were other clues.


    After all, having spent so many years in the Dark World, Su Chen had witnessed too many inhumane deeds.


    He knew that with sufficient incentive, there''s nothing some people wouldn''t do!


    After a while, with no other clues to be found, Su Chen stood up.


    "How is it, Chief? Any clues?"


    Jiang Lixing looked expectantly at Su Chen, as he had been tormented by this enigmatic case to the point of near nervous breakdown.


    ```


    "No," Su Chen shook his head, "Let''s have the body carried back first."


    Actually, he had some guesses in his heart, but he didn''t voice them, for even if he did, these people wouldn''t understand.


    Let alone them, even he didn''t understand it very well; he had only heard his old ghost master mention it in passing.


    That was when he was very young; the old ghost once told him that in the Cultivation World, there was a method of Cultivation known as Blood Cultivation.


    This kind of Blood Cultivation required the consumption of arge amount of human blood, especially the blood of virgins and children was best!


    Su Chen suspected that these girls had been captured by a Blood Cultivator; otherwise, it was hard to exin this strange phenomenon.


    However, he knew very little about Blood Cultivation, so he had no further method.


    "Anyway, you can notify the citizens on television, radio, and other media, especially young women, not to travel alone."


    Su Chen contemted for a moment before speaking.


    "Wouldn''t this cause the public to panic and lead to unrest?"


    Jiang Lixing asked with concern, as maintaining public order and stability in Jianghai was his responsibility.


    "Then don''t mention the current case, just say that a female fugitive has escaped into our city, that way the public''s panic should not be so great,"


    "That''s a good idea, I''ll arrange it today,"


    Jiang Lixing nodded, then continued with a worried sigh:


    "But what about this case? It needs to be solved, right? And how do I exin it to the families of the victims as the police chief of the city bureau?"


    "You worrying about this case is useless; your city bureau can''t solve it. Report it to the Special Security Bureau, and let them send someone down."


    "Is it necessary to alert the Special Security Bureau? And even if I report it, will theye?"


    Jiang Lixing''s body jolted as he spoke.


    After all, the Special Security Bureau was responsible for matters that posed a particrly serious threat to national security.


    Although the current case was grave, it was still far from being a serious threat to national security, wasn''t it?


    "Don''t worry, they''lle back,"


    Su Chen patted Jiang Lixing on the shoulder and said honestly, truth be told, he didn''t have much confidence in the Special Security Bureau cracking this case either, but they were still more likely than the police.


    "Alright then, I''ll report it as soon as I get back,"


    Seeing as Su Chen said so, Jiang Lixing also agreed.


    "Remember, you need to instruct your subordinates about my identity, it must be kept a secret, even from the people of Special Security Bureau,"


    Su Chen nced at Jiang Lixing and said earnestly.


    "Yes!"


    Jiang Lixing immediately responded.


    "Alright, Xinran, I''ll be going first, you be busy,"


    Su Chen bid farewell to Xu Xinran.


    Although Su Chen would continue to pay attention and investigate this case, it was not possible to focus on it all the time, so he had Jiang Lixing report to the Special Security Bureau, to have them send someone to investigate.


    He believed the old fellow''s shrewdness would detect the unusual nature of this matter and would take it seriously.


    "Let me see you out,"


    Xu Xinran said, and as soon as she finished speaking, she realized the other people, including Bureau Chief Jiang Lixing, were looking at her with ambiguous expressions.


    Xu Xinran''s pretty face turned crimson in an instant; she could only pretend not to see and walked towards the outside of the grove...


    The two of them exchanged a few words beside the car, and then Su Chen left.


    Before leaving, Su Chen threw her the keys to the manor, telling her to make a copy since she was going to live there for a while.


    It was almost 7 o''clock at this point, so Su Chen directly drove towards Belle Corporation...


    While driving, he was still pondering, how could Blood Cultivators appear in Jianghai?


    It was well-known that in any country, Blood Cultivation was almost universally scorned, because it was too evil!

 Chapter 305: Shooting Oneself in the Foot

    When Su Chen drove to the downtown area, it was the peak of rush hour. Since he was not in a hurry, he just drove slowly and arrived at the Belle Building after 8 o''clock.


    Just as he was about to head to the public rtions department, he received a call from Lin Ruoxue, asking him to stop by her office.


    As his wifemanded, he scurried right over...


    "Honey, what did you need me for?"


    Su Chen pushed open the door of Lin Ruoxue''s office and called out, since there was nobody else there besides Chen Guo, the junior secretary.


    "What were you up to this morning?"


    Lin Ruoxue saw him walk in with a grin on his face, and asked expressionlessly.


    That morning, after Lin Ruoxue got out of bed and didn''t see that familiar figure, she asked Wang Ma, who was making breakfast.


    Wang Ma said her son-inw had called and had something to do, so he left and would go directly to the group.


    Su Chen''s continuous absence in the morning had made Lin Ruoxue both angry and somewhat panicked, as she had gotten used to seeing him first thing each day.


    The first time was okay, but by the second, Lin Ruoxue began to feel a bit scared, subconsciously fearing that this man might suddenly disappear from her life.


    Without that rascal''s presence, Lin Ruoxue found even breakfast tasteless, her mind constantly wondering what Su Chen could be doing early in the morning.


    "Could it be because we haven''t been intimate that he couldn''t take it anymore and snuck outst night?"


    Although Lin Ruoxue had not yet experienced sexual intimacy, she sometimes secretly read books about it.


    The books imed that men are creatures of the lower half and find it very hard to withstand prolonged solitude, which is a natural result of their physiological structure.


    Thinking this, Lin Ruoxue felt both angry with and a bit guilty towards Su Chen.


    "As a wife, am I being too harsh?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but think:


    "Should I start fulfilling my duties as a wife?"


    Although her reason told Lin Ruoxue to take a step forward and truly confirm their marital rtionship,


    the thought of doing such intimate things with that "rascal" made Lin Ruoxue uncontrobly nervous, and her face flushed as well...


    In this ambivalent mood, Lin Ruoxue made the call to Su Chen.


    After all, she had to clear up what he had been up to early in the morning thesest two times, as it was her right as a wife.


    "Oh, just helping a friend with a small favor,"


    Su Chen casually replied after hearing Lin Ruoxue''s question.


    "What friend? What favor?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen sharply, naturally not willing to let him off with just that.


    "This... this..."


    Su Chen was at a loss for words, as he didn''t want to tell Lin Ruoxue about his cultivation yet, since it wasn''t something that should appear in her life.


    "You couldn''t stand the loneliness, so you went out fooling around, didn''t you?!"


    Seeing his evasive behavior, Lin Ruoxue was more certain of her suspicions, her eyes suddenly turning cold.


    Although she hasn''t fulfilled her duties as a wife, couldn''t you, as a man, hold back a little bit?


    Thinking these thoughts, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help feeling a surge of anger, as if something of hers had been taken by someone else.


    Su Chen, upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, immediately widened his eyes in shock, and then began to have a mixed feeling ofughter and tears.


    So Lin Ruoxue actually thought he had been fooling around!


    But Su Chen didn''t immediately argue back, instead giving Lin Ruoxue a resentful look:


    "Can I be med for this? I do have a wife, but it''s like seeing without eating. If my wife were an ugly ogre, maybe my interest would have died out long ago."


    "But you, my wife, happen to be such a heart-throbbing beauty. Naturally, I can''t help but feel itchy, so I had no choice but to look elsewhere for satisfaction."


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue heard these words, she started to feel depressed. This guy had used the same excusest time when he looked at swimsuit photos in a magazine, and now he was reusing the same exnation.


    However, the nature of the two incidents waspletely different. Last time, it was just about looking at pictures, and although she felt slightly ufortable, she could tolerate it.


    But this time? This guy had actually gone and done it, something Lin Ruoxue couldn''t tolerate!


    Su Chen had originally intended just to tease Lin Ruoxue a little, but when he saw her face colder than ever before, he couldn''t help feeling a bit flustered.


    "Wife, I was just joking earlier, just teasing you!"


    Su Chen said with a sheepishugh, nervously approaching Lin Ruoxue:


    "Please don''t believe it!"


    "Really? Why do I feel like you were speaking your true thoughts?"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a nce. How could she believe Su Chen''s words at this time?


    Lin Ruoxue''s gaze was very cold, ominously so, making Su Chen''s heart feel as if it were being stabbed.


    Only then did Su Chen truly understand what it meant to shoot himself in the foot. He had initially just wanted to give Lin Ruoxue a slight stimulus, to make her reflect a bit on her shorings as a wife.


    This way, he could also fulfill his long-held wish of sharing a bed with Lin Ruoxue!


    But unexpectedly, this incidentpletely crossed Lin Ruoxue''s red line, making it impossible for her to forgive!


    Su Chen was also filled with regret. What was the point of demeaning himself? He''d yed with fire, and now it backfired, hadn''t it?!


    "Wife, I was telling the truth. You don''t believe me? I''ll strip naked for you to check!"


    Su Chen had no choice but to resort to his shameless trump card!


    "Oh really, go ahead and strip, then?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice was chilling and dripping with irony.


    She didn''t believe that Su Chen would do something so shameless in her office; she thought he must be deliberately provoking her, thinking she wouldn''t dare let him strip!


    A cold smirk emerged on Lin Ruoxue''s face, as if she had already seen through Su Chen''s little trick!


    But momentster, she waspletely dumbfounded, having totally underestimated the shamelessness of her husband!


    Because her roguish husband really started stripping off his clothes right there in her office.


    In just the blink of an eye, all he had left was a pair of big underwear, oh, wrong, and a pair of socks.


    He stood there with his arms open like that.


    Looking at his expression, anyone who didn''t know better would think he was about to make a heroic sacrifice!


    Lin Ruoxue took one look at his nearly half-naked body, her pretty face instantly blushing, and she covered her eyes:


    "What are you doing? Hurry up and put your clothes back on!"


    "A gentleman may be killed, but not humiliated!"


    Su Chen replied resoundingly:


    "I need to prove my innocence! Most importantly, I need to prove my loyalty to you, my wife!"


    Upon hearing his words, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help feeling hesitant again.


    Could it be that he was really just joking with her earlier? Could it be that he hadn''t really cheated?


    Thinking this, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but look over Su Chen''s body.


    Because she knew, while other marks could be easily removed, love bites were not so easy to hide...

 Chapter 306 - 306 Eniel is Really Coming

    Despite her feminine instincts of shyness, Lin Ruoxue still didn''t dare to look openly, instead, she peeked through her fingers.


    "Wife, we are an old couple now, if you want to look, just look boldly!"


    Su Chen had naturally noticed Lin Ruoxue''s subtle movements, and to give Lin Ruoxue a better view, he even purposefully turned a few circles.


    "Okay, okay, just put your clothes on."


    Lin Ruoxue expressed her impatience with a bit of shyness.


    "No, I must make you believe in my innocence!"


    At that moment, Su Chen was like a Taoist priest, swearing to defend his innocence to the death!


    "Alright, let''s just say I believe you."


    Lin Ruoxue said somewhat dismissively, mainly because she hadn''t found any signs of infidelity on Su Chen, so she temporarily let him off the hook.


    Upon hearing that Lin Ruoxue finally believed him, Su Chen quickly put on his clothes with a smile.


    "Oh, I have something to tell you."


    Lin Ruoxue sat down again behind her desk, resuming her serious demeanor.


    "What''s it?"


    Su Chen asked casually while putting on his jacket.


    "The delegation from the Sloley Group will be here next week, you and your PR department need to prepare everything in advance to ensure that nothing goes wrong!"


    Lin Ruoxue instructed seriously as she looked at Su Chen; this was a critical step for the Belle Group to enter the international market, so she took it very seriously!


    Once the Belle Group truly became a partner of the Sloley Group in Huaxia, there was no doubt that it would pave the way for the Belle Group to enter the international market, ushering in a true period of rapid development!


    However, when Su Chen heard that the Sloley Group''s delegation wasing next week, his body shook violently, and a hint of panic shed in his eyes!


    But he quickly hid it, as if nothing had happened.


    "Don''t worry, wife, I will handle this beautifully."


    Su Chen said nonchntly, though his heart had already reached his throat.


    "That''s good! This is very important; you''d better take it seriously. If anything goes wrong, I won''t let you off the hook!"


    Lin Ruoxue knew her husband tended to take things lightly, so she spoke very sternly.


    "Understood, just rest easy."


    Su Chen said bravely.


    "That''s good, now go do whatever you need to."


    Having said her piece, Lin Ruoxue also issued an order to dismiss him and began working.


    Su Chen didn''t stay to tease Lin Ruoxue as usual but instead turned and walked toward the door.


    As soon as he turned around, the rxed expression on his face immediately sagged.


    "Ah!"


    As soon as he walked out of Lin Ruoxue''s office, Su Chen let out a long sigh.


    "Su, did you upset the president again?"


    The young secretary, Chen Guo, seeing his disheartened look, couldn''t help but ask.


    Su Chen shook his head and walked on without answering Chen Guo''s question.


    Chen Guo watched his retreating figure in confusion¡ªwhat was wrong with him?


    He rarely appeared so dispirited!


    As Su Chen walked towards the PR department, his mind was filled with Eniel!


    "Ah, what''s meant toe, wille!"


    Su Chen, looking dejected, walked into the PR department and sat down at his desk.


    The women of the Public Rtions department found it even stranger when they saw him acting like this; in their hearts, this new director was a real happy-go-lucky guy!


    The women couldn''t help but wonder, what on earth had happened?


    The impact he received seemed quite significant since he wasn''t even flirting with them anymore.


    You should know, previously, flirting with the women as soon as he arrived at the Public Rtions department had be a required course for Su Chen, and even the women had gotten used to such routines.


    Today, his suddenpliance threw all the beauties of the PR department somewhat off-kilter.


    "Director, what happened to you? You don''t seem in high spirits," Ran Ting was the first toe over and ask, her hands resting on the desk, her body slightly leaning forward, from Su Chen''s angle, it was clear to see the scenery at the edge of Ran Ting''s magnificent mountains.


    But today, Su Chen didn''t even nce in that direction.


    Ran Ting of course deliberately posed like this to see if the director really had changed his ways.


    The result was quite obvious, the director was very unusual today, extremely unusual!


    After drawing her conclusion, Ran Ting straightened up, looking at him with a puzzled expression.


    "Yeah, director, if you have any troubles, just tell us, let''s see if we can help you."


    Zhao Lin also spoke with concern.


    Although they oftenpeted with each other and seemed not to get along, actually, they all quite liked this new director.


    "Ah, being too handsome, too excellent is also a trouble!"


    After a while, Su Chen leisurely uttered such a sentence, and his expression while saying it seemed very helpless!


    Upon hearing this from Su Chen, the women were also baffled, feeling somewhat out of ce, even a littleical!


    We admit you''re a bit handsome, a bit excellent, but depreciating yourself like this doesn''t quite sit right, does it?


    "Ah, you people who are not so excellent can''t understand the troubles of us who are this excellent."


    While saying this, Su Chen was quite elitist, carrying the air of having no peer all around him.


    The women of the Public Rtions department werepletely defeated by Su Chen; they already knew that Su Chen had no shame, but they never imagined the director could be this shameless!


    What they didn''t know was that Su Chen was actually speaking from his feelings!


    In Su Chen''s view, if he hadn''t been so excellent, or said slightly less excellent, Lin Ruoxue and Eniel wouldn''t have fallen in love with him, and if they hadn''t both fallen in love with him, where would his current troublese from?


    Not to mention, there were so many women who, because of his excellence, had emotional entanglements with him, even physical entanglements!


    If they all showed up one by one, Su Chen felt like he didn''t want to live anymore!


    "Director, are you possessed by something?"


    Ran Ting couldn''t help but ask, otherwise what could exin the current situation?


    "Yeah, director, why don''t you go to a temple and offer incense?"


    Zhao Lin also advised, as she too felt that Su Chen was very abnormal, almost delusional.


    Otherwise, how could he say such shameless things? Shameless to the point of sounding almost insane!


    "Alright, stop bothering me, everyone go back to work."


    Su Chen impatiently shooed all the women gathered around him back to their seats and gruffly spat,


    "Everyone put your full effort in these next few days, the Sloley Group ising to Jianghai soon, we must be well-prepared!"


    Su Chen temporarily set aside his troubles and supervised everyone''s work. This time, he was rarely truly serious.


    Because he knew, if there were any shorings on his part, Lin Ruoxue would definitely hold a grudge...


    Although he deemed it a futile effort since Belle Corporation almost had no chance of securing this partnership.


    The reason, of course, was because of him; after all, who would want to coborate with their romantic rival?


    Su Chen had a strong intuition that Eniel might already know about his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue.


    This was also the reason for his agitation, because he didn''t know how to face it...

 Chapter 307: Lin Ruoxues Choice

    On the other side, Lin Ruoxue, after working in the office for over an hour, felt her body slightly numb, so she stood up to stretch a bit.


    She made herself a cup of coffee and took it to the window to enjoy the view of the blue sky and white clouds, instantly feeling much more rxed.


    It was then that she suddenly remembered she had forgotten to ask Su Chen what he had been up to early in the morning.


    She was really bing forgetful! Lin Ruoxue somewhat annoyed, smacked her own head.


    "Forget it, as long as he''s not getting into trouble, let him be,"


    Lin Ruoxue murmured helplessly.


    .....


    In the following days, Su Chen led a mundane life without anything special happening, except for a visit to Tang Yun''s home for dinner over the weekend.


    He really didn''t want to go, but he couldn''t resist the strong insistence of Tang''s mother, Pei Rou, and had to agree.


    Of course, once there, Tang Yun''s parents treated himpletely like their son-inw, their warmth growing ever more immense, making Su Chen felt so uneasy that he hurriedly ate his dinner and escaped back home.


    During this time, Ye Mei also called to say that she would be visiting the headquarters of Almei Corporation to discuss further cooperation.


    Ye Mei mainly wanted Su Chen to apany her, as Almei Corporation was backed by the Phillip Family, and since it was in a foreign country, she felt quite nervous.


    Su Chen didn''t immediately agree but told her he''d see if he had time and if so, he would apany her.


    Of course, these days, he still went to the estate to cultivate daily, as the True Yuan there was so rich it would be a waste not to make good use of it.


    Su Chen felt that after some time, he might progress to the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, but how soon that would happen, he couldn''t be sure.


    The longer he spent cultivating at the estate, the more Su Chen realized the extraordinary nature of this ce.


    He initially thought the rich Yuan Qi here was because the estate was close to Jiangyang Lake, but now he was starting to doubt this theory.


    Indeed, ces near a water source do tend to have a bit more Yuan Qi, but it shouldn''t be as thick as it was here, especially considering Jiangyang Lake was just a smallke.


    Although he had his doubts, he hadn''t yet found the reason, or rather, he hadn''t taken the time to look into it properly.


    However, what somewhat exasperated Su Chen was that Xu Xinran seemed to be getting morefortable living here, almost to the point where she felt too content to think of leaving.


    Su Chen had asked her several times when she was going back, and she always vaguely replied that it would be soon.


    Su Chen didn''t really have a solution, so he just let her be.


    Xia Qiuru''s mood had clearly worsened these days, always wearing an irritated expression, and whenever Su Chen encountered her at the group, he could feel her unhappiness.


    But Su Chen dared not say anything, as he knew from Xu Xinran why she was unhappy, and asking would only add to the embarrassment, though seeing Xia Qiuru like this made him quite ufortable too.


    As time passed, Su Chen''s own mood became more and more anxious, as the time of Eniel''s arrival was drawing nearer.


    Time flowed like water, moving forward incessantly, naturally not pausing for Su Chen''s personal desires.


    Time quickly came to next Tuesday, and Su Chen''s nerves stretched to the limit, because the Sloley Group''s delegation would arrive in Jianghai tomorrow.


    That night, Lin Ruoxue also came home early because she wanted to rest well and be in top shape to wee the Sloley Group''s delegation.


    Since Lin Ruoxue hade home early, they naturally had dinner together.


    After dinner, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue casually sat on the couch and started chatting, with Wang Ma having already prepared Lin Ruoxue''s favorite honeydew melon, cutting it into pieces and cing it on a te on the coffee table.


    As for Lin Ruoxue''s previous deration of never eating honeydew melon again, naturally, Wang Ma took it as a joke or a statement made in anger.


    "Wife, what time is the Sloley Group''s delegation arriving tomorrow?"


    Su Chen asked as if casually pondering.


    "10 o''clock."


    Lin Ruoxue replied, although she found it strange that Su Chen was asking about work-rted matters.


    "Oh."


    Su Chen made a sound of acknowledgment and then fell silent again.


    "Are you okay?"


    Lin Ruoxue also felt that Su Chen was somewhat different from usual. Normally, he would have already started getting frisky, and wouldn''t just sit there quietly like he was now.


    "Wife, may I ask you a question?"


    After a while, Su Chen suddenly spoke.


    "What''s the question?"


    "I mean, what would you do if one day you found out I did something to wrong you?"


    After Su Chen asked this question, he felt his heart tighten, and his heartbeat even stopped for a moment.


    "Like what?"


    Lin Ruoxue tilted her head curiously and looked at him.


    "Like, like if I actually cheated today, what would you do?"


    Su Chen didn''t even dare to look up and meet Lin Ruoxue''s eyes.


    "You, you really went out fooling aroundst night?!"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly stood up, her body trembling as she pointed at Su Chen and shouted at him sternly.


    "No, no."


    Su Chen quickly pulled her back to the sofa and swore:


    "Absolutely not. After marrying you, I''ve definitely not been involved with any other women!"


    Here, Su Chen was careful with his words¡ªwhat he said applied to the time after their marriage; as for before they were married, that was...


    "Then what did you mean by what you said just now?"


    Lin Ruoxue had calmed down a bit, but her tone was still somewhat cold.


    "I meant ''if''. If, you understand? It never really happened."


    Su Chen paused and then continued:


    "If something like this happened in the future, what would you do?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s question, Lin Ruoxue really asked herself that internally:


    If Su Chen really had a rtionship with another woman, what would she do?


    But after thinking for a while, she had no answer.


    If it were the Lin Ruoxue of the past, the answer would be obvious¡ªfor someone as clean as her, of course, it would be an immediate divorce!


    But now, she seemed unable to do so easily. As for whether she would split up with Su Chen because of it, she didn''t know.


    However, just the thought of separating from Su Chen made her heart ache faintly, even making it difficult for her to breathe.


    "I don''t know."


    Lin Ruoxue shook her head and spoke, her expression bing deste, which made Su Chen''s heart ache.


    "I was just asking casually."


    Su Chen gave a warm smile:


    "All right, go take a shower and get some rest early."


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded her head and then went upstairs...

 Chapter 308 - 308 Pretending to be Sick

    Su Chen watched Lin Ruoxue ascend the stairs, her figure retreating from view, and silently made a decision...


    Around 10 o''clock, Lin Ruoxue turned off the lights and went to bed, while Su Chen stealthily slipped out. Of course, he went to the estate to practice his cultivation.


    The next morning, before Mrs. Wang got up, he quietly rushed back.


    Today, however, he did not cook breakfast buty directly in bed, picking up a copy of "Men''s Wear" magazine from the bedside to flip through.


    Just after six o''clock, Mrs. Wang also got up. Seeing that Su Chen hadn''t gotten up to make breakfast, she went ahead and prepared it herself.


    When breakfast was almost ready, Lin Ruoxue got up too. Thanks to a good night''s sleep the day before, she appeared radiant and energetic!


    As Lin Ruoxue descended the staircase in her silk nightgown, she casually nced at the living room downstairs.


    But her eyes quickly narrowed, and anger surged from within.


    "Mrs. Wang, did that bastard go out again early in the morning?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a somewhat livid face, feeling that the man was bing more and more outrageous. She had just spoken to him about it yesterday, and she hadn''t expected him to pull such a stunt again today!


    "I don''t know."


    Mrs. Wang turned her head with a clueless expression while holding the spat:


    "But he probably didn''t. Thest two times he went out, the young master would call me to let me know."


    "Then where is he?"


    "Could he still be sleeping in his room?"


    Mrs. Wang said doubtfully, while thinking to herself: Your own husband, why are you asking me?


    Hearing Mrs. Wang''s words, Lin Ruoxue was also slightly taken aback.


    Because in the past few months, Su Chen had never slept in thiste before.


    And it was precisely because of this that Lin Ruoxue assumed the guy had gone out again!


    "I''ll go have a look."


    Lin Ruoxue went straight to Su Chen''s room after descending the stairs, with Mrs. Wang following behind.


    "Su Chen."


    Lin Ruoxue called out softly from outside the door, but there was no response.


    "Su Chen."


    Lin Ruoxue called out again, this time a little louder, still no response.


    "Su Chen."


    Lin Ruoxue raised her voice further and also tapped lightly on the door, yet still received no response.


    "That bastard!"


    Lin Ruoxue clenched her teeth and squeezed out three words.


    Mrs. Wang looked at Lin Ruoxue, who seemed on the verge of erupting like a volcano, and couldn''t help but feel a bit scared.


    Just as Lin Ruoxue was about to turn and leave, a low "hmm" sounded from inside.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately halted, hastily tried the doorknob, and found that the door wasn''t locked.


    She pushed the door open and entered, seeing Su Chen lying on the bed with a rather pale face, his forehead dotted with beads of sweat.


    "Husband, what''s wrong with you?"


    Lin Ruoxue was instantly panicked, rushing to his side in a quick stride.


    Originally, Mrs. Wang had been standing outside the door, but upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, she too immediately came in. Seeing Su Chen in such a state, she was also greatly shocked.


    "Young master, what''s happened to you?"


    Mrs. Wang quickly reached out to touch Su Chen''s forehead and found it burning hot.


    "Miss, the young master is running a high fever!"


    Lin Ruoxue also reached out to touch and, feeling the heat from Su Chen''s forehead, her heart tightened.


    "Husband, let''s go, I''ll take you to the hospital!"


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue''s mind was devoid of any other thoughts; she was thrown into a state of panic.


    "I''ll go start the car, husband, just wait a moment."


    Having said that, Lin Ruoxue turned to leave, but as soon as she made to move, Su Chen caught her arm.


    "No need, it''s nothing."


    Su Chen shook his head slightly:


    "I just need to sleep and drink some water, and I''ll be fine."


    "How can you not go to the hospital when you have a fever like this?"


    Lin Ruoxue said softly:


    "Shall we go get some IV drips?"


    "No need, rest assured, I know what I''m doing. Have you forgotten? I''m a doctor too."


    Su Chen''s voice was weak and he looked very fragile.


    "Is that really okay?"


    Lin Ruoxue knew that his medical skills were very high, but seeing him so frail and sick, she couldn''t help but worry.


    "Don''t worry, I wouldn''t joke about my own health."


    Su Chen squinted his eyes and said:


    "Wife, you should go to work now. Today we are going to wee the delegation from the Sloley Group. So manypanies arepeting; it''s better for you to get to the group and prepare early."


    "Then... okay."


    Lin Ruoxue had no choice but toply, also because she really didn''t have time today:


    "Wang Ma, please take good care of him. Call me immediately if anything happens."


    "Don''t worry, Miss, I''ll take good care of the young master."


    Wang Ma nodded her head.


    "Wife, I''m sorry. I was supposed to be your interpreter today, but I''m afraid it''s not going to work."


    Su Chen said apologetically, and a flicker of brightness passed almost imperceptibly through his eyes!


    "That''s a small matter, your health is the most important!"


    Lin Ruoxue said as she helped to tuck him in the nket a bit more, so he wouldn''t catch a cold.


    Watching Lin Ruoxue''s subtle movement, Su Chen also felt a wave of emotion rise in his heart.


    "All right, then I''ll leave first."


    Lin Ruoxue stood up and said:


    "Wang Ma, let my husband have some porridge first, then take some medicine from the medicine box for himter."


    "Okay, rest assured."


    After sending Lin Ruoxue out the door, Wang Ma immediately served Su Chen a bowl of millet porridge, then poured him a cup of warm water and ced some fever-reducing medicine aside.


    "Young master, take the medicine after a while and have a good sleep, I''ll step out then."


    Wang Ma instructed.


    "Okay."


    "I''ll be at home, just call me if you need anything."


    "Okay, Wang Ma, go ahead with your work."


    "Hmm, young master, I''ll close the door for you."


    "Thank you."


    Once Wang Ma had closed the door behind her, Su Chen immediately sat up and muttered:


    "Pretending to be sick is damned difficult indeed!"


    Yes, the decision Su Chen made was to escape!


    Besides pretending to be sick, he couldn''t find any other way to avoid the situation...


    Because once he met Eniel, he had no idea what could happen. That woman''s thoughts simply couldn''t be measured bymon sense.


    Besides, Su Chen still hoped that Eniel didn''t know about his situation, although he knew the likelihood was slim. But what if?


    Su Chen had been nning to immediately use his Cultivation Technique to recover, but thinking it over, he decided to wait until the afternoon, just to be safe.


    After all, he had to make the act look real! So Su Chen picked up the men''s magazine "Man''s World" and began to "research."


    Actually, during this time, Lin Ruoxue still called twice to check with Wang Ma. Only after hearing that there were no big problems did she feel relieved.


    By three or four o''clock in the afternoon, Su Chen felt it was about time and silently ran the Nine Yang Divine Technique. His "serious illness" miraculously disappeared.


    No more back soreness, no more leg pain, no more feverish head, no more pale face; he was up and bouncing around...

 Chapter 309: Cant Escape After All

    "Wang Ma, making dinner? Let me help you."


    After Su Chen walked out of his room, he saw Wang Ma busy in the kitchen and said with a smile.


    "Young master, you''re feeling better?"


    Wang Ma looked at Su Chen, who seemed to be in perfect health, and couldn''t help but show a surprised and pleased expression.


    "Just a bit of a fever, nothing serious."


    Su Chen walked into the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves, and started helping out.


    By the time dinner was ready, it was a little after six o''clock. Suddenly, there was the sound of a door opening.


    Su Chen hurriedly went to check and found that it was Lin Ruoxue returning. He couldn''t help but be surprised:


    "Wife, howe you''re back so early today?"


    He had thought that with the representative team from Sloley Group visiting today, she would be busy for a long time, and at the very least, the enterprises in Jianghai would want to entertain them.


    "I came back since there was nothing else to do."


    Lin Ruoxue was actuallypletely worried about Su Chen''s condition, which is why she came back early, but of course, she wouldn''t say that.


    "Husband, you''re better?"


    Seeing that he didn''t look ill in the slightest, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but click her tongue in wonder.


    In the morning, he looked like he could be blown over by a gust of wind.


    "Of course, haven''t I told you? Your husband is a Ghost Doctor!"


    Su Chen said proudly with his head held high.


    "Okay, okay, you''re the greatest, are you happy now?"


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes and retorted.


    "That''s right."


    Then Su Chen took her bag for her and said:


    "Sit down and rest for a bit, we''re about to have dinner."


    .......


    Halfway through dinner, Su Chen asked in a casual manner:


    "Wife, how did it go weing the Sloley Group''s delegation today? Does our group have a chance to be their partner?"


    "Don''t even mention it, this morning around 9 a.m., the Sloley side suddenly notified us to change the time. They areing tomorrow morning at 10 instead."


    Lin Ruoxue sighed as she spoke.


    Hearing this, Su Chen was taken aback, and the piece of meat he''d been holding with his chopsticks fell onto the table.


    "How could that be?"


    Su Chen blurted out, his face filled with tension.


    "That''s their business, how should I know?"


    Lin Ruoxue, who was intently eating, didn''t notice Su Chen''s reaction:


    "But it''s actually good this way; you cane with us tomorrow."


    "Oh, that''s true," Su Chen said with a forced smile. The rest of the meal passed in somewhat silence...


    How could this happen? He had finallye up with a good excuse to feign illness, and they didn''t show up?


    Su Chen was speechless, thinking that he certainly couldn''t continue to pretend to be sick tomorrow, right?


    If he did that, even a fool would know something was up, not to mention someone as astute as Lin Ruoxue.


    After dinner, Su Chen went back to his room,y down, and was filled with an aimless restlessness. He didn''t want to engage in cultivation today either...


    Lin Ruoxue also noticed that Su Chen seemed unusually silent today, but she didn''t think much of it, assuming it was because he was still recovering from a serious illness.


    Early the next morning, Su Chen got up early and still prepared breakfast.


    After breakfast, he and Lin Ruoxue went to the group in session as usual.


    Upon arriving at the public rtions department, thedies found that he seemed even more preupied than the day before, and were filled with curiosity.


    However, with the representatives from the Sloley Group soon to arrive, the public rtions department had an especiallyrge amount of work to do, so there wasn''t much time to pay attention to Su Chen.


    At 9 o''clock sharp, Lin Ruoxue called and instructed the public rtions department to finish all the preparations, and then asked Su Chen to take two members of the department to join her in weing the Sloley Group delegation.


    "Have they finally arrived?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but let out a long sigh, then led Zhao Lin and Ran Ting out of the office.


    When they reached the main entrance, Lin Ruoxue and the vice president with a bit of a fiery temper and straightforward personality had also just arrived.


    At that moment, two colleagues from the transportation department had already parked two Mercedes cars at the entrance of the building in anticipation.


    Su Chen was now a department head, and it was clearly inappropriate for him to continue serving as a driver.


    Next, naturally, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue took one car, while the vice president and the two beauties from the public rtions department took the other.


    Because today Su Chen not only had to handle the tasks of his department, but also act as Lin Ruoxue''s personal interpreter.


    The reason only a few people were going was that many Jianghai businesses would be there, including the Four Great Families.


    If too many people went, it would seem inappropriate; four or five people were just right.


    If the other party really had intentions to further coborate, then they should be treated with more formal ceremony, since today was only the first interaction between the many businesses of Jianghai and the opposing side¡ªa good impression was sufficient.


    Of course, this did not mean the preparations could be taken lightly, as working with such arge transnational group required careful consideration of every aspect.


    Missing one small detail could ruin everything; for example, the people of Ster country hold sheep in special regard, with many ces using sheep as totems.


    If you servedmb at a banquet for them, the oue would be predictable; there would be no need for talks at all.


    Around 9:30, Lin Ruoxue, and Su Chen''s entourage had arrived outside the airport gates, which were already crowded with a throng of people.


    Although each business had only brought a few representatives, the sheer number of businesses made for arge gathering!


    One could say that roughly eighty percent of the businesses in Jiangnan with assets over fifty billion had shown up!


    As for the smaller businesses, it wasn''t that they didn''t want toe, but they simply weren''t qualified.


    Lin Ruoxue was quite a renowned figure in the Jiangnan business circles, not to mention she carried the title of the number one beauty of Jiangnan.


    So as soon as she got out of the car, many people came over to greet her¡ªit was all familiar faces from the business world.


    "President Lin, long time no see. Ourst meeting was at the Jiangnanmerce dinnery three years ago, right?"


    At this moment, a middle-aged man walked over, followed by a young man and a woman. He reached out with a friendly smile when he came face to face with Lin Ruoxue.


    "Ah, Chairman Yun, hello."


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue saw the neer was Yun Family Head Yun Shiqing, she was startled and quickly extended her hand:


    "Indeed, it has been a long time!"


    She was somewhat surprised inside, wondering why the Yun Family head was making such a point of greeting her.


    However, when she caught a glimpse of Yunlong behind him, she partly understood¡ªit was probably because of her husband.


    "President Lin, our families have started cooperating, so we should definitely keep in touch more frequently!"


    Yun Shiqing said enthusiastically.


    "Absolutely, absolutely!"


    The father and son from the Liu Family couldn''t help but shift their gaze over.


    "Qing''er, is this the young man who left you in such a state?"


    "Indeed, it''s him!"


    Sitting in the wheelchair, Liu Qing''s eyes suddenly red with a fierce ze...

 Chapter 310: The Queen Arrives

    "Qing''er, bear with it for the moment, today''s events are of utmost importance to us!"


    Liu Yongyuan patted his son''s shoulder and sighed, etching the image of the young man in his heart.


    Facing the brute who had beaten his son to such a state, how could Liu Yongyuan possibly be indifferent?


    "Don''t worry, Dad, I know what''s at stake,"


    Liu Qing said heavily, his gaze still fixed on Su Chen...


    The pain and humiliation this man had caused him were something he would never forget in his lifetime, and he swore that one day, he would make him wish for death but be unable to die!


    It was just that the Liu Family had recently been severely hit in the capital markets by a mysterious person or power, draining a lot of their vitality!


    To restore their former strength, securing this cooperation with the colossal Sloley Group was essential, and it was also their opportunity!


    Su Chen of course noticed the gazes of the Liu father and son but paid them no mind.


    Right now, he was preupied with the worry about what to do if Eniel arrived, with no mind to spare for petty clowns like the Liu father and son!


    Indeed, it wasn''t just the Liu Family; even the Lv and Wu Families had turned their attention here.


    The Lv Family was naturally represented by Lv Fang and his son Lv Shimo, along with a few top executives from their group, but Lv Shimo nced casually over here and then looked away, his face calm as if he did not know Su Chen at all.


    The Wu Family today was mainly represented by Wu Jingui and his son and Wu Jinjun and his son. When Wu Jingui looked over at Su Chen, he even gave a slight nod.


    But Wu Yuanpin was not so kind. The look he gave Su Chen was filled with hateful eyes, as if he wanted to y and devour him alive.


    However, thinking of the news that his family had even lost a Rank Leader, he suddenly lost his courage and had to hide that hatred in his heart, and he felt fear too!


    Today, Su Chen did not tease the little girl Yunyao, as his wife was right by his side!


    The attendees today were not limited to these business figures; even the mayor Tang Mingji came on behalf of the government.


    After all, Sloley Group''s visit to Huaxia was a big deal, how could the government remain indifferent?


    Keep in mind that the Sloley Group had the royal backing of the Sterk Kingdom; this was also a matter of international rtions.


    Tang Mingji naturally saw Su Chen too, but in such an environment, he simply nodded slightly by way of acknowledgment and nothing more.


    When it was two or three minutes to 10 o''clock, everyone involuntarily looked toward the airport entrance.


    Even though flight dys are quitemon nowadays, even to the point where it''s abnormal not to have dys, the fact that Sloley Group''s people wereing on a private ne meant they wouldn''t face this issue.


    In fact, it''s quite simple. Just inform the airport in advance and associate your private ne with the airport you''rending at, especially for the Sloley Group, this is just a matter of a few words.


    "They''re here, they''re here!"


    When it was just a minute or two past 10 o''clock, there was a slightmotion among the crowd, and everyone''s eyes immediately turned to look at the airport entrance.


    Upon seeing the line of peopleing from the airport gate, everyone''s pupils dted instantly. They saw a group of Europeans with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing ck suits and ck sunsses, marching out from the gate.


    Each of them walked with their heads held high, exuding an air of overwhelming confidence and arrogance, an aura that seemed to emanate from their very bones!


    However, the most conspicuous of all was a woman walking in front of these men; when they saw her, all the gentlemen present couldn''t help but take a sharp breath, their hearts uncontrobly leaping!


    She had a head of wavy brown curls, casually draping down, and while her face was masked by sunsses, the breathtaking beauty was still palpable!


    Especially those fiery red lips, which seemed to speak of a different kind of temptation!


    But the most exaggerated was her seductive figure¡ªtruly, every curve was just right, with not an inch too much or too little!


    She was dressed in a ck dress with a casual beige trench coat thrown over, and below were striking red high heels!


    The whole persona exuded an enchanting charm and a queenly,manding presence!


    At the sight of this woman, one word came to mind for everyone there¡ªqueen!


    Although Su Chen was already incredibly familiar with everything about this woman, even every inch of her skin, the moment he saw her, he was still fiercely stunned!


    "This woman has really be more vorful!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but inwardly sigh; it was impossible to say he didn''t miss her at all¡ªthey were not onlyrades in arms, dependent on each other in life and death on the battlefield, but also...


    But as much as he missed her, how was he to resolve the current situation? After all, he was married!


    Especially when he noticed her gaze searching through the crowd, Su Chen felt his courage waning!


    When that searching look turned in his direction, Su Chen distinctly felt the corners of her mouth curve into a smile!


    Honestly, speaking of looks alone, Lin Ruoxue and Eniel could be considered equally matched, both stunning in their own right, with Lin Ruoxue perhaps having a slight edge.


    As for the body, Lin Ruoxue also had the perfect golden ratio, but since Eniel was European, her bone structure was a bit bigger, making her figure look even more explosive!


    The reason why people regarded Lin Ruoxue as normal, yet were deeply shocked by Eniel, was due to several factors.


    Firstly, they had grown ustomed to seeing Lin Ruoxue, because no matter how beautiful a woman is, the more you see her, the less surprising it bes.


    Just like when they first met Lin Ruoxue, weren''t they equally astounded?


    Secondly, because Eniel was European, the visual impact was greater, coupled with her natural queen-like demeanour, it was understandable how everyone was deeply shaken.


    As Eniel came closer and closer, everyone snapped out of their initial shock, bing aware of who this woman was and quickly reined in their desirous gazes!


    However, they had not expected that the person in charge of the Sloley Group would be such a woman!


    "Princess Eniel, wee to Huaxia, wee to Jianghai!"


    Tang Mingji, the representative of the government, was the first to step forward to greet her, followed by several government officials.


    "I''m also delighted toe to Huaxia, to Jianghai, and I believe the trip will surely be worthwhile!"


    Eniel smiled as she took off her gloves and extended a hand for a gentle shake with Tang Mingji.


    However, as she spoke, she subtly nced at Su Chen in the crowd, the smile on her face growing thicker...

 Chapter 311 - 311 The First Meeting of the Two Women

    All the attendees were shocked upon hearing the words "Princess Eniel" from Tang Mingji''s mouth!


    Their gazes turned even more fervent towards Eniel, but they dared not show any lecherous intent.


    Joking aside, if those inappropriate thoughts were detected, it wouldn''t be just theirpanies losing this precious opportunity¡ªthere could be diplomatic ramifications given that she was a princess of a nation!


    The consequences were something they absolutely couldn''t afford; even the so-called Four Great Families wouldn''t have the audacity!


    Between nations, what were they really?


    These businessmen had originally thought Eniel was just a manager hired by the royal family of her country, only to realize that this stunningly beautiful, shapely woman was in fact the princess of that nation!


    Even Tang Mingji himself had only just learned this news, even though Eniel was here in the capacity of a representative of the Sloley Group.


    But she was still a princess, which inevitably meant she also represented the royal family of her country, and this essential information naturally needed to be conveyed to the Huaxia government!


    The businessmen understood that the royal family of her nation had industries all over the world in key sectors, so each person started treating the princess with even more caution and respect.


    Especially for Liu Yongyuan and his son, who saw this opportunity as a chance for their family to rebound, this news only reinforced their determination to secure the partnership.


    They believed that if they could win the favor of the princess, the Liu Family would certainly be able to regain their past strength and even reach new heights!


    After all, the target of the Liu Family had always been the Zheng Family of Yandu, who were alsomerce-focused.


    If his son hadn''t ended up in a wheelchair because of that bastard, Liu Yongyuan might have even suggested his son resort to some honey-traps, considering his son''s good looks.


    After Eniel and Tang Mingji shook hands with those government officials, thosepany boss attendees didn''t swarm up to her.


    Perhaps some of these bosses were uncouth in the past, but after finding sess, they also started paying attention to various social etiquettes.


    After all, they were now representing not just themselves, but the image of their entirepany!


    If they were to rush over like a swarm of flies, they would surely be seen as uneducated and impolite by the delegates of the Sloley Group, especially the beautiful Princess who undoubtedly valued etiquette,ing from a longstanding royal family!


    If Su Chen knew of their thoughts, he would scoff. Who told you that princesses are all about etiquette?


    At least the princess before them was definitely not the case, otherwise, how could she have toppled Su Chen over within just a few days of acquaintance? And in a cave, no less!


    They just stood there quietly, perhaps moving forward a little, waiting for the others to approach.


    Starting from the far left, Eniel shook hands with each corporate boss one by one, and as for those apanying the bosses, they naturally stood a bit further back and naturally didn''t have the privilege of shaking hands with Eniel.


    What they didn''t know was that those dressed in ck suits and wearing sunsses, apanying Eniel, were already dumbfounded by this scene, feeling a surreal sense of absurdity.


    They knew that even the bosses of multinational corporations wouldn''t expect a handshake from Princess Eniel; a smile from her would have been a bonus!


    What had gotten into her today? She was actually shaking hands with each of them, which absolutely shocked her entourage!


    These bosses might not have been numerous, but there were still over thirty of them!


    Given Eniel''s character, she naturally wouldn''t be interested in shaking hands with these people, but she was doing so today for a reason of her own.


    Eniel greeted each boss with a handshake and a smile, simply uttering a "hello" in Huaxia with spot-on pronunciation.


    This left the business tycoons of Jianghai both ttered and surprised, thinking to themselves that a princess of the ancient royal family really was different!


    As Eniel drew nearer, Su Chen felt his heart racing faster and faster, almost inexplicably feeling an urge to run to the restroom.


    But he dared not, believing if he attempted to flee now, Eniel would certainly do something to make him regret it for the rest of his life, even though he didn''t know what that would be.


    Eniel seemed to sense Su Chen''s difort, her smile growing more bewitching and causing hearts to flutter!


    She deliberately slowed her pace a bit when she neared the few bosses before Lin Ruoxue, even stopping to chat with them in English. After all, those people either spoke thenguage themselves or had interpreters with them, somunication was not an issue.


    Eniel intended to let that unfaithful bastard suffer a little longer.


    After all, who made him disappear for over a year, who made here close to ending her own life, how many tears she shed, he would never know!


    Su Chen was well aware that she was doing it on purpose. He tried to calm himself down, but just couldn''t manage it.


    His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts one moment and aplete nk the next...


    Time seemed to drag on indefinitely; to Su Chen, it felt like an eternity before Eniel finally approached Lin Ruoxue. His heart clenchedpletely, and he found himself temporarily unable to breathe.


    "Hello, President Lin!"


    Eniel stood before Lin Ruoxue, extending a pristine hand.


    At the same time, she scrutinized Lin Ruoxue''s stunningly beautiful face, the gaze in her beautiful eyes seeminglyden with meaning...


    "Hello, Princess Eniel. On behalf of the entire Belle Group, I warmly wee your arrival!"


    Although Lin Ruoxue felt the other''s gaze to be somewhat peculiar, as if probing for something, she promptly reached out her tender hand to grasp Eniel''s in her own.


    At the same time, she wondered slightly how Princess Eniel knew her surname was Lin.


    If she remembered correctly, this was the first time the other had used a specific title; she hadn''t done so with the numerous bosses and chairmen before, especially without being informed beforehand.


    Despite her curiosity, Lin Ruoxue did not let it show, still smiling and shaking hands with the other woman, her demeanor irreproachable.


    This was the first meeting, the first conversation, and the first physical contact between two peerless beauties!


    At that moment, neither of them could have imagined the many stories that would unfold between them in the future.


    At least Lin Ruoxue waspletely unprepared for this, as at that time, they were still people from two different worlds!


    And all of this was because of one man!


    Now, this man was standing behind Lin Ruoxue with his head drooping and lips pursed, his face a mix of nervousness and a hint of dejection...


    "President Lin, does this employee of yours not seem very happy to see me? Does he not wee me?"


    Eniel looked at Su Chen behind Lin Ruoxue and said with a yful tone...

 Chapter 312 - 312 Invitation

    "How could this happen?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly turned her head to nce at Su Chen.


    Sure enough, he was hanging his head with an unhappy expression on his face, and there was something indescribably off about him.


    Seeing him like this, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but feel a wave of anger as well. She had been worried that this guy would mess things up, which is why she had given him a solemn reminder in the car earlier.


    After all, today''s events were far too important to her and the Belle Corporation!


    But unexpectedly, just when it mattered most, something had gone wrong!


    When facing such an important person, what kind of impression does slumping your head and pouting make?


    Let''s not even talk about the princess, even she herself would definitely feel ufortable in such a situation!


    However, anger aside, the problem at hand still needed to be solved. Otherwise, did the Belle Corporation still stand a chance of qualifying as that partner?


    "I''m so sorry, Princess Eniel. It really is a regrettable incident," apologized Lin Ruoxue. Then, in English, she exined:


    "This is our Public Rtions Director, Su Chen. He definitely doesn''t mean any disrespect toward you. It''s just that he had a high fever yesterday, and he might be feeling a bit unwell now. I hope you can understand!"


    "A high fever yesterday?"


    Eniel murmured as she looked at Su Chen, the corners of her mouth slightly curving up, seemingly with a hint of mockery and a touch of amusement.


    In her mind, she thought, He can get a fever? With his physique, he doesn''t even know what a fever feels like, does he?


    Back then, when the two of them were in such a cold ce, wearing thin clothes for several days, she never saw him get a fever!


    "Yunlong, why do I feel that Princess Eniel is looking at your elder brother with strange eyes?"


    Since Yun Family''s members were standing right next to Lin Ruoxue, they could see very clearly. Relying on a woman''s intuition, Yunyao felt something was off.


    "Really?"


    Yunlong carelessly responded:


    "Well, my brother is such a good man, it''s not impossible for some princess to fall in love at first sight with him. So sister, you''d better hurry up. As the saying goes, ''Firste, first served.''"


    Yunyao had only asked casually, but upon hearing Yunlong bring that matter up again, she immediately twisted his waist sharply, making him grimace in pain!


    Lin Ruoxue, due to her nervousness, hadn''t noticed Eniel''s strangeness. She quickly tugged at Su Chen:


    "You need to exin to her in Sartean quickly!"


    In her view, using the princess''s ownnguage would naturally be more cordial, and perhaps it would make Princess Eniel overlook Su Chen''s previous discourtesy, maybe evene to see the Belle Corporation in a new light!


    What Lin Ruoxue didn''t know was that her actions were providing the two an opportunity tomunicate publicly!


    Su Chen also immediately asked in the Sarteannguage:


    "Howe you''re here?"


    His tone was filled with both depression and helplessness.


    "What? Can''t Ie?"


    Eniel tilted her head, smiling meaningfully:


    "You had a fever yesterday?"


    Hearing this, Su Chen began to feel somewhat embarrassed. Pretending to be sick might fool Lin Ruoxue and Wang Ma, but how could it possibly fool Eniel, who knew him all too well?


    Still, he stubbornly responded:


    "Of course, it''s true. What''s so strange about being sick?"


    "Are you sure you''re not just avoiding me?"


    Eniel''s lips curled into another arc, her face carrying a vague smile.


    "Of course not. Why would I hide from you?"


    Su Chen said, his eyes darting away.


    "Well then, since you''re not avoiding me,e to my hotel tonight."


    Eniel stepped forward, stopping just thirty or forty centimeters from Su Chen, her breath as fragrant as orchids as she spoke, her beautiful eyes shooting him a bright light only he could understand!


    As soon as Eniel finished speaking, Su Chen''s heart "thumped" and he hurriedly nced at Lin Ruoxue as if nonchntly, relieved to see she hadn''t noticed anything unusual.


    "Yunlong, there''s definitely something not normal between your older brother and Princess Eniel!"


    Yunyao reaffirmed her earlier opinion; although she couldn''t understand their conversation, she could sense something from their expressions alone.


    The others seemed to have the same feeling, as if the two were not meeting for the first time but rather appeared as if they had known each other for a long time.


    Although this thought crossed their minds, they quickly dismissed it.


    In their eyes, how could this young man possibly have any interaction with a high and mighty Princess?


    "What''s not normal? I don''t see it,"


    Yunlong, as straightforward as he was, couldn''t possibly be as perceptive as Yunyao.


    "Forget it. It''s like talking to a brick wall with you,"


    Yunyao pouted discontentedly, watching the two conversing from afar.


    "Sis, you''re not jealous because my older brother is getting on well with another woman, are you?"


    Yunlong leaned in closer to Yunyao, winking as he spoke.


    "Pfft, who would be jealous of him? Who he''s with is none of my business,"


    Yunyao retorted immediately, but a faint blush crept onto her face all the same.


    At that moment, hearing Eniel''s invitation to her hotel for the evening made Su Chen''s heart "pound."


    As for what they would do at the hotel, that didn''t even need to be asked; it was nothing new to the both of them!


    He dared not agree, naturally because of Lin Ruoxue, yet he couldn''t afford not to agree, as Eniel was far from a saint.


    Moreover, setting that aside, he had deep feelings for Eniel,plex ones that included love, friendship, and camaraderie!


    Sometimes Su Chen''s heart was cold, and he could kill many people without batting an eye, asionally using ruthless methods; yet at other times, his heart was soft, like now, not wanting to hurt either of the women.


    But he couldn''t find a way that would both set his mind at ease and satisfy both women.


    Facing Eniel''s somewhat burning, expectant gaze, Su Chen mustered up the will to say:


    "Well, I''ve got some things going on tonight, I might not have time..."


    When Su Chen said this, he didn''t dare look into Eniel''s eyes because he knew what would be there.


    As expected, upon hearing these words, Eniel''s eyes immediately turned cold, then she collected herself:


    "I''ll send you the address to your pher. Whether youe is up to you!"


    After that, Eniel put on a professional smile and said to Lin Ruoxue:


    "Ms. Lin, it''s a pleasure to meet you. I would love to visit your corporation when I have the chance!"


    Of course, this time, Eniel switched from Gothic to English.


    "Wee, wee! A warm wee!"


    Lin Ruoxue replied eagerly, because this indicated that the other party was very interested in the Belle Corporation, or why else would she visit without a reason?


    Having heard what Eniel said, Su Chen couldn''t help but shiver inside...

 Chapter 313: Pushing My Husband into the Wolfs Den

    After a brief conversation with Lin Ruoxue, Eniel moved away, and just before leaving, she subtly cast a challenging nce at Su Chen.


    "Su Chen, what did you talk about with Princess Eniel just now?"


    When Eniel walked aside, Lin Ruoxue asked curiously.


    "Nothing special."


    Although Su Chen knew that Lin Ruoxue definitely couldn''t understand Slorean, he still couldn''t help feeling a bit nervous, which was probably what they call a guilty conscience!


    "What do you mean, ''nothing special''?"


    "Oh, I just briefly introduced to her the unique aspects and strengths of our Belle Group, hoping that she would consider us more when choosing partners."


    Despite his constant inner turmoil, Su Chen managed to appear casual and even a bit nonchnt on the surface.


    "That''s good!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue felt somewhat reassured. Probably his introduction had influenced Princess Eniel''s decision to offer a visit.


    That''s what Lin Ruoxue thought...


    Meanwhile, Eniel, who had just walked aside and heard what Su Chen said, curled her lips dismissively. This guy was now spouting nonsense without hesitation.


    Indeed, what the others didn''t know was that Eniel actually understood Huaxianguage.


    Of course, it was because of Su Chen. Although Huaxianguage was the mostplex and profoundnguage in the world, Eniel had nheless learned it, and quite well at that!


    Eniel pretended not to hear and simply shook hands with a few other business owners. When she came in front of Liu Yongyuan and his son, she still kept it brief with a simple greeting.


    Just as she was about to leave, Liu Yongyuan eagerly said in English,


    "Princess Eniel, may I invite your delegation to dine with us this evening?"


    Liu Yongyuan''s proposition was frankly quite abrupt, given it was an unspoken rule of conduct in business circles no one else had broached; what was his aim in doing so alone?


    The usual practice would be to hand out invitations privately after the wee was over. Then the choice of whose guest to be, or whether to decline all invitations, was at the visitor''s discretion. That was the fair approach!


    By asking in front of everyone, Liu Yongyuan somewhat forced the general''s hand, as refusing would cause the Liu Family to lose face.


    Normally in business, everyone would save face for each other. By speaking out like that, how could the guests refuse easily?


    Though he might secure this opportunity, Liu Yongyuan''s means might be regarded with contempt.


    Liu Yongyuan was well aware of these business conventions, yet the opportunity was too important for the recently impaired Liu Family to pass up without a care.


    Compared to profits, what was face worth?


    This had always been the business-oriented creed of the Liu Family!


    However, upon hearing Liu Yongyuan''s words, Su Chen could only scoff in disdain; the Liu father and son just didn''t understand the kind of woman Eniel was.


    Sure enough, upon hearing Liu Yongyuan''s invitation, Eniel tly declined,


    "Sorry, I already have ns tonight. Maybe another time."


    Having said that, Eniel directly approached anotherpany''s boss, leaving Liu Yongyuan there, frozen in awkward embarrassment!


    The others, witnessing Liu Yongyuan''s difort, felt little sympathy for him; after all, he was the one who had first broken the rules. In fact, they were secretly pleased!


    Truth be told, by being as polite as she was, Eniel had already given Liu Yongyuan enough face, considering this was Huaxia, in his own country.


    If it had been anywhere else, Eniel might not have been so courteous!


    After briefly greeting all the business owners, Eniel said,


    "We at the Sloley Group are deeply touched by the sincere wee from everyone and are grateful that you could meet with us despite your busy schedules. As for myself, I am filled with ''anticipation'' for this trip to Huaxia."


    "Regarding the selection of a local enterprise to be our partner in Huaxia, our delegation will consider it carefully, and its members will conduct in-depth inspections of each enterprise."


    "I understand that you all have busy schedules, so we won''t take up any more of your time. Please, everyone should go back. Starting tomorrow, our delegation members will begin their inspections of your enterprises."


    Since Eniel had spoken thus, everyone found it hard to say anything more and scattered, all the while expressing that they would seriously wee the inspection by the esteemed delegation.


    Lin Ruoxue did the same; after briefly expressing her desire to cooperate with the Sloley Group, she turned and left. Su Chen and the other members of the Belle Group followed her, and Su Chen''s heart temporarily rxed a little.


    "Wait a moment, President Lin!"


    But just as she had taken a few steps, Eniel''s voice called out from behind her.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately stopped and turned around, a look of confusion appearing on her face, wondering why the other party had suddenly called out to her!


    Upon hearing Eniel''s voice, Su Chen''s heart clenched sharply, a bad feeling welling up as he also turned his body reluctantly...


    "Princess Eniel, may I ask if there is something you need?" Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "The thing is, President Lin, I''ve just arrived in Jianghai and am unfamiliar with the ce. For the next few days, I would like to have Mr. Su here act as my tour guide, if that would be alright?"


    Eniel said with a face full of sincerity.


    "Of course, that''s fine!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes immediately sparkled with brilliant light as she hurriedly responded:


    "It would be an honor for our Belle Group!"


    After all, with such a requesting from them, this was a rare opportunity for the Belle Group!


    Even a few nearby entrepreneurs showed envious looks, but they didn''t have anyone capable of speaking thenguage of her country¡ªso they could only be jealous in vain...


    "That''s wonderful, but I just wonder whether Mr. Su himself would be willing?"


    Eniel turned her gaze to Su Chen, who wore an anxious look on his face, and said with a lightugh.


    "Willing! Of course, I''d be more than willing!"


    Before Su Chen could say a word, Lin Ruoxue had eagerly epted on his behalf.


    "President Lin, I have work this afternoon at my department,"


    Su Chen mumbled with his head hung low, naturally speaking in Chinese.


    "What work? Your most important job right now is to apany Princess Eniel well. I warn you; do not cause any trouble for me, or I won''t let you off the hook!"


    Lin Ruoxue said sternly, her heart filled with irritation. Work, indeed!


    Did she not know that all his ''work'' involved flirting with the women in the public rtions department, especially the two behind him!


    Had Su Chen been aware of Lin Ruoxue''s thoughts, he would have instantly realized that there must be an "insider" among them again...


    "Alright, for the next few days, you should apany Princess Eniel properly and do a good job as her tour guide!"


    Lin Ruoxue did not allow him any room to refuse, as she pushed Su Chen towards Eniel.


    At this point, Su Chen was out of options. Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s excited demeanor, he couldn''t help but sigh in his heart:


    Wife, do you realize that you''re pushing your husband into a den of wolves?


    This woman is after your husband...

 Chapter 314 - 314 Stabbing Heart

    Lin Ruoxue, including the Public Rtions staff Ran Ting and Zhao Lin, were all very puzzled; they should be among those who understood Su Chen''s character the best, knowing him to be a lecherous fellow!


    In their daily lives, they had all deeply suffered from Su Chen''s molestation, and naturally, they felt it profoundly.


    But such a man was behaving like this in front of a Western beauty today, which was simply too abnormal!


    Could it be that he had a special preference for Eastern beauties and did not fancy European and American women, after all, some men were like that.


    That was the only conjecture they could make for now. As for the possibility of some grudge between the two, they wouldn''t believe that, even if you killed them, okay?


    Even though they all knew Su Chen had aplex identity, it surely wouldn''t involve any entanglement with a princess from the State of Slore, right?


    Of course, if they were to be med, it was only because their vision couldn''t reach that high. After all, they couldn''t understand Su Chen''s true circle, which was one of the reasons Su Chen had never disclosed his identity to Lin Ruoxue.


    After Lin Ruoxue pushed her husband toward Eniel, she led a few people away directly.


    If Lin Ruoxue knew the real rtionship between Su Chen and Princess Eniel, she would not let her husband go, even if it meant losing the opportunity to cooperate with the Sloley Group!


    But Lin Ruoxue was not aware, so the events could only develop in another direction...


    Once everyone had left, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue got into a stretch Rolls-Royce that had been waiting on the side, while the other members of the delegation took several cars behind.


    The car slowly started moving, heading in a certain direction. Along the way, neither of them said a word.


    Especially Eniel, who, upon entering the car, had an expressionless face. The more Eniel was like this, the more uneasy Su Chen felt. He wanted to say something several times but ultimately didn''t speak.


    Because at this moment, whatever he said would seem somewhat like an excuse!


    The motorcade quickly arrived at the entrance of a towering hotel, the best in Jianghai, six-star rated, and the name of the hotel matched its image perfectly, called Cloud High Hotel.


    "You all go and rest on your own."


    The delegation''s hotel had naturally been booked in advance. Eniel gave the order and then went to an elevator with Su Chen.


    The other members dispersed to other elevators, as you would expect from a six-star hotel, which naturally had many elevators.


    Although the delegation''s members were somewhat surprised that Eniel brought this man back to the hotel, they did not dare to say much, not even to ask, especially at this time when the Princess''splexion was clearly very bad, they were even less likely to touch on this sensitive issue.


    About two minutester, the elevator doors opened, and Eniel walked in first, followed by a downcast Su Chen.


    "Eniel, I... "


    When the elevator doors closed, Su Chen hesitantly wanted to say something, but after seeing Eniel''splexion, he still kept silent.


    The elevator ascended to the top floor. After exiting the elevator doors, Eniel immediately walked toward one of the rooms.


    Su Chen noticed that there were only a few rooms on this floor, reflecting the vast space of each room.


    However, this was understandable, since the top floor was dedicated to amodating top-tier guests, it was naturally meant to be luxuriously indulgent, with spaciousness being a priority.


    After a while, Eniel arrived at the door of a room, swiped a card to enter, and Su Chen followed her in.


    Su Chen entered and closed the door behind him. However, just as he turned around after closing the door, a glint of silver from a dagger shed before his eyes.


    Su Chen instinctively moved and dodged to the side, as there was no space behind him close to the door.


    But as soon as he shifted to the side, that silver sh followed him like a shadow, now aiming for his heart.


    Su Chen gently tapped the assant''s wrist, causing the dagger to slightly divert its course.


    At the same time, his body performed an extremely quick turn, moving to the attacker''s side and back.


    "What are you doing?!"


    Su Chen looked at Eniel''s cold face and asked in bewilderment.


    However, Eniel paid him no mind and swept a side kick towards his waist, not holding back in the slightest with this kick!


    The long legs beneath that dress shed by like a shadow, seemingly vibrating the air around them!


    Su Chen didn''t dare to be careless, he put up his hands to block, and soon Eniel''s leg made intimate contact with his arms.


    After the touch, Eniel involuntarily took a few steps back while Su Chen also stepped back once, mainly because Su Chen didn''t dare to use his full strength.


    Therefore, after his arm was kicked by Eniel''s leg, a faint pain arose.


    At this moment, Su Chen also fully understood that Eniel was venting her dissatisfaction with him, so he didn''t resist anymore, just dodged a bit.


    It was unclear how long Eniel''s resentment had built up, as her subsequent attacks seemed almost 200% more powerful!


    Even for Su Chen, it was gradually bing strenuous to merely dodge without fighting back; after all, Eniel was at the Qi Refinement Peak, her strength only slightly less than that of a clown.


    "Had enough?"


    Su Chen said helplessly after blocking one of Eniel''s side hook punches.


    "What do you think?!"


    Eniel clenched her teeth and emitted a burst of powerful True Yuan, stomped on the floor with a thud, and her body rocketed forward!


    At the same time, the dagger in her hand, gleaming with cold light, stretched straight out, still targeting Su Chen''s heart!


    This time Eniel''s speed was at its peak, taking only a fraction of a second to close the distance to Su Chen...


    Eniel''s ferocity on this asion was partly due to the deep grudge she held against Su Chen and partly because she had been attacking for so long without even touching a corner of Su Chen''s clothes, which was gradually infuriating her...


    Moreover, having fought with Su Chen for so long, she had realized that his strength was not much different from before, at least much higher than hers.


    Thus, in her subconscious, she believed that her angry attacks wouldn''t cause any real harm to him.


    But to her utter shock, the sharp dagger plunged into the opponent''s heart without any resistance!


    Feeling that slight resistance as the dagger pierced the skin, Eniel''s heart shook violently, and her pupils contracted rapidly...

 Chapter 315: Love or Not

    Eniel realized something was wrong in an instant and quickly forced herself to stop her advance.


    But because her speed had been too fast, even though she stopped immediately, the powerful inertia still drove the dagger further in. Blood flowed down the dagger, dripping onto the floor...


    Eniel was shocked. In that moment, it felt as if her heart had stopped...


    She quickly let go of the dagger and moved behind Su Chen, holding his staggering body.


    "Are you stupid? Why didn''t you dodge?"


    Tears instantly began flowing from Eniel''s eyes like a burst dam.


    Su Chen smiled faintly in Eniel''s arms and then reached out to caress her exquisitely delicate face, murmuring,


    "Do you really want to kill me that badly?"


    "Yes, I wish I could stab you to death, you heartless and ungrateful thing!"


    Eniel spat out the words with hatred.


    Indeed, when Eniel learned that he was already married, she almost went mad.


    She had thought that she would definitely be the one to apany him for life, but unexpectedly...


    Especially after she had gone to great lengths toe here, only to find that this guy actually wanted to avoid her, it fueled Eniel''s fury to a ze!


    So, as soon as she entered the room, she struck without mercy!


    She wanted to let him know that she was angry, extremely angry!


    But when the tip of the dagger truly pierced into his heart, she felt as though she had be dumbstruck, her heart clenched in agony!


    As for the anger and resentment, it all disappeared...


    She couldn''t imagine what she would do if she had actually killed him; probably she wouldn''t be able to live in this world anymore...


    "If you want me dead so badly, why are you crying? You should beughing!"


    Su Chen looked at Eniel and said.


    "I''llugh when you''re truly dead."


    Eniel retorted with irritation:


    "Stop talking. I''ll check your wounds and see if you''re going to die!"


    After speaking, Eniel helped Su Chen sit on a nearby sofa and then swiftly tore off his shirt, revealing his scar-covered upper body.


    This action was so familiar and natural for her, as if she''d done it countless times before¡ªwhich was indeed the case!


    "You''ve added new injuries?"


    Eniel nced and said, then carefully examined the area around the dagger and its depth of pration. Fortunately, it hadn''t hit any vital points!


    "Yeah, it''s inevitable!"


    Su Chen wouldn''t pretend to be more injured than he was in front of Eniel because he couldn''t fake it and Eniel was skilled in surgery as well.


    After all, traversing the Dark World, they''d suffered many injuries. It was asmon as eating, hence the saying ''a trained physicianes from a patient''s experience.''


    Shortly after, Eniel had the hotel staff bring things like alcohol, swabs, and anti-inmmatory medicine. Naturally, a six-star hotel provided six-star service; in about five minutes, the staff arrived with a small medical kit that had even more supplies than Eniel had requested.


    Such minor injuries were a piece of cake for Eniel, and she treated them quickly.


    Then, the two of them sat side by side on the sofa in silence, neither starting the conversation.


    "Eniel, I''m sorry."


    After a while, it was Su Chen who finally spoke first. His tone was filled with sincere regret.


    "Sorry, huh? What an easy word to say."


    Eniel scoffed. After the events that had transpired, most of the resentment in her heart had dissipated, but some of it lingered.


    In the face of Eniel''s coldughter, Su Chen just lowered his head in silence. Otherwise, what could he say?


    "When did you get married?" Eniel asked.


    "About half a year ago," Su Chen honestly replied.


    "Half a year?! Haha, you actually kept it from me for half a year!"


    Eniel nced at him:


    "You''ve be quite capable now, haven''t you!"


    The truth is, in the whole Nether Temple, only Eniel dared to talk to him like this, and she was the only one who never addressed him as Hall Master, except on special asions.


    After all, what else could be expected from their super friendship?


    In Eniel''s eyes, Su Chen wasn''t just the Hall Master of the Nether Temple but also her man!


    "I only have one question for you now."


    Eniel looked at Su Chen and said:


    "Do you still love me now?"


    Upon hearing this question from Eniel, Su Chen sighed deeply:


    "How could I possibly not love you?"


    Indeed, after everything they''d been through together, how could those deep feelings just be forgotten?


    Some things had even be etched into his marrow, coursing through his blood, bing part of his life...


    But in the end, he was already married!


    When Eniel heard Su Chen''s words, a heavy weight finally lifted from her heart.


    As long as he still loved her, that was enough!


    If Su Chen''s answer had been "no," she feared she wouldn''t even have had the courage to keep living.


    Eniel didn''t care about the formality of marriage; the reason she went crazy when she first heard Su Chen was married was solely because she had always thought that was her ce!


    And to have another woman suddenly take that spot, of course, she was furious and unwilling to ept it!


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, Eniel directly flipped over to straddle him and fiercely kissed him, holding his head in her hands!


    Su Chen responded in kind, the two were all too familiar with each other''s bodies, even more so than with their own!


    The kisssted for a very long time, until they were both panting and gasping, nearly suffocated and yet not stopping!


    Just as Eniel was about to take things further, Su Chen grabbed her hands, smirked, and said:


    "With the way I am now, do you think it''s possible?"


    Realizing this, Eniel also got a bit disheartened and got off Su Chen, sitting back down beside him!


    Even though Su Chen''s injuries weren''t too severe, an injury at the heart was still delicate, and any too vigorous movement would certainly aggravate the wound, potentially leading to severe consequences.


    After a while, Eniel asked seriously:


    "Su Chen, who is prettier, me or Lin Ruoxue?"


    "Didn''t you say you only had one question?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen was speechless; he couldn''t believe that a woman like Eniel would ask such a question.


    Only a fool would answer such a question because there''s no way to answer it without displeasing someone.


    "No, you must answer!"


    Eniel was also getting petnt, and Su Chen had no way to handle her.


    Su Chen''s answer was naturally the same as any man''s, which was¡ªboth are pretty!


    But Eniel was like all women, very unsatisfied with Su Chen''s evasive answer!

 Chapter 316 - 316 The Blessings of Qi People Are Hard to Enjoy

    "Do you really want to know?"


    Unable to resist the persistent Eniel, Su Chen nced at her and asked with a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.


    "Of course!"


    Under normal circumstances, Eniel wouldn''t ask the kind of questions that only a jealous woman would, but today, upon seeing Lin Ruoxue, she really was stunned!


    She had not expected that woman to be so beautiful!


    It involuntarily caused Eniel ¡ª who had always been extremely proud of her own looks and figure ¡ª to feel a small crisis, all the more because Lin Ruoxue, just like him, was from Huaxia!


    She knew that Su Chen had always held special feelings for thend of Huaxia. What about the women from Huaxia then? Did he also have special feelings for them?


    They say when you care too much, you can''t help but overthink; Eniel couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Let me tell you, the most beautiful women are those who don''t get angry or act unreasonably!"


    Su Chen said casually:


    "For instance, you don''t look as pretty as she does right now."


    Upon hearing this, Eniel immediately grew angry again. Had he not been injured, she would have beaten him up!


    It must be said that over the past few months, Su Chen''s skill in ttering women had reached new heights.


    Before long, Eniel who had been furious, was coaxed into blooming happiness, feeling sweet inside...


    Finally, after handling Eniel and getting her to not cling to the issue of his marriage, a huge weight lifted from Su Chen''s heart.


    To be honest, Su Chen had been most worried about Eniel not epting his marriage. He even feared she would do something extreme, like killing Lin Ruoxue...


    This wasn''t Su Chen being paranoid; given Eniel''s temperament, it was entirely possible!


    With his worries set aside, Su Chen naturally became less well-behaved, and a bit frisky ¡ª child''s y for him.


    Eniel was no Lin Ruoxue. If it weren''t for his injuries, who would have dominated whom was a real question.


    After some yful teasing andughter, Eniel asked:


    "Between me and Lin Ruoxue, whom do you love more?"


    Eniel didn''t care about Su Chen having another woman, considering he had never been faithful in that regard.


    What mattered to her was whether he loved her and her ce in his heart!


    Su Chen who had just rxed, suddenly found himself with a headache again. What was with Eniel today?


    Previously, she would never have asked such questions.


    After some thought, Su Chen gravely said:


    "Although I love both of you, and would eveny down my life for you without hesitation, my feelings for each of you arepletely different."


    "Perhaps, with us, it''s more like a me ¡ª bright, fierce, passionate. While with Lin Ruoxue, it''s likepanionship through thick and thin, gentle, like a small bridge over a stream, bringing the warmth of home."


    Eniel didn''t know if she should be satisfied with Su Chen''s answer, but she felt an indescribable Mix of emotions in her heart.


    "Can you tell me about you and her?"


    Eniel asked again.


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Eniel to be so concerned about Lin Ruoxue, it seemed she hadn''tpletely epted the reality of his marriage!


    "There''s nothing much to say, let''s not talk about it.


    Su Chen always felt awkward discussing Lin Ruoxue with Eniel. He stood up and said:


    "Let''s go eat instead."


    "No, you have to tell me!" Eniel insisted. "If you don''t, then I''ll just have to ask her myself."


    With that statement, Su Chen immediately caved in.


    It was a joke, for if Eniel really went to ask Lin Ruoxue, heaven knows what would happen!


    Left with no choice, Su Chen resignedly began to tell the story of him and Lin Ruoxue:


    From the befuddled beginning of their marriage, to the mutual indifference and irritation during cohabitation, and finally to the gradual easing of their rtionship.


    Initially, Su Chen had intended just to y along with Eniel, but as he spoke, he found himself involuntarily immersed in the story.


    He talked about the little things in their shared life, including making breakfast for her every day, sometimes deliberately teasing her until she got angry, and asionally taking small advantages of her...


    As Su Chen was recounting these small details, a contented smile couldn''t help but spread across his face...


    As Eniel listened to these things, she couldn''t help feeling a twinge of jealousy towards the woman named Lin Ruoxue!


    She finally understood that woman was irreceable in his heart!


    However, Eniel didn''t know, wasn''t she herself just as irreceable and unique in Su Chen''s heart?


    But after hearing Su Chen''s story, Eniel couldn''t help but widen her eyes in disbelief and ask,


    "Your rtionship is like this and yet you still sleep in separate rooms? You''ve never done that kind of thing?"


    "She''s not you, she''s a bit of a clean freak, and isn''tpletely ready to ept that kind of thing yet, and I don''t want to force her."


    Su Chen responded helplessly with a shrug,


    "Besides, I still need to cultivate every night, and if we slept together, it would be somewhat inconvenient."


    In fact, if Su Chen didn''t insist on doing that kind of thing, Lin Ruoxue would''ve beenpletely okay with sleeping together.


    But for Su Chen to lie beside such a beauty every night only able to hug and hold her, how could that not be a torment?


    He decided to just sleep alone.


    However, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Eniel''s face immediately darkened,


    "What are you trying to say? Are you implying she is pure and chaste, and I''m loose and immoral?"


    "That''s not what I mean."


    Su Chen hurriedly exined,


    "What I mean is she is more reserved, you are European after all, a bit more open in personality, that''s all."


    "That''s more like it." Eniel pouted, unceremoniously scoffing, "How do I feel like your feelings for her are deeper than for me!"


    "That''s not true, you are both people I can''t bear to lose!"


    Su Chen hugged Eniel tightly and said,


    "Stop having such silly thoughts, my affection for you won''t change, never!"


    Eniel was particrly susceptible to Su Chen''s sweet nothings, and she quickly lost her anger.


    For Eniel, this oue was neither the best nor the worst; things hade to this point, what more could be done?


    "Alright, I''m hungry, let''s go eat."


    Eniel stood up and said, then walked out, with Su Chen following behind her.


    Before leaving, Su Chen nced back at the big bed in the suite, thinking, if he hadn''t been injured today, a passionate battle in bed would have been inevitable.


    But Su Chen didn''t want Lin Ruoxue to be upset. When he tentatively asked Lin Ruoxue that question yesterday, her expression had already given him his answer.


    Yet he couldn''t possibly sever his ties with Eniel, nor did he truly wish to do so deep down.


    Lin Ruoxue and Eniel were like the two sides of his hand, he couldn''t bear to let go of either, perhaps amon plight for men.


    This was also another significant reason Su Chen was somewhat avoiding Eniel; when they met, matters between men and women were unavoidable.


    Today, although they didn''t do that kind of thing for special reasons, what was meant to happen would always happen before Eniel left.


    And when that time came, if Su Chen considered Lin Ruoxue''s feelings and refused, Eniel would certainly be heartbroken, maybe even do something foolish...


    Su Chen certainly hoped Lin Ruoxue would ept Eniel''s existence, so he could enjoy the fortune of having both, no longer caught in a dilemma.


    But what fortune could ever be easily enjoyed?


    Nheless, it was an issue Su Chen ultimately needed to resolve, yet at the moment he had no good solution, he could only take it one step at a time...

 Chapter 317 - 317 The Warmth of Home

    Su Chen and Eniel didn''t go far to eat, but simply had a meal at the hotel''s ground floor restaurant, as neither of them were particrly picky about food.


    Although Eniel was European and preferred some Western delicacies, for Su Chen''s sake, she still ordered all Chinese dishes.


    In daily life, she had sometimes deliberately eaten more Chinese food, so now it didn''t feel ufortable for her.


    Su Chen, of course, knew about these details, including her effort to learn the profound Huaxianguage for his sake. How could he possibly let go of a woman who dedicated herself wholeheartedly to him?


    After dinner, they strolled hand in hand along Jianghai''s streets like any ordinary couple.


    The sight of Eniel, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, naturally drew nces from passersby, and of course, if those onlookers had girlfriends or wives, a session of "kneeling on the keyboard" would be inevitable, and perhaps even "kneeling on durian" wasn''t out of the question.


    After some time pressing the pavement, both grew bored and returned to the hotel, where an intimate time was due, and they even nearly set off some fireworks...


    "I have to go back now."


    Around five in the evening, Su Chen stood up and said, because Lin Ruoxue had just messaged him, saying she would be home by seven.


    "Okay, I''ll go with you."


    Eniel also stood up from the couch and said.


    "You want toe back with me?"


    Su Chen was taken aback, clueless about what sort of idea Eniel wasing up with this time.


    "What? You don''t agree?"


    Eniel tilted her head and asked with a yful tone.


    "How could I not? Well... let''s go."


    Of course, Su Chen didn''t want Eniel to go, but did his wishes matter?


    Could he really make a difference if he said he didn''t agree?


    The two arrived at the hotel''s ground floor, where a hotel car was ready to take them, saving the trouble of hailing a cab.


    The Yun Gao Hotel wasn''t too far from Lin Ruoxue''s vi, just a twenty-minute drive away.


    On the way, Su Chen cautiously told Eniel that he hoped they would keep their rtionship a secret for the time being.


    At the time, Eniel nodded expressionlessly, but what she truly thought, Su Chen did not know.


    Wang Ma, who was cooking dinner, was stunned when she saw Su Chen bring back a very beautiful foreign beauty, not the least bit inferior to the young Miss of the house.


    Could it be that the young master was so bold as to bring a woman home?


    Seeing the expression on Wang Ma''s face, Su Chen knew what she was thinking and said with a smile:


    "Wang Ma, this is an important guest from thepany, visiting our home."


    "Oh, wee, wee!"


    Upon hearing it was an important guest from thepany, Wang Ma immediately disyed a warm smile.


    "Please take a seat, dinner will be ready soon."


    Concerned that the guest might not understand, Wang Ma also pointed to the couch and gestured for her to sit.


    "All right, Wang Ma, you go do your work, I''ll take care of things here," Su Chen said with a smile.


    "This, should we add more dishes since she''s an important guest?" Wang Ma asked tentatively, as their home meals were usually very simple¡ªthree or four dishes and one or two soups.


    "No need, it''s fine,"


    Seeing that the young master said so, Wang Ma didn''t say anything more, but she immediately washed some fruit and ced it in a fruit bowl on the coffee table.


    "Thank you!"


    Eniel stood up to thank her, and even used Huaxianguage, which somewhat surprised Wang Ma.


    After Wang Ma re-entered the kitchen, Eniel smiled and said:


    "Show me your room."


    "All right."


    Su Chen then led Eniel into his own room:


    "See, nothing special."


    Eniel caught a glimpse of the single bed and a faint smile appeared on her lips, a sense of superiority rising in her heart.


    She thought to herself: At least I''ve had his body, and that Lin Ruoxue hasn''t!


    If Su Chen had known her thoughts, he would have been astounded by the strangeness of a woman''s mind.


    Isn''t it good to be happy together? Why must there be apetition for superiority?


    Just then, the sound of the door opening came from outside, and Su Chen hurried out upon hearing it.


    "Wife, you''re back!"


    With a beaming smile, Su Chen spoke and then, as usual, prepared the slippers at her feet, before helping her take off her bag.


    Everything seemed so familiar, so natural!


    Following behind and just rounding the corner, Eniel saw this scene and immediately felt a sourness in her nose!


    This must be the warmth of the home he talked about!


    In that moment, Eniel truly realized that this woman had be a part of his life, unshakable by anyone!


    Lin Ruoxue put on her slippers, and as she suddenly looked up and saw the woman before her, she was startled!


    "Princess Eniel, what brings you here?"


    Lin Ruoxue blurted out instinctively in Huaxia.


    Lin Ruoxue''s mind waspletely baffled, why would she appear in her own home?


    "Oh, it''s like this, Princess Eniel already knows about our rtionship and wanted to visit our home."


    Standing beside her, Su Chen quickly "exined."


    Eniel gave Su Chen a meaningful look and then smiled, saying,


    "What, does President Lin not wee me?"


    Eniel spoke in Huaxia as well, and very standard at that.


    "How could that be? You are a guest whom we could only hope to invite!"


    Lin Ruoxue eagerly said,


    "I just didn''t expect that Princess Eniel could speak Huaxia, and so well at that!"


    "It''s simple, because I fell in love with a Huaxia man, I learned it specially for him."


    As Eniel spoke, she nced at Su Chen out of the corner of her eye, causing him to tremble with fear, more nervous than facing a formidable enemy!


    "Ah!"


    Lin Ruoxue was taken aback, then said,


    "I had no idea Princess Eniel was so deeply in love. Huaxianguage is not easy to learn. May I know which Huaxia man is so fortunate?"


    When Lin Ruoxue asked this question, Su Chen felt the cold sweat on his back, his heart leaping to his throat!


    He was terrified that his name would fall from Eniel''s lips next, and what would await him then, he could hardly imagine!


    Fortunately, upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s question, Eniel fell silent and said nothing.


    Lin Ruoxue realized her intrusion and quickly apologized:


    "I''m sorry, that''s your privacy. I shouldn''t have pried."


    "It''s nothing. Maybe President Lin will know in the future," Eniel said with a meaningful expression.


    Hearing this, Su Chen sighed deeply, his heart gradually settling down, and then he wiped his forehead, finding it covered with sweat...


    "Young master, miss, and this guest, dinner is ready, we can start eating," announced Wang Ma as she came out.


    "Great, I''m starved," Su Chen quickly called out, "Let''s all take a seat."


    Su Chen was so eager, purely because he was afraid the two women would continue this conversation.


    If Eniel were to unintentionally let something slip, that would be disastrous for him...

 Chapter 318: Clash

    "Sorry, it''s a bit simple, hope you don''t mind," Lin Ruoxue said. She had no idea Eniel wasing, otherwise, why would it have been so simple?


    To invite a guest like Eniel, one should at least go to a five-star hotel!


    Eniel just smiled slightly and said:


    "This is very good; I''m quite satisfied!"


    The meal was quite enjoyable, and Eniel and Lin Ruoxue chatted casually.


    Both women were extraordinarily perceptive, so they could keep up with any topic of conversation.


    Su Chen still sharply noticed that Eniel always managed to insert some questions about Lin Ruoxue''s personal secrets in what seemed like casual conversation.


    However, since Lin Ruoxue wasn''t suspicious at all, perhaps because her mind wasn''t on it, she didn''t think anything of it.


    Although Lin Ruoxue was all smiles with Eniel, one question kept nagging at her ¨C why had Eniel suddenlye to her house?


    Clearly, this was very abnormal!


    Even if Su Chen had carelessly let slip about his rtionship with her, that had nothing to do with her visiting her home!


    But for the moment, unable to figure it out, Lin Ruoxue stopped dwelling on the issue. After all, having her visit was a big deal for the Belle Group.


    She certainly needed to seize this opportunity to thoroughly introduce herself and her future visions.


    Of course, these topics were somewhat inappropriate to discuss at the dinner table, so she nned to speak more after the meal.


    As the two women were chatting, Su Chen suddenly felt a foot suddenly touch his shin. It then gradually climbed upward, quickly reaching his knee.


    And it seemed like it had no intention of stopping, continuing towards his thigh...


    Feeling that silky smooth touch, Su Chen''s body involuntarily shivered!


    "Son-inw, what''s wrong?"


    Wang Ma, sitting diagonally opposite, noticed Su Chen''s movement and asked curiously.


    Hearing Wang Ma''s question, Lin Ruoxue also turned to look at him. Since she was sitting next to Su Chen, she hadn''t noticed his unusual behavior just before.


    "Nothing, nothing," Su Chen muttered.


    After hearing Su Chen''s response, the two didn''t think much of it and let it be.


    Just then, Eniel sitting directly opposite secretly gave Su Chen a flirtatious look, and Su Chen, annoyed, red at her slightly.


    However, Eniel''s foot became mischievous again, slowly advancing towards Su Chen''s thigh...


    Su Chen, startled, quickly stretched out a hand and pressed her troublemaking foot down on his knee.


    One tried vigorously to advance, while the other desperately tried to stop it; the two engaged in a fierce, silent battle under the table...


    "I''m full; you guys eat slowly,"


    Su Chen hastily gobbled down a couple of bites of food and quickly left his seat ¡ª who knows what could have happened if he stayed...


    If Lin Ruoxue found out that he and Eniel were flirting right in front of her, she would probably castrate him!


    Watching Su Chen flee in a panic, Eniel''s lips curved into a sly, yful smile again...


    Lin Ruoxue frowned slightly as she watched Su Chen suddenly leave the table.


    This guy was really being rude; Eniel, the Princess, was still there ¡ª what did it mean for the host to just leave abruptly?


    "I''m sorry, Princess Eniel, Su Chen has always been sloppy; I hope you don''t mind," Lin Ruoxue said apologetically.


    "No problem; it''s best everyone just befortable,"


    Eniel gave a slight smile, appearing quite magnanimous.


    After Su Chen left the dining table, he sat down on the sofa and casually lit a cigarette.


    "A cigarette after a meal, happy as a fairy!"


    Moreover, there were two uniquely charming, outstandingly beautiful women right in front of him!


    Su Chen looked at these two women, who were both extraordinary in looks and physique, and thought to himself how wonderful it would be if they could get along harmoniously!


    If he could share a nket with both, two women serving one husband, even a deity wouldn''t want to exchange that!


    Thinking this, the corners of his mouth couldn''t help but slowly rise, imagining that incredibly blissful, beautiful life...


    In reality, although the two women were still chatting, their peripheral vision was constantly on the man on the sofa.


    When Lin Ruoxue noticed Su Chen''s glowing, beaming face, she suddenly felt a slight anger rising within her.


    This jerk, he must be thinking about something filthy again!


    Lin Ruoxue thought this not just based on her usual understanding of him, but more importantly, his current behavior.


    Didn''t you see how his thieving eyes were darting around her and Eniel?


    You''re usually not honest with yourself, but Eniel is no ordinary person; she is not only the top executive of Sloley Group but also a princess of the te Kingdom!


    If she notices your "lewd andscivious" manner, can you handle the consequences?


    What she didn''t know was that Eniel had noticed Su Chen''s "familiar" gaze even sooner than she had.


    Moreover, she knew more than Lin Ruoxue did; one look at his eyes, and she knew what this guy was thinking!


    "Director Lin, I''m very interested in your Belle Group; may I ask you to introduce it to me?"


    At this moment, after dinner had ended, Eniel spoke up.


    "Of course!"


    The words made Lin Ruoxue ecstatic, as she had been worried about not finding the right opportunity to speak, and here the other party had brought it up voluntarily.


    "If you don''t mind, can we talk upstairs in the study?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, hoping the study, though informal, would help bridge their rapport.


    However, when Su Chen heard the two women were heading to the study to talk, his heart skipped a beat, his face showing tension, devoid of his earlier sleazy demeanor.


    "I think it might be better for you to talk here, much more spacious, hehe."


    Su Chen awkwardly interjected.


    "I feel the study is more appropriate, a bit quieter."


    Eniel said with a slight smile on her face.


    "I think so too. Please,"


    Lin Ruoxue quickly agreed, while giving Su Chen a re for interrupting.


    Su Chen watched the two women ascend the staircase, their graceful figures retreating, yet he had no impure thoughts in his mind.


    Now, all he felt was concern about what the two women would talk about. What if Eniel deliberately revealed their rtionship?


    Even if she didn''t mention it, what if something made Lin Ruoxue suspicious?


    If it were downstairs, he could still promptly intervene; upstairs, however, he was helpless!


    Su Chen sat quietly on the sofa, holding a men''s fashion magazine, yet he had no interest in admiring the beautiful women inside.


    Listening to the asional sounds of talking andughtering from Lin Ruoxue''s study, Su Chen felt as if ants were crawling all over his heart...


    He couldn''t just sit by passively!


    Su Chen abruptly stood up...

 Chapter 319 - 319 Eniels Love

    Lin Ruoxue was exining and illustrating Belle Corporation''s future nning in the fields of medicine, artificial intelligence, inte finance, energy, and more to Eniel when suddenly, the door got pushed open.


    Lin Ruoxue and Eniel couldn''t help but lift their heads at the same time, and what they saw was a face brimming with a warm smile, holding a te of fruit in his hands.


    "You two must be thirsty after all that talking,e on, have some fruit."


    Su Chen said as he ced the fruit te on Lin Ruoxue''s desk.


    "Thank you, husband!"


    Lin Ruoxue sweetly said, thinking that her husband finally did something reliable.


    "Princess Eniel, don''t be shy, help yourself."


    Lin Ruoxue called out.


    "Thank you."


    Eniel took a piece of watermelon and looked amusingly at Su Chen.


    Lin Ruoxue also ate a grape and then continued talking to Eniel, while Su Chen quietly stayed on the side.


    After a few minutes, Lin Ruoxue looked up and saw that Su Chen was still standing there, and couldn''t help frowning as she said:


    "What are you still doing here? Get out, and close the door behind you."


    "Umm, alright then."


    Su Chen reluctantly started to back out, and Eniel, well aware of what the guy was worried about, showed a faint smile on her face.


    "Wife, call me for anything you need, I''ll be downstairs,"


    Su Chen said, poking his head back in before he closed the door.


    Lin Ruoxue, without even looking up, waved her hand backward, indicating for him to hurry off.


    Eniel''s smile grew even broader...


    Back downstairs, Su Chen''s heart was far from at ease, especially due to Eniel''s smile, which made him feel even more uneasy.


    He flipped through magazines for a while, then sat on the sofa staring nkly,y down on the sofa, and within minutes started pacing in circles around the living room again.


    Time ticked away by the second, and Su Chen was very worried when suddenly a roar came from upstairs...


    ....


    Eniel had originally just wanted to take this opportunity to get to know Lin Ruoxue better, but as their interaction deepened, particrly when she talked about Belle Corporation''s nning and prospects, she seemed enveloped in an aura of mystery.


    "This is no ordinary woman!"


    Eniel thought to herself, no wonder that guy was so obsessed with her.


    At the same time, the door opened again, and a head peeked in, with a teasing smile on his face:


    "Have you finished the fruit? If not enough, I can get you some more."


    "No need, there''s still plenty!"


    Lin Ruoxue was at a critical point in her exnation and couldn''t help feeling annoyed at being interrupted:


    "You don''t need to bother, just go and rest."


    "Alright then."


    Seeing that there was no sign of rage or a cold look on Lin Ruoxue''s face, Su Chen felt somewhat relieved and then gently closed the door behind him.


    But what Lin Ruoxue hadn''t anticipated was that in less than an hour, actually just over half an hour, the door opened once again, and naturally, it was that annoying bastard who came in.


    When she saw the two bowls of noodles in Su Chen''s hands, she immediately started tough bitterly.


    Husband, what on earth are you up to?


    How many times have youe in thesest two to three hours?


    "It''s almost 11 o''clock, you two must be hungry, right?"


    Su Chen said cheerfully:


    "Stop your work for a moment, have some supper."


    "Actually, I am a bit hungry, thank you, Mr. Su."


    Eniel said with a smile.


    Lin Ruoxue saw that Eniel had said as much, what more could she say?


    "Then let''s have somete-night snacks first, I wonder if Princess Eniel will be ustomed to it?"


    Because Su Chen had brought over noodle soup, that''s why Lin Ruoxue asked:


    "If it''s not to your taste, I can have him get some Western-style desserts, it''s no trouble."


    "It''s alright, quite good actually. Because of that Huaxia man, I often purposely eat all kinds of Huaxia food."


    Eniel chuckled casually:


    "Although I found it quite unusual at first, after eating more of it, I started to think it was not bad."


    "That man is truly too fortunate to have received such profound love from you, Princess!"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but remark sentimentally.


    "It''s just too bad he''s already married. Even though I knew him first and we loved each other first, he ultimately married another woman, and it seems like they are quite affectionate now."


    A bitter smile appeared on Eniel''s face, and even Lin Ruoxue, as a woman, felt a twinge of heartache seeing it.


    "This man is so ungrateful, how could he do this?!"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately became indignant:


    "Princess Eniel, since you loved each other first, you should bravely fight for it, fight to win him back!"


    "But after all, he is already married, and their rtionship seems quite good. Is it really okay for me to do this?"


    Eniel asked pointedly, ncing unintentionally at Su Chen.


    Hearing their conversation, Su Chen felt his heartpletely tangled up and wound tight to the breaking point.


    He had just brought over a bowl of noodles, how did the talk turn to this? If he had known it would lead to this, he would not have brought it, no matter what.


    After hearing what Eniel said, Lin Ruoxue was somewhat at a loss for words, pondering for a while before saying:


    "Love is always selfish. As long as you still love each other, I think you shouldn''t give up."


    "Ms. Lin, if I may ask frankly, if Mr. Su were that man, and he had any entanglement with a woman from his past, would you forgive him?"


    Eniel asked, pretending to be nonchnt.


    And Su Chen, upon hearing this question, was also intently watching Lin Ruoxue, his entire body bing somewhat stiff.


    "I don''t know. If that were the case, I guess I might ept it, although there would be some difort in my heart."


    Although Lin Ruoxue said as much, the truth was, if such a thing really happened, she didn''t know what she would think or do.


    After all, there''s a difference between imagination and reality, just as many people im they are not afraid of death, but you never know if you truly aren''t afraid until you''re actually facing it!


    No matter what, that man was still her husband!


    Women are very possessive in this regard, especially someone with cleanliness obsession like Lin Ruoxue!


    However, upon hearing her words, Su Chen felt a great sense of relief, thinking he was quite safe now.


    For Lin Ruoxue to even say she might ept was already quite extraordinary.


    As for her feeling somewhat ufortable, that was to be expected; was she supposed to be thrilled about it?


    If such a situation really arose, maybe all it would take wasforting her a bit, Su Chen optimistically thought.


    Eniel, seeing the gleam in Su Chen''s eyes, couldn''t help but snort with annoyance under her breath.


    Eniel might seem domineering with a queenly demeanor, but for the sake of Su Chen, she was willing topromise and sacrifice.


    After spending the day observing, she realized it was impossible for Su Chen to give up Lin Ruoxue. This woman was different from those of his past, who were merely fleeting rtionships.


    This woman in front of her, on the other hand, was treasured by him, her ce in his heart not inferior to Eniel''s, perhaps even more important.


    She also had a vague sense that when he was with her, he was somewhat considerate of this woman; after all, women are sensitive.


    To eliminate any reservation from Su Chen, she had raised this question, hoping Lin Ruoxue would be epting of her.


    If Lin Ruoxue couldn''t ept it, then Eniel wasn''t just anyone to be trifled with!


    No one could drive her away from Su Chen''s side; that was her bottom line!


    No one could break it, unless Su Chen himself stopped loving her!

 Chapter 320: The Hardest Grace to Accept is the Favor of a Beauty

    Eniel was of course notfortable with a woman like Lin Ruoxue appearing beside Su Chen, but what could she do if she couldn''t leave this man?


    Since she couldn''t leave, the only choice was to ept it...


    After the two women had a bowl of noodles, they prepared to rest, as it was indeed veryte already.


    Lin Ruoxue thought Eniel was going back to the hotel to sleep, but unexpectedly, she suddenly said that she had hit it off with her and wanted to share a bed with her.


    Though surprised by Eniel''s request, Lin Ruoxue dly agreed.


    Su Chen watched the two women walk side by side into Lin Ruoxue''s bedroom and really wanted to say, "The bed''s big enough, so why not add me in as well."


    But that was just wishful thinking, for he wouldn''t dare say it out loud even if he had ten times the courage...


    After the two women entered the bedroom and shut the door, he also pursed his lips and went downstairs back to his room. That day he still didn''t go to the estate for cultivation because what if something happened?


    However, he didn''t rx either and started practicing in his room. Although it wasn''t as effective as cultivating at the estate, it was better than doing nothing at all.


    The next morning, Su Chen made avish breakfast as usual.


    Soon, Lin Ruoxue and Eniel came down from upstairs together, moving with such grace that it was truly captivating!


    Watching the two stunning women, wless in both looks and figure, descending the stairs, Su Chen couldn''t help staring, almost drooling...


    Seeing his lecherous look, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but feel angry again.


    Please, can''t you show a little restraint, or at least pretend to be more gentlemanly?


    "Ms. Lin, Mr. Su is so good to you with such a rich breakfast!"


    Eniel said with envy.


    "It''s okay,"


    Lin Ruoxue replied, feeling slightly shy, with a hint of blush creeping onto her face...


    After breakfast, Su Chen naturally keptpany with Eniel, while Lin Ruoxue drove alone to the corporation.


    Su Chen took Eniel to visit several famous spots in Jianghai. With hispany, Eniel had a great time, her face filled with joyful smiles, as she released the feelings of longing she had repressed over the past year.


    By about six o''clock in the evening, the two returned to Eniel''s presidential suite at Yungao Hotel.


    Since they had only grabbed some street food at noon and had yed all day, both were ravenous.


    Eniel, not bothering to go downstairs again, asked the waiter to deliver dinner to the room.


    They then sat, savoring the hotel''s exquisite dinner and drinking red wine, while discussing what to do the next day.


    Just then, Eniel''s phone suddenly rang, and she answered without looking.


    "Su Chen, I have to leave tonight,"


    Eniel said, somewhat disheartened.


    "What happened? Is there a problem?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise, urgently.


    "It''s just my brothers at home, struggling for the throne again, and they''ve upset my father."


    Every household has its problems, and being a member of the Steyr royal family, Eniel''s family issues were naturally even more challenging, involving the highest power of the nation and vast wealth.


    "Is the old man alright?"


    Su Chen, hearing it was a family matter for Eniel, didn''t feel it was his ce toment further.


    "The doctor said it''s nothing serious, but considering his age, I won''t feel at ease if I don''t go back to check on him."


    "That''s the right thing to do. You''d better pack up, and I''ll take you to the airport in a bit."


    "Okay."


    Eniel immediately went back to the inner room of the suite to pack her things, and Su Chen followed her.


    Since Eniel hadn''t brought much more than a few clothes with her, she packed up quickly.


    "Let''s go," Su Chen said.


    "So, you just want me to leave?"


    Eniel suddenly curved her lips into an ambiguous smile:


    "Don''t you think there''s something we haven''t done yet?"


    "But aren''t you in a rush?"


    Su Chen was well aware of what she was referring to.


    "I''m notcking these few hours."


    As Eniel spoke, she walked towards Su Chen, who backed away like a frightened rabbit.


    "But I still have injuries, I can''t do anything strenuous."


    "I''ll be on top, today I want to be the queen!"


    Eniel wouldn''t take no for an answer and stretched out a slender white hand to push against Su Chen''s chest, making him fall back onto the soft bed.


    Just as Su Chen thought to get up, Eniel, still wearing her high heels, straddled him then violently tore open his coat and shirt...


    Three hourster, the storm had passed, and the deluge had ceased abruptly¡ªboth were dripping with sweat, lying on the bed...


    The bed was already in disarray by then, clothing scattered everywhere, with half of the quilt on the bed and the other half on the floor, a testament to the intensity of their encounter!


    Su Chen reached into the pocket of a piece of clothing to take out a pack of cigarettes, then lit one up...


    Eniel snuggled into his arms, then stretched out her slender hand to take the cigarette from his mouth, took a couple of drags, and then ced it back between his lips.


    Su Chen nced at her, then touched a small round hole just below her shoulder de and asked:


    "Does it still hurt?"


    Su Chen vividly remembered that was the scar left by a sniper bullet she took for him three years ago!


    "It stopped hurting a long time ago."


    Eniel smiled:


    "I was silly back then. Even if I hadn''t stepped in, the bullet wouldn''t have hurt you."


    But Eniel left unsaid that if she had to do it all over again, she still would shield him!


    Su Chen looked at her affectionately, fully understanding that her actions were because she valued him too much!


    How could he let down such affection from a beautiful woman?


    After more tender moments, Su Chen suddenly asked:


    "How did you find out about my wedding? Was it Clown who told you?"


    "He knows?" Eniel''s eyes suddenly turned cold: "When I get back, I definitely need to have a talk with him!"


    Clown, who was miles away, had no idea that a singlement from Su Chen had sold him out!


    "It wasn''t Clown? Then who?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "What do you think?" Eniel said nonchntly, "In terms of intelligence, of course, Shadow''s information team is the best at it."


    "So it was that little girl!" Su Chen''s face suddenly soured as he gritted his teeth, "After all I''ve done for her, she dares to betray me. I''ll make sure to spank her good when I get back!"


    "You really are a beast!" Eniel threw him a disgusted look, "Shadow is just a teenage girl, and you''ll not spare her either!"


    "What are you saying? I treat her like a sister, alright!"


    Su Chen was at a loss for words.


    The two of them continued to chat idly in each other''s arms and then began to dress.


    However, because their previous actions had been so intense, most of their clothes were now tattered and couldn''t be worn.


    Eniel was fine; after all, she had other clothes and just changed into a new set, but Su Chen was out of luck and had to wear his tattered clothes again...

 Chapter 321: Beasts, Hooligans

    Finally, Su Chen had no choice but to go to the airport with Eniel, clutching his tattered clothes in both hands.


    Eniel looked at his tattered clothes and couldn''t help butugh, reminiscing about the intense battle not long ago, a slight blush coloring her face.


    After all, it had been over a year since they had done that kind of thing, so they naturally vented to their heart''s content...


    Just before entering the airport gate, they shared another passionate kiss and parted reluctantly.


    "Su Chen, when are you going back to the Temple? Everyone misses you a lot," Eniel asked.


    "I''ll go back in a little while, don''t worry, I definitely will."


    Indeed, he had to return to the Temple, at least before dealing with Tang Gang and his Skull Society.


    "Okay, I''ll be waiting for you!"


    Eniel said, looking at him affectionately.


    "Alright, go ahead."


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "Hmm."


    Eniel walked into the airport, looking back three steps at a time, and then disappeared behind the door.


    Su Chen looked up at the night sky, suddenly feeling a sense of emptiness in his heart...


    Su Chen watched the airne take off until it disappeared from view, then he finally hit the road to return.


    However, he did not immediately go back to Grand Epoch Court; he first returned to the manor by Jiangyang Lake.


    After all, he had just had a major battle with Eniel, and his body was covered in her marks; how could he dare to go back without thoroughly removing them?


    Although Lin Ruoxue had said before that she might ept it if it were someone like Eniel, Su Chen certainly wouldn''t dare say it unless absolutely necessary!


    Men are all the same; when ites to these things, the most instinctive action is to conceal, as for how long that canst, only heaven knows...


    Su Chen arrived at the manor at over 11 PM. As soon as he entered the house, Xu Xinran rushed out to him.


    "Were you robbed?"


    Xu Xinran eximed, her eyes widening at the sight of his ragged clothes.


    However, her expression immediately turned cold when she saw the fiery red lipstick marks on Su Chen''s neck, face, and body.


    "Beast!"


    Xu Xinran squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, her face showing clear contempt!


    "Who are you calling a beast?"


    Su Chen suddenly became unhappy when he heard this; after all, no one likes to be inexplicably called a beast.


    "Rascal!"


    Xu Xinran stuck to her simple choice of words.


    "I what¡ªrascal your what¡ªjust throwing the word ''rascal'' around."


    Su Chen was frustrated; why did this girl act like she had swallowed gunpowder as soon as he came back?


    "Look at how you look, isn''t this going out and messing around?"


    Xu Xinran pointed at his clothes and the lipstick marks on his body, her face blushing as she spat out:


    "And you still dare say you''re not a beast, not a rascal?"


    "What''s it to you? You''re not my mom, not my wife, isn''t this a bit too controlling?"


    Su Chen retorted, pursing his lips. It was absurd! Even if he had been messing around, how was it her business?


    "You... you!"


    Xu Xinran was momentarily at a loss for words, and sharply stamped on Su Chen''s foot before returning to her room without looking back.


    Soon, a loud "bang" of a door echoed as Su Chen couldn''t help but mutter, "Lunatic!"


    He then bent down to rub his foot. Although Xu Xinran was not wearing high heels, it still hurt quite a bit!


    After a while, Su Chen took a shower and changed into clean clothes, luckily he had left a couple of outfits here in advance.


    However, as he looked into the bathroom mirror, he couldn''t help but feel a headacheing on again. The marks on his body could be covered by clothes, but what about those on his face and neck?


    And Eniel had been so wild, those marks were deep, even with faint bite marks on his neck!


    "It looks like I can''t go back tonight, I might as well be dead if I do!"


    Su Chen had no choice but to call Lin Ruoxue, mentioning that he was helping a friend and couldn''te home that night. Lin Ruoxue casually asked a few questions but didn''t say much.


    "For now, I can only use the True Yuan to erase those marks."


    Su Chen murmured. If other cultivators knew Su Chen was using True Yuan for this purpose, they would be up in arms, yelling¡ªDo you know how precious True Yuan is? It''s a total waste!


    Thinking it, he did it. Su Chen immediately returned to his daily cultivation room, sat cross-legged, and began practicing the Nine Yang Divine Technique, cing arge mirror in front of himself.


    He watched each marked spot, then silently directed the True Yuan in his body to those areas to rx the skin back to normal, naturally erasing the lip and teeth marks.


    Watching in the mirror, Su Chen cleared all the marks on his face and neck.


    Then he thought it over and for safety''s sake, decided it was best to remove the marks on his body as well.


    So, he immediately took off his clothes and once again started busily fixing the marks in front of the mirror...


    This was all intricate work, and Su Chen was busy until around four in the morning.


    He didn''t do anything else that night, just focused on this one task...


    Looking at his body, now without any trace of love bites, Su Chen felt quite a sense of achievement, and even admired his own cleverness!


    Seeing that it was almost dawn and today''s cultivation wouldn''t happen, Su Chen simply drove back home.


    Upon arriving at the vi, it was still very dark, after all, it was past four in the morning of deep autumn.


    Su Chen slowly opened the door and entered the house, and instead of going to his own room, he quietly went upstairs and pushed open Lin Ruoxue''s bedroom door.


    At that time Lin Ruoxue was deep asleep, and Su Chen didn''t wake her but slowlyy down beside her and closed his eyes, holding her.


    Su Chen''s actions were not without an apologetic meaning even though Lin Ruoxue was not aware of his affair with Eniel...


    Lying beside Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen felt an unusual peacefulness, as if his soul had found its home, and he soon fell asleep...


    The next day, as dawn broke, the first rays of morning light shone through the window and the sheer curtains.


    Lin Ruoxue shifted, knocking her leg to the side and stretching out her hands.


    Just then, she suddenly felt something was off and abruptly opened her eyes, only to find a man lying next to her.


    "Ah~~~"


    Lin Ruoxue was instantly startled, her face turning pale in an instant.


    "What are you yelling for?"


    Su Chen rubbed his bleary eyes and mumbled.


    It was then that Lin Ruoxue realized, the man was Su Chen.


    "Why are you here?"


    Lin Ruoxue demanded sharply, though she rxed a bit seeing it was her husband.


    Despite this, she still found it strange to see Su Chen in her bed...

 Chapter 322: Lin Ruoxues Anger

    "Is it strange for me to be here?" Su Chen''s lips curled into a mischievous smile, "You''re my wife. Isn''t it right for me to be here in this bed?"


    "Wife, it''s still early; let''s sleep a little longer."


    Su Chen wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoxue''s neck, pulled her down, and then fell back asleep.


    Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open with force.


    "Miss, what''s wrong?"


    As soon as Wang Ma entered, she asked anxiously, having just heard Lin Ruoxue''s scream from downstairs.


    However, when she pushed the door open, the scene before her left her somewhat stunned...


    What''s going on?


    "I''m sorry, miss, son-inw."


    After a brief pause, Wang Ma immediately left and closed the door behind her.


    "Didn''t the miss say yesterday that the son-inw wouldn''t return? Why is he in miss''s bed so early in the morning?"


    Wang Ma muttered to herself, shaking her head as she went downstairs...


    "It''s all your fault!"


    Lin Ruoxue punched Su Chen shyly,ining.


    "Wang Ma isn''t a stranger, and besides, we weren''t doing anything, were we?"


    Su Chen said nonchntly.


    "Get up, stop sleeping!"


    Lin Ruoxue pushed Su Chen, feeling quite embarrassed about the bedroom incident, even though she was very close to Wang Ma.


    "Oh, let''s sleep a bit more."


    Su Chen saidzily.


    "If you''re not getting up, I will."


    Lin Ruoxue said as she started to climb out of bed.


    "No, stay with me a little longer."


    Su Chen hugged her, unwilling to let go of her soft body.


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes, thinking to herself, you won''t get up, and now you won''t let me get up either?


    And now he was even acting coquettishly...


    Lin Ruoxue tried several times to get up, but the guy held her so tightly she couldn''t.


    "Fine, let''s sleep a bit more."


    She was dealing with such a scoundrel, so she resigned herself...


    .....


    "If we sleep, can you at least keep your hands to yourself?"


    "But it feels so good!"


    "Really?"


    Lin Ruoxue reached back with her delicate hand,nding it urately on his waist, then twisted hard!


    "Ah~~ oh~~"


    "Are you behaving now?"


    "I''m behaving, I''m behaving!"


    "What about your hands?"


    "I''m moving them, I''m moving them!"


    Su Chen immediately moved his hands slightly lower, embracing her around the waist.


    Lin Ruoxue sighed quietly, let him be, then rested her head on his arm and closed her eyes...


    .....


    "Su Chen, I''m going to kill you, do you see what time it is?!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s murderous voice rang through the room.


    "Isn''t it just past nine?"


    Su Chen retorted with a pout, but his voice softened when he saw Lin Ruoxue''s frosty expression.


    "You even know it''s past nine?"


    Lin Ruoxue said furiously, she had never beente in these years.


    What would thepany''s employees think?


    If this jerk hadn''t insisted on sleeping a bit more, how could she have overslept till now?!


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue had no time to argue with Su Chen; she dashed downstairs and said reproachfully to Wang Ma:


    "Wang Ma, couldn''t you have woken me up?"


    Wang Ma was speechless, thinking, what if you were in the middle of something? Is it appropriate for a servant to wake you up?


    However, Madam Wang only muttered to herself in her heart and didn''t speak out loud.


    Lin Ruoxue was merely speaking casually and, after finishing, she left like the wind without even eating breakfast.


    "Son-inw, you got me scolded by the young mistress."


    Madam Wang said with a smile as she watched Su Chen walk down the stairs.


    "Sorry, Madam Wang."


    Su Chen said with his hands together in prayer, smiling.


    Su Chen didn''t care about beingte. He had eaten his fill at home before he hurried back to thepany, and he even grabbed two buns, a sandwich, and a bowl of watery porridge in a thermos, which he brought for Lin Ruoxue.


    Driving leisurely, Su Chen arrived at the Belle Group, then went straight to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Wife, you didn''t eat breakfast, so your husband specially brought it for you."


    Su Chen said with a smile, admitting his effort as he ced the items on Lin Ruoxue''s office desk.


    "Okay, I got it."


    Honestly, not having had breakfast, Lin Ruoxue was really a bit hungry, but she was still angry, so she didn''t show him any pleasantness.


    "By the way, weren''t you supposed to be giving Princess Eniel a tour today?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly asked, recalling it just then.


    "Princess Eniel had to leave due to some matters."


    Su Chen replied as he casually sat at the edge of Lin Ruoxue''s desk.


    Just as Lin Ruoxue was about to tell him to get down, she heard this and was slightly taken aback:


    "She left so suddenly?"


    "Right, how did your talk go the other day? Any hope of securing that coboration?"


    Su Chen asked, though he was aware that Eniel wouldn''t hand the opportunity to the Belle Group, since the two were rivals after all!


    However, Lin Ruoxue''s response left Su Chenpletely stunned:


    "Didn''t Princess Eniel tell you? She has already decided to allocate the coboration rights to our Belle Group, and there will be deeper interactions between both parties soon!"


    Su Chen was bbergasted upon hearing this. What was Eniel ying at?


    Indeed, Eniel''s actions wereprehensible, partly showing goodwill to Lin Ruoxue, and partly aiming to understand Lin more deeply. After all, once both groups coborated, wouldn''t there be frequent dealings?


    Knowing the enemy and knowing yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles, as they say!


    Though Eniel had not read The Art of War, she understood this principle.


    However, Su Chen wasn''t a worm in her stomach; how could he understand Eniel''s intentions? So Su Chen left Lin Ruoxue''s office still somewhat confused.


    "Su, what about the makeup you promised me?"


    As soon as Su Chen came out, the young secretary Chen Guo pouted and asked.


    Su Chen was momentarily startled, then he pped his forehead:


    "Sorry, sorry, Su''s been too busy these past few days. Tomorrow, or the day after at thetest, I''ll definitely bring it for you."


    For Chen Guo, the little spy, Su Chen still needed to keep her close.


    "Then I''ll be waiting."


    Upon hearing this, the young girl''s face couldn''t help but reveal a smile, after all, Dior''s limited-edition makeup was quite enticing.


    After returning to the PR department, Su Chen was still pondering why Eniel chose the Belle Group as a partner in Huaxia.


    About Eniel''s decision, Su Chen faintly felt it wasn''t quite right, as if it were all part of a scheme...


    "Director, what are you thinking about?"


    Zhao Lin saw Su Chen deep in thought as soon as he walked in, and couldn''t help bute over and ask in curiosity.


    "Oh, it''s nothing."


    Su Chen snapped out of it upon hearing Zhao Lin''s voice.


    "By the way, yesterday President Lin asked our PR department to prepare for a banquet for the Sloley Group delegation. We''ve prepared this n; please have a look and see if there are any issues."


    Zhao Lin went back to her desk, retrieved a document, and handed it to Su Chen.


    "No need, the people from Sloley have already left." Su Chen waved his hand.


    Yes, the Sloley delegation had already left Huaxia this morning.


    After all, since Eniel had made her final decision, what were they staying for?


    The group still had a ton of business waiting for them!


    "They left?"


    The people in the PR department were somewhat stunned; did that mean all their recent hard work was for nothing?


    Upon hearing this news, everyone was slightly annoyed, as they''d had no chance to showcase their efforts!


    "Alright, I know everyone has been working hard recently. Tonight, I''ll take you all out to rx."


    Su Chen said with a smile, sweeping his gaze over the beauties of the PR department...


    Upon hearing this, everyone instantly cheered up, their previous displeasures cast aside...

 Chapter 323: Du Hanshuang is Back Again!

    "Alright, you guys think about what you really want to do, don''t worry about money today, tonight the cost is all on me!"


    Su Chen pped his chest confidently and dered generously.


    The moment the female colleagues heard this, they immediately erupted into even more enthusiastic cheers.


    Following that, thedies eagerly discussed what to do that night, after all, they had Su Chen''s wallet with them!


    Moreover, they didn''t have any intention of saving money for him, joking aside, with a super-rich girlfriend like Lin Ruoxue, was money really a concern?


    But poverty limited their imagination; after all, they were part of the working ss, with some earning just a few thousand yuan and others, at most, tens of thousands.


    They thought for a while, and aside from dining and singing, they couldn''te up with any other high-end entertainment activities.


    While they were in the midst of an animated discussion, a few men sat quietly, not offering any suggestions.


    It''s not that they didn''t have any opinions, but really, what use would those be?


    They were quite clear about their roles, just there to make up the numbers...


    People say it takes three women to create a drama, so with so many women in the PR department, just imagine how many dramas that would be!


    After listening for a while, Su Chen felt a headacheing on and simply went out for a smoke, leaving them to their discussion.


    As Su Chen leaned against the railing smoking, he nced casually downward and happened to see a car stopping in front of the Belle Building za.


    Then a pair of white sneakers emerged from the car, followed by a stretch of snowy long legs, and above the legs, a short skirt.


    However, as soon as Su Chen saw who the legs belonged to, his pupils suddenly shrank.


    "Oh no, why is thisdy here again?"


    Su Chen bent over and scooted back to the PR department with hurried steps.


    The female colleagues, engrossed in their discussion, were surprised to see him act this way.


    "I''ll be out for a bit, if someonees looking for me, just say I''m not here, okay?"


    Su Chen instructed, then continued to run towards the men''s restroom while still hunched over.


    The women watched his panicked behavior in disbelief.


    Who could it be that scared the department head like this?


    What Su Chen didn''t know was that Du Hanshuang had already seen him leaning against the railing and smoking when she was in the car.


    Du Hanshuang directly took the elevator upstairs and then came to the PR department.


    In fact, Du Hanshuang had already looked for him in the security department yesterday; Meng Shan told her that Su Chen had been promoted to PR department head and was not in the group that day, so she left.


    "Where is Su Chen?"


    Du Hanshuang asked the women inside.


    Upon hearing the voice, all the women looked at Du Hanshuang in unison, inwardly marvelling at the minister''s foresight¡ªindeed, someone hade looking for him.


    Wait, why does this woman look so familiar? Where have they seen her before?


    "Eh, aren''t you the girl that came looking for Su Chenst time?"


    Ran Ting suddenly had a sh of inspiration and pointed at Du Hanshuang, finally remembering who she was.


    With Ran Ting''s prompt, everyone else also remembered; after all, they had gone to watch the spectacle at that time!


    Now everyone finally understood why the minister had fled; so he was dodging a romantic debt!


    Looking at Du Hanshuang again, everyone''s eyes became somewhat peculiar, scrutinizing her from head to toe and making Du Hanshuang feel very ufortable, like she was a giant panda on disy.


    "Where is Su Chen?"


    Du Hanshuang asked again, her tone icy.


    "Youngdy, what do you want with Su Chen?"


    Zhao Lin asked with a smile from the side.


    "What''s it to you?"


    Hanshuang really hated being treated like a child, so her tone was quite impolite.


    "Oh, got quite a temper there!"


    Ran Ting also startedughing.


    "All you have to do is tell me where Su Chen is," Hanshuang spat out.


    "We don''t know either, as a minister, he doesn''t tell us his whereabouts."


    Ran Ting said with a smile.


    Not to mention their decent rtionship with Su Chen, even out of respect for President Lin, they couldn''t spill the beans¡ªthis girl could very well be President Lin''s rival in love!


    In their eyes, they had almost confirmed that this girl''s rtionship with Su Chen was definitely out of the ordinary!


    If Su Chen knew what these women were thinking, he would certainly feel wronged and say, "Am I the kind of person who would crush a budding flower?"


    "Hmph, if you don''t tell me, I''ll find him myself!"


    Hanshuang huffed, not believing that with her Special Security Bureau skills, she wouldn''t be able to find a person.


    After saying that, Hanshuang turned around and walked away while the women in the public rtions department shook their heads and went back to discussing their happy ns for the evening...


    Afterward, Hanshuang began wandering around that floor. When she came to the door of a men''s restroom, her eyes suddenly lit up.


    "Su Chen,e out!"


    Hanshuang yelled into the room, but there was no response.


    "Su Chen, I''m giving you one minute, if you don''te out, I''m going in!"


    No sooner had Hanshuang''s voice faded, several men hurriedly came out from inside, but Su Chen was not among them.


    As they left, they all gave Hanshuang weird looks, thinking they had encountered a lunatic...


    "Ten seconds left, 10, 9, 8..."


    When she counted down to "1," Hanshuang walked straight inside.


    She had only taken a few steps when a figure came out.


    "Lady, what on earth are you doing?"


    Su Chen had not expected that Hanshuang would really walk in. Don''t you know that there are differences between men and women?


    "Brother-inw, why are you hiding from me?"


    Hanshuang pouted and hummed.


    As soon as Su Chen heard the words "brother-inw," he jumped in shock and quickly covered her mouth.


    Su Chen helplessly rolled his eyes. Why on earth would I hide from you?


    Just because of your "brother-inw," I would do anything to avoid it. What if Lin Ruoxue heard that? Then where would I be?


    Even if she didn''t hear, if she knew I was with you, would I still have a life to live?


    It was already enough of a misunderstandingst time, and I had hardly managed to smooth things over. If we encountered each other again, how would I ever clear it up?


    "Come on, let''s talk outside."


    Su Chen covered her mouth with one hand and grabbed her arm with the other, leading her downstairs and out until they were on the street before letting her go, thankful that they had encountered almost no one along the way...


    "All right, what did youe to find me for?" Su Chen asked her repeatedly as soon as he let go. "And, why have youe to Jianghai again?"


    "Of course, I came to y with you. As for my trip to Jianghai, it''s for a case!"


    Although Hanshuang was very dissatisfied with Su Chen''s attitude, she still answered his questions.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen understood that she and herpanion must be here for that mysterious case which had been causing the Jianghai police so much headache.


    Su Chen had indeed asked Jiang Lixing to report the case to the Special Security Bureau, but he hadn''t expected that old fellow would send this youngdy over again.


    But what he didn''t know was that it wasn''t Qin Ming who had sent her; she had utterly insisted oning along...


    Su Chen stood on the street for a long time coaxing her, promising to take her out in a few days, finally managing to send the youngdy on her way...

 Chapter 324: Haocheng Nightclub

    After coaxing Du Hanshuang away, Su Chen returned to the PR department.


    As soon as the women saw hime in, they immediately surrounded him, their eyes gleaming with the light of gossip.


    "So, Manager, you''ve sent your little sweetheart off?"


    "Right, was it just a short heat of the moment?"


    "Manager, do you have a thing for little lolitas?"


    ........


    Looking at these women who were as excited as if they''d been injected with chicken blood, Su Chen was dumbfounded.


    What are these women thinking? They''re way too dirty...


    "Alright, have you figured out what you''re doing tonight? If so, make the reservations early."


    Su Chen changed the subject.


    "Oh yeah, almost forgot about the serious stuff."


    Ran Ting eximed and then started making phone calls.


    "What''s the n?"


    Su Chen pulled Zhao Lin aside and asked.


    "Oh, we''ve discussed it. We''ll have dinner first, then go to the nightclub to sing, and then go for a massage. As for the rest, we''ll see when the timees. What do you think? Is it okay?"


    Zhao Lin said with sparkling eyes.


    "Sounds good."


    Su Chen muttered, thinking that they had indeed arranged a rich itinerary, cramming several activities into one evening.


    You don''t just splurge like this!


    After Zhao Lin finished, she also took out her phone to start contacting massage parlors...


    Su Chen watched them busily managing everything with enthusiasm, didn''t say anything, and casually flipped through a Men''s Style magazine he found in the drawer...


    Because there was an event in the evening, everyone was filled with anticipation, and therefore, they had no mind for work in the afternoon, just aimlessly waiting to get off work.


    When the time came, the women took Su Chen with them to the parking lot, making all the men inside thepany green with envy.


    From behind the window, Lin Ruoxue watched Su Chen, who was surrounded by women and grinning from ear to ear, and her face instantly darkened...


    "This bastard!"


    But Su Chen was oblivious to that look from upstairs; at the moment, he just felt surrounded by happiness, somewhat resembling an ancient Emperor with a myriad of courtyards!


    The group soon arrived at a rather upscale restaurant, and of course, they chose the pricier dishes, but they didn''t order the absurdly expensive ones, after all, there''s a limit to everything!


    The dinner was a joyful affair, some wine was had but not much, as there were other venues to visitter!


    And because of this, the meal didn''tst as long asst time, finishing in just over an hour.


    After dinner, everyone hurried off to the next destination, the Emperor Nightclub, even the name sounded extravagant!


    When they arrived at the entrance to the nightclub, they indeed felt its luxury!


    The ce was booked by Ran Ting; she had heard from a ssmate who had married into wealth that it was good, so she had always wanted to try it.


    But the starting consumption here was several thousand, how could she, a white-cor worker earning a monthly sry of ten to twenty thousand, afford it?


    Luckily today, they had Su Chen, the big spender, so she was ready to fulfill her wish!


    Su Chen, for his part, had no particr feelings about money, so he walked in carelessly, and the others followed suit.


    Once inside, seeing the luxurious decor, everyone got a real sense of opulence.


    They murmured to each other that the cost of the decor here must have been tens of millions, or even a billion!


    In awe, they walked into an extrarge private room; after all, there were more than twenty people in their party, and any smaller would be ufortable and cramped.


    Thisrge private room was just right, with an area of about fifty or sixty square meters, ample space for everyone.


    The room had forty-inch screens on three sides, and the surrounding area was lined with long leather sofas, which felt very soft to sit on.


    At that moment, a waiter came in, asking what they would like to order.


    Zhao Lin snatched the menu and said,


    "I''ll order!"


    But when she saw the prices of the drinks and snacks listed, she was suddenly taken aback...


    "This is taking forever, let me do it."


    Ran Ting snatched the menu and pen from Zhao Lin''s hands, but when she saw the prices, she also found herself unable to write anything down.


    Su Chen guessed what was happening based on their reactions¡ªthey were shocked by the prices¡ªso she took the menu and pen from Ran Ting''s hands and casually started checking off items.


    "Take a look, is this enough? Anything else you want to eat?"


    Su Chen said with an unconcerned smile.


    Seeing that Su Chen had ordered so much, Ran Ting quickly said:


    "That''s enough, that''s enough!"


    Then, she handed the menu back to the waitress. She had briefly seen what Su Chen ordered, and it wouldn''t cost less than twenty thousand, maybe even three to four thousand.


    Seeing Su Chen splurge like that, she actually began to regret choosing this ce.


    "Alright, don''t overthink it, as long as we have fun today, that''s good."


    Su Chen saw what Ran Ting was thinking and said with a slight smile.


    "Okay, then today we''re definitely counting on you, big spender!"


    Ran Ting smiled sweetly, truly stunning!


    Soon, two waiters came in pushing a cart, loaded with various drinks and snacks.


    Since most of the people present weredies, Su Chen had ordered almost exclusively low-alcohol drinks.


    After the waiters left, a few women went off to select songs, and the rest settled into a circle of sofas.


    Except for Su Chen, the other few guys were naturally pushed to the outermost seats, and they didn''t voice any objections¡ªit was always like this every time.


    Standing in stark contrast was Su Chen; she was surrounded by the women, with Ran Ting on her left, and Shu Yin on her right.


    Zhao Lin, who had just returned from picking songs, nudged Shu Yin aside and sat down between her and Su Chen.


    "Shu Yin, you''re still young, sister is here to protect you."


    Zhao Lin whispered into Shu Yin''s ear:


    "So you don''t identally get eaten by the director, that lecher."


    "Thank you, Sister Zhao."


    Shu Yin said softly, her face blushing, though what she really wanted to say was:


    Are you not afraid of being eaten by the director? Or is it that you can''t wait to be eaten by him?


    "Yang Qianmei, ''A Girl''s Prayer'', who picked this song?"


    At that moment, a voice rang out.


    "Mine, mine!"


    Zhao Lin, who had just sat down, stood up again.


    "Come on, Zhao Lin, can''t you show a little shame? You''re already a leftover woman, and yet you''re still ''a girl'', you should really pray for a man to take you in!"


    Ran Ting couldn''t help but snicker.


    "Mind your business, I''m forever eighteen!"


    Zhao Lin said defiantly, wiggling her slim waist, and then she picked up the microphone and started singing.


    And you know what? Zhao Lin actually had a really good voice, especially when she belted out the song in perfect Cantonese.


    "Shu Yin, what did Zhao Lin say to you just now?"


    While Zhao Lin was singing, Su Chen leaned closer to Shu Yin and asked. The music was so loud that it was hard to hear clearly if you were any farther away.


    "No, nothing!"


    Shu Yin said, her gaze darting around and her cheeks turning scarlet.


    However, due to the colorful lighting inside, it was hard to see clearly...

 Chapter 325: A Song that Amazes Everyone

    "It''s nothing, why is your face so red?"


    Although it wasn''t easy for others to see in such an environment, with Su Chen''s Seventh Turn Qi Refinement Cultivation, his hearing and Visual Acuity were who knows how many times stronger than the average person''s, so how could he not see clearly?


    Besides, the two of them were so close to each other.


    "No, it''s not like that?!"


    Hearing Su Chen say that, Shu Yin, the little girl, became even more flustered.


    "Su Chen, are you bullying Shu Yin?"


    Zhao Lin, who had juste back from singing, saw Shu Yin''s obviously flustered look and asked, then sat down between the two of them.


    "How could I bully a little girl like her? If I were to bully someone, it''d be you!"


    A devilish smile appeared on the corner of Su Chen''s mouth, his eyes openly roving over Zhao Lin''s graceful figure.


    Zhao Lin immediately felt a tickle in her heart from his gaze, feeling a little frightened but also somewhat expectant.


    Just as Su Chen was about to do something, Ran Ting abruptly pulled at him:


    "President, let''s y a game!"


    Then she shouted to the others:


    "Shall we y a game?"


    The response was nearly unanimous agreement, and as for what game to y, the girls quickly decided on the "Paper Tearing Game."


    So, a boy at the edge took out a tissue from the box on the table, felt it was too short, so he tore off two pieces and joined them together, making it about thirty centimeters long.


    The first ones, of course, were the boys at the edge; they neatlypleted the action of tearing paper with their mouths. Thest boy passed the tissue to a girl, clearly very nervous, afraid of touching her.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to make contact, but because if he really did, he would certainly be unlucky.


    Seeing that he was quite honest, the girl gave him a slight re and then turned her head and passed it on...


    The guy felt extremely lucky, having not even touched her and still receiving a re ¨C if he had really touched her, wouldn''t that have been a tragedy!


    Between the girls, there weren''t so many reservations, and so the passing went very smoothly.


    It soon came to Ran Ting''s turn; at this point, the tissue sticking out of Ran Ting''s mouth was still nearly ten centimeters long, so the length was sufficient.


    Just as Su Chen had opened his mouth and was about to tear the tissue, Ran Ting suddenly curled her lips and most of the tissue sticking out slipped into her mouth, only leaving about two centimeters on the outside.


    Everyone saw Ran Ting''s move and immediately burst outughing!


    "Ran Ting, you don''t have to be so obvious about wanting to take advantage of the president!"


    Qin Li, who was slightly older, said with augh.


    "Exactly, Ran Ting, you''re too bad!"


    Zhao Lin also yfully retorted.


    "Why do you care?"


    Ran Ting mumbled with a challenge, then provocatively raised her eyebrows at Su Chen.


    The meaning was clear, was he daring enough?


    To tell the truth, Su Chen was indeed a bit apprehensive, but he couldn''t lose face in front of a girl!


    Slowly, Su Chen moved his head closer, then carefully bit the tail end of the tissue in his mouth. Just as he was about to shake his head to tear, Ran Ting suddenly tilted her mouth forward a bit and her lips suddenly pressed against Su Chen''s.


    Although it was a quick touch, Su Chen still felt the softness.


    After the stolen kiss, the people immediately startedughing suggestively, and Ran Ting''s face also turned slightly red...


    However, at this moment, an even more embarrassing situation arose ¨C there was less than a centimeter of tissue left in Su Chen''s mouth, it was impossible to avoid contact!


    Zhao Lin''s heart also began to thump wildly...


    And the oue was quite apparent ¨C tearing paper had almost safely be kissing, and whether there were any intentional elements involved in it, outsiders wouldn''t know...


    Now it was Shu Yin''s turn, but Zhao Lin''s mouth hardly had any tissue left, so they had to start over by tearing off a new strip.


    The game went around two or three times, and Su Chen took full advantage of Ran Ting and Zhao Lin.


    Of course, one might also say that Zhao Lin and Ran Ting took full advantage of Su Chen¡ªwho knows?


    During the game, whenever it was someone''s turn to sing, they would go sing, while the others yed with dice or something else; nobody was idle.


    Just then, the song "Across the Ocean to See You" appeared on the threerge screens at the same time.


    At the sight of this song, Ran Ting immediately jumped up:


    "Mine, mine!"


    Because it was her favorite song.


    "No one''s fighting you for it!"


    A woman who had just finished singing rolled her eyes at her and passed the microphone to her.


    Just as Ran Ting took the microphone and was taking a couple of deep breaths in preparation to sing, her eyes suddenly glittered with an idea, and she turned around, seizing Su Chen''s hand:


    "Director, you haven''t sung yet today; sing this song with me."


    "I''m not really good at singing."


    Su Chen responded with an awkward smile, not because he couldn''t sing¡ªafter all, this was a love song.


    "Director, please sing."


    "Yeah, Director, it doesn''t matter if it''s not good; we''re all friends here."


    "Exactly, we''ve never heard you sing before!"


    ......


    Amidst the teasing and cajoling of the crowd, Su Chen had no choice but to stand up and take the other microphone reluctantly.


    The women had no expectations for Su Chen''s singing, but the moment he opened his mouth, all of them were stunned!


    Not because it was terrible, but because it was incredibly beautiful!


    It wasn''t just the beauty of his voice, but the way hepletely engulfed everyone in the music!


    Ran Ting hadn''t expected Su Chen to sing so well, and she was also inadvertently swept into the mood, her gaze towards Su Chen filled with deep emotion as they sang together!


    The look of deep affection made Su Chen somewhat jittery, thinking, it''s just a song, isn''t it? Does it warrant such a reaction?


    When the song ended, everyone was somewhat in a daze before they came around and burst into loud apuse, making Su Chen quite embarrassed.


    Just as Su Chen was about to sit back down, everyone enthusiastically urged him to sing another.


    Sumbing to the peer pressure, Su Chen picked up the microphone again and said:


    "Then I''ll sing ''People Coming, People Going''."


    This was also one of Su Chen''s favorite songs. He had a deeper emotional resonance with Huaxia music!


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, someone quickly queued up "People Coming, People Going."


    "Friends have left,


    you, just promoted, toast until deep into the night, still not enough


    with all your tricks grabbing my hand


    clinging to the nape of my neck


    saying your boyfriend is busy, just an excuse


    until you finally drink to drunkenness"


    As soon as Su Chen''s voice began, the hearts of all the women present clenched tightly.


    Thatnguid, deep voice slowly flowed from the opening and closing of his lips...


    When he sang the line "Loneliness therefore takes my hand," everyone seemed to feel a touch of mncholy in Su Chen''s heart...

 Chapter 326 - 326 Mom

    Everyone seemed immersed in his singing, no, it should be the touching story told by the song...


    "When you close your eyes, who do you miss the most, and when you open them, who is actually by your side?"


    Su Chen slowly closed his eyes and sang, the mncholy on his face seemingly too thick to dissolve...


    The women, seeing Su Chen like this, felt even more heartache, always fighting the urge to take him into their arms!


    Su Chen didn''t know what he was thinking of, but there seemed to be something in his eyes. He slightly lifted his head and continued singing.


    When he sang thest line, "The most beautiful long hair did not stay in my hands, yet I happily drank," a crystal-clear tear finally "dripped" onto the floor...


    The trace of vicissitudes and loneliness on his face was deeply etched into everyone''s heart, especially those of the women!


    Everyone thought that Su Chen was reminded of a woman he had once deeply loved, and they were not wrong, because the woman he thought of was his mother.


    That face of his mother, already blurred in his mind...


    At that moment, he silently resolved to overturn the top families in Yandu, even if it meant uncovering the truth of the past!


    The beauties from the public rtions department, seeing Su Chen shed tears, could no longer hold back and shouted in unison:


    "Director, we love you!"


    "I''m sorry to have made you allugh."


    Su Chen gently wiped his eyes and smiled.


    "Su Chen, just now, it was so hard for a woman not to fall in love with you!"


    Watching Su Chen sit back on the sofa, Zhao Lin remarked with emotion.


    "Really? Then maybe tonight we..."


    Su Chen purposely showed a mischievous smile and his gaze roamed unscrupulously over her enchanting body.


    "Humph, the way you are now, it''s hard not to dislike you!"


    Zhao Lin coldly huffed...


    .....


    Meanwhile, not far from the private room where Su Chen and his group were, two young men of simr age sat.


    Each had a woman in a sexy strap dress half-lying in their arms, theirrge hands carelessly caressing the women.


    On the table was ced a 1775 Massandra Sherry, a bottle of wine that had been sold at a Sotheby''s auction in London for 43,500 US Dors.


    This sherry was the oldest and most expensive wine produced by the Russian Massandra winery.


    The Massandra winery had gained worldwide fame because it housed over a million dors'' worth of vintage wines with the emblems of the Russian and European royal families.


    Of course, this wine was not owned by the nightclub, but was brought by one of the young men; even a luxurious nightclub would hardly have such expensive wine.


    However, in the eyes of these two young men, this astronomically priced wine was just so-so.


    "Young Master Wu, my cousin asked me toe here specifically to inquire about how things are going with the Wu Family,"


    One of the young men swirled the red wine in his hand and said lightly:


    "My cousin is eagerly waiting to marry that delicate wife!"


    "Young Master Yang, isn''t there still some time before Mr. Situ returns to the country?"


    Wu Yuanpin, with a pleasing expression on his face, said:


    "Please tell Mr. Situ that when he returns, the Wu Family will definitely have everything arranged to perfection, ready for him to enjoy his wedding night!"


    Although Wu Yuanpin was the second Young Master of the Wu Family and likely the future heir, he still dared not act pretentiously in front of Young Master Yang.


    The Yang Family, though roughly equal to the Wu Family as a major family in Jiangbei, had a cousin who was the legitimate Young Master of the Situ Family!


    To the Situ Family of Yandu, the Wu Family really didn''t carry much weight!


    "That''s good to hear, I''ve heard that this youngdy is exceptionally beautiful!"


    Yang Rong said thoughtfully, somewhat drunk and with a dreamy look in his eyes.


    "Of course, otherwise how could she catch Mr. Situ''s discerning eye?"


    Wu Yuanpin couldn''t help but feel proud as he spoke, although he didn''t get along with Ye Mei, that illegitimate daughter, he had to admit, she was indeed a stunner!


    If they hadn''t shared the same father, he surely would have harbored some thoughts about her.


    However, he also understood what Yang Rong implied earlier; it was clear that he wasn''t satisfied with the looks of the women around him.


    "Young Master Yang, I''ll take you to an interesting ceter, guaranteeing you will have a great time!"


    Wu Yuanpin winked, giving Yang Rong a sly smile.


    "Oh, really? Just how interesting is it?"


    Yang Rong leaned forward slightly, his hazy eyes immediately sparkled with a sharp gleam, evidently very interested in the interesting ce Wu Yuanpin mentioned.


    "You''ll find out soon enough."


    Wu Yuanpin shed a mysterious smile, lowering his voice a bit:


    "I can reveal a bit in advance, there are quite a few actresses and models over there."


    "Then what are we waiting for!"


    Yang Rong immediately felt his body heat up, and he abruptly stood up.


    "Hey, Young Master Yang, what''s the hurry."


    Wu Yuanpin pulled on him:


    "Sit down first, it''s still early. Going too soon is useless."


    Upon hearing this, Yang Rong could only suppress his eagerness, then lightly clinked his ss with Wu Yuanpin,ughing:


    "Today, Young Master Wu has taken great pains, I will certainly convey the Wu Family''s sincere intentions to my cousin and his family when I return."


    "Many thanks to Young Master Yang!"


    Both burst into heartyughter, downing the red wine in their sses...


    "I can''t hold it in, I need to take a leak!"


    As soon as they finished drinking, Yang Rong staggered to his feet and said.


    "Young Master Yang, let me apany you."


    Wu Yuanpin also put down his wine ss and said.


    "No need, you take care!"


    Yang Rong pushed Wu Yuanpin back onto the sofa, then staggered out...


    Wu Yuanpin watched his back and couldn''t help scoffing disdainfully:


    "What are you worth, if it weren''t for the Yang Family hitching a ride with the Situ Family, I wouldn''t give a damn about you!"


    Afterward, Wu Yuanpin started ying with the beauty in his arms, then signaled, and another girl crawled over from the sofa...


    Unbeknownst to Su Chen, Wu Yuanpin was in a room not far from him, not that it would have mattered if he had known.


    He didn''t regard the entire Wu Family highly, let alone someone like Wu Yuanpin.


    Moreover, he was currently nked by the beauties Zhao Lin and Ran Ting. Why would he care about anything else?


    "Ran Ting, you just kissed the minister, aren''t you going to have a courtesy drink with him?"


    Suddenly, a girl said provocatively, stirring up trouble.


    As soon as she finished speaking, others also started to echo:


    "Have one! Have one! Have one!..."


    There''s no harm in watching the excitement build, each of them started egging on...


    Ran Ting had impulsively kissed Su Chen just moments ago; now she dared not continue the farce.


    "I''m going to the restroom!"


    Ran Ting''s face turned red with embarrassment as she immediately got up and ran out in a panic.


    The crowd watched her and burst intoughter...

 Chapter 327 - 327 Conflict

    After Ran Ting left, everyone started to hassle Zhao Lin again, asking her to drink a toast with Su Chen.


    If Ran Ting had drunk earlier, she might have hesitated but gone along with it, but since Ran Ting hadn''t, how could she feelfortable drinking?


    So, she too, amid theughter of the crowd, ran out just like Ran Ting...


    Su Chen was also at his wit''s end with the crazy women of the PR department, smiling wryly and shaking his head before drinking on his own...


    For Su Chen, drinking this low-alcohol beverage wasn''t very interesting; it felt only slightly better than drinking in water.


    The others also started doing their own things: singing, ying dice games, andpeting in drinking.


    Don''t think women don''tpete in drinking; in fact, their antics can be even scarier than men''s!


    ...


    Ran Ting and Zhao Lin entered the restroom one after another, and after exchanging nces, they both saw a hint of embarrassment in each other''s beautiful eyes.


    They had been very close friends, but recently they had startedpeting subtly.


    The reason, of course, was the new lecherous supervisor; it was clear that both had a fondness for Su Chen.


    Sometimes, they even deliberately created opportunities to get touchy with Su Chen or let him cop a feel.


    No matter how good the rtionship between women, when ites to men, they can get a bit petty.


    After finishing in the restroom, they almost came out simultaneously, then washed their hands across from each other at the sink, neither saying a word.


    It wasn''t that they didn''t want to speak; they just didn''t quite know what to say at the moment.


    As they finished washing their hands and were about to leave, they ran into a man smoking a cigarette. His clothes were clearly of fine quality, especially with several bodyguards around him, underscoring his high status!


    However, the two women didn''t pay much attention, since there are countless important people in the world!


    Yet as Yang Rong saw such a pair of beautiesing out, a zing fire immediately sparked in his eyes.


    Just as the two women passed by him, he couldn''t help but reach out and smack one of the women''s butt!


    "Hmm, the touch feels so damn good!"


    "What are you doing?"


    Zhao Lin felt her butt being smacked and immediately turned around to scold him.


    The only young man nearby was him; who else could it have been!


    "Ladies,e have a drink with me."


    Yang Rong didn''t deny it, instead, his gaze roamed over the two women''s exquisite figures.


    "Zhao Lin, what''s wrong?"


    Ran Ting asked, looking puzzled.


    "This bastard touched my ass!"


    Zhao Lin pointed at Yang Rong, spitting out the words with fury on her face.


    "Bastard, pervert!"


    Hearing this, Ran Ting became furious. This guy looked decent, yet he was doing such sleazy things in public!


    Even though there were minor issues between her and Zhao Lin recently due to Su Chen, when it came to outsiders, she didn''t hesitate to stand up for Zhao Lin!


    "Ladies, how about going to my room for a drink? How does $100,000 per drink sound?"


    Yang Rong lifted his head in confidence, as he was used to wooing women with money.


    So far, there had hardly been any woman who could resist his money!


    Though these two women seemed very proper and saint-like, untouchable, he believed that under the allure of his wealth, all that would be no issue.


    Moreover, these two were really beautiful and had stunning figures, on par with female celebrities, yet theycked the celebrities'' air of worldliness!


    ying with such women was truly satisfying!


    "Drink with your mother, you big-headed ghost, go have your mom drink with you!"


    Hearing this, Zhao Lin got even angrier. What did he think they were?


    As for the sleazy intentions behind the drinks, how could they not understand?!


    "How about 500,000 for a drink?"


    Yang Rong confidently blurted out, believing nothing was beyond the reach of money.


    If money couldn''t solve it, then you simply weren''t offering enough!


    By now, several people who had just arrived at or were leaving the restroom had gathered around.


    The onlooking women, hearing the price of 500,000 for a drink, had their eyes lighting up!


    500,000! For that much, they''d drink anything, not just alcohol!


    As for sleeping together, that was merely a word away!


    It must be said, women who frequently visited nightclubs were much more open-minded about such matters than average women.


    However, for white-cor workers like Zhao Lin and Ran Ting, it was different; they cared about money too, but not at the cost of selling their integrity and feelings.


    "Keep your filthy money, we''re not interested!"


    Ran Ting''s chest heaved with anger as she spoke:


    "You must apologize to my friend for your earlier behavior, or I''ll call the cops and report you for sexual harassment!"


    Yang Rong nced at Ran Ting''s imposing peaks, his eyes gleaming even more.


    But upon hearing Ran Ting''s words, he burst into loudughter:


    "Call the police? Are you joking with me?"


    Yang Rong, as if he had heard the funniest joke, continued:


    "And you want me to apologize? Are you out of your mind?"


    No one had ever dared to speak to him like that in all these years!


    "I''ll give you onest chance, 1 million for a drink!"


    Yang Rong nced at the two women and said:


    "Don''t me me for not giving you a chance. No woman I''ve set my sights on has ever escaped the palm of my hand!"


    The other women, hearing the mention of 1 million, got even more starry-eyed, almost wishing they could ept on behalf of the two women!


    "In your dreams!"


    Ran Ting and Zhao Lin shouted in anger simultaneously!


    "Hmm, I''ll call the cops right now!"


    Ran Ting took out her phone and began dialing.


    "p!"


    Yang Rong swatted the phone from Ran Ting''s hand. The phone fell to the ground, and he stomped on it, crushing it into pieces!


    "Since you two don''t know what''s good for you, don''t me me for being rude."


    Yang Rong directed at his bodyguards:


    "Quickly capture these two clueless women for me!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, two men stepped forward.


    Seeing that they were indeed about to be physically apprehended, Ran Ting and Zhao Lin panicked and attempted to flee.


    But how could they possibly escape?


    They hadn''t even run a few steps before being seized!


    Such incidents weremon in nightclubs, so no one else felt a surge of justice to intervene.


    Besides, this man obviously wasn''t ordinary. Why should they invite trouble?


    "Go on, keep being defiant, try to run!"


    Seeing the women captured, Yang Rong immediately revealed a desirous smirk and swaggered towards them...


    The two women, seeing Yang Rong''s lecherous expression, trembled in fear...

 Chapter 328 - 328 How Much Money to Buy Your Life?

    At this moment, Su Chen and the others were still ying enthusiastically in their private room; after all, such a luxurious venue was something they usually wouldn''t afford to visit.


    About fifteen minutester, Qin Li said to Su Chen,


    "Could those two girls have fallen into the toilet? Howe they''ve been gone for so long?"


    "Yeah, could it be that ''Aunt Flo'' has visited them?"


    Su Chen also felt that they had been away for a bit too long, and he said with a slight smile, although he didn''t take it too seriously.


    "Minister, your mouth really is..."


    Qin Li''s face turned slightly red as she shook her head and retorted.


    Just then, Su Chen frowned slightly; he seemed to faintly hear some noisy voices, which appeared to be Zhao Lin''s.


    "It seems like something has happened."


    After saying that, Su Chen stood up and walked outside, without disturbing the others.


    Qin Li was startled and hurriedly followed him out...


    At this time, Yang Rong, looking at the pretty faces of Zhao Lin and Ran Ting, felt even more parched, and the bad smirk at the corner of his mouth made the two women''s courage falter!


    "I''m warning you! Don''t you dare do anything reckless!"


    As Yang Rong drew nearer, the two women''s faces nched, and they felt extremely frightened!


    Could it be that their innocence would be ruined today by such a filthy man?


    They struggled desperately, but their hands were held behind their backs by the bodyguard, who controlled them tightly, leaving no chance for escape.


    Seeing Yang Rong approach within half a meter, Zhao Lin steeled her heart and fiercely kicked at his sensitive area.


    However, to her astonishment, Yang Rong had anticipated this move, and when her leg shot out, he quickly grabbed her calf!


    "So smooth!"


    Yang Rong gently caressed Zhao Lin''s calf and said indulgently.


    Zhao Lin, disgusted by his actions, couldn''t help but shudder in fear!


    Yang Rong then put down her leg and leaned in close to her face.


    Then, under Zhao Lin''s terrified gaze, a w reached out.


    "No!"


    Zhao Lin and Ran Ting screamed at the same time.


    Yang Rong paused for a moment and then nced at Ran Ting beside him, swallowing his saliva with a smile, and said,


    "Don''t be anxious, your turn wille soon!"


    Having said that, his hand continued to reach forward, and though he had not yet touched anything, he seemed to already feel the softness.


    However, just as he thought he was about to get what he wanted, suddenly a hand reached out from an angle and grabbed his wrist, preventing him from advancing any further!


    "Who are you? Daring to meddle in my affairs!"


    When Yang Rong saw that his wrist was held by a inly dressed young man, he immediately scoffed.


    "Minister, help us, please!"


    As soon as Ran Ting and Zhao Lin saw Su Chen''s sudden appearance, their eyes immediately lit up with joy!


    "So you''re all in this together!"


    Upon hearing this, Yang Rong instantly understood the situation, and looking arrogantly at Su Chen, he dered,


    "I advise you not to poke your nose into this matter, or I won''t take responsibility for the consequences!"


    Though one wrist was gripped, Yang Rong was not the least bit afraid.


    "Really? Tell me, what consequences will I face?"


    Su Chen titled his head slightly, his lips curling into a faint smile as he spoke.


    His question stunned not only Yang Rong but also the other onlookers; no one expected the young man to ask such a thing.


    "As for the consequences, that will depend on your performance,"


    Yang Rong nced at Su Chen and retorted,


    "If you don''t want to end up missing limbs, you better get lost."


    Although his wrist was seized by the other party, Yang Rong felt no fear at all in his heart. He didn''t believe this young man could do anything to him!


    "Oh, is that so?"


    "Crack!"


    With a faint smile, Su Chen slightly flicked his wrist, and suddenly a clear sound of bone cracking was heard.


    Then Su Chen released his grip, looking at the other with a smiling face...


    "Ah~~~"


    Yang Rong felt a surge of intense pain and couldn''t help but scream out loud.


    The onlookers were all slightly shocked, as they had not expected this seemingly gentle and refined young man to strike so ruthlessly!


    "You idiots, what are you standing there for!"


    Yang Rong immediately yelled at his bodyguards!


    As soon as his words fell, those well-built bodyguards immediately attacked Su Chen, each with a formidable presence, causing the onlookers to retreat!


    Yang Rong wasn''t foolish, and he immediately retreated to the back...


    However, these imposing bodyguards came fast and fell even faster. Many people hadn''t even realized what happened before this group waspletely down on the ground, with many already unconscious!


    The onlookers stared at this scene,pletely dumbfounded!


    Is this guy even human? They hadn''t even seen how the young man made his move, just a blur shing by!


    The crowd looked at him as if he were a reclusive master.


    In fact, Yang Rong felt even more shocked inside. Others might not be aware of these men''s abilities, but he was very clear.


    All these men were no less strong than ace special forces soldiers!


    In this moment, Yang Rong finally began to feel some fear. Although the severe pain in his wrist was still intense, he bore it and didn''t make a sound, trembling with fear.


    The two bodyguards who were holding Ran Ting and Zhao Lin werepletely stunned as well, and the strength in their hands involuntarily loosened. Sensing this, the two women immediately broke free and quickly ran behind Su Chen.


    Seeing the women run, the two bodyguards did not chase after them but stood there, somewhat dazed and bewildered.


    "What did this guy do to you?"


    Su Chen asked the two women behind him.


    Hearing Su Chen''s question, Ran Ting recounted what had happened earlier.


    After listening to Ran Ting''s ount, Su Chen''s eyes narrowed.


    "It seems that this young master has quite a lot of money, a million for just a cup of liquor, quite generous!"


    Su Chen said with deep meaning.


    "You, what do you mean?"


    Yang Rong stammered, asking timidly.


    "I wonder how much it would cost to buy your life?"


    Su Chen''s mouth couldn''t help but curl into a wicked smile as he looked at Yang Rong and said.


    "I warn you, don''t mess around!"


    Upon hearing this, Yang Rong''s heart skipped a beat.


    "Oh? And what if I do mess around?"


    At this moment, Su Chen was still wearing a faint smile, appearing as harmless as a person or animal, as he took steps toward Yang Rong.


    But the more he did so, the more uneasy Yang Rong felt, his heart thumping uncontrobly!


    "Do you know who I am? I warn you, if you dare touch a hair on me, you will certainly die!"


    Yang Rong suppressed the fear in his heart and said fiercely.


    "I''d like to see how exactly I''m going to die."


    How could Su Chen take Yang Rong''s threat seriously? He stepped forward directly!


    "Stop!"


    Just then, a panicked shriek sounded not far behind...

 Chapter 329: Situ Family, I Will Personally Come to Visit

    Su Chen thought this voice sounded somewhat familiar, and couldn''t help but turn his head.


    However, the person who came into view was someone he hadn''t seen in a long time, Wu Yuanpin, the second Young Master of the Wu Family.


    Wu Yuanpin hadn''t expected that the person he had just called out to was none other than Su Chen, whom he despised to the bone!


    He hade out because he was a little worried, having not seen Yang Rong for a long time.


    But he had not walked far before he saw a crowd gathered at the bathroom entrance, and through the gaps between people, he saw Yang Rong''s bodyguards lying on the ground.


    He was immediately startled and then he saw a young man continuously pressing Yang Rong backward, and Yang Rong''s face was obviously stricken with panic.


    Wu Yuanpin got a huge scare and shouted out loud, because if something happened to Yang Rong, it would be a big problem.


    If the Yang Family and the Situ Family med the Wu Family because of this, things would really go south!


    However, what he hadn''t expected was that the person pressing Yang Rong back was Su Chen.


    He had been wondering who had the capability to deal with all of Yang Rong''s bodyguards, and when he saw it was Su Chen, he immediately understood.


    "Young Master Wu, long time no see!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, as if they were quite familiar with each other.


    When the crowd saw that Wu Yuanpin had arrived, it immediately caused a stir, as everyone understood the weight the Wu Family held in Jiangnan.


    Only, they were somewhat puzzled, what was the Young Master of the Wu Family doing here?


    Upon hearing that the two men seemed to know and were even familiar with each other, Yang Rong also couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    But what he didn''t know was that upon seeing Su Chen, Wu Yuanpin immediately clenched his teeth tightly.


    The only thought in his heart was: ''It''s a small world for enemies!''


    Suddenly, his eyes lit up, wasn''t it perfect if these two shed?


    It was an excellent opportunity to get rid of this scourge in his heart with the help of the Yang Family and even the Situ Family.


    However, he dismissed this idea as soon as it arose, for the same reasons as before.


    Indeed, if Yang Rong were to suffer a setback today, the Yang Family and the Situ Family would surely seek vengeance, but they would also hold a grudge against the Wu Family for not providing adequate protection!


    The consequences of angering the Situ Family were something he could not afford to bear!


    Not to mention the Situ Family, even if the people of the Yang Family became angry, it would be hard to endure.


    After all, the position of the Yang Family in Jiangbei was also top-notch!


    "Su Chen, what are you doing?!"


    Thinking of this, Wu Yuanpin immediately raised his voice and shouted, walking over.


    As Wu Yuanpin approached, the crowd immediately parted to create a path for him.


    However, he stopped a little distance away from Su Chen; he was indeed very afraid of Su Chen in his heart!


    "What I''m going to do, you''ll understand very soon," Su Chen replied.


    Su Chen stretched out a hand and, as if he was picking up a little chicken, lifted Yang Rong up.


    "Su Chen, stop!"


    Seeing that Su Chen was really going to make a move on Yang Rong, Wu Yuanpin was so frightened he was nearly out of his wits.


    "Stop?" Su Chen turned his head towards Wu Yuanpin and smiled faintly, "Alright then!"


    With that said, he casually tossed him aside, and Yang Rong''s body immediately flew to one side like a cannonball.


    "Bang!"


    Yang Rong''s body instantly made an intimate contact with the exterior wall of the restroom, producing a loud noise.


    Hearing this huge thud, everyone inwardly shuddered as if they themselves had been violently hit.


    Yang Rong, who fell to the ground, immediately felt a burst of severe pain throughout his body and a sweet taste in his throat as he suddenly spit out a mouthful of fresh blood!


    Wu Yuanpin''s face changed drastically; he had not expected Su Chen to throw Yang Rong out without a second thought!


    "Su Chen, you''ve caused trouble. Do you know who this Young Master Yang is?"


    Wu Yuanpin red at Su Chen with eyes zing like fire.


    "I don''t care who he is. If he dares to insult my friend, this is what he gets! He got off lightly today!"


    With a huff, Su Chen was ready to leave.


    Ran Ting and Zhao Lin, upon hearing Su Chen''s dominant words, both had a look of infatuation sparkle in their beautiful eyes!


    They thought Su Chen at that moment was incredibly cool!


    "Let me tell you, he''s from the Yang Family of Jiangbei, and a rtive by marriage to the Situ Family of Yandu!"


    Wu Yuanpin bellowed at Su Chen harshly.


    Everyone, having heard Wu Yuanpin''s words, was utterly shocked, their eyes filled with disbelief!


    Although these Jiangnan natives might not be very familiar with the Yang Family from Jiangbei, some hadn''t even heard of it.


    But they were well aware of the Situ Family from Yandu¡ªthe name was legendary. Not to mention them, who in Huaxia didn''t know of the Situ n!


    It was one of the most mysterious and top families in Huaxia!


    At this moment, everyone''s gaze shifted unanimously towards Su Chen; some showed concern, others indulged in schadenfreude, and yet others were there just for the show...


    Su Chen, initially nning to leave, stopped in his tracks upon hearing Wu Yuanpin''s words.


    Then he turned around, came back to Yang Rong''s side, and quietly asked:


    "Is what he just said true?"


    "Exactly, and let me tell you, you''re a dead man! Neither our Yang Family nor the Situ Family will let you off!"


    Yang Rong, enduring the intense pain, stared at Su Chen and spat out his words, eyes aze with hateful and angry mes.


    Yang Rong thought this young man hade over in fear upon learning of his background, possibly to apologize and make amends, hence his tone was naturally arrogant and domineering.


    Others shared the same thought, internally remarking: If only you knew, why did you start it in the first ce?


    Wu Yuanpin''s thoughts were simr. Maybe this Su Chen had some kind of backing, unafraid of their Wu Family, but he didn''t believe Su Chen would dare to disregard even the Situ Family of Yandu!


    After hearing Yang Rong''s words, a faint smile began to spread across Su Chen''s face.


    "In that case, me it on your bad luck!"


    With meaning in his tone, Su Chen said, then without hesitation, he stepped down hard on Yang Rong''s knees¡ª"Snap, crack!"


    Suddenly, the sound of bones breaking echoed, sending shivers down the spine!


    "Aaaaah~~~~"


    Yang Rong suddenly felt an excruciatingly piercing pain and screamed with his throat tearing!


    The scream was many times more miserable than before!


    Witnessing this, everyone was dumbfounded, unable to believe their own eyes!


    Had this young man gone mad?


    To think he would dare to do this even knowing who the other party was¡ªit was simply unbelievable!


    "Su Chen, you... you!"


    Wu Yuanpin waspletely dumbstruck, pointing at Su Chen but unable to utter a word!


    His otherwise handsome face was filled with shock and fear. Did this guy even know what he was doing?


    Su Chen''s actions hadpletely dazzled Wu Yuanpin, who thought to himself, there are ways to seek death, but surely this isn''t how you do it?


    However, Su Chen left without even a nce, escorting the public rtions departmentdies and left behind a statement:


    "The Situ Family, I''ll be visiting personally!"


    Upon hearing this statement, the crowd was more shocked than ever, specting wildly: just who was this young man to speak with such confidence?

 Chapter 330 - 330 Going to Tianshan

    Wu Yuanpin watched Su Chen leave and didn''t dare to say or do anything.


    Even bringing up the Situ Family hadn''t stopped this guy''s crazy behavior, so what could he do now?


    .....


    Ran Ting, Zhao Lin, and Qin Li, who surrounded Su Chen, all felt that this new director was simply too mysterious!


    It seemed like he had an endless array of secrets that were fascinating!


    However, they were all people who understood restraint; despite their curiosity, they didn''t ask anything.


    In fact, the reason Su Chen had taken such harsh measures afterward was entirely because Wu Yuanpin had mentioned the Situ Family!


    In his investigations, even if the Situ Family wasn''t the main instigator of past events, they were definitely participants!


    So, for people rted to the Situ Family, he naturally felt a sense of disgust¡ªespecially since that guy was hardly a good person, having done who knows how many evil deeds!


    He thought to himself, this was also like enforcing justice on Heaven''s behalf, right?


    After ying for a while in the private room, everyone saw it was already past 11 and decided to leave together. Because it was toote, the massage activity had to be postponed until next time.


    When Su Chen arrived home, he thought Lin Ruoxue and Mother Wang would already be asleep, but surprisingly, Mother Wang indeed was, while Lin Ruoxue was not.


    She was wearing a purple satin robe, half-reclining on the couch with half of her snow-white legs and arms exposed. They looked as smooth as cream, irresistibly touchable.


    But Su Chen didn''t dare to touch her, for her face was covered with a frosty chill, looking as cold as December ice!


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue in such a state, Su Chen couldn''t help but feel apprehensive¡ªcould it be that I''ve done something wrong again that she knows about?


    But what could I have possibly done wrong today?


    Could she still be angry about beingte this morning? If so, wasn''t that holding a grudge a bit too long?


    "Wife, why haven''t you gone to bed sote?"


    Su Chen tentatively asked, his heart filled with trepidation.


    "Where did you go tonight?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked coldly, ignoring Su Chen''s question.


    "I took my colleagues out for dinner and karaoke, didn''t I tell you?"


    Currently, Su Chen was quite honest and would report most things to Lin Ruoxue.


    "Did you have fun?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s cold voice rang out again.


    "It was okay,"


    Su Chen muttered,pletely clueless as to why Lin Ruoxue was asking these questions, feeling like a monk who had reached a height of six feet but still couldn''t see through the fog.


    "Is that so? Why do I feel like you''ve fallen into a pile of makeup and don''t want toe out?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, cold as frost, nced at him, her words tinged with acidity.


    Getting the hint from her tone, Su Chen immediately knew that Lin Ruoxue was jealous!


    But at the moment, he didn''t know why Lin Ruoxue was feeling jealous, yet he did know what he had to do next.


    And did he need to ask? Of course, it was time to use every trick in the book to coax his wife!


    Thanks to several months of repeated practice and application, Su Chen''s wife-coaxing skills could be said to have reached an unparalleled level!


    It wasn''t twenty minutes before Lin Ruoxue had released most of the anger and sourness in her heart.


    In the end, she gave Su Chen a re with her beautiful eyes and went upstairs, striding with her long legs...


    Su Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief andmented, coaxing your wife really is a skillful task!


    Lin Ruoxue, upon returning to her room, was a bit puzzled. What was happening to her?


    Why was she now unable to get angry, whenever that bad guy sweet-talked her?


    No, this wouldn''t do. The next time he didn''t behave, she absolutely wouldn''t let him off so easily, hmph!


    Of course, Su Chen had no idea about Lin Ruoxue''s little thoughts. After she had gone upstairs, he quietly drove towards the manor, since he had cked off a bit in the past two days and needed to catch up.


    By the time Su Chen reached the manor, it was already past midnight, and Xu Xinran was naturally fast asleep.


    He went directly to the room where he practiced his cultivation, then closed the door and began to cultivate.


    Having missed two days of cultivation, Su Chen already felt a bit ufortable. The moment he entered the profound state of cultivation, he felt as if his whole person became lighter.


    The next day, bright and early, Su Chen, after a night of cultivation, felt his mental state was much improved!


    Taking advantage of the dim early light and before Xu Xinran likely woke, he drove back to Lin Ruoxue''s vi.


    The first thing he did upon returning was to make breakfast, as Su Chen felt that making breakfast for Lin Ruoxue was something he could do for a lifetime without ever getting tired!


    This was strange indeed. In the past, when he made breakfast for that old ghost, Su Chen always found it so tough and didn''t want to do it, only forcing himself to do it when he had no other choice.


    After pondering, Su Chen attributed this phenomenon to two reasons. One reason was that the old ghost was too picky. In fact, not only the old ghost, even the yellow dog he raised was incredibly picky, refusing to eat if the food was even slightly salty or nd.


    As a child, Su Chen often thought, is this really a dog? Even people aren''t as fussy as you.


    He often felt the urge to stew the dog when the old ghost was not around, but fearing the old ghost''s cane, he never dared carry through with it.


    As for the second reason, it was quite obvious, that was the difference in visuals. After all, Lin Ruoxue was a great beauty, and making breakfast for a beautiful woman was of course more motivating than cooking for an old man covered in wrinkles!


    After preparing breakfast, Lin Ruoxue also got up around the same time, and then Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue, and Mother Wang, just like usual, gathered around the table for breakfast.


    Nearing the end of the meal, Lin Ruoxue seemed to remember something and said to Su Chen:


    "Husband, in a little while I want you to apany me on a trip, um, about half a month."


    "Eh, where to?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise, curious why a trip would take so long.


    "Tianshan."


    Lin Ruoxue said casually, taking a bite of her sandwich.


    Su Chen was taken aback. Tianshan, that was way up in the northwest, nearly five thousand kilometers from Jianghai, a journey of over ten thousand kilometers.


    Moreover, the road conditions there were very poor, and Tianshan was known for its year-round snow. What was Lin Ruoxue doing going there?


    "What are you going to Tianshan for?" Su Chen asked naturally.


    "You''ll know when the timees!"


    Lin Ruoxue was being mysterious, and then she said to Mother Wang:


    "Mother Wang, start preparing the things I''ll need soon, but there''s no rush. I estimate we have a month or so at least, we can''t leave until after the Jiangnan Commerce Association."


    "Don''t worry, Miss, leave it to me; after all, this isn''t the first time," Mother Wang replied with a smile, clearly also aware of Lin Ruoxue''s reasons for going to Tianshan.


    "Mother Wang, what exactly is the trip to Tianshan for?"


    Su Chen, seeing that Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t divulge anything, turned to Mother Wang.


    "You should ask the Miss, it''s nothing bad," Mother Wang said with a smile, and having finished her breakfast, she stood up and continued with the cleaning.


    Su Chen looked at the two of them acting so mysteriously and was even more puzzled.


    But he didn''t press further; after all, he would find out when the time came...

 Chapter 331: A More Flavorful Ye Mei

    Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen finished their breakfast quickly, and just as they were getting ready to head to work, Wang''s mother suddenly said:


    "Miss, I found a house in our neighborhood that you asked me to look for when you have time to see it."


    It was then that Lin Ruoxue remembered that she had indeed asked Wang''s mother to find a house nearby some days ago, which was for Dr. Gaia.


    She had been so busytely that she had almost forgotten about it, and it was fortunate that Wang''s mother mentioned it.


    "Let''s go take a look right now."


    Lin Ruoxue said hastily, as a talent like Dr. Gaia was certainly someone to be highly prioritized.


    "Husband, should we invite Dr. Gaia toe and take a look, after all, it''s going to be his residence, and it should meet his satisfaction."


    Lin Ruoxue then turned to Su Chen to ask.


    "No need, he does not have any particr requirements concerning the living environment."


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "Compared to the living environment, he is definitely more concerned about the progress on those few pieces of equipment you''re bringing in."


    "Don''t worry, the negotiations are almost done, and it should be settled in a few days."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a confident smile.


    Following this, Wang''s mother led them to the house, which was an independent vi located diagonally behind Lin Ruoxue''s vi.


    After Wang''s mother finished talking to the homeownerst time, the homeowner gave her the keys because she recognized Wang''s mother and knew she was the servant of Lin Ruoxue, president of Belle Group, so she did not have any worries.


    Once Wang''s mother opened the door, she led Lin Ruoxue inside. There really wasn''t much to see, as theyout of the house was quite simr to Lin Ruoxue''s.


    Su Chen did not enter but stood at the doorway, mainly observing the surroundings since his first priority was ensuring Dr. Gaia''s safety.


    He was quite satisfied with the location of the house because there were no obstructions between this house and Lin Ruoxue''s house. From Lin Ruoxue''s vi, he could easily observe this side through the windows.


    This was also because it was a high-end vi area, where the density of the houses was quite low. In regr residential buildings, the homes would have been packed closely together¡ªthe more houses built, the more the profit, after all!


    "Husband, what do you think?"


    Lin Ruoxue came out after a while and asked.


    "Pretty good, let''s go with this one."


    Su Chen nodded.


    "Son-inw, Miss, the homeowner is asking for a rent of 1.5 million per year. I think we can negotiate the price a bit."


    Honestly, even though it wasn''t her money, Wang''s mother still felt quite distressed hearing about all that money.


    "No matter, as long as the house is eptable, that''s fine."


    For Lin Ruoxue, an extra hundred thousand more or less didn''t make any difference; she was not one to quibble over such details.


    "Okay then, I''ll just call the homeowner, and then we can transfer the money. She said, we just need to fax over a signed contract and that would be sufficient."


    As Lin Ruoxue had spoken, Wang''s mother naturally did not say more.


    "Okay, just send me the ount numberter, I need to head to thepany now," said Lin Ruoxue,


    Since house hunting had taken up a bit of their time, she would indeed bete if she didn''t leave, and she couldn''t face beingte two days in a row.


    After that, they each drove to thepany. As soon as Su Chen returned to the public rtions department, it was the same routine. Now, if he didn''t tease the women there, they wouldn''t let him be.


    In their words, this was their daily entertainment activity, beneficial for physical and mental health!


    But everyone just fooled around a bit before going back to work. As usual, Su Chen took his seat among the beautifuldies, pulled out a men''s magazine, and it was unclear whether he was observing the women in the magazine or the ones outside of it.


    Thus, he idly spent half the day, and after lunch, Su Chen suddenly remembered he hadn''t seen Ye Mei, that little girl, for a long time. So, he just drove straight to Rose Mansion.


    Honestly, Su Chen had been to Rose Mansion a few times, but he had never been inside.


    Su Chen walked straight in as soon as he arrived, and the young girl at the front desk promptly called out to him.


    "Excuse me, sir, what are you doing?"


    Su Chen thought she was calling someone else and continued walking inside; the young girl quickly came out and grabbed him:


    "Excuse me, sir, what are you doing?"


    "Oh, I''m looking for Ye Mei."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "What do you need with our General Manager Ye?"


    The young girl''s eyes were filled with a wary look, clearly on guard against Su Chen as an unexpected visitor.


    "Do I have to tell you what I need with your General Manager Ye?"


    Su Chen said with a hint of a mischievous smile; he found the young girl quite amusing.


    "This, this..."


    The front desk girl stuttered for a moment, unable to speak, then suddenly looked up and said with bright, shining eyes:


    "Do you have an appointment? Our CEO won''t see you without one."


    "Appointment?"


    Su Chen hadn''t expected that Ye Mei made things seem so formal, even needing an appointment.


    "Su Chen, are you flirting with the young girl again?"


    At that moment, a woman in a white business suit walked over, her hair casually strewn behind her, flowing and lively.


    Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped, her eyes like peach blossoms, her skin as white as jade, a ssic beauty with a melon-seed face; though dressed as a white-cor beauty, she exuded a seductive charm.


    Su Chen had only ever encountered one such enticing woman in Jianghai, and that was Ye Mei!


    However, at this moment, Ye Mei''s seductive charm was slightly more restrained than before, the whole person exuded a sense of easygoing proficiency. Thebination of the two gave her a unique allure!


    Ye Mei had been working until now and was just preparing to go downstairs to grab something to eat when she unexpectedly ran into Su Chen.


    And that guy was not idle, actually bantering with the front desk girl, Ye Mei saw that he was doing it on purpose, itching for a tease.


    "General Manager Ye, this gentleman..."


    The front desk girl immediately came over when she saw Ye Mei, but before she could finish speaking, Ye Mei interrupted her:


    "Go back to what you were doing; I know this gentleman."


    Ye Mei told the young girl and then nced at Su Chen:


    "Mr. Su, what brings you here today?"


    Ye Mei was somewhat resentful that he hadn''t visited her for such a long time.


    "Isn''t it because I''ve been busy?"


    Su Chen immediately reached out and put an arm around Ye Mei''s shoulders:


    "What are you up to?"


    Su Chen was much more casual and carefree with Ye Mei than with other women, partly because there was thatyer of transaction-like agreement between them, although neither took it seriously.


    Moreover, since Ye Mei had been involved with the underworld, she naturally wasn''t as concerned about interactions between the sexes. He still remembered the first time he met Ye Mei; she was performing a wild pole dance on stage!


    If it had been Xiao Yaning, Su Chen probably wouldn''t have been so casual.


    Actually, what Su Chen didn''t know was that Ye Mei was only more open with him, staying distant and respectful with other men...


    However, this scene was shockingly perceived by the young girl at the front desk, causing her to open her small mouth as wide as an egg!

 Chapter 332 - 332 The culprit who hurt my son must die

    "Busy?"


    Ye Mei draped her arm over Su Chen''s shoulder and didn''t seem to mind, but she turned to look at him and said,


    "I heard from Yaning that you''ve also apanied her out a few times, haven''t you?"


    "Wasn''t that because she just happened to have something to do? I would do the same for you without hesitation!"


    Said Su Chen as he continued to walk her toward the door, his words carrying a tone of conviction.


    "That''s what you say, but remember when I told you I''m nning to go abroad soon? Will youe with me?"


    A sly smile formed at the corner of Ye Mei''s mouth.


    It hadn''t urred to Su Chen that Ye Mei had been waiting for him, so he had no choice but to say,


    "If there''s nothing particrly important at that time, I''ll definitely apany her."


    Hearing what Su Chen said, Ye Mei nodded in satisfaction.


    The receptionist watched the two of them leave and her heart pounded nervously.


    Have I offended my future boss? Will I still have good days ahead?


    The newly graduated girl suddenly became anxious...


    After leaving the Rose Mansion, Ye Mei and Su Chen directly went to a small restaurant next door.


    Since Ye Mei was dining alone, she only ordered two dishes and a soup, which altogether cost about fifty yuan.


    "Don''t eat sote in the future. Your body is your own."


    Seeing that she was clearly starving, Su Chen couldn''t help but say reproachfully.


    "Are you showing concern for me?"


    Ye Mei asked with veiled depth.


    "We''re friends, after all!"


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and said casually, as this small, diner-style restaurant surely wouldn''t forbid smoking.


    "By the way, how did the talk with your mom go about that matter?"


    Su Chen exhaled a cloud of smoke casually and asked,


    "When do we go to the Wu Family to get the person out?"


    Su Chen spoke lightly, as if retrieving someone from the Wu Family was as easy as picking something up from the street.


    "Let''s wait a bit longer. My mom''s attitude has softened, probably because of how you humiliated Liang Jingst time. The Wu Family''s attitude toward my mom doesn''t seem as harsh as before, but it''s also not as warm as it was recently."


    "That''s good to hear. Just let me know when you''re nning to make a move."


    Su Chen really wanted to settle scores with the Wu Family, who had sent people to assassinate him time after time. Did they really think he had no temper?


    "Let''s talk about it after I get back from abroad."


    Ye Mei spoke as if it were a trivial matter, though she was quite worried inside.


    Maybe Su Chen had some strength to contend with the Wu Family, but behind them was the Situ Family!


    As for the Situ Family, Ye Mei''s confidence was not that solid. Even though Su Chen was mysterious, and even had connections with the Phillip Family, she still had her concerns.


    After all, that''s one of Yandu''s top families! Just thinking about their background and strength is daunting!


    However, that was her own issue to face, and having already dragged Su Chen into the Wu Family affairs made her feel guilty. She absolutely couldn''t drag him into the vortex of the Situ Family as well!


    Su Chen, seeing the worried look on Ye Mei''s face, thought she was distressed about thepany, so he didn''t ask anything further.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in a VIP ward on the top floor of the Jianghai Hospital, a group of people stood inside, each with a solemn expression, looking quite displeased.


    Especially a middle-aged couple, their eyes brimming with mes of anger!


    "Mrs. Wu, how did my son end up like this after just one trip to Jianghai?"


    The still-charming middle-aged woman gritted her teeth and said, looking at her son lying in the hospital bed, her heart aching like it was being cut with a knife!


    "We Wu Family are also very sorry about this, no one wishes for such a tragedy to happen."


    Wu Jingui said with an apology.


    "Sorry? What''s the use of being sorry? Can your apology heal my son''s leg?"


    Upon hearing Wu Jingui''s lukewarm apology, the middle-aged woman immediately roared.


    "Indeed, Madam Wu, shouldn''t your Wu Family give us, the Yang Family, an exnation for this matter?"


    The middle-aged man said indifferently, his tone carrying a tinge of arrogance.


    "Rest assured, Family Head Yang, our Wu Family will definitely give you a satisfactory answer!"


    Madam Wu felt ufortable with the man''s high-and-mighty attitude, but she still sincerely made a promise.


    Truth be told, the Wu Family''s overall strength was still above the Yang Family''s, but who could me them when their sister married so well?


    Because his sister married into the legitimate line of the third branch of the Situ Family of Yandu¡ªthat is, the mother of the young Situ master who was to marry Ye Mei¡ªthe Yang Family suddenly seemed to stand taller.


    "Don''t give me these useless words, I only care about one thing, that is, the brute who hurt my son must die!"


    The middle-aged woman screamed, nearly losing all her senses at this point!


    Although she still had a daughter, she only had one son!


    "Please rest assured, our Wu Family is honor-bound in this matter!"


    Madam Wu immediately assured, actually even if the other side didn''t mention it, she wouldn''t let the culprit off hook.


    Because she had already found out, the young man whopletely crippled Yang Rong''s leg was none other than Su Chen, whom she had long wanted to eliminate swiftly!


    It was just because the Martial Artists of her family kept disappearing, suffering heavy losses, that Madam Wu had no choice but to temporarily suspend the pursuit of that young man, but this did not mean that Madam Wu had let the matter slide.


    On the contrary, her desire for retribution against him grew heavier by the day!


    "Good, then we''ll be waiting for the good news from your Wu Family!"


    The middle-aged man patted the woman''s shoulder:


    "Let''s step outside for now, so Rong''er can rest well."


    At this moment, Yang Rong was lying quietly in bed; in fact, he had woken up a while ago. After awakening, he simply couldn''t ept the reality of his disability, became extremely agitated, and the doctors, having no other choice, had to give him a sedative to calm him down.


    Su Chen was naturally unaware of what had transpired at Jianghai Hospital; after having lunch with Ye Mei, they returned to Rose Mansion together.


    When the two of them walked in, the little girl''s gaze toward Su Chen was somewhat evasive, fearful, and of course, a bit peculiar!


    "See, you''ve scared the little girl, haven''t you?"


    Ye Mei said to Su Chen with a hint of amusement.


    "How have I? She doesn''t think we''re in that kind of rtionship, does she?"


    "What do you think?"


    Ye Mei gave him a white look, slightly annoyed.


    The two were just joking with each other; even Ye Mei herself wasn''t clear about what exactly she felt for Su Chen. However, she found this way of interacting quite nice, at least it wasfortable.


    Afterward, they took the elevator to Ye Mei''s office. Her office was quiterge, looking very impressive, and from the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, one could appreciate the splendid night view of Jianghai''s lights!


    "You also know that Rose Mansion used to be involved in different businesses, so we have to make a bit more effort on appearances before changing people''s perceptions," exined Ye Mei somewhat embarrassedly after seeing Su Chen admire her luxurious office.


    Just then, Su Chen''s phone rang. Upon seeing that it was a call from Lin Ruoxue, he immediately made a silencing gesture with his finger to his lips and answered the call.


    "Could it be that the chief wife ising to check on us?"


    After Su Chen hung up, Ye Mei, looking at his sneaky appearance, immediately chuckled.


    As friends, she and Xiao Yaning had already known about Su Chen having a wife; they just didn''t know who the woman that tamed this ''Monster'' was!


    "Chief wife? What, are you one of the concubines?" Su Chen turned and walked out, "I''ve got to go for now."


    "Just go already!"


    Upon hearing his words, Ye Mei''s face blushed slightly, and she muttered something under her breath after he left¡­

 Chapter 333 - 333 Clues

    Su Chen had rushed back to Belle Building as soon as he left Rose Mansion. When your wife urgently calls you, how can you not hurry?


    It was only a short while before Su Chen arrived at the Belle Building, parked his car, and went directly to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Honey, what did you need to see me for?"


    Su Chen pushed open the door and asked as he entered.


    "Why did you take so long?"


    Lin Ruoxue frowned slightly.


    "Oh, I had to step out for a bit."


    Su Chen nonchntly picked up Lin Ruoxue''s teacup and took a sip.


    "Can''t you just stay at thepany and work properly from now on?"


    Upon hearing that this guy had gone out again, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but frown.


    Some people fish for three days and dry theirs for two, but this guy, it''s more like fishing for one day and dryings for three. If he wasn''t fluent in multiplenguages and her husband, Lin Ruoxue would have kicked him out a long time ago!


    "Okay, okay, I''ll change."


    Su Chen hastily nodded in agreement.


    "Alright, I just finished handling the house matter; you can help Doctor Gaia move now."


    Seeing his demeanor, Lin Ruoxue knew he wasn''t truly listening, but she was toozy to argue further.


    "You called me back just for this?"


    Su Chen asked with widened eyes, having thought something serious hade up when Lin Ruoxue had asked him toe back immediately.


    "Isn''t this matter important?"


    Lin Ruoxue said somewhat irritably.


    "Important, very important!"


    Arguments with women are pointless, so Su Chen immediately said:


    "I''ll get on it right away!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s expression softened somewhat as she said indifferently:


    "Go ahead!"


    As soon as she finished speaking, Su Chen immediately scurried out like an obedient pony.


    If the influential people around the world who knew Su Chen saw this scene, their jaws would surely drop in disbelief, thinking they were hallucinating!


    If Su Chen knew what they thought, he would undoubtedly proim, without shame but with pride:


    "I''m proud to be afraid of my wife!"


    Actually, Doctor Gaia didn''t have much stuff, Su Chen barely needed to help; Gu Ming, also known as Shadow Guard No. 14, managed it on his own.


    When Su Chen got there, he called over Mrs. Wang to help set things up, as she was much more meticulous and thoughtful than a few men.


    A few hourster, a cozy home was all set up, and Mrs. Wang hurried back to cook.


    Doctor Gaia lived in a master bedroom upstairs, while Gu Ming, his protector, stayed in a room next door.


    "How is it, Gaia? Satisfied?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Wonderful, excellent,pared to a safe house, this is simply paradise."


    Gaia too started smiling.


    "Alright, Gaia, there''s something we need to talk about now."


    Su Chen sat down on the couch and said:


    "I think you might already guess what I want to discuss?"


    "I can guess, go ahead."


    Doctor Gaia nodded and then sat down next to Su Chen.


    "I brought you to Huaxia Country partially to be closer to you, so I can better ensure your safety, and of course because ''the water that is nearest is the first to be drained.''


    Su Chen said this with a sly smile, and Doctor Gaiaughed along, but then Su Chen''s expression became serious:


    "However, the main reason is that Huaxia Country is very safe and stable, allowing you to devote yourself to research. You know, if those who stole ourb data manage to create the third, fourth, or even fifth generation of gically modified humans, do you understand the consequences?"


    "So, I hope you use this time in Huaxia Country to develop a way to counter these gically modified humans. Then we can destroy their bases andpletely crush their ambitions!"


    "I understand! I will do my utmost!"


    Doctor Gaia nodded solemnly, understanding the importance of this matter more than anyone else!


    "Alright, I''m going to head back now. Later,e and visit my house with Shadow Guard."


    Su Chen said with a smile as he patted Doctor Gaia''s shoulder.


    "Alright, then I won''t be polite!"


    Doctor Gaia walked Su Chen to the door; it was only a couple of steps. After all, they were neighbors now.


    With Su Chen living nearby, Doctor Gaia felt much more at ease, as he had absolute trust in Su Chen.


    Since Su Chen had told Lin Ruoxue that Doctor Gaia woulde over for dinner, Lin Ruoxue returned home immediately after work.


    The meal was very enjoyable and harmonious for everyone, except for Gu Ming, who was rather nervous and reserved.


    After all, it was dining at the same table as the host and the Main Mother!


    He never imagined he''d be so honored; the others would be green with envy when he told them about thister!


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t mind much, assuming he was just shy.


    After dinner and a bit of chit-chat, Doctor Gaia and Gu Ming left, and Lin Ruoxue told Mrs. Wang, their housekeeper, to take good care of them in the future.


    Mrs. Wang immediately agreed, now knowing that this foreigner was a highly valued talent, internationally renowned.


    After dinner, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue rested on the sofa. Lin Ruoxue leaned her head on one end of the sofa and then her long, slender white legs were knocking on Su Chen''s thighs.


    One of her hands held a fashion magazine, while the other was eating fruit.


    "Here, help me knock my legs a bit."


    Lin Ruoxue saidzily.


    "Okay!"


    Su Chen immediately obeyed themand, but Lin Ruoxue''s legs were truly a work of art¡ªsmooth, white, and well-proportioned, causing Su Chen to not resist...


    "What are you doing? I asked you to knock, not to touch, you pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt a tickle, and looking down, she saw Su Chen had started to stroke her calf. She reacted with a swift kick, nearly hitting Su Chen''s chin!


    "Wife, what are you doing?"


    Su Chen said with a pout:


    "This is also a kind of massage, it promotes blood cirction."


    If it were the old Lin Ruoxue, she might have even believed his nonsense, but now! Lin Ruoxue just snorted and continued reading her magazine.


    Su Chenughed sheepishly and continued the massage, this time with much more sincerity.


    Just then, Su Chen''s phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out to see that it was from Jiang Lixing.


    Su Chen frowned immediately, wondering why the other party was calling him at this time.


    Even though curious, he answered the call immediately, knowing that the other party wouldn''t contact him if it weren''t important.


    "Chief, the Special Security Bureau has found a clue in that case. When would you like toe over so I can report the details to you?"


    As soon as the call connected, Jiang Lixing''s somewhat excited voice came from the other end.


    "Alright, I''lle over tomorrow morning. Let''s talk at the tea house opposite your bureau,"


    Su Chen pondered for a moment and said. He hadn''t expected the Special Security Bureau to actually find something.


    Of course, the reason Jiang Lixing reported to Su Chen was that he had previously instructed him to inform him as soon as there was any news...

 Chapter 334: Evil Ghost Pattern

    Early the next morning, after breakfast, Su Chen drove to the teahouse opposite the Jianghai City Police Station.


    After giving his name, a cheongsam-d waitress led him to a private room towards the back, where Jiang Lixing was already waiting.


    As Su Chen walked in, Jiang Lixing quickly stood up. Su Chen casually waved his hand, signaling him to sit, and then said to the waitress,


    "Unless called for, don''t let anyone elsee in."


    "Yes, of course."


    The waitress replied and politely exited the room, leaving Jiang Lixing and Su Chen alone.


    After the waitress left, Jiang Lixing immediately poured a cup of tea for Su Chen and smiled,


    "This is chrysanthemum tea, I don''t know if you like it, Chief."


    "It''s quite good," Su Chen nodded casually, "Let''s get to the point, what clues have those people from the Special Security Bureau found?"


    "Oh, sure."


    After setting down the teapot, Jiang Lixing spoke seriously,


    "The bureau''s people re-examined the sites of the victims and found something resembling a que near one of the scenes. They said it seems to rte to some Ind Country faction, or perhaps something from a Shrine. I''m not certain of the specifics, but they strongly suspect that the perpetrator is from the Ind Country."


    "To be honest, we might have seen that thing originally but didn''t pay it much heed."


    "From the Ind Country?"


    Su Chen frowned upon hearing this since it''s such an unusual nation where many thoughts and behaviors are extremely wild, often iprehensible to outsiders.


    If the bureau''s spection is correct, what is he doing in Huaxia?


    Regardless of who he is or his purpose, once Su Chen finds him, he is determined not to let him leave Huaxia alive.


    Moreover, he is going to make his life a living hell, for such an animal deserves nothing less formitting such heinous crimes!


    "Are there any other clues?"


    Su Chen was not yet inclined to deal with those people from the Special Security Bureau, so he could only get information through Jiang Lixing.


    "Not for the time being."


    Jiang Lixing shook his head.


    "Then what does that pattern look like?"


    Su Chen asked another question.


    "Oh, I nearly forgot, I took a photo, take a look,"


    Jiang Lixing fiddled with his phone, then handed it to Su Chen.


    Upon seeing the image, Su Chen felt a strong sense of familiarity but couldn''t quite ce where he had seen it.


    The image was dominated by red, depicting a malevolent demon, exuding a bloody, ghastly, and eerie vibe that was very disconcerting.


    "Alright, let''s leave it at that for now, I have to go."


    With that, Su Chen stood up and left the teahouse.


    Watching Su Chen''s retreating figure, Jiang Lixing felt somewhat uneasy because, by the rules, he should not have leaked any information gathered by the Special Security Bureau.


    But Su Chen asked him to do so, and he didn''t dare to disobey. More importantly, he believed that since the young man before him was personallybeled with the title "National Spirit" by that high official, he must be absolutely trustworthy!


    After leaving, Su Chen was still pondering over that image. He was almost certain he had seen it somewhere before, or at least something simr; otherwise, he wouldn''t have such a strong feeling.


    But after a long time, he still hadn''t the slightest inkling.


    "Forget it, I''ll think about itter."


    Su Chen knew that such blind contemtion was unlikely to yield any results, and an epiphany might strike unexpectedly.


    Su Chen then drove to the Belle Building again and happened to pass a Dior boutique. He suddenly remembered the promise of makeup for the youngdy, Chen Guo, and hence went in to buy a limited edition set costing over 50,000 Huaxia currency.


    But this amount of money was nothing to Su Chen, so nting a little "spy" next to his wife was totally worth it.


    When Su Chen gave the set of makeup to the young girl, her eyes immediately sparkled with excitement, and she almost wanted to kiss Su Chen right there and then, but remembering he was the president''s husband, she decided against it.


    "Little Guo, if there''s any news about President Lin, you must tell me in time, okay?"


    There was a sly smile on Su Chen''s lips as he said this.


    "Don''t worry, Brother Su!"


    Chen Guo immediately agreed, she couldn''t refuse considering the makeup set she''d received!


    Then, with a smug look, Su Chen pushed open the grand door of Lin Ruoxue''s office, only to see Lin Ruoxue still deeply engrossed in her work. Hearing Su Chen''s footsteps, she didn''t even lift her head and grumbled:


    "Why aren''t you staying in the PR department? What are you doing here again?"


    "I was just missing my dear wife."


    Su Chen said with a chuckling tone.


    "Really?"


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue had just finished dealing with a document, so she picked up her teacup and went to the water dispenser to pour a cup of boiling water:


    "Since you''re here, I happen to have something to discuss with you."


    "What is it?"


    Su Chen asked casually, and at the same time, he reached out swiftly, snatched Lin Ruoxue''s teacup, took a sip, and then smilingly handed it back to Lin Ruoxue.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but give him a re before saying:


    "Next Friday evening, there''s a Jiangnan Chamber of Commerceworking banquet. You must clear your schedule no matter what and apany me."


    "Can I not go?"


    Upon hearing about these banquets and cocktail parties Su Chen instinctively felt a headacheing on and didn''t want to attend.


    "What do you think?"


    The temperature of Lin Ruoxue''s voice dropped immediately.


    "Fine, I''ll go."


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s demeanor, Su Chen knew he couldn''t wiggle out of it, so he decided to keep a good attitude.


    "That''s more like it!" Lin Ruoxue snorted, "This time you must behave properly, don''t make the kind of scene you didst time!"


    Lin Ruoxue still hadn''t forgotten the scene where this guy had beaten up Liu Qing at the celebration banquet; the thought still sent shivers down her spine!


    If this guy wasn''t her husband, Lin Ruoxue would rather die than bring him along, but since he was her husband, she had no choice but to take him with her.


    All she hoped for was that he would cause less trouble, and she would be grateful.


    However, Lin Ruoxue was somewhat puzzled; the Liu Family had suffered such a big loss, yet there seemed to be no stir at all?


    What she didn''t know was that the showdown had already taken ce, it was just that it had temporarilye to a close with a massive defeat for the Liu Family!


    "I''ve always beenw-abiding, if people don''t bother me, why would I bother them? Just likest time, that guy was eying my wife, wouldn''t I be less of a man if I didn''t give him a lesson?"


    Su Chen muttered discontentedly as if he were a troublemaker in Lin Ruoxue''s eyes.


    "Alright, alright, just make sure you behave this time. This is the highest-profile banquet in the whole of Jiangnan!"


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t bother to argue anymore and simply stated.


    "Fine, fine, I''ll be on my best behavior this time!"


    Having said that, Su Chen then walked straight out.


    Seeing that he had agreed to be more behaved this time, Lin Ruoxue felt slightly relieved, but obviously, she had forgotten a saying.


    And that is¡ªthendscape changes, but human nature is hard to change!

 Chapter 335 - 335 I Agree

    Su Chen stepped out of Lin Ruoxue''s office and naturally returned to the Public Rtions department.


    Of course, it was the same old story, and he had nothing serious to do.


    If he had to name something serious, it would be nothing more than appreciating the various beauties in the Public Rtions department...


    Just like that, another day passed. As for the current peaceful andfortable life, Su Chen was quite satisfied; he was never an ambitious man.


    If it weren''t for those messy troubles, he would rather be with his wife and children sitting by a warm stove.


    Around eight o''clock in the evening, Lin Ruoxue came home. They had dinner together and then, as usual, sat on the sofa chatting casually, with Su Chen asionally taking some liberties with Lin Ruoxue.


    Su Chen''s little schemings and actions often elicited a warning re from Lin Ruoxue. Sometimes Su Chen would behave for a while, and other times he acted as if he hadn''t seen it at all.


    Wang Ma watched them and felt a happy atmosphere spreading through the air...


    However, just then, an abrupt ringing of the phone broke that atmosphere.


    Su Chen nced at it; the call was from Tang Yun, and he suddenly felt a bit uneasy.


    Although there was nothing between him and Tang Yun, he still felt nervous in front of Lin Ruoxue.


    "Why aren''t you answering it? Is there something shady going on?"


    The obviously apprehensive look on Su Chen''s face did not escape Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, she nced at him meaningfully and said.


    "Where would that be? Wife, you really know how to joke!"


    Su Chen said sheepishly, and since Lin Ruoxue had put it that way, he could only answer the phone.


    "Su Chen, please save my grandfather!"


    As soon as the call connected, Tang Yun''s sobbing plea came through.


    Su Chen was startled and hastily said,


    "Take it slow, what exactly happened?"


    "My grandpa is near death, the doctors say there is nothing they can do, please save him, I know you can!"


    Tang Yun sobbed as she spoke.


    "Little Su, this is a difficult request, but Auntie is begging you!"


    Then came Pei Rou''s somewhat hoarse voice from the phone.


    "Auntie, you''re too kind, I will help however I can!"


    Su Chen solemnly promised.


    "Then Auntie thanks you, we are in Yandu, can youe over immediately?"


    Pei Rou said, with a hint of apology:


    "I know it''s a big bother thiste at night, but I''m afraid there''s not much time left."


    "I understand, I''ll book the fastest flight right away."


    As soon as Su Chen heard "Yandu", his heart skipped a beat, but since it was a matter of life and death, he immediately agreed to it.


    "No need for you to book a flight. Just hurry to Jianghai West City, there''s a helipad there, and a helicopter is waiting for you."


    Pei Rou hearing Su Chen''s agreement, sounded clearly excited.


    "Okay, I''m on my way."


    Su Chen was quite surprised to hear this, it seemed like Pei Rou''s family was no simple matter!


    Honestly, Su Chen didn''t know that Pei Rou was the daughter of the Pei Family, and he had never thought in that direction.


    "Sorry, wife..."


    After hanging up, Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue apologetically.


    "I understand. Saving lives is urgent, hurry on!"


    Lin Ruoxue, although puzzled, didn''t say much in the face of a life at stake, as she had roughly heard the voice on the other end clearly.


    "Thank you, wife!"


    Su Chen gently hugged Lin Ruoxue, lightly kissed her on the forehead, and quickly left.


    "This guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue watched his hurried back and blushed as she chastised softly...


    ......


    In the most luxurious VIP room of the Yandu International Hospital, many people were gathered, each with a grim expression.


    Every person here had aplex identity, besides being doctors, they were all legitimate descendants of the Pei Family.


    Although they held no official posts, each one of them, when stepping outside, was respectfully addressed as "Master"!


    Simply because theirst name was "Pei", and that was enough!


    The doctors here were naturally all top-tier in Huaxia, including both traditional Chinese and Western practitioners, but each one was an absolute leading figure in the industry!


    Particrly a white-haired septuagenarian, who was also the chairman of the Huaxia Association of Chinese Medicine,monly known as Xu Yizhen!


    His acupuncture skills had reached a breathtaking level, and he had cured many patients with terminal illnesses!


    All these important figures gathered here only because of the elderly man lying in bed¡ªold Master Pei.


    An elderly man you might not have met, but certainly one you''ve heard of!


    His deeds, if recounted, would fill a day and a night and constitute an absolute legend!


    Of course, not just him, a few other elders in Yandu each had their own stories.


    As Old Master Pei''s fourth daughter, Pei Rou was naturally also present to apany him.


    After hanging up the phone, the tense expression on Pei Rou''s face finally softened a bit.


    Last time she was so severely injured, Su Chen managed to save her; she believed that this time he would certainly save Old Master Pei.


    "Cousin, how could you let a person whose background we don''t know treat Grandpa?"


    At this moment, a voice of dissatisfaction rose, spoken by Old Master Pei''s second son Pei Ji''s son, Pei Song.


    "Big Brother, the helicopter at Jianghai should always be stationed there, right? Please speak to them and send someone over."


    Pei Rou ignored Pei Song''sint and directly addressed a middle-aged man with a stern face. That was Old Master Pei''s eldest son, Pei Hua.


    "That''s true, but I disagree with your suggestion, sister, so I''m not making that call."


    Pei Hua spoke, his face expressionless and cold.


    "Why?"


    Pei Rou''s eyes widened suddenly, her face filled with disbelief.


    "The reason has already been stated by Song just now."


    Pei Hua nced at Pei Rou and remarked:


    "I can''t let someone whose background we don''t know treat my father. If these top doctors treat him, at least there''s still a glimmer of hope. I don''t want to destroy even thisst bit of hope!"


    "Big Brother, believe me, that man is truly a Divine Doctor. He can definitely save Father!"


    Pei Rou was extremely anxious, she hurriedly grabbed Pei Hua''s arm and raised her voice substantially.


    "Yes, Uncle, what my mother said is true! That man really is a Divine Doctor! When my mother had a car ident, doctors said there was no hope, but it was that man who saved her life in the end."


    Standing by, Tang Yun was also visibly distressed, her face flushed.


    Hearing this, Pei Hua began to hesitate, he indeed knew about his sister''s car ident, but that was after the fact.


    At that time, his sister''s family had not told them, perhaps they were afraid to worry them...


    "Miss Pei, not to speak inauspiciously, but given the old master''s condition, we can only hope for a miracle at this point, it would be the same with anyone."


    Just then, Xu Yizhen shook his head and sighed.


    "Indeed, the old master probably has only about ten or so hours left. We can only do our human best and leave the rest to fate now. If you have unfinished matters, you''d better attend to them!"


    Another internationally renowned Western doctor, also the vice president of Huaxia''s top hospital, echoed the sentiment.


    With two of Huaxia''s absolute top medical professionals saying this, the expressions of the Pei family members grew even gloomier.


    It became even less likely to let an unknown person ruin even this sliver of hope.


    "Alright, sister, let''s not bring this up again. I won''t entrust Father''s treatment to someone whose name I''ve never heard of."


    At that moment, Pei Hua''s demeanor became resolute again!


    "Do all of you disagree with the person I found to treat Grandpa?"


    Pei Rou looked around with a pale face; although no one spoke, their disagreement was unmistakably clear.


    Joking, what kind of status does Old Master Pei have? Could just anyonee and give it a try?


    "I agree!"


    However, just then, a voice as ethereal as a divine melody rang from outside the door.


    Following that, a woman in white walked in¡ªno, she was wheeled in, because she was sitting in a wheelchair...

 Chapter 336: Nightfall in Yandu

    When everyone saw the woman in white, they all fell silent.


    "Uncle, second uncle, since auntie is so confident, let''s give it a try," someone said.


    The woman in white smiled faintly and said softly,


    "Unless Doctor Xu and the deputy dean are sure they can cure grandfather''s illness!"


    "I''m not," Xu Yizhen shook his head. "Not to say that I''m not, I don''t believe that anyone in this world can be so sure, it''spletely impossible."


    "Never say impossible," the woman in white seemed to always have a gentle smile on her face, "Just because you can''t doesn''t mean others can''t."


    Her words were soft, but they gave off an irrefutable feeling.


    "Uncle, I heard your conversation just now outside the door. Make the phone call, let the people over there take the person first," she said.


    The woman in white nced at Pei Hua.


    "Okay."


    Without saying much, Pei Hua took out his phone and dialed a number...


    "Little Yun, the personingter is that despicable person we talked about, right? I really want to have a good look," she said, sitting in her wheelchair and reaching out a hand to grasp Tang Yun''s slender wrist with a smile.


    ......


    Su Chen drove the car and soon arrived at the address Pei Rou had given him. It indeed had a helipad, though quite small, probably only capable of hosting five or six aircraft at a time.


    At that moment, there indeed was a ne waiting to take off at any time.


    Seeing Su Chen approach, the pilot waved vigorously at him.


    "Are you Mr. Su?"


    Once Su Chen boarded, the pilot asked.


    "Yes," Su Chen nodded.


    Then the ne slowly ascended into the air...


    Gazing into the dark night, as ck as ink, Su Chen muttered,


    "So I''m going back just like this?"


    Two hourster, the helicopternded on a helipad in Yandu, which was considerablyrger than the one in Jianghai.


    As soon as Su Chen got off the ne, he couldn''t help but take several deep breaths.


    Yandu, unseen for years...


    Su Chen couldn''t shake off a feeling akin to the apprehension one feels when approaching home, and so familiar yet so strange!


    "Mr. Su, please follow me."


    At that moment, a person also dressed in a ck suit approached.


    Su Chen nodded and then got into a car that had been waiting there. As soon as he sat down, the vehicle slowly started to move forward.


    Observing the familiar buildings and scenery along the way, Su Chen lit a cigarette and rolled down the window.


    Some ces were just the same, some werepletely transformed...


    Wondering whether those old acquaintances had also changed, Su Chen thought inwardly.


    However, he did not intend to meet those people during this visit.


    The car soon stopped outside a hospital that looked very upscale. Su Chen followed the driver straight in and arrived at the VIP ward door.


    "Mr. Su has arrived," the driver announced respectfully at the door.


    "Come in," a voice from inside called out.


    Hearing this voice, the driver led Su Chen into the room.


    As soon as he entered, Su Chen realized this was a spacious and incredibly luxurious hospital room. If it weren''t for the medical equipment on either side of the bed, one might almost mistake it for a high-end hotel.


    "Little Su, you''ve finally arrived!"


    The moment Pei Rou saw Su Chen, she immediately ran over excitedly and grasped his hand tightly.


    Although Tang Yun didn''t speak, her demeanor made it clear that she was also very excited, her beautiful eyes shining with an indescribable light.


    The expressions on the faces of the others were not so pleasant, though. They had held some expectations, but seeing the youngd who walked in, those slight hopes dissipated into nothingness...


    The associate dean and Xu Yizhen couldn''t hide their disdain, judging the young man as useless.


    "Mr. Su, calling you here sote, it''s truly a bother," someone said.


    At that moment, a clear and enchanting voice sounded from behind the crowd, and soon, a woman in white emerged, pushing a wheelchair through the throng.


    Su Chen immediately looked towards the source of the voice, and upon seeing the woman in white, felt as if his head had exploded with a bang!


    What kind of woman was this!


    Su Chen would never use the word beautiful to describe the girl before him, because ''beautiful'' was far from sufficient.


    If he had to say, she was the epitome of femininity, nothing less than perfection!


    She wasn''t just extremely beautiful and perfect in figure, but she also embodied multiple perfect traits simultaneously!


    Cold yet passionate; noble yet ordinary; innocent yet enchanting¡ªthesepletely contradictory qualities and emotions were perfectly blended on that breathtakingly beautiful face.


    It was as though she was born to be this way!


    This kind of girl, no, woman, was someone Su Chen had never encountered before!


    The only pity was that her body was disabled; otherwise, she wouldn''t be sitting in a wheelchair.


    Perhaps even the heavens thought that making her so perfect, so stunning, so much a theft from the creation of heaven and earth, that they deliberately left a small w.


    "Mr. Su?"


    Seeing Su Chen a bit lost in thought, the woman in white called out softly.


    "Oh, it''s just a lift of my hand, no thanks needed," Su Chen replied after hearing her voice, back to his normal demeanor.


    The other people from the Pei Family looked on without any expression; they were long used to such reactions.


    This young man wasn''t the first, nor would he be thest. It would be odd if a person, man or woman, didn''t react upon seeing her!


    However, a sharp light shed in the beautiful eyes of the woman in white as she looked at Su Chen. Almost all men who saw her for the first time experienced desire, inferiority, or some other emotion.


    But what they would never have was indifference!


    And that even applied to the proud son of Heaven from the Shen Family, revered by the entire Yandu!


    Normally, such amon word, yet sometimes it''s the rarest thing!


    Yet there, the man before her, after an initial shock, had managed just that, his demeanor instantly settling back to normal.


    Indeed, there was nothing particrly intense in the way he looked at her now, at most just a faint appreciation.


    This was an expression she had never encountered in other men.


    This inevitably roused a slight interest in her towards the man before her, but that was all!


    "Then, I shall impose upon Mr. Su to examine my grandfather," the woman in white said with a smile.


    "Alright!"


    Su Chen agreed, then turned his gaze to the hospital bed.


    However, as soon as he saw the old man lying on the bed, his expression immediately turned cold...

 Chapter 337 - 337 Pei Family Wont Save

    "What''s wrong, Su Chen?"


    Tang Yun, who was beside him, noticed his expression was off and immediately asked.


    "Aunt Pei, are you from the Pei Family?"


    Su Chen looked at Pei Rou and asked her directly.


    "My surname is Pei, of course I''m from the Pei Family."


    Pei Rou said hesitantly, somewhat unclear about the situation.


    "You know what I am talking about."


    Su Chen narrowed his eyes and pronounced each word:


    "The Yandu Pei Family!"


    Although Su Chen might not recognize other members of the Pei Family, he had seen a photograph of Elder Pei.


    He had done a certain amount of research on the patriarchs of several families in Yandu.


    Because the most likely connection to the truth behind his own parents'' deaths was these people, how could he not investigate?


    Even though he had no concrete evidence implicating the Pei Family, he instinctively had no good feelings for these major families.


    "Yes, what about it?"


    Pei Rou was still a bit puzzled by what Su Chen meant.


    "I''ll be going now."


    Su Chen turned and walked outside without any hesitation.


    "Su, why? You should at least give Auntie a reason."


    Pei Rou called out from behind,pletely bewildered and at a loss about why Su Chen suddenly seemed like a different person.


    Just as Su Chen reached the doorway, he heard her and slowly turned around:


    "Pei Family, I won''t save!"


    His voice was filled with a cold and indifferent feel, causing an involuntary shiver in one''s heart.


    After saying this, he opened the door and walked out...


    However, these words immediately sparked a firestorm among the others!


    What did this guy just say?


    Not save Pei Family?


    If others knew they were from the Pei Family, they would all too willingly fawn over them like groveling dogs!


    Yet in the mouth of this guy, it seemed as if they were gue gods!


    How could members of the proud Pei Family endure such a perceived insult, seeming like the greatest affront!


    Just as a few members of the Pei Family wanted to retort with anger, the woman in white had already spoken:


    "Mr. Su, please wait!"


    "Is there something else?"


    Perhaps because of his good impression of this woman, Su Chen who had just stepped out of the room, paused and turned around once more.


    "Mr. Su, is there some kind of grudge between you and my Pei Family?"


    The woman in white asked calmly.


    "Yes, Su, what exactly is the matter?"


    Pei Rou also directly approached and grabbed Su Chen''s hand.


    "Su Chen, please, no matter what, save my grandfather!"


    Tang Yun implored with tears streaming down her face.


    "Sigh!"


    Su Chen could remain indifferent to other members of the Pei Family, but faced with Pei Rou who had always cared for him and Tang Yun whom he had always considered a friend, he felt somewhat troubled.


    He truly did not want to save a member of the Pei Family, but he did not want to hurt Pei Rou or Tang Yun either.


    "Why do they have to be rted to the Pei Family?!"


    Su Chen muttered to himself with a sigh.


    The rest of the Pei Family and the two doctors couldn''t help but curl their lips, wondering why bother asking him?


    He did not seem like someone with profound medical skills.


    They even suspected that he was pretending to be this way because he knew he could not actually save the elder.


    While thinking this, they temporarily did not express any opinions, of course, mostly out of deference to the woman in white.


    ```


    "Thump!"


    Pei Rou suddenly knelt in front of Su Chen, crying and pleading:


    "Su, auntie is begging you!"


    Seeing her mother kneel, Tang Yun also followed suit:


    "Su Chen, please save my grandfather!"


    "Auntie, Tang Yun, please get up first."


    "If you don''t agree, auntie won''t get up!"


    Pei Rou said stubbornly, and Tang Yun also had a look of determination!


    "Mr. Su, you don''t want a cripple like me to kneel down and beg you, do you?"


    The woman in white spoke indifferently.


    "Alright!"


    Su Chen finally relented, nodded, and then helped Pei Rou and her daughter to their feet.


    This was partly because he had a good rtionship with Pei Rou and Tang Yun, and also because there was no evidence at present that the Pei Family was involved in what happened that year.


    The reason he did not want to save the patient at first was purely due to his inherent disgust and resistance toward the major families in Yandu.


    "Let''s take a look at the patient now."


    Since he had agreed, Su Chen had no choice but to do his best.


    He went to the bedside and carefully checked Old Master Pei''s condition.


    As he was examining the patient, a sarcastic voice rang out:


    "Stop looking. The patient had a sudden myocardial infarction, fell to the ground, and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. At the same time, the patient also has diabetes andplications caused by diabetes. Theoretically, there''s almost no hope for recovery, let alone actually performing the operation."


    "You''re a mediocre doctor, don''t think everyone else in the world is like you."


    Su Chen frowned slightly and spoke faintly.


    Upon hearing this, Xu Yizhen''s eyes bulged, his long beard flew up, and his face turned red with anger!


    He, the esteemed Sage of Apricot Forests, was being called a quack by a young man; how could he not be furious?


    When the other members of the Pei Family heard this, they also thought this young man was far too arrogant!


    It was Xu Yizhen they were talking about!


    He earned his prestigious title because he saved countless lives with his acupuncture skills!


    Even the vice-president was shaking with anger, for he himself wouldn''t dare to put on airs in front of Xu Yizhen. What was this fellow?


    Just as these people were about tosh out, the woman in white swept a cold gaze over them.


    The rest immediately swallowed the words they had been about to speak.


    "How is it? Is there any hope?"


    The woman in white asked softly. Though she asked casually, Su Chen still heard a hint of tension in her voice.


    "Of course I can save him!"


    Su Chen''s response was simple and direct.


    The crowd was instantly stunned by this statement, especially since both medical experts had just expressed little hope.


    "What are the odds?"


    Pei Hua also disregarded Su Chen''s previous attitude and asked anxiously.


    "Are you out of your mind?"


    Su Chen curled his lip and said:


    "I said ''of course I can save him,'' not ''maybe I can save him.''"


    Pei Hua was humiliated by Su Chen''s remark. When he walked around outside, everyone respectfully called him ''Lord Pei.'' How had this young man reprimanded him as having a problem with his brain?


    If it were any other time, he would have pped this fellow to death long ago.


    But at this moment, he had no thoughts of anger, and instead, his eyes shone brightly with disbelief as he asked:


    "You mean you''re sure you can save him?"


    "Finally, you''re notpletely foolish."


    Su Chen snorted coldly.


    No sooner had he spoken than everyone else was bbergasted, including the woman in white!


    It was no wonder they reacted this way, for they had never imagined Su Chen would give such a conclusion.


    They thought that even a mere one or two percent chance would be asking for a miracle, yet this young man had given them such a tremendous surprise!


    ```

 Chapter 338: Riverfall Divine Needles and Ghost Doctor

    Although the members of the Pei Family were showing expressions of utter shock and joy, the deputy dean and Xu Yizhen, however, were utterly dismissive.


    In their view, Su Chen waspletely bragging, absolutely putting on airs!


    If this young man had imed to have a ten to twenty percent certainty, they might have believed him somewhat; but the young man had said he could definitely save him, which they found unbelievable.


    Yet, Su Chen did not pay attention to their thoughts; instead, he asked for a piece of paper and a pen, then wrote something down and handed it to the woman in white:


    "Get everything I''ve written here ready within half an hour."


    "Okay."


    The woman in white took it and then handed it to Pei Ji:


    "Uncle, please take care of this for me."


    "Okay, don''t worry."


    After speaking, Pei Ji was ready to leave with the paper.


    "May I have a look?"


    At that moment, an impatient Xu Yizhen asked, genuinely wanting to know what prized medicinal herbs Su Chen had written down.


    Pei Ji could not help but look at Su Chen, after all, he had written it.


    "If he wants to see it, let him take a look."


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    After Xu Yizhen took the note, he quickly nced over it; upon finishing, he widened his eyes:


    "These are allmon medicinal herbs, what use could they have? If they were effective, I would have used them on the old man long ago."


    Xu Yizhen was not only skilled in acupuncture; his familiarity and application of medicinal herbs were also beyond what ordinary people could understand.


    "That''s simply because you don''t know how to use them."


    Subsequently, Su Chen spoke to Pei Ji:


    "Hurry up, any dy isn''t my problem."


    "Okay, I''m going now."


    Upon hearing this, Pei Ji quickly hurried out.


    In just about eleven or twelve minutes, Pei Ji returned carrying a bag that had various smaller bags inside, containing different medicinal herbs.


    This was partly because these weremon herbs and partly a testament to the Pei Family''s efficiency in getting things done.


    "Alright, go and decoct the medicine. Remember, use three liters of water, start with a gentle me for a quarter hour, then switch to a fierce me for another quarter hour, continue alternating between gentle and fierce mes for three identical cycles. After that, immediately add two blocks of ice, and bring me a bowl of it when it''s done."


    He instructed carefully.


    "Okay."


    The newly arrived Pei Ji, carrying the bag, ran out again.


    "You, help the patient sit up."


    Su Chen instructed Pei Hua curtly.


    At that moment, Pei Hua did not feel offended but immediately went over to help the old master up.


    Su Chen then took a long cloth bag out of his pocket, and spread it out on the bed, it was filled with silver needles of varying lengths and thicknesses, glimmering coldly under the light.


    Upon seeing these glimmering needles, Xu Yizhen, who had been looking at Su Chen with contempt and waiting to see him fail, suddenly changed his expression dramatically, his face filled with astonishment.


    "Is this, is this the legendary Riverfall Divine Needles?"


    His voice trembled, his eyes rapidly constricting, and a fervent light burst forth from his somewhat cloudy eyes!


    "You do have some perception, old man."


    Su Chen nced at Xu Yizhen, somewhat surprised, then pulled out a silver needle and inserted it casually into the old man''s heart area.


    As the needle went down, Xu Yizhen''s heart trembled violently. Others couldn''t see it, but he could.


    The young man''s casual insertion was not only exactly urate in terms of acupoint location, but the depth was precisely two inches and three fen!


    Although he could be this urate, he could definitely not do it as effortlessly and casually as this young man!


    At this moment, a huge question popped up in Xu Yizhen''s mind: who exactly is this young man?


    "Divine Doctor Xu, what is Riverfall Divine Needles?"


    Pei Rou asked curiously, and everyone else perked up their ears; they too had never heard of this name.


    "Oh, these are the legendary set of needles said to have been invented by the Yellow Emperor. They''ve been owned by Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Sun Simiao, and other divine doctors. I''ve only seen these patterns in a book of medical misceny."


    "I originally thought they were a fabrication byter generations. I didn''t expect that Riverfall Divine Needles actually existed in this world!"


    Xu Yizhen said with a face full of nostalgia.


    At these words, everyone else waspletely shocked, looking utterly bbergasted!


    Although they didn''t know what Riverfall Divine Needles were, who amongst the people of Huaxia didn''t know the names like the Yellow Emperor, Bian Que, Hua Tuo, and Sun Simiao; names that were famous throughout thend?


    It can be said that these individuals were truly the pinnacle of Huaxia''s medical path in history!


    Just hearing the names of its former owners made it clear that this set of silver needles was no ordinary artifact!


    But how could such a set of silver needles end up in the hands of this young man?


    Although they had this doubt, there was no question that everyone''s confidence in Su Chen had grown even stronger.


    At that moment, Su Chen had already inserted over a dozen more silver needles into the front and back of old Mr. Pei.


    The speed of his needle administration, and the uracy of the locations, made Xu Yizhen feel as if he had lived his decades in vain. His look towards Su Chen was filled with awe.


    How could such a young man possess such profound mastery over acupuncture?


    At this moment, a slight sweat appeared on Su Chen''s forehead; despite appearing casual, the effort had still been quite taxing.


    Su Chen felt the room was a bit warm, so he took off his coat and set it aside, then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to his forearms.


    Then he took a deep breath and brushed the back of his hand lightly over the silver needles in front of old Mr. Pei.


    The needles immediately began to sway, but curiously, the tips of the needles hardly moved at all, while the tails trembled incessantly, as if each silver needle had been split into two distinct parts.


    Upon seeing this, Xu Yizhen was instantly stunned¡ªno, it was shock, utter shock!


    His eyes widened as if seeing a ghost, his normally ruddy face began trembling and his body shook uncontrobly.


    His hands tremblingly pointed at Su Chen, his tongue wrestled in his mouth, unable to utter a single word!


    Everyone, watching Xu Yizhen''s demeanor, was greatly puzzled, thinking he had suddenly had a seizure!


    Just as everyone was about to inquire, Xu Yizhen finally managed to speak.


    "Is this Ghost Brushing Hand? You, you are, Ghost, Ghost Doctor?"


    Xu Yizhen said, trembling and extremely excited, his eyes filled with an intense fervor!


    Upon hearing this, everyone else was stunned once again!


    Ghost Doctor? What is that?


    Only the woman in white showed an incredible brightness in her eyes when she heard these two words!


    "You know me?"


    Su Chen paused briefly, then looked casually at Xu Yizhen and asked...

 Chapter 339 - 339 So Youre the Ghost Doctor

    "Do you know me?"


    Su Chen paused slightly and nced at Xu Yizhen as he asked casually.


    With that question, he essentially acknowledged his own identity.


    And Xu Yizhen''s eyes suddenly emitted an incredibly intense fervor, even more frantic than the gaze of young girls upon seeing their idol!


    Seeing the old man''s appearance, Su Chen remained indifferent and continued to focus on the treatment.


    Although he usually behaved nonchntly andcked formality, he was wholeheartedly devoted when it came to treating illnesses.


    Besides, the condition of Old Master Pei was truly dire. Had they not found him, no one else would have stood a chance of curing the man!


    "Divine Doctor Xu, what Ghost Doctor? I''ve never heard of such a person," Pei Hua asked with confusion, supporting the old master''s body. The others also looked at Xu Yizhen with simr bewilderment.


    "The Ghost Doctor is a legend within our world of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It''s said that no one treated by him has ever failed to be cured," Xu Yizhen said with a face full of emotion:


    "He once said, ''Aside from the dead, there is no one I cannot save!''"


    On hearing this, everyone''s body shook violently!


    It sounded like a simple statement, but the implication was truly staggering!


    This meant that there was no one in this world that he couldn''t save!


    This guy, quite audacious!


    Hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lips. When did I ever say such a thing?


    Although he was confident in his medical skills, he never was that arrogant!


    After all, he was no immortal!


    "However, the Ghost Doctor is very mysterious. Hardly anyone has seen what he looks like, and nobody knows his age, height, weight, or even his gender," Xu Yizhen continued with pride.


    "Then how do you know this Mr. Su is the Ghost Doctor?"


    After hesitating for a moment, Pei Hua asked another question.


    "Do you think the ''Ghost Brushing Hand'' anyone could just learn?"


    Xu Yizhen said with a somewhat haughty snort, as if the move had been performed by him.


    Actually, under normal circumstances, Xu Yizhen wouldn''t dare speak to Pei Hua this way. However, the mention of the Ghost Doctor''s name involuntarily bolstered his confidence.


    "But I had always thought that a master like the Ghost Doctor would at least be an elderly person well advanced in years. I never imagined he would be a young man in his twenties!" he continued to reflect, this point also being the most shocking to him.


    The Ghost Doctor, just a young man in his twenties¡ªlikely no one would have imagined that!


    If he told his colleagues, they would definitely think he had gone mad!


    After all, in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a saying: ''The older, the more valuable.''


    That''s because Chinese medicine requires the umtion of experience and time. Without immersing oneself for a long period, it is impossible to reach that level of skill.


    And as the Ghost Doctor was already a legendary figure in the world of Chinese medicine, everyone naturally assumed he was an elderly man of transcendent bearing!


    The young man before thempletely contradicted the image they had envisioned in their minds. They werepletely different!


    "Are you saying that this gentleman can truly save my father?"


    Pei Hua, who usually gave off an impression of cool detachment, could no longer contain his excitement.


    "If even the Ghost Doctor cannot save him, no one else in this world can. That would just mean Old Master was fated to face this tribtion!"


    Xu Yizhen shook his head slowly and sighed. Then, in a drastic change of tone, he dered firmly:


    "But since the Ghost Doctor has said he can save him, then he most certainly can!"


    His confidence seemed even greater than Su Chen''s. At this moment, Xu Yizhen bore none of the aloof dignity of a saintly healer. He hadpletely be the Ghost Doctor''s little fanboy¡ªalbeit a fanboy of quite an advanced age.


    The vice president next to him, despite not being very familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine, knew of Xu Yizhen''s abilities. To be so highly regarded by him¡ªwhat sort of extraordinary being was this?


    The white-clothed woman sitting in the wheelchair had been quietly listening all along without saying a word, but she murmured to herself in her heart:


    "So you are the Ghost Doctor!"


    At this moment, Su Chen''s treatment was at a critical juncture, and simultaneously, Pei Ji had brought in a steaming bowl of traditional Chinese medicine.


    Su Chen paid no attention to the crowd and performed the Ghost Brushing Hand two more times, causing the silver needles in the patient''s back to tremble.


    If one looked closely, they would notice that the needles'' rhythm was very regr, not at all chaotic!


    "Everyone step aside!"


    With a low shout from Su Chen, everyone immediately stood by the door or beside the window.


    "You too, go over there."


    Seeing that Pei Hua was still supporting the elder, Su Chen spoke to him.


    Pei Hua immediately let go of the elder and moved to the side of the window.


    With the body''s support, the Pei family elder did not fall; Su Chen immediately pped the area beneath the elder''s throat and the back of his neck.


    "Bang!"


    A loud sound echoed, and the silver needles on the elder''s body shot out, each sinking half an inch into the wall, with precision!


    Everyone was stunned at the sight, unable to believe their eyes!


    You have to understand that the walls were tiled, and those fine Silver Needles were actually able to prate the tiles¡ªwhat formidable strength that must take!


    By this time, Su Chen''s shirt was also drenched in sweat, and strands of his hair were stuck to his forehead.


    "Bring the medicine!"


    Su Chen stretched out his hand.


    "Oh, right."


    Pei Ji hurriedly handed over the bowl of medicine.


    "Did you make it exactly as I instructed?"


    "Rest assured, everything is urate, it was brewed exactly as you directed, and afterwards, two ice cubes were added."


    "Good."


    Supporting the Pei family elder''s back with one hand and holding the medicine bowl with the other, Su Chen slowly poured the medicine down his throat.


    "All done, he will wake up soon."


    Su Chenid the Pei family elder down, pped his hands, and said.


    "Thank you, thank you so much!"


    The members of the Pei family came up to shake his hand, their expressions filled with gratitude!


    "There''s no need to thank me; if anyone, thank Auntie Pei."


    Su Chen said coldly,


    "If it weren''t for Auntie Pei, even if all the Pei family members died, I wouldn''t have lifted a finger!"


    With these words, the crowd inevitably felt awkward.


    However, since he had just saved the elder, no one said anything, though their hearts were somewhat resentful.


    At the same time, they were perplexed as to why this young man seemed to bear such deep animosity towards the Pei family?


    "Xiao Su, no matter what, Auntie still wants to thank you!"


    Pei Rou earnestly took Su Chen''s hand and gently patted it as she spoke.


    "Auntie Pei, you''re too serious!"


    Su Chen sighed lightly.


    "Mr. Su, do you perhaps have some misunderstanding with my Pei family?"


    Thedy in white asked again; she had asked before, but Pei Rou''s subsequent kneeling had interrupted, and he had not answered at that time.


    "Yeah, Su Chen, why do you seem to hate my grandfather''s family so much?"


    Tang Yun also felt that Su Chen''s attitude towards the Pei family members was mystifying¡­

 Chapter 340: The Former Chief Instructor

    "To speak of grievances, there are none now, but that doesn''t mean there were none before, nor does it guarantee there won''t be any in the future,"


    Su Chen nced at the people from the Pei Family and said indifferently.


    If you ask about any grievances between Su Chen and the Pei Family, he really couldn''t specify at the moment, and as for whether the Pei Family was involved in the events of the past, he still didn''t know.


    Although he saved the old master of the Pei Family today, if they indeed yed a disgraceful critical role in the matter, Su Chen wouldn''t show mercy then!


    His attitude was merely born out of his longstanding disdain for the nobilities of Yandu.


    Everyone was taken aback by Su Chen''s words and couldn''t understand what he meant.


    To others, encountering the Pei Family would make them eager to instantly cling to this incredibly powerful supporter, as they were among the top families in Yandu, second only to the Shen Family.


    However, this young man was deeply wary and even hateful towards the Pei Family, which was quite bewildering.


    If there were grievances, that would be somewhat understandable, but to have grievances with the Pei Family, one must qualify!


    For a family of the Pei Family''s caliber, not everyone is qualified to bear a grudge against them; one must at least reach that stature, right?


    It''s like a billionaire hardly having conflicts with a millionaire, because they simply aren''t on the same level!


    Yet, apart from his astounding medical skills and the title "Ghost Doctor," they couldn''t see anything particrly special about this young man.


    "Cough cough!"


    Just then, a series of coughs came from the sickbed.


    Upon hearing the cough, everyone immediately rushed excitedly to the bedside!


    "Father!"


    "Dad!"


    "Grandfather!"


    "Grandpa!"


    Almost simultaneously, various cries rang out.


    The old master Pei slowly opened his eyes, and seeing so many people around him, he muttered:


    "What happened to me?"


    "Dad, you nearly scared us to death!"


    Daughters are generally closer to their fathers, so upon hearing old master Pei''s words, Pei Rou immediately chided him.


    Then Pei Rou exined the entire situation to him, expressing her lingering fear:


    "If it weren''t for young Su today, you really might have..."


    "Young man, thank you for saving my life!"


    The old master Pei directed his gaze towards Su Chen. Among those present, apart from Su Chen, he recognized everyone, including Xu Yizhen and the deputy dean.


    Without a doubt, that stranger was the young Su who had saved his life, as mentioned by his daughter.


    "Old master, he is the Ghost Doctor,"


    At that moment, Xu Yizhen interjected.


    Upon hearing this, old master Pei was immediately stunned.


    "So it was the Ghost Doctor who saved my life. It seems my life was indeed not meant to end yet!"


    Old master Pei sighed deeply. He knew more about the significance of the Ghost Doctor than anyone present and had heard many stories about him.


    Just like Xu Yizhen, he had not expected the Ghost Doctor to be so young.


    "Mr. Su, I know you disdain material wealth, but you saved an old man''s life. Would you care to have a simple meal at my residence sometime, so I can express my gratitude?"


    Old master Pei earnestly requested.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the others gaped in surprise.


    You must know, in the entire Yandu, not more than five people have received an invitation from the old master¡ªthat''s a great honor indeed!


    "The threshold of your Pei residence is too high for a nobody like me; I''d rather keep my distance,"


    Su Chen, however, curled his lip and spoke, his words loaded with incontrovertible irony.


    Who was old Master Pei? A man whose mere foot-stamping could shake Yandu, so upon hearing Su Chen''s words, his expression inevitably turned colder.


    He refrained from an outburst only because the other party had just saved his life.


    Su Chen did not consider the other party''s thoughts at all. He walked to the bedside and picked up the jacket he had taken off earlier:


    "Since you are not going to die, I''ll be leaving."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Su Chen was ready to leave. He did not want to stay in such a ce at all!


    However, just as he reached out to pick up his jacket, Elder Pei suddenly saw something. His cloudy pupils contracted violently and his breathing hastened!


    "Wait!"


    Just as Su Chen turned to leave, a somewhat emaciated hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.


    Su Chen involuntarily turned his head, a cold and puzzled expression appearing on his face.


    The others, witnessing this scene, werepletely baffled, not knowing what the elder intended to do.


    Could it be that he was furious because the young man had just declined his invitation and wanted to attack him in a fit of pique?


    However, they all knew Elder Pei; it was clear he was angry, but it seemed unlikely that he would want to do anything over such a trivial matter.


    Elder Pei was not such a narrow-minded person, was he?!


    However, Elder Pei did not care what others were thinking. At that moment, his eyes were only on Su Chen.


    Su Chen also coldly met his gaze, although he was also unclear about what Elder Pei intended.


    After a moment, Elder Pei sighed meaningfully:


    "So it''s you!"


    "You know me? Know who I am?"


    Su Chen''s heart trembled slightly, but his face still showed no emotion.


    "No, I don''t know you, but I recognize the tattoo on your arm!"


    Elder Pei shook his head as he spoke.


    Hearing this, everyone''s eyes simultaneously turned toward Su Chen''s arm.


    They saw a golden dragon tattoo, with the dragon''s head raised, as if it were about to fly into the sky at any moment...


    "You are Su Chen, once the Chief Instructor of Huaxia''s most mysterious Eighth Brigade!"


    Elder Pei looked into Su Chen''s deep ck eyes and pronounced each word distinctly.


    At these words, the confusion deepened on the faces of the others.


    The Eighth Brigade? They had never heard of such a unit in Huaxia.


    However, the woman in white, usually so calm, suddenly widened her beautiful eyes, her stunning face covered in astonishment!


    He was the man of legend!


    "Ghost Doctor! Once the Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade! What other identities do you have that I am not aware of?"


    The woman in white murmured softly...


    "Father, what Eighth Brigade? Why have I never heard of it?"


    Pei Ji couldn''t help but voice the question in his mind, which was also on everyone else''s minds.


    "An existence you are not qualified to know about."


    Elder Pei nced at his son and said indifferently.


    The shock among the crowd deepened!


    What kind of brigade was that? Even the prestigious Young Master Pei Ji was not qualified to know about it?


    "So what?"


    Su Chen looked sharply at Elder Pei and coldly snorted, his tone slightly provocative.


    "Mr. Su, there''s no need for this, I mean no harm."


    Elder Pei released Su Chen''s wrist and smiled lightly:


    "I feel that Mr. Su seems to have a deep hostility towards me and our Pei Family. Why is that?"


    "If you knew my other identity, perhaps you would know the answer."


    Su Chen nced at Elder Pei, equally meaningfully uttering the sentence...

 Chapter 341: Shen Shao Is Not as Good as Him

    When everyone heard these words, they were stunned once more. In addition to being known as the Ghost Doctor and the Chief Instructor, what other identities did this person have?


    It''s fair to say that ever since this young man arrived, he had already brought them many shocks; however, it seemed far from over!


    "Mr. Su, could you rify your statement?"


    Old Master Pei pondered for a moment before asking.


    "You will know when the timees."


    After saying that, Su Chen walked out. As he passed by Pei Rou and Tang Yun, he paused briefly, revealing a rare smile:


    "Auntie, Tang Yun, I''ll be going now."


    "Mr. Su, let me send you back in the helicopter."


    Pei Hua hurriedly spoke up; after all, the visitor had just saved the old master, and it was only reasonable to offer him a ride home.


    "No need."


    Su Chen previously didn''t know they were from the Pei Family, but now that he did, he naturally wouldn''t be willing to take their ne.


    "Then let me see you off. You wouldn''t refuse to give me face, would you?"


    Tang Yun said with a smile.


    "Alright... sure."


    Su Chen thought for a moment and nodded.


    ....


    Yandu was farther north, so the climate was much colder than Jianghai''s in the south. The moment the two stepped out of the hospital entrance, they felt the chill brought by the night breeze.


    "Wait here, I''ll get the car."


    Tang Yun tightened her coat and then ran off to the parking lot.


    A few minutester, a car pulled up in front of Su Chen; he opened the door and climbed in.


    The car drove along the quiet streets of Yandu at night, and Tang Yun couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen beside her, feeling him increasingly mysterious!


    Ghost Doctor? Chief Instructor?


    These were titles she had never associated with him, and it seemed like he was hiding even more secrets!


    Who exactly are you?


    "What? Is there something on my face?"


    Seeing Tang Yun ncing at him while driving, Su Chen couldn''t help but smile.


    "Nothing. Are you as a big man afraid of being looked at?"


    Tang Yun was slightly flustered and then joked.


    "It''s not about being afraid of being watched. I''m worried that you might find me too handsome and fall for me uncontrobly, which would certainly be troublesome, wouldn''t it?"


    Su Chen said with a smirk.


    "In your dreams!"


    Tang Yun couldn''t help but snort, then feigned anger:


    "What do you mean by that? Is it such a troublesome thing? Am I that undesirable?"


    "What I mean is, I''m married. If my wife found out, wouldn''t that be trouble?"


    Su Chen said with an easy smile.


    Upon hearing this, Tang Yun fell silent, quietly driving the car, her thoughts unknown to anyone...


    Racing along, they quickly arrived at the airport. After Tang Yun dropped Su Chen off at the entrance, she said:


    "Su Chen, no matter what, I want to thank you for today."


    She had realized that if it weren''t for herself and her mother, Su Chen truly wouldn''t have saved her grandfather, although she didn''t know what the conflict between Su Chen and her grandfather''s family was.


    "It''s a small matter, don''t worry about it."


    Su Chen waved his hand lightly and walked inside.


    Tang Yun watched until Su Chen''s figure hadpletely disappeared before she drove back.


    Su Chen was lucky today; when he was booking a ticket on his phone in the car, he had just seen a flight to Jianghai that would depart in two and a half hours, so he immediately purchased a ticket.


    At this moment, all Su Chen wanted was to return to Jianghai, back to his familiar house, because that was his home.


    .....


    "This person really doesn''t understand the rules!"


    After Su Chen left, Pei Ji couldn''t help but berate him.


    "Indeed, thinking he is something because he has some medical skills, saved Grandpa, and then acts so disdainful?"


    Pei Song also chimed in, his face full of indignation.


    This was partly because the young man, who was about their age, had just stolen the spotlight, which irritated them.


    Although Pei Hua, the eldest, didn''t speak, he also somewhat agreed with the opinion of the second son and his father, which was that the young man was too arrogant!


    In front of their Pei Family, what right did he have to put on airs?


    "Big brother, second brother, Su isn''t that kind of person, there must be some misunderstanding."


    Pei Rou said urgently, as she had always treated Su Chen as a son-inw, naturally, she didn''t want her brothers to have any prejudice against him, although she also didn''t know why Su Chen was acting like this today.


    "Young sister, there''s no need to speak well of him, you saw his attitude just now!"


    Pei Ji couldn''t help but snort with disdain.


    "Shut up!"


    Just then, the Pei patriarch yelled out, his tiger-like eyes wide open, exuding an imposing aura!


    Upon hearing the old man''s anger, Pei Ji and his son immediately fell silent.


    "Do you know who he is?"


    The patriarch, shivering with anger, pointed at Pei Ji and his son and rebuked:


    "You wastrels are not even fit to carry his shoes!"


    Hearing this, everyone was shocked, their bodies trembling with disbelief!


    Who on earth was that guy, for the patriarch to say that even Pei Ji wasn''t qualified to carry his shoes!


    Although Pei Ji was extravagant, in Yandu, a ce considered a tiger''s den, he was still an influential figure!


    The patriarch didn''t pay them any more attention but turned to look seriously at the woman in white sitting in a wheelchair:


    "Xiaoman, what do you think of this young man?"


    The woman in white pondered for a moment before gently saying:


    "Shen Shao is not his equal."


    At these words, everyone was stunned, even the old man in the sickbed suddenly had a strong light shing in his eyes!


    ......


    At a little past 5 in the morning, Su Chen finally arrived at thatforting house, exhausted from the journey.


    From the moment he entered the door, he was very careful, so as not to disturb the peaceful sleep of Wang Ma and Lin Ruoxue.


    First, he took a quick shower, changed clothes, and then began preparing breakfast as usual.


    A little whileter, Wang Ma also got up and started cleaning as was her regr routine.


    When breakfast was almost ready, Lin Ruoxue had already woken up.


    As she walked downstairs and saw the figure of Su Chen, her beautiful eyes widened in surprise:


    "How did youe back so soon?"


    "What? Are you not happy to have your husband back?"


    Su Chen smiled tenderly:


    "Come on, sit down quick and have breakfast."


    "Mhm."


    Lin Ruoxue responded sweetly and then sat down at the table.


    She hadn''t expected Su Chen to return overnight, which made her feel both surprised and happy...


    The three of them sat around the table, enjoying a delicious breakfast and chatting casually.


    The warm sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating each smiling face!


    If time could stop, Su Chen wished it could freeze at this moment...


    Because this was the life he longed for, simple, warm, and filled with the taste of happiness...

 Chapter 342 - 342 Professional Prop Boyfriend

    ```


    After breakfast, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue went their separate ways to the Belle Corporation as they did every day, each driving their own car.


    Su Chen naturally headed straight for the Public Rtions department, where he chatted with thedies for a few minutes before having Ran Ting make him a cup of tea. He then pulled out thetest issue of "Men''s Fashion" magazine and started his leisurely day.


    Just as his eyes were sparkling with excitement while admiring the sexy images of the models, his cellphone suddenly rang.


    "Who is it? Interrupting my admiration of beautiful women."


    Muttering to himself, Su Chen took out his phone. Upon seeing the number, he immediately retracted hisint.


    Because the caller was Xia Qiuru. Although it seemed they had cleared the air during theirst meeting at the caf¨¦, in reality, there was still some unease between them. Afterwards, the interactions between them were limited to enthusiastic greetings.


    Moreover, he knew that recently Xia Qiuru had been upset because her parents were pressuring her to go on blind dates. If it were anything else, Su Chen could offer some advice, but in this matter, it would be rather awkward for him to intervene, and he might be used of being self-serving.


    Although he was very curious as to why Xia Qiuru would call him so early in the morning, he answered the phone immediately.


    "Su Chen, can youe to my office?" came Xia Qiuru''s somewhat hesitant voice over the phone.


    "Okay."


    Without asking what it was about, Su Chen immediately agreed. He always felt guilt when it came to Xia Qiuru.


    After hanging up, Su Chen went directly to Xia Qiuru''s office and knocked gently on the door.


    "Come in."


    A slightly hoarse voice answered from inside, and Su Chen then pushed the door open and entered.


    "Qiuru, what''s the matter?"


    Su Chen stopped about a meter away from Xia Qiuru''s desk and asked with a smile.


    "Please, take a seat first."


    Xia Qiuru gestured to a guest chair in front of her and spoke, her heart filled with an inexplicable emotion.


    It seemed their rtionship had really grown distant. Although he still called her Qiuru, which sounded very close, his tone and gestures seemed to deliberately maintain a distance.


    This was apparent from the moment he knocked on the door. There was a time when he would simply burst into her office without knocking, his demeanor anything but respectful.


    "Qiuru, you don''t look well, you should really take care of yourself."


    Indeed, Xia Qiuru''s face was as delicate and beautiful as ever, her figure still heart-stirring to any man, but the weariness and exhaustion on her face, and hernguished spirit, were all too evident.


    Seeing Xia Qiuru like this, Su Chen felt very distressed. To say he had no feelings for Xia Qiuru was impossible.


    "Don''t worry, I know."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Xia Qiuru''s heart inexplicably lifted, thinking that he still cared about her.


    Then she stood up, poured a cup of tea for Su Chen, and sat back down behind her desk.


    "Qiuru, what''s really going on?"


    Su Chen asked after taking a sip of tea.


    "This..."


    Xia Qiuru''s expression and tone clearly showed her hesitation. In truth, she found it difficult to broach the subject.


    But when it came to helping with this favor, she could only think of him, as she didn''t feel assured with anyone else.


    "Qiuru, just tell me what it is. No matter what, we''re still friends, right?"


    Noticing her difort, Su Chen deliberately spoke in a rxed manner.


    "Well, it''s like this. My mother keeps pressuring me to go on a blind date with this guy from Jiangbei. I''ve been dying it with the excuse of being too busy with work. But today, my mom told me that the guy is actually in Jianghai and she insisted that I meet him for lunch..."


    For some reason, Xia Qiuru felt a bit uneasy discussing this with Su Chen, worried that he might overthink it.


    "Then how can I help you?" Su Chen asked.


    ```


    "I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend and apany me to meet them."


    Xia Qiuru said, avoiding Su Chen''s eyes as she spoke, her voice growing softer and her face redder towards the end.


    When Su Chen heard this, he couldn''t help but feel likeughing a bit, as he seemed to be almost bing a professional prop boyfriend.


    Thinking about it, he had been used as a shield by Tang Yun, posed as a boyfriend for Xu Xinran, and now it was Xia Qiuru''s turn. Oh, right, Xiao Yaning had also used him like this once before.


    Did he look so safe to them that they were so confident in him? Weren''t they afraid of letting the wolf into their house?


    Seeing the peculiar expression on Su Chen''s face, Xia Qiuru quickly said:


    "If it''s too much trouble, forget I said anything."


    "Eh, no problem, it''s a piece of cake."


    Su Chen quickly waved his hand, refusing anyone but certainly not Xia Qiuru:


    "Don''t worry, leave it to me, I''m an expert at this."


    "Then thank you!"


    As Su Chen agreed, Xia Qiuru immediately felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart and smiled with relief.


    "Is there a need to be so formal between us?"


    Su Chen showed a familiar smile, and for a moment, it felt like a return to old times.


    "Hmm, I''ll buy you a big meal in a few days to thank you specially!"


    "Then I''ll look forward to it."


    Su Chen stood up and said with a smile:


    "If there''s nothing else, I''ll head out first."


    "Okay!"


    ......


    As lunchtime came around, Su Chen headed directly to the parking lot of Belle Building and got into Xia Qiuru''s car.


    Xia Qiuru''s car was a Ford, worth about two to three hundred thousand, which seemed very fitting for a white-cor worker like her.


    "Where to?"


    Su Chen asked casually after getting in the car.


    "He said Western World."


    "Huh, looks like the guy you''re meeting up with is pretty wealthy, with decent taste too!"


    Su Chen said with augh, aware that Western World was a high-end Western-style restaurant with naturally high prices.


    "What''s that got to do with me?"


    Xia Qiuru said in a cool tone.


    Su Chen just couldn''t hold his tongue. Xia Qiuru was already asking him to be a prop boyfriend; wasn''t her intent clear enough?


    This showed she merely wanted to brush the other party off with no actual desire to develop anything further.


    After driving for about twenty minutes, Xia Qiuru parked in front of a restaurant filled with Western charm.


    The two quickly arrived at the entrance where, after reporting her name, the waiter immediately led them inside.


    Western World''s decor was naturally in a standard European style, making the whole restaurant feel fresh and bright.


    The arrangement of tables and chairs was skillfully tiered, creating a sense of depth andyering.


    At the back of the restaurant there was a slightly raised stage about forty to fifty square metersrge, where various artists were performing their talents, such as ying the piano, the violin, and of course, singing.


    When the waiter led Xia Qiuru to one of the tables, the man who was sitting there suddenly had a fiery light spring up in his eyes!

 Chapter 343: Feasting on the Rich

    It was a man in a crisply tailored brown suit, his hair slicked back so smoothly that probably even a fly couldn''t perch on it.


    His suit was very well tailored, and although it wasn''t handmade by a famous designer, it was definitely from a major brand.


    He had been sitting quietly, but upon seeing Xia Qiuru approaching, he immediately stood up, his eyes uncontrobly bursting with intense light!


    He had seen a photo of Xia Qiuru before and had thought she was very beautiful and perfect, but he hadn''t expected that meeting her in person would shock him far more than the photo had.


    "This woman will be my Yu Guangping''s wife!"


    The moment he saw Xia Qiuru, he said this to himself.


    Xia Qiuru naturally felt the intense gaze from the other party, making her feel quite ufortable, and she couldn''t help but frown slightly.


    "Miss Xia, is it? I am Yu Guangping, very pleased to meet you."


    Yu Guangping said, then extended a hand. Xia Qiuru hesitated briefly before also extending her hand; after all, this person was introduced by her own mother, so basic courtesy was necessary.


    "Miss Xia, please take a seat."


    Yu Guangping seemed very gentlemanly as he helped pull out a chair for Xia Qiuru. It was then that he noticed Su Chen standing by her side and asked with curiosity,


    "And who might this be?"


    "Oh, I forgot to introduce you, this is my boyfriend, Su Chen, who came with me this time."


    Xia Qiuru warmly linked her arms with Su Chen''s:


    "I presume Mr. Yu wouldn''t mind another person?"


    "Of course not, please, have a seat."


    Upon hearing this, a hint of coldness shed through Yu Guangping''s eyes, but it disappeared in an instant, and he quickly resumed a smiling demeanor.


    Although the essence of Yu Guangping and Xia Qiuru''s meeting was for matchmaking, the mediator had simply said to let the two youngsters meet to see if they could find somemon ground.


    Thus, upon hearing Xia Qiuru had a boyfriend, Yu Guangping was somewhat angry, but it wasn''t appropriate to say much.


    If it had been another girl, Yu Guangping might have let it go, but the first time he saw Xia Qiuru, he waspletely stunned and convinced that this woman was his!


    And he saw that Su Chen was merely dressed in employee attire, at best a mid-to-high level corporate leader; how could thatpare with his status as a boss?


    Even though his ownpany was just a small enterprise worth thirty or forty million, it was evidently much stronger than this man!


    Besides, he considered himself quite handsome, and he was quite confident in his looks.


    Perhaps this man had the advantage of proximity, but he believed that once Xia Qiuru recognized his merits, she would surely change her mind; aren''t modern girls all like that?


    Su Chen casually nced at the man named Yu Guangping, his lips curling into a faint, intermittent smile.


    "Su Chen, let''s sit."


    Xia Qiuru took Su Chen''s hand and sat down, not in the chair that Yu Guangping had pulled out, but in another chair next to it.


    Since the chair Yu Guangping pulled out was directly opposite him, she had Su Chen sit there.


    Seeing this, Yu Guangping''s mouth twitched involuntarily, but he still managed to suppress his anger and sat down opposite Su Chen.


    At this moment, a waiter came over and asked if they were ready to order.


    "Let''s start with thedy first!"


    Yu Guangping smiled lightly, showing off what he thought was a very cultured smile.


    Little did he know, the brighter his smile was, the more Xia Qiuru felt that this man was up to no good.


    When Xia Qiuru saw Yu Guangping handing her the menu, about to decline, Su Mo suddenly grabbed it from her:


    "I haven''t had Western food before, today is a great opportunity to enjoy Mr. Yu''s generosity."


    "Then I''ll just order something random, Mr. Yu surely won''t mind."


    Su Chen revealed a grin that just begged for a punch, at least in Yu Guangping''s eyes.


    "Of course not, Mr. Su, feel free."


    Yu Guangping said, though internally he cursed that thed had no ss whatsoever.


    "I saw in the movies, they always mention truffles, foie gras, and caviar as the three great delicacies of the world, let''s start with one of each."


    Su Chen said, looking utterly inexperienced.


    "Oh, for the truffles, it has to be white truffles from Alba town in northern Italy, the foie gras must be whole foie gras, and the caviar has toe from wild sturgeons in the Caspian Sea."


    Su Chen told the nearby waiter.


    The waiter had a baffled look on his face, as he didn''t know much about what Su Chen mentioned, but he still carefully noted down Su Chen''s requests.


    "Mr. Su seems very familiar with Western cuisine!"


    Yu Guangping asked in surprise, since he was unfamiliar with some of the items mentioned as well.


    For instance, truffles, he only knew white truffles and ck truffles, knew that white truffles were called ''white diamonds'' and were more expensive than ck truffles, but didn''t know why it specifically needed to be from Alba town in northern Italy.


    He knew that whole foie gras was the high grade, but was clueless as to why the caviar had to be from wild Caspian sturgeons.


    "This kid can''t be ying dumb to bait me, could he?"


    A nearly unbelievable thought popped into Yu Guangping''s mind, but as soon as he saw Su Mo''s ordinary employee outfit, he dismissed the idea immediately.


    Xia Qiuru also looked surprised at Su Chen after hearing Yu Guangping''s question. Although she was somewhat familiar with Western cuisine, she hadn''t really heard about the specifics that Su Chen mentioned.


    Seeing both of them looking at him strangely, Su Chen touched his nose and said sheepishly:


    "I just like watching foreign movies, I learned these from them. Normally I can''t afford them, but today since Mr. Yu is treating, I should seize the opportunity."


    "I guess I was overthinking it."


    Yu Guangping thought to himself, while Xia Qiuru gave him a skeptical nce, somewhat disbelieving his words.


    Next, Su Chen went on to order tuna, morel mushrooms, lobster, top-grade beef, and other top-tier ingredients.


    Although Yu Guangping considered himself financially carefree, he couldn''t help but cringe as this fe listed off the dishes.


    This guy really thinks he''s at a rich man''s feast!


    Xia Qiuru found Su Chen''s behavior amusing and kind of adorable.


    "Oh, and the wine, don''t they always talk about ''82 Lafite in movies? Let''s take five bottles then," Su Chen said casually.


    "Mr. Su, we can''t drink that much," Yu Guangping couldn''t help but say.


    "We''ll drink two bottles, and I''ll take the other three back home, it''s rare that Mr. Yu is treating!" Su Chen nced at Liu Feng and said, "Mr. Yu wouldn''t mind parting with that little money, would he?"


    "How could I? Of course, it''s possible."


    Yu Guangping managed to squeeze out a smile, though inside he wished nothing more than to dismember this infuriating fellow!

 Chapter 344 - 344 The Person Who Understands Western Cuisine the Most

    After ordering their meal, Xia Qiuru and Su Chen asionally whispered to each other, and Xia Qiuru sometimes showed a shy demeanor, it was unclear whether she was pretending or not.


    Yu Guangping watched this scene, itching with annoyance, yet he had to force a calm facade on his face. His desire to teach Su Chen a lesson grew even stronger as he wanted to demonstrate his superiority.


    Su Chen and Xia Qiuru did not care about Yu Guangping''s intentions across from them, treating him as if he were invisible.


    Soon, a slightly overweight foreigner in his forties came over:


    "Sir, hello, I am the chef of this restaurant. I apologize, but we have everything else except for the White Truffle from Alba Town, as its production is very limited."


    Although his Huaxia was heavily ented, normal conversation posed no problem, and it was evident he had been in Huaxia for some years.


    "Then rece it with the ck Truffle from P¨¦trigord, France!"


    Su Chen casually said.


    "Okay, okay, Sir, you are the most knowledgeable person about Western cuisine I''ve met sinceing to Huaxia, even more so than most Europeans,"


    said the foreign man sincerely.


    "Oh, if you really have Caspian wild sturgeon caviar, then please prepare an extra spoon made of shell material for us."


    Su Chen told the foreign man.


    "Why is that?"


    The foreign chef asked somewhat perplexedly.


    "Because using a metal spoon, the metal will leave a metallic taste in the mouth, ruining the original vor of the caviar,"


    Su Chen casually exined.


    The foreign man, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, was visibly excited:


    "Sir, you truly are a master in this field, no wonder thest time I had the fortune to watch Master Green dine, he used a special spoon when eating caviar. Thank you so much for the exnation."


    A broad sparkle of enlightenment burst across the cheeks of the somewhat overweight foreign chef!


    "Then hurry and prepare it for us."


    "Of course, of course, I will personally take special care of the dishes you ordered and I hope you can give some pointers,"


    the foreign chef said as he scurried back to the kitchen.


    "Mr. Su, you really do know a lot. Even this foreign head chef admires you so much,"


    Yu Guangping said with a hint of sourness.


    "It''s all from watching movies. If you''re interested, I can rmend some movies for you to watch!"


    Su Chen retorted with a smirk.


    "Really?"


    Yu Guangping now somewhat doubted Su Chen''s words, feeling that nothing this man said was truthful.


    "Of course, it''s true. Otherwise, how would someone like me, who has never eaten Western food, know about it?"


    Su Chen said earnestly:


    "So watching movies is really important! Of course, for someone like Mr. Yu, who only loves certain kinds of ''small'' movies, it''s unlikely he''ll learn much about this subject!"


    The moment Yu Guangping heard Su Chen''s words, his face darkened.


    This guy really knew how to insult someone, and moreover, he did it right in front of Xia Qiuru, making Yu Guangping feel utterly humiliated.


    Xia Qiuru''s cheeks also turned red as she quietly pinched Su Chen''s waist and gave him a sharp look.


    This guy really had no filter!


    "Mr. Su really does have a sense of humor!"


    Yu Guangpingughed awkwardly.


    "I''m really not joking, seeing that Mr. Yu has dark circles under his eyes and a hollowed appearance, and walks with a floating gait, isn''t it because he watches too many romance movies?"


    Su Chen assessed Yu Guangping with a serious face and said.


    "It''s probably because I''ve been working too hard these past few days, Mr. Su must be overthinking."


    Yu Guangping struggled to suppress the urge to beat Su Chen up and exined, actually thinking to himself, where do I seem as bad as you say?


    Meanwhile, Xia Qiuru struggled to hold back herughter and gave Su Chen a reproachful look.


    The allure in those beautiful eyes truly captivated the soul, making Yu Guangping''s heart ripple!


    "This woman must be mine, Yu Guangping''s, and this damn kid dares topete with me for a woman, he''s really asking for trouble!"


    Yu Guangping secretly made up his mind.


    At this moment, the waiter brought all the dishes that Su Chen had ordered.


    Just as Yu Guangping was about to eat, Su Chen said:


    "I suppose Mr. Yu, being such an elite, must be tired of these already. Let us handle these today¡ªyou just have this pasta, simple and easy to digest."


    With that, Su Chen ced a te of pasta in front of Yu Guangping and then took the caviar, foie gras, truffles, and tuna¡ª all top-notch delicacies¡ªover to himself and Xia Qiuru.


    In this way, how could Yu Guangping have the nerve to reach out? In fact, Yu Guangping really wanted to shout:


    "I want to taste them too!"


    But the words at the tip of his tongue turned into: "Of course, help yourselves, don''t be shy."


    A sullen anger brewed in Yu Guangping''s stomach, wanting to vent but unable to.


    He had never met someone so contemptible! How could one be so shamelessly contemptible?


    This time, Xia Qiuru and Yu Guangping had the same thought.


    She looked at Su Chen and thought that he was too despicable.


    But how does he manage to be so naturally despicable?


    Yet why do I like watching him being so despicable?


    Observing Yu Guangping''s dark expression, Xia Qiuru felt an inexplicable pleasure inside.


    If it wasn''t for his inappropriate desires towards her, she would perhaps have stopped Su Chen already.


    Having navigated the workce for so many years, Xia Qiuru had an urate judgment of men''s thoughts.


    Although Su Chen could be flirtatious and sometimes even obvious, it didn''t make one feel disgusted or sleazy.


    But this man in front of her was different, in his eyes, Xia Qiuru saw that primitive desire!


    Seeing the seemingly virtuous man falter, her mood became delighted, and she started to eat the exquisite food with great appetite!


    "It really tastes great!"


    After tasting a bit of caviar, Su Chen eximed and then spooned some to feed Xia Qiuru:


    "Try this, it''s really good."


    Since Su Chen hade to y the role of a fake boyfriend, naturally he had to be professional about it!


    When Xia Qiuru blushed and opened her cherry-like lips, Su Chen whispered:


    "Don''t gulp it down. ce the caviar on your tongue, press it against the roof of your mouth with your tongue, and gently crush the eggs. Try it this way and see how it feels."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s instructions, Xia Qiuru tried it and couldn''t help but exim:


    "It really is, is, is so delicious, I''ve never had such tasty caviar!"


    Xia Qiuru experienced a taste sensation indescribable, as if it was from heaven, and her face involuntarily showed an expression of enjoyment!


    Thus, Su Chen and Xia Qiuru continued to eat, taking turns and constantly praising the food.


    This only made Yu Guangping, eating pasta across the table, grind his teeth even more...


    Su Chen nced at Yu Guangping and thought, since you want to y the gentleman, let''s let you y it to the fullest!

 Chapter 345: 345

    "Come on, let''s toast. Those movies all talk about this ''82 Lafite¡ªI''m going to taste it today and see if this wine really is that good."


    Su Chen said mboyantly, then gently clinked his ss against Xia Qiuru''s.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Yu Guangping had also wanted to join the toast, but by the time he reached his ss towards the center of the table, Su Chen and Xia Qiuru had already raised their sses and started drinking.


    Yu Guangping, holding his ss mid-air, suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed, a storm of frustration brewing in his mind.


    "Mr. Yu, you wanted to toast too? You should have said something earlier!"


    Su Chen remarked, looking at the wine ss Yu Guangping was holding.


    With a hearty gesture, Su Chen reached out his ss to clink against Yu Guangping''s.


    "ng"


    A crisp sound of the two ss cups colliding rang out, followed by the sight of Yu Guangping''s own ss of red wine tipping and spilling, sshing directly onto his face and his high-end suit, eliciting a gasp of surprise.


    "What are you doing!"


    Yu Guangping could no longer hold back and shouted in frustration.


    "Sorry, sorry, I got a bit too excited, I guess I put too much force into it."


    Su Chen apologized, feigning embarrassment with a sheepish expression.


    Of course, Su Chen did it on purpose; when he had clinked sses with Yu Guangping, he intentionally hit it at an awkward angle with too much force.


    The consequence was Yu Guangping''s ss suddenly tipping over, causing the red wine to spill, and the ces it sshed were all calcted by Su Chen.


    "Forget it, I''ll go to the restroom and clean up first."


    Yu Guangping nced at Xia Qiuru sitting nearby, his face clouded with gloom as he left his seat and headed towards the restroom.


    "Did you do that on purpose just now?"


    Xia Qiuru nced at Su Chen yfully and asked.


    "Am I that bad? Clearly, he was the one who didn''t hold his ss steady!"


    Su Chen responded with an innocent face.


    "Hmph, don''t think I don''t know you''re up to mischief. You''re really quite mean!"


    Xia Qiuru snorted. The look in her lovely eyes was captivating, absolutely mesmerizing!


    Su Chen''s heart instantly started beating uncontrobly, and he gazed steadily at Xia Qiuru.


    "Qiuru, you''re really beautiful!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but blurt out.


    However, the moment Xia Qiuru heard these words, her pretty face immediately turned red, and her head felt a bit dizzy.


    "ttery!"


    Xia Qiuru chided, her heart also started pounding¡ª"thump, thump"¡ªher feelings for Su Chen had always been there, but she had suppressed them with her rationality until now.


    What does he mean by these words? Is he hinting at something?


    "I''m telling the truth, I swear!"


    Su Chen felt that a woman like Xia Qiuru, although not instantly captivating like Lin Ruoxue, had her own unique charm that also left men with a deep and abiding impression!


    "Believe that, and you''ll believe anything!"


    Xia Qiuru, with her face still flushed, yfully punched Su Chen.


    Just then, Yu Guangping came back. Seeing the intimate way the two were interacting, a malicious glint shed in his eyes.


    However, he quickly adjusted his attitude and sat back down with aposed expression.


    "It seems that if you want to win the heart of a beauty, you have to make her realize the difference between that guy and oneself. Make her understand who is truly the princely hero!"


    Yu Guangping, who had just returned to his seat, nced to the stage designated for performances, and his eyes suddenly lit up!


    As Su Chen and Xia Qiuru were savoring the delicious food, they noticed that Yu Guangping, who had just retuned, unexpectedly left his seat again and went straight to the stage. Then, taking the microphone in one hand and pointing at Xia Qiuru with the other, he said:


    "Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. Today, I will perform a piano piece dedicated to the most beautiful woman in my heart, Miss Xia Qiuru!"


    As soon as his words fell, the diners, who were eating, started pping enthusiastically, and people turned their heads to look in the direction Yu Guangping was pointing.


    When they saw Xia Qiuru''s exquisitely wless face, everyone was stunned by her beauty, and even many beautiful women felt somewhat inferior.


    Seeing that everyone was looking in her direction, Xia Qiuru felt a bit embarrassed. Far from being moved, she was actually annoyed!


    Who asked you to perform a piano piece for me? What a nuisance!


    To tell the truth, her heart was still with Su Chen. The more Yu Guangping did, the more she resented it.


    Of course, Yu Guangping knew nothing of Xia Qiuru''s feelings. Seeing the customers'' enthusiastic response, he felt very pleased and said:


    "Now, I will perform a piece for Miss Xia, ''Kiss The Rain'' ¡ª the imprint of the rain."


    Having said that, Yu Guangping turned and took his seat at the piano on the stage, and started ying.


    Yu Guangping''s performance was indeed of a high standard. He yed ''Kiss The Rain'' with such delicacy and charm, blending Eastern lyricism with Western elegance and finesse.


    Yu Guangping, already extraordinarily handsome and tall, looked even more deeply affectionate and considerate ying the piano.


    Many women in the restaurant showed infatuated looks, staring fixedly at Yu Guangping, and envying Xia Qiuru.


    They didn''t realize that Xia Qiuru felt as ufortable as if she had swallowed a fly, her brows tightly furrowed, wishing she could leave immediately.


    "Don''t worry about other people''s looks, let''s enjoy our meal at ease."


    Su Chen said to Xia Qiuru with a slight smile.


    "I can''t eat, what should I do now?" Xia Qiuru pouted her moist lips and said, "Su Chen, think of something!"


    Perhaps it was Su Chen''s previouspliment that had rekindled some feelings in Xia Qiuru, and at this moment, she even began to act a bit coquettishly.


    "If we ignore it, wouldn''t that solve the problem?"


    Su Chen shrugged his shoulders andughed.


    "But it''s making me feel very ufortable."


    Xia Qiuru looked at the envious nces of the people around her and truly felt utterly frustrated!


    She wanted to say, whoever wants him can have him. She had no interest in any entanglement with this man, and if it wasn''t for being pushed into it by her mother, she wouldn''t havee for this meal.


    Moreover, she had already decided, if the other party was a decent person, then it would be fine to make another friend.


    But from the moment she saw him, Xia Qiuru knew he was not a good person; he had designs on her!


    "Alright, leave this matter to me."


    Seeing Xia Qiuru this way, Su Chen agreed to take care of it.


    In Jianghai nowadays, the person Su Chen can least refuse is definitely his wife, Lin Ruoxue. Running a close second is probably Xia Qiuru.


    As the piece came to an end, Yu Guangping stood up and smiled slightly, picked up the microphone, and said to the audience:


    "Thank you, everyone!"


    Then he bowed gracefully to the crowd, causing many women to scream incessantly.


    At that moment, Yu Guangping had truly the air of a graceful and dashing young Prince.


    Just then, the crowd noticed another young man stepping onto the stage. He was dressed in a decent employee uniform and looked fairly delicate.


    Compared with Yu Guangping beside him, they were worlds apart, and the difference in their demeanor was too great!


    Clothes make the man, as the saying goes, and this was no exception.


    The curious onlookers watched this young man, not knowing why he had suddenly rushed onto the stage...

 Chapter 346: The Bet

    "Mr. Yu, you have finished speaking, right? Now it''s my turn."


    Su Chen reached out and grabbed the microphone from Yu Guangping''s hand, though no one knew quite how it ended up in Su Chen''s grip.


    Yu Guangping couldn''t help feeling depressed¡ªhe had wanted to say a few more charming words to win over Xia Qiuru''s heart.


    The diners in the restaurant found Su Chen''s actions strange, wondering what he was up to.


    Su Chen paid no attention to the others and began to speak in his distinctively masculine voice:


    "In a remote backwater, in the darkness of an imprisoning life,


    my years quietly passed away,


    devoid of longing, devoid of inspiration,


    devoid of tears, devoid of life, and devoid of love.


    Now, my soul has begun to awaken:


    before me you appear again,


    like a fleeting illusion,


    like a spirit of pure beauty.


    My heart leaps in ecstasy,


    for everything has awakened anew,


    with longing, with inspiration,


    with life, with tears, with love."


    When Su Chen uttered the first word, everyone in the restaurant was captivated by his unique maic voice.


    Everyone clearly felt the thick love and deep emotion in his words!


    Sitting below, Xia Qiuru shivered internally when she heard Su Chen recite this famous poem by Pushkin, feeling as if something had plucked at her heartstrings!


    This was her favorite love poem¡ªhow did this man know?


    "Next, I will also perform a piano piece, ''Adelina by the Water,'' dedicated to the angel in my heart, Ms. Xia Qiuru!"


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, the crowd in the restaurant burst into an uproar!


    "This guy is apparently challenging in a contest!"


    "Now it''s getting interesting!"


    "He''s really overestimating himself. The previous performance was so good, almost at a concert level; how could he possiblypare?"


    "He''s probably just at a primary school level, thinking he''s amazing; we just need to sit back and watch the show."


    "Exactly, let''s just wait to see him get a smackdown."


    Obviously, most people thought that this ordinary young manpeting with the refined Yu Guangping in piano ying was an act of folly.


    Xia Qiuru had not expected that Su Chen''s approach would be to directly suppress Yu Guangping by ying the piano.


    Although Xia Qiuru didn''t know if Su Chen could y the piano or how well he yed, frankly, she wasn''t very confident about it.


    She knew a bit about piano; even though she didn''t like Yu Guangping much, she had to admit that he had yed quite well just now.


    A look of worry appeared on her pretty face; at this moment, she cared less about making Yu Guangping ufortable and was more concerned that Su Chen might face embarrassment.


    "Mr. Su, everyone dining here holds a certain stature, and I think it''s unnecessary for you to leave a bad impression on everyone,"


    Yu Guangping said with a face of ''sincerity''.


    "How so? You can y, and I cannot? Or do you think that you y much better than I do?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked with a smile.


    "Of course, although it might seem a bit disrespectful, it is just being realistic! My skill level has already surpassed the Tenth Level, nearly reaching that of concert performance."


    Yu Guangping boasted pridefully, full of confidence. Having been naturally gifted at the piano and instructed by renowned teachers since childhood, he naturally considered Su Chen no match for him.


    "In that case, why don''t we make a bet and see whose performance is better!"


    Su Chen responded with a light smile.


    "Alright, sir, would you please act as a judge for us?"


    Yu Guangping said to a middle-aged man nearby, knowing he was the pianist hired by the restaurant to entertain the guests.


    "It''s an honor, and I think as a performance-level pianist, I should be qualified enough to be a judge."


    The middle-aged man said, his expression confident yet refined.


    "Fine, I have no objections. What about the wager?"


    Su Chen asked, his face showing no particr emotion.


    "How about we wager 500,000?"


    Yu Guangping said, a sly smile curling at the corners of his mouth.


    The counterpart''s proposal of the bet was exactly what he had hoped for. In his eyes, 500,000 was definitely going to cost the young man a lot of money, and he even doubted whether the young man had that much in total wealth.


    "Too little."


    Su Chen nced at Yu Guangping and said indifferently.


    "Then what do you want?"


    Yu Guangping asked, somewhat surprised. This guy, 500,000 wasn''t enough? What else did he want? Did he really think he could win?


    "Ten times that, 5 million!"


    When Su Chen spoke, it was as if a bomb had dropped!


    At the sound of his words, everyone was stunned.


    "5 million! Just for a pianopetition, and the stakes are so high!"


    "This guy must be crazy from poverty¡ªtrying to fleece the other party!"


    "Yeah, but he has to win to do that!"


    "He''s really insane!"


    For a moment, almost everyone thought the young man had lost his mind.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Yu Guangping was also taken aback.


    Five million? For a piano contest?


    Even with plenty of money, that wasn''t the way to spend it!


    Besides, hispany wasn''t big, and his personal liquid assets were only around 700,000 to 800,000. If he truly lost the 5 million, thepany would definitely face financial issues.


    "What, scared to bet? Then stop yapping here."


    Su Chen didn''t offer Yu Guangping any face and even muttered ''poor sucker'' under his breath as he finished.


    This was unbearable, beyond the patience of uncles and aunts!


    "Fine, I''ll take your bet! But I highly doubt you have that much money!"


    Yu Guangping couldn''t help saying. If he backed down now, the embarrassment would be enormous.


    Moreover, Yu Guangping wasn''tpletely infuriated by Su Chen; in fact, he was quite clear-headed about it.


    He believed that with his skills, there was no way this guy could win¡ªit would essentially be handing him 5 million, that is, if he even had it.


    At this point, he looked again towards Xia Qiuru. For this stunning beauty, he couldn''t back down!


    Yet he was very doubtful whether this guy really had that much money!


    Not just him, others were also skeptical!


    Because Su Chen didn''t look like someone who had 5 million¡ª that was a lot of money!


    "The money in this card is sufficient, if you don''t believe it, you can try it."


    Su Chen casually pulled out a bank card from his pocket, which Qiuru had previously returned to him, albeit one he had extorted.


    Seeing that Su Chen actually pulled out a bank card, everyone''s eyes widened with disbelief¡ªthis guy actually had that much money!


    "No need, then we just look forward to Mr. Su''s superb piano skills."


    Yu Guangping said sarcastically, acknowledging that since he had a card, the guy must really have the money, which somewhat surprised him.


    But it was fine, free money is always wee¡ªnot to mention he could also break his opponent''s pride.


    "I will not let you down, Mr. Yu!"


    Su Chen gave him a nd look, turned, and sat in front of the piano. Yu Guangping also casually found a seat nearby...

 Chapter 347: Master Level Performance

    As he sat in front of the piano and gently lifted his arms, Su Chen''s entire demeanor transformedpletely.


    His palms softly caressed the piano as if they were touching his lover, his face a mixture of intoxication and solemnity!


    When his long fingers pressed the first key and produced the first note, something seemed to tug at everyone''s hearts.


    The diners in the restaurant immediately held their breath,id down their knives and forks, and watched the figure beneath the spotlight on the stage.


    The middle-aged piano master also showed a look of repressed emotion.


    This young man could stir everyone''s emotions with just the first note, he was certainly not amon sort!


    At this moment, Su Chen waspletely immersed in his small world, lost in the story of the music.


    His fingers danced across the petite piano keys, at times lively, at times heavy.


    This song "Adelina by the Water" came from a beautiful legend in Greek mythology.


    Long, long ago, there was a lonely King of Cyprus, named Pygmalion. He sculpted a beautiful girl and gazed at her day after day until he inevitably fell in love with the statue.


    He prayed to the gods, hoping for a miracle of love. His sincerity and perseverance moved the goddess Aphrodite, who endowed the sculpture with life.


    From then on, the fortunate king lived happily ever after with the beautiful girl.


    At the beginning, all the listeners closed their eyes slightly and enjoyed as Su Chen yed.


    Gradually, it seemed as though everyone''s souls had flown out, following Pygmalion, and they too saw the beautiful girl''s statue, their faces showing a captivated look.


    And when Su Chen''s ying became heavy, everyone seemed to kneel before the gods with their eyes closed, like Pygmalion, craving the descent of love.


    The entire audience felt an indescribable tension, fearing that love might disappear forever.


    Suddenly, when the piano''s sound transformed from heavy to fierce, people felt the same ecstasy Pygmalion experienced after Aphrodite gave the girl''s statue life.


    Everyone felt as if their spirits, along with Pygmalion''s, were shouting by the seaside, running wildly in the fields, endlesslyughing, crying, feeling that immense joy in their hearts!


    Finally, when the piano''s melody became gentle again, everyone seemed to see the fortunate king and the beautiful girl living together, singing, marrying, having children, and leading a happy life as a family!


    When the piece concluded and Su Chen stood up, the entire ce was still in utter silence; everyone seemed stunned.


    But their faces still wore soft, gentle smiles, a longing and remembrance for the king and girl''s beautiful life...


    In the end, it was the middle-aged piano master who first snapped back to reality. Looking at Su Chen with a smile, he couldn''t help but start apuding!


    "p p p~~"


    With his pping, others gradually awakened from the just-passed scene.


    "p p p~~~"


    "p p p~~~"


    "p p p~~~"


    ...


    One, two, three...


    Soon, everyone was excitedly pping, their faces flushed with emotion, hands turning red but reluctant to stop!


    Among them, Xia Qiuru was the most thrilled. Watching Su Chen standing on the stage with a smile, a sweet, joyful sensation surged in her heart.


    Because Su Chen''s piano piece was yed for her!


    At that moment, in her eyes, she was that beautiful girl, and Su Chen was the king!


    "Master, would you please ept me as your apprentice?"


    The piano master suddenly knelt on the stage with a thud, looking earnestly at Su Chen as he spoke.


    "I was just ying around, nowhere near a master. You should really get up."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "No, you are a real master, your performance just now was even more profound and exquisite than Richard yderman himself at the London Grand Theater!"


    The pianist insisted with conviction.


    The audience was taken aback by the performing pianist''s words!


    Better than Richard yderman himself?


    Richard yderman is already considered a master among masters, and to think this young man yed even better than him!


    If this young man''s piano mastery was such to evoke astonishment, especially since what he yed was a piece by Richard yderman himself!


    While those in the audience knew this young man''s ying was exceptionally captivating,


    they weren''t clear on the specific level of his expertise.


    It was only upon hearing the performing pianist''s words that they gained a tangible sense of it.


    When they looked again at the young man, their eyes were filled with admiration, worship, and of course, a sense of mystery!


    Those who had previously looked down on Su Chen couldn''t help but feel a twinge of shame for their ignorance.


    During Su Chen''s performance, they experienced what true nobility felt like!


    At that moment, Su Chen seemed to be enveloped in an aura, before which everyone else paled inparison!


    "Alright, there''s no need to talk of apprenticeship, but if you have any questions in the future, feel free to ask me."


    Su Chen said, unable to hold back augh.


    The middle-aged pianist quickly got to his feet, thrilled by the prospect of receiving guidance from such a master. His musical skills were sure to reach new heights!


    After parting ways with the pianist, Su Chen walked over to Yu Guangping.


    "Mr. Yu, what''s the verdict on thepetition?"


    Su Chen looked at Yu Guangping and asked teasingly, a mischievous smile ying at the corner of his mouth.


    By that time, Yu Guangping was already dumbfounded. During the apuse, he felt dizzy, as if seeing stars.


    He couldn''t fathom how this seemingly unremarkable young man could y the piano so well.


    What he had deemed a sure win, an opportunity for wealth and pleasure, had crumbled to ruins, even bing a mockery!


    Yu Guangping''s heart seethed with rage as he watched Su Chen, idolized by everyone, and his eyes burned with fury!


    That''s why he hadn''t heard Su Chen''s earlier question.


    "Mr. Yu, what about the oue of thepetition?" Su Chen asked again, "Yu Guangping isn''t going to y dumb and deny it, is he?"


    With that, Su Chen let out a disdainfulugh.


    "I honor bets I lose!"


    Yu Guangping finally snapped out of it. Hearing Su Chen''s question, he managed to squeeze out a few words.


    Even if Yu Guangping was shameless, he couldn''t im victory in thepetition¡ªnot with the reaction of the crowd and especially not with that performance-level individual begging to be an apprentice!


    If he stubbornly insisted he had won, he would probably be drowned out by the public''s outcry,beled as a sore loser.


    Such an incident could spread far and wide, and before long, he might be known as a dishonest businessman¡ªan oue he could not afford.


    So at that moment, Yu Guangping did the honorable thing and conceded defeat, which, in turn, could earn him respect for being bold and responsible...

 Chapter 348: Yu Guangping Got Badly Trapped

    "That''s good, I thought Mr. Yu couldn''t evene up with a mere 5 million," Su Mo chuckled and said, "Qiuru,e here for a moment."


    "What for?"


    Xia Qiuru walked over with an enchanting stride.


    "Just give Mr. Yu your ount number so he can transfer the money."


    Before Xia Qiuru could refuse, Su Chen continued:


    "This time you''re not allowed to refuse and say you don''t want it"


    "No, I''m definitely not taking this money."


    Xia Qiuru still refused to ept it, as after all, it was money that Su Chen had won fair and square.


    "If you''re polite with me again, I''ll really get angry. Do you still consider me your boyfriend?"


    Su Chen pretended to pull a long face, expressing his displeasure.


    He knew Xia Qiuru''s sry was decent, but taking care of her family and renting an apartment put a lot of pressure on her, so he wanted to help her out.


    The 5 million meant little to him, but for Xia Qiuru, it would definitely make her life much easier.


    The others, hearing them insistently refusing the 5 million, were utterly astonished.


    5 million! And both of them were so generous to this extent!


    It seemed it was indeed true love!


    Many thought, "If you don''t want it, I''ll take it!"


    Yu Guangping, seeing the two push it back and forth, his face darkened even more.


    Could you please spare a thought for my feelings?


    unting your love with my money, is this really okay?


    "Then let''s split it, I definitely won''t take it all,"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Xia Qiuru''s cheeks tinted slightly red, and finally, she nodded.


    "Alright, then transfer it to my card first, I''ll give it to youter."


    Saying this, Su Chen handed his bank card to Yu Guangping.


    Yu Guangping, with great pain, transferred that huge amount of money.


    Shortly after, Su Chen''s phone pinged with a notification confirming the receipt of the payment. After verifying it was correct, he waved his hand tauntingly and said:


    "Goodbye, Mr. Yu, sorry to trouble you to settle the bill as well!"


    Then Su Chen also casually took 3 unopened bottles of ''82 Lafite with him.


    Seeing Su Chen''s shameless behavior, Yu Guangping nearly choked on his own blood.


    When Yu Guangping was paying the bill, his face darkened again because the meal had cost him over a million.


    "Why so much money?"


    Yu Guangping shouted at the waiter, his tone harsh as he now had only about 3 million in cash.


    What in the world did they eat to spend so much!?


    "You see, your friends ordered the most top-tier ingredients in our restaurant, such as the White Truffle, they ordered a whole kilogram, and just this one item costs 300,000. Then there''s the caviar, as it''s from wild sturgeons from the Caspian Sea, costing hundreds per gram. And also..."


    The waiter rambled on and on, and the darker Yu Guangping''s face became, the bigger the fire in his heart grew.


    This asshole, is he really such a bumpkin, or is he doing this on purpose to mess with me!?


    "Alright, that''s enough, swipe the card!"


    Yu Guangping, running out of patience, cut off the waiter, tossing a bank card over.


    Having already spent 5 million, why bother fussing over this additional million?


    Yu Guangping could onlyfort himself...


    As soon as they left the restaurant, Xia Qiuru couldn''t hold it in anymore and covered her stomach,ughing nonstop, seeming very happy.


    "Director Xia, I was a decent fake boyfriend today, wasn''t I?"


    After today''s incident, the barriers between them seemed to have lessened considerably, and Su Chen reverted to his cheeky self.


    "Hmm, not bad."


    Xia Qiuru patted Su Mo''s shoulder and said heartily.


    Perhaps maintaining such a rtionship was also not a bad thing...


    Late, the two of them drove together in Xia Qiuru''s Ford back to Belle Corporation. Since it was lunch break, many people were still out and about.


    Seeing Su Chen and Xia Qiuru in the same car, people''s eyes widened in disbelief!


    Had Su Chen already won the favor of Director Lin and now he was hooking up with Director Xia?


    The two most beautiful women in thepany were both closely associated with him; did these guys stand a chance?


    Could it be just because this guy was a bit handsome?


    To be honest, there were still many men at Belle Corporation who had thoughts about the beautiful and gentle Xia Qiuru.


    Furthermore, some men even thought Xia Qiuru was more suitable for a wife than Lin Ruoxue because Lin Ruoxue was too lofty and cold, seemingly out of reach.


    While Xia Qiuru was not only beautiful but also had a great personality, gentle as jade¡ªtruly a perfect choice for a wife!


    However, Xia Qiuru and Su Chen didn''t realize they had be the subject of so much gossip, they simply drove past the front of Belle Building and into the parking lot on the other side.


    It had been a happy day for Xia Qiuru, and though they were pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend, Xia Qiuru still felt an inexplicable joy.


    Especially Su Chen''s piano ying for her made her feel that maybe Su Chen did have feelings for her.


    That was enough for her, she didn''t dare to ask for more!


    After parking the car, the two went back to work, Su Chen naturally returning to the public rtions department.


    But as soon as he entered, he saw that group of women huddled together, excitedly discussing something.


    "What''s the happy news? Share it with your department head."


    Su Chen walked up behind Ran Ting and yfully pped her buttocks.


    Ran Ting felt vited and immediately turned around furiously, wanting to see who dared to be so bold.


    However, when she saw it was Su Chen, that angry re in her beautiful eyes briefly shed with shyness:


    "Director, you''re taking advantage of me again!"


    "Don''t you like it when the director takes advantage of you?"


    A woman nearbyughed, and such trivial matters had be almost daily urrences, so they were used to it.


    "By the way, Director, we just received news that to reward our hard work recently, thepany has arranged a trip for our department in two weeks!"


    Zhao Lin also didn''t want to fall behind and approached Su Chen, her soft body almost pressing tightly against him:


    "Director, where do you think we should go?"


    "Yeah, Director, what do you think?"


    The others also looked towards Su Chen, and although he was the head, he didn''t seem to carry much authority in their eyes.


    "What do you all think?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile; he didn''t feel much about traveling since he had visited most countries in the world.


    "We only have five days, everyone thinks it''s better to stay domestic. Going abroad is too troublesome with all the passports and visas."


    Zhao Lin pouted, saying she actually preferred shopping paradises like Hong Kong, Paris, and Mn...

 Chapter 349: Su Chens Ulterior Motives

    "Domestic travel is fine; having this opportunity is already great. I wonder how many departments are jealous!"


    The slightly older Qin Liughed.


    "That''s true. So, Minister, where in the country should we go?"


    Zhao Lin once again cast her somewhat electrifying eyes toward Su Chen, her voice timidly inquiring.


    "Which ces have you considered so far?"


    "Well, Tibet, the Jiangnan water towns, Huangshan, Sanya¡­"


    Zhao Lin counted off the options on her fingers, but before she could finish, Su Chen''s eyes suddenly lit up, and he decisively said:


    "Sanya, it has to be Sanya!"


    "Why?"


    The women all looked at Su Chen curiously, not understanding his particr fondness for Sanya.


    "Of course, it''s because the temperature variation there is extremely small, and the climate is pleasant. Look, winter is almost here; isn''t it just right to go to Sanya?"


    Su Chen quickly thought of a somewhat usible reason.


    The actual reason, of course, was to see these beauties in swimwear. Lin Ruoxue was not a possibility for now, but getting an eyeful of these beauties from the PR department was not bad either.


    Of course, he had to make sure these beauties couldn''t tell what he was really thinking, so he maintained a serious demeanor.


    "Minister, do you have some ulterior motive or something?"


    Ran Ting also came up to Su Chen''s side at this moment and whispered in his ear.


    "Me, have ulterior motives? Never."


    Su Chen red at her and whispered back.


    "Well, only you would know that."


    Ran Ting threw Su Chen a flirtatious look and thought to herself that she definitely needed to buy a sexy swimsuit this weekend!


    Since Su Chen was still the minister and no consensus was reached among the others, everyone eventually agreed to go to Sanya.


    After settling on this decision, everyone returned to their desks to work, while Su Chen watched the beauties, imagining them running and swimming on the beaches of Sanya in their swimsuits, and suddenly felt like he was about to get a nosebleed.


    Although it was almost winter now, the impact on Sanya was minimal. Sanya has a unique climate, a tropical maritime monsoon climate. Even during the coldest time of the year, the average temperature remains above 21 degrees Celsius.


    Yeah, someday he also had to take Lin Ruoxue on a vacation there. Who knows, if they had fun, maybe he could¡­


    Just as Su Chen was thinking about the enjoyable possibilities, his phone suddenly rang; it was Pei Rou, so he answered it.


    "Hello, Auntie."


    Su Chen politely said,ing off very much like a good boy.


    "Su, tomorrow is Saturday. Come over to Auntie''s house for lunch."


    Pei Rou''s affectionate voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "Well¡­ okay, I''ll definitelye tomorrow."


    Although Su Chen was somewhat reluctant, he knew that Pei Rou would have a way to make hime, so he agreed obediently.


    But this time it seemed a bit different because he had found out Pei Rou was from the Pei family.


    Although he still respected and cared for Pei Rou very much, this fact made him feel a bit ufortable, as if fate was ying tricks on him.


    But he quickly put that aside and continued to enjoy the magazine.


    After looking at the magazine for a while and admiring all the sexydies in it, he put it aside, as it no longer held any interest for him.


    "Alright, time to check on the wife."


    Su Chen thought it and did it, standing up and heading directly to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Su, looking for Manager Lin? She''s not here."


    The young girl Chen Guo saw Su Chen approaching and cheerfully said.


    "Oh, where did she go?"


    Su Chen was slightly startled, since Lin Ruoxue was usually at her office most of the time.


    "Oh, it seems some equipment has arrived; Boss Lin has gone to the pharmaceutical division."


    Chen Guo said somewhat uncertainly.


    Once Su Chen heard this, he immediately understood that it must have been the devices and equipment that Doctor Gaia had requested that had arrived.


    "Bro Su, look, I''ve used the cosmetics you gave me; don''t I look whiter and more tender?"


    Chen Guo said with augh, even bringing her face a bit closer for Su Chen to see.


    "That''s not the work of the cosmetics; it''s just your natural beauty!"


    Su Chen also joked.


    "It''s no wonder you managed to charm Boss Lin with your smooth talk!"


    "What ''charm''? Why does that sound so negative?"


    Su Chen pursed his lips and said:


    "I rely entirely on personal charm, alright!"


    "Alright, Bro Su, you''re the handsomest, okay!"


    Chen Guo said exasperatedly, but considering the cosmetics, she begrudgingly made thosepliments.


    "All right, get back to work."


    After chatting briefly with Chen Guo, Su Chen left and drove directly to the pharmaceutical division of Belle Corporation.


    Upon arriving and asking around, he learned that both Lin Ruoxue and Doctor Gibson were upstairs in the innermostboratory, Doctor Gibson being Doctor Gaia.


    So Su Chen went upstairs, but as he walked forward, he was immediately stopped by two people:


    "This is a restricted area in theboratory, no entry for outsiders!"


    Su Chen was somewhat frustrated, thinking how could he, as the CEO''s husband, be considered an outsider?


    However, he knew the rules and didn''tin, but instead called Lin Ruoxue inside.


    "Why are you here?"


    Lin Ruoxue said with some surprise.


    "Just checking in, how''s the doctor?"


    "He''s still inside testing the equipment. Honestly, it''s such high-end stuff that I only understand the basics."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "No worries, as long as he understands, it''s fine."


    Su Chen shrugged it off nonchntly.


    Soon after, Doctor Gaia also came out with a satisfied smile on his face.


    "How was it, Doctor? All good?"


    Su Chen asked, as he was quite concerned about this matter, since it dealt with gic engineering, something that had always been a thorn in Su Chen''s side.


    "Very satisfied, extremely satisfied."


    Doctor Gaia eximed, saying:


    "This time Boss Lin really spent a hefty amount, purchasing thetest model. This one device alone cost several million US dors more than the older ones!"


    "When buying, naturally we have to go for the best. We can''t have the best talents without pairing them with the best equipment."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a slight smile, showing quite some boldness since just today''s device set her back nearly three hundred million US dors!


    Looking at the current situation, the previously estimated five hundred million US dors will definitely not suffice; at least seven to eight hundred million will be needed!


    However, she also believed that a big investment would yield big returns!


    Indeed, that proved true as, over the following years, Belle Corporation''s pharmaceutical industry gradually became a benchmark in all of Huaxia, even worldwide!


    Each year, the products and services provided in gic life sciences brought Belle Corporation profits beyond what one could even dare to imagine!


    But of course, that''s a story for another time...

 Chapter 350: Promise under the Moonlight

    Su Chen stayed around for a while and went straight home when it was time to get off work, as the equipment had just arrived, and Lin Ruoxue and Doctor Gaia still had quite a few things to discuss, so they couldn''t leave for the time being.


    After getting home, Su Chen helped Mother Wang with the cooking, and they chatted and joked together, which was quite enjoyable.


    Mother Wang was bing more and more impressed with this son-inw. She couldn''t quite put her finger on it, but he was definitely different from the other well-to-do families'' sons-inw.


    Since Lin Ruoxue was going toe back veryte, he and Mother Wang ate first. Whenever it was just the two of them, Mother Wang would share some household anecdotes, and Su Chen always listened patiently, asionally offering his own opinion.


    If it were Ruoxue, she definitely wouldn''t do this. Although she was almost like a family member to Mother Wang, she really didn''t have the same patience as Su Chen did to listen attentively, which was probably rted to her personality.


    Before they knew it, dinner time had passed, and Su Chen sat on the sofa to rest. asionally, he would flip through the fashion magazines Lin Ruoxue read, eat some of Lin Ruoxue''s favorite cantaloupe, while Mother Wang naturally started cleaning up the pots and pans.


    Since they didn''t know what time Lin Ruoxue would be back, Su Chen asked Mother Wang to finish up and rest. He could reheat the food for herter, which wasn''t difficult anyway, so there was no need to keep the elderlydy waiting.


    Almost at 10 o''clock, Lin Ruoxue came back home, tired from a year''s worth of work. Su Chen, of course, provided her with slippers, took her bag, heated up the food¡ªhis service couldn''t be more attentive, and Lin Ruoxue seemed to have be ustomed to his meticulous care.


    She found it strange, as normally, men have their pride and are not keen on doing these things for a woman, but her husband seemed to take genuine pleasure in it.


    If you didn''t let him do it, he might actually get upset!


    When Lin Ruoxue was having dinner, he sat by her side, quietly watching her eat, and asionally made casual conversation.


    "Wife, I see you''re really tired; don''t work anymore tonight. Money can''t be earned all at once,"


    Su Chen said, seeing that she was eating without much energy, and couldn''t help but feel heartache.


    "Okay,"


    Lin Ruoxue replied, her expression and tone very calm, but inside she was very happy about Su Chen''s concern for her.


    "Let''s go, take a walk. It''s good for health after dinner,"


    Just as Lin Ruoxue finished her meal and was preparing to go upstairs to rest, Su Chen suddenly grabbed her delicate hand.


    "Forget about it. I''m tired, and I don''t want to move anymore,"


    Lin Ruoxue just wanted to get a good night''s sleep right now.


    "No, let''s just walk a couple of circles. You never exercise; how can that be okay?"


    Su Chen went behind her and, pushing her, headed towards the door.


    "You really are a scoundrel!"


    Lin Ruoxue said halfughing, half crying, exasperated by his whimsical demands for her cooperation. Really!


    But she had no choice; so be it, a walk it was.


    .......


    The two didn''t walk very far, just strolling around the neighborhood. The greening of this high-end vi area was quite well done, with lush scenery lining both sides of the road providing a refreshing atmosphere.


    It was a rare asion for Lin Ruoxue to take a leisurely walk without hurry, and she couldn''t help but take several deep breaths of air.


    Indeed, the air on an early winter night was quite special, distinctly different from other seasons, with a crisp feeling.


    The two wandered without a particr destination in mind. As it happened to be nearly mid-month, the moon was exceptionally big and round, casting bright moonlight that stretched their shadows long behind them...


    Without realizing it, Lin Ruoxue had linked arms with Su Chen. They pressed close to each other in an intimate but natural manner.


    As they walked, Lin Ruoxue seemed to recall something amusing or joyful, and sheughed out loud with a "pfft."


    "What''s so funny? Tell me about it,"


    Su Chen looked at her curiously with a slight smile and said.


    "Oh, it''s nothing much. I just suddenly found it strange how the two of us ended up as husband and wife,"


    Lin Ruoxue turned her head, looked at Su Chen, and said with a smile.


    "We''ve been married for over half a year now, haven''t you gotten used to it yet?"


    To tell the truth, Su Chen himself couldn''t quite believe it either.


    If it had been a year ago, he would never have imagined marrying the beautiful CEO Lin Ruoxue, living together, and actually getting along quite well.


    "It''s not that I haven''t gotten used to it, it''s just sometimes I find it quite strange."


    Lin Ruoxue nced at Su Chen and said with a smile.


    "Strange how?"


    "Strange that I would marry a phndering yboy like you!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a chuckling smile.


    "That''s what''s called destiny!"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue as if joking yet also seriously uttered.


    This time, Lin Ruoxue didn''t retort or joke, but instead murmured softly:


    "Destiny? It does seem like it!"


    It was as if fate had tied them together, binding them ever tighter...


    "Hey, how did I end up a phndering yboy?"


    Su Chen was quite dissatisfied with Lin Ruoxue''s assessment of him, thinking to himself, if I really were such a yboy, would you still be okay?


    I would have forcefully carried you off a long time ago and taken care of business!


    "How are you not?"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a resentful nce, thinking that he hardly ever acted decently around her, and she couldn''t even count how many times he had taken advantage of her.


    If it weren''t for her constant vignce, he might have already breached her final defense!


    "Alright, if I''m a phndering yboy, are you happy now?"


    Su Chen didn''t argue further, and Lin Ruoxue quieted down as well.


    The two of them walked a short distance more and casually took a seat on a row of benches, where Su Chen quickly took off his jacket and put it over her as he saw Lin Ruoxue shiver from the cold.


    Lin Ruoxue was momentarily stunned, then rested her head lightly on Su Chen''s shoulder.


    "Husband, do you think we can always be like this?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked as she gazed at the bright moon in the sky.


    "Of course, we can, unless one day you find me disagreeable and kick me to the curb. Otherwise, I''d never leave you even if it killed me."


    Su Chen withdrew his arm and wrapped it around Lin Ruoxue, pulling her closer into his embrace.


    "As long as you don''t leave me, I won''t leave you either!"


    Lin Ruoxue said solemnly, realizing that she could no longer live without this man...


    "Then we will be together forever!"


    Su Chen likewise looked at the full moon in the sky and said:


    "No matter who it is, if they try to tear us apart, I will fight gods and kill Buddhas in their defense!"


    "Good! I''ll remember this. Don''t you ever forget what you said today, okay!"


    Lin Ruoxue burrowed into Su Chen''s embrace and said with augh, feeling an exceptional warmth in Su Chen''s arms...


    At that moment, neither of them could have imagined that because of this very promise, in the not-so-distant future, Su Chen would indeed unleash a shocking and bloody storm that would astonish countless people for life!

 Chapter 351 - 351 Previous Impressions

    "Husband, do you still remember when we first got married?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenlyughed.


    "How could I forget? Back then, didn''t you almost wish you could pick up a knife and just ughter me?"


    "That''s not true, I really couldn''t stand you at that time, sleeping until midday, doing nothing all the time, not keeping up appearances, and oftening home reeking of alcohol."


    Speaking of Su Chen from the time when they had just married, Lin Ruoxue seemed to have a belly full of grievances:


    "Anyway, back then, you were nothing like my ideal other half."


    "Oh, what was your ideal other half like?"


    Su Chen, holding her somewhat cold delicate hand, asked with a lightugh.


    "Back then, of course I thought of someone who couldmand the world with his martial prowess and bring peace to thend with his pen."


    Lin Ruoxue said this and then couldn''t helpughing herself:


    "Every girl has her dreams, right?"


    "So, do you feel like you''ve lost out now?"


    Su Chen had not expected that the usually icy Lin Ruoxue would have such thoughts.


    "What can I do if I''ve lost out?"


    Lin Ruoxue feigned a sigh of regret:


    "Anyway, I''ve long since embarked on your ''pirate ship.''"


    "Haha, that''s true."


    Su Chenughed proudly.


    However, Su Chen''s smug demeanor immediately drew Lin Ruoxue''s re, and she even stretched out a hand and fiercely twisted his waist as if to vent!


    With Lin Ruoxue twisting him like that, Su Chen grimaced in pain¡ªit really hurt!


    "Then tell me, what did I look like in your eyes back then? Did you dislike me too?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked again, and although she had been very annoyed with Su Chen, she could tell that he wasn''t very fond of her either.


    "No, you were so beautiful, how could I dislike you?"


    "Tell the truth!"


    Lin Ruoxue pouted her cherry lips and said.


    "Do you really want to hear?"


    Su Chen''s mouth curved up slightly as he asked, smiling.


    "Speak!"


    "Alright then, do you know what my first impression was when I saw you?"


    "What was it?"


    Lin Ruoxue eagerly asked, shifting her position a bit¡ªshe was quite curious about what Su Chen''s first impression of her was.


    "The moment I met you, I was dazzled and thought to myself, this girl is really beautiful!"


    Upon hearing these words from Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but feel a small surge of happiness, but before she could fully enjoy it, Su Chen continued:


    "But you were just too cold; nearly froze a person to death. What''s the use of being beautiful if you can''t even warm a bed?"


    "You jerk!"


    Lin Ruoxue swung her fist and lunged at Su Chen, her face turning a shade redder, whether from anger or shyness.


    "Alright, alright, wife, you''ve improved a lot now."


    Su Chen grabbed Lin Ruoxue''s slender hand and said.


    There had been a bit of coquetry in Lin Ruoxue''s behavior just now, but now that Su Chen caught her hand, she stopped making a fuss and instead leanedfortably against his shoulder.


    "Honey, was I really that cold before?"


    Lin Ruoxue seemed a bit unwilling to ept it as she asked.


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen too felt that this tender side of Lin Ruoxue had a unique charm.


    "It seems a little..."


    Lin Ruoxue also spoke somewhat embarrassingly.


    Su Chen nced at her and thought, was that just a little?


    However, he didn''t say it out loud, after all, she had already recognized her mistake, and that was good enough.


    A beauty like her, and also a corporate president, always cared about her face, right?


    "Alright, it seems a bit windy now, let''s go back, so you don''t catch a cold."


    Su Chen wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoxue and stood up.


    "Mhm."


    The two of them then walked back into the house, with Lin Ruoxue naturally going upstairs to rest, and Su Chen returned to his own room.


    After another twenty or thirty minutes, Su Chen left Lin Ruoxue''s vi and drove towards the manor.


    By the time he arrived at the manor, it was already past 11 o''clock. He thought Xu Xinran would definitely be asleep, but unexpectedly, she wasn''t and was nestled on the couch, ying with her phone.


    Seeing Su Chen walk in, Xu Xinran disdainfully pursed her lips and then continued ying with her phone.


    Su Chen was also annoyed. Ever since that day he came back covered in lipstick marks, this girl started giving him looks, always showing him a cold face.


    "I say, Officer Xu, how long are you nning to stay at my ce? Aren''t you going back?"


    Su Chen didn''t mind letting her stay, but if Lin Ruoxue found out about it, there would be trouble. Knowing that he stayed at the manor at night might not be a problem, but if she knew Xu Xinran was here too, that would definitely be an issue!


    "What''s it to you?"


    Xu Xinran nced at Su Chen, slipped into her slippers, and went back to her room, leaving him with just a view of her graceful curves.


    Su Chen was left speechless. You''re living in my borrowed house, if I don''t care, who will?


    He helplessly shook his head as he returned to the cultivation room and started to focus on his cultivation...


    He cultivated until 5 o''clock, and he discovered that he had recently started to vaguely see the threshold of the Eighth Layer. This discovery thrilled Su Chen!


    Indeed, the pace of cultivation in the manor was much faster than any other ce!


    After finishing his cultivation, Su Chen happily took a bath, then prepared to leave.


    Just as he reached the door, he saw Xu Xinran practicing martial arts. Today, Xu Xinran was still wearing ck tight pants and, instead of a sporty tube top, she had switched to a short-sleeved T-shirt, perhaps because the weather was gradually getting cooler.


    She kept throwing punches and kicks, and with her movements, her majestic peaks swayed dramatically, making the freshly showered Su Chen almost drool as he stared.


    Su Chen, with his hands behind his back, walked up to Xu Xinran with a serious face and advised:


    "Your arm is too high, your punches need to be straight and fast to effectively concentrate your body''s power."


    Xu Xinran initially had some grievances against him and didn''t want to listen, but considering his fearsome skills, she subconsciously did as he said.


    As she threw a punch, she immediately heard a whistling sound. Though faint, she clearly felt it.


    This made Xu Xinran ecstatic. She was about to set aside her prejudices and ask for his advice when she realized Su Chen had a sly smile and was looking inside her loose T-shirt sleeve, down her armpit...


    "Bastard! Pervert! You told me to raise my arm to sneak a peek!"


    Xu Xinran was furious and immediately threw a hook punch at Su Chen, which he dodged with a quick sidestep...


    "Officer Xu, keep practicing well!"


    Su Chen turned and gave Xu Xinran a mischievous smile before running off.


    "You jerk, I won''t let you off the hook!"


    Xu Xinran gritted her teeth as she watched Su Chen''s retreating figure...

 Chapter 352: 352

    Su Chen didn''t rush to make breakfast after getting home, because it was Saturday, and Lin Ruoxue usually got up a bitter than usual, but not toote, usually just about half an hour.


    Honestly, Lin Ruoxue had cultivated a good habit of self-discipline over the years.


    Su Chen knew how important self-discipline was to a person''s sess.


    Although he usually appeared carefree and disheveled, he had maintained strict self-discipline in the most crucial matter over the years, to the point of self-abuse¡ªthat was cultivation!


    Because he knew that the strength and Realm were his fundamental assets, only by achieving this could he do whatever he wanted!


    Mrs. Wang hadn''t gotten up yet, so Su Chen casually cleaned up, as he had nothing else to do for the moment.


    After cleaning, Su Chen checked the time, felt it was about right, and then started making breakfast.


    After Mrs. Wang got up and saw that Su Chen had already finished cleaning, she couldn''t help but say sullenly,


    "Son-inw, you''ve done all the chores; what''s left for me to do? I might as well go home."


    "It was just something I did along the way. Mrs. Wang, if you really feel bad, just split your sry with me,"


    Su Chenughed and said.


    "Alright, if I give it to you, will you take it?"


    Mrs. Wang knew well that Su Chen was just joking with her; even if she gave him everything, he wouldn''t take a cent.


    However, Su Chen often teased her, saying that Lin Ruoxue was stingy, giving her just a little money each month, suggesting she should slip something into Lin Ruoxue''s food.


    "Husband, is breakfast ready?"


    Just then, Lin Ruoxue got up too, stretching and walking downstairs, her hair messy and draped over her shoulders, exuding azy beauty!


    "Almost ready, take a seat."


    Su Chen said while busying himself in the kitchen:


    "Wife, are you going out today?"


    "Hmm, I need to stop by the corporation for a bit."


    Lin Ruoxue casually responded, then walked up behind Su Chen and hugged him from behind:


    "Husband, what delicious dishes are you making?"


    "All the dishes you love."


    Su Chen turned his head and smiled slightly:


    "Okay, let go now. I''ll serve the porridge."


    .......


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue drove to the corporation, while Su Chen continued driving to the manor for cultivation; by then, Xu Xinran had already left for work.


    The police station wasn''t like other ces with weekends, and even if there were, a single phone call could disrupt everything.


    Su Chen cultivated until 10:30 AM, then drove to Tang Yun''s house in the citymittee''s courtyard.


    Pei Rou had been peering out for a while and immediately ran out of the house when she saw Su Chen''s car.


    "Little Su, you''re here!"


    Pei Rou walked down the steps with a broad smile.


    "Hello, Auntie, I''m intruding again."


    Su Chen got out of the car and smiled as he spoke.


    "Nonsense, Auntie is happy whenever youe! What intrusion!"


    Pei Rou was almost grinning ear to ear.


    "Little Su, you''re here!"


    At that moment, Tang Mingji also came out, smiling as he spoke.


    "Hello, Uncle Tang."


    "Hello,e on in."


    Tang Mingji greeted him; he had originally nned to thank the other party for saving his father-inw a few days ago, but considering Pei Rou had mentioned that Su Chen seemed to have some issues with the Pei Family, he decided to withhold his thanks for the time being.


    However, he also found it strange. How could Su Chen have any connection with the vast Pei Family?


    But he felt it was not appropriate to ask about this issue, so he directly led Su Chen into the house.


    "Mr. Su, we meet again."


    As soon as Su Chen entered the room, a ethereal voice came from the side.


    Su Chen turned his head and saw that it was the woman in white he had met at the hospital in Yandu that night.


    Today, she was still dressed in white, though the style was slightly different. She was wearing a looser dress today, which added even more to her transcendental quality.


    She looked at Su Chen''s face with a gentle smile.


    And Tang Yun was sitting beside her, clearly they had been chatting just before.


    Truth be told, Tang Yun was also a top-tier beauty, but next to this woman in white, her radiance could easily be overshadowed!


    Because the woman in white''s aura was truly exceptional, outstanding even. Even though she was sitting in a wheelchair, she still seemed to shine brilliantly!


    Although Su Chen had a fairly good impression of this woman, because she was from the Pei Family, it was inevitable that he would dislike her by association, and his attitude towards her was not very friendly. When she greeted him, he merely nodded indifferently.


    Although Pei Rou was also from the Pei Family, the two had known each other for a while and had a good rtionship. In his subconscious, he had already separated Pei Rou from the people of the Pei Family.


    "Mr. Su, considering I lent you the estate, you shouldn''t be so cold to me," the woman in white said gently, smiling.


    Hearing this, Su Chen was somewhat taken aback:


    "The estate by Jiangyang Lake is yours?"


    The woman in white smiled gently and nodded.


    Su Chen now felt a bit embarrassed, as he had been using her estate for a long time and his current attitude was indeed a bit too cold.


    He then realized that both Pei Rou and Tang Yun had mentioned that the estate belonged to Tang Yun''s cousin, who was from the Pei Family.


    "If you want to take that estate back, please feel free. But apart from Aunt Pei, it''s hard for me to have a good attitude towards the Pei Family. Sorry."


    Su Chen said indifferently. Although the estate was immensely helpful and even crucial to him, he wouldn''t bow down because of it.


    "Mr. Su, you misunderstand. You can have the estate for as long as you want, or even take it as a gift if you wish," said the woman in white, her tone light and casual, yet filled with a magnanimous spirit.


    "That''s not necessary!"


    Su Chen nced at the woman''s legs and said:


    "I''ll treat your legs as payment for the rent. Let''s keep things clear and square, with no debts owed!"


    Upon hearing this, Pei Rou, Tang Yun, and even Tang Mingji all showed a hint of surprise on their faces, all waiting for the woman in white to nod in agreement.


    However, the woman in white slightly shook her head:


    "Mr. Su, while you did cure my aunt and saved my grandfather, you might not be able to heal my leg condition."


    "It seems you don''t trust my medical skills?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked, seeming somewhat indifferent.


    "It''s not that I distrust Mr. Su''s medical abilities. No matter how skilled you are, you can only treat illnesses, while my condition is¡ªfate!"


    The woman in white nced at Su Chen lightly and thought to herself, unless you truly are the one destined for me!


    "Mr. Su, don''t feel ufortable. Just for saving my aunt and grandfather, a mere estate is nothing," the woman in white smiled again, apparently not minding her disability much...

 Chapter 353: The Phoenix Girl

    Although Su Chen had some prejudice against the other party because she was part of the Pei Family,


    he couldn''t help but admire her easygoing and detached demeanor at this moment.


    "Alright, let''s formally introduce ourselves," he said.


    The woman in white extended her slender, fair hand with a smile,


    "Pei Man."


    "Su Chen."


    Seeing that the girl had acted in such a manner, he couldn''t very well remain standoffish, so he also extended his hand¡ªthough it was only a polite gesture.


    However, as soon as his hand touched hers, he suddenly widened his eyes:


    "You are? Pei Man?"


    A look of utter disbelief spread across Su Chen''s face, and he appeared very shocked.


    "What? Mr. Su has heard of me?"


    Pei Man tilted her head somewhat curiously, asking with a faint smile still lingering on her face.


    The few people from the Tang Family turned their gaze toward Su Chen, a hint of confusion on their faces.


    "Miss Pei''s reputation has indeed reached my ears," Su Chen said with a meaningful look, slowly uttering,


    "Didn''t Zhuge, that old chatan, say something¡ª''Shen Shao is a dragon, Pei Man a phoenix''? How could I be so ignorant as to not know about the illustrious Phoenix Lady?"


    Upon hearing this, a tremor went through the hearts of everyone present!


    Indeed, this saying, ''Shen Shao is a dragon, Pei Man a phoenix,'' had been circting in Yandu a long time ago, but it was only amongst the very upper echelons, the most elite circles!


    How could Su Chen possibly know of it?


    To tell the truth, this Pei Man was indeed a character wrapped in legends.


    Many years ago, the third son of the Pei Family, who was also Pei Rou''s third brother, went away, and for many years there was no word from him. Not only did others not know where he had gone or what he was doing,


    but even the Pei Family members, including the Family Head themselves, had no idea what this son was out doing.


    After several years without any news, the Pei Family had even begun to assume he had encountered some misfortune outside and was no longer alive; otherwise, why would there be no word at all?


    Just when everyone had gradually begun to forget about him, on a stormy night, the mud-sttered third son of the Pei Family burst through the doors of the Pei residence, drawing the entire family''s attention!


    What caught the Pei Family''s attention was not just the third son''s sudden and wretched return, but more so the small infant cradled in his arms.


    The third son of the Pei Family only said one thing¡ªthat this was his daughter and hoped the Pei Family would treat her well. Then, after leaving the infant behind, he turned and rushed back into the storm without a backward nce, leaving the Pei familypound!


    By the time the members of the Pei Family came to their senses and rushed outside, there wasn''t a trace of him to be found.


    Faced with an infant and having no clue what had happened, the Pei Family waspletely dumbfounded and unsure of what to do.


    However, since the third son had dered her his daughter, of course, the Pei Family had to take care of her, but they soon encountered a major problem.


    Because after taking the little girl to the hospital for an examination, they discovered that she was born with a disability!


    Luckily, the Pei Family was no ordinary family; if there was an illness, they would treat it!


    They had to search around the world for the best doctors to treat her, after all, she was the third son''s own flesh and blood!


    But to everyone''s despair, after searching the entire world, no hospital was able to cure her by the time the little girl was five or six years old.


    By then, everyone had done their best and had run out of options. Even if the third son suddenly returned, they couldn''t me him for anything.


    Gradually, everyone just let her be, taking care of the basic needs of this little girl, but they wouldn''t pay too much attention, after all, she was a disabled child!


    As long as she was well-fed and warmly dressed, that was enough.


    Time passed by day by day, and one day, as the little girl sat in her wheelchair at the entrance of the Pei Family''srge courtyard, watching other Pei children y, a dirty, robed old man came by.


    When his gaze fell on the face of the little girl in the wheelchair, his whole body suddenly trembled violently, and his eyes burst with an incredibly excited and intense light!


    That look was like a dog that had been hungry for many days suddenly seeing braised meat, or like a poor man spotting a piece of gold!


    The robed old man immediately began to push the little girl inside, and the Pei Family''s Protectors naturally tried to stop him, but this unimposing old man gently waved his robe, and sent several Protectors away.


    More people immediately surrounded them, yet no one coulde close to the robed old man, and soon arge number copsed.


    At this time, the Pei Family members also came out, demanding to know who this old man was and what he intended by barging into the Pei Family courtyard!


    The old man simply reported a name, and the Pei Family members immediately went to inform the Family Head.


    Because his name was Zhuge Dongming!


    "What brings Zhuge the Immortal to the Pei Family so suddenly?"


    The Family Head came out and spoke with great respect, as he, being a man of his stature, was well aware of the old man''s extraordinary origins.


    "Nothing much, just to scold you Pei Family for being blind to a jewel!"


    Zhuge Dongming said indifferently.


    Upon hearing this, the Family Head was momentarily stunned, but he somewhat understood when he saw the girl that Zhuge Dongming was pushing.


    "Is the treasure that Zhuge the Immortal speaks of this little girl?"


    The Family Head asked uncertainly, as he, being the entire Pei Family''s Family Head, naturally wouldn''t pay too much attention to a disabled girl.


    "At least you''re notpletely foolish."


    Zhuge Dongming simply stated:


    "This girl is a phoenix. Cherish her well, Pei Family!"


    After saying this, Zhuge Dongming walked away with a flick of his sleeve...


    From that day onwards, the Family Head kept the girl by his side and personally taught her.


    After all, Zhuge the Immortal''s reputation was such that his predictions never failed toe true.


    The Family Head indeed gradually discovered the girl''s extraordinary qualities, especially her intelligence, which was almost demonlike!


    After several events, the Family Head couldn''t help butment that this girl was a great blessing from heaven to the Pei Family!


    When the girl reached the age of fifteen, the Family Head even began to gradually delegate the family''s power to her.


    You should know, this was a treatment that none of his sons had received!


    People naturally felt unconvinced, but under the guile of this teenage girl, it wasn''t long before everyone went from feeling discontent to admiring!


    Moreover, in the past ten years, all the decisions she had made turned out to be absolutely correct in hindsight.


    This also allowed the Pei Family''s power to grow steadily, securing the second seat among the great families in Yandu, and covertly challenging the number one family, the Shen Family!


    In this process, the girl also established a prestige within the Pei Family second only to the Family Head!


    It was precisely for this reason, that back in the hospital when she said "Agreed," everyone else fell silent...


    And the facts that followed proved that her decision was once again absolutely correct.


    Otherwise, it would be hard to say whether the old head of the family would be dead or alive right now!

 Chapter 354: The Old Swindler and the Human Stick

    Several people were actually not only shocked that Su Chen was aware of the phrase circting in Yandu''s top social circles.


    What shocked them even more was that Su Chen actually called Mr. Zhuge an old chatan!


    After all, in the top circles of Yandu, everyone had to respectfully refer to him as Zhuge the Half-Immortal!


    After being slightly stunned, Pei Man couldn''t help but curl up the corners of her mouth in a meaningful smile:


    "It seems Mr. Su is quite familiar with the upper echelons of Yandu, aren''t you?"


    Pei Man felt more and more that this young man was no ordinary person, and it seemed his hostility towards the Pei Family was not without reason.


    "Upper echelons?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but scoff:


    "It''s just a stupid game yed by a bunch of pretentious young masters and mistresses."


    Hearing this, everyone couldn''t help but admire Su Chen''s boldness. He was probably the only young man who dared to speak about those people like that!


    One wondered whether he was truly confident or simply fearless due to ignorance.


    "Mr. Su, do you think I''m one of those idiots too?"


    Strangely enough, most women would shy away from those two words, yet Pei Man mentioned them lightly and even linked herself to them.


    Even stranger was that when such an ethereal woman uttered those words, it didn''t seem odd or incongruous at all. It felt as if everything she said was natural and normal.


    "Whether I think so or not isn''t important. Whether you are is the key."


    Though Su Chen didn''t say she was, his words were still quite impolite.


    Tang Mingji broke out in a cold sweat. Even someone of his stature would not dare to speak like that.


    This young man named Su Chen had just spoken without any reservation!


    Tang Mingji, including mother and daughter Pei Rou, couldn''t help but reassess this young man whom they thought they understood well.


    "Mr. Su, it''s one thing for you to say it about me, a mere woman, but aren''t you afraid to call Zhuge the Half-Immortal an old chatan...?"


    Pei Man looked at Su Chen and smiled.


    "Afraid of what? Afraid that he mighte and hit me?"


    Su Chen shrugged indifferently:


    "You can go back and tell him. If he dares toe, I''ll turn that old chatan into a beaten stick!"


    Su Chen didn''t have much regard for this guy. He still remembered how the old man had tricked him.


    If it weren''t for the fact that this guy seemed to have some connection with his own tricky master, he would have taken revenge long ago!


    With these words, everyone again revised their opinion of Su Chen. Not even the old men of Yandu would dare to speak like that!


    It wasn''t necessarily that those old men were afraid of Zhuge the Half-Immortal, but they also wouldn''t want to make an enemy out of him for no reason, as that would not be a wise move.


    Pei Man looked at Su Chen and said no more; she suddenly had a strong feeling that today''s words, including their intriguing implications, seemed deliberately let out for her to know.


    As for why this young man named Su Chen would do such a thing, she couldn''t judge at the moment, as she knew too little about him.


    This man was bing more and more interesting. For the first time, she felt intrigued by a man, a feeling unrted to romantic affection but akin to encountering a worthy opponent or finding a soulmate.


    This was a sentiment she hadn''t found in those so-called favored sons of Yandu, and looking at the entire younger generation of Yandu, only someone from the Shen Family might slightly evoke such a feeling in her!


    "Madam, is it time to start the meal?"


    At that moment, a servant came out and asked a question.


    "Alright, everyone can start eating, and we can chat while we eat," Pei Rou suggested, feeling that it was not appropriate to continue the topic, so she called everyone to sit down.


    "Su Chen, do you have time this afternoon?"


    Pei Rou sat down and then asked.


    "Yes, what''s up? Just tell me," replied Su Chen.


    Su Chen showed no signs of reluctance regarding Pei Rou''s request.


    "Here''s the thing, this afternoon our family needs to attend a friend of your Uncle Tang''s daughter''s wedding. The whole family needs to be there, and I was wondering if you could keep Pei Manpany."


    Pei Rou said with an apologetic tone.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately hesitated. It turned out it was about apanying Pei Man. If it were someone else, he wouldn''t mind, but Pei Man...


    "If Mr. Su finds this difficult, please don''t force yourself," Pei Man said with a gentle smile, her tone light, giving off a soothing aura.


    "There''s nothing difficult about it, apanying the famous Miss Pei of Yandu should be an honor for us lesser folks!"


    Su Chen also smiled lightly and retorted, although he mocked himself as a lesser person, his face bore a slight sarcasm towards the so-called Miss Pei.


    The Tang Mingji family was worried that Pei Man would be upset, but to their surprise, she didn''t seem to mind at all. It seemed as if she hadn''t understood the subtext in Su Chen''s words, and she softly said,


    "Then thank you, Mr. Su."


    "You''re wee."


    Su Chen nodded slightly, then started eating. Throughout the meal, he and Pei Rou were mostly engaging in small talk, chatting about trivial family matters.


    Pei Man, on the other hand, asionally nced at Su Chen, finding him quite interesting as he energetically discussed trivial matters with the Pei family. She could tell it wasn''t just an act; he was genuinely conversing with Pei Rou.


    What kind of creature is he?


    Pei Man tried to categorize him, but found no particr type of person that he fit into; he was truly an oddity!


    After lunch, they chatted for a while longer, and, of course, most of the time it was Su Chen and Pei Rou conversing, with Tang Mingji asionally interjecting a few words. Being the mayor and somewhat stern, he rarely spoke.


    Pei Man just observed them from the side. If it were any ordinary person, they would likely feel neglected, but Pei Man didn''t feel that way; instead, she enjoyed quietly observing others, which had probably be a habit.


    Around two in the afternoon, Tang Mingji''s family and Su Chen bid farewell to Pei Man, leaving only Su Chen and Pei Man in the room.


    Normally, being alone with a woman could be somewhat awkward, but with Pei Man, it didn''t seem to be the case.


    "Mr. Su, how about we y a game of chess?"


    Pei Man turned her head to look at Su Chen and suggested.


    "Sure,"


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    Then, Pei Man wheeled herself into a room, bringing out a chess set and setting it up on the coffee table in front of the sofa.


    Su Chen sat on the sofa, and Pei Man naturally took her ce opposite him. Su Chen, holding the white pieces, didn''t hesitate and was about to ce a chess piece down.


    Just at that moment, Pei Man suddenly stretched out a delicate, fair hand, blocking his move.


    Seeing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but look up hesitantly at his opponent...

 Chapter 355: Battle of Wits

    "Mr. Su, how about we add a little excitement to the bet?"


    Pei Man casually shed a smile, giving the impression of flowers blossoming all at once.


    "Sure, I don''t know what kind of ''excitement'' Miss Pei has in mind, but I''m not like the Pei Family, with so much money to spare."


    Su Chen said with an indifferent smile.


    "Using mere gold and silver as stakes would be an insult to Mr. Su."


    Pei Man seemed to speak with an underlying meaning.


    "Miss Pei overestimates me; everyone likes gold and silver."


    Su Chen said casually and then nced at Pei Man:


    "If Miss Pei doesn''t want to use gold and silver as stakes, then what would you like to use? I''m quite penniless."


    "If Mr. Su is willing, there will be no problem with this stake!"


    Pei Man said with a secretive smile.


    "Oh? And what is that?"


    The corner of Su Chen''s mouth curved up slightly, his interest genuinely piqued by the stake Pei Man was hinting at.


    "That would be..."


    Pei Man intentionally paused before finishing her sentence, casting a nce at Su Chen, then continued:


    "If I lose, I will agree to one of your requests; if you lose, you''ll agree to one of mine."


    "What kind of request?"


    Pei Man''s suggestion was indeed somewhat interesting.


    "It''s no fun discussing that now."


    Pei Man curled her lips into a sly smile.


    "Then what exactly do you mean?"


    Suddenly, Su Chen felt like he was being set up by this woman.


    "Of course it means that whatever time, whatever ce, whatever the request, as long as it''s within the other''s capabilities, it must be fulfilled."


    Pei Man''s lips curved up slightly as she spoke, a glint of sharpness shing through her beautiful eyes.


    "Isn''t that like setting up a ticking time bomb by your side?"


    Upon hearing Pei Man''s words, Su Chen suddenly had an ominous premonition.


    "What, are you scared, don''t have the guts?"


    "Are you purposely provoking me?"


    "I am provoking you!"


    Pei Man stated unabashedly.


    Su Chen had never seen a woman like Pei Man before; at this moment, he couldn''t help but take a closer look at her.


    The more Su Chen observed her, the more he felt that this woman was extraordinary¡ªher bearing, her wit, her personality, she seemed to be quite remarkable.


    Pei Man, too, did not shy away from his scrutiny. Instead, she met his gaze.


    "What do you say, do you dare?"


    Pei Man challenged him again.


    "What''s there to fear? If a woman like you isn''t scared, why should I be?"


    Su Chen''s gaze was predatory as it swept over her body and face, and then a mischievous smile appeared on his lips:


    "Aren''t you afraid that if I win, I''ll make an indecent proposal? Although you''re disabled, with your looks and temperament, there must be countless men in this world who are interested in you."


    "If you really are such a person, it means I misjudged you. Since it''s my mistake, I''m naturally prepared to face the consequences."


    Pei Man responded lightly.


    Su Chen hadn''t expected her to say something like that. Although he had some misgivings about the Pei family, he felt a quiet admiration for this girl in his heart!


    Such spirit, such courage, impressive!


    "Alright, let''s begin then. How about best of three?"


    "Alright!"


    Su Chen readily agreed.


    He then ced a white piece on a spot on the chessboard.


    "Um, this opening...?"


    Pei Man nced at Su Chen and slightly furrowed her brows before also cing down a ck piece.


    In this way, the two of them took turns, hand after hand, and before long, they had yed more than a dozen moves. Pei Man''s frown deepened:


    "From whom did Mr. Su learn his chess skills?"


    "Just tinkering around on my own."


    Su Chen casually dropped a piece as he spoke.


    "I see, no wonder..."


    After saying this, Pei Man stopped talking too, and the two silently continued their game. About half an hourter, the white pieces on the board were overwhelmingly dominant, while the ck pieces were gradually being decimated.


    Another half hour passed, and Pei Man conceded defeat, lifting her head to earnestly study Su Chen for a while:


    "Mr. Su''s chess strength¡­ is superb, but as for the methods used in ying the game, are they somewhat..."


    Pei Man paused, searching for the right words, then shook her head and said.


    Su Chen simplyughed it off, "ying chess to win is like two armies shing¡ªthere''s no question of methods, as long as you win, you''re right."


    "The way of chess is the way of the gentleman."


    Pei Man stated.


    "Miss Pei wouldn''t happen to be judging a person through their chess y, would she? Is it urate?"


    Pei Man was slightly taken aback, then gently shook her head with a smile:


    "Actually, not so urate."


    "I''ve been fixated, let''s continue, and this time Mr. Su should be careful."


    Pei Man said with a slight smile.


    The so-called fixation refers to someone overly obsessed with appearance and deviating from the essence of things. By admitting her fixation, Pei Man was actually saying that she had previously treated the game of chess as a gentleman''s ritual but had forgotten the ultimate essence of determining victory or defeat.


    Having realized this, Pei Man in the following two rounds no longer confined herself to any rules or dogma, focusing solely on dealing the most damage to her opponent''s forces.


    Therefore, Su Chen, who was only somewhat skilled at Go, quickly lost the games, and moreover, his defeat was aplete rout.


    This naturally also meant that Pei Man''s chess skill was far superior to Su Chen''s; the reason she lost the first game was entirely due to Su Chen''s unconventional ying style.


    Of course, the greater likelihood was that Pei Man was probing...


    "Fine, I concede,"


    Su Chen was forthright and said directly:


    "It''s gettingte, and Uncle Tang and the others should be returning soon. I will be leaving now."


    "Then I won''t see you out, but if Mr. Su everes to Yandu, the treat is on me."


    "Sure, Yandu, I will be there."


    Su Chen waved his hand and left the room, pulled open the car door, sat inside, and soon drove away from there.


    At this moment, Pei Man also wheeled herself onto the balcony, watching the receding car''s lights, she murmured:


    "I''m afraid it won''t be long before the winds of change start blowing through Yandu..."


    Su Chen sat in the car and also allowed a fox-like smile to cross his face:


    "I''m rather curious to see what exactly this so-called Phoenix Girl is up to."


    In the intellectual duel with Pei Man, Su Chen had also enjoyed himself. He was well aware that with his level of skill in chess, he was likely to lose most of the time.


    The reason he had still agreed to y was to see what would unfold next, something he was looking forward to.


    The current state of Yandu was perhaps too stable, especially among the major families, who seemed to have reached some unspoken agreement.


    Such an agreement was naturally disadvantageous for what he had nned to doter on.


    Therefore, he needed to throw a pebble into the water to test its depth, to make everything in the water stir...

 Chapter 356 - 356 Jiangnan Business Association Banquet

    By the time Su Chen returned to Lin Ruoxue''s vi from the municipal partymitteepound, it was already close to seven. As soon as he entered the door, he smelled the delicious aroma wafting through the air.


    "Sister Wang, what delightful dish have you made?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "You''re back? Where did you go again today?"


    At that moment, a faint voice rose from the sofa. Although it wasn''t as icy as before, Su Chen could still detect a hint of dissatisfaction.


    "Oh, wifey, you''re back too!"


    Without hesitation, Su Chen darted to Lin Ruoxue''s side, but just as he was about to wrap his arm around her fragrant shoulder, Lin Ruoxue pushed him away with a cold expression:


    "Look at the time."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen was taken aback.


    He knew that previously, no matter when he returned, Lin Ruoxue hardly ever asked him about it. What was different today?


    In fact, Lin Ruoxue didn''t know why she felt this way either. She used to not bother asking him where he had been.


    Today, for some reason, seeing hime home thiste infuriated her!


    "Oh, wifey, I just went to a friend''s house today."


    Su Chen lifted his hand to swear:


    "I promise I behaved and didn''t cause any trouble."


    "Young Master, Miss, dinner is ready."


    Just then, Sister Wang called out from the kitchen.


    "Okay, let''s have dinner first."


    Lin Ruoxue spoke up and stood up. She was only slightly angry to begin with, and asking him made her feel much better, her irritation eased.


    Moreover, he had given his assurance that he hadn''t done anything improper, so she didn''t feel like probing further. Truth be told, it wasn''t in her nature.


    The three of them started dinner amiably, with Lin Ruoxue still acting a bit cold toward Su Chen, even though her anger had already subsided.


    However, after dinner, Su Chen''s yful cajoling eventually warmed Lin Ruoxue''s demeanor, and her mood lightened up a little.


    Around nine-ish, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to continue working, Sister Wang retreated to her room to rest, and Su Chen naturally carried on with his usual routine, returning to his estate to practice cultivation.


    .....


    In the following days, Su Chen''s life was uneventful and quite enjoyable.


    Ever since his rtionship with Xia Qiuru thawed from the cold front it had hit before, the two seemed to have genuinely be good friends.


    Hence, aside from frequently visiting Lin Ruoxue''s office, Xia Qiuru''s office had also be an open destination for him.


    In short, during the day, Su Chen could be found either in the public rtions department, Lin Ruoxue''s office, or at Xia Qiuru''s ce.


    And these ces all had one thing inmon. As for what thatmon thing was, of course, it was the presence of beautiful women!


    Over these days, Pei Rou also called. Inadvertently, she let slip that Pei Man had already returned to Yandu.


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning were also busy preparing for their trip to Europe, as it was their first real time going abroad, they naturally had to prepare adequately.


    Their own Public Rtions department seemed to have people with wandering thoughtstely, everyone was already nning their vacations to Sanya.


    It was said that taking advantage of the weekend, many had already gone shopping for swimsuits, and Su Chen was naturally very pleased to hear this news!


    In the meantime, Du Hanshuang hade to look for him once, to avoid the trouble of her visiting again, especially the fear of her suddenly calling him brother-inw, Su Chen had no choice but to take almost an entire afternoon to properly apany her in her craziness.


    However, thesest few days, be it inside the group or outside, the mostmon news Su Chen heard was regarding the Jiangnan Commerce Association''s exchange meeting.


    Even someone like Su Chen, who had no interest in such matters, had lots of this kind of information poured into his ears, such as the fact that the Jiangnan Commerce Association''s exchange meeting was held once every three years, and that it was jointly hosted by the Four Great Families of Jiangnan, not to mention that this g banquet was the highest standard banquet in the Jiangnan businessmunity!


    In the eyes of those people, this exchange banquet gathered almost all of the foremost people of Jiangnan, truly a gathering where eminent schrs chatted andughed, with nomoners in sight!


    Almost everyone regarded attending this exchange banquet as the highest honor, naturally, it was also a symbol of their own status!


    And thosedies of fashion, stars, and models naturally set their sights on this grand event!


    Of course, the ones who valued this exchange banquet the most were still the businessmen, and Lin Ruoxue had reminded Su Chen more than once that no matter what he had, he must apany her to attend on Friday night!


    Time flew and it was indeed Friday. At breakfast that morning, Lin Ruoxue, who was usually very decisive and capable, took the time to specially instruct Su Chen again to tuck his tail in and behave himself at the banquet that evening.


    From this, one could see how important Lin Ruoxue deemed this exchange dinner to be!


    Su Chen immediately nodded and agreed, in any case, he felt nothing for this banquet and intended to go for the food and drink, presuming that such an asion would certainly notck delicacies.


    After breakfast, they both drove separately to thepany as usual.


    Su Chen naturally went to the Public Rtions department first, as usual joking around with the beautifuldies and being a little too familiar with each other, it was all part of the daily routine anyway!


    Then he visited Lin Ruoxue''s office, and seeing that she was really busy and had no time to spare for him, he went to Xia Qiuru''s office after.


    Unfortunately, Xia Qiuru was not in her office and was said to have gone out on business.


    Having nothing better to do, Su Chen returned to the Public Rtions department and started to read some magazines...


    Time passed second by second, and Su Chen managed to kill a day''s worth of boring time.


    Half an hour before the end of work in the afternoon, Lin Ruoxue called him and asked him toe home right away.


    When Su Chen heard the urgency in Lin Ruoxue''s voice, he thought something was wrong, but when he got home, it turned out she just wanted him to change clothes.


    Su Chen, who had no interest in banquets to begin with, was quite reluctant to change clothes.


    However, seeing Lin Ruoxue''s expression darken, he quickly and awkwardly put on the suit she had helped him buyst time.


    Now, Lin Ruoxue''s facial expressions were the best signs for Su Chen!


    Seeing Su Chen changed into his clothes, looking every bit the gentleman, she then nodded in satisfaction.


    Afterward, Su Chen drove Lin Ruoxue''s car towards the venue of the Jiangnan Commerce Association exchange banquet ¡ª the Tianding Grand Hotel!


    The reason for choosing Lin Ruoxue''s car instead of his BMW 5 Series was because thetter seemed too modest for such an asion!


    At this time, it was peak hour for leaving work, so traffic jams were everywhere, but the exchange banquet wasn''t starting until 7:30 pm, so there was no hurry for them.


    Around seven o''clock, they arrived leisurely at the entrance of Tianding Grand Hotel...

 Chapter 357: The Greatest Contributor

    After Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue parked their car in the parking lot at the hotel entrance, they found that almost all the surrounding vehicles were limited edition luxury cars. It''s probably impossible to see so many, such luxurious line-ups even at a luxury car expo.


    The individuals stepping out of the cars were all dressed to the nines in suits and shiny leather shoes, impably groomed¡ªa clear sign that they belonged to the upper echelons of society, carrying a certain air of authority.


    Many recognized the renowned Lin Ruoxue and greeted her as they saw her, to which Lin Ruoxue also nodded and acknowledged in return.


    Upon seeing Su Chen by her side, these people gave him a slightly curious nce but didn''t pay too much attention.


    Though Su Chen made quite the stir at the previous Belle Group and Yun Corporation''s celebration banquet and the charity dinner hosted by the Yun family, only a small portion of the businessmen were present at those two events.


    To most people, Su Chen was still a stranger, at most someone whose deeds they had heard of, but they knew nothing at all about the man himself.


    Su Chen paid these people''s interest no mind. Since Lin Ruoxue had repeatedly asked him to behave himself, he intended to just eat and drink today.


    After exchanging greetings with the businessmen, Lin Ruoxue tucked her arm into Su Chen''s and walked towards the brilliantly lit Tianding Grand Hotel ahead.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but chuckle at the name of the hotel. "Tianding," does it mean to use heaven as a cauldron? Quite an imposing name!


    Of course, the hotel itself imparted a simrly opulent impression. Although not a star-rated hotel, everyone in Jiangnan knew it was the most special hotel in the region.


    Because the hotel was jointly owned by the Four Great Families, its primary function was to serve as a venue for Jiangnan business association events, and its regr operation was more of a hobby.


    The Four Great Families didn''t take the hotel''s revenue seriously either; almost all of it was used for the daily expenses of the Jiangnan business association.


    And this hotel might be the only joint venture that the Four Great Families were involved in.


    Although people often spoke of the "Four Great Families" as though they were a unified entity, the truth was that the intersections among the families were quite limited.


    Perhaps this was also a kind of tacit understanding among them!


    The so-called Jiangnan business association naturally had the Four Great Families at its head. The chairman was a Family Head from one of the Four Great Families serving in rotation. The current chairman was Wu Jinjun, the Family Head of the Wu Family, and the father of Wu Yuanpin.


    After ncing at the dazzling sign of the Tianding Grand Hotel and smacking his lips, Su Chen headed inside with Lin Ruoxue.


    Upon entering, they found that quite a few people had already arrived, chatting andughing in groups.


    As soon as they saw Lin Ruoxuee in, they all came over to greet her. After all, she held the title of Jiangnan''s number one beauty!


    Of course, for these businessmen, that was not the main reason for their attention. The primary reason was that Belle Group was developing at an incredibly rapid pace!


    In several industries with vast potential for future growth, they had made arrangements and even achieved some breakthroughs. The prospects for future development were limitless!


    Lin Ruoxue maintained her professional smile in dealing with these people, being well-versed in handling such asions.


    Like those outside, these people were also merely curious about Su Chen, the young man by Lin Ruoxue''s side, and likewise paid him no heed.


    And a few who had seen Su Chen at the previous two events didn''t engage in conversation with him either.


    A joke, this guy was the fierce one who dared toy hands on young masters like Liu and Lu. For their own safety, it was best to stay away from this fellow.


    In case he went berserk and thrashed them, where would they go to cry...


    After some perfunctory greetings, a few people immediately invited Lin Ruoxue to discuss potential coborations or other matters, and she nodded in agreement.


    "Wife, I''ll go grab something to eat first," Su Chen said.


    Su Chen whispered, knowing that in such an asion, Lin Ruoxue certainly couldn''t be as leisurely as he was.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded, but before leaving, she didn''t forget to warn Su Chen,


    "Don''t you dare cause me any trouble."


    "Rx, you have nothing to worry about."


    Su Chen immediately promised, thinking to himself, do I really make you that uneasy?


    As with otherworking banquets, the hotel''s hall waspletely set up as a self-service area to facilitate interaction among guests.


    If one felt hungry, they could casually eat something, but the merchants attending the banquet didn''t have the time to enjoy the delicacies.


    Their primary purpose foring was to negotiate cooperation or to seek business opportunities, so after every banquet, arge amount of food was wasted.


    However, in Jiangnan, the mostmercially developed region in the country, no one cared about this waste.


    Su Chen wandered around and stopped in front of a stand filled with seafood, took a te, and filled it to the brim, leisurely beginning to eat.


    At a nearby stand, he also grabbed a ss of red wine, alternating between a few bites of seafood and a sip of wine, thoroughly enjoying himself.


    He nced casually and saw Lin Ruoxue had already started chatting with a few businessmen not far away, sometimes even revealing a smile. He had no idea what they were talking about and frankly, Su Chen had no interest in such matters.


    Although theworking dinner was said to begin at half-past seven, it actually started as soon as people arrived; seven-thirty was just a nominal time.


    If you arrived toote, others would think youcked a sense of time. This could make them reconsider when deciding to coborate with you.


    But none of this mattered to Su Chen; he had only one goal in mind, and that was to eat and drink as he pleased.


    As he was enjoying his meal, a sound of high heels cking on the floor "dong dong dong" rang out next to him, apanied by a wafting faint fragrance.


    "Yo, Su Chen, you sure do look rxed!"


    A teasing, charming voice spoke out at that moment.


    Su Chen turned his head and saw it was Ye Mei, with a ss of red wine, gracefully walking toward him.


    "It''s you, huh? What brings you here?"


    Seeing it was her, Su Chen also showed a smile and said.


    "That''s a strange thing to ask. You still see me as the red rose from before, huh? I''m a bona fide businesswoman now,"


    Ye Mei said with no small measure of pride, tilting her chin upward.


    Speaking of this, Ye Mei couldn''t help but marvel at the unpredictability of life; in the past, she desperately sought cooperation with these businessmen, but they couldn''t distance themselves fast enough from her.


    But ever since they found out about her sessful coboration with Almei Corporation, especially under such favorable conditions, those same businesses were now desperate to work with her.


    Ye Mei knew that the biggest contributor to this turnaround was the man before her, whom she had never quite been able to figure out...

 Chapter 358 - 358 Liu Family Makes an Appearance

    Ye Mei, although somewhat discontented and even contemptuous of the businessmen''s initial arrogance followed by deference, as a qualified businessperson, naturally did not let these emotions interfere with her work.


    She knew that coborating with others could greatly benefit the development of her own enterprise, allowing it to grow and strengthen!


    Her purpose foring today was naturally to find some satisfactory business partners...


    What she hadn''t expected was to encounter Su Chen here.


    Even more unexpected was that Su Chen hade with Lin Ruoxue, the top beauty of Jiangnan known to everyone.


    "What''s your rtionship with Lin Ruoxue? Howe you''re here with her?"


    Ye Mei had seen them as soon as they entered the door but had note over to greet them.


    Although Ye Mei was known as the red rose, she was still interested in Lin Ruoxue, the number-one beauty of Jiangnan. To be honest, Ye Mei even saw the formidable businesswoman Lin Ruoxue as a goal for herself.


    "She''s my wife, if I don''t apany her, who should I apany?"


    Su Chen picked up an Australian lobster and said.


    Upon hearing these words, Ye Mei instantly widened her beautiful eyes in disbelief:


    "Lin Ruoxue is your wife?"


    Ye Mei asked in a lowered voice, her face filled with shock.


    "What''s wrong? I thought I told you and Yaning, didn''t I? Didn''t I mention it before?"


    "Nonsense, of course you didn''t. If you had, would we still be asking you?"


    Ye Mei rolled her eyes and said. She really hadn''t expected that the goddess in all men''s hearts would turn out to be his wife.


    He had mentioned having a wife before, and she and Xiao Yaning had thought he was joking. They hadn''t realized he was truly married, and to Lin Ruoxue at that!


    Ye Mei, though very satisfied with her own appearance, figure, and abilities, very confident, still felt somewhat intimidated in the face of a woman like Lin Ruoxue.


    Ye Mei looked deeply at Su Chen, and for some reason, a sense of loss unexpectedly surged in her heart.


    "What, are you jealous now that you see I really have a wife?"


    As Su Chen peeled the Australian lobster, heughed and said:


    "No worries, you can be my mistress. I''m not too picky, and you¡ªwell, your figure and looks are just about passable."


    "In your dreams, who''s jealous? What jealousy could I possibly have?"


    Ye Mei red at him fiercely, her tone seemingly a bit insecure, and herplexion also appeared to blush a bit...


    "Whoever is jealous knows it themselves."


    Su Chen smiled nonchntly. He could actually sense that Ye Mei did have some feelings for him, but he dared not ept them, choosing to treat her merely as a good friend instead.


    The case was simr with Xiao Yaning.


    Towards these loyal and devoted women, Su Chen could only let them down; he had no other choice.


    Thinking of Xiao Yaning, Su Chen then asked:


    "Howe Yaning didn''te?"


    "What''s this? Already thinking about what''s in the pot while eating from the bowl?"


    With a glimpse of her charming eyes, Ye Mei said sourly:


    "With a great beauty like Lin Ruoxue, you still want to bring Yaning into the picture?"


    "What are you talking about? I''m just asking casually. We''re all friends, aren''t we?"


    Su Chen innocently spread his hands and said.


    "I don''t believe you!"


    Ye Mei gave him a piercing look and said:


    "She''s tied up with something at thepany, if you miss her that much, you can go see her yourself!"


    "Alright, alright, I''ll drop it, okay?"


    Su Chen looked at Ye Mei and suddenly asked:


    "What will you do if you run into someone from the Wu Family today?"


    As soon as Su Chen mentioned the Wu Family, Ye Mei''s expression immediately changed.


    "What can I do? Just pretend I don''t know them."


    Ye Mei snorted coldly:


    "They surely won''t try to pull something in front of so many people, right?"


    "That''s true, just treat them like they''re air."


    Su Chen nodded in agreement.


    After they finished the not so pleasant topic of the Wu Family, the two of them resumed their lively chit-chat.


    Su Chen wasn''t picky about topics and often teased Ye Mei intoughter or blushing deeply. Seeing Ye Mei''s radiant appearance, Su Chen really felt a bit itchy inside.


    "This bastard, told him to behave, but he''s acting up again!"


    Not far away, Lin Ruoxue watched Su Chen chat energetically with a woman she didn''t quite recognize, and couldn''t help but grind her teeth, mes shooting from her eyes!


    She had been talking to others, but her gaze would wander over to Su Chen from time to time, wary of her husband whom she didn''t quite trust, fearing he might suddenly cause some trouble.


    But to her surprise, it wasn''t long before a very beautiful woman approached him, and they seemed to be quite familiar with each other, or at least they seemed to have known each other for some time!


    Lin Ruoxue was more and more aware that her husband truly had a way with women, and it seemed that these women were all quite impressive.


    "This won''t do, I can''t let this continue unchecked, I need toy down some rules with him properly!"


    Lin Ruoxue thought to herself.


    If Su Chen knew what Lin Ruoxue was thinking, he would have certainly regretted having such a hearty chat with Ye Mei because he was about to experience the stringent and ruthless side of Lin Ruoxue, the businesswoman.


    However, at the moment, he was oblivious to this, so he continued to chat happily with Ye Mei, his face involuntarily breaking into a joyful smile.


    What he didn''t realize was that the happier his smile, the fiercer the fire twisted in Lin Ruoxue''s heart!


    "President Lin, what do you think about the matter I just mentioned?"


    The middle-aged man sitting opposite Lin Ruoxue saw her zoning out and couldn''t help but ask.


    "Oh, I''ll think it over and give you a definitive answer within three days," Lin Ruoxue replied quickly, having regained her focus.


    "Alright, alright, then I''ll be waiting for your reply."


    The man gently clinked sses with Lin Ruoxue and each took a sip.


    With so much going on, Lin Ruoxue could only temporarily put Su Chen to the side for now...


    Just then, almost everyone''s gaze suddenly turned toward the entrance; Su Chen followed suit and looked back.


    He saw an imposing middle-aged man walk in, apanied by someone pushing a wheelchair in which a young man was seated.


    When the crowd saw that it was Liu Yongyuan and his son, they swarmed up to them, greeting them warmly with obsequious smiles on their faces.


    Although the Liu Family had suffered a severe blow recently, losing more than a third of their wealth, it was still a substantial loss.


    But a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and the Liu Family had only temporarily fallen behind the Four Great Families. Compared to other families, they were still a behemoth.


    Even Pan Wendo''s family, the ostensible richest in Jianghai, was still slightly weaker than the Liu Family, not to mention the other families!


    The Liu Family, aware of their current situation, didn''t put on airs over their entrance sequence and, as the first among the Four Great Families, arrived at the scene...

 Chapter 359 - 359 Please Leave

    We must note that the order of appearance also has its delicacies and unwritten rules; generally, theter the appearance, the more exalted and noble the status!


    In past exchange banquets, aside from the Wu Family who indisputably appearedst, the other families vied for who would be the penultimate to arrive.


    As a result, it naturally turned into a situation where, oftentimes, they arrived almost simultaneously, which also became a minor episode at each banquet.


    At this moment, facing everyone''s enthusiastic ttery, Liu Yongyuan and his son still appearedposed and aloof, high above, merely offering a faint smile.


    After all, among these merchants, there were but a few who could catch the eye of the Liu Family.


    In actuality, the mood of the Liu father and son had not been as rxed as they currently appeared; several pathways had beenpletely blocked off.


    They had originally nned to marry Lin Ruoxue into the Liu Family, which would not only allow them to indirectly control the Belle Group but also gain Lin Ruoxue, a business prodigy.


    However, to their surprise, Lin Ruoxue was already married, and her husband was the one who broke Liu Qing''s leg.


    Subsequently, when they tried to strike at the Belle Group, not only did they fail, but Lin Ruoxue also ended up taking full control of the Belle Group.


    What''s worse is that they afterwards suffered an attack from a mysterious force, incurring tremendous losses, inflicting great damage to their vitality!


    It just so happened that around this time, the Sloley Group came to Huaxia seeking a partner, and they had nned to seize this rare opportunity to ally with Sloley and restore the Liu Family''s former glory.


    But to their dismay, their invitation was bluntly rejected, and what infuriated the Liu father and son even more was that Sloley Groupter announced the Belle Group as their partner!


    It could be said that at this moment, the Liu father and son harbored deep-seated hatred towards the Belle Group, as if all of their misfortunes were due to it.


    Of course, the ones they hated most were Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue, the couple; it seemed like nothing good came their way whenever they encountered this pair!


    If not for their rationality telling them that this couple couldn''t possibly have such great capabilities, they might even suspect that the attack on them had been orchestrated by them from behind the scenes!


    "Su Chen, I heard it was you who broke this young master Liu''s leg; aren''t you afraid they will trouble you?"


    Ye Mei nced at the Liu father and son who had just walked in and spat out the words.


    If it had been the Ye Mei from the past, she would have been terribly worried, but ever since the incident with the Phillip Family, she seemed to have developed an inexplicable confidence in Su Chen and was not as fearful.


    Perhaps it was also because the Liu Family was already showing signs of decline, with greatly diminished strength.


    "I''m not afraid of them; it''s you, this little vixen, that I''m quite afraid of."


    Su Chen said jokingly.


    "Afraid of what, that I''ll eat you up?"


    Ye Mei leaned closer to him, casting a provocative gaze filled with innuendo, whispering seductively.


    Su Chen was indeed a bit overwhelmed by Ye Mei''s allure, his heart starting to pound "thump thump" in a flutter.


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue also happened to cast a nce their way, just in time to see the two of them so close together, and her chest heaved with anger!


    If it weren''t for the setting, she would havee over to give this dishonest fellow a piece of her mind right then and there.


    Feeling the tension, Su Chen quickly looked up towards Lin Ruoxue; as their eyes met, he involuntarily trembled inside and hurriedly moved a bit to the side, widening the distance between himself and Ye Mei.


    Ye Mei seemed to understand and didn''t insist on bridging the gap between them any further, instead finding Su Chen''s behavior rather amusing.


    She didn''t expect that this shameless man could also be afraid of his wife!


    After greeting everyone, the Liu father and son continued walking in, but as destiny would have it, they had barely gone far when they nearly simultaneously caught sight of Su Chen, chatting leisurely with a woman not far away.


    Upon sighting Su Chen, the Liu father and son''s expressions immediately darkened, and their gazes towards him were filled with stormy vehemence!


    "Manager Pang!"


    Liu Yongyuan called out in a deep voice.


    As soon as the words were spoken, a man in histe thirties, dressed in a hotel uniform, immediately ran over.


    "Family Head Liu, may I know what you need?"


    Since the hotel was jointly funded by the Four Great Families, Liu Yongyuan was also one of the bosses, thus Manager Pang naturally showed him great respect.


    Actually, even if he wasn''t a boss, given the other''s identity, he wouldn''t dare to be disrespectful.


    "Pang Chao, how do you manage this ce?"


    Liu Yongyuan nced at him coldly:


    "Howe you let in every Tom, Dick, and Harry? It seems you no longer wish to hold your position."


    Liu Yongyuan, as the Family Head of the Liu Family, possessed an inherent authority!


    Upon hearing these words, not only did Manager Pang feel a chill down his spine, but so did the people gathered around Father and Son Liu.


    At the same time, a sense of curiosity rose, wondering whom Family Head Liu was referring to. Who were the "Tom, Dick, and Harry" he was talking about?


    Some of those who had attended the previous celebration banquet vaguely guessed who Liu Yongyuan was targeting, and their gazes began to search around, eventually settling on a young man.


    "Family Head Liu, I don''t know who has caused you such displeasure. Tell me and I will have them removed immediately!"


    Pang Chao didn''t even think before he made the promise.


    "Family Head Liu, isn''t it just that I gave your son a bit of a thrashing? Why be so angry?"


    At that moment, Su Chen, shaking the wine ss in his hand, walked over with a gentle smile still lingering on his lips.


    However, upon hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded, realizing that the injuries of Young Master Liu were caused by this guy!


    Liu Qing, sitting in the wheelchair, clenched his fists tightly, staring at Su Chen with eyes as if he wanted to devour him alive.


    He thought bitterly, I''ve been beaten to this state, and you''re saying it was just a light beating? Have you no shame?


    What was key is that this guy was now uttering such cold remarks, literally rubbing salt into their wounds!


    Simrly, it was a p in the face of the Liu Family, trampling on their dignity!


    The others also realized this and looked at the young man with a mix of surprise and suspicion. What made him bold enough to do such a thing?


    And wasn''t this young man the one who came with Lin Ruoxue? What kind of background did he have, and what was his rtionship with Lin Ruoxue?


    "Family Head Liu, are you referring to this man?"


    Pang Chao also came to understand and quickly asked.


    "Indeed, kick him out at once. I don''t want to see this person today!"


    Liu Yongyuan''s voice was stern once again.


    "Understood, I''ll take care of it immediately!"


    Once Pang Chao finished speaking, he immediately addressed Su Chen:


    "Sir, you are not wee here, please leave immediately!"


    "What if I say no?"


    Su Chen sipped his red wine gently, speaking with a rxed smile.


    "Sir, please be reasonable, and don''t make this difficult for me; otherwise, it won''t look good on you!"


    Pang Chao''s face was stern, and he was very aware of the stance he needed to take...

 Chapter 360: Test

    "What gives you the right to drive him away?"


    At that moment, a cold voice came over, followed by Lin Ruoxue walking over with a displeased expression.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue approaching, everyone fell silent.


    To tell the truth, they still weren''t clear on what the rtionship between Lin Ruoxue and this man was.


    "It was I who wanted to drive him away. How about it, does Boss Lin have an opinion?"


    Liu Yongyuan spoke arrogantly. At this moment, he truly didn''t take Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen seriously.


    If it weren''t for his son wanting to seek his own revenge, he would have had someone throw that man into the river to feed the fish long ago!


    "If that''s the case, then I''ll leave with him. You won''t need to drive us away!"


    Lin Ruoxue spoke forcefully:


    "Furthermore, if the Family Head of the Liu Family feels it''s still not enough, I can withdraw from the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce!"


    Although the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce was thergest in the business circles of Jiangnan, and its resources were beyond what outsiders could imagine, in Lin Ruoxue''s heart, they couldn''tpare to the importance of Su Chen!


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s resolute words, everyone felt a tremor in their hearts, not expecting Lin Ruoxue to be so united with this young man to this extent.


    What exactly was the rtionship between Lin Ruoxue and this man?


    A bit behind Su Chen, Ye Mei''s beautiful eyes lit up, filled with admiration for Lin Ruoxue''s courage!


    Having said this, she walked over to Su Chen and took his hand:


    "Let''s go."


    "No need, the Liu Family doesn''t have the qualifications to drive us away."


    Su Chen said with a smile. Although he didn''t want to attend this kind of social dinner, he knew that Lin Ruoxue highly valued this event.


    Now that Lin Ruoxue wanted to leave with him, it was entirely for his sake, and he couldn''t be so selfish!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone couldn''t help but roll their eyes. The Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce was led by the Four Great Families; how could they not have the right to drive you away?


    Criticizing the Liu Family as merely, you are just relying on the Belle Group, and besides, the current Belle Group and the Liu Family are not even on the same level. Why are you so brazen?


    Keep in mind, no matter its current state, the Liu Family was still one of the Four Great Families, a peak existence in Jiangnan!


    Just then, amotion suddenly erupted from within the crowd, and people turned their gaze towards the door.


    "The Lv Family and the Yun Family have both arrived," someone spoke in a low voice.


    "Why is everyone gathering around, what''s happening? Is it something good?"


    At this moment, a hearty voice rang out, Yun Shiqing and Lv Fang walked straight toward the crowd.


    Yunlong, Yunyao, and Lv Shimo followed the two closely behind.


    Seeing the people from the Yun Family and the Lv Family, the others were equally enthusiastic in greeting them, more ingratiating than before towards the Liu Family.


    "Mr. Su, you''re here too?"


    Yun Shiqing spotted Su Chen in the middle of the crowd at a nce, his face immediately showing a surprised expression.


    Behind Lv Fang, Lv Shimo''s eyes slightly narrowed, and no one knew what he was thinking...


    Upon hearing Yun Shiqing''s voice, everyone was stunned. Why does this guy know the Family Head of the Yun Family?


    And just now, Yun Shiqing actually called him "Mr. Su," clearly showing him great respect.


    Who exactly is this man?


    "He is a ''big brother'' recognized by Yunlong."


    Someone in the know whispered to the people around, and everyone finally started to understand a bit.


    However, there was still some doubt, if it was just that Yunlong acknowledged someone as his elder brother, Yun Shiqing should not have shown the respectful tone he did just now.


    For the time being, people could not think of any other reason and could only assume that Yun Shiqing ced great importance on his son, and thus was very polite to his so-called elder brother.


    "What exactly is going on?"


    Yun Shiqing immediately asked someone next to him.


    Hearing Yun Shiqing''s question, the person next to him quietly said:


    "Family Head Yun, it seems that the situation is like this, Mr. Liu''s injuries appear to have been caused by this man, so Family Head Liu wanted to drive this person out. When Manager Lin heard about it, he said he would leave with him."


    Knowing the details of the situation, Yun Shiqing could not help but frown; indeed, he had heard from Yunlong about his elder brother injuring Liu Qing.


    If it were a trivial matter, a simplement might have sufficed, but the current issue evidently could not be resolved with just a few words.


    "Brother Liu, Mr. Su and my Yun Family do share some connections, could you please, for my sake, turn swords into plowshares and let prosperity flourish?"


    Yun Shiqing said to Liu Yongyuan with a chuckle, knowing it might not be effective, but even considering his son''s friendship with him, he felt obliged to speak up.


    Moreover, Mr. Su''s background might be quite extraordinary!


    Although Liu Yongyuan found Yun Shiqing''s attitude towards this young man somewhat odd, he still scoffed and retorted:


    "Family Head Yun, if it were your son who was beaten up like this, would you let it go? The fact that I didn''t take immediate action today is already giving face to Manager Lin."


    Upon hearing this, Yun Shiqing was immediately at a loss for words; not just him, but likely anyone in such a situation would not let things rest.


    "Family Head Liu is right, this kind of thing is intolerable for anyone; just driving the offender away, he has already shown extreme grace."


    Lv Fang did not speak, but Lv Shimo behind him suddenly said.


    Hearing his son speak this way, Lv Fang also felt it was strange, as it wasn''t the right moment to take a stance, especially since the Lv Family''s opinions carried great weight.


    Yet, Lv Fang did not me his son, believing there must be a reason for his actions, so he added:


    "Brother Yun, don''t make it difficult for Family Head Liu. Such matters are indeed hard to tolerate. Better out of sight, out of mind; just chase this man away."


    In fact, Lv Shimo had not told his father the truth that Su Chen was the killer of his younger brother, otherwise Lv Fang would definitely have been immediately agitated and calling for revenge!


    After all, losing his youngest son, Lv Shixin, had always been the old man''s deepest sorrow!


    As for why Lv Shimo had not told his father the truth, perhaps only he himself knew clearly...


    Upon hearing the Lv Family''s stance, Yun Shiqing suddenly felt a wave of pressure, especially since reason appeared not to be on his side, given that it was Mr. Su who had injured someone!


    Although ording to his son''s ount, Mr. Su was an extremely influential figure, that was still unverified, not one hundred percent certain.


    What if they were wrong?


    As the head of the Yun Family, he must weigh the pros and cons!


    "Dad, you did promise to firmly support my elder brother no matter what!"


    Yunlong whispered behind him, afraid his father might repeat the same mistake as his sister.


    A wry smile appeared on the corner of Yun Shiqing''s mouth; he had made that promise, but when it really came down to it, he still hesitated.


    Any decision from his position was extremely important!


    By blindly siding with one party, he would undoubtedly position the Yun Family against the Liu Family and even offend the Lv Family as well.


    In his indecision, Yun Shiqing couldn''t help but look up at the young man, only to see him looking back meaningfully, his face calm as if he had nothing to do with the current situation...


    Yun Shiqing seemed to understand the meaning in the other''s eyes; it was a test, a test of how he would choose next...

 Chapter 361: You Dont Deserve

    Having sensed Su Chen''s meaningful gaze, Yun Shiqing finally steeled his heart, lifted his head, and said:


    "Brother Liu, Brother Lv, I know this is rather excessive, but Mr. Su once saved my son Yunlong''s life. I hope you can grant me this favor and let this matter slide, can we?"


    Upon hearing Yun Shiqing''s words, everyone immediately understood, no wonder Yunlong treated him as elder brother, no wonder Yun Shiqing was so polite to him¡ªit turned out to be a life-saving favor! That made sense!


    After all, Yun Shiqing had only this one son; naturally, such a favor needed to be greatly repaid!


    Liu Yongyuan hesitated upon hearing this; he hadn''t expected that Su Chen and the Yun Family had this sort of rtionship.


    For Liu Yongyuan, though avenging his son was important, ultimately, the interests of the family were paramount.


    While he could act ording to his moods with individuals like Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen, he had to consider more carefully when dealing with the Yun Family.


    Moreover, although his son''s injuries looked severe, they weren''t going to leave manysting effects. In some time, he would be able to walk with crutches, and in half a year''s time, he could walk normally.


    Plus, the Liu Family wasn''t as influential as before. If they were to confront the Yun Family head-on, it wouldn''t end well.


    With these thoughts, Liu Yongyuan''s expression gradually rxed...


    "To think Uncle Yun and this Mr. Su have such a connection, it really isn''t right to push too far."


    Just then, Lv Shimo spoke up again, ncing at Su Chen as he said:


    "However, since Young Master Liu has been beaten up like this, perhaps Mr. Su should simply apologize to him, and we can let this matter rest, what do you say? If not even that is eptable, where would we put the dignity of Uncle Liu and the Liu Family?"


    Once these words were spoken, everyone felt it made sense and nodded in agreement.


    However, Su Chen gradually narrowed his eyes. This eldest son of the Lv Family was indeed not easy to deal with, hiding a knife in his smile!


    He appeared very reasonable and fair, but he had ced himself and the Liu Family high above.


    Originally, he had also noticed that Liu Yongyuan''s attitude had softened. A mere mention of "giving face to the Yun Family Head" could have let the matter rest.


    This would not only preserve the Liu Family''s dignity but might even make others think the Liu Family was magnanimous.


    But with Lv Shimo''s words, they were left with only one option¡ªSu Chen must apologize!


    If Su Chen didn''t apologize, then the Liu Family could not let the matter drop without losing face!


    Given Lv Shimo''s wisdom, he probably could guess what choice he would make, thus escting the conflictpletely. In such a situation, it became a matter of who had more leverage.


    Su Chen, while not afraid to confront the Liu Family openly, also disliked being manipted.


    If he wanted to y it this way, then a suitable opportunity to really engage would have to be found...


    At this point, Yun Shiqing had nothing more to say, only probing by looking at Su Chen, while Su Chen''s face remained undisturbed.


    Liu Yongyuan pondered for a moment, then said earnestly:


    "Mr. Su, out of respect for the Yun Family Head, please apologize to my son, and we will consider this matter resolved."


    In Liu Yongyuan''s view, this request was already very lenient. Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn''t refuse.


    It wasn''t just Liu Yongyuan; others felt the same. To only ask for an apology after beating the young master of the Liu Family to a wheelchair was truly merciful!


    Although Liu Qing was itching to y and devour Su Chen, the current situation forced him to contain his anger, and he said:


    "Fine, as long as you properly apologize to me, I will forgive you!"


    Su Chen looked at these people and, with a hint of amusement, clicked his tongue. He knew all too well that this was just a temporarypromise by Liu Yongyuan and his son, and they could not possibly let it go so easily.


    However, he was also a bit puzzled. It had been so long since that incident, and it seemed like the Liu Family had not taken any drastic action. Could it be that they had no ulterior motive?


    Because this was so unlike the behavior of these major families. Or had they changed their approach?


    Of course, Su Chen''s smile was not because he saw through the hypocrisy of the Liu Family, but because he had never intended to apologize in the first ce.


    Apologize to them? They would first need to prove they were worthy of that.


    Have you ever seen an elephant apologize to an ant it has stepped on?


    Lin Ruoxue gently tugged at Su Chen''s sleeve from the side, believing that if an apology could resolve the matter, it would already be an ideal situation.


    "Apologize?"


    Su Chen didn''t respond to Lin Ruoxue''s subtle gesture, but instead, he smiled and shook his head, saying,


    "I might apologize for littering to the janitor, or for stepping on crops to the farmer, or for running a red light to the traffic cop."


    "But sorry, I will not apologize to the Liu Family for hitting this young master Liu."


    As Su Chen said this, he looked at Liu Yongyuan and his son with a yful nce and spat,


    "Because¡ªyou don''t deserve it!"


    At those words, the room instantly erupted, and everyone''s eyes widened with disbelief!


    This guy had hit young master Liu, and all the Liu Family wanted was an apology, yet he was unwilling to give even that!


    Not only did he refuse to apologize, but he also insulted the Liu Family by saying they didn''t deserve one!


    Wasn''t this courting death and forcing the Liu Family not to let him off the hook?


    Yun Shiqing also didn''t expect Mr. Su to be so stubborn, unwilling to lower his head even slightly.


    Moreover, his words had not resolved the conflict but had escted it!


    Even Yun Shiqing began to feel a headacheing on, somewhat at a loss about what to do...


    Hidden behind Lv Fang, Lv Shimo''s eyes gleamed with a hard-to-detect sparkle, as if he had anticipated such a scenario and, of course, he relished it.


    Indeed, right after Su Chen''s words, Liu Yongyuan''s face instantly darkened, his expression so grim it almost seemed as if it could drip water!


    "Family Head Yun, as you can see, the matter today is not that I am not giving you face, but this young man is showing no respect for my Liu Family."


    Liu Yongyuan said in a deep voice,


    "Manager Pang, what are you waiting for? Get this bastard out of here right now!"


    "Exactly, kick this disrespectful fellow out. He''s way out of line for not respecting the four great families. He''s not wee here!"


    Lv Fang also timely expressed his stance, of course at the behest of Lv Shimo behind him.


    Although the Yun Family seemed to have a deep connection with this young man, with both the Liu Family and Lv Family speaking up, he had no choice but toply!


    Just as Pang Chao was about to kick Su Chen out, Yunlong urgently spoke from behind Yun Shiqing,


    "Dad, indecision leads to disaster, don''t hesitate, stand firm to the end!"

 Chapter 362: Red Rose, The Daughter of the Wu Family

    Yunlong knew that he hardly had any chance to speak at such an event, so he could only hope that his father would take a firmer stance!


    He knew that his eldest brother must be watching the Yun Family''s actions. Although his father had stood on his brother''s side before, his attitude had always been very smooth, not wanting to offend the other two families.


    Even he had noticed this point, and he believed his brother must have seen it too. Such an attitude carried no weight at all.


    "Dad, just listen to your son this time! Our Yun Family will have to be handed over to him sooner orter!"


    Yunyao also echoed silently from behind, although she still found that bad guy very annoying!


    Hearing his children''s words, Yun Shiqing couldn''t help but sigh deeply. Well, he might as well listen to his son! Just as his daughter said, the Yun Family''s burden would have to be borne by him sooner orter.


    With that thought, Yun Shiqing''s attitude became resolute, and he shouted harshly:


    "This Mr. Su has done a great favor for my family. As long as I am here, no one will think of driving the person out today, otherwise, they will be making an enemy of my Yun Family!"


    As soon as these words fell, everyone was shocked. The Yun Family actually confronted the Liu Family and even the Lv Family in public for this young man!


    After their shock, excitement soon appeared in everyone''s eyes. A conflict between the Four Great Families was very rare, no, it was probably the first time!


    "Yun Family Head, are you really going to oppose my Liu Family?"


    Liu Yongyuan spoke with an unfriendly expression. At such a time, he could not lose face no matter what, and must take a tough stance!


    "Liu Family Head, our Yun Family has no intention of opposing your Liu Family, but I am determined to protect this young man today!"


    Yun Shiqing also knew that once a decision was made, he must clearly express his stance, or he would displease both sides.


    "So I still hope the Liu Family can give our Yun Family some face, and let this matter go."


    Yun Shiqing continued to say.


    "Yun Shiqing, I have already given you face. Let it go if he apologizes, but you have seen his attitude,"


    Liu Yongyuan suddenly raised his voice, shouting:


    "Although my Liu Family has suffered a misfortune recently, we are not made of y!"


    "Today, either he apologizes, or he is driven out!"


    "Right, Family Head Liu has already gone to great lengths, Brother Yun, why press someone so hard?"


    Lv Fang sighed and said:


    "Put yourself in our shoes. If your nephew Yunlong was beaten like this, and if the other party refused to apologize, would you just let it go?"


    Ironically, Lv Fang still didn''t know that this young man had even killed his own son!


    Yun Shiqing, hearing this, was at a loss for words, but he still said:


    "Brother Liu, please give me face today and let this matter pass for now. Afterwards, I will definitely prepare a generous gift and personallye to the Liu Family to apologize. How about that?"


    Liu Yongyuan hesitated slightly upon hearing Yun Shiqing''s words. Yun Shiqing had spoken to this point, giving enough face to the Liu Family.


    If he now went along with it, it wouldn''t look too bad...


    After all, he wasn''t keen on starting a conflict with the Yun Family; it was just that he had been provoked by Lv Shimo''s words.


    Liu Yongyuan was certainly angry, but not to the point of losing his rationale in a blind rage.


    Lv Shimo sensed that Liu Yongyuan''s attitude was softening again and was about to add fuel to the fire. However, before he could open his mouth, he noticed a greatermotion in the crowd. Many people''s gazes were drawn to the entrance.


    Lv Shimo too followed the crowd''s gaze towards that direction, and when he saw the approaching group, his eyes suddenly emitted a sharp light!


    The Wu Family had arrived at this moment. What a stroke of luck for me!


    Within the information he had gathered, it seemed that this Su Chen had some unresolved issues with certain members of the Wu Family, adding even more excitement to the mix!


    The Wu Family, of course, was led by the venerable old Mrs. Wu, followed by her two sons and two grandsons. Beside her was a person clothed in a purple robe.


    As soon as everyone saw the arrival of Mrs. Wu and her entourage, they showed a respectful look, hurriedly stepped forward to greet her, all smiles on their faces!


    At that moment, everyone shifted their focus from the recent feud between the Yun and Liu Families to the Wu Family members.


    After all, the Wu Family was indisputably the premier family in Jiangnan, with strength and heritage surpassing that of the others.


    One might even say that in Huaxia, with the exception of a few families in Yandu, the Wu Family was second to none, or at very least on par with the rest!


    In other words, the Wu Family stood at the pinnacle of Huaxia''s second-tier families!


    The Wu Family members had long been ustomed to ttery and sycophancy; they merely smiled faintly, not saying much.


    As soon as Mrs. Wu entered, her gaze swept around, as though searching for something.


    When her eyes fell upon Ye Mei, who was stood not far behind Su Chen, they immediately brightened, and she walked directly over,


    "Little Mei, I knew you would definitelye today; sure enough,"


    Mrs. Wu said briskly as she ran over. Just as she was about to take Ye Mei''s hand, Ye Mei subtly pulled her hand back, dodging the touch.


    Mrs. Wu knew well that Ye Mei had a deep grudge against her and the entire Wu Family, so she didn''t pay too much mind to such a reaction.


    However, others were quite surprised to see Mrs. Wu approach a woman with such warmth, thinking to themselves who this beautiful woman was that deserved such a treatment from Mrs. Wu!


    To be honest, Ye Mei was well-known, butrgely for her reputation as the Red Rose. Among these businessmen, not too many recognized Ye Mei''s true face; in fact, even fewer than those who knew Su Chen.


    If she wasn''t dressed in professional attire, quite a few people might have thought she was a star attending the banquet!


    Seeing the puzzled looks from the crowd toward her and Ye Mei, Mrs. Wu smiled slightly and then announced loudly,


    "You all must be very curious about the rtionship between this beautiful girl and myself."


    As expected, upon hearing this, everyone perked up their ears...


    "I''ll tell you all now; this girl is called Ye Mei and she is the Red Rose known by many in Jianghai!"


    Mrs. Wu continued her emphatic deration.


    "So, she is the Red Rose!"


    "I''ve heard Red Rose was beautiful, but I never imagined she would be this stunning!"


    "Indeed beautiful, if it weren''t mentioned, I would never have guessed she was the Red Rose."


    .....


    As soon as they heard Mrs. Wu''s words, people immediately began murmuring in surprise, even Lin Ruoxue looked at her with amazement.


    She hadn''t expected that the woman who had been "cozying up" with her husband was the famous Red Rose of Jianghai''s underworld!


    However, this revtion left everyone even more puzzled: What was the rtionship between Red Rose and the Wu Family?


    Why did Mrs. Wu treat her like a junior?


    Even Ye Mei looked at Mrs. Wu with confusion, wondering what she was up to.


    Mrs. Wu, seemingly aware of everyone''s thoughts, scanned the crowd with her eyes and then solemnly announced, word by word,


    "Not only is Ye Mei the Red Rose, she is also a daughter of our Wu Family!"

 Chapter 363: Can the Wu Family Show Some Shame?

    The onlookers were suddenly stunned when they heard this. The Red Rose is the daughter of the Wu Family?


    How is that possible? The news was too explosive, wasn''t it?


    Upon hearing Mrs. Wu expose her identity in front of so many people, Ye Mei''s face turned pale. Thest thing she wanted was to have any association with the Wu Family.


    Although she was unwilling, it was the truth after all. She didn''t understand why Mrs. Wu suddenly dropped this bombshell and what her intention was.


    "Previously, Ye Mei had some minor disagreements with our Wu Family, so she went out on her own to make her mark. Fortunately, she has achieved some sess over the years, and the olddy is greatlyforted."


    Mrs. Wu appeared like a gentle grandmother at this moment, her face bearing a warm smile, and her gaze towards Ye Mei was filled with tenderness:


    "But a wandering bird must eventually return to its nest. She is, after all, part of our Wu Family. Therefore, today I take this opportunity to formally announce that, from today on, Ye Mei will officially return to our Wu Family!"


    "Ye Mei is now running an investment group and doing quite well. However, the olddy here begs everyone, please continue to support her in the future. I thank you all here," said Mrs. Wu, even bending slightly to the crowd.


    Seeing Mrs. Wu in this manner, the crowd hurriedly protested:


    "No, no, that won''t do!"


    Everyone promptly promised tomunicate more with Ye Mei and to help her whenever they could.


    For them, who were anxious to find a way to connect with the Wu Family''s big ship, such an opportunity was not to be missed.


    Ye Mei was also dumbfounded. She didn''t expect the olddy to pull such a move suddenly, and she was somewhat unsure of what to do.


    She was inclined to refuse, not wanting to have any ties with the Wu Family, but for some reason, she found herself speechless.


    When Wu Jinjun heard his mother''s words, his eyes showed a flicker of surprise; after all, Ye Mei was his daughter.


    Seeing that Ye Mei didn''t immediately refuse as she had anticipated, Mrs. Wu took advantage of the moment to smile warmly:


    "I have another piece of good news to tell everyone, and that''s that our Ye Mei is going to marry the third son of the Situ Family from Yandu very soon. I hope everyone wille to have a drink when the timees!"


    As soon as these words fell, everyone was shocked!


    The Wu Family was actually going to have a marriage alliance with the Situ Family from Yandu¡ªthis was a soaring move!


    The other top three families weren''t as shocked because they had already heard the news. They justmented that the gap between the Wu Family and them was growing wider!


    "No, I refuse, I won''t marry into the Situ Family, never!"


    As soon as Mrs. Wu announced the marriage publicly, Ye Mei immediately snapped back to attention and firmly dered.


    The crowd couldn''t help but be surprised, thinking, marrying into the Situ Family from Yandu was something many people longed for.


    Why would the Red Rose refuse? What was she thinking?


    "Ye Mei, after all, I am your grandmother. Would I harm you?"


    Seeing Ye Mei''s refusal, Mrs. Wu''s eyes shot out a sharp gleam, then quickly softened, returning to a benign expression:


    "Ye Mei, I know the third son of the Situ Family. Not only is he handsome, he has made it into Harvard Business School on his own merits and is about to return to the country. Finding such a spouse is like looking for a needle in a haystack, not to mention that he belongs to the Situ Family!"


    Mrs. Wu knew that Ye Mei had always been against this arranged marriage, so she had nned in advance to move Ye Mei with warmth, and to announce the engagement in a gathering of the upper-ss elite.


    In this way, as long as Ye Mei showed the slightest hesitation, the situation would seem like a fait apli, making it much harder for her to turn back.


    ```


    Even if she wanted to go back on her word, the news had already spread. The Situ Family, for the sake of their family''s honor, would resort to any means necessary to ensure they married Ye Mei.


    Thus, the alliance through marriage was as good as settled!


    She believed that with the power of her Wu Family and the Situ Family in Yandu, even if Ye Mei had any capabilities, she wouldn''t be able to cause much of a stir!


    As for whether Ye Mei herself was willing or not, that had already be irrelevant to families like theirs.


    What she hadn''t expected was Ye Mei''s utter distaste for the arranged marriage; she didn''t even think before she outright rejected it!


    "No matter what you say, I will never marry into the Situ Family. The Wu Family might as well give up on this idea!"


    Ye Mei had alsoe to realize that the elder Mrs. Wu''s uncharacteristically fervent behavior was, in the end, just a ploy totch onto the prestigious Situ Family!


    "Ye Mei, let me put it bluntly," the olddy''s tone had once again turned cold, with an unmistakable threat in her voice,


    When Ye Mei heard this, her pretty face also paled, aware that, alone, she would find it very difficult to withstand the Situ Family''s might.


    If she remained stubborn, she feared there would be no good end for her. Actually, she wasn''t too worried about herself; if worse came to worst, she could just end it all. But what she was concerned about was her mother!


    "p p p!"


    Just then, a sudden burst of apuse rang out, and everyone couldn''t help but follow the sound to look over...


    "Does the Wu Family even have any shame left?"


    Su Chen, pping his hands with a slight smile on his face, walked over to Ye Mei''s side...


    However, as the crowd heard Su Chen''s words, they were stunned, jaws dropping. It was one thing for him to have a beef with the Liu Family, but why was he suddenly provoking the Wu Family?


    And to start off by sarcastically asking if the Wu Family had any shame, was he truly in a rush to meet his demise?


    Lin Ruoxue, seeing Su Chen suddenly stepping forward and speaking out like that, felt a tremor in her heart!


    "This guy, why can''t he just behave? Getting into trouble before was bad enough, but now he''s gotten mixed up with the Wu Family? Is the Wu Family someone you can afford to provoke?"


    "Could this guy be doing it for that woman? What exactly is their rtionship?"


    Lin Ruoxue thought with some resentment, but what she was more worried about at the moment was Su Chen, for on thend of Jiangnan, no one dared to offend the Wu Family!


    It wasn''t just Lin Ruoxue; Yun Shiqing was also experiencing a splitting headache!


    Yunlong''s older brother was indeed a restless one¡ªas soon as the Wu Family arrived, he had stirred up trouble again!


    "What are you, and what gives you the right to speak here?"


    The old Mrs. Wu turned her head to look at the approaching man, then her pupils suddenly dted:


    "It''s you!"


    Of course, Mrs. Wu had seen photos of Su Chen because the Wu Family had suffered heavy losses in their pursuit to eliminate him, including the lives of several Martial Arts experts. These losses made Mrs. Wu''s heart bleed to this day!


    When she had first arrived, all her attention had been focused on Ye Mei, and she truly hadn''t noticed Su Chen''s presence!


    Now, facing the man who had shamed Mrs. Wu and inflicted severe losses on them, Mrs. Wu''s murky eyes instantly shed with lightning, and her face turned utterly dark!


    ```

 Chapter 364 - 364 What Do You Think I, Su Chen, Am?

    "It''s rare, Mrs. Wu actually recognizes me, such a minor figure!"


    Su Chen cornered up a faint smile and said.


    "Young man, you''ve got guts, daring to meddle in the affairs of the Wu Family!"


    Mrs. Wu sinisterly spat out.


    In fact, Su Chen had been on the olddy''s hit list for a long time, not just for the sake of the Wu Family''s honor, but even on ount of Yang Rong, she had to eliminate him!


    Beyond these two reasons, there was an even more important one ¡ª Mrs. Wu once mentioned that this man seemed to be Ye Mei''s boyfriend!


    Mrs. Wu would never allow anyone to sabotage the arranged marriage between the Wu Family and the Situ Family, which was why Su Chen had to die!


    If it weren''t for this reason, Mrs. Wu might have given up after her first two failures.


    Having controlled the Wu Family for decades, how could she possibly be a hothead who acts impulsively regardless of the consequences!


    Everything she did was fundamentally for the future of the Wu Family!


    Now that this young man had taken a stand because of Ye Mei, it seemed to confirm even more the deep ties between him and Ye Mei, which further solidified Mrs. Wu''s resolve to get rid of him!


    Moreover, they couldn''t dy too long, because the third young master of the Situ Family would be returning soon...


    "I''m actually not interested in the affairs of your Wu Family, but Miss Ye is my friend, and no one can force her into anything she doesn''t want to."


    Su Chen pulled out a cigarette, casually took a puff, nced at Mrs. Wu, and said coolly:


    "Neither the Wu Family nor the Situ Family can!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Ye Mei couldn''t help but emit a faint shimmer in her beautiful eyes, feeling deeply moved!


    Su Chen also looked at her, smiled slightly, and cast a reassuring nce.


    Lin Ruoxue, watching their affectionate exchange, felt somewhat sour and decided to go back and interrogate him thoroughly, outraged at his boldness under her watch!


    However, these minor emotions were just a fleeting thought in Lin Ruoxue''s mind, as resolving the conflict with the Wu Family was still the most pressing concern!


    Although she knew her husband was no ordinary person, in her eyes, the Wu Family still stood as an unmatched force, and her worries remained inevitable.


    It wasn''t just her feeling this; everyone in Jiangnan saw the Wu Family as an insurmountable peak, a notion that formed over a long time.


    This was why the onlookers scornfully curled their lips.


    Thinking you''re something special, as if neither the Wu Family nor the Situ Family wouldn''t suffice for you!


    Either of these two families, any of them, would be an entity you, a mortal, could never contend with!


    Even Yunlong, who had always had great faith in Su Chen, couldn''t help but feel that his elder brother was being too disrespectful.


    He believed Su Chen wouldn''t fear the Wu Family, but the Situ Family and the Wu Family were not on the same level at all, those were the top-tier families of Yandu!


    If you''re not in that circle, you will never know how terrifying those families can be!


    They have be the top families in Huaxia and have been passed down for so many years; their heritage and strength are anything but ordinary!


    "Young man, it''s good to be confident, but overconfidence will have you dying without even knowing how you died!"


    Mrs. Wu coldly looked at Su Chen and spat out.


    "Indeed, madam, there is still another matter I wish you to preside over!"


    Liu Yongyuan saw this young maning up against the Wu Family and naturally decided to kick him while he was down.


    Before, with the mediation by the Yun Family, he did have some thoughts on making peace, but seeing this fellow confronting the Wu Family, he immediately tossed those thoughts aside!


    "Good, let the Family Head of the Liu Family speak!"


    Mrs. Wu nodded her head.


    Thus, Liu Yongyuan summarized the previous events simply, while Lv Family father and son also chimed in from the side.


    After hearing what they had said, Mrs. Wu suddenly shouted loudly,


    "Then what else is there to discuss? Drive him out immediately!"


    "But what about the Yun Family Head¡­?"


    Lv Shimo deliberately mentioned Yun Shiqing.


    "Yun Family Head, although this young man owes a favor to your Yun Family, if he does nothing, where would you put the Liu Family''s face? Isn''t that right?"


    Mrs. Wu, squinting her eyes, said before,


    "Since he refuses to apologize, we can only drive him out; I believe the Yun Family Head should understand this!"


    "Moreover, we are only driving him out and haven''t done anything to him. This is already showing respect to your Yun Family. What do you think?"


    Mrs. Wu continued, her face exhibiting an undeniable expression.


    "This¡­ this¡­ I¡­"


    Yun Shiqing''s mouth twitched, somewhat at a loss for words.


    Against the Liu and Lv Families, he could still bear it gritting his teeth, but with the Wu Family added, he truly felt overwhelmed!


    Even though Yunlong had once said that, in his older brother''s eyes, the Wu Family was nothing but garbage, he dared not gamble!


    The consequences of losing the gamble were unbearable, and if he offended the other three of the Four Great Families, could the Yun Family even remain in Jiangnan?


    "I¡­ I agree."


    Although his son Yunlong was tugging at his clothes from behind, Yun Shiqing seemed unaware, sighed, and nodded in agreement.


    Su Chen, hearing this, also inwardly sighed. One''s vision ultimately decides how far they can go; even if you let him peek at the world beyond the well, he still wouldn''t dare to jump out and would end up falling back into the well.


    This behavior of Yun Shiqing had dispelled his previous intention to support the Yun Family, unless one day Yunlong became the Family Head, then perhaps there might be a possibility.


    Yunlong and Yunyao also cast apologetic nces at Su Chen, but he merely smiled indifferently.


    "Manager Pang, what are you hesitating for?"


    Mrs. Wu huffed coldly, although she was eager to resolve the issue with this young man immediately, she would never act on such an impulse at this event.


    Today, she merely intended to make this young man lose face to vent her frustration.


    Normally, she would have been cautious of the master hidden by his side, but in today''s setting, that so-called mysterious master definitely wasn''t present.


    Given that, why should she have any hesitations?


    Seeing that all the Four Great Families had agreed, Manager Pang no longer hesitated, immediately called some security guards to prepare to drive this young man out.


    Seeing this, Lin Ruoxue also prepared to leave with Su Chen. Since these people wanted to drive her husband out, what reason did she have to stay?


    Although she was unhappy about his ambiguity with that red rose, that was an internal dispute within their family.


    Now, she would resolutely stand by Su Chen''s side!


    However, before Lin Ruoxue could step out, Su Chen suddenly approached Mrs. Wu and sneered,


    "What do you think I am, Su Chen? Someone you can just drive out whenever you wish?"


    "Have you few be so ustomed to having your way in Jiangnan that you think you are the sky, the earth?"


    Su Chen''s gaze swept over the faces of the people from the Four Great Families, speaking teasingly, his face filled with disdain¡­

 Chapter 365: To be old and not dead is to be a thief

    It has to be said, Su Chen''s words were bold, nearly stepping on the faces of the Four Great Families all at once!


    But what he said was not wrong, the Four Great Families indeed were used to having the final say and considered themselves superior!


    However, these wordsing from Su Chen''s mouth had a different taste because when he said them, they were filled with a mocking tone, as if he was looking at clowns!


    The enthusiasm of the onlookers was ignited instantly, everyone''s blood was boiling ¡ª this was about one man challenging the Four Great Families!


    First of all, regardless of whether this was suicidal, just the courage alone was unique!


    "Young man, what gives you the right to speak so arrogantly!"


    Madam Wu was also angered by this young man''s arrogant demeanor; when had her family ever been scorned like this?


    The others, including Yun Shiqing, also had somewhat unpleasant expressions, after all, the young man had cursed them all, but with Madam Wu stepping forward, they didn''t say much.


    Yet, Yun Shiqing was still somewhat anticipating Yunlong''s performance toe, even though reason told him this young man would hardly stir up much trouble.


    "When I see you, I am reminded of a saying, do you know what it is?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and smiled at Madam Wu.


    "What?" Madam Wu said arrogantly, "Only now you think of ttering me, let me tell you, it''s toote!"


    Madam Wu thought Su Chen was scared because he had incited public wrath, so he wanted topliment her, hoping the great families would let him go.


    Su Chen shook his head, looked at Madam Wu, and said word by word:


    "That saying is, ''A bad penny always turns up''. It''smonly known as an old crook, or simply ''won''t die''."


    As soon as Su Chen''s words fell, the entire ce became eerily silent.


    Everyone''s mouth was agape, looking incredulously at the young man who always had a faint smile on his face.


    Had he gone mad?


    What had he just said?


    "Old crook?" "Won''t die''?"


    Did he know who he was insulting?


    At that moment, everyone felt like their brains weren''t functioning!


    Yun Shiqing felt the same; he had hoped to see Su Chen''s next performance.


    But your performance was just too blunt and rough!


    It far exceeded their imaginations!


    Lin Ruoxue and Ye Mei were equally shocked, then their faces turned somewhat pale, their bodies tense and nearly unable to stand!


    They deeply feared that tomorrow, a corpse might be fished out from a river in Jianghai!


    Liu Yongyuan and his son were also looking at the young man with astonished faces; was this guy too fierce?


    This was Madam Wu!


    Wu Yuanpin, after hearing Su Chen''s words, was initially stunned, then became overjoyed!


    This kid was just too to his taste, since he had always wanted to kill Su Chen butcked the strength!


    For this, he had been scared for a long time, afraid that one day while walking down the street, this guy would just take him out.


    He initially thought, because of the incident with his mother, that this guy was surely doomed, yet Madam Wu sent several people and they all vanished without a trace.


    Even the Rank Leader had disappeared without a trace, likely meeting a grim fate, which only heightened Wu Yuanpin''s fears!


    Although the Wu family matriarch suspected he had a master by his side, Wu Yuanpin knew it was he himself who was the master, but to protect his own image, he didn''t reveal this critical information because it was tied to his disgraceful past.


    Wu Yuanpin had been worried about not finding an opportunity to urge the olddy to take ruthless actions, but unexpectedly today, this young man outright called her an ''old thief, dead but not yet gone''!


    For him, this was akin to a huge pie falling from the sky!


    Now the olddy had to eliminate this guy no matter what, otherwise, the respect she had umted over her lifetime would be utterly lost!


    As long as the olddy risked everything to eliminate someone, Wu Yuanpin believed she could definitely do it, knowing there was a Rank Leader and a patron in the family who he hadn''t even met!


    If either of these two made a move, he believed, even if Su Chen had nine lives, he would only be met with death!


    Sharing simr thoughts as Wu Yuanpin was Lv Shimo, Su Chen was just too "obedient," he didn''t even need to do anything as Su Chen continuously sent himself towards his own doom, and Lv Shimo was naturally happy to see it seed!


    Standing behind the Wu family matriarch, her eldest son Wu Jingui had an expression no one could decipher on his face, but he still had to feign anger.


    When the Wu family matriarch heard Su Chen''s words, she almost fainted on the spot. She had lived for so long, yet no one had dared to curse her to her face like this!


    The Wu family matriarch''s face immediately turned pitch ck, her body trembled uncontrobly, and her eyes emitted a fierce cold light!


    "Do you want to die?"


    The Wu family matriarch red at Su Chen, speaking menacingly.


    Everyone watching the Wu family matriarch''s demeanor shuddered!


    This Wu family matriarch was no kind-hearted soul; this young man would be lucky simply to die without pain, enjoying a moment''s brashness!


    Lin Ruoxue and Ye Mei seeing the Wu family matriarch''s expression also shuddered violently, and couldn''t help but feel scared.


    "Olddy, please spare Su Chen, if anything happens to him, I will never marry into the Situ Family even if it kills me!"


    Ye Mei "thud" knelt in front of the olddy, her tone resolute as she spoke.


    Ye Mei had always been reluctant to marry into the Situ Family, so much that she even had Su Chen help her rescue her mother.


    But when Su Chen really started shing with the Wu family, for some reason, Ye Mei became immensely fearful that Su Chen would get hurt¡ªafter all, it was the Wu family!


    Initially, Ye Mei only wanted to use Su Chen, but as time passed, she realized that this man was bing increasingly important in her eyes!


    Even though Su Chen might have the power to fight the Wu family, concern creates chaos, and at this moment, she did not want Su Chen to risk anything!


    She herself didn''t know when exactly this man had gained such an important ce in her heart!


    Seeing this scene, a glint shed in the Wu family matriarch''s eyes, then she looked at Ye Mei and said:


    "If I spare him, will you agree to marry into the Situ Family?"


    Hearing the Wu family matriarch''s question, Ye Mei felt conflicted inside, and after a moment, she finally nodded her head!


    "Perhaps, this is my fate!"


    Ye Mei thought to herself, her expression turning somber¡­


    The onlookers sighed, some even despised the Wu family for employing such tactics publicly, which seemed somewhat disgraceful.


    Lin Ruoxue, witnessing this scene, had mixed feelings. She had not expected this woman to willingly marry a man she did not wish to marry for the sake of Su Chen.


    As a woman herself, Lin Ruoxue certainly understood what marriage meant to a woman!


    And this woman, for the sake of her husband, was willing to make such a sacrifice, which clearly showed that their rtionship was extraordinary!


    Logically, Lin Ruoxue should feel intense hatred for her, but she found she couldn''t muster the hatred, feeling more sympathy instead¡­

 Chapter 366 - 366 Shocking the Entire Audience

    ```


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen, it was this guy who had caused all the trouble, yet it was a woman who had to bear the consequences!


    Su Chen looked at Ye Mei, who was kneeling on the ground with a deste expression, and felt very ufortable. He had not expected Ye Mei to do such a thing.


    "Fine, I promise you, I won''t pursue this matter with the young man any longer!"


    Old Madam Wu spoke heartily, her tone filled with triumphant satisfaction.


    For her and the Wu Family, the arranged marriage with the Situ Family was always of paramount importance. Having resolved this matter, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Of course, Old Madam Wu''s words were nothing but a pretense; the closer the two people were, the more she wanted to eliminate this young man!


    "I disagree!"


    However, at that moment, a casual voice sounded.


    Everyone, upon hearing this voice, couldn''t help but be slightly startled, then turned their gaze towards Su Chen.


    Su Chen, however, paid no attention to the stares of the others, and instead helped Ye Mei to her feet, sighing:


    "You needn''t do this, I''ve said before, we''re friends, I won''t let you marry someone you don''t want to."


    Just as the matter seemed to have been settled, it was thrown into disarray again. Old Madam Wu''s eyes narrowed, and sharp gleams shot out:


    "This is the Wu Family''s affair, what right have you to gossip? If it weren''t for Ye Mei pleading on your behalf, I would have had you carried out horizontally today!"


    Su Chen looked at Old Madam Wu, but said nothing, his eyes as calm as water, and his hand shot out directly!


    "p!"


    A loud p echoed throughout the hotel lobby...


    Old Madam Wu covered her reddened face, looking at Su Chen in disbelief.


    Everyone was stunned, their heads buzzing.


    Had this young man just pped Old Madam Wu?!


    God, that was explosive!


    This was the only living ancestor from the Four Great Families in Jiangnan!


    In the Jiangnan region, even high-ranking officials had to show the utmost respect to her.


    Even a casual word from her could decide life and death!


    Yet today, at the Jiangnan Commerce Association''s evening gathering, in this ce where celebrities and tycoons gathered, Old Madam Wu had been pped by a young man!


    Moreover, the p was exceptionally loud! The p also resonated in everyone''s hearts!


    Yun Shiqing and his daughter, Liu Yongyuan and his son, Lin Ruoxue, including Ye Mei, were all stunned by the p, shocked beyond measure!


    However, the most shocked person in the room was the purple-robed individual standing beside Old Madam Wu, who hadn''t even noticed the young man''s movement before the p had sounded!


    How swift must that have been!


    The purple-robed individual looked at Su Chen with a solemn expression.


    Wu Yuanpin was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, pointing at Su Chen and cursing:


    "You bastard! How dare you strike my grandmother, are you tired of living!"


    "p!"


    An even louder sound appeared out of nowhere, Wu Yuanpin was spun a full one hundred and eighty degrees by the p, his head spinning and seeing stars!


    "Noisy!"


    Su Chen swung out a p and muttered disdainfully.


    This p from Su Chen snapped all the previously stunned onlookers back to reality, and everyone was at a loss as to what kind of expression to make.


    "Yuanpin! Are you alright?"


    Wu Jingui, seeing his son being hit, immediately became frantic, hastily supporting his son''s tottering body.


    "Young man, do you realize what you are doing?"


    ```


    Mrs. Wu clenched her teeth in rage, as her face seemed to be covered in ayer of ice frost, and the fierce aura around her recklessly spread out!


    "Smack!"


    Su Chen, with a backhand, delivered another p directly!


    Mrs. Wu immediately fell to the ground from Su Chen''s p, her hair disheveled, and blood oozing from the corner of her mouth!


    "Mother!"


    Wu Jingui and Wu Jinjun both cried out in shock, hurriedly rushing over to check on Mrs. Wu''s condition, soon followed by Wu Yuanli who also helped lift the olddy up.


    At this moment, Mrs. Wu bore no resemnce to her usual imposing manner of giving orders and looking down on others.


    Her hair hung loose, both cheeks were visibly swollen and as red as blood, each bearing a clear palm print!


    Blood continuously trickled from the corner of her mouth, strikingly conspicuous, Mrs. Wu''s current state was as pitiful as it could get!


    "You old hag! Now do you still ask if I know what I am doing?"


    Su Chen tilted his head, looking at Mrs. Wu with a smile that wasn''t quite a smile.


    The onlookers, seeing Su Chen''s wicked expression, felt as if they had seen a ghost¡ªwas this boy too violent!


    Without saying much, it was just a p, and he had pped the Wu Family''s matriarch and her most beloved grandson!


    Yet, he did it so effortlessly, as casually as eating or drinking...


    Even his movements were so fluid, they were ''pleasing to the eye'' for those who watched!


    "You little punk, do you know how to write the word ''death''?"


    Wu Jinjun roared furiously, his face stern, his eyes aze with rage!


    This kid had repeatedly humiliated his mother and son, acting ruthless, showing utter disregard for the Wu Family!


    Although Wu Jinjun did not hold much real power, he was nominally the Family Head of the Wu Family and carried his own authority!


    At this moment, his roar was like a tiger''s bellow in the forest, a fierce beasting down the mountain, scaring the crowd into an involuntary shudder!


    "Thump!"


    Su Chen nced at him with disgust and kicked him away, sending him flying four or five meters before he heavily fell to the ground.


    Though Wu Jinjun was still quite healthy, how could he withstand Su Chen''s kick, even though Su Chen had used less than ten percent of his strength!


    "What right do you have to speak? Tell you what, this kick is for Ye Mei, because you do not deserve to be a father!"


    Su Chen nced at Wu Jinjun on the ground, his face cold as he spat out his words.


    It was then that the crowd realized, this stunning red rose was actually Wu Jinjun''s daughter, and for the sake of family interests, he was actually willing to give her away to others!


    The onlookers all looked at Wu Jinjun with a hint of disdain in their eyes. After all, even a tiger does not eat its offspring!


    However, they also understood that within Great Families, there was only the interests of the family; why would they care about a person''s happiness?


    "What are you doing? Letting him act so recklessly?"


    Mrs. Wu shouted at the man in purple robes standing beside her.


    The man in purple robes had beenpletely stupefied, and upon hearing Mrs. Wu''s words, he bitterly pursed his lips not knowing how to respond.


    After Su Chen pped Mrs. Wu for the first time, he was already prepared.


    But even so, he still couldn''t stop Su Chen''s actions, he couldn''t even make a move to intervene, because Su Chen was too fast!


    So fast that he couldn''t even keep up with a reaction, let alone raise his hand!


    What realm was this young man in?


    The man in purple robes, looking at Su Chen, had a look of shock in his eyes!


    The crowd watching all this felt dizzy, it seemed so unreal!


    This young man beating up the Wu Family''s members didn''t seem to have any concerns at all, just like hitting street cats and dogs...


    Who on earth was this man that entered with Lin Ruoxue, who also had a deep connection with Ye Mei, daring to humiliate Jiangnan''s top family, the Wu Family?

 Chapter 367 - 367 A Mans Declaration

    Wu Jinjun, after being kicked away by Su Chen, was filled with rage and wished nothing more than to tear this person to pieces!


    However, after Su Chen spoke those words, a trace of embarrassment and guilt flickered across his face!


    No matter what, Ye Mei was after all his own flesh and blood, even though he had never really held this daughter in his heart.


    But in the Wu Family, he had never had any real say; everything about the Wu Family was decided by his mother.


    Moreover, his nature was somewhat weak, and his fear of the old Mrs. Wu had already seeped into his marrow, so naturally he dared not go against the olddy.


    Even if he did have a say, he would have made the same decision as the old Mrs. Wu, after all, having a connection with the Situ Family of Yandu was a rare opportunity!


    What''s more, he never had much affection for his daughter Ye Mei, at most asionally heaving a sigh in the still of the night!


    "Since when has it been your turn to meddle in the affairs of my Wu Family?"


    The old Mrs. Wu roared with her hair in disarray, looking quite fierce, her demeanor less majestic and more like a shrew cursing on the street.


    Seeing the old Mrs. Wu in such a state, Ye Mei let out a deep sigh, knowing that the feud between the Wu Family and Su Chen had grown deep and reconciliation was no longer possible!


    She held little affection for the Wu Family, especially for this old Mrs. Wu; she was only worried about Su Chen!


    The incident had happened too quickly! When Su Chen pped the old Mrs. Wu the second time, she had not been able to react!


    By the time she reacted, the old Mrs. Wu had already been pped to the ground!


    At this point, there was no room for turning back for either party!


    "I have no interest in the affairs of your Wu Family, but Ye Mei''s business is my business."


    Hearing the words of the old Mrs. Wu, Su Chen swept a cold gaze over the people in the room, then spoke coldly to the Wu family members:


    "I warn you, Wu Family, if you dare to force Ye Mei to marry into the Situ Family, you''d better think about the consequences!"


    This was a man''s promation!


    Dominant! Arrogant! Proud!...


    Everyone felt a shock like they had never experienced before!


    Those swept by Su Chen''s gaze felt a shiver, as if he were a supreme sovereign!


    His words were thew, they were everything!


    When Ye Mei heard Su Chen''s resounding promation, her heart trembled and tears flowed down her cheeks!


    Maybe Su Chen didn''t have romantic feelings for her, but his genuine protectiveness was beyond any doubt!


    Ye Mei, looking at the calm-faced Su Chen, saw nothing but his shadow in her heart.


    She knew that perhaps for the rest of her life she could not make room in her heart for any other man...


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen''s figure,manding the world like an emperor, as if his body was adorned with flowing, luminescent splendor!


    Adoration gleamed in her beautiful eyes, an adoration she could not hide!


    She felt that Su Chen was different now from any other time; it seemed this was his true nature!


    "No wonder this bad guy is so popr with women!"


    Lin Ruoxue muttered to herself, feeling somewhat displeased...


    Yunyao watched him, and gradually, his image merged with the man her brother had described!


    What woman wouldn''t love such a man?


    "Ye Mei is a member of my Wu Family, and her marriage naturally falls under the jurisdiction of our family!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Old Lady Wu''s face changed dramatically¡ªYe Mei was now extremely important to the Wu Family!


    Moreover, she hadn''t taken this young man''s threats seriously, although his earlier actions had indeed shaken her momentarily!


    "You''re truly shameless. When you thought Ye Mei was worthless, you neglected and abused her and her mother. Then, when the Situ Family took an interest in Ye Mei, you couldn''t wait to treat her like a queen. Is this the so-called character of your Wu Family?"


    Su Chen looked at Old Lady Wu disdainfully and sneered.


    The Wu Family members immediately felt burning shame on their faces, as they had never been ridiculed like this before, and the expressions of the onlookers changed as they regarded the Wu Family members.


    "Do you really want to make an enemy of my Wu Family?"


    Seeing such insolence from the young man, Old Lady Wu said coldly.


    She had been akin to an unchallenged despot in the Jiangnan region for so long that she still couldn''t believe this young man dared to challenge the Wu Family!


    When Su Chen heard this, he sneered again and pointed at Old Lady Wu:


    "You really are an old witch, still asking such a stupid question! Do you think those ps were to tickle you? Or do I need to give you a few more to make things crystal clear?"


    The onlookers were dumbfounded as Su Chen pointed at Old Lady Wu''s nose and verbally assaulted her as if she were no more than an old dog!


    They all murmured among themselves¡ªOld Lady Wu really was senile!


    The young man had gone this far, and she still asked if he truly intended to be an enemy of the Wu Family.


    It seemed Old Lady Wu had been on her lofty pedestal for too long, utterly unable to ept this fact!


    Hearing Su Chen point tantly at Old Lady Wu''s nose and insult her, the Wu Family members all felt disgraced, wishing they could just burrow away and hide.


    Even Wu Jingui and Wu Yuanli, who had been rtively silent, felt the same, as they were also part of the Wu Family and had longed thrived on its power and dominance!


    Given everyone else''s reactions, one could only imagine the turmoil churning inside Old Lady Wu!


    Her face had turned utterly dark, nearly dripping with anger, but under the fiery red Palm Prints, herplexion was less noticeable, trembling with excessive agitation!


    "What are you waiting for?"


    Old Lady Wu shouted again at the person in the purple robe:


    "Dispose of this arrogant boy!"


    "Yes!"


    Truth be told, the purple-robed man was wary of the young man''s earlier moves, but with Old Lady Wu issuing the order again, he had toply!


    The purple-robed man stood facing Su Chen, releasing his oppressive aura all at once!


    Although he was just the third leader of the Wu Family''s mysterious guard, he was also at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement. As he released his profound energy, everyone immediately felt as if something was weighing down on them, making even moving their feet difficult!


    However, such pressure was no different from a tickle to Su Chen...


    The purple-robed man saw the young man''s unconcerned demeanor, and sarcastic gaze, which ignited his fury!


    He let out a fierce shout, stepped on the marble floor, and charged forward violently, leaving cracks on the marble where he had just trodden!


    His speed was so swift that others could only see a blurred shadow sh by!


    When he reached Su Chen, he leaped up high, delivered a sideways leg sweep towards Su Chen.


    His leg, akin to a cannonball, shattered the void, whipped up a strong wind, and prompted a sharp whistling sound!


    Watching the swiftly swooping leg sweep, Su Chen remained expressionless and simply kicked out straight, with no fancy moves...

 Chapter 368: Turmoil Arises in Jiangnan

    Su Chen''s speed was not fast, and it was unremarkable, no different from fighting an ordinary passerby.


    However, the man in the purple robe who was midair felt a sudden shock in his heart. Initially, he did not take it seriously, but in the end, he found that he had nowhere to hide from this kick!


    "Boom!"


    For some unknown reason, Su Chen, who was not very fast, managed to strike first despite actingter and solidly kicked the man in the abdomen.


    Once kicked, the man in the purple robe was like hitting a high-speed train head-on, his body immediately flew back at a speed faster than when he hade, smashing several racks of food and beverages along the way!


    Finally, he crashed into a thick pir and fell to the ground. The man in the purple robe tried hard to get up, but his body waspletely devoid of strength, and it felt as though all his internal organs had shifted out of ce!


    The most terrifying thing was, he realized that his Dantian had been shattered by that kick!


    That is to say, he had be a cripple from that moment on!


    The man in the purple robe looked at the young man, who still had an indifferent expression, with shock filling his eyes!


    He had thought he could exchange at least a few moves with his opponent or at the very least, protect himself.


    But he had not expected that he couldn''t even catch the opponent''s casual move, especially when the opponent evidently had not used full strength.


    The man in the purple robe suddenly felt like a joke, utterly child-like, no, like an infant in his opponent''s hands without any ability to resist!


    The man in the purple robe dared not imagine that such a young person had reached such a high realm in his Cultivation!


    Not to mention what terrifying realm this young man''s cultivation might achieve in the future, even now, perhaps even a Rank Leader might not surpass this young man!


    No wonder this young man had previously dared to be so disrespectful to the Wu Family, he indeed had the capability to back it up!


    The other people on the scene, including Lin Ruoxue, only felt that Su Chen was very powerful, but they did not know exactly how powerful.


    They did not know, but the legitimate line of the Wu Family understood very well, as they naturally knew who the man in the purple robe was and what his strength was.


    Yet such a person had been defeated by the young man with a single move!


    Madam Wu immediately realized something, that that Rank Leader''s judgment had beenpletely wrong.


    There was no mysterious top-notch expert by his side, the real top-notch expert was himself!


    "Could it be that this young man killed all those Martial Artists?"


    Madam Wu thought in shock, herplexion turning pale and sweat even seeping from her forehead!


    Although there were many retired special forces doing security in the hotel, Madam Wu did not summon them to deal with Su Chen.


    If the man in the purple robe was no match for him, what use would those people have?


    Calling them out would only add to the ridicule, merely giving this young man a chance to establish his authority.


    The onlookers might not know the identity of the man in the purple robe, but people from the other three of the Four Great Families somewhat understood, as they could not help but be concerned about the information of their rivals.


    They all vaguely guessed that the man in the purple robe was rted to that deeply hidden power of the Wu Family and that his status must be high since he was by Madam Wu''s side.


    Frankly, they had always been wary of that mysterious force of the Wu Family. However, today, this young man effortlessly blew away the man in the purple robe.


    This could not but make them reconsider this young man, especially Lv Shimo, whose eyes glinted with intense light!


    At this moment, he had a clearer understanding of Su Chen''s strength!


    After kicking the man in the purple robe away, Su Chen casually walked up to the Wu Family members and stared at Madam Wu, saying,


    "Old hag, do you have any objections now?"


    Disdain filled Su Chen''s eyes, not taking the opponent seriously at all.


    "Young man, do you think having some skills allows you to oppose our Wu Family?"


    Madam Wu red at Su Chen angrily and said,


    "Then you''re hugely underestimating our Wu Family from Jiangnan!"


    Madam Wu said this with confidence, for her family was supported by a Rank Leader and a revered master.


    Especially that revered master, Madam Wu believed, no matter how strong the young man was, he would only face annihtion against that master!


    However, the price to pay to urge that master to take action was undoubtedly going to be steep!


    Everyone shuddered inwardly after hearing Madam Wu''s resolute words!


    Yes, as the premier family in Jiangnan for over a century, the Wu Family was not to be trifled with!


    The crowd, initially shocked by Su Chen, now looked at him again, all of them secretly sighing and shaking their heads!


    Lin Ruoxue and Ye Mei also showed deep concern, especially Lin Ruoxue who somewhat resented Su Chen for meddling too much.


    If it were someone else''s business, meddling would have been fine, but after all, it was the Wu Family''s internal affair!


    "Oh, is that so? Then I''m really looking forward to seeing how your Wu Family will perform!"


    Su Chen''s lips curved slightly upward as he said this with a light chuckle, showing no concern for Madam Wu''s threat.


    "Fine, we''ll see about that!"


    Madam Wu dropped a harsh line and led the people of the Wu Family out in a hasty retreat!


    Today, having lost so much face, they really couldn''t stay any longer.


    They all knew that the matter was far from over!


    By dawn tomorrow, the incidents of tonight''s banquet would rapidly spread throughout Jianghai and the entire Jiangnan!


    Everyone would be openly and secretly talking about how Madam Wu was pped several times at the banquet by a young man unknown to them!


    The Wu Family was bound to retaliate, and they would do so fiercely!


    However, because Su Chen had shown extraordinary strength, Madam Wu would also surely proceed with caution!


    Just as the Wu Family had barely taken a few steps, Su Chen''s voice faintly rang from behind them.


    "If you forcibly marry Ye Mei off to the Situ Family, the Wu Family had better prepare for annihtion!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the Wu Family identally paused mid-step and turned their heads.


    Especially Madam Wu, her eyes fixated fiercely on Su Chen''s face as if to imprint him in her heart.


    "Annihte the Wu Family? Ha!"


    Madam Wu scoffed coldly, feeling like the young man was uttering a huge joke. Was the Wu Family something to be obliterated just because someone wished it?


    Not just Madam Wu, in fact, everyone thought the young man was bluffing, even spouting madness!


    They couldn''t imagine anyone having the power to annihte the entire Wu Family. Wasn''t that a fool''s talk?


    "Don''t believe it? Feel free to give it a try."


    Su Chen seemed to understand their thoughts and shrugged nonchntly.


    "Fine, this old woman will be waiting for you!"


    Madam Wu huffed a cold breath, leading the Wu Family out of the hotel''s front door.


    Today was arguably the most shameful day for the Wu Family.


    This kind of shame was unprecedented in the hundred-year history of the Wu Family!


    The people at the scene watched the backs of the Wu Family members and sighed deeply, sensing that trouble might truly be brewing in Jiangnan!


    And the instigator of it all was naturally that young man who, up until now, was stillrgely unrecognized...

 Chapter 369 - 369 What Has Been Lost

    After the Wu Family left, theworking dinner naturally continued, but the atmosphere hadpletely changed, and everyone''s mind wasn''t really on it anymore.


    Everyone kept their distance from Su Chen, as if he were a gue carrier.


    Although Su Chen was indifferent to people''s attitudes, he had to consider the approach of one person¡ªLin Ruoxue, who was walking towards him with a smile on her face.


    Despite her smiling face, Su Chen could clearly sense the hidden anger and fury in her eyes.


    He also knew he had overstepped today, after all, standing up for another woman in front of his own wife was intolerable for anyone!


    Especially since that woman was a superb beauty!


    Not only was Su Chen feeling uneasy, Ye Mei by his side also had some trepidation, feeling like a mistress facing the legitimate wife, her aurapletely deted.


    However, what neither of them expected was Lin Ruoxue to walk past Su Chen with a smile and extend her hand to Ye Mei:


    "Hello, I''m pleased to meet you, I am Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen''s wife."


    Since there were almost no others around Su Chen, this explosive piece of information was not heard by many.


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, both Su Chen and Ye Mei were a bit stunned, sensing something was amiss. Normally, shouldn''t two women start a fight over a man?


    Why was Lin Ruoxue acting as gentle as a spring breeze, all cordial and polite? The whole scene seemed off!


    Coming back to her senses, Ye Mei quickly understood that Lin Ruoxue was asserting her authority!


    This woman was indeed extraordinary!


    "Ms. Lin, please don''t misunderstand, Su Chen and I are just... just friends," Ye Mei said somewhat falteringly, feeling a bit guilty.


    "I understand, who he befriends is his freedom, I would not interfere with that," Lin Ruoxue said lightly and with a smile:


    "I''m just wondering how Ms. Ye came to know my husband?"


    Hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen couldn''t help but scoff to himself; she imed she wouldn''t interfere, yet here she was asking questions right away.


    "One day he came to my bar for a drink, and we met by chance," Ye Mei said without much thought, honestly.


    However, upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen, who was somewhat ufortable next to her, and inwardly remarked:


    "Look at you, going to bars for drinks!"


    In her view, it was rare for men to go to bars for any good reason¡ªeight out of ten times, it was to look for romantic adventures!


    Sensing Lin Ruoxue''s gaze, Su Chen''s heart immediately started pounding, as if something was about to happen.


    "Ms. Lin, and Mr. Su, I''m truly sorry for today, for causing troubles for you both," Ye Mei sincerely apologized, her face showing deep remorse.


    After all, because of her, the couple had gotten into trouble with a behemoth like the Wu Family, and if they suffered any harm because of it, she would never be able to live with herself.


    "You need not feel too guilty, Ms. Ye, what''s done is done, let''s let bygones be bygones," Lin Ruoxue said with a benevolent smile, appearing very magnanimous.


    In truth, she had someints about Ye Mei bringing such a huge problem onto her husband, but what was the use ofints?


    What was done was done, and all that remained was to look for a solution!


    She couldn''t understand why her husband was so impulsive. Even if he needed to stand up for his close female friend, did he have to be so drastic?


    At the same time, she felt deep pity for the charming and attractive woman before her, sad that a woman couldn''t even be in charge of her own marriage, what a sorrowful situation!


    This made her think back to when she had first married Su Chen¡ªif she hadn''t been so concerned about Belle Corporation, she would have wished for nothing more than to end it all.


    Fortunately, as she and Su Chen spent time together, they unexpectedly developed deep feelings for one another, to the point where they couldn''t live without each other!


    But how many people in the world were as lucky as she was?


    It was this sympathy for the other''s misfortune that lessened her resentment...


    "Wife, let''s go," Su Chen said, smiling as he took Lin Ruoxue''s soft hand. He was genuinely worried that something untoward might happen if the two women kept chatting.


    "Alright."


    Lin Ruoxue tilted her head and smiled at him, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.


    Besides, after the incident at theworking banquet, she felt no need to stay any longer.


    Ye Mei was also ready to leave, but after some thought, she decided not to go with them, to avoid causing Su Chen any trouble. It would be better to leave after they did.


    Although no one dared to get close to Su Chen, everyone''s gaze never really left him. When they saw the young man finally leave, they let out a sigh of relief.


    The other three major families also watched him leave withplex expressions, without saying much...


    As Su Chen passed Yun Shiqing, he gave him a meaningful nce and said slowly,


    "Family Head Yun, you will realize what you''ve lost today in the future."


    With that, Su Chen walked towards the hotel entrance with Lin Ruoxue...


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Yun Shiqing''s body shook involuntarily, and then he watched their fading silhouettes.


    In that moment, Yun Shiqing felt he had made a very wrong decision today!


    ...


    As soon as they left the hotel''s main entrance, Lin Ruoxue suddenly yanked her hand away from Su Chen''s grip. Her face immediately turned frosty, exuding an icy chill that seemed to prate to the bone!


    In an instant, it was as though she had returned to the time when they had first met...


    "Wife... I..."


    Su Chen was all too aware of why Lin Ruoxue reacted that way. She hadn''t blown up inside, which was already her giving him face.


    However, Lin Ruoxue seemed not to hear Su Chen''s words and headed straight for her car, then got in.


    Just as Su Chen reached the car and was about to get in, Lin Ruoxue stepped on the elerator and drove past him with a roar...


    Su Chen was left standing there, dumbfounded...


    "It seems my wife''s anger is bigger than I thought!" Su Chen muttered to himself, but he didn''t me Lin Ruoxue; it was entirely his own doing!


    The night breeze was cold as it blew in gusts. Standing there, Su Chen looked somewhat dejected.


    He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and gazed at the night sky, lost in thought...


    "Why haven''t you left yet?"


    Just then, a seductive voice sounded beside him.


    Ye Mei looked around, somewhat puzzled,


    "Where''s your wife?"


    "She''s gone," Su Chen sighed.


    "How could she leave? She left you here all by yourself?"


    Ye Mei asked, taken aback.


    "What do you think?" Su Chen replied with an irked roll of his eyes, thinking to himself, it was all because of you...


    Seeing Su Chen looking so upset, Ye Mei finally realized the situation and couldn''t help but cover her mouth and giggle,


    "I thought she wasn''t angry. I didn''t expect..."


    "It looks like Mrs. Lin is still a woman after all!" Ye Mei mused, expressing her realization with a sigh...

 Chapter 370: 370

    "You''re stillughing. You have no sympathy at all."


    Su Chen looked at Ye Mei, who seemed to be delighting in his misfortune, and curled his lip.


    "Do you need sympathy?"


    Ye Mei leaned toward him and said teasingly:


    "You''re not going to be kneeling and scrubbing the washboard when you get back, are you?"


    "Cut it out, she wouldn''t dare!"


    Su Chen, although he was also wondering if that treatment awaited him, naturally had to show off his machismo in front of Ye Mei.


    Men, they all need to save face!


    "You''re just being tough in front of me."


    Ye Mei said, teasing him with a smile:


    "How about it, want me to give you a ride back?"


    "What, am I supposed to crawl back?"


    Su Chen grumbled unhappily.


    Seeing his annoyed expression, Ye Mei didn''t say anything else and simply walked to her car. Su Chen naturally followed.


    Ye Mei then drove him to the entrance of Grand Epoch Court. Just before he got out of the car, Ye Mei gave him a serious look:


    "Sorry, I''ve still caused you trouble."


    The trouble Ye Mei referred to was mainly rted to two aspects, one involving the Wu Family and the other involving his wife, Lin Ruoxue.


    Honestly, Su Chen didn''t care much about the Wu Family, but as for Lin Ruoxue, she indeed was trouble. He didn''t even know how he would handle it when he got back!


    However, he naturally wouldn''t really me Ye Mei and instead, he broke into a teasing smile and said:


    "If you really feel bad, give me a kiss as a thank you!"


    Su Chen, of course, was just talking nonsense and joking. After saying that, he prepared to pull open the car door and get out.


    "Mwah!"


    Just then, Ye Mei unexpectedly leaned over and kissed his cheek.


    After the kiss, Ye Mei''s cheeks flushed red, and Su Chen was also stunned, gazing dazedly at Ye Mei...


    He hadn''t expected Ye Mei to really kiss him!


    "What are you looking at? Get out of here!"


    Ye Mei, flustered by his intense stare, blushed and hissed.


    "Oh, okay, goodbye."


    Su Chen said, still a bit dazed, and then pushed the car door open and got out.


    Ye Mei immediately hit the gas and left Grand Epoch Court...


    Only when he saw her drive away did Su Chen turn and walk inside. He was still feeling a bit bewildered as he approached Lin Ruoxue''s vi.


    Just as he was pulling out his keys, ready to open the door, he suddenly started and almost jumped.


    He quickly rubbed his cheek vigorously with his hand, wiping off Ye Mei''s fiery red lipstickpletely.


    After wiping it off, Su Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If the furious Lin Ruoxue had seen that, would he still be alive!


    As Su Chen had anticipated, when he opened the door and walked in, Lin Ruoxue was still sitting on the sofa with a cold expression, holding a magazine, her demeanor shouting¡ªKeep away!


    Wang Ma was also busy nearby, trying not to make too much noise, given how things appeared.


    As soon as she saw Su Chene in, Wang Ma''s eyes immediately twinkled, and she quickly tiptoed over to him:


    "Young master, did you make the mistress angry again?"


    It made sense for Mrs. Wang to say this because no one else had such abilities except him.


    Upon hearing Mrs. Wang''s words, Su Chen also helplessly revealed a bitter smile.


    "Go and coax her!"


    Mrs. Wang saw Su Chen as a savior precisely because she believed, no matter how angry the youngdy was, the son-inw could handle it.


    However, what she didn''t know was that this time, Su Chen himself didn''t have much confidence either.


    "Mrs. Wang, you should go to sleep first,"


    Su Chen said to Mrs. Wang, as it was quitete now.


    "Okay, I''ll leave the youngdy to you,"


    Mrs. Wang said with a gentle smile, giving him an encouraging look.


    At this, Su Chen could only respond with a reassuring smile.


    After Mrs. Wang entered her room, Su Chen felt somewhat uneasy as he approached Lin Ruoxue. However, he didn''t dare to sit too close to her, leaving about twenty or thirty centimeters between them as he slowly sat down, as if afraid to startle Lin Ruoxue.


    Seeing his cautious behavior, Lin Ruoxue almost burst outughing, but she immediately held it in and resumed her icy demeanor.


    Actually, Lin Ruoxue''s anger had mostly subsided by now, but she wanted to teach this guy a lesson to prevent him from easily flirting with others!


    But Su Chen didn''t know this, so he was still trembling with fear and very anxious.


    "Wife,"


    Su Chen tentatively called out softly, yet Lin Ruoxue acted as if she hadn''t heard at all, showing no reaction on her face.


    This reaction made Su Chen even more unsure...


    "Wife, Ye Mei and I are really just good friends, nothing more, nothing else..."


    If it had been before tonight, Su Chen would have been very confident saying this, even ten minutes ago, he could have been guilt-free.


    But now, his confidence was obviously not so strong because just a moment ago, Ye Mei had kissed him.


    Although it wasn''t Su Chen''s initiative, they had still made intimate contact...


    However, what Su Chen didn''t know was that Lin Ruoxue had already figured out at the hotel that there was no romantic rtionship between them, at most just some mutual attraction.


    This was also the main reason why Lin Ruoxue was not that angry. Little did she know, by getting angry and abandoning Su Chen, she had given them a chance to advance their rtionship further.


    Though Lin Ruoxue was not so angry inside, the icy expression on her face hadn''t changed much, and she hadn''t looked at Su Chen from beginning to end.


    It was worth noting that this had never happened before!


    Su Chen''s anxiety increased, wondering what to do next.


    Just then, a thought suddenly urred to him¡ªthat was¡ªbeauties fear persistent suitors!


    Alright, since talking it out didn''t work, it was time to cling.


    Luckily, he had mastered this tactic!


    Thinking this, a familiar sly smile reappeared on Su Chen''s face, and he quietly moved closer to Lin Ruoxue.


    Seeing that Lin Ruoxue still showed no response, Su Chen''s hands slowly reached out from behind her and suddenly encircled her soft, delicate waist.


    Lin Ruoxue was startled, never expecting that the man who had just appeared contrite would suddenly turn yful and start teasing her!


    "Take your hand off!"


    Lin Ruoxue said icily, her beautiful eyes shooting a sharp re at Su Chen.


    "Wife, I was wrong today; please don''t be mad, okay?"


    Su Chen''s head leaned in closer, rubbing against her side and murmuring.


    He looked like a child who had done something wrong.


    If it had just been that, it might have been fine, but his wandering hand had now started caressing her waist...

 Chapter 371: The Enduring Lv Shimo

    "What are you doing, let go of me!"


    Lin Ruoxue quickly stretched out a hand, trying to move his arm that was wrapped around her!


    But no matter how hard she tried, Su Chen''s hand was stuck like glue and did not budge.


    "I won''t let go unless my wife is no longer angry."


    Being cheeky, Su Chen then smelled her hair and showed a hint of intoxication:


    "Wife, you smell so good. What brand of shampoo do you use?"


    "What''s it to you?"


    Lin Ruoxue could hardly suppress a smile upon hearing Su Chen making up small talk, but kept a stern face:


    "Stay away from me!"


    "So are you still angry?"


    At this point, Su Chen knew he couldn''t just walk away, as doing so might lead Lin Ruoxue to overthink and grow even angrier!


    After all, he knew women''s hearts as the saying about ''finding a needle in the ocean'' goes!


    "What does it matter to you whether I''m angry or not!"


    Lin Ruoxue retorted with a pout.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen suddenly reached out with his other hand and did a princess carry, lifting Lin Ruoxue up from the ground!


    "Su Chen, what are you doing, let me down now!"


    Lin Ruoxue was instantly shocked and started to struggle fiercely!


    "Not unless you''re not angry!"


    Unreasonably, Su Chen dered.


    His behavior seemed utterly unreasonable and childish to Lin Ruoxue.


    But her heart couldn''t help feeling sweet, it at least showed that he cared about her!


    "Can you put me down first, please?"


    By now, Lin Ruoxue no longer had her previous icy demeanor, instead, she pleaded.


    "So are you still angry?"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue and huffed!


    Lin Ruoxue found herself both amused and frustrated by his irrational behavior. Don''t I even have the right to be angry?


    But if Su Chen kept holding her this way, that wasn''t going to work either!


    What if Wang Ma or little Ruohan saw them? What would they think?!


    "Alright, alright, I''m not angry anymore!"


    Lin Ruoxue quickly conceded, and couldn''t help but roll her eyes at Su Chen.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s softened stance, Su Chen took advantage of the moment and earnestly dered:


    "I swear, there''s really nothing going on between Ye Mei and me!"


    At this moment, he didn''t care about his guilt anymore, as cating his wife was the real headache!


    "Ye Mei, Ye Mei, you sure talk about her affectionately!"


    Lin Ruoxue still retorted sarcastically.


    "Can she be more dear to me than you? We''re husband and wife!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen chuckled gleefully, his lips curling up into a mischievous smile!


    When Lin Ruoxue saw his smile, her heart fluttered, and she quickly wriggled free and rushed upstairs...


    Su Chen watched her scurry away like a frightened little bunny and proudly stroked his chin:


    "Indeed, beauties fear persistent suitors! This method really works!"


    He then left the vi and headed to the estate for some Cultivation...


    ......


    Meanwhile, in the Lv Family''s vi, Lv Fang and his son Lv Shimo were sitting opposite each other at the coffee table, which bore a pot of freshly brewed tea, its aroma rich and refreshing.


    "Let''s discuss today''s events,"


    Lv Fang picked up a small teacup, took a sip, and then looked at Lv Shimo.


    "What is Father asking?"


    Lv Shimo also smiled lightly and spoke softly.


    "What do you think?"


    Since his son had returned, Lv Fang found that he could no longer fully understand him.


    However, he didn''t dwell on this for long, instead fixing his gaze sternly on him, he asked:


    "At the beginning today, why did you dere your support for the Liu Family, knowing full well that observing was the best stance to take at that time?"


    Lv Shimo did not avoid Lv Fang''s gaze, but met it:


    "Because that person is also our Lv Family''s enemy!"


    "Our Lv Family''s enemy? How is that possible?"


    A look of confusion spread across Lv Fang''s face:


    "I''ve never met him, how could he possibly have a grudge against our family?"


    "Because he is the murderer who killed your brother!"


    Lv Shimo looked into his father''s eyes, each word forcefully delivered.


    "What!"


    Upon hearing this, Lv Fang suddenly stood up, eximing loudly, his eyes instantly ming red like an enraged lion!


    "Are you sure?"


    Lv Fang clenched his fists tightly, his body trembling as if he might copse at any moment.


    "Absolutely certain!"


    Lv Shimo nodded.


    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?"


    Lv Fang stared intensely into his son''s eyes, shouting harshly!


    "Father, if you had known the truth earlier, what would you have done tonight?"


    Lv Fang, indifferent to his father''s furious demeanor, asked calmly.


    "I would have made him wish he were dead!"


    Lv Fang clenched his teeth and said, this point, for him, was non-negotiable, the vengeance for the loss of a son, an unbearable outrage!


    "That''s exactly what I was afraid of!"


    Lv Shimo also picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and sighed deeply:


    "If you had really pursued a relentless feud with him today, the consequences would have been unpredictable!"


    After hearing this, Lv Fang looked nkly at his son. When he noticed that his son still had a calm demeanor, he finally began to calm down!


    "What exactly happened?"


    Although a bit calmer, Lv Fang''s tone still carried a hint of interrogation.


    "Father, if this young man were an ordinary person, I would have dealt with him and avenged our brother long ago,"


    Lv Shimo said, looking at Lv Fang:


    "But, this young man is far from ordinary, as you must have seen from tonight''s events."


    Lv Fang silently nodded. Not just him, perhaps everyone tonight had realized this young man was not simple!


    To dare to humiliate the Wu Family, causing them to lose all face and leave in utter defeat, could he be an ordinary person?


    As for his victory or defeat in the power struggle with the Wu Family, that was a different matter altogether.


    "I haven''tpletely figured out his true background yet, but what I''ve investigated already shows that he is definitely not as he appears to be on the surface!"


    Lv Shimo spoke with a somewhat solemn expression:


    "Father, against such a person, we must act cautiously and aim for a lethal blow!"


    Listening to his son''s words, Lv Fang couldn''t help but nod. He had to admit, from a rational standpoint, his son was right!


    "Then why did you today . . . ?"


    Lv Fang looked at Lv Shimo with some confusion. Given the decision to endure, why then did he provoke the Liu Family, including the Wu Family''s wrath against the other party today?


    "Today was simply further testing,"


    Lv Shimo''s lips curled into a cunning smile as he said lightly:


    "Moreover, establishing more enemies for him is also beneficial for us, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 372: Su Chens Little Scheme

    "So have you thought about what to do next?" Lv Fang asked.


    "Don''t worry, Father, I already have a n!"


    Lv Shimo said calmly.


    "Good, that''s good. Then I''ll go back to my room now."


    Lv Fang stood up, slowly turned around, and walked out. When he reached the doorway, he stopped:


    "Since this person is the real culprit who killed your brother, he must die!"


    "I know, Father!"


    Lv Fang nodded, continued walking out, and closed the door behind him.


    After his father left, Lv Shimo stood up, lit a cigar, walked to the window, opened the curtains, and muttered while looking at the dark night sky outside:


    "Su Chen, you will also be going to Tianshan with Lin Ruoxue this year! Don''t worry, I have already prepared a feast for you there!"


    .....


    The next day, Su Chen finished his cultivation early in the morning and, as usual, returned to the vi to make breakfast for Lin Ruoxue.


    Today, being Saturday, he was slightlyter than usual.


    After breakfast, the maid went out to buy groceries, leaving only Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen in the house.


    At that time, the resentment and anger in Lin Ruoxue''s heart had almost disappeared, thanks to Su Chen''s yful antics.


    As those emotions faded, fear began to spread; after all, Su Chen had offended the number one great family in Jiangnan!


    Su Chen clearly saw Lin Ruoxue''s concern andughed:


    "Honey, are you worried about the Wu Family seeking revenge?"


    "How could I not be? That''s the Wu Family! How can we fight against such a powerful family with our limited means?"


    Lin Ruoxue spat in frustration.


    "Don''t worry, with me here, nothing will happen," Su Chen said nonchntly.


    "It''s easy for you to say, but how can I not worry?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s anxiety naturally did not ease with just one sentence from Su Chen; she remained quite worried.


    "Honey, after I fought Liu Qing, that toad, weren''t you worried then too? But look at me now, aren''t I still fine?"


    Su Chen presented a practical example.


    "True, yeah, why haven''t they retaliated?"


    Lin Ruoxue had not really thought about it until Su Chen mentioned it.


    Now that she remembered, she too began to wonder.


    "Who knows? But this just shows that you''re worrying over nothing. Even if these families do seek revenge, I am not afraid, don''t you trust your husband?"


    Su Chen gently took her hand and patted it softly.


    "But that''s still the Wu Family!"


    "But your husband is no ordinary man either, you know that."


    Su Chen stood up, gently embraced her, giving her a sense of safety, and said softly in her ear:


    "Trust me!"


    "Mm!"


    Felling the warmth of Su Chen''s broad chest, Lin Ruoxue felt somewhat less uneasy.


    At that moment, apart from trusting Su Chen, she didn''t have many good options; she just hoped that he really would be okay.


    And since her husband really was extraordinary, perhaps he really could handle the Wu Family''s matter.


    "By the way, honey, are you going out today?"


    Su Chen asked, as Lin Ruoxue often didn''t get a day off even on weekends.


    "No need, I only have a little bit of work today, I can spend some time dealing with it at home."


    "Alright, I''ll stay home with you today!"


    "Are you feeling guilty because of what happened yesterday?"


    Lin Ruoxue gave Su Chen a scrutinizing look, feeling a bit puzzled, as it was rare for him to stay calmly at home.


    "Wife, there you go overthinking again. Howe good intentions never get good rewards?"


    Su Chen said, spreading his hands in frustration.


    Following that, Su Chen genuinely spent the day at home with Lin Ruoxue, and of course, taking some small advantages here and there was inevitable.


    Although Lin Ruoxue was often annoyed by him, overall, she felt very happy and warm!


    In the subsequent days, their life was uneventful yet filled with the joys of ordinary life.


    Strangely, whether it was the Wu Family, the Liu Family, or the Lv Family, all were unusually quiet with no movements at all.


    They were silent, and Su Chen didn''t bother with them, considering them nothing but clowns in his eyes.


    Time flew like a fleeting horse, and ten days passed quickly.


    One evening at dinner, Lin Ruoxue suddenly asked:


    "Honey, isn''t your department going on a vacation tomorrow?"


    "Yeah, they can hardly wait. Everyone speaks highly of you!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, secretly looking forward to seeing the charming figures of the beauties from the public rtions department in swimsuits!


    "Wife, why don''t you join us? It''ll be a good chance to rx."


    The person he most wanted to see in a swimsuit was ultimately his wife. Imagining Lin Ruoxue in a swimsuit, Su Chen felt a wave of excitement rush through him!


    "There''s so much going on at thepany, and we just partnered with the Sloley Group. How could I leave?"


    Lin Ruoxue sighed:


    "And soon, we have to set up a branch in Yandu. There are endless responsibilities!"


    "Wait, thepany is opening a branch in Yandu?"


    Su Chen asked, somewhat surprised.


    "Yes, to venture into the international market, we still need to use Yandu as a springboard, since Jianghai''s outlook is ultimately too limited."


    Lin Ruoxue said ambitiously, as if a vast blueprint awaited her depiction.


    "Oh."


    Su Chen nodded slightly, not having any objections to this.


    In this matter, he fully respected Lin Ruoxue''s decisions; she could do as she liked.


    "By the way, where are you guys going on vacation?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked nonchntly as she picked up some greens.


    Lin Ruoxue asked casually, but Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat.


    "I think it''s Sanya, but I''m not quite sure."


    Su Chen said cautiously, while gauging Lin Ruoxue''s expression, afraid that she might see through his little scheme, knowing his fondness for swimsuits.


    And the mere mention of Sanya naturally conjured images of the beach and bathing suits...


    Fortunately, Lin Ruoxue was distracted by other thoughts, not focused on this, and after hearing it, she just nodded and did not inquire further.


    Seeing her usual demeanor, Su Chen''s hanging heart finally settled down slowly.


    But before he couldpletely rx, Lin Ruoxue spoke up again:


    "Behave yourself around those women, and don''t attract unnecessary attention!"


    Lin Ruoxue said this almost like a parent advising a child to "study hard," more out of habit than anything particrly serious.


    However, Su Chen was so scared that he nodded repeatedly:


    "Dear wife, I promise to behave and keep proper conduct!"


    "That''s good!"


    Lin Ruoxue saw his earnest attitude and nodded.


    Little did she know, once he really got there, what would actually happen was beyond her control and likely beyond Su Chen''s control as well...

 Chapter 373 - 373 Research

    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to continue working, as she had been too busy recently to rest and chat as usual.


    Su Chen sat on the sofa alone eating some fruit before he rushed off to the manor. When he got there, Xu Xinran was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, watching aedy movie on her tablet.


    Xu Xinran wasughing so hard, without any image of ady.


    However, as soon as she saw Su Chening in, her smiling face suddenly turned cold, and she huffed before taking her tablet back to her room.


    Su Chen was used to this girl''s aloof attitude and didn''t really mind.


    He just wondered why this girl hadn''t left yet. Could it be that she wanted to take root here?


    With a curled lip, Su Chen returned to his own room to continue his cultivation practice. After all, for him, cultivation was the priority, and there was no need to waste time on this girl.


    A night of cultivation practice made Su Chen feel ever closer to the Eighth Layer Realm; he thought it wouldn''t take much longer to break through.


    After finishing his practice, he took a bath and then returned to the vi, where he skillfully prepared a rich breakfast, as usual.


    When Lin Ruoxue got up, the three of them quietly had breakfast together and then headed off to their respective workces at thepany.


    Upon arriving at thepany, Su Chen went straight to the public rtions department. He hadn''t even reached his office when he could already hear the lively chatter inside, clearly filled with excitement.


    Su Chen knew the women in the public rtions department had been looking forward to this trip for a long time, and their attention at work had noticeably waned over the past few days.


    However, when Su Chen walked in, he was instantly stupefied!


    As soon as he entered, he saw everyone''s desk covered withrge and small packages, and nearly everyone also had a suitcase¡ªexcept, of course, the few male colleagues.


    "Director, you''re finally here. Let''s get ready to depart!"


    Zhao Lin came up to Su Chen with a beaming smile as soon as she saw him.


    "This is way too much; we''re only going for a few days!"


    Su Chen pointed at the parcels and said, a look of disbelief on his face.


    "Director, you just don''t understand. Can we women be the same as you smelly men?"


    Ran Ting also came over to Su Chen with a smile when she noticed him, standing very close to him:


    "All the makeup, skincare, and sunscreen products, that''s a whole lot. And there are all sorts of clothes!"


    "Director, I even brought three swimsuits!"


    Ran Ting whispered in Su Chen''s ear in front of everyone.


    At these words, Su Chen''s heart couldn''t help but skip a beat, especially with the yful gleam in the eyes of this little siren, which made his imagination run wild!


    "Cough cough cough!"


    Su Chen pretended to cough a couple of times to hide his unease, then turned to Qin Li and asked:


    "Sister Qin, when is the caring?"


    They were traveling with a chartered bus for this trip, not with a tour group. First, because they had too many people, over twenty, and also because traveling with a tour group was too restrictive and not much fun.


    But such trivial matters were definitely not Su Chen''s cup of tea; he had delegated all the arrangements to the more dependable Qin Li while he yed the role of a hands-off shopkeeper.


    "I''ve just contacted them, and they should be here in about ten minutes."


    Qin Li replied with a smile after hearing Su Chen''s question.


    "Okay then, everyone should take their things and head downstairs."


    Su Chen waved his hand grandly and led the twenty or so people from the public rtions department out, instantly drawing the attention of other departments.


    As part of the same group, they naturally knew they were off on a trip, and envious nces followed them.


    The group had just arrived at the entrance of the Belle Building and waited for a few minutes when a coach bus slowly made its way toward them.


    Walking at the front and carrying only a small bag, Su Chen was the first to board, then he settled down in the back row.


    After the luggage was stored, the women also boarded one by one, with Ran Ting heading straight to the back to sit next to Su Chen.


    "With so many empty seats, why cram together?"


    Su Chen said, because the bus had about forty to fifty empty seats arranged in pairs separated by an aisle, and there was almost enough space for each person to sit alone in a row.


    "But I like sitting next to you, Boss!"


    Ran Ting said coquettishly, batting her eyes at Su Chen.


    Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat, he eximed he couldn''t take it, but let her be.


    Once Zhao Lin boarded and noticed Ran Ting sitting close to Su Chen, her face soured, and she muttered a few words under her breath before moving to a seat in front of Su Chen and addressed a man there:


    "Swap with me."


    The man, facing Zhao Lin''s unfriendly expression, didn''t say a word, simply grabbed his backpack and stood up silently, then found another empty seat and sat down.


    Before she took her seat, she threw a nce at Ran Ting, who provocatively raised her eyebrows back at Zhao Lin, causing Zhao Lin''s majestic peaks to heave with irritation.


    Once everyone had taken their seats, Qin Li counted the heads and, seeing no one was missing, told the driver to start the bus.


    As the bus began moving, they all felt as if their hearts were soaring...


    Although Jianghai was also in the south, it was not as far south as Sanya; it would still be at least a ten-hour drive.


    As the bus rolled on, Su Chen turned to look out the window, taking in the changing scenes.


    In fact, he was a bit worried about this trip, concerned that those families might cause trouble for Lin Ruoxue.


    But then he thought it was unlikely, as there was no real point in targeting Lin Ruoxue unless it was to kidnap her and use her to pressurize him.


    However, if that was indeed the case, they would be digging their own graves, as the saying goes, ''Heaven''s wrath is tolerable, but self-inflicted misery is not.''


    Even if they did kidnap Lin Ruoxue, for Su Chen, rescuing her would be as easy as reaching into his pocket¡ªthose people were ultimately not worth mentioning.


    Of course, it was more likely that they would attack him directly.


    However, to be on the safe side, Su Chen took out his phone and sent a message to Gu Ming, the 14th Shadow Guard, asking him to keep a closer watch on Lin Ruoxue for the next few days.


    He believed that with Gu Ming''s capabilities, even if those families had any malicious intentions, they wouldn''t seed.


    After sending the message, Su Chen finally felt a bit more at ease and took a magazine called "Men''s Fashion" from his bag to read leisurely.


    "Boss, is she pretty?"


    After a while, Ran Ting nced at Su Chen''s magazine, where a sexy blonde was striking a pose, and she asked with a grimace.


    "Yeah, pretty!"


    Su Chen blurted out, but then he quickly realized and said seriously:


    "What? I''m studying the anatomical differences between Western and Eastern women''s skeletons!"

 Chapter 374: Profound Scholar

    "So, Director, what have you discovered in your research?"


    Ran Ting asked with a smile, once again witnessing the shamelessness of this director.


    You say you''re looking at beauties, but then you im you''re conducting research. Research my foot! You''re probably just researching their figures!


    "Now that''s something I need to exin to you in detail."


    Su Chen turned to Ran Ting and said:


    "As everyone knows, Western women generally haverger bones than Eastern women, making their bodies appear taller. Do you know why?"


    "Why?"


    Ran Ting asked, looking baffled. She hadn''t expected Su Chen to actually raise a rather schrly question.


    Not just Ran Ting, but Zhao Lin, who had been in front of Su Chen, had also been listening intently to their conversation and was now equally curious.


    "That''s because their skeletal structure is different from Eastern people''s. It contains apound called dopamine, which can stimte bone expansion. Furthermore, the arrangement and number of their bones are different from Eastern women''s¡ªthis topic is too profound, you wouldn''t understand even if I exined it to you."


    At this moment, Su Chen spoke with a serious face, looking like a profound schr.


    Seeing Ran Ting gazing at him with a mixture of stupidity and admiration, Su Chen continued:


    "These differences in bone structure lead to other differences. For example, Western women have lines that are broader and more rigid, whereas Eastern women have narrower and softer lines."


    "If we were to delve deeper into this issue, these physiological differences also result in differences in culture, especially aesthetic culture. For instance, the sensuality of Western women lies in how they remove their clothes, while for Eastern women, it''s about subtlety and suggestion, implying that less is more; a higher level of allure is in the ambiguity, revealing sensuality through imagination!"


    "Take the qipao, for example. If a Western woman wears it, it''s hard for her to exude the charm of an Eastern woman, not to mention sensing the subtle sensuality hidden within it!"


    Having said so much in one breath, Su Chen felt a little thirsty and took a couple of sips of mineral water from his bag.


    Meanwhile, Ran Ting beside him waspletely bewildered by what seemed to be Su Chen''s profound talk. She had originally thought that Su Chen imed to be conducting research merely as a pretext for watching beautiful women.


    But she hadn''t expected him toe out with so much, which even sounded somewhat usible.


    What kind of creature was this guy, really studying this subject!


    You''re a man; do you need to understand women so thoroughly?


    Even if you do research, just research Eastern women. Is it necessary to know so much about those Western women with blonde hair and blue eyes?


    Zhao Lin, in front of Su Chen, had more or less the same thoughts, feeling that this guy was truly a lecher!


    And a high-ranking lecher at that, otherwise how could he know so much about women? This understanding had even reached the realm of academic research, what a freak!


    Little did they know, all that talk was just Su Chen spouting nonsense. If they knew, they would certainly want to reach out their slender hands and strangle this bad guy!


    After a lot of bluffing and dazzling Ran Ting with his gibberish, Su Chen continued to enjoy the sexy girls in the magazine, even making appreciative clicking noises with his mouth!


    "Director, between me and the girl in the magazine, who has a better figure?"


    After a little while, Ran Ting suddenly leaned close to Su Chen and asked softly.


    Hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but be slightly startled, then a sly smile crept across his lips:


    "That''s a question we can only know the answer to after some practical testing!"


    "What kind of practical testing?"


    Ran Ting couldn''t help but ask, puzzled.


    "Of course, I''d need to measure with my hands to know for sure!"


    Su Chen whispered in Ran Ting''s ear, his breath tickling her.


    "Minister, you''re so bad!"


    A tremor ran through Ran Ting''s heart, and a blush crept across her pretty face as she pouted.


    "Where''s the harm? Didn''t you ask me?"


    Su Chen protested innocently, tilting his lips slightly, his heart stirring once again, now free from his wife''s control.


    "It''s just bad!"


    Ran Ting yfully pped Su Chen''s thigh with her delicate hand.


    "Minister, there are too many people around right now. Come to my room tonight!"


    Her face flushed with shyness, Ran Ting murmured, barely daring to lift her head or look at Su Chen.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen himself became uncontrobly excited and could hardly believe his ears.


    Could happiness be knocking at his door unexpectedly?


    Though Su Chen might not truly dare to proceed with anything substantive, indulging in a bit of yful touching was surely no problem!


    With that thought, he couldn''t help but appraise Ran Ting''s exquisite curves, betting that the feel of them would be quite delightful.


    At this moment, Su Chen cursed the bus driver for driving too slowly; he wished he could floor the elerator for him!


    Because the two had been whispering into each other''s ears, Zhao Lin sitting in front hadn''t caught what they were saying, but she had a nagging feeling that something was up with those two.


    "Hmph, think you can deceive these eyes of mine? Dream on!" Zhao Lin thought resentfully.


    Afterwards, both of them quieted down, as if anticipating the events to unfoldter...


    And so, hours slipped imperceptibly by. Many in the bus had fallen asleep, and Ran Ting too began feeling drowsy, slowly closing her eyes against the back of her seat...


    Before long, a drawn-out breath signalled that Ran Ting had fallen into a deep sleep.


    Gradually, her head came to rest fully upon Su Chen, as if he''d be a veryfortable pillow for her.


    Feeling her lean against him, Su Chen nced at Ran Ting, and upon catching sight of her, his eyes widened in shock!


    For the trip, Ran Ting had worn a low-cut, loose-fitting casual T-shirt, and from Su Chen''s angle, he could peer down the neckline at the veiled scenery within!


    "So big, so white!"


    Su Chen murmured under his breath, his eyes glued to the sight, saliva almost dripping from his mouth.


    He swallowed hard, gently pushing Ran Ting back; after all, it was torment for him to keep witnessing such a scene!


    However, mere seconds after he pushed her away, Ran Ting''s delicate body began to slide back toward him, resting against him once more as her serene fragrance wafted around him...


    Su Chen pushed her away again, but soon she leaned back. Had he not been certain she was asleep, he might have thought she was doing it on purpose!


    After several such instances, Su Chen gave up entirely and let her be.


    "You''re the one who moved closer to let me see, not me insisting on looking."


    Su Chen justified to himself and then unabashedly admired the beautiful view...

 Chapter 375: Arriving in Sanya

    The coach traveled down the road, and Su Chen too was enjoying the scenery¡ªall except it wasn''t thendscape outside the window that caught his attention, but the view by his side.


    To his eyes, this scenery was far more beautiful and captivating than whaty outside!


    Suddenly, the coach must have hit some uneven ground, giving a violent jolt that woke many of the sleeping passengers.


    Ran Ting was no exception; the sudden jolt startled her awake, and once alert, she asked groggily,


    "Are we there yet?"


    "Almost, about three or four hours left,"


    replied Su Chen with a smile.


    "Alright, I''m actually a bit hungry after that nap."


    Ran Ting said, pulling out a bag of bread from her bag and then asking Su Chen,


    "Do you want some?"


    Su Chen shook his head with a smile. He didn''t have much of an appetite for such things, and going half a day without food was no big deal to him.


    In the past, when he was on a mission, it wasn''t umon for him to go several days and nights without even water.


    "Have a little."


    Ran Ting insisted, extending a piece of bread toward Su Chen, who tilted his head back and pushed the offer away with augh.


    But Ran Ting, stubbornnessing from who knows where, kept pushing the bread toward his mouth:


    "Just try it, the bread is really tasty."


    Unable to refuse such insistence, Su Chen opened his mouth slightly, and Ran Ting pushed the piece of bread into his mouth.


    Su Chen had intended to take just a polite nibble, but upon seeing Ran Ting''s fair, delicate hands, he suddenly felt a pull in his heart, his mouth opening a bit wider, and he wrapped his lips around the whole piece of bread.


    And along with the bread, he also caught Ran Ting''s slender, fair fingers in his mouth!


    Ran Ting had not expected this turn of events and was momentarily stunned.


    Just then, she felt Su Chen''s tongue lightly glide across her fingers, causing her to shiver sharply and quickly withdraw her hand from his mouth!


    Looking at her slightly damp fingers, Ran Ting''s entire face blushed furiously!


    "Sorry, my mistake, a mistake!"


    Su Chen said awkwardly, chuckling. To tell the truth, it was just a spontaneous reaction.


    "You''re still talking!"


    Ran Ting red at him fiercely, thinking to herself, ''As if I''d believe you!''


    This Minister is really getting worse!


    After this little interruption, both of them fell silent once again, especially Ran Ting, whose heart was fluttering chaotically, her mind wandering who knows where¡­


    For his part, Su Chen seemed unfazed, beginning to appreciate the scenery outside the window again as for the magazine, he had flipped through it twice already and had stuffed it back into his bag.


    Two hourster, the coach gradually approached Sanya, and the scenery along the way became increasingly beautiful!


    "Is this Sanya? It''s so beautiful!"


    Some of the girls who had never been to Sanya eximed at the sight of the gorgeousndscape.


    Keep in mind, it was deep autumn. In other ces, including Jianghai, everything gave off a bleak impression. Yet here, all sorts of nts were still lush and vibrant, full of life.


    Especially when passing through a patch of tropical rainforest, those massive coconut trees imbued a limitless sense of vitality.


    "Hey, it looks like a film crew is shooting over there!"


    Shu Yin, who was sitting by the window, suddenly cried out in surprise.


    Upon hearing her voice, everyone else immediately looked over and indeed saw a crowd gathered around the edge of the tropical rainforest.


    Although it was already about 11 p.m., since most of the people were there for tourism and had nothing else to do, they naturally came over to watch the film crew work.


    A man who looked like a director sat behind a pperboard, holding a megaphone, while a lovelydy with her back to Su Chen''s direction, slowly walked towards the rainforest, followed closely by a camera position.


    The woman had flowing hair and a graceful figure, especially her long legs, which exuded elegance as they moved slowly!


    She wore a floral long dress that fluttered in the wind, adding to her air of liveliness and grace!


    Across from her, a man dressed casually was also slowly walking toward thedy, gazing at her with deep affection.


    However, due to the bus moving and the distance being too far, the people on the bus couldn''t make out the man''s appearance.


    When the women from the public rtions department looked in that direction, Su Chen also followed everyone''s gaze.


    When he saw the silhouette of the woman, he vaguely felt a sense of familiarity, but couldn''t quite remember.


    Just as he was about to take another look to see if he knew her, the bus drove past, and Su Chen didn''t dwell on it.


    After driving for a while longer, the bus finally stopped in front of a hotel za.


    Before getting off the bus, Su Chen whispered in Ran Ting''s ear,


    "How about Ie to your roomter tonight to take your measurements?"


    "Umm, I''m too tired tonight, I want to rest early. Let''s talk about it some other time."


    Ran Ting also whispered back, her face flushing red again as she spoke.


    Of course, her refusal to Su Chen was partly due to the fatigue from the long journey, but mainly because she was somewhat nervous; after all, she was still a woman who had not experienced intimate rtionships!


    Although she had a good impression of Su Chen, when it came down to the moment, she was still somewhat afraid. She didn''t know what might happen if Su Chen really came to her room...


    "Alright then,"


    Su Chen said. He was never one to force others, so since Ran Ting had said so, he let it be.


    After all, they would be staying there for several more days. Time was on his side, and there would surely be a chance to take this youngdy Ran Ting''s measurements!


    Seeing Su Chen agree so easily, Ran Ting felt both relieved and slightly disappointed at the same time, though the reasons for her feelings were something she couldn''t quite articte...


    Then Su Chen got off the bus along with everyone else. Since the women had a lot of luggage, Su Chen and a few other men stood to the side waiting.


    Once everyone had their luggage, the group headed toward the hotel together, along with the driver¡ªQin Li had hired his bus for several days.


    Since there were many of them and they''d be visiting famous spots which were quite a distance away, it was convenient to have a bus. Of course, their amodation for the driver was also covered by them.


    As Su Chen led the public rtions department''s staff towards the hotel, they immediately attracted the attention of passersby!


    Because nearly all the ten-plus women from the public rtions department were quite attractive, particrly Ran Ting, Zhao Lin, and Shu Yin, who deserved the title of great beauties!


    And since they were out traveling, each of them was dressed to the nines, making them even more dazzling and eye-catching!


    The sudden appearance of such a group of high-quality beauties naturally drew the eyes of passersby, especially the men, who envied the few men among them and wished to be in their shoes!

 Chapter 376: Cui Yuanmin and Jiang Ying

    Thedies from the PR department were already used to such stares, and they confidently walked inside while chatting and smiling confidently!


    Soon, the group reached their designated floor. As a man and also the department head, Su Chen was naturally responsible for everyone''s basic safety.


    "Everyone go and rest first, we are, after all, outside. If anythinges up, remember to call me. The department head''s hotline is open 24 hours for all of you!"


    Su Chen said so.


    "Oh please, just take care of yourself, head. Don''t let some vixen run off with you!"


    One of the womenughed, and hearing this, everyone burst intoughter as well. Although they called him the head, they hardly took him seriously as one.


    "Alright, just be careful, everyone. If you''re hungry, eat something in the hotel instead of going out today."


    Su Chen spoke somewhat disheartenedly, thinking to himself that he really was a poor department head!


    However, for Su Chen, such frustration was a matter of a few seconds. After entering his room, it almost disappeared.


    First, hefortably took a bath, then he sat on the bed and started his cultivation. When it was around three or four in the morning, he finished and casuallyy down on the bed to sleep.


    At seven in the morning, he got up bright and early. Since the women had already nned everything in advance, everyone got up early. After getting ready, they went downstairs for breakfast.


    When Su Chen reached the hotel''s restaurant on the ground floor, there were already many people eating breakfast.


    "Head, over here!"


    Zhao Lin saw Su Chening in and immediately waved her arms and called out.


    Su Chen also saw thedies from the PR department and immediately walked towards them.


    "Is everyone down?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "Yep, everyone''s here. You''re thest one,"


    Zhao Lin said with a smile.


    "Looks like everyone is quite eager!"


    Su Chen hadn''t expected everyone to be up so early, not even the male colleagues:


    "What''s the n for today?"


    As for the specifics, Su Chen hadn''t paid attention since it was all organized by the women. He figured he would just follow along.


    "Coming to Sanya, of course, we have to go to the bay first. We can pick up seashells, see the waves, and rocks."


    Ran Ting''s eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke.


    "Which bay are you nning to go to?"


    Su Chen asked while eating his breakfast, knowing that there are various bays in Sanya such as Yalong Bay, Dadonghai, Sanya Bay, Sun Moon Bay, each with their unique features.


    "We n to go to Sun Moon Bay. It''s a bit less crowded there, making it easy to find seashells and such, and you can also see the waves and rocks."


    Ran Ting and the others had done their homework well in advance. When Su Chen asked, she began to talk nonstop:


    "Also, you can surf there, and we can set up a tent at night. The next day, we can watch the sunrise there. Sun Moon Bay is the only bay where you can see the sunrise!"


    "Well then, let''s hurry up with breakfast, and we''ll go."


    Su Chen, just making conversation, naturally had no objections.


    He suddenly thought, going to the bay meant he could see these beauties in their swimsuits!


    At the thought, Su Chen immediately beamed with joy and quickly finished his breakfast.


    But what use was there in him eating quickly if he still had to wait for those women who ate slowly?


    While Su Chen was sitting and waiting, a young man and woman suddenly walked into the restaurant from the entrance.


    They were an exceptionally attractive pair, the man tall and straight, handsome with a bit of a creamy idol look, and the woman was even more remarkable, with a delicate face and a slender figure!


    Although both of them were wearing hats and sunsses, one could still feel their extraordinary aura. As they entered the restaurant, they immediately caught everyone''s attention, and all eyes were drawn to them.


    "It''s Cui Yuanmin and Jiang Ying wow!"


    Suddenly, a girl in herte teens screamed, covering her mouth, her face flush with excitement and disbelief!


    As the girl''s voice rang out, everyone else also recognized the two, and cries of excitement erupted!


    You must know, both of these individuals were very popr celebrities recently, especially Jiang Ying, who had just won a prestigious Best Actress award for herst movie. Her acting skills had been recognized within the industry, gradually transforming her from a mere idol into a powerhouse acting star!


    And that Cui Yuanmin, too, had made many appearances in popr films and dramas with his model-like figure and handsome face.


    Seeing that they had been recognized by the crowd, the duo removed their hats and sses and then greeted everyone with smiles.


    They knew exactly how to handle these enthusiastic fans.


    Seeing the celebrities greeting them so warmly and up close, the crowd became even more ecstatic, shouting their names loudly, which even attracted the attention of many people outside.


    Even the women in the public rtions department, upon seeing the handsome Cui Yuanmin, immediately had stars in their eyes and disyed infatuated expressions.


    Su Chen, seeing this scene, felt annoyed and pursed his lips:


    "It''s just a pretty face. You women are really superficial!"


    "Oh, why do I detect a hint of jealousy here?"


    Ran Ting, seeing Su Chen''s demeanor, couldn''t help butugh, then turned to Zhao Lin:


    "Zhao Lin, did you smell it too?"


    "How could I not catch such a strong whiff of jealousy?"


    Zhao Lin also started teasing Su Chen.


    They all thought that Su Chen was quite cute at this moment!


    The other women in the public rtions department also began to giggle...


    "Are you guys here on vacation?"


    A curious fan asked Cui Yuanmin and Jiang Ying.


    "No, we are here shooting a new film where Jiang Ying and I y a couple,"


    Cui Yuanmin said, looking at Jiang Ying.


    The fans, hearing this, became even more excited. They were most interested in the love lives of celebrities.


    "So, could you end up turning the reel love into real love, developing a rtionship off-screen?"


    Another fan asked. Her question was not baseless, as entertainment magazines had already reported on their rumored affair.


    In fact, those werepletely baseless or could be said to be deliberately arranged since both belonged to the same entertainmentpany. They were merely standard publicity stunts.


    However, before Jiang Ying could rify, Cui Yuanmin said meaningfully:


    "I cannot say much about that. Who can predict the future!"


    Although Cui Yuanmin didn''t confirm anything directly, his words filled the audience with wild imaginings.


    One could imagine that tomorrow''s newspapers would be filled with rumors about their supposed love affair!


    Although Jiang Ying did not object after hearing this, there was a clear dissatisfaction in her eyes...

 Chapter 377: Encounter Jiang Ying Again

    "Thank you for your love, but for now, please continue with your meals and don''t disturb others,"


    Jiang Ying smiled gracefully to prevent Cui Yuanmin from continuing to say things that might cause misunderstandings.


    "Yes, everyone, please take your seats again."


    Cui Yuanmin also spoke with a gentle expression on his face.


    It must be said that for these fans, the words of a celebrity were still very effective, so the crowd also took their seats again.


    Although the people had gone back to their seats, their gazes still lingered on the two of them, as it was indeed very rare to interact with an idol at such close range.


    "Xiaoying, you take a seat first, I''ll order the food."


    Cui Yuanmin, behaving like a gentleman, pulled out the chair for Jiang Ying. This scene further convinced the fans there was something between the two¡ªotherwise, why would Cui Yuanmin be so attentive?


    Jiang Ying originally did not want this, but if she did not sit down, it would definitely make him feel awkward, especially since they were from the samepany. She politely said "Thank you" and prepared to sit down.


    However, just as she was about to take her seat, she suddenly nced to the side, and a young man instantly caught her eye.


    The moment she saw this man, Jiang Ying involuntarily trembled, thinking she was seeing things. She looked again and, after confirming she was not mistaken, her expression became somewhat unnatural.


    Because it was this man who, at thest charity g hosted by the Yun Family, had aggressively stolen her first kiss!


    Yes, that kiss was Jiang Ying''s first in her entire life, and even on the screen, she had never had such intimate contact with any other man!


    But that was only an image crafted by thepany. The entertainmentpany Jiang Ying worked for had created an image of her as a pure and innocentdy!


    How could such a pure and innocentdy easily give away her on-screen first kiss?


    The more she preserved this kind of on-screen first kiss, the more it would stir up people''s affection and desire for her.


    When a real blockbuster was released, if she were to give away her first on-screen kiss, it would definitely be a shocking effect and generate much discussion!


    In reality, the reason Jiang Ying had still preserved her first kiss wasn''t because she was sanctimonious, but because she had not yet found a man worthy of her first kiss or even her body.


    Being in the entertainment industry, Jiang Ying was naturally pragmatic and extremely confident in her own appearance and figure.


    She believed that if she just paired up with any Mr. Zhang or Mr. Li, her value would continually decrease.


    She intended to keep her one and only, as well as her greatest asset, to exchange for the biggest benefit¡ªand of course, her greatest asset was herself!


    Originally, she had found that person, the eldest Young Master of the Lv Family, Lv Shimo, after all, he belonged to the wealthiest and most elite family in Jiangnan!


    But unexpectedly, before she could further interact with the esteemed Young Master Lv, she was snatched away by a man dressed in ordinary staff attire!


    Moreover, this man''s behavior was very rough; he not only touched her inappropriately but also took her first kiss, which she had preserved for over twenty years, making Jiang Ying extremely angry and indignant at the time!


    However, what she didn''t anticipate was that the development of events afterwardpletely exceeded her expectations. This man did not seem as simple as he appeared on the surface. His background seemed to be no less than that of Young Master Lv, maybe even greater!


    This made Jiang Ying suddenly feel as if she had struck gold. Yet, this man seemed to have no interest in her, leaving after giving her a brooch, even without asking for her contact information!


    This only sparked Jiang Ying''s curiosity about the man even more. Since then, she often thought about that man and that kiss, wondering who he really was.


    Although she also knew that the probability was high that they would never meet again nor have any further interaction.


    But she never expected to encounter in this hotel the man who seemed to have left a mark in her heart, causing her to feel both delighted and uneasy!


    Cui Yuanmin and the others nearby also noticed the change in Jiang Ying''splexion and found it somewhat strange.


    Just as Cui Yuanmin was about to speak and ask, Jiang Ying had already moved her steps and walked towards the side...


    "Mr. Su, you''re here too!"


    Jiang Ying quickly came to Su Chen''s side and spoke softly.


    Although her face wore a smile, Su Chen could still feel her unease.


    The others, upon hearing Jiang Ying''s words, immediately widened their eyes in surprise!


    Who was this man? How could the big star Jiang Ying know such a young man in in casual dress?


    The women from the PR department were even more astonished to see Jiang Ying proactively greeting Su Chen; how could these two frompletely different worlds know each other?


    Each of them looked at Su Chen with strange eyes, especially Ran Ting and Zhao Lin, felt that this manager always brought some unexpectedly surprising things!


    Su Chen had, of course, seen Jiang Ying earlier, but he hadn''t expected her to take the initiative toe over and greet him. He didn''t mind and smiled as he said,


    "What a coincidence, I didn''t expect Miss Jiang would be staying here too."


    "Our entire crew is staying at this hotel,"


    Jiang Ying replied obediently, then asked,


    "Mr. Su, what brings you here?"


    "Oh, I came out for a vacation with my colleagues."


    Su Chen answered casually.


    Jiang Ying didn''t find this odd since thest time they met, he was wearing a staff uniform. What puzzled her, though, was how such a man could be working at anotherpany.


    However, after hearing this, the crowd became even more astonished. They had originally thought this man who knew Jiang Ying, a big star, must be some boss or a rich second-generation.


    But from his words, he seemed to be just an ordinary worker!


    If that was the case, how could these two have crossed paths? It was simply inconceivable!


    Cui Yuanmin, who had followed along, had felt uneasy since he saw Jiang Ying knew this unfamiliar man; now, after listening to their brief conversation, his unease intensified.


    Because the demure tone Jiang Ying used while talking to this man was something she had never shown when talking to himself, including other men.


    "Xiao Ying, who is this?"


    Cui Yuanmin asked with some trepidation.


    "He, he is..."


    Jiang Ying was at a loss for words for a moment; the main issue was that she didn''t know how to define their rtionship.


    She thought of saying they were friends, but they hadn''t reached that level of closeness¡ªwould saying that cause him to feel offended?


    But if she said they had nothing to do with each other, yet her first kiss had been taken by this man, could she really say there was nothing between them?


    "Oh, we are just ordinary friends,"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile, he naturally saw the thoughts this man had for Jiang Ying, so there was no need to create any misunderstandings...

 Chapter 378 - 378 Demon Moon Mercenary Corps

    Hearing Su Chen say that they were friends, Jiang Ying was very pleased, but his implication that he was distancing himself made her feel a bit disappointed.


    "Mr. Su, may I sit here?"


    Jiang Ying pointed to an empty table next to Su Chen and asked, though she really didn''t need to ask; she only did so because she was afraid of making Su Chen angry.


    "Of course."


    Su Chen shrugged indifferently.


    Then Jiang Ying sat down at the table next to Su Chen, and right next to him at that. Cui Yuanmin, looking wary, nced at Su Chen before going to order.


    Once seated, Jiang Ying started chatting softly with Su Chen. However, since they had only met once before, their conversation was casual, and most of the time, it was Jiang Ying who actively looked for topics to discuss, with Su Chen asionally respondingckadaisically.


    This scene made everyone around them marvel even more; the big star, Jiang Ying, seemedpletely like she was trying to please the other party!


    It was hard for them to imagine, but it seemed to be happening right before their eyes...


    Everyone felt as though they had stumbled upon a great secret and started paying close attention to the sounds from that direction.


    But by then, the PR department had almost finished their breakfast, and Su Chen also stood up, smiling as he said:


    "Miss Jiang, I must be going now. Let''s chat again when we''re free."


    "Sure, I hope you and your colleagues have a great time!"


    Jiang Ying also quickly stood up, speaking in a polite manner.


    "Thank you!"


    Then, Su Chen led the PR department out, with the charter bus already waiting in the square in front of the hotel.


    "Director, how do you know the big star Jiang Ying?"


    As soon as they walked out of the hotel, Shu Yin asked curiously. Truth be told, Jiang Ying was his idol!


    Hearing Shu Yin''s question, the others, especially the women, also turned their gaze toward Su Chen, as if it was hard to believe they weren''t curious!


    "Yeah, Director, what''s your rtionship with Jiang Ying?"


    Zhao Lin also asked very gossipy, her eyes twinkling.


    "You guys really are nosy."


    Su Chen said, quite exasperated, then casually added:


    "We only met once at a banquet."


    "Really?"


    Zhao Lin expressed her skepticism.


    "Of course, what else did you think?"


    "No, it''s definitely not that simple!"


    Ran Ting asserted at once:


    "There must be some unspeakable secret between you two!"


    The others nodded in agreement. Women are always very sensitive; they also sensed that there was definitely more to it than just an acquaintance between the celebrity Jiang Ying and Su Chen.


    "Come on, get on the bus now. Are you going or not? Hurry up."


    Su Chen, feeling a bit uneasy, changed the subject.


    "See, you''re feeling guilty!"


    Zhao Lin nced at Su Chen, seeming to see right through him and scoffed.


    "Nonsense!"


    Su Chen, feigning sternness, responded, then boarded the bus, taking a seat in thest row as usual.


    However, this time his seat was taken by Zhao Lin, causing Ran Ting to re fiercely at her when she boarded the bus.


    As for the sharp gleam in Ran Ting''s beautiful eyes, Zhao Lin pretended not to see it...


    Soon, all of the PR department boarded the bus, which slowly started and headed towards Sun Moon Bay...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a private room of the hotel where Su Chen and his group were staying, there stood seven or eight people, including both Caucasians and Africans.


    Among them, a man with a full beard sat on a chair in front of them, smoking a cigar.


    "Boss, when do we make our move?"


    One of the Caucasians couldn''t wait to ask.


    "Wait a bit longer. Today, they went to Sun Moon Bay, where there are many tourists, and most crucially, there are no good ces to ambush."


    The man with the full beard calmly responded.


    "Just ordinary people, mostly women, why bother with an ambush? Just go up and kill them!"


    The Caucasian said nonchntly:


    "After we''re done, we leave. I don''t believe Huaxia''s police could catch us."


    "Yeah, boss, let''s just do it!"


    The others were also rubbing their hands together in eager anticipation, clearly not taking their targets seriously.


    "That won''t work. Huaxia is different from other countries. We must be careful and prudent, otherwise, we might end up dead here."


    The man with the beard shook his head, still deciding against taking any action for now. He sighed as he looked at his restless men:


    "Last time, because we were not cautious enough, we fell into the hands of that devil, and now we can''t even decide our own fate."


    At the mention of this, the faces of those men darkened.


    Indeed, if it hadn''t been for that operation, their organization would not have been annihted by those people, leaving only a few of them.


    More importantly, they had all been captured by the enemy and turned into puppets; they had to do whatever that devil wanted.


    Because they had all been fed that terrifying poison, and if they couldn''t administer the antidote on time, they were likely to explode and die!


    Remembering the person who had once failed toplete a mission, and not gotten the antidote, who then bled from every orifice and had his entire circtory system disrupted before dying a gruesome death, they couldn''t help but shiver!


    "Okay, boss. Whenever you say we go, we''ll go."


    Another person said.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve inquired. They''re going to be here for several more days. We''ll have a chance!"


    The bearded man nodded:


    "Make sure your weapons are checked and ready to go at any time!"


    "Yes!"


    The person who had just spoken confirmed immediately.


    "Boss, why does the Skull Society want that young man dead?"


    The Caucasian, who had been eager to strike immediately, asked with some confusion:


    "That young man doesn''t seem to have anything special about him!"


    "Who knows? But since they want us to do it, can we refuse?"


    The man with the beard took a puff of his cigar and said indifferently:


    "However, being a target of the Skull Society means the person must be somewhat special. We''d better stay cautious."


    Although the man with the beard said this, he didn''t really take the young man seriously in his heart.


    He really couldn''t see anything special about that man in casual clothes!


    He was also puzzled why the Skull Society, especially Tang Gang, would have them travel all this way to Huaxia to eliminate such a man.


    Moreover, from Tang Gang''s demeanor at the time, it was clear that he regarded this matter very seriously, which was a key reason he was being very cautious!


    Because if this mission went awry, what awaited him would be the consequences of hell itself, of which he had no doubt!


    If Su Chen were here, he might recognize these people, because they were all from the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps.


    The organization that was rumored to have been annihted by the Skull Society!

 Chapter 379: The Beauties of the Public Relations Department

    Sun Moon Bay had a poetic name, with the sun and moon shining together.


    Su Chen and his group had traveled over twenty kilometers to finally arrive there. Upon disembarking from the vehicle, they discovered the scenery was even more beautiful than its name suggested!


    It was a pristine ecological bay, nestled between mountains and by the sea, the northern side surrounded by mountain ranges, facing the South Sea to the south, forming a crescent-shaped bay.


    The waters were deep blue and clear, with giant rocks amidst the waves making resounding noises, quite spectacr!


    "So beautiful!"


    The members of the public rtions department couldn''t help but exim as they got off the vehicle; they found that nonguage could capture the beauty before them, and could only use the simplest and most rustic words to express their feelings!


    Everyone eagerly took off their shoes and socks, and ran towards the beach as joyfully as little birds!


    Their smooth soles felt veryfortable on the sand, which was exceptionally fine. Looking up, the Ru Xin River and Tian Tou River flowed quietly, meeting the sea inside Sun Moon Bay, where the river water mixed with the sea water,plementing each other''s salinity and purity.


    Seeing such beautiful scenery, not only the members of the public rtions department but even Su Chen felt exhrating joy as if he had merged into nature himself!


    Although there were fewer tourists here than in Daya Bay, there were still quite a few. Some were picking up seashells on the beach, some were swimming¡ªafter all, this was a natural sea-bathing spot¡ªand some young people were surfing in the sea!


    "Let''s hurry up and set up the tents and get changed!"


    Ran Ting called out, and the girls quickly responded, then they all went to the car to get their things.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes lit up. Was he finally going to see the swimsuits he had been anticipating?


    However, he hadn''t expected these women to be so thoughtful, even bringing tents with them.


    Although there was a hotel across the street and a dressing room nearby, those were all paid services, and at such a tourist spot, the prices were not cheap.


    With their own tents, they could save that expense, and also have the option to sleep here overnight and watch the sunrise the next day.


    If it had been Su Chen or those other men making the arrangements, they definitely wouldn''t have considered all these details.


    Su Chen was only meticulous in one situation, and that was when he was on a mission because, at that time, carelessness could cost lives. He had to be careful!


    Soon the women had dragged several tents out, and by then, the men had also gone to the car to change clothes.


    Since they were at the beach, of course, they wanted to change into swimsuits and y in the sea...


    As for Su Chen, he hadn''t brought one at all. To him, it was unnecessary.


    "Minister,e and help us out!"


    At that moment, Zhao Lin''s beguiling voice rang out.


    "Coming!"


    Su Chen had been sitting on the beach admiring the other swimsuit-d beauties, but as soon as he heard Zhao Lin''s call, he immediately got up.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Su Chen walked over with a smile.


    "It''s killing me, I''ve been trying to set it up for ages and it''s still not right!"


    Zhao Lin sounded exasperated as she flung a corner of the tent to the ground, and the two women with her also looked despondent.


    Seeing her puff up in frustration, Su Chen couldn''t help butugh. Women were naturally weaker in such tasks, so Su Chen said with a smile:


    "Alright, don''t get angry. Let me help you with it!"


    "Minister, you''re the best!"


    Zhao Lin, hearing him say this, immediately broke into a joyful smile and said.


    "Okay, stop buttering me up."


    Then Su Chen began to help them set up the tent. It was a piece of cake for him. Within a few minutes, a tent was erected!


    "Director,e and help us too!"


    "Director, over here too!"


    "Director, we need help as well!"


    .....


    Seeing that Su Chen quickly helped Zhao Lin and the others with the tents, other women also began to shout out.


    Having no choice, Su Chen went on to help each of them, and inspired by watching him, Zhao Lin and a few others proactively started helping others as well.


    At this moment, a few men also changed into their swimwear and came out. Seeing Su Chen helping with the tents, they immediately came over to lend a hand.


    With the addition of a few men, tents sprang up like mushrooms after the rain along the beach.


    After the tents were set up, the pretty women from the public rtions department excitedly rushed inside to change their clothes, while Su Chen and the other men watched eagerly, wishing they had Prating Eye!


    "Director, don''t peek!"


    After Zhao Lin entered the tent, she opened the zipper and poked her head out to warn Su Chen with a yful undertone.


    The way she did it seemed less like a warning and more like a tease!


    "This little temptress!"


    Seeing her throw a flirtatious nce at him, Su Chen felt a ticklish sensation and muttered to himself.


    A few minutester, the zippers of the tents were pulled open, and figures began to emerge one after another.


    Su Chen and the other gentlemen turned their heads as soon as they heard noises behind them.


    When they saw their usually professionally dressed pretty colleagues now in their swimwear, their eyes instantly lit up, mouths agape!


    They had never expected their attractive colleagues, whom they saw day in and day out, to have such stunning figures!


    Su Chen was simrly dumbfounded, his eyes seemingly fixed in ce, his throat feeling dry!


    Some of the women wore tight one-piece swimsuits, others wore shapewear swimsuits, some sported keyhole swimsuits, and some had skirted swimsuits.


    Of course, Ran Ting, the little minx with the most perfect figure, boldly wore a bikini!


    Overall, everyone''s swimwear style varied, but each unted her sultry figure to perfection!


    The only one slightlycking was Shu Yin, still a bit young and not fully developed, plus her conservative personality, so she opted for a skirted swimsuit.


    But she had her strengths too, such as her fair skin that looked as if it had been soaked in milk!


    The other gentlemen, perhaps worn down by these women in day-to-day interactions, only dared to take a quick look before turning away, as they were afraid of retaliation from these fierce creatures after returning!


    As for Su Chen, he had no such worries. Looking at all these beautiful women was like ushering in spring for him, only wishing he had more pairs of eyes, as he couldn''t take them all in!


    The women didn''t pay much attention to the other gentlemen, treating them as if they were air. Seeing their lecherous director continually scanning their bodies with his eyes, they felt both delighted and somewhat bashful!


    "Director, are you satisfied now?"


    Zhao Lin, twisting her serpentine waist, came up to Su Chen and said with a meaningful smile...

 Chapter 380 - 380 Good, Good, All Good!

    "Absolutely satisfied!"


    Su Chen nodded without hesitation, what was there not to be satisfied about?


    "Minister, how do you think my swimsuit looks?"


    Zhao Lin said as she couldn''t help but move closer to Su Chen.


    "Good, good!"


    The usually thick-skinned Su Chen even found himself blushing unconsciously...


    "And what about mine, Minister?"


    Ran Ting was not to be outdone, leaning over from the other side next to Su Chen.


    "Also good, also good!"


    "And what about mine?"


    "Minister, how about this one on me?"


    .....


    At that moment, about a dozen beautiful women from the PR Department swarmed over, all asking Su Chen to appreciate their swimsuits.


    In fact, appreciating swimsuits was just a pretext, it was fundamentally about appraising their figures, a big reason for this also being thepetitive nature among women!


    "Good, good, all good!"


    Looking at the dazzling array before him, Su Chen was ted beyond words!


    But women are reserved, and they didn''t get as close to him as usual, especially since they were all wearing swimsuits now!


    Soon, those women started running and frolicking around on the beach and by the seaside, while the more introverted ones strolled along the beach, searching for seashells and conches!


    Watching these gracefully swaying beauties, Su Chen once again marveled at the beauty of life!


    Because there were not only arge number of women from the PR Department, but also high-quality women, they soon became a dazzling sight at the bay, drawing many men''s gazes!


    "Minister, stop staring or your eyeballs might fall out!" Ran Ting came over and sat next to Su Chen.


    "It''s purely for appreciation, yes, just appreciation!"


    Su Chen said with a somewhat awkward smile.


    "Tsk, I know you, you''re just happy seeing all these beauties!"


    A hint of a teasing smile appeared on Ran Ting''s lips as she spoke.


    Su Chen suddenly didn''t know how to reply, thinking, do you really understand me that well?


    Just then, suddenly, a burst of screaming erupted from the crowd in the distance, and both Su Chen and the people from the PR Department were attracted to look over.


    They saw a strikingly attractive man and woman approaching, both dressed in rtively conservative swimsuits and wearing sunsses, but undeniably, both had excellent figures!


    Especially the woman, despite being so far away, Su Chen could still make out her exquisite curves, undoubtedly revealing his exceptional visual acuity in certain aspects!


    For some reason, everyone nearby started crowding around them, appearing quite excited and thrilled!


    "It looks like Cui Yuanmin and Jiang Ying!"


    Ran Ting looked at the somewhat blurry figures and hesitated before saying.


    Su Chen had initially only paid attention to the woman''s figure and hadn''t really looked at their faces; now hearing Ran Ting say this, he couldn''t help but take a closer look.


    Su Chen''s visual acuity was far superior to ordinary people; with one nce, wasn''t that Jiang Ying?


    As for the person beside her, naturally, that was the sweet young man Cui Yuanmin.


    After a while, the two of them walked towards Su Chen and the others, many people also followed them, naturally curious since they had encountered popr celebrities.


    As the two approached, Ran Ting finally got a clear look at them.


    "Huh, why would theye here?"


    Ran Ting slightly furrowed her brow, then nced at Su Chen:


    "Isn''t Jiang Ying here because of you?"


    "How could that be?"


    Su Chen was slightly startled, then shook his head. They had only met once; why would shee all this way for him? It must be a coincidence.


    "Oh, Mr. Su, you guys are here too?!"


    Jiang Ying''s eyes suddenly lit up as she approached Su Chen and spoke.


    Actually, Ran Ting had guessed correctly. Jiang Ying had indeede here specifically because of Su Chen.


    For this, she had even taken a day off from the crew, a rare urrence for someone as diligent as her.


    She had heard about Su Chen from his colleague during breakfast and had kept it in mind ever since.


    Honestly, she didn''t know why she came, she just instinctively felt she needed to seize this man and establish a closer connection with him!


    Her subconscious told her it was worth it!


    After all, this was a man who even dared to insult the powerful Lu ¨C and the Yun Family''s Head''s attitude toward him also highlighted that this man was no ordinary person!


    It must be said, as an actor, Jiang Ying''s performance hadpletely fooled Su Chen. He too thought she hade over just to enjoy the ce.


    Of course, this was under the assumption that Su Chen didn''t really care about her; otherwise, it would have been impossible to deceive him.


    However, Jiang Ying''spanion, Cui Yuanmin, had already sensed that Jiang Ying hade here deliberately, for this man.


    Because they had an important scene scheduled for shooting today, and they had discussed how to shoot itst night.


    But after seeing this man this morning, Jiang Ying imed she was not feeling well, needed a rest for the day, and then expressed her desire to visit Sun Moon Bay to clear her mind and rx.


    At the time, he thought nothing of it, but now seeing this man, he instantly understood!


    All that Jiang Ying had done was to meet this man!


    Realizing this, Cui Yuanmin''s gaze towards Su Chen turned wary,pletely seeing him as a rival in love!


    He too found it strange, how could Jiang Ying know such an ordinary person and even dy a day''s shoot for him?


    Could they have been childhood sweethearts? No, that didn''t seem right; they didn''t appear to be that familiar with each other.


    Although Cui Yuanmin couldn''t figure out the reason, it didn''t stop him from recognizing a fact ¡ª this man was special in Jiang Ying''s eyes!


    The other tourists who hade along also found this scene quite surprising, sizing up Su Chen curiously.


    While the man was indeed good-looking, they still didn''t recognize him after a while.


    "Mr. Su, may I sit here?"


    "Please do."


    Su Chen responded casually.


    Subsequently, the two engaged in conversation quite familiarly, with Jiang Ying proving to be a good conversationalist. Soon, they were chatting andughing together.


    As for Su Chen, he didn''t have much else to do and found thepany of a big star rather pleasant.


    On the other side of Su Chen, Ran Ting didn''t say much. Listening to their conversation, she felt even more that Jiang Ying''s attitude toward Su Chen was definitely not ordinary, certainly not just friends as Su Chen had described!


    Being ignored on the side, Cui Yuanmin''s eyes gradually grew colder because Jiang Ying''s attitude towards this man was too extraordinary!


    Even when facing the executives at thepany, she had never behaved this way, which made him feel a strong sense of crisis!


    He simply couldn''t understand why Jiang Ying would care so much about such an ordinary man!


    He felt he couldn''t stay silent any longer, he must do something...

 Chapter 381: Cui Yuanmins Provocation

    "Jiang Ying, I''m getting ready to surf, do you want to join?"


    Cui Yuanmin stood up and asked.


    "No need, I don''t know how."


    Jiang Ying waved her hand, still slightly annoyed by Cui Yuanmin calling her "Little Ying," especially in front of Su Chen, but she didn''t feel it was the right time to say anything.


    Seeing that Jiang Ying wouldn''t go, Cui Yuanming didn''t insist because his actual target wasn''t Jiang Ying, but rather Su Chen standing beside her.


    "Mr. Su, since you''re friends with Little Ying, shall we go surfing together?"


    Fearing that Su Chen might decline, Cui Yuanmin continued with a yful tone:


    "Surfing is a man''s sport, every man should experience it!"


    His implication was clear: if you don''t agree, you''re not a man!


    "Not interested, Mr. Cui, please go ahead."


    Su Chen simply smiled, as if he would ever be provoked by someone like Cui Yuanmin.


    He had no interest in surfing when he could sit here enjoying the view of beautiful women, even though he had once surfed the high waves at Tahiti Ind in the South Pacific!


    As for whether he''s a man, Su Chen thought only thedies needed to know that. Did he have to prove anything to a tender-faced pretty boy like him?


    Cui Yuanmin didn''t expect such a response and suddenly felt dejected, like punching into cotton with no sensation!


    However, while Su Chen was uninterested, Ran Ting''s eyes lit up beside him:


    "Minister, just go. I would love to see you surf."


    "Forget it, I''m really not interested."


    "Minister, please go!"


    Ran Ting nudged him and pleaded sweetly.


    But Su Chen just continued to smile and shook his head; he really wasn''t interested in surfing in a ce that posed no challenge to him!


    After all, surfing is about the thrill, which this ce just couldn''t provide!


    "The Minister is going surfing, do you all want to watch?"


    Seeing that Su Chen still refused, Ran Ting quickly turned and shouted to the colleagues from the PR department ying on the beach.


    "Yes!"


    The crowd, especially the women, screamed excitedly upon hearing Su Chen was going to surf and immediately started heading over, swaying their hips.


    Dealing with Ran Ting alone was challenging enough for Su Chen, let alone the other women. So, knowing the times, he stood up, not forgetting to re at Ran Ting, ming her for this situation!


    Seeing this man finally agree, Cui Yuanmin was thrilled inside.


    "Let me show you the difference between us soon!"


    Since Jiang Ying''s eyes were only on Su Chen,pletely ignoring him, the usually admired Cui Yuanmin was upset!


    More importantly, this man named Su Chen was putting pressure on him, especially since he had long desired Jiang Ying!


    The two then headed to a store by the beachside, one of several that rented out surfing equipment, and also sold it.


    However, since the equipment here is provided for tourists, it is not meant for professionalpetitions.


    Originally, Cui Yuanmin nned to choose a medium-length surfboard, but seeing Su Chen pick a short one, he did not want to be outdone and chose a short one as well.


    It is known that in surfing, the shorter the surfboard, the more difficult it is to handle; beginners generally choose longer boards.


    Just as the two were about to head out, Cui Yuanmin asked,


    "Mr. Su, aren''t you going to change into other clothes? They do sell quick-dry clothes here."


    During surfing, clothes do have some effect. Cui Yuanmin believed that his skills alone were enough to decisively beat his opponent, and he did not want others to think his victory was unfair.


    "No need, let''s go."


    Su Chen said nonchntly, carrying his surfboard and walking outside.


    Because Cui Yuanmin, the big celebrity, was there, many tourists gathered around, and many young girls screamed at the sight of Cui Yuanmin''s model-like figure and handsome face.


    As for Su Chen, although his physique was not at all inferior to the opponent''s, it was not apparent due to his loose casual wear, and besides the public rtions team, hardly anyone recognized him, so he was naturally ignored.


    Listening to those fans screaming, Cui Yuanmin once again felt that cherished sensation of being adored by thousands.


    Yet when he looked towards Jiang Ying, he found her gaze was constantly on that Su surnamed man, making Cui Yuanmin all the more irritable!


    Cui Yuanmin was quite familiar with surfing and had even been trained by the best coaches in the country. He believed he also had a natural talent for it. Thus, he decided that he would definitely showcase his prowesster and totally outperform that guy.


    Su Chen, of course, noticed that this guy harbored some resentment towards him because of Jiang Ying.


    However, he did not take it seriously, as this was a very normal reaction for a man.


    Under the gaze of the crowd, Cui Yuanmin began checking his equipment, as surfing could sometimes be dangerous with unexpected circumstances.


    After checking his equipment, he started warming up to stretch his muscles.


    While doing this, he couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen, who was still looking at the girls and doing nothing; he could not help but sneer,


    "Does this guy even know how to surf?"


    It is known that what he was doing are the necessary preparations every surfer must make before heading into the sea.


    He thought, if you encounter dangerter, don''t expect me to be kind enough to save you!


    After finishing his preparations, the two walked toward the sea together...


    Surfing is an extreme sport powered by ocean waves, where surfers lie prone or sit on their surfboards in suitable wave locations waiting.


    As the right wave approaches, surfers adjust the direction of the board and paddle in the direction of the wave while lying on the surfboard to gain enough speed to keep ahead of the wave, and as the wave propels the surfboard, surfers stand to control the movement and direction of the board.


    That''s when you can forget your worries and experience the thrill of battling with the waves and racing through them!


    Su Chen and Cui Yuanmin soon arrived at a suitable spot, theny on the surfboards and slowly paddled forward, waiting for the waves toe.


    At that time, several other people were also slowly paddling on either side of them, waiting for the waves...


    Sure enough, a wave soon came along¡ªit was a clean and tidy wave, precisely the kind surfers love the most.


    Seeing the wave, everyone immediately paddled vigorously, trying to get into a favorable position.


    Cui Yuanmin had also intended to chase this wave, but when he saw Su Chen by his side showing no reaction at all, he too stopped; he was a bit unclear about this guy''s intentions. How could he not chase such a good wave?


    Actually, Su Chen thought it was quite simple; this wave was too unchallenging for him, not interesting at all...

 Chapter 382: Beautiful Dive

    ```


    The reason those people were ferventlypeting in paddling speed is that there''s an unwritten rule in surfing: the first person who upies a good position and stands up gets the right of way, and everyone else must back off and wait for the next wave.


    If you still stand up after someone else has done so, you''ll be scorned or even cursed at by others.


    That''s not only considered unsportsmanlike, but it''s also very dangerous, because if any ident happens, the wave-stealer must bear all the consequences.


    Indeed, the few who had chased after the previous wave all stopped once they saw someone standing up.


    Despite feeling somewhat disheartened, they had no choice but to wait for the next wave toe.


    After a while, several more waves rolled in, and different individuals caught the take-off spot, enjoying the thrill of battling the sea waves.


    Especially the surfer who got the first wave, clearly superior in skill, this person caught three waves alone from those that came, performing various high-difficulty stunts on the surging crests, showing off their superb surfing skills, resulting in screams of excitement from the beachgoers!


    It''s worth mentioning that after you''ve caught a wave, as it subsides, you can stillpete with others for the next one since the wavese in sets.


    If you''re good enough to catch all the waves, then that''s a testament to your skill!


    Su Chen was indifferent to the screams, still waiting for the wave he needed, while Cui Yuanmin beside him was feeling quite ufortable.


    Because he believed that although the other person''s skills were decent, they were still inferior to his, and this made him feel as if the glory that should have been his was being stolen!


    In his eyes, all the apuse and screams should have been for him alone!


    If it weren''t for the fact that he had been inactive, that guy wouldn''t have had the chance to show off here!


    At that moment, he couldn''t help but take another look at Su Chen beside him, finding it even more odd that this guy still hadn''t made a move.


    After so many waves, he hadn''t even tried to catch one, could it be he simply doesn''t know how to surf and is nning to just drag things out until it ends?


    Considering previously how this guy didn''t even perform an equipment check or warm-up exercises, Cui Yuanmin felt even more certain of his judgment.


    To think he had been closely watching him, even forgoing several opportunities to perform, was simply foolish!


    Cui Yuanmin secretly resolved not to bother about this guy anymore. When the next wave came, he would definitely not hold back. He would make sure everyone saw his magnificent form!


    In fact, not only did Cui Yuanmin feel puzzled, but the others waiting for waves also found it perplexing that this young man hadn''t chased any waves from start to finish.


    They also noticed his attire, still wearing casual clothes, leading them to the same conclusion as Cui Yuanmin: that this guy probably didn''t know how to surf and was likely just a beginner wanting to experience the feel of the waves.


    "Ran Ting, everyone rushes to the waves as soon as they see them, why hasn''t the Minister moved yet?"


    Zhao Lin looked at the situation in the sea and asked with some curiosity.


    "I''m not sure either, not just the Minister, have you not seen that Cui Yuanmin beside him is also quiet?"


    A touch of perplexity also surfaced on Ran Ting''s pretty face.


    Jiang Ying beside them had a hunch about why Cui Yuanmin hadn''t moved; it must be because he wanted topete with Su Chen.


    She knew quite well what Cui Yuanmin was thinking, but she felt that Cui Yuanmin wasn''t worthy of her yet; in terms of fame, he didn''t even measure up to her!


    However, as for why Su Chen hadn''t moved, she was somewhat puzzled. Ever since this man appeared in her world, he had been like a mystery.


    "Look, another wave ising, and it seems even bigger than the previous ones!"


    ```


    Zhao Lin suddenly cried out as she looked at the sea.


    "Minister, paddle faster!"


    Zhao Lin suddenly saw Cui Yuanmin finally start moving, frantically paddling forward, and she anxiously yelled at the sea.


    "Minister, hurry up!"


    The other women from the PR department, including those few men, also began to shout loudly.


    Su Chen of course heard their shouts, but not only did he not move, he also turned his head around with a smile, blew a kiss at the beauties of the PR department, appearing quite sly!


    The women saw his gesture and they were all somewhat at a loss whether tough or cry, thinking, why don''t you have anypetitive spirit?


    Jiang Ying, seeing this scene, also "pfft"ughed, finding this man quite interesting!


    The other onlookers felt even more that this guy wasn''t here to surf, but to clown around!


    This time, Cui Yuanmin paid no attention to Su Chen. The moment he saw the waveing, he stretched out his body, extending his arms to the limit, and paddled the water as hard as he could!


    The smooth lines and extended movements of his body looked quite graceful, like a fish!


    "Cui Yuanmin, I love you!"


    "Cui Yuanmin, go for it!"


    "Cui Yuanmin, well done!"


    .......


    Seeing Cui Yuanmin finally in action, the fans on the beach, especially the young girls, immediately began to scream frantically.


    Listening to those screams, Cui Yuanmin felt even more motivated, thinking that he should have done this earlier, berating himself for always paying attention to that guy¡ªwhat a fool!


    Before long, the otherpetitors had fallen far behind, leaving only the previously most prominent man topete with him!


    Clearly, having apetitor could unleash a person''s potential even more, and upon realizing he was no longer the sole star, that man started to paddle even harder.


    It must be said, his arm strength was very impressive, and even though Cui Yuanmin had better technique, he was still nearly neck and neck with his rival!


    Cui Yuanmin, however, seemed not the least bit worried, and even looked at his opponent with a smile, albeit oneced with clear disdain!


    This only fueled the other man with more anger and determination, prompting him to paddle with all the strength he could muster...


    But momentster, that man suddenly realized that Cui Yuanmin, who had just been nearby, had vanished without a trace.


    This eerie situation immediately made him feel a sense of unease and tension!


    Not just him, but also the other spectators on the beach were at a loss, wondering if some kind of ident had befallen Cui Yuanmin?


    Especially his young female admirers, who looked anxious, with some even turning pale.


    At that time, the wave was also surginging, seemingly about to engulf everything!


    Just as everyone felt puzzled and uneasy, suddenly, in front of the big wave, a figure emerged from the water and slowly stood up!

 Chapter 383: Shocking Everyone

    When the crowd saw that silhouette emerge from the water, they erupted into the loudest apuse and wildest shouts they had yet!


    "So he had just stealthily crossed from below!"


    "That was just so thrilling!"


    "I can only say one word ¡ª awesome!"


    .......


    Those who knew surfing were shocked at this scene!


    By that time, Cui Yuanmin had started to use the wave''s energy to perform various tumbling, crashing, and sliding movements, his figure appearing at the wave''s crest one moment and sliding swiftly as the waves beat the next!


    Watching his suave movements and perfect posture, the fans were totally crazy, with ceaseless screams and shouts!


    Even other surfers couldn''t help but praise his technique; he truly had strong skills!


    Although he couldn''t hear the shouts and screams over the sound of the surrounding waves, he could imagine them!


    So, he put even more effort into his performance, naturally including a bit more showing off since, after all, he was a star!


    When that wave had calmed down, Cui Yuanmin gradually slowed down and joined the crowd at the Wave Waiting Area.


    He didn''t bother with thepetitors he had just bested, but looked at Su Chen with a smug and provocative expression, clearly saying, "Did you see that performance, buddy?"


    Su Chen simply smiled indifferently, the other''s movements having been purely for show andpletely unexciting to him!


    The sea surface became calm again, and everyone started waiting once more for the next wave¡­


    After a while, the nearby sea surface remained calm, with everyone still waiting patiently.


    However, just then, Su Chen''s eyes narrowed and his heart began to "thump-thump" speed up.


    He slowly started paddling forward, looking straight ahead, as if focusing on something...


    "What is he doing? Why is he paddling out of the Wave Waiting Area?"


    "Yeah, there aren''t any waves right now; did he give up?"


    "Probably, he hasn''t even tried to catch a single wave until now; he must feel it''s embarrassing!"


    .......


    Seeing Su Chen''s unusual behavior, the crowd immediately started murmuring amongst themselves.


    The PR department''sdies found it odd too, but since they didn''t know much about surfing, they also felt uneasy hearing others''ments.


    Jiang Ying didn''t know Su Chen well enough to understand what he was doing; however, she intuited that Mr. Su was not the type to give up easily!


    Not just the spectators, but even the surfers at the Wave Waiting Area found his sudden departure puzzling.


    Considering he had barely moved since the start, what was he up to now?


    By this time, Su Chen had paddled some distance away, continuing forward as the sunlit sea sparkled around him, alone on the water, appearing somewhat solitary...


    Cui Yuanmin was also confused about Su''s intentions and felt uneasy as he watched his unusual actions.


    After pondering for a moment, he followed after him; since Su Chen wasn''t moving fast, he caught up to him after a little while.


    When Su Chen noticed Cui Yuanmin catching up, he nced at him, thinking this guy was quite smart!


    But he seemed indifferent to Cui Yuanmin''s arrival, continuing to paddle slowly forward, with Cui Yuanmin closely following behind.


    After a while, the two were a considerable distance from the Wave Waiting Area.


    "What are you doing here?"


    After a while, seeing Su Chen stop, Cui Yuanmin couldn''t help but ask.


    "None of your business."


    Su Chen kept his gaze forward, not even ncing at him.


    This response only aggravated Cui Yuanmin again but left him somewhat helpless!


    Actually, the reason Su Chen left the Wave Waiting Area ahead of time was because he sensed a big wave wasing.


    Oftentimes, the ocean surface appears calm, but beneath it, energy is umting.


    Only those with special talents can predict this in advance and take advantage of a favorable position, but such people are exceedingly rare!


    Without a doubt, Su Chen was one of those talented individuals!


    Sure enough, a few minutester, not far from the shore, the sea surface began to roar and ssh, bing restless!


    "Look, there''s a waveing!"


    At that moment, a person on the beach eximed with excitement!


    "My God, did that guy predict the wave wasing?"


    "No way, could he really be that miraculous?"


    "Otherwise, how do you exin him leaving the Wave Waiting Area so soon?"


    "Exactly, he must have predicted it long ago, otherwise his actions are unexinable."


    "Yeah, I didn''t expect him to have such a talent. You know, there are only a handful of people in the world who can foresee wavesing, and here we are, facing a master today!"


    "It turns out we were all mistaken!"


    Seeing this, everyone on the beach began to exim!


    The women in the public rtions department, hearing the people''s discussions, becameexcited too.


    It turns out Su Chen has always been hiding his talents! I knew it, the director will never let us down!


    "But how do you exin his inactivity earlier? If he could predict the waves, he should have moved earlier!"


    At this, another person raised a skeptical opinion.


    Hearing this, everyone once again fell silent; indeed, it was somewhat inexplicable.


    Could it be that this guy really just stumbled onto something by blind luck?


    "Look at that, the wave is huge!"


    At this moment, another scream rang out.


    The crowd that had been discussing turned their attention back to the sea, only to see waves shooting up into the sky, as if to swallow everything!


    "My God, that wave must be about five meters high!"


    Another person eximed excitedly!


    "Yes, I oftene here, and I''ve never seen such a big wave!"


    "This is too dangerous, those two need toe back quickly, otherwise it''s too risky!"


    Hearing talk of danger, everyone in the public rtions department was suddenly rmed!


    "What? Is this situation very dangerous?"


    Ran Ting immediately asked nervously to the person who had just been speaking.


    "Of course, this wave is too high! One wrong move and you could be engulfed!"


    The others nodded in agreement.


    The people in the public rtions department became even more anxious!


    "Director,e back!"


    "Director,e back!"


    The people in the public rtions department immediately cupped their hands to their mouths and shouted towards the sea!


    "Look, that young man is actually chasing the wave!"


    Just then, another huge scream erupted, filled with shock and disbelief!

 Chapter 384: Peak Performance

    The others, upon witnessing this scene, were struck dumbfounded!


    "I finally understand why that young man had been so still before!"


    Another person said in a sudden realization, his tone filled with exmation!


    "What do you understand?"


    The rest quickly asked.


    "Don''t you guys get it?"


    That person nced at the crowd and scoffed:


    "The reason that young man had remained still was that the waves before were too small,cking in challenge. He was waiting for this towering wave!"


    "Damn, that''s way too arrogant!"


    "Indeed, such a thought is incredibly bold!"


    "This is what you call skilled and daring!"


    "Whether he''s skilled remains to be seen!"


    "Look, Cui Yuanmin is catching up too!"


    Everyone followed the voice and indeed saw two figures rushing towards the roaring wave!


    When Cui Yuanmin saw the wave arriving, he was somewhat astonished, suspecting that the guy might have guessed it in advance, but subconsciously, he did not want to believe that possibility.


    By the time the wave fully rose, Cui Yuanmin saw it was too big, far surpassing any wave he had surfed before, and he instinctively wanted to give up.


    For him, safety was paramount, and he had no confidence in handling this wave.


    However, just then, the guy beside him actually charged toward the wave. Cui Yuanmin hade to surf today mainly to show Su Chen up, wanting to make a spectacle of him.


    Seeing Su Chen taking off, he clenched his teeth and directly pursued him!


    The two of them, like speedboats, rapidly weaved through the sea!


    "Damn, isn''t that too fast?"


    "Yeah, with that speed, we''re hopelessly outmatched!"


    ...


    The people in the Wave Waiting Area were all sighing as they watched the two, because they were too far away to stand a chance of catching up.


    Even if they could catch up, they wouldn''t chase after them, for the wave was simply too high!


    Watching the two figures chasing and dashing towards the wave on the sea surface, everyone held their breath to see if they could stand up smoothly and who would manage to take the wave!


    Having witnessed Cui Yuanmin''s superior surfing skills just before, most people were more confident in him.


    Actually, if Su Chen really wanted to disy his full capability, Cui Yuanmin would have had no chance of catching up, but since the guy wanted topete with him, why not give him a taste of his color?


    So Su Chen did not go all out but instead adjusted his speed to be simr to that guy''s!


    However, this was already Cui Yuanmin''s limit. After a while, his stamina began to drop, and his speed decreased slightly.


    Su Chen also slightly reduced his speed, always keeping it simr to his, but Cui Yuanmin, seeing this, thought that Su Chen, like him, had lost stamina as well!


    Just as they were about to catch up with the wave, Cui Yuanmin wanted to repeat his old trick, trying to stealthily pass underneath Su Chen, but as he began to dive, Su Chen also sank down and gave him a look underwater.


    A sneak attack like this could only seed if you took the opponentpletely by surprise. Now that Su Chen was clearly prepared, Cui Yuanmin had no choice but to resurface and continue paddling.


    Soon, that surging wave reached the two of them. Cui Yuanmin had nned, like everyone else, to paddle beside the wave and then get to his feet (which means to stand up on the surfboard)!


    But to his astonishment, he discovered that Su Chen next to him intended to go directly through the wave zone. This approach would indeed be much faster, but undoubtedly far more dangerous, especially since the wave was so high and powerful!


    Perhaps driven by male hormones, Cui Yuanmin gritted his teeth and also headed straight for the wave zone. As soon as he entered, he felt the waves were too powerful, nearly beyond his control!


    "Damn, they''re actually going to cross through the Wave Waiting Area directly, are they not afraid of dying?"


    At this moment, the crowd burst into exmations,pletely in disbelief, because such behavior was simply insane!


    However, it had to be said that Cui Yuanmin was very lucky, and of course, this was also because his skills were pretty good to begin with; he finally made it across the Wave Waiting Area, nearing the crest of the wave!


    At this moment, he suddenly discovered Su Chen right in front of him, with half of his body already climbing up, and that guy even provocatively smiled at him!


    "No way, I can''t let him get away with this, can''t let him steal the spotlight!"


    Cui Yuanmin thought to himself and hastily began to climb up as well.


    But by then, Su Chen had already fully stood up, stealing the wave!


    ording to the rules, since Su Chen had taken the wave, Cui Yuanmin should have automatically dropped out!


    But to everyone''s surprise, Cui Yuanmin still stood up; he couldn''t let Su Chen hog all the glory!


    Seeing this, the onlookers immediately started cursing:


    "Damn, does this Cui guy have no shame at all? Someone else already took the wave, and he still snatches it!"


    "Exactly, so tasteless, and he''s a celebrity too, with no sense of propriety at all!"


    ...


    Those who understood surfing began to condemn Cui Yuanmin, as surfers detest this kind of rule-breaking, irrational behavior the most!


    However, their condemnation was quickly met with retorts from Cui Yuanmin''s fans, who didn''t care about right or wrong; anything their idol did was right, and you had no say in it!


    Those critics were no match for these crazy fans and were soon drowned in a sea of retorts, but Cui Yuanmin hadpletely lost any good impression in their hearts!


    Su Chen didn''t expect this guy to be so shameless, and immediately shot him a piercing re!


    Even though Cui Yuanmin knew his actions would make him unpopr, he didn''t care much and started performing various eye-catching maneuvers amidst the surging waves.


    "You want topete?"


    With a coldugh, Su Chen executed a beautiful peak-to-hollow snap turn, followed by a bottom turn and then a big roundhouse cutback at the wave''s peak!


    When he returned to the base, he leapt high, gliding over the wave''s crest, and then performed a stunning vertical drop-in!


    His figure was so dazzling among the raging, surging waves, so incredibly attention-grabbing!


    At this moment, he was like a warrior engaged in fierce battle with the ocean!


    Although Cui Yuanmin''s moves were also beautiful, next to Su Chen''s, they paled significantly!


    The audience, witnessing his agile form, eximed in amazement, their eyes filled with admiration!


    "Oh my god, how did he even manage those moves?"


    "Yeah, it''s absolutely breathtaking!"


    "I bet even professional athletes couldn''t do this!"


    .....


    Su Chen''s performancepletely conquered everyone, including Cui Yuanmin''s fervent fans, who were now intently watching Su Chen perform high-difficulty maneuvers, his posture simply the epitome of cool!


    "Minister, I love you!"


    "Minister, I want to marry you!"


    "Su Chen, I want to have your monkeys!"


    The beauties from the PR department shouted frantically, their faces unabashedly excited!


    Meanwhile, Jiang Ying, watching Su Chen''s figure battling the waves, had her eyes also filled with intense radiance!


    This man must not be let go!

 Chapter 385: A Person Like Me, How Do I Qualify to Pursue Love

    Cui Yuanmin felt a shock when he saw Su Chen''s movements and the craziness of the crowd.


    However, he felt even more a surge of fury, as if he were a clown or a firefly trying topete with the sun and moon!


    He could never ept such a thing!


    At that moment, he saw Su Chen had already entered a wave tube. As is known, surfing through a wave tube is a very difficult task, especially with such high waves.


    One could imagine, if this guy really managed to get through, he would definitely receive even more adtion from the onlookers!


    Cui Yuanmin could not let that happen; he had to surf through the wave tube too!


    However, since the wave was toorge, itpletely exceeded his capability. As soon as he charged in, a wave mmed him upwards, sending him crashing straight towards Su Chen!


    Usually, during surfing, such an incident is very dangerous for both parties!


    Su Chen had already been dissatisfied with this guy''s wave-snatching behavior. Seeing him crash over, he directly kicked him away!


    "Damn, that guy just flew up!"


    The crowd shouted in surprise as they saw a figure flying in mid-air!


    Others covered their eyes, somewhat afraid to watch this scene, as they had not clearly seen the situation within the wave tube and had assumed that Cui Yuanmin had been sent flying by the wave!


    Then, under everyone''s gaze, Cui Yuanmin fell into the giant wave and disappeared without a trace, with only his surfboard sinking and bobbing up!


    Soon, Su Chen burst out of the massive wave tube, undeniably eliciting an evenrger cheer!


    At this moment, the beach lifeguards quickly came over with their boat, rescuing Cui Yuanmin who had ingested who knows how much water!


    After Cui Yuanmin was rescued, the panic on his face hadn''t yet subsided. It took him a few minutes to gradually recover!


    As the tide was also gradually subsiding, Su Chen also stopped and slowly paddled back. When Cui Yuanmin passed by Su Chen, he gave him a fierce look, his eyes filled with resentful fury!


    Su Chen didn''t care what this guy thought. As he neared the shore, he picked up his surfboard and walked over.


    Upon returning to the beach, Su Chen immediately became a hero in everyone''s eyes. People crowded around him, especially the beauties from the public rtions department, who excitedly encircled him, rubbing against him enthusiastically.


    They even imed they were checking to see if he was injured!


    Of course, Su Chen also touched their smooth skin, which felt simply... indescribable!


    Jiang Ying didn''t crowd around but stood aside with a smile, marvelling at how good this guy''s luck with women was!


    After those women had touched him everywhere appropriate and inappropriate, they finally let him go.


    Of course, what goes aroundes around, and Su Chen certainly reciprocated appropriately!


    "Mr. Su, your surfing skills have really opened my eyes!"


    Jiang Ying said with a smile as the crowd gradually dispersed.


    "Just a little trick, I''m embarrassed in front of Miss Jiang."


    Su Chen replied modestly.


    Jiang Ying just smiled at Su Chen''s modesty and didn''t say much, then she asked,


    "Are you all nning to sleep here with all these tents set up?"


    "Yeah, these women want to watch the sunrise here."


    Su Chen nodded.


    After chatting casually for a while, Jiang Ying left...


    At dinner, Su Chen and the public rtions folks just went to a nearby restaurant for a simple meal, then came back to the tents.


    Listening to the waves crashing against the rocks, everyone felt veryfortable, as if they had be a part of nature.


    Fearing they would miss the sunrise in the morning, none of them wanted to sleep, instead, they yed cards in the tents, or engaged in other games!


    But by three or four in the morning, one by one, they could no longer hold up and had all copsed!


    However, Su Chen didn''t mind; going without sleep for a few days was no big deal for him.


    At five twenty in the morning, Su Chen crawled out of the tent, knowing that those people had only slept for an hour or two. He didn''t have the heart to wake them, thinking there was always tomorrow to watch!


    So, he walked alone to a small mountain nearby, which was an excellent spot to watch the sunrise.


    When he reached the mountaintop, he found that many people were already waiting there.


    Just then, Su Chen caught a glimpse of a familiar figure and immediately walked over:


    "Miss Jiang, you didn''t leave?"


    Su Chen had thought Jiang Ying had left yesterday, but unexpectedly, he ran into her again here.


    "Since I''m here, how could I not watch the sunrise? It would have been too regrettable!"


    Jiang Ying turned to see it was Su Chen and smiled slightly. At that moment, she was wearing a hat, sunsses, and a mask, making it difficult for others to recognize her.


    Su Chen also recognized her from her silhouette and dress; she was wearing the same outfit as yesterday.


    "And the Mr. Cui who came with you, he didn''te?"


    Su Chen sat down on a rock next to Jiang Ying, asking casually.


    "You''re asking about him? He absolutely despises you now!"


    Jiang Ying nced at him andughed, revealing that she had found out from Cui Yuanmin the previous night that Su Chen had kicked him out.


    "That was his own fault for not following the rules. Who else can he me?"


    Su Chen responded nonchntly.


    "Mr. Su, please don''t misunderstand, I wasn''t standing up for him."


    Jiang Ying, wary of Su Chen misconstruing their rtionship, still felt the need to exin.


    Su Chen simply smiled and said nothing more.


    "Look, the sun ising up!"


    Someone eximed, and everyone else turned to look into the distance.


    Looking afar, the eastern sky revealed hints of orange-yellow. As time passed, the orange-yellow spread and thickened, and the juncture of sky and water was already changing color!


    At some point, the red sun emerged from the sea, suspended in the clouds, radiating beams of light, coloring theyered sea of clouds in vivid orange-red, like a ming fire boiling!


    The sea water also turned red, truly embodying the phrase "Half the river is chilling and half the river is red"!


    A few seagulls, tinted with color, swept past the boats. In the distance were fishing boats, dotting the waves stirred by the gentle breeze!


    Indeed, it was a magnificent "sea sunrise" scene!


    "It''s so beautiful!"


    Jiang Ying watched the round red sun, enchantedly eximed!


    "It''s just a pity that I, such a coarse person, am sitting here to appreciate it with you."


    Su Chen watched Jiang Ying''s face bathed in the rosy light, smiled and said:


    "Miss Jiang shoulde and see this with someone she loves sometime. I''m sure the feelings then would be even more beautiful!"


    "Someone I love?"


    Jiang Ying heard Su Chen''s words, a hint of bitterness shaking her head:


    "For someone like me, what right do I have to chase after love?"


    At that moment, Jiang Ying''s face disyed a deep sense of mncholy and sorrow, a sight that was truly heartbreaking...

 Chapter 386 - 386 Ambush on Monkey Mountain

    Su Chen heard this and was also at a loss for words, thinking that Jiang Ying must also be a person with stories of her own!


    "Just rambling, don''t mind me, Mr. Su,"


    Jiang Ying casually smiled, dispelling the sadness she had shown moments before.


    "Not at all."


    Su Chen felt that this girl might be quite pragmatic, but also very stubborn and strong-willed. He really had no idea what kind of stories she carried with her.


    But their friendship was still quite new, and since she didn''t volunteer anything, he naturally wouldn''t pry.


    Then, both of them quietly watched the spectacr sunrise, their spirits elevating with it!


    Jiang Ying sneakily nced at Su Chen next to her and thought that if he were really her lover, it might not be so bad!


    However, Su Chen waspletely unaware of her thoughts. Although he vaguely sensed that the big star''s meeting with him was a bit deliberate, he didn''t think much of it; his mind was absorbed in the rising sun.


    After watching the sunrise, the two followed the others down the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, there was a breakfast stall, and they had a simple meal before returning.


    It turned out that Jiang Ying had stayed in a hotel across the street the night before. After packing up a bit, she left with Cui Yuanmin, as they still had scenes to shoot.


    Su Chen also returned to the tent area, where the others were already up.


    Just as Su Chen was about to greet everyone, he found that all the women were ring at him angrily!


    Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat, wondering what had happened.


    "Why didn''t you wake us up?"


    Zhao Lin said furiously as if she wanted to gobble Su Chen up, and the others looked simrly enraged.


    "Right, why didn''t you wake us up?"


    "Do you know how long we''ve been waiting for this sunrise?"


    "Really, it''s infuriating, I even nned to take some photos!"


    .......


    Su Chen was intimidated by the women''s overwhelming anger and stammered:


    "I just felt sorry for you and wanted to let you sleep a little longer."


    "Who asked for your pity!"


    "Right, it''s really annoying just thinking about it!"


    The women, one by one, were seething with rage, making Su Chen''s eyes widen!


    "What are you looking at? Keep staring and I''ll gouge out your eyeballs!"


    "Exactly, pervert! Jerk!"


    If it were any other time, they wouldn''t mind Su Chen''s gaze, but they were angry now, so seeing Su Chen''s lecherous look only fueled their rage!


    Su Chen was speechless. Was it just because he hadn''t woken them up?


    He was simply being considerate of them, and now it had turned into his fault?


    Although he was frustrated, Su Chen knew arguing with women was pointless, so he could only say:


    "Then you can stay another day and watch the sunrise tomorrow morning. I promise, I''ll definitely wake you up then!"


    No sooner had he said this, than it sparked a new wave of rebuke.


    "We''re only here for a few days, and our schedule has been nned out. Today we''re going somewhere else, how could we possibly stay here!"


    Ran Ting fumed.


    "Alright, alright, it''s all my fault. Please,dies, spare me this once!"


    Su Chen saw the situation and simply begged for forgiveness, thinking to himself that this was all his fault and it was better to stay silent.


    "It was definitely your fault!"


    "Yes, all your fault!"


    Seeing that the matter hade to this, everyone could do nothing but let it go, though their looks towards Su Chen were still full of dissatisfaction!


    They were clearly still upset about missing the sunrise!


    However, their angersted only a short while before they became excited again, for they were going to the famous Monkey Mountain next.


    After the group took a bus and left, on the opposite side at the hotel''s upper floor, a person with binocrs put them down and took out a mobile phone to dial a number.


    "Boss, they''ve left. I wandered around there this morning and overheard those women saying they were going to Monkey Mountain!"


    "Good, I got it!"


    In a room of Di Hao Hotel, the bearded man put away the phone and told his seven or eight subordinates:


    "Brothers, our chance hase; let''s set off for Monkey Mountain immediately. Robert, figure out a way to get the weapons in and hide them well."


    "Yes!"


    The one named Robert, a white man, immediately acknowledged and hurried out.


    The others also rubbed their hands in anticipation, unable to wait any longer!


    As for their target, they never took him seriously. A young man in his twenties, so thin and frail, what resistance could he offer!


    Then these few people took two cars and headed off to Monkey Mountain...


    ....


    The women, who had just been fuming with anger, started to sing loudly on the bus not long after boarding, theirughter and chatter filling the air, even the bus driver was beaming with joy!


    After driving for a while, the bus finally reached its destination. The driver had nned to rest on the bus, but Su Chen and others dragged him along.


    Qin Li went to the ticket office and bought more than twenty tickets, including one for the driver, then hurried back and distributed them, after which everyone entered with their tickets.


    This Monkey Mountain was a key wildlife sanctuary in Huaxia Country, hence the rugged rocks and lush vegetation, with more than 400 nt species, and the view from above was nearly covered by enormous trees.


    The Demon Moon Mercenary Corps chose this ce precisely because of its geography, which made it perfect for concealment!


    At this moment, Su Chen was unaware that he had be a target; he had just arrived at Monkey Ind with the public rtions team on a tour bus.


    As they walked in through the gate, they saw a monkey sitting and contemting with a human skull in front of Darwin''s "On the Origin of Species."


    This was a ssic monument of Monkey Mountain, reputedly with a significant history.


    The monument presented a historic reflection on humans and monkeys, from which you could sense the lengthy and arduous process of human evolution.


    Not much further into their walk, they saw monkeys frolicking from tree to tree, which was quite adorable.


    The monkeys were not afraid of people at all, they became even more excited upon seeing people, and one little monkey even ran up to Shu Yin.


    Seeing the cute monkey, Shu Yin was about to reach out to touch it when she was immediately stopped by Su Chen.


    "Everyone, please be cautious, these monkeys should not be touched¡ªthey can be very temperamental and might scratch you," Su Chen warned everyone.


    Shu Yin promptly withdrew her hand in fright upon hearing this, after all, a scar from a scratch would not look good on a girl!


    "Boss, they''ve entered, when do we make our move?"


    At a certain ce in Monkey Mountain, a person started to sprint through the woods, soon arriving behind a well-concealed rock.


    "To avoid trouble, it''s best to wait until this young man is alone and in a more secluded area," said the man with the bushy beard solemnly.

 Chapter 387: Borrowing Your Head for a Moment

    Su Chen and his group kept admiring the scenery of Monkey Mountain as they walked further inside. The monkeys were really cute and sometimes even dashed towards visitors for food.


    The Public Rtions department''s kind-hearted beauties brought some snacks, which in no time at all, found their way into the monkeys'' tummies.


    Just then, Zhao Lin''s phone suddenly rang in her bag. She quickly pulled it out, ready to answer the call.


    At that moment, a shadow shed by, and Zhao Lin eximed in surprise. When she looked again, her phone was nowhere to be seen.


    Following the ringing, they saw a monkey holding a phone, tearing and biting at it!


    Zhao Lin immediately started shouting at the monkey, hoping to get her phone back.


    But how could the monkey possibly understand human speech? It didn''t react at all!


    In a panic, Zhao Lin tried to scare the monkey, but it only looked at her strangely before continuing to gnaw on the phone.


    In its heart, it was probably wondering why the object didn''t taste good!


    Seeing this scene, the nearby visitors burst intoughter, even Zhao Lin herself couldn''t help but feel both angry and amused!


    "Watch this."


    Su Chen smiled and said, then picked up a small stone and threw it.


    Of course, Su Chen aimed beside the monkey, mainly to startle it.


    As expected, the monkey, sensing an attack, became furious and hurled the phone it was holding as a weapon in return!


    Seeing that the monkey finally threw the phone, Zhao Lin hurriedly went to pick it up.


    Everyone couldn''t help but praise Su Chen, admiring his wit!


    Su Chen quickly waved his hands modestly with a smile. At that moment, he suddenly tensed up, feeling as if there were eyes on his back!


    However, he kept hisposure and continued to greet everyone with smiles.


    Afterward, Su Chen and the Public Rtions department continued to move forward. After walking a distance, he waspletely sure that someone was following him.


    As for who it could be, he didn''t yet know. Could it be people from the several major families in Jiangnan?


    Su Chen felt that unlikely, for the follower''s tracking skills seemed more like those from the Dark World.


    Thinking of the Dark World, his mind went straight to Tang Gang. Although he had many enemies on that side, there were still very few who knew of his whereabouts so far.


    Of course, it could also be other organizations. Su Chen didn''t care. Since they were here, he could just capture and interrogate them to find out.


    In Su Chen''s estimate, the fact that these people hadn''t made a move yet suggested they were waiting for him to be alone to quietly deal with him.


    After all, this was Huaxia, and they definitely wanted to keep things as quiet as possible. If this were in the Middle East or some war-torn countries in Africa, these people would probably have already pulled out their guns...


    With that in mind, Su Chen decided to give them the opportunity and said to the group:


    "Let''s all split up and have fun separately. This way, we can enjoy ourselves more, and if anything happens, we''ll contact each other by phone."


    Su Chen anticipated that these people''s target was only him, so the others would be safer away from him. Otherwise, if the followers had weapons, in a big group, idents could happen.


    And besides, splitting up would also make it easier for him to handle his own business¡ªtruly, a solution that served multiple purposes!


    "Okay."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s suggestion, everyone immediately agreed, and then dispersed in different directions.


    Meanwhile, the person following Su Chen heard this and was overjoyed. They quickly sent the information to their boss.


    New instructions were immediately issued on the other side, telling him to report the opponent''s position at any time, and they adjusted their ambush positions randomly as well.


    To avoid raising suspicion, Su Chen first casually strolled around with the person who was following him before naturally heading deeper into the ind.


    The tracker didn''t suspect a thing, closely pursuing him from a few hundred meters away.


    Unknowingly, Su Chen had entered the depths of the ind, and the further he walked in, the denser the woods became, with lush broadleaf forests and thickets everywhere.


    It was not just a few people, but dozens or even hundreds, who could hide here and go almost undetected.


    It could be said that this was a naturally perfect spot for an ambush!


    At this moment, several members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps were observing from hundreds of meters away in the thicket, also waiting for the target toe closer!


    To them, the young man walking into this area was an unexpected delight!


    Was there any ce better than here to silently dispose of this person?


    "Young man, you can only me your bad luck if anything happens," the leader of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps sighed as he watched Su Chen approaching, a glint of excitement shing in his eyes.


    The rest of the people hiding nearby became increasingly impatient. At that moment, the leader, the man with the beard, quickly made a hand gesture.


    It meant: wait a bit longer, to attack when the young man gets closer!


    Seeing the leader''s hand signal, everyone had to continue crouching there, looking at Su Chen ahead as if he were a piece of sulent meat.


    Su Chen was still wandering leisurely, like an ordinary tourist seemingly drawnpletely by the captivating scenery around him.


    In fact, Su Chen had long been aware of these people''s presence from a great distance, and even estimated the approximate number of them based on the movements of the nts!


    Moreover, he had deduced that their cultivation levels wouldn''t be very high; otherwise, the nts wouldn''t have swayed so greatly!


    You know, real masters can integrate their bodies and even their breathing with the surrounding environment so well during hiding that they go almost undetected.


    Among these people, only one or two caught a bit of Su Chen''s attention ¡ª probably the leaders of the group.


    When Su Chen was about a hundred meters away from the nearest person in hiding, they all stood up from the thicket.


    At the same moment, they quickly spread out and surrounded Su Chen in the center, with the person who had been following him also appearing and standing behind Su Chen!


    All of them were holding various heavy weapons, with assault rifles being the mostmon!


    "Gentlemen, what does this mean?"


    Seeing himself encircled, Su Chen asked, unfazed.


    "You will soon understand," replied the man with the beard,ughing.


    "We just want to borrow something from you, sir!"


    "Oh? And what is it that''s worth you Westernersing all this way to Huaxia?" Su Chen tilted his head and asked.


    The members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps were surprised to see the young man surrounded by them, with so many weapons pointed at him, yet he didn''t seem the least bit flustered.


    "That would be your head. I wonder if the gentleman would agree?" the bearded man spoke leisurely.

 Chapter 388: The Art of Killing

    Although he also found Su Chen''s reaction somewhat strange, given the number of people and heavy weapons they had trained on him, he didn''t exactly consider his opponent a serious threat.


    In his view, this young man must have been feigningposure, probably terrified to the point of wetting his pants!


    Nheless, he was somewhat surprised by the quality of hisposure!


    "Heads?"


    Su Chen murmured and suddenly burst intoughter.


    It was a bizarre scene, a young man surrounded and at gunpoint not only showed no fear butughed recklessly!


    The members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps felt a chill watching his sinister smile!


    "What are youughing at?"


    The bearded man asked with a grim face, as Su Chen''s behavior clearly indicated he wasn''t taking them seriously.


    "Iugh because you areughable,"


    Su Chen replied indifferently.


    Upon hearing this, a sh of anger appeared on the faces of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps members!


    This man, almost their captive, was so brazen to find themughable in such a situation!


    "You''re asking for death!"


    The irate Caucasian was the first to snap, turning to the bearded man:


    "Boss, let me kill this kid!"


    "Alright!"


    The bearded man nodded in acknowledgment.


    They primarily brought guns to intimidate the young man rather than to kill him, because gunfire could inevitably attract the attention of others.


    Of course, having guns was also a precaution since among them there were three or four people below the Third Layer of Qi Refinement, also known as A-ss strength.


    For these people, heavy weapons were still useful!


    As for the others, three or four had strength beyond the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement, and for them, weapons could sometimes be a burden!


    Especially the leader, the bearded man, whose strength had even reached the Eighth to Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, ssified as S-ss.


    After all, the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps had once been ranked among the top factions in the Dark World, so their leader naturally had some capability.


    In the past, there were many people of decent strength in the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps, but most had been killed by the gically modified humans of the Skull Society.


    Otherwise, the leader wouldn''t have brought these A-ss strength people along. In the past, these types were merely errand-runners in the organization.


    But now he had no choice because there were no others left!


    The rather temperamental Caucasian who just spoke had the strength of Second Layer Qi Refinement, but in the eyes of the members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps, that was sufficient to handle such a scrawny young man.


    Upon hearing the leader''s consent, the Caucasian immediately handed his submachine gun to someone nearby, then pulled a sharp dagger from his pant leg!


    Clutching the dagger, the Caucasian man grinned savagely as he walked step by step towards Su Chen, his eyes like those of a bloodthirsty beast!


    Hisrades all knew him as a man of average ability but immense cruelty!


    Others killed to kill, but not him¡ªhe often killed to torture, seemingly deriving indescribable pleasure from it!


    "Boy, are you ready to die?"


    The Caucasian spat cruelly:


    "Because of your disrespect earlier, I''m going to sever all your tendons and veins, so you bleed out miserably in the end!"


    "Haha, Tom is still as brutal as ever!"


    "But I love that about him. Poor Dongfang, about to be another soul under Tom''s subjugation!"


    "Do you think after he reaches Hell, he''llin to the Grim Reaper?"


    "This guy is so cruel, even Death itself might be afraid of him!"


    Hearing the Caucasian''s words, hispanions burst intoughter, not taking Su Chen seriously at all, as if he was already amb under Tom''s knife!


    Listening to their arrogantughter, Su Chen remained calm and looked at the Caucasian Tom, saying,


    "Really? Since you like this kind of death, I''ll grant your wish!"


    The members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corpsughed even harder at Su Chen''s words, thinking he really was a fearlessly insane guy!


    "Tom, this guy is looking down on you!"


    One of them shouted at Tom amidstughter.


    "Alright, then let''s see what skills you have to talk like that!"


    Tom, too, was provoked and charged towards Su Chen like a cheetah!


    As he got close to Su Chen, his dagger slightly lifted and swiped towards Su Chen''s chest and abdomen!


    He didn''t aim for the throat because he didn''t want the young man to die instantly!


    He wanted him to pay for his big talk!


    But as his dagger moved towards Su Chen''s chest, suddenly a hand reached out, gently tapping his wrist.


    His wrist immediately felt as if it had been hammered, uncontrobly loosening its grip, causing the dagger in his hand to drop.


    Su Chen casually grabbed the dropped dagger and brandished it "swish swish" toward Tom''s body.


    The members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps only saw a sh of silver light, not even catching a glimpse of the dagger''s shadow!


    In the blink of an eye, Su Chen stopped and casually threw the dagger onto the ground, and the Caucasian Tom also fell!


    The members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps were shocked beyond words as each of them widened their eyes!


    When they looked down at Tom, they felt their bodies shudder!


    By that time, Tom''s veins and muscles were all severed, and several small blood vessels were also cut, causing streams of fresh blood to continuously spill out!


    On looking back at Su Chen, they suddenly felt as if they had seen a ghost!


    Was this guy human or a ghost? In just a blink of an eye, he had severed all of Tom''s veins and muscles and even let blood!


    Moreover, the dagger had been snatched from Tom''s own hand!


    And his movements were so smooth and wless, it seemed like killing was an art form to him!


    How many people must he have killed to achieve such skill!


    "Who exactly are you?"


    The man with the mutton-chop beard asked gravely, knowing he had underestimated his opponent!


    This young man was no sacrificialmb, but clearly a sleeping lion!


    One could tell from his earlier speed, which even he couldn''t match!


    It made sense, though. How could anyone the Skull Society ced so much importance on be a mere nobody?


    He really had been foolish!


    If he knew that the speed wasn''t even one-third of Su Chen''s fastest, he would probably be kneeling and begging for mercy right now!


    "My identity, you people of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps are not worthy of knowing!"


    Su Chen nced at them, speaking coldly.


    As soon as Su Chen''s words fell, the members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps were once again violently shaken!


    It turned out he had already known their identities, and knowing the identities of them and still uttering such words, what did that imply?


    Members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps didn''t dare to think further, each bing somewhat fearful...

 Chapter 389: If I Dont Allow You to Die, You Cannot Die

    Those people were suddenly filled with fear, partly because Su Chen unexpectedly revealed their origins.


    More importantly, the casual disy of skill that Su Chen had just shownpletely shocked them!


    The visual and psychological impact of that moment was immensely huge!


    Especially since everything was done by a young man whom they had not taken seriously, the shock was even greater!


    Su Chen was all too familiar with this kind of fear; countless times, countless people had shown this fear in front of him.


    "Speak, who sent you to kill me?"


    Su Chen pulled out a cigarette, lit it up, and asked casually.


    He knew these people were from the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps not because he recognized them, but because he recognized the tattoo on their bodies.


    In the Dark World, many organizations have their own marks, like various tattoos, as well as essories and so on.


    "You think I would tell you?"


    The bearded man struggled to suppress the fear in his heart and spat out.


    "I thought the leader of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps would be a smart man, but apparently not!"


    "What do you mean?"


    "What do you think?"


    As soon as the words fell, the bearded man saw a blur of afterimage sweep past his side!


    When he looked again, he found that the young man was still standing there as if nothing had happened!


    "Did I just see things?"


    The bearded man began to doubt.


    Just then, he heard three "bang, bang, bang" sounds behind him!


    He was startled, swiftly turned his head, and saw that his three subordinates had fallen straight to the ground with their eyes wide open in terror, their heads drooping to the side, clearly dead from crushed throats!


    The bearded man and the others were instantly even more terrified,pletely unable to believe what had happened!


    My God! Who exactly is this damned guy?


    He was so powerful that he ended the lives of three people without them even seeing it clearly, and one of them was even a sixth-level Qi Refinement master!


    And the whole process took just the blink of an eye; they had never seen someone''sbat speed be this fast!


    The people from the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps started to find their prior thoughtsughable. Beforeing here, they thought this would be an easy catch, but they didn''t expect that this ordinary-looking target would turn out to be a person more terrifying than a demon!


    Human life was as insignificant as grass in his hands, without the slightest pity!


    "Now do you understand what I mean?"


    The cold voice of Su Chen rang out again.


    "Your Cultivation is highly admired by us, and perhaps even if we pooled all our strength together, we might not be your match, but you won''t get any information from us!"


    The bearded man said in a deep voice, having already realized that the opponent''s Cultivation was definitely above his own, even much higher, from the way the opponent had acted earlier.


    But he still couldn''t say it, because once he did, it would no longer be a matter of life and death, but rather a fate worse than death!


    At the same time, he was puzzled; how could a young man with such profound Cultivation just be an employee in a corporation in Huaxia? It was precisely because of the opponent''s this identity that he and his subordinates had taken it so lightly.


    "Really? You think there''s no way for me to extract the information I want from you?"


    Su Chen said with a coldugh.


    "At least we can kill ourselves!"


    The bearded man and a fewpanions exchanged nces, then suddenly, all at the same time, raised a hand towards their own heads and smacked down!


    The expressions on their faces were one of resolute determination, without a hint of hesitation!


    However, just as they were about to strike down, that afterimage shed again, followed by a streak of silver light!


    "Ahh~~~"


    After the silver light passed, a burst of screams echoed through the area as each of them realized that the arms they had just raised were severed at the wrist, spilling blood all over the ground!


    While screaming in agony, they looked at Su Chen with immense fear, once again experiencing that extreme speed and sharp swordsmanship!


    Especially the leader, who had now personally felt it; he had sensed the young man approaching him, but he found he could do absolutely nothing!


    The gap in speed and cultivation between the two was not even close!


    "If I don''t allow you to die, you can''t die!"


    Su Chen, as if he were the overlord of the few men, coldly said to them:


    "If you don''t want to suffer more pain, it''s best not to trymitting suicide!"


    Su Chen didn''t believe that they had hidden poison in their mouths, as that would only happen in movies and TV shows, and moreover, it was too low-grade for a Martial Artist!


    The members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps also understood that now it wasn''t easy even to die; their life or death was entirely up to the decision of this young man.


    "So, you still don''t want to talk?"


    Su Chen asked impassively once more.


    "If we tell you, can you grant us a quick death?"


    The bearded man also knew that survival was impossible today, and to die quickly was already the greatest fortune he could hope for!


    "Fine, I promise you,"


    Su Chen nodded.


    "Skull Society!"


    The bearded man uttered three words.


    Upon hearing "Skull Society," Su Chen sighed deeply:


    "Tang Gang, it really is you!"


    The few from the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps were taken aback upon hearing Su Chen utter the name Tang Gang directly, their expressions grew stern!


    This young man was certainly no ordinary person; how else would he know of Tang Gang?


    It was well known that Tang Gang and the Skull Society had be the most notorious entities in the Dark World over the past year!


    Their rise was like a meteor, dazzling all who beheld them!


    Thest organization to cause such a shock was the Nether Temple a few years back, with the Nether King and his Nether Temple being even more brilliant than Tang Gang and the Skull Society were now!


    Afterward, that man created one unbelievable miracle after another in the Dark World, until he became a legend, no, a legendary figure!


    Countless young people idolized him, and his deeds encouraged many impassioned youths to fight in this world where the strong prey on the weak, striving to create their own realm!


    However, it waster heard that the Nether King seemed to have been besieged by dozens of S-ss and above experts and had fallen!


    Although people didn''t believe it at first, as time passed and no more news of him came from the Dark World, people gradually began to ept this narrative...


    For a moment, the bearded man felt he was thinking too much, yet he was still very curious about the man''s identity.


    How did he know about the Skull Society, know Tang Gang, and why would Tang Gang want to kill him?


    Adding to that his astounding cultivation, this man was truly too mysterious!


    "Sir, we are men already facing death, could you tell us your true identity, so we can die with a clear understanding?"


    The bearded man asked solemnly.

 Chapter 390: He Is Actually the Underworld King

    "Since you''ve been fairly honest, I''ll satisfy your curiosity!"


    As soon as he had finished speaking, a ck card slowly floated down from mid-air, and Su Chen turned and walked away...


    The members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps watched Su Chen turn and leave, a sense of strangeness creeping over them. Why isn''t he minding us? Doesn''t he fear we might run away?


    Their attention quickly shifted to the ck card that had gentlynded on the ground...


    When they saw the card clearly, their pupils suddenly constricted, faces filled with shock, and their bodies trembled uncontrobly!


    "The Underworld King! He''s actually the Underworld King!"


    One of the younger members trembled as he knelt down, cradling the ck card in his hands, his expression filled with excitement!


    The bearded man was also deeply shaken; he hadn''t expected that the young man dressed in casual clothes, working as an ordinary employee in Huaxia, would be the Underworld King!


    No wonder he turned and walked away without fear of them ying tricks; a person''s name, a tree''s shadow. Seeing that card, they didn''t even think of running away!


    They even felt fortunate, not dying at the hands of a nobody but in the hands of the Underworld King. Perhaps this was the best ending they could have imagined!


    Watching the figure disappearing into the distance, the remaining members of the Demon Moon Mercenary Corps knelt on the ground, bowing deeply, and then pulled out the daggers from within their trouser legs...


    ......


    Su Chen gradually walked outside, then began to casually stroll around the ind. After wandering for over half an hour, he encountered Ran Ting and Shu Yin, who were touring together.


    "Chief, why are you alone?"


    Ran Ting asked, somewhat surprised, because though everyone had split up to do their own thing, they were at least paired up, with some even moving in groups of three or five.


    "Why am I alone? Aren''t you two beauties here to apany me, the chief?"


    Su Chenughed heartily, speaking casually, showing no signs of just having killed several people.


    "Chief, you''re getting sweeter with words by the day!"


    Ran Ting was happy to hear Su Chen call her a beauty; after all, what woman doesn''t like being told they''re beautiful, especially by a man they fancy.


    Shu Yin was also happy, but her reserved nature prevented her from being as expressive as Ran Ting.


    Yet she couldn''t help but chuckle softly when she heard Ran Ting tease the chief...


    "Ran Ting, you''re getting more and more disrespectful. It seems I''ll have to prepare some small shoes for you to wear!"


    Su Chen said sternly, feigning a long face.


    "Cut it out, drop the act!"


    After that, she approached Su Chen and whispered seductively:


    "Chief, do you want toe to my room tonight to take some measurements for me?"


    At her breathy whisper, Su Chen felt a shiver down his spine and hurriedly nced at Shu Yin beside him with guilt, rxing slightly only when he saw the young girl had no reaction!


    "Will youe?"


    Ran Ting found his flustered behavior amusing; he was like a child wanting to sneak a treat but afraid of getting caught.


    "I''lle!"


    Su Chen nodded emphatically, only a fool wouldn''t!


    Su Chen found it hard to contain himself at that moment, his eyes carefully appraising Ran Ting''s body. In fact, he had already gotten a glimpse of her explosive figure yesterday at the bay!


    Perhaps blinded by desire, Su Chen didn''t notice the sly sparkle that passed through Ran Ting''s beautiful eyes after he uttered the word e."


    At this point, Su Chen wished it would get dark immediately, but unfortunately, it wasn''t even noon yet, and the sun was still hanging high in the sky.


    Ran Ting also started to feel somewhat ufortable under Su Chen''s intense gaze, as his eyes were too invasive, almost as if he was trying to see right through her.


    After receiving a fierce re from Ran Ting, Su Chen finally retracted his wolf-like gaze and chuckled sheepishly.


    After roaming around for another two or three hours without much interest, Ran Ting called the others to find that they were also a bit tired of ying and had lost much of their enthusiasm.


    So, they arranged to meet at the hotel''s main entrance. Once everyone had gathered, the group went to a nearby restaurant for a quick meal.


    Having been out for nearly two days, everyone was a bit tired, and it was already past three in the afternoon, so they all agreed to go back, rest up, and get ready to have some real fun tomorrow.


    The public rtions department then rode the shuttle bus back to the hotel they were staying at.


    After returning to the hotel, many went straight to their rooms to sleep, but Zhao Lin suddenly came over to Su Chen and said:


    "Chief, let''s go soak in the hot springs. I heard this hotel has them, and they''re mixed-gender too!"


    "Great, let''s go right away!"


    Upon hearing "mixed-gender," Su Chen''s eyes immediately lit up. He had to admit, he was inherently quite lecherous.


    Although he sometimes restrained himself because he had a wife, Lin Ruoxue, he generally didn''t want to miss out on any chance to interact with beautiful women.


    Even if he couldn''t do anything beyond friendship with them, feasting his eyes was also pretty good!


    Ran Ting, Shu Yin, and a few other beauties also got excited at the mention of the hot springs, and they made their way to the hotel''s hot springs area, where there were many pools of varying sizes.


    The hotel was actually pretty decent; besides the hot springs behind the hotel, there was also a gym, a KTV, a bar, an audio-visual hall, etc., almost a one-stop shop.


    Not far from the hot spring pools, there was a row of wooden rooms for changing clothes, so the beauties went there to change into their swimsuits.


    Su Chen also went inside, slid off his pants, changed into big shorts, and then came out wearing a T-shirt. He didn''t take his shirt off because he didn''t want others to see the crisscrossing scars on his body.


    Su Chen then headed to the hot springs with the beautifuldies. After Ran Ting, Zhao Lin, Shu Yin, and a few other beauties got into a rtivelyrger pool, Su Chen scurried over as well.


    The people originally wanted to drive this lecherous chief away, but how could they?


    With a ssh, he jumped in, sending water spraying all over the faces of the women, once again drawing their angry res!


    "Mr. Su, we really are fated to meet, aren''t we?"


    Just then, a sweet female voice rang out from behind Su Chen.


    "Ah, Miss Jiang, what a coincidence, indeed it''s a small world!"


    Su Chen turned around to see it was Jiang Ying, also feeling it was quite fortuitous.


    "I was just soaking in that pool over there with Cui Yuanmin when I saw Mr. Sue over, so I came over to say hello."


    Jiang Ying pointed at a hot spring pool not far away, smiling.


    Su Chen casually followed the direction of her finger and sure enough, he saw Cui Yuanmin ring at him with a furious expression, his eyes brimming with obvious rage!


    Su Chen, however, was unconcerned. There were too many people in this world who hated him, and he couldn''t be bothered keeping track!


    Moreover, a minor character like Cui Yuanmin was hardly worth his attention!

 Chapter 391: Indescribable Charm

    "Mr. Su, may I join you?"


    Jiang Ying smiled radiantly,


    "I feel I get along quite well with Mr. Su, and chatting with him is indeed a joy."


    "Of course you may."


    As for beauties, Su Chen certainly wouldn''t refuse them, let alone a big star!


    However, when Jiang Ying got into the pool, she found that the women around her were all wary of her, their gazes filled with scrutiny.


    From this alone, Jiang Ying could tell that some of Su Chen''s colleagues were more or less interested in him.


    But after all, having struggled in theplicated world of entertainment for so long, Jiang Ying didn''t care about such things.


    Once in the water, Jiang Ying naturally stayed by Su Chen''s side. Her graceful figure was faintly visible in the water, truly captivating, at least capturing most of Su Chen''s attention!


    "Pervert! Big jerk!"


    Seeing Su Chen''s gaze drawn away by Jiang Ying, Ran Ting cursed indignantly in her heart.


    Presumably, she was not the only one with such thoughts, while Zhao Lin looked at Jiang Ying and muttered softly,


    "Vixen!"


    Jiang Ying and Su Chen seemed unaware of the others'' feelings, chatting merrily, and their bodies would asionally touch lightly, whether intentional or not, or who might be doing it purposefully.


    "Miss Jiang, don''t you have filming today?"


    Su Chen suddenly asked casually.


    "I''ve finished my scenes for today,"


    Jiang Ying replied, smiling as well.


    Because of being in the water, Su Chen''s T-shirt asionally puffed up and floated, and Jiang Ying suddenly nced through the neckline and saw the stark and even somewhat ferocious scars on his body, crisscrossing and blotchy!


    Although it was just a nce, and not a clear one, that single look was a huge shock to Jiang Ying!


    How could he have so many scars on his body? And those scars looked so shocking!


    Instead of being frightened by the sight, Jiang Ying found them full of an indescribable charm!


    This charm was something women without experience wouldn''t appreciate; they would only like those smooth-skinned, pretty boys, like Cui Yuanmin, for example.


    While Su Chen was young and also looked tender, his body possessed a vor others his age did not, like a fine wine that had been aged underground for many years!


    Initially, Jiang Ying''s involvement with Su Chen was driven by strong ulterior motives, hoping to gain something from him and willing to pay even the price of her body, as long as she obtained what she wanted!


    But through their few encounters over the past couple of days, she realized this man was full of secrets worth a woman''s exploration, enchanting to women!


    At this moment, she also understood why he and his beautiful colleagues had such good rtionships; such a man was indeed hard to resist!


    Jiang Ying even felt that even if she couldn''t get what she wanted from him, she wanted to get close to this man, to understand him!


    It was an instinct inherent to human nature!


    Just then, Jiang Ying stood up from the water with a ssh and coquettishly smiled,


    "Mr. Su, I have something to take care of, I''ll be back in a bit."


    "Please, go ahead."


    Su Chen nodded slightly.


    Cui Yuanmin, from another hot spring pool, saw Jiang Ying getting up and hurriedly followed her.


    Soon, Cui Yuanmin caught up with Jiang Ying:


    "Xiao Ying, what exactly is your rtionship with that Su Chen?"


    "Friends, haven''t I told you before?"


    "That''s not it. Do you like him?"


    Cui Yuanmin asked with some anger.


    Jiang Ying paused slightly, then spat out coldly:


    "That''s my personal affair, it has nothing to do with you!"


    Seeing Jiang Ying''s reaction, Cui Yuanmin became even more certain of his spection.


    "Xiao Ying, that man is just an ordinary employee, he''s not worthy of you!"


    Cui Yuanmin grabbed Jiang Ying''s slender arm and said anxiously.


    "Cui Yuanmin, I''m telling you once and for all, don''t call me Xiao Ying, we''re not that close."


    Jiang Ying shook off Cui Yuanmin''s arm and said:


    "Also, whether someone is worthy of me or not is my business, not yours!"


    "Cui Yuanmin, I know what you''re getting at, and I''ve always refrained from saying anything before to save your face, but today I''ll make it clear to you. There''s no chance for anything between us!"


    After saying that, Jiang Ying quickly walked away...


    Just at that moment, a man wearing a leather jacket and sunsses approached, and the moment he saw Jiang Ying in a swimsuit, his eyes lit up with excitement!


    "Yo, isn''t that the big star Jiang Ying?"


    The man in the leather jacket took off his sunsses and called out in a flippant tone.


    "Hello."


    Jiang Ying wasn''t surprised; after all, too many people knew her. It was just the man''s behavior that she found distasteful.


    But unexpectedly, as Jiang Ying was about to walk past him, the man suddenly grabbed her arm.


    "Miss Jiang, how about joining me for a drink? I''ve just opened a bottle of fine wine!"


    The man''s gaze began to roam over Jiang Ying''s body:


    "I didn''t expect Miss Jiang to be even more beautiful in person than on TV, and this figure is even more stunning!"


    "Who are you? I don''t know you."


    Jiang Ying''s arm was seized, and she was startled, trying to shake off his grip, but she didn''t expect him to hold on so tightly that she couldn''t break free at once.


    "Have a drink, and then we''ll know each other, right?"


    The man not only didn''t let go but took the opportunity to wrap his arm around Jiang Ying''s shoulder.


    Others might find the leather-jacketed man''s actions abrupt, but he didn''t think so himself.


    In the man''s view, aren''t all these stars for sale?


    The only difference is the price. As long as the money is enough, there''s none he can''t take down!


    And he, just so happens to be someone who nevercks money!


    Besides, he beds a few popr female stars every year, so he sees nothing wrong with his behavior.


    "Get to know your ass!"


    Cui Yuanmin, who was behind Jiang Ying, saw this guy daring to take advantage of Jiang Ying and immediately charged forward, kicking the man off his feet and sending him rolling several meters away with the momentum.


    "Damn, who the hell are you to hit me? Do you know who I am?"


    The man in the leather jacket looked up in disbelief as Cui Yuanmin spoke furiously.


    Cui Yuanmin had some training, so after one kick, the man in the leather jacket indeed felt a pang of pain, as if he had lost his breath, struggling to get up.


    "I don''t care who you are!"


    Cui Yuanmin, having been frustrated by Jiang Ying''s cold attitude, was already fuming, and encountering the leather-jacketed man daring to make a move on his goddess, was now utterly enraged.


    Cui Yuanmin charged up and kicked the man in the stomach, then straddled him and unleashed a flurry of ferocious punches!

 Chapter 392 - 392 Jiangbei Bai Family

    "Stop hitting him, Cui Yuanmin!"


    Jiang Ying could see that Cui Yuanmin was losing control, so she quickly shouted,


    "Another blow and you could kill him!"


    "Hmph, you got lucky today. Consider this a lesson,"


    Cui Yuanmin spat out vehemently.


    He then stood up and said to Jiang Ying in a gentle voice,


    "Let''s go."


    "Okay."


    Jiang Ying nodded and continued walking forward with Cui Yuanmin. After a while, Jiang Ying sincerely said,


    "Thank you for just now; I was really scared to death."


    "Why are you being so formal with me? It''s what I should do,"


    Cui Yuanmin said, trying to look suave, thinking his actions might have impressed her.


    "Jiang Ying, what are you going to do?"


    "Go to the room to send an email."


    "Email? To whom?"


    Upon hearing this, Jiang Ying unconsciously revealed a knowing smile but did not answer.


    Cui Yuanmin was secretly surprised; Jiang Ying had never shown such a tender smile before. Who was she emailing?


    But seeing that Jiang Ying had no intention of telling, he did not press further.


    After they arrived at the room, Jiang Ying went inside without inviting Cui Yuanmin to join her, so he waited outside the door.


    A few minutester, Jiang Ying came out smiling. Cui Yuanmin knew that smile wasn''t meant for him.


    "I want to soak in the hot spring again. Are youing?"


    Jiang Ying asked casually.


    "I''ll go with you,"


    Cui Yuanmin replied. Even though he knew Jiang Ying was going to meet Su Chen, he couldn''t help but want to join them.


    Not wanting to irritate Jiang Ying, he decided not to mention theirpatibility again, but his mind was already plotting how to separate them and make Jiang Ying fall for him.


    He just hadn''t figured out how yet...


    Soon, the two headed back to the hot springs located behind the hotel...


    .....


    The man in the leather jacket who had been severely beaten struggled to his feet. Although Cui Yuanmin''s punches hadn''t caused any internal injuries, it hurt like hell!


    After getting up, the man in the leather jacket started to move forward. Just a few steps in, he nced and noticed those two were back at the hot spring.


    "You just wait, I''ll make you suffer!"


    The bar inside the hotel, while only part of the establishment, was very high-ss, and most of the women there were of exceptional beauty!


    The man in the leather jacket walked into the bar and approached the door of a VIP room, forcefully pushing it open. Inside, a portly middle-aged man sat on a leather sofa drinking alcohol, with two young girls in his arms looking quite alluring.


    But most eye-catching was the row of bodyguards behind him, standing upright with solemn expressions!


    As the door to the VIP room was pushed open, the portly middle-aged man immediately looked up, and his face fell in shock:


    "Son, what have you done to yourself, why is your face all bruised?"


    "Dad, I was beaten up!"


    The man in the leather jacket rushed to the older man''s side, crying out loud.


    "Who the hell is asking for trouble, daring to touch Bai Shan''s son!"


    The portly middle-aged man stood up abruptly, roaring with an immense authority emanating from him!


    The man in the leather jacket quickly recounted the events to his father, then said,


    "They should be at the hot spring pool now."


    "You guys go and bring those two here for me!"


    "Yes!"


    Four of the bodyguards immediately stepped forward and walked out the door...


    .....


    Cui Yuanmin and Jiang Ying arrived at the hot spring pool, and naturally, Jiang Ying still smiled as she slipped into the water next to Su Chen, while Cui Yuanmin chose the adjacent pool so that he could hear what they were discussing.


    It has to be said, a beauty is a beauty, and even Jiang Ying''s manner of getting into the water nearly made Su Chen drool, especially when those long, fair legs slowly submerged.


    Jiang Ying certainly noticed Su Chen''s gaze but didn''t mind at all, instead slowing down her movements somewhat, and making her posture even more graceful!


    Once in the water, the two of them started chatting casually. Having met a few times previously, they had unconsciously grown more familiar with each other.


    Su Chen also sensed that Jiang Ying was deliberately getting close to him, perhaps with some n in mind, but he didn''t take it to heart.


    Just then, a deep and loud voice rang out not far away:


    "Who is Cui Yuanmin, and Jiang Ying!"


    Both of them were slightly startled upon hearing the shout, not understanding the reason.


    "I am!"


    Cui Yuanmin stood up from the water and addressed the approaching group of men d in ck:


    "What do you want with me?"


    "Come out, our boss wants to see you!"


    One of the men in ck said curtly.


    "Who is your boss? I don''t know your boss."


    Cui Yuanmin said as he emerged from the hot spring.


    "You''ll know soon enough."


    The man in ck said coldly:


    "And Jiang Ying,e out on your own!"


    "That''s me!"


    Jiang Ying responded with a tremble in her voice.


    "Thene on out, don''t make me drag you!"


    "What do you want with us? We don''t seem to know your boss."


    Jiang Ying also got out of the hot spring.


    "Hmph, you beat up our young master and still say you don''t recognize him, soon you''ll get to know him well!"


    The man in ck let out a cold snort:


    "Take them away!"


    Upon hearing this, the two immediately realized that it was because of the young man in the leather jacket from earlier.


    They both shuddered in their hearts. Could it be that the young man in the leather jacket was actually a significant figure?


    Immediately, the young man who had spoken earlier, along with another in ck, took Cui Yuanmin and walked forward.


    And two other men in ck were preparing toe over and drag Jiang Ying away.


    However, just at that moment, Su Chen stood in front of Jiang Ying and said with a smile:


    "Gentlemen, I''ll apany her. We will go by ourselves; no need for you toy hands on us!"


    "Seems like you fancy yourself a hero saving the beauty, well, we''ll let you have your way then."


    One of the men in ck sneered twice, and said:


    "Come with us, and a warning¡ªdon''t even think about running away!"


    After that, the two men in ck turned and marched ahead, seemingly unconcerned with any tricks the pair might try.


    Su Chen''s eyes narrowed slightly; he could tell at a nce that these men in ck were no ordinary men¡ªthe weakest among them were at the level of special forces operators.


    It seemed the two celebrities had offended someone important, and that was precisely why Su Chen had offered to apany them; even if they weren''t friends, they were at least acquaintances.


    "Director!"


    Seeing Su Chen being taken away, several people from the public rtions department called out anxiously.


    "It''s okay, everyone enjoy the soak for a while; I''ll be back soon."


    Su Chen turned and shed a warm smile at them.


    The men in ck ahead heard this remark and couldn''t help but curl their lips:


    You''ll certainlye back, the question is whether you''ll return standing or lying down!


    Everyone in Jiangbei knew just how ruthless their own master was!


    If they were to me, it was only their bad luck for offending the Bai Family!

 Chapter 393: Then do you know who I am?

    After Cui Yuanmin was seized, he struggled fiercely, but the hands of the two men in ck were like iron pliers, tightly holding him down so that he couldn''t move.


    He couldn''t help feeling a little frightened. Normally, he was quite strong and even trained. These men in ck didn''t look very muscr, but he hadn''t expected them to be so powerful!


    A servant''s status reflected that of their master. It seemed that the leather-d young man was indeed no small figure. At this moment, he couldn''t help but feel afraid and regretted his impulsive actions!


    But at this moment, there was no room for regret.


    Jiang Ying also sensed something was wrong with these men in ck, looking very worried and uneasy.


    "Don''t worry; it''s all right."


    Su Chen, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned. Seeing that Jiang Ying was frightened, he smiled slightly. He had just listened to Jiang Ying briefly describe what had happened.


    Seeing Su Chen''s smile, Jiang Ying''s tense emotions rxed slightly.


    Soon, several people were led by the men in ck to the entrance of the bar, then they went straight inside.


    One of the men in ck knocked on the door of a VIP room:


    "Boss, we''ve brought him."


    "Come in!"


    A somewhatmanding voice came from inside.


    Immediately, several men in ck led Cui Yuanmin and the others inside.


    "Why is there an extra person?"


    The fat middle-aged man noticed three people entering and looked somewhat puzzled.


    "This guy wanted toe with this woman, so we brought him along as well."


    "Oh, another one trying to act the hero in front of a woman, eh!"


    The man in leather sneered. He then ignored him and looked towards Cui Yuanmin with a sinister smile:


    "You seemed to enjoy fighting just now!"


    "What do you want?"


    Although he was somewhat afraid, Cui Yuanmin didn''t want to lose face in front of Jiang Ying, so he still tried to sound tough.


    "What do I want? Heh heh!"


    "Smack!"


    The man in leatherughed twice, then suddenly pped him hard:


    "Now do you understand what I want?"


    As the man in leather''s palm struck, Cui Yuanmin wanted to dodge or resist but the man in ck behind him held him tightly, leaving him unable to do anything but watch helplessly as the pnded on his face.


    Instantly, five clear fingerprints appeared on Cui Yuanmin''s handsome, pale face!


    "You dare to hit my face? Do you know who I am?"


    Cui Yuanmin, believing in his celebrity status, shouted indignantly.


    Su Chen heard this and slightly shook his head. This guy really had no perception.


    Just by looking at these bodyguards, he should have known that these people''s statuses weren''t simple, and they certainly wouldn''t regard him, a celebrity, as anything significant.


    The man in leatherughed again upon hearing this. He only recognized female celebrities; he had no interest in knowing about male celebrities.


    Then the man in leather kicked Cui Yuanmin a few more times, slightly easing his anger.


    "And do you know who I am?"


    After finishing kicking, the man in leather pointed at his own nose and asked.


    Su Chen really had no particr sympathy for Cui Yuanmin, so he acted as if he was unconcerned when he saw him being reprimanded.


    Jiang Ying originally wanted to intervene, but she dared not and was also uncertain about what awaited herter!


    Fortunately, having Su Chen by her side gave her some confidence, otherwise, she might have been scared stiff long ago.


    The fat middle-aged man, however, kept lying on the couch, engaged in some activities with two young girls, unsuitable for children. He paid no attention to what was happening here.


    For him, it was just a trivial matter.


    However, he was indeed dazzled when Jiang Ying first entered, but since she was the woman his son fancied, he would not go so far as topete with his son for a woman, would he? If the people of Jiangbei got wind of it, wouldn''t theyugh their heads off?


    "Who exactly are you?"


    Cui Yuanmin stammered as he asked, since he had realized that the other party did not regard him, a major star, with any importance.


    "Tell him who I am,"


    the man in the leather jacket said to the ck-d person holding Cui Yuanmin.


    "Jiangbei Bai Family!"


    The ck-d person stated arrogantly and indifferently.


    Jiang Ying and Cui Yuanmin, upon hearing the ck-d person''s words, shook violently, their faces filled with terror!


    Were they actually people from the Bai Family of Jiangbei?!


    One must know that the Bai Family in Jiangbei is no less formidable than the Four Great Families of Jiangnan!


    Even their heritage is much deeper and more mysterious than those prominent families in Jiangnan!


    Their power was arguably on par with the Wu family of Jiangnan, perhaps even slightly superior!


    The two of them immediately turned pale, then fearfully and tremblingly turned their gazes towards the obese middle-aged man sitting on the sofa.


    Could he be the Bai Family Head from Jiangbei, who everyone feared, ruthless and known as the ''Smiling Tiger''?


    Although they had never seen the person themselves, they had heard that he was a heavy man.


    Su Chen might not have heard of the Bai Family of Jiangbei, but from the reactions of Jiang Ying and Cui Yuanmin, he could guess that they were also a significant noble family!


    Of course, in Su Chen''s eyes, these people were still nothing more than ants.


    Seeing their fearful and trembling appearance, the man in the leather jacket also felt a sense of satisfaction as he said coldly:


    "Break this man''s legs and throw him out!"


    "Yes!"


    The ck-d person responded, ready to act.


    "Wait!"


    At that moment, a voice rang out.


    "Oh, Mr. Jiang, the big star, do you have any objections?"


    The man in the leather jacket moved from Cui Yuanmin''s side to in front of Jiang Ying, his gaze filled with desire as he looked at her.


    It must be said, this female star was indeed stunning, prettier than the other celebrities he had been with before, and her figure was even more attractive!


    "Young Master Bai, I truly apologize, we have offended you this time. We are willing to apologize formally, and we hope for your generosity to let us off this once."


    Although Jiang Ying was also terrified, especially knowing that the other party was from the Bai Family of Jiangbei,


    when she heard that they were going to break Cui Yuanmin''s legs, she still stood up, as, after all, the whole incident was because of her.


    "Well, I might consider letting him go."


    The man in the leather jacket said with a yful look as he evaluated Jiang Ying:


    "As long as Miss Jiang spends a night with me!"


    "You''re despicable!"


    Jiang Ying immediately became furious, her pretty face turning cold. Although she had always wanted to climb the socialdder, she was selective about the people she chose.


    This Young Master Bai was wholly repulsive to her, both in appearance and manner.


    When she initially got close to Lv Shimo, it was partly because of his distinguished status and partly because Lv Shimo himself was a highly charismatic man.


    Meanwhile, Cui Yuanmin, upon hearing the words of the man in the leather jacket, remained silent. If the other party had been an ordinary person, he might have already jumped out to y the Protector.


    But facing the Bai Family, he dared not. Subconsciously, he even hoped that Jiang Ying would agree to the man''s demand so that he himself could be spared.


    At heart, he was still a selfish person...

 Chapter 394: Worse than a Beast

    Su Chen wasn''t particrly surprised by Cui Yuanmin''s reaction, as he had already sized up the kind of person he was.


    "Shameless? Hahaha~~~"


    The young man in the leather jacket not only wasn''t angry, but he burst intoughter and then said:


    "One of these men fought for you, and the other is apanying you, it seems they both really like you!"


    "Today, right in front of these two men, I will take you and show you what true shamelessness is!"


    "You! You!~~~"


    Jiang Ying was infuriated, pointing at the young man in the leather jacket, her body trembling continuously, feeling extremely frightened.


    Although she knew Su Chen was no ordinary man, she still didn''t understand him well, and facing the Bai Family, she felt even less confident!


    He dared to disregard the eldest young master of the Lv Family, but that didn''t necessarily mean he would dare to provoke the Bai Family. Though both were prominent families, the strength of the Bai Family was not something the Lv Family couldpare with!


    "I love seeing the scared look on a beautiful woman''s face; it makes me feel even more thrilled!"


    The young man in the leather jacket licked his lips, his eyes burning as he stared at Jiang Ying, took off his jacket, and then rushed toward her!


    Jiang Ying was also controlled by someone, with no ce to escape!


    Seeing the Bai Family young master approaching like a hungry wolf, her heart gradually sank...


    "p!"


    Just then, a loud p sounded again.


    This time it was not the young man in the leather jacket pping someone else, but him being pped, and the one who pped him was the young man who had been standing by silently!


    "You dare p me?"


    The young man in the leather jacket was incredulous, unable to believe that, knowing his identity, the other party had dared to do such a thing!


    And the corpulent middle-aged man who had been sitting on the couch jumped up immediately, his eyes as sharp as a hawk''s, firmly fixing on Su Chen!


    The man in ck who had been holding onto Su Chen was utterly bewildered, not knowing what had just happened, as the young man had slipped from his grasp.


    "Since your old man hasn''t taught you well, I''ll teach you a lesson in his ce!"


    Su Chen softly pped his hands and spat out.


    The others, upon hearing this, were astounded!


    Had this guy gone mad?


    To talk about teaching someone a lesson right in front of the Bai Family head!


    In all of Huaxia, there were hardly a few who would dare to be so bold!


    Just as Jiang Ying was beginning to despair, she saw this scene and suddenly felt a glimmer of hope, her eyes admiring Su Chen with a shimmering brilliance!


    It was as if a princess encountering a viin suddenly saw an angel descending from the heavens!


    However, Cui Yuanmin on the side disdainfully pursed his lips:


    "What an idiot, that''s the Bai Family, for God''s sake!"


    "Young man, you''re quite arrogant, saying such words in front of me, are you not afraid of dying?"


    Bai Shan looked at Su Chen and leisurely said, having caught the moment Su Chen freed himself from the man in ck.


    He immediately realized that this unassuming young man was actually a Martial Artist, which quite surprised him!


    The reason he could tell was because he was a Martial Artist himself and considered his Cultivation quite formidable.


    The big families in Jiangbei and Jiangnan arepletely different; those in Jiangnan mainly demonstrate their strength in areas like economics and politics.


    They put greater trust in money and strategic maneuvers, typically recruiting experts to serve them.


    However, those prominent families in Jiangbei were different, as some of them were Martial Artists themselves. They believed more in their own fists than in money or other things.


    They believed that this was the very foundation!


    Of course, this was also determined by the different cultures of the two sides, not formed overnight.


    The only exception might be the Yang Family. Initially, they were nothing significant in Jiangbei, but they rose rapidly only because they clung to the powerful thighs of the Situ Family in Yandu.


    "Am I wrong?"


    Su Chen tilted his head casually and smiled indifferently,


    "It''s said that ''the fault lies with the father if the child is not taught''; you''ve raised a son that''s worse than a beast, don''t you think it''s time to reflect?"


    As soon as his words fell, Bai Shan''s face instantly darkened, and his obese body emitted an imposing aura!


    For many years, no one had dared to insult the Bai Family like this, let alone call their treasured son worse than a beast!


    This time, when he came out to handle affairs, he had encountered such a reckless person!


    Although this young man was a Martial Artist, Bai Shan really didn''t regard him highly; to him, this guy was so young that even if he was a Martial Artist, his cultivation couldn''t be that high.


    Not to mention that he was a Qi Refinement Triple Layer, about to enter the Qi Refinement Fourth Layer, even those bodyguards he brought had two or three Martial Artists among them, and it would be easy to take down this young man!


    Did this guy think he could be insolent just because he had some skills?


    Since he said he didn''t care if his son was worse than a beast, today he would beat him to be less than a beast!


    The others also felt the thick aura emitted by Bai Shan, and everyone trembled in their hearts, especially Cui Yuanmin, who was so scared that he was about to lose control of his body.


    Jiang Ying wasn''t much better, and instinctively stretched out a hand to grasp Su Chen.


    "Attack, kill this arrogant fool for me!"


    At Bai Shan''smand, those men in ck immediately charged towards Su Chen with a ferocity like tigers, stirring the air in the room, and wind howled between their punches and kicks!


    Immediately after, "Bang Bang Bang" huge sounds erupted, and when Bai Shan and his son, including Cui Yuanmin and Jiang Ying, looked again, they were shocked to the point their eyeballs almost fell out.


    The seemingly unstoppable men in ck ally on the ground, several even passed out, their life and death unknown!


    Bai Shan and the leather-jacketed youth looked as if they had seen a ghost, their expressions somewhat foolish!


    What the heck was going on?


    "Didn''t you want to kill me just now?"


    Su Chen nced at Bai Shan indifferently, asking,


    "Do you still want to kill me now?"


    "Who exactly are you?"


    Bai Shan had never seen a young person so terrifying; what was this guy''s cultivation level, he seemed like a monster!


    "You''ll have to ask King Yan when you and your son meet him!"


    Su Chen said coldly, then his gaze shifted to the leather-jacketed young man.


    Su Chen suddenly reached out a hand, directly aiming for the throat of the leather-jacketed young man.


    Bai Shan was startled and hurriedly dashed over with a sh!


    Despite his obese body, the speed he disyed at that moment was quite astonishing!


    Seeing Bai Shan''s obese figure shing over, Su Chen directly changed the direction of the hand reaching towards the leather-jacketed young man and pped towards him!


    "Bang!"


    A loud noise erupted, and something resembling a meatball instantly flew out like a cannonball, crashing into the wall of the room and emitting an even louder sound!

 Chapter 395 - 395 Lin Ruoxue Got Into Trouble

    Thrown by a powerful p, Bai Shan, whonded heavily on the floor, couldn''t help but look at the young man again!


    At that moment, his gaze was no longer just filled with shock¡ªit was engulfed by boundless fear!


    For just from that single p, he had fully realized that the disparity between their powers was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth!


    The power of that p was like the most ferocious tsunami, rushing towards him, impossible to block!


    Su Chen nced coldly at Bai Shan before slowly stretching out a hand again, turning his palm into a de.


    Suddenly, a stench of urine wafted through; between the legs of the man in the leather jacket, yellow liquid incessantly dripped down.


    Because at that moment, the man in the leather jacket truly felt the threat of death!


    Even his father was no match for this person, so what chance did he have to survive?


    "Big brother, I was blind and didn''t see Mount Tai, please spare me!"


    The man in the leather jacket knelt down with a "thump" and started kowtowing desperately.


    "The person you''ve offended isn''t me, you should ask Miss Jiang for mercy!"


    To Su Chen, whether to kill this father and son duo or not was something he could take or leave.


    Upon hearing this, the man in the leather jacket immediately crawled in front of Jiang Ying, hugging her calf and crying out:


    "Miss Jiang, it was myck of discernment, my lust that blinded me, please, you are a magnanimous person, please let me go as if I were merely a fart!"


    Under the threat of death, the man in the leather jacket could no longer care about anything else; what was face, what was dignity, in front of life itself, they were worth nothing.


    The man in the leather jacket understood a most basic truth; if life is gone, then everything is gone!


    Perhaps he had not believed before that anyone would dare toy a finger on him, the young master of the Bai Family, but after seeing his own father get flung away by a single p from the young man, he believed!


    Bai Shan watched his son beg for mercy everywhere, and he sighed deeply; he could understand his son''s fear of death.


    This was his only son; of course, he wished for his son to live on.


    But would the young man in front of them spare the father and son?


    Jiang Ying watched the young master of the Bai Family, howling like a stray dog at her feet, and suddenly, she felt an unreal sensation, like a dream or an illusion.


    She had never imagined that one day, the young master of the Bai Family from Jiangbei would be wailing and begging for mercy at her, an actress'' feet!


    And now, this scenario that she had never even dared to imagine was truly unfolding right before her eyes!


    And all of this was because of a man, a man she didn''t understand at all, who she had approached like a moth to a me!


    At this moment, Jiang Ying had an even stronger intuition that she had made the right bet!


    This man might be able to take her to another level, to see sights she had never seen before!


    Seeing the young master of the Bai Family continuing to wail, a trace of pity shed through Jiang Ying''s eyes.


    Although the other party had tried to humiliate her just before, she was after all a woman and did not wish to take a life over a single sentence from her.


    However, before Jiang Ying could speak, Cui Yuanmin, who was still lying on the ground, had already started yelling impatiently:


    "What are you two waiting for, why haven''t you killed him yet? Have you forgotten what they were going to do to you just before?"


    Cui Yuanmin also hadn''t expected Su Chen to deal with the Bai Family Head and those bodyguards all by himself; seeing Su Chen wanting to kill the father and son, he was both shocked and excited!


    Because in this way, he would bepletely safe; even if the Bai Family sought revenge in the future, they would only aim for those two, not him.


    If the Bai Family didn''t know who the murderer was, he wouldn''t even mind leaking some information to let the Bai Family find out.


    Because for him, other than Jiang Ying, it would be better if everyone else here were dead!


    As soon as they heard Cui Yuanmin''s words, Bai Shan and his son simultaneously shot resentful res at Cui Yuanmin.


    If I somehow survive this great disaster unscathed, I''ll definitely take good care of this pretty boy!


    Of course, there''s a premise to this: the Bai Shan father and son had long realized that this young man also had no fondness for that surname Cui.


    Otherwise, they would have made a move when they began humiliating him.


    Felling the gaze of Bai Shan and his son, Cui Yuanmin became even more terrified:


    "Su Chen, what are you spacing out for, hurry up and kill them! Otherwise, they will surely take revenge on you!"


    At this moment, he was terrified that Su Chen might take pity on them and let them go; if that happened, his good days would be over!


    "I don''t need you to teach me how to do my job!"


    Su Chen nced at him coldly and said.


    "If we let you go, you won''t take revenge on us, will you?"


    Although Jiang Ying didn''t want to be the cause of someone''s death, she also feared that they might seek revenge.


    "I swear, if we trouble you two in any way, may all the members of the Bai Family die a terrible death!"


    The young man in the leather jacket raised his hand and swore.


    Su Chen knew Jiang Ying was considering letting the two men go, so he looked at Bai Shan.


    Understanding his intent, Bai Shan also raised his hand and swore:


    "If anyone from our Bai Family should think of taking revenge on you two, then may our descendants for generations toe die a terrible death, and may our ancestors'' souls find no peace!"


    The oath Bai Shan took could not be considered anything but heavy and ruthless!


    "Moreover, if you two ever need anything in the future, just say the word, and our Bai Family will go through fire and water, never shying away from death!"


    To show his sincerity, Bai Shan continued.


    "Alright then, I hope you won''t do such things again in the future."


    Jiang Ying let out a sigh and said, she didn''t notice that in the oaths of Bai Shan and his son, it was always about the two of them, never including three.


    "Thank you, thank you!"


    The two men nodded their heads in hurried gratitude, then turned their eyes to Su Chen, because the final decision was still in the hands of this young man!


    Just as Su Chen was about to make a statement, suddenly the ringtone of his phone sounded.


    Su Chen took out his phone and his expression darkened immediately, a bad premonition washing over him, because the call was from Gu Ming, also known as the 14th Shadow Guard.


    He knew that if it wasn''t something particrly important, a Shadow Guard would never contact him.


    Su Chen immediately answered the call, and Gu Ming''s panicked voice came from the other end:


    "Master, something terrible has happened, Miss Lin is in trouble!"


    "What happened?"


    Su Chen asked in a loud voice, his face filled with fear!


    "I don''t know the specifics, but the situation is very bad! Miss Lin''s vital signs are very weak, I''m taking her to the hospital right now!"


    "I got it, I''ll rush back immediately. You stay in the hospital and don''t let anyone but the doctors near her. If someone tries to force their way in, no matter who it is, kill them without hesitation!"


    "Yes!"


    "Very well, you''re forcing me to kill someone, then so be it!"


    Su Chen clenched his teeth and spat, his eyes filled with zing red mes...

 Chapter 396 - 396 Killing Intent

    For a moment, an endless overwhelming pressure radiated from his lean body!


    Everyone in the private room felt that tremendous pressure, incredibly intense, as if a towering mountain were vertically bearing down upon them from above!


    Nobody could speak of standing, even breathing felt extremely difficult, as if the air itself had suddenly stopped flowing!


    When the crowd looked at Su Chen again, they found that the fiery red in his eyes had vanished, leaving behind only those unfathomably deep pupils!


    Those were eyes they had never seen before, filled with a cold and lonely air, as if from the Netherworld below, devoid of any color!


    Upon seeing these eyes, everyone''s hearts involuntarily trembled, as if Death itself had fixed its gaze upon them!


    Yet Bai Shan felt an all-epassing murderous aura emanating from this young man!


    It was an aura that could only be formed by someone who had waded through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, ying countless people!


    "Who exactly is this young man, and why does someone so young possess such an advanced Cultivation Realm? What has he gone through, and why does he have such a fearsome, Overturning Seas and Rivers-like murderous aura?"


    Bai Shan looked at the young man in front of him, as if he were a true king!


    Although he didn''t know exactly what had happened, he knew that the majesty of a king was not to be vited!


    And once vited, it would definitely result in a river of blood!


    Bai Shan immediately realized with utmost intensity: This man must not be made an enemy!


    "Do you have a car here?"


    Su Chen, having reigned in the aura he emitted, asked Bai Shan.


    "Yes, yes, yes!"


    Bai Shan, slightly stunned at first, quickly nodded continuously.


    "Now, take me to get the car!"


    "Yes!"


    "Miss Jiang, I''m sorry to trouble you but could you tell my colleagues that an urgent matter hase up and I have to leave first?"


    That''s what Su Chen said as he headed out.


    "Sure, don''t worry!"


    "Thank you!"


    After Su Chen and Bai Shan left, Cui Yuanmin also quickly took the chance to sneak away...


    Soon, Bai Shan and Su Chen arrived at the za in front of the hotel''s entrance, where they walked up to a Maybach parked to the side.


    "This is the car, here are the keys!"


    Bai Shan tossed the keys over.


    Su Chen immediately got into the car:


    "I will have someone return the car to you."


    "No need, it''s just a car. Please feel free to use it!"


    Bai Shan thought that if he could use a car to form a connection with this mysterious young man, it would be a very worthwhile deal!


    "Thank you, I''ll remember this favor!"


    Su Chen said, then stepped on the elerator and instantly a roaring sound erupted, as the Maybach shot forward like an arrow released from a bow!


    "I wonder who will be saying goodbye to this world this time!"


    Watching the receding car, Bai Shan shook his head and sighed.


    At this time, Su Chen was extremely anxious, driving the Maybach at its ultimate speed, yet still feeling too slow!


    He feared he would not make it in time. From Gu Ming''s tone and description, he knew that Lin Ruoxue''s situation must be very serious!


    Su Chen had a strong premonition that this incident involving Lin Ruoxue must be connected to the prominent families, even if he didn''t know who was responsible yet.


    He silently reproached himself, why did hee to this damned Sanya?! Why wasn''t he by her side!


    He had not imagined that those people would actually dare to harm Lin Ruoxue, and moreover, that they had seeded!


    But no amount of anger could help now. All he could do was rush back as fast as possible, hoping not to be left with lifelong regrets!


    He didn''t dare to imagine what he would do if Lin Ruoxue really were gone!


    But one thing was certain, he would definitely bloodwash all the suspect major families, leaving none alive!


    "You''d better pray that Ruoxue is all right!"


    Su Chen''s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he murmured with a grim expression on his face.


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a VIP ward at Jianghai People''s Hospital, a womany quietly on the bed, surrounded by several experts and professors from the hospital.


    At that moment, they were discussing treatment ns, but the looks on their faces were not promising.


    "It''s certain that it''s poisoning."


    One of the professors said.


    "Everyone knows it''s poisoning; your statement is as good as saying nothing¡ªthe key is which poison she''s been subjected to!"


    Another professor retorted irritably.


    As soon as this was said, suddenly everyone fell silent.


    Indeed, the most difficult task for them now was to identify the poison, as different poisons requiredpletely different treatments.


    Worse, the symptoms the woman on the bed was presenting were unlike anything they had seen before.


    To make matters worse, they didn''t even know how the patient had been poisoned.


    Without rity on these issues, attempting to treat her blindly would be akin to murder!


    All the more so because the identity of the woman on the bed was far too special¡ªif they caused her death due to incorrect treatment, the consequences were something they couldn''t bear!


    Outside the ward at that time, number 14 of the Shadow Guard also stood by, his face full of concern, hoping for his master''s prompt arrival!


    Through the ss window of the ward door, he could see that Ruoxue''s condition was getting worse, knowing how important this woman was to his master.


    Next to him was another woman, Xia Qiuru, her face equally anxious.


    She just happened to return from running errands and saw that man carrying Ruoxue and driving away from the parking lot, so she followed.


    At first, she was puzzled as to why the man brought Ruoxue to the hospital, but once she learned he was one of Su Chen''s men, she understood.


    "When will Su Chen return?" asked Qiuru.


    "Mr. Su is on his way back."


    Gu Ming said, sharing some information with Qiuru because he knew her rtionship with his master was also out of the ordinary.


    Just then, amotion of footsteps approached, and arge group of people arrived at the entrance of the ward.


    "Qiuru, how on earth did Ruoxue end up like this?"


    The old Master Lin trembled as he asked as soon as he saw Qiuru.


    "I don''t know. The doctors said it''s likely poisoning,"


    Qiuru responded, having been the one to call old Master Lin to inform him of Ruoxue''s incident.


    "Poisoning?"


    Hearing the word ''poisoning'', old Master Lin instantly turned back, his eyes shooting out a frighteningly sharp look!


    His gaze was aimed at his eldest son, Lin Wenlong, and grandson, Lin Chao, yet neither of them showed any fear of the old man''s scrutiny, calmly meeting his gaze.


    After seeing their reaction, old Master Lin was somewhat puzzled inside.


    He had been almost certain that his own past poisoning was inextricably linked to Lin Wenlong and his son, so when he heard that Ruoxue was also poisoned, he immediately associated it with them.


    However, the expressions on the father and son''s faces made him doubt his own suspicions. Could it be that they were not involved this time?


    For in the old man''s view, if they were indeed the culprits, there should be at least a hint of guilt, but their reaction just now seemedpletely uninformed.


    Were they truly innocent or were they just well prepared, ying their part too convincingly?


    Old Master Lin couldn''t be certain at the moment.


    However, now was not the time to pursue these matters; it was more important to assess Ruoxue''s condition first.


    Because whoever was behind this, the ultimate target was likely the Belle Corporation. As long as Ruoxue was safe, their plot would fail!


    But just as old Master Lin was about to push the door open, a hand stopped him:


    "You can''t go in!"

 Chapter 397 - 397 No Mercy

    "Who are you?"


    Lin Wenlong''s eyes swept over the person who had reached out to stop him, his authority clearly apparent!


    He had thought Gu Ming was just an ordinary employee of the Belle Corporation, helping Lin Ruoxue get to the hospital, but he hadn''t expected this man to actually dare to block his way!


    "Gu Ming."


    The Shadow Guard''s answer was also very sinct.


    "Then do you know who I am?"


    Lin Patriarch''s body trembled with a tiger''s might, and he said threateningly.


    "I know."


    Gu Ming nodded.


    "You know and yet you dare to block me, get out of my way!"


    "Today, aside from the doctor, no one is allowed in!"


    Gu Ming shifted his body slightly, blocking the entrance to the ward.


    "What are you? We''re Lin Family members, Lin Wenlong''s family; move aside immediately!"


    Lin Chao immediately stepped forward, pointing at Gu Ming''s nose and cursing, then tried to push him aside. However, he hadn''t expected that when he pushed, the other man didn''t move an inch, while he almost fell over from his own forceful shove.


    The Lin Patriarch, including the other Lin Family members, also felt very angry, and at the same time, quite bewildered. Why wouldn''t this guy let them in? After all, they were Lin Ruoxue''s family members.


    Where did a mere employee get such courage?


    After all, the Belle Corporation belonged to the Lin Family; how could he dare to even block Lin Patriarch himself?


    "Damn, a little employee feeling his oats!"


    Feeling a blow to his pride, Lin Chao immediately charged over, trying to force his way through, yet when he collided, it was as if he had hit a wall, causing himself quite a bit of pain.


    "Mr. Su had ordered, anyone who tries to enter this ward today, except for the doctor, will be killed without mercy!"


    Gu Ming''s voice remained cold and indifferent, his eyes showing no ripples of emotion.


    Hearing Gu Ming''s cold phrase "killed without mercy," the hearts of the Lin Family members all shook violently!


    At the same time, it was almost as if they were hearing a joke; did this guy think he was in a movie? "Killed without mercy?"


    "Mr. Su?"


    The Lin Patriarch looked confused and hesitantly asked,


    "Which Mr. Su?"


    "Patriarch, he''s one of Su Chen''s men."


    Xia Qiuru said nonchntly from the side.


    Hearing that this fellow was one of Su Chen''s men, the Lin Family members were all taken aback. After all, to most of them, the impression of this son-inw who hade knocking at their door was not yet very strong.


    Apart from the somewhat deeper impression he left fromst time when he saved the patriarch, at other times he was almost non-existent.


    "I refuse to believe that Su Chen''s men would really dare to kill!"


    Lin Chao''s father strode forward, heading straight for the ward. However, as soon as he reached Gu Ming, he could go no further, as he felt a trace of coldness at his throat.


    It was a sharp, silver-gleaming dagger pressed against his throat.


    "You may try to take one more step forward and see!"


    Gu Ming''s voice remained as before, cold andposed!


    The Lin Family members were immediately shocked; they had not expected this man to really draw his dagger without hesitating.


    Seeing Gu Ming''s indifferent eyes, the Patriarch believed that if Lin Wenlong truly dared to take another step forward, blood would be sttered on the spot!


    "Wenlong,e back!"


    Master Lin said in a deep voice.


    Following that, Lin Wenlong immediately took several steps back, as he had truly been scared out of his wits just now. Looking at Gu Ming again, he could only think that this man was an absolute madman!


    "Gu Ming, what exactly did Su Chen tell you?"


    This time, Master Lin did not emit the oppressive aura he had before but asked in a somewhat gentle tone.


    "Mr. Su instructed that today, apart from the doctors, whoever attempts to make contact with Director Lin, no matter who it is, will be killed without question!"


    As soon as these words were spoken, the members of the Lin Family all widened their eyes in shock. How could this son-inw who had married into the family dare to speak such audacious words?


    Master Lin also had not expected Su Chen to issue such an order to this man, but even if he had, would this unimpressive-looking young man dare to carry it out?


    Master Lin immediately shook his head, as the man had already proven his resolve through his actions!


    "Are you saying you would kill me too if I insisted on entering?"


    Master Lin asked Gu Ming.


    "I must fulfill Mr. Su''s instructions."


    Although Gu Ming did not give a direct answer, his statement couldn''t be any clearer.


    In other words, even if Master Lin wanted to enter, he would still take action.


    Everyone thought that Master Lin would fly into a rage upon hearing this, but to their surprise, he smiled slightly, a look of contentment on his face.


    "Su Chen is doing well, and so are you. Thank you!"


    Master Lin nodded at Gu Ming with satisfaction.


    The members of the Lin Family were all puzzled. Could it be that the old patriarch was confused? The man arranged by their son-inw wasn''t allowing him in, yet he was still pleased and even thanking the man.


    "Listen to me, everyone wait here. If anyone dares to break in, there''s no need for this brother to take action¡ªI''ll immediately expel them from the Lin Family!"


    Master Lin turned around and swept the crowd with a cold gaze, making his statement resoundingly clear.


    Facing the old patriarch''s authority, although the people had their doubts, they had no choice but to agree.


    "Father, we are all very worried about Ruoxue''s condition. How can we be at ease without seeing for ourselves?"


    Lin Wenlong spoke with a face full of concern.


    "Yes, Grandfather, we are all concerned about Ruoxue."


    Lin Chao chimed in as well.


    "What use is it for you to go in? If there''s any news, the doctors wille out and inform us."


    Master Lin looked at them both with significant meaning.


    At this moment, inside the sickroom, those expert professors were still analyzing the poison Lin Ruoxue had been afflicted with, but there was no progress whatsoever.


    The poison was too strange; it had prated her internal organs and even her bloodstream. They extracted a little for analysis and discovered it to be an extremely fierce poison!


    Logically, with such a violent poison, a person would die within minutes, yet this woman, although in critical condition and at risk of dying at any moment, was still alive¡ªanomaly in itself.


    "Look quickly, her body is changing!"


    Just then, a voice rang out, and the expert professors immediately turned their attention to the woman on the bed.


    They saw her previous symptoms gradually disappear, but ayer of severe frost formed visibly fast on the surface of her body. There was even a chilling air rising from it, giving off a bone-piercing cold sensation!


    Within a few minutes, her entire body, including her face, was covered in ayer of sparkling, translucent frost, making her appear like an Ice Beauty.


    It was only that her skin was far too pale¡ªunnaturally so!


    "What in the world is going on?"


    An rmed professor cried out, his face full of confusion.


    The response from everyone else was simr; the situation was just too bizarre!


    In their many years of practicing medicine, having seen so many cases, they had never encountered or heard of such a condition!

 Chapter 398: Su Chen Returns

    "Quick, check the patient''s vital signs!"


    Someone suddenly came to their senses and shouted.


    The others, as if waking from a dream, immediately busied themselves; they too had been stunned by the surprising scene before them.


    However, after a few minutes had passed, a deep sense of dejection was evident on everyone''s face.


    "Just an hour or two left," one of them said.


    "Probably not even an hour."


    "I think half an hour might be about it, we should let their family see them for thest time," another suggested urgently.


    Following that, everyone shook their heads and walked out of the sickroom with a look of defeat.


    "Doctor, how is my granddaughter?"


    As soon as he saw the doctore out, Old Master Lin immediately approached him, his expression extremely tense.


    "I''m sorry, we''ve done all we could," the doctor sighed, shaking his head.


    "What do you mean you''ve done all you could!" Zhang Xin''s expression drastically changed as she lunged forward and grabbed the doctor, shouting.


    Although they hadn''t entered the sickroom, they had still observed the situation through the window; although they couldn''t see Lin Ruoxue''s condition clearly, they could clearly see that the doctors hadn''t done anything.


    "Yes, you must give us an exnation, otherwise our Lin Family won''t let you off!"


    Another member of the Lin Family shouted.


    "Everyone, listen to my exnation," said the doctor, knowing full well that the Lin Family wasn''t just any insignificant household; they were quite reputed in all of Jiangnan, especially the woman on the sickbed, known as the number one beauty of Jiangnan, with countless admirers.


    "The patient is undoubtedly poisoned, but the poison she has sumbed to is extremely peculiar! None of us have ever seen or even heard of it!" the doctor exined with a grimace.


    "As you know, without identifying the specific poison, any reckless treatment would only hasten the patient''s death!"


    In truth, the reason given by the doctor was only one aspect; another reason was self-preservation, just like he had said earlier. If the treatment method turned out to be wrong, they would have to bear the responsibility, possibly ruining their medical careers forever.


    "Sorry, we truly arecking in knowledge and ability," said the other specialists and professors, slightly bowing in apology.


    "The patient doesn''t have much time left, you should hurry and see her for thest time," they advised.


    Upon hearing the doctor''s words, Old Master Lin''s eyes darkened and his body fell backwards with a loud "thud!"


    "Father!"


    "Old Master!"


    ...


    Everyone was startled and rushed over at once.


    The doctors, too, were shocked and immediately moved forward to check on him; if something happened to Old Master Lin too, today could turn into a major disaster!


    "Xin!"


    Just then, another cry of rm sounded.


    Everyone turned their heads to see that Zhang Xin had also fainted, copsing into Lin Wenqing''s arms.


    At that moment, the scene turned even more chaotic, with everyone scattering to attend to the two patients, leaving only Gu Ming and Xia Qiuru still standing at the entrance of the sickroom.


    For a moment, it seemed everyone else had forgotten Lin Ruoxue''s existence...


    Actually, there should have been at least one doctor apanying her, at the very least to record the time of the patient''s death!


    However, the consecutive fainting spells had thrown the situation into utter chaos, with no one managing to attend to this matter.


    Moreover, in the subconscious minds of the members of the Lin Family, the doctor''s earlier words had already announced Lin Ruoxue''s death.


    "Is President Lin truly beyond help?"


    Although Lin Ruoxue could even be considered her rival in love, at this moment, Xia Qiuru''s face still couldn''t help but show a profound expression of sorrow.


    "No, as long as Mr. Su arrives, there is still hope!"


    Gu Ming said firmly.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in a secret chamber of a mountain stronghold in the southwest of Huaxia, an old crone suddenly opened those cloudy eyes, releasing a terrifying glint!


    "How could the spirit insect awaken prematurely? Who disturbed my spirit insect?!"


    The old crone spat coldly.


    In an instant, the half-dead crone, like a shadow, shed out of the secret chamber and disappeared into the woods nearby the stronghold in just a few moments...


    ......


    Su Chen raced down the roads, ignoring all traffic controls¡ªhe had only one thought in his mind, to go faster, even faster!


    What was usually a journey of several hours, he hadpleted in just over two hours. Upon reaching the hospital entrance, he stopped the car and immediately rushed in, heading straight for Lin Ruoxue''s room.


    "How is Ruoxue?"


    Su Chen asked anxiously.


    "The doctor said she''s been poisoned severely, it''s hopeless. The Lin Family patriarch and the mother of the Lin head fainted upon hearing the news; the doctor went to take care of them,"


    Gu Ming said calmly, relieved to see his master had finally arrived.


    In his view, as long as the master was here, there was hope for everything!


    "What now?"


    "I don''t know, I''ve been standing guard here, haven''t gone in to see, but the doctor said half an hour ago that it would be just a matter of one or two hours."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen felt a tightness in his chest.


    "Su Chen, the Lin head she..."


    Xia Qiuru said, sobbing as she saw Su Chen arrive.


    "Don''t worry, it''s okay, I''ll go check now."


    Su Chen was somewhat surprised to see Xia Qiuru there, but he couldn''t attend to her at the moment:


    "You stay here; if anyone tries to break through, kill them on the spot!"


    "Yes!"


    As Xia Qiuru listened to their conversation, she was also shocked; how could they speak of killing as if it were as normal as eating or drinking?


    Su Chen then pushed the door and entered, immediately seeing the Ice Beauty on the bed; his heart felt as if it were struck by a heavy hammer, aching sharply!


    Su Chen forced himself to calm down, then checked Lin Ruoxue''s condition.


    A momentter, he exhaled lightly, but his expression was extremely solemn!


    He exhaled lightly because Lin Ruoxue was still alive, which was his greatest relief; as long as she was alive, there was hope!


    However, he looked solemn because Lin Ruoxue''s condition was very serious¡ªshe was nearly indistinguishable from a living corpse!


    "Gu Ming,e in!"


    Su Chen called out, and Gu Ming entered upon hearing him.


    When he saw Lin Ruoxue on the bed, his body shook:


    "How could this be?"


    "What was Ruoxue''s initial condition like?"


    Su Chen had called Gu Ming in because he had said earlier that the doctors diagnosed it as poisoning, but Lin Ruoxue''s current state didn''t seem like poisoning at all!


    "At first, the Lin head was purple with red hues and had some small spots; how could it turn into this?"


    Gu Ming replied with a puzzled look.


    "Alright, you go back out and keep watch!"


    After Gu Ming left, Su Chen murmured:


    "Could it be because of that ''seed'' inside Ruoxue?"

 Chapter 399: Bizarre Phenomena

    Su Chen knew that something simr to a "seed" was growing inside Lin Ruoxue, which could emit an extremely cold and negative energy, and this energy also possessed "devouring" capabilities; it had once "devoured" the True Yuan he had transferred into Lin Ruoxue''s body.


    He had thought about removing the "seed," but unfortunately, its energy was too powerful, beyond his capabilities.


    Therefore, he had to give up, nning to wait until his Cultivation was high enough to remove it.


    But now, with time pressing, he could no longer afford to wonder aimlessly, so he immediately sat by the bed, then took out the longest Silver Needle, and pierced it directly into Lin Ruoxue''s chest cavity until the needle was fully inserted, after which he slowly withdrew it.


    After withdrawing the Silver Needle, he first observed it, then put it to his nose and sniffed lightly, immediately a thickyer of coldness appeared on his face!


    "It turns out to be Hemlock Mustard!"


    Hemlock Mustard is a highly poisonous nt that grows in the Antarctic. Although the Antarctic is icy and almost devoid of vegetation, there is one nt that can grow there, and can only grow there - that is Hemlock Mustard.


    The survival of Hemlock Mustard is extremely rare, with only a 0.1% survival rate, making it exceedingly rare!


    At the same time, Hemlock Mustard is a highly toxic nt, but since it grows in the remote Antarctic and is extremely scarce, very few people know about it!


    Without a doubt, the person who poisoned her wanted Lin Ruoxue dead, because once poisoned by Hemlock Mustard, one would certainly die within less than ten minutes!


    Moreover, given that almost no one knows about this poison, there was no way to treat it!


    "Very well!"


    Su Chen clenched his teeth and spat out fiercely, a strong murderous aura once again emanated from him, but he soon reined it in, fearing it would affect Lin Ruoxue!


    However, the most important thing for Su Chen at the moment was still to save Lin Ruoxue; if Lin Ruoxue were gone, even if he turned Jianghai into rivers of blood, what would it matter?


    Su Chen also found it strange, how was Lin Ruoxue still alive after being poisoned by Hemlock Mustard?


    Su Chen had a feeling that this might be rted to the "seed" gestating inside her.


    If that was true, then it was fortunate he hadn''t removed itst time; otherwise, with such a long time passing, Lin Ruoxue would have lost her life ten times over!


    At this time, although some toxins still lingered in Lin Ruoxue''s body, they were already very, very scarce.


    Although Lin Ruoxue had not died from the poisoning, her condition was still very serious, and even he could barely feel her vital signs, putting her in constant danger of death.


    Su Chen immediately ced one hand on Lin Ruoxue''s abdomen and slowly transferred a strand of True Yuan into her body.


    No sooner had the strand of True Yuan entered Lin Ruoxue''s body than itpletely disappeared without a trace, shocking Su Chen greatly!


    After that, Su Chen transferred True Yuan into her body two more times, and the situation was the same as the first time; the True Yuan disappeared as soon as it entered Lin Ruoxue''s body, as if it had been eaten by something.


    Su Chen then transferred two strands of True Yuan at once, but it still disappeared without a trace, like mud disappearing into the sea!


    Helpless, Su Chen could only continue to increase the amount of True Yuan, because without transferring True Yuan, he could not ascertain Lin Ruoxue''s actual condition, and treatment was out of the question.


    Although his medical skills were exquisite, Lin Ruoxue''s current condition was too special, and it was clear that the situation couldn''t be ascertained just from appearances; he had to delve deep into her body to understand it fully.


    But even when Su Chen increased the amount to ten strands of True Yuan at once, it still disappeared the moment it entered Lin Ruoxue''s body without leaving a trace!


    "What should I do now? If I continue to increase it, can Ruoxue withstand it?"


    Su Chen murmured, ayer of fine sweat appearing on his forehead.


    He suddenly pped his thigh:


    "I''ve really been foolish. Since those True Yuan disappear as soon as they enter Ruoxue''s body, naturally they won''t affect her in any way!"


    This simple and obvious reasoning should have urred to Su Chen immediately, but Lin Ruoxue was too important to him; he had been overly cautious, and care had led to chaos!


    With this realization, Su Chen''s confidence surged, so he once again increased the amount of True Yuan he fed into Lin Ruoxue''s body, but he still dared not add too much at once, always just one or two strands at a time.


    Gradually, he felt that the thing devouring his True Yuan was the same asst time, emitting an extremely cold energy from that seed.


    Only,st time that thing had begun devouring only when Su Chen tried to reach its core, but this time it began as soon as it entered Lin Ruoxue''s body.


    Could it be that the seed-like thing had mutated or undergone some change?


    Su Chen continued to increase the amount of True Yuan, but when he added fifty strands, they were still instantly devoured as soon as they went inside.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but feel secretly rmed; was this thing too terrifying?!


    Having no choice, he continued to increase the amount, and when he added more than eighty strands of True Yuan, finally two or three strands were not immediately devoured!


    Su Chen was overjoyed and immediately tried to probe deeper with those few strands of True Yuan, but before he could manage, those two or three strands were devoured again!


    Although those two or three strands had only moved forward a tiny bit and disappeared in an instant, Su Chen distinctly felt an icy, snow-like chill!


    Even that chill was stronger than what he had felt in the core area before.


    Keep in mind that this was just as they were entering Lin Ruoxue''s body!


    It was evident that Lin Ruoxue''s body was like an ice cave at that moment, no wonder she was in her current state!


    Not just her, even if it were me, I probably wouldn''t be feeling much better!


    .....


    At that moment, in another hospital room, every member of the Lin Family looked anxiously at the two patients on the beds.


    "Don''t worry, they just fainted from being too overexcited; it''s nothing serious."


    The doctor reassured them.


    "When will they wake up?"


    Lin Wenqing hurriedly asked, his mind muddled at the moment with his daughter, wife, and father all having faced crises, leaving him unable to think clearly.


    "Mrs. Zhang will be fine. She needs a couple of days of rest and then she can be discharged from the hospital. However, Old Master Lin''s condition is a bit more serious, given his age, he needs more time to recuperate quietly. We should keep a close watch, but for now, there doesn''t seem to be anything serious!"


    "Thank you, and sorry for the trouble!"


    "Ruoxue, Ruoxue, what about her?!"


    Upon hearing that his father and wife were not in serious danger, he immediately rxed, but then suddenly remembered: his daughter was still critically ill!


    And now that everyone was here, was there no one at his daughter''s side?


    Was his daughter to walk her final path all alone?

 Chapter 400: The Old Man at the Foot of the Kunlun Mountains

    Lin Wenqing immediately rushed out of the hospital room and ran towards Lin Ruoxue''s room.


    The other members of the Lin family were also confused by the sudden condition of the grandfather and Zhang Xin. Seeing Lin Wenqing running out, they immediately followed!


    The doctors who had previously treated Lin Ruoxue were still there, one of the older ones said to a younger one:


    "You go too, to record the time of death."


    "Alright."


    The doctor nodded in agreement.


    To these doctors, Lin Ruoxue''s death was just a matter of sooner orter, so they were toozy to go over, but the time of death still had to be recorded.


    When everyone arrived at the door of the hospital room, they found that Gu Ming was still standing motionless at the door.


    "The doctors have already said Ruoxue is going to pass away, let us go in and see her for thest time. I will talk to Su Chen when he returns, or you can call him now."


    Lin Wenqing said at the door. Since the other party was his son-inw''s man, he spoke politely.


    "Mr. Su is currently inside treating President Lin, please do not disturb them!"


    Gu Ming said to Lin Wenqing.


    "Su Chen is back?"


    Lin Wenqing was immediately surprised. He knew that Su Chen and colleagues had gone to Sanya for a trip. Could it be that he had rushed back so quickly?


    "Yes, I informed Mr. Su the moment I found out something had happened to President Lin, and he immediately rushed back!"


    Even though Gu Ming said this, Lin Wenqing was still shocked. After all, Sanya was more than a dozen hours away by car, and it had only been about three hours since Ruoxue''s incident urred.


    From this alone, Lin Wenqing could tell that Su Chen was very anxious about his daughter, otherwise he wouldn''t have hurried back so quickly, which made him feel somewhat relieved!


    Moreover, wasn''t it Su Chen who had saved the grandfather from poisoning thest time?


    Lin Wenqing, who had already been despairing, reignited a bit of hope¡ªperhaps Su Chen could really revive the dead!


    The other Lin family members felt the same way; after all,st time, the doctors had dered the grandfather dead, yet he was brought back to life by their son-inw!


    "Who is inside?"


    The doctor who came along asked.


    "He is the patient''s husband, and he seems to know a lot about medicine."


    One of the Lin family members said.


    "Knows a lot about medicine?"


    The doctor scoffed upon hearing this. He looked through the hospital room''s ss door and saw a young man in his twenties inside, which made him even more doubtful.


    What could this young man possibly do, when so many top experts and professors were at a loss?


    Because Gu Ming brought Lin Ruoxue to Jianghai People''s Hospital this time, rather than the previous Jianghai Hospital, this doctor was not aware of Su Chen reviving Grandfather Lin.


    If he had known about that incident, perhaps he wouldn''t have thought this way.


    "Folks, I don''t mean to speak out of turn, but the patient''s condition is too peculiar; I fear that even a master of traditional Chinese medicine would have little hope."


    The doctor said.


    Truth be told, he hade along just to record the time of the patient''s death, so how could he possibly believe that there was still hope for her?


    Hearing the doctor''s words, everyone''s mood sank further.


    "Since you guys are out of options anyway, just let him try. The situation can''t get much worse."


    Lin Wenqing said, and he still retained a bit of hope in his heart because he remembered vividly thest incident.


    "Alright, that''s up to you."


    The doctor said, but he thought that it was just the Lin Family deceiving themselves and seeking some psychologicalfort.


    "Gu Ming, make them quiet," he said. "If anyone makes more noise, knock them out!"


    Su Chen was intently treating Lin Ruoxue and could not afford any distractions.


    "Yes!"


    Gu Ming looked at the crowd and said in a low voice:


    "Everyone be quiet. If you say another word, don''t me me for being rude!"


    "I am a doctor. What right do you have..."


    The doctor started to retort upon hearing such a boisterous voice inside.


    But before he could finish, he saw a figure sh by, and then his body slowly fell to the ground.


    The people of the Lin Family were a bit dumbstruck. They hadn''t expected the gatekeeper to carry out the son-inw''s orders so resolutely, and his movements were ethereal.


    Lin Wenqing came forward and asked very quietly:


    "Is he alright?"


    "He''s fine, just unconscious. He will naturally wake up in five or six hours."


    Gu Ming also spoke quietly:


    "Please have someone throw him in that storage room over there to keep him from being discovered and causing a disturbance that could affect Mr. Su''s treatment."


    "Okay."


    Given that it involved his daughter''s treatment, Lin Wenqing naturally did not dare to be careless and had two members of the Lin Family quietly stuff the doctor into the storage room.


    After what had just happened, the Lin Family members did not dare to say another word and just quietly waited at the door...


    Those of the Lin Family had a vague feeling that this son-inw seemed different from what they recalled.


    By now, Su Chen was drenched in sweat inside the sick room, his clothespletely soaked, as if he had been fished out of the water.


    His expression grew more and more tense. Just now, he had transferred two to three hundred strands of True Yuan into Lin Ruoxue''s body, but soon, that True Yuan was devouredpletely!


    After all this time experimenting, Su Chen was bing more acutely aware of the extremely cold and chilling energy inside Lin Ruoxue''s body!


    What on earth was this thing, and how could it possess such astonishing energy?!


    Moreover, at this moment, nearly half of the True Yuan inside Su Chen''s body had been consumed. It wasn''t that he was reluctant to part with the True Yuan; for Lin Ruoxue, he could disregard even his life, let alone a bit of True Yuan.


    What worried him was, even if hepletely exhausted his True Yuan, he still might not be able to save Lin Ruoxue.


    Because he dared not transfer too much True Yuan at once, like thousands of strands, fearing that if the creature inside Lin Ruoxue''s body suddenly couldn''t absorb so much, the excess would be too much for Lin Ruoxue to bear!


    Therefore, he could only gradually increase it, which meant most of the True Yuan was wasted uselessly.


    But apart from this, he had no better options!


    Su Chen continued reluctantly inputting True Yuan into Lin Ruoxue''s body, but the situation still did not fundamentally improve, and even by now, he had not fully ascertained Lin Ruoxue''s physical condition.


    As time ticked by every second, the True Yuan inside Su Chen was slowly depleting, and Lin Ruoxue''s body was bing colder and colder...


    .....


    In the western part of Huaxia, on a mountain road, an old woman''s figure was constantly shing. If one didn''t pay close attention, it was very hard to see clearly.


    Not long after the old woman left her vige, she had already reached the Kunlun Mountains, hundreds of kilometers away!


    As she was passing at the foot of the Kunlun, suddenly, an old man in a disheveled linen robe appeared in front of her, as if he had descended from the sky!


    The old man''s linen robe was greasy and dirty, having not been washed for many days, and from a distance, one could smell an odd odor.


    Yet that old man was smiling at the old woman, though his smile seemed rather lecherous...

 Chapter 401 - 401 The Old Man and the Big Yellow Dog

    Although the old man appeared abruptly, the old woman didn''t think much of it, assuming she just hadn''t noticed him because she was moving too quickly.


    She didn''t regard him as someone special or threatening because she couldn''t feel a trace of True Yuan fluctuations from him.


    However, the old man''s gaze made her ufortable, so without giving it further thought, she flew past him in an instant.


    At the same time, she struck the old man with a palm. The old man, already in his twilight years, couldn''t withstand the blow backed by the old woman''s condensed True Yuan and was sent flying like a kite, notnding until he had cleared dozens of meters and hit a towering tree.


    After sending the old man flying with a palm, the old woman didn''t stop and continued to dash forward.


    In her view, killing an old man was just an effortless deed, not worth contemting or taking to heart.


    However, she didn''t notice that at the moment the old man was sent flying, an extremely thin Silver Needle was shot into her back!


    As the old woman''s figure faded into the distance, the old man slowly got up from behind the tree, his mouth still torn slightly at the corners.


    "That really hurt! Who would have thought that thisss from the Hua Family was so vicious, almostparable to her ancestors!" he muttered.


    He patted his long gown, though it made no difference as its original color was already indistinguishable.


    "You little rascal, you should no longer resent the marriage I arranged for you, should you? That girl is a great opportunity for you; whether you seize it or not is entirely up to you," he murmured to himself, gazing towards a certain direction in the south.


    Just then, a big yellow dog ran down from the mountainside and came to the old man''s side, whining a couple of times.


    "Do you want to have some tasty roast meat again? This old man can''t cook. Wait for that rascal toe back and make it for you!" the old man told the big yellow dog.


    The big yellow dog seemed to understand his words and immediately began wagging its tail happily!


    "You really are a glutton!"


    The old man kicked the big yellow dog and started to climb up the mountainside, with the big yellow dog following behind.


    If Su Chen were here, he would certainly say:


    "You shameless old thing, how dare you call Da Huang a glutton? You are more of a foodie than it is!"


    ......


    But Su Chen was destined to be unaware of the incident at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains, because he was fully upied with treating Lin Ruoxue.


    The situation of Lin Ruoxue on the sickbed was getting more critical by the moment, theyer of Ice Frost on her body growing thicker and the cold it emitted growing more intense. Even Su Chen, standing beside her, could feel the extreme chill!


    At this moment, only a third of Su Chen''s True Yuan remained inside him, and he had not yet fully understood the situation within Lin Ruoxue''s body!


    But he could guess without needing to think that if the energy radiating from the surface was already this frightening, the energy gathered inside Lin Ruoxue''s body would only be more powerful and colder!


    As to the extent, he dared not imagine!


    For now, Su Chen dared not continue to transfer more in, as it would be of no help to Lin Ruoxue.


    He stood up with a frown and lit a cigarette, hoping to calm himself and find a better solution.


    Soon, he had smoked an entire cigarette, but his mind was still devoid of ideas.


    "Am I really just going to watch helplessly?" he said, biting his lip.


    "Bang!"


    A punchnded on the wall, with Su Chen blurting out in frustration.


    This time he hadn''t used True Yuan, but had struck with merely his bare hands, looking only to vent the suffocation in his heart.


    After one punch, the back of his hand was oozing bright red blood, yet he felt no pain.


    Then he smoked another two cigarettes, still finding himself at a loss.


    ```


    "It''s no use, if we don''t figure out a solution soon, Lin Ruoxue will be beyond saving!"


    Su Chen checked Lin Ruoxue''s condition and realized that she was only a hair''s breadth away from true death!


    "There''s no other way, I have to take the risk and try!"


    Su Chen decided to infuse her with thousands of strands of True Yuan all at once. He had previously been concerned that infusing too much at once might overwhelm the thing inside her, potentially causing severe damage to Lin Ruoxue''s body.


    But infusing slowly was like casting straws against the wind, utterly ineffective, leaving this as his only remaining option.


    He had to gamble, because without it, there was no hope left.


    Once again, Su Chen ced his hand onto Lin Ruoxue''s abdomen over her clothes. As soon as he touched the fabric, he felt an eerily cold energy seeping through.


    Su Chen concentrated, gathering arge amount of True Yuan into his palm. His expression grew extremely serious.


    Just as he was about to transfer the True Yuan into Lin Ruoxue''s body, he suddenly noticed a drop of fresh blood trickling down the back of his hand. It fell onto Lin Ruoxue''s clothes, slowly staining a small area of her garment red...


    At that moment, a peculiar phenomenon urred. Where the blood stained the clothes, a wisp of steam slowly rose, starkly different from the chill that had been emanating from Lin Ruoxue''s body.


    This vapor was not only denser, but it was nearly free of any chill!


    This unusual sight immediately drew Su Chen''s attention. He quickly pulled back his palm and observed carefully.


    Where the True Qi had just been summoned, theyer of Ice Frost had vanished, turningpletely into water, and soon even those water spots disappeared without a trace.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Su Chen was suddenly amazed.


    He knew that this was definitely not because the Ice Frost had melted upon contact with heat.


    But if not for that reason, what else could it be? Suddenly, Su Chen''s eyes brightened:


    "Could it have something to do with that drop of blood?"


    Su Chen instantly rolled up Lin Ruoxue''s sleeve, and then, holding his palm sideways, let fresh blood drip onto her arm.


    As soon as the blood touched the Ice Frost on the surface of Lin Ruoxue''s arm, the frost slowly disappeared, turned into droplets of water, and then those water droplets too vanished, leaving no trace of the few drops of blood.


    This discovery immediately filled Su Chen with surprise and joy!


    "Gu Ming, call my father-inw in."


    Su Chen shouted towards the door.


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than Lin Wenqing pushed the door and entered:


    "Su Chen, what do you need? Is there hope for Ruoxue?"


    "I''m not sure yet, father-inw. Drip a drop of your blood onto Ruoxue''s arm."


    "Alright!"


    Lin Wenqing immediately agreed, but when he saw his daughter Lin Ruoxue, he was taken aback:


    "Ruoxue, she, how did she end up looking like this?"


    "Never mind that for now, Dad, just quickly drip a drop of blood."


    "Alright."


    Though Lin Wenqing had no idea why Su Chen was asking him to do this, he hurriedly bit open his own finger and let a drop of blood fall onto Lin Ruoxue''s arm.


    But theyer of Ice Frost where the blood fell was still firmly in ce, with Lin Wenqing''s blood slowly rolling on top of the frost.


    "Strange, why is it like this?"


    Su Chen''s brow furrowed once more...


    ```

 Chapter 402: 402

    "Su Chen, how is it going?"


    Lin Wenqing asked, both anxious and puzzled.


    Su Chen shook his head, then said:


    "Dad, you should leave first."


    "Okay, Su Chen, you must save Ruoxue!"


    Lin Wenqing begged almost pleadingly.


    "Don''t worry, Dad. I would risk my life to save Ruoxue."


    Su Chen nodded solemnly.


    After Lin Wenqing left the room, Su Chen grew puzzled again:


    "Could it be because Lin Wenqing and Ruoxue are blood rtives, that''s why it isn''t working?"


    Su Chen was doing all this in the hope of figuring out what was happening.


    Because Lin Ruoxue was too important to him. He did not want to proceed blindly without understanding everything. What if something went wrong?


    "Gu Ming,e inside too."


    Immediately, Gu Ming entered.


    "Drop a drop of blood here."


    Su Chen pointed at the Ice Frost on Lin Ruoxue''s arm.


    Gu Ming didn''t ask any questions. He cut his finger and dropped a drop of blood on it, but the reaction of the fresh blood on the Ice Frost was the same as Lin Wenqing''s, neither had any effect.


    "Okay, you can leave now, continue guarding the door."


    Su Chen waved dismissively.


    "Why is it like this?"


    Su Chen frowned deeply:


    "Could it be that only my blood works? But although I possess some Cultivation, my blood should be the same as theirs, right?"


    To validate his guess, Su Chen once again tilted his palm and dropped a drop of blood on Lin Ruoxue''s body.


    Immediately, that thick steam appeared again, and a small patch of Ice Frost underneath the blood also dissipated.


    "Indeed, only my blood works, but why is this?"


    However, Lin Ruoxue''s condition was indeed too critical to allow for further contemtion. After all, he had already wasted a minute or two just to verify his theory.


    Su Chen immediately slightly lifted the hem of Lin Ruoxue''s clothing, then took out a dagger and shed a long cut across his palm¡ªthe blood immediately began to flow out.


    He swiftly turned his palm over, letting the blood drip onto Lin Ruoxue''s abdomen, and soon, arge patch of Ice Frost on her abdomen had disappeared.


    Subsequently, Lin Ruoxue''s vital signs seemed to have recovered slightly, though still terribly weak and dangerously close to death.


    But at least it didn''t worsen, and even improved slightly. That tiny improvement gave Su Chen immense confidence, like a navigator in darkness seeing a lighthouse in the distance.


    Although it was still far away, at least there was a direction now.


    Then he again covered Lin Ruoxue''s abdomen with his hand, slowly transferring two or three strands of True Yuan into it, but those strands of True Yuan, just like before, were instantly swallowed up.


    Even when he increased it to more than ten strands, the situation remained the same.


    This situation caused the recently hopeful Su Chen''s mood to darken again, indicating that the extremely strong cold energy still existed within Lin Ruoxue.


    What should he do now?


    If he continued to drip his blood on Lin Ruoxue''s body surface as previously done, just removing this Ice Frost would likely cost him his own life.


    If his life could save Lin Ruoxue''s, he would be willing to give it.


    But the main issue was, even if he could remove the Ice Frost from the surface, what then? The energy within Lin Ruoxue that was extremely yin and cold would still likely im her life.


    Moreover, Su Chen noticed that the area where the Ice Frost had just been removed was slowly beginning to freeze over again at a visible rate.


    All this indicated that their efforts were only temporarily alleviating the situation, and it would recur once they stopped!


    His blood was not endless, so Lin Ruoxue would still die!


    "It seems that unless we first eliminate the cold energy inside her body, all efforts are futile!"


    Su Chen murmured.


    "Inside the body?"


    As he said the words "inside the body", Su Chen involuntarily looked at Lin Ruoxue''s lips:


    "What if I fed her my blood?"


    Su Chen seemed to have found a solution, his eyes suddenly shining with a sharp light. Without hesitating, he immediately moved next to Lin Ruoxue, then cut open his wrist and aligned his wound with her now purple lips.


    Since Lin Ruoxue was unconscious, only a small portion of the blood from Su Chen initially reached her mouth, most of it flowed down her face onto the sheets.


    However, after a moment, Lin Ruoxue seemed to suddenly be conscious and actively began sucking from Su Chen''s wrist.


    She looked like a starving baby greedily nursing from its mother!


    Seeing this, Su Chen was not afraid in the slightest, instead, he was excited because this indicated that what he was doing was useful, and she was craving it!


    As Lin Ruoxue drank eagerly, Su Chen''s face gradually paled, and it''s natural for anyone to look pale after losing so much blood.


    However, simrly, the Ice Frost on Lin Ruoxue''s body surface was melting at a visible rate...


    It was unclear how much time had passed, but Su Chen almost felt dizzy and lightheaded. However, Lin Ruoxue was still greedily consuming Su Chen''s blood, as if it were some priceless treasure!


    Time slowly passed, and Su Chen nearly fainted several times, but he continued to resist with strong willpower, knowing that if he fell, Lin Ruoxue would bepletely beyond help!


    Finally, Lin Ruoxue stopped sucking, smacking her lips as if she was full. At this time, there was no Ice Frost on her body surface, and her skin had returned to its previous state, even smoother and more delicate than before, and her stunningly beautiful face was even more radiant!


    Su Chen really wanted to fall asleep, but he knew he could not sleep yet...


    He ced a palm over Lin Ruoxue''s abdomen, then sent two streams of True Yuan into her body, which now flowed unobstructed, slowly advancing within.


    Su Chen pushed himself to control the True Yuan to probe inside Lin Ruoxue''s body, and found that her bodily condition was almost the same as thest time he checked.


    The thing that resembled a "seed" was still dormant deep within Lin Ruoxue''s body...


    .......


    Meanwhile, on the road leading south in the west, a figure of an old woman appeared and disappeared, swift as lightning.


    However, suddenly, she felt severe pain in her organs and initially wanted to continue her mad dash, but she could not muster any strength at all, eventually copsing into the bushes beside the road!


    "Damn it, why is this happening?"


    Bleary eyes shing with malevolent light, she immediately clutched her belly, the pain almost unbearable, soon causingrge beads of sweat to form on her forehead!

 Chapter 403: 403

    "Who exactly sabotaged me?!"


    The old crone roared in anger, for she knew she wouldn''t have be like this without a reason.


    Illnesses caused by spoiled food ormon diseases simply did not exist for her.


    Suddenly, she thought of the filthy, lecherous old man she had encountered at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains, since she hadn''t had any contact with anyone else during her journey.


    The only contact had been with that old man, but he didn''t have any True Yuan fluctuations on him, did he?!


    Could it be that the old man was a hidden master?


    If he really was, why would he want to stop her? She had nothing to do with him at all!


    Although her mind was full of doubts, the most important thing for the old crone at the moment was still the spirit insect.


    She forced herself to muster up some energy, ready to set off again, but fell into the bushes once more.


    Even worse, she felt that her blood and energy were somewhat disordered, as if they were churning. The pain just now seemed to have been caused by this.


    This kind of situation usually ured with a severe internal injury, yet she hadn''t exchanged blows with anyone and had sustained such serious internal injuries, which shocked her!


    Although the old crone really wanted to go south to see what exactly had happened to the spirit insect, it was too dangerous for her in her current state.


    Because if she encountered even a slightly powerful expert, she would likely be done for.


    Now she had only one choice, and that was to rush back for healing immediately, for she had many enemies and only within the stronghold would she be safest.


    As important as the spirit insect was, it surely wasn''t as important as her own life!


    But she was also somewhat reluctant; after all, such a rare spirit insect had crossed her path, and she had stumbled upon a Supreme Yin Body to nurture it with.


    Both were chance encounters that were sought but could hardly be found, and yet she had encountered both, having waited for this moment for more than twenty years!


    This spirit insect was rted to the grand scheme she had been plotting; she had wanted to go and see what had happened that caused it to awaken prematurely, to kill the person who disturbed her spirit insect on the way, and then retrieve it!


    But the current situation no longer allowed her to do so, which filled her with intense irritation!


    Just then, she abruptly felt the spirit insect cease moving, as if it had re-entered hibernation.


    "What''s going on?"


    A profound expression of doubt suddenly surfaced on the old crone''s craggy face.


    Suddenly, her eyes fiercely sparkled with intense light!


    "Could it be a second nurturing?!"


    The old crone muttered in disbelief,


    "Indeed worthy of being an exceptional spirit insect, it can actually undergo a second nurturing?!"


    Since she felt the spirit insect had re-entered hibernation, she was not in a hurry to retrieve it; moreover, with her blood and energy in turmoil, she had to seclude herself for a period of time for healing.


    Thus, she hailed a car by the side of the road and had the driver take her back to her stronghold...


    .....


    Supporting his body, Su Chen performed anotherprehensive check on Lin Ruoxue, and only after ensuring that all her vital signs had stabilized did he finally set his mind at ease.


    The only thing was that Lin Ruoxue was still unconscious, which still left him with some doubts, but he was sure she was no longer in danger for her life.


    "Perhaps her body simply hasn''t recovered yet, maybe she''ll wake up tomorrow."


    Having thought this, Su Chen subsequently stumbled out of the hospital room door.


    "How is it, Su Chen, Ruoxue, is she...?"


    Lin Wenqing''s voice was somewhat hoarse as he asked, for if Su Chen couldn''t do anything, then there might be no hope for his daughter.


    "Yes, she''s been saved."


    Su Chen replied, somewhat listlessly.


    "That''s great!"


    Lin Wenqing instantly clenched his fist and shouted with excitement, and the rest of the Lin Family also cheered!


    Who would have thought this son-inw would actually be able to save Ruoxue! This guy was truly miraculous!


    However, amidst the cheering, Lin Wenlong and his son exchanged an imperceptible nce; a certain gravity weighed upon both their faces, their smiles somewhat forced.


    But in this situation, hardly anyone noticed.


    "Su Chen, thank you so much, the Lin Family owes you a great deal!"


    Lin Wenqing excitedly pped Su Chen''s shoulder, and with that p, Su Chen nearly fell to the ground on his backside.


    "Su Chen, what''s wrong with you?"


    Lin Wenqing was slightly puzzled, wondering how Su Chen could be so fragile to a p; after all, he hadn''t used much strength.


    But upon closer examination, he saw that Su Chen''s entire face was deathly pale, as if he had just suffered a severe illness.


    "Su Chen, why do you look so terrible?"


    Concerned, Lin Wenqing inquired, realizing he had been too preupied with his daughter and had not paid much attention to Su Chen''s abnormal state.


    "It''s nothing, just overexerted myself a bit and feeling a bit tired, I''ll be fine after some sleep."


    Su Chen managed to squeeze out a smile and said.


    "Then what are you waiting for, go get some rest right now, I''ll find someone to send you back, we''ll take care of things here."


    Lin Wenqing hurriedly said:


    "I was just about to go see Lin Ruoxue."


    "Dad, Ruoxue hasn''t woken up yet."


    Just as Lin Wenqing was about to enter, Su Chen suddenly grabbed his arm.


    "She hasn''t woken up yet, why hasn''t she woken up?"


    Lin Wenqing immediately became anxious again.


    Meanwhile, in the crowd, Lin Wenlong and his son heard that Lin Ruoxue was still unconscious and instantly, both of their eyes shot out a sharp gleam!


    "I''m not entirely sure about the specifics, it could be that her body hasn''t recovered yet, but don''t worry, Ruoxue is no longer in danger now."


    Su Chen said truthfully.


    "That''s good, that''s good."


    Upon hearing that his daughter was no longer in mortal danger, Lin Wenqing felt significantly more at ease.


    As for thea, they could simply wait longer if needed. The current situation had already surpassed his expectations, what more could he ask for?


    "Alright, I''m not at ease with you looking like this, I''ll have someone send you back to rest."


    After all, as his son-inw, Lin Wenqing was genuinely concerned.


    "I''m free right now, I''ll do the favor."


    At that moment, Xia Qiuru came over and said.


    "That would be great, then I''ll trouble you, Qiuru."


    Lin Wenqing knew Xia Qiuru and so he nodded in agreement; Su Chen had no objections either.


    "No trouble at all, Uncle Lin."


    Xia Qiuru said with a slight smile.


    "Gu Ming, you stay on guard here, aside from the old master and Ruoxue''s parents, no one else is allowed to approach Ruoxue, including the doctors and nurses."


    Before leaving, Su Chen instructed Gu Ming:


    "As before, if anyone tries to force their way in, show no mercy and kill them without hesitation!"


    For Lin Ruoxue''s safety, Su Chen had to make sure that everything was foolproof. Before, when Su Chen had been on his way, he had no choice but to allow the doctors to tend to Lin Ruoxue.


    But now that he was back, they no longer needed those doctors. He couldn''t entirely trust the doctors and nurses either; what if one of them had been bribed?


    "Yes!"


    Gu Ming immediately answered.


    The Lin family members present were shocked upon hearing Su Chen give such a direct order. What kind of confidence did this man have to actually kill someone?


    Lin Wenlong and his son felt their hearts jolt and found themselves even more unable to see through the husband of Lin Ruoxue.


    Su Chen then coldly swept his gaze over the people of the Lin family:


    "Although you are all Ruoxue''s rtives, for Ruoxue''s safety, I must make this arrangement. If anyone insists on trying, don''t me me for not warning you when you lose your life!"


    To tell the truth, the people of the Lin family were those whom Su Chen trusted the least, as they had the most motive!


    Family affection? What''s that worth in the face of interests?

 Chapter 404: You Are So Silly

    Although Lin Wenqing was not fond of conflicts and was very honest, it did not mean he was a fool¡ªhe certainly knew why Su Chen had acted that way.


    He absolutely supported it!


    "Everyone, go back; I''m enough here."


    Lin Wenqing told the Lin Family members, and indeed, the others were quite worn out and left one after another.


    Then Su Chen had Xia Qiuru take him back too, as he was truly on the verge of copse.


    Heaven knew how much blood he had lost. It was only him; anyone else having lost that much blood would probably have been long gone!


    Moreover, due to saving Lin Ruoxue, the True Yuan in his body was now almost entirely depleted...


    No sooner had he settled into Xia Qiuru''s car than he fell into a deep sleep.


    Seeing him asleep, Xia Qiuru immediately turned on the air conditioner and then slowed the car down, driving softly.


    Even when they arrived at Grand Epoch Court, he hadn''t awakened; Xia Qiuru didn''t wake him up but parked the car at the side.


    Xia Qiuru silently watched him, only at this moment could she boldly gaze at his face, which was now a bit too pale.


    Xia Qiuru noticed that when he was asleep, he looked peaceful, yet his brows were tightly knit, as if troubled by some concerns.


    She quietly reached out a fair, delicate hand toward his cheek, and upon touching it, found it ice-cold!


    Xia Qiuru gently caressed it, seemingly trying to transfer her warmth to him.


    Just then, her gaze suddenly caught sight of a wound on his wrist, clearly visible although it had scabbed over, it still looked shockingly severe.


    She then noticed another deep and long cut in the palm of his hand.


    Xia Qiuru finally understood why he looked so tired and his face so pale!


    She couldn''t help but feel a rush of sympathy, pulling his hand to her face, tears streaming down:


    "You''re so silly!"


    Indeed, Xia Qiuru didn''t know why Su Chen had done this, but there was no doubt it involved saving Lin Ruoxue.


    It made her feel both heartbroken and somewhat jealous!


    So, Xia Qiuru quietly stayed with him until dawn, partly not wanting to disturb Su Chen, and partly wishing to spend more time with him!


    Because once he woke up, such an opportunity would nevere again...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in a hotel room in Jianghai, Lin Wenlong and his son were sitting face to face, both looking rather displeased.


    "What did you tell me, foolproof, is this what you called foolproof?"


    Lin Wenlong chastised Lin Chao; they were not at home because of fear of walls having ears.


    "I don''t know, they provided the poison, and he told me it was ''fatal upon contact with blood, guaranteed death within minutes''!"


    Lin Chao also couldn''t understand why Lin Ruoxue hadn''t died, even if that guy Su Chen had excellent medical skills. After all, it had been a few hours before his arrival; logically, Lin Ruoxue should have been dead by then.


    Little did he know, it was entirely because Lin Ruoxue had that mysterious thing inside her.


    Once the bloodroot grass entered Lin Ruoxue''s body, it soon triggered a major change in her bodily functions, consequently awakening that mysterious "seed."


    The "seed" then immediately released an extremely cold energy, almostpletely devouring the poison inside Lin Ruoxue.


    "Enough, talking about this now is useless!"


    Lin Wenlong gave Lin Chao a fierce nce and asked,


    "Have you properly dealt with the loose ends?"


    Hearing his father''s question, Lin Chao faltered, hardly daring to speak and even afraid to meet his gaze.


    "What, is there still something that hasn''t been taken care of?"


    Lin Wenlong roared again.


    "That, that secretary, escaped, escaped."


    "What?!"


    Lin Wenlong''s eyes bulged suddenly, and he fiercely pped Lin Chao:


    "Useless! You couldn''t even keep an eye on one woman, why didn''t you kill her immediately?!"


    Facing his father''s questioning, Lin Chao was at a loss for words, only feeling a burning pain on his face.


    "Don''t just stand there, go find her! We must find that woman!"


    Lin Wenlong roared again, unable to believe that this son, who seemed astute, was actually so foolish!


    "Alright, I''m on it immediately!"


    Lin Chao got up in a panic and ran out.


    "Once found, eliminate her immediately, eliminate future troubles!"


    Lin Wenlong''s sinister voice rang out behind him...


    After Lin Chao had left, Lin Wenlong lit a cigar, puffing at it as he stared into the dark night.


    He felt that things were gradually getting out of hand, what had seemed like a secure situation was now filled with loopholes.


    He had to admit, that mysterious son-inw gave him a very bad feeling; he had met countless people in his lifetime, yet he found it increasingly difficult to see through this young man.


    "Fortunately, Ruoxue is still unconscious, there''s still a chance to manipte the situation, some things must be done quickly."


    Lin Wenlong exhaled a cloud of smoke, murmuring...


    ......


    Time apart always drags, yet time together flies by so quickly; unbeknownst to him, the sun had already risen high, shining into the car, and Su Chen slowly opened his eyes...


    "How did I end up sleeping here?"


    Su Chen, just waking up, asked groggily.


    "You fell asleep as soon as you got in the car yesterday, I didn''t wake you."


    Xia Qiuru said casually.


    "Sorry for the inconvenience, and for making you stay here all night."


    Su Chen apologized somewhat guiltily.


    "It''s okay, aren''t we friends?"


    Xia Qiuru smiled warmly, giving a breezy and soothing feeling.


    "You must not have slept well, right? Maybe you shouldn''t go to thepany today, go back and get some sleep."


    Su Chen, noticing Xia Qiuru''s tired look, expressed concern, feeling moved and somewhat apologetic for her having stayed with him all night.


    What he didn''t know was that for Xia Qiuru, this was a very enjoyable asion, because she could be with the person she loved, just the two of them.


    "I''m fine, I can rest at the office for a bit. But you, yourplexion is still so poor, you better go back and rest."


    "I feel a lot better after sleeping, so I''ll head off first, drive safely."


    Su Chen said as he opened the car door, then walked towards Lin Ruoxue''s vi, while Xia Qiuru turned her car around and headed towards the corporation...


    Su Chen didn''t directly enter the vi but went to the garage first, drove out the BMW and then headed for the estate.


    After sleeping, Su Chen still felt weak and pale, but his spirits had improved slightly.


    He knew that for him, the best way to recuperate was through cultivation; he had to recover quickly, because there were still many things waiting for him to do.


    Such as protecting Lin Ruoxue, such as finding the murderer...

 Chapter 405 - 405 Murmurs by the Sickbed

    At the same moment, a dejected Lin Chao returned to the hotel once again.


    "How did it go, is the matter resolved?"


    Lin Wenlong asked coldly.


    "I''m sorry, Father. I searched everywhere possible, but there wasn''t a single clue."


    Lin Chao shook his head.


    "Do you understand the consequences if someone with an ulterior motive finds that secretary?"


    Lin Wenlong asked again.


    "I''m sorry, Father."


    Lin Chao nodded, how could he not understand the consequences if that secretary were caught?


    He hadn''t expected that secretary to be so clever. Right after she had finished her task, she fled, even evading the people he had sent to watch her.


    Moreover, he had searched all the ces associated with the secretary, and found not a trace!


    Lin Wenlong lit a cigar and furrowed his brows, things had alreadye to this, ming his son any further was pointless.


    The key question now was, what should be done next?


    They had alreadye this far, retreating was no longer an option!


    "Father, what do we do now? Should we pull back?"


    Lin Chao asked anxiously.


    "Pull back? You tell me, how can we pull back now?"


    Lin Wenlong said through gritted teeth, a ruthless light shing in his eyes:


    "We go back immediately, deal with the family members. If they want any benefits, as long as their demands aren''t outrageous, agree to them!"


    "Yes!"


    Lin Chao immediately replied, an excited expression on his face, as if he had seen a golden path shining before him...


    Because he knew, if there was to be a change of leadership, it couldn''t possibly be his father, it had to be him being elevated to the position!


    ....


    After Su Chen went to the estate, Xu Xinran was not there, probably already at work. He first made himself a bowl of noodles, ate, and then immediately went to the room he used for cultivation to practice.


    After a night of cultivation, the True Yuan inside Su Chen had recovered to over one-third of what it was before. Such rapid progress was due in part to the domineering mystery of the Nine Yang Divine Technique, and partly thanks to the abundant True Yuan at Jiangyang Lake.


    Su Chen had always found it strange that there was so much True Yuan here at Jiangyang Lake, especially around his estate.


    Initially, he thought it was due to the estate being near theke with abundant water sources, but the longer he cultivated here, the more he felt there was something off.


    Even with abundant water, the True Yuan shouldn''t be so rich.


    However, he had never explored the real reason behind it. He nned to investigate thoroughly when he had the time, as there might be unexpected discoveries.


    After a night of persistent cultivation, not only had a good amount of True Yuan been restored in his body, but hisplexion and various bodily functions had also improved considerably.


    Although he could notpare to his usual self, he was no longer as weak...


    After finishing his cultivation, Su Chen took a quick shower. It was already three or four in the afternoon. He immediately drove to the hospital, still uneasy about Lin Ruoxue''s condition.


    Upon arriving at the hospital, Gu Ming was still unmovable like a mountain guarding the entrance to the ward, while Lin Wenqing was inside caring for Lin Ruoxue.


    "Has anyonee looking for trouble?"


    Su Chen walked over to Gu Ming and asked.


    "That doctor woke up and did make some trouble, but I''ve taken care of it."


    Gu Ming briefly exined.


    Su Chen nodded and pushed the door to enter:


    "Dad, has Ruoxue woken up yet?"


    "Not yet."


    Lin Wenqing shook his head in dismay:


    "Su Chen, why do you think this is happening?"


    Su Chen was also surprised, Lin Ruoxue still hadn''t woken up.


    "Let me check on Ruoxue first."


    As he spoke, Su Chen took out a long silver needle and inserted it into Lin Ruoxue''s body, finding the toxins werepletely gone.


    Then he checked her other vital signs, which werepletely normal.


    Finally, he checked the brain waves in Lin Ruoxue''s brain and discovered they were no different from those of a normal person.


    "There''s no problem at all, this doesn''t make sense!"


    Su Chen''s brows furrowed deeply, as this was a situation he had never encountered before.


    Even though he was the Ghost Doctor, he needed to find the problem to prescribe the right remedy. Now, without even knowing what the issue was, how could he solve it?


    "Let''s wait a little longer," Su Chenforted Lin Wenqing. "Trust in Ruoxue, she will definitely wake up."


    "I believe it!"


    Lin Wenqing nodded firmly.


    "Dad, you''ve been here for such a long time; you should go back and get some rest."


    Seeing his haggard appearance, Su Chen said, because Lin Wenqing was already over fifty years old, staying up so long, coupled with all the upset from the previous day, his body surely couldn''t take it.


    "I''m fine, I''ll stay with Ruoxue."


    Lin Wenqing refused.


    "Dad, we don''t know how long Ruoxue will be unconscious. If you copse, who''ll take care of Ruoxue then?"


    After listening to Su Chen''s words, Lin Wenqing finally stood up and slowly walked out of the ward, seeming to have aged several years overnight.


    "Gu Ming, you go back too; I''m here, and that is enough."


    "Mr. Su, no need, I''m okay."


    Su Chen had instructed him not to call him master in Jianghai but to call him Mr. Su instead.


    "This is an order!"


    "Yes!"


    "Alright, go back and sleep for a few hours before youe back."


    Su Chen said, knowing that Gu Ming could hold up for a few days without trouble, but since he was here, there was no need for him to stay.


    "Honey, do you know, you really scared the hell out of me yesterday!"


    Su Chen murmured to Lin Ruoxue lying in the hospital bed, his eyes filled with tenderness.


    "Wife, how can you always be so cold, so ice-cold even when sleeping, like you are the reincarnation of an iceberg?"


    "Honey, please wake up. It''s such a loss to have a beautiful wife like you and we''ve never even had the chance to do what couples do, don''t you think?"


    "Wife, are you just too tired and want to sleep a bit longer? It''s okay to sleep a bit more, but you must wake up. If you don''t, where would I find someone to freeload off?"


    "Wife, let me tell you, don''t think your husband is all nonchnt, but there are plenty of women out there who have their eyes on me. If a man as outstanding as me is snatched away by another woman, you''ll have nowhere even to cry!"


    "Honey, please wake up quickly!"


    .....


    And so, Su Chen rambled on endlessly at Lin Ruoxue''s bedside, and eventually, even he didn''t know what he was saying anymore...


    But Lin Ruoxue on the hospital bed remained silently lying there, without the slightest response...

 Chapter 406: The Whole Story

    It wasn''t until nine o''clock at night that Gu Ming and Lin Wenqing arrived one after another; he was still chattering to Lin Ruoxue.


    Lin Wenqing, seeing Su Chen like this, also felt a bit heartbroken and sad, and said,


    "Su Chen, your body is still very weak; you should head back and rest."


    "Okay, Dad, please take care of everything here."


    "It''s not a bother at all."


    Su Chen then left the hospital room and went to where Grandpa Lin and mother-inw Zhang Xin were. Since he was at the hospital, it wouldn''t be right not to visit them...


    "Su, we really owe you a lot this time!"


    As soon as Su Chen entered, Grandpa Lin grasped his hand and said.


    "Grandpa, this is what I should do. You shouldn''t get too excited right now."


    Su Chen patted Grandpa Lin''s hand.


    Zhang Xin looked at her son-inw, seemingly more and more satisfied with him.


    "Su, how is Ruoxue doing?"


    Zhang Xin asked, her primary concern still being her daughter''s condition.


    Su Chen initially wanted to tell a white lie to reassure Zhang Xin, but looking into her eyes, he finally told the truth,


    "Ruoxue is no longer in life-threatening danger, but she is still in aa."


    "When will she wake up?"


    Zhang Xin, hearing her daughter was still in aa, immediately became anxious again.


    Su Chen shook his head slightly, "I don''t know."


    "Xin, the situation is already much better now. We have to have faith in Ruoxue!"


    Seeing Zhang Xin wanted to say more, Grandpa Lin interjected.


    "Grandpa, I have some matters to attend to, so I will leave first."


    Afterward, Su Chen added a remark.


    "Do whatever you need to do; don''t mind us!"


    Grandpa Lin stared at Su Chen with a prating gaze, seeming to understand what he was about to do.


    Su Chen nodded, then walked out.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but remark that, although Grandpa Lin was ill, his mind was still very sharp.


    He walked out of the hospital, took a deep breath, and said,


    "It''s time to settle ounts with those who harmed Ruoxue!"


    Although Su Chen had suspects, he had no evidence yet. The first person he could think of was Chen Guo, that secretary.


    Logically, once something happened to Lin Ruoxue, that secretary should have contacted him immediately; she always did so before.


    However, she hadn''t this time, and ording to Gu Ming, when he realized something had happened to Lin Ruoxue and rushed over, he hadn''t seen that secretary either.


    All of this seemed to imply that the secretary was involved in the incident.


    Of course, all of this was still just Su Chen''s spection at this point, without any concrete evidence. Moreover, based on his understanding of that girl, she was not the type to do such things.


    Immediately, Su Chen called the secretary, Chen Guo, and as he had expected, the phone was turned off.


    He quickly dialed another number:


    "Shadow, help me trace a mobile number."


    "Okay."


    A minuteter, Shadow hadpleted the tracing, which was not at all technically challenging for her.


    Su Chen hadn''t expected that the traced location would turn out to be in the underground parking lot of Belle Corporation.


    He then drove to Belle Corporation and parked his car in the square in front of the main entrance before he walked into the underground parking lot.


    It was around 11 PM now, and everyone from the corporation had long since left. The parking lot was pitch ck, so much so that one couldn''t see their own hand in front of them.


    After Su Chen arrived, he did not call out Chen Guo''s name, but instead lightly stepped around the parking lot, making a full round.


    Quickly, he noticed a faint breathing sounding from a corner. Such sounds might be imperceptible to others, but Su Chen, with his exceptional visual and auditory acuity, distinctly picked up on them.


    "Chen Guo,e out," he eventually said aloud but received no response.


    "Chen Guo, you don''t actually want me to drag you out, do you?"


    Su Chen''s voice echoed through the empty parking lot once more.


    After several seconds, a rustling sound came from the corner, and then a trembling figure walked out from there.


    "Brother Su."


    The figure stammered out a call.


    "Come out with me."


    Su Chen said, walking out with his hands behind his back.


    Though Chen Guo was scared, now that Brother Su had found her, she obediently followed.


    She was puzzled, how had Brother Su found her so quickly when she had hidden herself so well?


    Soon, the two of them were outside where the lights of Belle Square were still shining. Thanks to the light, Su Chen saw Chen Guo''s originally delicate and pretty face was dirty, and her clothes were covered in dust.


    The usually cheerful and optimistic young woman was now trembling uncontrobly, her eyes filled with terror!


    "Brother Su."


    Seeing Su Chen looking at her coldly, Chen Guo called out softly.


    "Chen Guo, is there anything you''d like to say to me?"


    Su Chen asked coldly, devoid of his usual frivolity and humor when speaking with her.


    Chen Guo couldn''t help but shiver inwardly, but after a moment, she shook her head.


    "Then why were you hiding in the parking lot?"


    "I... I owe someone money, they were demanding it, and I didn''t have it, so I had to hide."


    "Is that so?" Su Chen sneered, then pulled out his phone, "In that case, I''ll have to let the police handle this."


    "No, Brother Su!"


    As soon as Chen Guo saw Su Chen about to call the police, she immediately lunged forward and grabbed his wrist.


    "Aren''t you going to talk? What exactly happened with Mr. Lin''s poisoning?"


    "Brother Su, I''m sorry!"


    Chen Guo fell to her knees in front of Su Chen with a "thump," and started crying:


    "I have let you down, and I have let Mr. Lin down even more!"


    "What exactly happened? Tell me everything clearly!"


    Su Chen spoke coldly, not allowing Chen Guo to stand up.


    While sobbing, Chen Guo began to recount the events.


    It turned out that Lin Chao had already started to approach her intentionally some time ago, and had subtly expressed his fondness for her.


    For Chen Guo, an ordinary worker, receiving affection from the direct grandson of the Lin Family was an unbelievable surprise, and Lin Chao was also quite handsome and distinguished.


    For a moment, Chen Guo thought she was about to be a modern-day Cindere who could transform from a sparrow to a phoenix overnight!


    But she hadn''t realized that this was not the beginning of a fairy tale, but the start of a nightmare!


    The night after Su Chen left on a trip with the public rtions department, Lin Chao asked Chen Guo out. First, they had a romantic candlelit dinner, and then went to sing in a KTV private room.


    After having sung several love songs and warming up to each other, Lin Chao suddenly asked her if she wanted to be the mistress of the Lin Family, and if she wanted to be thedy boss of Belle Corporation.

 Chapter 407 - 407 Lin Family Family Meeting

    Upon hearing these words, Chen Guo was somewhat stunned. She naturally wanted to be the young mistress of the Lin Family, but thedy boss of the Belle Group? That was something she dared not even dream of.


    Moreover, wasn''t the Belle Group currently under the control of President Lin?


    Furthermore, the recentpany announcement had been made, and President Lin had be thergest controlling shareholder of the group, giving him absolute control over it!


    When Chen Guo expressed her doubts, Lin Chao immediatelyughed, saying meaningfully,


    "What if President Lin were no longer around?"


    Chen Guo, of course, understood Lin Chao''s subtext and became scared instantly...


    Chen Guo guessed that Lin Chao''s words meant he was nning to move against Lin Ruoxue, but what she hadn''t expected was that Lin Chao would actually ask her to do the deed!


    A young girl like Chen Guo would never dare to do such a thing, especially since Lin Ruoxue had always treated her well, guiding and supporting her at every turn.


    After Chen Guo refused, Lin Chao continued to tempt her with beautiful promises. It must be said, his description was indeed very enticing.


    But the moment Chen Guo thought about harming someone, and that someone being Lin Ruoxue, she still shook her head and refused.


    She even tried to persuade Lin Chao to give up, for after all, murder was a capital offense.


    However, seeing that Chen Guo was still stubborn, Lin Chao''s demeanor changed abruptly as he began to threaten and intimidate her, yet still she refused to agree.


    Eventually, Lin Chao dialed a number and turned on the speakerphone.


    Chen Guo never imagined that Lin Chao would actually have her parents kidnapped, and from the phone, she could feel her parents'' terror and fear!


    Chen Guo was a smart and clever girl; she suddenly realized that Lin Chao''s interest in her was not because he liked her but because she was Lin Ruoxue''s secretary, convenient for his scheme!


    But she understood toote. Now that her parents were in his control, what could she do? She could only agree, terribly afraid.


    Afterward, Lin Chao handed her a chocte, telling her Lin Ruoxue liked choctes. He instructed her to say it was a gift from a ssmate, and since she didn''t like chocte, she was passing it on to her.


    Though terrified, she could only nod her head with tears in her eyes, knowing that this box of choctes was surely President Lin''s death warrant.


    Seeing that she had agreed, Lin Chao reassured her, saying that as long as she did what was asked, he would definitely let her parents go.


    Though Chen Guo had her doubts about his honesty, she had no choice but toply.


    But Chen Guo kept her wits about her and, seeing that Lin Ruoxue was in trouble, she immediately ducked out of sight of the cameras and hid in a corner of the parking lot.


    She thought that if Lin Chao truly intended to release her and her parents, it wouldn''t matter if she hid. However, if he never nned to let them go, her being alive would be a deterrent to him, fearing that she might desperately go to the police!


    It was this realization that made her hide before Lin Chao''s people noticed.


    And she hid in the Belle Building''s parking lot of all ces!


    To a regr person, if they realized the danger, they would flee as far as possible and would never consider that she might still be in the Belle Building!


    It was also for this reason that Lin Chao couldn''t find her.


    After listening to Chen Guo''s entire ount, Su Chen could not help but marvel at the girl''s exceptional cleverness!


    And indeed, the facts were not far off from his own guess; the incident was rted to this girl, and she was indeed being coerced.


    "Brother Su, please, save my parents. I''ll do anything you want. I can turn myself in to the police immediately, and I can testify against Lin Chao!"


    Chen Guo clutched at Su Chen''s lower legs, pleading desperately.


    Su Chen sighed deeply as he looked at the pitiful Chen Guo:


    "Get up, I promise you!"


    "Thank you, Brother Su, thank you, Brother Su, thank you!"


    Chen Guo eximed with immense excitement.


    Su Chen felt his heart growing softer by the moment, although Chen Guo was forced into her situation and was actually a victim.


    But with his previous criminal methods, not killing her would have already been an act of mercy, so why would he agree to save her parents?


    After all, she was the one who caused Lin Ruoxue to nearly lose her life, regardless of her innocence or guilt!


    But now, it seemed Su Chen could no longer be so cold-blooded and uninquiring. He didn''t know whether this was a good or a bad thing for him!


    "Brother Su, I will go to the police station and turn myself in right away, but as for President Lin..."


    Chen Guo said with some trepidation.


    "Don''t worry, President Lin is now out of life-threatening danger,"


    Su Chen said indifferently. If Lin Ruoxue had really died, even if he were morepassionate, he wouldn''t have spared Chen Guo, the little girl!


    "That''s wonderful!"


    Upon hearing the news, Chen Guo immediately leapt up, her eyes shining with surprise.


    The torment of the past few days was not only fear but also deep guilt. Hearing from Su Chen that President Lin was not dead, she felt a huge weight lift from her heart.


    To ensure Chen Guo''s safety, he drove her to Ye Mei''s ce. Although Ye Mei had officially joined the right side of thew, she was once a figure in the Jianghai underground, so protecting a youngdy should not be a big problem.


    After settling the young girl Chen Guo, Su Chen immediately drove towards the Lin Family ancestral home.


    Finding Chen Guo was not to have her bear witness to anything, but just to confirm the truth of the matter. Once he knew the truth, everything else would be easier for him to handle.


    .....


    At this time, in the great hall of the Lin Family ancestral home, an emergency family meeting was being held!


    However, this family meeting was missing a few people; for instance, the old master Lin, the four members of Lin Wenqing''s family, Lin Ruoxue''s brother Lin Hao, who was still out of town, and Lin Wenting, who was handling her private affairs in Yandu.


    Apart from these individuals, the rest of the Lin Family had all gathered, now seated around the long table in the hall, discussing something...


    "Ladies and gentlemen, you all know the situation of our Lin Family now. The old master and Ruoxue are in the hospital. The old master is aged and even if not hospitalized, he no longer has the energy to manage the group''s affairs."


    Lin Wenlong nced around at everyone and said:


    "Originally, the old master had entrusted the group to Ruoxue. Although Ruoxue is a woman, and that may seem slightly improper, her ability is beyond doubt. Everyone has seen the development of the group in recent years, so I have no objections to this."


    "However, now that Ruoxue has also fallen, and although she is out of mortal danger, she remains in aa, with no known time for awakening."


    Lin Wenlong continued, his face showing a clear expression of sorrow:


    "But a group of dragons cannot be without a head, especially not a group asrge as Belle Corporation. So many important decisions need to be made every day, and the business world changes in the blink of an eye; without a leader, it simply won''t do."

 Chapter 408: Seizing Power

    As soon as Lin Wenlong finished speaking, the members of the Lin Family quickly agreed.


    "Big brother is right, having a Helmsman is essential!"


    This was Lin Wenbin, the second eldest, speaking.


    "I also agree; such arge corporation can manage for a day or two, but it definitely won''t work without a decision-maker for an extended period!"


    This was someone from a coteral branch of the Lin Family speaking.


    "What Wenlong just said ispletely reasonable, and I fully support it with both hands!"


    The speaker was an elder of the same generation as Old Master Lin and his half-brother.


    Originally, Old Master Lin''s generation in the Lin Family consisted of five brothers, but now only this elder and Old Master Lin remained.


    Besides Old Master Lin, this elder probably carried the most weight in speaking out, considering his seniority!


    With these three individuals speaking up, the rest also unanimously agreed with Lin Wenlong''s opinion that the corporation must have a leader.


    Essentially, this meant that they were proposing to elect a new president since the current president, Lin Ruoxue, was still in aa.


    Although Lin Ruoxue held absolute controlling shares in Belle Corporation, in such arge family as the Lin Family, the decisions of the family council take precedence over everything else!


    If Lin Ruoxue refused toply with the family council''s decision, she would have to leave the Lin Family and no longer be part of it.


    In such a case, there was not much anyone could do, as legally, everything was based on contracts. But how could someone as filial as Ruoxue possibly leave the Lin Family?


    However, if she didn''t want to leave the Lin Family, she would have to ept this reality, and more importantly, she would have to relinquish a part, or even arge portion, of her shares.


    Of course, after Lin Ruoxue woke up, everyone could re-elect her as the president, but considering how enthusiastically these people responded to Lin Wenlong today, it was clear that Lin Wenlong had promised them substantial benefits.


    How could they possibly re-elect the clear-cut Lin Ruoxue, who had not offered them many personal benefits?


    In face of such a collective will, even the Old Master had little he could do as poorly handling the situation could potentially lead to a rift in the Lin Family!


    "Since everyone unanimously agrees that the corporation needs a decisive leader, and since Ruoxue is currently in aa, we have no choice but to elect a new corporation president."


    Lin Wenlong then modestly smiled:


    "However, please don''t pick me. I know my abilities and virtue are limited, so I voluntarily withdraw from consideration!"


    Once Lin Wenlong said this, the members of the Lin Family quickly praised him for his noble integrity, regarding status and wealth as no more than dirt!


    After modestly declining a couple of times, Lin Wenlong then announced that everyone could start voting and freely express their opinions.


    "Why even bother to vote? In my opinion, apart from Lin Chao, who else in our family possesses the capability?"


    Lin Wenbin, the second eldest, loudly said.


    "Exactly, I also feel there''s no more appropriate candidate than Chao."


    The earlier speaker from the coteral branch added, who was also a well-respected person within the Lin Family''s coteral branches.


    "In my opinion, the family business should be handed over to Chao, especially since Chao is the eldest legitimate grandson. How can it be passed to a mere girl, moreover, Chao is also a graduate of a renowned business school?"


    The elder of the same generation as Old Master Lin slowly said:


    "He hasn''t had the opportunity before, but I believe that if we let him do it, he certainly won''t perform worse than Ruoxue."


    These three had previously been the most active and were now eagerly promoting Lin Chao, evidently, because Lin Wenlong had promised them the most astonishing benefits!


    Of course, this was under the premise that Lin Chao would be the new president of the Lin Corporation; otherwise, all would be in vain!


    Afterward, the other members of the Lin Family also expressed their support, agreeing that Lin Chao should assume the new role of president of Belle Corporation!


    "No, no, I am just a junior here, how can I shoulder such a big responsibility!"


    In the past, even the Emperor had to perform the ritual of refusal three times, so how could Lin Chao possibly ept immediately just because everyone suggested it?


    Even if it was just for show, he needed to put on an act!


    "Little Chao, this isn''t for you, it''s for our Lin Family!"


    "Yes, Little Chao, only when the group is in your hands can we all be at ease!"


    "Little Chao, everyone is saying so, stop being modest now!"


    .....


    As everyone again expressed their stance that he was the undeniable choice for the new president, Lin Chao also stood up, looking somewhat reluctant, and said:


    "Since everyone holds me in such high regard, I won''t refuse any longer. If I don''t perform well, you can rece me at any time!"


    Although his facial expression remained calm, his heart was deeply stirred and extremely excited!


    He had waited so long, and finally, the moment had arrived!


    Lin Chao suddenly felt like he had be the master of his own fate!


    "Oh, what''s all the excitement about?"


    Just then, a teasing voice came from outside the hall, followed immediately by a figure stepping through the doorway.


    Upon seeing this figure, the expression of Lin Wenlong and his son changed drastically!


    If there was anyone they dreaded meeting at the moment, it wasn''t the elder patriarch or Lin Ruoxue, but this young man!


    Because, facing the elder patriarch or Lin Ruoxue, they knew what to do, but against this mysterious young man, they felt utterly clueless.


    Everyone from the Lin family of course recognized Su Chen, the son-inw who had married into the family. Their greatest impression of him was that he was a skilled doctor, indeed very capable.


    As for other impressions, there weren''t many, because their encounters with Su Chen had been too few, merely a handful of meetings.


    After entering, Su Chen casually dragged a chair from the side of the wall to the table and sat down, his face wearing a rxed and easygoing smile.


    He appeared as though he was visiting a familiar friend''s house, without any restraint, veryfortable.


    Once he had sat down, all eyes turned to him, disying an awkward expression on their faces.


    After all, he was Lin Ruoxue''s husband, and what they were currently doing, inly speaking, was usurping power from Lin Ruoxue, how could it not be awkward!


    "Why is everyone looking at me?"


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and smiled:


    "Continue, wasn''t the discussion quite lively just now? I heard theughter from outside, let me in on the good news too."


    "Well, Su Chen, we were having a family meeting, discussing some family matters,"


    Lin Wenlong forced a smile and said.


    "Oh, family matters? As a son-inw who married into the family, I should be considered part of the family, right? I suppose you don''t mind me listening in?"


    Su Chen took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke as he spoke faintly...

 Chapter 409: Su Chen, Youre Outrageous!

    Su Chen''s remark truly had no faults, essentially making him a member of the Lin Family as a son-inw.


    However, most men are very averse and ashamed of the status of son-inw, as it is considered abandoning one''s ancestry. Yet, this man had voluntarily brought it up, and did so with such an air of nonchnce, appearingpletely unconcerned.


    Indeed, as soon as he finished speaking, many of the Lin Family members showed a hint of contempt. In their view, this man had no backbone at all.


    "How could that be? Su Chen, you are of course considered one of us in the Lin Family, even if not by marriage, you are Ruoxue''s husband after all," Lin Wenlong said.


    Lin Wenlong knew that he definitely couldn''t dismiss him at this time, so it was better to appear more magnanimous.


    "So, what was everyone just discussing? Could you also let me hear?" Su Chen asked with a gentle smile, appearing amiable. However, those who knew him understood that at this moment, Su Chen was at his most dangerous!


    "Oh, we were just discussing the candidates for the new president of Belle Group. You see, Ruoxue is still unconscious; the corporation can''t be without someone at the helm, can it?" Lin Wenlong said earnestly, looking at Su Chen.


    "Uncle, what you said does make sense. Have you all selected a candidate yet? And what happens when Ruoxue wakes up?"


    Su Chen brought up the most sensitive issue, which was about how to handle the situation if Lin Ruoxue were to wake up.


    The group had deliberately avoided this point during their discussion because they had no intention of changing their decision, whether Lin Ruoxue woke up or not.


    If Lin Ruoxue truly regained control, it would mean that they would have to regurgitate the benefits they had already consumed, and why would they be willing to do that?


    "Su Chen, we will discuss this matterter; we definitely won''t let Ruoxue suffer, you can rest assured of that," Lin Wenlong said in a kind and seemingly generous tone.


    Su Chen gave a sneer and then asked,


    "So, who have you chosen to take over Ruoxue''s position?"


    "Well, we just discussed this in the spirit of democratic consultation, and everyone unanimously elected Chao as the new president," Lin Wenlong said.


    "I understand Chao might stillck a bit of experience, but he will definitely do his utmost," he added.


    "This is everyone''s support and respect for me; I, Lin Chao, will surely work doubly hard to live up to everyone''s expectations!" Lin Chao said with a look of self-satisfaction, though he was slightly puzzled by Su Chen''s thoughts. However, as the family meeting had already decided, he did not think he could overturn it.


    "You''re feeling very proud now?" Su Chen nced at him andmented.


    Caught off guard by his remark, Lin Chao was taken aback.


    Although everyone knew he was feeling proud, it wasn''t something that should be acknowledged overtly!


    "No, I just feel a great sense of responsibility and am very cautious," Lin Chao retorted, his response impably cautious, once again earning the good graces of the Lin Family members.


    Indeed, this eldest grandson is rather steady; perhaps with some grooming, he might not be much worse than Lin Ruoxue.


    "You father and son are truly hypocritical. Saying you yed fair but want recognition is already giving you too much credit," Su Chen said, taking a drag from his cigarette and shaking his head.


    "What did you say?" Lin Wenlong''s face changed suddenly as he eximed,


    "Su Chen, we show respect to you because you are Ruoxue''s husband. Don''t push your luck!"


    "I haven''t said anything, haven''t done anything, and you''re already upset?" Su Chen said with a coldugh, scanning the Lin Family members,


    "Do you all also agree with this choice to rece Ruoxue?"


    The crowd remained silent, but their silence already spoke volumes.


    Su Chen slowly stood up from his chair and said coldly:


    "Today, I''m here, and I''d like to see who dares to dismiss Ruoxue from her position!"


    "You are merely a son-inw who married into our Lin Family. Since when is it your turn to interfere in our family''s important matters?!"


    The influential member from the coteral branch of the Lin Family spoke harshly as he watched Su Chen making bold statements.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen slightly smiled, left his seat, turned slightly, and walked toward that man...


    Everyone watched Su Chen approach the person who had spoken, unclear about what he intended to do, but for some reason, they all felt a slight tremor in their hearts as if something bad was about to happen!


    The coteral member who had spoken also couldn''t help but tremble, but he couldn''t show his weakness in front of the Lin family:


    "What are you doing over here?"


    That man stared at the approaching Su Chen, his eyes filled with vignce.


    "Naturally, to have a proper talk with you, you dog."


    Su Chen reached the man''s side, ced one hand on the back of the man''s head, and the other on the table, all the while smiling.


    Although he looked like he was having a heart-to-heart talk with an old friend, his words made everyone''s hearts skip a beat¡ªSu Chen actually called the other party a dog?!


    You should know, his prestige among the Lin Family''s coteral branch was very high, and even members of the Legitimate Line spoke to him respectfully.


    Immediately, everyone looked uneasily towards that man, and sure enough, a dark cloud appeared on his face and his eyes revealed disbelief!


    "What did you say!"


    The man shouted coldly, intending to stand up, but Su Chen''s hand on his nape firmly controlled him, preventing him from getting up.


    "Perhaps I was not clear enough just now, maybe this will rify things a bit more."


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, he pressed the man''s head violently against the table, and a loud "bang" resonated.


    Everyone''s hearts trembled uncontrobly,pletely shocked!


    However, the matter was not over yet¡ªSu Chen then grabbed the man''s nape, gently flung him outward, and the man, along with his chair, toppled over onto the floor!


    The man''s hair was disheveled, and he was aplete mess, blood seeping from his forehead!


    "Did you really think you were something special?"


    Su Chen spat disdainfully at the man on the floor.


    "Su Chen, how audacious!"


    Lin Wenlong immediately pointed at Su Chen and shrilly screamed:


    "You dare tomit violence in the Lin Family''s old mansion!"


    Lin Wenlong hadn''t expected this man to be so brutal, to directly resort to violence!


    "Don''t worry, it''s your turn next, father and son."


    Su Chen smiled faintly, then walked back to his seat. He pulled out his chair a bit and sat down.


    After sitting down, he gestured to Lin Chao:


    "Lin Chao,e here."


    At that moment, Lin Chao, seeing Su Chen''s slightly smiling face, really didn''t dare to approach.


    "I''m noting over, you lunatic!"


    Lin Chao boldly shouted out.


    "What, are you afraid I''m going to hit you?"


    Su Chen''s smile grew wider as he watched Lin Chao''s changing expression while straightening his sleeves.


    His demeanor waspletely calm and casual...

 Chapter 410 - 410 You Really Dare to Come Over!

    "Who''s afraid of you! I just don''t believe you''d darey a hand on me, the direct grandson and heir, in front of so many people from the Lin Family!"


    Lin Chao raised his head and said, only trying to make himself look less afraid.


    "Su Chen, this is the Lin Family''s old house, and it won''t tolerate an inw like you being presumptuous here!"


    Lin Wenlong also shouted loudly.


    "Exactly, an inw, and he dares to point fingers here!"


    "Right, kick him out, what does he think the Lin Family is?!"


    "A young man with a little medical skill really thinks he''s so great?!"


    .......


    At this moment, the crowd also started to mor, facing Su Chen alone, they might not dare to do much, but when people around them started using, they also gained courage!


    In such a fiercely unanimous situation, most people would feel afraid or timid, but Su Chen suddenly began tough, and hisughter grew louder and louder.


    "What are youughing at?"


    Lin Chao couldn''t help but say.


    "You parasites, what can you do, good for nothing, but causing more harm than help!"


    Su Chen stood up, his eyes coldly sweeping over everyone:


    "When Ruoxue toiled for the expansion and development of the group, what were you doing; when Ruoxue was struggling alonepeting with rivals, what were you doing?"


    "All you want is to share the benefits when you see them, and if you get too little, you be resentful, using Ruoxue of being stingy. When rivals plot against Ruoxue, you so-called ''family members'' also plot against her, thinking about how to reap more benefits!"


    "You are just the type who enjoys all the benefits yet still feels it''s not enough. Have I misspoken by calling you parasites?"


    "In my opinion, you people are worse than shit, never considering what Ruoxue has given for this family. All you think about is, ''she''s gotten so much, and we get so little'', and you feel aggrieved!"


    "This time when Ruoxue met with trouble, you thought you finally saw an opportunity. Some wanted to rise to power, some wanted more benefits, perfectly in tune! So you took advantage when the Family Head and Ruoxue were in the hospital, wanting to rush a decision and then pressuring them into agreement with the weight of momentum!"


    Listening to Su Chen''s words, the members of the Lin Family immediately showed expressions of guilt and anger, as if their masks were ripped off in public, revealing their originally hideous faces!


    However, Su Chen did not pay them any heed, but turned to Lin Chao and said:


    "Lin Chao, why don''t you dare toe over? Are you scared because you did something and feel guilty?"


    "What did I do, why would I feel guilty!"


    Lin Chao''s heart shuddered, but he still said stubbornly.


    "If you''re not feeling guilty, thene over?"


    Su Chen''s tone was very calm, unhurried.


    "Chao, go over there, I refuse to believe that in this Lin Family old house, he, a mere inw, would dare do anything to you, the direct grandson and heir!"


    Lin Wenlong snorted coldly, realizing that if Lin Chao continued to refuse to go, it would show weakness in terms of momentum, only making the opponent more arrogant, and it would also seem like he was feeling guilty.


    Hearing his father''s words, Lin Chao also summoned a bit more courage.


    "Exactly, Chao, go over there, I want to see what that guy can do!"


    The old man of the same generation as the Family Head also spoke coldly.


    Although Su Chen had already taken action earlier, that was against someone from a coteral branch, but Lin Chao''s status was different, and he did not believe this Su would dare toy hands on him!


    "Fine, I''ll go over there and see what you can do to me!"


    Encouraged by his father and the respected elder, Lin Chao gritted his teeth, puffed out his chest, and walked out from his seat.


    As he walked towards Su Chen, Su Chen also slowly stood up, one hand supporting the chair, and his face still wearing a faint smile.


    But in an instant, the smile on his face disappeared, and his eyes shed with a hint of coldness!


    Before anyone could react, Su Chen suddenly swung the heavy sandalwood chair and smashed it down on Lin Chao''s head!


    Lin Chao was startled and instinctively raised his arms to block!


    "Bang!"


    The sandalwood chair immediately fell apart, with fragments flying everywhere!


    Lin Chao copsed to the ground, his arms broken and blood streaming down his head!


    Screams of shock, sounds of panic, and Lin Chao''s cries of pain all jumbled together in a chaotic mix!


    Lin Wenlong and the old man were both stunned, he had actually made a move, and he showed no mercy!


    "You actually! Really! Dare toe over here!"


    Su Chen was surprised, where did he get the guts toe before him after poisoning his own wife!


    Did he really think he could touch him?


    Then Su Chen squatted down in front of Lin Chao, who couldn''t help but tremble at the sight:


    "What, what do you want to do?"


    "Spill it, what exactly are you feeling guilty about?"


    Su Chen lit up another cigarette, took a drag, and blew it out towards Lin Chao''s blood-stained face, a cloud of smoke immediately enveloped his somewhat ghastly face.


    "I don''t understand what you''re talking about."


    By now, blood had flowed down his forehead, blurring his eyes, and the young man in his sight seemed somewhat surreal.


    "Aren''t you nning on being a little more honest?"


    Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "Protector, Protector!"


    After a moment of stunned silence, Lin Wenlong yelled at the top of his voice.


    As a major family, the Lin Family naturally had defensive forces. Although their strength couldn''tpare to the four great families,mon thugs would definitely not dare to cause trouble!


    A few secondster, a muscr man in his thirties led five or six people into the room.


    "Geng Hu, take this guy down for me!"


    Lin Wenlong pointed at Su Chen and spat out angrily.


    The man named Geng Hu was taken aback for a moment, wasn''t this their own son-inw?


    He had been guarding outside the whole time and, although he heard some noises inside, he did not know what had happened.


    Seeing the Protector arrive, the other members of the Lin Family also grew bold, all moring to capture Su Chen!


    "Geng Hu, what''s the matter, can''t we call you into action anymore, or is it that you don''t listen to anyone other than the Family Head!"


    The elder who was a peer of the Family Head red as he spoke.


    Although Geng Hu did not know what had happened, since Lin Wenlong, the elder, and other members of the Lin Family had all spoken up, he had no choice but to follow orders.


    In his mind, this son-inw must have done something heinous to provoke such collective outrage.


    "Son-inw, I''m sorry!"


    Geng Hu, though appearing rugged, was actually a discerning person, and by shouting that, he meant to say, "I really have no other choice, don''t me me!"


    "Advance!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Geng Hu and the other Protectors rushed forward.


    Watching these men, Su Chen flicked his wrist casually, and immediately several Silver Needles shot out, making a "whoosh whoosh whoosh" sound as they tore through the air...

 Chapter 411 - 411 Confession and Conspiracy

    Geng Hu and those Protectors had just rushed out when they stumbled and fell to the ground!


    The others, seeing this, were immediately baffled. What was going on here?


    They couldn''t even walk properly, and they were supposed to be Protectors?


    Not to mention others, even Geng Hu and his colleagues couldn''t figure out what was happening, wondering if they had identally "rear-ended" each other?


    But when they tried to get up, they found that they had no strength in their legs and couldn''t stand up at all!


    Geng Hu and the others were instantly terrified. What was happening? Why couldn''t they get up?


    Upon closer inspection, they noticed a gleaming Silver Needle swaying on each of their thighs!


    Even without having to think too hard about it, they knew that this must have been the work of the new son-inw, right?


    All of them looked at Su Chen in horror. With just a Silver Needle, he had rendered them immobile¡ªwhat sort of otherworldly skill was this?


    The other Lin Family members quickly noticed this too and looked at Su Chen with a mix of awe and fear. Just who was this son-inw?


    Just as Geng Hu and the others were about to remove the Silver Needles from their legs, Su Chen''s voice rang out.


    "If you don''t want your legs to bepletely ruined, then don''t move a muscle!"


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, each of them swiftly retracted their hands, even more fearful than before.


    Although they didn''t quite believe that removing a Silver Needle would destroy their legs, they dared not test the im¡ªafter all, this son-inw could immobilize them with just a Silver Needle!


    "Can we have a peaceful talk now?"


    Su Chen squat in front of Lin Chao with a smile on his face.


    But at this moment, everyone who saw his smile couldn''t help but shiver inside!


    "Su Chen, you''vemitted grand treason, and I will punish you ording to the Lin Family rules!"


    An angry voice then sounded not far behind Su Chen.


    The speaker was an elder on the same generational level as Old Master Lin, a man of high status within the Lin Family, but today, he had been outmatched at every turn by this young man.


    Therefore, the elder, who had always stayed in the old Lin mansion and seldommunicated with the outside world, felt he had lost face and wanted to invoke the family rules.


    In his eyes, the family rules were the supremew for any member of the Lin Family!


    And grand treason was a very serious usation!


    Hearing this aged voice, Su Chen frowned slightly, slowly stood up, and walked over to the elder.


    "Old man, have you gone senile?"


    Su Chen first gently patted his cheek, then ferociously pped him, sending the elder tumbling to the ground.


    "Crazy!"


    Su Chen turned around and once again approached Lin Chao, paying no heed to the shocked gazes of those around him.


    "Alright, now that there are no more disturbances, are you still not nning to speak?"


    The elder watched Su Chen''s back with a burning itch in his teeth and a scorching sensation on his face¡ªone part from the p by Su Chen and another from the shame and agitation.


    For many years, no one had dared to treat him like this!


    He wished he could properly discipline the brazen man, but he had been pped so hard by Su Chen that his whole body was nearly falling apart, making it difficult to even get up, let alone discipline someone.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about!"


    Lin Chao said, feigning innocence.


    Su Chen stared at his face for a while, then sighed leisurely,


    "Last time you and your father poisoned Old Master Lin, he chose to forgive you both, and I didn''t say much. But I never thought that not only did you not reflect on your actions, this time you actually tried to poison Ruoxue. Did you think that if Ruoxue died, you couldpletely control the Belle Corporation?"


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, all the members of the Lin Family present were stunned!


    What had this son-inw just said; were Old Master Lin and Ruoxue''s poisonings both the work of Lin Wenlong and his son?


    Even the elder who had been ring angrily at Su Chen was momentarily taken aback, doubting his own ears.


    "You''re ndering me!"


    Lin Wenlong''s body shook, and he then screamed in anger:


    "What evidence do you have to say that?"


    "Exactly, what evidence do you have that it was us who did it!"


    Lin Chao, ultimately not as calcting as his father, had already turned pale with fright upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    "I don''tck evidence, nor am I here to make you confess. I just want to know one thing, besides you and your father, who else was involved in this matter?"


    Su Chen wasn''t about to send them to prison; he intended to take their lives with his own hands, so he didn''t bother to have Chen Guo point them out. He just needed to be clear in his own mind.


    He only wanted to make sure he didn''t miss a single perpetrator, which is why he came to question the father and son.


    "We never did such a thing, and we have no idea what you''re talking about with this aplice business!"


    Lin Chao spat out defiantly, knowing that once he admitted to it, he would be finished.


    Right now, he was just praying that the young secretary hadn''t been found by Su Chen; then there would be no evidence. And without evidence, what could Su Chen possibly do?


    "It seems you won''t shed tears until you see the coffin."


    Su Chen stretched out a hand and grabbed Lin Chao''s neck, tightening his grip:


    "I''m giving you one minute. If you don''t talk, then you''ll be speaking to King Yan."


    Su Chen''s expression was cold, his tone chilling!


    "Su Chen, let go of my son!"


    Lin Wenlong charged forward, lunging at Su Chen. He only had this one son, and if he died, he would have no one to carry on his legacy!


    However, as soon as he rushed forward, Su Chen kicked him away with a single blow, and he only stopped when he crashed into some furniture.


    "Don''t worry, you''re next!"


    Su Chen gave Lin Wenlong a cold nce and then turned his attention back to Lin Chao.


    By this point, Lin Chao''s face had turned a bright red, and he was struggling to breathe, as if he would die any moment now!


    "I, I''ll talk!"


    Lin Chao nodded with difficulty.


    "Speak up!"


    Su Chen loosened his grip just a little.


    Lin Chao coughed twice and said:


    "Ruoxue was poisoned by someone I hired!"


    Of course, Lin Chao didn''t want to talk, but when he felt Su Chen was truly about to strangle him, he couldn''t hold back any longer.


    The Lin Family members were immediately in an uproar upon hearing this, unable to believe that it was indeed he who had harmed Lin Ruoxue!


    Lin Ruoxue was his cousin; how could he bring himself to do such a thing?


    And about thest incident concerning Old Master Lin, could it have been the work of this father and son as well?


    Everyone looked towards the father and son with some trembling fear, as if seeing them for the first time. Indeed, those closest to you often turn out to be the people you understand the least...


    "Besides you and your father, who else was privy to or involved in this affair?"


    Su Chen wasn''t interested in anything else, only in those involved in the poisoning of his wife.


    "Ma Yuemin and the Liu Family father and son were also involved. The poison was provided by Liu Qing."


    Lin Chao and these people had used each other for mutual benefit, and under the circumstances, he naturally wouldn''t conceal their involvement...

 Chapter 412: The Majesty and Methods of Old Master Lin

    "Alright, now you can go to theherworld to repent for the sins of your lifetime!"


    Su Chen said emotionlessly, having obtained the information he wanted, there was no need to keep these two alive any longer.


    "I''ve told you everything, why won''t you let me go?"


    Lin Chao, seeing that Su Chen still intended to kill him, immediately cried out in terror.


    "I never said I''d spare you just because you confessed."


    Not to mention that Su Chen had never made such a promise, even if he had, he wouldn''t care about breaking it.


    Was there any honor to speak of with the likes of Lin Wenlong and his son?


    Su Chen''s grip gradually tightened, and Lin Chao''s face turned even redder, his eyes nearly popping out.


    "Young Su, let him go!"


    Just at that moment, a deep sigh came from outside the door, followed by an old man walking in with the aid of a cane, and by his side was Lin Yuan, who had been taking care of him and Zhang Xin earlier.


    When everyone recognized that it was the Lin Family''s patriarch, they were all startled. Wasn''t the old man still in the hospital? How had he returned home?


    Moreover, judging by the patriarch''splexion, it was obviously not well¡ªhe was far from being in good health.


    Upon seeing the Lin Family''s patriarch, Su Chen''s grip loosened slightly. He had sensed someone outside the door just now but had not paid it much mind; he would never have expected it to be the old patriarch.


    It seemed the patriarch couldn''t rest easy after all!


    "Grandfather, save me!"


    The instant Lin Chao saw the Lin Family patriarch enter, his eyes shed with intense light, and he immediately shouted out as Su Chen''s grip rxed.


    However, the Lin Family patriarch, as if he had not heard his cries, said to Su Chen:


    "Young Su, I heard all of your conversation just now. I never imagined that I, Lin, would have such an unworthy descendant!"


    The reason the Lin Family patriarch dragged himself out of the hospital despite his illness was his worry. He knew that if Su Chen said there was a matter, it would surely be to find the culprit who had poisoned Lin Ruoxue.


    He feared that the Lin Family might be involved as well. Having seen and heard too many power struggles within rich ns, he knew the consequences could be crippling.


    He had only hoped a scenario like this wouldn''t unfold within the Lin Family, yet the final perpetrator turned out to be the very father and son he had been suspicious of!


    This reality caused the old man''s heart to wrench with pain!


    "Young Su, I know you are furious and want to kill them, but no matter how despicable and worthless they are, they are still my son and grandson."


    The Lin Family patriarch practically pleaded:


    "I can''t bear to have the white-haired sending off the ck-haired. Young Su, rest assured, I will give you a satisfactory exnation!"


    "I''m sorry, Grandfather, I can agree to anything else, but not this. They must die!"


    Su Chen said coldly, shaking his head. If he spared even those who had poisoned Ruoxue, how could he face her when she awoke?


    "Young Su, even if you don''t do it for my sake, think of Ruoxue. Does she truly wish for you to act this way?"


    The Lin Family patriarch looked at Su Chen and sighed.


    "What do you mean?"


    Su Chen showed a puzzled look.


    "Indeed, they used such a venomous method to poison Ruoxue, and she must surely detest them. But you know what kind of person Ruoxue is. If you kill Wenlong and his son for her, would Ruoxue''s heart ever be at peace? After all, they are her granduncle and cousin!"


    "Ruoxue might endlessly recall that her granduncle and cousin died because of her, a fact that might even be a lifelong nightmare for her."


    The Lin Family patriarch earnestly exined.


    Su Chen really wanted to retort, but he also had to admit that what Old Master Lin said was right. Although Lin Ruoxue appeared cold and heartless, once you truly understood her, you would realize she was actually a very kind person, especially towards her family members.


    All that coldness and ruthlessness were just a facade. In the bloody world of business, as a woman, she had no choice but to act this way!


    "Xiao Su, you believe this old man, I will give you and Ruoxue a satisfactory exnation," the Old Master continued as he saw Su Chen relent.


    In the end, Su Chen nodded his head and let go of the two men. If he killed them now, he might feel satisfied, but what about Lin Ruoxue? Would he force her to carry the burden of guilt for the rest of her life?


    Although in this matter Lin Ruoxue waspletely a victim, Su Chen knew she would not rest easy with a clear conscience!


    Family rtionships had always upied a very important ce in Lin Ruoxue''s heart!


    After Su Chen released his grip, he then removed the Silver Needles from the Protectors'' legs. As soon as the needles were taken out, they immediately felt they could move freely and admired their son-inw''s skills more than ever!


    "Geng Hu, break one leg and one arm of Lin Wenlong and Lin Chao, then expel them from the Lin Family. From now on, their life and death have nothing to do with the Lin Family!" In that moment, Old Master Lin''s body trembled with a surge of intense pressure, and he coldly stated,


    "Also, their shares in the Belle Corporation will be transferred to Ruoxue''s name!"


    When everyone in the room heard this, they were shocked. They had thought the Old Master would just make a show of dealing with it since they were his own son and grandson.


    But they never expected that the Old Master would start by breaking their limbs and expelling them from the Lin Family!


    And that wasn''t all; he was also reiming all their shares!


    Even Geng Hu was stunned by the Old Master''s words, frozen in ce!


    "What? Do you want me, the Old Master, to do it myself?" The Old Master looked coldly at Geng Hu, who immediately trembled and quickly said,


    "Yes!"


    Soon, the agonizing screams and wails of Lin Wenlong and his son echoed through the halls of the Lin Family, causing everyone who heard them to tremble with fear!


    Afterward, Geng Hu and several other Protectors carried the two men out and threw them out, then closed the main gate.


    Having dealt with Lin Wenlong and his son, Old Master Lin once again swept over the crowd with his cold gaze,


    "Effective today, all Lin Family members must transfer theirpany shares to Ruoxue. You just need to collect the dividends!"


    Usually, taking away their possessions would be like cutting flesh from their bodies, and they would never agree to it.


    But under today''s circumstances, everyone was scared out of their wits, and who would dare refuse?


    Su Chen once again witnessed Old Master Lin''s authority and methods. With today''s event, he consolidated all the power!


    Su Chen faintly felt as though he''d been used by the old man. But he didn''t mind too much, because ultimately, the one who benefited the most was his wife!


    "Su Chen, how do you n to handle the Liu Family?" After settling these matters, Old Master Lin called Su Chen into his study.


    The Liu Family was, after all, one of the Four Great Families. Although they had suffered a setback recently, their solid foundation remained!


    "What''s there to say? Of course, kill them!"


    To Lin Wenlong and Lin Chao, who were closely rted to Lin Ruoxue, the situation was somewhatplicated.


    But there were far fewer scruples with the Liu Family. Plus, they had provoked him time and again, and this time they nearly took Lin Ruoxue''s life!


    Even if Su Chen was the most even-tempered, he could no longer spare them...

 Chapter 413: Straight In

    Although Su Chen spoke of it casually, as if killing Liu Yongyuan and his son was as simple as stepping on an ant, the Lin Family patriarch couldn''t help but shudder at the thought!


    The Lin Family patriarch had already noticed something extraordinary about Su Chen, for Gu Ming had already given him an unusual feeling, and what''s more, he was very obedient to Su Chen''s instructions, wasn''t he?


    Then how could Su Chen be simple?


    But no matter how extraordinary Su Chen was, he couldn''t imagine how he could stand up against the Four Great Families, let alone kill the Liu Family Head and his heir at the same time?


    "Fine, I''ll go with you!"


    After pondering for a moment, the Lin Family patriarch spoke slowly, having made his decision for several reasons.


    The first reason was, of course, to see what hidden strengths could allow Su Chen, who seemed ordinary at first nce but the more you learned about him the more mysterious he seemed, to take on one of the Four Great Families, the Liu Family.


    The second reason was, of course, because the Liu Family dared to target Ruoxue and set their sights on the Lin Family; this was a very serious incident. As the Family Head, if he didn''t take a stand, he would not be worthy of the title!


    The third reason was also as a precaution, in case Su Chen was all talk and no action. He could at least control the situation to some degree and prevent things from spiraling out of control!


    Su Chen nced at the Lin Family patriarch and roughly understood his intentions, nodding slightly.


    "When shall we go?"


    "Right now, of course."


    Su Chen stood up casually and said:


    "Patriarch, let''s go."


    The Lin Family patriarch was stunned for a moment, thinking, "Isn''t it necessary to contemte a n to deal with such a formidable entity as the Liu Family, to consider everything thoroughly and then implement it step by step?"


    How could this guy seem so nonchnt, as if he was merely going to the market to buy vegetables?


    "Shouldn''t we first make a n, to see if there are any loopholes?"


    The Lin Family patriarch stammered out.


    "It''s just the Liu Family, what need is there for a n!"


    Su Chen turned and strode out, with the Lin Family patriarch following him in a daze. Looking up at the dark night sky, a thought suddenly struck him:


    Could it be that he intended to take action stealthily under cover of night? That, in fact, might not be a bad idea.


    Afterward, the two of them left the Lin estate by car, driven by the patriarch''s personal chauffeur.


    "Su Chen, how many people do you n to take with you? Should I call over Geng Hu and the others, the Protectors?"


    Not long after the car had left the estate, the Lin Family patriarch asked with some concern.


    "No need, just the two of us will suffice," Su Chen replied casually.


    The Lin Family patriarch was dumbfounded. He knew without thinking that the Liu Family, a super-family, must have very strong defensive forces!


    Su Chen said it would be just the two of them; not only would he offer no help, but he would also be a distraction for Su Chen to look after.


    That is to say, Su Chen alone, not only had to protect himself, but also had to confront the entire Liu Family. Was that even possible?


    The Lin Family patriarch thought back to his previous confidence and assumed Su Chen had a significant trump card, but it turned out he had nothing at all!


    The once somewhat confident patriarch suddenly started to hesitate...


    However, he did not know that to Su Chen, his greatest trump card was himself!


    "Patriarch, do you know where the Liu Family lives?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    The Lin Family patriarch was rendered speechless upon hearing this. He felt that his son-inw was so unreliable. How could he talk about killing someone when he didn''t even know where their house was? Wasn''t this too much of a child''s y?


    Was trusting him a huge mistake?


    "Old Master, you couldn''t possibly be unaware too, could you?"


    Su Chen didn''t hear a reply from Old Master Lin and couldn''t help but say.


    "Most of the Liu Family''s members live in the ancestral Liu mansion, which is located at 38 Tianfu Road. However, Liu Yongyuan and his son usually reside in another vi and only asionally return."


    Although anxiety was mounting within him, he still shared the information he knew with Su Chen.


    "Then let''s go to the vi where the father and son stay."


    Su Chen instructed the driver with amand, not because he was a bloodthirsty person, he only truly wanted to kill Liu Qing and his son.


    Of course, if anyone else became an obstacle, he wouldn''t mind removing them!


    Before long, the car stopped near the vi of the Liu father and son.


    "I''ll go take a look. You guys stay in the car."


    Su Chen said as he pushed open the car door. He didn''t enter through the main gate but instead leaped over the courtyard wall.


    Old Master Lin could only wait in the car, having no clue about Su Chen''s ns, which seemedpletely impromptous.


    Soon, Su Chen was back, pulling open the car door and sitting down.


    "The father and son aren''t inside. Let''s head straight to the Liu ancestral mansion!"


    The car once again sped through the night streets of Jianghai, stopping after about twenty minutes, not far from the entrance of argepound.


    Even though it was nighttime, the ancestral Liu mansion was still brightly lit.


    "Old Master, will you be getting out of the car?"


    After stepping out, Su Chen asked.


    "Yes, I''ll apany you."


    After nodding, the Old Master also stepped out of the car.


    "Fine, but just watch. Don''t say anything, and don''t do anything!"


    Su Chen said, looking into the Old Master''s eyes.


    The Old Master wanted to say something but, upon seeing the seriousness in Su Chen''s eyes, couldn''t utter a word.


    At this moment, although Su Chen seemed unchanged, his expression exuded an unquestionable aura!


    The two of them then walked towards the main gate of the Liu Family''s ancestral mansion. Suddenly, someone emerged from the darkness and intercepted them at the gate.


    "What are you doing here?"


    The person asked warily.


    Su Chen didn''t say a word and directly kicked out, sending the person flying backward, crashing through the heavy doors of the Liu ancestral mansion.


    This clearly demonstrated the immense force behind Su Chen''s kick!


    The person who was sent flying by Su Chennded heavily on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood!


    The estates of the Four Great Families like the Liu Family typically have a front and back courtyard, with the Liu family members residing in the back, while the front was generally for the servants.


    Themotion had already drawn the attention of the Protectors in the front courtyard. When Su Chen and Old Master Lin stepped into the Liu Family''spound, a dozen men in tight-fitting clothes instantly appeared from various corners!


    "Who dares to behave so wildly in the Liu ancestral mansion!"


    One of the leaders bellowed angrily!


    He was also greatly shocked, the Liu Family''s mansion had been peaceful for decades, who would dare to break in during the night? It was sheer suicide!


    It wasn''t only them who were shocked; Old Master Lin''s astonishment was no less than theirs.


    He had not expected Su Chen to be so audacious, barging in without saying a word...

 Chapter 414: So He Was This Awesome

    Old Master Lin could hardly believe his eyes. Was he really nning to resolve the issue in such a manner, and by relying on his own strength alone?


    After all, the Liu Family was no pushover, as evidenced by the sudden appearance of more than a dozen people right before their eyes.


    As the Family Head of the Lin Family, Old Master Lin naturally had some sharp Perception; he noticed at a nce that these people were no ordinary individuals, at least a cut above his own men like Geng Hu!


    "Are you the leader?" Su Chen nced at the man and asked, "Are Liu Yongyuan and Liu Qing here? If they are, tell them to roll out immediately!"


    "What are you? How dare you address the Family Head and the Young Master by name!"


    The leading man snorted coldly. As the Guard Captain of the Liu Family, though only in charge of the front yard, he naturally held some pride.


    Therefore, his attitude towards Su Chen wasn''t friendly, especially since this guy had been disrespectful to the Family Head and the Young Master!


    "If that''s the case, then I won''t be polite anymore!"


    No sooner had Su Chen spoken, than he charged straight into the crowd.


    The guards werepletely stunned. We haven''t even started to teach you a lesson yet, and you''re already charging at us? Are you really dismissing us like that?


    The guards had been together for many years and had well-coordinated teamwork. Seeing Su Chen rush in, they scattered instantly, allowing Su Chen into the middle, and then a few of them went to block his retreat behind him, encircling him in their midst.


    This was akin to trapping a dog in a pen!


    Old Master Lin saw Su Chen surrounded by those people and immediately tensed up. Even if Su Chen was very skilled, he surely couldn''t defeat more than a dozen people.


    Moreover, each one of these people was an expert!


    However, in the blink of an eye, he was stunned. He saw Su Chen moving through the crowd, with a palm strike here, a punch there, an elbow, a kick, or a knee¡ªevery movement was as smooth as flowing water, a spectacle akin to watching a blockbuster movie!


    Even more critically, with every move he executed, another uniformed person would fall to the ground, never to get up again!


    Old Master Lin''s eyes widened as if he had discovered a new continent, watching everything unfold, as if in a dream!


    "He''s actually this powerful!"


    Old Master Lin murmured to himself.


    In less than two minutes, all of those guards were copsed on the ground, leaving only the leader standing, each with a look of terror in their eyes as they watched Su Chen!


    Who exactly was this young man, and how could he be so strong?


    Little did they know, to Su Chen, this hadn''t even counted as a warmup, let alone making use of his True Yuan.


    "Aren''t you going to call Liu Yongyuan and his son? Or do you want to lie on the ground as well?"


    Su Chen had spared him for the sole purpose of sending the message.


    "They are not here."


    The man spoke with a trembling fear, knowing without attempting that he was no match for this young man.


    "Then where are they?"


    "I don''t know."


    The man shook his head. How could a Protector like him be aware of the whereabouts of the Family Head and the Young Master?


    "Then call out your manager here!"


    "Okay!"


    How could the man dare to refuse? He immediately went to the back courtyard to report the situation.


    Soon after, a middle-aged man, holding his head high, his face full of anger, came out wearing handmade goods from top to bottom, all crafted by ancient European workhouses!


    The price was certainly beyondmon brand recognition.


    Behind him followed arge group of people, not just members of the Liu Family, but also a crowd dressed simrly to the Protectors from before.


    However, their attire was slightly moreplicated and seemed more prestigious. It appeared that this group was the core force of the Liu Family''s martial strength!


    Although the Liu Family was known for its business acumen, that did not mean theycked strength in other areas.


    Su Chen noticed that among those people, there were four or five Martial Artists, two of whom had even reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement!


    And the rest were all of special forces caliber, numbering around twenty to thirty people!


    Before the middle-aged man reached the front yard, his voice had already boomed ahead of him:


    "Who the hell is feeling suicidal, daring to run wild in the Liu Family, watch how I, your Uncle, dismantle him piece by piece to feed to the dogs today!"


    Following that voice came an annoyed looking middle-aged man. His discontent had a reason; he had just been busy with a young starlet, dead tired and had only just fallen asleep.


    Then he was told by the guards outside that there was a disturbance in the front courtyard, someone had forced their way into the Liu Family, demanding to see his elder brother and nephew, and already injured quite a few people!


    Liu Yongde, having just been woken from his rest, was already in a foul mood but became even angrier upon hearing the news. Someone dared to break into the Liu Family!


    He immediately dressed and came out, while waking up everyone else to see who had the audacity!


    Upon hearing the news, the other members of the Liu Family instantly called for a fight as, in their eyes, anyone who dared to intrude upon the Liu Family at night was courting death!


    The members of the Liu Family were not physically strong, so naturally, they called upon all the guards to join them.


    One reason was to make a show of force, and the other was because if someone could take down the Protectors of the front courtyard, they must be skillful.


    Even though they all believed that no matter who it was, they wouldn''t dare to really harm the true members of the Liu Family, what if the intruder was deranged?


    These great family members sure do cherish their own lives...


    "Did you do this?"


    Liu Yongde saw the Protectors lying on the ground, his eyes filled with rage as he demanded!


    "Got a problem with it?"


    Su Chen tilted his head slightly, smiling as he looked at Liu Yongde, whom he didn''t recognize. However, the man resembled Liu Yongyuan, onlycking Liu Yongyuan''sposure and scheming!


    At a nce, one could tell he was the type of shy, self-righteous scion!


    "This kid must be brain-dead, eh? He beat up our people from the Liu Family and still asks if I have a problem with it?"


    Liu Yongdeughed looking back at the people of the Liu Family; he felt like he had truly encountered a lunatic.


    Everyone from the Liu Family joined in theughter at Su Chen!


    Suddenly, Liu Yongde''s expression turned icy, and he spat out:


    "Kid, let me tell you, today you''re not leaving the Liu Family in one piece. What do you think the Liu Family is¡ªa ce for some greenhorn like you to run amok!"


    "Don''t worry, I won''t leave today if I don''t see Liu Yongyuan and Liu Qing,"


    Su Chen smiled faintly and said:


    "If I were you, I would immediately make a call to have father and son Liu Yongyuan roll back here!"


    "What right do you have to meet my elder brother?!"


    His eyes full of rage, Liu Yongde snapped back. This guy actually had the gall to tell his elder brother and his nephew to roll back¡ªwhat did he think he was?


    Especially the contempt in his eyes made the haughty Second Master of the Liu Family very ufortable.


    "Indeed, the head of the Liu Family isn''t someone you can just meet because you want to. Can''t you look at yourself in the mirror!"


    A disdainful young man chipped in, his face almost carved out of the same mould as Liu Yongde''s; he was Liu Yongde''s son, Liu Dong.

 Chapter 415: Kill on Command

    "Who is that behind you?"


    Liu Yongde suddenly noticed the figure behind the young man and asked sternly.


    The person had been standing behind Su Chen all this time, yet he hadn''t really noticed him.


    "It''s me!"


    Lin''s grandfather stepped forward from behind Su Chen and said coldly.


    "Oh, it turns out to be Grandfather Lin. What brings you here today?"


    Liu Yongde spoke flippantly, perhaps others held this head of the Lin Family in high regard, but he didn''t care for him one bit.


    Although Lin Family''s Belle Corporation was doing well, it was still not on the same level as their Liu Family.


    "I am here to find Liu Yongyuan and Liu Qing, and it''s none of your business. Hurry up and call them back!"


    "It seems Grandfather Lin and this youngd are together. Who is he to you?"


    "This is my son-inw and also Ruoxue''s husband!"


    Although previously Su Chen had advised him to watch and not to say or do anything,


    since Liu Yongde had spoken up, he naturally had to respond. Su Chen had no objections to this either. His previous instructions were only to prevent the grandfather from interfering in his affairs, after all, the grandfather might not ept his ways of dealing with things.


    "I can''t believe Jiangnan''s number one beauty is married. It''s just that this man is far inferior to our Liu Qing."


    Liu Yongde knew his nephew had always cherished special feelings for Lin Ruoxue, so he shook his head and sighed:


    "It seems the Lin Family''s taste is not very good, is it?"


    "This is our Lin Family''s private affair, and it''s not up to you Liu Family members to be nosy here!"


    Grandfather Lin said irritably.


    "True, I can''t meddle in your Lin Family''s private affairs, but your son-inw has injured so many of our guards, you need to give us an exnation!"


    Liu Yongde looked at Grandfather Lin and said each word deliberately.


    "What kind of exnation do you want?"


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and casually started smoking.


    "Grandfather Lin, don''t say I''m unreasonable. If he is willing to kneel before me and kowtow three times, I''ll let this go. Otherwise, he''ll be leaving horizontally today!"


    Liu Yongde looked confident, although Su Chen had injured so many guards, the real martial strength of the Liu Familyy in those behind him.


    The guards lying on the ground were iparable to them. Just a few of their core guards could easily do the same.


    Moreover, behind him stood twenty or thirty such people, particrly a few Martial Artists who, in his eyes, were masters of martial arts.


    He knew his elder brother had spent a considerable price to recruit these few individuals.


    "Yes, let him kneel and kowtow, and also surrender his wife to me to have some fun. Only then will this matter be settled!"


    Liu Dong, with a strange gleam in his eyes, quickly added, as Lin Ruoxue was a beauty that every man in Jiangnan dreamt of, and Liu Dong was certainly no exception!


    The people of the Liu Family, including Liu Yongde, upon hearing Liu Dong''s words, showed no disapproval but rather looked toward Su Chen, to see how this man would choose.


    Upon hearing this, Grandfather Lin became instantly furious, just about to voice his reproach when Su Chen''s eyes narrowed:


    "Say that again if you dare!"


    "Say it again? What about it?"


    Liu Dong said carelessly.


    "Kowtow three times to us, let your wife Lin Ruoxue entertain me for a bit, and we, the Liu Family, will spare you, kid!"


    "You''re courting death!"


    Su Chen clenched his teeth, enunciating each word.


    As soon as his words fell, a figure shed, and then a sh of silver light passed under the light, and a stream of hot, bright red blood sprayed out immediately!


    The people of the Liu Family were startled all at once and turned their heads to look at Liu Dong, only to see him covering his neck with one hand and pointing at Su Chen with the other:


    "You... you...!"


    The blood kept spewing from his neck, gushing out through his palms, filled with a look of horror and disbelief in his eyes!


    He copsed without even finishing his sentence, his eyes turning white!


    The Liu Family members werepletely stunned at the sight, their minds nk!


    Liu Dong just died like that?


    They couldn''t believe their eyes; this young man had just killed Liu Dong?


    No warning, no words, just killed him outright?


    How could he dare?


    Master Lin also froze; although he hade with Su Chen, everything from their departure seemed to exceed his expectations!


    He hadn''t expected Su Chen toe alone, nor did he expect Su Chen to break directly into the Liu Family mansion, still less that just because of one sentence, Su Chen had outright killed Liu Dong!


    Although Master Lin was very angry when Liu Dong had spoken those words, his thoughts went no further than scolding him and telling him to watch his mouth, never imagining it would lead to killing him.


    Could it be that Su Chen really nned to fight the Liu Family to the bitter end?


    Upon reflection, Master Lin just gave a bitterugh. Su Chen hade to kill Liu Yongyuan and his son; he had already prepared to wage a relentless battle against the Liu Family, so what difference did killing one more, Liu Dong, make?


    Master Lin guessed that this must have been what Su Chen was thinking, which was why he had acted so.


    To tell the truth, Master Lin had initially thought Su Chen could eliminate Liu Yongyuan and his son quietly. If he had known Su Chen would act so brazenly, he would have had to give it serious thought.


    Firstly, it wasn''t sure whether such a direct approach could eliminate Liu Yongyuan and his son, considering that the Liu Family was one of the Four Great Families and thus extremely powerful.


    Secondly, whether or not they eliminated the two, the Lin Family and the Liu Family would definitely be sworn enemies; could the Lin Family withstand the Liu Family''s retaliation?


    As for that, Master Lin had no confidence; mishandling it could greatly harm the Lin Family, perhaps irreparably!


    This oue was something Master Lin could not afford. As the head of the Lin Family, he naturally had to prioritize the family''s overall interests!


    But now, further contemtion or regret was futile and fruitless since Su Chen had already killed Liu Dong, eliminating any way back for himself!


    All he could hope for was that this mysterious son-inw could truly provide a huge surprise, though he did not hold much hope.


    The Four Great Families were considered invincible¡ªa deeply ingrained notion in the hearts of the people of Jiangnan and even more so for an elderly man like Master Lin who had lived in Jiangnan for most of his life!


    Actually, Su Chen hadn''t thought as much as Master Lin did; his reason for killing Liu Dong was simple: he had insulted his wife, and for that, he had to pay a price. It was that simple!


    This might be hard for others to understand, but to Su Chen, it was the greatest logic and the most significant reason!


    After a brief shock, the people of the Liu Family came to their senses, looking in astonishment at the young man they didn''t recognize at all!

 Chapter 416 - 416 He Deserves to Die

    "You actually killed my son?!"


    Liu Yongde clenched his back teeth fiercely as he spoke, his tone still filled with disbelief!


    "He deserved to die!"


    Su Chen uttered dispassionately, yes, he had the audacity to insult Ruoxue, if he didn''t deserve to die then who did!


    Seeing that the young man had killed his son and showed not even the slightest hint of remorse, but even said his son deserved to die, Liu Yongde''s eyes instantly turned bloodshot with anger, and his facial muscles twitched due to extreme agitation and fury!


    "I want you to pay with your life for my son!"


    Liu Yongde roared with a rage that reached the skies!


    At the sound of his voice, several guards behind him charged out like fierce tigers.


    Just now when Liu Dong was killed, they bore some responsibility, because they had never anticipated that the young man would suddenly resort to murder.


    Nor did they expect him to act so swiftly; by the time they reacted, it was already toote!


    To lessen the punishment that they would receive afterward, they now needed to make amends and the best way to do so was naturally to subdue the young man who hadmitted the crime!


    Although that young man was very fast just now, they didn''t take him too seriously, and now that five guards were dispatched to deal with this young man, they believed it was more than sufficient!


    However, to everyone''s surprise, in just a single encounter, a blink of an eye, those five charging men were sent flying,nding on the green stone bs in the courtyard.


    The members of the Liu Family sucked in a breath of cold air upon witnessing this scene, their eyes filled with shock, even more so than when they first saw the protectors of the front yard lying on the ground.


    They were all well aware of the abilities of these five men, which were far stronger than those of the front yard protectors, and even on par with ace special forces soldiers!


    But these formidable five couldn''t even withstand a single round against this young man!


    However, the other guards were even more shocked, for they noticed that on the chests of those five men, all bore the same pattern of shoeprint!


    That is to say, in that brief moment, the young man had actually struck out with five kicks, sending each of the five flying¡ªhow fast must he have been?!


    The next moment, almost twenty men burst forth simultaneously, each moving as swiftly as leopards darting through the forest, muscles taut throughout their bodies.


    Yet there were five others who did not make a move; these five were Martial Artists and considered it somewhat beneath them to brawl with ordinary people.


    Those fifteen men quickly reached Su Chen''s side, and the formidable presence created by so many experts was truly staggering¡ªordinary people wouldn''t even dare to approach!


    "This time, this young man should be about done, right?!"


    The members of the Liu Family thought as much, with Liu Yongde imagining just how he might torture this young man to assuage the hatred in his heart and avenge his tragically dead son!


    Su Chen looked at these men almost as powerful as ace special forces soldiers without any change in expression, seemingly oblivious to their terrifying presence!


    When the person at the forefront reached Su Chen, he casually extended his palm to meet the other''s fist.


    "Crack!"


    Immediately, a clear sound of bone breaking rang out, and in the next moment, Su Chen''s palm shifted slightly downward, pping firmly against the man''s chest.


    At the same time, another person swept a leg toward him, and Su Chen immediately turned his palm into a de, chopping straight down, causing the man to fall to the ground, clutching his thigh and wailing incessantly.


    Meanwhile, his other hand had already formed into a fist, which he hurled at another man who had just charged up, knocking him to the ground...


    About two minutester, there wasn''t a single person who could stand around Su Chen again¡ªcries of pain filled the air!


    The members of the Liu Family, including the five Martial Artists, were all dumbfounded. Who exactly was this man who had suddenly infiltrated the Liu Family''s old residence at night?


    Five core guards wasn''t enough, fifteen still wasn''t enough, so just how many would be sufficient? Exactly how powerful was he?


    The five martial artists also grew solemn, wondering if this young man was a martial artist as well, for only a martial artist could achieve such a feat.


    However, the punches and kicks he just unleashed did not carry the flow of True Yuan, which meant he was at most at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement, no higher!


    Realizing this, the five martial artists felt relieved, because among them, two were at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement, and the other three were at the First, Second, and Third Layers respectively!


    They figured they would have no trouble dealing with this young man.


    Su Chen, however, paid no heed to the thoughts of others and calmly looked at Liu Yongde:


    "Aren''t you going to contact Liu Yongyuan and his son toe back?"


    "Hmph, do you think you''ve won already? I''ll tell you, you must pay for my son''s life today, I will torture you to death!"


    Liu Yongde red venomously at Su Chen''s eyes, then spat at the five martial artists:


    "What are you standing around for? My elder brother spent so much money to hire you, not for you to be mere decorations!"


    Hearing this, the five martial artists moved from the back to the front, facing Su Chen directly¡ªafter all, to take one''s money is to dispose of their disaster, and there was no need for further talk!


    Once the five of them stepped out, the formidable pressure emanating from them spread out, even more intense than that from the fifteen men before, increasing the psychological pressure.


    "Young man, you''re not bad, but today you''ve messed with the wrong person, and your life shoulde to an end!"


    One of the middle-aged men at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement spoke earnestly to Su Chen:


    "Make the most of your time and breathe in a few breaths of fresh air from this world, for soon you''ll have no chance!"


    "Is that so?"


    Su Chen smiled faintly, having seen through their strength at a nce, not taking them seriously in the slightest:


    "I think those words suit you better."


    "Kid, how arrogant!"


    The man''s eyes shed with a fierce brilliance:


    "Since you are so unappreciative, let me give you a proper wee!"


    "To save time, you should alle at once, so I can have a good talk with the Liu Family sooner!"


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly and said.


    "Hahaha~~~"


    The man who just spoke erupted with furiousughter, looking at Su Chen as if he were looking at an idiot:


    "Are you so eager to die?"


    "Perhaps it''s you who might end up dead?"


    Su Chen replied casually.


    "Big brother, since this guy is so arrogant, let''s oblige him!"


    Another person, also angered by Su Chen, said to the man who had spoken earlier.


    "Alright, let''s all go at him together and see what gives this young man the confidence to be so audacious!"


    With that said, that person was the first to sh in front of Su Chen, and in an instant, the others followed, all five unleashing their martial arts moves against Su Chen with a fierce onught...

 Chapter 417: Of Course Its to Kill Them

    Those people were all Martial Artists, their every move carried a fierce killing intent, as if the very air around them was about to shatter!


    The others, who had never seen Martial Artists in action before, were shocked by their movements.


    So this is what a true expert is like, no wonder the Family Head spends so much money on these people, they truly are beyondpare!


    It''s hard to imagine what it would be like to be on the receiving end of their punches and kicks¡ªprobably a total mess!


    However, what seemed iprehensibly profound and unstoppable to the Liu Family was almost child-like in Su Chen''s eyes!


    After all, he was about to enter the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, ordinary peaks of Qi Refinement weren''t even considered a challenge, let alone these people?


    At that moment, Su Chen had also circted the True Yuan within his body. If it had been any one of them, Su Chen was confident that he could win just with his Martial Arts, but these were, after all, five Martial Artists!


    Su Chen faced one of the Martial Artists at the Second Layer of Qi Refinement and casually threw a punch, his fist surrounded by a milky-white energy wave...


    The members of the Liu Family were unconcerned, not understanding what it was, but the five Martial Artists saw the energy wave and their faces turned pale with fright!


    "No good, retreat!"


    The eldest among the Martial Artists yelled urgently, trying to retract the leg that was about to kick Su Chen!


    In fact, he didn''t need to remind them, the rest had already started to pull back upon seeing the milky-white energy.


    Because they all understood what that milky-white energy wave was¡ªit was the external manifestation of True Yuan!


    That is to say, this was someone who could externalize True Yuan!


    Then his Cultivation Realm must be at least the Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement, if not higher!


    Even if it was just the Fifth Layer, they couldn''t withstand it. The gap between the Fourth and Fifth Layers might be just a Minor Realm, but it''s the first significant threshold for cultivators, and the difference in strength is day and night!


    However, the moves that were executed were not so easily retracted; they were always going to be a bit slow due to inertia, even if it was just a fraction of a second.


    For those at their level, even a slight decrease in speed could be fatal!


    The members of the Liu Family watched this unfold, suddenly confused and unable to grasp the situation!


    They couldn''t understand how the few who were just so domineering had turned tail and run like rats seeing a cat!


    "Bastards, what are you running for? Kill him quickly!"


    Liu Yongde shouted in a fit of rage!


    But the Martial Artists turned a deaf ear to Liu Yongde''s words. It was no joke; if they didn''t run now, when would they? Being a bit slow wasn''t about whether they could kill the opponent but about being killed by him!


    Sure enough, the two slowest ones were caught by Su Chen from behind by their shoulder des, and with a slight press of his palms, he dislocated their shoulder des.


    At the same time, Su Chen casually kicked out.


    "Bang! Bang!"


    Two muffled sounds erupted, followed by two figures flying backward in panic and fright¡ªone crashing into arge tree, the other mming into a wall thirty meters away!


    The other few turned their heads, even more terrified, and desperately started to flee!


    "Thinking of escaping now, don''t you think it''s a bitte?"


    In fact, to Su Chen, no matter how fast those people were, they were still too slow in his eyes!


    He shed in front of one of them, and then, in the disbelieving gaze of the man, gently crushed his windpipe!


    Now, only the two at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement were left. They had kept a watchful eye and had been running together because they might still stand a chance if they faced each other!


    However, they soon realized they had made a huge mistake!


    No sooner had they run a few dozen meters than a young man with a cold smile on his lips appeared before them like a ghost!


    "Still trying to escape?"


    Su Chen looked at the two people with a yful expression and said.


    The two Qi Refinement Fourth Layer individuals knew they could not escape, as the opponent''s speed was incredibly fast¡ªso fast it was almost inconceivable!


    The men exchanged a look, a resolute light shining simultaneously in their eyes!


    Suddenly, both emitted a strong oppressive aura and attacked Su Chen at the same time!


    One used fists, and the other palms, both executing their strongest technique they had ever mastered in their lives!


    Yet, Su Chen just sneered coldly and stretched out both arms, one to meet a fist and the other a palm, not even bothering to release his True Yuan!


    Even so, the moment of contact, the two Qi Refinement Fourth Layer individuals still felt an unstoppable surge of power attacking them!


    Both were knocked to the ground, sliding eight or nine meters before stopping!


    And both of their arms were wracked with intense pain; without looking, they knew the arms they had used to sh directly with their opponent werepletely crippled!


    The Liu Family members were utterly dumbfounded, frozen in ce, as if turned to stone.


    How could this be possible?


    How could one man defeat so many, and such powerful opponents at that?


    Who exactly was he, and what did he really want?


    After a moment''s shock, a wave of fear quickly spread among the Liu Family members¡ªthey felt he was nothing short of a devil!


    In fact, Su Chen now was very different from his former self. If this had been before, he would have simply killed these people, as they were nothing but ants to him.


    "You''re still not nning to contact Liu Yongyuan and his son?"


    Su Chen walked step by step toward Liu Yongde, his footsteps echoing on the stone pavement with a "thud thud" sound!


    Each sound seemed to heavily strike at Liu Yongde''s heart!


    "What do you want with my elder brother and his son?"


    Liu Yongde asked tremblingly, ever since he entered, this young man had specifically asked for his brother and nephew, but the reason why remained unknown.


    These Liu Family members did not know about Liu Yongyuan and his son''s involvement in poisoning Lin Ruoxue, so their confusion was only natural.


    "Of course, it''s to kill them."


    Su Chen replied lightly, not finding anything unusual about it.


    However, the Liu Family members couldn''t help but shudder¡ªthe young man was actually out to kill the Liu Family Head and his heir!


    Had he gone mad? Did he know what kind of person Liu Yongyuan was?


    Although Su Chen had just killed Liu Dong and repelled so many Martial Artists, leaving them in continuous shock, hearing that Su Chen intended to kill Liu Yongyuan and his son still felt like a wildly unrealistic fairy tale.


    "Do you know who my brother is? Kill him? Are you joking!"


    Liu Yongde shouted, thinking that even if his elder brother was right here, he wouldn''t dare to kill him!


    Because his elder brother''s power was too great. Killing him would have a major impact, possibly even causing disturbances in Jiangnan, and the authorities would never allow it!

 Chapter 418: Overbearing Attitude

    "I''m giving you three minutes," Su Chen said casually, "and if you don''t contact them by then, I''ll start killing people, one every five minutes. I see the Liu Family has quite a few members, enough to keep me busy for a while!"


    The words terrified everyone in the Liu Family!


    In the past, if someone spoke to them like this, they would''ve thought the person had a screw loose.


    But now, what they felt was not amusement or dark humor, but sheer terror and trepidation!


    Who knew whether this madman would actually dare tomit such an atrocity, especially since he had just killed Liu Dong without a word!


    However, as Liu Yongde, the younger brother of the Family Head and a man of the Liu Family, he was not willing to bow his head. By bowing, it would mean the entire Liu Family bowed!


    Even though Liu Yongde was a prodigal son, he still had some dignity and pride as a member of the Liu Family.


    Moreover, this man had just killed his son. Surrendering to the murderer of his own child was something he could not do!


    Time ticked away, and with each passing second, Liu Yongde became more and more nervous. He was gambling that the other party was merely bluffing, not really daring to act so recklessly!


    Su Chen, on the other hand, casually lit another cigarette, appearing indifferent.


    But the old Master Lin beside him was breaking out in cold sweat. Ruoxue''s husband was too formidable, both in strength and attitude.


    It seemed he had never consideredmunicating properly with the opposition, constantly relying on force to dominate. He too was wondering whether Su Chen''s words were a threat, or if he really intended to follow through!


    Could it be that if the Liu Family members don''t contact Liu Yongyuan and his son, he would really keep on killing until everyone was dead?


    Old Master Lin couldn''t believe that there would be someone so insane and unreasonable!


    Although Su Chen had just killed Liu Dong, there was a fundamental difference between killing one person and killing so many!


    Many people at the scene were actually watching their watches. As soon as the three minutes were up and everyone was waiting to see if the young man would really kill someone, a figure shed by, and then someone slowly fell to the ground!


    The Liu Family members looked closely and saw that the young man was still standing there just fine, while someone near them had already fallen...


    Su Chen demonstrated with his actions that he meant what he said!


    If they wouldn''tply, he would beat, he would kill, until they did, until the real target arrived!


    "Second Uncle, contact the Family Head quickly!"


    "Yeah, Second Uncle, this guy is a maniac. I don''t want to die!"


    "Second Uncle, if you don''t call, we will!"


    ...


    At this moment, looking at Su Chen''s indifferent face, everyone in the Liu Family felt a profound fear. They worried they might be the next one to fall!


    "Fine, I''ll make the call!"


    Liu Yongde was also shaken by Su Chen''s decisive killing method. Rather than being coerced by everyone, it was his own fear that prevailed!


    He took out his cell phone tremblingly and dialed a number.


    A few minutester, Liu Yongde put down the phone and said to Su Chen:


    "Wait, my big brother and the others will be here in one hour."


    Actually, Liu Yongde was still worried about his big brother because this young man had specifically named him from the start.


    Would he really dare to kill his own elder brother, the Lin Family Head?


    If it had been before, he would never believe it, but now, he was a bit uncertain!


    Because in his eyes, the young man in front of him was simply a madman, whose actions were difficult for ordinary people to predict.


    "Fine, then let''s just wait here!"


    Su Chen sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard and then gestured to the one beside him, saying:


    "Elder, you are advanced in years, please take a seat and wait."


    The old Family Head took a seat there in confusion, looking at Su Chen, seeming to want to say something, but when the words came to his lips, he didn''t know what to say!


    This night, the shock he received was more than he had experienced in his entire lifebined!


    He looked at his son-inw and felt very unfamiliar, as if he didn''t know him at all!


    How could this man, having done such a deed, show no fear at all?


    Was he truly confident, or did he simply know no fear due to ignorance?


    If he really had the confidence to act this way, where did that confidencee from?


    Was it his own formidable strength, or was it something else?


    But no matter what, at this moment, the old Family Head hadpletely run out of escape routes, even the Lin Family had no way out, they could only follow Su Chen down this dark path!


    Once he understood this, the old Family Head also discarded the uneasiness and tension in his heart, as those emotions were utterly useless in the present situation!


    Every person in the courtyard was anxiously waiting, not knowing what the future would hold, except for Su Chen, who just seemed a bit bored waiting and even started chatting about family matters with the old Family Head beside him.


    Really, the old Family Head didn''t know if it was because Su Chen was too strong and confident, or if he was just ying dumb; how could he be in the mood to chat now?


    As they waited, the Liu Family people had someone carry the two bodies to the back courtyard, and Su Chen did not stop them.


    Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time, the sound of footsteps suddenly rang out, and a person walked briskly into the courtyard from outside the gate, seeming a bit hurried; he was followed by three others, one of whom was pushing a wheelchair.


    At this time, aside from the Liu Family father and son, there were no strangers who entered the courtyard, with Liu Qing still seated in the wheelchair.


    Besides the person pushing the wheelchair, there was another middle-aged man following behind, whom not only Su Chen had never seen before, but even the people of the Liu Family didn''t seem to recognize.


    Liu Yongyuan and his son had just been attending an important meeting in the neighboring province, and they had just finished their work for the night when Liu Yongde, the younger brother, called them.


    He said someone had forced their way into their old house, demanding to see the two of them specifically, and had beaten all the guards severely, even killing his son and another family member!


    When Liu Yongyuan heard his brother''s words, at first he thought it was a joke, but once it was confirmed as true, he immediately smashed a purple y teapot to pieces in anger!


    Who exactly was this person, seeking death so brazenly, daring to barge into the Liu Family old house, not only injuring people but also killing them!


    What infuriated him even more was that the intruder had the audacity to im that if they did not inform him and make hime back, he would kill a person every five minutes, continuing until all the Liu Family members were dead!


    This was simply treating the Liu Family as if they were made of y!


    Liu Yongyuan immediately started rushing back with his son; he wanted to see for himself who was so audacious!


    When Liu Yongyuan entered, his face was ashen, and an immense anger emanated from his being, although he bore a striking resemnce to Liu Yongde, his temperament was entirely different!


    Liu Yongyuan, even just standing there without uttering a word, gave off an extremely imposing presence, an area where Liu Yongde significantlygged behind!

 Chapter 419: Judging Heroes by Success or Failure

    "Big brother, you''ve finallye back!"


    Upon seeing Liu Yongyuan, Liu Yongde immediately felt as if he had found his backbone, and rushed over!


    The other members of the Liu Family also gathered around; in their minds, there was nothing the Family Head couldn''t handle.


    When Su Chen saw Liu Yongyuan and his son enter, he slowly stood up, his gaze cold as he watched them among the crowd. Old Master Lin''s reaction was the same, with a fiery light gleaming in his eyes!


    "Yongde, where is the beast that came to cause trouble in our Liu home? Has he already left?"


    Liu Yongyuan''s eyes skipped over the crowd, sweeping through the yard.


    When he saw Old Master Lin, his heart stirred slightly; then, the young man came into his view, and Liu Yongyuan''s eyes suddenly narrowed!


    "Big brother, it''s him, it''s this guy!"


    Liu Yongyuan pointed in Su Chen''s direction and said fiercely:


    "Big brother, you must take revenge for Dong''er!"


    Although the core guards of the Liu Family had lost their fighting power, and it seemed Liu Yongyuan had no trump cards left, his years of experience told him that there was nothing his big brother couldn''t solve, as long as he wanted to!


    He knew the vast gap between himself and his big brother, so he had never harbored any other thoughts and was happy to be a second-generation heir who indulged in eating, drinking, and ying with stars.


    For such a brother, Liu Yongyuan was of course very satisfied, so their rtionship had always been good.


    What Liu Yongde didn''t know was that Liu Yongyuan''s hatred for Su Chen was no weaker than his!


    However, he didn''t pay attention to Su Chen for the time being, but went to Old Master Lin instead:


    "Old Master Lining to the Liu family estate at night, it doesn''t seem like a visit, does it?"


    Liu Qing, Liu Yongde, and the other members of the Liu Family followed suit.


    "A visit?"


    Old Master Lin began tough coldly:


    "Family Head Liu, do you really think I''vee as a guest?"


    "Then, if you came uninvited in the dead of night, do you have any ''instructions'' for us?"


    Liu Yongyuan was not yet aware that Lin Wenlong and his son''s conspiracy had been exposed, and that they had betrayed him and his son, but seeing Old Master Lin and that Su guy, he guessed a bit.


    Actually, even if the Lin Family had known in advance, he wouldn''t have taken it to heart. In his original understanding, even if the Lin Family knew, they would just have to swallow the bitter pill.


    Because at least for now, the Lin Family was not on the same level as the Liu Family, and anyone rational wouldn''t make any excessive moves!


    But unexpectedly, the Lin Family did indeede!


    "The matter with Ruoxue, that involves you and your son, doesn''t it?"


    Since they had already torn face, Old Master Lin saw no need for courtesy anymore; expecting a family like the Liu Family to show restraint waspletely unrealistic.


    Upon hearing this, Liu Yongyuan and his son felt a "thump" in their hearts; they really did know!


    Since the other party hade over at night and spoken these words, it meant they already had solid evidence, and denial was pointless now.


    "So what? The battles of the business world are all about using whatever means you have at your disposal!"


    Liu Yongyuan responded quite naturally.


    "Don''t you think your methods are despicable? To actually resort to such lowly tactics as poisoning!"


    Seeing that the other party still spoke so self-righteously, Old Master Lin''s eyes flickered with angry mes as he spoke out.


    "Old Master, you''re so old, yet how can you still be so na?ve?"


    Liu Yongyuan sneered:


    "Whether on the battlefield or in the business world, heroes have always been judged by their sess or failure¡ªthere''s no need for so much talk!"


    "What a saying, ''judging heroes by their sess or failure''!"


    Su Chen, who had been silent all this time, chuckled and stared at Liu Yongyuan:


    "Have you and your son ever considered whether today will end in sess or failure for you?"


    "You''re not qualified to be spouting off here."


    Liu Yongyuan too shifted his gaze from the elder patriarch of the Lin Family to Su Chen''s face:


    "Mr. Su, I haven''t settled ounts with you yet. Unexpectedly, you''ve delivered yourself to my doorstep. Since that''s the case, you might as well stay here forever!"


    "It seems thatst time''s stock market losses haven''t taught you, the Liu Family, a lesson to keep a low profile. Since that''s the case, let us settle the total ount today!"


    Su Chen said indifferently, as if he was mentioning a trivial matter.


    However, as soon as his words fell, everyone''s hearts felt as if they were being fiercely tugged at¡ªstaring at this ordinary-looking young man in disbelief.


    "Could it be you who orchestrated the attack on Liu Corporationst time?"


    Liu Yongyuan blurted out, his eyes filled with shock!


    How could this be possible?


    He knew that the person behind the maniptionst time had been incredibly ruthless, causing him anxiety to this day!


    And without hundreds of billions or even trillions in assets, it would be absolutely impossible!


    But this young man, dressed in a casual outfit that costs just tens of yuan, lookingid-back, how could it possibly be him?


    Liu Yongyuan felt sure that this guy must be joking with him!


    The old Lin Family patriarch also stared at Su Chen dumbfounded. He certainly knew about the mysterious force that targeted the Liu Family, and he always wondered what kind of powerful figure the Liu Family had offended, one who seemed determined to hit them hard without regard for the cost!


    He never imagined that the silhouette of their Lin Family''s new son-inw would be behind it all!


    Who exactly is this new son-inw? How could he possibly achieve that?


    He felt he had already overestimated his son-inw enough, but to his surprise, he had still underestimated him in the end!


    How much more about him do I not know?


    "So what if it was me, what if it wasn''t?" Su Chen nced at him indifferently. "Either way, you won''t be seeing the sun two hours from now."


    "Su Chen, this is the old Lin estate, not some other ce. If you''re trying to show off your prowess, you''ve chosen the wrong location!"


    Liu Qing suddenly pped the back of his wheelchair and eximed.


    "That''s right, Mr. Su, do you think that just because you defeated those guards, you''re invincible? That you no longer regard anyone else as worthy?"


    Liu Yongyuan scoffed disdainfully:


    "I admit, you''ve taken me by surprise, but there are always higher skies beyond the one you see, and always someone better than you. In the eyes of a true top expert, you are still insignificant!"


    "Are you referring to him?"


    Su Chen nced casually at the middle-aged man behind Liu Yongyuan. His cultivation was indeed on a different level than that of the previous men, and even martial artists were far below him!


    The middle-aged man also looked seriously at Su Chen, astonished that someone so young could injure five martial artists so severely. It seemed his cultivation was not bad!


    If he continued to cultivate, his future achievements might be boundless, but he was out of chances now!


    "It seems you do have some perception."


    Liu Yongyuan said somewhat surprised:


    "So, you really shouldn''t havee here today. Since you have, this ce will be your grave. Dying in the Liu Family''s old house won''t disgrace you!"

 Chapter 420 - 420 Are You Ready to Die?

    "Humans, why do they always presume to know everything?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh as he gazed at Liu Yongyuan:


    "Just like your so-called Four Great Families, who have been ustomed to running amok in Jiangnan, always thinking that no one dares to touch them, regardless of whatever heaven-defying and harmful deeds theymit."


    "Over time, you have evene to consider this as a matter of course, as if the blood flowing through your veins is any nobler than that of others."


    "What exactly gives you such confidence? Wealth? Power? Status?"


    "If all these things were stripped away, what difference would there be between you and a beggar on the street?"


    "No, you are even worse than them. At the very least, beggars obtain what they need for life by begging, but you? Your entire being is filthy!"


    "You think you are high and mighty, but in my eyes, you are no more than ants! If it hadn''t been for you crossing my bottom line, I wouldn''t even be interested in lifting my foot to crush you."


    "But since you have done it, you''d better be prepared to face the consequences! Just like you said, victors are kings, and losers are the defeated!"


    Listening to Su Chen''s words, Liu Yongyuan felt increasingly ufortable, as if something was slipping out of his control!


    He didn''t want to listen to the young man''s drivel any longer, so he turned to the middle-aged man and said:


    "Senior, please deal with this brat!"


    The middle-aged man nodded slightly, then casually walked to the front and looked at Su Chen coldly.


    "Kid, seeing that you have some talent, today I will spare your life so you can understand what a real martial artist is!"


    "But I won''t spare yours. If you don''t want to die too miserably, you''d better give it your all."


    Su Chen sneered. Spare his life? If he really were defeated, he didn''t believe the Liu Family would spare his life.


    "Indeed a conceited youngster! Don''t me me for being ruthless!"


    The middle-aged man''s face chilled as he struck out at Su Chen with his palm from three or four meters away, and a milky-white energy wave surged out from his palm!


    "How profound must his True Yuan be, probably at the Sixth Layer Realm, right?!"


    A martial artist of the Fourth Layer Realm lying on the ground gasped in shock!


    "I''m afraid even the Seventh Layer Realm is possible, it''s terrifying!"


    Another martial artist of the Fourth Layer Realm also widened his eyes. Although they hadn''t reached that realm yet, they still had some perception.


    Both of them turned their attention to the young man, with excitement ring in their eyes. Now this young man wouldn''t be able to be arrogant any longer, right?


    Despite this, Su Chen seemed indifferent. When the milky-white energy wave was less than two meters from him, hezily lifted a hand and returned the gesture.


    However, in terms of momentum alone, he didn''tpare to the middle-aged man at all. The other was like a tiger bursting out of its cage, while he looked more like he was petting a small dog!


    The others witnessing this scene thought the two were iparable!


    Liu Yongyuan''s face showed a smug expression. He knew the middle-aged man had cost him a lot of money, and the man had only agreed to intervene three times!


    This was his first time acting on behalf of the Liu Family, since there weren''t many who dared to confront the Liu Family head-on, and usually, the guards were enough!


    Today, Liu Yongyuan had heard that all the guards at his house had been overthrown by someone who broke into the Liu estate during the night, prompting him to call for the man.


    Although he didn''t think anyone in Jiangnan would dare toy a hand on him, there''s always a chance of the unexpected, right?


    Now thinking about it, he was thankful for his decision!


    Because the person who had broken into the Liu family mansion turned out to be the young man he had long wanted to eliminate!


    If that was the case, there was no better time than today to make him pay for his past actions!


    However, the smug look on Liu Yongyuan''s face didn''t linger for long before his mouth gaped open inplete shock and horror!


    Because he saw that the middle-aged man was actually sent flying by Su Chen''s seemingly feeble palm strike, blood spewing wildly as he hung in the air!


    Secondster, the man crashed to the ground, convulsed a few times, and then stopped movingpletely!


    Liu Yongyuan immediately rushed over, followed closely by other members of the Liu Family, only to discover that the man¡ªwas dead!


    What on earth had happened?


    The two hadn''t even touched, so how could the middle-aged man he had pinned his hopes on be sent flying and die on the spot?


    Liu Yongyuan had no understanding of Martial Arts, let alone what True Yuan was.


    He only knew that the middle-aged man was an absolute master, but he hadn''t expected...


    However, the Martial Artists lying on the ground knew what had happened. Just now, they had all released their True Yuan, the beginning of entering the true path of Martial Arts!


    When the middle-aged man made his move, they were already shocked, for a Martial Artist at the Sixth Layer Realm or even the Seventh Layer Realm was a rare sight.


    But they could never have anticipated that the True Yuan released by the young man was on another level entirely,pletely overpowering and engulfing the middle-aged man''s True Yuan, before rushing straight towards him!


    It was only then that they truly understood that the young man hadn''t been seriously contending with them at all. Not to mention anything else, just with that one palm strike, they were all certain to die!


    It turned out that in others'' eyes, they were nothing but clowns, and they also realized that they had narrowly escaped death!


    But how could such a young person possess such monstrous cultivation? They felt that even the word ''monster'' was insufficient to describe his abnormal state!


    How could the Family Head have provoked such a figure?


    Although they were guards of the Liu Family, they knew that in the eyes of truly high-level Martial Artists, those great families were nothing, as their personal strength alone was enough to annihte an entire great family!


    In the face of real power, what use were your authority, wealth, or status?


    After all, a person only has one life!


    Only those with lower Cultivation like them would treat their skills as capital, hoping to sell themselves for a good price.


    Su Chen also walked slowly toward Liu Yongyuan amidst all the astonished gazes, with Elder Lin following behind, his face filled with confusion.


    "Are you father and son ready to meet your deaths now?"


    The calm voice of Su Chen sounded, as casual as asking someone if they had eaten.


    "Do you really dare to kill me?!"


    Liu Yongyuan looked at Su Chen and uttered each word!


    Even now, Liu Yongyuan still couldn''t believe that the other party would dare to kill him, especially since he had been deeply entrenched in Jiangnan for many years, with connections affecting the whole situation!


    He was certain that killing him would not leave his killer well-off either!


    "Su Chen, if you have the guts, kill me first!"


    Liu Qing shared the same thought, believing that only if the other person were insane would they dare to touch him and his father!


    After all, they were not ordinary members of the Liu Family. Killing Liu Dong or other family members might not provoke too much of a response from the outside world.


    But killing his father, the current Family Head of the Liu Family, or himself, the heir of the Liu Family, would definitely cause a huge uproar in Jiangnan!


    This incident could even lead to shifts in the power dynamic, something many would not tolerate!


    "As you wish!"


    Su Chen, however, didn''t care about any of this. He didn''t even spare Liu Qing a nce and nonchntly sent a palm strike toward the wheelchair...

 Chapter 421 - 421 Death of the Father and Son of the Liu Family

    "Boom!"


    When Su Chen struck out with his palm, Liu Qing''s wheelchair exploded beneath him, sending countless fragments flying in all directions!


    In the spot where Liu Qing''s wheelchair had been, arge pit was blown into the ground, and within it, Liu Qingy lifeless, every blood vessel in his body severed, his abdomen punctured by a gaping wound!


    This scene struck the members of the Liu Family with such visual impact that it sent waves of shock and disbelief through their minds!


    They all stared nkly at Liu Qing''s corpse, speechless and dumbfounded!


    Their heir to the Liu Family had died just like that? And his death was so unbearably gruesome!


    "Qing''er!"


    Liu Yongyuan let out a heart-wrenching howl, his eyes threatening to split apart from rage!


    "Liu Family Head, do you still think I wouldn''t dare toy a hand on you?"


    Su Chen turned his head to look at him yfully and said casually.


    "Su Chen, I swear, you won''t die a good death!"


    Liu Yongyuan stared at Su Chen, his eyes ame with seething red rage!


    At this moment, Liu Yongyuan hadpletely lost his reason, utterly consumed by the agony of losing his son!


    And together with the status he had always held so high, his fury reached its peak!


    "Liu Family Head, you truly are used to giving orders,"


    Su Chen really couldn''t understand how these people''s minds worked, and he couldn''t help scoffing:


    "Do you still not have the sense to see the situation clearly, even now? But for you, there''s no need anymore, because you''re going to be joining your precious son very soon!"


    At Su Chen''s words, Liu Yongyuan''s body involuntarily shivered!


    That''s right, at this moment, he no longer had any support around him. If this madman, who didn''t y by the rules, truly wanted to kill him, what could he possibly use to stop him?


    With this thought, Liu Yongyuan involuntarily began to feel fear, a hint of panic shing in his eyes!


    By now, Liu Yongyuan had lost all his previous confidence; he no longer believed that Su Chen wouldn''t dare to kill him. He felt danger drawing near!


    "Afraid now, isn''t it a bitte?"


    Su Chen had naturally noticed the change in Liu Yongyuan''s demeanor and sighed leisurely:


    "Liu Family Head, I wonder if you''re feeling even a hint of regret over what you''ve done!"


    Liu Yongyuan was indeed filled with so much regret it was as if his guts were turning green. Ever since he had crossed paths with him and Lin Ruoxue, the Liu Family seemed to have entered a continuous nightmare!


    But what was the use of regretting now?


    If he were given another chance, he would''ve avoided this madman at all costs and stayed as far away as possible!


    But he would never get such an opportunity. As he looked at the cold sneer appearing on the young face before him, Liu Yongyuan felt the call of the Grim Reaper!


    His instincts screamed for him to flee, but before he could even turn his head, a sh of silver swept by, and blood gushed from both of his wrists!


    "You can slowly savor the feeling of life slipping away,"


    Su Chen said calmly. For Liu Yongyuan and his son, who had nearly cost Ruoxue her life, how could he allow them an easy death? That would be letting them off too lightly!


    So for Liu Qing, he had ensured a miserable end, and for Liu Yongyuan, he intended to let him die slowly, in fear, and filled with regret for his actions!


    The other members of the Liu Family could only watch Su Chen with hisposed and icy face. They didn''t dare say a word let alone do anything, as they watched helplessly while he slowly died!


    After not too long a time, Liu Yongyuan was already lying motionless on the ground, with a look of sheer terror still etched across his face!


    "Alright, Old Master, let''s go."


    Su Chen gently said to Lin Old Master.


    After speaking, he walked out of the Liu Family''s grand entrance, and not a single person dared to stop him, while Lin Old Master closely followed behind.


    "If any of you want to suffer the same fate as that father and son, feel free to seek revenge!"


    Su Chen''s voice came from the courtyard entrance...


    ...


    When the car carrying Su Chen and Lin Old Master was once again driving on Jianghai''s streets, it was already past 4 a.m.


    Ever since getting into the car, Lin Old Master hadn''t said a word, because he was still deeply shocked by the events of the evening!


    He couldn''t believe that everything that happened tonight was real!


    He, all by himself, had crushed the colossal Liu Family under his feet using his formidable strength, and even killed their Family Head and heir!


    And he walked out of the Liu Family''s old mansion with great dignity in the end!


    To Lin Old Master, even in fairy tales, such events were unimaginable, yet they had indeed urred!


    It made the Old Master recall a saying: "To take a general''s head from an army of millions is as easy as reaching into a bag for an object!"


    Su Chen''s actions today had given Lin Old Master such a heroic feeling!


    But what was next?


    Lin Old Master knew that things were far from over, for the Liu Family was not just any tom, dick, or harry; they had been standing tall in Jiangnan for over a hundred years!


    Huaxia was a highly stable nation, and even the authorities would probably prefer the Liu Family not to encounter trouble, which could lead to changes in the situation!


    However, Lin Old Master didn''t voice his concerns because it wouldn''t have been of any use, even though Su Chen''s actions today were sensational, Lin Old Master thought they were somewhat rash and inconsiderate of the consequences.


    Lin Old Master thought to himself, luckily he had been scrambling in Jianghai for most of his life; he was familiar with people from all walks of life to some extent.


    He nned, after getting some sleep, to meet those people in an effort to pacify the situation a bit...


    Su Chen didn''t realize that the Old Master had already been using his years of connections to cover for him, because he hadn''t been taking the matter too seriously.


    The supposed subsequent troubles were merely a phone call away for him; they were nothing insurmountable...


    Su Chen first dropped Lin Old Master off at home, told him to rest well, and then drove to the hospital. On his way to the hospital, he took out his phone and dialed a number he hadn''t contacted in years...


    Upon arriving at the hospital, Lin Ruoxue was still unconscious, and Lin Wenqing was smiling and telling her about the amusing stories from her childhood, though his eyes couldn''t hide his worry.


    He then joined Lin Wenqing by Lin Ruoxue''s side, quietly looking at her extremely beautiful face, even in her sleep.


    .....


    The next afternoon, Lin Old Master got out of bed since his heart had been hanging all night, so he hadn''t really slept much.


    After getting up, he freshened up quickly, ate something simple, and then prepared to go out and visit his connections.


    As he was eating, a servant came over, holding a newspaper.


    "Old Master, here''s today''s Jianghai Daily."


    "Good, just leave it here."


    Lin Old Master always had the habit of reading the newspaper while eating, but today, due to urgent matters, he didn''t n to read it.


    After breakfast, Lin Old Master was about to leave.


    However, just as he was getting up, his nce unintentionally caught the newspaper, and his eyes suddenly fixed on it...

 Chapter 422: The Old Masters Shock

    The elder Lin''s eyes were glued to the newspaper and he couldn''t look away, disbelief written all over his face!


    It was as if he had seen a ghost, his whole body trembling!


    Because on the front page of the newspaper was a striking headline¡ª"Jianghai Police Department, in coordination with the Jianghai Administration for Industry and Commerce,unch a thunderous operation against Liu Corporation!"


    The elder hurriedly stopped in his tracks, took the newspaper in his hands, and carefully read every single word.


    The article stated that due to tax evasion and unfair businesspetition practices over many years of operation, the Jianghai Police Department, in joint action with the Jianghai Administration for Industry and Commerce, had initiated an investigation into Liu Corporation.


    At present, several members of the Liu Family implicated in the case have been arrested, and the relevant authorities are still in the process of further investigation!


    Of course, there were other intriguing details in the article that suggested this operation was out of the ordinary!


    It took a good ten minutes for the elder Lin to finish reading the article, and afterwards, he was utterly dazed!


    Just yesterday, his son-inw had killed the Liu father and son, and promptly, the authorities made a forceful move against the Liu Family.


    To say there was no connection between the two events, probably not even a fool would believe it!


    But how could his son-inw have such immense power?!


    It could be said that the content on this newspaper was even more shocking to him than Su Chen''s night attack on the Liu family''s old house yesterday, murdering the Liu father and son!


    As the head of the Lin Family, he knew too well how much power it took to pull off such a feat!


    And to do it in such a short time, with such a rapid and overwhelming force!


    After a long while, the elder Lin couldn''t help but sigh:


    Su Chen, who exactly are you?!


    However, the elder didn''t believe the crimes listed in the newspaper were baseless; after all, how could a corporation asrge as Liu Corporation not have any irregrities?


    He believed that as the investigation went deeper, there would surely be even more shocking scandals revealed!


    Often, it was just that nobody had lifted the lid, and once uncovered, no one knew what kind of filth would be revealed.


    Regardless, one thing was certain¡ªthe Liu Family was finished and would never have a chance to turn things around!


    The once glorious Liu Family, one of the four great family heads, would from now on be just a fleeting cloud...


    At this point, the elder Lin no longer needed to visit those connections anymore. He sat back down in his chair, lost in a whirl of thoughts...


    .....


    Although Lin Wenlong and his son had been expelled from the Lin Family with broken limbs and the Liu father and son had paid their dues, Lin Ruoxue still hadn''t woken up...


    Su Chen was almost always at the hospital, keeping vigil beside Lin Ruoxue, and even though Zhang Xin was already well enough to be discharged, there was still no sign of Lin Ruoxue waking up.


    Like this, another three days passed, and during these days, Su Chen hardly left the hospital, hoping that Lin Ruoxue would see him as soon as she opened her eyes!


    Not to mention others, even Lin Wenqing and Zhang Xin were worried that Su Chen was wearing himself out. They urged him several times to go home and rest, but he always refused with a smile, instead advising them to go back.


    Seeing Su Chen this way, they felt both heartache and relief. With their daughter in the hands of such a man, they had nothing to worry about!


    During these days, Su Chen''s beard had grown very long, and without bathing, he looked several years older than he was.


    But in this situation, he had no mind for anything else, knowing that the longer it dragged on, the less likely it was that Ruoxue would wake up!


    It was only now that he truly realized what ce Lin Ruoxue upied in his heart!


    Heaven have mercy, Lin Ruoxue finally woke up in the deep of the night.


    The instant Lin Ruoxue opened her eyes, Su Chen suddenly felt as if the day had dawned. He excitedly waved his fists and then, in thrilled, grabbed Lin Ruoxue in his arms!


    "Husband, you smell so bad!"


    In Su Chen''s moment of overwhelming excitement, Lin Ruoxue murmured.


    Su Chen immediately let go of Lin Ruoxue, picked up his own cor and sniffed it:


    "It does seem rather smelly."


    Su Chen grinned, his happiness shining through like a child''s.


    "What an idiot!"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a disdainful nce as she spoke.


    "An idiot I may be, as long as my wife you''ve woken up, that''s all that matters!"


    What did it matter if he was a fool in front of his own wife?


    "Husband, weren''t you on a trip in Sanya? Howe you''re back?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a baffled face:


    "And howe I''m here?"


    "Wife, do you not remember anything?" Su Chen asked.


    Lin Ruoxue still looked confused as she shook her head.


    "Husband, what on earth happened? Tell me!"


    Lin Ruoxue instinctively sensed that something significant had transpired.


    Su Chen looked into Lin Ruoxue''s watery eyes and then recounted what had happened.


    Of course, he omitted the part about the Liu Family, because if Lin Ruoxue were to find out, she would naturally associate the recent events involving the Liu Family with herself.


    Then she might start doubting her own identity again, so Su Chen simply said it was Lin Wenlong and his son''s doing.


    After hearing what Su Chen had said, Lin Ruoxue''s expression couldn''t help but cloud over, and she sighed:


    "Why would a family go this far? If they really insist on it that much, I''d give it to them!"


    Lin Ruoxue wanted the Belle Corporation not for its vast wealth but merely as a tform to demonstrate her value and fulfill her own wishes; she didn''t care much for such massive wealth since she had plenty of money that she could never spend in a lifetime¡ªwhat was the use of having so much?


    "Alright, you''ve just woken up, try not to be too emotional, and rest well!"


    Su Chen tucked Lin Ruoxue under the nkets as he spoke.


    "It''s okay, husband. Why don''t you go take a shower, shave, and then get some sleep?"


    Lin Ruoxue said with concern, noticing his grimy and somewhat haggard appearance.


    "It''s fine. I''ll go back after Mom and Dade tomorrow morning."


    How could Su Chen leave her here alone at a time like this?


    Seeing that he was determined to stay, Lin Ruoxue let it be. Su Chen then called in a takeout order¡ªbringing a bowl of porridge¡ªwhich he guessed Lin Ruoxue must have been craving.


    Afterward, the two chatted casually. Once she had finished the porridge, Su Chen insisted she rest, knowing that she had just regained consciousness and couldn''t be in the best of spirits¡ªit would take at least a few days to recuperate.


    Early the next day, Lin Wenqing and his wife arrived, and upon seeing Lin Ruoxue awake, the two elderly people burst into tears...


    Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen hurried tofort them. After a while, the couple gradually calmed down.


    "Husband, now that Mom and Dad are here, you really should go take a bath, brush your teeth, and get some sleep."


    Lin Ruoxue urged Su Chen.


    "What, are you sick of your husband already?"


    Su Chen teased her.


    "I am not!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face blushed slightly as she retorted...

 Chapter 423 - 423 Peach Blossom Debt

    "You really don''t mind?"


    Su Chen asked with the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.


    "No."


    Lin Ruoxue emitted a delicate sound through her nose.


    "If you really don''t mind, then give your husband a hug."


    Su Chen said, sitting down by the bed and spreading his arms open.


    "What are you doing, my parents are still here? Hurry up and go!"


    Lin Ruoxue blushed and pushed him.


    It had been a long time since Su Chen had seen Lin Ruoxue so shy. Seeing it return was a delightful sight to his eyes!


    "Since my wife refuses to hug me, then I''ll just hug you!"


    Su Chen said, and without waiting for Lin Ruoxue''s consent, he hugged her, feeling her warm body temperature.


    "It seems we''ve be a hindrance here, we''d better leave."


    Lin Wenqing sighed at Zhang Xin.


    "Mom and Dad, why are you teasing me too?"


    Now, Lin Ruoxue''s pretty face blushed even more, like a blooming flower.


    "Aren''t you leaving yet!"


    After that, she red at Su Chen again; this guy was brazen-faced! With her parents still around, he actually dared to...


    "Okay, I''ll go now. My wife, you take good rest."


    Su Chen gently kissed Lin Ruoxue''s forehead and dodged before she could punch him with her small fist. He then walked out of the ward with a cheery smile.


    "This guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue muttered somewhat frustrated and angry.


    Looking at the couple''s yful banter, Lin Wenqing couldn''t help but smile knowingly...


    ......


    "Mrs. Wang!"


    Having been back for several days, this was Su Chen''s first time returning to the vi, so he called out as soon as he entered the door, wearing the most rxed expression he had in days, since Lin Ruoxue was awake and he could finally be at ease!


    "Young master-inw, you''re finally back!"


    Mrs. Wang came out with a joyful expression:


    "Eh, where''s Miss? Hasn''t she returned from her business trip yet?"


    "Hmm, I''m afraid it''ll take a few more days¡ªthere''s a bit of aplication."


    Su Chen nodded and said, to avoid worrying Mrs. Wang, he had contacted her the night he came back, telling her that Ruoxue had gone on a business trip in a hurry and didn''t manage to greet her.


    Mrs. Wang naturally didn''t suspect anything; it was just that this time the trip was a little longer than usual, as before, it had been at most two or three days.


    After a brief chat with Mrs. Wang, Su Chen went to take a shower. He felt much refreshed after the shower, then he shaved and changed into clean clothes.


    Then, after eating something simple, he drove out again. Now that most matters were settled, it was time to start his cultivation practice again, as he had fallen behind quite a bit due to Ruoxue''s incident.


    When he arrived at the manor, he was unexpectedly surprised to find Xu Xinran was at home.


    "Aren''t you supposed to work today?"


    Su Chen asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "None of your business!"


    "Please, you''re a woman and a police officer, can''t you speak more civilly?"


    Su Chen thought to himself, why was this girl so fiery and still giving him the cold shoulder? After all, he was kind of herndlord, wasn''t he?


    "Being civil to a dog doesn''t mean I have to be civil to scum like you!"


    Xu Xinran snorted coldly and headed for her room.


    "Stop right there!"


    Su Chen suddenly shouted, and Xu Xinran indeed stopped in her tracks at his yell.


    "What else do you want?"


    Xu Xinran asked, her voice cold and somewhat puzzled.


    "Come here; let''s have a proper talk,"


    Su Chen sighed softly.


    "I have nothing to talk about with someone like you!"


    Xu Xinran retorted and turned to leave again.


    "Do you like me?"


    Just as she was about to walk away, Su Chen''s voice abruptly rang out from behind her.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Xu Xinran trembled slightly, her cheeks instantly flushing red, but she still spat out stubbornly,


    "Don''t tter yourself. How could I possibly like you?!"


    Her tone was clearly flustered. After speaking without turning her head, she quickly stepped into the bedroom, and then the sound of the door mming shut with a "bang" echoed behind her.


    Su Chen, hearing that door close, couldn''t help but feel a headacheing on.


    He had been trying to figure out why Xu Xinran had suddenly be so cold and even hostile towards him. This change seemed to have started after the day he rolled in the sheets with Eniel and returned here. The only exnation he could think of was that this girl had fallen for him too, and seeing the marks of another woman on him, she had gotten angry and jealous.


    So, he had just tried to probe a little, and the result seemed to confirm his guess.


    If it had been the Su Chen of the past, having such a beautiful, hot-bodied policewoman liking him would have been something he could only wish for.


    But now, what he felt was mostly trouble. He was already filled with guilt towards Xia Qiuru, Ye Mei, and Xiao Yaning, among others; he did not want another person to owe something to, yet he found himself in debt once more.


    "It seems like having too many romantic debts is really troublesome!"


    Su Chen shook his head with a sigh and went back to his room to continue his cultivation...


    ...


    These past few days, Su Chen had been vigntly staying in the hospital with Lin Ruoxue. He was unaware that the entire Jiangnan had already been in aplete uproar!


    And naturally, the reason was a series of major incidents that had recently urred in the Liu Family!


    Nobody expected that the father and son of the Liu family would die overnight, and that straightaway, the whole Liu family would be hit hard by the state''s iron fist!


    In just one short day, one of the Four Great Families, the Liu Family, was already reeling in the storm...


    The whole thing seemed to have happened without any warning, urring so suddenly that the entire upper echelon of Jiangnan was caught off guard!


    As a result, those powerful bigwigs started investigating everywhere, trying to figure out what had actually happened. But surprisingly, despite such a huge incident, hardly any information leaked out.


    The people of the Liu Family were even more tight-lipped, not daring to mention what happened at the Liu family mansion that night, let alone the seemingly ordinary young man involved!


    However, the less they found, the more these upper-ss people felt the eeriness and extraordinariness of the situation!


    They were sure there must be someone with sky-high power operating from behind the scenes; otherwise, the situation would not be what it was now!


    As for who that person was, that remained an even greater mystery...


    As for the majority of the businessmunity, after the initial shock, they fully disyed their mercantile nature andunched an attack on the industries controlled by the Liu Family!


    It was well-known that many had long coveted the assets of the Liu Family, and not taking advantage of this golden opportunity would be a disgrace to themselves.


    Belle Group naturally didn''t want to fall behind either, but because Lin Ruoxue was absent, they only snatched up a little bit.


    In the end, the ones who gained the most were still the other three of the Four Great Families!


    Although they snatched quite a bit of good stuff from the Liu Family, they couldn''t feel happy.


    Because the fall of the Liu Family had them terrified, the fate of the rabbit forebodes the fate of the fox; they had always believed that the Four Great Families were invincible, but the mighty Liu Family had disappeared just like that...

 Chapter 424: Pleasing to the Ear

    Su Chen indeed had no interest in the Liu Family''s affairs; now, aside from caring for Lin Ruoxue''s health, his only concern was his own cultivation.


    Originally, he felt that he was about to enter the Eighth Layer Realm, but because he had used a considerable amount of qi, blood, and True Yuan to heal Lin Ruoxue, he needed to recuperate before it was possible.


    After half a day of cultivation, Su Chen felt rejuvenated, full of energy. He first cooked some sticky rice porridge, then made two delicate and light dishes, and finally packed everything to take to the hospital.


    Upon Su Chen''s arrival, he let Lin Wenqing and his wife go back to rest. Seeing that their daughter had woken up, they tactfully decided not to be a third wheel any longer.


    Lin Ruoxue intended to eat the porridge herself, but Su Chen insisted on feeding her; Lin Ruoxue had no way of stopping him, so she just went along with it.


    However, being so carefully pampered by Su Chen filled her heart with a sense of bliss...


    "Husband, I don''t want to stay in the hospital anymore,"


    Lin Ruoxue said somewhat coquettishly after finishing the porridge.


    "Alright, if you don''t want to stay, we won''t stay. I''ll go and handle the discharge procedures right away,"


    Su Chen said indulgently as he stroked her head, confident that with him around, there was nothing to worry about.


    The discharge procedures werepleted quickly, and then Su Chen insisted on carrying Lin Ruoxue downstairs all the way to the car before setting her down.


    All along the way, everyone''s eyes were fixed on them, causing Lin Ruoxue''s cheeks to redden with embarrassment. She buried her head in Su Chen''s back to avoid being recognized.


    Initially, Lin Ruoxue really didn''t want him to carry her because it felt embarrassing, but the persistent fellow cited her weak physical condition as a reason, leaving her no choice.


    You''d think he''d just carry her, but the hand gripping her buttocks was restless the entire time, making Lin Ruoxue feel like ants were crawling over her heart...


    It didn''t stop there; once they reached home and Lin''s mother had already gone to sleep, the scoundrel took advantage of the situation to sleep with her, iming he was worried something might happen to her.


    Lin Ruoxue knew her unscrupulous husband well enough to know that he wouldn''t rest until he achieved his goal, so she nodded in agreement, after all, it wasn''t the first time they had slept together.


    No sooner had she nodded, than the rascal scooped her up in a princess carry, dashed upstairs, entered the bedroom, and with a swift move, the door was closed behind them!


    Then Su Chen gentlyid her on the bed, his gaze burning with intensity as he looked at Lin Ruoxue.


    Feeling like a deer caught in the headlights under his gaze, Lin Ruoxue stammered,


    "Husband, why are you looking at me like that?"


    His response was a passionate kiss, which took Lin Ruoxuepletely by surprise. At first, she was in shock, but soon she couldn''t help but wrap her arms around him and fiercely reciprocate.


    After a lengthy, deep French kiss, Lin Ruoxue was gasping for air, and Su Chen finally let her go. He smiled softly and said,


    "Wife, you''re wonderful!"


    "After being bullied by you like that, of course you''d say I''m wonderful!"


    Lin Ruoxue cast a sultry nce his way as she spoke.


    "But you enjoyed it just now, didn''t you?"


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue with a smile.


    "Don''t say that!"


    Lin Ruoxue stretched out her delicate hand to cover his mouth, her face a deep shade of red!


    Su Chen was a bit puzzled¡ªsurely they''d done it, so what was there to be afraid of saying?


    However, he didn''t dwell on it, rolling off of Lin Ruoxue and pulling the nket over them both:


    "All right, wife, let''s go to sleep!"


    "Mmm."


    Soon after the light was out, within two minutes, Lin Ruoxue rolled to his side, embracing Su Chen''s chest and resting her face against his back, feeling even more secure that way.


    "Husband, did you talk to me a lot while I was unconscious?"


    In the darkness, Lin Ruoxue''s voice emerged.


    "Mmm, how did you know?"


    "Just a guess. What exactly did you tell me, husband?"


    "Nothing much, just some random thoughts."


    "Howe I feel like someone told me we''ve never been a true husband and wife and that I''ve missed out a lot? Is that something you said, husband?"


    "Uh, no, definitely not. How could I say such shameless words?"


    "Really?"


    "Of course it''s true!"


    "And talking about how there are many women who are after you, and something about being taken away by another woman? You didn''t say those things either, did you?"


    "Of course not! Absolutely not, a hundred times no, a thousand times no. Wife, rest assured, your husband will definitely not be stolen away!"


    "But why do I feel like that voice sounds so much like you, husband?"


    "You must have been hallucinating while unconscious! Definitely!"


    "Husband, were you conscious while you were unconscious?"


    "Hmm, on and off. Sometimes it seemed like I could sense the things around me, but my body just wouldn''t respond!"


    "I see, there''s no need to worry about that. It''s something that some people experience while unconscious."


    "Then tell me, is what I heard during that time real?"


    "I don''t know about others, but what you heard, wife, was definitely not real. You probably love your husband too much and that''s why you''re so worried, and then this subconscious voice appeared in your head."


    "Husband, can I ask you a question?"


    "Of course, ask away!"


    "How can you be so shameless?"


    "I''ve married such a beautiful wife like you, what do I need a face for?"


    "Husband, you''re really shameless!"


    "Do you want your husband to be even more shameless for you to see? Hehehe!"


    "No, husband, take your hand away..."


    "If you don''t take it away, I''ll scream harassment!"


    "Go ahead and scream, your husband is fully certified! Protected by thew!"


    "Husband, I was wrong..."


    "Really wrong?"


    "Hmm!"


    "Then let''s hear something nice!"


    "Can you take your hand away first, please?"


    "You first!"


    "Husband, what kind of nice thing do you want to hear?"


    "If I tell you, where''s the sincerity in that?"


    "Husband, you''re really great!"


    "Too nd!"


    "Husband, you''re really handsome!"


    "Like I need you to tell me that!"


    "What exactly do you want then?"


    "Up to you!"


    "Muah!"


    "Does that work for you?"


    "Works, works. Wife, you smell so good!"


    "Tsk, big pervert!"


    "It''s just a man''s true color!"


    Su Chen finally fell into a peaceful sleep, but Lin Ruoxue felt somewhat indignant, almost wishing she could kick this bad egg off the bed!


    The next day, early in the morning, when the sunlight streamed into the room, both of them opened their eyes almost at the same time.


    "Wife, good morning!"


    Su Chen greeted her warmly but only received a roll of the eyes in return...


    Su Chen knew she was still angry aboutst night''s incident, but he didn''t mind, in fact, he found her quite amusing at the moment.


    Lin Ruoxue was nning to get up as well, but Su Chen pinned her down on the bed:


    "You''re staying home and resting for the next few days, and you''re not allowed to do anything! Did you hear me?!"


    Although Lin Ruoxue was still miffed at him, his words warmed her heart a little...

 Chapter 425 - 425 Eating Together

    Su Chen then very considerately brought Lin Ruoxue breakfast in her room, along with a magazine:


    "Wife, get some rest, and if you''re really bored, have a look at the magazine."


    Faced with such a thoughtful husband, Lin Ruoxue''s minor moods from earlier had all but dissipated, and she obediently nodded.


    "Husband, you haven''t been to the group for many days, you should hurry and go to work."


    To be honest, Lin Ruoxue wasn''t quite used to being taken care of so attentively by a man, even though this man was her husband.


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen gave a few more simple instructions and then drove off to the group. After so many days, he really did miss the beauties in the public rtions department.


    Now that his wife was fine, little sprouts of desire began to stir in Su Chen''s heart again...


    He had thought that those women, upon seeing him, would certainlye over, thrilled, to express their longing for him, and then everyone would touch each other and have a friendly exchange for a while.


    However, when he entered the public rtions department, everyone was busy with their own work, and the asional nces that drifted his way were filled with resentment, as if Su Chen had wronged them in some way.


    Having expected to have a warm exchange with those beauties, Su Chen could only scratch his nose and said sheepishly:


    "Uh, seems like everyone is quite busy, ha, good, good, carry on!"


    After hearing this, no one really reacted, as if he was just like the air.


    Su Chen muttered to himself, "Is it really such a big deal that I left early without saying goodbye to you all?"


    Women truly are petty indeed!


    Since the envisioned "warm exchanges" with everyone didn''t happen, Su Chen had no choice but to sit at his desk and flip through his favorite "Men''s Fashion".


    By the time lunch came around, on his way to the group''s cafeteria, he happened to bump into the junior secretary Chen Guo, who was walking back after having finished her meal.


    "Su Bro, thank you!"


    The junior secretary said with a face full of shame:


    "I did such a thing, and yet you helped save my parents. I''m really not a good person."


    "Alright, let''s put that behind us. Just do your job well from now on!"


    Su Chen patted the youngdy''s shoulder and said. Before Lin Wenlong and his son were chased out of the Lin Family courtyard by Elder Lin, he had already instructed Lin Chao to call his men to release Chen Guo''s parents.


    In such a situation, what choice did Lin Chao have? Moreover, Chen Guo''s parents were of no real importance to him; they were originally just a means to coerce Chen Guo.


    "Su Bro, don''t worry. No matter what happens in the future, I won''t do anything to hurt President Lin or you!"


    Chen Guo said, her face full of determination.


    "Good, go on with your work!"


    Su Chen nodded and said. He hadn''t been harsh on Chen Guo because she wasn''t bad by nature and had been forced into a difficult position.


    But he wouldn''t let off anyone who really hurt Lin Ruoxue, not a single one. Aside from Lin Wenlong and his son, and the Liu family father and son, the body of Ma Yuemin was also found in an apartment yesterday; it seemed he had been dead for several days...


    After Su Chen got his meal at the cafeteria, he just happened to see that Xia Qiuru''s table only had one person at it and immediately went over.


    If Lin Ruoxue was in the group, he would sometimes feel a bit guilty, but now, how could he pass up the opportunity to dine with a beautiful woman?


    "Beauty, do you mind if I sit here?"


    Su Chen asked with a teasing smile as he approached the table.


    "If I said I mind, would you leave?"


    Xia Qiuru looked up and saw it was him,ughing as she spoke.


    After breaking through the previous awkwardness, the two felt more and more like old friends who had known each other for years.


    "A feast for the eyes, she can''t even be chased away with a stick!"


    Su Chen said with augh as he sat down opposite Xia Qiuru.


    "Su Chen, your tongue has gotten all the more glib."


    Xia Qiuru gave him a look, her lips a captivating shade of red that piqued one''s imagination.


    "I''m only like this with beauties."


    Su Chen chuckled ''hehe'', his casual demeanor causing Qiuru''s pretty face to turn slightly red, prompting her to quiet down and focus on eating her meal.


    "That''s all you''re eating?"


    Su Chen asked, noticing that Qiuru''s lunchbox had only a little rice and vegetables.


    "I''m on a diet!"


    "That won''t do, here, have some of mine."


    As he spoke, Su Chen scooped almost untouched portions of his meal into Qiuru''s lunchbox:


    "You work so hard, how can you have the energy to keep going on so little food?"


    Qiuru, looking at the heaping food now in her lunchbox, couldn''t help butugh and cry at the same time, "You''ve pushed over too much; it''s more than I eat in an entire day."


    "Do you think I''m a pig or something?"


    She said, with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.


    "No worries, eat up, and I''ll finish whatever you can''t!"


    Su Chen, who was eating, muttered casually upon hearing Qiuru''s response.


    At the time, Su Chen didn''t think anything of what he had said, but it made Qiuru feel somewhat ufortable.


    Eating from the same box was something only very close people would do!


    So all Qiuru could do was to nod with a "hmm" and lower her head to continue eating; she really did end up eating a lot, as if the food tasted better than usual.


    However, the amount Su Chen had given her was too much; in the end, she couldn''t finish, leaving about half of it uneaten.


    Su Chen didn''t mind at all. He took the lunchbox and quickly finished off the remainder in no time.


    Yet watching him eat what she had left, Qiuru felt a subtle wave of emotion inside.


    "Is there something dirty on my face?"


    Noticing Qiuru staring at him, Su Chen asked curiously.


    "No, nothing!"


    Qiuru''s expression became a bit flustered when he looked her way; she hastily changed the subject:


    "By the way, is President Lin okay now?"


    "He''s fine now, recovering at home. He''ll probably be able toe back to the office in a couple of days." Su Chen stood up and said, "Alright, we''re done here, let''s head back together."


    Back in the Public Rtions Department, Su Chen found himself idle again. As his gaze fell on one beautiful coworker after another, each of them red back fiercely!


    He suddenly remembered that Ye Mei had contacted him a few days ago, telling him to drop by when he had time. With nothing to do now, he thought it a good idea to check in on her and Yaning.


    So once again, Su Chen drove to Rose Mansion. As he entered this time, the receptionist who had been snacking hastily hid her food at the sight of him.


    Joking aside, he might be one of President Ye''s men. A small report to her could mean big trouble for the receptionist.


    Su Chen clearly noticed the receptionist''s action and found it amusing. He smiled at her and proceeded inside.


    This time, the receptionist didn''t dare stop him as she had before...

 Chapter 426 - 426 Lin Ruoxue Who Did Something Wrong

    "Miss, do you need any service?"


    Ye Mei''s office door was ajar, when suddenly a tapping of fingers on the ss rang out, followed by a sly voice.


    Engrossed in her work, Ye Mei felt a me of irritation ignite in her eyes at the sound, but a sh of surprise crossed her face upon seeing that mischievous smile, which she quickly concealed.


    "What brings a busy person like you to my humble abode today?"


    Ye Mei asked with a hint of coldness in her voice. She had called him three days ago, and his presence now indicated he hadn''t taken her seriously at all.


    "Yo, you''re still mad? But look, I''vee, haven''t I?"


    Su Chen took a seat in the chair in front of her desk with ease:


    "What do you need me for?"


    "There was something, but it''s not needed now. You can go back to your own stuff!"


    Ye Mei was indeed telling the truth, but her words carried a hint of petnce, like a girl whining to her boyfriend.


    It must be said, sometimes Su Chen was quite slow to catch on in emotional matters. For example, right now he asked with some confusion:


    "What was it that you needed?"


    "You''re such a blockhead!"


    Ye Mei cursed silently in her heart, then responded coolly:


    "I was originally going to ask you to apany me to Europe, but now the ns have been dyed. We can talk about itter."


    Indeed, she was supposed to meet with someone from Almei Group, but due to recent issues with the Liu Family, she negotiated a postponement with the other party.


    After all, with the Liu Family''s fall, everyone in Jiangnan''s business circles was scrambling for a piece of the pie, and Ye Mei was no exception, hence her preupationtely.


    The folks at Almei had promptly sought guidance from the Phillip Family. She had expected some annoyance on their part, but instead, they contacted her directly, conveying their willingness to meet anytime and hinting at wanting to meet the original owner of the pendant.


    "Alright, just let me know when you''re going, and that''ll do."


    Su Chen was rather indifferent to this. He''d consider it a leisure trip; after all, it had been over a year since hisst visit.


    "By the way, are you involved with the Liu Family incident?"


    Ye Mei suddenly asked, her beautiful eyes fixed tightly on Su Chen.


    She knew that Su Chen was no ordinary man and that he had quite a few beefs with the Liu Family.


    "How could that be?" Su Chen was briefly startled before heughed, "Do you really think I''m capable of pulling off such a thing?"


    "Maybe I am overthinking it."


    Ye Mei forced a smile and shook her head. Whoever brought the Liu Family to such a state surely had sky-high influence!


    Although Su Chen was mysterious and extraordinary, and even had some connections with the Phillip Family, he probably wasn''t at that level yet.


    Everyone knew the kind of strength it took to do something like that! This was the actual reason why the other three major houses had been rtively quiettely. The Wu Family even put their assassination n for Su Chen on hold, opting to see how things unfold before taking any further action.


    "Is Yaning around? I''d like to check on her."


    Su Chen didn''t want to continue discussing this topic, so he inquired.


    "She''s not here. She''s seemed a bit preupied these past few days, not in the best of moods, so I told her to take a break and go home."


    When it came to Xiao Yaning, Ye Mei''s brow furrowed slightly. As her close friend, she naturally cared a lot about her.


    "Preupied? With what?"


    "I don''t know, she wouldn''t say when I asked her. It must be her personal matter."


    With that, Ye Mei scrutinized Su Chen:


    "You didn''t bully her, did you?"


    Ye Mei asked this because she knew that Xiao Yaning had the same feelings for Su Chen as herself.


    Aside from Su Chen, she really couldn''t think of anyone else or anything else that might leave her so distracted and unable to eat or drink.


    "It''s a total misunderstanding, aplete misunderstanding. I haven''t seen her in a long time, okay?"


    Su Chen quickly raised his hands to plead his innocence, and he was also very curious about what had happened to Xiao Yaning.


    "Maybe I should go and see what''s wrong with her."


    "No, don''t. That girl is sensitive. Let her have some quiet time by herself first. She''ll talk when she''s ready."


    "Alright then, I''ll listen to you for now."


    Although Su Chen wasn''t able to give the two women what they most desired, in the end, they were both good friends in his heart.


    Su Chen stayed in Ye Mei''s office for an hour or two before leaving and heading straight home, after all, Lin Ruoxue was still recuperating at home!


    After arriving home, Su Chen naturally went straight to Lin Ruoxue''s bedroom. Upon pushing the door open, he found not a soul inside.


    Just then, a faint "rustling" sound came from the study next door, and Su Chen''s face instantly grew long.


    This woman had just woken up from aa and was already working again, utterly disregarding her own health.


    He walked to the door of the study and forcefully pushed it open, looking at Lin Ruoxue with an angry face.


    Lin Ruoxue, hearing the door open, couldn''t help but look up. When she saw Su Chen''s angry expression, she started to feel scared. It seemed like the first time Su Chen had ever shown such an expression to her.


    "Husband, I..."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t know why, but seeing Su Chen like this, she suddenly felt a bit panicked...


    "You''ve got another half hour. In half an hour, you must go back to the bedroom to rest!"


    Su Chen gave a cold snort and walked out.


    "Oh, got it."


    Lin Ruoxue sounded like a child who had done something wrong, not daring to retort.


    After Su Chen walked out of the study, a smile couldn''t help but appear on the corners of his mouth:


    "Seems like this trick still works pretty well!"


    Actually, when he had returned home just now and saw that Lin Ruoxue wasn''t resting, he was indeed a bit angry.


    After going downstairs, Su Chen went to his room to practice Cultivation, since there was still some time before dinner.


    After working for another half hour, Lin Ruoxue obediently went back to the room to rest until it was time for dinner when Wang''s mother called her down.


    "Miss, I think it''s about time. Are you nning to head to Tianshan soon?"


    While they were finishing dinner, Wang''s mother casually asked.


    "Mm, in about three days."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded, Su Chen had mentioned that her body would be almost recovered in a couple of days, and now she absolutely trusted Su Chen''s medical skills.


    "Wang''s mother, have you got everything ready?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked somewhat uneasily.


    "Don''t worry, everything has been prepared long ago."


    Wang''s mother replied with a smile.


    "What exactly are you going to do in Tianshan?"


    Since thest time they mentioned going to Tianshan, Su Chen still didn''t understand what they were going to do.


    "Why all the questions? You''ll find out when we get there!"


    Lin Ruoxue chided, regaining her usual demeanor with no sign of the fear she had shown just before.


    "Really, making it all so mysterious."


    Su Chen couldn''t help but purse his lips and mumble...

 Chapter 427: Arriving at Tianshan

    In the following days, to prevent his workaholic wife from sneaking in work again, Su Chen stayed at home to supervise her.


    Of course, he wasn''t entirely honest during this period. Having a woman as stunning as Lin Ruoxue by his side and not reacting at all made him doubt if he was even a man.


    After all, wasn''t this breathtaking beauty his wife?


    Over these days, Su Chen seemed to be even more familiar with Lin Ruoxue''s body, although he was already well acquainted with it before.


    Thanks to Su Chen''s careful supervision, Lin Ruoxue was indeed quietly taking care of her body, apart from when that rascal was up to no good.


    When Lin Ruoxue took her bath at night, she discovered several marks left by that bad boy''s wicked ws on her body...


    On the fourth morning, after having breakfast and saying goodbye to Mother Wang, the couple left the house.


    The day before, Lin Ruoxue had already gone to thepany to pass on her responsibilities, and it seemed like the staff was used to it by now. They knew that Lin Ruoxue would be out for a while every year, although it was usually just for a week or two.


    The two of them hailed a cab outside the residential area and headed straight for Jianghai Airport. Lin Ruoxue had booked a flight for 8:30 in the morning, but due to a dy, it didn''t take off until ten.


    Right up until boarding the ne, Su Chen was still unaware of what the trip to Tianshan was actually for.


    If it were any other ce, that would be fine, but Tianshan¡ªso far away, and with such difficult roads¡ªhe really couldn''t understand what was there that attracted Lin Ruoxue.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in a five-star hotel suite in Jianghai, a man in his thirties was standing there with a dozen burly men in front of him, who were clearly not from Huaxia but looked more like they came from the Middle East.


    However, they were all brimming with energy, standing upright, their muscles tensed as if hiding immense power within.


    "Is everything ready over there?" the thirty-something man asked seriously.


    "Don''t worry, Musya said he has prepared everything necessary," another man responded.


    "Good, the target has set off. We should make our move as well!" the man said, looking at his watch.


    "Leader Three, are youing with us?" the previous man asked in surprise.


    "Yes, I''ll join this time," he replied.


    "There''s no need for you to worry, Leader Three. We''ll definitelyplete the mission!"


    "No, this time I want to see them buried there with my own eyes," the thirty-something said, his eyes filled with a gaze of hatred.


    Su Chen, no matter how powerful you are, this time you''re definitely doomed!


    "Alright, it''s gettingte, let''s set off immediately!"


    "Yes!"


    The man then led his group out of the hotel...


    ....


    Since Tianshan didn''t have an airport, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue first had to reach Urumqi. From there, they would make their way to Tianshan.


    However, the distance from Jianghai to Urumqi was also quite long; even by ne, it would take around four to five hours, so they didn''t arrive at Urumqi airport until nearly three in the afternoon.


    "Where exactly in Tianshan are we going?"


    After leaving Urumqi airport, Su Chen, pulling the luggage, couldn''t help but ask.


    "Baixing Gully Vige,"


    Lin Ruoxue said as they walked on.


    As soon as Su Chen heard this, he was instantly confused. What the hell was this ce? He had never even heard of it, okay?


    "What are you going there for?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    "Why are you, a grown man, nagging so much? You''ll find out when we get there."


    After hearing this response, Su Chen had no choice but to pinch his nose and stop asking.


    "You go across the street and rent an off-road vehicle."


    Lin Ruoxue pointed to a rental agency across the street.


    With the wife''smand, Su Chen had to scurry off to do as told.


    Since both he and Lin Ruoxue were not short of money, there was no need to rent a poor-quality vehicle, so Su Chen rented a Jeep Wrangler, suitable for all kinds of road conditions.


    "Wife, where exactly is that vige you mentioned?"


    After picking up Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen inquired.


    "It''s about a hundred kilometers to the southeast. You start driving; I''ll navigate."


    "Alright."


    With that, Su Chen agreed, and the car immediately sped off in the southeastern direction.


    As they drew nearer, an irrepressible joy seemed to bloom on Lin Ruoxue''s face, a sight that further puzzled Su Chen.


    However, after driving for roughly a hundred kilometers, the road began to get more rugged, and the car started to shake violently.


    After another ten to twenty kilometers, Su Chen had to stop the car because the road ahead was no longer passable; the path was too narrow!


    "Are you sure we didn''t take the wrong way?"


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue both got out of the car.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve been here many times. Through this path, over that hill, and then about seven or eight more kilometers, and we''ll be there," Lin Ruoxue said, already walking ahead.


    "Can you handle it? Will your body hold up?" Su Chen asked worriedly:


    "Or should I carry you?"


    "No problem, let me ride on your back when I truly can''t go any further," Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Okay."


    Su Chen nced at the sneakers on her feet, noting that she was well-prepared, and then followed her onwards¡­


    After they crossed the narrow path and arrived at the foot of the small hill, Su Chen insisted on carrying her, not willing to let his wife, who was just recovering, exert herself so much.


    Unable to argue with him, Lin Ruoxue let him carry her. Aftering down the hill, Su Chen nned to keep carrying her, but Lin Ruoxue firmly refused.


    She was also worried that Su Chen would wear himself out. The climb up the small hill had indeed been difficult for her, but she could endure the rest of the journey on her own.


    At that moment, they had reached the foot of a mountain in the Tianshan range, which stretched across several countries. However, the nearby mountains were not particrly high.


    Looking from a distance, Su Chen could already see a small vige with sporadically arranged yurts, surrounded by a lush green pasture that gave an exhrating feeling, although the vige was notrge.


    They had not walked far when they saw a young man with a white hexagonal hat herding cattle and sheep from the side, casually humming a folk song vored with the taste of the grasnds.


    When he saw Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue, he couldn''t help looking over, and suddenly, the young man''s eyes lit up:


    "Teacher Lin, Teacher Lin, you''re here!"

 Chapter 428: Another Side of Lin Ruoxue

    After seeing Lin Ruoxue, the young shepherd abandoned his cows and sheep and excitedly ran towards Su Chen and her!


    Su Chen was surprised to hear the shouts, while Lin Ruoxue had already eagerly approached:


    "Tai Wei!"


    Lin Ruoxue affectionately touched his cap:


    "Little guy, did you juste back from herding?"


    "Yes."


    The boy nodded energetically and took her hand with excitement:


    "Ms. Lin,e back to my house with me, the vigers will be thrilled to see you!"


    Lin Ruoxue then walked towards the vige with the boy and his cattle and sheep, seemingly having forgotten Su Chen, her husband...


    Su Chen didn''t say anything, a slight smile ying on his lips as he followed behind them.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue warmly interacting with the boy, Su Chen felt quite astonished. He hadn''t expected her to have this side to her, a side of Lin Ruoxue he had never seen before in all this time.


    She seemed less reserved and cold, and instead more free-spirited and passionate.


    As they reached the vige, the boy shouted:


    "Ms. Lin is here!"


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than almost all the people immediately emerged from their felt tents.


    "Ms. Lin is here!"


    "Ms. Lin, we''ve missed you so much!"


    "Ms. Lin,e sit at my house!"


    "Ms. Lin, you should visit my house first!"


    .......


    Upon seeing Lin Ruoxue, each and every viger had a look of excited joy, each extending sincere invitations to her.


    Looking at those genuine smiling faces, Su Chen was overwhelmed, not having imagined Lin Ruoxue could be so well-acquainted with these people or so popr here.


    "I''ll go home first with Tai Wei to have a look, I''ve promised this little guy."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Alright, alright, Ms. Lin is wee to visit my home."


    An elderly man, his face etched deeply by the years, instantly burst into a blossomed smile.


    "Ms. Lin, who is this...?"


    An olddy who had lived beyond her sixtieth year came forward, took hold of Lin Ruoxue''s delicate hand, and pointed at Su Chen as she asked.


    At that moment, the others also turned their gaze towards Su Chen; they had been so excited that they hadn''t really noticed his presence.


    "He''s my husband,"


    Lin Ruoxue said shyly in a low voice.


    Upon hearing that this man was Lin Ruoxue''s husband, the vigers were first a bit stunned, but then, they all came forward with great enthusiasm, inviting him to drink.


    Even Su Chen, not usually one to be easily embarrassed, felt somewhat overwhelmed by their fervor.


    However, what they expressed the most was the sentiment that he should treat Lin Ruoxue well, or else they wouldn''t be so polite, to which Su Chen hurriedly proimed he wouldn''t dare!


    He could see that these people truly adored Lin Ruoxue!


    After a while, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue followed the old man and the boy towards one of the felt tents.


    It was now evening, and with winter drawing near, it had almost grown dark; the inside of the felt tent was even darker.


    Once they entered the tent, the old man hastily said:


    "Don''t stand in the dark; let me light themp."


    The old man then struck a match and lit an oilmp, bringing some light into the tent.


    With the dim light, Lin Ruoxue saw another olddy lying on the bed; it seemed she was already asleep.


    "Uncle, has Grandma Gu''s leg not gotten any better?" Lin Ruoxue asked.


    The old man shook his head, thenughed:


    "But after taking the medicine you broughtst time, it doesn''t hurt anymore. We really have to thank you, Ms. Lin! She suffered much less because of you!"


    "Grandpa, Ms. Lin, and this uncle, let''s eat."


    At that time, the young Tai Wei came in with a few cakes.


    "Let''s not talk about that for now, Miss Lin, and Mr. Su, you must be starving, hurry up and eat some cakes."


    The elderly man motioned for the two to sit down at a small, low round table:


    "We don''t have much, please don''t mind."


    "Uncle, what are you talking about? I love eating the cakes from here."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Yeah, Uncle, this is really nice."


    Su Chen could tell that these cakes were the best food this family could offer, and they probably couldn''t bear to eat them themselves usually.


    But Su Chen didn''t make a pretentious refusal, because that would make the old man feel even worse.


    "Little guy,e and have some too."


    Su Chen waved to the young boy who was busy on the side.


    "You don''t have to worry about him; he will eatter by himself."


    The old man said somewhat awkwardly. There were only a few cakes in the house for the guests, and if they ate too, what would the guests have?


    He himself had sat down only out of a need to apany them, but he was eating slowly and chewing carefully. He nned to share his cake with his grandson and his wife after the guests had left.


    "Why make such a fuss."


    Su Chen stood up, pulled the youngster over, and handed him a cake:


    "You''re growing, eat a bit more."


    Clutching the cake, the boy couldn''t help but nce at his grandfather, a longing look flickering in his eyes.


    "If Mr. Su tells you to eat, then eat," said the old man with a sigh.


    Only after hearing his grandfather''s words did the boy slowly tear off a small piece of the cake and stuff it into his mouth.


    "Uncle, when we''re done eating, I''ll take a look at Grandma Gu. Maybe she can be cured."


    While eating his cake, Su Chen said.


    "Right, husband, how could I forget that you know medicine?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes immediately sparkled with excitement:


    "Uncle, there''s hope for Grandma Gu''s leg. My husband can cure any disease!"


    "Really?"


    The old man asked doubtfully, not quite convinced by the young man''s appearance as someone who could cure ailments.


    "Of course, do you know what title my husband has?"


    Before the man could ask, Lin Ruoxue bragged, as if to sell her goods:


    "Ghost Doctor, there is no person he can''t cure, no disease he can''t treat!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but smile bitterly; Lin Ruoxue was exaggerating so much to make the old man believe that even he found it a bit cheesy!


    "Well then, I''ll trouble you in a bit."


    The truth was, the old man remained skeptical. His wife''s leg ailment had seen many people, could it really be cured?


    "It''s no trouble, we''ll take a look in a bit," Su Chen replied with a light smile.


    The boy didn''t harbor the same doubts as the old man; hearing that Su Chen might cure his grandmother, he looked at him filled with hope.


    Su Chen ate only one cake and then imed he was full, and Lin Ruoxue ate just half, iming she was on a diet.


    "All right, I''ll go take a look at Grandma now," Su Chen said as he stood up.


    The old man immediately led him to the bedside and gently woke his wife.


    Seeing a strange young man standing in front of her bed, the olddy couldn''t help but show a puzzled expression.


    "Wife, this is Mr. Su, Miss Lin''s husband. He came with Miss Lin this time," the old man said with a smile, exining.


    "Miss Lin is here? Where is she?"


    As soon as the olddy heard that Miss Lin hade, she struggled to sit up...

 Chapter 429: Shy Lin Ruoxue

    As soon as Lin Ruoxue heard the olddy''s call, she hurriedly walked over and grasped her hand, which was as thin as a matchstick.


    "Miss Gu, I''m here!"


    "Ms. Lin, is that really you? Oh, that''s great!" the olddy immediately burst into tears, "I was afraid I wouldn''t get to see you before I die!"


    "Miss Gu, don''t say that, you can live to be 120 years old!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "That would make me a monster!"


    Though she knew these were justforting words, the olddy was pleased to hear them:


    "What did the old man say just now, is this your husband, Ms. Lin? You got married?"


    "Yes, his name is Su Chen."


    Lin Ruoxue felt somewhat shy facing the old woman.


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, the olddy started examining Su Chen closely, then nodded:


    "Not bad, he is indeed a handsome and talented man. Young man, I''m warning you, if you dare to mistreat her, I will not tolerate it!"


    "Who would dare? Usually, it''s her who bullies me!"


    Su Chen too smiled lightly.


    "What nonsense are you talking, when have I ever bullied you!"


    Lin Ruoxue pouted shyly; isn''t it always you who bullies me? My body is still marked by your viinous ws!


    "Didn''t you the night beforest..."


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a mischievous smile.


    "Enough, don''t say anymore!"


    When Lin Ruoxue heard this, her face flushed red; she indeed had kicked him off the bed the night beforest, but that was entirely his fault, wasn''t it?


    They were only cuddling, and then this guy had the audacity to try and take off her clothes, which left her reacting out of sheer panic!


    "Ms. Lin can bully you, but you must not bully Ms. Lin!"


    The two elderly people couldn''t help but snicker at their conversation, and even Tai Wei nearby wanted tough but dared not.


    "Yes, yes, what you say makes sense, I wouldn''t dare!"


    Su Chen quickly begged for mercy.


    "Alright, Miss Gu, let him examine your leg now."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t want to continue this embarrassing topic, so she suggested.


    "This young man can treat illnesses?"


    The olddy, like the previous old man, was somewhat skeptical, considering Su Chen looked too young to be a doctor.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Gu, he might not be good at other things, but he is very good at treating illnesses!"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a warm look.


    Su Chen wasn''t happy when hearing this; what do you mean he might not be good at other things? You haven''t even tried, how can you have a say? Isn''t that defaming me?


    But all he did was slightly pout, not daring to say anything else, as Lin Ruoxue certainly had other tricks up her sleeve, and he wasn''t that foolish!


    If it were another woman who said he wasn''t capable, he would surely want to prove what he could do right away!


    "Why wouldn''t my olddy trust him, she''s gotten old after all!"


    The olddy chuckled:


    "Young man, then please go ahead."


    "No problem, let''s get started."


    Saying that, Su Chen lifted the nket slightly off the olddy, exposing her legs, then rolled up her pants a bit to reveal her almost skeletal lower legs.


    Su Chen also sat down by the bed, his face serious and focused, showing none of his previously yful demeanor.


    He first stretched out his hand and pinched that thin, withered leg, then he took out a silver needle and inserted it below the knee joint, withdrew it afterward, and inspected the tip of the silver needle.


    Lin Ruoxue and the old man were somewhat perplexed; they didn''t know what he was looking at since there seemed to be nothing on the silver needle.


    Su Chen slightly furrowed his brows, then pinched the olddy''s thigh through her pants, and had her sit up to examine her spine.


    After a while, Su Chen finally stopped the examination and sighed.


    "Husband, how is it? Can she be cured?"


    Seeing that he had finished examining, Lin Ruoxue quickly asked him anxiously.


    The old man and the young boy, as family members, were naturally more anxious. Although they didn''t harbor much hope, they still had some expectations.


    Su Chen nced at the few people and said,


    "Then I''ll just tell the truth,"


    "Go ahead, young man, the olddy can withstand it, after all, she''s been paralyzed for so many years."


    The olddy pretended to be indifferent and said this, although she truly wished to get out of bed and walk; she just didn''t want to add any emotional burden to Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue.


    "She can be treated, but notpletely cured. After the treatment, she could only walk a bit slower with the aid of a cane," Su Chen said, "because grandma is old and has been bedridden for many years, many of her body functions cannot be restored, I''m sorry."


    However, hearing this, the family showed an extremely excited expression!


    "Then there''s nothing more to say, being able to walk is a huge fortune!"


    The old man''s tone was unusually excited, as if he wanted to jump up!


    "Exactly, why apologize? What you''ve said is something I, the olddy, dared not even dream of. Thank you so much, young man!"


    The olddy then tightly gripped the old man''s hand:


    "Old man, I might be able to walk, I just might be able to walk!"


    "Yes, yes, after you''re healed, I want to apany you to walk around and see! You must be so tired after all these years!"


    "Alright then, I''ll get started!"


    Su Chen looked at the family''s happy demeanor, and he too felt sincerely happy.


    Then Su Chen carefully started the acupuncture for the olddy, infusing one or two strands of True Yuan.


    The function of the True Yuan is to promote some vitality in the treated area, but given the old woman''s age, she couldn''t withstand much at once; it had to be done gradually.


    After more than an hour of meticulous treatment, Su Chen finally finished the treatment and covered the olddy with a nket.


    "Today was just the first time, I''ll treat grandma again the day after tomorrow, and then she''ll be fine," Su Chen said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a smile.


    "Old man, I feel like there''s some reaction in my leg!"


    The olddy moved her legs slightly and surprisingly found that she could move them a little, which made her exim with joy.


    "Really? That''s wonderful!"


    The old man was also visibly excited; in fact, he had been somewhat worried while Su Chen was treating her because until then it had only been the young man dering she could be healed.


    As for the oue, it was still an unknown.


    At this moment, hearing his wife say her legs felt some response, he finally saw a glimmer of hope!


    "Mr. Su, you truly are a Divine Doctor!"


    The old man tightly grasped Su Chen''s hand, his face overflowing with gratitude!


    "I dare not ept that title. You all have been so kind to Ruoxue, I''m merely doing what I can!"


    Su Chen was simply moved to act by the simple emotions of these vigers...


    "Ms. Lin, you truly have married a good man!"


    The old man said to Lin Ruoxue with a smile.


    "Uncle, don''t praise him too much, he''s not as great as you''re saying!"


    Lin Ruoxue pretended to be indifferent, but inside she was very delighted...

 Chapter 430: The Story of Lin Ruoxue and Baixing Gully Village

    Su Chen briefly went over the matters to be cautious about in theing days before he and Lin Ruoxue left.


    Upon exiting, Su Chen was surprised to find that people were standing at the entrance of almost every household. As soon as they saw the twoing out, everyone swarmed up as if scrambling to invite Lin Ruoxue to their homes for a visit.


    Following that, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue visited house after house. By the end of the night, Su Chen had lost count of how much food he had eaten and how many bowls of mare''s milk tea he had drunk.


    Eventually, both of them clutching their bellies, entered the vige chief''s house. In her previous visits here, Lin Ruoxue had always spent the night at the vige chief''s home.


    This was the general arrangement for important guests.


    "Miss Lin, Mr. Su, I have already prepared your amodations,"


    a hearty middle-aged man said with a smile. He was the vige chief, Mu La.


    "Thank you, Uncle Mai."


    "What are you saying? You''ve helped our vige so much over the years, this is nothing," Mu La said with a smile. "It''s gettingte; you should rest now."


    After exchanging goodnights, everyone went to their respective rooms; Su Chen naturally shared a room with Lin Ruoxue.


    Because the sound instion here was very poor, Su Chen didn''t do anything inappropriate to Lin Ruoxue. After all, bedroom amusements were better not overheard by others.


    Perhaps it was because it was her first day here, and although she was quite tired, Lin Ruoxue still couldn''t fall asleep. An hourter, she nudged the already sleeping Su Chen:


    "Honey,e take a walk with me."


    For Lin Ruoxue''s request, Su Chen naturally agreed willingly. After all, sleep hardly affected him. His cultivation practices were even more effective than normal sleep.


    After slipping out of the felt tent, they arrived at a nearby waterside, stepping on the soft grass, which felt veryfortable.


    The two casually sat down on a small mound, and Su Chen lit a cigarette.


    "The air here is really good!"


    Lin Ruoxue bent her legs, hugged her knees, and eximed.


    "It''s really nice," Su Chen agreed and nodded, "Honey, can you now tell me why you came here? There must be a story."


    "There is a small story. Do you want to hear it?"


    Su Chen nodded.


    Then Lin Ruoxue began to softly recount how she came to be connected to this ce. The story was not particrly convoluted.


    A few years ago, when she was not yet leading the Belle Group, she had loved traveling. Once, she came to y in Tianshan with a few travel buddies.


    However, as everyone had their own preferences, they soon separated to enjoy different activities. They only nned to meet up at a certain spot in the evening.


    Caught up in the beautiful scenery, Lin Ruoxue just kept walking until she forgot the way back and got lost.


    Back then, cellphones didn''t have GPS, so she had no idea where she was.


    Anxious, she walked desperately trying to find her way back, but the scenery looked all too simr here, and there were no distinctive buildings.


    As it gotter, she became more anxious. Upon seeing a rather tall mountain, she thought to climb it to see if she could recognize any path because a higher vantage point offers a better view.


    However, because she was too focused on observing the distance, she identally slipped down. What she didn''t expect was that on the other side of the mountain was actually a cliff.


    In the panic, she grabbed a protruding rock, which slowed her fall and spared her a tragic end.


    However, she was still twenty to thirty meters away from the mountain top, and with the steep rocky terrain, it was impossible for her to climb up.


    Therefore, she could only shout for help loudly, but her throat was hoarse, and her arms were sore and numb, yet there was still no response.


    Although her life was temporarily saved, it seemed she ultimately could not escape from the tragic fate of falling off the cliff.


    Moreover, the harsh weather in Tianshan, especially at night with strong winds on the mountain, posed a severe test to both her body and mind.


    Several times, Lin Ruoxue almost wanted to let go, but each time the thought urred, a stubborn determination pulled her to hold on tightly.


    But everyone has their limits of strength, especially in such conditions, and she could not keep shouting for help as before, managing only to intermittently yell a few times.


    Just when she had lost all hope, she thought she heard a child''s young voice, but she could not understand his words.


    At first, she thought she was hallucinating, but when the child''s voice sounded again, she immediately called for help fervently, despite the fact that it was just a child.


    "Why are you here?"


    Suddenly, a child''s face peered down from the top of the mountain at her.


    Seeing someone, Lin Ruoxue felt as if she saw a glimpse of hope and quickly yelled,


    "I identally fell down, please hurry and call someone to rescue me!"


    She could not understand the child, and the child hardly grasped her words, looking confused, he scratched his head and then ran away.


    Lin Ruoxue did not know if the child had gone to call for help or had simply run away disregarding her.


    Although the fierce wind in the valley still battered her relentlessly, and her ears were filled with its howling, at least now there was some hope, so she clenched her teeth and persevered.


    Finally, persistence paid off, and after a long half-hour wait, noisy footsteps sounded from the mountain top, and she faintly saw glimmers of firelight.


    Soon after, a thick rope was thrown down. Lin Ruoxue carefully grabbed the rope and wrapped it around her body. People at the top pulled together and finally pulled her up.


    By then, Lin Ruoxue''s entire body had frozen stiff, feeling almost detached from her. Those people carried her back to the vige where she drank tworge bowls of steaming milk tea, ate two cakes, and had a sleep, graduallying around.


    "Are those people from this vige?"


    Hearing this, he finally understood the connection between Lin Ruoxue and this vige ¨C it was truly a life-saving grace!


    "Yes, them. Do you know who that kid was?"


    Lin Ruoxue turned her head and smiled as she asked Su Chen.


    Su Chen shook his head slightly.


    "It was Tai Wei, that little guy. He happened to be out herding that day, and two sheep had run off. He was searching everywhere and just happened toe across me. If it hadn''t been for him, I might have died long ago."


    Lin Ruoxue now spoke of the incident as if it were a light and breezy subject, but in fact, she still felt somewhat frightened by the memory.


    "It''s destiny, meant for you to have an inseparable bond with this vige!"


    Su Chen smiled and pulled her into his embrace.


    "Yes, husband, you''re right," Lin Ruoxue murmured, "and then I stayed in the vige for a few days. But do you know what impressed me the most about this vige?"

 Chapter 431: The Purple-Haired Little Girl

    "What?"


    "Poor, too poor! But they are not barbaric. They are actually very genuine and kind, and they have pride. I wanted to donate money to them, but they wouldn''t ept it no matter what."


    "The vige chief told me that if I really cared, I should teach the children in the vige. The chief does have some insight, knowing that, no matter what, people need education."


    "Naturally, I agreed to this request, so I built arger felt tent with the vigers to serve as a school."


    Lin Ruoxue pointed to one of the felt tents and said:


    "At that time, I stayed here for six months and taught them until I had to go back and take over the Belle Corporation. For this, I even specifically learned the localnguage. You were quite surprised by the words you heard me speaking today, weren''t you?"


    Lin Ruoxue smiled proudly.


    "My wife is certainly the best."


    "After taking over the corporation, I got busy. Normally I have no time, and I can only manage to carve out two weeks each year to visit and teach them a bit."


    Speaking of this, Lin Ruoxue started to feel guilty:


    "Normally, it''s only the somewhat educated vige chief who teaches them Chinese characters and simple math."


    "Wife, you''ve done your best. I believe they can understand that. But why didn''t you bring those kids to study in Jianghai?"


    Su Chenforted her by stroking her hair, noting that, with Lin Ruoxue''s capabilities, this was just a minor issue.


    "I mentioned it, but you don''t understand the situation here. The children are too young for their families to feel safe letting them go, and if they''re older, they are already consideredbor resources for their families."


    Lin Ruoxue exined:


    "These kids are not like those in the cities. They spend at least half their time herding or helping out at home."


    "Perhaps they don''t want to trouble you too much."


    "Possibly so, but it''ll get better in a couple of years. Our country''s transport infrastructure will soon reach here, and then I can donate to build a school and hire some teachers toe here."


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly said excitedly:


    "You don''t know, because the roads here are so rough, no teacher is willing toe here to teach."


    "That''s good. As long as the transportation improves, I believe their lives will get better and better."


    "Yes!"


    "By the way, wife, what did you ask Mrs. Wang to prepare earlier?"


    "Nothing much, just some daily necessities. Since they are reluctant to ept money, I can only prepare some household supplies to send them every year. I''ve already arranged for shipping the day before yesterday, and it should arrive in a couple of days."


    The couple sat and talked for a long time, until Lin Ruoxue fell asleep in Su Chen''s arms, and then he carried her into the house.


    The next morning, after having a simple breakfast at the vige chief''s house, Lin Ruoxue went to the felt tent that serves as a school for the vige children.


    The little guys in the vige had already neatly sat on small stools, waiting for Lin Ruoxue.


    During the times Lin Ruoxue visited over the past few years, the vigers had tactfully not assigned any chores to the children, allowing them to focus entirely on their studies.


    The children were so eager to learn that Lin Ruoxue naturally did not ck off. She lectured from morning till night, with breaks scattered throughout.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen wandered around. Such beautiful scenery was nowhere to be found in the concrete jungle of the big cities. He even spent a few hours cultivating on a mountaintop, bringing himself to full readiness.


    When thenterns were hung, Su Chen was surprised to find on his return that his reputation as the Ghost Doctor had spread through the vige, all thanks to Tai Wei''s grandfather.


    One by one, the vigers wanted him to treat their ailments, as life in such a harsh ce meant everyone had some chronic health issues.


    Su Chen quickly promised that he would treat each person the next day, and only then did the crowd let him go.


    Afterward, Su Chen went to Tai Wei''s house to treat the olddy for another hour before returning to the vige head''s home to rest.


    Some timeter, Lin Ruoxue also returned from the makeshift school, and the vige head invited them both for a supper before they went off to rest separately.


    For the next two days, Lin Ruoxue continued to leave early and returnte from teaching the rambunctious children.


    Su Chen, on the other hand, set up a long table on a spacious meadow and began holding free clinics!


    Almost every viger treated by him felt some improvement in their health, so it wasn''t long before even those without any ailments came for a consultation as well.


    You couldn''t say they were being meddlesome. Su Chen actually discovered several individuals with hidden illnesses that could have led to severe problems if not detected early.


    After another two days, even more people came for consultations, not because of how many vigers there were, but because people from neighboring and even more distant viges had heard about the Ghost Doctor in Baixing Vige who offered free treatment, and they too came to seek his advice.


    Some even traveled from viges tens of kilometers away. Su Chen, weing everyone, examined each person carefully.


    Lin Ruoxue, busy preparing lessons and teaching the kids, didn''t pay much attention to this matter, but she felt happy that Su Chen could help these struggling people.


    However, what both of them didn''t know was that Su Chen''s reputation as the Ghost Doctor had caught the attention of someone with intentions.


    ......


    In another part of Tianshan, at the foot of a mountain, there was a thatched cottage with a small vegetable garden in front.


    At the moment, an old woman with grizzled hair was holding a brokendle, stooping over to water the vegetables.


    "Grandma, I''m back," said a voice.


    At that moment, a ten-year-old girl pushed open the gate and entered.


    The girl seemed very special, as her soft, long hair was purple.


    "Grandma, let me help," the girl said sweetly as she approached the old woman.


    "No need, grandma will be done soon. Go rest inside for a while; dinner will be ready soon."


    "I''m not tired; I want to stay with grandma."


    "Xun is such a good girl!" the old woman said with a smile, tossing herdle casually back into the nearby bucket:


    "Let''s go eat now, we can finish watering after dinner."


    Following that, the little girl held the old woman''s hand as they went inside the thatched cottage, where the grandmother quickly reheated a few dishes and served them.


    The meal was simple, consisting only of lightly vored vegetables they had grown themselves, but both enjoyed their dinner thoroughly.


    "Xun, tomorrow you should go alone to Baixing Gully vige. There is someone there who might be able to cure your illness," the old woman suddenly put down her chopsticks and spoke.

 Chapter 432: No, Im Sick

    "I won''t go!"


    The little girl drooped her head as she spoke, her face disying a faint expression of sadness.


    "Xiaoxun, that man is no ordinary man, give it a try,"


    The olddy also sighed, her expression somewhat bleak.


    "Grandma, don''t be sad, I will go,"


    The little girl, seeing her grandma like this, quickly reached out a hand and grasped hers.


    "Xiaoxun, grandma knows you''re the most sensible!"


    The olddy caressed her purple hair as she spoke.


    After dinner, the little girl started cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks to wash them.


    The olddy watched the girl''s frail silhouette and murmured:


    "I hope that old man didn''t deceive oneself, it would be good if his apprentice really can cure her illness!"


    ......


    Su Chen had been treating the vigers for the past few days, only able to go back when the stars came out.


    In the evening, after Lin Ruoxue returned, the couple had a simple meal with the vige head''s family and then went back to their room.


    "Husband, you have worked hard treating the vigers these past days, let me give you a massage,"


    Lin Ruoxue said, looking at Su Chen''s slightly weary face.


    "Okay."


    His wife taking the initiative, Su Chen could hardly refuse:


    "Wife, you''ve been working hard too, I''ll give you a massageter."


    Then Lin Ruoxue knelt on the bed and began massaging Su Chen''s shoulders.


    Su Chen leaned back slightly, closed his eyes, and truly enjoyed it!


    However, since it was her first time giving a massage, Lin Ruoxue naturally didn''t get the technique right, so Su Chen started to give her some directions!


    "You, why are you so troublesome?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but retort, irritated by his constantints about the position and pressure; she was already doing him a favor by giving the massage and he was still being picky.


    "I''m not massaging anymore!"


    Angered, Lin Ruoxue sat up on the bed, her expression clearly annoyed.


    "Okay, wife, don''t be angry, let me massage you,"


    Su Chen quickly said warmly.


    "No need, I''m fine!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately refused.


    Although his massages were indeed veryfortable, she knew her husband too well, it was hard for him to stay focused!


    If Su Chen knew Lin Ruoxue''s thoughts, he surely would have cried injustice!


    He actually wanted to let her rx a bit, seeing she was also quite weary!


    But since Lin Ruoxue disagreed, there was nothing he could do!


    ......


    Early the next day, just like the days before, Lin Ruoxue went to teach the little ones while Su Chen continued his clinic at the long table on the grass.


    Everyone passing by Su Chen greeted him warmly; over the past few days, his poprity among the vigers had indeed surged, nearly rivaling Lin Ruoxue!


    This was of course due to his extraordinary medical skills!


    Speaking of which, Tai Wei''s grandma could now get out of bed and walk around. Just a few days ago when Su Chen was extremely busy, she even came over to help keep order!


    However, after several days of treatment, the number of patients had started decreasing, with only a few stragglersing in, mostly from distant viges.


    There were only so many people in the area, after all!


    By around three or four in the afternoon, with no one havinge for two hours, Su Chen nned to pack up and take a walk outside.


    If someone still needed help, it wouldn''t matter; he lived there, after all.


    Just as he was packing up, a childish voice rang out:


    "Uncle, I''ve heard your medical skills are amazing, can you take a look at me?"


    "Of course."


    Su Chen said offhand, and as he looked up, he was momentarily stunned!


    Standing before him was a little girl with purple hair, her eyes bright as the stars in the heavens, her delicate little nose as if carved by a master sculptor, and her skin even more porcin than a doll''s!


    This little girl gave Su Chen a very special feeling, indescribable, but definitely real!


    "Uncle!"


    Seeing Su Chen somewhat lost, the little girl called out again in a restrained tone, her face tense.


    "Oh, sorry, I was a bit distracted just now!"


    Su Chen quickly regained hisposure and looked at the little girl:


    "What is your name?"


    "Xiaoxun!"


    The girl answered timidly.


    "Xiaoxun, what a nice name."


    Su Chen bent down and smiled at the little girl:


    "Xiaoxun, you are in good health, you''re not sick, don''t worry!"


    Su Chen said with a warm smile.


    For Su Chen, he could generally tell at a nce whether a person was ill or not, including any hidden ailments!


    Since all diseases have external signs, a skilled traditional doctor can usually tell right away if there''s a problem and what it might be.


    Being known as the Ghost Doctor, Su Chen could certainly do this effortlessly.


    "No, I am sick!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, the little girl shook her head and said firmly¡­

 Chapter 433: Strange Energy

    Su Chen was slightly startled after hearing the girl''s words, feeling a bit strange because most people would be eager to hear that they weren''t sick. Why did this little girl insist she was ill?


    "Xiao Xun, uncle won''t make a mistake, you really aren''t sick."


    Su Chen, of course, wouldn''t think he had made a mistake. As the "Ghost Doctor", he did have that confidence. If he couldn''t even do this much, what right did he have to im he could snatch people from King Yan?


    "No, uncle, I really am sick!"


    The little girl shook her head, not swayed in the least by Su Chen''s words.


    Su Chen found himself even more puzzled and thought the situation was somewhat eerie.


    A little girl with purple hair, so young yet stunningly beautiful to the point of bewitching all who saw her, insisted she was unwell although she was perfectly healthy!


    "Xiao Xun, how do you know you''re sick?"


    Su Chen probed.


    "The old granny and the uncle said so."


    The little girl seemed devoid of guile and quite earnestly spoke.


    "That must be your granny and uncle''s misdiagnosis, don''t worry, you are really very healthy!"


    Su Chen thought to himself that it must be the influence of her family¡ªapparently, the little girl trusted and relied heavily on those two people.


    "Granny and uncle wouldn''t be wrong!"


    The little girl lifted her head, her eyes brimming with an unquestionable certainty that reflected the stature the granny and uncle held in her heart.


    "Xiao Xun, you should head back now. You must have walked a long distance toe here."


    Su Chen spoke, as he continued to tidy up the things on the table, thinking that without a doubt the girl had no problems¡ªwasn''t this just a waste of time?


    "Oh."


    The little girl''s eyes dimmed slightly as she turned and started to walk back, her small figure looking lonely against the vastness of the grassy expanse.


    "Wait!"


    Su Chen called out, his heart inexplicably filled withpassion and distress at the sight of the little girl.


    The little girl turned her head at the shout, a puzzled look on her face.


    "Xiao Xun, maybe uncle made a mistake just now. Let me take a closer look this time," Su Chen beckoned to the little girl with a smile.


    A trace of joy appeared on the little girl''s face, and she hurried back to Su Chen, sitting down across the table from him.


    "Xiao Xun, give your hand to uncle," Su Chen said with a gentleness he had never used before.


    He didn''t know why, but he instinctively felt a sense of pity and heartache for this little girl.


    Hearing the request, the little girl immediately extended her fair but slender arm.


    Su Chen smiled and ced two fingers on her pulse. In truth, with his medical skills, he didn''t need to feel her pulse at all.


    But since the little girl insisted she was sick, Su Chen decided to be thorough. He wanted to see what, if any, the problem with the little girl was.


    However, as soon as his two fingers touched the smooth skin of the girl''s wrist, a surge of energy struck him, forcefully snapping his fingers away!


    Su Chen was immediately horrified, staring dumbfounded at the little girl in front of him!


    "What''s wrong, uncle?"


    The little girl didn''t understand what had just happened and looked at him curiously.


    "Nothing, let''s uncle check again," Su Chen said.


    He had been cavalier before, but now he was extremely serious.


    He put his hand back on the girl''s pulse, and that energy surged towards his fingers once more.


    He had been unprepared before and thus had been snapped away, but this time he was ready and he wouldn''t be caught off guard.


    Nevertheless, he could still feel the force of the energy clearly.


    Su Chen then released some True Yuan, and after a while, he finally managed to suppress the energy surge a little bit.


    After that, Su Chen released some more True Yuan through her wrist into her body to examine her.


    He had not expected to be shocked, but upon inspection, Su Chen looked as if he had seen a ghost!


    There were few things left in this world that could surprise Su Chen, but at this moment, his heart was filled with immense horror!


    For he sensed a huge energy surge within the little girl''s body, extremely pure and rampaging throughout her body!


    The energy was very simr to True Yuan, but also seemed slightly different; it was something Su Chen had never seen before.


    Su Chen was filled with shock¡ªhow could this little girl''s body contain such pure and domineering energy?


    She looked to be only about ten years old! It was truly inconceivable!


    This must be the reason she had been saying she was ill all the time, it was hard to imagine the pain she must have endured with such a dominant energy wreaking havoc inside her body?!


    "Little Xun, do you feel ufortable normally?"


    Su Chen asked carefully.


    "It''s okay, I''ve gotten used to it."


    The little girl said indifferently.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen felt a sudden sadness, and tears threatened to fall.


    Getting used to it, such a lightly spoken set of words, but who knows what ordealsy behind them for the little girl!


    "Come here, Little Xun,e to uncle."


    With a smile, Su Chen beckoned, and the little girl, though somewhat hesitant and reserved, walked around the table and came to Su Chen''s side.


    "Little Xun, when did you first start feeling ill?"


    Even Su Chen was unsure if Little Xun''s condition could actually be considered an illness.


    "I don''t know, I think I''ve been like this ever since I can remember."


    The little girl replied, fiddling her fingers.


    "Since you can remember? Isn''t that usually around age three or five?"


    Su Chen frowned, this was too incredible, where did this energy inside here from?


    "Uncle, can you cure my illness?"


    The little girl tilted her head and asked innocently.


    Su Chen was at a loss for words; he didn''t know if he could cure the little girl, as he had never encountered such a situation before.


    But looking at the little girl''s innocent face, and her eager eyes, Su Chen ultimately couldn''t bear to let her down.


    "Little Xun, don''t worry, uncle will definitely be able to cure you, but you need to give uncle some time,"


    Su Chen said with a gentle smile.


    "Really?"


    A tinge of joy appeared on the little girl''s face, like she had been given a sweet.


    "Really!"


    Su Chen decided that he must cure the little girl no matter what, he wasn''t sure why, but even though it was his first time meeting her, he felt a close connection to her.


    "Little Xun, let uncle walk you home."


    "No need, uncle, I know the way myself."


    "It''s okay, uncle is free right now anyway."


    As he spoke, Su Chen took the girl''s small hand and began to walk forward.


    This time, the little girl did not refuse him, perhaps because he said he could cure her.


    For some reason, the little girl felt very secure holding his hand, even more so than when holding her grandmother''s hand...

 Chapter 434: Taking the Little Girl Away

    From Baixing Gully vige to the ce where Xiaoxun lives is quite far, and the road in between is very rugged. Su Chen was somewhat puzzled; how could her family feel at ease letting her walk such a long distance alone to find him?


    Supporting the little girl, Su Chen walked until the sun set before they finally reached the fenced yard outside the thatched cottage.


    In the yard, there was a small vegetable garden and a few fruit trees; an elderly woman with graying hair was squinting her eyes while lying on a deck chair, covered with a nket.


    "Grandma, I''m back."


    The little girl pushed open the fence gate and came in, then walked over and shook the elderly woman on the deck chair.


    "Back already, huh."


    The elderly woman opened her eyes and patted the little girl''s hair, then her gaze fell on Su Chen.


    However, there was nothing like surprise or confusion in her eyes; it was more of observation and scrutiny!


    "I suppose this young man must be the famed Ghost Doctor who has been making quite a name around here recently."


    A momentter, the elderly woman gently uttered.


    "I really don''t deserve such praise; it''s all just wild rumors," Su Chen replied.


    Meeting the elderly for the first time, Su Chen was indeed very modest, especially since this grandma gave him an unfathomable impression.


    "Well, since you''re here, stay for dinner," the elderly woman said, not caring whether Su Chen agreed or not and turned to go inside the house.


    Su Chen smiled and followed her in.


    The dinner was already prepared, only needing a little reheating, which surprised Su Chen because the food did not seem like the typical diet of the people from Tianshan.


    He had already found the small vegetable patch odd because the locals here generally do not grow vegetables. They usually consume what''smon in the grasnds¡ªfermented mare''s milk, brick tea, milk tea, various pastries, noodles, and the like.


    Though he had his doubts, he did not voice them.


    Actually, everything about this ce struck Su Chen as strange¡ªthe little girl, the elderly woman, the thatched cottage, the vegetable garden, and the few fruit trees!


    "Grandma, I would like to take Xiaoxun away for treatment. After all, I can only stay here a few more days, and I still need to figure out a way to cure Xiaoxun''s illness."


    After a simple dinner, Su Chen spoke to the elderly woman.


    "Okay, take her," the elderly woman nodded and said tly.


    This response surprised Su Chen even more. Do you know who I am? Do you know if I''m a good person or a bad person?


    We haven''t even been acquainted for half an hour since we met, and when I said I want to take Xiaoxun away, you just agreed?


    Su Chen had brought the little girl home in hopes of persuading her family to let him take Xiaoxun away for treatment.


    He had thought that even if he exhausted himself talking, her family might not agree, because such a matter wouldn''t be easily entrusted to anyone.


    Unexpectedly, before he could say much of what he had prepared, the elderly woman simply said, "Okay."


    Is this girl her family member? Su Chen seriously doubted it. He suspected the little girl was picked up from the roadside. Even if that were the case, they should have built up affection over time!


    How could they just let a stranger take her away so easily? Even a little cat or dog wouldn''t be treated this way!


    "Grandma, I won''t go, I want to stay here with you!"


    As soon as the little girl heard that Su Chen wanted to take her away, she immediately threw herself into the elderly woman''s arms and started to cry.


    "Good child, don''t cry," the elderly woman extended her somewhat rough hands to wipe away the tears from the little girl''s eyes and said:


    "Will you listen to grandma?"


    "I will, Xiaoxun is obedient!"


    The little girl nodded vigorously.


    "If you listen to grandma, go with this uncle. Once you are well,e back to visit grandma!"


    The elderly woman looked into the eyes of the little girl and said:


    "If you don''t listen, Grandma will get angry."


    "Xiao Xun will behave!"


    "What a good child!" The old woman showed a smiling face and then looked at Su Chen, "Xiao Xun is in your care now."


    "Rest assured, I will definitely cure Xiao Xun''s illness."


    Su Chen made a solemn promise, although he didn''t know why the old woman trusted him so much.


    "All right, you should hurry on your way now!"


    The grandmother waved her hand.


    Then Su Chen took the little girl''s hand and walked out of the thatched cottage, pushed open the small gate of the fence, and started back on the path they hade from.


    The little girl kept looking back at the thatched cottage step by step, but the old woman never came out.


    It wasn''t until the two had gone a long way that the old woman came out of the house, watching the two distant specks of figures and sighed,


    "Perhaps in this world, only this man with the Supreme Yang Body can save you!"


    ......


    By the time Su Chen and the little girl arrived back at Baixing Gully vige, it was quitete, and Lin Ruoxue had already finished dinner and gone back to her room to rest.


    When Su Chen walked into the room holding Xiao Xun''s small hand, Lin Ruoxue was startled at first, then her eyes lit up:


    "Husband, where did this little girle from? She''s so pretty!"


    Being Jianghai''s foremost beauty herself, Lin Ruoxue was alsopletely dazzled by the little girl at first nce.


    "Wife, this child has some health issues, quite troublesome; I''m thinking of taking her to Jianghai so I can treat her slowly."


    Su Chen exined.


    "What''s the problem with her?"


    "Well, it''s hard to exin to you, but it won''t be a problem to take her back, right?"


    Although Su Chen knew Lin Ruoxue would definitely agree, mentioning it was a matter of respect for his wife.


    "Of course, it''s okay. Such a pretty little girl makes one like her just by looking at her!"


    Lin Ruoxue said joyfully, thinking that if the little girl was already so beautiful, what would happen when she grew up?!


    The little girl was somewhat shy around Lin Ruoxue, the stranger, and kept hiding behind Su Chen.


    After all, she had spent some time with Su Chen, making him more familiar to her than Lin Ruoxue, and this uncle inexplicably made her feel close and safe!


    When it came time to sleep at night, they had originally nned to let the little girl sleep between them, but the little girl was very scared and wanted to sleep on the inside, and moreover, she wanted Su Chen to sleep beside her.


    So, Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to sleep on the outside...


    .....


    In the following days, Lin Ruoxue still left early and returnedte to teach the children, while Su Chen spent each day ying around with the little girl!


    A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the little girl had already be very familiar with Su Chen; she would incessantly call "Uncle, Uncle" if she didn''t see him for even a moment.


    And Lin Ruoxue''s trip to Tianshan wasing to an end; in another day or two, they would have to return.


    "Husband, I''ve finished teaching the lessons I had arranged for these kids, let''s go out and have fun tomorrow," Lin Ruoxue said when she returned that night.


    "Sure, why don''t we go hiking tomorrow? It would be a pity toe to Tianshan and not climb the mountains, right?"


    Su Chenughed and nodded in agreement.


    "Great."


    Lin Ruoxue also wanted to climb to the snowy summit of Tianshan and appreciate the true mountain scenery. There, the snow never melted year-round. Lin Ruoxue had always wanted to go every time she visited, but she never managed to do so.


    In fact, it was because she was alone before; she didn''t really want to go. But this time, havinge with her husband, she was very keen on seeing it...

 Chapter 435: The Stubborn Lin Ruoxue

    Su Chen then spoke to Xiaoxun, instructing her to y nicely in the vige the next day, not to wander too far, and to have her meals at the vige chief''s house.


    Although the little girl was somewhat disappointed, she obediently agreed.


    Su Chen wasn''t unwilling to take the little girl with him, but the mountain was simply too cold, and he worried that such a small child wouldn''t be able to withstand it.


    The next morning, Lin Ruoxue put on an extra sweater and switched to a plumper, heavier down jacket. In doing so, her perfect figure waspletely concealed.


    Su Chen also put on the vige chief''s leather coat. Though he had True Yuan to resist the severe cold, it wasn''t meant to be used that way, and there was no need for him to purposefully suffer.


    When Lin Ruoxue saw Su Chen wearing the vige chief''s leather coat, she couldn''t help but bend overughing. It was apletely different style from his usual appearance, and when he put on the vige chief''s hat, she bent over even more withughter, because it looked quiteical to her.


    "What''s so funny?"


    Su Chen grumbled.


    "It really is funny!"


    Lin Ruoxue yfully blinked her eyes, looking nothing like the cold CEO and more like a lively girl next door.


    "Alright, let''s set off."


    Lin Ruoxue patted Su Chen''s shoulder andughed as she crawled out of the felt tent, and Su Chen followed behind, feeling quite displeased.


    To climb Tianshan, the vicinity of Baixing Gully was definitely not suitable. Although it was also at the foot of Tianshan, the mountains here were too short, and there wasn''t much snow.


    The actual suitable location for climbing Tianshan was about a hundred or two hundred kilometers west of Baixing Gully.


    Because the journey was far, they first had to return to where the car was parked to fetch it and then drive to their destination.


    Passing by the small mountain, Su Chen still carried Lin Ruoxue over it as he had previously done. Only this time, Lin Ruoxue was wearing enough clothes and thick trousers, so there was less of a tactile feeling, which Su Chen found a bit regrettable.


    The distance of a hundred or two hundred kilometers wasn''t too far. It took Su Chen just over an hour to drive there, and then after walking for a stretch, they reached the foot of the mountain.


    "Alright, let''s begin!"


    Lin Ruoxue took out two pairs of protective goggles from the backpack behind her and handed one pair to Su Chen. They both put them on.


    In truth, Su Chen didn''t need protective goggles, but wearing them was also harmless and saved Lin Ruoxue from worrying.


    Ordinary people climbing a snowy mountain, especially one with a high altitude, must wear protective goggles.


    First, the high altitude brings strong cold winds, and wearing goggles prevents the eyes from being irritated by the cold wind. Second, the low temperature makes it necessary to wear goggles to avoid cold air from freezing the eyes. Third, the intense reflection from the white snow can harm the eyes or even cause snow blindness.


    Thest point is that the high-altitude UV radiation is strong, and wearing goggles prevents the eyes from UV damage.


    Once they were ready, the two began to climb up the mountain step by step.


    The ce they chose was secluded and steep, surrounded only by a vast expanse of white, with hardly any human figures in sight.


    Especially now in the winter, the snow was even thicker, and each step they took felt soft and produced a "squeaky" sound.


    In fact, Lin Ruoxue had chosen this ce. She had a spirit of adventure and challenge deep in her bones, always wanting to take on more difficult tasks to conquer. This applied to running a business, climbing mountains, and even everything else she did.


    Su Chen didn''t raise any objections. Even if they encountered any problems, with him being there, he figured there shouldn''t be any issue.


    Being in a secluded area naturally had its advantages, at least there were sceneries unseen by others. The problem, however, was the steepness. After having walked for a while, Lin Ruoxue started to breathe heavily.


    "Wife, let me carry you."


    Su Chen looked back at her struggling figure and said.


    "No need, I can manage on my own!"


    Lin Ruoxue gave Su Chen a stubborn look and continued to walk forward step by step. They hade to climb the mountain, after all, being carried was not an option!


    Seeing her like this, Su Chen snapped a branch off a tree, pulled out his dagger to shave it, removed the prickly parts, and handed it to Lin Ruoxue:


    "Wife, use this for support, it might save some energy."


    "Thank you."


    This time, Lin Ruoxue did not refuse. She took it and used it as a cane.


    With this, things got a little easier, and the two of them continued their climb.


    Noticing that Lin Ruoxue was having trouble keeping up, Su Chen no longer walked ahead. Instead, he followed right behind her.


    In case she identally slipped, he could catch her.


    Lin Ruoxue more or less guessed Su Chen''s thoughts and felt a touch of sweetness in her heart. Her husband was quite considerate!


    The altitude of Tianshan is quite high, with an average elevation of 5000 meters. The peak they were scaling was even higher, surpassing 6000 meters and approaching an elevation of 7000 meters.


    Though Lin Ruoxue was already wearing plenty of clothing, two-thirds of the way up, she still felt very cold. A fineyer of ice frost formed on her exposed face, making her pretty features turn a bit red from the freezing temperature.


    The howling cold wind hit her face like a knife, causing an obvious feeling of pain.


    As an ordinary woman who wasn''t used to exercising regrly, physical strength was naturally not Lin Ruoxue''s forte. The thin air at high altitudes added to her breathing difficulties.


    But even so, she still did not ask Su Chen for help and continued to climb upward, gritting her teeth.


    Su Chen, once again, realized the strength andpetitiveness of his wife.


    However strong she might be, there was still a limit to her physical capabilities, so by the end, her pace had slowed downpletely, needing to rest every few steps.


    Fortunately, they were just out for fun and not in a hurry, so it was tolerable.


    "Husband, aren''t you tired?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen curiously as he seemed to be handling it with ease. Hisplexion was barely different from usual, at most just a little bit redder.


    "I''m fine," Su Chen said with a smile. Climbing this mountain was merely a warm-up for him, "Wife, if you really can''t keep going, just tell me."


    "No need, I can manage on my own."


    Lin Ruoxue looked determinedly at the mountain peak and said, they weren''t too far from the top now, and she was not going to give up!


    After saying this, she continued to use the cane to climb upward, with Su Chen closely following behind.


    Although they weren''t too far away, only thest thousand meters remained, this was the most difficult thousand meters!


    Lin Ruoxue felt like every step was so difficult, as if her legs were filled with lead, unbearably heavy.


    Her body also felt waves of cold, as if the little warmth inside was being sucked away by the cold air, and she kept gasping for air!


    "Just hang in there a little longer, just a little longer!"


    Lin Ruoxue told herself.


    And so, after some indeterminate amount of time, they finally reached the summit. Lin Ruoxuey straight down on the peak, her chest heaving uncontrobly even through her down jacket, which could still be felt.


    This showed that Lin Ruoxue was indeed exhaustingly tired!


    "Stand for a bit, don''t lie down."


    Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue up from the snow. Thest thing you want to do after strenuous exercise is to lie down¡­

 Chapter 436: Avalanche

    After drinking a bit of water and resting for a while, Lin Ruoxue looked out from the summit to the distant mountains, only to see sessive, meandering peaks all covered in white snow, with only some mountains far away where the snow was slightly less and a hint of greenery visible.


    Moreover, the mountain''s summit reached high into the clouds, surrounded by swirling vapors that mingled with the snow, truly making it seem like a paradise on earth!


    "Indeed, endless scenery lies at the pinnacle!"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but exim, feeling only when one is amidst it can one truly appreciate the wonders of nature and the minuteness of humanity.


    In such an environment, one''s heart seems to open up much wider!


    Especially after Lin Ruoxue went through an incredibly difficult process to climb up here, she felt it was even more meaningful!


    After admiring the mountain-top scenery for a while, both of them became hungry, and as Lin Ruoxue was feeling the cold more, Su Chen started to make a fire.


    However, making a fire on the high snowy mountain was not that easy, because the winds and snow here were very strong, temperatures extremely low, and the air pressure much higher than on the ins.


    The most crucial point was the thin air, which naturally contained less oxygen, andbustion cannot ur without oxygen.


    "Husband, what are you doing?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously as she watched Su Chen clear some snow and then ce stones and other debris on the ground.


    "Making a fire. If I don''t ce something underneath, the fire will easily go out."


    Su Chen was adept at any wilderness survival method, because whether in the Eighth Brigade or the Nether Temple, you never know what kind of environment you''ll encounter.


    So any survival skill could be the key to saving your life at a critical moment!


    After padding the ground, Su Chen began to start the fire.


    Su Chen first found a piece of ice, which was plentiful in this area, and slowly fashioned it into the shape of a convex lens.


    "Husband, are you going to use the principle of focusing light with a convex lens to start the fire?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, surprised.


    "Smart."


    Su Chen praised with a slight smile.


    "Husband, don''t you have a lighter?"


    "A lighter won''t work here. At such a high altitude and with so much humidity, a lighter would never ignite.


    Of course, methods like fire drilling would be even more out of the question in this ce. The best way is to use ice to start the fire."


    Su Chen exined with a smile:


    "Of course, if it were night, we would use an oil lighter or waterproof matches. But we''re heading back in the afternoon, so I didn''t bring any."


    "Husband, how do you know so much?"


    Lin Ruoxue was bing more and more curious about Su Chen; he seemed to know everything and was very formidable at it, like fighting, like medicine, likenguages!


    In every aspect, his skill seemed to reach the pinnacle: fighting, he easily took down dozens of the Liu Family''s bodyguards.


    Not to mention his medical skills, once with grandfather and once with herself, when even the hospital had no solution, yet he was able to save the day.


    His linguistic abilities were even more impressive. She knew he could speak thenguages of various countries and regions, and this time in Tianshan, he could evenmunicate with others using the local dialect!


    And now, watching him make fire with ice, he did it with such ease as if he had done it many times before.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but wonder, is there anything in this world that he cannot do?


    Soon, a fire was zing. Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue:


    "Wife, hurry and bring the cakes over to heat them up, ande warm up yourself."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately took out the cakes she had brought from the vige chief''s house and handed them to Su Chen. After receiving them, Su Chen used a thin twig to thread them and then roasted them over the fire.


    Lin Ruoxue also hurried to the fire to warm up, and after a while, her body finally began to feel a bit warmer, no longer as cold as before.


    The two then ate some of the cakes and drank a little water, yed around on the mountaintop for a while, and then prepared to head down the mountain.


    Descending the mountain also takes a long time, and the descent bes much more dangerous after nightfall, especially since Lin Ruoxue was a woman!


    Chatting as they went, the two made their way down the mountain. Going down was a bit easier than climbing up, and by three or four in the afternoon, they had already covered about half the distance.


    "Su Chen!"


    Just then, a voice rang out from the foot of the mountain. Even though it was quite distant, it still reached Su Chen''s ears.


    Lin Ruoxue also seemed to faintly hear someone calling and turned her head together with Su Chen to look down the mountain.


    What entered Lin Ruoxue''s field of vision was a group of people, but she could not make out their faces or clothes clearly due to the distance, only vaguely seeing two vehicles parked beside them.


    However, Su Chen''s visual acuity was far superior to that of an ordinary person, and he saw clearly that the leader was Lv Shimo, and the group standing beside him were all fully armed, clearly mercenaries.


    Moreover, judging from their looks, they seemed to be from the Middle East.


    Upon seeing Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue looking in their direction, Lv Shimo''s mouth curled up in a meaningful arc, hisugh sinister!


    As soon as Su Chen saw that smirk, he immediately felt a very bad premonition, as though he was being stared at by a famished wolf.


    At that moment, Lv Shimo made a throat-slitting gesture with one hand while gently lifting the other above his head. In his hand was a cell phone, and his finger lightly pressed a button!


    At the same time, several explosions burst forth from the mountaintop, sting the snow into the air!


    At such a distance, the explosions alone couldn''t hurt Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue.


    However, a faint sound of cracking changed Su Chen''s expression dramatically:


    "No good! Avnche!"


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than the snow on the mountaintop began to tumble down like cascading seas and rivers, instantly burying everything in its path!


    The white waves of snow rolled toward them with an unstoppable force!


    Su Chen didn''t think twice and started running with Lin Ruoxue in tow. But Lin Ruoxue had nearly used up all her strength just climbing the mountain, how could she run now?


    Regardless of her current state, what would her usual pace matter against the speed of an avnche?


    Even Su Chen by himself wasn''t confident he could outrun it, because the speed was too fast and the momentum too overwhelming!


    Of course, if it were just the speed of the falling snow, Su Chen could take a chance on his own. But the most dangerous part of an avnche wasn''t that; it was the air st in front of the snowslide!


    Because the snow rushes down from a height with great potential energy, it causes intense air oscition, which can form an air st at extremely high speeds. This air st is somewhat simr to the shockwave produced by a nuclear explosion.


    The avnche can drive the air st in front of it, and the impact of this air st is even more dangerous than the snowslide itself. Wherever the air st travels, houses will be destroyed, trees will disappear, people will suffocate to death.


    Therefore, sometimes the body of the avnche isn''t there yet, but the air st has already sent everything in its path tumbling!


    No matter how fast Su Chen was, he couldn''tpete with the speed of the air st!


    Moreover, he had Lin Ruoxue by his side. There was no way he would abandon her to escape alone!


    After running a few steps, Su Chen immediately realized they could not outrun the avnche. So, what he needed to consider next was how to increase their chances of survival!


    In an instant, Su Chen made a judgment, which was to run to the side!


    So, he picked up Lin Ruoxue and sprinted to the left...


    "Goodbye, both of you! Hahaha~~~"


    Below the mountain, Lv Shimo''s exuberantughter sounded again, after which he and the others got into their vehicles and sped away...

 Chapter 437: Falling into the Crack

    Although Su Chen deeply regretted his soft heart for not getting rid of Lv Shimo, now was clearly not the time to regret. The most critical thing was to escape!


    The piled-up snow and chunks of ice on the mountaintop, dragging along the snow and ice below, came rumbling down with enormous force, the snowkes kicked up several meters high, nearly blocking out the sun!


    What filled both of their ears was the roar of the avnche!


    "Husband, don''t mind me anymore, just run for your life!"


    Lin Ruoxue said in Su Chen''s arms. Although she had never experienced an avnche, she knew that surviving one was nearly impossible.


    If both were to die, it would be better to save one of them. She knew she had no hope, but Su Chen on his own might have a chance!


    When Su Chen heard Lin Ruoxue''s words, he didn''t pay any attention, because speaking would affect his running speed!


    Moreover, how could he possibly leave her behind? Even if there was one in ten thousand chance, he was unwilling to give up on Lin Ruoxue!


    No, even if there was no chance at all, he would rather die with her than watch her die before his eyes.


    Su Chen''s speed was undeniably fast, but no matter how he ran, he was overwhelmed by the roaring sound of the avnche and the snowkes and chunks of ice flying overhead!


    Clearly, nearly the entire vicinity had been affected by the avnche caused by the earlier explosion!


    And the roaring noise was getting closer and closer to the two of them, about to engulf them!


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly saw what appeared to be a fissure opening up in the ground ahead, about several meters wide!


    Su Chen''s spirit was instantly uplifted. He pushed his True Yuan to its limit, desperately sprinting and leaping forward non-stop!


    Lin Ruoxue feltpletely dazed, her ears filled with nothing but the ceaseless roar of the avnche!


    At that moment, the overwhelming snow had entirely enveloped the two, but in fact, the actual snow chunks had not yet arrived¡ªthe first thing to hit was the shockwave caused by the st!


    When the shockwave surged towards them, Su Chen slightly tilted his body, shielding Lin Ruoxue behind him to reduce the impact on her. If Lin Ruoxue were to be directly hit by such a massive shockwave, surviving would be nearly impossible!


    Let alone Lin Ruoxue, even a building faced with such a shockwave would be instantly obliterated, and Lin Ruoxue was just a fragile woman, right?


    Su Chen wasn''t so arrogantly confident as to physically resist the immense destructive power of nature!


    As the shockwave hit, Su Chen, while tilting his body, offered no resistance, and without a doubt, the shockwave flung both him and Lin Ruoxue, who was in his arms...


    However, this was precisely the effect Su Chen wanted because he nned to use this force to carry them to the fissure below!


    So, while in mid-air, whenever their direction deviated slightly, he used the reactive force of True Yuan to adjust their trajectory slightly.


    The reason Su Chen wanted to hide in that fissure was that if they were really buried by the snow, he would be fine, but Lin Ruoxue, as an ordinary person, wouldn''tst even an hour, possibly not even half an hour.


    He also wasn''t sure he could rescue someone in such a short time. He could gamble with his own life, but unless it was absolutely necessary, he didn''t dare gamble with Lin Ruoxue''s life!


    Although he didn''t know what the situation was underneath the fissure, entering it would at least give him more time, even though the difficulty might be greater.


    In the blink of an eye, the shockwave pushed them right above the fissure; then, with a strong effort from Su Chen, they began to rapidly descend.


    Once they were inside the fissure, the effect of the shockwave was minimal, and the two of them started to fall into a free fall...


    Su Chen redirected his descent in midair, positioning his back toward the ground while Lin Ruoxue faced upwards.


    Meanwhile, the avnche above raged forward, sweeping everything violently in its path.


    As they passed the fissure, a deluge of snow and ice blocks cascaded down!


    "Bang!"


    A momentter, Su Chen''s back smashed heavily against the ground, and he immediately felt a searing pain!


    By that time, Lin Ruoxue had already been knocked unconscious by the massive st of air. Su Chen felt behind him and discovered that under the thinyer of snow was a sharp rock which had beenpletely concealed by the snow, preventing him from noticing it sooner.


    Although Su Chen had released some True Yuan to mitigate the impact of their fall, because he was lying t on his back and holding another person, the pain was still quite intense.


    First, Su Chen gently pushed Lin Ruoxue onto the snowy ground beside him before slowly standing up.


    He carefully picked up Lin Ruoxue and propped her against a nearby rock, then he sat down in the snow and began to practice the Nine Yang Divine Technique, focusing True Yuan to nourish the injuries he had just sustained.


    This was not because Su Chen valued himself more than Lin Ruoxue, but because he knew that only if he was unharmed could he ensure the survival of both of them.


    If it were just Lin Ruoxue on her own, she would simply be waiting for death here.


    Su Chen had been through countless simr situations and knew that the more critical the moment, the more important it was not to be led by emotions. It didn''t help at all; one had to calm down first, be as rational as possible¡ªthat was the correct approach.


    After practicing the cultivation technique for about half an hour, the pain in Su Chen''s back started to feel a bit better.


    He hurried over to Lin Ruoxue, channeled a few strands of True Yuan into her body, and then stimted her a few times with acupuncture. Lin Ruoxue slowly opened her eyes.


    "Husband, are we not dead?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked up at Su Chen in confusion and asked, thinking she was doomed when the terrifying st and avnche hade crashing down on them!


    "With your husband here, how could I let my beautiful wife die?"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile:


    "If you died, where would I find a wife as beautiful as you?"


    Usually, such ament from Su Chen would have made Lin Ruoxue blush with shyness, but now she just looked around nkly and asked in confusion:


    "Where are we?"


    "We''re in a crevasse. The avnche was too fierce; we only survived by taking refuge here for the time being."


    "Husband, you mean to say, we''ve been rescued?!"


    A gleam of hope immediately sparkled in Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes. If possible, who would wish to die just like that?


    "Saying we''re saved is premature; we''re just not dead for now."


    Su Chen said with a wry smile. Right now, they were at most temporarily out of immediate danger, far from being truly rescued!

 Chapter 438: Survival

    Su Chen first looked up at the top and found it to be a good forty or fifty meters above them, and the ce they had fallen wasn''t the actual bottom either. Not far from them was a huge hole that, when peered into, seemed bottomless!


    "Honey, sit here and don''t move, I''ll go take a look."


    Su Chen stood up and said.


    "Mm, hubby, be careful yourself."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded.


    Su Chen carefully surveyed their surroundings and noticed the fissure was several dozen meters long and about ten meters wide. However, there were many traps around, and Su Chen identally stepped onto one in the snow. He suddenly sank down, falling straight into it.


    Fortunately, his cultivation was sufficient; he stepped on a support point nearby and leapt up.


    "Alright, honey, let''s see what else we have in the bag."


    Su Chen returned to Lin Ruoxue''s side and unzipped his backpack.


    In this kind of environment, any item could be crucial for survival.


    "It seems my bag is gone."


    Lin Ruoxue muttered in dismay. She had been carrying her bag on her shoulders the whole time, not realizing when it had disappeared¡ªwho could bother about a backpack in such a tense moment?


    "It''s gone, so be it. Fortunately, I still have mine."


    Su Chen smiled slightly, not wanting to add more stress to her.


    He quickly checked the contents of his bag: only half a bottle of water was left, a heamp for illumination, and a long rope. Apart from water, he actually hadn''t nned to carry the rest; after all, they were only supposed to be out for half a day.


    But the vige chief was worried and insisted on stuffing them into his backpack. Now, it seemed like a blessing from the vige chief!


    Even with these things, Su Chen didn''t feel the slightest relief. If it were just him, he believed he''d manage, having faced far worse situations before.


    But Lin Ruoxue was with him, and the cold, thin air, and air pressure¡ªeach was hardly bearable!


    Moreover, they had no food at all, and only half a bottle of water remaining.


    "Hubby, I feel so cold!"


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue said, shivering.


    Hearing this, Su Chen instantly regretted not bringing a kerosene lighter or windproof matches; they could have made a fire now.


    But regret was useless, he had to address the current situation first. Immediately, he took off his leather jacket to put on Lin Ruoxue.


    "No, hubby, you''ll freeze like this!"


    Lin Ruoxue, startled, frantically pushed Su Chen away.


    Su Chen had not dressed warm to begin with, and giving his only somewhat warm jacket to her was like willingly courting death!


    "Don''t worry! Your husband is in good health!"


    Su Chen reassured her with a smile.


    "Absolutely not!"


    But Lin Ruoxue was not so easily persuaded and resolutely refused.


    No matter how healthy he was, wearing such thin clothes, he couldn''t withstand the freezing temperatures that plummeted to tens of degrees below zero!


    Even if it was a stranger, Lin Ruoxue didn''t believe it was right to let someone else sacrifice for her own sake.


    Moreover, this was her husband, one of the most important people in her life. How could she possibly disregard his life and death?


    "What do you mean, no! You must wear it! If you don''t, I''ll just throw it on the ground and neither of us will wear it!"


    Su Chen no longer argued slowly with her and instead restrained her, forcibly putting the leather jacket on her.


    Watching Su Chen in his thin clothes, Lin Ruoxue''s tears fell uncontrobly, her fists pounding on Su Chen''s body:


    "Liar, you''re just a big liar!"


    "How did I be a big liar?"


    Su Chen asked jokingly, with a smile on his face; he hadn''t deceived her about anything, had he?


    "That''s right, you! You deceived someone into being moved, deceived them into crying, stole their heart!"


    Lin Ruoxue cried out, her eyes blurry with tears...


    "All right, stop crying, or you''ll not be pretty anymore!"


    Su Chen embraced her, whispering softly.


    "Husband, we won''t die here, will we?"


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue spoke gently from within Su Chen''s arms.


    "We haven''t even truly be husband and wife. I can''t bear the thought of dying, and even more, I can''t bear the thought of you dying!"


    There was a smile on Su Chen''s face as he said:


    "Don''t worry, with your husband here, there''s no problem!"


    "Mhm!"


    Lin Ruoxue nodded her head.


    "Okay, wife, you sit here, and your husband needs to get to work!"


    Seeing that Lin Ruoxue''s emotions had stabilized somewhat, Su Chen stood up. They surely couldn''t just keep embracing each other here; they needed to hurry and find a way out!


    "Okay!"


    "Wife, don''t move around, just stay put here."


    Su Chen advised her before he left. After all, snow covered everything here, and one could easily fall through it without noticing, hadn''t he just experienced that?


    After he had finished speaking, Su Chen went to a nearby slope where the snow was thickest and began to dig with his hands, where the snow had formed a small hill.


    Although he had given his coat to Lin Ruoxue, he knew that it wasn''t much help, given how low the temperature was here.


    Therefore, he had to solve this problem quickly, or else if they caught a cold, it could lead to pulmonary edema in these conditions, followed by death.


    And the best way to keep warm was to dig a snow cave.


    Firstly, because it would provide shelter from the wind, and secondly, snow is a natural instor, much like a down jacket, filled with lots of air pockets, and air is a poor conductor of heat, so the heat emitted by the body could be trapped inside.


    Of course, since the temperature of the snow is very low, the temperature inside the snow cave would never rise above 0 degrees Celsius.


    Any heat sufficient to raise the temperature above 0 degrees would be absorbed by the snow, which is also the principle behind the snow houses of the Inuit people.


    Although the maximum temperature is only 0 degrees, it is still much better than outside''s negative degrees, and with the clothes they were wearing, they wouldn''t feel too cold!


    However, digging a snow cave was also something that needed to be done with care: the depth of the snow, the steepness of the slope, and thepactness of the snow all needed to be considered.


    And the digging had to be done upwards, not downwards.


    Of course, the entrance had to be dug from below to prevent wind from blowing in.


    "Husband, let mee over and help you!"


    Lin Ruoxue, watching Su Chen digging the snow with his bare hands from a short distance away, felt a deep pang of distress, even though she didn''t yet understand what he was doing.


    "Alright, don''t move; I''lle over and bring you here."


    Su Chen thought for a moment and agreed, as keeping busy could help Lin Ruoxue generate some warmth, and it would also ease her worries and fears.


    And with an extra person, the work would proceed faster.


    Su Chen carefully walked over and then carried Lin Ruoxue back. Being carried like a princess by Su Chen made Lin Ruoxue feel both shy and happy.


    By now, Su Chen had almost finished digging the entrance, and next, he needed to dig a small passage upwards.


    "Wife, I''m going to dig upwards in a bit. You''ll need to take the snow I dig out and move it outside the cave," Su Chen instructed Lin Ruoxue.


    "No problem!"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately replied with excitement.


    She was so happy because she had never done such a thing before and found it intriguing; moreover, she was d to finally be of some help to Su Chen...

 Chapter 439: The Legendary Martial Arts

    People often say that men and women working together can make light work, and it seems that there really is something to it.


    The two of them, one digging and the other scraping, were still smiling despite the numbness in their fingers from the cold, even with gloves on.


    Especially Ruoxue, who usually sat in an office high above the rest¡ªhow could she have ever done something like this before?


    Initially, Ruoxue wanted to chat while working, but Su Chen immediately stopped her, exining that talking would consume more of their energy and oxygen.


    However, being a woman and without any suitable tools on hand, like a shovel, Ruoxue''s scraping was quite slow.


    Su Chen dug a segment and then worked with her to move the excavated snow out before continuing to dig upward.


    After over half an hour, they had finally managed to dig an upward passage just big enough for one person to pass through.


    Then, Su Chen started to dig forward and took about an hour to create a snow caverge enough to amodate two to three people.


    After finishing, Su Chen pulled Ruoxue into the snow cave, where she finally started to feel a lot better.


    "Honey, you know so much!"


    Ruoxue said sincerely.


    "Of course, you should see whose husband I am!"


    Su Chen smiled proudly, then after a moment continued,


    "Honey, you stay here for now. I''m going to see how we can escape."


    What Su Chen had done so far was just to make Ruoxue temporarilyfortable; however, they had no food and not much water. Water could be solved by melting ice, but food was a more difficult issue.


    Without food, he might manage for a few days and eating some snow might help sustain them a bit longer, but Ruoxue wouldn''tst long. The most urgent problem was how to escape from this fissure that was tens of meters high¡ªand they needed to do it fast!


    Getting out of such a high crevice was not impossible for Su Chen; the real challenge was bringing Ruoxue with him, which was not so simple.


    Su Chen took a deep breath and then activated all the True Yuan in his body, dashing towards a snow-covered mountain wall. With one step, he shot up about five or six meters!


    As his ascent slowed, he immediately found a protruding rock tond on!


    He then activated his True Yuan again and leapt from the rock!


    Reaching the same height of five or six meters, he began looking for somewhere tond, but found nothing. He then continued using his Cultivation Technique to climb higher, finally spotting a foothold about a meter higher.


    After seeing thending spot, he let his body drop back down to the previous tform.


    "It looks like I need to dig out a foothold just above here, so I can reach that higher spot,"


    Su Chen thought to himself, knowing that carrying Ruoxue with him meant that jumping five or six meters was nearly his limit.


    He then pulled out a dagger and, after clearing the snow from the mountain wall at a height parallel to his neck, slid the dagger into a crack and gently twisted it.


    Su Chen''s dagger was not made of ordinary material. With this twist, the nearby rocks and rubble immediately started to fall.


    Then, with a downward stroke of his dagger, sparks flew and a deep gash was made in the hard rock!


    Su Chen cut a few more times, causing more rocks to tumble down, and after about half an hour, a small, step-like tform had formed.


    Su Chen jumped onto the freshly carved tform and continued leaping upwards, reaching the five or six meter height again, this timending on the spot he had seen before.


    Thus, Su Chen kept leaping, inspecting potential footholds above and digging out tforms when the height was too great, thereby reducing the distance.


    After two hours of hard work, Su Chen was drenched in sweat, and his True Yuan had significantly depleted, but he was smiling because they were now only about ten meters from the top!


    Su Chen had not returned for a long time, which made Ruoxue anxious. Feeling uneasy, she crawled out of the snow cave with a heamp on, as it was already night, and darkness had enveloped the outside.


    She looked around, but there was no sign of Su Chen anywhere, and her heart was suddenly seized with intense panic!


    "Husband! Husband!"


    Lin Ruoxue yelled urgently. The reason she had remained rtively calm until now was because Su Chen had been by her side.


    But when Su Chen suddenly disappeared, she became incredibly frightened!


    "Wife, I''m here!"


    At that moment, a voice reached Lin Ruoxue''s ears.


    However, despite looking around, she still couldn''t see Su Chen:


    "Husband, where are you?"


    "Over here, wife, I''m over here!"


    Finally, Lin Ruoxue pinpointed the direction of the voice and looked up, only to see a cheeky smiling face waving vigorously at her!


    Lin Ruoxue immediately covered her mouth in surprise and then called out curiously,


    "Husband, how did you get up there?"


    "Of course I climbed up."


    Su Chen''s voice came down from above:


    "Wife, go rest in the snow cave for a bit. I''ll clear off the snow and ice above and thene down to get you!"


    Lin Ruoxue heard what Su Chen said, but she didn''t move an inch. How could she be at ease entering the snow cave now!


    Su Chen couldn''t attend to her at the moment and continued to leap upwards, his body ascending as if free from gravity.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Ruoxue waspletely dumbfounded. Was this a man flying through the air?


    "Husband, be careful!"


    Lin Ruoxue yelled, watching Su Chen seemingly flying in the air, feeling as if her entire heart was in her throat. If he wasn''t careful and fell down, wouldn''t he die from such a fall!


    "Don''t worry, wife!"


    Su Chen shouted back, standing on one foot andughing loudly.


    Seeing him like that, Lin Ruoxue didn''t even dare to speak with him anymore, deeply afraid that he would fall if he got distracted!


    After speaking, Su Chen once again leapt into the air and when he came down again, he was only about three meters away from the fissure!


    Fortunately, thest ten meters or so didn''t require digging footholds anymore, otherwise it would have taken much longer.


    Even though his dagger cut through iron like mud, excavating this mountain face still took quite some time.


    "Okay, wife, wait up, I''ming down to get you!"


    As he came down, Su Chen directly jumped down from ten meters, and within two or three steps, he reached the ground!


    "Well, are you stunned?"


    Su Chen arrived in front of an already wide-eyed Lin Ruoxue and teased her.


    "Husband, was that just now the legendary martial arts?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked hesitantly. Her heart waspletely overwhelmed by the scene she had just witnessed!


    Ten meters¡ªthat''s about as high as several floors! Su Chen had just jumped down directly, and what''s more, hended on such a small protruding rock!


    How did he manage to do that?

 Chapter 440 - 440 Tang Gangs Grand Ambition

    "Almost there."


    Su Chen simply smiled, without offering an exnation. After all, things like True Yuan and cultivation were beyond herprehension.


    "Alright, let''s hurry up and go!"


    Su Chen then tied Lin Ruoxue to his back with a rope and began to leap, as the previous exploration had made the route much smoother this time.


    It didn''t take long for Su Chen to carry Lin Ruoxue out of the long crevasse.


    Once outside, Lin Ruoxue still felt like she was in a dream. She couldn''t believe that Su Chen had carried her, effortlessly leaping up from a ce tens of meters deep!


    Each time Su Chen leapt, she was so terrified that she dared not open her eyes, fearing that if she did, she would find herself falling downwards!


    "Honey, have we reallye out already?"


    A few minutester, Lin Ruoxue still couldn''t believe what had just happened!


    What she didn''t know, however, was how much True Yuan Su Chen had expended in this seemingly easy process. After all, resisting gravity was no easy feat!


    "What do you think? Would you like to try it again?" he asked.


    "What are you talking about?" Lin Ruoxue scolded yfully, "We should hurry back, the vigers must be worried sick!"


    "Okay!"


    Su Chen, holding Lin Ruoxue, continued walking down the mountain. By now, the surrounding trees had already been destroyed by the avnche, leaving nothing but ruins...


    When they returned to Baixing Gully Vige, it was already one or two in the morning.


    To their surprise, when they walked into the vige, arge crowd of people suddenly poured out from the felt tents.


    It turned out that everyone had been awake, waiting for their return; without them, the vigers couldn''t sleep peacefully!


    Seeing this scene, not just Lin Ruoxue, even Su Chen felt a warm surge in his heart...


    "Sorry to make everyone worry. We had a bit of an ident, so we returnedte," Su Chen said apologetically, with a smile.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay, as long as you''re back, we''re relieved. Alright, everyone, go back to sleep," said the headman, smiling broadly, relief evident on his face.


    Only then did everyone say goodnight to each other and return to their tents.


    "Uncle."


    At that moment, Xiao Xun also came up to Su Chen.


    "Xiao Xun, why aren''t you sleeping?" Su Chen asked.


    "Uncle hasn''te back, Xiao Xun couldn''t sleep!" the little girl told Su Chen.


    "This little girl really does share a good bond with you."


    Lin Ruoxue said a bit sourly.


    "Wife, you''re not getting jealous over such a small girl, are you?" Su Chenughed.


    "Who''s jealous of you? Don''t tter yourself," Lin Ruoxue shot back with a nce, thinking her previousment was a bit childish.


    But she had her reasons for saying so; for some reason, this little girl only seemed to bond with him and avoided others, herself included.


    Soon after, the three of them went back inside to sleep. After all, Lin Ruoxue was extremely tired from the day''s events...


    ......


    Meanwhile, in the distant Ans Mountains, within that peculiar and grand building, a man in a whiteb coat, his face filled with excitement, walked towards one of thergest offices.


    Upon reaching the door, a transparent screen immediately appeared in mid-air, and the man in the whiteb coat expertly entered his code before quietly waiting to the side.


    After three seconds, the door automatically opened from the inside, and the man in the whiteb coat immediately entered, stopping about a meter away from the desk inside.


    "Doctor George, my patience is limited. I hope you bring me good news this time!" the stern-faced man behind the desk coldly stated.


    Hearing this voice, George''s heart uncontrobly trembled, and then he answered with a surprised but respectful face:


    "Yes, President, I am here to bring you good news!"


    "Are you saying the third-generation gene modifiers have finally seeded in the experiment?"


    The stern man suddenly stood up from his chair, his face filled with excitement!


    "Yes, President, after such a long time, we have finally seeded!"


    "Are you sure? There won''t be any problems this time?"


    The stern man asked uneasily;st time they had also imed that the experiment was sessful, but in the end, it turned out there were still fatal ws unresolved, which had caused him to celebrate prematurely!


    If not for the fact that the other party was still useful, he would have thrown this fellow into the penalty area to experience the severity of those people!


    "I guarantee, this time it is absolutely foolproof!"


    Doctor George nodded solemnly.


    "Good, good, good!"


    The man with a stern face said excitedly:


    "Doctor George, I will reward you handsomely!"


    "Thank you, President!"


    After Doctor George spoke respectfully, he consciously left the office, and the door automatically closed behind him.


    After George left, a strong light shed in the deep eyes of the man. This man was Tang Gang, the President of the Skull Society!


    "Su Chen, although your cultivation has recovered somewhat, your real date of death is also approaching fast!"


    "In our struggle, I am ultimately the one who will have thestugh!"


    "And those people, don''t you even think about controlling me and using me as a pawn anymore! This time, I am going to be the yer!"


    Although Tang Gang and his Skull Society had be famous in the Dark World over the past year, he knew that he was merely a puppet supported by those people!


    But Tang Gang was a man with "great ambition," and he absolutely could not resign himself to being just a puppet, a mere pawn.


    However, in front of those powerful forces, he had no room to resist.


    But with the sess of the third-generation gene modifiers, he finally had the backing he needed to resist; he knew just how powerful the third-generation gene modifiers were!


    Most importantly, these gene modifiers could be manufactured inrge quantities!


    At that moment, he seemed to see the path of a supreme ruler that belonged to him!


    ......


    The next morning, after Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue had breakfast, they were ready to pack and leave.


    "Uncle, I want to go see Grandma again," said the little girl, suddenly anxious.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen contemted for a moment, then slightly nodded.


    "Thank you, Uncle!"


    The little girl immediately smiled happily, her smile as radiant as a blooming peony!


    "I will go with you," said Lin Ruoxue, also interested, then smiled at the little girl:


    "Xiaoxun, would you wee your sistering along?"


    Lin Ruoxue had always found it somewhat grating to be called ''aunt,'' so she had insisted on being called ''sister'' and had the little girl call her that as well.


    As for calling Su Chen ''uncle'' and herself ''sister,'' causing a confusion of seniority, she didn''t mind at all.


    "I listen to Uncle," the little girl said softly, looking at Su Chen.


    "Then let''s go together. Wife, you should also change the flight tickets," said Su Chen, grabbing Lin Ruoxue and the little girl''s hands and walking toward the distance...

 Chapter 441: You Dont Belong Here, and This Place Doesnt Belong to You

    The journey from Baixing Gully Vige to the olddy''s straw cottage was not close.


    Just yesterday, Lin Ruoxue had experienced an avnche, and she really should have taken a good rest both mentally and physically, but Su Chen did not want to disappoint her, so he agreed to her request.


    Along the way, Su Chen and hispanions walked and stopped intermittently, only reaching the straw cottage in the afternoon.


    "It''s unexpected to find such a ce at the foot of Tianshan."


    Looking at the straw cottage surrounded by a wooden fence, including some vegetable gardens and fruit trees in the yard, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but exim.


    Su Chen smiled and pushed open the gate of the courtyard. He had felt a simr feeling the first time he hade here.


    Although the olddy did not seem extraordinary, she always gave him a very peculiar feeling. As for what it was precisely, he couldn''t quite put his finger on it.


    When they entered the straw cottage, the olddy did not show any surprise on her face, as if she had guessed that they woulde back.


    However, when she saw Lin Ruoxue standing by Su Chen, her sleepy eyes suddenly emitted a sharp light, and her body shook violently!


    "Olddy, this is my wife, Lin Ruoxue. We are nning to leave, so before we go, I brought Xiaoxun to see you."


    Su Chen said with a smile, not paying much attention to the olddy''s unusual reaction.


    "What''s so great about an old woman?" The olddy curled her lips, then looked at Su Chen, "So this is your wife?"


    "Yes, she also wanted to meet you, so we came together."


    "Olddy, it''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Lin Ruoxue smiled warmly and reached out a tender hand.


    The olddy did not reach out to shake her hand but thoroughly scrutinized her, as if trying to see through her as one would a flower.


    Being stared at like this by a stranger made Lin Ruoxue feel quite ufortable, even though it was by an olddy.


    "Olddy, why are you staring at me like this? Is there something special about me?"


    Lin Ruoxue withdrew her hand a little displeased and asked curiously.


    "Special, very special indeed, only that you yourself are unaware!"


    The olddy muttered meaningfully.


    Lin Ruoxue, including Su Chen at this moment, could not imagine how shocked the old woman was inside!


    But she hid the shock very well.


    "No wonder that old fellow told his precious disciple to get married. So this is why!"


    The olddy thought to herself:


    "Although his cultivation is mediocre now, in the future... it''s unimaginable!"


    Su Chen also felt that the olddy was acting strangely today, not only staring weirdly at Lin Ruoxue before but now even her gaze towards him seemed peculiar.


    "Well, olddy, you''ve seen them, now hurry on."


    Without giving Su Chen much time to think further, the olddy had already started giving them the eviction order.


    "Xiaoxun, make sure you listen to Uncle after you go back, hear me?"


    Then the olddy looked at the little girl, her expression suddenly much softer.


    "Xiaoxun will behave."


    The little girl obediently nodded her head.


    "Okay, it''s gettingte, you guys should hurry on your way!"


    The olddy urged them again, seemingly not wanting them to disturb her peace.


    Since the olddy said so, Su Chen and the others felt it was not appropriate to stay further:


    "Olddy, we''ll be leaving then. Please take care of yourself."


    "Go on, go on!"


    The olddy waved her hand somewhat impatiently.


    Su Chen had no choice but to lead Lin Ruoxue and the little girl out, heading back the way they hade.


    The olddy also stepped out of the thatched hut to see them off. As the little girl had just walked not far from the yard, she looked back and saw the olddy, suddenly rushing back and throwing herself into her arms:


    "Grandma, Xiao Xun doesn''t want to leave, Xiao Xun wants to stay with grandma!"


    "Good child, this ce does not belong to you, and you do not belong here, you should leave!"


    The olddy, stroking her enchanting purple hair, sighed and then looked solemnly into her big, watery eyes:


    "If you still listen to grandma, go with uncle!"


    "But grandma, what will you do by yourself?"


    The little girl asked worriedly.


    "Don''t worry, grandma will be alright, if grandma misses you, she wille to see you."


    "Really? Grandma, will you reallye to see Xiao Xun?"


    "When has grandma ever lied to you? Go now, or grandma will get angry!"


    "Grandma, don''t be angry, Xiao Xun will go with uncle!"


    "That''s my good child! Go now! They are waiting for you!"


    Watching the little girl walk towards Su Chen and another person, the olddy said contemtively:


    "A peacock must eventually unfold its most beautiful feathers!"


    "I should also make a trip to Kunlun Mountains now."


    ......


    Truly separating from the olddy made the little girl''s mood somewhat somber, remaining silent all the way to Baixing Gully.


    When they arrived at Baixing Gully, they quickly packed up, ready to leave, as they didn''t have much stuff and had mostly packed it up in the morning.


    As they dragged their suitcases and shouldered their backpacks out of the vige chief''s felt tent, the outside was already crowded with people who hade to see them off.


    The emotion of parting is always somewhat mncholic, so after saying goodbye to everyone and promising to return next year, the two adults finally took the little girl towards where the car was parked.


    By the time they arrived at the airport, it was already past 8 PM, but luckily Lin Ruoxue had changed her flight to 10 PM, so there was still plenty of time.


    This time the ne was quite reliable, only dyed by 20 minutes, which could be considered very punctual in Huaxia.


    The little girl was clearly on a ne for the first time, she was amazed by the clouds from high above, and the hurt from leaving the olddy gradually faded.


    When the airnended at Jianghai airport, it was almost 3 AM. Although it was sote, Jianghai, as a big city, still had many shops brightly lit, and the street lights on both sides made the road look almost like daytime.


    Sitting in the taxi, the little girl looked at all this in awe, wondering how it could be so bright at night. Is this the city?


    And those buildings were also something she had never seen before, so tall and beautiful!


    However, her introverted nature and poormunication skills meant she just silently observed and absorbed the scene...


    "Xiao Xun, do you like it here?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a smile.


    "Yes."


    The little girl nodded slightly. Coming to such a strange ce, she felt amazed but still somewhat scared and apprehensive.


    The car soon stopped in front of Grand Epoch Court. The three of them got out and walked towards Lin Ruoxue''s vi.


    Upon opening the door and entering inside, Su Chen immediately sprawled out on the sofa:


    "There''s no ce like home!"


    "Indeed!"


    Lin Ruoxue also sat down beside Su Chen, then called out to the little girl:


    "Xiao Xun,e sit here and rest for a while."


    "Oh."


    The little girl shifted over somewhat awkwardly, by then she waspletely amazed by the spaciousness, beauty, and elegance of the house!


    She marveled to herself, so a house can be like this too!

 Chapter 442: Searching for Lv Shimo

    The little girl didn''t sit next to Lin Ruoxue but instead circled around her to take a seat next to Su Chen, leaving Lin Ruoxue speechless.


    But the moment the little girl sat down, she bounced right back up, her face a mix of surprise and fear.


    "What''s wrong, Xiaoxun?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "Uncle, what is this thing? Why is it so soft and springy?"


    The little girl stammered out her question.


    Hearing the little girl''s words, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue bothughed involuntarily.


    "This is called a sofa. It has springs inside, so when you sit on it, it''s stic and veryfortable,"


    Su Chen exined patiently, taking her small hand:


    "Xiaoxun, try sitting down again and feel it."


    "Eh, it really isfortable."


    This time, the little girl was prepared and sat properly, indeed experiencing an out-of-the-ordinary sensation.


    Curiosity piqued, the little girl deliberately bounced a couple of times, the sensation was even more apparent, and she burst into giggles.


    "Come, Xiaoxun, uncle will take you to see your room."


    Su Chen stood up and took the little girl''s hand to lead her.


    "Honey, it''s gettingte, I''ll go rest first. After you''ve settled Xiaoxun, you should go to bed soon too,"


    Lin Ruoxue said, yawning.


    "These past few days have indeed been hard on you. Go rest, and don''t go to work tomorrow, just rest at home for a day,"


    Su Chen advised warmly.


    "Okay."


    After saying that, Lin Ruoxue headed for the stairs.


    "Uncle, Sister, don''t you sleep together?"


    Just then, the little girl tilted her head and asked curiously.


    As soon as she posed the question, the atmosphere seemed to quiet down for a moment, and Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue felt so awkward!


    Lin Ruoxue''s pretty face turned red with embarrassment, and Su Chen felt even more disgraced!


    Especially since such words came from the mouth of an innocent little girl, it made Su Chen feel as though he had lost all dignity...


    "Of course not, why would we?"


    Su Chen quickly changed the subject:


    "Let''s hurry and check out your room."


    "This is my room?"


    Entering a small room filled with pink, like something out of a fairy tale, the little girl eximed in amazement.


    "Of course, who else would it be for?"


    Su Chen smiled as he looked at her:


    "Do you like it?"


    In fact, even before Su Chen and the others returned, he had already contacted Mrs. Wang to prepare a room for the little girl.


    "Mhm!"


    The little girl nodded vigorously; she had never seen such a beautiful room before, let alone imagined it.


    "Xiaoxun, are you afraid to sleep alone?"


    Su Chen was still somewhat worried that she might not be used to it on her first night.


    "Not scared."


    "Good. Uncle is going to sleep now, you rest well, okay? There''s a button for themp by the bed, just press it to turn off the light,"


    Su Chen demonstrated turning the light on and off, then left the room and closed the door firmly behind him.


    After leaving Xiaoxun''s room, Su Chen did not head back to his own room to rest; instead, he immediately left the vi and drove off in a car.


    He was going tomit murder, to kill Lv Shimo!


    He had not expected that, having just dealt with the Liu Family, the Lv Family would start causing trouble so soon afterward!


    If that was the case, it was time to settle the matter once and for all!


    Before returning to Jianghai, he had already asked about the Lv Family''s address from Lin''s father, and upon hearing that he was inquiring about the Lv Family, Lin''s father was greatly startled, wondering if this man, having just killed the Liu father and son, was nning to make a move on the Lv Family too.


    He is looking topletely tten the Four Great Families!


    Although filled with unease, the old man still told Su Chen what he knew. The Lv Family and the Liu Family were almost the same, both having old family estates.


    However, the Lv Family had very few people, almost no one lived there, and they all bought their houses to live in separately. Only during holidays or important asions would they gather at the old house.


    Lv Fang and his son, Lv Shimo, did the same and lived in a vi they had bought on the outside.


    Su Chen arrived at Lv Fang and his son''s vi to investigate and found that both were not there. He then went to the old house, where he discovered that aside from some servants, there were hardly any Lv Family members...


    "Think you can escape? Do you think you''ll get away?"


    In the cover of night, Su Chen dialed a number:


    "Shadow, help me look up two peopleter, see where they are, and also whether they have connections with any mercenary organization in the Middle East."


    "Yes, Hall Master!"


    The voice of a young girl came from the other end.


    Su Chen then sent over photos of Lv Shimo and his father, along with some basic information. As bigwigs of Jiangnan, their information could easily be found with a simple inte search.


    After hanging up the phone, Su Chen immediately went to the estate to cultivate. Two hourster, he drove back to the vi.


    He had not prepared breakfast for so many days, and he quite missed the feeling of cooking breakfast.


    The moment he walked into the kitchen, the familiar and warm feeling instantly returned.


    "Son-inw, when did you and misse back?"


    Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire


    Wang Ma got up early and saw Su Chen busying himself in the kitchen, she immediately eximed with surprise.


    "We came backtest night; it was toote, so I didn''t want to disturb you."


    Su Chen said while sitting down for breakfast.


    "Son-inw, where''s the little girl you said you were bringing back?"


    "She''s probably still sleeping. Wang Ma, the child is new here and still quite shy, so please take good care of her."


    "You''re being too polite, son-inw."


    Wang Ma said nonchntly:


    "By the way, son-inw, what are your ns for the little girl?"


    "I''ll send her to school. It''s just right for her to be with Ruohan, that little smart cookie, so she has someone to look after her."


    "That''s a good idea."


    Wang Ma nodded in agreement.


    "Uncle."


    At that moment, a little girl came over and called out.


    "Little Xun, why didn''t you sleep a bit longer?"


    Su Chen quickly said with a smile.


    "What a pretty girl!"


    Wang Ma''s eyes lit up the moment she saw Little Xun:


    "She''ll definitely be a great beauty like the miss when she grows up!"


    "Little Xun, call her Grandma Wang."


    "Hello, Grandma Wang."


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Little Xun quickly called out.


    "Hello to you too, such an adorable little girl."


    Wang Ma''s eyes turned into straight lines from smiling, obviously very fond of the little girl.


    "Son-inw, after we finish breakfast, I''ll take Little Xun out for a walk and buy her some things she likes."


    "Then I''ll have to trouble you, Wang Ma. Little Xun,ter Grandma Wang will take you out shopping, so be a good girl, okay?"


    "Mm."


    The little girl nodded her head, feeling a bit more at ease as the family was very kind to her.


    After breakfast, Wang Ma took Little Xun out. Lin Ruoxue originally wanted to join them but was ordered by Su Chen to rest at home.


    Su Chen then stepped out and called Tang Yun. He was going to go directly to the school to find her but Tang Yun said she didn''t have ss in the morning and wasn''t at school.


    Su Chen quickly asked her where she was. Tang Yun was actually a bit afraid of seeing Su Chen, but when he said he had important matters, she told him she was in her apartment nearby the school.


    Su Chen had been to Tang Yun''s apartment before; it had been during the car race.


    And that was also the first time Su Chen saw Tang Yun dressed in that sexy leather outfit, exuding a queen-like aura!

 Chapter 443: Feeling Guilty

    "What is this bad guy here for?"


    After hanging up the phone, Tang Yun felt somewhat hesitant. Her feelings for Su Chen were veryplex.


    Instinctively, she was somewhat afraid of seeing Su Chen. Seeing him made her feel that whatever she said or did was unnatural.


    But at the same time, her subconscious seemed to somewhat crave seeing that annoying guy.


    For example, when she was grading homework, that guy''s image would suddenly pop up.


    Like when she was sleeping at night, she would inexplicably recall that evening he had kissed her forcefully at the school gate.


    Like the night of the race, when she was lying on the ground, and the car that was speeding towards her suddenly screeched to a halt...


    Like thatte night in Yandu Hospital, his superb medical skills and his cold and proud image...


    "Could it be that I have really experienced so much with that guy?"


    Thinking of this, Tang Yun was suddenly startled and discovered that this guy had actually barged into her life, her world, and even her heart with a domineering attitude...


    Just then, suddenly a ring of the doorbell sounded, and Tang Yun''s heart trembled:


    "Is it him?"


    Instinctively, she hurried to the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and seeing that herplexion and attire were fine, she then ran out confidently.


    "Tang Yun, open the door!"


    Seeing that there was no response after ringing the doorbell for several seconds, Su Chen simply started knocking on the door.


    "Coming,ing!"


    Tang Yun replied in a fluster as she ran to the door.


    "Why am I so excited?"


    Suddenly feeling somewhat absurd, Tang Yun slowed down her pace and then casually opened the door.


    "What kind of mischief are you up to? You''re so slow!"


    As Su Chen saw the door open and was about to walk inside, Tang Yun only opened the door a small bit, then grabbed onto the door with one hand and the wall with the other, blocking the entrance.


    "You''re the one up to mischief! Tell me, what do you want?"


    "Of course, I have something to talk about, let''s go inside and I''ll tell you slowly."


    "What is it? Just say it from there!"


    Tang Yun looked at him with a suspicious face.


    "Ms. Tang, why do I feel like you are somewhat afraid of letting me in, have you hidden a man inside?"


    Seeing Tang Yun like this, Su Chen''s mouth curled into a skeptical smile.


    "Despicable!"


    Tang Yun spat at him.


    "Then why don''t you dare to let me in?"


    As Su Chen spoke, he even peeked inside, as if he was truly looking for someone.


    "Who says I don''t dare! Come in then."


    Tang Yun flung open the door and then confidently strutted back to the couch.


    Su Chen finally got to see the full view of Tang Yun''s apartment, a small apartment of four to five square meters, one room and one living room, with no other rooms except the bathroom.


    Although it was small, it was very warm and sweet, perfectly cozy for two lovers living together.


    "Can you see clearly now? Whether I''ve hidden anyone or not!"


    Tang Yun spoke indignantly, this guy actually thought she was hiding a man, what did he take her for?


    "Tch, perhaps while you were blocking the door, he jumped out of the window naked and ran away."


    Su Chenmented with a smirk, then walked over to Tang Yun''s Princess bed andy down on it:


    "This bed really isfortable!"


    "What are you saying! What do you take me for!"


    Tang Yun immediately stood with her hands on her hips, furiously speaking, this guy really couldn''t say anything nice, suggesting there was a naked man in her ce!


    The underlying message isn''t obvious enough? That''s just me doing that kind of thing!


    "So why did you block me at the door just now? If not feeling guilty, then what?"


    Su Chen blurted out casually, picking up a pillow to cushion underneath him.


    He of course knew Tang Yun hadn''t hidden any man; he was just joking around.


    "I''m not feeling guilty."


    "Then why did you block me at the door?"


    Su Chen was relentless in pursuing this point.


    "I was scared..."


    Tang Yun had blocked the door because she was suddenly afraid to see him, although she couldn''t quite exin why.


    "Scared of what? Scared of me?"


    Su Chen had a mischievous smile on his lips as he said:


    "Are you afraid I might do something to you..."


    As he spoke, Su Chen''s gaze wandered over Tang Yun''s body.


    It seemed that she had be slightly shapelier since hest saw her.


    Tang Yun felt his gaze was like that of a wolf, seemingly ready to devour her, and she suddenly became uneasy.


    But she still pretended to be calm and said:


    "I have colleagues living here too; I was just afraid of being seen and misunderstood."


    "Also, get up, you are not allowed to sleep on my bed!"


    Tang Yun stepped forward intending to pull Su Chen up¡ªher bed, let alone a man, hadn''t even beenin on by another woman, nor had anyone even sat on it.


    This guy, however, had justin down directly!


    "Misunderstood as what, that we are in that kind of rtionship?"


    Su Chen looked at Tang Yun with a smile, unfazed by her mightiest efforts to move him.


    "You''re just shameless!"


    Tang Yun breathed heavily, her pretty face flushed from the effort, looking exceedingly delicate and charming!


    "Haven''t you known this about me for a long time?"


    Su Chen didn''t mind being called shameless; in fact, he seemed rather proud and gave her a flirtatious look.


    Upon hearing this, and seeing his expression, Tang Yun immediately understood what he was referring to¡ªit undoubtedly was that incident by the school gate at dusk.


    "Don''t you dare mention that again!"


    Tang Yun pointed at himmandingly with her delicate finger.


    "Ms. Tang, which incident are you talking about? I really don''t understand," Su Chen said, feigning confusion. "Could you rify a bit?"


    "You... You..."


    Tang Yun was momentarily speechless, her anger causing her chest to heave dramatically, making Su Chen''s eyes widen!


    "Seems like it got a bit bigger!"


    At first, Tang Yun didn''t understand what he meant by it got a bit bigger, but then she followed his gaze and immediately realized what he was referring to.


    "You jerk, I''m going to fight you!"


    Tang Yun, flushed with embarrassment, suddenly jumped onto the bed, straddling Su Chen, and then grabbed a pillow, forcefully covering his head with it!


    "Let go, Tang Yun, you''re smothering me!"


    Su Chen''s muffled voice came from under the pillow, but Tang Yun, engulfed in rage, not only did not let go but pressed down even harder, wishing she could smother the scoundrel outright!


    "Tang Yun, if you don''t let go now, I won''t be polite anymore!"


    "Fine, see if I care, I''m going to eliminate a menace for the people today!"


    Tang Yun said viciously, seemingly ready to vent her long-suppressed anger and other emotions... Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 444: Be Kind-hearted

    "Tang Yun, I warn you for thest time, let go right now or I won''t be polite!"


    "Hmph, fine, show me how impolite you can be!"


    Tang Yun coldly snorted, not taking Su Chen''s threat seriously at all.


    "You want me not to be polite? I''ve been too polite to you before!"


    Tang Yun thought with a sense of pride.


    However, just then, Su Chen suddenly exerted his strength, and Tang Yun''s body shook immediately, her expression tightening.


    Before she could react, Su Chen had flipped over and already pinned her underneath him!


    This abrupt change stunned Tang Yun, leaving her looking somewhat bewildered!


    "Hmph, you were quite arrogant just now, weren''t you? Why the dumb look now?"


    Su Chen seemed to have turned the tables, speaking triumphantly.


    "Ah~~~"


    Hearing Su Chen''s voice, Tang Yun immediately came to her senses and let out a sharp scream!


    "Get off me!"


    Being pinned down by such a big man, Tang Yun immediately struggled, but Su Chen was immovable like a mountain, no matter how much she writhed.


    "Earlier I asked you to let go, and you refused. Now guess, will I let you go?"


    A sly smirk formed at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth as he spoke.


    Seeing that teasing smile on Su Chen''s face, Tang Yun felt an inexplicable shiver, especially with his hot breath distinctly against her face, which suddenly made her heart race and her face flush.


    "It was my fault earlier, Su Chen. You''re a generous person, please let me go, will you?"


    Tang Yun knew struggling was futile, so she resorted to a woman''s secret weapon¡ªcoquetry!


    And yes, when Tang Yun acted coy, it really had a feminine charm, at least enough to make Su Chen''s heart itch.


    Looking again at Tang Yun''s extremely delicate and pretty face and smelling her subtle fragrance, Su Chen suddenly felt a heat rising...


    Tang Yun, seeing that Su Chen was staring intensely at her all of a sudden, instantly became nervous!


    Why is he looking at her like that? What does he want to do?


    In that instant, when their eyes met, the air seemed to have quieted down all at once, and for a while, only the sound of their breathing was silently telling something...


    This strange atmosphere made Tang Yun suddenly feel a certain "danger" approaching, her heart both scared and faintly expectant of what wasing next.


    "No, this can''t happen!"


    Just as Tang Yun was about to push Su Chen away again, Su Chen''s head suddenly dipped down!


    "Wuwuwu~~~"


    Tang Yun immediately panicked, frantically pounding on Su Chen''s back, trying to make him let go!


    But Su Chen had no reaction, allowing her to pound him.


    It''s hard to say how many minutes passed, but Tang Yun''s delicate hands, originally hammering Su Chen''s back, slowly wrapped around him!


    And just like that, the two of them, both a bit nk-minded, started to passionately kiss...


    "Ah~~~"


    Just as the two were deeply engrossed, suddenly a high-pitched scream rang out at the doorway!


    Su Chen and Tang Yun were both startled and quickly looked towards the door.


    When they saw clearly who it was that made the noise, they were dumbfounded!


    Because standing at the door was none other than Tang Yun''s mother¡ªPei Rou!


    For a moment, several people looked at each other, all somewhat stupefied!


    "Sorry, sorry, you continue! I just remembered I have some things at home, so I''ll be leaving first!"


    Pei Rou was the first to react, saying hurriedly, then she rushed towards the door!


    "Mom, stop!"


    Tang Yun immediately shouted, her emotions now indescribable, her face zing red!


    This kind of situation being caught by her mother, and her mother even saying to let them continue!


    Continue what! Tang Yun was so embarrassed she wished she could crawl into a hole...


    "Is there anything else?" Pei Rou paused briefly, then apologetically said to Su Chen, "Little Su, I''m sorry, auntie came at a bad time, I''ll definitely call ahead next time!"


    Su Chen had no idea what to say after Pei Rou''s words. Was he supposed to say that there was nothing between him and her daughter, that it was just a moment of passion he couldn''t resist?


    He guessed that once he said that, Pei Rou would definitely burst in, grab a kitchen knife, and chop him into eight pieces!


    "Mom, if I said it was just an ident just now and that I have nothing to do with him, would you believe me?"


    Tang Yun asked timidly.


    "Teacher Tang, what do you think?"


    Pei Rou asked back with a yful smile on her face.


    Without waiting for Tang Yun to respond, Pei Rou continued:


    "You two were so engrossed that you didn''t even notice when I opened the door and walked in. Do you think I should believe that you two have no rtionship?"


    Tang Yun also found herself at a loss for words. If her past actions could have been chalked up to her mother''s overactive imagination, today''s scene was definitive proof!


    Su Chen thought to himself that Auntie Pei spoke too bluntly. What was that about being so engrossed they didn''t even notice her opening the door?


    Even if it was true, she should have put it more delicately!


    "Alright, no more talking, you two areing back home for dinner this weekend!"


    Pei Rou dered decisively, then walked out with a satisfied smile, even thoughtfully closing the door behind them...


    "It''s all your fault!"


    As soon as Pei Rou left, Tang Yun picked up a pillow and threw it hard at Su Chen.


    "What''s my fault? Weren''t you also enjoying it, fully engaged?"


    Su Chen retorted with a shrug:


    "I can''t be the one to me for everything when things go wrong, Teacher Tang. Be fair!"


    "You jerk!"


    "You''ve called me that before!"


    "You''re shameless! You''re a scoundrel! You''re the biggest pervert in the world!"


    Tang Yun cursed while throwing everything she couldy her hands on at Su Chen.


    It was all this damn guy''s fault or else such an embarrassing situation would never have happened!


    She was really out of her mind to have... with him.


    Su Chen dodged left and right, sighing:


    "It was indeed my fault just now, I''m sorry."


    "So what do we do now?" Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    After hearing this, Tang Yun copsed weakly onto the bed!


    Although Su Chen was the instigator, she too was responsible, she didn''t know why, but she had responded to him...


    "You''re not expecting me to take responsibility for you, are you?"


    Su Chen suddenly widened his eyes and asked.


    "In your dreams! I wouldn''t agree to it even if you wanted to!"


    Tang Yun said irritably.


    After all, this was only her second kiss in her life. Yes, the first one had also been stolen by this jerk!


    "That''s good, that''s good!"


    Su Chen quickly patted his anxious heart, taking a light breath...


    If Tang Yun really demanded him to take responsibility, he would really have no idea what to do, since it had been a moment of weakness.


    Tang Yun, seeing Su Chen like this, felt even more annoyed that he seemed to be getting away with it!


    "Alright, let''s talk now about how to solve this."


    Tang Yun said helplessly, seeing that there was no other way to resolve the issue at this point.


    If there was anyone to me, it was herself for getting carried away in the heat of the moment...


    "Okay."


    Su Chen had just uttered a word when his phone rang.


    He pulled it out to see that it was Shadow, that girl, calling him; he hurriedly answered...

 Chapter 445: Secret Base

    Su Chen certainly knew why Shadow had called. It must have been about a clue to Lv Shimo.


    As expected, based on the information Shadow had gathered, Lv Shimo hadn''t engaged in any legitimate profession since leaving Jianghai several years ago; instead, he had joined a well-known Mercenary Corps in the Middle East.


    However, he was indeed exceptionally capable, and in just over a year''s time, he had already imed the third leading position in the Mercenary Corps!


    Moreover, within that Mercenary Corps, he had a lot of prestige and maintained very good rtionships with the foremost leaders.


    For unknown reasons, the day before yesterday he had hurriedly taken his father, Lv Fang, from Jianghai to the Mercenary Corps'' camp in country W of the Middle East, which also served as the headquarters of the Mercenary Corps.


    Moreover, since Lv Shimo and his father entered, they had note out.


    Shadow didn''t know why Lv Shimo had suddenly gone there, but Su Chen knew that Lv Shimo had definitely arranged for people in Tianshan, watching to see if he could escape his predicament.


    Indeed, although Lv Shimo thought that such a massive avnche meant certain death for Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue, his cautious nature prevailed. To prevent any uncertainties, he had still arranged for two people to stay there and observe.


    And when he found out that Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue had returned to Baixing Gully Vige on the night of that day, Lv Shimo inexplicably panicked and immediately left Jianghai with his father, returning to the camp.


    Lv Shimo had long suspected that the incident with the Liu Family was somehow connected to Su Chen. If that was true, he definitely wouldn''t show mercy to them if it came to that...


    After returning to the camp, his mind rxed slightly, but still, given his cautious nature, he hadn''t dared to leave the camp at all these next few days.


    Only surrounded by hundreds of his subordinates did he feel safe.


    In his mind, even if that guy was formidable, he wouldn''t run all the way to the Middle East and barge into the camp to kill him, right?


    Little did he know, since he was already on Su Chen''s cklist, even if he escaped to the ends of the earth, it was all in vain. Everything was just a matter of time...


    With this information, Su Chen was nowpletely sure that the one who had killed Xiao Dingguo was indeed Lv Shimo.


    Being a leader of mercenaries, it was only natural to be acquainted with psychotropic drugs. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    "What happened?"


    Tang Yun saw his expression was somewhat unusual and couldn''t help but ask.


    "Nothing much."


    Su Chen smiled faintly, knowing already where Lv Shimo was, he wasn''t worried anymore, let him struggle a little longer.


    "By the way, I came to ask you for a favor, there''s something I need your help with."


    As soon as Su Chen entered, he couldn''t help but tease her, and then some things happened that shouldn''t have happened. He had almost forgotten about Xiao Xun''s matter.


    Tang Yun couldn''t help but roll her eyes upon hearing this. So, you finally remember the important stuff; what were you doing before?


    Just bullying her as soon as he arrived, and her terrifying mother had caught them in the act!


    If he had talked business right from the start, none of that would have happened.


    "Tell me, what is it?"


    Tang Yun snorted coldly, she was a bit curious, wondering what serious business Su Chen could have with her.


    Su Chen then talked about Xiao Xun going to school, though he mentioned Xiao Xun as a friend''s child.


    For such a small matter, Tang Yun didn''t hesitate and agreed right away.


    "Alright, thank you. I need to travel abroad quickly, so I''ll leave my friend''s child''s matter in your hands," Su Chen said as he stood up.


    "What about the matter with my mother?"


    Tang Yun asked urgently.


    "You''ll have to think of a way, no matter the demands, I''ll cooperate."


    Su Chen had no good idea at the moment and then disappeared like the wind...


    Tang Yun immediately felt irritated, thinking, why should I clean up the mess you, bastard, created?


    But if she didn''t clean it up, who would? She med herself for having been conquered by that scoundrel in the first ce!


    With that thought, Tang Yun''s face was once again tinged with a blush...


    After leaving Tang Yun''s ce, Su Chen first went back to the vi and told Lin Ruoxue that he needed to go abroad.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately became nervous, but she now knew that her husband was no ordinary man and that he must have his reasons for going.


    "Is it dangerous?"


    Lin Ruoxue, once bitten, twice shy, had developed a knee-jerk reaction since the first time Su Chen went abroad and came back covered in scars.


    "Don''t worry, that first time was an ident, there won''t be any danger this time."


    Su Chen smiled easily; he did not at all feel that dealing with a mercenary corps in the Middle East would be dangerous for him.


    If that were dangerous, his reputation as Netherworld King would be seriously underserved!


    "That''s good, just be careful in everything."


    Lin Ruoxue still admonished, notpletely reassured.


    "I know, I''ll be back in two or three days."


    Su Chen did not find Lin Ruoxue''s words nagging; instead, they made him feel warmth and concern.


    .....


    Su Chen left the residential area, hailed a cab, and headed for Jianghai Airport; he had already booked a flight to Country W during his ride back.


    Around noon, the ne took off, arriving at the capital''s airport of Country W.


    When Su Chen stepped out of the capital''s airport of Country W, it was about four or five in the afternoon, still light out. The mercenary corps'' camp was located in a city adjacent to the country''s capital, just an hour''s drive away.


    The situation in the Middle East was not much better than in Africa; war had be the norm there, fueled by both interests and historical reasons.


    As Country W was at the heart of the Middle East, it was no exception, and its turmoil was even more severe than many other ces.


    Even in the capital,merce appeared depressed with few shops open along the way.


    This was a major reason why many mercenary groups established their headquarters here; in this ce, as long as you had enough power, you had a say.


    Although Su Chen could tten the mercenary corps with his strength alone, moving at night would undoubtedly be more convenient, and there was no need to add unnecessary trouble for such a short amount of time.


    So, he decided to first head to a secret base of the Nether Temple in the area to rest for a while, waiting for nightfall to take action.


    As the Nether Temple, the ruler of the Dark World, had secret bases worldwide, Su Chen was naturally very familiar with these bases.


    In such a ce, even getting a taxi was difficult, but fortunately, the airport was not far from the secret location; considering transportation was a necessary factor in the establishment of secret spots.


    After a fifteen-minute walk, Su Chen arrived at the entrance of a house, where he entered a string of digital codes next to the front door, and the door opened instantly.


    Upon entering the house, he walked straight ahead, then headed down the stairs at the turning point toward the basement.


    It could be said that the above part of the house served to deceive the public eye and was indistinguishable from any regr dwelling.


    The real secret base of the Nether Temple was actually in the basement of the house...

 Chapter 446 - 446 Lv Shimos Scheme

    Su Chen walked to the end of the staircase, where a door made of special material blocked his way. He stood there, facing his face toward a screen.


    This was a facial recognition system¡ªafter all, it was just a secret location. The Nether Temple had several hundred such secret locations around the world; it was nothing too special. Thus, they hadn''t adopted a more high-end design, and the facial recognition system was sufficient.


    A second or twoter, the door made of special material opened. However, Su Chen was immediately taken aback as he walked inside...


    Because at that moment, there were at least eight or nine people sitting in the underground room. The moment they saw himing down, their eyes instantly lit up with an intense warmth!


    "Hall Master!"


    All of them bent their bodies ny degrees, shouting with both respect and excitement!


    For this was their god in their hearts, and after more than a year, they could finally see him again!


    "Why are you all here?"


    Su Chen asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "Of course, I brought them here!"


    Just then, a figure walked out from a room on the side.


    Afterward, the figure suddenly flew in front of Su Chen and hugged him tightly:


    "Hall Master, I''ve finally seen you again!"


    "Lone Wolf, why have youe too?"


    Su Chen didn''t expect Lone Wolf to make a sudden visit as well.


    It took a few minutes before Lone Wolf finally let go of him, still looking somewhat excited.


    "Tell me, what exactly is going on?"


    Su Chen sat down in a chair and asked.


    "Shadow told Eniel about your whereabouts. Eniel, to be on the safe side, had me bring over a team from Group B."


    Lone Wolf took a seat beside Su Chen, then poured a ss of red wine for both himself and Su Chen:


    "Hall Master, it''s been a long time. Let''s have a drink first."


    Lone Wolf ranked about tenth in the Nether Temple, but his rtionship with Su Chen was the most special since he was the only person Su Chen had taken out of the Eighth Brigade.


    Therefore, he was more casual with Su Chen than other people in the Temple, such as Demon¡ªwho, although second only to Su Chen in the Temple, would never dare to casually sit beside Su Chen.


    Su Chen and Lone Wolf clinked their sses lightly and downed the wine in one gulp.


    "It''s that little girl, Shadow, again. It looks like I''ll have to spank her when I get back," Su Chen thought to himself, deeply suspecting that the little girl had already been bought over by that girl, Eniel.


    Wouldn''t it be too dangerous if he got involved with some other woman in the future?


    With Shadow''s skills, it wouldn''t be easy to deceive her!


    "Hall Master, why are you suddenly taking action against a low-level group like the Red Sun Mercenary Corps that can''t make it to the big stage?"


    Lone Wolf asked, puzzled. Although this mercenary corps was ranked in the top three in the Middle East, it was still considered too low-level in the eyes of the Nether Temple.


    Su Chen simply exined the reason, and upon hearing it, Lone Wolf was so outraged that he mmed the table and stood up:


    "Damn it, such trash dares toy hands on the Hall Master and the Hall Master''s wife, they are really looking for death!"


    By now, almost everyone in the Nether Temple knew that Su Chen had married in Huaxia, and the woman''s looks and figure were hardly inferior to Eniel''s.


    At first, they were all worried that Eniel would run amok, butter they heard that not only did Eniel not run amok, but she also started cooperating with that woman''s group.


    This shocked them, making them think Eniel had gone crazy!


    "Don''t worry, let them jump around a little longer," Su Chen said, "Let the brothers rest first, keep their spirits up, and we set off promptly at 9 a.m."


    "Yes!"


    When it came to business, Lone Wolf immediately became serious.


    ....


    At 8:55 PM, Su Chen, Lone Wolf, and about seven or eight others almost woke up simultaneously. They tidied up their attire and checked their equipment, and promptly at 9:00, they left the house.


    Lone Wolf had long prepared two vehicles, parked not far away. After everyone got in the cars, they set off for their destination...


    Meanwhile, at the Red Sun Mercenary Corps'' headquarters, two men withrge beards, each holding a bottle of liquor, staggered into a room.


    "Brother, why don''t you ever go out and have some fun?"


    One of the bearded men said, pping the shoulder of someone in the room.


    "Yeah, you''ve been cooped up in here so long a bird could''ve nested!"


    The other man said carelessly:


    "Let''s go, a nearby bar just got a batch of girls, let''s check them out and see if there''s something nice!"


    "I''m fine, just a bit tired recently," Lv Shimo said with a smile, "You guys go and have fun."


    "No way, brother, are you hiding something from us?"


    The first bearded man''s eyes suddenly narrowed as he spoke gravely. He was the Red Sun Mercenary Corps'' big boss, Harde.


    "No, Big Brother, you''re overthinking it."


    Lv Shimo''s eyes sh sharply as if he thought of something, but then deliberately feigned astonishment andughed awkwardly.


    "Big Brother is right, brother, you''re definitely hiding something from us."


    The other bearded man chimed in, although crude in thought, he could see through the obvious attempt at cover-up, even if he was a fool!


    "Lv, you''ve been staying in the camp these days, are you hiding from somebody?"


    Harde was certain that Lv Shimo must have gotten himself into some trouble and continued to inquire.


    "And, you sent some people to Huaxia a few days ago, does that have something to do with this?"


    "Boss, stop asking, it''s a trouble I brought upon myself, I don''t want to drag you guys into it."


    An apt mix of resolution and concern appeared on Lv Shimo''s face.


    "What kind of talk is that, we''re all brothers here, can we just sit back and watch you have trouble?"


    Harde sat down next to Lv Shimo, patting his shoulder and said.


    He valued Lv Shimo highly; not only did he have formidable strength, but he was also sharp-witted, a person who could bear great responsibility!


    "Yeah, just spill the trouble, I don''t believe there''s anything we at Red Sun can''t handle!"


    The other bearded man said indifferently, he was Sama, the second-inmand of the Red Sun Mercenary Corps.


    Although he was rough around the edges, his strength was impressive. If ording to Huaxia''s Martial Arts ranks, he had already attained the Qi Refinement realm of the fifth level.


    Harde''s realm, of course, was even higher, having reached the seventh level of Qi Refinement, he was on the cusp of stepping into the rank of S-level master.


    "Alright then," Lv Shimo said, feigning difficulty as he nodded, "You all know about my younger brother being killed."


    "Right, wasn''t that the reason you went backst time, to avenge your brother?" Harde nodded as well.


    "Yes, I found the murderer who killed my brother. I was prepared to butcher him myself, but I didn''t expect him to be too powerful, I was no match at all."


    "Whoa, even you couldn''t handle him? How strong is that guy?" Harde asked, somewhat surprised, as he knew Lv Shimo had reached R-level strength.


    "I guess he''s about as strong as you, Sama, but definitely not as high as the boss," Lv Shimo said, actually thinking that Su Chen''s strength was surely higher than Sama''s, and at least on par with Harde.


    However, he was concerned that imposing too high a level of strength would scare them off. Dealing with the brainless Sama was one thing, but Harde would definitely weigh the pros and cons.

 Chapter 447 - 447 Action Begins

    "Outmatched, I had to think of something else. Some time ago, I learned they were going to climb a snow mountain, so I set up explosives in advance and triggered an avnche, hoping to bury them under the snow."


    Lv Shimo said to the two, continuing:


    "But who would have thought they had such luck? They actually escapedter on. I was worried that person would seek revenge, so I..."


    "To survive an avnche is indeed a sign of a hardy life!"


    Sama scoffed and said:


    "But you don''t need to worry. If that guy darese here, I''ll make sure he doesn''t leave alive."


    "But I feel really bad for troubling the brothers with my personal matters."


    Lv Shimo sighed deeply.


    "Your concerns are my concerns. Don''t worry. I refuse to believe that guy would dare to make trouble here!"


    Harde spoke solemnly, his words clearly intended to win over Lv Shimo''s loyalty.


    Moreover, after hearing Lv Shimo''s story, he hadn''t taken that person too seriously¡ª after all, he still had over a hundred subordinates!


    "Thanks, big brother, and second brother too!"


    Lv Shimo said with tears of gratitude, although in his heart, he somewhat despised them, scornful that they were being used by him and didn''t even realize it.


    "Alright, since you''re not going out, brother, let''s stay here and drink!"


    Harde mmed his bottle on the table and said:


    "How about the old man? Does he want toe out for a drink too?"


    "No need, my father has been a bit scared these past few days; he''s already resting."


    "Well then, it''s just the three of us brothers drinking to our hearts'' content!"


    Hardeughed, and then the three of them began clinking sses and drinking together...


    At this moment, Su Chen and the people of Nether Temple had already arrived two kilometers away from the Red Sun Mercenary Corps, where they turned off the car lights and got out.


    However, Su Chen stayed in the car. Since Lone Wolf had brought a small tactical team, there was no need for him to act.


    "Hall Master, we''re going ahead."


    Lone Wolf smiled at Su Chen.


    "Hmm, be careful."


    "No worries. These little shrimps can''t stir up any big waves."


    Lone Wolf said, leading his men on foot toward the Red Sun Mercenary Corps'' camp.


    Although ten people were moving together, they hardly made a sound, a testament not just to their fighting prowess, but to their all-around ability!


    After advancing a while, the group divided into three teams and hid among some shrubs.


    "Do you see it? There are seven to eight-meter high watchtowers on both sides of the main gate equipped with sniper rifles, plus there are two patrol teams outside the gate."


    Lone Wolf, lying next to a squad leader, whispered:


    "Soon, we''ll take out these two patrol teams without them noticing. Then we''ll try to avoid the watchtowers and infiltrate in small groups. If we''re unfortunately discovered, we immediately take out those two watchtowers."


    "If the people in the camp haven''t caught on, we''ll go through each room and take them out without a sound. If they''re onto us, then we''ll take out the heavy weapons first."


    "Don''t worry, none of us are new to this. We all know the drill."


    The squad leader chuckled good-naturedly.


    "Smack!"


    Lone Wolf pped the back of the young leader''s head:


    "Hey kid, be careful. The Hall Master is here. If you embarrass me in front of the Hall Master, see how I''ll deal with you!"


    The others, seeing their squad leader chastised, all suppressed their voices and snickered.


    "Laughing at what?"


    The squad leader red back at a few of the team members and said:


    "Do the job neatly for me. If you make me lose face in front of the Hall Master and Brother Wolf, I''ll skin you alive!"


    The team members immediately curled their lips but didn''t dare to retort!


    This was a case of the big fish eating the small fish, and the small fish eating the shrimp!


    It was at this moment that a three-man patrol team walked toward their direction.


    Lone Wolf and his men didn''t immediately take action; instead, they waited until the observation posts were not looking their way. Suddenly, like cheetahs, they burst out of the bushes.


    The operation consisted of three people, one for each target. They simultaneously approached the patrol team from behind and, before the targets could react, they struck all at once, snapping the enemies'' necks!


    Since the distance was quite far, the slight "crack" sound didn''t attract anyone''s attention.


    After breaking their necks, the three of them each dashed behind tworge rocks that they had previously scouted, the entire process taking only one to two seconds.


    At that moment, the rest of the group emerged from the bushes and quickly hid themselves behind the tworge rocks as well.


    However, another patrol team was very close to the gate and wasn''t so easy to deal with. Any noise might attract the attention of the observation posts, so the best method was to wait for them toe closer slowly.


    Sure enough, after about ten minutes, the other patrol team also slowly walked over, and they disposed of the team members using the same method as before.


    After dealing with both patrol teams, they didn''t head straight for the gate. There were no covers within five hundred meters from the gate, making it easy to be spotted.


    There were plenty of rocks and trees nearby that could serve as cover, showcasing the Red Sun Mercenary Corps''sck of professionalism. If it had been the Nether Temple handling this, they would have cleared all obstacles within a certain radius.


    Because the Red Sun Mercenary Corps hadn''t cleared the area, it gave Lone Wolf and his men a perfect opportunity.


    So they used the natural cover nearby, circled around to the camp''s outer wall, then moved closely along the wall towards the gate, as this area was a blind spot that the observation posts couldn''t see.


    Throughout this process, they still didn''t make a single sound.


    "Eh, where did those two patrol teams go?"


    At that moment, one person in a high tower called out to another in the opposite tower.


    "Who knows? A bunch of chicks turned up at the nearby bar today; maybe they went to try their luck with them!"


    The other person responded.


    "Damn, if the boss finds out, he''s gonna kill them."


    "Don''t be a busybody. When it''s our turn to patrol, we can also take a break. We''re all brothers here; just turn a blind eye. Besides, isn''t the two of us enough for this little ce?"


    "That''s true. I wonder if there were any hotties among the chicks that arrived today."


    The other person nodded, already deciding to make a trip there tomorrow.


    Lone Wolf couldn''t help but sneer when he heard this¡ªwhat kind of fighting force could these people possibly have with such standards?


    He and Su Chen, both hailing from the military, were well aware that only strict discipline could forge a truly elite unit!

 Chapter 448 - 448 Nether Temple, Lone Wolf

    At this moment, Lone Wolf and the others had already reached the gate, which was wide open. Thanks to the watchtower and patrol teams, the members of the Red Sun Mercenary Corps felt quite secure.


    Lone Wolf and his team swiftly entered the camp and once again split into two groups to proceed along the walls.


    The two sentries spent most of their time watching the outside, only asionally ncing inside the courtyard. It wasn''t entirely their fault; who would have thought that under their watch, someone had already infiltrated?


    At this moment, Lone Wolf felt eighty percent relieved, and the remaining tasks seemed very simple.


    He looked at the rows of houses, all with wooden doors and locked, though the locks were nothingplex.


    For them, it was no challenge at all. The whole process just involved avoiding the watch posts.


    Indeed, as Lone Wolf had predicted, his men moved in and out of the rooms like ghosts, making no sound whatsoever.


    Without a doubt, none of the members of the Red Sun Mercenary Corps within would see the sunrise tomorrow.


    Now, Su Chen wasn''t a murderer, but he showed no mercy toward the Red Sun Mercenary Corps!


    Partly, this was because Lv Shimo was the leader of this mercenary group, and eliminating them was crucial to dealing with Lv Shimo and his men.


    Moreover, most mercenary groups were not good people, engaging in looting and plundering as part of their routine.


    Especially the Red Sun Mercenary Corps, who, ording to the information provided by Shadow, had evenmitted the atrocity of massacring a vige and tortured several women to death!


    Although Su Chen was no savior, faced with such beasts, he didn''t mind contributing to cleansing societal morals.


    However, for Su Chen, the most crucial reason was that the Red Sun Mercenary Corps had participated in the plot against him and Lin Ruoxue.


    Just for this reason alone, Su Chen would never tolerate them. He might sometimes be kind-hearted, but plotting against Lin Ruoxue was absolutely uneptable!


    At that moment, inside Lv Shimo''s room, three men were drinking excitedly, discussing their grand ns for the future.


    "Gentlemen, you seem in good spirits!"


    Just then, a voice rang out at the doorway.


    "Who the fuck is so disrespectful? Get out!"


    Sama, his back to the door, cursed, thinking it was one of his junior drunkards!


    However, Harde and Lv Shimo were staring tensely at the nearly ten men who had just walked in, as they didn''t recognize any of them.


    "How did you get in?"


    Harde asked coldly, puzzled how strangers could enter unannounced.


    "Of course, we walked in."


    Lone Wolf replied casually, taking a seat directly opposite Sama, facing the door, while Lv Shimo and Harde sat on either side of him.


    "Who on earth are you?"


    Lv Shimo also frowned and asked.


    "The person who will kill you."


    Lone Wolf also looked at Lv Shimo and replied calmly, with a smile.


    "What do you think you are! Do you know where this is?"


    Upon hearing Lone Wolf''s words, Sama exploded!


    "Where is this? Isn''t it the Red Sun Mercenary Corps headquarters?"


    Lone Wolf replied casually. He then took a cup from in front of Lv Shimo, poured himself a drink, and sipped it:


    "The wine isn''t bad."


    This erratic behavior from Lone Wolfpletely baffled the men. Could anyone more bizarre have turned up?


    Harde''s expression gradually hardened. These men who managed to evade patrols and watch posts to get here were clearly not ordinary figures.


    Moreover, looking at the people behind him, each one seemed formidable, exuding a strong aura!


    "Sir, since you''vee, you might as well exin your intentions!"


    Harde said, looking at Lone Wolf.


    "Didn''t I already tell you? I came to kill you."


    "Kid, do you know how many brothers we have here, how many weapons?"


    Sama suddenly stood up:


    "Come to kill us, I''ll twist your head off and kick it like a ball first!"


    He was always a rough man who couldn''t stand Lone Wolf''s arrogance!


    "Oh, I really don''t know; how about you call them out for me to see?"


    Lone Wolf said with a smile.


    "Someone,e out!"


    At that moment, Sama''s voice boomed as he called out; previously, every time he did this, dozens of people would immediately rush out.


    But this time, even after shouting seven or eight times, there was no response at all!


    "Damn, these bastards are sleeping like dead pigs!"


    Sama felt a bit humiliated and spat out:


    "I''m going to drag each of them out!"


    Having said that, he strode out of the room.


    Harde did not stop him; since Sama''s loud calls had elicited no response, he sensed something was wrong and thought it would be good for him to check!


    A few minutester, Sama ran back into the room, his face filled with terror as if he had lost his soul!


    "What happened?"


    Seeing the usually sloppy Sama with such an expression, Harde and Lv Shimo felt a thud in their hearts and asked simultaneously.


    "They''re dead, all dead!"


    Sama muttered weakly, sinking into a chair, his eyes vacant!


    "Everything is dead?"


    Harde''s heart trembled, and he rushed over to grab Sama''s cor and demanded,


    Lv Shimo also stared intensely at Sama, bing extremely tense.


    "All our brothers are dead; all had their throats slit!"


    Fear still shrouded Sama''s eyes; the scenes he had just witnessed filled his mind!


    "How could this happen? How could this happen?"


    Harde waspletely dumbfounded¡ªhow could all his men suddenly be dead, and all have been slit at the throat?


    "Did you do this!"


    Harde suddenly looked at Lone Wolf, shouting fiercely, his face grotesquely twisted!


    "If there weren''t any undue mistakes from my men, there would still have been two people alive at your Red Sun Mercenary Corps'' posts!"


    Lone Wolf responded calmly,pletely unconcerned by Harde''s anger.


    Upon hearing Lone Wolf frankly admit that this was their doing, Harde and the others were somewhat shocked!


    Their mere ten people had managed to sneak in and kill all of the Red Sun Mercenary Corps'' men despite patrols and lookout posts!


    Such tactics were almost inconceivable!


    They didn''t know that, for Lone Wolf and his team, this task wasn''t even considered medium difficulty among the many missions they had executed.


    "Who exactly are you?"


    Harde asked again, believing that someone capable of pulling off such a feat couldn''t just be some nobody!


    "Nether Temple, Lone Wolf!"


    Lone Wolf swayed his ss, saying indifferently ...

 Chapter 449 - 449 The Descent of the Underworld King

    When Lone Wolf''s indifferent voice fell, Harde and the other two felt as if their heads had been violently smashed by something, a roar thundering through their minds!


    "Nether Temple?"


    "Lone Wolf?"


    Harde, Lv Shimo, and Sama, of course, had heard these two names, but to them, they seemed like unreachably high existences!


    How could such beingse to their Red Sun Mercenary Corps?


    Logically, in the eyes of these entities, people like themselves would be insignificant, with no intersection possible!


    "You are Lone Wolf from the Nether Temple?"


    Harde stuttered in disbelief.


    Although Lone Wolf was only ranked around tenth in the Nether Temple, to them, he was still an untouchable figure of great importance!


    "What? Don''t believe it?"


    Lone Wolf looked at them with a yful smile.


    "We wouldn''t dare!"


    At this moment, Harde had lost the anger from his subordinates being ughtered and was filled with more panic and doubt!


    If these people were from the Nether Temple, then the silent ying of his hundred or so subordinates was not unimaginable.


    After all, they had heard many legendary stories about the Nether Temple, and such incidents were nothing special in those tales.


    Actually, Harde and the other two almost believed that these people were indeed from the Nether Temple; on one hand, because of their eerie methods, and on the other hand, there were not many in this world who would dare to fake the name of the Nether Temple!


    "Our Red Sun Mercenary Corps doesn''t seem to have any grudges with you, so why do this?"


    Lv Shimo asked with neither servility nor arrogance, puzzled as to why the other party would suddenly target them.


    "No grudges? That''s not necessarily the case, Young Master Lv."


    At that moment, a mocking voice sounded, and a young figure walked in.


    Harde and Sama both froze when they saw the young man. Who was this?


    However, hearing him call Lv Shimo ''Young Master Lv,'' it was obvious they knew each other, so both turned to look at Lv Shimo.


    Upon seeing Su Chen, Lv Shimo''s face immediately took on ayer of coldness:


    "Su Chen, you actually dare toe here?!"


    "Third brother, who is he?"


    Harde asked in confusion.


    However, before Lv Shimo could answer, Lone Wolf and the others had already bowed and shouted:


    "Hall Master!"


    This "Hall Master" shout, like a thunderp from a clear sky, stupefied Harde and the otherspletely, causing them to stand up in an instant!


    Even Lv Shimo''s eyes went from furious and hostile to dumbfounded in a split second, with a buzzing echo in his mind!


    Harde and the others couldn''t believe their ears!


    What did Lone Wolf call him? Hall Master?


    Could this be the legendary King of Netherworld?


    Hadn''t it been widely rumored that the King of Netherworld was dead? Even if he wasn''t, why would the ruler of the Dark Worlde to this insignificant ce?


    Since when did their Red Sun Mercenary Corps have such influence, not only to have the famous Lone Wolfe but now even the esteemed person of the King of Netherworld himself?


    "Young Master Lv, when you took your men to Tianshan and used explosives to cause an avnche, hoping to bury me in the snowy mountains, you never thought this day woulde!"


    Su Chen stepped into the room and said casually.


    "Third Brother, you''re not talking about Lord Nether King, are you?"


    When Harde heard Su Chen''s words, his mouth dropped open in shock.


    At this point, Lv Shimo''s mind couldn''t quite catch up; how could he know that Su Chen was the legendary Nether King?


    If he had known, he wouldn''t dare harbor thoughts of revenge even if an own younger brother died; let alone if he took out other members of the Lv Family!


    To seek revenge against the Nether King, wouldn''t that be asking for a death wish?


    But even if he had ten brains, he couldn''t fathom that the Lin Family''s son-inw would be the esteemed Nether King!


    Sama was alsopletely dumbfounded, thinking back to when he had said he would twist this guy''s head off; cold sweat began to stream down his face.


    "Lord Nether King, this was indeed our Red Sun Mercenary Corps'' fault. I''m willing to hand over Lv Shimo, and I hope you can spare us!"


    It only took Harde a moment to understand the gravity of the situation. In front of the Nether King, there was no other option than to focus on saving his own life, which would be lucky enough!


    "Yes, Lord Nether King, this was all his own idea; we had no clue about it."


    Sama echoed in agreement, as arrogant as he usually was, he feared death too!


    Lv Shimo wasn''t too surprised hearing their words; most mercenaries prioritize profits, and brotherly love was nonsense, wasn''t it?


    "Do you think, now that I''m here, you can still live?"


    How could Su Chen let these two go and continue their evil deeds?


    Hearing this, Harde and Sama''s hearts turned ice-cold, but Lv Shimo suddenly felt a rush of excitement:


    "Big brother, second brother, they won''t spare us; let''s go out with a fight! If we don''t, we''ll just be waiting to die!"


    Harde and Sama exchanged a nce, their expressions hardened simultaneously; they knew that a person of the Nether King''s status would never take back his words!


    If they didn''t want to die, their only option was to fight for their lives!


    Even though such a fight had slim hopes, after all, this was the Nether King!


    Su Chen noticed they were not going to surrender without a fight but didn''t care.


    The three of them burst out with a surging aura and charged at Su Chen. With a swift sidestep, he dodged theirbined attack, and then his hand eerilynded on Sama''s shoulder.


    Sama, startled, hastily tried to dodge, but Su Chen simply pressed down gently, and Sama''s shoulder immediately drooped.


    At the same time, his footshed out. Harde, who was still unsteady, was sent flying into the wall by that kick.


    Arge hole appeared in the wall instantly, and Harde''s massive body got stuck in that hole.


    With his hand still resting on Sama''s shoulder, he lifted his arm and flicked his finger at lightning speed toward Sama''s temple, and Sama''s body immediately copsed!


    Harde, barely managing to cough up two mouthfuls of blood and rise from the hole in the wall, hadn''t recovered when a Silver Needle tore through the air at him!


    By the time Harde realized it, the Silver Needle was already in front of him. He didn''t even have time to react before it pierced his brow.


    In less than a minute, only Lv Shimo was left standing!


    Terror filled Lv Shimo''s pupils. Was this the true power of being the Nether King? Terrifying!


    Seeing Lv Shimo''s horrified expression, Su Chen suddenly lost interest in tormenting him and simply twisted his neck, ending his life!


    Momentster, when Lone Wolf and the others followed Su Chen out of the camp gate, they found that both lookouts on the watchtowers were already sprawling over the railings, life and death uncertain...


    Of course, before leaving, Su Chen also sent Lv Fang, who was in the next room knocked out by sleeping pills, to join his sons...

 Chapter 450: Are We Really Going to Yandu?

    Su Chen and Lone Wolf had parted ways soon after leaving the camp of the Red Sun Mercenary Corps, and he took a flight back to Jianghai that same night.


    By the time he arrived at Lin Ruoxue''s vi, it was already noon the following day, and Wang Ma had just finished preparing the meal.


    So Su Chen casually joined Wang Ma and little Xun for lunch at home, then took a bath, and headed for the Belle Group.


    Although he had spoken to Lin Ruoxue on the phone before boarding the ne, she would inevitably be somewhat worried without seeing him safe and sound in person.


    "Brother Su."


    The secretary at the door, Chen Guo, greeted him warmly when she saw Su Chen arrive.


    "Is President Lin in?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile, and he had previously told Lin Ruoxue about Chen Guo''s situation.


    Lin Ruoxue felt it was not her fault, so she decided to continue employing her and treated her just like before, evenforting her by saying that what''s past is past.


    From this incident, he once again realized how extraordinary his wife was. As long as this girl hadn''t lost her conscience to the dogs, she would undoubtedly work hard to protect and be loyal to her!


    Hearing that Lin Ruoxue was inside, Su Chen pushed the door open and entered with a sly grin:


    "My dear wife, I''m back!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at him, and seeing that he was unharmed, she continued to focus on herputer screen.


    "Honey, what are you looking at?"


    Su Chen asked curiously and went directly behind Lin Ruoxue, naturally cing his hand on her shoulder.


    He noticed Lin Ruoxue was looking at office buildings, and moreover, at those in Yandu.


    "Husband, which of these office buildings do you think is better?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked casually.


    "Why are you looking at the office buildings in Yandu?"


    "Haven''t I told you? Our group''s focus is gradually shifting towards Yandu. After all, we''re about to enter the international market, Jianghai is a bit too small."


    Lin Ruoxue confidently proimed.


    "Are you nning to rent an entire building?"


    "No need for that at the moment. I n to rent just oneyer first and let some people go over to start the preliminary work. I''ll follow them after a while."


    Lin Ruoxue turned her head to nce at Su Chen:


    "Honey, can you take a look at these and tell me which one you find more appropriate?"


    "Uh, I''m not very knowledgeable about this, you better choose by yourself."


    "Hmph, I knew it was no use asking you."


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes and continuedparing them.


    Yandu, are we really going there?


    Although he had just been there not long ago, that visit was only overnight, and he returned the same day.


    This time would be different. If Lin Ruoxue went there, he would definitely have to follow, and the stay would not be short. It might even be possible to spend most of his time there in the future.


    That way, he would naturally meet some people from the past, as well as possibly those rted to his parents'' deaths all those years ago.


    Was he really ready to uncover that truth? What would that truth turn out to be?


    For some reason, Su Chen felt an inexplicable fear in his heart. As for what he feared, he didn''t even know...


    "Husband, what''s wrong?"


    Lin Ruoxue noticed that the hand Su Chen had ced on her shoulder had suddenly stopped, so she turned around to look and saw that hisplexion was a bit off, promptly asking with concern.


    "Oh, nothing, I was just spacing out for a moment."


    Su Chen gathered his thoughts and said with a faint smile:


    "Alright, I''ll head over to the Public Rtions Department now."


    After speaking, Su Chen walked out. Lin Ruoxue looked at his retreating back with a slight frown:


    "What''s up with him? Something doesn''t seem quite right!"


    Su Chen''s emotions had also arisen inexplicably just now and quickly dissipated. By the time he returned to the public rtions department, his mood had resumed its usual state.


    After some time, the resentment that the beauties in the public rtions department had felt due to his initial departure without a greeting had also gradually faded.


    As soon as they saw him walk in, several women gathered around him once again, and Su Chen got to experience the delightful sensation of being surrounded by beautiful women once more!


    Especially that soft sensation, it truly had been a long time!


    After a while, Su Chen suddenly realized that two buttons on his shirt had somehow been undone without his knowledge.


    "Little Ting Ting, when should we take your measurements?"


    Su Chen suddenly shed a wicked smile and whispered in Ran Ting''s ear.


    Ran Ting''s delicate body trembled, and a flush of embarrassment spread across her cheeks.


    With so many people around, how could she respond to that?


    "Director, what were you whispering to Ran Ting just now?"


    "Yeah, let us all in on it too!"


    The group of women, seeing Ran Ting exhibit a shy demeanor all of a sudden, immediately asked out of curiosity.


    "Didn''t say much, I just told her to work hard, for I''d give her a raise!"


    Su Chen''s lies came easily.


    "Tsk, if you won''t tell us, we''ll ask Ran Ting. What did the director say to you just now?"


    They didn''t believe what Su Chen had said for a second; otherwise, how could Ran Ting''s face turn so red all of a sudden?


    "It was about the raise."


    Ran Ting said shyly, looking down.


    Even if she were bolder, she wouldn''t dare repeat what Su Chen had just said!


    "No way, you must be hiding some indecent affairs!"


    Zhao Lin scrutinized Su Chen with her gaze:


    "Are you trying to take advantage of Ran Ting?"


    "Come on, what are you thinking about?"


    Su Chen denied guiltily:


    "If I were to take advantage of someone, I wouldn''t pass over you, you little enchantress!"


    "Oh really, you dare?"


    Not only did Zhao Lin not back down, she boldly puffed up her ample bosom.


    Overwhelmed, Su Chen quickly made an excuse to flee to the bathroom...


    ....


    That very same afternoon, the news of Lv Fang and Lv Shimo''s deaths reached Huaxia Country, sending Jiangnan into shock once more!


    They had not yet gotten over the Liu Family''s recent issues when suddenly, Lv Fang and his son were killed, and in W Country no less!


    The air in Jiangnan seemed to be filled with an unusual scent, and the high-ranking elites were all feeling vulnerable.


    The Four Great Families, which had stood tall for a century, had encountered cmities that brought them to their knees within just a few days'' time!


    The Wu Family and Yun Family were incredibly tense as well, fearing they might be the next targets!


    But they didn''t even know who was responsible, making it impossible to guard against, as if an invisible hand was in control of everything.


    This also prompted the Wu Family to hasten their arranged marriage with the Situ Family, knowing that once the alliance was sessful, nobody would dare to touch the Wu Family!


    The Wu family didn''t think anyone would dare meddle with the Situ Family from Yandu, after all, the Situ Family was one of Huaxia''s top tier families, with strength and heritage far beyond what the Wu Family couldpare!


    Meanwhile, in a luxurious courtyard in Yandu, a woman in her fifties stood alone in a room, holding a photograph and weeping silently.


    Although she was in her fifties, she maintained herself so well that she looked no different from a woman in her forties, still elegant and charming!


    The photo she held was a ck and white one, seemingly quite old, showing a young man holding a little boy''s hand.


    That young man bore a striking resemnce to Lv Fang...

 Chapter 451: The Five Top Families

    "Dear Fang, and Mu''er, I will certainly avenge you both!"


    The woman''s face, filled with sadness, suddenly radiated an intense re of hatred.


    Her hands were tightly clenched, and her sharp fingernails had dug into her palms, drawing blood, yet she was oblivious to the pain...


    Actually, it would have been simple for Su Chen to conceal the death of the Lv father and son, but he didn''t do so. Not only did he not cover it up, but the fact that news of the Lv father and son''s death had spread so quickly to Huaxia was entirely his doing.


    He did this solely because of a phrase Yun Shiqing had once said to him. It was precisely because of those words that at the charity banquet at the Yun Family''s, Su Chen temporarily spared his life.


    At that time, Yun Shiqing had disclosed something to him, which was that Lv Shimo and Lv Shixin were not blood brothers, but half-brothers with the same father.


    And Lv Shimo''s mother turned out to be the eldest sister from the Zheng Family of Yandu!


    When Su Chen learned of this information, he kept it in mind, thinking that Lv Shimo might y a special role at some point in the future.


    However, he didn''t anticipate that this decision would almost cost him and Lin Ruoxue their lives.


    Therefore, he no longer cared about the role this chess piece might y and pursued him all the way to Country W to deal with him!


    He intentionally let this information spread back to Huaxia Country because he wanted to throw a stone into the calm waters of Yandu...


    Everyone in Huaxia knew that there were five top-tier prominent families in Yandu, ranked in strength: the Shen Family, the Pei Family, the Su Family, the Situ Family, and the Zheng Family!


    As the two top-tier families closest in strength and also the weakest, the Situ Family had long formed an alliance with the Zheng Family; even the wife of Situ Bo, the head of the Situ Family, was Zheng Lan, the sister of the head of the Zheng Family.


    If anything targeted one of these two families, it would undoubtedly provoke a response from the other.


    Once these two families were agitated, the waters of Yandu would naturally be muddied...


    Yet this was just something Su Chen did casually. As for what kind of reaction it would incite, he could sit back and watch quietly from Jianghai. In any case, it was all beneficial and harmless to him.


    After being scared out of his wits by the little demoness Zhao Lin, Su Chen didn''t even dare to return to Public Rtions, but instead went directly to visit Xia Qiuru.


    Since his rtionship with Xia Qiuru had be icy, entering Xia Qiuru''s office was the same as entering Lin Ruoxue''s¡ªhe just pushed the door and entered.


    Upon entering, he found Xia Qiuru sighing with a troubled face, tightly clutching a cell phone in her hand.


    "Qiuru, what''s wrong? Are you facing any difficulties at work?"


    Su Chen hurriedly asked.


    "No, it''s that my parents areing over."


    Xia Qiuru sighed.


    "Isn''t it a good thing that your uncle and aunt areing to see you? Why are you sighing like this?"


    Upon hearing Xia Qiuru''s words, Su Chen felt confused.


    "They''reing to see you!"


    Xia Qiuru said, looking into Su Chen''s eyes.


    "See me? Why?"


    Su Chen was slightly stunned, now even more puzzled.


    "What else could it be?" Xia Qiuru sighed, "After eating with Yu Guangpingst time, he told my parents about us and they immediately wanted toe and see you."


    "It''s just that I''ve been using various excuses because you''ve been busy, dying them. This time they went ahead without notifying me, boarding the train before giving me a call."


    Su Chen finally understood; it was the trouble caused by pretending to be Xia Qiuru''s boyfriendst time that had Xia Qiuru sighing!


    "When are your uncle and aunt arriving?" Su Chen asked.


    "Tomorrow afternoon, I suppose."


    Xia Qiuru''s hometown was quite far from Jianghai, and the old couple was reluctant to take a ne.


    "Alright then, let''s meet them. I''lle with you tomorrow to pick up your uncle and aunt," Su Chen said after pondering, "Then treat them to a couple of meals, put up with it for a few days, and you can figure out a way to have them return early."


    "Won''t that trouble you?"


    Xia Qiuru was still happy to hear Su Chen say this. She was inclined to have Su Chen continue the act for a couple more days, but she felt a little embarrassed about it.


    "No worries, I''ll just treat it as making the elders happy."


    Su Chen smiled and said that as long as it was possible, he would do his best to help with Xia Qiuru''s situation.


    Besides, aside from himself, there really was no one else who could help her.


    "Su Chen, thank you!"


    Xia Qiuru looked at Su Chen with gratitude and said, at this moment, her heart finally settled down.


    "Isn''t it a bit too formal for us to say thank you to each other?"


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "You can smile now, right? The worried frown you had just now really didn''t look as good as your smile!"


    "Nonsense!"


    Xia Qiuru said with a lightly flushed face and a feigned scold.


    That bashful and coy demeanor of hers really made Su Chen''s heart itch...


    Su Chen stayed at Xia Qiuru''s ce for an hour or two before making another trip to Belle Group''s pharmaceutical division, obviously to meet with Doctor Gaia.


    Lin Ruoxue had already purchased all the equipment Doctor Gaia needed some days ago, and they were all the newest and best avable.


    As a result, the original budget of 500 million US Dors was not nearly enough, having doubled.


    "Gaia, how do you feel about being here for a while? Are you satisfied?"


    In an office, Su Chen sat down and asked.


    "Very satisfied!"


    Gaia said happily.


    "Gaia, I think you should know why I came to find you, right? Has there been any progress on that matter?"


    "Sorry, Su, I haven''t found a specific method to counteract gic modification in humans yet."


    Gaia looked a bit apologetic as she nced at Su Chen.


    "It''s okay, Gaia, I know this isn''t something that can be done overnight. I''m not trying to rush you, it''s just that I have a bad feeling. Skull Society has been quiet recently, and I''m worried they''re nning something big."


    "I understand, I''ll hurry up."


    Gaia nodded solemnly.


    "Alright, I won''t disturb your work any longer, I''m leaving now."


    Su Chen got up and left, and Gaia returned to theboratory.


    It was now around five or six in the afternoon, and Su Chen didn''t go back to thepany but instead went straight home.


    When he arrived home, he found Auntie Wang cooking and Xiao Xun engrossedly watching a cartoon on the sofa, not even noticing Su Chene in.


    "Xiao Xun, is the cartoon good?"


    Su Chen sat down beside her and asked with a smile.


    "Uncle, you''re back!"


    The little girl only then noticed Su Chen and eximed with delight.


    But then she turned her head back to continue watching the cartoon, which obviously attracted her more.


    "Xiao Xun, would you like Uncle to take you to school tomorrow?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Mhm."


    The little girl nodded obediently. Although she had never been to school and didn''t know what it was like, remembering that her grandmother told her to be obedient before she left, she agreed.


    "Xiao Xun is such a good girl!"


    Su Chen said with a smile as he rubbed the little girl''s head of purple hair.

 Chapter 452: Sudden Assassination

    Su Chen sent her to primary school because he knew she could recognize Chinese characters and understood basic math.


    ording to her, all these were taught by an uncle, whom Su Chen had never met nor knew anything about.


    Since Lin Ruoxue would not return until after eight o''clock, Su Chen and the others had dinner first.


    After dinner, Xiao Xun was still engrossed in watching cartoons. Not long after, Lin Ruoxue came back and, as usual, went upstairs to continue working after dinner.


    Su Chen then took Xiao Xun back to her room to rest. Around eleven o''clock, he quietly went out of the vi and drove to the manor.


    He had neglected his cultivation for various reasons recently, so he had to take this time to diligently practice and strive to break through to the Eighth Layer Realm of Qi Refinement!


    He was also troubled about how he would continue his cultivation if he went to Yandu in the future.


    Having gotten used to cultivating at the manor, he was no longer satisfied with the significantly slower pace of cultivation in other ces.


    However, he would think of a solution when the time came; now, while still in Jianghai, he should focus on his cultivation.


    When Su Chen arrived at the manor, the house was pitch-dark, presumably because Xu Xinran, the little girl, had already gone to bed.


    He did not turn on the lights; for him, even without lights, he could approximately make out where obstacles were in the dark house, especially since he was extremely familiar with everything here.


    Upon entering the house, Su Chen went straight to the room where he usually cultivated. However, as he pushed open the door, a faint, pleasant fragrance wafted to his nose.


    It seemed there was someone lying on the bed inside. Su Chen could not see the figure clearly but could faintly make out a silhouette.


    Just then, the bedsidemp suddenly turned on, and Su Chen could clearly see the figure on the bed.


    It was indeed a person, and a stunningly beautiful woman at that!


    She was lying on her side on the bed, her delicate arm supporting her head, a charming smile on her face as she looked at Su Chen.


    The woman stretched out a snow-white arm, as lovely as a lotus root, and hooked her finger at Su Chen!


    Su Chen suddenly felt a bit dizzy and unconsciously walked towards the bed...


    When he reached the bedside, the woman abruptly grabbed his arm and pulled forcefully, causing Su Chen to immediately fall onto the bed!


    At that moment, a cold and murderous look shed through the seductive gaze of the woman!


    From her long fingernails, she suddenly flicked out a very thin silver needle, aiming it straight at Su Chen''s neck.


    However, just at that moment, a hand seemingly emerged out of nowhere, grabbed her wrist.


    The woman was startled and immediately looked at Su Chen, who was now smiling benignly at her, clear-eyed, not showing any sign of the confusion he had just moments before.


    "How could this be? How is this possible..."


    The astonishment and disbelief were evident in the woman''s beautiful eyes.


    "Refined ng ng scent. If I hadn''t recognized it, you might have actually seeded."


    While holding the woman''s wrist, Su Chenughed, saying,


    "You can only me your impatience, which made your actions a little too deliberate."


    "Do you think you''ve controlled me now?"


    The womanughed seductively, and with a slight shake of her wrist, she slipped it out of Su Chen''s grasp like an eel.


    At the same time, she aimed a palm at Su Chen''s forehead, her powerful True Yuan swirling in the center of her palm...


    Su Chen was surprised that she could free herself from his grip, and even more so that this woman possessed such profound True Yuan.


    He dared not take her lightly, quickly tilting his head to the side while his hand, swift as a specter, struck out against the woman, devoid of any sentiments of cherishing fragility or beauty!


    "Bang!"


    The woman felt a massive force upon impact. She had not anticipated Su Chen''s swiftness, his preceding action having caught her mid-flight, throwing her out!


    Seeing herself almost hitting the wall, the woman suddenly extended a foot, kicked off the wall, and using that force, she broke through the window and escaped.


    The room where Su Chen practiced was at the very back of the manor, so when the woman broke through the window, she was already outside the manor walls.


    The woman looked back at Su Chen meaningfully, then vanished into the distance...


    Su Chen did not immediately pursue her, knowing she hade prepared and doubting his ability to catch up.


    But Su Chen was puzzled. Who was this woman? Why had she suddenly attempted to assassinate him?


    He did not think she was sent by Tang Gang, as he did not have the capability!


    Without exaggeration, the woman''s strength was certainly strong, having reached the Qi Refinement Peak, which is the so-called SS-level absolute master!


    Moreover, considering her enchanting abilities and the movement technique disyed during her escape, even typical masters at the Qi Refinement Peak might not be her match!


    However, Su Chen did not dwell too much on this issue; focusing on cultivation was the right path. As long as his abilities improved, everything else would follow suit!


    For those in the realm of Martial Arts, the Cultivation Realm is fundamental!


    Thus, Su Chen continued to sit cross-legged on the bed and resumed his meditative cultivation...


    The woman, having fled, soon arrived at a wooded area where a shiny ck Rolls-Royce was waiting for her.


    She directly opened the rear door and got into the car:


    "Drive!"


    As soon as her words fell, the car immediately started and drove away from the ce...


    "It''s unexpected that the power of the Underworld King has recovered so quickly, having already reached beyond the Qi Refinement Peak, even nearly back to his previous state of half-step Meridian Expansion!"


    The woman murmured in shock.


    Then she grimaced in pain, feeling a severe ache in her body, as the palm strike from before had left her seriously injured...

 Chapter 453: Uncle, this auntie is so fierce!

    After a night of cultivation, Su Chen''s cultivation once again reached a state of fullness. He increasingly felt like he was about to achieve a breakthrough; however, such things happen naturally and can''t be forced, so he wasn''t in a great hurry.


    Afterward, he still went back to make breakfast, and after having breakfast, he drove with little Xun to Jianghai Central Elementary School.


    "Teacher Tang, good morning!"


    Tang Yun was preparing the handouts for her uing ss when suddenly a voice rang out.


    At that moment, there were other teachers in the office. Upon hearing the greeting, they couldn''t help but look towards the door, only to see a man holding the hand of a beautiful and adorable little girl standing at the entrance.


    The people''s eyes then shifted back to Tang Yun. At first, they thought nothing of it, assuming it was a student''s parenting to see her.


    But to their surprise, Tang Yun actually blushed!


    "Why have youe to my office?"


    Tang Yun didn''t expect this guy toe directly to her office.


    "Finding your office isn''t hard, just ask someone, and they''ll tell you," Su Chen replied with a yful smile. "Why, was Teacher Tang nning to personally wee me at the door?"


    "Who do you think you are, anyway? Weing you!"


    Tang Yun said somewhat unnaturally and even seemed reluctant to meet Su Chen''s eyes.


    The other teachers in the office saw Tang Yun''s reaction and started to smile ambiguously.


    "Teacher Tang, who is this?"


    One of the female teachers asked with a strange inflection in her voice.


    "Yeah, Teacher Tang, aren''t you going to introduce us?"


    Another female teacher also smirked meaningfully at her!


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen was somewhat at a loss for words. Women really are born gossips, and it seems teachers are no exception!


    "Just a friend. He wants to ce his friend''s child in my ss," Tang Yun exined shyly, and added emphatically:


    "We have nothing to do with each other, just ordinary friends!"


    However, when Tang Yun said this, her tone actually sounded quite guilty, given that she and this "ordinary friend" had done many things that were far from ordinary.


    Actually, she would have been better off not saying thatst part; by saying it, she inadvertently confirmed that there was something unusual about their rtionship.


    "Really? It doesn''t look ordinary to us at all," a female teacher sitting next to Tang Yun said with an ambiguous smile, while the others began tough with "ill intentions."


    When they first saw the little girl with Su Chen, they suspected that Tang Yun had fallen for a man with a child, harboring some doubts.


    Now, hearing that the child was just a friend''s and was being sent to Tang Yun''s ss, they were even more convinced in their thoughts!


    Especially with Tang Yun''s somewhat shy and unnatural demeanor, wasn''t this the behavior of a woman in love?


    After all, they had all been there before, what was there not to understand?


    At that moment, Tang Yun inwardly cursed her ridiculous mother. Normally, even though she might feel a bit awkward around Su Chen, she would never act like she did today.


    The one to me for her inexplicable panic upon seeing this guy today was her own mother!


    Yesterday evening, she had suddenly received a call from her mother, who insisted that she muste home that night, saying it was extremely urgent!


    Hearing the serious tone of her mother, Tang Yun thought something significant had happened and hurried back.


    When she got home, however, it turned out there was no emergency. The so-called extremely urgent matter was her mother "interrogating" her!


    The content of the interrogation was naturally about Su Chen, and the questions her mother asked made her blush and feel extremely embarrassed.


    Questions like "Have you and Su Chen engaged in an actual romantic rtionship?"


    "How is he in that aspect? Does he have any interest? How do you feel about it?"


    "Have you guys used protection, do you n to have kids, how many do you n to have?"


    Besides these, there were questions that made Tang Yun feel so embarrassed that she couldn''t even bear to think about them!


    Tang Yun waspletely defeated by her own mother, how could she even begin to answer these questions?


    Facing the questions posed by her mother, Tang Yun stuttered without a word to say, her pretty face flushed like a peach blossom, almost dripping with blush!


    Seeing her daughter like this, Pei Rou naturally guessed that all these things had happened between them, it was just that her daughter was too shy to say it!


    So Pei Rou said directly, "When little Sues over the weekend, I''ll ask him myself!"


    Hearing this, Tang Yun felt like she might as well die, if her mother actually asked Su Chen these questions in front of him, where would she put her face?!


    This was also the main reason she felt so unnatural upon seeing Su Chen today, as soon as she saw him, it was as if she saw her mother asking those shameful questions in front of Su Chen.


    "Teacher Tang, you should treat us, right?"


    One of the teachers joked with augh.


    "Yeah, yeah, for such a big event, you definitely have to treat us to a big meal!"


    The others joined in with warm enthusiasm...


    This made Tang Yun''s pretty face even more flushed, and she dared not look at Su Chen anymore.


    But Su Chen was somewhat indifferent, knowing that these people were just joking.


    "Come with me!"


    Tang Yun didn''t dare stay in the office any longer, mustered up her courage, grabbed Su Chen''s arm, and dragged him out.


    "Teacher Tang, your colleagues were just joking, you dragging me out here is like ''cluelessly hiding the silver''," Su Chen said with a helpless expression.


    Indeed, at that moment, a burst ofughter came from the office...


    Hearing theughter, Tang Yun''s face turned even redder in an instant, then she red at Su Chen fiercely.


    It was all this jerk''s fault, not only had she been misunderstood by her parents, but now she couldn''t even clear things up with her colleagues!


    "Uncle, that auntie seems really scary!"


    Seeing Tang Yun''s demeanor, Xiao Xun leaned closer behind Su Chen and whispered.


    Upon hearing the little girl''s words, Tang Yun was so furious that smoke seemed to billow from her head!


    But what could she do to a little girl?


    And what had the little girl just called her? Auntie? Am I that old?


    "Tang Yun, don''t be so fierce, look, you''ve scared the child!"


    Su Chen said with a grimace.


    Tang Yun was even more infuriated, feeling a suffocating anger in her chest with no way to vent it!


    "Is it this little girl? Okay, leave her to me. I have a ss in a bit, I''ll take her to the ssroom."


    Tang Yun felt that this guy was naturally her nemesis, nothing good ever happened when she met him, so it was better to send him packing quickly!


    "This little girl is in the city for the first time, she''s a bit shy, and you were just kinda fierce, so I''ll apany you to take her to the ssroom."


    After all, it was Xiao Xun''s first time going to school, and Su Chen was still worried.


    At this point, Tang Yun''s eyes were already on fire, he actually said I was fierce, where was I fierce?


    If she was, it was because this jerk had made her mad!

 Chapter 454: Qi Refinement Eighth Layer Realm

    Tang Yun snorted coldly, said nothing, and headed straight for the ssroom, because ss was about to start in a few minutes. Su Chen quickly grabbed Xiao Xun and followed behind her.


    Before entering the ssroom, Tang Yun took a deep breath, squeezed out a warm smile, and then finally walked in.


    Su Chen, witnessing Tang Yun''s transformation in just a mere few minutes, couldn''t help but exim that indeed, women are fickle!


    "Students, quiet down. I want to introduce a new ssmate to everyone."


    Tang Yun stood at the podium and said:


    "This is our new ssmate. Her name is..."


    "Her name is what?"


    Tang Yun had been so preupied with being mad at Su Chen that she forgot to ask the girl''s name.


    "Qin Xun."


    Su Chen said with a smile, as he had just made up the name on the spot. He didn''t know Xiao Xun''sst name, and she didn''t seem to be clear on it herself.


    "Oh, the new ssmate''s name is Qin Xun, and I hope everyone will help her out from now on!"


    As soon as Tang Yun finished speaking, all the ssmates turned to look at Xiao Xun¡ªnot only was she pretty, but she also had purple hair, which was quite special!


    "Su Brother, how did you get here?" At this moment, Lin Ruohan, this little girl, came over. "Who is she to you?"


    Since ss hadn''t started yet, Tang Yun didn''t say anything.


    "Ruohan, how have you been recently?"


    Seeing little Ruohan again made him break into a smile.


    "Pretty good, Brother Su, but you haven''t told me who she is?"


    "She''s the daughter of a friend of Brother Su. She''s just arrived, so you''ll have to take good care of her, okay?"


    The reason he ced Xiao Xun in this ss was partly because Tang Yun was a friend, after all, and also because there was the oddball little Ruohan to look out for her, which meant he could rest easy.


    "No problem!" Little Ruohan dered, thumping her chest.


    Immediately after, she pinched Xiao Xun''s tender cheek:


    "You just stick with me, little one; I''ve got your back!"


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    She looked like a little boss, yet hearing this from a girl barely in her teens made it somewhat incongruous.


    Both Su Chen and Tang Yun found the scene amusing.


    Not just them¡ªXiao Xun, looking at the girl of simr age, was somewhat puzzled as well.


    In fact, both Su Chen and Tang Yun knew that with Ruohan''s monstrous intellect and knowledge base, she could easily handle college already!


    However, Lin Wenting was concerned that the child was still too young, and that her character was not yet well-established, which is why she hadn''t sent her to the moreplex environment of higher education.


    "Okay then, Xiao Xun is in your hands. I''ll be taking my leave now."


    Hearing the bell for ss ring, Su Chen said his goodbyes and prepared to leave.


    "Mhm."


    Tang Yun responded with an expressionless snort.


    ......


    That afternoon, at Jianghai South Train Station, a woman dressed in a body-hugging dress appeared somewhat anxious as she peered inside the exit.


    The woman was striking in both looks and figure, a rarity. Especially in that dress, which perfectly showcased her exquisite curves.


    Every passing man, without exception, took a moment to rest his gaze on her, his eyes shimmering with a certain light.


    "Why haven''t theye yet?"


    Xia Qiuru said, feeling somewhat impatient.


    "Don''t worry, they should be here soon."


    Su Chen patted her shoulder tofort her.


    Just at that moment, Xia Qiuru''s eyes lit up, and she excitedly waved her hands:


    "Dad, Mom, over here!"


    Su Chen also looked over at the sound, and saw an elderly couple looking at Xia Qiuru with surprised delight, their faces clearly etched with the marks of years and hardship!


    The two of them were carrying arge number of packages, seven or eight in total, so they were somewhat staggering and struggling as they walked.


    As soon as they emerged from the exit, Su Chen and Xia Qiuru took the packages from them.


    "Thank you, thank you. You must be little Su, right?"


    Xia Qiuru''s mother asked, sizing up Su Chen with her eyes.


    Xia Qiuru immediately became a bit shy, for she knew all too well that her mother was looking at Su Chen with the eyes of a mother-inw assessing her future son-inw.


    "Yes, I''m Su Chen, Auntie. Was the journey here tiring?"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Not tiring, we were sitting the whole time."


    Su Chen made a good first impression on Xia Qiuru''s mother.


    Xia Qiuru''s father nced at Su Chen and thought he seemed quite decent, not paying him too much attention afterward; instead, he started inquiring about Xia Qiuru''s work and studies.


    For the next two days, except for the nights, Su Chen spent most of his time with Xia Qiuru''s parents.


    During these two days, Su Chen fully utilized his sweet-talking and shameless skills to keep the old couple beaming with happiness.


    Especially Xia''s mother, who was smiling from ear to ear all day, constantly talking about "little Su this, little Su that," to the extent that Xia Qiuru was almost left by the wayside.


    The most satisfying thing for Xia Qiuru''s parents about Su Chen was that he didn''t show the slightest bit of neglect or disdain towards himself due to his humble origins.


    As Xia Qiuru watched the cheerful scene of her parents getting along with Su Chen, she couldn''t help but sigh to herself, wishing that all of this were true!


    Xia Qiuru wished that these two days would pass more slowly, but time is relentless, and two days flew by in the blink of an eye.


    When sending Xia Qiuru''s parents back, Su Chen insisted that they should not take the train; he bought them ne tickets instead, so after getting off the ne, they would just need to take a two-hour bus ride to reach the small town.


    In the following days, Su Chen returned to his usual routine, teasing the girls from the PR department during work and cultivating in the mansion at night.


    After three nights of dedicated cultivation, Su Chen finally broke through to the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer Realm with a long howl pointed to the sky!


    In that instant, the power of the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer exploded like a deluge, and the result was that, except for his underwear, all his clothes were blown to shreds, fluttering in the air like confetti!


    Xu Xinran, who was sleeping in a nearby room, was also startled and thought something had happened to Su Chen, so she ran over to check on him without even putting on her shoes!


    When she pushed open the door to Su Chen''s room and saw him in such a state, she was immediately dumbfounded!


    However, as her gaze drifted downwards slightly, her face flushed with heat, and she covered her eyes!


    "What on earth were you just doing?"


    Xu Xinran turned around and asked, the sight she had just witnessed was indeed too much for the eyes!


    "Nothing, I was just doing an experiment,"


    Su Chen picked out a set of clothes from the wardrobe nearby and began to change:


    "Alright, you can turn back now."


    Upon hearing his words, Xu Xinran turned back around, regarding him suspiciously and thinking to herself:


    "An experiment? Sure, who would believe that? This guy must have been up to something sleazy, you could tell just by looking at him just now."


    "Officer Xu, what''s with that look?"


    "Nothing, I''m going back to sleep,"


    Seeing that he was alright, Xu Xinran turned and left, her manner as indifferent as ever...


    Yet, Su Chen simply smiled to himself; this girl seemed to care about him after all, otherwise she wouldn''t have run over at the first sound, without even putting on her shoes...

 Chapter 455: Qin Ming Visits

    Time flew by, and before long, it was Saturday. Early in the morning, Pei Rou had called to notify Su Chen that he was toe over for dinner that evening.


    However, her tone was somewhat different from before, less of a warm invitation and more of amand.


    Su Chen had no choice but to agree, after all, who made him toy with someone''s daughter and get caught in the act?


    But to go to Tang Yun''s ce, he''d have to wait until the evening, so during the day he stayed at home to keep Lin Ruoxuepany.


    For Su Chen, spending time at home with his wife was arguably the mostfortable thing, and sometimes when she was in a good mood, he could even score some extra perks!


    In Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, no matter what her mood was, he seemed never to have a moment of sincerity.


    If you scolded him, he''d take it as if you were praising him. Hitting him wasn''t an option he''d retaliate against, but with his thick-skinned nature, it didn''t have any effect anyway!


    In the end, as long as the guy wasn''t overly outrageous, she let him do as he pleased.


    At that moment, the two were sitting on the couch, Su Chen''s arm seemingly around her, but his hand had actually moved somewhere else, his face expressing sheer enjoyment.


    Wang Ma, who was bustling about, saw this scene and pretended not to have seen anything, continuing on with her work, though she couldn''t help but admire her son-inw''s thick skin.


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang.


    "Go open the door."


    Lin Ruoxue nudged him with her elbow and said with a blushing face.


    "Wang Ma, could you open the door, please?"


    Su Chen shouted, too busy to bother himself with it. And who was this damn person disrupting his pleasant time by showing up now?


    "Hello, is Mr. Su Chen here?"


    A friendly voice came from the doorstep.


    "Yes, pleasee in."


    Wang Ma called out with warmth.


    As soon as Su Chen heard that voice, his facial expression changed, and he withdrew his hand from Lin Ruoxue.


    Lin Ruoxue also stood up quickly, as it was only polite to greet a visitor properly.


    Yet, even though the visitor hade for Su Chen, he did not rise to wee him and even showed a trace of displeasure on his face!


    Of course, Su Chen was displeased; he recognized the visitor''s voice.


    This fellow was a total night owl, and his arrival surely meant nothing good!


    However, this night owl in Su Chen''s eyes appearedpletely different to Lin Ruoxue.


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    She saw a man in his fifties, with slightly graying temples and clothes that although not luxurious, were neat and clean.


    What drew the most attention, however, was his aura. Although he was all smiles, he exuded an oppressive authority.


    It was a natural authority that radiated from within.


    The authority and oppression he gave off were much stronger than what she felt from the Family Heads of the Four Great Families!


    Lin Ruoxue was no stranger to the world, and she immediately deduced that this man was one of those high-ranking figures who had been in power for a long time.


    "Mrs. Su, I presume? Sorry to intrude."


    The man said with a big smile, extending a hand.


    "Wee, and how should I address you?"


    Lin Ruoxue also reached out and gently shook his hand.


    "Qin Ming. I''m friends with Mr. Su and needed to discuss something with him."


    Qin Ming was very polite, and anyone who knew him would be stunned to see him like this.


    You see, he was the head of the Special Security Bureau in Huaxia Country, wielding considerable power.


    But Qin Ming had to act this way, as his visit was entirely out of need!


    "I''m not that close to you, you old fart."


    Su Chen curled his lip and said,


    "Wife,e here, ignore him!"


    "Su Chen, he''s a guest, how can you treat a guest like this?"


    Lin Ruoxue said with some displeasure.


    She was also curious. Although her husband was usually carefree and not too concerned with etiquette,


    he wasn''t usually so unreasonable!


    "What kind of guest is he supposed to be."


    Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue back to the couch, wrapping an arm around her, but this time without any excess motions, appearing quite proper.


    "We are about to have dinner at our home, and we don''t have any extra food, so please leave."


    Su Chen said carelessly to Qin Ming.


    Lin Ruoxue''s face immediately turned an embarrassed red. His words were too rude, where was Qin Ming supposed to put his face?


    As expected, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Qin Ming''s old face immediately showed embarrassment, only this bastard dared to speak to him this way. If it were someone else, he would have taught him why flowers are so red by now.


    Despite the embarrassment, he didn''t move to leave, because the issue at hand was too important, and he had to get it done!


    "I''m sorry, my husband is in a bad mood and might have spoken offensively. Mr. Qin, if you don''t mind, please join us for a simple meal."


    Su Chen was impolite, but she had to maintain manners, or else others might think the Lin Family had no home training!


    "Not at all, not at all!"


    A forced smile bloomed on Qin Ming''s awkward face.


    Su Chen was about to say something when Lin Ruoxue''s eyes shot a warning look. He promptly swallowed any words he was about to say.


    Seeing this, Qin Ming''s eyes lit up. To get this guy to loosen up, he would have to start with his wife!


    He hadn''t expected that the founder and the first Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade would be henpecked!


    Soon, Madam Wang brought the dishes to the table, five dishes and one soup, all home-cooked but still quite elegant.


    During the meal, Lin Ruoxue was the only one who urged Qin Ming to eat more, while Su Chen sat there looking glum.


    His wife thought she was being polite, but she didn''t understand that if this guy hade knocking, it definitely wasn''t for something minor, but for big trouble!


    "Little sister-inw, I heard from Su Chen that you''re the CEO of Belle Group and you seem to be nning to expand into Yandu. I have some influence in Yandu; if there''s any troublesome matter, you might as well talk to me about it, perhaps I could be of some assistance."


    Qin Ming said to Lin Ruoxue with a smile.


    On hearing this, Su Chen immediately curled his lip. This guy was too shameless, when did I tell you any of this? It''s obvious you''ve been investigating with ill intentions!


    And he''s calling Lin Ruoxue little sister-inw? Are we that familiar?


    However, upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s face suddenly shone with a sharp light!


    "Really? That''s great! I indeed have an issue that''s been troubling me, but I''m not sure if Mr. Qin would be able to help."


    "Let''s hear it."


    "The main issue is some government documentation. As you know, business is like a battlefield. We have many projects in the Belle Group, and if we follow the normal procedures, it will take two to three months. Since we are a new enterprise, the process might be even longer, it''s possible it could take half a year. If that''s the case, it would greatly affect some of our business operations."


    Lin Ruoxue said, looking somewhat troubled.


    Indeed, she had been negotiating with Yandu officials recently, hoping to expedite the process, but with little progress.


    "That can be easily handled. I''ll make a call and have them sort it out within three days!"


    Qin Ming said nonchntly, for this was merely a phone call away for him.

 Chapter 456 - 456 A Phone Call

    "Three days?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue was immediately stunned!


    How could that be possible?


    She knew howplicated the process was; people would have to put aside all other tasks and dedicate their work solely for her!


    Keep in mind, those departments in Yandu are all national head offices with so many matters to attend to on a regr basis!


    "Mr. Qin, you''re not making fun of me, are you?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t believe it, andmon sense also told her it was impossible.


    "Allow me to make a phone call."


    Qin Ming put down his chopsticks, took out his phone, then dialed a number, and the call was connected within one second.


    "Xiao Yuan, there''s a Belle Group matter in Jianghai. Speak to some departments; their approval process must bepleted within three days."


    Qin Ming spoke earnestly, and after he finished, he hung up the phone.


    Lin Ruoxue watched Qin Ming with curiosity and some suspicion¡ªcould this guy be some sort of con artist?


    You just make a call, and people actually follow through with it? Moreover, his tone was so authoritative, as if he was issuing an order!


    However, Lin Ruoxue was certainly not going to challenge him face-to-face. Instead, she continued to eat her meal without holding much expectation for the phone call he had just made, because it was too far-fetched!


    In her mind, her husband probably didn''t care much for him because of his tendency to spout nonsense.


    The aura of authority he had exhibited earlier must have been deliberately practiced. He did manage toe across convincingly, fooling her at the time.


    But these days, people had be much smarter. How could anyone deceive another without real skill?


    Although Lin Ruoxue did not challenge him out loud, she lost the warmth she had shown earlier.


    This wasn''t to say that Lin Ruoxue was mercenary; otherwise, she wouldn''t have been so polite to him from the start.


    Her current coldness stemmed purely from her conviction that this man was a swindler. How could she be expected to show a pleasant face to a scammer?


    So the group quieted down, focusing on their delectable meals.


    A few minutester, a ringtone broke the silence¡ªit was Lin Ruoxue''s phone ringing.


    She nced at the number. It belonged to the person responsible for one of the current processes for a Belle Group project.


    After hanging up the phone three or four minutester, Lin Ruoxue looked at Qin Ming with some shock!


    The reason for her reaction was that the caller had said the current step in their approval process wasplete and asked her to promptly prepare the other required documents for the next stage.


    Lin Ruoxue felt baffled. Could this person not be a swindler? Could that phone call he made actually have worked?


    Especially since this particr step had been stagnant for over ten days without any progress, yet minutes after his phone call, the approval was granted.


    She couldn''t help but feel immensely surprised. Could this all be just a coincidence?


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    Lin Ruoxue immediately shook her head. How could there be such a coincidence?


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue''s phone rang once more, and she saw that it was yet another responsible person for a different step of a different project.


    The message was identical to the previous call, with the current stage being reviewed and urging her to prepare the necessary documents for the next step as they would expedite the review process.


    Before Lin Ruoxue could hang up, another call came through, and for the next half hour, she spent her time incessantly answering calls.


    The content of these calls was nearly the same, informing her that each project''s approval processes in progress wereplete.


    They also asked her to quickly prepare for the next stage of review, assuring her that if there were no issues, they would finish in the shortest possible time.


    In the past half-hour, about ten projects from the Belle Group were informed that their reviews had beenpleted and would enter the next phase of approval at the first opportunity!


    After hanging up the phone, Lin Ruoxue waspletely dumbfounded, her gaze somewhat scattered.


    She still couldn''t believe what had just happened. The very issue she had been beseeching everyone for day after day had somehow been resolved so effortlessly!


    She couldn''t help but look at Qin Ming with a face full of shock. What kind of background did this man have to wield such incredible influence with just one phone call?


    "Little sister-inw, you don''t think I''m a swindler now, do you?"


    Qin Ming looked at Lin Ruoxue andughed as if he had read her mind.


    "Um, I won''t..." Lin Ruoxue hurriedly exined, "I never, I never thought of you as a swindler."


    Having said that, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned red¡ªafter all, she felt a bit guilty!


    Qin Ming chuckled, but didn''t burst her bubble.


    "Old guy, don''t think a little favor will get you anywhere!"


    Su Chen pouted unhappily at how this guy was trying to curry favor with his wife!


    "How could I? You misunderstand. We''re friends, and helping my little sister-inw with a small favor is nothing," Qin Ming said ingratiatingly, knowing very well that to ask favors from others, one must first give something in return.


    Witnessing this scene, Lin Ruoxue was even more astonished!


    Although she still didn''t know who Qin Ming was, the phone call alone was enough to signify his significance!


    Even if she used her toes to think, she could guess that this man must be one of those top-tier figures!


    And yet, her husband talked to such a person calling him an old guy without any reservation.


    What was even stranger was that the man didn''t seem angry at all. Instead, he spoke to him in a pleasing way, almost treating him like a lord.


    Lin Ruoxue was shocked by Su Chen once more!


    What kind of person exactly was her husband?


    She found that as time went by, and as more things happened, she wasn''t understanding him better; on the contrary, she was bing less and less familiar with him!


    Having just epted a favor, Lin Ruoxue felt obliged to express her thanks, so she said with a stern face:


    "Su Chen, he is a guest, speak to him nicely!"


    "Wife, you may think this guy looks like a good person, but he''s actually quite cunning!" Su Chen whispered in her ear, sitting right beside Lin Ruoxue, but just loud enough for Qin Ming to hear.


    Upon hearing this, Qin Ming nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Could this man be any less shameless, who between us is the more cunning one!


    In the past, wasn''t it always he who was put at a disadvantage? And now this guy was trying to turn the tables on him!


    However, Qin Ming couldn''t concern himself with arguing with Su Chen at the moment and instead said to Lin Ruoxue:


    "Little sister-inw, I''vee because there''s a small favor I was hoping to ask of Su Chen..."


    The reason Qin Ming hadn''t asked Su Chen directly was that he knew the guy would definitely refuse outright!


    "No problem, as long as he can help, it''s just a word." Lin Ruoxue chimed in before Qin Ming finished speaking, feeling obligated to reciprocate since he had just helped her and the Belle Group with such a big favor.


    Su Chen was momentarily dumbstruck upon hearing this¡ªhad his own wife just sold him out like that?

 Chapter 457 - 457 Special Materials

    Lin Ruoxue saw Su Chen''s dejected face, and a meaningful smile appeared on her stunning face:


    "Husband, I''m right, aren''t I?"


    "Yes, if the wife says there''s no problem, then there definitely isn''t a problem."


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s expression, Su Chen''s heart suddenly trembled, and he revealed a sycophantic smile.


    He knew that when Lin Ruoxue smiled like this, it was best to obey obediently, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.


    In fact, what he was really thinking was, My dear wife, the guy who''s the director of the Special Security Bureau has personally sought us out, can it be a trivial matter?


    Taking advantage of Lin Ruoxue''s inattention, he red fiercely at Qin Ming opposite him, thinking, Old man, you try to outsmart me, let''s see how I deal with you!


    However, Qin Ming didn''t seem to care much about Su Chen''s gaze but instead became smug, with a sly smile emerging on his lips.


    Because he had finally found this guy''s Achilles'' heel, and that was his wife!


    This devilish man, who turned out to be afraid of his wife, was something Qin Ming had never imagined before!


    Not to mention his surprise, it''s likely that nobody who knew even a little about Su Chen''s true details would have thought of this!


    "It looks like I''ll have to take good care of this woman and her Belle Corporation in the future!"


    Qin Ming stroked his chin and thought to himself, after all, befriending her could influence Su Chen to some extent, what a profitable deal!


    "Mm, that''s more like it, speak nicely to people!"


    Lin Ruoxue heard Su Chen agree and nodded her head in satisfaction.


    She didn''t know what kind of favor this man wanted her husband to do. If she had known, she would have rather refused his help and kicked this man out.


    "Let''s go out and talk."


    After lunch, Su Chen said coldly and walked out of the vi''s main door, with Qin Ming hurrying to follow.


    "Tell me, what is it that you''re looking for me for?"


    Momentster, the two sat down in a private room at a teahouse not far from the Grand Epoch Court neighborhood.


    "Su Chen, I''m really d to see you. I haven''t heard from you in years, I thought something happened to you!"


    Qin Ming said with some emotion.


    If it hadn''t been for this guy calling him a while back, asking him to help deal with the aftermath for the Liu Family, he wouldn''t have known that he was in Huaxia!


    "You old man aren''t dead yet. I''m still so young and handsome, how could I possibly be dead?"


    Su Chen said with a displeased tone, clearly still holding a grudge over what happened earlier, when Qin Ming used Lin Ruoxue to manipte him.


    "About that, I apologize for what happened just now. I had no choice. This matter is something that only you can handle!"


    "Don''t try to tter me with high hats. I don''t eat that kind of stuff!"


    Su Chen waved his hand, saying that although he had agreed to Lin Ruoxue''s face, what he would actually do he still had to find out what it was about first.


    If he truly didn''t want to do it, nobody could force him.


    The reason he was willing to talk to Qin Ming was partly because of Lin Ruoxue, but more importantly, he wanted to find out why Qin Ming hade all this way to seek him out.


    "Alright, time is tight, so speak quickly,"


    Su Chen urged with a serious tone.


    Qin Ming straightened up, then took out a small piece of paper from his pocket, ced it on the table, and pushed it towards Su Chen:


    "I want you to go to this location."


    Su Chen nced down at it, and when his gaze fell on the piece of paper, his eyes widened immediately:


    "Old man, you''re not joking with me, are you? These coordinates are in the Pacific Ocean, and if I''m not mistaken, that''s one of the most unstable sea areas!"


    The Pacific Ocean is a name known to all, a term so familiar that it elicits little more than a nonchnt reaction.


    However, very few truly understand thisrgest and deepest ocean in the world, with the most bordering seas and inds!


    Although this ocean, upying a third of the world''s surface, is called the Pacific, it is anything but peaceful!


    Especially in certain areas, it could be said that once you enter, you have already heard the whispers of death!


    "Do I look like I''m joking with you?" Qin Ming''s expression became stern, "Su Chen, this matter is of great significance, and it''s extremely important for our nation!"


    "Exin in detail."


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and started smoking it on his own.


    "Here''s the deal: not long ago, a maritime explorer passed by the coordinates I just gave you and found a small ind. On that ind, he discovered a structure resembling an ancient pce and brought back some items."


    "Everything else aside, the critical part is a type of material that''s actually perfect for aviation. Its light weight, high strength, high modulus, high toughness, heat resistance, cold resistance, oxidation resistance, corrosion resistance, and so on are all much better than current aviation materials. Plus, its purity and consistency have reached an unprecedented level!"


    "As you know, the future disputes between nations won''t be onnd or at sea but in air sovereignty!"


    "The key to air sovereignty is the development of aviation technology, and materials are one of the most critical elements in the development of aviation!"


    "How did youe by this information?"


    Su Chen acknowledged that the other party made sense. Indeed, air sovereignty would y a crucial role in the future development of nations, with materials being a key factor in aviation progress!


    But he wondered about the reliability of this news. How did he know all these things?


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    Qin Ming said, "That maritime explorer has a column in a nautical magazine, and he wrote about his discovery there."


    "But he''s just an explorer, not a scientist. How would he know what the material is and its uses?"


    Su Chen continued to inquire, this matter being of great importance, but the more important it was, the less he was willing to overlook any shorings.


    "As it turns out, he happens to have a friend who is a physicist. After returning, he showed the items he''d brought back to his friend, who then informed him."


    "So, he published his discovery in the magazine and mentioned that there were still hundreds of kilograms of this material there. He even left contact details in the magazine for those who wanted to know the exact location."


    Qin Ming was ready and willing to answer all of Su Chen''s questions exhaustively!


    "He wants to make money off this?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and nced at Qin Ming.


    "Hmm, we also spent a hundred million US dors to get that coordinate. Actually, it''s not just us; many countries have bought it,"


    Qin Ming nodded slightly.

 Chapter 458: 458

    "This person is indeed clever," he said. "Instead of the troublesome and dangerous task of transporting those materials back to sell, it''s much simpler and safer to sell the information for money. And with so many countries or forces looking to buy, the amount earned might not even be that much less than selling the materials directly."


    Su Chen''s lips curled slightly as he spoke indifferently:


    "However, there''s a significant question here.


    "What question?" Qin Ming promptly asked.


    "You just mentioned that many countries have bought the location information from that explorer. There lies the problem."


    Su Chen looked into Qin Ming''s eyes and asked:


    "Why didn''t the first person to buy the location kill him, or at least detain him? That way, the ind''s location would be known only to that one country. The man is just an explorer, after all. It surely wouldn''t take much effort to deal with him!"


    "What you''re saying does make some sense," Qin Ming admitted, furrowing his brows upon hearing Su Chen''s words. "Or perhaps the person anticipated the danger and took precautions. Maybe by the time the first country to buy the information found him, it was already toote, and others, like our Huaxia Country, had also be aware. Thus, it wouldn''t be necessary to take such action."


    "Perhaps,"


    Su Chen responded nomittally. He had to admit, what Qin Ming said was not impossible.


    "Regardless, with such matters, it''s better to err on the side of belief than disbelief!"


    A glint of determination shed in Qin Ming''s eyes.


    In fact, Su Chen harbored the same thoughts. Although some aspects didn''t make sense, what if it was true? After all, those materials were far too important!


    "Now that many countries are aware, how should this be resolved? It can''t possibly lead to a fight, can it?"


    Su Chenughed lightly as he took a sip of his tea.


    "That''s precisely the difficulty," Qin Ming exined. "No one wants to give up on such materials, but we can''t deploy troops because doing so would easily spark a war!"


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    Qin Ming looked at Su Chen and continued:


    "So it''s agreed that no country will send in troops. Instead, each can send no more than eight people to represent them in the contest!"


    "You mean to say, ''finders keepers''?"


    Su Chenughed upon hearing this. No wonder this old fellow came looking for him!


    "Something like that. Each country will send their most capable people, and to the victor go the spoils."


    Qin Ming, now somewhat embarrassed,ughed along:


    "You understand now why I came looking for you, don''t you?"


    Su Chen felt the situation was utterly absurd: national disputes being settled in such a manner was like children ying house! However, upon further thought, it no longer seemed so strange. With so many countries involved, any friction that led to war would escte matters significantly!


    If not managed properly, it could even spark arger, all-out war, something no country wanted to see happen! Sending capable individuals from each country topete became the only and best choice. In its own way, wasn''t this another kind ofpetition?


    "But what does this have to do with me?"


    Suddenly, Su Chen smiled.


    Qin Ming was momentarily taken aback at this question, but quickly said:


    "Su Chen, as a soldier, how can you remain indifferent when national interests are at stake?"


    "But I''m no longer one. I''m just an ordinary citizen now,"


    Su Chen spread his hands and casually shrugged.


    "But you are still a citizen of Huaxia!"


    Qin Ming stood up abruptly. He had high hopes for Su Chen and was immediately anxious when he heard the refusal.


    "There are many citizens of Huaxia; I''m not the only one,"


    Su Chen picked up his now-cool tea and took a shallow sip.


    "Tell me, what will it take for you to agree?"


    Qin Ming suddenly calmed down; he realized that this guy was trying to seize the opportunity to set conditions.


    "You know."


    Su Chen lit another cigarette, took an indifferent drag, and smoke rose in front of him, somewhat blurring his features.


    Upon hearing this, Qin Ming''s expression became somewhat dim, and then he lifted his head to look at him:


    "Why do you want to investigate that matter, what does it have to do with you?"


    "You''ll find outter. I can''t tell you now, just think of me as fulfilling someone''s request."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "What will you do if you find out what happened back then?"


    Qin Ming asked, staring intently into Su Chen''s eyes.


    "That depends on what the real truth was back then! Some people, some things, they don''t just be history because they''re past. Sooner orter, there needs to be a reckoning."


    Su Chen said somberly, then stood up:


    "Alright, think it over, and contact me when you''ve made up your mind."


    After finishing his words, Su Chen turned and left. He had only taken two steps when Qin Ming called out to him.


    "What? Have you thought it through so quickly?"


    Su Chen turned around and smiled.


    "I promise you, it''s a deal!"


    Qin Ming ground out through clenched teeth.


    "Old man, it''s a pleasure doing business with you!"


    A triumphant smile finally spread across Su Chen''s face.


    Actually, even if Qin Ming hadn''t agreed to his terms, he would have taken the matter concerning the materials anyway.


    After all, he was from Huaxia, and furthermore, a former soldier. The words ''Huaxia'' had always held considerable weight in his heart!


    But, if he could use this matter to have Qin Ming help investigate that incident from the past, why not do it?


    After all, in his position, it was much more convenient for him to conduct inquiries than it was for Su Chen himself.


    This was also because Su Chen knew Qin Ming well enough to be certain he would agree, which is why he "extorted" him in this way!


    Seeing the smug look on Su Chen''s face, Qin Ming felt somewhat uneasy, not sure whether agreeing to his condition had been wise.


    He had always been curious as to why Su Chen had been relentlessly pursuing the incident involving the Su Family from seventeen or eighteen years ago.


    That was the Su Family, the once-undisputed number one family!


    If it hadn''t been for some events that happened back then, even the Shen Family today would find it difficult to hold a candle to them!


    "Alright, when do I set off?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "The sooner the better, best if it''s now, because we are not that close to the ce, and I expect people from some countries are already on their way."


    Qin Ming became extremely serious when he spoke of this matter.


    "Alright then, I''ll go back and inform my wife."


    "Hmm, go and return quickly; the car is waiting for you at the entrance of yourmunity."


    For Qin Ming, every minute was critical now; it was essential to act with utmost urgency!


    When Su Chen went back to speak with Lin Ruoxue, he didn''t dare tell her where he was going or what he was doing. He simply said he would be out for a while, helping that person from earlier with something.


    If he told Lin Ruoxue the actual situation, she definitely wouldn''t be able to sleep well.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t think too much upon hearing Su Chen''s words; she just told him to take care of himself...

 Chapter 459 - 459 The So-Called Most Important Person

    "Where are we going now?"


    Su Chen asked as the car started moving.


    "First to Jianghai Airport, I''ve urgently arranged for a ne. We''ll fly directly to Australia, and then take a boat from there. This will be much faster,"


    Qin Ming exined, having already arranged everything beforeing to Su Chen. As soon as Su Chen agreed, everything would operate at the highest speed!


    Su Chen, upon hearing this, didn''t say anything but closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.


    "How many countries are participating in thepetition for the materials this time?"


    After a while, Su Chen asked casually.


    "Probably six or seven, definitely fewer than ten. Although many countries bought this information, I reckon that the smaller ones won''t participate in the end. It wille down to a contest among the strongest nations,"


    Qin Ming pondered before answering.


    Su Chen nodded. Qin Ming''s words made sense. Weaker states, even if they luckily obtained those precious materials, might not be able to take them with them.


    Fundamentally, there is no difference between countries and individuals¡ªit alles down to power!


    "Su Chen, I''ve also found some helpers for you. They are already waiting at the airport,"


    Qin Ming said somewhat nervously.


    Su Chen gave a light "hm," understanding Qin Ming''s actions. After all, he was no longer a military man, and the higher-ups surely wanted to be kept in the loop at all times.


    It wasn''t a matter of trust but a matter of protocol.


    Seeing that Su Chen didn''t have any particr reaction, Qin Ming''s heart slowly settled. After all, he hadn''t obtained Su Chen''s consent when choosing the helpers.


    They drove straight on and soon arrived at Jianghai Airport, where Qin Ming led Su Chen through a special pathway.


    Before long, a civilian aircraft appeared before Su Chen, and in front of the ne stood five men!


    All men, each standing ramrod straight with an air of arrogance and an untouchable demeanor!


    At this moment, their faces showed signs of impatience, for they had been waiting for nearly two hours!


    As for whom they were waiting for, they were not yet clear; Qin Ming had only told them to wait for someone extremely important.


    At first, they were quite expectant, for even the bureau chief had said this person was very important, so he must be quite the high-ranking figure!


    But as time passed, their eagerness turned gradually intoints.


    They were aware of the urgency of their mission, and so was Bureau Chief Qin, who would have hurried back if he had managed to invite the person.


    This person was being too rude! The bureau chief personally extended an invite, yet the response was so slow!


    The lengthy absence of Bureau Chief Qin could only mean one thing: the invitation was not proceeding smoothly!


    If Qin Ming did manage to bring this person, they were curious to see just who this big shot was who felt entitled to act this way!


    Finally, as they waited anxiously, Qin Ming appeared through the special path and came into their line of sight!


    The group excitedly approached Qin Ming as soon as they saw him!


    However, their attention quickly shifted to Su Chen, who was standing beside Qin Ming; the men all showed a hint of confusion on their faces.


    Bureau Chief Qin had specifically rushed to Jianghai to invite the so-called most important person; could it really be this guy?


    "Bureau Chief Qin, where is the person you went to invite?"


    One of them asked hesitantly.


    "This gentleman here is him. Just call him Mr. Su,"


    Qin Ming said with a smile to the others. Su Chen was the youngest there, so calling him "Brother Su" would be inappropriate.


    But calling him directly by his name felt too casual, so after thinking it over, Qin Ming decided it was most appropriate to call him Mr. Su!


    "Him?"


    The five individuals'' eyes bulged as they heard Qin Ming''s words; was he seriously the so-called most important person that the director had taken such a long time to specifically invite? Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    They couldn''t help but scrutinize Su Chen carefully, noting that he was just over twenty years old, still somewhat green, and notably thin. His clothes were also exceedingly ordinary!


    From left to right they searched, but they could not discern what made this ''most important person'' significant at all¡ªhe looked just like any other young man!


    However, in the presence of Qin Ming, they dared not act rashly, and they called out "Mr. Su."


    But their tone was unmistakably indifferent, even disdainful.


    Qin Ming, on the other hand, said nothing; after all, they had plenty of time to get to know each other, and if he couldn''t tame these few brats, he wouldn''t deserve to bear the name Su Chen!


    "Alright, no need to be so formal, everyone rx a bit,"


    Su Chen wasn''t too concerned about their attitude; he could tell at a nce that these people''s realms were all Qi Refinement Seventh, Eighth, or Ninth Layer.


    Moreover, none of them were very old, mostly in their thirties or forties. To have such cultivation at that age was quite impressive, no wonder they were arrogant.


    Qin Ming thought to himself that if these whippersnappers knew that the person before them was at the Qi Refinement Peak Realm, he wondered if they would still be so dismissive!


    What Qin Ming didn''t know was that Qi Refinement Peak was merely Su Chen''s realm when he served as the Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade.


    In the years he had spent in the Dark World, he had already taken a step that most Qi Refinement Peak Martial Artists would never manage in their lifetimes¡ªthe half-step into Meridian Expansion!


    He couldn''t possibly imagine thatter, after Su Chen''s Dantian had shattered and his cultivation was lost, he started over from scratch and in less than a year, he had cultivated back up to the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer Realm!


    And Su Chen''s Qi Refinement Eighth Realm was different from other martial artists; his strength was only a hair''s breadth from his peak state of half-step Meridian Expansion.


    At least he was now very confident facing three or four Qi Refinement Peaks!


    "Furthermore, Mr. Su will have fullmand of this mission!"


    Qin Ming spoke up once more.


    The few people were suddenly taken aback¡ªthis young upstart was to be their leader?


    Had Director Qin made a mistake?


    Undoubtedly, those heading out were the elite forces from various countries; they''d be lucky if this kid didn''t hold them back, and yet he was to be their leader?!


    "Did you all hear what I said?"


    Qin Ming suddenly raised his volume, his face turning serious.


    "Yes!"


    The individuals trembled inwardly and quickly responded.


    Although they were respectfullypliant with their words, in their hearts they still had little regard for the young man.


    Qin Ming had no solution for this; it wasn''t something a few words could fix. It had to be Su Chen himself who convinced them through his actions!


    Before boarding the ne, Qin Ming pulled Su Chen aside and said:


    "Su Chen, these guys are my treasures. You have to take good care of them and bring each one of them back without fail, please!"


    "Don''t worry."


    Su Chen patted Qin Ming''s shoulder, understanding how important these people were to him. He guessed that they probably were among the strongest in the Special Security Bureau, which was why Qin Ming was so concerned.


    "Thank you."


    Qin Ming revealed a knowing smile; he was familiar with Su Chen and was certain that since Su Chen had promised, he would do his utmost.


    "Brother Guan, are we really going to take orders from this greenhorn?"


    A young man asked the oldest person beside him from a short distance away.


    "Let''s wait and see,"


    the one addressed as Brother Guan said, watching Su Chen''s retreating figure.

 Chapter 460: Confidence and Arrogance

    A few minutester, Su Chen and five others boarded the ne, which soon soared straight up from Jianghai Airport...


    After the nended, the group took a car to Yaduo Port, where they would soon depart for the small ind.


    Since the ne took off, Su Chen had been mostly silent, and the other five naturally did not make any special effort to speak to him.


    The five often formed a small circle, discussing something; Su Chen didn''t need to eavesdrop to guess that their topics concerned him, as he could tell just from some unusual nces he received.


    However, Su Chen paid them no mind as he was constantly pondering over the whole matter, feeling that something was amiss.


    Of course, he didn''t think Qin Ming would deceive him, but the situation from beginning to end gave him an inexplicably odd feeling.


    As for why he felt this way, he wasn''t too sure.


    "Forget it, if there''s anything, I''ll know once we get there."


    Su Chen shook his head, smoked a cigarette at the port, and then boarded the ship.


    The ship Su Chen and his team boarded was arge vessel, well-equipped and quite capable of handling rough seas!


    This time as they headed to the sea ind, the ship, being the most crucial tool, was of utmost importance and could not be overlooked!


    The ship was piloted by one of those five men, who as elite members of the Special Security Bureau, were proficient in operating various vehicles.


    If it weren''t for the need for that ne to return, they wouldn''t have needed another pilot.


    Before setting sail, however, Su Chen gathered everyone in a room.


    This was the first time Su Chen had initiated a conversation; though puzzled, the men followed him into a room.


    "We are about to set out for our destination, and I haven''t met everyone yet, so please introduce yourselves."


    Su Chen dragged a chair over and sat down as he spoke.


    "Guan Xin"


    "Lu Zheng"


    "Wang Ziqi"


    "Chen Ping"


    "Guan Zhihui"


    Upon Su Chen''s request, the five casually announced their names.


    They introduced themselves in order of age, from youngest to oldest; their cultivation generally matched their age order, Guan Xin being the lowest, and Guan Zhihui the highest.


    "I''ve memorized your names, I will now assign some tasks, and you had better listen carefully."


    Guan Zhihui and the others appeared indifferent and did not take his words seriously.


    Su Chen saw their attitude but simply stated calmly:


    "Sailing in the ocean is different from other ces, especially in the Pacific Ocean; we must be fully prepared."


    "Monitoring the weather and sea conditions is crucial, Lu Zheng, you will be responsible for this. Should there be any changes, you must report to me immediately, regardless of the time."


    "Also, the sea map must be securely kept; it must not be lost or damaged. Without it, we are virtually blind in this vast ocean."


    "Next is clothing; the temperature variance at sea is substantial. It''s best to adjust your clothing ording to the weather. I know you are Martial Artists and your True Yuan can shield you from cold and heat, but it consumes True Yuan. Unless absolutely necessary, you must conserve as much True Yuan as possible."


    "Additionally, ensure all equipment on board remains operational. Although it will only take us about two or three days to arrive, we still need regr checks, and Wang Ziqi will be in charge of this task."


    "Finally, I must emphasize the most important rule: absolutely no drinking! Although there is alcohol on board, it is reserved for special circumstances, not for drinking!"


    "For now, that''s all. Make sure you all remember them. I won''t supervise you, but if I find anyone disobeying my orders, don''t me me for being ruthless!"


    Su Chen spoke calmly; after finishing, he waved his hand and said:


    "Alright, let''s set sail."


    Following that, Guan Zhihui and the others left the room.


    "Guan, should we listen to him?"


    The youngest, Guan Xin, asked.


    "What he says makes sense, let''s just do as he suggests."


    Guan Zhihui pondered for a moment.


    "Pfft, listen to him? A greenhorn, he probably hasn''t even been out to sea, I bet he just got all this from the inte."


    Lu Zheng sneered, but didn''t make a sound.


    The other two also had simr expressions, mainly because they were unhappy with Su Chen, a young man, leading them.


    Moreover, it was just a matter of two or three days, what could possibly go wrong? Are they trying to scare kids here? Do they think we haven''t been out to sea?


    "Alright, Chen Ping, go start the boat."


    Guan Zhihui ordered, and Chen Ping headed towards the bow upon hearing it.


    Soon, the ship slowly started moving, sailing against the wind, and by then, it had gottenpletely dark...


    Although these men looked down on Su Chen, Wang Ziqi still went to check the ship''s equipment including some food, emergency items, etc., as he knew the importance of these things.


    Lu Zheng nced at the sky, saw that everything was normal without any signs of change, and went back to his room.


    Watching the sky all day? Isn''t that insane? Besides, there are marine weather forecasts to listen to, no need to observe all the time!


    "This bumpkin!"


    Before entering his own room, Lu Zheng nced towards Su Chen''s room and spat.


    Su Chen actually hadn''t slept; he had been observing the behavior of these men.


    Indeed, the tasks he had arranged, although very important, were things he could easily aplish himself.


    He gave those orders mainly to test these men''s execution and discipline.


    Those from the Eighth Brigade and Nether Temple knew that in Su Chen''s heart, discipline always came first!


    At this moment, Lu Zheng had already be the first unqualified person in Su Chen''s eyes!


    This guy thinks he knows the weather so well just by a nce?


    Or that everything is fine with just a marine weather report? How arrogant!


    He liked confident people but also despised the arrogant ones!


    However, for Qin Ming''s sake, he decided to wait and see.


    Lu Zheng, of course, had no idea about Su Chen''s thoughts. He had only slept for a while when the noise of the waves started making it hard for him to sleep.


    He got up and went straight to the kitchen, took a bottle of vodka and two cups, and headed towards his room.


    While passing the room next to his own, he paused briefly, then knocked on the door, which was quickly opened.


    "Couldn''t sleep either? How about we have a drink?"


    Lu Zheng, holding the bottle, waggled it and chuckled.


    "Didn''t that man emphasize not drinking?"


    Guan Xin whispered, ncing at Su Chen''s room.


    "Pfft, what is he? Who is he to tell me what to do? Besides, I used to drink when I went out to sea before, and nothing ever happened!"


    Lu Zheng said disdainfully, then looked at Guan Xin:


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    "Are you a man or not, just say if you''re brave enough to drink?"


    "Who''s afraid? Come on in!"


    Guan Xin, provoked by Lu Zheng''s words, immediately invited him in...

 Chapter 461: Mouse Droppings

    "Brother Lu, what if that kid really finds out we''ve been drinking?"


    After having two drinks, Guan Xin looked uneasily at Lu Zheng.


    He was the youngest and also the most cowardly. Since joining the Special Security Bureau, he had never defied an order¡ªthis was a first for him.


    Perhaps it could also be said that he had never truly taken Su Chen''s words as an order, even though Director Qin had appointed this youngster as their leader.


    "Found out? What about it?"


    Lu Zheng drained half a ss of vodka and quirked his mouth:


    "With this greenhorn, does he really dare do anything to me?"


    "But the way he spoke seemed pretty serious. What if he goes and snitches to Director Qin about this?"


    To be honest, Guan Xin was a bit scared, not because of Su Chen, but because of Qin Ming!


    Speaking of Qin Ming, Lu Zheng couldn''t help but feel really annoyed:


    "Really don''t know what Director Qin was thinking, letting such a young guy be the leader."


    "Exactly, but then again, since Director Qin made him the leader, could it be that this kid really has something exceptional?"


    "Hmph, do you think this kid looks like he has anything exceptional?"


    Lu Zheng poured another ss for himself and Guan Xin, and they clinked sses and took a sip.


    "Haha, I really can''t see it."


    Upon hearing this, Guan Xin couldn''t help but burst intoughter too.


    "Bang!"


    Theughter hadn''t yet subsided when suddenly a loud noise erupted!


    The two men drinking turned their heads towards the door to look, only to see a young man standing at the doorway with a grim face!


    Despite feeling somewhat uneasy, Guan Xin wasn''t overly concerned. However, Lu Zheng didn''t care at all and even continued pouring himself half a ss of vodka.


    "What happened?"


    The sound had, of course, caught the attention of others. Guan Zhihui and Wang Ziqi also rushed over, except for Chen Ping who was steering the boat.


    Upon entering and seeing the bottles and sses of liquor on the table, along with Su Chen''s grim face, they instantly understood the situation.


    "You, do you take Mr. Su''s words as a breeze past your ear?"


    Guan Zhihui immediately walked up to them and pped them on the back of their heads.


    Then he turned to Su Chen with a smile:


    "Mr. Su, I''m sorry, these two were too reckless. I assure you, it won''t happen again."


    Although Guan Zhihui also looked down on Su Chen, his sense of organizational discipline was much stronger than that of the others.


    Especially since he respected Qin Ming a lot. Although he was internally reluctant to ept Su Chen as leader because Qin Ming had appointed him, he wouldn''t make trouble.


    With Guan Zhihui''s high respect among the men, no one dared to argue against him.


    However, Lu Zheng looked at Su Chen with a mix of disdain and dissatisfaction in his eyes, thinking, What, I just drank a bit of alcohol, is there a need to make such a fuss?


    Who are you trying to scare with that look?


    "Mr. Su, it''s gettingte. You should head back and rest too," Guan Zhihui said to Su Chen.


    "Is this how you''ve always handled things?"


    Su Chen pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it, and casually exhaled.


    Upon hearing this, Guan Zhihui''s heart skipped a beat!


    This guy isn''t nning to use this incident as a show of strength, is he?


    "No wonder the so-called Special Security Bureau is deteriorating. Turns out it''s full of such stuff!"


    A sh of undisguised contempt swept through Su Chen''s eyes!


    As Su Chen''s words ended, anger shed across everyone''s faces, making them look rather ugly!


    They all thought, "Who do you think you are, do you know what kind of existence the Special Security Bureau is? What right do you have to criticize here?"


    The others unanimously looked towards Guan Zhihui, whose anger was ring up, his entire face darkening!


    He had always seen the Special Security Bureau as his pride, never expected his pride to be belittled so worthless!


    "Mr. Su, I have respected you out of regard for Director Qin, aren''t you being too much?"


    Guan Zhihui said, looking into Su Chen''s eyes.


    However, Su Chen didn''t care and released a plume of smoke, sneering:


    "Nothing special, but a heart as fragile as a woman''s."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the faces of Guan Zhihui and the others all turned red, this guy didn''t look like much, but his mouth was quite venomous!


    If it weren''t for Director Qin''s sake, Guan Zhihui would have taken action!


    Yet Su Chen ignored their expressions and spoke indifferently:


    "You two, did you clearly hear what I said earlier?"


    It was, naturally, Lu Zheng and Guan Xin who had disobeyed his orders he was referring to.


    "What do you want to do?"


    Until then, Lu Zheng still didn''t take the matter seriously, was it just about having a few drinks? Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    Because Su Chen had been "rude" just now, Guan Zhihui said nothing, instead he wanted to see how this guy would handle the situation.


    However, what Su Chen said nextpletely scared him.


    "I don''t want to do anything, but I just don''t need people who disobey orders in my team."


    Su Chen wore a stern expression and said to Guan Zhihui and Wang Ziqi:


    "You, get a speedboat for them, let them go back, and there''s no ce for them in the Special Security Bureau anymore."


    Upon hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded!


    Just for such a minor issue, was this guy really sending Lu Zheng and the other back already?


    And not just that, he was actually firing them from the Special Security Bureau?!


    Wasn''t this making a huge deal out of a minor issue?


    Besides, what right did he have to do this?


    "Who do you think you are? You think I''ll just go back because you say so? I''m telling you, we are here on an important mission, it''s not up to you to decide whether I leave or stay."


    Lu Zheng suddenly pped the table and stood up, confronting Su Chen:


    "And firing me? Are you joking? Director Qin favors you, appoints you as the leader, and you really take yourself seriously!"


    "Here, what I say goes!"


    Su Chen nced at Lu Zheng with disdain and said:


    "People like you, without any discipline, will not help out but only cause trouble! Calling you a rat''s turd couldn''t be more apt!"


    "You little punk, what did you say!"


    Lu Zheng bellowed, then charged at Su Chen with a furious punch!


    He had tolerated this young man''s ridicule for far too long!


    Now, this guy even dared to call him a rat''s turd, was that tolerable?


    Furthermore, having had more than half a bottle of vodka, his head heated up, and he became irrepressible!


    "Stop!"


    Guan Zhihui and Chen Ping, who were at the door, suddenly changed their expressions and yelled.


    Although they didn''t think much of this young man, he was still appointed leader by Director Qin.


    Lu Zheng''s behavior, to put it crudely, was insubordination!


    Especially considering this young man appeared weak, could he take such a fierce punch from Lu Zheng?


    If this young man really got killed by one punch from Lu Zheng, Guan Zhihui couldn''t protect him either!

 Chapter 462: Subdued

    Guan Zhihui and the others also didn''t expect Lu Zheng to suddenly act so impulsively, but they were at the entrance and couldn''t rescue him in time!


    Seeing that Lu Zheng''s fist was about to smash into Su Chen, the faces of Guan Zhihui and the others turned ashen!


    This was a disaster!


    How could this kid, no matter how capable, withstand a full-force punch from Lu Zheng, a Qi Refinement Seventh Layer expert?


    Being disrespectful verbally and causing physical injury or even death were twopletely different things!


    However, in the next instant, Guan Zhihui and the others stood with their mouths wide open, taking in a sharp breath of cold air!


    Damn, what was going on? Was I seeing things?


    Guan Zhihui and the others did not see the expected scene of the young man being knocked back and spitting blood, but both of them were still standing there.


    In front of the young man''s chest, his hand tightly gripped Lu Zheng''s fist, holding it in ce!


    Lu Zheng immediately turned pale with shock. How could this guy have caught his hand?


    Knowing that his own Qi Refinement Seventh Layer realm was not something that could be easily seen clearly, let alone grasped!


    Even if one could see clearly, the immense power was not easily contended with!


    Lu Zheng felt both shock and anger in his heart, and tried to exert more force to break through Su Chen''s hand, but then he realized a massive force was enveloping his fist and even controlling his arm, making him unable to move!


    "You? How is this possible?"


    Lu Zheng was genuinely scared at this point!


    Because he felt an incredibly profound True Yuan in the other''s palm!


    Su Chen''s face showed no change in expression. He suddenly loosened his grip on Lu Zheng''s hand. Just as Lu Zheng prepared to withdraw his hand, Su Chen already gently tapped his chest!


    Lu Zheng, including Guan Zhihui and the others, saw Su Chen''s movement as extremely gentle and didn''t take much notice, not thinking it was an attack!


    But unexpectedly, as soon as Su Chen''s hand touched Lu Zheng''s body, Lu Zheng flew back like a spring!


    "Bang!"


    His body instantly smashed into the wall, causing the ship to shake slightly!


    Guan Zhihui and the others werepletely stunned, struggling to speak!


    What kind of technique was this? It was too bizarre, wasn''t it?


    Just a gentle tap and he sent Lu Zheng, a Qi Refinement Seventh Layer master, flying? That was too exaggerated!


    If they didn''t know Lu Zheng, they would have thought the two were colluding to stage a y!


    Su Chen, however, appeared totally casual, as if he had done something trivial.


    Indeed, for him who was very close to the half-step Meridian Expansion, this was really nothing significant!


    Now, the Qi Refinement Seventh Layer in his eyes was like children in an adult''s eyes!


    "What are you standing around for?" Su Chen snorted coldly, "Aren''t you going to get them a speedboat to send them back?"


    Upon hearing this, Guan Zhihui instantly felt a chill, and his gaze towards Su Chen became filled with immense respect!


    The move Su Chen had just made was enough to demonstrate his strength. In their opinion, this young man''s power might have already reached the Qi Refinement Peak!


    Because with his own Qi Refinement Ninth Layer realm, he definitely couldn''t do that!


    While Qi Refinement Ninth Layer and Qi Refinement Peak were only a step away from each other, there was actually a vast gap that was difficult to bridge! Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been stuck at this realm for five or six years.


    Such a young Qi Refinement Peak, Guan Zhihui shuddered just thinking about it!


    No wonder Director Qin had him lead this operation, there was a reason after all!


    "Plop!"


    Guan Xin suddenly knelt in front of Su Chen, his face filled with terror as he spoke:


    "Mr. Su, please give us another chance! I definitely won''t dare to do it again!"


    Immediately after, Guan Zhihui and Wang Ziqi also knelt down:


    "Mr. Su, you are a generous person, please forgive them this one time!"


    Hearing hisrades pleading for him, Lu Zheng felt extremely embarrassed and ashamed!


    In terms of a man''s pride, he wished he could just turn around and leave, but he knew he couldn''t!


    If he left like this, his life would be over, at least the Special Security Bureau would have no ce for him!


    With a constantly changing expression, Lu Zheng walked up to Su Chen and finally knelt down as well:


    "Mr. Su, I was wrong!"


    Lu Zheng was a very proud man, and this was the first time in his life he had said "I was wrong"!


    One part was due to the circumstances, and another part was somewhat subdued by this young man!


    "Do you think that kneeling here and saying a few soft words will make me change my mind? That''s too naive!"


    Although Su Chen still looked stern, his heart was somewhatforted.


    These people might have been a bitcking in discipline, but they were united and didn''t harbor any selfish intentions.


    "Rules are rules, I understand, but now is the time to employ people, why not let them redeem themselves through service, and then deal with them after returning!"


    "Such undisciplined people are worse than none at all!"


    Su Chen seemed not to have changed his attitude despite their pleas.


    "I dare not, I absolutely dare not, Mr. Su, whatever you say, I will do!"


    Guan Xin quickly said.


    Su Chen''s gaze inadvertently fell on Lu Zheng''s head, who also immediately lowered his head:


    "I dare not either!"


    "Mr. Su, rest assured, from now on, every one of us will definitely carry out your orders to the letter!"


    Guan Zhihui said earnestly.


    However, Su Chen did not immediately make a statement but simply swept his indifferent gaze over their faces.


    "Alright, this is the first time, I will spare you for now."


    After a moment, Su Chen spoke:


    "Next time, if you dare to defy orders again, it won''t just be a matter of being sent back or dismissed from the Special Security Bureau. I will enforce military orders and execute you on the spot!"


    "Yes!"


    Guan Zhihui and others trembled and responded together!


    "Alright, you don''t need to worry about the rest, go rest now, the only thing you need to do these days is to recuperate!"


    "Yes!"


    Then the others left Guan Xin''s room and went back to their own rooms to sleep.


    Su Chen did the same, he spared Lu Zheng and Guan Xin today partly because having more people is more useful for the uing operation, which he had a bad feeling about.


    Of course, the main reason was that these people were not his subordinates but Qin Ming''s, and he did it out of respect for Qin Ming.


    If these had been his subordinates, he would definitely not have let it go so easily, of course, if they were his subordinates, such defiance would have never happened!


    If it sounds harsh, Su Chen could even pull out a dog and make the former members of the Eighth Brigade or Nether Temple obey it, and they would undoubtedly carry out the orders thoroughly!

 Chapter 463: Predicting the Fall Before It Happens

    In the next day or two, it was calm and quiet, and nothing happened, so everyone treated Su Chen with great respect when they saw him.


    On the contrary, Su Chen was a departure from his previous aloofness, and he seemed very amiable, even making a joke with Lu Zheng.


    They all thought this young man was very strange, seemingly different from anyone they had met before.


    On the morning of the third day after everyone had woken up, they had a simple breakfast and then continued back to their rooms for cultivation!


    For the past two days, ording to Su Chen''s instructions, they spent all their time cultivating, except when sleeping!


    Moreover, Su Chen had also given some guidance on their cultivation, which had greatly benefited them!


    At this point, everyone was even more intrigued by this young man, as his insight into cultivation seemed incredibly profound!


    Many of the issues were ones they had never even considered before.


    That morning, after breakfast, Su Chen went straight to the bow, lit a cigarette, looked at the sea, and then at the sky, his expression somewhat solemn.


    He just stayed there watching, not returning until the afternoon.


    "Mr. Su."


    At this moment, a voice sounded beside Su Chen, and the person who approached was Guan Zhihui.


    He noticed that Su Chen had been at the bow since morning, not even eating lunch, so he specifically came to check on him.


    When Su Chen saw him, he just nodded slightly. Among these people, he was somewhat pleased with Guan Zhihui alone.


    Not because his cultivation realm was the highest, but because his overall quality was the best.


    "Mr. Su, it seems like you have something on your mind?"


    Guan Zhihui asked curiously, as everything seemed normal at the moment.


    "Do you know where we are now?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked Guan Zhihui.


    "ording to the nautical chart, we should be near Sara Ind."


    Guan Zhihui said,


    "I estimate that in half a day or more, we will almost reach our destination."


    "That''s right, do you know if there''s anything special about the sea around here?"


    "That, I really don''t know."


    Guan Zhihui didn''t even know the name of this ind until he looked at the nautical chart yesterday, let alone understand it.


    "This area of the sea is also called the Yin Yang Sea because the weather here is the most unpredictable, hence the name!"


    While Su Chen spoke, he continued to look at the clouds in the sky, suddenly his expression changed slightly:


    "Quick, go to my room, there''s a balloon on the desk, hurry and bring it over!"


    Guan Zhihui was stunned when he heard Su Chen''s words. What on earth was going on?


    Why would he suddenly need a balloon? And by his demeanor, it seemed like an urgent matter. What could have happened?


    "Hurry up and go!"


    Seeing him standing there dazed, Su Chen couldn''t help but yell out, giving him a kick!


    "Oh, I''m going right now!"


    Guan Zhihui quickly turned and ran towards Su Chen''s room, although his mind waspletely muddled at this time!


    Twenty secondster, Guan Zhihui ran over with the balloon and handed it to Su Chen:


    "Here, Mr. Su."


    This was a hydrogen balloon. Su Chen took it and immediately held it close to his ear, as if listening to something¡­


    Su Chen''s yelling had startled everyone else too, as they thought something had happened, so they all ran over.


    "Bad news, a storm ising, go quickly and tell Guan Xin to change course, we''ll detour from Larsen Ind!"


    Su Chen''s expression changed urgently; Guan Xin was currently steering the ship, and these few were taking turns doing it.


    "But Mr. Su, it''s clear now and the sea is calm, it doesn''t look like there will be a storm at all!"


    Guan Zhihui''s mind was even more confused now. What was all this about?


    He even began to suspect that Su Chen was possessed or had suddenly gone insane!


    "Indeed, Mr. Su, we''ve also studied maritime weather, and there are absolutely no signs of an impending storm."


    Lu Zheng echoed:


    "Plus, I just listened to the marine weather forecast, and there was no mention of a storm!"


    "Yes, Mr. Su, detouring around Larsen Ind would take us several extra hours; other countries'' teams have probably already arrived. We need to hurry up!"


    Chen Ping also knew about the events of that night from hispanions, so he spoke very politely to Su Chen at this moment.


    "Hmph, it''ll be toote when you notice!" Su Chen snorted coldly, "Guan Zhihui, immediately go and give the orders; this is amand!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    Upon hearing the word mand,'' Guan Zhihui immediately became solemn and then hurriedly ran toward the cockpit!


    Soon, the ship began to turn around, but due to itsrge size, it was not easy to maneuver.


    "Lu Zheng, I forgot to say earlier, go tell Guan Xin to start heading at full speed towards Larsen Ind now!"


    Su Chen told Lu Zheng.


    "But Mr. Su, if we go full speed, it will be very dangerous. We could easily hit a reef!"


    Lu Zheng said cautiously.


    "Do you think I don''t know that?"


    Su Chen responded coldly:


    "Just do as you''re told!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    Lu Zheng promptly replied sternly and then also ran toward the cockpit.


    Su Chen was frustrated with these people; their execution was far too poor. If they were his own subordinates, he wouldn''t need to say so much!


    Moreover, do you think the Yin Yang Sea is named without reason? The bizarre weather here is inurate in marine forecasts seven or eight times out of ten!


    Because this sea area is indeed too unpredictable!


    Shortly after, the ship quickly sped towards Larsen Ind on the left.


    After sailing to the left for over an hour, Guan Zhihui and the others were horrified to find that dark clouds were gathering in the distance, with lightning and thunder, continuously pouring forward!


    And soon it began to storm fiercely there, and the sky turned dark, covered in a grey haze!


    The surrounding sea also became tumultuous, with lightning striking repeatedly, looking terrifying from a distance!


    What made them immensely regretful was that the path of the storm''s center was almost exactly where they had been nning to sail through. Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Which meant, if they hadn''t turned in time, they would have been directly hit by the storm!


    At this moment, even though they were not in the center, they were still within the range of the storm!


    Fortunately, there was still some time before the storm reached them, and Guan Xin, who was steering the ship, also noticed this and became very nervous, not daring to slow down!


    Now, when people looked at Su Chen again, their eyes could not hide their admiration. He was incredible, knowing so far in advance that a storm wasing!


    If it weren''t for him, they would have faced great trouble today!


    Even though they were all martial artists, what did their cultivation ount for in the face of such natural power?


    Moreover, even if people could survive, the ship could very likely capsize in such a huge storm!


    The dy would be more than just a few extra hours; this mission could almost be dered a failure.


    "Mr. Su, how did you know the storm wasing? And it seems you even knew the direction?"


    Guan Zhihui couldn''t help asking, with everyone else also curiously looking towards Su Chen.

 Chapter 464: There Must Be Demons When Things Are Abnormal

    Su Chen looked at their eager expressions and didn''t hide anything, saying,


    "This is also quite simple, mainly focusing on the cloudyers. I know the weather here is extremely unpredictable, so I have been observing the clouds and the sea surface. Through the changes in the cloudyers, one can roughly make predictions."


    Although Su Chen''s exnation sounded simple, the knowledge it epassed was quite profound. They had studied meteorology and still hadn''t grasped it.


    "What did you want me to use that balloon for?"


    Guan Zhihui continued to ask; he had always been unclear about what Su Chen intended for the balloon.


    "This is even simpler: the balloon is used to further confirm whether there is a storm, as observing the clouds is just a guess and can sometimes be inurate."


    Su Chen nced at the few people and said,


    "Due to the friction and impact between the peaks of the strong winds and huge waves, a type of low-frequency sound wave is generated. These sound waves travel faster than the wind and waves. Although human ears cannot directly hear them, a balloon filled with hydrogen can resonate due to these low sound waves, creating vibrations. The amplitude and strength of these vibrations put pressure on the eardrums of those close to the hydrogen balloon, causing a sensation of vibration. The closer the storm, the clearer this sensation."


    "So that''s how it works!"


    Upon hearing his exnation, everyone suddenly had a moment of realization!


    Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Once again, they held Su Chen in incredibly high regard. Not only was this young man formidable in his cultivation, but he also seemed outstanding in other aspects!


    However, what Su Chen didn''t mention was that because of his advanced cultivation realm, his sensory abilities were far stronger than those of ordinary people, which is why he was able to detect those nearly imperceptible vibrations so much earlier!


    Even for Guan Zhihui, who was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, the earliest he could perceive them was half an hour beforehand!


    When the storm passed parallel to them, although they were far enough from the storm''s centre, they still felt the strong turbulence of the ship!


    "Now we can have Guan Xin change the direction and continue moving straight ahead!"


    As they were almost reaching Dsen Ind, Su Chen finally put his worries to rest and instructed.


    After these events, everyone waspletely convinced by Su Chen, sincerely admiring him from the bottom of their hearts!


    .....


    By the next day''s early morning, Su Chen and his group finally arrived at that small ind!


    It was a small ind of about thirty to forty square kilometers. From afar, the vegetation seemed quite lush, covering roughly half its area.


    Afternding on the ind, they temporarily didn''t encounter anyone else, but of course, they didn''t believe they were the first to arrive.


    Among the major countries, Huaxia was one of the farthest from this location.


    "Mr. Su, haven''t wee toote? Has the material already been taken by other countries?"


    Guan Zhihui walked beside Su Chen, asking with some concern.


    "Since we''re here, let''s first take a look,"


    Su Chen gently said, harboring the same worry in his heart: if there really were such materials, they had likely already been taken by those who arrived earlier.


    This was an inevitable situation determined by the geographic positions of the countries.


    Moreover, Qin Ming had specifically gone to Jianghai to invite him, and it had taken several hours. Unfortunately, they had encountered a storm the previous evening, which dyed them for a few more hours, so it was inevitable that they would arrivete.


    Su Chen and hispanions immediately walked deeper into the ind. After about half an hour, they finally discovered a pce behind a small grove.


    When they saw the pce, Su Chen was still somewhat surprised.


    He had always been skeptical about the information Qin Ming had shared, but unexpectedly, on this small ind, there really was such a pce!


    Although the pce now looked quite dpidated, some details still revealed its former grandeur and splendor!


    In front of that pce, there were three tents, marked respectively with the symbols of America, Find, and the Ind Country.


    Su Chen and hispanions were immediately surprised. Had only three countries arrived so far?


    Wasn''t that too few? Including them, that made only four!


    As footsteps sounded, people from the American and Ind Country tents quickly emerged, but there was no movement from the Finnish tent.


    The leader from the American side was a young man dressed in a wine-red suit, wearing deep brown leather shoes, with his hair meticulouslybed.


    The men behind him were all explosively muscr, exceptionally tall, with the shortest probably also being about one meter ny!


    Seeing that young man, Su Chen couldn''t help but want tough. Was this guy mistaking this for an international banquet with such shy attire?


    However, considering he had been sent by the powerful America to lead, Su Chen didn''t dare to be careless, though he could tell at a nce what those men behind him were all about.


    Undoubtedly, these men practiced hard martial arts, somewhat simr to Huaxia''s Horizontal Training Method!


    You should never underestimate this kind of martial arts. When mastered to the extreme, it is very, very powerful!


    Leading the group from the Ind Country was a middle-aged man around forty years old, followed by men also in their thirties and forties, all dressed in uniform white training outfits!


    "Friends from Huaxia Country, you''vee too!"


    Seeing Su Chen and his group, both the Americans and the people from the Ind Country came up enthusiastically, as if they were very eager for their arrival.


    This made Su Chen and hispanions quite puzzled because they were here topete for special materials!


    At this moment, representatives of these two countries weing them warmly could only make Su Chen and hispanions more cautious!


    There''s something fishy when things don''t seem normal!


    However, for now, Su Chen didn''t point anything out and nonchntly greeted them back.


    After some simple exchanges, Su Chen also learned the identities of those two leaders; the one leading from America turned out to be a prince named John, and the leader from the Ind Country was named Chuan Ye, head of a certain sect in the Ind Country!


    At the same time, Su Chen and hispanions were also curious as to why they hadn''t tried to retrieve that material and transport it back quickly, which didn''t make sense!


    "Gentlemen, wasn''t it said that the material is inside the pce? Why haven''t you gone in to check it out?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "Ah, we went in early and had a look, but unfortunately, we didn''t find it,"


    Prince John sighed.


    "Yes, we also searched for a few hours and came up empty-handed,"


    Chuan Ye, the leader from the Ind Country, added, then turned to Su Chen:


    "How about this, we join you again to take another look? Your Huaxia culture is profound and extensive; perhaps you might find some clues."


    "Right, maybe we could also benefit from it if the special material is indeed found; sharing it wouldn''t be an issue."


    Prince John said with a friendly smile on his face.


    "Alright, let''s go in and have a look together then."


    Su Chen casually nodded, pretending not to notice the gleam in the two men''s eyes¡­

 Chapter 465 - 465 The Nation of Etiquette

    Su Chen and the others followed behind the people from America and the Ind Country towards the dpidated pce.


    Several rafters of the pce had already copsed, with debris and broken walls everywhere!


    After entering, spider webs covered everything, and theyer of dust that had fallen was very thick, even covering the original floor.


    The interior was empty, with hardly anything left, as if a great sweep had taken ce, with even the gold and colored zes that were iid everywhere pried off.


    Theyout of this pce was quite different from those ancient pces in Huaxia Country. The pces in Huaxia are very square and typically divided into several courtyards.


    But this pce wasid out in a circr shape, with many exits and entrances, more like abyrinth.


    "How about we split up and each search in different areas?"


    After looking around and finding nothing special, Prince John said.


    "How about this, friends from Huaxia Country, you go check the rooms on the east side."


    Chuan Ye also suggested.


    "Okay."


    Su Chen had no objections; he was eager to see what these people were up to.


    "Mr. Su, the attitude of the people from America and the Ind Country is a bit strange. Could they be up to something deceitful?"


    After walking a bit to the east, Guan Zhihui asked in a low voice.


    "Yes, Mr. Su, people from these two countries are acting so abnormal, there must be something fishy!"


    "Shush! Just be aware of it, and let''s see how things unfold!"


    Su Chen nced at the others and said, with everyone nodding in agreement.


    "Let''s all split up and search."


    Su Chen instructed. Since they were there, they certainly needed to search thoroughly.


    So Guan Zhihui and the others immediately dispersed, each entering different rooms to start looking.


    "Mr. Chuan Ye, do you think those Huaxia people will find that ce?"


    In a room on the west side, Prince John asked somewhat uneasily.


    In fact, after splitting up from Su Chen and the others, they hadn''t gone searching for anything, but instead went into a room together.


    "I don''t know, if they don''t find it, can''t we just ''help'' them when the timees?"


    Chuan Ye''s mouth curled into a cunning smile as he said.


    Prince Johnughed along:


    "Exactly, we''ll just lend a modest hand when necessary!"


    ....


    Almost an hour and a half had passed, and Su Chen and his team had searched most of the rooms on their side, still with no results.


    Guan Zhihui and the others regrouped around Su Chen, their expressions somewhat dejected.


    Su Chen, however, remained calm, as this result was what he had expected all along.


    If it had been so easy to find, the Americans and the people from the Ind Country would have plundered everything long ago.


    "How did it go, did anyone find anything?"


    Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire


    At that moment, a voice rang out as the people from America and the Ind Country walked over from a distance.


    "No discoveries whatsoever."


    Su Chen intentionally showed a hint of disappointment, shook his head and said,


    "How about you? Did you find anything?"


    "Just like you, we found nothing."


    Prince John and Chuan Ye also shook their heads.


    "Have you finished searching this area?"


    Prince John asked again.


    "Not yet, there are just thesest seven or eight rooms left."


    Su Chen pointed towards the area deepest inside, then showed an appropriately puzzled expression and said,


    "Could it be that the information was wrong, and there is no such material here at all?"


    "It shouldn''t be the case."


    Chuan Ye frowned slightly:


    "That explorer doesn''t have the guts to joke around with so many countries."


    "That''s true."


    Su Chen nodded his head in agreement.


    "There are only a few rooms left. Let''s all look together again, and if we still don''t find anything, we can discuss what to do next,"


    Prince John said.


    "That sounds good."


    Then, everyone scattered into the seven or eight rooms. There were nearly twenty people in total, so at least two people entered each room.


    A momentter, Su Chen suddenly heard a voice from the room next door:


    "There''s something here!"


    Upon hearing the voice, everyone hurriedly ran into that room.


    "What did you find?"


    Su Chen immediately asked upon arrival.


    "Mr. Su, look here!"


    Chen Ping lifted a painting on the wall and pointed to a square hole in the wall!


    There was a ck valve in the hole, but it appeared to be quite old.


    The newly arrived Prince John and Chuan Ye, upon seeing the valve, immediately showed expressions of delight on their faces!


    "We started by searching this room too, howe we didn''t think to lift the painting to check?"


    Chuan Ye looked at Chen Ping gratefully:


    "We really owe it to this friend from Huaxia Country!"


    "Mr. Chuan Ye is too kind. It was actually Mr. Ye''s subordinate who discovered it."


    Chen Ping spoke calmly. He really couldn''t bring himself to express fiery enthusiasm towards people from the Ind Country.


    The "Little Ye" Chen Ping mentioned was a subordinate of Chuan Ye, and upon hearing Chen Ping''s words, Chuan Ye couldn''t help but pat Little Ye''s shoulder:


    "You did well! I will reward you handsomely when we return!"


    "Thank you, boss!"


    Little Ye quickly bowed and said.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen also deliberately showed a surprised look on his face, but in his heart, he actually had many questions.


    Firstly, the edge around the square hole clearly showed signs of damage. If he was not mistaken, this hole should have been hidden behind the wall, and not as it was now, exposed as soon as the painting was lifted.


    He just didn''t know whether the protection or concealment outside the hole had been destroyed by John and Chuan Ye.


    But no matter who had done it, there was absolutely no way they could have failed to find it in their earlier search. Their current behavior seemed more like they were waiting for the others to make the discovery!


    What exactly were these people up to? Su Chen couldn''t figure it out at the moment!


    "Mr. Su, hurry up and give it a twist!"


    John urged from behind Su Chen.


    Seeing that the group was almost standing together, Su Chen extended a hand and began to turn the valve. If there was really a problem, they would definitely want to keep their distance from him and the others.


    As Su Chen turned the valve, a crack slowly appeared on the nearby ground, then moved apart to both sides, revealing an entrance about a meter in width and length!


    "There''s actually a cave here!"


    Lu Zheng eximed in surprise.


    Su Chen walked over and took a look. Beneath was pitch ck, without a glimmer of light, but there were stairs leading downward at the entrance!


    "Mr. Su, I''ll go down first to check it out!"


    Now that something had finally been found, Lu Zheng couldn''t wait to go down and take a look.


    But just as he set foot on the stairs, Su Chen pulled him back up:


    "Don''t you know the rules? We in Huaxia are a nation of ceremony and should act with humility and manners!"


    Then he turned to Prince John and Chuan Ye with a smile:


    "Please go ahead, we will follow behind!"

 Chapter 466: The Beauty of Yi Country

    Prince John and Chuan Ye were slightly startled upon hearing Su Chen''s words, as they had originally thought that these Huaxia people would be eager to enter the entrance as soon as they saw it.


    Yet unexpectedly, this young man actually started talking to them about etiquette and deference!


    Guan Zhihui and the others were also confused. Mr. Su was actually discussing etiquette and deference with people from America and the Ind Country¡ªdidn''t he know that these two countries were like wolves?


    However, they didn''t dare say much, because Su Chen had already attained a lofty position in their hearts.


    "Please, go ahead first!"


    Chuan Ye said with a gentle smile.


    "Mr. Su, there''s no need to be polite. It''s the same for us to follow behind,"


    Prince John also chimed in with a smile.


    "I think Mr. Chuan Ye, you should be the first, after all, Mr. Ono was the one who discovered the valve,"


    Su Chen also declined with a smiling face.


    The mutual deference among them appeared very harmonious and polite, but in reality, each was concealing their own schemes!


    "How about this, it''s nearly noon; let''s have lunch first, then we''ll discuss afterward,"


    Seeing that Su Chen insisted on not going down first, Chuan Ye suggested.


    "Sure, let''s have lunch first!"


    After saying that, Su Chen led Guan Zhihui and the others out.


    "Mr. Chuan Ye, could this kid have noticed something?"


    John and Chuan Ye fell behind Su Chen, deliberately slowing their steps. When Su Chen had moved a good distance away, John asked Chuan Ye.


    "I don''t think so," Chuan Ye shook his head slightly. "I suppose thed is just being cautious, hence his reluctance to go down first."


    "Then what do we do?"


    Upon hearing this, John immediately became anxious.


    "Let''s figure out another way."


    "Alright."


    "Mr. Su, why did you stop Lu Zheng from going down just now?"


    Guan Zhihui asked in a low voice, driven by curiosity. He didn''t believe what Su Chen had said before!


    Huaxia Country indeed values etiquette and deference, but isn''t that also dependent on to whom it''s shown?


    Talking about these things with two wolves¡ªhasn''t his brain been kicked by a donkey?


    "I smelled blood just now," Su Chen said indifferently. "And didn''t you notice something else? From the beginning to the end, nobody from the Finnish team appeared. I paid attention earlier, and there was no one inside the Finnish tent¡ªwhere have they gone?"


    As soon as Su Chen mentioned this, Guan Zhihui and the others also immediately realized something was amiss, although they hadn''t smelled the scent of blood that Su Chen mentioned.


    But if Su Chen had said so, it must be true. Coupled with the unusually friendly demeanor of those people, it further indicated that something was off.


    "All right, let''s not talk about it anymore; act as if we don''t know anything,"


    Su Chen noticed that the people from those two countries were gradually catching up and whispered.


    Guan Zhihui and the others all nodded slightly in agreement.


    When they exited the pce, Su Chen said:


    "Chen Ping, set up our tent along with Guan Xin''s as well,"


    "Mr. Su, we''ve brought quite a few things. Would you like to join us for lunch?"


    John greeted them warmly.


    "No need, we''ve brought our own, thank you for the offer."


    Su Chen politely declined.


    It wasn''t that he feared these two might y tricks; he simply did not wish to associate with these people!


    It wasn''t long before Chen Ping and Guan Xin had the tent set up, spacious enough to amodate seven or eight people inside.


    Lu Zheng took out some food and water from his backpack and distributed them to everyone; naturally, all the food waspressed.


    Everyone sat at the entrance of the tent and started eating, while the Americans and Inders nearby did roughly the same, though Prince John stood, likely to avoid soiling his clothes and ruining his image.


    Just then, a line of people suddenly appeared from behind the nearby woods, causing Su Chen and the others, including the Americans and Inders, to look up simultaneously.


    To everyone''s surprise, the group was led by two women. However, when they saw the country''s g the women carried, they immediately understood.


    Because these were people from Yi Country, where a queen ruled, it was quite normal for women to be in the lead!


    As the group approached, everyone got a clearer look at the two women''s appearances. The slightly older one was tall and shapely, her beauty top-tier, yet her face was expressionless, exuding a cool and aloof charm!


    The younger one following her was also very beautiful, especially her big, lively eyes!


    Yet what drew most attention was the majestic twin peaks in front of her, probably size E, totally disproportionate for her age!


    However, she looked around curiously, bouncing and frolicking, vibrant, aplete contrast to her olderpanion''s style!


    The sudden appearance of the two beauties, one tall and one petite, immediately captured the attention of the men, especially the aloof and charismatic leader.


    The flirtatious Prince John, upon seeing the two stunning beauties, immediately approached them.


    "I am Prince John from the American royal family, pleased to meet friends from Yi Country."


    John''s face beamed with a smile as he extended a hand.


    However, the cool woman didn''t even nce at him, instead walked around him and approached Su Chen''s group.


    "Here theye, here theye!"


    "Look at those legs, so long!" Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Not just long legs, but these curves, this tiny waist! And that face! Lord have mercy, my heart can''t take this!"


    "I prefer the younger one though, big enough, full of vor! A premium Lolita!"


    .......


    Seeing the two Yi Country beauties approaching their group, the men from the Special Security Bureau immediately got excited.


    Although Su Chen was admiring the two women, particrly the tall one, he still felt embarrassed by the remarks of the men from the Special Security Bureau.


    Especially since their voices weren''t quiet, and when the women cast a cold nce their way, Su Chen felt even more that being with these people was degrading.


    It looked as if they hadn''t seen a woman in many years, almost drooling at the sight.


    This was more or less the same for the people from America and the Ind Country, after all, everyone loves a beautiful woman!


    Su Chen thought, can''t you be like me, quietly admiring?


    Yet he didn''t realize that in the eyes of the cool woman, Su Chen was the one she wanted to avoid the most out of the group, because she was all too ustomed to the others'' looks.


    But this youngest man''s gaze was different; his eyes were filled with aggression, as if he were looking at something that belonged to him!


    However, Su Chen was unaware of her thoughts; he still believed himself to be very cultured.


    After all, he was appreciating a beautiful thing silently and with dignity!

 Chapter 467 - 467 Silly Joanna

    The woman walked straight past Su Chen and hispanions without any pause and then began setting up her tent at some distance from them.


    In fact, the people of Yi Country pitching their tents close to Su Chen and his group wasn''t because they had a liking for them, but rather because the rtions between the two countries were somewhat friendly.


    Prince John, who had just been snubbed, was stunned for a moment before sheepishly retracting his hand, then somewhat awkwardly returned to Chuan Ye''s side.


    "Prince John, don''t be upset over a woman, let''s think about what to do next,"


    Chuan Ye said with a smile, seeing his disgruntled expression.


    "Since this woman is so unappreciative, perhaps we can find a way to eliminate her people first."


    John nced angrily at Yi Country and spat out.


    "I was thinking the same."


    Chuan Ye and John exchanged a nce and both smiled simultaneously.


    "Perfect, if all that woman''s subordinates were dead, I could easily take this top-notch beauty for myself."


    John thought secretly, although he was a royal prince surrounded by countless beauties, facing that majestic and tall woman, he still felt an itch in his heart.


    Moreover, he had always had a penchant for collecting beauties from various countries, and since he had never had a woman from Yi Country, he had heard that women from Yi Country were the most unique in the world, he was eager to properly enjoy this one!


    At this moment, Joanna was in the tent discussing the next steps with her subordinates,pletely unaware that she was being targeted.


    "Lang Tian, go ask that young man from Huaxia why they haven''t gone in to search for things."


    Joanna said to a man in his thirties.


    She was also puzzled as to why they still had time to eat and hadn''t gone to find materials, and she could tell at a nce that it was the Huaxia man who was always staring at her who was leading the Huaxia group.


    "Sis, I''ll go."


    Without waiting for Joanna''s approval, Duo''er happily dashed out of the tent and ran toward Su Chen.


    "Duo''er,e back!"


    Joanna called out in haste, but the person had already run far.


    "Let the second young mistress go if she wants, Huaxia Country has always been friendly with our country, I presume nothing untoward will happen."


    Lang Tian said with a smile, his gaze towards Joanna filled with adoration!


    ......


    "Ziqi, quickly look, your favorite loli ising."


    Lu Zheng elbowed Wang Ziqi and smirked ambiguously.


    Wang Ziqi''s eyes brightened immediately, he quickly stood up and patted the dust off his buttocks, then went to meet her:


    "Little sister, is there anything I can help with?"


    "I''m not looking for you, get out of the way."


    Duo''er pushed Wang Ziqi aside and then ran straight toward Su Chen. Wang Ziqi has not expected such strength from this little girl; the push made him stagger a few steps, almost falling to the ground.


    The others who saw this scene immediately burst intoughter.


    "Sir, my sister has a question she wants to ask you."


    Duo''er approached Su Chen and said.


    "Your sister? The tall one from before is your sister?"


    Su Chen sat on the ground, looked up at the girl before him, and asked.


    No wonder he had thought the two women looked somewhat alike. He had not realized they were actually exquisite sisters!


    "Yes, that''s right."


    Duo''er nodded.


    "Does your sister have a boyfriend?"


    Su Chen continued, smiling as he asked.


    Guan Zhihui and the others were speechless when they heard Su Chen''s question; what was on his mind was evident.


    The crowd could not help but cast a few disdainful nces at Su Chen''s back.


    Just now, Mr. Su had been telling them not to stare at the women or discuss them, saying it was disgraceful!


    When they heard this, they felt somewhat ashamed but also thought that this Mr. Su was a true gentleman!


    But unexpectedly, he turned around and directly asked if she had a boyfriend!


    Isn''t this a case of ''do as I say, not as I do''?


    "No, I don''t."


    Joanna didn''t think much of it, simply replying offhandedly.


    "Then does your sister have a man she likes?"


    Su Chen''s face always maintained a gentle, warm smile.


    "My sister doesn''t like men at all, she says that men are dirty things!"


    Joanna pouted as she spoke.


    "Ah, so your sister is a lesbian?"


    Su Chen suddenly widened his eyes and blurted out.


    To think such a gorgeous woman was a lesbian, wasn''t that such a pity?


    "Lesbian? What''s a lesbian?"


    Joanna asked with a pair of innocent eyes.


    "Oh, ''lesbian'' is a term, it means she''s beautiful."


    Su Chen made up something on the spot.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone couldn''t help but snicker, Mr. Su was too bad!


    Yet, Su Chen still looked at Joanna with a smile:


    "Then do you know your sister''s measurements?"


    Guan Zhihui and the others, upon hearing this, suddenly felt their minds explode!


    Mr. Su was really bold, even asking for the measurements; wasn''t he afraid that the girl would p him and call him a scoundrel?


    However, what they never expected was that Joanna directly blurted out:


    "Of course I know, my sister''s measurements are 85, 63, 87!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen was instantly stunned, those were perfect measurements! No wonder that woman had such a great figure!


    The reason he dared to ask this question directly wasn''t without basis, as through their previous conversation, he had noticed that this girl was very naive and innocent,cking any social experience!


    If his guess was correct, this might even be her very first exposure to the outside world!


    Actually, he guessed exactly right; this was indeed Joanna''s first time venturing out from the castle at home, so seeing Su Chen''s friendly smile, she didn''t have any guard up at all.


    "Can you tell me your name?"


    There seemed a kind of magic in Su Chen''s smile that made people easily trust him.


    This was actually something Su Chen had deliberately practiced in front of a mirror during his time in the Eighth Brigade, knowing exactly which kind of smile could best make people lower their guard!


    This included how wide the eyes should be open, how the facial muscles should be controlled, what angle the lips should be, how the tone should be, and so on!


    "Joanna."


    "That sounds pretty. Then I guess your sister''s name must be Joanna too!"


    Su Chen pretended to be very confident as he spoke.


    "Hehe, you guessed wrong, my sister''s name is Joanna."


    Joannaughed merrily.


    "Hey, I''m the one asking questions, how did it turn into you asking me?"


    Joanna scratched the back of her head, just now realizing something was off.


    "Okay, you can ask me any question you wish,"


    Su Chen smiled, not minding at all.


    Guan Zhihui and the others thought to themselves: Such a naive girl, he had asked all his questions, and only now she realized!

 Chapter 468: Comparing with Others Can Be Maddening

    "My sister asked me to ask you, why are you all staying here instead of looking for things?"


    Joanna tilted her head and asked Su Chen.


    "Shh, this question is very important, and very secret, keep your voice down!"


    Su Chen put his hand to his lips and shushed, then looked nervously around, his face showing a trace of seriousness.


    "Oh, I see."


    The little girl, seeing Su Chen''s solemn demeanor, quickly indicated she understood, but a hint of excitement was stirring in her heart!


    "The answer to that, I can only tell your sister alone, if she wants to know, she shoulde over by herself."


    Su Chen said, feigning secrecy.


    "You tell me, and I''ll tell my sister, don''t worry, I''ll only tell her and no one else."


    Joanna raised her small hand and swore.


    "No, this is a matter of national importance; I can only discuss it with your leader!"


    Su Chen shook his head vigorously as he spoke.


    "Alright then, I''ll go get my sister."


    Seeing that she was adamant about not telling her, Joanna had no choice but to leave.


    "Duo''er, can you tell me what your measurements are?"


    Seeing Joanna about to leave, Wang Ziqi hurriedly put on a smiling face and asked.


    "Why should I tell you, hmph!"


    Joanna red at him and ran away.


    Wang Ziqi was left wanting to cry but had no tears, wondering why she would answer anything Mr. Su asked, but when it came to him, she mmed up on the very first question.


    It''s just so frustrating to bepared; could it be just because he''s slightly better looking than me?


    "Ziqi, do you know why she''s ignoring you?"


    Su Chen looked at Wang Ziqi and asked.


    "No clue, would Mr. Su please enlighten me?"


    "It''s because you smile too creepily!"


    Su Chen pursed his lips and said earnestly.


    "Hahahaha~~~~"


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, Guan Zhihui and the others couldn''t help but burst intoughter!


    "Let me see, indeed, you do have a creepy look, and when you smile, it''s even creepier."


    Chen Ping stared at Wang Ziqi''s face andughed, saying:


    "The little girl thinks you''re a big bad wolf!"


    "Get lost!"


    Wang Ziqi spit out, feeling quite frustrated.


    Soon, Joanna walked over with her graceful figure, the proportions of her body looking sofortable.


    "My sister said you can only talk to me about that matter?"


    Joanna came up to Su Chen and asked.


    "Indeed, you know how important this matter is, how could I discuss it with a young girl?"


    Su Chen also stood up from the ground.


    "You have a point, I''m here now, you can speak."


    Joanna said coldly, her personality being rather aloof, and adding to that her wariness towards Su Chen, her attitude wasn''t hard to understand!


    "Then good, please follow me into the tent to discuss it in detail."


    Su Chen invited with a smile.


    "No need, just say it here!"


    Joanna, looking at his smiling face, felt that this guy was up to no good; she was not her sister Joanna, who would think he was a nice person just because he had a friendly smile!


    "Miss Joanna, do you not trust me?"


    Su Chen chuckled:


    "We have an old saying in Huaxia, which goes, ''Important matters should not be heard by six ears,'' meaning that the more crucial the conversation, the more private the setting should be."


    Joanna was slightly startled; how did this guy know her name? She immediately figured it out¡ªit must have been her na?ve younger sister who spilled it.


    "There''s no one else here, what''s there to worry about!"


    When Joanna heard Su Chen inviting her into the tent, she felt even more certain that this guy had ulterior motives.


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly stepped forward, his body leaning slightly, his face now close to hers!


    Joanna was inexplicably shocked and tried to step back quickly, to create some distance between them, but she hadn''t moved when Su Chen''s hand was already on her back, preventing her from retreating.


    "Aren''t you afraid that there might be spies among these men of mine?"


    Su Chen whispered into Joanna''s ear, his heavy breathing alsonding on her earlobe.


    Joanna''s delicate body couldn''t help but shiver¡ªindeed, what he said made sense.


    Don''t think it''s impossible; modern spies can prate any barrier, even high-level officials within a country can be spies for another nation.


    "Fine, I''ll go inside and talk with you!"


    "Please!"


    Su Chen straightened up and made a weing gesture.


    Joanna nced at him, and although she felt somewhat anxious, she still walked into the tent where Su Chen and the others were waiting.


    The onlookers were astonished at the scene, and couldn''t help but give Su Chen a thumbs up!


    She had been so guarded just a moment ago, so how did Mr. Su manage to get her to voluntarily walk inside with just a few words?


    Brilliant! Truly brilliant!


    "Alright, I have some important matters to discuss with the representative from Yi Country. You all stand guard here, and don''t let anyone get close."


    Su Chen seriously instructed, and then he too entered the tent.


    Upon hearing this, the crowd''s admiration turned into contempt¡ªthey could see it was clearly lust driving him, yet he made it sound so honorably justified!


    Shameless, utterly shameless! But why can''t I learn to do that?


    When they saw the two enter one after the other, sharp looks shot in their direction, one naturally from Prince John, who thought Su Chen had set his sights on that woman and had now gained the upper hand!


    So his eyes were filled with resentment; his initial warmth towards Su Chen and his people was entirely calcted, not genuine friendliness!


    The other sharp look came from Lang Tian, watching the goddess of his heart walk into a tent with that young man from Huaxia Country put him on edge immediately.


    He didn''t think the two had hooked up because he knew Joanna well enough.


    But what concerned him was whether that man, seeing Joanna''s beauty, might do something out of line, which Lang Tian would find intolerable!


    "Miss Joanna, are you very afraid of me?"


    Su Chen casually sat down inside the tent.


    "Why would I be afraid of you?"


    "Then why are you staying so far away from me?"


    Su Chen looked at her and chuckled.


    "We''re not that close; there''s no need to be so near. Just say what you have to say."


    Joanna had rarely been alone with a man in a room, especially a stranger, so it was natural for her to be a bit nervous, though she certainly wouldn''t admit that.


    "Have you forgotten what I just said to you? Do you think it''s appropriate for us to discuss matters this loudly?"


    Su Chen smiled lightly, a casual remark escaping his lips.


    Joanna suddenly remembered what he had said earlier about ''not for the ears of six'' and slowly walked towards Su Chen, then sat down about a meter away from him.


    "Move a little closer; you''re not afraid I''ll eat you, are you?"


    At his words, Joanna shifted another thirty centimeters closer to Su Chen.


    If the enemy doesn''t move, I will! Seeing her hesitancy, Su Chen directly moved next to her, their shoulders now touching!


    With Lin Ruoxue not around to keep watch, and faced with such an outstandingly beautiful woman, Su Chen once again reverted to his old ways, and the little me inside him began to stir again...

 Chapter 469 - 469 Frustration

    As Su Chen approached Joanna, he was immediately greeted by a fragrance akin to that of an orchid, refreshing and delightful to the senses!


    Su Chen thought to himself: This woman''s scent is truly unique; it''s very different from the women of Huaxia Country!


    However, when Joanna saw Su Chen so close, she became visibly ufortable!


    She slightly shifted her upper body to the side, making it clear that she did not like being so close to a man.


    "Can you speak now?" Joanna nced at Su Chen as she asked.


    Right now, she just wanted to finish talking and go back. Being with this man, she inexplicably felt a bit endangered.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Joanna saw the man staring at her and immediately her expression turned cold!


    "It doesn''t look like it!"


    Su Chen seemed not to have heard Joanna''s words, his brows slightly furrowed, disying a puzzled look on his face.


    "What doesn''t look like?"


    Joanna was also confused by his words and asked aloud.


    "It doesn''t look like 85, 63, 87 at all!"


    Su Chen muttered, stroking his chin and smacking his lips.


    At Su Chen''s words, Joanna at first paused in bewilderment, but then she quickly realized what he meant.


    Her face immediately flushed with a mixture of shame and anger, her pretty face turning red with a hint of ck!


    In Yi Country, she held a high status. When had she ever been teased like this before!


    And how did this guy know such private details about her?


    Damn it, how much had that silly girl, Joanna, told this bastard about herself!


    If she had known earlier, she would never have allowed her to go and talk to this man!


    Although she was on the verge of fury, Joanna still restrained herself because the two of them represented not just individuals but their respective countries!


    "This is my personal matter; it has nothing to do with you. Let''s talk about the main issue!"


    Joanna forced herself to calm down and said sternly:


    "I want to know why you haven''t gone in to search for that special material."


    "No, I can''t discuss such an important matter with someone who deceives others."


    Su Chen shook his head and said:


    "I can''t trust the character of such a person!"


    Upon hearing this, Joanna got even angrier. When had she ever deceived anyone?


    Of course, she was definitely too embarrassed to say that out loud.


    "Are you ying with me? What do you really want?"


    Joanna nearly gritted her teeth as she said this!


    "It''s simple, just prove it!"


    A hint of a smile crossed Su Chen''s lips as he spoke.


    "You bastard!"


    Even with great self-restraint, Joanna could not bear Su Chen''s teasing any longer, and she became extremely angry, a rage igniting in her heart as she struck out at Su Chen with her palm!


    Joanna was nearly at the Qi Refinement Peak, her Cultivation at the Ninth Layer Late Stage, so as her palm struck out, True Yuan began to swirl in the palm of her hand!


    "Damn, this chick''s temper is too fiery, huh? It was just a joke, and now you''re taking a swing at me!"


    As Su Chen saw her palming toward him, he remainedposed. Just as Joanna''s palm was about to hit him, he gently extended a hand and caught her delicate wrist.


    Joanna, taken by surprise as her wrist was grasped, felt a jolt of shock.


    But since they were both sitting, it was inconvenient to move their legs fully, so Joanna had no choice but to swing her other hand at Su Chen!


    This time, her target was Su Chen''s arm, which had grasped her wrist¡ªshe aimed to make him release her wrist!


    Su Chen, however, slightly lifted the arm that held Joanna''s wrist, leading her forceful punch to hammer nothing but air and even causing her body to lean slightly forward due to inertia!


    "Ah~~!"


    Before Joanna could steady herself, Su Chen, who had been holding her wrist, gave a slight pull. She was immediately sent tumbling into his arms!


    "Let me go!"


    Facing such an embarrassing situation for the first time, Joanna felt overwhelmed with shame. Her eyes reddened as if she could devour someone alive!


    "That''s funny, wasn''t it you who attacked me first? Now you''re asking me to let you go?"


    Su Chen replied with a curled lip.


    "Let me go!"


    Joanna shouted again, struggling fiercely. To be held in the embrace of a man, could she stand the humiliation?


    But the grip on her wrist was like a vice, impossible to break free from!


    "So, will you strike again?"


    Su Chen asked casually, still smiling.


    "Rest assured, I won''t hit you again!"


    Joanna spoke begrudgingly.


    The key was, she also realized that she was no match for this man!


    "So, have youe to your senses?"


    Su Chen continued to inquire.


    "I have, I have, please let me go!"


    Joanna pleaded, her humiliation mounting.


    Even though she wanted to tear the despicable Su Chen into pieces, when under someone''s roof, one has to bow their head!


    "Alright then! I''ll be the bigger person and not hold grudges against you¡ªI won''t take it to heart," Su Chen finally released her wrist after he spoke.


    Joanna felt a wave of relief as he finally let go of her wrist.


    But hearing Su Chen''sst remark brought her close to spitting out blood!


    This man was shameless, acting as if he was the bigger person forgiving her, as if the fault was hers all along!


    But, powerless to fight back and needing something from him, she had no choice but to swallow her anger!

 Chapter 470 - 470 Conspiracy Revealed

    Momentster, when Joanna and Su Chen emerged from the tent, Guan Zhihui and others noticed Joanna''s face flushed bright red, looking both embarrassed and angry!


    Especially the way she walked seemed unnatural, making everyone cast strange nces at Su Chen!


    Su Chen was also startled, "Damn, what''s with those looks?!"


    "Mr. Su, did you do something bad to her?"


    Chen Ping couldn''t help but ask.


    "Yeah, yeah, spill it!"


    Having spent a few days together, they were quite familiar with Su Chen and knew he was a casual person.


    "You all have such dirty minds, we were just having a friendly exchange!"


    Su Chen deliberately changed the subject:


    "Is everyone done eating? If so, let''s clean up quickly, we need to get ready to go in!"


    "Yes!"


    When it came to the serious matters, everyone became serious and tidied up quickly.


    "Miss, is everything alright?"


    Lang Tian, who had been waiting nearby, naturally noticed Joanna''s difort and quickly asked.


    "It''s nothing." Joanna clearly didn''t want to talk about it and said, "Let''s go in first, I have something to tell everyone!"


    .....


    Fifteen minutester, Prince John and Chuan Ye arrived to invite Su Chen, Joanna, and others to re-enter the pce!


    On the way to the pce, they became acquainted with each other, and it was then that Joanna found out that the jerk who had teased her was named Su Chen!


    "Miss Joanna, we just happened toe across this underground cave, and in keeping with the principle ofdies first, please have your people go down first!"


    When they arrived at the entrance of the cave that was in the previous room, Prince John seemed very generous in his offer.


    Upon hearing John''s words, Joanna''s heart skipped a beat.


    "It looks like that lousy Su didn''t lie; they do want to trick my people into going first; there probably is something fishy down there indeed!"


    Joanna should have been grateful to Su Chen for revealing such important information, but she couldn''t bring herself to feel thankful after considering what he had done to her!


    "Hmph, Mr. Su has already told us, you want to deceive us into going down, but we won''t be fooled!"


    Before Joanna could speak, Joanna''s sister couldn''t help but blurt out.


    Hearing her sister''s words, Joanna knew something bad had happened; when Su Chen had told her, he meant for her to be aware internally.


    She and her people had been instructed to be mindful and not to be duped by those individuals!


    She didn''t expect her sister, who waspletely guileless, to poke a hole right through the opponents'' dark intentions!


    At that moment, she couldn''t help but cast an apologetic nce at Su Chen; although she hated what that man had done to her earlier, for this issue, it was her side that had let him down.


    Sure enough, as soon as Prince John heard this, his face turned dark:


    "Mr. Su, what do you mean by this?"


    "Do you really not understand what I mean?"


    Su Chen didn''t mind Joanna''s sister piercing through this thin veil, as they were bound to sh anyway; the only difference was whether it would happen sooner orter.


    "I want to ask you, where exactly did the people from Yi Country go? Why is there nobody in their tents?"


    Su Chen casually nced at the folks from America and Ind Country and said:


    "If I''m not mistaken, they must have all perished beneath this cave by now, that''s the real reason you all have refused to go down, isn''t it? You want us to ze the trail for you!"


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, Guan Zhihui and the others from Yi Country''s faces all changed color, as they looked towards the people from America and Ind Country with hatred!


    "Mr. Su really is astute, you guessed it right, those people from Fen Country indeed have been buried down here!"


    Seeing that the conspiracy had been exposed, Chuan Ye gave up any pretense, because he knew that no matter what, they were not going to be the first to descend!


    "Can you tell me, exactly how did the people from Fen Country meet their demise in this cave?"


    Su Chen asked indifferently.


    "Telling you won''t matter. They had just gone down when we heard screams, and not long after that, all went silent. To this day, we have no idea what happened."


    John said.


    In fact, the people from America and Ind Country arrived almost at the same time, with Fen Country getting here first due to being closest, but they were only half an hour ahead.


    They had just entered the pce when they heard the ted cries of the people from Fen Country, prompting them to rush over quickly.


    By the time they reached that room, the people from Fen Country had already gone down the staircase.


    John and Chuan Ye, naturally unwilling to be outdone, ran over without a second thought!


    Just as they descended a third of the way, suddenly, screams erupted from below.


    On hearing the screams, they hastily climbed back to the entrance of the cave.


    A minute passed, and there was no longer any sound from below, John and Chuan Ye looked at each other, deciding to wait by the entrance to see what would happen.


    However, after waiting for quite some time, there was still no sign of activity from the people of Fen Country, and they likely met with misfortune!


    Both men were secretly terrified, thinking there must be something horrifying below!


    So the two of them agreed to wait a bit longer, certain more people woulde by, and then they could have them go down first to scout the path!


    That was why they were so enthusiastically weing Su Chen and the others from the beginning!


    Upon hearing John''s words, Su Chen, Joanna and the others were all shocked!


    The people from Fen Country, being government-sent, must have been strong, yet they were dispatched so readily, wasn''t that terrifying?


    What in the world was beneath this cave?


    Especially Lu Zheng, he was even more so, feeling fortunate that Mr. Su had pulled him back earlier, otherwise he might have ended up just like those from Fen Country!


    At this moment, Su Chen''s heart grew even more uneasy, because from the start of the information source to this horrifying cave, everything seemed to be full of strangeness!


    "Then now, everyone must not want to be the first one to go down, but also does not want to give up¡ªwe must figure out a solution to this problem."


    A glint of cunning shed in John''s eyes as he spoke.


    "Prince John, do you have a good idea?"


    Chuan Ye asked deliberately.


    "Why don''t we do it this way: each of us sends one person topete. ording to the rankings, the person with the lowest score goes down first, followed by the second tost, and so on."


    "Excellent, excellent! This is a good approach!"


    As soon as John''s words fell, Chuan Ye began to p and praise the idea, which was actually their n B conceived over lunch!


    Su Chen and Joanna also agreed, as there really wasn''t a better option avable at the time.


    Moreover, even if the strongest side were to eliminate the other three sides, they would still have to go down in the end and face that unknown horror!


    And if they didn''t agree, wouldn''t that show their side to be cowardly?

 Chapter 471 - 471 Ill Go Down with You

    The representative from the Ind Country was Chuan Ye, from Yi Country it was naturally Joanna, and for Huaxia, it was Su Chen stepping in without any hesitation.


    Unlike the other three parties who all had their leaders enter the fray, America sent one of John''s subordinates into battle!


    The location for thepetition was set in the open space in front of the pce¡ªafter all, it was spacious enough!


    Since this wasn''t a life-or-death battle, just a fight to determine the victor, the proceedings moved along quite swiftly.


    The results came out quickly too, with Chuan Ye ranking first, Su Chen second, John''s subordinate third, and Joannaing inst.


    Of course, this oue was because Su Chen deliberately concealed his strength, keeping it at the level of an ordinary Qi Refinement Peak practitioner.


    As for Joanna''sst ce, it wasn''t too surprising, considering that Chuan Ye''s cultivation had reached a certain level, making him a formidable opponent for any typical Qi Refinement Peak practitioner.


    John''s subordinate might have practiced a tougher form of martial arts, but his true strength was about the same as a Qi Refinement Peak.


    Although Joanna was close to reaching Qi Refinement Peak, she ultimately hadn''t made it there yet.


    When the results came out, the people from Yi Country couldn''t help showing disappointed and fearful expressions on their faces.


    "Duo''er, you stay up hereter, don''te down with us."


    Joanna knew this journey was extremely dangerous and naturally didn''t want her sister to apany her to what could be their deaths!


    "Okay, I''ll wait for you up here, sister. Be careful."


    Joanna also understood that with her modest abilities, going along would not only be unhelpful but would also require her sister to look after her.


    "Mm-hmm, I will be careful."


    Having said this, Joanna led a group of five or six people from Yi Country into the pce, with the others following behind them.


    When they returned to that room, John said with a smile:


    "Miss Joanna, I think it would be best if you let your subordinates go first¡ªI wouldn''t want this beautiful flower to wither away so soon."


    "Yes, Miss, let them go in front, and I will protect you from the rear,"


    Lang Tian chimed in agreement.


    Su Chen nced at him upon hearing this. This guy, under the guise of protecting Joanna, was actually more interested in protecting himself.


    "No need, as the leader, I should naturally be at the very front!"


    Joanna declined straight away.


    As she prepared to go down, Duo''er watched her sister with a worried expression.


    "I''ll go down with you."


    It was at this moment that Su Chen''s voice rang out.


    Everyone was shocked to hear this. Had this guy lost his mind? Knowing full well the danger, he still wanted to go down with the people from Yi Country.


    Because ording to the rules established earlier, they could have been the second tost group to go down.


    "Mr. Su, this...,"


    Guan Zhihui was about to discourage him, but before he could finish, Su Chen interrupted him.


    "My mind is made up, don''t try to persuade me!"


    Su Chen told Guan Zhihui and the others:


    "You all should follow behind the Americans when youe down."


    While Su Chen was willing to take risks, he did not want to drag others down with him.


    "No way, we must follow you!"


    "Right, we live together, we die together!"


    "Mr. Su, don''t underestimate us, we''re not cowards!"


    ......


    "Fine, then you all follow behind the people from Yi Country, but it''s best to keep a bit of a distance,"


    Su Chen finally agreed when he looked at those determined faces.


    "Alright, Miss Joanna, let''s go together. You don''t mind if we keep each otherpany, do you?"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Why?"


    Joanna stared intently into Su Chen''s eyes and asked.


    She couldn''t figure out why this man would want to take a risk with her.


    "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"


    Su Chen asked with a slight smile.


    "Of course the truth!"


    "The truth is that you''re just too beautiful!"


    "And the lie?"


    "The lie is that I have taken a fancy to you."


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a wickedly charming smile as he spoke.


    Upon hearing this, the others almost spat blood. This kid was too bold; even at such a time, he didn''t forget to flirt!


    However, Joanna still gazed at him fixedly, finding she was starting to not understand this man.


    Of course, she didn''t believe the nonsense he said, which was obviously just sweet talk, but she also didn''t know why he wanted to apany her down there.


    "Then thank you!"


    Joanna was not too proud to refuse; she knew this man was stronger than her, and having an extra helper was a good thing, though she still didn''t know his intentions.


    Actually, for Su Chen, making this decision was very simple. If there really was something terrifying below that could quickly wipe them all out, then he would have to go down sooner orter and face it.


    If so, why not go down with Joanna? Because if he could handle whatever was below, he might as well prevent such a beautiful woman from losing her life.


    What was even more crucial was that by doing this, he could put some distance between himself, the Americans, and the people from the Ind Country, making it easier to conceal his true strength.


    Compared with the people from these two countries, he trusted and felt closer to the people from Yi Country.


    Shortly after, Su Chen took a shlight and stepped down first with Joanna, followed closely by the people from Yi Country and Guan Zhihui and the others!


    "Chuan Ye, let''s wait and see before going down,"


    John said with augh. He was just worried about the danger of going down second when the idiot from Huaxia unexpectedly rushed to go down.


    "Of course, we''ll observe and see how things unfold!"


    Chuan Ye also started to smile.


    "Why do you insist on walking beside me?"


    Although the staircase was quite wide, about a meter across, it was still crowded with two people walking side by side.


    "I have to act as the Protector,"


    Su Chen replied with a smile, then whispered in her ear:


    "Miss Joanna, is your figure really 85, 63, 87? It doesn''t seem quite right to me!"


    Joanna was on the verge of tears. Even at this moment, this guy was still thinking about such things. She really didn''t know how his brain worked?!


    "It''s true!"


    Joanna retorted with a cold snort.


    The distance from the room''s floor to the bottom of the cave was quite lengthy, about twenty meters or so.


    When Su Chen and Joanna reached the bottom, they immediately felt gusts of cold wind, not knowing where it wasing from. When their feet touched the ground, it felt very soft.


    To be on the safe side, Su Chen quickly shouted to the people above:


    "Stay there, don''te down yet!"


    The person closest to the bottom immediately stopped their descent, at this point, about eleven or twelve meters from the cave floor.


    A nce revealed nothing but pitch darkness, nothing could be seen except for the weak beam of light from the shlight in Su Chen''s hand...


    Su Chen shone the shlight around and saw that all four walls were iid with iron tes, giving a chilling sensation!


    Suddenly, Su Chen felt as if he had stepped on something, and at the same time, a faint sound of gears turning could be heard in his ears...

 Chapter 472: The Terrifying Arrow Formation

    "Not good!"


    Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat and he quickly pulled Qiao Xinran, who was a bit away from him, to his side!


    At the same time, the iron tes on the walls started to emit an ear-piercing loosening sound, and a rain of arrows shot out from both sides of the walls!


    The reason it''s called a rain of arrows is because there were simply too many of them, densely packed!


    Moreover, those arrows were iron arrows, so fast that they whistled through the air as they flew!


    Seeing these whistling iron arrowsing toward her, Joanna''s face turned pale with fright!


    Not to mention someone about to step into the Qi Refinement Peak, even a true Qi Refinement Peak could not withstand this!


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen quickly put the shlight in his mouth, turned his body sideways, and swung out a palm towards the showers of arrows from both sides!


    At that instant, Su Chen did not dare to be careless at all, gathered all the True Essence in his body, and then released it through his palm!


    Instantly, a milky-white barrier about one and a half feet wide and over eight feet high formed beside them, created by the convergence of Su Chen''s True Essence Energy!


    Joanna, seeing the True Essence Energy Barrier formed by Su Chen, waspletely stunned!


    Such thick True Essence!


    Joanna distinctly felt that this True Essence Energy was several times more powerful than when they had sparred before!


    Could it be that he had been hiding his true cultivation all along?


    Looking at this thick True Essence Barrier, Joanna couldn''t help but wonder, how strong exactly was his true strength?


    Yet, even with such a thick True Essence Barrier, Su Chen was also struggling to hold on!


    Those Iron Arrows, driven by some unknown propulsion device, were so powerful that they almost pierced his True Essence Barrier!


    And that wasn''t the worst part. The worst part was that the walls on both sides seemed to hide endless numbers of Iron Arrows, continuously shooting outwards!


    Su Chen knew he couldn''t pull back even a bit, for if he did, the entire barrier would be useless, and those arrows wouldn''t leave him looking like anything less than a ho''s nest!


    Su Chen continued to operate his Cultivation Technique, releasing all the remaining True Essence in his body!


    Finally, the kic energy of the first batch of Iron Arrows that shot out was exhausted by the blockage of the True Essence Barrier and they fell down!


    A long two minutes passed, and finally no more Iron Arrows shot from the walls. A few more secondster, all the Iron Arrows fell down in front of Su Chen''s robust True Essence Barrier!


    Su Chen finally copsed, his entire body almost leaning on Joanna''s soft body.


    Joanna was startled and was about to speak when Su Chen weakly said:


    "Don''t speak, let others hear us."


    Joanna immediately understood and quietly asked:


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    "I''m drained, help me move to the side to rest a bit."


    "Alright."


    Joanna took the shlight and half-lifted Su Chen, preparing to move him to the side.


    "Be careful with the floor, I must have identally stepped on a trigger just now, which set off the Arrow Formation!"


    Joanna quickly shone the shlight on the spot where Su Chen had been standing, and indeed found a small raised stone, hardly noticeable unless one looked closely.


    Joanna then checked the surrounding ground and discovered several such raised stones nearby. If all of these were triggers, that would be truly terrifying!


    Then, she carefully avoided those stones, carried Su Chen to a spot where the cave entrance couldn''t be seen, guessing why Su Chen had asked her to carry him aside.


    Without a doubt, he did not want others to notice anything.


    Su Chen had just sat down when he immediately witnessed a bizarre scene.


    The iron arrows scattered on the ground began flying back to the wall, then disappeared behind it as if they were being sucked away!


    Su Chen felt that there must be more mechanisms in this ce than just the arrow formation. It was very likely that the people from Fen Country had triggered one of them, which cost them their lives.


    In fact, if it wasn''t for Su Chen breaking through to the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer a few days ago, bringing his real strength close to half-step Meridian Expansion, he wouldn''t have been able to withstand just this one arrow formation!


    But what puzzled him was, where were the bodies of those from Fen Country? How could they have disappeared?


    Su Chen thought for a moment but couldn''t figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking. After all, the most important thing for him right now was to recover his True Essence!


    Although it hadn''t been long, he had nearly depleted most of his True Essence, and while there were still scheming people from the Ind Country and America above, he needed to recover his strength as quickly as possible to cope with the uing situations.


    Honestly, Su Chen felt a bit regretful for not having eliminated those people earlier, which would have spared him these worries!


    Su Chen took out two red pills from his pocket and swallowed them. These pills were, of course, given to him by his old ghost master, which could effectively increase the speed of True Essence recovery!


    After swallowing the two pills, Su Chen immediately felt as if there was a fire burning in his stomach!


    He quickly concentrated, closed his eyes, and began to circte the Nine Yang Divine Technique...


    ........


    "Miss, Mr. Su, are you all right?"


    After nearly an hour, one of Joanna''s subordinates called out with concern.


    "We''re both fine. You guys go up first, wait a little longer, there are some powerful mechanisms below, we''ll clear them and then you cane down!"


    Joanna shouted ording to Su Chen''s instructions.


    In fact, Guan Zhihui and the others were also very anxious. Upon hearing that the two were unharmed, they felt relieved.


    John and Chuan Ye above also heard the two voices and suddenly realized the situation.


    No wonder there had been no news from those from Fen Country; so there were dangerous mechanisms below!


    That was good; they would wait for them to clear the mechanisms before going down. Why not!


    The reason Su Chen had leaked this news was to stabilize the people from those two countries so he could buy time to recover his True Essence!


    Moreover, when everyone enteredter, it wouldn''t stay hidden anyway, unless he let the other people from Huaxia and Yi Country die with them, which obviously wasn''t going to happen.


    Another hour passed, and Su Chen''s True Essence had nearly recovered to six to seven percent of its previous state, and the effect of the small pills seemed to have almost run out.


    "Alright, everyonee on down!"


    Su Chen called out to those above, and the others all came down, except for Joanna who stayed above.


    "Everyone be careful, don''t step on the protruding rocks, those are mechanisms!"


    Joanna continuously reminded thoseing down.


    It wasn''t long before everyone was down.


    "Alright, let''s continue forward, be very careful where you step, and don''t touch anything."


    Su Chen cautioned. He was still a bit anxious from the earlier situation!


    Then Su Chen and Joanna led the group cautiously forward...


    "Thank you so much!"


    Joanna said sincerely, today if not for this man, she would have undoubtedly died!


    "Let''s save the thanks until we are all safely out."


    Su Chen smiled, feeling that the road ahead might not be smooth...

 Chapter 473 - 473 Dog Eat Dog

    ```


    "Mr. Su, didn''t you just say you were clearing the mechanisms below? Why are there still traps?"


    John asked with a hint of surprise.


    "You believe whatever I say, idiot!"


    Su Chen replied indifferently.


    "You..."


    John''s face instantly filled with resentment. He was a noble prince, yet this guy from Huaxia had the audacity to call him an idiot!


    "What ''you''? If it weren''t for our warning, you would have been killed by the traps here already!"


    With everyone''s true feelings out in the open, there was no need for Su Chen to pretend to be friendly anymore.


    It did cross Su Chen''s mind to get rid of the people from America and the Ind Country.


    But after some thought, he decided to keep them around for now. Should there be any unknown dangers ahead, they could serve as cannon fodder or guinea pigs.


    He had not the slightest pity for the Americans or the Ind Country''s people. If necessary, he wouldn''t hesitate to sacrifice them.


    "Mr. Su has a point. We owe our safe descent to Mr. Su and Miss Joanna indeed,"


    Chuan Ye gently nudged John and said with a smile,


    "Let''s keep moving forward. Finding special materials is what''s most important."


    Su Chen didn''t continue to argue and turned to walk ahead with Joanna, leaning heavily against her.


    Their bodies were pressed closely together, and Su Chen could distinctly smell her unique scent.


    Although Joanna still felt a bit ufortable, this time she didn''t push him away since he had just risked his life to save her.


    Lang Tian, not far behind the two, watched their intimacy with mes of jealousy burning in his heart.


    He had known Joanna for so many years, harbored affection for her for so long, yet he had never been this close to her!


    The group continued cautiously moving forward, avoiding the countless traps on the ground.


    They were all amazed that there was such a cave beneath the pce, with its cold iron tes embedded everywhere and so many traps!


    The passage was very long, and they had walked for a long time without reaching the end.


    However, after walking for a while, there were no longer any protruding stones on the ground, and a thickyer of iron tes covered the entire floor!


    "Mr. Su, how long are we supposed to walk until we find the end?"


    Joanna was also on the brink of copse.


    "How would I know?"


    Su Chen spread his hands, thinking to himself what a lunatic it was to create such a massive cave underground. Surely, something must have been hidden there!


    After about another hour or so, the group waspletely taken aback!


    Because before them stood another wall made of steel, the cold iron wallpletely blocking their path!


    "Damn it, did we walk half a day just to see this iron wall?"


    John kicked the iron wall in frustration and spat out angrily.


    "Everyone look around and see if there are any mechanisms or the like."


    Su Chen believed this underground passage couldn''t be so simple. Otherwise, the person who built it was crazy, what was the purpose of creating such a massive tunnel if not to hide something?


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, everyone immediately started searching the surroundings with their shlights.


    But the surroundings, including the ceiling and the floor, were cast from steel, and it was clear at a nce¡ªthere were no mechanisms or buttons to be seen!


    However, havinge all this way, none of them were inclined to give up so easily.


    Su Chen naturally joined the search, not only looking but also feeling with his hands.


    After about half an hour, he suddenly stopped in front of a wall panel, having felt something different to the touch!


    He inspected the area where his hand had brushed over, but it appeared no different from the rest.


    He reached out again and confirmed it was indeed different, as there was no cold touch of steel. Instead, it felt more like stic and even seemed to wobble slightly!


    Su Chen tried pressing it, and sure enough, a small section of the area suddenly sank inwards!


    "Look, it moved!"


    ```


    At this moment, a voice filled with surprise sounded.


    They saw arge iron te beside them emit a heavy "squeak squeak" sound, slowly rising upwards!


    "It turns out this is not a wall, but a door, and it''s on the side!"


    Joanna murmured; before, everyone thought that even if there were hidden rooms, they would be behind the wall in front, but it turned out to be on the side!


    The designer really didn''t follow the beaten path!


    Upon seeing the iron door open, Chuan Ye and John ran over in ecstatic joy, with the others closely following behind them.


    "The builder was really meticulous, hiding the switch so well!"


    Su Chen sighed and also entered inside.


    But once they entered, they shone their shlights around and were somewhat at a loss for words!


    They had originally thought that inside would surely be filled with all sorts of rare treasures, but it turned out there was almost nothing.


    The walls around this room were different from the outside, made of ordinary bricks and stones, and the furnishings included only a stone bed, a stone table, and a stone stool.


    Besides that, there was only a statue, erected next to one of the walls.


    The statue depicted a muscr man with blonde hair and blue eyes, looking quite imposing!


    This did not seem like a treasure chamber, but rather more like a ce for living out daily life.


    "What the hell is this ce? Where are the special materials?!"


    Prince John shouted angrily, mming a palm on the stone table!


    "Boom!"


    The stone table was instantly shattered, its fragments flying in all directions!


    Everyone was taken aback; they had not expected Prince John to be a master at the peak of Qi Refinement!


    "Prince, look over there!"


    Suddenly, one of John''s subordinates pointed at the statue against the wall and shouted.


    Everyone quickly turned their gaze toward the statue, and at its base, they spotted a pitch-ck box!


    "This might be where the treasure is!"


    John quickly dashed to the side of the statue, but Chuan Ye beat him to it by a step.


    Chuan Ye pushed the statue to the ground and then picked up the box beneath it, his eyes revealing a longing expression!


    "Chuan Ye, what do you mean by this?"


    John asked with a displeased face.


    "John, allow me to check out what''s inside for you first!"


    Chuan Yeughed heartily.


    "Don''t put it so nicely, Chuan Ye, give the box back to me!"


    John shouted sternly.


    "Give it back to you? Is this your property?"


    Chuan Ye''s mouth curled into a faint smile.


    "Bastard!"


    Enraged, John threw a punch directly at Chuan Ye!


    Su Chen watched from the side with a smirk, having no interest in getting involved¡ªit was just a case of dog eat dog!


    It would be perfect to make a move and snatch it from them after they had worn each other out.


    However, just then, the room, which had been pitch ck, suddenly lit up so brightly that it was almost blinding!


    Everyone was surprised and urgently searched for the source of light, even John temporarily withdrew his fist.


    Soon, they found the source of light, four huge Luminous Pearls embedded in the four corners of the room!


    The group was utterly shocked, suchrge Luminous Pearls were rare treasures of the epoch, and here there were four!

 Chapter 474: Memories from Su Chens Childhood

    ```


    Everyone immediately realized one thing, that this room was definitely not as simple as it looked!


    John and Chuan Ye''s gazesnded on the ck box at the same time, their expressions somewhat ecstatic!


    They both had an intuition that the contents of the box were far from ordinary!


    John''s eyes suddenly emitted a zing light as he threw another powerful punch at Chuan Ye!


    Chuan Ye, however, swiftly dodged John''s heavy punch and drew his samurai sword, shing horizontally at John''s chest!


    The de surged with a thick True Essence Energy, like a reaper''s tool for harvesting lives...


    Seeing their leaders fighting, the rest of the people also started to brawl, and the scene instantly plunged into chaos!


    Just then, unnoticed by anyone, the fallen statue''s mouth opened slightly, expelling a faint trail of white breath, colorless and odorless!


    All of a sudden, the two groups, who were fighting fiercely, started to act insane.


    Some danced wildly, some swung their weapons haphazardly, some threw punches without caring if they were hitting an enemy or an ally!


    "Not good, it''s an Illusion Technique, let''s get out of here!"


    Su Chen''s body jerked, and he quickly shouted.


    But after running a few steps, he realized no one was following him. He turned back to see that Joanna and the others, as well as Guan Zhihui and his group, had also started to act abnormal!


    Clearly, they had been affected by the illusion too!


    Su Chen''s body trembled, knowing the situation was extremely dangerous. He quickly moved, knocking out the people from Yi Country and Guan Zhihui''s group with a palm each!


    Just as Su Chen was about to start throwing the people out one by one, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness in his head!


    The scene before his eyes changed abruptly, turning into a grand mansion courtyard!


    "Little Tian, don''t run too fast!"


    In the courtyard, a woman was chasing a three or four-year-old boy.


    The sunlight that day was very nice, warm on the skin.


    "Mommy,e chase me,e on, chase me!"


    The little boy looked back at the woman,ughing "giggly" as he ran, his joyfulness boundless!


    Meanwhile, on a recliner to the side, a man in his thirties with an extraordinary demeanor held a book in his hand, watching this scene with a knowing smile!


    Suddenly, the scene changed again, this time to a study room.


    "Little Tian,e here, Grandpa has something tasty for you."


    An old man said with a smile to a little face peeking shyly at the doorway.


    "What''s tasty?"


    The little boy walked in and asked in his tender voice.


    "Of course, it''s your favorite maltose candy!"


    The old man produced a square little box from behind him, as if by magic.


    "Give it to me! Grandpa, give it to me now!"


    The little boy immediately extended his chubby little hands, calling out eagerly.


    "Then recite the ''Disciple''s Rules'' for Grandpa to hear first. After you''re done, Grandpa will give them to you."


    The old man lifted his hand just out of the boy''s reach.


    "Disciple''s Rules, the sage''s teachings; first be filial and fraternal, then be cautious and trustworthy; spread love for all and get close to benevolent people; if there is extra strength, then pursue learning..."


    The little boy''s immature voice filled the study...


    At that moment, the scene suddenly shed again, this time to a bedroom.


    "Mommy, Grandpa is gone, Daddy is already gone, I don''t want you to go too!"


    The little boy knelt by the bed, sobbing uncontrobly!


    "Little Tian, you''re a little man. Even if Mommy isn''t here anymore, you shouldn''t cry. You have to be strong!"


    On the bed, a woman, her voice fading, was holding the little boy''s hand as she spoke.


    "No, no, I don''t want that, Mommy, you''ll get better!"


    ```


    "Xiao Tian, Mama loves you, but Mama can''t walk the path of life with you anymore. You must learn to protect yourself..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, the woman''s hand had already fallen limply...


    The only sound left in the room was the wailing cries of the little boy...


    "No, it''s not right. Grandpa, Father, and Mother are all gone; this is an Illusory Realm!"


    Su Chen suddenly jolted awake, fiercely shaking his head, and the scene before him vanished, reced only by the bloodthirsty Ind Country and America people!


    "What a powerful Illusory Realm!"


    Su Chen thought with residual fear. The Illusory Realm had somehow drawn out fragments from the deepest recesses of his memories!


    Had his resolve not been strong enough, and had a sliver of rity not remained in his mind, he might have be hopelessly ensnared!


    Just then, he suddenly discovered that Prince John was on top of Joanna, tearing at her clothes, and her upper garment was already ripped to shreds, revealing her underwear!


    As he prepared to continue tearing Joanna''s underwear, Su Chen abruptlyshed out with a kick, sending Prince John flying!


    "Bang!"


    His body mmed against a wall like a cannonball, creating a thunderous noise.


    To Su Chen''s surprise, this loud noise acted like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, abruptly waking them up!


    It was understandable, really, because many who were stuck in the Illusory Realm would already have begun to feel its effects waning over time.


    At that moment, all it took was a certain external stimulus to snap them out of it.


    Such stimuli could vary, like the remaining rity in Su Chen''s mind or the loud noise just now.


    Of course, without such a stimulus, they might have remained trapped until death!


    Once they awoke, the people from America and the Ind Country were all momentarily stunned!


    What on earth had just happened? How did ite to this?


    Looking down, they found almost ten corpses lying around them, some from the Ind Country and some from America.


    Apart from Chuan Ye, there were only two left from the Ind Country, and the situation for America was not much better, with only three remaining!


    By then, Prince John had alsoe to his senses, but he felt like several bones in his body were broken!


    Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to stand up, his gaze filled with hatred towards Su Chen!


    Su Chen, seemingly oblivious to his ring, calmly spoke to Chuan Ye:


    "Hand over the treasure box!"


    "Hand it to you? On what basis?"


    "I can spare your life," Su Chen said lightly.


    He no longer wanted to wait, as the ce was too strange; he just wanted to get the treasure box and leave quickly!


    "Spare my life?"


    Chuan Ye broke into loudughter:


    "Have you forgotten? In our earlier fight, you were defeated by me!"


    "Chuan Ye, stop wasting words with him. Let''s get rid of this Huaxia person first, and we can talk about the treasure boxter!" John said to Chuan Ye.


    "Alright!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the people from the Ind Country and America charged forward with threatening momentum!


    Each of their Cultivation levels was not weak, with the lowest being equivalent to Qi Refinement Level Seven!


    However, Su Chen did not take them seriously. He slowly drew out his dagger, holding it in his hand and looking at them coldly!


    Suddenly, his figure shed, charging towards them!


    The cold light of the dagger gleamed under the illumination of the Luminous Pearl, each sh bringing a mist of blood spraying forth!


    In about a minute, only Chuan Ye remained standing in the area!


    "Give it to me."


    Su Chen extended his hand and said calmly...

 Chapter 475: Seeing Tang Gang Again

    Chuan Ye waspletely stunned by now; this guy was simply a monster!


    So many experts, including ones on par with the Qi Refinement Peak, and yet they were all dealt with in one minute!


    The cultivation he disyed just now was definitely not of the Qi Refinement Peak. It was terrifying!


    "Since you won''t hand it over, I''ll have to take it myself."


    A shadowy figure shed by, and a cold light suddenly appeared. Chuan Ye hurriedly swung his katana to block based on instinct.


    However, the cold light grazed the katana and continued relentlessly!


    A spray of blood burst forth once again, as Chuan Ye sped his hands over his neck where blood spurted like a fountain. A look of disbelief appeared in his eyes as he slowly copsed.


    "Don''t kill me, don''t kill me!"


    Seeing Su Chen''s ghostly technique, Prince John immediately knelt down in fear.


    Su Chen didn''t even nce at him, and with a flick of his hand, the dagger cut through the void towards Prince John. John couldn''t react in time and was shot through his forehead instantly!


    .....


    "We''re finally going out!"


    A dayter, Joanna looked up at the cave entrance and said with emotion.


    "Yeah, it wasn''t easy at all."


    Su Chen also smiled slightly.


    Yesterday, after dealing with those people, Su Chen had carried Joanna and Guan Zhihui and others out. It didn''t take long before they woke up.


    Su Chen also told them about the illusion they had been under, which left everyone utterly frightened.


    Joanna, especially, felt this deeply. If it hadn''t been for Su Chen, she might have even lost her innocence!


    Thinking of how Su Chen had saved her several times, Joanna''s gaze towards Su Chen becameplicated.


    Although Su Chen nned to leave immediately after they woke up, the others were not willing to leave empty-handed, especially since they hade looking for special materials.


    So, Su Chen stayed with them for a good half day longer, scouring every corner, finding neither any mechanism to open another chamber nor the hundreds of kilograms of special materials!


    Having no other choice, the group had to leave...


    "Such a pity, it was a wasted trip."


    Joanna shook her head and sighed.


    "How could it be a wasted trip? Didn''t we get this?"


    Su Chen pulled out a ck box and shook it with a smile.


    "Mr. Su, hurry and open it to see what''s inside," Lu Zheng said curiously.


    The others also looked at Su Chen expectantly, as this was their only find.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen said smilingly, and opened the box.


    "So it''s this?!"


    Chen Ping sighed dejectedly, and the others also wore disappointed expressions.


    Because inside were only five thumbnail-sized white crystals, and nothing else.


    Everyone picked up the white crystals for inspection, found nothing special, and set them down again.


    "Well, it''s a souvenir, at least."


    Seeing their disinterested expressions, Su Chen decided to keep them for himself, not making a big deal of it.


    "Alright, let''s hurry up, Duo''er must be anxious already."


    Joanna spoke, then was the first to grab thedder and climb up.


    "Duo''er, Duo''er!"


    Su Chen and others were still below, when suddenly they heard Joanna''s anxious shouts from above.


    The others were shocked and quickly hastened their pace.


    "What happened to Duo''er?"


    Su Chen quickly asked as he got to the top.


    "Duo''er is gone!"


    Joanna was almost in tears.


    "Don''t panic yet, maybe she just wandered off because she was bored."


    Su Chen patted her shoulderfortingly:


    "Let''s all help look for her."


    So, everyone dispersed and began searching throughout the pce.


    But after searching everywhere, they still couldn''t find Joanna''s whereabouts!


    So, they continued their search outside the pce, but after a long time, they were still unsessful.


    Just then, suddenly a voice came from the seaside:


    "The person you''re looking for is here!"


    Hearing this voice, everyone ran towards the seaside.


    Shortly, they had all reached the spot.


    There, stood more than twenty people, their eyes hollow and unlike those of ordinary people, except for one person who stood at the forefront and looked normal.


    Joanna was among them, controlled by one of the individuals.


    "Who are you? Why have you kidnapped my sister!"


    Joanna did not rush forward impulsively but demanded sternly.


    However, the person ignored Joanna and instead smiled while looking at someone among them:


    "Respected Prince of Nether Temple, we meet again atst!"


    Hearing his words, everyone felt puzzled.


    Who was he speaking to? And what was he referring to with "Prince of Nether Temple"?


    "What ''Prince of Nether Temple''? I don''t understand what you''re talking about. I advise you to hand over the little girl quickly if you know what''s good for you!"


    Lu Zheng spoke up directly, his dislike for pretentious people evident.


    "What? Have none of you heard of the great Prince of the Nether Temple?"


    The man said with a leisurely smile.


    As soon as he spoke, everyone from Huaxia and Yi Country was shocked!


    They had indeed heard of the Prince of the Nether Temple, but he was a legendary figure, unreachable to them!


    Suddenly, every face turned pale, realizing that the man had implied that the Prince was among them?!


    How could that be possible?


    Although logically, they thought this person must be spouting nonsense, everyone couldn''t help but nce at each other.


    Only one person was the exception, and that was Su Chen!


    From the moment he saw this man nearby, his gaze had not shifted from him!


    Because the man''s name was¡ªTang Gang!


    "Tang Gang, this entire incident is your schemed conspiracy, isn''t it?"


    Su Chen asked coldly.


    "It is and it isn''t."


    Tang Gang said calmly and then smiled:


    "Prince of the Nether Temple, your servant has missed you dearly!"


    "Ah, so he is the Prince of the Nether Temple!"


    The people from Yi Country, upon hearing Tang Gang''s words, opened their mouths in disbelief!


    They had been in thepany of the Prince of Nether Temple all these days, who would believe such a thing?


    Guan Zhihui and others were already shocked beyond belief, a single thought echoing in their minds.


    That was¡ªMr. Su was actually the Prince of the Nether Temple!


    Recalling how they had previously underestimated him, they felt utterly ridiculous!


    "The explorer must be in your hands now."


    Su Chen spoke with an icy tone, stating it as a fact, not a question.


    Indeed, without Tang Gang saying anything, from the moment Su Chen saw him, he knew Tang Gang was the mastermind behind this entire incident!


    "The Prince of the Nether Temple is still so wise, indeed, he is in my hands, but he has already be a dead man,"


    Tang Gang said with a sinister tone...

 Chapter 476: 476

    "Tang Gang, you are doing all this just for me?"


    "Exactly, aside from His Highness the Demon King, who else is worth such borate scheming?"


    Tang Gang smiled smugly.


    The pce and the cave were actually discovered by one of his subordinates who, havingpleted a task, had gotten lost and chanced upon them, rather than being found by that explorer.


    He simply used the explorer''s column to release a piece of false news.


    He knew that once many countries learned of this news, they wouldn''t be able to deploy their armies, but instead would send some powerful individuals to carry out the task.


    And he was also aware that Su Chen had once been the Chief Instructor in a special military unit in Huaxia.


    Therefore, as long as Su Chen was in Huaxia, there was a great chance that Huaxia Country would dispatch him for this top-priority mission.


    Indeed, everything had gone as he had predicted¡ªhe came!


    However, to his surprise, Su Chen had reached the Qi Refinement Peak realm. During their earlier confrontation in front of the pce, he had also been hiding in the shadows, watching.


    This made Tang Gang even more uneasy. If he didn''t eliminate this monster soon, the one likely to die after some time could very well be himself!


    "Since I''m here, let the little girl go. She has nothing to do with this."


    Su Chen looked into Tang Gang''s eyes and said.


    "Su Chen, don''t be so naive,"


    Tang Gang had also switched his address and smiled, "You should know me. I''m someone who will neverin about having too many tricks up my sleeve. Since you care so much about her, I have even less reason to let her go."


    "You truly are a despicable fellow. I only hate myself for being blind enough to trust you!"


    "Su Chen, have you ever trusted me as you have trusted the Demon, the Clown, and the others?"


    A trace of bitter resentment appeared on Tang Gang''s face.


    "That''s because you''re not trustworthy, and in fact, you''ve proven this yourself,"


    Su Chen scoffed.


    "Enough, I don''t have time to waste words with you. Today, you''ll leave your life here!"


    A shade of humiliated anger shed over Tang Gang''s face as he spat out.


    "These must be the third generation Gene Modifiers you''ve recently developed,"


    Su Chen remarked, eyeing the people by Tang Gang''s side.


    Though his tone was casual, his heart was somewhat heavy. The third generation Gene Modifiers had ultimately been developed!


    "Keen vision, you must surely have a rough idea of their capabilities. Today, you will taste the bitter fruit of your own creation!"


    Tang Gang was someone who never risked himself, so as soon as he finished speaking, he had already retreated to the rear, taking Joanna under his control.


    The Gene Modifiers immediately charged forward without expression, thumping the ground resoundingly¡ªtheir momentum frightening!


    "These men are tough, stay here!"


    Su Chenmanded and then charged into their midst.


    How could the others stand by and watch Su Chen fight alone? They too charged forward.


    But they quickly realized a problem¡ªtheir punchesnded on the opponents, who would quickly recover and rejoin the fight.


    Therefore, they all drew their daggers, but to their astonishment, the blood that flowed from the enemies'' flesh was green, and the wounds healed in merely a few dozen seconds!


    "What in the world are these things?!"


    Lu Zheng shouted angrily, for these people seemed to be as unkible as cockroaches!


    Su Chen was fighting while observing the situation as well.


    But the more he observed, the more rmed he became. This third generation was on an entirely different level from the second!


    There was no need to mention the formidable strength of their bodies; the speed of their wound healing had also increased. While the second generation needed a minute or two to heal, now it only took a few dozen seconds.


    Furthermore, the acupoints of these third-generation Gene Modifiers were either altered or had vanished; pressing on them elicited no response whatsoever.


    What''s more, the strength of these Modifiers had vastly surpassed their predecessors. Last time, Joker dealt with four of them with ease, but now it took two or three of them to firmly entangle someone at the Qi Refinement Peak.


    Thus, it wasn''t long before the others were suppressed by these Gene Modifiers, finding themselves in grave danger.


    Upon seeing this, Su Chen decided not to y along anymore, drew his dagger, and with a sh of silver light, a Modifier''s head tumbled to the ground!


    No matter how formidable these Gene Modifiers were, without their heads, they were dead for good.


    First, Su Chen rushed to aid those in the most peril. To him, the strength of these Gene Modifiers, though beyond his initial expectations, was still insufficient.


    With a few "swish swish" sounds, several more fine heads rolled off!


    Tang Gang, who was watching from behind, went pale at the sight!


    "This isn''t Qi Refinement Peak at all! Has this madman recovered his previous strength?"


    Tang Gang couldn''t help but think, and if that were true, wouldn''t he himself be in danger?


    Because he knew better than anyone that if Su Chen had returned to his former Realm, these Gene Modifiers were nothing but decorations unless there were hundreds or even thousands of them!


    Yet, although Gene Modifiers could be mass-produced, only a hundred or two could be made per year!


    "Keep the target pinned down for me!"


    Tang Gang shouted, then ran frantically toward a speedboat by the seaside, not even bothering with Joanna.


    After all, bringing her along would surely slow down his escape!


    Tang Gang was always someone who kept his escape routes open, so he had prepared the speedboat by the sea quite early.


    Upon Tang Gang''smand, all the Gene Modifiers surged towards Su Chen, ignoring the others!


    The others indeed wanted to chase Tang Gang, but they simply couldn''t keep up, because by now Tang Gang had also reached the Qi Refinement Peak Realm!


    Thus, they had no choice but to first rescue Joanna, only to find her as if under a spell,pletely unresponsive!


    Entangled by so many Gene Modifiers all at once, Su Chen struggled a bit and took a few minutes to dispose of them.


    By that time, Tang Gang had already sped away in the speedboat, and pursuing him was no longer an option...


    "One day, I will personally tten your Skull Society!"


    Watching Tang Gang''s retreating figure, Su Chen vowed silently...


    After that, Su Chen turned around to check on Joanna and found out she was just paralyzed by the nerve toxin, which wasn''t a huge issue, presumably a method used by Tang Gang to control her more conveniently.


    With a bit of treatment from Su Chen, she was soon all right!


    .....


    Shortly afterward, Su Chen and hispanions said their farewells to Joanna and others, preparing to return to their respective countries.


    "Mr. Su, you are wee to visit our Yi Country whenever you have time,"


    Joanna said shyly.


    "Yes, you coulde to visit me and my sister at our ce,"


    Joanna was bursting with excitement as well.


    "Sure, I will definitely visit if I get the chance,"


    Responded Su Chen with a smile.


    "I''ll remember what you said,"


    Joanna gave Su Chen a meaningful nce,


    "I''ll be waiting for you."


    Then, her face reddened, and she immediately turned and walked towards her own ship.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen and hispanions boarded their own vessel, preparing to return to Huaxia...

 Chapter 477: I Really Am Stupid

    When they returned to the ship, Guan Zhihui and the others looked at Su Chenpletely differently.


    They had never thought, nor dared to think, that this young man could be the legendary figure!


    They had been unconscious before and hadn''t seen Su Chen''s move against Chuan Ye and John, but they had seen his actions against the Gene Modifiers!


    Such methods were truly unprecedented; those seemingly indestructible monsters, under his dagger, were like standing and waiting for him to harvest them,pletely unable to resist!


    They had fought with those monsters and knew how powerful they were, so they realized even more distinctly how terrifying Su Chen was!


    Having learned of Su Chen''s other identity, they became more reserved on the return trip, after all, he was the Nether Lord!


    "Everyone, don''t be so reserved, let''s just be the way we were before."


    Seeing everyone a bit awkward, Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Mr. Su, are you really that legendary Nether Lord?"


    Lu Zheng still found it somewhat unbelievable, and the others looked much the same.


    "That''s just to scare people, you know, in a ce like the Dark World, you always need a scary title!"


    Su Chen joked.


    Guan Zhihui and the others were immediately amused, though they knew that the title was not self-proimed but earned through his own strength!


    Others feared or respected him, and that''s why they gave him such a title!


    "You guys could get yourselves a title too, it makes bragging when you''re out a lot easier, always sounds more impressive than your own names."


    Su Chen looked at them and said casually with a smile.


    "Mr. Su, what do you think I could call myself?"


    Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng suddenly became interested, his eyes shining as he asked.


    "Me? What about me?"


    The others also looked at Su Chen with eager anticipation.


    .....


    After someughter, Guan Zhihui and the others were a bit less restrained and gradually returned to their previous manner around Su Chen.


    There were no major problems on the way back, just a small tempest that had almost no impact.


    Since they didn''t need to rush back, they directly brought the ship to a port in Jianghai province.


    "Mr. Su, we''ll head back first. We''ve learned a lot from you this time and hope to have such an opportunity again."


    At the time of parting, Guan Zhihui said somewhat reluctantly.


    "I''m also very happy to have met you guys. I''ll be going to Yandu after some time. Let''s get together for drinks then!"


    Su Chen also said with a smile.


    "Mr. Su, really? We''ll be looking forward to it!"


    Upon hearing this, everyone immediately grew excited.


    "Of course it''s true, I didn''t let you guys drink this time, I''ll make up for it next time."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lu Zheng and Guan Xin immediatelyughed somewhat awkwardly.


    "Alright, I should be going too."


    Su Chen waved goodbye, took a taxi to the station, and bought a train ticket back to Jianghai.


    The Special Security Bureau had prepared a car for him, but he declined, wasn''t it wasteful?


    Guan Zhihui and the others then drove off towards Yandu...


    .....


    In the office of the Director of the Special Security Bureau in Yandu, Qin Mingy with his eyes closed in his chair, his heart swirling with tumultuous waves!


    That Su Chen was actually the Nether Lord! This was something he hadn''t known prior.


    At that moment, he couldn''t help but recall two things, one being why the Clown was having morning tea with Su Chen.


    Another thing was when he received the news that the Clown and Eniel were set to enter Huaxia, he immediately reported this crucial information to the chief officer.


    He had thought that the chief officer would take it seriously, but to his surprise, the other party just casually waved his hand and said, "Let them be."


    Looking back now, the chief officer must have already known about Su Chen''s identity as the Netherworld King.


    But that wasn''t surprising, since the Eighth Brigade was established by Su Chen under the orders of that chief officer!


    Thinking about the Nether Temple''s always pro-Huaxia stance, everything suddenly became clear!


    "I really was foolish!"


    Qin Ming slowly opened his eyes and said softly, though his face revealed an excited expression, as after all, this was a great piece of good news!


    ......


    In the office of the President of Belle Corporation in Jianghai, about twenty to thirty people stood, including elites from various departments of Belle Corporation, with each department''s heads present.


    "Everyone, you are the most valuable talents of our Belle Corporation. I have dispatched you to establish the Yandu branch office, and you should understand the importance of this matter!"


    Lin Ruoxue swept her gaze across these people and said sternly:


    "You are the vanguard in this mission, and I need you to make a dazzling debut! Only by establishing a solid footing in Yandu can we better advance into the international market!"


    "Does everyone understand?"


    "Understood!"


    Nowadays, Lin Ruoxue held unprecedented control over Belle Corporation, and her authority was at its peak, so no one dared to take her words lightly.


    "Good, everyone go back and prepare. We''ll head over tomorrow, and I''ll follow as soon as I can."


    Soon after, everyone dispersed, and once they did, Lin Ruoxue got busy again.


    After being busy for a while, she stopped and the image of a man inadvertently entered her mind. She couldn''t help but sigh deeply:


    "Why hasn''t hee back yet after so many days?"


    "Wife, I''m back."


    Just then, a voice sounded, and Lin Ruoxue shook her head, thinking she was hearing things.


    But the next moment, the office door creaked open.


    Lin Ruoxue looked up and saw a mischievous smiling face peeking in.


    It wasn''t her imagination - he really was back. A smile immediately appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s face, but she quicklyposed herself.


    "You knew toe back? Where have you been gallivanting all these days?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a cold face.


    "Didn''t you know? I was helping out that old guy," Su Chen replied as he walked straight toward Lin Ruoxue and took her hand:


    "Come, let your husband have a good look at you. I''ve missed you terribly all these days."


    "Don''t sweet-talk me, what help requires ten days?"


    Lin Ruoxue still spoke as if she was holding a grudge.


    "The situation was a bit tricky," Su Chenmented as he noticed Lin Ruoxue looking somewhat haggard. His face grew serious:


    "Haven''t you been resting welltely, or eating properly?"


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s temper cooled down slightly, and she nced at him uneasily:


    "I''ve been busy with the Yandu branch office, so a little bit."


    Because the Yandu matter was so important, if things went smoothly there, the headquarters would slowly move over.


    Therefore, Lin Ruoxue did not dare to take it lightly, and almost every matter required her attention, which inevitably wore her out a bit¡­

 Chapter 478: 478

    "Come, sit on the sofa and rest for a while."


    Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue by the hand towards the sofa.


    "Hey, what are you doing? I still have work to finish!"


    "You''ll never finish working this way, you really must rest properly."


    Su Chen knew his wife was a workaholic, who once started working, seemed to forget about her own life.


    "All right, all right, I''ll rest, just stop pulling."


    Lin Ruoxue was both amused and helpless, knowing that once Su Chen became insistent, there was no way for her to refuse him.


    "Give me a massage, will you?"


    Once Lin Ruoxue rxed, she indeed felt her muscles and bones sore.


    "Sure."


    Su Chen dly agreed and began massaging Lin Ruoxue.


    Seeing that she was truly weary, Su Chen even infused a bit of True Yuan into the massage, and Lin Ruoxue immediately felt refreshed.


    After the massage, Lin Ruoxue found herself wrapped in Su Chen''s embrace, casually chatting about whatever came to mind without any restraint on topics.


    "Oh right, honey, why don''t you take a few days off at home and then go to Yandu?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly suggested.


    "Why though?"


    "Of course, it''s to prepare for the business of our Yandu branch office. I''ve already arranged for the heads of each department and some elites, and they''ll be heading there tomorrow," Lin Ruoxue exined:


    "But there''s still ack of a chief person in charge over there, and as my husband, if you don''t help me with this, who will?"


    After spending much time together, Lin Ruoxue knew that her husband was certainly capable of the task.


    "Cut it out, my dear wife, please spare me. You know I hate dealing with these troublesome matters," Su Chen immediately raised his hands in surrender:


    "I think Xia Qiuru is quite suitable. How about letting Xia Qiuru take the position of the chief person in charge?"


    In Lin Ruoxue''s presence, Su Chen certainly didn''t have the daring to affectionately call Qiuru by name.


    "Hmm, that''s fine, but you still have to go to Yandu and give a hand in overseeing major issues," Lin Ruoxue mused and nodded her head, knowing full well her husband''s reluctant nature.


    "Fine, then."


    Su Chen agreed verbally, but in actuality, he''d probably be toozy to manage when the time came. As for Xia Qiuru, what was there not to trust?


    "Wife, I''ve noticed you''ve lost quite a bit of weight recently, but that part hasn''t shrunk at all," Su Chen suddenly spoke up, his gaze from above fixed on a certain part of Lin Ruoxue''s body.


    "What hasn''t shrunk?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with some confusion, but soon understood as his "wandering hands" emphatically rified for her.


    "Smack!"


    "This is an office, don''t mess around!"


    Lin Ruoxue swiftly smacked away his mischievous hand.


    Lin Ruoxue felt truly exasperated. When this man wasn''t around, she would miss him every day, yet the moment he returned, he started to be mischievous again.


    "Wife, haven''t you heard that it''s more exciting in the office?"


    Su Chen''s voice was like someone using candy to coax a little girl, a yful smile spreading across his face.


    That smile made Lin Ruoxue''s heart flutter momentarily, and she stood up abruptly to break free from Su Chen''s hold:


    "Enough, I''ve rested, now you should leave!"


    Lin Ruoxue issued a clear eviction order, who knew what this rascal would do next?


    "Well, alright then."


    Su Chen did not continue to cling to Lin Ruoxue, as he could see that she was indeed very busy.


    "Take care of yourself, eat properly, and don''t work too hard."


    Su Chen bid his farewell and left.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve seen those beauties from the public rtions department, I wonder if they''ve been thinking of me."


    Su Chen thought to himself with a cheeky grin and then headed straight for the public rtions department.


    As expected, the moment he stepped into the department, he was warmly weed by the chirpy and spirited women.


    Su Chen finally got to freely caress Lin Ruoxue as much as he pleased, eliciting shy blushes from the women.


    Almost every time he visited the public rtions department, it was like entering and of women, which made him feel extremelyfortable!


    Just as he was getting along famously with the women, Su Chen''s phone rang. He quickly pushed away two women who were cozying up to him and nced at the caller ID.


    Upon recognizing who it was, his passionate mood immediately cooled down.


    Because the call was from Pei Rou, he had already agreed to have dinner with herst time, but because he was held up by Qin Ming''s matter, he failed to make it.


    Back then, he had excused himself by iming an urgent business trip to fend her off.


    He didn''t need to guess to know that Pei Rou was calling to insist hee over to discuss the matter between him and Tang Yun.


    "Hello, Aunt Pei."


    Su Chen greeted her affectionately¡ªafter all, who else but he had taken liberties with her daughter and been caught in the act?


    "You must be back from your business trip now, right?"


    Pei Rou''s voice from the other end sounded clearly annoyed; Su Chen''s absencest time must have seemed like he was evading her.


    "I am, I just got back today!"


    "Good,e for dinner tonight."


    After that, not allowing Su Chen to say another word, Pei Rou hung up...


    ......


    Meanwhile, in the old Wu Family mansion, all the key members of the family had gathered in a living room.


    Old Madam Wu sat at the head of the room in amanding armchair, while the families of Wu Jingui and Wu Jinjun sat on either side, each person''s expression somber, indicating that the discussion ahead was a serious matter.


    "Situ Guang, the third son of the Situ Family, will be back soon. What should we do about his marriage to Ye Mei? Let''s hear what you all think," Old Madam Wu said in a grave tone as she scanned the room.


    "What else is there to say? We should make sure she''s tied up and sent off if necessary!"


    No sooner had Old Madam Wu finished speaking than Liang Jing, Wu Jinjun''s wife, was the first to jump in.


    "Sister-inw, we shouldn''t say such things. If we can persuade Ye Mei to willingly marry into the Situ Family, that would be most advantageous. If she then speaks well of us there, wouldn''t that double our efforts?"


    Wu Jingui shook his head with a smile.


    "You make it sound so easy, but she has to be willing, right? How many times have we talked to her? Ten times? Twenty times? Thirty times? Has that wild girl ever relented?"


    Liang Jing retorted directly, her tone showing little respect for Wu Jingui, her husband being the nominal Family Head.


    However, Wu Jingui was entirely indifferent to Liang Jing''s tone:


    "What I mean is, we need to prepare for both the best and worst scenarios. On one hand, we continue to persuade her, appealing to her emotions and reasoning."


    "Besides, although we''ve spoken to her many times before, to be honest, everyone knows how my sister-inw used to treat her and her mother."


    Wu Jingui nced at Liang Jing and continued undisturbed:


    "How could she possibly agree just because we say a few nice words?"


    "Wu Jingui, what are you implying?"


    Upon hearing Wu Jingui''s words, Liang Jing immediately stood up, pointing at him and retorted angrily:


    "Are you suggesting that I am solely to me for this situation?!"


    "I am merely discussing the matter at hand, why would my sister-inw react so emotionally?"


    Wu Jingui shrugged nonchntly.


    "Emotional? What am I emotional about!"


    Liang Jing shouted in a frenzy, as if a sore spot had been hit.


    "Silence! I am not yet dead!"


    Suddenly, Old Madam Wu''s sharp voice scolded:


    "Liang Jing, sit down! What kind of behavior is this!"

 Chapter 479: Its Simple, Get Married

    Although Liang Jing still harbored a belly full of anger, she dared not defy the old Mrs. Wu and promptly sat down fiercely.


    "Jingui, you say this, could it be that you have an idea in mind?"


    The old Mrs. Wu looked at her eldest son as she asked.


    Wu Jingui was right in what he had just said; their Wu Family had indeed been too harsh on Ye Mei and her daughter, leading to their current hostile rtionship.


    However, it was not just Liang Jing who acted this way; other members of the Wu Family, including the old Mrs. Wu herself, were the same, just not to the extreme extent of Liang Jing.


    Listening to the few people arguing, Wu Jinjun, as the Family Head, however, did not say a word. He had always been this way, and in truth, he didn''t hold much power either.


    "Mom, Ye Mei has such deep grievances with our Wu Family, what use are these superficial talks? Ye Mei is no fool."


    Wu Jingui looked at the old Mrs. Wu as he spoke.


    "Continue!"


    "Since the emotional appeal is ineffective, let''s convince her with benefits. She is a businesswoman after all and naturally understands the importance of profits first!"


    Wu Jingui confidently asserted.


    "Give more details."


    The old Mrs. Wu, clearly interested, shifted her sitting posture as she said.


    "Give her a portion of the Wu Family''s assets. It''s more reliable to secure her a share of the benefits than to say she belongs to the Wu Family."


    Upon hearing that the assets were to be divided with Ye Mei, Liang Jing and Wu Yuanpin immediately became restless, and as they were about to object, a sharp re from the old Mrs. Wu came their way.


    Both promptly shut their mouths¡ª the olddy''s authority in this family was no joke.


    "Then tell me, how much should be given to her to be appropriate?" the old Mrs. Wu asked.


    "Thirty percent, and not just the current thirty percent, but thirty percent of the total assets, regardless of whether the Wu Family grows or declines in the future!"


    Wu Jingui raised three fingers as he spoke.


    "Have you lost your mind? Giving that wild girl thirty percent?"


    Liang Jing could no longer contain herself and abruptly stood up again.


    In her heart, the Wu Family''s assets were meant for her son in the future; giving away thirty percent to someone else was painfully irksome!


    "Sister-inw, may I exin this thoroughly?"


    Wu Jingui said with a smile.


    "Liang Jing, if you keep blustering, get out!"


    The old Mrs. Wu coldly snorted.


    Upon hearing this, Liang Jing immediately wilted.


    "Jingui, don''t you think it''s too much?"


    Although pleased with Liang Jing''s attitude, the old Mrs. Wu also thought that thirty percent was indeed too much.


    "Mom, that''s not how you calcte it. If Ye Mei willingly marries into our family, and we receive strong support from the Situ Family, what we will gain afterwards will be several times what we have now. Tell me, have we gained or lost?"


    Wu Jingui argued:


    "Besides, I said it''s not the current thirty percent, but thirty percent at any time, which is to firmly bind her to our Wu Family ship."


    "Good, Jingui, you really have thought things through!"


    The old Mrs. Wu showed a hint of approval in her eyes as she looked at Wu Jingui:


    "I''ll leave this matter in your hands."


    "Mom, rest assured, I will do my best."


    "Hmm, but we also need to prepare for the worst. If she still fails to appreciate our offer, we will take coercive measures."


    A cold gleam shed in the eyes of the old Mrs. Wu as she spoke.


    "Oh, and Mom, another thing, the Yang Family called asking if the person who injured Yang Rong has been dealt with."


    Wu Jingui cautiously asked.


    "Just tell them that our Wu Family is currently busy with a nephew''s wedding, and we will talk about itter. They wouldn''t dare to say much."


    A frown crossed the features of the old Mrs. Wu as she spoke.


    She actually wished she could remove the bastard who humiliated her in public, but the recent events in Jianghai forced her to be more cautious.


    First, the father and son of the Liu Family were murdered, and most other members of the Liu Family were arrested under various charges.


    Then, the father and son of the Lv Family, who were abroad, were also murdered, throwing the Lv Family into a headless turmoil. Other members of the Lv Family began to fight over the property, and it had already turned into aplete mess!


    It could be said that both the Liu Family and Lv Family were utterly finished!


    It seemed as if overnight, two of the Four Great Families had be history.


    This fact made the remaining two families tremble with fear and tread on thin ice.


    Therefore, both families preserved their greatest strength as much as possible to cope with unforeseen dangers.


    Old Madam Wu had now learned that the young man was no ordinary person. What if they lost another master?


    Originally, she could have asked that follower to take action, but he was currently in seclusion for cultivation, so Old Madam Wu, wanting to be safe, decided to suppress Su Chen''s matter for now.


    ......


    In the evening, with a highlyplex and apprehensive mood, Su Chen drove to Tang Yun''s house.


    This time was different from before. Before, it had always been Tang Yun''s parents who came out to greet him while Tang Yun stayed inside the house. This time, however, Tang Yun came out, and Tang Mingji and his wife were nowhere to be seen.


    "Remember, just say it as we agreed on the phone, don''t talk nonsense."


    Tang Yun nervously instructed Su Chen.


    "Got it."


    Su Chen replied and followed Tang Yun inside.


    "Su is here."


    Tang Mingji was writing with a brush pen and smiled when he saw Su Chen enter.


    "Hello, Uncle Tang."


    Su Chen also greeted obediently and then looked at Pei Rou, who was sitting on the sofa and didn''t look too well:


    "Hello, Auntie Pei."


    "Su Chen, are you trying to toy with our Tang Yun and then refuse to take responsibility?"


    Pei Rou asked coldly.


    Su Chen was immediately thunderstruck by Pei Rou''s first remark!


    Pei Rou was too formidable! She was straightforward and severe, even mentioning the word "toy"!


    Tang Mingji, hearing his wife''s remark, also coughed awkwardly and continued writing, pretending he hadn''t heard.


    And Tang Yun''s face blushed with embarrassment, hardly daring to look at anyone, as she bashfully lowered her head and chimed in:


    "Mom, what are you saying?"


    "I''m talking to Su Chen, don''t interrupt."


    Pei Rou coldly spit out.


    "Auntie, I didn''t..."


    Su Chen hurried to exin, but before he could finish, Pei Rou interrupted him:


    "If you''re not refusing to take responsibility, then why didn''t youest time, were you nning to avoid us?"


    Pei Rou stared into Su Chen''s eyes and asked.


    Su Chen was immediately at a loss for words. Why couldn''t Auntie Pei listen to someone finish speaking?


    What he had just said wasn''t about refusing responsibility; he was trying to say that he did not have intentions to toy with Tang Yun.


    "Tell me, are you trying to hide, to run away?"


    "No,st time there really was an emergency."


    Su Chen said softly.


    "If it wasn''t, that''s fine. I shall believe you for now. So how will you take responsibility for Tang Yun?"


    "Auntie, what do you want me to do?"


    "Simple, get married!"


    Pei Rou spoke emotionlessly. At that moment, a sly glint flickered almost imperceptibly in her eyes...

 Chapter 480 - 480 Heading to Yandu

    As soon as Pei Rou spoke, Su Chen and Tang Yun exchanged a nce; indeed, Pei Rou''s thoughts were exactly as they had anticipated.


    "Auntie Pei, I will definitely be responsible for Tang Yun, but we''re still young and would like to get married in a couple of years."


    Su Chen brought out the excuse they had agreed on beforehand.


    They also knew that any excuses now would be powerless, they could only drag it out as much as possible.


    "Yeah, Mom, we''ve discussed it, and decided to get married in two years. We haven''t had enough fun yet!"


    Tang Yun also hurried over, sitting beside Pei Rou and grabbing her arm as she spoke.


    "You''re both already so grown up and still haven''t had enough fun?" Pei Rou immediately became unhappy, "You two might not be in a hurry to get married, but I''m anxious to hold my grandchildren!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen and Tang Yun shivered involently. This Auntie Pei (mother) was thinking a bit too far ahead, weren''t they?


    Thinking about having kids with a bad guy like Su Chen gave Tang Yun a strange feeling all of a sudden.


    "What am I thinking? How could I have children with this bad rascal?"


    Tang Yun immediately shook her head and covered her blushing face.


    "Don''t worry, Auntie Pei, we will have children, and many at that, since we''re still young. By that time, we''ll have to trouble you to help us look after them!"


    Su Chen also knew that the pressing matter was to appease Pei Rou, and then slowly deal with the restter.


    "Alright, rest assured, you can let me take care of the children once they are born. You won''t have to worry about a thing, just continue doing whatever you need to do."


    When Pei Rou heard this, she instantly couldn''t stop smiling.


    "Xiao Rou, if they want to have fun for a couple more years, let them be. When it''s time and they want to get married, they will."


    Tang Mingji also spoke out to persuade her.


    "Alright then, but two years at most; you two must get married!"


    Pei Rou looked at the two and said.


    "Okay, I promise you."


    Worried that she would change her mind, Tang Yun quickly nodded in agreement.


    "Now that we''ve discussed the serious matters, Su Chen, you must be hungry too. Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner; I made all your favorite dishes."


    Having set aside her concerns, Pei Rou once again became enthusiastic, her face blossoming into a smile.


    During the meal that followed, Su Chen truly witness how caring Pei Rou was. They ate for an hour, and his bowl was still piled high with food because Pei Rou kept serving him nonstop!


    Su Chen really couldn''t withstand Pei Rou''s enthusiasm and felt guilty for deceiving her.


    So as soon as dinner was over, he made an excuse to leave.


    "Xiao Yun, see off Xiao Su."


    Seeing Su Chen''s urgency, Pei Rou did not insist on keeping him any longer.


    Then Tang Yun escorted Su Chen to his car.


    "Get in the car, let''s chat for a bit."


    Su Chen opened the car door, sat inside, and said.


    "Alright," Tang Yun also got in and asked, "What do you want to talk about?"


    "Teacher Tang, I always feel it''s not right to deceive our parents like this. Why don''t we just tell them the truth? Although it may be hard for them to ept at first, they''ll get over it with time."


    "If you dare, if you dare reveal even a word, believe it or not, I will kill you, you bastard!"


    Tang Yun was instantly startled and stared at Su Chen fiercely.


    She really couldn''t imagine what her mother''s reaction would be once she knew the truth, and just the thought of it made her break out in a cold sweat.


    "Then there''s only one way."


    "What way?" Tang Yun''s eyes lit up as she hastily asked.


    "That is, you find a suitable man as soon as possible, bring him home, and then tell them you and I didn''t work out and broke up. Maybe Auntie Pei will be able to ept it more easily that way."


    After thinking it through, Su Chen felt this was the only way.


    Tang Yun''s face immediately fell upon hearing Su Chen''s words.


    "I know," Tang Yun pushed the car door open and stepped out, speaking coldly, "You better hurry up and leave."


    "Okay, I''m leaving now."


    With a press of the gas pedal, Su Chen''s car roared away.


    Watching his car disappear, Tang Yun felt a stir of irritability remembering the words he had just said.


    She knew that what Su Chen had suggested was the best solution, yet she felt extremely ufortable...


    ......


    In the next few days, Su Chen had a rather leisurely time, going to work, spending time with his wife, and flirting with the girls in the public rtions department...


    Time flew by, and one morning, Su Chen finally boarded the ne to Yandu.


    As the ne soared into the sky, Su Chen''s thoughts began to grow tangled.


    Was he finally going to Yandu?


    This time, would he find the answers he was looking for?


    For Su Chen, the most important thing about going to Yandu was, of course, to uncover the truth about what happened all those years ago!


    However, he also knew that this matter was no small feat and had to be approached slowly, especially since it involved the hidden affairs of Huaxia''s top families!


    Just a little past noon, the ne gentlynded at Yandu Airport.


    Su Chen had a quick meal at the airport then took a taxi to the bustling Rainbow Mansion in Yandu.


    He was there, of course, because Belle Corporation''s branch was there, along with many other prominent businesses.


    When Su Chen appeared on the 18th floor, it caused quite a stir!


    People at Belle Corporation jestingly said that President Lin had sent her boyfriend to oversee things.


    Most of the staff at Belle Corporation still thought they were just a couple, with only a few knowing that they were married.


    "You''re here."


    Xia Qiuru smiled genuinely upon seeing him.


    "Yeah, I''m here."


    Su Chen smiled as well, feeling at ease every time he saw Xia Qiuru.


    Then Su Chen said to everyone with a smile:


    "Work hard, everyone, I''ll have President Lin give you all a bonus!"


    His words instantly ignited everyone''s enthusiasm, and they cheered loudly.


    "Alright, everyone get back to work. You''ll only get the bonus if you do well, and if not, you might even face a sry deduction," Xia Qiuru also said with augh, and after hearing her words, everyone went back to their tasks.


    "It seems like my rmendation to Ruoxue was a good one; you''re doing quite well as the general manager," Su Chen remarked, noting that she had some of Lin Ruoxue''s style.


    "Stop teasing me; you have no idea how much pressure I''m under," Xia Qiuru said with a smile, feeling the weight of such responsibility for the first time.


    "You''ll get used to it. Give me a tour around."


    "Sure."


    Xia Qiuru then showed Su Chen around. Although it was just one floor, it spanned over a thousand square meters and was fully equipped.


    "Alright, that about covers it, it looks good. I have some things to do, so I''ll be leaving now," Su Chen said after a while, smiling.


    "Okay, attend to your matters," Xia Qiuru said, finding it odd that he had things to do so soon after arriving at Yandu, but she didn''t ask any questions.


    When Su Chen walked out of Rainbow Mansion again, his face no longer held the smiles and ease from before but was instead marked by solemnity and seriousness!


    "Dad, Mom, Grandpa, after all these years, it''s time for me to visit you," Su Chen said softly, gazing at the ring sunlight, he muttered to himself...

 Chapter 481 - 481 Worship

    Su Chen first went to a nearby mall to buy a set of ck formal attire, and changed into it. Although he seemed indifferent to most things, he did not dare to take this matter lightly!


    He then visited a florist to purchase two bunches of white chrysanthemums and a bunch of ca lilies before taking a taxi to a cemetery near the northern part of Yandu.


    Located on a small hill, the cemetery was essible by car, but Su Chen had the driver stop at the bottom and then walked up the hill carrying the flowers.


    The closer he got to the cemetery, the faster his heartbeat seemed to pound.


    Spanning nearly a hundred acres, the cemetery wasrge and guarded all year round, with patrol teams at night.


    The reason for such a disy was that it served as themunal cemetery for the Five Great Families of Yandu. Their ancestors had been buried here for hundreds of years.


    At the entrance to the cemetery was arge gate. As Su Chen walked in, the guard did not say anything since nearly every day, people from all over came here to pay their respects.


    As long as you did not vandalize, they would not utter a single word.


    After entering the gate, Su Chen walked forward for a few hundred meters and then turned eastward, his gaze scanning over the tombstones unceasingly.


    When he saw a tombstone inscribed with "Su Yi", his heart jolted violently and he immediately stopped walking, cing one bunch of white chrysanthemums in front of the tombstone.


    Behind this tombstone, he saw two others bearing the names "Su Lou" and "Mu Tong".


    His tears streamed down the moment he saw these two names. He silently approached and ced the remaining bunch of white chrysanthemums and the ca lilies at the two graves.


    Looking at the three tombstones, Su Chen''s heart ached as if it were being gouged by a knife.


    For these were his grandfather, father, and mother¡ªthree people who were tightly connected to his own bloodline!


    Su Chen first knelt heavily and kowtowed three times in front of his grandfather Su Yi''s grave, then repeated the gesture at his father''s grave.


    Eventually, he knelt at his mother''s grave and could not rise.


    "Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Xiao Tian is here,e to see you," he said, his voice choking up.


    "Please forgive Xiao Tian for taking so many years to visit you."


    Over the years, Su Chen had almost forgotten their faces, but their names and their vengeance were etched in his heart, never to be forgotten for a single day!


    In countless midnights, he dreamt of those faces, now blurred, only to wake up startled!


    Gazing at the tombstones, he wept unrestrained, crying out loud, tears drenching his cheeks like a child!


    In that moment, he no longer wished to hide his feelings, allowing them to erupt freely, as if to release nearly two decades of emotions...


    Just then, a stretch Bentley slowly made its way up the hill, carrying a woman in her forties inside.


    She wore her hair in a high bun, her face delicate and well-maintained, her figure impable, exuding an air of efficiency.


    As the car was about to enter the cemetery gate, she casually nced outside through the car window.


    Suddenly, her eyes passed through the branches of arge tree beside her, and it seemed she saw a young man kneeling there, apparently crying bitterly.


    She immediately rolled down the window, faint sounds of sobbing reaching her ears.


    "Stop the car!"


    The woman hastilymanded, and upon hearing her, the driver immediately brought the car to a halt.


    The woman quietly watched the kneeling figure and couldn''t help but frown tightly...


    Half an hourter, Su Chen''s crying gradually subsided. He then sat on the steps in front of his mother''s gravestone, caressing the engraved words and softly sharing his yearning.


    It wasn''t until the sunset that he stood up and went to his grandfather''s gravestone. Looking at the three gravestones, he said in a low voice,


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I will definitely investigate the incident from those years thoroughly and I won''t let any of the culprits who harmed you get away! No matter what the cost!"


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I''ll go ahead. I''lle see you again in a few days, and next time I''ll bring Ruoxue with me. You''ll definitely be happy to see her!"


    As Su Chen said this, he smiled slightly.


    Then Su Chen bowed several times to the three gravestones and turned to leave.


    Seeing Su Chen walking from afar, the woman in the car immediately rolled up the window.


    As Su Chen passed by the Bentley, he nced at it casually, not paying much attention, and then moved on...


    "After returning, immediately arrange for someone to start investigating this young man. Don''t miss a single detail!"


    After Su Chen left, the woman spoke solemnly.


    "Yes, Miss!"


    The driver responded immediately.


    ......


    It wasn''t easy to catch a taxi in this part of the cemetery, and Su Chen had to walk several kilometers to the main road before he managed to catch a cab.


    He felt that not having a car in Yandu was really inconvenient, so he decided to buy one.


    Although Belle Group had provided several cars, they were forpany use, intended for staff going out on business.


    If he kept using them, it might make others feel he was blurring the lines between public and private interests because of his special rtionship with President Lin, taking advantage of thepany.


    He didn''t mind, but he had to consider Lin Ruoxue''s reputation.


    So he asked the driver to head to the area filled with 4S shops. Upon arriving, Su Chen saw that both sides of the street were lined with 4S shops featuring various car brands.


    Though Su Chen wasn''t short on money, buying a car was just formuting and not for unting wealth or showing off, so there wasn''t a need to buy a luxury car.


    He walked straight into a Buick 4S store. Looking around briefly without much consideration, he chose a Regal priced around 200 thousand, which was more than enough for his needs.


    Su Chen then drove his newly purchased car back to Rainbow Mansion. At this time, the day had darkened; some people had already returned to the apartments rented for them by Belle Group, while others were naturally out enjoying dinner and the nightlife of Yandu city.


    Belle Group was always lenient with its employees, not minding what they did as long as they didn''t neglect their responsibilities.


    When Su Chen arrived on the 18th floor, he noticed that the light was still on in one office, so he went straight there.


    "Qiuru, you don''t need to push yourself so hard."


    Su Chen pushed open the door and saw Xia Qiuru still reviewing documents and making notes. He couldn''t help but say,


    "How can I not? If your wife fired me, would you support me?"


    Xia Qiuru looked up, saw it was Su Chen, and casually quipped back.


    However, as soon as the words left her lips, Xia Qiuru realized she had misspoken and immediately felt awkward...

 Chapter 482: Brother-in-law, what are you doing here?

    Su Chen listened to these words and was also at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond. With other women, he could jokingly say, "Sure."


    But he just couldn''t utter those words to Xia Qiuru.


    For a moment, silence fell upon them both, as if they were back in the days when they had nothing to talk about...


    "By the way, you haven''t had dinner yet, right? I know a great ce, let''s go try it out."


    Su Chen said, trying to break the awkward air.


    "Sure, I''m quite hungry. But remember, if it''s not good, I''ll hold you responsible."


    Xia Qiuru immediately said with a smile, putting away the papers and stepping out.


    Walking side by side and casually chatting, they got into Su Chen''s new car as if nothing had happened just moments before...


    Half an hourter, Su Chen''s car pulled up in front of a food stall located in a secluded alleyway.


    "Alright, let''s get out."


    Su Chen said with a smile, then opened the car door and got out.


    "Surely, the good ce you mentioned isn''t here?"


    Xia Qiuru was momentarily baffled as she got out and saw what was an utterly primitive food stall.


    Inside the room, there was only enough space for a few square meters. Besides a kitchen, nothing else could fit.


    Only near the entrance by the roadside were there a fewrge umbres set up, with some tables ced under them.


    "Su-ge, what are you doing here?!"


    A girl cleaning the tables was at first incredulous to see Su Chen, but once she recognized him, her eyes lit up with delight!


    "I''ve missed you, of course, and came to see you."


    Su Chen stretched out a hand and gently stroked her hair with a smile:


    "Really, women grow up so fast, bing more beautiful. Walking on the street, Su-ge might not even recognize you now!"


    "Su-ge, you''re always teasing."


    The girl blushed shyly and called into the house:


    "Mom and Dad, Su-ge is here!"


    As soon as her words finished, a couple in their forties or fifties dashed out, though they looked more like they were in their sixties due to the unkind passage of years.


    "Xiao Su, is it really you?!"


    The man grasped Su Chen''s hand excitedly upon arrival.


    "Xiao Su, it''s been several years since you''vee."


    The woman''s eyes were almost brimming with tears.


    "And this is?"


    Only then did the man notice Xia Qiuru beside Su Chen and asked.


    The girl called Xiao Min also noticed Xia Qiuru and was momentarily struck by her beauty. Could she be Su-ge''s girlfriend?


    With that thought, she began to feel a bit nervous...


    "Uncle Yan, this is my colleague and good friend, Xia Qiuru."


    Su Chen introduced her with a smile, and Xiao Min immediately breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Uncle, I''m already starving. I came here specifically to taste your cooking."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Look at me, all caught up talking. What would you like to eat today? I''ll cook it for you."


    The man, Uncle Yan, smacked his head and asked.


    "The usual."


    Su Chen said as he sat down at a table, with Xia Qiuru sitting down opposite him.


    "All right!"


    After that, the couple went back inside to get busy.


    "Xiao Min,e and sit. Have a chat with Su-ge."


    Su Chen gestured to Xiao Min.


    "Okay."


    Xiao Min agreed with a nod and sat down next to him.


    "Why aren''t you at school? How did you end up here?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "There aren''t many sses at university, and I just came over to help out when I''m free."


    "All the elites of Huaxia gather at Yandu University. You should focus on your studies and not let your parents and Su Chen down."


    "Don''t worry, Su Chen. I get schrships every year."


    "That''s impressive! I should visit you at Yandu sometime."


    "Really? You''re not lying to me, are you?"


    Xiao Min immediately said excitedly.


    "When have I ever lied to you?"


    Qiuru, who was sitting nearby, watched Su Chen at that moment. He seemed like a different person, just like the boy next door.


    The girl was also very pure and pretty. Although she was dressed simply and modestly, it did not hide her natural beauty.


    And she could tell at a nce that the girl really liked Su Chen, at least she had a good impression of him.


    Su Chen''s and Xiao Min''s meals were ready after a while, quite simple home-cooked dishes, but rather tasty. Xiao Min then went to serve other customers.


    After meal, Su Chen greeted the family and left, quietly cing two hundred-yuan notes under the bowls before he left.


    "Su Chen, have you lived in Yandu before? How do you know that family?"


    After getting back into the car, Xia Qiuru asked curiously.


    "Yeah, I did live in Yandu for a while. One day, I went to a night club with friends and happened toe across a wealthy boss who was about to bully Xiao Min who was moonlighting as a waitress. So, I rescued her and took her home."


    "After taking her home, that''s when I found out why she had to work right after high school. Her family was very poor, but also very proud. I wanted to help them, but they refused to take it, so I started going to their food stall frequently."


    Su Chen briefly introduced how he came to know Xiao Min and her family.


    "So it was a hero saving a damsel, no wonder Xiao Min likes you!"


    After hearing Su Chen''s exnation, Xia Qiuru understood why the family was so excited to see Su Chen.


    "What are you talking about? I think of her as a sister, okay!"


    Su Chen said with a mix ofughter and exasperation.


    "That might be what you think, but that''s not necessarily what she thinks!"


    Qiuru teased with augh, obviously seeing that Su Chen had no other intentions towards the young girl.


    Su Chen quickly drove to the entrance of an apartment building. The temporary amodation arranged by the Belle Group was here.


    It was unclear who arranged the rooms, but Su Chen''s was ced right next to Xia Qiuru''s.


    The two wished each other good night and then went into their respective rooms to rest...


    The next morning, Su Chen took Xia Qiuru and two others to Rainbow Mansion. The others could only take a taxi.


    They nned to drive back on the weekend holiday to bring over their cars since they hadn''t had time due to the urgency of this trip.


    Su Chen did not get out of the car, instead he told Xia Qiuru he had some matters to attend to, and then drove off.


    Xia Qiuru was suddenly puzzled. Why did Su Chen have so many things to do the moment he arrived in Yandu? She had never seen him so busy back in Jianghai.


    After leaving Rainbow Mansion, Su Chen drove straight to City South and stopped in front of a courtyard that contained only one building.


    "May I ask who you''re looking for?"


    The guard at the gate immediately asked upon seeing someone approach.


    "Qin Ming."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    The guard at the gate was startled, thinking, who is this person who dares to call the bureau chief by name!


    "Hey, brother-inw, what are you doing here?"


    At that moment, a surprised voice sounded next to Su Chen.


    Hanshuang had not expected to bump into Su Chen at the entrance of the Special Security Bureau.


    "Weren''t you in Jianghai?"


    Su Chen also asked in surprise...

 Chapter 483: Kick Your Ass

    "Pfft, it looks like you really couldn''t care less about me, I''ve been back for a while now."


    Du Hanshuang grumbled with a pout.


    They had been investigating that strange case in Jianghai for quite some time, but apart from that evil spirit pattern, they had garnered no other leads.


    With so many matters at the Special Security Bureau, they couldn''t keep their focus there forever, so Qin Ming had most of the team return, leaving only two people behind to continue searching for clues.


    "Right, you just mentioned you were looking for our Director? Do you know him?"


    Du Hanshuang was equally puzzled. Wasn''t he just an ordinary employee of the Belle Corporation? How could he know someone like the Director?


    But then, considering his connection with her sister and such people, knowing the Director didn''t seem that strange after all.


    Just who was this guy?


    Du Hanshuang started to wonder all over again. She hadn''t neglected to check Su Chen''s file, but naturally, she couldn''t glean anything from the edited document.


    "Sir, may I ask what your name is? I need to check with someone."


    Despite feeling somewhat astounded, the security guard spoke in an official manner, and besides, why did Du Hanshuang, this youngdy, also seem to know him?


    "Brother Fang, his name is Su Chen."


    Du Hanshuang said cheerfully. She was always sweet-talked everyone at the Special Security Bureau, from Qin Ming down to the security guard and even the cooking auntie, so everyone liked her a lot.


    "All right, please wait a moment."


    The guard walked into the booth and called Qin Ming''s office.


    A momentter, the guard came back out and said respectfully:


    "Mr. Su, the Director is waiting for you in his office!"


    When Du Hanshuang heard how the guard''s tone had changed, she immediately knew this must have been the Director''s instruction and became even more curious about him!


    "Brother-inw, let me apany you inside."


    Saying this, Du Hanshuang unceremoniously grabbed his hand and walked in, proceeding all the way into the building.


    When they reached an office door, Du Hanshuang knocked, expecting to hear "Come in" before pushing the door open.


    But after waiting for a moment, when that sound didn''te, she prepared to knock again. Just as her hand was raised, the door suddenly swung open!


    The Director himself was opening the door?!


    Even the na?ve Du Hanshuang understood that Qin Ming wasn''t opening the door for her, but for the man beside her.


    She couldn''t help but feel shocked again; even if her sister came over, she doubted the Director would personally open the door, right?


    "Eh, what are you doing here, you little girl?"


    Qin Ming asked curiously.


    "I was guiding him here, Director. How do you know my brother-inw?"


    "Your brother-inw?"


    Something seemed to dawn on Qin Ming, and he waved his hand:


    "We''ll talk about thister. I have something to discuss with Mr. Su right now. Go about your business."


    "Can I stay here?"


    Du Hanshuang asked hopefully. She really wanted to know what the two of them would talk about.


    "No!"


    Qin Ming''s face turned stern at once.


    "Fine, if it''s a no, then no need to be so grumpy about it."


    Du Hanshuang pouted, gave a face, and left. In the Special Security Bureau, perhaps only she would dare to treat Qin Ming like this.


    Su Chen and Qin Ming both couldn''t help butugh at her reaction.


    "Does she know about you and Hanbing''s situation?"


    Qin Ming asked somewhat pointedly.


    "Kind of."


    Su Chen replied nonchntly.


    Seeing that he didn''t want to dwell on the topic, Qin Ming then said:


    "Come in, I have something I want to ask you about."


    He then led Su Chen into the office and locked the door behind them.


    "I also have something to tell you."


    Su Chen sat down on a sofa and said.


    "I knew it. You never visit without a reason. Just spit it out, what''s the matter?"


    Qin Ming also sat down beside him.


    "First, let''s talk about the recent incident. Guan Zhihui and the others have reported to you already, haven''t they?"


    "That''s exactly what I wanted to ask you about,"


    Qin Ming looked at Su Chen and said:


    "I already know this was a setup targeting you, but who on earth is that person, and what''s the deal with his subordinates?"


    "The first thing I want to talk to you about is rted to this matter. That person''s name is Tang Gang. The Skull Society that has recently risen in the Dark World is created by him."


    "The Skull Society is created by him? Are you sure?"


    Qin Ming stood up abruptly, incredulously eximing upon hearing this.


    Of course, he knew of the Skull Society; over the past year, they had been the most notorious in the Dark World.


    Qin Ming had certainly studied them, but due to theck of information, he had not been very sessful.


    "I''m sure. What I want to discuss with you today are his subordinates, they are all Gene Modifiers."


    Su Chen then exined in detail to Qin Ming the origin and dangers of these Gene Modifiers.


    Of course, Su Chen did not reveal his rtionship and grievances with Tang Gang to Qin Ming, as there was no need to do so.


    At first, Qin Ming had not taken it too seriously, but as he listened, his expression grew more and more serious.


    "You''vee to talk to me about this because there''s something you need my help with. Just make your request, don''t hold back!"


    Qin Ming said with firm conviction, knowing the consequences would be unimaginable if the madman were allowed to continue unabated!


    "What I need are top experts in gics. Actually, I have already recruited the most authoritative doctor in this field to research how to counter these Gene Modifiers."


    Su Chen said earnestly:


    "However, one person''s energy is limited, and their efficiency won''t be very high."


    "I understand, I''ll take care of it."


    Qin Ming now grasped Su Chen''s purpose.


    "Alright, now that this matter is settled, it''s time to talk about the second issue."


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and said.


    "What else is there?"


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen looked at Qin Ming with a yful gaze.


    "It''s only been a few days, how could it be so soon?"


    Qin Ming knew exactly what he was asking about, but just thinking about it gave him a headache.


    "I know. I''m just reminding you not to forget. I''lle for the news after a month,"


    Su Chen stood up from the sofa, nced at him, and said:


    "After a month, if you still have no news, don''t me me for kicking your ass in front of your subordinates!"


    Upon hearing this, Qin Ming''s body shuddered, and he quickly said:


    "A month is too short. How about three months?"


    He knew this bastard would do as he said. If it really happened, could he still save face in front of the subordinates and leaders?


    "Just one month. No matter what the news, it must be reliable and useful!"


    Having said that, Su Chen walked out, opening the doors of his office.


    This guy wouldn''t put in all his effort without a bit of pressure.


    However, he also understood, as it involved the top families.


    If it wasn''t necessary, who would want to provoke such entities, even though he was the head of the Special Security Bureau.


    "By the way, Hanbing has had a tough few years. You should visit her when you get the chance."


    Just as he stepped out the door, Qin Ming''s voice followed from behind.


    Su Chen''s body paused slightly, then he continued to walk forward...

 Chapter 484: The Legend of the Dragon

    The Pei Family''s backyard had a river that connected with the external waterways, a flowing river.


    At that moment, two elders were sitting by the river, fishing. The rods in their hands were not the sophisticated kind, but simple bamboos.


    One of the elders wore a purple Tang suit, exuding an aura of elegance and nobility, his silent presencemanding attention!


    The face of the elder beside him wore a rxed and carefree expression, dressed in a gray Taoist robe, he looked as if he had stepped out of a legend.


    Behind them, a woman sat in a wheelchair, smiling as she watched the two men fish, without uttering a word.


    "Mr. Zhuge, it''s been ten years since youst visited our Pei family. What brings you here today?"


    The elder in the Tang suit asked casually while looking at the float in the river.


    The elder in the Taoist robe did not answer his question, instead he remarked gently,


    "This flowing river in the backyard of your Pei family has a legend attached to it, did you know?"


    "I have never heard of such a thing, Mr. Zhuge. Please enlighten me," responded the man in the Tang suit with a hint of interest sparked by the Taoist elder''sment.


    "Legend has it, there was no river here originally but a field. One day, a young dragon, out of curiosity, secretly flew out from its home. Having never seen the outside world, it was utterly fascinated and flew farther and farther away."


    "When it felt too much time had passed, it wanted to go home, but having flown too far, it had forgotten the way back. It started to panic and soared through the sky tirelessly trying to find its way home."


    "However, after a long while, it still failed to find the way. When it arrived here, it finally exhausted thest bit of its strength and fell from the sky, creating a great crater."


    "At that time, it had barely any strength left. Needing to drink and eat, it used its dragon whiskers to continuously dig through the soil, eventually connecting the crater with the external river."


    "Then the river water and fish swarmed over. The young dragon found nourishment, and a few dayster, it finally regained its strength and flew away, this time finding its way home."


    "As this young dragon grew, it became the Dragon King. To express its gratitude, it made a pact with Hao Tian, voluntarily sacrificing nine thousand years of its lifespan in exchange for eternal wealth and glory for the people living here!"


    "Mr. Zhuge, are you suggesting that everything my Pei family possesses today was exchanged for by that dragon''s lifespan?"


    The elder in the Tang suitughed after hearing this.


    "What do you think of this story, Old Master Pei?" asked the Taoist elder, seemingly indifferent.


    "The story is interesting, but it''s full of holes and falls apart under scrutiny," the elder in the Tang suit said, shaking his head slightly.


    "Girl, what do you think of this story?" The Taoist elder turned and asked the woman in the wheelchair.


    The woman pondered for a moment before softly starting,


    "I think Mr. Zhuge hase to our Pei family today and shared such a story surely with an intent."


    The elder in the Tang suit smiled silently, well aware that Mr. Zhuge wouldn''t tell such a story without a reason.


    He just hadn''t figured out the other''s motive yet, so he remained silent.


    "So, what precisely is my intent? Girl, why don''t you guess?" asked the Taoist elder with a slight smile.


    "Mr. Zhuge, are you testing me?"


    The woman in the wheelchair couldn''t help butugh:


    "Then I shall hazard a guess, and you will humor me."


    "Alright, let''s hear it."


    "I think, Mr. Zhuge, you are referring to that young dragon. If I guess correctly, there must be someone who hase to Yandu, and this person is greatly associated with my Pei Family or should bring considerable fortune to us!"


    "Truly worthy of being a phoenix girl, with an astute and incisive mind, quick to understand!"


    The Taoist elder looked at the woman, his smile filled with a profound sense of admiration.


    The elder in the Tang suit felt a tremor in his heart upon hearing this and hurriedly asked,


    "Who is this person exactly?"


    "You will know soon enough. Whether you can seize the opportunity with this dragon will be up to your Pei Family," said the Taoist elder.


    The Daoist elder burst outughing and put down his bamboo pole as he stood up.


    He looked up at the clouds in the sky and murmured,


    "A storm ising to Yandu..."


    Then he nced at the woman in the wheelchair and sighed,


    "Girl, your destined tribtion is approaching. It''s up to you to handle it."


    "Since it''s a tribtion, I can''t avoid it, so I''ll just ept it peacefully."


    The girl in the wheelchair seemed unfazed and smiled lightly.


    Hearing this, the Daoist elder burst intoughter,


    "Well said! I never thought an old man like me wouldn''t see as clearly as you, girl!"


    After speaking, the Daoist elder drifted away...


    .....


    In the following days, Su Chen didn''t have much to do and mostly stayed in Rainbow Mansion. Of course, he spent most of his time in Xia Qiuru''s office, almost driving her to distraction from her work.


    "Alright, you stay here. I''m going out to meet a client. I''ll probably have dinner with them too, so have dinner on your own."


    Xia Qiuru stood up from her chair and said, since she had been dining with Su Chen these days, that''s why she mentioned it.


    "Who are you meeting? Maybe I''ll join you."


    Su Chen said, as he didn''t have anything else to do at the corporation anyway.


    "No need, I can manage on my own."


    She had always wanted to meet him but couldn''t, and now that this guy was sticking around her every day, she wished he''d disappear because he was really annoying!


    If she didn''t need to work, she would actually enjoy hispany. But she needed to work most of the time!


    And him being by her side meant that work, which would normally take half an hour, couldn''t be finished without two hours.


    "Alright then."


    Seeing Xia Qiuru "disliking" him so much, Su Chen could only pout, thankfully he still had those girls from the public rtions department to keep himpany!


    As a new battlefield, the public rtions department was of course of utmost importance, and Lin Ruoxue had transferred half of the department''s personnel to Yandu.


    "Minister, you''re really bold, daring to flirt with Manager Xia while Boss Lin is away,"


    as soon as Su Chen walked in, Zhao Lin immediately came over and said.


    Now that everyone was on the same floor, Su Chen''s every move was naturally not hidden from others.


    "What are you imagining? I just have some work matters to discuss with Manager Xia,"


    Su Chen naturally couldn''t admit it, in case it reached his wife''s ears¡ªthat would spell doom, wouldn''t it?


    "Please, I don''t believe that. It''s only because Manager Xia is beautiful. If she were ugly, I doubt you''d have so many work matters to discuss."


    Ran Ting also scoffed disdainfully.


    His frequent interactions with the beautiful women of the public rtions department made them well aware of what kind of person the minister was.


    "Alright, alright, stop idling and get back to work!"


    His true motives exposed with a single remark, Su Chen blushed and pretended to be serious as he spoke.


    "Every time it''s the same; as soon as your vile nature is exposed, this is what you do."


    The others, discontented, returned to their seats to start working again.


    Su Chen also settled down at his desk and started looking through a magazine. What else could he do if he wasn''t looking at magazines?


    With Xia Qiuru away, Su Chen ordered a fast-food meal from a nearby restaurant and began to eat.


    But just as he was halfway through his meal, his phone rang. It was Xia Qiuru''s female assistant calling, so he immediately answered.


    "Minister Su, Manager Xia has been attacked, pleasee and save her!"


    As soon as the phone connected, panicked and fearful crying could be heard from the other end...

 Chapter 485: Does It Hurt?

    The western restaurant was a famous upscale establishment in the east of Yandu, frequented by sessful individuals.


    On ordinary days, the patrons would dine quietly, conversing in low voices, as most people who came here were rtively well-mannered.


    However, at that moment, no one was sitting at their tables; everyone had gathered around one in particr.


    Seated beside that table was a corpulent man with sparse hair that revealed a balding scallop, his belly round and bulging.


    He wore a limited-edition Corneliani suit, which, despite its quality, looked incongruous on him, much like a finely dressed monkey.


    Moreover, the front of his suit was marked with a conspicuous red wine stain, making it look even more awkward.


    Behind the fat man stood four or five men, each with a face full of flesh, obviously not the friendly type.


    In front of the obese man was a woman, pinned down on her knees by two men.


    Her hair was in disarray, her face marred with intersecting finger marks, even seeping traces of blood!


    Despite her disheveled appearance, her finely sculpted features were still discernible, and her beautiful eyes were filled with anger and terror.


    "What on earth is going on here?"


    Some neers, unaware of the situation, asked their neighbors.


    "I''m not too sure either. It seems they were discussing a project, but then the man said something offensive and even got physical. The woman, unable to bear it, sshed a ss of wine at him, and then things escted to this."


    "This is seriously uncouth, to do such a thing in public!"


    "You probably don''t know who this fat guy is. His name is Ge Gang, and he''s the boss of ck Horse Real Estate. He''s a notorious lecher in the industry. It''s rumored that every somewhat attractive female employee in hispany has been preyed upon by him, he even doesn''t spare pregnant women!"


    "I''ve heard about this Ge Gang too. His character is indeed questionable. Given how attractive this woman is, no wonder he had ill intentions."


    "Howe no one deals with a guy like this? He''spletelywless!"


    A younger man spat out these words.


    However, upon hearing this, everyone else fell silent as if they had heard nothing.


    "If you won''t do something, I will!"


    The young man spoke up and was about to step forward to intervene, partly because of his youthful impulsiveness and partly because the woman kneeling on the ground was an exceptional beauty.


    If that woman had been an unattractive one that even dogs would ignore, he likely wouldn''t have bothered with this matter.


    But just as he was about to step forward, someone at his side pulled at his sleeve:


    "Brother, don''t be rash! This man is not someone you can afford to provoke!"


    "He''s just a small real estatepany boss; what''s there to be afraid of? Today, I just feel like provoking him."


    The young man said carelessly. His father was also a well-known figure in Yandu with a worth of twenty to thirty billion.


    As for this ck Horse Real Estate, he had never even heard of it¡ªsurely it couldn''t belong to any formidable figure.


    "He might not be anything special, but his sister is extraordinary!"


    "His sister? What''s so special about his sister?"


    "It''s said that his sister is Zheng Min''s mistress, although it''s not certain if this is true. Ge Gang used to be a thug; he made his fortune through his sister."


    Upon hearing this, the young man''s heart shuddered, and he hastily retracted his step!


    His righteous indignation vanished instantly, and he quietly became an onlooker; several other men who had been eager to act also quickly became quiet.


    That was Zheng Min¡ªalthough only a younger member from a side branch of the Zheng Family, he was still one of the Zhengs!


    Was the Zheng Family someone he could provoke? That would just bring trouble upon himself and his family.


    Moreover, the young male members of the Zheng Family were few, and although Zheng Min was from a side branch, his position within the family was not low.


    Once they realized that this man might be connected to the Zheng Family, everyone became as quiet as a mouse in the presence of a cat.


    "You stinking woman, you actually dared to ssh me with wine, and now you regret it, don''t you?"


    Ge Gang looked at the woman kneeling in front of him, feeling a surge of satisfaction in his heart:


    "If you are willing to serve me, I might just spare you!"


    Ge Gang licked his somewhat dry lips as he ogled the slim and graceful figure of the woman, his small eyes gleaming with lust!


    Whether it was her face or her figure, this woman was enchanting, such a rarity even in Yandu.


    "Don''t even think about it, you pig!"


    Xia Qiuru''s eyes brimmed with angry mes as she rebuked him coldly!


    She never expected that a business negotiation today would lead her to encounter such a pervert!


    "What did you say, say it again if you dare!"


    Ge Gang suddenly stood up, and his face instantly darkened.


    As a corpulent man, there was nothing he could tolerate less than being called a pig; it was his taboo!


    Despite being a woman, Xia Qiuru felt terrified by Ge Gang''s raging demeanor and didn''t dare to curse him again!


    "p!"


    Ge Gang did not let her off, however; another loud p struck Xia Qiuru''s face, burning fiercely!


    "Since you refuse the toast only to drink a forfeit, I''ll oblige you!"


    Ge Gang spewed out venomously:


    "I like it fiery like you!"


    "After I''ve had my fun, I''ll let my bodyguards take good care of you, guaranteeing you can''t stop and will be overwhelmed with pleasure! Hahaha~~~"


    Ge Gangughed hideously, a twisted pleasure rising in his heart!


    Upon hearing Geng Gang''s words, Xia Qiuru turned pale with fright!


    If that were to happen, she''d rather be dead!


    Yet now, controlled by Ge Gang''s bodyguards, it was highly unlikely she could even die if she wanted to!


    "Alright, take her away, back to the hotel where I''ll keep herpany!"


    Ge Gang, leaning on the chair''s backrest, slowly rose from the seat with his hefty body.


    The two bodyguards controlling Xia Qiuru dragged her up from the ground, ready to take her away.


    At this moment, Xia Qiuru was utterly terrified, not daring to imagine the tragic fate that awaited her shortly!


    Just then, at the entrance of the restaurant, she saw a familiar figure walking in!


    In that instant, it was as if she saw hope, her beautiful eyes suddenly brightening:


    "Su Chen, save me!"


    Su Chen had also spotted Xia Qiuru, and when he saw her disheveled hair and the clear finger marks on her face, his expression turned cold!


    He strode over, each step he took fueling the rage in his heart!


    Ignoring everyone else, he slowly approached Xia Qiuru, then reached out to gently touch her lovely face, asking with concern:


    "Does it hurt?"


    "It doesn''t hurt!"


    Xia Qiuru suddenly shed tears of joy and shook her head.

 Chapter 486: Raising the Flag

    "What? Your sweetheart is here, you think you''re saved now?"


    Ge Gang sneered, seeing their affectionate manner, he naturally assumed they were a couple.


    However, he didn''t care, how could he take such a young man seriously?


    Su Chen, however, ignored Ge Gangpletely, nor did he pay attention to the bodyguards holding Xia Qiuru. Instead, he looked apologetically at Xia Qiuru and said:


    "I''m sorry, I''mte."


    "Kid, I advise you to be sensible, this woman is mine now. If you don''t want to die, get lost!"


    Seeing Su Chen ignoring him, Ge Gang immediately became a bit angry.


    "It''s okay now."


    Su Chen gently wiped the tears from Xia Qiuru''s eyes, then turned around and stared sharply at Ge Gang:


    "Did you do this?"


    "What if I did?"


    Ge Gang felt a chill in his heart under Su Chen''s re, but still raised his head and spat out the words.


    "Who elseid a hand on her?"


    Su Chen''s cold gaze swept over the faces of Ge Gang''s bodyguards.


    "What, you want to exact revenge for her?"


    Ge Gang was confused by Su Chen''s series of actions since he had arrived, finding him somewhat baffling.


    This guy asked who elseid hands on her, could it be he wanted to teach everyone who did a lesson?


    What a joke, a young guy with such a small build?


    Not only Ge Gang, but the onlookers thought roughly the same.


    Ignoring Ge Gang''s connection with the Zheng family, even the stout bodyguards around him were more than enough for this young man.


    Su Chen nced at Ge Gang and said lightly:


    "The heavens want to rain, a mother wants to marry off her daughter, some people seek their death. Since you are looking for death, I can only oblige!"


    "What, you say I''m seeking death?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Ge Gang felt this newly appeared young man was incredibly arrogant.


    "I really want to see, between the two of us, who is seeking death!"


    Ge Gang angrily pointed at Su Chen and eximed.


    However, just then, Su Chen''s hand shot out like lightning and grabbed Ge Gang''s extended arm, then suddenly mmed it onto the table.


    At the same time, he picked up a fork from the table and stabbed it down into the back of Ge Gang''s hand!


    "Pfft!"


    The fork pierced through Ge Gang''s hand back, embedding it in the table, and blood immediately began to flow!


    "Ah~~"


    Ge Gang immediately felt a sharp pain and howled...


    He quickly reached out his other hand to pull the fork out, but Su Chen was faster, grabbing his other hand and pressing it on the table, then picked up a knife from the table and stabbed down without hesitation!


    Simrly, it pierced through his hand back, pinning it to the table!


    "Ah~~~~"


    Ge Gang immediately let out an even more agony-filled scream, a sound that made people shudder!


    The crowd watching this scene waspletely dumbfounded!


    Because everything had happened so quickly and without any warning!


    The young man acted as if he hadn''t even thought it through!


    "Trash him!"


    After letting out a series of screams, with bloodshot eyes, Ge Gang roared!


    The bodyguards next to him finally snapped out of it, pulling out their expandable batons and smashing towards Su Chen!


    The batons whistled through the air, as if breaking the void, carrying immense force!


    The onlookers turned away, unable to bear the sight, and sighed sadly: "This young man is doomed!"


    s, everyone wants to be a hero and save the beauty, but one must weigh their own capabilities! After all, there are so many bodyguards!


    And these bodyguards looked extremely ruthless¡ªwhat could a little-skill possibly change?


    However, when they turned back to see how the young man was doing, they werepletely dumbfounded!


    There he was, still standing perfectly fine, while all the bodyguards, including the two who had been holding the woman, had fallen.


    Several of them had even passed out, and those who were awake were rolling on the ground in agony.


    What, what, what on earth just happened?


    The crowd thought they were seeing things and rubbed their eyes before staring wide-eyed again . . .


    And Ge Gang, whose hands were nailed to the table, unable to move, was filled with shock. How could this young man be so formidable?


    After all, the people he had hired were not ordinary; a single one could handle five to sixmon folk easily. How could they all have fallen in the blink of an eye?


    "Don''te here, you, what do you want to do?"


    Seeing Su Chen approaching, Ge Gang was so frightened that his legs trembled and his teeth chattered . . .


    "I would never have thought thating to Yandu would mean dealing with an insignificant guy like you to make a statement."


    Su Chen shook his head and chuckled bitterly.


    Then, grabbing the back of his cor and giving a gentle tug, a harsh "rip" sounded instantaneously¡ªthe sound of Ge Gang''s hands tearing due to the forks and knives.


    Due to his hands being fixed by the cutlery, Su Chen''s pullpletely ripped them apart!


    "Ah~~~~"


    The pain was iparable to earlier, and a sky-high wailing emerged from Ge Gang''s mouth.


    The onlookers, witnessing this gruesome scene, immediately drew a cold breath!


    That was too harsh! It even pained them to watch!


    Looking at the young man again, his face remained expressionless¡ªno, he was smiling, his eyes, and the corners of his mouth even bore a hint of amusement!


    At that moment, Su Chen''s hand still held the back of his cor, and with a gentle flick, Ge Gang''s body immediately flew towards a wall like a cannonball!


    "Bang!"


    His plump body made intimate contact with the wall and then fell straight down.


    Ge Gang immediately felt as though several of his bones had broken, each spot throbbing with excruciating pain!


    "Wow!"


    Ge Gang couldn''t help it and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood!


    The onlookers werepletely terrified by Su Chen''s fierce approach, each of their eyes filled with shock!


    "It''s unbelievable. This young man is so fierce!"


    "Yes, no wonder he dares to stand out! Turns out he''s a trained fighter!"


    "Not just that, he seems to be a brutally decisive person too!"


    .....


    "So what, this guy has no idea how deep Yandu''s waters run. He might be enjoying himself today, but don''t forget, Ge Gang''s brother-inw is Zheng Min of the Zheng Family¡ªif Zheng Min steps in, can he still be so arrogant?"


    At that moment, an incongruous voice spoke up.


    Upon hearing this, the onlookers fell silent . . .


    Indeed, with Zheng Min stepping in, it wouldn''t matter how good the kid was at fighting!


    Upon hearing the people''s discussions, Su Chen''s eyes brightened, and the smile on his face deepened slightly.


    I wouldn''t have guessed that this insignificant guy would have some use after all!

 Chapter 487: Madman? Devil?

    Su Chen had long since set his sights on the Five Great Families, so naturally, he had already made clear of their basic information.


    He knew that this Zheng Min was a coteral rtive of the Zheng Family, holding some sway within the family, and also in good terms with the Zheng Family''s elder Young Master.


    "They say your sister is Zheng Min''s woman, is that true?"


    Su Chen squatted down in front of Ge Gang and asked.


    "That''s right, now you''re afraid, aren''t you? Regretting it now?"


    Upon hearing his question, a triumphant look immediately shed in Ge Gang''s eyes:


    "I''m telling you, it''s toote, you bastard, I''m going to make your life worse than death."


    Xia Qiuru, who was standing by, was also stunned when she heard this. She knew Su Chen was not a simple character and had witnessed his formidable actions before.


    So when Su Chen had taught Ge Gang and his bodyguards a lesson earlier, she had not said a word.


    From her perspective, since Su Chen was here, all matters naturally fell to him, and no matter what he did, she just needed to stand by his side.


    But she had never imagined that Ge Gang would have ties to the Zheng Family!


    Although Xia Qiuru did not know much about Yandu, even her limited knowledge was enough to understand the Zheng Family, let alone the kind of presence they represented!


    The Four Great Families of Jianghai were already an unshakeable presence in her eyes, and the Zheng Family''s power was many times greater than that of Jianghai''s Four Great Families!


    "Mr. Ge, both parties were at fault today. How about we just let it go?"


    Xia Qiuru felt that she had stirred up a big problem, so she tried to make peace:


    "I will make thergestpensation to you; please show some mercy, alright?"


    "Show mercy?"


    Ge Gang seemed to have been driven a little mad by Su Chen''s beating, suddenly breaking into wildughter, followed by a look of venomous hatred in his eyes:


    "Dream on! He''s your man, right? I''m going to take you right in front of him! To let him watch helplessly in agony, powerless! Hahaha!!!"


    After saying that, he burst into another fit of maniacalughter, his expression twisting into one of ferocity.


    "You! You¡­!"


    Xia Qiuru never expected Ge Gang to say something so shameless and was immediately furious!


    "Hmph, I''m afraid you''ll never have that chance!"


    Su Chen stood up, his face revealing a trace of chilling intent.


    This coldness made Ge Gang shiver involuntarily:


    "What do you mean!"


    "Exactly what I mean!"


    Su Chen said indifferently, at the same time lifting his foot, and then bringing it down heavily!


    The ce where his footnded was right at the root of Ge Gang''s thigh, that most important part for a man!


    The onlookers even vaguely heard the sound of something bursting and unconsciously closed their thighs, covering their private parts!


    "Ah~~~~!"


    Ge Gang screamed again, writhing on the ground in agony!


    People always say it''s a pain in the eggs, which now illustrates the immense pain Ge Gang was enduring!


    The gaze of the onlookers towards the young man turned unpredictable.


    What was the background of this young man?!


    How audacious was he to keep on attacking, oh no, to keep on kicking, after knowing about Ge Gang''s connection with the Zheng Family!


    And he kicked so ruthlessly! This was practically cutting off his lineage!


    Was he heated by Ge Gang''s words, acting impulsively, or did he have the confidence, not even taking Zheng Min or even the Zheng Family into consideration?


    The second possibility was immediately dismissed by everyone, as in the whole of Huaxia, who would dare not take the Zheng Family seriously?


    They all tended to lean toward the first possibility, that Su Chen had suddenly be agitated and lost control, especially since the words Ge Gang had just said were truly unbearable, no man could stand it!


    However, just when everyone thought it was over, Su Chen abruptly grabbed one of Ge Gang''s arms, still tumbling, and then fiercely swung it, whirling Ge Gang''s hefty body over his own head, before mming it down onto a dining table with great force!


    "Boom!"


    The solid wood dining table smashed to pieces in an instant, and Ge Gang''s body was heavily mmed onto the ground!


    Yet, at this moment, his arm was still in Su Chen''s hand, as he once again swung the already unconscious Ge Gang, smashing him towards another dining table nearby!


    The effect was just like before ¡ª the dining table shattered to bits, wooden splinters flew everywhere, and Ge Gang''s body was heavily mmed onto the ground!


    The already unconscious Ge Gang, due to the severe pain, woke up again, and then Su Chen continued to whirl his body, smashing it toward the next table...


    Like this, Su Chen smashed one table after another, and Ge Gang in this process kept losing consciousness, only to wake up again, and then lose consciousness once more!


    In no time, the thirty-some dining tables in the restaurant had all been smashed to ruins...


    Atst, Su Chen casually tossed Ge Gang''s body toward a fish tank by the wall.


    "ng!"


    The ss fish tank immediately shattered under the impact of Ge Gang''s hefty frame, water poured all over the floor and the fish inside flopped about on the ground, while Ge Gang himself sank into the remains of the fish tank and passed out...


    At this point, everyone waspletely dumbfounded, their eyes fixated on the scattered wooden splinters, their mouths agape...


    Who can tell me what just happened? Was that an illusion?


    Is he trying to y Ge Gang to death?!


    This person is simply a thorough madman! A devil!


    Not only them, but Xia Qiuru was also stunned. It wasn''t that she found Su Chen too cruel, but she was thinking:


    This is troublesome now, when Ge Gang wakes up, he''ll definitely have his sister ask Zheng Min for retribution!


    What will Su Chen do then?


    However, Su Chen behaved as if nothing had happened. He walked over to the waiter, who stood dumb as a wooden chicken, and handed him a business card:


    "Let your boss calcte the losses and call me to let me know whatpensation is needed."


    "Ah, okay, okay,"


    The waiter nodded vigorously in response.


    "Alright, now that it''s resolved, let''s go."


    Su Chen walked over to Xia Qiuru with a smile, took her hand, and headed towards the restaurant''s exit...


    Xia Qiuru, like a puppet, followed behind him, her mind in total disarray...


    By now it was already past seven in the evening; Su Chen bought some medicine and then took Xia Qiuru back to the apartment.


    "I''ll apply the medicine for you first," Su Chen said after entering Xia Qiuru''s room.


    "Okay,"


    Xia Qiuru responded somewhat dazedly, her head still feeling a bit dizzy.


    Then the two of them sat down side by side on the sofa.


    "Turn slightly towards me," Su Chen said.


    "Okay,"


    Xia Qiuru immediately turned her face towards him and sat facing Su Chen.


    Su Chen dabbed a cotton swab in some medicinal liquid and then leaned forward slightly, gently applying the liquid on Xia Qiuru''s face with very gentle movements.


    Xia Qiuru, finding Su Chen''s face very close to hers, suddenly became a bit nervous...

 Chapter 488: Its Enough That Your Surname is Su

    "Does it hurt a lot?"


    Su Chen looked at Xia Qiuru''s once delicate skin, now in such a state, and felt very distressed.


    "No, it''s nothing, it''s, it''s stopped hurting a while ago."


    Xia Qiuru said somewhat unnaturally.


    "Stopped hurting? Just look at it."


    Su Chen continued to dip a little bit of the medicine and gently dabbed it on her face, all the while softly blowing on it.


    The breath from his mouth not only made Xia Qiuru''s face feel tingly, but her heart was tingling as well.


    Her face couldn''t help but flush red, luckily her skin was already quite red, so it wasn''t too noticeable.


    "How did you know I was in trouble?"


    To disguise her increasingly chaotic heartbeat, Xia Qiuru asked casually.


    "Your assistant Xiao Xu told me. She said she came back from the bathroom, saw you were in trouble, and hid to make a call to me."


    "Oh, right, where is Xiao Xu?"


    With so much happening, Xia Qiuru had almost forgotten about her female assistant.


    "Don''t worry, I had her sneak back here right away."


    Su Chen said with a smile, continuing to apply the medicine.


    After about fifteen minutes, Su Chen finally finished applying the medicine to both sides of Xia Qiuru''s face.


    Only when their distance widened a little did Xia Qiuru''s racing heart begin to calm down, just slightly.


    "Su Chen, you beat that man so badly today, what if Zheng Family''s Zheng Mines after you?"


    Xia Qiuru asked worriedly.


    "Are you worried about me?"


    Su Chen looked at her and curved his lips into a faint smile.


    "I''m being serious," Xia Qiuru said anxiously, "That was someone from the Zheng Family!"


    "Don''t worry, I have a n, nothing will happen."


    Su Chen patted her on the shoulder,forting her.


    "But..."


    Xia Qiuru hadn''t finished speaking when Su Chen looked into her eyes and asked:


    "Do you trust me?"


    "Of course, I trust you, but..."


    "There are no ''buts,'' I can only tell you that today, I deliberately made it that bad."


    Su Chen said with a mysterious smile:


    "I''m not that brainless, right?"


    "Deliberately?"


    Listening to Su Chen, Xia Qiuru became somewhat baffled.


    "Alright, don''t think too much about it, everything is under my control, rest easy."


    Su Chen stood up and said:


    "You should rest early, the cuts on your face will heal in a day or two without leaving any scars."


    "You should rest early too."


    Xia Qiuru nodded and said.


    After Su Chen left, Xia Qiuruy thinking about the meaning behind Su Chen''s words, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t understand.


    However, one thing did reassure her ¨C Su Chen did not seem to be acting impulsively, but rather, it appeared he had given the matter careful thought.


    That night, in a hospital room at Yandu First People''s Hospital, a man wrapped in bandagesy resembling a mummy.


    At his bedside stood a woman dressed seductively, who had both a decent appearance and figure.


    "Little sister, you must avenge your brother. I must make that couple pay a price a thousandfold!"


    The man barked at the woman through clenched teeth, his exposed eyes shooting out intense mes of hatred!


    The doctors had already told him that he waspletely paralyzed; he would have to spend his life in bed, and even sitting in a wheelchair was a luxury.


    In other words, his life was utterly ruined!


    But his good days had only just begun less than two years ago; he was unwilling, utterly unwilling!


    He wanted revenge, revenge against the man who had ruined his life, which was now the only motivation keeping him alive!


    "Brother, don''t worry, the young master Zheng Min is currently abroad on business. The moment he returns, I''ll speak with him immediately. I will make sure young master Zheng hands that person over to you to deal with, whether to kill or to carve!"


    The woman spat out her words with an icy face.


    She was merely one of Zheng Min''s mistresses, and a mistress must know her ce, so she did not dare to disturb Zheng Min while he was working.


    "Good, I can wait!"


    The man said heavily, a sharp glint ring in his eyes, as if he could already see his enemies kneeling before him¡­


    ```


    .....


    The next morning, Su Chen took Xia Qiuru and two other female colleagues to work. As for the other two female colleagues, naturally, they were the beauties from the PR department. Who would it be? It depended on who managed to grab a seat!


    Today, the ones who snatched the seats were Ran Ting and Shu Yin. Shu Yin was just lucky, catching Su Chen as he was leaving, while Ran Ting tricked another woman off the car and quickly slipped in.


    "General Manager Xia, does our chief have some ulterior motives towards you?"


    Sitting in the backseat, Ran Ting suddenly asked with a yful look on her face.


    "Not at all, why do you say that?"


    Xia Qiuru was taken aback but covered it up well.


    "Because our chief can''t seem to walk straight whenever he sees a beauty, right?"


    Ran Ting said with a smile.


    Xia Qiuru burst intoughter and gave Su Chen a sideways nce:


    "It seems your subordinates know you very well!"


    "Ran Ting, don''t ruin the reputation and the majestic image of this chief. Am I that kind of person?"


    Su Chen said with a stern face, trying to sound serious.


    "Chief, stop pretending. Which of the women from the PR department haven''t you flirted with?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s hand trembled, nearly hitting the car next to them.


    "Feeling guilty now, can''t even hold the steering wheel steady, can you?"


    Ran Ting taunted with a smirk.


    "Guilty about what, guilty?"


    Su Chen retorted with feignedposure:


    "Shu Yin, you tell them. Am I that kind of person?"


    "I, I don''t know."


    Shu Yin said bashfully.


    "Hmph, you still have the nerve to ask Shu Yin, didn''t you tell herst time that her chest was too t, and even duped her into believing massage would make it bigger?"


    Ran Ting said with a sneer.


    Shu Yin''s face turned scarlet with shyness upon hearing this.


    Meanwhile, Xia Qiuru looked at Su Chen with a meaningful smile ying on her lips.


    "You don''t believe her, do you?"


    Su Chen grew anxious under Xia Qiuru''s gaze.


    "I do!"


    Xia Qiuru nodded earnestly. Having known him for so long, how could she not know his temperament? This was definitely something this bad guy would do!


    "Haha~, it seems General Manager Xia knows you pretty well too!"


    Upon hearing Xia Qiuru''s assertive "I do", Ran Ting burst intoughter.


    "All right, you''ve sullied the innocence of this chief today!"


    Su Chen said resentfully.


    "You had innocence?"


    Xia Qiuru and Ran Ting said in unison, unable to hold back another round ofughter.


    Actually, Shu Yin wanted to say the same thing; she was just too embarrassed to do so...


    Su Chen looked at their smug expressions and felt extremely frustrated...


    ......


    The Imperial Map Tower, the most renowned and highest skyscraper in Yandu, stands at the heart of the city and has be one of Yandu''sndmark buildings.


    At this moment, in the office on the top floor, a middle-aged woman still radiating charm was sitting at her desk, sipping coffee.


    In front of her, a man in a ck suit was reporting something.


    "Is that all?"


    The woman nced up at him briefly.


    "Yes, Mistress, I am ipetent and could only find out this much."


    The man spoke cautiously.


    "That''s enough, you may go."


    "Yes."


    After the man left, the woman holding her coffee went to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window.


    She watched the clouds rolling by and murmured softly:


    "All I need to know is that you too bear the surname Su!"


    ```

 Chapter 489: Yunlongs Decision

    Although she had no substantial evidence at hand, this woman believed her intuition was not wrong!


    Based solely on his surname being Su and the three bunches of fresh flowers in front of the three tombstones at the Su Family cemetery, especially that bunch ofrkspurs!


    "It seems, some ns need to be adjusted."


    She silently said to herself, her eyes suddenly moistening a bit.


    ......


    That same morning, in the living room of the Yun Family in Jianghai, Yun Shiqing, Yunyao, and Yunlong were sitting around a table.


    "Yunlong, why did you call me and your sister over early in the morning?"


    Yunyao picked up the teapot from the table, poured herself a cup of tea, and then nced at him jokingly said,


    "Look at that serious little face."


    However, hearing Yunyao''s words, Yunlong remained solemn, with not a hint of a smile.


    "Son, what''s the matter?"


    Yun Shiqing also noticed Yunlong''s unusual demeanor and asked.


    Yunlong did not answer, his face showing a mix of heaviness and conflict as if he was in pain and had a difficult decision to make.


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao exchanged nces, both feeling that Yunlong was very off today.


    "Brother, what''s the matter, just tell us directly; you''re making us anxious."


    Yunyao asked again, and Yun Shiqing also looked somewhat worried, as it was rare to see Yunlong like this!


    At that moment, Yunlong finally clenched his teeth, then abruptly pulled back his chair and "thud" knelt on the ground!


    This scene immediately frightened Yun Shiqing and Yunyao, who quickly said,


    "What are you doing, get up quickly!"


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao immediately ran around the table trying to help Yunlong up.


    At this point, they were even more puzzled. What was happening with Yunlong?


    "No, I won''t get up, father, stand still."


    Yunyao brushed aside their hands and pushed them back slightly.


    Yun Shiqing and Yunyao stood there, stunned, their minds in a fog.


    What exactly is going on here?


    While they were confused, Yunlong kowtowed three times to Yun Shiqing and then looked up at them and said,


    "Dad, sister, I have something to tell you."


    "If you have something to say, stand up and say it."


    They again tried to pull Yunlong up, but his knees seemed glued to the floor, and they couldn''t lift him at all.


    No wonder, between one being advanced in age and the other a woman, how could they physically lift Yunlong, who had once been an ace special forces soldier?


    "Dad, sister, I can only talk to you on my knees today."


    Yunlong said gravely.


    Yunyao was still trying to pull him up, but was stopped by a hand extended by Yun Shiqing:


    "If he wants to speak while kneeling, let him speak."


    He also realized that his son had made a major decision, and whatever he was going to say must be no small matter.


    Yunyao looked at her father, finally drew her hands back, and watched Yunlong, who had a solemn expression on his face.


    "Alright, go ahead, I''m all ears."


    Yun Shiqing nodded slightly.


    "Dad, sister, I want to leave the Yun Family!"


    As soon as these words were out, Yun Shiqing and his daughter were struck as if by a thunderp, their minds going nk!


    Staring nkly at Yunlong, they werepletely dumbfounded!


    Indeed, they both faintly sensed that whatever Yunlong was going to say it would not be simple, but they never imagined he would say these words!


    "What did you say?"


    Yun Shiqing''s hands were already trembling with anger as he endured the rage, his face turning livid as he spoke.


    Seeing her father like this, Yunyao''s heart couldn''t help but tremble; it was the first time she had seen her father this angry, and she quickly said:


    "Dad, calm down, my brother is just joking."


    "I am not joking. I am serious. I want to break away from the Yun Family!"


    Yunlong looked up at Yun Shiqing''s rage-filled eyes and calmly said!


    Upon hearing this, Yun Shiqing''s eyes darkened, and he felt the world spinning around him, his body stiffening as he fell backward.


    Fortunately, Yunyao had been keeping an eye on her father. Seeing him fall, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stepped forward to catch him!


    "Dad, are you alright?"


    Yunlong was also terribly frightened and immediately rushed over.


    "Yunlong, look what you''ve done, how upset you''ve made Dad!"


    Yunyao red fiercely at Yunlong. She couldn''t understand what had gotten into her brother to suddenly say he wanted to break away from the Yun Family.


    "I''m sorry, sis!"


    Yunlong hung his head in guilt and spoke softly.


    At this moment, Yun Shiqing also slowly opened his eyes,ing back to his senses, and looked at Yunlong asking:


    "Why?"


    Yun Shiqing felt as if his heart were bleeding. He had high hopes for this son, as the vast family business of the Yun Family was to be handed over to him in the future.


    But now, his only son was talking about leaving the Yun Family, how could it not break his heart?


    Yunyao also looked at Yunlong; she did not understand why her brother would do this. Could he be possessed by a spirit?


    Yunlong still hung his head, silent, yet a determined expression remained on his face.


    Seeing his son like this, Yun Shiqing suddenly seemed to understand something and asked with a bitter smile:


    "Are you still ming me for not firmly supporting your brother at thest Jiangnan business meeting?"


    Yunyao was also stunned. Could it be that her brother made this decision because of that guy?


    Yunlong remained silent, but this time his silence confirmed Yun Shiqing''s guess.


    "Son, it''s not that I don''t trust you, but as the head of the Yun Family, I must be cautious!"


    Yun Shiqing sighed and said:


    "If we bet wrong, we willpletely offend the other three Great Families, and our Yun Family''s status among the Four Great Families of Jiangnan will be in grave danger. Do you understand?"


    "I understand."


    Yunlong nodded. As the heir to the Yun Family, how could he not understand such a simple principle?


    "Since you understand, do you still think I was wrong?"


    "A son does not speak of his father''s faults. Father, what you have been striving to preserve is the Yun Family''s status and power in Jiangnan."


    Yunlong looked at his father and said:


    "But I am different from you. I do not wish to confine myself to this corner of Jiangnan. I want to see the greater world outside!"


    "I know it''s a gamble following my brother, but only by gambling is there hope; without gambling, there''s no hope at all."


    Yunlong spoke earnestly, believing that only by firmly following his brother''s footsteps could he experience arger, more exciting world!


    He had a strong feeling that the man was worth following for life!


    That way, his life would be more splendid and dazzling!


    He did not want to spend his life merely as a privileged young master of the Yun Family in Jiangnan!


    "Do you really trust him that much? What if you lose your gamble?"


    Yun Shiqing asked gravely.


    "I am willing to ept the oue of my gamble!"


    Yunlong uttered each word deliberately, his eyes sparkling with unstoppable determination!

 Chapter 490: 490

    Listening to his son''s forceful words "willing to ept a loss," Yun Shiqing actually felt immense admiration.


    No matter the oue, at least his son had the courage that hecked!


    "Perhaps I really have grown old!"


    Yun Shiqing sighed to himself, then looked at his son:


    "Have you really decided?"


    "I have decided!"


    Yunlong nodded firmly.


    "Since that''s the case, I don''t have much to say; I agree."


    Yun Shiqing nodded somewhat listlessly.


    "Dad, how can you agree?"


    Upon hearing this, Yunyao immediately became anxious:


    "Brother, even if you want to follow your elder brother, there''s no need to leave the family!"


    "Stop talking, Xiaoyao; your brother has his reasons for doing this."


    Yun Shiqing knew that his attitudest time hadpletely drawn a line between them and the Yun Family.


    If Yunlong wanted to bet on that man, he must also clearly separate himself from the Yun Family, which was also a statement!


    Unless he now gave his position as Family Head to Yunlong, but even if he was willing to do so, would the other family members including those in thepany agree?


    If it wasn''t handled well, the Yun Family might even risk falling apart, so the best method was for Yunlong to leave the Yun Family.


    Of course, this departure wasn''t about severing familial ties, but about dividing interests.


    That is to say, whatever Yunlong bes in the future, it will have nothing to do with the current Yun Family.


    Yunyao was a clever woman; after a moment of thought, she immediately understood the rationale.


    At this moment, she couldn''t help but feel angry at that man; if it weren''t for him, how could such a thing have happened?


    "Alright, let''s leave it at that. I will transfer one third of the family assets to you, as for the future, that''s up to you," Yun Shiqing took a deep breath and said.


    "Dad, there''s no need; just give me the subsidiary that is coborating with Belle Corporation," Yunlong said. "Since I''m leaving the family, how could I take so much? That would also be difficult for you to justify, Father."


    "Alright, as you wish."


    Yun Shiqing nodded then turned and started walking towards his study, his steps faltering, seemingly drained of all vitality...


    The sight of Yun Shiqing like this made both Yunlong and Yunyao feel a pang of sorrow...


    "Yunlong, consider this matter carefully again, don''t be so impulsive!"


    Yunyao was still unwilling to give up and continued persuading.


    "Sis, stop talking, I''ve thought about this for a long time."


    How could Yunlong not have thoroughly considered such a significant decision to leave the family?


    Although he was reluctant, he yearned to live a vigorous life, and only his elder brother could bring him that!


    "It''s all because of that bastard, what kind of spell did he cast on you to make you trust him so much?!" Yunyao cursed under her breath, wishing she could beat that bastard up.


    "Sis, my older brother is an extraordinary man; if you want to catch him, why don''t youe with me to Yandu¡ªI can create an opportunity for you two, how about that?" Yunlong raised his eyebrows and said with a suggestive smile.


    "Go to hell, you just want to sell your own sister!"


    Yunyao said indignantly.


    "Sheesh, I''m looking out for your best interest; you''ll be thanking me before you know it!" Yunlong retorted with a scoff.


    In Yunlong''s heart, only a man like his elder brother was worthy of his sister.


    "Thank you my foot," Yunyao said with slight bashfulness and anger, "since you''ve already decided, I''ll pack your things."


    Since it was a done deal, Yunyao gradually let go of the issue and walked toward Yunlong''s bedroom.


    After all, the so-called departure was only a division of interests, not a severing of familial ties.


    "Sister, just think about it carefully, would I ever harm you?"


    Yunlong closely followed behind Yunyao, still trying to bring her and Su Chen together.


    "You''re so annoying!"


    Yunyao yelled in irritation, her heart growing even more resentful towards Su Chen...


    .....


    "Pfft!"


    Su Chen, sitting in the public rtions department, couldn''t help but sneeze, then followed up with:


    "Is someone thinking about me?"


    "Director, aren''t you being a bit too full of yourself?"


    Ran Ting was just about to head to the bathroom as she passed by his side, snickering.


    "You little vixen, I haven''t settled the score with you about this morning yet!"


    Su Chen said fiercely in a low voice.


    "This morning? What happened this morning? I don''t remember."


    Ran Ting replied flippantly, then sashayed away...


    "Hmph, sooner orter I''ll teach you a lesson and show you who''s the boss!"


    Su Chen muttered to himself, yet his gaze was fixed on her pert and round figure...


    Just then, his office phone rang suddenly, and he picked up casually.


    "Director Su, someone is looking for you at the entrance."


    The sweet voice of the receptionist immediately reached Su Chen''s ears.


    "Okay, I''ming."


    Su Chen hung up the phone and walked out, wondering who could be looking for him?


    When he reached the entrance, he saw a woman sitting in a wheelchair looking at him, a faint smile on her face.


    Although the woman was in a wheelchair, her unparalleled elegance and unique charm still attracted everyone who passed by to stop and watch!


    People were secretly marveling, how could there be such a woman in the world!


    "Miss Pei, what brings you to our humble ce?"


    Su Chen stepped forward and smiled.


    "Mr. Su is too modest. Although the Belle Corporation is not very renowned in Huaxia, its prospects for development are certainly among the top five, perhaps even the top three,"


    Pei Man replied with a slight smile.


    That smile was truly enchanting, captivating the hearts of the onlookers.


    "It seems Miss Pei has done a thorough investigation of our corporation!"


    "Not just the corporation, I''ve investigated everything about Mr. Su as well, including..."


    Pei Man smiled and gave Su Chen a fleeting look, pausing mid-sentence.


    At this, everyone immediately turned their gaze towards Su Chen, thinking how incredible he must be.


    Having such a stunning woman as Miss Lin, and now it seemed he had a more than ordinary rtionship with this extraordinarily beautiful woman.


    Even though she was sitting in a wheelchair, everyone felt it was inconsequential, not affecting her breathtaking beauty at all!


    "What are you looking at? Get back to work, all of you."


    Su Chen eyed those gossipy looks and shouted.


    Everyone immediately scattered like birds, either heading out on errands or returning to their stations inside, no choice there, since he was Miss Lin''s man.


    After all, if he whispered something into her ear, they could be in deep trouble...


    After everyone had dispersed, Su Chen asked:


    "Miss Pei, you mentioned ''including''? Including what?"


    "Naturally, including your real rtionship with the corporation''s president, and also your rtionship with my cousin,"


    Pei Man said with a light smile:


    "Actually, once you understand your rtionship with Miss Lin, it''s not hard to guess your rtionship with my cousin."

 Chapter 491: Pei Mans First Kiss

    Su Chen had no confusion left after hearing that.


    However, he wasn''t surprised at all that Pei Man knew about his marital status with Lin Ruoxue, which could easily be found out by anyone who was interested.


    Naturally, it was also reasonable for her to know that he and Tang Yun weren''t really a couple.


    "I didn''t expect Miss Pei to be so interested in me," he said.


    A sly smile yed casually at the corners of Su Chen''s mouth:


    "You haven''t fallen for me, have you?"


    "I''m certain I haven''t now, but perhaps in the future, I might," she replied.


    Pei Man met Su Chen''s gaze without flinching, and her smile remained unchanged.


    Even with his vast experience with women, Su Chen found this woman increasingly special as if nothing could disturb her emotions.


    Suddenly, Su Chen braced his hands on either side of her wheelchair and lowered his head slightly, bringing his face to within just a few inches of Pei Man''s, close enough that both could hear and feel each other''s breath.


    Seeing her up close, even Su Chen couldn''t help but marvel at the exquisite delicacy of her features, unparalleled!


    But what attracted him most was her unique charm ¨C pure, alluring, gentle, tempting, mysterious ¨C it seemed like every sensation was present on that stunning face.


    These conflicting feelings on one face seemed to merge perfectly together!


    "Since there''s a possibility for us, why don''t we try the feeling of a kiss first? Maybe it could speed things up," he suggested.


    Su Chen''s voice was uniquely deep and husky, full of maism and allure, especially with the wicked smile on his face that felt like poison, irresistibly ensnaring.


    Any ordinary woman would have blushed and been overwhelmed by such an advance.


    Yet, the woman before him remained as unphased as ever, with not even the frequency of her breathing changed, steady as before.


    "Sure, I''ve never tried what a kiss feels like," Pei Man said with a lightugh, her beautiful eyes fixated on Su Chen:


    "To give my first kiss to a man like you doesn''t seem too uneptable."


    Su Chen was almost defeated by this woman. After all, it''s your first kiss, and you''re just giving it away?


    Isn''t that a bit too unserious?


    "Well then, let me taste what a phoenix''s kiss is like," he said defiantly, not believing in her stoicism, as he lowered his head even further and pressed his lips to her tempting cherry ones!


    Immediately, he felt a moist, soft, full, and sweet sensation, making Su Chen''s heart flutter!


    A few secondster, Su Chen lifted his head, stood up straight, and a look of defeat appeared on his face:


    "You win!"


    He had never met a woman quite like her and couldn''t help but be curious about her.


    "I haven''t won, and you haven''t lost," Pei Man said with a smile:


    "And I should thank you for my first kiss. Short as it was, it felt quite nice."


    "No need to thank me," Su Chen said awkwardly, finding the words peculiar to utter.


    He had taken her first kiss, and she was thanking him¡ªof course, he''d say no thanks needed.


    Su Chen didn''t doubt it was her first kiss, given her inexperienced reaction just then.


    Su Chen was thoroughly defeated by this woman¡ªtruly a remarkable woman!


    "So, what brings you to me?" he asked.


    Su Chen decided not to continue the previous conversation, feeling like this woman was impervious.


    No matter what he did, she could easily deflect it.


    This was the first time Su Chen found himself in apletely passive position in a sh with someone, and it was a woman no less.


    "My grandfather would like to invite you to our house for a simple dinner tonight. It''s partly to express our gratitude for saving our lives that one time, and also to get to know you," she finally revealed her purpose.


    "If it''s just dinner, anyone could have asked. Why bother sending you, a phoenix, yourself?"


    Su Chen spoke with a yful tone, a hint of mockery in his voice.


    Pei Man, however, seemed not to notice and said casually:


    "I was afraid others might ask and fail to invite you."


    "So, you think you can invite me bying yourself?"


    "Not really, but as a man, you might show some consideration, seeing that I am disabled and a woman."


    Pei Man uttered this quite naturally, as if her disability was of no consequence.


    "Alright, I''lle tonight."


    After some contemtion, Su Chen replied.


    "Then the Pei Family will be awaiting Mr. Su''s visit."


    No sooner had Pei Man finished speaking than a man emerged from a nearby corner.


    He then pushed Pei Man''s wheelchair to go back...


    Su Chen also turned to enter the gate...


    "Ah Tai, what do you think of this man?"


    Pei Man asked nonchntly.


    "I can''t see through him."


    The man pushing the wheelchair pondered seriously for a moment, then said.


    "It was just a casual question; don''t mind it, let''s go back," Pei Man said with a light smile.


    "Yes."


    The wheelchair attendant replied respectfully, his face calm, but inside he was like a stormy sea!


    The youngdy actually kissed that man?! This was a privilege not even enjoyed by Young Master Shen, or rather, Young Master Shen wouldn''t dare to do such a thing!


    If this news got out, the whole of Yandu would be in an uproar!


    After all, everyone in Yandu believed that Young Master Shen and the youngdy were a perfect match made in heaven!


    He used to think the same, but today, that thought was crushed to pieces by the youngdy''s actions!


    However, he was just a servant, albeit a special one, but still a servant, so he said nothing about what had happened earlier.


    .....


    After returning to the Public Rtions Department, Su Chen was still thinking about that woman. It wasn''t that he had any designs on Pei Man, but rather this woman had left a particrly strong impression on him!


    Actually, he had felt this from the very first time he saw her at the Yandu Hospital, but today the feeling was especially intense...


    After a while of thinking and feeling a headacheing on, Su Chen stopped and then picked up thetest issue of "Men''s Style" and read it with relish.


    At noon, Su Chen grabbed a quick meal at a nearby fast-food restaurant and then returned to hispany, hanging around until past five o''clock.


    Seeing it was about time, he prepared to head to the Pei Familypound.


    But just as he walked down the stairs, he saw a man carrying a parcel approaching the Rainbow Mansion.


    When Su Chen saw the man''s face, he was startled, as the man also seemed to have noticed Su Chen and came running over with a smile!


    "Howe you''re here, kid?" Su Chen asked, surprised to see Yunlong, who looked travel-weary.


    "I missed Big Brother, so I came to see you!" Yunlong replied cheerfully:


    "Big Brother, are you off work and heading home?"


    "No, I''m going out to dinner."


    Su Chen naturally didn''t believe the kid hade just because he''d missed him.


    But he didn''t ask; the kid would naturally tell him when it was time to...

 Chapter 492: Visiting the Pei Family

    "Where are we going to eat? Big Brother, can you take me with you? I haven''t eaten yet!"


    "Sure, wait here, I''ll go get the car."


    Su Chen thought for a moment and then nodded slightly.


    Before long, Su Chen drove up in his newly bought Regal in front of Yunlong:


    "Get in."


    "Big Brother, isn''t this car a bit too shabby? In Jianghai, you at least drove a BMW, but now that you''re in Yandu, you''ve started driving a Buick?"


    After getting into the car, Yunlong pursed his lips and said.


    "A car is just a means of transportation, why buy something so expensive?"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile, then pressed the elerator, and the car immediately sped away.


    "It''s about face, a car is a man''s face. If your car isn''t presentable, how will others respect you?"


    "Yunlong, remember, those who try to decorate their fa?ade with things like houses, cars, watches, and women are insecure. And these things can''t really give you confidence; only your own strength can truly give you that confidence."


    "When you have enough strength, even if you walk down the street in rags, you can still stand tall!"


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong''s body stiffened, and then he said solemnly:


    "Big Brother, I''ll remember that!"


    "Good if you''ve remembered."


    Su Chen said indifferently, then took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and casually rolled down the car window.


    "Big Brother, I left the Yun Family today."


    After a moment, Yunlong suddenly said.


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback, then nced at him and immediately understood what he meant.


    He did not say much, but simply instructed:


    "Call home more often in the future; your father is not getting any younger."


    "I know."


    Yunlong nodded, his mood somewhat gloomy.


    "Big Brother, where are we going to eat?"


    After a while, Yunlong asked again.


    "The Pei Family."


    Su Chen flicked the finished cigarette butt with his finger. It bounced off the edge of the trash can, extinguished, and then fell into the bin.


    "Oh,"


    At first, Yunlong did not pay much attention and responded softly, but then a sh of realization struck him, and his eyes suddenly widened.


    "Big Brother, what did you say? The Pei Family? It''s not that Pei Family, is it?"


    His voice trembled as he spoke, his face showing an expression of disbelief!


    "How many Pei Families are there in Yandu?"


    Su Chen turned his head to look at Yunlong and smiled slightly.


    Upon hearing that, Yunlong waspletely dumbfounded; his brain couldn''t process it!


    That was the Pei Family! An existence he dared not even dream of before!


    It was known that the rumors of the Wu Family and the Situ Family possibly arranging a marriage had already made the other families restless and unable to sleep at night!


    And the Situ Family rankedst among the great families of Yandu.


    And here he was, having just gotten off the ne, not even unpacked, and was already going to be a guest at the Pei Family!


    The Pei Family is second only to the Shen Family among the prestigious families in Yandu, ranking as the second existence!


    Yunlong felt as if everything was like a dream, he simply couldn''t believe it was real!


    After a brief shock, he was surrounded by immense excitement!


    He realized once again that leaving his own family and following his big brother was an extremely wise and correct decision!


    If it weren''t for his big brother, how would he have the chance to be a guest in such a top-level household as the Pei Family?


    The car drove for about 40 minutes and finally stopped in front of a mansion with red bricks and green tiles.


    Stepping out of the car and seeing the grand and simple mansion, Yunlong whispered to himself:


    "This is the Pei Family estate, ah!"


    At this moment, the gate suddenly opened, and more than a dozen people walked out all at once, with a spirited old man leading them!


    "Haha~~ Mr. Su, this old man has been waiting for ages, I finally have the pleasure of your visit!"


    The old man walked straight towards Su Chen,ughing heartily, his voice filled with vigor!


    The others also gave polite smiles to Su Chen, expressing their wee!


    However, Su Chen responded with a somewhat indifferent nod of authority.


    Seeing this scene, Yunlong once again felt his worldview being overturned; originally, he thought his big brother had some connection with a young member of the Pei Family, which was why he was invited over as a guest.


    But he hadn''t expected the Pei Family to arrange such a grand reception, treating him like a distinguished guest!


    When Su Chen introduced him to these individuals and their identities, Yunlong''s eyes nearly popped out!


    He never imagined that the legitimate line of the Pei Family would alle out personally to greet his big brother, even the old master Pei himself!


    He immediately became puzzled, just who exactly was his big brother, to receive such high regard from the Pei Family?!


    In fact, not just him, but except for the old master Pei and Pei Man, the rest of the Pei Family members were also puzzled, unsure why the old master ced such importance on this young man!


    However, the old master knew well that as the "Ghost Doctor" and former Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade, Su Chen deserved such a reception!


    In truth, the old master didn''t ce much importance on Su Chen''s former role as Chief Instructor; after all, those days were past and, he assumed, Su Chen''s influence now was minimal.


    The reason the old master thought this was entirely because that brigade was too mysterious, and he had no understanding of it or means to understand!


    If he truly knew, he would realize just how terrifying Su Chen''s influence was within that brigade!


    What he truly valued was Su Chen''s identity as the Ghost Doctor because, in a critical moment, he could save lives, like the previous incident at Yandu International Hospital!


    After all, for a person, life is the most precious thing!


    No matter how much wealth or power you possess, once life is gone, it all bes as elusive as the moon reflected on water!


    If not for this reason, he wouldn''t havee out in person and would have had only a junior family member greet them.


    Having been at the helm of the Pei Family for so many years, the old master was naturally a highly pragmatic man, and in fact, which helmsman of a great family wasn''t?


    Su Chen could roughly guess the old master''s thoughts but didn''t say anything; after all, he had little affection for these great families.


    However, he needed to investigate the truth of past events, so naturally, he had to engage with them closely, which was the main reason he agreed to be a guest today.


    "Mr. Su, and this friend, pleasee inside."


    The old master''s eldest son called out warmly.


    Afterwards, a group of people entered the deep andrge courtyard of the Pei Family...


    Upon entering, Yunlong began to look around curiously.


    He found that although the furnishings and decorations of the Pei Family weren''t luxurious, the bricks and tiles, the grass and trees, all exuded a sense of antiquity and solemnity.


    He knew that this wasn''t something that could be learned; only with centuries of heritage could it be achieved...


    In this respect,pared to the Pei Family, those great families from Jiangnan fell far short...

 Chapter 493 - 493 Have you ever done anything evil?

    Jiangnan and Yunlong followed the Pei family members inside, bypassing the side hall and entering the main hall.


    One should know that not just anyone can enter the Pei Family''s main hall; it is only used to entertain the most important guests.


    Even high-ranking officials generally only visit the side hall.


    "Everyone please take a seat, dinner will start soon," the Pei family patriarch said with a smile, before sitting down at the head of the table.


    Upon hearing the elder''s words, everyone took their seats.


    By default, Su Chen upied the first seat to the left, while Yunlong sat opposite him. Beside Su Chen, however, was not Pei Hua, the eldest son of the Pei patriarch, but Pei Man.


    From this simple seating arrangement, one could clearly see Pei Man''s status within the Pei Family.


    In top-tier elite families like the Pei Family, everything follows a set of rules, even the time for starting meals.


    Six o''clock in winter, six-thirty in spring and fall, seven o''clock in the summer, varying with the seasons, and it is not about being approximately on time.


    Now beingte autumn, not yet truly winter, the feast would begin at six thirty, and there were still about twenty minutes left until that time.


    "Mr. Su, we have always wanted to invite you over for a simple meal to express our thanks. We were just worried it might be too abrupt," said the Pei family patriarch, looking at Su Chen.


    "It just so happened that a few days ago, Little Man and Little Yun were on the phone, and we found out you hade to Yandu, so we thought we should extend our hospitality."


    Su Chen had been wondering how Pei Man knew he hade to Yandu; it turned out Tang Yun had told her. He had indeed mentioned this during hisst visit to Tang Yun''s home.


    "You''re too polite. Last time it was nothing, really, just out of respect for Auntie Pei," Su Chen replied indifferently.


    "What may seem like a small effort to Mr. Su is regarded as a great kindness by our Pei family," Pei Man earnestly said beside him.


    "Indeed, Mr. Su, this old man''s life was saved by you, so I must make a point of properly toasting youter," the elderly Pei patriarch said, though he intended mainly to win over Su Chen, there was also some sincerity in his words.


    He then changed the subject with a trace of confusion, "However,st time Mr. Su seemed to bear a deep hostility towards our Pei family. I couldn''t figure out why. I have thought it over for a long time and it seems we didn''t have any previous dealings."


    As soon as he spoke, the others also looked at Su Chen with the same confusion.


    Knowing he had no ce to speak in such a setting, Yunlong only needed to watch with his eyes and listen with his ears.


    "It''s nothing serious, perhaps I''m just a bit of a cynic who disapproves of the way you great families conduct yourselves with such a sense of superiority," replied Su Chen nonchntly.


    At the end of his words, the others suddenly had an epiphany¡ªit turned out he was something of a young angry idealist!


    However, there was nothing too surprising about this. After all, it''s not strange for young people to feel hot-blooded and disapprove of these great families.


    Yet, the Pei patriarch and Pei Man saw right through Su Chen''s lie, but they chose not to expose it.


    Pei Man, even going along with his statement,ughed and said, "Surely Mr. Su doesn''t think all of us from the great families are arrogant and overbearing, even to the point of wrongdoing?"


    "So are you?" asked Su Chen.


    Su Chen tilted his head and nced at Pei Man, then counter-questioned.


    His gaze then swept over the faces of the other members of the Pei Family before finally settling on the old master of the Pei Family.


    As soon as these words came out, the crowd was immediately embarrassed to the extreme, and even the looks they gave Su Chen were unfriendly.


    When Pei Man had just said those words, it could be considered self-deprecating, but Su Chen''s counter-question immediately carried a different connotation.


    Because it was a question that was fundamentally difficult to answer; if they said no, even they wouldn''t believe it, but saying yes seemed to disgrace the Pei Family.


    The old master of the Pei Family also began to be displeased, but hisposure was high, or one might say his schemes were deep, and his face still wore a faint smile:


    "Mr. Su, whether among the offspring of gentry or in other circles, wherever there are people, there are those who are good and those who are bad, the arrogant and overbearing as well as the low-profile and modest, the courteous and polite."


    "What about you, old master? Have you done evil in this life to the point that, when dreams take you back at midnight, you''re awakened by your past deeds?"


    Su Chen''s eyes were intently fixed on the old master''s eyes as he asked with a smile on his face.


    No sooner had his words fallen than the Pei family members were greatly shocked, their faces filled with astonishment!


    Even the usuallyposed Pei Man gasped slightly with a flicker of surprise in her beautiful eyes!


    He actually dared to ask the old master to his face if he had done evil deeds in his life; how could he dare?


    Let alone him, not a single person in Huaxia would dare to question the old master of the Pei Family like that; wasn''t that akin to courting death?


    Yunlong was even more terrified, his face turning ghastly pale. Su Chen''s counter-question had already made him feel that this elder brother was too fierce, after all, it had already embarrassed the Pei Family.


    To think, the more fierce part was yet toe; he actually dared to ask such a question in front of the old master?!


    He couldn''t help but cry out in his heart: Big brother, do you know where you are? This is the Pei Family!


    At this moment, the old master was also infuriated, his face iron-blue and his body beginning to tremble, his turbid eyes shining with a sharp light!


    After the shock, Pei Man couldn''t help but turn her gaze again towards the man who had taken her first kiss not long ago, only to see him still smiling faintly and meeting the angry grandfather''s eyes without showing any intention of flinching!


    Just as the old master was about to chastise sternly or even take further action, Pei Man asked softly:


    "Mr. Su, why do you ask such a thing out of the blue? If you''re implying something, feel free to speak directly; I believe my grandfather will be forting."


    At the same time, she sent a look towards the old master, who was taken aback and immediately understood.


    Indeed, he did not seem like a mindless person; why would he ask such a question for no reason?


    Taking into ount his attitude towards the Pei Family all this time, a huge doubt suddenly surged in the old master''s heart.


    "Indeed, if Mr. Su has anything to say, do not hesitate to speak; this old man will try to answer as much as possible," the old master said, suppressing his anger and asking in an effort to remain calm.


    "What can there be to talk about? It was just a casual question. Why, old master, are you taking it seriously?" Su Chen replied with a meaningful smile.


    "Master, is it time to dine?" asked a butler who came over at that moment.


    "Then let''s have dinner," the old master said with a smile. "Mr. Su, Mr. Yun, let''s have a good drink in a while."


    Soon, dozens of exquisite dishes were brought to the table, such as roasted deer tendon, Wanshou meat, braised shark fins, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and so on, many of which were former imperial dishes!


    Yunlong fancied himself a gourmet, but looking at these dishes he had never seen before, he felt like a country bumpkin.


    He had once again witnessed the vast gap between the Four Great Families of Jiangnan and the top families of Yandu!

 Chapter 494: 494 Chapter: A Su Lou Only Appears Once in a Hundred Years

    "Mr. Su, Mr. Yun, please go ahead and try this, it should still be up to your standards,"


    Old Master Pei called out with a smile.


    "Quite good," Su Chen casually picked up a dish and took a bite, then put down his chopsticks, "Old Master, the Five Great Families have a legacy spanning hundreds of years. There must have been quite a few outstanding figures, right?"


    "Of course, although they''ve turned to dust, the legendary stories have been passed down for us descendants to learn from and admire!"


    A look of yearning shed in Old Master Pei''s eyes as he spoke with a sigh.


    "In the past few decades, has there been anyone that caught your eye or even amazed you?"


    Su Chen asked nonchntly.


    "Now that you mention it, there really was one!"


    Old Master Pei''s eyes lit up as he eximed,


    "More than twenty years ago, a young man emerged out of nowhere! His dazzling brilliance made his peers look up to him, and even made us, the older generation, pale inparison!"


    "What a pity, a talented life cut short. Roughly seventeen or eighteen years ago, he died suddenly¡ªan immense regret indeed!"


    "Grandfather, who was this person you''re talking about?"


    Pei Man had never seen her grandfather admire someone so much, especially a young person, so she couldn''t help but ask curiously.


    The other young members of the Pei Family were also curious as they looked towards Old Master Pei; it was their first time hearing that Yandu once had such a figure!


    "You should ask your eldest uncle and second uncle about that; they''re more familiar with him,"


    said Old Master Pei with a slight smile.


    Suddenly, all eyes gathered on Pei Hua and Pei Ji.


    "To describe this person, only one word suffices: ''perfect.'' In my life, I''ve never seen anyone with his charisma. However, he was extremely friendly to others."


    Pei Hua, who was always stern, revealed a smile and then looked at Pei Ji:


    "But it''s your second uncle who knew him a bit better. Back then, you were his little sidekick, weren''t you? I believe your first time was at Warm Fragrance Pavilion with his guidance, right?"


    "Ahem."


    Hearing his older brother''s rare teasing, Pei Ji''s face turned somewhat red:


    "Don''t pretend you weren''t one of his followers too. Back then, all the young masters of Yandu followed his lead, didn''t they?"


    As he said this, a proud expression couldn''t help but appear on Pei Ji''s face, his eyes seemingly sparkling with color:


    "Now you all know of Shen Shao from the Shen Family, who is dazzling and the center of attention, butpared to that man from back then, he falls far, far short!"


    "Yes, indeed, it''s rare to find such a person in a hundred years! What a pity!"


    Pei Hua echoed with a nod.


    The younger generation previously had only a vague impression of that person, feeling that he must have been extraordinary, someone to admire based on their elders'' stories!


    Upon hearing this, the younger ones were shocked, their jaws nearly dropping, and they finally got a more direct impression of that figure.


    After all, Shen Shao is the current number one young master of Yandu, and when the descendants of other families meet him, they can''t help but feel overshadowed.


    In their hearts, he was already the most dazzling presence!


    Yet Pei Ji said that even such a figure pales inparison to the man from twenty years ago¡ªhe falls far, far short!


    It seems that person must have shone like the sun, with a radiance that stretched miles!


    Such a person existed in the world!


    "What was his name?"


    Su Chen seemed casual on the surface, but his voice was already trembling.


    "His name is Su Lou, the once direct grandson of the Su Family''s senior branch!"


    Old Master Pei said leisurely.


    Upon hearing the name Su Lou, Su Chen''s hand holding the wine ss trembled uncontrobly, and the wine spilled out, slowly flowing towards the edge of the table, while he remained oblivious...


    "Mr. Su, what''s wrong?"


    Pei Man heard the sound of wine dripping onto the floor and couldn''t help but look towards Su Chen, only to see that hisplexion looked terrible, his eyes somewhat vacant!


    "Big brother, are you alright?"


    Yunlong immediately noticed Su Chen''s anomaly and called out.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I was just so captivated by the extraordinary character you all were discussing that I got a bit lost in thought,"


    Su Chen tried to calm his emotions and said casually.


    In fact, he was inwardly sighing: Who could have thought that despite being prepared, I still couldn''t control myself!


    The others, upon hearing Su Chen''s exnation, didn''t think much of it, including Old Master Pei, who, after all, understood that such a character was indeed astonishing!


    However, Pei Man still looked at Su Chen with doubt, feeling that something was not quite right.


    Su Chen made an effort to adjust hisposure and then asked with a smile,


    "I wonder how such a person could have died so suddenly?"


    "That has always been a mystery, and I am not very clear about it either,"


    Old Master Pei shook his head and said:


    "But not long after he passed away, his wife also died, and their five- or six-year-old son disappeared as well. In fact, not long before his death, the old master of the Su Family had also passed away."


    Old Master Pei continued to speak with emotion:


    "The once number one Su Family was struck by a great cmity and thus started to decline. Although a lean camel is bigger than a horse, they eventually fell to third ce, and the family''s power also shifted from the senior branch to the second branch. Meanwhile, the Shen Family, which used to be second, seized the opportunity and soared to the top, bing the leader of the Five Great Families!"


    "Old Master, haven''t you ever thought that there might be a conspiracy behind this?"


    Su Chen stared intently at Old Master Pei as he asked.


    "Of course I have thought about it, but since then, the families in Yandu seem to be reluctant to mention that name, perhaps because he was too brilliant back then, overshadowing the others,"


    Old Master Pei sighed with a sense of helplessness:


    "And even if there was a conspiracy, it would have been one that could shake Yandu to its core. Even if there were suspicions, who would dare to lift the lid?"


    Su Chen couldn''t see anything amiss on Old Master Pei''s face and wondered whether he was truly innocent or just too good an actor.


    "Actually, speaking of it, that man had the best rtionship with your third uncle; he was probably the only one he truly esteemed,"


    At this point, Pei Ji added with a smile.


    "My father?"


    Pei Man blurted out, a puzzled expression on her face.


    "Yes, he really treated your father as a brother,"


    Pei Ji said, his smile taking on an ambiguous tone,


    "I''ve heard your father say that he made a pact with him. If one had a son and the other a daughter, the two families would be inws."


    "I never heard the third mention that,"


    Old Master Pei looked at Pei Ji in surprise, then let out a sigh:


    "Such a pity. The two of them met with tragedy one after the other, one dying suddenly, the other missing without a trace; and the little boy disappeared as well!"


    Upon hearing this, the Pei family members couldn''t help but sigh...

 Chapter 495: The Little Boy Back Then

    Su Chen couldn''t help but nce at Pei Man beside him when he heard this. He hadn''t expected that there was this connection between them.


    "You look at me like that, it''s hard not to overthink,"


    Pei Man said teasingly, noticing the odd look in his eyes.


    "You say that, it''s really hard not to overthink,"


    "Alright, let''s chat after eating; if we don''t start now, it will all get cold."


    The old master of the Pei family called everyone to begin the meal.


    About an hour or so after dinner had finallye to an end, Su Chen didn''t make any particr moves.


    "Do the two of you have any ns for this evening?"


    After dinner, the old master of the Pei family said:


    "If you don''t mind, I can have Pei Song take you out for some fun. He''s quite familiar with Yandu."


    "I''ve heard there''s an underground boxing ring in City South that''s quite thrilling. I would like to see it for myself,"


    nervously said Yunlong, who had heard about it back in Jiangnan and had long wanted to see it for himself.


    Since Su Chen had nothing else nned for the evening, and he didn''t mind where they went, he said:


    "Since you want to go, let''s check it out. But we won''t need to trouble Young Master Pei."


    "It''s no trouble. Pei Song, please apany Mr. Su and Mr. Yun for some fun,"


    the old master of the Pei family ordered Pei Song.


    "Yes, Grandfather."


    Pei Song was actually reluctant inside. He truly didn''t see what was so special about this Mr. Su that his grandfather valued him so much.


    Now he had to, Pei family''s second young master, apany him for fun. He''s just a bit skilled in medicine, right? What else is there?


    As for the other one, being a young master from the Yun family of Jiangnan, he had indeed heard of them, but they were of no interest to him.


    However, since his grandfather had given the order, he didn''t dare refuse.


    "Alright, you all go then. Pei Song, make sure to take good care of our two honored guests."


    "Yes, Grandfather."


    After Pei Song agreed, he took Su Chen and Yunlong and left.


    Thereafter, the group drove in two cars towards City South, with Pei Song leading the way in a Maserati, and Yunlong driving Su Chen''s Buick, following behind...


    After everyone had left, the old master of the Pei family called Pei Man into his study.


    "Mannie, why do I always feel that something is a bit off?"


    The old master of the Pei family sat down on a chair and asked softly.


    "Actually, Grandfather, I have the same feeling,"


    Pei Man said, slightly frowning:


    "I''ve thought about it carefully just now, and there could be several reasons."


    "Let''s hear it."


    Nowadays, the old master of the Pei family valued the opinions of this granddaughter the most.


    "First is his attitude towards our Pei family, especially the question he started with. To put it bluntly, it was quite disrespectful, something others wouldn''t dare to ask."


    "Second, he always seems indifferent to everything, but he showed a lot of interest in the ''Su family'' person you mentioned, asking several questions about him, even though he appeared casual."


    Pei Man continued after a moment''s thought.


    "But that was something I brought up myself, and he was just going along with what I asked,"


    the old master of the Pei family observed, looking at Pei Man.


    "But Grandfather, haven''t you noticed? He was the one who led us to that topic. He began by asking about the renowned figures among Yandu''srge families, then proceeded to inquire about the notable figures in recent decades, prompting you to bring up that person."


    Pei Man likewise looked at the old master of the Pei family:


    "You could say that the conversation about that person was entirely driven by him."


    "Now that you mention it, it does seem that way,"


    the old master of the Pei family nodded slowly, recalling the scene at the dinner table.


    "Moreover, Grandfather, there was something else you might not have noticed¡ªwhen you revealed that person''s identity, his expressionpletely changed. Even though he tried hard to hide it, I saw his hand shaking, spilling his drink. That''s totally unlike his usuallyposed demeanor."


    "He said it himself, didn''t he? He was dazzled by that person and got lost in thought for a moment,"


    "No, I have an intuition that his purpose foring today was very likely to inquire about that person,"


    Pei Man said seriously.


    "Why?"


    Hearing Pei Man''s words, Old Master Pei''s body shook violently, hisplexion changed, and he blurted out a question.


    It''s no wonder Old Master Pei reacted this way, because if his purpose foring was indeed rted to that man, then the matter was definitely not simple.


    "Grandfather, I have a spection, I''m not sure if it''s correct, help me judge it."


    Pei Man spoke with some hesitation.


    "Okay,"


    Old Master Pei nodded deeply.


    "Grandfather, do you think he could be the little boy who disappeared, the one you talked about?"


    Pei Man ventured cautiously.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Old Master Pei sprang to his feet, trembling all over.


    "He, he, how could he possibly?"


    Old Master Pei''s voice was filled with shock, his facial muscles twitching incessantly.


    "Grandfather, don''t forget, he also has the surname Su, and he seems to be about the age you mentioned."


    Pei Man continued to gaze intently at Old Master Pei:


    "Plus, his unusual interest in that person, the way he lost hisposure upon hearing about his identity, and even including his attitude towards our Pei Family, all give me a strong feeling that he is that boy from back then."


    The more Old Master Pei listened to Pei Man, the more he felt she was onto something, and the tumult in his heart grew even more tumultuous!


    "Then you tell me, why would his attitude towards our Pei Family be like that?"


    Old Master Pei asked in a faltering voice; he felt his brain turning fuzzy and waspletely unable to think.


    "Is that even a question? What do you think he came to Yandu for if he really is that boy?"


    Pei Man asked, not waiting for Old Master Pei to respond, she continued:


    "Without a doubt, his visit to Yandu this time is to investigate the truth about the death of his rtives, even to seek revenge!"


    "Revenge?!"


    Old Master Pei murmured, sinking back into his chair, listless and dazed.


    "He doesn''t think our Pei Family was responsible for the death of his grandfather and parents, does he?"


    Old Master Pei asked Pei Man in a wavering voice.


    "It''s not that serious; I think if he really is that boy, at most he''s just suspicious. He probably has doubts about all five major families, which could exin his consistent attitude towards our Pei Family."


    Pei Man pondered and then spoke:


    "Didn''t he ask you before dinner if you had ever done evil deeds? He must have been referring to that incident."


    "Mm-hmm, you make sense,"


    Old Master Pei agreed and nodded:


    "But what makes him think he can? Just on ount of his former status as Chief Instructor?"


    "Grandfather, although I''ve only interacted with him a few times, he gives me the impression of being unfathomable. He''s the first person I''ve been unable to read!"


    Pei Man stated earnestly:


    "If our spection is right, I believe he definitely has the capability and the cards to unveil the truth of what happened that year."


    "If that''s the case, then Yandu is going to see some big changes!"


    Old Master Pei said in a low voice. Although he did not know the exact truth of the matter, he was not without his own conjectures.


    "Grandfather, you needn''t worry too much; after all, this is still just our spection, not yet confirmed,"


    Pei Man said with a light smile.


    "How can this be confirmed? He will surely not admit it."


    "No, it can be confirmed tonight,"


    Pei Man said with a mysteriously confident smile:


    "The underground fight club they''re going to tonight is run by the second Young Master of the Su Family, right? If he really is that person, something big will definitely happen there tonight!"

 Chapter 496: Underground Boxing Ring

    About half an hourter, Pei Song''s Maserati stopped at the entrance of an abandoned mall, with Yunlong following closely and parking there as well.


    "The underground boxing ring is right beneath this mall, City South has only this one, and the one you''re talking about must be it."


    Pei Song said to the two of them:


    "Let''s go in now."


    After saying that, he walked inside, and Su Chen followed him along with another person.


    "A few years ago, the mall relocated, fortunately, there was arge warehouse below that was bought and converted into an underground boxing ring."


    Pei Song briefly exined to the two:


    "Though named a boxing ring, it is not limited to boxing; any fighting skills are allowed."


    "I suppose those who dare to open an underground boxing ring here are no ordinary people?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "You''re right about that, it is run by the second Young Master of the Su Family, Su Can. You wouldn''t believe it, but he indeed has some real strategic vision; this gambling den brings him a profit of several billion each year."


    Pei Song gave a faint smile:


    "Yandu is never short of rich people; as long as you can thrill their nerves, they are willing to spend any amount."


    "Su Can?"


    Su Chen initially came with the intention of just apanying Yunlong for some fun.


    At this moment, finding out that the mastermind behind this underground boxing ring was the current second Young Master of the Su Family, Su Can, his eyes suddenly narrowed, shing a gleam of light.


    The three of them continued walking inside, reaching the security passage door of the former supermarket, where two guards immediately opened the door, clearly recognizing Pei Song.


    After entering this door, the three of them continued to go down the stairs, and at the corner of the stairs, two more burly men stood guard there.


    After they descended the stairs, they reached the former firstyer, and then the three continued along a corridor about one meter wide.


    By this time, faint shouts and screams had already begun to pass through, and Yunlong also felt his blood starting to boil.


    When they arrived in front of arge door, two more guards stood there, and upon seeing Pei Song and the others, they immediately opened the door.


    After the three walked in, they were immediately met with deafening shouts and cheers; everyone was extremely excited, their faces flushed!


    The ce was packed with people, making it hard even to walk, and in the center, there was arge stage, about two hundred square meters, surrounded by iron railings over three meters high.


    The audience sat around the circle, but the seats on the east side were different from the other three sides.


    Not only was the view there the best, but there were only about ten seats, and the chairs were unlike the others; they were high-end soft chairs with a small round table next to them, on which fresh fruits were ced.


    Even more impressive was that each person was attended to by a sexy-dressed woman.


    Clearly, the guests seated there were either rich or noble!


    "Young Master Pei, howe you have time toe by today?"


    At that moment, a man dressed in a business suit came over and bowed with a smile.


    He was the manager of this underground boxing ring, named Lai Jie.


    "I brought a couple of friends here for some fun."


    Pei Song nodded slightly.


    "Young Master Su is here today too, I''ll let him know you''ve arrived in just a moment."


    "No need, let him stay busy. I''ll invite him for a drink when he''s free."


    Pei Song waved his hand:


    "Just find us a spot."


    "Sure, this way please."


    Lai Jie then led them to the seats on the east side.


    Seeing Pei Songing, the wealthy and influential all stood up to greet him, while those originally seated at the front promptly gave up their seats.


    Pei Song said ''thank you'' and invited Su Chen to sit in the middle, then he and Yunlong took seats on either side, after all, his grandfather had asked him to take good care of them.


    Actually, he knew that his grandfather mainly meant Su Chen, although he didn''t really pay much attention to the Su family, he still followed his grandfather''s instructions.


    The others who saw this scene were somewhat surprised, wondering who this ordinary-dressed man was; even the second young master Pei had given him the middle seat and sat beside him himself.


    Lai Jie was also surprised but didn''t say anything. He immediately called over three of the most beautiful and sexy women to serve them.


    Of course, the most beautiful one still went to Su Chen, and he didn''t refuse.


    "Big brother, the behind-the-scenes boss is quite creative, even setting up a VIP section!"


    Yunlong said to Su Chen with a smile.


    Just then, a match that had been taking ce on stage had just ended, and a host with a microphone appeared from the elevator lift.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the most thrilling moment of today is about to arrive!"


    The host shouted:


    "The much-anticipated Basha is about to take the stage!"


    As soon as the host finished speaking, a thunderous roar erupted from the crowd, almost as if to lift off the roof!


    "Big brother, who is this Basha?"


    Yunlong asked curiously.


    Su Chen shook his head slightly, indicating that he did not know.


    "Buddy, this Basha is incredible, he''s a silver-grade boxing champion that Young Master Su Can had spent a lot of money to bring from Thand. In the two months since he arrived here, he has achieved a winning streak of 95 matches, with over 60 KOs, and more than twenty times he''s knocked out his opponents within 10 seconds. In these two months, nobody hassted more than three minutes against him."


    The boss sitting behind Yunlong couldn''t help but say.


    "That powerful?!"


    Upon hearing that, Yunlong was secretly amazed; although he was a top special forces member, he definitely couldn''t achieve that, not to mention that Yandu was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with many of those daring to go on stage surely beingbat masters.


    "Yes, now everyone is curious about who can beat him!"


    The boss said excitedly.


    "Today the first challenger to our undefeated general Basha is the Tongbei Fist expert Ruan Chao, let''s wee both."


    The host shouted loudly.


    Then, two elevator lifts on the east and west sides rose, bringing Ruan Chao and Basha into their view.


    Ruan Chao looked no different from other Huaxia people except that his arms seemed a bit longer than usual.


    As for Basha, he was particrly conspicuous. He had a blue headband tied around his head, wearing only a pair of big boxer shorts, his dark skin exposed, looking like a stone!


    His eyes were as sharp as an eagle''s, and with a ferocious smile, showing a row of white teeth, he looked terrifying!


    "Buddy, want to ce a bet for fun?"


    The person who had just been talking to Yunlong patted his shoulder and asked.


    "Sure, where do I ce bets?"


    Yunlong''s eyes lit up, instantly interested.


    "Just follow me,"


    the man said, then led Yunlong to a row ofputers in the back, where arge crowd had already gathered.


    Indeed, the boxing ring''s revenue came from betting; otherwise, what would they earn money from, selling drinks?


    "Mr. Su, do you want to ce a bet too?"


    Pei Song asked.


    "No need,"


    Su Chen said with a smile, shaking his head...

 Chapter 497: The Invincible Basha

    Pei Song saw that he wasn''t interested, so he didn''t say anything more. It was just a casual question.


    Soon, Yunlong returned to his seat with a ticket, looking somewhat excited.


    "Big brother, there really are a lot of rich people in Yandu."


    Yunlong said with some astonishment:


    "I just went to ce a bet, and those people were really throwing around big sums, at least several million, and some even as much as tens of millions. Do you see that guy behind me to the right? He looks like a coal tycoon; he just put down fifty million!"


    "We also have such underground boxing rings in Jianghai, but it''s usually just hundreds of thousands. Bets above five million are extremely rare."


    Yunlong continued to marvel:


    "No wonder my friend told mest time that I absolutely had toe here and see this."


    This indicates that Yandu really does have many wealthy individuals who don''t care much about spending millions or tens of millions; it also shows that people here like to maintain appearances!


    "How much did you bet?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Two million, on Ruan Chao."


    Yunlong smiled:


    "Of course, I have to support our Huaxia people."


    "What are the odds?"


    "Basha is at 1 to 1.1, Ruan Chao at 1 to 35. If Ruan Chao wins, wouldn''t I make a fortune all at once?!"


    Yunlong burst intoughter.


    "Buddy, I started with the same thought as you, but after throwing more than thirty million into it, I didn''t even hear a peep. They target exactly that kind of mindset to make their money,"


    said the boss who had gone with him earlier.


    "Although Basha''s odds are somewhat low, it''s safer! Buddy, your money has gone down the drain."


    "No worries, this is my first time, just ying around."


    Two million was nothing to Yunlong.


    After the five-minute betting window closed, the match officially began.


    Right from the start, Ruan Chaounched an aggressive attack on Basha, trying to seize the initiative. His Tongbei Fist was nearly fully perfected, and as he disyed it, he appeared tremendously formidable.


    But Basha wasn''t foolish; seeing the fierce onught, he didn''t just try to withstand it but dodged a few moves, then suddenly countered. Ruan Chao thought he was dodging to the left, so he threw a hook punch in that direction.


    But that was aplete feint from Basha. He shifted his figure to the left, only to move to the right immediately after.


    Not only that, but his foot slipped under Ruan Chao''s raised armpit and he darted past, winding up behind him and delivering a sharp, clean elbow strike squarely on his back!


    "Bang!"


    Ruan Chao spit out a mouthful of blood and copsed onto the tform!


    It was another beautiful KO,sting just 36 seconds!


    The crowd instantly cheered, though they weren''t too shocked, as such events had urred many times before!


    "Didn''t expect this guy to look a bit clumsy but actually have some brains and an astonishing explosive force!"


    Yunlong said, somewhat surprised. As one of the top special forces operatives, he still had some perceptiveness.


    "There''s some substance to him."


    Su Chen also smiled yfully.


    Although Basha didn''t look particrly strong, his muscles had reached an almost perfect realm, and his intellect and fighting skills were top-notch.


    Especially outstanding was his explosive power; the force he had unleashed in that elbow strike just now was definitely close to 400 pounds.


    Su Chen guessed that his maximum explosive force could even reach around 1,000 pounds, which was astonishingly powerful!


    Therefore, many people who reacted a bit slower were directly knocked down by his punch, some even killed outright!


    Basha''s real strength was almost equivalent to the Primary Stage of Qi Refinement. In such a ce, he was almost an invincible presence!


    Because true martial artists disdained to perform in such settings for others, and even if they were willing toe, only their own fighting skills were allowed. The use of True Yuan or even internal True Yuan was strictly forbidden!


    With just their own fighting skills, they truly were no match for Basha!


    Basha, looking at the wildly cheering audience below, raised his arm and shouted like a hero, basking in the cheers of the whole arena!


    At that moment, the host came up again from the elevator and shouted,


    "Congrattions, Basha, on another victory! Next up to challenge Basha is Yoshida, a judo expert from the Ind Country. Can he end Basha''s winning streak? Let us wait and see!"


    As soon as his words fell, the elevator that had taken Ruan Chao down rose again, and with it appeared a somewhat short and thin man whose shifty eyes darted around, sizing up Basha.


    By then, others also began to ce their bets. Of course, over 90 percent of them bet on Basha, as he had already be an unbeatable War God in their eyes!


    Those betting on Yoshida were hoping for a surprise, to make a big profit!


    This time, since Basha''s opponent wasn''t from Huaxia, Yunlong bet on Basha, seeing that this man from the Ind Country was no match for Basha.


    "Little man, are you alsoing up to die?"


    Basha looked down at the man who resembled a monkey and snorted disdainfully.


    "Please go easy on me, big brother; I just came to learn a little," he responded.


    Yoshida chuckled, and taking advantage of Basha''s distraction, squinted his eyes suddenly and, like a monkey, leaped forward,nding a punch on Basha''s waist!


    Having seeded in his surprise attack, Yoshida immediately felt pleased with himself, but then something felt off. His punch felt as though he had hit a rock!


    "You dare to sneak attack me?"


    Basha immediately erupted in anger, hurling a punch towards Yoshida!


    Seeing the fist that thundered like a storm, Yoshida was startled and hastily dodged backward!


    But just as he had evaded, not yet recovering, Basha''s second punch also came, just as fierce!


    Yoshida instinctively dodged backward again!


    However, Basha''s punching speed was not slower than his retreating speed, with fists continuously thundering out!


    By then, Yoshida was quite disheveled, his eyes filled with fear. This guy was too fast!


    Soon, Yoshida was driven to the edge of the iron fence with nowhere to retreat. Seeing Basha''s fist, as big as a casserole,ing at him, he quickly ducked and dodged.


    But this dodge yed right into Basha''s hands. He had already anticipated his move, his knee fiercely striking Yoshida''s abdomen!


    Yoshida felt a surge of intense pain and a wave of nausea¡ªvery ufortable!


    Taking advantage of this, Basha ferociouslyunched a punch towards Yoshida''s head!


    Yoshida copsed against the iron fence, his fate unknown!


    "Basha, Basha!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers again. They loved to watch such thrilling scenes. As for the little money they won, it didn''t matter much to them since the odds were so low!

 Chapter 498: Deciding to Go On Stage

    Next, several more challengers took to the stage to confront Basha, but without exception, nonested a minute before being defeated!


    By then, the shouts of the audience had reached a crescendo, and Basha, standing on the stage, was invincible, like a Heavenly God descending amongst mortals!


    "Young Master Pei, is it still possible to sign up for thepetition?"


    Su Chen suddenly asked.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, Pei Song was momentarily stunned before he nodded:


    "Of course, anyone can sign up as long as they register. Mr. Su, why do you ask?"


    "Because I''m going topete."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "You''re going topete? How can that be?"


    Pei Song was greatly surprised by Su Chen''s words and hurriedly spoke.


    "Why can''t it be?"


    Su Chen looked at Pei Song and smiled faintly.


    "You don''t know that to sign up, one must sign a life-and-death agreement. Once on the ring, life or death is up to fate!"


    Pei Song was extremely worried; after all, the elder Mr. Pei had instructed him to take good care of the other party.


    What would happen if he encountered any trouble? How would he exin to the elder upon returning?


    "Then let''s sign it."


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    "Big brother, have you really decided to go up on the stage?"


    Yunlong asked, hints of excitement faintly discernible in his expression; it had been a long time since hest saw his big brother take action.


    "Mmm." Su Chen nodded, then looked at Yunlong. "How much money do you have on you now?"


    "Five or six billion, I guess."


    Yunlong said, which was all the liquid funds he had at the moment.


    "It''s a bit short, but it should be enough," Su Chen pondered briefly and then said, "You know what to doter, don''t you?"


    He had initially nned to ask God of Wealth to lend him ten billion, but since Yunlong had the money, it wasn''t necessary to bother God of Wealth.


    "Big brother, you''re not thinking of having me bet all of it, are you?"


    Yunlong suddenly widened his eyes and eximed.


    "Presumably the odds of me winningter will be very high. Since money is being given away, why not take advantage of it?"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Alright then!"


    Yunlong, too, had a spirit for adventure in his bones; otherwise, he wouldn''t have left his family to make his way in the world with Su Chen.


    Pei Song, overhearing their conversation, felt these two werepletely mad!


    "Mr. Su, I understand what you mean, but allow me to be frank: you are simply ying with fire!"


    Pei Song said gravely.


    Su Chen looked at him with a smile, motioning for him to continue.


    "Mr. Su, firstly, it''s uncertain whether you can win, and secondly, even if you win, will you be able to get the money?"


    Pei Song spoke earnestly:


    "None here know you, and it doesn''t seem like you have anything that makes you stand out, so your odds will be very high, at least fifty to one, maybe even a hundred to one!"


    "So five or six billion bet at a hundred times would be five or six hundred billion, even at fifty times, nearly three hundred billion. Do you think the fighting ring would pay out?"


    "You should know, this underground fight ring is run by Su Can, the second younger master of the Su Family. Not only will you not get a penny, but in addition to losing those billions, you could even be risking your lives!"


    "Yeah, big brother, maybe you should reconsider."


    Upon hearing Pei Song''s words, Yunlong also abruptly came to his senses!


    A few tens of millions may be manageable for the ring to default on, but hundreds of billions¡ªwho would pay that out?


    Even if they wanted to, does the fight ring have that kind of money?


    What is the annual profit of such a gambling establishment? Twenty billion at most!


    Moreover, since the gambling establishment is run by the second young master of the Su Family, it''s even more improbable they would pay out!


    At that point, to avoid tarnishing one''s reputation, even the opponent might be driven to kill!


    "No need, I have made up my mind, Yunlong, If you''re worried about the risk, I can think of another way."


    Su Chen nced at Yunlong as he spoke, this was also a test for Yunlong.


    "Big brother, what are you talking about? Since I, Yunlong, have decided to follow you, I would never be of two minds."


    Yunlong said with a resolute expression.


    "Hmm, don''t worry, I have it all figured out."


    Su Chen confidently remarked.


    "Mr. Su, are you sure you want to do this?"


    Pei Song asked seriously.


    "Sure, just tell me how to sign up."


    Su Chen appeared quite indifferent.


    "Since you are so determined, I won''t say more. To sign up, just go down those stairs over there, to the second basement level, there''s an office there. It''s marked as the registration desk, that''s where you go to sign up."


    "Alright, thanks."


    Having said that, Su Chen got up and headed towards the staircase...


    Pei Song watched his receding figure and couldn''t help but curl his lip in disdain. It wasn''t just that he believed Su Chen wouldn''t be able to get the money even if he won, he simply didn''t believe that Su Chen could win at all.


    Although his grandfather had said that he was once the Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade, Basha''s strength was not something a mere brigade instructor could counter!


    However, Yunlong''s thoughts differed from Pei Song''s, as he believed that Su Chen could definitely win; what worried him was what would happen after the victory.


    After Su Chen reached the second basement level, he looked up to see the registration desk and then walked straight in.


    The personnel at the registration desk didn''t say much, just handed him an agreement to sign, and then tossed a number his way, telling him to go wait in a room.


    At that moment, two other people were waiting in the room, and they seemed a bit nervous, for Basha they were about to challenge had never been defeated!


    But for the chance to gain fame in one battle, they were still willing to try. Practitioners of martial arts often have the desire to challenge the strong!


    "Brother, are you really going to go on stage dressed like that?"


    One of the men asked in surprise.


    Because he saw Su Chen still dressed in a business suit and pants, wearing leather shoes, a typical office worker''s attire.


    "Yeah, that outfit isn''t conducive to making moves, isn''t this the same as crippling your martial arts?"


    The other person also kindly offered some advice.


    "No worries, I decided to participate on the spur of the moment, so I didn''t prepare any clothes."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    A spur-of-the-moment decision?


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, both men thought he was joking. Hadn''t they all practiced hard for days, tuning themselves into the best possible condition beforeing over?


    And this guy? He just arbitrarily decided toe? He was taking this martial artspetition way too lightly, wasn''t he?


    "Well, brother, good luck to you!"


    The two men''s gaze towards Su Chen clearly carried a mocking tone, mixed with a hint of pity as if they foresaw him soon lying on the stage.


    "Good luck to you too!"


    Just then, a challenger who had been on the stage was brought down by the elevator, and immediately stretchers came to carry the person away.


    "Okay, it''s my turn, I''ll go first."


    The first man to speak said, his expression clearly tense.


    Su Chen and the other person both smiled and nodded.


    Two minutester, that man was also carried away directly on a stretcher.


    Seeing this scene, the remaining person became even more nervous. He even began to entertain the idea of escaping.


    "Buddy, you''re no match for Basha. I advise you to just drop out. It''s not worth it if you end up with serious injuries or even lose your life!"


    Su Chen felt a moment of soft-heartedness and gave a warning.


    This statement from Su Chen became the final straw that broke his resolve, and he muttered:


    "Okay, okay, I''ll withdraw!"


    Then he ran toward the registration desk...

 Chapter 499: It only takes me one move to kill you

    The boxing ring doesn''t have any restrictions on withdrawing, so that person quicklypleted the withdrawal process and left.


    Due to the previous person''s withdrawal, it was Su Chen''s turn; he subsequently went to the elevator and waited.


    After the host gave a brief introduction of him, he walked onto the elevator, which slowly rose and delivered him to the Fighting tform.


    When the crowd saw Su Chen, dressed in a western suit and shirt, with a pair of leather shoes on his feet, they instantly burst into raucousughter!


    "Where did this kide from, he''s too ridiculous, isn''t he? Does he think he''s here for a business negotiation?"


    "Perhaps he believes he can talk his opponent into kneeling and begging for mercy!"


    "That must be it, otherwise, he''d be turned into dust by Basha with just one punch!"


    .......


    At this time, the odds for both contestants were disyed on the screen above the Martial Stage: Basha at 1 to 1.03, Su Chen at 1 to 120!


    Seeing these odds, the crowd couldn''t help but gasp in amazement!


    These were the lowest odds for Basha in history, and for Su Chen, they were the highest odds in the history of the boxing ring!


    This also showed that the boxing ring operators believed there was absolutely no suspense to this fight!


    Indeed, that was understandable, since previous challengers had some fame, at least, while Su Chen''s name waspletely unheard of to them.


    Furthermore, his physical appearance did not seem strong; he even looked somewhat slim, evidently not cut out for a fierce battle.


    However, as soon as Yunlong saw these odds, he immediately stood up, ready to ce his bet. Pei Song then asked:


    "Are you really going to bet so much money on him?"


    "Of course,"


    Yunlong said, without a moment''s hesitation.


    "I advise you to consider it carefully. If he loses, that money would be like throwing it into the water, but if he wins, this matter could bring disaster upon you!"


    Pei Song warned gravely.


    "I believe in big brother!"


    Yunlong dered.


    "Well, suit yourself, but I''ve said all I could," Pei Song thought, if Su Chen ended up losing, then so be it. But if he won and Su Can really harbored thoughts of silencing them, he would step in. Surely, Su Can would still respect the wishes of the Pei Family.


    As for the winnings, that was out of the question. After all, with the current odds, that amounted to six to seven hundred billion! It''s not that the Su Family couldn''t produce that sum; rather, they wouldn''t!


    Undoubtedly, Yunlong''s betting immediately drew the attention of the entire boxing ring, as the previous record for the highest single bet was only eighty million.


    Now, a never-before-seen young man was cing a bet of five hundred million. How could people not be shocked?


    What was even more shocking was that he was betting on the ridiculous man who came to fight in a suit. It made everyone wonder if he had lost his mind!


    Although there were plenty of wealthy patrons in attendance, with assets over a hundred billion or even more, they wouldn''t bet so much money on a single fight!


    That was downright madness!


    When he returned to his seat, those bosses behind him looked at him with strange expressions. Some of them had overheard their earlier conversation and thought it was a joke!


    They didn''t expect that the man would actually go up and fight, let alone that the young man beside him would actually bet five billion!


    Pei Song looked at Yunlong and the betting slip in his hand, shook his head, and said nothing, for he had already said everything that needed to be said.


    At this moment, in front of an office on the negative second floor of the boxing ring, Lai Jie stood with his head bowed in front of a young man.


    Behind the young man stood two middle-aged men, their demeanors cold and solemn, with no smiles to be seen!


    "You say the one who went up to fight and the man who ced the bet were brought here by Pei Song."


    The young man asked Lai Jie, looking at him with piercing eyes.


    "Yes, I even arranged their seats," Lai Jie confirmed.


    Lai Jie respectfully said, then looked up at the young man:


    "Second Young Master, could this be the Pei Family creating trouble behind the scenes?"


    "No, the Pei Family has no reason to be at odds with our Su Family and if they really wanted to do something, they wouldn''t do this kind of thing because it''s utterly meaningless."


    The young man pondered briefly before speaking.


    "What if that young man really wins?"


    "So what if he wins?"


    The young man sneered derisively.


    As soon as Lai Jie heard this, he understood the young man''s meaning. But of course, how could the Second Young Master give them six hundred billion?


    The five minutes for cing bets quickly psed, and the duel between Su Chen and Basha officially began!


    The crowd had originally not felt much about this matchup, as there was seemingly no suspense at all!


    However, Yunlong''s huge bet had suddenly made everyone pay close attention to the situation on the stage!


    In their hearts, they actually faintly hoped the young man would win because that would make things interesting!


    "You might as well step down yourself. Against someone like you, I don''t even have the desire to lift a finger."


    Basha looked at Su Chen dressed in his suit and arrogantly spoke.


    He really couldn''t understand what this guy was doing here. Did he have a penchant for self-abuse?


    "Is that so? I would like to see what you''re made of."


    Su Chen replied with a faint smile.


    "Hmph, to kill you, I only need one move!"


    Basha revealed a sinister smile that sent a chill down one''s spine as he stared fixedly at Su Chen!


    Basha''s words were arrogant and imperious, but there was no doubt expressed. They knew that Basha had the strength to back it up!


    His long-standing, fierce record was the best proof of that!


    "Heh, to kill you, I also need only one move!"


    Su Chen replied with a light smile.


    However, his words had a starkly different effect from Basha''s, and the crowd immediately erupted into a huge burst of mockingughter!


    Everyone thought this guy had to be out of his mind to make such a preposterous im!


    "You''re courting death!"


    Basha had never been so underestimated before, and a zing fire shot forth from his eyes!


    Just as Basha was about to make his move, Su Chen calmly began to speak:


    "Your arm muscles are 7 centimeters thick, and your single fist''s force should be around 500 kilos. Your left calf''s muscle thickness is 14, while your right calf''s muscle thickness has atrophied by 4 centimeters. Your right leg must have been badly injured! Thus, your strength lies in your arms!"


    "How do you know these things?"


    Su Chen''s words struck like thunder, leaving Basha stunned where he stood!


    When the crowd first heard Su Chen''s words, they thought he was just bluffing, but seeing Basha''s reaction, they sensed something was amiss.


    Could it be that he was right? But how did he know?


    "I figured it out myself, do you believe me?"


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    "Impossible, tell me, how did you really find out?"


    Basha''s expression became incredibly ferocious, his whole being exuded a savage intent, as if he wanted nothing more than to devour Su Chen alive!


    "What a load of crap about being a master, I unsettled yourposure with just a few words. If I were to make my move now, you wouldn''t even know how many times you''d be dead!"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a scornful, cold smirk.

 Chapter 500 - 500 The Best Outcome

    "Boom!"


    Su Chen''s words once again submerged Basha like a tidal wave, sending a shiver through his body, his expression extremely ugly!


    Because Su Chen was absolutely right¡ªthe most crucial thing in a duel between experts was to remain calm, as victory or defeat often hung by a thread!


    If his opponent had been a true expert just then, he would have already been dead without a doubt!


    "Who exactly are you!"


    Basha forced himself to calm down, his voice hoarse as he asked, the shock of the young man''s skill having overwhelmed him!


    "The person who will send you to your grave today."


    A cold smile spread across Su Chen''s face.


    "Good, let''s see if you have the ability!"


    Basha fiercely stomped the ground and, like an enraged beast, charged toward Su Chen, leaving a faint crack in the concrete where he had just stepped!


    As he was about to reach Su Chen, he suddenly threw a punch straight at Su Chen''s face!


    The punch was extremely formidable, tearing through the air as if it could shatter the very void!


    Confronting this punch, which was powerful enough to kill a tiger, Su Chen did not dodge at all; instead, he leisurely raised an arm and extended it straight toward Basha''s chest.


    Seeing this, Basha hastily lifted his other arm, trying to block Su Chen''s attack, while his initial powerful punch continued unstoppably, already less than twenty centimeters from Su Chen''s face.


    However, Su Chen''s arm suddenly slithered like an eel, creepily sliding over the top of Basha''s arm.


    At the same time, his extending hand''s speed became incredibly fast, its target shifting from Basha''s chest to his throat!


    On noticing this, Basha was instantly terrified and tried to retreat while withdrawing his punch.


    But it was toote¡ªhe had only managed to pull his punch halfway and had just stepped back half a step when he felt a tight grip around his throat!


    Basha''s face waspletely enveloped in shock. How was this possible? How had Su Chen done it?


    His moves had been bizarrely unpredictable, especially the sudden changes in direction and speed. It defied all logic!


    And the audience, who had been shouting just moments before, suddenly fell silent, staring nkly at the fighting tform, their minds nk!


    Wasn''t Basha just ferociously attacking a moment ago? How did it happen that in the blink of an eye, that young man had seized Basha''s neck?


    What exactly was going on?


    The onlookers gazed at one another, all wearing faces full of bewilderment!


    Pei Song, witnessing this scene, waspletely dumbfounded. This guy had actually won, but he felt like he hadn''t even seen him make a move!


    Yunlong at his side was even more excited. He had believed that Su Chen could win, but he had never imagined that it would be this easy, as if it took almost no effort at all!


    "Now do you believe what I said?"


    Su Chen asked mockingly, the smile at the corner of his mouth growing even thicker.


    In terms of martial arts cultivation, Su Chen might still have some rivals to fear, but when it came to the art of closebat, he dared topete with anyone in the world!


    He had purely used fighting techniques just now, without utilizing any cultivation.


    Although Basha appeared formidable, he also had a very clear weakness¡ªhis right leg had been injured before, which slowed his momentary movement speed!


    Even though Su Chen had previously pointed out this weakness, Basha was unable to avoid it.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Basha couldn''t help but show a look of sheer terror¡ªfor Su Chen had said before, killing him would also take only one move.


    "Alright, now you can go on your way in peace."


    Su Chen said indifferently, then was about to finish off Basha.


    "Wait!"


    Just then, a panicked voice rang out.


    Su Chen turned his head to look down from the tform and saw that the one speaking was the manager of the boxing ring, Lai Jie.


    "Sir, please do me a favor and let Basha off."


    Lai Jie spoke softly, as Basha was their money-maker.


    After hearing his words, Su Chen just shook his head with a smile.


    "Young Master Pei, would you please tell your friend to show some mercy,"


    Lai Jie hastily approached Pei Song and pleaded.


    Pei Song didn''t want things to escte, given that this was the property of the Su Family, so he also stood up and said:


    "Mr. Su, please let Basha go."


    Su Chen still smiled, shook his head slightly, and with a slight twist of his hand, a clear sound of bone cracking was heard. Then, he casually threw Basha''s corpse onto the stage.


    The crowd was shocked, not expecting that even with the joint plea from Lai Jie and Pei Song, this young man would still resolutely kill Basha!


    It must be known that behind Lai Jie was Su Can, the second young master of the Su Family, and Pei Song was even the second young master of the Pei Family!


    Wasn''t this publicly pping these two men in the face? To put it more severely, this was pping the faces of both families!


    When Pei Song saw Su Chen kill Basha, his expression immediately became unsightly.


    Lai Jie, even more enraged, clenched his teeth and coldly said:


    "Mr. Su, do you know the consequences of what you have done?"


    "What consequences? Aren''t the rules of your boxing ring that once on the stage, you are at the mercy of life and death?"


    Su Chen said indifferently, then tore a hole in the iron fence with both hands and crawled out through it.


    The crowd was even more startled by this scene, thinking that this guy''s strength was way too great!


    Lai Jie, his eyes nearly spewing mes as he watched Su Chen, but he had nothing to say, after all, these were the rules they had set for their boxing ring.


    After crawling out from the iron fence, Su Chen walked up to Yunlong, took the betting slip from his hand, and smiled faintly:


    "This is the betting slip my friend just ced. ording to the odds, your boxing ring should pay us six hundred billion. Please cash it immediately."


    The crowd was startled upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    Indeed, he had won earlier, and the person who bet five billion should indeed receive six hundred billion based on the odds!


    The crowd couldn''t help but wonder to themselves, would the second young master of the Su Family pay this money?


    "Your boxing ring isn''t nning on reneging on recognition, is it?"


    Su Chen turned his head slightly, looking at Lai Jie with a smile.


    "Of course not, we deal with integrity in our boxing ring, and you won''t miss any money that belongs to you!"


    Of course, Lai Jie wouldn''t admit publicly that they were reluctant to pay this money.


    "That''s best, then please make the payment."


    Su Chen said nonchntly.


    "Alright, please follow me to the boss''s office."


    Lai Jie managed to suppress his anger, as there were so many people watching!


    "Sure, lead the way."


    Su Chen''s face still bore a faint smile.


    "Manager Lai, I will join as well."


    Pei Song also stood up and said.


    Although he was a bit annoyed by Su Chen''s disregard for him just now, since he was the guest he was instructed by his grandfather to take good care of, he decided to follow along to avoid any mishaps.


    "Then please, Young Master Pei."


    Lai Jie thought about it for a moment and then nodded.


    Subsequently, under Lai Jie''s guidance, several people walked into an office located on the second basement level.


    The office was ratherrge, upying sixty or seventy square meters.


    Upon seeing Pei Song enter, the young man inside immediately stood up and gave a heartyugh:


    "Having Young Master Pei grace our presence is an honor indeed!"


    "You are too kind, Young Master Su."


    Pei Song also smiled in return.


    "Young Master Pei, I am aware of the situation. Since the two are your friends, let''s pretend this never happened. I will return the five billion original amount to your friend and add another billion, how does that sound?"


    Su Can directly said. If it weren''t for Pei Song''s connection, it would have been impossible for him to spit out the original five billion, let alone add another billion.


    "Thank you, that would be best. This was just a joke anyway."


    Pei Song also thought this was the best oue. Getting Su Can to pay six hundred billion was utterly impossible!

 Chapter 501: 501 No one dares not to pay me back my money

    Pei Song had not anticipated the situation to resolve so smoothly; it seemed that Su Can was a person who knew when to advance or retreat.


    "Mr. Su, Mr. Yun, let''s go. Young Master Su will transfer the money to your ounts,"


    said Pei Song to the two.


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong looked towards Su Chen. Although he felt that this oue was not bad, everything still depended on his older brother.


    Su Chen did not turn to leave, but instead sat down on a nearby sofa and then lit a cigarette.


    The smoke curled up, and behind it sat a face with a corner of the lips turned up in an amused smirk.


    The others were all startled, slightly confused about what Su Chen meant.


    "This must be Mr. Su, right? Is there anything else that needs discussing?"


    Su Can slightly furrowed his eyebrows and said.


    "Of course, there is," Su Chen said with a faint smile, "Young Master Su really knows how to do business. Turning away sixty billion with just six billion¡ªno wonder the Su Family''s business thrives day by day."


    As these words were spoken, Pei Song and Yunlong suddenly became stiff, as they could clearly discern the sarcasm in Su Chen''s words.


    This was not only mocking Su Can, but even the entire Su Family as well.


    Pei Song privately thought, ''Where on earth does this guy get such audacity from? He really never speaks unless he can shock people to death!''


    Sure enough, Su Can''s fairly handsome face suddenly turned dark.


    "What exactly do you mean, Mr. Su?"


    Su Can said coldly, were it not for the fact that he was brought by Pei Song, he would have had him killed and fed to the dogs already.


    He had stepped back, and yet this guy still was relentless.


    "No particr meaning, sixty billion, take the money and we''ll leave immediately."


    Su Chen exhaled a thick puff of smoke,nguidly remarking.


    "Mr. Su, you must be joking far too much, sixty billion? You think I would hand that out?"


    Su Can smiled coldly:


    "It''s only because of Young Master Pei''s face that I took out six billion; otherwise, you wouldn''t get a single penny!"


    "So you mean to say, Young Master Su, you''re nning to default?"


    Su Chen slightly smiled, then got up and walked to a nearby liquor cab, taking out a bottle of 1787 Lafite vineyard wine and two winesses.


    He didn''t aerate the wine, just directly pulled out the cork, poured two sses, and said:


    "I suppose you two are already ustomed to this kind of fine wine, so it''s nothing extraordinary anymore; I won''t pour for you two then."


    He then picked up one ss and handed it to Yunlong:


    "Heard this wine costs several hundred thousand Huaxia currency, give it a taste, see if there''s any difference from a hundred bucks one."


    Yunlong hesitantly epted the winess, looking clueless¡ªhe hadn''t never tasted good wines; he had drunk several costing hundreds of thousands per bottle.


    Right then, his cluelessness was about what his big brother was exactly up to.


    He somehow felt like it was his big brother who seemed like the owner here, while everyone else just seemed to y a supporting role.


    Su Can and Pei Song also felt utterly bewildered, feeling as if they had encountered a weirdo or perhaps a lunatic!


    For a moment, both were somewhat at a loss, even unsure how to react anymore...


    "This wine seems simr to the Great Wall dry red; didn''t find anything great about it."


    Su Chen smacked his lips, like a boorish man directly picking up the bottle and chugging from it.


    The other three seeing this scene, their mouths twitched.


    Boss, this is vintage wine; it should be savored slowly, isn''t your way of drinking it akin to a cow chewing peony flowers?


    However, at this moment, everyone''s minds weren''t focused on this, whether the hundreds of thousands worth of wine was drunk mattered less; what mattered was what the hell was this guy trying to imply?!


    "Young Master Su, you still haven''t answered my previous question. Are you nning to default?"


    Su Chen mmed the bottle, which still had one-third of the wine left, on the coffee table, immediately causing a loud "bang", startling everyone around.


    "So what, those who know the current affairs should hurry up and scram, otherwise you won''t get a single penny."


    Su Can''s fury rose, and he impatiently spat out.


    "Mr. Su, Young Master has already given enough face, it is impossible to fully cash out, just take what you can get and be satisfied."


    Pei Song quietly said to Su Chen.


    However, Su Chen just smiled and shook his head, his face showing stubborn defiance:


    "Debts are to be repaid, gambling dues are to be honored, it is only natural."


    "That depends on who owes the money!"


    Pei Song pursed his lips and said, seeing that this guy was adamant and beyond persuasion, he felt quite speechless. How could he be so unenlightened?


    If you keep insisting like this, won''t you be the one who ends up in trouble?


    "My money, no one dares not to pay!"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    At that moment, Su Chen emanated a powerful confidence, as if his words were a decree.


    Pei Song was momentarily dazed, failing to understand where this guy got such confidence from.


    "Is that so? I''m not nning to pay. What can you do?"


    Su Can nced at him with disdain and said:


    "You think just because you defeated Basha, you are invincible and always victorious? Let me tell you, you are too naive!"


    Basha is strong, but that''s only in the realm of Martial Arts. Against slightly higher-level Martial Artists, Basha could be pped to death with a single hit.


    "You mean to mention those two Martial Artists?"


    Su Chen nced over at two middle-aged men not far behind and said.


    He immediately noticed that both middle-aged men had a Cultivation of Qi Refinement Level Six, thinking to himself that the noble families in Yandu are indeed notparable to those in Jianghai.


    In Jianghai, the highest-level experts deployed by the Four Great Families were roughly on this level, but in Yandu, picking two of such high-level experts seemed effortless!


    However, in the eyes of the current Su Chen, Qi Refinement Level Six was merely trash!


    "You even know about Martial Artists?"


    Su Can was slightly startled, then burst into a smugugh:


    "Since you know, then you better scram!"


    Upon hearing this, Pei Song was also shocked. As a descendant of the Pei Family, he naturally knew how formidable Martial Artists were.


    He himself had two Martial Artist guards, although under normal circumstances they didn''t follow him, only apanying him when he traveled abroad to prevent encountering unwise people.


    Yet, Su Chen did not care; he tilted his head and smiled, saying:


    "I''m asking you onest time, will you cash out this money or not?"


    "I''m also saying for thest time, scram! Otherwise, don''t me me for being rude!"


    Su Can''s eyes gleamed sharply like wheat awns!


    This guy actually still wants to make me pay that six hundred billion, which is utterly obstinate, and Su Can''sst bit of patience was nearly exhausted!


    "Mr. Su, you should listen to my advice and leave."


    Pei Song could see that Su Can was on the verge of exploding. Indeed, if it were him, he would react the same, after all, this guy was too clueless.


    Moreover, with two Martial Artists beside Su Can, only Su Chen himself would be unlucky.


    However, Su Chen disregarded Pei Song, stood up, looked at Su Can with a smiling gaze, as if there was no one else in his eyes.


    Su Can, unwilling to be outdone, looked back at him, his face showing a trace of arrogance!


    This arrogant fool, he really didn''t take him seriously!


    "Idiot!"


    Su Chen barely opened his mouth and faintly spat out two words!

 Chapter 502: Beat You Until You Give Up

    "What did you say!"


    Su Can was instantly enraged, and a killing aura surged forth!


    He, the second Young Master of the Su Family, had been called an idiot and simply could not believe his ears!


    Pei Song''s heart also violently trembled, damn, does this guy really have a death wish?


    He only felt that today''s matter was bing more and more troublesome!


    Just then, Su Chen''s eyes suddenly hardened, he grabbed a wine bottle with his backhand and swung it at Su Can''s head, executing the move in one fluid motion, crisp and decisive!


    "Bang!"


    A loud noise roared as the thick wine bottle shattered to pieces, ss fragments flying everywhere, and the remaining third of the red wine inside gushed out!


    Su Can''s suit and shirt were instantly stained red, and a reddish liquid flowed down his wet head¡ªit was unclear whether it was wine or blood!


    "Boom!"


    In that instant, everyone else felt as though something had viciously struck their heads. They all stood there dumbfounded, muttering as they watched the scene, their mindspletely nk!


    Does he, does he, realize what he''s doing?


    Mad! Mad! Mad!


    But Su Chen acted as if nothing had happened, tossing the remaining shard of the wine bottle to the ground, he dusted off his hands!


    "Young Master Su, how about it, has your head cleared up a bit now?"


    A yful smirk formed on the corners of Su Chen''s mouth.


    Su Chen''s words abruptly woke the stunned Su Can, who immediately bellowed furiously,


    "What are you standing around for, kill this bastard for me!"


    No sooner had he spoken than two middle-aged men shed by, appearing instantly beside Su Chen, both pping their palms toward him!


    Above their palms, milky-white True Essence Energy pulsated, and the air around them heated up suddenly, hissing!


    They had been a bit distant from Su Can earlier and had failed in their duty to protect their Young Master from being assaulted!


    Naturally, they now aimed for a full-strength blow to y this arrogant fool and quell the fire raging in their Young Master''s heart!


    Truth be told, it wasn''t that Su Chen''s speed had been exceptionally fast just now, but they had never imagined that someone would dare to strike the Young Master!


    Pei Song was also silent at this moment because he knew it was useless to speak.


    After all, having one''s head struck open, Su Can wouldn''t let go of his anger, not even for his own and the Pei Family''s face''s sake.


    Pei Song inwardly shook his head and sighed. He had done what he could today; if there was anyone to me, it was this Su fellow for courting death!


    His grandfather had even gone to such lengths to win him over. Still, he hadn''t expected him to be a short-lived fool; he didn''t believe that Su Chen would survive the pincer attack of two Martial Artists.


    Seeing the mighty Palm Printsing from both sides, Su Chen calmly raised his arms and struck out a palm with each hand, preparing to meet their palms!


    The two middle-aged men instantly understood Su Chen''s intention, and a look of disdain appeared in their eyes!


    This kid was far too arrogant, thinking he could take on two at once! Did they look like they were made of y?


    Fueled by anger, having felt insulted, they simultaneously urged even more True Essence Energy into their palms!


    The bystanders immediately sensed the air around them twisting irregrly, and even the wind stirred, blowing the papers on Su Can''s desk into the air!


    "Boom!"


    The collision of Palm Prints caused a huge noise that made everyone''s ears buzz!


    The bodies of the two middle-aged men were immediately sent flying backward, crashing into the wall, even the ground seemed to tremble!


    The others, witnessing this, stood there dumbfounded!


    What on earth was happening? How were the two Martial Artists so easily defeated?!


    The two middle-aged men who had fallen to the ground spat out blood and struggled to sit up, looking at the young man with faces full of shock!


    Who on earth was he, to be so powerful?


    The two of them, both at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, were actually sent flying in a two-on-one situation by him, even losing their ability to fight. This was too terrifying!


    "Young Master Su, are you nning to honor our bet now?"


    Su Chen asked once again, his tone almost as if he were negotiating.


    "I, I won''t honor it, what can you do about it?"


    Su Can spat defiantly.


    "It''s easy. I''ll just keep hitting you until you do!"


    Su Chen nonchntly shrugged his shoulders.


    "You dare?!"


    It was unexpectedly surprising for Su Can when Su Chen had previously smashed a wine bottle over him, and he couldn''t believe that this guy would dare to do anything more outrageous to him.


    "Then I''ll show you whether I dare or not!"


    Su Chen took a step forward, grabbed the front of his clothes, and then violently flung him, throwing Su Can toward a wall like trash!


    "Bang!"


    Su Can''s body seemed to hang on the wall, then slowly slid down, leaving behind a long streak of red!


    He only felt his head spinning, his whole body aching as if countless bones were broken!


    Pei Song and Yunlong by his side felt as though their world had copsed. Did this guy even realize who he was hitting? That was the second young master of the Su Family, one of the top aristocratic families in Huaxia!


    However, what surprised them had just begun, and immediately they all couldn''t help but draw a cold breath!


    Because they saw Su Chen, that guy went straight up to Su Can. His foot d in leather shoes stepped heavily on Su Can''s face and even rubbed it a few times!


    Underneath his foot, Su Can lookedpletely like a clown!


    He was trampling on the dignity of both Su Can and the Su Family, ruthlessly on the ground!


    This was the action of a madman!


    "How about it? Still want to ask if I dare?"


    A faint smile lingered on Su Chen''s face,


    "If that''s not enough, I don''t mind continuing our game."


    "You''re courting death!"


    Crushed underfoot, Su Can''s face twisted in fury as he spat out!


    "Courting death?" Su Chen chuckled yfully, "With the Su Family? You might be overestimating yourselves!"


    As he spoke, Pei Song''s heart trembled. Could it be that this guy dares to act in such a way because he doesn''t take the Su Family seriously at all?


    But why? As far as he could see, this guy didn''t have any qualification to utter those words.


    Could it be just because he defeated two Martial Artists with sheer force?


    If that was the case, then he was greatly underestimating the Su Family!


    Pei Song thought that although this guy wasn''t killed by the two Martial Artists just now, he was now steadily walking toward death''s abyss!


    "Alright, I''m not interested in bickering with you. Sixty billion, will you pay up or not?"


    Su Chen asked indifferently.


    "Don''t even think about it!"


    Enduring the intense pain and the endless humiliation, Su Can ground his teeth as he spoke.


    "Since that''s the case, I need not be polite anymore."


    Su Chen took his foot off his face, crouched down, and without blinking an eye, took out a dagger and stabbed it toward Su Can''s thigh!

 Chapter 503: This Person is So Ruthless!

    "Ah~~~"


    Su Can''s mouth suddenly erupted with a pig-ughtering scream!


    "I''ll give you a minute to think about it."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    After a moment, Su Chen nced at the office clock:


    "Time''s up."


    As soon as the words fell, he fiercely pulled out the dagger, and a spray of blood burst forth immediately. At the same time, the dagger plunged into Su Can''s other leg.


    Along with Su Chen''s movements was another utterly miserable cry!


    Pei Song''s pupils shrank sharply at this scene!


    This man is ruthless!


    Suddenly, another minute had passed, and Su Chen again pulled out the dagger and stabbed it into Su Can''s abdomen!


    "Young Master Su, what about now; are you willing to acknowledge the debt now?"


    That devilish tone of Su Chen resounded again.


    "Mr. Su, please stop, he''s going to die if this goes on!"


    Pei Song couldn''t help but speak out.


    If Su Can really died at Su Chen''s hands, then this matter would be blown way out of proportion! The Su Family would definitely hold it against the Pei Family as well!


    "That''s up to Young Master Su the Second. I''d like to see just how tough his bones really are!"


    Su Chen, as if engaged in a very ordinary task, said with a slight smile:


    "Don''t worry, I know my limits; he won''t die within 250 cuts at least."


    The others trembled internally immediately¡ª250 cuts, was he joking?


    Lying on the ground, Su Can felt his blood draining away. Hearing about 250 cuts terrified him to the point his soul nearly flew away!


    "Mr. Su, please, give me some face, how about we stop here?"


    Pei Song really hadn''t anticipated that this guy would be such a madman!


    "Face, do you think you have any face?"


    Su Chen nced at Pei Song with a mocking tone.


    "Then consider it a favor to my grandfather; surely that''s eptable?"


    Pei Song said with an unfriendly tone.


    "Why would you think I''d give your grandfather any face?"


    Upon hearing this, Pei Song''s face instantly turned as dark as water!


    This guy is too arrogant, he wouldn''t even give face to his grandfather!


    Do you really think being a bit forceful makes you number one in the world? Naive!


    Yunlong was also too shocked to speak. What his brother did today was utterly unbelievable!


    The Su Family and the Pei Family, he seemed to disregard thempletely!


    Although Yunlong was concerned about whether provoking the Su Family and even the Pei Family was wise, he felt more of a rush of excitement in his heart!


    Now that''s what makes life interesting!


    The fact that his brother wasn''t a reckless person only deepened his trust in him. There must be a reason for his actions!


    Although he didn''t yet know the reason.


    "Young Master Su the Second, don''t bother with any extra thoughts today; either acknowledge the debt or die!"


    Su Chen spoke calmly:


    "Even the King of Heaven wouldn''t be able to help you now!"


    "I acknowledge!"


    Su Can shuddered inside, squeezing out the words with extreme reluctance.


    Because he had met a true madman today!


    He was afraid this guy really might kill him!


    "Wouldn''t it have been easier to say so sooner!"


    A mocking smile appeared on Su Chen''s face:


    "Alright, 600 billion¡ªmake the transfer."


    "But I only have nearly 50 billion."


    Su Can stuttered out.


    It was true; he was just a junior member of the Su Family, how could he possibly have so much money?


    Most of that 50 billion was earned from the underground boxing ring over recent years.


    "I''m also a reasonable man. Let''s just write an IOU for the rest!"


    Su Chen touched his chin and said:


    "Yunlong, go get a piece of paper."


    Hearing him say he was a reasonable person, everyone else felt a bit awkward. You call this being reasonable?


    You use a knife to make your point, right?!


    "Fine."


    Yunlong didn''t think too much and immediately walked over to the desk to grab a sheet of A4 paper and handed it to Su Chen.


    "Write!"


    Su Chenid the white paper on the floor in front of Su Can.


    Su Can looked at the white paper but did not move; how could he write without a pen?


    "Forget the pen, since you''ve already bled so much, it''d be a waste not to use it, just dip your finger and write."


    Upon hearing this, Su Can almost fainted from anger. What do you mean ''it''d be a waste not to use it?''


    However, since he was at someone''s mercy, he dared not say anything; therefore, he reluctantly dipped his finger in the blood on the floor and, following Su Chen''s instructions, wrote an IOU for five hundred fifty billion!


    Of course, the creditor''s name was not Yunlong''s name, but Su Chen''s own name.


    Then he transferred all his assets, fifty billion, via mobile banking to Yunlong''s ount.


    "All done, handmade!"


    Su Chen folded the IOU and put it into his pocket, then smiled:


    "Young Master Su, thank you for your generous donation."


    Upon hearing this, Su Can almost spit out another mouthful of blood; this guy was still making sarcastic remarks!


    "Alright, let''s go."


    Su Chen patted Yunlong on the shoulder, then walked out of Su Can''s office, followed by Yunlong and Pei Song.


    "Su Chen, I''ll remember you!"


    Su Can red fiercely at Su Chen''s retreating figure!


    "Su Chen, do you realize the trouble you''ve caused today?"


    As soon as they left the abandoned supermarket, Pei Song spoke with a stern face.


    "What trouble have I caused?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Do you think the Su Family will let this go after you humiliated Su Can today?"


    "So what!"


    Su Chen shrugged indifferently.


    "Do you think you can handle the revenge from the Su Family?"


    Pei Song countered, genuinely puzzled why this man had to provoke the Su Family for no apparent reason!


    "If they want revenge, let theme."


    Su Chen wasn''t inclined to argue with the Young Master of the Pei Family, so he said:


    "We''ll take our leave now, thank you for today''s hospitality from the Pei Family."


    After saying this, he and Yunlong got into the car and drove away...


    "Good intentions taken for granted."


    Pei Song muttered irritably as he too drove away.


    But as soon as he drove into the Pei Family''s mansion, the butler came over and called him.


    "Uncle Liu, what is it?"


    Pei Song stopped the car and asked.


    "The master wants you toe to his study immediately!"


    The butler said.


    "Grandfather has been waiting for me?"


    Pei Song asked, somewhat surprised since it was quitete, and under normal circumstances, he would have already been at rest.


    "Yes, and Miss Man is also here."


    "Man is here too?"


    Pei Song immediately realized that his grandfather must have something important to discuss.


    "Uncle Liu, please park the car for me, I''ll go see grandfather immediately."


    Pei Song quickly got out of the car.


    He then rushed to Lord Pei''s study like the wind.


    When he entered Lord Pei''s study, he found his grandfather ying chess with Pei Man.


    "Brother, did something big happen at that boxing ring you went to today?"


    As soon as Pei Song walked in, Pei Man immediately asked.


    "How did you know?"


    Pei Song was instantly startled; could Pei Man actually predict the future?


    Seeing Pei Song''s reaction, both Lord Pei and Pei Man felt a jolt, then exchanged nces and revealed an expression that said, "Just as we thought!"

 Chapter 504: 504 The Attitude of the Pei Family

    "Pei Song, recount tonight''s event in meticulous detail, without missing a single point!"


    The Pei Family patriarch said solemnly.


    "Second brother, this matter is of great importance. Make sure you exin it well!"


    Pei Man''s face was equally serious.


    Seeing the gravity with which both of them regarded tonight''s event, Pei Song was filled with doubts, unable to understand the reason.


    However, grandfather and Pei Man were the two most influential people in the family, and their demeanor now sufficiently indicated the significance of the matter!


    Thus, he also dare not hide anything and retold the evening''s happenings in great detail from start to finish.


    The Pei patriarch and Pei Man listened quietly, not uttering a word.


    After hearing Pei Song''s ount, both of them looked incredibly somber!


    "Grandfather, not to criticize, but that Su chap was truly reckless, antagonizing the Su Family like this is simply courting death!"


    Pei Song couldn''t help but blurt out:


    "Grandfather, to avoid trouble, I think our Pei Family should keep some distance from him."


    "Second brother, it''s not as simple as you think. Haven''t you noticed? He deliberately provoked the Su Family today."


    Pei Man said thoughtfully.


    "He deliberately sought trouble with the Su Family?"


    Pei Song''s confusion deepened:


    "Why?"


    "That''s not for you to consider. Now, go and rest."


    The Pei Family patriarch waved his hand dismissively.


    "Yes, Grandfather."


    Pei Song acknowledged and was about to leave when the Pei patriarch''s voice rang out again.


    "Remember, do not, under any circumstances, provoke him!"


    "Yes!"


    Pei Song''s curiosity intensified, could it be that this fellow was really someone of great significance?


    "Grandfather, we can almost be certain now, he is that little boy from back then."


    Pei Man said, her gaze intense as she looked at the Pei patriarch.


    "I never imagined, nearly twenty years have passed, and the descendant of that man has appeared!"


    The Pei patriarch sighed deeply:


    "Yandu has been peaceful for so many years, yet it seems that Wind and Cloud are about to stir again!"


    "Grandfather, now is not the time for reflection, what''s crucial is how our Pei Family should conduct ourselves!"


    Pei Man spoke in a grave tone.


    "Right, right, Pei Man, what do you suggest?"


    The Pei patriarch nodded repeatedly.


    "I was thinking about Zhuge Sir''s visit to our Pei Family a few days ago."


    "Why do you suddenly bring up this matter?"


    The Pei patriarch was slightly stunned, then his eyes shed with an incredible light:


    "Your meaning couldn''t be that..."


    Pei Man looked solemnly at the Pei patriarch and nodded affirmatively.


    "How is that possible, how could he know the Zhuge Shaman?"


    The Pei patriarch asked falteringly.


    "There''s something I didn''t tell Grandfather, that is, thest time I went to my aunt''s house, it was to meet this Su Chen. When Zhuge Sir''s name came up, he referred to Zhuge Sir as Zhuge Shaman."


    Pei Man, recounting the incident, couldn''t help butugh:


    "At that time, I said Zhuge Sir would not take it lightly, yet he didn''t care and said, if Zhuge Sir dared toe, he''d turn his ''Shaman'' into a ''beaten man''!"


    "That happened?"


    The Pei patriarch was amused as well, yet his heart was profoundly shaken.


    Everyone knows, the Zhuge Shaman in Yandu is revered wherever he goes, no one has ever dared to be so presumptuous!


    "It seems that his rtionship with Zhuge Sir is not shallow."


    The Pei patriarch couldn''t help but say.


    "That''s what I think too, and what''s more coincidental is, right after he arrived in Yandu, Zhuge Sir visited our Pei Family. Could it really be such a coincidence?"


    Pei Man continued:


    "Moreover, Mr. Zhuge said at the time that a dragon had flown to our Pei Family, waiting to see how we would grasp the opportunity. Does that not describe our current situation?"


    "Are you suggesting that Mr. Zhuge wants us to support him?"


    The elder Pei''s body shuddered, and he quickly asked.


    "No, Mr. Zhuge''s intention is for us to support him unconditionally and with all our might!"


    Pei Man looked at the elder Pei and spoke word for word.


    "This is a huge matter! At least for now, I have not yet seen that he is a dragon!"


    The elder Pei muttered.


    "If we wait until it bes obvious, it will already be toote."


    Pei Man said:


    "So this is a massive gamble, win and soar to the skies! Lose and it could meanplete ruin!"


    "Xiaoman, are you thinking of gambling?"


    The elder Pei stared intently into Pei Man''s beautiful eyes and inquired.


    "I believe in Mr. Zhuge, and even more in my own judgment!"


    Pei Man, likewise faced the elder with a radiant glow shining in her eyes!


    The elder Pei quietly watched his granddaughter for several minutes before speaking:


    "Xiaoman, Grandfather is the Pei Family Head, and caution is the top priority. So I will not take a stance, but whatever you want to do, however you wish to proceed, I won''t intercede!"


    "Thank you, Grandfather!"


    Pei Man said earnestly, knowing that this was the limit of what her grandfather could do for her!


    "In the end, Grandfather is getting old andcks the boldness of you young people!"


    The elder Pei sighed with a wry smile.


    "Who says that, Grandfather, you are still vigorous and strong."


    Pei Man rarely ttered, and after her words both burst intoughter...


    ......


    On the streets of Yandu, a Buick car sped along, its upant Yunlong''s mind filled with tumultuous thoughts.


    His first day in Yandu, and he had received the biggest shock of his life!


    First visiting the Pei Family, then beating up the Young Master of the Su Family; each event was something he would not have dared even contemte before, yet they had both happened on the same evening!


    "Do you have something you want to ask me?"


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Su Chen noticed Yunlong''s hesitant demeanor and thus smiled and spoke.


    "Yes, I don''t quite understand why you have such a problem with that second Young Master of the Su Family. It seems like you were deliberately picking a fight with him."


    Yunlong said cautiously.


    "Correct, I did it on purpose. If not this issue, it would be another; if not today, then tomorrow," Su Chen nodded and said:


    "But for now, I cannot tell you the reason. When the time is right, I will let you know."


    "Okay, Big Brother, I''ll not ask further."


    Yunlongughed and said:


    "After all, no matter what you do, I''ll support you unconditionally."


    Su Chen nced at him and smiled, saying nothing...


    .....


    At that moment, inside the main hall of the Su Family, nearly all members of the Legitimate Line were gathered there.


    Fury was distinctly etched on every one of their faces.


    Because on that very day, someone had dared to assault their second Young Master!


    Not only had they stabbed Su Can multiple times, but they had also pressed his face to the ground with a foot!


    That wasn''t just a step on Su Can''s face, but directly on the entirety of the Su Family''s face!


    This was an open provocation against the Su Family, a sign of utter disrespect!


    "What is there to discuss? That he dared to do this to my son, we should just kill him outright!"


    A middle-aged man mmed the table and stood up, shouting his words.


    He was Su Can''s father, Su Tai. When he first saw his son covered in blood, he was so scared he nearly passed out!


    Fortunately, after being rushed to the hospital, doctors stated that it was only several broken ribs and excessive blood loss, saying he would recover after some time.


    But even so, he was still seized by boundless rage!


    He wished he could tear the assant who injured his son into pieces to slightly quell the fiery anger in his heart!

 Chapter 505: Su Family Meeting

    "Indeed, if such a vicious criminal is not severely punished, aren''t people going tough at our Su Family''s expense!"


    "He''s just a green young man; killing him is no big deal."


    "Exactly, making us stay upte into the night for some whippersnapper¡ªthis is making a mountain out of a molehill."


    .....


    Hearing Su Tai''s words, the others chimed in with their agreement, talking about the criminal who injured Su Can as though he were no more consequential than an ant, not worth their consideration.


    "Everyone, please quiet down and let me say a few words."


    At this moment, a middle-aged man seated at the first ce to the left waved his hand. He bore some resemnce to Su Tai; he was Su Tai''s elder brother, Su Yuan.


    Now, as the old Mr. Su had grown old and his health was not what it once was, he no longer appeared in public for anything less than very important matters. All affairs had been handed over to his eldest son, Su Yuan.


    However, because he had yet to officially assume the position of Family Head, he didn''t sit at the head of the table¡ªthat ce belonged to the old Mr. Su, and was currently unupied.


    When Su Yuan spoke, the others fell silent as well.


    "If this affair were so simple, I wouldn''t have called everyone over in the middle of the night,"


    Su Yuan said.


    "What''s soplex about it?"


    One person asked, the others sharing the same thought¡ªit was just a young man, wasn''t it?


    "Firstly, today little Can had two subordinates specially arranged for him by the old man, yet both of them were severely injured by that young man..."


    Su Yuan had not yet finished speaking when the Su Family members were taken aback, their eyes widening in surprise.


    They might not know other things, but they were well aware of how formidable the subordinates the old man had arranged for Su Can were.


    After all, the old man had only two blood grandsons, and Su Can was one of them. How could the people he arranged for him be weak?


    They had initially thought that Su Can was alone, or apanied by a few ordinary bodyguards, which is why they hadn''t taken the matter seriously.


    No wonder Su Yuan had specifically called them all to discuss the situation!


    Actually, they had only heard that Su Can had been beaten by a young man in his twenties, and knew nothing beyond that.


    "And that''s not all; ording to little Can, that young man was brought to the boxing arena by Pei Song..."


    Su Yuan nced at the people present and continued.


    "Big brother, what do you mean by your words?"


    Su Tai''s face suddenly grew long, and the anger in his heart began to churn.


    "Second brother, I don''t mean anything else, what I mean is, since he''s rted to the Pei Family, perhaps we should be a bit more cautious."


    Su Yuan, however, didn''t mind Su Tai''s attitude and continued to speak in a pleasant and amiable manner.


    "But isn''t Pei Song just a wastrel known for his wine and meatpanions? How does that count as having a rtionship with the Pei Family?"


    Su Tai snorted coldly, his voice tinged with sarcasm:


    "Big brother, aren''t you being overly cautious? Or could it be that you would have been d if your nephew were beaten up?"


    The moment Su Tai spoke these words, the atmosphere immediately turned a touch eerie. After all, the old Mr. Su had only these two sons, and naturally both harbored their own designs on the inheritance.


    It wasn''t really anything unusual; every major family had such problems, and it wasn''t limited to just their Su Family.


    However, Su Tai''s statement, which seemed to imply a prediction of a guilty heart, left the others without anything to say.


    Just now, everyone appeared to share amon enemy, but when did people of a great n ever truly act with one heart? It was merely a cost-free way to express their own stance!


    As for the sibling rivalry between these two brothers, they were loathe to get involved¡ªthere was nothing in it for them.


    "Second brother, Su Can is my own nephew, how could I wish for him to be beaten?"


    When Su Yuan heard Su Tai''s words, a sharp glint couldn''t help but pass through his eyes, but he quickly restrained it and returned to his previous amiable demeanor.


    "Su Bo, share the information you''ve just investigated with everyone."


    Su Yuan nced at a young man sitting on his right and spoke.


    "Yes, Father, I just received news that the young man is not any friend of Pei Song, but someone invited by Old Master Pei himself. Moreover, Old Master Pei led more than a dozen significant figures from the Pei Family to personally greet him at the main entrance!"


    Su Bo looked at Su Tai across from him and then stated solemnly.


    As soon as the words fell, all the members of the Su Family shuddered and gasped in astonishment.


    This young man receiving such a reception from Old Master Pei was no small matter, even if the Su Family Head personally visited, he might not receive such treatment!


    "Are you telling the truth?"


    Su Tai''s eyes hardened as he blurted out the question.


    The information revealed by Su Bo just now was too shocking, indicating at the very least that this young man was no ordinary individual!


    "Absolutely true!"


    Su Bo nodded emphatically.


    "So are we just going to let this matter go, and where would that leave our Su Family''s face?"


    Su Tai said with a bit of ack of breath. He no longer doubted Su Bo''s words, believing that he wouldn''t dare to speak carelessly about such a matter.


    "Of course we can''t just let it go, my point is that we need to be cautious about this matter."


    Su Yuan said indifferently,


    "We should be careful about the young man''s martial prowess, as well as his rtionship with the Pei Family, including his true identity."


    Upon hearing Su Yuan''s words, the others nodded in agreement, recognizing the wisdom in his statement.


    "Then, big brother, what do you n to do?"


    Su Tai asked. No matter what, he absolutely could not let go of the grudge for his son!


    "First, let''s thoroughly investigate what background this young man actually has."


    Su Yuan tapped his fingers on the table lightly and then nced at his son,


    "Su Bo, I''ll leave this matter to you."


    "Yes, Father!"


    Su Bo responded respectfully, a trace of intrigue flickering in his eyes.


    ......


    The next morning, after a night of cultivation, Su Chen felt refreshed. Although the Yuan Qi here was not as abundant as in the estate at Jianghai, it did not mean he should forgo cultivation.


    After getting up and quickly freshening up, he went to a nearby street food stall and bought a pancake. Although there was a kitchen in the apartment, he had no interest in cooking for himself.


    He didn''t give too much thought tost night''s events; to him, it was just a way of testing the waters.


    Today, he did not go to the corporation but instead nned to visit Yan Min at Yandu University. After all, he had promised her, and he couldn''t go back on his word.


    Yandu University was located to the east of the city of Yandu and wasn''t too far away. It took Su Chen about thirty minutes to get there by car.


    Upon getting out of the car, the first thing that caught Su Chen''s eyes was an ancient-looking archway. On it, written in seal script were the four big characters "Yandu University!"


    As the premier educational institution in Huaxia, even before entering, one could feel the rich cultural atmosphere that was intoxicating...

 Chapter 506: 506

    Su Chen was about to walk in when the old man at the door stopped him and had him sign in.


    After signing in, he didn''t rush to find Yan Min; instead, he started to wander around the campus.


    Having never attended university and been immersed in the Sea of Consciousness, missing out on higher education was something Su Chen always regretted.


    He dreamed of such a life: attending sses, spending time with a girlfriend, ying games, and once he had some money, going out for a meal with buddies, carefree!


    But such a life was just a luxury for him; when others were attending university, he was fighting in the Dark World, experiencing days filled with blood and violence!


    Others might see him as the King of the Underworld, respected by countless people, even able to decide life and death with a single word!


    But who knew that what he yearned for wasn''t that supreme glory, but rather to live the most ordinary life with someone he truly liked!


    Walking on, he came upon ake, one he had heard of: a symbol of Yandu University.


    He casually sat down by theke, looking at the withering lotus leaves and the fish that surfaced to nibble at the duckweed.


    "Lei Hang, how many times do I have to tell you, stop following me, I will not agree to it."


    Just then, a somewhat familiar voice reached Su Chen''s ears.


    He quickly turned his head and saw a girl walking briskly with a few books in her arms, followed closely by a man in his early twenties, dressed in top-tier casual clothes.


    "Yan Min, I really like you, can''t you see that?"


    The man ran after her, his face full of affection as he spoke.


    "But I don''t like you at all!"


    The girl stomped her foot anxiously.


    "Why don''t you like me? My looks, my build, my family background, which of these isn''t good enough for you?"


    The man still doggedly pursued her:


    "It''s just me in my family; once you''re with me, all my family''s wealth will be yours."


    "I don''t care for it!"


    The girl stopped and faced the man:


    "Besides, I already told you, I have a boyfriend, so give it up!"


    "Impossible, Yan Min, you''re lying to me. How can I not know whether you have a boyfriend?"


    The man said with indifference.


    He had already investigated everyone around Yan Min. There was not even a male friend who was particrly close to her, let alone a boyfriend.


    "How is it not possible? I am her boyfriend!"


    At this moment, a voice rang out, and arge hand reached from behind and wrapped around the girl''s slender waist.


    The girl was initially startled when someone held her waist, but upon recognizing the person, her eyes lit up with surprise and joy!


    "Su, howe you''re here?"


    Yan Min asked, her face blushing shyly.


    "Of course, I came to see you! Didn''t I promise you I would?"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Who are you?! Let go of Yan Min!"


    Seeing Su Chen holding Yan Min, the man immediately became infuriated!


    "Lei Hang, right? Got a problem with your ears? Didn''t I just say? I''m Yan Min''s boyfriend!"


    Su Chen said, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile.


    "Impossible! Yan Min, tell me, is he here just to make me jealous?"


    Lei Hang''s face was overtaken by a chill as he spoke coldly.


    "Make you jealous? Who are you to me? Believe it or not, it doesn''t matter! He is my boyfriend!"


    Yan Min spoke with a cold tone.


    "I don''t believe it, I won''t believe it to my death! It''s not true, is it?"


    Lei Hang shouted somewhat agitatedly:


    "Yan Min, do you think I''ll believe you''ve hired some man to pretend to be your boyfriend just to convince me?"


    "Pop!"


    Just at that moment, Yan Min suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed Su Chen on the face before turning to look at Lei Hang:


    "Do you believe it now?"


    "You, you, you..."


    Lei Hang, seeing Yan Min''s action, instantly red up with rage, his face turning dark!


    He knew Yan Min''s character well, aware of how conservative she was; she would even avoid walking close to other male students!


    Now that she had taken the initiative to kiss this strange man, it meant that their rtionship must be out of the ordinary!


    Su Chen was also taken aback; he had not at all expected the young girl to kiss him suddenly.


    However, he didn''t think that the girl liked him; she was probably just eager to get rid of this man''s entanglement.


    After kissing Su Chen, Yan Min''s heart raced, her pretty face flushing a shade of crimson!


    "Kid, I''ll give you half a million, leave Yan Min immediately!"


    Lei Hang suppressed the fury in his heart and said.


    Su Chen nced at Yan Min in his arms and smiled, shaking his head.


    "One million! Just agree to leave Yan Min and I''ll transfer the money to you right away!"


    Lei Hang noticed Su Chen''s attire was that of an ordinary office worker and naturally thought he didn''t have much money.


    Yan Min, not knowing who Su Chen was, became nervous upon hearing Lei Hang''s offer of a million to make Su Chen "leave" her.


    She nervously nced at Su Chen, fearing that he might be tempted by Lei Hang''s money.


    Su Chen stroked Yan Min''s long hair and still smiled, shaking his head.


    Yan Min felt relieved, though she knew that even if Su Chen epted Lei Hang''s offer, she would never be Lei Hang''s girlfriend; but without a doubt, she would be very sad!


    "Name your price, just how much money do you want!"


    Lei Hang''s eyes were filled with mes as he spoke.


    He had been pursuing Yan Min for two years but had always been rejected.


    The unattainable is always more desirable; thus Lei Hang had not given up, instead, his desire to win Yan Min''s heart had grown even stronger!


    At this moment, he thought Su Chen wanted to ask for a huge sum of money!


    Fortunately, the thing his family nevercked was money; he would use money to smash, if necessary, to get Yan Min!


    "No, no amount of money would make me leave Yan Min, she is priceless in my heart!"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile, then looked down at Yan Min:


    "Let''s go."


    "Mm!"


    Yan Min shyly nodded her head, her heart sweet as honey when Su Chen called her priceless!


    Then Su Chen, with his arm around Yan Min, left; he had absolutely no interest in a wealthy heir like Lei Hang.


    "Bastard, you''re toying with me!"


    Lei Hang, alreadypletely blinded by rage, swung his fists and charged at Su Chen!


    Yan Min turned her head and saw his fearsome appearance, which startled her.


    Su Chen merely sidestepped slightly, avoiding his fist, then grabbed his arm and with an effortless flick, threw him into a nearbyke!


    "Ssh!"


    Lei Hang made a loud noise as he fell into the water, instantly drawing the attention of nearby students!


    "Someone''s fallen into the water!"


    An exmation went up, and more people gathered around.


    Lei Hang, his head popping out of the water topped with a few strands of pondweed, saw dozens of people on the shore pointing and whispering, and felt his face was utterly lost!


    "You despicable couple, I will make you pay for this!"


    Lei Hang, staring at the receding figures of the two, gnashed his teeth and spat out!

 Chapter 507: The Young Masters Gathering

    "Su Brother, I''m sorry, I just..."


    After the two sat down on a bench, Yan Min said somewhat embarrassedly.


    "I understand." Su Chen replied nonchntly, "I see you as a sister, what''s this little thing to fuss about?"


    "Just as a sister?"


    Yan Min''s expression turned a bit dim upon hearing Su Chen''s words, but she didn''t voice the question.


    "Who was that guy just now? He seemed to be pretty wealthy?"


    Su Chen asked casually, failing to notice the subtle change in Yan Min''s expression.


    "Oh, his name is Lei Hang. Actually, he doesn''t attend our university. His father is the owner of a well-known investmentpany in Yandu; he''s been pestering me for two years now, and it''s really annoying."


    Yan Min also put aside the slight sense of loss she had felt a moment ago.


    "Two years? I didn''t expect this guy to be quite devoted."


    "Devoted my foot. Although he pursues me, he always has other women around him. I heard he even got several women pregnant, and after giving them some money, he thinks it''s all settled, he''s nothing but scum."


    Yan Min spat out angrily:


    "Moreover, even if he didn''t have all this dirtyundry, I wouldn''t like him one bit."


    "So you have someone you like?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Mhm."


    Yan Min nodded softly.


    "Then, when will you introduce him to Su Brother? I can give you my opinion."


    Yan Min looked up at Su Chen and hesitated, ultimately not saying the words "The person I like is you!"


    What she said instead was a single word: "Alright."


    "Take me on a tour of your university; it''s my first time here."


    "Sure!"


    Yan Min forced a smile and said to Su Chen.


    She then led Su Chen around the Yandu University campus, which boasted finely designedndscapes that were indeed beautiful.


    "Yan Min, is this your boyfriend?"


    "Yan Min, your boyfriend is so handsome!"


    "Yan Min, won''t you introduce us to your handsome boyfriend?"


    As they walked, female ssmates who recognized Yan Min teasingly asked her when they saw her arm-in-arm with an unfamiliar man.


    Hearing these words, Yan Min felt a mix of shyness and happiness.


    Being a man, Su Chen was even more unconcerned, and he smiled politely at them, recognizing that these were Yan Min''s ssmates after all!


    Unknowingly, the two had strolled for more than an hour, and as lunchtime approached, Su Chen followed Yan Min to the Yandu University cafeteria and grabbed something simple to eat.


    After lunch, Su Chen was ready to leave, and Yan Min apanied him to the university gate.


    "That''s far enough; you should hurry back," Su Chen told Yan Min.


    "In a while, Su Brother wille to see you again. If that Lei Hang continues to bother you, just tell Su Brother, and I''ll take care of it for you."


    "Okay, Su Brother, have a safe trip."


    Yan Min had to head to ss soon, so she didn''t insist on continuing to see him off.


    It was only after she saw Su Chen''s car drive away that she turned to head back; two steps in, she couldn''t help feeling annoyed:


    "It''s all my fault for getting too excited upon seeing Su Ge; Ipletely forgot to talk to him about the talent agency matter. Oh well, I''ll just have to bring it up next time I see him."


    After leaving Yandu University, Su Chen directly returned to Rainbow Mansion, where he stayed until the end of the workday.


    Since it was Friday, almost everyone hurried back to Jianghai after work, mainly to bring their cars over for the weekend. After all, it''s too inconvenient to be here without a car.


    Su Chen still had his dinner at the fast-food restaurant near Rainbow Mansion and then went back to his apartment.


    Once he returned to his apartment, he started cultivating right away and soon immersed himself in the profound world of the Nine Yang Divine Technique...


    By this time, it was already 8 o''clock in the evening, and the neon lights outside had started to flicker.


    In the private room of an upscale nightclub, six or seven young men were sitting on leather sofas, each dressed in clothing sewn by Europe''s oldest bespoke workshops.


    The bottles of wine on the table were also collectors'' items that one couldn''t just buy or even see on the market.


    These young men exuded a natural air of condescension, as if there were nothing in this world worthy of their attention.


    Next to each of these men sat a woman whose beauty and figure could be considered high-grade. Although these women were the top cards of the nightclub, they were nothing more than ythings in the eyes of these significant figures!


    Among these young men, there was only one woman. However, when she saw therge hands of those men groping the women beside them, her expression remained unchanged, as if she had grown used to the sight.


    "Su Dashao, it seems like there was a big incident in your family yesterday?"


    One of the men said, swirling his ss and smiling mockingly.


    "I''ve heard about it too. They say your younger brother lost half his life. I just don''t know who did it, daring toy a hand on the Su Family''s second Young Master."


    Another man chimed in.


    "Come on, Zheng Dashao, Situ Dashao, aren''t you afraid he''ll flip the table talking about this in front of Su Dashao?"


    The Shen Family''s third son, Shen Yu, took a sip of his drink andughed teasingly.


    "Well, it''s really true that good news stays inside, but bad news travels far and wide!"


    Su Bo pinched the fullness of the woman beside him andmented with a sense of resignation, but he couldn''t quite hide the smirk on his lips.


    "I think not only will Su Dashao not flip the table, he may even be thanking the person who took action in his heart!"


    The only woman in the room nced at Su Bo andughed.


    "Situ brother, your sister A Jiao is always so straightforward, always speaking the blunt truth! Ha ha!~~~"


    Zheng Xuan pointed at Situ Lei and burst intoughter, and others in the room alsoughed out loud.


    "What are you allughing about? Something so tragic happens to my Su Family, and you all areughing like this, is that appropriate?"


    Su Bo muttered disdainfully, feigning a long face.


    "Come off it, Su brother, why put on an act in front of us?"


    Shen Yu nced at Su Bo and said:


    "With what happened, I reckon your uncle and cousin''s hopes of contending with your family for the position of Family Head have slimmed down considerably."


    Shen Yu didn''t make thisment without reason; with an incident like yesterday''s, if Su Can was smart, he would have erased all traces so that no one would know about it.


    Yet he let his shock and anger take over, almost shaking the entire Su Family. The Su Family is not monolithic, and soon word got out.


    How can someone who has been humiliated with a foot on their face possibly inherit the position of Family Head?


    In choosing a sessor in arge family, the criteria are lineage, seniority, ability, and face!


    Sometimes, ''face'' even outweighs the first three!

 Chapter 508: The Robbery is Here

    ```


    These people even suspected that the news about Su Can being humiliated was leaked by Su Bo and his son. Otherwise, how could they have known such detailed information?


    They not only knew he had been stabbed so many times but also that someone had stepped on him underfoot!


    In fact, that was indeed the case. As soon as Su Yuan got wind of the news, he immediately had Su Bo spread the word.


    However, they didn''t reveal who was behind the act, nor did they disclose the assant''s connection to the Pei Family.


    "But who would be so bold as toy such a vicious hand on the second Young Master of your Su Family?"


    Zheng Xuan slightly furrowed his brows and asked.


    Su Bo nced at Pei Song, who had been silent the whole time, and shook his head, saying,


    "Who knows what kind of lunatic it was? But the family is investigating. Let''s not talk about such depressing things anymore."


    "Alright, let''s drop the subject and drink!"


    Everyone raised their sses and clinked them together.


    "By the way, Pei Song, Pei Jian ising back soon, right?"


    Zheng Xuan suddenly asked.


    "Yeah, in the next few days, I guess."


    Pei Song was clearly not in the mood for this gathering today and simply nodded vaguely.


    "Speaking of which, it''s really a pity about Pei Jian. He is the legitimate heir and eldest grandson of the Pei Family. He''s good in all aspects, both capable and handsome, but just because there is a phoenix in the family, he''s out of the running for the Family Head position."


    Shen Yu couldn''t help but sigh, and the others also felt sorry for Pei Jian.


    "My elder brother never cares about these things. His eyes are only on the prosperity of the family,"


    Pei Song said casually.


    However, while the speaker meant no harm, the listener took it to heart, and a dark glint immediately gathered in Su Bo''s eyes!


    He thought to himself, What do you mean by that? Pei Jian doesn''t care, but I do. Isn''t this a taunt directed at me?


    None of the others took notice, nor did they expect Su Bo to be so petty.


    "Actually, Shen Yu, your family is in a simr situation. The Pei Family has a phoenix, and your Shen Family also has a dragon!"


    Zheng Xuan lit a cigar, took a puff, and said,


    "If it weren''t for your second brother Shen Shao being so stunning, leaving no hope for others, maybe your elder brother wouldn''t be indulging in drink and leading a life of dissipation every day, right?"


    "Is your elder brother still in Qimeng Tower?" Situ Jiao asked.


    "Where else could he be if not there? I bet he''ll end up dead on a woman''s belly sooner orter."


    When Shen Yu heard others mentioning his eldest brother, he spat disdainfully, his eyes full of scorn.


    The restughed at this, clearly not taking the eldest son of the Shen Family seriously.


    "Your elder brother hasn''t fallen for the madam of Qimeng Tower, has he?"


    Situ Jiao said with augh upon hearing the conversation.


    "Situ Jiao!"


    At her words, Situ Lei suddenly let out a stern shout!


    Situ Jiao was startled too, hastily covering her mouth; she knew she''d spoken out of turn!


    "Ah Jiao, mind your words!"


    Shen Yu sighed as well.


    The others also looked shocked, thinking, Isn''t that woman someone you can''t just talk about casually?


    "Actually, it''s not just Pei Jian. Situ Lei, your third brother ising back soon too, right?"


    Zheng Xuan changed the subject and asked,


    "I''ve heard that he''sing back to marry a beautiful bride shortly!"


    "That''s the n."


    Situ Lei nodded.


    "Who exactly is this beauty that has captivated Situ''s third Young Master for years while he was abroad?"


    Shen Yu also followed up with a smile.


    "I don''t know, but I do know she''s from Jiangnan Jianghai, so she must be somewhat attractive."


    Situ Lei said nonchntly.


    "Now that your third brother is getting married, Brother Situ, isn''t it about time you got serious too? Hanbing, that fiery woman, hasn''t been won over by you yet, has she?"


    ```


    Shen Yu couldn''t help but tease.


    "Do you think Du Hanbing is an easy target?"


    An irked Situ Jiao who was finally calming down, red at Shen Yu and said.


    Hearing this, everyone else nodded in agreement.


    Although Du Hanbing wasn''t as mysterious as the proprietress of Qimeng Tower, she was no ordinary woman!


    "Alright, alright, let''s continue drinking!"


    The clinking of cups resumed across the room...


    This was a typical gathering for these young masters and misses. Even though the five major families had their own disputes, the younger generation often hung out together.


    Their families not only didn''t object to this but actually encouraged it.


    Of course, those few with the brightest halos above their heads disdained to attend these gatherings...


    .......


    Since the next day was the weekend, Su Chen naturally didn''t need to go to the corporation. After some thought, he decided that cultivating in his apartment wasn''t convenient. He needed a quiet ce.


    He had initially nned to buy a house, but then he thought, why waste the money when that old guy was in Yandu?


    Thinking of that old guy, a fox-like smile curled up on Su Chen''s lips...


    Driving his Buick Regal, he headed north for about an hour, almost reaching the suburbs, before stopping in front of a courtyard house.


    Inside the courtyard, a woman dressed in white was sitting in a wheelchair,ughing and talking with a mud-covered little boy, who looked to be about eight or nine years old.


    "Auntie Man, try this baked sweet potato I made, it''s delicious!"


    The little boy, with dirty little hands, handed a charred sweet potato to the woman in white.


    "Thank you, Xia Xia."


    The woman in white reached out with her delicate, fair hand to receive the baked sweet potato from the little boy, not minding at all that it could dirty her clothes.


    "Xia Xia, what were you drawing on the ground just now?"


    The woman in white asked with a smile.


    "The Nine Pces and Eight Trigrams diagram."


    The little boy answered earnestly.


    Just then, a knock on the door sounded suddenly, and since the door wasn''t locked, it was pushed open immediately.


    The woman in white and the little boy both turned their heads to look at the entrance, where they saw a young man in casual clothes walking in.


    Both the woman in white and the little boy were somewhat stunned to see this man.


    "Eh, Miss Pei, what are you doing here?"


    Su Chen walked in and upon seeing the woman''s face clearly, couldn''t help but ask in surprise.


    Pei Man was about to speak, but the little boy next to her suddenly ran inside as if seeing a ghost, yelling in panic:


    "Master, Master!"


    "Xia Xia, haven''t I taught you to remain calm at all times, to beposed even if Mount Tai were to copse in front of you?"


    A voice with an air of teacherly authority came from inside the house.


    "It''s not that, Master, the robbers are here!"


    "What! You little rascal, why didn''t you say so sooner? Where is that damned thief now? Quickly, hide Master''s treasures. If that robber sees them, we''re doomed!"


    At this moment, the voice inside suddenly became extremely panicked, devoid of the former authority.


    Soon after, the sound of frantic rummaging and turning over boxes filled the house!


    "He, he has already entered the courtyard!"


    "Ah!!!!!"


    An extremely frustrated and miserable cry came from inside the house.


    "Old swindler, if you don''te out, I''m going to uproot all your herbs!"


    Su Chen yelled towards the inside from the courtyard.


    Pei Man, watching this scene, was utterly dumbfounded!


    What in the world was going on?

 Chapter 509: The Frustrated Zhuge the Semi-Immortal

    After Su Chen shouted, an old man dressed in gray Daoist robes walked out from the house.


    The expression on his face was the epitome of gloom, as if he had eaten shit, while the little boy timidly hid behind the old man''s voluminous Daoist robes, asionally peeping out with a pair of shiny ck eyes at the man in front.


    "Little Xia, Brother Su is here to see you, why are you hiding?"


    Su Chen beckoned to the little boy with a smile.


    "Hmph, I don''t believe you!"


    The little boy snorted.


    "Spit it out, you scoundrel, what are you here for?"


    Zhuge Dongming looked at Su Chen with a wary face, as if a night cat had entered the house.


    "Of course, I''m here to make some connections."


    Su Chen rubbed his hands together and grinned, his appearance indescribably sleazy.


    "You''ve already emptied out my treasures, there''s nothing left for you, just leave!"


    Zhuge Dongming directly said upon hearing this.


    "I don''t believe that, I heard what you said to Little Xia just now. Besides, it''s been years since I''ve been here, how could you let me leave empty-handed!"


    At this moment, Su Chen''s eyes were already gleaming with excitement, it seemed that this old rascal had umted quite a few good things over the years, this trip was really worth it!


    With that, he strode toward one of the rooms.


    Pei Man watched this scene and suddenly felt extremely surprised, how could Mr. Zhuge, who was revered like a saint by every noble family, seem to be as scared of Su Chen as a mouse in the presence of a cat?


    "Don''t go in, there really aren''t any good things left in my house!"


    Zhuge Dongming stood at the doorway blocking him, if this kid got in, could he really keep his treasures safe?


    "Are you really going to fight me?"


    Su Chen nced at him, the corner of his mouth curling into a mischievous smile.


    Upon hearing this, Zhuge Dongming immediately stepped aside obediently.


    Pei Man saw this and became even more amazed, could it be that what Su Chen saidst time was true, was he really that formidable, so much that Mr. Zhuge was so fearful of him?


    "Mr. Zhuge, why do you seem so afraid of him?"


    Pei Man wheeled closer to Zhuge and asked.


    "Afraid my ass, I''m afraid of his master, that old ghost of a master is the most protective. If Iy a finger on this kid, he''ll probably pretend to be injured, even intentionally making himself severely injured, then go back and tattle!"


    Zhuge Dongming vented in frustration:


    "If that old ghost of a masteres, he''d probably tear down my house!"


    At these words, Pei Man couldn''t help but let out a snort ofughter.


    No wonder Su Chen was so fearlessly brazen! It turns out he has a master who''d back him up no matter what!


    "Alright, I need to go in and see, who knows what state this kid has left my ce in?"


    Zhuge Dongming slipped by and quickly walked into the house, and Pei Man followed in her wheelchair.


    "Yo, isn''t this Huang Quan''s ''Rare Birds Painting''?"


    As soon as Su Chen walked in, he saw a lifelike painting of insects, birds, and turtles hanging on the wall.


    Without further ado, he leaped up, took the painting down, and then rolled it up.


    Further inside, there were two more inherited famous paintings, which he also took down.


    "Eh, isn''t this a Yuan blue and white ''Zhuge Liang Down the Mountain'' pot?"


    Su Chen suddenly spotted the blue porcin on a table nearby and said:


    "I heard it was auctioned off for three hundred million a couple of years ago, didn''t expect it to end up in your hands, old chap!"


    Naturally, he took the porcin into his embrace, and then rapped on the table underneath it:


    "This table isn''t bad either, it must be made from golden-threaded nanmu from the Ming Dynasty imperial supply, a fine example of its kind, selling it for a few hundred million shouldn''t be a problem."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Zhuge Dongming''s face couldn''t help but twitch, thinking to himself, "You''re not going to take the table too, are you?"


    "But never mind, it''s such a big piece, and it won''t fit well in my car,"


    Su Chen sighed and shook his head.


    At this, Zhuge Dongming couldn''t help but pat his chest, letting out a sigh of relief, but before he hadpletely rxed, he heard Su Chen curl his lips and say:


    "I''ll just leave it here this time, and find a truck next time."


    Zhuge Dongming''s mouth twitched immediately, looking like he wanted to curse but swallowed the words back!


    Pei Man waspletely stunned as well, no wonder Zhuge was so rmed upon hearing of his arrival!


    How is this behavior any different from a robber''s?!


    The key point was, this was Zhuge the immortal''s home! And it was all happening right in front of Zhuge the immortal himself!


    But to Su Chen, this was hardly anything. Could such trivial items really get rid of him?


    Su Chen nced around, then noticed a leather suitcase that had been ced high up, his eyes immediately bursting with a more searing gleam!


    Zhuge Dongming naturally noticed Su Chen''s gaze and was rmed. He quickly pleaded:


    "Please spare my suitcase; there really isn''t much in it."


    In the voice of the great Zhuge Dongming, there was almost a sob.


    "Let''s just have a look first,"


    A smile appeared on Su Chen''s lips, and he promptly took the suitcase down.


    "Mr. Zhuge, by saying that, you''re definitely not going to make him give up on the suitcase,"


    Pei Man said with augh from the side.


    "Do you think, if I don''t speak, this damned guy would stop?"


    Zhuge Dongming spat out with ill humor.


    Pei Man smiled and didn''t say anything, but she didn''t expect that Su Chen could actually manage to suppress someone like Mr. Zhugepletely.


    Su Chen opened the suitcase, and at a nce, saw that it was filled with clothes.


    Without a second thought, he tossed all the clothes onto the ground. The suitcase was immediately empty, there was nothing but the clothes.


    However, there was not the slightest sign of disappointment on Su Chen''s face. He felt the bottom of the suitcase and found nothing out of the ordinary. Then he felt the lid of the suitcase and still found nothing.


    Su Chen then frowned and, looking at Zhuge, he smiled and said:


    "It seems your methods of hiding things have improved again."


    "There was never anything there,"


    Zhuge Dongming said.


    "Do you think I would believe you?"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, closed the suitcase again, flipped it over, and started to check it out.


    His eyes slowly narrowed, while Zhuge Dongming''s heart began to pound nervously¡­


    Suddenly, Su Chen grabbed the suitcase''s wheel and pulled it off in one go!


    "How about it, old trickster, still hiding things from me?"


    Su Chenughed triumphantly.


    Zhuge Dongming felt utterly defeated, his own so carefully concealed item had still been found by this damned guy!


    It took Su Chen no time to dismantle the wheel, and from the middle bearing, he pulled out a nail-cap-sized item wrapped in tattered cloth.


    Su Chen immediately unwrapped the cloth and found a small, blue-glowing, round pill inside.


    Seeing the small pill, Su Chen''s eyes widened suddenly:


    "Old trickster, you actually have such a good thing!"

 Chapter 510: Baby

    Others might not recognize this pill, but he certainly did¡ªit was a Restorative Pill!


    If taken right before a breakthrough in one''s realm, it could greatly enhance the sess rate of the breakthrough!


    Although Su Chen had looted those items previously, to be honest, he didn''t really care about them; if it had been just for those items, he wouldn''t have bothereding.


    After all, those items were merely mundane objects in the eyes of cultivators!


    Su Chen immediately tore off the remaining three wheels!


    "Ancestor, at least leave me two pills!"


    When Zhuge Dongming saw his wolf-like demeanor, his face immediately fell.


    "Fine, seeing as you''re pitiful, I''ll leave you two."


    Su Chen threw two wheels onto the table, then dismantled thest wheel and pulled out the rag inside and stuffed it into his pocket!


    At this moment, Pei Man waspletely bbergasted. How did this guy know the items were inside the wheels?


    Could it be that he had gained experience from "robbing" before?


    It seemed he had done this sort of thing more than just once or twice before.


    "Ancestor, you''vepletely looted me now, please leave!"


    Zhuge was begging him to leave as if ushering out a gue.


    "No rush, no rush!"


    Su Chen casually started walking around the room, his eyes scanning like radar.


    Pei Man curiously watched Su Chen''s handsome profile, wondering, what was he doing now?


    At that moment, she once again saw that familiar gleam in his eyes!


    He quickly walked to a cab, moved it aside, and then pulled out a dagger from his body.


    "What are you doing?"


    Zhuge Dongming was immediately horrified, an expression that Su Chen rarely saw.


    Seeing him like this, Su Chen was even more certain that there was a treasure inside. He used the dagger to scrape the wall a few times, then removed a brick.


    He reached in and found a t box, which he immediately pulled out.


    It was a ck box that didn''t look like it contained treasures, but rather seemed like a box for discs.


    As Su Chen, full of curiosity, was about to open it, a hand suddenly reached out from the side.


    Startled, Su Chen quickly moved to evade.


    Su Chen was even more curious now. What kind of treasure was inside that made the old chatan dare to make a move against him?


    Zhuge Dongming was shocked as he missed his grab. This young man was clearly at the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, but how could his speed be so fast just now?


    Although he hadn''t used his full strength, he had thought it sufficient to snatch the item, yet Su Chen''s speed had far surpassed that of a martial artist at the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer.


    Zhuge Dongming knew about Su Chen''s shattered Dantian, and it was already a miracle that he could repair his Dantian and step back onto the path of cultivation.


    That he could cultivate to the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer so quickly was even more miraculous, an absolute marvel!


    But he had never imagined that Su Chen''s true strength seemed to far exceed the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer realm, which shocked him even more!


    While he was slightly stunned, Su Chen had already opened the box, and upon seeing what was inside, he burst intoughter!


    "Old chatan, I didn''t expect you to have such treasures!"


    Su Chen took the item out of the box, waved it in his hand, andughed aloud.


    Pei Man was also very curious about what could make the alwayscent Mr. Zhuge lose hisposure so.


    Although Pei Man always appeared imperturbable and indifferent, when she saw the item in Su Chen''s hand, her pretty face blushed in an instant!


    It was clearly a disc, but what was printed on it was an incredibly sexydy, along with a striking line ofrge characters¡ª"Ind Country ssics Collection!"


    At this moment, Zhuge Dongming wished he could find a hole to crawl into. It would be one thing if Su Chen were the only witness, but there was also a young girl present!


    "Master, what is that?"


    The little boy who had been hiding behind Zhuge Dongming also saw the disc, and with a curious expression, he asked.


    Zhuge Dongming had no idea how to respond; he felt like he hadpletely lost face!


    "Little Xiazi, what''s recorded on this is a profound knowledge. When you grow up, Brother Su will teach you."


    Su Chen chuckled mischievously.


    Upon hearing this, Pei Man''s stunning face turned even redder. How could this guy be so blunt?


    Zhuge Dongming also had a face full of dismay, feeling as if his lifetime of rity had been ruined!


    "You can leave now," he said.


    Zhuge Dongming just hoped this rascal would quickly scram.


    "There''s just onest thing," Su Chen said, breaking into a slight smile.


    "What else do you want?" Zhuge Dongming snorted coldly, his suspicions confirmed by the young man''s smile.


    "I need a secluded house."


    "No!"


    Zhuge Dongming rejected him without a second thought.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t have one, he just didn''t want to give it!


    This kid had pilfered so many treasures from him, embarrassed him so much, and now he had the audacity to ask for a house!


    "Is that so?"


    A smirk appeared on Su Chen''s lips:


    "Then I''ll have toe back in a few days."


    After finishing his statement, he made to leave, but after just two steps, Zhuge Dongming''s voice called out from behind:


    "Wait!"


    "What''s up, old sage, changed your mind?"


    Su Chen teased with a mocking twist of his lips.


    "I admit I am scared of you! This is the key to an estate by Laixing Lake, take it and just scram!"


    Zhuge Dongming spat out bitterly, pulling out a set of keys and throwing them to him.


    "Thanks a lot!"


    Su Chen caught the keys, then walked out carrying arge pile of treasures.


    "Mr. Su, I''lle with you, if you don''t mind giving me a ride."


    Just as Su Chen was about to reach the door, Pei Man also followed him from behind.


    "Sure, just give me a moment."


    Su Chen hurried to the car at the entrance, opened the trunk, and put everything inside.


    Then he turned around, walked over to Pei Man, who was at that moment adjusting the buttons on her high-tech wheelchair, getting ready to climb over the doorstep.


    Her wheelchair was capable of oveing the doorstep with no issues.


    However, unexpectedly, Su Chen directly picked her up and walked towards the car.


    This totally stunned Pei Man''s attendant who had been waiting outside;st time they kissed, and now he was picking her up?!


    "Are you deliberately trying to take advantage of me?"


    After Su Chen ced Pei Man in the passenger seat, she asked with a light smile.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Su Chen was a bit confused.


    "That doorstep just now, my wheelchair could have handled it, but you chose to pick me up. Isn''t that deliberately taking advantage of me?"


    Pei Man tilted her head, speaking with a teasing smile,


    "Well, I really didn''t know, sorry."


    Su Chen also became somewhat embarrassed, his face flushing slightly.


    Pei Man found his current appearance quite cute, a stark contrast to the "robber" he had been back in Zhuge''s courtyard.

 Chapter 511 - 511 Zhuge and the Gentleman

    "Okay, I''m not ming you, let''s go."


    Pei Man smiled, then turned to the outside and said to A-Tai:


    "You go back first, Mr. Su will drive me home."


    "Yes, Miss!"


    A-Tai replied, then drove off alone...


    After Su Chen had ced Pei Man''s wheelchair in the back seat, he started the car.


    Zhuge was holding a little boy in the courtyard, watching Su Chen''s car with furrowed brows:


    "These twoing together, I really don''t know if it''s a blessing or a curse!"


    "Mr. Su, could we first visit the mansion that Mr. Zhuge gave you earlier?"


    Not long after Su Chen''s car left, Pei Man asked with a smile.


    "Of course, no problem, but I still don''t know where it is."


    "I know."


    Pei Man stated.


    Afterward, Su Chen drove towards the east of the city following Pei Man''s directions...


    "Mr. Su..."


    Just as Pei Man was about to speak, Su Chen waved his hand:


    "Don''t call me Mr. Su anymore, just call me Su Chen."


    He felt that Pei Man was quite suitable to be friends, which was why he said this, and of course, there was another reason¡ªPei Man was an exceptionally heart-stirring woman.


    "Alright, Su Chen, from now on you should also stop calling me Miss Pei, Miss Pei, just call me Pei Man."


    "Sure, Pei Man."


    Su Chen smiled slightly and asked:


    "What were you about to say?"


    "I wanted to ask you, how did you know where Mr. Zhuge hid the stuff, even the exact location?"


    Pei Man had always been curious about how Su Chen directly went into that room upon arriving and how he found those pills and discs hidden so secretly.


    "It''s quite simple, this old chatan always believes in one saying: ''The terrain is earthy, a gentleman carries things with great virtue!''"


    While driving, Su Chen exined:


    "So, this old chatan usually hides things in the earthy position; haven''t you noticed? That room was located in the earthy position of the courtyard, and that cab was also in the earthy position of that room."


    "It''s just that this old guy isn''t much of a gentleman."


    Su Chen remarked with a curl of his lip.


    "Mr. Zhuge is still somewhat of a gentleman,"


    Pei Man argued.


    "A gentleman who hides Ind Country adult movies?"


    Su Chen looked at Pei Man and teased.


    At this, Pei Man also let out a somewhat bashful smile...


    "Su Chen, you really have a wicked mouth!"


    Pei Man nced at him with her beautiful eyes, a nce truly filled with charm!


    For a moment, Su Chen was almost spellbound...


    An hourter, the car finally arrived at the banks of Laixing Lake.


    This Laixing Lake was indeed muchrger than Jianghai''s Jiangyang Lake and the scenery was much more beautiful.


    However, what disappointed Su Chen was that the spiritual energy here couldn''tpare to that of Jianghai''s Jiangyang Lake.


    This was understandable; after all, the strong spiritual energy at Jiangyang Lake was so peculiar that Su Chen was nning to find time to explore it.


    Although it couldn''tpare to Jiangyang Lake, it was still much richer than in other ces.


    Su Chen pushed Pei Man''s wheelchair up the path, and not far away, they saw the mansion, not just one but several scattered around, presumably built by wealthy people for vacationing.


    "Mr. Zhuge''s is the third one inside."


    Pei Man pointed towards a mansion not far off.


    "Theyout of this mansion seems quite simr to the one in Jianghai, doesn''t it?"


    Su Chen walked into the manor and said,


    "Did you not know? The manor in Jianghai also belongs to Mr. Zhuge."


    Pei Man curiously turned her head and nced at him.


    "Ah, so it''s that old chatan''s, huh?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but express his surprise,


    "Didn''t you say you won it from someone else in a bet?"


    "It was with Mr. Zhuge that I made the bet, though he certainly let me win,"


    Pei Man said with a smile.


    "So it''s his, huh."


    Thinking of the substantial benefits he had gained from that manor, Su Chen couldn''t help but say,


    "It looks like I need to be nicer to that old chatan in the future."


    "That''s right, you didn''t see how Mr. Zhuge almost choked on his blood because of you just now,"


    Pei Man agreed.


    "Yeah, next time I''ll just take less stuff from him,"


    Su Chen murmured, continuing to push Pei Man forward.


    Upon hearing this, Pei Man was momentarily speechless, so your idea of being nicer to him was to take less from him? That''s really generous!


    When Su Chen walked inside the building, he found theyout simr to the one in Jianghai, which immediately dampened his interest.


    "Su Chen, are you using this manor for cultivation?" Pei Man asked.


    "Do you understand cultivation?"


    "Not really, I just have a slight understanding of it."


    Su Chen nodded, showing no surprise.


    After a brief tour, Su Chen pushed Pei Man out, then drove her all the way to the Pei Family''s mansion, ced her in a wheelchair at the gate, said goodbye, and left.


    As Su Chen was about to reach his apartment, his phone rang; it was Lin Wenting. He immediately answered.


    It turned out she and little Ruohan had alsoe to Yandu, and knowing that Su Chen was there too, she invited him to join them for lunch.


    Su Chen naturally wouldn''t dy and, as he hadn''t had lunch yet, drove to the restaurant they had mentioned.


    Upon arrival, he found that they hadn''t arrived yet, so he waited at the entrance. However, they arrived within a few minutes.


    "Brother Su!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, little Ruohan ran over happily, and Su Chen immediately picked her up.


    "Ruohan, you seem to have gained weight, Brother Su can hardly lift you now,"


    Su Chen teased with a smile.


    "Really?"


    Little Ruohan pouted,


    "It''s all mom''s fault, making me eat so much."


    "No, Brother Su was just joking,"


    Su Chen yfully tousled her delicate chin, then greeted Lin Wenting who came rushing over with a "Auntie".


    "Long time no see, Su Chen,"


    Lin Wenting said with a smile.


    Afterward, Su Chen put little Ruohan down and helped her and Lin Wenting enter the restaurant.


    This was a rather elegant high-end Chinese restaurant, with d¨¦cor and facilities filled with ancient charm, and the tables and chairs were wooden, presenting a deep brown pattern.


    Since everyone was family, there was no need for pretense requiring a private room, so they seated themselves against a wall in the main hall.


    The three of them ordered four dishes and one soup, mostly light and refreshing dishes from the Huaiyang area.


    "Su Chen, I really owe you one for what happened with the Lin Familyst time,"


    After the waiter left, Lin Wenting sincerely said to Su Chen.


    She hadn''t been home at the time, and returningter to hear about the incident had truly frightened her!


    Although she knew her eldest brother''s family harbored ambitions, she hadn''t expected them to conspire with the Liu Family and continuously poison old Master and Ruoxue!


    If their plot had seeded, the results would have been unimaginable...

 Chapter 512: 512

    "I''m Ruoxue''s husband, after all, these are things I should do."


    Su Chen said with a casual smile.


    The restaurant''s service was quite fast, and in no time, several dishes were served.


    "Auntie, why did youe to Yandu?"


    After eating for a while, Su Chen suddenly asked.


    He noticed that Lin Wenting actually came to Yandu quite often. It seemed that aside from the newly moved Belle Group branchpany, the Lin Family didn''t have any other businesses here.


    Lin Wenting was about to answer when she suddenly saw something that made her face turn ugly in an instant.


    It wasn''t just her; little Ruohan sitting next to her also had the same expression, looking at someone like they were facing an archenemy.


    Surprised, Su Chen quickly followed their gaze and turned his head to look, only to see a group of men and women walking in. Among them, the most conspicuous was a girl walking in the center.


    She was wearing a bright red dress, and something around her waist area was emitting a dazzling blue light.


    Su Chen recognized at a nce that her dress was from Winton''s Handcraft Workshop in America, and the blue light at her waist came from a top-quality blue diamond. Although it was small, its value was far from insignificant!


    Su Chen immediately deduced that this woman was no ordinary person, not just because of her dress, but also because of the ttery and adtion she was receiving from the men and women around her.


    She walked amongst the crowd as if she were the moon surrounded by stars, and she seemed to enjoy this feeling very much.


    Suddenly, she seemed to sense someone staring at her, and her gaze involuntarily swept forward. When itnded on a particr spot, her originally pleased expression instantly turned cold.


    Su Chen felt that the change in Lin Wenting and her daughter''s expressions was because of this woman, but he did not say anything for the time being.


    The woman walked straight past their table, but when she passed by Lin Wenting and her daughter, she disdainfully spat out three words¡ª "bastard breed!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Wenting immediately turned a ferrous blue with anger but forcibly held herself back!


    "You''re the bastard breed!"


    Lin Wenting, the adult, might hold back, but Lin Ruohan could not bear it any longer.


    "What did you just say, you bastard breed?"


    The woman who had just walked past stopped in her tracks and turned around.


    "Whatever you said, I said!"


    Lin Ruohan retorted upromisingly, her little face looking quite fierce!


    "You little bastard breed dare to curse me, is this how your mother taught you?"


    The woman said furiously.


    "Miss Situ, don''t you think it''s beneath the dignity of the Situ Family to argue with a child in public?"


    Lin Wenting said evenly.


    "I''m losing the dignity of the Situ Family?"


    Situ Jiaoughed coldly:


    "Your mother and daughter''s very existence is what truly diminishes the dignity of the Situ Family!"


    "Since you still recognize our Situ Family''s dignity, why don''t you two just go die?!"


    "Miss Situ, is that your father''s illegitimate daughter?"


    A woman following Situ Jiao asked.


    "Aside from that bastard, which other little girl has such a sharp tongue!"


    Situ Jiao spat out angrily.


    "Miss Situ, it''s better for a woman not to be so vicious; beware of having trouble finding a husband."


    At this moment a voice floated over lightly.


    "What are you, and who gave you the right to speak here?"


    "Exactly, Miss Situ, is it your ce to speak?"


    "Kid, looks like you''re itching for a beating!"


    .....


    Before Situ Jiao even opened her mouth, her fair-weather friends already started causing amotion.


    As for Lin Wenting, she did have some special rtionship with Situ Jiao''s father, who knows what it might turn into in the future?


    So, they didn''t dare to say or do too much to Lin Wenting and her daughter.


    But when it came to Su Chen, they didn''t have so many scruples!


    Seeing so many people insulting Su Chen, Lin Wenting became worried and looked towards him, feeling uneasy and apologetic for dragging him into her private affairs.


    However, she discovered that Su Chen''s face still wore a faint smile with no sign of emotional turmoil due to these people''s words.


    Lin Wenting immediately admired him, not expecting someone so young to have such excellent Qi Cultivation Skills!


    "Who do you think you are, daring to insult my Brother Su? Be careful or he''ll smack you until you''re hunting for your teeth on the ground!"


    Little Ruohan said, tilting her head up, speaking arrogantly as if she really was provoking them ¡ª even seeming a bit deserving of a thrashing!


    Lin Wenting looked at her daughter with some surprise, feeling that the young girl was somewhat off today!


    Su Chen, however, never treated this young girl as an ordinary eleven-year-old girl, and in fact, never dared to see her as an ordinary person.


    A girl who, at eleven, understood advanced mathematics, calculus, quantum physics, various economic and financial studies, and would even ponder issues such as the impact of the United Kingdom''s exit from Europe on European economy, or why Trump surprisingly beat Hiry, the representative of the elite ss, would you dare to treat her as an ordinary person?


    Moreover, she even knew some things about the Dark World, like the ck List and the Sky List, among others!


    If you treat her like an ordinary person, she''ll treat you like an idiot.


    Su Chen pondered from another perspective and understood the key point, couldn''t help but smile wryly.


    This little girl really knew how to y the game of using others to do her bidding!


    Su Chen nced slightly at little Ruohan, who seemed to realize he had seen through her thoughts, and she stuck out her tongue, pretending to be cute!


    However, those with Situ Jiao who heard little Ruohan''s innocent and carefree words were instantly infuriated!


    "Just with him? He dares to hit us?"


    "Such arrogance, do you know who we are?"


    "Go ahead and try to hit me, damn it, even if I let you, you wouldn''t dare!"


    .....


    For these minions, Su Chen really didn''t care, he even couldn''t be bothered to retort, but to them, this seemed like he was cowed.


    "Lin Wenting, no wonder you dared to defy me today, turns out you''ve picked up some pretty boy!"


    Situ Jiao looked at Lin Wenting and sneered, then nced contemptuously at Su Chen:


    "Too bad this pretty boy is just a good-for-nothing embroidered pillow!"


    As soon as these words were uttered, Lin Wenting''s face changed immediately, and a sharp glint shed in Su Chen''s eyes!


    "Situ Jiao, don''t spout nonsense, he and I..."


    Lin Wenting hadn''t finished her sentence when Situ Jiao interrupted her.


    "No need to exin, it''s no wonder grandpa never let you through the door; he must have known early on that you were a flirtatious woman!"


    "Situ Jiao, say that again if you dare, believe it or not, I''ll tear your mouth apart!"


    "Tear apart my mouth, do you have the guts?"


    Situ Jiao didn''t take Su Chen''s threat seriously at all and said:


    "I''ll say it again, listen well, Lin Wenting is a flirtatious..."


    "p!"


    Before Situ Jiao could finish her sentence, a resounding p rang out!

 Chapter 513: Teaching Situ Jiao a Lesson

    The p resounded, startling everyone present, not just Situ Jiao and her coterie of fawning friends, but Lin Wenting as well.


    Only Lin Ruohan''s eyes sparkled with an unusual glow, as if something she had long anticipated had finally happened.


    At the same time, the p also drew the attention of others in the restaurant; seeing that it was a man who had pped a woman, they suddenly grew interested!


    After all, Situ Jiao was from Yandu''s upper echelons. Although this was a high-end restaurant, not too many people recognized her.


    Even those who did know her didn''t realize it was her, given her disheveled appearance at the moment.


    "You jerk, how dare you hit me?"


    A momentter, Situ Jiao came to her senses and immediately covered her reddened cheek, eximing in anger.


    "Hit you? For someone as vile as you, even pping you would dirty my hands!"


    Su Chen showed a look of disgust.


    "I''m going to fight you!"


    The expression on Su Chen''s face deeply wounded Situ Jiao''s sensitive pride, and she lunged at him with ws bared!


    "Smack!"


    What met her was another resounding p!


    Situ Jiao was spun around 720 degrees and fell to the ground. All she could feel was the burning sensation on her face and stars swirling in her eyes!


    At this moment, the others were also jarred awake, staring dumbfounded at Su Chen.


    This guy actually dared to p Miss Situ. Was he out of his mind?


    "Damn, he really hit Miss Situ. Everyone, let''s gang up and teach this guy a lesson!"


    Suddenly a voice rang out, and immediately, the group of men and women with Situ Jiao charged at Su Chen!


    They rushed in menacingly, looking quite impressive!


    "Smack smack smack smack~~"


    In an instant, a series of ps rang out, and those people, like dancers, one after the other, spun around and fell down!


    On each of their faces, a clear palm print emerged!


    "Damn, are they performing acrobatics?"


    "The way they are rolling over, it''s so systematic!"


    "They must have been practicing hard!"


    .....


    Seeing this scene, the onlookers immediately burst intoughter!


    Theseughs cut deeply into the hearts of those humiliated, making them feel utterly embarrassed!


    "Kid, you dared to hit Miss Situ. The Situ Family won''t let you off!"


    "Yeah, boy, you''re as good as dead!"


    .....


    Those who were no match for Su Chen inbat could only mouth off.


    The surrounding onlookers were momentarily stunned at these words!


    What, that woman is from the Situ Family?


    In Yandu, besides the Five Great Families, which includes the Situ Family, who else would dare to im such?


    Some who had seen or recognized Situ Jiao immediately fixed their eyes on her, vaguely recognizing that somewhat familiar face through her messy hair!


    Isn''t that Situ Jiao from the Situ Family?


    Suddenly, those who had beenughing mped their mouths shut!


    Kidding aside, was Miss Situ someone they could afford tough at?


    At the same time, what was even more shocking to everyone was, who was this man?


    He dared to p Miss Situ not once, but twice! And he acted as though nothing had happened!


    At this moment, Lin Wenting was also feeling anxious as she looked towards Su Chen, feeling like she had brought him a great disaster.


    "Situ Jiao, this is a private matter between you and the Situ Family, please don''t involve others!"


    Lin Wenting knew the chances were slim, but she still wanted to do her best to keep Su Chen out of this mess.


    If anything happened to Su Chen, how could she exin it to her third brother and his wife and how could she justify herself to Ruoxue?


    "Not implicate others? Ha!"


    Situ Jiao burst into coldughter upon hearing this:


    "You think hitting me twice is the end of it? Do you think that''s possible?"


    At this point, Situ Jiao''s eyes burst into mes of hatred:


    "I''m telling you, Lin Wenting, this punk is doomed!"


    Su Chen, seeing that she was still repeatedlybeling him as "punk," suddenly had a darkened expression, and he broke down on top of the fallen Situ Jiao.


    "It seems I won''t get you talking properly without ripping your mouth apart, right."


    Su Chen grabbed the cheeks of Situ Jiao with both hands and yanked them aside!


    Situ Jiao''s mouth instantly distorted, expanding limitlessly to both sides, making her look like a toad!


    Situ Jiao immediately felt a burst of severe pain, as if her mouth was about to be torn apart!


    She looked terrified at the strange man before her, thinking, Who is this jerk? He knows I''m ady of the Situ Family and still dares to treat me like this?!


    Others watching this scene were also shaking with fear!


    They thought this young man was simply reckless, daring to humiliate Situ Jiao publicly like this!


    Even if you want to die, would you not choose a different way to go about it?!


    Lin Wenting was even more terrified as she knew better than anyone the ruthlessness and power of this family!


    Su Chen treating Situ Jiao so harshly would definitely end badly for him!


    However, Wenting was still moved by Su Chen standing up for her, yet her worry for him was even greater!


    But what she didn''t know was that even if it weren''t for her, Su Chen would have intervened sooner orter, though most of today''s action was indeed for her.


    After all, Lin Wenting was Lin Ruoxue''s aunt and had a good rtionship with the entirety of Lin Ruoxue''s family and had always been kind to him.


    Su Chen was fullymitted to those who were kind to him.


    "Su Chen, let it go, let''s leave," Lin Wenting said as she walked up and tugged on Su Chen''s sleeve.


    "Fine, I''ll spare you this time, but if you can''t speak properly next time, you''ll never need to speak again!"


    Su Chen coldly spat out the words, then let go, stepping off Situ Jiao''s body.


    When he turned to look at Lin Ruohan, his face had already morphed into a smile:


    "Let''s go, little girl."


    Afterward, he walked out of the restaurant with Lin Ruohan and Lin Wenting.


    "Aunt, why didn''t you tell me about these things earlier?"


    Su Chen sighed and said.


    "These aren''t exactly things to be proud of, why mention them?"


    Lin Wenting also managed a bitter smile:


    "But Su Chen, humiliating Situ Jiao today, she definitely won''t let you off. What should we do?"


    "Don''t worry, the Situ Family can''t do much to me,"


    Su Chen reassured:


    "But what worries me is what if Situ Jiao retaliates against you and Ruohan? Should I arrange for someone to protect you?"


    "Ruohan is her father''s daughter after all, Situ Jiao presumably won''t mess around,"


    Lin Wenting pondered:


    "Besides, I n to take Ruohan back to Jianghai District in a few days."


    "Well, alright, but be sure to tell me if anything happens, and I''ll take care of it,"


    Su Chen considered that Lin Wenting had a point.


    After all, even a tiger does not eat its cubs, so even if Situ Jiao were to make a move, she would definitely need to consider her father''s attitude.

 Chapter 514: Stronger Than You

    "Okay, then Ruohan and I will head back first,"


    Lin Wenting said and led Lin Ruohan toward the car. Halfway there, Lin Ruohan turned around and made a face at Su Chen, provoking bothughter and tears from him.


    Today, the happiest person might just be this little girl.


    Shortly afterward, Su Chen also drove away from the ce...


    "What are you looking at? Keep staring, and I''ll gouge your eyeballs out!"


    The utterly humiliated Situ Jiao, seeing everyone staring at her, suddenly shouted at them.


    However, that shout instantly caused pain to re up in the corners of her mouth, which were already bleeding from Su Chen''s earlier tearing...


    The other people were frightened by her shout and scurried back to their seats.


    After leaving the restaurant, Su Chen went to a building a block away from the Rainbow Mansion, where Yunlong''s subordinates had just rented two floors of office space.


    Unlike Lin Ruoxue, Yunlong wasn''t opening a branch here but was nning to move the entire investmentpany that was allocated to his name to this ce at once.


    "Is there anything else you need help with?"


    After arriving at the two floors that Yunlong had rented, Su Chen inquired.


    "Big Brother, there''s nothing much left. I can leave these matters to my subordinates,"


    Yunlong was ustomed to being a hands-off shopkeeper; unless there was a major issue, his team could handle it.


    "Mm, I''ll put in a word for you about the approval process. It should be taken care of very soon,"


    Su Chen casually remarked.


    "That would be great. If anything is troublesome, it''s just that the approval process is too slow, but I understand, after all, this is Yandu!"


    Yunlong called over a man in a ck suit standing beside him:


    "You heard that, the approval wille through quickly. You need to hurry up with the other stuff, okay?"


    "Is this reliable? Some people can''t get through the approval even with many connections, and this young man..."


    The man in the ck suit cast a doubtful nce at Su Chen, clearly not believing in his capabilities.


    "Damn, he''s my big brother. If he says it can be done, then it can be done. In any case, get the other things done for me, and I want it all settled within a week!"


    Yunlong red at the man, then said:


    "Come on, meet him. This is my big brother. From now on, you call him Mr. Su. Big Brother, this is Mo Peng, the general manager of this investment group. He''s a Wharton Business School graduate and has been with me for several years."


    "Hello, Mr. Su."


    Although the man didn''t seem to have much respect for Su Chen and even thought he was unreliable, considering his rtionship with the boss, he reluctantly greeted him.


    Su Chen simply nodded, not minding the slight contempt in the other''s eyes.


    "Alright, you keep busy here, I''m heading out."


    Su Chen was just looking around, and didn''t have other business to attend to.


    "Alright, then. Let me see you out."


    Yunlong then escorted Su Chen to the ground floor and went back up after Su Chen had left.


    Seeing as there was nothing else for him to do, Su Chen once again drove to the vi that Zhuge had given him and entered one of the rooms, ready to start cultivating.


    At that moment, he took out the Restorative Pills he had gleaned from Zhuge Shaman and considered swallowing them to speed up his cultivation. After a thought, he decided it was better to save them for a breakthrough.


    Moreover, if he did make a breakthrough this time, his strength would probably be close to his previous peak condition, right?


    He was indeed curious to know just how strong he would be once he cultivated the Nine Yang Divine Technique to the verge of Meridian Expansion.


    Even if he really reached that realm, he did not believe he would be invincible.


    First and foremost, the strength of the forces behind Tang Gang felt somewhat terrifying. After all, those people had twice made a move, each time deploying so many at the Qi Refinement Peak.


    To say that among those forces there weren''t even stronger experts would obviously be impossible.


    What''s more, he still didn''t know just how powerful his old ghost of a master''s forces were. Every time he asked, the old ghost would simply say, "Stronger than you," driving Su Chen to the point of spitting blood with frustration.


    Even without considering his own master, how strong Zhuge Dongming, that old shaman, genuinely was, remained unknown to him.


    Although that old shaman was always at a disadvantage when facing him, he knew that the old man simply didn''t bother with him, a junior...


    However, overthinking was pointless. It was better to seize the time to improve himself¡ªthat was the true path.


    He then sat down cross-legged on the bed and began his cultivation.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in a room of the Situ Family in Yandu, Situ Lei was reading a book.


    You should not think that the young offspring of Yandu''s great families do nothing but chase girls, put on airs, indulge in drinking, and seek pleasure all day. Their efforts are not inferior at all.


    They might seem glorious, but what they carry on their shoulders is the legacy of their families. The pressure is much greater than what ordinary people face!


    Therefore, the majority of the younger generation, who have the chance to advance further within their families, are quite capable. As for cunning and intelligence, they far surpass their peers. Otherwise, how could they let their families survive, even prosper and expand, in this world where the weak are prey to the strong?


    Just as Situ Lei was concentrating on his book, suddenly, the door to the room was pushed open violently, and a frantic figure rushed in.


    "Ah Jiao, what''s happened to you?"


    Situ Lei looked up and saw his sister, her hair disheveled, her face flushed with red marks and finger imprints, and the corners of her mouth bore clear bruises and oozing blood. He immediately eximed in shock!


    "What happened? If not for that cheap woman?"


    Situ Jiao said furiously.


    "That cheap woman, who are you talking about exactly?"


    Situ Lei asked,pletely confused.


    "Who else but Lin Wenting, that cheap woman?"


    "You ran into her, she did this?" Situ Lei frowned, "She shouldn''t have the audacity!"


    "Not her, but it''s not unrted to her. She''s got a lover; it was her lover who did this!"


    Situ Jiao had always presumed Su Chen and Lin Wenting had that kind of rtionship, considering Lin Wenting did appear rather alluring, and given she wasn''tcking money, finding a younger man wasn''t impossible.


    "Big brother, I don''t care, you must avenge me! I want that pair of dogs to die a horrible death!"


    Situ Jiao''s eyes were filled with an angry me.


    "That man is no problem, but be careful with Lin Wenting. After all, she and father have a daughter, and if father mes us, we won''t be able to handle the consequences!"


    Situ Lei pondered for a moment before saying and then nced at Situ Jiao:


    "Don''t let mother know about this, if she finds out, the Zheng Family will get involved, and it will inevitably lead to Lin Wenting, which will make it difficult for father."


    "Isn''t that letting that cheap woman off too easily?"


    Situ Jiao certainly didn''t want to let Lin Wenting off, but she also knew that matters within big families were not that simple.


    This was because her and Situ Lei''s mother was no other than Zheng Lan, the sister of the Family Head of the Zheng Family.


    The Situ and Zheng Families, being the two least powerful among the Five Great Families, could only cling tightly together to stand against the other three families. And the best way to band together, of course, was through marital alliances...

 Chapter 515: Chess Piece

    ```


    "It''s not about letting that woman go, but now is not the right time to act, Jiao, we must have a sense of the big picture,"


    Situ Lei said in a deep voice.


    "Fine then, I''ll let that mother and daughter off for now, but that man who humiliated me, he must die!"


    Situ Jiao spat out shrilly, today''s incident was a humiliation she had never experienced before, and she was determined to fiercely retaliate against that man.


    "That''s not a problem."


    Situ Lei nodded, then shouted,


    "Ah Hu."


    As his voice fell, a man emerged from behind the curtains, his eyes harboring a sharp edge, his body lean but seemingly possessing boundless energy beneath that frame.


    "You''ve heard what Jiao said just now. Arrange for a few people to take care of this matter as soon as possible,"


    Situ Lei said indifferently.


    "Yes, Young Master."


    "All right, big brother, I''m going back now."


    Seeing that Situ Lei had agreed to deal with that man, Situ Jiao left, satisfied. She seemed to already envision the wretched death of the bastard who had humiliated her¡­


    ......


    Meanwhile, in a strange building within the remote Ans Mountains, two meny on two beds not far apart from each other.


    The walls around them were cold stone masonry, all painted white, simr to a hospital, exuding an eerie air.


    Also in the room were several people in whiteb coats and masks. They appeared to be preparing for some significant event, their expressions incredibly solemn!


    Just then, the door suddenly opened, and in came a middle-aged man with a stern face.


    "President!"


    Upon seeing the middle-aged man, the others ceased their tasks and bent forward to greet him respectfully.


    "Who are you? Why have you brought us here? Release us immediately!"


    One of the men on the bed started to struggle violently upon seeing the neer, but his limbs were fastened to the bed,pletely futile.


    The middle-aged man walked between the two beds and began tough eerily:


    "Gentlemen, this is ourtest scientific achievement. Not only will it restore your severed limbs, but it will also bestow upon you a strength you could never have imagined before!"


    "Don''t think I''ll thank you. Even though I don''t know who you are, I know you''re up to no good!"


    The younger man on the other bed spat out coldly.


    "No, you don''t need to thank me. Indeed, I wouldn''t be so kind to help you. I''m doing all this simply because we have amon enemy,"


    the middle-aged man said with a faint smile.


    "Amon enemy? Who are you talking about?"


    The two men on the beds both asked, puzzled.


    "Su Chen!"


    The middle-aged man uttered two words, then his lips curled into a sinister smile:


    "Is he not your enemy?"


    "Of course he is! I''m dying to eat his flesh and drink his blood. If it weren''t for him, how could my father and I have ended up in such a plight!"


    At the mention of that name, a deep hatred shed across the younger man''s face, and his eyes sparked with the fury of thunder and lightning!


    ```


    ```


    "What grudge do you have against him?"


    The man in the other bed asked with some confusion.


    "That''s none of your business!" the middle-aged man said.


    "Fine, we won''t pry into your affairs, as long as you can really cure both of us, father and son, we will make sure to kill that bastard!"


    The young man said coldly.


    "Good, then I look forward to your good news."


    The middle-aged manughed heartily, then strode out.


    Standing at the door, he thought to himself: Even if this father and son, after gic modification, are no match for that person, they have an unusual rtionship with Su Chen''s wife. Perhaps they really could bring me some surprises!


    But even if they can''t seed, or get killed by that person, it''s no big deal. They are just pawns after all!


    ........


    Su Chen had been cultivating until eight o''clock in the evening when he felt a bit hungry. He intended to find something to eat but found that there was nothing in the manor.


    With no other choice, he had to drive to the supermarket to buy some supplies.


    Since there was only a narrow path leading to the manor, with flower beds on either side, making it difficult to drive, his car was parked about six to seven hundred meters away.


    As he was walking along the path towards his car, suddenly, more than a dozen people appeared in front of him!


    Su Chen initially thought it was someone from the Su Family or the Situ Family who hade to find him.


    However, seeing their gangster-like attire under the dim streetlights, he immediately dismissed that possibility.


    Aside from those two families, he couldn''t think of anyone else he had offended. Who could possibly be looking for trouble with him all of a sudden?


    "Boy, you were pretty arrogant yesterday, daring to fool Young Master and even throwing Young Master into the water. Today, I want to see just how awesome you can be!"


    Just then, a voice rang out from behind the crowd, which parted to let a young man walk through.


    The moment Su Chen saw the person, he was somewhat speechless. It was Lei Hang, the wealthy second-generation guy from Yandu University who had been pestering Yan Min yesterday.


    He had actually forgotten about this guy for a moment, as Lei Hang didn''t make much of an impression. He couldn''t believe that Lei Hang had actually taken the initiative toe to him.


    "Young Master Lei, how do you want to handle this? Take off one of his arms, or a leg?"


    The thug standing beside Lei Hang asked, clearly the leader of the gang.


    "No hurry, first throw him into thiske, let him soak for a while, and then make him kneel before Young Master!"


    Lei Gang said with a vicious smile, evidently still holding a grudge for being thrown into the water by Su Chen and wanting to give him a taste of the same experience.


    "Sure thing, just you wait. You guys, get over there and throw this kid into theke!"


    At the gang leader''smand, several young people dressed in non-mainstream fashion began walking towards Su Chen, their faces smeared with contemptuous smiles.


    "Kid, do you want us to do it, or will you jump in yourself?"


    A thug with dyed yellow hair said mockingly as he walked.


    "Kid, I advise you to be smart and just run to the side of theke and jump in yourself to save us the trouble of getting our hands dirty. If we have to do it, you''re going to suffer."


    Another thug with dyed red hair chimed in.


    The remaining two or three guys also startedughing audaciously, clearly not taking the slender young man seriously...


    Su Chen really hadn''t expected to have to deal with these lowlifes who couldn''t even make a decent appearance. He said impatiently,


    "Forget it, all of youe at me at once. I still need to go to the supermarket."


    ```

 Chapter 516: Lin Ruoxue Arrives

    "Kid, you''ve got quite an attitude!"


    "Simply asking for death, talking so big without shame!"


    "Since this brat doesn''t know how to appreciate kindness, let''s not be polite when we get our hands on him!"


    Su Chen''s words immediately sparked the anger of these people, as they rubbed their fists and wiped their palms in anticipation!


    "You guys, stop wasting words with him, get moving!"


    Hearing that Su Chen actually wanted them all toe at him, and even mentioned going to the supermarket, the gang leader''s face turned a shade of angry red!


    He was beingpletely disregarded!


    Once their boss spoke up, those few charged forward with fists and feet flying!


    "Ma Liu, are you sure your men are up to it?"


    At this moment, Lei Hang asked uncertainly:


    "This kid seems to have some moves."


    "Lei Shao, just put your heart back in your stomach. If I can''t handle such a small fry, how can I, Ma Liu, continue to mix in these circles?"


    Ma Liu said with full confidence.


    "That''s good, that''s good!"


    Lei Hang felt a bit more relieved hearing Ma Liu''s words.


    Just then, a series of "bang bang bang" sounds came through, and Lei Hang and Ma Liu''s group immediately looked ahead.


    With one look, both of them got the shock of their lives!


    They saw figure after figure being thrown into the air and, what''s more, all towards Laixing Lake about twenty or thirty meters away!


    Then came a series of "plop plop" sounds, and the four or five people who had rushed up were all in theke!


    Lei Hang and Ma Liu looked at each other, seeing nothing but bewilderment on each other''s faces!


    They hadn''t seen clearly at all how the young man had moved, and yet their men were already flying out.


    Seeing this scene, Ma Liu couldn''t help but feel frightened, and the eight or nine men behind him were also starting to feel weak at the knees!


    "Ma Liu, let me tell you, if you run away now, you won''t get a single penny of the final payment!"


    Seeing Ma Liu''s frightened expression, Lei Hang immediately said.


    Ma Liu hesitated upon hearing Lei Hang''s words; after all, he had been promised half a million for taking this job for Lei Shao, with only a 100 thousand deposit given up front. If he walked away now, wouldn''t it be a huge loss?


    "Ma Liu, he''s just one person, and you have so many of you afraid of him? Attack him all at once, and I refuse to believe that this man has three heads and six arms!"


    Lei Hang urged them on:


    "If you help me handle this kid, I''ll throw in an extra two hundred thousand!"


    The saying goes that money talks, and that was the situation here. Even though Ma Liu felt this young man was no ordinary person, he was still tempted by the promise of a substantial reward!


    His men felt simr, as walking away now meant they wouldn''t just lose the extra two hundred thousand, but also the remaining four hundred thousand of their payment,ing to a total loss of six hundred thousand¡ªthat was a considerable sum for these small-time thugs! Even if they divided it, each person could get tens of thousands!


    "Brother Ma, I don''t think there''s much to this kid, let''s do it!"


    "Yeah, Brother Ma, if all of us get scared off by this one kid, how can we hold our heads up in the future?"


    "Brother Ma, let''s do it!"


    ......


    The ones who had felt a bit of fear were now boiling with zeal again!


    "Fellows, if you take care of this kid for me today, tonight I''ll treat you all to a full package at the Lige Nightclub!"


    Seeing the situation, Lei Hang added fuel to the fire!


    This remark instantly ignited the passions of these men, and the fear they felt just moments ago had vanished without a trace!


    At this point, even if Ma Liu wanted to calm them down, it would be difficult¡ªespecially since he himself was quite tempted.


    After all, he had heard that the top picks at Lige Nightclub were stunning beauties who could make a man''s heart race!


    Unfortunately, the beauty came at a higher price, and he hesitated to approach her on several asions!


    "Alright, today we''ll vent this anger for young master Lei!"


    Ma Liu said in a deep voice:


    "Brothers, draw your weapons!"


    As soon as his words fell, each of those men pulled out an iron rod from behind and swung it in the air a few times!


    Immediately, under Ma Liu''s lead, they approached Su Chen with murderous intent!


    "Kid, you''ve got some skills! Looks like I underestimated you!"


    Ma Liu said with a cold snort.


    "Come on, make it quick, I don''t have time to dawdle with you!"


    Su Chen couldn''t be bothered to trade insults with this trash; he had better things to do with his time.


    "Kid, you''re asking for it, daring to speak to our Brother Ma like that!"


    "Exactly, Brother Ma, stop wasting time with him. Let''s finish him off quickly, we still have to enjoy ourselves at the Lige Nightclub!"


    .......


    "Alright, brothers, go!"


    With a grand wave of his hand, Ma Liu''s impatient subordinates immediately rushed forward, swinging their iron rods!


    But to Ma Liu''s disbelief, in just a few seconds, his men flew one by one towards Laixing Lake, just like the previous ones!


    Two of the previous men had just climbed ashore when theirrades crashed into them, sending them tumbling back into the water!


    Ma Liu couldn''t believe his eyes; was this guy even human? How could he be so powerful?


    "Ah~~~!"


    After snapping back to reality, Ma Liu immediately turned tail and ran, his face filled with terror!


    But before he could get far, a foot kicked him from the side, and he was sent flying towards Laixing Lake.


    Lei Hang was more alert; seeing that things had turned sour, he had already made his escape, even before Ma Liu.


    After running a distance, thinking he was safe, just as he was about to take a rest, a figure seemingly appeared out of nowhere in front of him!


    And the corner of that person''s mouth was curved in a mocking smile.


    "Are you, are you a human or a ghost?!"


    Lei Hang stammered when he recognized the person, scared out of his wits.


    "You want me to kneel?"


    Su Chen asked with a faint smile.


    "No, no, boss, I was just joking with you."


    Lei Hang stuttered.


    He was regretting it now; if he had known how formidable this guy was, he would never have dared toe!


    "I''m not interested in joking with you."


    Su Chen''s eyes hardened, and with a casual kick, Lei Hang was sent tumbling through the air.


    Afterward, Su Chen turned and walked away, with a "plop" of someone hitting water echoing from afar...


    Since this was near the suburbs, not like the city where supermarkets are everywhere, Su Chen drove for three kilometers before finding a medium-sized supermarket. After purchasing tworge bags of items, he hurried back.


    When he returned to the previous spot, he found that Lei Hang and his people had disappeared, likely gone by then. Su Chen did not care about it at all.


    The following day, with nothing much to do, Su Chen continued his cultivation in the manor.


    After these days of cultivation, his Eighth Layer Realm had be very stable.


    By evening, Su Chen returned to his apartment.


    By this time, those who had gone back to Jianghai had almost all returned.


    Unexpectedly, halfway there, Su Chen received a call from Lin Ruoxue, telling him that she had also arrived...

 Chapter 517: Lin Ruoxues Confusion

    Everyone at Belle Corporation knew about the special rtionship between Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue, so Xia Qiuru had reserved a room for her right next to Su Chen''s a long time ago.


    That is to say, now on either side of Su Chen''s room lived Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru, and on this floor, Su Chen was the only man.


    As soon as he heard that his wife had arrived, Su Chen naturally went to check in immediately.


    To be honest, having not seen her for some days, he really missed his cold-faced wife.


    However, when he reached the door, he found that Lin Ruoxue''s room was locked from the inside, and he could faintly hear the sound of running water.


    "Could it be Ruoxue is taking a bath?"


    At this thought, Su Chen''s eyes brightened, and his heart rate quickened.


    Even though he had lived with Lin Ruoxue for so long, he had never seen her bathing!


    Because when they previously lived in the Jianghai vi, Lin Ruoxue had her own bathroom upstairs, so he never got the chance.


    The current door lock was virtually non-existent for Su Chen; in about ten seconds, he quietly pushed the door open and entered, but he did not make a sound.


    The apartments rented by Belle Corporation were all one-bedroom and one-living-room, not veryrge, so the kitchen, living room, bedroom including the bathroom were all in amon space.


    Through the frosted ss of the bathroom, Su Chen could vaguely see an exceedingly graceful silhouette. Although it was just a silhouette, it was already enough to give Su Chen a nosebleed!


    Moreover, sometimes this kind of blurred beauty could give people an infinite imaginative space!


    Su Chen did not go in directly, but sat down on a nearby sofa, then quietly lit a cigarette and started admiring his wife''s enchanting silhouette through the frosted ss!


    After a while, the sound of water stopped, then the bathroom door was pushed open, and a woman wrapped in a bath towel walked out!


    "Ah~~~!"


    When she saw the person sitting on the sofa, she was immediately startled and let out a sharp scream!


    "Don''t scream! It''s me!"


    As soon as Su Chen heard the scream, he quickly shed to Lin Ruoxue''s side and covered her cherry lips with his hand.


    He was worried that this sound, if heard by other colleagues, might draw attention and make them think he had done something inappropriate!


    Lin Ruoxue recognized the familiar voice, and upon turning her head and seeing it was Su Chen, her panicked expression slightly calmed!


    "Mmm mmm~~~"


    With her mouth covered by him, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t speak and could only make a couple of muffled sounds.


    Su Chen chuckled and quickly removed his hand.


    "Why are you here?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously.


    "Didn''t you call to tell me you had arrived? Of course, I had toe and report to my dear wife immediately!"


    Su Chen said with a grin, though his eyes seemed glued to Lin Ruoxue''s body!


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue was only wrapped in a bathrobe, her slender and pale neck along with the exquisite vicle fully exposed to the air, and those perfect long legs were also a feast for Su Chen''s eyes!


    Moreover, Lin Ruoxue had just taken a bath, and her slightly wet hair was casually draped over her shoulders, her face still retaining a hint of a steam-induced blush, making her look especially enticing!


    The sight made Su Chen involuntarily swallow, yet he still felt his throat was dry!


    "That''s not what I meant."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t notice Su Chen''s gaze and said in confusion:


    "I mean, how are you in my room? I remember locking the door, didn''t I?"


    "How could that be?"


    Su Chen revealed a mischievous smile:


    "When I arrived, the door opened with just a push. I thought you left it open for me on purpose!"


    Even now, Su Chen''s eyes were still firmly fixed on Lin Ruoxue, reluctant to look away for even a second. Under the lights, the sparkling water droplets on Lin Ruoxue''s skin shone brilliantly, adding an extra charm!


    "Who left the door open for you on purpose?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced over sharply and spat out, but then her eyebrows furrowed.


    "I clearly remember locking the door, didn''t I?"


    "Stop thinking about it, what does it matter whether it was locked or not?"


    Su Chen said with an uncaring smile,


    "Anyway, there''s only your husband, me, as a man on this floor. If anyone were toe in, it would only be me. What does it matter?!"


    "I''m guarding against you!"


    Lin Ruoxue said grumpily, suddenly realizing that this guy''s gaze was like a hungry wolf, wanting to devour her!


    She then looked down and discovered that she was still wearing her bathrobe, and this guy had already seen all of her revealed charms!


    "Pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue bit out,


    "Get out, I need to change clothes!"


    Luckily, Lin Ruoxue didn''t scream in fright at this moment, not because shecked awareness of gender propriety, but because the two of them had already had numerous intimate encounters!


    "Just change your clothes, that''s all."


    Su Chen said nonchntly, of course unwilling to miss this rare opportunity.


    "How can I change clothes with you here?"


    Lin Ruoxue said awkwardly.


    "Lin Ruoxue, you must remember, I am your husband!"


    Su Chen said with dissatisfaction, pouting his lips.


    "I know you are my husband, but I''m notfortable changing clothes in front of someone!"


    Seeing Su Chen upset, Lin Ruoxue felt a bit wrong, so she immediately started acting coquettishly.


    "Husband, you are the best, go out first ande back in a while."


    While speaking coquettishly, Lin Ruoxue pushed Su Chen towards the door.


    The rare coquettish tone of Lin Ruoxue''s voice made Su Chen''s bones melt.


    "Give me a kiss, and I will leave!"


    Su Chen seized the opportunity to make a demand.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue started to feel shy and awkward. Although they had many close encounters, it was almost always Su Chen who initiated, and she passively epted.


    In her memory, she had only actively kissed him once, when she lost a bet while he was treating her stomach ailment.


    So asking Lin Ruoxue to kiss him actively really made her quite embarrassed.


    But to get her shameless husband to leave quickly, she hesitated momentarily, then pecked his cheek like a dragonfly touching water.


    "Is that okay?"


    Lin Ruoxue said somewhat displeased.


    "It''ll pass, I guess."


    A smug look immediately appeared on Su Chen''s face, his smile even broader.


    "It seems my wife still has a bit too thin a skin, needs some more good training!"


    After Su Chen left Lin Ruoxue''s room, leaning against the railing, he touched the spot that Lin Ruoxue had just kissed and murmured naughtily to himself.


    "Minister, did Lin fire you out for doing something naughty?"


    Just then, a teasing voice rang in Su Chen''s ear.


    Turning his head, Su Chen saw Zhao Lining toward him with a smile...

 Chapter 518: Su Chen Played to Death

    "What are you talking about? I just came out for some fresh air."


    Su Chen definitely didn''t want to admit that he had been driven out by Lin Ruoxue; wouldn''t that be too damaging to his pride as a man?


    "Why does it not seem like that to me?"


    Zhao Lin gave him a sidelong nce, then walked over to him and leaned against the railing by his side.


    But as soon as she leaned in, Su Chen moved slightly to the side.


    "Manager, what do you mean by that?"


    Zhao Lin, seeing him dodging her, immediately said unhappily:


    "Do I have something dirty on me or what?"


    "No, it''s just a bit hot."


    Su Chen blurted out an excuse, his face looking somewhat unnatural.


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin couldn''t help but roll her eyes. It''s almost winter, for goodness'' sake, and yet he ims it''s a bit hot; who''s he trying to fool?


    However, a momentter, her beautiful eyes shifted, and she instantly understood why Su Chen was behaving so oddly. A fox-like smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.


    "Manager, how could it be? I actually feel cold!"


    Zhao Lin snuggled closer to Su Chen, her voice sickly sweet:


    "Don''t believe me, feel my hands, they''re still ice cold!"


    With that, Zhao Lin stretched out a pair of slender, delicate hands.


    If it had been any other time, Su Chen would have touched them, and might even have said, "Since you''re so cold, as your manager, I should help warm you up."


    But now, how could he dare to touch, considering his wife was right inside the house, and might even be watching?


    "If you''re cold, you should hurry back and put on more clothes; it''s not good if you catch a cold."


    Su Chen said evenly, and at the same time, he shifted his body a bit more to the side.


    "No, wearing too many clothes won''t look good; then you might not like me anymore!"


    Zhao Lin said coquettishly, her voice bing much more seductive than usual, continuing to move closer to Su Chen until she was almost in his arms.


    On hearing this, Su Chen immediately groaned inwardly, thinking: You little vixen, are you trying to kill me?


    Don''t you know that my wife is just in the room?


    "Not at all. You all work diligently for thepany. As long as it''s for thepany''s best interests, as your manager, I like each and every one of you!"


    Su Chen quickly spoke with righteous indignation.


    "But manager, why are you staying so far from me? I''m not a tiger, and I can''t eat you. Besides, you weren''t like this before, were you?"


    Zhao Lin pretended to be a bit puzzled and slightly sad as she spoke.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Su Chen almost wanted to cry but had no tears left. Oh my goodness, you''re really trying to y me to death!


    What was before was before, can''t you see the situation now?


    If I get close to you, Lin Ruoxue, who sticks to her official duties, might not do anything to you, but she''ll certainly kill me!


    "Previously, we were nearby each other because we were discussing work; there was no avoiding that. But as the saying goes, ''men and women should not touch hands when they give or receive things.'' It''s not work time now, so it''s better for us to keep our distance, lest we give rise to misunderstandings!"


    Su Chen said righteously, as if he were a true gentleman!


    Thankfully, Su Chen was clever enough to quickly fill the pit Zhao Lin had dug for him, which even made him start to admire himself a bit!


    Having a "fierce wife" really does train all sorts of abilities, doesn''t it?


    "Alright, I''m out of cigarettes. I''m going down to buy a pack."


    Su Chen dered and immediately ran towards the stairwell like a gust of wind, not even having time to wait for the elevator.


    He didn''t know what else might happen if he stayed there, whether Lin Ruoxue would y him alive!


    Zhao Lin watched his flustered retreat and couldn''t help but burst intoughter, then walked over to the other side.


    Meanwhile, Lin Ruoxue in the room had just finished changing clothes. She looked out the window where the two of them had just been standing, clenching her teeth as she spoke:


    "So this is how you usually work! It seems I''ve been too lenient with you!"


    After Su Chen went downstairs, he smoked a cigarette, then went back upstairs. He needed to talk about Lin Ruoxue''s side of the story!


    "Wife, have you changed your clothes? Can Ie in now?"


    Su Chen gently knocked on the door and asked cautiously.


    "Come in."


    A calm voice came from inside.


    "Wife, the clothes you''re wearing on the ship are really beautiful!"


    Su Chen just pushed the door open and even before he saw what Lin Ruoxue was wearing, he had already started to tter her, his face wearing a sycophantic smile.


    Lin Ruoxue found his cautious manner somewhat amusing, but she soon reigned in her smile and returned to aposed expression.


    "Wife, you haven''t had dinner yet, right? How about we go out to eat now?"


    Su Chen ventured to ask.


    "Mmm, okay."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded expressionlessly.


    Su Chen was momentarily confused by Lin Ruoxue''s reaction; it wasn''t supposed to be like this, at least Lin Ruoxue shouldn''t be this calm, right?


    Could it be that she didn''t hear or see the scene with Zhao Lin and him just now? But they were only a few meters apart; even if she didn''t see, she should have heard something, right?


    "Didn''t we say we were going to eat? Why aren''t you moving?"


    Lin Ruoxue spoke up and took the lead out of the room.


    Su Chen watched Lin Ruoxue''s retreating figure and felt something was off; this was not at all the scene he had imagined.


    Even if it wasn''t a storm, it shouldn''t be as calm and sunny as it is now!


    "What are you thinking about? Aren''t youing?"


    Lin Ruoxue turned back, saw his dazed, bewildered face, and then turned around to continue walking towards the elevator, her beautiful eyes shing with a sharp gleam!


    "Oh,ing."


    Su Chen, like a monk puzzled by a riddle, hurriedly followed.


    Forget it, if he couldn''t figure it out, he wouldn''t think about it. Besides, isn''t this good?


    Am I so masochistic that I actually want Lin Ruoxue to blow up at me?


    Shortly thereafter, the two of them ended up in a rtively clean, rather upscale small restaurant near the apartment.


    The appearance of a beauty like Lin Ruoxue immediately caused a stir in the restaurant!


    After all, a beauty like Lin Ruoxue is a rare sight in all of Huaxia!


    However, both of them ignored the gazes of others and took a seat at a small table, ordering some dishes.


    "Have you been behaving since you came to Yandu? Haven''t you caused me any trouble?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked. What she worried about most in Jianghai was this very issue, as she never underestimated her husband''s tendency to cause trouble.


    Jianghai was somewhat safer, considering the Lin Family was well-known there, but Yandu was different from Jianghai.


    After all, it gathered the top echelons from all over Huaxia; if he upset some major figures or powers, it could spell disaster!


    So before he came to Yandu, she warned him thousands of times to restrain his nature and avoid trouble here.


    Yet, what she could never have imagined was that Su Chen''s trip here was precisely to "cause trouble," and it was to stir up a major disaster!


    But of course, Su Chen would never say this out loud. Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, he nodded hastily:


    "Extremely well-behaved, in and out every day; don''t worry!"


    "I''d be surprised if I could!"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a sharp look...

 Chapter 519 - 519 Affectionate Care

    The small restaurant wasn''t very crowded, so it wasn''t too busy, and it didn''t take long for their dishes to be served.


    "Ruoxue, have a taste, the food here is still pretty good, I''ve been here once before."


    Su Chen called out with a smile.


    Lin Ruoxue nodded and began to taste the food in small bites.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue noticed that Su Chen hadn''t really touched his chopsticks and couldn''t help but ask with curiosity.


    "Ruoxue, find a day in the near future, don''t arrange anything else, I''ll take you somewhere,"


    Su Chen said after thinking for a moment while looking at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Where to? What for?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue became even more curious and hurriedly asked, and it seemed he was seldom this serious.


    "I''ll take you to meet my parents and grandfather!"


    Su Chen said softly.


    When Lin Ruoxue heard this, she was initially stunned, then immediately became flustered.


    Su Chen''s parents? Weren''t they her own inws?


    Lin Ruoxue had absolutely no mental preparation for this. Despite being married for so long, Su Chen had never mentioned his family before.


    In the beginning of their marriage, when their rtionship had been cold to the point of freezing, she naturally did not inquire about such matters.


    Lately, their rtionship had gradually warmed up, but approximately half a year had already passed since their wedding, and with all the work she had at thepany every day, she hadn''t remembered to think about this issue.


    Thus, when Su Chen brought it up so abruptly, she just realized that she, as a wife, hadn''t ever met her inws!


    What should she do?


    In the business world, the usually decisive and bold Lin Ruoxue suddenly became incredibly nervous, even more so than at any other time!


    She was going to meet his parents, what if they didn''t like her?


    What if they disapproved of her standing out in public?


    What if they expected her to bear children and then stay home to look after the household and educate the children?


    And what about not having visited them for such a long time, would they think she was impolite,cking proper upbringing?


    .......


    A myriad of questions raced through Lin Ruoxue''s mind, and the more she thought, the more nervous she became, her pretty face even beginning to turn a shade paler!


    "Wife, what''s wrong?"


    Su Chen asked, seeing Lin Ruoxue''s panicked expression.


    "Husband, can we do it some other time?"


    When faced with a problem she feared, it was instinctual for someone to choose avoidance, like Lin Ruoxue at this moment.


    "It was never meant to be these next few days anyway, anytime in the next two or three weeks is fine,"


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "I mean, can we wait a little longer?"


    Lin Ruoxue said a bit sheepishly, feeling it was terribly rude to have not visited her inws after such a long time.


    And now, wanting to push it back further was somewhat difficult to justify¡­


    But she was indeed very nervous, especially since Su Chen now upied such an important ce in her heart, her anxiety about the matter grew even more intense.


    "Why?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked.


    "I''m afraid, what if they don''t like me?"


    Lin Ruoxue whispered:


    "And since I haven''t visited them for such a long time, won''t they hold it against me?"


    Hearing this, Su Chenughed, having not expected Lin Ruoxue to be worrying about these issues.


    "Don''t worry, they are all nice people, they won''t me you, and they will definitely like you!"


    Su Chen assured her confidently.


    "Why?" Lin Ruoxue blurted out.


    "You are so beautiful, how could they not like you? And the most important thing is¡­"


    Su Chen nced at Lin Ruoxue and stopped mid-sentence.


    "What is it?" Lin Ruoxue hurriedly asked with anxiety.


    "The most important thing is that I like you!"


    Laughing lightly, Su Chen replied. Hearing this, a blush of red immediately spread across Lin Ruoxue''s beautifully ashamed cheeks, making her irresistibly charming!


    "Alright, stop thinking too much, just find some time in the near future."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "Okay, where does your family live? I need to n ahead and book the tickets."


    Lin Ruoxue thought for a moment; an ugly wife must eventually meet her inws, so she nodded in agreement.


    "No need, they are in Yandu."


    Su Chen said while taking a bite of the dish.


    "They are in Yandu?!"


    Upon hearing that Su Chen''s family was in Yandu, Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes widened in surprise:


    "You''re from Yandu?"


    She knew so little about Su Chen and had no idea where he was from. Naturally, she was incredibly surprised by his statement.


    "Not exactly, just born here," Su Chen replied indifferently, seeming quite casual, but Lin Ruoxue could see a hint of sorrow in his eyes.


    "Then what do they like? Tell me, so I can prepare some gifts."


    Lin Ruoxue had never met someone else''s parents before and was still very unustomed, so she referred to Su Chen''s parents simply as ''they.''


    She thought that she definitely needed to buy some gifts they would like for her first visit.


    "No need for that, all you have to do is prepare a ck outfit, and then we can buy some flowers when the timees," Su Chen said nonchntly.


    "Why?"


    Lin Ruoxue was taken aback by Su Chen''s words. She could understand buying flowers, but wearing a ck dress puzzled her.


    Especially since she was akin to a bride meeting her inws for the first time, how could she wear ck? Wouldn''t that be extremely inauspicious?


    "They have both passed away."


    Su Chen stated tly.


    "Passed away?"


    As the words fell, Lin Ruoxue was stunned, unsure of what to say.


    "I''m sorry!"


    After a moment, Lin Ruoxue said, full of apologies.


    "It doesn''t matter, it''s been nearly twenty years, it''s all in the past."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    Hearing this, a surge of emotions welled up inside Lin Ruoxue!


    Twenty years? Didn''t that mean he had been without his rtives since he was five or six years old?


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but look up at Su Chen. Although his face carried a faint smile, behind it, she thought she could see concealed loneliness and destion, along with some helplessness.


    For some reason, Lin Ruoxue felt a twinge of pain in her heart.


    Suddenly, she stretched out a delicate hand and gently caressed his face, her eyes full of tenderness.


    "Don''t worry, I''m fine."


    Su Chen smiled faintly, took Lin Ruoxue''s hand down, and then held it in his own.


    "Mhm."


    A radiant smile bloomed on Lin Ruoxue''s gorgeous face, and then she said seriously:


    "If that''s the case, then we must choose a good day, we can''t take this lightly!"


    "Okay, I''ll listen to you," Su Chen replied with a light chuckle.


    "Now, let''s hurry up and eat, or the dishes will get cold."


    "Hmm, darling, the food at this restaurant really is delicious."

 Chapter 520 - 520 Shen Shao

    "By the way, honey, didn''t you say it would be a while before you came over?"


    When they were almost done eating, Su Chen suddenly asked.


    "There''s a financial summit here in a few days, and I managed to get an invitation."


    Lin Ruoxue exined:


    "You know, medical and financial sectors are Belle Group''s main focus for development, so of course, I need towork as much as possible."


    Su Chen nodded after hearing this; he was not very concerned about these matters.


    After dinner, instead of going straight home, they leisurely strolled on the streets of Yandu City, with Lin Ruoxue gently leaning on Su Chen''s shoulder.


    Moments like these were not too frequent for the couple, and they both felt very cozy and happy at the moment, even wishing that time could linger on this moment forever.


    After wandering for over half an hour, Lin Ruoxue grew tired, so they started heading back. After all, she had driven a long distance to get there, and fatigue was inevitable.


    If it wasn''t for Su Chen''spany, she would have gone back to rest much earlier.


    On their way back, Su Chen was nning to go to her room to rest with Lin Ruoxue, but she firmly refused.


    Lin Ruoxue thought that this wasn''t like being at home after all; the entire floor was popted withpany staff.


    Although everyone knew their rtionship was special, the thought of people seeing him stay overnight in her room still made Lin Ruoxue embarrassed.


    Su Chen didn''t have a choice but reluctantly returned to his own room to cultivate...


    The next morning, Su Chen drove alone to Rainbow Mansion; after all, these days, everyone had their cars, so there was no need to hitch a ride with him.


    However, since they all lived together, most people came around the same time.


    After returning to thepany, Su Chen was about to head to the public rtions department as usual when Lin Ruoxue called him over.


    "Director Lin, what''s the matter?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Where are you going?"


    Lin Ruoxue demanded coolly.


    "To the public rtions department to work. Where else could I be going?"


    Su Chen was confused by Lin Ruoxue.


    "Is your office as the head of the public rtions department over there? A director should act like a director. From now on, work in your own office!"


    Lin Ruoxue gave him a meaningful look as she said this.


    When Su Chen heard this, he immediately understood that Lin Ruoxue was dealing with the matter concerning Zhao Lin fromst night!


    No wonder she didn''t reactst night; she was waiting for this moment!


    "Oh."


    Su Chen didn''t dare defy her and walked towards his office, feeling dejected.


    Xia Qiuru was nearby, and seeing this, a smile curled up on her lips.


    This guy, it seems that only Lin Ruoxue can keep him in line, but his scoundrel-like nature really does need some discipline!


    After Su Chen returned to his office, he truly had nothing to do, utterly bored. So, he picked up the card game "Fight the Landlord" that he hadn''t yed in a long time.


    Just like that, hezed away the hours until noon, after which he went downstairs for a quick lunch. Since there was nothing to do afterward, he idly started wandering around, but just after a little while, it suddenly started pouring down with rain!


    The rain came so unexpectedly that Su Chen had to sprint back to Rainbow Mansion.


    After returning to the office, it was time for a nap, and falling asleep to the sound of rain outside seemed like a nice thing to do, at least it wasn''t boring...


    .....


    The heavy rain came quickly and left just as fast. In just over an hour, it had already stopped, and the sun shone anew.


    However, due to the downpour, the air had be moist and fresh.


    Yandu, with its incredibly ancient history, was once the flourishing ground for many dynasties; moreover, it is said that the overallyout of Yandu City is based on the structure of a dragon.


    And not far to the east of Yandu city, there is a street named Dragon Ridge Street which, ording to geomancers, is exactly situated on the dragon''s spine of Yandu City, hence the name!


    As for its authenticity, opinions vary, but undoubtedly, Dragon Ridge Street has now be the busiest pedestrian street in Yandu!


    At that moment, a young man and woman strolled upon it, attracting countless onlookers and photographers, some even took out cameras and cell phones to take pictures.


    In fact, to say they strolled isn''t quite urate, as the woman was seated in a wheelchair, pushed by a stern-faced person behind her.


    Dressed in a white robe, with long hair cascading over her shoulders, although sitting in a wheelchair and without any superfluous adornments, she emanated a noble and ethereal air, leaving an unforgettable impression on anyone who saw her!


    The man standing by her side, however, gave off a strange vibe. He looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in casual white attire.


    He was not what many considered handsome or dashing, far from a male idol standard, nor did he give off a fresh, youthful feel.


    Yet everyone who saw him felt a unique vor, a distinct and iparable one, exceedingly different from others!


    Onlookers didn''t feel any dissonance with this couple being together; it seemed naturally fitting.


    "These two people should definitely be together." That was everyone''s thought.


    The pair walked aimlessly, their gazes asionally ncing forward, not lingering on any spot for even a second.


    It was as if they walked just for the sake of walking.


    "You really are a nd person," Pei Man quipped, pursing her lips.


    The man smiled slightly, his mouth forming a shy thirty-degree arc, and said:


    "You''re not the first person to say that."


    "Since we''re out here, amidst this crowd, stop being so stiff. On this walk, have you noticed any person, or even a single store?"


    "Just now, we walked one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six steps on this street. There were five hundred and twenty-one men and one thousand nine hundred and seventy-three womening our way, including one hundred and five holding children and fifteen pregnant women; additionally, there were also ny-two children... As for the stores, there were two Adidas outlets, three sses shops, and one Dior boutique..."


    The manughed sheepishly:


    "That''s probably it, you know I''m not interested in these things, they and we are worlds apart."


    "People say Shen Shao has an unforgettable memory and unrivaled mental arithmetic skills, it''s really true,"


    Pei Man sighed softly.


    "But perhaps in your eyes, these are nothing special, just trivial details."


    Shen Shao said calmly.


    "Shen Shao, do you know why I don''t like you?"


    Pei Man suddenly cocked her head, a yful smile curling at the corners of her mouth.


    "That''s also something I''ve always wanted to know, everyone thinks we''re a match made in heaven, meant to be together,"


    Shen Shao also looked at her intensely and said:


    "But I know, you don''t like me!"

 Chapter 521: Out of Touch with Reality

    "Actually, the reason is very simple, you''re not down-to-earth!"


    Pei Man did not avoid Shen Shao''s gaze and said seriously.


    Of course, Pei Man had some other reasons that she did not reveal.


    "Not down-to-earth?"


    Shen Shao was slightly startled, obviously not expecting Pei Man to give such a reason.


    "Yes, not down-to-earth. Can you, like these people,ugh loudly, shout loudly, and indulge yourself recklessly?"


    Pei Man asked indifferently.


    "I cannot." Shen Shao shook his head.


    "No, it''s not that you cannot, but that you dare not!"


    Pei Man said with a coldugh, her expression tinged with a bit of mockery.


    "Perhaps, but after all, we are not from the same world as them. We have our own world."


    Shen Shao did not get angry upon hearing this; partly because it was true, and more importantly, because these words came from Pei Man.


    "In in terms, isn''t it just that you can''t let go of that pride?"


    Pei Man curled her lips and said:


    "Moreover, I don''t think I''m any different from them."


    "That''s just your thought. In fact, you cannot enter their world, just as they cannot enter yours."


    Shen Shao stuck to his point of view.


    "Perhaps, but the difference between you and me is, I never mind entering their world, while you, on the contrary, hang yourself high above."


    Pei Man said lightly.


    At that moment, her eyes suddenly lit up, reminded of a manpletely different from Shen Shao in front of her.


    Both were very special, but that man was much more interesting than him.


    Thinking of that man, whom she had only met a few times, the corner of Pei Man''s mouth inadvertently curved into a beautiful arc, and a curious sparkle shed in her beautiful eyes...


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Shen Shao rarely saw Pei Man in such moments and couldn''t help but ask curiously.


    "I was thinking of someone."


    "Who?"


    "A man, someone much more interesting than you!"


    Pei Man nced at Shen Shao and said.


    ......


    Su Chen had slept through his nap until past three in the afternoon before waking up leisurely, only to find there was nothing pressing to do.


    Alone in his office, cultivation was definitely inconvenient, but what else could he do?


    Suddenly his eyes brightened, revealing a spark of inspiration:


    "I can''t go to the public rtions department, but I can have theme to my office, and moreover..."


    With this thought, he immediately strolled to the public rtions department. The women there already knew about his orders from President Lin to work in his office.


    Without his prying eyes on them all day, they felt as if something was missing, and even found it hard to get interested in their work.


    When they saw him entering, their beautiful eyes immediately shone with fervent light, startling Su Chen.


    After steadying himself, Su Chen said indifferently:


    "Zhao Lin,e to my office for a moment."


    After saying this, he turned and walked back with his hands behind his back.


    Zhao Lin felt uneasy when she heard Su Chen call her name, wondering if he was looking to settle ounts with her.


    The others were not aware of why Su Chen was suddenly ordered to work from his office, but she knew. It must have been due to the joke that went too far yesterday evening, resulting in President Lin''s "punishment" for him!


    But since Su Chen was the department head and he had summoned her, she couldn''t refuse. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly made her way to Su Chen''s office, looking somewhat nervous.


    "You''ve arrived?"


    Su Chen nced at her and said with a cold tone.


    Zhao Lin''s heart skipped a beat the moment she heard Su Chen''s tone; he was indeed ming her. She immediately moved her lips slightly and said:


    "Minister, I''m sorry."


    "Sorry? What are you talking about? You''ve been working diligently and earnestly. What have you done to apologize to me?"


    Su Chen said in a yful tone.


    "Minister, I want to apologize for what happened yesterday. I just meant it as a joke..."


    "Yesterday? What happened yesterday?"


    Zhao Lin had only gotten half the sentence out when Su Chen interrupted her.


    "Damn, I''m already swallowing my pride here, and you, a grown man, why are you still so unrelenting?"


    Zhao Lin thought to herself, immediately feeling annoyed and wishing she could take off her high heels and throw them in his face!


    But after thinking about it, she dared not; though they usually joked around without much regard for hierarchy, he was ultimately her direct superior.


    It seemed she had to resort to that never-failing tactic she had used before!


    "Minister, why are you so angry? I already know I was wrong!"


    Suddenly, Zhao Lin smiled charmingly and sashayed over to Su Chen, her voice filled with seduction!


    And she gently shook Su Chen''s arm as she held it.


    "What are you doing? Don''t think that I''ll let you off just like that! Humph!"


    Su Chen''s nostrils were suddenly filled with a faint fragrance of a woman, and his arm felt a soft sensation, yet he still kept a stern face.


    "What''s all this about letting off or not? Minister, I was just teasing you yesterday!"


    Zhao Lin twisted her waist, took a spin, and ended up falling right into Su Chen''s arms.


    "Stand up and talk properly."


    Su Chen''s heart trembled, and he quickly looked outside nervously, relieved that no one was passing by.


    "I''ve been working for half a day, and I''m a bit tired. Let me sit for a while!"


    Already charming by nature, Zhao Lin''s coquettish act was simply irresistible!


    "If you''re tired, go sit on the sofa over there. The minister still has work to do!"


    Su Chen said soberly, not because he suddenly became a moralist, but because everyone was on the same floor. What if someone passed by and saw them? What if Lin Ruoxue saw them?


    "The sofa is too hard; your body is much morefortable!"


    Zhao Lin shifted her position slightly, her eyes watery and gazing straight at Su Chen, enough to stir his soul!


    "Alright, the minister forgives you for yesterday''s matter! You can go back now!"


    Facing Zhao Lin''s maneuvers, Su Chen cried out, overwhelmed, not knowing what would happen if she continued to tease him like this!


    "Alright then, I won''t disturb you while you work, Minister!"


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin smiled sweetly, stood up from Su Chen''s embrace, and walked gracefully out, pausing halfway to give Su Chen a seductive backward nce.


    "Wait, call Ran Ting over!"


    Just as Zhao Lin was about to leave the office, Su Chen''s voice came from behind her.


    "Pervert!"


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin spat out disdainfully.


    "Looks like I still need to close the window!"


    Su Chen hastily closed the blinds saying this and revealed a sly smile.


    Not long after, Ran Ting entered the office, but it took her half an hour toe out, and when she left, her face was tinged with blush...


    In the seeding time, Su Chen had a talk with every person from the Yandu PR department that came in, of course, except for the men.


    "It seems there are indeed benefits to being in the office!"


    After speaking with thest person, Su Chen chuckled to himself...


    While asional close contact was inevitable, he dared not do anything excessive.


    After all, it wasn''t the first time between him and the women of the PR department...

 Chapter 522: The Exchange of Wedding Cups

    Since everyone had just arrived in Yandu City and it was quite strenuous to set up the Yandu branch these days, Lin Ruoxue decided to treat everyone to dinner at the Jindu Hotel that evening as a way to reward their hard work.


    The Jindu Hotel is located in the center of Yandu City and is a very famous building there, rated six stars.


    Therefore, when everyone heard that President Lin was inviting them to dine there, they all cheered.


    As soon as work was over, dozens of cars made a grand procession towards the Jindu Hotel.


    Having been so busy since their arrival, they hadn''t had the chance to visit the city center. Now, seeing the towering skyscrapers of Yandu City''s center and the international brands everywhere, they truly felt the gap between Jianghai and this ce.


    Jianghai is also considered a first-tier metropolis, but in terms of charm and prosperity, it is still far behind Yandu.


    After parking at the hotel''s parking lot, the group walked toward the hotel''s main entrance together.


    The Belle Corporation was known for its numerous beautiful women of high quality, and even in Yandu, a group of such high-quality beauties suddenly appearing in sight caused quite a sensation!


    Especially Lin Ruoxue, who was leading at the front. Despite wearing professional attire, she couldn''t conceal her breathtaking beauty, and the outfit only highlighted her iparable figure, making all the men''s eyes pop!


    When the group arrived at the entrance, Lin Ruoxue mentioned the room number she had booked in advance, and the waiter immediately led her inside; the others followed closely behind.


    The private room Lin Ruoxue had booked was a spacious six to seventy square meters, housing three tables without feeling cramped at all.


    With Lin Ruoxue''s presence, Su Chen naturally didn''t dare to sit too close to the beauties from the public rtions department and instead chose to sit obediently next to Lin Ruoxue.


    Everyone knew the two had a special rtionship, so they were not surprised by this, nor did theyment.


    After three rounds of drinks, someone suddenly shouted:


    "President Lin and Director Su should have a crossover toast!"


    At that suggestion, the crowd immediately echoed the call, and the atmosphere reached a climax!


    Although Lin Ruoxue usually seemed very formidable, when it came to matters between men and women, she was actually quite shy. How could she dare to have a crossover toast with Su Chen?


    "Crossover toast! Crossover toast! Crossover toast! Crossover toast!..."


    But having found something fun, how could they let the two off the hook so easily?


    Suddenly everyone became excited and started egging them on even louder!


    Lin Ruoxue''s exquisite face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, charmingly radiant!


    "Wife, let''s just go with it! After all, we haven''t had an official toast before," Su Chen whispered in her ear.


    "Then... okay," Lin Ruoxue replied shyly, nodding her head.


    Seeing her agreement, Su Chen stood up, and when Su Chen got up, the teasing from the crowd grew louder!


    Amidst theughter and taunts from everyone, Lin Ruoxue also stood up with her face turning beet red, not daring to look at anyone!


    Helpfully, someone nearby poured about a third of a ss of red wine for the two. Su Chen seemedpletely nonchnt, even chuckling merrily.


    But Lin Ruoxue felt her face burning hot. She slowly picked up her ss and delicately extended her arm, intertwining it with Su Chen''s.


    "Ruoxue, I love you!"


    At this moment, looking at Lin Ruoxue''s peach blossom-like exquisite face, Su Chen felt warmth in his heart and tenderly said.


    "I love you too," Lin Ruoxue responded, albeit in an almost inaudible whisper.


    Then, the two slowly brought their sses to their lips, tilted their heads back slightly, and began to drink from the cups carrying an extraordinary significance.


    At this moment, although Lin Ruoxue''s heart still harbored some shyness, the overriding feeling was one of happiness, as if she hadpleted an important ceremony!


    "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!..."


    As expected, those who loved a spectacle couldn''t resist stirring things up; just as the couple finished their toast, the crowd started egging them on to kiss!


    Lin Ruoxue was already so bashful that she found it hard to face others, and upon hearing the crowd''s request, she wished she could bury herself under the table!


    However, Su Chen''s heart held a hint of gratitude towards these people. Kissing his wife, who had such thin skin, in public seemed like not such a bad thing after all; the feeling must be quite special!


    "Wife, we can''t very well reject their kindness, can we?"


    A mischievous smile appeared at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth as he whispered quietly.


    "You wish!"


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes in annoyance!


    "The one who knows me best is indeed my dear wife!"


    Far from being ashamed, Su Chen felt somewhat proud.


    "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!..."


    The voices of the crowd rose one after another, bing louder and louder!


    "Alright, wife, don''t be shy!"


    Su Chen whispered into Lin Ruoxue''s ear, then pressed his lips against her cherry-like mouth...


    One minute, two minutes, three minutes...


    It wasn''t until Lin Ruoxue feltpletely unable to breathe that Su Chen, with great reluctance, let go of her, a cheeky smile on his face!


    "You jerk!"


    Having been in front of everyone, Lin Ruoxue hadn''t dared to resist at all,pletely at the mercy of this bad guy, to the point that her lips felt somewhat swollen!


    But Su Chen felt fantastic, especially with the faint look of resentment in Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, which gave him a rather unique sensation...


    Everyone who witnessed this burst intoughter, seeing Lin Ruoxue, the usuallyposed corporate leader, in such a state was truly a rare sight!


    However, the women from public rtions, as well as Xia Qiuru,ughed too, but their expressions seemed somewhat forced.


    The dinner, filled with joy andughter, continued happily until it ended around 9 pm.


    Since everyone had been drinking, of course, they couldn''t drive, so Su Chen arranged for designated drivers for them, including Lin Ruoxue.


    He himself didn''t mind either. After making sure everyone was taken care of, he too followed by car since they were all heading back to the apartmentplex.


    But halfway through the journey, Su Chen suddenly furrowed his brow, sensing that something was off.


    At this time, the streets of Yandu were still bustling with carsing and going incessantly. To confirm his suspicion, Su Chen took a turn at the uing intersection before him.


    "As I thought, we''re being followed."


    Seeing two cars also turn the same way behind him, a cold smile formed on Su Chen''s lips.


    It seemed that someone could no longer hold back, but it was not yet clear whether it was the Su Family, the Situ Family, or the Zheng Family.


    However, the Zheng Family probably hadn''t traced it back to him for the time being, so that left either the Su Family or the Situ Family...

 Chapter 523: Shen Shaos Thoughts

    Of course, none of this mattered to him, for after tonight, they would all be dead!


    Previously in Jianghai, when the Four Great Families crossed him, he would often show restraint since he was not a man of murder, especially after returning to the urban life.


    However, he would not be so merciful toward those sent by the great families in Yandu; what he needed to do was to pressure those people step by step until he got what he wanted!


    "Since you''vee to me, let your bloodmence the Blood Kill journey in Yandu!"


    Su Chen sneered coldly and then drove onto an even more secluded path.


    When he reached a dark stretch without streetlights, Su Chen stopped the car, lit a cigarette, and waited for the two vehicles hundreds of meters behind him.


    Soon, those cars also stopped not far from Su Chen, and three men got out of each vehicle.


    "Kid, it looks like you discovered us early. Not bad!"


    One of the men leading the groupmented, somewhat surprised that Su Chen had detected them.


    "That''s because your tracking skills are just terrible!"


    Su Chen casually blew a thick ring of smoke.


    "Big talker, if you knew we were following you, why didn''t you run?"


    The leader seemed puzzled; the young man not only hadn''t fled but had also stopped to wait for them.


    "He must know that he can''t escape, so he simply chose not to!"


    One of the menughed heartily.


    "Maybe he fancies himself a ''master'' and disdains running away?"


    Someone at his side said mockingly.


    The others heard this and all burst intoughter, thinking if this guy was a master, then what were they, grandmasters?


    "Why do you trash always have to act tough? It''s as if you can''t show off your stupidity without doing so!"


    Su Chen disdainfully remarked, focusing his eyes on the group:


    "Are you from the Su Family or the Situ Family?"


    They were first enraged by Su Chen''s initial words, but a chill ran through them at his follow-up question.


    Knowing who they were, how could this kid still be so arrogant?


    But why had he mentioned the Su Family? Could it be the kid had offended the Situ Family and the Su Family at the same time?


    Then he was truly courting death!


    Before they could answer, Su Chen continued nonchntly:


    "But it doesn''t matter, since you''re going to be dead soon anyway."


    His tone was as if he was stating a fact, which instantly filled them with uncontroble rage!


    "Kid, I''ll let you be arrogant; let''s see who bes a corpse in a bit!"


    The lead man''s face turned dark and grim!


    As soon as his words dropped, he attacked Su Chen like a whirlwind, the other men quickly following suit!


    Su Chen snorted and charged at them, the sound of shattering throat bones soon following.


    Minutester, these men were all dead with a look of horror on their faces, as if they had seen something frightful.


    These men were not Martial Artists but merely ordinary people equivalent to ace special forces soldiers.


    Su Chen thus deduced that they must have been sent by the Situ Family.


    If they were from the Su Family, sending these men after knowing he had defeated two Qi Refinement level six experts would just be a wasted effort, wouldn''t it?


    After dealing with the men, Su Chen didn''t clean up the scene; instead, he simply got in his car and left the ce¡­


    ......


    Meanwhile, in a study room within the Shen Family estate in Yandu, the room was pitch ck, save for a pair of eyes that seemed to be glowing in the dark night!


    If you looked closely, you would find a young man lying on a lounge chair inside, as if resting, yet his eyes were wide open.


    "A man? And an interesting one at that?"


    The young man murmured to himself for a while.


    He then reached out a hand to pull a cord hanging from the wall, and immediately, a man stepped through a secret door beside him.


    "Night Shadow, go find out who Pei Man has been in contact with recently, and make sure not to miss a single person!"


    "Yes!"


    The man bowed in assent and disappeared back through the secret door.


    "Pei Man, whether you like me or not isn''t important. What matters is that you can only be my woman!"


    In the darkness, a bright glint shed through those luminous eyes, as if to pierce through everything!


    Shen Shao was undoubtedly proud, and with both he and Pei Man being appraised as dragon and phoenix by Half-Immortal Zhuge, he certainly had the capital to be proud!


    He believed that perhaps Pei Man was the only woman in the world who was worthy of him.


    As for love? Was it that important?


    It''s nice to have, but it doesn''t matter if it''s not there. All he needed was a woman who could match him!


    He had always known that Pei Man did not love him, but he wasn''t in a rush, nor did he care.


    He believed that Pei Man too understood that, love or not, they were ultimately meant to be together.


    This wasn''t just his view, but also the opinion of everyone in Yandu...


    So, he maintained a calm demeanor, patiently waiting.


    But today, he discovered that things seemed to have deviated from their predestined tracks.


    Pei Man brought up someone, a man, a man of interest.


    Others might think this normal, but Shen Shao knew it was not, not at all.


    Especially considering her expression at the time, it was even more abnormal...


    He wanted to know ¨C who was this man? How had he be interesting?


    He wouldn''t act like others, rushing to cause a scene. That would be beneath him.


    Moreover, considering Pei Man had brought him up of her own volition, she likely didn''t care about any action he might take, which meant he had even less reason to do so.


    But still, knowing one''s enemies was necessary, so he needed to find out who this man was. To be honest, he was quite curious about him.


    After all, to elicit such a reaction from Pei Man ¨C he was the first!


    Suddenly, Shen Shao felt the study to be suffocatingly warm and irksome, and so he strolled out to the courtyard, eventually reaching the outer gates.


    Just then, the door was pushed open, and a somewhat portly figure stumbled in, clutching a bottle of wine.


    Even from a distance, the strong odor of alcohol wafted from him, so pungent it seemed nearly indestructible.


    Shen Shao frowned upon seeing this person, a hint of disgust shing in his eyes before he attempted to walk away.


    "Hey, little brother, what are you doing out here? Enjoying the moonlight?"


    Before Shen Shao had taken a few steps, the drunken man staggered towards him.


    The corpulent figure copsed onto him, the piercing smell of alcohol nearly making him vomit.


    "Get away from me!"


    With a forceful shrug, Shen Shao swiftly moved aside, causing the overweight man to fall to the ground upon losing support.


    Shen Shao did not go to help him up, instead, he walked away, muttering under his breath:


    "Such a waste, only living to consume more food!"

 Chapter 524: Instructor?

    After Su Chen returned to the apartment, he naturally knocked on Lin Ruoxue''s door first.


    "Why are you here?"


    Lin Ruoxue opened the door to see Su Chen and immediately felt embarrassed, especially since they had just publicly shared a drink that evening, and things had gone a bit...


    "I came to see how you were doing," he replied.


    Su Chen slipped into the room:


    "You had quite a bit to drink tonight, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine, just a little dizzy. It''s good you''re here; I actually needed to talk to you about something," Lin Ruoxue said.


    "What is it?" Su Chen asked curiously.


    "Well, do you think it would be more convenient if we bought an apartment here?" Lin Ruoxue whispered, her cheeks blushing even more as she spoke.


    Upon hearing this, a sly smile spread across Su Chen''s face:


    "Wifey, are you saying it''s inconvenient here and you want to live with your husband... hehehe..."


    "What nonsense, just tell me, are we buying it or not?!"


    Lin Ruoxue frowned, huffing.


    She had seen right through her cheeky husband who surely just wanted to take advantage of the situation whenever he could.


    It had been okay back in the vi, but here it was inevitable that others would notice, which was embarrassing!


    Though everyone might specte when they moved out, she reasoned it was better than getting caught red-handed. She decided to feign ignorance.


    Lin Ruoxue thought, somewhat ostrich-like.


    "Buy, buy, buy, we definitely should buy!" Su Chen dered, his eyes gleaming.


    "Alright then, tomorrow morning, we''ll go check it out with the agent," Lin Ruoxue said, then with a stern face:


    "Okay, you can leave now!"


    Su Chen knew that staying overnight in Lin Ruoxue''s room here was not possible, so he touched his nose and left.


    Back in his own room, Su Chen wondered whether he should convince Zhuge, that old trickster, to scam another house, but then thought better of it since he had already squeezed him dry recently. One must know when to stop to avoid exhausting the resources.


    The next morning, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue did not go to the office but went to an area nearby where several agents were located.


    Lin Ruoxue, now intent on buying, was looking for a ready-to-move-in second-hand house, so they went directly to see an agent.


    Although real estate in Yandu was scarce and expensive, buying a vi was still trivial for Lin Ruoxue.


    Lin Ruoxue''s efficiency in handling matters was clearly evident. Normally, such a huge expenditure would require thorough consideration by anyone.


    But after viewing three vis, Lin Ruoxue made a decision on the spot and even paid the deposit.


    Of course, this was also because Lin Ruoxue had the financial capability.


    The agent rarely encountered such a straightforward client, ensuring everything was dealt with wlessly. They told her that she just needed to visit the housing bureau with thendlord the next day toplete the ownership transfer procedures.


    Thendlord was easy to talk to, especially after finding out that Lin Ruoxue was a corporate president, even saying they could move in immediately.


    By nearly noon, the two had sorted everything out and left the agency.


    "Let''s find a restaurant nearby, have something to eat and then head back to the office," Lin Ruoxue suggested.


    Su Chen nodded, and then they headed towards a small restaurant not far away.


    Just as they were about to enter, a puzzled voice called out from behind:


    "Instructor?"


    Lin Ruoxue turned her head in confusion toward the sound, but Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat, and he also turned around!


    "Instructor, it really is you!"


    A young man, about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, with a buzz cut, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, approached with uncontroble excitement on his face, and tears seemed to shimmer in his eyes!


    Although Lin Ruoxue next to him was even more dazzling, his gaze remained on Su Chen''s face from beginning to end; he did not nce at Lin Ruoxue even once!


    "Friend, you must have mistaken me for someone else,"


    Su Chen controlled his somewhat trembling heart, smiled faintly, and made an imperceptible gesture quietly.


    The man hesitated for a moment, then said:


    "I''m sorry, indeed, sir, you look too much like someone I know!"


    "People resemble each other, it''s normal to make a mistake; no worries,"


    Su Chenughed softly.


    "Alright, I won''t disturb you then; my apologies!"


    The man smiled apologetically, then walked past them.


    "Let''s go inside, wife,"


    Su Chen said and entered the small restaurant.


    Lin Ruoxue watched Su Chen''s back, a hint of suspicion shed across her stunning face.


    She had a strong intuition that the man just now had not mistaken the person at all!


    The reason he imed to have made a mistake must have been prompted by her husband''s signal, not wanting to reveal anything in front of her.


    "Instructor?"


    Lin Ruoxue silently mused in her heart, could it be that her husband had served in the military?


    But even if he had been in the military, he was only in his twenties, how could he have be an instructor?


    Lin Ruoxue pressed this question to her heart, not voicing it.


    Since Su Chen had purposely staged that scene, it was evident he did not want her to know, at least not right now.


    "By the way, I almost forgot to ask you, how has Xiaoxun beentely?"


    During the meal, Su Chen suddenly asked.


    He had brought the little girl to the city himself. Besides arranging a school for her, he hadn''t inquired much; feeling somewhat guilty about it now.


    As for her special illness, he didn''t have any good solutions at the moment and dared not try anything rashly.


    He nned to take her back to Kunlun Mountains sometime, to discuss with his master, and then decide what to do.


    "Don''t worry, Wang Ma personally picks her up from school every day. She gets along very well with Wang Ma now, and Wang Ma likes her very much, treating her like a little granddaughter,"


    Lin Ruoxue smiled and replied.


    "That''s good."


    Su Chen nodded; with Wang Ma taking care of her, he had nothing to worry about.


    After the two had finished their meal and were just about to leave the restaurant to head home, Su Chen suddenly said:


    "Wife, why don''t you head back first? I have something to take care of and will return to the officeter."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue looked at him suspiciously, feeling that his having "something to take care of" must be rted to the man who had imed to recognize the wrong person earlier.


    However, she didn''t say anything at the moment, but instead asked:


    "Do you want to keep the car?"


    "No need; I''ll just take a taxi backter."


    Su Chen also felt that Lin Ruoxue was suspicious of the earlier incident; it was inevitable.


    Moreover, sooner orter, he had to tell her some things. Let her be suspicious then.


    After Lin Ruoxue drove off and had rounded the nearby corner, a man emerged from an adjacent alley.


    "Instructor, hello!"


    The man approached Su Chen and gave him a standard military salute!

 Chapter 525 - 525 Identity Recognition

    "Alright, I''m no longer an instructor, so no need to salute."


    Su Chen waved his hand and spoke indifferently.


    "No, you''ll always be our instructor in our hearts!"


    The man said resolutely, his expression incredibly excited.


    He had not expected to run into his instructor while rarely having a day off and just out on the road!


    Seeing him so insistent, Su Chen didn''t say more but instead asked:


    "Owl, how has everyone been these past few years? Are they doing well?"


    Su Chen hadn''t seen those brothers in so many years, but he had always kept them in mind.


    "They''re all pretty good; everyone just misses you a lot."


    The man known as Owl looked at him expectantly and asked:


    "Instructor, when will youe to see everyone?"


    Hearing this, Su Chen fell silent, then after a while, he sighed:


    "How about now."


    He had been in Yandu for quite a while and had not visited everyone, mainly because he was afraid of seeing one person!


    But such fears can''t be avoided forever, could he really never see her again?


    If that was the case, he might as well take this chance to go see her!


    "Really? That''s great!"


    Owl, learning that Su Chen agreed to visit now, was overjoyed:


    "Instructor, wait here for a moment, I''ll go get a vehicle."


    Before long, a military jeep stopped in front of Su Chen; once Su Chen got into the vehicle, they sped off...


    At a concealed spot not far from an intersection, a graceful figure slowly emerged, watching the jeep blend into the moving traffic and muttered to herself:


    "I guessed right."


    Lin Ruoxue, unable to contain her curiosity, had resorted to a little trick¡ªhiding her car at the intersection, then concealing herself aside...


    The jeep kept heading toward the suburban area on the southern edge of Yandu City South, and after driving for about half an hour, there were no more skyscrapers in the city. What came into view were low houses, fields, and ponds.


    The scenery in front resembled that of the countryside. Looking ahead, there was argepound not far away that looked simple but exuded an aura of solemn dignity.


    That was the camp of Huaxia''s most mysterious military unit, the Eighth Brigade, which naturally would not be located in a busy urban area.


    At the entrance of the camp was a guardhouse, muchrger than the average one, measuring at least thirty to forty square meters, with five or six fully armed people inside.


    Everyone entering must first undergo identity verification there.


    As the two men drove up to the entrance and stopped, two individuals walked out of the guardhouse.


    "Please identify yourselves first!"


    One of them said expressionlessly.


    They naturally recognized Owl, but recognition aside, everyone had to pass this check upon arrival¡ªit was protocol!


    Owl nodded and walked into the guardhouse, with Su Chen following behind.


    Owl was naturally very familiar with this process. Upon entering, he stopped in front of a three-meter-tall cylindrical device.


    Then, someone inside flipped a switch on the wall, which caused the device to open a fan-shaped door.


    From outside, it was visible that there was a small disc at the bottom of the cylindrical device.


    Owl stepped in and stood on the disc.


    This device was used for identity verification, but it was entirely different from ordinary face and fingerprint recognition.


    Face and fingerprint recognition can easily be fooled by copies, or even by the brutal method of skinning to pass inspection.


    Yet this device verified a person''s identity by collecting millions of metric data points from the individual to ascertain their identity!


    As the Owl stepped into the device, a beam of white light poured down from above, enveloping the Owl entirely, while the disk at its feet slowly began to rotate!


    About a minuteter, a line of red text appeared on a screen hanging from the ceiling ¡ª "039 MATCH!"


    Then the Owl stepped out of the device, and the fan-shaped door on the device closed behind him.


    "039, you know the rules about not allowing strangers in the military camp, right?"


    After the Owl emerged, someone sternly said.


    "Of course."


    The Owl nodded and said, as it wasmon knowledge that one simply could note and go from a military camp, let alone this ce!


    "Then why did you bring this stranger in?"


    The man nced at Su Chen and said:


    "You''ve been here a while, how could you make such a mistake?"


    He had been here for nearly three years and had never seen Su Chen, naturally assuming he was not from this ce.


    "Moreover, he would not have been able to enter without going through identity recognition. If you just wanted to show him around, this is as far as he can go ¡ª any further, and I am authorized to shoot him!"


    The man continued.


    "Why don''t you let him undergo identity verification?"


    The Owl said with a slight arc to the corner of his mouth, chuckling lightly.


    "There''s no need for that; I''ve been here so long and have never seen this man before. If he''s not from around here, how could he possibly pass identity verification?"


    The man turned to the other few people and asked:


    "Have any of you seen this man before?"


    The others shook their heads upon hearing this. They had not been there as long as he had and naturally, they had never seen this young man before.


    "Alright, 039, you better hurry up and ask him to leave."


    The man said somewhat impatiently.


    "Wouldn''t we only know if it''s a waste of time after the identity verification has been conducted?"


    The Owlughed and continued:


    "I remember that in your security department, there is a rule stating that everyone has the right to undergo identity verification. If one passes, they must be allowed entry; if they fail, they must be intercepted, or even shot!"


    "That is true, we base everything on the results of the identity verification!"


    The man nodded and said:


    "But since he''s not one of us, why bother with verification? Isn''t that just a waste of time?"


    "Whether or not it''s a waste of time, that''s something we''ll only know after the verification."


    The Owl shrugged nonchntly.


    "Since you insist on letting him try, then let him try."


    Afterwards, he added dismissively:


    "Really looking for trouble, just a waste of time."


    At that moment, the person responsible for operating the device switched it on, and the fan-shaped door opened again.


    Su Chen smiled faintly as he walked into the device, also standing on the disk.


    As soon as he stood on it, a very familiar feeling emerged, as if he were back in the military camp life of the past.


    Then, a beam of white light from the top of the device shone down again, and the disk started to rotate...


    The few people in the guardhouse did not take this man seriously, only waiting for the results toe out to then prepare to send him away!

 Chapter 526 - 526 001 MATCH

    ```


    "What does this guy think this ce is, that he can juste and go as he pleases?"


    At this moment, the screen hanging in the middle lit up again, and several guards looked over nonchntly!


    However, this nce scared everyone abruptly¡ªa big scare, and they immediately started rubbing their eyes fiercely, trying to open them wider!


    "How is this possible?"


    "Is this some kind of joke?"


    "Could it be an instrument malfunction?"


    .......


    The guards who were originally expressionless standing there all suddenly lookedpletely dumbfounded!


    They looked again at the young man who had just stepped out from the instrument, only to feel their heads buzzing!


    Although reason told them it was real,


    they simply could not believe the scene before their eyes!


    Because, at that moment, the screen was disying a line of red characters they had never seen before¡ª"001 MATCH!"


    001, this number had never appeared on the screen in the several years since they hade here.


    But today, it appeared. How could they not feel immensely shocked?!


    Regarding this 001, they might not have seen him in person, but they had heard many legends about him!


    In this most mysterious unit of Huaxia, he was a legend! He was also the faith of everyone there!


    A few people stared nkly at Su Chen, was this young man really that legend?!


    This was too unbelievable!


    "Can I go in now?"


    Su Chen looked at their shocked faces and said with a light smile.


    Hearing this voice, the guards immediately snapped out of their shock and then all stood at attention to salute, excitedly shouting:


    "Good day, Instructor!"


    "You''ve done very well, very conscientious and responsible."


    Su Chen smiled and nodded, then walked away with the owl.


    At this time, the barracks door was already open, and the two walked straight in.


    After Su Chen left, the guards in the guard room were still wearing faces full of shock!


    "I never thought I''d meet that legendary figure today!"


    "Yeah, who would have thought that he would be so young!"


    "I heard he''s been away from here for over four years, so why did he suddenlye today?"


    "Who knows? How can we specte about the affairs of such great figures?"


    "Yes, yes, yes, but this is something we can boast about to those guys, haha!"


    "Indeed, such a character is a rare encounter! Those guys are going to be green with envy!"


    "Alright, stop the discussion there, and don''t forget our duties. Take care of the guard duty well!"


    "Yes!"


    .......


    After Su Chen and the owl entered the gate, they kept walking toward the back of the inside.


    "It seems that some neers have joined in these past few years!"


    Along the way, Su Chen indeed saw quite a few new faces.


    "Hmm, Instructor Du has attracted a lot of fresh blood in recent years, but for now, they can only be considered adjunct members. To truly enter the core, they still need to be rigorously trained."


    The owl spoke of Instructor Du with caution, casting a nce at Su Chen.


    "How has Hanbing been doing these past few years? Is... is she well?"


    Su Chen also asked somewhat nervously.


    "This..."


    ```


    The owl shook its head slightly:


    "You''ll see in a moment."


    By then, the two had reached arge courtyard inside, which was entirely different from the external military camp; it seemed to form a world of its own.


    Su Chen, of course, knew that this was the real core of the Eighth Brigade, with walls seven to eight meters high topped with over three meters of high-voltage electrified fencing.


    Simrly, the entrance was guarded, and the realms of the two guards had reached the fifth and sixth levels of Qi Refinement.


    As soon as they saw the owl approaching, they immediatelyughed and said:


    "Aren''t you on leave today, kid? Why are you stilling over here?"


    "Yeah, you''ve got a rare day off, why not spend it with your girlfriend instead ofing here? Did you have a tiff with her?"


    The other person joined in andughed.


    "Look who''s here!"


    The owl looked at the two with amusement and chuckled.


    At these words, the two turned their gaze from behind the owl.


    At that moment, Su Chen also emerged from behind the owl, gazing at the two with a smirking face.


    "Instructor...?"


    The expressions on both faces were as if they''d seen a ghost, but then their faces erupted with ecstasy!


    "What''s with those faces? Don''t you wee me?"


    Su Chen asked with a teasing smile.


    "Instructor, greetings!"


    Both of them saluted simultaneously, then one of themughed and said:


    "Instructor, let us take you inside for a look!"


    Su Chen nodded, and together they walked into the courtyard, neglecting their guard duties.


    Ordinarily, not even the most significant event would make them ck on their duty, but today was an exception; to them, this matter was even more important than anything else!


    The instructor had arrived, of course they should apany him!


    Su Chen wasn''t someone unappreciative of their sentiments, and he smiled softly, not saying anything, and walked with the three inside.


    As soon as he entered the courtyard, people instantly noticed Su Chen!


    "Instructor...?!"


    The person was as incredulous as the previous guards, not believing what they were seeing!


    Once he had a clear view of Su Chen''s face, he immediately raised his voice and shouted to those training:


    "Stop everything, the instructor is here!"


    Upon hearing this call, everyone indeed stopped, and after seeing Su Chen, they all exchanged looks of shock for a few seconds!


    Suddenly, everyone gathered together, including the owl and the two guards, and lined up rapidly, shouting in unison and with great discipline:


    "Greetings, Instructor!"


    These people even included the current two instructors, who at that moment seemed to have be soldiers as well!


    In the Eighth Brigade, Su Chen had been the only instructor initially.


    After Su Chen left, Du Hanbing became the Chief Instructor, and the two most outstanding trainees became Deputy Instructors, all of them responsible for all matters concerning the Eighth Brigade.


    In the Eighth Brigade, they referred to these three instructors either as Chief Instructor, Deputy Instructors or with their surnames, like Du Hanbing, who would be called Instructor Du!


    But there was only one who was referred to without any prefix, and that was Su Chen!


    This was a matter of principle known to everyone in the Eighth Brigade!


    So when the few guards at the gate saw him, they still addressed him as simply "Instructor"!


    "Alright, I just missed everyone, so I came to check on you all."


    Su Chen waved his hand andughed:


    "Rx, everyone. Come over and let''s chat!"


    No sooner had he spoken than dozens of people crowded around Su Chen, chattering incessantly, their expressions even more excited than little girls meeting their favorite idol!

 Chapter 527: Figure on the Edge of the Cliff

    You must not underestimate these forty to fifty people. Although their realms are not too high, most of them are between Qi Refinement Sixth Layer and Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, except for three instructors who have reached Qi Refinement Ninth Layer.


    But their true strength, once unleashed, definitely cannot be defined simply by their realm!


    This was also one of the experiments conducted by Su Chen, which was to integrate the cultivation of martial artists with military tactics to create a unique army!


    If these people were to face ten at the Qi Refinement Peak, Su Chen believed that the ones who would be defeated would definitely be those ten at the Qi Refinement Peak!


    Even if it were twenty at the Qi Refinement Peak, they would still definitely have the power to fight!


    You must understand that, under normal circumstances, if it came to a one-on-one fight, one person at the Qi Refinement Peak could confidently handle three to five people between the Qi Refinement Sixth Layer to Eighth Layer!


    However, if these individuals were like those from the Eighth Brigade, that wouldn''t be so easy!


    And the more people involved, the more difficult it would be!


    These individuals could be said to be amongst the first to grasp Su Chen''sbat skills and philosophies, and they grasped them the most deeply!


    In some respects, some people from the Nether Temple might not evenpare to them!


    Because of such uniqueness, they didn''t ck off in various aspects of militarized training while they cultivated.


    Especially the training in tactics, which upied a significant proportion!


    Su Chen told them that if they fought without using their brains, they were merely tools and held no value!


    Therefore, duringbat, their minds were more active and moved faster than anyone else''s!


    This brigade, from the day it was created by Su Chen, held a world-renowned record of a one hundred percent missionpletion rate!


    The reason they were not dispatched to the small ind in the Pacific Oceanst time was for secrecy since other countries were involved in that mission as well!


    Of course, Huaxia didn''t want this special brigade exposed to other nations!


    .......


    Those people gathered around Su Chen, naturally asking him why he suddenly left years ago and about his life over these years.


    Su Chen naturally did not tell them the true situation, he just casually mentioned a few points, and those people didn''t dwell on these questions.


    The conversation primarily revolved around Su Chen asking them how things had been in various aspects over the years?


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, everyone started speaking one after another, eager to share, and they mainly talked about some fun incidents from their daily lives.


    For example, the Owl who went to his mother-inw''s house for a visit brought two boxes of expired gifts, gotined at by his girlfriend, and they had a cold war for several months; when on leave, he wasn''t even allowed into the bedroom and could only sleep in the living room.


    Then there was the time the Hound went on a mission to rescue some important person, but unexpectedly, that person''s daughter fell in love with him and insisted on returning to Huaxia with him, and so on.


    Listening to these stories, Su Chen also found them amusing, and it seemed that everyone had been living quite well over these years.


    After chatting for a while, Su Chen suddenly asked,


    "Why haven''t I seen Hanbing?"


    Upon hearing this, those who were just in high spirits suddenly bowed their heads, each nced at the others but all kept their mouths shut, not saying a word!


    "What''s the matter? Did something happen to Hanbing?"


    Seeing everyone''s reactions, Su Chen immediately became anxious.


    But people still did not speak, though a trace of sadness emerged on their faces, and some even shook their heads.


    "Old Sun, you tell me!"


    Su Chen said as he looked at a person, who was now an assistant instructor.


    "Instructor, you better go to the back mountain and see for yourself."


    That Old Sun sighed.


    "The back mountain, what is she doing there?"


    Su Chen asked perplexedly, knowing that the back mountain was a cliff, beneath whichy arge river.


    "These past few years, aside from when on assignments, Coach Du has almost always stayed at the back mountain, sometimes for as long as ten to fifteen days, and this time it has already been eight days!"


    Old Sun''s eyes shed with a hint of distress as he spoke:


    "Seeing her like that, our hearts aren''t at ease either!"


    The others heard this and nodded unconsciously while looking toward Su Chen; they knew that Du Hanbing had be like this because of him!


    On hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes also shed with a burst of fire¡ªhad this woman gone mad?!


    He knew that it was all because of himself, which made him feel incredibly guilty. The more guilty he felt, the greater his anger grew.


    "Alright, I''ll go check the back mountain."


    Su Chen immediately stood up from the grass, then walked out of the courtyard gate, heading toward the back mountain¡­


    "Hopefully, with the coach going there, Coach Du will get better!"


    "Definitely, with the coach there, nothing is a problem!"


    "Ah, we can only hope so!"


    .....


    The wind at the back mountain was strong; as Su Chen walked over, the wind caused hisrge coat to p loudly, and his hair waspletely disheveled.


    Looking up, Su Chen saw a slender figure in the distance continuously jumping down from the cliff ledge.


    Each time she stayed on a jutting piece of rock no more than a second before continuing to jump down to the next protruding rock.


    Beneath that cliff, the roaring waves rolled past, smashing against the rocks and stirring up bursts of spray!


    Suddenly, her feetnded on a small stone that mustn''t have been very stable, for it gave way, and she fell into the raging torrent below.


    Her slender body followed from a great height. Considering the distance she was from the bottom, a fall like that could either kill or cripple her!


    Seeing this, Su Chen was instantly startled, but she was already over a thousand meters ahead; he simply couldn''t make it in time!


    He didn''t even dare to shout, fearing it might disturb her concentration!


    That slender figure hurriedly reached out a hand to grab the cliff face as she fell, but her fingers kept slipping off without finding a hold.


    Finally, after falling more than twenty meters, her hand caught a small, protruding stone, stopping her descent!


    Without any pause, she immediately began looking for the next tform to grasp. Spotting a spot nearby where she could stand, she quickly swung her arms, shifted her body above that spot, and then let go of her hand!


    Just as she steadied herself there, she started looking for the next foothold...


    This way, after more than ten minutes, she finally reached the bottom of the cliff, where she walked to the riverbank, bent down, and scooped up some water to drink.


    After drinking, she immediately started climbing back up...


    Under the blue sky and white clouds, on this cliffside, apanied by the rolling river, her figure appeared incredibly stubborn!


    Su Chen wanted to call out to her, but found he couldn''t utter a single word!


    Unconsciously, tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks...


    He had not anticipated that his departure would have such a huge impact on her...


    More than an hourter, she had climbed from the bottom all the way to the top of the cliff.


    Her attention seemed wholly fixed on the cliffs, hardly noticing Su Chen''s presence...

 Chapter 528: 528

    She had just climbed up the cliff and, after taking a few deep breaths, continued to walk to the edge, ready to leap down.


    "Hanbing!"


    At that moment, Su Chen could no longer bear it and shouted with all his might.


    However, his voice was so soft and hoarse, yet it traveled with the wind into Du Hanbing''s ears.


    Du Hanbing vaguely thought she heard someone calling her name and couldn''t help but look up and nce around.


    When she saw the figure in the distance, her frail body visibly shuddered!


    Yet she didn''t run over, instead standing rooted to the spot, staring nkly at Su Chen!


    Su Chen walked step by step toward her, and with each step, his heart ached a little more!


    This stretch of road might be the longest journey Su Chen had ever taken!


    When he stood in front of Du Hanbing, facing this stubborn woman, a multitude of words were reduced to a simple "I''m sorry!"


    But the first thing Du Hanbing said was "Today is day one thousand three hundred and seventy-nine," her tone very calm.


    Hearing Du Hanbing''s indifferent words, Su Chen felt even more tormented!


    He embraced Du Hanbing tightly, wrapping his arms around her.


    "Why must you suffer like this?"


    Su Chen asked, almost biting his tongue.


    "I''m willing, I hope to catch up with your pace."


    Du Hanbing uttered softly.


    "From now on, you don''t need to chase anymore. Let''s walk together!"


    Su Chen shook his head and said:


    "I don''t want you to struggle so much!"


    "Actually... it''s not hard,"


    Hearing this, tears fell from Su Chen''s eyes once again.


    He slowly released Du Hanbing, his hands resting on her shoulders. Looking at her delicate yet haggard face, he no longer wanted to restrain himself and, cradling her face, leaned down to kiss her!


    Du Hanbing also held him tightly, passionately responding.


    This moment, she had waited far too long...


    .......


    On the cliff behind the mountain, two people sat facing the wind, looking down at the churning waves below, silent.


    "Are you worried about your wife?"


    After a while, Du Hanbing turned her head and asked with a smile.


    Su Chen sighed and didn''t answer; he indeed was troubled by this issue.


    He didn''t regret what he had just done. Facing such a deeply affectionate woman, he could only feel that what he was able to do and give was too little.


    Moreover, Du Hanbing had always been in his heart. It was only due to various reasons that he had never dared to ept these feelings before!


    But now he was married after all. How should he exin this to Lin Ruoxue?


    "Actually, you don''t need to be so troubled. I don''t expect any status, nor do I expect you to be with me every day. As long as you have me in your heart and sometimese to see me, that''s enough!"


    Du Hanbing said with a smile.


    "But that''s too unfair to you!"


    Su Chen said as he looked at Du Hanbing.


    "This is fair enough for me. I can''t be like your wife, almost being with you every day. And she deserves you!"


    "Have you investigated her?"


    "What do you think?"


    Du Hanbing said with a smile:


    "For someone who can make you willingly walk into the marriage hall, I naturally want to get to know them."


    "Actually, it wasn''t quite like that, our beginning was more of aedy of errors."


    Su Chen replied with a helpless smile.


    "Maybe that''s what people call fate."


    Du Hanbing said with a faint smile.


    The two of them chatted like this until the sun set, and then they walked back to the courtyard they came from.


    When they saw the two walking in hand in hand, everyone burst into a warm round of apuse andughter!


    This made even the always aloof Du Hanbing blush a little...


    After chatting casually with everyone for a while, Su Chen left, naturally being driven back by Owl, since he had the day off and needed to spend the evening with his girlfriend.


    Su Chen got off near an intersection close to Rainbow Mansion and then walked towards Rainbow Mansion.


    As for his rtionship with Du Hanbing, it was pretty clear now, it was just how to exin it to Lin Ruoxue that troubled him.


    For the time being, he just had to follow Hanbing''s method and keep it a secret, slowly looking for an opportunity to exin.


    In fact, not just Du Hanbing, the matter with Eniel was also the same; he knew it wouldn''t be easy for Lin Ruoxue to ept such things.


    But these were all debts he had incurred in the past; he was helpless...


    After returning to thepany, he naturally went to Lin Ruoxue''s office first, only to find she wasn''t there; he heard she had gone to a small business banquet.


    Su Chen had no choice but to return to his own office and idly yed some Dou Dizhu, fortunately, his workday was nearly over, and after a couple of games, he took a cab back home.


    Since he had driven Lin Ruoxue''s car out in the morning, his own car was still at the apartment.


    It was after nine in the evening when Lin Ruoxue came back, and she seemed to have drunk quite a bit.


    Su Chen quickly made a pot of boiling water for her to drink a little, then took care of her until she fell asleep before leaving...


    Su Chen had nned to go to the manor for Cultivation, but he was worried about Lin Ruoxue being in such a state, so he stayed in his own room to cultivate.


    Fortunately, nothing happened during the night; Lin Ruoxue slept until dawn, and upon waking, she was full of energy again.


    "Don''t drink so much next time."


    Su Chen said with a touch of reprimand when they got up in the morning.


    "I know, I couldn''t help it yesterday."


    Lin Ruoxue said, her head down like a child who had done something wrong.


    She hadn''t wanted to drink the previous evening, but the Zheng Family''s Young Master was also at the banquet.


    The Zheng Family''s Young Master kept urging her to drink. After all, he was the heir to the Zheng Family, not someone she could afford to offend, so she had no choice but to drink a few more sses.


    She also didn''t dare to tell Su Chen one more thing ¨C that the Zheng Family''s Young Master obviously had an interest in her, but after a few probes, she had tactfully refused him.


    She knew about her husband''s fiery temper, and if he found out, it could lead to trouble.


    The Zheng Family was a huge entity, not to be trifled with, and as extraordinary as her husband was, he was no match for the Zheng Family!


    To avoid bringing disaster upon Su Chen, she kept this matter hidden, hoping the Zheng Family''s Young Master would know when to stop.


    However, she really didn''t understand those born into major families; how could they easily let go of something they had set their sights on?


    They didn''t care whether it was spoken for or not; if they wanted it, it was theirs!


    This was a sense of inherent superiority they had developed since childhood, and in fact, in their lives, it was nearly always the case.


    If they set their sights on something, it was rare for them not to get it!


    Because the resources they possessed were simply too vast!


    Money, power, status, strength, and so on, theycked none of these, and there was always something that would be effective!

 Chapter 529: 529

    Su Chen naturally didn''t know about Lin Ruoxue''s hidden thoughts, and he simply didn''t want to see his wife get so ufortable from getting drunk.


    In the following days, life for Su Chen was uneventful and quiet, without any twists or turns.


    During these days, he and Lin Ruoxue had already moved into the newly bought vi, which was in a high-end vi area called Imperial Garden.


    The first evening after they moved into the new vi, Su Chen shamelessly insisted on staying overnight in Lin Ruoxue''s room.


    Of course he was up to all sorts of handsy and stealthy activities, causing Lin Ruoxue to regret buying the vi on the very first day!


    However, luckily in the subsequent days, he became a bit more self-aware and didn''t insist on sleeping in her room.


    It wasn''t that Su Chen didn''t want to, but he still needed to work on his cultivation. He couldn''t abandon his cultivation for the sake of indulging in pleasures!


    During this time, he even went on a date with Du Hanbing. Since they had opened up to each other, it was inevitable that Du Hanbing would be taken advantage of by him to some extent.


    However, after parting ways with Du Hanbing, he felt a vague sense of guilt towards Lin Ruoxue; he also felt a bit guilty towards Du Hanbing, didn''t he?


    .....


    These days were not easy for Zheng Xuan either, as his mind and thoughts were filled with the shadow of one person!


    She was someone he thought should only exist in the heavens, a woman seldom encountered on earth!


    Everything about her seemed so perfect, so wless!


    In all his years in Yandu, it was the first time he had seen such a stunning beauty, and she had a unique charm that other beautiful women did not possess!


    In short, everything about that woman made him so intoxicated, utterly captivated!


    He swore he had to have that woman!


    It was just that she seemed somewhat guarded against him, which was why he hadn''t acted rashly in the past few days.


    Just as Zheng Xuan was reminiscing every smile and gesture of that woman in his room, suddenly there was a knock on the door.


    "Ah Xuan, are you there?"


    A voice sounded at the door.


    "Zheng Min,e in."


    With that, a shadow pushed the door open and came in. It was a man in his early thirties.


    "Ah Xuan, what''s wrong with you these days? Auntie said you''ve been a bit distractedtely, always shutting yourself in your room, and she was worried. She asked me toe to see you," Zheng Min said as he walked in and took a seat on a chair.


    "Zheng Min, I want to get married!" Zheng Xuan said, looking at Zheng Min.


    "Are you out of your mind?" Zheng Min was startled when he heard this. "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    "I''m serious!"


    Zheng Xuan said, his expression earnest.


    "Didn''t you say you weren''t interested in getting married in the next few years?"


    Seeing that he wasn''t joking, Zheng Min quickly asked, "Why the sudden desire to get married? What happened?"


    "Because I''ve found true love!"


    Zheng Xuan said with a desire-filled look, the image of that elegant silhouette surfacing in his mind again.


    "Who exactly is this woman? How did you meet her and she stirred up the notion of marriage in you?"


    Zheng Min was immediately filled with curiosity about this true love he was talking about.


    "Her name is Lin Ruoxue. She came from Jianghai to develop in Yandu. She seems to be the president of a group called Belle,"


    Zheng Xuan said, "I went to a business banquet out of boredomst time and luckily I did. That woman, truly indescribable!"


    "In Yandu, probably only Pei Man and the mysterious proprietress of Qimeng Tower couldpare with her!"


    Upon hearing this, Zheng Min was immediately shocked. He actuallypared that woman with Pei Man and the mysterious proprietress of Qimeng Tower!


    Although Zheng Min had never met the woman named Lin Ruoxue, he could tell from Zheng Xuan''s words that she must be an absolute beauty!


    No wonder Zheng Xuan, who had never tired of ying around, was considering marriage!


    "After seeing this woman, I just lost interest in any other women!"


    Zheng Xuanmented with a sigh.


    "Did you look into her background? Does she have a boyfriend or even a husband?" Zheng Min asked.


    "Does that matter?"


    Zheng Xuan looked at Zheng Min, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.


    "Indeed, it doesn''t. A boyfriend can be dumped, a husband can be divorced, right?"


    Zheng Minughed heartily, then looked at Zheng Xuan with a puzzled expression:


    "If that''s the case, then why are you still sitting at home? Get moving!"


    "I have my concerns. It seems like this woman is a bit wary of me," Zheng Xuan said, somewhat troubled.


    "There''s actually a woman who is wary of you, young master Zheng? Now I''m even more curious about her."


    Zheng Min smiled and said:


    "And to think you, young master Zheng, are hesitating over this for days, unable to eat or sleep. It looks like this woman really has taken your soul away!"


    "Isn''t that so?" Zheng Xuan said with a wry smile, shaking his head, "With any other woman, who cares what she thinks! But with this one, I want more than just her body, I also hope to win her heart. She''s going to be the mistress of the Zheng Family after all!"


    "It''s hopeless, you''re truly incurable!"


    Zheng Minughed uproariously, almost seeming to take joy in Zheng Xuan''s dilemma.


    "Enough, no more cold remarks. Hurry up and think of a solution for me!"


    Zheng Xuan kicked him, speaking in annoyance.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll think of a solution."


    Zheng Min immediately furrowed his brow and began to rack his brains.


    Zheng Xuan, unusually patient, did not rush Zheng Min.


    After a few minutes, Zheng Min slowly said:


    "I think the most important thing is to let her realize our uppermost circle and what sort of existence we are! Once she aspires to be part of this elite circle, and wants to join in, you making your move could be much more effective!"


    "That makes sense, but how exactly should I do it?"


    Zheng Xuan''s eyes lit up the moment he heard Zheng Min''s words, asking eagerly.


    "Isn''t there a gathering at Qimeng Tower in a couple of days? Isn''t that a perfect opportunity? Just invite her to join then; I''m sure she won''t refuse!"


    Zheng Min nced at Zheng Xuan, a sly smile crossing his face.


    "Not bad, not bad!" said Zheng Xuan, pping his thigh, "Your brain is really working well, truly a great idea!"


    If everything went well, and they felt good about each other at the time, there were indeed ready rooms inside the Qimeng Tower...


    With that thought, Zheng Xuan wished he could sprout wings and fly straight to the Belle Corporation to invite Lin Ruoxue!


    "Ah Xuan, it''ste today; it''s not proper to go now. Wait until tomorrow morning, first meet her on business terms, and then it would be good to casually drop the invitation."


    Zheng Min advised.


    "Right, right, right, you make a good point!"


    Zheng Xuan had to forcefully calm his restless heart upon hearing this, waiting for the next day toe...

 Chapter 530: 530

    Lin Ruoxue had a busy day and was feeling a little tired, so she decided not to work overtime and nned to go home right after work.


    Just as she was packing her things and getting ready to leave, a call from the reception came in saying someone from Jinsheng Group wanted to see her.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue was immediately shocked, and if it had been April Fool''s Day, she would have thought the receptionist was ying a joke on her!


    Jinsheng Group, Lin Ruoxue was of course familiar with it, a well-known super corporation in Yandu that could rank within the top five, or even the top three in Huaxia ¨C a top-tier entity!


    However, unlike other super conglomerates whose actual controllers were household names, the real boss behind Jinsheng Group had always been a mystery, an existence unknown to anyone!


    The chairman of Jinsheng Group who appeared in public view was named Liu Gang, but many people knew that he was not the actual controller of Jinsheng Group, the real boss was someone else, only nobody had ever seen him.


    Lin Ruoxue was very surprised, wondering why Jinsheng Group would suddenly look for her, knowing that although Belle Corporation was not small and was developing quite well, it was nothingpared to Jinsheng Group!


    Although confused, she didn''t dare to dy and immediately went to the entrance to wee the visitor personally.


    The visitor was a man in his early thirties, who at first nce looked very capable.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately invited him into the VIP reception room.


    "May I ask your name, sir, and what brings you to see me?"


    After they sat down, Lin Ruoxue asked curiously.


    "My surname is Wang, our boss would like to invite you to dinner."


    The man nodded slightly as he spoke.


    "Your boss? You mean Chairman Liu?"


    Lin Ruoxue was somewhat surprised when she heard this, because while Liu Gang might not be the real owner of Jinsheng Group, without a doubt, he was not someone Lin Ruoxue could easily meet.


    "No, what I mean is, the real boss of our Jinsheng Group!"


    Mr. Wang shook his head slightly.


    At that, Lin Ruoxue was not just surprised, she waspletely stunned!


    Lin Ruoxue also knew that Liu Gang was not the real boss of Jinsheng Group, the actual boss was someone else.


    But that actual boss was so secretive that not only did she have no idea who it was, it was said that even the Five Great Families had investigated and likewise failed to find out!


    Lin Ruoxue had already been shocked enough at the thought of being invited to dine by Liu Gang, but now this man was saying that the actual boss of Jinsheng Group wanted to have dinner with her!


    That mysterious person actually wanted to invite her to dinner?


    Lin Ruoxue could hardly believe her ears, how could this be possible?


    Besides, why would that person want to have dinner with her?


    She didn''t think she or Belle Corporation had anything that would be of interest to them.


    "You''re saying that the real boss behind Jinsheng Group wants to invite me to dinner?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked incredulously.


    "Yes, President Lin!"


    Mr. Wang nodded confidently.


    "Who exactly is the boss of Jinsheng, and why does he want to have dinner with me?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but continue to ask.


    "That, you will naturally find out when the timees."


    Mr. Wang said, then stood up:


    "President Lin, please, our boss''s car is waiting downstairs!"


    ```


    "All right then."


    Lin Ruoxue stood up, somewhat confused. She even suspected that this person might not actually be from Jinsheng, or perhaps someone was ying a cruel joke on her.


    Yet her curiosity drove her to follow him. She had been somewhat anxious and wanted to ask Su Chen toe with her, but Su Chen had left his office and vanished without a trace.


    When Lin Ruoxue stepped outside the building, she spotted a stretch Lincoln parked not far away.


    Lin Ruoxue had seen plenty of stretch Lincolns before, but she had nevere across one like this.


    "President Lin, please get in the car!"


    The man led Lin Ruoxue to the side of the Lincoln, politely opened the rear car door, and said with respect.


    After Lin Ruoxue got in, he immediately closed the car door and then went to a Mercedes in the front.


    "President Lin, it''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Once Lin Ruoxue was in the car, a middle-aged woman sitting beside her extended a hand and spoke with a smile.


    "Hello!"


    Lin Ruoxue somewhat frantically reached out a pale, clean hand and gently shook the woman''s.


    "Drive."


    The middle-aged womanmanded, and the car began to move smoothly.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but scrutinize the woman beside her. She appeared to be in her forties, with her hair in a high bun, a delicate face that was well-maintained, and a figure that hadn''t aged a bit, looking no different from someone in their thirties!


    Lin Ruoxue thought to herself: Could this woman be the true mastermind behind the Jinsheng Group?


    However, since the woman didn''t say anything, she didn''t feel it was appropriate to speak either and sat quietly by her side for the journey.


    Throughout the trip, countless questions bubbled up in her mind, but none had answers.


    Before long, the car slowly approached an estate south of the center of Yandu City.


    Lin Ruoxue was shocked when she saw the estate through the car window.


    She had not expected to find such a vast estate in a prime location wherend was worth its weight in gold in bustling Yandu City!


    Firstly, securing thend here would cost tens or even hundreds of billions!


    Furthermore, even if you had that kind of money and were willing to spend it, it would still be incredibly difficult to acquire anynd.


    Yandu, as a first-tier international city, faced extremely high demand fornd, especially near the city center, where it was unimaginably scarce!


    From this alone, it was clear that this woman had to be someone of immense power!


    The car drove into the estate and stopped. Lin Ruoxue got out and couldn''t help but evaluate the grounds.


    The interior of the estate was filled with rock formations and various towering green bamboos and pines. Lin Ruoxue followed the middle-aged woman deeper inside and finally realized what people meant by "a change of scenery with every step."


    Although it was nearing early winter, many nts were still flourishing, a feat achieved through some unknown method.


    As they walked, they came across little bridges over streams, creating an idyllic Jiangnan-style garden scene.


    Lin Ruoxue waspletely astonished by such craftsmanship, especially since this was in the north and during this season!


    After a short walk, they arrived at a man-madeke with a pavilion in its center, essible by a wooden bridge leading from the shore.


    "President Lin, let''s sit in the center of theke,"


    the middle-aged woman suggested with a light smile, and without any further ado, she walked straight across the bridge.


    Lin Ruoxue naturally followed, and as she stepped onto the bridge, her body swayed slightly, offering a peculiar sensation.


    However, at that moment, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t care less about the experience. Her mind was brimming with questions...


    ```

 Chapter 531: Lin Ruoxues Wild Thoughts

    "I know you have many questions to ask, but there''s no hurry, let me ask you a few questions first,"


    the middle-aged woman said with a faint smile emerging on her face.


    Her smile was amiable and gentle, which made Lin Ruoxue feel like she was with a family member. It was a strange feeling, but Lin Ruoxue genuinely felt it.


    "Of course, please go ahead,"


    Lin Ruoxue nodded in agreement.


    "Do you love your husband?"


    The woman asked while gazing into Lin Ruoxue''s brilliantly starry eyes.


    Lin Ruoxue was stunned upon hearing this first question, she had not anticipated that the woman''s first question would be about her feelings for Su Chen.


    "What? Is this question difficult to answer?"


    The woman tilted her head slightly and asked with a smile.


    Lin Ruoxue was at a loss for words and did not know how to respond, after all, this was her private affair, and she preferred not to discuss it in front of strangers.


    "You might think this is your private affair and do not wish to tell me,"


    the woman seemed to discern Lin Ruoxue''s thoughts and spoke earnestly:


    "Believe me, this is not only your private affair but also extremely important!"


    At this point, the woman''s expression seemed to be a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Ruoxue grew even more puzzled, wondering to herself, could her rtionship with her husband have something to do with this woman?


    But judging by the woman''s serious demeanor, not seeming to joke or make light of her, and considering that this wasn''t something she couldn''t talk about,


    Lin Ruoxue blushed a bit and nodded her head.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue nod her head, the woman sighed in relief and continued to inquire:


    "Then, are you nning to have children? When are you nning to have them?"


    If Lin Ruoxue was just slightly surprised and embarrassed by the previous question,


    this question clearly delved into her privacy. And with two contiguous questions about her husband, even if Lin Ruoxue was slow to catch on, she sensed that something was very amiss.


    In fact, right from the start, the situation had been strange and filled with mystery!


    "Do you know my husband?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked tentatively.


    Because the only exnation for everything the woman had done, including her questions, was that she knew her husband and their rtionship was no ordinary one!


    "I don''t know him, but I am aware of him,"


    The woman did not avoid Lin Ruoxue''s question; however, her answer left Lin Ruoxuepletely confused.


    Not knowing yet being aware, what did that mean? Lin Ruoxue was even more baffled, as if wandering in a mist,pletely bewildered!


    "Is the reason you invited me here because of my husband?"


    Lin Ruoxue changed her approach to the question.


    "You could say that,"


    the middle-aged woman nodded and smiled, thinking to herself, what a clever woman.


    However, Lin Ruoxue''s heart jolted. Indeed, all of this was because of her husband!


    But how could her husband be involved with the secret owner of Jinsheng Group?


    And even if there was some connection between them, why had the woman only invited her and not her husband as well?


    Logically, since the two had a connection, the woman should have invited her husband and then her as a courtesy.


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue suddenly had a thunderp of a thought in her mind, could her husband have some improper rtionship with this woman?


    And now this woman is asking to meet with me alone¡ªcould she be wanting to confront me, or force me to leave Su Chen?


    The thought popped into her mind and scared Lin Ruoxue herself so much that she hastily reassured herself that it was impossible, impossible!


    If Su Chen had other women entangled with him in the past, Lin Ruoxue would believe it, considering her husband didn''t seem like the kind to settle down.


    Moreover, though he seemed unreliable, his charm with women seemed to be genuinely good!


    But the woman in front of her, though not too old-looking, Lin Ruoxue was certain she was over forty, a near twenty-year age difference with them!


    How could that be possible?


    But aside from this, what else could exin the other party''s behavior and questions now?


    Then she thought again, no, that''s not right¡ªif that were the case, why did she say earlier that she didn''t know her husband but knew of him?


    So could it be that one of her rtives, perhaps a daughter, was involved with Su Chen?


    Thinking this, Lin Ruoxue''s delicate body couldn''t help trembling, because thinking this way, everything matched up perfectly!


    She was over forty, so her daughter should be around twenty, which would make her a better age match for Su Chen!


    This seemed to also exin why she said she did not know Su Chen but knew of him!


    Maybe she knew her daughter had a boyfriend like him or liked a man like him, but she had never met him!


    So that''s how it is! That''s how it is!


    Now this woman was asking to see her, probably wanting her to leave Su Chen, she thought!


    Lin Ruoxue thought she had figured out all the connections, and her face immediately turned pale!


    "Ms. Lin, what''s wrong with you?"


    The middle-aged woman was startled when Lin Ruoxue, who had been fine just a moment ago, suddenly turned pale and looked like she was about to copse. She quickly came over to help her.


    "Don''t bother!"


    Lin Ruoxue pushed the woman away and said coldly,


    "Madam, I don''t know who you are, but no matter who you are, it''s impossible for you to make me leave my husband!"


    "Why would I want you to leave your husband?"


    The middle-aged woman asked, puzzled by Lin Ruoxue''s words.


    She had no idea that in that brief moment, Lin Ruoxue had assumed so much; if she had known, she would have been at a loss whether tough or cry!


    "Aren''t you here because your daughter or some rtive is involved with my husband, and you wish for me to leave him so they can be together?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, astonished.


    "Ms. Lin, I just realized how rich your imagination is!"


    The middle-aged woman said with a wry smile, puzzling over Lin Ruoxue''s reaction. Clearly, she had misinterpreted her earlier response.


    But now, the middle-aged woman felt a sense of relief; judging by Lin Ruoxue''s reaction, their rtionship appeared even stronger than she had imagined.


    After hearing this, Lin Ruoxue also realized she hadpletely misunderstood and started to feel somewhat embarrassed.


    But if it wasn''t that, then why was this woman behaving this way?


    "Are you really the true owner behind Jinsheng Group?" Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "Yes, I am!"


    The middle-aged woman nodded slightly.


    "Then, who on earth are you?"


    "Ms. Lin, you''re asking too many questions," said the middle-aged woman with a faint smile on her lips, looking at Lin Ruoxue,


    "Now, you should answer the question I just asked, don''t you think? Are you nning to have children? When do you n to have them?"

 Chapter 532: 532

    Lin Ruoxue became extremely shy when she heard the other party pose the question again. After a moment, she said:


    "I''m sorry, this is a private matter between my husband and me, and I don''t wish to discuss it with anyone else."


    "What if I told you that once you and your husband have a child, I would immediately give you Jinsheng Group, would you still consider it a private matter then?"


    The middle-aged woman still had a faint smile as she spoke.


    However, her words utterly shocked Lin Ruoxue! Her brain wentpletely nk!


    "Give Jinsheng Group to me?"


    Lin Ruoxue murmured, as if talking to herself or as if she were asking the other person.


    "That''s right!"


    The middle-aged woman smiled and nodded.


    Hearing the woman''s words, Lin Ruoxue was utterly confused!


    Just by having a child, she would give Jinsheng Group to me?


    How could this sound like a wild fantasy?


    You must know, Jinsheng Group is a super corporation with a market value of over a trillion!


    Their business is incredibly diverse, with branches all over the world!


    But what did her potential pregnancy have to do with this woman?


    Lin Ruoxue felt that the woman''s words were ludicrous, almost like dark humor!


    Yet looking at her demeanor, she did not appear to be joking at all!


    What in the world did she have to do with her and her husband to say something like this?


    "Well, think about it. As soon as you get pregnant, I can immediately fulfill my promise."


    The middle-aged woman said with a slight smile.


    "I''m sorry, ma''am, but whether I be pregnant or not, I won''t ept your generosity,"


    Lin Ruoxue was not just any woman, and after a moment, she sobered up a bit and said earnestly:


    "I will discuss and decide this matter only with my husband and will not change it for anything else."


    The middle-aged woman showed a trace of admiration in her eyes and smiled:


    "Alright, we can talk about thister. You must be hungry, Ms. Lin. I''ve instructed the kitchen to prepare some special dishes; you should try them in a bit."


    Soon, several people in chef''s outfits brought dish after dish of exquisite food to the pavilion at the center of theke!


    Many of the foods were items Lin Ruoxue had never tasted before, and both of them refrained from bringing up their earlier topic, instead casually chatting about other subjects while eating.


    Of course, it was mainly the middle-aged woman asking questions, and Lin Ruoxue, seeing no harm in answering, responded readily to almost everything asked of her.


    And indeed, enjoying dinner in the breeze at the center of theke was a very elegant and delightful experience.


    After dinner, seeing that it was gettingte, Lin Ruoxue decided to take her leave; the middle-aged woman did not insist on her staying any longer. She walked with her for a bit, then had the driver take her home.


    "Ms. Lin, I hope you''ll keep today''s meeting a secret and not tell anyone, especially your husband,"


    The middle-aged woman said earnestly before Ruoxue got into the car, then smiled:


    "As for my identity, I believe it won''t be long before you find out."


    "Alright, I will keep this secret for now."


    Lin Ruoxue pondered for a moment before speaking. She agreed to keep the secret because she sensed that the woman bore no ill will toward her; on the contrary, it seemed that she was rather concerned about her.


    The car traveled along the big streets of Yandu City, the neon lights on both sides flickering without pause. Lin Ruoxue rolled the car window half down, gazing at the night view outside while still reflecting on the events that had urred before.


    Thinking about it now, it all still felt like a dream, so unreal!


    The Jinsheng Group, an entity she normally had great difficultying into contact with, and now the actual owner wanted to give such a business empire to her!


    And the condition was so unbelievable, which was specifically to have a child!


    Although Lin Ruoxue still didn''t know what the rtionship was between her and her husband, there was no doubt that it definitely wouldn''t be ordinary!


    Lin Ruoxue had initially thought that the other party might be some close rtive of her husband, but when theyst spoke about his parents over dinner, Su Chen clearly told her that he no longer had any rtives!


    This made Lin Ruoxue puzzled about the reasons, feeling that her husband was shrouded in mystery everywhere.


    Thinking of this, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but recall the man called Instructor Su Chen from yesterday.


    At that moment, she realized that she knew pitifully little about her husband!


    However, it seemed like things were also quietly changing. Hadn''t he already taken the initiative to take her to visit his deceased parents?


    With these thoughts, Lin Ruoxue arrived at her current residence, Imperial Garden, still preupied.


    After getting out of the car, she thanked the driver and then walked inside.


    When she got home, Su Chen had already prepared dinner and was waiting for her.


    "Wife, why have youe back sote? Hurry up and eat!"


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue came back, Su Chen immediately fetched her slippers and took her bag.


    "Mhm."


    Although Lin Ruoxue had already had dinner, she still sat at the table and ate a little with Su Chen.


    Lin Ruoxue naturally had a small appetite, and Su Chen didn''t find this odd at all.


    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue went back upstairs to her study to continue working as usual, and Su Chen drove to the manor by Laixing Lake to cultivate.


    The next morning, Su Chen drove back to the vi early, preparing a rich breakfast for Lin Ruoxue.


    Everything seemed no different from their time in Jianghai, the only distinction being the absence of Nanny Wang.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue left first, and Su Chen followed a short whileter.


    In fact, they could have left together, even in one car, but Lin Ruoxue was thin-skinned and didn''t want others to see them arriving at thepany together in the early morning!


    Although she knew that everyone was already well aware that they lived together, she still felt embarrassed, as if people wouldn''t know if they didn''t see it happening.


    Su Chen had no choice but toply with Lin Ruoxue''s ostrich mentality.


    When Su Chen parked the car and arrived at the office, the young girl at the reception quietly told him that a man dressed unusually hade looking for Director Lin.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately furrowed his brows. An unusual man?


    I want to see what kind of unusual man he is!


    Without hesitation, Su Chen headed straight for Lin Ruoxue''s office and pushed the door open to enter.


    He saw a man wearing a white suit sitting across the office desk from Lin Ruoxue, and he looked quite decent!


    However, upon seeing him, Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lip disdainfully, thinking that fellow was trying too hard to impress, as if wearing white made him handsome.


    On seeing Su Chen enter, Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful face immediately showed a trace of nervousness...

 Chapter 533: Zheng Xuans Invitation

    Lin Ruoxue hadn''t had the chance to speak when the young man in the white suit spoke up first.


    "Director Lin, do people in your group have no manners? Walking straight into the president''s office without even knocking on the door?"


    The young man frowned and uttered, clearly dissatisfied with Su Chen barging in and interrupting his chat with Lin Ruoxue.


    Damn, this kid is really asking for a beating, isn''t he? Not just because of his outfit, but even more so for the words he''s saying!


    Me walking into my own wife''s office is none of your damn business, is it?


    Just as Su Chen was about to hit back, Lin Ruoxue hurriedly walked out from behind her desk to his side and tugged at him.


    "Young Master Zheng, this is Su Chen, the head of our group''s Public Rtions department. He must have something urgent if he came to see me."


    A smile appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s face as she said:


    "Su Chen, this is Zheng Xuan of the Zheng Family, who is here to discuss a coboration with our group."


    As Lin Ruoxue spoke, she secretly winked at Su Chen, signaling him to be patient.


    Su Chen immediately understood why Lin Ruoxue had been so nervous just now, she must be worried about him starting a conflict with this so-called Young Master Zheng.


    Well, for my wife''s sake, I''ll let it slide this time.


    But Young Master Zheng, that heir of the Zheng Family? Now, this is getting interesting...


    With these thoughts, Su Chen silently took a seat on the sofa to the side.


    "Weren''t you here to give a report? Hurry up and give it, then get out,"


    Zheng Xuan coldly snorted upon seeing the neer sit down on the sofa, seeing it as an interruption to his "friendly exchange" with Lin Ruoxue.


    "You should be the one to step out. The matter I need to report on involves the secrets of Belle Group. Could it be that Young Master Zheng wishes to steal trade secrets?"


    Su Chen then lit a cigarette and casually remarked.


    "You..."


    Upon hearing these words, Zheng Xuan''s rage red up instantly. Who was this nobody daring to speak to him like that!


    Belle Group has no trade secrets worth stealing by me. If it wasn''t for Lin Ruoxue, I wouldn''t have even heard of this group!


    "Young Master Zheng, cool your temper. Su Chen is always joking around like this, I hope Young Master Zheng won''t take it to heart,"


    Seeing potential conflict brewing, Lin Ruoxue intervened smoothly:


    "Let''s continue discussing the coboration from earlier, I will listen to his reportter."


    "Very well."


    Since Lin Ruoxue had spoken, Zheng Xuan had no choice but to suppress his anger for the moment, but he still found Su Chen rather unsightly, so he said:


    "Director Lin, don''t you think it''s inappropriate for irrelevant personnel to be present during our discussion of a coboration?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue nced at Su Chen, knowing that asking him to leave now would undoubtedly hurt his feelings.


    She didn''t wish to see that happen, after all, he was her husband!


    With this in mind, Lin Ruoxue firmly stated:


    "Our Belle Group has always been open and transparent, and there''s no need for Su Chen to leave as a department head!"


    Zheng Xuan, having heard this, was left with no retort. He would have exploded with anger in front of anyone else.


    However, he was deeply interested in Lin Ruoxue and really wished to win her over, so he opted to coldly snort and let it be.


    Afterward, the two indeed engaged in discussing the project coboration n, and it actually seemed quite serious.


    But not long after Su Chen had arrived, he noticed there was something more in the gazes that the man was giving Lin Ruoxue.


    After all, it was just a preliminary proposal, and about fifteen minutester the discussion ended, with Lin Ruoxue letting out a sigh of relief.


    Lin Ruoxue seemed very earnest in her negotiations, but in reality, she was just going through the motions because she knew that the man''s interesty elsewhere!


    While Lin Ruoxue was indeedmitted to growing and strengthening Belle Group, she would never do so at the cost of selling out her own feelings.


    But since the man was from the Zheng Family, she couldn''t outright refuse him. She nned to find reasons to decline gracefully in the future.


    Just when Lin Ruoxue thought Zheng Xuan was about to leave, he suddenly said:


    "Ms. Lin, there''s a gathering at Qimeng Tower tomorrow night, may I invite you to join us?"


    "No, thank you for the kind offer, Young Master Zheng, but I already have ns for tomorrow evening."


    Lin Ruoxue rejected without a second thought.


    "Ms. Lin, the attendees will all be scions of major families. I can introduce you to them, which I believe would be greatly beneficial for the development of Belle Corporation."


    Zheng Xuan had not expected Lin Ruoxue to refuse so bluntly and hurriedly added.


    This was an important step in his pursuit of Lin Ruoxue. If he couldn''t seed here, how would he proceed?


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue was actually tempted, considering the abundant resources those scions controlled.


    And given therge number of people, Zheng Xuan probably wouldn''t make any excessive moves, right?


    However, she was worried about how Su Chen would feel, so she turned to look at him sitting on the sofa behind Zheng Xuan. Seeing him give her a slight nod with a smile, she felt somewhat reassured.


    "Alright, then I thank you for the invitation, Young Master Zheng."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a light smile.


    That smile nearly took Zheng Xuan''s breath away; she was too beautiful!


    "Okay, I wille to pick you up personally tomorrow evening."


    Zheng Xuan''s eyes sparkled with intense fervor as he spoke.


    "There''s no need, I can drive myself over."


    Lin Ruoxue promptly refused. How could she possibly let him pick her up?


    "Ms. Lin, please don''t be polite, it''s no trouble at all."


    Zheng Xuan thought Lin Ruoxue was just being courteous and added another remark.


    "Thank you for your kind offer, Young Master Zheng, but really, there''s no need!"


    "Okay then, I''ll be waiting for you at Qimeng Tower tomorrow night."


    Seeing her insistence, Zheng Xuan had to give up.


    He thought to himself that Lin Ruoxue was still on her guard against him. He would have to take it slow!


    Afterward, Zheng Xuan left Lin Ruoxue''s office and walked outside...


    "Looks like we''ve got another weasel creeping in, that guy''s up to no good!"


    At that moment, Su Chen stood up from the sofa, smiling leisurely.


    "Then why did you agree to let me go to the gathering tomorrow?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately realized that her husband had long seen through Zheng Xuan''s ill-intentions.


    But if he had noticed, why would he still agree to let her go?


    "Because you want to go!" Su Chen said, with a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.


    "Husband, you''re so good!" Lin Ruoxue''s face also revealed a smile, "Husband,e with me to the gathering tomorrow night."


    "Okay then, I''ll take on the role of Protector for an evening!"


    Su Chenughed, walking over to Lin Ruoxue, circling her slender waist with his arms, and he pretended to lean in for a kiss...


    In truth, even if Lin Ruoxue hadn''t mentioned it, he would have apanied her anyway. He couldn''t be at ease with her attending such a gathering alone.


    "Husband, stop, this is the office!"


    Lin Ruoxue, her face flushed with embarrassment, pushed him away with all her strength, all the way out of the office, and then locked the door behind her...


    Su Chen had no choice but to return to his own office, sitting down in his chair with both feet propped on the desk, he lit a cigarette.


    Clouds of smoke slowly rose up as Su Chen murmured softly:


    "Let''s hope that tomorrow night, these so-called young masters will behave themselves and not do anything they''ll regret."

 Chapter 534: Cats and Dogs

    Qi Meng Tower, in Huaxia, may not be famous, but in Yandu, it is a ce known to all as a mysterious location.


    It is considered mysterious mainly because it is a genuine den of iniquity where spending less than one or two hundred thousand a night would be embarrassing for anyone entering.


    Thus, very few people could afford to enter, for who among anything but the fabulously wealthy would be willing to squander hundreds of thousands in one night?


    Naturally, Qi Meng Tower had be very mysterious in the eyes of ordinary people, and everyone yearned to know more about it!


    Additionally, it was rumored that every woman inside was a beauty iparable, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting¡ªtruly, they could be considered talented women!


    This only added anotheryer of mystique to Qi Meng Tower!


    However, the most mysterious part of Qi Meng Tower was not this, but its owner, Qi Mengdy.


    She truly was a vision of loveliness that would tug at the heartstrings of any man, her allure and charm enough to make any man''s heart stir!


    Despite this, to date, no man had dared to make an untoward move on this woman, because she was no simpledy!


    Once in Yandu City, a wealthy and influential scion, whose family''s status was only slightly inferior to that of the Five Great Families.


    He, seeing Qi Meng''s unparalleled beauty and endless charm, attempted to take liberties with her!


    The result was that the very night, this scion''s entire household, more than twenty people, died an unnatural death, with not one survivor!


    With this incident, the entire upper echelon of Yandu was greatly shaken!


    Since then, no one dared to harbor any crooked thoughts towards Qi Meng, not even the scions of the Five Great Families dared to cross this line easily!


    Beforeing to Yandu, Lin Ruoxue naturally took a thorough investigation of the situations in Yandu, and naturally, she heard about this mysterious and extraordinary woman!


    In Yandu, the most mysterious figure aside from the reclusive owner of Jinsheng Group must be counted as this Qi Mengdy.


    The owner of Jinsheng Group never showed her face, her information untraceable by anyone; hence her mysterious nature was understandable.


    Yet, although many had seen Qi Mengdy, she still felt incredibly mysterious, which was very abnormal!


    However, Su Chen was not quite aware of all this; he also had no interest in delving into these intriguing rumors of Yandu...


    .....


    The next evening, Su Chen drove Lin Ruoxue''s car to the front of Qi Meng Tower.


    Qi Meng Tower was a three-story building, not very extensive in size, yet filled with ancient charm, its corridors and eaves soaring, red diamonds and green tiles reflecting each other brilliantly.


    When Su Chen and hispanion arrived at Qi Meng Tower in the car, Zheng Xuan was already waiting anxiously at the doorway.


    Upon seeing Lin Ruoxue''s car, his eyes immediately lit up, but upon seeing Su Chen, his face turned dark.


    What did Lin Ruoxue mean by bringing another man, and moreover, someone she had been at odds with the previous day?


    When the two approached the doorway, Zheng Xuan looked at them and said,


    "Ms. Lin, I invited you alone, why did you bring someone else here?"


    "What? Is that not allowed?"


    Su Chen nced at Zheng Xuan on the corridor and sneered.


    "Of course it''s not okay, do you think Qi Meng Tower is a ce where just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can enter?"


    Zheng Xuan''s eyes flickered with disdain as he spoke scornfully.


    "So, if Young Master Zheng can enter, he must belong to some kind of precious breed of Tom, Dick, or Harry?"


    Su Chen''s mouth curled into a mocking smile as he said,


    "I might just want to buy one of those to y around with someday!"


    As soon as she had stopped speaking, Lin Ruoxue began toment without end, shocked that hardly a moment after meeting, her husband had already mocked the other byparing him to any Tom, Dick, or Harry!


    His talent for causing trouble truly was unequalled!


    If she had known it would be like this, she would have rather note at all. Offending the Young Master of the Zheng Family, what good could possiblye of it for you?


    Sure enough, as soon as Zheng Xuan heard this, his face immediately clouded over, and he stared at Su Chen with deadly eyes.


    "Kid, do you have a death wish?"


    Zheng Xuan''s voice was cold as ice.


    "Young Master Zheng, Su Chen was just joking. Please, don''t take it seriously!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s heart trembled, and she immediately tried to smooth things over.


    "Today, for the sake of President Lin, I will be magnanimous and not hold it against you!"


    To make a good impression in front of Lin Ruoxue, Zheng Xuan reigned in his murderous intent toward Su Chen, then turned to Lin Ruoxue and said,


    "President Lin, let us go in first."


    "Please, Young Master Zheng."


    Lin Ruoxue let out a sigh of relief, then nodded.


    Just as Su Chen was about to follow the two through the threshold and enter, Zheng Xuan turned back and coldly snorted,


    "You stay here, you don''t belong inside!"


    Zheng Xuan certainly did not want this nuisance around Lin Ruoxue this evening.


    "I''m sorry, but if Su Chen isn''t going inside, then neither am I!"


    Upon hearing Zheng Xuan''s words, Lin Ruoxue immediately stepped back and stood by Su Chen''s side.


    "President Lin, he''s just an employee of yourpany. Why should you¡ª?"


    Zheng Xuan became visibly panicked upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s response.


    "Su Chen is from my Belle Group, and he came here with me. Naturally, we will stick together. How could I possibly leave him outside alone?"


    Lin Ruoxue said earnestly. Of course, the real reason was that Su Chen was her husband, but in order not to cause further trouble for him, she didn''t disclose the full truth.


    This Young Master Zheng obviously had designs on her. If he knew Su Chen was her husband, he would certainly not let Su Chen off the hook!


    Su Chen immediately saw through Lin Ruoxue''s thoughts and couldn''t help smiling slightly.


    Although his wife was a bit overly cautious, this thoughtful gesture touched Su Chen somewhat.


    "Since President Lin puts it that way, then let''s all go in together."


    Zheng Xuan had no choice but to give way. After all, his main aim today was Lin Ruoxue; if the main guest left, what would be the point?


    "It''s as if you think Qi Meng Tower is your house. Do I need your permission to enter or not?!"


    Su Chen muttered, and only stopped when Lin Ruoxue pulled on him.


    Upon hearing this, Zheng Xuan''s lips twitched, and his hatred toward Su Chen grew even more.


    This was partly because he had lived in Yandu City all his life and no one had ever disrespected him like this, challenging him time and again!


    On the other hand, it was because the rtionship between Lin Ruoxue and this man seemed to be more than just boss and employee; there appeared to be something fishy going on between the two!


    In that case, I will let you understand the vast difference between us soon enough, and realize, some people are not to be trifled with!


    Most importantly, a woman like Lin Ruoxue is not someone a loser like you can covet.

 Chapter 535 - 535 Su Chens Name

    At that moment, in a room on the second floor of Qi Meng Tower, several young people dressed in extraordinary attire casually seated themselves on a sofa by the wall.


    "What''s with Zheng Xuan, running out as soon as he arrived?"


    Situ Lei lit a Brazilian top-grade cigar and chuckled.


    "Who knows? Maybe he ate something that upset his stomach?"


    Shen Yu also startedughing.


    "I don''t think that''s quite it. Look at Zheng Min''s sly smile¡ªhe must know something."


    Shen Bo nced at the silent Zheng Min and said.


    Shen Bo, a capable member of the Shen Family from a side branch, usually had the best rtionship with Shen Yu and often attended these gatherings, making him well known to everyone.


    After Shen Bo''sment, everyone else turned their gaze toward Zheng Min, indeed finding him somewhat inscrutable.


    "Zheng Min, stop hiding it, tell us what''s going on, share it with us," they urged.


    "Yeah, what could it be that has so captivated our Zheng Xuan?"


    .....


    The others immediately looked at Zheng Min, curiously asking.


    "It''s nothing much, Axuan went to pick up a woman."


    Zheng Min smiled mysteriously.


    "A woman?"


    The previously silent Su Bo frowned slightly:


    "What sort of woman would make our Zheng Xuan deign to personally go wee her?"


    "Yeah, what woman has such charm?"


    The rest, upon hearing Zheng Min''s words, grew even more curious since, for them, women were usually trivial pursuits.


    But Zheng Xuan''s behavior seemed quite keen indeed!


    "I haven''t seen her, but she''s a woman Axuan is serious about¡ªhe''s thinking about marriage!"


    Zheng Min spoke indifferently.


    As he finished, the others were mildly shocked.


    "To make Zheng Xuan focus and consider stepping into the hall of marriage, this woman must be extraordinary!"


    Shen Yu shook his head and sighed.


    "Indeed, hearing you say that, I''m also curious now¡ªjust what kind of woman has such magic!"


    Situ Lei chimed in.


    "Looks like Zheng Xuan wants to use today''s gathering to properly introduce this finedy to us!"


    Su Boughed and said.


    "They should be here soon, then you''ll see for yourselves."


    Zheng Min said,


    "Honestly, I''m also very curious what kind of woman she will be!"


    "But let''s keep in mind, Axuan is still pursuing that girl; they''re not together yet, so everyone knows what to do, right?"


    Zheng Min smiled yfully.


    "Understood, understood!"


    Shen Yuughed, and everyone else nodded in agreement, chuckling along.


    As soon as his words fell, a figure walked into the room.


    "Everyone''s here!"


    As soon as Zheng Xuan entered, he revealed a smile.


    At that moment, the people didn''t pay much attention to Zheng Xuan but instead looked behind him, where a man and a woman stood.


    When they saw the man, their faces showed a hint of suspicion, but their attention was quickly captured by the woman!


    My God, since when did Yandu have such a breathtaking beauty?


    Her hair was slightly tied up, her features were wless, as if bestowed by heaven itself, enchanting eyes, a delicate nose, and slightly moist cherry lips, every aspect was impable, forming the image of an unparalleled beauty!


    What was speechless was that not only did her appearance stun everyone, but the figure under her business suit could also be seen as the gold standard of proportions!


    At this point, looking back at Zheng Xuan, there was a hint of jealousy in everyone''s eyes, no wonder Zheng Xuan was so attentive to this woman, she truly was a beauty of national grace!


    But since Zheng Xuan had taken an interest, they naturally wouldn''t harbor any other thoughts, otherwise, it would be highly inappropriate, and it would be disdained by those in their circle, as these were the unwritten rules of their circle!


    This was also why Zheng Xuan could confidently invite Lin Ruoxue over!


    "Axuan, won''t you hurry and introduce us to this beautifuldy."


    Zheng Min said with a smile, his heart not devoid of jealousy towards Zheng Xuan! After all, such a woman was desired by every man!


    But Zheng Min knew his ce; even disregarding the unwritten rules, although he had a good rtionship with Zheng Xuan and his family seemed to value him much, he was ultimately just a son from a branch family and couldn''tpete with Zheng Xuan for anything.


    If hecked this self-awareness, he wouldn''t deserve to live in a great n.


    "Yes, young master Zheng, please introduce her!"


    The others chimed in too, genuinely curious about who this top-tier stunning woman could be.


    "Well, let me introduce her to you. Thisdy is the CEO of Jianghai Belle Corporation, a young and promising entrepreneur with a boundless future."


    Zheng Xuan introduced simply, then turned to Lin Ruoxue with a gentle smile and said:


    "Ms. Lin, allow me to introduce some of the people here. This is the heir of the Situ Family, Situ Lei; this is the elder young master of the Su Family, Su Bo, who will almost certainly be the Su Family''s heir."


    "This is my rtive, Zheng Min; and over there is the third young master of the Shen Family, Shen Yu, sitting next to him is his n brother Shen Bo."


    As Zheng Xuan introduced each person, Lin Ruoxue nodded slightly in greeting.


    "All right, Ms. Lin, please have a seat."


    After introducing everyone, Zheng Xuan invited Lin Ruoxue to sit down.


    As for Su Chen, he waspletely ignored by him, and it seemed like the others didn''t even acknowledge his presence.


    Although the others ignored Su Chen''s presence, Lin Ruoxue obviously could not. She smiled slightly and said:


    "I''m pleased to meet everyone today. Let me introduce the person beside me, his name is Su Chen, and he is the PR Director of our corporation."


    The others were indifferent to Lin Ruoxue''s introduction; they hadn''t even heard of Belle Corporation, so how could they recognize a minor department director?


    However, there were two exceptions; Zheng Min''s eyes shed differently when he heard the name "Su Chen," but he quickly returned to normal.


    And when Su Bo heard the name, he was slightly startled; it seemed that an investigator had mentioned to him once that the perpetrator who had hurt Su Can was called Su Chen.


    Could this man be the one who injured Su Can?


    But he immediately shook his head, dismissing the thought. The culprit was someone capable of easily defeating two martial arts experts; how could it be this young man? It must just be a coincidence of names.


    Su Bo wasn''t truly concerned about the incident involving Su Can being injured; after all, the longer it dragged on, the greater the blow to Su Can and his father''s reputation.


    How could he quickly identify the culprit and seek revenge?


    Doing so would be like helping Su Can and his father regain their honor. He wouldn''t do such a foolish thing!


    He would rather the issue be dragged on indefinitely and never be resolved!

 Chapter 536: Wine Tasting

    Those people ignored Su Chen, but Su Chen had taken note of each of their faces in his heart.


    However, since Lin Ruoxue was present today, he had no intention of stirring up any significant trouble.


    Of course, this was under the condition that these guys had better not provoke him or Lin Ruoxue.


    If they did, Su Chen wouldn''t mind giving them a memorable lesson in front of these so-called young masters.


    Soon after, Lin Ruoxue settled down on a sofa to the side, and Su Chen naturally seated himself beside her, while Zheng Xuan also took a seat on Lin Ruoxue''s other side.


    However, as soon as Lin Ruoxue noticed Zheng Xuan sitting closely next to her, she immediately furrowed her brows, shifted her entire body closer to Su Chen, and maintained a certain distance from Zheng Xuan.


    Watching this scene, Zheng Xuan felt even more convinced of the unusual rtionship between the two.


    "It seems that to win over Lin Ruoxue, this peerless beauty, I''ll first have to deal with this Mr. Su," Zheng Xuan thought to himself. Without changing his expression, he signaled Zheng Min with his eyes, then casually poured a ss of wine for Lin Ruoxue as if nothing had happened.


    "Ms. Lin, this is a bottle of 1947 Chateau Cheval nc, valued at nearly 200,000 US Dors. Please, have a taste," Zheng Xuan said with a slight smile.


    To Zheng Xuan''s words, Lin Ruoxue was slightly surprised; these people truly lived up to the name of Yandu''s young elites ¨C a casual bottle of wine was worth hundreds of thousands in Huaxia currency!


    Lin Ruoxue, though not short on money, was not so extravagant as to spend so much on a single bottle of wine; this only demonstrated that to these young masters, money truly meant little!


    Zheng Xuan, seeing Lin Ruoxue''s somewhat astonished expression, couldn''t help but feel a hint of pride.


    His main purpose today was to let Lin Ruoxue see for herself what kind of life his circle led, to demonstrate his extraordinary nature.


    In fact, Lin Ruoxue had already noticed when she walked in that at least the watches they wore were not below two million!


    Their clothes bore no brand tags, but the fabric and tailoring were evidently of a superior kind, likely the work of some artisanal workshops!


    "Is that so? Let me try it then," she responded.


    Just as Zheng Xuan was about to put the wine bottle back on the table, suddenly, from an angle, arge hand reached out and grabbed the bottom of the bottle.


    "Do you even know how to appreciate wine? You wouldn''t want to waste such a fine wine!" Zheng Xuan couldn''t let it go and gave Su Chen a disdainful look as he said.


    "Isn''t wine meant to be drunk?" Su Chen replied with a faint smile, exerting a slight force with his hands, and the bottle came into his possession.


    Zheng Xuan was slightly shaken; he had not expected this man to be so strong.


    The onlookers, however, were somewhat surprised ¨C this unknown fellow actually dared to snatch wine from young master Zheng right in public like that! What guts!


    And then there was that Lin Ruoxue; including Zheng Xuan''s own seat, it looked like a situation of two men vying for one woman!


    The fact that someone dared topete with Zheng Xuan, the Zheng Family''s heir, for a woman ¨C and that woman was clearly closer to the other man ¨C this was indeed interesting...


    They had no intention of standing up for Zheng Xuan; if he couldn''t even handle such an ordinary man, that would just be too disappointing.


    Now, all they needed to do was enjoy the show.


    "Do you know how to properly taste red wine?"


    Having just had the bottle taken away from him, Zheng Xuan felt a little embarrassed, and he couldn''t help but speak with a touch of sarcasm.


    Thisment wasn''t entirely unfounded. Although there were many people who drank red wine in Huaxia Country, very few truly understood how to taste it.


    Even among those gold-cor elites who seemed quite sophisticated, most had only learned the basics and just appeared to know what they were doing.


    Therefore, upon hearing Zheng Xuan''s words, the othersughed and looked towards Su Chen, thinking that expecting a small department head of a corporation to genuinely understand wine tasting was asking too much, wasn''t it?


    How could someone from his stratum possibly know the real rituals?


    Su Chen, however, paid no attention to the thoughts of these young masters. He simply took a wine ss, poured himself one-third of a ss of red wine, and went about his business.


    He first gave the ss a brief look, then gently swirled it, and followed by bringing it close to his nose for a quick sniff!


    These three actions were done in one seamless motion, as fluid and natural as eating or drinking water.


    Although these actions might seem quite ordinary, those who truly understood red wine knew that this was the most standard procedure for wine tasting.


    For instance, when he poured the wine, he achieved a perfect pour without a single drop spilled or wasted, and the surface of the wine remainedpletely undisturbed!


    The perfection of his pour might have been a surprise, but the fact that he could pour without creating any disturbance on the wine''s surface was truly terrifying!


    And his grip on the ss was so standard, even perfect. There''s a Western saying that goes¡ª"The way you hold your ss reveals your ss."


    From this, it''s clear that although holding a ss might seem simple, it is anything but simple in reality!


    Without a doubt, Su Chen''s way of holding his ss was that of a true noble, and not just any noble, but the most traditional and standard style, which is also the most difficult!


    Drinking red wine is a profound art, which values ''one look, two swirls, three smells, four sips, and five savoring.'' Each step is full of knowledge!


    Of course, the offspring of these great families would have seriously studied this, as it is an important way to reflect their status!


    They could certainly tell, even though this stranger hadn''t actually started tasting the wine, just from his actions alone, he was definitely no ordinary person!


    An ordinary person simply could not perform such wless, even artistic, wine tasting actions!


    None of them could replicate such skills in wine tasting!


    Words can deceive, but actions never lie!


    All eyes on Su Chen shifted, and especially Zheng Xuan''s expression became a bit more serious.


    They had all thought he was a nobody, a man who couldn''t rise to the asion, but it now seemed he might be hiding his true capabilities.


    They thought it was no wonder this man dared topete with Young Master Zheng for a woman; indeed, he did have some skills!


    However, they still didn''t favor Su Chen any more than before because, although this man might be something special, he couldn''t possibly be capable of standing toe-to-toe with Zheng Xuan!


    Being offspring of the Five Great Families, they knew all too well the frightening power and strength of their families!


    Nevertheless, Su Chen had seeded in drawing a bit of their attention, though that was all for now.


    Lin Ruoxue enjoyed red wine as well, but she only drank it casually and didn''t understand the intricacies.


    She too had found Su Chen''s series of actions graceful, pleasing to the eye and heart.

 Chapter 537: The Pure Su Chen

    Up next, Su Chen lightly took a small sip of the red wine in the ss, allowing it to linger in his mouth. He swirled his tongue around, letting the wine touch parts of his mouth like the pte, cheeks, tongue surface, under the tongue, as well as the upper and lower gums¡ªthis too was the quintessential wine-tasting action!


    "The taste of this wine is just so-so, nothing remarkable!"


    Su Chen said indifferently, cing the wine ss back onto the coffee table in front of him.


    The others, upon hearing this, immediately thought this guy was full of hot air. A wine worth nearly two million Huaxia currency and you still think it''s just so-so? How expensive does a wine have to be for you to appreciate it?


    "It seems Mr. Su''s taste in wine is nothing ordinary. Why not enlighten us and introduce some? It would be a treat for our eyes!"


    Zheng Min said, narrowing his eyes slightly.


    "Telling you guys is pointless, you wouldn''t understand, let alone be able to drink it. Why bother?"


    Su Chen said with a curl of his lip, because the good wine he had drunk before were all limited editions, many of which were the only bottle in the world.


    Take for example the Screaming Eagle Cabe 1992, which is valued at 1 million US dors.


    Or Tequ Ley .925, worth 3.5 million US dors, which is roughly about 24 million in Huaxia currency.


    Although the wine is not bad, it is hardly worth so much money just by the wine itself.


    The reason it''s so pricey is because the bottle is encrusted with 6,400 pure tinum diamonds, which naturally makes it expensive!


    Then there''s Iy''s single malt whisky limited edition, which costs 6 million US dors a bottle; that''s over 40 million in Huaxia currency, acimed as the most expensive drink in the world!


    "Pfft, just bragging!"


    Zheng Xuan, having heard what Su Chen said, didn''t believe a word. Could this guy have ess to wines that even these wealthy young men couldn''t get?


    Su Chen, however, didn''t bother to rebut. What did it matter to him whether they believed him or not?


    "Knock, knock, knock!"


    Just then, a series of knocks on the door echoed out.


    "It looks like the beauties we ordered have already arrived!"


    Situ Lei said with a slight smile, then he called out,


    "Come in."


    Following that, the door of the room was opened, and immediately a burst of fragrance wafted in. A stream of women walked in from outside and then stood facing everyone after turning around.


    The attention of these wealthy young men shifted from Su Chen to these women, one of the main reasons they came to Qimeng Tower was for these attractivepanions.


    Because Qimeng Tower had a rule:panionship was fine, and a little hands-on was permissible, but real intimacy was strictly off-limits!


    Perhaps Qi Meng, the owner of the establishment, knew all too well that the desideratum was always stirring up trouble. This rule didn''t drive patrons away from Qimeng Tower; on the contrary, it kept them yearning to be there, as if something there was beckoning their very souls.


    Although his wife, Lin Ruoxue, was right beside him, Su Chen couldn''t help but sneak a nce at the women when they arrived.


    Although these women weren''t as breathtaking as Lin Ruoxue, they were much better looking than those so-called beauties, and what''s rare is that they were all natural beauties, not a hint of stic surgery.


    Each of them had their hair up and wore qipaos of various colors, with high slits that asionally revealed a glimpse of their fair and slender thighs, which was tempting!


    Lin Ruoxue, even as a woman and frequenter of the business world, was no stranger to such spectacles.


    However, upon catching Su Chen''s gaze wandering, she shot him a brief re, startling him into hurriedly averting his eyes from temptation.


    Situ Lei and the others quickly picked out the girls they liked. At that moment, Zheng Min suddenly, out of character,ughed and said,


    "Mr. Su, you should choose one as well, thedies here are all delightful charmers!"


    "I''m just a pure, innocent young man, don''t lead me astray now!"


    Su Chen shamelessly made his statement, casting a disdainful nce at Zheng Min all the while.


    How could he not know what Zheng Min was thinking? It was nothing more than wanting Lin Ruoxue to have a negative impression of him.


    In fact, he too yearned for a friendly interaction with these beautifuldies, but with Lin Ruoxue right beside him, he wouldn''t dare, not even if he had the audacity of a bear and the fierceness of a leopard!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but snort internally, thinking, Pure? If you''re pure, then I''m afraid no one in this world is impure!


    "By the way, Young Master Zheng, everyone else has made their choice, why haven''t you picked yet?"


    Su Chen nced at Zheng Xuan and asked.


    "I''m not interested in these things."


    Zheng Xuan said indifferently, obviously, he wouldn''t consider asking thedies to apany him with Lin Ruoxue there.


    However, what he didn''t know was that Lin Ruoxue didn''t care whether or not he asked thedies to join him; she just needed to keep her husband in check.


    Hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but scoff, Keep acting!


    "That''s not right, Young Master Zheng, why do I get the feeling that Number Three is giving you longing, affectionate looks?"


    Su Chen suddenly said.


    At these words, Zheng Xuan''s heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself, This guy really has sharp eyes!


    Indeed, he had chosen Number Three each time he came here before.


    "How is that possible? You must have seen wrong!"


    Zheng Xuan quickly countered, if it weren''t for Lin Ruoxue, he wouldn''t have bothered with this Su guy.


    Although Su Chen''s wine tasting had impressed him moments before, in his eyes, Su Chen was still a minor character!


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen just smiled and said nothing more.


    At this point, the gathering finally began in earnest, everything prior just serving as a prelude or minor episode.


    In the following time, those young masters started discussing politics, economics, and various other topics, paying little attention to Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue.


    Of course, while discussing, they didn''t neglect the beauties beside them. Although they didn''t dare go too far, some subtle movements were inevitable.


    Su Chen was fine, pouring himself wine from the bottle and drinking merrily on his own.


    Lin Ruoxue, however, was listening to their discussions, and after a while, couldn''t help feeling astonished.


    The issues of politics, economics, and other topics that these scions from great families discussed were many thatmon folks didn''t know!


    Not only that, but their perspectives and insights regarding those matters were also quite unique, clearly indicating they had put in the effort in these areas.


    "It seems that aside from having extensive resources and hidden channels of information, these scions of great families also possess extraordinary qualities!" Lin Ruoxue thought to herself in surprise.


    It was, after all, understandable, since these were the ones valued by their families, their overall abilities were naturally up to par.


    Moreover, being from great families, their horizons were naturally much broader than ordinary people''s, making them stand out wasn''t unusual.


    Zheng Xuan was participating in the discussions, but in reality, he was always monitoring Lin Ruoxue''s reactions.


    Seeing a look of admiration for himself rise in her eyes, he couldn''t help feeling proud!


    "You should now understand what kind of circle we belong to," Zheng Xuan''s mouth slowly formed a smile as if he sensed Lin Ruoxue''s heart stirring toward him...

 Chapter 538: Take Action

    "By the way, why didn''t Pei Song and Situ Jiaoe today?"


    After discussing some official matters for a while, Su Bo suddenly asked.


    "Pei Song said he had some things to attend to and couldn''t make it today, as for Situ Jiao, you''ll have to ask Situ Lei."


    Shen Yu smiled.


    "Oh, Situ Jiao hasn''t been feeling well these past two days, she''s resting at home."


    Situ Lei briefly exined.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but snicker upon hearing this, they must have been talking about Situ Jiao.


    She must indeed be feeling unwell, more specifically, her mouth must be ufortable, probably because the wounds on her mouth haven''t healed yet, making it embarrassing for her to see people.


    "Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom."


    At this moment, Zheng Min stood up and said, while sneakily ncing at Zheng Xuan, sending him a look.


    Zheng Xuan immediately understood and smiled:


    "I was just about to go myself, let''s go together."


    Afterward, the two of them left the room together, but they didn''t head to the restroom; instead, they went to a corner not far away.


    "Zheng Min, what''s up?"


    Zheng Xuan knew Zheng Min must have something to talk to him about.


    "After you talked to me about that womanst night, I had someone look up some information on Lin Ruoxue from Belle Corporation. The information came through just as you were going out to greet Lin Ruoxue."


    Zheng Min said.


    "Oh, that''s thoughtful of you. Anything special?"


    Zheng Xuan patted Zheng Min on the shoulder.


    "Everything else was fine, but there''s one thing you need to pay attention to, and that''s the rtionship between this Lin Ruoxue and the young man surnamed Su who just arrived today."


    "I had a feeling there was something off between them,e on, what is their rtionship?"


    Zheng Xuan eagerly asked.


    "Of course it''s not normal!"


    Zheng Min looked into Zheng Xuan''s eyes, spelling out each word:


    "They are married!"


    "Ah! So that''s the case!"


    Although Zheng Xuan previously said he didn''t care whether Lin Ruoxue had a boyfriend or a husband, he still couldn''t help feeling a bit shocked and angry upon hearing the news!


    "Ah Xuan, what do you n to do now?"


    "Let me think."


    Zheng Xuan slightly furrowed his brow. Although he was angry that Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen were married, he wasn''t about to give up on Lin Ruoxue because she was far too rare!


    "Zheng Min, do you have any more of that stuff?"


    A momentter, Zheng Xuan asked.


    "You mean the drug? Yeah, you know I always carry it with me!"


    Zheng Min smiled slightly.


    "I''ve heard you say that the drug works on both men and women, you know what to doter, right?"


    Zheng Xuan nced at Zheng Min, a sly smile curving on his lips.


    "Understood, that might be a good approach. On one hand, it can embarrass that guy and give us some relief, and on the other hand, it can make Lin Ruoxue disillusioned with him, hitting two birds with one stone!"


    The two of them understood each other very well, so as soon as Zheng Xuan spoke, Zheng Min immediately got the idea.


    "Not only that, if that guy goes too far, Qi Meng Tower will intervene too, and might even help me get rid of this trouble!"


    "Exactly, Qi Meng Tower is not a ce to mess around!"


    The two exchanged nces and burst into a silentugh...


    Su Chen watched the two leave, knowing they were definitely up to no good, but he didn''t pay much mind; he wanted to see what kind of trouble these two would stir up.


    Before long, Zheng Xuan and Zheng Min both walked in, and the gathering of young masters became lively again with crossing toasts.


    Meanwhile, in a room on Qi Meng Tower''s third floor, a woman sat quietly in front of a screen.


    Her hands were soft as tender yams, her skin like creamy jade, her corbone as delicate as a moth''s antennae, her teeth like a mug gourd''s seeds. With her elegant brows and mesmerizing eyes, she was truly a beauty rare to behold!


    She was wearing an off-the-shoulder chiffon mini dress with a transparent shawl draped over it, adding an extra touch of sensuality!


    "He actually came to join the gathering of these young masters too, interesting!"


    She smiled subtly, casually picking up the red wine next to her, slightly parted her lips, and took a cautious sip, instantly leaving a vivid red lipstick mark on the transparent ss!


    This smile was like a peach blossom blooming in the winter, charming and bewitching!


    Behind her stood two women, both of whom looked quite simr, yet were also uniquely beautiful.


    "Whatever happens in that private room today, do not interfere."


    The woman instructed softly.


    "Yes!"


    The two women behind her responded in unison.


    ......


    At that moment, in the room where the young masters were gathered, everyone was almost doing their own thing, the young masters were ying various games with the beauties by their side.


    These beauties were well-trained in the art of entertaining men, making all the young masters itch with delight.


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue also started whispering to each other. Lin Ruoxue was frequently teased by him, her face flushing with shyness.


    This scene made Zheng Xuan, who was left out, clench his teeth in envy. At that moment, he gave Zheng Min an imperceptible nce.


    Understanding the cue, Zheng Min stood up and said,


    "Excuse me, I need a word with Ah Xuan."


    Since Zheng Min was seated next to Su Chen on the other side, he had to pass by Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue to get to Zheng Xuan.


    Without waiting for Su Chen to answer or make way, Zheng Min hurriedly climbed over Su Chen''s legs.


    Using his body to block Su Chen''s line of sight, his fingernail flicked slightly, and a bit of powder fell into Su Chen''s wine ss.


    Perhaps because he had done this many times before, he had be adept at it. Furthermore, since everyone was busy flirting, no one noticed his surreptitious act.


    Afterwards, Zheng Min joined Zheng Xuan and pretended to chat about ordinary matters.


    After a few words, Zheng Min returned to his seat, as there was another girl waiting for him there!


    At that time, Su Chen casually picked up the wine ss, seemingly ready to drink. Seeing this, both Zheng Xuan and Zheng Min tensed up instantly.


    Su Chen smiled slightly, apparently oblivious to the two men''s unease, and took a big gulp, only putting down the ss when the level of wine was nearly the same as that in Zheng Min''s ss beside him.


    Seeing Su Chen drink arge gulp, Zheng Xuan and Zheng Min both breathed a sigh of relief, then exchanged nces, their eyes simultaneously shing with a sharp light.


    "I need to use the restroom as well."


    Su Chen stood up, his body swaying slightly as if he was drunk. As he passed by Zheng Min, he stumbled, almost falling over.


    "Sorry, sorry, I drank too much!"


    Su Chen apologized with a smile.


    "No worries."


    Zheng Min said with a slight smile, showing his good manners...

 Chapter 539 - 539 Have a Good Time

    Su Chen left for a few minutes and then came back, resuming his seat.


    He nced at the cup beside Zheng Min and noticed that a third of the wine in his ss had already been drunk.


    Zheng Xuan and Zheng Min, seeing that Su Chen still appeared fine up till now, both felt that something was amiss.


    Zheng Xuan looked again towards Zheng Min, his face full of confusion, as if to say, "What on earth is going on?"


    Zheng Min could only spread his hands in a helpless gesture, clueless as to what was happening.


    He had just tested it on a celebrity the other day, and it worked fine!


    At this point, Zheng Xuan had no other option but to continue drinking, waiting for Su Chen''s reaction to kick in.


    Just then, Zheng Min suddenly felt his body growing hot, and a tickling sensation inside him.


    At first, he nned to bear it, but the heat seemed to be getting more intense.


    He therefore took off his jacket, loosened his tie, trying to alleviate the burning sensation within.


    But it was of no use, as the heat began to race chaotically through his body, making it hard for him to bear!


    "Young Master Zheng, what''s wrong with you? Are you ill?"


    Suddenly, Su Chen called out in surprise, his voice loud enough to draw everyone''s attention.


    Following Su Chen''s shout, the others looked over at Zheng Min.


    They were startled because Zheng Min was agitated, with his face flushed as if scorched by a charcoal fire.


    His breathing was rapid, his neck veins bulging, and his eyes bloodshot!


    "Zheng Min, what''s happening to you?"


    Seeing this, everyone was shocked. Wasn''t he fine just a moment ago? How did he suddenly be like this?


    "I, I''m fine, just feeling a bit under the weather,"


    Zheng Min said, feeling his mind bing heavier, but still maintaining a sliver of rity.


    "What''s wrong with him?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, curious and even a bit afraid.


    "Don''t know, probably took the wrong medicine!"


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    At that moment, he turned towards the beauty from Qimeng Tower beside him, his eyes, now a zing red, gleaming intensely!


    He looked like a wild beast, ready to devour the qipao-d woman by his side!


    The beauty was startled by Zheng Min''s current state and instinctively wanted to move away from him!


    But before she could, Zheng Min, as if mad, forcefully grabbed the beauty and pinned her down on the sofa.


    Zheng Miny on top of the beauty, breathing heavily. Then he roughly seized the cor of her qipao and ripped it open with a "rip," revealing a swath of snowy white.


    Seeing this, Zheng Min lost even more control over himself and began to bite frantically on the beauty''s face and neck!


    "Young Master Zheng, no, stop!"


    The beauty,pletely frightened by Zheng Min''s sudden actions, cried out, struggling to push him away.


    However, Zheng Min, now in a frenzy, was not someone she could push away with her slender arms and legs.


    "This isn''t good, he seems to have taken some drug!"


    The other young masters may not have understood at first, but now the situation was clear to all ¨C he surely had taken that kind of drug!


    Several people hurriedly ran to Zheng Min''s side, and it took theirbined effort to drag him up. If this were any other ce, they would have just let him be; after all, it was just a matter of a woman!


    But this was Qimeng Tower, and they dared not let Zheng Min mess around!


    "Let me go!"


    Zheng Min, held down by others, immediately began to struggle crazily with surprising strength. Left with no choice, Situ Lei had to knock him out with an elbow strike!


    "Sorry, you should leave first!"


    Shen Yu said to the terrified beauty, not out of good manners, but because this was Qimeng Tower.


    The beauty immediately covered the torn part of her neckline and ran out...


    Afterward, they made a call for an ambnce; considering his condition, it was better for him to get checked out at the hospital.


    Everyone was puzzled¡ªwhy on earth would Zheng Min take that kind of drug, especially in this kind of setting?


    "Su Chen, what exactly did you do to Zheng Min?"


    It was at this moment that Zheng Xuan suddenly stood up and berated.


    At this moment, he was filled with anger. It was supposed to be Su Chen who was drugged, but he was fine, whereas Zheng Min, who had done the drugging, ended up affected?


    Although he didn''t understand what was going on, he knew it definitely had something to do with Su Chen.


    Hearing this, everyone turned their gaze toward Su Chen. Could it be that he had drugged Zheng Min? But why?


    "Young Master Zheng, I really don''t understand what you''re talking about. I''ve been sitting here the whole time¡ªhow could you say I did anything to him?"


    Su Chen picked up his ss of wine, took a sip, and said with a light smile.


    "Yes, Young Master Zheng, you can''t just say things like that. What makes you think it was Su Chen who did this?"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately joined in, clearly displeased.


    Hearing their words, Zheng Xuan was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Of course, he couldn''t say it was because Zheng Min had drugged Su Chen before, but ended up getting dosed himself.


    He nced around, then said:


    "Zheng Min''s condition just now was clearly tampered with, and everyone else here has been friends with Zheng Min for many years¡ªimpossible to be behind it. General Manager Lin certainly wouldn''t, so who else but you could have done such a thing?"


    Although Zheng Xuan''s words seemed a bit far-fetched, they did hold some water upon closer analysis.


    The others once again shifted their gaze to Su Chen...


    "Even if your reasoning makes sense, what about the motive? This person called Zheng Min and I are meeting for the first time; what reason would I have to act against him?"


    Su Chen replied calmly.


    Indeed, why would he do such a thing? Since they were meeting for the first time, it meant there was no old grudge or recent quarrel!


    The others once again grew doubtful, but then it seemed they somewhat understood...


    Once again, Zheng Xuan was left speechless by Su Chen. Facing Su Chen, he seemed never to gain any advantage, which made him feel incredibly frustrated!


    "I don''t need to know any motive or reason¡ªI just know it was you, and that''s enough!"


    Zheng Xuan said with an icy sneer.


    The others thought that regardless of whether it was the young man who had done it, he wouldn''t admit it¡ªafter all, Zheng Xuan had no evidence.


    Yet, to everyone''s surprise, the young man casually lit up a cigarette, nodded with a smile, and said:


    "That''s right, I did tamper with it."


    If Young Master Zheng wanted to y, then he''d just y along...

 Chapter 540 - 540 Conditions

    As his words fell, the others looked at Su Chen with a sense of puzzlement.


    Although Zheng Xuan really did not need a reason to assault him, this confession undoubtedly presented Zheng Xuan with a tant excuse for action.


    !


    Instantly, everyone thought that this Su must have gone mad to do such a self-destructive thing.


    Zheng Xuan also did not expect that this guy would confess so easily and was overjoyed, though he could not understand why the young man had suddenly admitted it.


    "It was me, what of it?"


    However, Su Chen seemed not to notice everyone''s expressions, and nced at Zheng Xuan with a light smirk.


    What of it? It sounded like a question, but the arrogance within it was unmistakable!


    Others whispered to themselves: What of it? Of course, we''re going to make you pay!


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe Su Chen would never do such a thing without reason¡ªthere must be an exnation for this."


    Seeing the situation, Lin Ruoxue immediately became very anxious.


    "Su Chen, you should exin to them quickly!"


    Lin Ruoxue grabbed Su Chen''s arm urgently, knowing well that these were scions of the Five Great Families and fearing that, if they moved against Su Chen, he would have no power to resist!


    Su Chen originally could not be bothered to exin to these people, but seeing Lin Ruoxue in such a state, he casually said:


    "Indeed, there is a reason for this. Earlier, Zheng Min took advantage of my distraction to drug my drink, so I seized an opportunity to switch our sses."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, others started to believe him, assuming that it indeed must have been the doing of these two from the Zheng family, who ended up being yed themselves.


    However, the fact that this guy was able to secretly switch the sses did show some skill. They thought, perhaps he did it when he almost slipped in the bathroom just a while ago.


    But what good does it do to say these things now? Firstly, Zheng Min was already unconscious, and even if he were awake, he certainly wouldn''t admit that he drugged first!


    This guy was still too naive!


    "Now everyone knows the truth. This Zheng Min brought it upon himself¡ªit was his own doing, and Su Chen is not to me."


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "These are just his personal ims¡ªhow can they count? But he just admitted to doing it himself, and that is absolutely certain!"


    Zheng Xuan sneered inwardly, thinking, if this kid is seeking his own downfall, don''t me me.


    "So what do you want to do?"


    Su Chen, with one hand drawing on a cigarette and the other holding a wine ss, lookedpletelyposed.


    Seeing the young man''s demeanor, everyone thought he was just posturing¡ªstill so clueless about the danger at such a time.


    Lin Ruoxue also became extremely anxious, sping Su Chen''s arm tightly, her heart nearly leaping to her throat.


    She knew well that although these people appeared to be genteel, their methods were cruel¡ªthey could crush a person to death as casually as one would an ant.


    "Don''t you think this matter deserves an exnation from me?"


    Zheng Xuan''s eyes narrowed, already strategizing how to deal with the young man.


    "Oh, Young Master Zheng, what kind of exnation would you like? What should I do to gain mercy for this insignificant person?"


    Su Chen''s mouth curved in a mocking smile. He patted Lin Ruoxue''s hand gently, signaling her to rx a bit.


    "If you don''t pursue this matter, that''s also fine."


    A sinister smile spread across Zheng Xuan''s face as he said to Su Chen:


    "But you must crawl under the crotches of every one of us here! And you must bark like a dog while you do it!"


    After finishing speaking, the others also burst intoughter. Young Master Zheng really was capable of such actions.


    Zheng Xuan''s intention was quite clear. On one side, it was certainly for revenge, for after all, this guy had irritated him several times.


    More importantly, it was to sow discord between him and Lin Ruoxue. Lin Ruoxue, being the president of a corporation, he didn''t believe she would want a man who crawled through someone else''s crotch and even barked like a dog as her husband!


    Once their rtionship had problems, wouldn''t he have his chance?


    The others naturally understood Zheng Xuan''s intentions as well.


    "Young Master Zheng, aren''t you being too excessive?"


    Lin Ruoxue had previously been somewhat reluctant to offend Zheng Xuan, but upon hearing these words, she could no longer bear it!


    "Excessive, you say?"


    Zheng Xuan smiled proudly, his expression then turning stern as he snorted,


    "He turned Zheng Min into this mess. Who is really being excessive!"


    He knew doing this would certainly upset Lin Ruoxue, but that was only temporary.


    The most crucial thing now was to break the rtionship between these two people. As for his rtionship with her, relying on his identity as the heir of the Zheng Family, was there anything he couldn''t handle?


    "He clearly intended to harm someone first, he had iting!" Lin Ruoxue retorted.


    "That''s just his side of the story, who can prove it? I believe Zheng Min would never do such a thing,"


    Zheng Xuan said coldly.


    "You''re forcing me to do this just so you''ll let me off?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Exactly, crawl under the crotch of each one of us and bark like a dog, and today''s matter will be considered settled,"


    Zheng Xuan continued, looking at Su Chen,


    "Otherwise, you know the kind of people we are; we can''t guarantee what will happen next."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue instantly became conflicted. Of course, she did not want her husband to do such demeaning things, but she also knew that if they didn''tply, Su Chen might end up facing an even worse fate, possibly even life-threatening!


    However, Su Chen''s reaction waspletely different from Lin Ruoxue''s. He even had the mood to continue sipping the "not so great" red wine.


    "Young Master Zheng just said, let me crawl through each of your crotches. I want to know, do you all really want me to do that?"


    Su Chen gently removed Lin Ruoxue''s hand from his arm and stood up with a smile.


    The others, seeing Su Chen''s nonchnt and indifferent demeanor, were somewhat perplexed.


    At this point, didn''t this guy know to be scared? Could it be that he really had some significant backing that made him so fearless?


    However, they all quickly came to understand, no matter whether this guy really had some significant backing, in front of the heirs of the Five Great Families, what did he count for?


    Was there anyone with a bigger backing than theirs? Perhaps this young man still didn''t quite understand their status and what it implied.


    Although there were usually covert conflicts between these great families, faced with such an unknown outsider at this moment, they would certainly go along with Zheng Xuan and stand by his side.


    "Since Young Master Zheng is interested, we certainly need to keep Young Master Zheng entertained,"


    Shen Yu said, a smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth.


    "Indeed, it''s been a long time since I yed this game. It''s rare that Young Master Zheng has such a mood today; how could we dissuade his interest?"


    Situ Lei also smiled in agreement.


    Following this, Su Bo and Shen Bo echoed, as if engaging in an interesting game.


    They looked at Su Chen like they were watching a clown or even an ant...

 Chapter 541: 541

    "Since the young masters are in such leisurely spirits, I couldn''t be impolite and refuse,"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a yful smile as he spoke.


    Zheng Xuan was slightly taken aback when he heard Su Chen''s words, thinking it would take more effort to make this guy submit and obediently follow through, as it would be a tremendous humiliation for any man!


    Never would he have expected that this man would be such a spineless character, immediately agreeing to the demand.


    The other men looked at Su Chen with even more contempt in their eyes. Is this what they call a man?


    When Lin Ruoxue heard what Su Chen had said, her pretty face turned even paler. She couldn''t believe that Su Chen would do something so shameless!


    She had thought that, despite his many faults, this man would still have some backbone.


    But under the mere slight pressure from these young masters, he had so easily agreed to such a humiliating act!


    "Since you''re so amodating, let''s get started,"


    At this moment, Zheng Xuan''s gaze towards Su Chen was filled with even more disdain. If it weren''t for Lin Ruoxue, he would have just wiped this man off the map, not even bothering to humiliate him, after all, they were not on the same level!


    "Wait a minute, such a thing isn''t very honorable. I''d better go ahead and lock the door first."


    With that said, Su Chen actually walked over to the door and locked it from inside.


    The young masters, seeing this scene,ughed even more recklessly.


    Even when preparing to crawl through trouser legs, this guy still knows to save face, isn''t that a joke?


    Meanwhile, Lin Ruoxue felt like she was about to faint from anger, thinking that she was blind for having misjudged someone!


    However, just as Su Chen turned his head back, everyone suddenly realized that his face was now stern, his eyes shimmering with an extreme coldness, as if he was a devil that had crawled out from Hell!


    His steps were steady, each one exuding supreme domineering, radiating a powerful aura.


    The Su Chen at this moment seemed like apletely different person, and those young masters who had been so haughty felt a suffocating pressure that made it hard for them to breathe!


    Everyone couldn''t help but rub their eyes, wondering if they had seen wrong!


    How could the temperament of a person change sopletely in the blink of an eye?


    Su Chen casually pulled over a chair and sat down, withdrawing the intimidating aura, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone.


    When Su Chen brought his aura back in, everyone felt relieved, as if what had happened was just a delusion.


    "Since you all want me to crawl between legs and bark like a dog, how about this: Since you are all distinguished figures, I wouldn''t want to embarrass you. Each of you just lie down on the ground and bark three times for me,"


    Su Chen said indifferently, as though speaking of a very normal matter.


    He certainly didn''t want these people crawling through his legs. He found even the thought uneptable!


    However, as soon as he finished speaking, everyone froze, thinking this kid must be out of his mind!


    Otherwise, how could he make such an audacious demand?


    Did he even know who they were to dare tell them to lie on the ground and bark like dogs? Was he insane?


    Not only them, even Lin Ruoxue, who had lost all her expectations for Su Chen, was totally stunned. What was Su Chen doing?


    Did he know that these people were the outstanding heirs of the Five Great Families? To have them lie on the ground and bark like dogs, probably no one in Huaxia would dare to be so bold?!


    "Do you know what you''re talking about?"


    Zheng Xuan''s eyes also narrowed, shooting out two sharp glints!


    "Of course."


    "So you''ve been ying us all along?"


    Zheng Xuan said through clenched teeth.


    "Congrattions, you''re right, add one point."


    Su Chen smiled faintly.


    At this moment, he was filled with confidence, as if he had be theplete master of this room!


    The others, upon hearing his words, were also filled with surging anger, because Su Chen hadn''t just yed Zheng Xuan, he had yed them all!


    "Boy, do you know what you''re doing?"


    Shen Yu looked at Su Chen coldly and said,


    "You''re ying with fire!"


    "ying with fire? With you few so-called scions of the Five Great Families?"


    A mocking smile curled at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth as he disdainfully nced at the group:


    "You think too highly of yourselves!"


    "Alright, quite arrogant. Since that''s the case, we''ll just wait and see!"


    Zheng Xuan was the first to walk towards the door; he hadn''t taken any action because when these people gathered, they typically did not bring anyone with them.


    After all, in Yandu, no one dared to do anything to them, especially when so many of the wealthy young men were together, so there was no need to bring anyone.


    And now, if it really came to a fight, they could hardly be expected to take action themselves.


    "Boy, I hope you live to see tomorrow''s sun!"


    At that moment, Situ Lei also walked towards the door, dropping a sentence as he passed by Su Chen.


    The others also walked one by one toward the door, looking at Su Chen as if they were looking at a dead man.


    "Did I agree to let you leave?"


    Su Chen was still sitting in the chair, his voice cold as it came out.


    "What? You want to keep us here by force?"


    Shen Yu, who was walkingst, turned around with a coldugh and nced at Su Chen.


    "I said, everyone must lie on the ground and bark three times like a dog, otherwise, no one is leaving this room today!"


    Su Chen''s indifferent voice rang out again.


    Hearing this, the others thought the boy was truly arrogant, but they wondered where he got the nerve to be so brash; he was simply courting death!


    Zheng Xuan naturally didn''t take Su Chen''s words to heart and sneered as he prepared to unlock the door.


    However, as soon as his hand touched the doorknob, a sh of silver light appeared, and Zheng Xuan''s hand suddenly stopped responding,pletely immobilized!


    What''s going on? Zheng Xuan quickly looked down and saw a Silver Needle trembling on the back of his hand!


    "Did you do this?!"


    Zheng Xuan suddenly turned his head to look at Su Chen, because there was no one else here but him!


    By this time, the others had also seen the slender Silver Needle on Zheng Xuan''s hand and involuntarily looked at Su Chen.


    This guy, from such a distance, managed to hit Zheng Xuan''s hand with a Silver Needle, not bad!


    However, they didn''t take it to heart either, for they had seen masters before, and this little trick was not enough to astound them.


    "Correct." Su Chen nodded casually, "I said that today, unless you lie on the ground and bark three times like a dog, not one of you will leave."


    "Hmph, I don''t believe you would dare to keep us here by force!"


    Zheng Xuan knew that if it came to a fight, these wealthy young men might not be a match for this guy, which was evident from the skill he had just disyed.


    But still, he didn''t believe Su Chen would really dare toy a hand on them unless he truly had a death wish!

 Chapter 542: Fight to the Death?

    "Don''t believe me? No, you will believe."


    The corners of Su Chen''s mouth curved upward with a wicked arc as he saw Zheng Xuan about to remove the Silver Needle and he said lightly,


    "Just a friendly reminder, if you pull out the needle recklessly, that hand of yours will be ruined, and no one will be able to cure it."


    Startled by his words, Zheng Xuan''s other hand, which had just grasped the Silver Needle, immediately retracted.


    "Young Master Zheng, don''t listen to him trying to scare you. I refuse to believe that removing a needle could ruin a hand?"


    Situ Lei, standing nearby, scoffed and carelessly pulled out the Silver Needle from Zheng Xuan''s hand, before Zheng Xuan could even react.


    "Ah~~~ It hurts!!!!"


    The moment the Silver Needle was pulled out, Zheng Xuan felt a heart-piercing pain in that hand, as if the nerve endings were being yanked!


    Tears rolled down Zheng Xuan''s face, and he grabbed the wrist of the affected hand, bouncing around as if that would lessen the pain.


    Others were startled by Zheng Xuan''s sudden action too, feeling a thump in their hearts and thinking, "Could it be so sinister that something actually happened?"


    Everyone immediately looked at the hand that had been pierced by the Silver Needle, only to see that it had swollen up significantly in an instant, resembling a pig''s trotter and turning a terrifying purple-ck color.


    What¡­what''s going on? Could it truly be ruined?


    "Young Master Zheng, try moving it a bit, see if you can still control it."


    Situ Lei, equally frightened, asked cautiously.


    Upon hearing this, Zheng Xuan gave it a try and found that it seemed no longer his own hand because he couldn''t control it at all!


    "My hand is really destroyed!"


    Zheng Xuan immediately became despondent and then angrily yelled at Situ Lei,


    "Situ Lei, you bastard, why did you pull out the needle arbitrarily? It''s not your hand!"


    Situ Lei was also speechless, and even more depressed internally. He thought, "How could I know this guy''s methods were so bizarre, that removing a needle could destroy a hand?"


    But no matter what, it was his impulsive act that caused it. The old saying goes ''the bell ringer must unring the bell''. Situ Lei immediately turned to Su Chen and reprimanded,


    "Kid, no matter what trickery you''ve used, hurry up and heal Young Master Zheng''s hand, or don''t me us for being unkind!"


    "Exactly, if you don''t want to die a gruesome death, you''d better hurry up and treat Young Master Zheng''s hand."


    "Kid, don''t think that just by performing some acupuncture you can act so presumptuously!"


    ......


    The other young masters also threatened Su Chen one after another. Of course, in their eyes, this wasn''t a threat but simply stating a fact.


    "I can save him, but I won''t," Su Chen said lightly,


    "Don''t think I''m joking. If you all don''t lie down and bark like dogs today, none of you will leave."


    "Are you really going to y it this way?"


    Shen Bo''s eyes emanated a cold gleam as he spoke.


    "Now that''s a problematic statement. Wasn''t it you who wanted to y first?"


    Turning to Shen Bo with a yful look, Su Chen replied,


    "Or is it that you''re used to ying with others and have never been yed with, so you can''t ept it?"


    Indeed, these people were always the ones to manipte others. How could they have imagined that one day someone would dare to treat them this way?


    So when they heard Su Chen tell them to lie on the ground and bark like dogs, they all thought the guy must be either insane or on the wrong medication!


    After all, society is stratified, and everyone has their ce within it. For those at the top, it''s quite normal to humiliate those beneath them, just like toying with a pet they own.


    As for their joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, what''s the big deal? It''s like humans not caring too much about their pets'' feelings, as long as the pets can make them happy, that''s considered their value realized.


    And these young masters certainly see themselves at the very pinnacle of the social hierarchy, and now, someone beneath them seems intent on disrupting this order.


    He was not only unwilling to be humiliated by them but also wanted to turn the tables and humiliate them in return. That was the real reason these young masters found it inconceivable and even infuriating.


    "It seems you''re set on fighting us to the bitter end?"


    Situ Lei''s eyes were also cold and stern. None of them had expected to encounter such an abnormal young man today.


    "Fight to the bitter end? What makes you think you''re worthy to do that with me? Just because of your family backgrounds?"


    Su Chen sneered as he got up from his chair again and walked towards the others.


    "Alright, everyone''s time is precious, let''s get on with it."


    Su Chen said carelessly, showing no regard for these people.


    "You''re really pushing your luck by not drinking the toast and being forced to drink the penalty!"


    Shen Bo had a fiery temper and seeing this young man so disrespectful, threatening them time and again, he couldn''t hold back anymore and threw a punch.


    "Crack!"


    But his punch had barely swung halfway when Su Chen swiftly kicked out, striking Shen Bo''s knee, and immediately a clear sound of bone cracking was heard.


    "Thump!"


    Shen Bo''s leg copsed under him, and he knelt on the ground with a single knee. The pain from his knee, which had just been fractured upon hitting the floor, was excruciating.


    The other young masters were stunned! This guy really dared to strike?


    "I told you to lie down. Who let you kneel?"


    Su Chen kicked Shen Bo''s back again, and he fell face down to the ground like a dog eating dirt, his face making intimate contact with the floor, knocking out two of his teeth!


    The other young masters werepletely dumbfounded watching this scene. Not only did this guy dare to strike, but he was also incredibly brutal!


    "Alright, are you going toe at me yourselves, or do I have to do it?"


    Su Chen pped his hands casually and asked.


    "Do you realize what the consequences of your actions will be?"


    Zheng Xuan''s eyes were tightly fixed on Su Chen as he said this, still clutching his hand that was as swollen as a pig''s trotter. The pain had somewhat subsided, but the hand was still unresponsive.


    "No need for threats, you''ve said them several times already. You might not be tired of saying them, but I''m already tired of listening."


    Su Chen frowned slightly as he spoke.


    "It seems this petty thief is determined to cross us today."


    Situ Lei nced at the others and said,


    "Since that''s the case, let''s see what this kid is really capable of!"


    The others nodded solemnly. They knew they had encountered someone today who truly didn''t fear death!


    As soon as these words were uttered, all the young masters charged at Su Chen!


    However, a few secondster, they were all sprawled across the ground, groaning and moaning.


    Even though Su Chen had barely exerted any effort, these pampered scions of great families had never been taught such a lesson or suffered such humiliation before!


    The physical pain and the shame in their hearts intertwined, and the look in each of their eyes as they gazed at Su Chen was like zing fire!


    That fire seemed eager to burn Su Chen into ashes!

 Chapter 543 - 543 The Savior Arrives

    "Let''s start!"


    Su Chen looked down from above at these people and said.


    As for what to start, is there any need to ask? It was obviously to get down on the ground and bark like dogs!


    But how could that be possible for those high and mighty young masters?


    It was simply more unbearable than killing them!


    "In your dreams!" Zheng Xuan''s eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Su Chen and gritted his teeth, "I swear, I will hack you to pieces!"


    "Correct, I''ll make your life worse than death!"


    "Kid, you''ll definitely regret what you did today!"


    .......


    One by one, these young masters spewed vicious threats, which, in in terms, meant they wished Su Chen nothing but the worst.


    Lin Ruoxue, who had been scared silly by the series of events just now, shuddered in her heart when she heard the ruthless words from these young masters and suddenly snapped back to reality.


    She knew these people were not joking around and couldn''t help but rise to her feet ande to Su Chen''s side, extending a hand to hold his, her beautiful eyes filled with worry!


    Su Chen also clearly felt the chill from Lin Ruoxue''s hand, knowing she was worried about him, and gave her a warm smile:


    "Wife, go sit on the sofa for a bit, just wait for me a moment."


    If it had been before, Lin Ruoxue would certainly have advised Su Chen to stop, because these people were untouchable in her eyes, and she feared Su Chen would get hurt.


    But her recent misunderstanding of Su Chen not only made her feel deeply guilty, it also made her see many things more clearly all at once.


    The most important thing was that her husband was far from ordinary!


    This could be inferred from many aspects, such as his body riddled with scars, his mysterious medical skills, the brother clown who attracted the attention of the Special Security Bureau as soon as he entered Huaxia, and the mysterious person who resolved the Belle Corporation''s approval issue with just one phone call, and the man who called him instructor a few days ago...


    In short, many clues indicated one thing, that her husband was mysterious and powerful!


    However, for some reason, her subconscious always intentionally or unintentionally ignored these things and regarded him as an ordinary person.


    This may be because she didn''t want any changes to her current peaceful and happy life.


    Yet, the incident that happened at this moment told her once again that her husband''s background might be far stronger than she had imagined!


    Otherwise, why would he dare to do such a thing to these young masters?


    Moreover, he was not a fool, Lin Ruoxue felt that Su Chen must have his reasons for doing so.


    She didn''t say anything to dissuade him, but obediently nodded her head, although reason still told her that it was not wise for Su Chen to provoke these great families.


    But since he wanted to do this, she would let him be, at worst she would bear the consequences with him!


    Lin Ruoxue thought to herself as she returned to the sofa and sat down again.


    After calming Lin Ruoxue down, Su Chen shrugged nonchntly, then came in front of Zheng Xuan:


    "How about it, Young Master Zheng, have you thought it through?"


    "I would rather die than do such a thing!"


    Zheng Xuan roared like an angry lion.


    "Fine, I''ll grant your wish!"


    Su Chen lifted a foot and heavily stomped on Zheng Xuan''s chest!


    Immediately there came an even clearer sound of bones breaking, and Zheng Xuan couldn''t help but spit out a mouthful of fresh blood, while his chest was in excruciating pain, not knowing how many ribs had been broken!


    If the previous events had allowed these privileged young masters to retain their pride, Su Chen''s action made everyone tremble uncontrobly!


    This guy wasn''t just talking big¡ªhe really dared to take their lives!


    But, how could he dare?


    Any sane person, especially those from Huaxia, should have heard of the Five Great Families and know that they were not to be trifled with!


    Yet, what gave this young man the audacity to inflict such a lethal blow on the Zheng Family''s Young Master?


    Although the Zheng Family and the Situ Family were at the bottom of the Five Great Families, they were still like towering mountains to the average person!


    "Zheng Xuan, this is yourst chance. If you can''tply obediently, your family should prepare for your funeral!"


    Su Chen''s eyes were cold as ice as he looked at Zheng Xuan, resembling the Grim Reaper from the Netherworld!


    Zheng Xuan felt a violent tremor in his heart as he looked into Su Chen''s unfathomable eyes, a strong intuition telling him that if he didn''tply, Su Chen might truly kill him!


    He was suddenly in a huge dilemma; on one side was the pride he couldn''t let go of as the Zheng Family heir, and on the other was the threat to his life!


    Cold sweat gradually formed on his forehead, and his back was already drenched. It was an agonizing decision; whether it was his face or his life, he wanted to keep both, but the young man was forcing him to choose one!


    The others were also scared out of their wits, imagining what they would do if this young man pressured them the same way.


    At this thought, everyone couldn''t help but silently me Zheng Xuan¡ªif it wasn''t for his interest in that woman, would all this trouble have arisen?


    Even though this ignorant youth was bound to die afterwards, the loss of face had already happened, and the humiliation had be a fact.


    "I, I''ll do it."


    After a moment, the lust for life eventually overcame the so-called face, and Zheng Xuan spoke with great struggle.


    "Good, I''m listening."


    In fact, this oue waspletely within Su Chen''s expectations; he knew that these wealthy scions were nothing but empty threats!


    Just as Zheng Xuan was about to speak, someone seemed to push the door, and a voice came from outside:


    "Xuan, are you in there?"


    Upon hearing this voice, Zheng Xuan, who had looked as pale as death, suddenly had his eyes zing with intense light!


    The others seemed to recognize the voice too and were immediately overjoyed.


    "Uncle, it''s me, pleasee in and save me!"


    Zheng Xuan shouted, enduring the severe pain in his chest and internal organs as he struggled to stand up.


    The others, being less injured, also struggled to their feet.


    "Bang!"


    At this moment, suddenly a Palm Print struck the door panel, and the room''s door immediately copsed with a boom!


    The person who arrived was none other than Zheng Xuan''s second uncle, Zheng Qiutong, followed by a man over fifty years old, his temples already graying.


    Zheng Qiutong hade to Qimeng Tower for fun too. Just as he was about to leave, he passed by this room and thought he heard his nephew''s voice, so he asked.


    When he walked in and saw these people, each of them showing signs of a beating, especially his own nephew with what seemed to be fresh blood on his mouth, he was instantly shocked!


    These were all famous scions from the Five Great Families, how did they end up like this?

 Chapter 544: 544

    "Xiaoxuan, what exactly happened here?"


    Zheng Qiutong asked in a deep voice.


    "Uncle, it was all this guy''s doing. He relied on his martial arts skills and actually forced us to kneel on the ground and bark like dogs!"


    Zheng Xuan said with a mournful face:


    "My hand was ruined by him, and who knows how many ribs are broken!"


    "Yes, Uncle, this guy simply doesn''t regard our Five Great Families. My leg seems to be broken by him too, I can''t even stand up straight."


    "And me, this guy actually pped me..."


    ........


    At this moment, those always arrogant and aloof young masters were all huddling around Zheng Qiutong, selling their misery like a tattling elementary schooler, nowhere was their former grace to be found.


    Watching this scene, Su Chen shook his head, feeling that he had really overestimated these young masters before; he hadn''t expected them to be so pathetic...


    These people weren''t appealing to Zheng Qiutong because he was powerful, but because of the fifty-something-year-old man behind him.


    They all knew that he was Zheng Qiutong''s personal bodyguard, and with Zheng Qiutong being the brother of the Family Head Zheng Qiusheng, how could the bodyguard be weak?


    Although the young man had beaten them badly just now, it was because these young masters barely had any martial arts prowess.


    Now that such a master had arrived, wasn''t this Su fellow merely facing death?


    At this moment, they were already thinking about how to deal with this guy, especially Zheng Xuan, whose eyes emitted a me of provocation as he looked at Su Chen.


    Zheng Qiutong, hearing the young masters'' words, felt a surge of fear, but even more so, a ze of anger rose within him!


    Particrly because of his nephew''s ordeal, he almost couldn''t wait to tear the other party apart, as he had no children of his own and had always treated Zheng Xuan as his own son.


    How could he endure seeing Zheng Xuan being humiliated and injured like this!


    "Boy, is what they said true, did you do all this?"


    Zheng Qiutong''s eyes zed with fire, and his voice was extremely angry!


    "So what if it is, and what if it isn''t?"


    Su Chen tilted his head slightly and smiled faintly.


    "If it is, then you better be prepared to die today!"


    Zheng Qiutong coldly spat out.


    "Esteemed elder, that''s not how it happened. They insulted my husband, and my husband only fought back."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately stood up and said.


    Zheng Qiutong, upon hearing this, immediately looked in Lin Ruoxue''s direction. He was initially shocked by the pitiful state of the young masters as he entered, and then these people surrounded him chattering about the young man''s misdeeds, so he hadn''t noticed Lin Ruoxue''s presence.


    The moment he saw her, he was dazzled and couldn''t help but gasp inwardly: What a beautiful woman!


    A hint of possessive desire shed in his eyes!


    "I don''t care about the cause and effect; as long as he injured these people, he will definitely die today!"


    Zheng Qiutong said coldly, this guy indeed had good fortune to have such a beautiful wife, and this only increased his resolve to eliminate this young man.


    Without a doubt, at this time Zheng Qiutong also had his eyes on Lin Ruoxue, but he still didn''t know that his nephew had also fallen into this situation because of his crooked ideas towards Lin Ruoxue!


    "Absolutely, Uncle, we must properly fix this bastard!"


    "Right, let''s restrain him first, I want to torture him slowly to death!"


    .......


    At that moment, the crowd seemed to have found their backbone. Each of them wished they could tear Su Chen into pieces for the humiliation they''d just suffered!


    However, Su Chen seemed as if he hadn''t heard their words at all, his gaze fixed intensely on Zheng Qiutong:


    "Based on the way you looked at my wife just now, you''re not going anywhere today. Stay here and learn to bark like a dog with him!"


    As soon as his words fell, not just Zheng Qiutong, but others burst into loudughter as well.


    If it were before, facing these young masters who were powerless, his confidence could somewhat be understood¡ªas long as he wasn''t afraid of death!


    But now that Zheng Xuan''s uncle hade, especially with the old man behind him, who was certainly a Martial Artist, his strength and realm were definitely not low!


    One really didn''t know how this guy could still be so confident now. He was utterly arrogant!


    "Kid, you really are arrogant indeed! I hope you have the capital to back it up!"


    Zheng Qiutong narrowed his eyes into slits and spat out viciously.


    "I won''t disappoint you."


    Su Chen replied indifferently, confronting his opponent resolutely without yielding an inch.


    "Since that''s the case, go and experience this young man''s brilliant moves, and by the way, teach him a lesson on how to behave."


    Zheng Qiutong ordered the old man behind him.


    "Yes!"


    With one step, the old man released the oppressive force of Qi Refinement level five,pressing the air around them as if slowing its flow!


    His clothes fluttered without wind, rustling intensely, his aura extraordinary!


    Because of the old man''s oppressive aura, these young masters felt somewhat breathless. However, at this moment, their eyes sparkled with excitement!


    Although they weren''t Martial Artists themselves, each of the Five Great Families had such experts. So upon seeing the old man''s aura and oppressive force, they knew immediately he was a Martial Artist of no low realm!


    With this, even if this young man had extraordinary abilities, his life wasn''t likely tost much longer!


    Although Lin Ruoxue didn''t know this, the fierce aura also made her feel a palpable dread, and her heart tightened!


    "Ha!"


    The old man suddenly shouted loudly, charging toward Su Chen like a whirlwind. In a mere moment, he was in front of Su Chen, throwing a straight punch!


    The old man didn''t regard Su Chen highly at all, so his moves showed no intricacy!


    He believed that this simple, direct punch could take half of the young man''s life!


    The reason he didn''t aim to kill Su Chen outright was that the young masters wanted to torment him.


    A Qi Refinement level five Martial Artist naturally wouldn''t be taken lightly by Su Chen, but currently, he did not want to reveal his true strength, so he didn''t kill his opponent instantly but instead engaged in a struggle with the old man.


    The two figures flickered rapidly in this not-sorge space, their movements reaching an extreme speed.


    The onlookers couldn''t even see the two men''s movements clearly, only noticing two silhouettes continuously weaving through each other!


    Even though Su Chen was deliberately suppressing his cultivation, it was enough to startle the young masters!


    They never expected that this Mr. Su would also be a Martial Artist, and he was even able to fight evenly with Zheng Qiutong''s personal Bodyguard!


    Lin Ruoxue felt as if she was watching a martial arts blockbuster. When had she ever seen someone move so fast? Was this even humanly possible?


    And what made her emotion even more special was that one of them was actually her husband!

 Chapter 545 - 545 Dead?

    Before they knew it, the two had been "battling" for nearly ten minutes, and the elder was increasingly rmed by the fight!


    Although it seemed to the onlookers that the two were evenly matched, exchanging blows back and forth, he felt like a mouse being toyed with by a cat, easily maneuvered, while he was struggling to fend off attacks, bing powerless!


    "That''s about enough!"


    With that thought in mind, Su Chen pped his palm towards the elder, who immediately raised an arm to block it, only to discover that the speed of this p was several times faster than before ¨C his raised arm didn''t evene close to contacting Su Chen''s hand!


    It was at this moment that he suddenly realized the young man had been hiding his true strength all along!


    To be overpowering him while concealing his true power, just how strong was this young man? The elder dared not even imagine it!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen''s solid p hit the elder''s chest; he was sent flying backward, crashing into the wall with a loud thud, and fell coughing up a mouthful of blood. Then, with a tilt of his head, he was motionless.


    Dead?


    All those present stared at the motionless elder on the ground, their faces filled with shock!


    They had hoped the elder could subdue Su Chen and then find satisfaction in tormenting him to vent their frustration.


    But who would have thought that in less than ten minutes, the elder didn''t manage to control Su Chen, but instead was killed by him!


    After a brief spell of astonishment, everyone couldn''t help but feel terrified. With their biggest support gone, what could they use to resist this madman?


    Were they really going to have to grovel on the ground and bark like dogs?


    "All of you get out; I want to see what he can do to me, hmph!"


    With the belief that Su Chen wouldn''t darey a hand on him, Zheng Qiutong, who was confident in his status as the brother of the Zheng Family Head, walked towards the door.


    But he failed to consider that Su Chen, after fighting so many young masters and even killing his personal bodyguard, wouldn''t care about him as the brother of the Zheng Family Head.


    Not to mention him, even if Zheng Qiusheng, the Zheng Family Head himself, came in person, Su Chen would not show the slightest mercy.


    "Take one more step, and I guarantee you''ll regret it!"


    At that moment, Su Chen''s voice was incredibly cold.


    "I''d like to see how you make me regret it!"


    Zheng Qiutong let out a coldugh and continued to move forward; but before his foot could fall, he was suddenly lifted from behind and then flung with great force.


    His body soared through the air, crashing onto the coffee table in front of the sofa, shattering the solid wood instantly. Zheng Qiutong''s body then heavily hit the floor.


    At once, Zheng Qiutong felt as if his whole body had fallen apart, every movement causing intense pain!


    The others werepletely stupefied by this ferocious disy!


    Once again, this man reset their standards of what was possible!


    Clearly, he had absolutely no mercy for them, members of the distinguished families!


    "You''re fucking asking for death!"


    Zheng Qiutong red at Su Chen, rage filling his eyes, but now he was incapable of doing anything, not even able to stand.


    "Shut your mouth. Believe it or not, if you utter one more word, I''ll snap your neck right now!"


    Su Chen nced at him indifferently, but that indifferent nce made Zheng Qiutong feel his very soul shudder!


    His eyes were like an abyss, unfathomable!


    Immediately, he clenched his jaw tight and dared not utter another word!


    "All right, we''ve wasted enough time. Anyone who doesn''t want to bark like a dog can stand up now. I won''t mind sending them on their way!"


    Su Chen said coldly.


    As his voice fell, the young masters looked at each other, but not a single one stood up!


    This man waspletely insane; standard reasoning couldn''t apply to him. What if he really went crazy?


    "In that case, I''ll give you thirty seconds to make a sound. If no one does, then tomorrow the Five Great Families can just hold a joint funeral!"


    On hearing Su Chen''s words, the bodies of everyone present shook violently!


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen at this moment, her beautiful eyes shining with amazement. He seemed like a king, before whom everything must bow!


    His words were like ironws, beyond doubt!


    Could this be his true nature?


    Under Su Chen''s immense pressure, those young masters could no longer bear it!


    "Woof!"


    No one knew who barked first, but that sound was like opening floodgates, and a chorus of barks followed, including from Zheng Qiutong!


    Seeing those heirs from great ns groveling on the ground like wild dogs, Su Chen felt a deep disgust welling up inside him!


    "Alright, wife, let''s go!"


    Not wanting to bother with these young masters, Su Chen walked over to Lin Ruoxue, took her hand, and walked out of Qimeng Tower. Just as they left, the ambnce arrived.


    Although so much had happened, it had only been half an hour since Zheng Min was ambushed.


    Ironically, being attacked seemed to have been a good thing for Zheng Min as it helped him avoid that kind of punishment.


    It was clear that, after this incident, these young masters were bound to mark Su Chen as a target to be killed!


    Of course, they didn''t dare to tell their families about it, so they could only rely on their own resources.


    After all, such a matter was something that everyone was unwilling and frightened to bring up!


    If their families found out that they had been barking like dogs, there was no doubt that Su Chen would be a dead man, but undoubtedly, they would alsopletely lose their standing in the family!


    This humiliation was far worse than what Su Can faced not long ago; barking like a dog was something that no great n could tolerate!


    The ns would have rather had these descendants killed than have themmit such an unspeakable act!


    "I''m sorry!"


    After Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue got into the car, Lin Ruoxue said apologetically.


    "Why?"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue with a hint of surprise.


    "At first, I thought you really were going to..."


    Lin Ruoxue spoke sheepishly.


    "Heh, that? Don''t me yourself, and don''t worry about it," Su Chen replied.


    Su Chen understood the fine undertone, knowing that Lin Ruoxue had initially misunderstood him and felt somewhat guilty.


    In fact, Su Chen found her reaction quite normal. On one hand, it was because the Five Great Families of Yandu were truly behemoths in the hearts of Huaxia''s people, untouchable entities.


    On the other hand, it was also because she was not like Eniel or Du Hanbing, who knew of his past experiences and identity.


    In the end, Lin Ruoxue was just an ordinary person. Hadn''t she done well enough? How much more could he expect?


    Although Su Chen thought this way, Lin Ruoxue still couldn''t get over this inner barrier. She felt that she had not had enough faith in Su Chen!


    She told herself in her heart:


    "No matter what happens in the future, I must firmly stand by his side."


    "By the way, aren''t you worried about today''s humiliation of those people and the killing of that old man?" Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but raise her concerns.


    "Don''t worry, I have it all figured out, there won''t be any trouble," Su Chen smiled and said.


    "That''s good."


    With no other option, Lin Ruoxue chose to trust Su Chen.


    In fact, Su Chen''s humiliation of those people today was not just because they deserved it, but also because he had other ns...

 Chapter 546: Youre Not Really Going to Do This, Are You?

    After chatting for a few minutes, Su Chen drove toward the Imperial Garden. Suddenly, Lin Ruoxue asked:


    "Honey, howe you are so amazing?"


    Lin Ruoxue thought back to the scene where Su Chen fought with that old man, and even now, it still seemed somewhat unbelievable to her, like something out of a movie special effect!


    "Your husband has always been ''amazing,'' do you want to give it a try?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen once again revealed his rascal demeanor, his eyes gleaming as he gazed up at Lin Ruoxue''s ''mountains,'' deliberately swallowing.


    "You bad guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face flushed red as she spat out the words.


    Having lived with Su Chen for so long, Lin Ruoxue might still not fully understand him in other aspects, but she knew him deeply when it came to certain things and immediately figured out his dirty mind upon hearing his words!


    After hearing Lin Ruoxue say that, Su Chenughed out loud. However, at that moment, he was actually thinking about some issues.


    If he humiliated these young masters today, he himself didn''t have to be afraid, but what if those people became desperate and tried to harm Lin Ruoxue or use her against him?


    To be on the safe side, that same night, Su Chen called in two Shadow Guards who were operating in Asia to Yandu, tasked with protecting Lin Ruoxue''s safety in secret.


    Of course, those young masters hated Su Chen to the core after such humiliation and couldn''t wait to get rid of him quickly!


    In the following days, Su Chen encountered no less than a dozen assassination attempts, each time by at least two Qi Refinement Fifth Layer experts.


    Dealing with these people was naturally not much trouble for Su Chen, and he showed no mercy. Since they were here to meet their demise, he graciously epted it.


    However, in these dozen or so assassination attempts, the strongest expert sent by the opponent was only at the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, and there were only one or two of them.


    Su Chen found this situation puzzling. Although he knew that these young masters would not inform their families and would only use their own resources, the weakness of the people deployed still surprised him.


    To be aware, these young masters could be considered key figures among the younger generation within the Five Great Families, and a few of them were even the potential heirs of their respective families.


    Having seen Ye Zhiqiu, by observing the people sent by these young masters, Su Chen could roughly infer the basic strength of these great families. This was the real reason why Su Chen was so humiliating to those young masters.


    But the subsequent facts proved to be a rude awakening for Su Chen. If these great families only had this much strength, why had he been holding back for so long? He could have just stormed their doorsteps long ago, forcing them with power to reveal the truth about the past and avenge his family!


    However, considering that these great families had stood tall in Huaxia for hundreds of years, Su Chen had a hunch that things were not as simple as they seemed!


    This unexpected situation did not make Su Chen rx his guard; on the contrary, it made him even more vignt!


    It seemed he needed to keep applying pressure on those families to force out some things hidden beneath the surface!


    Besides this annoying issue, there was still good news for Su Chen. After a period of cultivation, he felt that he was about to reach the threshold of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement!


    If he had been in his manor in Jianghai, Su Chen might have already broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement by now.


    Once he reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, his true power would exceed his previous peak state, which was something Su Chen deeply longed for.


    Since he had resumed his path of cultivation, Su Chen had been eagerly looking forward to regaining his former power, and even surpassing it to reach a higher level. Now that the day was approaching, he felt a bit excited.


    "Right, about that matter from the past, I should ask that old guy Qin Ming to see if there has been any progress these days. That guy is as stubborn as a mule; he won''t get moving without a good whipping."


    That afternoon, after twiddling his thumbs in the office, Su Chen muttered to himself in thought.


    Then, he drove to the Special Security Bureau, went straight in after notifying the guard at the entrance.


    As soon as Qin Ming heard that he hade, he immediately felt a headacheing on. This guy was like a debt collector, and what''s more, this debt wasn''t easy to repay!


    But he dared not refuse to meet him either; otherwise, this rascal mightsh out and barge in, and where would that leave his dignity?


    Momentster, looking at Su Chen who was lounging on the office sofa, Qin Ming personally poured a cup of tea and set it before him.


    He then took out a pack of cigarettes, drew one out, and handed it to him:


    "This is a new special supply tobo variety from this year. Have a taste."


    Su Chen chuckled and hummed as he took the cigarette and put it in his mouth, and Qin Ming immediately lit it for him.


    "Su Chen, is the taste of the cigarette okay?"


    Qin Ming asked with a smile stered across his face.


    "It''s passable."


    Su Chen nodded slightly.


    After a while, Su Chen stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, then took a couple of sips of tea and set the cup down.


    "Alright, we''ve smoked and had tea, isn''t it time to talk about the important stuff now?"


    Su Chen nced at Qin Ming and spoke indifferently.


    "Important stuff? Oh, right, right, the important stuff."


    Qin Ming pretended to speak casually:


    "I''ve mostly found those gene scientists you wanted; most have already gone to Jianghai, and there are two more rushing back from abroad. They''ll be there in a couple of days."


    "This task took a lot out of me, I had to specially request intervention from higher-ups to get it done."


    Qin Ming imed credit with a smile.


    "Hmm, you''ve worked hard on this," Su Chen nodded, nced at him again, and added, "Anything else?"


    "Anything else? What else is there?"


    A feigned expression of confusion appeared on Qin Ming''s face, as if he was truly innocent.


    "Keep ying dumb with me, and see if I don''t drag you out to the yard and ''enlighten'' you."


    Su Chen snorted coldly.


    "You wouldn''t do that to me, right? After all, we''re friends, aren''t we?"


    Qin Ming was startled by Su Chen''s words andughed sheepishly.


    "You don''t consider me a friend anymore, so why should I still treat you as one?"


    Su Chen spoke expressionlessly, but inside he felt pleased since Qin Ming''s reaction indicated that he had found out something.


    "You know, it''s the business of the Five Great Families after all, and so many years have passed, it''s really hard to investigate; I haven''t got a clue yet!"


    "Is that so? If that''s the case, then I''m truly sorry," Su Chen stood up and asked, "Where is the broadcasting room?"


    "What do you need the broadcasting room for?"


    A sense of foreboding rose in Qin Ming''s heart.


    "Of course, to let everyone in the Special Security Bureau admire the elegance of their director!"


    Su Chen''s lips slowly curled into an arc, revealing a wicked smile.


    "You''re not seriously going to do that, are you?"


    Qin Ming''s mouth twitched.


    "What do you think?"


    The smile on Su Chen''s lips grew denser as he teased Qin Ming.


    "Fine, I''ll tell you, I''ll tell you," Qin Ming gave a resigned smile with his hands up, "You really got me!"

 Chapter 547: First Hearing the True Events of That Year

    "If only it had been this easy from the start."


    Su Chen pursed his lips and sat back down on the couch, his expression bing exceedingly grave as he waited for Qin Ming to speak.


    Qin Ming looked at him and shook his head helplessly, sighing:


    "I haven''t been able to uncover much so far, but I can say for certain that the Su Family, the Situ Family, and the Zheng Family were definitely involved in that incident back then."


    "Any leads?"


    At this moment, Su Chen''s heart couldn''t help but tighten¡ªit was his first time hearing anything about the truth of those past events.


    "Su Lou of the Su Family died out of town, not in Yandu. The reason he went out of town was that a corporation under the responsibility of Su Yuan from the second branch had encountered a major issue. At that time, the main branch was in charge of the Su Family, so he reported to Su Lou. Su Lou then rushed over immediately that very night, only to never return."


    "Judging from some traces and signs, the problems of that corporation were very likely a ruse orchestrated by Su Yuan himself, with the goal of luring Su Lou there. Su Lou was impable in all other respects, his only fault being his deep sentimentality, especially towards his family¡ªto whom he was nearly blindly devoted!"


    Speaking of Su Lou, Qin Ming too felt deeply wistful. Such a once-in-a-generation outstanding man had met his demise so young¡ªit was truly regrettable and deplorable.


    "Due to Su Lou''s death, his wife Mu Tong became depressed, losing interest in food and drink. She was close friends with Mrs. Zheng Qiusheng from the Zheng Family and Lady Situ from the Situ Family. Seeing her in such a state, they persuaded her to take a trip. Yet unexpectedly, she was poisoned and passed away, less than 24 hours after returning to Yandu."


    Qin Ming continued:


    "Speaking of Mu Tong, she was in no way inferior to her husband Su Lou; her demeanor and beauty were unmatched. Nowadays in Yandu, probably only that youngdy from the Pei Family couldpare with her."


    "A celestial couple once envied by all passed away one after the other within a month¡ªit really seems like fate ying tricks on us!"


    Hearing Qin Ming''s words, Su Chen''s whole being seemed to tremble, his face turning deadly pale, though he tried hard to control it!


    "Are you alright?"


    Qin Ming asked, his heart already harboring certain suspicions. In fact, he had always had these suspicions, but he had been reluctant to believe them!


    "I''m fine."


    Su Chen mustered a faint smile and said:


    "What about Su Yi, the old Family Head? Are there any clues about his death?"


    "I''ve looked into it, but there''s no particrly useful information yet."


    Qin Ming shook his head and said:


    "That''s about all I have been able to find out so far."


    "Old Qin, thank you!"


    This was the first time Su Chen addressed him as Old Qin, and the first time he sincerely thanked him.


    However, Qin Ming didn''t feel honored by this; instead, he felt a sense of unease.


    "Su Chen, are you..."


    Before Qin Ming could even finish his question, Su Chen had already stood up andughed:


    "The tea here is really not bad, I''lle back for another drink next time."


    After saying that, he walked toward the door of Qin Ming''s office. Just as he opened the door, Qin Ming''s voice rang out from behind him again:


    "Su Chen, please don''t do anything rash!"


    Su Chen turned his head and gave him a smile filled with mischief, then left without another word...


    "Hopefully, he won''t stir up any major trouble!"


    Qin Ming watched Su Chen''s retreating figure and slumped onto the sofa, his expression somewhat defeated...


    Having returned to his car, Su Chen didn''t drive away immediately, but instead sat and lit a cigarette, rolling down the window to ponder.


    "It seems this old guy is still not being honest!"


    Su Chen smiled bitterly and muttered to himself.


    In the conversation just now, Qin Ming mentioned the current Su Family, Zheng Family, and Situ Family but deliberately left out the Shen Family and Pei Family, the two biggest ns.


    The Pei Family he was unsure of, but the Shen Family?


    Going by the principle that whoever benefits the most has the most motive, the Shen Family was undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary of the incident back then.


    If it weren''t for the disaster that struck the main branch of the Su Family, the Shen Family would not have had the chance to leapfrog into the position of the number one n!


    Moreover, considering Su Lou''s talents, there was no possibility, at least in the foreseeable future, for the gap not to widen even further!


    Just by that alone, the Shen Family can''t be absolved of involvement, and they might even be the masterminds behind it all!


    Of course, the second branch of the Su Family also gained a lot, after all, with the main branch in trouble, all of the family''s business and power fell into their hands.


    However, given the status and influence of the second branch of the Su Family at that time, it would have been quite difficult for them to orchestrate the whole scheme.


    Su Chen also understood Qin Ming''s predicament. After all, the Shen Family was the number one family in Yandu. If the Shen Family were implicated, the fallout would be too great!


    After smoking two cigarettes and clearing his head a bit, Su Chen started the car and left the area...


    These days, those young masters had also be increasingly restless, as the people they sent out had all failed to return, and when discovered, all were found dead!


    This filled them with both shock and fear, and when they gathered together, they realized that each had sent out at least two or three groups of martial artists, none with low realms, yet all had vanished without a trace!


    They wondered, just who was that guy? Could he really be that terrifying?


    For a time, no one dared to send more people out, because it was tantamount to sending them to their deaths!


    They even became scared, fearing that the madman would suddenlye after them for revenge, so they dared not even step out the door...


    ....


    As Su Chen was rushing back to Rainbow Mansion from the Special Security Bureau, at Qimeng Tower''s third floor, in Qi Meng''s boudoir,


    A woman wearing a bustier and a light gauze robe was lounging on a sofa, her fair skin and shapely contours faintly visible.


    At that moment, she was giving a seductive smile to a man seated next to her, each grin and giggle seemed full of charm, ensnaring the soul!


    This man was not breathtakingly handsome, but rather somewhat chubby. He seemed to be sitting upright, but the desire lurking in his eyes was tantly obvious.


    If the young masters of Yandu saw this man, they would surely be startled, because this man was none other than Shen Lin, the most disdained eldest son of the Shen Family!


    Because Shen Shao was so extraordinarily stunning, he eclipsed all peers of his age and also made others in the Shen Family lose hope of bing the Family Head at an early age.


    Therefore, Shen Lin, who should have been the first in line to seed, indulged himself in drinking and the pleasures of the flesh, living a life of debauchery.


    Naturally, Shen Lin''s self-degradation also drew everyone''s contempt, and usually, when walking down the street, most were unwilling to even greet him.


    Of course, this also included the implication of courting favor with Shen Shao, as Shen Lin''s status made him a natural enemy, even if he was worthless!


    But who would have thought that Shen Lin, like a waste, would appear in Miss Qi Meng''s boudoir!


    This was something even Shen Shao couldn''t achieve!

 Chapter 548 - 548 Messenger Arrives

    "Qi Meng, I heard you had some interesting experiences these past few days?"


    Shen Lin uttered casually, his gaze, however, continually swept over Qi Meng''s enchanting body.


    "The young master Shen truly has keen senses; I actually intended to report this matter to you."


    Qi Meng seemed to ignore Shen Lin''s intrusive gaze and giggled:


    "But then I thought, with young master Shen''s capabilities, what could possibly escape your eyes in Yandu?"


    "Miss Qi Meng tters me too much, but that young man is indeed rather interesting¡ªfirst giving the Su Family a taste of his power, then taking action against the Situ Family."


    Shen Lin chuckled:


    "This time was even more extreme, offending all Five Great Families at once. He''s trying to stir up the heavens in Yandu!"


    "Indeed, but the fact that he''s still alive and kicking to this day is nothing short of a miracle!"


    Qi Meng also let out a light sigh as sheughed.


    "Yandu has been too quiet for too long, it''s about time for some fresh blood to stir things up."


    Shen Lin sighed with seeming profundity.


    "Oh? It seems that young master Shen is quite interested in this young man?"


    Qi Meng stood up leisurely and sashayed over to Shen Lin, sitting on his thigh, casting a seductive nce at him.


    "Of course, it''s not often we see such an interesting young man¡ªI''m naturally very interested."


    Shen Lin''s lips curled up in a smirk as he spoke, feeling a bit itchy after being provoked by Qi Meng, and his plump hand involuntarily reached for the snow-white thigh beneath her sheer garment.


    However, just as his hand was about to touch the soft skin, Qi Meng stood up and turned away, avoiding him, and then looked at him and giggled.


    "Miss Qi Meng, though you previously said you''d be my person, I haven''t even touched your hand till now¡ªhow is that appropriate?"


    Shen Lin deliberately spoke with a hint of grievance.


    "When I said I''d be your person, it was only to help you with your work."


    Qi Meng''s eyes sparkled with an alluring look as she spoke:


    "As for bing a guest in my chamber, that will have to wait until the day you, young master Shen, truly seed."


    "Heh, all right, then, I''ll be waiting."


    Shen Lin, although tempted by beauty, had ambitions that helped him restrain himself!


    "By the way, young master Shen, seeing as you''re so interested in that young man, what are you nning to do?"


    Qi Meng returned to the sofa, resuming her provocative pose.


    "This matter will still have to be left to Miss Qi Meng. I think, with your skills, there isn''t a man who can escape your grasp, right?"


    Shen Lin gave Qi Meng a meaningful look and spoke leisurely.


    Qi Meng immediately understood Shen Yun''s meaning and couldn''t help showing a look of hidden bitterness:


    "Young master Shen, aren''t you afraid that young man might bully me?"


    "I trust you!"


    For Shen Lin, if that young man truly had great potential, a woman counted for little¡ªeven if he had significant interest in this woman.


    A whileter, Shen Lin walked out of Qi Meng''s boudoir...


    Not long after Shen Lin left, a man in a cloak emerged from a hidden door in Qi Meng''s boudoir; his entire face was covered, making it impossible to see his features.


    "Greetings to your lordship!"


    Upon seeing the man, Qi Meng immediately knelt on one knee, her face devoid of the seductive charm from before.


    "Do you know why I personally came to Huaxia this time?"


    The man''s voice was very hoarse, sounding quite aged.


    "Your subordinate is unaware, please enlighten me, your lordship."


    Qi Meng spoke with a touch of trepidation.


    "Your progress is too slow. That Shen Lin is still biding his time¡ªhow long must we wait for him to take the position of Family Head of the Shen Family?"


    The man''s voice suddenly became stern.


    "Yes, this subordinate has made a mistake, and I will certainly speed up!"


    Upon hearing the man''s stern voice, Qi Meng''s forehead immediately broke out inrge beads of sweat, and her head was buried even lower.


    "I hope you do not disappoint the High Priest. This matter is very important!"


    "Yes, this subordinate will devote all my efforts to it!" Qi Meng immediately promised.


    "Regarding the Underworld King, what are your ns?"


    The man continued to ask, his tone slightly milder this time.


    "Please rest assured, Emissary. This subordinate will not fail again. I will definitely kill him!"


    "No, the High Priest has changed his mind. From now on, you are to court him!"


    The man beneath the cloak shook his head.


    "Why?"


    Qi Meng suddenly became confused. Hadn''t the High Priest always wanted to get rid of him? Why court him now?


    "Is that a question you should be asking?"


    The man''s gaze became sharp as he red at her:


    "You just need to obey!"


    "Yes!"


    Qi Meng quickly lowered her head and agreed.


    "This matter is even more important than the Shen Family''s affair. You must court him at all costs, and if necessary, you can offer your body!"


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng''s body shook violently, and she was struck speechless.


    "Did you not hear what I said?"


    Seeing her hesitate, the man''s voice suddenly took on a sinister tone.


    "Yes!"


    Qi Meng dared not defy and agreed once more, though she was very unwilling in her heart.


    "Remember, do not reveal our existence in front of him. In this matter, Shen Lin can be a very good tool for you!"


    "This subordinate understands!"


    "All right, I have other matters to attend to. Take care of yourself!"


    After saying that, the man disappeared from the window. He had originallye to give Qi Meng her orders, but he had hidden in the secret room temporarily because of Shen Lin''s sudden arrival.


    If under normal circumstances the Emissary had said these words, Qi Meng would have been overjoyed, but now, there was a bitter taste in her mouth...


    ......


    When Su Chen returned to Rainbow Mansion from the Special Security Bureau, it was nearly the end of the workday. As soon as he returned to his office, he discovered that a man was sitting inside.


    Hearing the door open, the man immediately turned his head. Su Chen also looked at him. He saw that this man had bright, piercing eyes and wore an expression of gentle determination, with a pair of sword-like eyebrows adding a touch of spiritedness.


    Although his clothes were not luxurious, his vigor was strong.


    "May I ask who you are?"


    There is a certain intuition between people, and although Su Chen didn''t know this man, he didn''t find him unpleasant at first sight.


    "Pei Jian."


    The man stated his name directly.


    Only then did Su Chen realize that this man was actually the eldest legitimate grandson of the Pei Family.


    This young master was quite different from some of the other young masters.


    "What do you want with me?"


    Su Chen''s expression turned slightly colder, but this attitude was already quite amicable considering he was dealing with someone from the Five Great Families.


    Among the Five Great Families, aside from Pei Man, Su Chen might only have such an attitude towards this man...

 Chapter 549: Found the Skull Society

    "Let''s have dinner together."


    Simple and direct, just like his personality, which felt just as he appeared to others.


    "Why?"


    "You saved my grandfather, I ought to express my gratitude."


    "No need, your Pei Family has already done so, and you have already treated me to a meal."


    Su Chen waved his hand.


    "That was their way of showing their feelings, but I haven''t expressed my personal gratitude yet."


    Pei Jian looked at Su Chen and said earnestly.


    Su Chen looked at him for a few seconds, then smiled slightly and nodded:


    "Alright!"


    When Pei Jian invited Su Chen for a meal, they didn''t go anywhere luxurious but chose a fairly decent restaurant instead.


    And it seemed he really was just inviting him for a meal, because the two of them spoke very little from start to finish.


    When they finished their meal, both stood up at the same time and walked side by side out of the restaurant. As they reached the awning at the entrance, Pei Jian stopped, not stepping down.


    Su Chen stood next to him, lighting a cigarette.


    "You know I have something to tell you?"


    Seeing Su Chen''s nonchnt demeanor, Pei Jian couldn''t help but ask.


    "I could guess as much." Su Chen smiled and shrugged, "The proud young master of the Pei family wouldn''t invite me over just for a meal."


    "Eating''s real, so is having a conversation."


    Pei Jian always seemed very serious when he spoke.


    "Has anyone ever told you that you''re pretty dull?"


    Su Chen muttered.


    Upon hearing this, Pei Jian actually smiled a bit:


    "Xiaoman has said the same, though in her eyes, there aren''t many interesting people."


    Then he gave Su Chen a meaningful look and said:


    "Seems like, you are an exception."


    "Then I am indeed ttered."


    Su Chen said casually:


    "Go ahead and speak then."


    "Since I''vee back, I''ve heard some things about you, and I just want to say that as long as it doesn''t harm the Pei family''s interests, I will support you!"


    Pei Jian said once again very seriously.


    Hearing this, Su Chen nced at Pei Jian and then responded:


    "Thanks!"


    Although Su Chen didn''t know what Pei Jian knew about his affairs, or how much he knew, he could tell that he was sincere.


    Watching him walk down the steps, Su Chen slightly pursed his lips:


    "He''s indeed an interesting guy."


    What he didn''t know was that this was actually Pei Jian''s opinion of him too.


    Just then, the ringtone of his phone suddenly went off, he pulled it out and saw it was a call from Shadow, and he immediately answered.


    "Hall Master, did you miss me?"


    A little girl''sughing voice came through the phone.


    "Get to the point."


    Su Chen intentionally huffed.


    "Why so fierce!"


    Su Chen could almost see the young girl on the other side of the phone pouting in annoyance.


    In the Temple, there were only two people who were not very afraid of him, one was Eniel, there is no need to mention why, their rtionship spoke for itself!


    The other was the one in charge of intelligence, Shadow, because she was just a young girl, not even twenty years old.


    Su Chen naturally wouldn''t treat her as seriously as he did the others; he almost treated her as a younger sister, doting on her.


    So, the rest of the people in the Temple were also afraid to offend this littledy. In other matters, Su Chen might have been someone who insisted on clear rewards and punishments, but if you offended Shadow, sorry, regardless of whether it was reasonable or not, it was definitely your fault!


    Shadow wasn''t afraid of Su Chen or others, but there was one person she did fear, and that was Eniel!


    Because when it came to these two women, Su Chen was wrong no matter whom he helped, so he basically did not get involved in their disputes.


    Without Su Chen''s help, Shadow was no match for Eniel, and after a few setbacks, she learned her lesson...


    "Alright, Shadow, calm down, tell me what it is."


    Su Chen soothed.


    "I have found the rough location of the Skull Society."


    An angry voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "Where?"


    Su Chen asked urgently, his expression tightening.


    "It should be in the Ans Mountains, but the exact location is still unclear."


    "Good, keep tracking and see if you can narrow down the area," Su Chen ordered.


    "Got it! Hall Master, if you find the address of the Skull Society, are you going toe back?"


    An eager voice sounded from the other end of the phone.


    "Yes, I should be returning for a visit."


    Su Chen nodded in response.


    "Great! I will definitely find them!"


    The young girl eximed joyfully and then hung up the phone.


    "Tang Gang, I didn''t expect you to be so good at hiding, hiding all the way to the Ans Mountains!"


    A cold smile appeared on the corner of Su Chen''s mouth.


    But to truly deal with the Skull Society, Su Chen still needed to find time to go back to Jianghai, to see the progress of Doctor Gaia and others.


    Because without a way to counteract those Gene Modifiers, casualties were inevitable at that time.


    Moreover, Su Chen also hoped that he could elevate his Realm to the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer or even Qi Refinement Peak before going to wipe out the Skull Society, which would make him more confident.


    After all, the Skull Society had a mysterious and powerful force behind it.


    ........


    After finishing the call with Shadow, Su Chen prepared to drive back, but just as he got into the car, the phone rang again. He thought it was Shadow calling again, but it turned out to be Yan Min''s father.


    "Uncle Yan, what''s up?"


    Su Chen asked, smiling, though he felt it strange; although he had exchanged numbers with Uncle Yan long ago, this was the first time the other party had initiated a call to him.


    "Xiao Su, Min might be in trouble, could you think of a way to find her?"


    Yan Min''s father''s voice, anxious and worried, immediately followed.


    "Uncle Yan, don''t panic, take it slowly, what exactly happened?"


    Su Chen''s heart tightened as he immediately asked.


    "It''s like this, Min has been acting strange ever since she came home from school on vacation two days ago, detached and dispirited, but when I asked her about it, she wouldn''t say."


    The voice of Yan Min''s father on the phone continued:


    "Just now, Min suddenly called, I just picked up, and the call was cut off, when I called back, her phone was already switched off."


    "I''m a bit worried, so I called Min''s dormitory phone, but her ssmate said Min wasn''t there. Xiao Su, I really worry something might happen to Min, but I don''t know what to do. Could you help me think of a way to find Min?"


    Yan Min''s father was on the verge of tears as he spoke, having only that precious daughter.


    "Okay, Uncle Yan, you rx, I will go find her immediately, I will definitely bring Min back safe and sound."


    Su Chen also realized it was somewhat serious; if it were another girl, he might not think so, but Min had always been a sensible child and would not do anything to worry her parents.


    Plus, Uncle Yan said she had been acting weird thest two days, aloof and absent-minded, further confirming this point...

 Chapter 550: No Good Meal without Good Company, No Good Game without Good Players

    "Alright, Su Chen, I''m really sorry for the trouble, I just have no other option, I can''t think of anyone else but you."


    Yan Min''s father said, immediately ovee with gratitude.


    "It''s alright, Uncle Yan, I''m hanging up now, I''ll figure something out right away."


    Su Chen said and then hung up the phone, before dialing another number to ask Qin Ming for help locating Yan Min''s phone.


    Secondster, Su Chen stared at the location on his phone with a terrifying gleam in his eyes!


    New Century Hotel!


    Su Chen knew that Yan Min generally wouldn''t go to such ces unless it was to attend things like a ssmate''s birthday.


    But under such circumstances, there shouldn''t be a situation where she couldn''t be contacted!


    Su Chen was almost certain that Yan Min really was in trouble, and anger surged in his heart!


    Without dy, Su Chen immediately elerated to his fastest speed, heading towards the New Century Hotel.


    At this moment, inside a private room at the New Century Hotel, arge group of people were seated around the dining table, toasting andughing constantly, the scene brimming with merriment!


    Among these people sat a young girl whose eyes were filled with fear and unease.


    Especially when the man next to her, around forty years old with a beer belly, looked at her with a burning gaze, her unease intensified.


    Having consumed some alcohol, her face was flushed, and her head was starting to feel dizzy.


    "Yan Min, what are you sitting there for? Hurry up and toast Mr. Zhu a drink!"


    The man in a suit sitting on the other side of Yan Min said. He was the president and general manager of Mingyi Entertainment, Ma Ze.


    "General Manager, I''ve already had quite a few drinks, I really can''t drink anymore."


    Yan Min stammered to Ma Ze, as she was someone who typically abstained from alcohol, at most having half a drink during ssmate gatherings.


    "It''s just red wine, not spirits, how can you not keep it down?"


    Ma Ze said with a suggestive smile:


    "Mr. Zhu is a famous real estate boss, if you make Mr. Zhu happy, your opportunity wille. Isn''t that right, Mr. Zhu?"


    "Of course, the new movie directed by Yu is my investment, as long as your performance tonight is good, the role of the second female lead is yours."


    That middle-aged Mr. Zhu with the beer belly looked at Yan Min, as delicate as a flower, with a fiery ze in his eyes!


    He thought to himself: Not only is this girl pure and beautiful, but she''s also a talented student from Yandu University, ying with her must have its own unique vor!


    "General Manager, it''s gettingte, please give me back my phone, I need to get going."


    Yan Min, well aware of Mr. Zhu''s insinuations, felt even more frightened and rose to say.


    Feeling uneasy after arriving, suspecting something off about this dinner, she had called her father out of fear.


    But before she could speak, Ma Ze next to her had snatched away the phone and turned it off.


    "What''s the rush, stay a little longer,e on and have a drink with Mr. Zhu."


    Ma Ze coaxed smilingly, pulling Yan Min back to her seat.


    "Yeah, Yan Min, an opportunity like this is rare, you wouldn''t want to offend Mr. Zhu."


    Another young man also chimed in "kindly."


    If Su Chen were here, he would immediately recognize this young man, he was Cui Yuanmin.


    Cui Yuanmin was an artist signed under Mingyi Entertainment as well, mainly present today to keeppany.


    At this time, other people at the table also began to persuade her to take good care of Mr. Zhu, the big investor.


    "I''m sorry, General Manager, I really can''t drink anymore."


    Yan Min knew this was her limit, she would truly be drunk if she drank any more; her mind was already in a haze.


    "Yan Min, don''t be so ungrateful. Don''t forget the contract you signed with us!"


    Seeing Yan Min repeatedly ignore his persuasion, Ma Ze''s face lengthened, and hisplexion turned darker:


    "The contract clearly stiptes that you mustply with all of thepany''s arrangements. This is also part of the job. Do you think you can be a star without paying any price?"


    Upon hearing the word ''contract'', Yan Min''s face immediately became somber.


    She had long since regretted the contract she had signed.


    Every girl dreams of bing a big star, longing for the glory under the spotlight, and Yan Min, a top student from Yandu University, was no exception.


    So, after she was discovered by a talent scout from Mingyi Entertainment Company, through a series of cajoling and persuading, Yan Min was moved to sign the contract.


    In fact, Yan Min was quite cautious; before signing, she specifically looked up information about Mingyi Entertainment Company and found out it was one of the top ten entertainmentpanies in Huaxia.


    In her mind, since thepany was sorge, it must be very professional, and there shouldn''t be any problems.


    But how could she have known that no matter where it was, the entertainment industry was never clean?


    More than a week after she signed the contract, the staff from Mingyi Entertainment Company called her, saying there was a shooting assignment.


    Yan Min was genuinely excited when she received the call, thinking her opportunity had arrived!


    Yet when she arrived at the studio ready to shoot, she was shocked because they asked her to take provocative photos!


    While not as revealing as a bikini, it was still far beyond the level she could ept!


    She wanted to refuse, but the people from Mingyi Entertainment Company pointed to the contract she had signed.


    It clearly stated that she mustply with all thepany''s work arrangements, and if she wanted to break the contract, she would have to pay a substantial penalty.


    That penalty was an astronomical sum for her and her family!


    Having no choice, Yan Min could only weep as she finished the photo shoot, forcing a smile throughout.


    Afterpleting that photo shoot, Yan Min met with the general manager, Ma Ze, twice, hoping he would let her off the hook and allow her to break the contract.


    But Ma Ze simply wouldn''t listen to her, only saying that to terminate the contract, she must pay the penalty.


    Yan Min originally did not want to attend tonight''s dinner, knowing that there were no good banquets or gatherings, but with the constraints of the contract, she had no choice.


    Now refusing to continue drinking, with Ma Ze bringing up the contract again, Yan Min truly regretted it to her very core.


    But what could she do?


    With no alternative, she could only pick up the wine ss and toast to Mr. Zhu.


    "Mr. Zhu, I toast to you,"


    Yan Min said softly, not daring to meet his eyes that glinted with gold.


    "Good, good, good!"


    Mr. Zhu looked at Yan Min''s drunken, rosy cheeks, finding her truly charming and irresistible, and couldn''t help touching her delicate hand.


    Startled, Yan Min quickly withdrew her hand as if electrocuted.


    As the drink went down, Yan Min felt a churning in her stomach, and her head grew even heavier; she could barely stand!


    "I see Miss Yan doesn''t seem to have much tolerance for alcohol, how about I escort her to a room upstairs to rest a bit?"


    Mr. Zhu steadied Yan Min''s tottering form, his face barely hiding his excitement.


    "Good, then we will trouble Mr. Zhu with that,"


    Ma Ze quickly replied, simultaneously exchanging a meaningful look with Mr. Zhu, revealing an understanding expression...

 Chapter 551: 551

    Everyone else knew exactly what Mr. Zhu meant, and besides, matters like this were nothing out of the ordinary for them.


    "Don''t touch me,"


    a groggy Yan Min muttered, as she pushed Mr. Zhu weakly.


    "You''re drunk, I''ll take you to rest,"


    said Mr. Zhu, who wrapped his arms around Yan Min and began to walk toward the door, with Yan Min already weak-limbed and her mind hazy, she was led forward in his embrace.


    Two bodyguards who had been standing behind him were also preparing to leave with him.


    "Bang!"


    Just then, the door of the private room was suddenly kicked open with a loud noise that startled everyone inside.


    Eyes immediately turned to the doorway where a young man was walking in.


    "Who are you? Who let you in!"


    Someone shouted as soon as they saw the young man.


    Cui Yuanmin''s eyes narrowed in the crowd, a sharp light shing within them!


    Upon seeing the young man, he was instantly reminded of the humiliation he had suffered in Sanya not so long ago!


    Su Chen paid no attention to them and stared coldly at Mr. Zhu.


    "Let her go,"


    Su Chen said icily.


    "What are you,ing here to make trouble!"


    Mr. Zhu, seeing a young man unknown to him, naturally didn''t take him seriously.


    "Su Chen?!"


    Yan Min, hazy though she was, recognized Su Chen from Mr. Zhu''s arms.


    "So, it''s your lovering to y the hero, huh!"


    Mr. Zhu chuckled upon hearing this, then gave Su Chen a lewd look and said:


    "But sorry, this beauty belongs to me today. I haven''t had a taste of a Yandu University top student yet!"


    "p!"


    No sooner had Mr. Zhu finished speaking than Su Chen pped his face, sending him spinning three hundred sixty degrees on the spot before losing his bnce and copsing onto the round table.


    The drunken Yan Min lost support and was about to fall when Su Chen caught her and pulled her into his arms.


    Remaining somewhat lucid, Yan Min suddenly felt an extraordinary sense of safety upon finding herself in Su Chen''s arms!


    "You''re looking for death!"


    Seeing their boss being insulted, the two bodyguards, both former special forces, charged at Su Chen with reckless abandon, their approach undeniably intimidating!


    Su Chen didn''t even bother looking at the bodyguards and simply kicked out twice, "bang bang", sending them flying!


    This scene shocked everyone in the private room, including Mr. Zhu who had not yet managed to rise from the round table.


    Su Chen, as if these people didn''t exist, walked toward the door with Yan Min in his arms...


    "Manager, we have a contract with her,"


    Cui Yuanmin whispered to Ma Ze at his side.


    The only rtively clear-headed person present was Cui Yuanmin, and Su Chen''s actions were within his expectations, as he had long been aware of thetter''s martial prowess.


    Ma Ze, reminded by Cui Yuanmin, instantly came back to his senses.


    "Hold on!"


    Ma Ze''s voice rang out immediately.


    Su Chen turned his head and looked at him calmly.


    However, when his gaze swept over Cui Yuanmin beside him, he was somewhat surprised.


    In his mind, the Bai Family of Jiangbei would certainly not let him off easily; he wondered how this guy was still jumping around so carelessly, seemingly doing rather well.


    "Yan Min, you can''t take her away, she has a contract with us, and she mustply with all the arrangements of ourpany!"


    Ma Ze said righteously.


    "That''s right, if you take her away today, ourpany will sue her for breach of contract, and I''m afraid you can''t afford the penalty!"


    Cui Yuanmin looked at Su Chen and snorted coldly.


    In his mind, Su Chen was nothing more than a capable fighter, just another department head in a corporation.


    "Contract?"


    Su Chen frowned slightly when he heard this, no wonder a good girl like Yan Min was brought back to this situation, it must be some contract dispute.


    He really didn''t know if this girl had a brain short-circuit, why sign things recklessly?


    But seeing her current state, she was probably unable to exin clearly, so Su Chen sat her down on a chair and then walked up to Ma Ze:


    "What contract? Show it to me."


    "What are you trying to do? The contract is in my office, of course."


    Ma Ze raised his head slightly and said.


    Su Chen said, "Call someone immediately and have them bring that contract here."


    "Su Chen, what do you want to do? Are you trying to tear up the contract?"


    Cui Yuanmin blurted out, actually reminding Ma Ze as well.


    "Yeah, why should we show you? Let me tell you, she signed a five-year-long contract with us!"


    After hearing Cui Yuanmin''s words, Ma Ze also became alert and then looked at Cui Yuanmin, asking:


    "Yuanmin, do you know him? Who exactly is this guy?"


    "I know him, he''s just a minor department head of a group in Jianghai, a pretty good fighter, though!"


    Cui Yuanmin stared at Su Chen, eyes flickering with the mes of hatred!


    He wasn''t from the martial arts world, so naturally, he didn''t understand how formidable Su Chen was, he just thought this guy was particrly good at fighting.


    If it was before, even if he wasn''t afraid of Su Chen, he wouldn''t deliberately provoke him, because if this guy beat him up, there would be nowhere to cry about it.


    But now, he didn''t take Su Chen very seriously, because he had an ace up his sleeve!


    "So, you''re just a department head, no wonder you''re so arrogant!"


    Ma Ze nced at Su Chen with an ironic tone.


    After learning of the other''s identity from Cui Yuanmin, Ma Ze felt relieved.


    These days, being good at fighting meant nothing; having money and power was the real deal.


    "It seems you haven''t had enough suffering that day?"


    Su Chen nced at Cui Yuanmin sidewise and curled his lips.


    "Su Chen, don''t be arrogant!"


    Once Su Chen mentioned that day, Cui Yuanmin''s face immediately darkened.


    "Arrogant?"


    Su Chen sneered, then backhanded Cui Yuanmin with a p.


    How could Cui Yuanmin withstand Su Chen''s p? He staggered and fell to the ground, half of his handsome face swelling up!


    "You''ve got some nerve, do you know who he is to the second sister of the Zheng family...?"


    "Ma Ze!"


    Ma Ze was startled when he saw Su Chen actually pped Cui Yuanmin, even more shocked than when Boss Zhu was beaten!


    So, without thinking, he started shouting, only to be silenced halfway through by Cui Yuanmin.


    Ma Ze also immediately realized he had misspoken and hastily shut his mouth.


    However, at that moment, Su Chen''s lips curled with a faint, almost imperceptible smile. To think this guy had an unusual rtionship with that woman from the Zheng family¡ªthat was an unexpected gain.


    No wonder he was still hopping mad to this point, and seemed so confident¡ªit was for this reason!

 Chapter 552: Who Gave You Such Audacity?

    However, at the moment, Su Chen could only temporarily set aside the matter of Cui Yuanmin, as he needed to handle Yan Min''s issue first.


    "Bring the contract over here!"


    Su Chen ordered Ma Ze.


    "You think you can just get it just because you said so? Who do you think you are?"


    Ma Ze spat out angrily:


    "I''m telling you, you''ve injured so many people, you have to take responsibility!"


    "Alright! I''ll take your responsibility as well!"


    A cold smile curled up at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth.


    Following that, a series of agonized screams resounded in the private room, thankfully, the soundproofing was decent enough that it didn''t cause a sensation!


    The other people in the private room looked at this young man as if he were a devil, trembling inside, imagining the pain if they were Ma Ze!


    The manager Zhu who witnessed this scene even felt quite fortunate, after all, this mad young man had only pped him once!


    However, Cui Yuanmin''s mindset waspletely different, his gaze towards Su Chen was filled with anger and hatred.


    It seemed like every time he encountered this guy, he ended up being the object of humiliation!


    "I''ll call, I''ll call now."


    A few minutester, Ma Ze, who was shivering from pain and sweating profusely, couldn''t stand the pain any longer and muttered shakily.


    Soon after Ma Ze made the call, a person from Mingyi Entertainment brought over the contract that Yan Min had signed.


    Su Chen took the contract, tore it up without even looking at it, and then prepared to leave with Yan Min¡­


    However, just at that moment, suddenly a series of footsteps sounded, and seven or eight policemen walked in from outside.


    "Who here hasmitted an assault?"


    The policeman in the lead entered with a stern face and immediately scanned the room.


    He was the captain of a division in Yandu, named Liu Wen.


    Liu Wen first noticed manager Zhu and Cui Yuanmin, whose faces were swollen like steamed buns, and he immediately shivered inside.


    These two people were not ordinary at all; one was a major celebrity and the other a well-known real estate businessman, both having significant influence in society!


    His expression immediately became even more severe, wondering who was so bold as to strike at these two individuals!


    When he looked down and saw the pitiful figure of Ma Ze on the ground, he was even more startled!


    "Who the hell did this?!"


    Liu Wen''s heart surged with rage, and he sternly shouted with a severe expression.


    "Him, it was this kid! He also tore up the contract we had with the artist!"


    Upon seeing the police arrive, Cui Yuanmin immediately brightened up and pointed at Su Chen.


    "That''s right, it was him, he not only beat us but also knocked out my two bodyguards who are still unconscious."


    Seeing the police arrive, manager Zhu felt like he had found a savior, pointing to the two unconscious bodyguards in the corner andining.


    Liu Wen followed the direction of manager Zhu''s finger and indeed saw two people lying motionless there.


    He had not noticed those two when he first entered.


    "Boy, the police are here, now you''re in trouble!"


    Cui Yuanmin sneered at Su Chen.


    "Right, Officer, you must severely punish this criminal!"


    Manager Zhu also spoke with gritted teeth.


    "Officers, please, you must stand up for us!"


    Ma Ze even cried out miserably.


    Immediately, the others also began using Su Chen of earlier acts of violence. They had been afraid of him just a moment ago, but now that the police had arrived, they naturally felt emboldened.


    He might be fierce in a fight, but in the presence of the police, he surely couldn''t dare to be reckless!


    "Rest assured, we police will handle this case impartially!"


    Liu Wen solemnly nodded. Even without taking into ount the faces of these influential people, just the fact that this individual had publicly injured so many people meant that he would deal with it seriously!


    "They say you injured all these people, is that true?"


    Liu Wen asked Su Chen without a hint of humor in his voice.


    "Indeed, I did it."


    Su Chen nodded slightly, his face showingplete indifference.


    Liu Wen was clearly taken aback by Su Chen''s words, because conventionally, whether or not he was the one who injured others, there would usually be some attempt at defense.


    However, this young man had no hesitation at all, he simply acknowledged it outright, and he even seemed so nonchnt about it!


    Given that, there was no need for niceties. Liu Wen waved his hand and snorted:


    "Take him away!"


    Immediately, two police officers stepped forward, one of them even pulled out handcuffs.


    "Stretch out your hands!"


    The officer holding the handcuffsmanded.


    Su Chen looked at these two officers and smiled with interest. Just as he was about to speak, footsteps echoed again from the entrance.


    At the same time, a man in his thirties strode in.


    When he saw Su Chen, a glimpse of joy shone in his eyes, but upon seeing the handcuffs in the officer''s hand in front of Su Chen, a wave of anger surged across his face!


    "Who are you? The police are handling a case..."


    The two officers nearest the door saw the man charging in and immediately reached out to stop him.


    "Get out of the way!"


    The man roared, slightly flexing his arm, and instantly repelled the two officers!


    "How dare you! Take this man into custody immediately!"


    Liu Wen, seeing that the neer dared to attack the police, roared furiously!


    The other officers, upon hearing the order, rushed forward, but the man turned and gave them a cold look, and an overwhelming aura burst forth!


    The officers instantly felt a mountainous pressure and involuntarily stopped in their tracks!


    Then, the officers looked at each other in confusion¡ªjust who was this person who possessed such a formidable presence!


    The man continued forward, walking up to the two officers with handcuffs, and snorted coldly:


    "Who gave you the audacity to arrest Mr. Su?"


    The officers, hearing this, were immediately stunned.


    Who was Mr. Su? Could he be referring to this young man who hadmitted assault?


    If so, he had assaulted someone; why shouldn''t he be arrested?


    Could it be that he is some important figure? But he doesn''t look it at all!


    And who are you, to be so arrogant?


    The others watching the scene were also befuddled, as if they had suddenly entered the den of a madman¡ªa recklessly arrogant madman!


    "Who are you exactly? What do you want to do?"


    Liu Wen stepped forward to interrogate.


    Although the neer seemed formidable, Liu Wen had no intention of backing down; he was just enforcing thew!


    "Who am I?"


    The neer snorted coldly and tossed a badge over.


    Liu Wen caught the badge, looked at the man quizzically, and couldn''t quite grasp what the man was up to.


    "What is this guy ying at, and what exactly is that badge?"


    "Who knows? I''ve never seen that badge before."


    "He does look quite domineering, probably just showing off!"


    "Exactly, does he think that old badge can scare anyone?"


    ...


    The rest of the people were also unclear about what was happening and began murmuring among themselves...

 Chapter 553: Greetings, Chief Officer

    Liu Wen also had a simr mindset to the others at first, but when he opened that document and clearly saw the contents, his body jolted violently, his face drastically changed, and his breathing grew rapid!


    The others had been paying close attention to his actions, and seeing his sudden change in demeanor, they were startled, thinking to themselves, could this cop have suddenly taken ill?


    Afterward, Liu Wen took several deep breaths to calm his emotions a bit, then slowly closed the document and approached the man he had been speaking to earlier.


    "Greetings, sir!"


    Suddenly, the police officer yelled out, standing at attention and saluting at the same time.


    The moment his words ended, all the other police officers were instantly dumbfounded!


    What was going on?


    Why was their captain suddenly saluting this man and calling him sir?


    The others looked as if they had been struck by a bolt of thunder on a clear day, their minds went nk, and their faces revealed an idiotic expression!


    Sir? What kind of sir was he? What was the cop ying at? Was this an act?


    That Mr. Zhu, along with Ma Ze and Cui Yuanmin, felt a surge of ominous foreboding as they were struck with shock...


    "Sir, may I ask if you have any orders?"


    The police officer Liu Wen cautiously inquired, presenting the document with both hands.


    Even now, his eyes were full of disbelief, hardly daring to believe that such a personage stood before him.


    But a document doesn''t lie, and no one in Huaxia would dare to make a fake of this document, yet how could such a personage have suddenlye here?


    At this time, even the slowest minds among the crowd were starting to grasp something, that the man who had just walked in was an extraordinary figure!


    Otherwise, why would their police captain be so utterly respectful toward him?


    The man didn''t pay attention to the police officer but instead turned to Su Chen with a respectful query:


    "Mr. Su, do you have any orders?"


    This question startled everyone once more!


    Who exactly was this young man?


    If the man who hade in was an incredible big shot, then who was this young man who at first nce appeared unremarkable?


    Cui Yuanmin felt as though his heart had suddenly been struck by a heavy hammer, filled with questions.


    Isn''t he just a minor department head at a corporation? Yet now, he seemed to be more than meets the eye?


    Su Chen, of course, paid no mind to what others were thinking, and spoke indifferently:


    "I think both Mr. Ma''s Mingyi Entertainment Company and Mr. Zhu''s real estatepany have quite a few problems; you should investigate them thoroughly."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Liu Wen didn''t know how to react, as he waspletely unaware of the other''s identity.


    "Have you heard Mr. Su''s instructions? Investigate thoroughly!"


    The man who had just spoken hummed when he saw Liu Wen still hesitating:


    "If you can''t handle this matter well, your days as the captain are numbered."


    "Yes, yes, yes!"


    Liu Wen hastily nodded, saying:


    "I will investigate carefully, thoroughly!"


    Upon hearing these words, both Ma Ze and Mr. Zhu were terrified!


    How many businessmen can im they arepletely clean? Especially those involved in the entertainment or real estate industries¡ªit was virtually impossible!


    With a genuine intent to investigate, almost every inquiry would yield issues!


    "Mr. Su, shall we go?"


    After Liu Wen agreed, the man finally turned around, smiling respectfully at Su Chen.


    "Hmm." Su Chen nodded, picked up Yan Min, who had fallen asleep in her chair, and asked casually, "Lu Zheng, how did you get here?"


    Indeed, the man who had just arrived was none other than Lu Zheng, who had once apanied him to the ind in the Pacific Ocean.


    Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng smiled and said:


    "The director asked me toe and see if you need any help so I could lend a hand!"


    Su Chen smiled nomittally. How could he not know that Qin Ming was worried about him causing too much of amotion, especially after their previous call had been less than pleasant.


    However, upon hearing the words "the director," Liu Wen couldn''t help but tremble violently!


    After Su Chen and Lu Zheng had left, he immediately ordered:


    "As soon as we get back, bring in a few adept investigators from the economic investigation department to thoroughly check these twopanies!"


    Both Ma Ze and that Boss Zhu went pale with fear upon hearing this!


    ........


    After Su Chen left the New Century Hotel, he let Lu Zheng go back first, then carried Yan Min into the car.


    After inputting two streams of True Qi into her body, Yan Min slowly woke up.


    "Brother Su, howe you''re here?"


    Yan Min, still somewhat groggy, asked upon seeing Su Chen. She obviously couldn''t quite remember what had happened before.


    "Tell me, what exactly happened tonight?"


    Su Chen, who had always been kind and affectionate towards her, asked coldly.


    Seeing Su Chen like this made Yan Min even more nervous.


    But under Su Chen''s gaze, she still recounted the whole situation to him!


    "Yan Min, all these years of study, where has it gone?"


    Su Chen sighed somewhat speechlessly:


    "Are contracts something you can just sign on a whim?"


    "Brother Su, I know I was wrong," Yan Min said softly. "I thought theirpany was so big, it had to be legitimate, with no problems."


    "Still ''you thought''? And the result?"


    Su Chen hummed coldly:


    "What you did not only nearly harmed yourself but also caused your parents to worry! Do you know what would have happened tonight if your dad hadn''t called me?"


    Even now, Su Chen was still truly frightened by the thought!


    If Uncle Yan hadn''t called him and he hadn''t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable!


    Yan Min, after hearing this, was just as startled and regretful, ming her own momentary foolishness for causing such a mistake!


    "Brother Su, could you not tell my parents about this? I don''t want to worry them," Yan Min said tentatively as she looked at Su Chen.


    "Now you know not to worry them, where was this concern earlier?"


    Su Chen retorted irritably:


    "I know what to do!"


    "Brother Su, about that contract..."


    Yan Min hesitantly asked, her heart still troubled by the contract matter.


    "I''ve already handled the contract issue. From now on, use your brain before you act!"


    Su Chen reproached her sternly.


    In fact, Su Chen understood Yan Min; it wasn''t unusual for a girl to have dreams of bing a star, especially when she was naive to the ways of the world. It was not too surprising for her to get into such trouble.


    Su Chen was being so strict now because he wanted her to learn from this lesson and think carefully before acting in the future.


    "I, I understand."


    Yan Min nodded her head. Although she was curious about how Su Chen resolved the contract issue, seeing him like this, she didn''t dare ask more.


    Afterward, Su Chen drove away from the New Century Hotel and took Yan Min home.


    In order not to worry Yan Min''s parents, he naturally did not tell them the truth but instead told a white lie.


    Since both parents had always trusted Su Chen very much, they did not suspect anything but kept thanking him...

 Chapter 554 - 554 Abnormal

    Su Chen chatted casually with Yan Min''s parents for a few moments before leaving and driving back to the Imperial Garden.


    As he approached the vi''s gate, a figure suddenly shed out of the darkness.


    "Master, it seems like someone was following the Main Mother today!"


    The person reported in a low voice.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Not entirely sure, the other party only appeared briefly. We didn''t pursue them for the Main Mother''s safety, fearing it might be a trick to lure us away from her."


    "You did the right thing¡ªRuoxue''s safetyes first."


    Su Chen nodded slightly, trusting that his Shadow Guards wouldn''t raise such concerns without a reason. It was very likely that someone really had designs on Ruoxue.


    Could it be that those young masters, having failed to get advantage from him, had turned their attention to Ruoxue?


    But Su Chen didn''t take the matter too seriously, as there were two Shadow Guards with her. There shouldn''t be any major issues.


    After all, one of the Shadow Guards was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, and the other at the Qi Refinement Peak, and both had abundant practical experience and excellent coordination!


    "Ah!"


    No sooner had Su Chen opened the vi''s front door and entered than he heard a screaming from the kitchen.


    He immediately recognized it as Lin Ruoxue''s voice and, startled, hurried towards the kitchen.


    Upon rushing into the kitchen, he immediately saw the fire was on, and a sand pot used for making soup was emitting steam on the stove!


    And next to it, Lin Ruoxue was continuously blowing on one of her delicate fingers, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed, showing a trace of pain on her stunning face.


    "What happened? Did you burn yourself?"


    Su Chen asked quickly.


    "Yeah, I identally scalded myself."


    Lin Ruoxue looked up to see it was her husband who hade back, and couldn''t help but speak with a coquettish tone.


    "Husband, take a look."


    Su Chen quickly took her finger and noticed it was already red. He puffed out his cheeks and blew on it a few times, then took her finger into his mouth, gently sucking on it.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t expect Su Chen to suddenly make such an intimate gesture, and her body quivered sharply, her cheeks flushing red.


    Unaware of Lin Ruoxue''s reaction, Su Chen sucked a few more times, and Lin Ruoxue felt a jolt of electricity course through her body, spreading from the finger throughout her entire being!


    "It''s okay now, nothing serious."


    After a moment, Su Chen let go of her finger, only to see Lin Ruoxue''s face was as red as a ripe apple.


    "Wife, why is your face so red?"


    Su Chen asked curiously, but as soon as he spoke, he immediately understood and curved the corners of his mouth with a sly smile:


    "We''re an old married couple now, what''s there to be shy about!"


    There was some truth to Su Chen''s words. After all, aside from the final step they had yet to take, they had already done everything else and not just once.


    Of course, most of the time, it was Su Chen who took the initiative, and Lin Ruoxue reluctantly followed.


    "You''re still mentioning it!"


    Lin Ruoxue red at him with a flushed face.


    "Alright, it was just a joke, no more teasing."


    Su Chen knew that women could be peculiar creatures; some things could be done but not spoken of!


    "By the way, what are you doing? Making chicken soup?"


    Su Chen asked, looking at the pot on the stove, as the aroma of chicken soup wafted into his nose.


    "Yeah."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded a bit shyly.


    "What are you making chicken soup for?"


    Su Chen felt very strange, because Lin Ruoxue was exactly the kind of person who had never set foot in the kitchen, so why suddenly make chicken soup today?


    When Lin Ruoxue heard Su Chen''s words, a clear flicker of panic passed through her beautiful eyes, and she stammered:


    "I''ve been feeling a bit unwell these past few days, so I decided to make some soup for myself."


    Of course, Lin Ruoxue''s words were just an excuse. If she really wanted to replenish herself, she could simply order chicken soup from any diner.


    The main reason was that Lin Ruoxue had increasingly realized that she hadn''t been quite up to the mark as a wife, somewhat of a failure, actually.


    Not to mention bearing a child to carry on the family line for her husband, she hadn''t even agreed to consummate the marriage!


    And that wasn''t all. She had never done what one might call serving her husband, cooking and washing clothes; in fact, most of the time it was Su Chen who looked after her, such as making breakfast every day.


    Lin Ruoxue felt that it was time for a change. Of course, it was also because she cared that she would feel this way. If it were the Lin Ruoxue of the past, she wouldn''t have thought about these issues, let alone feelings of guilt.


    As for the matter of physical intimacy, Lin Ruoxue was still trying to persuade herself, or perhaps her subconscious was a little fearful.


    However, she could try to change other things, which is why she went to the vegetable market for the first time today and stepped into the kitchen for a man for the first time!


    If the Lin Family and Maid Wang knew about this, they would definitely think Lin Ruoxue was possessed, because this was just not like her!


    "You should have told me, I could have taken care of it!"


    Su Chen said with a yfulugh, clearly understanding Lin Ruoxue''s small thoughts, which touched him a little.


    What might bemon for most women was indeed rare for Lin Ruoxue, the businesswoman.


    "No need, it should be almost ready."


    Lin Ruoxue guessed the time was about right and turned off the stove, then said casually:


    "There''s quite a lot of soup. I can''t finish it by myself. You should have moreter."


    "Okay, okay, I''ll get to taste the wifey''s cooking skills in a bit."


    Su Chen said cheerfully, looking somewhat pleasantly surprised. In reality, he didn''t hold much expectation for Lin Ruoxue''s chicken soup, considering it was her first time cooking after all!


    But when Lin Ruoxue lifted the lid, Su Chen was taken aback, because the aroma of the chicken soup was quite rich, and the soup itself looked golden and appetizing!


    "Wife, I didn''t realize you had a talent for cooking, huh?"


    Su Chenughed andmented.


    "Of course, what''s so hard about that? If I can manage such a huge conglomerate, making a little chicken soup is nothing."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s praise, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but feel slightly proud.


    Then, Su Chen carried the casserole to the dining table and ced it on a mat, while Lin Ruoxue followed with adle and two sets of bowls and chopsticks.


    Lin Ruoxue first attentively served Su Chen a bowl, then looked at him with eager eyes, holding a trace of expectation in her heart.


    "Wife, you should have some too!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, seeing her watching him.


    "It''s okay, I''ve just had dinner, I''ll have someter."


    Lin Ruoxue smiled and shook her head.


    "Well, then I won''t hold back!"


    Su Chen blew on the soup gently a couple of times, then began to drink from the small bowl. As soon as the soup touched his lips, he couldn''t help but knit his brows.


    Fortunately, the bowl covered most of his face, so Lin Ruoxue did not notice Su Chen''s expression...

 Chapter 555: Uninvited Guest

    "It''s really delicious!"


    Su Chen drank the entire bowl of chicken soup in one breath, his face lighting up with a glimmer.


    "Really? Then have some more!"


    Lin Ruoxue proactively took Su Chen''s bowl and refilled it for him; h``e promptly drank it all again!


    Within a short time, Su Chen had drunk most of the pot of chicken soup, and his belly visibly swelled at a noticeable rate.


    Lin Ruoxue looked at him and couldn''t help but feel puzzled.


    Could it be that she really had such a gift for cooking, that the chicken soup she made for the first time was so delicious?


    Alright, I''ll try some myself then!


    However, just as Lin Ruoxue was about to serve herself some soup, Su Chen suddenly pulled the y pot toward himself:


    "Wife, the chicken soup you made today is especially delicious; I''ve got addicted to it. Let''s say it''s all mine today. If you want to drink it, tomorrow your husband will make it for you."


    "It''s fine, I just want one bowl."


    Lin Ruoxue reached out to pull the y pot back, yet unexpectedly, Su Chen was holding it tightly and wouldn''t let go.


    "Wife, I really feel like drinking chicken soup today; you can drink some tomorrow."


    Su Chen chuckled slyly.


    Lin Ruoxue was shrewd and quickly felt something was off, especially with Su Chen''s previous behavior that seemed even more abnormal.


    "Give it here!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned cold as if covered with a frosty frost.


    The icy face of Lin Ruoxue was what Su Chen feared the most. He hadn''t seen this expression for a long time, and now it had surfaced again.


    He knew, Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t rest until she had some of that chicken soup today...


    Slowly, he pushed the y pot to the middle of the table. Lin Ruoxue gave him a smug nce and then served herself a bowl of chicken soup.


    Lin Ruoxue, unlike Su Chen, didn''t just drink it up but took a little soup with a spoon, slightly opened her lips that resembled cherries, and sipped.


    At the first taste, Lin Ruoxue immediately furrowed her brows tightly and quickly covered her mouth as she hurried to the bathroom.


    A momentter, Lin Ruoxue came out from the bathroom, and Su Chen showed a helplessly resigned expression.


    "Are you silly? It''s so salty and rich; how could you drink it, and so much of it!"


    Lin Ruoxue returned to the dining table, her beautiful eyes casting a intive look at him.


    She had barely tasted a small sip herself, finding it difficult to swallow as it was way too salty and rich!


    Although chicken soup should be savory, it needs moderation; that much vor was simply lethal, not to mention the excess saltiness!


    Drinking even a mouthful without spitting it out was already quite an aplishment, yet Su Chen had downed bowl after bowl of almost the entire pot!


    Lin Ruoxue looked at him, her gaze revealing a mix ofplex emotions; there was a bit of resentment for his foolishness, but more so, moved.


    An unusual feeling slowly arose from the bottom of her heart¡­


    She couldn''t help but stand up, walked behind Su Chen, and wrapped her slender hands around his neck, crossing them in front of his chest.


    "It''s okay; this is personally made by my dear wife. I have to finish drinking it to honor your effort."


    Su Chen chuckled and patted the back of Lin Ruoxue''s hand, unconcerned as he spoke.


    "But it''s really undrinkable!"


    Lin Ruoxue remembered the taste she just experienced and still felt it was definitely not meant for human consumption.


    "Didn''t the ancients say? ''With tender hands you temper the soup, shyly waiting for your lord to taste.'' I''m not a man who disregards affection. How could I fail to appreciate such kindness from my dear wife?"


    Su Chen turned his head to look at her, a mischievous smile curling up at the corner of his mouth, giving him an entirely different aura.


    Lin Ruoxue looked at his face and listened to his words, which made her blush involuntarily.


    Su Chen, however, did not tease her, but rather asked in confusion,


    "How much monosodium glutamate and salt did you put in? Why is it so savory and so salty?"


    "I forgot. I specifically searched for the recipe on my phone. It said to add a little monosodium glutamate and a proper amount of salt."


    Lin Ruoxue frowned slightly and said,


    "I don''t know how much ''a little'' and ''a proper amount'' are supposed to be. I just went by feel."


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen felt defeated by his wife. Indeed, for someone who had never set foot in the kitchen, managing the various seasonings was a big challenge.


    "Honey, don''t worry. I''ll try a couple more times. I''m sure I can make a delicious chicken soup!"


    A determined look appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s face as she spoke.


    Su Chen was immediately startled upon hearing this. Drinking it once nearly cost him half his life. Another two times might kill him!


    However, seeing Lin Ruoxue so confident, he dared not say much.


    "By the way, I''ve checked the calendar, and in ten days, there will be a suitable day for paying respects. Let''s go visit your father and mother then."


    Lin Ruoxue initially wanted to say "your dad and mom" but changed it to "your father and mother" as she spoke.


    Su Chen nodded in agreement, naturally having no objections.


    After chatting for a while longer, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs, and around eleven o''clock, Su Chen quietly left the Imperial Garden.


    Jingyun Hotel is a five-star hotel located in the west of Yandu City, luxuriously decorated, intimidating to the ordinary person!


    At this moment, in a suite of Jingyun Hotel, a man and a woman were engaged in humanity''s most primal activity!


    Perhaps because it was too intense, the sturdy bed asionally made a "squeaking" noise, apanied by sighs of exertion.


    The man and woman on the bed were already drenched in sweat. Under the woman''smand, the man performed various challenging tasks!


    "Sister Zheng, about the matter I mentioned before..."


    "Don''t worry. You''re my good boy. Since that bastard dares to bully my good boy, I''ll make sure he pays dearly."


    "Thank you, Sister Zheng!"


    Upon hearing this, the man''s eyes immediately shone with a sharp gleam, as he redoubled his efforts to please the woman!


    "p p p!"


    Just then, a burst of apuse broke out abruptly.


    The man and woman, startled by the apuse, were shocked!


    The man quickly rolled off the woman, and they both looked in the direction of the sound.


    They then saw a man wearing a mask standing not far from the bed, his face showing a mocking expression!


    Upon seeing the man, their minds buzzed. When had he entered? They hadn''t noticed at all!


    Moreover, the door was shut tightly. How did this guy get in?


    The scene felt eerie to both of them.


    Regaining their senses, they hurriedly grabbed the scattered sheets nearby and covered their bodies.


    "Bravo, bravo!"


    The man pped andughed admiringly,


    "Your performance just now was indeed the pinnacle of excellence. It''s truly admirable!"


    His voice was somewhat hoarse, sounding like that of a man in his fifties or sixties...

 Chapter 556 - 556 Extortion and Shirking Responsibilities

    "Who are you? How did you get in?"


    The man in the bed asked, terrified...


    "Of course I walked in,"


    the man with the mask said with a smirk, an enigmatic look on his face.


    "What do you want? I''m telling you, you entered our room without permission, I can call the police to arrest you!"


    The man in the bed''s voice trembled as he spoke...


    "Call the police to arrest me? Sure!"


    the man with the maskughed heartily, taking out a cell phone from his pocket:


    "I reckon the public would be very interested in the romantic escapades of the Zheng family''s second sister and the great star Cui."


    "What, you took photos?"


    The woman, who had been silent until now, saw the masked man''s cell phone and her face turned pale!


    She was the Zheng family''s second sister, and if this got out, it would be a scandal!


    Though keeping a young gigolo wasn''t unusual for wealthy women like her, it was a different matter if it became public knowledge, especially with photos involved!


    Cui Yuanmin was even more frightened, his face ghostly pale, for as a star, this kind of publicity would ruin his career!


    He had gotten involved with the Zheng family''s second sister so he wouldn''t have to act anymore, but what he enjoyed the most was the feeling of being adored as a celebrity!


    In fact, Cui Yuanmin had no choice but to hook up with the Zheng family''s second sister because the Bai family from Jiangbei woulde after him sooner orter.


    Ever since he escaped from the bar of that hotel in Sanya, he had been considering how to save his own life.


    Fortune favors the bold, and eventually, he found his opportunity at a cocktail party not long after, where he met the Zheng family''s second sister and his mind ticked into action.


    He figured if he could please the Zheng family''s second sister, a word from her would keep the Bai family of Jiangbei from touching him.


    At that moment, he couldn''t care less that she was a woman in her forties who wasn''t particrly attractive; what mattered most was his life!


    With his active approaches, it was natural for the Zheng family''s second sister not to turn away the handsome, well-built male star.


    Soon, they were all over each other. Not only did the Zheng family''s second sister help him settle his issue with the Bai family, but she also invested resources to boost his poprity further!


    Cui Yuanmin felt his decision was absolutely right, except for when they were in bed.


    However, he never imagined that on this night, an uninvited guest would arrive in the hotel room he shared with the Zheng family''s second sister!


    "Not just photos, there''s also a five-minute video!"


    Su Chen smiled, brandishing the cell phone in his hand:


    "You two were so engrossed just now, it was a fantastic show, even better than those Ind Country films!"


    Both were even more terrified at his words!


    If this video and photos were to spread, neither of them could show their faces anymore!


    Though Zheng Yan, the second sister of the Zheng family, had seen her share of the world, she quickly regained herposure, her eyes locking dead onto the man in the mask:


    "Since you know who I am, aren''t you afraid I''ll kill you?"


    "Do you know who I am? How would you kill me?"


    A mocking smile curled at the corner of the masked man''s mouth.


    "Fine, you just wait!"


    Zheng Yan immediately picked up her phone and dialed a number.


    "If you''re thinking of calling your two bodyguards downstairs, I suspect they''re not able to answer the phone right now,"


    the masked man said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.


    Upon hearing this, Zheng Yan''s heart skipped a beat, but she did not hang up; however, all she heard was the busy tone of "beep beep beep," with no one answering.


    Zheng Yan''s heart sank; could it really be that the two had met with trouble? Otherwise, it was impossible for them to not answer for so long.


    After all, her two bodyguards were not ordinary people. Zheng Yan took another look at the man in the mask, her eyes gradually showing a solemn intensity!


    "Speak, what do you want?"


    Zheng Yan, seeing her threats fail, immediately switched to negotiating.


    She had to ensure that the photos and videos ended up in her own hands, no matter the cost!


    As for this masked man, she didn''t believe she couldn''t find out who he was, and when she did, he would regret it!


    "It seems that Second Sister Zheng of the Zheng family wants to make a deal with me."


    The masked man said with a faint smile.


    "Name your price,"


    Zheng Yan said coldly.


    "If you have 1 billion, I might consider it."


    "Are you robbing me?"


    Zheng Yan shouted angrily when she heard this guy start with 1 billion.


    Even though she was the second sister of the Zheng family, 1 billion was not a small sum!


    Cui Yuanliang was also shocked by this man''s outrageous demand, given that his umted wealth from several years in the entertainment industry was less than 200 million!


    Now, this masked man was trying to extort 1 billion¡ªwas he insane?


    "Since Miss Zheng Yan disagrees, then I shall take my leave! However, I cannot guarantee what might make headlines tomorrow."


    The masked man said leisurely, then turned to leave.


    "Wait!"


    The voices of Zheng Yan and Cui Yuanmin rose simultaneously from behind the masked man.


    "What''s changed, Miss Zheng Yan? Have you changed your mind?"


    A sly smile curled up at the corner of the masked man''s mouth.


    "1 billion is indeed a bit too much, can we lower it a bit?"


    Zheng Yan asked reluctantly.


    However, as soon as her voice dropped, the masked figure turned and left without a hint of hesitation!


    Zheng Yan, seeing how firm the other party was, not even leaving a margin for negotiation, instantly felt a shiver in her heart and cried out in a hurry:


    "Fine, 1 billion it is!"


    Upon hearing this, the masked man turned back, his eyes brimming with mockery, andughed:


    "It appears that Second Sister Zheng knows well the principle that a wise person adapts to circumstances!"


    "Give me your bank ount number, and I''ll transfer the money to you,"


    Zheng Yan said through gritted teeth.


    She thought to herself, once I know your bank ount number, am I afraid I won''t find out who you are?


    I will make sure you pay dearly for your actions today!


    The masked man, as ifpletely unaware of the other party''s thoughts, casually recited a series of numbers.


    Zheng Yan quickly transferred the 1 billion yuan to that ount. Seeing the money had indeed arrived, Su Chen smiled lightly:


    "Thank you for your generous donation, Second Sister Zheng. I''ll be taking my leave now."


    "What about our photos and videos? You haven''t given them to us yet!" Zheng Yan hurriedly reminded him.


    "Yeah, you''ve taken the money, but you still haven''t given us the photos and videos!" added Cui Yuanmin as well.


    "I just said I would consider it, I didn''t say I would definitely give them to you. How about this, I''ll contact you once I''ve made up my mind. You both can continue now,"


    The masked man said with a slight smile, then turned and headed for the door!


    "Stop right there!"


    Zheng Yan flew into a rage, ready to chase after him, only to realize when she lifted the nket that she wasn''t wearing any clothes!


    "Bastard!"


    Zheng Yan cursed as she watched his silhouette disappear at the door!

 Chapter 557: 557

    The masked man stepped out of the suite and in a blink of an eye, he hadpletely vanished, with the surveince only able to capture a mere blur!


    Momentster, he appeared in a car not far from the hotel lobby and then yanked off his mask.


    The face revealed was a tasteful one in his twenties, who else could it be but Su Chen?


    Earlier, at the New Century Hotel, when Su Chen noticed that Cui Yuanmin and the second sister of the Zheng Family were connected, he predicted that, given Cui Yuanmin''s character, it was very likely he would seek her out to enact revenge on him.


    And indeed, as Su Chen had anticipated, Cui Yuanmin found Zheng Yan that very night, attempting to use her clout to take revenge on Su Chen!


    Although by then Su Chen had already revealed an extraordinary identity, in Cui Yuanmin''s view, could thatpare to the power of Yandu''s Five Great Families?


    Thus, he was not at all concerned, yet in order to get Zheng Yan to agree to his request, he naturally had to "perform" well!


    What he never expected was that his performance was witnessed by a mysterious figure who even managed to take photos and record a video!


    Humming a nameless tune, Su Chen drove leisurely toward the mansion by Laixing Lake, seemingly in a good mood.


    He didn''t n to immediately exploit the photos and videos, instead waiting for a suitable opportunity!


    No doubt, when that time came, it would cause a sensation throughout Yandu and perhaps even across Huaxia!


    After arriving at the mansion, Su Chen immediately went into a room to begin his cultivation.


    He cultivated straight through to the next morning, and then went home to make breakfast for Lin Ruoxue.


    After breakfast, the two of them drove to their respective workces.


    After arriving at the office, Su Chen was rather rxed, first pulling out thetest issue of Men''s Style magazine to enjoy it, flipping through it twice before then ying Doudizhu on hisputer, as there wasn''t much else to do!


    He couldn''t always be talking heart-to-heart with the beauties from the public rtions department!


    ......


    However, Zheng Yan and Cui Yuanmin were not nearly as leisurely, spending almost the entire night in anger and fear.


    Both were terrified that by early morning, theirputers or phones would be flooded with news about their situation, therefore they even refrained from turning on their phones.


    It wasn''t until close to noon, having no choice, that they turned on their phones and anxiously checked the news.


    Upon discovering no news about them, both felt relieved temporarily, but their anxiety was far from over.


    Who knew when the man with the mask would drop the bombshell?


    "It won''t do, we must find this man immediately and at all costs retrieve those photos and videos!"


    Zheng Yan thought to herself.


    "Hmph, did you think it''s that easy to take my money?"


    Zheng Yan looked at the string of bank ount numbers on her mobile transfer record and sneered.


    She then immediately hurried back to the Zheng Family and instructed someone to look up information concerning the owner of that bank ount.


    Two hourster, the person she had sent returned and told her that it was a Swiss bank ount number and a rare ck Gold Card, one of less than ten in the world, making it impossible to trace any information!


    Zheng Yan was immediately stunned upon hearing this, as this news meant that the man with the mask was definitely no ordinary person!


    An ordinary person wouldn''t possess a rare ck Gold Card, something even the Five Great Families weren''t eligible to hold!


    Realizing this, Zheng Yan grew fearful because such a man couldn''t possibly be extorted, nor would he be eyeing just ten billion!


    After all, the threshold for obtaining that type of ck Gold Card is 500 billion US dors, which is roughly 4000 billion Huaxia currency!


    This meant that the man must actually possess at least 4000 billion Huaxia currency, perhaps even more!


    Moreover, to obtain that ck Gold Card, it wasn''t enough just to have money; one also needed to possess a lofty status internationally!


    Money and status, both are indispensable!


    Even if you possessed money and status, this was merely a possibility. The Swiss bank still needed to evaluate whether you were eligible based on a broader set ofprehensive indicators!


    Such stringent conditions were why there were fewer than ten people globally with this ck Gold Card!


    Given this, why would that man care about his ten billion?


    From beginning to end, the person yesterday asking for the transfer was merely ying with him!


    The next question was, since he was not using this to ckmail him, what exactly did he want to do with those photos and videos?


    Thinking this, Zheng Yan couldn''t help but tremble, seemingly foreseeing a terrifying scenario in the future!


    But who was that guy? Why was he targeting him? Or was he targeting Cui Yuanmin?


    Soon enough, Zheng Yan dismissed this thought, feeling that the man was indeed targeting her.


    But why? Could it be that she had offended the person inadvertently in the past?


    Zheng Yan thought for a long time but couldn''t figure out the reason, and temporarily stopped thinking about it. However, she became even more anxious...


    .....


    Su Chen was at thepany, having wasted the day away as usual, not much different from any other day.


    Just then, the receptionist suddenly called him, saying someone had dropped off a letter for him.


    Su Chen hurried to the reception, asking the receptionist:


    "Xiao Xin, who sent me this letter?"


    "I don''t know, he left the letter and walked away."


    Xiao Xin shook her head while handing him a nk envelope.


    "What did that person look like?"


    "I didn''t see clearly, he was wearing a baseball cap and a scarf, I couldn''t make out his face."


    Xiao Xin recalled briefly.


    "All right, thank you."


    Su Chen said, he had just found it strange that someone had sent him a letter, so he had casually asked a few questions.


    Back in his office, after sitting down in his desk chair, he tore open the nk envelope, which contained only a folded piece of letter paper.


    He casually unfolded the letter paper and began to read.


    However, he had barely read two words before he suddenly stood up from his chair, his expression changing as if he had seen a ghost, his pupils dted dramatically, and he began breathing unevenly!


    For the letter began with¡ª"Xiao Tian:"


    This was a nickname only someone who knew his true identity would know!


    This name pertained to a long-forgotten memory!


    It took a full ten minutes or more before Su Chen recovered from his shock. He forced himself to calm down and continued reading.


    The letter was not long, only two or three lines. Su Chen read through it in one nce.


    However, after reading, he went over each word several times, his eyes filled with shock!


    The letter stated:


    "Xiao Tian: I know you are eager to uncover the truth behind the deaths of your grandfather and your parents, but the matters of the Su family back then wereplicated, involving more than just the Five Great Families! Definitely do not act rashly and cut off your clues! Remember, remember!"

 Chapter 558 - 558 Return to Jianghai

    Su Chen''s hand, which held the letter, trembled incessantly, and a surge of shock flooded his heart!


    What shocked him so was not only the content of the letter but more importantly, the person who wrote it!


    Who could have written such a letter? And this person even addressed themselves as "little Tian"!


    Su Chen felt like things were getting more and moreplicated and further out of his control, an unsettling feeling he didn''t like.


    Some timeter, he sat down again and carefully read the letter.


    Could it be that the incident that happened to the Su Family all those years ago had an even moreplex background, or that besides the Five Great Families, there were other participants?


    Su Chen furrowed his brows in deep thought, but the clues he had were just too scant, too little of value!


    However, from the tone of the letter, although the writer knew his identity, it didn''t seem like they intended to expose him, and there was even a hint of friendliness rather than enmity.


    Unable to figure it out, Su Chen reluctantly put the matter aside for the moment and then left work to head home.


    Because Lin Ruoxue had to work overtime and would returnter, Su Chen took the opportunity to stop by the vegetable market to buy some groceries and then prepared dinner.


    When he was alone, he rarely cooked, but when he was with Lin Ruoxue, he quite enjoyed doing it. He relished the moments of having dinner ready, waiting for Lin Ruoxue toe home, and then dining together¡ªa simple yet blissful time.


    Around 8 p.m., Lin Ruoxue came home, and the two had dinner together before sitting on the sofa and chatting for a while, much like they did in Jianghai.


    Of course, as in Jianghai, while talking, Su Chen''s hands became a little unruly.


    Lin Ruoxue had grown used to his casual touches and no longer bothered about them. However, whenever he attempted to take things a step further, she would unhesitatingly p his audacious hand away!


    After being dutifully behaved for a while, Su Chen would quietly be mischievous again, but each time, Lin Ruoxue was quick to notice.


    After several such attempts, Su Chen inevitably admitted defeat, looking dejected.


    Lin Ruoxue found this amusing, feeling he was like a child who hadn''t gotten the candy he wanted!


    As it neared ten o''clock, Lin Ruoxue continued upstairs with her work, while Su Chen drove to the estate to continue his cultivation.


    Now more than ever, he hoped to quickly enhance his Realm¡ªnot only because of the Skull Society and the forces behind it but also the Five Great Families rted to his parents'' deaths.


    With both of these concerns, Su Chen felt he did not have much assurance.


    Moreover, the letter he received today implied that his parents'' sudden deaths might not have been as simple as involving just the Five Great Families, which only increased his sense of urgency!


    After a night of cultivation, Su Chen felt refreshed but was not very pleased. With theck of the rich Yuan Qi he had experienced in the estate in Jianghai, he felt somewhat dissatisfied here.


    This situation indeed confirmed the old saying, "it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality."


    Su Chen decided he must find time to visit that estate in Jianghai to see what was peculiar about it that it could produce such rich True Yuan.


    After a shower, Su Chen once again drove back to the vi he shared with Lin Ruoxue and then prepared breakfast.


    "Hubby, good morning!"


    At this time, Lin Ruoxue had also gotten up,ing down the stairs in her pink pajamas with her slightly messy hair carelessly draped over her shoulders,zily calling out.


    Although Su Chen was ustomed to Lin Ruoxue''s state upon waking up, he still found a distinct beauty in it every time he saw her.


    This kind of beauty seemed innate, and what was precious was that Lin Ruoxue was unaware of it.


    After a simple breakfast, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to change clothes and left, and Su Chen, as usual, started out a bitter.


    In the following days, Su Chen''s life returned to tranquility, with no particr events urring, and each day passed as smoothly as flowing water, without any ripples.


    The only thing worth mentioning was that during this period, he sneaked out and went on secret dates with Du Hanbing twice.


    The Du Hanbing of today waspletely different from when Su Chen first met her, no longer haggard and tired but instead radiant, with a smile adorning her face every day.


    Du Hanbing''s obvious transformation caused the guys from the Eighth Brigade to tease her, saying that she was nourished by love, and she had be a different person altogether.


    This made Du Hanbing somewhat embarrassed, her face often flushing and heart racing from their teasing, just like a shy young girl!


    Days shed by, and on that afternoon, while Su Chen was "having a heart-to-heart" with the young girl Shu Yin in his office, his phone suddenly rang.


    Seeing that it was a call from Doctor Gaia, he immediately waved Shu Yin away and, after she left, he quickly answered the call.


    "Su, I''ve found a way to deal with those Gene Modifiers!"


    As soon as the call connected, Doctor Gaia''s excited voice came through.


    "What?!"


    Su Chen also leapt up from his chair, screaming in disbelief!


    "Are you serious?"


    Su Chen found he could hardly control his heartbeat and hurriedly asked.


    After all, this was the good news that he had been eagerly awaiting, and to some extent, it was incredibly important!


    "Of course, it''s true!" Gaia also spoke with a turbulent heart, "Su, when would it be convenient for you toe to Jianghai? Let''s discuss in detail!"


    "What do you mean ''find a time''? I''ming over right now!"


    Su Chen replied, already heading out the office door while talking.


    He first told Lin Ruoxue that he needed to make a quick trip back to Jianghai for something, and naturally, Lin Ruoxue had no objections.


    Once outside Rainbow Mansion, Su Chen immediately made another call to Qin Ming, asking him to arrange a helicopter at once.


    For Qin Ming, this was a minor matter. Not far from the Special Security Bureau was a helipad with several helicopters at standby, used by the Special Security Bureau for mission deployment.


    When Su Chen arrived there, Qin Ming was already waiting.


    "Why do you need a helicopter so urgently?"


    Seeing Su Chen''s arrival, Qin Ming asked curiously.


    "I need to rush to Jianghai right away," Su Chen nced at Qin Ming and said, "There''s been progress in the research!"


    "Really?"


    Hearing this, a look of surprise spread across Qin Ming''s face, knowing what it signified.


    "Do you want me to apany you?" Qin Ming asked.


    "No need for now, I''ll make a quick trip there and back, and we can talk about any situations upon my return."


    "Alright then, you better hurry." Qin Ming urged anxiously.


    Su Chen then boarded the ne, and the pilot immediately took off into the sky, heading in the direction of Jianghai...

 Chapter 559: 559

    The helicopter soared high for a while before Su Chen became restless, thinking the pilot was flying too slowly!


    So, Su Chen went directly to the pilot and told him to take the back seat so he could take over.


    The pilot looked at him puzzled, thinking, "Do you even know how to fly?"


    This wasn''t a car, let alone a bicycle!


    However, before the trip, Qin Ming had instructed him to follow this man''s orders, so he didn''t say anything and gave up his seat.


    But he didn''t go to the back; after all, this was a ne. If this guy didn''t know how to fly and was just being stubborn about it, it could cost lives!


    Standing by his side, he could lend a hand if needed¡ªthis was one of the reasons he agreed to let the young man fly.


    However, after a while, the pilot waspletely taken aback because the man''s operation was so proficient, so smooth, as if everything came naturally to him!


    It was as if he had been flying nes all his life, every action executed perfectly!


    The pilot immediately became unsettled and wondered if this guy was also a pilot like himself, and perhaps an incredibly skilled one at that?


    Su Chen, however, paid no mind to what the pilot thought; all he wanted was to reach Jianghai as soon as possible!


    Since Su Chen was piloting, the journey time was cut in half.


    When the helicopternded on a helipad in Jianghai, Su Chen immediately hailed a taxi to Belle Group''s pharmaceutical division.


    "Dr. Gaia, was what you said on the phone really true?"


    "What exactly is going on? What''s the solution you mentioned?"


    In Dr. Gaia''s office, as soon as the door closed, Su Chen rattled off several questions, looking very anxious.


    Dr. Gaia looked at him with a slight smile, not too surprised by his reaction; he understood why the other was so excited and nervous!


    "Su, sit down first and have a cup of tea, and I''ll exin it slowly."


    Dr. Gaia poured a cup of tea for Su Chen and then sat down on the sofa.


    Su Chen also felt that he was being a bit too agitated and chuckled, sitting down next to Dr. Gaia.


    "Su, you know, for Gene Modifiers, the focus is on gic maniption. So, I started looking for a solution in this area."


    Dr. Gaia began to exin to Su Chen:


    "For us, the rtively simple part is that we only need to destroy their existing gic structure, and we don''t need to rebuild genes like the Skull Society does. Destruction is naturally much simpler than reconstruction."


    "That means we have to find a way to modify those altered genes again, which wouldpletely break the previous structure, rendering those Gene Modifiers utterly useless!"


    "Gaia, you truly are a genius!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but exim in admiration and then asked:


    "So, have you found that method now?"


    "Actually, I''ve had this method for a while now, but because it wasn''t universally applicable, I didn''t tell you."


    Dr. Gaia nodded in affirmation.


    "What do you mean?"


    "There are medical precedents where a bone marrow transnt can cause a person''s genes to change. So, couldn''t we also use bone marrow imntation to cause a second change in the genes of the Gene Modifiers? Wouldn''t that disrupt the sequence of genes they''ve manipted?"


    "And the result?"


    Su Chen felt his heart almost leap out as he stared intently at Dr. Gaia.


    "Then we conducted experiments and found that it was indeed effective!"


    Dr. Gaia had not let Su Chen be happy for a moment before he continued,


    "However, as mentioned before, there''s a problem. It''s not universally applicable, after all, bone marrow is used for life-saving purposes in hospitals!"


    "To take on those Gene Modifiers, we certainly won''t need just a small amount, and if we run into this issue again in the future, we won''t have a solution."


    Hearing this, Su Chen nodded as well. Bone marrow was not like other things, it was too precious. He could not possibly do something that vited human ethics.


    His initial confrontation with the Skull Society was precisely because they hadmitted actions against fundamental human ethics. How could he possibly engage in such acts to prevent their behavior?


    In the face of such major ethical dilemmas, his personal grievances and conflicts with Tang Gang were secondary.


    "But now? This problem has already been solved by us!"


    Dr. Gaia made a wry smile upon seeing Su Chen''s expression darken.


    "Dr. Gaia, have you started picking up bad habits aftering to Huaxia, learning to tease people now?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes immediately brightened, and he nced at him, saying,


    "Out with it!"


    "It''s thanks to the scientists you brought to me. They not only greatly improved my efficiency but also provided the solution to this problem," Dr. Gaia continued.


    "One of the scientists suggested that since real bone marrow is not universally applicable, we could try to mimic it. If we can figure out what element in bone marrow induces gic change, we could definitely create a ''bone marrow-like'' substance. By injecting it, we could change the gic sequences of those Gene Modifiers!"


    "After repeated research, we finally identified the elements in bone marrow that truly induce gic change, and we have created an effective product based on them."


    At that point, Dr. Gaia stood up and said,


    "Come with me to theb, I''ll show you."


    "Alright!"


    Su Chen immediately agreed, and then followed Dr. Gaia to theboratory. Of course, before entering, both had to change their clothes and go through a series of preparatory steps.


    Once everything was ready, the two entered the heavily securedboratory. Inside, several scientists were busy working. They simply nodded upon seeing Gaia bring in an unfamiliar young man, without uttering a word.


    In theboratory, people preferred not to speak unless necessary, so as not to disturb others.


    Dr. Gaia, wearing hisb garb, led Su Chen to a safe and then opened it, taking out a small bottle and handing it to Su Chen.


    "This is one of the products we''ve made. Injecting it into the Gene Modifiers will change their gic sequences," Gaia exined in a low voice.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but look at the bottle, inside of which was a milky-white paste.


    "However, this has only been produced recently and is not quite stable, so we''re urgently working to improve it," Dr. Gaia said again.


    "How long will that take?" Su Chen handed the bottle back to Dr. Gaia and asked.


    "About one to two months."


    Dr. Gaia pondered a moment before responding.


    "Then good, work as quickly as you can!"


    Su Chen nodded, feeling relieved that a solution was in sight...


    He couldn''t help but sigh with relief, grateful for the risk he had taken in personally going to Africa to rescue Dr. Gaia...

 Chapter 560: Exploring the Manor Secrets

    Su Chen and Doctor Gaia chatted all the way into the evening before leaving there.


    Although Doctor Gaia now had the close protection of the 14th Shadow Guard, Gu Ming, Su Chen still felt uneasy. Given how important Doctor Gaia had be, any mishap would be bitterly regretted!


    So, the first thing he did after stepping out was to arrange for two more Shadow Guards to take responsibility for Doctor Gaia''s safety in secret!


    Once this matter was settled, he rxed and then took a taxi to Grand Epoch Court.


    Since he had returned to Jianghai, of course, he wanted to visit home!


    As Su Chen approached the vi''s gate, he could already hear the chirpy voice of a young girl from inside.


    Su Chen opened the door curiously, but as soon as he did so, he was momentarily stunned.


    He saw one little girl chasing after another, incessantly calling out, "Sister, sister!"


    The little girl in front seemed to quicken her pace as if trying to shake off the one behind her, a look of impatience on her face:


    "Stop following me."


    "Sister, y with me for a bit!"


    "You''re too childish, why would I y with you!"


    The girl in front said with disdain.


    "My dear little ancestors, please stop spinning around, it''s making me dizzy."


    Wang Ma said with a pained expression on her face.


    Su Chen found the scene before him amusing.


    The girl in the front was naturally Lin Ruohan, and the little one following her was little Xun, whom Su Chen had named Qin Xun.


    "Brother Su!"


    Just then, Lin Ruohan noticed Su Chen, who had just entered, and her eyes immediately lit up as she ran toward him.


    "Uncle."


    Little Xun also revealed a look of surprise upon seeing Su Chen.


    "The son-inw is back!"


    Wang Ma also stood up immediately and said:


    "Son-inw, why didn''t you tell us in advance? We''ve already had dinner."


    "It''s okay, I''ll just warm it up in a bit."


    Su Chen smiled and then looked at the two little girls, one on each side:


    "What were you two just doing?"


    "Uncle, my sister won''t y with me."


    Little Xun said with a hint of grievance.


    "You little tattletale,"


    Lin Ruohan promptly red at little Xun with a "ferocious" look.


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen tapped little Ruohan''s forehead lightly:


    "Calling her a little tattletale, aren''t you one yourself?"


    "Tell me, why don''t you want to y with little Xun?"


    Su Chen asked little Ruohan.


    "She''s too childish, always asking so many questions!"


    Little Ruohan pouted, clearly displeased.


    Hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help butugh. This wasn''t surprising since little Ruohan was exceptionally precocious, bordering on the sinister. Naturally, she would find her peers childish.


    Besides, little Xun hade down from Tianshan, purer than the average child, and naturally full of questions about anything novel she encountered.


    So it was only natural that the two girls couldn''t y together well, as they wereplete opposites.


    "Ruohan, as the older sister, of course you should take care of your younger sister. Even though she doesn''t understand many things and likes to ask questions, who isn''t from a ce of not understanding to understanding?"


    Su Chen spoke earnestly:


    "One shouldn''t look down on others, because how do you know there aren''t aspects in which others surpass you? Everyone has their unique qualities, and we should learn to appreciate the bright spots in others, right?"


    Lin Ruohan wouldn''t listen to anyone else, even if it was Lin Wenting''s words, she would take them or leave them, but she was willing to listen to Su Chen.


    So upon hearing what Su Chen said, little Ruohan really gave it some thought and then nodded.


    "Son-inw, you really have a way with them, my head has grown bigger from their constant quarreling."


    Although Wang Ma said this, her eyes were filled with indulgence when she looked at the two little treasures.


    She then said to Su Chen:


    "Son-inw, let me heat up the meal for you first."


    "That would be nice."


    Su Chen nodded and said.


    "Little miss, what do you want to y? Sister will y with you."


    Little Ruohan asked little Xun.


    "Let''s watch Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf!"


    Little Xun said excitedly.


    "Alright then."


    Little Ruohan said, somewhat discontented, then sulkily muttered:


    "Childish!"


    But Su Chen''s words were still ringing in her ears, so she sat down on the sofa and started watching Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf with her, albeit reluctantly.


    Su Chen watched little Ruohan''s mature demeanor and couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Before long, little Xun wasughing nonstop at the animated show, and little Ruohan, seeing her, once again muttered "childish" under her breath!


    She then took out her phone and started ying a puzzle game on it.


    Soon, Wang Ma had the meal heated, and Su Chen began to eat.


    Wang Ma also sat down at the table and asked about their life in Yandu, obviously still worried about the two of them.


    Su Chen cheerfully told her about their situation to ease her worries.


    "With the son-inw here, I''m not worried,"


    Wang Ma said with a smile on her face.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, she took the two little girls to bed, and then she too went to rest.


    After finishing his meal, Su Chen also left Grand Epoch Court on his own, driving the BMW 5 Series to the manor by Jiangyang Lake.


    He had been meaning to find some time to explore that manor; being here was a perfect opportunity, so he decided to have a look. There might be an unexpected discovery.


    It wasn''t long before Su Chen noticed something¡ªthe Yuan Qi in that manor was much denser than by theke, suggesting that the problemy inside the manor.


    Arriving at the manor, Su Chen found it deserted; clearly, Xu Xinran, that little girl, had long since left.


    Without giving it much thought, Su Chen started wandering through the entire manor, looking for something out of the ordinary.


    However, after searching for two to three hours and finding nothing¡ªdespite checking every corner of the manor''s yard¡ªhe still had no valuable clues.


    Truth be told, Su Chen had previously noticed that there was something unusual about this manor and had given it a cursory look, but of course, there was no reward.


    He had thought that by searching with a purpose, he would definitely find something, but reality turned out to be disappointing.


    Standing in the yard, Su Chen lit up a cigarette and began smoking, feeling quite gloomy, but he had no intention of giving up.


    This was partly because he wasn''t someone who gave up easily; otherwise, he wouldn''t have managed to achieve one seemingly impossible feat after another and leave a legendary name in the Dark World.


    Of course, another reason was that the temptation of this matter was simply too great. If he could uncover the mystery of the abundant Yuan Qi in this manor, he might be able to take advantage of it. In doing so, his Cultivation rate would increase by leaps and bounds!

 Chapter 561 - 561 Zhuge Zi and Formation

    Su Chen stood in the courtyard, looking at the bright moonlight and its reflection on the shimmering surface of theke, unwilling to give up just yet.


    "No, I must find the key to this!"


    After taking a deep drag of his cigarette, Su Chen threw the butt on the ground and stamped it out before turning back and walking into the house, a determined look appearing on his face.


    He believed that he could find the reason why the Yuan Qi was so abundant in this estate.


    This time, Su Chen started from the outermost room, searching meticulously, leaving no stone unturned in any ce.


    This searchsted all night, and by the time the sun entered the room the next day, there was still not a single clue.


    Because of his detailed search, he had covered less than one-fifth of the area by the end of the night.


    However, Su Chen did not intend to give up and continued to search diligently, as if he would never stop until he achieved his goal.


    From dawn to dusk, Su Chen continued searching from room to room, maintaining a high level of focus at all times.


    He forgot to eat, forgot to drink, and even forgot to smoke, solely focused on finding out why the Yuan Qi here was so dense.


    Time passed by minute by minute, and the moon climbed slowly up the branches, gradually rising higher in the sky.


    Su Chen still searched carefully. He believed that perseverance would pay off, and as long as he didn''t give up, there was hope!


    When the bright moon was overhead, Su Chen had already searched most of the rooms. At that moment, he walked up to another door and pushed it open.


    He had been in this room before and found nothing. In the room, near the inner wall, there was an altar that looked weathered, as if it had endured countless years.


    On both sides of the altar, there were candlestands, and above the altar hung arge portrait; in front of it was a meditation cushion.


    The room seemed to be used for worship and did not appear to have anything special.


    But this time, Su Chen was even more meticulous than before, carefully examining and identifying every inch of the walls and floor, especially under the meditation cushion, where he knocked several times to see if there was anything unusual.


    Then he remembered that in a pce on a small ind in the Pacific Ocean, the mechanism was behind the painting, so he lifted the portrait to check behind it and even touched the wall behind it, but still found nothing.


    Su Chen, somewhat discouraged, shook his head, ready to leave.


    Just then, his gaze fell on the two candlestands.


    Su Chen did not think there would be any secrets about the candlestands, but adhering to the principle of "better safe than sorry," he walked over to take a closer look.


    Unexpectedly, when he casually tried to lift one, he couldn''t move the candlestand at all.


    Su Chen''s heart trembled, and he quickly came closer to examine it, only to discover that the candlestand was actually attached to the altar.


    This unexpected discovery made Su Chen thrilled, but he did not act rashly. Instead, he looked carefully at the candlestand for ten minutes, yet could not discern anything unusual.


    But Su Chen knew something was off, as after all, who has candlestands attached to their altars?


    Finding nothing unusual, Su Chen could only take down the candles, exposing the small columns where the candles had been ced.


    Su Chen looked at the column for a long while but still found nothing, so he reached out and touched it.


    Suddenly, he casually twisted the column and found that it could rotate!


    He immediately started rotating the column, but nothing special happened.


    "Right, there''s another candlestand!"


    Quickly, Su Chen took down the candle from the other stand, then started rotating the column where the candle had been ced, still, nothing happened.


    "Could it be that they need to be rotated simultaneously?"


    Su Chen thought to himself. He then stood between the two candlestands and simultaneously rotated the two small columns.


    Su Chen was once again disappointed, even though he had been full of anticipation.


    "I just turned it clockwise; now let''s try counterclockwise."


    Su Chen turned them again at the same time, and the result was the same as before.


    "Then one clockwise and one counterclockwise!"


    Su Chen, undeterred, once again rotated the two tiny columns!


    This time, Su Chen had just started turning when a faint "squeak squeak" noise emerged from inside the incense table.


    To Su Chen''s ears, the faint "squeak squeak" sound was like music from the heavens!


    "There''s a way!"


    Su Chen''s eyes brightened as he continued turning the two cylindrical columns.


    As he turned them, the "squeak squeak" noise seemed to grow louder!


    "Bang!"


    Just as Su Chen rotated the two cylindrical columns to their limit and could not turn them any further, suddenly, the incense table split in half right down the middle!


    This sudden change actually startled Su Chen, but when he focused his gaze once more, he found a book had fallen to the ground.


    Su Chen immediately picked up the book, and saw that the cover had therge letters "Formation" written on it.


    Down to the right of these two big characters were three small characters, "Zhuge Zi."


    "Could this be a book written by someone named Zhuge Zi?"


    Su Chen murmured, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    He had originally wanted to find out why the manor''s Yuan Qi was so intense, but after all this searching, he just found an old book!


    "Well, at least I''m not leaving empty-handed."


    Su Chen smiled wryly,forting himself this way.


    In fact, he had been secretly criticizing: An old book was hidden so secretively, really!


    Su Chen casually flipped through the book, but upon a closer look, he was somewhat stunned!


    He had thought the book was about various formations used in ancient warfare, but that was not the case at all!


    The formations described inside were ones he had never heard of, such as the Trapped Dragon Formation, the Nine Pces Defending Formation, the Qiankun Yin Yang Formation, and so on.


    The book not only introduced various specific formations but also provided detailed exnations of several aspects of a formation, like the Array te and Formation Eye!


    Su Chen had only intended to briefly look through it, but he found himself increasingly mesmerized!


    The book seemed to have opened up apletely new world to him!


    When he read the section about the "Gathering Yuan Formation," he was dumbfounded!


    He had no idea that there was a formation in this world that could gather all the surrounding Yuan Qi into one ce!


    "Could it be that the abundance of True Yuan in this manor and around Jiangyang Lake is also due to some kind of Gathering Yuan Formation?"


    A look of disbelief crossed Su Chen''s face!


    ording to the book, the Gathering Yuan Formation is just a general term for a type of formation, with various kinds of Gathering Yuan Formations producing different effects!

 Chapter 562: The Destined One

    When this idea emerged, Su Chen startled himself.


    Previously, he had always spected that the rich Yuan Qi in this ce might be due to something special underground, hence he had hoped to find some kind of cave.


    But what he hadn''t expected was that this could very likely be due to a very special Formation being set up!


    Su Chen immediately gathered his thoughts and continued reading, with the book recording three types of Formations that could umte Yuan Qi.


    If they were divided based on their effects, they could be categorized as small, medium, andrge.


    He then immediately began to verify ording to the Formation construction methods recorded in the book to see if it was possibly one of them.


    After several hours of exploration, he finally confirmed that a Formation had indeed been set up here, and it was a medium-sized Gathering Yuan Formation!


    This Formation, used to gather Yuan Qi, almost covered the whole Jiangyang Lake, with nodes connected by rocks and ancient trees.


    Then, Su Chen found the location of the Formation Eye and pried up a floor tile, underneath which he found a top-quality jade of vibrant green!


    ording to the book, the construction of a Formation had to make use of things with Yuan Qi, and mountains, rocks, and ancient trees did contain Yuan Qi, albeit in smaller amounts.


    Of course, the older they were, the more abundant the Yuan Qi they contained.


    In real life, jade was the item abundant with Yuan Qi!


    When Su Chen picked up the top-quality jade, the Yuan Qi in the surroundings immediately became unstable and began to decrease visibly and slowly!


    This phenomenon once again demonstrated that the rich Yuan Qi here was due to a Formation being set up, gathering all the surrounding Yuan Qi near Jiangyang Lake, especially within the estates around the Formation Eye!


    Su Chen marveled once again at the magic of Formation and also admired the person known as Zhuge Zi!


    He just didn''t know who this Zhuge Zi was, to have such tremendous talent.


    He also shared the surname Zhuge, and this estate belonged to the old chatan Zhuge Dongming; he couldn''t be the old chatan''s ancestor, could he?


    The more Su Chen thought about it, the more likely it seemed, probably even the old chatan didn''t know such a powerful Formation had been set up here!


    "Forget it, I''ll just ask him when I go to Yandu. If it really belongs to his ancestors, I''ll give him the book. I can just copy it for myself!"


    Su Chen shamelessly thought, not only did he not feel this behavior was somewhat despicable, but instead felt he was being quite generous!


    Of course, if I wasn''t generous, I wouldn''t tell you at all!


    "So, does that mean I could set up the same kind of Formation in the estate in Yandu?"


    Su Chen thought excitedly, with that, whether in Yandu or Jianghai, or even in other ces in the future, he could speed up his Cultivation!


    Indeed, hard work pays off for the dedicated!


    Su Chen sighed deeply, grateful that he had not given up. He knew that this discovery would be of tremendous help to his future Cultivation!


    Although he did not know how to set up Formations yet, he believed that after research, he would certainly be able to do it.


    After a busy day and two nights, Su Chen was feeling a bit hungry, so he cooked himself a bowl of noodles.


    Since things had been a sess, this bowl of noodles tasted much more delicious than usual!


    After finishing the noodles, Su Chen left the estate, but of course, before leaving, he put the jade from the Formation Eye back in its ce.


    When Su Chen returned to Lin Ruoxue''s vi, it was around 10 a.m., and Wang Ma was cleaning the house.


    After all, with two children staying there, it was easy for it to get messy.


    After greeting Wang Ma, Su Chen went to his own room, then dragged out the wooden chest from under his bed, took out the key from the drawer, and opened it.


    His gaze fell once more onto the ancient Sheepskin Scroll, caressing it fondly, feeling that natural sense of intimacy once again, and his heart overflowed with emotion!


    If it weren''t for this sheepskin scroll, he still didn''t know what he would look like now!


    Perhaps he would still be mired in the pain of a broken Dantian and brother''s betrayal, living like a walking corpse!


    It could be said that it was this sheepskin scroll that had given him the hope of rebirth!


    But at the same time, a worry also rose in his heart, for the Nine Yang Divine Technique recorded on this sheepskin scroll only detailed up to the Meridian Expansion Realm, and there was nothing beyond that.


    He couldn''t help but wonder what he would do after he entered the Meridian Expansion Realm. Was he not going to cultivate anymore?


    Or was reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm already the peak of Martial Arts, with no further progress possible?


    Su Chen didn''t think so, but he also didn''t have any solutions right now, so he could only take things one step at a time.


    Sighing, Su Chen put the sheepskin scroll back and locked the wooden box. He nned to take this wooden box with him to Yandu this time.


    After having a simple lunch with Mother Wang, Su Chen once again boarded the helicopter to Yandu.


    On the way back, Su Chen wasn''t in such a hurry, so he let the pilot fly at a leisurely pace while he sat in the back, resting with his eyes closed.


    After arriving at thending pad of the Special Security Bureau, Su Chen went to Qin Ming first to briefly discuss the situation. Qin Ming, upon hearing Su Chen''s report, was also overjoyed.


    Su Chen''s previous car was parked at the Special Security Bureau and now it was just right to drive it back.


    He didn''t go to Rainbow Mansion or the Imperial Garden, but instead drove to Zhuge the divine stick''s courtyard house.


    Zhuge Dongming and his disciple were startled into a flurry when they saw him returning after only a few days.


    A robber entering one''s home is honestly frightening!


    When Su Chen dered in the courtyard that this time he wasn''t here to take things but to give something, Zhuge Dongming came out of the house looking nervous.


    At the same time, he was puzzled in his heart, as it seemed like the sun had risen from the west!


    A robber entering one''s home not only does not rob but instead brings gifts? And what exactly was he intending to give?


    After the two sat down in a room, Su Chen recounted what he had discovered in that estate in Jianghai.


    "This is the book I found."


    Su Chen ced the book on the table and said.


    Zhuge Dongming became silent for a while after listening to Su Chen''s story, his gaze looking at Su Chen somewhat strangely.


    After a long time, Zhuge Dongming pushed the book towards Su Chen:


    "Since you are fated with this book, you keep it."


    "Isn''t that Zhuge Zi your ancestor?"


    Su Chen asked somewhat perplexedly.


    "I don''t know, but he probably is, the incense stand you spoke of is indeed our Zhuge Family''s heirloom treasure."


    Zhuge Dongming sighed:


    "I''ve always wondered why our Zhuge Family, with so many treasures, regarded an incense stand as the heirloom. Now I finally know the answer."


    "Then old divine stick, why didn''t you..."


    Of course, Zhuge Dongming understood what Su Chen meant, and he smiled slightly:


    "Some things are about destiny, I''m not the destined one, while you and this book, through some mysterious fate, are inexorably linked."

 Chapter 563: Unaware Genius

    Actually, Zhuge Dongming was also very surprised. This book was so secretly hidden, and none of the many generations of the Zhuge Family had discovered it, yet this guy managed to find it.


    This could only mean one thing, when this guy wanted to aplish something, he made sure to see it through!


    "Then I''m really sorry, you keep the book. I''ll just copy it by hand," Su Chen said somewhat sheepishly.


    "Forget it, I know you. Just take it," Zhuge Dongming gave him a sideways nce and curled his lip as he said:


    "If one day I really need it, you can copy it by hand for me."


    On one hand, Zhuge Dongming said this because he was already of such an age that he no longer possessed a fiercepetitive spirit.


    On the other hand, it was also because he knew that The Way of Formation was extremely profound, and without that kind of aptitude, it was very difficult to achieve anything.


    Even if the book were given to him, it wouldn''t be of much use; he might as well give it to this young man whom he always had high hopes for yet couldn''t see through.


    "Then I won''t be polite!"


    Su Chen didn''t stand on ceremony and cheerfully pocketed the book before leaving the quadrangle to return to the Imperial Garden!


    In the following days, Su Chen was almostpletely immersed in that book, focusing intently on the study of various formations, especially those three Gathering Yuan Formations!


    During those days, he ate only one meal a day, skipped sses, and kept flipping through the pages, pondering deeply in his room!


    The more he studied, the more he felt that The Way of Formation was unfathomable, beyond the understanding of ordinary people!


    In the past, he always thought he had a great aptitude, even his ghostly master had praised his astonishing insight.


    But after studying formations, he began to deeply doubt this belief!


    If my aptitude is so amazing, why am I still so bewildered after several days of study?


    If someone knowledgeable in formations heard his thoughts, they would surely spit out their soda in disbelief.


    What do you think formations are? Cabbage?


    You should know that many people with a talent for formations spend their entire lives just to get a glimpse of the basics!


    You''ve only been studying for a few days and you want to make a breakthrough, isn''t that asking too much?


    Of course, Su Chen''s unusual behavior naturally caught Lin Ruoxue''s attention. She was also worried and had asked him what was wrong since she saw him frowning all the time.


    Although Su Chen always smiled and told her it was nothing, she could tell her husband was somewhat irritable these days.


    Therefore, Lin Ruoxue did not bother him; instead, she personally went to the restaurant every day to pack his meals and bring them back to him.


    In the following days, Su Chen was still engrossed in the study of formations every day, and gradually, he finally began to get a feel for it.


    After another two days, Su Chen''s understanding of these formations seemed to grow deeper, and he vaguely seemed to grasp the key elements!


    He decided to start by arranging a small-scale Gathering Yuan Formation in his vi to test it out, after all, True Essence could nourish everything, and living here would be beneficial for Lin Ruoxue''s health.


    Plus, in this way, he could also practice his cultivation here on a regr basis and only needed to go out to the manor when he was about to break through.


    After all, themotion during a breakthrough was too loud;st time it even caused all his clothes to shatter!


    As for the medium-sized Gathering Yuan Formation that Jianghai had almost spread across the entirety of Jiangyang Lake, he didn''t yet have the capability to set it up.


    Moreover, the vi Lin Ruoxue bought was a detached house with a courtyard, perfectly suited for setting up a small Gathering Yuan Formation.


    No sooner thought than done, but the first step was to find materials. The Formation Eye naturally worked best with high-quality precious gems, and he did have a piece of exquisite jade, stored in a wooden box.


    Then he began to look for ancient trees and stones with a long history, which could serve as nodes in the formation and would go unnoticed by others.


    For him, this wasn''t too difficult. He made a phone call to Qin Ming to handle it.


    In one day, Qin Ming managed to gather all these items and personally delivered them.


    "Su Chen, do you realize it took some doing to collect these from various parks and gardens? But what do you need these for?" Qin Ming asked, puzzled.


    "My wife thought the yard was a bit too in and wanted to spruce it up a bit."


    Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue over as a shield, although he trusted Qin Ming, he did not intend to tell him the truth. After all, the attraction of the Gathering Yuan Formation to cultivators was just too great!


    Qin Ming certainly didn''t believe Su Chen''s words, but he didn''t take it to heart and left after chatting with Su Chen for a bit.


    After a whole day''s hustle, Su Chen finallypleted the setup of the small Gathering Yuan Formation!


    As soon as the Gathering Yuan Formation was activated, Su Chen distinctly felt the True Yuan around the vi gradually bing richer!


    "Haha, I''ve finally seeded!"


    Su Chen, bathed in the increasingly abundant aura of True Yuan, couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    He felt that the hard work of these past days had finally paid off,pletely unaware of the magnitude of the feat he had aplished!


    For almost no one could seed at setting up a formation on their first try, but Su Chen had done it, moreover, after studying for just a few days!


    "Honey, what are youughing about?"


    Lin Ruoxue had just gotten off work and parked her car in the nearby garage. She hadn''t even walked into the yard when she heard Su Chen''s heartyughter!


    It wasughter she hadn''t heard for many days!


    "Honey, what did you just say you seeded at?"


    Lin Ruoxue walked into the yard and came up beside Su Chen to ask.


    "Hehe, nothing!"


    Su Chen chuckled foolishly twice, then happily scooped Lin Ruoxue into his arms.


    Su Chen''s reason for not telling Lin Ruoxue waspletely different from not telling Qin Ming. If he had told her, she wouldn''t understand and might even think he had gone crazy.


    Moved by a sudden impulse, Su Chen leaned down and kissed Lin Ruoxue!


    He didn''t know how else to express his joy and excitement, as if only through this gesture could he convey it!


    "Mmm mmm mmm~~~"


    Lin Ruoxue waspletely caught off guard by Su Chen''s unexpected kiss and instinctively resisted!


    However, after a moment, her resistance weakened, and she gradually began to respond...


    Several minutester, Su Chen finally released Lin Ruoxue, satisfaction on his face, which still bore an irrepressible smile!


    "You lecher!"


    Lin Ruoxue panted and spat out, then walked into the house with a flushed face!


    Su Chen continued to stand in the yard, chuckling foolishly, then lit up a cigarette and enjoyed the evening glow.


    "Life is so beautiful!"


    Su Chen sighed deeply, then also returned to the house!


    "Honey, I''m sorry for these days. You''ve been working hard!"


    Back in the house, Su Chen said apologetically. He knew he had been a bit too obsessed with his research on formationstely, neglecting Lin Ruoxue.


    "Just bully me less in the future!"


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes annoyedly.


    Being beautiful did indeed bring advantages, like his wife, who seemed to have a charm all her own even when rolling her eyes!


    "How could this be called bullying? If you think this is bullying, then you can bully me too! I don''t mind!"


    Su Chen shamelesslyughed and sat down next to her on the couch.


    "I mind!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at this guy and couldn''t help thinking of a saying, which is that nothing beats a shameless person!

 Chapter 564: Bastard! Ill bite you to death!

    That evening, under a sky where the moon shone and the stars speckled, Su Chen began his cultivation in his room.


    A dense True Essence Aura washed over him; although the True Yuan here was slightly inferior to that of his estate in Jianghai, only about half as potent, Su Chen was quite satisfied!


    After all, the concentration of True Yuan here was already several times that of ordinary ces!


    Furthermore, he believed that, with his research, he would soon be able to set up a medium-sized Gathering Yuan Formation, or even arge one!


    After a night of cultivation, Su Chen felt vibrant and rejuvenated!


    After taking a bath, he began to prepare breakfast for Lin Ruoxue.


    When Lin Ruoxue got up, she found that sincest evening, Su Chen had reverted to his old self.


    But she was somewhat puzzled, what had been wrong with him these past few days?


    After breakfast, the two of them headed to the office one after the other as usual.


    Nowadays for Su Chen, going to the office truly felt like being in prison, so uninteresting; although it had been boring previously, at least he could enjoy looking at the beauties in the public rtions department!


    But now?


    All he saw around were nd white walls...


    So, with nothing to do by noon, suddenly Du Hanbing called him, inviting him to lunch together, which Su Chen certainly didn''t refuse.


    He immediately drove to the address Du Hanbing had given him, and she was already there waiting!


    No sooner had Su Chen gotten out of the car than he saw Du Hanbing at the restaurant''s entrance, and his eyes immediately lit up, as today Du Hanbing wore a low-cut tight dress!


    The dress entirely showcased the stunning figure that Du Hanbing had previously concealed, its curves and contours drew the gaze of every passing man!


    Su Chen was no exception, especially captivated by the valley between her majestic peaks!


    This was the first time Su Chen had seen Du Hanbing dressed this way; previously at the military camp, she always wore a uniform, and usually she wore casual outfits like jeans and T-shirts when she was out!


    Even in winter, she only added a coat at most!


    Seeing Du Hanbing dressed this way for the first time, Su Chen was truly dazzled!


    In fact, Du Hanbing had always been naturally beautiful, but her years in the military had concealed her beauty, adding a bit of heroism to her demeanor.


    Du Hanbing had noticed from afar that Su Chen was staring intensely at her, so she walked towards him with a blush.


    In fact, Du Hanbing was also feeling jittery and somewhat uneasy at the moment, as it was the first time she had worn such bold attire!


    "You look truly beautiful today!"


    Su Chen also stepped forward, sincerelyplimenting her.


    With that remark, Du Hanbing blushed even more; although she appeared spirited, she was actually quite reserved in matters of men and women!


    When she noticed Su Chen''s eyes scanning over her, she quickly said,


    "Let''s go inside!"


    "Okay!"


    The two then walked into the restaurant holding hands, though Su Chen''s gaze kept darting to the side as if something had caught his attention!


    But Du Hanbing was too shy to say anything; after all, she was wearing this dress for him, wasn''t she?


    After sitting down at the restaurant, they called the waiter over to order.


    After they had ordered, they were about to start chatting when suddenly a voice rang out from beside them:


    "Ha ha, I finally caught up with you guys!"


    Immediately a young girl appeared at their side, none other than Du Hanshuang!


    "Ha ha, sister, when I saw how you dressed today, I knew you must be meeting your brother-inw!"


    Du Hanshuang said proudly, then promptly sat down next to Su Chen.


    "Little girl, don''t you think it''s a bit crowded for you to be sitting here?"


    Su Chen grimaced annoyedly, his perfect duo moment ruined by this little girl.


    "Not crowded at all!"


    Hanshuang looked around andmented, "This ce is quite spacious, you know!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen nearly wanted to strangle the little troublemaker!


    Hanbing, having no way to deal with her quirky little sister, then asked:


    "Did you follow me here?"


    "Of course, I noticed you''ve been glowingtely, and today you dressed up like that¡ªI knew something was up, so I installed a tiny tracker on the tire of your car beforehand!"


    Hanshuang said with a proud smile.


    At this, Hanbing immediately felt speechless. Although she was usually very cautious, she never expected Hanshuang to install a tracker on her car, especially when she wasn''t on a mission.


    "Haha, I knew I guessed right! By the way, when did you and your brother-inw get back together?"


    Hanshuang asked with twinkling eyes.


    "What do you mean ''get back together''? That''s awful to hear!"


    Hanbing rolled her eyes in displeasure.


    "Sis, you''re dressed like that, what''s there to be shy about!"


    Hanshuang retorted with a smirk.


    Upon hearing this, Hanbing blushed deeply. She was already embarrassed about her outfit, and now to be teased by her own little sister made her face turn a deep red.


    "What''s wrong with dressing like this? It looks pretty! Unlike you, whocks the curves to pull it off!"


    Su Chen nced in front of her and snorted dismissively.


    "How do I not have the curves?"


    Hanshuang puffed out her chest, indignantly retorting.


    "Puffing out won''t help¡ªit''s still an airport, a bumpy one at that!"


    Su Chen, annoyed by the little girl spoiling his moment alone, didn''t hold back his words.


    "You jerk!"


    Upon hearing this, Hanshuang immediately became furious and started throwing punches at Su Chen.


    Although she was a martial artist as well, how could she be a match for Su Chen? She was subdued and her hands locked in no time.


    "Getting angry won''t change the fact you''re an airport!"


    Su Chen nced again in front of Hanshuang and taunted.


    "Jerk! I''ll bite you to death!"


    Hanshuang, driven crazy by Su Chen, suddenly bent down and went for a bite!


    Su Chen, genuinely startled by her sudden outburst, hastily withdrew his hands!


    "Enough, stop it!"


    Hanbing suddenly shouted sternly.


    Hanshuang reluctantly ceased her attacks on Su Chen. Normally she was fine, but when Hanbing got angry, Hanshuang didn''t dare to mess around much.


    Seeing Hanshuang quiet down, Hanbing couldn''t help but re at Su Chen. She hadn''t realized until now just how venomous this man''s words could be; no wonder her sister had lost her temper.


    Any woman would be upset being called an airport, right!


    When Su Chen saw Hanbing ring at him, he immediately let out a sillyugh, though his gaze still fixated on Hanbing''s peaks...

 Chapter 565: Not Allowed

    "Pervert!"


    Du Hanshuang had indeed noticed Su Chen''s gaze and immediately spat out in "disdain".


    "Everyone has a love for beauty; besides, even if I were a pervert, I wouldn''t be interested in you."


    Su Chen curled his lips and spoke indifferently, his disdainful gaze falling on Du Hanshuang once more.


    Du Hanshuang''s eyes immediately filled with rage shooting toward Su Chen. If all that fire could be unleashed, it would have surely burned Su Chen to death several times over.


    Just as Su Chen was about to lecture this little girl who was spoiling his moment, Du Hanbing red at him again, and Su Chen closed his mouth.


    At that moment, the dishes they had ordered arrived, and Su Chen and Lin Hanbing knew they couldn''t dismiss this little girl, so they let her be.


    Su Chen was eating while looking at Du Hanbing, fully understanding the meaning of "a feast for the eyes"!


    "Sister, you shouldn''t dress like this anymore; you''re giving this guy a bargain. Look at how he''s looking at you; he seems like he wants to devour you!"


    Du Hanshuang, still upset by Su Chen''s annoyances, said resentfully.


    "Stop talking nonsense and eat your food!"


    Du Hanbing''s cheeks turned slightly red as she served Du Hanshuang some dishes, thinking to herself that she actually wished he would devour her!


    But she was just too embarrassed to say it out loud!


    "Sis, you''re done for,pletely done for!"


    No one knows a sister like her own sibling. Seeing Du Hanshuang''s expression, Du Hanshuang sighed and shook her head:


    "I really don''t know what''s so good about this jerk!"


    "Whether I''m good or not isn''t for you to know; your sister knows that''s enough."


    Su Chen said with a suggestive smile as he nced at Du Hanbing, who suddenly changed her expression.


    Du Hanshuang also noticed her unusual reaction and quickly turned her head to follow her gaze, subsequently her face turning even uglier than Du Hanbing''s.


    "Miss Du, I didn''t expect to meet you here!"


    Suddenly, a gentle voice came from behind Su Chen, apanied by two men appearing beside the table.


    The man at the front, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wasn''t very handsome. He wore a set of white casual clothes with sneakers, looking casual and unrestrained.


    The other man, standing slightly behind the first, wore a deep blue tailor-made suit from an Italian workshop and a Rolex limited edition watch worth over two million.


    To the average person, there was no question that thetter man was more handsome and more eye-catching!


    Yet, from the actual standing position, the man behind clearly revered the one in white casual clothes, deliberately positioning himself lower.


    This man behind was known to Su Chen; he was Situ Lei, whom Su Chen had once forced to kneel.


    However, Su Chen did not give him a nce, his attentionpletely on the man in the white casual clothes.


    He had a distinctive vibe about him, a faint smile on his face and an innate confidence and arrogance radiating from within.


    Who was this person that could make the heir of the Situ Family willing to y a subordinate role like a little brother?


    "Young Master Shen, are you here to dine as well?"


    Du Hanbing smiled slightly, her smile clearly one of professional courtesy.


    "Yes, it was Brother Situ''s choice of ce." The man nced at Situ Lei and smiled, "I thought there was some unforgettable delicacy here that made Brother Situ fondly remember it, but it turns out, what Brother Situ fancies isn''t the food but the beauty!"


    Everyone in Yandu knew that Situ Lei fancied Du Hanbing, so that''s why the man in the white casual clothes teased him like this.


    Situ Lei indeed lit up the moment he saw Du Hanbing, especially since she was wearing such a sexy dress today, revealing her great figure and adding a touch of femininity!


    This made Situ Lei even more infatuated!


    At this moment, hearing the tease from the man in the white casual clothes, Situ Lei said somewhat sheepishly:


    "Actually, I didn''t know that Hanbing was here, it''s just a coincidence."


    "That means the two of you are destined!"


    The man in the white casual clothes quirked a smile and turned to Du Hanshuang:


    "Didn''t expect to see you here, Second Young Miss. Long time no see."


    Du Hanshuang, although her expression was not very pleasant, still nodded her head. After all, the importance of this man was known throughout Yandu.


    Upon hearing Du Hanbing mention ''Young Master Shen'', Su Chen instantly understood that he must be Shen Shao, the Second Young Master of the Shen Family!


    He was also the ''dragon'' once appraised by the old fortune teller Zhuge, among the one dragon and one phoenix.


    However, no one in Yandu knew the rest of what Zhuge Dongming had left unsaid, that while the phoenix was a true phoenix, the dragon might not necessarily be a true dragon!


    "Who is this?"


    It was then that Shen Shao finally set his gaze upon Su Chen, who was beside Du Hanshuang, and asked with slight curiosity.


    Situ Lei''s attention had been entirely captured by Du Hanbing just moments ago, and he hadn''t noticed anyone else. Now, hearing Shen Shao''s inquiry, he turned his head.


    When he saw Su Chen''s face, his expression drastically changed, and a venomous glint shot out from his eyes:


    "It''s you!"


    "Situ Young Master, we meet again, ah!"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a slight smile as he looked at Situ Lei and chuckled.


    "You know each other?"


    Seeing this exchange, Du Hanbing asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "Know each other? Too well!"


    Situ Lei said through clenched teeth.


    Shen Shao nced at Su Chen with a look of realization but remained silent.


    "Hanbing, why are you with him?"


    Situ Lei demanded sharply.


    "Who I am with is none of your business, and you can''t control that!"


    Upon hearing this, Du Hanbing''s expression immediately turned icy.


    Let alone him, Situ Lei, even if it were Shen Shao saying this, she would not have shown the slightest courtesy!


    She would not allow anyone to meddle in matters involving Su Chen!


    Situ Lei wanted to say something else, but a nce from Shen Shao immediately silenced him.


    "Miss Du, may we sit and share a meal together?"


    Shen Shao revealed a warm, inviting smile¡ªthe kind that felt like a spring breeze and made it hard for anyone to refuse.


    One does not strike a smiling face, moreover when the person is Shen Shao. As Du Hanbing was about to agree, Su Chen spoke up:


    "No."


    Su Chen''s tone was light, but it carried an undeniable decisiveness.


    Hearing Su Chen''s voice, Du Hanbing immediately swallowed back her reply.


    "Do you know who he is? Don''t think you are something great just because you know a little kung fu!"


    Before Shen Shao could speak, Situ Lei began to scold.


    "What? The master hasn''t spoken yet, and the dog is already so eager to show its loyalty?"


    Su Chen remarked lightly.


    "Who are you calling a dog?"


    Situ Lei immediately erupted in anger upon hearing this.


    Su Chen did not respond but instead looked at Situ Lei and curved his lips into a mocking smile.


    This reminded Situ Lei of that night at Qimeng Tower, an embarrassing episode they would never forget for the rest of their lives!


    Meanwhile, a cold flicker crossed Shen Shao''s eyes, but his expression quickly returned to normal.


    "Since that''s the case, we won''t bother you any further."


    Shen Shao spoke nonchntly, as if his mood waspletely unaffected, and then he walked away...

 Chapter 566 - 566 Black List

    "Brother-inw, you were really cool just now, do you know who he is?"


    As soon as Shen Shao and Situ Lei left, Du Hanshuang, the young girl, stared at Su Chen with stars in her eyes and blurted out.


    "Who cares who he is, he shouldn''t have disrupted our meal anyway."


    Su Chen naturally retorted.


    "But that was Shen Shao, the Second Young Master of the Shen Family, a favorite son of heaven!"


    Du Hanshuang said,


    "I bet you''re the only one in the whole Yandu who would dare to refuse him like that, huh?"


    "Ah, he''s that impressive? Why didn''t you tell me sooner!"


    Su Chen was suddenly "startled," his eyes widening with a hint of fear showing.


    "What? Feeling scared now, huh? He must have you on his cklist now!"


    Du Hanshuang snorted, feeling a surge of satisfaction seeing him like this, as if she had avenged the prank he had yed on her before!


    "Do you think if I ask him toe back and sit with us now, he would let bygones be bygones?"


    Su Chen pretended to be uneasy as he spoke.


    "What do you think?"


    Du Hanshuang rolled her eyes and said,


    "If you go now, it''s not just about not giving face, it would be a direct insult to him."


    On the other hand, Du Hanbing certainly didn''t think like Du Hanshuang, she felt that Su Chen must have known the other''s identity and did it on purpose.


    She didn''t know why Su Chen would do such a thing, but she didn''t ask, trusting that Su Chen must have had his reasons.


    "Han Shao may be a bit proud, but he''s no simple man; you should be careful around him."


    Du Hanbing warned Su Chen with a nce.


    "I understand, a dragon isn''t a simple creature, is it?"


    Su Chen scoffed disdainfully.


    "Ah, so you knew who he was all along? Were you ying me just now?"


    Upon hearing this, Du Hanshuang immediately realized what was happening and her eyes, filled with anger, shot towards Su Chen again!


    "You''re just realizing that now?"


    Su Chen ignored her angry gaze and leisurely continued eating his food!


    Du Hanbing felt a headacheing on upon seeing this scene; her sister and Su Chen seemed to really sh, almost as if they were natural enemies.


    At that moment, at a dining table not far from Su Chen''s, Shen Shao and Situ Lei had also sat down. With just a slight turn of the head, they could see Su Chen and his group.


    Situ Lei''s gaze remained fixed on Su Chen. Not only had Su Chen subjected him to a huge humiliation, but now he was cozying up to the woman he liked!


    This was intolerable!


    Both incidents were something Situ Lei could not let go of!


    "What? You had previous issues with him?"


    Shen Shao looked at him, his expression voracious, and chuckled softly.


    "A little."


    Situ Lei said, his expression somewhat awkward, recalling being forced to bark like a dog on the ground¡ªnot something he''d want others to hear, let alone himself think about!


    However, with one nce at him, Shen Shao understood that a "little issue" wouldn''t express it quite right.


    "Is he really that formidable?"


    Shen Shao picked up the teapot from the table and poured tea for both of them.


    "Thank you!"


    Situ Lei quickly rose halfway from his seat to express his gratitude after Shen Shao personally poured him tea.


    But hearing Shen Shao''s question, he was momentarily stunned and blurted out:


    "Young Master Shen, how did you know?"


    "Isn''t it easy to guess? Considering you have a grudge against him, why would you do nothing? But now, he''s perfectly fine; this indicates that your strike didn''t affect him at all."


    Shen Shao sipped his tea lightly and said,


    "Moreover, your expression gave you away; you seem to hate him a lot, yet you are somewhat wary of him and somewhat helpless! Am I right?"


    Hearing this, Situ Lei was suddenly shocked!


    Although Shen Shao had proved his insight and wisdom countless times and could deduce many things from minor clues,


    he was still inevitably astonished each time; just like now, he had hardly said anything, yet Shen Shao had already guessed so much, and very urately!


    "Indeed, this guy is cunning. I''ve sent out three groups of people so far, even one who I heard was a ''Qi Refinement Seventh Level'' master, but all of them never returned!"


    Situ Lei said, frowning, seemingly unable to figure out why.


    "Oh, that''s interesting. It looks like this person is quite intriguing!"


    Due to special reasons, Shen Shao had a decent understanding of the realms of Martial Arts. At this moment, hearing that even a Qi Refinement Seventh Level master couldn''t handle this young man, a glint of sharpness shed in his eyes!


    He then turned to look at the young man who was sneakily eyeing Du Hanbing with a smile that was hard to describe on his lips.


    "Do you really want him dead?"


    Shen Shao then casually looked at Situ Lei and asked.


    "Of course, I dream of it!"


    Situ Lei spat out angrily.


    "Then let me give you a piece of advice...,"


    Shen Shao had just finished speaking when the waiter came over with the dishes.


    "A piece of advice?"


    After the waiter left, Situ Lei immediately asked.


    He was already eager to get rid of Su Chen, especially after seeing how close Du Hanbing and this man were, this desire became even more unstoppable!


    "Have you heard of the Dark World?"


    Shen Shao lit a cigarette and asked casually.


    "The Dark World? I seem to have heard of it, but I can''t really remember."


    Situ Lei thought for a moment, saying somewhat uncertainly.


    "In the Dark World, there is a ck List, with all the world''s top assassins listed. You can post a Dark Flower on it, and as long as the reward is sufficient, there are top experts willing to take action."


    Shen Shao said nonchntly while eating, as if it were a trivial matter.


    Hearing this, Situ Lei''s face immediately lit up with excitement, and he hurriedly said,


    "That''s great! But how do I contact them?"


    "I''ll give you a websiteter where you can post the task."


    Shen Shao said with a slight smile,


    "Now, let''s eat first, as this is just a minor issue."


    While they were eating, Su Chen and his group had already finished their meal and were walking out of the restaurant.


    "Hanbing, I need to talk to Su Chen alone for a moment. Could you leave us for a while?"


    Upon seeing her sister still closely following them, Du Hanbing said somewhat shyly.


    "So now I''m an eyesore, huh? Fine, I''ll step away!"


    Hanshuang pouted unhappily and walked away.


    "What secret do you have to tell me?"


    As soon as Hanshuang walked away, Su Chen immediately stretched out a hand to block Du Hanbing''s slender waist, his fingers gently sliding over it, the touch smooth andfortable.


    Not far away, Hanshuang, having just walked away, saw this scene and couldn''t help but mutter, "Pervert!"


    Du Hanbing also noticed her sister''s gaze, feeling quite embarrassed, but understanding Su Chen''s character, she let it be.


    "I have to leave this afternoon,"


    Du Hanbing suddenly said with a somewhat sad expression...

 Chapter 567: The Wife and the Mistress

    ```


    "On a mission?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s expression froze and the mischievous hand that had been causing trouble suddenly stopped moving.


    "Hmm."


    Du Hanbing nodded her head.


    In the past, going on missions was as routine as dining at home for her, a simple pack-up and she was off.


    But now things were different, here she had something she deeply cared about, something she couldn''t bear to leave behind.


    In the past, she wasn''t afraid to go on missions, but now she was; she wasn''t afraid of sacrificing herself, but she was afraid that if she did, she would never see Su Chen again.


    "How long will you be gone this time?"


    Su Chen asked calmly, knowing that as a military person, Du Hanbing had no choice.


    "It''s uncertain, if it''s quick, ten days to half a month, if things don''t go well, it might take one or two months."


    "Take good care of yourself!"


    Su Chen nodded and said. He didn''t ask Du Hanbing what the mission was, he knew the rules.


    He was no longer with the Eighth Brigade now, although his number and information were still kept there.


    At this moment he finally understood why Du Hanbing had dressed up like this to see him.


    For Du Hanbing, every mission was uncertain whether she could return safely.


    If she couldn''te back, she hoped thest image she left in Su Chen''s mind would be her most beautiful one!


    "Su Chen, kiss me!"


    Thinking about the uing separation, Du Hanbing couldn''t hold back anymore and murmured affectionately while looking at Su Chen.


    Su Chen, hearing these touching words, disregarded theings and goings of people around them, pulled Du Hanbing into his arms, and kissed her passionately.


    A full five minutes went by before the two reluctantly parted, and by then Du Hanbing''s pretty face was flushed red.


    "Sister, you''re unbelievable, learning bad habits now, huh!"


    After the two separated, Du Hanshuang, the cheeky girl, walked over and teased with a mockingly intrigued tone.


    At those words, Du Hanbing''s face turned even redder, and she red fiercely at her sister.


    "Brother-inw, you better be careful, when Situ Lei walked out earlier and saw you two, his expression looked like he was about to kill."


    Du Hanshuang said with a mischievous grin, not appearing worried but rather as if she was taking pleasure in the misfortune.


    "Su Chen, he''s the heir to the Situ Family after all, so you should still be a bit careful,"


    Du Hanbing said, not without concern.


    Du Hanbing''s understanding of Su Chen was actually not very extensive, especially regarding his situation after leaving the Eighth Brigade¡ªshe knew nothing at all. Regarding his past, she only knew his parents had died, and that he was an orphan.


    "Don''t worry, I know."


    Su Chen nodded and smiled, not taking the matter of Situ Lei to heart.


    "Well then, I have to go now, I still have things to prepare and I need to leave at two-thirty."


    Du Hanbing said, ncing at the military watch on her wrist.


    "Alright, take good care of yourself. The mission is important, but your safety is the top priority!"


    Su Chen knew that Du Hanbing became an absolute daredevil when on a mission, so he made sure to warn her earnestly.


    "Hmm, I will take good care of myself!"


    Du Hanbing nodded and replied.


    "Can you two please stop being so nauseating! I can''t stand it anymore, I''m getting goosebumps!"


    Du Hanshuang couldn''t stand the couple''s excessive disy of affection and blurted out her disgust.


    "If you can''t stand it, you can leave, no one asked you to watch!"


    Su Chen retorted, his lips curling. This pesky girl could truly be annoying!


    Didn''t you see I was being sweet with your sister? Aren''t you spoiling the moment?


    "Su Chen, be nice,"


    ```


    Du Hanbing couldn''t help but spit out, "This guy really is something. Although she was also a bit upset about Du Hanshuang''s interruptions, Hanshuang is still just a young girl after all."


    "Exactly! A dog can''t spit out ivory!"


    With her sister''s support, Du Hanshuang immediately became smug and lifted her little head proudly.


    "You could also talk a little less!"


    Du Hanbing gave Du Hanshuang a look, prompting Du Hanshuang to stick out her tongue and make a face.


    Du Hanbing had no way to deal with these two and let out a resigned sigh,


    "Alright, I''m leaving now. Both of you should go back as well."


    Having said that, Du Hanbing drove off without further attention to them because she was indeed in a hurry!


    "Brother-inw,e out and y with me this afternoon!"


    As soon as Du Hanbing had left, Du Hanshuang''s eyes twinkled, and she suddenly changed her tone, clinging to Su Chen''s arm and cooing.


    Su Chen was instantly speechless. Did this little girl have some kind of masochistic tendency? He had been so harsh with her before, and yet she still wanted him to apany her?


    "I''m busy!"


    Su Chen declined directly.


    "Then what are you going to do?"


    "Of course, I''m going to work!" Su Chen curled his lip and said, "Do you think everyone is like the people from the Special Security Bureau, with nothing better to do after eating their fill?"


    Upon hearing this, Du Hanshuang immediately became furious. Although Su Chen had always been scathing, he had never been as venomous as now!


    But she didn''t realize that she was asking for it. In Su Chen''s view, this little girl had just ruined his and Du Hanbing''sst date, and he was naturally very annoyed, so of course, he wasn''t going to be too polite to her!


    Moreover, Du Hanbing was dressed so seductively today that if it weren''t for this third wheel, they might even have been able to do something more intimate!


    "Fine, I''ll apany you to yourpany then, since I have never been there!"


    Du Hanshuang smiled immediately after saying this.


    Just reaching the car, Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this proposal!


    "No, you can''te. Even if you did, I wouldn''t have time to entertain you!" Su Chen retorted coldly.


    Of course, he couldn''t let Du Hanshuang go to thepany with him. If she went and called out ''brother-inw'' every now and then, how could he live with that?


    "It''s okay, I''m not doing anything. I''ll just get to know where yourpany is, you do your work!"


    Du Hanshuang said nonchntly.


    "No way, absolutely not!"


    Su Chen''s face changed abruptly, and then he put on a forced smile,


    "Hanshuang, where did you say you wanted to go y earlier? I''ve been really tired from work recently, let''s go together."


    Du Hanshuang immediately looked at him suspiciously and tilted her head to ask,


    "Why do I feel like you really don''t want me to go to yourpany?"


    "How could that be? There''s nothing special in my office. What would I be afraid of you discovering?"


    Su Chen''s heart skipped, and he pretended to be unconcerned.


    "You''re not in a rtionship with some mistress at thepany, are you? Afraid that I''ll find out and tell my sister?"


    Du Hanshuang scrutinized Su Chen as she asked.


    "Nonsense, am I that kind of person? If you don''t want me to apany you, then forget it!"


    Su Chen quickly tried to divert the topic.


    In his mind, there were no mistresses there; his official partner was there!


    Speaking of which, it''s your sister who should be worried about being discovered!


    But Du Hanshuang was still pretty much a child at heart, and hearing that Su Chen agreed to apany her, she immediately said,


    "Okay, great!"


    In an instant, she had tossed her previous suspicions about Su Chen to the back of her mind...

 Chapter 568: Unspoken Purposes

    "Where do you want to go have fun?"


    Sitting in the car, Su Chen looked at Du Hanshuang, this little girl, somewhat headachy as he asked.


    Du Hanshuang hadn''t actually decided where she wanted to go have fun; she was just bored being alone and, besides, she quite liked being with Su Chen, even though this fellow wasn''t so friendly towards her.


    After thinking for a moment, she suddenly asked:


    "Do you think my sister looked really pretty today?"


    "Yeah, what about it?"


    Su Chen casually lit a cigarette, nodding as he said.


    "Do all you men like it when women dress like that?" Du Hanshuang continued to ask.


    "Like what?"


    "You know, like how my sister dressed today, looking very sexy?"


    With a somewhat blushing shyness, Du Hanshuang nced at Su Chen.


    "Of course, it''s in a man''s nature!"


    Su Chen said boldly, not feeling even a bit embarrassed.


    "Men really are all perverts!"


    Du Hanshuang muttered under her breath.


    "What did you say?"


    "Nothing, let''s go to the Venus Mall."


    Su Chen then drove towards Venus Mall without asking what this little girl intended to do; he was just there to entertain her, after all.


    Once the two arrived at Venus Mall, they headed upstairs, and it wasn''t until they reached the third floor that Su Chen found out what this little girl was up to¡ªshe actually wanted to buy clothes!


    Thinking about what she had said in the car just now, the corners of Su Chen''s mouth couldn''t help but reveal a smile. It turned out this little girl waspeting with her sister for beauty.


    She probably saw that Du Hanbing was dressed too beautifully today, felt a bit inferior, and thus wanted to buy clothes to dress herself up.


    Su Chen actually found Du Hanshuang''s little scheme quite amusing.


    It seemed that every woman was the same; they all had apetitive spirit, even between sisters!


    "Little girl, if you want to buy clothes, you shouldn''t be on the third floor; you should head up to the fourth floor!"


    Su Chen said as if he werepletely serious.


    "Why?"


    Du Hanshuang asked, puzzled.


    "Didn''t you see the sign? The third floor is for women''s wear; the fourth floor is where the children''s clothes are!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    "Su Chen, I''m going to kill you!"


    Upon hearing this, Du Hanshuang could no longer suppress the anger that had been simmering for a long time and kicked at Su Chen.


    This guy really had a smart mouth; she had to teach him a lesson!


    Her kick was truly forceful, creating a gust of wind, as expected of a girl from the Martial Arts world.


    Su Chen had been on guard against this little girl; as soon as he saw her kick, he reached out to catch her slender ankle.


    "Bastard, let go of me!"


    As soon as Du Hanshuang saw he''d caught her ankle, she shouted.


    "You kick me, yet you want me to let go, you think I''m stupid?"


    A mischievous smile yed on Su Chen''s lips.


    With a bite of her silver teeth, Du Hanshuang suddenly stomped on the ground with her other leg, and her whole body twisted in the air, fiercely aiming a kick at Su Chen!


    This move fully showcased Du Hanshuang''s amazing flexibility. Seeing this, Su Chen quickly withdrew the hand that was holding her ankle, at the same time stepping back half a step!


    Now free, Du Hanshuang swung her fists at Su Chen once more.


    "Howe this girl never learns?"


    Su Chen chuckled softly, once again reaching out to control her wrist.


    Seeing this, a hint of triumph shed in Du Hanshuang''s eyes, for that had only been her feint.


    As soon as Su Chen grasped her wrist, her other hand was already ready and swiftly pped towards Su Chen''s chest.


    At the same time, she took arge step forward, raising her knee and aiming it straight at Su Chen''s sensitive area!


    "Damn, does it have to be so ruthless? Wasn''t it just a little teasing?"


    Su Chen immediately bent his body into an incredible arc to dodge the strike aimed at his vitals.


    At the same time, his other hand eerily shot out, clutching her other wrist!


    Du Hanshuang''s heart suddenly jumped, how could this guy''s reaction speed be so fast?


    Right at that moment, Su Chen''s eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately pulled her into his arms, then swiftly walked to arge pir inside the mall, hiding behind it with her in tow.


    Su Chen''s body pressed her tightly against the pir behind them, making their bodies fit closely together in an instant.


    This sudden move by Su Chen gave Du Hanshuang quite a scare!


    What was he trying to do? He wasn''t thinking of...?


    She lifted her head fearfully and caught a glimpse of an odd, mischievous grin spread across his face, resembling a big bad wolf!


    "What are you trying to do? I''m telling you, you''re my sister''s boyfriend..."


    Du Hanshuang said nervously.


    "Shh!"


    Su Chen hurriedly ced a hand over her cherry lips.


    Du Hanshuang''s fear grew immensely, he was preventing her from making any sound!


    Wasn''t this an indication he was about to do something terrible to her?


    She immediately began to struggle violently, but her efforts were in vain as Su Chen held her firmly in ce.


    "Don''t move around!"


    Su Chen quickly red at her and let out a sharp reprimand.


    It was then that Du Hanshuang looked up and realized that his gaze wasn''t on her, but focused on some distant direction.


    Her lively eyes immediately began to flutter with curiosity, what was he looking at?


    "Mmm-mm-mmm~~~"


    Du Hanshuang whimpered a few times, then shook her head vigorously.


    Su Chen seemed to understand what she meant, she was motioning him to let her go, promising she wouldn''t make a sound.


    "Don''t you dare speak!"


    Su Chen warned the young girl with a nce.


    Du Hanshuang hastily nodded her head like a pecking chicken, and only then did Su Chen slowly remove his hand and let go of her.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Du Hanshuang asked curiously.


    After finishing her question, seeing Su Chen ring at her, she quickly covered her mouth and then turned around to follow Su Chen''s gaze.


    There, in the distance, a man and a woman were snuggled up intimately, their faces beaming with joyful smiles, looking like a couple deeply in love!


    Du Hanshuang recognized both individuals. The woman was none other than the Situ Family''s youngdy, Situ Jiao, and the man was the recently popr star, Cui Yuanmin.


    She hadn''t expected these two to be an item, but it wasn''t something all that surprising. So why on earth was Su Chen peeping at them?


    Especially with that hint of a mischievous smile on his lips, it made Du Hanshuang shudder inwardly, as if he was contemting some unspeakable n!


    Soon thereafter, Situ Jiao and Cui Yuanmin turned into a women''s clothing store.


    "Let''s go!"


    Su Chen started running, pulling Du Hanshuang along.


    "But I haven''t bought my clothes yet?"


    "We''lle back and buy them next time."


    "You better not be tricking me!"


    "Alright, I definitely won''t trick you!"


    The two quickly arrived at the parking lot, then got into the car.


    "What were you looking at when you saw Situ Jiao and Cui Yuanmin just now?"


    Du Hanshuang asked curiously,


    "And why did we have to run away?"


    "Why all these questions, are you a curious baby?"


    Su Chen pursed his lips and started the car.


    "Are you up to some bad idea?"


    "How could that be? Do I look like that kind of person to you?"


    "You are!"


    Du Hanshuang, eying the unmistakable smile at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth, said,


    "You definitely have a secretive goal!"

 Chapter 569 - 569 Unworthy of the Title of Family

    "I have no dealings with them, why bother about what they do?"


    Su Chen shrugged.


    "Could it be that you''re annoyed because Situ Lei likes my sister, so you want to use Situ Jiao to cause trouble for the Situ Family?"


    Du Hanshuang tilted her head and asked:


    "But they''re just in a normal rtionship, right? At worst, it''s just more gossip, not that big of a deal, is it?"


    "A normal rtionship? Not necessarily!"


    Su Chen didn''t say this out loud, but the smile at the corner of his mouth grew broader!


    Who would''ve thought that this Cui Yuanmin was a charmer of both young and old, hooking up with women from two major families, and what''s more, those families were the closely tied Situ Family and Zheng Family!


    Su Chen was very much looking forward to the stir that this major news would create when it broke.


    However, he still needed something more explosive, so it looked like he was going to be a nocturnal visitor again tonight!


    Su Chen couldn''t help feeling grateful that he hadn''t immediately exposed the affair between Cui Yuanmin and Zheng Yan previously.


    If he had done so at the time, where would the current excitement be!


    Watching Su Chen''s expression, Du Hanshuang felt that this guy was definitely up to no good!


    At that moment, Du Hanshuang couldn''t help but recall the situation when Su Chen''s entire body had been pressed against hers, and her heart began to race, her cheeks gradually flushing!


    "What am I thinking? He''s my sister''s man!"


    Immediately, Du Hanshuang shook her head vigorously, trying to toss out this "terrifying" thought!


    But the more she tried not to think about it, the more vividly she recalled the image of the two of them tightly pressed together behind the pir!


    A young girl''s longing for spring is always poetic; Su Chen absolutely didn''t expect that a careless gesture would leave a different kind of mark in Du Hanshuang''s heart.


    What Du Hanshuang hadn''t realized was that this mark had already been branded on her the very first time she had followed Su Chen in Jianghai and had been outyed by him.


    In fact, at that time, Su Chen''s reactions were nothing more than instinctive efforts to prevent those two from being discovered.


    Next, Su Chen drove his car back to where they had eaten earlier because Du Hanshuang''s car was still parked there.


    Then he drove to thepany; as soon as he entered, the receptionist girl told him that President Lin wanted him to visit her office as soon as he returned.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen of course scurried straight to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Wifey, I''m here!"


    Just like when he was in Jianghai, Su Chen never knocked before entering Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Where have you been fooling around now, vanishing for half the day?"


    Lin Ruoxue frowned at his ingratiating smile.


    "Fooling around? I went out to see a client," Su Chen quipped.


    "Go see a ghost!"


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t believe for a second that he would take the initiative to meet any client; this guy couldn''t possibly stay in the office and do his work, never mind go out to see clients.


    "Wifey, what did you want to see me about, anyway?"


    Su Chen chuckled and then moved behind Lin Ruoxue, cing his hands on her fragrant shoulders and began to gently massage them.


    Lin Ruoxue was now quite enjoying his massages; she felt somewhat ufortable without them for several days, so she didn''t stop him this time.


    "Husband, the day after tomorrow we''re going to pay respects to... your parents. Do you think just buying a few bunches of flowers is too simple?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked somewhat nervously, her cheeks blushing at the mention of his parents.


    Thinking of paying respects to inws she had never met made her heart race, even though they had already passed away.


    After all, this was a very important event for her, or at least Lin Ruoxue took it very seriously!


    "No need, they''re not the sort who fuss over formalities, it''s the thought that counts."


    Su Chen said with a faint smile.


    "Really, there''s nothing inappropriate about this?"


    Lin Ruoxue still asked somewhat uneasily.


    "Don''t worry, they''ll be thrilled just to see you, and won''t be picking over gifts!"


    Su Chen reassured her.


    At that moment, thinking of Su Chen''s parents, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but recall the mysterious owner behind Jinsheng Group.


    "Husband, do you truly have no rtives left in this world?"


    Lin Ruoxue turned her head and asked Su Chen with a puzzled look.


    "None left, and those who are alive aren''t worthy of the title ''rtives''!"


    A sudden chill swept over Su Chen''s face, causing even Lin Ruoxue to shudder!


    At this moment, Su Chen thought of the second branch of the Su Family, who had yed a disgraceful role in past events!


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately understood that he did have rtives.


    But it seemed their rtionship was far from harmonious, perhaps even filled with hatred!


    Yet the woman from Jinsheng Group that day didn''t seem like his enemy; if she was an enemy, why would she want to give away the entire huge entity of Jinsheng Group to her?


    With this thought, Lin Ruoxue became even more puzzled.


    However, seeing Su Chen in this state, she didn''t say much more.


    "Husband, why do I feel even more energetic today than usual?"


    Lin Ruoxue deliberately changed the subject, but she wasn''t just making conversation, as she usually felt very drowsy by the afternoon and needed a cup of coffee to stay awake to continue working.


    Yet today, close to the end of work, she still didn''t feel the slightest bit of fatigue.


    "Maybe you just had a better restst night."


    Su Chen replied with a casual smile, already putting away the chill that had just been on his face.


    Of course, the real reason was that Su Chen had set up a small Gathering Yuan Formation in the vi; with such rich True Yuan nourishing her, feeling anything less than alert would have been strange!


    Afterwards, Su Chen carried on chatting casually while giving Lin Ruoxue a massage, and she continued to examine documents and make notes without interruption.


    Momentster, Lin Ruoxue suddenly sensed something odd in front of her and quickly looked down, anger shing in her beautiful eyes!


    Because this scoundrel''s hand had somehow slid down from her fragrant shoulder to a ce where it didn''t belong!


    "Smack!"


    "Where are you putting your hand?!"


    Lin Ruoxue pped the back of his hand fiercely, her tone icy.


    "Force of habit, force of habit!"


    Su Chen said with an embarrassed smile, retracting his wandering hand and cing it back on Lin Ruoxue''s shoulder, which was now red.


    He couldn''t help but think to himself that this woman really didn''t pull her punches!


    Of course, Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t let him continue, and she promptly sent him out.


    Walking into the corridor with a bitter face, Su Chen saw Yunlong approaching from the entrance, an excited look on his face.


    Yunlong had visited several times already, and the people from the Belle Group hade to recognize him, so he usually entered directly without needing to announce himself.


    "Yunlong, what brings you here?"


    "Of course, it''s good news! Come on, big bro, let''s talk in your office."


    Yunlong urged Su Chen into the office with an air of mystery and then closed the door behind them¡­

 Chapter 570: Two Ancient Families

    "What''s the good news?"


    Su Chen looked at Yunlong''s excited yet mysterious demeanor and asked curiously.


    "Well, I''ve been hearing a lottely that Qimeng Tower is a great spot, big bro, how about we head there tonight..."


    As he spoke, Yunlong gave Su Chen a sly wink, the implication clear.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately rolled his eyes, not expecting Yunlong to suggest going to Qimeng Tower.


    But that was normal since Qimeng Tower held a fatal attraction for every man, just manly nature!


    Besides, Qimeng Tower wasn''t just mysterious, but the beauties there were all so exceptional!


    To be honest, even now, Su Chen still felt a bit itchy in his heart when he remembered the graceful cheongsam-d beauties he saw that day!


    However, Ruoxue was also there that day, and Su Chen hadn''t had the chance to explore further interactions with those beauties. Thinking back on it now, it really was a shame!


    "Big bro, what do you think?"


    Seeing Su Chen momentarily distracted, Yunlong asked again.


    "Alright then, tonight we''ll go and learn about their marketing, how they make it so people can''t bear to leave!"


    Su Chen said very seriously.


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong was instantly defeated by Su Chen''s shamelessness. They were all men here; who was fooling whom with that talk of learning?


    "Big bro, aren''t you tired of putting on an act?"


    Yunlong muttered with a sigh.


    If this had been before, Yunlong would never have dared to joke like this with Su Chen, but now their rtionship had greatly improved, and he understood this older brother''s nature better. Sometimes, their interactions even had a vor of friendship.


    "Shush, you know this is thepany, and your sister-inw is here, we must beware ears on the wall!"


    Su Chen whispered.


    "Damn, big bro, you''re that scared of your sister-inw, is she that fierce?"


    Yunlong was quite surprised that Su Chen was so afraid of Lin Ruoxue. Was this still his resolute and decisive boss?


    "It''s not that she''s fierce, but rather that she''s cold. When she gets cold, she could freeze someone to death!"


    Su Chen said with a face full of emotion, shuddering at the thought of Lin Ruoxue''s icy demeanor.


    "In that case, you might as well choose my sister. My sister is definitely very tender, and she''s absolutely capable in the hall, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom!"


    Yunlong immediately started smooth-talking Su Chen with a sly face.


    "Do you think your sister knows you''re selling her out like this?"


    Su Chen gave Yunlong a speechless look. What kind of brother sells his sister like that?


    However, upon hearing Yunlong''s words, Su Chen''s mind did conjure up Yunyao''s wless face and her shapely figure.


    And honestly, this woman, just in terms of appearance, wasn''t too far off from Lin Ruoxue, definitely a top-notch beauty.


    But regarding the special tenderness Yunlong mentioned, he wasn''t so sure. This woman, when angry, might very well be a match for Lin Ruoxue!


    "I''m doing this for her own good, where else would you find a man as handsome and valiant, wise and mighty as you, big brother!"


    Yunlong shamelessly ttered, making even a thick-skinned person like Su Chen feel a chill!


    "Alright, are we going or not? If we are, let''s hurry up and have dinner," Su Chen said.


    "Go, go, go!" Yunlong responded hastily with a nod and then amicably added, "Let''s just grab something quick to eat so we can hurry and get to studying."


    After that, the two of them casually grabbed a bite near the Rainbow Mansion, but they didn''t actually head to Qimeng Tower right after finishing.


    It was too early, not even seven o''clock yet, and most people wouldn''t head over until at least eight.


    If they went now, they would definitely seem too eager even though they were indeed very eager.


    "Big brother, who exactly are you?"


    After finishing their meal, Yunlong handed Su Chen a cigarette, lit it for him, and then lit one for himself, taking a long draw before speaking.


    Since they were in a simple restaurant, it wasn''t a nonsmoking area like in bigger establishments.


    "Why do you ask all of a sudden?"


    Su Chen smiled slightly and looked at Yunlong.


    "The twopanies you introduced me to, when I looked them up, they almost scared me to death!"


    Yunlong said with a somewhat intense gaze:


    "The background and strength, very few enterprises in Huaxia canpare."


    Yunlong had always thought that his big brother was no ordinary person, but aftering to Yandu, he discovered that his big brother''s mystery and power seemed to far exceed his imagination!


    The first day he arrived in Yandu, because of his big brother, he had entered the Pei Family mansion - a ce he had never even dared to think of entering - and was even treated as a distinguished guest!


    Andter that night at the underground boxing ring, not only did his big brother help him win billions in a sh, but he also beat up, no, battered Su Family''s second young master, forcing him to sign a huge debtor''s note!


    Afterward, his big brother mentioned introducing him to two corporate groups for potential coboration.


    At first, he was unimpressed, but after some research, he realized how terrifying the strength and backgrounds of those two groups were!


    Since one was controlled by the Phillip Family and the other by the Lorraine Family, both ancient families of Europe!


    Their power and heritage were truly unimaginable to outsiders!


    He simply couldn''t understand how his big brother would have any connection with such ancient families!


    But what followed was even more shocking!


    Let''s be real, Yunlong''spany was tiny, not evenparable to a hair on those behemoths, not to say hispany, even the entire Yun Family was no more than a tiny worm in their eyes.


    He initially thought that by being able to meet with him, they were already giving his big brother enough face, given the huge disparity in status!


    However, to his surprise, not only did the top executives of the groups attend the negotiations, many key figures from those hidden families appeared too.


    When negotiating with the Lorraine-controlled group, even the patriarch of the Lorraine Family showed up!


    And while the patriarch of the Phillip Family couldn''t attend the talks with their group, the emissary conveyed the patriarch''s deepest regrets to Mr. Su!


    This factpletely stunned Yunlong, just who was his big brother, to make these ancient families go to such lengths!


    He doubted that even national leaders would receive such treatment from these ancient families!


    This reality made him even more grateful for his initial decision to leave; had he stayed hidden in a corner of Jiangnan, he would never have experienced such a thrilling world!


    Simrly, it reinforced his resolve to match his sister with his big brother.


    If you wouldn''t want such a man, what kind of man would you want?


    It wasn''t that he was selling his sister or hoping to gain anything; he genuinely believed that if his sister missed out on a man like his big brother, it would be a real shame!

 Chapter 571 - 571 Our Boss Wants to Meet You

    Afterwards, Yunlong conveyed to Su Chen the friendly overtures from the head of the Phillip Family and the chief''s apology.


    With a slight smile, Su Chen didn''t really say much; his dealings with these two families had taken ce in the Dark World, helping them with some minor issues at the time.


    The reason Su Chen had not shared these resources with Lin Ruoxue was that he did not want her to know too much about his past yet.


    Besides, what was their rtionship to each other? Wasn''t what was his...also hers?


    For Yunlong, however, the situation was somewhat different¡ªhe chose to leave his family to follow Su Chen, undoubtedly facing great pressure, which was why Su Chen decided to lend a hand.


    "It''s about time to go, aren''t you eager to get going?"


    Su Chen stood up and said.


    "Right on!"


    Yunlong immediately responded with excitement. As for the earlier topic, seeing that his elder brother didn''t want to discuss it further, he stopped asking.


    Then, Su Chen took Yunlong''s car to Qimeng Tower. Upon arrival, Su Chen walked straight in.


    "Brother, you seem quite familiar with this ce. Have you been here before?"


    Yunlong asked, noticing how Su Chen seemed to know his way around.


    "Came here once before, a while back."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "Brother, that''s not fair! Coming to such a nice ce and not calling me!"


    Yunlong immediatelyined.


    "Didn''t I bring you here now?"


    "Today it was me who invited you, okay?"


    Yunlong retorted with a sense of grievance.


    "Alright, let''s go inside! Stop whining!"


    Su Chen patted Yunlong on the shoulder with augh.


    After arriving at the front desk on the first floor, they took a room card and went up to the second floor.


    Once they entered the room, a server came in shortly after and asked them what they would like to drink.


    Being from a well-to-do family, Yunlong didn''t hold back and casually ordered some wine.


    Of course, they weren''t here to drink; they were here for the beauties of legend.


    "Gentlemen, may wee in?"


    Suddenly, two knocks on the door were heard, followed by a voice, sweet and sultry.


    Yunlong felt his heart quiver¡ªwere they here already?


    Being from the Yun Family, Yunlong naturally had seen and even spent time with many exquisite women, including some female celebrities; after all, it was all consensual.


    The reason for his excitement was due to the particr rumors about Qimeng Tower and the allure of the beauties within, which had an indescribable charm.


    Moreover, the strict rule that allowedpanionship but not going to bed intrigued many men, tickling their fancy!


    "Ahem,e in!"


    Yunlong cleared his throat, trying to sound calm so as not to seem too excited ande off as uncouth.


    As he spoke, a woman in a cheongsam, followed by two others, walked in!


    The woman in the cheongsam didn''t look exceptionally beautiful, but she had an intellectual charm about her, and her Chinese-style cheongsam gave her an extraordinary ir.


    It was evident at a nce that this woman was no simple character.


    However, what stimted the men''s eyes even more were the two women behind them. They were dressed in sexy pink nurse uniforms with hemlines just touching their thighs,plemented by a pair of white and ck stockings, respectively, and high heels that entuated their long, lean, and statues tall legs!


    Both of the women''s features were exquisitely delicate, with hardly a w to be seen!


    Even more astonishing was that these two looked almost identical, obviously a pair of twins!


    Yunlong''s eyes lit up with intense brightness upon seeing this pair of supreme twins!


    Qimeng Tower really was extraordinary, to start with such a pair of premium sisters!


    Yunlong suddenly felt his head dizzy, and his mouth seemed a bit dry!


    Not just him, Su Chen, watching this pair of premium sisters, was also thoroughly amazed!


    Such exquisite sisters were hard to find in a thousand miles, especially with their current attire, which made men fall at the sight of them!


    Although Su Chen was amazed, his mind was filled with more puzzlement now.


    Firstly, thest time he mingled with those so-called rich heirs, they were presented with a group to choose from, but this time, only two women came in.


    Secondly, although only two people came in this time, the quality of these two was clearly much higher than thest group, even considerably so.


    Although the women in cheongsam from thest batch were also absolute beauties, the problem with things and people is the fear ofparison, which highlights the gap.


    What''s more, these two were twin sisters, which made them even rarer and more precious!


    This was not normal, very abnormal!


    "Are you the floor manager?"


    Su Chen looked at the woman in the cheongsam and harrumphed deliberately.


    "Yes, may I know if you have any instructions?"


    The intellectual woman in the cheongsam replied politely, her smile natural and warm.


    "What''s the deal with your Qimeng Tower? Do you look down on us brothers? Think we''re broke?"


    Su Chen ced one foot directly on the coffee table andined loudly, appearing every bit like a haughty yboy.


    "Where does the gentleman get this notion?"


    The woman in the cheongsam replied smoothly, her smile unchanged.


    "I''ve heard that the beauties of Qimeng Tower line up for the guests to pick from, what''s the meaning of this? You only brought two people, isn''t that looking down on us?"


    Su Chen looked ferocious as he spat out his words.


    Yunlong was naturally baffled by Su Chen''s sudden behavior, but one thing he did realize was that it was intentional.


    So, he said nothing at the moment and simply sat there drinking, his eyes rolling around the twin sisters.


    "Sir, you have misunderstood. It is precisely because we respect you that our boss specially instructed these two sisters to serve your friend!"


    The cheongsam-d woman exined with a smile:


    "These two sisters are the most outstanding in Qimeng Tower; they have never served a guest before!"


    Su Chen immediately caught the question in the cheongsam woman''s words; she had just said that the sisters were to serve his friend, i.e., Yunlong, but what about him?


    This was not because he was lustful but rather because there seemed to be something off¡ªsince when did one only attend to a single guest?


    Yunlong felt the same way. Although he was initially overjoyed to hear that both sisters would serve him, he also thought of the same issue as Su Chen soon after.


    The cheongsam woman seemed to know their doubts and smiled at Su Chen:


    "Sir, our boss would like to meet you."


    "As for your friend here, our boss has instructed that there are no rules for him today in this ce, if he wishes, he may even take the sisters away with him."

 Chapter 572: Reluctant

    Upon hearing this, Su Chen and Yunlong were both stupefied.


    They had both heard about the rules of Qimeng Tower, and now, astonishingly, they had agreed to let Yunlong take someone away!


    Moreover, thedy of Qimeng Tower herself was a mysterious figure in Yandu, one whom even the influential young men dared not provoke, and now she had taken the initiative to invite Su Chen for a meeting!


    Su Chen felt even more that something was off today, with a hint of eeriness in everything.


    "Sir, is there a problem?"


    Seeing Su Chen slightly distracted, the cheongsam-d woman couldn''t help but ask.


    "Since Miss Qi Meng wishes to see me, how could I refuse to honor her request? Please lead the way!"


    Su Chen nodded slightly and nced at Yunlong before stepping out the door, signaling him to be careful.


    Yunlong nodded back, indicating that he should be at ease.


    Su Chen then followed the woman in the cheongsam out, and soon they took the stairs nearby up to the third floor.


    After reaching the third floor, the woman in the cheongsam continued to head inside, walking all the way to the door of a room at the far end.


    At this point, the cheongsam-d woman turned around and smiled slightly:


    "Sir, our boss is inside. Pleasee in."


    "Aren''t you going in?"


    Su Chen tilted his head, smiling as he asked.


    "Without the boss''s permission, I am not allowed to enter!"


    The woman in the cheongsam still maintained a natural smile:


    "Sir, pleasee in."


    "Alright!"


    With a faint smile on his lips, Su Chen pushed open the door and walked in; he was indeed curious to see what tricks this mysterious Miss Qi Meng was ying.


    At this moment, he was not afraid at all, but more curious.


    Because in front of absolute strength, any trick or deceit was merely a paper tiger, so Su Chen wasn''t worried about any tricks the other party might pull!


    When he walked in, the decor that entered his eyes was no different from that of an ordinary household and there was nothing special.


    The room was empty, Miss Qi Meng was nowhere to be seen.


    "Could this be a trap set by Qi Meng?"


    Su Chen thought to himself, but then he shook his head as his intuition told him it was unlikely.


    Having not met the person he was supposed to meet, Su Chen wasn''t in a hurry; instead, he sat down on a brown leather sofa and poured himself a ss of red wine.


    "A test of patience? Then let''s see who can oust whom."


    After taking a sip, Su Chen''s lips curled into a smile, his gaze flicking to a certain spot, his expression calm and unhurried.


    "Mr. Su, since you''re here, why note upstairs?"


    Just as Su Chen finished his ss of wine, a timely voice came from above from the attic¡ªan ethereal voice with a hint of coquettishness.


    "Miss Qi Meng did not invite me, how could I dare to intrude? What if I frightened Miss Qi Meng? Wouldn''t that be a great wrongdoing?"


    Su Chen looked at the nearby attic and said lightly.


    "Now I invite you; do you think it''s toote?"


    The coquettish voice came again from the attic.


    "A beauty''s invitation is never toote."


    Su Chen''s smile turned mischievous.


    "Mr. Su, you haven''t even seen me, how do you know if I''m beautiful or not?"


    "Recognition by voice. Surely a woman with such a pleasant voice must also be beautiful."


    "Giggle giggle!"


    As soon as Su Chen''s words fell, lightughter rang from the attic:


    "Mr. Su really knows how to make a woman happy."


    "Mr. Su, what are you waiting for then?"


    The voice from the attic was not just coquettish now!


    If it were any ordinary man, just hearing this voice would have disarmed him!


    "In that case, I will follow the orders respectfully."


    With a smile on his lips, Su Chen immediately walked up the wooden staircase near the window, which creaked under his steps.


    The attic had only one small room, which was open. As Su Chen ascended, the first thing that caught his eye was arge round bed draped with sheer curtains.


    The window at the back of the room was also open, and a gust of breeze made the thin curtains dance. Behind the curtains was a graceful woman!


    Although separated by the curtains, Su Chen could still sense the woman''s exceptional beauty!


    "Mr. Su, why are you standing so far away?"


    Seeing Su Chen slightly dazed, the woman behind the curtains beckoned with her finger, her voicezily sultry:


    "Don''t you want to see me?"


    "Of course, I do!"


    Curious, Su Chen slowly approached and gently lifted the curtain.


    He was momentarily stunned!


    Because the woman who appeared before him was incredibly seductive and enchanting, with wless features and skin fairer than snow!


    As Su Chen lifted the curtain, a flicker of panic crossed the woman''s eyes, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Su Chen caught that brief change in the woman''s expression, a yful smile curling on his lips, then he sat down beside the bed.


    "Mr. Su, am I beautiful?"


    The woman asked softly.


    "Beautiful!"


    Su Chen turned to look at her, nodding emphatically, his response simple and direct.


    If she wasn''t considered beautiful, then were there any beauties in the world?


    "Then Mr. Su, what are you waiting for?"


    The woman murmured seductively.


    "If you''re reluctant, why force yourself?"


    Just as the woman was about to move closer to Su Chen, a sigh sounded...

 Chapter 573: Its Her

    "Mr. Su, what do you mean by that? Are you displeased with the service?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Qi Meng''s heart trembled violently, and then she cast a seductively charming nce at him.


    This nce was indeed filled with allure and charm!


    "Miss Qi Meng, your acting is quite good, but you are a bit too hasty."


    Su Chen nced at Qi Meng and teased with a yful tone.


    "Mr. Su, I don''t understand what you are saying?"


    A confused look shed in Qi Meng''s beautiful eyes as she spoke innocently.


    "If Miss Qi Meng really intended to throw herself into my arms just now, why then was there a hint of panic in your eyes, even some fear?"


    Su Chen looked at Qi Meng, who was still in his embrace, and smirked:


    "Moreover, why did your hand tremble slightly when you were unbuttoning my shirt?"


    "It''s my first time, of course, I''m a bit nervous."


    Qi Meng''s heart jolted, and then she seductively uttered.


    However, she thought to herself, the Lord of the Underworld truly lives up to his name, she thought she had controlled everything well, but he still noticed something was off!


    "The key is, when my hand suddenly touched your skin, the muscles underneath instinctively tensed, although you quickly returned to normal, I still felt it!"


    "Miss Qi Meng, words can deceive, but bodily reactions cannot! Your reaction was not just nervousness but more of aversion!"


    Su Chen spoke yfully. He knew women''s bodies too well¡ªhe could tell when a woman was shy and nervous and when she was repulsed or even disgusted!


    And Qi Meng''s reaction was a mix of these; Su Chen could see that she intended to sleep with him, but she was definitely not willing.


    Facing Su Chen''s sharp observation, Qi Meng couldn''t help but feel utterly shocked. Was this man really human?


    "Mr. Su, I was just joking just now, testing your resolve. I am quite confident in my appearance and figure, but your self-control far exceeded my imagination!"


    Qi Meng slowly got up from Su Chen''s body and then adjusted her clothes.


    Qi Meng knew that this move of hers had failed; she didn''t know whether this was fortune or misfortune for her.


    "Really? If it happens again, I don''t know if I will still possess that resolve."


    A yful smile appeared on Su Chen''s face; he naturally didn''t believe the nonsensical excuses from Qi Meng.


    However, he didn''t know what objective Qi Meng had in willingly offering herself!


    But from her behavior, it was clear she did not want to do this; who was forcing her?


    "I believe that even if it happens ten more times, Mr. Su will still be able to control himself!"


    Qi Meng said earnestly. The most difficult part was the first time, and if one could resist then, then it wasn''t a problem thereafter.


    Su Chen didn''tment on Qi Meng''s words but instead extended a finger, gently lifting her chin, and his gaze fixed on her, filled with tenderness.


    At that moment, Su Chen''s eyes shone like stars, deep as the ocean, as if one look would be enough to sink into them.


    "A woman, especially a beautiful woman like Miss Qi Meng, should not do things she is reluctant to do, you should follow your heart!"


    Su Chen looked at her passionately and spoke gently, filled withpassion.


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng''s heart trembled!


    Because no one had ever spoken to her like this, especially not a man! A very attractive man!


    Especially since Su Chen was looking at her this way, her mind suddenly became flustered, unlike the initial anxiety and fear.


    She felt as if something in the depths of her heart was awakening, reviving, a feeling that left her somewhat at a loss.


    She dared not meet his gaze, instinctively dodging left and right.


    "Look into my eyes!"


    Su Chen grabbed her fragrant shoulders andmanded with his uniquely maic baritone.


    Upon hearing his voice, Qi Meng found it hard to refuse and looked once again into Su Chen''s deep eyes.


    "What are you doing?"


    Qi Meng mumbled, feeling her heart thump wildly and chaotically in her chest!


    "Miss Qi Meng, have we met somewhere before?"


    Su Chen gently said, as these words made Qi Meng break out into a cold sweat.


    "How is that possible? Mr. Su, are you perhaps mistaken?"


    Qi Meng squeezed out a smile and replied.


    "No, I''m sure I am not mistaken. I feel like I''ve known you before, so familiar!"


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng felt her heart leap into her throat. Could he really recognize her, although she had changed her appearancest time?!


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly came to a realization and said:


    "Oh! I know now!"


    "What do you know?"


    Qi Meng hurriedly asked, her voice trembling and her face instantly turning pale.


    "We must have met in a past life or perhaps we were even a pair of star-crossed lovers then! That''s why we meet again in this life!"


    Hearing this from Su Chen, Qi Meng let out a huge sigh of relief and copsed onto the bed, nearly scared to death by him!


    At the same time, an unusual feeling rose in her heart again; this sort of dialogue felt more like yful banter between lovers, something she had never experienced before!


    "Okay, Miss Qi Meng, I''ll be leaving now. I''ll visit your sweet boudoir next time. Don''t tempt me like that again. I can''t guarantee I''ll remain as gentlemanly as I was today,"


    Su Chen got off the bed, winked, and then turned and left, vanishing like a breeze...


    As Qi Meng listened to the sound of him descending the attic stairs, her heart felt slightly disordered, followed by a sigh...


    After Su Chen left Qi Meng''s room, the corner of his mouth involuntarily curled up into a cunning smile.


    His behavior today was of course deliberate, for the moment Qi Meng threw herself into his arms, the scent on her body allowed him to recognize this woman!


    This enchanting and seductive woman was none other than the assassin from the other night at Jianghai''s manor!


    Back then, he even pped her chest, wondering if it still ached now.


    Last time, although she was also tempting him, it was to kill him.


    But today was different; today she really intended to sleep with him, although she seemed reluctant.


    He remembered, this woman was an assassin at the Peak of Qi Refinement, and not just any ordinary one.


    Who or what power could make such a master offer herself willingly?


    One should know that for any woman, offering herself is not an easy thing to do.


    And what exactly is the purpose of that person or power?


    Why would they want Qi Meng to offer herself to him? What are they plotting with him?


    While Su Chen currently did not know the answers to these questions, he believed he would figure them out, and the key to those answersy with Qi Meng!


    That was the real reason behind Su Chen''s behavior tonight!

 Chapter 574: This File is Fake

    When Su Chen returned to the previous room''s entrance, he saw Yunlong having a great time with two sisters inside, so he didn''t call him and just walked out.


    He knew Yunlong was not a careless person, definitely being cautious. Moreover, it seemed that Qi Meng Tower had no intention of harming them, at least not today.


    It seemed that Qi Meng had ns forter; they would act ordingly when the time came.


    Su Chen walked out of Qi Meng Tower''s courtyard and then drove away because he had a great show waiting for him today!


    After leaving Qi Meng Tower, Su Chen went to a five-star hotel and quietly watched a live erotic performance for half an hour. After capturing some extremely exciting photos and videos, he left with a satisfied smile!


    The two in the room were still engaged in fiercebat,pletely unaware that someone had been there!


    "Damn, facing physical challenges twice in one night really tests a person!"


    Su Chen sat in the car and grumbled unhappily:


    "Forget it, I might as well go home and find somefort with my wife. Although we can''t hit a home run, getting to first or second base shouldn''t be a problem."


    After all, Su Chen was also a man who, after being deliberately teased by the seductive women of Qi Meng and having witnessed a live battle, naturally felt a me rising within him!


    However, this spelled trouble for Lin Ruoxue; kissing and touching were inevitable, leaving Lin Ruoxue''s face flushed with embarrassment and shyness!


    After an intimate "exchange" with Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen felt quite refreshed!


    He might have felt refreshed, but Qi Meng had a sleepless night ahead of her!


    Even though it waste into the night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, with a figure involuntarily surfacing in her mind.


    This was something she had never experienced in her more than twenty years of life...


    Unable to fall asleep, she got up and retrieved a bottle of whiskey from the liquor cab in her bedroom, then poured herself a ss.


    Holding the ss, she went to the window and looked out at the bright moonlight, feeling a sense of mncholy flowing within her...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a study room within the Shen Family courtyard, the dim light of a deskmp shone, illuminating every inch around the desk.


    A man in a white robe sat behind the desk, holding a document in his hand.


    Next to him, an ashtray bore a cigar, which had burned down significantly but not yet ashed.


    "So it''s him!"


    When Shen Shao saw the photo attached to the document, his pupils suddenly constricted!


    "Young Master, do you know this man?"


    A man in ck clothes standing behind the desk asked.


    "I just met him today."


    After a slight shock, Shen Shao regained hisposure and a light smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.


    This guy really is like Pei Man said, an interesting man!


    Not only is he in a special rtionship with Pei Man, but he is also in a love rtionship with Du Hanbing¡ªboth of these women are rather extraordinary in Yandu and throughout Huaxia.


    What''s even more incredible is that he''s also a married man, his wife being Jianghai''s number one beauty, Lin Ruoxue, who is also the president of the Belle Company!


    Unlike other young masters from the great families, Shen Shao didn''t view the Belle Company as an insignificant small group.


    He knew that although currently small, thepany had limitless potential, especially after a coboration with the Sloley Group, which ced it on a fast-track development path!


    It probably wouldn''t take many years before the Belle Company became a well-known and recognized presence!


    One man, three women, each one impable in looks, status, or capabilities!


    Interesting, very interesting indeed!


    Although Shen Shao''s mouth curved into a smile, his eyes flickered with a sinister gleam!


    He didn''t care about this man''s rtionships with other women, but Pei Man, that was off-limits!


    Shen Shao continued reading, and discovered that while this man was in Jianghai, he had managed to offend almost all of Four Great Families of Jiangnan.


    As a result, although he was still alive and well, two of the families from Jiangnan''s Four Great Families had virtually ceased to exist!


    The implications were intriguing!


    Even though the Four Great Families of Jiangnan couldn''tpare with the families of Yandu, their power was still not to be underestimated.


    When Shen Shao continued reading, his eyes narrowed slightly, realizing that the person who had injured the Second Young Master Su Can of the Su Family was also this guy!


    Moreover, this guy had even entered Qimeng Tower with Situ Lei, and there were other young masters at the time, including his cousin Shen Yu!


    Presumably, their feud must have started at that time.


    Although Shen Shao did not know what exactly happened that night, he could sense something.


    "Interesting, more and more interesting!"


    The cold smile on Shen Shao''s face deepened as he murmured softly.


    This document also recorded some other interesting incidents involving Su Chen in Jianghai and Yandu, which made Shen Shao even more interested in this man!


    However, when he turned to thest page, his eyebrows knotted together.


    "What''s going on? What about before he went to Jianghai? Is there no detailed record? Just this parched document-like file?"


    Shen Shao raised his head and coldly said to the man opposite him.


    "I''m sorry, Young Master. I couldn''t find anything about his activities before he went to Jianghai, only this file from the public security system."


    The man said nervously, bowing his head.


    "Not even a little bit?"


    Shen Shao asked incredulously.


    "Not at all."


    The man shook his head.


    Upon hearing this, Shen Shao immediately recoiled, knowing well the intelligence gathering capabilities of Night Shadow. The fact that even they hadn''t found any trace of information was telling enough!


    A person is a social animal, eager to investigate; how could there be absolutely no information?


    Shen Shao''s expression became slightly solemn, then he picked up the document again to continue reading.


    "This document is fake!"


    After a moment, Shen Shao tossed the document onto the office desk and dered.


    "Fake? Impossible, this is what I found in the public security system!"


    As soon as Shen Shao finished speaking, the man''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Just because it''s from the public security system, does it have to be real?"


    Shen Shao nced at the man and murmured:


    "It seems this guy has quite a remarkable background! Things just got a bit moreplicated."


    Even though Shen Shao said this, he didn''t necessarily consider Su Chen as an opponent. He just needed to be a bit more cautious!


    "Young Master, should I..."


    Upon hearing this, the man''s eyes sparkled, and he made a throat-slitting gesture with his palm...

 Chapter 575: Ill Wait for You on the Rooftop

    "No need for that now, someone is already testing the waters for us. We just need to wait and see," Shen Shao waved his hand, a sly smile briefly crossing his lips.


    .....


    The next day, the moment Su Chen entered thepany, Yunlong rushed over excitedly.


    Once he was in his office, he began to recount how incredible and indescribable the twin sisters were as guests!


    Listening to him, Su Chen was dazzled and wished he could shove this boastful guy into a toilet!


    Of course, to be cautious, Yunlong didn''t bring the sisters to the hotel for a threesome.


    But after a few hours of exploration, he became very familiar with the sisters'' physical structure.


    After boasting for a while, Yunlong left Su Chen''s office and returned to his ownpany, which wasn''t far away. It didn''t take long for him to arrive there.


    Not long after Yunlong left, Su Chen was in his office ying Fight the Landlord when suddenly a noisy mor came from outside.


    Feeling bored, Su Chen decided to go out to see what themotion was about. Just as he opened the door, he happened to see Lin Ruoxue walking toward his office door.


    "What''s going on? Why all the noise?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked casually.


    "How would I know? I just came out too,"


    Su Chen shrugged.


    The two then walked over to the door, only to see that a crowd had already gathered there.


    The crowd looked at something with amazement, as if they were staring at a giant panda!


    In the center of the crowd stood a man, a man dressed in ancient robes, with a wide and long box on his back, the contents of which were unknown.


    Facing the astonished gazes and pointing fingers of the people around him, his expression remained unchanged, his face as calm as still water!


    When Lin Ruoxue saw this man, she couldn''t help but feel curious, because his attire resembled that of an ancient swordsman.


    No wonder the crowd was staring at him like they were looking at some exotic animal, as such attire was extremely unusual in a modern city.


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt that something was off about Su Chen next to her and quickly nced at him.


    She saw his eyes tightly fixed on the man ahead, his face subtly changing!


    Lin Ruoxue immediately realized, Su Chen knew the man!


    At that moment, she noticed that the swordsman also looked towards Su Chen, their gazes intertwining in midair, as if lightning were shing and thunder rumbling!


    Lin Ruoxue became tense, wondering if this man could be Su Chen''s enemy, here for revenge?


    At this time, Su Chen nced briefly at Lin Ruoxue. After all, they had lived together for so long, and although they weren''t telepathic, most of the time they could still understand each other''s intentions.


    "Don''t you all have something better to do?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly snorted coldly, her expression frosty!


    The crowd, hearing Lin Ruoxue''s voice, immediately shivered and scattered like birds, each returning to their workstations.


    Now only the receptionist, Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen, and the man dressed as a swordsman were left at the scene.


    "I''ll wait for you on the rooftop!"


    After saying this expressionlessly, the man walked away and disappeared at the staircase.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but be puzzled; why would he take the stairs when there was an elevator avable?


    "Honey, I need to go up there for a while."


    Su Chen knew that Lin Ruoxue must be full of questions, but now was not the time to exin.


    "Okay,"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at him gently and said,


    "Be careful."


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t know what these two men were going to do on the rooftop or whether it was dangerous, but she knew she couldn''t stop him.


    Since that was the case, why say more? As long as he was okay, that was all that mattered!


    So she simply said, "Be careful."


    "Don''t worry, it''ll be fine."


    Su Chen then went up from the stairwell, also avoiding the elevator.


    Lin Ruoxue, too, returned to her own office. She was prepared to continue working, but found she could not concentrate on anything, her heart hanging in suspense!


    Lin Ruoxue checked the wall clock every minute or two, thinking, why hasn''t hee back yet?


    After twenty minutes, Lin Ruoxue could no longer endure the torment. She mmed her hand on the desk, stood up, and walked out...


    At that moment, on the rooftop railing of Rainbow Mansion, two people sat, one of them with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his expression somewhat frivolous and casual.


    The person beside him showed little emotion, his face calm, as if he had transcended the mundane world.


    Their demeanor appeared carefree and serene; however, their clothes were tattered, making them look like beggars.


    They both had several wounds bleeding on their bodies, but neither of them seemed to mind.


    "Martial Arts Fanatic, how did you find me?"


    Swinging his legs, Su Chen asked as he looked ahead.


    "Many forces are now aware that you are actually not dead. If one is determined, one can eventually find you."


    "How long have you been looking for me?"


    "Three months and seventeen days."


    "You really live up to the name Martial Arts Fanatic, quite persistent,"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Martial Arts values the heart most of all."


    The response from the other person was simple and direct.


    "More than three months ago, hardly anyone knew I was alive. How could you be so sure I was still alive?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked.


    "Good people do not live long, misfortunes linger for a thousand years,"


    the person said indifferently.


    "Martial Arts Fanatic, can''t we have a proper conversation?"


    Su Chen immediately got annoyed. Am I a misfortune? Have you ever seen a misfortune as handsome as me?


    "Just telling the truth,"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen nearly spat out blood.


    Indeed, the most hurtful things in this world are the painfully honest words of honest people!


    "Do you know who spread the news that I was alive?" Su Chen asked.


    "You have Shadow''s intelligence organization, and that old monster; why are you asking me?"


    "I haven''t gotten any news though! You''re always wandering north and south, maybe you know something?"


    "I don''t know."


    The person shook his head, then nced at Su Chen:


    "Was your Dantian really shattered before?"


    "Mm."


    Su Chen nodded his head.


    "Monster!"


    The personmented in exasperation, inserting a hint of emotion for the first time!


    "Wife, since you are here,e out!"


    Just then, Su Chen''s voice suddenly rang out.


    As soon as he spoke, a graceful figure slowly stood up from beside the stairwell against the wall.


    "Husband, how did you find out? I hid so well?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face instantly showed a touch of embarrassment and then slowly walked towards Su Chen.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t expect that she had just hidden herself well, and yet Su Chen had already discovered her...

 Chapter 576: Lost Again

    "That''s because you and I, my dear wife, are of one mind!"


    Su Chen jumped down from the railing, a hint of a smile on his lips:


    "Come here, wife, let me introduce someone to you."


    At that moment, the person who looked like a chivalrous warrior also climbed down from the railing, although now he looked more like an elder from the Beggar''s Sect.


    "This is my good brother, Sun Yang. You can just call him little Sun."


    Su Chen wrapped an arm around the man and introduced him to Lin Ruoxue with a warm smile.


    "Aren''t you two supposed to be enemies?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked somewhat hesitantly, sensing apletely different atmosphere from the hostile tension below just moments before.


    In fact, Lin Ruoxue had also just arrived and hadn''t witnessed the previous friendly chat between the two, or else she wouldn''t have been so surprised.


    "Husband, how did you get hurt?"


    Lin Ruoxue had been too embarrassed to look at Su Chen closely because she was caught hiding.


    But when she finally looked up, she noticed a deep wound below his chest and above his stomach, from which blood was still flowing, and she eximed in shock.


    Then, she noticed that on Su Chen''s shoulder and thigh there were shes as well, although they were not as severe as the one above his stomach.


    "How did you end up like this?"


    Lin Ruoxue was deeply pained to see Su Chen in such a state.


    "It''s nothing, wife. I was just sparring with little Sun just now,"


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue with a gentle smile.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue turned to angrily question Sun Yang, but after seeing that his wounds were even more numerous and severe than Su Chen''s, she swallowed the words she was about to speak.


    However, her gaze towards him was still quite unfriendly.


    At this time, Lin Ruoxue noticed that even the once smooth and level cement ground was now overturned, with sand and stones scattered everywhere!


    She couldn''t help but feel rmed; what on earth had these two done to make such a mess? Was this really just sparring?


    Su Chen, seeing Lin Ruoxue looking like she wanted to devour Sun Yang, felt quite helpless.


    "I''m sorry!"


    Sun Yang rarely seemed a little embarrassed as he spoke.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue huffed before quickly saying:


    "Husband, why are you still standing around? Let''s hurry to the hospital and get that taken care of!"


    "There''s no need, wife. It''s just a scratch,"


    Su Chen chuckled:


    "Have you forgotten, my wife, that your husband is a doctor?"


    Lin Ruoxue remembered this fact upon hearing his words, but she still said with concern:


    "But you''re bleeding. It would be better to go to the hospital for disinfection and bandaging."


    "Don''t worry, it''s nothing, just a scratch,"


    Su Chen said casually:


    "Oh right, I didn''t finish introducing him. This is little Sun, little Sun, this is your sister-inw Lin Ruoxue, you can just call her ''big sister-inw''."


    "Big..."


    Sun Yang had just begun to speak when he looked at Su Chen with confusion:


    "I seem to be three years older than you."


    "So what? In our world of Martial Arts, we don''t speak of seniority by age, but by realm. What, do you have an objection?"


    Su Chen nced at him sidelong.


    "Well, big sister-inw, hello!"


    Hearing this, Sun Yang could only greet Lin Ruoxue.


    As the saying goes, one doesn''t hit a smiling face. Lin Ruoxue nodded slightly and said, "Hello."


    Then she added, "You should go to the hospital too, to be on the safe side."


    She could tell that her husband and this somewhat entric man seemed to actually have a good rtionship.


    But she was still indignant that this fellow had caused her husband to get hurt so badly.


    After all, a woman can sometimes be a bit petty!


    "Thank you, it''s okay, I can handle it myself."


    After hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Sun Yang was still slightly stunned before he said:


    "Alright, Su Chen, I''m leaving first."


    "I''ll see you out."


    Then Su Chen''s voice followed.


    "Honey, why don''t I see Mr. Sun out; you should head to the hospital first."


    Lin Ruoxue quickly took the initiative to say, although she was still a little mad at Sun Yang.


    But after all, Su Chen was injured, how could he drive?


    "It''s fine, don''t worry, we just happen to have something to discuss."


    Su Chen smiled and then walked downstairs with Sun Yang, leaving Lin Ruoxue standing alone on the rooftop.


    Watching the two disappear, Lin Ruoxue felt even more confused; these two had managed to flip the concrete floor with just a sparring session.


    Moreover, despite such serious injuries, both refused to go to the hospital and didn''t treat the situation seriously at all.


    Lin Ruoxue felt that the people her husband seemed to know were hardly ever normal; they were all so strange!


    ......


    A Buick zoomed through the roads of Yandu. It wasn''t rush hour, so it wasn''t too crowded.


    "Where are you headed next?"


    Su Chen drove while casually asking.


    "Ind Country."


    "To see whom?"


    "Watanabe Yu."


    Su Chen, hearing this name, was slightly taken aback, then said:


    "His ninjutsu has reached maturity. Be careful on your own, but with your current cultivation, it shouldn''t be too much of a problem."


    "Just beware if he has advanced to perfection in the past two years; in that case, don''t be reckless."


    Worried, Su Chen added another caution, even though he knew Sun Yang was unlikely to listen to him.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t be nicknamed ''Martial Fool'', constantly seeking challenges everywhere.


    "Don''t worry, in the fight with you just now, I think I saw the threshold."


    Sun Yang said faintly.


    "Really? That''s great! If that''s the case, there should be no problem."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately showed a look of surprise. Sun Yang had been challenging others all these years primarily to break into the realm of half-step Meridian Expansion through fighting experts!


    Now that he saw the threshold, it meant there was hope, and Su Chen genuinely felt happy for him.


    You mustn''t underestimate this threshold; many at the Qi Refinement Peak spend their whole lives unable to see, much less reach it!


    "I have to thank you for that!"


    Sun Yang looked at Su Chen seriously and said.


    He knew that when Su Chen sparred with him just now, he had intentionally suppressed his cultivation to stimte Sun Yang''s potential!


    Otherwise, he felt that it would have been impossible for him to inflict any wounds on Su Chen.


    "Do we still need to say that between us? That''s too formal!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Having wandered around for so many years, he had certainly made some like-minded friends, and Sun Yang was one of them.


    "But the people from Ind Country are always cunning. If they can''t win fair and square, they might resort to underhanded tactics, so be extra careful."


    Su Chen, still uneasy, cautioned him again:


    "If you need help at any point, just call me."


    After dropping him at the airport, Su Chen returned home. They weren''t the type for long goodbyes.


    Standing at the airport entrance, Sun Yang watched the car fade into the distance, muttering:


    "Lost again, the eighth time, right? To think that even after his Dantian was shattered, and I challenged him again, he is still not someone I can beat!"


    "This guy always leaves one speechless."


    Shaking his head with a wry smile, Sun Yang walked into the airport¡­

 Chapter 577: Go Home and Let You Check

    Su Chen returned to thepany, and as soon as he entered his office, Lin Ruoxue walked in, carrying a small box in her hand.


    "Wife, what are you doing?"


    Su Chen asked hesitantly.


    "Husband, hurry up and take off your clothes!"


    Lin Ruoxue said gently, closing the vian blinds as she spoke.


    "Wife, you''re not nning to force yourself on me here, are you?"


    Su Chen immediately crossed his arms, showing a fearful expression.


    "Force yourself on your own head!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes and huffed coldly.


    This guy is always thinking about the wrong things!


    "Wife, if you insist on forcing yourself, I can only submit, but please be gentle!"


    Su Chen said in a wronged tone.


    Lin Ruoxue almost fell to the ground upon hearing this. What is he saying? That I want to force him and to be gentle!


    Three ck lines immediately appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s forehead as she bit her teeth and said:


    "I''m here to apply medicine. Are you taking off your clothes or not!"


    Lin Ruoxue had not expected that out of worry, she had kindly bought some stuff to apply medicine on him, and this guy was actually suggesting something else, causing a sh of anger in her eyes.


    "Wife, you should have said so earlier! I thought you had some other intentions toward me!"


    Su Chen patted his chest and said:


    "You really scared the baby!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue felt a chill. Besides, between us, who really has intentions toward the other!


    "Are you taking them off or not!"


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes and huffed, realizing that you can''t be too kind to this guy or else he will definitely take advantage of the situation.


    "I''ll take them off, why the anger?"


    Su Chen muttered and pouted:


    "You just covet my body anyway!"


    Having said that, Su Chen reluctantly began taking off his clothes.


    Lin Ruoxue, hearing this, nearly vomited. She really wanted to ask, could he be more disgusting?


    Actually, as soon as Su Chen saw the small medicine box in Lin Ruoxue''s hand, he knew what she meant, he had just been teasing her for fun.


    Lin Ruoxue had seen those terrifying crisscross scars on Su Chen''s body before, but each time she saw them, she was still full of shock!


    And today, the few new wounds amidst the old ones were particrly noticeable!


    Her delicate hands slowly made their way up his skin, lightly tracing over those wounds, and she felt as if her heart was being cut by a de!


    "Husband, promise me one thing."


    Lin Ruoxue whispered softly.


    "What is it? Say it, wife, I promise you everything!"


    "From now on, stop treating your body so carelessly; take good care of yourself! Do it for me!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked into Su Chen''s eyes as she spoke.


    Su Chen''s eyes flickered with a bitter smile upon hearing this. Taking good care of himself was much too difficult for him!


    However, looking into Lin Ruoxue''s bright eyes, like ck gemstones, he nodded with difficulty:


    "I''ll try my best!"


    Then Lin Ruoxue gently treated the two wounds on Su Chen''s upper body, applied some white powder, and then wrapped them with gauze, tying a beautiful bow.


    After doing all this, Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful face was flushed red; after all, this was the first time she was treating a man with his upper body exposed!


    Moreover, although Su Chen appeared somewhat lean, his physique was actually quite perfect!


    Afterwards, Lin Ruoxue said in a low voice, her cheeks blushing:


    "Honey, you should take off your pants too!"


    After she spoke, she felt her face burning hot...


    Su Chen was startled and hurriedly waved his hands,


    "Wife, I''ll handle the wound on my thigh myself!"


    "Alright then."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded. Honestly, treating the wound on his thigh made her really ufortable! After all, it was too embarrassing!


    After speaking, Lin Ruoxue slowly walked towards the door. Just as she was about to reach it, she suddenly turned back:


    "Honey, you must disinfect and apply medicine! Don''t skimp!"


    "Don''t worry, wife, I will definitely do it. Let you check when I get home tonight!"


    Su Chen said with a mischievous smile.


    Seeing Su Chen''s mischievous smile, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned even redder, and she spat out:


    "Who wants to check?!"


    Then she fled in a panic...


    After Lin Ruoxue returned to the office, discussions immediately started within thepany.


    Soon, almost everyone was talking about one thing, that President Lin had rushed out of Minister Su''s office with a flushed face!


    Of course, the focus of everyone''s attention was not just that, but why President Lin had fled from Minister Su''s office with a red face¡ªthey truly wondered what they had been doing inside!


    Without a doubt, everyone''s spections were surprisingly consistent: office romance!


    When Lin Ruoxue came to know of this, she felt too ashamed to face anyone!


    But there was no way she could exin, as doing so only made things worse, and in the end, she just let it be!


    Fortunately, no one dared to gossip to her face, so she acted as if she hadn''t heard anything.


    That evening, Lin Ruoxue naturally held Su Chen ountable and gave him a good scolding to vent!


    However, considering he had recently been injured, she didn''t go too hard on him!


    Later, they fell asleep in each other''s arms. In the middle of the night, Su Chen secretly snuck back to his room to cultivate.


    Early next morning, Su Chen was making breakfast like he usually did.


    And that morning, Lin Ruoxue didn''t get up around the time breakfast was almost ready as usual, but rather got up early.


    Because that morning, they had nned to go offer their respects to Su Chen''s parents and grandfather!


    Early in the morning, Lin Ruoxue dressed herself seriously, applied light makeup, and then changed into a ck suit.


    When Lin Ruoxue came downstairs after getting ready, Su Chen was taken aback.


    Today, Lin Ruoxue looked understated and simple yet still strikingly beautiful and dignified. Although different from usual, she had a charm of her own.


    "Honey, do I look okay dressed like this?"


    Lin Ruoxue nervously asked Su Chen.


    "Very good, very good, my parents and grandfather will definitely like you a lot!"


    Su Chen nodded emphatically.


    "That''s a relief."


    Lin Ruoxue rxed a bit upon hearing this.


    After breakfast, they first visited a high-ss florist, as Lin Ruoxue had ordered flowers several days in advance.


    With the flowers in hand, Su Chen drove northward, and after about forty minutes, they stopped at the foot of a hill.


    "Here we are!"


    Su Chen announced as he got out of the car. Although it had not been long since hisst visit, he still felt his heartbeat quickening...


    "Is it here?"


    Lin Ruoxue got out of the car and immediately tensed up!


    She felt she was finally about to really get close to Su Chen...

 Chapter 578: Turns Out He Is From the Su Family

    "Honey, is it here?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked around at the environment and found it to be clear and peaceful, with a subtly transcendent aura.


    Although Lin Ruoxue didn''t understand feng shui, her instincts told her that this was a ce with exceptional geomantic qualities, not the kind of ce where ordinary families would bury their dead.


    She couldn''t help but wonder, who exactly were Su Chen''s parents?


    She didn''t say anything, however, and slowly climbed up the hillside with Su Chen while carrying flowers.


    When she saw the solemn and stern-faced guards, her curiosity only grew stronger, and then she turned her head towards the distance and was immediately shocked!


    Because she discovered that the cemetery was actually hundreds of acres in size, with evergreen pines and cypresses, and each tomb was majestically towering, as if narrating history itself.


    "What kind of cemetery is this?"


    As she walked through the main entrance, Lin Ruoxue asked timidly, bing even more certain that this was no ordinary cemetery.


    "This is the shared cemetery of the Five Great Families of Yandu."


    Su Chen walked forward slowly and spoke softly:


    "The ancestors of the Five Great Families are all buried here."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue was stunned!


    This was actually the shared cemetery of the Five Great Families! No wonder it was so grand and majestic, even carrying an air of royalty!


    Wait a minute!


    The shared cemetery of the Five Great Families? Could it be that Su Chen''s parents were also...?


    Then what about Su Chen''s identity...?


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt as if struck by lightning, standing frozen on the spot, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief!


    And considering his surname, then he... Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt her mind go nk!


    She had never imagined that Su Chen ¡ª her own husband ¡ª came from such a distinguished family!


    Yet, he didn''t look at all like those so-called young masters, right?


    Moreover, thest time at Qimeng Tower, other young masters didn''t recognize him; if he truly came from such an eminent family, how could those people not recognize him?


    Could she have guessed wrong?


    For a moment, countless thoughts shed through Lin Ruoxue''s mind, like a tangled mess!


    "Wife, what are you spacing out for? Let''s go!"


    Su Chen had walked a few steps and, seeing Lin Ruoxue still frozen in ce, turned back to call her.


    "Oh,ing!"


    Lin Ruoxue was startled back to reality by his words, then followed him.


    It wasn''t long before Su Chen stopped in front of a tombstone and softly said to Lin Ruoxue:


    "This is my grandfather."


    Lin Ruoxue''s gaze immediatelynded on the tombstone, and when she saw the name "Su Yi" on it, she was deeply shocked once again!


    Although Lin Ruoxue was only in her twenties, she had heard of the name Su Yi before; in Huaxia, it was legendary!


    Could this old man really be Su Chen''s grandfather? Wasn''t that too incredible?


    If that was the case, then why was Su Chen the way he was now? What exactly had he experienced?


    Su Chen solemnly kowtowed three times in front of the tomb, Lin Ruoxue ced a bunch of chrysanthemums on the steps in front of the tombstone, then knelt beside him and also kowtowed three times.


    Then Su Chen walked behind this tombstone and pointed at two others:


    "This is my father, my mother."


    Lin Ruoxue looked at those tombstones, learning for the first time that her father-inw was named Su Lou and her mother-inw Mu Tong.


    Su Chen still kneeled and knocked his head three times, and Lin Ruoxue naturally did the same.


    After these rituals, Su Chen again came to his grandfather''s grave and said to the tombstones of his grandfather and parents:


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, this is Ruoxue, my wife, your granddaughter-inw, daughter-inw."


    While saying this, Su Chen''s lips curved into a slight smile:


    "How about it? My wife is beautiful, isn''t she! I married such a beautiful woman, you must be very happy too!"


    "I know, you must be watching over us from heaven, happy for us."


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, don''t worry, Xiao Tian is doing well now, you don''t need to worry about me."


    "Later, once our child is born, Ruoxue and I will bring the child, and the whole family wille to see you all."


    When Su Chen mentioned their child, a shy expression surfaced on Lin Ruoxue''s face, though she said nothing.


    At that moment, she was still thinking about Su Chen''s previous words. Xiao Tian? Was that his name before?


    Was Su Chen a name he changed toter? Why change his name, was it to hide something? Why hide?


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, don''t worry, I am so handsome, and Ruoxue is so beautiful, our children will definitely be especially beautiful too, they won''t let you down."


    Su Chen continued with a smile:


    "How about we have enough children to form a basketball team, huh? Such good genes should not go to waste, right? If that''s not enough, then maybe a ser team!"


    "Do you think I''m a pig, with a basketball team, a ser team, huh!"


    Lin Ruoxue, unable to hold back, blushed and spat lightly; she found that although Su Chen was smiling as he spoke, his eyes hid a thread of sorrow and mncholy, which was touching.


    "Ruoxue, why don''t you say a few words to Grandpa and Mom and Dad too?"


    Su Chen said with a smile to Lin Ruoxue.


    "What should I say?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked nervously.


    "Just say whatever you want to say, they would love to hear it."


    Su Chen moved slightly to the side, giving the middle spot to Lin Ruoxue.


    Lin Ruoxue took a deep breath, then slowly said:


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, first of all, I want to apologize for not visiting you for so long, that''s my fault!"


    After saying this, Lin Ruoxue bowed deeply, then continued:


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I know I haven''t been up to par as a wife before, neither managing household chores nor caring for others well, but please believe me, I will surely try my best to improve."


    "Don''t worry, I will definitely take good care of Su Chen in the future, and pay more attention to our home."


    "Also, when we have children in the future, we will surely bring them often to visit you, and let the kids spend more time talking with you, so you won''t feel lonely."


    As she said this, Lin Ruoxue became slightly shy, then nced at Su Chen and blushed as she said:


    "I, I''ve pretty much said everything."


    "Wife, remember what you said, oh? Grandpa and Mom and Dad are watching you from heaven!"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a mischievous smile as he spoke.


    "I know!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat, her face now flushed.


    She also knew that this day was bound toe; in this lifetime, she wouldn''t fall in love with anyone else.


    Some things are bound to happen, it''s just a question of sooner orter.


    Regarding matters between men and women, Lin Ruoxue''s heart was actually veryplicated, feeling both anticipation and fear, but all these feelings were normal...

 Chapter 579: Blood-Drenched Wound

    "Husband, since you are from the Su Family, why..."


    Lin Ruoxue ultimately couldn''t help but ask, partly out of a woman''s curiosity, and more importantly because Su Chen was her husband, and she naturally wanted to understand more.


    However, she also knew that Su Chen had many secrets and seemed reluctant to tell her, so she continued:


    "If you think it''s inconvenient, it''s okay, we can talk about it when you''re ready."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen smiled slightly:


    "Since we are spouses, there are some things I should indeed tell you. Besides, having kept these from you for so long, I should be the one apologizing."


    Su Chen then sat down on the steps in front of his grandfather''s tombstone, and pointed to a spot next to him, saying:


    "Sit down."


    Lin Ruoxue took a seat beside Su Chen, her heart racing with excitement.


    Was the veil of mystery surrounding her husband about to be lifted?


    Lin Ruoxue was somewhat excited, yet inexplicably fearful as well, unsure of what she might hear next.


    Su Chen took out a pack of cigarettes, drew one, took a deep breath, and then began to reminisce:


    "I was indeed born in the Su Family. Before the age of five, I could say that I was very happy. However, all that happiness came to an abrupt end when I was five."


    "About twenty years ago, the Su Family''s legitimate line had two branches, the senior branch and the second branch. The senior branch was my grandfather, and the second branch is now the Family Head, Su Chun."


    "Of course, back then, the Family Head was my grandfather, who had only one son, my father, Su Lou."


    When Su Chen mentioned his father, a proud smile lit up his face. He nced at Lin Ruoxue and continued:


    "You might have heard my grandfather''s name but never Su Lou''s. However, if you inquire about him among the elite circles of Yandu, you would know how dashing and wonderfully celebrated he was back then!"


    "Probably over ny percent of the nobledies were fond of him at that time."


    "No way, it''s that exaggerated?"


    Lin Ruoxue wore a look of disbelief. Admiration from over ny percent of women¡ªwhat kind of perfection would a man need to achieve that?!


    "Of course. Do you know what the top circle in Yandu used to say about him?"


    "What?"


    Lin Ruoxue blurted out her query.


    "Once in a centuryes a Su Lou!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    However, as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ruoxue waspletely shocked!


    Once in a centuryes a Su Lou!


    What amendation that was!


    Moreover, such a remark came from the top circle in Huaxia!


    Just from that phrase, you could imagine what a dazzling man he must have been!


    "Nowadays in Yandu, there''s a Shen Shao, and some people secretly call him ''Little Su Lou,'' but those who have truly known Su Lou scoff at such a nickname."


    "The gap between the two is vast, they are not even at the same level, and even Shen Shao himself, shameless as he might be, would probably find it difficult to agree to such self-praise."


    Having heard this, Lin Ruoxue gained an even more vivid impression of the man.


    She had been in Yandu for some time and naturally heard some stories about the Five Great Families, knowing very well that among the young elites of Yandu, Shen Shao was revered as the number one!


    This was in part because the Shen Family''s strength was the greatest among the Five Great Families, but more importantly, Shen Shao himself was stunning and wless!


    Yet such a revered young elite,pared to the man called Su Lou, seemed utterly iparable!


    What sort of presence must this Su Lou have been, to be beyond imagination!


    And he, he was actually her own father-inw!


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt a very special sensation in her heart, as if she shared in the honor!


    "Actually, you only need to see how outstanding your husband is to know that my father can''t be bad either."


    At this point, Su Chen shamelessly smiled and said.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes and directly said:


    "I don''t know about other aspects, but there is one thing, you are definitely better than your father at."


    "Oh, wife, you finally noticed my strengths? What exactly is it, tell me quickly."


    Su Chen eagerly asked.


    "Shamelessness and disgrace, in this respect, your father probably can''t evene close to you."


    Lin Ruoxue scoffed as she spoke.


    Then, looking at Su Chen, she asked:


    "What happened then? What happened next?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s previously yful expression suddenly turned somber.


    Had he not been deliberately joking earlier, afraid of touching upon the long-sealed past?


    It was a blood-soaked wound, though it had been almost twenty years, yet it still hadn''t scabbed over, hurting upon touch!


    Su Chen took another deep drag of his cigarette, then exhaled ayer of smoke, his tone solemn as he spoke:


    "That year, my grandfather passed away in the hospital due to illness first. Not long after, my father also died, and to this day, the cause is unknown. I didn''t even see his body. Less than a monthter, my mother died from severe poisoning!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue stiffenedpletely, staring nkly at Su Chen!


    So, he actually had such a tragic childhood!


    In a short period of time, three of his closest family members passed away one after another; such a blow would be unbearable even for an adult, let alone a five-year-old boy at the time.


    The most frightening thing is to have and then to lose. If he had been an orphan to begin with, it might have been easier, but he wasn''t.


    Originally, he lived a happy life, beloved by his grandparents and pampered by his parents, without a care in the world!


    But overnight, the heavens mercilessly took everything he had away, and who could withstand such a sudden cmity?


    Lin Ruoxue''s gaze at Su Chen suddenly became infinitely tender, and at that moment, she felt deeply sorry for him¡ªvery sorry!


    Yet Su Chen showed no change in expression, continuing to reminisce as he spoke:


    "After my grandfather, father, and mother passed away, the family power naturally fell into the hands of the second branch. That very night, I was driven out by them. A servant drove me far away and left me in a ravine."


    "Beasts!"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but curse, her beautiful face flushed with intense anger.


    The conduct of Su Family''s second branch was worse than that of beasts; they did such a thing to a five-year-old child who had just lost his grandparents and parents.


    Moreover, they were family!


    "I remember that day, it was raining heavily, and there was thunder and lightning in the sky. I crawled and crawled, not knowing how long, until the next day, I finally crawled out of that ravine."


    Su Chen spoke calmly, as if narrating someone else''s story:


    "At that time, I didn''t even know where I was, let alone where to go. I just wandered aimlessly, and then I fainted..."


    "Stop talking, stop talking!"


    Lin Ruoxue could not listen anymore, and the tears poured down like a broken string.


    She pulled Su Chen into her arms, feeling as if her heart had been stabbed and vigorously stirred...

 Chapter 580: Where the Heart Resides

    Lin Ruoxue had never imagined that her husband, who always seemed carefree and unconcerned about everything, had such a past!


    Lin Ruoxue also fully understood why he had never mentioned these things, because these were his most painful memories!


    Always buried deep in his heart, he simply didn''t dare to bring them out!


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue was like a mother, holding Su Chen tightly in her embrace.


    She hoped her body could provide him some warmth, offer his heart, riddled with countless wounds, a ce of refuge where he could temporarily rest.


    Feeling her intentions, Su Chen also felt a sense of peace, as if a ray of sunlight suddenly shone into a dark, damp room!


    "It''s all in the past; I''m okay."


    Su Chen gently patted her back and said softly.


    "Let me hold you a little longer."


    Lin Ruoxue murmured, as if something was melting...


    "Alright, let go, otherwise I''m going to run out of breath."


    Su Chen patted her back again.


    With some reluctance, Lin Ruoxue released him...


    "Actually, I was quite fortunate¡ªthe person was supposed to kill me to silence me, but in the end, whether it was a pang of conscience or for some other reason, he didn''t kill me and left me to fend for myself."


    "And after I fainted, I also met my old ghost of a master, who took me back and essentially saved my life," said Su Chen as heforted Lin Ruoxue.


    "You have a master?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s eyes widened in surprise. How many more secrets did he have?


    "Yes, I''ll take you to see him when we get a chance."


    Su Chen said, and could not help butugh:


    "Speaking of which, he pretty much yed matchmaker for us. My trip to Jianghai for the wedding was entirely orchestrated by that old ghost."


    "Su Chen, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that marrying me was a huge loss for you?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately became upset, and her lips pouted slightly.


    It was the first time Su Chen saw Lin Ruoxue looking so adorable, and he couldn''t help but burst intoughter.


    "Wife, how could that be? To marry such a heavenly beauty like you, I must have been blessed by my grandfather and parents in heaven. I can''t thank them enough!"


    Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue into his arms andughed, his sweet talk now reaching new heights of mastery, seemingly effortless.


    "Pfft!"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help butugh upon hearing this, looking utterly charming!


    "Husband, actually, you don''t need to say it. I understood. You must have been reluctant at first."


    Lin Ruoxuey in Su Chen''s arms and spoke softly:


    "I was reluctant at first too. If it weren''t for Grandpa threatening not to enter the operation room, I would have rather died than agreed, because I had never even met you."


    At this moment, memories of their initial days of marriage started to surface in her mind.


    Back then, they were like enemies, no, more like strangers. The only difference from strangers was that they had a marriage certificate and lived under the same roof.


    Lin Ruoxue initially couldn''t stand her husband, who was legally wedded to her. He wasn''t anything like the ideal partner she had imagined in her dreams.


    Back then, he would sleep until at least ten every day, sometimes even until noon or one in the afternoon, and he would return home veryte at night, often carrying the smell of alcohol.


    Back then, he was utterly unkempt, his clothes hardly ever changed, no matter how dirty they were, he would just sit on the sofa, bang his thigh on the coffee table, and flick ash directly onto the floor...


    Lin Ruoxue sometimes really wanted to kill this guy, in the end, she could only pretend she didn''t see him and treated him as if he were invisible...


    She was already very opposed to this marriage, and seeing that it was such a person, she even felt like dying!


    At that moment, Su Chen''s lips also curved into a devilishly charming smile, as he too remembered how they started to get along.


    He wasn''t like Lin Ruoxue, who had so much toin about, after all, his wife was so beautiful!


    His initial feeling was that his wife was too cold, colder than the cold air of Siberia, capable of freezing someone with just one nce!


    Suddenly, the two of them smiled at each other, both knowing that the other was recalling the past.


    Although these events had happened just over half a year ago, recalling them now felt like they had urred a century ago, almost as if in a previous life.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t know when their rtionship had started to change, perhaps it had begun with the breakfast that had captured her heart...


    "Husband, there''s something I don''t know if I should say or not."


    "Any words can be said between us, are there still matters that are not appropriate?"


    Su Chen said with a light smile.


    "That, Grandpa, and mom and dad passing away in such a short span of time, don''t you find it odd? Could there be something fishy going on?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly sat up from Su Chen''s embrace, looking into his eyes.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen silently praised his wife''s acute intelligence, who had instantly pinpointed the crux of the matter.


    "Indeed, it is strange, so I''ve been investigating these years, and I''ve already found some clues."


    Su Chen said gravely.


    "What clues?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked quickly, after all, Su Chen''s parents were now her rtives too, and naturally, she cared a lot!


    "I didn''t want to tell you because I didn''t want to drag you into this mess..."


    Su Chen hadn''t finished speaking when Lin Ruoxue interrupted:


    "As husband and wife, how can I stand by untouched if you are in this quagmire? Both subjectively and objectively, this is the case."


    Su Chen pondered for a moment and had to admit that Lin Ruoxue made sense; they were indeed inseparable.


    "Since it''s so, then I''ll tell you."


    Su Chen spoke solemnly:


    "Indeed, the deaths of my parents and grandfather, it''s all a conspiracy, although I''m not sure yet who the mastermind is and who the aplices are, but the incidents from that year are definitely mostly linked with the Five Great Families, maybe even all of them are involved!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ruoxue was tremendously shocked!


    She had not expected that the matter would be rted to the Five Great Families!


    The Five Great Families, that was utterly an existence above the rest!


    Futhermore, Su Chen mentioned the majority of the Five Great Families, perhaps even all of them!


    Any of the Five Great Families was akin to a lofty mountain, inspiring awe!


    If the Five Great Families were involved together, how immensely powerful their strength must be!


    Just the thought of it was hair-raising!


    However, after being stunned for a moment, Lin Ruoxue also felt it made sense.


    After all, back then, the Su Family was the foremost family in Yandu and even in Huaxia; who could dare to take action against the Su Family''s main branch in power unless they were extraordinary!


    "Husband, you''re not thinking of...?"


    A thought suddenly emerged in Lin Ruoxue''s heart, and her delicate body couldn''t help trembling!

 Chapter 581 - 581 Qi Meng Arrived

    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue''s trembling eyes and slightly nodded:


    "Indeed, returning to Yandu this time, my goal is to uncover the truth of the past, and make those responsible pay the corresponding price!"


    When Su Chen spoke these words, his face was filled with determination, as immovable as a rock!


    "But those are the Five Great Families, their strength and background are unfathomable, absolutely iparable to the Four Great Families of Jiangnan!"


    A look of immense worry appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s stunning face!


    In her subconscious, she believed the Five Great Families were invincible, a belief shared by the majority of Huaxia!


    "The great vengeance of my grandfather, and my parents, I must avenge! Otherwise, how could I face anyone with time, and how could I face them after death?"


    A light radiated from Su Chen''s face as he said forcefully:


    "No matter how powerful they are, no matter the cost!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue also sighed deeply. Yes, the lives of grandfather, dad, and mom, such a great vengeance, how could it just be let go?


    But those families were indeed too powerful!


    Even facing just one of them, she did not believe there was any chance, let alone several?


    Putting it bluntly, it waspletely like throwing an egg against a rock! Nearly no chance of winning at all!


    Despite this, Lin Ruoxue did not continue to dissuade him, although she was very, very worried.


    Now, she also understood why that day he had to humiliate those young masters like that.


    It was probably not only because Zheng Xuan was paying attention to her, but also for probing.


    "Husband, since you''ve decided, then go ahead and do it!"


    Lin Ruoxue revealed a smile as she said:


    "Although I might not be able to help much, I will stand by you, to seek justice for grandpa, and for mom and dad!"


    Although Lin Ruoxue wore a smile and her tone was light, Su Chen saw a hint of resolution behind it!


    "Don''t worry, wife, you know, your husband is no ordinary man. Even if they knew who I am, they might not necessarily be able to do anything to me!"


    Su Chen said with a lightugh:


    "Moreover, to me, these few families might not necessarily be that fearsome."


    Lin Ruoxue of course thought that Su Chen was justforting her.


    In her eyes, if the Five Great Families were not fearsome, then what was?


    But she didn''t know, Su Chen was telling the truth.


    Because ording to the previous probing, if the strength of the Five Great Families was just that, he really wasn''t very afraid!


    But he vaguely felt, things wouldn''t be that simple!


    If the strength of the Five Great Families was just that, and there wasn''t any special reason, on what basis had they stood in Huaxia for so many years?


    Although based on the strength revealed so far, in the mundane world, the Five Great Families already appeared invincible!


    But Su Chen felt that was certainly not enough!


    Su Chen knew that the things hidden behind were not easy to reveal, they must be pressed step by step, a lot of things hidden under the water surface would eventually emerge!


    For this, Su Chen already had some ns, some were alreadyid as foreshadowing, others were taken one step at a time!


    He would step by step corner those families with no way out!


    Then see what things would surface at that time!


    "Husband, what about after that?"


    Lin Ruoxue deliberately avoided the somewhat heavy topic they were on before.


    "What after?"


    "So was it after your master took you away?"


    Lin Ruoxue tilted her head and asked.


    "What else could it be, I obviously lived with that old ghost," he said.


    Remembering that period, Su Chen instantly became annoyed:


    "You have no idea, that old ghost was such a troublesome geezer. Do you know why my cooking skills are so good? It waspletely forced out of me by him!"


    "Even the stuff from regr star-rated hotels, let alone that old ghost, even the big yellow dog he kept wouldn''t eat it!"


    "No way, is it really that exaggerated?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen skeptically. The food from star-rated hotels was inedible? Even the dog he kept couldn''t eat it, is that still a dog?


    "Of course, you know? A dish of boiled fish requires 73 steps, and just before cooking, there are 25 steps."


    "The fish must be wild grass carp caught from living water 5 to 8 meters deep, weighing between half a jin to about seven taels, and it must be within ten days to a month after spawning," Su Chen said with a curl of his lips.


    However, Lin Ruoxue waspletely shocked after hearing this. She hadn''t expected that making a dish of boiled fish would be soplicated, not even in a seven-star hotel, right?


    Even more so, she hadn''t expected that Su Chen''s master was such a person; perhaps even the ancient Emperor''s royal meals weren''t as particr as this!


    Next, Su Chen briefly introduced her to the selection and preparation of dishes like braised pork and crabmeat lion''s head, leaving Lin Ruoxue staring dumbfounded andpletely bbergasted!


    Then, Su Chen shared some other troublesome experiences he had while living with his old ghost master.


    Although Su Chen spoke mostly in a tone ofint, even cursing a few times, Lin Ruoxue still felt a taste of happiness in his stories.


    Lin Ruoxue listened quietly, her face carrying a slight smile, feeling increasingly familiar with her mysterious husband.


    "What happened after you left your master? What happened next?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly asked:


    "What about those scars on your body? And the Clown brothers, why did the Special Security Bureau target them? Also, thest time we went to buy a house, someone called you ''instructor'', don''t tell me he got the wrong person, I know he was calling you."


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s question, Su Chen was slightly startled and then said with a smile:


    "Let''s talk about some thingster, it''s gettingte today, let''s head back, there must be a lot going on at yourpany."


    "Alright," Lin Ruoxue pondered for a moment, then nodded.


    She knew Su Chen didn''t want to tell her these things just yet, so she didn''t force him to exin.


    However, she believed that Su Chen would eventually tell her voluntarily, just like he did today about his past.


    In fact, Su Chen didn''t want to withhold information; he was worried she might not ept the things involving the Eighth Brigade and Dark World, especially the Dark World.


    Because for Lin Ruoxue, it was far too bloody and cruel!


    It was an utterly survival of the fittest, respect for the strong kind of world, and to be the one standing at the very top, one must tread over mountains of corpses and seas of blood!


    Just like himself!


    The day''s events had already been shocking enough for her; Su Chen didn''t want her to continue being upset!


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, we''lle to see you again in a few days."


    Lin Ruoxue stood up, smiling at the three tombstones, before leaving with Su Chen.


    The two first went home to change clothes, then Lin Ruoxue said she needed to meet some boss, and directly drove away.


    Su Chen then drove directly to hispany. As he entered the main gate, the youngdy at the reception immediately said:


    "Minister Su, a girl named Qi Meng has been waiting for you in your office for over an hour."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s mouth immediately curved into a yful smile:


    Couldn''t she wait any longer?

 Chapter 582: New Understanding of the King of the Underworld

    Su Chen leisurely walked towards his office, and through the vian blinds, he already saw Qi Meng sitting on the sofa waiting.


    "Miss Qi Meng, I wasn''t aware of your distinguished visit. What brings you here?"


    Su Chen pushed open the door of his office and walked in.


    Today, Qi Meng wore a long dress embroidered with golden leaves, paired with a pair of golden high heels ¡ª she looked incredibly beautiful and elegant!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh; a beautiful woman indeed looks good in anything!


    "Mr. Su, you sure kept me waiting long!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen enter, Qi Meng immediately came to his side, pressing her body close to his and spoke in a coquettish voice.


    "Haven''t I arrived now?"


    Su Chen said, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile,


    "If I had known Miss Qi Meng was waiting for me, I would have certainly rushed over immediately, without stopping for anything!"


    Meanwhile, he extended his arms backward, looking as if he was about to embrace her!


    Qi Meng felt Su Chen''s movements and immediately shuddered, then elegantly spun away to escape.


    "Mr. Su really knows how to joke!"


    Qi Meng gave him a seductive look and pouted.


    Hearing the pout in her voice, Su Chen chuckled yfully.


    Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Qi Meng''s delicate arm, gently holding her arm and spun her around by going over the head, and she spun back towards him!


    Although Qi Meng was a person at the peak of Qi Refinement, she dared not use any True Yuan at the moment, fearing that Su Chen would notice she was the one who had tried to assassinate him in Jianghai thest time.


    Little did she know, Su Chen had already figured this out!


    When her body came to a stop, she was already at a 45-degree angle with the ground, nestled in Su Chen''s strong arms!


    The movements of the two of them resembled dancing, harmonious and graceful!


    Su Chen bent his head down to look at her wless face, a wicked smile ying on his lips.


    Qi Meng, looking at his face so close to her and that elusive smile, felt her heart begin to flutter chaotically!


    "Mr. Su, could you let me stand up first?"


    Qi Mengy in Su Chen''s arms, forcing herself to calm down and spoke shyly.


    However, at that moment, he leaned down and kissed her straightaway!


    Qi Meng''s eyes widened in shock; she had never expected Su Chen, who seemed so different today, to suddenly make such a move!


    Her instincts screamed at her to resist, but she didn''t dare, fearing that it might give her away.


    It took a while before Su Chen finally let her go.


    At this moment, Qi Meng felt her face burning hot. To be honest, it was the first time she had been treated so boldly by a man.


    In the end, she was still a woman!


    However, Su Chen seemed to be back to normal, sitting on the sofa as if nothing had happened.


    "Miss Qi Meng, you didn''te to mypany today just topensate for my loss yesterday, did you?"


    Su Chen spoke indifferently,


    "Just speak straightforwardly if you have something to say."


    "This guy, after doing something like that, acts as if it never happened."


    Qi Meng thought indignantly,


    "To think that the great lord of the underworld is such a scoundrel!"


    "The truth is, Mr. Su, someone wants to meet you," Qi Meng said seriously.


    "Oh, who is this big shot that could trouble Miss Qi Meng to act as a messenger!"


    Su Chen nced at Qi Meng casually and spoke,


    Thinking to himself, has Qi Meng''s backer be impatient so soon? This sure was fast.


    "Would you like to meet him or not, Mr. Su?"


    Qi Meng adjusted her slightly disheveled emotions and sat down next to Su Chen.


    "No!"


    Su Chen lightly uttered.


    The moment he spoke, Qi Meng froze, not expecting him to outright reject the idea.


    She had thought that out of curiosity, Su Chen would surely decide to meet, but it turned outpletely different from what she had expected.


    "Why not?"


    Qi Meng quickly asked.


    "I''m busy!"


    "Don''t you want to know who it is that wants to meet you?"


    Qi Meng asked curiously.


    "Is this person a beauty? As beautiful as Miss Qi Meng?"


    Su Chen asked with a light smile on his lips.


    "No."


    Qi Meng slightly shook her head, somewhat speechless that Su Chen wasn''t concerned about the identity but whether the person was a beauty.


    "If it''s not a beauty, why would I meet them? It''d just waste my precious time,"


    Su Chen said matter-of-factly, then yfully nced at Qi Meng,


    "If the person were as beautiful as Miss Qi Meng here, and that passionate too, I wouldn''t mind meeting them."


    "If not, then sorry, I''m busy. I''d rather y a game of ''Fight the Landlord'' to pass the time!"


    Su Chen''s remark once again reshaped Qi Meng''s understanding of the underworld lord; he was such a scoundrel!


    She couldn''t fathom, how such a guy had made such a big name in the Dark World and be a legend!

 Chapter 583 - 583 I Want to Cooperate with Mr. Su

    Although she couldn''t understand why, today she had to persuade him toe along, as this was a crucial step for her!


    "Mr. Su, what would it take for you to agree?"


    Qi Meng wrapped her arms around Su Chen''s arm, vigorously shaking it, and the towering peaks in front of her chest unintentionally rubbed lightly against Su Chen''s arm!


    "Does it mean that Miss Qi Meng would agree to any request I make?"


    A yful smile emerged at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth as he asked.


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng''s heart trembled, but her expression remained seductively enchanting as she murmured:


    "Of course, as long as you agree to meet that person, I''ll agree to anything. What would your request be, Mr. Su?"


    "I''m a person who hates to live with regrets. The fact that I couldn''t delve deeper into life''s discussions with Miss Qi Meng the other night has been a great regret for me. If Miss Qi Meng could..."


    As Su Chen spoke, his eyes scanned over Qi Meng''s body like a cheetah on the African savannah eyeing a gazelle, as if he wanted to capture and tear into her!


    Qi Meng''s heart fluttered wildly under Su Chen''s invasive gaze. She was somewhat puzzled by this man. Just the other night, she had been prepared to offer herself, yet he had behaved like a gentleman, notying a finger on her.


    Yet, only a day or twoter, he seemed like a changed man, not only stealing her first kiss, but now he even wanted to¡­


    "Alright, since Mr. Su holds Qi Meng in such high regard, then Qi Meng will be waiting for you."


    Qi Meng shyly articted, unsure of how much of her shyness was genuine and how much was feigned...


    Seeing her consent, Su Chen became even more curious about who she wanted him to meet.


    Even if Qi Meng hadn''t agreed to any conditions, Su Chen would have gone to meet the person anyway. But, being able to gauge Qi Meng''s reaction¨Cwhy not?


    Moreover, interacting with a beautiful woman was in itself a pleasure for him!


    Now that the terms were settled, Su Chen and Qi Meng each drove off in separate cars.


    Before long, they stopped in front of a wooden building, its sign bearing the calligraphic inscription "Four Seasons Bamboo Garden."


    This was an antique tea house, although a sign hanging at the entrance indicated it was closed.


    After parking her car, Qi Meng walked straight to the door, pushed it open, and went inside, with Su Chen following closely behind.


    Qi Meng walked through the hall and then turned into a corridor, walking to its very end. She stopped in front of thest room, opened the door, and said:


    "Mr. Su, here we are."


    Su Chen nodded and walked in, with Qi Meng following and closing the door behind them.


    Once inside, Su Chen found a low long table in the center of the room with a set of tea utensils on it, nked by two wicker chairs on each side.


    At that moment, a chubby man was sitting in one of the loungers. He did not appear to struggle with his weight like some did; he was just slightly overweight.


    "Mr. Su, wee, please have a seat!"


    He immediately got up and greeted Su Chen warmly as he entered.


    Su Chen didn''t say anything and just sat down directly opposite him, without asking who the other person was or why he had been asked toe.


    The chubby man noted Su Chen''sposed and steady demeanor, a flicker of admiration passing through his eyes.


    At that moment, Qi Meng also came over and sat down beside the chubby man, lightly smiling as she introduced:


    "Mr. Su, this is Shen Lin, the eldest son of the Shen Family. He is the one who wanted to meet you today. Shen Lin, this is Mr. Su Chen."


    "Mr. Su, I have long admired you and have always wanted to meet you. Today, I finally got my wish."


    Shen Lin said with a smile, his face serene, as he personally brewed a cup of tea for Su Chen:


    "This is a freshly picked Xinyang Maojian tea, the taste is quite good. Mr. Su, please give it a try."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen picked up the tea cup and sniffed, immediately greeted by a refreshing fragrance. He took a light sip and then set the cup down:


    "The tea is good, and so is the water. I thought Shen Lin only knew about wine; I didn''t expect you to be so knowledgeable about tea as well."


    In fact, Su Chen was truly surprised when he heard from Qi Meng that the man in front of him was Shen Lin, the eldest son of the Shen Family!


    Because everyone in Yandu''s top circles knew that the eldest son of the Shen Family was a wastrel who indulged in alcohol day and night!


    It can be said that whenever the eldest son of the Shen Family was mentioned, everyone in that circle showed a look of disdain!


    Not to mention others, even people within the Shen Family had little respect for him.


    Although Su Chen had never met Shen Lin in person, he had still heard about these matters.


    That''s why he was so shocked when he heard from Qi Meng that the man he was meeting was Shen Lin!


    He had not taken Shen Lin seriously before, and after hearing those rumors, naturally assumed he was just such a man.


    But at that moment, he realized he was wrong, very wrong!


    This was not a man who couldn''t be helped up from the mud; rather, he was a dormant viper, ready to strike fiercely when least expected!


    However, Shen Lin''s expression changed slightly when he heard Su Chen''s words, because Su Chen mentioning his knowledge of alcohol was clearly a jibe at his rumored daily indulgence in drunkenness.


    Shen Lin thought to himself, this young man is indeed sharp!


    "Speak, why would Mr. Shen think to invite a nobody like me over if not just to enjoy tea?"


    Su Chen took out a cigarette, lit it, and casually started smoking.


    In fact, whether Shen Lin was truly a wastrel or simply hiding his capabilities didn''t concern him much.


    If this guy really crossed him, he could simply finish him off; what schemes you have doesn''t matter!


    In the face of absolute power, any conspiracy or trick will have limited effect, unless your strength is not strong enough!


    "Mr. Su is being too modest. Can someone who can make those arrogant young masters lie on the ground barking like dogs be a nobody?"


    Shen Lin said with a slight smile:


    "The key is, after that incident, Mr. Su still lives so freely and leisurely, which is not something a nobody can achieve."


    "That''s nothingpared to Mr. Shen''s ability to endure hardship for the sake of revenge."


    Su Chen said nonchntly, since he and Qi Meng were sitting together, knowing about that incident wasn''t surprising, especially since it took ce at Qimeng Tower.


    "Tell me, what do you really want from me? I''m not interested in chatting with men."


    Su Chen shrugged, he truly had little interest in babbling with this guy.


    "Since Mr. Su is straightforward, I''ll speak inly,"


    Shen Lin looked seriously into Su Chen''s eyes and said:


    "I want to cooperate with Mr. Su!"

 Chapter 584: Each Harbors Their Own Schemes

    "Cooperation? What kind of cooperation?"


    Su Chen asked, surprisingly not expecting Shen Lin to seek coboration with him.


    "Mr. Su, let''s not beat around the bush. You can probably guess my intention; I aspire to be the Shen Family Head,"


    Shen Lin said confidently:


    "And you, Mr. Su, I presume the reason you humiliated those young masters that day wasn''t simple at all. You must have had your own purpose."


    "Although I currently don''t know what help you could offer me or how I could assist you, it doesn''t prevent us from establishing a cooperation intention."


    "There mighte a day when I will need Mr. Su, or when Mr. Su might need me."


    "Even if we never need each other, it won''t be a loss for either of us. We can consider it making a friend."


    "Aren''t you afraid I will tell Shen Shao about our meeting today?"


    Su Chen sipped his tea and asked with a smile.


    "You won''t. The young masters you humiliated that day are almost all on good terms with him, even looking to him for leadership,"


    Shen Lin spoke confidently:


    "You may not be enemies with my younger brother, but you definitely won''t be friends."


    "Even if you did tell him, what makes you think he would believe you? And even if he does, it would merely hasten things that were bound to happen, leading to an earlier showdown at most."


    "While there is a certain risk involved, Mr. Su, my instincts tell me that you are worth taking this risk for!"


    Shen Lin stated solemnly in conclusion.


    After hearing this, Su Chen began to look at him in a new light!


    Hemented once again how the powerful families of Yandu were all blind!


    Such a person, with the qualities of an ambitious and capable leader, was overlooked by them as if he were just a patch of useless mud on a wall!


    Compared to the dazzling Shen Shao, Shen Lin was undoubtedly morepetent and a more dangerous figure!


    "In that case, let''s hope for a pleasant coboration,"


    Su Chen raised his teacup, the corner of his mouth curling into a yful smile.


    Shen Lin''s previous words made sense; there was no loss for him in this.


    Their agreement was entirely informal, simply a tacit understanding between them, without any coercive obligations.


    Moreover, Su Chen also wished to nt a ''nail'' within the inner circles of the Five Great Families, particrly the Shen Family, which he significantly suspected.


    Honestly, Su Chen almost felt as if Shen Lin was a gift from the heavens!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, a delighted smile swiftly spread across Shen Lin''s face, and he too raised his teacup.


    "Qi Meng, join us," Su Chen said with a slight smile. "Without Miss Qi Meng, this coboration would never have happened."


    "You tter me, Mr. Su."


    Qi Meng also smilingly raised her teacup.


    The three of them gently clinked their cups together, then each took a sip.


    Although the two had just formed a preliminary cooperative intention, they both understood that it was natural for each to have their own agenda, and even turning against each other in the future wasmonce.


    "Shen Lin, you truly have a knack for deception; you''ve managed to fool the entirety of Yandu."


    Su Chen said with a light smile.


    "There''s no choice, in today''s society, there are simply too many clever people, and not enough fools to go around, so I had to y the fool,"


    Shen Lin replied with an amused smile:


    "Consider it contributing to the ranks of fools."


    "Talking of which, I''m quite curious about one thing. My intentions are clear, and I believe you can guess them without me saying, but your objectives, Mr. Su, are something I truly can''t fathom."


    Shen Lin tentatively asked,


    "Mr. Su, could you possibly reveal a bit? Perhaps I really can offer some small help."


    As soon as he said this, even Qi Meng looked curiously towards Su Chen.


    In fact, she also found it strange what dealings the formidable King of the Netherworld had with those major families of Yandu.


    After all, although the major families of Yandu may seem just so, the waters run deep within them. Even the power behind her seemed to be very wary of them.


    "You will naturallye to know when it is time to know."


    Su Chen smiled mysteriously. How could he possibly reveal his true purpose to Shen Lin?


    "Since Mr. Su is not convenient to say at the moment, I will not insist,"


    Shen Lin was obviously someone who knew when to stop. Hearing this, he knew that Su Chen was unwilling to speak.


    It was no surprise; one can''t delve too deep with superficial rtionships.


    However, he didn''t care too much. What he was concerned about was merely the position of the Shen Family Head.


    Just then, Shen Lin''s phone suddenly rang. He nced at the caller ID, his pupils shrank, and then he said with a faint smile,


    "Excuse me, I need to take this call."


    After saying this, Shen Lin picked up his phone and walked out of the room, leaving only Su Chen and Qi Meng inside.


    Qi Meng suddenly realized that Su Chen was looking at her with a half-smile and started to feel a bit uneasy.


    "Miss Qi Meng, I''ve fulfilled your request. What about my request? When do you n to fulfill it?"


    Su Chen asked with a frivolous tone.


    Qi Meng instinctively wanted to evade, but then she thought of the mission that envoy gave her¡ªthe mission to seduce the King of the Netherworld¡ªand suddenly, her beautiful eyes shot out a captivating look.


    "It''s all up to you, Mr. Su, isn''t it? How could a weak woman like me possibly resist?"


    Women are indeed born actors. At this moment, Qi Meng''s face showed a pitiful charm that made one want to protect her.


    In fact, for Qi Meng, facilitating the cooperation between him and Shen Lin today was just a protective wall she erected for herself.


    It would make Su Chen think that she was trying to curry favor with him for Shen Lin''s sake, and not suspect the power behind her.


    "In that case, why don''t we just do it here? It''s quiet and peaceful. Since Shen Lin was willing to send you to seduce me the day before yesterday, he surely wouldn''t mind if we do some things here, right?"


    As Su Chen spoke, he had already moved to Qi Meng''s side and then scooped her up from the lounge chair.


    "Mr. Su, you..."


    Suddenly being picked up by Su Chen, Qi Meng instinctively struggled for a moment.


    "Just now, you said I could do whatever I wanted, so why are you thinking of reneging after less than a minute?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a sly smile.


    Qi Meng''s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly resumed her pitiful demeanor,


    "I was just frightened by you earlier."


    "Then I''ll be gentler,"


    Saying this, Su Chen swept all the tea sets onto the floor and slowlyid Qi Meng on the table. His hands propped on either side of her, he began to lower his head toward hers.


    Qi Meng looked at Su Chen''s face drawing closer, heard his increasingly heavy breathing, and immediately became extremely nervous, feeling cold sweat in her palms.


    Su Chen, of course, noticed her panic and unease, yet he still lowered his head further until his face was only a dozen centimeters away from hers!


    Unable to bear this torment any longer, Qi Meng suddenly pushed Su Chen away, her face blushing, and said,


    "I¡ªI got my period today."


    Su Chen couldn''t help but burst into a bitter smile at her words. He hadn''t expected that, in the end, Qi Meng woulde up with such ame excuse...

 Chapter 585: Did You Miss Me?

    "Oh, really? You haven''t lied to me?"


    Su Chen pretended not to see through her lie and asked seriously.


    "Of course, it''s true. How could I possibly deceive Mr. Su?"


    Thinking that Su Chen believed her, Qi Meng immediately breathed a sigh of relief and then said with affectionate eyes,


    "Actually, I couldn''t wish for anything more than to receive the affections of a man like Mr. Su!"


    "Oh, is that so? That''s really too bad."


    Su Chen stood up, expressing regret verbally,


    "It seems we can only wait for next time then."


    Qi Meng also hurriedly got down from the table and then sat on the wicker chair.


    "Mr. Su, I''m really sorry for the neglect."


    At this moment, Shen Lin walked in from outside the house. When he saw the tea sets smashed all over the floor, he was stunned.


    He thought to himself, I''d only been out for a few minutes, what on earth happened here?


    "Young Master Shen, sorry about that. I wasn''t careful while walking and knocked over the table, breaking the tea sets. I sincerely apologize."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "It''s all right, it''s just a set of tea service. If it''s broken, it''s broken."


    Shen Lin said casually with a wave of his hand, but he was curious, as that was a solid wood table, what kind of walking could knock it over?


    "Well, I have other things to attend to, so I''ll be leaving now. Thank you for the tea, Young Master Shen."


    As he said this, Su Chen was ready to leave.


    "You''re wee."


    Shen Lin replied and then nced at Qi Meng,


    "Miss Qi Meng, would you mind seeing Mr. Su out for me?"


    "Sure."


    Qi Meng nodded slightly, and then followed Su Chen out.


    After escorting Su Chen to his car, Qi Meng said goodbye and was about to return.


    "Wait a moment."


    Just as she turned around, Su Chen''s voice sounded.


    "Does Mr. Su have anything else?"


    Qi Meng looked at him puzzledly and asked.


    Su Chen moved closer to her side, then leaned forward and asked softly by her ear,


    "Miss Qi Meng, how have you been sleeping these past few days? Have you missed me?"


    Upon hearing these words, Qi Meng''s heart trembled, and her face flushed a deep red in an instant.


    Because thesest few days, she did find herself asionally recalling the scenes from that night, especially the words he had said to her, which left her restless and unable to sleep.


    Qi Meng''s first instinct was to deny it, but thinking of her mission, she looked at him as if enchanted and said,


    "Of course, I missed you so much that I couldn''t sleep!"


    "Is that so? I felt the same. All I could think about while trying to sleep was the image of Miss Qi Meng."


    As these words were spoken, Qi Meng''s heart became even more unsettled, and she hurriedly said:


    "Mr. Su, please take your time leaving, I have some matters to attend to, so I will head back first."


    After speaking, she immediately ran towards the teahouse...


    In fact, the current situation was quite difficult and awkward for Qi Meng.


    To win over the King of Netherworld, she could only use her body, and besides that, she didn''t know what else she had to offer.


    But this was not what she wanted, and what''s more, her first attempt had been seen through by him; could she still seed?


    Yet, she had toplete the task given to her by the organization, because she knew the consequence of failure would be worse than death!


    So, she had no choice but to y the game of emotions with the King of Netherworld, even though she knew she might be ying with fire.


    Su Chen watched Qi Meng''s hasty retreat, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a meaningful smile.


    How could he not see Qi Meng''s conflicting psychology, where she wanted to seduce him but also rejected such actions?


    Moreover, he became even more curious about Qi Meng''s identity. Although she took him to see Shen Lin today, making it seem like she was Shen Lin''s person,


    Su Chen simply didn''t believe this, mainly for two reasons. The first was due to Qi Meng''s strength; she was a high-level Qi Refinement Peak expert, not someone likely to serve under a young master like Shen Lin.


    After all, Qi Refinement Peak is different from the Qi Refinement seventh, eighth, or ninthyers and is another level of existence, with a huge gap between them. Moreover, Qi Meng was one of the top experts among Qi Refinement Peak experts, which made it even less likely.


    In Su Chen''s estimation, her strength could probably even match that of the Clown.


    Moreover, it was obvious that there was someone behind Qi Meng pressing her, and he didn''t think Shen Lin had the power to force a Qi Refinement Peak expert to offer herself willingly.


    If all this was just Su Chen''s spection, another point solidified his thoughts even further.


    That was the fact that Qi Meng had once attempted to assassinate Su Chen. It was known that at that time, Shen Lin probably hadn''t even heard the name Su Chen, let alone known him, so how could he havemanded Qi Meng to kill him?


    This clearly indicated that besides Shen Lin, there was another person or force behind Qi Meng!


    What Su Chen didn''t understand was why this person or force wanted to kill him at first, and now was trying every means to win him over, even not hesitating to offer Qi Meng''s body!


    What prompted their change in attitude, and what exactly were they plotting?


    That was the real issue that concerned Su Chen.


    However, Su Chen knew he wouldn''t understand by just thinking about it now. Fortunately, he had already chosen his breakthrough point, which was Qi Meng!


    Soon after returning to thepany, Su Chen left work. He went straight to the market, bought some groceries, and cooked a meal.


    After Lin Ruoxue came back, the two of them had dinner together and then sat on the sofa to chat leisurely for a while.


    During this time, Lin Ruoxue did mention one thing, suggesting they hire a maid since they were both busy at times.


    Su Chen naturally had no objections and let her handle it as she saw fit.


    After chatting for a while, Lin Ruoxue continued to work upstairs, while Su Chen also returned to his room for cultivation.


    The next day, rather than going to thepany, Su Chen went to the manor. He felt that he was close to breaking through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, so he needed to set up the formation in the manor as soon as possible to aid in his sessful breakthrough!


    This time, Su Chen did not go through Qin Ming to find the materials but had Lone Wolf handle it, and the materials had just arrived that day.


    With previous experience, Su Chen set up the small Gathering Yuan Formation even more smoothly this time,pleting the setup by two or three in the afternoon!


    Maybe because it was near ake, the Yuan Qi in the manor was slightly denser than that in the vi area.


    Feeling the robust True Yuan, Su Chen felt extremely refreshed andfortable!


    Su Chen thought that he needed to find an opportunity to return to the Nether Temple to help them set up formations, which would increase the cultivation speed of the brothers there as well.


    Right, and also set up a few formations at the Shadow Guard base in the Amazon Jungle. He couldn''t y favorites, after all!


    Having thought all this through, Su Chen began cultivating in one of the rooms of the manor, and before he knew it, it was eight or nine o''clock in the evening...

 Chapter 586: Pleasure and Displeasure

    After Su Chen finished his cultivation practice, he saw howte it was and hurriedly drove towards the Imperial Garden.


    The night was bleak as water, and the weather today was not good; itcked moonlight, but the sky was full of twinkling stars that scattered their light upon the earth, enveloping the city.


    It was almost early winter by now, and there were still vehicles and pedestrians on the road, though fewer than before.


    Driving his car, Su Chen found a rare tranquility as he watched the neon lights on both sides of the street, enjoying the brief moment of peace.


    At times like this, he didn''t have to fight, to struggle for his life, to engage in deception, or to scheme; he just needed to feel the world with an open heart.


    However, there were always people who would break this peace and prevent him from enjoying it.


    So when he saw two Mercedes suddenly appear in front of his car, blocking his way, he was very annoyed.


    If he was annoyed, then he had to do something to make himself feel better.


    Su Chen didn''t get out of his car, nor did he reverse; of course, there was no room to retreat.


    A big truck had also sped up behind him by now, nearly filling the not-so-wide road.


    ncing at the two Mercedes in front of him, Su Chen''s lips curled into a cold smile, and then he mmed the gas pedal to the floor. The roar of the engine erupted as the Buickpletely ignored the two Mercedes in front and crashed right between them!


    Seeing the Buick suddenly speeding towards them, the people inside the Mercedes were startled. Was this guy insane?


    "Block him, block him!"


    One of the young men inside the cars immediately shouted out loud, thinking Su Chen wanted to break through and escape.


    He had high hopes for today''s operation; he had to kill Su Chen. How could he let the man escape?


    When the others heard the young man, they immediately brought the two cars even closer together, leaving almost no gap between them!


    "Bang!"


    A loud noise resounded as the Buick crashed into the front of the two Mercedes. Because of the Buick''s speed, the impact pushed the Mercedes back several meters, and they were forced apart, leaving a space.


    Now, the front ends of all three cars were dented, and some parts had scattered.


    Su Chen quickly reversed for some distance and then elerated forward again.


    "Stop him, quick, stop him!"


    The excited young man shouted again.


    "Yes!"


    The drivers of the two cars immediately prepared to squeeze together again to block him.


    But before the two cars could close the gap, the Buick sped towards them again!


    "Bang!"


    Another loud noise erupted, and the two Mercedes were hit by the tremendous force and pushed to the sides while the Buick sped through the gap between them!


    "Turn around fast, chase after him, we can''t let this guy get away!"


    The young man, seeing this scene, immediately changed color and yelled.


    Just as the two cars were about to turn around, they were astonished to find that the Buick had already turned back around.


    These people werepletely dumbfounded for a moment. The guy had already broken through, and instead of trying to escape quickly, he was charging at them again!


    Did he damage his brain when he crashed just now?


    "Bang!"


    "Bang!"


    "Bang!"


    The Buick raced over and immediately rammed crazily into the two Mercedes!


    A momentter, all three cars were wrecked beyond recognition!


    "There, that feels good!"


    Su Chen let out a long breath and then slowly got out of the car.


    At this time, five people also got out of the two Mercedes, appearing mostly unharmed except for one young man whose face was a bit pale.


    Su Chen knew that the collision couldn''t have possibly caused them any substantial harm; he did it purely for his own satisfaction.


    After all, he was leisurely enjoying the nighttime view when suddenly, these guys disturbed him, which felt incredibly aggravating.


    The five men who emerged from the two cars looked at the young man before them as if they had encountered a madman!


    "Su Chen, you might have had a chance to get away just now, but you chose death, daring toe back!"


    The young man looked at Su Chen with a sinister sneer tugging at his lips, convinced in his heart that even if Su Chen had attempted to flee, he wouldn''t have gotten far.


    "Cui Yuanmin, it seems you never learn."


    Su Chen gazed at the pale-faced, ominous-eyed young man and smiled,


    "Do you really think this few people can stop me?"


    "Su Chen, don''t get cocky, I know you can fight, but these fellows are genuine experts!"


    Cui Yuanmin''s eyes zed with fury,


    "If you kneel down now and kowtow ten times, maybe I''ll spare your dog''s life!"


    Cui Yuanmin''s hatred for Su Chen could be said to be etched into his bones, as some of the biggest setbacks in his life had been at the hands of this man, apart from that masked man; hence he was determined to eliminate Su Chen!


    Although this guy was skilled, how could his skillspare to the experts from the Zheng family that he had brought with him?


    Zheng Yan had told him that these people were all Martial Arts masters, a cut above ordinary experts, capable of effortlessly taking down several ace special forces soldiers!


    Cui Yuanmin believed that no matter how formidable Su Chen was, he wouldn''t be a match for such people, especially since Zheng Yan had sent four of these experts at once.


    "There''s more than one person in this world who has wanted me on my knees, but they''ve all since reported to Hell. Do you, Cui the superstar, wish to be next?"


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and said leisurely.


    "Su Chen, on the verge of death and still so arrogant!"


    Cui Yuanmin shouted in rage,


    "Get him! I want to see him kneeling in front of me, begging for mercy and repenting!"


    No sooner had Cui Yuanmin''s words fallen than the four beside him charged like a gust of wind, their momentum thunderous!


    Su Chen snorted coldly, his figure shifting, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of one of them.


    The man, startled by Su Chen''s ghost-like appearance before him, instinctively threw a punch his way!


    But in the next instant, he realized his punch couldn''t proceed, as his shoulder des had been seized by a pair of strong hands!


    The others also noticed something was amiss and rushed to rescue, with one of them sweeping a kick from behind toward Su Chen. The kick drew a blur in the air, reaching Su Chen''s thigh almost instantly!


    Su Chen stepped slightly to the side, then clenched his other hand into a fist and threw a punch at the man''s abdomen.


    "Bang!"


    Struck by Su Chen''s fist, the man immediately doubled over like a shrimp, an expression of agony spreading across his face...

 Chapter 587 - 587 Dark Flower

    Su Chen extended a hand and directly clutched the man''s throat, gently twisting it. The man''s throat bone shattered, and he was dead!


    At that moment, another person''s heavy fist also smashed towards the back of Su Chen''s head!


    The fist roared through the air, as if tearing through space, bringing with it a whistling sound. If that fist had hit, it would have been difficult not to have his head burst open!


    However, although the fist wind was still far from the back of Su Chen''s head, Su Chen had felt it, but did nothing.


    The man thought that Su Chen hadn''t noticed and was instantly overjoyed. He was very confident in his punch, especially since it was only a few centimeters away from the back of the opponent''s head.


    Even the most skilled expert would definitely not have time to react!


    However, just then, a leg suddenly kicked out backward at a strange angle, heading straight for his chest!


    "How is this possible?"


    Seeing this unstoppable kick, the man was immediately shocked. It was definitely toote to withdraw his punch and block it.


    He had no choice but to raise his other arm, trying to block the fierce strike.


    "Crack!"


    When Su Chen''s leg made contact with the arm, a clear sound of bone cracking immediately emitted.


    At the same time, his leg continued its course unabated, like a cannonball, straight towards the man''s chest!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen''s foot solidly kicked the man''s chest. The man immediately flew backward like a kite with its string cut,nding in the bushes by the roadside some ten meters away, with his chest caved in severely!


    In just the blink of an eye, only two people were left standing properly, one still clutched by Su Chen by the shoulder de!


    The two men''s gaze towards Su Chen was instantly filled with fear.


    Who exactly was this person?


    This was too terrifying! It was just like facing a devil!


    You must know, they were all Qi Refinement experts from the Triple Layer to the Fourth Layer. Yet, in front of this young man, they seemed like mere y figures!


    Cui Yuanmin was also staring at Su Chen as if he had seen a ghost. He had witnessed Su Chen''s moves before, but had not expected him to be this formidable!


    Of course, this was also because he didn''t understand martial arts. If he had, he might not have been so shocked at this moment!


    Because, in his presence, the Bai family head, Bai Shan, whom Su Chen had sent flying with a single palm strike, was an expert almost advancing from Triple to Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement.


    But he didn''t know that; he thought the experts of the Zheng Family were definitely among the top, but the result turned out to be...


    "Go on, what are you waiting for! Kill this kid!"


    At this moment, Cui Yuanmin was incredibly terrified. Seeing someone beside him stunned, he immediately yelled!


    However, to his surprise, upon hearing his shout, that person not only did not rush forward but instead turned and started to flee!


    "Think you can run?"


    Su Chen sneered, then directly swung the person he had grabbed by the shoulder de, using him as a sandbag, and threw him at the fleeing man!


    "Bang!"


    The man flew out like a cannonball, smashing into the back of the one trying to escape, knocking him to the ground!


    Su Chen then strolled up to the two men. Under their fearful gaze, he stomped on each of their chests with one foot, crushing them, and the two immediately breathed theirst!


    The man who had previously blocked Su Chen''s escape route with a truck waspletely dumbfounded. He hurriedly reversed the truck, trying to flee from this terrifying ce.


    Just then, a streak of silver light shed across the sky. A silver needle with a chilling gleam flew forward with a "whoosh".


    Eventually, the silver needle pierced through the car window ss and embedded itself in the driver''s forehead...


    Cui Yuanmin, upon seeing the previous person escaping, also immediately ran away, wishing he had an extra pair of legs!


    However, Su Chen had no intention of killing him. Watching Cui Yuanmin sprinting down the street, Su Chen''s lips curled into an amused smile. "Let''s let you live a few more days; there''s a good showing up, and you''re the main character!"


    Su Chen''s car was wrecked, unable to be driven. The area was secluded with no taxis avable, so he had to continue on foot.


    He walked for a kilometer before he managed to hail a cab and return to the Imperial Garden.


    During this journey, he had already called Qin Ming to have him clean up the scene.


    After all, his car was there and could easily be traced back to him. He did not want the police to disrupt his life.


    When he got home, he found that Lin Ruoxue hadn''t eaten dinner yet and was waiting for him, which immediately warmed his heart.


    "Wife, from now on, if I''mte, you should eat by yourself. Don''t wait for me,"


    Su Chen said softly.


    "It''s okay, I just got back a little while ago myself,"


    Lin Ruoxue said casually.


    Then the two sat down to dinner, which Lin Ruoxue had brought from a nearby restaurant. The food was quite good.


    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue went back upstairs to work, while Su Chen went off running to the estate for cultivation, since his car was ruined.


    He was adamant about going to the estate because he felt that his breakthrough was imminent, possibly urring at any moment.


    The distance from the Imperial Garden to the estate was about thirty to forty kilometers. Though this might have been challenging for someone else, it was nothing for Su Chen.


    When he arrived at the estate, he wasn''t even out of breath and immediately entered his room to begin cultivating...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a room at the Situ courtyard, Situ Lei sat in front of aputer and opened a website.


    Upon essing the site, a cluttered page loaded, overrun with sexydies and various small ads, it looked like it was infected with a virus.


    Situ Lei clicked on a few icons, and those images "swooshed" away, revealing a new page.


    The new page had a background as dark as a sheet of paper soaked in ink, with several spots of bright red as if sshed with fresh blood.


    The entire page had a deeply chilling and hair-raising feel!


    Nevertheless, Situ Lei, at the sight of this page, felt no fear but instead a mix of excitement and exhration, his eyes sparkling with an unusual glow!


    He trembled as he typed in his registered ount in a small nk space, then clicked confirm, and the previous page disappeared!


    The new images that caught his eye were photos, each with a skull icon below them.


    When he saw the photo of one particr person, he immediately clicked on it, eager to see if the task he posted had been taken!


    Upon clicking, his pupils instantly narrowed, his eyes zing!

 Chapter 588: Young Master, That Matter Has Not Yet Been Completed

    "Brother, are you there?"


    Just at that moment, a voice suddenly came from outside the door.


    Situ Lei knew it was his sister Situ Jiao as soon as he heard it, so he quickly closed the page and then got up to open the door.


    "Brother, what kind of bad things are you up to? You even locked the door from inside."


    Situ Jiao pouted as she spoke.


    "What bad things could I be up to? I was nning to go to bed and rest."


    Situ Lei said with a slight smile.


    "Yeah right, when have you ever gone to sleep this early?"


    Situ Jiao sat down on the sofa next to him.


    "Why are youing here sote?"


    Situ Lei asked curiously.


    "Can''t Ie and check on you if there''s nothing wrong?"


    Situ Jiao nced at him and then casually asked:


    "By the way, did you take care of that despicable man fromst time?"


    In Situ Jiao''s mind, that man should have been long gone by now, and she had only just happened to remember him, which is why she asked.


    "Are you talking about the man who was with Lin Wenting and who humiliated you?"


    "Who else would it be?"


    Situ Jiao still felt full of anger when she thought of that incident!


    That bastard had actually pped her in public, and even straddled her to tear at her mouth!


    When had she, Situ Jiao, ever suffered such humiliation in her life?


    Now, looking back, she somewhat regretted letting her brother kill him immediately. She should have had her brother bring the man to her so that he could kneel down and lick the soles of her shoes!


    But since the man was already dead, she supposed it let him off easy.


    Situ Lei''s thoughts weren''t much different from Situ Jiao''s, and he said:


    "I handed the matter over to Martial Artist, and he should have taken care of it long ago."


    "By the way, this Martial Artist is getting less and less disciplined by the day. He doesn''t even report back to me afterpleting a task!"


    Situ Lei''s face darkened with some annoyance. Had Situ Jiao not brought up the matter, it wouldn''t have even crossed his mind!


    Situ Jiao was also taken aback, as reporting back afterpleting a mission was the most basic rule, and Martial Artist had been following Big Brother for many years; he couldn''t possibly be ignorant of such a rule.


    "Big Brother, you don''t think something unexpected happened, do you?"


    Situ Jiao asked, somewhat uneasily.


    "What could possibly go wrong? It''s just some nobody, isn''t it?"


    Situ Lei said dismissively, as he picked up his phone and dialed a number:


    "Martial Artist, get back here immediately!"


    Less than ten minutes passed before a man who wasn''t very tall, but who seemed to contain a huge amount of energy, walked in.


    "Young Master, did you need me?"


    The man bowed his head in front of Situ Lei, as he had sensed from Situ Lei''s tone that he was very angry, so he was a bit scared at the moment.


    "Martial Artist, have you be toocent?"


    Situ Lei nced at him, his voice cold.


    "Young Master, how could you say that? I have always been absolutely loyal to you!"


    Martial Artist was startled by these words and hurriedly defended himself.


    "Absolutely loyal? If you are so loyal, why didn''t you report back to me afterpleting the task!"


    Situ Lei said sternly.


    "Young Master, how could that be? I always report back as soon as I''vepleted a task!"


    "Then what about the man who insulted Jiaost time? Why haven''t you reported to me about that yet?"


    Situ Lei suddenly pped the table fiercely.


    Upon hearing this, Ah Hu''s face turned unsightly, and he stammered without being able to utter a word.


    "Now you have nothing to say, huh?"


    Seeing Ah Hu''s reaction, Situ Lei became even more convinced of his thoughts and coldly spat out:


    "Ah Hu, you have been with me for so many years, and you should be clear about how I deal with the disloyal."


    At those words, Ah Hu''s body shuddered violently, and then he squeezed out a difficult sentence:


    "Young Master, I haven''tpleted that task yet."


    "What!"


    Situ Lei''s face immediately showed a trace of astonishment upon hearing this, followed by clouds of anger spreading across his face:


    "You worthless thing, you can''t even handle a little bastard, what else can you do?"


    Situ Jiao, upon hearing that the man was still alive, was even more shocked and furious, suddenly standing up.


    "Ah Hu, what exactly is going on?"


    Situ Jiao asked sharply, incredulous that the man who had humiliated her was still alive to this day, and she waspletely unaware!


    "Young Master, Miss, I''ve already sent out three groups of people, each stronger than thest, even including five Martial Artists, but none have returned," Ah Hu said with a touch of frustration.


    "These past two days I was preparing to arrange things properly and take action personally."


    The moment Ah Hu''s words dropped, the siblings Situ Lei and Situ Jiao were both momentarily stunned.


    Three groups of people, five Martial Artists, none could handle that guy? How bizarre could that be?


    "Get me that person''s information immediately!" Situ Lei demanded quickly, his face growing exceedingly grim.


    "Yes!"


    Ah Hu immediately took out his phone, which contained the target''s information.


    Then he opened a document on the phone and handed it to Situ Lei.


    The moment Situ Lei took the phone, the first thing he saw was a photo, and when he saw it, his body involuntarily jerked, and he held his breath.


    Then, he saw the name beside it, one he had never forgotten even in his dreams¡ªSu Chen!


    The man who had given him the greatest humiliation of his life!


    It never urred to him that the man who had humiliated his sister was also this man!


    It was his fault for not taking his sister''s ount of the incident to heart.


    After all, to him, it was just a trivial character, easily erased, so why pay more attention?


    There was another coincidence; after the incident at the Qimeng Tower, he had handed over the task of assassinating Su Chen to someone else. Had he given the task to Ah Hu, he would have known much sooner that the two were the same person.


    "Ah Jiao, is it this man?" Situ Lei handed the phone to Situ Jiao and asked.


    "Indeed, it''s him!"


    Seeing that face again, Situ Jiao felt a surge of endless hatred and humiliation well up inside her.


    "Are you sure you''re not mistaken?"


    "I would recognize him even if he turned to ashes!"


    Situ Jiao spat out through gritted teeth, how could she possibly not recognize this man who had sat on top of her, tearing at her mouth!


    "Big brother, no matter what, this man must die! Otherwise, the hatred in my heart will not be appeased!"


    "Don''t worry, I''ve already made arrangements, he won''t be jumping around much longer!" Situ Lei''s face revealed a sinister light.


    Situ Lei''s confidence naturally came from the person who had epted his Dark Flower mission, after all, it had cost him 3 billion US dors to secure the service.


    Of course, those 3 billion hadn''te solely from him, but from everyone who had been humiliated by that man that day, who had pooled their resources together.


    Each one of them yearned for that man''s demise, as if only by his death could they alleviate a fraction of their humiliation...

 Chapter 589: Xia Qiurus Resentment (Revised)

    Of course, Situ Lei''s desire to kill Su Chen was much stronger than anyone else''s!


    Because that man had not only forced him to crawl on the ground and bark like a dog, but also snatched away the woman he had long set his sights on!


    After Shen Shao introduced him to the Dark World and the ck List, Situ Lei had started collecting information about it.


    As an heir to one of the Five Great Families of Yandu, Situ Lei naturally had ess to much more information than ordinary people.


    He had never imagined that such entities existed in the world!


    They seemed independent of all countries, a separate little world, yet all countries appeared very wary of those people.


    Especially the top few powers within them, governments of various countries would rather befriend them than make enemies!


    That included the major powers as well, mostly because those people''s destructive power was too great, and they could not bepletely wiped out.


    Although they also feared airnes and bombs, they would not foolishly stand there and let you hit them!


    Thus, the best strategy was to maintain a friendly rtionship with those people, and sometimes, there might even be potential for cooperation on certain matters.


    Situ Jiao, seeing her big brother so confident, also felt relieved; she knew that Situ Lei was not an arrogant man¡ªhe wouldn''t have said this without assurance.


    However, it seemed her brother''s hatred towards him was no less than her own, which somewhat puzzled her.


    ......


    Su Chen was naturally unaware of everything that was happening in Situ familypound that night, and even if he knew, he wouldn''t care.


    The only thing he cared about now was his cultivation; after a night of cultivating, he had yet to enter the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, although he felt he was very close.


    He had thought about using the elixirs he had collected from the old chatan Zhuge to attempt a breakthrough to the Ninth Layer, but after a second thought, he decided against it, as there was no hurry these days...


    After ending his cultivation, Su Chen took a cold shower, changed his clothes, and then jogged back to the Imperial Garden.


    Upon returning to the vi he shared with Lin Ruoxue, he expertly prepared avish breakfast as usual.


    When breakfast was almost ready, Lin Ruoxue got out of bed, wearing a silk nightgown, and walked downstairs.


    "Wife, good morning!"


    Su Chen casually greeted Lin Ruoxue as she walked down the stairs.


    "Morning."


    Lin Ruoxue clearly worked toote the day before and seemed a bit sleepy.


    Once Su Chen had set the breakfast on the table, they started eating.


    After they had finished, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to change clothes and drove off to work, while Su Chen waited a bit and then hailed a cab to Rainbow Mansion.


    Upon arriving at thepany, he headed towards his office; first, he brewed a cup of tea and then leisurely enjoyed a "Men''s Fashion" magazine.


    After all, there wasn''t much for him to do; he had delegated almost all his tasks to the PR department, and those women''s capabilities were exceptional, so he was very at ease about it.


    When he had flipped through the "Men''s Fashion" magazine twice, he tossed it aside and found himself again with nothing to do.


    With no choice, he turned on theputer and started ying Fight the Landlord, but after half an hour, he lost interest again.


    "Forget it, I''ll go see Qiuru, it''s been a long time since I visited her."


    Su Chen muttered to himself.


    Since all the offices were now on the same floor, Su Chen couldn''t just barge into Xia Qiuru''s office the way he used to.


    Indeed, ever since Lin Ruoxue had arrived in Yandu, he hadn''t dared to visit Xia Qiuru''s office on his own initiative.


    Su Chen arrived in front of Xia Qiuru''s office door and looked around furtively before quickly pushing the door open and darting inside, feeling somewhat like a thief.


    Xia Qiuru sensed someone entering and looked up, only to find that it was Su Chen, her eyes instantly lighting up with surprise.


    "Why did youe?"


    Xia Qiuru looked at him somewhat oddly as she asked.


    "Just came to see you!"


    Su Chen made himself at home and sat down on the sofa, then picked up an apple from the coffee table, took a bite, and put it back.


    "Aren''t you afraid Lin would find out and make you kneel on durian as a punishment?"


    Xia Qiuru nced at him, her voice tinged with a trace of mncholy.


    Of course, she was somewhat unhappy that Su Chen hadn''t visited her for so many days.


    Moreover, she knew he hadn''te because he was afraid of Lin Ruoxue finding out.


    This deepened her sense of mncholy a bit more. Although Xia Qiuru was a sensible woman who considered others, she was still a woman, and therefore had her moments of desire, anger, and folly.


    She knew she shouldn''t feel this way, especially since he and Lin were already married, but sometimes, she just couldn''t control herself.


    Despite knowing it was hopeless, she always hoped for more.


    With hope came disappointment, and with frequent disappointment over time, inevitably came a sense of mncholy.


    But she had no one to share these feelings with, only umting them inside her heart, whispering to the moonlight through the long nights.


    Of course, all this was unbeknownst to Su Chen. He thought since they had discussed everything openly, there wouldn''t be any issues, although he harbored a special affection for Xia Qiuru himself.


    But he knew that, for now, maintaining a friendship was the best oue for both.


    As for the future, who knew? They could only take one step at a time.


    Upon hearing Xia Qiuru''s words, he smiled slightly and said:


    "The way you put it, Ruoxue sounds like a shrew. Besides, we''re both department heads; isn''t it normal to meet and improve our rapport?"


    "Is it normal for you to not visit me for so long?"


    Something suddenly came to mind for Xia Qiuru, her face showing a hint of shyness as she said:


    "Su Chen, there''s something I was hoping to talk to you about."


    "What is it?" asked Su Chen casually.


    "Never mind, it''s nothing."


    Xia Qiuru hesitated, then chose to remain silent.


    "Qiuru, aren''t we still good friends? Just say whatever is on your mind."


    Seeing her like this, Su Chen knew she was facing some issue but felt a bit embarrassed to bother him about it.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Xia Qiuru looked up at him and said softly:


    "It''s like this, the New Year is just a few months away, and my mom wants us toe home for a visit."


    Upon saying this, a blush crept over Xia Qiuru''s pretty face.


    Honestly, it was quite embarrassing for her to say this, as the matter was quite sensitive and a bit excessive.


    After all, Su Chen was married and would definitely need to be with Lin Ruoxue for the New Year, but she couldn''t withstand her mother''s nagging calls every other day.


    Of course, all of this was due to the issues left over from the time she had asked Su Chen to pretend to be her boyfriend, and now she had no choice but to push him to continue the act.


    She couldn''t possibly tell her mother that Su Chen was just pretending; that would probably make her mother sick...

 Chapter 590: The Third Vanishing Great Family

    Su Chen was taken aback when he heard what Xia Qiuru said; he had not expected that she would suggest he apany her back home for the New Year.


    "If you find it troublesome, just pretend I never mentioned it."


    Seeing that Su Chen didn''t respond right away, Xia Qiuru quickly added:


    "I know it might be a bit much to ask, sorry."


    "It''s okay, I''ve been missing your parents too. I''ll apany you back for a day or two. I think I can still squeeze out some time then."


    Su Chen said with a casual smile on his face.


    Actually, Xia Qiuru''s request was quite problematic for him, after all, going home with another woman during the New Year was indeed a bit over the line for a married man.


    If any other woman had made such a request, he would have tly refused. If Lin Ruoxue found out, it would be noughing matter.


    But with Xia Qiuru, he found it hard to refuse, or perhaps, deep down, he didn''t want to refuse...


    "That''s wonderful!"


    A joyful brightness instantly flickered across Xia Qiuru''s pretty face, and then with some trepidation, she looked at Su Chen:


    "Won''t this cause you any trouble?"


    Xia Qiuru hadn''t expected Su Chen to actually agree, and although it probably wouldn''t be on New Year''s Eve or the first day of the New Year, her joy was overwhelming!


    "No trouble at all."


    Su Chen waved his hand dismissively, appearing unconcerned.


    Afterwards, Su Chen chatted casually with Xia Qiuru for a few more sentences before leaving. As soon as he stepped out of Xia Qiuru''s office, he ran into Lin Ruoxue who wasing his way.


    Lin Ruoxue''s office was located nearest to the inside, so one had to pass Xia Qiuru''s office to enter or exit.


    Upon seeing Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes darted around in panic as if he had been caught doing something wrong.


    However, that panic was immediately reigned in, and Lin Ruoxue didn''t notice it.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, sounding rather surprised.


    "Well, I had to discuss some work matters with Director Xia."


    Su Chen replied, feigning calm, and then hurried towards his own office, fearful Lin Ruoxue might sense something was amiss.


    "Discuss work?"


    Lin Ruoxue watched Su Chen''s retreating figure with a suspicious expression. When had this guy started taking work so seriously?


    Then she nced at Xia Qiuru''s office, and her expression cooled.


    Is this guy messing around with other women again because I told him not to mingle with those women from the PR department?


    After leaving, Su Chen immediately returned to his own office,pletely unaware that Lin Ruoxue had seen right through his facade just from his offhand remark.


    It just goes to show that sometimes being too smart for one''s own good isn''t always a blessing!


    Just then, his phone suddenly rang. Taking it out, he saw a number that hadn''t been in contact for some days.


    "Ye Mei, the great beauty, what made you think to call me? Are you missing me?"


    Su Chen answered the phone, his tone flirtatious.


    Among the beauties he knew, apart from those with whom he had confirmed rtionships, he was probably only this casual with Ye Mei.


    After all, she had been in the underworld and wouldn''t care about the finer points like most women would.


    "Yeah, do you miss me?"


    Ye Mei''s seductive voice came through almost immediately.


    "Of course, how could I not miss such a beautiful woman as Ye Mei?" Su Chen chuckled.


    "Why didn''t you call me if you missed me?"


    "I didn''t want to disturb you, the busy person that you are!"


    ```


    "Oh, please, you''re just afraid of the tigress at home."


    Ye Mei said with disdain, then became serious,


    "Alright, enough with the banter. I have something important to discuss with you."


    "Oh, what''s the matter?"


    Su Chen casually lit a cigarette and, with his legs on the office desk, asked leisurely.


    "Didn''t you say you''d apany me on a trip abroad when you had the time? I''m leaving tomorrow. Are you avable?"


    Ye Mei''s somewhat hopeful voice came through the phone.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen fell silent for a moment, as he had some ns in Yanduing up.


    These ns were rted to his investigation of the truth behind past events and his quest for revenge, so he had to stay.


    "Ye Mei, I''m sorry, but I..."


    Su Chen said apologetically. After all, Ye Mei had discussed the overseas trip with him a while back, and he had almost agreed to it, so he felt a bit embarrassed to go back on his word now.


    "It''s fine. I was just asking casually."


    Ye Mei replied with a slight smile over the phone, seemingly unconcerned, but if Su Chen were there in person, he would have noticed a touch of sadness in her eyes.


    "It''s just to further discuss a coboration. It''s not a big deal."


    Ye Mei added.


    "Well, since it is abroad, take care of yourself."


    Su Chen nodded and thought to himself that she should be fine going to the Phillip family, so there shouldn''t be any major issues.


    "If anything happens, call me right away."


    "Alright, you sure can nag!"


    Ye Mei''s initial disappointment eased a little when she heard Su Chen''s concern, and although her tone was somewhat impatient, she actually felt quite pleased inside.


    "By the way, the Wu Family hasn''t been giving you any troubletely, have they?"


    Su Chen suddenly remembered to ask.


    "No, they did propose a new condition to get me to marry the third young master of the Situ Family, Situ Guang, offering to give me 30% of the Wu Family''s assets, but I refused. Since then, they haven''t bothered me."


    Ye Mei was actually a bit perplexed because, based on the Wu Family''s nature, they wouldn''t give up until they achieved their goal, so why had they suddenly seemed to quiet down?


    "They seem rather generous."


    Su Chen chuckled coldly, knowing exactly what the Wu Family was up to with that offer.


    "The people from the Wu Family are like wolves and leopards when ites to wealth; I''ll say it again, be careful, and contact me if anythinges up."


    "Alright, I know! I''ve got things to do, so I''m hanging up now!"


    After saying that, Ye Mei hung up the phone, and an unconcealed smile crept onto her face.


    "Wu Family, I hope you really can stay in line, or else I wouldn''t mind making you the third great family to disappear from Jiangnan."


    After hanging up, Su Chen murmured to himself.


    .....


    "Ye Mei, are you lovesick? That''s quite a suggestive smile you''ve got there!"


    In the office of Ye Mei, as soon as she hung up the phone, a teasing voice rang out.


    Then a woman with a tall figure and stunning looks swayed into the room, a yful smile on her face.


    She was dressed in a blue-striped zer with a chiffon shirt underneath, paired very fashionably.


    The zer pants were cropped to reveal her snow-white ankles, and further down were a pair of silver-gray high heels that entuated her figure to an even finer degree!


    "You little wench, you''re the one who is lovesick!"


    Ye Mei retorted at the iing Xiao Yaning, as a slow blush crept onto her pretty face....


    ```

 Chapter 591 - 591 Madness

    "Oh please, looking at you, no one would believe you''re NOT smitten!"


    Xiao Yaning said with augh:


    "Face blushing like peach blossoms, shy yet timid, breathing in disarray, do you still dare to say it''s not the case?"


    "Keep talking nonsense, and I''ll tear your mouth apart!"


    Ye Mei red at Xiao Yaning and said, feeling a bit panicky inside as though her thoughts had beenpletely seen through by the other person.


    "Yo, President Ye, are you so flustered you''d bite someone?"


    Xiao Yaning, swaying her slim waist, quickly came over to Ye Mei, half-seated herself on her office desk, and asked:


    "Who were you on the phone with just now?"


    "No one, just a business partner."


    Ye Mei blurted out casually.


    "Who are you fooling?"


    Xiao Yaning looked into Ye Mei''s eyes and asked:


    "Was it that guy Su Chen?"


    "How did you know?"


    Ye Mei blurted out, and after speaking, she realized her slip of the tongue and her cheeks reddened even more.


    "Apart from that bad guy, who else can turn our President Ye into a little woman!"


    There was a slightly sour note in Xiao Yaning''s tone.


    "Ye Mei, do you really like that guy?"


    Xiao Yaning suddenly asked Ye Mei seriously, her eyes as sharp as knives, seemingly piercing through the heart.


    "How could that be? He''s already married."


    Ye Mei avoided Xiao Yaning''s gaze and muttered evasively.


    "Do you dare swear? If you like him, vow to be a spinster for life!"


    "I, I, I..."


    Ye Mei was suddenly at a loss for words, then mustered an unknown courage, and loudly said:


    "I do like him, so what?"


    "Stop talking about me, what about you? Do you dare say you don''t like him?"


    Ye Mei challenged Xiao Yaning in return, gazing at her.


    "What''s the use of liking, he''s already married."


    Since Ye Mei had admitted it, there was no need for her to hide it anymore.


    Besides, as best friends, how could they not understand each other''s feelings? They had just always understood but never spoke it out loud.


    Once both had expressed their feelings, they immediately fell silent. This silence, however, was not because they both liked the man the other was interested in, but because the man was already married!


    "Ye Mei, do you think we should just let it go and be friends with him?"


    A shade of gloom appeared on Xiao Yaning''s face as she spoke.


    In fact, ever since that man had rescued her from Lv Shixin''s clutches, her heart had no more room for anyone else.


    "Who knows?"


    Ye Mei also sighed, uncertain about the future.


    In truth, Ye Mei had already entrusted her heart to him long ago. When Su Chen stood up for her in the business arena and outright confronted Liang Jing from the Wu Family for her sake, she felt that this man was a knight in shining armor sent by the heavens to rescue her!


    Although both harbored feelings for the man, the timing of their acquaintance was not right. It was neither Su Chen''s nor his wife''s fault. If there was anyone to me, it was just fate ying tricks on them!


    .....


    After hanging up the phone with Ye Mei, Su Chen fell into deep thought, considering whether he should send the Five Great Families another "gift" to ensure their days weren''t toofortable.


    He had the perfect material in hand, explosive enough, yet he kept pondering whether now was the best time.


    After thinking it over for a moment, he decided to put it off, feeling that the timing still wasn''t right.


    The material he referred to naturally was the affair involving the second sister of the Zheng Family and the young miss of the Situ Family, both sharing the same husband.


    If he were to release this material now, it would certainly cause a sensation and infuriate both the Zheng and Situ Families, leaving them without face and theughingstock of the entire Yandu for a long time!


    But there was something missing from all this, the very thing Su Chen had most wanted to induce¡ªfear!


    He wanted them to know that he hade,e for vengeance!


    The people and events of those years hadn''t simply flowed away with the river of history!


    Anyone who had been involved back then had to pay the corresponding price!


    In this matter, Su Chen''s heart was harder than the rocks atop the Nine Mountains!


    If anyone dared to stand in his way on this, he would be ruthless, be they man or Buddha!


    .....


    Meanwhile, in Lin Ruoxue''s office, she also was frowning in contemtion, her stunningly beautiful face showing an unsettled expression, seemingly wrestling with a difficult decision.


    Ever since she learned of Su Chen''s background and his intentions, she had been considering what she could do for him.


    She didn''t want to watch him struggle alone against these powerful families, feeling helpless to contribute.


    She hoped to do whatever she could to help him, even if it were but a tiny thing.


    After much deliberation, she finally thought of a n, but the decision it required was momentous for both the Belle Corporation and herself!


    One misstep could destroy the entire Belle Corporation!


    Momentster, her face slowly took on a determined look!


    For the sake of her husband, she was willing to take a wild gamble!


    If the Five Great Families knew her true thoughts at this moment, they would certainly think her mad!


    Even Su Chen would think she had lost her mind if he knew!


    But to her, wasn''t Su Chen''s challenge to the Five Great Families madness in itself?


    Since that was the case, she would join him in his madness this once, staking the entire Belle Corporation, perhaps even her life!


    On the surface, Yandu remained calm, but who could imagine that two madpeople were looking to stir up towering waves on these still waters!


    ......


    Su Chen naturally wouldn''t expect Lin Ruoxue to make such a crazy decision for him, risking the Belle Corporation, which she valued as her life.


    He spent the entire afternoon in his office, plotting his next steps, devising how to corner those families into a dead end, step by step.


    Of course, while ns are one thing, they need to be adjusted as situations evolve. However, the overall direction would not change.


    Around three o''clock in the afternoon, Su Chen left his office and took a taxi downstairs, since his car was wrecked and he needed to buy a new one.


    Not wanting to spend too much effort on such matters, he went straight to the Buick dealership and bought the same model Regal as before.


    By the time he finished purchasing the car, it was past four, so he didn''t return to thepany and drove home instead.


    As for the license te, he would just mention it to Qin Ming, no need to trouble himself.


    When he opened the door to his home and saw a woman in her fifties inside, he was momentarily stunned.


    "You must be the son-inw, right? I am the maid that the miss hired from the domestic servicepany," the woman said with a smile, quickly introducing herself upon noticing Su Chen''s momentary daze.

 Chapter 592 - 592 Financial Summit

    After hearing this woman''s self-introduction, Su Chen finally understood.


    Lin Ruoxue had mentioned hiring a maid, and he hadn''t expected her to manage it so quickly.


    Su Chen took a moment to observe the woman, noting that she was about fifty years old, not very well-dressed but neat and clean, and she seemed honest.


    Generally, Su Chen was quite satisfied with the maid, so he nodded and asked,


    "Auntie, what is yourst name?"


    "My surname is Sun," the woman replied.


    "Auntie Sun, then we''ll be in your care from now on."


    Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "Master Su, you are too polite, this is all part of my duties."


    The woman apparently hadn''t expected this Master Su to be so easygoing and said, somewhat ttered.


    Su Chen then let her go about her business, while he sat on the sofa and picked up a fashion magazine that Lin Ruoxue read for leisure.


    Around six o''clock, Lin Ruoxue returned home, just as Auntie Sun had finished preparing dinner.


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue had intended to invite Auntie Sun to sit and eat with them, but she insisted on not doing so, saying it would be inappropriate.


    Seeing her insistence, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue let her be. After all, she wasn''t their lifelong maid Wang, who had taken care of Lin Ruoxue since childhood and got along extremely well with Su Chen.


    Though nominally a servant, Wang was more like family to them.


    After dinner, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue took a stroll around the neighborhood to digest their meal.


    Ever since their first walk in Jianghai, they had made it a routine to go for a leisurely walk in the neighborhood every few days after dinner.


    After walking for a while, Lin Ruoxue returned home to continue working, and Su Chen, around ten in the evening, went to his estate to prepare for his cultivation practices.


    Upon reaching the estate, he immediately entered a room and started his cultivation, whichsted until the next morning.


    Although after a night of cultivation he appeared refreshed, radiant, and even his skin seemed better, he couldn''t feel happy.


    He had thought he would definitely break through to the Ninth Layer realm today.


    After all, he felt a breakthrough was imminent yesterday, just one breath away.


    However, the result had disappointed him, although he was one step closer to breaking through, he ultimately did not achieve it.


    But he didn''t get frustrated, as the path of cultivation was never smooth sailing, setbacks were inevitable.


    Besides, this hardly even counted as a setback.


    Su Chen decided not to dwell on it any longer and drove straight back to the vi.


    The following two or three days for Su Chen passed uneventfully, nothing special.


    If anything special had to be mentioned, it was that Lin Ruoxue had be particrly secretive these days, spending most of her time away from the office, and it was unknown where she went.


    Su Chen had asked her about it, but she did not answer. Although he could find out if he wanted to, using investigation methods on his own wife seemed quite unfair.


    For Su Chen, as long as Lin Ruoxue was safe, that was enough.


    Moreover, in their marriage, they always gave each other plenty of space.


    Normally, Lin Ruoxue seldom asked about Su Chen''s activities, especially after realizing that his identity was not simple.


    Over the past few days, the only thing that had slightly bothered Su Chen was his inability to break through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement; it felt like a water tank that was forever just a little shy of being full.


    "Honey, why have you seemed a bit like you''reing and going mysteriously these days? What exactly have you been doing during the day?"


    That evening at dinner, Su Chen asked once again.


    "It''s nothing, just some minor things."


    Lin Ruoxue casually said:


    "By the way, there''s a financial summiting up in a few days. Do you want to go with me?"


    "Hasn''t it started yet? Wife, didn''t you say when you arrived it was only a few days away? Don''t tell me it still hasn''t happened after all these days?"


    Su Chen asked curiously. He remembered that when Lin Ruoxue had first arrived, he had asked her why she hade early, and at that time Lin Ruoxue had told him about the financial summit happening in a few days.


    "I don''t know why either; the organizers notified us of a postponement," Lin Ruoxue said.


    "Alright, I''ll apany you when the timees."


    Su Chen didn''t think much of it and said with a slight smile:


    "My wife is so beautiful, I''d hate for some annoying flies to bother you. I''ll be your protector then."


    "This financial summit is a top-tier industry event. I''ve heard that many from the Five Great Families will be attending."


    Lin Ruoxue said, looking into Su Chen''s eyes, feeling it necessary to inform him of this detail.


    Su Chen was slightly startled upon hearing this, then smiled and said nothing.


    However, this was probably to be expected. After all, in today''s world''s economy, finance stands at the very top of the pyramid, so it''s natural for these great families to participate in such summits.


    Seeing his reaction, Lin Ruoxue knew he had his thoughts and didn''t inquire further.


    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to work as usual, while Su Chen drove to the estate a bitter.


    He had a strong feeling that his breakthrough might very well happen tonight, which made him slightly excited!


    However, he had only been driving for a short while when he passed through a narrow path lined with bushes and sensed something wrong.


    He couldn''t exin why or reason it out, just an intuition honed from years on the brink of danger!


    If there really was someone, and he was unable to detect their presence, that person was definitely not ordinary.


    He deliberately stopped the car, stepped into the bushes, unzipped his pants, and urinated, then turned around to head back.


    Just as he turned around, suddenly a dark figure "swooshed" out from the bushes, the de in hand shimmering coldly under the winter moonlight, emitting a chilling aura, like a beast eager to devour life!


    The de thrust straight forward, as fast as lightning, so fast that only a blur was visible!


    It seemed to pierce a hole through the void itself!


    And its direction was towards Su Chen''s back, more precisely speaking, between the third and fourth vertebrae!


    Without a doubt, this was an assassin, one profoundly knowledgeable about human anatomy!


    Of course, assassins generally possess a certain understanding of human anatomy, but this one, undoubtedly, was among the elites!


    He had been tracking this target for several days, knowing the target passed here every night. So today, he had ambushed here early, waiting for him!


    Assassins value a lethal strike and never hesitate, so his attack was a powerful killing move!


    Moreover, ording to information provided by the client, this target was not ordinary, having even in a Martial Artist at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement. This made him dare not underestimate his task!

 Chapter 593: Ghostly Double Fiends

    In his view, even if the opponent was a Martial Arts expert, they would have no way to withstand such a sudden and fierce strike!


    As long as this strike seeded, the opponent wouldpletely lose all theirbat ability!


    At this moment, the corner of his mouth curved up into a cruel and pleased smile, just one strike and three billion would be in hand¡ªit was quite easy money!


    Of course, to earn this money so easily, one had to have the capability, and he was ranked fourth on the ck List!


    He usually couldn''t be bothered with tasks that offered less than five hundred million inmission¡ªit just didn''t match his status!


    Just as he thought his de was about to slice through the opponent''s clothes and pierce their skin, the figure in front of him suddenly side-stepped, barely avoiding his lethal blow!


    "How is that possible?"


    The Assassin''s heart trembled, he quickly swung the de to the side, changing from a stab to a sh, and the speed was not slower than before, as a gust of de wind swept up!


    The robust True Yuan circted on top of the de wind, emitting a "hiss" sound as it moved through the air.


    His reaction was fast enough, as he immediately changed tactics the instant he realized something was amiss!


    But as swift as he was, someone was faster. Just as his de had swung halfway, arge hand seemingly appeared out of nowhere, reaching straight for his wrist!


    Seeing this, the Assassin was taken aback¡ªthis guy was too audacious, wasn''t he? His wrist was in the midst of a rapid swing, ghost-like in its speed; could he really be caught?


    However, the next moment, he got his answer as his wrist was indeed seized!


    The Assassin was suddenly terrified; this fellow had dodged his deadly strike and now had even grasped his swiftly moving wrist.


    How did he do it? Who was he, anyway?


    But at this time, it clearly wasn''t the time to be considering these questions. After his wrist was caught, he immediately channeled the robust True Yuan inside his body to his wrist and then suddenly exerted strength, attempting to shake off therge hand gripping him!


    However, the other person''s hand seemed to be embedded in his wrist, not moving in the slightest!


    "Is this the extent of your ability, and you wanted to kill me?"


    Su Chen sneered coldly, then slightly exerted force, and a sound of bones breaking was heard!


    The Assassin immediately felt a surge of intense pain. Not only was the bone in his wrist fractured, but his entire arm was now broken!


    Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and due to the severe pain, his features twisted into a ferocious expression.


    Enduring the pain, he moved closer to Su Chen, his movements sharp and agile like a crafty rabbit. At the same time, his knee shot up fiercely, aiming a blow at Su Chen''s midsection.


    "Overestimating yourself!"


    Su Chen moved slightly to the side and avoided the attack, simultaneously releasing the grip on the opponent''s wrist, his fingers shaped into ws, aiming for the Assassin''s throat!


    The man, failing in another attack and seeing arge hand going for his throat, grew panicked and quickly attempted to block with both hands.


    However, he suddenly remembered that one of his arms was already disabled, leaving him no choice but to use one hand to block while his body retreated swiftly, like a gust of wind.


    He retreated seven or eight meters in an instant, but before he could heave a sigh of relief, he realized that therge hand was still in front of him, as if he hadn''t moved back at all!


    Moreover, he saw a strange smile form on the lips of the hand''s owner, causing his heart to tremble fiercely!


    Just then, a slicing sound rang out again in the stillness of the night behind Su Chen, and three Five-Star Darts glowed with a cold light as they flew through the air towards Su Chen.


    The Assassin, evading Su Chen''s hand, saw this and suddenly felt a surge of tion, thinking he had been saved!


    If Su Chen hadn''t noticed those three Five-Star Darts, without a doubt, he would have died before even grabbing the Assassin''s throat.


    Those three Five-Star Darts were no joke¡ªeach one was dipped in deadly poison, ensuring death upon drawing blood!


    Of course, that would be the best oue!


    But even if he had discovered those three Five-Star Darts, he would have had no choice but to dodge. That way, I would still be saved.


    Su Chen seemed to know what the other was thinking and let out a coldugh. The hand reaching for the opponent''s throat did not slow down, while his other hand swung backward!


    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"


    The sound of the air being split rang out as three streaks of silver light sparkled in the night sky. Immediately afterward, the sound of metal colliding rang out, and three Five-Star Darts and three Silver Needles fell to the ground.


    The assassin who had thought he was saved suddenly widened his eyes. What in the world was going on?


    But he had no time to think anymore, for Su Chen''s hand had already grasped his throat!


    His face instantly turned the color of a pig''s liver; he struggled to breathe, his face filled with fear.


    This guy was too terrifying!


    Who exactly was this man they were trying to kill?


    After Su Chen had gripped the man''s throat, he remained expressionless, as if nothing had happened at all.


    He looked towards the bushes on the other side and said in a deep voice,


    "Come out. Do you think it''s still necessary to hide now?"


    No sooner had he spoken than a man stood up from the bushes. He had ck hair but blue eyes, a tall stature, roughly 1.9 meters.


    Both in appearance and in height, he closely resembled the man whose throat Su Chen was clutching!


    "Exactly who are you?"


    The man emerged from the bushes and walked to the middle of the road.


    His expression wasden with seriousness. He knew that today, they had bitten off more than they could chew¡ªtheir opponent''s martial prowess had said it all!


    In his mind, they should have seen or at least heard of someone with such skills. That''s why he had asked that question.


    "Who I am is not for you, the Ghost Shadows, to know!"


    A disdainful sneer appeared at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth as he spoke.


    At these words, the man who had just emerged, including the one whose neck was clutched by Su Chen, shook violently!


    The fact that the other party knew who they were meant that he was very likely to be a person from the Dark World as well!


    Damn it, they had done their research beforehand, hadn''t they? They hadn''t found anything special about him!


    If it weren''t for the information provided by the employer saying that he had once killed an expert of the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, they would have thought he was just an ordinary person!


    "Sir, it seems we have misjudged today."


    The assassin who had juste out spoke calmly:


    "How about this? Let my brother go, and we will leave immediately. What do you say?"


    "Hahahaha~~~"


    Su Chenughed as if he had heard a joke. Then his face darkened:


    "You want to kill me, and now you ask me to let you go. Do you think that''s possible?"

 Chapter 594 - 594 A Huge Joke

    "You''re not giving us brothers any face?"


    The assassin who appearedter, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, instantly darkened inplexion, fury flickering within his eyes.


    "Hmph, face? What makes you think you deserve any face from me!"


    Su Chen snorted disdainfully, not even deigning to nce at the man.


    "Do you think you''ve already won?"


    Seeing Su Chen''s contempt, the man''s expression turned as grim as still water.


    He had only suggested a truce because the target was truly too troublesome, not because he was afraid of his opponent!


    There are two types of assassins: one is those who, no matter what, willplete their mission at the cost of their own lives, holding their assassin creed as their highest belief.


    The other type bides their time, prioritizing their own safety above all else. At the first sign of trouble, they withdraw immediately, never taking risks.


    The Ghostly Twin Fiends undoubtedly belonged to thetter category, and upon realizing that their target was not so simple, they had immediately proposed a negotiation, hoping for a peaceful resolution for both parties.


    Under normal circumstances, even a formidable target would ept their terms, as they were merely fulfilling assignments for money.


    More importantly, the Ghostly Twin Fiends were not to be trifled with, being ranked fourth on the ck List; if it really came down to a life-and-death struggle, it wouldn''t be easy.


    That''s why when Su Chen tly rejected his proposal, the man felt both angry and somewhat astonished!


    "Your brother''s life is in my hands; what can you do?"


    Su Chen, tightening his grip on the throat of the assassin he had caught earlier, exerted a little extra pressure, and the assassin instantly felt as though he were suffocating, his face contorting and eyes bulging as if they might pop out.


    "Since we chose this line of work, we''ve long been prepared for this day,"


    the man replied, his eyes fixed firmly on Su Chen, spitting out:


    "If you think you can use my brother to threaten me, you are sorely mistaken!"


    "There''s only one oue to this: both of us brothers will die together. So forget about any threats. But if you kill him, I swear I''ll avenge him!"


    The man''s tone was chilling as he spoke, his words carrying an unmistakable threat!


    "Are you threatening me?"


    Su Chen coldly replied:


    "I hate being threatened the most. I''d like to see how you n to avenge him!"


    With a slight increase in the force of his fingers, a "crack" was heard, and the assassin''s head drooped, evidently dead.


    Su Chen discarded the body as if throwing out trash, then looked mockingly at him and said:


    "Don''t me me when you get to the Underworld. me your brother for not caring about your life."


    "You''re seeking death!"


    The remaining man, witnessing this scene, instantly became enraged, his eyes wide with fury. He roared and charged at Su Chen!


    This was, after all, his own younger brother. His previous warning had been intended to make the other party hesitate.


    But he never expected that, far from being intimidated, the other party would immediately snap his brother''s neck!


    This filled him with hatred, his eyes zing with a fierce light, as if he wanted to tear Su Chen to pieces!


    The moment he moved, an afterimage shed by, his speed significantly faster than his brother''s had been.


    Because while his brother was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, he had reached the Qi Refinement Peak, which is SS-level!


    In the blink of an eye, he had reached Su Chen''s side. His wrist flicked, and a gleaming curved de appeared in his hand!


    Then with a broad swipe, a silver light shed, emitting a daunting glow in the moonlight, shing directly at Su Chen''s neck!


    True Yuan surged on the curved de, stirring up a gust, as if even the surrounding air were being dispersed!


    He had originally thought that Su Chen would definitely have to bend or lean back to dodge, so he had already prepared a follow-up move!


    However, he didn''t expect that the man would just stand there, unmoving, as if waiting for him to strike, and a strange smile simultaneously surfaced at the corner of the man''s mouth.


    Seeing that smile, a shiver ran down his spine, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart!


    Just then, the man moved, but still did not dodge; instead, he extended arge hand, grasping at the scimitar!


    He was dumbfounded at this sight!


    Had this guy gone mad? Actually trying to seize the de with his bare hands?


    He should know that he had released all his energy in that strike, the scimitar cutting through the air like a meteor, with True Yuan rolling over the de, matching unparalleled speed and power!


    Wasn''t this a death wish? At the same time, it was an outright insult to him!


    Enraged, he once again urged the Qi and blood in his body, increasing the speed and power of the scimitar in his hand, the sound of it ripping through the air rising to a howl!


    He seemed to have already seen the next moment, where the scimitar would sever the opponent''s palm, sh through the neck, and bring up a mist of blood.


    "Little brother, rest in peace, the one who killed you is going to join you soon!"


    He thought so in his heart.


    However, everything came to an abrupt halt in an instant, as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes unbelievably fixed on the scene before him!


    The scimitar in his hand was really, truly, grasped by the man''srge hand, unable to advance an inch!


    How was this possible?


    Such a fast and powerful strike, how could he just grab it with one hand?


    For a moment, his heart was filled with shock, and he stuttered to himself, is this even human?


    Su Chen, of course, didn''t care about the shock in the other''s heart. After grasping the scimitar, a stream of True Yuan circted between his fingers, and with a gentle flick.


    A buzzing sound followed, and the assassin''s wrist trembled; he then felt the scimitar escaping his control!


    Su Chen snatched away the scimitar, and in the next instant, a dazzling series of knife motions shed, and the scimitar was positioned at the man''s throat!


    The man hadn''t even seen clearly how it had happened, as everything seemed to have beenpleted within a moment.


    "How about it? Still want to avenge your little brother?"


    Su Chen''s soft voice resonated, very gentle, but to the ears of the assassin, it was like the voice of a devil!


    "Who, who exactly are you?"


    The man asked, trembling. He knew that the gap between him and his opponent was too wide, so vast that he had no power to resist!


    He was an SS-ranked expert, after all; who on Earth was this person!


    "To let you reincarnate in peace, I''ll tell you!"


    Su Chen''s scimitar gently traced over the man''s major artery, and a voice fell:


    "King of the Underworld."


    Immediately, the man clutched the neck where blood was gushing out, looking at Su Chen with astonishment!


    The King of the Underworld? He was the King of the Underworld?


    What exactly had we, two brothers, done? To actually try assassinating the King of the Underworld?


    At this moment, he felt that God had yed a colossal joke on him!


    If he had known it was the King of the Underworld they were to assassinate, let alone 3 billion US dors, even 300 billion or 3 trillion wouldn''t tempt him to ept the job!


    Because you can earn money only if you''re alive to spend it!

 Chapter 595: Qi Refinement Level 9 Far Beyond Imagination

    Su Chen had dealt with Ghost Shadow Double Devils and continued to drive towards the manor.


    He had not asked who sent them to kill him, because as assassins, they were merely following orders. Most of the people issuing orders were anonymous, and it was likely futile to question them.


    However, he had some suspicions that it might be the work of those spoiled young masters. After being humiliated by him, it would probably be difficult for them to let it go without taking his life.


    For Su Chen, this incident was just a minor interlude. Upon arriving at the manor, he resumed his cultivation. The most crucial thing for him now was to break through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement!


    Because only strength is the foundation of everything!


    Su Chen sat cross-legged on a bed, entering the Mystic Realm with his eyes closed, silently operating his cultivation technique, absorbing the Yuan Qi between heaven and earth and transforming it into True Yuan, which flowed around his body.


    The cold moonlight of early winter fell through the window, casting a faint glow on him.


    At this moment, everything around him was silent, without the chirping of insects or birds of the summer, nor any other sound!


    Time passed silently, like the flow of water...


    Suddenly, a heaven-shattering roar erupted out of thin air as if it were about to break through the heavens, and the entire manor seemed to tremble with the roar!


    Simultaneously, in the room where Su Chen was cultivating, an immensely mighty True Essence Aura poured out, sweeping up everything in the room!


    "Rip rip rip~~!"


    In an instant, all of Su Chen''s clothes were torn to shreds, including his underwear, leaving himpletely bare!


    Fortunately, there was no one else in the manor at the moment. If it had been like in the Jianghai manor, where Xu Xinran could have seen him, the situation would have been quite embarrassing!


    But now, Su Chen naturally was not in the mood to worry about his clothing. He was filled with excitement and joy!


    Efforts had finally paid off, and after several days of continuous cultivation, he had finally crossed the threshold of the Ninth Layer!


    Su Chen quickly introspected, observing the True Essence within him, and found it to be much more substantial than at the Eighth Layer, and the True Yuan appeared even purer!


    He discovered that the Nine Yang Divine Technique had rendered the Ninth Layer realm of Qi Refinement even more formidable than he had anticipated!


    At the Eighth Layer Realm, he felt that his strength was almost on par with his previous Half-Step Meridian Expansion Realm, just slightly inferior.


    He had initially thought that the Ninth Layer would be about the same as his previous peak strength, or maybe somewhat higher.


    But he didn''t expect that the power of the Ninth Layer Realm would far exceed his expectations!


    By his estimation, even if faced with two Half-Step Meridian Expansion experts, he was confident he could handle them.


    And even against three, he would have the strength to fight!


    As for whether he could defeat a true Meridian Expansion Realm master, he did not know.


    Because he had never reached that realm, nor had he encountered such experts, there was no way to judge.


    Regardless, the fact that the Ninth Layer Realm of Qi Refinement possessed such formidable power was highly satisfying to him!


    Afterward, Su Chen took a bath and changed into a clean set of clothes.


    Since it was still early, he continued to cultivate for a while, until the early morning when he drove back to the Imperial Garden.


    Once home, he skillfully prepared breakfast as usual, his face brimming with a happy smile.


    Before long, Auntie Sun also got up.


    "Auntie Sun, good morning!"


    Su Chen greeted her with a smile and went back to his work.


    "Good morning, young master!"


    Auntie Sun hurriedly responded.


    She looked at Su Chen''s busy figure and thought it was strange for a young master to make breakfast so early every day.


    The first time Auntie Sun saw this scene a few days ago, she was really startled and even thought the host family was dissatisfied with her!


    But it wasn''t untilter that she found out this son-inw actually loved to make breakfast, nearly every day, and he wouldn''t allow anyone else to take over this task!


    At the time, she even thought: what kind of odd habit is this, can''t he enjoy some good fortune?


    However, a particrly nice thing about this son-inw was how congenial he was to everyone. Even when she asionally did something wrong, he never scolded her, not even a harsh word.


    In a master''s house, this was already quite rare, so she also tried her best to be diligent!


    After Lin Ruoxue got up, she and Su Chen went to the office one after the other. When Su Chen returned to his office, it was the same old routine, utterly boring, but this was also good, as it gave him plenty of time to think about some things.


    At noon, he prepared to go downstairs as usual and casually find a ce to grab lunch.


    However, just as he had left Rainbow Mansion not too far behind, an ethereal voice rang out from behind him.


    Su Chen turned his head to look and saw a person slowly pushing a wheelchair towards him.


    "Miss Pei, howe you''re here?"


    Su Chen asked with a slight smile.


    "Apart from you, there seems to be nothing else worthing here for."


    Pei Man came to stand in front of Su Chen, lifting her head to look up at him as she spoke.


    Today, Pei Man donned a one-shoulder long dress, revealing her sexy and fair corbones. Her flowing long hair was casually spread out, giving off an aura that was both sexy and sublime.


    This attire was quite rare for Pei Man, at least it was the first time Su Chen had seen her like this, although he hadn''t seen her many times in total.


    "Miss Pei speaking like this, could I take it as you''ve taken a liking to me?"


    Su Chen asked with a yful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.


    "You could say that."


    Pei Man nodded slightly, unabashedly admitting it without a hint of shyness.


    This did catch Su Chen off guard a bit, but of course, he didn''t actually think Pei Man had fallen for him.


    "However, Miss Pei, I''m already married, I''m afraid I can only disappoint your kind intentions."


    A mischievous smile appeared on Su Chen''s face as he spoke.


    "Isn''t it quite normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines? Especially for an outstanding man like Mr. Su, it''s unlikely he would have only one woman, right?"


    The familiar smile still hung on Pei Man''s face.


    "It''s an honor to receive such praise from Miss Pei. But Miss Pei, you didn''te all the way here just to tell me you''ve taken a liking to me, did you?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked, truth be told, he was somewhat puzzled by this woman''s thoughts at times.


    However, the "contest" with Pei Man felt like a match between masters, which Su Chen actually enjoyed.


    Pei Man didn''t answer Su Chen''s question but looked at him and said:


    "Mr. Su, would you mind taking me out for lunch?"


    "Of course not."


    Su Chen shrugged casually.


    "A-Tai, you can go back first, I''ll be fine with Mr. Su here."


    Pei Man turned her head slightly to address the man behind her.


    "But, Miss..."


    A-Tai naturally was not very reassured, but before he could finish, he saw Pei Man cast a nce at him and quickly said:


    "Yes, Miss!"


    Then he left...

 Chapter 596 - 596 Do you know who I am?

    "Miss Pei, what would you like to eat?"


    Su Chen was pushing Pei Man''s wheelchair forward.


    "I know there''s a Hunan cuisine restaurant not far ahead, I''ve heard it''s pretty good."


    Pei Man said casually.


    "I thought Miss Pei, being such a fresh and refined person, would prefer to eat light foods, like Huaiyang cuisine, but it turns out you have a taste for stronger vors."


    "I usually prefer lighter foods, but life has many vors, shouldn''t I try others too?"


    Pei Man turned back and looked at Su Chen, smiling slightly.


    Her smile wasn''t as brilliant as peach blossoms, but was more like a fresh chrysanthemum, giving a veryfortable feeling.


    "Makes sense."


    Su Chen nodded his head and continued to push Pei Man''s wheelchair forward, murmuring softly:


    "We have a little caterpir following us at three o''clock behind us, probably following you."


    "I know, let him follow if he wants."


    Pei Man said, unconcerned.


    Hearing this, Su Chen chuckled:


    "Seems like Miss Pei hasn''te to find me just because you''ve fallen for me."


    "Do you know who it is?" Su Chen asked.


    "Mr. Su, why pretend to be ignorant?"


    Pei Man turned back again to nce at him, her eyes bright like the stars as if seeing right through to the heart:


    "I don''t believe Mr. Su would be unable to guess who it is."


    "Heh."


    Su Chen uttered augh and said:


    "No wonder, having such an outstanding beauty like Miss Peiing to see a man like me, it''s natural for others to feel uneasy."


    "And they''re right to feel uneasy because I indeed find you interesting."


    Pei Man grinned, her smile truly having a charm capable of toppling empires.


    "Shouldn''t that linee from a man?"


    Su Chen touched his nose and said, feeling that being told by a woman that she''s interested in him seemed a bit odd.


    "Would you say it?"


    Pei Man turned her head again, tilted it, and smiled as she asked him.


    "I''m shy."


    Su Chen showed a slightly shy expression and whispered.


    Upon hearing this and seeing his expression, Pei Man nearly fell off her wheelchair.


    He''s shy? Is that some kind of joke?


    "Su Chen, you really are shameless!"


    Pei Man looked at him seriously and blurted out.


    "Miss Pei, how can you curse people?"


    Su Chen frowned unhappily.


    "I''mplimenting you!"


    Pei Man said,ughing.


    "Is that how you paypliments to people?"


    Su Chen was at a loss for words.


    While talking, they had arrived in front of the Hunan cuisine restaurant. In front of the restaurant was a long flight of steps.


    Su Chen picked up Pei Man along with the wheelchair and carried them up, then continued pushing her inside.


    Su Chen pushed Pei Man to a table slightly to the inside and ced her next to it, then took a seat opposite her.


    Soon, a waiter came out, helped them with ordering, and Pei Man casually ordered a few Hunan dishes, like steamed fish head with diced hot red peppers, stir-fried pork with hot peppers, and Grandma''s dish from Western Hunan.


    About fifteen minutester, all the dishes they ordered had arrived; the service was indeed quite quick.


    "Mr. Su..."


    Pei Man had just started speaking when Su Chen interrupted her:


    "Didn''t I sayst time? Just call me Su Chen."


    "I told you to call me Pei Man too, yet you haven''t changed either!"


    Pei Manughed as she spoke.


    "Alright, Pei Man, we don''t have to be so formal with each other in the future."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    If it hadn''t been for the fact that she was from the Pei Family, which was on his list of suspects, he would have been willing to be friends with a woman like Pei Man, or even more.


    "Okay, then I''ll really start calling you Su Chen from now on."


    Pei Man casually remarked, and then a sly twinkle shed through her beautiful eyes:


    "Su Chen, do you remember the bet you owe me?"


    "Bet, what bet?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "Jianghai, ying chess," Pei Man hinted.


    At that revtion, Su Chen immediately remembered. In Jianghai, at Tang Yun''s house, they had indeed yed chess, and he had lost.


    The bet at that time was that the winner could make a request, and as long as the other party could fulfill it, they had to agree.


    However, Pei Man hadn''t mentioned the bet for so long that he had truly forgotten about it for a moment.


    "I remember now."


    Realization dawned on Su Chen as he broke into a smile and asked:


    "So now, have you thought of something you want me to do?"


    "Hmm, you could say that."


    Pei Man nodded, her face revealing a meaningful smile.


    "Then what is the condition or request you''ve thought of, what do you want me to do?"


    Su Chen inquired, genuinely curious about what a woman like Pei Man would ask of him.


    "It''s simple, be my boyfriend."


    Pei Man said lightly, gazing at his sharply defined face.


    As soon as these words fell, Su Chen was momentarily stunned; this woman really didn''t y by the rules!


    "Are you serious?"


    Su Chen asked with uncertainty.


    "Of course."


    Pei Man replied leisurely, enjoying the sight of his astonishment, which she found rather cute.


    "Miss Pei, oh, no, Pei Man, you haven''t really fallen for me, have you?"


    Su Chen had always thought that Pei Man''s professed fondness for him was a joke, but now he was beginning to feel uncertain.


    "Falling for you doesn''t seem to be a particrly difficult thing to do,"


    Pei Man said, her lips curling into a light smile.


    "Pei Man, I''m ttered that you think so highly of me."


    A bitter smile appeared on Su Chen''s face:


    "However, I..."


    "Su Chen, don''t you find my proposal just now interesting?"


    Pei Man certainly knew he was about to mention the fact that he was married, but she ignored it, instead giving Su Chen a meaningful look.


    That look seemed to carry a very deep significance.


    "Su Chen, being my boyfriend not only helps me solve some troubles but will definitely prompt Shen Shao to take action. The Shen Family is the foremost family in Yandu, and Shen Shao is the most valued person in the Shen Family. Such a man can definitely create a ripple effect."


    Pei Man''s beautiful eyes nced in a certain direction behind her and then continued with profound meaning as she looked at Su Chen:


    "Isn''t this the result you''ve been looking forward to?"


    At her words, Su Chen''s body involuntarily jolted!


    He suddenly realized something; Pei Man must have discovered his identity. Otherwise, she would never have made such a remark.


    This, coupled with what Pei Jian had said before he leftst time, made it even more certain!


    "You know who I am?"


    Su Chen''s expression changed dramatically as he looked towards Pei Man, asking with difficulty.


    For him, his true identity had always been a secret deeply buried in his heart, which he hadn''t shared with anyone except Lin Ruoxue.


    Even with Lin Ruoxue, his wife, she had only known for a few days.


    If it were anyone else knowing, it would have been bad enough, but it was her, a member of the Pei Family!


    For a moment, Su Chen was thrown into disarray, feeling as exposed as if someone had suddenly stripped off his clothes!

 Chapter 597: Pretend to be real?

    Pei Man certainly knew why he suddenly turned pale, to the point where his voice trembled as he spoke.


    "I know."


    Pei Man nodded and said,


    "But rest assured, I won''t reveal your identity to anyone."


    Su Chen, after all, was no ordinary man; although he initially panicked upon realizing his identity had been exposed, he quickly calmed down.


    Pei Man observed hisposure and felt a surge of surprise in her heart, her gaze toward him filled with even greater admiration!


    This mental fortitude was too strong!


    Keep in mind, this was a secret he had hidden for twenty years!


    To think that hisposure returned in less than a minute after it had been unexpectedly disclosed!


    "But after all, you are a member of the Pei Family!"


    Su Chen''s gaze fixed intently on Pei Man as he spoke.


    His words were quite piercing; the underlying message was, your Pei Family cannot absolve itself of involvement!


    "I asked Grandpa, and he said that our Pei Family was innocent in that affair."


    Pei Man didn''t avoid Su Chen''s intense stare; she softly said,


    "I believe him!"


    "I don''t trust your Pei Family, but I''m willing to trust you, Pei Man, just this once!"


    Su Chen looked into Pei Man''s beautiful eyes for a moment, then spoke earnestly.


    "Thank you!"


    Pei Man also spoke sincerely, then smiled slightly,


    "So, do you ept my proposal?"


    "Of course, having the honor to be Miss Pei Man''s boyfriend is a great privilege for me!"


    Su Chen cast a yful nce in a certain direction behind Pei Man and said,


    "However, don''t you think that since we''ve be a couple, we should do some things that couples do?"


    With those words, Su Chen left his seat and came to Pei Man''s side.


    "What do you want to do?"


    Pei Man asked, curious.


    "You''ll know soon enough."


    With a mischievous smile curling his lips, Su Chen leaned down, scooped Pei Man up in a princess carry, and returned to his seat, cing her on hisp.


    Pei Man''s gorgeous visage instantly blushed¡ªayer of redness climbing her cheeks. She might be exceptionally intelligent, but she was, after all, a woman.


    Her first kiss with Su Chen, the second time he carried her into the car, though Pei Man seemed unperturbed on the surface, her heart was already churning tumultuously, she just had stronger control, thus Su Chen didn''t notice anything unusual.


    But this fellow was pushing the boundaries even further, this time directly making her sit on hisp!


    When had Pei Man ever been so intimate with a man? Her heart began to flutter with unrest.


    "This isn''t quite appropriate, is it?"


    Pei Man said, her voice tinged with a shy reluctance.


    Su Chen rarely saw Pei Man with such feminine charm; he smirked roguishly,


    "Since it''s all for show, it needs to be convincing, right? Let''s give that little pest following us a bit more to watch!"


    After finishing his sentence, Su Chen lowered his head and kissed Pei Man''s red lips without giving her a chance to react!


    This time he kissed her for real, a far cry from the probing kiss he had given her the first time!


    Soon, Pei Man was enveloped by a strong masculine presence!


    And it didn''t stop there¡ªshe suddenly felt arge hand caressing her body, startled, she tried to push Su Chen away.


    But her meager strength was practically negligible to Su Chen!


    Having quite the experience withdies, it wasn''t long before Pei Man felt her body burning up, her breathing bing incredibly difficult!


    Fortunately, they were at a table in the corner, and no other diners seemed to notice.


    Of course, that doesn''t mean no one saw; a person wearing a peaked cap, noticing the sudden intimacy between the two, turned pale and quickly adjusted the cap, aiming the miniature camera concealed within at the couple.


    At the same time, he immediately dialed a number:


    "Young Master, there''s a situation!"


    "What situation?"


    A cold voice came through the phone.


    "Miss Pei and that man..."


    The man in the duckbill cap hesitated to continue.


    "What about them?"


    The voice on the other end of the phone was anxious and tense.


    "They''re being intimate, and their actions..."


    "What?! Intimate?!"


    The man on the phone immediately roared, then coldly asked:


    "What did you just say about their actions? Don''t beat around the bush!"


    "Well, Young Master, I took some photos; you can see for yourself!"


    Then the man in the duckbill cap sent several photos he had just taken, his phone having long been connected to the camera inside his hat.


    In a room in the Shen Family''srge courtyard, Shen Shao looked at the photos that had just been sent to his phone and felt as though his insides were aze!


    It was as if the toy he loved most as a child had been snatched away, filling him with indignant rage!


    Looking at the man in the photos, his eyes seemed to be filled with mes!


    ......


    "Su Chen, you really are asking for Shen Shao to kill you!" Pei Man said usingly, ncing at him resentfully. Ten minutester, she had been ravished by Su Chen till she was limp and powerless, able only to lie in his arms.


    "If we''re going to provoke the top Young Master, we have to go all out!"


    Su Chen chuckled, still savoring the silky touch his fingertips had encountered just moments ago. He hadn''t expected Pei Man''s skin to be so incredibly soft!


    "Besides, it''s better to die beneath the flowers as a ghost with a reputation for passion. To die for such a beautifuldy as Miss Pei would truly be a worthy end," he said provocatively.


    His words turned Pei Man''s heart sweet. She was no ordinary woman, but she too enjoyed sweet nothings, particrly when they came from a man she had taken a liking to, giving her all the more reason to be pleased.


    "Can you put me back now?" she asked somewhat irritably.


    Though she had asked him to y the role of her boyfriend in a ruse, she hadn''t expected him to take his acting to such lengths and take liberties with her this way, wondered if he was doing it on purpose!


    "Sure, but can you even sit up straight?"


    Su Chen said, looking at her limp body with amusement.


    At that, Pei Man''s face grew even redder!


    "Su Chen, I''m even more certain of one thing now!"


    "What''s that?"


    "You really have no shame!"


    Pei Man once more asserted this opinion seriously, but it was his shamelessness that she liked about him.


    One of the big reasons she didn''t like Shen Shao was precisely because he was too concerned with face, to the point of seeming hypocritical!


    Nothing like Su Chen''s grounded shamelessness, which made her feelfortable...


    "Pei Man, you''re insulting me again!"


    Su Chen said, feigning helplessness as he pouted.


    Pei Man responded with a slight smile, then added:


    "You need to be careful from now on, Shen Shao is definitely going to make a move."


    "Don''t worry, I''m not afraid of him making a move; I''d be worried if he didn''t."


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly...

 Chapter 598 - 598 I Bet on You

    Pei Man looked at the confident and somewhat nonchnt Su Chen with genuine curiosity in her heart.


    She knew he was no simple man and that he must hold some trump cards, but she did not know what those were that gave him the confidence to confront several major families.


    "Pei Man, why do you help me like this?"


    Su Chen suddenly asked solemnly.


    Although Pei Man said that having him pretend to be her boyfriend could help her get rid of some trouble, specifically the matter with Shen Shao, Su Chen believed that Pei Man herself definitely had a way to resolve the issue.


    Su Chen felt that her real purpose was to actually help him, to get Shen Shao to make a move and thus drag him into the game, and then pull in the entire Shen Family!


    After all, that was the Shen Family, the leading family of Huaxia, noughing matter. Why would she want to help him like that?


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Pei Man smiled slightly, knowing full well that he could see through her real intentions.


    "I know, you came to Yandu definitely nning to make a big move, and it''s very possible that you will stir a tumultuous upheaval in Yandu!"


    Pei Man said:


    "And the situation in Yandu may very well change along with it, some rising and some falling. To get the advantage, one naturally has to ce their bets early."


    "What''s the connection between these two?"


    "Of course, there is. In this changing situation, I bet on you!"


    Pei Man spoke with a light-hearted tone, yet her words carried an astonishing boldness!


    "You trust me that much?"


    Su Chen raised a faint smile and said:


    "All those families are like behemoths, and even I don''t have much confidence."


    Su Chen also discerned another implication in Pei Man''s words¡ªthat she supported him, but it didn''t mean the Pei Family supported him; otherwise, her statement would not have been ''I bet on you'' but ''the Pei Family bets on you.''


    However, Su Chen understood that in such a matter, how could the Pei Family, being the secondrgest family, easily dere their stance and take sides?


    Moreover, the real contest hadn''t even started yet! Everything was still too early!


    "Really?"


    Pei Man did not confirm or deny Su Chen''s words, but turned her head and smiled:


    "There''s another important reason I bet on you, want to know what it is?"


    "I''m all ears!"


    Su Chen''s face showed a hint of curiosity.


    "Another important reason is that I am actually interested in you, or you could say I have taken a liking to you!"


    A mischievous tint appeared on Pei Man''s stunning face.


    "Pei Man, you''re teasing me again!"


    Su Chen muttered, twisting his mouth.


    "Isn''t it always you who teases me?"


    Pei Man nced at him with a half-smile.


    Even Su Chen, with his thick skin, blushed slightly upon hearing these words.


    Indeed, aftering to Yandu, he had stolen her first kiss at their first meeting, and embraced her outright on the second!


    Today, the third time, not only did he give her a long French kiss, he even became quite hands-on!


    "Let''s eat quickly, or the food will all get cold!"


    Su Chen hastily changed the subject, his face still bearing a trace of embarrassment.


    "Alright."


    Pei Man watched Su Chen with a slight smile, finding him quite interesting, or rather cute at this moment.


    Such an expression would never be seen on the perennially well-dressed, cool, and arrogant Shen Shao, which was also a reason why she did not like him.


    After the two finished their meal, Su Chen wheeled Pei Man to the underground garage of the Rainbow Mansion and then sent her home.


    Of course, that little worm followed them all the way...


    Upon arriving at the Pei Family''s mansion gate, Su Chen took the wheelchair out of the trunk and then lifted Pei Man onto it.


    "Thank you for sending me back. You should hurry on your way."


    Pei Manughed and said,


    "Don''t you think we should have a farewell kiss to make it more real?"


    A sly smile spread across Su Chen''s face.


    "Haven''t you teased me enough today?"


    Pei Man spat out, clearly annoyed.


    "If you''re going to put on a y, you''ve got to do the whole set, from start to finish."


    With that, Su Chen leaned down and once more captured Pei Man''s red lips!


    Pei Man was momentarily stunned; there were people following behind them. Pushing him away didn''t seem right, but neither did not pushing him away. Her hands rested at Su Chen''s sides, unsure of what to do.


    Just then, the doors to the Pei Family courtyard burst open, and two people walked out.


    As these two stepped out and saw the scene before them, they werepletely dumbfounded!


    What was going on? Was that Pei Man? And who was this man?


    Realizing that someone was approaching, Su Chen reluctantly let go of Pei Man, turned to look at the neers, and smiled rather awkwardly.


    "Su Chen, is that him?!"


    The two young men were momentarily stunned when they clearly saw the man''s face!


    Facing his smile, they didn''t quite know how to react.


    "Well, Pei Man, I''ve got something to take care of, so I''ll be off,"


    Su Chen said to Pei Man.


    "Alright, if you''ve got things to do, go ahead,"


    Pei Man nodded with a smile, fully aware of his intention to escape the situation.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately got into his car, started the engine, and drove away from the entrance of the Pei Family courtyard...


    "Big brother, second brother, are you heading out?"


    Pei Man asked the two young men in front of her with a smile.


    "Never mind our business for now. What was that just now with Su Chen?"


    Pei Jian, a few years older than Pei Man, asked her sternly.


    "Yeah, little Man, how did you end up with that guy Su Chen?"


    Pei Song at her side was also taken aback and somewhat disbelieving what he had just witnessed.


    Upon hearing this, Pei Man red at Pei Song, clearly displeased with his phrasing, but she didn''t dwell on it.


    "Little Man, what exactly was that all about?"


    Pei Jian repeated his question.


    "Didn''t you see it all for yourself?"


    Pei Man responded casually, as if discussing a trifling matter.


    Pei Jian was about to say more when he suddenly had an idea and said to Pei Song,


    "You go on ahead, I''ll be there in a moment."


    Clearly, the two had been about to leave for somewhere.


    "Alright, big brother, I''ll go first. Make it quick,"


    Pei Song nced between them, realizing they had things to discuss, and nodded in agreement.


    However, he couldn''t help feeling a bit ufortable. After all, he was also a legitimate scion of the Pei Family!


    After Pei Song left, Pei Jian looked Pei Man in the eyes and said,


    "If this is an act, I can understand it, but don''t you think this is taking things too far?"


    "Moreover, with your personality, even if it''s an act, you wouldn''t go to such lengths, would you?"


    Pei Jian clearly knew something, which is why he spoke as he did.


    "You haven''t actually fallen for him, have you?"


    Suddenly, Pei Jian''s eyes widened in disbelief as he asked.

 Chapter 599 - 599 "Combat Command Room

    "What does it matter if it''s all an act, or if it''s true affection?"


    Pei Man said with a faint smile, as if she didn''t care at all.


    In her heart, though, she felt a bit helpless. How could she have known that scoundrel would be even more shameless than she thought, daring to take liberties with her twice in such a short span of time?


    As a woman bound to a wheelchair, what could she do when faced with such a situation?


    Even though that man imed to be acting, Pei Man felt that he was intentionally taking advantage of her.


    Of course, she could never say this to Pei Jian, and what''s more, she did have some special emotions towards that man.


    Pei Jian looked at Pei Man and sighed,


    "Xiaoman, you''re an intelligent girl. I won''t say much more. Be careful with matters of the heart, after all, you are the one Grandpa values the most."


    "I know."


    Pei Man naturally felt Pei Jian''s concern for her. She nodded and then said with a smile,


    "Second Brother, you''re needed by others. You should go."


    "I''ll push you inside first."


    "No need, I can manage on my own."


    "Alright then, I''ll take my leave."


    After saying that, Pei Jian left...


    Soon, only Pei Man was left at the entrance of the Pei Family''s mansion.


    "That guy, he''s such a scoundrel!"


    A hint of blush quietly appeared on her face as she spat out those words.


    ......


    After leaving the Pei Family''s mansion, Su Chen went straight back to thepany, heading directly to Lin Ruoxue''s office upon arrival.


    "Brother Su, you''re here!"


    The girl at the door, Chen Guo, stood up immediately upon seeing Su Chen.


    For Chen Guo, Su Chen was someone who had given her and her family a new lease on life, so naturally, she was filled with gratitude.


    "Little Guoguo, is President Lin in?" Su Chen asked the young girl.


    Upon hearing this, Chen Guo shook her head,


    "President Lin went out early this morning and hasn''te back yet."


    At Chen Guo''s words, Su Chen frowned. What on earth was Lin Ruoxue up to? She had not been at thepany for several days in a row now, always leaving early and returningte, shrouded in secrecy!


    "Little Guoguo, do you know what President Lin has been busy with recently?" Su Chen inquired.


    "I don''t know."


    Chen Guo said,


    "Brother Su, you and President Lin are husband and wife; why don''t you ask her yourself?"


    "Asking her is one thing, but she has to be willing to answer! You''re not unaware of your President Lin''s temperament."


    Su Chen sighed.


    Chen Guo also hoped she could help Su Chen. At her words, she furrowed her brow and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, her eyes lit up:


    "Brother Su, there''s a clue that might be helpful to you."


    "What clue?" Su Chen eagerly asked.


    "A few days ago, I heard President Lin instructing some people from the Jianghai headquarters toe to Yandu."


    Chen Guo recalled,


    "But several days have passed, and no one from the Jianghai headquarters hase here."


    "Are you sure you heard right?"


    "I should be. I was just delivering a document to President Lin at that time. She was on the phone and even told them to hurry."


    Chen Guo thought for a moment, then nodded and said.


    Su Chen, upon hearing this, became even more puzzled. What on earth was this woman doing?


    After pondering for a while without any clues, Su Chen temporarily gave up and returned to his own office.


    .......


    At the same time, in a suite of a five-star hotel in Yandu.


    The suite was vast, spanning about one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty square meters, with around twenty desks inside.


    Each desk had aputer, either a desktop or aptop, and the rest of the desk space was filled with files.


    In front of these desks were three movable ss ckboards, covered in Chinese characters, numbers, and more, looking incredibly disorganized.


    The individuals inside moved swiftly about, each with a face full of severity and tension.


    Someone unaware of the situation would never think of this ce as a hotel suite, rather they would mistake it for amand center!


    In the midst of these people was a woman with her hair pinned up high; she was blessed with unmatched beauty and figure!


    At that moment, she was dressed in an off-white business suit with high heels, standing amidst the crowd like a queen!


    "Director Lin, here''s the new datapiled today!"


    Right then, a man in his thirties, wearing a ck suit, came over with a thick stack of files.


    "When can we expect all the canvassing work to be finished?"


    Lin Ruoxue took the thick file and immediately began to flip through it.


    "With two shifts running non-stop, it will probably take about two more days. There''s just too much to cover!"


    The man said. These past days, they really had been working as if at war. Ever since Director Lin had pulled them in, they had dived into high-intensity work!


    They had never been this busy, even when the corporation was going public!


    And yet, they still didn''t know why Lin Ruoxue required this of them. But when the president gave an order, they dared not question it.


    "Hmm, as soon as possible," Lin Ruoxue nodded and said earnestly:


    "Also, confidentiality is of utmost importance. Even though everyone has signed a nondisclosure agreement, we still need to emphasize it relentlessly!"


    "I understand, rest assured, Director Lin!"


    "Alright, get back to your work."


    Afterward, Lin Ruoxue walked to the window, looking out at the towering skyscrapers, her heart filled with unease.


    She didn''t know what consequences her current actions might bring, or if she might end up destroying the Belle Corporation her grandfather had built with his own hands.


    A couple of days ago, when she had spoken to her grandfather, she hadn''t mentioned Su Chen''s identity but had vaguely brought up that she might be doing something that could significantly affect the fortunes of the Belle Corporation.


    Moreover, she straightforwardly told her grandfather that eighty percent of the decision was based on her personal desires, and that the chance of sess was very slim.


    However, after hearing her out, Old Master Lin did not say much, only telling her to go ahead without too many worries!


    Lin Ruoxue was grateful for her grandfather''s tolerance and magnanimity, but the pressure on her shoulders grew even heavier!


    Because what she was doing was indeed like a snake swallowing an elephant; she had very little confidence in her actions.


    But she knew that what she was doing must be useful to Su Chen, at least it could help to alleviate some of his pressure!


    After a moment of contemtion by the window, Lin Ruoxue returned to her desk and began her grueling work anew...


    ......


    Su Chen, of course, had no idea about Lin Ruoxue''s current situation. After idling away an afternoon in his office, he decided to head home.


    Now that there was a new housekeeper, he didn''t need to cook, so as soon as he arrived, he went straight to his room to begin his cultivation.


    It was almost 9 p.m. when Lin Ruoxue finally returned home, worn out.


    Upon hearing the door open, Su Chen immediately went out, brought the slippers for Lin Ruoxue, and took her bag.


    "Wife, why have you been so tired these past few days?" Su Chen asked with concern. He thought to himself that with the concentration of True Yuan in the air increasing substantially, although she might not absorb it through cultivation like a Martial Artist, the nourishment from breathing it in should still be there. She shouldn''t be this exhausted!


    Little did he know, Lin Ruoxue had been maintaining a high level of workload these past days, and this kind of exhaustion had long outweighed the nourishment from True Yuan...

 Chapter 600 - 600 The Sleepless One

    "It''s nothing, probably just didn''t rest well,"


    Lin Ruoxue said casually.


    "Then, after dinner I''ll give you a massage,"


    Su Chen could see that Lin Ruoxue was just humoring him, but he didn''t say anything.


    "Yeah, I''m so hungry. Let''s eat,"


    A smile appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s face as she spoke.


    After that, the two sat down together for dinner, having grown ustomed to sharing breakfast and dinner with each other.


    During these moments, both felt particrly at ease andfortable, as if they were shielded from the storms of the outside world.


    After finishing dinner, Su Chen started to massage Lin Ruoxue on the sofa.


    Lin Ruoxue was indeed very tired, and within less than three minutes, she leaned on the sofa and fell asleep.


    Su Chen, unusually, did not take advantage of her. Instead, he infused one or two strands of his True Yuan into Lin Ruoxue''s body and then gently carried her upstairs,id her on the bed, and covered her with a nket.


    After finishing these tasks, he quietly exited the room and closed the door softly behind him.


    Descending the stairs, Su Chen returned to his own room and began his routine cultivation...


    ......


    At the same time, in a room within the Situ estate, Situ Lei was smoking a cigar, his eyebrows knit together, filled with disquiet.


    Why had there been no news of that guy being killed after such a long time?


    Could it be that Ghost Shadow Twins had failed?


    Impossible!


    They were assassins ranked among the top four on the ck List, and they were brothers, too¡ªone at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement and the other at the Qi Refinement Peak, most adept in concealing their own presence.


    How could such skilled assassins fail?


    Perhaps they had been dyed by some matter, and had not yet made their move?


    After much thought, this was the only somewhat reasonable exnation Situ Lei coulde up with.


    "Then enjoy yourself a little longer. In a few days, as soon as the Ghost Shadow Twins make their move, you can say goodbye to this world!"


    Situ Lei thought bitterly, his eyes filled with a cold chill!


    .....


    On this night, Shen Shao was another who couldn''t fall asleep, just like Situ Lei.


    He stayed in his study all night, looking over and over again at the photos on his phone!


    Each time he viewed them, the rage in his heart grew stronger!


    At this moment, it was as if his heart were being scorched by burning coals, and his facial expression turned ferocious, drastically different from his usual gentle and refreshing demeanor!


    "Su Chen, what makes you worthy?!"


    Shen Shao looked at the photo, gritting his teeth as he squeezed out the words, his teeth grinding audibly, revealing the rage and violence in his heart!


    No wonder, for a man to have the woman he had loved for so many years taken away by another man, it was unbearable for any man!


    And even more so for Shen Shao!


    He had always believed that only a woman like Pei Man was worthy of him!


    So even though Pei Man had never agreed to him, and had made it clear she didn''t like him, he still stayed true to himself, not fooling around with any other women!


    He believed that no matter what, Pei Man would eventually be his, would be the futuredy of the Shen Family!


    Because apart from him, there was no one who would dare to marry such a cunning woman!


    Of course, there was another important reason why he wanted to marry Pei Man¡ªthe Pei Family!


    If the Shen Family could form an alliance with the Pei Family through marriage, especially by tying the knot between the most outstanding members of the younger generation, their strength and influence would be unmatched!


    The other families wouldn''t even dare to have the thought of challenging them. From then on, Yandu wouldn''t be the Five Great Families, but three major families and two supreme families!


    And he harbored an even greater ambition, that when the time was ripe, he would merge the two families into one¡ªand then the Shen Family would reach its peak under hismand!


    Of course, he had never shared this ambition with anyone, not even his own grandfather, the Family Head of the Shen Family!


    It was only in the dead of night, within his study, that he dared to fantasize about such a scenario!


    He believed that as long as he married Pei Man, it was indeed possible, albeit incredibly difficult!


    However, all this¡ªwhether his feelings or his ambitions¡ªwere shattered today by one man!


    He would never allow such a situation to happen, absolutely not!


    So, that man, must die!


    But Shen Shao was a man of reason, and even though rage and jealousy nearly consumed him, he still refrained from acting rashly!


    He was waiting, waiting for news from Situ Lei!


    .......


    Su Chen had spent the night cultivating and, as always, woke up early to prepare breakfast, while Auntie Sun was responsible for the cleaning, much like Wang Ma back in Jianghai.


    After a few days of living together, Auntie Sun became more familiar with both Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue and was no longer as nervous and anxious as she had been at the start.


    "Young master-inw, you treat Miss so well, nowadays there are very few men who make breakfast for women every day," Auntie Sun remarked while cleaning.


    She had always been somewhat puzzled as to why she should call him ''young master-inw'' and ''Miss,'' when in normal households they would be referred to as ''Sir'' and ''Madam.''


    However, this was what Lin Ruoxue had told her when she was chosen, so she dared not ask any more questions.


    "Auntie Sun, your praise makes me bashful," Su Chen said with a smile while preparing breakfast.


    "I''m not as good as you say, I just do it out of affection."


    "Anyway, I have worked in many wealthy households and I have never seen a husband treat his wife as well as you do," Auntie Sun continued with a smile.


    "Miss is very fortunate to have married you!"


    "Auntie Sun, you''ll make me blush if you keep praising me like this," Su Chen responded, stirring the porridge in the pot.


    "But Auntie Sun, you misspoke just now."


    "Where did I go wrong?" Auntie Sun nced at Su Chen, puzzled.


    "It''s not Miss marrying me but rather me marrying her¡ªI''ve married into her family, haha," Su Chenughed.


    Auntie Sun immediately felt awkward; after all, for a man, marrying into a woman''s family was considered a rather shameful thing.


    For a moment, she had no idea what to say.


    She looked at Su Chen and thought how strange this man was; while other men would feel ashamed to mention marrying into a woman''s family, he seemed eager for others to know as if it was nothing, openly acknowledging it with ease.


    What she didn''t know was that, to Su Chen, such matters were simply inconsequential trivialities.


    To him, what was the point in fussing over a formal matter like this? It was utterly trivial!


    He had just mentioned it in passing, as a light-hearted joke.


    At that moment, Auntie Sun seemed to have a realization as to why her mistress had asked her to address them as ''young master-inw'' and ''Miss''¡ªit was because this man had married into the family!


    In fact, she hadpletely misunderstood; Lin Ruoxue hadn''t given it much thought when it came to the choice of titles.


    Since Wang Ma used to call them that and everyone was ustomed to it, Lin Ruoxue had simply said it offhandedly...

 Chapter 601: Why Are You Being Impolite to Me?

    "Son-inw, it really doesn''t matter whether you enter the family or not. What''s important is that the couple has a good rtionship and a harmonious life,"


    Ms. Sun said with a smile.


    Actually, there was something quite strange about Ms. Sun; she could tell that this son-inw and the young mistress had a good rtionship, but she didn''t understand why they slept in separate rooms.


    Could it be the current trend?


    She had also heard that many couples liked to sleep in separate rooms, saying it maintained a "close sense of intimacy" and "mysterious freshness."


    Anyway, these concepts were beyond her understanding.


    "Indeed, Ms. Sun, you make a good point,"


    Su Chen chuckled after hearing what Ms. Sun said.


    Indeed, in his heart, that''s exactly how he felt; when a husband and wife live together, what could be more important than their feelings for each other?


    All those formalities seemed quite inconsequential.


    "Son-inw, I''ve cleaned up, so I''m going to buy groceries now,"


    After a while, Ms. Sun said.


    "Have breakfast before you go."


    "It''s okay, the vegetables are freshest now, breakfast is just as good when Ie back."


    After saying this, she walked out...


    ....


    When Su Chen had just finished making breakfast, Lin Ruoxue also got up, descending the stairs like a sleeping beauty.


    Just as Su Chen was about to greet her with "good morning," he noticed Lin Ruoxue was giving him an unhappy look.


    Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat, wondering if he had done something wrong that Lin Ruoxue had discovered.


    Could it be about yesterday''s incident with Pei Man?


    But that couldn''t be right; if it was about Pei Man, she should have blown upst night, not after waking up from a good night''s sleep.


    Besides that incident, he couldn''t think of anything he had done.


    "Wife, good morning,"


    Su Chen adjusted his emotions and called out obsequiously.


    Lin Ruoxue, as if she hadn''t heard, nced at him and asked,


    "Was it you who carried me to bedst night?"


    "Yes, I saw you were so tired that you fell asleep on the sofa!"


    Su Chen acknowledged naturally.


    "You jerk, why didn''t you wake me up when I fell asleep? Do you know how much work I have unfinished?"


    Lin Ruoxue red at Su Chen and spat out.


    Her time was already tightly packed, and she had wasted several hoursst night.


    "Wife, I really need to talk to you about this. Money will never run out, but your body is your own. If your health copses, what good is all that money?"


    Su Chen also put on a serious face,


    "Lin Ruoxue, I''m warning you, if you keep working yourself to death, watch out because I won''t be so kind!"


    This wife of his was a true strong-willed woman; once she started working, she wouldn''t stop for anything!


    "How will you be unkind to me?!"


    Lin Ruoxue huffed coldly, her heart filled with irritation. Wasn''t she working so hard and taking such risks all for this guy''s sake?


    And he still had the audacity to say he''d be unkind to her!


    However, Lin Ruoxue didn''t want to tell him about that particr matter just yet, because she knew Su Chen likely wouldn''t allow her to do it, no, he definitely wouldn''t!


    But Lin Ruoxue couldn''t just stand by and be of no help!


    "I really need to think about this!"


    Su Chen crossed his arms in front of his chest and rested his chin in one hand, his eyes sweeping over Lin Ruoxue''s figure non-stop.


    His gaze was sharp, like a wolf in the night, full of aggression!


    Especially now, as Lin Ruoxue was wearing only a robe, the neckline slightly open, with her long legs fully exposed to the air!


    Lin Ruoxue felt quite ufortable under his gaze, as if she were prey being eyed by a carnivorous animal!


    As Su Chen approached step by step, Lin Ruoxue''s heart thumped wildly.


    "Wife, what do you think a man would do if he wasn''t being polite to a woman?"


    Su Chen came up to Lin Ruoxue, their bodies almost pressing together, and he whispered by her ear:


    "I''m going to sleep in your room tonight."


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Ruoxue''s heart immediately leapt to her throat, and a blush spread across her face.


    She was well aware of the implication behind Su Chen''s words. Going to her room to sleep wasn''t something new for him, but right now, the suggestion clearly meant more than that.


    "You, you better not mess around!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s pretty face turned peachy red in an instant, almost dripping with juiciness, making one unable to resist the urge to take a bite!


    Her body involuntarily took two steps back, trying to put some distance between herself and Su Chen.


    "I have a license, I''m certified to work, how can that be called messing around?"


    Su Chen suddenly wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoxue''s delicate, supple waist, a mischievous smile curling on the corner of his lips.


    "I haven''t..."


    Lin Ruoxue started to be incoherent, looking at Su Chen as if he were a big bad wolf and she the little white rabbit.


    "Not ready yet, right?"


    Su Chen didn''t wait for Lin Ruoxue to finish speaking before cutting in:


    "That kind of thing doesn''t need to be prepared for. The first time might be a bit ufortable, but you''ll get used to it slowly."


    As Su Chen spoke, his hand began to wander, gently caressing her back.


    Lin Ruoxue''s whole body shuddered as if she had been electrified!


    At that moment, she felt like crying without tears. She had merely intended to express her dissatisfaction with Su Chen not waking her up the previous day.


    She couldn''t figure out how things had escted to this point so suddenly.


    "This, husband, I was wrong. I shouldn''t have lost my temper with you."


    Lin Ruoxue put on a pitiable look, gazing at Su Chen coquettishly.


    She had no choice but to beg for mercy in the face of Su Chen''s "aggressive" demeanor.


    She really wasn''t prepared to engage in intimate rtions with Su Chen, even though she knew she was being somewhat unreasonable.


    But she couldn''t help it; she just couldn''t get past that mental barrier.


    Actually, the fact that she could now ept a lot of Su Chen''s physical contact was already a big improvement from before.


    Listening to Lin Ruoxue''s coquetry, Su Chen felt utterly rxed, even more pleasurable than a night of cultivation!


    "Truly sorry?"


    Su Chen nced at Lin Ruoxue, pretending to be somewhat stern.


    "Really sorry."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a suppressed sigh.


    "Then shouldn''t you apologize?"


    A smug expression emerged on Su Chen''s face.


    "Husband, I''m sorry."


    Lin Ruoxue looked at his annoying expression, her teeth itching with irritation!


    But when under someone else''s roof, you have to bow your head! What could she do if this guy really came to her room at night and did something to her?


    "That''s it for the apology?"


    Su Chen pursed his lips and said:


    "There''s no sincerity at all."


    "Su Chen, I warn you, don''t push your luck!"


    Lin Ruoxue red fiercely at Su Chen, her heart in turmoil.


    "Wife, I think my bed is too small, your big bed seems much morefortable!"


    Su Chen once again murmured gently by Lin Ruoxue''s ear, the corners of his mouth lifting in that familiar wicked smile...

 Chapter 602 - 602 Su Chen, You Are Shameless

    During this time, Su Chen had been quite respectful in his dealings with Lin Ruoxue, aside from asionally getting a bit handsy, he hadn''t teased her for a long time.


    Now, seeing Lin Ruoxue looking a bit scared, somewhat flustered, and even a little shy, he actually found it amusing, a stark contrast to her usual aloof demeanor.


    However, Lin Ruoxue didn''t find it funny at all. Hearing Su Chen remark how small his bed waspared to herrger one, she grew even more nervous.


    "Yours is also a one and a half meter bed, how is that small?"


    Lin Ruoxue stammered, not daring to meet Su Chen''s predatory gaze.


    "Definitely not as spacious andfortable as your two-meter bed!"


    Su Chen''s maic baritone continued to echo in her ear, sounding almost magical, pulling at the threads of Lin Ruoxue''s heart, leaving it in utter disarray.


    "I, I, you..."


    For a moment, Lin Ruoxue was at a loss for words, she could even hear her own heartbeat.


    "How about it? Tonight we could discuss some more profound issues together, it''ll be interesting."


    Su Chen seemed like a creepy old man offering candy to lure a little girl, his face bursting with a sly smile.


    "What on earth do you want?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly bit out through clenched teeth, as if she longed to bite Su Chen fiercely.


    "An apology, a sincere apology!"


    Su Chen said yfully, seemingly oblivious to Lin Ruoxue''s fiery re.


    "So how do you want a sincere apology?"


    Lin Ruoxue enunciated each word, realizing that if she didn''t give in to his demands, he wouldn''t let her off the hook.


    Upon hearing this, a sharp glint appeared in Su Chen''s eyes, and then he whispered a phrase into Lin Ruoxue''s ear.


    After saying it, he looked at Lin Ruoxue with a beaming smile, his heart bursting with joy.


    "Su Chen, you''re shameless!"


    After hearing that sentence, Lin Ruoxue''s face darkened instantly, yet within that darkness was a deeper flush of embarrassment.


    "Haha, wife,e on!"


    Then Su Chen casually sat down on the couch, lookingpletely ready for action.


    As for Lin Ruoxue''s usation of him being shameless, he couldn''t care less!


    Just like he always proimed, when ites to matters between men and women, what''s the use of face? Face is worthless!


    Lin Ruoxue, looking at him like that, truly wished she could strangle him with her two hands!


    But she was also aware that it would be impossible.


    "Husband, can we choose another way to apologize?"


    Having no other choice, Lin Ruoxue resorted once again to acting spoiled.


    "No way, do as I say, or tonight I''lle to bed with credentials!"


    Su Chen waspletely unmoved.


    At his words, Lin Ruoxue felt an itch of hatred inside her, yet she was helpless and could only approach Su Chen with a mix of shyness and indignation, her heart pounding to its limits.


    In fact, it wasn''t just her who was nervous; Su Chen was just as tense, his heart quivering at the thought of what was toe.


    The short distance to where Su Chen sat seemed to Lin Ruoxue like an eternity before she finally sat down beside him, her whole body stiffening.


    Because she was too nervous! Because Su Chen''s demand was too shameless!


    But what could she do against such a rascally husband?


    However, Su Chen remained as steady as a mountain, like an old master!


    "Hurry up!"


    Su Chen''s voice came again:


    "If you dawdle any longer, Aunt Sun will be back from buying groceries."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue became even more nervous. She was already blushing and feeling hot, but if Aunt Sun came back, would she have any face left?


    With no other choice, Lin Ruoxue slowly turned her body around and then leaned half of herself against Su Chen!


    At this moment, her heart was filled with full resentment and shyness, her entire face almost dripping red!


    She slowly closed her eyes and kissed Su Chen, taking on the role of the aggressor!


    Yes, this was the shameless condition that Su Chen proposed ¡ª for Lin Ruoxue to kiss him forcefully!


    You see, for Lin Ruoxue, having Su Chen kiss her was already embarrassing, but to have her kiss Su Chen was just too much, and besides, this guy was talking about a forcible kiss!


    After a minute had passed, Lin Ruoxue pulled away from Su Chen''s body and said with eyes seething:


    "Is that good enough?!"


    "It was so-so,"


    Su Chen replied nonchntly. He knew that Lin Ruoxue doing this much was already her limit. If he pushed any further, they would probably have a falling out, so he decided it was best to leave well enough alone.


    "Wife, your skills are getting better and better!"


    Su Chen chuckled mischievously.


    Upon hearing this, three ck lines immediately appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s forehead. She huffed coldly and then sat down at the dining table to begin her breakfast. Su Chen also sat down opposite her.


    Throughout the whole process, Lin Ruoxue wore a cold expression on her face, not uttering a single word. Su Chen, on the other hand, didn''t mind at all and ate with relish as if nothing had happened.


    Soon after, Aunt Sun returned from grocery shopping and immediately felt that the atmosphere was different from usual, but she didn''t dare to ask anything.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue directly drove off. After she left, Aunt Sun asked with some concern:


    "What''s wrong with Miss?"


    "Nothing, women, you know, have a few days each month. You understand, Aunt Sun!"


    Su Chen shrugged indifferently, causing Aunt Sun to be totally flustered; this son-inw really had no filter...


    Su Chen then went back to thepany as well. Upon his arrival at Lin Ruoxue''s office, Chen Guo directly told him that Lin Ruoxue hadn''te in at all, which made Su Chen even more puzzled.


    So Su Chen had no choice but to return to his own office and then another day passed in boredom.


    Just like the previous night, Lin Ruoxue didn''t return home until around nine o''clock, but her spirits were considerably better than the previous few days.


    This was partly due to a better night''s sleep and partly due to the effect of the True Yuan that Su Chen had channeled into her body.


    But still, upon her return, Lin Ruoxue was as frosty as ever, as if she had returned to the time when the two had just met, not speaking to Su Chen at all.


    Even when Su Chen teased her, she just looked at him coldly; obviously, the morning''s incident was still bothering her!


    After dinner, the two neither chatted nor went for a walk. Lin Ruoxue went straight upstairs.


    Su Chen curled his lip and could only return to his room to begin his cultivation...


    The next morning, after breakfast, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to change clothes and was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something and said:


    "Don''t forget about the financial summit tonight,e back early."


    And then, without waiting for Su Chen to respond, she left...


    Su Chen, however, didn''t pay too much attention. After all, it wasn''t the first time Lin Ruoxue had acted this way; he was already experienced with it...

 Chapter 603: Expectations

    After Su Chen returned to hispany, he still hadn''t seen any sign of Lin Ruoxue.


    Since staying at the office was really boring, he walked to Yunlong''spany, which wasn''t far away, just a few steps.


    Su Chen had visited Yunlong''s office not just once or twice before and knew about his rtionship with the boss, so everyone greeted him with a shout of "Brother Su."


    Su Chen was generally polite to people, always nodding with a smile as he made his way to Yunlong''s office door and then pushed it open directly.


    However, no sooner had he opened the door than he witnessed a very eye-catching scene.


    He saw a woman sitting on Yunlong''sp, the two of them engaging in some very non-business-like interactions.


    The woman was dressed in a tight-fitting professional outfit that fully entuated her shapely figure; her hands were hooked around Yunlong''s neck, while Yunlong''s hands were roaming everywhere...


    "Damn it, who the hell doesn''t knock? Get out!"


    Suddenly interrupted, Yunlong cursed without even lifting his head.


    "Who are you telling to get out?"


    Su Chen asked with a hint of yful mockery in his smile.


    "Ah, big brother, when did you get here?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s voice, Yunlong was startled, quickly patted the woman to get off.


    "If I hadn''te, I would have missed out on this spectacr performance!"


    Su Chen casually sat down on a nearby sofa.


    Yunlong didn''t seem to mind the remark, but the woman next to him immediately blushed deeply.


    "Brother Su, I... I''ll go out first, you guys talk."


    The woman said timidly and then dashed out like a gust of wind, closing the door behind her.


    Su Chen did recognize this woman; she was Yunlong''s secretary, seemingly named Xiao Duo.


    "Yunlong, you really live by one motto: ''When there''s work, the secretary does it; when there''s none...''"


    Su Chen quipped, his words tinged with both sarcasm and envy.


    He thought to himself that this guy really had itfortable, unlike him, who had to tread carefully with even the slightest secret thoughts.


    That''s the way it was, who made him under his own wife''s watchful eye!


    Yunlongughed upon hearing this and then said:


    "Big brother, howe you''re here?"


    "Just stopping by."


    Su Chen pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tossed one to Yunlong, and then lit one for himself.


    After lighting his cigarette, Yunlong took a drag and asked:


    "By the way, big brother, are you going to the finance conference tonight with your sister-inw?"


    "Hmm, why, you''re going too?"


    Su Chen then asked.


    "Yeah, I also got an invite."


    Yunlong nodded and said:


    "I''ll go with you guys then."


    "Sure."


    Su Chen naturally had no objections to Yunlong''s suggestion.


    After having lunch together, Su Chen returned to Rainbow Mansion.


    At 6 PM, Lin Ruoxue had called him toe home and change clothes.


    Although Su Chen felt that what he wore didn''t matter, Lin Ruoxue clearly thought otherwise, so Su Chen just followed her wish.


    The two of them reached home almost one after another, and after returning, Lin Ruoxue had gone upstairs to change clothes, while Su Chen also went to his own room.


    For Su Chen, there was only one suit suitable for attending important events, the blue suit that Lin Ruoxue had helped him purchase, so there really wasn''t much to choose from.


    Within two minutes, Su Chen had already changed clothes and then sat on the living room sofa waiting for Lin Ruoxue.


    Women, after all, always take special time to dress up, especially when attending important events¡ªthey can''t be negligent.


    It took a full forty minutes before Lin Ruoxue finally slowly walked down the stairs¡ªconsidering it''s a woman, that was already fast.


    Hearing the footsteps from the stairwell, Su Chen naturally looked up.


    At that nce, Su Chen nearly drooled!


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue was wearing a long mesh gown adorned with glittering sequins all over!


    The left hem of the gown, however, was chiffon without any sequins, making her look both regal and elegantly sexy!


    Moreover, the dress had a slit at the side where the chiffon met, reaching just above the knee, perfectly revealing Lin Ruoxue''s slender white legs.


    The pair of golden high-heeled shoes she woreplemented her outfit perfectly, enhancing her tall and graceful figure!


    At that time, Lin Ruoxue looked like an iparably noble queen!


    Lin Ruoxue naturally noticed Su Chen''s infatuated expression, secretly delighted in her heart!


    However, because of what had happened yesterday morning, she did not show it and still kept a cold face!


    "Wife, you are so beautiful! Tonight, you will definitely outshine everyone!"


    As Lin Ruoxue walked down the stairs, Su Chen immediately went to meet her, happily embracing her waist in a fluid motion.


    Lin Ruoxue promptly elbowed him, trying to push him away, but Su Chen''s hand encased her like a cage, locking her in his embrace!


    Of course, Lin Ruoxue did not dare to use too much force, worried she might identally hurt him.


    "Wife, I''m sorry, I was wrong yesterday morning, don''t be angry anymore."


    Su Chen tightened his hold and said softly.


    After nearly two days, the irritation in Lin Ruoxue''s heart had already mostly dissipated, and hearing Su Chen''s tender plea, she didn''t say anything, allowing him to hold her.


    Then Su Chen drove Lin Ruoxue''s car out of the Imperial Garden, Yunlong was already waiting outside theplex and followed as soon as he saw Lin Ruoxue''s car.


    At that time, night had just fallen, and the neon lights along the streets had also lit up, with cars flowing endlessly...


    "Su Chen, do you have any ns for today?"


    Halfway through the drive, Lin Ruoxue asked somewhat anxiously, considering the main figures from the Five Great Families would likely all be present today.


    "What ns could I have, I''m not some chaos-causing demon,"


    Su Chen smiled slightly; he truly hadn''t lied¡ªthis financial summit was not originally in his ns.


    Of course, if someone really caused trouble or there was an opportunity, he wouldn''t mind taking advantage of it.


    Being a king of the underworld, taking things as theye was nothing new to him.


    Don''t think that a king of the underworld only knows about fighting and killing; one could not have risen to that position by only being violent!


    But would those young masters be well-behaved?


    From Su Chen''s perspective, probably not.


    Yet, Su Chen wasn''t concerned;pared to the younger generation, he cared more about the older and middle generations.


    Because of the past, they undoubtedly were the real participants!


    Thinking this, Su Chen felt an added bit of anticipation for tonight''s summit, seeing it as an opportunity to closely observe those people...

 Chapter 604 - 604 How About This?

    Finance is the pearl on the crown ofmerce, the highest form of business existence!


    Why is Country M generally considered the number one superpower? Besides their military and technological strength, finance is also a very important factor!


    Therefore, the financial summit held in Yandu also attracted the attention of all Huaxia, and only heavyweight figures could attend this summit!


    Even Belle Group, a star enterprise of Jianghai, got its invitation through some connections Lin Ruoxue pulled, which speaks volumes about its standards.


    Strictly speaking, it wasn''t really a summit, because generally summits include leaders, but tonight''s did not.


    So, calling it aworking event or aworking dinner might be more appropriate, but it was referred to as a summit because of the heavyweight figures attending.


    Lin Ruoxue and Yunlong, because they coborated in inte finance, also barely squeezed into this circle.


    However, their scale was still too small and their time too short, so they did not have much presence.


    .....


    The Royal Hotel was located in the bustling eastern part of Yandu city, a luxurious six-star hotel.


    Tonight''s financeworking dinner was held in the number one banquet hall of the Yandu Royal Hotel.


    It is said that the Zheng Family, the most extensivemercial entity among the Five Great Families, is the behind-the-scenes owner of this Royal Hotel.


    The Zheng Family and Jianghai''s Liu Family are bothmerce-based, only the scale and strength of the two arepletely different!


    The Liu Family once viewed the Zheng Family as a model, aiming to be an entity like them, but their ambitions were nipped in the bud by Su Chen, leading to their downfall!


    After driving for about half an hour, Su Chen and his party arrived at the Royal Hotel.


    After parking in the underground parking lot, they walked towards the hotel entrance.


    Lin Ruoxue was walking in front with her arm in Su Chen''s, followed closely by Yunlong.


    Upon reaching the door of banquet hall number one, Lin Ruoxue showed the invitation to the doorman and walked straight in.


    By then, many people had already arrived in banquet hall number one, the men in sharp suits and the women glittering attractively, all gathered in groups, chatting andughing heartily.


    These individuals were indeed the top tier of society, sometimes a single decision or thought from them could affect many people''s livelihoods.


    It has to be said, beautiful women always attract attention in such settings, especially someone as stunningly beautiful as Lin Ruoxue!


    Of course, Su Chen at this moment was no less striking than Lin Ruoxue. His demeanor was like that of a noble from the Middle Ages, filled with nobility and a mysterious aura!


    So when Lin Ruoxue walked into the banquet hall with her arm in Su Chen''s, they immediately attracted countless nces!


    "Who is this woman? She''s simply like a fairy descended to Earth!"


    "Yeah, when did Yandue to have such a stunning beauty? Howe I didn''t know?"


    "This woman, she isn''t any less than those big stars at all!"


    "What are you looking at? Those stars can''tpare to her. Whether it''s looks, figure, or demeanor, do they have what she has?"


    "Exactly, what are you looking at, she is absolutely a beauty that could topple cities! Perhaps only Miss Pei and Miss Qi Meng of Yandu could barelypare to her."


    ...


    These exmations were of course from the men, who were mesmerized by Lin Ruoxue the moment they saw her!


    Of course, the sensation that Su Chen caused seemed no less than Lin Ruoxue.


    "Wow, who is this man? He has such a great aura!"


    "Yeah, he doesn''t look very handsome at first nce, but on a closer look, he''s quite appealing and has a lot of charm!"


    "I feel like this man is like a cup of poisoned wine; although poisonous, one can''t help but want to taste it!"


    "You nympho!"


    "Are you saying you wouldn''t want to? This man has an aura of mystery, coldness, nobility, and allure all in one, harmoniouslybined in a perfect way¡ªit''s truly unbelievable!"


    "Yes, those clothes look like they were made especially for him; I doubt anyone else could pull them off like this!"


    "Stop daydreaming. Have you seen the woman by his side? Can youpare with her?"


    "Can''t I even think about it?"


    When those women saw Su Chen, they immediately sparkled with stars in their eyes, wondering how there could be such a unique and perfect man!


    There were also some people from Jiangnan here, who quickly let everyone know through their introductions that the woman was the president of the Jianghai Belle Group, a powerful businesswoman.


    And that man, it seemed, was her husband.


    "Pei Man, he''s here."


    Not far away, Pei Jian also spotted Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue who had just walked in.


    "I see him."


    Pei Man gently swirled her ss and smiled slightly.


    "Do you have any thoughts?"


    Pei Jian looked at Pei Man and seemingly asked casually.


    "What thoughts do you think I should have?"


    Pei Man sipped her red wine and smiled:


    "He''s very attractive today, I doubt there''s a woman here who wouldn''t have thoughts about him right now."


    As she said this, a flicker of intrigue passed through Pei Man''s eyes; she indeed had not expected Su Chen to have such a side.


    "His wife is not bad either."


    Pei Jian stated meaningfully.


    "Indeed, even I feel somewhat self-conscious looking at such a woman."


    Pei Man nodded towards Lin Ruoxue standing next to Su Chen, her gaze also filled with admiration.


    Then she turned to Pei Jian and said:


    "But, what does that matter?"


    "Pei Man, if you were ying a game, I would tell you that a game is just a game, nothing more. But if you are serious, I want to tell you that love can be devouring!"


    Pei Jian stated earnestly.


    "Big brother, you don''t seem to have been in love much, have you?"


    Pei Man burst outughing:


    "Why have you suddenly be a love expert?"


    Pei Jian didn''t respond, but nced in a direction before speaking:


    "The way those Young Masters are looking at him doesn''t seem quite right."


    "It''d be strange if it were right. Forced to act like a dog on the ground, anyone would be intolerable, let alone these haughty Young Masters."


    Pei Man nced nonchntly at where the Young Masters were gathering.


    A ss has its own circles, just as a billionaire finds it difficult to mingle with millionaires, much like millionaires rarely mix with the mere wealthy.


    And as the Young Masters of the Five Great Families, which are of the utmost elite ss, naturally had their own circles and were naturally grouping together upon arriving here.


    Others knew this too, and usually, after a greeting, they would walk away from these Young Masters. Staying forcibly would not only fail to leave a good impression, but it would also be irritating.


    These shrewd businessmen had perfected this to an art!


    Those wealthy heirs and heiresses, sensing some unrest in the crowd, also casually nced toward the entrance.


    However, after seeing the appearances of the two newly arrived, many of their faces tightened, and their hands clenched into fists, their joints cracking with the strain!


    It seemed as if there was a zing fire burning in their eyes as they looked at the two...

 Chapter 605 - 605 Pei Mans Dilemma

    Although many of the young masters and misses were itching to have Su Chen killed, they had to restrain themselves due to the asion.


    Moreover, even if they were to cause trouble, on what grounds would they do it? Would they really expose their own shameful deeds?


    Even Situ Jiao wanted to rush out, but she was pulled back by Situ Lei.


    When Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue entered, they also drew the attention of the elderly from the Five Great Families, who were chatting together.


    Despite their age, they all looked well-maintained, their faces glowing with health and vitality...


    "Who are these two kids? I haven''t seen them before," said one of the elders.


    "I haven''t seen them either, but it''s rare to see such a well-matched young couple. They''re quite a sight for sore eyes!" another elder chuckled.


    The other elders nodded in agreement.


    Indeed, a young couple like them was like a pair of jewels, dazzling to behold!


    However, a sharp gleam shed through the smiling eyes of one of these elders upon seeing the two of them.


    ......


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue seemed oblivious to these gazes and continued to walk inside.


    This financial summit, or rather, financialworking event, was also in the form of a buffet, just like thest Jiangnan business banquet.


    This allowed for easy mingling, and of course, there would be speeches by some financial tycoons at the end, exining the current state of the financial market and predicting future developments.


    As before, Lin Ruoxue left Su Chen''s side shortly after they arrived in order to meet other businesspeople. After all, she was the president of the Belle Corporation, so naturally, she wouldn''t miss this opportunity.


    Moreover, she was undertaking a secret n, and there might be useful contacts to be made here.


    Soon after, Yunlong excused himself from Su Chen''s side. Although sometimes frivolous, he knew what to do when it mattered.


    After the two left, Su Chen casually took a ss of red wine from a passing waiter''s tray and leaned against a column to enjoy his drink.


    He certainly felt the hostile res from the young masters, but he couldn''t care less.


    However, his nce unintentionally fell upon some aging faces in a particr direction.


    His brow furrowed slightly, seemingly lost in thought.


    "Mr. Su, why are you drinking alone over here?"


    At that moment, a seductive voice rang out beside Su Chen.


    Turning his head, Su Chen smiled slightly:


    "How could that be? Isn''t Miss Qi Meng here to keep mepany?"


    "I came over because I felt sorry for you standing here all by yourself," Qi Meng said, swaying her sexy figure tantalizingly as she approached.


    Qi Meng was dressed in a fiery red, low-cut, backless gown that made her look incredibly sultry and alluring!


    "Oh, then I must thank Miss Qi Meng for her kind heart," Su Chen replied, his eyes lingering on a certain valley as a hint of an ambiguous smile yed across his face.


    Because Lin Ruoxue was there, he dared not make any inappropriate moves.


    He wasn''t like an old man eating arsenic¡ªtired of living!


    But just because he dared not act did not mean Qi Meng wouldn''t.


    Qi Mengughed as she draped an arm over his shoulder, pressing her body close to his, and cooed seductively:


    "So, Mr. Su, how do you n to thank me? Surely you won''t just talk the talk."


    When Qi Meng suddenly leaned over, Su Chen hastily nced in Lin Ruoxue''s direction, only to see a pair of icy eyes shooting out a freezing chill.


    Su Chen flinched, quickly stepping aside as he stammered:


    "Just joking, just a joke."


    Qi Meng did not let up, sticking to him like a stubborn ster, causing Su Chen to break out in a cold sweat.


    "What if someone took it seriously?"


    Qi Meng''s breath was as fragrant as orchids as she spoke, her voice dripping with coquettishness.


    Thisment made Su Chen even more embarrassed as he felt a chill shooting from afar, tangible like a solid thing, causing his heart to tremble!


    "This guy really has quite the romantic luck!"


    Pei Jian said with a smile as he watched Su Chen and Qi Meng together.


    "I''m afraid that this romantic luck isn''t so enjoyable for him!"


    Pei Man looked at Su Chen''s helpless appearance and couldn''t help but curve her lips into a smile.


    "But Qi Meng is not so simple."


    Pei Jian added afterward.


    "Not simple indeed, I haven''t even been able to find out her real identity, let alone understand her motives."


    Pei Man said with a light smile as she looked in Su Chen''s direction:


    "However, her taking the initiative to get close to Su Chen definitely has some purpose, which once again proves that this man is not simple."


    "Should we give him a little warning?"


    Pei Jian looked at Pei Man, seeking her opinion.


    "No need."


    Pei Man shook her head slightly and said:


    "Do you think he doesn''t know that Qi Meng has ulterior motives? He''s probably putting on an act as well."


    "You smart people, when you speak and act, always choose such roundabout ways,"


    Pei Jian said with a bit of a sigh and a wry smile.


    "Big brother, you''re a smart person too, even smarter than Shen Shao, who seems to be bathed in countless auras, and than Shen Lin, who thinks he''s very clever. Or rather, you possess more wisdom."


    Pei Man said seriously to Pei Jian:


    "It''s just that you don''t want topete, or perhaps you''re toozy to bother. Sometimes, you even have to act less clever for this reason. In that regard, I - and the Pei Family - should thank you."


    "Xiao Man, there''s no need to talk about one''s family in terms of another."


    Pei Jian said with a slight smile:


    "Besides, I also know that you don''t like fighting for power and profit; you''repelled by necessity."


    Upon hearing Pei Jian''s words, Pei Man suddenly fell silent, and a shadow of sadness appeared in her beautiful eyes.


    "Still no news?"


    Pei Jian asked softly, looking at Pei Man with eyes full of softness and sympathy.


    "It''s okay, having you all with me is already a great happiness,"


    Pei Man shook her head slightly in response, then mustered a smile.


    Yet, hidden within that smile was deep bitterness...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in the ce where the young masters and misses were gathered.


    Those who had been humiliated by Su Chen, even though they appeared to be chatting andughing carefreely, seemed casual and rxed, but the corners of their eyes were watching him like venomous snakes!


    Although the circumstances forced them to temporarily hide their anger, they couldn''t help feeling aggrieved, leaving them in inner turmoil.


    "You all chat first, I''m going to the restroom."


    Shen Shao suddenly saidughingly, while he nonchntly swept his gaze over Situ Lei nearby.


    In this crowd, Shen Shao was naturally the center of attention, and wherever he went, he would create the most dazzling aura!


    Upon hearing his words, the young elites naturally wouldn''t mind, and they urged him to go ahead.


    "I was just thinking of visiting the restroom as well. Shen Shao, let me apany you,"


    Situ Lei also apologetically said, and then he went with Shen Shao toward the direction of the restroom...

 Chapter 606: Mr. Su, Why Are You Always Avoiding Me?

    At this moment, Su Chen was feeling incredibly tormented. He now fully understood the saying, "Retribution is never pleasant."


    The previous two encounters with Qi Meng had been initiated by him, teasing her and making her restless and mentally disorganized.


    However, now, the roles were reversed, with Qi Meng teasing him, and he was like an ant on a hot pot, anxious and fidgety.


    No wonder, faced with a temptress like Qi Meng, no man could possibly remain without thoughts, especially when such a siren was actively throwing herself into his arms, seeking close contact, right?!


    If it had been any other situation, he would probably have been unable to restrain himself in the face of such seduction by Qi Meng¡ªdoing whatever one would typically do!


    But now, even with ten times the courage, he wouldn''t dare, because the cold gaze of his own wife was watching this whole scene!


    At this time, those present were all influential figures; most of them had been to Qimeng Tower before, and many had seen Qi Meng too.


    They also knew that this woman was no simple character; so although it was impossible for them not to act upon such a woman, they also never dared to step out of line.


    Seeing Qi Meng behaving like this with a man, everyone was astonished, and started to wonder which man could be so lucky as to garner Miss Qi Meng''s favor.


    When they saw that the man was the same one who had entered with Lin Ruoxue, they couldn''t help but feel a mix of envy and resentment.


    All this guy had was a decent appearance, right? Why was he able to have beauties on both arms, and those of an exceptionally rare quality no less!


    If it had been one of the scions from the Five Great Families, they could have understood, but this guy they hadn''t even seen before, why him?


    Although they were envious of Su Chen, they had no clue what he was going through. To him, facing Qi Meng was like a person starved for three days seeing braised pork yet unable to eat it¡ªnot a pleasure but a torment!


    The more restless and anxious he was, the more interested Qi Meng seemed to be, even gently sliding her delicate hand across his body!


    For a moment, Qi Meng even forgot whether she was acting out her mission or being swept away by her own desires.


    Su Chen felt the tender and smooth touch of her fingertips, and the affectionate look in Qi Meng''s eyes, and his entire body trembled!


    However, Lin Ruoxue''s gaze had turned into a sharp icede, as if ready to stab fiercely at Su Chen!


    "How did this guy manage to hook up with another woman like her?!"


    Lin Ruoxue thought with clenched teeth, although she had to keep a smiling face to deal with the people around her.


    Even from a woman''s perspective, Lin Ruoxue had to admit that the woman interacting with Su Chen was indeed heart-stirring!


    This was the main reason she felt seriously threatened, and she also knew that her husband was no honest man!


    At this time, Shen Shao and Situ Lei also returned to the hall, appearing to be quite normal.


    However, when they looked at Su Chen, both their eyes shed with a sharp light, and a trace of ferocity passed through their gazes.


    Su Chen, currently perturbed by Qi Meng, didn''t pay much attention to them, not that he put much stock in these young masters anyway.


    "Mr. Su, why do you keep avoiding me?"


    Qi Meng''s charming eyes seemed to bewitch Su Chen as she spoke:


    "I heard that the woman who came in with you is your wife. Are you afraid she''ll find out?"


    "How is that possible? Am I the kind of man who fears his wife?"


    Su Chen replied dismissively, a man can hardly admit to being afraid of his wife in public, right?


    That would be too embarrassing.


    "Really?"


    Qi Meng''s seductively charming face broke into a smile as she said:


    "Why don''t you introduce me to your wife?"


    Before meeting with Su Chen, Qi Meng was always the one at a disadvantage, so naturally, she was in high spirits now that she had a chance to fluster him!


    At her words, Su Chen was startled. This was no joke¡ªhe was already scared out of his wits.


    If he were to actually bring Qi Meng to Lin Ruoxue, he had no idea what Lin Ruoxue would think!


    She could even believe Qi Meng was trying to show her up! And in the end, wouldn''t he be the one to suffer?


    "Qi Meng grandma, can you spare me already?"


    Su Chen simply couldn''t stand Qi Meng''s flirtation any longer, mainly because he couldn''t stand Lin Ruoxue''s piercingly cold gaze!


    He had no choice but to beg for mercy.


    "Do I look very old to you?"


    Qi Meng rolled her beautiful eyes in annoyance and retorted.


    "Not old at all, not the slightest bit old, you''re forever eighteen, beautiful as a flower!"


    At this moment, Su Chen couldn''t care about anything else, his only thought was to quickly get rid of this enchanting woman.


    "You have quite a sweet mouth, don''t you?"


    Upon hearing this, a hint of sweetness washed over Qi Meng''s heart. Which woman doesn''t like to be praised by others?


    Taking advantage of the moment, Su Chen said a few more kind words and finally managed to send her away.


    At that time, Lin Ruoxue had just finished talking with someone and was about to walk towards Su Chen, when suddenly a middle-aged man walked past her.


    This man wore a Versace suit and looked shrewd, naturally exuding a thick aura of a superior.


    Of course, who here wasn''t a superior?!


    "President Lin, may I have the pleasure of making your acquaintance?"


    The man, holding a ss of red wine, came to Lin Ruoxue and said gently.


    "And you are?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a hint of apology in her voice.


    "I am Mr. Chen, President of Huiteng Investment Group."


    The man introduced himself with a smile.


    "How remiss of me, so it''s President Chen, I''ve long heard of your great reputation."


    Lin Ruoxue quickly responded with a smile, familiar with the Huiteng Investment Group.


    In the whole of Huaxia, their reputation was well-established, and their strength was iparable to Belle Group''s current standing.


    Consequently, Lin Ruoxue had to temporarily abandon her n to go tickle Su Chen''s nerves and instead engaged in conversation with President Chen.


    ....


    After sending away Qi Meng, Su Chen leaned against a column and began drinking red wine again, his gaze returning to a certain spot in front of him.


    "Su Chen, you seem rather at ease!"


    Before long, Pei Jian, pushing Pei Man, came up to Su Chen and said with augh.


    When Su Chen heard this, he withdrew his gaze and felt a bit awkward upon seeing Pei Jian, considering that he had just made light of Pei Man in front of him.


    "Su Chen, what were you just looking at?"


    Pei Man asked casually.


    "Of course I was looking at beautiful women. There are quite a few here, it would be a waste not to look!"


    Su Chen replied with a twist of his mouth.


    "If I tell President Lin this, you better watch out¡ªyou might not be able to handle the consequences!"


    Pei Man said yfully with a chuckle.


    At the same time, she nced in the direction where Su Chen''s gaze had been fixated, seemingly deep in thought.


    "You wouldn''t do that; you wouldn''t want to see me so unlucky."


    Su Chen said with a lightugh...

 Chapter 607: Sudden Change

    Su Chen''s words were actually a bit ambiguous. If it had been just the two of them, it might have been okay, but the key point was that Pei Jian was also there!


    However, Pei Jian seemed not to notice anything amiss and reminded Su Chen:


    "Some people bear you ill will, be careful."


    "No matter, they''re just jumping clowns."


    Su Chen knew that the two had already guessed his identity, so he didn''t purposely avoid the subject in his speech.


    On the other hand, Lin Ruoxue, who was with the president of Huirong Investment Group, knitted her brows when she saw Pei Jian and Pei Man chatting andughing with Su Chen.


    This time, she wasn''t jealous or sour, but puzzled!


    Ever since Su Chen had told her about his background, Lin Ruoxue had investigated some key figures from the Five Great Families and recognized at a nce that the man was Pei Jian, the direct grandson and eldest son of the Pei Family.


    And the woman was even more remarkable¡ªshe was known as "Phoenix Maiden," Pei Man!


    This woman nearly epitomized the perfect woman; even Lin Ruoxue felt somewhat inferior in front of her otherworldly demeanor.


    The only thing that was probably less than perfect about her was her disability, being confined to a wheelchair.


    But with her other outstanding qualities, this imperfection was often overlooked by many!


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue was puzzled as to how Su Chen knew the two most important young members of the Pei Family, and they appeared to be quite familiar with each other.


    However, it wasn''t a good time to ask Su Chen, so she had to suppress her curiosity for the meantime.


    When Pei Jian heard Su Chen call those young masters jumping clowns, he was also slightly surprised, just like Pei Man, and didn''t quite understand where his confidence came from.


    Was it just his own formidable martial skills?


    However, he didn''t ask Su Chen either because he knew that even if he did, the other party wouldn''t tell him.


    The other young masters had also noticed Pei Jian and Pei Man chatting andughing freely and their gaze inadvertently turned to Shen Shao.


    Because everyone in Yandu knew that Shen Shao and Pei Man were a couple and believed that they would surely be together in the future.


    Few people knew that Pei Man actually didn''t like Shen Shao; in fact, she was somewhat repulsed by him, but she rarely showed it in front of others.


    "Young Master Shen, who is that guy? Pei Man seems very familiar with him."


    "Yeah, I''ve never seen this guy before, where did this nobodye from! He''s dressed like he''s someone important."


    "No matter how well he''s dressed, can hepare with our Young Master Shen? He can''t even match up to Young Master Shen''s fur."


    ...


    Certain sons and daughters who didn''t know Su Chen expressed their annoyance, with most of them of course doing so to curry favor with Shen Shao.


    Although the Shen Family had several young gentlemen, "Young Master Shen" had be a synonym for Shen Shao, partly because of the phic simrity, but more importantly because of his status!


    When they said these words, they did not consider Shen Lin, the legitimate eldest young master of the Shen Family, who was also among the crowd.


    Shen Lin seemed to have no reaction, just smiling "naively," and when the crowd saw this, they looked down on him even more.


    Yet they forgot a saying, "Barking dogs seldom bite," and there was no doubt that Shen Lin was that biting dog!


    He looked at Su Chen with a yful smile, as if anticipating something...


    And those who had been humiliated by Su Chen felt a sudden joy when they saw him together with Pei Man!


    They had been worried about dealing with the person who had given them the greatest humiliation of their lives; after all, they had sent out several groups to no avail.


    "I never thought this guy would bring disaster upon himself by chatting so happily with Miss Pei Man. Isn''t this a p in the face of Young Master Shen?"


    They often followed behind Shen Shao, so they naturally knew his heart wasn''t so broad, and his methods were ruthless enough!


    As long as Shen Shao made a move, even if this guy had the ability to multitask, he''d probably still end up on a dead-end street.


    So, these people echoed the sentiments of the group from earlier, expressing their disdain for Su Chen and their dissatisfaction with him chatting andughing with Miss Pei Man.


    Their true intention, of course, was to ignite the rage in Shen Shao''s heart and then have him strike down that guy harshly!


    Although they seemed to respect Shen Shao all the time, as descendants of the Five Great Families, who didn''t have their own schemes?


    However, they forgot that Shen Shao was still Shen Shao!


    Although he was quite upset when he saw this scene and felt somewhat humiliated, his face didn''t show it at all!


    Thinking they could use him as a pawn, these people were still too naive.


    Moreover, he had already made a move just a while ago and was now waiting to see what the oue would be.


    He smiled and swept his gaze over everyone before calmly stating,


    "What''s the fuss? She''s just a friend of Miss Pei Man, nothing worth making a big deal out of."


    Seeing that Shen Shao seemed unfazed, they could only praise him for his grace and generosity.


    .....


    At this time, Su Chen was having a pleasant chat with Pei Jian and Pei Man. After another round of interaction, Su Chen felt that he had underestimated the descendants of the Five Great Families.


    Take Pei Jian, for instance. He appeared unremarkable, rather like a tolerant elder brother.


    But through their conversation, Su Chen discovered he was a man of profound wisdom, like a heavy sword without edge, performing great feats effortlessly!


    He could match anyone of the younger generation, only slightly more reserved about showing off his talents.


    In fact, Pei Jian felt the same and had a deeper and more intuitive understanding of Su Chen, silently concluding in his heart¡ªthis man is extraordinary!


    He couldn''t help but wonder to himself, what earth-shattering things might happen if Pei Man really got together with him!


    "p!"


    "Shameless!"


    Just then, a crisp p rang out, followed by a woman''s indignant shout.


    The people, who had been toasting and chatting merrily, were instantly interrupted by this sudden outburst, all turning their heads toward the source of the sound.


    When Su Chen heard that indignant shout, his heart stirred because it was his wife Lin Ruoxue''s voice!


    He immediately looked toward Lin Ruoxue and saw her face was full of angry color, her entire body trembling with such emotion that her towering peaks heaved, clearly very upset!


    "Have you lost your mind?!"


    The person opposite Lin Ruoxue, the president of Huitem Investment Group, touched his face in disbelief and angrily said, his cheek sporting a clear set of five finger marks, burning with pain!


    Seeing this, Su Chen''s face instantly changed, and he quickly ran over to steady Lin Ruoxue''s trembling body.


    "Wife, what happened?"


    Su Chen asked softly.

 Chapter 608: Hand Up, Knife Down

    "He, he..."


    Lin Ruoxue pointed at that Huiteng Investment Group''s President Chen, saying indignantly:


    "He insulted me! He made unwee advances and even said he wanted me to apany him..."


    At this point, Lin Ruoxue was too embarrassed to continue. She hadn''t expected that what started as a proper negotiation, especially since the man had proposed a cooperative n that, of course, was beneficial for both sides.


    However, it was quite clear that this scheme was hugely advantageous for Belle Group''s recently initiated inte finance business.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue naturally became very interested and wanted to discuss the matter of cooperation in more depth with the other party.


    But unexpectedly, at this point, his gaze began to stray, yet Lin Ruoxue still maintained exceptionalposure and continued negotiating with him.


    However, this president of Huiteng Investment Group overstepped his bounds, insinuating that for cooperation to happen, Lin Ruoxue needed to show some "sincerity," all the while incessantly praising Lin Ruoxue for being beautiful and having a nice figure.


    Although Lin Ruoxue was inexperienced in matters between men and women, she had, after all, been in the business world for many years and immediately understood his intentions, which caused her expression to darken.


    As if oblivious, he continued to express his affection for Lin Ruoxue, even going so far as to say that he would make even greater concessions if she pleased him!


    Meanwhile, his hand even reached towards Lin Ruoxue''s slender waist¡ªshe had already been trying very hard to control herself, after all, this was a financial summit!


    However, at this moment, she could no longer bear this man''s shamelessness. Anger surged in her heart, and instantly, she pped his face!


    Although Su Chen did not know the specifics of what happened, to make Lin Ruoxue this angry, the guy must have gone too far.


    Moreover, from what Lin Ruoxue had insinuated, it was clear this man had designs on her!


    Su Chen''s expression immediately turned cold, and the look he directed at the man was filled with chilling severity¡ªso much so that the air temperature around seemed to drop several degrees!


    People around, having heard Lin Ruoxue''s few sentences in session, also had a general understanding of the situation, and their gazes toward the president brimmed with disdain!


    "Don''t listen to her nonsense, she misunderstood me!"


    President Chen, seeing everyone''s gaze turn toward him, quickly said.


    At that moment, he naturally tried to clear his name; he couldn''t admit that he truly had indecent intentions towards Lin Ruoxue or that he harbored other thoughts.


    He hadn''t expected this woman to be so fierce, to p him in public and even curse him for being shameless!


    In his view, as businesspeople, what mattered was mutual benefit. He presented terms and conditions, so naturally, they should discuss!


    Moreover, the cooperation terms he offered were so generous, he believed she would definitely be tempted!


    Even if not tempted, at most, she would politely decline so as not to create an embarrassing situation for either side!


    This was partly because of the asion and partly because his group was muchrger than Belle Group!


    Any slightly rational person would know what to do, at the very least, they would not burn their bridges.


    But he never imagined that the result would be like this...


    He also did not understand Lin Ruoxue. On other matters, she might endure, but this was something she could not tolerate!


    "Pei Man, this matter probably isn''t simple, right?"


    Pei Jian said, looking in Su Chen''s direction.


    "Of course it''s not simple. Chen Jianxiong isn''t the kind of man who can''t walk straight when he sees a woman, and besides, even if he was, he wouldn''t propose such a thing in this kind of setting. If he really had any designs, there would be plenty of opportunities to speak in private."


    Pei Man scoffed coldly, looking in a certain direction:


    "It seems like someone has made a serious miscalction."


    Chen Jianxiong''s gaze toward Su Chen was as if he were looking at a ferocious beast, ready to tear him apart any moment!


    Other people were also watching this man, curious as to what he would do next, considering Chen Jianxiong was no ordinary person!


    "What do you want to do?"


    Even though Su Chen''s gaze was frightening, making Chen Jianxiong feel an immense pressure,


    rationally, Chen Jianxiong didn''t take Su Chen too seriously. In his mind, this was just a man living off a woman!


    "I''m telling you, this is nder," Chen Jianxiong spat out haughtily, "What evidence does she have for anything she said?"


    Indeed, although the incident just now was real, what could they do to him without evidence?


    Even if there was evidence, he hadn''t actually done anything yet. What then?


    Su Chen nced at him,pletely ignoring his words, and asked icily,


    "Whose hand was misbehaving just now?"


    His face was devoid of color, the only thing present was bone-chilling coldness!


    "I, I..."


    Chen Jianxiong trembled all over at the sight of that gaze.


    However, before he could finish his sentence, a sudden sh of cold light appeared, and blood immediately spurted out, like a gushing spring!


    "Ahh~~~!"


    A terribly miserable scream echoed through the hall as Chen Jianxiong instinctively grabbed his severed arm and began to jump around.


    Everyone was shocked, and upon closer inspection, they saw that Chen Jianxiong''s left hand had been cleanly cut off at the wrist, falling to the ground!


    At the sight of this scene, everyone gasped in shock!


    Was this young man too ruthless?


    Chen Jianxiong hadn''t even finished speaking when his wrist was abruptly severed!


    Some of the more faint-hearted women even screamed, having never witnessed such a gruesome scene.


    The young lords anddies huddled together also felt their hearts skip a beat at this sight!


    They hadn''t expected this young man to be so merciless!


    Especially those who had been humiliated by Su Chen, they were trembling with fear!


    You must understand, this was urring at a financial summit. Even though they were dying toy hands on this fellow, they had to be mindful of their rep.


    But this guy, he seemed not to care at all!


    In an instant, they looked at his expressionless face and seemed to remember that night!


    Shen Shao and Situ Lei also narrowed their eyes. They hadn''t expected that Su Chen would strike with such ferocity!


    This guy appeared to y by no one''s rules and acted without restraint!


    Not only these people were shaken, but even the elders of the Five Great Families, who were gathered together chatting, stiffened after seeing Su Chen''s action!


    "This kid, so vicious!"


    An elder eximed.


    "He shows no mercy in his moves, and with no emotional fluctuation, remarkable!"


    Another elder also revealed a look of admiration.


    "He has the makings of a hero!"


    A nearby elder nodded in agreement.


    "But in the end, we''ll have to see what follows."


    The others nodded in concurrence upon hearing this.


    While they admired the young man somewhat, it didn''t significantly stir their emotions.


    They had seen too many revolutions of time, and witnessed countless heroes rise and fall; such a matter was far from astounding to them!


    Su Chen wouldn''t mind what others thought or how they judged him; he just did what he wanted and needed to do!


    This so-called CEO who dared to covet Lin Ruoxue had to be prepared to suffer his wrath!

 Chapter 609: You Really Came Over

    "Do you know the consequences of what you are doing?"


    After a while, Chen Jianxiong finally recovered slightly, he looked at Su Chen, his eyes shooting out a ze of hatred!


    He hadn''t expected that this guy would ask a question and, before he even had a chance to answer, would chop off his hand without hesitation!


    At that moment, blood was still flowing from his wrist, then dripping onto the floor, quickly staining arge patch red!


    "I might not know the consequences, but if you dare have designs on my wife, do you know what the consequences are?"


    As Su Chen spoke these words, a wild fury erupted from within him, enveloping the entire hall, making everyone feel deeply oppressed!


    He looked at Chen Jianxiong with eyes full of icy chill and spat out:


    "I will make you understand what it means to wish you were dead!"


    Everyone who heard this felt a shock in their hearts, as if they had been harshly struck by a hammer!


    "Sir, this is a financial summit, and if youmit an act of violence here, I must hand you over to the police!"


    At that moment, a person dressed in a security captain''s uniform came forward and spoke sternly to Su Chen, followed by several security guards.


    At such a grand financial industry feast, the organizers were of course going to arrange security!


    The so-called organizers were a councilposed of seven or eight of Huaxia''srgest private financial institutions.


    Of course, the real controllers behind them all belonged to the Five Great Families!


    That is to say, this financial industry feast was jointly hosted by the Five Great Families!


    This could be understood, much like the Jiangnan Commercial Dinner, the highest-standardmercial dinner in the Jiangnan area, was also jointly hosted by the Four Great Families.


    Even if Su Chen did not understand these matters, he could guess broadly, so as he looked at those security guards, his eyes narrowed, with extreme Ice Frost condensing in his pupils, as if to freeze everything in sight!


    "Get lost!"


    Su Chen roared, not taking these security guards seriously at all.


    "Su Chen, aren''t you being too arrogant!"


    At that moment, Zheng Min came over and spoke proudly to Su Chen:


    "Do you think you can behave recklessly here at the financial summit!"


    Although Zheng Min had been unconscious that night and hadn''t been forced by Su Chen to crawl on the ground barking like a dog, he had harbored resentment towards Su Chen for the ambush that night!


    To be honest, he didn''t know about the others who were made to crawl and bark by Su Chenter, because no one would voluntarily share such an embarrassing incident.


    Otherwise, he might not have been the one to step forward at this time.


    Previously, he was cautious because it was inappropriate given the asion, but now the situation was different, Su Chen had already initiated the trouble, and he naturally wouldn''t hold back anymore.


    Meanwhile, other young masters and misses were also moving towards this side.


    Su Chen suddenly wore a strange smile on his face as he looked at Zheng Min, then beckoned to him:


    "Come here."


    "What are you doing?"


    Zheng Min was puzzled and walked towards Su Chen.


    When he reached Su Chen, Su Chen directly kicked him in the chest, sending him flying onto a buffet table, smashing the food and drinks all over!


    As Zheng Min hit the ground, he instantly felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and his head was spinning!


    "Idiot, I told you toe and you really did!"


    Su Chen sneered.


    The others suddenly widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing in the young man!


    They had just been shocked enough by how he had severed Chen Jianxiong''s hand, but now they were deeply stunned!


    Because this Zheng Min was no ordinary person but a member of the Zheng Family!


    Everyone looked at Su Chen as if they were looking at a madman, then silently mourned for him!


    From their perspective, having struck a member of the Zheng Family, did he really think he could escape unscathed?


    Meanwhile, the elders who had just been praising Su Chen were also left speechless!


    One of the elders'' face suddenly darkened, as if clouds were gathering!


    He was none other than the elderly patriarch of the Zheng Family, Zheng Yuxian!


    He looked at the young man he had just been admiring, grinding his teeth in anger.


    To dare touch his Zheng Family''s people was simply looking for death!


    However, he made no move at the moment because there were other old fellows present, and to do so now would undoubtedly be making a fool of himself.


    In Yandu''s top echelon, there was an unwritten rule that matters involving the young were to be settled by the young themselves.


    This was akin to parents getting involved in a children''s fight, which would be considered too low and could turn into a joke, especially since he was the head of the Zheng Family!


    This of course referred only to public confrontations; in private, there were no such concerns.


    For example, after tonight, if this guy were still around, this Zheng patriarch would definitely make his move.


    Because this was not only a strike against Zheng Min but also a p in the face of the Zheng Family!


    "Min''er!"


    At that moment, a cry of rm sounded, and a figure rushed over, his face filled with anxiety!


    He was Zheng Min''s father, Zheng Hai. While the old patriarch could restrain himself, as a father seeing his son treated this way, how could he contain himself?!


    After rushing over, he immediately helped Zheng Min up slowly, and when he saw Zheng Min violently spit out a mouthful of blood, he was shocked and quickly called for an ambnce.


    In fact, he was being overly cautious, as someone had already called an ambnce for Chen Jianxiong.


    As for these actions, Su Chen didn''t stop them, although whether they could leaveter was another matter!


    "What are you security guards waiting for, why haven''t you detained this violent criminal yet!"


    Zheng Hai angrily yelled at the security guards, wishing he could tear the young man limb from limb!


    Upon hearing Zheng Hai''s words, the security guards immediately swarmed forward, attempting to subdue Su Chen all at once!


    However, to everyone''s surprise, as soon as these men got close to the young man, they were sent flying back, crashing everywhere, and the hall instantly became a mess, with several guards even knocked unconscious.


    Silence!


    An eerily hushed quietness!


    Everyone looked at the young man as if they were looking at a devil!


    Just now, no one had seen how he had acted, only hearing a series of dull "bang, bang, bang" sounds.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen almost still stood in the same spot, his expression unchanged, and although these men had some skill, in his eyes, they were merely ants.


    If it were not for not wanting to shock the public and to conserve his strength, he could have resolved these men with a simple p.


    Lin Ruoxue hadn''t expected Su Chen to go this far all of a sudden either, and although she would have advised Su Chen to hold back in the past, now she wouldn''t, just quietly standing by his side.


    Yunlong once again witnessed the fierceness of his big brother, looking at him with admiration!


    It seemed that for his big brother, no matter who dared to act tough, a p would suffice to crush them!

 Chapter 610: You Think I Wouldnt Dare to Kill You?

    Actually, Su Chen really hadn''t nned on doing much today; if nobody had bothered him, he would have simply enjoyed avish dinner before returning home.


    Besides that, his only goal was to closely observe the older and middle generations of the Five Great Families.


    However, what surprised him was that besides Zheng Hai, only two others from the middle generation hade; almost everyone else was absent, for reasons unknown.


    But as the saying goes, the trees long for quiet, yet the wind never ceases; Su Chen didn''t want to stir up trouble, but there were always those who couldn''t sit still!


    Moreover, once again, someone had targeted Lin Ruoxue, which he could not tolerate!


    "Speak, who told you to do this?"


    Su Chen red at Chen Jianxiong, his voice deep and stern.


    Chen Jianxiong, who had been furiously staring at him, shuddered violently upon hearing this!


    The others, upon hearing this, were also astonished, unable to grasp the situation.


    Could it be that Chen Jianxiong was instructed by someone to act this way?


    For a moment, the atmosphere in the room subtly turned eerie.


    Even the elders were somewhat perplexed, seeming to realize that the situation might not be as simple as it appeared.


    "What are you talking about? I don''t understand!"


    Chen Jianxiong retorted innocently.


    "You don''t understand, do you?"


    A malicious smile curled the corners of Su Chen''s mouth, sending an inexplicable shiver down the spines of those who saw it!


    Then, that terrifying gleam shed again, and another spray of fresh blood exploded; this time, he did not chop off another of Chen Jianxiong''s hands but instead shed a long wound across his chest!


    The sight of the blood spurting shocked everyone deeply once more!


    This young man was simply a devil; he wouldn''t waste words or listen to your excuses, but struck blood with every move!


    At this moment, this young man seemed¡ªarrogant, domineering, unrivaled!


    Yet, since he had already beaten the security guards half to death, what could anyone else do?


    Moreover, this guy was daring enough to strike someone from the Zheng Family, would he care about others?


    Chen Jianxiong was indeed tough as, after a scream of instinct, he gritted his teeth and bore it, though his face was filled with a fierce expression!


    "Are you ready to tell the truth now?"


    Su Chen looked at him and coldly spat out the words.


    He was well aware of Chen Jianxiong''s rage, but why would he care?


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about?"


    Chen Jianxiong still defiantly said:


    "I didn''t do anything at all!"


    "Is that so?"


    Su Chen smirked coldly, and another stream of fresh blood exploded from Chen Jianxiong''s chest, shing two eye-catching gashes across his fancy suit!


    The others had not even seen how the young man made his move, only catching a glimpse of a sh of silver light.


    "You think I wouldn''t dare kill you!"


    Su Chen gazed at him, his icy re as deep as a ck hole, as if he had crawled out from Hell itself:


    "If you don''t speak, I can assure you, you will definitely die today!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone felt as if their souls were violently whipped!


    Everyone couldn''t help but secretly think: This madman wouldn''t really dare to kill someone at the finance summit, would he?


    But then again, they felt it was impossible; if he really did so, he would undoubtedly die as well!


    Of course, him reaching this extent had already exceeded everyone''s expectations!


    The elders, at this point, watched the scene with increasingly solemn expressions; it was even safe to say some were grave.


    Clearly, the young man''s madness and ruthlessness had surpassed their expectations.


    "Su Chen, you''re going too far! Just because you know some martial arts, do you have to be this arrogant?"


    At that moment, a furious voice rang out amidst the young elites¡ªit was Shen Yu of the Shen Family.


    "Exactly, by doing this, where have you ced thew? Is there no king''sw anymore?"


    "At the financial summit, such evil deeds are intolerable!"


    "You''re right, absolutely cannot let such a brutal person off!"


    .....


    For a while, those young lords anddies began to mor as if not severely punishing Su Chen was an affront to justice itself!


    Most of those present had conflicts with Su Chen previously, and their close associates were among them as well.


    Once they started, other young elites joined in!


    Subsequently, almost everyone began using Su Chen. They partly wanted to please those young lords and partly believed that Su Chen had gone too far.


    Even if Chen Jianxiong had indecent intentions towards Lin Ruoxue, he hadn''t acted on them after all!


    Although they were initially frightened by Su Chen''s formidable actions, with so many now condemning him together, they did not believe that he would dare to act against them all in such a setting!


    The so-called bandwagon effect was fully demonstrated at this moment.


    For a while, it looked as if Su Chen was being pointed at by a thousand fingers!


    Lin Ruoxue and Yunlong, seeing suddenly so many people making trouble at once, couldn''t help but feel nervous.


    You must know, every person here was no mere individual!


    Moreover, with the sons and daughters of the Five Great Families present, it could even be said that they were the main instigators!


    It was their leadership that had led to the current situation!


    Situ Lei and Shen Shao exchanged a brief look, a flicker of sharpness passing through their eyes.


    In their view, the situation had almost be a dead end for Su Chen!


    Of course, this scenario had also arisen because they had been instigating things behind the scenes!


    "Pei Man, should we help him out?"


    Pei Jian, watching this unfold, was somewhat worried about Su Chen.


    Even he would likely have had to temporarily bow down under such circumstances.


    "No need," Pei Man shook her head slightly and said, "He must have anticipated such a situation; if he thought of it, he surely has a n."


    Pei Man was actually curious about how he would turn the tables!


    At this moment, even the elders did not know how this young man would react; they were equally unclear why their own descendants had suddenly taken the lead.


    Seeing such a tumultuous scene, a sinister smile appeared on Chen Jianxiong''s face!


    You let yourself be arrogant, dared to strike me so ruthlessly, I will definitely make you pay!


    Su Chen, looking at each and every face that seemed filled with justice but was actually incredibly hypocritical, suddenly revealed a sinister smile!


    That smile, appearing at such a moment, was so out of ce it could even be considered eerie!


    Everyone was puzzled why this young man could still smile at such a time!


    "Do you think they can save you?"


    Su Chen suddenly tilted his head, looking at Chen Jianxiong with a yful expression.


    "What do you mean?"


    A shiver ran through Chen Jianxiong as he spoke; he was baffled that he wasn''t at all frightened, even though he was the target of widespread disdain.


    "President Chen, stop bickering with him. Hurry up to the room upstairs and get treated. The ambnce might take a while to get here."


    At that moment, Situ Lei stepped beside Chen Jianxiong, supporting him while giving him a meaningful nce.


    Chen Jianxiong nced at him, nodded his head, and turned to head upstairs.


    "Dare to walk and try!"


    At that moment, Su Chen''s voice, cold as Ice Frost, rang out again:


    "If you dare take a step, I will disable one of your legs, dare take two, I''ll cripple both. Don''t believe me, just try!"

 Chapter 611: Going Too Far

    As his words fell, everyone looked at him as if he were insane.


    Even at this time, he still had such a defiant attitude, even threatening Chen Jianxiong!


    You have to understand, he had already angered everyone!


    Any slightly rational person knew that now was the time to appease the crowd''s anger and let the situation gradually subside!


    Instead, he didn''t try to defuse it; he was pouring oil on the fire!


    This was something many people, including those young masters and misses, as well as the elderly, had not expected.


    "Su Chen, you''re crossing the line!"


    Situ Lei immediately shouted angrily:


    "Not only have you hurt someone, but you also won''t allow them to be treated. Don''t you think you''re being way too bullyish?"


    "Way too bullyish?"


    Su Chen scoffed:


    "I''ll show you bullyish. Today, if he doesn''t reveal the mastermind behind the scenes, there''s no way he''s leaving alive!"


    "Hmph, President Chen, let''s go. I refuse to believe that this guy really dares to be so bold!"


    Situ Lei snorted coldly, and then helped Chen Jianxiong to prepare to leave.


    But just as he took one step, Su Chen moved, instantly appearing behind Chen Jianxiong, and kicked directly at the bend of his leg!


    "Crack!"


    At the same time, a clear sound of bone cracking was heard, and Chen Jianxiong''s leg fell to the ground with a thud!


    "Ah~~~~"


    Following that, Chen Jianxiong howled like a pig being ughtered!


    No matter how tough he was, he couldn''t resist this kind of heart-wrenching pain!


    Situ Lei immediately looked at Su Chen; he couldn''t believe that, in such an incendiary situation, he really dared to strike!


    The other onlookers'' eyes also widened in shock; this guy was a pure demon, not caring at all about what others thought!


    For a moment, everyone was too scared to make any noise!


    "This guy is just too domineering!"


    Pei Jian shook his head and sighed bitterly.


    "Being domineering requires corresponding strength; otherwise, it will end up as a joke."


    Pei Man said with a slight smile.


    "Do you think he has that strength?"


    "I don''t know, but I believe he does!"


    Pei Man turned and looked in a certain direction:


    "Those people should being out by now."


    "If they don''te out soon, it''s going to be difficult to clean up this mess."


    Pei Jian nodded in agreement.


    "Young man, spare others when you can, and stop while you can!"


    Just as Pei Jian finished speaking, an old voice rang out.


    Though the voice was aged, it was filled with robust power and authority!


    Su Chen lifted his head to look, and saw seven elderly men walking towards him.


    While these elders were all advanced in age, with even the youngest being close to seventy, each one of them had a ruddyplexion and steady footsteps, clearly still in good health.


    ```


    These elders were, of course, from the Five Great Families, including Shen Mingchang from the Shen Family, Pei Zhennan from the Pei Family, Su Chun from the Su Family, Zheng Yuxian from the Zheng Family, and Situ Kong from the Situ Family.


    Among these individuals, most were still the heads of their respective families, with the sole exception being Zheng Yuxian, who had passed the position of family head to his son, Zheng Qiusheng.


    Despite this, the power of the Zheng Family stilly in his hands; thus, in reality, he remained the actual head of the Zheng Family.


    Naturally, among these elders were also the second-inmands, namely Shen Mingchang''s brother Shen Mingsheng and Zheng Yuxian''s brother Zheng Yuhua.


    After all, there weren''t many of the older generation left alive¡ªthis gathering could be said to include most of the ancestors from the Five Great Families, aside from two or three others who were either bedridden or in hospitals.


    Following behind these elders were some individuals, almost all in their forties or fifties, each emanating a robust aura of martial artists!


    They were not the descendants of these elders but their personal bodyguards, with naturally extraordinary cultivation!


    Seeing these elders approach, the faces of those young heirs instantly lit up with fervent gleams!


    All at once, their minds became more agile!


    "Young man, shining too brightly is not necessarily a good thing; remember the principle that what flourishes must decline."


    The speaker continued:


    "Young man, how about you do me a favor? Let''s call it even today; we won''t pursue the matter further, and I guarantee this CEO Chen won''t either."


    The person speaking was none other than Situ Kong, the elder of the Situ Family. He looked at Su Chen with a slight smile on his face.


    Truth be told, he somewhat admired this young man¡ªnot only him, but most of the others did as well.


    It had been a long time since they had seen such a youth, and some even entertained the idea of winning his loyalty, including Zheng Yuxian of the Zheng Family.


    Although Su Chen had just struck Zheng Min, Zheng Min was, after all, merely a rtive from a side branch.


    Having lived through most of their lives, these elders knew that what mattered most for the prosperity and session of a family was talent!


    And this young man before them was indeed rare talent!


    Furthermore, it''s better for a family''s image in a public setting to show a generous andpassionate elder.


    These old foxes, seasoned with age, had their own schemes in every move they made.


    "Grandpa..."


    Situ Lei thought his grandfather hade out to stand up for him, especially after Su Chen had struck Chen Jianxiong¡ªit was as if he had pped his face.


    But unexpectedly, his grandfather came out seemingly wanting to smooth things over, which made him very anxious.


    However, just as he began to speak, he was stopped by Situ Kong''s gaze and was forced to close his mouth.


    "Yes, young man, take a step back to broaden your horizons; after all, these are all trifles that needn''t be taken to heart," said Su Chun from the Su Family, with a cheerful smile on his face:


    "Surely the young man won''t deny us elders this bit of face."


    The other elders conveyed simr sentiments, including Pei Zhennan, who had mostly figured out Su Chen''s identity, and felt that they couldn''t keep up the dispute.


    The onlookers were somewhat surprised by this scene¡ªthe elders from the Five Great Families didn''t seem eager to pursue the matter with this young man.


    Just a moment ago, the crowd was in high spirits, but now they were somewhat disappointed.


    They had thought that, given the young man''s strong demeanor, the elders from the Five Great Families would surely take the opportunity to put him in his ce.


    After all, wasn''t making a scene at the financial summit, effectively organized by the Five Great Families, tantamount to disrespecting them?


    Yet, contrary to their expectations, the elders chose to step back and reconcile.


    In their view, since these elders had spoken, the affair was undoubtedly concluded.


    The young heirs were also somewhat resentful and puzzled by the elders'' motives, but they did not dare go against the elders'' words.


    For a moment, all eyes were on Su Chen; he had indisputably be the absolute protagonist of the summit!


    However, in everyone''s minds, there was almost no suspense about the young man''s forting decision¡ªhe would surely take the easy way out...


    ```

 Chapter 612: Truly His Son

    Su Chen seemed to feel everyone''s gaze gathering on him. He slightly smiled, then pulled out a somewhat shriveled pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one.


    The cigarette he smoked was not a good one, costing just over ten yuan per pack, and his lighter wasn''t branded either¡ªit was the kind that cost one yuan.


    After lighting the cigarette, he took a deep drag and then exhaled a ring of smoke that lingered in front of him.


    "Is your face so valuable?"


    Su Chen slightly tilted his head and asked...


    His words were soft, but when they fell in the hall, they were like a p of thunder, stunning everyone!


    What did this guy mean?


    By that time, the look in people''s eyes when they saw him had changed from seeing a madman or a lunatic to seeing an utter fool!


    This guy not only rejected the proposals of the elders, but he did so with such discourteous words!


    He actually asked if their face was so valuable?


    They wanted to ask him back, if the elders'' face wasn''t valuable, whose face was valuable in all of Huaxia?


    No, it should be said that the face of these elders couldn''t be measured with money at all!


    In all of Huaxia, any one of these elders had significant influence with just a word.


    Moreover, these elders had earlier expressed the same intention¡ªto reconcile, especially following the young man''s outrageous actions, which made it even more admirable!


    So initially, everyone unanimously believed this young man would make the wisest choice, which was to reconcile as the elders wished.


    But unexpectedly, the result turned out to be...


    The young nobles were alsopletely stunned by Su Chen''s words, all dumbfounded. They knew this guy was arrogant and insolent, but they never imagined he would be audacious and insolent to this extent!


    After snapping out of their stupor, the people humiliated by Su Chen suddenly became excited!


    This guy had a clear path to follow, yet he chose a path that led to his demise!


    They couldn''t help but look at the elders, and indeed, each of the elders'' faces had darkened, their expressions filled with shock and anger!


    In their view, they had already given enough face to this young man. This guy was so ungrateful and didn''t even regard them at all!


    Although they always maintained theirposure, there was a limit to everything. If they could tolerate this, it would not mean they had goodposure but that they had be easy targets!


    Before they could speak, the young masters and misses were already exploding in anger!


    One by one, they pointed at Su Chen, using and even cursing him!


    The atmosphere was tumultuous, as if Su Chen had killed their own mothers, ready to tear him apart!


    Especially those humiliated by Su Chen, they were "fervently indignant"!


    For them, if not taking this opportunity now, then when?


    At this moment, the elders stood up, no longer holding any reservations!


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t stand it anymore and stood up for Su Chen, only to be quickly drowned out by the crowd''s uproar!


    Su Chen smiled at her, signaling that she needn''t say anything.


    At that moment, Su Chen stood in the crowd like a pine tree, unconcerned as they spat in rage, their mouths dry and tongues panting!


    Then, Su Chen''s lips curled into a mischievous smile, and he casually scanned some of the young nobles and said lightly,


    "Didn''t expect you to forget the lesson so quickly. Do you want to learn how to bark like a dog again?"


    As soon as his words dropped, many were bewildered, including some of the young lords anddies.


    Bark like a dog? What did he mean? Theypletely didn''t understand what the young man had just said.


    However, the faces of some other young nobles turned red with shame, their eyes brimming with endless humiliation!


    "What nonsense are you spouting? I can''t understand a thing! I''m telling you, don''t try to divert my attention!"


    Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Zheng Xuan immediately rebuked:


    "What we''re discussing here is your unprovoked aggression!"


    The others who had been humiliated by Su Chen also quickly reacted, once again condemning Su Chen''s actions, trying to shift everyone''s attention!


    "Can''t understand? I''ll make you understand!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly, then his figure blurred, followed by a series of "p, p, p~~" sounds!


    When Su Chen''s figure reappeared in the same spot, all those young masters and misses had been pped to the ground, their faces showing rming red handprints!


    Seeing this, everyone waspletely dumbfounded!


    This guy is just moving further and further down the path of courting death!


    It was indiscriminate striking; he thoroughly pped everyone, adopting a stance of determined hostility with the Five Great Families!


    But on what basis?


    Seeing this, the elders'' veins bulged, their eyes filled with furious mes, their chests heaved!


    Everyone had the same thought: this young man must not be spared!


    Of course, except for Pei Zhennan, the old master of the Pei Family. Even if it was just for show, he had to appear righteously indignant!


    After all, there were children from his Pei Family involved, though they were all from side branches.


    At this moment, his heart was also filled with shock, not expecting Su Chen to be so forceful and upromising!


    "He truly is worthy of being that man''s son!"


    In a sh, he seemed to see the youth of that man from years past, equally dazzling!


    But there were differences too. That man from the past was more gentle and warm, whereas Su Chen was more domineering and imperious!


    Although Shen Lin also received a p from Su Chen, he bore no resentment in his heart; on the contrary, he felt the p was not hard enough!


    This man indeed had not disappointed him!


    However, the one most humiliated was Shen Shao!


    He had always been surrounded by countless halos, considering others as mere ants!


    Yet today, he had been harshly pped by an "ant," and in front of so many people!


    This was undoubtedly a huge blow to his immense pride!


    He swore that he would make this guy die without a burial ce!


    "Young man, since you seek death, don''t me us!"


    Zheng Yuxian''s eyes were as sharp as a hawk''s as he stared at Su Chen.


    "Indeed, we had given you a chance, yet you turn out to be so brutal!"


    Su Chun shook his head and said.


    "Enough, don''t say more, just break his legs and throw him out!"


    Situ Kong also spoke coldly.


    Shen Mingchang didn''t speak, clearly agreeing.


    At this moment, they had already considered this young man as good as dead, but in front of so many people, they couldn''t act too excessively.


    Whether this guy could see tomorrow''s sun alive, that was still uncertain!


    Indeed, upon hearing these elders speak, everyone else felt they were being merciful enough!

 Chapter 613: Do You Know Who He Is?

    As soon as the old masters'' voices fell, those middle-aged people behind them stepped forward, and a strong martial artist aura was immediately released, making everyone in the hall feel as if the air itself had thickened!


    "If you want to fight, just fight, why put on such a pretentious act!"


    Su Chen dismissively curled his lip.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone was momentarily speechless. Even at this time, he dared to speak so boldly, truly oblivious to the meaning of death!


    Those middle-aged men also became incensed at once. How could this young man speak so audaciously in front of them, was he not taking them seriously?


    Moreover, his earlier act of pping those young masters had already made them lose face. After all, when the master is disgraced, the servants die, and although they were just personal bodyguards of the old masters, it was clear they had failed in their duty when the Young Master was insulted!


    But at that time, they were too far away to intervene!


    Although the young man''s movements seemed ghostly to others, they were not particrly surprised!


    For they could tell that such speed could be achieved by anyone in the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refinement!


    Being so young and yet at such a realm could indeed be considered a genius! Too bad he was about to be ruined!


    By now, their eyes were sharp as knives, staring intently at the young man, ready to attack at any moment!


    Those old masters, after hearing Su Chen''s words, were even more angered, their faces dark as coal!


    This young man''s disrespect was equivalent to an outright p in their faces, which infuriated them immensely!


    For so many years, who had dared speak to them like this!


    "Alright, make your move, break his limbs and throw him out!"


    Shen Mingchang spoke calmly, his tone filled with finality.


    No one else had any objections. In fact, if it weren''t for the asion, they would have killed thed straight away!


    The young masters and mistresses were all eyes aglow, eager to see this arrogant fellow get hiseuppance for daring to p their faces. Now he would know the consequences!


    Those previously humiliated by Su Chen felt a vindictive satisfaction erupt from within!


    Lin Ruoxue stepped forward and tightly grasped Su Chen''s hand, her heart pounding to the extreme!


    And Yunlong also stood ready, poised as if he was about to draw a bow, prepared to fight side by side with Su Chen!


    The martial artists also raised their aura to a very high level, ready to make their move!


    In their eyes, such a young man was easy prey; any one of them could crush him!


    For a moment, the atmosphere was tensely charged to its limit, the air seemed to stop flowing, and the hall was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop!


    "Who dares to break his limbs!"


    Just then, a voice rang out, standing out starkly in the silent hall!


    Upon hearing this voice, everyone instinctively looked towards its source.


    They wondered who could it be, daring to speak so at this moment?


    As they looked over, they saw a woman in her forties with her ck hair elegantly coiffed up, dressed in a luxurious evening gown, step in!


    Although she was in her forties, she was very well-maintained, indeed still exuding a mature charm!


    Following behind her was a man in a suit, who followed her respectfully.


    The crowd did not recognize the woman, but they were quite familiar with the man.


    "Isn''t that man Liu Gang, the Chairman of Jinsheng Group?"


    "It is indeed, no wonder he looked a bit familiar just now!"


    "I''ve seen him too; it definitely is him."


    "But who is this woman, that Liu Gang is following her so respectfully?"


    "Never seen her before, do you think she could be ''that'' person?"


    Suddenly, a person, his eyes shing with astonishment, spoke out.


    Upon hearing this, the others immediately understood what he meant and couldn''t help but shudder!


    "Is it really possible? Otherwise, who could have made Liu Gang act like this?"


    "It''s not just possible, it''s certain, truly unexpected. The real mastermind behind Jinsheng Group turns out to be such a woman."


    "Yes, today''s trip was truly worth it, to actually meet that mysterious person!"


    ......


    When Lin Ruoxue saw that woman, she too slightly shuddered¡ªwas it her?


    Su Chen, however, didn''t notice Lin Ruoxue''s reaction. He looked curiously at this woman; she was the one who had been speaking, but he didn''t recognize her.


    Because of this interruption, the Martial Artists also temporarily stopped, but they didn''t care too much; in their eyes, Su Chen was already a ything in their hands, and dying a bit to deal with him was no issue.


    Soon, that woman stepped between Su Chen and the Martial Artists and then burst out shouting:


    "Back off!"


    The elders of the Five Great Families couldn''t help but look at each other and then gave a signal, after which the Martial Artists all moved back again.


    "It''s really unexpected. The mastermind behind Jinsheng Group turns out to be a woman, truly a heroine among women!"


    Zheng Yuxian said with a sped had and a smile.


    "Yes, the mastermind behind Jinsheng Group has always been a mystery; to think that we could see her true face today is truly an honor!"


    Pei Zhennan also chimed in with augh.


    The other old men also greeted her in a gentle tone.


    After all, although Jinsheng Group''s strength was still somewhat inferior to that of the Five Great Families, it was undoubtedly a formidable entity!


    "Gentlemen, you tter me too much."


    The woman spoke faintly, her tone seemingly not too friendly, which slightly angered the old men.


    "Was it you who wanted to break his limbs?


    Then the woman coldly nced at these old men and asked.


    "Indeed, this young man is too brutal; we already gave him a chance, but since he refused it, we had to teach him a lesson,"


    Su Chun coldly spat out, clearly very dissatisfied with the woman''s attitude.


    As Helmsmen of the Five Great Families, they had been very tolerant, and yet this woman dared to unt her authority with them!


    Do you think just because you''re the actual owner of the Jinsheng Group you''re so great!


    "Do you all feel the same way?"


    The woman looked at the other elders and asked faintly.


    "Indeed, that''s the case."


    "His brutal actions, we have been quite polite!"


    ......


    The other old men also coldly said, their dissatisfaction with this woman growing because her attitude was clearly not friendly.


    "Then do you know who he is?"


    The woman said with an icy tone.


    Everyone became puzzled upon hearing the woman''s words.


    Could it be that this young man really has a significant background, hence his reckless behavior?


    Upon hearing the woman''s question, Su Chen''s heart suddenly trembled!


    Could it be that this woman really knows my identity?


    But I don''t know her¡ªhow could she know?

 Chapter 614 - 614 The Name of a Person

    "Oh, who is he?"


    Situ Kong scornfully pursed his lips, and the other elders did not take the woman''s words to heart at all.


    They were already the pinnacle of existence in Huaxia; did she really expect to unt her status before them?


    "He is my eldest brother''s son!"


    The woman nced at the elders and huffed.


    "Your elder brother? And that gives his son the right to act so brutally?"


    Situ Kong huffed back:


    "Since he has injured someone, and has such an arrogant attitude, today he shall not be spared!"


    These old fellows did things in an impable manner, always ensuring their actions were justified!


    The other elders nodded in agreement upon hearing this, as if they represented justice itself.


    However, upon hearing the woman''s words, Pei Zhennan''s mind was greatly shaken!


    Based on his estimation, Su Chen was that person''s grandson, that person''s son; she had just said Su Chen was her elder brother''s son, doesn''t that mean she is...?


    But he had never heard that he had a sister, nor had the old gentleman ever mentioned having a daughter, had he?


    Or could it be that all the spection about Su Chen''s background was wrong?


    Not only Pei Zhennan but Pei Man had the same thoughts; she had always been certain about her guess regarding Su Chen''s identity, but now she was confused.


    Of course, the most shocked person in the room was Su Chen!


    He thought to himself, I don''t have an aunt, do I? Could this woman have mistaken someone else for me?


    However, all the doubts in everyone''s minds wereid to rest with one sentence from the woman.


    The woman looked at the elders and said indifferently:


    "What if my elder brother is Su Lou?"


    As soon as these words dropped, they caused a shock to the assembly!


    For a moment, the room fell silent as if everyone''s breathing had stopped!


    Su Lou, an ancient name, a name buried deep in everyone''s hearts!


    Now, unexpectedly, that name reappeared without any warning!


    It was as if a dusty old book was suddenly pulled out from the corner!


    "Which Su Lou are you talking about?"


    It took a while before Zheng Yuxian managed to speak, his face filled with disbelief.


    "In Yandu, or in all of Huaxia, is there a second Su Lou?"


    The woman spoke proudly, her face full of glory.


    "Then you are?"


    "I am Su Jin, my father is Su Yi, and my eldest brother is Su Lou!"


    Su Jin stated to these people, word by word.


    After her statement, everyone was dumbfounded!


    The sessful individuals in the room were mostly over forty years old, mostly from Yandu or had always lived in Yandu.


    Perhaps not all had seen Su Lou, but who hadn''t heard that name?!


    Lin Ruoxue truly experienced for the first time the influence of her father-inw she had never met!


    Just one name, moreover the name of a person who had been dead for nearly twenty years, could shake these titans to their core!


    At this point, everyone''s gaze fell on Su Chen; he was actually the son of that person?!


    At that moment, Su Chen waspletely stunned, his mind nearly nk!


    Not only his identity was suddenly exposed, but also an aunt he didn''t even know about had appeared out of the blue!


    Was this some kind of joke the heavens were ying on him?


    "What proof do you have?"


    Su Ming suddenly heard this news, and his heart was instantly engulfed by surging waves.


    Although he knew that what the woman was saying could very likely be true, since no one would dare to lie about such a matter, he still questioned her.


    In fact, he was trying to buy time to think of a strategy!


    The woman was not the key; the key was this young man!


    He could hardly believe that he was that little boy from years ago!


    "Howe I didn''t know my elder brother had a daughter?"


    Su Chun continued to ask coldly.


    "I knew you would say that."


    Su Jin directly took out something resembling a letter from his pocket and handed it to Su Chun:


    "Take a look at this."


    Su Chun epted the letter with suspicion, then unfolded it and began to read.


    After a minute, Su Chun looked at Su Jin again, this time with shock in his eyes.


    By now, he had fully confirmed that this woman really was his elder brother''s daughter, just an illegitimate one!


    No wonder nobody knew about her existence.


    "If you still have doubts, I believe my father''s DNA record is avable, we could do a test!"


    Su Jin said confidently.


    "No need, no need."


    Su Chun shook his head and said:


    "I still recognize my elder brother''s handwriting."


    He knew that since this woman dared to speak so confidently, she must be certain of her im, and it was unnecessary to continue doubting her.


    Since this woman truly was his elder brother''s daughter, then the young man she mentioned just now...


    "Are you really Xiao Tian?"


    Afterward, Su Chun, trembling, went up to Su Chen; tears started flowing uncontrobly, as if he couldn''t suppress his excitement.


    "Indeed, it''s me, I didn''t die, are you disappointed?"


    Su Chen looked at Su Chun coldly, his eyes as icy as though they came from hell itself!


    Although he had no wish to reveal his identity right now, things hade to this point, and there was nothing left to deny.


    The people present were confused by Su Chen''s words. What did they mean? It seemed there were some hidden implications.


    "Thud!"


    Su Chun suddenly knelt down before Su Chen:


    "Elder brother, do you see? If you have a spirit in heaven, I''ve finally found Xiao Tian!"


    As he spoke, he started to sob loudly, his crying was so bitter and sorrowful that it could make any listener''s heart ache!


    Su Chen just watched him coldly, watching his performance; indeed, his acting skills were quitemendable!


    After a while, Su Chun wiped away his tears with his sleeve and then stood up, shouting loudly:


    "Su Ming, get over here!"


    As soon as these words were spoken, a middle-aged man immediately ran over in fear. He was the only member of the middle generation of the Su Family present, and he didn''t understand why the old man suddenly called for him.


    "Kneel down!"


    The Family Head red at Su Ming like a hawk, causing him to feel uneasy!


    "Family Head..."


    "Kneel down!"


    The Family Head shouted again, fierce as a tiger in the forest!


    "Thud!"


    Although Su Ming did not understand the reason, he did not dare resist Su Chun''s authority and knelt down.


    "Not to me, kneel to Xiao Tian!"


    The coldness in the Family Head''s eyes was solidifying, a chilling aura filling the air!


    "Family Head..."


    "Because you held a grudge against Su Lou, you took advantage of my overwhelming grief and illness after Xiao Tian''s mother died and everyone else was busy with Xiao Tong''s funeral arrangements to drive Xiao Tian out of the house!"


    The Family Head said in an icy voice:


    "Shouldn''t you be kneeling and apologizing to Xiao Tian for this?"


    "It''s fortunate that Xiao Tian was destined to live, or your sins could never be atoned for even with a thousand deaths!"


    Upon hearing these words, Su Ming felt as if struck by lightning, his body trembling uncontrobly!


    He immediately realized that he was the scapegoat chosen by the Family Head, and he began to regret deeply. Why did hee here today?

 Chapter 615: Do I Need You to Let Me Go?

    "Family Head..."


    Su Ming struggled to speak, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by Su Chun:


    "If you''re asking for mercy, don''t ask me, ask Su Chen!"


    What could Su Ming do under such circumstances?


    He had no choice but to slowly turn around, kneel, and cry out to Su Chen:


    "Su Chen, back then, I was blinded by greed, and because of some displeasures with my older brother, I did what I did. Please forgive your uncle!"


    As he spoke, Su Ming fiercely pped himself on both cheeks!


    One must say, people from these great families are good actors, and at least Su Ming was really ying the part well.


    "Su Chen, logically, I should have dealt with him a long time ago, but he''s been an orphan since childhood, his father departed from this world when he was just two years old, entrusting me on his deathbed to take good care of him till he grew up. It really is hard on my heart!"


    Su Chun said as he wiped a tear:


    "However, the servant who took you away back then, I''ve long since made him pay the price he ought to!"


    At these words, everyone immediately understood that the so-called price he paid was probably death.


    Hearing this, Su Chen sneered even more, that person must have paid the price in order to silence him!


    Little did he dream that he didn''t kill him, and he actually survived!


    "Su Chen, now that you''re back, however you say we should handle Su Ming, that''s what we''ll do. I definitely won''t say otherwise!"


    Su Chun dered righteously.


    "Really? Whatever I say goes?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and gave a sinister smile.


    "Of course, since he did such things to you back then, naturally you get to decide how to punish him."


    Seeing the smile on Su Chen''s face, Su Chun involuntarily shivered, but still said so.


    "Then kill him,"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    As soon as these words dropped, everyone was shocked, even the elders changed their expressions, and the Su Ming on the floor was terrified to the point of turning pale!


    "Su Chen, this..."


    Su Chun stammered, at a loss for words.


    Su Chen looked at their faces and smiled slightly:


    "I was just kidding. You took me seriously? I am, after all, aw-abiding citizen."


    Upon hearing his words, everyone rolled their eyes. After all that he''d just done, he still imed to be aw-abiding citizen!


    In that case, weren''t they all saints?


    "Let''s do this, then; break both of his legs!"


    Su Chen nced at Su Chun and said.


    He knew all too well that Su Ming was just a scapegoat, but since the old guy had pushed him forward, how could he not ept it willingly?


    After hearing this, Su Chun''s expression changed repeatedly, but eventually, he gritted his teeth and harshly said:


    "Lei Biao, break Su Ming''s legs!"


    Then, one of the Martial Artists stepped forward, approached Su Ming.


    He dared not defy Su Chun''s order and quickly broke Su Ming''s legs with two "bangs."


    Su Ming immediately let out a scream like a ughtering pig, and then Su Chun waved his hand, signaling for people to carry Su Ming down.


    Su Chen didn''t stop them but mocked Su Chun instead. Did he think that by offering up Su Ming, this matter would be settled?


    That was naively optimistic!


    "Su Chen, this should be eptable, right?"


    Su Chun looked at Su Chen with a gentle face and said tenderly,


    "Since you''re back,e stay with the Su Family."


    "No need, I have a ce to stay."


    Su Chen replied indifferently.


    "That''s fine, young people always have their own ideas."


    Su Chun forced a smile and then turned to the other elders and bowed,


    "Could I ask a favor from all of you, to let Su Tian off? It''smon for young people to act rashly."


    Suddenly, Su Chun became a deeply affectionate old man, tears involuntarily falling again:


    "If someone must be responsible, let it be me! To make up for my failure to raise Su Tian these years!"


    "Forget it, since it''s Su Tian, let it be."


    "Indeed, I even carried that young fe when he was a child!"


    "Who could say otherwise? Since he''s the grandson of Su Yi, what more can we say?"


    .....


    For a moment, everyone seemed to turn into venerable old men, seemingly very nostalgic about the deceased!


    But the real thoughts hidden in their hearts were known only to themselves.


    No one else said anything; since this young man was the grandson and the son of that person, what more could they say?


    "Hehe~~~"


    Suddenly, a coldugh rang out, sounding particrly grating to the ear.


    Su Chen nced at those elders with disdain and spat out,


    "Spare me? Who gave you the confidence? Do I need your mercy?"


    With this statement, everyone was shocked again, not knowing for how many times this young man had stunned them that evening!


    Was he truly fearless of death, or was he seeking it?


    His words clearly showed no regard for those elders, essentially pping their faces in public!


    "Su Tian, we give you a break for the sake of your grandfather and father; don''t push your luck instead of appreciating the favor!"


    "Exactly, Su Tian, if it weren''t for your deceased grandfather and father, do you think we''d let you off easily today?"


    "He truly doesn''t know when he''s well off!"


    .....


    These elders were clearly infuriated by being repeatedly disrespected by this young man; even a y Buddha has some anger, to say nothing of them!


    It wasn''t just them; Su Jin too was startled by Su Chen.


    She had revealed Su Chen''s identity intentionally to extricate him, knowing full well that the elders'' bodyguards were not to be trifled with.


    If they really made a move, Su Chen would indeed be unlucky.


    Having finally found her rtive, how could she bear to see him hurt!


    She believed that as long as she disclosed Su Chen''s identity, those old men would definitely not harm Su Chen, at least for the sake of maintaining face.


    Indeed, just as she had expected, they did give Su Chen a break after learning his identity.


    But what she never expected was that while the old men backed off, Su Chen refused to back down, which made her heart suddenly tighten.


    "Don''t act like you''re good people; you aren''t that kind-hearted!"


    Su Chen said coldly, then spat out,


    "But today, I''m not interested in dealing with you! Just remember, I''m not called Su Tian; my name is Su Chen!"


    Then Su Chen turned to look at Chen Jianxiong, who was still half-lying on the ground, and coldly said,


    "Are you still not willing to say who directed you? Don''t think these old men can save you. I can assure you, if you don''t reveal the mastermind today, your life will be a living hell."

 Chapter 616: Sanctimoniously

    When the elders heard Su Chen call them "old folks", their faces turned even darker!


    They were also perplexed. How did he have the audacity to show them such disrespect?


    Did he really think that just because of his status, they wouldn''t dare to touch him?


    Or did he possibly have some sort of ace up his sleeve, which made him so fearless?


    Although they were extremely angry, these elders decided to wait and see!


    Their years of experience had taught them not to fear holding back but to fear acting recklessly!


    "I really don''t know what you''re talking about. I haven''t done anything. How am I an instigator?"


    Chen Jianxiong gritted his teeth as he spoke.


    "Crack!"


    Su Chen didn''t waste words. He simply stomped down, stepping on the arm that was already missing a hand, and instantly, a bone-cracking sound ensued.


    With that stomp, everyone shuddered in horror!


    Brutal!


    Utterly brutal!


    The elders hadn''t expected that the young boy of the past could be so ruthless!


    But thinking about it, he had never shown any mercy towards Chen Jianxiong!


    They couldn''t help but wonder, could it be true that someone had instigated Chen Jianxiong to act indecently towards his wife?


    Previously, they had been annoyed by the young man''s arrogance and haughtiness, hardly considering this possibility.


    Or perhaps, subconsciously, they believed it was just an excuse Su Chen conjured to continue striking Chen Jianxiong, all to avenge his wife thoroughly.


    However, now it seemed not entirely impossible!


    But who could possibly instruct the president of Huiteng Investment Group?


    After all, Huiteng Investment Group was a remarkably powerful corporation, well-known in Yandu and even throughout Huaxia.


    At this moment, the elders'' gazes inadvertently fell on their own young masters and misses, recalling their previous behaviors, they seemed to understand something...


    "If you still won''t speak, I will crush all the bones in your body and let you die slowly in agony!"


    Su Chen''s icy voice rang out again, devoid of any emotion!


    The wailing Chen Jianxiong on the ground, upon hearing this, was utterly petrified!


    If that were the case, he truly might as well be dead!


    The reason he had refrained from disclosing the truth was that he simply couldn''t provoke that person. If he did speak up, that person would certainly not spare him.


    Despite Su Chen''s relentless assault, as long as he could endure it, he resolutely refused to speak!


    Moreover, as long as he staunchly kept his silence, he would be on that influential ship - something many yearned for!


    But now, he could no longer bear it. His hand had been severed, his knee shattered, his chest shed twice, and now his arm was crushed¡ªpain searing throughout his body!


    Everyone has a physical threshold of pain, and now, without a doubt, Chen Jianxiong had reached his breaking point!


    Especially with Su Chen''s threat to crush all his bones, it seemed like the final straw that broke him!


    "I... I..."


    Just as Chen Jianxiong was about to speak, Situ Lei''s heart skipped a beat, and he leapt forward again.


    "Su Chen, are you even human? Don''t say there''s no evidence that President Chen said those words, but even if he did, don''t you think your ruthlessness is a bit too much?"


    Meanwhile, Situ Lei surreptitiously nced at his grandfather, Situ Kong, who immediately understood his meaning.


    As soon as he had finished speaking, the other young masters and misses also started condemning Su Chen''s cruelty and unreasonableness again!


    Now, it wasn''t just those young masters who had been humiliated by Su Chen in the Qi Meng Tower who harbored resentment against him. It could be said that all the young masters and misses deeply resented this guy.


    Because just moments ago, in front of so many people, he had harshly pped them all, leaving a distinct palm print still on their faces!


    There was no doubt that their goal in doing so was to hope that the old gentlemen would step in and teach this arrogant fool a lesson, to vent on their behalf and recover the lost face!


    "Everyone, since this young man disdains our kindness, we can''t let them go on unchecked."


    Situ Kong addressed the other elders.


    "Indeed, we''ve given him several chances already, it''s not our fault."


    Zheng Yuxian nodded and added.


    "I agree, I believe even Su Yi and Su Lou down in the underworld wouldn''t have anything more to say."


    Shen Mingchang said gravely, then turned to Su Chun:


    "Brother Su, don''t me us."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chun sighed heavily, as if in great pain he said:


    "I could never have imagined he could turn out like this. He was such a well-behaved child when he was little."


    "I implore you all, for the sake of my older brother and my nephew, just expel him; don''t harm the boy. He''s been wandering outside for so many years, certainly suffering much hardship, which must have changed him into what he is now."


    Speaking, tears once again rolled down Su Chun''s face, showing a sorrowful expression!


    "After all, he is the descendant of an old friend; let''s honor Brother Chun''s request."


    Shen Mingchang sighed, and the others also nodded in agreement.


    These elders had their own motives, not solely because Su Chen didn''t show them respect by his ruthless actions.


    As for the purpose, it''s simple: to test his limits, as the incident from those years always haunted their minds, sometimes even waking them in the middle of the night!


    Now that the descendant of the deceased has appeared, they naturally wouldn''t miss this good opportunity to test him.


    Moreover, this opportunity was delivered to them by his own actions, especially after they found out his identity and had already given him a chance.


    But he didn''t cherish it, so now when they act, others can''t have anything to say.


    What they didn''t know was that this kind of opportunity was exactly what Su Chen had been hoping for!


    Since his identity had been exposed, these old folks would naturally guess his purpose in Yandu and easily connect it to that past incident.


    And now, what he needed to do was to make everyone remember him!


    He wanted to strike fear into everyone''s hearts!


    Because when there is fear, there will be actions, and with actionse ws and opportunities!


    Although the current situation wasn''t part of his n, Su Chen was far from ordinary and quickly adapted to the circumstances!


    Moreover, stepping back ten thousand steps, even if it weren''t for these reasons, just because Chen Jianxiong, manipted by someone behind the scenes, aimed at his wife, he couldn''t just let it go!


    It could even be said that Lin Ruoxue was a victim of his circumstances, and the real target behind the scenes was him!


    Lin Ruoxue was his weak spot, and having touched his weak spot, was it so easy to let it go?


    So no matter how you look at it, Su Chen had no reason to back down!

 Chapter 617: All you trash, come at me together

    At that moment, those Martial Artists stepped out again, their gazes firmly fixed on Su Chen ahead!


    Seven elders, seven personal bodyguards, as they stood forth, their aura was like a towering mountain, oppressive and suffocating!


    "Xiaotian..."


    At this moment, Su Jin was at peak tension, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at Su Chen.


    "Aunt, it''s okay, trust me."


    Su Chen gave a slight smile; he had confirmed that this person was indeed his aunt, although he was also unclear about what was going on.


    "Alright, you are my elder brother''s son, I will trust you!"


    Su Jin deeply stared at Su Chen, then took the equally worried Lin Ruoxue, whose palms were already sweaty, and retreated to the side.


    "Why are you still standing here?"


    Su Chen nced at Yunlong beside him and smiled:


    "Step back, you are no match for these people."


    "Big brother, are you underestimating me, Yunlong? Although I am not strong, am I the kind to run away in fear?"


    Yunlong dered firmly.


    "Not running away; you helping me protect Ruoxue and... Aunt, is the greatest help you could give me."


    Su Chen looked at Yunlong:


    "That way, I can concentrate without distractions."


    After hearing this, Yunlong pondered for a moment and nodded slightly, understanding the reason in Su Chen''s words.


    He too knew that these personal bodyguards must be Martial Artists, extraordinary ones at that, beyond his ability to contend.


    Although he was a top special forces ace, he dealt in apletely different concept from Martial Artists; his involvement might not only be unhelpful, but it could also turn into a burden!


    Afterward, Yunlong stepped back and shielded Su Jin and Lin Ruoxue behind him.


    Seeing this scene, Chen Jianxiong, who had been about to speak, suddenly regained hope in his eyes!


    "Just control him and kick him out of the hotel; no need to hurt anyone!"


    "Yes, be careful!"


    ......


    At that moment, those elders were still hypocritically instructing as though they werepelled to take action against an old friend.


    Although Pei Zhennan didn''t want to move against Su Chen now, he couldn''t separate himself from the situation, but he had already signaled his bodyguard to just go through the motions.


    At this juncture, everyone else had distanced themselves far from them, to avoid coteral damage!


    "Hmph, aren''t you tired of always being so hypocritical, you old fools?"


    Su Chen scorned as he coldly swept his gaze over those elders.


    Upon hearing this, the crowd no longer knew how to assess this young man; he really didn''t give any face to the elders of the Five Great Families at all!


    He even aimed to trample their faces into the ground, truly the epitome of arrogance!


    Deep anger surfaced on the faces of those elders, chillingly ominous!


    The Martial Artists also showed sharp glints in their eyes, suddenly unleashing powerful True Essence Auras!


    The weakest among them had reached the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, with even two who had entered the Qi Refinement Peak!


    The young man was only at the sixth or seventh levels of Qi Refinement, who, although considered a peerless expert in the eyes of ordinary people, was still insignificant in their eyes!


    In their opinion, the young man had no chance of resistance the moment they made a move.


    If it weren''t for the old masters'' instructions not to injure anyone, they could nearly instantly annihte this ignorant fool!


    At that moment, a Martial Artist at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement was the first to move, in the blink of an eye he had already dashed in front of him, simultaneously throwing a punch.


    Where the punch passed, it seemed as if it broke through the void, emitting a "hissing" sound!


    Although those elders had instructed not to hurt him, in a Martial Artist''s duel, how could one possibly remain entirely unscathed?


    Therefore, his punch was not aimed at his vitals but at his shoulder de, intending to incapacitate part of hisbat ability!


    Seeing him take the lead, the others were neither hurried nor slow, in their eyes, this man was enough to deal with that arrogant kid.


    If they all attacked together, wouldn''t that be aughingstock if word got out?


    Su Chen watched the opponent''s punching like a tiger out of its cage, and a cold smile appeared on his lips as he also threw a punch!


    "Looking for death!"


    The Martial Artist, seeing him dare to exchange punches, immediately sneered. In his view, a Martial Artist at the Sixth or Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement shing fists with one at the Ninth Layer was simply courting death!


    However, just as their fists were about to collide, that Martial Artist suddenly seemed to see something ghastly!


    "You are at the Peak of Qi Refinement!"


    After seeing the thick True Essence Aura swirling around Su Chen''s fist, his face drastically changed, and he eximed!


    The voice was filled with unease and fear!


    He wanted to dodge, but it was already toote!


    "Boom!"


    The fists collided, emitting a thunderous sound, and the surrounding air was lifted by the heat wave!


    The Martial Artist at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement was instantly sent flying, smashing into a pir before he fell to the ground!


    At this moment, the arm he had used to exchange punches waspletely shattered by a surge of True Essence that had entered!


    The other Martial Artists, who had initially been spectators, saw this scene, and their bodies also shook violently, their pupils shrinking sharply!


    Peak of Qi Refinement? A young Peak of Qi Refinement? Was this a joke?


    These Martial Artists could hardly believe what they were seeing, feeling as if they were witnessing a monster!


    They had never seen, nor even heard of, a man in his early twenties achieving such cultivation!


    Others who didn''t understand Martial Arts were merely shocked to see Su Chen st a man so far with a single punch!


    They thought, so this young man was this formidable!


    However, the most awkward were the elders of the Five Great Families. Although they were not Martial Artists, they knew something about the world of Martial Arts.


    For a moment, their expressions turned grave, pondering inwardly!


    "You trash,e at me together!"


    Su Chen nced disdainfully at the remaining Martial Artists!


    These words immediately filled their eyes with indescribable fury!


    Did this young man think he was invincible just because he was at the Peak of Qi Refinement?


    Although they were shocked by his realm, they weren''t necessarily afraid; after all, there were still two others at the Peak of Qi Refinement on their side!


    Moreover, there were several at the Eighth and Ninth Layers, in terms of strength, they could still overpower this young man.


    But now, they also dared not be careless, each of their eyes shing with brilliance!


    Suddenly, all those Martial Artists moved, several silhouettes swooped past, and they were already beside Su Chen.


    At this point, they no longer considered whether or not they should injure someone!


    Joking, facing a Peak of Qi Refinement and still holding back would simply be asking for trouble!

 Chapter 618: Peak of Qi Refinement Late Stage

    The two fastest were naturally the ones at the Peak of Qi Refinement. They attacked Su Chen from both sides simultaneously, one with a palm and the other with a kick, their power was tremendous!


    However, Su Chen did not face them head-on like he had before. He seized an opening, slipped between the two, and dodoted their attacks.


    At the same time, heunched a side kick straight at a Qi Refinement Eighth Layer person next to him!


    Even though Su Chen deliberately hid his cultivation and kept his aura at the Peak of Qi Refinement, it was still more than what the Martial Artist at the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer could bear!


    With a loud "bang," that person was already mming into the nearby wall, and the ground seemed to tremble for a moment!


    As Su Chen kicked the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer person, he pped his palm toward another person on the opposite side!


    That person, sensing the powerful gust of wind, was shocked and quickly extended both arms to block.


    However, Su Chen''s move was a feint. Just as his palm was about to touch the other''s arms, he swiftly changed his palm into a w, grabbed one of the person''s arms, and then violently yanked, causing him to stagger toward Su Chen.


    Simultaneously, Su Chen closed the distance and, lightning-fast, lifted his knee and mmed it forward!


    "Bang!"


    After a muffled sound, the person felt as if a storm had surged through his chest and abdomen, unable to stand up!


    All this happened in the blink of an eye!


    By the time the others realized what was happening, it was all over!


    The remaining four people were suddenly furiously, as they hadn''t even touched a thread of their opponent''s clothing, yet three of their side, including a Qi Refinement Eighth Layer and two Qi Refinement Ninth Layers, had already lost their fighting strength.


    Aside from the two at the Peak of Qi Refinement, only one Qi Refinement Eighth Layer and another Qi Refinement Ninth Layer were left in the field!


    The survivors immediately went on the offensive against Su Chen again, who used his richbat experience to deliberately avoid the two at the Peak of Qi Refinement and targeted the remaining two individuals.


    Two or three minutes passed, and both the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer and Qi Refinement Ninth Layer individuals were down!


    The two at the Peak of Qi Refinement were nearly driven mad by this point, their aurapletely unleashed without any reservation!


    Although they had been trying their best to severely injure this youngster, he was slippery like an eel, extremely difficult to catch!


    Every so often, when they got close, this guy would suddenly dodge behind the two others, and it was one of the Peak of Qi Refinement people''s dyed retraction of their attack that caused the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer person to be seriously injured!


    However, their fight, as seen by the others, was but a blur, the movements imperceptible!


    Seeing bodyguard after bodyguard of those elders going down, shock grew among the onlookers!


    Su Jin, witnessing this scene, couldn''t help but let a trace of admiration sh through her eyes.


    The faces of the elders were not looking good; they watched the young man in the field, each pondering many things in their hearts.


    The root of those thoughts went back twenty years, as if a cycle hade full circle!


    "I see where you can run to now!" the Peak of Qi Refinement Martial Artist who had identally injured hisrade coldly huffed at Su Chen not far away.


    "You''ve been arrogant for long enough, kid. Now, I want to see what you can do!" another Peak of Qi Refinement Martial Artist said, his face covered in frost.


    Until now, this youngster, like a cunning fox, had been using his strange movement technique and the other two as shields, preventing them from going all out!


    It could be said that rather than helping, those two had be their obstacles, and they did not understand how this kid managed to do it.


    But now, with no one else left, they could finally deal with this youngster properly!


    Although they would not severely injure him as per their master''s orders, they still needed to make him pay a price. After all, punches and kicks are blind!


    Su Chen looked at the two people but suddenly curved his lips into a peculiar smile:


    "I''ve also had my fun, it''s time to end this!"


    "Kid, you really don''t know whether to live or die!"


    The person who had spoken earlier was instantly enraged, his figure moved, and he immediately attacked!


    When he reached Su Chen, heshed out with a whipping leg!


    As the whipping leg was thrown, the surrounding space seemed to form a vacuum, and there was even a "crackling" sound!


    At the same time, another Martial Artist at the Qi Refinement Peak also struck out with a palm. The Palm Print left a trail in the air, speeding directly towards Su Chen!


    Even at a distance from Su Chen, the force of the palm already made his hair flutter!


    It could be said that at the same time, both individualsunched their strongest attacks, though neither was aimed at a vital spot!


    Still, if hit, it would certainly not feel good!


    Su Chen, facing their fierce attacks, seemed unconcerned!


    Suddenly, his expression turned cold, and he leapt into the air, kicking toward that whipping leg!


    "Bang!"


    A loud noise erupted; the person using the whipping leg suddenly felt as if smacked by an extremely heavy weight, uncontrobly knocked to the ground, sliding backwards!


    As Su Chen kicked at that person''s leg, his body used the rebound force to fly towards the direction of the other person.


    Mid-air, he also struck out with a palm, a strong and robust surge of True Yuan gushing out, swirling around his palm!


    The person who hadunched the palm attack instantly felt a "gulping" sensation, a foreboding feeling hitting him!


    However, he was moving too fast to change his move or retreat, leaving him no choice but to go all out!


    "Boom!"


    An even more intense noise sounded, True Yuan wildly dispersing, shaking the surrounding air away!


    Meanwhile, a figure staggered backwards at high speed, only stopping after knocking down two others!


    Once stopped, a great pool of blood spewed from his mouth, clearly having sustained serious internal injuries!


    All of this had almost beenpleted in the blink of an eye. When Su Chennded, it appeared as if not a speck of dust had settled on him!


    The two Martial Artists at the Qi Refinement Peak watched Su Chen, their eyes filled with shock, not believing what they had seen!


    "Are you at the Qi Refinement Peak Late Stage?"


    The person who had exchanged palms with Su Chen asked tremblingly!


    Though Qi Refinement Peak is a realm, there are levels within it.


    For example, those who just entered the Qi Refinement Peak can be ssified as Primary Stage, those who have stabilized in the Qi Refinement Peak realm as Middle Stage, and those who have reached Perfection and could advance to half-step Meridian Expansion, as Late Stage.


    However, most Martial Artists, even if they reached the Qi Refinement Peak Late Stage, were unable to cross that threshold to enter the half-step Meridian Expansion realm, because it was too difficult!


    Of course, this was just a way to conveniently distinguish the different strengths within the same realm.


    That''s precisely why the man had asked such a question because he himself was at the Qi Refinement Peak Middle Stage.


    If the opponent wasn''t at the Late Stage, how could he possibly have inflicted such severe injuries?


    At this moment, the two Martial Artists at the Qi Refinement Peak who had been injured by Su Chen looked upon this young man as if staring at a devil!


    A Qi Refinement Peak Late Stage in his early twenties? That was just too defying of the heavens!


    If they hadn''t seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it!


    What they didn''t know was that this was already the result of Su Chen deliberately concealing most of his cultivation!


    If they knew that, who knows what their feelings would be...

 Chapter 619 - 619 What I have said, even the heavens cannot change

    ```


    The onlookers, watching as Su Chen dealt with all the martial artists, once again found themselves in disbelief.


    While they were not versed in Martial Arts, they knew that as personal bodyguards to these elders, their strength couldn''t possibly be weak.


    Yet this young man managed to prevail against seven opponents, something truly astonishing!


    However, truth be told, they still didn''t think that Su Chen challenging the Five Great Families was a wise move.


    In their view as businessmen, the society they now lived in judged one''s worth by wealth and influence. No matter how powerful one was, at the end of the day, they were just a thug, insignificant in the grand scheme of things!


    Seeing that Su Chen hadn''t encountered any danger, nor was he injured, Lin Ruoxue''s suspended heart finally began to rx somewhat.


    However, Su Jin''s eyes were alight with excitement; she hadn''t expected Su Chen to possess such formidable strength, enough to overpower the personal guards of these old men!


    If she had known this earlier, she wouldn''t have revealed his identity so soon!


    The young masters and misses, looking at Su Chen, were scared out of their wits¡ªthey knew he was strong, but not to such an extent!


    Especially those who had been the most outspoken before, even began to feel afraid.


    "I really didn''t expect his strength to be so overpowering!"


    Pei Jian had never imagined Su Chen would possess such profound Cultivation!


    "A person even Mr. Zhuge fears, how could he be ordinary?"


    Pei Man thought back to Su Chen''s "robber" actions in the Zhuge Family not long ago and couldn''t help but let out a soft chuckle, like melting ice and snow.


    "However, he thinks that with his Cultivation alone he can suppress the major families¡ªit''s a bit simplistic."


    Pei Jian furrowed his brows slightly and said,


    "Could he have another trump card up his sleeve?"


    "He must have one, I can guarantee that what he showed today is just the tip of the iceberg!"


    Pei Man dered, a sharp light shooting from her beautiful eyes.


    "If that''s the case, Yandu might really be in for some turbulence!"


    Pei Jian let out a slight exhale.


    "It''s probably not just a question of turbulence, but a change of era!"


    Pei Man also uttered leisurely,


    "Those people back then, I''m afraid none will escape. When the timees, it''s going to be an earthquake!"


    "People always have to pay a price for the things they''ve done."


    Pei Jian also said slowly.


    But at this moment, the most shocked and conflicted were the elders of the Five Great Families.


    Without a doubt, they had lost face, as surely seven personal bodyguards failing to handle one youth would be a matter of ridicule.


    Yet, at this point, face was the least of most of their concerns.


    What was most important was the question of how Su Chen came to possess such substantial Cultivation?


    To others, it might seem like just being good at fighting, right?


    But they knew it was not so simple!


    When a Martial Artist''s Cultivation reached a certain Realm, it signified absolute power!


    In the face of such absolute power, all wealth and influence are as fragile as paper, offering no chance of resistance!


    It''s just that those with such absolute power are few and far between!


    Hence the illusion that wealth and influence are all-powerful prevails!


    And now, this young man, barely into his twenties, already has such Cultivation¡ªwho knows how he will grow in the future?


    If this young man were a stranger, that would be one thing; they could simply avoid provoking him and that would be the end of it.


    ```


    But unfortunately, his identity was such that they certainly hadn''t forgotten about the events of that year!


    For a moment, those elders were all feeling a tumult in their chests, though their faces remainedposed.


    After dealing with those bodyguards, Su Chen paid no attention to the others and walked back to Chen Jianxiong''s side.


    "If you don''t reveal the mastermind behind this today, I can guarantee that you will spend your next life in agony, death won''t even be an option for you!"


    Su Chen looked down at him with a cold gaze and spat out:


    "Don''t think I''m joking. Even the heavens can''t change the words I say!"


    At this moment, Su Chen appeared in Chen Jianxiong''s eyes as aplete devil, a thoroughgoing devil!


    When he had taken care of those bodyguards, Chen Jianxiong''sst shred of hope had also been shattered!


    "I''ll talk, I''ll talk¡­" Chen Jianxiong said trembling, whether from pain or fear.


    He couldn''t concern himself with what might happenter; he just didn''t want to suffer any longer.


    Right now, he did not doubt in the slightest that the young man would do something even more cruel to him!


    Su Chen didn''t rush him but just looked at him indifferently.


    "It, it was all Young Master Situ''s doing!" Chen Jianxiong seemed to exhaust all his strength to say this.


    "There''s more than one Young Master Situ here, which one are you talking about?" Su Chen asked, with a faint smile on his lips.


    "Young Master Situ Lei."


    After Chen Jianxiong finished speaking, he copsed to the ground again, strangely feeling as if a huge burden had been lifted from him.


    As soon as his words fell, everyone was shocked!


    So there really was someone behind it all!


    Now, people felt less repelled by Su Chen''s brutal actions than before.


    "Nonsense, you''repletely fabricating and framing me!" Situ Lei jumped up, yelling agitatedly.


    "One might be reckless in eating, but should not speak carelessly!" Situ Kong said to Chen Jianxiong, speaking lightly but with an unmistakable warning in his words.


    Chen Jianxiong shuddered upon hearing Situ Kong''s words, as his apprehension of these great families had always been present!


    "CEO Chen, they say you''re fabricating and framing, what do you have to say for yourself?"


    Su Chen tilted his head, giving him a taunting look, his mouth curved into a mischievous smile.


    Seeing Su Chen''s smile sent another shiver down Chen Jianxiong''s spine!


    At this moment, Chen Jianxiong found himself conflicting once again.


    Soon, Chen Jianxiong reached a decision, reasoning that since he had already begun to offend the Situ Family, there was no chance of appeasement anymore.


    The most crucial point was the devil-like person standing right beside him. Even if death was inevitable, he didn''t want to endure such torment any longer!


    So, Chen Jianxiong steeled his heart and looked at Situ Lei:


    "Young Master Situ, wasn''t it you who told me that you had a feud with her husband and that if I tried to seduce CEO Lin, sessful or not, you would cooperate with me?"


    "I even asked whether it was appropriate since she was already married and the sess seemed unlikely. But you assured me, as long as the benefit was substantial, nothing was impossible!"


    "You also said that if it really worked out, my Hui Teng Investment Group would get many benefits, including..."


    Chen Jianxiong blurted out the entire conversation they had once had, disying a readiness to confront the situation head-on, even if it meant challenging the Emperor himself!

 Chapter 620: Has the Old Friend Entered Your Dreams?

    "Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, this is all his side of the story, sheer nder!"


    Situ Lei immediately flew into a rage.


    He had never expected Chen Jianxiong to spill the details of their conversation, and in front of so many people at that!


    "This is exactly what you told me, right over there by the restroom!"


    Chen Jianxiong spat out immediately, his face already torn, there was no longer any need to seek apromise!


    "Alright, there''s nothing more for you here now."


    Su Chen said indifferently, believing that the truth of the matter was already clear in the hearts of those present.


    And indeed, it was. Although Situ Lei refused to admit it, everyone knew that Chen Jianxiong was telling the truth.


    Because from any angle, there was no reason for Chen Jianxiong to falsely use him.


    Even if someone were to be falsely used, why target him, the future heir to the Situ Family?


    The only doubt was what Situ Lei told him about his conflict with Lin Ruoxue''s husband, with this man; what was the nature of their conflict?


    However, as the matter involved the Situ Family, everyone was afraid to speak out, and the elders understood all too well and were even less inclined to say anything.


    "Now, do you have anything else to say?"


    Su Chen looked at the elders with a mocking tone.


    "Su Tian, oh, Su Chen, indeed, what Situ Lei did was really out of line. I''ll have him apologize to you and your wife, and we can consider the matter closed, how about that?"


    At this point, Situ Kong was trying to smooth things over. Denial was pointless, as everyone had already seen clear.


    After all, Su Chen''s identity was special, and his cultivation too formidable. The best course of action now was to take a slight hit to their pride and move past this incident.


    "Sure, have hime over and apologize then."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "Situ Lei, get over here and apologize to Su Chen and his wife!"


    Situ Kong grunted coldly.


    "Grandfather, I didn''t..."


    Situ Lei walked over trembling and in denial, but Situ Kong cut him off in an instant.


    "You unfilial child, do you still want to deny it now? Do you think everyone here is a fool? Do you know what your grandfather and we old fellows are to each other? Brothers!"


    Situ Kong''s face was full of coldness, as if enraged by Situ Lei, he said with a severe tone:


    "You even dared to scheme against his granddaughter-inw; you''re worse than a beast!"


    "I... I..."


    Situ Lei started stammering, his face also bing very unsightly.


    "What ''I''? Apologize! Apologize sincerely to Su Chen and his wife!"


    Situ Kong''s brow tightened as he coldly ordered again.


    Situ Lei had not expected things to turn out like this, that he would actually have to apologize to this bastard who had humiliated him!


    This was undoubtedly like rubbing salt into his wounds!


    But there was no helping it; given the current situation, he had no choice but to bow deeply, filled with resentment, to Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue:


    "Su Chen, and President Lin, this matter was my fault, I''m sorry, please forgive me!"


    After saying this, Situ Lei''s face turned the color of a pig''s liver; when had he ever been so humiliated?


    Although he was insulted even more severelyst time, it was at least in a private room, and the others were humiliated as much as he was.


    But now was entirely different, with only him being forced to apologize, and more importantly, in front of such a distinguished gathering, with countless eyes watching!


    "Su Chen, seeing how sincere his attitude is, can we consider the matter settled?"


    Situ Kong said softly, thinking that making it this far was already giving enough face to him!


    "That''s what you call sincere?"


    Su Chen nced at him and said:


    "Then your threshold for sincerity really is low!"


    "Do you really think everything can be resolved with just a few words?"


    Suddenly, Su Chen''s expression hardened, and he shouted sternly:


    "You''re all far too naive to think that!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the crowd was taken aback. Even after Situ Lei had bent over to apologize, this guy was still unrelenting¡ªisn''t he being too unreasonable?


    Truth be told, the fact that Situ Lei had taken the initiative to apologize was already beyond their expectations; after all, when had they ever seen someone from the Five Great Families, and from the Legitimate Line at that, apologizing to others?


    Especially in such a public setting!


    However, unexpectedly, it seemed that this young man still wasn''t willing to let go, which was quite over the top!


    But then, on second thought, considering he was that person''s son, it seemed somewhat reasonable after all!


    If he was the son of that person, how could he be ordinary?


    So, the crowd settled down to watch the unfolding dramafortably, curious to see how it would all pan out.


    Situ Kong, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, immediately radiated a ferocious aura.


    Because going this far was already quite amodating on his part; were it not for his special status and powerful cultivation, he would never have allowed Situ Lei to apologize in public.


    After all, Situ Lei represented the honor of the Situ Family!


    The other elders also thought that for Situ Kong to make Situ Lei apologize publicly was already impressive.


    But unexpectedly, Su Chen still wasn''t satisfied, which was just too much!


    "What more do you want, then?"


    Situ Kong''s eyes, filled with icy frost, stared intently at Su Chen as he spoke.


    "Quite simple, kneel before my wife and kowtow to apologize! Until my wife forgives you!"


    Su Chen said casually, as if it were a mere triviality.


    Yet, when his words came out, everyone present thought their ears must be ying tricks on them!


    What did he say? Have Situ Lei kneel and kowtow in apology?


    Is this some kind of international joke?


    Is today April Fool''s Day?


    Not just onlookers, but even all those from the Five Great Families thought the guy hadpletely lost his mind!


    Otherwise, how could he utter such outrageous, absurd remarks?


    To have Situ Lei kneel and kowtow in apology? How dare he make such a brazen statement!


    "Su Chen, are you joking?"


    At this moment, Situ Kong''s face was so dark it seemed almost subterranean, menacing beyond belief:


    "This joke isn''t funny at all!"


    "Do I look like I''m joking?"


    Su Chen retorted coldly, without a hint of fear.


    Madness! Sheer madness! They had truly lost their minds!


    The other people''s heads were ringing. This was a showdown in the making!


    Mixed with trepidation and fear, there was also a bit of anticipation among the crowd, as they suddenly became as excited as if they were on adrenaline.


    "Are you truly willing to ignore the past rtionships with your grandfather and father, to push things this far?"


    Situ Kong spat out through clenched teeth.


    The other elders also implored Su Chen to let it go, to save face for them, considering they were old acquaintances of his father and grandfather. They urged him not to take things too far.


    Upon hearing these old fellows'' words, Su Chen immediately sneered; his eyes shot towards these elders like ice des formed from the coldest frost.


    "You have some nerve to bring up my grandfather and father!"


    Su Chen looked at their hypocritical faces, and a nameless rage surged from deep within:


    "I would like to ask you, have you ever dreamt of the old days over these years, ever woken up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night?"

 Chapter 621 - 621 What Can You Do If I Mess Up?

    Su Chen simply couldn''t believe that these people still had the face to shamelessly bring up his grandfather and father in front of him¡ªit was the pinnacle of shamelessness!


    He really wanted to p their faces and ask, "Do you have no shame?"


    As soon as Su Chen''s words fell, some of the older people''s expressions immediately became awkward, but being crafty as they were, such expressions were fleeting.


    The awkwardness was momentary, and what followed was a tremor in their hearts. Could it be that he knew something?


    Su Chen then turned his attention away from these old folks to Situ Lei:


    "Will you do it yourself, or shall I make my move? If I do, it won''t be a pretty sight!"


    He looked at Situ Lei with a yful gaze, as if he was looking at a clown!


    "You wouldn''t dare!"


    Situ Lei bellowed, a surge of rage and a hint of panic welling inside him!


    Because this guy was simply a lunatic, and you never know what a lunatic might dare to do, what they might actually do!


    "Su Chen, don''t mess around!"


    Situ Kong shouted sternly, feeling that this kid really wanted to take it too far!


    Because if Situ Lei were really forced to kneel, there would be no chance for him to seed as the Family Head of the Situ Family!


    That is to say, the Situ Family would have to find another sessor, and an excellent sessor means everything to a family!


    What''s more important was, where would the Situ Family''s face be?


    Although Su Chun and Su Ming had knelt before, the significance waspletely different!


    First of all, they knelt of their own volition, and it was because they felt guilty toward the former Family Head and his descendants. People wouldn''t find such kneeling disgraceful; instead, it gave the impression of a deeply emotional bond!


    Now, if Situ Lei were to kneel, it would be a forced act, grinding the face of the Situ Family into the dirt!


    It was for these reasons that the grandfather and grandson were so agitated and even somewhat afraid!


    "Mess around? What could you do if I did?"


    Su Chen sneered and taunted!


    Upon hearing this, Situ Kong almost choked with rage!


    But if this guy really went berserk now, Situ Kong truly had no way to stop him!


    "Su Chen, if you dare do this, the Situ Family will relentlessly pursue you to the end!"


    Situ Kong roared, appearing somewhat out of control!


    He hoped to intimidate the other party, to prevent the Situ Family''s face from being swept away.


    But would Su Chen be intimidated by him? Obviously, that was impossible!


    "Relentlessly pursue to the end?"


    Su Chenughed scornfully:


    "I''m curious to see just how you n to pursue this vendetta!"


    "Crack!"


    As his words ended, Su Chen delivered a kick to the back of Situ Lei''s knee, causing him to stagger and fall to one knee on the ground!


    Without letting up, Su Chen kicked out in the same way again, and Situ Lei instantly fell to both knees with a pained groan!


    Everyone was stunned into silence!


    This was the future sessor of the Situ Family!


    He was kicked to kneel on the ground just like that?


    Although Su Chen kept saying that Situ Lei should kneel and apologize, saying it a hundred times wasn''t as shocking as seeing it with one''s own eyes!


    At that moment, everyone''s heart trembled uncontrobly, watching this scene as if they were in a dream, unable to believe it was real!


    "Good, very good!"


    Situ Kongughed in extreme anger, his old face twisting fiercely:


    "You''ll pay the price for this!"


    The other elders, seeing this scene, could only sigh, each with their own thoughts in mind.


    However, one thing was certain¡ªthey all hadn''t expected things to turn out this way!


    This young man, as soon as he made an appearance, deeply etched himself into people''s memories, even to the bone!


    However, what disturbed these elders the most was that his emergence stirred up matters from twenty years ago!


    The sealed past might gradually be unveiled, and who knows how many untold stories and unbearable truthsy within!


    "I''ll wait."


    Su Chen said indifferently, showing no concern for Situ Kong''s threat.


    "He''s forcing the Situ Family to take action against him!"


    Pei Jian eximed with a sigh.


    "Indeed, everything he''s doing is a provocation, pushing them to a point where some things just have to emerge!"


    He seemed impulsive and mindless, almost like a lunatic or a madman, but is that really the case?


    Pei Man''s gaze filled with admiration as she watched Su Chen; at that moment, she realized that the man''s imprint in her heart was growing deeper by the second!


    "But can he withstand it?"


    Pei Jian said with some worry, as if muttering to himself, yet seemingly asking a question.


    "I believe in him!"


    Pei Man stated without hesitation.


    "You sure have confidence in him."


    Pei Jian smiled wryly, curling his lip.


    "Of course, the man I fancy, how could heck confidence?"


    Pei Man retorted with a grin, speaking as naturally as if she were just drinking water.


    Pei Jian was left speechless; it seemed that his cousin had truly taken a liking to that man.


    "Do you really n to do that? You know, the murky waters he''s wading into are very deep!"


    Pei Jian looked at her seriously.


    "So what?"


    Pei Man tilted her head and showed that mischievous smile again.


    Situ Lei, worthy of being the heir to the Situ Family, after a few instinctual groans, kept silent, even though cold sweat had soaked his body.


    His eyes shifted towards Su Chen, as if he wanted to devour him!


    "Kneel and apologize!"


    Su Chen was unfazed by Situ Lei''s beast-like gaze.


    In this world, he wasn''t the first to look at him with such eyes, nor would he be thest.


    But so what?


    Most of those people have already entered Hell, and though Su Chen wouldn''t kill him for the moment, he certainly wouldn''t take him seriously.


    "Impossible!"


    Situ Lei roared, enduring the severe pain.


    "Never say impossible. The words I say have never been taken back!"


    Su Chen shrugged casually.


    "Su Chen, don''t push people too far!"


    Situ Kong was nowpletely consumed with rage; he had never before been pushed to such a state in his life!


    "Pushing too far? This is just the beginning!"


    Su Chen said meaningfully, looking towards Situ Kong with a gaze filled with gloom, a harbinger of the grim reaper''s presence!


    "It seems you are not nning to kneel and apologize on your own, so I have no choice but to help you do it!"


    As Su Chen spoke, he flicked his wrist and a Silver Needle "whooshed" out, shooting directly toward the back of Situ Kong''s neck and embedding a third of its length.


    At the same time, Situ Kong''s head uncontrobly banged against the ground with a fierce momentum!


    And it was one after another, almost without pause, every hit seeming to be forceful; after just a few, his forehead had swelled up...

 Chapter 622: People of that year, matters of that year, are no more.

    "Su Chen, what have you done to me?"


    Situ Lei was terrified. His own head was not under the control of his thoughts, repeatedly smashing into the ground!


    Everyone watching this scene suddenly felt it was incredibly eerie!


    Situ Lei, who had just been stubbornly refusing to kowtow, was suddenly doing it. Why?


    Moreover, each contact with the ground produced a loud "thud"!


    Even the sound alone was painfully, intensely so!


    However, everyone knew Su Chen must be behind this, which made them even more unnervingly frightened.


    This young man''s methods were indeed unfathomable and unpredictable!


    The elderly, capable of deducing even more, looked towards Su Chen with eyes filled with disbelief!


    The more formidable the techniques Su Chen demonstrated, the more unrest they felt hidden deep in their hearts.


    "Su Chen, what exactly have you done to him?!"


    Situ Kong shouted sternly, seeing Situ Lei kowtowing as if pounding garlic, he felt not only aplete loss of face but also a painful bleeding of his heart, as Situ Lei was his most beloved grandson!


    "Didn''t you see it?"


    Su Chen replied indifferently,"


    "I''ve said that the words I say will absolutely never be taken back!"


    At these words, Situ Kong felt a sudden dizzy spell and almost fell to the ground, fortunate to be supported by someone next to him.


    Soon he noticed a shiny Silver Needle on the back of Situ Lei''s neck, and everything was likely due to that needle.


    He immediately walked over, intending to remove the Silver Needle. Su Chen did not stop him but said lightly as he was about to act,


    "If you pull it out, his two spine cords will be ruined, and he will only lie in bed forever."


    Upon hearing this, Situ Kong involuntarily shuddered!


    "Are you bluffing me?"


    He turned to look at Su Chen, somewhat disbelieving what Su Chen had said.


    "If you don''t believe me, you can try it. After all, he is your grandson, not mine!"


    Su Chen nonchntly lit a cigarette and began to smoke leisurely!


    Meanwhile, Situ Kong hesitated!


    If it were a trivial matter, he wouldn''t care about Su Chen, but with this issue, he dared not gamble!


    If it indeed turned out as Su Chen had said, he wouldn''t just harm his own grandson, others would also say that it was Situ Kong who harmed his grandson!


    Su Chen was sure he wouldn''t take the risk, and he remained unconcerned about the changing expressions on his face.


    "Grandfather, I can''t take it anymore!"


    At this moment, Situ Lei was still "thumping" his head on the ground, his forehead swelling up and blood seeping out, looking utterly miserable!


    "What exactly do you want?"


    For the first time, Situ Kong realized how powerless he was, utterly at a loss with this young man!


    "Apologize!"


    Su Chen uttered coldly.


    "Lei''er, just apologize!"


    After a moment, Situ Kong sighed helplessly, appearing so worn down!


    Actually, at this point, apologizing wouldn''t make much difference; they had already lost all face that could be lost!


    Upon hearing Situ Kong''s words, Situ Lei subconsciously felt a bit of joy and hurriedly said,


    "President Lin, I''m sorry, everything was my fault."


    "President Lin, you are magnanimous, I apologize to you. Please forgive me!"


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    Situ Lei could no longer bear the pain and only wished for a quick release!


    "Su Chen, maybe let''s drop it."


    Lin Ruoxue, being a woman, always had a softer heart, so she asked Su Chen.


    Of course, if Su Chen said no, she wouldn''t say anything.


    Because she knew that besides venting his anger, Su Chen had other purposes in doing this.


    And these purposes were rted to the deep-seated hatred he bore.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen nodded slightly, waved his hand, and the Silver Needle disappeared.


    For Su Chen, he had nearly achieved his objectives for the day, and now he could just sit back and watch them make their moves!


    At this moment, Situ Lei seemed utterly drained and suddenly copsed on the ground. Of course, he had been kicked twice by Su Chen; though his legs weren''t broken, he couldn''t stand up at that moment.


    Just then, the ambnce finally arrived and took away the injured.


    Su Chen did not obstruct them in any way; whether it concerned those who needed to be punished or his own objectives, everything was already aplished!


    All the previous noise seemed to have settled down all at once.


    "Xiao Tian, let''s go."


    Su Jin felt there was no point in staying any longer, and there was no need to.


    "Wait a moment."


    Su Chen then walked up to the group of elders, his gaze on them fiery, making their hearts tremble!


    "You must know why I have returned, yes, I havee to collect debts!"


    "Did you think that the people and events of the past were settled? I''m telling you, they are not."


    "I believe some of you understand what I mean, everyone must bear the consequences of their actions!"


    Having said this, Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue towards the door. They had just taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped, turned to the elders with a sinister smile:


    "In a couple of days, I will have a big gift for two of you. Wait for it!"


    Then Su Chen continued pulling Lin Ruoxue out of Banquet Hall One, all the way to the hotel''s underground parking lot.


    Su Chen looked at Su Jin, bursting with questions, yet not knowing how to begin asking.


    Su Jin looked at him and gave him a slight smile:


    "I know you have many questions to ask me, but it''ste today, and I still have to travel out of town for a couple of days. When Ie back, I will contact you and tell you everything."


    "Okay."


    Su Chen nodded in response.


    Then Su Jin and Liu Gang left the ce first.


    "Alright, we should go, too."


    Su Chen said, smiling at Yunlong.


    "Yes, big brother."


    For Yunlong, this evening was shocking.


    He had never expected that his big brother was from the Su Family!


    But he also knew it was not his ce to ask too many questions, so he asked none.


    Because of what had happened, this so-called financial summit hastily came to an end, and everyone went their separate ways.


    But without a doubt, this financial summit had left asting impression on everyone!


    Especially for the people from the Five Great Families!


    After all, it was the first time someone had dared to humiliate the Five Great Families so tantly in a public setting!


    But for the elders of the Five Great Families, what was most shocking wasn''t just that, but the few words that young man said before leaving!


    They felt that those words were like the opening of a prologue, slowly unfurling the curtain on a grand drama!


    And many were about to take the stage to y out their own stories in this epic drama!


    As for the future and how it ends, who could know?

 Chapter 623 - 623 Sleepless Night (Part 1)

    It seemed as though the sky of Yandu had sensed the unusual nature of the night, for as the financial summit ended, a torrential downpour began tosh the heavens!


    To many in Yandu, this was destined to be a sleepless night, one of storm and tempest¡­


    In an old-fashioned study within the Su Familypound, an elderly man sat in a sandalwood chair, slowly brewing a pot of tea; the fragrance gradually drifting to every corner of the study.


    At that moment, there came a gentle knocking at the door, followed by a creak as it opened, and an elderly man, hunched over, entered the room.


    He wore a grayish-brown hemp robe and sat down silently across from the older man.


    "Master, it''s been a few years since youst brewed tea,"


    he said softly.


    "Yes, I''ve grown rusty at it,"


    the older man replied with a slight smile before pouring a cup for the man in the hemp robe:


    "Old friend, try to enjoy it as best as you can."


    The man in the hemp robe picked up the cup and sipped lightly:


    "The heat was a bit too fierce."


    The older man also poured himself a cup and savored it until he finished.


    "Tian Ze is alright, isn''t he?"


    the older man asked with concern.


    "He''s fine, a few months'' rest should suffice."


    "Old friend, I feel I''ve wronged you, Tian Ze is your only disciple, but¡­"


    "Master, as a Martial Artist, such oues are expected,"


    the man in the hemp robe interrupted the older man, preventing him from continuing.


    Silence fell upon them once again, and they simply indulged in their tea amidst the sound of rain.


    After a long while, the older man spoke up again:


    "You know about what''s happening tonight, right?"


    "Mhmm."


    The man in the hemp robe nodded but offered no furtherment.


    "It''s unimaginable that the child is still alive,"


    the older man sighed deeply.


    "No one could have foreseen it."


    The man in the hemp robe shook his head.


    "Old friend, these past few years I''ve been wondering, if the things we did back then¡­ were really wrong? Is this our retribution?"


    The older man looked at the man in the hemp robe as if searching for an answer, an answer that could bring him peace of mind.


    "When he came to us back then, faced with such an opportunity, no one could remain unmoved,"


    the man in the hemp robe replied:


    "Among the Five Great Families, who doesn''t desire more power, who doesn''t resort to all means for the sake of more authority?"


    He knew that although the old master spoke these words now, if given ten or a hundred more chances, he would still make the same choices.


    "Indeed, caught in the torrents of the big family, who isn''t helplessly being swept away?"


    The older manmented again, then looked at the man in the hemp robe:


    "So, what do you think we should do now?"


    "If you ask me, it''s better to stay still rather than make hasty moves. Master, considering your special status, let''s just wait and see,"


    "That sounds wise."


    The older man nodded:


    "Old friend, please tell Su Ming that I intend to make amends for today''s events."


    "I think that won''t be necessary; he understands,"


    Upon hearing this, the older man nodded and fell silent once more¡­


    ...¡­


    The night rain seemed to intensify, with asional shes of lightning and roars of thunder. In the Shen Family Head''s private courtyard, he cultivated poppies, cornflowers, and various other nts.


    Beaten by the rain, they appeared somewhat inclined to falter in the wind, yet they seemed to assert themselves with a stubborn endurance...


    Under the eaves of the small courtyard house, two elderly people stood side by side, their shadows elongated by the dim yellow light from above.


    "Cough cough cough~~~"


    Suddenly, a fit of coughing broke out, seemingly uncontroble.


    "Master, you haven''t smoked for so many years, just quit it."


    The olddy gently patted the back of the elder next to her and said.


    "It''s no trouble."


    It took a while before the elder recovered, and he said with a slight smile:


    "I just felt like smoking one today."


    "People really do cherish their lives. Since the doctor told me three years ago to stop smoking or it would cost me my life, I actually managed to quit a habit thatsted for most of my life."


    The elder suddenly eximed.


    "Master, I know all about tonight''s affairs."


    The olddy sighed softly:


    "If you ask me, it has been almost twenty years, what''s past is past, pondering it does no good."


    "But Granny, has that incident really passed?"


    The elder gazed at the edge of the eaves forming a curtain of rain, his thoughtsplex, and continued to take a puff of his cigarette, saying:


    "All these years, that event has never left my heart, brother Su Yi once saved my life."


    "The real pity is Su Lou, such a charming and warm-hearted person, and so young when..."


    Upon reaching this point, the elder couldn''t help but shake his head and sigh deeply...


    "But Master, you are the head of the Shen Family, there are some things you simply can''t control, family interests are a responsibility you cannot evade."


    The olddy consoled him.


    "Yes, beyond my control," the elder sighed pensively:


    "But it always leaves my heart uneasy!"


    "All I can do is visit the grave during Qingming and Hanshi festivals, offer a stick of incense, burn some joss paper, to feel a bit better."


    "However, Master, their descendants have now appeared, and suddenly two of them at that, what should we do?"


    The olddy suddenly asked.


    "This is something nobody expected," said the elder with a meaningful smile:


    "What''s even more surprising is that one of them turned out to be the real power behind the Jinsheng Group, and that little boy from back then seems even more extraordinary!"


    "Should we not..."


    Although the olddy didn''t finish her sentence, the meaning was quite clear.


    "We shall hold off for now, someone else won''t be able to resist making a move. The Situ Family will be the first to move, and whether they like it or not, they must."


    The elder spoke thoughtfully.


    Getting older does make one more sentimental, more prone to recalling people and events from the past.


    But in this position, what needs to be done is still pretty clear.


    "Nevertheless, Master, that young man is too monstrous; he needs to be dealt with promptly."


    "Naturally, I never would have imagined that the little boy would achieve such martial arts cultivation at such a young age."


    The elder spoke with a look of regret on his face, filled with shock in his heart.


    He was well aware that if they allowed this young man to continue growing, it would be an absolute disaster for the great families!


    "Let''s observe the Situ Family''s move first. Although the youngster is somewhat unbelievable, after all, he''s too young, too impulsive; he probably won''t need our intervention," said the elder.


    "Indeed, we shall wait and see," the olddy replied with a slight smile:


    "Master, it''s too cold outside, you should head back to your room and rest."


    "That''s a good idea, Granny, you should also go to sleep soon. I feel bad that my worries have kept you from resting."


    The elder chuckled.


    "Master, that''s hardly an issue. Besides, I am a martial artist, it''s nothing to me."

 Chapter 624 - 624 Sleepless Night (Part 2)

    The night was not yet over, and the stormy weather was distressing!


    And the most distressed of all was Situ Kong tonight!


    He stood in front of the study window, listening to the "whooshing" sound of the rain outside and the "pitter-patter" against the window, and he sighed deeply.


    Those sounds seemed to knock incessantly at his heart''s door, making his thoughtsplex and his peace unattainable!


    He increasingly felt the room''s atmosphere was too oppressive, as if the air was not circting properly, making it difficult for him to breathe.


    So, he extended a withered old hand and pushed the window open!


    As soon as the window opened, the north wind mixed with rain immediately poured in, striking his face and body!


    At that moment, he did not feel cold but rather a refreshing coolness, which seemed much morefortable.


    Situ Kong breathed deeply several times against the pitch-ck night outside the window, expelling the murky air umted in his heart...


    At that time, a man with a ck oilcloth umbre entered the courtyard; his entire figure seemed to merge with the night.


    Due to the heavy wind and rain, the oilcloth umbre could not fully shelter him, wetting his shoulders and trouser legs as well as his slightly graying hair.


    Afterward, the man walked to the front of the house, shook the oilcloth umbre twice, propped it up at the entrance of the living room, and then pushed open the door and walked in.


    Upon entering, he found himself in the living room, and directly beside it was a small room that served as the study, so he walked straight into the study.


    Upon seeing him enter, Situ Kong picked up a towel from the rack in the study and handed it to him:


    "Wipe your face first."


    "Thank you, Master."


    The man took the towel, wiped his face, and then ced the towel back on the rack.


    He had a square face with distinct features, over fifty years old, with somewhat graying hair but still very robust.


    "Is everything arranged properly?"


    "Don''t worry, Master, everything is arranged properly."


    The man nodded.


    "Don''t act immediately, dy for a couple of days. Although we all know the situation, we still need to go through the motions."


    Situ Kong frowned slightly.


    "Master, to be honest, I always feel it''s not wise to act so quickly, we should observe a bit longer."


    The man hesitated for a moment before speaking:


    "After all, this is not just about dealing with a youngster; behind him are the people and events of the past."


    "To speak frankly, Master, you were just going with the flow back then. Why not wait for them to make a move?"


    "Nian Song, how can I not know the principle that stillness is better than rashness?"


    Situ Kong sighed helplessly:


    "But expecting those old foxes to act first, how could that be possible?"


    "Are they using the Situ family as a pawn?"


    "Yes, even though we know their intentions, we still have no choice but to act as their pawn."


    Situ Kong sighed:


    "After all, tonight the most embarrassed is our Situ family. If we don''t move, none of them will."


    "And the news tonight will soon spread across the entire Yandu, and even though several families lost face today, the first toe to mind will definitely be our Situ family."


    The man in his fifties said nothing more; he knew the Master was right.


    They had already been ced on the fire, whether they liked it or not.


    "By the way, is Young Master Lei alright?"


    After a while, the man asked.


    "He won''t die, he''ll be nearly recovered after some rest, that young man was merciful."


    Speaking of Situ Lei, a hint of anger involuntarily appeared on Situ Kong''s face.


    If it weren''t for that young man instructing Chen Jianxiong to do that, how could the Situ Family have fallen into such an inevitable situation?


    "Master, about Young Master Lei''s sessor..."


    "Can someone who has knelt before others still possibly be the helmsman of the Situ Family?"


    Before the man could finish, Situ Kong had already snorted coldly.


    Helpless, the man waited a moment then asked doubtfully:


    "Master, this matter seems a bit strange. What kind of conflict does Young Master Lei have with that young man that he would do such a thing?"


    "I asked, and the young man wouldn''t say, but it''s no longer important."


    Situ Kong waved his hand dismissively.


    Yes, how could Situ Lei dare to speak of being forced to lie on the ground and bark like a dog?


    Now, his hope of inheriting the Family Head position might be slim, and he could still act as a prodigal son. If that incident were exposed, he would not even have that chance.


    Besides, although his own hopes were slim now, who could guarantee anything about the future one hundred percent?


    And if that incident got out, there really would be no hope left!


    Moreover, if it were revealed, he himself would not dare to walk with his head up when going out.


    Of course, Situ Kong naturally wouldn''t know any of this.


    "Master, since Young Master Lei has no chance at the position of Family Head, what are your ns moving forward?"


    His intention was to ask whom Situ Kong was preparing to cultivate as the future Family Head.


    Ordinary people definitely wouldn''t dare to ask because it would be like asking in ancient times about the choice of Crown Prince, a great taboo among subjects!


    But his rtionship with Situ Kong was deep, and it wouldn''t make the old master suspicious, so he dared to ask directly.


    "What do you think of Situ Guang?"


    Situ Kong tilted his head slightly and looked at him.


    "The Third Young Master?"


    The man pondered for a moment and nodded:


    "Not bad, the Third Young Master is naturally intelligent and not inferior to Young Master Lei, and having studied abroad for several years, he should be more mature and stable, capable of standing on his own."


    "Hmm, well said. He''s just about to return."


    Thinking of his own grandson, Situ Kong also showed a slight smile:


    "Doesn''t he want to marry the girl from the Jianghai Wu Family as soon as he returns? Perfect, we''ll use this opportunity to let him make a good public appearance, as a deration of his official return."


    "And at the same time, it''s a good chance to wash away some of the negativity fromst night. Thus, this wedding must be grand to reflect the prestige of our Situ Family. We must invite everyone important."


    Situ Kong instructed gravely, clearly cing great importance on this wedding.


    This was partly because now in Situ Kong''s eyes, Situ Guang had already be the future sessor. His wedding naturally called for significant attention, not the usual treatment meted out to a Third Young Master.


    Moreover, tonight the Situ Family had indeed lost much of its glory, and there would even be people speaking ill of them behind their backs.


    But Situ Guang''s wedding was an opportunity for them to regain face and restore the dignity of the Situ Family!


    "Rest assured, master, I will keep an eye on this matter."


    The middle-aged man said with a smile:


    "Master, this is indeed killing several birds with one stone."


    Situ Kong nodded at the words and after a moment said gravely:


    "Nian Song, that young man is not to be underestimated. Be careful with him."


    "I know, in his twenties and already at thete stage of Qi Refinement Peak, truly like father like son!"


    The elder named Nian Song also eximed in amazement.

 Chapter 625: Exploding with Activity

    The sky had cleared up by the next day. When the warm winter sunlight streamed into the room, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes.


    He looked at Lin Ruoxue, who was still sleeping soundly in his arms, and a smile of happiness appeared on his face.


    After the significant events of the previous day, Lin Ruoxue was feeling somewhat anxious, which is why she had asked Su Chen to sleep with her.


    This was the first time Lin Ruoxue had truly extended such an invitation, and Su Chen naturally would not refuse.


    As one might expect, sharing a bed with a beauty like Lin Ruoxue, how could Su Chen stay well-behaved?


    Their two-hour long offensive and defensive war resulted in Lin Ruoxue being pushed back step by step, losing ground repeatedly, until only herst line of defense remained unconquered!


    On Lin Ruoxue''s soft, white skin, marks of his love were nearly everywhere!


    Su Chen looked at her breathtakingly beautiful face and gently kissed her cheek.


    Although his movement was very light, it still woke Lin Ruoxue up, right around her usual waking time anyway.


    Seeing Su Chen''s sneaky look, Lin Ruoxue suddenly said, not in the best of moods,


    "You viin, you bullied me like that yesterday, and you haven''t bullied me enough?"


    Remembering the scenes from the previous night, Lin Ruoxue felt unbearably flustered inside.


    One could only say, this guy is really too bad!


    "This is marital fun, how is it bullying?"


    Su Chen shamelessly argued.


    "Shameless!"


    Lin Ruoxue said indignantly, her face flushing as she prepared to get out of bed.


    "Wife, it''s still early. Let''s sleep a little longer!"


    Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue back into his arms, and his hands started wandering again.


    He now fully understood the saying, "A short night in spring is soon over, henceforth the king riseste."


    If he had been a king in ancient times, with a consort like Lin Ruoxue, he wouldn''t have wanted to hold morning court either.


    For a moment, Su Chen even felt he had the makings of a negligent monarch.


    "It''s still early? It''s already seven o''clock."


    Lin Ruoxue pushed Su Chen away forcefully. If this continued, she wouldn''t need to go to work at all.


    Su Chen then leaned against the headboard, bare-chested, and lit a cigarette.


    He did not know when an ashtray had appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s bedside table.


    While smoking, Su Chen watched Lin Ruoxue get dressed, marveling at how breathtakingly beautiful his wife was.


    Lin Ruoxue turned her head and caught his intense gaze, feeling a rush of shy embarrassment.


    "What are you staring at?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a deliberately cold expression.


    "Because my wife is beautiful, of course."


    Su Chen took a drag off his cigarette and casually smiled.


    "Smooth talker!"


    Although Lin Ruoxue said this, she was actually very pleased inside, feeling sweeter than if she had eaten honey.


    After finishing his cigarette, Su Chen also got up, since staying in bed without his beauty held no appeal.


    Getting dressed was much simpler for Su Chen than for Lin Ruoxue; it took him less than a minute.


    After washing up, the two of them went downstairs together, where Aunt Sun had already prepared breakfast.


    It was the first time she saw the young couplee out of the same room in the morning, and she was somewhat surprised!


    After breakfast, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue still went to work one after the other.


    For Su Chen, it seemed like yesterday''s events hadn''t affected him at all.


    However, Lin Ruoxue had repeatedly expressed her concernsst night, fearing retaliation from the families. But after Su Chen repeatedly assured her that everything would be fine, she felt slightly reassured.


    Lin Ruoxue did not go directly to her office but instead took a detour to that hotel.


    Su Chen then drove straight to his office, although he wasn''t worried about himself, he was somewhat worried about Lin Ruoxue.


    After all, Lin Ruoxue only had two Shadow Guards, one at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement and the other at the Qi Refinement Peak, but these were still rather meager defenses against the major families.


    Previously, when his identity had not been exposed, there hadn''t been a problem. Now, the situation was different; unable to find any opportunity against him, they might inevitably turn their attention towards Lin Ruoxue.


    After some thought, Su Chen decided to call the Demon halfway through hismute to arrange for one of Group A''s action teams toe over.


    The Nether Temple''s Group A action team was strong enough to contend with three or four people at the Qi Refinement Peak, which was why Group A had only two action squads.


    In Su Chen''s view, having two Shadow Guards and a squad from the Nether Temple''s Group A would likely ensure everything would be fine.


    The Demon was naturally very excited to receive a call from Su Chen, and even the usually reticent man''s voice cracked with emotion.


    However, the Demon informed him that both squads of Group A were currently on missions. They wouldn''t be able to return for another three days at the earliest.


    The Demon did ask if he wanted two of Group B''s squads to be sent as a temporary measure until one of Group A''s squads could rece them.


    Su Chen thought it over but decided it was unnecessary, two or three days shouldn''t pose a big problem.


    He certainly could continue to deploy more Shadow Guards, but since Shadow Guards were his trump card, he preferred to use them as sparingly as possible.


    He believed that even if the Five Great Families took action, they wouldn''t do it so soon; they would probably wait a few days for the scandal to cool down a bit.


    After returning to thepany, Su Chen went back to his office, brewed a cup of tea, crossed his legs, and began enjoying thetest issue of "Men''s Wear" magazine.


    After flipping through it two or three times, he then started ying Dou Dizhu on hisputer.


    Life went on as usual, leisurely, as if nothing had happened.


    But had really nothing happened?


    Obviously, that was impossible.


    That very morning, Yandu had already exploded!


    After all, it was very rare to see the Five Great Families in such a collectively embarrassing situation!


    Especially for Situ Lei, the eldest scion of the Situ Family, being forced to kneel and apologize was unbelievable and incredible.


    When it was discovered that all of this was caused by a man in his twenties, the shock was even greater!


    Although there was no news report, just one morning was enough for all sorts of rumors to fly everywhere.


    The Five Great Families were helpless in this situation; they couldn''t stop people from gossiping!


    That day, the young masters of the Five Great Families stayed very consciously at home, not venturing out.


    Especially those who had been pped by Su Chen the day before, they became unusually well-behaved.


    However, none of this had the slightest impact on Su Chen; he continued to eat and drink as usual.


    In the afternoon, he even had a cordial "heart-to-heart" with some of the beautifuldies from the Public Rtions department!


    In the evening, he received a call from Qi Meng inviting him for dinner.


    Naturally, Su Chen was more than happy to ept the invitation...

 Chapter 626: "Open-Minded" Young Master Shen

    After work, Su Chen drove to the ce Qi Meng had mentioned¡ªthe First Grade Residence, a name that seemed full of poetic ir upon hearing it.


    Upon arrival, Su Chen realized that the restaurant truly lived up to its name, its style was very elegant, and careful attention seemed to have been paid to every detail.


    There were no private rooms here, but each dining table was separated by screens, which allowed the dining guests to feel as though they were part of a whole, yet each had their own private space.


    The screens were adorned with traditional Chinese paintings and inscriptions, creating an atmosphere that left diners feeling as if they themselves had be great schrs.


    However, at this time there were no other customers in the restaurant, so Su Chen found Qi Meng the moment he entered.


    Today, Qi Meng was still wearing a deep purple body-hugging dress that reached above her thighs, paired with ck stockings and high-heeled shoes that entuated her legs, making them look incredibly long and straight.


    Over the dress, she had draped a snow-white mink coat, which altogether gave off an air of sexinessced with a touch of nobility!


    As Su Chen had expected, Shen Lin was also there.


    Upon Su Chen''s arrival, the two immediately stood up to greet him, exchanged pleasantries, and then sat back down.


    "I wonder if the First Grade Residence belongs to Miss Qi Meng, or is it Mr. Shen''s property?"


    After sitting down, Su Chen nced around, smiling as he inquired.


    "Mr. Su truly has a discerning eye, to be frank, this ce was opened by me for fun. You''re wee anytime, Mr. Su," Shen Lin replied with a slight smile.


    Shen Lin wasn''t surprised that Su Chen had guessed this, considering their association at this point was still a matter of ndestine dealings, not something to be disyed in public ces.


    "Big Brother Shen, I''m sorry for yesterday, it was a necessary measure, does it still hurt now?"


    Suddenly, Su Chen pointed to the other person''s face, seemingly asking with a face full of concern.


    What he was referring to, of course, was the p he had delivered to the other man''s face the day before.


    Upon hearing this, a hint of darkness shed through Shen Lin''s eyes.


    Yesterday''s incident was something everyone was tacitly aware of, and he wouldn''t hold it against Su Chen. He could understand the situation.


    But bringing it up as soon as he sat down seemed a bit like a deliberate p in the face.


    Although slightly displeased, he still maintained an appearance ofposure.


    "No worries at all, it was a minor matter. I know at that time you had no choice, Mr. Su," Shen Lin said with a smile.


    "Such magnanimity, Big Brother Shen. If someone pped me like that, I would surely detest them to death," Su Chen said with an air of emotion,


    "But you, Big Brother Shen, not only bear no grudge against me but you even invite me to dine; you really are... too kind!"


    As soon as these words fell, the corners of Shen Lin''s mouth twitched involuntarily.


    He thought, the way you say it, it doesn''t sound like you''re praising me at all, rather it seems like you''re implying I am too cheap?


    For a moment, he wasn''t quite sure if Su Chen was doing it on purpose.


    Qi Meng, sitting beside them, almost couldn''t help bursting intoughter.


    She knew Su Chen more than anyone else and was certain that he was doing it intentionally.


    After all, to Qi Meng, the event from the night before was the least shocking, as such things were all toomon for the King of the Underworld!


    However, she currently presented herself as part ally and part subordinate to Shen Lin, so it wasn''t appropriate for her to damage Shen Lin''s face.


    With a pair of eyes that seemed to lure people in, she stole a nce at Su Chen, her gaze seemingly whispering ¡ª "You''re so naughty!"


    And honestly, Qi Meng''s eyes were indeed irresistible to men; right now, Su Chen''s heart uncontrobly "thudded."


    "Mr. Su, I really didn''t expect that you would actually be..."


    Shen Lin spoke with a hint of sigh.


    He truly hadn''t anticipated that Su Chen would turn out to be someone from the Su Family''s senior branch!


    Although Su Lou had gradually be a taboo term, barely known to anyone, Shen Lin was aware, and even more so of what kind of person was referred to!


    And here in front of him was the son of that person!


    He finally understood why Su Chen had humiliated those young masters so much; it really wasn''t without reason!


    Last night he had also almost stayed up all night, pondering over the impact of this matter on himself, including whether to continue cooperating with the other party.


    After a night of analysis, he arrived at a conclusion: in some ways, both of their goals were aligned.


    They both wanted to break certain things and then obtain what they desired from the fallout.


    At least for the moment, their short-term intentions were the same, which is why he had invited him to dinner today.


    As for the matters of that year, anyone with a bit of sense would realize they were far from normal upon reflection.


    How could the people of the Su Family''s senior branch meet with mishaps in such quick session? That couldn''t possibly be normal.


    If someone said there were no underhanded schemes involved, nobody would believe it!


    Of course, the targets of these schemes were naturally directed at the other major families!


    Upon hearing Shen Lin''s words, Su Chen also responded with a bitter smile.


    "I understand. Such a deep hatred, how could one forget? If Mr. Su ever needs my help in the future, just ask."


    At this moment, Shen Lin spoke with great satisfaction, seeming just like a good brother.


    But in reality, both parties knew that this was all just superficial, and Su Chen casually expressed his thanks.


    Soon after, their dishes were served. Although not those luxurious ones, they were indeed light and exquisite, looking quite appetizing.


    The atmosphere that followed was rather harmonious. Su Chen, while enjoying the delicious food, also took pleasure in watching Qi Meng across from him, causing her to be somewhat shy.


    Shen Lin, sitting to the side, also noticed this and gestured slightly to Qi Meng, who understood his intentions.


    "Mr. Su, Qi Meng offers you a drink."


    Qi Meng suddenly approached Su Chen with a drink in hand. Since the seating at First Grade consisted of long sofas rather than chairs, she directly sat down right next to Su Chen.


    "Ah, for Miss Qi Meng to offer a toast herself, I am truly honored."


    Su Chen smiled slightly, picked up his ss, and gently clinked it with Qi Meng''s, while his hand naturally wrapped around her soft, slender waist.


    Qi Meng''s body trembled slightly, instinctively wanting to move a bit to the side, away from Su Chen.


    But Su Chen''s hand was like iron tongs, gripping her tightly, leaving her unable to move.


    Qi Meng was helpless in the situation and even had to maintain a smile on her face.


    After she finished her drink, Su Chen took the initiative to pour another for both of them, saying with augh:


    "I''ll also offer a drink to Miss Qi Meng."


    "Okay."


    With a seductive look in her eyes, Qi Meng faced Su Chen and softly spoke as if exhaling orchid fragrance.


    "Bang!"


    Their sses gently clinked again, after which they each prepared to drink.


    Just then, Qi Meng suddenly trembled, her hand shook, and she nearly spilled her drink...

 Chapter 627: The Tangled Qi Meng

    "Miss Qi Meng, what''s wrong?"


    Curiosity surged within Su Chen as he asked, his expression truly appearing bewildered and innocent!


    Shen Lin across from him also looked at Qi Meng in puzzlement. He had originally thought that Su Chen had done something, but judging from his reaction, it seemed unrted to him.


    When Qi Meng heard Su Chen''s words and saw his innocent expression, she really wanted to ssh the red wine in his face and demand, "Your audacity, after what you''ve done, how can you still have the nerve to ask me what''s wrong?"


    Indeed, the reason for Qi Meng''s reaction just now was solely because of therge hand Su Chen had suddenly be mischievous with at her waist!


    Yet this guy had the gall to feign innocence immediately.


    "It''s nothing."


    Qi Meng could onlyugh lightly and threw him a fierce nce.


    Su Chen, as if oblivious, leisurely enjoyed the fine wine and dishes.


    Seeing this scene, Shen Lin wouldn''t miss that it was Su Chen who had yed the trick, especially since one of his arms was still around Qi Meng!


    In his heart, Shen Lin actually felt a sour taste, for he, too, harbored thoughts about Qi Meng.


    Although they often flirted during their time together, he had never really taken advantage of her.


    Now, seeing Su Chen holding her in his arms, it was like his cherished belonging had been snatched away.


    However, at the same time, he felt a slight thrill in his heart, perhaps he could use Qi Meng to hook this man, after all, no man could resist Qi Meng''s temptation!


    While the man was clever, even exceedinglyplex,


    throughout history, numerous heroic individuals have fallen for a woman''s allure, showing sometimes a woman''s power can indeed transcend everything!


    Manipting Qi Meng might sway this man to maximize his own interests.


    With this idea in mind, the sourness in his heart eased quite a bit, after all,pared to the heir position of the Shen Family, even a woman like Qi Meng seemed too trivial.


    Even if this woman could be considered one in ten thousand!


    "Mr. Su, while others might not be a big deal, there is one person you definitely need to be wary of."


    Midway through the meal, Shen Lin suddenly spoke with a grave expression.


    "Oh? Who is it?"


    Su Chen asked yfully, already having some guesses about what he might say next.


    "Naturally, it''s my younger brother Shen Shao."


    Shen Lin looked at Su Chen with a concerned expression, saying:


    "You might not understand my brother well. He always seems aloof and magnanimous, but in reality, he is vengeful."


    "He has always been high above, like a star. By pping him publicly yesterday, it''s as though you dragged him from heaven to hell in an instant; he will definitely not let you go, and his methods can be quite ruthless."


    Hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but scoff internally: All you brothers say the same about each other, you''re all two peas in a pod, none of you are any good.


    However, he did agree with Shen Lin''stter statement, what he didn''t know was that Su Chen was actually hoping for Shen Shao to make a move.


    If it weren''t for that, he wouldn''t have needed to perform that act with Pei Man!


    "I appreciate the concern, Shen Lin. I''ll be careful."


    Su Chen smiled faintly.


    "Mr. Su, you don''t think my words are for my own sake, do you? I truly am worried about you!"


    Shen Lin spoke earnestly, looking at Su Chen; after all, to fulfill his desires, Shen Shao could be considered his greatest obstacle.


    "How could I? I can feel the caring heart of Young Master Shen."


    Acting, Su Chen always considered himself as second to none.


    "That''s good, that''s good."


    Shen Lin said with a smile, continuing to urge Su Chen to enjoy the dishes.


    As for Su Chen, while eating, he also kept an arm around Qi Meng, unwilling to let go even for a moment.


    Although separated by a dress, he could still feel Qi Meng''s skin which was really smooth and tender, irresistible to the touch!


    It would have been fine if he just held onto her, and Qi Meng, gritting her teeth, could also bear it. The problem was that this guy''s hands were too restless, consciously or unconsciously caressing her slender waist.


    Qi Meng might appear alluring, but after all, she had very little contact with men.


    Before long, a blush emerged on her gorgeous face, and she felt as if tiny ants were crawling all over her, giving her tingling sensations!


    Shen Lin was not blind; how could he not notice?


    Su Chen didn''t care what he thought. Of course, Su Chen wasn''t someone driven by such desperate lust.


    Otherwise, with such a stunningly beautiful wife that it''s almost unfair, haven''t he really devoured her yet?


    Of course, taking a few bites was necessary, but in the end, he hadn''tpletely consumed her!


    Su Chen''s disy of apparent lust certainly had its purpose. For one, it could somewhat lower Shen Lin''s guard.


    A man known for his lustful nature always seems to have weaknesses.


    More importantly, if he showed great interest in Qi Meng, given Shen Lin''s way of doing things, he would definitely allow Qi Meng more contact with Su Chen in the future, aiming to entrap him with her beauty.


    He had long seen through people like Shen Lin, who would sacrifice anything for the position of the Shen Family Head!


    It was like a prince from the past obsessed with securing the throne!


    His eyes and heart were fixated on that position only!


    And this was exactly what Su Chen wanted, because he was very interested in the true mastermind behind Qi Meng.


    To uncover all this, naturally, more contact was the only way!


    Indeed, everything was almost as Su Chen had anticipated.


    When the wine had gone around three times, Shen Lin suddenly stood up, full of apologies:


    "I have an urgent matter and need to step away, I''m sorry."


    "Don''t worry about me, continue, Miss Qi Meng, please take good care of Mr. Su for me."


    Shen Lin nced at Qi Meng with a meaningful look.


    "No problem, Young Master Shen."


    Qi Meng said offhandedly, how could she not understand Shen Lin''s intention?


    "Mr. Su, I apologize again, next time I will arrange another feast to make amends."


    "It''s okay, Young Master Shen, if you have matters to attend to, go ahead, don''t mind me."


    Su Chen quickly waved his hand, but his eyes almost never left Qi Meng''s body, presenting an eager demeanor.


    Seeing this, Shen Lin slightly tweaked the corners of his mouth into a smile, then walked out of the First Grade residence.


    At this moment, Qi Meng, however, began to feel somewhat unconsciously nervous. Before, she seemed to handle men effortlessly, with everything seemingly under control!


    But ever since she met this man, everything seemed different!


    "Miss Qi Meng, why do I get the feeling you''re a bit nervous?"


    Su Chen pulled Qi Meng closer into his embrace, the corner of his mouth forming a mischievous smile as he spoke...

 Chapter 628: The Aftermath

    "No, why would I be nervous?"


    Seeing Su Chen respond like this, Qi Meng took the initiative to lean into Su Chen''s embrace, but the slight panic at the bottom of her eyes did not escape Su Chen''s notice.


    "That''s good. I was worried you were afraid of me," he said.


    The smile at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth grew more enigmatic, sending chills down Qi Meng''s spine.


    "I do remember thatst night, Miss Qi Meng was quite enthusiastic and generous!"


    What Su Chen referred to wasst night''s financial summit, where Qi Meng had flirted with him unabashedly in front of Lin Ruoxue, putting him in an awkward position.


    Now he had finally found an opportunity for revenge!


    "I was just joking with you, Mr. Su," Qi Meng said sheepishly, thinking that she had been so bold the previous night because she knew that Su Chen wouldn''t dare do anything to her!


    She hadn''t expected to fall into his hands so quickly.


    He truly hadn''t dared to do anythingst night, but now? Qi Meng had no confidence whatsoever.


    Every time Qi Meng faced Su Chen, she felt incredibly conflicted, aware that he had seen through her ulterior motives, yet she had to keep ying this dangerous game between a man and a woman.


    But what could she do?


    The organization always demanded results, unconcerned with the process or reasons; she was well aware of the consequences of failing toplete a mission.


    If she were truly a loose woman, it would be a different story; then she could just use all her charms to win this man over, leaving the oue to fate.


    However, for Qi Meng, the real difficultyy in the fact that she was not that kind of woman!


    She hoped to seed in her mission, yet feared the sess!


    The torment within her was so intense it was driving her to the brink of copse, unsure of what oue she really desired.


    As a result, she found herself drawing close to Su Chen at times, but as soon as she got near, she instinctively wanted to flee in fear!


    After retreating, the thought of her mission would force her to edge closer again!


    Even more crucially, Qi Meng was beginning to feel that this man held an increasingly special ce in her heart.


    Even during ordinary times, his image would unconsciously appear in her mind.


    As for Qi Meng''splex psychological state, Su Chen could guess a bit of it.


    In this regard, Qi Meng''s mental resilience was not up to par. The true mastermind behind her probably chose her for her beauty, which was a rarity anywhere!


    Her natural allure was irresistible to men!


    Perhaps the mastermind had not expected Qi Meng to be so preupied with matters of the heart.


    "Oh, was it a joke? Here I thought Miss Qi Meng had truly fallen for me," Su Chen said with a meaningful look.


    Qi Meng couldn''t withstand such an experienced yboy''s gaze, especially while nestled in his arms.


    Thus, upon meeting Su Chen''s look, she immediately felt a surge of panic and instinctively wanted to dodge.


    At the same time, another voice arose in her mind, urging her toplete her mission.


    Although she had no idea why the organization initially ordered her to assassinate Su Chen and was now demanding that she ensnare him at all costs!


    Without understanding, she still had to fulfill her mission, so after a moment of evasion, Qi Meng boldly extended her slender arms around Su Chen''s neck, intertwining them.


    "What if I said I really have fallen for you?" she murmured, her beautiful eyes brimming with deep, autumnal waters, seemingly overflowing with endless tenderness!


    "Then I love you too."


    Su Chen''s lips curled up into a mischievous smile as he said,


    "I''ve heard that when two people in love kiss, the taste is sweet. Should we give it a try?"


    "That... okay!"


    Qi Meng said with a blush on her face, not knowing if it was from shyness or nervousness.


    Su Chen looked at her cherry lips and kissed her!


    Though Qi Meng was extremely nervous, she still responded to him.


    Gradually, Su Chen embraced Qi Meng and slowly leaned back on the couch with her.


    It was unclear how much time had passed, but just when Qi Meng felt like she was about to suffocate, suddenly, Su Chen stopped. He looked at her yfully, a curve still on his lips!


    When Qi Meng once again saw Su Chen''s sharply defined face, her cheeks instantly flushed!


    Only then did she realize that she had been utterly caught up in the moment and seemingly enjoyed it!


    Their position at that moment was just too suggestive!


    "Indeed very sweet!"


    Su Chen said softly and then lightly kissed Qi Meng''s forehead before he got up!


    After getting up, Su Chen didn''t say another word and just left, leaving Qi Meng, whose heart was roiling like the sea, lying on the couch!


    After Su Chen left, Qi Meng covered her face, which felt burning hot. It was as if she was too embarrassed to see anyone!


    .....


    Back in his car, Su Chen was quite pleased with himself and began humming a tune from who knows where or which era.


    When Su Chen got home, Lin Ruoxue had also just arrived and had already finished dinner. Since Su Chen had told her in advance that he wouldn''t be home for dinner, Lin Ruoxue hadn''t waited for him.


    Afterwards, they casually chatted for a while, and Su Chen gave her a brief massage. Then, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to continue working.


    Su Chen had thought that Lin Ruoxue would ask him to serve her at bedtime again tonight, but afterst night''s "torture," she refused!


    She truly felt that if it happened a couple more times, she definitely wouldn''t be able to maintain herst line of defense. After all, she was a woman!


    There was nothing Su Chen could do but return to his room and begin a night of cultivation...


    The next morning, following his routine, he made breakfast. After they had eaten, they left one after the other.


    Although Lin Ruoxue hadn''t been going to thepany recently, she still insisted on Su Chen leaving after her, probably to avoid him noticing any traces.


    Back at thepany, Su Chen naturally had nothing to do, so hey back in his office chair and pondered many things thoroughly.


    Some matters became clearer, while others still had no answers.


    The events of the night beforest, after being left to ferment overnight, brought more clear details to the surface.


    For instance, the young man from Belle Corporation, who hade from Jianghai to Yandu and was humiliated by the Five Great Families with little resistance, was Lin Ruoxue''s husband, known as the most beautiful woman in Jianghai!


    Another example was that the young man had once been with the Su Family, but for unknown reasons, he had been drifting outside...


    When this news reached the ears of those in Belle Corporation, they instantly knew who he was!


    So the way they looked at Su Chen became very strange, including the beauties from the PR department...


    They really hadn''t expected Su Chen to be President Lin''s husband!


    And, of course, they never imagined that he was from the Su Family...

 Chapter 629: Visitors from the Lin Family

    Su Chen saw that the way people were looking at him was a bit odd but there was nothing he could do about it, though he didn''t mind.


    After all, it was normal for everyone to be shocked and have a hard time epting such news at first, but he believed that as time went by, everyone would be desensitized to it.


    Around two o''clock in the afternoon, Su Chen suddenly received a call from Lin Ruoxue. Lin Ruoxue told him that her parents, grandfather, and brother Lin Hao had all arrived in Yandu. She didn''t have time to pick them up, so she asked him to go to the airport immediately.


    After hanging up the phone, Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lips. What was this woman doing? Her own parents and grandfather were here, and she wasn''t going to pick them up. Was she really that busy?


    If Lin Ruoxue knew his thoughts, she would definitely scold him sharply for his insensitive remarks, considering she was busy precisely because of him!


    Su Chen of course understood why the old man, and his father- and mother-inw had suddenlye together, guessing that those pieces of news had reached Jianghai as well.


    After all, the speed of information dissemination in today''s world was iparable to the past; urrences from every corner of the globe were synchronized!


    Moreover, Jianghai was a major city, where it was even less likely for news to be blocked!


    However, he had truly epted Lin Ruoxue as his wife from the bottom of his heart, hence these people were his own family members now. Naturally, they had the right to know some things, and should be in the know.


    When Su Chen arrived at the airport, Old Master Lin and the others were already waiting by the roadside.


    When Su Chen stepped out of the car and appeared in front of them, their expressions varied.


    Old Master Lin seemed calm andposed, showing no difference from usual.


    Lin Wenqing and his wife, his father- and mother-inw, on the other hand, looked at him withplex, indescribable expressions.


    Thest one, Lin Hao, appeared exceedingly excited and thrilled, as if he was utterly carefree!


    "Brother-inw!"


    The moment he saw Su Chen, he immediately greeted him.


    He had never expected his brother-inw to be from the Su Family of the Five Great Families!


    That was the Su Family, an existence that the Lin Family could never reach!


    Su Chen smiled and patted Lin Hao''s shoulder, then looked at Old Master Lin and Lin Wenqing and his wife and said with a smile,


    "Grandpa, Dad, and Mom, why didn''t you tell us you wereing? Ruoxue and I could have prepared beforehand!"


    "We''re all family, what is there to prepare for!"


    Old Master Lin replied with a slight smile,


    "We dide suddenly, sorry if we disrupted you two!"


    "Grandpa, what are you talking about,"


    Su Chen said with a smile,


    "Let''s quickly get in the car."


    "Brother-inw, this car is way too low-end!"


    Lin Hao pped Su Chen''s car and blurted out carelessly.


    When he said this, he hadn''t thought much about it. As the Young Master of the Lin Family, the cars he usually drove were seldom less than a million!


    "Brother-inw, driving this car is really a downgrade!"


    Lin Hao continued to blurt out.


    "It''s just a means of transportation, they all drive the same,"


    Su Chen knew the character of his brother-inw well, so he didn''t mind.


    "Snap"


    Zhang Xin then pped his head and said,


    "You think your brother-inw is like you? Spending all day showing off andpeting with those fair-weather friends!"


    "I was just saying!"


    Lin Hao pouted and said, suddenly a gleam of realization sparked in his eyes:


    "I get it, brother-inw, you''re being modestly pretentious!"


    "Howe I didn''t think of that? Driving a car worth just over two hundred thousand while stepping over those young masters in their multimillion-dor vehicles must feel especially thrilling!"


    Su Chen was momentarily at a loss for words, but he couldn''t help but admire Lin Hao''s imagination.


    Soon, everyone got into the car; the old man sat in the passenger seat while the other three squeezed into the back seats. Fortunately, it was early winter, so it didn''t feel too hot.


    About forty minutester, Su Chen arrived at the Imperial Garden.


    Considering the amount Lin Family''s grandfather and others brought, it wasn''t much - just two suitcases.


    The vi that Lin Ruoxue had bought also had plenty of rooms, so amodating a few extra people was not a problem at all.


    Aunt Sun had already received a call from Lin Ruoxue and had prepared several rooms.


    Of course, the most important thing was that she had tidied up the bedding in Su Chen''s room and moved some of his clothes to Lin Ruoxue''s room.


    So, when Su Chen walked in and saw his room suddenly empty, he understood everything and a meaningful smile appeared at the corners of his mouth!


    Aunt Sun also greeted the Lin Family''s grandfather and the others.


    "Grandpa, Mom and Dad, and Xiaohao, you''ve justnded. Why don''t you go rest in your rooms for a bit?"


    Su Chen suggested, considering that Lin Family''s grandfather was getting on in years, and Lin Wenqing and his wife were not young either, a few hours on the ne must have been tiring.


    "That''s a good idea, I''m indeed not as resilient as I used to be,"


    Lin Family''s grandfather chuckled and then looked at Lin Wenqing and his wife:


    "You two should rest as well."


    Although Lin Family''s grandfather had many things to say, there was no rush for now.


    "Grandpa, Mom and Dad, go and rest, I''m not tired."


    Excited to be in Yandu, Lin Hao didn''t feel the slightest bit fatigued.


    Su Chen then instructed Aunt Sun to take everyone to their rooms to rest.


    After they left, Lin Hao''s gaze towards Su Chen was filled with an irrepressible gleam.


    "Brother-inw, you know why Grandpa and my parents are here, right?"


    Lin Hao asked in a low voice.


    "I could probably guess a bit,"


    Su Chen nodded slightly and smiled, then lit a cigarette and sat down on the sofa.


    "Brother-inw, hand me one."


    Lin Hao gestured, and Su Chen tossed him one.


    Lin Hao immediately picked up the lighter from the coffee table, lit the cigarette, and then took a deep drag before sighing:


    "You know? When we first heard the news, we thought it was a joke!"


    "When it was confirmed to be true, the whole family was shocked!"


    Lin Hao recalled their reaction yesterday evening when they first heard the news; it still felt somewhat surreal!


    No wonder, who would have thought that a son-inw who married into a family would be from Yandu''s Su Family!


    Despite no longer being associated with them for various reasons, the prestige of the Su Family remained!


    Moreover, the fact that this son-inw had even caused other families to lose facepletely was even more shocking to them!


    "You know? Last night, Grandpa and Mom and Dad actually didn''t sleep at all. The butler said that Grandpa only dozed off for a couple of hours in the early morning before deciding toe to Yandu,"


    Lin Hao spoke in a hushed tone again.


    Su Chen did not voice any opinion on Lin Hao''s words, only listening quietly.


    The kind of reaction his father-inw and mother-inw had was not surprising to him.


    After all, for them, this news was too shocking and too significant!


    The most crucial point was that it was closely rted to the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of the Lin Family.

 Chapter 630: A Wise Wife Comes From Under the Palm

    Afterward, Lin Hao actually got very excited and asked Su Chen, who had been involved at the time, just what the situation had been like.


    But Su Chen justughed it off, knowing full well that this kid was the type who loved a big scene.


    Because the Lin Family patriarch, her parents, and her younger brother were visiting, Lin Ruoxue returned home fairly early tonight, though it was almost seven o''clock.


    Being family, there was no need to dine out, so they ate the meal prepared at home by Auntie Sun.


    "Ruoxue, why do I feel like you''ve lost quite a bit of weight recently, and you look much more fatigued."


    Mothers are always most concerned about their children''s health, so just after taking a few bites, Zhang Xin spoke up with a slight frown.


    "I''ve been on a diet recently, and work has been a bit busy."


    Lin Ruoxue nced at her mother and gave an evasive response:


    "It''ll be fine in a bit."


    "You''re not even fat, so what are you dieting for?"


    Zhang Xin immediately said:


    "Besides, you can never earn all the money in the world, but your body is your own."


    "Xiao Su, you too, why don''t you keep an eye on Ruoxue?"


    Zhang Xinran shot Su Chen a nce, expressing her dissatisfaction.


    "Yes, yes, Mom, I got it."


    Facing his mother-inw, Su Chen could only nod in agreement.


    Lin Wenqing quickly came to Su Chen''s defense:


    "Others might not know, but don''t you know what your own daughter is like? Who can persuade her?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen almost burst into tears with gratitude; his father-inw really was a fair man!


    "Dad, you couldn''t be more right. I''ve told her countless times that healthes first, but she just won''t listen!"


    Su Chen promptly said.


    Seeing that Su Chen had found an ally and changed his tune, Lin Ruoxue gave him a re.


    She felt even more aggrieved inside, thinking: Hasn''t all her hard worktely been for this jerk?


    Yet now, this guy has actually...


    "What are you ring at? Is this how you normally treat Xiao Su?"


    Lin Wenqing usually appeared quite refined, but now his expression turned stern, looking quite serious:


    "Don''t bring your corporate ways back home!"


    "Xiao Su, from now on, if she doesn''t listen to you, you just..."


    Suddenly, Lin Wenqing couldn''t think of a suitable punishment and stumbled over his words.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen quickly got excited:


    "Dad, do what?"


    "Spank her!"


    Unable to think of anything else at the moment, Lin Wenqing said.


    Su Chen was suddenly stunned!


    He hadn''t expected his always-cultured father-inw toe out with such a statement!


    But, oh, he was delighted!


    Still, he pretended to be reluctant as he said:


    "Dad, is that really a good idea?"


    "What''s wrong with that? There''s a saying: ''The rod brings forth filial sons; likewise a p on the wrist can yield a wise wife!''"


    Lin Wenqing rarely delivered such stern words, especially in front of his son-inw. He couldn''t just back down now!


    For a moment, everyone at the table, including the Lin Family patriarch, was somewhat astonished and bewildered as they looked at Lin Wenqing.


    Lin Hao''s eyes were wide open, wondering if his father had finally asserted himself in front of his mother.


    After all these years, his mother had always appeared approachable and gentle in front of others, but Lin Hao knew this was just a facade!


    In their family, Zhang Xin was decidedly the one who called the shots!


    He couldn''t help but look at his mother and, sure enough, he saw not only surprise in Zhang Xin''s eyes but also a trace of "coldness."


    Even though Zhang Xin didn''t say anything in front of so many people, Lin Wenqing clearly understood the meaning in her eyes.


    That meaning was: let''s have a "good talk" in our room!


    "Dad, you''re absolutely right, I''ll drink to that!"


    Su Chen immediately raised his ss and toasted Lin Wenqing, for the first time feeling that his father-inw was so endearing!


    At the same time, he provocatively nced at Lin Ruoxue, now wielding the "Imperial Sword"!


    Lin Ruoxue returned the challenge with a defiant re, as if to say, dare you!


    Lin Wenqingughed somewhat "awkwardly" and clinked sses with Su Chen, all the while casting a somewhat fearful nce at Zhang Xin beside him.


    The old Mr. Lin, on the other hand, hadn''t said much for a long time and seemed content to just smile and watch everyone.


    However, the elder''s first words immediately tightened Lin Ruoxue''s heart.


    "Ruoxue, when exactly do you two n to have a child?"


    Old Mr. Lin said lightly as he ate a mouthful of food.


    As soon as these words came out, Zhang Xin immediately set aside her earlier emotions!


    "Yes, Ruoxue, you''re not young anymore, when will you finally give us peace of mind?"


    Zhang Xin looked at Lin Ruoxue, her eyes shining with an intense eagerness.


    As the saying goes, never underestimate an elder''s longing for a grandchild!


    Even the normallyposed Lin Wenqing looked towards Lin Ruoxue with great anticipation.


    For a moment, Lin Ruoxue felt as if she had fallen into a tight encirclement of "enemies"!


    "We are trying, really trying!"


    Lin Ruoxue said sheepishly, also casting a pleading look at Su Chen!


    Having no choice, Su Chen sometimes couldn''t resist Lin Ruoxue''s asional damsel-like demeanor, so he nodded and said,


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, we are indeed trying hard."


    In fact, he wanted to say, have a ghost child, why don''t you, when we aren''t even truly husband and wife yet?!


    But, of course, if he said that out loud, Lin Ruoxue would probably hate him forever because, undoubtedly, she would be fiercely scolded!


    "Trying my ass!"


    Old Mr. Lin suddenly scolded coldly:


    "How long do you n to ''try''? A year, two years, or five years, ten years, or are you waiting until I''m lying in a coffin?"


    "Grandpa, who can be certain about having kids, let nature take its course!"


    Lin Ruoxue retorted with a pouting cherry mouth, looking aggrieved.


    "Then I ask you, do you have any health issues?"


    The elder asked seriously.


    "No."


    Lin Ruoxue muttered softly.


    "And what about you, Su? Do you have any health problems?"


    The elder turned to Su Chen and asked.


    "No, no!"


    Su Chen immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, joking aside, how could there be a misunderstanding in this regard?


    "Since neither of you has a problem, why can others have children, but you can''t?"


    The elder raised his voice suddenly.


    This loud reprimand startled both of them!


    Hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but think that the old man was being a bit unreasonable, but since the elder seemed furious, it was best not to provoke him!


    Seeing her grandfather like this, Lin Ruoxue didn''t dare utter a single word!


    "Alright, you have three months to get pregnant!"


    Old Mr. Lin decreed autocratically.


    After speaking, the elder stood up and returned to his room, not giving Lin Ruoxue any chance to argue.


    Since everyone else had almost finished eating, Su Chen instructed Aunt Sun to clean up.


    Lin Hao was the first to dash out; as a young man and the Young Master of the Lin Family, how could he possibly stay home at night?


    He had wanted Su Chen to take him out for some fun at night, but since Su Chen told him he had ns, Lin Hao had to seek entertainment on his own.


    Mr. and Mrs. Lin Wenqing naturally returned to their own room, and observing his father-inw''s retreating figure, Su Chen silently prayed for him, feeling he was in for a rough night.


    And of course, it all stemmed from his remark about "a good wifees from the palm of your hand"...

 Chapter 631 - 631 Su Chen Pretends to Be Foolish

    Afterward, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to work, while Su Chen, having smoked a cigarette on the sofa, headed to the old master''s room.


    Although the old master didn''t say anything, he knew that the old master must be waiting for him.


    Indeed, as soon as Su Chen pushed open the door and entered, the old master was sitting on the edge of the bed, reading a newspaper in his hands.


    Seeing Su Chen walk in, he smiled slightly:


    "You''vee!"


    Su Chen nodded his head then sincerely said:


    "Grandfather, thank you!"


    Su Chen didn''t say this for no reason, for the immediate issue that arose from his situation being exposed was the choices of those previously tied to him!


    It wasn''t aughing matter, as the Su Chen of now was facing the very top families of Huaxia!


    Any one of them was an existence that was within sight but out of reach for the Lin Family!


    If they chose to be in the same camp as Su Chen, it could very well lead to their downfall!


    Any person would have to think this over seriously, let alone a family as significant as the Lin Family!


    And tonight, the attitude of the old master and his parents-inw had said it all!


    Especially his father-inw, Lin Wenqing, who behaved very differently today from his usual self; how could that be anything but a gesture to ease Su Chen''s mind.


    Although he didn''t expect them to provide any substantial help, they had given him something he desired most¡ªthat feeling of family!


    For all of this, it was impossible for Su Chen not to be moved!


    The old master waved his hand at these words:


    "It''s the same old saying, ''Family doesn''t talk in two tongues.''"


    Su Chen nodded and then also sat down beside the bed.


    For a while, neither of them spoke, especially the old master who, even though the words were on the tip of his tongue, felt a bit abrupt.


    "Grandfather, just say what you want to say."


    After a little while, Su Chen spoke:


    "Just like you said, we are family, and I will definitely speak if I can."


    Su Chen spoke very frankly, but he also implied that there were things he would not discuss.


    The old master caught the nuance in his tone instantly.


    "Actually, I have met your father."


    The old master looked at Su Chen and sighed.


    "You have?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask in surprise, which was something he hadn''t expected.


    "Yes, it has been almost thirty years now,"


    the old master nodded and reminisced:


    "But it was just an acquaintance. Back then, he was about your age, and he really shone like the moon among the stars, inspiring admiration at first nce."


    "I spoke with him a few times, he was indeed kind, and yet he possessed a certain dignity!"


    The old master smiled slightly:


    "I won''t lie to you, when I saw him back then, I thought to myself that any family that had such a scion was truly blessed by their ancestors."


    "Life is indeed like a y; who would have thought that decadester, I would be his inw, yet he..."


    At this point, the old master couldn''t help but feel a bit wistful.


    "Truth be told, my impression of him has also be somewhat blurry; even when I see him in dreams, his face is not so clear."


    Su Chen shook his head with a touch of bitterness.


    "You can''t me yourself, you were too young at the time."


    The old master patted his leg, feeling inevitably heartbroken.


    A child of five or six, losing one loved one after another in such a short period of time¡ªsuch a blow was indeed too great!


    "Actually, you''re quite different from your father, especially in personality."


    The old master pondered before saying:


    "Oh, how is my character unlike his?"


    Su Chen seemed quite interested in asking.


    "Your father had the air of jade about him, gentle yet lustrous. As for you..."


    The old master looked at Su Chen and continued:


    "You''re more like an unsheathed sharp weapon, mysterious yet even more edged!"


    Su Chen smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the old master''s description.


    "Right, is everything under control?"


    Lin Wenqing suddenly turned to ask.


    Although his question seemed somewhat inexplicable, Su Chen knew exactly what he meant.


    "How should I put this?"


    Su Chen slightly furrowed his brow and said:


    "I have my trump cards, but the Five Great Families have stood tall in Huaxia for so many years; the waters are deep and immeasurable. Without draining the pond, who knows what lies beneath?"


    "That''s true."


    The old master nodded upon hearing this, agreeing with Su Chen''s statement.


    "Xiao Su, I have no other requests, just protect Ruoxue well and don''t let her get hurt!"


    The old master said earnestly.


    "Grandfather, don''t worry, I absolutely won''t let anyone hurt Ruoxue."


    Su Chen then smiled:


    "I''ve already made some arrangements."


    "That''s good, that''s very good."


    The old master felt much relieved; what worried him the most wasn''t anything else but the safety of his granddaughter.


    He knew well that those great families all looked like gentlemen from the outside, but inside they were the type who would devour someone without spitting out the bones!


    "Alright, you go on with your business, I should rest too; this body really can''t take it anymore."


    Lin Wenqing said, after all, he hadn''t slept a winkst night, and a short nap before dinner was not enough.


    "Alright then, Grandfather, I won''t disturb your rest."


    Su Chen then stood up and walked out, heading to the study next to Lin Ruoxue''s bedroom.


    "Wife, you''re still busy, huh."


    Su Chen pushed open the door of the study and said with a grin.


    "Hmm."


    Lin Ruoxue replied without lifting her head, busy at the moment with no time to pay attention to him.


    "Wife, there''s something I want to ask you."


    "Speak, what is it?"


    Lin Ruoxue continued working at her desk.


    "This, where did the stuff on my bed in my room go? It''s gone; how am I supposed to sleep tonight?"


    Su Chen asked hesitantly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ruoxue suddenly lifted her head, and a sharp glint shot out of her beautiful eyes towards Su Chen!


    "What do you think?"


    Lin Ruoxue said through gritted teeth; she was certain that this guy was doing it on purpose.


    "I genuinely don''t know, that''s why I''m asking you."


    Su Chen spread his hands and said:


    "If I knew, why would I still be asking you?"


    "Sleep wherever you like!"


    Lin Ruoxue huffed.


    "Then I''ll look for my nket and go back to my room to sleep. Maybe Aunt Sun washed it for me, never mind, I''ll just change to a different one."


    Su Chen pretended to be oblivious and then prepared to leave.


    "Stop right there!"


    Su Chen hadn''t reached the door before Lin Ruoxue suddenly stood up and shouted at him in a suppressed voice.


    "Wife, is there something else?"


    Su Chen asked with a look of confusion.


    "Su Chen, do you think it''s fun to y like this?"


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue was so angry that her chest heaved violently, which nearly made Su Chen drool...

 Chapter 632: The Sudden Phone Call

    "Ah, wife, what are you saying? Why can''t I understand?"


    Su Chen appeared very innocent as he said,


    "How is this ying around?"


    As soon as his words fell, ayer of ice frost formed on Lin Ruoxue''s face!


    "You''re sleeping upstairs tonight!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat out with indignation.


    Su Chen suddenly showed an expression of sudden realization,


    "Wife, so you wanted me to keep youpany in bed! Why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately had three ck lines appear on her forehead, and she didn''t believe for a second this bastard didn''t know what she meant!


    And what on earth does ''keep youpany in bed'' mean? It sounds awful!


    "Since that''s the case, I see it''s gettingte, let''s hurry up and go to sleep!"


    With that, Su Chen was about to pull Lin Ruoxue up.


    "What are you doing, I haven''t finished my work yet!"


    As he grasped her hand, Lin Ruoxue immediately eximed in rm.


    "What work? Have you forgotten what mom and dad said during dinner?"


    Su Chen pretended to be angry as he nced at Lin Ruoxue and directly pulled her out.


    Lin Ruoxue was helpless, knowing that once this bastard started ying his rogue tricks, she didn''t stand a chance.


    "Forget it. Grandpa, as well as mom and dad are here, so I might as well get some early rest today," Lin Ruoxue thought to herself.


    Of course, it was another night that couldn''t be spoken of to outsiders. Lin Ruoxue finally fell into a deep sleep, exhausted in both mind and body, while Su Chen, even in his sleep, had a smile of satisfaction and pride on his lips!


    Early the next morning, Lin Ruoxue was the first to open her eyes. When she turned her head and saw the smile on Su Chen''s lips, she really felt like kicking him off the bed!


    Because at that moment, he looked just like a child who had sneakily eaten a piece of delicious candy!


    And she, obviously, was that piece of delicious candy!


    Thinking this, a blush slowly climbed up her exquisitely beautiful face!


    She truly felt that if her parents continued to stay for a few more days, something was bound to happen!


    "Wife, you''re awake!"


    Su Chen, not knowing when, had already opened his eyes and immediately noticed Lin Ruoxue staring at him, lost in thought.


    "Hmm."


    Lin Ruoxue responded with feigned coldness and then started dressing!


    Su Chen let out a lightugh, still casually taking a cigarette from the bedside table''s box, lighting it, and began to puff away at the head of the bed.


    Watching Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen truly felt as if he were living a heavenly life, one that he wouldn''t trade for all the money in the world!


    When they were done getting ready and went downstairs, they found that the others were already awake and all looked over at the sound of footsteps on the stairs.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Ruoxue immediately became incredibly shy, feeling as if a private little secret in her heart had been peeped at, very unsettled!


    The old master and Lin Wenqing couple, upon seeing the two of theming downstairs, couldn''t help but show a relieved expression on their faces!


    After all, the marriage between the two had started off as one being led to the altar, so it was natural to worry about their feelings!


    Fortunately, it seemed that they were getting along better and better, which slowly put their minds at ease!


    "Grandpa, good morning!"


    "Mom and dad, good morning!"


    Su Chen, feeling no shame, greeted them very naturally.


    "Xiao Su, why didn''t you two sleep in a bit longer?"


    Zhang Xin looked at Su Chen with a meaningful nce that even made Su Chen feel a tremor in his heart!


    Her underlying message was clear enough for anyone toprehend, and indeed, Lin Ruoxue''s face turned even redder!


    "Where''s Xiao Hao? Why don''t I see him around?"


    Lin Ruoxue deflected with a question of her own.


    "Who knows with him?"


    Zhang Xin said irritably:


    "Never mind him, keeping him calm and at home is harder than ascending to the heavens!"


    "Alright, let''s have breakfast!"


    The old Master Lin said with a smile.


    After that, everyone sat down around the dining table and began their breakfast, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious!


    "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, after breakfast, I''ll take you out for a stroll!"


    During breakfast, Su Chen said:


    "After all, it''s not often youe to Yandu, so let''s enjoy ourselves for a few days."


    "That sounds good. I''m quite busy these next few days and won''t have the time, so please take good care of Grandpa and my parents!"


    Before Master Lin and the others could speak, Lin Ruoxue hurriedly said so.


    "Busy, busy, busy, all you know is busy!"


    Zhang Xin red at Lin Ruoxue and said:


    "I think I''ve raised my daughter in vain, not as good as little Su!"


    "Mom, aren''t I just like your son?"


    Su Chen shamelessly said.


    As soon as he said this, Zhang Xin''s face bloomed into a smile, and she kept piling food onto his te, urging him to eat more.


    "Brown noser!"


    Lin Ruoxue muttered discontentedly.


    "Alright, I''m done eating, I''m off to work now."


    A momentter, Lin Ruoxue stood up and said.


    "Hurry along, hurry along, I get angry just seeing you!"


    Zhang Xin waved her hand and said:


    "Having little Su with us is enough."


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt "heartbroken." Wasn''t she her own flesh and blood? Why did she feel like she was picked up from a trash heap? And this jerk Su Chen, he really seemed like their biological son. It wasn''t like this before!


    Feeling disgruntled, Lin Ruoxue left, and after a while, Su Chen and the others also set off.


    They still took Su Chen''s Buick, and today, with Lin Hao absent, it was just perfect.


    Su Chen didn''t have much experience ying tour guide, but he took them to some famous spots in Yandu and treated them to some local delicacies.


    The old Master and Mr. and Mrs. Lin Wenqing seemed to enjoy themselves quite a bit, given they seldom went out for fun.


    Particrly Master Lin, who showed Su Chen his childlike side, truly, the older people get, the more childlike they be!


    When they reached a theme park, Master Lin even wanted to try the roller coaster!


    As soon as he voiced this idea, not just Mr. and Mrs. Lin Wenqing but even Su Chen was nearly scared to death!


    If Master Lin were to suddenly pass away because of this, Lin Ruoxue would kill him!


    After much persuasion from the three of them, Master Lin slowly gave up on this crazy idea!


    Time indeed flew by swiftly, and before they knew it, it was already past three in the afternoon.


    By then, they had arrived at a historical site for a visit, following the crowd as they admired and appraised various historically significant objects.


    Master Lin and Mr. Lin Wenqing watched with great interest, discussing their views and thoughts from time to time.


    Just then, Su Chen''s phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was the number of Lin Ruoxue''s Shadow Guard!


    His heart uncontrobly skipped a beat and he thought to himself, could it be that something had happened to Lin Ruoxue?


    He hoped that wasn''t the answer, but the likelihood was slim, because the Shadow Guard wouldn''t contact him unless Lin Ruoxue was in trouble.


    Suddenly feeling the sweat on his palms, Su Chen answered the call...

 Chapter 633: Skull Society Reappears

    When Su Chen hung up the phone, a chilling look had appeared on his face!


    Fortunately, Mr. Lin and the others were in front of him, and they didn''t notice his expression.


    Su Chen then resumed his usual demeanor and walked forward, saying to them:


    "Grandpa, Mom and Dad, I''m sorry, I have some urgent matters, I need to leave for a while."


    "That''s fine, go ahead if you have something to do."


    Mr. Lin didn''t seem too concerned and casually said.


    "Yes, Su, go ahead if you have something."


    Zhang Xin also chimed in.


    "Then you guys¡­"


    "Don''t worry about us, we''ll watch for a while, then we can take a taxi home ourselves."


    Mr. Lin said with a smile.


    "Alright, I''ll be leaving then."


    Su Chen said hurriedly and then quickly left. He went to the parking lot and immediately drove towards a certain ce.


    At that moment, Su Chen was very nervous. Although reason told him that the target was him, and Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t be in danger before he showed up,


    but as the saying goes, care leads to chaos. Lin Ruoxue could be considered the closest person to him in this world. What if the other party wasn''t like that?


    What if Lin Ruoxue got hurt? Then he would truly me himself for life!


    Moreover, being able to kidnap someone under the guard of two Shadow Guards meant that the opposition was no ordinary foe!


    By then, Su Chen had already started regretting it. If only he had known, he would have let Demon gather two B teams earlier, or directly summon the Shadow Guard.


    Although the confidentiality of the Shadow Guard was important, it couldn''tpare to Lin Ruoxue''s safety!


    Su Chen pushed the car to its limit while frowning.


    He couldn''t understand¡ªhad he misjudged before, and those families had acted so quickly?


    Su Chen had previously judged that those families would definitely wait for this period of attention to pass before they acted. He had always been confident in his judgment, which is why he refused when Demon suggested gathering two B teams earlier.


    However, Su Chen knew that thinking more now was futile. The only solution was to rescue Lin Ruoxue as soon as possible!


    By then, Su Chen had decided that no matter which family had acted, he would make sure they shed some blood, otherwise they might think he was easy prey!


    Su Chen quickly arrived at the scene of the incident, located in an alley next to the Amethyst Crystal Hotel, a ce rarely frequented.


    When Su Chen entered the alley, a Shadow Guard suddenly appeared in front of him and knelt down.


    "Master, I apologize, we failed to protect the Main Mother!"


    The Shadow Guard was full of self-me, for the one missing was not just anyone, but the Main Mother!


    The master had given themplete trust by entrusting them with the safety of the Main Mother and another member!


    This was something they took pride in as Shadow Guards, yet they had failed their mission!


    At that moment, they wished they could kill themselves!


    "Tell me what happened!"


    Su Chen said sternly, without instructing the Shadow Guard to rise.


    Through the Shadow Guard''s narrative, Su Chen learned that Lin Ruoxue would leave home every day to work at the Amethyst Crystal Hotel nearby.


    Previously, out of respect for Lin Ruoxue, he had not asked the Shadow Guards where they went every day, only inquired once through that little girl, Chen Guo.


    Because the Shadow Guard was only sent to ensure Lin Ruoxue''s safety, asking them about her whereabouts would imply surveince or spying, which seemed inappropriate.


    However, it was alright to learn about it through the girl, Chen Guo; then, there were no such concerns.


    The course of events was quite simple: Lin Ruoxue would eat at a small restaurant next to the Amethyst Crystal Hotel every noon.


    To avoid detection by Lin Ruoxue, the Shadow Guard maintained a distance while following her.


    Today, however, as Lin Ruoxue left the restaurant and approached this small alley, about to pass by, suddenly, two or three men burst out from the alley and dragged her into it!


    The two Shadow Guards were naturally startled and hurriedly chased after her, but unexpectedly, five more appeared, blocking their pursuit!


    These men were formidable; just two or three of them managed to entangle one of the Shadow Guards, who had reached the Qi Refinement Peak. It was even easier for the other two to deal with the Shadow Guard at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement!


    At the other end of the alley, a car had been waiting, and after taking Lin Ruoxue, they swiftly moved to the other end of the alley and escaped by car.


    "Has Number 7 gone to track the target?" Su Chen asked.


    "Yes, Master."


    "Are there any other clues?"


    "We killed two of them; these two seem a bit strange."


    "How so?"


    "These two appear to be the Gene Modifiers you mentioned in our internal Shadow Guard information, Master. When we cut their skin, their blood was green!"


    Su Chen was suddenly rmed. Could it be not the major families'' doings, but Tang Gang''s Skull Society?


    "Where are they? Take me to see them!"


    Su Chen''s heart tightened suddenly.


    "In that small garbage shed over there."


    The Shadow Guard pointed to a small shed used for storing trash not far away.


    He had dragged the bodies there to avoid unnecessary trouble in case someone passed by.


    Afterward, the two went over there; the Shadow Guard went in and dragged out the two bodies.


    "Master, are these the Gene Modifiers you mentioned?"


    "Yes."


    Su Chen nodded. He recognized at a nce that these were third-generation Gene Modifiers, just like the ones he had encountered on that small ind in the Pacific Ocean.


    "Tang Gang, you''re seeking death!"


    A terrifying sharpness suddenly shot from Su Chen''s eyes, startled that although he hadn''t found Tang Gang yet, Tang had found him first!


    Su Chen silently swore that he would entirely eradicate Tang Gang and his Skull Society!


    Just then, Su Chen''s phone vibrated. He took it out and saw a message from an unknown number, just one sentence.


    "If you want to save your wife,e alone to an abandoned factory twenty miles east of the city!"


    Upon seeing the message, Su Chen immediately called the tracking Shadow Guard Number 7, instructing him to return.


    During the call, Number 7 informed him that those people indeed seemed to be heading towards the eastern outskirts.


    The Shadow Guard naturally had no objections to Su Chen''s orders and immediately headed back.


    Su Chen was also worried that if Number 7 were discovered by the opponents, it might agitate them and lead them to harm Lin Ruoxue.


    The ce mentioned was not hard to find; Su Chen found the location with little trouble.


    It was a two-story factory building, the grass outside as tall as a person, clearly a ce seldom visited by anyone...

 Chapter 634: Reunion with Lin Wenlong and His Son

    Outside that small factory building, there was a small courtyard, and at the entrance gate of the courtyard stood a person.


    Su Chen recognized him right away¡ªhe was also a Gene Modifier.


    Upon seeing Su Chene alone, he immediately led Su Chen in with an expressionless face.


    Once inside the factory, Su Chen first surveyed theyout inside; it was his instinctual habit.


    He noticed that in the middle of the ground floor was a spacious cement area, nked by two rows of rooms on both sides.


    Next to this open space was a staircase leading to the second floor, which was surrounded by an iron railing that had already be rusty and obviously many years old.


    The second floor also had a row of rooms, but unlike theyout on the first floor, they were arranged vertically, so Su Chen could clearly see every room''s door.


    At that moment, Su Chen didn''t see a single person in his field of vision; he knew those people were definitely hidden in various rooms.


    Indeed, after hearing footsteps downstairs, a door on the upper floor was opened.


    A group of people came out from inside, about twelve or thirteen in total.


    Lin Ruoxue was in the middle of this group of people, her eyes tightly closed, supported by two people, as if she were unconscious.


    Actually, they had knocked Lin Ruoxue unconscious the very first moment they kidnapped her, otherwise Lin Ruoxue struggling and shouting might have caused them some trouble.


    Moreover, on Lin Ruoxue''s body was currently bound a cubic object!


    Upon seeing this scene, Su Chen''s face immediately showed an extremely cold chill.


    Because he recognized that object at once¡ªit was a bomb, a highly potent solid bomb!


    Based on this alone, Su Chen had already sentenced these people to death!


    Apart from noting Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen also noticed two other people, who were both wearing masks and were also encircled by the Gene Modifiers in the middle!


    It seemed that these two individuals were likely the leaders of this operation, but when Su Chen saw these two, he felt they seemed somewhat familiar, though he couldn''t remember where from!


    But regardless of who they were, they were undoubtedly doomed!


    "Su Chen, long time no see,"


    at this moment, one of the masked men stepped forward, his tone filled with immense hatred.


    As he spoke, he and the other masked man both took off their masks!


    "It''s you?!"


    Seeing the true faces of these two men, Su Chen''s pupils constricted!


    He had not expected to meet these two people here at all!


    For they were none other than Lin Wenlong and his son Lin Chao, who had been ordered by old Mr. Lin to have an arm and a leg broken and be expelled from the Lin Family!


    Su Chen waspletely puzzled for a moment as to how they could end up coborating with the Skull Society.


    "Indeed, it''s us!"


    Lin Chao looked at Su Chen with a gaze that almost seemed to burn him thoroughly:


    "You didn''t expect it, did you, that we would meet again!"


    "You even dare to show up! Aren''t you afraid I''ll kill you?"


    Su Chen asked coldly; his words seemed like a harsh response to being provoked, but they were more of a probe!


    Sure enough, Lin Chao burst intoughter upon hearing this, hisughter somewhat psychotic. He then scornfully spat out:


    "Do you think we''re still the same as before? Let me tell you, you daring toe here today spells your death!"


    Upon hearing Lin Chao''s words, Su Chen immediately realized that these father and son had really encountered some incidents during this period.


    Looking at their limbs, which seemed perfectly fine now, Su Chen couldn''t help but wonder if they too had undergone gic modification by the Skull Society?


    If that was the case, it would exin the current situation.


    However, there was still one question; it was known that after gic modification, a person''s cognitive abilities would significantly decline, so generally, a Gene Modifier needed a normal person as their leader.


    But looking at Lin Wenlong and his son, though they were somewhat unstable, they didn''t seem like other Gene Modifiers, who acted like puppets.


    Just then, a bright light suddenly shed across Su Chen''s mind.


    Could it be that both of them had undergone that kind of experiment?


    Su Chen knew there was a way to keep Gene Modifiers at their previous level of intellect, which was the Neural Strengthening Experiment!


    However, the biggest problem with this experiment was that those who underwent it could only survive for a maximum of one year, or as short as about three months!


    But these were still just Su Chen''s spections, with no corroborating evidence.


    "Besides, we still have this bitch Lin Ruoxue in our hands! I don''t believe you would dare to ignore her safety."


    Lin Chao continued, his face flushed with excitement; he had been waiting for this day for a long time!


    "Wake this bitch up. Wouldn''t it be too regrettable if she missed such a scene?"


    Lin Chao then ordered. As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately took a syringe and jabbed it into Lin Ruoxue''s arm, injecting a small amount of reagent.


    Su Chen didn''t make any moves because Lin Ruoxue was still strapped with a bomb, and Lin Wenlong held the remote control, always ready!


    Moreover, Lin Ruoxue was surrounded by several Gene Modifiers!


    He couldn''t afford any unexpected idents happening to Lin Ruoxue!


    Unless it was absolutely necessary, or he was one hundred percent certain, he would definitely not act rashly!


    He also judged that the reagent was probably some sort of antidote to wake Lin Ruoxue up.


    Sure enough, after just a short few seconds, Lin Ruoxue slowly regained consciousness!


    "Who are you people? Why did you kidnap me?"


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue woke up, she immediately started shouting in panic!


    She clearly remembered that she had just finished lunch when someone suddenly captured her and knocked her out!


    However, she soon saw Lin Wenlong beside her, and an expression of disbelief crossed her face.


    "Uncle, why are you here?"


    After all, Lin Ruoxue had been calling Lin Wenlong ''uncle'' for over twenty years, and seeing him now, she instinctively called out to him.


    She didn''t understand why Lin Wenlong would be there.


    "Lin Chao, why are you here too?"


    As she spotted Lin Chao in front of her, she immediately blurted out.


    "Was it you who kidnapped me?"


    Lin Ruoxue, being an intelligent person, quickly figured it out.


    "Correct, congrattions, you guessed right!"


    A mocking expression appeared on Lin Chao''s face!


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue suddenly looked down and saw a square object on her body; she immediately became nervous.


    "What on earth do you want to do, what is this thing?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked fearfully, instinctively sensing danger.


    "Shush, this is a solid bomb, and its power is enough to blow up this factory building!"


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s scared expression brought a sense of satisfaction to Lin Chao!


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s face immediately turned pale!


    Although she was a powerhouse in the business world, she was after all a woman!


    How could she have ever experienced such a situation? It was already impressive that she hadn''t fainted from fear at that moment!


    "What exactly do you want by bringing me here?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s voice trembled...

 Chapter 635: Forced to Kneel Down

    "My dear cousin, look who else hase?"


    Lin Chao didn''t answer Lin Ruoxue''s question but pointed downstairs, a smirk of triumph spreading across his face.


    "Su Chen!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately turned her gaze downstairs and eximed in shock when she saw Su Chen!


    "Ruoxue, don''t be afraid. I''m here; you will definitely be safe!"


    Su Chen shouted from below, knowing that at this moment, Lin Ruoxue must be immensely frightened and most in need of encouragement!


    "Yes!"


    Lin Ruoxue nodded vigorously in response.


    "Who would have thought that you two really share a deep bond!"


    Lin Chao''s face showed a thick, mocking expression, exactly as he had anticipated!


    The more they cared for each other, the more amusing and excited he felt!


    "Did you capture me just to deal with Su Chen?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked Lin Chao, realizing it the moment she saw Su Chen.


    "Congrattions, you got it right again. I must say, Ruoxue, you really are clever!"


    Lin Chao snapped his fingers as heughed.


    "But why?"


    Lin Ruoxue said painfully:


    "After all, we are all family. Why must you do this?"


    "Hahahahaha~~~~"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Chao burst into a harsh, loudugh:


    "Family? If it weren''t for you and your husband, would my son and I have fallen to our current state?"


    "That is your own doing. Your ill intentions are to me, not others."


    Lin Ruoxue retorted outright.


    Though she was still very scared, especially with a bomb on her, seeing Su Chen made her less panicked.


    For some reason, this man always managed to give her a strong sense of security!


    "What a phrase, ''not others to me.'' My father is the eldest son, I am the eldest grandson, why should the corporation be handed over to you?"


    Lin Chao roared angrily, as if trying to vent all the resentment he had harbored over the years.


    "Just because of that, you had to poison grandpa and harm me?"


    Lin Ruoxue said heartbrokenly:


    "We are still family, how could you bring yourselves to do such a thing?"


    "Besides, I never hoarded the corporation for myself. I only took my rightful share of the dividends each year, not a penny more."


    Indeed, Lin Ruoxue was right. Before Lin Chao and his son made their move, the Lin Family''s shares were rather dispersed, and everyone had a share.


    However, it was after Lin Chao and his son repeatedly took action and likely colluded with other family members that Grandfather Lin decided to consolidate the shares and power, handing them all over to Lin Ruoxue.


    "So what? Isn''t the corporation still under your sole control?"


    Lin Chao screamed furiously:


    "I am the eldest grandson; this was all supposed to be mine!"


    "Alright, Chao, stop arguing with them and just take care of them already!"


    Lin Wenlong, worried about potentialplications, couldn''t help but speak out.


    His hatred for this couple was no less than that of Lin Chao''s; he wanted to cast this couple into hell!


    "Old man, don''t boss me around!"


    However, Lin Chao showed no respect for his own father, directly rebuking him:


    "Mind your own status; I am the leader of this mission!"


    "Lin Chao, how can you talk to me like that? I am your father!"


    Lin Wenlong said with a face dark as thunder.


    "So what?"


    Lin Chao scoffed:


    "Do you think I care about that anymore? Let me tell you, if you keep ying your father figure, I''ll kill you!"


    Lin Ruoxue watched this scene unfold, utterly astonished, feeling that Lin Chao hadpletely lost his mind!


    No matter how you put it, Lin Wenlong was ultimately his father.


    Not only did he disrespect him, but he even threatened to kill him! That was just unbelievable!


    Su Chen listened to their conversation without making any sound. He was constantly observing and thinking, looking for any possible solution.


    In that moment, he did think of several ns, but all of them carried certain risks and were only suitable as alternatives.


    However, upon hearing Lin Chao''s words, his eyes suddenly lit up. He felt that Lin Chao was now in a particrly unique state. His mind hadpletely twisted!


    Although such individuals were deranged and dangerous, they also had exploitable opportunities!


    Years of living on the edge of danger had ingrained in him the habit of using every possible factor to solve problems.


    When Lin Wenlong heard Lin Chao say he wanted to kill him, his lips twitched but he said nothing.


    He realized that ever since they were driven out of the Lin Family, his son had be somewhat mentally unstable and extremely biased.


    Especially after that experiment, it had gotten even worse!


    If he continued to provoke the kid, he might really do something drastic.


    After all, he was the leader of this operation, and those people all listened to him.


    Seeing Lin Wenlong scared into silence by his words made Lin Chao even prouder, making him feel like he was the only true master of the situation!


    He liked and enjoyed that feeling!


    "Su Chen, you wouldn''t have imagined that one day you would fall into my hands!"


    Lin Chao shouted at Su Chen down below.


    "Lin Chao, aren''t you being a bit too arrogant!"


    Su Chen scoffed disdainfully:


    "You''re nothing but a jumping clown!"


    "Su Chen, even now, you dare speak so wildly!"


    Lin Chao, upon being called a jumping clown, became instantly furious:


    "Kneel down for me, kneel!"


    "No!"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately shouted desperately, shaking her head:


    "Lin Chao, don''t!"


    "Don''t? I must make him kneel today!"


    Lin Chao''s face twisted with a fierceness:


    "If it weren''t for this brat ruining my ns multiple times, the Lin Family would have been mine long ago!"


    "Who do you think you are to make me kneel?"


    Su Chen''s face was full of contempt:


    "Do you think you''re something special just because you have these people with you?"


    "You still dare to be rampant!"


    Lin Chao turned to someone andmanded:


    "Go down, break both of his legs for me. I want to see how arrogant he can be then!"


    "Yes!"


    A Gene Modifier immediately responded.


    Then he picked up an iron rod leaning against the wall and immediately walked down the stairs toward Su Chen!


    "Lin Chao, don''t!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned pale as she heard:


    "Lin Chao, I''ll give you whatever you want, even the Belle Corporation! Please, don''t!"


    "The Belle Corporation?"


    Lin Chao sneered:


    "If it were before, I''d be very interested, but now, I only want revenge!"


    "Su Chen, I know you''re powerful, but if you dare to resist, I''ll have someone cut a sh across this bitch Lin Ruoxue''s face!"


    Lin Chao grinned viciously at Su Chen below:


    "You resist once, I sh once; resist twice, I sh twice!"


    "Such a beautiful woman, destroyed, would certainly feel wonderful!"

 Chapter 636: Being Your True Wife

    "Su Chen, run! Don''t worry about me anymore, he''s gone mad and won''t spare any of us!"


    Lin Ruoxue shouted at Su Chen downstairs.


    How she wished to live, how afraid she was of being disfigured, but she knew that if Su Chen kept worrying about her, they would both end up dying here!


    It was better for one to escape than for both to die together!


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue''s strong mental resilience and decisive nature, developed in the business world, were fully disyed.


    If it were a normal person, especially a woman, it would be hard to be as calm as she was!


    If Su Chen were an ordinary person, or not so strong, Lin Ruoxue''s words would undoubtedly be the most reasonable!


    And if Su Chen ran away, Lin Chao might actually hesitate and not kill her!


    But if Su Chen didn''t run, yet he kept worrying about her, letting the enemy lead them by the nose, it would only worsen the situation!


    The enemy would then do whatever they wanted, holding them in their hands like dough and kneading them at will!


    But would Su Chen run? Obviously not!


    "Lin Ruoxue, you''re my wife, how could I abandon you and run away?"


    Su Chen gently smiled and said,


    "We haven''t even spent our wedding night yet! If you die like this, wouldn''t I be losing out too much?"


    "At a time like this, how can you still joke around?"


    Seeing him like this, Lin Ruoxue suddenly became very anxious, yet a warm current slowly flowed through her heart.


    She, if not foolish, knew that Su Chen was doing this for her sake, unwilling to leave.


    And in reality, how many true couples would stay together in such situations, without abandoning each other?


    "Su Chen, I can''t help but admire your courage now!"


    Lin Chao coldly spat out,


    "But soon, you won''t beughing anymore!"


    "Attack!"


    Immediately afterward, Lin Chao shouted at the Gene Modifier who had walked up to Su Chen.


    "No!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s expression drastically changed, and she yelled hurriedly, feeling her heartpletely clenching together!


    But her shout was of no use. As soon as Lin Chao''s words fell, the Gene Modifier''s iron rod was raised high, then dropped!


    "Bang!"


    A huge booming sound erupted, and Su Chen instantly felt a heart-wrenching pain, "thud" he fell to his knees!


    "Lin Chao, I beg you, stop, I''ll give you anything you want!"


    Seeing Su Chen in such pain, Lin Ruoxue instantly broke down, crying out in despair!


    "But now I just want to see you in pain, seeing you suffer excites me!"


    Excitement gradually surfaced on Lin Chao''s face, his eyes gleaming.


    Just then, another massive "bang" sound erupted, and Su Chen''s other leg also "thumped" to the ground.


    "No!"


    At the same time, Lin Ruoxue also cried out in rm, her body trembling, unable to stand as she saw the iron rod hit Su Chen''s knees!


    "Lin Chao, you beast, I''m going to fight you!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes instantly filled with blood-red rage, recklessly attempting to rush at Lin Chao!


    But the two Gene Modifiers firmly grasped her, leaving her no room to move!


    "Lin Chao, even as a ghost I won''t let you or your son off!"


    Lin Ruoxue was nearly insane by this point, her eyes filled with hatred as she looked at Lin Chao.


    "I swore once, that I''ll get back the pain I received from you, a hundredfold upon you both!"


    Lin Chao naturally didn''t care about Lin Ruoxue''s harsh words; the more she behaved like this, the better he felt!


    By this time, Su Chen''s forehead was already covered in cold sweat, and his expression was one of immense pain!


    Although his cultivation was strong, his body was not impervious to swords and guns!


    Moreover, the attackers were powerful Gene Modifiers!


    Although they weren''t too bright, their speed and strength were enormously formidable!


    Su Chen felt as if both his knees had been shattered. Although he was partly acting, he was indeed in severe pain!


    He silently circted the Nine Yang Divine Technique, gathering all the True Yuan around his body to his knees to nourish them.


    "Su Chen, why are you so foolish?!"


    Lin Ruoxue, with tear-streaked cheeks, looked at Su Chen:


    "I just told you to run, why didn''t you run?"


    "What if something happened to you if I had run?"


    Su Chen, enduring the pain, squeezed out a smile and said,


    "Where else could I find such a beautiful wife?"


    But the expression of pain on his face was all too evident.


    "You rascal, you really are quite lecherous."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxueughed out loud, her eyes teary as she spoke to Su Chen:


    "If we are lucky enough to survive today, I promise you, I''ll be your true wife!"


    "Really?"


    Su Chen blurted out, a sh of excitement in his eyes.


    "Really!"


    Lin Ruoxue nodded heavily, her tears blurring her vision!


    At that moment, she regretted why she had been so reserved before, why she hadn''t given herself to him sooner!


    Although Lin Ruoxue said this, in her heart, she believed that their chances of escaping this ordeal were not great!


    The only constion was that she could die alongside this bad guy, so they wouldn''t be separated on the road to the Netherworld...


    "Hahaha~~~"


    Lin Chaoughed loudly at this time, looking at Su Chen with interest:


    "Su Chen, you really embody the saying, ''Even a ghost under the peony flowers is flirtatious!''"


    "What of it? It''s still better than being a pitiful creature like you. Look at yourself, neither human nor ghost; you might as well be dead!"


    Su Chen scoffed and said.


    "Su Chen, you really won''t shed a tear until you see the coffin!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Chao''s eyes shed with a deep and sinister gleam!


    "Bring that wench down here; I want her toe closer and see how her husband kneels before me!"


    Having said that, Lin Chao walked towards the stairs, followed by the others, including Lin Wenlong, who was holding the bomb remote control.


    Lin Chao stopped about two or three meters in front of Su Chen and looked at him, spitting out:


    "Su Chen, I have to say, we, including those people from Jiangnan, have underestimated you!"


    "Who would have thought that you would be a legend and a king of the Western Dark World? Lord of the Netherworld!"


    Just having learned of Su Chen''s real identity and his influence from the Skull Society, Lin Chao truly felt as if God and he himself were part of a huge joke!


    He had never dreamt that Lin Ruoxue''s unassuming husband was such a significant figure, before whom even many country presidents were courteous!


    Once, his word in the Dark World was like a decree!


    If he truly wanted someone dead, whether you were a celebrity, a business tycoon, or even a national leader, all you could do was wait for death...

 Chapter 637: Humiliation

    From that moment, both father and son realized that their previous defeats were well deserved. Facing such a being, how could they not be defeated?


    However, this did not mean that he gave up on revenge. On the contrary, his hatred only grew stronger, feeling as if he had been yed like a clown by this person!


    Especially after receiving help from the Skull Society and gaining a level of strength he had never dared to dream of before, he felt even more confident!


    He had never imagined before that a person could be so powerful!


    Moreover, he also knew Su Chen''s greatest vulnerability¡ªhis own cousin, Lin Ruoxue!


    As long as he captured Lin Ruoxue, would he notply?


    So after undergoing transformation, Lin Chao and his son immediately headed to Yandu in Huaxia with ten Gene Modifiers provided by the Skull Society.


    However, Lin Chao did not strike immediately. Although he longed to torture Su Chen and his wife to death, he knew of their strength and dared not be careless!


    After observing from a distance for many days, he finallyunched a thunderous strike today!


    Indeed, things went as they had anticipated!


    "Knowing my identity, aren''t you afraid I''ll kill you?"


    Su Chen was not too surprised that Lin Chao and his son knew his identity, for they had already colluded with the Skull Society.


    "Afraid? Of course I am!"


    Lin Chao said with a mockingugh:


    "But now that I have broken your legs, what can you do?"


    "If you were fine, I really wouldn''t dare approach you, Lord of the Dark World!"


    "No wonder you wanted to break my legs, it turns out you are scared!"


    Su Chen nced derisively at Lin Chao and retorted.


    "That doesn''t matter, what''s important is, you are now fish on the chopping board!"


    A smug expression spread across Lin Chao''s face.


    Upon hearing the dialogue between the two, Lin Ruoxue grew even more perplexed.


    Dark World? Lord of the Underworld?


    What are all these things?


    She thought she had understood Su Chen well, but now she realized he was still as enigmatic as ever!


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but wonder, just who was her husband, and why did he have so many secrets?


    But all of that was no longer important to the current Lin Ruoxue. What mattered was the man himself!


    As for his secrets, she believed that if she was fortunate enough to live, she would eventually find out!


    "Really? Are you so confident that you can deal with me?"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a taunting smile.


    Seeing this smile, Lin Chao felt a tremor in his heart. Did he still have an ace up his sleeve?


    No, he must be trying to intimidate me, surely!


    "Su Chen, don''t y mysterious, you''re in this state, I don''t believe you have any tricks left!"


    Lin Chao fixed his gaze on Su Chen and spat out.


    Upon hearing this, a flicker of panic and nervousness crossed Su Chen''s eyes!


    Although Su Chen quickly returned to normal, the expression he had for that moment was caught by Lin Chao, confirming his suspicions!


    He couldn''t help but think to himself: This kid really was trying to bluff me, good thing I kept myposure!


    Through some time of gathering information, Lin Chao had alsoe to understand some basics about martial artists.


    Martial artists were formidable, but they were not indestructible. They too could be injured and could die!


    A typical martial artist, if his legs were broken, would need many days to recover, even if possible.


    This was the real reason he felt so secure!


    But he did not know that the Nine Yang Divine Technique, which Su Chen was cultivating, was such a heaven-defying cultivation technique with astonishing recuperative powers for the body!


    Moreover, Su Chen''s cultivation level had already reached an unimaginable strength, and it was closely rted to his physical strength, meaning his body was also incredibly tough now!


    The Gene Modifier had indeed caused him some damage, but it was far from as severe as he had let on!


    All of this was just to deceive Lin Chao and his son!


    After all, his ultimate goal was to rescue Lin Ruoxue, and only if they lowered their guard would he have a chance!


    "If you''re not scared, why are you so far away from me?"


    Su Chen mocked as he said:


    "By now, even though my legs are broken, you''re just standing there like a shrinking turtle!"


    Honestly, Su Chen''s words really hit home for Lin Chao!


    While his reason told him that Su Chen''s legs were broken and he wasn''t the same person he used to be, he couldn''t do much to him!


    But instinctively, he still kept a distance from Su Chen, knowing the other''s fierce reputation!


    However, upon hearing Su Chen''s mockery, he was still very angry, very furious!


    "I am getting closer to you, what can you do about it?"


    Lin Chao thought about it, with Lin Ruoxue still in his hands, he figured this guy wouldn''t dare pull any tricks, so he directly approached Su Chen!


    "p!"


    Lin Chao harshly pped Su Chen across the face!


    "I smacked you, what can you do about it now?"


    Lin Chao spat on the ground as he spoke.


    At that moment, he felt very exhrating, veryfortable!


    This was the mighty King of the Underworld, yet now he knelt meekly before him, helpless!


    In that instant, it felt like he had released all the grievances that had umted in his heart!


    "Lin Chao, you bastard!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face was immediately filled with ice when she saw this scene!


    "Bastard? Well, let me be a bastard one more time for you to see!"


    "p!"


    Lin Chao backhanded another p, causing Su Chen''s mouth to bleed!


    Lin Chao felt extremely thrilled, he wished he had done it sooner!


    "You''ll pay for this!"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Chao, his eyes devoid of any emotion, like the grim reapering for a soul!


    All these years, he had never been pped before, Lin Chao was the first!


    Lin Ruoxue felt that the p on Su Chen''s face, hurt her own heart; if it weren''t for her, why would he suffer such humiliation?


    "Pay for this?"


    Lin Chao seemed to hear a big joke upon hearing those words:


    "You''re already looking like a dead dog, how are you going to make me pay? Draw a circle to curse me? Hahaha~~~"


    At this point, Lin Chao''s vignce had nearly dropped to its lowest, since he had humiliated him so grievously and he still just took it quietly!


    Simrly, Lin Wenlong was somewhat rxed too, he had been tense before, but now he was somewhat eased!


    "Old man, don''t you hate this kid? Why note down personally and teach him a lesson?"


    Lin Chao casually said this as he nced at Lin Wenlong, who was still among the crowd.


    "Fine, let me try!"


    Lin Wenlong''s eyes also shimmered with a deep hatred as he looked at Su Chen!


    If not for this youngster, how could he and his son have ended up in such a state, transformed into something neither human nor ghost, even their blood turned into the color of green monsters!

 Chapter 638: Father and Son Kill Each Other

    "Okay, son,e over and help me hold this remote control!"


    Lin Wenlong said to Lin Chao.


    Lin Chao also stepped back to Lin Wenlong''s side, ready to take the remote control from him.


    However, just as Lin Wenlong was handing it over and his fingers loosened the button, and as Lin Chao reached out, barely touching the edge of the remote control, Su Chen made his move!


    He had endured the humiliation and waited bitterly for this moment!


    When he moved, he moved like a bolt of lightning, his afterimage nearly fading into nothingness!


    "Swoosh!"


    A streak of silver light shed through the air, and a spurt of fresh blood shot out!


    At the same time, his legs whipped out in the air, sweeping towards the Gene Modifiers closest to Lin Ruoxue!


    "Bang, bang, bang~~!"


    A series of loud noises erupted, and immediately, several figures flew backward like cannonballs, crashing into the wall beside them!


    Simultaneously, Su Chen scooped up Lin Ruoxue with one arm and floated back, moving with utmost speed!


    As he retreated, he had already cut the bomb off Lin Ruoxue''s body with a dagger!


    In an instant, he reached the door, then with a fierce swing, he threw the solid bomb outside, where itnded far away in the bushes outside the courtyard!


    All of this happened in the blink of an eye; everyone else hadn''t even had time to react!


    After throwing the bomb, Su Chen truly felt relieved.


    Because prior he wasn''t certain whether there were any other detonating devices on her, although he felt the chances were small. But what if?


    Now that the bomb was thrown far away, even if there were any, they were useless!


    Lin Chao waspletely dumbfounded, he couldn''t grasp what had just happened!


    His eyes nkly stared at Su Chen, feeling utterly baffled!


    Wasn''t his leg broken? How was he standing there perfectly fine now?


    How had Lin Ruoxuee to be by his side? Where was the bomb on her body?


    My god, what exactly had just happened?


    "Ahh~~~"


    Just then, a terribly miserable scream erupted, and Lin Chao immediately looked towards Lin Wenlong.


    He discovered that Lin Wenlong''s hand, which was holding the remote control, had been cut off and was lying on the ground, blood gushing profusely from the wrist, and the remote control was nowhere to be seen!


    At this sight, Lin Chao was massively startled!


    "Honey, go wait for me in the car outside. I''ll be right there," Su Chen gently said to the still-shaken Lin Ruoxue.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue, having heard Su Chen''s voice, slightly recovered and nodded.


    She knew she was of no use here and would only be a burden to Su Chen.


    Actually, Su Chen wasn''t really worried about that; without the worry of her safety, these people were no more than ants in his eyes.


    He had Lin Ruoxue leave simply because he was concerned about her distress from the forting scene!


    "Lin Wenlong, Lin Chao, now we can truly have some fun!"


    Once Lin Ruoxue had left the courtyard, Su Chen slowly walked towards Lin Chao and his son, a mocking smile appearing on his face!


    "Are you even human or a ghost?"


    Seeing Su Chen approaching, Lin Chao was nearly scared out of his wits!


    His earlier move hadpletely exceeded Lin Chao''s imagination; how could a person move that fast?


    "I am certainly human, but you''ll soon be a ghost," Su Chen replied with a smirk.


    "Thud, thud!"


    With each step Su Chen took, it was as though a heavy hammer struck deep into Lin Chao and his son''s hearts!


    "Give it your all, go, go!"


    Lin Chao kept backing away, pushing out the Gene Modifiers in hopes that they would stop Su Chen''s advancing steps!


    Just as the Gene Modifiers who were kicked flying by Su Chen had recovered and came forward, alsomanded by Lin Chao to attack Su Chen!


    However, to Lin Chao''s utter disbelief, just a sh of silver, and those Gene Modifiers copsed, each with a thin sh across their throats!


    Lin Chao and his son, retreating as Su Chen approached, had faces void of any color, terror stricken. By now, Lin Wenlong couldn''t even care about the pain from his severed hand!


    In their eyes, the man before them was like a devil!


    "Su Chen, please spare us, father and son!"


    Lin Wenlong pleaded as he retreated.


    "Su Chen, spare us. We''ll never dare again!"


    Lin Chao was terrified to his core!


    Both of them knew that, with the speed Su Chen had just shown, there was no possible way they could escape!


    "Spare you? Do you think that''s possible?"


    Su Chen said with a coldugh.


    "We''re on a dead-end path anyway, son, let''s fight him!"


    Lin Wenlong''s heart hardened, and he spat out to Lin Chao.


    "Alright!"


    Lin Chao was ready to go all out!


    The two of them suddenly shouted and charged together at Su Chen!


    "Bang bang!"


    With just a couple of light punches, Su Chen sent them flying seven or eight meters, and they couldn''t even get close to him!


    Their gazes towards Su Chen were filled with fear; the gap was too big, there was not even a sliver of hope for victory!


    "Do you both want to live?"


    Su Chen walked up to them and said casually.


    "Yes, yes, yes!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the two quickly knelt on the ground, nodding repeatedly, a glint of sharpness shing in their eyes!


    For a moment, they thought Su Chen was going to spare them, and an immense desire to survive surged within them!


    "I can spare you, but it''s not possible for both of you to go free."


    Su Chen''s lips curled up into a yful smile as he said:


    "Among you two, only one can live!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Wenlong and Lin Chao were suddenly dumbfounded!


    "What do you mean?"


    Lin Wenlong asked in a stutter.


    "The meaning is simple¡ªone of you kills the other, and the one who survives, I will let go!"


    "Are you serious about this!"


    Lin Chao immediately asked upon hearing this.


    "Do you have the right to negotiate terms with me?"


    Su Chen sneered.


    Indeed, how were they in any position to negotiate terms?


    Suddenly, both men''s eyes were filled with mes as they looked at each other!


    "Old man, you''ve already lived so long, you''ve had enough life, just let me have this chance!"


    Lin Chao stared at Lin Wenlong and said.


    "Why don''t you say I''m dad, show some filial piety to me!"


    Lin Wenlong also looked warily at Lin Chao!


    Before he could finish speaking, Lin Chao with a dagger in his hand, charged forward!


    Lin Wenlong also immediately drew a dagger from his body and charged forward!


    The father and son soon shed fiercely; their abilities were also not negligible, and the air around them began to shake momentarily!


    Since Lin Wenlong was older and also had one hand severed, after a few minutes, he was eventually killed by Lin Chao who sliced his throat, and he fell to the ground dead!


    After killing Lin Wenlong, Lin Chao immediately knelt down in front of Su Chen, saying excitedly:


    "I killed him, you can let me go now!"


    "Do you think that''s possible?"


    Once again, the mocking tone of Su Chen rang out!


    "Didn''t you just say that among us, the one who kills the other, you will let go?"


    Lin Chao said, trembling.


    "Did I say that? I don''t remember saying that."


    "Are you ying me?"


    Lin Chao looked at Su Chen and suddenly showed a look of intense resentment!


    "What if I am ying you?"


    Su Chen said indifferently!


    Suddenly, he moved his figure, a sh of cold light appeared, and a stream of green fluid sprayed out, and Lin Chao''s body fell down stiffly, with his eyes wide open!


    How could Su Chen spare someone who could so easily kill his own father?


    Of course, both father and son were ofmon ilk, extremely selfish individuals...

 Chapter 639: Trust and Love

    Lin Ruoxue didn''t wait long before she saw Su Chene out and head to the driver''s seat.


    "Are you alright?"


    After seeing Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue asked worriedly. By then, she had calmed down somewhat.


    "Do I look like there''s something wrong?"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "What about those men?"


    Lin Ruoxue still wasn''t at ease and continued to inquire.


    "I beat them up and they ran off from the back of the factory."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "That''s good, that''s good!"


    Lin Ruoxue eximed with relief, tapping her chest. She knew Su Chen was formidable. So, though she was somewhat skeptical, she didn''t say much.


    "Your leg injury...? Is it alright now?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked both worriedly and curiously.


    She had seen with her own eyes how a man with a thick iron rod had struck him; she had even heard the sound of bone cracking!


    How could he seem unharmed so quickly?


    "It''s fine, nothing major,"


    Su Chen shrugged. Though it still hurt a bit, it was nothing serious now.


    Lin Ruoxue was even more astonished. For ordinary people, a hit from that iron rod could have been crippling, if not fatal. Even if they recovered, it would not be less than six months to a year!


    And her husband? It had barely been any time, and he looked as if nothing had happened!


    "Honey, you should still go to the hospital for a check-up, just to see if there''s anything wrong,"


    Lin Ruoxue still said, unconvinced.


    "Have you forgotten? Your husband here is a Divine Doctor!"


    Su Chen said with a tilt of his head and smiled, then started up the car and drove away from the deserted factory.


    Lin Ruoxue felt reassured after hearing this. Every time she saw that Su Chen was hurt, her first thought was to go to the hospital, forgetting the fact that he was a Divine Doctor. It was almost instinctual!


    When they returned to the vi, Lin Wenlong and others were not yet back. Su Chen first helped Lin Ruoxue to the bedroom to rest; after all, she had quite a fright that day.


    "Honey, should we tell Grandpa about what happened today?"


    After sitting on the bed, Lin Ruoxue hesitated and asked.


    Hearing this, Su Chen also hesitated. He knew that Lin Ruoxue was actually referring to the matters concerning Lin Wenlong and his son.


    He was contemting whether to tell Lin Ruoxue the whole truth, as, of course, it involved Lin Wenlong and his son.


    Whether it was Grandpa Lin or Lin Ruoxue, they both had a right to know the truth.


    After all, Lin Wenlong and his son were their rtives, at least they had been.


    Su Chen pondered for a moment, then turned to Lin Ruoxue and said,


    "Ruoxue, I actually lied to you earlier. I killed those people, and Lin Wenlong and his son are already dead."


    "Killed? What if something happens to you, what do we do if the policee for you?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s eyes widened with intense anxiety.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine,"


    Su Chen gently held Lin Ruoxue''s hand and said,


    "Aren''t you angry that I killed them? After all, they were..."


    "How could I be angry with you? If you hadn''t killed them, they would have killed us,"


    Lin Ruoxue said,


    "Besides, both you and Grandpa had given them chances; they didn''t cherish them. They deserved what came to them."


    Lin Ruoxue, though kind-hearted, was not weak or without limits.


    She knew, if Su Chen hadn''t killed them, it wouldn''t guarantee they wouldn''t strike back.


    Moreover, that father and son duo had repeatedly tried to poison Grandpa and herself, wishing them dead, and now hadmitted such an act. Were they even family anymore?


    Now, her only concern was for Su Chen!


    "But honey, how can you be alright after killing those people?"


    Lin Ruoxue worriedly said. After all, those were several lives, even if those people were extremely vicious!


    "Honey, don''t worry, when I say it''s fine, it''s really fine. Think about it, when have I ever lied to you?"


    Su Chen said with a warm smile.


    Lin Ruoxue thought about it, and it was indeed so.


    Although she was always worried about many things he did, for some reason, nothing ever came of them in the end.


    For instance, the old man he had killed in Qi Meng Towerst time¡ªshe worried about that for a long time, but until today, not a single person hade to investigate.


    Lin Ruoxue was no fool; she vaguely felt this might be rted to his hidden identity.


    Last time, didn''t someone call him "Instructor"? That''s a title you''d hear in the military.


    And today, she heard terms like Dark World and Lord of the Underworld from Lin Chao''s mouth¡ªsuch bizarre titles!


    Only Su Chen hadn''t told her, and she wouldn''t take the initiative to ask.


    For the current Lin Ruoxue, as long as Su Chen was alright, everything else was secondary.


    As for the many unknowns, she believed that Su Chen would tell her eventually, perhaps he felt the time was not yet right.


    "Honey, aren''t you scared after hearing that I''ve killed so many people?"


    Su Chen asked curiously. Before, he had not told Lin Ruoxue the truth, partly because of this concern.


    Because the average woman, upon hearing such things, would surely be terrified out of her wits and might flee from him without a second thought.


    But Lin Ruoxue didn''t. Instead, she was constantly worried about whether he would be alright.


    It wasn''t just Su Chen who found this strange; Lin Ruoxue herself also thought it was odd.


    Because she hadn''t even considered the notion of fear just now.


    Were someone else to tell her this, she might have fled without a second thought.


    But with Su Chen, she felt none of that; she couldn''t quite exin why.


    Perhaps it was because his actions today were all for her!


    Or maybe she had already acknowledged him in her heart and trusted him!


    All she was worried about now was whether this incident would bring him major trouble!


    Then Lin Ruoxue looked directly at Su Chen and said seriously:


    "You might sometimes be a jerk and annoying, but I believe you are still essentially a good person!"


    Having lived with him for so long, Lin Ruoxue might not boast about other aspects, but she trusted that he was a man of principles and limits.


    How bad could such a man really be?


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but smile wryly; he had never imagined that Lin Ruoxue would have such an impression of him.


    A man whose hands were stained with so much blood¡ªcould he still be considered a good person? Su Chen didn''t know.


    But hearing Lin Ruoxue say this, he did feel quite moved, because she trusted him!


    Yes, at the end of the day, it all stemmed from her trust and love for him!


    At that moment, Su Chen felt very content and happy!


    "Alright, you should rest for a bit now. I''ll call you when it''s time for dinner."


    Su Chen said gently as he tucked the nket around Lin Ruoxue.


    "Okay then."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded, then looked at Su Chen:


    "Should we tell Grandpa about this? I''m afraid it might be too much for him to handle."


    "It''s fine, I''ll talk to them when they return,"


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "With me here, the old man won''t have any problems."


    "Mm."


    Lin Ruoxue responded, then asked again, still not entirely reassured:


    "Are you sure there''s really no problem with that matter?"


    "Don''t worry, trust me, I promise it''s fine."


    Su Chen nodded again.


    "Mm, I trust you."


    With that, Lin Ruoxue slowly closed her eyes...

 Chapter 640: The Hall Master is Up to His Tricks Again

    Su Chen waited until Lin Ruoxue had fallen asleep, and then he too quietly left the room, closing the door behind him...


    It wasn''t long before the Lin family''s old master returned from outside.


    Having yed all day, they were quite tired, and decided to retire to their rooms for some rest.


    Immediately afterwards, Su Chen entered the old master''s room and recounted everything that had happened that day.


    "Ruoxue is alright, isn''t she?"


    the old master inquired after hearing the story.


    "She''s fine, just a bit shaken. A little rest and there shouldn''t be any problems,"


    Su Chen replied.


    "That''s good,"


    the old master nodded and then sighed deeply,


    "I never imagined that the Lin Family could produce such scum, beasts!"


    ......


    By dinner, Lin Hao finally made an appearance, though it was uncertain where he had been fooling around thest couple of days.


    The old master still sported a somewhat sorrowful expression, and after only a few bites, he returned to his room.


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue could understand the old master''s feelings, after all, those were his own son and grandson.


    That night, it was natural for Su Chen to sleep alongside Lin Ruoxue, although nothing happened.


    Although Lin Ruoxue had agreed to be his true wife, she had just been scared today, and he wasn''t about to choose this day.


    The next morning, the two of them got up together and went downstairs. After a night''s rest, Lin Ruoxue''splexion had improved significantly.


    During breakfast, the old master told them they were preparing to return home that day.


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue both tried to persuade the others to stay longer, but they all declined, only Lin Hao seemed a bit reluctant to leave.


    Ultimately, as expected, the old master and his wife, Lin Wenqing, admonished the two to have a child sooner rather thanter.


    This time, although Lin Ruoxue was still very shy, she did not object and agreed.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen went together to see the old master and hispany off on the ne, then returned to thepany together.


    Lin Ruoxue went to the office, grabbed a file, and left again.


    Up to this point, Su Chen was still in the dark about why Lin Ruoxue went to that hotel every day.


    But he hadn''t asked; even as husband and wife, they should each have their own space.


    .....


    Sitting in his office, Su Chen felt it was time to act, or else those families would be toofortable!


    "Now''s about the right time to release that bombshell,"


    he muttered to himself with a sinister smile ying on his lips.


    Then he took out his phone, called Shadow''s number, and sent some things over.


    Next, all he had to do was wait patiently. Such matters, when left to Shadow, were sure to be handled perfectly!


    Thousands of miles away, Shadow, after hanging up the phone, couldn''t help but curl her lip:


    "Looks like the Hall Master is up to his old tricks again!"


    But as she said this, there was an excited glimmer in her beautiful eyes!


    Clearly, the two of them were no strangers to such schemes!


    When she saw the pictures and videos that Su Chen had sent, the young girl''s eyes sparkled even more intensely!


    "A threesome, the Hall Master''s taste has gotten this heavy now!"


    .....


    At the moment, Su Chen, of course, had no idea that Shadow was mocking him; otherwise, he might have to give her a good spanking upon his return.


    "It''s time to make a trip back. I can''t put off dealing with the Skull Society any longer!"


    Su Chen thought to himself.


    He didn''t expect that the Skull Society would once againe after him, this time using Lin Wenlong and his son!


    If he didn''t take them out now, the people around him might get hurt again!


    "This time, if I move, I must eradicate them root and branch!"


    Su Chen secretly vowed.


    "Tang Gang, it''s about time we settled our ounts properly!"


    .....


    "Bang!"


    Meanwhile, at the hospital, Situ Lei furiously smashed aptop onto the ground!


    "Young Master Situ, what''s wrong with you!"


    The caretaker taking care of him was startled and quickly asked!


    "Get out, get out, get the hell out!"


    Situ Lei violently pushed the caretaker to the ground, who waspletely terrified by Situ Lei''s crazed behavior, and hurriedly ran out of the ward!


    "Worthless, all worthless!"


    He shouted angrily, his eyes full of rage!


    Just moments ago, he had received a message from a website that the mission of the Ghost Shadows had failed, and both were killed!


    You should know that he had spent three billion to hire those assassins!


    Although only half was due upon a failed mission, half still amounted to one and a half billion!


    That is to say, fifteen billion US dors had gone down the drain in an instant!


    Moreover, there was also money from other young masters involved, and they would definitely expect him to settle this ount on his own head.


    After all, it was he who had assured them that the job of taking down that kid was certain!


    However, after his anger subsided, Situ Lei began to feel fear!


    Would that kid know it was I who hired assassins to kill him? Will hee to kill me?


    For a moment, Situ Lei was overwhelmed with unease...


    ....


    Su Chen, of course, had no idea about Situ Lei''s fear, and even if he did, he wouldn''t care. A Situ Lei had never been of any consequence in his eyes.


    What he was looking forward to now was the reaction of the major families, especially the Situ Family and the Zheng Family, after the big news broke tomorrow!


    It could be imagined that the good days for that cream-faced boy, Cui Yuanmin, wereing to an end.


    Around noon, Su Chen was getting ready to go out for lunch. However, as soon as he stepped out of the office door, he saw a woman walking over.


    When he saw this woman, he thought his eyes were ying tricks on him, so he quickly rubbed his eyes!


    Upon looking again, he realized that he had not seen wrong the first time.


    "Su Chen, long time no see!"


    The woman greeted Su Chen warmly upon seeing him.


    "Officer Xu, what brings you here?"


    Su Chen stammered his question.


    He never expected to encounter Xu Xinran, this littless, here!


    Today, Xu Xinran wore tight pants with a simple white T-shirt on top, which was also form-fitting, and white canvas shoes on her feet!


    Such an outfit not only perfectly showcased her figure but also radiated youthful vibes, making her seem refreshing to look at!


    "Of course, I''m here to visit my cousin."


    Xu Xinran nced at him and asked:


    "Are you going out for lunch?"


    "Yes, have you eaten yet?"


    Su Chen asked casually, still finding the littless''s sudden appearance somewhat strange.


    "I haven''t eaten yet, hope you don''t mind treating me to a meal."


    Xu Xinran said with a pleasant smile.


    "Not at all, not at all."


    A meal was no big deal, so Su Chen naturally didn''t mind.


    "Then thank you. Let''s go,"


    Xu Xinran said and started walking ahead.


    Su Chen followed with a puzzled face; he felt that today''s Xu Xinran seemed a bit different from before...

 Chapter 641: Unfulfilled Promise

    Su Chen still clearly remembered that previously, when he was in Jianghai, although this little girl spent evenings in the same manor as him, she never once gave him a good look.


    Howe after not seeing each other for a while, she seemed like apletely different person, at least much warmer towards him.


    For the moment, Su Chen couldn''t figure it out and just followed her.


    "By the way, I''m not familiar with this area, do you have any good rmendations?"


    After they left Rainbow Mansion, Xu Xinran looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "There''s a Hunan cuisine restaurant nearby that''s pretty good,"


    Su Chen said, recalling the one he and Pei Man went tost time which he thought was okay.


    "Alright, let''s go for Hunan cuisine then."


    Xu Xinran wasn''t picky about food, so she nodded at the suggestion.


    Since it was close by, the two of them walked straight there, found a spot inside, and sat down.


    Returning to this ce, Su Chen couldn''t help but recall the scene when he teased Pei Man here thest time, a wicked smile forming on the corner of his mouth.


    "Are you reminiscing about some bad deed you pulled off again?"


    Xu Xinran, who was looking through the menu, looked up and saw his expression, blurting out the question.


    "Nonsense."


    Su Chen retorted dismissively, thinking to himself, howe this little girl knows me so well?!


    "Cut it out, as if I don''t know you,"


    Xu Xinran said disdainfully, continuing to bury her head in the menu.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Su Chen asked, feeling annoyed.


    "Figure it out for yourself,"


    Xu Xinran couldn''t care less about his reaction, handing over the selected menu to the waiter.


    Su Chen was left a bit embarrassed, but at the moment, Xu Xinran did seem somewhat familiar to him.


    Xu Xinran, looking at him, was also feeling a tumult of emotions. She said she came to visit Qiuru, but who she really came to see was probably clear only to herself.


    Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that Su Chen opened the door just as she was passing by?


    Xu Xinran had been angry with him before because when he came back that day, he looked like he''d been mingling with a woman.


    Yet this scoundrel, seeing her angry, didn''t care at all, leaving her in a bad mood for quite a while!


    During the days Su Chen was away, Xu Xinran thought about this guy almost every day, wanting to call him several times but not knowing what to say if she did.


    She had always hoped that he would take the initiative to contact her, but he hadn''t even sent a message, let alone a phone call.


    This time on her vacation, she couldn''t stand it anymore and flew to Yandu. Of course, she had a good excuse¡ªvisiting her cousin!


    "By the way, why didn''t Qiurue down to eat with you?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "She''s such a busy person, where does she have the time? I''ll pack some food to take back to herter."


    Xu Xinran replied, then gave him an ambiguous look:


    "It seems you and my cousin are getting along quite well, aren''t you? Calling each other so affectionately?!"


    "Don''t overthink it¡ªwe''re just good friends,"


    Su Chen quickly rified.


    "Are you even a man? My cousin is such a great woman, and you just let her be. You''re really a fool!"


    Xu Xinran said contemptuously. Even from her perspective, Xia Qiuru was the epitome of a perfect woman!


    With a delicate face, a slim figure, a gentle personality, andpetent to boot¡ªwhere could you find such a woman?


    Deep down, Xu Xinran truly hoped that Su Chen and Xia Qiuru would end up together; it would alleviate some of her guilt.


    After all, in her heart, she had always regarded Su Chen as her cousin''s man.


    It was just that she couldn''t control herself and had fallen for the man her cousin liked!


    "Our friendship is pure; don''t start having weird thoughts,"


    "Give me a break, can you swear that you don''t want to sleep with my cousin?"


    At these words, Su Chen suddenly found himself at a loss for words.


    Did he want to? Of course, he did! If he didn''t, he''d doubt he was even a man!


    Su Chen certainly knew how wonderful Xia Qiuru was, but it was precisely because of her goodness that he couldn''t bear it.


    Because he couldn''t give her any proper status!


    Could he really let Xia Qiuru be his lover for a lifetime? Su Chen couldn''t stand to wrong her in that way!


    "See, you''re out of words now, aren''t you?"


    Xu Xinran curled her lips and said.


    "Alright, let''s focus on the food for now."


    Right then, the server came with the dishes, and Su Chen quickly changed the subject.


    "If some other man snatches your cousin away, you''ll have nowhere to cry."


    Xu Xinran looked at Su Chen with disdain:


    "You were never a good man to begin with, so why act like one now?"


    Although Xu Xinran said this, she knew Qiuru''s attitude towards rtionships; for her to fall in love with another man would be incredibly difficult.


    "Eat your food, will you? You''re more anxious than the Emperor''s eunuch."


    Su Chen replied, visibly annoyed and disturbed.


    Xu Xinran didn''t say anything further and continued eating.


    "By the way, haven''t you been busytely?"


    After eating for a while, Su Chen asked:


    "You''re not busy catching thieves, so what brings you to Yandu?"


    "We police officers are humans too, and we need rest, okay?"


    Xu Xinran retorted irritably:


    "Do you think we''re mules or horses or something?"


    "I was just asking casually. Why are you getting as worked up as if you''re on your period, so hot-tempered?"


    At that moment, Su Chen seemed to have returned to his time in Jianghai, a very familiar feeling.


    Xu Xinran also realized that she had nned to use this visit to Yandu to get along with him.


    But for some reason, after just a few words, she became annoyed again, as if they were naturally ipatible!


    The two of them fell silent and continued eating, each focused on their own food and drink.


    Suddenly, as if Su Chen remembered something, his eyes lit up and he looked up and said:


    "Officer Xu, there seems to be a promise you haven''t kept, right?"


    "What promise?"


    Xu Xinran asked nkly.


    "You once promised to wear that for me to see, remember?"


    Su Chen''s eyebrows twitched slightly as he spoke with an ambiguous tone.


    Upon hearing this, Xu Xinran blushed fiercely.


    That''s when she remembered that she had indeed promised to show him the purple lingerie.


    It was just that so much time had passed that she had forgotten about it, and to think that he still remembered!


    "Didn''t you already see everything that one time when I was drunk and you helped me undress?"


    Xu Xinran whispered, her face as red as a ripe apple.


    "But what you wore that time wasn''t the set I mentioned."


    Su Chen indeed remembered helping her undress. She had been in a terrible mood over a case involving a missing girl, got drunk on the street, and was taken back to the mansion by Su Chen, where she refused to leave.


    That night she had been sick everywhere, and Su Chen had no choice but to help her out of her jacket.


    "It''s all lingerie, isn''t it the same?"


    Discussing such a topic in a public ce made Xu Xinran feel exceedingly embarrassed!


    "How can it be the same?"


    Su Chen shook his head earnestly and seriously:


    "If it''s all the same, why would designers create so many different styles of lingerie?"

 Chapter 642: Are you so cheap, does your mom know?

    "Like bandage styles, built-in styles, demi styles, front-sp, back-sp, as well as full-coverage, sports styles, and so on."


    "In terms of materials, there are also many, such as cotton, lightweight fabric, silicone,ce, modal, bamboo charcoal..."


    Su Chen listed them off on his fingers as he spoke.


    "Enough, stop talking!"


    Xu Xinran really couldn''t take it anymore, she whispered sharply, cutting Su Chen off.


    She was speechless¡ªwhy did a man need to be so familiar with these things, even more so than a woman?


    Looking at the serious and earnest Su Chen, Xu Xinran thought, what kind of freak is this guy!


    For a moment, Xu Xinran felt thating to Yandu was a mistake, and going out to dinner with this guy was even a bigger mistake!


    "What''s wrong?"


    Su Chen asked nkly:


    "I just wanted to tell you that there are big differences between undergarments, and that day''s didn''t count."


    "Enough, stop talking, I''ll agree to it!"


    Xu Xinran felt her face burning hot. This guy really was shameless.


    If there was a hole in the ground, Xu Xinran would have dived right in...


    "You should have just said that earlier."


    Su Chen retorted with a pout:


    "Wasting so much of my saliva."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Xinran almost copsed to the ground...


    "Su Chen, you''re so mean, does your mom know?"


    Xu Xinran red at Su Chen and spat out each word, this jerk was so infuriating!


    "My mom is no longer around."


    Su Chen''s expression dimmed slightly upon hearing this.


    "I''m so sorry, I... I didn''t know."


    Xu Xinran indeed didn''t know about the events surrounding Su Chen''s life, and she became somewhat flustered upon hearing this.


    "It''s okay, it''s been many years now."


    Su Chen waved his hand and smiled, knowing Xu Xinran didn''t mean it, so he wasn''t going to hold it against her.


    "So you''ve been depending solely on your father since you were young?"


    Xu Xinran asked softly.


    "No, my father isn''t around either¡ªthey were less than a month apart."


    Su Chen shook his head and said.


    Hearing this, Xu Xinran waspletely dumbfounded, she had never imagined this careless guy would have such a pitiful background.


    "Do you have any other rtives then?"


    "I thought I didn''t until a few days ago when I met an aunt, but I''m not clear about the whole situation yet."


    Su Chen said with a bitter smile.


    Seeing his somewhat bitter smile, Xu Xinran couldn''t help feeling a bit heartbroken.


    She involuntarily reached out her slender hand and held Su Chen''s hand, thinking that perhaps his carefree demeanor was a deliberate hiding of his sadness.


    "Officer Xu, what are you doing, seizing the opportunity to take advantage of me?"


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Xu Xinran to suddenly grab his hand, then quipped with a sly smile.


    "So what if I take advantage of you? Is that not allowed?"


    Xu Xinran said with overwhelming confidence.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Su Chen was totally stupefied, what got into this girl all of a sudden?


    Her voice was a little loud, and the people at the next table all heard it, turning their heads to look over.


    Thinking that women nowadays are really bold, daring to openly flirt with a man in front of everyone like that!


    The men who saw Xu Xinran then suddenly lit up, almost wishing they could immediately say:


    "You want to flirt? I''ll let you, as much as you want!"


    Seeing other people looking over, Xu Xinran also felt a bit embarrassed, but didn''t want to back down, so she shouted:


    "What are you looking at, haven''t you seen a girlfriend being affectionate with her boyfriend?"


    Being a police officer, Xu Xinran still carried some authority, so people turned their heads away immediately after hearing her.


    Su Chen was startled upon hearing this, and quickly retorted:


    "Officer Xu, you can''t just say anything, and besides, we weren''t even being intimate!"


    "It was just a casual remark, look how scared you got."


    Upon hearing this from Su Chen, Xu Xinran immediately felt annoyed. She thought to herself, is calling you my boyfriend really that embarrassing for you?


    "Can you just say something like that? I have a wife!"


    "I know!"


    Xu Xinran rolled her eyes and said,


    "Don''t worry, even if you were offered to me on a silver tter, I wouldn''t be interested."


    "What''s with that, am I that bad? Even offering me to you, you''re not even interested!"


    Those words made Su Chen feel even more annoyed because it seriously hurt his male pride!


    "What did you think?" Xu Xinran sneered.


    The two reverted to their usual dynamic, where neither could stand the other.


    As for Xu Xinran''s hand, it had naturally retracted long ago...


    After finishing the meal, Xu Xinran stormed off, tossing the lunch she had brought for Xia Qiuru directly to Su Chen, who didn''t bother with her.


    She''s an adult and a police officer besides, what''s there to worry about? She won''t get lost.


    As for running into bad guys, that was even less likely, they''d probably be scared of meeting her with that bad temper of hers!


    Luckily, Xu Xinran didn''t know how Su Chen was bad-mouthing her, or she would definitely have made it her life''s mission to hassle him!


    When Su Chen got back to thepany, he went straight to Xia Qiuru''s office.


    "Workaholic, time to eat."


    Su Chen went in, saw Xia Qiuru still busy, and couldn''t help but call out before setting up the food on the coffee table.


    "Why are you bringing me lunch? Where''s Xinran?"


    Seeing Su Chen, Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but smile.


    "Who knows where she went? She left right after eating. Probably went to meet her lover."


    Su Chen quipped,


    "It''s still warm. You better eat it now."


    "You''re talking nonsense again."


    Xia Qiuru cast him a reproachful nce and then sat down on the sofa.


    "You don''t say, I really am hungry."


    Xia Qiuru looked at the food, her appetite visibly stirred.


    "You even know you''re hungry."


    Su Chen remarked grumpily,


    "Can''t you take care of yourself? Is work that important?"


    "Okay, I know, stop nagging."


    Xia Qiuru stuck out her tongue, visibly happy at Su Chen''s concern.


    Su Chen then lit a cigarette and watched her eat while smoking.


    "By the way, Boss Lin has been absent from the office a lottely. Do you know what''s up?"


    Xia Qiuru suddenly asked.


    "Who knows? That woman has been all secretivetely."


    Su Chen said, blowing a smoke ring.


    "I did hear something troubling, though."


    "What did you hear?"


    Su Chen immediately asked.


    "This morning when I went to the finance department, I overheard the finance director and the deputy director talking. It sounded like Boss Lin had recently shifted almost all of thepany''s liquid funds."


    Xia Qiuru said with a worried expression,


    "You know, apany''s liquid funds are essential for its survival. If there''s any issue with it, then it''s a matter of life and death!"


    Su Chen was shocked when he heard this!


    Even if he wasn''t well-versed in business, he knew the importance of liquid funds to apany.


    If it was true, as Xia Qiuru said, then that was a serious issue...


    But recently the Belle Corporation didn''t have any major projects that would require the mobilization of almost all its liquid funds!

 Chapter 643 - 643 Speculation about Blood Cultivators

    Su Chen was acutely aware at this moment that Lin Ruoxue must have been involved in something significant over these past few days.


    "Alright, you don''t need to worry anymore, I''ll find the time to ask her when I''m free."


    With a smile, Su Chen said he decided to ask Lin Ruoxue about it when he returned home in the evening.


    Although he agreed that everyone should have their own space, that didn''t mean he could simply wash his hands of the matter.


    If Lin Ruoxue really encountered some insurmountable obstacle and she, being stubborn, was unwilling to share, what then?


    After spending a while in Xia Qiuru''s office, Su Chen prepared to go back to his own office.


    Halfway there, he received a call from Demon, stating that a team from Group A had just boarded a ne and was expected to arrive in four hours.


    After receiving this call, Su Chen finally felt at ease, as this would essentially ensure Lin Ruoxue''s safety.


    He then instructed Demon to scale back operations for the time being, as he himself would return shortly and there was important business to attend to!


    Demon, naturally having no objections to Su Chen''s orders, excitedly agreed right away.


    After returning to his office, Su Chen yed a few games of Fight the Landlord and theny back in his chair, pondering the matters concerning the major families.


    He still had a few cards in hand, but how to maximize their efficacy was a matter of great deliberation!


    Additionally, Xu Xinran''s visit today reminded him of another issue, the case of the missing girls.


    This case had been a constant worry for Su Chen, making him somewhat uneasy because it was linked to the evil practice of Blood Cultivation.


    However, thest time Du Hanshuang mentioned that Qin Ming had left one or two people on the case, so it might be worth asking this old fellow if there were any new leads.


    After that, Su Chen drove to the Special Security Bureau. Although it wasn''t his first visit, he still had to announce his arrival, for that was the protocol which Su Chen would naturally respect.


    When Qin Ming saw Su Chen again, his expression was veryplicated. Although he had long spected about his identity, he was still shocked when it was confirmed!


    He had been worried that this fellow would cause trouble, and indeed, he had.


    The very night his identity was unveiled, he had mercilessly humiliated the Five Great Families at the financial summit!


    Overnight, the whole of Yandu knew the name Su Chen!


    "What, you don''t recognize me after just a few days'' absence?"


    Seeing theplexity in Qin Ming''s expression upon viewing himself, Su Chen said jokingly.


    "You better take it easy."


    Qin Ming sighed, knowing it was futile to persuade him to give up.


    It wasn''t just him; it was unlikely that anyone in such a situation could easily relinquish their agenda.


    He just hoped that Su Chen would proceed cautiously and not stir up issues too big to handle.


    "I know what I''m doing."


    Su Chen stated bluntly, not wanting to discuss this topic with Qin Ming, after all, he was, in a sense, an official.


    "By the way, why did you suddenly decide to visit me today?"


    Realizing that Su Chen did not want to talk about this matter, Qin Ming changed the subject:


    "You''re not one toe without a reason."


    "Indeed, I''m here on business."


    Su Chen nodded and said:


    "Do you remember the case of the missing girls in Jianghai?"


    "How do you know about that case?"


    Qin Ming asked in astonishment.


    "Nonsense, it was I who had Jiang Lixing contact you guys in the first ce."


    Su Chen replied with a curl of his lip.


    "No wonder!"


    Qin Ming suddenly realized, saying:


    "I always thought that the police chief of Jianghai wouldn''t have the insight to report the case to us."


    "To be honest, I don''t think you will be able to solve it either, but you''re at least more useful than the police."


    Su Chen casually said.


    Upon hearing this, Qin Ming''s old face involuntarily turned red:


    "Can''t you leave some face for our Special Security Bureau?"


    "Then have you found anything? If you have, I will apologize for what I said just now."


    "No, apart from that initial badge, we haven''t found anything."


    Qin Ming awkwardly shook his head:


    "But I feel that the killer definitely has some kind of special purpose. As for what it is, I still don''t know."


    Since it was Su Chen who had asked Jiang Lixing to report to the Special Security Bureau, he trusted that Jiang Lixing must have also told him about this clue, which in fact he had.


    "Of course, there''s a purpose. I suspect that the killer has practiced a special cultivation technique, and that particr technique requires arge amount of virgin''s blood,"


    Su Chen said solemnly.


    "A special cultivation technique? What kind of cultivation technique is that?"


    Qin Ming immediately widened his eyes and asked. If that was the case, then the matter was indeed serious.


    "I don''t know. I only heard my old ghost master mention it when I was a child. He said that there is a kind of person in the world who uses the blood of virgins, or the blood of children, for cultivation, and this method of cultivation is called Blood Cultivation!"


    Su Chen uttered with uncertainty.


    "Blood Cultivation?"


    Qin Ming murmured with puzzlement, as he had never heard of such a method of cultivation.


    However, just hearing about it, it sounded like an evil and heterodox practice, extremely cruel!


    "I came to ask if the people you''ve left there recently have collected any clues?"


    Su Chen looked at Qin Ming and asked.


    "No, after that, three more girls were killed, but still no valuable clues."


    Qin Ming frowned and said:


    "However, I suspect that they must be sheltered by someone influential in Jianghai, and perhaps even provided with a ce to stay."


    "I''ve thought of that, but Jianghai is a big city, with hundreds and thousands of influential people; it''s not easy to investigate!"


    Su Chen agreed and nodded.


    "Yeah, it''s not like you can just arrest and interrogate everyone."


    Qin Ming expressed his helplessness with a shrug.


    "That''s definitely not going to work, but still, send more people over and be more diligent."


    Su Chen sighed:


    "Although I do not hold much hope, do your best."


    Su Chen really didn''t harbor much hope, not because those who practiced Blood Cultivation were necessarily very powerful, but because they, including Su Chen himself, were too unfamiliar with it. Even if the culprit stood in front of you, you might not recognize them. If just sending more people were effective, he would have asked for it already.


    "Okay, I''ll arrange it in a bit,"


    Qin Ming immediately nodded.


    "By the way, about that badge with the demon pattern, my feeling is the same as the others; it seems like something from an Ind Country faction or shrine."


    Qin Ming furrowed his eyebrows and asked Su Chen:


    "Do you think that Blood Cultivator could be from the Ind Country?"


    "At the moment, we can only say it''s a possibility,"


    Su Chen said thoughtfully:


    "Firstly, that badge isn''t necessarily from a certain organization in the Ind Country, and even if it is, does it definitely belong to the killer? Could it not be possible that the criminal obtained it from someone from the Ind Country and carelessly or intentionally left it at the scene?"


    "What you said could also be possible. Ah, forget it, it''s giving me a headache. I don''t want to think about it anymore, especially because we still have too few clues!"


    Qin Ming shook his head and said.

 Chapter 644: Nether Temple Action Team Arrives

    Su Chen left the Special Security Bureau and it was alreadyte, so he didn''t go to Rainbow Mansion but instead went straight home.


    However, Lin Ruoxue had not yet returned, and he proceeded to cultivate in his room.


    It was almost nine o''clock when Lin Ruoxue dragged her tired body home.


    When Su Chen heard the door open, he immediately stopped cultivating, opened the door, and walked out. Seeing her exhausted face, he promptly fetched her slippers and took her bag.


    "Come and eat first,"


    Su Chen called out.


    "Mmm."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded and then sat down at the dining table.


    At this moment, it was just the two of them. Su Chen had asked Aunt Sun to eat and rest earlier.


    Lin Ruoxue''sing home timings weren''t fixed, so there was no need for Aunt Sun to wait with them.


    "Wife, I heard you have withdrawn the corporate funds. What''s going on?"


    Su Chen spoke up after Lin Ruoxue had almost finished eating.


    "How did you know?"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately asked, her face full of surprise.


    "I overheard the finance department staff talking about it."


    "Oh, no wonder. It''s nothing, don''t worry."


    Lin Ruoxue casually said.


    "Wife, you must tell me if you have any difficulties. We are husband and wife."


    Su Chen earnestly looked into Lin Ruoxue''s eyes.


    Lin Ruoxue was slightly stunned, then nodded:


    "Okay, if there''s really something I can''t solve, I''ll tell you."


    Su Chen felt relieved when she said that.


    Just then, his phone suddenly vibrated. He took it out and said,


    "Wife, I need to step out for a bit."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded and did not ask what he was going to do.


    Su Chen quickly drove to the entrance of Yandu International Airport. It wasn''t long before twelve people, dressed in various casual outfits, walked out looking like tourists.


    These people were not actually tourists, but the Nether Temple ''s operations team that Su Chen had called over.


    They were going to stay for a potentially long time, unlike the usual missionssting only a few days. Plus, Huaxia was a country with a very high level of security defense.


    So, not to raise suspicions, they did not travel on a private jet and instead masqueraded as normal tourists.


    When they walked out of the airport and saw the man leaning on the car smoking, each of them was incredibly excited!


    If it wasn''t for the unsuitable environment, they would have knelt immediately!


    Because the man standing before them was their god, the pir of their spirit!


    And what excited them even more was that their mission this time was to protect the Hall Master''s wife, their Queen!


    What an honor!


    Su Chen, who hadn''t seen these brothers who had fought alongside him for a long time, was also very excited.


    He walked over and patted each of them on the shoulder, his eyes also glistening with tears.


    "First, get the cars."


    Su Chen said, having already pre-arranged four Mercedes cars parked at the airport car park.


    After a while, they got the cars and then Su Chen led them towards a vi area near Imperial Garden.


    That vi was rented by Su Chen beforehand to amodate two Shadow Guards. Actually, amodating two Shadow Guards in a hotel would have been simpler, there was no need for such extravagance.


    But Su Chen had his reasons for renting it; after renting it, he set up a small Gathering Yuan Formation in that vi!


    Two Shadow Guards resided here, which was very beneficial for their cultivation!


    Su Chen was never stingy towards his brothers, especially since money was just a string of numbers in his eyes.


    The Nether Temple''s operation team had arrived and were conveniently arranged to stay here as well.


    When Lin Ruoxue went to work in the morning, they could follow her along the way.


    Not long after they started, the car entered a viplex and stopped in front of a small courtyard gate.


    Su Chen led everyone inside. The Shadow Guards were not around at the moment, as he had sent two of them to the Imperial Garden when he left.


    He was extremely cautious about Lin Ruoxue''s safety, especially since he had brought these dangers upon her.


    As soon as Su Chen opened the door and led them in, those people immediately knelt on the ground and excitedly shouted,


    "Hall Master!"


    Although they were not trained to do so, their voices were perfectly synchronized!


    "Stand up, everyone."


    Su Chen lifted his hand, and those people then stood up one by one.


    "Hall Master, we have missed you dearly!"


    A blond, blue-eyed, handsome, and masculine man in his thirties trembled as he spoke.


    He was Kris, the captain of this operation team and a European.


    The twelve members of this operation team were from all around the world, but in their hearts, there was amon deity, the man standing before them!


    "I have missed you too!"


    Su Chen also said, emotionally stirred:


    "Come, let''s have a drink first."


    Then Su Chen went to the kitchen, took out a bottle of vodka and twelve cups, and as he was about to pour the drinks, Kris said,


    "Hall Master, let me do it. How can we let you serve us drinks?"


    "It''s fine, there''s no need to be so formal here."


    Su Chen smiled faintly, then filled all twelve cups, after which everyone drank up!


    "Alright, that''s all for the wee. I now have some matters to exin to you." Su Chen said with a stern face.


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone immediately stood straight, highly focused.


    "Besides you in this vi, there will be two more people. Regarding these two, you must not inquire about anything, nor reveal their existence to anyone."


    Su Chen stated solemnly:


    "However, in action, you may trust them as you trust me, and you may confidently rely on them to watch your back!"


    "Yes!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone answered without hesitation.


    In fact, Su Chen always kept the Nether Temple and the Shadow Guards separate, but now there was no helping it. They were both responsible for safeguarding Lin Ruoxue''s safety, and normal interaction was inevitable.


    However, these people were all personally selected by Su Chen, and he trusted that they would not vite his orders.


    He could havemanded all the Shadow Guards, but then their numbers would have been too great, and too conspicuous!


    The Nether Temple''s operation team had none of these considerations, their presence was not much of a secret.


    Even if Qin Ming, that old fellow, knew they hade to Huaxia, it wouldn''t make much difference.


    "Alright, that''s all I have to say. You can rest early tonight."


    Su Chen''s expression eased again, and he said with a smile.


    At that moment, the others also rxed. For the people of the Nether Temple, it was clear when they needed to be serious and when they could be more casual.


    They understood this distinction well...

 Chapter 645: Su Chen About to Cough Up Blood

    "Hall Master, why do I feel like the Yuan Qi here is so abundant?"


    Kris took a deep breath and asked, his face showing a puzzled expression.


    "Yes, I''ve felt it too."


    "Me too, the Yuan Qi here is several times denser than in usual ces!"


    ...


    Hearing this, the others also chimed in one after another.


    "I''ve set up a special Formation here that gathers all the surrounding Yuan Qi."


    Su Chen said with a mild smile,


    "Cultivating here, you''ll achieve twice the results with half the effort, so make sure not to ck off during your usual cultivation!"


    Upon hearing this, Kris and the others suddenly widened their eyes in disbelief!


    Formation? Gathering Yuan Qi?


    They had never heard of such a thing before; it was truly miraculous!


    Their gazes towards Su Chen grew even more reverent!


    The Hall Master truly was the Hall Master; such skill was indeed divine!


    "Don''t worry, Hall Master, we will diligently cultivate whenever we get the chance and won''t let down the good intentions of the Hall Master!"


    Kris said earnestly, and the others all nodded vigorously.


    "No need to overdo it. After some time, I''ll also set up some of these Formations at the Temple."


    Su Chen waved his hand and said.


    Hearing this, the people became even more excited...


    "Alright, I''m leaving now, you all rest."


    "Hall Master, let me walk you out," Kris said.


    Su Chen nodded at the words and then walked out with Kris.


    "Kris, Huaxia is different from other ces; you must be careful with your actions here and make sure to keep everyone in line."


    "Yes, Hall Master, rest assured!"


    "That''s enough, no need to walk me out further; you too, go back and rest."


    "Yes!"


    Su Chen then drove away from there and returned to the Imperial Garden.


    When Su Chen entered the house, he found that Lin Ruoxue was still working in the small study upstairs.


    "This woman."


    Su Chen shook his head and chuckled, then also went upstairs.


    "Wife, still busy?"


    Su Chen pushed open the door and said with a smile.


    "Yes."


    Lin Ruoxue was still engrossed in her files.


    "Um... um..."


    Su Chen hesitated as he spoke.


    "What do you want to say?"


    Seeing him stammer, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but look up at him, and seeing a slightly embarrassed expression on his face, she felt even more surprised.


    Such an expression was indeed rare on his face!


    "Um... where am I going to sleep tonight?"


    Su Chen asked somewhat awkwardly.


    As soon as this question came up, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but blush a little.


    "Just sleep wherever you want!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat out, though she had been thinking about no longer sleeping in separate rooms, it was embarrassing for her to say it out loud as a woman!


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s heart blossomned with joy; such a clear message, if he couldn''t understand that, he might as well throw himself into ake.


    "I understand, wife,e to bed early too!"


    Su Chen eximed excitedly.


    "Mm."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded slightly, her face flushed with shyness!


    Su Chen then happily ran to his room, first gathering all his clothes. Since he didn''t have many, he quickly gathered them all.


    He found an empty wardrobe and stuffed his clothes inside, not in the mood to organize them right now!


    Then he took a set of clean clothes and went to the bathroom to take a bath. Lin Ruoxue''s bedroom had an ensuite bathroom.


    Within just three to five minutes, he had finished bathing and wrapped himself in a bathrobe before lying on the bed, waiting for Lin Ruoxue''s arrival.


    In his view, Lin Ruoxue''s earlier words were clear enough, indicating she was ready to be his true bride!


    He felt his heart begin to tense up, so he picked up a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and started smoking.


    After finishing one, he still felt nervous, so he smoked another one!


    He couldn''t help but curse himself for being so pathetic. Why did he feel like a fledgling?


    No wonder, since in his eyes, Lin Ruoxue had always been like an untouchable snow lotus on a mountain peak!


    And now, he was about to pluck that snow lotus ¨C how could he not be excited?


    However, after smoking three cigarettes and Lin Ruoxue still hadn''t arrived, he started to get anxious!


    So, he put on his shoes, nning to urge Lin Ruoxue along, but just as he opened the door, Lin Ruoxue was entering.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Waiting for you, of course!"


    Su Chen replied with a mischievous smile.


    By now, Lin Ruoxue had also taken a bath. She was wearing a silk nightgown. She had worked in the study after her bath.


    Su Chen immediately scooped up Lin Ruoxue by the crook of her leg and carried her in his arms!


    "Ah~~, Su Chen, what are you doing? Put me down quickly!"


    Lin Ruoxue was taken aback and let out a scream.


    "Shh! Keep your voice down, just in case Aunt Sun hears!"


    Su Chen carried Lin Ruoxue over to the side of the bed.


    Lin Ruoxue quickly covered her mouth, then whispered:


    "Su Chen, what are you really trying to do?"


    "What do you think? You did promise that we''d have our wedding night, didn''t you?"


    Su Chen gently ced Lin Ruoxue on the bed and then climbed onto the bed himself, lying on his side and admiring Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful face and graceful figure!


    It must be said, Lin Ruoxue was truly a creation that robbed the heavens and earth of their splendor, breathtakingly perfect!


    Moved by the moment, Su Chen then rolled over and kissed Lin Ruoxue, his hands starting to wander.


    Startled, Lin Ruoxue pushed Su Chen away with a great force.


    Seeing this, Su Chen didn''t immediately react but instead looked at Lin Ruoxue, somewhat confused.


    "Husband, not today. How about in a couple of days?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him shyly and pleaded softly.


    "Wife, are you still nervous, not mentally prepared? It''s okay, I won''t force you."


    Su Chen replied with a gentle smile:


    "I''ll just wait until you arepletely ready. After all, you''re my wife; you can''t escape."


    Su Chen thought Lin Ruoxue was getting nervous again as the moment approached, so heforted her like this.


    "It''s not that, I got my period today..."


    Lin Ruoxue whispered with a flushed face, then covered her face with the nket, unable to look at Su Chen anymore!


    Su Chen was stunned!


    He hadn''t expected this at all, and three lines of frustration appeared on his forehead!


    This is toying with me!


    "Wife, when is this ''rtive'' of yours leaving?"


    Su Chen pulled the nket from Lin Ruoxue''s face, asking with a resigned smile.


    "Another two or three days, I guess."


    Lin Ruoxue murmured, her face now so red it seemed almost dripping with color...


    Though she had agreed to be Su Chen''s real wife, she also hadn''t anticipated it happening today...

 Chapter 646 - 646 Scandal

    Of course, the two of them did not truly fulfill the rtionships expected of them, but Su Chen certainly "let go" of Lin Ruoxue.


    In his words, he had to w back a little of what was lost, otherwise wouldn''t it have been a waste?


    The next morning, the two of them still woke up with the first rays of morning sunlight.


    However, as soon as Lin Ruoxue opened her eyes, her gaze towards Su Chen was filled with grievance!


    This jerk had really put her through the wringerst night!


    Facing Lin Ruoxue''s gaze, Su Chen justughed heartily, feeling that life was wonderful!


    However, sharing the bed with Lin Ruoxue for these few days had somewhat dyed his cultivation, so Su Chen decided to stay home from the office today and focus on His cultivation, since there was nothing much for him there anyway.


    Lin Ruoxue now had no particr demands regarding his attendance at the office, since all he did there was loaf around and flirt anyway.


    So, after Lin Ruoxue had eaten breakfast and left, he went to his room to cultivate...


    However, that morning, Yandu was abuzz!


    Because that morning, all major portal websites and forums prominently featured the same explosive news!


    It was that Zheng Yan from the Zheng Family of the Five Great Families and Situ Jiao of the Situ Family were both involved with the same man.


    This man was also someone well-known across Huaxia, the recent popr celebrity Cui Yuanmin!


    If there were something in the world that spread the fastest, it certainly wasn''t a virus, but a scandal!


    Moreover, each of the three main people involved was very prominent!


    Two from the Five Great Families and one big celebrity ¡ª such a topic was incredibly sensational!


    Very soon, the affair wasmon knowledge everywhere ¡ª there wasn''t a ce where it wasn''t already known.


    The Jinsheng Group-owned Life Daily, which had already been printed and ready for distribution, suddenly received an order from the highest level to switch the front page headline to today''s bombshell news and immediately reprint and distribute!


    The headline was also very eye-catching, named ¡ª "Two Women Share One Husband!"


    At this moment, both the Zheng Family and Situ Family were inplete disarray!


    Old Master Zheng Yuxian of the Zheng Family and Old Master Situ Kong of the Situ Family were both so furious they could barely restrain themselves!


    The other members of the families were also trembling, barely daring to breathe!


    The Five Great Families had never been the subject of such a monumental scandal in years of tradition!


    What was most important was that with the scandal, they couldn''t deny it, much less argue a word against it.


    Because all the photos and even videos were already circting online!


    This was not just a case of having pictures validating the truth!


    And the main characters of the incident, Zheng Yan and Situ Jiao, were terrified out of their wits!


    They knew all too well what the ramifications of such news breaking would mean!


    Lately, Zheng Yan had been living in fear, unsure when her photos and videos would be exposed.


    With many days having passed without incident, she had held a sliver of hope, thinking maybe the other party would let her off.


    But what was bound toe finally did, and in a way she could never have dreamed of!


    What she had not anticipated even more was that Cui Yuanmin had also gotten involved with Situ Jiao!


    This added much to her fear as well as to her anger!


    Compared to Zheng Yan, Situ Jiao waspletely unprepared; she had no idea when she had been secretly photographed and videoed!


    Actually, she was aware that Cui Yuanmin was involved with Zheng Yan. At one gathering, Zheng Yan brought Cui Yuanmin along.


    Seeing how fair and handsome Cui Yuanmin was, Situ Jiao was tempted!


    With Situ Jiao taking the initiative to approach him, Cui Yuanmin of course could not refuse, especially since Situ Jiao was also quite attractive.


    Since Cui Yuanmin could even ept the older Zheng Yan, naturally he was even more amenable to a younger and more beautiful woman like Situ Jiao.


    Therefore, it didn''t take long for the two of them to be entangled.


    Of course, all of this was done behind Zheng Yan''s back. Although to them, a male celebrity was merely a ything, this was still tantamount to digging into Zheng Yan''s territory...


    Moreover, Cui Yuanmin had initially thought it brilliant to hook up with women from these two major families, thinking his future path would be smooth sailing!


    But now?


    He knew that neither the Zheng Family nor the Situ Family would let go of someone who had tarnished their family''s reputation.


    Even if they didn''t take action, being targeted by the Bai Family of Jiangbei alone was more than he could handle!


    By the afternoon, the situation had not only not subsided, but had intensified!


    All sorts of crude versions of the story were circting!


    People always tend to assume the worst when guessing the truth, just so long as it makes sense to them.


    Even if it doesn''t make perfect sense, it doesn''t matter as long as there are people willing to listen.


    As more and more news converged, both the Situ Family and the Zheng Family werepletely dumbfounded!


    The two old patriarchs were so angry that they smashed many things in their homes. In the end, they both copsed and were taken to the hospital!


    Today, if you didn''t know about this, you wouldn''t be considered a Yandu local, or even a Huaxia native.


    In all public ces, this incident was the talk of the town!


    After all, this was a scandal involving the Five Great Families¡ªsomething rare in a century!


    Not to mention involving a highly sought-after male celebrity!


    At this moment, there was another group of people who were also panicking¡ªvarious websites and forums, because the news wasn''t released by them, but through a hacker attack!


    However, by the afternoon, when they saw their website traffic hit an all-time high, they became like wolves that had found meat, actively digging deeper into the story.


    Though they were also fearful of those two families, no one can be held ountable in a crowd, with so many websites and forums, what could they do with their immense power?


    Otherwise, falling behind now meant being outpaced by other sites!


    One site after another began in-depth reporting, evenunching special report series!


    Seeing the craze around this news, other newspapers and magazines all quickly followed suit...


    With various forces adding fuel to the fire, the news just exploded even more!


    The air in Yandu on that day seemed to heat up, and people''s enthusiasm surged even higher...


    And the one who instigated it all was still holed up in his small room, eyes closed, cultivating.


    He silently circted his Cultivation Technique, eagerly absorbing the True Yuan from the air, his body gradually entering a mysterious state.


    At that moment, it seemed as if all the turmoil outside had nothing to do with him...

 Chapter 647: 647 declares war

    When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold; though this time it seemed unrted to the Shen Family, Pei Family, and Su Family, they still felt a deep chill!


    Even they, in their foolishness, could sense that someone was orchestrating this!


    It was as if an invisible hand was silently manipting everything behind the scenes!


    If that hand dared to strike at the Situ Family and Zheng Family, would it really not dare to strike at them?


    Yes, their feeling of coldness stemmed from this very thought!


    It meant that someone dared to make a move against the Five Great Families, and had already done so, what''s more, they did so with such cruel and ruthless methods that there was absolutely no chance to resist!


    Did their three families have any simr dirtyundry?


    Without a doubt, they did, it was just that, fortunately, it hadn''t been exposed yet!


    In the past, they had no such worries, because even if someone knew their secrets, so what? No one dared to speak of it.


    Let alone cause an uproar throughout Yandu, stirring up a buzzingmotion like what was happening now!


    But now... they were not confident in the slightest!


    That very day, the patriarchs of the three families each held an emergency meeting in their main halls, naturally warning everyone to cover their own backsides, lest they end up needing someone else to do it for them!


    At the same time, those old patriarchs began pondering who could be behind this. It wasn''t hard to guess, and soon they fixated on that young man.


    Because up to now, aside from that young man, no one else had dared to show any disrespect towards their Five Great Families!


    At this moment, they simultaneously recalled what that young man had said before he left that day. He had mentioned that in a couple of days, he would deliver a big gift to two of the families¡ªclearly, he was referring to this very incident.


    In other words, the young man had intentionally let them know that he was behind it!


    This was a warning, but also a deration of war!


    Having understood this, the old fellows couldn''t help feeling a trace of fear. That young man was indeed well-prepared!


    No one knew whose family would be next to face his fierce tactics.


    And this was exactly what Su Chen had been anticipating...


    The only one who wasn''t as frightened was Old Master Pei, but even he was deeply shaken by the extent of Su Chen''s maneuvers!


    At this moment, he felt that maybe his granddaughter Pei Man''s choice had in fact been the right one!


    The other two families were acutely aware that this young man must not be allowed to remain, for he would be a great disaster if left unchecked!


    As evening approached, the sunset stained the sky red, and the dying rays of the sun bathed everything in a warm glow.


    Underneath a cedar in the Pei Family''s courtyard, two young people stood, one on his feet, the other in a wheelchair.


    "He haspletely torn off the mask!"


    Pei Jian could not help but express his deep consternation; he too was thoroughly shocked by today''s events!


    "Without today''s incident, would the mask remain unremoved?"


    Pei Man smiled faintly:


    "Don''t you think his move was very elegant?"


    Indeed, upon hearing the news at first, she immediately guessed who was behind it and couldn''t help but apud in appreciation!


    "I find it a bit risky, smelling somewhat of edginess."


    Pei Jian thought for a moment and said.


    "Big brother, you feel this way because you don''t know what kind of cards he holds in his hand."


    Pei Man adjusted the nket on her thigh slightly and said.


    "That''s also true, but now he will have to bear the wrath of those two families first, and they will not show the slightest mercy."


    Pei Jian pondered and responded:


    "Next, the Shen Family and Su Family won''t be idle either. With today''s events, those families will surely want to eliminate him quickly!"


    "This has always been a matter of life and death, sooner orter."


    Pei Man said indifferently:


    "But by doing this, he has at least grabbed those families by the nose, gaining the initiative."


    "This guy can also endure, I bet he must have had this information for quite some time."


    Pei Jian sighed and muttered.


    "It is certain, without a doubt, that he specifically chose this time. The reason he chose to reveal it now must have been carefully considered."


    Pei Man said to Pei Jian.


    "Man, do you think he could be in possession of materials on all the families, including our Pei Family?"


    "That''s very likely."


    Pei Man mused for a moment.


    "Man, do you really think he can withstand the wrath of those families?"


    "Who knows? But the cards and power he holds are probably beyond our imagination."


    Pei Man nced at Pei Jian and said:


    "Not to mention other things, just consider what happened today. Was it that easy to pull off?"


    "That''s also true."


    Pei Jian nodded in agreement. He was certain he could not have managed to do it to this extent by himself.


    "I am actually bing more and more eager to see his performance in the future."


    A light of anticipation shone in Pei Man''s beautiful eyes as she spoke.


    ......


    On that day, Su Chen hadn''t paid much attention to the outside world; he was engrossed in his "Cultivation" until around eight in the evening, only stopping when Lin Ruoxue returned.


    "Su Chen, were you behind what happened today?"


    During dinner, Lin Ruoxue asked.


    The incident had caused quite a stir, and Ruoxue had naturally heard about it.


    "What are you talking about? I didn''t step out today."


    Su Chen continued eating his meal.


    "I mean the incident involving Zheng Yan, Situ Jiao, and that male celebrity, Cui Yuanmin."


    Lin Ruoxue looked into Su Chen''s eyes as she asked.


    Upon hearing the news, she instinctively felt it had something to do with her husband.


    "Oh, you''re talking about that. Yes, I ordered someone to handle it."


    Su Chen casually revealed.


    However, Lin Ruoxue was deeply shaken by his admission. Her husband had indeed stirred up the incident that shocked all of Huaxia.


    And yet, he spoke of it so lightly, as if it were a trivial matter of no consequence!


    "It''s nothing. I was just asking."


    Lin Ruoxue knew Su Chen must have had his reasons, so she didn''t press any further.


    "Don''t worry. I don''t act rashly; it will be fine."


    Su Chen put down his chopsticks and offered her a slight smile.


    He could tell that although Ruoxue had said nothing, she was actually quite concerned.


    "Good to hear."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded upon hearing his words, her heart bing somewhat relieved.


    "Let''s go for a walk."


    Su Chen suggested after dinner.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded and then stood up.


    Before heading out, Su Chen picked up a coat and draped it over Lin Ruoxue.


    The two walked for a while before sitting on a bench in the apartmentplex, sharing some intimate conversation, and then returned home...


    Lin Ruoxue naturally went upstairs to continue working, while Su Chen took a bath and theny in bed, flipping through the magazines that Ruoxue had been reading before bed...

 Chapter 648 - 648 The Story of Su Jin and Su Lou

    The next morning, after breakfast, both of them set out one after another.


    Su Chen had already considered that if he really ended up sleeping with Lin Ruoxue, he wouldn''t be able to guarantee his nightly cultivation.


    So he decided to split his time, spending half at thepany and the other half on cultivation.


    After all, he was still a nominal department head, and it wouldn''t be right to never show up at work.


    As Su Chen was driving halfway, he suddenly received a phone call. It was Su Jin calling him to discuss something at Jinsheng Group.


    Su Chen immediately agreed. He had always been curious about the rtionship between himself and the elusive owner of the Jinsheng Group.


    He found it strange that this person would be his aunt, whom he had never met or even heard of before.


    However, all of this could only be known after meeting her.


    Su Chen quickly drove to Jinsheng Group, and then under the guidance of the receptionist, he took the elevator to the top floor.


    Finally, he met this mysterious woman with whom he had only a brief encounter, in a huge and luxurious office.


    "Little Tian..."


    The moment she saw him, a smile immediately appeared on Su Jin''s face.


    But her words were cut off by Su Chen:


    "I''m now more ustomed to people calling me Su Chen. The name Su Tian is a thing of the past."


    Su Chen said indifferently, the mention of that name bringing back memories of the past.


    "Alright then, Little Chen, please have a seat,"


    Su Jin said as she pointed to a sofa in the office. She then got up and sat down on a smaller sofa beside it.


    "You must have many questions you want to ask me,"


    She said with a smile.


    Su Chen nodded at this; indeed, he had many doubts that he needed her to rify.


    "Actually, the situation is notplicated. You''ll understand once I finish exining,"


    Su Jin spoke softly.


    "Alright, you speak, I''ll listen,"


    For some reason, at this moment, he didn''t call her "aunt" like he did that day.


    Su Jin took a sip of tea, then looked at him and began:


    "I''m not actually your biological aunt. I am your grandfather''s illegitimate daughter."


    Upon hearing this first statement, Su Chen was somewhat startled, but he didn''t say anything and let her continue.


    "My mother was nothing special, just an ordinary woman. It''s just that she and my father, your grandfather, shared amon hobby, which was traveling."


    "Once, she traveled to Tibet, and your grandfather, who also enjoyed traveling, happened to be there too. Since they were both from Yandu, they inevitably felt a kinship and thus traveled together."


    "Over the following half a month, they fell in love and became intimate."


    At this point, Su Jin slightly smiled, then looked at Su Chen:


    "It''s quite a melodramatic story, isn''t it? Just like what you''d see in the soap operas nowadays."


    "It''s indeed quite melodramatic."


    Su Chen also managed a helpless smile, he hadn''t expected things to turn out this way.


    "The story that follows might be even more melodramatic."


    Su Jin said with a smile:


    "Actually, from the beginning, my mother knew that my father was already married and even had a son, but love doesn''t reason; once you fall in love, that''s it."


    "After returning from Tibet, the two of them still secretly maintained their rtionship as lovers. Although it was not more than two years before your grandmother passed away from illness, my mother knew that the threshold of the Su Family was too high, and it was impossible for them to marry amon woman like her, nor did she ever dream of entering the Su Family''s door."


    "My father was also quite decent, although he couldn''t marry my mother, he didn''t remarry either, and the two of them continued to maintain that secret rtionship."


    "When I was twelve years old, I met my older brother¡ªyour father¡ªfor the first time; he was sixteen then, brought by my father."


    "Although our father had told us before that he was going to bring him to meet us, we were still very nervous and worried he would reject us. After all, no matter how you look at it, my mother was the first ''other woman''."


    "But surprisingly, my brother was very kind to us. I still remember the first thing he said to me. He told me, ''I''ve always hoped to have a sister, and I never imagined that today my dream woulde true.''


    As she got to this point, Su Jin''s tears began to flow unconsciously:


    "I saw sincerity in his clear eyes, and I instantly took a liking to this brother. He affectionately called my mother ''Auntie'' and thanked her for taking care of our father all these years."


    "After he said that, my mother cried!"


    "From then on, he would oftene to visit us and even bring us gifts."


    "When my mother unfortunately passed away in a car ident at my age of eighteen, it was he who, fearing something might happen to me, stayed with me for three days and nights."


    "After I graduated and said I wanted to start a business, my father disagreed, but in the end, it was he who secretly gave me a sum of money."


    "When my father found out I had started a business, he was furious. In the end, it was my brother who persuaded him."


    "Whenever my business encountered difficulties, he was always the first to help me."


    "You could say, even though he wasn''t my biological brother, he was closer to me than a real one!"


    At this moment, Su Jin was crying so hard that her makeup had smeared, and her voice was somewhat unsteady.


    After taking a moment topose herself, she continued:


    "However, the Su Family is, after all, a prominent n, and being an illegitimate daughter is never a tteringbel. So, our interactions had always been very cautious, and our secrecy was well maintained; therefore, no one else knew of my existence."


    "My father was the first to pass away, and it was due to illness. At that time, my brother and I both thought it was normal and had no suspicions because our father was quite old, and birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural order of things."


    "But when my brother and sister-inw''s idents happened one after another, I knew it had to be murder; otherwise, it could not possibly be such a coincidence!"


    "I vowed then that I would stop at nothing to avenge my father, brother, and sister-inw''s deaths, even if it meant risking my own life!"


    "After my sister-inw died, I immediately wanted to find you, but when I went to the Su Family the day after her death, pretending to be my brother''s friend and asked to see you, they told me you had disappeared!"


    "Over these many years, I have been searching for you with no news at all, until not long ago, when I went to pay respects to my father and brother and sister-inw, I saw you kneeling there, weeping bitterly, and I knew then that you were Su Tian, you hade back!"


    By the time she reached this point, Su Jin''s face was covered in tears, and her entire body was trembling slightly...


    "Do you know how afraid I''ve been over the years that you might no longer be alive? I am so grateful that Heaven has shown mercy, allowing me to finally find you!"


    "Auntie, don''t cry, I''vee back, and I am fine."


    Su Chen reached out with both hands, gently wiping away the tears on Su Jin''s face.


    At this moment, he finally understood the entire circumstances...

 Chapter 649 - 249: Mysterious Person

    "Mm, Auntie is not crying, Auntie is happy,"


    Su Jin revealed with a smile.


    "Auntie, on the day I came down the mountain, I encountered a car, and you were in the car, weren''t you?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Yes, it was me."


    Su Jin nodded.


    At that moment, a sudden sh of realization hit Su Chen, and he looked intently at Su Jin and asked,


    "That person who delivered the letter to me, was it also you?"


    "It was me, I had already realized that you were definitelying back for revenge."


    Su Jin nodded,


    "I thought the time was not yet ripe and hoped you could endure a little longer."


    "Auntie, you wrote in the letter that the events of that year wereplex and not just about the Five Great Families. Did you discover any clues?"


    "Yes, initially, I thought as you did, that those with the motive and ability to harm your father and elder brother must be these families, and of course, the second branch of the Su Family must be involved too."


    "But I also knew that these families are giants and not something I could shake easily."


    "So I started small, I arranged for people to buy off those families'' servants, offering themrge sums of money, rewarding them with one hundred thousand, fifty thousand, or ten thousand based on the importance of the clues. Even for nonsignificant clues, I still offered a reward of ten thousand."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but admire the strategy, which seemed ordinary but was undoubtedly effective.


    The servants, faced with such temptation, would surely keep their eyes wide open and ears perked up to gather all avable information!


    And for the Jinsheng Group, this amount of money was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.


    "Auntie, did that provide any useful clues?"


    Su Chen hurriedly asked, full of anticipation.


    "Yes, between the time your father and mother died, Shen Mingchang went to the Situ Family twice and to the Zheng Family three times, and all werete at night. They eluded others but couldn''t deceive the gatekeeper,"


    Su Jin said meaningfully.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately frowned. Shen Mingchang''s frequent nocturnal visits to these two families in such a short period were definitely not normal.


    Moreover, aligning so closely with his parents'' deaths made it even more abnormal!


    "Anything else?"


    Su Chen asked, because just this alone was insufficient to exin what Su Jin had written in her letter.


    "Most importantly, during the time shortly before our grandfather died, a mysterious figure met several times with Shen Mingchang in the study to talk secretly. We don''t know what they discussed, but one point was very peculiar."


    Su Jin said earnestly,


    "That mysterious person only appeared during that period and never again before or since, for so many years."


    "Auntie, are you certain?"


    Su Chen asked. If what she said was true, it meant that some unforeseenplications had emerged.


    "Absolutely! You needn''t doubt the authenticity of the source; I can guarantee thatpletely,"


    Su Jin dered solemnly.


    "Auntie, it''s not that I don''t believe you, but if it''s really as you say, then it means there might be other forces or people hidden in the background, and many things might not be as simple as I had initially thought."


    "I wrote to you because of this concern, hoping you wouldn''t act rashly, but who knew you..."


    Su Jin shook her head with a bitter smile, Su Chen''s actions hadpletely disrupted her ns.


    ording to her n, she wouldn''t have acknowledged him so soon, but she had to step forward that night out of concern for Su Chen''s safety.


    "Don''t worry, Auntie, I know you must have your ns and intentions, and I have mine too,"


    Su Chen looked at Su Jin and said:


    "I hope you won''t act rashly; just leave everything to me."


    Su Jin stared at Su Chen, somewhat astonished, because although the young man spoke with great respect, there was a distinct dominance in his tone!


    It was as if his words were the ultimatemand, beyond dispute!


    This waspletely different from the gentle and spring-like feeling his elder brother gave him!


    "But not to mention whether there are hidden forces involved in this matter, even those great families are like towering mountains!"


    Su Jin expressed her worries:


    "If it weren''t so, would I have refrained from taking action until today, merely collecting clues?"


    "Because I know, acting blindly not only won''t seed but will also risk my own demise."


    "I''m not afraid of Jinsheng Group being destroyed, nor am I afraid of losing my life, but it must be worth it!"


    "Aunt, you''ve already done a lot, and the clues you''ve collected are of great use to me, for which I must sincerely thank you."


    Su Chen earnestly said to Su Jin:


    "Aunt, believe in me, I''m not merely tilting at windmills; I have my trump card, a trump card those families cannot imagine."


    "Aunt, you must have also felt that the experiences I''ve had over these years are certainly extraordinary."


    Su Jin''s face still showed immense worry:


    "But these great families really are extraordinary; their depth and strength are beyond what outsiders can imagine!"


    "Aunt, I know you are worried about me, but I can reveal a little to you."


    Su Chen knew that without revealing something, Su Jin would struggle to let go, so he said:


    "Actually, aunt, I have always been cautious that there might be something behind those great families, so what I''ve been doing all along is one thing¡ªpressure!"


    "I want to push these families into a corner, with no way out, then many things wille to light."


    After hearing what Su Chen said, Su Jin was greatly shocked; she did not expect him to say such things.


    She had been worried that his youthful vigor would lead to recklessness, plunging himself into danger!


    Turns out, all of this had been well considered by him; it was a case of nning carefully and then acting!


    This made Su Jin feel not only shocked but also deeply reassured!


    "Was yesterday''s incident also your doing?"


    Su Jin suddenly shuddered, asking incredulously.


    "Yes, it was arranged by my people."


    Su Chen nodded, admitting:


    "Aunt, you can rest easy now, can''t you?"


    "Rxed, relieved."


    Su Jin''s eyes suddenly filled again with excited and joyful tears:


    "If your parents knew how you are now, they would be veryforted too."


    "But still, Su Chen, you need to be careful; those people may look decent, but they are not all good."


    "I understand, aunt, I''ll be fine."


    Su Chen said:


    "However, I am more worried about your safety."


    "You need not worry about me, I have people to protect me, but Ruoxue needs to be careful,"


    Su Jin advised.


    "Aunt, rest assured, I have made arrangements already."


    Su Chen nodded, feeling the genuine concern from her, which warmed his heart...

 Chapter 650: Storm is Brewing in the Tower

    Su Chen had lunch with Su Jin at noon and then he left.


    Su Jin did ask him to visit more often, to talk about his past, and he agreed.


    Now, having finally confirmed he had a rtive, Su Chen''s heart was still very uneasy!


    For so many years, he thought he was like a duckweed, drifting with the wind.


    Although he had good brothers in Nether Temple and loyal followers like the Shadow Guard, he actually felt no sense of belonging in his heart.


    It wasn''t until he married Lin Ruoxue and their rtionship gradually thawed that Su Chen first felt a sense of home.


    As their rtionship stabilized, Su Chen also felt a ce to rest his heart.


    Today, recognizing Su Jin, made him feel even more that he wasn''t alone!


    It turned out that all along, somewhere in the world, someone had always been thinking about him!


    This feeling was very good!


    On the drive back, Su Chen''s face was involuntarily graced with a smile...


    Meanwhile, the news about Zheng Yan and Situ Jiao both being involved with the same male celebrity not only hadn''t cooled down but was getting more heated instead!


    Last night, the Situ Family and Zheng Family had separately used their connections to have the news taken down from major websites.


    However, inexplicably, at seven this morning, that piece of news was once again prominently disyed on major websites!


    When the people from the Situ Family and Zheng Family called to question this, the website managers tearfully told them that their sites had been hacked, and those uploads were not their doing.


    With both family patriarchs still in the hospital, others couldn''t make a decision and had no good solutions at hand.


    They could only watch as the situation escted!


    As for the incident''s subjects, Zheng Yan and Situ Jiao, they had already been confined by their families since yesterday, watched around the clock, not allowed to step out of their rooms.


    By this time, the people of Yandu had started to feel something odd. There seemed to always be news about the Five Great Familiestely, and it was mostly unttering.


    Everyone knew and feared the Five Great Families, but there was usually not much news about them.


    This was also a survival tactic for any great family, as they would never expose themselves too much to the public eye.


    But now, someone was forcibly keeping them under the spotlight, seemingly intent on stripping off their colorful outer garments!


    Many with a keen sense saw a storm brewing; they felt the future of Yandu might not be peaceful...


    And the one stirring up the storm might very likely be that young man at the financial summit...


    .....


    At this moment, Su Chen was sitting in his office, yet his attention wasn''t much on that matter.


    He held a blood-written IOU in his hands, already considering when to drop another bomb!


    After some thought, he decided to wait and see, thus he put away the IOU.


    At this moment, he was like a clever chess yer, pondering where and when to make his next move.


    Especially after hearing from Su Jin today about that mysterious person, he became even more cautious, and even readjusted some of his previous ns.


    Just as he was deep in thought, the door suddenly swung open, and a faint fragrance wafted in.


    Su Chen looked up and immediately felt a headacheing on.


    "Grandma, howe you''re here again?"


    Su Chen helplessly curled his lip.


    "What''s with that look, you don''t wee me?"


    Xu Xinran didn''t like hearing this and became annoyed, feeling like she was some kind of bad luck charm.


    "Wee, wee, okay?"


    Su Chen spread his hands.


    "Your office isn''t too shabby!"


    Xu Xinran stood with her hands sped behind her back as she sized up Su Chen''s office, looking very much like a senior official on an inspection.


    "It''s so-so," she casually dismissed, then walked over to Xu Xinran:


    "What exactly are you doing here?"


    "Just looking around."


    Xu Xinran said offhandedly, then added with a suggestive smile:


    "Have you ever secretly dated any of your subordinates here? I''ve heard from my cousin that your PR department is filled with beauties."


    "What are you talking about? Do I look like that kind of person?"


    Su Chen retorted with a scoff, though he felt somewhat uneasy inside.


    "I don''t know you too well yet, but I guess those with even a bit of charm haven''t escaped your clutches," Xu Xinran said knowingly, before sitting down in Su Chen''s chair:


    "This chair of yours is quitefortable."


    "You''re quite attractive yourself; howe I haven''t made a move on you?"


    What Su Chen said was indeed true, but considering Xu Xinran''s beauty and her stunning figure, she was definitely the dream woman of many men!


    The only off-putting thing was her terrible temperament, something most men couldn''t handle.


    Xu Xinran hadn''t expected him topliment her looks, and her cheeks flushed slightly.


    "Oh, you''re blushing!"


    Su Chen eximed as if he had just discovered a new continent.


    "Who''s blushing? You''re the one blushing!"


    Xu Xinran snapped back, as if her little secret had been exposed.


    "Yo, if this isn''t blushing, then what is it? It''s even warm!"


    Su Chen reached out and gently touched her cheek, teasinglyughing.


    When Su Chen''s hand touched her cheek, Xu Xinran felt a shock, involuntarily shifting to the side, as her heart began to beat wildly.


    "It''s just a touch on the cheek; your reaction is a bit over the top, isn''t it?"


    Su Chen quipped and then casually sat down on the sofa, lighting a cigarette.


    Xu Xinran didn''t respond, needing some time to calm her restless heart.


    For a moment, there was a rare quiet between them.


    After a while, Xu Xinran finally managed to calm herself down when suddenly she caught a glimpse of something in the half-open drawer.


    "Oh, Su Chen, I can''t believe you look at this sort of thing!"


    Xu Xinran opened the drawer and took out what was inside¡ªit was a stack of Men''s Wear magazines, each cover featuring a voluptuous sexydy!


    "You still im you''re a good person?"


    "Does looking at this make me a bad person?"


    Su Chen retorted scornfully, not caring at all.


    If it were Lin Ruoxue who had found out, he might have been a bit nervous, but her, not at all.


    "You''re looking at this and you''re saying you don''t have any dirty thoughts?"


    Xu Xinran looked at Su Chen with disdain.


    "I appreciate beauty, okay? I''m admiring it with a discerning eye. Don''t think everyone''s as dirty-minded as you!"


    Su Chen argued righteously...

 Chapter 651 - 651 Su Chen, Im Going All Out Against You

    Xu Xinran''s pretty face turned dark with anger, her chest heaving tumultuously!


    This bastard really has no shame, not doing anything decent himself, but instead ming it back on me, calling my thoughts filthy?!


    What infuriated her the most was that he spoke with such earnest, as if the problem really was hers!


    "Su Chen, what did you say?!"


    Xu Xinran gritted her teeth as she spoke.


    "Do you think I''m going to be scared of you just because you''re fierce?"


    Su Chen nced at her contemptuously and said:


    "I''m speaking the truth. Buddha says, ''seeing a mountain as a mountain, seeing water as water.'' When I see a beauty, I see a beauty, but you? When you see a beauty, you think of filthy things. That only proves one thing: you have long had that kind of seed in your mind."


    At that moment, Su Chen seemed to have suddenly transformed into a lofty hermit, his words seemingly filled with Zen wisdom!


    But Xu Xinran''s expression grew even darker, and her eyes seemed to shoot mes!


    "Su Chen, I''m going to fight you!"


    Xu Xinran suddenly leaped from her chair, springing up with agility.


    Being a police officer and trained as one, her leap was indeed nimble and fluid like flowing clouds and water!


    As soon as she flew out, she pounced towards Su Chen on the sofa like a sly rabbit, her fist thundering towards him!


    At this moment, her anger was extreme; she could clearly hear that this guy was insinuating her mind was filthy with such dirty thoughts!


    This was unbearable!


    Although Su Chen was taken aback by this youngdy''s sudden outburst, he watched Xu Xinran''s swinging fist and quickly moved his body to the side, dodging her punch.


    Xu Xinran ended up lunging at thin air, her whole body crashing into the sofa, which luckily was soft enough to prevent any harm.


    Missing with her first strike, Xu Xinran grew even angrier and pounced again at Su Chen, who was now to the side, looking ferocious and terrifying!


    "Hey, have you gone mad?!"


    Su Chen, seeing the youngdy pounce at him like a mad person, was intending to dodge, but on his side was the edge of the sofa, which could easily injure her.


    So, he was forced to recline there, extending his arms to hold off the youngdy''s body.


    "You''re the one who''s gone mad!"


    Xu Xinran shouted angrily:


    "If I''ve gone mad, it''s all because of you, you bastard!"


    As she yelled, Xu Xinran kept hammering her fists onto Su Chen''s body like she was venting!


    Xu Xinran''s punches might not cause him any harm, but they still hurt, okay? After all, she had training!


    Therefore, Su Chen used his strength to lift her body a bit higher, trying to keep her fists from reaching him!


    Xu Xinran, now with blood rushing to her head, only grew more intent on punishing him fiercely!


    Who told him to have such a nasty mouth!


    Suddenly, Xu Xinran bent her head down and bit towards Su Chen''s arm!


    Startled by this, Su Chen quickly let go; this woman hadpletely lost it!


    As soon as Su Chen''s grip loosened, Xu Xinran lost her support and fell down, her whole bodynding on top of him!


    Seizing the opportunity, Xu Xinran didn''t care about anything, opened her mouth, and viciously bit down on Su Chen''s shoulder!


    "Xu Xinran, you crazy woman, were you raised by dogs?!"


    Su Chen hissed in pain.


    "You asked for it."


    Xu Xinran muttered under her breath, still angry.


    "Was I not just making a joke?"


    Su Chen curled his lips, then slightly lifted his dress shirt and nced at his shoulder:


    "Look, it''s bleeding, isn''t it?"


    "It seems so."


    At this moment, Xu Xinran''s anger had also diminished somewhat, and as she looked at Su Chen''s shoulder, she noticed that the imprint was indeed quite deep, and there was even a trickle of fresh blood seeping out.


    For a moment, Xu Xinran felt maybe she had gone a little too far.


    But could she really me herself? Who told him to be so annoying with his words!


    "What do you mean ''it seems so,'' it''s bleeding, period!"


    Su Chen replied irritably:


    "What am I supposed to tell my wife when I get home? That I got bitten by a dog?"


    At his words, Xu Xinran almost burst into anger again, but then she thought better of it since she was the one who had made him like this.


    "I, I''ll rub it for you,"


    she said softly. Without waiting for Su Chen to consent, she reached out a delicate hand and began to rub his shoulder.


    As she rubbed, she gently blew on it as if to alleviate the symptom.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight. He really wanted to ask her, "Is this some kind of magic healing breath? You think blowing on it will fix it?"


    But seeing her so earnest and meticulous, he kept his thoughts to himself.


    Gradually, Su Chen found himself staring at her delicate and perfect profile, his eyes beginning to lose focus.


    Meanwhile, Xu Xinran continued to gently rub his shoulder and blow on it.


    Suddenly, she turned her head and found Su Chen staring at her intently and her cheeks flushed.


    Su Chen noticed her gaze, and suddenly the air seemed to freeze, with a special atmosphere spreading between the two of them...


    For a while, they seemed to be looking at each other, but their eyes also looked somewhat evasive.


    Looking at Su Chen''s well-defined and slightly delicate face, Xu Xinran suddenly felt a surge of courage!


    Out of the blue, she leaned down and pressed her lips to Su Chen''s!


    "Boom!"


    Su Chen felt his head explode with a bang, everything went nk!


    Had he just been forcefully kissed?


    After kissing Su Chen, Xu Xinran had no idea what to do next; she had never been kissed before and so ended up experimenting on Su Chen like ab rat, ording to what she''d seen in movies!


    Su Chen wasn''t a saint, and faced with an active kiss from such a beautiful woman, he couldn''t possibly remain unmoved!


    Surely enough, he wrapped his arms around Xu Xinran and took the initiative!


    After a long few minutes, the two gradually pulled apart, both panting heavily...


    At this point, Xu Xinran''s face was as red as a peach, as if squeezing it would yield juice.


    After it ended, Xu Xinran looked at Su Chen again, her heart immediately thrown into turmoil...


    "I... I need to go!"


    Xu Xinran stumbled off the couch and ran out of Su Chen''s office like a gust of wind.


    Su Chen also got up from the couch, looking at the empty office and couldn''t help but smile bitterly at the corner of his lips.


    All along, he wasn''t unaware of this little girl''s feelings for him; he had figured it out a long time ago.


    The reason he had always been at odds with her was not without a purposefulponent.


    To say whether he actually liked Xu Xinran, of course he did; to say otherwise would be self-deception.


    But his current romantic troubles were already plenty, and he still didn''t know how to handle them, so he didn''t want to add another to the list.


    Yet, he hadn''t expected that today, by some twist of fate, something like this would happen...

 Chapter 652 - 652 Pei Mans Illness and Fate

    Xu Xinran rushed out of Su Chen''s office and didn''t head for Xia Qiuru''s office; she simply didn''t have the face to see her cousin at the moment.


    She fled down the streets, running until she reached the open space outside Rainbow Mansion before stopping.


    Touching her own cheek, she found it was unbearably hot!


    Thinking back to the scene that had just unfolded, she felt overwhelmingly ashamed!


    She had actually taken the initiative to...


    But no, it was all that bad guy''s fault!


    If it weren''t for him taunting her, how could she have thought to teach him a lesson? And if she hadn''t wanted to teach him a lesson, how could what happened afterwards have urred!


    Yes, that''s right, it was all that jerk''s fault!


    Xu Xinran quickly found an excuse for herself, and her mood eased ever so slightly!


    If Su Chen knew what Xu Xinran was thinking, he would surely choke on a sip of salty soda and question her: Even if your previous reasons made sense, wasn''t it you who kissed me forcefully in the end? Did I somehow force you to do that?


    But naturally, Xu Xinran conveniently ignored this question.


    Now, a more pressing issue for Xu Xinran was what to do next?


    But Xu Xinran''s head was aplete mess now, and she couldn''t think clearly at all...


    Since she couldn''t think clearly, she stopped trying and called a taxi to return to the hotel...


    ....


    Su Chen stayed in his office for a while with nothing to do, originally nning to go back and cultivate.


    But just as he reached the ground floor, he ran into Pei Jian.


    "Could I have a word with you?" Pei Jian asked.


    "Sure, there''s a coffee shop nearby. Let''s talk there," Su Chen replied with a nod, then headed toward the coffee shop, with Pei Jian following behind.


    After the two entered the coffee shop, they casually sat down at a table and ordered twottes.


    "What did you want to discuss?"


    Su Chen wasn''t one for beating around the bush, asking directly.


    "It''s about Pei Man."


    Pei Jian got straight to the point.


    "Pei Man?"


    Su Chen frowned slightly and asked, "What about her?"


    "It''s about her leg."


    Pei Jian looked at Su Chen and said, "I know you''re highly skilled in medicine. I hope you can treat her."


    "I''m sorry, but I''m afraid that''s beyond my power," Su Chen said, shaking his head slightly.


    "You can''t heal her?"


    Pei Jian''s face darkened upon hearing Su Chen''s words, his heart slowly sinking...


    "It''s not that I can''t," Su Chen said lightly.


    "Then what is it?"


    Upon hearing this, Pei Jian seemed to regain hope and quickly asked, "I know you are the Ghost Doctor, and your treatment doesn''te cheap. Name your price, no matter how much, I can pay."


    "It''s not a question of money," Su Chen once again shook his head, noticing that Pei Jian truly cared about his cousin, Pei Man.


    Such sibling concern was exceedingly rare in big families!


    For that reason, Su Chen looked at Pei Jian with newfound respect.


    "If it''s not money, then what''s the problem?" Pei Jian asked anxiously, "Just tell me what it is, and I''ll do everything I can to solve it."


    "Don''t get agitated, let me finish," Su Chen said, waving his hand slightly with a small smile.


    "Okay, go ahead," Pei Jian said with an awkward smile, realizing he had been too excited just now.


    "I had previously offered to treat her..."


    "You had offered to treat her before?"


    Su Chen''s words were cut off by Pei Jian.


    Then, with an awkward smile, he continued:


    "Sorry, sorry, you go on, you go on."


    Su Chen also helplessly frowned and went on:


    "Right, I did propose, but she refused. She said I couldn''t heal her, she said I could only treat illnesses, not save lives, and hers was a matter of life, not an illness."


    "I could tell she seemed somewhat reluctant to have me treat her. Since she didn''t want it, what could I do?"


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Pei Jian fell silent for a moment, a trace of pity shing across his face.


    "I understand. I''ll take over her job, but if she''s willing, could you possibly..."


    Pei Jian stood up and looked at Su Chen.


    "Certainly!"


    Without waiting for Pei Jian to finish, Su Chen nodded.


    "Thank you!"


    Pei Jian bowed deeply to Su Chen, said earnestly, and then left.


    At that moment, the coffee the waiter had brought had just arrived, and Su Chen sat and finished his cup before leaving...


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the far-off Ans Mountains, inside an office within a peculiar building, a man stood before Tang Gang.


    "President, it has been confirmed, this mission has failed."


    The man reported.


    "It''s as expected. I was hoping they would bring me some unexpected gains. Seems I was thinking too much."


    Tang Gang showed no emotional fluctuations upon receiving the news.


    If Su Chen was so easy to kill, he wouldn''t be the King of the Underworld.


    As for that father and son, dead is dead, there''s no loss toment.


    "By the way, have you contacted the envoy? When is he arriving?"


    Tang Gang suddenly asked.


    "Contact has been made, time is uncertain. The envoy said, roughly a month or so."


    The man responded immediately after Tang Gang''s inquiry.


    "Alright, I understand. You may leave."


    Tang Gang waved him away.


    After the man had left, Tang Gang swiftly pressed a button on the electronic screen on his desk:


    "Ask Doctor George toe here."


    Before long, a man in a whiteb coat entered his digits and walked into Tang Gang''s office.


    "Doctor George, how many of the third generation Gene Modifiers have been produced?"


    Tang Gang asked coldly.


    "One hundred twenty-three."


    George, facing Tang Gang''s stern visage, replied shakily.


    "And the progress of the fourth generation Gene Modifiers?"


    "Still, still in the experimental phase, no breakthroughs yet."


    George''s cold sweat started to pour at this point.


    "Bang!"


    Tang Gang mmed the table and stood up:


    "Have you forgotten what I told you? Either produce at least two hundred third generation Gene Modifiers by the end of the month or develop the fourth generation Gene Modifiers!"


    "You haven''tpleted any task, how do you think I should punish you?"


    Tang Gang''s eyes were filled with a chill as he spoke.


    "Thump!"


    Doctor George fell to his knees on the spot:


    "President, I''ve truly done my best. ording to our earlier estimates, producing two hundred third generation Gene Modifiers within a year was already ambitious, and in this past month, our team has produced one hundred twenty-three, far exceeding our initial expectations."


    "As for the fourth generation Gene Modifiers, they are much moreplex than the previous ones. It''s impossible in such a short time, President!"


    "That''s your problem! I only want results!"


    Tang Gang replied coldly:


    "There are still seventeen days left until the end of the month. You had better show me some results by then, or you know the consequences!"


    "Yes, President!"


    Doctor George left Tang Gang''s office with a look of despair...

 Chapter 653 - 653 Tang Gangs Fear

    After George left, Tang Gang fell into silence.


    The reason he was so eager for George to create more third-generation gene modifiers or to develop the fourth generation was that he was afraid.


    Yes, ever since he returned from that small ind in the Pacific Ocean, he had been scared.


    It was because on that asion he discovered that Su Chen, whose Dantian had shattered more than a year ago, had miraculously regained his previous cultivation level, and even if there was a difference, it wasn''t much!


    He originally thought that even if Su Chen repaired his Dantian and had an extraordinary martial arts talent, it would take several years to recover to the strength of his peak.


    By that time, he would have enough gene modifiers, and he might also have developed the fourth or fifth generation of gene modifiers. Then, he would have nothing to fear!


    At that point, not to mention Su Chen, even the organization that treated him as a puppet, he might not take them seriously.


    But he never expected that Su Chen''s strength and cultivation would improve so rapidly, incredibly fast!


    He had a strong feeling that Su Chen mighte to seek revenge on him very soon, which was why he was in such a rush.


    Truth be told, the strength of one hundred and twenty third-generation gene modifiers was already remarkable, as the strength of two or three third-generation gene modifiers was almost equivalent to one at the Qi Refinement Peak.


    Of course, this doesn''t mean that the Skull Society now had the equivalent of about fifty Qi Refinement Peak-level fighters. It doesn''t really work that way, after all, there are things that Qi Refinement Peak practitioners can do that two or three third-generation gene modifiers might not be able to aplish.


    But no matter what, the power of the Skull Society had be very frightening.


    Evenpared to the Nether Temple, excluding Su Chen, they were not inferior!


    Yet, it was his innate fear of Su Chen that still made him feel insecure, a sense of insecurity that came from deep inside!


    That''s why he was so desperate for more, higher-level gene modifiers...


    ......


    Of course, Su Chen had no idea about Tang Gang''s current situation, and even if he knew, he wouldn''t be too worried.


    Firstly, because Doctor Gaia had already found a way to deal with those gene warriors, and secondly, his own cultivation had undergone a qualitative change!


    His current cultivation level, let alone Tang Gang, was something he himself could have never imagined before!


    Now, he was just waiting for Doctor Gaia to produce enough Almighty Bone Marrow and for Shadow to locate a more precise position of the Skull Society, and then he would destroy this evil organization!


    Seeking revenge this time was secondary; the main goal was to destroy Tang Gang''s experimental base!


    At this moment, Su Chen waspletely immersed in his cultivation, only stopping when Lin Ruoxue returned, to have dinner with her.


    After dinner, he chatted with Lin Ruoxue on the couch for a while, until Aunt Sun told them that she needed to take a few days off because of some family matters.


    The two of them naturally had no objections and agreed directly.


    A whileter, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to continue working, and Su Chen first returned to his room to start cultivating again.


    When it was about time for Lin Ruoxue to rest, he then went back to the bedroom upstairs. Lin Ruoxue usually worked until around 11 p.m. and then took a shower and went to bed.


    Of course, sometimes she would take a shower before continuing to work and then go straight to sleep.


    Since Lin Ruoxue''s "rtive" was still visiting, Su Chen couldn''t hit a home run yet!


    The next morning, after getting up, the two of them went downstairs for breakfast as usual.


    After sleeping with Lin Ruoxue, he hadn''t made breakfast for several days; after all, with a beauty in his arms, how could he bear to get up so early?


    ```


    However, Auntie Sun was leaving this morning, and tomorrow he would have to start his old job again.


    After breakfast, the two of them set off one after the other, just as always.


    Once back in his office, Su Chen returned to his usual routine, drinking tea and reading magazines.


    A whileter, he became bored and started wandering around the office, eventually ending up at Xia Qiuru''s office.


    When Lin Ruoxue was around, he had been somewhat sneaky, but now that Lin Ruoxue was not there, he naturally became fearless.


    This could also be called ''in the absence of the tiger, the monkey bes king''!


    When Su Chen walked into Xia Qiuru''s office, she was bending over to pour water, and a strand of hair fell down gracefully.


    Today Xia Qiuru wore a silver-grey business suit with a skirt below, and as she bent over, a wonderful curve was immediately outlined!


    After seeing this, Su Chen suddenly felt a thrill, and his footsteps came to a halt.


    Xia Qiuru heard someone walking in, and without looking, she knew it was Su Chen, because no one else woulde in without knocking except for him.


    Even Lin Ruoxue would knock on the door before entering.


    Xia Qiuru then turned her head to look toward the door and found that Su Chen''s gaze was fervently fixed on a certain part of her body, his eyeballs almost falling out.


    At first, Xia Qiuru was a bit puzzled, but the moment she realized what he was looking at, a shy blush appeared on her face!


    "Why have youe?"


    Xia Qiuru pretended not to notice and stood up to ask.


    "Ah!"


    After hearing Xia Qiuru''s voice, Su Chen finally snapped back to reality, quickly averted his gaze and said,


    "Just came to see you."


    Xia Qiuru was very pleased to hear this simple sentence and a smile appeared on her face.


    She knew that the chances of anything between her and Su Chen were slim and didn''t harbor much hope, so just being able to see him often and talk to him made her quite content.


    Although sometimes in the quiet of the night, she would hope for more, after such thoughts, she would always try to restrain herself andfort herself by saying that this was good enough...


    There was nothing special for Su Chen to do at Xia Qiuru''s ce, so the two of them just sat on the sofa and chatted casually.


    During the conversation, Xia Qiuru did bring up Xu Xinran, saying that she felt something was not quite right with her.


    After hearing this, Su Chen didn''t dare to chime in, simply muttering that she was probably on her period, which elicited a disapproving re from Xia Qiuru.


    After leaving Xia Qiuru''s office, Su Chen felt very rxed; in fact, he really liked chatting with Xia Qiuru, who was like a spring breeze, capable of blowing away all his worries...


    Then he returned to his office and started ying the game of Fight the Landlord, continuing until it was time for lunch, and he went downstairs to eat.


    There were quite a few restaurants around Rainbow Mansion, and Su Chen had practically tried them all¡ªnot because he was picky about his food, but because he had too much time on his hands...


    "Mr. Su?!"


    Just as he finished his meal and was about to return, a voice suddenly came from the direction of a nearby hotel...


    ```

 Chapter 654 - 654 Ambush

    Su Chen recognized the voice to be somewhat familiar and couldn''t help but turn his head to look over, only to see a woman wearing a baseball cap and sunsses approaching.


    Despite being well-concealed, the coverings did nothing to hide her striking beauty.


    She was tall and slender, dressed in a beige trench coat, with fitted jeans below.


    "Mr. Su, it really is you! When I caught a glimpse just now, I thought I was seeing things!"


    The woman took off her sunsses, speaking with pleasant surprise.


    "Miss Jiang?"


    Su Chen was a bit astonished; he had not expected to encounter Jiang Ying here.


    Jiang Ying was equally surprised and thus asked,


    "Mr. Su, what brings you here?"


    "Ourpany''s branch is nearby. I was just heading out for lunch."


    Su Chen gestured towards the Rainbow Mansion in front of them.


    Upon hearing this, Jiang Ying''s beautiful eyes immediately lit up; he actually worked close by.


    Jiang Ying had always believed that Su Chen was no ordinary man and sought to hitch a ride on his proverbial big ship. In fact, recent events only further confirmed her judgment.


    The news from the financial summit in Yandu had been churning nonstop.


    When the names Belle Corporation and Su Chen entered her ears, she knew¡ªthe man who had stirred up such a storm in Yandu was none other than the man she knew!


    Although she had long suspected that Su Chen was extraordinary, she had not anticipated that this man could make the Five Great Families lose face, suppressing thempletely!


    Perhaps many people believed that this young man taking on the Five Great Families was on a suicide mission!


    But Jiang Ying was different; she instinctively believed that the man who had taken her first kiss wouldn''t lose!


    As for why, she couldn''t clearly say¡ªit might just be a kind of intuition, and a strong one at that!


    This further solidified her resolve to connect with Su Chen, but she had never found a good opportunity to approach him.


    Now, knowing that he worked nearby, she faintly felt that her chance had arrived.


    "Miss Jiang, are you heading out on a long trip?"


    Su Chen nced behind her where a man and a woman were loading luggage into the trunk. Jiang Ying had just walked over from where these two were.


    "No, we''re just going to the suburb in the east of the city for filming; the crew''s doing some location shooting there today."


    Jiang Ying replied with a smile, then her eyes sparkled,


    "Mr. Su, do you have ns this afternoon? If not, perhaps you''d like to join us for a bit of fun."


    "Sure!"


    After thinking for a moment, Su Chen realized he didn''t have much to do back at the office, so joining them seemed better than sitting idly in his office, and thus he nodded in agreement.


    "Wait for me then, I''ll grab a car," Su Chen said.


    "There''s no need to bother, just ride with me,"


    Jiang Ying said nonchntly.


    "That''s kind of you, thank you."


    Su Chen didn''t insist and settled into the back seat with Jiang Ying.


    The man and woman handling the luggage, Jiang Ying''s driver, and her assistant, both got into the car after Jiang Ying and Su Chen.


    Both were somewhat surprised to see Jiang Ying invite an unfamiliar man into the car, although as the driver and assistant, it wasn''t their ce to ask too many questions or say much.


    The two naturally chatted a lot on their way, and it was only then that Su Chen found out that soon after returning from Sanyast time, she had switched jobs to another entertainmentpany.


    After driving for over forty minutes, they arrived at the area where the film crew was shooting.


    Various equipment had already been set up here, some of which even Su Chen didn''t recognize, since he wasn''t familiar with this line of work.


    By this time, many people were already there, including actors, crew members, and various other staff.


    Jiang Ying, being the top star in the cast, naturally wouldn''te and wait first. It wasn''t a matter of pride, but rather one of status.


    If Jiang Ying were toe and wait first, it would instead make people think she was devaluing herself.


    When those people saw Jiang Ying arriving, they immediately greeted her, but when they saw a man standing beside Jiang Ying, they were all quite surprised and spected whether he might be her boyfriend.


    Seeing everyone''s gazes, Jiang Ying took the initiative to introduce Su Chen, saying that he was a friend.


    Obviously, people didn''t quite believe Jiang Ying''s exnation, but they didn''t say anything. Since he was brought by Jiang Ying, they naturally had no objections.


    "Mr. Su, I''m going to get my makeup done and prepare for shooting," Jiang Ying said to Su Chen.


    "No problem, you go ahead with your work, I''ll just have a look around," Su Chen replied nonchntly.


    Jiang Ying then left for a tent, while Su Chen wandered around.


    Some things were quite interesting, and he even tried his hand at some of them out of curiosity.


    About half an hourter, Jiang Ying came out, now dressed in ancient costume, wearing a white dress with flowing ribbons, which gave her a uniquely charming appearance.


    The scene Jiang Ying was about to shoot was a fight scene, which required wire stunts, so the crew was busy preparing her for the setup.


    Of course, other actors were going through the same preparations.


    Once everything was ready, the director shouted ''Action!'' and Jiang Ying was lifted into the air to engage in a fiercebat scene.


    In the scene being shot, she yed a princess carrying a treasure who was being pursued; outnumbered, she eventually fell into a pond, losing her ability to fight.


    Just when she was about to be killed, the male protagonist appeared and saved her...


    When the scene of falling into the pond was shot, she actually plunged into a nearby pond.


    The water was filthy and even had a strange smell, due to the seriousness of environmental pollution nowadays.


    But after falling into the water, Jiang Ying didn''tin and continued to perform earnestly.


    Watching this, Su Chen couldn''t help but remark inwardly that indeed, no profession was easy!


    He gained an additional measure of respect for Jiang Ying, the girl''s spirit of dedication being somewhat rare to see.


    After all, many actresses would use a stunt double for such scenes, but she insisted on doing it herself.


    Just then, Su Chen caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure dashing through the trees nearby.


    Because the figure moved so quickly, no one else noticed, but Su Chen was intrigued and immediately followed.


    The woond was quite extensive, spanning several kilometers; the person ahead was weaving through the trees, asionally visible and asionally not.


    Su Chen didn''t immediately catch up with the person; he felt as if he was being deliberately led on.


    He was curious to see what this person was up to, but he also remained alert for any traps along the way.


    After running for a while, the person suddenly stopped running, turned around with a smug look, and faced Su Chen.


    At that moment, from the woods on both sides, five people noiselessly emerged, all of them fixing their gaze on Su Chen.

 Chapter 655 - 655 You Know Too Late

    Su Chen sensed the auras released by those people and discovered among them one at Qi Refinement Peak Late Stage, two at Qi Refinement Peak Middle Stage, and two at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement.


    Su Chen immediately understood that the big ns had made their move, though he was not yet certain which one.


    "Are you from the Situ Family?"


    Su Chen asked in a deep voice, considering it most likely that the Situ Family had struck first, though it could also be another family.


    "Correct!"


    The person at the Late Stage of Qi Refinement Peak affirmed, naturally being the one in charge of this operation.


    "If that''s the case, then you will all stay here today,"


    Su Chen said indifferently to these people.


    He had originally expected the ns to make their move a bitter, not realizing that it woulde this quickly.


    He guessed that the explosive news he had released had provoked them!


    But since they hade, he wasn''t too concerned.


    "Lad, you must still be dreaming,"


    the leader was taken aback on hearing Su Chen''s words.


    Although this young man was also at the Late Stage of Qi Refinement Peak, so was he, not to mention that his side also had two at the Middle Stage of Qi Refinement Peak and two at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement.


    It was clear that they held an absolute advantage, and yet, this brat had the audacity to say he would keep them here, if not for being asleep, then what?


    "Brat, you are way too arrogant. Today, I want to see exactly who will be the one to stay!"


    One of the people at Qi Refinement Peak Middle Stage roared angrily upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    "Kid, if you want to me someone, me yourself for offending someone you should not have. Rest assured, I will light incense for you on this day next year,"


    another Qi Refinement Peak Middle Stage person seethed through gritted teeth.


    "Enough prattle, if you want to fight, then let''s fight quickly,"


    Su Chen said disdainfully with a flick of his mouth.


    The group opposite became even more enraged on seeing his attitude, feeling humiliated!


    "Fine then, if you''re in such a rush to die, I shall oblige you!"


    The eyes of the leader zed with sharp light, as though he wanted to tear Su Chen to shreds!


    Being able to reach Late Stage Qi Refinement Peak before the age of fifty marked him as a cultivation genius, and he naturally carried an air of arrogance!


    "Brothers, let''s give this arrogant kid a warm wee!"


    No sooner had he spoken than he charged at Su Chen like a bolt of lightning, with the others moving at the same time.


    In an instant, nearly everyone was in front of Su Chen, only the two at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement were a step slower.


    As they got close to Su Chen, they immediatelyunched powerful attacks!


    They had been given orders to kill this person at all costs!


    Su Chen was immediately locked in battle with them, bodies flickering and winds howling in the fray.


    "Bang!"


    Suddenly a clear thud resounded, and a figure was sent flying backward at a high speed.


    When hended, he violently spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the leaves on the ground red, then hey motionless!


    The others immediately looked over to find that the fallen man was one of their Qi Refinement Peak Middle Stagepanions, whose chest and abdomen hadpletely copsed!


    After killing one, Su Chen didn''t immediately press the attack but coldly observed them instead.


    The rest of the group became even more serious¡ªhaving lost a core member of their team after just one exchange was far from a good sign.


    At this point, Su Chen had not yet demonstrated his full strength, so while the people were angry, they weren''t afraid.


    "Brat, you are definitely going to die today!"


    The eyes of the leader burned with rage as he spoke!


    Before his words had finished, the remaining four people attacked once more!


    Su Chen nced at these people with a sneer curling the corner of his mouth!


    "Alright, it''s time to end this!"


    Su Chen''s aura surged suddenly, far surpassing the Late Stage of Qi Refinement Peak, and an incredibly majestic True Essence Aura was released!


    For a moment, it seemed as though the air around him had stopped flowing, and the temperature abruptly rose!


    Those few people, upon witnessing this scene, immediately had their pupils shrink and their faces change color, as if they had encountered something terrifying!


    "Boom!"


    With a palm strike from afar, the two individuals who were leaning on each other, preparing to attack Su Chen''s left side, were instantly sent flying!


    By the time theynded, their bodies were as if they had exploded, bloodied and battered!


    "You''re not..."


    The person in charge, at the Late Stage of Qi Refinement Peak, couldn''t help but cry out in shock when he felt the might carried by that palm strike.


    But before he could finish his sentence, he too was sent flying by Su Chen''s palm, his body breaking arge tree before continuing forward for another seven or eight meters and then falling to the ground.


    This showed just how powerful Su Chen''s palm strike had been!


    "Too bad you realized it toote."


    Su Chen looked at the corpse and said indifferently.


    Dispatching these people in the blink of an eye didn''t elicit much of a reaction from Su Chen; his current strength was such that he could face two experts on the verge of Meridian Expansion Realm and even have the strength to fight three at once.


    So now, the pinnacle of Qi Refinement seemed rather trivial in his eyes.


    Only a Mid-Stage Qi Refinement Peak individual was left at the scene, and by this point, he waspletely dumbfounded.


    This guy was no human; he was a devil!


    Seeing that Su Chen had turned his gaze toward him, he was so scared that he immediately turned tail and ran.


    But he had only managed a few steps when he felt a robust wave of True Qi striking his back, and "pfft," he spat out a mouthful of blood, then copsed to the ground...


    After taking a moment to deal with the bodies, Su Chen left the scene.


    When Su Chen reappeared, Jiang Ying immediately approached him.


    "Where did you go? I thought you had left already!"


    "Just wandered around a bit."


    Su Chen said, smiling slightly.


    "Do you find it boring?"


    "Not at all, it''s quite interesting,"


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "It makes me want to try acting."


    "Really? If you want, I''ll teach you in the future,"


    Jiang Ying quickly said.


    "No, I was just joking."


    Su Chen immediately waved it off. A joke, indeed; if he started acting and people from the Dark World found out, they would dieughing. He couldn''t afford to lose that much face...


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, a hint of disappointment shed in Jiang Ying''s eyes, but she quickly dismissed it. How could someone like him consider acting?


    Su Chen stayed there until evening before deciding to leave, and Jiang Ying quickly had her driver take him back to Rainbow Mansion...


    ....


    Meanwhile, Lin Ruoxue entered a manor.


    Although she had already visited this manor once before, she was still stunned by the sight inside it upon her return.


    Soon, under the guidance of a servant, she arrived in the main hall of the manor, where a woman with a lingering charm was seated.


    "Ms. Su."


    Seeing the woman again, Lin Ruoxue had apletely different feeling from before.


    Because she was her husband''s aunt...

 Chapter 656: Lin Ruoxues Decision

    "President Lin, shouldn''t you start addressing him differently now? Little Chen has already changed the way he addresses you," Su Jin teased Lin Ruoxue with a smile.


    Caught off-guard by her words, Lin Ruoxue felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her, and a blush crept onto her stunning face.


    "Uncle."


    Lin Ruoxue said softly and shyly, her face flushed.


    "Come on, let''s go to my room to talk."


    When Su Jin heard Lin Ruoxue''s address of "Uncle," her smile bloomed like a flower, and she pulled Lin Ruoxue towards her bedroom...


    ....


    After returning to thepany, Su Chen entered his own office. There was still some time before the end of the workday, so he decided to drop by Xia Qiuru''s office to kill time¡ªwhy not, since he had nothing better to do?


    But the moment he pushed open the door to Xia Qiuru''s office, he regretteding.


    Because he saw Xu Xinran was also there.


    The sight of Xu Xinran made Su Chen''s heart flutter uncontrobly.


    But now that he had entered, he couldn''t just say he entered the wrong room and leave, could he?


    "Xinran, you''re here too?"


    Su Chen greeted her, feigningposure.


    Xia Qiuru knew they were acquainted, so she didn''t find anything odd about him calling Xinran by her first name.


    And she had a vague feeling that her cousin had a certain interest in Su Chen, even though Xinran always sounded quite irritated when speaking about him.


    She didn''t me her. After all, matters of the heart aren''t right or wrong. When feelingse, theye, just like with herself.


    But she herself didn''t know what to do about it, so how could she know how to help Xinran with her troubles?


    Xu Xinran hadn''t expected Su Chen to barges in like this, and the moment she saw him, her entire face became unnatural.


    But in front of her cousin, she had to try hard to control herself.


    "Mhm."


    Xu Xinran nodded and said.


    "Xinran came to ask me to go to dinner together," Xia Qiuru said with a smile,


    "Su Chen, do you want to join us?"


    "No!"


    "No!"


    The voices of Su Chen and Xu Xinran rang out simultaneously.


    Xia Qiuru looked at them curiously¡ªSu Chen was one thing, but her cousin''s face was clearly tinged with panic.


    "What''s going on with you two?" Xia Qiuru asked, looking at them curiously.


    "Oh, I and Ruoxue made ns to eat dinner together tonight," Su Chen casually made up an excuse.


    "Cousin, why would we bring him with us when it''s just us two girls going to eat? It''s absurd!" Xu Xinran also hastily covered up, and her excuse sounded quite usible.


    Yet, she didn''t dare meet Xia Qiuru''s eyes because she felt she was betraying her.


    Xia Qiuru gave them a suspicious nce, sensing something was off.


    "Have the two of you had a fight?" Xia Qiuru asked.


    "No, how could I possibly argue with her, a woman!" Su Chen hurriedly spat out.


    "I can''t be bothered to argue with such a scumbag!" Xu Xinran huffed, feigningposure.


    "How am I a scumbag?"


    Su Chen was not pleased to hear her call him a scumbag¡ªwho would be?


    "How are you not a scumbag? You¡­," Xu Xinran spat out through clenched teeth, then suddenly couldn''t continue, ring fiercely at Su Chen,


    "Just because you are!"


    "How am I?"


    Su Chen was suddenly at a loss for words. Was there no logic in this anymore?


    But it seemed like women rarely exercised logic.


    "All right, all right, stop arguing, why are you all acting like children?"


    Xia Qiuru said with a headache, covering her forehead.


    Fortunately, both of them did listen to Xia Qiuru, and at her words, they stopped arguing, though they still red at each other.


    "Okay, Xinran, are you still going to eat dinner or not?"


    Xia Qiuru asked with an exasperated sigh.


    "Eat, why wouldn''t I? I could eat a whole cow right now."


    Xu Xinran said huffily.


    "Can pigs eat cows?"


    Su Chen blinked and joked.


    "Jerk, who are you calling a pig?"


    Xu Xinran immediately flew into a rage, looking as if she was about to have a big fight with Su Chen!


    "Su Chen, shut it!"


    Just as Su Chen was about to speak, Xia Qiuru barked sharply.


    "Alright, alright, a real man doesn''t fight with a woman, I''m out!"


    And with that, he really dashed out of Xia Qiuru''s office...


    "Cousin, he..."


    Xu Xinran felt like her lungs were about to explode with anger. That bastard was shameless¡ªafter calling her a pig, he had the nerve to say that a good man doesn''t fight with a woman?!


    Besides, was he even a good man? He was clearly a bad man, a bastard man!


    "That''s just his temper, you know him."


    Xia Qiuru didn''t bother to say much more, pushed Xu Xinran out the door, and then locked it.


    After leaving Xia Qiuru''s office, Su Chen went straight to the parking lot to get his car and head home.


    But halfway there, he remembered that Auntie Sun wasn''t around anymore, so he made a detour to the vegetable market to buy some groceries.


    By the time he got home, it was alreadyte, so he started making dinner.


    Not having cooked for a while, he actually missed the feeling. He even suspected that he might have been a chef in a past life.


    An hourter, Su Chen happily finished cooking several dishes, including a pot of chicken soup.


    Each dish was a feast for the eyes, bursting with color, aroma, and vor, tempting anyone''s appetite.


    Not long after he finished cooking, he heard the door open. He immediately ran over, holding a pair of slippers for Lin Ruoxue by the door.


    "Wife, are you hungry? I specially made some dishes for you today,e and eat."


    Su Chen said with a smile, taking her bag.


    "Mhmm."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded. In fact, she had already eaten dinner, but to avoid disappointing Su Chen, she didn''t say so.


    The dishes Su Chen made were indeed exceptional. Lin Ruoxue originally intended to eat just a little to be polite, but she ended up having more than half a bowl of rice, several dishes, and even a small bowl of chicken soup.


    After eating all that, she felt a bit stuffed and gently rubbed her stomach.


    Seeing this, Su Chen also reached out to rub her stomach but was pped away by Lin Ruoxue...


    "Wife, sit on the sofa and rest for a bit. I''ll clean up,"


    Su Chen said sheepishly. With Auntie Sun gone, he had to do these jobs himself.


    "It''s fine, I should stand for a while after eating."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Okay then."


    With that, Su Chen started to clear up the dishes and then went to wash them in the kitchen.


    Lin Ruoxue watched Su Chen bustling about in the kitchen and felt very warm inside.


    At that moment, she couldn''t help but recall the words Su Jin had said to her today, and a faint blush crept up her beautiful face...


    In her mind, she involuntarily revisited the many moments she and Su Chen had shared, from the initial coldness to the eventual warmth.


    Until now, when they each held a very heavy ce in each other''s hearts...


    Lin Ruoxue felt like everything was like a movie, both unreal and yet vividly real...


    At this moment, she made a silent decision in her heart...

 Chapter 657: Lets Rest Early Today

    About ten minutester, Su Chen had tidied up all the pots and pans, and when he turned around, he saw Lin Ruoxue still staring at him from the kitchen doorway, which he found quite strange.


    Because normally at this time, she would have already gone upstairs to work.


    "Wife, why are you looking at me like that?"


    With a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, Su Chen said,


    "Have you suddenly realized how handsome your husband is and can''t help yourself?"


    "Narcissist!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue spat out and then turned to head upstairs.


    As she turned around, she seemed to say casually,


    "Go to bed early today."


    After hearing this, Su Chen was somewhat taken aback. What did Lin Ruoxue mean by that?


    It sounded very ordinary andmon, but Su Chen felt that there was something strange about the way Lin Ruoxue said it, although he couldn''t quite put his finger on what was odd.


    He couldn''t help but look up at Lin Ruoxue''s retreating figure and saw that she didn''t enter her study as usual but instead went directly into their bedroom, which made him even more suspicious that something was amiss!


    Suddenly, a bright idea struck Su Chen''s mind like a bolt of lightning, and he smacked his own forehead!


    "I''m such an idiot!"


    At the same time, his entire face lit up with a feverish glow!


    After entering the room, Lin Ruoxue found herself in a fluttering panic.


    One moment she was somewhat afraid Su Chen mighte in suddenly, and the next she wondered if he hadn''t understood her hint.


    Her face unwittingly reddened, and suddenly, a series of hurried "thud thud thud" footsteps sounded from the staircase.


    These footsteps seemed to resonate in Lin Ruoxue''s heart, her own heart leaping to the beat of the "thud thud thud" as if it had reached her throat.


    "Creak!"


    A short whileter, the bedroom door was pushed open, and Lin Ruoxue''s heart couldn''t help but flutter.


    She nced sideways slightly and saw a face grinning cheekily, aglow with brightness, standing at the door.


    "Wife, I''m here!"


    Su Chen said with a nervous grin.


    Not just Lin Ruoxue, even a seasoned yer like Su Chen felt a tinge of nervousness at this moment!


    "Mhm."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded faintly, her voice tiny as a mosquito''s.


    "Wife, a single moment of springtime is worth a thousand pieces of gold, let''s get started."


    Su Chen wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoxue''s waist and chuckled with a bit of a leer.


    "Get started with what?"


    Lin Ruoxue feigned ignorance.


    "Wife, when you said go to bed early, weren''t you hinting at something? I get it!"


    Su Chen''s lips curved with a devilishly charming smile.


    "Not at all. I''ve just been quite tired recently and wanted to rest early, that''s all,"


    Lin Ruoxue saw his charming smile and felt an inexplicable tremor in her heart, hastily denying it.


    Though she had made up her mind, at the moment of truth, she was still nervous and instinctively wanted to deny it.


    Su Chen, seeing Lin Ruoxue''s face, as dewy and ripe as a peach ready to drip with juice, knew full well she was just being stubborn for show.


    "Is that so? Well then, I''ll just go downstairs and read a magazine,"


    Su Chen pursed his lips, putting on a disappointed face as if he was about to leave, but the corner of his mouth revealed a sly smile.


    Seeing that he really was going to leave, Lin Ruoxue became even more panicked!


    This guy always used to be shameless, so why was he being so amodating today? The moment she said it, he was ready to leave!


    "Wait!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s somewhat flustered voice rang out from behind Su Chen.


    "Wife, is there anything else?"


    Su Chen turned his head to look at Lin Ruoxue, a picture of innocence on his face.


    Seeing that expression on his face made Lin Ruoxue''s teeth itch with irritation.


    "This... this..."


    Lin Ruoxue looked at him, and for a moment, didn''t quite know how to speak, a sense of urgency growing in her heart.


    "What ''this''?"


    Su Chen blinked his eyes as he asked.


    "This, let''s... let''s just give it a try."


    Lin Ruoxue, with tempting yet thin lips, murmured as she hung her head low.


    While saying this, she didn''t dare to look into Su Chen''s eyes and merely stared down at the ground.


    Su Chen was taken aback, "Wife, what do you mean? What ''give it a try''?"


    Upon hearing his remark, Lin Ruoxue immediately red up with irritation. This guy had just taken the initiative to bring ''that'' up, and now he was ying dumb!


    "Nothing, go back to reading your magazine!"


    Lin Ruoxue spit out crossly, her chest heaving with anger, then prepared to go to bed to rest!


    She''d given him an opportunity, and if he didn''t want it, so be it!


    "Ah~"


    However, just at that moment, she was suddenly lifted from behind by someone, her feet leaving the ground, and she let out a startled cry.


    Immediately after, she found herself in Su Chen''s arms, the man grinning mischievously at her with a yful smile curling up at the corner of his mouth!


    "You bad guy, jerk, you big jerk!"


    Lin Ruoxue swung her fists at Su Chen, punching him all over.


    By now, she fully understood that this man was just ying with her, which made her feel both embarrassed and furious!


    "Alright, a perfect time should not be wasted, let''s make the most of it!"


    Su Chen gently ced Lin Ruoxue on the bed, then leaned down...


    "Wait a minute!"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly propped herself up with both hands.


    At this point, Su Chen was genuinely puzzled¡ªcould his wife be having second thoughts?


    "I''m going to take a shower first!"


    Lin Ruoxue stood up, then, with clothes in hand, made her way towards the bathroom...


    Meanwhile, Su Cheny sprawled across the bed, feeling truly excited. At this moment, he had quite the feeling of ''after the clouds scatter, the moon appears''!


    He''d been guarding such a beautiful woman, and had not ''devoured'' her up until today; he was almost impressed with himself!


    Later on, when Lin Ruoxue came out, should he leave the lights on, or turn them off?


    Nowadays, women seem to prefer it with the lights off. Lin Ruoxue had a thin skin and it was her first time. If he insisted on having the light on, would she throw a tantrum and refuse again?


    As the seconds ticked by, Su Cheny in bed lost in his thoughts, feeling his heartbeat unconsciously quicken.


    "Better have a smoke to calm the nerves!"


    Su Chen sat up, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.


    Just as he was halfway through, a scent wafted over, causing Su Chen''s heart to skip a beat. He straightened up his body quickly.


    Then he saw Lin Ruoxue emerge from the bathroom, and his eyes widened instantly...


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue''s long hair cascaded down her smooth shoulders and back, still somewhat damp.


    Her face was flushed from the steamy heat, looking exquisitely delicate!


    And she was wearing a purple silk nightgown that was soft and clingy, perfectly outlining her golden ratio figure!


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen''s eyes went nk, as if he''d seen an unparalleled treasure, his eyes seemed fixed in ce, unable to move away...

 Chapter 658: Metamorphosis

    Feeling Su Chen''s fiery and intense gaze, Lin Ruoxue suddenly became shy, along with a hint of secret delight.


    "You... You go take a shower too!"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at Su Chen and said.


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen came to his senses from the somewhat dazed state he had been in. He walked up to Lin Ruoxue and, gazing at her in admiration, said:


    "Wife, you are so beautiful!"


    "Go take a shower quickly!"


    "No rush, I''ll showerter!"


    As he spoke, Su Chen reached out to touch Lin Ruoxue, but she swiftly dodged him.


    "No, you must take a shower first."


    At her words, Su Chen helplessly pursed his lips, knowing that Lin Ruoxue was a stickler for cleanliness, and it seemed he wouldn''t be able to touch her today without a shower.


    "Alright, I''ll go now and be back quickly, wife, wait for me on the bed!"


    After speaking, Su Chen quickly snatched up his clothes and dashed into the bathroom...


    Seeing Su Chen enter the bathroom, Lin Ruoxue finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Soon, the sound of rushing water filled the bathroom, and listening to the noise, Lin Ruoxue''s recently rxed heart tensed up again.


    She couldn''t help but wonder, had the day reallye?


    Tonight, was she about to undergo the biggest change in her life?


    Just as Su Chen knew, Lin Ruoxue indeed had a need for cleanliness. She had never been close to any other man before, even proximity made her ufortable.


    Only after being with this man had the situation gradually improved, but of course, this only applied to him.


    She knew she had been in love with this man for a long time, he had be a part of her life.


    For her to let him go now was simply impossible; she couldn''t even imagine what her reaction would be if one day this man suddenly disappeared from her life!


    She would probably go crazy!


    Although she had already been bullied a lot by this rascal''s incessant persuasions, taking that true step still made her very nervous, very nervous indeed!


    At this moment, her heart was filled with trepidation and unrest, feeling all over the ce!


    "I''ll give it then!"


    Suddenly, Lin Ruoxue bit her lip and said to herself:


    "After all, it''s going to happen sooner orter!"


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue seemed to have made her final decision...


    Suddenly, the sound of the ss door in the bathroom being slid open could be heard, and although Lin Ruoxue had just made up her mind, the noise made her immediately tense up.


    When Su Chen climbed into bed, Lin Ruoxue tensed up even more!


    "Wife, you are truly beautiful!"


    Su Chen said gently, looking at her stunning face, then lowered his head to steady her.


    At that moment, Su Chen felt her entire body stiffen, and involuntarily released her.


    "Wife, if you''re not ready, don''t force yourself, I''m not in a hurry."


    Su Chen said with a gentleugh, though he longed for Lin Ruoxue, he didn''t want her to feelpelled in any way.


    Simply because, this woman was his wife!


    Lin Ruoxue felt deeply moved by Su Chen''s words, a warm current quietly flowing through her heart...


    "Husband, it''s okay, I can do it."


    A look of resolve appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s face as she spoke.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Mhm."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded firmly...


    "Then alright, wife, here Ie."


    "Husband, be gentle,"


    Lin Ruoxue said softly as she saw Su Chen press down on her.


    Su Chen kissed her ear lightly and whispered:


    "I will."


    At that moment, Su Chen gazed at Lin Ruoxue with her eyes lightly closed, as if he was looking at a perfect piece of art!


    Lin Ruoxue''s appearance and figure could both be considered the epitome of perfection, as if meticulously sculpted by the heavens!


    Unable to hold back any longer, Su Chen bent down and kissed Lin Ruoxue''s red lips again, his hands beginning to wander...


    Soon, Lin Ruoxue felt her breathing quicken and her consciousness grow chaotic...


    ....


    When the first rays of the early winter sun pierced through the thin curtains the next morning, casting a golden light on the two of them.


    Both slowly opened their eyes, Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue''s exquisitely beautiful face and smiled slightly.


    Su Chen had been with many women in his life, but Lin Ruoxue was the one who felt the most special to him and stirred his heart the most!


    Lin Ruoxue turned to look at him, but remembered the wildness of the previous night, and her face couldn''t help but redden again...


    Although Su Chen had been very gentle at first, as time went on, he began to lose control, experiencing sensations he had never felt before...


    Lin Ruoxue nced at the clock next to her, it was already past seven, so she prepared to get up. But as soon as she moved, she felt a surge of pain and couldn''t help but grunt softly.


    "Wife, don''t move. You just lie in bed and rest today."


    Su Chen quickly stopped her.


    "No, I have a lot of important work to do!"


    Lin Ruoxue pouted.


    "That won''t do!"


    Su Chen immediately frowned:


    "Even if it''s something huge, you''re going to put it aside, and rest properly."


    "Well... okay then."


    Listening to Su Chen''s authoritative words, Lin Ruoxue immediately nodded like a submissive little woman.


    The key point was, she really couldn''t move today, it hurt every time!


    "Alright, lie still, I''ll go make you breakfast."


    Su Chen said, kissing her forehead, then walked out with a smile.


    After Su Chen left, Lin Ruoxue looked at their bed, which was as disheveled as if a battle had just urred there, and her cheeks med up again.


    "Have I finally be his woman?"


    Lin Ruoxue murmured to herself, feeling her cheeks heat up...


    Not long afterward, a delicious aroma wafted in, and looking up, Lin Ruoxue saw Su Chen bringing in a tray.


    The tray wasden with a variety of breakfast foods, quitevish...


    Su Chen was going to feed her, but Lin Ruoxue firmly declined because she felt embarrassed.


    That day, Su Chen didn''t go to the office either, but stayed home with Lin Ruoxue.


    Saying he was with her was actually more like watching over her, because he knew his wife too well. Without careful attention, she might go back to work again.


    A wife still needs to be pampered by her husband, so Su Chen spent the whole day by her side.


    That day, all three meals were served to her in bed by Su Chen, which Lin Ruoxue found quite unustomed to.


    After all, she had never been so pampered by anyone before.


    While feeling unustomed, she felt even more moved and happy.


    That night, although Su Chen slept with Lin Ruoxue, he did not engage in any further intimacy, not even the usual teasing from before.


    Because he knew Lin Ruoxue had not yet recovered¡­


    That night, he just quietly held Lin Ruoxue as they slept, feeling immensely happy and content¡­


    ....


    However, that night, Situ Kong couldn''t be at peace!


    Because he had just received news that the first operation had failed, and three Qi Refinement Peak and two Ninth Layer practitioners had died!


    To know, within the entire Situ Family, there weren''t many at the Qi Refinement Peak, and not many at the Ninth Layer either!


    This operation had nearly halved the number of their absolute top masters, making Situ Kong''s heart bleed...

 Chapter 659 - 659 All Are Family

    Standing beside him, a man in his fifties also had a grave expression!


    This time he had mobilized so many experts in hopes of striking a crushing blow, one that would resolve the Su issue once and for all!


    But unexpectedly, the result turned out like this!


    "Master, I apologize, this was my oversight in nning."


    The man in his fifties said, bowing his head.


    "Nian Song, you can''t be med for this."


    Situ Kong waved his hand and said:


    "You''ve already dispatched so many experts; no one could have foreseen this oue."


    "What concerns me now is, what exactly happened here?"


    Situ Kong looked at the old man:


    "Nian Song, do you think that young man might have entered the Realm you mentioned?"


    "Impossible!"


    The man called Nian Song immediately shook his head:


    "There aren''t many in the whole world who can enter that Realm. Countless people have lingered outside that door all their lives without ever finding the way in."


    "He''s just in his twenties. How could he possibly? Even if his Martial Arts talent is exceptional, it''s entirely impossible!"


    "If that''s not the case, then what do you think is going on?"


    Situ Kong asked, somewhat irritably.


    "I think there are two possibilities, one is that he indeed hid his Cultivation before, and his real Cultivation might be close to mine, on the verge of entering the threshold of Meridian Expansion, but not quite there yet."


    "If that''s the case, then that would indeed be possible."


    The man said, frowning:


    "Of course, there''s another possibility, and that is there''s a master helping him by his side. I am more inclined to believe thistter possibility."


    The man called Nian Song didn''t believe the young man had reached his own level of Martial Arts Cultivation because that would be too terrifying!


    Of course, this was also his instinctual rejection of the possibility; he was unwilling to believe that a man in his twenties could be nearly his equal.


    "What you said could be true. People flock with those of their kind, and the same goes for objects. It''s normal for him, being considered a Martial Arts prodigy, to have a few friends who are Martial Arts experts."


    Situ Kong nodded and said, as that seemed to be the most likely possibility at the moment.


    "Master, what shall we do next? Do I need to take action personally?"


    The man called Nian Song inquired.


    "Let''s wait and see."


    Situ Kong sighed.


    Truth be told, he was somewhat afraid; another incident involving Nian Song could deal a massive blow to the Situ Family!


    .....


    The next morning, Lin Ruoxue slowly opened her eyes in Su Chen''s embrace and nced at where his hands rested, grumbling:


    "You scoundrel, you can''t even behave while sleeping!"


    Lin Ruoxue felt a bit ufortable in this position and wanted to adjust herself slightly, but she was careful not to wake Su Chen, so she only moved a little.


    Despite her caution, Su Chen still woke up:


    "Wife, you''re awake?"


    "Mhm!"


    Lin Ruoxue nodded and got ready to get out of bed.


    Su Chen had intended for Lin Ruoxue to rest for another day, but she refused to agree.


    Missing work yesterday had already made her anxious; how could she possibly not go today?


    Moreover, while she still felt some pain, it was much less than yesterday.


    Seeing her determination, Su Chen knew it would be hard for someone with Lin Ruoxue''s temperament to rest for two days in a row, so he consented.


    Su Chen told her to lie down for a while longer, and he went to make breakfast. After breakfast was ready, he would call her down to eat.


    After breakfast, Su Chen drove her to the Crystal Hotel before heading to thepany.


    In the past two days, Lin Ruoxue had also learned that Su Chen was aware of her daily work at the Crystal Hotel, but when Su Chen asked what exactly her job was, she remained silent.


    Upon arriving at thepany, Su Chen naturally went back to his own office.


    It was just like any other day, boring as usual, so he went to Yunlong''spany.


    He treated it like a casual stroll to pass the time, but when he pushed open the door to Yunlong''s office, he unexpectedly found himself looking at a woman''s back.


    The woman wore a white high-necked knit sweater on top, and below, she had on a ck hip-hugging skirt paired with ck tights,pleted by a pair of brown high heels.


    Just the sight of her back was enough to captivate any man!


    However, that back, hmm, seemed somewhat familiar.


    Yunlong''s view was obstructed by the woman, and hearing the footsteps, he couldn''t help but shift aside and look towards the door.


    When he realized the visitor was Su Chen, a look of joy immediately blossomed on his otherwise gloomy face!


    "Sis, it''s perfect that my elder brother is here, let him apany you instead!"


    Yunlong eximed excitedly as he stood up.


    At this moment, the woman also turned her head; she was Yunlong''s sister, Yunyao.


    Su Chen was slightly stunned; he hadn''t expected to encounter this woman whom he hadn''t seen for a long time in this ce.


    The two exchanged nces, both feeling a tad awkward, as they both knew Yunlong was keen on ying matchmaker for them.


    "Really, Yunlong, have you grown so bold that you''re pushing me aside as soon as I arrive?"


    Yunyao feigned anger, her words also serving to ease the earlier awkwardness.


    "Sis, I''m truly busy. If I had the time, wouldn''t I apany you?"


    Yunlong pleaded with a sad expression:


    "In a couple of days, in a couple of days, I promise I''ll make it up to you!"


    "It just so happens that elder brother is here; isn''t hispany just as good? You both know each other."


    "So tell me, are you my brother, or is he my brother?"


    Yunyao uttered meaningfully:


    "Besides, such a busy man as he, could he possibly have time to spend with me?"


    "He does, he does, right, elder brother?"


    Yunlong said, casting a pleading look at Su Chen.


    Su Chen sighed helplessly:


    "If Miss Yun doesn''t mind, Su is indeed willing."


    "There you have it, sis. Elder brother has agreed."


    Yunlong immediately tugged at Yunyao''s sleeve.


    "Today, I''ll let you off the hook."


    Yunyao red sharply at Yunlong, then turned to Su Chen:


    "In that case, I''m afraid I must trouble Mr. Su today."


    "Miss Yun is too polite."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Hey, you two, one is my big brother and the other is my sister, we''re all family here, why so formal?!"


    Yunlong grumbled with a pout.


    No sooner had he finished speaking than he was met with two sharp gazes aimed his way, causing Yunlong to flinch instantly, and he quickly added:


    "I misspoke, I misspoke. Hurry out, both of you, I still have a lot of work to do!"


    Yunlong herded them out and closed the door behind them.


    The two who were pushed out of the office exchanged a look, both wearing somewhat unnatural expressions.


    "Shall we, Mr. Su?"


    Yunyao suggested before taking the lead towards the elevator.


    It was only after they had left the building did Su Chen ask:


    "Miss Yun, exactly what does Yunlong want me to apany you for?"


    Indeed, up until now, he still had no clue what he was supposed to be apanying Yunyao for!


    "Just take a casual stroll." Yunyao replied indifferently.


    "A casual stroll?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen was momentarily dumbfounded...

 Chapter 660 - 660 Respect

    "Yes, is there a problem?"


    Yunyao tilted her head and asked.


    "No problem, no problem, it''s my honor to apany Miss Yun,"


    Su Chen twisted his mouth and said, what else could he say?


    He found it strange, why had everyone from Jianghai been rushing to Yandutely?


    Xu Xinran hadn''t even left yet, and now here came Yunyao.


    Luckily, there was no romantic entanglement between the two, otherwise Su Chen would have had a massive headache.


    Although Yunlong had always been trying to pair them up, it seemed neither of them were interested in that regard.


    At Su Chen''s words, Yunyao suddenly burst intoughter and then asked:


    "Mr. Su, what interesting ces are there in Yandu that you could show me?"


    "Just the usual tourist spots that everyone knows about," Su Chen replied.


    "Forget it, that''s not very interesting."


    Yunyao shook her head, as her original n wasn''t to sightsee.


    "Mr. Su, would you mind joining me for a cup of coffee?"


    Yunyao suddenly said.


    "Of course, I can."


    Su Chen nodded, feeling somewhat bewildered now; he couldn''t help but think Yunyao''s thoughts were quite jumpy.


    Just a moment ago, she had wanted to visit interesting ces, and in the blink of an eye, she now wanted to have coffee; this change of ns was rather abrupt.


    But for the moment, he didn''t think too much about it and followed Yunyao into a coffee shop.


    It was a sleepyte morning, and many white-cor workers were stilling in to grab a coffee to perk up, mostly young and pretty women, of course.


    Su Chen and Yunyao sat down at an empty table. Su Chen ordered atte, while Yunyao opted for a cappino.


    While waiting for their coffee, they chatted about some trivial matters, more like making small talk.


    Before long, the waiter brought up their coffees.


    "By the way, how''s your father been?"


    Su Chen asked casually after taking a sip of his coffee.


    "Not good."


    Yunyao shook her head, her expression slightly somber.


    "Uh, what happened?"


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback.


    Yunyao didn''t immediately answer Su Chen but looked at him and asked:


    "Do you know why Yunlong refused toe out with me today?"


    "Didn''t he say he was busy?"


    Su Chen said, puzzled.


    "Certainly not, when have you ever seen him so dedicated to his work?"


    Yunyao looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "Indeed not, then why is it?"


    Su Chen suddenly brightened up, pointed at Yunyao, and then at himself:


    "He couldn''t still be hoping... us..."


    "Damn, I knew this kid wasn''t up to any good!"


    Su Chen suddenly pped his thigh.


    Upon hearing this, Yunyao understood Su Chen''s meaning and red at him, annoyed:


    "He indeed has that intention, but today it''s not because of that."


    "Then what is it because of?"


    After hearing Yunyao''s words, Su Chen really became a bit puzzled.


    Yunyao stirred her coffee with a small spoon and said:


    "Because he knew I came today to talk to him, and the things I want to say are not what he wants to hear."


    "Since Miss Yun has mentioned it to me, does this mean the matter is rted to me?"


    Su Chen asked with a deep look at Yunyao.


    Yunyao looked back at him, somewhat admiring his urate judgment.


    However, Yunyao didn''t answer yes or no, but instead said,


    "A few days ago, my father had a phone call with Yunlong. They had a big argument over the phone, and my father was quite upset by it."


    "I understand, it''s because of the issue between me and the Five Great Families, right?"


    Su Chen immediately realized after hearing this.


    "Correct, I think you can easily guess what my father has in mind."


    Yunyao said seriously,


    "He thinks your confrontation with the Five Great Families is very unwise. No matter how strong you are, the oue won''t be good. He''s worried that Yunlong might get involved because of you and wanted to persuade him to leave."


    "So, Yunlong did not agree, and that''s why they ended up arguing, right?"


    Su Chen asked, tilting his head.


    "Yes."


    Yunyao did not hide anything and nodded.


    "Miss Yun, why are you telling me this?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "I think you should understand my meaning, Mr. Su."


    "Are you asking me to step in and persuade Yunlong to cut ties with me?"


    Su Chen nced at Yunyao.


    "Yes, my father''s words he did not heed; although I have not yet spoken to him, I estimate the result would not be any better."


    Worry appeared on Yunyao''s pretty face:


    "I think, if you would talk to him, he might listen."


    "I''m sorry, Miss Yun, but I am afraid I must disappoint you."


    Su Chen took a sip of coffee and said,


    "I will not take part in this matter."


    "Why?"


    Yunyao suddenly became anxious and asked,


    "After all, he calls you ''big brother,'' can''t you think for his sake?"


    "It''s simple, because Yunlong is an independent person, he has the ability and the right to make his own decisions."


    Su Chen was unmoved and casually remarked,


    "Regardless of whether the decision is right or wrong, he must also bear the consequences of his own decision."


    "Every one of us is the same, do not rece others with your own thoughts and feelings. How do you know whether Yunlong''s decision is right or wrong, how do you know if your thoughts are correct?"


    Yunyao was stunned by his words, not expecting Su Chen to say such a thing.


    She was a smart person, and after reflecting on Su Chen''s words, she had to admit that he made a lot of sense.


    "Miss Yun, everyone has their own life to lead, and no one else can rece that, even family members."


    Su Chen looked into Yunyao''s eyes and said seriously,


    "Your father has his life, you have yours, and naturally, Yunlong has his own life too."


    "If Yunlong himselfes to me to talk, I will definitely respect his choice, just as I respected his choice to leave the Yun Family and follow me."


    "I understand, thank you! I will try to convince my father to fully let go."


    Yunyao''s gaze at Su Chen was meaningful, as if seeing him for the first time.


    She still remembered the scene when they first met; he was drunk, had vomited on himself, and then clung to her legs, wanting to clean it up.


    At that moment, she thought he must be a profligate man, deliberately doing so, wanting to take advantage of her.


    Thinking back to the man from back then, and looking at the man now who had spoken these words, Yunyao found it hard to connect the two.


    "I was just speaking off the cuff, Miss Yun, just take it with a grain of salt."


    Su Chen smiled slightly and said; he had no idea Yunyao was thinking back to the past.


    If he had known, he would have sincerely said, "That time, I really didn''t do it on purpose."

 Chapter 661: Explosion

    After some idle chat about trivial matters,


    "None of us expected you to actually be from the Su Family," Yunyao suddenly said, looking at him.


    Indeed, when Yunyao and Yun Shiqing first heard the news, their jaws almost dropped in shock.


    They had never imagined that Yunlong''s older brother would turn out to be someone from the Su Family!


    That was the Su Family, a realm they could never reach in their lifetimes!


    "You''re wrong, I have no connection with the Su Family now."


    Su Chen''s expression suddenly turned stern, and he coldly said...


    Yunyao, seeing his sudden change, was genuinely startled.


    "I''m sorry, I was just making conversation," she said apologetically.


    "It''s nothing," Su Chen replied, waving his hand, not taking it too seriously.


    "Okay, let''s go," Yunyao stood up and said. Honestly, she had agreed toe out with Su Chen just to say these things.


    Now that she had said what she wanted, Yunyao was ready to leave.


    Moreover, being with Su Chen made Yunyao somewhat ufortable. She couldn''t quite exin why, perhaps it was because Yunlong had always been trying to bring them together.


    Subsequently, the two of them walked out of the caf¨¦ side by side.


    Just as they stepped out of the caf¨¦, suddenly someone ran towards them like a gust of wind, bumping harshly into Yunyao who had just stepped out.


    "Ah~"


    Due to the high heels she was wearing, Yunyao staggered from the impact, and seemingly about to fall, instinctively let out a cry of rm.


    Fortunately, Su Chen, quick to react, reached out to catch her, preventing Yunyao, who was at a 45-degree angle to the ground, from hitting it.


    Yunyao had thought she would definitely fall to the ground, her face paled, but then she suddenly stopped falling and couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    At that moment, she realized she was in Su Chen''s arms, a strong masculine scent immediately assailed her, causing her cheeks to turn slightly red.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I was in a rush and wasn''t paying attention," the person who had bumped into Yunyao quickly apologized, bowing.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay,"


    Seeing that he was well-dressed, Yunyao figured he wasn''t a dubious character and probably had some urgent business, so she didn''t mind too much.


    However, at that moment, a sinister look shed through the man''s eyes. A dagger slid out from his suit sleeve, which he grasped and thrust at Su Chen with extreme speed!


    The attack happened in the blink of an eye. Yunyao was taken aback by the scene, so much so that she couldn''t even make a sound!


    "Is this all you''ve got, trying to assassinate me?"


    The next moment, Su Chen''s indifferent voice could be heard.


    Upon closer look, Yunyao saw that the man holding the dagger''s wrist was already in Su Chen''s grasp!


    Though the man had managed to hide most of his murderous intent, Su Chen had sensed a hint of it.


    Passersby who saw the scene were immediately frightened, screaming as they fled.


    The man, shocked to find his wrist seized, was astonished that his sudden strike had been anticipated.


    In his shock, he immediately kicked out at Su Chen.


    Su Chen lifted his foot in response, aiming for the man''s shin. However, Su Chen''s foot, though moving after, struck first, breaking the man''s leg bone with a loud "crack."


    The cold sweat immediately started streaming down the man''s face, and he realized that he was no match for this young man!


    "Tell me, who sent you to kill me?"


    Su Chen asked coldly.


    Actually, he was still very puzzled at this moment because the man''s strength wasn''t considered very strong, only at Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, or at most just below Ninth Layer.


    If it were those big families from Yandu, they would never send someone of this caliber to assassinate him.


    Because they knew, sending such a person would mean sending them to their death.


    But who else could it be?


    When the man heard Su Chen''s question, he clenched his teeth and didn''t open his mouth.


    "It seems you have a quite tough bone."


    Su Chen mocked as he spoke, then nced at Yunyao:


    "You should go back first."


    For Su Chen, he would definitely take this man to a secluded ce soon, to thoroughly interrogate him about the mastermind!


    And the process of interrogation was clearly not suitable for a woman like Yunyao to witness.


    "Okay."


    Seeing his stern expression, Yunyao nodded and replied.


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly heard an extremely faint "drip" sound.


    When this barely perceptible noise reached Su Chen''s ears, his face dramatically changed, and his nerves seemed to tense to the extreme in an instant!


    He immediately grabbed Yunyao, who was next to him, and leaped to the side!


    "Boom!"


    At the same time, a loud explosion erupted...


    It took a few seconds before Su Chen, holding Yunyao, stood up, his clothes now tattered from the explosion.


    Because he had held her in his arms at the first moment, Yunyao was mostly unharmed, except for some abrasions from hitting the ground, but nothing serious.


    Then, people in the caf¨¦ behind them and those on the nearby streets were all startled by the explosion, running about in chaos.


    Fortunately, there were not many people around Su Chen and the assassin at that moment, so no casualties urred!


    Only one person close to the edge of the st wave seemed to have been knocked unconscious, and the entrance of the caf¨¦ was also blown out!


    Su Chen looked at the aftermath of the explosion, his expression dark and brooding, his eyes seeming to ze with fire!


    No wonder the mastermind sent a Qi Refinement Eighth Layer assassin; it turned out the real killer move was the bomb on the assassin''s body!


    Presumably, the assassin had set the explosion timer before the assassination attempt. If sessful, the assassin would naturally have time to disarm the bomb.


    If not sessful, merely by dying a little time, he could die together with him!


    It must be said that this move was extremely ruthless. Had not Su Chen''s hearing been sharp enough and his reaction swift, the mastermind would have seeded!


    This mastermind was also definitely no simple character, to be able to convince a Qi Refinement Eighth Layer person to willingly die alongside himself!


    It should be noted, convincing someone to willingly face death is not something ordinary people can do, especially not a martial artist with notable cultivation.


    In fact, Su Chen could have been moreposed andpletely unhurt, but because he had to save Yunyao, his speed was inevitably affected.


    Su Chen then made a call to Qin Ming, asking him to arrange someone to handle the situation.


    He then escorted Yunyao back to Yunlong''s residence, which was also a vi purchased in Yandu.


    Until they reached Yunlong''s vi, Yunyao was still in a daze, not having snapped out of the shock from the explosion...

 Chapter 662 - 662 Treating Pei Man

    It is no wonder, such an event would be a huge shock to any ordinary person, let alone Yunyao, who is a woman.


    Su Chen made her a cup of tea and had her drink it, and Yunyao felt a bit better.


    "Thank you for today."


    Yunyao looked at Su Chen sincerely and said, without him today, she surely would have perished!


    Thinking of how this man had not abandoned her in such dangerous circumstances, but instead shielded her with his own body, she felt very warm, a strange emotion rising in her heart.


    "Actually, you don''t need to thank me. That person was after me, if it wasn''t for me, you wouldn''t have been caught in this undeserved disaster!"


    Su Chen waved his hand, feeling somewhat apologetic inside.


    "Either way, you saved me in the end, and I should thank you for that."


    Yunyao looked at Su Chen and said.


    "Alright, Yunlong should be back soon, I''ll leave first."


    Seeing that herplexion had improved a bit, Su Chen got up and said.


    "Okay."


    Yunyao nodded.


    "Wait."


    Just as Su Chen had taken a few steps away, Yunyao''s voice called out from behind him.


    Su Chen turned his head back, looking puzzled:


    "Is there something else?"


    "You¡­ be careful yourself."


    Yunyao said quietly, seeming a bit embarrassed.


    "I will, thank you."


    After saying that, Su Chen walked out.


    Since Su Chen had taken a taxi earlier to bring Yunyao home, he now went out to the street and caught a taxi back.


    After returning to the vi, Su Chen first took a bath and changed clothes. Otherwise, if Lin Ruoxue came back and saw him like this, she would worry herself to death.


    After these tasks, Su Cheny on the bed, pondering who could have orchestrated this incident.


    However, after thinking it over, he still had no answers, as there were absolutely no clues.


    In his mind, therge families were still the most likely suspects, although he couldn''t rule out other possibilities, since he had too many enemies.


    Who knows if it could have been someone he had crossed in the past?


    He made a call to Qin Ming to inquire if there were any clues on his end. As expected, Qin Ming also had nothing, but the old man was somewhat anxious and told him to be careful.


    Since he couldn''t figure it out for now, he decided to let it go, believing that if this person had failed this time, they would definitely prepare another move.


    Afterwards, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began to cultivate, continuing until five or six in the evening, then he went to the nearby market to buy some groceries and cook dinner.


    By seven or eight o''clock, Lin Ruoxue took a taxi back home.


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue returned, Su Chen immediately went up to her and asked how she was feeling.


    "I''m okay."


    Lin Ruoxue answered somewhat shyly.


    "Then let''s eat dinner quickly."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Afterward, the two of them had dinner together. After dinner, they sat on the sofa and chatted for a while, then Lin Ruoxue prepared to go upstairs to work, but Su Chen stopped her.


    Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to pick up a fashion magazine andy on the sofa reading, resting her legs on Su Chen''s body, which was quitefortable.


    Su Chen thought that he really needed to cure his wife''s workaholic tendencies. Continuing like this, her body couldn''t handle it.


    By ten o''clock, the couple went upstairs to sleep. However, likest night, Su Chen did not make any excessive moves, only whispering softly to Lin Ruoxue before falling asleep...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in a study at the Shen family''s residence, Shen Shao sat behind his desk, his face expressionless.


    Suddenly, a hidden door beside him clicked and swung open, and a man walked out from inside.


    "Night Shadow, how did it go?"


    Shen Shao sat up immediately upon seeing the visitor, his eyes filled with a bright light of anticipation.


    "I''m sorry, Young Master, he failed."


    The man shook his head as he spoke, with an untroubled expression on his face.


    "What a pity, such a perfect n and yet it failed to kill him."


    Shen Shao''s face showed a look of disappointment as he said:


    "Now that he is on guard, it will be even harder to seed in the future."


    "Young Master, there will still be opportunities,"


    the man said indifferently.


    "It''s going to be difficult."


    Shen Shao shook his head, his interest waning as he said:


    "You may leave now."


    "Yes!"


    The man agreed, then vanished again behind the secret door...


    Shen Shao sat alone quietly in the study, unsure of what he was contemting, gradually, his fists clenched tightly and his eyes shot out sharp glints!


    .....


    The next morning, Su Chen woke up and still cheerfully made breakfast, as if yesterday''s events had had no effect on him.


    After breakfast was ready, Lin Ruoxue also came downstairs, and after eating, both left the house one after the other.


    However, not long after Su Chen arrived at the office, he received a call from Pei Jian, asking him toe to the Pei Family residence.


    "Could it be that Pei Man has agreed to receive treatment?"


    Su Chen thought to himself, then drove to the Pei Family mansion.


    Upon his arrival, Mr. Pei and Pei Jian were already waiting for him at the entrance.


    "Mr. Su, we have troubled you again," Mr. Pei said.


    "Don''t mention it,"


    replied Su Chen, somewhat neutrally, then turned to Pei Jian:


    "Has she agreed?"


    "Yes, she''s agreed to give it a try,"


    Pei Jian nodded as he said.


    The two of them then led Su Chen to Pei Man''s room, where she was currently seated in a wheelchair, holding a book in her hands.


    Upon hearing footsteps, she couldn''t help but look up and smiled:


    "Su Chen, this is your first visit to my room, right?"


    Hearing Pei Man''s words, Su Chen felt slightly awkward, especially since her grandfather and elder brother were still present, and her words seemed somewhat intimate.


    "Indeed, having the honor to visit Ms. Pei Man''s private chamber is my good fortune."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile, then he truly took a moment to observe Pei Man''s room.


    Her room was totally different from a typical girl''s room. If one word were to describe it, that word would be simple!


    If Su Chen didn''t know better, he would never have guessed that this was a girl''s room.


    But knowing that this was Pei Man''s room, everything somehow seemed naturally fitting.


    "Shall we begin then?" Su Chen asked.


    "We can,"


    Pei Man nodded, her tone as usual, seemingly indifferent to the fact that she was the one about to be treated.


    While she was not nervous, Mr. Pei and Pei Jian were extremely anxious.


    Pei Man''s legs had always been a source of concern for them, but despite many years and visits to numerous doctors, no one had been of any help.


    Even though Su Chen was known as the Ghost Doctor, they still didn''t hold much confidence.


    This was partly because many famous doctors had dered it incurable, and partly because it had already been more than twenty years; the time was simply too long...

 Chapter 663 - 663 Disappointment

    Su Chen heard Pei Man agree, so he bent down and squatted on the ground, then lifted Pei Man''s white long dress a bit, up to her knees, exposing her calves that were almost never seen by anyone.


    Because Pei Man usually didn''t go out much, and her room had heating, she didn''t wear much.


    Su Chen carefully observed her calves and found that although they still maintained a good shape, there was no trace of blood color on them, nor any sign of vitality.


    This phenomenon was very abnormal, even contradictory.


    "How is it?"


    Pei Jian saw Su Chen''s serious expression and couldn''t help asking nervously.


    "I''m not clear yet, you all go out, I will start the treatment in a while, and it''s not convenient for you to be present,"


    Su Chen said with a slight frown.


    "This..."


    The elder Mr. Pei and Pei Jian hesitated upon hearing this, clearly not very reassured.


    And why did Su Chen want them to close the door? What was he nning to do?


    "Grandfather, big brother, you all go out and close the door,"


    Pei Man said with a slight smile:


    "Since I have agreed to the treatment, I will definitely cooperate."


    "Well then, we will go out first,"


    the elder Mr. Pei said after giving the two a nce:


    "Mr. Su, if there''s anything, just call us; we''ll be waiting outside the door."


    Su Chen nodded, still staring at Pei Man''s calves in study, without looking at the two of them.


    The elder Mr. Pei and Pei Jian then left and closed the door behind them.


    After the two left, Su Chen took out a cloth bag and spread it open, which was filled with silver needles.


    He thought for a moment, then took out two silver needles that were about four inches long and inserted them into the inner sides of the joints of Pei Man''s calves.


    Pei Man, however, had no reaction, but instead watched Su Chen with a smile on her face, thinking that he looked very different from usual.


    After inserting the two silver needles, Su Chen ced his hands on each of Pei Man''s knees, then slowly transferred a few strands of True Yuan and controlled its movement through her legs.


    Although this action seemed ordinary, it was extremely taxing on the mind; after a while, a fine sweat appeared on Su Chen''s forehead.


    Seeing this, Pei Man took out her muslin handkerchief she carried with her and gently wiped his forehead.


    After seeing her thoughtful gesture, Su Chen couldn''t help but look up and smile slightly, then refocused on controlling the True Yuan circting within her body.


    However, after guiding the True Yuan around Pei Man''s legs for one cycle, Su Chen''s expression not only did not rx but became even more serious.


    He had discovered that all the qi points in Pei Man''s legs were closed; no wonder her legs were in their current condition.


    Actually, the principle was simple: dead people have dead energy, living people have life force, and the so-called life force is the fundamental operation of every part of the body, also known as vitality.


    Each part of the body has qi points that generate life force, and the legs are no exception.


    Each leg has seven qi points, and the normal operation of these seven qi points can provide a continuous supply of vitality.


    Of course, this is apletely different concept from having a severed limb!


    Previously, he suspected that Pei Man''s leg qi points were blocked or damaged, which he could repair, but now all of Pei Man''s qi points weren''t even open, which made it difficult for him.


    "How is it?"


    Pei Man noticed his grave expression and asked softly.


    Honestly, as a young girl, deep down, she too wished she could stand up and be like normal people.


    The reason she was not very enthusiastic about this was not only due to a reason unknown to most but also because she believed the chances of healing were slim.


    "This, let me try first,"


    Su Chen replied to Pei Man:


    "Next, I will need to perform acupuncture and treatment on your back, which may..."


    Upon hearing this, Pei Man''s face turned slightly red, but she quicklyposed herself and said,


    "It''s okay, you are the doctor, and I am the patient. Just do whatever treatment is necessary."


    "Mm."


    Su Chen then stood up, walked behind Pei Man, and gently grasped the zipper of her dress.


    Feeling Su Chen''s movement, Pei Man couldn''t help but tremble slightly in her heart.


    "I''m going to pull it."


    Su Chen spoke softly, and Pei Man nodded in response.


    "Zip!"


    Su Chen slowly unzipped Pei Man''s dress, pulling it down to nearly half its length, revealing her pale and smooth back.


    Though Pei Man was an extraordinary woman, she was still a woman, and now, having her back exposed to a man, she couldn''t help but feel nervous and shy!


    At this moment, however, Su Chen had no thought to notice these things. He took out three Silver Needles and inserted them one by one down her spine, from top to bottom!


    This time Pei Man reacted; every time Su Chen inserted a needle, Pei Man let out a pained grunt.


    Su Chen gently twisted the ends of the needles, then, while the Silver Needles were vibrating, he covered her back with one hand and transferred a few strands of True Yuan into her body. He carefully guided the True Yuan slowly into Pei Man''s legs, especially toward the vital acupoints there.


    However, after some time, Su Chen was disappointed, as there was no reaction at all.


    After all, the amount of True Yuan he had injected was too little. It wasn''t that he was stingy with his True Yuan, but Pei Man couldn''t have tolerated more.


    And based on the situation just now, it would take at least several times more True Yuan to potentially make a difference.


    If it were toe to that, Pei Man''s legs might not recover, and she would die.


    Finally, Su Chen sighed, removed the Silver Needles, and pulled her zipper back up.


    "I''m sorry, Pei Man, I..."


    Su Chen came before Pei Man, speaking dejectedly.


    But before he could finish, Pei Man interrupted him,


    "Don''t say that, I know you''ve done your best, and that''s enough."


    Pei Man said, looking into Su Chen''s eyes.


    Yet the more she said this, the worse Su Chen felt inside.


    "Mr. Su, how did it go?"


    At this moment, the anxious voice of Elder Pei came from outside the door.


    "Grandfather, big brother, you cane in now."


    Pei Man called out towards the door.


    As soon as her words fell, Elder Pei and Pei Jian pushed the door open and came in.


    "Su Chen, how is it? Is there hope for Pei Man''s legs?"


    Pei Jian looked at Su Chen with burning eyes, filled with longing.


    Elder Pei also gazed at him with a simr expression.


    To Elder Pei, Su Chen might not have felt much, but Pei Jian, he knew, was a person of sincerity.


    Facing Pei Jian, he found it difficult to speak.


    In the end, he shook his head slightly and whispered,


    "My abilities are limited, I''m afraid..."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, both of them immediately felt an immense sense of loss.


    Though they had been prepared in their hearts, the confirmed oue still filled their hearts with a great sense of despondency...

 Chapter 664: Conversation in the Study Room

    "Is there really no hope at all?"


    Old Mr. Pei murmured, a trace of destion in his cloudy eyes.


    "Yes, Su Chen, is there no other way?"


    Pei Jian looked at Su Chen unwillingly and asked.


    Su Chen looked at the two men and shook his head again, opening his energy eyes. It wasn''t that easy.


    Seeing Su Chen shake his head again, both men instantly wilted like frostbitten eggnts,pletely devoid of vigor.


    "Grandfather, elder brother, it''s okay if it can''t be cured. Haven''t I been living well all these years?"


    Seeing the two in such a state, Pei Man couldn''t help butfort them.


    Old Mr. Pei and Pei Jian, hearing her say this, could only smile helplessly, their smiles as strained as they could be.


    "Actually, there is not entirely no solution."


    At that moment, Su Chen''s voice rang out again.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the two men, who had beenpletely desperate, immediately had their eyes aze with fervent light!


    Even Pei Man''s eyes flickered with a glimmer of hope!


    "Quickly tell us, what is the method?"


    Pei Jian grabbed Su Chen''s arm in his excitement and asked.


    His strength was great, and even Su Chen momentarily felt a twinge of pain.


    "Don''t be so excited, listen to me slowly."


    Su Chen gently freed his arm and said.


    "Okay, you speak, you speak."


    Pei Jian said sheepishly, his face finally showing a smile.


    "I didn''t mention it before because this method is nearly impossible."


    Su Chen nced at the two men and said.


    "What does that mean?"


    Old Mr. Pei hurriedly asked:


    "Could Mr. Su please rify?"


    "Because it involves a kind of nt that is extremely rare, one that I have never seen in my life."


    Su Chen said, looking at the two:


    "That''s why I say it''s as if there''s a method when there''s not."


    "What nt is it? As long as it exists in this world, no matter the cost, I will get my hands on it!"


    Pei Jian said, his eyes radiating firm determination.


    "Ghost Beard Grass."


    Su Chen uttered indifferently.


    "Ghost Beard Grass?"


    Old Mr. Pei and Pei Jian couldn''t help but look at each other in confusion, they had never even heard the name of this herb.


    "Su Chen, are you sure that with this Ghost Beard Grass, we can cure Man''s leg?"


    Pei Jian stared intently into Su Chen''s eyes and asked.


    "At least an eighty percent chance!"


    Su Chen also looked seriously at Pei Jian as he spoke.


    "Alright, since you say so, I will believe you. No matter what, I will get the herb you mentioned!"


    Pei Jian clenched his fists and said.


    "Let''s search together. I will also keep an eye out for any news about it."


    Truth be told, Su Chen didn''t really expect them to find it; after all, the nt was far too rare.


    It was instead himself who still had that sliver of hope.


    "Mr. Su, we are so very grateful to you!"


    Old Mr. Pei immediately said with tears of gratitude upon hearing this.


    He knew that if Su Chen was to search, there would definitely be a greater chance of sess than with just him and his son, especially since they had only just learned of Ghost Beard Grass today.


    "Su Chen, you don''t need to trouble yourself too much, just let it be as fate wills."


    Pei Man said softly.


    "I understand."


    Su Chen smiled gently.


    Although today''s treatment had ended in failure, there was atst a glimmer of hope, so Old Mr. Pei and Pei Jian''s faces eased up a bit.


    "Mr. Su, if you''re not too busy, could you join me in my study for a cup of tea?"


    the Pei family elder suddenly said.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately looked at the Pei family elder and then nodded:


    "I''ve long heard that the elder Pei loves tea and collects only the finest. It seems I''m in for a treat today."


    Su Chen knew that the elder wanted to speak with him about something, and naturally, it was because he was willing to treat Pei Man.


    Afterward, Su Chen followed the Pei family elder into his study, which was simply and traditionally furnished with some antique furniture.


    Then the two sat down opposite each other at the tea table, and the Pei family elder personally brewed a pot of tea before pouring Su Chen a cup:


    "Try this, it''s Honey Dan Orchid. This tea is quite rare!"


    Su Chen lifted the cup to take a sip and praised:


    "The leaves of this tea are slender, t, and aromatic, with a distinct floral fragrance. The taste is fresh and mellow, slightly astringent with a sweet aftertaste. The leaves at the bottom are tender, green, bright, and uniform. It''s truly a fine tea."


    "It seems Mr. Su is also a connoisseur of tea!"


    the Pei family elder said with a smile, his heart filled with admiration for the young man. He was well aware that I wanted to discuss what he was most eager to hear, yet he could remain calm andposed, as if the matter was as light as a cloud, gentle as a breeze!


    Just this level ofposure was impressive!


    "I''m merely ying the lute to a cow in front of Elder Pei."


    Su Chen said with a humble smile, then took another sip.


    "Mr. Su, I know what you want to know."


    the Pei family elder suddenly said:


    "First, I must tell you that when ites to the affairs of your grandfather, as well as your parents, my Pei family was not involved."


    "Do you believe that?"


    "Yes,"


    Su Chen nodded slightly.


    "Why?"


    The Pei family elder was somewhat surprised upon hearing Su Chen''s straightforward reply.


    "If, at this moment, you, Elder Pei, are seated face-to-face with me and still don''t dare to tell the truth, then I think you are no longer fit to be the head of the Pei family."


    Su Chen said calmly.


    "Hahaha~~~~"


    Upon hearing this, the Pei family elder burst intoughter:


    "Good, for that statement alone, I, this old man, toast to you!"


    "Cheers."


    Su Chen smiled faintly, clinked cups with him, and then drank it all in one go!


    As the Pei family elder often discussed matters with Pei Man, his study was not far from her room.


    Hence, hisughter was clearly heard in Pei Man''s room.


    "It seems that grandfather and Su Chen are having a good talk,"


    Pei Jian remarked as he looked toward the direction of the Pei family elder''s study.


    "It''s to be expected."


    A yful smile appeared on Pei Man''s face.


    "Seeing them getting along so well must please you,"


    Pei Jian said with an insinuation.


    "Of course, aren''t you pleased as well?"


    Pei Man looked up at Pei Jian and asked.


    "My pleasure is different than yours."


    Pei Jian said with a smile.


    "Big brother, don''t you know the principle of ''seeing through but not saying through''?"


    Pei Man said with a pout.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll stop."


    Pei Jian, who rarely saw this expression on Pei Man, waved his hand.


    At this time, in the Pei family elder''s study, he looked at Su Chen and said:


    "Actually, I''m also unaware of the specifics of what happened back then, but I suspect that the Shen family and Su family are most likely rted."


    "I think you must have considered this, right?"


    "Indeed, now that you, Elder Pei, have mentioned it, it further confirms it."


    Su Chen nodded and said. Certainly, although the Pei family elder was only specting, his status ensured that his guesses were well-founded and not arbitrary...

 Chapter 665: Do You Understand Your Mother?

    After dering himself unrted to the incidents of those years, Elder Pei fell into a brief silence.


    Su Chen watched him but did not urge anything; he quietly sipped his tea while waiting.


    "Su Chen, do you understand your mother?"


    Elder Pei suddenly looked up at Su Chen and asked.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen was momentarily stunned, pondering the meaning behind the question.


    After considering, he said somberly,


    "I should understand my own mother quite well, but actually, my memory of her has faded. I only remember her always ying hide-and-seek with me in the yard, those times when I was very happy, and the scene of her on her deathbed."


    "You can''t be med; you were too young then."


    Elder Pei sighed, then gazed intently at Su Chen and said,


    "What I want to tell you is that your mother''s identity is also very extraordinary!"


    "Everyone knows your father was exceptionally brilliant, a true paragon. While that is certainly true, what many do not know is that your mother was no ordinary person either."


    Upon hearing this from Elder Pei, Su Chen was again taken aback. His mother''s identity was extraordinary?


    He had never really thought about this issue before, but now that he did, it seemed he actually knew very little about his mother.


    Not only was his knowledge limited, but it appeared that everyone knew very little about his mother ¡ª her origin remained a mystery!


    Being his mother, Su Chen had never paid attention to this issue before.


    Moreover, the incidents at that time were certainly targeting the Su Family, so he had always focused on investigating the possible conflicts of interest with the main branch of the Su Family, which included his grandfather and father.


    He had never investigated his own mother because there was no need.


    "Elder Pei, who exactly was my mother?"


    Su Chen asked hesitantly.


    "I don''t know either."


    Elder Pei shook his head and said,


    "Actually, I heard it once from Pei Man''s father, because he was close to your father back then, and so he knew some things others did not. He mentioned that your mother''s identity was very extraordinary."


    "I hadn''t paid much attention to this issue before, but recently, due to your sudden appearance, I often reminisce about those days, which is why this came to mind."


    Having said this, Elder Pei extended a hand towards Su Chen:


    "Got a smoke? Give me one."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen took out a cigarette from the pack, handed one to him, and lit it for him. He then adopted a listening posture.


    For some reason, he suddenly felt his heart inexplicably tighten, as if it were being gripped by a hand.


    "Although I have always thought that it was the work of another family or possibly several families, there are still some things that don''t add up," Elder Pei murmured as he took a drag of the cigarette:


    "Let''s suppose that the Shen Family led this and the Su Family coborated in doing it, then why would the Shen Family choose that specific time to act? If it was for the title and honors of the leading family, why not act earlier orter, but precisely at that time?"


    "You know, the Su Family has been the most prominent family for over a hundred years."


    Su Chen also furrowed his brow as he listened to Elder Pei''s words; he had thought about these questions before but never found any answers.


    "Just a few nights ago, a thought I had never had before suddenly popped into my head," Elder Pei said, taking another deep drag of his cigarette and exhaling the smoke. He paused for two seconds, then spoke gently:


    "I was wondering, could the incidents back then have been aimed at your mother?"


    As soon as Elder Pei''s words fell, Su Chen''s head seemed to be struck by a hammer; he suddenly felt dizzy!


    "That... seems unlikely."


    Su Chen uttered incredulously, a look of disbelief on his face, because the idea proposed was something he had never considered.


    Against the mother? Why though? Even if her identity was not ordinary, it still didn''t make sense, did it?


    "Maybe I''m just overthinking it."


    Old Master Pei chuckled:


    "Of course, although some things are still not very clear, the likelihood of a power struggle among the great families is still greater."


    "I think so too."


    Su Chen nodded, then looked towards Old Master Pei:


    "But I still want to thank you very much for telling me these things."


    "By the way, is there still no news about Pei Man''s father?"


    Su Chen suddenly asked.


    "No, alive yet unseen, dead without a trace."


    Old Master Pei sighed, his face filled with destion, as after all this was once his favorite son.


    "There will be news."


    Su Chen said, trying to console him.


    "Actually, Pei Man is somewhat reluctant to treat her leg disorder because of this obsession too; she thinks this might keep her biological parents more concerned, maybe one day they''lle back to see her."


    Old Master Pei sighed with a pitiful look on his face:


    "This time, it was thanks to Pei Jian that he persuaded her for two days, opened up some of her heart knots, and got her to agree to the treatment."


    "After all, she''s also a pitiful child, isn''t she?"


    Su Chen didn''t expect that Pei Man''s refusal to treat her condition had such a reason. This kind of thought might seem a bit foolish, but it''s foolishly adorable, foolishly heart-wrenching!


    "Well, it''s gettingte, Old Master, I should be going now."


    Having said what he deemed enough, Su Chen stood up and said.


    Now that it had been confirmed that the Pei Family was unrted to the incident back then, there was no need for Su Chen to be so distant with him.


    Especially since he had shared some unknown details with him.


    "Alright, let me see you out."


    Old Master Pei also stood up and said.


    As Old Master Pei was seeing Su Chen out the front door, he suddenly said:


    "Su Chen, considering the affectionate bond your grandfather and your father had with me, let me tell you one more thing."


    "Please speak, Old Master."


    "The Five Great Families have not stood tall in Huaxia for so many years simply by what you imagine. Even though you seemed to have dominated at the financial summit, it really proves nothing."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen looked solemn:


    "Could the Old Master borate a bit more?"


    "Actually, I really shouldn''t be saying these things; if I say any more, I''ll be breaking the rules."


    Old Master Pei shook his head and said.


    "I understand, thank you very much."


    Su Chen said solemnly, then he walked to his car and drove away...


    Old Master Pei watched the fading tail lights of the car, his expressionplex. He wasn''t sure whether telling him these words today was right or wrong, nor what consequences they might bring in the future.


    "Forget it, let it all be up to him now; let''s leave it to fate."


    Old Master Pei sighed softly, then turned and walked back into the yard...

 Chapter 666 - 666 Night Infiltration

    Su Chen drove back, furrowing his brows as he concentrated on the road.


    Although he thought that what Elder Pei said was unlikely, the thought lingered in his mind and refused to dissipate.


    Targeting his mother? Could that be possible?


    If so, what would the motive be?


    However, to find a motive, he first had to know his mother''s exact identity¡ªwho she was from, what kind of person she was¡ªand then look for clues from there!


    But regarding all of this, he knew absolutely nothing.


    Whether they were actually targeting the Su Family''s main branch or his mother, he had to start with the other major families.


    Because one thing was certain: they were tied to the incident that year!


    Once they were broken through, everything would be clear.


    So, in the end, it was all the same¡ªhe had to continue pressuring these major families until they had no way out!


    Only at that point would he get the answers he wanted!


    Having understood this "First Layer", Su Chen''s tightly furrowed brows finally rxed...


    By the time Su Chen arrived at Rainbow Mansion, it was almost 11 a.m. He simply ate lunch downstairs before going up.


    Once in the office, he heard that Lin Ruoxue hade to thepany, so he immediately hurried over.


    "Wife."


    Su Chen pushed open the door and said with a mischievous tone.


    Lin Ruoxue was standing and organizing files. Hearing the voice, she couldn''t help but look up at him:


    "What are you doing here?"


    Although Lin Ruoxue was no longer as ice-cold at home as she had been at the beginning, she still maintained a cool demeanor at thepany!


    Perhaps she thought it made her seem more dignified.


    "What kind of question is that? Can''t Ie and see my wife?"


    After closing the door, Su Chen walked over to Lin Ruoxue with a naughty smile on his face.


    "Go back to your office if there''s nothing important. I''m busy!"


    Lin Ruoxue said dismissively because she knew that if her husband stayed here, she definitely wouldn''t be able to get anything done¡ªat least not efficiently.


    Sure enough, before Lin Ruoxue could finish her sentence, Su Chen had already reached her side. He sat down on her office chair and then, wrapping his arms around her, made her sit on hisp:


    "Let''s take a break for a moment."


    "What are you doing? I''ve only been back for two hours, and there''s a ton of work to do!"


    Lin Ruoxue eximed in surprise.


    "Do you only have work on your mind, neglecting your husband like this?"


    Su Chen pretended to be forlorn as he spoke.


    "Alright, I''m sorry. I really am busy. Please, be good."


    Lin Ruoxue, feeling somewhat sorry and embarrassed, replied,


    "How about, I give you a kiss, and then you leave, okay?"


    These words would only have been said by Lin Ruoxue after they had truly be intimate. It would have been impossible before.


    Nheless, after she spoke, a faint blush spread across her face.


    The moment Su Chen heard this, a spark shed in his eyes. However, he then nodded, slightly disappointed:


    "Fine then."


    Just as Lin Ruoxue was about to kiss his cheek, she saw Su Chen pointing to his mouth with his finger.


    "This bad guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but curse under her breath. She then leaned down and kissed him. After a brief kiss, Lin Ruoxue was ready to draw back.


    However, just at that moment, Su Chen suddenly held the back of her head, not letting her pull away!


    "Whimper~~~"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly struggled, but unfortunately, her attempts were futile against Su Chen.


    In a short while, Lin Ruoxue felt her breathing be difficult.


    Just then, Lin Ruoxue suddenly felt Su Chen''s big hand starting to wander, immediately causing her to jump in fright!


    With a burst of unknown strength, Lin Ruoxue forcefully pushed Su Chen away, although she still ended up in his embrace.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a wickedly charming smile as he asked.


    "Don''t... this is the office!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a flushed face.


    "Don''t you think it adds to the excitement here?"


    "No... hubby, really, we can''t."


    Lin Ruoxue had never thought about doing that sort of thing in the office, it was simply too mortifying!


    "It''s fine, darling, no one wille in," Su Chen continued with a mischievous grin.


    "We can''t, I promise you, when we get home tonight, then..."


    Lin Ruoxue''s face was now beet red, like a blooming peach blossom.


    "Then what?" Su Chen feigned confusion.


    "Then that... you know," Lin Ruoxue red at Su Chen and huffed.


    "Hahaha~~~"


    Su Chen burst outughing upon seeing this little woman''s reaction and whispered in her ear,


    "Alright then, you head home early tonight, get clean, and wait for hubby, okay?"


    "Mhm!"


    Lin Ruoxue managed to squeeze out a sound from her throat.


    "Good, then I''ll be going first, darling!"


    Only then did Su Chen let Lin Ruoxue down and walked out of her office with an air of triumph.


    Disturbed by the interruption, it took a good while for Lin Ruoxue to calm her racing heart before she could continue with her work...


    Back in his office, Su Chen was already looking forward to the intimate evening with Lin Ruoxue he had been anticipating, especially since they had only consummated their marriage once so far.


    After a short while in the office, his thoughts shifted to Qi Meng.


    It wasn''t Qi Meng''s beauty that Su Chen was preupied with, but rather the intention behind her approach and what her real motives were.


    Who was the true mastermind behind her? Why did they want to kill him at first and now were trying to woo him?


    What triggered such a drastic change in their actions?


    After pondering for a while with no clues surfacing, Su Chen decided to sneak out that night to investigate and see whether he would find anything.


    If he could uncover the answers he sought, there would be no need to y a cat-and-mouse love game with Qi Meng.


    Of course, he didn''t harbor any real hope for this venture, viewing it as merely a shot in the dark.


    When around eight o''clock in the evening the sky had darkened, Su Chen drove towards Qimeng Tower.


    However, he didn''t drive straight to the front gate of Qimeng Tower; instead, he parked at a hotel za some distance away from Qimeng Tower, then darted toward the building with lightning-fast speed.


    This time, he was on a covert mission, so he didn''t enter through the main entrance but made his way around to the back of Qimeng Tower.


    Behind the tower was a small pond, not toorge, with a tiny wooden bridge crossing it. Once over the bridge, he had reached the back wall of Qimeng Tower...

 Chapter 667: The Emissary

    Su Chen leapt onto the windowsill, and then after stepping twice on the pipe above, he was already outside the third-floor window of Qi Meng''s room.


    Since the staff uniform of Belle Group was a deep, hidden green, almost equivalent to ck, Su Chen did not change into other clothes.


    At this moment, he was standing with one foot on the pipe''s joint beside him, the other foot suspended in the air, and one hand lightly clinging to one side of the window frame, peeking carefully inside.


    As there were no other buildings behind Qimeng Tower, there was no lighting in the area.


    Now, with Su Chen clinging here, he had blended into the night, making it very difficult to spot him without looking closely.


    Perhaps such an action would be very challenging for an ordinary person, even for a well-trained spy who could only endure a few minutes.


    But it was not difficult for Su Chen, first because his Cultivation was high enough, and more importantly, he was ustomed to it.


    Luckily, Qi Meng''s curtains were not tightly drawn, leaving a thin gap that allowed Su Chen to see part of the room''s interior.


    Through the window, Su Chen saw Qi Meng sitting on the sofa, drinking red wine, with twin sisters behind her¡ªthe same twins Yunlong was still not over.


    At the moment, Qi Meng seemedpletely different from when she was with him, devoid of charm and seduction, disying only a hint of sorrow.


    "Perhaps this is the real her,"


    thought Su Chen to himself, fully aware that Qi Meng''s various poses with him were intentional.


    Su Chen just watched quietly, his body maintaining the same position without even the smallest movement.


    Unknowingly, half an hour had passed, the red wine in the bottle was down by half, and a slight flush had appeared on Qi Meng''s cheeks.


    "Okay, I''m going to take a bath now, you guys can leave,"


    Qi Meng said to the twin sisters behind her.


    "Yes!"


    The twin sisters acknowledged and left the room.


    Qi Meng walked towards a ss door, and soon, the sound of running water could be heard.


    Although Qi Meng, a creature of such allure, was the dream of every man, Su Chen did not follow her but remained still, clinging to his spot.


    He was never short of patience for such waiting, having endured it for more than ten hours before, let alone a little while now.


    About fifteen minutester, Qi Meng emerged, wrapped in a bathrobe, with slender and fair legs still dotted with water droplets.


    Just then, the ringtone of a cell phone suddenly went off; after ncing at it, Qi Meng''s face instantly grew pale.


    After hesitating for two seconds, she answered the call:


    "My Lord Messenger!"


    She greeted, the moment the call connected, with utter respect.


    Su Chen, listening from outside the window, furrowed his brow slightly at the title.


    My Lord Messenger? Who could that be?


    Was it he who was directing Qi Meng''s actions?


    It seemed that today''s visit was worthwhile after all, at least there was a discovery!


    Seeing the expression on Qi Meng''s face, showing both respect and fear, it was clear that whoever could make a Qi Refinement Peak individual like Qi Meng react this way had to be no ordinary figure.


    However, Su Chen did not dwell on it further, continuing to listen intently and hold his breath.


    "My Lord Messenger, the n has been ongoing."


    "My Lord Messenger, please hear my exnation, Hades is not an ordinary individual, so I¡­"


    "Yes, My Lord Messenger!"


    "Yes! My Lord Messenger!"


    Then, Qi Meng hung up the call, and a shade of gloom crossed her stunning face.


    She poured a full ss of red wine and drank it all in one go.


    Then she poured another half ss, swaying slightly as she held the ss and walked to the window.


    Su Chen immediately released his hand, which had been clinging to the wall by the window, and then his other hand reached out to grasp the water pipe.


    At the same time, his body shrunk back and hid behind the wall.


    "Rustle!"


    Su Chen then heard the sound of the curtains being drawn, and Qi Meng looked out the window into the moonless night sky, murmuring,


    "What should I do?"


    Her deep sigh followed soon after...


    Su Chen maintained his position without any movements, while Qi Meng seemed to have settled herself by the window.


    About twenty minutester, Su Chen finally heard Qi Meng leave the window and her footsteps gradually faded away.


    Su Chen also moved, reaching the ground in just two moves, the whole process almostpletely silent.


    When Su Chen got back into his car, he couldn''t help but ponder the strange phone call Qi Meng had just made.


    First, Qi Meng addressed that person as "Emissary," implying that while this person had a high status and even directed Qi Meng''s actions, he was definitely not the true mastermind behind the scenes.


    With not many clues, Su Chen didn''te to any solid conclusions, but he kept the title "Emissary" in mind.


    Then, Su Chen started the car and left the hotel za where he had parked, heading home...


    It was after nine o''clock when he got home, and he found that Lin Ruoxue had not returned yet.


    He couldn''t help but curl his lips:


    "My wife, ah!"


    About Lin Ruoxue the workaholic, Su Chen didn''t really have a solution; although he had resolved to change her, he wasn''t too confident about it.


    Once Lin Ruoxue set her mind to something, she was someone that no one could easily persuade.


    Just then, the sound of the door opening suddenly rang out, and soon after, Lin Ruoxue''s figure appeared at the door.


    "Wife, have you eaten?" asked Su Chen.


    "Didn''t you tell me you were busy and didn''t have time to cook? So, I ate outside,"


    Lin Ruoxue replied casually.


    "That''s good."


    Su Chen nodded:


    "Well, wife, you''ve been working hard all day; you should get some rest early."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately remembered what she had promised him during the day and gave him an annoyed nce:


    "Are you that impatient?"


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback at her words, and then he quickly understood, finding himself somewhere between wanting tough and cry.


    The truth was, when he said that just now, he really hadn''t meant it in that sense; he simply wanted her to rest early.


    But since thedy of the house had brought it up herself, he couldn''t just not respond, could he?


    "Of course, how could one not be anxious about such matters?"


    With those words, Su Chen reached for Lin Ruoxue who had just changed her shoes, and she half-heartedly followed him upstairs.


    Just as Su Chen was about to seize the moment, Lin Ruoxue immediately stopped him:


    "Go take a shower first!"


    "There''s no rush, business before pleasure!"


    "No, don''t touch me if you haven''t showered!"


    Lin Ruoxue was adamant, as if this was an invible rule...


    "So finicky!"


    Su Chen felt defeated and, with a shrug, took his clothes and walked into the bathroom...

 Chapter 668 - 668 Endless Hatred

    After Su Chen came out wrapped in a bath towel from his shower, he naturally couldn''t wait to embrace Lin Ruoxue and get down to business, but once again, she swiftly dodged him.


    "Wife, I''m all clean now, you can rest assured. If you don''t believe me, check for yourself!"


    Su Chen shamelessly blurted out.


    "I haven''t showered yet!"


    Lin Ruoxue murmured softly.


    "No worries, wife, I don''t mind. Besides, you smell nice even without a shower!"


    Su Chen said with a cheeky grin.


    "I mind!"


    Lin Ruoxue stated earnestly, then took her clothes and went to shower, leaving Su Chen alone.


    Su Chen immediately felt dejected¡ªhis wife really could be troublesome!


    But after all, she was his wife, and no matter how annoyed he was, he had to put up with it!


    So, Su Chen lit a cigarette andy on the bed, waiting for Lin Ruoxue.


    The moment Lin Ruoxue came out, Su Chen''s eyes instantly shot out a fierce light!


    It wasn''t the first time Su Chen had seen Lin Ruoxue fresh from a shower, but each time his heart raced!


    He quickly extinguished the cigarette butt, then flipped a corner of the nket open:


    "Wife,e up quickly, don''t catch a cold!"


    At his words, Lin Ruoxue gave him a sharp look with her beautiful eyes. This guy might sound sweet, worried about her catching cold, but everyone knew his true intentions!


    Although Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen had already been intimate as husband and wife, she still felt some nervousness and shyness at the moment!


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue got onto the bed, Su Chen immediately embraced her.


    "Husband, turn off the light."


    "It''s fine, let''s keep it on."


    "No, turn it off."


    "Alright!"


    .......


    When Lin Ruoxue woke up the next day, she felt like her body was falling apart because the night before had been too crazy¡ªthis bastard had demanded her three times!


    "Bastard!"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but get angry looking at Su Chen''s smiling face.


    "Weren''t you also very happyst night?"


    Su Chen said with a smile curling up at the corner of his mouth.


    "Don''t you dare say it!"


    A blush suddenly flew up on Lin Ruoxue''s face!


    Su Chen was momentarily at a loss for words. So he could be cursed at, but speaking a simple truth was not allowed?


    Indeed, as the ancients said, it''s hard to satisfy the petty and the feminine!


    Luckily, Lin Ruoxue had no idea what he was thinking, or she would have certainly hammered him hard, although, in Su Chen''s view, her ''hammering'' was more like tickling.


    "Alright, I''ll make breakfast first; you rest a little longer."


    Su Chen said with a smile, knowing he had indeed worn Lin Ruoxue out the day before.


    When breakfast was nearly ready, Su Chen called Lin Ruoxue toe down and eat.


    After eating breakfast, Lin Ruoxue left the house, but Su Chen stayed home¡ªhe nned to seriously cultivate at home that day.


    So after Lin Ruoxue left, he went upstairs back to the bedroom, then sat down cross-legged on the bed and began to circte the Nine Yang Divine Technique.


    Before he knew it, two hours had passed. Su Chen suddenly opened his eyes with a puzzled expression on his face.


    He felt that his cultivation speed seemed faster than before, and even his True Yuan was purer by a bit.


    Moreover, there seemed to be other subtle changes urring within his body, but he couldn''t quite pinpoint what exactly they were.


    In fact, he had already noticed this phenomenon during hisst cultivation session, but since it was his first time, he didn''t pay much attention to it.


    However, now that it was happening again, he began to feel that something was not quite right.


    Why was that?


    Su Chen couldn''t help but frown and ponder deeply, but despite thinking it over for a long time, he still couldn''t figure out the reason, so he had to give up, fortunately, it wasn''t a bad thing.


    For him, it could even be considered a tremendous stroke of luck. After all, which person engaged in cultivation wouldn''t wish for their cultivation speed to be faster and their True Yuan to be more profound?


    Therefore, Su Chen continued to close his eyes and cultivate, doing so until around one or two in the afternoon before finishing. He sensed that his Realm at the Ninth Layer had now been firmly stabilized.


    Having nothing else to do at home, he decided to drive to thepany...


    Meanwhile, in a room within the Su Family courtyard, a young man sat on a soft chair, his facial expression full of dark malevolence.


    Just then, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open, and a middle-aged man walked in with a face full of surprise and delight!


    "Can''er, I have good news!"


    The middle-aged man said to the young person, who happened to be his son, Su Can.


    "Dad, did you find out who that bastard that injured me is?"


    The young man eagerly asked.


    "Indeed, I did."


    Su Tai nodded his head.


    Su Tai had finally grasped the malicious intents of the older uncle and his son when they failed to deliver any news for quite a while.


    He also realized that he had made a wrong move; the uncle and his son were probably hoping that the person who injured his own son would never be found!


    Aftering to this realization, Su Tai decided to take matters into his own hands to find the aggressor.


    Although Su Tai was not the heir to the position of Family Head, being a member of the Legitimate Line meant he still wielded some power.


    After investigating for two days, he finally had a result.


    "Dad, who is that guy, to have the audacity to attack me?"


    Su Can clenched his fists, his eyes shooting out two beams of venomous light.


    "You probably wouldn''t guess in your wildest dreams; he''s actually one of our own Su Family members."


    Su Tai remarked with a sigh.


    "One of the Su Family? How is that possible?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Can was stunned, his face a picture of shock!


    Su Tai knew his son had been in the hospital for treatment and was not aware of the recent events, so he recounted what had happened during this period.


    Su Tai could have never imagined that the culprit who injured his son was the very youth who had recently been causing a stir within the Five Great Families.


    After hearing his father''s ount, Su Can waspletely dumbfounded!


    He could not believe that the young man was the grandson of histe grand-uncle!


    Nor could he believe how formidable the youth was, having managed to dominate the Five Great Families at the financial summit to the point where they couldn''t raise their heads!


    And in the following days, he even caused huge chaos within the Situ and Zheng Families, turning them into aughingstock throughout Huaxia!


    Although Su Chen could be considered their rtive, they felt no such kinship toward him.


    Of course, Su Chen felt the same way.


    "Can''er, this guy''s strength is extraordinary. I''m afraid we can''t take revenge on our own."


    Su Tai looked seriously at his son and said,


    "Moreover, this matter seems quiteplex, and your grandfather won''t make a move against him just for your sake."


    "But don''t worry, Can''er, this boy has offended all Five Great Families. He''s as good as dead, not even a deity could save him!"


    Su Tai continued gravely.


    "That''s good. As long as that kid doesn''t die, the hatred in my heart can''t be extinguished!"


    Su Can spat out vehemently, his face filled with rage.


    Remembering the humiliation and torment he suffered that day, his heart was filled with endless hatred...

 Chapter 669: Shrouded in Mist

    Su Can harbored a definite hatred for the person who had injured him, along with a trace of fear, as that person had been too cruel in his attack!


    Now, having learned about the other party''s recent actions, his fear intensified!


    Moreover, he held a blood-written debt note in the other person''s hands, a secret he had not shared with anyone, including his father.


    Thinking of that debt note now subtly unsettled him, always feeling as if it could be a bomb ready to explode at any moment.


    ....


    Coincidentally, Su Chen sat in his office, mulling over that very debt note, contemting when to bring it to the Su Family''s front door.


    The Su Family was different from other families, not because of their strength, but because they were the epicenter of an event from years ago.


    Therefore, going to the Su Family, he must consider everything carefully.


    If he wasn''t nning on dealing with the Su Family just yet, which family should he move against next?


    Su Chen fell into meditation once again, his eyes suddenly lighting up, the Zheng Family?!


    The Zheng Family still had a big sister, and he had killed her illegitimate son, Lv Shimo. She had been secretly tracing the murderer, probably without any clue so far.


    Should he lend her a hand maybe?


    And what about Shen Shao from the Shen Family, should he also rattle his sensitive nerves?


    Su Chen pondered once more over the affairs of these great families, where measures, order, and method all required meticulous nning.


    All these required him to carefully strategize.


    Of course, aside from these, he was also reflecting on the words of Old Master Pei from yesterday, not just his hypothesis about his mother, but also the profound statement he had made to him at the end.


    He had said that the Five Great Families were not so simple, and though he had dominated them at the financial summit, it proved nothing.


    From this, he deduced that there must be something formidable behind the Five Great Families, something not to be underestimated, perhaps even a force that he currently could not contend with.


    These days, Su Chen''s mind was a mess, unclear on many matters.


    For instance, was the incident with the Su Family''s elder line truly a power struggle among the Five Great Families, or were there other reasons, or perhaps a mix of various reasons?


    Could there really be a reason involving his mother?


    Or like Su Jin mentioned, who was that mysterious person who had been seen entering and leaving the Shen Family''s premises several times before the disaster struck the elder branch of the Su Family and was never seen again?


    What role had he yed in this affair?


    And what exactlyy behind the Five Great Families?


    Beyond the series of questions surrounding the old events of the Su Family, there were also queries about Qi Meng, who or what kind of entity was controlling her from behind?


    What were those people''s intentions? What unspeakable purposes did they have?


    All this seemed like a fog engulfing Su Chen, making it difficult for him to see the road ahead.


    Nevertheless, Su Chen firmly believed that the fog would clear one day, and that day wasn''t far off!


    As Su Chen mulled over these issues, he thought for two to three hours until his brain felt dizzy, prompting him to temporarily stop thinking.


    "Forget it, I might as well go see Qiuru."


    Su Chen muttered to himself, then stood up and headed to Xia Qiuru''s office.


    In his heart, he had long regarded Xia Qiuru as his best confidant; whenever he felt his mood was a bit irritable, talking to her always made him feel much better.


    When Su Chen walked into Xia Qiuru''s office, she was unknowingly eating something.


    "Director Xia, what are you sneaking a taste of there?"


    Su Chen entered and said with a smile.


    "Ah, you''vee."


    Xia Qiuru looked at him and smiled faintly,


    "These are cookies I made myself, try some."


    "Oh, you have this skill then? I didn''t know that,"


    Su Chen smiled and walked over, picking out a piece from a small box and taking a bite:


    "The taste is really good, crisp at first bite."


    "Last night, Xinran and I made some just for fun. We made a lot, so I brought some over, perfect for a quick snack when I''m hungry."


    Xia Qiuru casually mentioned, in fact, she originally brought it over for Su Chen to try, but after some thought, she felt a bit embarrassed and ended up eating it herself.


    "That girl can cook?"


    Su Chen scoffed disdainfully:


    "As long as she doesn''t wreck the kitchen, it would be a miracle."


    Even today, Su Chen still remembered the disaster when she first tried to make breakfast!


    "Xinran isn''t as bad as you say."


    Xia Qiuru shot him an annoyed nce and said:


    "Lately, Xinran''s cooking skills have actually improved. But it''s odd, she never used to step foot in the kitchen. For the past few months, she''s been poring over cookbooks whenever she has the time."


    "Really?"


    Su Chen was somewhat surprised, feeling that the image was somewhat incongruous.


    She wasn''t influenced by those few taunts from me that time, was she?


    "Anyway, let''s not talk about her for now. Do you have time these days? I really need your help with something."


    Xia Qiuru suddenly asked.


    "What''s up?"


    "It''s like this, my mother has some joint issues that get worse in winter, and they often hurt. I want to buy some Chinese medicine and send it back to her."


    Xia Qiuru exined:


    "I thought with your impressive medical skills, you''d definitely know a lot about this."


    "No problem."


    Su Chen, seeing it was just a small favor, readily agreed.


    "I''ll have a look at your mother when I apany you back for the New Year''s."


    "That would be really kind of you."


    Upon hearing this, a joyful smile appeared on Xia Qiuru''s face.


    "It''s no trouble at all, we''re good friends, this is nothing."


    Su Chen waved his hand dismissively.


    Upon hearing the words "good friends," a hint of sadness flickered in Xia Qiuru''s eyes, but she quickly concealed it.


    "Here, take this box of cookies as a small thank you."


    Xia Qiuru closed the lid of the cookie box and handed it to Su Chen.


    "Qiuru, a box of cookies as a send-off, just the leftovers, huh?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help joking.


    "What else do you want, huh?"


    If it were the old Su Chen, upon hearing this, he''d definitely flirt without hesitation, perhaps saying "Give me a kiss," or "Pledge yourself to me."


    But now, especially in front of Xia Qiuru, those words were definitely noting out.


    He thought for a moment and chuckled:


    "At the very least, you should treat me to a big meal to make it right."


    "Alright, no problem, it''s just a meal, not like you can eat me out of house and home!"


    Xia Qiuruughed and agreed...

 Chapter 670: The Flesh of Monk Tang

    Su Chen spent over half an hour in Xia Qiuru''s office before leaving. He then strolled around thepany and made a trip to the public rtions department.


    During this period, Lin Ruoxue was absent, so Su Chen did visit a few times, although, of course, it was nothing like how he used to hang around there every day.


    Now, every time he went there, it felt a bit sneaky, as if he was doing something illicit.


    He had thought that those women would stop joking around with him or flirting after they found out he was Lin Ruoxue''s husband.


    Indeed, for the first two days after finding out, they were a bit awkward and didn''t dare to joke around with him anymore!


    But for some reason, after those two days, those women changedpletely, bing even bolder than before¡ªthey were like wolves!


    Even Shu Yin, who was so innocent and used to only watch from the sidelines, seemed unable to hold back her eagerness.


    In Zhao Lin''s words, he was now like "Tang monk meat," and they should take the chance to have a few more bites while they could!


    When Su Chen came out of the public rtions department again, he found that his body was covered with many marks, and he quickly went to the restroom to clean them off.


    If he was discovered at home, kneeling on durians would be a light punishment...


    Wandering around like this brought him close to the end of the workday, so he went to get his car ready to go home. On the way, he stopped by the market to buy some groceries.


    Just as he parked the car, his mobile phone suddenly rang.


    He pulled out his phone and saw that it was a call from Su Jin, so he immediately answered:


    "Auntie, what''s up?"


    "You little rascal, can''t I call you if I have nothing important?"


    Su Jin''s voice came through the phone sounding slightly annoyed.


    "Auntie, where did thate from? I''m absolutely thrilled when you call!"


    Although Su Jin sounded somewhat annoyed, Su Chen felt touched and warmed by her tone.


    "Alright, no more nonsense,e over with your wife for dinner at my ce."


    Su Jin stated her intention directly.


    "But, I don''t even know where you live?"


    "Your wife knows, juste with her!"


    After saying that, Su Jin hung up the phone.


    After hanging up, Su Chen was slightly puzzled¡ªLin Ruoxue knew?


    Could it be that they''ve been in contact?


    But Su Chen didn''t think much of it; one was his aunt, and the other his wife, both dear to him, so it was normal for them to be in touch.


    Su Chen curled his lips and then called Lin Ruoxue to tell her about Su Jin''s dinner invitation.


    Lin Ruoxue, naturally not one to decline Su Jin''s invitation, asked him to wait for her at the entrance of the Crystal Hotel.


    So Su Chen got back into his car and headed towards the Crystal Hotel. As he neared the destination, he made a call to Lin Ruoxue.


    When he arrived, Lin Ruoxue also happened to be walking out of the hotel''s main entrance, and then she got into his car.


    "Wife, how do you know where Auntie''s house is?"


    After driving ording to Lin Ruoxue''s directions for a while, Su Chen asked:


    "Have you two seen each other recently?"


    "Can''t we?"


    Lin Ruoxue red at him with annoyance and responded.


    "Yes, yes, of course you can,"


    Su Chen, taken aback by Lin Ruoxue''s rebuff, awkwardly touched his nose.


    What was up with this woman? He hadn''t provoked her, so where was this irritationing from?


    Unknown to him, Lin Ruoxue''s irritation truly was because of him; because of the intense ''battle'' the previous night, she felt sore all over and her work efficiency had dropped significantly today.


    Naturally, Lin Ruoxue put the me on him. The reason she was riding in his car, instead of driving herself, was precisely because of her physical difort¡ªshe hadn''t thought much of it this morning, and the drive over had been quite difficult for her.


    After driving for several dozen minutes, Su Chen arrived at Su Jin''s estate. Although he wasn''t as shocked as Lin Ruoxue, he was still surprised by it.


    As soon as Su Jin saw the two of them, she immediately grabbed Lin Ruoxue''s hand and said:


    "Ruoxue,e with me."


    Then the two of them headed towards the main building. Seeing Su Chen follow, Su Jin looked back and said:


    "Why are you following us? Go wander around on your own, and I''ll notify you when it''s time for dinner."


    With that, the two continued walking hand in hand, leaving Su Chen standing there looking foolish.


    Lin Ruoxue turned her head, let out a snort ofughter, and didn''t bother with him, continuing toward a house ahead.


    Standing there, Su Chen suddenly felt as if neither his grandmother nor his uncle cared for him, utterly deste!


    Having no other choice, he simply started to stroll around Su Jin''s estate.


    Fortunately, the scenery was quite nice, so he wouldn''t be bored...


    Meanwhile, Su Jin led Lin Ruoxue into her own bedroom and then sat down on the sofa.


    This was Lin Ruoxue''s second time entering Su Jin''s bedroom.


    No one else had ever entered Su Jin''s bedroom, but clearly, Lin Ruoxue was not just anyone.


    Just after sitting down, Su Jin took her hands and scrutinized her closely, a yful smile gradually curving her lips.


    "Cousin, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"


    Feeling a bit uneasy being stared at by Su Jin, Lin Ruoxue stammered the question.


    "There is something."


    "Ah! What is it?"


    Lin Ruoxue quickly pulled a hand free and felt her face, as women naturally pay great attention to their appearance.


    "Stop touching. You won''t be able to rub it off," Su Jin said with a smile:


    "Because what you have on your face now is the essence of a woman!"


    "Cousin, what are you talking about?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue immediately lowered her hands and shyly muttered.


    "Would you not understand what I''m saying?" Su Jin teased, then looked at her with an ambiguous expression:


    "Ruoxue, tell me, have you two already..."


    "Cousin, what are you saying?"


    At that, Lin Ruoxue''s cheeks immediately flushed a deep red, and she hung her head low.


    "We''re both women, there''s nothing to be shy about. Tell me, have you or haven''t you?"


    At this moment, Su Jin''s eyes were gleaming with excitement, just like a woman who loves to gossip.


    "Mhm."


    Lin Ruoxue let out a fine sound from her nose.


    "That''s great!"


    Su Jin had a feeling that she was different from before and guessed as much.


    Now that she had Lin Ruoxue''s verbal confirmation, she immediately felt relieved.


    "It looks like you took my advice after all. When are you two nning on having children?" Su Jin asked excitedly.


    Last time she chatted with Lin Ruoxue, Ruoxue had let slip the fact that they weren''t truly husband and wife yet.


    Su Jin immediately asked what was going on, and Ruoxue hesitated before telling her the rough details of their rtionship from the time they met to the present.


    Knowing that it wasn''t a problem with their feelings but rather Lin Ruoxue''s personality, Su Jin was at ease...

 Chapter 671: Encountering an Old Friend

    After understanding the situation, Su Jin advised her to consummate the marriage sooner rather thanter.


    After all, men are carnivores, and constantly making him eat vegetables isn''t the solution!


    Furthermore, this would benefit their marital rtionship, and Su Jin also shared some other advantages of being true spouses.


    It must be said that Su Jin had done a good job in influencing her thoughts; Lin Ruoxue was indeed persuaded.


    Additionally, she had already prepared to do so, whichpelled her to make up her mind that night andpletely gave herself to Su Chen.


    However, what she hadn''t expected was that Su Jin suddenly brought up the topic of having children.


    "This, aunt, we just... let''s let nature take its course,"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a blush.


    "That''s true, you''ve just shared a bed, this really can''t be rushed."


    Su Jin nodded and said:


    "But you still need to hurry it up a bit."


    "I understand."


    Lin Ruoxue responded somewhat helplessly, why did her grandparents, parents, and her aunt, including this new aunt in front of her, all pressure her to have children?!


    Honestly, Lin Ruoxue didn''t really want to have children at the moment, not because she didn''t want them, but because she believed it was a time of rapid development for Belle Corporation. If a child were suddenly part of the picture, it would undoubtedly divert most of her energy.


    As a result, many of her ns would be dyed, and her dreams would also be hard to achieve.


    Lin Ruoxue was an independent and ambitious woman; although she loved Su Chen, she wouldn''t lose her sense of self.


    Seeing that it was about time, Su Jin made a call to Su Chen, asking him toe to the main hall for dinner.


    Since the weather was getting colder, she didn''t set up the dining area by the waterside but inside the house.


    When Su Chen returned to the main hall, Su Jin and Lin Ruoxue were already sitting at the dining table.


    "Aunt, your manor is really nice. Being able to have such a big manor in the bustling Yandu, you are quite something!"


    Su Chen walked in andughed.


    "You rascal, are you eyeing my manor?"


    As rtives who had only met once, they felt no awkwardness at all.


    "How could that be? I understand the principle that a gentleman does not covet what others cherish."


    Su Chen sat down next to Lin Ruoxue and said.


    "Alright, since you like it, I''ll give it to you. I can''t live here forever."


    Su Jin said; Su Chen was her only family, and she could give him everything she owned, including a manor.


    "Then thank you, aunt."


    Su Chen didn''t hesitate and happily agreed.


    Although Su Jin said she would give it to him, it definitely wouldn''t be right now, as she was still living there.


    "Su Chen, how could you ept that?"


    Lin Ruoxue quietly pinched Su Chen, displeased.


    She knew that such a manor was extremely valuable, and there her husband was, not even putting up a pretense of politeness before epting it.


    "It''s fine, she''s my aunt, no need for formality."


    Su Chen said nonchntly with a smile.


    Su Jin saw the scene, simply smiled knowingly, and did notment.


    The dinnersted for two hours, and by the time they finished, it was already about nine o''clock.


    Moreover, everyone had a joyful time at the dinner, especially for Su Chen and Su Jin, who probably had the mostfortable meal in recent years.


    After dinner, they ate some fruit and chatted for a while when suddenly a misty drizzle began to fall from the sky.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue stood up, preparing to leave.


    At this moment, Su Jin also stood up and said,


    "Su Chen, go back by yourself. Ruoxue can stay here with me and chat today."


    Upon hearing this, both Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue were slightly stunned.


    "What, can''t bear to be apart for just one night?"


    Su Jin looked at the two yfully, her gaze towards Lin Ruoxue particrly meaningful.


    Lin Ruoxue fully understood Su Jin''s implication, her face flushed again. She just nodded and then said to Su Chen,


    "Alright then, I''ll stay here today to apany my aunt, and you can go back alone."


    There was nothing Su Chen could do, so he had to go back somewhat gloomily on his own.


    "This kid is going back all alone to an empty room today; he''s probably going to hate me for this."


    Su Jin said teasingly as she watched Su Chen''s retreating figure.


    "Not at all."


    Lin Ruoxue said somewhat embarrassed.


    "Well, let''s not worry about this big man."


    Su Jin took Lin Ruoxue by the arm and headed towards the bedroom:


    "Today, the two of us will sleep together and have a good chat."


    ....


    As Su Jin had said, Su Chen was definitely irritated going back alone. He was supposed to be newlyweds, after all.


    To split them up like this, the aunt was truly ungracious.


    Of course, he only grumbled about it in his mind...


    Besides, Su Chen was pleased to see Su Jin and Lin Ruoxue getting along, so how could he genuinely have anyints?


    It was just that he had nned to unlock a couple more positions with Lin Ruoxue tonight, a n that now had to be postponed...


    Thus, Su Chen drove through the streets of Yandu, lost in his wild thoughts.


    Because it was winter and veryte, in addition to the rain, there were hardly any pedestrians on the road, only dim street lights illuminating the wet streets...


    Just as he was driving on a particrly secluded road, with not even a shadow in sight, suddenly a man and a woman dashed across the road.


    Su Chen got a fright and immediately mmed on the brakes.


    Su Chen was about to yell at them for their carelessness¡ªafter all, if it hadn''t been for his quick reaction, someone else driving might have hit them.


    But before he could shout, the two had already run to the other side of the road, looking back in panic and fear as they ran.


    Seeing their expressions, Su Chen was slightly taken aback. What were they doing here?


    Just then, sounds of fighting came from a few hundred meters away, and Su Chen immediately rolled down the window to look over.


    Although it was dark and still raining, Su Chen''s visual acuity was far superior to that of ordinary people, so he could still make out the general situation.


    He saw eleven people brawling, with sounds of fists and weapons colliding intermittently.


    Eight of them were on one side, and the remaining three were on the other. These three, with their backs toward Su Chen, were desperately trying to fend off the eight.


    But clearly, these three were no match for the eight. They were being driven back, and at that moment, they had sustained serious injuries!


    What surprised Su Chen was, all these people were martial artists with high cultivation!

 Chapter 672: Coercion

    "You two, quickly go after them!"


    The leader of the eight caught sight of a man and a woman not far away and hurriedlymanded.


    As soon as his voice fell, two people immediately broke away from the fray and gave chase.


    The other three wanted to intervene, but they were powerless, as their opponents, even two people short, still firmly held the upper hand.


    "Young Master Mu, Miss Mu, run fast!"


    One of the three shouted while resisting the attacks, his face filled with desperation!


    "Rip!"


    Just as he shouted, a de sliced across his chest, immediately causing blood to gush out!


    The attacker, seeing his strike seed, immediately swung out his de again, aiming straight for the throat of his opponent. The knife''s edge, like a residual shadow, sliced through the air with lethal speed!


    The man, seeing this, was taken aback and quickly took a step back, while also raising his sword to block the attack.


    "Retreat! Protect Young Master Mu and Miss Mu!"


    He forcefully deflected the opponent''s de and made a decision on the spot.


    He knew that if they got bogged down here, it wouldn''t take long for the two martial artists who had previously left the fray to catch up with the two they were supposed to protect.


    And at that point, even if they managed by luck to defeat the opponents here, it would be meaningless.


    What''s more, given their current state, victory was simply impossible.


    No sooner had he spoken than the three turned and ran towards the direction where the two had fled.


    However, it''s not that easy to disengage from a battle; one of them sustained a knife wound before they could finally break free.


    Afterward, ignoring their injuries, they sprinted forward frantically.


    At this moment, their hearts were filled with dire urgency, because the two martial artists who had left the battle were getting closer and closer to Young Master Mu and Miss Mu!


    If Miss Mu and Young Master Mu were captured by them, their mission would be aplete failure.


    But before they had run very far, the six opponents entangled them again.


    There was no choice, their cultivation wasparable, but they were outnumbered and additionally suffering from severe injuries.


    It didn''t take long before one of the three was blown away by a punch from an opponent, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood and falling to the ground, life and death unknown.


    This pushed the two remaining even more into desperation.


    Subsequently, another was stabbed in the heart with a de and fell to the ground, leaving only one person still struggling alone.


    Soon, his de was knocked out of his hand by the opponents and he was captured.


    Yes, those people did not kill him, but instead subdued him!


    The man immediately struggled violently but it was futile.


    "Let us go!"


    Just then, from across the road in the bushes, came a woman''s shrill cry!


    Clearly, the other two martial artists had already captured the man and woman who were running away!


    The six immediately escorted the captured martial artist towards the other side of the road. There was a small slope on that side, and the two martial artists who had been chasing the man and woman were standing at the bottom of the slope, each holding one of the two.


    From the road above, due to the angle of view, one could not see the bottom of the slope.


    As the six passed in front of Su Chen''s car, they nced at him but walked straight past, obviously not considering the person in the car as a threat.


    Reaching the bottom of the slope, the leader looked at the man and woman with a smirk on his face:


    "Keep running! After all this time, you still ended up in our hands, didn''t you?"


    The man and woman red back at him with eyes filled with furious fire, but they were held captive and helpless.


    "If you''re going to kill us, then kill us, stop with the nonsense!"


    The woman snapped coldly.


    "Why would I kill you?"


    The leader''s mouth curled into a sinister smile:


    "As long as you both hand over the item, we will immediately set you free."


    "Dream on! Even if I die, I won''t hand the item over to you. Just give up on that idea!"


    The sister retorted coldly.


    "Right, if you have the guts, kill us now!"


    The brother also said, his neck held high.


    "I see you prefer punishment over a toast!"


    The leader, clearly enraged by the defiant man and woman, pointed at the Martial Artist who was captured earlier and said with a dark expression:


    "I''ll count to three. If you don''t hand it over, I''ll sh this person once. If you remain stubborn, I''ll give him another sh. I really want to see how many cuts he can withstand!"


    "You despicable coward!"


    Upon hearing this, the sister suddenly roared in anger. Although she didn''t know the man, she was only aware of who they were with.


    However, it had been thanks to the protection of those people along the way that they had been able to hold out until now.


    How could she bear to watch the only surviving person from that group being treated so cruelly now?


    "Let him go. If you dare,e at me instead!"


    The brother also bellowed, his eyes wide with fury.


    "Don''t worry. Your turn wille!"


    A sinister light flickered in the leader''s eyes.


    "1!"


    The man raised one finger and said coldly, his voice striking at the heart of the brother and sister, who wore expressions of extreme anguish.


    "Just do it! If I even frown, I''m not a man!"


    The captured Martial Artist said, his eyes gleaming with sharpness.


    "2!"


    The leader paid no attention to his words and raised another finger!


    "3!"


    As soon as the word "3" was uttered, he waved his hand, and with a sh of cold light and a ripping sound, the man''s abdomen was shed, opening a three to four-inch-long wound from which blood gushed out!


    The brother and sister felt extremely distressed watching this scene.


    "Well, are you still not going to speak up? Can you really bear to watch someone else suffer for you?"


    A sinister smirk appeared on the leader''s face.


    "Young Master Mu, Miss Mu, my life is not precious¡ªdon''t you dare speak!"


    Fearing that the siblings would give in, the captured Martial Artist immediately shouted out.


    Upon hearing this, the brother and sister felt an even greater heartache, feeling as if all the pain should rightfully be upon themselves!


    "sh!"


    Another sh of cold light, and another wound appeared on the man''s thigh, skin and flesh gaping, blood flowing profusely!


    His entire outfit was soaked with blood, and he could barely stand, just barely propping himself up!


    The man had already been severely injured, and now he looked even more pitiable!


    The siblings watched this scene, their fists clenched so tightly their nails were nearly piercing their palms!


    They wanted to speak, but they knew they couldn''t!


    If they did, these people would be even less likely to let them go, including the person who had always protected them.


    If they didn''t speak, there was still a sliver of hope...

 Chapter 673 - 673 Thousand Poisons Heart Devouring

    Immediately following, the person leading them shed the captive person''s body three or four times, as blood burst forth like a fountain.


    The Martial Artist was still clenching his teeth and enduring, but in fact, he was already at the end of his strength!


    The sibling pair felt a wrenching pain in their hearts, their eyes filled with apology as they looked at each other.


    "Are you going to speak or not?"


    The leader asked furiously, his face ominously grim!


    If this matter wasn''t handled well, his return would certainly be unbearable, or one might say, it could not escape a death sentence!


    At that moment, a short man from behind the leader stepped forward and said:


    "Boss, I have a way to make them talk!"


    "Oh, what method?"


    A bright look suddenly bloomed on the leader''s face!


    "They might not fear pain or death, but everyone has a weakness!"


    The short man said, his eyes shing a sharp gleam.


    Upon hearing this, the siblings shuddered, a foreboding feeling rising within them.


    "I think Miss Mu hasn''t yet experienced the taste of a man. Since that''s the case, why don''t we help Miss Mu fulfill this wish?"


    The short man quietly pulled the leader aside, then, with a cunning smile curling at the corner of his mouth, said:


    "I suppose no woman can withstand such an ordeal, and even if she can, can the Young Master bear to watch it? Would he be able to watch his sister being vited?"


    The leader was stunned when he heard this; he clearly understood the meaning and knew it was an effective method.


    However, he immediately shook his head and said:


    "That won''t work. Her status is extraordinary, after all. If we do this and someone finds out, we are unquestionably doomed!"


    "Boss, if we don''t find the hiding ce of the item and return, do you think we can still live? Will the n leader spare us?"


    The short man''s face turned sinister as he spoke in a low voice:


    "They should have guessed that we will surely kill them after obtaining the item. So no matter how much we torture them, they won''t speak."


    "Now, only by using this method to get the information we want, and then killing them all afterward and burying them here, will no one know about this."


    The man said, ncing at the woman not far away, his eyes brimming with greed!


    The leader hesitated upon hearing this, forced to admit that the other man had a point.


    He pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said:


    "Fine, we''ll do it your way! But I doubt anyone would dare to molest her."


    "I will!"


    The man, with eyes gleaming like gold, said:


    "But, boss, you have to make sure everyone else keeps tight-lipped about this."


    "Don''t worry about that. Everyone is in the same boat. If the situation leaks, they can''t escape either! I think they all understand this reasoning!"


    The leader nodded in agreement.


    After the two had agreed on the n, they once again approached the siblings, especially the short man, whose gaze at the woman was filled with desire!


    It must be admitted, Miss Mu is a great beauty, rare to find, indeed she could be considered the most beautiful woman of their region!


    The short man was a licentious man; he had proposed the earlier idea partly for the reasons mentioned, but also not without coveting her beauty.


    Mu Ling''er shuddered at the sight of the short man''s gaze, uncertain of what scheming he was concocting!


    The short man sauntered up to Mu Ling''er, then extended a hand and gently caressed her face:


    "Miss Mu, you truly are a beauty!"


    Mu Ling''er, seeing the man''s hand reaching toward her, hastily turned her head aside, but still he touched her a little, and a look of disgust immediately appeared on her face.


    "What are you doing! Take your filthy hands off!"


    Her brother, Mu Fan, witnessing the scene, was instantly infuriated and shouted loudly.


    "This is yourst chance. If you''re still unwilling to hand over the item, or tell us where exactly you''ve hidden it, I will not be polite anymore."


    The short man, eyeing Mu Ling''er''s graceful figure, licked his tongue and said:


    "Such a beauty must taste wonderful!"


    "Get lost!"


    Mu Ling''er kicked towards the man''s groin, but the short man was prepared and quickly grabbed her slender leg, his hand gently caressing it, showing a face full of ecstasy!


    "Bastard, beast! Let go of my sister this instant!"


    Mu Fan exploded with rage upon seeing the short man''s actions. His eyes turned bloodshot, veins popped on his body, and he began to struggle madly.


    "Hahahaha~~~, let her go? Only if you tell us what we want to know, otherwise, I''ll be your sister''s first man today, brother-inw!"


    The short man burst into unrestrainedughter.


    "You''re courting death, do you know the consequences of your actions?"


    The captured Martial Artist, now feeble and weak, shouted:


    "Insulting Miss Mu, you will have to endure the punishment of the Thousand Poisons Heart Devouring!"


    "And none of you will escape!"


    The others, upon hearing this, shuddered and fear clearly showed on their faces.


    They were already shocked by the short man''s advances on Mu Ling''er, but since their leader did not speak, they dared not say anything!


    "Thousand Poisons Heart Devouring?"


    The short man snorted coldly and said:


    "I''m not afraid to tell you, if we don''t get what we want, going back also means death. So, what do I have to fear?"


    The others, who were scared just a moment ago, rxed upon hearing this. After all, notpleting the mission meant death on returning¡ªwhat else was there to fear?


    Although that was the case, if they were to do it, they still would not dare.


    However, the siblings and the Martial Artist turned deathly pale, realizing that these people were determined.


    "Rip!"


    The short man suddenly and violently ripped open Mu Ling''er''s coat, revealing her undergarment!


    "Ah!"


    Mu Ling''er was startled and screamed in terror, her face full of horror.


    "Stop! I...I''ll tell you!"


    Mu Fan immediately shouted loudly, his face filled with agony.


    "Young Master Mu, you mustn''t tell them. Even if you do, they won''t let us go."


    The seriously injured Martial Artist, hearing Mu Fan''s words, was startled and immediately shouted with all his might.


    "If I don''t speak, will they really let us go? How can I possibly stand by and watch my sister be humiliated!"


    Mu Fan said to the Martial Artist:


    "My friend, thank you and yourpanions for your protection along the way. My sister and I are deeply grateful; please don''t worry about this."

 Chapter 674: Can We Discuss This?

    "Indeed, the wise are those who recognize the times, Young Master Mu, go ahead."


    The leader of the group said with a p and augh:


    "If you speak, I promise to spare the two of you siblings."


    Mu Fan knew, of course, that this was a lie, but he had no other choice, as he had run out of options.


    Even if he were to die, he could not allow his sister to suffer humiliation before her death!


    The short man was somewhat disappointed upon hearing Mu Fan''s words; he had hoped the man would hold out a little longer so he could sample Mu Ling''er''s vor.


    But now that Mu Fan had agreed to speak, the leader would not allow him to do anything.


    A conflicted expression once again crossed Mu Fan''s face, knowing that once he spoke, their lives would have no guarantee.


    That wasn''t the most crucial issue, though¡ªthe thing was simply too important!


    At this moment, Mu Ling''er''s face also showed a conflicted expression; she didn''t know whether she should stop her brother from speaking out.


    She wasn''t afraid of dying, had even prepared herself for death, but she was, after all, a girl; she feared being vited by these men!


    "Hurry up, my patience is limited!"


    The leader frowned and demanded.


    The short man''s eyes burned with a fierce gaze fixed on Mu Ling''er, as if ready to strike again at any moment.


    It''s over, there''s nothing to be done...


    "Quite the lively crowd here, what are you all doing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleepingfortably at home?"


    Just as Mu Fan was about to speak, suddenly, azy voice rang out, quite abruptly.


    At the sound of the voice, everyone was startled and immediately looked in its direction.


    They saw a man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, hands in his pockets, standing atop the slope and looking down at them.


    "Who are you? Get lost!"


    The leader barked immediately.


    "I''m just passing through, do whatever you want, don''t mind me, haha."


    Su Chenughed and walked down the slope.


    "Is that you, Mr. Su?"


    Mu Fan found the man somewhat familiar and now, seeing him up close, he recognized him.


    The ce wasn''t too far from the roadside and the streetlights cast some light their way, so as Su Chen approached, Mu Fan could make out his features clearly.


    "Brother, what Mr. Su?"


    Mu Ling''er asked curiously.


    "The gentleman we met on the boat to Africa, the one who lent you his clothes, remember?"


    "Oh, it''s you!"


    Upon hearing Mu Fan''s exnation, Mu Ling''er finally remembered the man.


    But what was he doing here all of a sudden?


    "So you know each other!"


    The leader sneered as he nced at Su Chen:


    "I''d advise you to not meddle in other people''s affairs. Get as far away as possible or we won''t be polite!"


    Mu Fan''s heart tightened upon hearing this and he hastily said:


    "Mr. Su, you should leave quickly, it''s dangerous here!"


    He didn''t want to drag an innocent person into this, and so he urged him to leave.


    "Dangerous?"


    Su Chen looked around in confusion and said:


    "How is it dangerous here? Are you talking about these people? They seem quite kind-hearted to me!"


    The sibling duo were left speechless by thatment¡ªhow could he possibly see kindness in these people?


    "Right, how did they capture you? Why have they caught you?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "It''s a long story, Mr. Su, you''d better leave quickly."


    Mu Fan urged anxiously, if Su Chen didn''t leave now, those people would show no mercy to him.


    "My friend, these two are my friends. How about you do me a favor and let them go?"


    Su Chen shrugged and said to the leader.


    "Do you a favor? Who the hell are you! Get lost as far away as you can!"


    Seeing that Mu Fan was about to speak out, the leader was already quite irritated to be interrupted by this bastard.


    Now, this guy actually expected a favor to release the brother and sister¡ªhow could that be possible?


    For a moment, the leader even thought this guy was out of his mind!


    "Boss, we can''t let this kid go. If he''s alive, he''ll always be a threat."


    The short one came up to him and whispered.


    Hearing this, the leader was suddenly taken aback. He hadn''t considered this "First Layer"; the reminder brought him to his senses, realizing he had almost made a big mistake!


    "Are you really not going to do me this favor?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled up in a yful smile as he said:


    "I''m warning you, if you don''t give me face now, I won''t give you faceter either."


    "Hahaha~~~"


    Theughter burst from the leader as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world:


    "You give me face? Do I need you to give me face?"


    His subordinates alsoughed uproariously, thinking this guy was nuts.


    Even Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er thought Su Chen was acting abnormally. Couldn''t a normal person see the current situation?


    Could a normal person still be so arrogant under these circumstances?


    Of course, they also hoped someone would rescue them, but looking at Su Chen, who was somewhat slender, it didn''t seem likely!


    "Mr. Su, please, just go. This matter has nothing to do with you!"


    Mu Fan called out again, no matter what, he did not want this person to get hurt because of them.


    "Yes, Mr. Su, please go quickly!"


    Mu Ling''er also cried out anxiously.


    "Go? It''s toote to want to leave now."


    The leader snorted coldly.


    "Who said I''m leaving? Since you''re not willing to let me go, I might as well stay."


    Su Chen said nonchntly, then took out a cigarette case from his pocket, lit a cigarette for himself, and then offered another to Mu Fan.


    "You weren''t quite used to itst time. I wonder if, after a few months, you got any more used to it."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    Mu Fan looked at the cigarette offered to him and was a bit amused. He looked up at Su Chen, saw the calm smile on his face, and seemed to be touched by it.


    Heughed and said:


    "After that time, I actually snuck a couple of smokes without my sister knowing. I got a bit better at it and shouldn''t get choked up like before."


    "That''s good then."


    Su Chen nodded and smiled:


    "Sorry aboutst time, I misunderstood you two as a couple. I apologize for that here and now."


    With that said, Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er both started to feel a bit embarrassed.


    However, both were puzzled by how this man didn''t seem to know fear.


    The way he acted made it seem as if they had merely bumped into each other on the street and struck up a casual conversation.


    "Hey, brother, can we negotiate here? Could you free up one of his arms so he can have a smoke?"


    Su Chen, with a cigarette in hand to give to Mu Fan, spoke to the person holding his arms...

 Chapter 675: Besieged on Three Sides

    The man, upon hearing these words, was momentarily stunned and quite perplexed. Why would he listen to this young man and release Mu Fan''s arm?


    In fact, everyone else felt somewhat eerie at this moment; this young intruder suddenly had everyone''s attention focused on him.


    After arriving here, all his actions seemed so casual, as if he were entering his own house!


    "It seems there''s no room for negotiation?"


    Su Chen''s lips slowly curled into an amused smile.


    Suddenly, his figure shifted, and with a palm strike from below upward, his movement was as fast as lightning, ghostly in its swiftness, hitting the man directly on the jaw!


    "Crack"


    A sound of misaligned bones was heard, and the man immediately flew backward, crashing heavily onto the grass, unconscious.


    Su Chen''s sudden action bewildered everyone present!


    What just happened?


    They hadn''t seen his move clearly when the man had already been sent flying!


    The Mu siblings, Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er, were so shocked they were staring open-mouthed at Su Chen as if they were seeing him for the first time!


    "Alright, it''s more convenient now."


    Smiling, Su Chen passed over the cigarette, and Mu Fan hesitantly reached out to take it.


    Su Chen then struck a lighter, and the bright me leapt up. Mu Fan then put the cigarette to his lips and leaned into the me to light it.


    Afterward, as Mu Fan stared at this young man''s somewhat delicate face, his mind felt overwhelmed.


    Seeing the young man''s indifferent demeanor, the crowd instantly grew angry, feeling utterly disregarded!


    However, they now realized that this intruder seemed not so simple, probably a Martial Artist at the least.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to move so swiftly just now, nor could he have knocked that man flying with a single palm strike.


    No wonder this fellow was so bold, but did he think a bit of cultivation made him so arrogant?


    They believed that his sess was mostly because his attack was so sudden that everyone was caught off guard.


    They didn''t really think this young man was very powerful; after all, how profound could the cultivation be of someone who looked barely in his twenties?


    The captured martial artist, after recovering from his initial shock, felt a glimmer of hope!


    Although he didn''t think this young man was very powerful, at least he was a Martial Artist, which was better than a normal person!


    He now felt like a drowning man who had seen a nk of wood floating quickly toward him, even though the nk was very small.


    "You guys go, take down this kid!"


    The leadermanded.


    His words had barely faded when several figures moved and charged forward!


    "Be careful!"


    Suddenly seeing several men charging like tigers down a mountain, Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er simultaneously gasped in rm with wide eyes!


    In the blink of an eye, they were before Su Chen, one throwing punches, another kicking, and another wielding a knife, all attacking Su Chen at once.


    Su Chen seemed unaware, merely exhaling a ring of smoke calmly, not even ncing at them as he casually pped backward!


    The p was incredibly swift, leaving only a blur in its wake, with a highly concentrated True Yuan shining within the blur!


    Those men suddenly felt their pores dte, sensing an unprecedented danger!


    "Smack smack smack!"


    Three crisp smack sounds rang out, and the martial artists immediately felt an immense force strike their faces!


    All three were pped to the ground, blood streaming from the corners of their mouths!


    The leader and his other subordinates, witnessing this scene, werepletely stunned, unable to believe their eyes!


    A single p had brought down three high-level Qi Refinement experts, their faces nowpletely disfigured!


    From this, one could see just how powerful that p had been!


    Moreover, from his demeanor just now, it waspletely effortless, as if the p was casually swung.


    What kind of strength did this person have? Who exactly was he?


    They all suddenly felt a deep fear as they watched the young man''s retreating figure!


    Mu Fan and his sister were alsopletely stunned, their faces filled with shock!


    What was the background of this young man they had chanced upon on the ship?


    How could he be so powerful?


    No wonder he was not scared just now, he simply didn''t need to be!


    The captured Martial Artist''s eyes were also filled with disbelief, and then he became ecstatic!


    Unexpectedly, this young man''s strength was so formidable!


    Hope surged in his heart once more!


    "Let her go!"


    Su Chen swept his gaze towards the person holding Mu Ling''er and walked towards him step by step.


    "Don''te closer, don''t."


    Seeing Su Chen approaching, the man became immensely scared, viewing him as if he were a devil in human skin!


    "If youe any closer, I will kill her!"


    The man took out a dagger and pressed it tightly against Mu Ling''er''s throat.


    "I''ll say it once more, let her go!"


    Su Chen''s voice was icy cold, as if it came from aherworld god below the Nine Nether, as though just the sound of his voice could hook away one''s soul!


    Upon hearing this voice, the man trembled inside, and his hand holding the dagger also shook!


    Just then, a "swoosh" of air tearing sound arose, and a flicker of cold light shed through the void!


    "Thud!"


    Simultaneously, the sound of someone falling to the ground was heard¡ªit was the man who had been holding Mu Ling''er with the dagger!


    "Charge!"


    The leader, seeing this, hesitated no longer. A look of determination swept across his face as he shouted!


    He knew they were in big trouble today!


    This man''s strength was too formidable!


    Having such cultivation at just over twenty was utterly unbelievable to him!


    But there was no choice, they just had to fight!


    As soon as his voice fell, the two men standing behind him also charged forward, forgetting about the captured Martial Artist for the moment!


    The three men who had been pped to the ground by Su Chen earlier seemed to be inspired and also got up to join the charge, though they were slightly behind!


    Of the three leading the charge, the leader and another man were each holding a knife, and another held a dagger.


    As they neared Su Chen, the leader suddenly leapt high into the air, shing down with his knife with exceptional momentum!


    Around the de, True Yuan circled, scattering the surrounding air!


    The other knife-wielding man shed horizontally at Su Chen''s waist at the same time, with a speed like thunder, shing by!


    If Su Chen were to be hit, it would be difficult for him not to die!


    The man with the dagger thrust simultaneously towards his heart!


    Under the faint glow of a streetlight, the dagger emitted a chilling light, evidently extremely sharp!


    In that moment, Su Chen was attacked from three sides, leaving almost no angle for him to dodge...

 Chapter 676 - 676 Spirit Insect Manual

    The siblings, Mu Fan and Ling''er, were frightened stiff by the scene before them, with Ling''er even shutting her eyes tightly, unwilling to witness what was about to unfold!


    Even the severely injured martial artist gaped in shock, not expecting such a fierce onught from these individuals!


    He had no idea how the young man would counter, for if it were him, he would undoubtedly be doomed, perhaps managing to severely wound one at best.


    Su Chen, observing their attack, curled his lips into a cold smirk, seemingly unconcerned!


    Suddenly, his body leaned backward sharply, dodging the dagger aimed at his heart, and at the same time, he kicked out, striking the wrist of the person on his side wielding a knife, sending the knife flying.


    Out of nowhere, he now had a dagger in his hand, and almost in the same instant, he swung the dagger above his own head!


    The material of that dagger was unknown, but it instantly split the sword chopping down at him into two halves!


    These moves might look simple, but to execute all within a single breath was something not many could aplish!


    The next moment, a surge of cold light erupted, and three spurts of fresh blood shot out; those three men were already down on the ground.


    They were clutching their furiously bleeding necks, their faces filled with terror as they looked at Su Chen, as if he was a death-bringer from Hell!


    Su Chen, facing this scene, felt nothing, for he had seen far too much...


    Resignation, anger, regret? Those emotions were all too familiar to him!


    The severely injured martial artist, observing Su Chen who appeared unscathed, could not help but feel a pang of fear!


    In that moment, he realized that the young man''s hands were probably stained with much more blood than he could ever imagine!


    The remaining three, who had not even had the chance to react, werepletely petrified by the sight.


    Suddenly, someone screamed, and they immediately turned and fled!


    At that point, they did not care if they could survive after returning; all they wanted was to escape from this devil!


    Su Chen snorted coldly, flicked his wrist, and three Silver Needles flew out, hitting the back of their heads, causing them to copse instantly, motionless!


    Su Chen then dealt with the first man he had knocked out by hitting his jaw, resolving that since he had acted, he naturally could not be soft-hearted.


    Having roamed the Dark World for many years, Su Chen knew this principle all too well.


    "Alright, now that this matter is resolved, do you have any ns?"


    Su Chen walked up to Mu Fan and asked casually.


    "Thud!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Mu Fan immediately kneeled down, his voice trembling:


    "Thank you, sir, for saving our lives!"


    Then Ling''er and the severely injured martial artist also kneeled down, expressing their gratitude for Su Chen saving their lives.


    If it weren''t for Su Chen today, their fate would have been uncertain, likely resulting in death!


    The Mu siblings could never have imagined that a young man they had met by chance a few months ago would save their lives today when they were in dire straits!


    "Get up, you don''t have to do this; I just did what came naturally,"


    Su Chen said, helping them to their feet with a smile.


    Actually, he had driven away earlier because this incident had nothing to do with him, and he did not want to attract any unnecessary trouble.


    Moreover, his own affairs were already a tangled mess, far from sorted out, leaving him no mind to meddle in the affairs of others.


    However, after driving for a while, he ultimately felt uneasy and decided to turn back.


    After all, he had met the siblings once before, and his impression of them had been rather positive; watching them face death was something he found difficult to do.


    Su Chen also realized that after returning to the urban life, his heart had progressively softened.


    If it had been the old days in the Dark World, he would definitely not have turned back; there, showing mercy was your greatest weakness!


    In that ce, there were only interests and ughter, and only with such an approach could you survive there!


    "No matter what, you saved us, and we siblings will remember this kindness in our hearts!"


    Mu Fan spoke earnestly, and Mu Ling''er nodded in agreement.


    "So, what are your ns now? Is there anything I can help with?"


    Su Chen asked, since he had helped, he might as well help to the end.


    "Mr. Su, could you please take us back to the hotel? Our belongings are still there."


    Mu Fan said, somewhat embarrassed.


    "No problem."


    Su Chen nodded, as this was just a small effort for him.


    The hotel was not too far away, about seven or eight kilometers, and they arrived in a short while.


    After dropping them off, Su Chen epted their warm invitation and went up to sit for a while, and once in the room, Mu Ling''er poured him a ss of water.


    Su Chen took a sip of water and asked:


    "What exactly happened today? Can you tell me about it?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, everyone hesitated a bit, and seeing this, Su Chen waved his hand and said:


    "If it''s inconvenient, never mind; I was just asking casually."


    "We definitely wouldn''t tell others, but there''s no need to conceal anything from our benefactor."


    Mu Fan thought for a moment and said:


    "Mr. Su, actually, we are all people from the Miao Tribe."


    "Miao Tribe?"


    Su Chen was somewhat taken aback by this, as he had heard of the Miao Tribe before, a mysterious entity.


    It was said that the people there were skilled in witch doctoring and Gu techniques, and outsiders hardly understood them, let alone dared to provoke them; it could even be said that they were greatly feared!


    "And those who were chasing you, are they from the Miao Tribe as well?" Su Chen couldn''t help asking.


    "Yes, but they are not from the same tribe. Our Miao Tribe consists of many tribes bothrge and small, and they belong to the currentlyrgest one, the Cang Lang Tribe,"


    Mu Fan nodded as he spoke.


    "Why were they chasing you?" Su Chen asked again.


    "Because they wanted to take a book from us¡ªthe ''Spirit Insect Manual''. It''s our tribe''s supreme treasure!"


    Mu Dan said:


    "Actually, there''s a long story behind this; I should tell you the full story."


    "Stop calling me benefactor; it sounds strange. Just call me Mr. Su like before."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Alright, I will continue to call you Mr. Su."


    Mu Fan smiled and said, a carefree person himself, he didn''t insist after hearing Su Chen''s words.


    Then he began to tell Su Chen about the background and consequences.


    It turned out that, years ago, the Miao Tribe had seven major tribes, with other tribes almost attached to them.


    The strongest among these seven tribes was the Heavenly Moon Tribe, followed by the Cang Lang Tribe, then the Red Hawk Tribe, with the rest being more or less the same.


    Since the Heavenly Moon Tribe was the strongest, the rulers of the Miao also came from the Heavenly Moon Tribe.


    This point was actually simr to other parts of the world; everything was dictated by power!

 Chapter 677: Candidate for the Holy Witch

    There''s a saying that where there are people, there are rivers andkes. Ultimately, where there are people, there are ambitions.


    The Heavenly Moon Tribe had held the position of Miao King for over a hundred years, naturally leading to dissatisfaction among some tribal leaders, even to the extent of wanting to rece them.


    Finally, about ten years ago, the increasingly powerful Cang Lang Tribe could no longer hold back.


    They secretly allied with several other major tribes to prepare for an attack on the Heavenly Moon Tribe.


    The n leader of the Cang Lang Tribe promised the other tribal chiefs that if they could take down the Heavenly Moon Tribe, the seeding Miao Kings would be rotated among the chiefs of the major tribes, each serving a term of five years.


    The other tribal chiefs were immediately tempted by this proposal, as they had all long harbored the desire to experience being the Miao King.


    Previously, due to the fear of the Heavenly Moon Tribe''s strength, they had not dared to make a move.


    Now that the Cang Lang Tribe had taken the lead, they naturally responded en masse.


    Luckily, the leader of the Red Hawk Tribe at that time, who also happened to be their chief and was on good terms with the Miao King, revealed the n in advance.


    Although the Red Hawk Tribe did disclose the information, they did not dare to confront the other five tribes in alliance with the Heavenly Moon Tribe but merely waved their gs and shouted during the subsequent attack.


    The Heavenly Moon Tribe had advanced preparations and, although the Red Hawk Tribe didn''t pull their weight, fighting one against five, they were still on the back foot!


    The end result was that almost all the masters of the Heavenly Moon Tribe, including the Miao King, fell in that battle, drastically weakening their power!


    The Cang Lang Tribe, cunning as they were, yed a trick during the battle with the Heavenly Moon Tribe by letting the other tribes charge ahead. When both they and the Heavenly Moon Tribe were heavily injured, the Cang Lang Tribe swooped in to reap the benefits.


    The n leader of the Cang Lang Tribe eventually got his wish and became the new Miao King!


    However, the chief of the Cang Lang Tribe ultimately did not keep his promise to rotate the role of Miao King among the chiefs as previously agreed.


    This is quite understandable, as the chief of the Cang Lang Tribe had not easily secured the position of Miao King. Why would he share this supreme status with others?


    It can only be said that the tribes of that time were blinded by the position of Miao King and were thoroughly deceived by the Cang Lang Tribe!


    But when they came to their senses, there was no remedy, as they had been crippled in the initial battle with the Heavenly Moon Tribe.


    In that battle, the only forces that did not suffer significant damage were the Cang Lang Tribe and the Red Hawk Tribe.


    Now, the power structure of the Miao Tribe had shifted to where the Cang Lang Tribe and the Red Hawk Tribe were dominant, while the Heavenly Moon Tribe and the other four major tribes had nearly depleted their resources in that battle and had declined to the status of ordinary, small tribes.


    However,pared to the Cang Lang Tribe, the Red Hawk Tribe was still slightly inferior in strength.


    As for why the Cang Lang Tribe wants to eliminate Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er, there are two main reasons, one being that they are the children of the previous Miao King, and the Cang Lang Tribe naturally wants to eradicate thempletely.


    Actually, at the critical moment of that great battle, the former Miao King realized there was no hope left and had his confidants take his children, Mu Fan and his sister, out and leave them with a pair of farmers he had known in the past to raise.


    On the other hand, the reason is that the n leader of the Cang Lang Tribe, now the Miao King, after defeating the Heavenly Moon Tribe, had never found the tribal treasure of the Miao, the "Spirit Insect Manual."


    The Spirit Insect Manual has two main uses: it contains very advanced witch doctor techniques and Gu techniques, and it also symbolizes the legitimacy of the Miao King.


    This is somewhat like the Dog Beating Stick from the Beggar''s Sect in movies. On the one hand, it is a very powerful weapon, but more importantly, it is a symbol of the Beggar''s Sect.


    If one does not possess the Dog Beating Stick, they might still lead the Beggar''s Sect, but their authority would feel somewhat illegitimate.


    The significance of the Spirit Insect Manual is simr.


    The chief of the Cang Lang Tribe, now the Miao King, having not found the Spirit Insect Manual, learned that the former Miao King''s children had disappeared.


    He immediately realized that the former Miao King must have entrusted the item to his children.


    However, not knowing where these two were, over the years, he never gave up searching for the siblings.


    Finally, at this timest year, he discovered clues about them and immediately sent people to capture them.


    But just when they were about to seed, they encountered a blockade from another group of people, and thus, the siblings embarked on a road of fleeing.


    When Su Chen first encountered them on the ship, they were already in a dire state from being chased and thus nned to stow away abroad to hide.


    However, at that time, Su Chen had been hurrying to Africa and had parted ways with them in a, not knowing where they eventually went.


    Abroad, they did have a period of peaceful days, but recently, it was the first anniversary of the death of the farming couple who had taken care of them. That couple had been killedst year when the people from the Cang Lang Tribe found them.


    So, they wanted to return and quietly pay their respects, but unexpectedly, the Cang Lang Tribe had long stationed people at the graveyard.


    In the end, they escaped with the help of another group of people and began a new round of fleeing.


    As for the group that helped them, only that severely injured martial artist was left now...


    After listening to Mu Fan''s narration, Su Chen finally understood the whole story.


    He then looked at the severely injured martial artist and asked,


    "Who are you, and why did you help them, the siblings?"


    "We are from the Red Hawk Tribe,manded by our tribal leader to protect Young Master Mu and Miss Mu from falling into the hands of the Cang Lang Tribe," the man replied.


    "Do those people from the Cang Lang Tribe know your identities?"


    "No."


    "I guess Uncle Shi doesn''t want to be enemies with the Cang Lang Tribe either, given that the Cang Lang Tribe is powerful. I can understand that,"


    Mu Fan added at that moment.


    "Who is Uncle Shi?"


    "Oh, he is the chief of the Red Hawk Tribe, and our father had always been on good terms with him while he was alive,"


    Mu Fan exined, then added,


    "Actually, Hua Xinglong has another important reason for wanting to kill my siblings and me."


    "Oh, what reason?"


    Su Chen asked curiously, having already learned from Mu Fan''s previous narration that Hua Xinglong was the chief of the Cang Lang Tribe, also known as the current Miao King.


    "Because my sister was already chosen as one of the three candidates for the Holy Maidens!"


    Mu Fan nced at his sister and said.


    Su Chen was somewhat stunned to hear this, and couldn''t help but nce at Mu Ling''er. This girl was a candidate for the Holy Maiden?


    He was well aware of the influence the Holy Maiden had among the ordinary people of the Miao Tribe.


    If the Miao King was the symbol of administration and authority, then the Holy Maiden was the spiritual symbol of the Miao Tribe, their totem!


    "There isn''t much time left before the selection of the Holy Maiden, and then my sister will have to go back and participate in the selection,"


    Mu Fan said worriedly because, by then, the Cang Lang Tribe would definitely not sit idly by.


    Because if his sister really became the Holy Maiden, as soon as she spoke a bad word about Hua Xinglong in front of the Miao people, not to mention people from other tribes, even those from the Cang Lang Tribe itself would start to doubt him.


    If it were revealed that he had once pursued the Holy Maiden, his position as the Miao King would be in jeopardy...


    For the people of the Miao Tribe, the Holy Maiden transcends tribes; she is a spiritual symbolmon to all Miao people!

 Chapter 678: Reminder

    It was precisely for this reason that Hua Xinglong was determined to eliminate Mu Ling''er before the selection of the Holy Maiden.


    Of course, before that, he had to get the "Spirit Insect Manual".


    Although Mu Ling''er might not necessarily be chosen, there was still a one in three chance!


    "If it''s really too dangerous, then just don''t go back for the selection,"


    Su Chen said casually. In his view, although the Holy Maiden was important, one shouldn''t lose their life over it; that would be too much of a loss.


    "That''s what I''ve been considering too."


    Mu Fan nodded, as he had also been considering giving up the selection.


    "Brother, I don''t want to be the Holy Maiden at all,"


    Mu Ling''er said softly.


    "Young Master Mu, Miss Mu, you don''t need to worry. The n leader will definitely arrange for your safety,"


    The seriously injured Martial Artist, hearing that the siblings were thinking of giving up on the selection, immediately became anxious and continued:


    "Miss Mu, only if you be the Holy Maiden will you truly be safe. You can''t keep running for your life forever, right? And eventually, Hua Xinglong''s people will catch up with you!"


    Upon hearing this, the Mu siblings hesitated once again. The other party was right; they couldn''t keep running forever. When would it end?


    Su Chen looked deeply at the seriously injured Martial Artist after hearing this.


    "Did your n leader only instruct you to ensure the safety of Young Master Mu and Miss Mu, without any other orders?"


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and exhaled casually.


    "No, no!"


    The man, feeling a jolt in his heart upon Su Chen''s question, hurriedly shook his head.


    Su Chen didn''t say much more but instead said:


    "Alright, it''s gettingte, I''m going to head back."


    "Then we''ll see you out,"


    Mu Fan stood up and said, with Mu Ling''er and the injured person also standing up.


    "My friend, with such a serious injury, don''t bother; you should rest well,"


    Su Chen waved his hand and then walked out with Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er.


    There was a za at the entrance of the hotel for guests to park their cars, and they quickly arrived at Su Chen''s car.


    "How much money do you have on you?" Su Chen asked.


    Upon hearing this, the siblings felt somewhat embarrassed and also didn''t understand the reason behind Su Chen''s question.


    "About seven or eight hundred left,"


    Mu Fan said somewhat embarrassedly.


    "Give me your bank cards,"


    Su Chen stretched out his hand.


    Although they didn''t understand Su Chen''s intentions, they still handed over their bank cards.


    Su Chen then took out his mobile phone and fiddled with it for a bit, before handing back the bank cards:


    "I''ve transferred three hundred thousand to you; that should be enough for the time being."


    "Mr. Su, how can we ept this?"


    Mu Fan hurriedly said, not expecting that Su Chen had asked them about their financial status in order to give them money.


    "Yes, Mr. Su, you''ve already given us so much help, how can we still take your money?"


    Mu Ling''er also hurriedly said.


    "Alright, don''t be so polite. This money means little to me, but I thought it might help you out a bit."


    Su Chen said,


    "Alright, we can consider ourselves friends now, let''s skip the unnecessary words!"


    "Okay, my sister and I won''t stand on ceremony then, a big favor like this is beyond thanks."


    Mu Fan said seriously. Indeed, the money was like timely rain for them, solving a great problem they had.


    "For safety''s sake, you two should go upter and pack your things, then take a cab to another hotel. That''ll be safer."


    "Got it."


    Mu Fan nodded; he also thought Su Chen''s advice was sensible.


    Then Su Chen prepared to get in his car. Before doing so, he paused and decided to say:


    "You should still be careful of your Uncle Shi and the people he sends."


    "Uncle Shi?"


    The two of them were stunned by Su Chen''s words!


    "Impossible, no way, Uncle Shi was on good terms with our father before, and now he''s helping us so much. How could he possibly be up to something?"


    Mu Fan shook his head adamantly.


    "Yeah, Uncle Shi sent people to protect us twice, and he lost quite a few men. Besides, if he wanted to harm us, he would have done it a long time ago!"


    Mu Ling''er obviously didn''t believe Su Chen''s words either.


    "Haven''t you ever wondered why your Uncle Shi is going to such lengths to help you? Is he really without ulterior motives?"


    Su Chen looked them in the eyes and said:


    "Also, have you never considered why the people from Cang Lang''s group are always able to find you during your escape?"


    Both were hesitant after hearing what Su Chen had said, but they still had a hard time believing that the amiable Uncle Shi could have any issues.


    "Alright, I''ve said what I needed to say, so I''m going to leave."


    "Okay, Mr. Su, have a safe trip!"


    Afterward, Su Chen got into his car, closed the door, started the engine, and stepped on the gas pedal to leave the ce.


    As for whether the siblings believed his words or not, there was nothing he could do about it. He had said all that needed to be said.


    .....


    Twenty minutester, Su Chen arrived home. After taking a quick shower, he sat on his bed and began to meditate.


    As for the events of the night, they were just a minor interlude for him, and he didn''t take them to heart.


    After a night of meditation, Su Chen felt refreshed. Once he finished his morning routine, he went to the kitchen to make a bowl of noodles and cracked an egg into it. After eating, he drove to the office.


    Once there, it was business as usual. A cup of tea, a magazine. Thetest issue of "Men''s Fashion" had arrived and, of course, he had to take an immediate look!


    The magazines were typically delivered directly to the reception desk by the postal service. When Su Chen went to pick up the magazine, the youngdy at the desk looked at him with a somewhat strange expression.


    This Manager Su was really bold, daring to look at such a magazine in his wife''spany.


    The youngdy even spected that there must be some disharmony between President Lin and Su Chen. Otherwise, with a beautiful wife like President Lin, why would he look at such magazines?


    It was fortunate that Su Chen was unaware of the youngdy''s thoughts; otherwise, he would certainly have brought her to his office for a heart-to-heart talk!


    A serious discussion asking just how he and President Lin were discordant. He was appreciating trends and beauty, not anything else!


    After looking for a while, Su Chen felt that the newest issue''s models were not quite up to par.


    He wondered if he should buy the magazine and hire his own models for the photoshoots.


    He could choose whoever he wanted to feature, and style the shoots however he preferred!


    Then, he could even have Lin Ruoxue wear a swimsuit for a shoot. After all, he had always wanted to see Lin Ruoxue in a swimsuit!


    Thinking about it, he immediately shook his head. No, absolutely not. His wife was for him alone to appreciate. How could he let other men see her?!

 Chapter 679: Winner in Life Situ Guang

    Of course, these could only be considered Su Chen''s whims, and he wouldn''t dare actually do them.


    If Lin Ruoxue found out, she would definitely have a serious talk with him, asking him what exactly he was thinking.


    As for taking swimsuit photos, not to mention that Su Chen was unwilling to let her do that, even if he were, Lin Ruoxue would definitely p him right away.


    He was just purely bored, thinking nonsense.


    After flipping through the magazine twice, he had almost finished his cup of tea and decided to stand up and stretch his muscles.


    He suddenly remembered that martial arts fanatic, Sun Yang.


    He wondered how Sun Yang''s duel with Watanabe Xiong had turned out?


    It was a pity that the guy didn''t have the habit of carrying a mobile phone, otherwise, he could have called to ask.


    This thought was merely fleeting, and he didn''t pay much attention to it, assuming the problem wouldn''t be big.


    Because before leaving, Sun Yang had told him that he had almost reached the threshold of "Meridian Expansion."


    Anyway, he was bound to return for a visit, so Su Chen momentarily put aside that matter.


    Once again with nothing to do, he went to Xia Qiuru''s office to drop by...


    ....


    Meanwhile, at the international airport in Yandu, a stretch Rolls-Royce stopped by the roadside.


    Four bodyguards in ck suits stood still beside the car like pines, each in a different cardinal direction.


    In front of the four bodyguards was a man around his fifties, intermittently ncing towards the airport''s entrance.


    Soon, a young man around the age of twenty-five or six walked out from the airport gate.


    His dress was meticulous, his hairbed impably, and he was pulling a limited-edition suitcase.


    Upon seeing the young man, the elderly man immediately went to greet him, and the young man also saw the elder, smiling and jogging over.


    "Young Master Three, you''re finally back!"


    The man in his fifties happily said.


    "Uncle Nian Song, I''m embarrassed to trouble you toe and pick me up,"


    the young man hurriedly eximed, ttered, and this young man was none other than Situ Guang, the Third Young Master of the Situ Family who had returned from studying abroad.


    Situ Guang didn''t just say this out of courtesy because he knew Nian Song''s standing with the old man; perhaps no one else in the entire family could match it.


    Thinking back to before his return, when his father told him that he might rece his elder brother as the future heir of the family, he couldn''t fully believe it.


    But seeing Uncle Nian Songe to pick him personally, he believed at least eighty percent of it; if he were just an ordinary young master, why would his grandfather send Nian Song to fetch him?


    For a moment, Situ Guang felt profoundly grateful to the one his father mentioned over the phone¡ªthe one who''d made his elder brother lose face!


    If not for him, bing the Family Head heir wouldn''t have even been a dream!


    Thinking that in a few days he was to have a grand wedding, marrying that woman from the Jiangnan Wu Family, his heart was nearly bursting with joy.


    He had seen that woman only twice, but she lingered in his mind for a long time!


    Her appearance and figure were top-notch, a rare find!


    Even more rare was the allure hidden in her bones, which deeply fascinated him!


    During his years abroad, he often thought of this woman who haunted his dreams!


    For a moment, Situ Guang felt he had reached the pinnacle of his life, flourishing in both his career and his love life!


    However, in front of this elderly man, he dared not show his excitement too openly, not wanting to leave a frivolous impression.


    "Uncle Nian Song, how has my grandfather''s health been these past two years?"


    Situ Guang reined in his thoughts and expressed a concerned look as he spoke:


    "While I was away, my biggest worry was my grandfather''s health."


    "You can rest assured, Young Master Three, the old man is doing well!"


    Nian Song smiled and then sighed:


    "It''s just that some recent matters have caused the old man a bit of worry, but seeing you, Young Master, all those troubles will disappear."


    "I also heard a little from my father. Why is that young man so arrogant?"


    Situ Guang''s face showed a trace of indignation.


    "Ah, Third Young Master, you''ve juste back. Let''s talk about these matterster. You should rest for a few days. The Family Head will definitely talk to you about them,"


    Nian Song said,


    "Alright, Third Young Master, get in the car first. The Family Head is still waiting at home!"


    "After you, Uncle Nian Song,"


    Situ Guang said with a smile.


    "I am a servant. It should be you first, Young Master."


    "What servant, not servant. Uncle Nian Song, you are family to us,"


    Situ Guang insisted on not getting into the car first, wanting to let the other party go first.


    "Then I won''t stand on ceremony,"


    Nian Song stepped into the car, a satisfied look in his eyes as he looked at Situ Guang.


    Situ Guang then got into the car, and a person dressed in a ck suit closed the door. The car slowly began to move.


    .....


    Su Chen stayed in Xia Qiuru''s office for a while before leaving. The reason was nothing more than Xia Qiuru being too busy; she really didn''t have time to attend to him, a man who was perpetually idle.


    Su Chen could only walk out gloomily. In the hallway, he couldn''t help but curl his lips,


    "Why are all women bing strong women nowadays? Are we going back to a matriarchal society or something?"


    "What matriarchal society?"


    A faint fragrance wafted over, and when Su Chen looked up, it turned out to be Ran Ting, that little demon.


    "Minister, you got rejected by Director Xia, didn''t you?"


    Ran Ting raised her eyebrows suggestively and said.


    "Nonsense, how could someone as handsome and imposing as I possibly get rejected?"


    Su Chen certainly couldn''t let his authority as a minister be undermined in front of Ran Ting.


    "Pfft, seeing how downcast you were just now, it''s clear what happened without even guessing,"


    Ran Ting said disdainfully, the women in the public rtions department were certainly not afraid of him anymore.


    Could it be that he could eat them?


    If that were the case, perhaps quite a few would actually be willing!


    "Hey Minister, you''ve got some nerve, flirting around on your own wife''s turf. Aren''t you afraid I''ll tell President Lin?"


    Ran Ting nced at the door of Xia Qiuru''s office and whispered.


    She had long seen that there was something not quite right between this minister and Director Xia.


    "Don''t talk nonsense, we are just having a normal workmunication!"


    Although Ran Ting spoke very softly, Su Chen was still startled and quickly retorted earnestly.


    "Yeah, right, as if I would believe that!"


    Ran Ting rolled her eyes.


    "By the way, what are you doing here?"


    Su Chen changed the subject and asked.


    "What else? Handling some paperwork for two new people in our department,"


    "They can''t handle their own onboarding processes?"


    Su Chen did know that his department had hired two new people. A few days ago, Ran Ting had given him the final interviewees'' files, letting him make the final decision.


    Su Chen nced at them and immediately excluded the two men, then picked a few women from the list who very much fit the group''s "image and temperament."


    Finally, while also considering their work capabilities, he selected two people...

 Chapter 680: A Conversation with Shen Lin

    Ran Ting gave Su Chen a meaningful look when she received the final candidate list because it was exactly as she had guessed!


    This guy was still as shameless as ever!


    "It''s not the onboarding paperwork, it''s some other procedures that you, as the department head, are supposed to handle."


    Ran Ting nced at him with a look of muted resentment.


    It''s no wonder Ran Ting had such an expression since he had truly mastered the art of delegating, letting them handle almost everything...


    "Alright, alright, don''t feel wronged. I''ll treat everyone to a big meal in a couple of days!"


    Seeing Ran Ting like this, Su Chen felt a bit embarrassed, so he could only try to make it up with a treat.


    "That''s more like it!"


    Ran Ting, satisfied with his response, finally let him off the hook and then knocked on Xia Qiuru''s office door.


    Su Chen also headed to his office, muttering to himself:


    Yeah, I should find some time to have a heart-to-heart with those two new employees, get them familiar with thepany''s situation as well as the PR department''s work sooner.


    If the PR departmentdies who had a heart-to-heart with him knew his thoughts, they would definitely curse him in unison as a beast!


    Of course, if he were proper and did nothing, those women would probably curse him as less than a beast!


    All of the above, just a joke!


    In reality, although Su Chen had a great time with the beauties from the PR department, he hadn''t actually done anything particrly outrageous.


    That was also why those beauties were willing to joke around with him, and most of the time, even took the initiative to tease him!


    After all, he wouldn''t really take advantage of them, and sometimes, seeing his awkwardness could be quite amusing!


    Su Chen grew bored after sitting in his office for a while and thought there indeed was one thing he needed to handle.


    So he took out his mobile phone and made a call. A few secondster, the call was connected.


    "Mr. Su, have you been missing me?"


    As soon as the call connected, an incredibly charming voice came through.


    Although he knew it was intentional, Su Chen still felt a tingling sensation upon hearing that voice!


    "Yeah, Qi Meng, you even know what I''m thinking?"


    Su Chen wasn''t in a rush, his lips curving into a sly smile as he spoke.


    "Of course, because I''ve been thinking about you too!"


    Qi Meng''s voice seemed to have a magical power, as if it could ensnare souls.


    "In that case, how about Ie to find you?"


    Su Chen said with a lightugh.


    "Sure, Qi Meng will definitely prepare for your arrival."


    Qi Meng paused for a moment and then spoke with enthusiasm.


    Su Chen could sense the slight awkwardness, but he chose not to address it.


    "Preparing for me isn''t necessary; just bring Shen Lin along, and we can all have a meal together."


    Su Chen said with a smile. Actually, his main purpose today was to see Shen Lin, with Qi Meng as a secondary thought.


    Since Qi Meng was ostensibly with Shen Lin, that''s why Su Chen called her, so she could pass on the message.


    There was a subtle angle here, and besides, Qi Meng had always been a subject he needed to figure out. After considering all this, he decided to proceed this way.


    "So it turns out you didn''t want to see me, but to see Master Shen!"


    The voice on the other end of the phone came through with an air of wounded pride as if Su Chen was a heartbreaker.


    "It''s okay. If Miss Qi Meng wants to spend time alone with me, we''ll have plenty of time after dinner, you know!"


    Su Chen said teasingly.


    "Alright then, you better not run awayter!"


    Qi Meng''s seductive voice rang out once more.


    "Whoever runs away is a puppy."


    Su Chen said with augh, and then he hung up the phone.


    Two minutester, his phone buzzed with a message:


    Half-past eleven, First Grade.


    Su Chen checked the time and it was still early, so he continued to y a few rounds of Fight the Landlord in the office, and it was not until 11 o''clock that he got up and went downstairs.


    He then drove to First Grade, arriving a few minutes before half-past eleven.


    Although they had agreed on half-past eleven, Qi Meng and Shen Lin had already been there for a while.


    They were sitting in the same spot as before, and as soon as Su Chen sat down, he chuckled:


    "If Miss Qi Meng misses me so much, why is she still so far away from me?"


    "Qi Meng, go and keep Mr. Supany."


    Shen Lin was also generous in saying so.


    Although Qi Meng was somewhat nervous about sitting next to Su Chen, she could only smile and take a seat next to him at this moment.


    Su Chen was not shy; after Qi Meng came over, just likest time, he reached out an arm and wrapped it around Qi Meng''s soft and boneless slender waist.


    After all, if it was an act, Su Chen certainly had to be a good actor.


    Having experienced this before, Qi Meng was prepared, and therefore did not react much this time.


    Even though Shen Lin had been prepared to offer up Qi Meng, seeing Su Chen''s hand on her body still made him somewhat ufortable.


    However, for his own ambition, he had to suppress that feeling and continue to smile cheerfully.


    "Mr. Su, is there anything in particr you want to talk about by calling me out today?"


    Shen Lin had been slightly surprised when he received the call from Qi Meng saying that Su Chen wanted to have a meal with him, as he didn''t know what the other party was up to.


    "It''s nothing much, just haven''t seen you for a few days, thought we''d have a meal and catch up," Su Chen said with a smile.


    "It''s rare for Mr. Su to think of me, I''ll toast to Mr. Su," Shen Lin said with a smile, raising his ss and gently clinking it with Su Chen''s.


    After that, the group chatted casually, ate, and drank, not discussing anything significant.


    Of course, Su Chen''s hand on Qi Meng''s waist never settled down.


    Furthermore, during the entire meal, Su Chen noticed that although Qi Meng was always smiling, there was something indescribable hidden behind that smile.


    This made Su Chen recall the phone call Qi Meng had received earlier. Could it be because of that phone call?


    About twenty minutester, Qi Meng stood up and said with a smile:


    "I''m full and a bit sleepy, I''ll go upstairs to rest for a while, you guys take your time eating."


    The upstairs of First Grade also had several rooms for resting.


    Qi Meng was well aware that Su Chen didn''t mention anything important earlier because she was there.


    In fact, this was clear to everyone, as they were all smart people.


    After all, there are some things that are inconvenient to discuss with others present.


    So Qi Meng taking the initiative to leave was to facilitate their conversation.


    "Okay, I''lle up and find youter," Su Chen said suggestively.


    "Then I''ll be waiting for Mr. Su," Qi Meng gave Su Chen a seductive look, then sashayed her snake-like waist up the stairs...


    After Qi Meng left, Shen Lin toasted Su Chen again, then set down his ss and smiled:


    "Mr. Su, feel free to speak your mind."

 Chapter 681: Originally A Beautiful Woman

    "Mr. Su, if you have something to say, just say it."


    Shen Lin asked this question, curious about what Su Chen wanted by arranging a meeting with him today as it was the first time Su Chen had taken the initiative to contact him.


    "Indeed, there is a matter I''d like to ask for the young master Shen''s assistance with."


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and casually exhaled.


    Shen Lin felt a tremor in his heart, knowing that even though Su Chen spoke casually, the matter was certainly not going to be simple.


    "Please speak, Mr. Su. I will definitely help if I can."


    Shen Lin said, though his words already left some room for maneuvering,


    That was to say he would help if he could, but if not, then s.


    Su Chen simply smiled at this. Their rtionship was based on mutual interest, after all, and Shen Lin''s attitude waspletely within his expectations.


    If Shen Lin didn''t show this kind of attitude, Su Chen would actually need to be cautious.


    "Before my grandfather passed away, there was someone who had visited the Shen family several times, and always in Shen Mingchang''s study. I want to know about this person''s information,"


    Su Chen didn''t hesitate toy out his request.


    Hearing this, Shen Lin couldn''t help but be shocked by the incredible information revealed by Su Chen''s words.


    First of all, how did he know of this person''s existence? From the way he spoke, it was clear that the person hade sneaking around.


    Furthermore, why was he checking on this person? Could it be that they were somehow rted to the events of that year?


    That must be the case, as could be inferred from the timeline he provided.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Su, but I''m afraid I can''t be of much help with this matter,"


    Shen Lin shook his head and said:


    "First of all, the matter happened too long ago, nearly twenty years now. Secondly, if it''s as you say, then the discussions with the Family Head must have been extremely secretive, and simply impossible to trace."


    "Where there''s a will, there''s a way."


    Su Chen appeared to have anticipated this response, smiling as he poured himself half a ss of red wine, then took a sip and said:


    "What if I said I could deal with Shen Shao for you, to ensure he stops being a stumbling block on your path forward? Is it still impossible then?"


    Su Chen believed that with Shen Lin''s cunning and schemes, he surely wasn''t without a solution. His initial rejection was only due to ack of sufficient benefits.


    Indeed, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Shen Lin''s pupils contracted sharply, a fiery light bursting forth from them!


    "Are these words true?"


    Shen Lin blurted out the question.


    He knew that Shen Shao had always been the biggest obstacle to his ambitions. Without Shen Shao, he had a great chance of seeding.


    Now, hearing that Su Chen could remove Shen Shao for him, it was only natural for Shen Lin to be immensely excited.


    Su Chen lit another cigarette, smiling as he nodded.


    "How do you n to do it?"


    Shen Lin asked, a bit uneasy.


    "That''s not for you to worry about. As long as you satisfy me, I''ll satisfy you, isn''t that the point of our cooperation?"


    Su Chen said with a mischievous smile on his lips.


    "Excellent!"


    Shen Lin burst intoughter, but after a moment, he regained hisposure:


    "I can only promise to do my best with this matter. As for the oue, I can''t make any guarantees at this stage."


    "I understand."


    Su Chen took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled.


    In his view, it would be less trouble to let Shen Lin handle the investigation into the mysterious figure mentioned by Su Jin, given that Shen Lin was a member of the Shen Family, and would have an easier time with it than himself.


    "Then here''s to both of us getting what we wish for!"


    Shen Lin and Su Chenughed as they clinked sses, then downed their drinks in one gulp.


    More than ten minutester, Shen Lin left, while Su Chen stayed behind¡ªafter all, Qi Meng was still waiting for him!


    After stepping out of the First Grade residence, Shen Lin''s eyes momentarily deepened as he took several deep breaths, muttering to himself,


    "It seems that to get this done, I still need to pay a visit to Second Grandfather!"


    Shen Lin knew that his Second Grandfather, Shen Mingsheng, was no easy prey; he too was once a candidate for the position of Family Head, but simply ended up losing the fight.


    Over the years, he had never truly settled down. If one wished to uncover the past events, they would likely have to rely on him.


    In those days, he was also a man who wouldn''t take action until he saw his prey; he would need to give up some things or make some promises.


    However, in the face of the temptation of the Family Head position, these were trivial matters.


    Having though this through, Shen Lin got into the car and directed the driver to set off...


    ....


    After Shen Lin left, Su Chen leisurely made his way upstairs. When he arrived at a door that was left ajar, the corners of his mouth curved into an amused smile.


    He reached out a hand, pushed the door open, and walked in. The room was simply furnished¡ªa bed, a sofa, a coffee table, and not much else.


    Qi Meng had already shed her jacket and was wearing only a form-fitting dress, lying on her side on therge bed.


    This posture fully revealed her perfect curves, and her long legs d in ck stockings were slightly bent, as ifmunicating something.


    Her beautiful hair cascaded down casually, resting on the pillow, and her delicate, seductive face glowed with a faint, enticing smile.


    "Mr. Su, why are you just staring at me like that?"


    Qi Meng spoke shyly, a faint blush climbing up her cheeks.


    Su Chen didn''t speak but sat down on the edge of the bed, his hand carelessly draped over her slender waist.


    Su Chen could clearly feel a slight tremor in her waist muscles. Although she was prepared, it was an instinctive reaction of the body!


    Then, with a mischievous smile lingering on his lips, Su Chen looked at her delicate face and slowly leaned closer.


    Qi Meng watched his face draw nearer, even feeling his breath, and her cheeks turned even redder while her heart thudded wildly.


    She was somewhat afraid to meet Su Chen''s gaze and gradually closed her eyes, as if waiting for a certain moment to arrive...


    If she had a choice, she certainly wouldn''t want it to be like this, even though she felt something different for this man.


    But thinking back to that phone call from two days ago, she resigned herself to her fate...


    "A beauty in her prime, yet she chooses to follow a bandit."


    Suddenly, a soft sigh sounded close to her ear...


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng''s eyes fluttered open, only to see Su Chen looking at her with a look of pity on his face.


    "What... what do you mean?"


    Qi Meng was shocked and couldn''t help but ask.


    Su Chen didn''t answer but instead picked up the nket beside him and ced it over her:


    "It seems you''re really not feeling well. You better rest up."


    "All right, I should be going now."


    Su Chen gave a slight smile, then stood up and walked out, making sure to close the door behind him...

 Chapter 682: Lin Ruoxues Mysterious Plan

    Until Su Chen had disappeared, Qi Meng still hadn''t recovered from the earlier incident, suddenly her heart involuntarily tightened:


    What did hisment mean just now, could it be that he had noticed something?


    Then Qi Meng''s gaze fell on the nket on her body, she stared nkly at that nket, suddenly feeling an unusual emotion spreading through her heart...


    She extended a delicate, slender hand, gently caressing the nket, feeling her heart in great turmoil, a chaos she had never experienced before...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in a luxurious suite at the Amethyst Hotel, the room was filled with various office equipment.


    A woman was buried in work at an office desk, which was piled high with various documents.


    "Ms. Lin, the money from Jinsheng Group has just been credited."


    A middle-aged man approached the woman to report.


    Lin Ruoxue, upon hearing this, couldn''t help but lift her head, her face revealing a slightly relieved expression.


    "Good, this makes things a bit easier for me."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded.


    Last night, she and Su Jin had shared a bed and talked a lot.


    As a businesswoman, having learned of her rtionship with Lin Ruoxue, Su Jin naturally paid more attention to the Belle Group.


    Recently, the sensitive Su Jin had discovered many unusual aspects of the Belle Group and thus "interrogated" Lin Ruoxue about them.


    Lin Ruoxue knew she might be able to deceive Su Chen, but it would be hard to keep things from Su Jin, so she shared her n with her.


    After hearing it, Su Jin was instantly shocked; she didn''t expect Lin Ruoxue to have such a radical idea!


    What surprised her even more was that Lin Ruoxue had already developed a series of ns!


    And ording to her n, there was a slim chance of sess, although it was very slim!


    But that was already incredibly remarkable!


    Su Jin could hardly believe that Lin Ruoxue, for Su Chen''s sake, was willing to gamble the entire Belle Group, even on the likelihood of failure!


    This deeply touched her and revealed how deep Lin Ruoxue''s feelings for Su Chen were!


    The issues with Lin Ruoxue''s n were minor; it could even be said to be genius!


    The key to sess was sufficient funds!


    Thus, Su Jin decided on the spot to bet almost all the liquid assets of Jinsheng Group!


    This amounted to her gambling the whole Jinsheng Group too, as a corporation with liquidity issues isn''t far from falling apart!


    After all, if Lin Ruoxue could do so, what was there to care about!


    Lin Ruoxue initially disagreed, but given Su Jin''s unusually firm stance, she had no choice but to ept it.


    Moreover, she really needed money now, the more, the better!


    With this portion of Su Jin''s money, the previously slim hope for sess immediately increased to 30 percent or even more.


    After all, the scale of Jinsheng Group was not something the current Belle Group could match!


    "Ms. Lin, if we had this much money again, our chances would be even greater."


    The middle-aged man said, of course, he also knew that this was just something to say casually, it wasn''t a small amount of money, but an astronomical figure!


    "Alright, go on and take care of it."


    Lin Ruoxue waved her hand and said, "Why wouldn''t I know that we need more money? But where could we find such arge amount?


    Having the funds from Jinsheng Group was already an unexpected joy for her. How could she be greedy for more?


    Thus, Lin Ruoxue soon threw herself back into her busy work...


    .....


    At that moment, Su Chen was utterly unaware that two women had already sacrificed so much for him.


    If he had known, he would probably only have sighed and shaken his head, not knowing what to say...


    After he left First Grade, he went straight back to the office, idly passed the time until the end of work, and then drove home.


    Of course, he stopped to buy groceries on the way since Aunt Sun hadn''te back yet, and it fell to him to cook.


    Fortunately, Su Chen didn''t mind at all; he felt that such days were quite nice, even enjoyable.


    If it weren''t for some inescapable responsibilities and certain obsessions in his heart, he would rather not care about anything and go back to Jianghai with Lin Ruoxue to live an ordinary life.


    That evening was just like any other; after Lin Ruoxue came back, they had a cozy dinner together.


    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue mentioned she was very busy and needed to continue working. After all, the involvement of Jinsheng Group was something she hadn''t anticipated, so some ns had to be adjusted ordingly.


    Su Chen merely nodded helplessly, knowing that the previous few evenings Lin Ruoxue didn''t work were an exception, and this situation was likely to be the new norm.


    Su Chen had to go to his old room to practice cultivation first and only returned to the upstairs bedroom when it was about time.


    Of course, being in the "honeymoon" phase, the night was naturally not devoid of intimate couple activities. However, because Lin Ruoxue was somewhat tired, Su Chen only requested once, and then they fell asleep in each other''s arms.


    Although it wasn''t their first time, Lin Ruoxue still felt somewhat shy, and it was mostly Su Chen taking the lead.


    Of course, Lin Ruoxue rejected some of Su Chen''s more unreasonable requests...


    In the morning, they got up as usual, had breakfast together, and went to work. Nothing special.


    Even the days that followed were simr, uneventful, and the major families seemed to have suddenly quieted down, causing no trouble for Su Chen.


    However, Su Chen was still contemting them. He had initially nned to reveal Lv Shimo''s news to the eldest sister of the Zheng Family, but after some thought, he deemed it not very useful, so he temporarily stayed his hand.


    These days, he was considering whether to change his approach and start from a central point, which might be more effective.


    And the so-called central points were undoubtedly the Su and Shen families.


    Of course, these were just his thoughts, not yet fully considered.


    The reason he had these thoughts was that his previous ns hadn''t achieved the effectiveness he had expected.


    Luckily, this was not especially urgent, and he still had time to think about it.


    Several dayster, one afternoon, Su Chen was idling in his office when suddenly there was a series of knocks on the door.


    "Come in."


    Su Chen said nonchntly, and then the door was pushed open.


    He looked up to see a woman entering, wearing a baseball cap and sunsses, and with a long scarf around her neck.


    One could say her entire face was wrapped up tightly.


    "Miss Jiang? Why are you here?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise, not because he had the Prating Eye and could see the person''s features, but because he recognized the attire from theirst meeting.


    Especially that baseball cap and sunsses, which he still remembered...

 Chapter 683: Bitten by a Mosquito

    "I happen to be free this afternoon, so I came over to see Mr. Su, since it''s just a short walk away. I won''t be disturbing you, will I?"


    Jiang Ying took off her hat, scarf, and sunsses, ced them aside, and revealed her delicate face.


    "Not at all, I''m just surprised that Miss Jiang, such a big star, would take the initiative toe see me¡ªI''m quite ttered!"


    Su Chenughed, aware that Jiang Ying lived in a nearby hotel, but he hadn''t expected her to drop by out of the blue.


    "Mr. Su, you are being too modest," Jiang Ying said with a smile:


    "We''ve met a few times; even if we''re not friends, we''re at least acquaintances, aren''t we?"


    "That''s true."


    Su Chen certainly remembered their first encounter, when he must have left a very poor impression on her.


    After all, he had kissed her without her consent, though at the time, his main intention was to test Lv Shimo and not to really take advantage of her.


    Their subsequent meeting in Sanya made them much closer, almost friends.


    Of course, he had realized early on that Jiang Ying''s approach to him wasn''t purely innocent, but he didn''t think too much of it.


    After all, how many people in this world are truly innocent? Not being innocent doesn''t necessarily make someone a bad person.


    Moreover, from their interactions, he found that this woman had many good qualities.


    Like being independent, strong, hardworking, and she also had a sense of responsibility and kindness.


    He discovered thest two qualities in Sanya when she offended the Bai Family from Jiangbei.


    Even though she already knew they were from the powerful Bai Family of Jiangbei, she stood up without hesitation when they threatened to break Cui Yuanmin''s legs.


    Finally, when Su Chenpletely subdued the Bai Family members, and it was her turn to make a decision, she chose to let them go.


    Because of these things, Su Chen continued to treat her as a friend even though he knew she had her own little schemes.


    Furthermore, the words Jiang Ying spoke when they watched the sunrise together had moved him deeply.


    She said that someone like her hardly deserved to pursue love.


    As he watched her forlorn expression at the time, he felt a twinge of heartache.


    "By the way, Miss Jiang, what would you like to drink?"


    Su Chen gathered his thoughts, stood up, and asked.


    "Just water is fine."


    Jiang Ying casually looked around Su Chen''s office, which didn''t have anything special about it.


    If anything, it was exceptionally clean, with not a single piece of paper or document in sight.


    But to Jiang Ying, that seemed normal, after all, how could an extraordinary person like her truly settle down to work in an office?


    "Here."


    Su Chen handed over a ss of water to Jiang Ying, who said "thanks" and took it from him.


    "Being a celebrity is really not easy, right?" Su Chen remarked with a smile, ncing at Jiang Ying''s hat, scarf, and sunsses.


    People only envy the mour and beauty of celebrities, not realizing that celebrities might envy the ordinary things in people''s lives.


    At least ordinary people can go wherever they want, do whatever they want, at any time.


    But celebrities, especially big stars, often don''t get a say in many matters.


    "It''s okay, you get used to it after a while," Jiang Ying replied with a calm smile:


    "We gain so much; we have to make some sacrifices, right? We can''t just take all the benefits without giving anything in return."


    "You make a good point, but few people understand that," Su Chen nodded and said.


    After chatting for a while, Jiang Ying said:


    "Mr. Su, the reason I came today is to invite you to Majestic Bar tomorrow night to have some fun."


    "Oh, why is that? Is there anything special going on?" Su Chen asked curiously, knowing that Majestic Bar was one of the biggest and most luxurious bars in Yandu.


    "Well, it''s their ten-year anniversary celebration tomorrow. They''ve invited me and a few other celebrities to be guests, and I''ll probably sing a song," Jiang Ying exined with a smile.


    "Sure, I''ll definitely be there."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "I''ve never heard Miss Jiang sing, so I definitely wouldn''t miss such an opportunity."


    Since the other party hade to invite him personally, Su Chen didn''t refuse.


    "Then thank you, Mr. Su, for gracing the asion."


    As soon as Su Chen agreed to go, a smile immediately appeared on Jiang Ying''s face.


    After a while, Jiang Ying left Su Chen''s office, of course, not before re-arming herself to the teeth before she left.


    After Jiang Ying departed, Su Chen went back to ying Fight the Landlord, since he didn''t have anything else to do anyway.


    However, after half an hour, he lost interest and decided to go out for a walk.


    But as soon as he walked down to the lobby of Rainbow Mansion, he ran into Xu Xinran.


    Meeting again like this was a bit awkward for both of them, and for a moment, neither of them said a word.


    After a short pause, Su Chen finally broke the silence:


    "What are you doing here?"


    "I''m leaving, waiting for my cousin; she''s taking me to the airport soon."


    Xu Xinran hadn''t expected to see this man before she left, but ended up running into him anyway.


    "Leaving already?" Su Chen asked incredulously.


    "Why not stay and have fun for a few more days?"


    He truly hadn''t expected Xu Xinran, this little girl, to leave so soon.


    "My vacation is over, of course I have to go."


    Xu Xinran said with a roll of her eyes; she didn''t believe this guy wanted her to stay any longer. Maybe he couldn''t wait for her to leave.


    "Xinran, about that day, that..."


    Su Chen felt it would be better to be somewhat clear about what happened that day, or at least ask her what she thought.


    This wasn''t something he could just run away from; it was something that had to be faced eventually.


    "There was nothing that day!"


    As soon as Xu Xinran heard Su Chen bring up that day, her pretty face changed, and she quickly retorted.


    Truth be told, that day''s events were tangled up in her heart too, and she really didn''t know what to do about them.


    Right now, she only hoped that what happened that day had never happened, or at least, to act as if it never did!


    "Xinran, running away isn''t the solution. We''ve got to resolve this."


    Su Chen sighed.


    "I''ll just pretend it was a mosquito bite!"


    Xu Xinran said coldly.


    Hearing this, Su Chen grimaced. Wasn''t she just deluding herself?


    And really, am I a mosquito? Have you ever seen a mosquito this big?


    "Xinran!"


    Just as Su Chen was about to say something more, a voice rang out in the lobby of Rainbow Mansion.


    Xu Xinran was startled by the voice, then smiled and walked over. As she passed by Su Chen, she whispered:


    "You absolutely mustn''t let my cousin know about this, or it''s not over between you and me!"


    "Alright, let''s go."


    Qiuru took Xu Xinran by the hand and headed outside.


    "Huh, Su Chen, what are you doing here?"


    As they reached the door, Qiuru saw Su Chen and asked in surprise.


    "I just came down for a stroll."


    "Well then, it''s perfect; Xinran is leaving. Come with me to see her off."


    Qiuru said with a smile.


    "Sure, no problem."


    Su Chen agreed with a nod.


    This time, for some reason, Xu Xinran looked at Su Chen and didn''t speak out against it...

 Chapter 684: Strange Woman

    Afterward, Su Chen drove Xu Xinran to the airport. Throughout the journey, it was Xia Qiuru and Xu Xinran who conversed, with Su Chen asionally chiming in.


    It wasn''t long before they arrived at the airport, where Xu Xinran said goodbye to Xia Qiuru before walking through the airport gates; however, she shot Su Chen a warning nce before leaving.


    Su Chen understood her meaning¡ªit was simply not to divulge that matter to Xia Qiuru.


    After dropping off Xu Xinran, Su Chen and Xia Qiuru returned to thepany.


    In the following days, Su Chen''s life remained the same as usual: work, finish work, go home to cook, have dinner with Lin Ruoxue in the evening, sleep, and then back to work.


    Time swiftly moved on to the next evening, and around eight o''clock, Su Chen drove to the Majestic Nightclub.


    After all, he had already promised Jiang Ying, and one simply can''t break a promise.


    Like Jianghai, Yandu too had a famous strip of nightclubs, well-known and even more prestigious than Jianghai''s.


    The Majestic Nightclub was located on this strip, and by the time Su Chen arrived, a variety of luxury cars already filled the parking area.


    Su Chen parking his Buick amongst them seemed somewhat out of ce, attracting several curious nces from people as he stepped out of the car.


    Su Chen paid no attention to those looks, lifting his foot and heading inside.


    Inside, the pulsating music could be heard, with young men and women in the dance floor moving energetically to the rhythm, releasing their passion.


    Though it was winter, the youngsters were dressed sparingly, perhaps to make the close contact more thrilling.


    The spinning, gleaming colored lights shed on and off, illuminating their bodies as if they were in a dreamworld, where everyone seemed to be sinking!


    Primitive desires spread with the music and the lights, as if a monster were devouring every person inside...


    At that moment, there was a seductive woman dancing on a high stage, performing a pole dance that instantly reminded Su Chen of the first time he had met Ye Mei.


    Back then, she too danced on the central stage, but Ye Mei was several notches above this woman in terms of looks, figure, and dancing skills.


    Of course, to the average person, this woman was also considered a sexy beauty.


    After a quick scan of the area, Su Chen walked to the bar and ordered a bottle of rum and a ss.


    The bartender looked unsurprisingly shocked upon hearing his order, as it was very rare for someone to order such a strong drink; one might say, practically nonexistent.


    Su Chen, ustomed to such stares, just smiled softly as he took the bottle and ss in hand, pouring himself a drink.


    He then leaned against the bar while drinking, observing the restless men and women inside.


    If this had been the old Su Chen, he would surely have been seeking out prey to take to a hotel, a pastime he had often indulged in.


    But now, hecked that kind of interest, which made him wonder if he was perhaps getting old.


    It had been a long time since hest visited a nightclub. The old Su Chen would have felt at home in a nightclub, but at this moment, he felt a sense of estrangement.


    If not for Jiang Ying''s invitation today, he certainly would not havee.


    However, Jiang Ying was not scheduled to show up until past nine, so there was still time to kill, and Su Chen had no choice but to wait.


    Whether men or women, those whoe to a nightclub are mostly seeking thrills, or at least hopeful of one.


    Even though Su Chen was just in ordinary employee attire, his good looks and his current posture of leaning against the bar and drinking conveyed a sense of world-weariness, loneliness, and mystery that was indeed quite special, and thus it was no surprise that he attracted some women''s attention.


    In this ce, women and modesty were ipatible; modest women would hardly approach this venue voluntarily.


    In just a short span of ten minutes, Su Chen had already gently refused three women who made it clear or hinted they were open to further contact.


    For Su Chen, the women already in his life left him somewhat at a loss, so why on earth would he seek out other women?


    However, his behavior did not deter other women; instead, it aroused the conquest desires of those who considered themselves very attractive.


    There were even a few beautiful women who made a bet, to see which one of them could take him out of this bar, but without an exception, they all failed.


    They had always been confident in their looks and figures, and never before had a man ignored them like this one.


    For a moment, they even wondered if there was something wrong with this man in that regard, otherwise, how could he be so indifferent?


    Su Chen felt that standing on this side of the bar was a bit too conspicuous, and to avoid trouble, he took his bottle and ss and went to a booth in the corner.


    This Majestic Bar had two floors, and there were some VIP rooms upstairs, though they were quite expensive.


    Some people were leaning on the railing looking downstairs, seeming to enjoy the sensation of looking down on everything.


    Among these people, one woman couldn''t help but purse her lips into a smile when she saw Su Chen''s actions:


    "This man is quite interesting."


    In fact, she had noticed him not long after he entered, feeling that he was very different.


    ...


    Su Chen thought he could finally have some peace in the corner, but to his surprise, it wasn''t long before another woman walked towards him.


    Although she hadn''t arrived yet, Su Chen was certain that she wasing for him, as the woman kept smiling at him.


    "May I sit down?"


    The woman stopped in front of Su Chen and asked with a smile.


    But she had already sat down before Su Chen could reply, causing him to twitch his mouth helplessly and say,


    "It seems having too much charm is a crime for a man!"


    The woman did not expect this man to say something so narcissistic the moment he opened his mouth, and she couldn''t help but let out augh.


    What she didn''t know was that this was indeed Su Chen''s true sentiment at the moment.


    Otherwise, why would women still follow him here, especially such a beauty!


    To be honest, even with Su Chen''s picky taste, he had to admit that the woman opposite him was indeed a super beauty.


    "Interesting!"


    The woman once again said to herself inside.


    She rarely came to a bar and had not expected to encounter such an interesting man; this made her feel that the visit wasn''t a waste.


    "Can I try your drink?"


    The woman tilted her head and asked, her eyes twinkling like jewels on the stars.


    "This drink isn''t suitable for women. It''s better for women to stick to fruit wine,"


    Su Chen casually remarked.


    "It''s fine,"


    the woman said and directly picked up Su Chen''s ss, then downed half a ss of rum in one go.


    Seeing this, Su Chen was somewhat taken aback; he hadn''t expected the woman to be so rude, not even asking for his consent before drinking his rum.


    However, what he was concerned about now wasn''t that, but whether the woman would be alright?


    After all, it was rum, and she had drunk half a ss in one gulp!

 Chapter 685 - 685 Yan Xi

    "This drink isn''t very good, is it!"


    After finishing her drink, the woman frowned and spat out, feeling like her throat had been scorched by fire.


    "I already told you, this drink isn''t suited for youdies."


    Su Chen shrugged and said, a bit surprised that the woman showed little reaction after finishing her drink, just a slight flush on her face.


    "Are you looking down on women?"


    The woman said somewhat unhappily upon hearing this.


    "I''m just telling it like it is."


    Su Chen casually said as he lit a cigarette.


    "By the way, I saw quite a few womene up to chat with you just now, why didn''t you pay them any attention?"


    The woman tilted her head and asked seriously:


    "Isn''t it said that all you men are lecherous?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen almost choked on his cigarette; this woman not only acted without inhibition, she spoke without it as well!


    "Who told you that all men are lecherous? Although most men are, that doesn''t exclude a small number of true gentlemen, like myself."


    Su Chen said earnestly.


    "Pfft!"


    The woman couldn''t hold back herughter once again, looking at Su Chen and saying:


    "Do you take me for a naive fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl to fool? Let me tell you, I''m almost twenty!"


    "Only twenty, yet you''ve developed quite maturely."


    Su Chen''s gaze fell on the woman''s prominent peaks as he spoke.


    Naturally, the woman noticed Su Chen''s gaze, and she shifted slightly, giving him a re with her beautiful eyes:


    "With that shady look of yours, you dare im you''re a gentleman?"


    "What shady look? I was clearly looking openly."


    Su Chen unabashedly retorted, finding the woman rather interesting.


    While calling her a woman, it was more urate to say she was a girl, as she herself had said; she was only about twenty.


    It was just that she was quite well-developed already, with a delicate and graceful figure, a mix of mature charm and girlishness, which was quite unique.


    Her appearance and figure leaned more towards mature charm, but her behavior and speech were more girlish.


    "By the way, you don''t seem like the type of woman who frequents bars!"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Yeah, it''s my second timeing here. Last time I went with an elder and found it quite interesting, it''s just that the elder was always watching over me, which was annoying. So this time, I sneaked out by myself."


    The woman didn''t hide anything from Su Chen and spoke directly.


    More and more, Su Chen felt that this woman seemed to have had little contact with the outside world, like a bird that had been kept in a cage suddenly flying out and finding everything novel.


    "By the way, I still don''t know your name?"


    The woman tilted her head and asked.


    "Su Chen."


    Su Chen said casually, as there was nothing to hide.


    "Su Chen?"


    The woman murmured the name a few times, then extended her hand with a charming smile and said:


    "My name is Yan Xi, ''yan'' as in color, and ''xi'' as in sunset."


    Seeing this, Su Chen also extended his hand and shook it lightly, then said:


    "That''s a nice name, suits you well."


    "Didn''t expect you to be quite the sweet-talker!"


    Yan Xi''s eyes sparkled enchantingly as she spoke.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lips upon hearing this, finding it a bit strange to be called "this guy" by a twenty-year-old girl.


    "Do you dance?"


    Yan Xi suddenly asked.


    "A little bit, I guess."


    Su Chen said nomittally.


    "That''s great, let''s go dance then."


    "Do you know how?"


    Su Chen gave her a suspicious nce.


    "No way."


    "Then what shall we dance?"


    "Isn''t that what you''re here for? You teach me."


    Without waiting for Su Chen to agree, she walked over, pulled him up, and headed straight for the center of the dance floor.


    Su Chen couldn''t help butugh and cry at the same time. This woman, or rather girl, named Yan Xi, was really quite bold!


    Luckily, he wasn''t a bad guy; if he had been someone with ill intentions, she would probably have been in trouble.


    In the end, it came down to herck of social experience.


    Once they arrived at the dance floor, Yan Xi immediately began to dance excitedly. Although she had no formal rhythm, she was thrilled.


    Su Chen had no choice but to slowly guide her into dancing. In truth, he hadn''t been modest before¡ªhe was only so-so when it came to dancing.


    Fortunately, this was just a bar, not a dancepetition; all they needed to do was sway with the rhythm!


    The only problem was that Yan Xi was too beautiful. It wasn''t long before many men with less than noble intentions began to inch closer to her.


    Su Chen had to keep dancing while trying his best to shield Yan Xi and prevent others from taking advantage of her.


    Yan Xi mightck social experience, but she wasn''t foolish. Seeing Su Chen''s protective actions, she actually felt a bit happy inside.


    She thought to herself, "This guy isn''t half bad!"


    However, Su Chen''s efforts to protect her unavoidably led to some contact. Although it was slight, it still made Yan Xi, who hadn''t had much interaction with young men, blush a little.


    After a song ended, Su Chen led the reluctant Yan Xi out of the crowd.


    At this point, Yan Xi was slightly sweaty. There was some perspiration on her long, fair neck, which gleamed under the lights and was quite enchanting.


    "Alright, take a seat for a while. I''ll get you a fruit cocktail," he said and then headed towards the bar.


    Yan Xi watched his retreating figure with a small smile on her face¡­


    It wasn''t long before Su Chen came back with a fruit cocktail:


    "Here, drink this."


    Su Chen ced the ss in front of her and said.


    "I''ll just drink yours instead."


    Yan Xi looked at Su Chen''s ss. It wasn''t that she found the drink appealing; it was just the rebellious nature of a girl¡ª the more Su Chen told her not to drink his, the more she wanted to.


    "No, you can only drink this one!" Su Chen replied firmly.


    "If you say no, then it''s no. What''s with the attitude?"


    Yan Xi pouted, articting her minor grievance.


    Just then, her phone suddenly rang.


    She took it out and saw the call, her face immediately soured in annoyance:


    "This old man is so annoying. Can''t even have a moment''s peace when I''m out!"


    "If it''s an elder from home calling, you should hurry back," Su Chen responded upon hearing her, naturally assuming that her family was worried and urging her to return home, hence he advised her.


    "Alright then."


    Yan Xi said resignedly and then stood up.


    "Oh, could I get your phone number before I leave?" she asked suddenly.


    "Sure."


    Su Chen nodded and then recited his number to her.


    "So, can I ask you out to yter?" Yan Xi asked, her eyes fixed on Su Chen.


    "Sure, as long as I''m free," Su Chen answered, unable to bear the thought of letting her down, seeing her hopeful expression.


    "That''s great, thank you!"


    Yan Xi suddenly wrapped her arms around Su Chen''s neck and kissed his cheek, saying with a smile, "I''m off then. I''ll contact you in a few days to y."


    After saying that, she walked away cheerfully, leaving Su Chenpletely bemused...

 Chapter 686 - 686 Does It Matter Whether She Agrees or Not?

    Meanwhile, on the second floor of the Majestic Bar, two young men were seated on a ck leather sofa in a private room.


    Behind them stood two men dressed in ck military attire and four men in ck suits, all of whom clearly were not ordinary people.


    Especially the two men in ck military attire, they exuded a sense of danger!


    Next to each young man was a tall woman, both of whom were handsome and well-built, and these women were somewhat famous models in the country.


    However, in front of these two young men, they behaved as meek as little birds, even as the men''s hands roamed over them, and even squeezed them forcefully, they dared not show any dissatisfaction and had to appear very pleased.


    The fact was these two men were not ones they could resist. If they displeased them, a single word from them could topple what they had struggled so hard to build and even eliminate any chance of rising again!


    "Cousin, I toast to you, congrattions on your return from studying abroad!"


    One of the young men raised his ss with a servile smile.


    The other young man lightly nodded and casually took a sip before setting the ss down.


    "Cousin, I toast you again, wishing you grand joy in your uing marriage, that you may take a beautiful wife!"


    The same young man once more raised his ss with a smile.


    "Yang Rong, are you trying to get me drunk?"


    The other young manughed.


    "How could I? Cousin, I know your capacity for liquor all too well, a thousand cups without faltering!"


    Yang Rong grinned sycophantically as heplimented.


    "Good."


    The other young man lightly clinked sses with him and took another sip.


    This young man was none other than Situ Guang, who had returned to the country just a few days earlier, the third young master of the Situ Family.


    Yang Rong''s father and Situ Guang''s mother were siblings, so naturally, he had toe and pay his respects as soon as Situ Guang returned.


    Of course, the main purpose was to reinforce their rtionship again, because the current Situ Guang waspletely different from before!


    He was very likely the future heir of the Situ Family. Securing this rtionship was extremely important for the future of the Yang Family!


    "Cousin, I must toast to you once more, and you must drink this one no matter what,"


    Yang Rong held up his ss once again with a respectful smile.


    "Oh, I must drink this one? Tell me, why is that?"


    "This ss is to honor the fulfillment of your long-held wish!"


    Yang Rong said meaningfully as he looked at Situ Guang with a smile:


    "Cousin, you must drink this ss, right?"


    "Haha, indeed, indeed!"


    Situ Guangughed twice; unlike the previous sips, this time he downed it.


    Much like the previous times, Yang Rong finished his drink in one gulp!


    "By the way, I heard about your situation abroad. How are you adapting to the prosthetic?"


    Situ Guang nced at Yang Rong''s leg, having heard that something had incapacitated it during his trip to Jianghai.


    Although Yang Rong walked almost normally, there was still a slight difference from a normal person.


    "I had a prosthetic fitted in Country M, and it hasn''t greatly affected my mobility."


    Yang Rong touched his leg as he spoke.


    "What happened to the person who injured you? Is it resolved?"


    "Not yet, a while back my father pressed the Wu Family for an exnation. However, they mentioned that the person involved was a bitplicated, and they''ve been busy with your wedding arrangements recently. They promised to give us an exnation afterwards; my father didn''t push further after hearing this."


    Jianghai heard Situ Guang asking about that young man from the past, and his eyes suddenly shot out a beam of hatred:


    "But when the timees, even if the Wu Family doesn''t take action, our Yang Family will definitely not let that kid off! I will make sure this kid dies a horrible death!"


    "Jianghai, the Wu Family will have a connection to us in the future. How about this, after my wedding, I will handle this matter. I don''t believe this kid has supernatural powers! By then, I will have the Wu Family provide me with the necessary information!"


    Situ Guang said dismissively.


    "Thanks, cousin, with you taking action, what else is there to say! That guy is dead for sure!"


    "It''s only a trivial matter!"


    "By the way, cousin, there are some things I''m not sure if it''s appropriate to say."


    Jianghai hesitated.


    "Just say whatever you have to say, no need to hem and haw."


    Situ Guang forcefully pinched the thigh of the model next to him, named Yaoyao, as he spoke.


    Seeing the girl enduring the pain while still managing a forced smile brought him a sensation of dominating others!


    "I''ve heard, just heard, mind you, that the woman from the Wu Family has never agreed to this marriage!"


    Jianghai looked at Situ Guang nervously and asked.


    "Does it matter whether she agrees or not?"


    Situ Guang scoffed disdainfully:


    "For Situ Guang to fancy her is her honor!"


    For someone like Situ Guang, a woman is only a diversion, nothing more than a word away anyway.


    Honestly, giving her the status of wife is already tremendous fortune for her, considering she would be the Situ Family''sdy in the future.


    If this woman weren''t so exceptionally beautiful and dear to his heart, he would at most keep her as a mistress.


    "Cousin, you''re right, you''re absolutely right!"


    Jianghaiughed obsequiously once again.


    "Don''t worry, the Wu Family already called yesterday, saying that they would handle this matter beautifully!"


    Situ Guang spoke indifferently, then his gaze shifted toward the model named Yaoyao by his side, gradually lowering his head to kiss her, and his body slowly leaned back onto the sofa.


    Seeing this, Jianghai didn''t want to be outdone and simrly tangled intimately with the model next to him...


    Just as the two were busy for a while, suddenly, they heard a deafening cheering from downstairs.


    Situ Guang frowned and sat up:


    "What''s going on?"


    Being suddenly interrupted right when he was about to get serious, of course, he was quite annoyed.


    "Oh, I remember now, I think I heard that today is the bar''s tenth anniversary, and they''ve invited some celebrities. Probably the celebrities are making appearances now."


    Jianghai also sat up, thought for a moment, and responded.


    "Is that so, let''s go have a look."


    Situ Guang said nonchntly, as he was in no mood to continue in such a noisy atmosphere.


    "Alright."


    Jianghai naturally did whatever Situ Guang decided.


    Thus, each of them with an arm around a femalepanion and a wine ss in hand, they walked out.


    The two men dressed in ck uniforms and four men in ck suits followed closely behind.


    The two did not go downstairs; instead, they leaned on the railing of the second floor to look down, after all, the view was better there...

 Chapter 687: The Changed Jiang Ying

    After the young woman, Yan Xi, who made him somewhat unsure whether she was a woman or a girl, left, Su Chen simply sat in a corner and began to drink by himself, quite contentedly.


    After a period of time, he slowly limated to the environment and didn''t feel the slight difort he had when he first came in.


    When the time reached half-past nine, an emcee appeared on the stage of the bar on time and introduced the significance of the day for the bar and the uing activities such as prize draws and freebies, which made the men and women in the audience scream incessantly.


    Of course, during this, the bar owner also came out to say a few words and expressed his gratitude for everyone''s support and love for the bar over the past decade.


    When things quieted down a bit, the emcee loudly announced the first guest of the day, a rock singer who had recently won first ce in a singingpetition and was currently at the peak of his poprity.


    His appearance immediately sent the emotions of the young people soaring even higher, with screams reaching an incredible pitch!


    Rock music itself is a genre that can most ignite the atmosphere on-site, so when his voice rang out, the scene turned almost uncontroble!


    The impact felt like a minor earthquake had urred!


    However, Su Chen didn''t seem to feel much about all this; he just quietly sipped his drink and smoked in his booth.


    He would asionally nce at the stage because bars nowadays generally use elevating stages, so even with a lot of people, there wasn''t anything blocking the view.After singing two songs in a row, the rock singer thanked the audience and stepped down.


    Afterward, the emcee took to the stage again to conduct the first round of the prize draw.


    A young girl won thetest model of the iPhone and immediately jumped up excitedly, while others looked on with envy.


    After all, the newest iPhone costs several thousand; this prize was certainly no small thing!


    It was apparent that the Noblesse Bar was really splurging today!


    This was evident from both the quantity of the prizes and the stature of the guests; it suggested that the owner was no ordinary person.


    Not to mention anything else, managing to invite Jiang Ying was certainly no easy feat; she is one of the hottest stars right now!


    This year, she has two movies and two TV series set to premiere, definitely dominating the screens!


    The second set of guests appeared soon after, introduced by the emcee: it was a rising young girl group, each member with impressive looks and figures.


    A powerful song and dance performance sent the male patrons'' hormones rocketing, their eyes shining like wolves in the night!


    The atmosphere in the venue was getting increasingly lively, with the young men and women starting to dance along!


    Following this girl group, two more somewhat famous guests took to the stage, with a round of prize draws after each performance!


    The emotions of the audience remained extremely high, fully driven by the stars, but they were still anticipating something...


    Su Chen shook his head in amazement at this sight; the bar owner had really gone all out inviting so many stars over!


    Typically, such events would invite one or two minor celebrities just to warm up the crowd, but this owner had invited five or six, each of substantial significance.


    At this moment, the emcee took the stage again and, holding a microphone, shouted to the crowd:


    "Is everyone having fun tonight?"


    "Fun!"


    "Are you all excited?"


    "Excited!"


    "Are we partying hard?"


    "Hey!"


    Every question he asked was met with an enthusiastic response from the crowd!


    "So do you all want to have even more fun, be even happier, be even more pumped up?"


    After the host shouted, he turned the microphone towards the audience!


    "Yes!"


    A deafening roar immediately erupted, almost bursting people''s eardrums!


    "Then let''s wee our finale guest with your greatest enthusiasm¡ªfamous star Miss Jiang Ying!"


    The moment the host''s words ended, the loudest cheers thus far burst forth. People were shouting Jiang Ying''s name, and it seemed like they might just blow the roof off the nightclub!


    It could be said that many people came here today just to see Jiang Ying, as the nightclub had already advertised the guests who would being!


    And judging by the reaction of the crowd, Jiang Ying''s poprity undoubtedly surpassed that of the others by a notch!


    "Yang Rong, who is this Jiang Ying?"


    Situ Guang on the second floor, with one arm around a model and a drink in his other hand, looked down curiously and asked after seeing the reaction of the crowd.


    "She''s a rising star who''s emerged in thest two or three years, pretty good-looking, and her acting isn''t bad either."


    Yang Rong briefed him, then cast a meaningful nce at Situ Guang,


    "Cousin, are you thinking... Shall I arrange something?"


    "Let''s wait and see,"


    Situ Guang replied with a slight smile after taking a sip of his drink.


    After the host got off the stage, the lighting inside instantly changed, and suddenly it was pitch ck all around, with only a beam of light shining down on the central part of the rectangr stage!


    Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed, and a woman began to walk toward the illuminated area from the darkness with a catwalk gait!


    When Su Chen saw Jiang Ying in the center of the stage, he was totally taken aback, because he had never seen Jiang Ying dressed up or in this state before!


    Jiang Ying had wavy long hair at the moment, was wearing a ck leather jacket¡ªunbuttoned to reveal a ck tube top underneath¡ªand her lower half was d in a short leather skirt, exposing her incredibly long and straight legs!


    On her feet were a pair of boots that entuated her already tall and stunning figure impably!


    The Jiang Ying of this moment waspletely different from her usual image, one could say she was filled with a wild charm!


    Combining her naturally exquisite and wless looks, she was absolutely captivating to men!


    Su Chen hadn''t expected that this woman, who usually seemed quiet, had such a side to her!


    This was truly a surprise!


    Meanwhile, the instant Situ Guang on the second floor saw Jiang Ying making such an entrance, a fervent glint burst forth in his eyes!


    He too hadn''t expected this female star named Jiang Ying to be so stunning!


    The moment Jiang Ying took the stage and struck a seductive pose, the screaming and cheering reached an unprecedented climax, shooting straight up to the heavens!


    They too were filled with immense surprise, as they had never seen such a wild side of Jiang Ying!

 Chapter 688: My Young Master Would Like to Invite You for a Drink

    Just seconds after Jiang Ying appeared at the center of the stage, the lights suddenly changed, bursting into a kaleidoscope of colors!


    With a microphone attached to her ear, Jiang Ying immediately began to sing a powerful song and dance wildly!


    A twist of her waist, a flick of her hair, a nce back, a lift of her leg, a caress..., each movement was filled with tension, so seductive, like a sexy little wildcat!


    Moreover, as the song she sang was inherently a bit ambiguous, it further fired up the audience at the scene!


    What nobody noticed was that, during her performance, her gaze was constantly searching the crowd for something.


    Finally, after a moment, she spotted the man in the corner, and a spark of excitement shed through her beautiful eyes!


    Seeing her look his way, Su Chen also smiled and raised his ss to signal to her.


    Upon witnessing this gesture, Jiang Ying seemed to grow even more frenzied, disying her flexibility perfectly and drawing continuous screams from the crowd!


    Up on the second floor, Situ Guang''s eyes stayed fixed on hers, growing brighter by the minute, to the extent that he lost interest in the quite attractive model beside him.


    After a few minutes passed, Jiang Ying''s powerful song and dance performance finally concluded, by which time she was drenched in sweat!


    After all, she was primarily an actress and rarely performed such vigorous songs and dances, so stamina was certainly a challenge.


    Initially, her agreement with the bar was to perform just this one act, but unable to resist the wild cheers of the fans, Jiang Ying sat down at the center of the stage and sang a quiet love song.


    While sitting there singing, Jiang Ying''s gaze often involuntarily rested on Su Chen for a few seconds, though no one else noticed.


    To be honest, Jiang Ying''s feelings towards Su Chen were quite strange ¨C she didn''t know if her reaction was deliberate or involuntary, or perhaps a bit of both.


    Back in Sanya, when he had rescued her from the hands of the Bai Family father and son andter watched the beautiful sunrise at the beach with her, this man had begun to stir different feelings in her heart.


    In their recent encounters, the first thought that came to her mind was not what she could gain from him but purely the desire to be with him.


    Jiang Ying even felt that if she were given the opportunity to meet a young master more powerful than Su Chen, she probably would not be willing anymore.


    Such feelings were something the old Jiang Ying could never have imagined!


    The song ended quickly, and although the audience strongly entreated her to stay, Jiang Ying still stepped off the stage, as she couldn''t possibly perform endlessly.


    Su Chen did not go backstage to find her as they had previously agreed that Jiang Ying would sneak over and have a drink with him after her performance, so he just waited there in the corner.


    But Jiang Ying had not gone far when she saw two men in ck suits approaching her.


    "Miss Jiang, our young master would like to invite you upstairs for a drink,"


    one of the men said earnestly.


    The audience, upon seeing this, was initially startled but then understood the situation, as such urrences were quitemon.


    After performances, guests who caught the interest of some bosses were often invited to meet privately and have a drink.


    This was considered quite normal social interaction, especially for celebrities.


    "I''m sorry, I have some things to take care of, maybe next time,"


    Jiang Ying said, somewhat apologetically, before she prepared to continue her way inside.


    She needed to change her clothes soon, and more importantly, Su Chen had been waiting for her, and he had been waiting a long time.


    Now, she just wanted to change her clothes and then use a different exit to sneak over to Su Chen and have a quiet drink with him.


    Having said that, Jiang Ying prepared to continue her way backstage.


    However, to her surprise, the two men in suits suddenly moved to block her path.


    This made Jiang Ying somewhat angry, although it was quite normal to invite a guest performer for a drink to get acquainted, if the other party refused, those people wouldn''t say anything.


    Moreover, Jiang Ying had politely declined, without causing any loss of face for their Young Master, so their behavior was a bit excessive.


    "Gentlemen, may I ask who your Young Master is?"


    At that moment, a man in his forties came forward and said with a smile:


    "Miss Jiang is indeed upied, but how about I go and have a drink with your Young Masterter as an apology?"


    He was Qin Zekai, the bar owner. Having Jiang Ying as his invited superstar, the moment trouble arose, he naturally had to step in.


    "Who are you to even be worthy of knowing our Young Master?"


    One of the men in suits nced at Qin Kai and retorted.


    As soon as these words were spoken, Qin Kai''s expression changed instantly, looking very awkward.


    Being a figure in Yandu, he hadn''t expected to be humiliated by someone of a bodyguard''s position, which made him feel embarrassed.


    Although he felt disgraced, Qin Kai didn''t explode immediately, because he detected a clear disdain in the other person''s tone.


    This suggested that the identity of their Young Master was extraordinary!


    Indeed, not only he, many others at the scene also realized this, causing some men who wanted to show off their sense of justice to shrink back.


    If their Young Master really was someone influential, wouldn''t they just be making it ufortable for themselves?


    In Yandu, a ce known for its shallowness, who knew what one might encounter?


    Qin Kai, as a businessman and bar owner, naturally knew how to adapt to circumstances and read the room!


    "Miss Jiang, why don''t you go have a drink with their Young Master?"


    Qin Kai looked at Jiang Ying with a peace-making expression.


    "Sorry, Mr. Qin, I really am upied."


    If earlier Jiang Ying was undecided about going, the other party''s attitude now made her uneasy.


    Some important figures simply wanted to meet the guest performers after the show, perhaps even for future coborations.


    But some had ulterior, dishonorable motives.


    Jiang Ying sensed that the Young Master of these two bodyguards likely belonged to thetter category.


    Moreover, with Su Chen also present, this made her even more reluctant to go, perhaps out of fear of causing him concern.


    "Miss Jiang, are you really not going to give me face?"


    Just then, a young man dressed in a handmade suit from Italy came over, his face bearing a faint smile.


    "Young Master!"


    The two men in ck suits, upon seeing the young man, immediately addressed him respectfully.


    So he was the Young Master these two bodyguards were talking about!


    The patrons in the bar sighed upon seeing this young man and began to specte about whose Young Master he might be!


    Yang Rong, being originally from Jiangbei and only asionally visiting Yandu, naturally wasn''t well-known.


    However, from his attire, one could glimpse a clue that this young man''s identity was truly extraordinary!

 Chapter 689: Dont Take Kindness for Weakness

    "May I ask who you are?"


    Qin Kai asked with a smile, his manner respectful.


    "Tell him who I am!"


    Yang Rong nodded slightly to signal one of the bodyguards.


    That bodyguard immediately spoke with pride:


    "Listen clearly, our Young Master hails from the Yang Family of Jiangbei, and the Family Head of the Yang Family is our Young Master''s father!"


    As soon as the bodyguard finished speaking, the crowd on the scene immediately gasped!


    Although the Yang Family is based in Jiangbei, they''re quite renowned in Huaxia and considered a second-tier prominent family!


    In all of Huaxia, aside from the Five Great Families and a few titans in Yandu, the next in line are the major families of Jiangnan and Jiangbei!


    Though the Yang Family of Jiangbei is a second-tier family, they are not to bepared with ordinary people!


    Furthermore, the Yang Family of Jiangbei has a marital connection with the Situ Family, something that many people are aware of.


    Once everyone on the scene learned of the other party''s identity, none held any more thoughts of standing up for the underdog, as this was an entity they could not afford to provoke.


    Upon hearing the bodyguard''s words, Qin Kai was also shocked, not expecting the man to be the Young Master of the Yang Family!


    "Miss Jiang, since Young Master Yang thinks so highly of you, why don''t you go and keep himpany for a drink?"


    Qin Kai looked at Jiang Ying again and spoke, though it was phrased as a question, he believed that Jiang Ying would know what to do upon knowing the other party''s identity.


    Although Jiang Ying is a sought-after starlet, to some real heavyweights, she''s ultimately just an actor!


    At this moment, Jiang Ying also couldn''t help feeling conflicted. If it had been the before her, she would have been willing, even secretly delighted, ready totch onto the connection to the great ship before her.


    After all, this Yang Rong was the eldest of the Yang Family, and then there was the connection through the Situ Family, not to mention he himself was fairly good-looking.


    But now, deep down, she was unwilling.


    "I''m sorry, Young Master Yang, I really do have some urgent matters to attend to. Next time I have the opportunity, I will definitely join you for a drink to apologize."


    Jiang Ying hesitated, then spoke timidly.


    "Miss Jiang, I spoke nicely to you, that''s giving you face, don''t be ungrateful!"


    The moment Yang Rong heard Jiang Ying refuse even after revealing his influential identity, his expression instantly darkened!


    "Miss Jiang, you... "


    Qin Kai hadn''t expected Jiang Ying to refuse and was immediately anxious.


    "Who''s the one being ungrateful?"


    Before Qin Kai could finish his sentence, a mocking voice suddenly rang out.


    Upon hearing this, everyone''s heart trembled, and they turned in the direction of the voice, only to see a young man walking over with a ss of wine in hand!


    Seeing Su Chen approach, Jiang Ying, for some reason, felt a wave of relief wash over her, as if his presence alone brought her a sense of security!


    However, while others were still wondering who this young man was, Yang Rong''s face was already seething with a cold fury!


    His eyes seemed to be aze with raging mes!


    He hadn''t expected to see the person who gave him the worst nightmare of his life here.


    "Young Master Yang, is your leg healed? Back again to harass themon folk?"


    Su Chen walked beside Jiang Ying, looking at Yang Rong opposite him, and said with a corner of his mouth curled up in an amused smile.


    Then his gaze fell on Yang Rong''s leg and heughed:


    "So you''ve gotten a prosthetic leg, huh? It''s well-made, looks quite convincing."


    The crowd listened and was immediately stunned!


    What''s going on? Is the Young Master of Jiangbei actually wearing a prosthetic leg? No wonder his walk seemed a bit different from that of an ordinary person.


    But how did this young man know?


    The look that Young Master Yang gave him, it''s as if he wanted to devour him; could it be that this young man was responsible for his injury?


    If that were the case, it would be unbelievable! Then who exactly is this young man?


    Although there were some bosses present, they were not at a level to be attending financial summits, so they did not recognize Su Chen.


    Thus, everyone there was somewhat baffled, only able to watch quietly.


    The same went for the bar owner. Even though the young man was wearing the ordinary attire of a staff member, he felt that the way this young man spoke to Young Master Yang, he probably wasn''t someone to be trifled with.


    "So it''s you! What a small world for enemies to meet!"


    Yang Rong red at Su Chen, grinding his teeth as he spat out the words!


    "I actually feel we have quite a fate."


    Su Chen took a sip of his drink, then nced at him and said,


    "What? Do you want to treat my friend to a drink?"


    "You know her?"


    Yang Rong asked coldly, with a tone of slight surprise.


    "Indeed, we are friends."


    Su Chen nodded, then looked at Jiang Ying and said,


    "Let me take care of today''s matter."


    "Mm."


    Jiang Ying nodded in response, savoring the feeling of being protected.


    "Since you want to treat my friend to a drink, how about I treat you to one instead!"


    Su Chen then looked at Yang Rong with a smile and said.


    "Who wants to drink with you?"


    Yang Rong waved his hand dismissively and spat out disdainfully.


    He thought to himself, drink your blood, that''s more like it!


    "So you say you won''t drink just like that?"


    Su Chen spoke indifferently,


    "I''ll return a phrase you''ve just said to you now, ''Don''t be shameless when given face!''"


    After he finished, Su Chen stepped forward, closing the distance to less than half a meter from Yang Rong!


    "What are you going to do?"


    Seeing Su Chen''s move, Yang Rong immediately felt some fear, and spat out.


    The image of Su Chen as a demon was still etched in his mind fromst time!


    Although reason told him not to be afraid, because this time he wasn''t alone, his cousin was still upstairs in the private room!


    "Treat you to a drink, of course!"


    Su Chen said with a mischievous smile.


    "I''m telling you, if you dare to touch me today, you''re dead!"


    Yang Rong took a step back and shouted menacingly.


    "Really?"


    Su Chen hadn''t finished speaking when he swiftly reached out and grabbed Yang Rong''s cheek, forcing his mouth open!


    Immediately after, Su Chen poured most of a ss of rum down his throat!


    "Cough cough cough!"


    The rum was so potent! Just after the first mouthful, Yang Rong couldn''t help but start coughing!


    The others watching the scene could hardly believe their eyes; this guy was too bold!


    So this was his way of treating someone to a drink, a drink that nobody would want!


    Seeing this, Yang Rong''s two bodyguards were immediately enraged and attacked Su Chen together!


    "Bang bang!"


    However, Su Chen casually kicked away the two formidable-looking bodyguards, sending them crashing into the bar''s decor and onto the ground, unable to get up.


    Seeing this, everyone else''s pupils contracted, realizing just how formidable this young man was!


    But by doing this, wasn''t he afraid of retaliation from the Yang Family or even the Situ Family?


    At that moment, Su Chen was still pouring the rum into Yang Rong''s mouth, quickly emptying half of therge ss!


    Yang Rong wanted to call for Situ Guang upstairs, but he couldn''t utter a word!

 Chapter 690: So What If You Heard It?

    "Stop!"


    Just then, amanding shout suddenly came from upstairs!


    Upon hearing the voice, everyone involuntarily nced upstairs, and when they saw who had just spoken, a small portion of the crowd was taken aback!


    Situ Guang?


    How could he be here? Wasn''t he said to be studying abroad? When did hee back?


    Although only a minority of people at the scene recognized Situ Guang, word quickly spread, and soon everyone knew that it was the third Young Master of the Situ Family, Situ Guang!


    Everyone was shocked, not expecting Situ Guang to be in this ce!


    Even though there had been negative news about the Five Great Families recently, particrly the Situ Family, regardless, in the eyes of others, the Situ Family still remained that supremely exalted existence!


    Everyone couldn''t help but turn their attention to the young man, thinking that he was certainly in for trouble!


    This Young Master Yang is the cousin of Situ Guang, could he possibly let this young man go?


    If Situ Guang took action, this kid, no matter how capable, was probably helpless!


    In their hearts, can you really be more impressive than a Young Master of the Situ Family?


    Su Chen, upon hearing the voice, also momentarily stopped and with a smile ying on his lips, looked towards the second floor.


    Although he had not seen Situ Guang in person, the discussions around him had informed him of Situ Guang''s identity.


    The third Young Master of the Situ Family? Interesting!


    Jiang Ying seeing the arrival of Situ Guang, couldn''t help but be nervous.


    Although she had previously heard about Su Chen suppressing the Five Great Families at the finance summit, the long-standing admiration and fear for the Five Great Families made her very nervous and worried about Su Chen.


    "Stop!"


    Situ Kong, seeing that the young man still had his grip on Yang Rong''s cheek, shouted once again!


    Originally, after the performance just now, Yang Rong said he was going to handle some things, and of course, he knew what those were, so he went back to the private room to wait, expecting Yang Rong to bring over the flirtatious female star.


    But he had waited quite a while and had not seen Yang Rong return. Instead, he heard some unusual noises downstairs, so he decided to step out and take a look.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as he came out, he actually saw his own cousin being held by the cheek and force-fed alcohol by a young man!


    That immediately ignited his fury, prompting him to shout loudly!


    Yet, the young man still didn''t let go even after hearing his roar, which only made him even angrier!


    "Young Master Situ, what brings you here?"


    Qin Kai also hadn''t expected Situ Guang to be in his bar, and he hurried over to the second floor, smirking obsequiously.


    But Situ Guang ignored him; a person dressed in a martial outfit behind him simply reached out and pushed him aside.


    Situ Guang then walked down the stairs with a dark face, approaching Yang Rong and Su Chen!


    "I told you to stop, did you hear me?"


    Situ Guang uttered coldly, showing no regard for Su Chen!


    "I heard you, so what?"


    Su Chen shrugged and said.


    As his words fell, everyone else was somewhat dumbfounded!


    This kid has a death wish, daring to speak to Situ Guang like that!


    "I''ll tell you for thest time, let go of Yang Rong, or don''t me me for being rude to you!"


    Situ Guang said with a face as dark as thunderclouds, not expecting to encounter such a person who didn''t put him in his eyes so soon after his return ¨C something he hadn''t faced in over twenty years of his life!


    "Could it be, Young Master Situ, that you intend to drink the remaining half for him?"


    Su Chen nced nonchntly at Situ Guang and said.


    However, his words shocked everyone at the scene!


    He truly must have a death wish!


    You disregard the Jiangbei Yang Family, but this person here is Young Master Situ!


    You really don''t take this seriously! This really means there''s something wrong with your brain!


    "You''re courting death!"


    Situ Guang''s eyes shot out a sharp gleam as he yelled fiercely.


    "It seems Young Master Situ is unwilling?"


    Su Chen said indifferently:


    "Since that''s the case, Young Master Yang, it looks like you''ll have to drink the remaining half yourself!"


    With that, Su Chen continued to force liquor into Yang Rong''s mouth. Yang Rong immediately began to struggle violently, as his stomach, throat, and mouth felt like they were on fire!


    He didn''t know what kind of liquor Su Chen was pouring into him, but it was incredibly strong!


    However, his struggle was like that of an infant to Su Chen, utterly ineffective!


    "Smack!"


    Situ Guang could no longer bear it and suddenly swatted the liquor cup from Su Chen''s hand.


    At this moment, his face was covered with ayer of Ice Frost, and mes seemed to leap from his eyes!


    "Situ Guang, do you know the consequences of what you''re doing?"


    Su Chen let go of Yang Rong''s cheek and spoke lightly.


    If Su Chen really wanted to dodge Situ Guang''s p, it would have been very easy, but he didn''t move aside, allowing the other party to knock the cup away.


    "Cough cough cough~~~!"


    As soon as he was freed, Yang Rong immediately began to cough violently, to the point where he couldn''t even stand up straight!


    "Oh, you tell me, what are the consequences of my actions?"


    Situ Guang seemed to have heard a huge joke, this brat actually dared to threaten him, he said with augh driven by fury.


    "You''ll find out."


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a faint smile as he said:


    "Waiter, another bottle of rum, please!"


    The moment the words were spoken, everyone else realized that the liquor Su Chen had been pouring into Yang Rong was rum, no wonder Yang Rong reacted like that!


    After all, rum is one of the strongest liquors in the world!


    But at this point, which server at the Noble Bar would dare fetch the drink for him? That would be suicide!


    "Never mind, it seems I have to get it myself."


    Su Chen shrugged, then walked over to the bar counter, where the two servers immediately scurried away upon seeing him.


    Su Chen smiled helplessly, then walked behind the bar, grabbed a bottle of rum and returned to his spot.


    "Cousin, this is the bastard who humiliated me in Jianghai!"


    Having recovered a bit, Yang Rong immediately pointed at Su Chen and said, his face filled with a furious expression!


    "So, it''s you!"


    Situ Guang stared intently at Su Chen and said.


    "Yes, it was I who crippled his leg."


    Su Chen didn''t deny, nodding directly.


    Everyone was shocked upon hearing this.


    So it really was him who had crippled the leg of the Young Master of the Yang Family. Who exactly is this guy?


    Not only had he crippled the leg of the Young Master of the Yang Family, but he was also now crossing swords with the Young Master of the Situ Family!


    And, what did he mean by bringing over another bottle of liquor? Was he nning to continue forcing it down Young Master Yang''s throat?


    But with Young Master Situ here, how could he possibly allow him to do that?


    "Brat, you crippled one of my legsst time, today I''m going to make sure both your legs are crippled!"


    Yang Rong ground his teeth and said, with the backing of Situ Guang, his confidence had surged!

 Chapter 691 - 691 Please Help Yourself

    "You just knocked over my ss of wine, now each of you take half of this bottle and we''ll call it even, and I''ll act like nothing happened."


    Su Chen ignored Yang Rong''s threatening words and instead lifted the bottle of rum in his hand, speaking indifferently...


    As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd surrounding them thought the kid hadpletely lost his mind!


    Because what his words implied was, "You drink this bottle of rum, and I''ll let you go!"


    Isn''t this madness?


    This is the third Young Master of the Situ Family, not some random Tom, Dick, or Harry!


    "Hahaha~~~"


    Situ Guang burst intoughter upon hearing this. This kid just kept giving him "surprises"!


    What right did he have to make such bold statements? It was downright absurd!


    Then his expression turned cold, and he instructed the two men in ck body-hugging suits behind him:


    "Follow Young Master Yang''s orders just now and break this kid''s legs!"


    Upon receiving Situ Guang''smand, the two men in ck immediately stepped forward, calmly gazing at Su Chen.


    "This kid''s about to be out of luck!"


    "Of course, that''s what he gets for acting recklessly,"


    "The kid has really gone off the deep end, daring to challenge Young Master Situ. He''s really courting death!"


    "It''s simply asking for trouble; he has only himself to me!"


    .......


    The others watched the two men in ck suits and couldn''t help but discuss among themselves.


    In their eyes, this young man waspletely looking for his own demise!


    Even though Jiang Ying knew that Su Chen had been extraordinarily sessful at the financial summit, thements from the people around her made her increasingly nervous. After all, she was a woman!


    Besides, what happened at the financial summit was just a rumor, she didn''t witness it herself, while the current situation was unfolding right before her eyes, having a naturally stronger impact!


    Su Chen faced the two men without much reaction, merely spat out indifferently:


    "Since you''re courting death, bring it on!"


    "Kid, you''ve got some nerve!"


    "I really want to see who is courting death!"


    The two men in ck suits snorted coldly upon hearing Su Chen''s words.


    The moment his words fell, without wasting another word, they both attacked simultaneously!


    Their speed was like that of jungle cheetahs, lightning-fast, leaving the onlookers seeing nothing but afterimages!


    Yang Rong and Situ Guang, seeing this scene, couldn''t help but reveal a hint of a smile!


    It was as if they could already envision the pitiful sight of Su Chen with his legs broken in a little while!


    But their smiles hadn''t fully blossomed when they were suddenly reced by shock!


    Because in just a matter of seconds, the two men in ck suits were already sent flying, one of them even smashing a hanging chandelier as he was propelled upwards!


    The spectators at the scene were all bbergasted!


    Was this some kind of y-acting?


    Otherwise, how could their speed be so fast that the onlookers couldn''t see clearly? And how could a palm strike send someone flying so far?


    Yang Rong trembled with fear at this scene. He had originally thought that although this kid was formidable, the bodyguards at Situ Guang''s side were definitely the cream of the crop; dealing with thetter should have been a no-brainer!


    But to his surprise, the oue was such!


    However, the most shocked of all was certainly Situ Guang himself. He wasn''t a martial artist, but he had heard from Uncle Nian Song.


    Because the Situ Family had been unstabletely, the old Situ Family Head, fearing something might again happen to him, had assigned him bodyguards who were even a level higher than the previous Situ Lei!


    You should know that as the heir to the Family Head, the standard of bodyguards assigned to Situ Lei had already been very high!


    Yet to his disbelief, such formidable bodyguards, in just a matter of seconds, were disposed of by this young man!


    How could this not shock him?


    "Do you drink it yourselves or shall I assist you?"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "I''m a Young Master of the Situ Family, do you dare to mess with me?"


    Now without his bodyguard, Situ Guang had no choice but to resort to invoking his status again.


    Although Yang Rong had two bodyguards in ck suits behind him, what use were they!


    He believed that, given his status, the other party wouldn''t dare to make a move.


    Not only him, all the others thought the same.


    After all, Situ Guang was a Young Master of the Situ Family!


    But would Su Chen dare?


    The answer was obvious!


    With a cold smile, Su Chen unscrewed the bottle cap and, just as before, reached out to grab Situ Guang''s cheek!


    His movements were indifferent and rough, making everyone''s heart tense up!


    The lofty Situ Guang was like a little chicken in Su Chen''s hands, utterly powerless to resist!


    Su Chen held the bottle and started to pour it fiercely into Situ Guang''s mouth!


    In no time, Situ Guang''s face turned bright red, tears and snot running down together, his insides felt as if on fire!


    At this point, Situ Guang''s appearance was even more wretched than Yang Rong''s had been before!


    Not long after, more than half of the bottle of rum had gone down, and then Su Chen tossed him onto the ground like a stray dog!


    Situ Guang immediately started coughing violently on the floor, as if he was coughing out his internal organs ¨C after all, that was a half-year worth of rum!


    After Situ Guang had been treated this way, how could Yang Rong escape?


    The remaining half-bottle of rum was of course, bestowed upon him by Su Chen...


    At this moment, everyone looked at this young man with fear in their eyes, this man was too fierce!


    But they still didn''t understand, what confidence did this guy have to do this?


    How could the Situ Family possibly let him off?


    However, in Su Chen''s eyes, this was merely a trifling matter. Having done all this, he took Jiang Ying by the hand and said:


    "Let''s go."


    Then the two of them walked towards the door...


    "Kid, you just wait, I won''t let you get away with this!"


    Situ Guang yelled hoarsely from behind Su Chen, his eyes filled with the mes of hatred and anger!


    "If you don''t want to end up kneeling before me like your elder brother Situ Lei, please feel free to try."


    Su Chen''s indifferent voice came from the entrance:


    "Also, before you think of revenge, you might want to ask that old man Situ Kong."


    Afterward, Su Chen and Jiang Ying''s silhouettes disappeared at the entrance of the Majestic Bar.


    Upon hearing his words, everyone at the scene was stunned at first, then one by one realized something, their faces showing utter shock!


    Was this young man the one who had ruthlessly crushed the Five Great Families at the financial summit and then caused great disgrace to the Situ and Zheng Families?


    After all, the incident where Situ Lei, at the financial summit, was forced to kneel by this young man, was now well known in Yandu!


    When Situ Guang heard Su Chen''s words, hepletely froze!


    He hadn''t expected that this man was the one who had indirectly destroyed the heir position of Situ Family Head Situ Lei!


    Having realized this, Situ Guang even felt a vague sense of relief, relieved that this man had only forced him to drink today.


    Although that was also a loss of face, it was much better than kneeling.


    Otherwise, his fate might not have been much better than Situ Lei''s...

 Chapter 692: Madam Wife, Please Have Tea

    Yang Rong, who was equally shocked, hadn''t yet recovered; he had, of course, heard about the recent happenings in Yandu.


    But he could never have imagined that the man who had humiliated him in Jianghai was the same man!


    After being beaten, he had been admitted to the hospital, and the matter was handed over to the Wu Family of Jiangnan, since they knew the man!


    It could be said, Yang Rong knew nothing about the man who had beaten him originally, not even his name.


    If he had known, he might have connected the two incidents!


    Unfortunately, it was already toote for regrets!


    .....


    After Su Chen and Jiang Ying left the bar, he first drove her back to the bar.


    Jiang Ying was naturally worried about tonight''s events, but Su Chen''s optimistic attitude reassured her somewhat.


    Of course, even if she was worried, there was nothing she could do since she was just a celebrity.


    After dropping off Jiang Ying, Su Chen went home; when he arrived, it was already past eleven.


    Upon entering, he headed straight upstairs to the bedroom, where Lin Ruoxue had just finished bathing and was about to go to bed.


    "Honey, I''m home!"


    Su Chen entered and immediately embraced Lin Ruoxue with a ttering smile.


    "You''ve been drinking,"


    Lin Ruoxue frowned and said.


    "Just a little bit,"


    Su Chen chuckled.


    "That ''little bit'' is reeking of alcohol! Go take a shower,"


    Lin Ruoxue pushed him and said.


    "Mwah!"


    Su Chen quickly pecked Lin Ruoxue on the face, then escaped to the bathroom¡ªwith such a fussy wife, he felt helpless.


    "This guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue pursed her lips, finding herself helpless with such a rogue of a husband.


    Lin Ruoxue had wanted to talk to him about something, but seeing how much he had drunk, she decided to wait and talk about it tomorrow.


    That night, Lin Ruoxue hardly allowed Su Chen to touch her because the smell of alcohol was too overpowering and she couldn''t stand it.


    Su Chen knew Lin Ruoxue was someone who valued cleanliness, so he didn''t force her; after all, spouses should respect each other.


    The next morning, Su Chen got up and made breakfast as usual.


    After breakfast, they each drove off separately.


    Upon arriving at the office, Su Chen had little to do but drink tea, visit colleagues, and y video games.


    That morning, the incident from the previous night at the Prestige Bar gradually began to spread¡ªit was impossible to keep it secret with so many people present.


    When Situ Kong learned of this news, he immediately summoned Situ Guang and sternly inquired aboutst night''s events.


    Situ Guang knew he couldn''t keep it hidden and so he spilled everything.


    After listening, Situ Kong''s face turned red, then white, then ck, a silent fury burning within him!


    At that moment, he wished he could tear apart the man who had repeatedly disgraced the Situ Family!


    But as the Family Head of the Situ Family, he naturally couldn''t act impulsively. After a long silence, he seriously said to Situ Guang,


    "I warn you, if you encounter this scourge again, don''t provoke him!"


    "Also, keep yourselfposed recently. Don''t go out unless necessary; everything can wait until after your wedding!"


    "Yes!"


    Facing the elder, Situ Guang dared not talk back and meekly agreed.


    At that moment, he realized that the old man truly dreaded the young man!


    If it had been in the past, sparing that kid would have been unthinkable!


    After Situ Guang left, Situ Kong listlessly sat down, knowing that if this had happened earlier, Situ Guang would no longer be in line to be the Family Head.


    But at this moment, Situ Kong had no ns to just discard Situ Guang.


    This was partly because, apart from Situ Lei and Situ Guang, there really weren''t any other capable people in the third generation.


    Secondly, it was because during the finance summit, all those young masters and misses from the major families had been humiliated by that god of ughter, so now Situ Guang being forced to drink didn''t seem so ring!


    Although that was said, the incident still made Situ Kong feel very frustrated!


    But the young man''s power was unfathomably deep, and he might have other experts helping him, which made Situ Kong hesitant to make any rash moves!


    Su Chen, on the other hand, didn''t care about these things. He had gone out with Xia Qiuru at noon to buy some traditional medicine for her mother.


    In the end, Su Chen didn''t let Xia Qiuru buy readymade products, instead he had her buy some raw materials for him to prepare himself.


    Xia Qiuru absolutely trusted Su Chen, and she had also witnessed his medical skills, so she did as he said.


    Su Chen told her he would have the medicine ready in three days, but Xia Qiuru told him not to rush since it wasn''t urgent.


    After the purchase, the two casually ate outside before returning to thepany; Su Chen was indifferent, but Xia Qiuru had things to mind. She wasn''t as free as Su Chen.


    But since he was Lin Ruoxue''s husband, no one would say anything, and even more, no one dared say anything.


    When Su Chen returned to thepany and just entered the office, his phone suddenly rang. He took it out and immediately his lips curled into a smile, because the call was from Lin Ruoxue.


    "Wife, just a few hours without seeing me, and you miss me already?"


    Su Chen said shamelessly.


    "Come to room 308 in Peni Tea House now, I have something to tell you."


    "What''s the matter? Why go to the tea house? We can chat slowly at home tonight!"


    Su Chen said yfully, feeling very strange inside. Why would Lin Ruoxue want him to go to a tea house for no apparent reason?


    Especially since he sensed a seriousness in Lin Ruoxue''s tone.


    "You''ll know when youe!"


    Lin Ruoxue said before hanging up.


    Hearing the "beep, beep, beep" on the phone, Su Chen felt even more curious.


    Well, if the wifemands, I must go. Who else''s words could matter more than the wife''s!


    Su Chen smirked and went downstairs again¡­


    Peni Tea House wasn''t too far from Rainbow Mansion; it took less than twenty minutes for Su Chen to get there.


    After parking the car, Su Chen walked straight in and then took the stairs to the third floor.


    He found room 308 a bit further inside on the third floor, and when he pushed the door open, he was even more amazed!


    Because besides Lin Ruoxue, there was another woman inside, and that woman was his aunt, Su Jin.


    "Aunt, what are you doing here?"


    Su Chen sat down opposite the two women and asked.


    "What, you don''t wee your aunt?"


    Su Jin teased with a smile:


    "Is it because aunt interrupted your little world of two?"


    "Aunt, you''re teasing me again."


    Lin Ruoxue said shyly.


    "How could that be, we can''t wee you enough!"


    Su Chen also chuckled¡­

 Chapter 693: A Madmans Plan

    Su Chen sat down and poured himself a cup of tea, knowing better than to expect either of these two women to pour it for him¡ªin fact, it would be more likely the other way around.


    "You always had a way with words."


    Su Jin nced at him and chuckled, but because they were about to discuss serious matters, she didn''t continue with the jokes.


    "Wife, what did you want to see me for, to specially arrange a meeting at a teahouse?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile, his curiosity deepened by Su Jin''s presence.


    What also seemed odd to him was that next to Lin Ruoxue''s seat, there was a notebookputer bag.


    "Ruoxue, you tell him,"


    Su Jin said, looking over at Lin Ruoxue.


    Lin Ruoxue nodded and then turned to Su Chen:


    "Husband, haven''t you always wanted to know what I do every day at the Crystal Hotel?"


    "Yes, wife, but if you don''t want to talk about it, that''s fine, I respect you,"


    Su Chen said.


    To be honest, he really did want to know. Everyone is curious, especially about their own spouse.


    But the serious expressions on both Su Jin and Lin Ruoxue made him think that this was no small matter.


    "No, I''m going to tell you today."


    Lin Ruoxue looked into Su Chen''s eyes and said solemnly:


    "These days, I''ve been collecting data on the core industries of the Five Great Families, nning to strike at their core industries! To weaken their power in business!"


    "The preparations are almostplete now, and next up is action!"


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen was utterly bbergasted!


    He could never have dreamed that what Lin Ruoxue had been doing all this time was this!


    Had Lin Ruoxue gone mad?


    The Five Great Families might not be only powerful in business, but without a doubt, each of them was a colossus in the business world, otherwise, how could they support suchrge ns?


    For Lin Ruoxue to think that she could take on themercial empire of the Five Great Families with just Belle Group was pure fantasy!


    To say she was like an egg smashing against a rock was an understatement; it was downright suicidal!


    Even if she was targeting only a part of the Five Great Families'' businesses!


    Forget about going against all five at once, even taking on one family was almost hopeless!


    Although Su Chen wasn''t very knowledgeable in business, in his view, the chances for Lin Ruoxue and Belle Group to achieve this goal were less than ten percent!


    Su Chen''s gaze towards Lin Ruoxue wasplex!


    At this moment, he finally understood why she had beening homete every day, why she had been working so hardtely, and why she had withdrawn all the liquid assets from the group not long ago!


    All for this crazy n!


    Was Lin Ruoxue unaware of the risks involved?


    Of course not, if Su Chen, who was somewhat ayman in the business, could understand this, she naturally understood it even better!


    But still, she had gone ahead without looking back!


    The reason was obvious¡ªeverything was for him!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh inwardly: With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for!


    He hadn''t brought much to her, yet she was willing to make such a huge sacrifice for him!


    Suddenly, a warm current slowly flowed through his heart...


    "Ruoxue, you really didn''t have to do this."


    Su Chen said softly,


    "Besides this, I don''t know how else I could help you."


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen and said,


    "This is all voluntary on my part, and Grandfather has agreed, so don''t overthink it."


    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?" Su Chen asked.


    Faced with Su Chen''s question, Lin Ruoxue simply nced at him without speaking.


    In fact, Su Chen knew in his heart the answer; Lin Ruoxue probably refrained from telling him because she feared he would disagree with her actions.


    Indeed, that was Lin Ruoxue''s thought, and the reason she was now telling him was partly because the deed had already been done; the n was nearly in ce.


    Furthermore, it was because she knew that Su Chen had his own ns, and she worried there might be a conflict between them.


    By bringing it up now, there was still a chance to modify or adjust some aspects.


    This was also the main reason why she and Su Jin had asked Su Chen toe today!


    "Aunt, you''re involved in this too, aren''t you?"


    Su Chen nced at Su Jin. In truth, his question was somewhat redundant, as her presence here said it all.


    "Aunt has already put almost all the liquid funds of Jinsheng Group, aside from necessary expenses, into this."


    Before Su Jin could speak, Lin Ruoxue had already opened her mouth with a face full of gratitude,


    "Aunt has made thergest contribution to this n."


    "Ruoxue, don''t say that, you, as a daughter-inw, have already bet all your assets. What reason do I have to keep holding back?"


    Su Jin said with a slight smile, then looked at Su Chen,


    "This n was entirely Ruoxue''s doing. I only learned about it a few days ago and then got involved."


    Su Chen didn''t know what to say anymore; he looked at these two women, the closest to him, and sighed deeply.


    Perhaps to Su Chen, their money wasn''t an astronomical sum, but this sacrifice, this benevolence, was heavier than ten thousand catties, deeply moving him!


    What could he do but protect them with his life?


    With things as they were, Su Chen didn''t say much more. He looked at the two of them and asked,


    "What exactly is your n? Tell me about it."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, Lin Ruoxue, the n''s creator, took out herptop, opened an encrypted document, and began to exin her strategy to Su Chen!


    The entire n was, of course, veryplicated, and Lin Ruoxue spent about an hour discussing it with Su Chen.


    Su Chen understood the gist; the general idea was that Lin Ruoxue was nning aprehensive strike against the core industries of the Five Great Families.


    The specific tactics were to block the upstream, seize the downstream, and use capital leverage in the capital markets to erode or take over, among other things!


    It sounded simple, but the n was immensely vast andplex!


    "What is the biggest difficulty in your n right now?" Su Chen asked.


    "Money!"


    After looking at each other, Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin said,


    "I''ve pulled all the liquid funds from the Belle Group, almost 40 billion; Aunt''s Jinsheng Group has about 1,200 billion in liquid funds. Together, we have less than 1,600 billion." (PS: Don''t think this amount of money is too unbelievable; indeed, one might find it quite normal upon reviewing the financial statements of somergepanies.)


    "Although we''re only targeting their core industries, it''s still a bit short. Right now, we only have about a thirty percent chance of sess. If we had that much more money, we''d have an eighty percent chance!"


    Having said this, Lin Ruoxue also sighed. After all, no matter how well the n is made, strength is the foundation!


    "Yes, it would be much better if we had more money. With 4,000 billion in cash, we could not only deal a heavy blow to their core industries but also buy in at the bottom and make arge profit!"


    Su Jin said helplessly,


    "As it stands, even if we seed, it seems we''ll only end up benefiting others."

 Chapter 694: Husband, What Nonsense Are You Talking About?

    Actually, both Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin were somewhat reluctant about this situation, as, after all, they had paid a substantial price, only for someone else to reap the benefits. Anyone would be unwilling to ept such an oue.


    But there was nothing they could do about it¡ªthey simply didn''t have that kind of money!


    Fortunately, their goal with this n wasn''t to make money in the first ce.


    "Alright, I''ve had quite a bit of tea; I''m going to use the restroom first."


    Su Chen stood up with a smile and then walked out the door.


    Of course, he wasn''t really going to use the toilet; he intended to make a phone call.


    He found a quiet ce and then dialed a number.


    "Hall Master Nether, I was just sleeping. Don''t you know it''s very hical to disturb someone''s sweet dreams."


    A somewhatzy voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "God of Wealth, I need to speak with you!"


    Su Chen said in a deep voice.


    "Hall Master, what is it?"


    God of Wealth on the other line immediately realized that the Hall Master really had something urgent to discuss, and all sleepiness instantly vanished.


    "God of Wealth, transfer seven hundred billion US dors to my wife''s ount soon, and you two video chat. She has a business n; you help her get through the next phase!"


    Su Chen gave his instructions sinctly.


    Four hundred billion might look like a lot, but when converted into US dors, it amounted to just six or seven hundred billion. For Su Chen, that wasn''t much, after all, he was the formidable Hall Master of the Nether!


    Not to mention others, just the output from one gold mine and diamond mine he controlled was unknown annually!


    Many who wished to honor him or sought his help wouldn''t dare to speak unless they offered tens or even dozens of billions of US dors, right?


    Moreover, he had countless other sources of ie, didn''t he?


    The wealth of people like them was not something those on the rich lists couldpare with. True tycoons scorned at the idea of being on those lists.


    And how could he possibly be willing to let Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin use their enterprises, which they considered as precious as their own lives, as stakes to aid himself?


    To be honest, dealing a blow to the few major families in business was already part of Su Chen''s n.


    He had intended for the God of Wealth to take actionter on, but he hadn''t anticipated Lin Ruoxue to secretly begin without him, and in such a life-risking manner!


    But since Lin Ruoxue had already made her move, let her move. The impact wouldn''t be too significant, as this also belonged to a form of coercion!


    "Hall Master! You''re not joking with me, are you?"


    The excited voice of God of Wealth came through the phone:


    "Will I finally be able to see the esteemed Queen?"


    "God of Wealth, remember not to reveal my identity. She still doesn''t know my real identity!"


    Su Chen warned God of Wealth.


    "Alright, Hall Master, I will remember that!"


    God of Wealth still didn''t dare to defy Su Chen''s words.


    "Now go wash your face; I''ll get in touch with you in a bit."


    Su Chen ordered and hung up.


    He knew this would surely arouse Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin''s suspicions, but it was also something that couldn''t be helped, and he also nned to gradually expose Lin Ruoxue to all his affairs.


    Of course, this had to be done slowly, or it could frighten her if all spilled out at once.


    The reason for asking them to video chat was naturally for the convenience of discussing the nter on. However, for the first time, he had to mediate and introduce them to each other.


    When Su Chen re-entered the private room, Lin Ruoxue was discussing something with Su Jin. Seeing Su Chene in, they immediately stopped talking.


    "What were you discussing just now? Why stop talking when you see me?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "It''s nothing, just chatting,"


    Lin Ruoxue said somewhat shyly, her cheeks flushed with a touch of red.


    Su Jin nced at Lin Ruoxue with an ambiguous smile and said nothing.


    Su Chen didn''t pursue the question, since the thoughts of women are always somewhat elusive.


    "By the way, you don''t need to worry about the money anymore, and take back the funds of your respective groups as well."


    Sipping his tea, Su Chen casually remarked,


    "I''ve just arranged for someone to transfer seventy billion US dors shortly, Ruoxue, you just provide the ount number when the timees."


    No sooner had he finished than Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin were bothpletely stunned!


    "Husband, what nonsense are you talking about?"


    Lin Ruoxue even reached out to touch Su Chen''s forehead across from her¡ªno fever!


    "Yeah, Su Chen, are you messing with us?"


    Su Jin shook her head helplessly andined.


    It was natural for them not to believe that Su Chen had managed to secure seventy billion US dors in just one trip, which was over four trillion Huaxia currency!


    Even if Su Chen was no ordinary man, no matter how capable, it was not possible to achieve such a feat!


    They both took it as a small joke from Su Chen and didn''t take it seriously at all.


    Seeing their reaction, Su Chen could only smile helplessly, as he had guessed this would be their response.


    "Alright, you''ll know soon enough whether it''s true or not."


    Su Chen pulled out his phone and opened a secretmunication tool used internally by Nether Temple personnel.


    Of course, this tool also supported video calls.


    The greatest advantage of thismunication tool was, of course, its security¡ªall but guaranteed, with hardly anyone able to break through!


    The developer of thismunication tool, of course, was Shadow, that genius little girl.


    Su Chen tapped on the video call button, and immediately a middle-aged man with long blonde hair and blue eyes appeared on the screen, sporting a full beard which gave him quite an artistic air!


    "Hi, Mr. Miller."


    "Hi, Mr. Su."


    After an initial exchange of greetings, it was clear that Miller was the name of the God of Wealth.


    "Mr. Miller, my wife is right in front of me. I''m going to give her the phone, and she''ll give you the ount number first, then you can transfer the funds," Su Chen said afterward.


    "Besides, she has a business n. Help her review it, and if there are any issues, you two canmunicate directly."


    "Sure, no problem," the God of Wealth on the other side replied readily.


    "Okay, wife, give him the ount number first in a moment, and then send him the n you''ve made so he can take a look at it," Su Chen said with a smile, passing the phone over.


    Although their exchange was in English, Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin still understood it.


    Lin Ruoxue received the phone with a nk face,pletely bewildered about what was happening.


    Seeing how serious Su Chen had been just now, she wondered in the back of her mind: Could this be real?


    But then, she immediately dismissed the thought, thinking, how could it be possible? It was merely a fairy tale!


    "Honored Queen, oh, President Lin, I''ve long heard of your great reputation and, to my surprise, you''re even more beautiful than I''d imagined," the God of Wealth on the screen got excited to the point of nearly calling her Queen but caught himself just in time.


    Luckily, Lin Ruoxue was still dazed and didn''t notice this slip.


    "Hello, Mr. Miller," Lin Ruoxue said hesitantly to the foreigner on Su Chen''s phone screen, of course, in English.


    She thought to herself, I don''t even know you, so how can you have long admired my name?

 Chapter 695: The Two Astonished People

    "President Lin, please send over the ount details. For such arge sum of money, there must be several ounts, right?"


    The voice of the God of Wealth sounded again from the other side.


    Lin Ruoxue was utterly stunned when she heard this and couldn''t help but look at Su Chen:


    "Husband, should we really send it to him?"


    She still couldn''t believe that the other party would transfer seventy billion US dors!


    If it weren''t for the fact that Su Chen was her husband, she would have suspected that the two were part of a scamming gang!


    Su Jin, standing next to Lin Ruoxue, reacted simrly, with a look of utter bewilderment.


    "Send it!"


    Su Chen said with a smile as he nodded.


    "Alright."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded; at least she was certain of one thing: Su Chen wouldn''t harm her.


    So she subsequently sent over several specialized ount numbers.


    "President Lin, the transfer will take a bit of time. Could you send me your business n to look over? My email is..."


    The God of Wealth spoke again with a smile.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but look at Su Chen once more, considering that the n was absolutely confidential.


    "Send it, he can bepletely trusted."


    Of course, Su Chen understood Lin Ruoxue''s concern, as the God of Wealth was a total stranger to her.


    Seeing that Su Chen had said so, Lin Ruoxue didn''t say anything more and sent the encrypted document via email to the other party.


    As the file wasrge, the transfer required some time.


    While waiting, Lin Ruoxue''s mobile phone suddenly rang.


    Lin Ruoxue took out her phone and saw that it was a message.


    When she saw the message, her whole mind seemed to explode!


    That long string of zeros deeply shocked her nerves!


    Her phone number was linked to those ounts, so any movement of funds would immediately trigger an alert.


    Su Jin, seeing Lin Ruoxue''s shocked expression, seemed to realize something and quickly leaned over.


    When she saw the message, her eyes suddenly shrank!


    Su Jin silently counted the zeros, then eximed in disbelief:


    "Ten billion?!"


    What''s more, it was in US dors. In Huaxia currency, that''s six or seven hundred billion!


    Just then, the phone rang again; another message had arrived. Lin Ruoxue hurriedly opened it, and at this moment, her feelings were beyond mere shock!


    Another ten billion dors had been deposited, in US dors, of course!


    After that, nearly every minute, a new message woulde through.


    Without a doubt, each message was another ten billion US dors deposited into the ounts Lin Ruoxue had just sent to the foreigner!


    "Alright, President Lin, I''ve transferred the full seventy billion dors. You''ve received it, right?"


    At that moment, the voice of the God of Wealth was heard once again.


    "Ah, oh, I''ve received it."


    Lin Ruoxue, hearing this voice, finally came back to her senses and stammered a reply.


    At this moment, both she and Su Jin were filled with shock and awe!


    To them, it was as if they were dreaming; everything felt so unreal!


    They both couldn''t help but turn their attention to Su Chen across from them, and a gigantic question rose in their minds:


    Just who exactly was her husband (her nephew)?


    He had gone out for just a few minutes and secured several hundred billion dors?!


    Even the Five Great Familiesbined would likely be unable to aplish that!


    Lin Ruoxue had long realized that her husband was no ordinary person, and in fact, quite extraordinary.


    But as extraordinary as she presumed him to be, she could never have imagined him wielding such immense power!


    Su Jin''s thoughts were simr. It seemed that her nephew wasn''t acting impulsively against the few powerful families, but truly had the confidence to do so!


    "Why are you both staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"


    Su Chen smiled softly, of course, he knew why these two women would have this reaction.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, both women didn''t speak, only looking at him withplex gazes.


    Especially Lin Ruoxue, every time she thought she hade to understand her husband well, she would eventually realize that she actually knew very little about him!


    "Ms. Lin, I''ll look over this n first,"


    said the voice of the God of Wealth from across the table.


    "Okay, that would be great, Mr. Miller,"


    Lin Ruoxue replied, admitting to herself that she had no more doubts about that person after all the money he had transferred.


    Shortly after, the video call ended and Lin Ruoxue handed the phone back to Su Chen.


    The room suddenly became very quiet, so quiet that it was almost eerie.


    Both women looked at him intently, as if trying to see right through him.


    "Alright, stop looking at me like that. If you have any questions, just ask," Su Chen said with a chuckle, feeling somewhat ufortable.


    "Okay, then I''ll ask,"


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t beat around the bush and went straight to the point:


    "Who was that person just now?"


    "His name is Miller, a once-in-a-century business genius. Out of the top 500panies in the world, he holds shares in 300 of them," Su Chen replied nonchntly, omitting the fact that not all the money was his own.


    Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin exchanged nces after hearing this, their eyes filled with shock once again!


    Holding shares in 300 of the world''s top 500panies? That was incredibly outrageous!


    Such power was beyond imagination!


    Calling such a person a once-in-a-century business genius was not an overstatement in the least!


    "What is your rtionship with him?" Lin Ruoxue continued to inquire.


    "A friend."


    Su Chen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said:


    "However, his identity is special, so you cannot reveal his information to anyone."


    Su Jin and Lin Ruoxue both nodded. If Su Chen asked them not to tell, naturally they would keep quiet.


    "Then why would he transfer so much money to me? That doesn''t seem like something a simple friend would do, right?" Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen and asked again.


    "Because that money was originally mine!"


    Su Chenughed and said as if it were a matter of fact:


    "He is just managing it for me."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin were once again deeply shaken!


    What did he say? It was his money? How could he have so much money?


    "Alright, I''ve said about everything I can say," Su Chen waved his hand and smiled:


    "I''ll tell you about the other matters in the future."


    "Okay then."


    Lin Ruoxue, hearing his words, didn''t continue to ask. She was already satisfied with the abundance of information she received today!


    As for the rest, as he said, they would find out sooner orter.


    "By the way, wife, I will install amunication tool on yourputerter. You can use this tool to contact Miller,"


    Su Chen told Lin Ruoxue, mentioning themunication tool developed by Shadow that could be installed on bothputers and mobile phones.


    "There''s one more thing I want to mention. In your ns, you can exclude the Pei Family. They probably have nothing to do with what happened back then."


    "Are you sure about that, Xiaochen?" Su Jin immediately asked.


    "I''m sure,"


    Su Chen nodded and said...

 Chapter 696 - 696 Im Your Husband

    "Since you say so, we''ll adjust the n ordingly when the timees."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded, her eyes sparkling with determination:


    "This way, our pressure will be much lighter, and with so much money now, I''m even more confident!"


    "Exactly! If all goes well, we''ll definitely deal a heavy blow to those families!"


    Su Jin clenched her fists, too. She had waited so many years and could finally take those families down with her own hands!


    "Okay, it''s gettingte, let''s go."


    Lin Ruoxue stood up as she spoke, and Su Chen and Su Jin also got up.


    Initially walking almost side by side with Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen slowed down his pace deliberately when Su Jin tugged on his clothes from behind.


    "Aunt, what is it?" Su Chen asked curiously.


    "I''m telling you, Ruoxue is a good woman. If you dare to wrong her, I won''t let you off, brat. Do you hear me?"


    Su Jin whispered sternly.


    "Don''t worry, Aunt."


    Su Chen said, smiling.


    ....


    After that, Su Jin went back to Jinsheng Group, while Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue did not return to thepany but went straight home instead.


    Upon arriving home, Su Chen started to install that specialmunication tool on Lin Ruoxue''sputer.


    While he was installing it, Lin Ruoxue finally couldn''t help asking:


    "Honey, how do you have so much money?"


    "Of course I earned it!"


    Su Chen said naturally while continuing the instation.


    "What did you do before to earn so much money?"


    Lin Ruoxue still couldn''t believe that her husband had so much money!


    "Everything."


    "If you don''t want to say, let it be."


    Lin Ruoxue, naturally realizing that Su Chen didn''t want to tell her, said with a pout:


    "If I had known you had so much money, I wouldn''t have been so worried all these days!"


    A momentter, she asked curiously again:


    "Husband, how much money do you actually have?"


    "I don''t know either."


    Su Chen pondered before replying.


    Lin Ruoxue was nearly taken aback to the point of spitting blood; who doesn''t know how much money they have?


    What she didn''t know was that Su Chen truly had no idea; after all, he left it all to the God of Wealth to manage.


    Besides, to him, wealth didn''t hold much significance; it was just a string of numbers. Only his Cultivation Realm was fundamental!


    If you are powerful enough, what can''t you have? What does a bit of money matter?


    Themunication tool developed by Shadow was quiteplicated, and it took Su Chen half an hour to finish the instation.


    However, he didn''t immediately video call the God of Wealth, for thetter was surely still reviewing the n.


    Tomunicate, he probably had to wait until the evening.


    Afterward, the couple sat on the sofa to rest, casually chatting while eating fruit.


    For Lin Ruoxue, it was rare to have such leisure time in the afternoon, and having her husband''spany made her feelfortable; she enjoyed it.


    "Wife, don''t work so hard from now on. Isn''t it better to take more time to enjoy life?" Su Chen advised.


    "I''ll try."


    Lin Ruoxue pondered a bit and answered. Although she enjoyed moments like this, it was indeed difficult for her topletely let go of her work.


    "By the way, Husband, can you tell me who you really are?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly tilted her head, looking at Su Chen curiously.


    "I''m your husband, aren''t I?"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "ying dumb again."


    Lin Ruoxue curled her lips and said.


    "I''m not ying dumb."


    Su Chen looked into Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes and said,


    "No matter how many identities I have, the most important one to me now, is being your husband!"


    "Hmph, all talk and no substance, sweet talker!"


    Lin Ruoxue intentionally snorted, but in reality, hearing Su Chen say that made her feel incredibly sweet inside!


    And so, the two of them snuggled on the sofa, whispering to each other, asionally touching intimately without feeling the time drag on...


    "Alright, you rest for a bit, I''ll go to the market to buy some groceries."


    When it was past five o''clock, Su Chen stood up and said.


    "I''ll go with you."


    Lin Ruoxue also stood up and said.


    "You?"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue with a puzzled nce and lightly shook his head; his wife really didn''t match with the vibe of a market.


    "What''s the matter? Can''t I?"


    Seeing the look on Su Chen''s face, Lin Ruoxue immediately felt annoyed.


    "Have you ever been to a market?" Su Chen asked.


    "Of course, I have!"


    Lin Ruoxue said proudly,


    "Don''t underestimate me!"


    "How many times have you been?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue deted because, in all her life, she had only gone once, which was thest time she went to make chicken soup for Su Chen.


    "What does it matter how many times I''ve been? Are you going or not?"


    Lin Ruoxue huffed displeasedly, her attitude partly because she was unhappy with Su Chen looking down on her, and more importantly, to cover up her own sense of guilt.


    Su Chen of course noticed this point but chose not to point it out, instead he smiled and said,


    "Then let''s go, my dear wife!"


    The market wasn''t too far away, a ten-minute walk, so the two of them strolled there.


    At the market, Su Chen finally witnessed Lin Ruoxue''s "ignorance" of basic living!


    She couldn''t recognize most of themon household vegetables, let alone know their prices!


    "I''m not buying it! Let''s go home!"


    Twenty minutester, Lin Ruoxue said coldly, her face now covered in Ice Frost!


    It was no wonder she felt this way, because in those twenty minutes, Su Chen had "teased" her at least five times!


    How could Lin Ruoxue, who was always so proud, tolerate this?


    "All right, wife, calm down, calm down. I promise I won''t tease you anymore."


    Su Chen said as he carried the groceries they had bought, his other arm wrapped around Lin Ruoxue to console her.


    He actually found Lin Ruoxue quite amusing at this moment.


    Upon hearing his words, Lin Ruoxue "reluctantly" continued to browse with him.


    It was just as well; she hade to the market with good intentions to apany him, and here he was, making fun of her. Who could stand that!


    So what if I don''t recognize the vegetables? There are so many vegetables, and I''ve never seen what they look like before they''re put on the table!


    And what of not knowing the prices? It''s not like I''m short on money anyway, and besides, is everyone really going to swindle me?


    Lin Ruoxue thought indignantly to herself.


    The two of them browsed for another ten minutes or so and then left.


    Back home, Su Chen started to get ready to cook!


    Lin Ruoxue, on the other hand, sat on the sofa reading a fashion magazine, asionally stealing nces at Su Chen busy in the kitchen, feeling very content...


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but think to herself, if life could always go on like this, that wouldn''t be too bad...


    Gradually, a faint smile spread across her face, filled with satisfaction and happiness...

 Chapter 697: Can We Still Chat Happily?

    Around seven o''clock, Su Chen had dinner ready, three dishes and a soup, enough for two people to eat.


    Every time Su Chen cooked dinner, Lin Ruoxue would eat much more than usual, simply because it was too delicious!


    But after eating, she would start ming Su Chen. Why me him for delicious food?


    Of course, it was because Lin Ruoxue was afraid of gaining weight. What woman, especially a beautiful one, doesn''t wish for a perfect figure?


    As Lin Ruoxue would say, if Su Chen didn''t make the food so delicious, she wouldn''t eat so much, and then she wouldn''t have to worry about this problem!


    So, in the end, it was still his fault!


    Su Chen felt like crying but had no tears. Was making exquisite and tasty meals really a sin? Did he have to make it like pig slop instead?


    Su Chen told Lin Ruoxue that if she was concerned, she could eat less, not so much, but Lin Ruoxue argued righteously, "Because it''s so tasty, I just can''t help it!"


    Instantly, Su Chen was left with no choice but to pout, thinking, can you really me me for not being able to resist?


    But he didn''t say this out loud; what reasoning could he possibly argue with a woman about?


    Moreover, this woman was his wife.


    "It''s okay, wife, don''t worry. Whether you''re fat or thin, I''ll never despise you!"


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue, who was still looking worriedly at her belly, with a smile.


    "Yeah right, you men are all lechers!"


    Lin Ruoxue said, casting a nce at Su Chen:


    "Especially you!"


    "Wife, am I really that kind of person to you?"


    Su Chen said, quite speechless:


    "Haven''t you discovered my inner qualities yet?"


    "Yeah, as for inner qualities, you''re still a pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue hit back without mercy.


    "Okay, can we still have a pleasant conversation?"


    Su Chen felt hurt, stood up, and said:


    "I''ll go wash the dishes!"


    Then he cleared the dishes and cutlery into the kitchen with a disgruntled face.


    Lin Ruoxue watched his retreating back and burst outughing, just like a little girl...


    After a while, just as Su Chen had finished the dishes, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was God of Wealth, he answered it.


    "Mr. Miller, you''ve finished reviewing that n, right?"


    Su Chen wiped his hands and picked up the call.


    "I''ve finished it, Underworld King, and I must say, the great Queen is a business prodigy! Her n to mainly hit the opponent is just brilliant!"


    God of Wealth on the other end praised.


    "The n is feasible?" Su Chen asked.


    "Completely feasible!"


    God of Wealth dered decisively.


    "I believe you also have some suggestions for improvement, right? Alright, you two talk."


    "Of course."


    Su Chen then hung up the phone and said to Lin Ruoxue:


    "Mr. Miller has finished reviewing the business n. You can talk to him now and hear his opinions."


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue agreed.


    Her notebook was still downstairs, and then she took out her notebook and started a video call with Miller right at the dining table in the living room.


    Then, the two of them began discussing Lin Ruoxue''s n, while Su Chen sat on the sofa leisurely flipping through a magazine, with little interest in those business matters.


    Every so often when he looked up, he saw Lin Ruoxue listening like a primary school student, eagerly jotting down notes with her pen.


    Of course, she would also raise her own questions from time to time, and naturally, both of themmunicated in English.


    Although the God of Wealth could speak some Huaxianguage, it was just a few simple vocabries, far from enough for normalmunication. Fortunately, Lin Ruoxue''s English was perfectly adequate for normal conversation.


    The two of them kept on discussing endlessly, while Su Chen on the other hand was quite content, reading magazines and eating fruit.


    By eleven o''clock at night, Su Chen saw it was gettingte and wanted to tell Lin Ruoxue to stop and rest, and they could continue tomorrow.


    But Lin Ruoxue seemed to be on a roll, iming she was full of energy and not tired at all, insisting that she couldn''t sleep even if she tried.


    Su Chen curled his lips and reluctantly went back to reading magazines on the sofa.


    He understood that for Lin Ruoxue, having a conversation with the God of Wealth was a rare opportunity.


    Probably, this feeling wasn''t much different from Su Chen getting his hands on a Supreme Technique!


    Time passed by, second by second, but Lin Ruoxue''s enthusiasm did not wane in the slightest; on the contrary, it grew even stronger.


    The God of Wealth across the screen was still serious in discussing with Lin Ruoxue, providing guidance on some issues without showing any signs of impatience.


    For the God of Wealth, having such a conversation with the Queen was a huge honor indeed!


    When it reached two o''clock, Su Chen saw that Lin Ruoxue was still not willing to stop, her spirits high, so he directly closed herptop for her!


    Lin Ruxue had no choice but to pout and stop, although she was still not quite satisfied.


    "Alright, don''t be unhappy now. You''ll have plenty of chances tomunicateter on. Whenever you want to talk, you can,"


    Su Chen said as he wrapped his arm around Lin Ruoxue and headed upstairs.


    "Really?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    "Of course, he''s my friend after all!"


    Su Chen said with augh as he pushed open the bedroom door:


    "How did the discussion go today?"


    "The gain was really huge!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, Lin Ruoxue''s eyes immediately shone with an ardent gleam:


    "After Mr. Miller''s refinements, I''m absolutely confident in the n, as long as there are no major surprises! There''s definitely no issue!"


    "And that''s not all, through my conversation with Miller, many of the questions that used to trouble me seem to have found answers!"


    "That''s good then,"


    Su Chen answered indifferently with a smile, the result was exactly what he had expected.


    "Husband, do you think I should ask Mr. Miller to be my mentor? His insights into business are just so admirable,"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with some anticipation, worried that proposing this request all of a sudden might seem abrupt, so she wanted to hear Su Chen''s opinion first.


    "Forget about bing a disciple, he wouldn''t dare to take you as his apprentice, but you can ask him questions anytime you have them,"


    Su Chen said casually, jokingly, letting Miller take his wife as a disciple was not something the God of Wealth would dare to do.


    After all, his wife was the Queen, and if he took her on, he probably wouldn''t be able to sleepfortably at night.


    "Alright, it''ste, let''s rest,"


    Su Chen said with a suggestive smile, his gaze roaming yfully over Lin Ruoxue.


    "You really are a shameless rogue!"


    Lin Ruoxue caught Su Chen''s gaze and understood his intention, retorting with a bashful chide.


    Su Chen didn''t refute but instead proved Lin Ruoxue''s words with actions. He swept her into his arms,id her on the bed, and then kissed her...


    Perhaps because Lin Ruoxue was in such a good mood that evening, unusually, she did not insist that Su Chen shower first¡­

 Chapter 698: The Most Important Thing

    Because she had gone to bed sotest night, plus being tossed around twice by Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue didn''t wake up until almost nine in the morning the next day.


    When she turned her head, she saw Su Chen smiling at her, while her own arm was still tightly wrapped around him.


    "Good morning, wife."


    "Morning, husband."


    Lin Ruoxue repliednguidly and then burrowed into Su Chen''s embrace a bit more, continuing to squint her eyes, just like a little kitten.


    Seeing her like this, Su Chen got an itch to tease.


    "Wife, how about we do some morning exercises?"


    Su Chen suggested with a smile as he looked at Lin Ruoxue, then flipped over and pressed his body on top of hers.


    "Ah! Husband, don''t!"


    Lin Ruoxue quickly eximed in rm.


    "What do you mean, don''t?"


    Su Chen hooked up the corner of his mouth with a naughty smile and said:


    "I know women always say one thing and mean another, saying no when they actually mean yes."


    With that, Su Chen bent down and kissed Lin Ruoxue...


    "Mmm, mmm~~~"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately struggled, trying to break free.


    But how could a woman like her resist Su Chen?


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to "submit"...


    "And you say you''re not a lech!"


    More than half an hourter, Lin Ruoxue, teeth itching with resentment, looked at Su Chen, who sat on the edge of the bed, full of pride and smoking a cigarette.


    If she could beat him, she would definitely give him a left hook and a right cross, just to teach him a lesson for always picking on her!


    "Food and sex are man''s nature! These were words spoken by Confucius himself."


    Su Chen shamelessly retorted:


    "If even the sage could say something like this, what about a mere mortal like me?"


    "Twisted logic!"


    Lin Ruoxue muttered with a pout.


    She had nned to rest her eyes for a bit more before getting up, but this guy had worn her out, and she felt as if she had no energy left, so she had to rest a little longer.


    "Alright, I''ll go make breakfast now."


    After finishing his cigarette, Su Chen stood up and said.


    "It''s 10 o''clock, what breakfast?"


    Lin Ruoxue said irritably; aside from being sick, she had neverzed in bed thiste!


    "True, then I''ll just make lunch."


    Su Chenughed,pletely ignoring Lin Ruoxue''s raging anger!


    Once Su Chen left the room, Lin Ruoxue buried her head under the covers.


    "Doing that kind of thing in broad daylight, how embarrassing!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s shy voice soon came from under the quilt...


    At this moment, Su Chen was already bustling about in the kitchen, wearing a satisfied smile on his face.


    Around eleven in the morning, Lin Ruoxue came downstairs, her expression not as pleasant as before, but filled with a trace of resentment.


    "Wife, have a seat for a bit, lunch will be ready soon."


    Hearing the footsteps, Su Chen casually spoke.


    Soon after, Su Chen finished making lunch, and they started eating together.


    After lunch, Su Chen headed to thepany, while Lin Ruoxue chose not to go out.


    She hadn''t nned to go to the office that day; instead, she wanted to finalize her ns with Mr. Miller and get started in the next day or two.


    Once Su Chen arrived at thepany, he sat down, had a cup of tea, and then made a phone call to Pei Man.


    "Su Chen, what made you think of calling me today?"


    As soon as the call connected, Pei Man''s ethereal voice came through.


    "Pei Man, shouldn''t we go on a date? After all, we''re boyfriend and girlfriend!"


    Su Chen said with augh.


    "You still know we are boyfriend and girlfriend, huh!"


    Pei Man teased over the phone.


    Su Chen didn''t mind; after all, the two were just putting on an act, obviously intended to draw out Shen Shao.


    On one hand, it was to affect the Shen Family, and on the other, naturally, it was to show Shen Lin, since the information about that mysterious person was still in his possession.


    "Do you have time today? I''lle and pick you up," Su Chen asked.


    "Sure, I''ll wait for you outside the main gate."


    Pei Man didn''t y coy and agreed straightforwardly.


    After finishing the call with Pei Man, Su Chen drove to the Pei Familypound.


    By the time he arrived, Pei Man was already there, waiting. Seeing him get out of the car, she smiled at him.


    The moment Su Chen saw Pei Man, his eyes lit up.


    Pei Man was wearing a pink sleeveless round-neck red dress today, her slender, lotus-root-like, snowy arms exposed to the air.


    The upper part of the dress featuredce embroidery with a subtle beauty, while the lower half was adorned with feathery fringes that flounced out, centered with a quaint waist design!


    This pink dress seemed tailor-made for Pei Man, perfectly highlighting her graceful figure and beautiful curves, and exuding an elegant and enchanting demeanor.


    What''s more special was that Pei Man, who never wore any jewelry, had on a pair of earrings and a fine amber-gold ne today.


    Although the jewelry was minimalistic, it yed a significant role in enhancing her beauty, adding to her vivacity and extraordinariness without a hint of being superfluous.


    Clearly, Pei Man had dressed up with great care today.


    "Have you been waiting long?"


    Su Chen walked up to her and said.


    "No, I''ve only juste out a few minutes ago."


    Pei Man smiled.


    "You look very beautiful today!"


    Su Chen sincerelyplimented Pei Man.


    "A woman dresses up for the one who admires her!"


    Pei Man tilted her head to look at Su Chen andughed.


    Su Chen, upon hearing this, showed a trace of embarrassment on his face, not knowing how to respond.


    "Alright, let''s go."


    Seeing his expression, Pei Man gave a suppressed smile.


    "Hmm."


    Su Chen walked behind Pei Man and pushed her wheelchair forward, all the way to his car.


    Then he opened the car door, picked up Pei Man, and she naturally looped her arm around his neck¡ªperhaps intentionally.


    Su Chen carefully ced Pei Man in the passenger seat, then folded her wheelchair and stowed it in the trunk.


    "Did you ask me out today because you have something nned?"


    Once the car started moving, Pei Man asked casually.


    "Not at all, just that it''s been so long since west met; I''ve been rather negligent as a boyfriend!"


    Su Chen joked.


    "So, what are we going to do?"


    "I don''t know, do you have any good suggestions?"


    Su Chen turned slightly to ask, genuinely clueless about what they should do.


    "Since we''re boyfriend and girlfriend, of course, we should do what normal couples do."


    "Like what?"


    "Like having meals, shopping, watching movies!"


    Pei Man said with some excitement; she was actually looking forward to these ordinary life activities.


    Regrettably, it seemed that no one had ever apanied her like this as she grew up.


    "It sounds like you''ve forgotten the most important thing."


    Su Chen said, chuckling upon hearing Pei Man''s words.


    "Are you talking about getting a room?"


    Pei Man nced at Su Chen, her beautiful eyes twinkling with a bright smile...

 Chapter 699: The First Time Watching a Movie

    When Su Chen heard this, his old face actually turned red all at once because he had indeed just been thinking about renting a room.


    For a couple, dining, shopping, watching movies, and renting a room are the most normal things to do.


    So after hearing Pei Man mention the first three, he jokingly said that she had missed one thing.


    But he hadn''t expected that Pei Man would actually say that word he was somewhat embarrassed to mention, and in such a casual and natural manner.


    "No way, am I that sleazy?"


    Su Chenughed it off, joking. Even if he was really thinking about it, he couldn''t admit it!


    If Ruoxue were here at this moment, she would definitely say without hesitation¡ª You are!


    "Actually, if you want, I don''t mind."


    Pei Man said with a light smile.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen was stunned for a moment, his hand shook, and he almost hit the nearby railing.


    "You''re joking, right?"


    Su Chen asked hesitantly.


    "If you think so, then sure."


    Pei Man said nomittally.


    "I know, you must be!"


    Su Chen asserted, not sure whether he was speaking to Pei Man or to himself.


    He couldn''t believe that Pei Man really wanted to go rent a room with him; after all, they were just acting!


    But he had forgotten a saying, "Life imitates art; truth and fiction are often just a fine line apart!"


    After Su Chen said this, the two of them fell silent for a moment, and the air seemed a bit off, but not noticeably so.


    "How about we go watch a movie instead?"


    After a while, Su Chen said, since he couldn''t think of anything else to do.


    "Sure, I''ve never been to a movie theater before."


    Pei Man said, a spark of excitement in her eyes.


    She thought, going to a movie with him might be a nice experience as well.


    "What, really? You''ve never been to a movie theater?"


    Su Chen said in astonishment, his face showing a hint of disbelief.


    "It''s quite normal. Firstly, there was no one suitable to go with, and secondly, my leg..."


    Pei Man said calmly, but the hint of sadness in her eyes was caught by Su Chen just as he turned his head.


    "Actually, I''ve never been to a movie theater either."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "You''re not just trying tofort me, are you?"


    Pei Man clearly didn''t quite believe Su Chen''s words, as it was too incredible for a man in his twenties like Su Chen to have never been to a movie theater.


    "Do you need myfort?"


    Su Chen said, his lips curling into a smile.


    Of course, he was telling the truth. All these years, he had either been with the Eighth Brigade or adventuring in the Dark World.


    Watching movies? He simply hadn''t had the leisure or the mood for it!


    "Then fine, let''s treat today as our first time then!"


    Pei Man said, smiling happily.


    "That''s something that can easily be misunderstood!"


    Su Chen said, but as soon as he finished speaking, he somewhat wished he could smack his own mouth for being so loose-tongued!


    As expected, Pei Man, usually so strong-minded, blushed slightly upon hearing this remark.


    Su Chen then drove straight to a cinema in the city center.


    Of course, there was always a car following behind them, which both Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue were well aware of.


    For Su Chen, this was all meant to be seen by others.


    But for Pei Man, whether this was the case was not so certain.


    After the two arrived at the cinema, Pei Man saw couples purchasing popcorn, drinks, and other snacks and then said:


    "Go and get some for me as well."


    Su Chen naturally had no objection and briskly pushed Pei Man to buy arge bucket of popcorn and a bottle of orange juice, though he needed none for himself.


    At this moment, Pei Man felt quite curious; after all, this was her first visit to a cinema.


    "What movie shall we watch?"


    The two stared at the movie posters and felt somewhat indecisive, as they were both the type who hardly ever watched films.


    Recently, the cinema had organized a program of ssic film reviews, meaning they would show some ssic old movies.


    "Let''s watch this one then."


    Pei Man looked for a while and then pointed at one of the posters.


    Su Chen followed her finger and saw that the poster featured two women and a man. Both women were quite beautiful, though one had a slightlyrger mouth, which bestowed her with a unique charm.


    "''My Best Friend''s Wedding''? Alright, looks fine, let''s go with that."


    Su Chen shrugged indifferently.


    Su Chen then went to buy tickets. After purchasing them, there were still about fifteen minutes before they could enter, so they waited at the entrance with others.


    At that moment, a man wearing a baseball cap also bought the same ticket.


    Su Chen nced at him then quickly moved on, as if the man did not exist.


    Soon, they started to enter. Su Chen pushed Pei Man forward, although there were seats for people with disabilities, Su Chen did not let Pei Man sit there.


    Pei Man just smiled slightly, knowing that Su Chen was considering her feelings; she herself did not really mind.


    Unlike others, Pei Man was not afraid of being treated specially or being seen as an anomaly because of her disability.


    Pei Man was quite open about it, seeing it as an objective fact that there was no need to shy away from.


    However, Su Chen''s subtle sensitivity did make her somewhat happy, as it at least showed that he cared about her feelings.


    People with disabilities seldom went to cinemas, so when Su Chen pushed Pei Man in, they naturally drew many people''s attention.


    Perhaps initially, they felt curiosity or sympathy, or something else, but upon seeing this woman''s appearance, they were immediately astonished!


    Although the lighting inside the cinema was dim, allowing only a faint rity, it was enough to leave people feeling shocked!


    Su Chen and Pei Man were both indifferent to others'' gazes. Su Chen directly pushed Pei Man towards their seats.


    It must be said, Pei Man''s wheelchair was especially good, barely affected even when moving down small steps.


    Upon reaching their seats, Su Chen first lifted Pei Man out of her wheelchair and ced her in the seat, then folded the wheelchair and sat down beside her.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but nce at Pei Man next to him, watching her eat popcorn and drink orange juice, which felt somewhat incongruent.


    But Pei Man seemed very happy, and indeed she was.


    For her, this was apletely new experience, especially with Su Chen''spany.


    At that moment, she seemed to exude a bit more of a little girl''s air, and Su Chen couldn''t help thinking that perhaps this was how she should be, or the life she should lead at her age...

 Chapter 700: Bastard

    She took on a lot of extra burdens that shouldn''t have been hers to bear.


    Considering her own background, her heart mustn''t have been that light over all these years, even though she usually seemed as carefree as a drifting cloud.


    Soon after they took their seats, the movie began to y.


    Su Chen noticed that the man with a duckbill cap was sitting right behind them to the side, it was obvious that he had intentionally bought that particr seat.


    "I didn''t expect it to be quite interesting."


    After watching for a while, Pei Man softly said to Su Chen beside her.


    "Mhm."


    Su Chen nodded in agreement.


    The plot of the movie was actually not thatplex, it told a story like this:


    Julianne and Michael were a pair of good friends, who made a pact before graduating:


    If they were still single by the age of 28, then it would be confirmed that they were meant for each other, and they would marry.


    After graduation, they kept in touch, Julianne thought it was just friendship.


    However, Michael''s wedding news woke her up like from a dream¡ªrealizing she had always been in love with him, and now feeling intense jealousy and heartache that left her restless.


    Julianne decided to change everything, she concocted one hrious "scheme" after another, causing Michael''s fianc¨¦e to be publicly embarrassed and driving a wedge between their rtionship.


    Of course, the main attraction of the first part of the movie was those hrious "schemes," and Pei Man, holding a bucket of popcorn, was thoroughly enjoying it, sometimes even bursting intoughter, evidently delighted.


    "Do you think they''ll end up together in the end?"


    Pei Man suddenly asked Su Chen.


    "I don''t know."


    Su Chen shook his head; although he was watching, he naturally wouldn''t immerse himself in it like Pei Man¡ªa difference perhaps inherent between men and women.


    Ultimately, women are emotional creatures, and Pei Man was no exception.


    "Do you hope they get together?"


    Pei Man asked again.


    "It doesn''t matter, it''s just a movie anyway."


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    "So boring!"


    Pei Man pursed her lips in disappointment.


    Pei Man had also called Shen Shao "so boring," when she really found him dull and uninteresting.


    But when she called Su Chen boring now, it sounded more like she was yfully pouting.


    Then, the two fell silent again, watching the movie, but halfway through, a series of noises came from behind them.


    Su Chen and Pei Man both turned their heads to look, and instantly, they faced an awkward moment!


    Because the couple behind them seemed to be doing things that lovers do; the woman was already sitting on the man''sp, with her own seat empty!


    The low panting noises seemed to tantalize their nerves, especially Pei Man, whose face had already turned beet red, for she had never witnessed such a bold show yed out right before her eyes.


    Fortunately, it was dark enough here that not many could see them.


    Then they realized that it wasn''t just this couple¡ªmany areas in the cinema were enacting simr scenes!


    "I finally understand why couples like to watch movies so much."


    Su Chen chuckled in sudden realization:


    "So it turns out, ''The old drunkard''s intent isn''t on the wine!''"


    After hearing what Su Chen said, Pei Man chose to stay silent¡ªafter all, what could she, a woman, say about that?


    "Pei Man, since it''s like this, let''s not waste this precious opportunity!"


    Su Chen then whispered in Pei Man''s ear:


    "There''s someone who''s been watching us from behind the whole time."


    Pei Man nodded subtly, clearly understanding Su Chen''s meaning.


    Immediately, Su Chen turned and kissed Pei Man. After a brief moment of adjustment, she responded, her hands slowly wrapping around his neck, seeming very invested...


    The kisssted for nearly ten minutes, until Pei Man felt her head was somewhatcking oxygen. Only then did Su Chen stop.


    They weren''t a real couple, of course, so they wouldn''t go overboard like other couples might.


    However, it was certain that they had mutual affection for each other.


    Afterward, they continued watching the movie as if nothing had happened.


    Su Chen genuinely acted as if nothing was amiss, while Pei Man only seemed to do so, but how could her heart truly be free of ripples?


    Another hour passed, and the movie was nearing its end¡ªthe movements in every corner of the theater gradually came to a halt.


    Unexpectedly, this romance-themed love movie ended with a touch of tragedy.


    In the end, the heroine couldn''t end up with the male lead; he went back to his fianc¨¦e!


    It has to be said that the director had a bit of a manipting intent, but it also left the audience feeling somewhat wistful.


    Thisedic movie made one inevitably contemte the question¡ªwhat exactly is love?


    Perhaps it was this somewhat reversed ending that made this otherwise not-so-outstanding movie into a ssic.


    "If it were me, I wouldn''t have given them the chance to miss each other in the first ce,"


    Pei Man suddenly said to Su Chen with a meaningful look.


    "It''s just a movie, don''t take it too seriously."


    Su Chenughed off-handedly, not pondering deeply on Pei Man''s words.


    The movie ended soon after, and Su Chen didn''t leave immediately. Instead, he waited until most people had left before putting Pei Man back in her wheelchair and pushing her out.


    "How do you feel, are you happy?"


    After leaving, Su Chen asked as he looked down.


    "I''m very happy."


    A glow emerged on Pei Man''s stunning face:


    "Join me again next time when you''re free."


    "No problem,"


    Su Chen readily agreed without a second thought.


    "Where are we going now?"


    Pei Man asked casually.


    "How about we go to a hotel?"


    Su Chen''s eyes suddenly brightened as he spoke.


    Upon hearing this, Pei Man immediately tensed up¡ªsurely he didn''t really want to book a room with her?!


    But after all, Pei Man was no ordinary person; with a quick thought, she understood Su Chen''s real intentions.


    "Are you sure?"


    Pei Man couldn''t help but ask.


    Su Chen nodded in response.


    Pei Man immediately understood¡ªSu Chen was preparing to take real action!


    "Then let''s go,"


    Pei Man said softly.


    Since Su Chen had made up his mind, she was willing to cooperate.


    The two didn''t go to fetch their car but instead walked to a nearby Five-Star Level hotel and booked a luxury suite!


    The man in the duckbill cap who had been following behind witnessed this scene and his pupils suddenly constricted.


    He didn''t dare to dy for a second, immediately sending this important piece of information to Shen Shao, along with several photos of the pair entering the hotel.


    "Bastard!"


    When Shen Shao saw the information and the photos, he suddenly stood up from his chair, grabbing a purple y teapot from the table and smashing it to the ground!


    The teapot shattered immediately, its fragments flying everywhere...

 Chapter 701 - 701 How do you plan to compensate

    At this moment, Shen Shao was absolutely furious. He felt as though there was a raging fire burning at his Dantian, a fire that seemed as if it wouldpletely incinerate him into dust!


    He had already found it unbearable when he saw Su Chen and Pei Man being intimately close before. After all, in his eyes, Pei Man had always been his woman!


    But considering their special identities and backgrounds, despite the surging rage within his heart, he still forced himself to endure it!


    But now, the two of them had actually gone to a hotel together!


    What could they possibly be doing in a hotel? Even an idiot would know ¨C they certainly weren''t too tired and checking into a room to rest, were they?


    Besides, everyone has a mentality that unconsciously skews towards the worst-case scenario. At this moment, Shen Shao could already picture the indecent acts the two might be doing on the hotel bed!


    This hadpletely crossed his bottom line!


    If he could tolerate something like this, could he, Shen Shao, still be considered a man?!


    "Night Shadow!"


    Shen Shao called out coldly.


    Soon after, a door in the secret room of his study opened, and a man with an expressionless face walked in.


    "Now, you may go and do what you''ve always wanted to," Shen Shao said, his face grim as he looked at the man in his thirties opposite him.


    "Yes!"


    The expressionless man immediately answered upon hearing the order, his eyes gleaming with excited light!


    In his heart, for that young man who had stirred up trouble in Yandu at barely past twenty, he felt unreconciled.


    Because he too was a prodigious figure. In his thirties, he had already glimpsed that threshold that very few could see!


    Although he rarely showed any emotions, such a prodigious talent was naturally proud.


    He had long wanted to meet that young man, to see if he was truly as impressive as rumored.


    He had brought it up twice, but for some reason, Shen Shao never permitted him to take action, which also left him seething inside!


    But since Shen Shao didn''t agree, he could only wait, hoping that one day Shen Shao would give his consent.


    Little did he expect that day toe so soon!


    To be honest, for someone with his level of cultivation, logically, he wouldn''t be serving someone like Shen Shao, let alone a Young Master. He should be serving someone of the stature of the Family Head of one of the Four Great Families, at least.


    However, a few years back, Shen Shao had fortuitously saved his sister, and to repay that debt, he willingly served under Shen Shao!


    During their time together, he found that Shen Shao indeed had the makings of someone destined for great undertakings, so he devoted himself to following Shen Shao wholeheartedly.


    "Night Shadow, safety first. Even if you can''t take down that person, you must ensure your own safety," Shen Shao advised with some concern.


    He knew all too well the value of a Martial Arts expert like Night Shadow ¨C he was Shen Shao''s trump card!


    He would rather let go of Su Chen, his arch-nemesis, than risk Night Shadowing to any harm.


    Therefore, for years, he had rarely tasked Night Shadow with anything, so no one knew of Night Shadow''s existence, probably not even Grandfather Shen Mingchang.


    "Rest assured, Young Master,"


    Night Shadow still answered expressionlessly, though he didn''t take Shen Shao''s words to heart.


    He never believed that the young man could pose any threat to him!


    "The Late Stage of Qi Refinement Peak? Perhaps in the eyes of others, that is a formidable existence. But s, I still don''t regard it highly," Night Shadow thought to himself, then exited the secret room.


    After Night Shadow left, only Shen Shao remained in the study. The image of Su Chen and Pei Man at the hotel kept surfacing in his mind!


    Of course, all these were figments of Shen Shao''s imagination; the person tailing them couldn''t possibly hear or capture the sounds and visuals inside a hotel suite.


    Every time he thought of this, his heart felt as though it was being viciously stabbed. He desperately wanted to stop thinking about it, but somehow, he couldn''t control himself!


    At that moment, his face was filled with murderous aura, as if he were about to devour someone!


    But were Su Chen and Pei Man really entangled in a wild romp through the sheets at the hotel, as Shen Shao had imagined?


    Of course not. The two of them hadn''t even touched the bed. They just sat nicely on the sofa, and not even together. Su Chen was on the couch, while Pei Man sat in one of the armchairs.


    If Shen Shao had seen this, one wonders if he would have been angered to death by his own stupidity, or if he should be relieved that the two hadn''t done what he imagined.


    At this moment, the two were sitting in a suite at the hotel, like old friends casually drinking tea and chatting.


    "What do you think Shen Shao is doing right now?"


    Su Chen suddenly asked with a mischievous smile on his face.


    "Aren''t you well aware of what he''s doing?"


    Pei Man nced at Su Chen and said:


    "You really are bad!"


    "Where have I been bad? Pretending to be lovers was your idea, wasn''t it?"


    Su Chen shamelessly retorted.


    "But I didn''t tell you to take me to a hotel."


    Pei Man joked back:


    "Tell me, how are you going topensate for my lost innocence?"


    "I do owe you an apology for this. You tell me, how would you like to bepensated."


    Su Chen smiled apologetically:


    "As long as you don''t ask me to offer myself, anything goes!"


    "Shouldn''t that line be mine?"


    Pei Man alsoughed, then tilted her head to say.


    "It''s all the same, all the same."


    Su Chen chuckled.


    "Fine, if you really feel sorry for me, then answer a question for me."


    "Alright."


    Su Chen nodded. He had already guessed what Pei Man was going to ask.


    "Are you really nning to make a move on those major families?"


    Pei Man looked into Su Chen''s eyes and asked. In fact, she had sensed this when Su Chen suddenly proposed going to the hotel today. She just wanted to hear it directly from Su Chen.


    "Indeed, I am starting with the business empires of the other Four Great Families in the next few days."


    Su Chen said seriously:


    "But don''t worry; the Pei Family is already out of the n and won''t be affected at all."


    "What, you''re going to make a move in the business world?"


    Pei Man was stunned. She hadn''t expected Su Chen to take action in this arena.


    "Su Chen, each of the Five Great Families has a business empire. Your n seems a bit difficult, doesn''t it?"


    Pei Man said with some concern. Su Chen was mysterious and powerful, but his mystery and strength were unrted to business.


    Even with the addition of Belle Corporation and Jinsheng Group, it probably wouldn''t be enough.


    "Don''t worry, there won''t be any problems. This time, those families will certainly suffer a severe blow to their Yuan Qi!"


    Su Chen stated, his face bearing a confident expression...

 Chapter 702: Taking the Play Seriously

    Pei Man looked at Su Chen''s confident demeanor and nodded slightly, choosing to trust him.


    Although she didn''t know where Su Chen''s confidence came from, she knew that he was not a blindly optimistic person; he must have a solid foundation to dare to say such a thing.


    This actually piqued her curiosity about Su Chen even more. Who exactly was he, and why did he have such confidence?


    "By the way, Su Chen, if you really n to take action against the major families, I suggest you don''tpletely let the Pei Family off the hook. At least make it look convincing."


    A momentter, Pei Man said, then nced at Su Chen:


    "You should understand the reasoning behind this."


    "Okay, I''ll do as you say," he replied.


    Su Chen nodded slightly. On one hand, Pei Man didn''t want the Pei Family to stand apart from the rest, and on the other, this could confuse the other families in some ways.


    Of course, as Pei Man had said, he wouldn''t really go after them; it was just by the way.


    He would have to tell Lin Ruoxue about this when he returned, but it wouldn''t really affect the n she had nearlypleted.


    "By the way, there''s something I''m not sure whether I should ask," Su Chen pondered aloud.


    "After you''ve taken liberties with me a few times, why suddenly be so polite?"


    Pei Man looked at Su Chen, with a teasing smile tugging at her lips.


    Even with Su Chen''s thick skin, he felt rather embarrassed by herment.


    "This... This..."


    He stumbled over his words, unable to articte anything.


    "Pfft!"


    Pei Man burst intoughter upon seeing his awkwardness, looking incredibly beautiful as if pear blossoms were blooming.


    "Alright, just ask whatever it is, no need to hem and haw," she said, still smiling.


    "This... I actually wanted to ask, do you know some secrets of the Five Great Families that others don''t?"


    Su Chen''s real intention in asking this was to see if Pei Man was aware of some underlying matters rted to the Five Great Families.


    "I really don''t know about that," Pei Man shook her head and said.


    "I was just asking casually," Su Chen frowned slightly. Actually, this answer was within his expectations; perhaps such matters were only known to the Family Heads of those families.


    He had thought that due to Pei Man''s special status within the Pei Family, she might know something. However, the result turned out to be a disappointment.


    "Alright, it''s been over two hours, we should get going!" Su Chen didn''t linger on the topic and stood up, smiling as he spoke.


    As soon as he said this, Pei Man became somewhat bashful because of the possible innuendo in his words.


    Just as Su Chen was about to escort Pei Man out, he suddenly felt something was off. He walked over to Pei Man, crouched down next to her, and then abruptly reached out to grab the hem of her pink dress and violently tore it!


    "Rip!"


    "Ah!"


    A sound immediately rang out, and Pei Man''s dress was torn from the bottom, all the way up above her knee.


    Pei Man was also startled by Su Chen''s sudden action and let out a cry of shock!


    "Now, that looks about right!"


    Su Chenughed and then slightly adjusted the torn area, re-covering Pei Man''s legs.


    "Oh, almost forgot something."


    Suddenly, a sh crossed Su Chen''s eyes. He took off his jacket and then unfastened all the buttons of his shirt, refastened them, making sure to button one wrong on purpose.


    At this moment, Pei Man instantly understood why Su Chen did this. Her face couldn''t help but show a faint blush. As she spent more time with Su Chen, she found herself blushing more often.


    "Alright, we can go now."


    Su Chen said, smiling.


    "You''re so naughty!"


    Pei Man said somewhat shyly yet amusedly, impressed by his cunning.


    "Acting, right? Of course, it has to look real!"


    Su Chen didn''t care and curled his lips as he spoke.


    While speaking, Su Chen began pushing Pei Man out, believing that the man in the duckbill cap must still be waiting somewhere in the hotel.


    At the moment, Pei Man wasn''t thinking about this; her mind was upied by what she had caught a glimpse of when Su Chen unbuttoned his shirt! Even though Su Chen quickly buttoned up again, she had still seen the crisscrossed scars covering his body!


    She was profoundly shocked at that moment, not expecting to see so many scars on this man!


    How did he get all these scars?


    How on earth did someone survive after sustaining so many injuries?


    What exactly had he been through?


    Despite the intense shock and the multitude of questions, Pei Man didn''t show it, and she managed to regain herposure as Su Chen got dressed.


    However, these feelings of shock and questions didn''t vanish; instead, she buried them deep in her heart.


    She found that the more she interacted with this man, the more she wanted to understand him!


    He was like a mystery that she could never unravel, drawing her in more and more!


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Pei Man to harbor so many thoughts. He had started to see Pei Man as a good friend, so he didn''t avoid her much just now.


    In Su Chen''s opinion, even if she saw the scars, it didn''t matter; it wasn''t a big deal...


    When Su Chen pushed Pei Man back into the hotel lobby, a casual nce revealed the man in the duckbill cap sitting on a lobby sofa, pretending to read a newspaper.


    But his gaze swept over Su Chen and Pei Man in the corner of his eye...


    Su Chen treated him as if he was air, took care of the check at the front desk, and then left with Pei Man.


    Since the car was parked downstairs at the movie theater, Su Chen went to retrieve it first, and then drove Pei Man back home.


    The man in the duckbill cap naturally followed them, maintaining a distance of several hundred meters.


    In the car, he immediately reported to Shen Shao the information about the two leaving the hotel, including details like Pei Man''s skirt being torn and Su Chen buttoning his shirt wrong.


    After hearing the report, Shen Shao became even more convinced of his suspicions. Besides going to do "that kind of thing," what else could they have done?


    It must be said, details like these could indeed inspire even wilder spections.


    At this moment, Shen Shao was so angry he had only one thought: he wanted to kill someone!


    Su Chen''s Buick was driving through the streets of Yandu, a satisfied smile on his face.


    He believed that after today''s events, Shen Shao would definitely take action.


    Even if he was capable of enduring, this sort of thing was likely too much to bear!


    He was pleased, but Pei Man sitting next to him was having trouble looking at her torn skirt.


    If she went back like this and was seen, what would she say?

 Chapter 703: Bumping Into Each Other

    Pei Man thought about it for a while but couldn''te up with any good solutions, so she gave up, hoping that when she enteredter, she wouldn''t run into any family members. It would still be okay if the servants saw.


    In fact, she hadn''t realized this problem at the beginning, but as she was about to get home, it urred to her.


    At this moment, she couldn''t help but look at Su Chen''s well-defined annoying face with a bit of resentment, her heart slightly angry!


    It was all because of this guy, he had it easy, but made her "embarassed."


    "What''s the matter? Why are you staring at me like that?"


    Su Chen felt Pei Man''s gaze on him and couldn''t help turning his head to ask.


    "Nothing, just looking around."


    Pei Man said casually, not sharing her dilemma with him.


    Su Chen''s car soon stopped in the Pei Family''s courtyard, Su Chen first set up the wheelchair, and then picked up Pei Man.


    "Okay, I''ll go in first."


    Pei Man adjusted the part of her dress that Su Chen had torn, at least now it wasn''t so noticeable.


    "Shouldn''t we have a kiss goodbye?"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, his gaze seeming to aim in a certain direction.


    When Pei Man heard this, she was slightly stunned, thinking to herself, weren''t the antics at the hotel enough, did they need to perform this as well?


    She was quite suspicious that Su Chen was just making excuses to take advantage of her!


    "Wuu wuu wuu~~~"


    While she was still thinking, Su Chen had unexpectedly kissed her.


    A few seconds into her surprise, Pei Man seemed to start responding...


    "What are you two doing?"


    Suddenly, a shocked and aged voice rang out behind them.


    Su Chen was startled and quickly let go of Pei Man, then both of them turned to look in the direction of the voice!


    This nce scared both of them, because the person who had spoken was none other than the Pei patriarch!


    "What is this...?"


    The Pei patriarch had just returned from dealing with affairs outside, but he didn''t expect toe to the entrance of the courtyard and witness this scene!


    He was immediately shocked, his blood pressure rising and his heartbeat quickening!


    This was Pei Man after all, the person he valued most in the family. If it had been someone else, it might have been fine!


    He had agreed for Pei Man to support Su Chen in her own way, but he hadn''t expected their rtionship to develop like this!


    Although he had noticed that Pei Man seemed to have a fondness for Su Chen before, this was too fast, wasn''t it?!


    If he hadn''t witnessed this scene, maybe his shock would have been less, but he had seen their intimate moment with his own eyes, and he was finding it hard to ept.


    The Pei patriarch''s gaze suddenly sharpened as he noticed a long tear in Pei Man''s dress, and then he saw how Su Chen''s shirt buttons were done up wrong!


    He immediately felt a surge of Blood Qi, trembling as he pointed at the tear in Pei Man''s skirt and then at Su Chen''s shirt cor:


    "What on earth have you two done?"


    As the Pei patriarch spoke, he could barely stand steady, lucky for the people with him who helped to steady him and calm his breath.


    Su Chen also felt extremely awkward and didn''t know how to exin for a moment.


    And Pei Man waspletely flustered. She obviously understood where the Pei patriarch''s thoughts were going, but in this situation, with the man who was following them still likely around, it wasn''t a good time to exin!


    Pei Man was also very frustrated. Thest time Su Chen took liberties with her, Pei Jian and Pei Song had seen it, and this time, it was the grandfather catching them¡ªwhy did it always have to be at such a critical moment?


    Last time, after Pei Jian and Pei Song witnessed it, she had made them keep the incident a secret, so the Pei patriarch had no idea of what was going on between her and Su Chen, which is why he had been so agitated just now!


    "Grandpa, let''s go inside and talk."


    Since Grandpa had stumbled upon them, they had to exin the matter to him, Pei Man sent aplicated nce his way.


    "All right, then let''s go inside and talk,"


    After seeing the look in Pei Man''s eyes, the old Pei patriarch realized slightly that things might not be as simple and snorted coldly.


    "And you,e inside as well."


    The old Pei patriarch said to Su Chen, his tone not so friendly anymore.


    Hearing this, Su Chen could only touch his nose and follow them inside, since he had, after all, been disrespectful to the other''s granddaughter!


    It didn''t take long for everyone to arrive at the old Pei patriarch''s study. Once the old man had closed the door firmly, he immediately asked,


    "What exactly is going on with you two?"


    The old Pei patriarch''s gaze kept moving between Pei Man''s skirt and Su Chen''s shirt, which made both of them feel very embarrassed!


    "Old Mr. Pei, don''t get the wrong impression. The rtionship between me and Pei Man isn''t what you think,"


    Su Chen was the first to rify their rtionship.


    "It''s not what I think? But you two..."


    The old Pei patriarch continued with emotion in his voice.


    "Grandfather, please calm down first. Let me exin it to you slowly,"


    Seeing the grandfather getting agitated again, Pei Man hurriedly spoke.


    "Go on, speak."


    After taking a sip of tea, the old Pei patriarch also settled back into his seat.


    Pei Manposed herself and then briefly exined their n of pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend to lure out Shen Shao and subsequently affect the Shen Family.


    She also exined the issue with her skirt and the buttons on Su Chen''s clothes, rifying that it was all an act intended for the person Shen Shao had sent to follow her.


    "That Shen Family is too much!"


    The old Pei patriarch mmed the table and said,


    "Hmph, they actually dared to follow a member of my Pei Family!"


    Of course, he also found it somewhat amusing that Su Chen and his granddaughter were engaging in what seemed like child''s y to him. Who knew that such a childish scheme could actually be effective?


    "Grandfather, don''t get so angry. If he didn''t do it this way, our performance wouldn''t be convincing!"


    Pei Man said with a slight smile.


    "Old Mr. Pei, you understand now, right? We really aren''t in that kind of rtionship,"


    Su Chen exined once more.


    However, he knew that, after all, he had been disrespectful to her granddaughter, and had been caught in the act, which was undoubtedly his fault.


    The old Pei patriarch indeed thought the same. Although they weren''t in that kind of rtionship, the scene he had just witnessed was real, wasn''t it?


    But it wasn''t easy to voice such thoughts, so all he could do was to say indifferently,


    "I understand the situation now. I have some matters to discuss with Pei Man, so Mr. Su, you may leave first."


    "Very well."


    Su Chen had no choice but to stand up, and then he looked toward Pei Man,


    "I''ll be leaving."


    Pei Man smiled at him and nodded in acknowledgment.


    Of course, Pei Man knew that with her grandfather''s shrewdness, this matter wasn''t going to be so easily settled.


    Sure enough, after Su Chen left, the old Pei patriarch immediately fixed a piercing gaze on Pei Man and asked,


    "Pei Man, I think there''s more to your actions than just the reason you gave just now, can you tell your grandfather everything?"

 Chapter 704: Plan Preparation Begins

    Pei Man didn''t find it strange when she was asked the question by the elderly Master Pei. She pushed her wheelchair forward a bit and then picked up the teapot to pour some more water into his teacup.


    "Of course, I''ve been meaning to discuss this with you thoroughly."


    Pei Man gently set down the teapot and smiled:


    "The first reason is very simple, just as I said before, in the upheaval in Yandu, I saw potential in him and thus was willing to help him."


    "The Shen Family is extraordinary, trivial matters hardly involve them, and doing this might be the most effective way to draw the Shen Family in, especially since Shen Shao holds a unique position within them."


    "If I say the first reason is partly for his sake and partly for our Pei family''s, the second and third reasons are for myself."


    "What are the second and third reasons then?"


    The elderly Master Pei couldn''t help but ask.


    "The second reason is that I simply don''t like Shen Shao as a person, and I understand his character well, along with his intentions towards me."


    Pei Man nced at the elderly man and said:


    "If Su Chen hadn''t appeared unexpectedly, ording to the original development, Shen Shao would have done everything possible to make me a member of the Shen Family, and the Shen Family would have definitely supported him!"


    "If that were the case, for the sake of the Pei family, I might not have much choice in the matter."


    "That''s also why he, knowing I don''t like her, wasn''t too anxious."


    The elderly Master Pei thought seriously about Pei Man''s words and realized that her concerns were indeed valid.


    If he were gone by then, the possibility would have been even greater.


    Because as long as he wasn''t around, other members of the family would definitely not be content with a woman taking charge, especially one who is wheelchair-bound.


    His family members aren''t saints; like any other major family, each would have their own agendas.


    But with him around and Pei Man disying sufficient capability, those people wouldn''t dare to cause trouble!


    Yet, once he''s gone, many might start to make their moves, and Pei Man would naturally be the biggest obstacle for them.


    Marrying her off would then be the best choice, and many would favour a marriage into the Shen Family.


    Indeed, this issue had gued the elderly man for years, yet he had not thought of any solution.


    After all, Pei Man is still a woman, and moreover, one with limited mobility!


    "So, Su Chen''s sudden emergence, for me, is like sweet rain after a long drought. Even if I hadn''t been fond of him, I would still support him."


    Pei Man continued to exin.


    "I understand the second reason now, but what about the third?"


    The elderly Master Pei asked again.


    Upon hearing this, Pei Man didn''t respond immediately. She thought for a while before biting her lip and saying:


    "The third reason is the simplest, but for me, it''s the most important¡ªI like him because he''s the first man who moved my heart, and now, I think I have fallen in love with him!"


    Pei Man spoke earnestly to the elderly Master Pei, with no pretense about her feelings.


    The elderly Master Pei wasn''t surprised after hearing Pei Man''s words but rather sighed deeply:


    "I knew it¡ªif you didn''t truly like him, why would you engage in such absurd actions with him?"


    "It''s frustrating that kid thought you were just acting!"


    The elderly Master Pei then grumbled displeasedly.


    While Su Chen might not understand Pei Man, how could the elderly Master Pei not understand his own granddaughter?


    With her personality, if she hadn''t truly developed feelings, how could she have had such intimate contact with him!


    For a moment, the elderly Master Pei felt like his granddaughter had been taken advantage of, feeling quite indignant!


    Seeing her grandfather upset on her behalf, Pei Man couldn''t help but smile.


    "But after all, he is married already, isn''t he?"


    The elderly Master Pei then asked, somewhat worried.


    "Grandfather, I am aware of that,"


    Pei Man said with a smile.


    Indeed, Pei Man might not have a clear idea in her mind now, but one thing was certain¡ªshe was not going to give up easily.


    Old Master Pei knew Pei Man''s character well; no matter how he asked, if she was unwilling to talk, it would be futile.


    "Alright, go back and change your clothes first."


    Old Master Pei said.


    Upon hearing this, Pei Man looked at her dress and felt somewhat embarrassed.


    "Grandfather, I''m going out."


    Following that, Pei Man rolled her wheelchair out...


    Old Master Pei then strolled to the window and, watching the outside flowers and nts, murmured:


    "Man, you are still oversimplifying things. Winning is far from easy!"


    ....


    After leaving the Pei Family''s mansion, Su Chen returned to thepany, took a round inside, and finding no other matters to attend to, drove back home.


    Upon arriving home, he found Su Jin there as well, discussing something on theputer screen with Lin Ruoxue.


    As for the person on theputer screen, it was none other than the God of Wealth.


    Having Su Jin there was not unexpected for him as part of the n required the Jinsheng Group''s cooperation.


    Moreover, if the n seeded, some of the major families'' properties were such that the current Belle Group might not be able to handle, only the Jinsheng Group could swallow them.


    Su Jin was quite frank about this; in her view, sooner orter the Jinsheng Group was meant to be for Su Chen and his wife.


    She had already nned that if she could avenge her elder brother and sister-inw, she would hand over all her responsibilities to them and go travelling.


    That was really the lifestyle she loved, but she had beenpelled these years to strive in the business world without such an opportunity.


    When Su Chen arrived home, both women were busy. After ncing at him, they did not pay him further attention.


    Seeing this, Su Chen smirked and went upstairs to his bedroom to cultivate...


    After two hours of cultivation, Su Chen started to prepare dinner.


    But when the dinner was ready, both women neither had the time nor the mood to eat.


    Su Chen had no choice but to sit on the sofa, reading a magazine while he waited, and he ended up waiting until nine o''clock.


    "Finally finished!"


    The two women exchanged smiles and simultaneously eximed, and then began packing up the documents and theputer!


    "All done?" asked Su Chen.


    "Yes, including the minor modifications to the Pei Family part that you mentioned over the phone earlier."


    Lin Ruoxue said cheerfully:


    "Honey, let''s eat, I''m so hungry!"


    "You remember hunger!"


    Su Chen said, rather exasperated, as this woman always worked so hard.


    As it was winter, the dishes got cold quickly, so Su Chen reheated some of them. However, the rice was still warm in the rice cooker.


    "Xiao Chen, I didn''t expect your cooking to be so delicious!"


    It was Su Jin''s first time eating Su Chen''s cooking, and finding it surprisingly delicious, she immediately praised him.


    "Aunt, if it''s good, eat more."


    Su Chen said, smiling as he served Su Jin more food.


    "By the way, wife, aunty, are you nning to make your move tomorrow?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "Yes, honey, if you want to dy it a bit, that''s also fine,"


    Lin Ruoxue said after a pause.


    "No need to wait, since everything is ready, let''s go ahead,"


    Su Chen said lightly...

 Chapter 705: 705

    After they finished dinner, Su Jin went home, even though Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue wanted her to stay overnight; she insisted on returning home, iming she was particr about where she slept.


    In reality, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue understood that Su Jin did not want to intrude on their time alone as a couple.


    By the time Su Jin left, it was already past ten, and the two of them went upstairs to rest shortly after.


    The next morning, as usual, Su Chen woke up early and prepared breakfast. By the time breakfast was nearly ready, Lin Ruoxue had alsoe down.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue went to the Amethyst Crystal Hotel. Today was a special day for her because the n she had been preparing for a long time was finally about to be implemented.


    Su Chen, meanwhile, did not go out but stayed home to cultivate.


    As for Lin Ruoxue''s n, he did not inquire much about it; in this regard, he absolutely trusted Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin.


    Furthermore, the n had been improved by the God of Wealth, so he had nothing to worry about.


    Su Chen soon immersed himself entirely in his cultivation; he indeed felt that his cultivating speed had increased significantly recently, and the True Yuan inside him had be denser and purer.


    However, Su Chen had thought about it several times and still could not figure out why.


    Even though he couldn''t understand it, he did not dwell too much on the issue. He nned to ask his old ghost master when he had the chance to visit him; perhaps the old ghost knew something.


    Su Chen indeed wanted to visit the old ghost before the New Year, partly because it had been a long time since he had seen him, and he missed him.


    Another reason was regarding the special energy inside Xiao Xun''s body; he also nned to consult the old ghost about it.


    Although Su Chen''s cultivating speed had increased a lot, he had not yet made a breakthrough because the path of cultivation naturally bes more difficult as one progresses.


    Even though he had greatly shortened the time originally needed, this was not something that could be aplished overnight.


    While the significant increase in his cultivating speed was a pleasant surprise, the lingering worry in his heart remained.


    That was because the sheepskin scroll only recorded cultivation techniques up to the Meridian Expansion Realm, and there was nothing beyond that.


    Previously, Su Chen had not been concerned about this issue because being able to cultivate again after his Dantian had shattered was already a huge surprise!


    When he began cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique, he did not think about this issue.


    At that time, he thought that if he could recover one-third of his strength, it would be great; even recovering one-fifth or one-tenth would have been satisfying.


    However, he did not anticipate that the Nine Yang Cultivation Technique would be so domineering and miraculous that he had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement in less than a year.


    Moreover, the true strength of this Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement was even more powerful than being half a step into Meridian Expansion, much more so!


    At that point, he had to start thinking about what would happen next; if one day he did reach the Meridian Expansion Realm, what then?


    "Forget it, no use worrying now; let things take their course. When my Dantian shattered, I also believed there was no hope, but look at me now, blessed by misfortune."


    Su Chen shook his head and thought to himself:


    "When the timees, there might still be other solutions."


    After that, Su Chen continued to cultivate without distractions until noon.


    He did not n on cooking by himself, so he went to a restaurant outside themunity and casually ordered a meal with two dishes and a soup.


    After lunch, he drove to hispany.


    Upon arriving at thepany, he naturally went to his office to drink some tea and flip through some magazines.


    When he got bored, he would either go to Xia Qiuru''s office or the public rtions department to roam around for a bit.


    Days passed more or less the same as usual, calm as still water...


    Although Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin had alreadyunched their attack by this time, the major families had not yet reacted, and Yandu was even more undisturbed.


    Because at first, they definitely started secretly, from both upstream and downstream, such as negotiating with the upstream suppliers of the rival''s core industries or offering generous terms to poach their downstream customers.


    And the first ones they contacted were certainly not the rivals'' key suppliers or clients, but rather some ordinary ones that they paid less attention to.


    Only when they had almost secured these ordinary partners would they start to shift focus to some key targets, at which point other tactics would alsoe into y, aiming to catch them off guard.


    Moreover, it wasn''t necessary to start with their core industries at first; it might be feasible to begin with a less critical one, to hide their true intentions!


    This way, they could make them divert resources from there, and then swiftly turn around to attack the rival''s core industries.


    In all this, reality and deception intertwined, giving themplete control of the initiative.


    Su Chen, although unaware of some specific details, knew roughly what was happening.


    He thought it would take a few days for those major families to react.


    Of course, this did not rule out the possibility that the rivals, with their keen sense, might detect some issues early on.


    However, even so, it didn''t matter; they had already made all sorts of preparations.


    ....


    While Su Chen was mingling with the beauties from the public rtions department, his phone suddenly rang.


    He took it out and saw that it was a call from Shen Lin, which immediately sent a shiver through him; could it be that there was some news about that mysterious person on his side?


    So he quickly begged forgiveness from all the granddies, then escaped from the circle of women and answered the call.


    Shen Lin didn''t say much on the phone, but invited him to the teahouse where they first met¡ªFour Seasons Bamboo Garden.


    When he arrived there, the ce was once again closed for business, just like the first time. Su Chen walked up, pushed open the main door, and directly headed for a room at the end of the hallway.


    "Mr. Su has arrived!"


    As Su Chen entered the room, Shen Lin immediately stood up with a smile on his face.


    Su Chen nodded and sat down opposite him.


    "Mr. Su, this is a new tea that just came to market, please have a taste,"


    Shen Lin said as he poured a cup of tea for Su Chen with a smile.


    "Isn''t new tea supposed to hit the market in March or April? Where did this new teae from at this time?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Mr. Su, that''s where you are mistaken."


    Shen Lin exined to Su Chen:


    "This tea is called Yunbai Snow Tea, grown in a specific area of Yunbai Mountain. It can be picked after the first snowfall of the year, and that''s when the vor is best, possessing both the freshness of tea and the sweetness of snow."


    "This really needs to be tasted properly,"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile, then picked up the cup and took a light sip. It was indeed fresh and sweet on the pte, with an underlying coolness, quite unique...

 Chapter 706 - 706 Shengyi Gate

    "Excellent tea!"


    Su Chen slightly eximed with admiration before setting down his teacup.


    "If the tea is good, you should drink more."


    Shen Lin politely suggested, and then nced at Su Chen:


    "Mr. Su, I wonder how thest issue ising along?"


    "Rest assured, Young Master Shen, I''ve already been working on it."


    Su Chen replied indifferently:


    "As for the matter I entrusted to Young Master Shen, do you have any leads yet?"


    "I have a little."


    Shen Lin did trust Su Chen to not deceive him on this matter, and instantly felt a surge of happiness in his heart.


    Su Chen''s heart trembled when he heard Shen Lin''s words, but his face did not show anything.


    "Shengyi Gate!"


    Shen Lin looked into Su Chen''s eyes as he slowly enunciated every word.


    "Shengyi Gate? What kind of ce is that?"


    Su Chen immediately asked.


    "I don''t know, I only know that the mysterious persones from Shengyi Gate, but there''s no other information."


    Shen Lin said, shaking his head.


    Su Chen looked at Shen Lin and couldn''t tell whether the other party really didn''t have more information or if Shen Lin was unwilling to disclose more because Su Chen had not truly resolved the issue with Shen Shao.


    However, for him, having this much was already a considerable breakthrough.


    It''s just that he didn''t know what Shengyi Gate was exactly; by the name, it seemed like the name of some sect or school.


    "I apologize, Mr. Su. This is all the information I have for now."


    Shen Lin deliberately spoke with a hint of apology.


    "No problem, at least it''s a clue."


    Su Chen dismissed it nonchntly with a wave of his hand.


    He then sat for a little while longer, drank two cups of tea, and then left.


    He and Shen Lin weren''t on the same path, so he didn''t want to stay any longer than necessary.


    While driving back to thepany, Su Chen''s mind lingered on the name Shengyi Gate, a name that he had never heard before in his life.


    Yet, just hearing this name gave him the impression that it was not simple, although this was only his intuition for the time being.


    But what was their rtion to the events of the past?


    Driving along, Su Chen thought about this all the way until he reached Rainbow Mansion.


    He had to stop pondering for now, parked his car, and returned to his office.


    On his desk was an electronic calendar, a fixture in every Belle Corporation office, which reminded Su Chen of Du Hanbing.


    Du Hanbing had been gone for quite a few days, so why hadn''t she returned by now?


    ording to what she had said before leaving, she should have been back by now. Could something have happened?


    "Tsk tsk! Such a crow''s mouth!"


    Su Chen immediately made a spitting sound twice, telling himself not to think nonsense. Perhaps the mission was just a bit more challenging, dying her a bit, which was quite normal.


    Meanwhile, in a room on the third floor of Qimeng Tower, Qi Meng was loungingzily on a sofa, her brows deeply furrowed.


    In her hand was a wine ss, with only a little red wine left in it.


    And in the bottle on the sofa, there was barely any red wine left as well, clearly indicating she had already had quite a bit to drink.


    Despite consuming all this red wine, her mood had not eased at all; rather, it had be even heavier.


    Just two hours earlier, that mysterious envoy called again, asking if she had dealt with Pluto.


    Since the envoy had already asked several times, she feared that without substantial progress, the organization would start to punish her. So she lied, iming she had almost roped in Pluto, who had already be her underling.


    After receiving this information, the envoy finally revealed the true purpose behind her task to take care of Pluto and issued her new orders.


    It was this new directive that thoroughly troubled her and set a deadline!


    Don''t mention that she hasn''t actually figured out Su Chen yet; even if she had, it wouldn''t be easy to get anything from him.


    After all, all her previous attempts against him had ended in failure!


    Simrly, this time, she didn''t have much confidence inpleting the task either!


    Moreover, she was different nowpared to before, at least the way she felt about that man in her heart had changed!


    In her subconscious, she didn''t want to do anything that would hurt him or damage his interests.


    But the orders from the organization weighed on her like a mountain, making it hard for her to breathe.


    It was these conflicting feelings that made her mood very bad, which is why she drank so much...


    However, all this was unknown to Su Chen; at this moment, he was ying Fight the Landlord in his office, having nothing better to do.


    After ying Fight the Landlord for a while, he lost interest and then got up and went to Xia Qiuru''s office.


    "Why are you here again?"


    Xia Qiuru asked when she saw hime in, this guy had just been over in the morning, hadn''t he?


    "From what you''re saying, it seems like you don''t really wee me, huh?"


    A smile yed on the corner of Su Chen''s mouth as he spoke.


    "Would you note if I didn''t wee you?"


    By now, Xia Qiuru had be quite familiar with him, and they could be considered confidants. She was also aware of his rascally nature, so she spoke much more freely.


    But how could she not wee him?


    It''s just that sometimes he would interrupt her work, which drove her a bit crazy.


    If he could just sit quietly, she''d be happy to have Su Chen stay in her office all day!


    "Of course I woulde, looking at a beauty is good for physical and mental health."


    Su Chen retorted without any reservation.


    "You''re good at sweet-talking."


    Xia Qiuru nced at him and then continued with her work.


    This time, Su Chen really didn''t disturb her and instead sat down on the couch.


    "Oh right, I''ll give you the medicine tomorrow, it''s still soaking."


    Su Chen suddenly said.


    "It''s okay, there''s no rush."


    Xia Qiuru said indifferently.


    After a while, Xia Qiuru finally finished the work at hand and then picked up her teacup to get some water.


    After pouring the water, she didn''t sit back at her desk but rather sat down next to Su Chen and asked:


    "By the way, do you have time tonight?"


    "Yeah, what''s up?"


    "Don''t I still owe you a big meal? I''m free tonight, so let''s make it tonight."


    Xia Qiuru said this and, seemingly thinking of something, blushed slightly.


    "Sure, if Director Xia is treating me to a big dinner, I have to make time even if I don''t have any!"


    Su Chen joked.


    "Then it''s settled, we''ll go together after work."


    Xia Qiuru nodded and replied.


    "Qiuru, are you dressed up so prettily today because you''re dining with me tonight?"


    Su Chen''s eyes sparkled as they roamed over Xia Qiuru''s figure.


    Today, Xia Qiuru wore a low-cut chiffon blouse with a zer over it and a very beautiful mermaid skirt below. The front half of her legs were exposed, going just above her knees.


    Su Chen, used to seeing her in professional attire, found her look quite special today.


    "In your dreams! Who do you think you are?!"


    Xia Qiuru''s eyes twinkled as she yfully retorted...

 Chapter 707: Dont Hide If You Dare

    After work, Su Chen followed Xia Qiuru''s car in his own to the entrance of a restaurant in City South, a French restaurant.


    Seeing the decor of the restaurant, Su Chen knew that it was upscale, and the cost would certainly not be cheap.


    "Actually, we could have gone somewhere more casual. There was no need toe to this ce," he said as he got out of the car. He knew that though Xia Qiuru had a decent ie, she needed to support her family and also pay for her younger brother''s expenses, so she wasn''t wealthy.


    "It''s okay, it''s just a meal, and I can afford it," Xia Qiuru said with a slight smile.


    "Alright then, today I''m really going to let you treat me," Su Chen replied.


    Since they were there, Su Chen didn''t stand on ceremony; to do otherwise would have been awkward.


    As soon as Su Chen entered, he immediately noticed something unusual.


    "Isn''t this a couple''s restaurant?" Su Chen asked in surprise.


    "I didn''t know. I found this restaurant online and it said the ambiance was very good," Xia Qiuru pretended to be clueless, her face bearing a slightly unnatural expression, as if she was afraid that Su Chen would find out.


    In truth, she had known it was a chain of couple''s restaurants, one which also had a location in Jianghai.


    She learned about this restaurant during her college days when she had worked part-time at the chain store in Jianghai.


    She immediately fell in love with the romantic ambiance of the restaurant, thinking at the time that she would definitelye here for a meal with her future boyfriend.


    This was a small wish she had long cherished in her heart.


    However, she had never met someone who really moved her heart. By the time she did, it was already toote...


    Perhaps, as the saying goes, meeting the right person at the wrong time is worse than not meeting at all...


    But as easy as it is to say, it''s much harder to do!


    She couldn''t bring herself to let go of this man from her heart; the only option left was to control her feelings!


    This time, when Su Chen allowed her to treat him to avish meal, she thought of this restaurant.


    This also counted as indirectly fulfilling that little wish of hers!


    "Let''s make the best of it. Who says you can''te here if you''re not a couple?" Xia Qiuru tried tough it off casually, but that smile was tinged with a hint of helplessness...


    "You''re right. Besides, who knows exactly what our rtionship is," Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    The two then sat down at a round dining table, and shortly after, a well-dressed waiter came over to help them order.


    After Xia Qiuru had ordered, the two began to chat casually.


    It must be said, the atmosphere here was very pleasant. Everyone seemed polite, and there was a violin performance on stage, the music flowing gently like a stream...


    In such an ambiance, one''s mood could also unconsciously be rxed and cheerful.


    In a sense, this restaurant wasn''t just selling food, but a taste and sentiment as well.


    Watching the violin performance on stage, Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but remember the piano piece Su Chen had yed for her once, and a faint smile appeared on the corners of her mouth...


    Soon, the food they ordered arrived, and they began to eat.


    Xia Qiuru had hardly ever eaten French cuisine before, but she found it quite delicious.


    As for Su Chen, he was more experienced with this type of restaurant. While the standard here couldn''t amaze him, it was eptable.


    Xia Qiuru sighed lightly, while enjoying such delicious French cuisine, listening to such elegant music, and looking at the man in front of her.


    If only this man were truly her lover, everything would have been perfect!


    But now, this thought could only be buried deep in her heart!


    However, it was already quite good, and she shouldn''t be too greedy, she told herself.


    By the time the two of them had finished dinner, it was about eight o''clock, and after sitting for a while longer, they left.


    Xia Qiuru had drunk quite a bit that evening, and naturally, Su Chen would not let her drive herself. He initially nned to take her home himself, but Xia Qiuru refused.


    He had no choice but to call a substitute driver for her, and after giving a few instructions, he let the driver take Xia Qiuru back to her apartment before driving home himself...


    The night was as dark as ink, deste as water, with the bright moonlight showering over thend of Yandu. A car raced along the streets of Yandu.


    Su Chen had just made another call to Lin Ruoxue. It seemed they might be busy until around ten o''clock tonight, and probably for a while yet.


    Su Chen still felt very distressed about this, especially since it was all for his sake.


    Thinking of Lin Ruoxue, he felt warm inside, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.


    Just then, a figure suddenly appeared ahead, its shadow elongated by the streetlight.


    It was a man in his thirties, with a face devoid of any expression, determined!


    He stood in the middle of the road, coldly watching Su Chen''s car approach!


    As soon as Su Chen saw the man, his expression darkened. Then he fiercely stepped on the elerator, and the car shot forward like an arrow released from its bow!


    Just as they were about to collide, the proud man still stood there looking at Su Chen in the car:


    "Trying to scare me? Am I that easily frightened?"


    He had thought that Su Chen would stop even if only half a meter away from him.


    But he never expected that when the car was only thirty centimeters away, Su Chen showed no intention of stopping at all!


    Damn! This is real!


    The man, still arrogant, was startled and swiftly dodged to the side. With his cultivation, he certainly wouldn''t be so easily hit.


    But just as he dodged, Su Chen executed a beautiful drift, reaching breathtaking speeds, like a gust of wind.


    The man hadn''t even steadied himself when he was identally brushed by the tail end of the car, staggering a few steps, and although he was mostly unhurt, it was a bit humiliating!


    At that moment, Su Chen finally stopped the car and stepped out!


    Shadow looked at him, a fierce fire suddenly zing in his eyes¡ªhe had never been so embarrassed!


    Logically, standing in the middle of the road clearly meant he was blocking the way.


    ording tomon practice among Martial Arts practitioners, one would certainly get out of the car, regardless of whether it was a foe or not.


    Because even if you drove towards him, it was impossible to truly hit someone with his level of cultivation, let alone cause any injury.


    But this guy, he had actually driven straight at him!


    That totally went against any typical behavior!


    He understood that this guy was intentionally annoying him.


    "Still going to stand in the middle of the road and act tough with me?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a disdainful, cold smirk:


    "You had the guts just now, why did you dodge? Watch me not run you over!"


    Upon hearing these words, Shadow nearly burst out in rage...

 Chapter 708: Half-Step Meridian Expansion Is Not Taken Seriously

    Night Shadow was proud, so he came alone to deal with Su Chen, without calling anyone else!


    In his view, it was already giving the kid face by taking action himself; calling others would have been too embarrassing!


    But what he did not expect was to embarrass himself the moment they met!


    To him, it was more painful than being stabbed!


    Moreover, the words that the guy spoke after getting out of the car didn''t leave him any face at all!


    This kid really was as wild as the rumors suggested!


    "Kid, you''re really courting death!"


    Night Shadow looked at Su Chen and spat out, his face icy cold!


    "Everyone who has spoken to me like that is already in Hell. Do you want to be next?"


    Su Chen took a cigarette pack out of his pocket, drew one out and lit it:


    "If so, I don''t mind sending you on your way!"


    Although Su Chen said this, he still felt a hint of surprise at the other person''s realm ¡ª this was probably the strongest person he had encountered since returning to Huaxia!


    He certainly understood that this was most likely someone Shen Shao had sent, but he didn''t expect there to be such an expert among Shen Shao''s people.


    If it had been Su Chen from two or three months ago, he might still be deeply cautious, but now? He didn''t care anymore.


    Because he could see that while this person was formidable, he had not yet breakthrough to the half-step Meridian Expansion!


    "Fine, then let me see what makes you so insolent!"


    Night Shadow couldn''t tolerate being underestimated by others, especially not by someone younger than himself!


    "You don''t even have the right to know what makes me so bold."


    Su Chen ndly retorted.


    "Kid, don''t let your slight Cultivation make you ignorant of how high the sky and how deep the earth are! Remember, there is always someone better, and heaven is high above!"


    Night Shadow''s eyes red with intense fire, his words gritted out.


    "Indeed, there are people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens, but certainly, you are neither of those people nor that heaven!"


    Su Chen said disdainfully, giving him a sidelong nce:


    "To me, you are nothing but a jumping clown!"


    "You are courting death!"


    Night Shadow waspletely infuriated by Su Chen, feeling a nameless fire burning in his chest!


    As soon as he finished speaking, he moved, a shadow shing by, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Su Chen, throwing a punch!


    This punch was like a cannonball, reaching the ultimate in speed and power, with the wind of his fist tearing open the void, making a series of echoing noises.


    True Yuan tightly circled around his fist, immensely deep!


    Even if this punch were to hit a tiger, it would probably be killed instantly, maybe even shattered!


    After this punch was thrown, a smug smile curled up on Night Shadow''s lips, believing that this punch would severely injure the kid!


    Artifact Refining pinnacle Late Stage? Laughable!


    Today he was going to let this kid know what a real expert was!


    "Bring it on!"


    Su Chen saw the formidable punch and roared in response.


    Since his Cultivation had reached the pinnacle and even higher, he hadn''t yet sparred with a proper expert!


    This person, just a step away from half-step Meridian Expansion, would be a good trial run!


    At the same time, he swung his own fist, without any tricks, purely a sh of force against force!


    Night Shadow, seeing this, grinned even more; this kid really dared to stand his ground against him, simply courting death!


    "Boom!"


    "Crack!"


    Their fists collided quickly, and the moment of impact sent a wave of True Qi bursting outwards, as though something had just exploded!


    Meanwhile, a series of continuous bone-cracking sounds emerged!


    After that collision, Night Shadow stumbled back 700 steps before he barely stabilized his stance, while Su Chen, his feet seemingly rooted to the ground, hadn''t moved an inch!


    Once Night Shadow steadied himself, he immediately looked at the young man opposite him in shock.


    How could this be? How could he possess such great strength?


    At that moment, the arm he had just used to punch ached intensely!


    He knew several parts of that arm were now broken, and it would take more than a year to heal properly!


    Even if it healed, there would certainly be lingering effects; whether it was the speed or the force of his punches, both would definitely be impacted!


    Although he had suffered a severe disadvantage in their first exchange, it did not cause him to retreat; instead, it intensified hispetitive spirit even more!


    "Ha!"


    He shouted loudly, then with a push of his legs, he charged forward again!


    Suddenly, one leg traced an arc in the air towards Su Chen!


    The arc was bizarre, shifting direction up and down unpredictably, making it impossible for him to discern the actual point of attack!


    Moreover, this kick was even more powerful than his previous punch, in fact, much stronger!


    Part of this was because he had not given his all earlier, but now he did not dare to ck off, channeling all the True Yuan around his body into his leg!


    Another reason was that he excelled at Leg Technique; he could split a stone stele with a single kick!


    This showed how immensely strong his legs were!


    "Kid, I was careless before, which let you take advantage. This time, let''s see how you deal with this!"


    Night Shadow thought to himself.


    Even though he had broken an arm, he did not believe this young man''s strength truly exceeded his own.


    It is always difficult for proud people to admit someone else is better or more formidable than they are, especially when that person is younger!


    Seeing his leg about to strike below Su Chen''s chest and abdomen, a smug smile spread across Night Shadow''s face.


    "It''s all over now!"


    He thought to himself, as if he already saw the scene of Su Chen being severely injured by his kick in the next moment!


    However, just then, he suddenly realized the figure in front of him seemed to disappear in an instant!


    Suddenly, an illusory figure appeared right in front of him, even unting a mocking face!


    Night Shadow was instantly startled, What in hell, is this person or ghost? How can he move so fast?


    At that moment, a Palm Print struck him, entwined with thick True Yuan that left him dumbfounded!


    "How¡­ how could he possess such thick True Yuan? Such a level of True Yuan, even a genuine half-step Meridian Expansion might not possess it!"


    Night Shadow''s pupils constricted, as if he had seen a ghost!


    "Bang!"


    Faced with such enormous pressure, Night Shadow had no chance to resist, and was instantly smacked away, then crashed into the trunk of arge tree!


    "Crack!"


    The tree was struck and broken, therge portion of the trunk falling down while Night Shadow also fell to the ground.


    At this point, a huge bloody hole appeared in his body. It seemed even divine beings would be helpless to save him.


    Su Chen subsequently approached him, calmly looking at Night Shadow on the ground.


    "Did you surpass that threshold, are you a half-step Meridian Expansion?"


    Barely hanging on, Night Shadow looked at Su Chen in shock and asked.


    A half-step Meridian Expansion in his twenties? My god, is this a joke?


    If he grows further, how monstrous he will be!


    "I''m not, but I generally don''t consider ordinary half-step Meridian Expansion noteworthy,"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Night Shadowpletely stopped breathing, his face still bearing a puzzled expression, evidently not quite understanding the meaning of Su Chen''sst remark...

 Chapter 709: The Business Battle Begins

    Su Chen had continued driving home after dealing with the Night Shadow, considering it a minor matter for him.


    However, no event exists in istion, and this small incident might lead to significant events in the future, which is precisely what Su Chen anticipated and why he had put on a show with Pei Man that day.


    When Su Chen arrived home, Lin Ruoxue had not yet returned, so he waited for her on the living room sofa downstairs.


    Around ten past ten, Lin Ruoxue finally came home, dragging her tired body. Su Chen gave her a massage for a while, and then they both went upstairs to rest...


    In the following days, life for Su Chen was business as usual¡ªgoing to work,ing home, sometimes cultivating at home.


    Everything seemed calm, with no disturbances in sight.


    However, beneath this calm, a storm was brewing, seemingly ready to erupt into chaos anytime!


    The first issue was the death of Night Shadow, which enraged Shen Shao greatly; he nearly smashed every piece of furniture and decoration in his study!


    Two servants, just for speaking out of turn, had their legs broken by him and were thrown out!


    This made everyone around Shen Shao tread on eggshells these days, fearing they might identally provoke the young master!


    In those days, the more significant issue was that all the major families seemed to have encountered some difficulties in business, to varying degrees.


    At first, they didn''t care too much, as a little adversity in business is quite normal.


    However, over the next few days, incidents kept urring daily, which became somewhat abnormal even though they didn''t seem too serious.


    On the fourth day, events suddenly took a more severe turn.


    At this moment, in the main hall of the Zheng Family, the Family Head, Zheng Qiusheng, was seated face to face with a middle-aged man.


    "What''s the situation now?"


    Zheng Qiusheng asked with a furrowed brow:


    "What did those twopanies say?"


    "Brother, I just met with the CEOs of bothpanies separately, and their responses are the same as yesterday¡ªthey''ve run out of stock."


    The middle-aged man spoke, he was a n member from a branch of the Zheng family, named Zheng Yun.


    "How could they suddenly run out of stock?"


    Zheng Qiusheng asked sharply:


    "Are they ying some kind of trick?"


    "No, they genuinely have no stock left, they even specifically took me to their warehouses to show me. The models of chips we ordered are indeed out of stock!"


    "How is that possible? What exactly is going on?"


    Zheng Qiusheng stared at Zheng Yun intently as he asked.


    "I asked them, but they wouldn''t say, only that they truly have nothing left. It was only after I spoke with the vice president of one of thepanies that I found out, their products were all bought up yesterday by apany called Xinghui Company!"


    "Xinghui Company? What''s the background of thispany?"


    Zheng Qiusheng felt something was very wrong. In fact, he had already sensed something odd the day before, which is why he had sent Zheng Qiuyun today to specifically check what was going on.


    "I haven''t found out yet, only that it''s a newly establishedpany."


    Zheng Yun shook his head and said:


    "Brother, don''t worry too much, we get only half of our chips from those twopanies; the other halfes from Nanhui Company. As long as Nanhui Company is normal, there shouldn''t be any problems."


    "I''ve already sent Zheng Hai there, and I expect news from him shortly,"


    Zheng Qiusheng said.


    No sooner had he spoken than a frantic voice rang out from outside.


    "Brother! Something terrible has happened!"


    A man rushed in from outside, it was Zheng Min''s father, Zheng Hai; his face was filled with urgency.


    "Speak quickly, what exactly happened?"


    Seeing the expression on Zheng Hai''s face, Zheng Qiusheng immediately tensed up.


    "The chips we need are also out of stock at Nanhui Company."


    Zheng Hai hurriedly said.


    "What?!"


    Zheng Qiusheng''s face suddenly changed, and he stood up abruptly from his chair:


    "Hurry up, what exactly happened?"


    "I just went there, and the chairman of Nanhui Company told me that all those chip models had been bought out yesterday, and they were purchased for 20% above market price."


    "Did you ask who bought them?"


    Zheng Qiusheng asked harshly.


    "I asked, but they refused to tell."


    Zheng Hai shook his head.


    "This is definitely someone targeting our Zheng Family!"


    Zheng Yun said coldly.


    "That can''t be, who would dare?"


    Zheng Hai said in disbelief.


    "Let''s not worry about that for now, the key is what to do next."


    Zheng Qiusheng waved his hand, his face full of worry.


    It must be understood that several of their core high-tech products require these chips, and without the chips, nothing can be done.


    At this moment, he somewhat regretted not having contracted with those manufacturers from the beginning.


    Otherwise, even if someone did offer a high price, thosepanies would at least have to ensure the supply for Zheng Corporation, or else the penalty for breaching the contract would be substantial.


    In reality, Zheng Qiusheng had his reasons for not signing the contracts; first, as chip technology evolves rapidly, signing a contract would undoubtedly be a constraint on him.


    Secondly, there are threepanies in Huaxia that could supply the chips they needed, so even if one had issues, they could rely on the other two; thus, they had never been worried about this issue before.


    "How long can our current stockst?"


    Zheng Qiusheng asked.


    "Not very long, some chips can onlyst a few days, and at most about twenty days,"


    Zheng Yun said with a worried expression.


    "Can we urgently procure a batch from abroad for emergency use?"


    Zheng Hai then asked.


    "Ah Hai, you don''t understand, first off, not to mention the much higher cost of importing chips from abroad, even if we are willing to spend more money, their technological standards are different from ours in Huaxia, and are simply notpatible."


    Zheng Yun sighed, ''standards'' meaning a set of technical specifications.


    At this time, all three faces were filled with worry, as these high-tech products were their core industries, bringing in countless profits to Zheng Corporation every year.


    Once there were no chips, their products would not be supply-ready, and the losses would not just be in terms of profits for a period.


    Technology products change day by day, and previous customers would turn to otherpanies. After a while, their products could be forgotten.


    To stand up again, the cost would be much more, after all, brand reputation umtes gradually...


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the Situ Family residence, Situ Ping was sitting in the living room waiting for someone.


    When he saw someone emerge from behind the pine trees in the front yard, he immediately went to greet them:


    "Younger brother, you just called me about something, what exactly happened?"


    "Big brother, let''s go inside and talk,"


    Situ Ping said with a weary expression...

 Chapter 710: Crushing Decay with Ease

    "Alright."


    Situ Ping took a deep breath and then walked into the room with Situ Ping.


    "Tell me, what''s the situation? How could it have closed at such a high price?"


    Situ Ping poured a ss of water for Situ Ping and asked.


    "I had no choice, originally the bidding had slowed down around 24 billion, and not many werepeting against us for that plot ofnd."


    Situ Ping took a big gulp from the water ss and said:


    "But then, out of nowhere, apany started bidding like crazy against us, and that''s why it ended up closing at a 45 billion price."


    "That''s almost 20 billion higher than our highest projected price!"


    Situ Ping nced at Situ Ping and said.


    "What could I have done? It''s not like we could just give up, right?"


    Situ Ping exhaled helplessly.


    "Of course, that wouldn''t do. We''ve had our eyes on thisnd for a while, nning to build amercialplex on it. This is crucial for our group''s next strategic direction."


    Situ Ping''s expression turned serious as he patted Situ Ping on the shoulder:


    "Third brother, it''s not that I''m ming you, but this has made our funds very tight."


    "I understand."


    Situ Ping nodded heavily.


    "By the way, thatpany that outbid us, whatpany is it? Is it one of our old rivals?"


    Situ Ping suddenly asked.


    "No, it''s somepany called Yatai, never heard of it."


    Situ Ping shook his head.


    Upon hearing the name, Situ Ping also furrowed his brows in thought...


    That day, aside from the Zheng Family and Situ Family, the Su Family, Pei Family, and Shen Family groups all faced some significant problems.


    That day, those in charge of the family businesses among the great families were all frantic with worry, including the Pei Family, whose industries were also impacted.


    However, what they didn''t expect was that this was just the beginning, and more severe challenges were still waiting for them!


    In the following days, the core industries of the great families were subjected to even more fierce attacks, causing widespread panic.


    The elders, who had stepped back from business affairs, also came out one by one to take control of the situation.


    For instance, the Zheng Family, with their core industries in finance and technology; the Su Family''s energy and software sectors; the Shen Family''s medical and smart industry; and the Situ Family''s real estate and hospitality sectors.


    These core industries of the great families all suffered relentless assaults from the Jinsheng Group and Belle Group.


    Indeed, by this point, Ruoxue and Su Jin had stopped keeping things under wraps because most tasks are challenging for newly registeredpanies.


    Moreover, by now, those newly registeredpanies had fulfilled their mission.


    Ruoxue and Su Jin had founded those newpanies primarily to confuse the great families and to buy time, so they wouldn''t quickly associate it back to them, and that goal had mostly been achieved.


    Besides, after a few days of investigation, with the capabilities of the great families, they could also figure out the true backgrounds of thesepanies.


    Even if they couldn''t find out, they could guess!


    When considering who has the motive to target the Five Great Families simultaneously, who else could it be but Su Chen?


    And naturally, closely rted to him were Belle Group and Jinsheng Group!


    However, what they couldn''t understand was where those two groups got such confidence to make moves against the core industries of several major families at the same time!


    ording to their estimates, the adversary was only striking like a lion fighting a rabbit, taking one bite and being done with it, because their funding couldn''t possibly support such extensive maneuvers!


    But unexpectedly, after they took that bite, they wouldn''t let go!


    The uncertainty that emerged across the major families was how they could have so much money?


    Even if the entire worth of Belle Group and Jinsheng Group were gambled, it wouldn''t be enough!


    Apart from these core industries being hit, there was an even more worrying issue for them, and that was the capital market.


    In recent days, an endless stream of negative news about the major families'' core industries had spread across the inte, unstoppable!


    The immediate consequence was their core industries'' stocks being sold off en masse, causing the prices to plummet rapidly!


    The core assets of these families were listed individually, not as entire groups packaged together, which ismon practice forrge conglomerates.


    Therefore, on one hand, the major families had no choice but to increase their investments in their core industries to counter Jinsheng Group and Belle Group, while on the other hand, they had to allocate a significant amount of capital to attempt to stabilize stock prices and confidence!


    Their cash flow was tighter than it had ever been, though their groups wererge, they also had many industries!


    However, it was at this time that Belle Group and Jinsheng Group yed their deadliest move!


    Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin directly dumped arge quantity of stocks they had acquired earlier, causing even greater panic among stockholders who still held shares in the major families'' core industries, who then also began to sell off!


    As a result, the stocks of thepanies within the major families'' core industries nosedived in a cliff-like drop, leaving the people of the Five Great Families hanging their heads in defeat, as though they''d lost their parents!


    Yet their nightmare was far from over; Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin then invested heavily in shorting thosepanies'' stocks, using three to even five times leverage!


    This was truly terrifying!


    With market reactions also in y, many funds and big investors began to short as well, and the Five Great Families, powerful as they might be, could not hold on!


    Many things in the capital market are like an avnche; once started, they cannot be stopped!


    With Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin''s dizzyingbination of moves, the people of the Five Great Families werepletely dumbfounded as their core industries nearly totally copsed!


    They not onlycked the strength but also the capital to patch up the huge gaps in their core industries!


    God knows how much money would be needed to fill these holes, and one false move could have severe repercussions!


    Having no choice, they could only decide to cut their losses!


    At this juncture, Jinsheng Group and Belle Group, who had prepped in advance, immediately started buying at rock-bottom prices, and in just a few short days, had already taken control of over half of the core industries of the major families!


    However, they couldn''t be too greedy in their victory and had to leave some for others. After all, even they would struggle to swallow everything!


    Yunlong''spany, with its favorable position, naturally gained a lot too, scaling up significantly!


    Over these days, the business world of Yandu had trulye to recognize Belle Group, as well as the woman Lin Ruoxue!


    She was indeed a formidable woman!


    This battle targeting the major families came fast and ended just as swiftly!


    About a fortnight had passed, and the curtain had essentially fallen on these events!


    In the aftermath, the Five Great Families suffered heavy losses, their vitality severely damaged!


    Except for the Pei Family, which lost rtively less, about less than one-fifth,


    the other families lost at least one-third of their assets, with some even losing up to half!


    Of course, with losers, there are winners; through this battle, Belle Group leaped to be one of the top-tier conglomerates, basking in glory for a time!

 Chapter 711 - 711 Expectations and Worries

    After the fact, some astute members of the upper echelons also realized something; it seemed that the storm which had captured countless attentions was likely a continuation of thest financial summit!


    Yet, the Five Great Families were indeed the Five Great Families. Business wasn''t their everything. Even if they lost a third of their assets, or in some cases even half, they still remained towering figures, looked up to by countless people!


    Simrly, there was still no family or consortium that could stand shoulder to shoulder with them!


    But this did not mean that the incident did not affect the major families. On the contrary, its impact on them was significant and far-reaching!


    Beyond the huge financial losses, the most notable aspect was their growing dread of that young man with the special identity!


    They all knew that the young man, the same little boy they had all known years ago, was the core figure behind this bout of the business war.


    Their fear of him stemmed mainly from two aspects. One was his purpose, which they all clearly understood, knowing why he had returned.


    The other, more important aspect, was the means and power the young man had disyed, which far exceeded their expectations!


    Whether it was the Martial Arts Cultivation he had demonstrated at the financial summit or the recent tumultuous business war, both were the case!


    Although this time it was Lin Ruoxue''s Belle Group and Su Jin''s Jinsheng Group that had made the move, they all knew that these two groups alone could not have taken things this far.


    It was highly likely that this young man was the one pushing the waves behind the scenes!


    Every one of those old foxes had investigated his past but came up with nothing significant, just an exceedingly ordinary file.


    Yet, it was this very ordinary file that made them feel deeply the young man''s extraordinary nature!


    For them, the best course of action would, of course, be topletely erase this young man.


    In doing so, all their worries would vanish...


    However, this young man was after all tied to a major incident from the past, an incident that had weighed on their minds for nearly twenty years and had not been forgotten, so no one would take the lead lightly.


    They did not need to think to know that the Situ Family, which had been the most humiliated at the financial summit, must have made a move but failed, making the others even more cautious...


    After all, a top-level Martial Arts expert was the most scarce and valuable resource for each family, far more important than those core assets!


    Moreover, perhaps they wouldn''t even need to act themselves; someone else might take care of it for them!


    If those people made a move, no matter how powerful or heaven-defying the young man was,


    he might have to stop here...


    .....


    Sinceying the cards on the table, Lin Ruoxue had also moved back to Rainbow Mansion from the Amethyst Hotel because there was no need for secrecy anymore, and many matters required the cooperation of the wholepany.


    Naturally, the people she had transferred from the Jianghai headquarters also returned to work at thepany in Rainbow Mansion.


    To tell the truth, at first, the people of the Belle Group werepletely shocked!


    In their view, going to war with the Five Great Families, targeting their core industries no less, was akin to seeking death!


    Nheless, they dared not disregard Lin Ruoxue''s orders, so with trepidation, they began to act ording to her ns.


    Yet, deep down, they all believed the Belle Group was doomed, was this not a case of a snake swallowing an elephant?


    Luckily, Lin Ruoxue told them that they would be acting in concert with the Jinsheng Group, which prevented them from falling into despair!


    A few who were particrly worried even approached Su Chen and asked him to urge Lin Ruoxue to reconsider her impulsive actions.


    What they didn''t know was that the person who truly wanted to move against the Five Great Families was none other than Su Chen himself!


    As time went by day after day, the people of the Belle Group were surprised to find that they had yed the Five Great Families into a corner!


    One by one, they went from beingnguid at the beginning to being full of fighting spiritter on!


    When the final results came out, everyone in the Belle Group waspletely shocked!


    The glorious achievements they had made werepletely unimaginable beforehand!


    Everyone was extremely excited, because whether the Belle Group was strong or not was closely rted to every one of them!


    Their admiration and awe for Lin Ruoxue soared to an unprecedented height!


    However, the real key figure in this matter, Su Chen, seemed to be acting as if nothing had happened, continuing to eat, drink, and cultivate as usual, as if these affairs were of no concern to him at all.


    Regarding this oue, he also appeared very calm.


    Because the oue was never what he cared about, what he cared about was what this matter would lead to.


    This was what he truly looked forward to and cared about!


    As long as what was behind the Five Great Families had not surfaced, Su Chen always felt somewhat uneasy, as people always do about the unknown, and Su Chen was no exception!


    If that thing behind the scenes emerged, no matter how powerful it was, Su Chen felt he had enough courage to face it!


    He did not know whether this corporate battle would bring the secret of the Five Great Families to the surface, all he could do was wait...


    If it did not work, he had subsequent ns, action after action, until he cornered those major families so they could no longer stand up!


    There was another matter these days that made him anxious; Du Hanbing had not returned!


    He had a bad feeling about it, but missions of the Eighth Brigade were strictly confidential, and there was no way to contact them while they were away.


    He could only pray in secret, hoping he was just being overly anxious...


    That day, as usual, he finished work, bought groceries, and went home to cook.


    Although the corporate battle had ended, the industries they had acquired still needed to be integrated, so Lin Ruoxue continued to be busy during this time.


    It was almost nine o''clock in the evening when Lin Ruoxue returned, and then the two of them had dinner together and rested...


    The two of them now truly felt like an old married couple, even though they had not been real husband and wife for very long.


    The next morning when the sunlight came in, both of them woke up.


    "Husband, good morning,"


    Lin Ruoxue saidnguidly.


    "It''s Sunday today, are you still going to thepany?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "With so much to do, how could I not go?"


    Lin Ruoxue grabbed one of Su Chen''s arms and rested her head on it, finding it morefortable than a pillow...


    Su Chen, seeing her somewhat haggard face, couldn''t help but sigh with resignation. Although there was a more abundant supply of True Yuan here, it still couldn''t make up for all the hard work she was doing!


    Moreover, she was only being nourished by the external benefits of True Yuan and was not able to convert the True Yuan into her body.


    Su Chen then asked Lin Ruoxue to sleep for a while longer while he went downstairs to make breakfast...

 Chapter 712: Silence is Also an Expression

    Su Chen deliberately made breakfast a bit slower, hoping Lin Ruoxue could sleep a bit longer.


    However, his ns fell through. Not long after he went downstairs, Lin Ruoxue also came down.


    After breakfast, they went to work together.


    Ever since Lin Ruoxue moved back to Rainbow Mansion from the Amethyst Hotel, she no longer insisted on going to thepany separately as before.


    Perhaps their rtionship progressing further had also changed Lin Ruoxue''s mindset somewhat.


    After Su Chen returned to thepany, he naturally went to his own office.


    Now that Lin Ruoxue was back, he dared not frequent the Public Rtions department and Xia Qiuru''s office as often as before.


    Even if he did visit asionally, he had to carry a file and pretend to be busy.


    This caused many employees to snicker secretly, though they dared not gossip about the president''s personal affairs.


    What if Minister Su whispered something in the ears during the night and they ended up suffering for it?


    Upon returning to the office, Su Chen had just made tea and picked up thetest issue of "Men''s Fashion" magazine when his phone rang.


    He saw the number and his eyes instantly lit up, then he answered the call.


    "Hall Master, shouldn''t you reward me now?"


    A young girl''s voice came through on the other end.


    "Shadow, have you found the exact location of the Skull Society?"


    Su Chen quickly asked.


    "Yes, Hall Master, what''s my reward?"


    The shadow giggled over the phone.


    "Whatever reward you want is fine!"


    Su Chen eximed excitedly.


    "Hall Master, remember what you said, okay? I''ll think about the reward and tell youter."


    Shadow also said cheerfully.


    "Okay, I definitely remember. Quickly tell me, where exactly is the headquarters of the Skull Society?"


    Su Chen urged.


    "It''s located in the southernmost segment of the Ans Mountains in South America. That''s the most detail I could find; getting more precise information might require a search."


    Shadow said on the other end.


    "That level of detail is enough, leave the rest to me!"


    Su Chen said.


    The Skull Society sure knows how to pick a ce; that area is the mostplex part of the Ans Mountains. It was alreadymendable that Shadow could locate it there.


    Soon after, Su Chen had a brief chat with Shadow and then hung up the phone, his expression somewhat stern.


    The Skull Society had always been a pressing issue weighing on Su Chen''s mind, never rxed!


    He then called Doctor Gaia to inquire how the Almighty Bone Marrow wasing along.


    Because previously, Doctor Gaia had told him that he found the Almighty Bone Marrow somewhat unstable in certain special environments and, to ensureplete safety, he needed to make some minor improvements.


    Hearing Su Chen''s inquiry, Doctor Gaia told him it would take a little more time, but he was confident there wouldn''t be any problems.


    Since Doctor Gaia said so, Su Chen could only wait a bit longer, reassuring himself that a few more days wouldn''t hurt.


    Su Chen suddenly realized that wanting to lead a leisurely life was quite difficult, perhaps even improbable.


    Not to mention the affairs in Yandu, there''s also the Skull Society and the forces behind Tang Gang.


    He feared even if he eradicated the Skull Society, the forces behind it would certainly not cease their efforts.


    The power of that backing force was definitely formidable, even far beyond his imagination, as could be seen from their two interventions.


    Even so, he was determined to wipe out the Skull Society, particrly their experimentalb!


    Because their actions were anti-humanity, and although Su Chen didn''t dare im he was a good person, on such clear-cut issues, his stance had always been firm!


    ......


    Meanwhile, in Situ Kong''s study, he was inquiring about the preparations for Situ Guang''s wedding.


    Recently, the Situ Family had been troubled by one issue after another, and Situ Kong was particrly concerned about this much-anticipated wedding, fearing any mishaps.


    "Nian Song, you must handle this wedding well. It must be wless."


    Situ Kong stated solemnly.


    "Rest assured, Master, I am personally overseeing every detail."


    Nian Song nodded, fully aware of the significance of this wedding in the old master''s eyes!


    "That''s good, with this wedding, it''s high time we, the great families, had a proper discussion."


    Situ Kong sighed softly.


    "I''m afraid they are of the same mind, the only trouble is Pei Zhennan."


    Nian Song nced at Situ Kong and whispered.


    "No worries, do you think that old fox doesn''t have an idea after all these years?"


    Situ Kong, lying on the lounge chair, said:


    "He should understand that although the Five Great Families have conflicts, in some ways, they are also a collective."


    "It''s better to remove a thorn in the side sooner rather thanter."


    Situ Kong gently closed his eyes and said.


    "Master, it''s not just a thorn in your heart, it''s better if everyone removes it together."


    Nian Song agreed.


    "That''s the idea."


    Situ Kong nodded slightly.


    .....


    Su Chen had a cup of tea in the office, flipped through a magazine twice, and then became idle again.


    "Knock, knock, knock!"


    Just then, a knocking sound came.


    "Come in."


    Su Chen said casually.


    As his words fell, a man walked in.


    At the sight of the man, Su Chen''s expression briefly stiffened.


    "What brings you here, you old geezer?"


    Su Chen curled his lips and said:


    "And knocking on the door as if putting on airs."


    "I am a man of manners."


    Qin Ming said with a slight smile.


    Of course, what he meant was that Su Chen was not polite, as Su Chen would just barge in whenever he visited him.


    "You''ve improved, learning to insult without using curse words now!"


    Su Chen said, a yful smile curling on his lips.


    He was quite surprised by Qin Ming''s initiative to visit and also realized that the old geezer must have some serious matter.


    Qin Ming trembled inside seeing his smile, as Su Chen usually had that expression when he was scheming something.


    This time, however, he was wrong, Su Chen was simply wondering why he came.


    "Spit it out, what''s the matter that the mighty director of the Special Security Bureau would lower himself to visit my humble abode?"


    Su Chen said casually.


    Upon hearing this, Qin Ming, who had been partly joking, immediately became serious:


    "Is that any way to speak?"


    "Let''s go to the rooftop."


    Su Chen said, his face regaining calmness.


    At this moment, he was even more certain that Qin Ming hade with some significant issue.


    Then the two of them took the elevator together to the rooftop of Rainbow Mansion. Standing on the rooftop, a northwest wind blew over, bringing a chill with it.


    "Now you can talk."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "First, let''s have a cigarette."


    Qin Ming pulled out a cigarette pack and handed one over¡­


    Su Chen casually took it, ced it in his mouth, then lit it.


    Qin Ming also lit one for himself, and they both leaned against the parapet and started smoking.


    For a while, neither of them spoke.


    Sometimes, silence is also an expression...

 Chapter 713: Surfacing

    Su Chen understood that Qin Ming''s actions were telling him that the matter he came to speak about today was very important, extremely important.


    The two leaned against the wall, gazing at the distant skyscrapers, the blue sky, and the white clouds while the smoke swirled in front of them before gradually dispersing...


    "Back off."


    Qin Ming spoke up.


    "Back off? I don''t quite understand what you mean."


    Su Chen''s heart shuddered, and he purposely said.


    "You understand."


    Qin Ming gave him a meaningful look:


    "Let the affairs of the Five Great Families end here!"


    "End here?"


    Su Chenughed coldly and simrly looked at him:


    "Do you think that''s possible?"


    He thought to himself that the old man had indeede over for that recent incident.


    "Su Chen, we are friends, and I am looking out for your best interest."


    Qin Ming sighed deeply.


    "Then keep your goodwill to yourself, I can''t afford it!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly.


    Qin Ming knew that his words would elicit this reaction, but he still had to say them.


    Qin Ming spoke with a worried face:


    "Listen to my advice, please. Let bygones be bygones, and living well is what''s most important!"


    "If your grandfather and parents were killed, would you just let it go?"


    Su Chen asked in return, his face icy cold.


    Yet his heart still felt it strange that Qin Ming would make a special trip today to persuade him.


    Logically, although this economic battle had inflicted heavy losses on several families, it was far from shaking their foundations.


    In other words, the matter was not as serious as it seemed, nor had it gone too far!


    After all, from ancient times to the present, wealth has never been the decisive factor; only power and strength are!


    Since it wasn''t too excessive, what then prompted Qin Ming toe and persuade him with such gravity?


    And he should be very clear that Su Chen would not give up, so why did he stille?


    Su Chen had a vague feeling that perhaps Qin Ming''s arrival was just what he had been hoping for!


    Thinking this, he suddenly felt excited, but he restrained himself, maintaining the coldness on his face.


    Qin Ming, hearing Su Chen''s retort, was also left speechless!


    Indeed, with such deep-seated hatred, how could it be possible to let it go with just a few words?


    Not to mention himself; any man with a bit of blood in his veins probably wouldn''t be able to let it go, right?


    "Su Chen, don''t think that just because you''re the Nether King and have the Nether Temple behind you, you are number one in the world."


    Qin Ming looked at him and said:


    "Su Chen, if anything happened to you, could your grandfather and parents rest in peace in heaven?"


    "Hmph, I never thought of myself as the number one in the world, but those few families may not be enough to stop me!"


    Su Chen said disdainfully.


    Su Chen was not wrong; with the current strengths exposed by those families, he could easily annihte them.


    The reason he hadn''t done so was that the power behind the Five Great Families was still unclear.


    Qin Ming was somewhat shocked to hear this, although Su Chen had dominated the Five Great Families at the financial summit, he never believed that Su Chen could really do anything to them.


    The Five Great Families had carried their legacy for so many years, and their strength and heritage were beyond what outsiders could imagine.


    Of course, ever since he knew that Su Chen was the Nether King, he didn''t think the Five Great Families could do anything to him either.


    The king of the Dark World does not hold his throne without merit.


    Both sides boast experts as numerous as the clouds, battling it out could very likely lead to a situation where both sides are heavily injured.


    So now, hearing Su Chen''s dismissive attitude toward the Five Great Families, he was very shocked, unable to understand where Su Chen got this confidence from.


    Of course, had he heard these words from Su Chen beforest night, he still would have had some faith in Su Chen since Su Chen wasn''t one to make empty boasts.


    But afterst night, he no longer believed Su Chen had any chance of winning.


    Becausest night, something happened that he still feels is like a dream.


    "Su Chen, we''re friends, so I won''t beat around the bush."


    Qin Ming lit another cigarette, took a deep inhale, then looking at Su Chen, he began to speak:


    "Someone asked me to pass on a message to you, to immediately stop all activities against the Five Great Families."


    As soon as Su Chen heard this, a surge of emotions welled up inside him.


    Could it be that after waiting for so long, certain things were finally beginning to surface?


    "Oh? And who''s asked you to bring me this message? They''ve got quite the tone, haven''t they?"


    Su Chen deliberately retorted with disdain.


    "I can''t say who exactly it is, all I can tell you is, they are beings beyond your imagination!"


    Qin Ming dered seriously.


    In fact, he only found outst night that such people, such entities, existed in Huaxia!


    Now, thinking back to the person who appeared in his house out of nowherest night still sends shivers down his spine!


    "What rtionship do they have with the Five Great Families? Why do they care about the affairs of the Five Great Families?"


    Su Chen probed nonchntly, his emotions running high and tense!


    "They don''t have any substantial rtionship with the Five Great Families, but the Five Great Families are entangled in too much. To use their words, the Five Great Families should not be thrown into chaos, and Yandu even less so!"


    Qin Ming spoke earnestly.


    "Sounds like they''re ying the good guys."


    Su Chen said with irony:


    "What if I say no?"


    "The person who sent me said that, in consideration of your past contributions to Huaxia, they have been tolerant until now and hope that you will stop here!"


    Qin Ming said to Su Chen with a grave expression:


    "If you continue, they will take action against you."


    "Qin Ming, you can tell them, no matter who they are, to stop putting on this pretentious act! It won''t work on me!"


    Su Chen replied coldly:


    "If they want to take action, I am ready to see it through to the end!"


    "Su Chen, these people are really not ones you can afford to provoke!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s almost war-dering words, Qin Ming''s expression changed instantly, and he became extremely anxious:


    "Their strength is beyond your imagination, you and your Nether Temple are nothing in their eyes!"


    "Whether I am nothing or not is something we''ll only know after we''ve tried. You tell them, I''m set on dealing with these families! God or Buddha, whoever blocks my way will die! There are no exceptions!"


    Su Chen dered with a resolute face, a conviction that had never changed in his heart!


    If those people truly wanted to stop him, then let theme; he didn''t mind creating a river of blood!


    However, seeing how much Qin Ming feared them, he knew that these people must be incredibly powerful!


    But what of it, as long as he still draws breath, his thirst for revenge is as solid as steel, unshakable!


    Seeing the resolute expression on his face, Qin Ming let out a deep sigh.


    He knew that he couldn''t persuade him, probably not even if a knife were held to his neck forcing him to change his mind!


    "Then take care of yourself."


    Qin Ming shook his head and said.

 Chapter 714: You Really Are Nothing

    A momentter, Qin Ming left, and Su Chen returned to the office once more.


    Before leaving, Qin Ming still shared a bit of information with him!


    Su Chen knew that Qin Ming had shared this out of the goodwill between the two, and he had likely faced some pressure himself.


    He felt grateful for this, yet he kept his gratitude hidden deep within his heart.


    Sitting in his office chair, Su Chen pondered, what kind of organization could it be?


    However, the information was too scant for him to form any solid theories.


    As for the organization Qin Ming mentioned having no substantial ties to the Five Great Families, he was somewhat skeptical.


    Despite many uncertainties, he was still quite excited.


    He felt that the organization must be the one he had been searching for and anticipating!


    Now, through his own steady pressure, it had gradually started to surface!


    However, to make them truly show themselves, he needed to keep on pressing!


    Su Chen thought this to himself, but he also knew that such matters could not be rushed.


    He temporarily set this matter aside and then started roaming around thepany.


    When he reached Xia Qiuru''s door, he initially thought of entering, but then he reconsidered, having just visited yesterday. Too frequent visits might not be a good idea.


    So he continued walking, turned a corner, and arrived in front of Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Su bro, you''re here!"


    The young secretary Chen Guo, seeing Su Chen arrive, quickly stood up.


    "Little Guoguo, you''ve been getting more and more radianttely!"


    Su Chen teased.


    "Really, Su bro?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Chen Guo immediately touched her face and beamed like a blossomed flower.


    After a period, the shadow of the past incidents with Lin Chao hadpletely disappeared from her, and she had returned to being that lively, adorable young girl.


    "Of course, it''s true; when have I ever lied to you?"


    Su Chen dered solemnly.


    "It must be because of that makeup set you gave me, Su bro!"


    Chen Guo said with augh.


    "It''s because you are naturally beautiful, Guoguo; otherwise, no makeup would help."


    Su Chen''s words made the young girl somewhat bashful, but her heart was filled with joy.


    "Su bro, you''re just teasing me!"


    Chen Guo said shyly.


    "Why would I tease you?"


    Su Chen replied,


    "If I weren''t married, I''d pursue you!"


    As soon as he said this, Chen Guo''s cute face turned bright red!


    Su Chen was merely joking casually with the young girl and subsequently pushed open Lin Ruoxue''s office door.


    However, as soon as he entered, he felt a very familiar, long-missed chill!


    When Su Chen felt this chill, he shivered, his first instinct being that he had done something for her to discover once again.


    But on his face, he acted very normal andughingly approached Lin Ruoxue.


    "Honey, feeling tired? Let me give you a massage!"


    Su Chen said, readying his hands, when Lin Ruoxue twisted her body away from Su Chen''s approaching hand and then called out,


    "Chen Guo!"


    As soon as the words fell, Chen Guo walked in and asked what was needed.


    "Go to the caf¨¦ across the street and buy me atte,"


    Lin Ruoxue said casually.


    Chen Guo immediately felt it strange because thepany had freshly ground coffee beans every day, so there was no need to go out to buy any.


    However, since Lin Ruoxue had instructed her, she could only agree and then left.


    "Honey, did you intentionally send that girl out to facilitate our work?"


    After Chen Guo left, Su Chen immediately said with sparkling eyes, naturally wrapping his arm around Lin Ruoxue''s fragrant shoulders.


    "Little Guoguo? Still sounding pretty intimate, huh?"


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue''s cold voice rang out:


    "Weren''t you just chasing after her? Why didn''t you follow her?"


    Lin Ruoxue had indeed sent Chen Guo out on purpose, but it was not as Su Chen thought, to do something with him, but to give him a good lesson.


    Her office was much smaller than at Jianghai, and the soundproofing wasn''t as good, so it was easy to hear any noises at the door.


    She had just heard Su Chen flirting with Chen Guo, the young girl at the door, and immediately became furious!


    This guy usually messed around with those women from their PR department in ways that were quite unseemly, and she had been turning a blind eye.


    However, she never expected this guy to remain unrepentant, even flirting with his own secretary!


    But she also knew it was not the young girl''s fault, and to avoid embarrassing Chen Guo, she had sent her out.


    Lin Ruoxue''s words instantly paralyzed Su Chen who was nning his next move; he just then realized why there had been that chilly feeling earlier.


    However, he had lived with Lin Ruoxue for so long that he was familiar with these situations.


    "Wife, are you jealous?"


    Su Chen said with a smile, sitting on the handle of Lin Ruoxue''s chair.


    And his hands were caressing Lin Ruoxue''s fragrant shoulders again.


    "Who''s jealous of you? Don''t tter yourself!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face slightly reddened, and she quickly pped away Su Chen''s hand, scoffing:


    "I''m just warning you, behave professionally at work, and stop messing around all the time!"


    Su Chen knew very well that Lin Ruoxue was indeed jealous.


    But she always had her pride, and didn''t want to admit it!


    "So what if you''re jealous? It''s not something shameful."


    Su Chen''s hand, which had just been pped away, once again wrapped around Lin Ruoxue:


    "Don''t worry, I was just joking with that young girl. Even if I''m a beast, I would never make a move on your secretary."


    "Does that mean, if it weren''t my secretary, you would make a move?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked coldly after hearing Su Chen''s words.


    "I... is that what I mean?"


    Su Chen was also suddenly stumped by Lin Ruoxue''s retort,


    "Isn''t it?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him and said.


    Su Chen was now speechless; indeed, women''s thoughts were not something men could easily understand.


    "See, nothing to say, right? I knew it, you men are all no good!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen and coldly spat the words out.


    Su Chen became even more speechless; he hadn''t expected that staying silent was also a mistake!


    "Wife, I can''t speak for other men, but your husband is definitely a good man! Ah, I''m not a good ''thing'', no, what am I saying, I''m not a thing at all!"


    Su Chen became flustered and tangled himself up in his words.


    Lin Ruoxue heard Su Chen''s jumbled words and suddenly burst intoughter, but she quickly stopped herself and then coldly looked at him and said:


    "You indeed aren''t a thing!"

 Chapter 715: Light Rain Outside the Window

    Su Chen had no idea with what feelings he had left that office.


    Lin Ruoxue, who initially felt quite annoyed, now felt much better. She watched Su Chen''s departing figure and muttered to herself:


    "This guy needs to be put in his ce from time to time to stay honest!"


    Lin Ruoxue, of course, knew that there was nothing between Su Chen and Chen Guo, that young girl; she just felt a bit displeased seeing him getting so close to another woman!


    Actually, not just Lin Ruoxue, any wife would feel ufortable about such a matter!


    After leaving Lin Ruoxue''s office, Su Chen dejectedly returned to his office.


    Of course, this dejectionsted only for a while before he got back to normal.


    "Lin Ruoxue being jealous just means she cares, right? I should be happy about it!"


    Su Chen quickly found himself a reason not to feel so miserable.


    But since Lin Ruoxue had already given him a warning, he dared not to go to the public rtions department and see Xia Qiuru; with nothing else to do, he headed home to cultivate!


    After all, cultivation is of paramount importance. As long as his abilities were sufficient, it didn''t matter whether it was Shengyi Gate or that organization which had Qin Ming deliver the message; he would have the confidence to face them!


    On his way back, he also stopped by the supermarket to buy some ingredients, nning to prepare a candlelight dinner to mollify Lin Ruoxue in the evening.


    After all, she was still mad!


    What he didn''t know was that Lin Ruoxue wasn''t really that angry to begin with and had calmed down even more after scolding him.


    After Su Chen got home, it was still early, so he first went to his bedroom to cultivate, whichsted until six in the evening.


    He felt that his Qi Refinement Ninth Layer was now very stable, which greatly surpassed his expectations!


    In his mind, maybe after some time, he would be able to see that threshold; he was very much looking forward to that day!


    Because if he progressed one more step, he would reach a new milestone¡ªQi Refinement Peak!


    He had no idea how powerful Qi Refinement Peak achieved through cultivating Nine Yang Divine Technique would bepared to now.


    About this, he also had no clue since there was absolutely no reference!


    He shook his head, deciding not to think about this still distant matter for the time being, and then went downstairs to start making western food.


    Around eight o''clock, Lin Ruoxue arrived with some traces of Ice Frost still on her face.


    Although she wasn''t really angry anymore, she still nned to show Su Chen a lesson to ensure he wouldn''t dare to mess with other women lightly in the future.


    But as soon as she entered the house, she was somewhat dumbfounded. The room was dark, lit only by a faint glow.


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but look up, only to see that a few candles were lit on the dining table not far away, the faint light emanating from the candles.


    And Su Chen was sitting by the dining table, looking at her with a smile on his face in the candlelight.


    Lin Ruoxue was stunned for a moment and walked over in a daze.


    Upon getting closer, she saw a delicate tablecloth spread on the table with a vase on it that held a bright rose!


    Apart from the vase and candles, there were some fruit sds, a creamy soup on the table, and a decanter filled with red wine!


    And of course, there were knives and forks...


    "Is this a candlelight dinner?"


    The Ice Frost disappeared from Lin Ruoxue''s face as she asked hesitantly.


    "Yes!"


    Su Chen stood up, walked over, and pulled out a chair:


    "Please sit, madam."


    Lin Ruoxue sat down somewhat confusedly.


    "Wife, I knew you wereing back. The wine has already breathed just right. I''ll go fry the steaks."


    With that, Su Chen went into the kitchen. Frying steaks didn''t take much time; soon, he returned with two tes, cing one in front of Lin Ruoxue and the other in front of himself!


    "Su Chen, what is this...?"


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t quite understand Su Chen''s intention.


    "Wife, look at your expression. It''s just a candlelight dinner. You shouldn''t be so surprised."


    Su Chen said with a smile,


    "We''ve never had a candlelit dinner before, don''t you think it''s a bit regrettable? So, today I decided to make up for it!"


    When Lin Ruoxue heard his words, she was touched. She hadn''t expected him to be so romantic.


    Which woman doesn''t long for romance? Especially with the man she loves!


    At that moment, there wasn''t the slightest bit of anger in Lin Ruoxue''s heart, only a flood of tenderness!


    "Let''s have a drink first!"


    Su Chen poured some red wine for both Lin Ruoxue and himself, then raised his ss and said,


    "Sorry honey, I made you angry today."


    "Forget it, getting angry with you would only shorten my life!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a slight smile, then gently clinked her ss against his.


    She now realized that he had arranged the candlelit dinner intentionally to please her because she had been upset during the day!


    Regardless of the reason, the fact that he put this much effort into it was already very meaningful to Lin Ruoxue.


    "No more flirting around with others from now on!"


    Although she had forgiven him, Lin Ruoxue still couldn''t help but take a dig at him.


    "Okay, okay, definitely, definitely!"


    Su Chen immediately promised with a smile on his face, but whether he could keep that promise, only heaven knew!


    "Alright, let''s eat!"


    Su Chen said, putting down his wine ss.


    Then the two of them started on their steaks, followed by a small portion of Italian pasta and sd.


    Their very first candlelit dinner together waspleted in this warm and cozy setting.


    For Lin Ruoxue, what they ate wasn''t important, nor was whether the food tasted good. What mattered was that they had shared another meaningful experience together!


    After dinner, they went upstairs, took showers separately and then went to bed. Su Chen had suggested several times that they shower together, but Lin Ruoxue had firmly rejected every advance!


    How could she do such a bashful thing?


    After going to bed, Lin Ruoxue turned off the light, and the room was instantly plunged into darkness.


    "Honey, did you enjoy the candlelit dinner today?"


    In the dark, Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue into his arms and asked.


    "Mm."


    Lin Ruoxue hummed softly.


    "Should I do it more often?"


    "Wouldn''t that be too much trouble?"


    "For you, my wife, it''s no trouble at all!"


    "Honey, can you tell me about your past?"


    "It''ste today; I''ll tell you another time. Let''s attend to something more important now!"


    "Liar! Ah! Honey, you''re pulling my hair."


    "Sorry, I''ll be more careful."


    "Mm."


    ...


    The next morning, a gentle rain suddenly began to fall outside the window, tapping against the ss like a piece of music.


    Lin Ruoxue, still held in Su Chen''s embrace, slowly opened her eyes, grabbed the remote control, and pressed a button. The curtains slowly opened.


    She looked at the rain outside the window, felt the warmth of Su Chen''s chest, and felt very at ease, then gently closed her eyes again...

 Chapter 716: A Mans Pride

    Over the next few days, Su Chen still passed the time in the usual routine of going to work, practicing cultivation, and sleeping, without anything special happening.


    If something had to be mentioned as special, it was that Lin Ruoxue had just scolded him, which resulted in him not visiting the PR department in the past few days and he only visited Xia Qiuru once!


    After all, nothing is more important than one''s wife!


    That morning, while Su Chen was in his office ying "Fight the Landlord," his phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was Yunlong calling, he answered the call.


    It turned out Yunyao was leaving in a couple of days and Yunlong was free that evening, nning to go out and have some fun with Yunyao, asking if he wanted toe along.


    Su Chen certainly understood what Yunlong, the rascal, was implying¡ªwithout a doubt, it was still about matchmaking them!


    He was also speechless about Yunlong''s tant betrayal by selling out his own sister!


    So he made an excuse about being busy and declined, to avoid unnecessary trouble!


    But this time, he was wrong because it was not Yunlong''s idea, but Yunyao''s.


    "Sister, big bro said he''s busy."


    Yunlong reluctantly told Yunyao as he hung up the phone and looked at her on the sofa.


    "If he''s busy, then let it be."


    Yunyao said nonchntly, yet a hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes.


    "Sis, not to criticize you, but I had told you earlier to secure a good man like big bro! But you¡­"


    Yunlong sighed.


    "What are you thinking? I asked you to call him just so he would look after you properly!"


    Yunyao said somewhat sheepishly.


    "Keep denying it, sis, but you know exactly what you''re thinking!"


    Yunlong retorted with a twist of his mouth, showing a hint of frustration!


    He knew that previously, it truly was him forcefully trying to pair them up, and it seemed like neither big bro nor his sister were interested in that way.


    All he did was feel that big bro was a man his sister shouldn''t miss out on.


    But recently, he noticed some changes.


    Becuase Yunyao kept bringing up big bro recently, although each time she pretended it was unintentional.


    Yet the more she pretended it was unintentional, the more Yunlong felt there was something fishy¡ªdon''t forget, Yunlong used to be an ace among special forces, naturally exceptional in observation.


    "I''m well aware of my own thoughts, I''m telling you, you''re overthinking it!"


    Yunyao dered, her tone clearlycking in confidence.


    To be honest, she herself was not quite sure of her feelings currently.


    Ever since thest time Su Chen had protected her with no regard for his own life during the bomb explosion, she felt a subtle change about this man in her heart!


    Even she didn''t know what this subtle change was or what it meant¡­


    "Sis, I''ll advise you once more, happiness is something you need to grasp for yourself!"


    Yunlong said lightly as he watched Yunyao, who seemed insincere.


    His words made Yunyao''s heart quiver as if it had been struck by something.


    Seeing Yunyao''s waver, Yunlong quickly sat down beside her and said with a suggestive tone:


    "Sis, you are so beautiful and have such a great figure, just take the initiative and wouldn''t big bro fall obediently at your feet?"


    After speaking, Yunlong gave Yunyao a mischievous wink...


    "Yunlong, what nonsense are you spouting?"


    Yunyao instantly became infuriated upon hearing Yunlong''s words, grabbing a cushion nearby and hurling it at him fiercely!


    She seriously doubted whether this guy was truly her own brother¡ªif he was, how could he suggest such a ridiculous idea!


    Actually suggesting that she seduce their big brother, what a thought!


    Seeing Yunyao lose her temper, Yunlong quickly dodged.


    "Sis, I''m just looking out for you!"


    Yunlong still didn''t give up and added:


    "Don''t fail to recognize someone with good intentions!"


    "I don''t need your false kindness, feed it to the dog!"


    Yunyao impatiently said, throwing another pillow at him...


    "Big brother!"


    Yunlong suddenly shouted towards the door!


    Upon hearing this, Yunyao''s face changed drastically, first thinking about whether he had heard those indecent words she had just uttered.


    If he had heard them, that would be so embarrassing!


    She quickly looked back, but the space outside the door was empty; there was no one there.


    "You dare to trick me!"


    Yunyao roared, poised to pounce on Yunlong!


    How could Yunyao possibly catch Yunlong with her moves? He dodged nimbly.


    "Sis, wasn''t your reaction just now enough to prove my point?"


    Yunlong chuckled and said:


    "Sis, stop deceiving yourself!"


    With those words, Yunyao''s mix of shame and anger intensified, and she chased after Yunlong again!


    At that moment, she wished she could sew his mouth shut!


    ......


    Su Chen, of course, was oblivious to what was happening between Yunlong and Yunyao.


    At that time, he was leisurely reading thetest issue of "Men''s Wear" magazine!


    He had flipped through the magazine four times already. He couldn''t go to the PR department or to Xia Qiuru, so that was all he could do.


    So, he stayed in the office until noon, then he went downstairs to eat.


    Luckily, just as he walked into the little restaurant, his eyes lit up because he noticed that Xia Qiuru was also there.


    "Director Xia, you don''t mind sharing a table, do you?"


    Su Chen smiled as he walked up to Xia Qiuru''s table.


    Xia Qiuru looked up and saw him; a flicker of joy shed in her eyes, but she quickly hid it.


    "You''ve got legs of your own, it''s your call where to sit!"


    Xia Qiuru said indifferently, her tone carrying a hint of resentment.


    Actually, Xia Qiuru''s remark about having his own legs was somewhat a reproach for his recent absence from her side, but Su Chen was cluelessly unable to grasp the deeper meaning.


    "Is this all you''re having, these light dishes?"


    Su Chenmented looking at Xia Qiuru''s table, then waved over a waiter and ordered two more substantial dishes.


    "Has your wife been keeping a tight leash on youtely, is that why you haven''t dared toe my way?"


    Xia Qiuru, after all a woman, couldn''t help but ask.


    "How could that be? Would she dare to control me?"


    How could he admit to being henpecked in front of Xia Qiuru?


    "Isn''t it just that I''ve been really busytely?"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Upon hearing this, Xia Qiuru almost blurted out, "Busy my ass!"


    Who doesn''t know, in all of Belle Corporation, you''re the one who''s least busy?


    But she never said those words, only gave a meaningful smile instead.


    Actually, Su Chen felt somewhat embarrassed saying that, feeling as though he was mocking himself.


    But what else could he say?


    He couldn''t possibly admit that his wife hadid down thew recently, telling him not to flirt around, could he?


    Where would that leave his face as a man...

 Chapter 717 - 717 Yunlong Gets Injured

    Xia Qiuru was a woman who knew when to stop; she subtlyined just once and didn''t say anymore.


    After Su Chen''s two main dishes arrived at two o''clock, he kept adding food to Xia Qiuru''s bowl, urging her to eat more, which left Xia Qiuru both amused and frustrated.


    Moreover, Xia Qiuru was a woman, and not just any woman, but a beautiful one. She really wanted to ask Su Chen if he had ever seen a beauty eat like this without turning into a pig!


    Under Su Chen''s "coercion," Xia Qiuru ended up eating nearly a day''s worth of food in one meal. After finishing, she wordlessly red at Su Chen!


    Su Chen just chuckled and polished off the rest of the food, leaving Xia Qiuru utterly astonished!


    Perhaps knowing that they wouldn''t have any private time once they reached the office, both of them tacitly stayed a bit longer in the restaurant, chatting before they slowly walked back to thepany.


    As they were almost at the Tianhong Building, Su Chen''s phone suddenly rang. He nced at it and immediately his face showed a slightly surprised expression.


    "Qiuru, you go up first; I need to take this call,"


    Su Chen casually said.


    "It wouldn''t be your lover calling, inconvenient, right?"


    Xia Qiuru nced at him and teased.


    "What? It''s a call from a little sister,"


    Su Chen said, shaking his phone.


    "For you men, ''little sister'' can mean something very special!"


    Xia Qiuru said, her smile teasing.


    At her words, Su Chen was even more at a loss for words; he really wanted to say, Xia Qiuru, you have such a dirty mind!


    However, before he could speak, Xia Qiuru spoke again:


    "Alright, go ahead and answer, don''t keep the youngdy waiting."


    After saying this, she turned and entered the building...


    Su Chen helplessly pursed his lips, then answered the phone, a bright smile appearing on his face.


    "Master, are you happy to hear my voice?"


    A young girl''s voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "Sara, what made you think to call me?"


    Su Chen said gently.


    "I wanted you to hear my voice; it''s been over a month since I called you."


    Sara''s voice, like the sound of nature, came through the phone.


    "Alright, when I have some free time, I''lle to see you, okay?"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "No need!"


    Sara giggled over the phone.


    Listening to this, Su Chen was somewhat surprised, since she usually couldn''t wait for him to visit!


    "Really not needed?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "Yep, not needed because I''ll being to Huaxia soon, and then I can visit you, Master."


    Sara said cheerfully.


    "Coming to Huaxia? What for?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "For a concert, of course!"


    Sara said, as if it were obvious.


    "But didn''t you just hold a concert in Huaxia this year?"


    "This is a new world tour; I ced the first stop in Yandu of Huaxia!"


    In fact, this world tour wasn''t originally nned to include a Huaxia stop, but Sara strongly requested it, and also insisted that the first concert be held in Yandu of Huaxia.


    For a global superstar like Sara, thepany had no choice but to respect her wishes.


    Su Chen was unaware of these details; hearing Sara woulde to Yandu made him quite happy, so he said:


    "Okay, I''ll pick you up at the airport then,"


    Su Chen chatted casually with her for a few more moments, advising her to take care of her health before ending the call.


    After the call, Su Chen felt quite good.


    Although Sara was seen as a world superstar by others, in Su Chen''s eyes, she was still the little girl sobbing in the ruins of war from those years ago.


    After returning to thepany, Su Chen spent his time idly ying games and reading magazines until the end of the workday. He then went shopping for groceries, cooked dinner, and had dinner with Lin Ruoxue, before they both went upstairs to sleep.


    Yet, past one in the morning, Su Chen''s phone suddenly rang, waking him up. He couldn''t help feeling puzzled¡ªwho would be so inconsiderate as to disturb his sweet dreams at such ate hour!


    He picked up his phone and saw that it was Yunlong''s number.


    He couldn''t help but curl his lips¡ªwhat did this kid want in the middle of the night?


    "Honey, who''s calling?"


    Lin Ruoxue, also woken by the ringing, asked groggily.


    "Yunlong,"


    Su Chen said before hanging up and going back to sleep.


    In his mind, nothing good coulde from Yunlong calling sote.


    He knew this guy was always trying to set him up with Yunyao, and just yesterday morning he had even asked him to join them for a night out!


    Now with Lin Ruoxue still sleeping by his side, he decided to hang up the phone for "safety" reasons.


    But just as he closed his eyes, the phone rang again.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but frown¡ªwas this kid not done yet!


    "Honey, just answer it. Maybe Yunlong has some emergency,"


    Lin Ruoxue saidzily, as the short sleep due to Su Chen''s fumbling had left her very sleepy.


    With Lin Ruoxue saying that, Su Chen had no choice but to answer the call.


    "Yunlong, you little drunk, calling in the middle of the night to mess around,"


    Su Chen grumbled.


    But there was no reply from the other end of the line, if any, it was just the sound of someone crying, and it seemed to be a woman.


    "Who is this? How did you get Yunlong''s phone?"


    Su Chen suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and blurted out.


    "It''s me, Yunyao, Yunlong is injured, in the hospital..."


    The voice from the other end was intermittent.


    "What?!"


    Su Chen leapt out of bed, standing barefoot on the floor as he eximed,


    "Which hospital are you at?"


    .....


    Su Chen quickly got dressed, taking less than a minute to do so.


    "Honey, what happened?"


    Lin Ruoxue, who had gotten up from the bed by then, asked with apprehension.


    "It''s nothing serious. Just now, Yunlong''s sister called, saying Yunlong suddenly fell ill. She''s a bit worried on her own and asked me to take a look,"


    Su Chen revealed a smile, not wanting Lin Ruoxue to worry,


    "Go back to sleep, it''s nothing serious."


    "Alright then."


    Lin Ruoxue said, somewhat skeptically, feeling something was off...


    .....


    The nights of winter are not only long, but also bitterly cold. The bright moonlight bathed the earth, enveloping everyone under its glow.


    Su Chen drove the Buick car at high speed through the streets of Yandu, his heart filled with anxiety!


    Soon, he had reached the hospital Yunyao had told him about...

 Chapter 718: Its All My Fault

    When Su Chen arrived, Yunyao was pacing back and forth outside the operating room, incessantly ncing at the wall clock, her face etched with anxiety.


    Suddenly, hearing a burst of footsteps, Yunyao couldn''t help but look over, and when she saw it was Su Chen, she seemed to find her pir of strength and ran over, grabbing onto Su Chen.


    "Su Chen, you say Yunlong won''t be in trouble, right, he won''t be?"


    Her eyes brimming with hopeful expectation as she looked at Su Chen, in her urgency, she even forgot the formality of calling him Mr. Su.


    "Don''t worry, he won''t be. What exactly is the situation now?"


    Su Chen also hastily asked.


    Earlier on the phone, he had only heard Yunyao mention that Yunlong was injured and in the hospital, then he asked which hospital and rushed over.


    As for what had happened, why Yunlong was injured, and to what extent he was hurt, he was stillpletely in the dark.


    "The doctor said, he has fractures in three ces, four ribs are also broken, the fractured ribs have pierced his lungs, and he''s currently undergoing surgery!"


    Yunyao said with red-rimmed eyes, evidently having cried.


    "What exactly happened?"


    Su Chen''s face instantly showed ayer of chill when he heard about the severity of Yunlong''s injuries!


    "It''s all my fault, all my fault. If it hadn''t been for me, Yunlong wouldn''t be lying in there."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, Yunyao said painfully self-recriminatingly, tears unconsciously streaming down again.


    When pressed by Su Chen, Yunyao slowly began to recount the events to him.


    Around eleven o''clock tonight, feeling ted, the two of them went to a bar together, and after entering, each found their own amusements.


    Yunyao, being quite a beauty with a good figure, naturally attracted a lot of attention.


    However, most backed off upon sensing Yunyao''s disinterest.


    This was a simple rule of the game, although bars are great ces for both hunting and being hunted, consent is still required.


    But not everyone ys by the rules. While Yunyao was sitting in the booth, a well-dressed young man suddenly approached her.


    This young man, naturally, hoped to initiate a rtionship that crossed boundaries with Yunyao, but like other men, he didn''t receive the answer he wanted.


    Initially, this man who seemed gentlemanly upon not getting his way, proposed a disgusting transaction, increasing his offer from five hundred thousand to five million.


    This felt like an insult to Yunyao, if this had been in Jianghai, Yunyao would have pped him long ago.


    But this was Yandu after all, and the man didn''t look ordinary, plus the two bodyguards behind him felt very dangerous, even more than Yun Shiqing''s personal bodyguards.


    To avoid trouble, Yunyao suppressed her anger and simply shook her head to decline.


    However, not only did the young man not back down, but he also started threatening Yunyao, and even began to make advances on her.


    This utterly crossed Yunyao''s line. In a fit of anger, she took the drink from her ss and sshed it on him!


    The young man, furious, immediately pped Yunyao!


    Themotion swiftly caught the attention of others, including Yunlong.


    Upon seeing Yunyao being pped, Yunlong of course stepped forward to beat up the young man!


    But the result was not only did he fail to injure the young man at all, but he himself was severely beaten by the man''s two bodyguards!


    Then the young man kicked Yunlong once more before striding away...


    Upon hearing Yunyao''s ount, Su Chen''s face darkenedpletely!


    Su Chen swore that he would make that person who hurt Yunlong pay a painful price!


    "It''s all my fault, all my fault!"


    Yunyao covered her head with both hands in agony and said:


    "If only I hadn''t asked him to apany me to the bar, if only I hadn''t lost my temper and sshed that man with wine, none of this would have happened!"


    "Yunyao, listen to me, this is not your fault."


    Su Chen used a bit of force to remove Yunyao''s hands from her head and looked at her seriously:


    "You didn''t do anything wrong, so there''s no need to me yourself!"


    "Moreover, I believe that Yunlong will be fine, just rx!"


    Su Chen''s words were not merely tofort Yunyao. Although the fact that a rib had punctured a lung seemed serious, as long as the rescue was timely, with the current medical technology, it wouldn''t pose too great a danger.


    That was also why, after hearing about Yunlong''s injuries, he was more angry than worried.


    If Yunlong had really been in life-threatening danger, he wouldn''t be standing here now.


    "Do you know who that person was?" Su Chen asked.


    "I don''t know, but it seemed Yunlong knew him. However, when I asked him, he wouldn''t tell me."


    Yunyao shook her head, slightlyforted by Su Chen''s presence and reassurance. She felt slightly better now, not as panicked and helpless as she was at the beginning.


    "Why do you think Yunlong knew him?"


    "Because when he saw Yunlong, he said ''So it''s you''!"


    Yunyao recalled, saying.


    On hearing Yunyao say this, a few guesses formed in Su Chen''s mind as to whether or not it was true, but he would have to wait for Yunlong to wake up to know for sure.


    Afterward, the two of them waited outside the operating room together. About an hourter, a doctor came out to inform Yunyao that the surgery had gone smoothly, and asked them to patiently wait a little longer as it was not quite finished.


    Upon hearing the doctor''s words, Yunyao took a long sigh of relief, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down!


    If something really had happened to her brother, how could she exin it to their father when she got back!


    After all, their father had only Yunlong as his son!


    Su Chen also finally put his mind at ease. Although he had thought there wouldn''t be any big problems, he had still been somewhat worried.


    When 4 o''clock in the morning came around, the doctors and nurses finally wheeled Yunlong out, and seeing him, Yunyao immediately rushed up nervously.


    "Miss Yun, the patient is still in aa and it will take one to three hours for him to wake up."


    The doctor who performed the surgery told Yunyao:


    "For now, let''s move him to the ward."


    "Okay, okay."


    Yunyao nodded repeatedly:


    "Thank you, doctor, thank you!"


    Then she and Su Chen followed the doctor and the nurses to the VIP ward. After arriving at the ward, the doctor gave Yunyao some instructions and then left first.


    And because of this sudden incident, Yunyao definitely wouldn''t be able to return to Jianghai for a while.


    "Alright, you''ve also been worried all night, try to get some rest. I''ll call you when Yunlong wakes up."


    Seeing the poor color on Yunyao''s face, Su Chen advised.


    "No need. I won''t rest until Yunlong wakes up."


    Yunyao looked at Yunlong lying on the hospital bed in his patient gown, feeling a surge of heartache.

 Chapter 719: Attacking the Su Family

    She waited until six in the morning, yet Yunlong still hadn''t woken up, as Yunyao remained by his bed.


    "I''ll go buy some breakfast."


    Su Chen told Yunyao before he turned and left.


    A short whileter, he returned with a bag.


    "I don''t know what you like, so I bought a bit of everything."


    Su Chen ced the bag on the small table beside them.


    "Okay, thanks."


    Yunyao said, showing no signs of moving at all.


    "Man needs food as iron needs steel, how can you not eat? You should eat something."


    Su Chen handed her a box containing two buns, and Yunyao finally began to eat a few bites before setting it aside again.


    Around seven o''clock, Yunlong finally began to wake up slowly, opening his eyes.


    "Yunlong, you''re finally awake!"


    Yunyao was overjoyed to see Yunlong awakening.


    "Sis," Yunlong said, "I''m sorry for making you worry."


    "What are you talking about? It''s all my fault. If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t be lying here!"


    Yunyao shook her head.


    "Sis, don''t say that..."


    "Kid, you''re finally awake."


    Su Chen pushed the door open and walked in. He had been worried about Lin Ruoxue, so he had stepped out to make a phone call to her.


    "Brother, you''re here too."


    Yunlong hadn''t expected Su Chen toe as well.


    "Alright, you shouldn''t talk too much now, just focus on recovering."


    Su Chen knew that Yunlong''s condition wasn''t too severe because if the rib had severely punctured the lung, he definitely would have been on a venttor.


    He had also checked him himself, confirming his judgment, and those several fractures were also not a big problem as long as he rested.


    Despite this, the incident still made Su Chen very angry!


    "Right, right, right, don''t talk anymore."


    Yunyao suddenly remembered that the doctor had also instructed him to talk as little as possible these days; she had almost forgotten in her excitement.


    Then Yunyao and Su Chen stayed with him, and although Yunlong couldn''t talk much, saying a few words asionally was fine.


    "I''m going to the restroom, Mr. Su, could you please stay with Yunlong for a while?"


    Yunyao suddenly stood up and said, then left.


    Although the VIP ward had a restroom, considering there were two men present, especially Su Chen, she felt somewhat embarrassed.


    "Yunlong, who exactly beat you up?"


    After Yunyao left, Su Chen immediately asked.


    Yunlong hadn''t told Yunyao; obviously, he didn''t want her to know, so he hadn''t asked before.


    Yunlong looked at Su Chen, thought for a moment, and then said:


    "That Second Young Master of the Su Family."


    "Su Can?!"


    Upon hearing Yunlong''s words, Su Chen''s face filled with a deep chill, as if the temperature in the room suddenly dropped several degrees!


    "So it was him!"


    Su Chen gritted his teeth and said, previously guessing that whoever had severely injured Yunlong was not an ordinary person, but likely a martial artist, given Yunlong''s top-notch strength among ordinary people.


    Moreover, Yunlong knew the other party, and it was very likely that they were from one of the major families. He had guessed correctly, but he hadn''t expected it to be Su Can!


    It seemed that a significant reason for Yunlong''s injury was himself, after all, he had once severely humiliated and tortured him!


    At this moment, he also suddenly understood why Yunlong had not wanted to tell Yunyao who that person was, without a doubt because he didn''t want Yunyao to direct her anger at him!


    "Big brother, please don''t change your ns because of me, I''m really fine."


    Yunlong knew that whether or not this incident involved him, his big brother had alreadypletely stood against the major families.


    He just didn''t want his big brother to disrupt the original arrangements because of him!


    You must understand, he was facing several of Yandu''s major families!


    "I know, you don''t need to worry about this matter, just focus on recovering during this time!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly. For him, how could he possibly act as if this incident had never happened?!


    Moreover, arge part of the reason was because of himself!


    Soon, Yunyao came back.


    Su Chen stayed in the hospital room until about nine o''clock before he left. With Yunyao and the caregiver there, he felt there was nothing to worry about.


    As Su Chen walked out of the hospital and got back into his car, his expression immediately darkened, like gathering storm clouds, and there seemed to be lightning shing in his eyes!


    "Su Family! Very good!"


    Su Chen then started the car and stepped on the gas, leaving the hospital...


    The Su Family''s estate was located on Heping Street in the southern part of Yandu City, covering nearly forty acres. From the outside, it looked majestic, even more imposing than the currentrgest family''s estate, the Shen Family!


    This was actually understandable because, twenty years ago, it was always the Su Family that held the throne of thergest family!


    At that moment, a Buick car like a hunting cheetah sped toward the Su Family estate and stopped ten meters in front of the gate.


    An expressionless young man got out of the car. Though his face showed no emotion, anyone who caught a glimpse of him could feel as if there were a volcano about to erupt inside him!


    To Su Chen, the people around him had always been what he valued most. What had happened to Yunlong today was something he would never allow!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen walked up to the front door of the Su Family estate and kicked it, a loud noise apanied it!


    The door as if struck by an armored vehicle, fell off the hinges all at once and crashed onto the bluestone surface with a heavy thud!


    The door weighed over a thousand pounds, indicative of the significant force of Su Chen''s kick!


    Of course, the noise it made when it hit the ground was even more significant!


    Soon, more than a dozen muscr men rushed out, startled by the sight of the door lying on the ground!


    You must understand that for arge family such as the Su Family, the front door was not just a door, but a representation of face!


    Now with the door fallen, it was like their face had been mmed to the ground!


    "Who are you? Daring to cause trouble at the Su Family''s ce!"


    One of them shouted loudly!


    Su Chen, as if he hadn''t heard, continued walking straight forward with an expressionless face. His footsteps on the bluestone echoed with a "thud thud" sound.


    "Kid, are you deaf?"


    Seeing that Su Chen tantly ignored him, the man immediately became furious.


    "Charge, take down this kid, and hand him over to the master!"


    As he spoke, those men charged like tigers descending mountains, their momentum furious!


    Although these men were also at the level of ace special forces, some even surpassing that,


    Su Chen truly did not spare them a nce as he kept walking forward.


    When those men dashed to Su Chen''s side, they suddenly felt as if they had hit a wall and couldn''t charge past it.


    Moreover, this wall seemed to have a rebound effect, instantly bouncing all those men back,nding them several meters away...

 Chapter 720: 720

    After those people hit the ground, they instantly felt as if their bodies had fallen apart, with half of them even spitting out blood!


    They looked at the young man who kept walking forward, feeling horrified and simultaneously experiencing a strange sensation¡ªwhat on earth had just happened?


    Although they had encountered martial artists before, none were as inconceivable as him!


    When Su Chen had walked another two hundred meters, passing a flower bed, about twenty more people appeared!


    These people, though not as tense-muscled as those lying on the ground, seemed to harbor even stronger energy within their bodies!


    That was actually the unique aura of martial artists, ineffable yet undeniably real.


    These people did not bother with small talk and surged toward Su Chen like a tide; all of them were Qi Refinement martial artists from the Second Layer to the Fourth Layer!


    But to Su Chen, they were no different from those he had encountered earlier; all were mere ants!


    Su Chen barely lifted a finger, yet those people all fell to the ground, groaning in pain!


    From start to finish, Su Chen''s footsteps on the bluestone remained at a constant frequency, never changing even as he was surrounded and attacked by the martial artists!


    Su Chen continued along the winding route. Not far along, the bluestone path ended and was reced by a road paved with cobblestones.


    Though he had left the Su Family when he was only five or six years old and hadn''t returned for nearly twenty years, these were the memories that had etched themselves into his heart. After all, he had spent his childhood in thispound, so of course he knew the way.


    A little further aheady the dwellings of the Su Family members, typically the lesser branches and their residences.


    Like all major families, those closest to the entrance were the servants and protectors; the Su Family lived deeper inside thepound.


    This was partly for security, but more importantly, for maintaining the order of seniority within the n.


    The security within the Su Familypound naturally strengthened the deeper one went, but Su Chen did not care about that.


    Today, he intended to show the Su Family and everyone else in the simplest and most direct way that he, Su Chen, had returned!


    One could say he was here for Yunlong, but that wasn''t entirely the case, as this step was already part of his n. It was merely elerated by Yunlong''s matter.


    The Su Family courtyard was toorge. Even though Su Chen had already repelled two groups, he had barely covered a tenth of it, so the Su Family members were still mostly unaware of his arrival.


    The messengers sent to spread the word probably hadn''t even delivered their messages, so the courtyard still appeared very calm.


    As Su Chen walked, he looked to either side. Every part of this ce had once held his footprints, hisughter, and his tears.


    Returning now felt like stepping through time.


    Although the scenery remained, the most important people were no longer there, having flowed into the river of history.


    And those who were still around had long since masqueraded their true faces.


    Su Chen continued forward and encountered another group of martial artists.


    The strength of these martial artists was fundamentally different from the previous ones, as could be felt from the aura emanating from them.


    They were all Qi Refinement martial artists from the Fifth Layer to the Eighth Layer, which marked the beginning of a true martial artist''s journey.


    "Who are you, daring to trespass into our Su Familypound!"


    One of the men, in his thirties, demanded coldly.


    Although they had all heard of the great name of Su Chen, few had seen his face.


    "If you don''t want to die, get out of my way!"


    Su Chen remained expressionless as he spoke.


    "Kid, you''re courting death!"


    The leader of the martial artists had barely finished speaking when he moved, and in the blink of an eye, he charged towards Su Chen.


    The others followed suit immediately, albeit a little slower than the leader, and their cultivation was not as high as his, so they fell slightly behind.


    For them, since this young man had dared to intrude into the Su Family, there was nothing more to discuss; naturally, they would capture him and hand him over to Master Su or Su Yuan to deal with!


    Moreover, they knew that since this youngster had made it this far, it meant that he had dealt with the two groups before them!


    However, even so, they still didn''t consider Su Chen a threat. After all, there was a huge gap between the previous guards and themselves, including those martial artists!


    Su Chen looked at the leader who rushed at him first, sneered coldly, and eerily extended one hand, grasping his neck with ease as if picking up a chick¡ªit looked very simple!


    The others were shocked by this scene!


    How could this be possible? He had so effortlessly grasped their leader''s neck?!


    While they were still stunned, Su Chen''s fingers tightened slightly, and a "snap" sound was heard; the leader''s neck had been crushed, and then the young man casually threw him aside!


    Seeing that Su Chen had so easily killed their leader, the others were terrified, their faces turning pale!


    The martial artists, initially full of bravado, now halted in their tracks, frightened!


    If even the leader had been disposed of by this youngster like crushing an ant, they were even less of a match!


    But since they were protectors of the Su Family, they had no way out. If they retreated at the first sign of danger, what use was the Su Family keeping them for?


    "Brothers, he''s just one man. Let''s take him down together!"


    Someone shouted.


    Upon hearing this, the others immediately snapped out of it, right, they were so many, why fear him?


    In their view, although this young man was stronger than their leader, he was still just one person!


    Facing so many experts attacking together, he probably couldn''t hold up for long!


    After all, many of them were only slightly weaker than the leader!


    They were merely a bit stunned by Su Chen''s eerie maneuver!


    Facing these so-called martial arts experts, Su Chen still showed no extra expression.


    He casually pped forward, and a robust wave of True Yuan energy surged forward like a wave!


    The few people in front of him were immediately sted backwards by the True Essence Energy, flying back and heavily hitting the ground, their life and death unknown!


    At the same time, he kicked out to the side, striking a man directly in the chest. The man shot backward like a cannonball, knocking down several people behind him!


    The chest of the man who was kicked caved in, clearly dead!


    ......


    A minute passed, and all the martial artists were lying on the ground, several of them already dead on the spot.


    As for this, Su Chen didn''t care; just because he had not killed before didn''t mean he wouldn''t kill here!

 Chapter 721 - 721 Only You, Impossible!

    Just then, from several directions, a mor of footsteps could be heard, and many figures also appeared.


    They had been alerted by the recentmotion, since their dwellings were now very close!


    Of course, they were all offshoot juniors of the Su Family. The residences of the legitimate line were a bit farther away and even more secluded.


    As soon as these offshoot juniors saw the guards lying on the ground, they were instantly shocked!


    What happened here?


    They were somewhat aware of the strength of these guards. How could they have all fallen to the ground, with even a few obviously dead?


    Suddenly, their gaze fell upon the young man, filled with shock!


    "Did you do all this?"


    One of the Su Family''s offshoot juniors asked.


    After all, this was the Su Family''s territory. They may have been shocked, but not too afraid.


    "You''re not qualified to talk to me. Call out Su Chun if you want to talk!"


    Su Chen said coldly.


    "Who do you think you are, daring to utter our Family Head''s name directly!"


    Another person immediately scolded.


    In his view, this was the Su Family''s domain¡ªhow dare this youngster be so presumptuous!


    But as soon as his words fell, he suddenly felt it hard to breathe. Su Chen''s hands had somehow already clutched his throat!


    The others, witnessing this scene, were taken aback. The young man''s move was so sudden that they only saw a blur, and the person who had just spoken had his throat grasped!


    "I don''t know what I count for, but one thing I know for sure, if you dare say one more word, I''ll crush your throat!"


    Su Chen''s voice was filled with a cold and sinister tone, as if it came from the Netherworld Prison!


    The moment they heard Su Chen''s words, their hearts uncontrobly trembled violently!


    For an instant, they truly believed that the young man dared to do so!


    He then threw the man, whose neck he had been clutching, to the ground like a stray dog!


    Normally, if someone dared to do this to him, he certainly wouldn''t just let it go, but now, he was inexplicably afraid¡ªthe fear that the young man might actually crush his throat!


    A group of Su Family offshoot juniors just stood there staring at the young man, not daring to speak, even less to make a move!


    The Su Family''s basic defenses consisted of fouryers. The firstprised ordinary peopleparable to elite special forces soldiers. The second consisted of martial artists at the Primary Stage of Qi Refinement. The third was the group now lying here, martial artists between the Fifth and Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, having reached the stage of external Qi release!


    And thestyer of basic defense wasposed of martial artists guarding the legitimate line, their overall strength naturally the highest¡ªat least in the Late Stage of the Eighth Layer, with most being at the Ninth Layer and the Peak of Qi Refinement!


    Now that the thirdyer of guards had all fallen to the ground, they could only wait for the martial artists protecting the Su Family legitimate line toe.


    They believed that themotion here must have already drawn the attention of those further inside!


    They dared not do anything to Su Chen at the moment, but they were not afraid.


    Almost every Su Family offshoot junior standing here thought that once the old master or the eldest son arrived, this kid would be in for a world of pain¡ªif not death, then a skinning. They had no doubt about it!


    Naturally, the eldest son they mentioned was not Su Bo but his father, Su Yuan.


    As for what these people were thinking, Su Chen could guess without even thinking!


    They were waiting; Su Chen, however, did not continue forward. He, too, was waiting!


    Indeed, after a short while, a chaotic sound of hurried footsteps rang out, and a group of people appeared in Su Chen''s vision, with a man in his seventies or eighties leading the way!


    Of course, this elderly man was none other than the current Su Family Head, Su Chun, followed by his two sons and eldest grandson, Su Bo, as well as a number of important members from the more minor branches of the Su Family!


    Besides these members of the Su Family, there were also a dozen other individuals, whom Su Chen immediately recognized as almost all being Martial Artists above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, with three or four of them having even reached the Late Stage of Qi Refinement Peak!


    Upon hearing that someone had the audacity to smash the gates of the Su Family to the ground, and then fight their way inside, Su Chun could hardly believe it was true!


    When he confirmed that it was indeed true, he immediately flew into a great rage!


    The rest of the Su Family members also received the news almost at the same time and thus came over with Su Chun!


    After all, such actions were aplete humiliation to the Su Family, and an unabashed one at that!


    They wanted to see who had such insolence and dared to do such a thing!


    Keep in mind that such an event had never urred in the history of the Five Great Families!


    It was a disgrace!


    Therefore, on their way here, they had already sentenced the trespasser who dared to barge into the Su Family to death!


    What a joke, after such a provocative act, how could they possibly let him live!


    They were indeed puzzled, wondering who could be so bold as to fight their way into the Su Family!


    And moreover, why would that person do such a thing? Had they lost their mind?


    But when they arrived and saw that it was indeed Su Chen, they were instantly taken aback!


    However, they quickly thought that this was somehow to be expected, after all, in the current Yandu, it seemed this young man was the only one with both the courage and a motive to do so!


    Even so, this was something they could not tolerate!


    "Su Tian, what do you mean by this?"


    Su Chun''s eyes were fixed intently on Su Chen as he spoke:


    "If you wanted toe back for a visit, or even to stay, we would be very weing, but what is the meaning of smashing down the gate and fighting your way in?"


    Those who didn''t recognize Su Chen were shocked upon hearing Su Chun''s words, realizing that this man was the one who had been stirring up trouble in Yandu recently!


    "Su Chun, why put on such a pretense? I''m tired on your behalf."


    Su Chen said disdainfully:


    "Also, let me correct you again, my name is Su Chen, not Su Tian. I have nothing to do with the current Su Family!"


    "Since you have nothing to do with the Su Family, then just speak up. What are you here for today, what are you trying to do?"


    Since the masks had already beenpletely torn off, Su Chun felt no need to conceal anything anymore!


    Moreover, aside from the Su Family members, there were no outsiders present!


    "Don''t worry, today I''m not here to settle the score for my grandfather''s and parents'' deaths, I will settle that ount with you slowly!"


    Without waiting for Su Chun to speak, Su Chen continued:


    "Don''t deny it, and don''t y dumb, iming it has nothing to do with you. You know it in your heart, and I''m not stupid!"


    "Everyone else might be innocent in this matter, but you are the only one who couldn''t possibly be!"


    With these words spoken, the people of the Su Family were put in an awkward position; after all, nobody was a fool, everyone had a guess about certain matters.


    Although they had some guesses, who would dare to voice them?

 Chapter 722 - 722 Evil Thoughts

    It can be said that, regarding the events of the past involving the Su Family''s senior house, within the n, it was an absolute taboo!


    For so many years, not a person dared utter a single word about it!


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, Su Chun''s face immediately changed, showing extreme embarrassment!


    Including those who apanied him, like Su Yuan, Su Tai, and Su Bo, it was the same for them!


    "Believe it or not, I still have to say this, Su Chen, I know you have misunderstandings about me, but I truly had no connection with what happened back then."


    After all, there were many rtives from coteral branches present, and even if everybody was well aware of the truth, even if it meant forcibly arguing, Su Chun still had to clear his name!


    Otherwise, wouldn''t that be tantamount to admitting it?


    Su Chen immediately burst out in mockingughter, clearly furious. He was somewhat impressed by how shameless the old man was to be able to say those words, and even without a change in his expression or heartbeat?


    "All right, since you''re not here because of the old issues, then state your intentions!"


    Listening to Su Chen''s sarcasticughter, Su Chun found it incredibly harsh to his ears. He didn''t want to linger on this embarrassing topic, so after clearing his name, he immediately shifted the conversation.


    Su Chen watched him with a yful smile. How could these little tricks possibly escape his eyes?


    But he truly did not want to get entangled with him over this issue today, so he didn''t expose him.


    "My purpose here today is very simple, just one thing, and that is to collect a debt!"


    Upon Su Chen''s words, the people of the Su Family were all stunned. Collect a debt? What debt?


    "Su Chen, rify your words for me!"


    Su Chun barked sharply, his face as dark as if water was about to drip from it!


    "Your Su Family''s second Young Master owes me a sum of money that has yet to be paid back, and of course, I''m here to collect that debt!"


    Su Chen casually remarked, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile!


    As his words fell, the Su Family''s crowd immediately erupted into an uproar!


    They had never expected that this was Su Chen''s purpose ining today!


    But how could the second Young Master owe him money?


    "Nonsense, how could our family''s second Young Master owe you money?"


    The man whom Su Chen had previously choked by the throat finally caught a chance and immediately spat out disdainfully:


    "I think you''re trying to swindle us!"


    He had been afraid of Su Chen before, but now that the patriarch had arrived, what did he have to fear?


    "Have you forgotten what I told you earlier?"


    Su Chen spoke indifferently.


    "Go ahead, I''d like to see how you can crush my throat now!"


    The man said smugly, lifting his head proudly.


    "Alright! As you wish, then!"


    Su Chen smiled faintly, and in an instant, his figure moved, leaving only a streak of afterimage behind.


    The man who had just spoken found his throat in Su Chen''s grasp once again, and he immediately felt difficulty in breathing, his face full of shock!


    He hadn''t expected that even with the patriarch present, this guy would actually dare to make a move!


    Of course, he had also heard about the incident at the financial summit, but there had long been a subconscious belief that with the patriarch present, everything would be alright!


    But when Su Chen''srge hands really mped around his throat again, he truly felt fear!


    "Stop!"


    Seeing this scene, Su Chun was startled and quickly tried to intervene.


    But it was already toote; a crisp "snap" echoed, and the rtive from the Su Family''s coteral branch had his head hanging to one side!


    Su Chen indifferently tossed the corpse aside and then dusted off his hands.


    The entire Su Family was dumbfounded. Was it really over just like that?


    Did it feel like they were watching a y?


    After all, that was someone from the Su Family, although only a member of a coteral branch, he was still part of the Su Family!


    And Su Chen, although he also belonged to the Su Family, in reality, as he himself had said, he had no rtionship with the Su Family anymore.


    The martial artists standing behind Su Chun were also shaken by this scene¡ªnot by Su Chen''s bizarre move just now!


    To be honest, even though his move seemed very peculiar to the ordinary eye, they didn''t think much of it, as they could do it too.


    They believed that if they hadn''t been too far away, they definitely could have saved that member of the coteral branch.


    What truly shocked and even astonished them was Su Chen''s demeanor while killing¡ªthat indifferent ease, as if he was casually snapping a twig off a roadside tree!


    How many people had he killed to be so indifferent and dismissive of life?


    "Su Chen, don''t you think you''re going too far?"


    Su Chun''s eyes practically spouted fire as he red at Su Chen. This youngster was far too arrogant, killing a member of the Su Family right in front of him!


    "It was his own death wish, you all heard it. It''s not my fault!"


    Su Chen shrugged his shoulders, tauntingly.


    "Good, good, good!"


    Su Chun repeated the word ''good'' three times, then coldly said,


    "Since you act so decisively, so ruthlessly, don''t me me for not considering the affection for my older brother!"


    "p p p!"


    No sooner had Su Chun finished speaking than a round of apuse broke out!


    Su Chen apuded andughed,


    "Su Chun, how can you say the words ''older brother'' without any shame? I fear that in terms of shamelessness, no one in the world can match you!"


    "You brat, you''re courting death!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s sarcastic remark, Su Chun''s face flushed and paled in quick session, looking extremely ugly!


    Just like someone who had suddenly been stripped of their clothes, he was enraged!


    "Go, seize him for me!"


    Su Chun barked an order to the martial artists behind him, meanwhile making a secret sign to the leader among them.


    Although deep inside he wished nothing more than for this young man to disappear from the world immediately, he absolutely could not order his killing outright!


    Because he knew that what happened today in the Su Family courtyard would soon spread far and wide, given the number of people present!


    If the outside world were to learn that he had ordered the killing himself, they would definitely think he was inhumane, showing no mercy even to his older brother''s only bloodline!


    Even further, they would surely surmise that he was involved in the issues with the Su Family''s main house years ago, after all, he was the direct beneficiary!


    Moreover, they would interpret hismand as an act of silencing by murder!


    Such damage to his reputation was something he could not afford!


    Of course, he was not willing to lose such an excellent chance to get rid of his adversary!


    Yes, in the instant just passed, an idea shed through his mind, thinking:


    Isn''t this a heaven-sent opportunity to get rid of this thorn in my side?


    While he couldn''t order a direct execution, if the martial artists fought and idently killed him, he could exin it away, after all, fights were unpredictable!


    Even if they didn''t kill him, just crippling him would eliminate the threat forever!


    With this thought, his previous anger and fury dissipated, reced by a wave of tion!

 Chapter 723: Overwhelming

    Yes, for Su Chun, Su Chen was like a nightmare!


    Ever since he had suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere, Su Chun had never had a peaceful night''s sleep!


    In his dreams, he always saw his elder brother''s family disheveled and drenched in blood, seeking his life!


    But such private, obscure, and disgraceful matters were not something he could converse about with anyone, so they were deeply buried in his heart!


    And now was his best opportunity to eradicate this nightmare!


    "Today, you walked right into the trap by yourself, and since it''s like this, don''t think about escaping anymore!"


    Su Chun hummed to himself, the gesture he had just made was a signal for that leader to act ruthlessly!


    He had always thought that Su Chen was at thete stage of Qi Refinement Peak, while among those Martial Artists by his side, there were three or four at thete stage of Qi Refinement Peak, and many at the Ninth Layer and middle and early stages of Qi Refinement Peak.


    He thought that truly dealing with thisd was not going to be a problem!


    The leader understood Su Chun''s intention, and thus gave a meaningful look to his subordinates. Having been together for many years, they naturally understood the significance and subtly nodded!


    Although these people''s actions were discreet, what kind of person was Su Chen? He was both the Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade and the king of the Dark World, and he had noticed early on!


    About this, he just sneered coldly, his lips curling into a sinister smile!


    Suddenly, those people moved, and with so many high-level Martial Arts experts releasing their aura, a tremendously strong oppressive force immediately enveloped Su Chen!


    Under this oppressive force, Su Chen seemed to feel nothing, his face even showing a slight smile!


    Suddenly, his smile disappeared, his figure shifted, and he seemed to vanish on the spot, only to appear in midair directly above those Martial Artists!


    Simultaneously, Su Chen''s leg suddenly chopped down from midair, the fierce windstroke enveloping one of the middle-stage Qi Refinement Peak individuals like a sharp de!


    That person suddenly felt as if he had been targeted as prey, desperately wanting to flee, to evade, but felt that leg was omnipresent, impossible to escape wherever he went!


    In desperation, he could only instinctively punch upward!


    "Bang!"


    Fist and leg collided, terrifying power suddenly erupting and producing a violent colliding noise, making it seem as if the surrounding air was beingpressed!


    "Crack crack¡ª"


    A series of bone-cracking sounds followed, originating from that middle-stage Qi Refinement Peak individual''s arm!


    After the impact, that person''s arm immediately hung limply, but Su Chen''s chopping leg still pressed down like an unmovable mountain toward his shoulder!


    "Thud!"


    Another loud sound followed, apanying something that seemed to scatter!


    That person immediately felt as if a huge mountain had pressed down, making him unable to resist. With a "thud," he knelt down, and in the moment he knelt, several pebbles beneath his knees sank deep into the soil!


    He felt as if his entire being was suddenly disassembled!


    All this transpired in the blink of an eye. After the middle-stage Qi Refinement Peak Martial Artist was dealt with, Su Chen alsonded amidst those Martial Artists!


    Seeing this, those Martial Artists were shocked, thinking where did this kid think he was going, dropping in among them? Escaping was out of the question!


    Almost instantly, they surrounded Su Chen and attacked!


    One must know, these were over a dozen high-level experts at the Ninth Layer and Qi Refinement Peak, their robust True Essence Energy surging from all directions towards the centered Su Chen!


    To them, even if Su Chen were extremely formidable, there was no chance of survival!


    In the distance, the Su Family, especially Old Master Su, watched this scene with a gleam of excited smiles!


    This kid is doomed!


    This was the thought in many people''s minds at the moment!


    Especially Su Can''s father, Su Tai, whose eyes emitted a fervent gleam!


    "Kid, you''ve humiliated my son, and now your retribution has finallye!"


    However, at that moment, a mocking smile suddenly emerged on Su Chen''s face. In the next instant, he started spinning rapidly in ce like a top, his hands ovepping, creating a dazzling effect!


    "Bang, bang, bang~~~"


    A series of muffled sounds suddenly erupted continuously, and apanying these sounds were silhouettes flying in all directions like kites with their strings cut!


    Almost every person who was sent flying ejected a mist of blood mid-air, then fell heavily to the ground!


    Silence!


    A deathly stillness!


    It was as if the sound of a falling leaf could be heard!


    Everyone''s eyes were bulging, as if they had witnessed the most unbelievable thing in the world!


    In that instant, nearly everyone''s mind went nk!


    What on earth happened?


    Is this real?


    How could this be possible?


    Countless question marks flickered in the minds of the Su Family members!


    Suddenly, Su Chun felt dizzy and almost couldn''t stand up!


    "Why has this happened?"


    Su Chun kept asking himself, but he didn''t know the answer!


    The martial artists who had been sent flying by Su Chen looked at the young man who still wore little expression, and a tidal wave of shock surged in their hearts!


    What realm is this young man in exactly?


    Just a moment ago, they had felt a surge of True Yuan that was unimaginably immense!


    And their own True Yuan, released, was like a tiny boat overwhelmed by the waves!


    "Drip, drip..."


    Su Chen walked towards Su Chun step by step, his face bearing a faint smile.


    All the Su Family members felt their hearts tighten as they saw him approaching; in their eyes, this man was a demon, a ghost, a god, a celestial - certainly not human!


    "I initially just came to settle a score, why did you have to turn it into this?"


    Su Chen reached Su Chun and sighed:


    "I know you''ve dreamt of killing me, but if I dared toe here, did you think it would be that easy to kill me?"


    Su Chun looked at Su Chen, his lips quivered a few times, but he didn''t utter a word, his face filled with shock and fear!


    "Don''t be afraid, I''m not going to kill you today!"


    Su Chen gently said:


    "I want you to live in fear, in a nightmare, before I let you bid farewell to this mortal world!"


    Upon hearing these words from Su Chen, Su Chun''s heart shuddered immediately, and a chill suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart!


    He couldn''t understand why that little boy from those years had be so mysterious and powerful, giving him a sense of powerlessness!


    "Alright, now let''s talk about today''s main business!"


    Su Chen suddenly raised his voice slightly:


    "What do you have to say about the debt your Su Family''s Second Young Master owes me?"

 Chapter 724: Asking for Payment

    Everyone suddenly remembered his words when they heard him say that!


    He had said that the second young master owed him money, and he was here to collect the debt!


    It was just that the matter had been interrupted by the situation with that concubine-born n member, and then things had evolved into the current state!


    But what they couldn''t understand was why the second young master, Su Can, would owe him money!


    Su Chun was truly Su Chun, even though the development of the situation had far exceeded his initial expectations, he quickly adjusted!


    He knew that now that things had reached this point, the best strategy was to resolve the problem!


    "Okay, Su Chen, you say Su Can owes you money, tell me how much he owes you, and I will pay you back right now!"


    Su Chun said solemnly, indicating that he had conceded, at least for the time being!


    Having lived for so long, he knew all too well how to deal with things at such times.


    "Alright, as long as you acknowledge the debt, that''s fine with me. I''m a reasonable person,"


    Su Chen nodded with a smile and said:


    "As for the money, it''s not a lot, just fifty-five billion. With the Su Family''s wealth, that should be a piece of cake for you!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the members of the Su Family were dumbfounded!


    Fifty-five billion? He wasn''t joking, right?


    Even though they were from the Su Family, this amount of money was astronomical for them!


    Because most of the family''s money was tied up in business ventures, and having just gone through a catastrophic business battle, about two-fifths of their wealth had vanished!


    The entire Jinsheng Group of the Su Family now had only about fifty billion in liquid funds!


    After all, the Su Family was originally not strong in businesspared to the Jinsheng Group!


    Thinking of this, they couldn''t help but look towards Su Chen, because that devastating business battle was also triggered by this young man!


    This young man had already caused the Su Family heavy losses in the business world, and now he was extorting them again!


    This was simply outrageous!


    Yes! The feeling that surged in them as soon as they heard the number from Su Chen was that this young man was extorting them, and it was tant extortion!


    But they were furious yet dared not speak out, for this young man was a devil incarnate!


    Especially Su Tai, hearing that his son owed over fifty billion, his face turned even paler!


    "You have no proof!"


    Su Chun said with a grave voice, equally disbelieving that his grandson could owe so much money:


    "Do you have any evidence?"


    Su Chen smiled faintly, casually pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, and handed it to the other party:


    "Take a good look! Written in blood on white paper!"


    Su Chun took the paper from Su Chen with confusion, unfolded it, and immediately felt a shiver in his heart!


    For the red writing on it was so stark, as if written in fresh blood!


    Even though it had already dried, he could still feel a shocking sensation!


    Su Tai also saw it, and his heart felt as if it had been heavily struck by something!


    "You forced my son to sign this!"


    Su Tai pointed at Su Chen and said tremulously.


    "Do you have any evidence?"


    Su Chen smiled indifferently.


    "The blood on it is the best evidence!"


    "At the time there was no pen, so your son bit his finger to sign it, is there a problem?"


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly and then said with a smile:


    "I''m not afraid to tell you, I did force him to sign it, because he was reneging on his debt! Why don''t you ask him about it?"


    Actually, Su Chen didn''t care at all whether the Su Family knew he had forced the issue. So what if he didn''t have this IOU now?


    Strength is where confidence lies!


    If it weren''t for his sufficient strength, even if he came with a hundred IOUs today, they would be of no use!


    It''s just that having this IOU made things a bit more convenient, a tad more righteous, that''s all!


    That way, wherever he spoke, he would be in the right!


    "Where is he! Hurry, go and call that bastard Su Can over here right now!"


    Su Chun immediately ordered, realizing that though Su Chen had forced Su Can to sign the IOU, it seemed Su Can was not innocent in this matter either!


    Hearing Su Chun''s anger, a servant immediately ran to Su Can''s room!


    Soon after, Su Can arrived, bleary-eyed from sleep; he had gone to a bar the previous night and then to a nightclub, not returning home until four or five in the morning, and he was deep in slumber right at that moment!


    Therefore, he hadn''t heard the previousmotion, nor did he know what had happened.


    Just awoken by the servant with the news that Grandpa wanted to see him, he was a bit annoyed, but when he saw so many people standing in front of him, nearly the entire family having showed up, he immediately sensed that something was amiss!


    The sight of those Martial Artists lying on the ground intensified this premonition!


    He nervously approached, and when his eyes met with Su Chen''s, his heart skipped a beat!


    He instantly remembered how he had dealt with thetter''s underling the previous night, and he had a gut feeling it was rted to that incident.


    When he was harassing Yunyao yesterday, Yunlong suddenly burst out; he instantly recognized Yunlong as the man who had apanied Su Chen at the underground boxing ring.


    This immediately reminded him of the humiliation and threats he suffered from Su Chen, which had always been the most shameful incident in his heart, so his anger red up on the spot!


    Not daring to offend Su Chen, he wanted to take his frustration out on this underling to quell the fire churning inside him, which otherwise found no outlet!


    So he ordered his Bodyguard to beat up Yunlong well, but still restrained somewhat out of fear of Su Chen!


    After getting even with Yunlong, he felt especially ted and proceeded to party for a few hours at the nightclub!


    It must be said that what Su Can did was incredibly foolish; if he feared Su Chen, he shouldn''t have targeted Yunlong because that would certainly provoke retaliation from Su Chen!


    With his intelligence, he should have made that connection, but the humiliation had been too deep, and he just couldn''t hold back upon seeing Yunlong!


    "Grandpa!"


    Quivering with fear, Su Can approached Su Chun and tentatively called out.


    "Take a good look at the mess you''ve made!"


    Su Chun threw the piece of paper harshly toward him, his voice cold as ice!


    Catching the paper with confusion, Su Can unfolded it, and his body immediately shook!


    The thing he feared the most had finallye to pass!


    He hadn''t expected Su Chen to use this issue as a point of attack!


    "Grandpa, listen to me, he forced me to sign this!"


    Su Can said with a face full of fear.


    "Indeed, I forced you to sign it!"


    Su Chen looked at him yfully:


    "But do you actually owe me this money or not?"


    When Su Can heard this, he was at a loss for words because indeed, the money was won fair and square by Su Chen.


    "You better exin every single detail of this incident!"


    Su Chun''s face darkened immediately:


    "You must not hide a thing, or else get out of the Su Family immediately, and whatever happens to you thereafter will have nothing to do with us!"


    Hearing such harsh words from Grandpa, where could Su Can dare to be slippery? He had no choice but to exin everything that had happened that night!


    After hearing Su Can''s ount, the Su Family members immediately realized two things: first, Su Can had indeed been injured by this young man.


    Second, Su Can truly did owe that much money, even though it was obviously a trap set by the other party!

 Chapter 725: Considerate Enough, Right?

    The so-called "where virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten," implies that if someone can set a trap and you fall into it, it means they are capable and you are too stupid!


    Are there few traps set in the business world? Can you say that your action is invalid because it is not righteous after the fact?


    Since this is the case, what they urgently need to solve next is this huge debt!


    If it were someone else, they would definitely deny the debt, but facing this devil, they dare not!


    Although there were still some guards at home, even the guards meant to protect the legitimate line were knocked down, the others would be of no use if they came.


    If it weren''t for so much money, it wouldn''t matter, even if it were several billion, they would have sent him away as if paying off a gue.


    As for the lost face, they can only recover it slowly; there was no other choice.


    But now it''s not just a few billion, but several hundred billion, which are critical for the survival of the corporation!


    If this money were paid out, their group would copse!


    Although for the Five Great Families, business is not vital, it is absolutely essential!


    After all, such arge family needs expenses everywhere; how can they operate without money?


    They can neither afford topensate nor dare to deny the debt!


    This was what truly troubled the Su Family, and the stronger feeling back then was frustration; when had the Su Family ever been so frustrated!


    What they didn''t know was that this was exactly what Su Chen wanted; he had known back then that the Su Family couldn''te up with the money!


    Even before that business war, it was absolutely impossible!


    Not to mention for one Su Can, even ten Su Cans would be impossible since the money belonged to the entire family!


    What they actually didn''t realize was that Su Chen didn''t care about the money, even if it was several hundred billion!


    What he wanted was a pretext, a pretext to pressure the Su Family, to y the Su Family!


    This was partly to vent for Yunlong and partly to make certain people show up sooner!


    "Su Chen, is this okay? We acknowledge the debt, but we really can''te up with the money now!"


    Su Chun said in a negotiating tone:


    "How about this: give us two years, and once we have the money, we''ll definitely pay you back!"


    Su Chen heard this and suddenly gave a weird smirk, and that smirk grew louder.


    Suddenly, his smiling face disappeared, and he coldly stared at Su Chun, saying:


    "Are you an idiot, or do you take me for one? If you try to y these childish tricks again, don''t me me for being impolite!"


    As soon as Su Chen made thisment, the people of the Su Family all wore embarrassed expressions because everyone could hear that Su Chun''s words were just stalling.


    Especially Su Chun, being scolded like this by a junior like Su Chen, was utterly disgraced!


    He wasn''t unaware of this point, but apart from saying this, he had no other solution!


    "Su Chen, we really can''te up with the money now!"


    Su Chun stammered out, his facepletely disgraced!


    "Since that''s the case, how about Ie up with a solution for you?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled up into a meaningful smirk.


    "What solution?"


    Su Chun quickly asked, although he knew this young man wouldn''t be so easy to appease, but he was still somewhat excited.


    "Since he racked up the debt, let him bear it."


    Su Chen casually said.


    The other members of the Su Family couldn''t help but nodded in agreement; indeed, why should the entire family cover for a mess he created!


    In thesest few years, they hadn''t seen a dime of the money he''d earned from the underground gambling ring!


    What they didn''t know was that the extra five billion Su Can earned in the past two years had long ended up in Yunlong''s pocket!


    Of course, before that, Su Can hadn''t shared it with anyone else either; he had simply treated it as his personal private property.


    Su Chun and Su Tai, upon hearing this, couldn''t help but shudder, feeling that things were not looking good!


    As expected, Su Chen soon smiled and said,


    "Then break his limbs, treating each limb as ten billion, and forget about the rest, consider it a discount from me!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was stunned!


    No one had expected him to propose such a method!


    "How about that, am I not generous? I doubt even if his limbs were made of gold, they would be worth that much!"


    Su Chen blinked and smiled.


    "Su Chen, don''t you push people too far!"


    Su Chun shouted sternly. Even a y figurine has a point of anger, let alone him, the Family Head of the Su Family?


    This guy actually wanted to break the limbs of his grandson, essentially crippling him; how could Su Chun bear it?


    After all,rge families value their legacy the most. He had only two grandsons, and now Su Chen wanted to cripple one of them; how could he possibly agree!


    "Pushing too far? Why don''t you first ask what your precious grandson did tonight that was pushing too far!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chun''s heart suddenly trembled, and he immediately pped Su Can''s rtively tender face with all his strength!


    "You evil creature, what in the world did you do?"


    Su Chun bellowed with his eyes zing, puzzled as to why Su Chen had suddenly attacked the Su Family.


    If it were about the debts, why hadn''t he approached them earlier, why precisely now?


    At this moment, he finally understood. Surely his own grandson had done something to provoke this man!


    Su Can, a young man, was pped so hard by Su Chun that he fell to the ground, with five distinct finger marks on his face and a trickle of fresh blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.


    This evidently showed how forceful Su Chun''s p was!


    Seeing the old man so enraged, other members of the Su Family didn''t dare say a word!


    Especially since Su Can was not well-liked among them, few in the Su Family had a good impression of him!


    In this respect, he was far worse than his cousin Su Bo!


    Su Can endured the pain in his cheek and shakily stood up, not daring to utter a word.


    "p!"


    Seeing him silent, Su Chun wound up his arm and delivered another p across his face!


    He could have dodged this p, but he didn''t dare; he could only endure it painfully!


    Having braced himself, this time he didn''t fall, but staggered a few steps, his face burning painfully!


    He realized that indulging in brief satisfaction the previous day had finally bred a huge disaster!


    "Not talking yet?"


    Su Chun spat out anxiously, needing to know what had happened to devise a n!


    Su Can also realized that today''s incident wasn''t something he could simply stay silent about and avoid.


    "I''ll talk, I''ll talk!"


    Su Can said, terrified.


    He then briefly exined to Su Chun what had happened the previous night, because Su Chen certainly knew all about it, so he dared not conceal anything!


    "p!"


    As soon as he finished, Su Chun immediately delivered another p, even harder than the first two!

 Chapter 726 - 726 Danger Descends

    "Women, women, always women!"


    Su Chun stretched out his withered old hand, trembling as he pointed and cursed:


    "I swear you''ll die at the hands of a woman someday!"


    Su Chun knew all too well his grandson''s tendencies when it came to women; as far as he was aware, he was juggling three or four actresses and models at the same time!


    If it hadn''t been for his lustful impulses, would the subsequent series of events have ever urred, let alone the debacle unfolding today!


    And the Su Family wouldn''t have suffered such a great loss of face. More than the disgrace, the top-tier Martial Artists pained his heart even more; he still had no idea of their condition!


    If those Martial Artists had indeed encountered severe trouble, the loss for the Su Family would be devastating, far exceeding the losses of that trade war.


    However, even more than his rage over Su Can''s lust, he was furious at his grandson''s stupidity!


    What good would it do if he just beat up his own brother? What was the point, the practical significance?


    To vent his anger, to regain some face? Childish!


    "Su Chen, indeed, Su Can is at fault here. I''ll have him go and apologize to your friend, will that do?"


    Su Chun said swallowing his pride.


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "I''m not afraid to tell you outright, unless the money is returned, I''m crippling his limbs today no matter what!"


    Su Chen''s voice suddenly turned cold and upromising!


    Though Su Chen''s words seemed to offer a choice, in reality, they didn''t; he knew the Su Family would never be able to return those billions!


    Even if Su Chun was his grandfather, he still had to consider the overall interests of the Su Family, or else the family would be on the brink of copse.


    In fact, even if the Su Family dide up with the money, Su Chen would not let Su Can off the hook.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Su Can''splexion turned deathly pale, and his legs began to tremble!


    Despite being unaware of previous events, he had already realized that Su Chen had be the dominant force in the room.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Su Chun''s aged facial muscles also began to tremble, and his eyes shot out an intense fiery light!


    "Su Chen, are you truly prepared to engage in a fight to the death with the Su Family?"


    Su Chun spat out through clenched teeth, his face clouded with dark clouds!


    He couldn''t possiblye up with that sum of money, nor could he stand by and watch his grandson be crippled!


    But now, those Martial Artists had all been brought down by him, and that person didn''t care at all about the Su Family''s stance. What could he do?


    At most, he could only hurl some harsh words!


    "If only that old colleague were here,"


    Su Chun sighed to himself.


    "Do you think our strife only starts today?"


    Su Chen said:


    "Our feud began long ago, right after that incident all those years ago!"


    His voice was cold and deste, carrying an aura of destion that lingered in everyone''s hearts.


    "Su Can, when you struck at my friend in the night, did you ever think about this moment?"


    Su Chen stepped towards Su Can, each step resounding like a strike in everyone''s heart!


    Almost everyone wondered if he was really going to cripple Su Can.


    In principle, Su Yuan and his son should feel relieved, as they would be free of future troubles if Su Can were indeed crippled.


    But they felt no such relief; instead, only fear of that young man gripped them!


    Watching Su Chen approach step by step with his cold expression, he suddenly felt as if he had plunged into an icy cave, his body going cold.


    "What are you going to do?!"


    Su Chun suddenly stood in front of Su Can; looking at Su Chen''s face, he couldn''t possibly say he wasn''t nervous!


    "Do you think you can stop me?"


    Su Chen looked at Su Chun with disdain:


    "If you don''t want to lose all face, then get lost!"


    "Over my dead body will youy a hand on my grandson!"


    A sharp light shot out from Su Chun''s cloudy eyes as he stared fixedly at Su Chen.


    "Don''t talk to me about impossibles!"


    "p!"


    Su Chen casually swung his hand, and a resounding p echoed!


    Su Chun was sent rolling several meters to the ground from the p, half of his face swelling up like a steamed bun, his hairpletely disheveled!


    He looked utterly disgraced!


    Everyone from the Su Family was stupefied!


    Watching this scene, they felt dizzy, as if experiencing an unreal sensation!


    Their elderly patriarch, the current Family Head, had just been pped in the face?!


    Who would believe it if told?!


    Evenpared to the shock caused earlier by Su Chen sending those martial artists flying, this was less than a tenth!


    Although the patriarch had no cultivation whatsoever, he was the symbol of the Su Family, their benchmark!


    Yet now, this symbol of the current Su Family, this elderly man, had been pped across the face, his silver hair strewn about, sitting in a disheveled heap on the ground!


    In Su Chun''s gaze at Su Chen, it was as if mes were burning and thunder was roaring!


    In contrast, Su Chen felt nothing from Su Chun''s gaze. Compared to his grandparents'' and parents'' deep-seated hatred, was this little setback unbearable?


    "I gave you face, and you refuse to take it. You really think I wouldn''t dare to p you?"


    Su Chen spat at Su Chun, whoy on the ground.


    In fact, he hadn''t used much force just now; otherwise, one p would have killed him!


    "Alright, now it''s your turn!"


    Su Chen said, eyeing Su Can.


    Suddenly, a strange odor wafted through the air, apanied by the sound of dripping water. Looking down, Su Chen discovered that Su Can had wet himself!


    Su Can, at this moment, was terrified to the extreme. If this madman could p the old man, would he care about him?


    He now deeply regretted his impulsive actions from yesterday, but he never expected this guy to be so crazy as to march directly into the Su Family to seek revenge on him!


    After all, this was the Su Family!


    Su Chen looked at Su Can''s pale face, his lips curling into a cold smile.


    Meanwhile, his hand was already reaching out towards Su Can; to him, Su Can wasn''t even worth an ant!


    However, at that moment, he suddenly felt an almost never before experienced oppressive force enveloping him, an intense sense of danger washing over him!


    A hazy phantom appeared in the blink of an eye from afar, apanied by an extremely fierce palm wind!


    The palm wind, howling with strength, seemed to possess the power to destroy everything; even the void appeared to shatter!


    Streams of milky-white True Essence Energy wave rolled in like waves, the air seemed to ignite, emitting a "sizzling" sound!


    Feeling the mighty palm wind, Su Chen''s expression instantly tensed, and a sharp light shot from his eyes!


    He hastily pped back towards the direction from where the palm wind came, unleashing an equally vast surge of True Essence Energy...

 Chapter 727: The Peak Duel

    "Boom!"


    Two incredibly vigorous True Essence Energies collided with each other, producing a series of continuous, deafening noises!


    The robust True Yuan immediately dispersed in all directions, squeezing the void as if it were a bomb explosion!


    Su Chen immediately felt a powerful shockwave mming into him; he involuntarily took three steps backward and felt a surge of nausea!


    At that moment, he also clearly saw the source of the danger: it was an elderly man, an elderly man wearing a hemp robe!


    He too had been forced back three steps, just like Su Chen!


    Of course, what he didn''t know was that Su Chen''s three steps back were due to him suppressing more than half of his strength.


    However, because the pressure he had felt was so immense, he did not dare to be overly confident, so the strength he exerted in that palm strike was equivalent to a general martial artist''s half-step Meridian Expansion Cultivation!


    Su Chen looked at the hemp-robed elderly man opposite him, his heart filled with shock. He had not expected that the Su Family would suddenly produce a top-notch martial artist at the half-step Meridian Expansion level!


    In fact, the shock in the heart of the hemp-robed elderly man was even greater; he had not anticipated that the young man''s palm strike just now was terrifyingly powerful, truly befitting of someone with half-step Meridian Expansion!


    A half-step Meridian Expansion in his twenties? Was this some kind of joke from the heavens?


    If this young man were to grow, what kind of realm would he reach in the future?


    It was simply unimaginable!


    Those from the Su Family standing in the distance had alsopletely felt the heatwave in the air and the immense energy it contained!


    They all recognized the hemp-robed elderly man as a highly valued individual by the family patriarch; his words even carried more weight than those of Su Yuan and Su Tai, the two sons!


    However, their understanding of this hemp-robed elderly man was limited, generally addressing him as Elder Zhuo!


    They never imagined that this elderly man was also a master; their gazes towards him now filled with shock and joy!


    "Old buddy, you''re finally back!"


    Upon seeing the hemp-robed elderly man, the family patriarch struggled to stand, his face instantly showing an excited expression, his eyes emitting sharp glints!


    "I''m sorry, sir, I''mte, which caused you to be insulted!"


    The hemp-robed elderly man bowed to Su Chun.


    "No worries, as long as you''re back, that''s all that matters!"


    Su Chun kept saying, feeling the urge to burst intoughter at that moment!


    This hemp-robed elder had said he was going to the suburbs for some business today and wasn''t at the Su Family mansion.


    After those martial artists were defeated by Su Chen, Su Chun immediately sensed the danger and stealthily sent a message to him, asking him to rush back.


    He had been worried that the distance was too far and that the other party might not make it back in time!


    He hadn''t expected that he would actually make it back!


    Of course, it would have been better if he had arrived a bit earlier; then, he wouldn''t have had to suffer that humiliating p!


    "Old buddy, leave this young man to you!"


    An icyyer surfaced on Su Chun''s face as he spoke, his eyes shooting out a sharp gleam!


    As long as this old buddy was back, everything would be over!


    At that moment, he had only one thought, and that was to kill this young man who should have died almost twenty years ago!


    This was partly because of the humiliation the Su Family faced today at his hands, including being pped by him, which disgraced the entire family!


    More importantly, it was because of fear; this young man had such high Cultivation at such a young age, he certainly would be a disaster for the Su Family if he were allowed to grow further!


    "Rest assured, sir!"


    The hemp-robed elderly man said calmly. Although Su Chun didn''t explicitly speak of killing him, having known each other for decades, they intuitively understood each other''s intentions.


    Thus, upon receiving Su Chun''s gaze, he immediately knew what it meant!


    In his view, despite the young man opposite him also being at the half-step Meridian Expansion, his realm surely wasn''t as stable as his own, given that he had been at half-step Meridian Expansion for ten years!


    The stability of one''s realm ys a crucial role in battle!


    "Su Chen, you will pay for your actions today!"


    Su Chun stared at Su Chen, whose face contorted fiercely, resembling a wild beast ready to devour him!


    "Do you think this old man''s arrival will turn the tide?"


    Su Chen looked at Su Chun and smirked mysteriously.


    Now that he had confirmed that the opponent was at the First Layer of Meridian Expansion, he had nothing to worry about.


    For him at this moment, dealing with a Martial Arts master at the First Layer of Meridian Expansion was no problem at all.


    "Hmph, this is the impudence of youth, not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth!"


    Su Chun snorted coldly:


    "You should not havee here today, let alone trample on the dignity of the Su Family like this!"


    With these words, it was clear that Su Chun did not regard Su Chen as a current member of the Su Family.


    Of course, Su Chen felt the same!


    "It seems you are now full of confidence and hope!"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a yful smile, and then he looked at Su Chun and spoke word by word:


    "But rest assured, I will crush that hope of yours bit by bit!"


    After saying that, he turned his head back to face the old man in the hemp robe:


    "Come on!"


    As he spoke, Su Chen''s body suddenly burst forth with endless fighting intent, and in an instant, his stature seemed to grow muchrger, like a War God!


    "Good!"


    The old man in the hemp robe shouted loudly, , for he seldom had the chance topete with a master of the same realm, as there were too few who could step into this level and reach this depth!


    At this moment, he too was filled with intense fighting intent!


    His hemp robe suddenly billowed out, moving without wind!


    The terrifying pressure of being at the First Layer of Meridian Expansion also radiated out, making everyone in the vicinity feel as if a towering mountain was pressing down, and the air seemed topletely stagnate!


    Then, his figure moved, instantly vanishing from the spot, a shadow shed by at a speed seemingly faster than lightning!


    Simultaneously, Su Chen moved as well, also so fast it was almost impossible to see the shadow!


    Quickly, the two shadows shed together, and the others could hardly see their movements, only hearing the sounds of collision continuously ringing out, with the air also asionally hissing as if it were ignited!


    They stared at these two shadows, utterly dumbfounded!


    Are these two even human? How could they move so fast?


    This was truly like gods fighting!


    At this moment, they genuinely realized the terror of Su Chen, and of course, the terror of the old man beside the elderly master!


    No wonder the old master respected and relied on him so much; it turns out he was a supreme master!


    The Martial Artists lying on the ground felt their minds were violently shaken!


    Before, they had not perceived the depth of the sh between the two, but at this moment, they felt a deep shock!


    It was then they realized that Su Chen had spared them earlier!


    This speed, this depth of True Yuan, it''s probably only possible if one has stepped into that threshold!


    They had not expected that today they would be fortunate enough to witness a peak duel between two First Layer Meridian Expansion masters!


    For Martial Artists, this was undoubtedly a feast!

 Chapter 728: Its Time to End

    At this moment, they had forgotten the severe injuries on their bodies, focusing all their attention on the two people in the arena!


    After all, they were masters at the Ninth Layer and the Peak of Qi Refinement, so they naturally saw much more than the Su Family members who were already stunned senseless!


    To know that it was difficult enough to see a single practitioner on the verge of Meridian Expansion, but to simultaneously witness two was simply inconceivable to them!


    How could they pass up such an opportunity to observe and learn?


    Even if they couldn''t see many details clearly, just feeling the energy from that realm was beneficial to them!


    Su Chun watched the twobatants fight to a standstill, his heart filled with indescribable shock!


    He had not expected that the little boy from years ago could now stand shoulder to shoulder with Elder Zhuo, at least that was the appearance!


    His murky eyes gradually narrowed, and the murderous intent in his heart deepened!


    He had to seize this chance while it still existed, to strangle his life!


    By now, the two in the arena had exchanged countless moves, waves of True Essence Energy exploding one after another, rippling outwards in all directions!


    The old man in the bup clothes seemed to have the upper hand, but far from feeling rxed and confident, his heart grew more and more shocked!


    He had thought that this youngster would notst long under his assault, but the fight up to this point resembled a battle with a spring, the boy defending effortlessly!


    It seemed no matter how he attacked, the youngster had a way to cope!


    "Boom!"


    Suddenly, the two collided with punches, and a thunderous explosion sounded immediately!


    At the same time, milky white waves of True Essence Energy burst forth, creating what seemed like a vacuum around them!


    After the collision, both of them retreated several steps before stopping their momentum!


    Because Su Chen had forcibly suppressed his strength, his internal organs had also sustained some light damage at this moment.


    The situation for the old man in the bup clothes naturally wasn''t much better, even more severe¡ªhe felt as if his internal organs were flipping over, a tumultuous upheaval inside.


    The Su Family members watching the two were all holding their breath, even more afraid to make a single noise!


    After exchanging nces, the two''s figures moved again!


    Immediately, they were once again entangled in battle, and this time, the fight was even more fierce, with each sh resounding like thunder!


    The robust True Essence Energy poured out ceaselessly, and several ancient trees in the vicinity were snapped from the impact of this energy!


    "Boom!"


    "Boom!"


    A momentter, almost simultaneously, their feet kicked out toward each other''s chests, and they both flew backward!


    After traveling ten-odd meters, they finally steadied themselves andnded on the ground!


    "Pfft, pfft!"


    Both spat out a mouthful of fresh blood at the same time!


    Witnessing the blood on the ground, Su Chen couldn''t help but wryly smile. To avoid revealing his true strength, the cost was indeed not small!


    However, the bup-d elder, looking at the young man opposite him, felt increasingly shocked!


    This kid was truly a monster!


    After briefly regting his internal organs, the bup-d elder attacked Su Chen once more!


    In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Su Chen,unching a punch!


    The milky True Essence swirled around his fist, immensely dense!


    Watching the raging punching, Su Chen didn''t move, causing the bup-d elder to show a moment of puzzlement after seeing no reaction.


    What was going on?


    As the fist mang came closer and the punch''s wind scraped across his face, the corners of his mouth couldn''t help but curl into a cold smile:


    "Time to end this!"


    In that moment, his body suddenly shifted, narrowly dodging the bup-d elder''s punch that shattered the void, and then he eerily vanished from his original spot!


    The hemp-robed old man, upon witnessing Su Chen''s eerie evasion of his fist, was initially stunned, and then utterly shocked to see the other suddenly disappear!


    At that moment, his heart suddenly tightened!


    He felt an intense sense of danger, and it seemed to being from behind him!


    Thus, he abruptly turned around, but as he did, he saw a palm print hurtling towards his chest!


    The palm appeared to carry the destructive force and energy of annihtion!


    His pupils shrank fiercely, and all the hairs on his body stood on end!


    Instinctively, he wanted to dodge or block, but it was toote! For at that moment, the palm print was too close to his chest!


    "Bang!"


    In the next instant, Su Chen''s palm had struck the chest of the hemp-robed old man!


    The old man immediately flew backward like a kite with its string cut, soaring over twenty meters before crashing to the ground!


    Afternding, the old man tried to struggle to his feet but was utterly unable to do so; instead, he spat out two mouthfuls of fresh blood!


    Then he suddenly copsed back to the ground!


    He felt as if all his internal organs had been shattered. Although there was no threat to his life, such serious injuries would take at least a year or two to fully recover!


    "Master Zhuo!"


    Su Chun, upon seeing this scene, immediately turned pale, cried out in shock, and then ran over in a panic!


    The others of the Su Family might not know the significance of Master Zhuo to the Su Family, but he did!


    If Master Zhuo died, it would be an immeasurable loss for the Su Family, and an irreparable one at that!


    Seeing Su Chun running over, the rest of the people quickly followed.


    "Master Zhuo, how are you?"


    Su Chun approached the hemp-robed old man and tremblingly asked, gazing at the fresh blood on his chest.


    "My lord, don''t worry, I''m not dying yet,"


    the hemp-robed old man wheezed out with difficulty.


    "That''s good, that''s good!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chun felt slightly more at ease.


    "Whether he dies or not is now up to me,"


    dered Su Chen as he slowly approached the hemp-robed old man.


    As soon as these words fell, both Su Chun and the hemp-robed old man were inwardly shaken!


    Indeed, his life and death were now in the hands of this young man. If he wanted the hemp-robed old man to die, who could stop him?


    Su Chun couldn''t help but look up at the approaching Su Chen, his heart knotting with tension.


    "What movement technique did you use just now?"


    the hemp-robed old man asked, looking at Su Chen with a mix of bewilderment and shock. Martial Artists are most concerned about Martial Arts matters.


    He knew that the reason the other had been able to dodge his punch at such close range and suddenly disappear was due to incredible speed!


    The factors that determine speed are two: one is Cultivation Realm; the higher the Realm, the faster the speed naturally bes!


    The other is movement technique. If one cultivates a movement technique, they can also achieve greater speed!


    It''s just that good Body Technique Manuals are hard toe by!


    He didn''t believe Su Chen had a higher Realm because during their fight, including that final palm strike, the strength disyed was that of a half-step Meridian Expansion!


    If he really had a higher level of Cultivation, he wouldn''t have tangled with him for so long and would have dealt with him sooner!


    In his mind, the other must have cultivated a special movement technique and dealt a fatal blow unexpectedly, just like what truly urred!


    What he didn''t know was that Su Chen''s speed indeed stemmed from his own Cultivation!


    In that instant, he had elevated his Cultivation to a higher level in order to achieve greater speed and then quickly retracted it!

 Chapter 729: Do You Have Any Objections?

    "You''ve never heard of this movement technique?"


    Su Chen suddenly widened his eyes, appearing very curious,


    "Even children know about this!"


    Though the old man in the hemp robey on the ground with severe injuries, the look on his face was full of confusion when he heard Su Chen''s words, not understanding what he meant.


    "You do know ''Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,'' right?"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a mocking smile as he said:


    "This is the ''Floating on Water Light Steps''! Look, isn''t this something even children are familiar with? It''s a shame you''ve lived such a long life in vain!"


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, the already severely injured elder almost spat out a mouthful of old blood!


    Be it him or the other members of the Su Family, they were all very clear that Su Chen was toying with him!


    However, the people from the Su Family were now in no mood tough, especially Su Chun, who was most worried about Su Chen harboring a killing intent towards the old man in the hemp robe!


    If that were the case, there was nothing he could do to stop it!


    "Su Chen, I beg you, please spare his life, can you?"


    Su Chun looked at Su Chen with a pleading tone.


    He didn''t want to be subjugated, especially not in front of this man, but reality forced him to be humble!


    "I can, but I am now going to punish Su Can, do you object?"


    Su Chen pondered for a moment, then spoke lightly.


    Although the old man in the hemp robe was a half-step Meridian Expander, and counted as one of the few experts in this world, Su Chen no longer considered him a threat!


    If in some time he reached the peak of Qi Refinement, he would value him even less!


    So, to Su Chen, there was no practical difference between him and those Qi Refinement Peak practitioners he had defeated!


    Moreover, havingnded a solid blow on the old man in the hemp robe, it would take him a year or even two to recover!


    Thus in Su Chen''s eyes, killing him or not was already irrelevant!


    Of course, if Su Chen had a simr strength as him now, and an opportunity to kill arose, he would definitely not show any mercy!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Su Chun''s heart jolted violently!


    Did he object?


    Of course, he did, after all, that was his own grandson!


    But he dared not object, and besides, even if he did, what use would it be?


    Could his objection stop Su Chen from acting? That was simply impossible!


    But when asked to answer the question, he found himself unable to speak!


    "Do you object?"


    Su Chen''s cold voice rang out again, his eyes emitting a terrifying gleam!


    Su Chen could naturally just act directly, and surely no one would dare to stop him, and even if they did, they wouldn''t be able to!


    The reason he asked this question was to force Su Chun to answer personally!


    He wanted to make Su Chun submit, even if his heart was utterly unwilling, he aimed to shatter all of his self-esteem!


    This was the most direct form of coercion!


    Yes, apart from seeking revenge for Yunlong, Su Chen''s visit today was aimed at coercing the Su Family, pushing them into a corner, forcing them to throw their dignity to the ground for him to trample!


    The primary reasons for forcing the Su Family were to provoke a reaction from the other families, and more importantly, to force the organization behind the Five Great Families to emerge into the open!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s cold voice and seeing his indifferent expression, Su Chun shuddered involuntarily!


    He knew that Su Chen was warning him!


    If he said he did object, or even if he just remained silent, Su Chen would likely take action, and once he did, it wouldn''t just be a matter of dealing with Su Can anymore!


    "I... I didn''t."


    Su Chun said in an incredibly stifled voice, his face showing the toll of years and loneliness, along with a trace of sorrow!


    It seemed as if he had aged from being proud and sessful to an elder nearing his twilight years in an instant, almost void of vitality!


    Because these words meant that the backbone of the Su Family had been thoroughly shattered by this young man!


    "Dad, this can''t be!"


    As soon as Su Chun had spoken, Su Tai immediately rushed in front of him and knelt down, pleading urgently:


    "Dad, Can''er is your own grandson!"


    Su Can was his only son; how could he stand by and watch this young man ruin him!


    If that happened, how would he exin to his wife who was returning from Paris in two days?


    He had kept silent up until now because he believed his father would never allow that guy to actually harm Su Can, after all, he''s his own grandson!


    But unexpectedly, things had suddenly taken such a turn!


    "Grandpa, save me! Please, I beg you to save me!"


    Su Can, looking utterly terrified and pale as death, also "thud" knelt down in front of Su Chun!


    "You must take responsibility for your own actions!"


    Su Chun looked down at his son kneeling on the ground and coldly snorted,pletely unmoved!


    He wanted to save him but was utterly powerless to do so!


    The members of the Su Family felt a cold wind blow through as they watched this scene, a sense of sorrow rising in their hearts!


    All they could do wasment the cyclical nature of karma, the inescapable retribution!


    Of course, in their hearts, this young man had no substantial ties left with the Su Family, certainly no longer one of their own!


    Because the Su Family of now and the Su Family of twenty years ago were not the same Su Family!


    "It seems the Su Family Head is quite sensible!"


    Su Chen said with a sarcasticugh.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the other members of the Su Family disyed an incredibly awkward demeanor!


    However, Su Chun''s facial expression remained unchanged since he had already epted the reality, at least temporarily.


    Seeing Su Chun''s reaction, both Su Tai and Su Can knew he was helpless!


    Su Tai could only stand up helplessly, knowing it was not because his father didn''t want to save him, but because it was impossible.


    "Can''er, you stand up too!"


    Su Tai stood up and looked at his son, letting out a helpless sigh.


    "Mr. Su, it was all my fault, my fault, I apologize to you!"


    Hearing his father''s words, Su Can didn''t stand up, but instead turned and knelt toward Su Chen, even starting to knock his head on the ground repeatedly.


    "Mr. Su, please spare me, you are a magnanimous person, please forgive me this once!"


    While pounding his head vigorously, Su Can pleaded:


    "Just consider me a fart and let me go. I swear, I''ll never dare again!"


    Su Can knew that if Su Chen took action now, it would definitely be crueller than before, perhaps leaving himpletely ruined for life!


    He began to tremble uncontrobly at the thought, his very soul filled with terror!


    The people of the Su Family, seeing Su Can grovel like a bereft dog before Su Chen, felt their faces burning with shame, wishing they could burrow into a hole!


    "Can''er, get up, no matter the oue, face it like a man!"


    Su Chun, seeing this scene, felt his eyes zing with furious wrath and immense shame!


    This was utterly humiliating for the Su Family!

 Chapter 730 - 730 Do you think I would let you go?

    "It''s not you he wants to cripple, so of course you can talk without feeling any pain!"


    Su Can spat these words at Su Chun, the first time he had dared to talk back to the old man!


    But considering that his limbs were about to be broken, he could no longer care about respect!


    Moreover, his heart was filled with resentment towards Su Chun at this moment!


    The trouble today might seem to have been caused by him, but tracing its roots, it was due to that incident years ago!


    So if anyone was to me, it was still the old man!


    However, these were words that he would never dare to utter, and no one in the Su Family would dare to either!


    Because this was a taboo!


    Even so, Su Can''s words just now had shocked everyone, barely believing that Su Can would dare to contradict the old man!


    To know that in the Five Great Families, these old men''s words were absolute!


    Their authority had long been etched deep into everyone''s hearts!


    However, upon reflection, they understood; after all, anyone facing what was about to happen would find it hard to remain as calm as before!


    Upon hearing Su Can''s words, Su Chun''s face flushed red then turned white, feeling both embarrassed and humiliated!


    But such incidents had already urred many times tonight, and he seemed somewhat numb to them!


    Su Chen watched this scene unfold, not saying a word, just scoffing coldly!


    Then he looked down from his position of authority at the kneeling Su Can, his lips curling into a mocking smile:


    "Do you think I would let you go?"


    Hearing this, Su Can''s heart trembled, and his body shivered even more!


    "However, there''s one thing the Family Head said that I do agree with."


    Su Chen''s eyes lingered meaningfully on Su Chun as he said,


    "That is, one should take responsibility for one''s own actions!"


    Su Chun clearly understood the implication behind Su Chen''s words, yet his face showed no reaction, pretending not to understand!


    Su Chen did not mind this, and then he casually spoke, his eyes briefly flickering with sharpness:


    "Well, it''s gettingte!"


    As soon as these words were spoken, a chill ran through the hearts of all the Su Family members!


    The words sounded like the tolling of a bell announcing the devil''s arrival!


    Su Can seemed to sense something and suddenly stood up to flee!


    Although he knew it was impossible to escape from his opponent''s grasp, instinctively he still reacted!


    "Ah!~~~"


    But he had barely turned his head and not yet taken a step when Su Chen kicked him at the bend of his leg, producing a sound of cracking bone!


    Su Can immediately felt a severe pain and let out a scream like a pig being ughtered!


    For the next few minutes, the screams grew louder and more tragic, reverberating around the Su Family''s courtyard!


    The surrounding Su Family members listened with their hair standing on end, shuddering with fear!


    But they could only watch and feel, not daring to say anything or make any moves!


    After all, the old man and his father had made no moves!


    Su Chun watched his grandson suffer this inhumane treatment, his eyes twitching continuously, his entire being seething with rage and humiliation!


    He was the Su Family Head, yet he had to watch his grandson being tortured without being able to do anything, merely watching helplessly!


    Looking at Su Chen''s eyes, he hid a deep-seated hatred!


    Although he couldn''t do anything to this person today, he vowed to tear this kid into pieces to avenge the humiliation suffered by the Su Family today!


    Su Chen, of course, knew that Su Chun would hate him and, even after witnessing his strength, still wanted revenge, but he did not care!


    He was actually worried that Su Chun would give up and admit defeat!


    The Su Family''s trump cards must have all been yed by now; any further attempts on him would likely require the coboration of the other families!


    And this was exactly what he hoped for, as well as another reason for his actions today!


    Although Su Chen''s actions today were unnned, he had already considered all possible consequences!


    A few minutester, Su Chen pped his hands and chuckled,


    "Alright, that''s a wrap!"


    Then he turned and walked toward the gate of the Su Family residence, no longer paying any attention to the unconscious Su Can!


    After he left, the people of the Su Family rushed to Su Can''s side, with Su Tai crying out in pain directly!


    For the state of Su Can was too gruesome at that moment!


    His entire body was soaked in blood, and all his limbs had beenpletely severed, likely beyond healing!


    Everyone had shivered internally watching the young man''s movements earlier because his attacks were ruthlessly vicious!


    Although they had anticipated the young man would be heavy-handed, they had never imagined it would be to such an extent!


    As Su Chun watched his grandson''s terrible condition, his whole face contorted, and his eyes reddened intensely!


    He swore that he would repay the humiliation the Su Family suffered today tenfold, a hundredfold!


    At that moment, the elderly man in the coarse shirt also somewhat recovered and sighed as he saw the dreadful state of Su Can.


    His responsibility had always been to protect the Su Family, but in the end, he was inferior in skill and was beaten into serious injuries, allowing the situation to bepletely controlled by the young man.


    He felt helpless and filled with a sense of loss and guilt!


    Remembering that young man, his heart still palpitated!


    Only in his early twenties and he already possessed such cultivation; it was simply unbelievable!


    He wanted to persuade Su Chun not to think about revenge, as it could lead to even more severe consequences, but seeing his expression, he said nothing!


    He knew the old master well and knew he had made up his mind; this time, he probably could not be swayed!


    .....


    Su Chen reached the gate of the Su Family residence, nced at therge iron gate lying on the ground, and continued walking forward!


    Stepping out of the courtyard of the Su Family, he took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling much better!


    Suddenly, a sense of emptiness washed over him, causing some mncholy, and he couldn''t quite exin why.


    He looked back at the Su Family courtyard, then lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a ring of smoke.


    At that moment, looking there, remembering his childhood, it felt very distant, so distant it seemed to have happened in a previous life...


    After finishing the cigarette, he crushed the butt underfoot and then turned to get into his car.


    As he was driving around the corner, he saw an ambnce rushing past.


    He nced at it but continued driving without further regard...


    Upon returning to the office, Su Chen first went to Lin Ruoxue''s office, as he had not shown up sincest night.


    Although he had made a phone call in the morning, Lin Ruoxue was surely still worried.


    "Su Bro, you''re here!"


    Seeing Su Chen arrive, Chen Guo, Lin Ruoxue''s secretary, stood up quickly as usual and called out warmly.


    "Little Guo, is President Lin inside?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile, nodding.


    This time he didn''t dare to flirt with the youngdy, especially since Lin Ruoxue had gotten angry just because he made a few more intimate jokes with this youngdy...

 Chapter 731: On the Type of Women Men Like

    "I''m here."


    Chen Guo nodded, feeling that Su Chen had changed his attitude toward her somewhat over the past few days.


    As to what exactly had changed, she couldn''t quite pinpoint it, but it felt like he was a bit more distant than before.


    She couldn''t help but wonder if she had done something wrong.


    "Alright, I''m going in then."


    Su Chen smiled and then pushed the door open and walked in.


    "Su Chen, no issues, right?"


    Lin Ruoxue, who had been working, hurriedly came out when she saw Su Chen entering.


    Having received a call the night before and rushed out, and because she hadn''t seen him since, she was naturally very worried.


    "No problem, what could possibly be wrong?"


    Su Chen said casually, then sat down on the sofa, pulling Lin Ruoxue''s hand to sit with him.


    "By the way, Su Chen, how is Yunlong doing?"


    After sitting down, Lin Ruoxue asked. At the office, she usually called Su Chen by his name instead of "husband"!


    Of course, she would asionally call him that, but it was rare.


    Because of Su Chen''s rtionship, she had be quite familiar with Yunlong. After seeing Su Chen was all right, she asked with concern.


    "Nothing serious, he just needs to stay in the hospital for a while, and he''ll be fine."


    Su Chen stood up, walked over to Lin Ruoxue''s desk, picked up her teacup, and poured himself some water to drink.


    Lin Ruoxue said nothing about this, as she had long grown ustomed to it!


    Moreover, given their current rtionship, asionally sharing a teacup wasn''t an issue anymore.


    "Let''s do this then, wait for me after work today. I''ll leave early too, and we''ll visit him together at the hospital."


    Lin Ruoxue gave it some thought before saying. Putting aside the rtionship between Yunlong and Su Chen, Yunlong was also her business partner, hence, both personally and professionally, she felt it appropriate to visit.


    Su Chen nodded and agreed, naturally having no objections.


    "Wife, did you not sleep wellst night because you were worried?"


    Su Chen said upon noticing Lin Ruoxue looked somewhat weary.


    "What do you think?"


    Lin Ruoxue pursed her lips and said somewhat coyly.


    Last night, she had been worn out by Su Chen, had just fallen asleep for a short while when a phone call had woken her up.


    Afterward, she couldn''t sleep all night because she was worried about Su Chen, especially since he had seemed very anxious when he took the call, which made her overthink.


    "Then lie back on the sofa for a while, and I''ll give you a massage."


    Su Chen went behind Lin Ruxue, ced his hands on her shoulders, and started to gently massage them.


    The two chatted casually, asionally exchanging words, which was quite rxing.


    Lin Ruoxue was indeed very sleepy, and after about ten minutes of massage from Su Chen, she fell asleep.


    Of course, part of the reason was that Su Chen''s technique was so good and the massage was veryfortable.


    Seeing her asleep, Su Chen stopped massaging, took off his own jacket, draped it over Lin Ruoxue, then quietly left the room. He carefully closed the door behind him, instructed Chen Guo that no one was allowed to see Lin Ruoxue for an hour, no matter who it was!


    Chen Guo, of course, immediately agreed to Su Chen''s instructions.


    It was almost lunchtime, so Su Chen went downstairs to eat.


    After some thought, he decided to go to the same small restaurant where he had eaten the day before.


    After entering the restaurant, he scanned briefly for the awaited figure but didn''t see her, so he just picked a random spot and sat down.


    Alone, he casually ordered two dishes and a soup and started eating. Although he was quite skilled at cooking, he actually didn''t have any particr demands regarding food.


    After all, when he was in the Eighth Brigade and the Nether Temple, what hadn''t he eaten? Sometimes, even tree bark was a delicacy!


    Since this was a small restaurant and there weren''t many customers, he ordered some homestyle dishes, so it wasn''t long before his order was served.


    Just then, a woman in a business suit walked in through the doorway, and as soon as she entered, she immediately caught the attention of everyone there!


    She didn''t seem to mind the gazes, as she had already seen plenty.


    Upon entering, she instinctively scanned the room, and when she saw a pair of eyes also fixed on her, she smiled faintly and then walked over...


    "You''re here!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly and seemed to be in a much better mood.


    Xia Qiuru nodded her head, sat down opposite him, and called the server over to add two more dishes.


    Both hade here looking forward to meeting each other, and as it turned out, they indeed did, resulting in them having lunch together at this little restaurant for a while afterward.


    Both seemed to understand without saying anything, and neither broached the subject.


    Actually, in the time that followed, Xia Qiuru always felt like a thief, sneaking around, unable to be forthright!


    Despite that, she didn''t want to give up these precious moments together.


    Of course, they could see and chat with each other at thepany, but it wasn''t asfortable and rxed as it was in this little restaurant.


    But that is a story forter, let''s not get into that for now!


    Soon after, they both started to eat. Like most women, Xia Qiuru ate sparingly.


    On one hand, women''s appetites are naturally smaller, and on the other hand, she was concerned about being beautiful and feared getting fat.


    However, when eating with Su Chen, she couldn''t really control that, as he kept putting food into her bowl and insisting she eat, leaving Xia Qiuru quite speechless.


    After eating, Xia Qiuru felt her belly was somewhat bloated.


    Touching her stomach, sheined with a look of grievance:


    "If you make me fat and I can''t get married, you''ll be responsible, you know!"


    Su Chen almost blurted out "Okay," but the words stopped at his lips and he swallowed them back.


    Then with a casualugh, he said:


    "What are you worried about? You''re not fat at all. Besides, you''re so beautiful, even if you were a bit heavier, could you not get married?"


    "Don''t all you men like women a bit more slender?"


    Xia Qiuru tilted her head and asked.


    "You''re wrong about that. We men don''t just like skinny, that''s too one-sided!"


    Su Chen lit up a cigarette and took an enjoyable drag, saying:


    "So, what kind of women do you men actually like?"


    Xia Qiuru asked curiously, wasn''t it said that men are visual creatures who like slim and sexy women?


    Upon hearing Xia Qiuru''s question, Su Chen''s mouth curved into a mischievous, wicked smile. Then he leaned in a bit closer and whispered to Xia Qiuru:


    "What we men truly like are those women who look thin but feel plump to the touch!"


    "You''re so bad!"


    Upon hearing his words, Xia Qiuru''s cheeks flushed with great embarrassment, and she swung her fist in a mock punch to his shoulder, saying.


    That guy really had no filter, to speak such words so boldly...

 Chapter 732 - 732 Shock

    "What''s broken?"


    Su Chen smiled, and couldn''t help but admit that Xia Qiuru''s seldom heard yfulness in her "you''re so bad" truly made his bones tingle!


    "That''s just the way it is, any man would think so!"


    "No matter how good looking, the ultimate goal is always about the feel, right?"


    Su Chen continued:


    "What''s the sensation in touching those who are nothing but bones left?"


    "Stop talking!"


    Seeing him ramble on without end, Xia Qiuru immediately blushed and gave him an annoyed re.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll stop."


    Seeing her getting flustered, Su Chen waved his hand and said:


    "So, don''t worry, go ahead and eat a little more!"


    "Even if I eat more, I''m eating way too much! You''re practically feeding a pig!"


    Xia Qiuru retorted disdainfully.


    Previously, Xia Qiuru would eat about sixty percent full, but the couple of times she had eaten with him, she had stuffed herself to one hundred and twenty percent, almost bursting!


    "Fine, I''ll be careful in the future, but you also have to promise me not to eat so little from now on!"


    Su Chen stated seriously.


    Faced with such an unreasonable man, Xia Qiuru had no choice but to agree, and although she seemed slightly unhappy, she was actually quite pleased inside.


    They chatted idly for a while longer, then strolled back to thepany.


    Once back at thepany, Xia Qiuru went straight to her office, while Su Chen took the packed meals to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    At the door, Su Chen handed over the meals to Chen Guo, instructing her to warm them up once Lin Ruoxue woke up and deliver them to her, then he returned to his own office.


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue woke up, feeling much better after a nap. She looked down at the clothes on her body and a slight smile tinged her face.


    Then she got up to continue working, considering she had slept through quite some time.


    Chen Guo, hearing the sound of footsteps, knew that Lin Ruoxue was awake and immediately warmed up the food in the microwave before taking it in.


    "Director Lin, this is the meal Director Su packed for you. I just warmed it up; please eat while it''s hot," Chen Guo said as she ced the meal on the coffee table.


    Upon hearing Chen Guo''s words, Lin Ruoxue was first stunned, then her smile became more pronounced.


    "Alright, I got it, you can go out now," she said casually, gazing at the packed meals with a warmth slowly spreading through her heart...


    The entire afternoon, other than spending about fifteen minutes in the public rtions department, Su Chen spent almost all his time in his office.


    Apart from reading magazines, he yed games. Today, instead of ying Fight the Landlord, he was engaged in a new game called Candy Crush.


    Since it was his first time ying, he found it quite entertaining. After a few hours, he didn''t feel bored at all...


    .....


    However, that very afternoon, the Five Great Families werepletely abuzz, like boiling water!


    And naturally, the reason for the tumult among the Five Great Families was the incident that had urred at the Su Family in the morning!


    By the afternoon, word of the event at the Su Family had gradually leaked out.


    Of course, the general public was unaware of this news, but the other major families had all been informed!


    This was actually within the expectations of the Su Family members.


    After all, the Su Family wasn''t monolithic, and moreover, there were so many servants who had witnessed the events unfold.


    Inside the Five Great Families, every family had spies from the other families, and the Su Family was no exception!


    When the other great families received this news for the first time, they immediately thought it was fake!


    Because it was too inconceivable, too crazy!


    That young man actually kicked down the Su Family''s main gate and fought his way in, ultimately forcing the Su Family to watch helplessly as he crippled Su Can without daring to make a move!


    It sounded like a fanciful tale, more fairy-tale than a fairy tale itself!


    Although they didn''t believe it was true, they still sent people to investigate!


    When it was finally confirmed that this matter was true, those families were all stunned!


    You must know, the Su Family is ranked the third among the big families!


    On their own turf, to be suppressed by a single person like this, how could that be possible?


    Compared to the shock of other family members, those old folks were even more concerned about the details!


    When those old folks learned that even Su Chun had been pped and left in a sorry state, they were dumbfounded!


    This prompted them to think about themselves!


    At that moment, they had no intention of mockery but were enveloped by intense fear!


    Because if that young man had the strength and the audacity to humiliate Su Chun by pping him, he would naturally not scruple about them!


    They had never imagined that the boy from the financial summit could take things this far!


    However,pared to Su Chun being pped, there was another piece of news that was even more shocking to them!


    That was the defeat of the hemp-clothed elder, who was lying on the ground, unable to get up!


    Among the Five Great Families, it wasmon knowledge who the other families'' old monsters were!


    Of course, this was only among those old folks, and perhaps only a few from the legitimate line knew their significance!


    These old monsters could be said to be the biggest and strongest support of the families, aside from that mysterious organization behind the scenes!


    But that mysterious organization couldn''t be summoned by them at will; their involvement, if at all, was entirely voluntary!


    As for that mysterious organization, let alone summoning it, they did not even understand it, only knowing that its power was unimaginably formidable!


    In fact, if they were to say a word, the Five Great Families wouldn''t dare to defy them!


    That is to say, the most potent force that the Five Great Families could truly control was the old monsters each possessed!


    They could be considered the treasured protectors of the major families!


    And that hemp-clothed elder was one of them; they had initially thought he was out on business due to his formidable strength!


    But those old folks had never imagined that the hemp-clothed elder would be defeated by that young man!


    What this incident implied went without saying!


    Initially, they thought the young man was just at thete stage of Qi Refinement Peak, and they were confident they could handle him with some costs!


    This was also an important reason why the families, except the Situ Family, had not acted until now!


    But now, they had lost all confidence!


    They realized a severe problem: that young man was far more formidable than they had previously imagined, even to an extraordinary extent!


    Otherwise, how could he have severely injured that hemp-clothed elder to the point where he couldn''t get up from the ground?


    At this thought, they couldn''t help but take a sharp breath. To have such terrifying strength at his age, he was simply a monster!


    When Su Chen had shown off histe-stage Qi Refinement cultivation before, it had been enough to shock them!


    They had never imagined that the young man''s true prowess was far stronger than that!


    This made them deeply apprehensive!


    Aside from the Pei Family, the other great families all had the same thought: they must eliminate this person as soon as possible!


    Otherwise, if he continued to grow, he would be a massive threat!


    After all, he was too young...

 Chapter 733: Does He Like You?

    Although Su Chen didn''t know the situation outside, he could make a rough guess.


    Such major events urring within the Five Great Families would definitely be quickly known by the other families through their own channels, even if ordinary people were unaware.


    Actually, he didn''t much care about this; all he needed to do was wait for the subsequent developments!


    Whether it was the reaction of the other families or that of the mysterious organization behind them, it was all useful to him.


    Moreover, after this incident, others should be less likely to harbor any thoughts against those close to him!


    Because Su Chen had already proven with actions that anyone who touched those close to him would face his wrath!


    That day after work, Su Chen didn''t leave immediately as usual, but went to Lin Ruoxue''s office instead because he was waiting to go to the hospital with her to visit Yunlong.


    Lin Ruoxue had said she would leave early, but that early wasn''t right after work; it was just a bit earlier than the usual eight or nine o''clock!


    Lin Ruoxue was busy until about seven o''clock, and then she went to the hospital with Su Chen. She didn''t drive herself but took Su Chen''s car.


    The hospital where Yunlong was staying wasn''t too far from Rainbow Mansion; it was just about a fifteen-minute drive.


    When Su Chen pushed the door open, Yunlong was joking with Yunyao, although most of the talking was done by Yunyao, and he spoke only asionally, as he was still not supposed to speak much.


    When he heard footsteps, he turned his head, saw it was Su Chen, and quickly called him "big brother."


    Upon hearing Yunlong''s shout, Yunyao''s eyes unconsciously shed a strange light as she looked toward the door.


    However, upon seeing Lin Ruoxue, who followed closely, her heart trembled slightly, and she seemed a bit flustered.


    "Sister-inw, you came too? It''s really too much trouble!"


    Yunlong, seeing Lin Ruoxue, didn''t feel anything in particr, only a bit surprised.


    "It''s no trouble at all; I just came along to check on you."


    Lin Ruoxue smiled slightly and ced a bunch of fresh flowers and some supplements she had bought on the road beside his bed.


    Although Su Chen felt indifferent, Lin Ruoxue insisted on noting empty-handed, out of courtesy, so Su Chen let her be.


    "Ms. Lin, I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit Yunlong. I really feel bad about it!"


    Yunyao stood up and said with a slight smile on her face, while hiding the slight turmoil well inside her.


    "Miss Yun is too polite. Since Yunlong calls Su Chen ''big brother,'' it''s only appropriate for me toe and check on him," Lin Ruoxue replied with a smile.


    In the past, when they were in Jianghai, the two women had seen each other at several events, but they''d only been acquainted by nods and had never met up close in a private setting like this before.


    "Sister-inw, please have a seat," Yunlong said. Although he had always wanted to bring Yunyao and Su Chen together, in his heart, he bore no ill will towards Lin Ruoxue.


    "Alright, no need to fuss over me; you should talk less these days," Su Chen said, and then with a ttering smile, pulled a chair over:


    "Wife, you''ve had a long day. Please sit down."


    Seeing him act so considerately, Lin Ruoxue felt rather embarrassed, especially since there were others around.


    Yunyao, watching this scene unfold, felt a sour sensation in her heart for some reason, and her expression darkened a bit.


    Seeing Yunyao''s expression, Yunlong was even more convinced of his previous guess ¨C his sister definitely had feelings for his big brother!


    "Miss Yun, did you manage to get some sleep? You''ve been up all night."


    Su Chen asked Yunyao casually.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Yunyao''s heart fluttered into chaos again, and she couldn''t help but nce at Lin Ruoxue. Seeing no particr reaction from her, she finally felt somewhat relieved.


    "Don''t worry, I managed to sleep for a few hours during the day," Yunyao quickly responded.


    "That''s good, let''s not have Yunlong still ill and then you falling sick too," Su Chen said, caring for his friend Yunyao despitecking romantic feelings for her.


    "I appreciate your concern, Mr. Su, but there''s nothing wrong with me," Yunyao replied.


    Lin Ruoxue had not initially noticed anything unusual between them; even if Su Chen showed some concern, it seemed perfectly normal.


    However, a woman''s intuition is incredibly sharp, and she caught a hint of panic in Yunyao''s demeanor.


    She looked suspiciously at the two of them, but said nothing.


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue had stayed in the hospital room for over an hour before leaving. Before they left, he made sure to tell Yunlong to rest up.


    After they left, they headed home. At this time, Yandu gradually entered the depths of winter, most noticeably by the decrease in pedestrians on the streets at night.


    The deste night was like water, the neon lights on either side of the street flickering, with a Buick speeding down the street.


    "Do you think Yunlong''s sister is pretty?" Lin Ruoxue suddenly asked, tilting her head as she sat in the passenger seat.


    "Ah!"


    Su Chen, who was focused on driving, was slightly stunned by the question and casually asked,


    "Wife, what did you just say?"


    "I asked you, do you think Yunlong''s sister is pretty?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen and asked teasingly again.


    "She''s quite pretty, yeah," Su Chen replied indifferently, though he didn''t understand why Lin Ruoxue suddenly brought this up.


    Even so, he knew thatplimenting another woman''s looks in front of his wife was risky, especially since the woman was his wife. He added,


    "Butpared to you, wife, she''s still far behind!"


    "No matter how pretty any woman could be,pared to you, wife, there is noparison!"


    Su Chen''s words were actually an exaggeration¡ªLin Ruoxue indeed was beautiful enough to be considered breathtakingly stunning!


    Yet Yunyao was not far behind, only slightly less so, not to the exaggerated extent he imed!


    "You''re just talking nonsense; I know she''s very pretty," Lin Ruoxue said, well aware that he was saying this just to please her, yet she felt very ttered.


    "Does she like you?" Lin Ruoxue then asked casually, yet after asking, her beautiful eyes stared intently at Su Chen.


    "What are you thinking?"


    On hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen couldn''t help but find it a bit ridiculous,


    "At best, she''s a friend, and that''s only because of Yunlong."


    "Besides, she knows we''re married. Do you think a distinguisheddy of the Yun Family would be interested in a married man?"


    "That''s hard to say; if a woman falls in love with a man, reasoning doesn''t always apply,"


    Lin Ruoxue coldlymented:


    "Besides, although you have many faults, you do have a way with women."


    When Lin Ruoxue spoke these words, there was a hint of mncholy in her tone.


    She didn''t quite understand it¡ª the women at thepany seemed to have a good impression of him.


    Especially the women from the public rtions department, who seemed too familiar with him...

 Chapter 734 - 734 Testing

    "Honey, are you serious? Am I really that popr?"


    Having heard Lin Ruoxue''s words, a smug and somewhat sly smile instantly appeared on Su Chen''s face!


    "Feeling proud to be liked by so many women, huh?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him, her eyes sparkling with a sharp gleam!


    "How could that be?"


    Sensing that sharp gleam, Su Chen immediately felt a tremor in his heart, quickly reining in his smugness before responding,


    "Wife, having you is enough for me. How could I possibly fancy those vulgar women?"


    At this moment, of course, the most important thing was to appease his wife. As for the other women... well, he''d just have to apologize to them!


    Upon hearing his words, Lin Ruoxue merely pursed her lips, still feeling somewhat suspicious about Yunyao''s behavior in the hospital, though she said no more.


    She too felt that Su Chen didn''t seem particrly interested in the Yun Family''s young miss. Why should she insist on linking the two together? Wasn''t that just making herself ufortable?


    Before long, the couple arrived home. Having not had dinner, Su Chen cooked two bowls of noodles and made two fried eggs!


    After a simple meal, Lin Ruoxue continued working upstairs, as she had slept for an hour or two that morning and had wasted quite some time with the hospital visit in the evening.


    Seeing her working upstairs, Su Chen, with nothing else to do, returned to his own room.


    Once inside the room, he leaped onto the roof, which, of course, was also fitted with a drop ceiling.


    At a concealed corner fashioned from the decor, he gently pressed a spot, and immediately, a hiddenpartment opened, and an iron box fell out.


    Su Chen stretched out a hand to catch the iron box, then soundlessly dropped back to the ground.


    Thepartment that had opened now closed up again, indistinguishable from its surroundings and showing no sign of its existence.


    This secretpartment was ingeniously designed by Su Chen himself, just to hide this iron box!


    The reason for such secrecy was that the two most precious things he owned were inside.


    One was the Sheepskin Scroll of the Nine Yang Divine Technique, and the other was Zhuge Zi''s book on formations!


    Having experienced the advantages of formations, he now highly valued this book, often taking it out to study!


    After some time researching, he now had a deeper understanding of formations. He felt that with some more study, he might even be able to set up a medium-sized Gathering Yuan Formation!


    If he could set up a medium Gathering Yuan Formation, there was no doubt that his cultivation speed would rise to a new level, although his current speed had already reached an astonishingly fast pace!


    For the moment, he first took out the Sheepskin Scroll. Su Chen stared at the scroll, scrutinizing it carefully for a long while, but still without any discoveries.


    His goal, of course, was to see if there was a Cultivation Method concealed somewhere for after the Meridian Expansion Realm. Despite looking over it from every angle, he found nothing. So, he could only put the scroll back into the box dejectedly.


    Then he picked up the book on formation techniques. Although he hadn''t spent much time on formations, his understanding had greatly deepened.


    Su Chen then continued to study the medium Gathering Yuan Formation in his room. He now understood about seventy to eighty percent of it, with some parts still not fully grasped.


    So engrossed was he in his research, that he only stopped when Lin Ruoxue finished her work and came to tell him to rest, at which point he put the book back into the iron box and returned it to the secretpartment in the drop ceiling corner.


    The next morning, the two followed their usual routine, having breakfast and then heading to thepany together. Since Lin Ruoxue''s car was still at Rainbow Mansion, they naturally took Su Chen''s car.


    Back at thepany, Su Chen went to his office as usual and brewed a cup of tea for himself.


    Just as the tea was ready, his phone rang. Seeing that it was Shen Lin''s number, a yful smile curled the corners of his mouth!


    He certainly knew the purpose of Shen Lin''s call ¨C she undoubtedly wanted to inquire about the incident at the Su Family residence yesterday morning.


    It seemed yesterday''s event had been quite a shock to them, so much so that Shen Lin couldn''t sit still and had to call first thing in the morning!


    Su Chen answered the call casually, saying a few words before hanging up.


    As Su Chen had expected, Shen Lin''s call was to invite him to lunch, which of course was just a pretext.


    Su Chen agreed naturally, since it was all just pretense anyway.


    Time quickly reached noon, and Su Chen drove to First Grade Garden. By then, Shen Lin was already waiting at the usual spot.


    As soon as Su Chen arrived, Shen Lin immediately rose to greet him with a smiling face, even more diligent and enthusiastic than before.


    Su Chen also smiled faintly and then sat down.


    "Why isn''t Miss Qi Meng here today?"


    Su Chen asked casually with a smile.


    "Oh, Miss Qi Meng is not feeling very well today, so I didn''t ask her toe."


    Shen Lin said with a smile on his face:


    "If Mr. Su misses Miss Qi Meng, I can ask her to visit Mr. Su in a couple of days."


    "That sounds good, thanks for the trouble, young master Shen. It''s only been a few days but I truly do miss her a lot!"


    Su Chen''s face purposely shed a bright light as heughed, looking a bit impatient.


    In reality, Su Chen certainly knew why Qi Meng wasn''t there¡ªobviously, Shen Lin did not want any bystanders during the uing conversation!


    "Actually, Miss Qi Meng also misses Mr. Su very much, she often talks to me about you!"


    Shen Lin alsoughed hehe.


    He also guessed that Su Chen was most likely pretending. If he really was such a man in a hurry, it would have been easier to deal with; he wouldn''t mind sacrificing Qi Meng, especially after what happened yesterday.


    "Mr. Su, you really made a big ssh yesterday; it shook the major families quite a bit!"


    Shen Lin slightly stood up to pour a ss of wine for Su Chen, smiling.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes immediately shed with a sharp gleam, knowing that the juicy part wasing.


    "Oh, what kind of ssh? I don''t know what you''re talking about,"


    Su Chen pretended to be confused.


    "Of course, it''s about the Su Family. I heard that the Su Family''s gate fell down, and even Su Chun got pped by Mr. Su!"


    Shen Lin said with a smile:


    "I was quite shocked when I heard this news!"


    "So young master Shen is talking about that incident. But it''s just a trivial matter, not worth mentioning."


    Su Chen waved his hand in a manner that showed he didn''t care at all.


    Upon hearing this, Shen Lin immediately scoffed internally; this guy was indeed arrogant enough to call such a big deal a trivial matter, not worth mentioning.


    He really wanted to ask, what in his eyes would be considered a big deal? Was it necessary to wipe out the Su Family?


    "I wonder why Mr. Su suddenly decided to do what you did yesterday?"


    Shen Lin tentatively asked:


    "Did the Su Family do something to offend Mr. Su?"

 Chapter 735 - 735 Punishment

    Although Shen Lin had heard some reasons, he still felt that something was not quite real, so he took this opportunity to ask.


    "If it were just me that the Su Family had offended, I might have been lenient and forgiven them for a while."


    A chill suddenly shed across Su Chen''s face as he eximed,


    "But the fact that they dared toy hands on someone close to me is intolerable!"


    "Luckily, my friend wasn''t seriously injured, or else I would have definitely made the Su Family bleed a river yesterday!"


    Shen Lin felt a jolt in his heart at the sight of the frosty chill on Su Chen''s face!


    He had heard that the incident was caused by that Su Can from the Su Family injuring a friend surnamed Yun at a bar.


    But he never believed that Su Chen would make such an earth-shattering move just for someone who followed him!


    After all, it was too unwise, it simply wasn''t worth it just for a so-called friend!


    However, it was quite normal for Shen Lin to think this way since he always prioritized his own interests and naturally didn''t believe in the concept of loyalty.


    But unexpectedly, it was indeed for that reason!


    "Mr. Su''s noble loyalty towards his friends is truly admirable!"


    Shen Linplimented with a smile.


    "Of course!"


    Su Chen nced meaningfully at Shen Lin and said,


    "If someone dares to harm those close to me, I''ll definitely make them pay a hundredfold, a thousandfold, making their lives worse than death!"


    The reason Su Chen told Shen Lin so much was actually to warn him.


    Because he knew Shen Lin was also a sly and cunning person. Although they appeared to be on good terms now, if conflicts arose in the future, it was inevitable that this guy might target those close to him.


    And after saying all this today, he surely must weigh his options more closely if that day everes!


    Listening to Su Chen''s ruthless words, Shen Lin indeed retracted some of his thoughts and ns; he did not want to carelessly follow in Su Can''s footsteps!


    "By the way, did the Shen Family have any reaction to yesterday''s incident?"


    After taking a sip of red wine, Su Chen asked casually.


    "I don''t know about the rest, but I heard that grandfather did not sleep at allst night."


    Shen Lin shook his head and said,


    "Furthermore, Shen Shao has not stepped out of his study since the afternoon."


    "It seems that not even the slightest activities of the Shen Family can escape the eyes of young master Shen!"


    Su Chenmented with an insinuation.


    In his thoughts, it seemed that yesterday''s events had indeed had an effect, at least causing a reaction among the other Great Families.


    "It''s nothing but a few extra chess pieces I''ve ced; they''re not worthy of high society."


    Looking at Su Chen, Shen Lin smiled and said,


    "Besides, my trivial tricks are far fromparable to Mr. Su''s thunderous methods."


    After chatting for a while longer and sharing a couple more drinks, they each drove their own cars and left...


    ....


    After leaving First Grade Garden, Su Chen drove back home, nning to cultivate since there was nothing pressing at thepany.


    But just when he was halfway there, he noticed a Mercedes following him.


    "Could it be that these Great Families can''t wait any longer and are so eager to eliminate me?"


    Su Chen pondered internally.


    He had assumed that even if the Great Families felt a significant threat and wanted to take action against him, they would need to carefully n for a while before making a move!


    But this was only the second day, which seemed too fast!


    But at this time, being followed probably meant that the pursuers bore ill will. Thus, he turned at the uing intersection and headed straight for the suburbs.


    Su Chen drove for a while, feeling increasingly uneasy because the Mercedes following him didn''t seem to care about concealing itself at all; it brazenly tailed him as if unconcerned about being discovered.


    This was entirely different from what Su Chen had anticipated. He had assumed that if the major families were to make a move, their preferred method would definitely be assassination from the shadows!


    Only in a situation with no other choice would they confront him openly, especially considering the strength he had demonstrated was quite remarkable.


    Now, the car following him did not appear to fit that pattern, and he certainly didn''t think the person tailing him at such a time was simply terrible at surveince!


    However, Su Chen didn''t give it too much thought and continued heading toward the suburbs; he would find out soon enough.


    He drove straight to a deserted wilderness in the suburbs, where he parked the car, got out, and leaned against the vehicle, lighting a cigarette and starting to smoke.


    The Mercedes that had been following him also came straight over and stopped about a dozen meters away from him.


    Two young people, a man, and a woman, got out of the car.


    The man looked to be close to thirty, with handsome features, dressed in casual attire, and an extremely arrogant demeanor, as if he looked down on everything.


    The woman, however, had an exquisitely delicate face, as if finely carved by the heavens; her tall and graceful figure revealed her curved outlines in full.


    Although these two concealed their presence, they gave Su Chen a very dangerous feeling!


    "Su Chen, it really is you!"


    The woman, upon seeing Su Chen, suddenly eximed with surprise, her beautiful eyes shining with color!


    When she had first heard this name, she thought it might be someone with the same name, but now she couldn''t believe it was actually him!


    "Why is it you?"


    Su Chen was equally astonished, not expecting one of the two people tailing him to be someone he recognized.


    This woman was the same one he had encountered in the bar previously, and Su Chen remembered her name was Yan Xi.


    "Yan Xi, you know him?"


    The man, hearing their conversation, asked in surprise.


    "Yes!"


    Yan Xi chirped, her face full of excited surprise.


    "Yan Xi, don''t forget the mission we are on!"


    The man, not pleased with Yan Xi''s demeanor, reminded her sternly.


    Upon hearing this, Yan Xi curbed her excitement.


    The man then turned to Su Chen,manding,


    "Since you know Yan Xi, we won''t make things difficult for you today. Juste with us quietly."


    "Where to?" Su Chen asked casually.


    "You''ll know when you get there!"


    The man replied indifferently, his tone oozing arrogance and dominance, and not without a hint of hostility.


    "What for?" Su Chen asked again.


    He posed the questions tentatively as he had already determined that these two were definitely not from any of the Five Great Families.


    "Punishment, of course!"


    The man said coldly to Su Chen,


    "You''ve been causing trouble in Yandu for so long, and we''ve been patient enough! We sent a message for you to stop all actions against the Five Great Families, yet you ignored itpletely!"


    "Therefore, we have no choice but to take action and mete out some punishment!"


    Su Chen had already suspected they were from the mysterious organization behind the Five Great Families, and their words now confirmed it!


    A wave of tion surged within him; one way or another, he had finally managed to flush out something from behind the Five Great Families!

 Chapter 736: Meridian Expansion Realm?

    "I''ve asked so many questions, no more dawdling, let''s get going!"


    The man said impatiently, paying no attention to Su Chen at all!


    "Who said I was going with you?"


    Just as the man turned to leave, Su Chen spoke indifferently.


    "What did you say!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the man suddenly spun around, his eyes shooting out a tangible sharp gleam!


    At the same time, an immensely forceful aura instantly burst forth!


    Su Chen''s face subtly changed when he felt this aura!


    Because the man''s aura was even stronger than the bup-d elder from yesterday!


    He hadn''t expected that this man, who was nearly thirty years old, would possess such impressive cultivation!


    He just wondered whether his cultivation had reached that mysterious realm he himself had never attained!


    Su Chen intuitively thought not, feeling that the true power of the Meridian Expansion Realm should entail more!


    Indeed, the man was still some distance from reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm, neither too far nor too near.


    He had been floundering at his current realm for years without glimpsing the true threshold!


    Despite this, the man was the strongest opponent Su Chen had ever faced. Without a doubt!


    It indicated that the mysterious organization indeed possessed extraordinary power!


    It''s no wonder Qin Ming was so wary of them, constantly advising him to let go!


    Thinking this, he couldn''t help but nce at Yan Xi standing beside him, assuming her cultivation was also high!


    That night he had misjudged, not expecting her to also be a top martial arts expert!


    "It seems you really want me to take action!"


    The man''s voice came out chillingly cold, as if he was about to strike at any moment.


    "Hold on!"


    Upon seeing this, Yan Xi was instantly rmed, and she hurriedly ran to Su Chen''s side:


    "Su Chen,e back with us for a bit, I will plead for you, so you won''t receive a severe punishment."


    In her opinion, if it really came to blows, Su Chen definitely wouldn''t be a match for the man!


    Seeing Yan Xi so concerned about Su Chen, the man''s eyes gradually narrowed; he had never seen Yan Xi care about any man like this!


    "Miss Yan, thanks for the kindness, but there''s nothing I don''t want to do that anyone can force me to do!"


    Su Chen smiled faintly. Although the man had put some pressure on him, he absolutely would not back down!


    That was never his style!


    Moreover, he felt he still had a good chance of defeating the man!


    The truth was, Su Chen was never quite clear about his true strength, as he had no reference!


    He didn''t know whether his true strength had reached the general Meridian Expansion Realm of a martial artist, as he had never encountered such experts!


    So he could only guess, but guesses are blind without any basis!


    "It seems you''d rather face punishment than ept a kind offer!"


    The man coldly snorted and, before his words had even faded, his palm had already struck towards Su Chen, enveloped in a robust True Yuan!


    At the same time, his entire demeanor exploded, seeming to cleave the very void apart!


    An afterimage appeared in a blink of an eye in front of Su Chen, the palm print striking straight towards Su Chen''s chest!


    This palm was clearly a lethal move, intent on ending Su Chen''s life right here!


    The reason he struck with deadly force from the start was partly because the young man''s disrespect made him feel slighted!


    One important reason was because Yan Xi''s attitude towards this man greatly annoyed him!


    He had been pursuing Yan Xi for two or three years, but she had always shown him nothing but coldness!


    The enthusiasm and even joy she showed towards this stranger today was something he had never seen before, which made him very jealous!


    Although the Vice Hall Master had only asked him to take the man back for a punishment, he believed that even if he killed him, the Hall wouldn''t really do anything to him!


    Yan Xi waspletely shocked by the Palm Print, and although she wanted to save Su Chen, she couldn''t!


    After all, she was only half a step into the Meridian Expansion Realm, and there was a considerable gap between her and the other party!


    In that moment, she believed that if Su Chen didn''t die, he would certainly be severely injured!


    Su Chen watched the man''s imposing Palm Print, but the corner of his mouth couldn''t help but curl into a cold smirk!


    Did he think killing him would be that easy?


    Immediately, he extended a hand and formed his fingers into a w, reaching for the man''s wrist!


    Seeing Su Chen''s action, the man also showed a cold smirk, thinking that with Su Chen''s half-step Meridian Expansion cultivation, he was too presumptuous to think he could seize his wrist!


    His palm continued forward,pletely disregarding Su Chen''s grasp!


    However, the next moment, his expression suddenly stiffened!


    He looked down at his seized wrist, and a storm of shock surged in his heart!


    How could this be possible?


    Could it be that this youngster had already entered the Meridian Expansion Realm?


    With this thought, a look of shock immediately appeared on his face!


    "Crack!"


    While he was dazed, Su Chen slightly exerted strength in his fingers, directly breaking his wrist!


    "Boom!"


    At the same time, he casually kicked out, aiming directly at the man''s abdomen!


    The man suddenly flew backward like a kite with its string cut, traveling more than twenty meters beforending in a muddy ditch!


    Standing nearby, Yan Xi was dumbfounded by this scene, her beautiful eyes wide open, filled with shock!


    When she had first met Su Chen, she was already surprised!


    She did not expect that the interesting man she had randomly met in the bar was the same man who had recently been causing unrest in Yandu, even disturbing their Hidden Dragon Hall!


    She had even less expected that this man would be so powerful, powerful enough that even Han Cheng was no match for him!


    No, to be precise, Han Cheng had no chance to fight back at all in front of him!


    This was utterly inconceivable!


    When Han Cheng struggled to get up from the filthy ditch, his body was covered in dirty water and mud, not sparing even his hair and face!


    At this moment, his appearance was extremely embarrassing, nowhere near his previously handsome and proud demeanor!


    His eyes were filled with angry mes as he stared intensely at Su Chen!


    When had he ever suffered such humiliation?


    "Kid, you''vepletely enraged me!"


    With gritted teeth, Han Cheng slowly walked towards Su Chen, his expression fiercely distorted as if he were a ferocious beast!


    He had been pampered since childhood. When had he ever endured such humiliation?


    Moreover, it was from a man even younger than him, making Han Cheng, who had always prided himself as a genius, even more unbearable!


    "So what if I''ve enraged you?"


    Su Chen disdainfully sneered.

 Chapter 737: 737 Burst Yuan Pill

    "Kid, I''m going to make sure you die a horrible death!"


    Han Cheng, listening to Su Chen''s words and seeing his disdainful gaze, felt his anger surge even more!


    He had never encountered someone who looked down on him so much, and naturally, he couldn''t calm down!


    What''s more crucial is that this kid had left him in such an embarrassing state, causing him to lose all face, and in front of Yan Xi no less!


    "With that ghostly look of yours, how are you nning to make me die a horrible death, huh?"


    Su Chen looked at him with amusement, the corners of his mouth turning up in a mocking smile!


    To Han Cheng, that smile was incredibly grating, prodding at his fragile and sensitive nerves!


    Especially the words "ghostly look," which were unbearable for him!


    His eyes slowly narrowed, an unbridled chill emanating from him, as if the temperature of the surrounding air had suddenly dropped by several degrees!


    "Han Cheng, what are you doing?!"


    Feeling that chill, Yan Xi''s heart trembled and she eximed.


    "I''m going to make this kid die!"


    Han Cheng said coldly as he looked at Su Chen.


    "You think you can kill me? Do you have the ability?"


    Su Chen casually retorted.


    Their recent sh, although a result of the opponent being caught off guard by his unexpected strength, had given him a basic understanding of the other''s capabilities. The man was strong, but there was still a gap between them, not too difficult to ovee!


    "Humph, do you think you''ve won just like that?"


    A sneer curled the corner of Han Cheng''s lips, then he took out a purple pill from his pocket and swallowed it!


    Immediately, his aura skyrocketed relentlessly, his clothes rustling loudly, the robust True Essence Aura impossible to conceal!


    In an instant, he seemed like apletely different person, much more powerful than just a moment ago!


    "Burst Yuan Pill!"


    Yan Xi, witnessing this scene, suddenly had her pupils contract and she cried out in rm!


    "What''s a Burst Yuan Pill?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask, his expression turning serious as he felt the opponent''s surging momentum.


    "As the name suggests, the Burst Yuan Pill is an elixir that can unleash the body''s potential for a short time, causing the True Yuan to burst forth!"


    Yan Xi exined to Su Chen:


    "Although the Burst Yuan Pill can greatly enhance personal strength for a brief period, it forcibly draws out potential, so it doese with side effects, creating obstacles for future cultivation!"


    Logically, Yan Xi and Su Chen had only met once and shouldn''t have much of a connection.


    But for some reason, she always felt a kinship with this man, which is why she defended Su Chen several times after appearing.


    After hearing Yan Xi''s exnation, Su Chen sighed once more at the power of that mysterious organization!


    Even though Yan Xi said that the elixir had side effects, there was no doubt it was a very valuable one!


    Of course, it also showed how deep the man''s hatred for him was, that he would resort to consuming a pill that could hinder his cultivation!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but shake his head, regardless of his strength, this kind of temperament was certainlycking!


    "Kid, I really don''t believe you''ve already reached the Meridian Expansion Realm!"


    After consuming the Burst Yuan Pill, Han Cheng''s aura surged, and he said haughtily to Su Chen!


    He had been startled by Su Chen''s true strength just now and hastily thought that his opponent had already entered the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    However, upon further reflection, he felt that Su Chen''s strength was still not quite at the level of a genuine Meridian Expansion Realm practitioner.


    After all, the Meridian Expansion Realm was a true watershed in Martial Arts, with a world of difference between those who had crossed it and those who had not!


    Unlike Su Chen, he had seen the true Meridian Expansion Realm, which is why he could sense the difference.


    Of course, while the opponent''s strength was not equal to the true Meridian Expansion Realm, it was certainly much stronger than his own!


    He felt that Su Chen''s true strength could be considered invincible below the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    To have achieved such cultivation at a little over twenty years of age was truly terrifying!


    In reality, there were indeed differences in strength between someone on the verge of Meridian Expansion and one who had truly attained the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    For example, among the three people present, they had all reached half-step Meridian Expansion but had not yet achieved the true Meridian Expansion Realm!


    In terms of strength, Han Cheng could easily defeat Yan Xi, while Su Chen could easily defeat Han Cheng!


    Of course, this referred to Han Cheng before he had taken the Burst Yuan Pill. Now, after taking the Burst Yuan Pill, his momentum surged, True Yuan roiled within him, and his confidence swiftly returned!


    As long as Su Chen had not reached the true Meridian Expansion Realm, he had no fear!


    At the very least, he had the strength for a fight!


    For him, no matter what, he must reim his lost face!


    And the best way to reim face was to utterly defeat this youngster!


    Su Chen, observing his formidable momentum and robust True Essence Aura, also became exceedingly solemn!


    He felt that the opponent''s current cultivation strength was almost as strong as his own!


    Despite this, he had not the slightest fear in his heart; instead, he was filled with excitement!


    Becausepeting against a true expert was extremely beneficial for his own cultivation improvement!


    An expert of this caliber was too rare toe by; even seeking one out would be difficult!


    Yan Xi knew that since Han Cheng had already taken the Burst Yuan Pill, she certainly couldn''t stop him now!


    The air in the arena seemed to freeze for a moment, and after Su Chen and Han Cheng exchanged a nce, both men moved at the same time!


    Two streaks of shadows shed by, and where the shadows collided, a burst of heat erupted, causing the surrounding air to make a "hissing" sound.


    The Overturning Seas and Rivers True Yuan cascaded out like a gust of wind, causing the nts around them to sway in disarray!


    Although Yan Xi''s strength was not on par with the other two, she could still clearly understand the situation in the arena, as she too had the strength of half-step Meridian Expansion!


    She noticed that Han Cheng hadunched a relentless assault on Su Chen right from the start, with an offensive so fierce it was chilling!


    Su Chen, meanwhile, just kept dodging, only defending when he absolutely couldn''t evade!


    It looked as though Han Cheng had himpletely overwhelmed, without any power to counterattack, and there were even several close calls!


    Seeing this, Yan Xi couldn''t help but worry for Su Chen internally, clenching her fists tightly.


    But there was nothing she could do; first was the issue of strength, as her own power fell shortpared to the two men, rendering her interference useless.


    More importantly, there was the issue of allegiance¡ªwhom could she support?


    After all, she was on Han Cheng''s side and should, in theory, help him against Su Chen, but she really did not want to strike Su Chen!


    So she chose to watch and do her best to prevent the situation from bing too severe.


    What she didn''t know was that Su Chen''s current disy of pure defense and no counterattack was entirely deliberate!


    Although Han Cheng''s strength was not far off from Su Chen''s now, when it came tobat experience, Han Cheng was far toocking!


    In the Eighth Brigade and the Dark World, Su Chen had developed an instinct to use every condition to his advantage in achieving his goals!

 Chapter 738: You Want to Kill Me?

    Su Chen did this mainly for two reasons, one was because Yan Xi had said earlier that the Burst Yuan Pill could only enhance strength for a short period, so the longer he dragged out the time, the more advantageous it would naturally be for himself!


    The second reason was Han Cheng''s personality. Although they had only just met, Su Chen had already basically figured out his character.


    This was a proud, impulsive person, who although cruel,cked foresight.


    This could be seen from the fact that he took the Burst Yuan Pill just because Su Chen slightly insulted him.


    So as long as the time dragged on, he would certainly be impatient and anxious, and his ws would naturally emerge!


    Although Su Chen had a seventy percent confidence in his strength, if he could be more certain, why not?


    Sure enough, after a period of furious attacks that didn''t inflict any damage on Su Chen, Han Cheng became more and more irritable, and the gloom on his face grew heavier!


    "If you have the guts, stop dodging and face me in a direct confrontation!"


    Han Cheng, seeing him constantly evading, roared in frustration!


    "Mind your own business, if you''re capable,e bite me!"


    Su Chen, while dodging, teasinglyughed, causing Han Cheng''s face to turn even redder and ck with anger, and his attacks grew even more frantic.


    At the beginning, Han Cheng was still wary of Su Chen''s counterattacks, so he was defensive even during his furious assaults, at least not leaving any significant ws!


    But now, he was filled with rage, focusing only on attacking Su Chen with all his might, not even caring that his defenses were wide open!


    At this moment, all he thought about was how to severely injure Su Chen as quickly as possible, or even kill him!


    On one hand, this was because the effect of the pill was limited, and once the effects slowly faded, he would have no hope!


    On the other hand, it was an even more decisive factor, his personality!


    Su Chen knew that the moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived!


    At this moment, Han Cheng, driving the robust True Yuan inside his body, pped at Su Chen, who sidestepped as before to avoid the fierce Palm Print!


    However, unlike before, he didn''t continue dodging, but instead suddenly moved straight forward, quickly closing the distance between them!


    Han Cheng, seeing him draw near rather than evading like before, suddenly felt shocked!


    At the same time, Su Chen''s movements reached their peak, fast as lightning. With a sideways elbow strike, a huge force hit Han Cheng in the chest!


    Han Cheng immediately felt his internal organs churn, but at this moment, he couldn''t care about that, hurriedly attempting to retreat and get some distance from Su Chen!


    However, since Su Chen had made his move, he naturally wouldn''t show mercy. The moment after the elbow strike, a Palm Print followed without any dy!


    This Palm Print gathered nearly all of Su Chen''s True Yuan, and the milky white True Essence Energy Wave was incredibly strong, like a shell sting into Han Cheng''s body!


    Han Cheng, unsurprisingly, was sent flying once again, but coincidentally, hended in a filthy gutter, sshing mud and water everywhere!


    This time, he didn''t get up as easily because this Palm Print from Su Chen was nearly at ny percent of his full strength, naturally no small matter!


    Against an opponent who was almost on par with himself, he had no mercy, because mercy towards an enemy is cruelty to oneself!


    Han Chengy in the ditch, unable to help spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, which disappeared into the dirty water beside him without a trace of bright red!


    Han Cheng knew that this time he had thoroughly lost!


    If it weren''t for the remaining effect of the Burst Yuan Pill, as well as thest moment when he gathered some True Yuan to block, that Palm Print would have definitely taken his life!


    Yan Xi, watching from a distance, waspletely stunned, with an open-mouthed, dumbfounded expression!


    She couldn''t believe that Han Cheng, after having taken the Burst Yuan Pill, had still lost, and so abruptly at that!


    Because up until just before, it was always Han Cheng suppressing Su Chen, hardly leaving any chance for a counterattack!


    But in an instant, the situation seemed to have undergone a drastic reversal, and the previously arrogant Han Cheng had be the one sent flying by a Palm Print!


    "Plop, plop!"


    Su Chen walked step by step towards Han Cheng in the gutter, and then looking at him covered in mud, he said indifferently,


    "Do you still want to kill me now?"


    "Don''t think that just because you''ve injured me, you can rest easy!"


    Enduring the intense pain, Han Cheng slowly crawled out of the ditch, his eyes zing with a fierce light as he looked at Su Chen and said:


    "By opposing us, you''re dead meat!"


    "Dead meat?"


    A devilish smile hooked the corner of Su Chen''s mouth as he responded:


    "That''s a line better suited for you!"


    No sooner had he spoken than a dagger with a cold glint had appeared in Su Chen''s hand.


    In the sunlight, the dagger seemed to radiate a dazzling brilliance, like a deadly weapon!


    Reflected on the de was Su Chen''s face, wearing that sinister smile, sending shivers down one''s spine!


    "You... you want to kill me?"


    Han Cheng asked incredulously, fear creeping into his heart for the first time!


    "Of course, what else did you think?"


    Su Chen replied with a matter-of-fact smile, showing no hint of jest.


    "You... you... you can''t kill me!"


    Han Cheng stammered, his face overtaken by fear!


    His arrogance didn''t mean he wasn''t afraid of dying!


    On the contrary, he was very afraid of death because he had grand ns for the future awaiting him!


    If he died, it would all be for nothing!


    This was akin to how the wealthy in the secr world feared death even more!


    "Now that''s a joke. You think it''s okay for you to kill me, but not for me to kill you? What kind of reasoning is that?"


    ying with the sharp dagger in his hand, Su Chen said coldly:


    "Let me tell you, I don''t care who you people are. If you intend to deal with me, then be prepared to face the consequences!"


    "If you kill me, you definitely won''t live either!"


    Han Cheng spat out fearfully as he looked at Su Chen, because he could tell that this young man was truly intent on killing him!


    Now he was like a fish on the chopping block, and if Su Chen wanted to kill him, it would be no different from ughtering a chicken!


    All he could do was put on a facade of authority and hope that it would deter the other man!


    "Then let''s just give it a try!"


    Su Chen chuckled coldly, utterly unmoved!


    He was well aware that the organization behind them was immensely powerful, something he couldn''t shake, maybe even thebined strength of the entire Nether Temple and the Shadow Guard couldn''t shake it, but that didn''t mean he would surrender!


    He looked at Han Cheng and his eyes gradually narrowed, a fiery intent to kill flickering therein!


    Witnessing the unabashed murderous intent in Su Chen''s gaze, Han Cheng couldn''t help but tremble!


    Was he really going to meet his end in this wilderness today?


    But he had so many unfulfilled ambitions!


    He hadn''t yet reached the long-aspired Meridian Expansion Realm, and he had ns to climb higher step by step!


    He wasn''t willing, nor was he content, to just die here in this wilderness!


    But what can unwillingness and discontentment do?


    Facing this demon-like young man, he had absolutely no power to resist!

 Chapter 739: Who Are You Exactly?

    "Alright, you can say goodbye to this world now!"


    Su Chen''s voice was ice cold as he spoke.


    "Su Chen, stop!"


    Just then, a panicked voice rang out from behind Su Chen.


    Of course, the one who spoke was Yan Xi, who had initially thought that Su Chen was merely threatening Han Cheng and hadn''t intervened!


    After all, she was quite happy seeing that annoying guy, Han Cheng, get a lesson.


    But when she realized that Su Chen was really going to kill him, she was suddenly startled!


    Han Cheng was no ordinary person, and if Su Chen really killed him, it would truly bring about a catastrophe!


    At that point, even if she pleaded for mercy, it might not be enough to protect him!


    "What? You want to stop me too?"


    Su Chen turned his head and asked Yan Xi coldly as she ran over.


    "Su Chen, I''m advising you for your own good, you must not kill this man!"


    Yan Xi walked over with a serious face and said:


    "His previous statement wasn''t an exaggeration; if you kill him, you won''t be able to survive either!"


    "You think I''d be afraid?"


    Su Chen said indifferently, his demeanor quite resolute.


    Seeing him stubbornly refusing to back down and determined to kill Han Cheng, Yan Xi suddenly became very anxious!


    Why couldn''t this guy see reason?


    She was clearly thinking for his sake. If he really killed Han Cheng today, then he was truly putting his own life at risk!


    "Can you consider it a favor to me and spare his life today?"


    Yan Xi said helplessly.


    She didn''t hold much hope for this request, as the two had only met once!


    Although their previous encounter had been pleasant, they hardly had any significant rapport.


    What she didn''t expect, however, was that Su Chen hesitated for a moment and then said:


    "Alright, for your sake today, I''ll spare his life!"


    Upon hearing this, Yan Xi was momentarily stunned; she hadn''t anticipated that Su Chen would actually agree.


    Earlier when she warned him of the danger to his own life, he hadn''t agreed, but when she asked him to do it as a personal favor, he actually consented!


    What did this mean? Could it be that she was that important to him?


    For a moment, Yan Xi couldn''t help but let her thoughts run wild...


    Actually, Yan Xi was overthinking it; Su Chen had simply found a convenient excuse to back down!


    In fact, even if Yan Xi hadn''t spoken up, he wouldn''t have really killed Han Cheng.


    Her plea just gave him a better excuse.


    He knew the organization behind them was immensely powerful, not something he could confront at that time!


    Though he wasn''t one to surrender, he also knew when to be flexible.


    Knowing hecked the strength yet still choosing to confront them head-on was definitely not a wise decision!


    He didn''t want to die before he had the chance to avenge his family!


    Moreover, they hadn''t truly interfered with his ns yet; if he did go after the Five Great Familiester on and they intervened, then even at the cost of his life, Su Chen would forge ahead, cutting down anyone in his way!


    For now, there was no need for such measures.


    As for his earlier act, it was all an borate show!


    It served to intimidate the other party and also to let them know he wasn''t to be trifled with!


    After all, Han Cheng''s haughty demeanor had irked him somewhat!


    Upon hearing Su Chen agree to spare his life, Han Cheng, still on the ground, suddenly sparkled with a brilliant gleam in his eyes!


    At that moment, he truly felt like he had escaped death!


    "Get lost!"


    Su Chen nced at Han Cheng disdainfully, as if he were looking at a stray dog, and snorted.


    In the past, if someone had looked at him with such a gaze, Han Cheng would have taught them a lesson.


    But at present, although he felt humiliated, he only wanted to escape from this dangerous ce.


    Unfortunately, he was too seriously injured and struggled to stand up.


    Seeing this, Yan Xi took out an elixir from her pocket and threw it to him, which Han Cheng caught and immediately swallowed.


    After taking the elixir, Han Cheng regted his breath for a moment and finally gained some strength to slowly get up.


    "You go back in the car on your own first, I''ll leaveter."


    Yan Xi said to Han Cheng.


    Having just escaped from the brink of death, Han Cheng was in no position to say anything more.


    Although he had just taken an elixir, the injuries he had suffered were too severe, and for now, he could only slowly walk toward the car.


    "Hold up!"


    Just then, Su Chen''s chilling voice sounded again.


    Han Cheng''s heart shuddered upon hearing that voice, fearing that Su Chen might change his mind.


    But if Su Chen really wanted to change his mind, there was nothing Han Cheng could do, so he turned around with difficulty.


    "Remember, if you dare to challenge me again, you won''t be so lucky next time!"


    Su Chen warned, his eyes shooting a malicious re.


    Han Cheng felt a tremor inside, then silently continued to walk forward slowly...


    Although Su Chen had spared him, his heart was not grateful at all; instead, it was filled with hatred!


    The humiliation he''d suffered today was unprecedented, and he swore to take revenge!


    "These days the master is not around, once the master returns, I must have him kill this youngster to quench the hatred in my heart!"


    Han Cheng thought to himself, slowly reached the car, and then drove away...


    .....


    Shortly after Han Cheng left, Su Chen and Yan Xi casually sat down on a clump of weeds.


    "Thank you for giving me this face today."


    Yan Xi spoke up.


    "Don''t mention it, I know you''re looking out for me."


    Su Chen waved his hand and smiled, feeling the goodwill from Yan Xi.


    After saying this, both were at a loss for words for a while, just sitting there in silence.


    "Su Chen, I never expected you to be so formidable!"


    After a while, Yan Xi suddenly looked at Su Chen and said with a smile,


    "By the way, what realm are you at now?"


    "I don''t know,"


    Su Chen shook his head and smiled slightly.


    He truly didn''t know what realm his current strength wouldpare to for an ordinary Martial Artist.


    If he told her that he was only at Qi Refinement Ninth Layer, she probably wouldn''t believe him.


    "If you don''t want to say, then never mind."


    Yan Xi pouted, assuming Su Chen didn''t want to tell her, for who doesn''t know their own realm?


    Su Chen didn''t argue, just smiled slightly and then looked at her, asking,


    "Can you tell me who you people really are?"


    Although Su Chen had forced the mysterious organization behind the Five Great Families into the open, he still knew little about it.


    If he could get some useful information from Yan Xi, he would at least be able to know the enemy and act more purposefully!


    "By the rules, we''re not supposed to reveal our identity casually to outsiders."


    Yan Xi thought for a moment and then said,


    "But seeing that we get along, I''ll tell you."

 Chapter 740 - 740 Hidden Dragon Hall

    "Thank you!"


    Su Chen sincerely said.


    He knew that the other''s willingness to share with him meant they really treated him as a friend.


    "Actually, we alle from an organization called Hidden Dragon Hall."


    Yan Xi looked at Su Chen and spoke.


    The reason Yan Xi was willing to tell him was that she hoped he would know more and perhaps he wouldn''t act as recklessly as today again, potentially bringing trouble upon himself.


    For some reason, she didn''t want to see Su Chen get hurt.


    "Hidden Dragon Hall?"


    Su Chen slightly furrowed his brow:


    "What is this ce?"


    "Hidden Dragon Hall is an organization that guards the order of Huaxia, but very few people know of our existence. We are not constrained by any official force, everything is guided by the highest principle of maintaining Huaxia''s stability and national interest!"


    When Yan Xi mentioned Hidden Dragon Hall, her face involuntarily disyed a trace of pride and self-confidence!


    Su Chen waspletely taken aback to find that Hidden Dragon Hall, concealed behind the Five Great Families, was such an organization!


    However, his first encounter with Hidden Dragon Hall had been with someone as arrogant, heartless, and foolish as Han Cheng, which gave him quite a poor impression of the Hidden Dragon Hall. He even regarded it as a pretense of virtue!


    Yan Xi, after all, was a member of Hidden Dragon Hall, so he did not show this view.


    "So what exactly is the rtionship between Hidden Dragon Hall and the Five Great Families? Why get involved in the affairs of the Five Great Families?"


    Su Chen continued to ask.


    This was what he truly cared about right now.


    As for whether they were pretending to be virtuous, or as Yan Xi said, truly the Guardians of Huaxia, he didn''t care.


    "Actually, there''s not much rtion; it''s just that the Five Great Families have considerable influence in Huaxia. Should something happen to them, it could affect social stability, and we prioritize maintaining the stability of Huaxia."


    Yan Xi exined as she spoke:


    "Regarding the Five Great Families, we at Hidden Dragon Hall have a rule; that is, for any internal grudges and disputes among the families, no one from Hidden Dragon Hall may intervene. Only when the Five Great Families face threats from external forces will we take action."


    "Because if it''s an internal grudge, no matter how intense, it''s unlikely to affect the stability of society significantly. But if there''s a threat from external forces, it''s much more serious and could even lead to destruction, causing more significant social turmoil, which is something we absolutely do not allow to happen!"


    After hearing Yan Xi''s exnation, Su Chen finally had a rough understanding of the rtionship between the Five Great Families and Hidden Dragon Hall.


    "Strictly speaking, I am also a member of the Su Family, so it should be an internal matter, right?"


    Su Chen asked. He wasn''t asking out of fear of this so-called Hidden Dragon Hall, but rather to rify some matters!


    "No, in the eyes of Hidden Dragon Hall, your identity is that of the Nether King, the Hall Master of Nether Temple, so you are considered an external force."


    Yan Xi looked at Su Chen and shook her head as she spoke.


    "I see!"


    Su Chen nodded, finally understanding some of the situation.


    No wonder when the great tragedy of the Su Family''s main branch urred, they did not take action, and now they had. It was because of this very rule.


    "Actually, we should have intervened to stop what you were doing long ago. Protector Yu even suggested killing you directly, but Uncle Wei said you had made many contributions to Huaxia after all. He said to give you a chance and hoped you would know when to stop."


    Yan Xi continued:


    "But unexpectedly, not only did you not stop, you actually intensified your actions. So we had no choice but to send someone to give Qin Ming of the Special Security Bureau a message for you, telling you to cease your actions against the Five Great Families."


    "Yet you¡ªinstead of heeding the warning¡ªyou stormed into the Su Family the very next day, putting all the major families on edge. Therefore, Uncle Wei had no choice but to have Han Cheng and me take you in for a strict punishment."


    At this, Yan Xi couldn''t help but shake her head and let out a bitterugh.


    "Who are this ''Grandpa Wei'' and Protector Yu you mentioned?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "Oh, Uncle Wei is our Hidden Dragon Hall''s Vice Hall Master, and that Protector Yu is Han Cheng''s master. In the Hidden Dragon Hall, there is one Hall Master, one Vice Hall Master, and three Protectors,"


    Yan Xi responded without concealing too much.


    "Alright, thank you for telling me all this."


    Having obtained the basic information he wanted, Su Chen stood up and patted his backside.


    "Su Chen, let me advise you, give up. If you continue to be obstinate, the consequences will be very serious,"


    Yan Xi also stood up and, looking at Su Chen, urged him:


    "If any Protector takes action, no matter how strong you are, you''ll definitely have no good end!"


    Hearing Yan Xi''s words, Su Chen said:


    "Please ry a message for me, I hope they won''t interfere in the affairs of the Five Great Families. But if they insist on meddling, no matter how strong they are, I will definitely fight them to the death!"


    "Su Chen, why are you so stubborn?"


    Yan Xi stamped her foot in frustration.


    "A gentleman has his principles, things he will and will not do! How can I not seek revenge for such deep-seated hatred!"


    Su Chen said firmly:


    "Even if it means being shattered to pieces, I wouldn''t hesitate!"


    Seeing Su Chen''s resolute demeanor, Yan Xi felt a mix of helplessness and admiration.


    "Then take care of yourself!"


    Yan Xi sighed, knowing she couldn''t do much else but pray for his safety.


    "I will, thank you!"


    Su Chen smiled as he spoke.


    For those who truly cared about him, like Yan Xi whom he''d recently met, Su Chen was grateful.


    Afterward, Su Chen drove Yan Xi to the roadside. Yan Xi hailed a taxi and left, and Su Chen drove to the office.


    Returning to the office, Su Chen went to his own office and quietly pondered the information he had gathered from Yan Xi.


    Although he didn''t ask about the strength of the Hall Master, Vice Hall Master, and Protectors from Yan Xi, he could guess that their strength was undoubtedly formidable, which was evident from Han Cheng.


    Despite this, he didn''t feel much fear because no matter how strong those people were, he had to face them!


    Because he had no other choice!


    Just as he had said to Yan Xi, how could he not avenge the great enmity of his grandfather and parents? Otherwise, how could he face living in this world, and how could he stand under the heavens!


    If he died, he would have no face to meet his grandfather and parents down below!


    Thinking of this, his face gradually showed a hint of determination!


    Of course, he wouldn''t just sit around waiting for death. As long as he continued to improve his Cultivation Realm, these problems wouldn''t be problems anymore!


    But the improvement of the Cultivation Realm is a slow umtion, it isn''t something that could be achieved in a day!


    So for Su Chen, time was of the essence right now!


    No matter what, he at least needed to advance to Qi Refinement Peak as soon as possible, that would give him a slightly better chance...

 Chapter 741: Qi Refinement Peak

    Thinking about it, Su Chen went straight back to cultivate.


    It must be said, the sudden emergence of Hidden Dragon Hall still put considerable pressure on Su Chen.


    Although there wasn''t much fear in his heart because it would be pointless, he was not numbly arrogant; he knew a gap existed.


    To bridge that gap, apart from hastening the improvement of his cultivation realm, there was no other way!


    There are no saviors in this world; everything depends on oneself!


    Even if others could save you temporarily, they ultimately can''t save you for a lifetime!


    Su Chen didn''t go home but went straight to the estate, nning to focus exclusively on his cultivation these days, at least to break through the Qi Refinement Peak first!


    Fortunately, the Nine Yang Divine Technique was inherently domineering, with an astonishingly quick cultivation speed, further enhanced by the Gathering Yuan Formation, making his cultivation speed unimaginable to others.


    Additionally, for some unknown reason, his cultivation speed had mysteriously increased quite a bit in the recent period.


    With these factorsbined, although he hadn''t been at the ninthyer of Qi Refinement for long, he could already faintly see the threshold of the Qi Refinement Peak!


    Despite this, Su Chen still felt it wasn''t enough. If it weren''t for the difficulty of finding materials and his insufficient understanding of medium-sized Gathering Yuan Formations, he would have immediately set one up to elerate his cultivation speed.


    On the way there, he made a phone call to Lin Ruoxue, saying that he had some matters to attend to and would be out for a while, asking her to take good care of herself.


    As Lin Ruoxue had increasingly realized he was no ordinary person and must have his reasons, she did not ask much, only simrly cautioned him to take good care of himself.


    Once Su Chen arrived at the estate by Laixing Lake, he plunged into the room made for his cultivation and began to cultivate!


    Once he started cultivating, he did so day and night, immersing himself in that profound state for twenty-four hours a day!


    The outside world''s turmoil, everything, seemed to be isted from him, as only the True Yuan moved ceaselessly within his body, colliding and nurturing!


    When cultivation reached a certain hour, it would inevitably encounter stagnation, which was perfectly normal.


    In the past, when this happened, Su Chen would stop cultivating, at least for a few hours before continuing, because the effectiveness of continued cultivation might not be great.


    However, this time, due to the appearance of Hidden Dragon Hall, it felt like a huge mountain was pressing down on Su Chen''s head, making it very urgent for him!


    Therefore, during this cultivation session, even when he encountered stagnation, Su Chen persisted with gritted teeth!


    He didn''t want to waste a single moment¡ªhe had to break through to the Qi Refinement Peak as soon as possible!


    In doing so, he might have some confidence!


    Indeed, after some adjustment, the cirction of True Yuan finally became smooth again and entered a new cycle!


    Time flew like a fleeting steed; in the blink of an eye, five days had passed. During these five days, Su Chen waspletely immersed in cultivation, daring not to cken for a moment!


    At this time, his hair was disheveled, and there was some stubble on his face, making him look like a wandering person.


    He sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and continuous, his mind serene as if asleep, his body''s abundant True Yuan slowly flowing...


    Su Chen knew that this was due to the harmony of the True Yuan within his body, which was also a sign of an impending breakthrough!


    Only, the distance from the true breakthrough was still far. For some reason, at this moment, he lost the initial impatience, his mood also eased, seemingly going along with the flow.


    When Mingyue climbed the treetops, and the bright moonlight spilled over thend, all was quiet around, and Su Chen seemed to have entered the meditative state known by the Buddha.


    The True Yuan within him harmonized even more, bing one with his body.


    This state was mystical and unique, beyond the artiction of words.


    Although Su Chen had reached a simr state before, it was never as harmonious as this time!


    This statested untilte at night when the True Yuan within him and his very self seemed to have achieved maximum harmony!


    Just then, an abrupt change urred!


    The previously tame and gentle True Yuan suddenly became vtile as if its personality had changed, rampaging within him without warning!


    Despite Su Chen''s remarkable willpower, he now deeply furrowed his brows, his teeth chattering nonstop, and within moments, he broke out in cold sweat, which soon began to fall inrge drops.


    The mighty True Yuan inside him surged like a flood, seemingly intent on annihting Su Chen''s internal organs!


    At this moment, Su Chen''s body started shaking uncontrobly, the pain akin to his nerves being viciously torn apart!


    Fortunately, his eyes were closed; had he opened them, the sight would have startled anyone.


    For his eyes were blood-red, a stark crimson, as if he were a wild beast!


    After the initial, sudden upheaval, Su Chen calmed down and immediately continued to forcefully circte the Nine Yang Divine Technique through his excruciating pain!


    He knew the situation was dangerous, that a single mistake could have serious consequences!


    One needed to concentrate fully when operating the Nine Yang Divine Technique, but the pain he was experiencing was so acute!


    Su Chen forced himself to disregard any distractions, using his strong will to keep his focus away from the pain, detaching it from his senses!


    This was easier said than done¡ªachieving such mental fortitude and control was nearly unimaginable, but Su Chen''s past experiences and innate strength barely allowed him to do so.


    About half an hourter, the True Yuan, though still violent like raging floodwaters, had be much more orderly, no longer chaotic as before!


    As the darkest hour before dawn approached, with a roar that nearly pierced the heavens, Su Chen finally achieved his breakthrough to the peak of Qi Refinement!


    Although he had already brought some order to the True Yuan, the surge within him at the moment of breakthrough still caused him to instinctively let out a skyward howl!


    In that instant, the True Yuan within the room cascaded wildly, its violent surge nearly obliterating every piece of furniture!


    Even a corner of the wall had copsed!


    Su Chen''s howlsted for nearly a minute, and not a shred of his clothing remained intact¡ªit was torn beyond any further tearing!


    "Finally made it!"


    Su Chen took a long breath and sighed with relief.


    At that moment, he felt as if he had undergone a transformation, as if reborn!

 Chapter 742: The Elegant Thief

    Su Chen then went to take a good bath, after not bathing for several days, he felt as if his body had gone sour!


    In the past he could tolerate it, but after being with Lin Ruoxue, he nearly bathed every day and had developed a habit.


    It seems he had be like Lin Ruoxue in some ways, developing a bit of a cleanliness fetish!


    Thinking this, Su Chen couldn''t help but shake his head and give a bitter smile.


    It was normal, after all, when a couple lived together for a long time, they tended to influence each other.


    After the bath, Su Chen shaved his beard and then changed into a new set of clothes!


    "Still quite handsome, huh!"


    Standing in front of the bathroom mirror and looking at his reflection, Su Chen touched his chin and shamelessly made ament!


    Su Chen then left the house and went to the yard of the mansion, seeing a boulder there, he involuntarily threw out a palm strike!


    A massive and dominant stream of True Yuan surged out, targeting only the upper half of the boulder!


    "Bang!"


    The moment the overwhelming True Yuan made contact with the boulder, an enormous boom was heard, and the upper half of the boulder fell off, crashing onto the grass.


    "I didn''t expect the Qi Refinement Peak of the Nine Yang Divine Technique to be this powerful!"


    Seeing this, Su Chen was instantly overjoyed!


    He felt that his cultivation was now much stronger than before,pletely different from when he was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement!


    If he had previously felt a gap between himself and the real Meridian Expansion Realm, he now felt he could truly match it!


    Looking at the broken boulder, Su Chen once again marveled secretly at the dominance and magic of the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    He thought that if one day he really entered the Meridian Expansion Realm, how powerful he would be!


    He was very much looking forward to this!


    Yet he also knew that it was not easy, as the path of cultivation was long and arduous, not something that could be achieved overnight.


    Entering the Late Stage of Qi Refinement, whether it was Qi Refinement Peak or Half Step Meridian Expansion, every step was not easy to cross, let alone reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    It was then he realized that he thought too highly of himself for dominating the Dark World, indeed he was somewhatcent!


    His old ghost master was right, after all, cultivation - has no end!


    Su Chen then continued to walk out of the mansion and drove towards the Imperial Garden, having not seen Lin Ruoxue for several days, he quite missed her.


    It was about five in the morning, there was almost no one on the streets, and it didn''t take long for Su Chen to arrive home.


    He slowly opened the gate, then tiptoed inside, careful not to wake Lin Ruoxue who was sleeping soundly.


    He sat on the sofa, smoked a cigarette, read some magazines, then began making breakfast.


    Although he hadn''t cooked frequently recently, as soon as he stepped into the kitchen, it felt like he had found the joy of making breakfast for Lin Ruoxue every morning again, a feeling he liked and even enjoyed.


    As the morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom, it seemed to spread ayer of gold light, and Lin Ruoxue woke up as well, instinctively reaching out to touch the empty space next to her, she couldn''t help but sigh.


    It''s been days, why hasn''t hee back?


    In the past, she used to sleep alone and it didn''t bother her, but thesest few days without Su Chen, she always felt unstable, as if something was missing.


    She felt her mouth was dry, so she slowly propped herself up, nning to grab the water ss on the bedside table and take a few sips.


    Just then, she suddenly felt a slight disturbance downstairs.


    "Aunt Sun isn''t here, and that bad guy isn''t either, who could it be? It couldn''t be a burr, could it?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s nerves tensed up instantly; it wasn''t surprising that she would think this way, as it was close to the year''s end¡ªa prime time for thieves!


    Moreover, she lived in a middle-to-high-end viplex, inhabited by affluent and influential people. Although the security here was excellent, it wasn''t guaranteed to be perfect.


    So Lin Ruoxue quietly got out of bed, then went to a cab nearby and gently opened it, taking out a pair of scissors.


    She held the scissors with one hand, the de pointing outwards, ready to fight a desperate battle with any intruder, then carefully opened the door of her room.


    She first peeked outside, saw nothing unusual, and then slowly began to move downstairs, her footsteps light, almost silent.


    Though her footsteps were soft, how could they escape Su Chen''s ears?


    He walked out from the kitchen as soon as he heard her.


    "Wife, good morning!"


    Su Chen looked toward Lin Ruoxue, who wasing down the stairs.


    At that moment, her long hair draped over her shoulders, slightly disheveled, and adorned in a purple satin nightgown, she looked exceptionally beautiful!


    Only, the pair of scissors in her hand made her look as if she was in a position to attack at any moment¡ªwhat was going on?


    "Husband, you''re back!"


    Lin Ruoxue was momentarily startled upon seeing Su Chen¡ªso it was him!


    She immediately showed a joyful expression and quickly put down the scissors, walking briskly towards Su Chen.


    As Lin Ruoxue approached, thezy charm of her beauty warmed Su Chen''s heart, and he embraced and kissed her passionately!


    "Mmmmm~~~"


    Lin Ruoxue was still immersed in the joy of seeing him and did not expect to be ambushed by this bad guy, instinctively panicking a little!


    Just momentster, however, she responded ardently, seemingly expressing her longing of the past few days!


    It wasn''t until Lin Ruoxue seemed to be short of breath that Su Chen slowly let her go.


    "Really, you bad guy, bullying me the moment you get back. I knew it would have been better if you hadn''te back!"


    Lin Ruoxue yfully pouted and gave Su Chen a slight re, a faint blush gracing her beautiful face...


    "I just haven''t seen my dear wife for several days; I missed you so much!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, not taking Lin Ruoxue''s mildint to heart.


    Then his gaze fell on Lin Ruoxue''s hand that still held the scissors, grateful that they hadn''t scratched him earlier.


    "Why were you holding scissors?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "I heard a noise and thought a burr had broken into our house!"


    Lin Ruoxue pursed her lips, then set the scissors down on a table nearby that held a vase.


    "Indeed, a burr did enter, but this thief steals neither gold nor silver but delights in stealing kisses and jade, a thief of refinement!"


    Su Chen chuckled, grabbed Lin Ruoxue''s delicate waist, pulling her close, front to front, their bodies tightly pressed...

 Chapter 743 - 743 Su Chens Identity

    "Only a book thief can be called a ''schrly burr,'' what you''re doing is just patting yourself on the back!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a flushed face and a spit of disdain.


    She thought to herself, this bad guy really has no shame at all, even daring to bring up something like stealing kisses so confidently and shamelessly.


    "What''s that smell?"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly smelled something burning and asked at once.


    "Oh no, I forgot to turn off the stove!"


    Su Chen was startled and quickly released Lin Ruoxue, rushing into the kitchen to turn off the stove!


    He had been so excited to see Lin Ruoxue, and after such a long kiss, that he hadpletely forgotten that something was still cooking!


    Lin Ruoxue watched Su Chen''s frantic back and couldn''t help but let out a giggle, her smile blooming like peach blossoms, stunningly beautiful!


    Afterwards, she went upstairs to wash up and change clothes, then came back down.


    By that time, Su Chen had already served breakfast on the table, although one dish had been ruined and thrown out.


    It had been quite some days since Lin Ruoxue sat down at home for breakfast with Su Chen, and she really missed this feeling.


    At this moment, the two of them sat next to the dining table, eating casually in a warm and peaceful atmosphere, which also had a sense of tranquility as time passed by quietly.


    "Oh, by the way, husband, why didn''t you tell me you wereing back early this morning when I called you yesterday?"


    After eating for a while, Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen casually and asked.


    Even though Lin Ruoxue hadn''t seen him for a few days, she still made a call every once in two days to simply check on him; otherwise, she would feel somewhat uneasy.


    "I wanted to surprise you!"


    Su Chen replied with a smile, actually, he also didn''t know when he would make his breakthrough, so he couldn''t tell Lin Ruoxue the exact time.


    "Some surprise that was, it almost turned into a shock!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a snort of annoyance.


    Because Su Chen didn''t mentioning back today, that was why she had thought there was a thief in the house earlier.


    If Su Chen had told her he wasing back this morning, she wouldn''t have thought so!


    "That''s my fault, I''m sorry, dear wife!"


    Su Chen said with a ttering smile.


    Lin Ruoxue hummed coquettishly but didn''t actually get angry, and then continued with her breakfast.


    After breakfast, the two of them drove to the office together.


    Once Lin Ruoxue returned to her office, she immediately started working. With Su Chen away these past few days, her heart had been somewhat restless, and she hadn''t had much motivation to deal with the tedious work.


    Of course, Su Chen went to his own office, brewed a cup of tea, and then started reading thetest issue of "Men''s Fashion" magazine.


    After flipping through it twice, he started ying a match-three game, and time slowly ticked by.


    Having made a breakthrough to the peak of Qi Refinement, Su Chen felt a bit more confident, not feeling as rushed as before.


    As for his cultivation, he nned to proceed step by step.


    Besides, he had just made a breakthrough, and advancing further wasn''t something that could be achieved overnight; there was no use in hurrying.


    During the days of his cultivation, Yandu seemed to have been in turmoil as well, full of sinister undercurrents and turbulent hidden waves!


    Almost everyrge family n was quietly mobilizing all their power to investigate this young man named Su Chen.


    Although they had tried to investigate him previously, they gave up after failing to find any useful information.


    This was also the reason they, despite taking Su Chen seriously, had not yet reached the point of dreading him; since they found nothing, they did not continue to investigate!


    After all, at that time, they perceived the young man as exceedingly arrogant, yet ultimately someone who could not cause any significant disturbances.


    However, once the Su Family''s matter arose, especially when they heard that Su Chen had defeated the bup-clothed elder, a boundless fear spread among those old fellows, leaving them restless!


    It was only then that they realized, aside from knowing he was the boy from those years ago, they knew nothing else about the young man!


    This realization instantly broke out a cold sweat among them, so aside from Elder Master Pei, these old fellows all began to use all their connections to investigate the true details of the young man!


    The Five Great Families were, after all, the Five Great Families; when this machinery was fully operational, the energy it exerted was immense!


    Of course, the cost was also substantial!


    But these old timers were no longer concerned about the cost; they did not want to die in confusion.


    Several dayster, they had all sessively obtained some truly useful information!


    Then, as these messages converged, Su Chen''s past gradually began to take shape.


    When they discovered that Su Chen was actually the founder and Chief Instructor of Huaxia''s most mysterious Eighth Brigade, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock!


    They had all heard of that brigade but knew almost nothing about it; they never imagined that this young man had such deep ties with that mysterious brigade!


    However, their shock did not end with this news; when they learned that Su Chen was also the Hall Master of the Nether Temple, the Netherworld King in the Dark World, their faces turned pale with terror!


    These old timers, although not much in contact with members of the Dark World, were aware of it and understood even more what kind of ruthless world it was!


    The names of the Nether Temple and the Netherworld King were thunderous to their ears!


    Even as they lived far away in Huaxia, they had heard of the Netherworld King''s various deeds!


    In their wildest dreams, these old timers had not imagined that the young man was the legendary Netherworld King!


    A man''s reputation is like a tree''s shadow!


    After learning this news, they all became increasingly nervous, and their fear grew even stronger!


    At this time, they were even more determined to eliminate Su Chen as soon as possible, lest he be a great threat!


    Moreover, relying solely on the power of any individual family was uncertain; it was best for several families to unite!


    ....


    At this moment, Su Chen was unaware that the major family ns had already investigated his identity, and even if he did know, he would not care, with the situation having reached this point.


    After ying his game for a while, he began to think about the affairs of the Five Great Families. He had already forced the Hidden Dragon Hall to reveal itself, which could be said to have lifted a weight off his chest.


    Although the Hidden Dragon Hall was immensely powerful, it was always better than being unknown; after all, the unknown is what causes the most worry!


    For Su Chen, what to do next was critical!


    Of course, he hoped that the Hidden Dragon Hall would not intervene in the affairs of the Five Great Families, and that everyone could live in peace!


    But he also knew this was unlikely.


    Since it was impossible, how could he achieve his goal?


    He thought for a long time but still could note up with any foolproof n, so he had to put it aside for the time being...

 Chapter 744 - 740: Preparing to Return to Nether Temple

    After lunch, Su Chen had just returned to his office when his cellphone began to ring.


    He saw that it was a call from Doctor Gaia, and instantly, a gleam of brilliance shed in his eyes!


    Could it be that the Almighty Bone Marrow was ready?


    Su Chen immediately answered Doctor Gaia''s call, and sure enough, it was just as he had guessed¡ªDoctor Gaia told him that the Almighty Bone Marrow was ready.


    So Su Chen told him that he would immediately make a trip to Jianghai.


    Although the issues in Yandu were causing him much irritation, the news from Doctor Gaia still excited him greatly.


    Thus, he immediately had Qin Ming arrange a helicopter for him. When Qin Ming heard it was concerning the Gene Modifiers, he agreed without hesitation.


    Of course, even if it were not for the Gene Modifiers, Qin Ming would not have refused Su Chen''s request.


    When Su Chen drove to the Special Security Bureau''s private helipad, Qin Ming was already there waiting for him.


    Upon seeing Su Chen arrive, he immediately went up to greet him, then, with a mix of nervousness and probing, he asked,


    "No one has given you trouble in the past few days, right?"


    He had heard about the Su Family and was truly worried for Su Chen for a while.


    After all, those people had already sent a message through him, and here this guy was charging into the Su Family¡ªit was a p in their faces, wasn''t it?


    How could those people let him act recklessly without doing anything?


    "Are you talking about the people from Hidden Dragon Hall?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked with a half-smile.


    "So they''ve already looked for you, huh?"


    Upon hearing this, Qin Ming''s heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked,


    "Are you alright then?"


    "Aren''t I standing right here before you, perfectly fine?"


    Su Chen said with a light smile, feeling quite warmed by Qin Ming''s concern.


    "They didn''t make things difficult for you?"


    Qin Ming asked, surprised, as he thought that didn''t quite seem likely.


    "They sent two juniors my way, but I sent them packing."


    Su Chen said lightly, and then nced at Qin Ming:


    "Alright, I''m in a hurry, so I''ll be off now."


    Although Qin Ming was a friend, he was after all a member of the system, and Su Chen did not wish to discuss these matters with him too much.


    "Alright then, contact me if you need any help,"


    Qin Ming also sensed that Su Chen was reluctant to talk more, so he did not ask further about Hidden Dragon Hall.


    As for the matter of the Gene Modifiers, he naturally felt a moral obligation to help.


    "Sure, I''ll contact you if I need anything,"


    Su Chen said before boarding the helicopter, which then slowly took off, heading towards Jianghai...


    It wasn''t too long before he arrived in Jianghai, where he went directly to the Belle Corporation''s pharmaceutical division.


    Doctor Gaia, aware of his arrival, had already prepared everything. After giving him a brief introduction, he handed over a box containing a dozen highly-sealed exquisite bottles, which naturally contained the Almighty Bone Marrow.


    After briefly speaking with Doctor Gaia, Su Chen left, then went home to visit old Mrs. Wang.


    Since he hade to Jianghai, he didn''t care about spending a little more time there.


    Mrs. Wang was overjoyed to see Su Chen''s sudden arrival and started chatting about this and that.


    Su Chen just listened, sometimes chipping in, not minding the rambling at all, just like before.


    Su Chen stayed for about an hour before he left. As for the two young girls, Xiaoxun and Ruohan, they were at school, so he didn''t see them.


    Then he went straight to the helipad in Jianghai and once again took a helicopter back to Yandu.


    When he arrived in Yandu, it was already off work time, so after bidding farewell to Qin Ming, he drove home.


    Of course, he also picked up some groceries on the way, nning to prepare avish dinner that evening.


    Having just met, and having to leave again, Su Chen always felt somewhat guilty towards Lin Ruoxue.


    On the road, Su Chen made a call to Demon, telling him he would arrive tomorrow.


    Upon hearing that Su Chen wasing back, Demon was naturally extremely excited, his voice even slightly altered.


    Actually, with Su Chen''s current cultivation realm, even without the help of the Almighty Bone Marrow and the Nether Temple, he should have been able to wipe out the Skull Society on his own in theory.


    The reason he still needed to use the Almighty Bone Marrow and the brothers from the Nether Temple was partly because he was facing not ordinary martial artists but Gene Modifiers, and the numbers were definitely going to berge, making things somewhat troublesome.


    Having the people from the Nether Temple utilize the Almighty Bone Marrow and act together with him would always be more convenient.


    Moreover, if any unexpected situations urred, it also added an extrayer of security.


    After all, behind Tang Gang was a mysterious and powerful force!


    The second reason was that he had already told Demon and the others that he would join them to eliminate the Skull Society soon, and they had been looking forward to it for a long time.


    If he were suddenly to tell them they were no longer needed, although they wouldn''t resent or me him, it would inevitably cause some disappointment.


    Moreover, he hadn''t seen those brothers for a long time and he really missed them.


    Certainly, the most important aspect was the third, he wanted to experiment to see if the Almighty Bone Marrow was truly effective.


    If it proved effective, then in the future, even if simr situations arose, or if someone created more advanced Gene Modifiers, he wouldn''t have to worry, as the principle was the same.


    .....


    Around eight o''clock that evening, Lin Ruoxue came back, and when she saw thevish dinner prepared, she immediately smiled and said,


    "Honey, what''s the asion today for preparing all this delicious food? Oh, you even opened a bottle of wine!"


    "Come on, you must be hungry, sit down and eat!"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    Lin Ruoxue was not shy, sitting down and quickly starting to eat, as she was actually quite hungry at the moment.


    "Here, wife, cheers."


    Su Chen poured wine for both Lin Ruoxue and himself, then raised his ss and said.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue put down her chopsticks, raised her ss, and clinked it with Su Chen''s before taking a sip.


    "Honey, you seem a bit off, what''s wrong?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked quizzically as she put down her ss.


    "The thing is, wife, I need to go out tomorrow, and if it''s fast, I''ll be back in about four to five days; if slow, around ten days,"


    Su Chen said somewhat sheepishly as he nced at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Going out again?"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately responded upon hearing Su Chen''s words. Although Su Chen had been close by at their estate thest few days, for Lin Ruoxue, it felt as if he had just returned.


    Yet, the day hadn''t evene to an end before he had to leave again, which of course made Lin Ruoxue feel very disappointed.


    "Is it absolutely necessary for you to go?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a sorrowful look on her face.


    "Yes, it''s very important, absolutely necessary!"


    Su Chen nodded solemnly as he looked at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Alright then, since you say it''s very important, I won''t stop you,"


    Lin Ruoxue put away her sorrowful look and said earnestly to Su Chen:


    "But there''s one thing, you have to promise me, you muste back safe and sound!"

 Chapter 745 - 745 Main Mother, Queen

    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue, who had already regained her usual appearance, and knew she was just putting on a strong front, not wanting to worry him.


    "Don''t worry, I can''t bear the thought of my beautiful wife being a widow! We still have to have a bunch of little monkeys!"


    Su Chen said with a sly grin on his face, looking mischievous.


    "What nonsense are you talking about? Who wants to have... little monkeys with you?"


    Lin Ruoxue retorted with a blushing face.


    "Wife, if you don''t want to have them with me, then I''ll just have to find someone else!"


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue with a wicked smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.


    "You dare!"


    As soon as Su Chen''s words fell, Lin Ruoxue immediately shouted in indignation.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue suddenly bing fierce, Su Chen burst into heartyughter.


    "I''ll teach you to tease me!"


    Seeing this, Lin Ruoxue knew he was doing it on purpose and immediately pretended to be about to beat Su Chen up!


    Facing Lin Ruoxue, who was a bit shy and a bit angry, Su Chen quickly made a mocking gesture with a fist and begged for mercy.


    Only then did Lin Ruoxue sit down with a feigned huff to continue eating, sweeping Su Chen with a still annoyed look in her beautiful eyes.


    In fact, she knew that Su Chen was deliberately diverting her attention, trying to keep her from feeling sad.


    "Alright, don''t be angry, let me introduce some people to you."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile at this point.


    "Who are they?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue became instantly curious.


    "Come with me."


    Su Chen said with a mysterious smile, standing up.


    Seeing this, Lin Ruoxue also stood up and walked out the door with him.


    When they reached the edge of the steps at the doorway, Su Chen stopped, and Lin Ruoxue looked around curiously, but there wasn''t even a ghost''s shadow!


    Su Chen turned his head and looked at Lin Ruoxue with a smile, then gently pped his hands.


    As soon as the pping sounded, a group of ck-d figures suddenly appeared in front of them.


    These people seemed to drop out of nowhere, giving Lin Ruoxue quite a scare!


    Just now she had checked her surroundings and saw nothing, where did these people suddenlye from?


    "Master, Main Mother!"


    "Hall Master, Queen!"


    As soon as these people appeared in front of them, they immediately knelt down, excitedly and respectfully calling out to Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue!


    Because this was their first direct face-to-face contact with Lin Ruoxue, for them, it was an enormous honor!


    Naturally, the two who called her Main Mother were the Shadow Guards; those who called her Queen were people from the Nether Temple, and since the Hall Master was the Nether king, naturally they called her Queen.


    Main Mother? Queen?


    Were these people addressing her?


    And those calls of Master and Hall Master, were they referring to Su Chen?


    Lin Ruoxue waspletely baffled, what exactly was going on? It felt as though she was in a movie!


    No wonder, Lin Ruoxue had always lived in a modern city, and suddenly being called Main Mother and Queen like this, it would be strange if she wasn''t scared!


    And they were kneeling respectfully, which made it even more incredible!


    "Rise."


    Su Chen stated indifferently.


    "Yes!"


    Those people immediately stood up upon hearing Su Chen''s orders, and then they stood up straight and stationary.


    "Husband, who are they? Were they calling me just now?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked timidly. Her instincts told her that these people were definitely not ordinary!


    "Is there anyone else here besides you and me?"


    Su Chen replied with a faint smile. Lin Ruoxue''s reaction was something he had anticipated.


    "They are the people who have been protecting you these days."


    Su Chen continued.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s eyes widened in disbelief and she said,


    "They have been protecting me all this time?"


    Su Chen smiled and nodded.


    "Howe I waspletely unaware of it?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face was full of shock. So many people had been by her side, yet she did not notice them at all.


    "Of course, they have always been protecting you in secret."


    Su Chen shrugged and chuckled. How could ordinary Lin Ruoxue notice these people if they wanted to stay hidden?


    "Initially, there were only two people protecting you, but those men Lin Chao and his son broughtst time engaged them, which led to you, my wife, falling into their hands. So after that, for safety, I dispatched more people to ensure your protection."


    Su Chen briefly exined.


    Lin Ruoxue had no idea that Su Chen had been arranging for her protection all this time, and this thoughtfulness moved her deeply!


    After being stunned for a moment, Lin Ruoxue quickly walked down the steps, shaking hands with them one by one, expressing her thanks, and even asking for their names.


    The people were visibly excited by Lin Ruoxue''s gestures. Each one''s heart was nearly leaping out at the thought!


    They had never expected the Main Mother (Queen) to be so approachable, shaking hands with them individually, sincerely asking their names, and genuinely expressing her gratitude!


    A warrior will die for a worthy cause, and at that moment, they all harbored a conviction toy down their lives for Lin Ruoxue!


    Of course, even if Lin Ruoxue had not done this, they would have still felt the same, but that would ultimately have been for Su Chen''s sake!


    However, in that moment, they felt a deeper sincerity from the bottom of their hearts!


    Watching the excited expressions of those people from the steps, Su Chen''s lips curled up in a meaningful smile.


    His wife was indeed something special. Su Chen did not doubt that Lin Ruoxue''s actions were out of gratitude for the protection she had received over the past days, but at the same time, it was somewhat akin to winning hearts, wasn''t it?


    Perhaps she was not aware of this herself, or she did not intentionally aim to win people over. However, after so many years in business, how to handle such situations had be embedded in her subconscious, so she instinctively knew what to do.


    Lin Ruoxue''s ability to build the Belle Corporation to its current scale was not possible without some extraordinary skills, which certainly included understanding people''s hearts!


    After today, those people would surely exert 120% effort to protect every aspect of Lin Ruoxue''s safety!


    "Alright, you all can go back and rest now."


    Su Chen waved his hand, and those people once again disappeared into the night with a sh!


    "Alright, let''s go back," Su Chen said with a slight smile, wrapping his arms around Lin Ruoxue as they went back inside the house.


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue was still lost in confusion, her mind full of questions.


    "Husband, why do they call me Queen and Main Mother?"


    Having taken her seat again at the dining table, Lin Ruoxue asked with a mind full of confusion.


    Su Chen replied with a light smile,


    "Alright, I''ll tell you about those things slowlyter."


    "If anything happens while I''m not here these next few days, feel free tomand them."


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue earnestly and said,


    "You can fully trust them; even your life can be safely entrusted to them."


    It was precisely because he did not feel at ease that Su Chen revealed the existence of the Shadow Guards and the Nether Temple people in front of Lin Ruoxue at this time.

 Chapter 746: Wife, Youre So Brave

    Although he felt like he had only been away for a few days and nothing significant would happen.


    But now the situation in Yandu was somewhat unstable, so for safety\\''s sake, he decided to inform Lin Ruoxue of the existence of the two Shadow Guards and the people from the Nether Temple.


    That way, if there were any emergencies, Lin Ruoxue would have more options and could respond better.


    "Okay, I got it."


    Lin Ruoxue, although full of questions at this moment, still pressed them down and nodded.


    The two of them ate a little more, then finished their meal.


    After eating, Su Chen, as usual, cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks and took them to the kitchen to wash, while Lin Ruoxue sat on the sofa and started reading a magazine. But she couldn''t really concentrate on it; it was more of a pretense than anything.


    Her eyes fell on the magazine, and she couldn''t help but fall into meditation.


    She was, of course, aware that those people called her Main Mother and Queen because of Su Chen.


    She also remembered that these people previously referred to Su Chen as Master and Hall Master, titles that seemed somewhat out of ce in modern society.


    What on earth was her husband?


    The doubts in Lin Ruoxue''s mind grew bigger, and she sighed in her heart:


    "Grandpa, what kind of husband did you find for me!"


    She estimated that her grandfather also knew nothing of Su Chen''s identity, which could be deduced from many aspects!


    She couldn''t help but look up at the busy figure of Su Chen in the kitchen, her heart gradually gaining rity.


    What does it matter what his identity is? Is that important?


    For her, as long as she knew he was her husband and that he loved her, that was enough! Was there anything more important than that?


    As for his identity, what would it change if she knew or didn''t know?


    And she believed that one day, Su Chen would tell her everything himself!


    Just like now, hadn''t her understanding of him increased a lotpared to before?


    Su Chen quickly finished cleaning up the pots and pans, and after he was done, they went upstairs to the bedroom.


    Since Su Chen was leaving the next day, Lin Ruoxue did not continue working in the study that night.


    After each had taken a bath, they went to bed.


    That night, their passion seemed to surge more than usual, especially Lin Ruoxue, who sometimes even took the initiative.


    For someone of Lin Ruoxue''s disposition, this was indeed rare!


    It wasn''t until two in the morning,pletely spent, that they embraced and fell into a deep sleep...


    The next morning, Su Chen got up early, as usual, to make breakfast.


    When the breakfast was almost ready, Lin Ruoxue got up around her usual time.


    During breakfast, Su Chen asked when Aunt Sun would be returning, considering she had been gone for quite a while.


    Lin Ruoxue told him that Aunt Sun had just called a couple of days ago, saying there were still some matters at home and that she wouldn''t be back for another ten days or so. She also apologized to Lin Ruoxue.


    Su Chen didn''t say much, as he only wished for Aunt Sun to cook for Lin Ruoxue, so she wouldn''t have to eat out for every meal.


    Because the departure was imminent, although Lin Ruoxue appeared calm on the surface, her true feelings were understandable.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue drove Su Chen to the airport. He had not wanted her to take him, debating that a taxi would suffice.


    Nevertheless, Lin Ruoxue insisted, so he didn''t say anything more.


    At the airport entrance, after getting out of the car, Lin Ruoxue looked into Su Chen''s eyes and said,


    "Come back safely!"


    Although she didn''t know where Su Chen was going or what he was doing, she knew for sure he wasn''t going sightseeing.


    "Don''t worry so much, it''s just a little matter to deal with, there''s nothing dangerous," Su Chen reassured her with a smile.


    It was true, after all, Su Chen didn''t believe this trip would pose any danger to him, given that his strength had long since surpassed his former peak¡ªit was iparable to what it used to be!


    If it were the current him facing the siege from over a year ago, it would undoubtedly be the assants who would die, even if one of them might have reached the half-step Meridian Expansion Realm!


    In this sense, the ordeal from more than a year ago had actually created the Su Chen of today!


    Because if not for that event, his Dantian would still be intact, and he might not have had the courage to damage his perfectly good Dantian to cultivate the Nine Yang Divine Technique.


    After all, he hadn''t tested the Nine Yang Divine Technique before. What if it didn''t work? Wouldn''t thatpletely ruin his path in Martial Arts?


    But that incident shattered his Dantian, leaving him with no other path but to put his hopes on the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    Fortunately, the power of the Nine Yang Divine Technique far exceeded his expectations, allowing him to attain his current strength in just over a year!


    It truly epitomized the saying, "Blessings lie within misfortunes, and misfortunes are hidden within blessings." Who can really tell with such matters?


    Of course, for Su Chen, aside from its transformative effect, the event from over a year ago also made him mentally stronger and more optimistic!


    If he had ovee such a desperate situation, what else could possibly bring him down?


    So when he found out about the power of the Hidden Dragon Hall, he didn''t despair, because negative emotions were of no use, and he believed there would always be a way and a chance for things to turn around!


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue was slightly reassured, though, of course, she couldn''t bepletely at ease.


    She gazed at Su Chen''s handsome, well-defined face and suddenly stepped forward to embrace him, tiptoeing as her red lips pressed a kiss upon his!


    Su Chen was momentarily baffled; he never expected Lin Ruoxue to do such a thing.


    It should be noted that this was the first time Lin Ruoxue had taken the initiative to kiss him (apart from certain moments in bed), especially in a public ce like an airport entrance!


    When Lin Ruoxue released him, a yful, mischievous smile formed on Su Chen''s lips as he teased, "My brave wife!"


    "Don''t you dare say it!"


    Lin Ruoxue, her face flushed with embarrassment, insisted. She might have acted, but she absolutely wouldn''t allow Su Chen to speak of it, especially not in a tone that seemed to mock her!


    She didn''t even know where she had gotten the courage to do that just now!


    "Alright, go then. Remember,e back to me safe and sound, or else I, I..."


    Lin Ruoxue''s "threat" was cut off mid-sentence as Su Chen gentlyughed and said, "Don''t worry, nothing will happen!"


    "Then hurry up and leave, you annoying guy!" Lin Ruoxue said irritably.


    "Alright then, I''m going in now."


    Su Chen smiled and turned to enter.


    For Su Chen, he could certainly arrange a military airport''s private jet to go there, but that would requiremunication between two countries in advance, it''splicated, and the information might leak.


    So Su Chen nned to get an ID and pose as an ordinary person instead¡ªthis way, it would be more secretive...


    Watching Su Chen''s retreating figure entering the building, Lin Ruoxue sighed and drove away...

 Chapter 747 - 747 Waiting for People!

    Morillo is a small country in Europe, its area at mostparable to that of a below-average-sized province in Huaxia, and its poption is also not asrge as that of a small province in Huaxia.


    Of course, this is a normal phenomenon in Europe, after all, the poption and area of the entire Europe aren''t particrly vast either.


    Throughout history, Morillo has rarely suffered from artillery strikes because this country has always maintained a neutral stance in any event!


    Besides, this country doesn''t possess any particr resources that might make other countries jealous, so who would bother bullying such a nation?


    There''s no benefit, and one would only invite international criticism, isn''t that just asking for trouble?


    Kasa is thergest city in the north of Morillo, very developed in terms of economy, culture, and other areas, and it''s also a capital of fashion, naturally bing a tourist city.


    Countless foreigners visit here every year, as the climate is very suitable, with temperatures mostly ranging from the teens to the twenties degrees Celsius, and the humidity is also quitefortable.


    Of course, there''s another important reason, and that''s the gathering of beauties from various countries here, after all, this is a fashion capital, a tourist city!


    Fashion attracts beauties, beauties attract men, especially sessful men, all of which happens quite naturally!


    If you were to stand near the lobby of Kasa International Airport for a day, you would see beauties from at least a fifth of the countries in the world!


    For example, at this moment, in the lobby outside the airport, not far from the entrance, stood two beauties!


    These two women each had their own characteristics, one like a queen, and the other pure and cute!


    Especially the woman with an air of a queen about her, she attracted everyone''s gaze!


    She had golden hair and blue eyes, her wavy brown hair casually draped, and her features seemed to be meticulously sculpted by heaven, her beauty breathtaking!


    The girl standing beside her was also fair-skinned with red lips and white teeth, her delicate face framed by a golden ponytail, giving off apletely different vibe!


    She wore a Bohemian-style floral maxi dress, full of youthful and lively ir!


    And with her innocent look, she seemed just like someone who''d walked out of a college campus, creating a stark contrast with the mature woman beside her!


    All who passed by the entrance of the lobby involuntarily turned their gaze towards this pair of distinctly styled beauties, and women were no exception!


    Although there were many beauties here, none reached this level!


    After all, there are gaps between beauties too!


    Just like with wealthy individuals, tens of millions still make one wealthy, hundreds of millions do too, tens of billions or even hundreds of billions likewise!


    But the difference between them is vast!


    At that moment, the two women were not paying attention to the stares of the people around them, their eyes fixed in a certain direction, seemingly waiting for something, or searching for something!


    "Ladies, are you waiting for someone?"


    Just then, a man who had just exited the airport approached them and spoke elegantly.


    The man was dressed in an exquisite, ck suit that was clearly not ordinary. He was tall and appeared very handsome, with an air of nobility about him!


    Hisplexion was very pale, but not in amon way; there was a snowy paleness to it!


    Behind him followed two individuals who looked like servants, their faces marked with wrinkles!


    At this time, Cain''s mood was extremely excited. He hadn''t expected to encounter such exceptionally beautiful women as soon as he got off the ne!


    Especially the more mature woman, who was truly one in a million!


    He looked at the two women, excitement twinkling in his eyes, and an unusual expression appeared on his somewhat pallid face!


    "Nonsense!"


    The young girl pursed her lips in disdain and scoffed.


    Isn''t that obvious?


    What else could I be doing here if not waiting for someone?


    Isn''t this just looking for trouble where there is none?


    And that mature, queenly woman didn''t even nce at him, treating him as if he were air!


    This man wasn''t the first to hit on them, and they had the same reaction to everyone who tried!


    At this moment, she asionally nced at her watch, seeming somewhat impatient!


    The handsome man''s face immediately showed a trace of annoyance when he was dismissed by the girl with a retort as soon as he spoke!


    Compared to the girl''s rudeness, the indifference with which the woman beside her treated him was even more irritating!


    However, seeing two such stunning beauties, one older and one younger, he suppressed his annoyance and then put on a standard gentlemanly smile and said,


    "Ladies, waiting is always tedious. How about I invite you to the nearby coffee shop to sit down? We can drink coffee while we wait. I''m sure the person you''re waiting for will definitely call you."


    "Get lost!"


    The queenly woman shouted coldly, as she was feeling rather anxious at the moment!


    This guy was buzzing around like a fly, further irritating her!


    "It seems youdies are not giving me face?"


    Upon hearing this, Cain''s face grew long, and ayer of dark air even appeared on his pale face!


    "Who do you think you are, to deserve face from us?"


    The girl looked cute and innocent, but her words were just as impolite!


    "Bastard, how dare you insult me?"


    Cain pointed at his own nose, incredulously. When had he ever been looked down upon and yelled at like this?!


    "Step aside!"


    The girl pouted, not wanting to deal with him, and then reached out a delicate hand to push the man aside!


    Because he was blocking her view!


    However, just as the girl''s slender hand touched him, her wrist was suddenly caught by the man!


    "What are you doing?"


    The girl didn''t expect her wrist to be grabbed, and she immediately eximed!


    "What am I doing? You dared to insult me, and now I''m very angry!"


    Cain said with a frivolous smile:


    "Perhaps I wouldn''t be so angry if you would keep mepany!"


    Although this girl wasn''t as attractive to him as the queenly woman beside her, he couldn''t deny she was still a rare beauty!


    Hearing his words, the girl immediately felt nauseous and tried to pull her hand free with all her might!


    But she found that his grip was like a vice, holding her wrist tightly in ce, making it impossible for her to move!


    The girl was instantly rmed. Even though she wasn''t powerful, she had attained the First Layer of Qi Refinement, after all!


    Being firmly caught by him at this moment, what did it imply? Of course, it meant that the man was no ordinary person either!


    "Let go!"


    The other woman, seeing this scene, suddenly had ayer of cold frost on her face!

 Chapter 748: 748

    "So you want her freed?"


    A lecherous smile spread across Cain''s face, a stark contrast to his previous gentlemanly demeanor!


    "All you need to do is serve me for one night, and I''ll let her go immediately."


    Cain said to the woman with queenly airs, his face unabashedly greedy!


    The thought of enjoying such a pair of beauties that night was already making Cain''s body heat up!


    With these two beauties, the trip was more than worth it!


    "Go to hell!"


    The queenly woman snapped coldly, and at the same time, a sh of cold light surged forth, heading straight for his wrist!


    Cain, seeing the de light sh like lightning, was startled and quickly let go of the girl he had been holding!


    But he was a tad too slow, and the de wind still managed to nick his skin slightly, with a drop of fresh blood seeping out!


    After dodging the attack, Cain squinted at the queenly woman with a sharp glint shooting from his eyes!


    He hadn''t expected this woman to be so powerful; his surprise had already shown when he found out that the girl was a Martial Artist.


    However, since her power seemed weak, he hadn''t paid much attention, but he hadn''t expected the other woman to be so formidable¡ªit was evident from the speed of her de just now!


    "Get lost, or don''t me me for being rude!"


    The queenly woman said icily, with no intention of engaging further with him at that moment!


    "Didn''t expect you to have such a personality! But I like it!"


    Although Cain had sustained a minor injury, there was not the slightest trace of fear in him, and his eyes roamed over the two women!


    "Now I want you to apany me even more!"


    Cain then burst intoughter.


    Such looks naturally made the two women ufortable, especially such filthynguage, which no woman could tolerate!


    An oppressive chill immediately emanated from the queenly woman''s body, and an invisible pressure was released, palpable as if it were solid!


    At the same time, her figure shed, her wrist flicked, and her dagger drew another beautiful arc, heading straight for Cain''s chest!


    Cain didn''t dare to take the glittering dagger lightly and slightly leaned back to dodge the strike, but before he could steady himself, the cold glow of the dagger turned back, aiming for his neck!


    The speed was more than double that of before, True Yuan flowed on the de edge, greatly increasing its power!


    Upon seeing the devouring de Light, Cain''s pupils shrank drastically, and cold sweat broke out instantly!


    He felt that he couldn''t dodge this de, not expecting that the woman had held back earlier.


    If the previous strike had been like this one, his wrist would probably have been severed!


    Just as the dagger''s edge was about to touch Cain''s neck, suddenly, a gaunt hand from an oblique angle struck towards the woman''s wrist!


    A strange Energy Wave immediately poured out, and the woman, greatly startled, instantly withdrew her hand!


    "Young Master, are you okay?"


    The two old men behind Cain hurried forward, asking anxiously.


    If they had been any slower just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable!


    "Capture that woman for me!"


    Cain shouted to the two old men, his face betraying a hint of fear!


    He decided that he would go to a hotelter, book a room, and thoroughly y with these two unappreciative women!


    "Yes, Young Master!"


    The two old men responded in unison, and immediately attacked the queenly woman together!


    The three of them quickly tangled into a fray, with a strong stream of True Yuan shing against two strange Energy Waves!


    The onlookers around were startled by the scene, hastening to step back and watching from afar!


    "Is this special effects from a movie? But where''s the camera? And the director?"


    The crowd wondered to themselves, perplexed...


    The woman could handle one old man, but facing two at the same time left her stretched thin, struggling noticeably!


    The young girl standing aside was only able to fret helplessly; she couldn''t intervene because she was too weak!


    Just then, she nced around and seemed to notice something, quickly calming down and content to be a spectator munching on melon seeds!


    The woman, under thebined assault of the two old men, grew increasingly stretched thin, retreating step by step in a flustered defense!


    "Damn it! How much longer do you n to just watch the show,e up and help!"


    The woman suddenly shouted furiously in the direction of the airport''s entrance!


    And by the wall near the airport entrance, a casually dressed man was leisurely smoking a cigarette.


    "You''re giving in already?"


    Su Chen hooked a smile at the corner of his mouth, mocking with a chuckle.


    Yes, the man leaning against the wall outside the airport terminal watching the show was Su Chen!


    And the two women naturally were Eniel and Shadow, who hade to pick him up.


    Su Chen hadn''t expected to witness Eniel battling against two old men as soon as he stepped out of the terminal.


    He had wanted to help, but upon seeing the old men, whose strengths were merely so-so, each not quite as good as Eniel, he instead decided to stand by and enjoy the show while smoking!


    "Damn it! And you''re still making snide remarks!"


    Ayer of Ice Frost immediately formed on Eniel''s pretty face, itching to bite the man fiercely!


    Shadow, watching the battle at the side, began to chuckle "giggle giggle" upon hearing their exchange!


    Hearing Shadow''sughter made Eniel feel even more upset!


    "Who are you? This is none of your business, get lost!"


    Cain coldly huffed as he walked up to Su Chen.


    Since that woman was asking him toe forward and help, it meant he surely was a Martial Artist too; Cain certainly didn''t want this guy to join in and relieve the woman who they hadpletely overpowered!


    In Cain''s eyes at that moment, the woman was already a sure win!


    Moreover, seeing how young the man looked, he must not be terribly formidable.


    The woman must also be hoping he would share some of the pressure, to give her a chance to catch her breath!


    "p!"


    Suddenly, a loud p resounded, and Cain''s slightly pale face instantly bore five clear fingerprints!


    "Go away, don''t interrupt my watch of the show!"


    Su Chen said with disdain, curling his lip.


    Cain, struck by the p, froze on the spot, utterly unaware of how he had been pped.


    In the end, he could only assume that the other man''s move was so sudden that he hadn''t been prepared for it!


    "Kid, you''re courting death!"


    Right away, a cold, sinister expression surfaced on Cain''s face, his eyes flickering with fiery intensity!


    Without finishing his sentence, he raised a fist and charged at Su Chen, with overwhelming ferocity, wanting to teach a good lesson to the young man who dared to p him!


    "p!"


    Su Chen pped down again, spinning the other man around several times on the spot, ending with him tumbling to the ground...

 Chapter 749: The King is Back!

    This time, Cain waspletely dumbfounded. If previously he could have excused it by saying that the opponent had made a sudden move and he wasn''t prepared, how could he exin it now?


    He was fully aware and felt the opponent''s move, yet he simply couldn''t dodge it!


    His heart couldn''t help but tremble with shock. He felt that the young man in front of him, still with a trace of a smile on his face, was even more dangerous than the sexy and fiery woman from before!


    He couldn''t help feeling extremely frustrated. Had he chosen the wrong day to go out? He had encountered several Martial Arts masters one after another, each more formidable than thest!


    Of course, at this moment, Cain felt mostly humiliated, having been pped twice in a row by this young man, his handsome face now resembling a pig''s head!


    "Young Master!"


    One of the old men noticed the situation here, was shocked, and hurriedly withdrew from the melee toe over.


    "Kill this kid for me!"


    Cain immediately shouted in anger; daring to p his face was simply courting death!


    Upon hearing this, the old man immediately struck out with a palm, attacking Su Chen.


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen directly kicked out, sending the old man flying, crisply and decisively, without any dy!


    The old man immediately flew backward like a cannonball, then crashed heavily onto the ground, unable to get up!


    Su Chen''s kick not only startled Cain''s group but even Eniel, who was entangled with another old man, was shocked.


    And those watching from afar had their mouths wide open, big enough to fit an egg, their facespletely stupefied!


    If this were a movie, where was the wire work? It was all too realistic!


    Because one old man was drawn away by Su Chen, Eniel felt a sudden decrease in pressure and even had time to pay attention to what was happening nearby!


    Seeing how Su Chen nonchntly kicked the old man flying, she was momentarily speechless!


    It seemed this guy had be much more powerful since thest time they met, and it hadn''t been that long!


    "What a freak!"


    Eniel couldn''t help but curse in her heart.


    Eniel''s strength was still above that of the old man''s. In no time at all, she punctured his chest with a knife, then sent him flying with a palm strike!


    Now only Cain was left unharmed, aside from his face swollen badly.


    Seeing both old men severely injured, he was instantly scared stiff!


    He immediately fell to his knees and begged for mercy:


    "I''m sorry, I was blinded by greed, I shouldn''t have targeted the twodies!"


    "Damn, daring to target my women, you really have a death wish, huh!"


    When Su Chen arrived, Eniel was already fighting with the two old guys, so he didn''t know what had happened.


    The moment he heard Cain''s words, he flew into a rage and once again kicked Cain, sending him flying!


    Of course, he didn''t kick him to death since it was an airport with too many people around, and Su Chen having just arrived, didn''t want more trouble.


    "You knew toe back?"


    Eniel came up to Su Chen at that moment and said irritably, her tone tinged with the bitterness of a resentful woman.


    Su Chen also smiled sheepishly and gave Eniel a meaningful look.


    That look meant for her to arrange someone to take care of those men, not letting them leave alive.


    Because Su Chen had earlier felt something peculiar from these people, they seemed to emanate an evil feeling, which made him quite ufortable.


    Although these few were not that strong, who knew who they actually were?


    So, it was best to quietly take care of them!


    Actually, even if Su Chen hadn''t signaled it, Eniel would''ve done it anyway.


    "A joke, right? Attacking oneself and one''s own shadow, why would Eniel let them off the hook?"


    As one of the highest ranks of the Nether Temple and having ventured through the Dark World for so many years, Eniel was no naive fool!


    Besides that reason, she thought like Su Chen, which was to nip any potential trouble in the bud!


    "Hall Master, you''ve finallye back!"


    Shadow immediately hopped over to Su Chen''s side and affectionately looped her arm around hers.


    "Little girl, you seem to have grown a bit taller!"


    Su Chen doted on Shadow with a smile.


    Then, the three of them continued walking outside, paying no attention to Cain and his group; to them, it was just a minor episode.


    "Not only taller, but also older!"


    At this point, Eniel gave Shadow a yful look before turning her gaze to Su Chen:


    "Don''t you think?"


    "Yes, indeed, she''s a year older."


    Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "I''m not talking about age, but about going from B to C."


    Eniel chuckled lightly.


    Su Chen inadvertently let her gaze fall on Shadow''s front, and sure enough, it seemed a bit bigger!


    "Eniel, what are you saying!"


    Shadow immediately became shy and hugged Su Chen''s arm even tighter, continuously rocking it.


    Su Chen immediately felt a soft touch transmitted from her arm, quiteforting!


    Eniel, on the other side of Su Chen, naturally noticed this and couldn''t help but purse her lips, aware of Shadow''s subtle feelings for Su Chen.


    "Who were you referring to when you told that man not to touch ''your woman''? He did have ideas about both me and Shadow, you know!"


    Eniel''s lips curled up meaningfully.


    At these words, Shadow immediately lowered her head, her cheeks flushing with a trace of red.


    "Just kidding, just kidding!"


    Su Chen hurriedlyughed it off.


    By then, the group had reached the parking lot outside the airport, where their car was parked.


    The car resembled an antique from old movies, a sight rarely seen these days!


    But the car''s history was extraordinary; each of its previous owners had been a legendary figure who shook the world!


    The trio then climbed into the car, with Su Chen driving, Eniel in the passenger seat, and Shadow naturally sitting in the back.


    In the Nether Temple, probably only these two women dared to do this and enjoy it with peace of mind!


    After Su Chen and her group left, the airport security finally showed up, though whether they did so intentionally or not was unclear.


    .....


    Three hundred kilometers north of Kasa, there lies a small town.


    Yet, there are no other towns around it, making it seem isted on its own!


    The town isn''trge, covering only about twenty square kilometers, and it has a poption of merely two to three thousand people.


    When Su Chen''s antique car entered the town, the townspeople stepped aside, watching with a devout gaze filled with a zeal akin to that of worshippers!


    Because they all knew what this car represented!


    Their king had returned!

 Chapter 750: Huaxia-Style Welcome Ceremony

    The people in this small town were actually the outer members and their families of the Nether Temple, and at the center of the town, there was a building simr to an ancient pce.


    This pce had been renovated and expanded upon from the foundation of an old castle!


    Of course, this pce was none other than the headquarters of the Nether Temple!


    As Su Chen''s old car approached a few hundred meters from the pce''s main gate, he stopped.


    "Rise!"


    As soon as Su Chen got out of the car, he heard a voice.


    No sooner had the voice faded than there erupted a deafening drum roll, along with the crackling sound of firecrackers, startling Su Chen immensely!


    He couldn''t help but look up, and was instantly dumbfounded!


    There was a thick red carpetid out in front of the main gate, extending inside, and at the gate, packed tight, stood two to three hundred people. As soon as they saw Su Chen exit the car, they immediately kneeled down and shouted in unison:


    "Wee, Hall Master!"


    Every face was alight with excitement and joy; they were all core members of the Nether Temple!


    Above the entrance, a long banner was strung, with an eye-catching message: Warmly Wee the Hall Master Back!


    Su Chen waspletely stunned at this scene!


    What''s going on here?


    Eniel and Shadow, following him, both had a hint of amusement on their faces, seemingly having been aware of this all along.


    "Everyone, get up,"


    Su Chen walked up to the main gate and said, then asked in confusion:


    "What''s all this about?"


    "It was Clown''s idea. He said since you haven''t been back for such a long time, we should prepare a wee ceremony with Huaxia characteristics,"


    Demon said with a somewhat embarrassed smile, he too seemed a little ufortable with it!


    "Hall Master, how do you like it? Are you satisfied?"


    At this moment, Clown popped up from somewhere, squinted his eyes, and smirked at Su Chen.


    "Satisfied my ass!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but p Clown''s head and said irritably:


    "Only you woulde up with these shy stunts. Take it all down!"


    "I said that you wouldn''t like this and you wouldn''t listen!"


    Lone Wolf said dismissively at the side.


    "When did you say that? I didn''t hear anything,"


    Clown retorted with dissatisfaction. Indeed, Lone Wolf had said so, it''s just Clown believed the Hall Master would definitely like it, hence he insisted on doing it!


    Demon and the others also felt there was no need to do this; they were not very fond of such formalities on the surface.


    However, this was just a trifle, and since Clown wanted to do it, they just let him. Maybe the Hall Master would like it?


    The others burst into "tittering"ughter at the sight of Clown seeming a little deted.


    "What are youughing at? Hurry up and clean this up!"


    Clown said crossly, as theughter grew, but they started cleaning up the things they had set up earlier in the morning.


    Although the Nether Temple had strict rules and a clear hierarchy, people were quite informal with each other in their daily interactions.


    This was also because Su Chen was such a person and it influenced them; they found this way of interacting morefortable.


    It was an important reason why the Nether Temple had such strong cohesion: firstly, treating everyone as a person and not a machine or even a ve!


    After that, Demon, Clown, Eniel, Lone Wolf, Military de, and a dozen other leaders followed Su Chen inside, while the others, of course, didn''t have that privilege yet!


    "Demon, have you prepared all the things I asked for before?"


    As Su Chen walked inside, he asked.


    "I prepared them long ago; they''re ced in the yard behind the main hall."


    The Demon answered. Right after Su Chen had instructed him, he immediatelymanded others to take care of it.


    "Hall Master, what do you want with those rocks and the finest jade?"


    Even though he had meticulouslypleted Su Chen''s orders, he was still clueless about what Su Chen was actually nning.


    "You''ll know when the timees."


    Su Chen smiled mysteriously and continued walking straight ahead.


    Then, the others followed Su Chen into a yard behind the main hall, and upon entering, they were all somewhat taken aback. They saw that the ce was filled with various rocks and some old trees that had been transnted there.


    "Su Chen, what are you nning to do with all this?"


    Eniel couldn''t help but express her astonishment. She had felt something strange after overhearing their conversation, and now seeing so many rocks and old trees, she was even more puzzled!


    The rest also wore simr expressions of confusion, uncertain about what the Hall Master intended to do.


    "Alright, the rest of you can get on with your tasks. I can handle this alone."


    Su Chen waved his hand and said.


    Of course, Su Chen needed all these items to arrange the Gathering Yuan Formation, which would also speed up the cultivation pace of everyone in the Temple, critically enhancing the overall strength of the Nether Temple.


    Having returned to the Temple, Su Chen didn''t mind spending a bit more time on this.


    "Hall Master, don''t you need help?" the Demon asked.


    "No need, you wouldn''t be able to help even if you stayed."


    Su Chen said offhandedly:


    "I''ll be busy for a while, let''s talk tonight."


    Su Chen had them go about their own business not because he was worried they would see him setting up the formation, but because there was no need to have so many people trailing behind him.


    In fact, even if they watched him, they might not understand; the Way of Formation wouldn''t be so straightforward if Array Masters weren''t so rare!


    Upon hearing this, the Demon and the others took their leave, yet Eniel decided to stay.


    Su Chen felt someone still behind him and couldn''t help but nce back.


    "What? Do you want to chase me away too?"


    Eniel, seeing Su Chen''s nce, retorted indignantly.


    "If you want to stay, then stay!"


    Su Chen shrugged, knowing full well that if he dared to ask her to leave, he would be in for trouble.


    He also knew that Eniel wanted to spend more time with him, so what else could he say?


    Shadow had wanted to stay as well, but after a nce at the two of them, she walked out with the others.


    After all, the two had a rare chance to be together, and she didn''t want to be a third wheel!


    Su Chen''s immediate concern wasn''t Eniel but rather the essential points and pivotal elements of the medium Gathering Yuan Formation he was contemting in his mind.


    Yes, Su Chen nned to try setting up a medium Gathering Yuan Formation, and if that proved unsessful, he would arrange a smaller one.


    Although Su Chen had left early in the morning to catch a flight, due to the time difference and the flight duration, it was only about nine or ten in the morning in Morillo at the moment.


    For the time following, Su Chen was continuously shuttling in and out of the pce, now cing a stone here and constantly adjusting its position, now nting a tree there...


    His busy figure naturally drew the attention of others. The Demon and the rest lived in the pce, naturally noticing Su Chen''s actions and being utterly baffled by them.


    Not just them¡ªthe constantly attending Eniel also found it iprehensible and had no idea what he was doing...

 Chapter 751: Unpredictable Tricks of Gods and Ghosts!

    Ever since Su Chen arrived in the morning, he had been bustling about, asionally seeming to encounter some problem, then sitting on the ground, furrowing his brows in thought!


    Once he figured it out, he would start bustling about again, leaving everyone in the pce increasingly puzzled.


    Eventually, even the demons stopped their own tasks and focused their attention on him.


    Some even wondered if the Hall Master, not seen for over a year, might have gone mad.


    In this manner, Su Chen stayed busy until about nine o''clock in the evening when, after cing a piece of fine jade against a wall tile in the main hall of the pce, he finally aplished his great task!


    Almost everyone residing in this pce was a practitioner of Martial Arts, and they immediately sensed the Yuan Qi around them growing denser!


    Especially the demons and others with high levels of cultivation, their perception of this subtle change was even clearer!


    Moreover, they were shocked to notice that the concentration of Yuan Qi in the surroundings continued to increase!


    This sudden and strange phenomenon astonished them immensely!


    They couldn''t help thinking, could all this be rted to the Hall Master?


    Otherwise, there was no other exnation, otherwise, why would such a phenomenon ur upon the Hall Master''s return?


    Moreover, considering the Hall Master had been peculiarly busy all day, they vaguely felt that his busyness was closely rted to the current strange phenomenon.


    With this thought, the members of the Nether Temple all headed towards the main hall, their attention fixed on Su Chen, knowing he was inside.


    Of course, it was still just the ten or so members of the leadership tier; the others dared not casually enter the main hall.


    In the main hall of the Temple, Su Chen leisurely sipped the tea Eniel had just brewed, feeling quite smug!


    He hadn''t expected that his first attempt at setting up a medium-sized Gathering Yuan Formation would actually seed!


    It seemed he indeed had some talent for formations!


    Meanwhile, Eniel, standing nearby, was still feeling the suddenly denser Yuan Qi, equally full of confusion!


    Shortly after, a dozen or so high-ranking officials of the Temple showed up at the doorway and then walked in.


    "Everyone''s here, huh!"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile, knowing they woulde,


    "Has anyone felt anything unusual?"


    "Indeed, we all felt a wave of exceptionally dense Yuan Qi, which felt very strange, so we came to ask the Hall Master,"


    the Demon told Su Chen.


    "Yes, I also feel that the abundance of Yuan Qi is six to seven times greater than before!"


    The Clown nodded and spoke, and the others concurred.


    "Hall Master, does this have something to do with you?"


    The Clown then asked.


    After the Clown spoke, everyone else also turned their gaze towards Su Chen, their faces filled with anticipation.


    "Correct."


    Su Chen sipped his tea and said nonchntly,


    "I set up a formation around the Temple that gathers the surrounding Yuan Qi."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone was stunned, their faces filled with shock!


    Although they had suspected the change in Yuan Qi was rted to the Hall Master, in their hearts, they actually found it hard to believe!


    After all, Yuan Qi is a naturally urring phenomenon of the world, and altering the natural Yuan Qi requires tremendous means!


    But Su Chen''s words confirmed that it was indeed true!


    Seeing Su Chen, their reverence for him deepened even further!


    "Hall Master, after more than a year, I didn''t expect your skills to have be so unfathomably mystical!"


    "Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it!"


    "Thus, won''t their cultivation speed be several times faster than it is now?"


    After the shock, everyone''s faces revealed an ecstatic look, including Eniel!


    As for the term ''Formation,'' they had all heard of it, but they never expected that a Formation could gather Yuan Qi from the world!"


    "Everyone, cultivate diligently in the future and bring glory to the Temple''s name!"


    Su Chen, watching the ecstasy on everyone''s faces, said with a lightugh."


    He believed that it wouldn''t take long for the overall strength of the Temple to ascend a step higher!"


    "Yes!"


    Everyone bowed in response, their faces flush with excitement!


    "Alright, please have a seat now; let''s get to the important matters,"


    Su Chen waved his hand.


    So, the Demons and others sat down along both sides of the oval table, their expressions filled with immense excitement!


    These senior officials knew that this time they were going to eradicate Skull Society!


    They had been looking forward to this for a long time!


    However, for everyone involved, the most important thing was that they could fight alongside the Hall Master once more!


    They also knew that the Hall Master couldn''t possibly take everyone with him, at least half of them would need to stay behind, as the headquarters absolutely must be secure!


    Therefore, the excitement in everyone''s eyes was mixed with apprehension!


    Su Chen had already considered who to bring over; first, he nned to take one action team from Group A.


    As for Group B, their strength was ultimately weaker, especially since Skull Society''s gic modification had reached the third generation, and might even be on the fourth now!


    But since there were only two Group A action teams in the Temple, one of which was still in Huaxia protecting Lin Ruoxue, if he took another, there would be none left in the Temple.


    Thus, he must leave some seniors behind as a precaution!


    Su Chen of course knew that all wanted to join him in action, but this was clearly impossible!


    He pondered for a moment, then said:


    "This operation will include Demon, Eniel, Military de, and myself. Everyone else stays at the Temple."


    Once he had finished speaking, the three people whose names were called immediately showed excited expressions, while the others looked visibly disappointed.


    Especially Demon, who was exceptionally thrilled!


    Previously, when Su Chen took action, Demon was always left behind, so it was unexpected that the Hall Master had decided to take him this time, which really surprised him!


    Obviously, Su Chen had reasons for always leaving Demon behind: on one hand, his strength was the strongest in the Temple apart from himself, and on the other hand, because Demon was very reliable, Su Chen felt assured leaving the Temple in his hands!


    This time, Su Chen had reasons to take him along as well, he just hadn''t said them yet.


    Actually, Su Chen wanted to leave Eniel behind, but he also knew that if he did so, life would surely be more difficult for him in the future!


    For the sake of a smoother life in the days toe, Su Chen decided to take her with him!


    ....


    On the easternmost side of the town, there was a small, simple airport exclusively for Nether Temple use!


    Despite being simple, the construction was certainly not cheap, but luckily the Nether Temple wasn''t short of money!


    At ten in the evening, Su Chen, along with Demon, Eniel, Military de, and an action team from Group A, boarded an aircraft.


    After the ne slowly ascended, it flew towards Mendoza, Argentina, the airport nearest to their destination this time....

 Chapter 752: 752

    For Su Chen, he had three objectives for this mission. The first, and most important, was to destroy the Skull Society, especially Tang Gang''s experimental base.


    The second goal was to force out the forces behind Tang Gang. Always being watched without knowing anything about who was behind him made him feel very ufortable, not to mention dangerous!


    Punishing Tang Gang for his betrayal had be the least of Su Chen''s concerns at this point, essentially the third and final goal.


    Of course, Su Chen was no saint and wouldn''tpletely ignore past betrayals, so he was determined to do what needed to be done!


    After boarding the ne, Su Chen opened the case and took out the Almighty Bone Marrow, which Dr. Gaia and his team had developed, along with dozens ofrge syringes to exin to everyone.


    These syringes were of course meant for injecting the Almighty Bone Marrow into the Gene Modifiers.


    While slitting the throat or twisting off the head could also kill a Gene Modifier, it was obviously not as convenient as using a syringe.


    After all, a syringe could be effective just about anywhere you stuck it, which everyone easily understood after a brief exnation; it wasn''tplicated.


    Afterward, everyone started chatting and joking casually, as Su Chen typically didn''t put on airs when interacting with them, although the operations team was somewhat nervous.


    However, for a period before reaching the destination, everyone fell silent and closed their eyes to rest.


    At the Nether Temple, the members were experienced and well-disciplined, knowing exactly what to do and when.


    After resting for a couple of hours, they arrived at Mendoza''s international airport.


    The Nether Temple had already contacted the relevant authorities, so there were no problems with the nending there.


    Once they disembarked, they immediately shouldered their packages and walked out of the airport, where several SUVs had already been prepared in the parking lot.


    They went to the parking lot, got into the cars, and drove straight west without the slightest dy.


    The southern end of the Ans Mountains was there, and the Skull Society''s headquarters, as Shadow had discovered, was up in that range of mountains!


    But this particr range was also very, veryrge; ording to the area Shadow had marked out, it covered several hundred square kilometers.


    At the foot of one of the mountains, Su Chen had everyone stop the vehicles for a moment so he could make the final arrangements.


    He had Demon, Eniel, and Military de each take three or four members of Group A''s operations team to climb the mountain and scout from different locations, while he set out on his own.


    "If you find anything, don''t act rashly," he instructed. "Immediately use the internal channel to send a message, and wait for me to make a decision!"


    Su Chenmanded his team.


    They were using satellite phones, and the internal channel was heavily encrypted by Shadow, so it couldn''t possibly be discovered!


    Demon and others naturally had no objections to Su Chen''s orders; after a brief preparation, they got back into their vehicles and drove off to other spots at the foot of the mountain!


    "Be careful!"


    Su Chen grabbed Eniel''s arm as she was about to get into the car and said.


    "Mwah!"


    Eniel suddenly kissed him on the cheek and smiled slightly, saying:


    "Don''t worry!"


    Then she drove off with a few others while Su Chen began climbing the mountain right there...


    The mountain was covered in dense jungle, and with such a vast area, finding the headquarters of the Skull Society was quite difficult.


    Luckily, there aren''t usually any buildings on a mountain, so if there were any, they were likely to be the ones they were looking for!


    The reason this area couldn''t be surveyed by Shadow wasn''t due to excessive jungle, but rather because the maic field of this part of the mountain range was quite peculiar, causing significant interference.


    Perhaps this was the main reason why Tang Gang and the forces behind him had set the Skull Society''s headquarters here.


    The altitude here was also very high, almost seven thousand meters. Su Chen climbed up, paying attention to the surroundings, including the calls of birds and sounds of animals, which could all provide clues.


    His speed was fast; if anyone were here, they would only see a blur shing by!


    Of course, the same was true for people in other areas, although their speed was much slowerpared to Su Chen, but it was still too fast for a normal person to discern clearly.


    Time quickly passed, and three hourster, Su Chen still had nothing to show for it, and there was no message on his satellite phone either.


    However, this was within Su Chen''s expectations; after all, the area was so vast, it would not be that easy to find anything.


    Just as it was getting close to dusk and the birds were returning to their forests, Su Chen''s satellite phone suddenly vibrated!


    Su Chen''s heart stirred, and he stopped in his tracks and nced at the screen of the satellite phone, only to see a red dot shing on it!


    "Military de''s side!"


    Su Chen''s face lit up with joy, and he immediately picked up the phone and hurried in another direction!


    When he reached Military de''s side, he was lying in a hollow on a hill, and several members of the action team who followed him were also beside him!


    Eniel and her people were there too; since she was the closest to Military de, she was the first to arrive, although she had just gotten there.


    "What did you find?"


    Su Chen asked hurriedly.


    "Hall Master, look there!"


    Military de pointed ahead and said.


    Su Chen and Eniel immediately looked in the direction Military de was pointing, and they saw a colossal building on the distant mountainside. The building''s outer wall seemed grey and dingy, creating an awkward sight.


    However, they were too far away to see it clearly, but they did notice several watchtowers surrounding the building.


    Right at that moment, Demon hurried to the scene, with several members of the action team close behind, and Military de pointed it out to him as well.


    After a brief discussion, they all agreed that it must be the headquarters of the Skull Society; otherwise, who would build such a structure in these deep mountains?


    Now that they had found it, the next step was to formte an action n!


    Of course, if they had to resort to force, Su Chen was confident, but that was thest resort!


    However, those tall watchtowers were indeed a problem; the area around them had been cleared and had almost no cover, making it very difficult to attack without making noise.


    The fact that Su Chen and his group had note through that area when they arrived was not a coincidence; Military de had warned them to avoid the region, so they had approached from the sides and the back instead.


    For a moment, everyone frowning at the watchtowers ahead, casting about for what to do next...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in Tang Gang''s office.


    "Doctor George, you have done well these past days, not only increasing the number of third-generation Gene Warriors to 350 but also creating 26 fourth-generation Gene Warriors!"


    Tang Gang said with a smiling face to a man in a whiteb coat standing in front of his desk:


    "Rest assured, I will reward you handsomely!"


    "Thank you for the praise, Chairman!"


    Doctor George said excitedly, as he indeed hadn''t slept well these days.


    He knew that if he failed toplete the task Tang Gang had given him, Tang Gang might not kill him because he was still useful, but he would undoubtedly subject him to tortures worse than death!


    He had no doubt about that!


    Fortunately, after consulting his former mentor, he finally got through some of the key issues.


    In such a short period, he not only greatly elerated the gene modification process but also created the fourth-generation Gene Modifiers!


    Of course, his poor mentor naturally had no idea what George was using his advice for...

 Chapter 753: Tang Gangs Thoughts

    "You see, as long as there is pressure, everything is possible!"


    Tang Gang walked out from behind his desk to Dr. George''s side and patted him on the shoulder with a smile.


    In the Skull Society, Tang Gang was always known for his ruthless demeanor, and it was rare for him to behave like this, which suggested he was in a very good mood!


    No wonder, since escaping from that small ind in the Pacific Ocean, he had been enveloped by an inexplicable fear.


    Su Chen, like a sharp sword, had always been hanging over his head, filling him with pressure!


    But now, with these 26 fourth-generation and 350 third-generation Gene Modifiers, he felt confident!


    Even if Su Chen''s strength had returned to its previous peak, he had nothing to fear!


    After all, the strength of two or three third-generation Gene Modifiers could match that of one at the Qi Refinement Peak, and every fourth-generation Gene Modifier possessed the strength of Qi Refinement Peak!


    "Su Chen, as long as you dare toe, I will make sure you have no ce to be buried!"


    Tang Gang thought to himself, a hint of excitement appearing on his face!


    "Thank you for thepliment, Chairman, I will definitely continue to work hard!"


    Dr. George said, bowing.


    "Good, good, good!"


    Upon hearing George''s statement, Tang Gang said repeatedly,


    "Rest assured, as long as you do your work well, I won''t let you down!"


    "Alright, you can go out now!"


    Tang Gang waved his hand and said.


    "Yes!"


    Upon hearing this, George spoke and then withdrew, his life would be much easier for the time being!


    After George left, Tang Gang returned to his seat, then lit a cigar and took a leisurely puff!


    With the smooth progress of gic modification, he was now not only thinking about the threat of Su Chen but also looking further ahead!


    If the fourth generation is already this powerful, then what about the fifth generation, the sixth generation, or even higher levels?


    How powerful would they be?


    Thinking of this, Tang Gang couldn''t help but show a trace of madness!


    By then, not just Su Chen, even those people would have to kneel before him and pledge fealty!


    At the moment, they still needed to use him as their puppet, and they hadn''t taken him seriously yet, but it might not be the same if a little more time passed!


    They might very well kick this puppet aside and take direct control of the gene modification technology!


    The arrival of that envoy was probably for this purpose, as after all, precious things are safer in one''s own hands!


    "It looks like I need to quickly find another location to establish a research base and then transfer the main talents there to focus solely on researching the fifth and sixth generations, or even higher levels of Gene Warriors,"


    Tang Gang muttered to himself:


    "By that time, I won''t just be dough to be kneaded by them anymore, and controlling me won''t be so easy!"


    Of course, now wasn''t the time to turn against them, aspared to that organization, his own strength was still too weak, even though he had already developed the fourth-generation Gene Modifiers.


    After all, those people were too powerful!


    From this perspective, they also wouldn''t be too eager to push him aside just yet, which left him precious time!


    The envoy''s visit this time was probably just to scout the situation.


    Thinking of the envoy, Tang Gang''s face showed a sly expression, and then he gently tapped the electronic screen on his desk.


    Suddenly, a woman around thirty years old, fairly attractive and dressed in a stylish business suit, entered her number into the void. After the interaction via brainwave signals, Tang Gang received the information, then tapped another button on the electronic screen, and the door instantly opened.


    The woman walked in and stopped one meter away from Tang Gang''s desk before calling out:


    "President!"


    She was Tang Gang''s personal secretary, one of his few confidantes. People like Tang Gang found it very hard to trust anyone!


    "How has the envoy been recently?"


    Tang Gang asked faintly as he drew on his cigar.


    "Rest assured, President, the envoy has been having a great time, although three women have died these past few days."


    The woman reported.


    Although she was also a woman, she spoke of the matter with a calm expression, showing no sympathy or other emotion, as if it were a minor issue.


    "Just handle that matter as you see fit."


    Tang Gang waved his hand indifferently and then nced at the woman:


    "Anything else?"


    "There''s also the fact that the envoy has grown tired of those women and would like a new batch to entertain himself!"


    "Give him whatever he wants and make sure he stays here contented!"


    Tang Gang instructed earnestly.


    "Yes!"


    The woman agreed and then left!


    Tang Gang wanted the envoy to stay because he was not entirely at ease, especially concerning Su Chen!


    He had a strong feeling that Su Chen might take action against him soon!


    This feeling had been present for a while and had grown stronger over time!


    Although he now had many Gene Modifiers and his power was formidable, he still felt a twinge of insecurity!


    This insecurity stemmed from his familiarity with Su Chen, a man who often created surprises and turned the impossible into possible!


    Setting aside other matters and just considering cultivation, who else could repair a shattered Dantian like him?


    And more incredulously, who else could enhance their strength to such an extent in such a short period of time?


    So, Tang Gang was always uneasy about Su Chen!


    Keeping the envoy was also a way to have an additional card up his sleeve!


    With this, he could rest easy!


    After all, the envoy alone was fully capable of defeating Su Chen at his peak!


    And how much more so with all those Gene Modifiers at hismand?


    Of course, there was another deeper purpose in keeping the envoy: to win him over, so he could be used for Tang Gang''s own ends in the future!


    Despite the envoy''s exceptional strength, keeping him and having him serve Tang Gangter wasn''t too difficult a task.


    Because the man had a major weakness¡ªhis lust, and his penchant for collecting beauties from across the globe!


    Tang Gang naturally catered to his preferences, and it seemed the envoy was quite lost in his pleasures!


    ...


    At this moment, several kilometers away in a valley near the Skull Society''s headquarters, Su Chen and his people were still hiding there, eyeing the several watchtowers ahead.


    Though there were watchtowers all this week, the greatest threat to Su Chen and his group came from the three directly in front of them.


    The other watchtowers covered different directions and were some distance away...


    After some time, they couldn''te up with a better n and had to resort to that one "foolish" method...

 Chapter 754: Gravity Alarm Device

    The so-called "clumsy" method naturally involved leveraging one''s formidable strength, or to be precise, speed to solve the problem.


    Sometimes, the simplest and most direct method is also the most effective one, as was the case at this moment.


    They had thought of several ns, none of which were as certain as directly using their own strength!


    For the members of the Nether Temple, regardless of the method, as long as it was effective, it was a good method!


    Dealing with the three watchtowers naturally required three people, specifically Su Chen, Demon, and Eniel.


    Although both Military de and Eniel were at the Qi Refinement Peak, Eniel had reached the Late Stage, while Military de was at the Middle Stage.


    And Demon had even broken through the Qi Refinement Peak and reached half-step Meridian Expansion!


    Yes, Demon''s reaching half-step Meridian Expansion was something that Su Chen had not anticipated before, and it was the most delightful thing for him upon his return to the Nether Temple.


    It was precisely because Demon had reached half-step Meridian Expansion that Su Chen made certain decisions.


    They were now waiting, waiting for nightfall!


    Although there would still be lighting then, it was much more convenient than during the daytime!


    Waiting, for ordinary people, was the longest affair, but for the people of the Nether Temple, it was routine!


    Indeed, after the sky darkened, several lights on the watchtowers lit up!


    Behind these lights, there was a semi-circr metal reflector shell; they were all reflective type bulbs.


    The advantages of reflective bulbs were obvious, as they could be directed, and their range was quite far!


    However, the advantages of these reflective bulbs simultaneously posed disadvantages, as they did not disperse widely and could only illuminate a small area; they couldn''t cover surroundings like diffusive bulbs.


    Although the enemy installed several of these bulbs to circumvent this issue, there were still blind spots, especially closer to the watchtower!


    The downside was that the moonlight tonight was still rtively bright, although not as bright and clear as on a half-moon night, it was still passable.


    Time silently passed, and Su Chen''s eyes were fixed on what was ahead when he suddenly uttered,


    "Move!"


    As soon as the word dropped, the three of them shot out like arrows released from their bows!


    Although the Skull Society had cleared nearby obstacles such as trees and rocks, being halfway up a mountain naturally meant that the terrain itself provided the best cover.


    Almost instantaneously, Su Chen and his twopanions shifted from one hiding spot to another, continuously snaking towards the watchtowers ahead.


    Because of their high speed and the fact that they were dressed in ck Nightwalking Clothes, coupled with using the dead angles of the reflective lights, they remained undetected by the watchtower upants until they were within one kilometer of their respective targets.


    As they got closer, the size of the blind spots increased, the only concern being noticed by people on the adjacent watchtowers.


    The three watchtowers they were approaching were also about one kilometer apart from each other and were all constructed of steel scaffolding.


    If one looked closely, they might still be able to see some shadows, but they rarely looked over to the neighboring towers, as there was no need!


    Quickly, the three reached the base of the watchtowers and then simultaneously began to climb upwards, each as agile as a monkey, shing by in an instant.


    In a few breaths, they had all reached just beneath the lookouts on top of the watchtowers!


    The three gave each other a signal, and then, like a swift breeze, they flipped up onto the tform.


    Meanwhile, they each covered the person''s mouth on the tform and thrust a dagger into their heart with the other hand!


    Since the people on the watchtower were normal humans, not Gene Modifiers, they naturally dropped dead!


    Why weren''t Gene Modifiers arranged for this task? Of course, because there were issues with their intelligence, which made them unsuitable for the job.


    The Skull Society had not only Gene Modifiers but also many regr Martial Artists, such as those on the watchtower, who had also reached the Qi Refinement seventh or eighth Realm!


    After dealing with the people on the watchtower, Su Chen and the others propped the bodies against the railings nearby.


    In doing so, it would be very difficult for people on other watchtowers to notice anything strange.


    Havingpleted these actions, the three of them descended at an even faster speed and sent a message to Military de.


    Subsequently, Military de and the rest of the action team came over, and for the sake of prudence, they also employed movement techniques, advancing by using the special topography of the mountain.


    Soon, everyone gathered at the bottom of a small slope, and by now, they were several hundred meters away from the building.


    However, they were not facing the main entrance, nor did they intend to attack through it!


    The best method, of course, was to climb over the fence, which, although several meters high, was practically insubstantial to them!


    The only thing to be wary of was the high-voltage electric grid atop the fence¡ªamon practice among many organizations.


    For the people of the Nether Temple, this naturally wouldn''t stop them, and they easily dealt with it.


    Eniel took the lead, kicking against the wall and with one hand; she managed to reach the top of the wall and scanned the inside.


    Because the interior was brightly lit, Eniel could clearly observe the situation inside. She saw no one around and immediately gave an OK sign with her other hand, and then leaped inside.


    Seeing Eniel''s gesture, the rest felt reassured and followed suit, quickly jumping over the wall into the courtyard!


    In an instant, only Su Chen and Demon were left outside. Just then, suddenly, an rm red loudly within the quiet night!


    What had been a rxed moment for the two of them suddenly turned tense, and they no longer dared dy, jumping into thepound as well!


    Upon seeing Su Chen and Demon enter, Eniel, quite frustrated, grumbled:


    "It''s a Gravity rm Device, I didn''t expect they''d actually set this up by the outer wall. Really, they''re nuts!"


    Su Chen and Demon were thus momentarily speechless, without ming Eniel.


    Because it was indeed, as Eniel said, an action of a madman!


    By the wall, really, what''s the point of these? Isn''t that being too cautious?


    Normally, Gravity rm Devices are only installed in key confidential areas, like a few important ces in the Nether Temple!


    Not only are there Gravity rm Devices there, but also thermal sensing systems, and with thebination of the two, it''s nearly impossible for anyone to infiltrate those ces without detection.


    What''s more outrageous is that in this location with the Gravity rm Device, it was covered with ayer of camouge, which is why Eniel did not find or notice it!


    Su Chen nced around and immediately realized that this perimeter wall most likely had them all around, and it wasn''t just a random urrence for them.


    "Madmen!"


    Even Demon, rarely one to give his opinion, couldn''t help but frown and curse.


    At that moment, the sound of noisy footsteps started approaching from all directions...

 Chapter 755: Su Chen, I didnt expect you to really dare to come!

    "So we''ve been discovered, let it be then!"


    Su Chen said indifferently, quickly epting the reality.


    Thus, the members of the Nether Temple stood there, waiting for the adversaries to arrive.


    Before long, groups of martial artists and gene modifiers converged from every direction.


    "Who dares to trespass into the Skull Society!"


    As these people surrounded Su Chen and the others, one of them barked sharply.


    "Get Tang Gang out here!"


    The military de said disdainfully, curling his lips.


    By now, Su Chen''s reaction to Tang Gang''s betrayal was no longer as intense as it had been at first, but the other members of the Temple still held a grudge and had not forgotten!


    "Who do you think you are to demand to see our leader?"


    Another martial artist snapped back.


    "Stop talking nonsense, if they dare to intrude, just kill them!"


    Another voice suggested.


    "You''re right!"


    The first one who had scolded nodded in agreement.


    Then, with a wave of their hands, the gene modifiers behind them charged forward without hesitation!


    There were about twenty or more gene modifiers, all third generation.


    The Skull Society no longer had any second-generation gene modifiers; they had all been upgraded to the third generation.


    Upon seeing the gene modifiers advancing with overwhelming momentum, Eniel and the military de excitedly rushed forward, daggers tightly clutched in their hands!


    Naturally, the rest of the rapid response team surged forward as well; they couldn''t handle it with just the two of them!


    Although the gene modifiers were mighty, nearly as strong as a martial artist at the peak of Qi Refinement, the situation wasn''t as straightforward as it seemed!


    Eniel and the military de worked together; the rapid response team coordinated with each other, and those gene modifiers quickly fell one after another, with ghastly gashes cut across their necks!


    The reason they hadn''t used the Almighty Bone Marrow was that Su Chen had instructed not to use it without hismand.


    As Eniel and others fought fiercely, Su Chen and Demon watched leisurely, like outsiders.


    Demon had been ready to join the fight, but Su Chen pulled him back, and he stopped.


    After all, Demon was now at the half-step to Meridian Expansion, and Su Chen didn''t want to expose his power too soon.


    If he was still in thete stage of Qi Refinement Peak, Su Chen wouldn''t have stopped him.


    The martial artists controlling the gene modifiers watched the scene unfold before them, each of them somewhat dumbstruck!


    They knew that at this rate, those gene modifiers would soon be wiped out!


    While they controlled the gene modifiers, their own power was not very strong, and they were no match for Eniel and the others!


    "We need backup, backup!"


    Several of them shouted into their headsets.


    At that moment, in Tang Gang''s office, his eyes were fixed intently on the screen, his fists clenched tightly!


    By his side was a woman dressed in a stylish business suit.


    "Su Chen, you actually came!"


    Tang Gang gritted his teeth, his eyes seeming to burn with mes, though a trace of fear was hidden deep within them.


    If that''s the case, let''s settle this once and for all today!


    "Jennifer, have Robert bring all the gene modifiers here!"


    Tang Gang instructed the woman beside him.


    "Yes!"


    Jennifer immediately notified Robert after responding. Robert was the second-inmand of the Skull Society and was also at the Qi Refinement Peak realm.


    However, he was quite inferior to Tang Gang, who had reached thete stage of Qi Refinement Peak and was nearing the realm of half-step Meridian Expansion!


    Tang Gang''s cultivation progress wouldn''t have been so rapid if it weren''t for the fact that the envoy lord, in appreciation of him finding so many beauties and being very attentive in his service, had awarded him two magical elixirs. That was the reason for his swift improvement!


    His strength had now even slightly surpassed that of Eniel.


    Soon, the Gene Modifiers assembled in front of Tang Gang''s office, with a blond-haired, blue-eyed American standing in front of them!


    Then Tang Gang emerged from his office, silent, and walked in a certain direction!


    At the moment, Su Chen and the others were still standing in ce, waiting, with the corpses of their enemies strewn on the ground before them, including those of the Martial Artists who hadmanded the Gene Modifiers!


    Suddenly, another series of footsteps was heard, prompting Su Chen and the others to inadvertently look up.


    Subsequently, Tang Gang appeared in their field of vision!


    The Demon and the others instantly shed looks of hatred in their eyes upon seeing Tang Gang, wishing they could tear him to pieces!


    But that hatred was soon reced by shock as they saw the massive crowd of Gene Modifiers behind him, leaving the Demon and the otherspletely dumbfounded.


    Damn it, so many!


    Not just them, even Su Chen was startled. He hadn''t expected Tang Gang to have created so many Gene Modifiers in such a short period!


    Fortunately, he hade. Had he dyed any longer, the consequences would have been unimaginable!


    Su Chen thought to himself with a sense of relief.


    And it was lucky he had brought the Demon and the rest along. Otherwise, handling this situation alone would have been a very troublesome matter!


    His gaze then inevitably fell on Tang Gang. In a way, it was this man who had betrayed him and changed his life!


    Perhaps for him, it wasn''t a betrayal, but just that he had hidden it well, and Su Chen had failed to see through it before!


    However, seeing Tang Gang again now didn''t stir in Su Chen the intense emotions he had expected. Instead, there was a touch of indifference.


    Maybe this was a change in his state of mind brought on by the advancement in his realm.


    Tang Gang slowly walked towards Su Chen and the others, his feelings just asplex, especially upon seeing Su Chen, whom he instinctively feared.


    As he drew near, he forcibly adjusted his emotions and then revealed a rxed smile that seemed filled with confidence.


    "Brothers, long time no see!"


    Tang Gang greeted them before turning his gaze towards Eniel,


    "Miss Eniel, you seem even more radiant and charming than before!"


    "Who''s your brother, you traitor? Shameless bastard!"


    Military de retorted with a cold snort before Tang Gang had even finished speaking.


    And Eniel''s gaze towards Tang Gang was filled with even deeper hatred than the others.


    Because for her, Su Chen was not just her Hall Master, but more importantly, the man she dearly loved!


    If looks could kill, Tang Gang would have been torn apart by Eniel''s gaze by now!


    Tang Gang was entirely unconcerned by their reactions, which was all within his expectations.


    Then he turned his gaze towards Su Chen, a sharp light shing in his eyes,


    "Su Chen, I didn''t expect you to actually dare toe!"


    "Why wouldn''t I dare toe? Is this ce considered a dragon''sir or a tiger''s den?"


    Su Chen replied with a slight curl of his lip.


    "This ce isn''t any dragon''sir or tiger''s den, but since you havee today, you''ll stay here forever!"


    Tang Gang''s gaze towards Su Chen was unmistakably filled with a thick intent to kill!

 Chapter 756 - 756 Fall Down

    "I''m afraid you don''t have the skill for that."


    Su Chen said with disdain.


    His strength had changed dramatically since thest time he met Tang Gang on a small ind in the Pacific Ocean!


    Not to mention the Demon had also broken through to half-step Meridian Expansion, and he had the Almighty Bone Marrow, a powerful weapon against Gene Modifiers.


    So although the current situation had greatly surprised Su Chen, he was still confident, just a bit more troubled than expected!


    "We''ll have to try to find out!"


    Tang Gang''s eyes zed as he said to Su Chen:


    "Let''s settle our grievances once and for all today!"


    His intentions were clear: today it would be either your death or mine!


    "That suits me just fine!"


    Su Chen nodded in agreement.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the likes of Eniel were all excited, including the usuallyposed Demon, as if the blood in their veins was boiling!


    "Su Chen, with so many Gene Modifiers of mine, I want to see how you can survive today!"


    Tang Gang said somberly:


    "I will make you realize that I am the real king of the Dark World!"


    Of course, in Tang Gang''s heart, he wanted to be more than just the king of the Dark World; he had far greater ambitions!


    But for him, the first step was to kill Su Chen; otherwise, he would never be at ease, let alone entertain other ambitions.


    And today presented the best opportunity!


    "King? To me, you are just like a rat hiding in a dark, damp, filthy gutter, never able to see the light!"


    Su Chen sneered with contempt.


    When Tang Gang heard Su Chen''s words, his face immediately clouded over, as if the words had struck a chord in him!


    "Attack! Kill these people for me!"


    Tang Gang ordered coldly, not bothering to say anything further, for talking was pointless.


    He then stepped back.


    Upon hearing Tang Gang''smand, the Gene Modifiers attacked like they were on a stimnt.


    However, about 100 of them did not join the battle but surrounded Tang Gang instead to ensure his safety.


    Seeing the Martial Artists approaching, Su Chen didn''t confront them but immediately used his movement technique to withdraw from the fight, shouting at the same time:


    "Use the Almighty Bone Marrow!"


    Since Tang Gang had already shown up, it meant the Gene Modifiers were likely all there as well, Su Chen saw no need to keep hiding.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the Demon and the others took out tworge syringes from their pockets and removed the protective caps.


    They had already drawn the Almighty Bone Marrow Fluid into the syringes before the action and carried them on their person.


    Each one was carrying about seven or eight syringes, with one syringe able to handle four or five Gene Modifiers.


    Their Nightwalking Clothes were specially designed to carry various items, so it was quite convenient to carry seven or eight syringes on them.


    When Tang Gang heard Su Chen''s words, his heart tightened, unaware of what the Almighty Bone Marrow was.


    He then saw the Demon, Eniel, and the others each take out a syringe, which puzzled him even more.


    Yet he couldn''t help but feel a strong sense of unease.


    But no matter how uneasy he felt, he could only watch now, as the Gene Modifiers were already engulfed in battle with the people of the Nether Temple!


    The people of the Nether Temple had divided into several groups; for instance, the action team had split into three, Eniel and Military de formed one group, and the Demon another.


    However, due to the sheer number of Gene Modifiers, nearly 300, not counting the 100 by Tang Gang''s side, they were outnumbered by about fifteen to sixteen times!


    Fortunately, there was limited space around each group, making it impossible for all of the opponents to swarm them at once, with many still in the periphery!


    With their rich experience and tacit cooperation, they managed to cope with the situation barely.


    Moreover, the main reason Gene Modifiers were powerfuly in their terrifyingbat endurance and recovery abilities!


    Unless their windpipes were severed or necks were twisted, it was nearly impossible to kill them!


    Were it not for this, their strength would be greatly reduced!


    Now, for the people of the Nether Temple, they just needed to stick the syringe into the enemy''s body and squeeze in a bit of the Almighty Bone Marrow Fluid, and then they could just focus on defense!


    This made things much easier!


    The Hall Master told them that it would take about two to three minutes for the Almighty Bone Marrow to take effect, and that was a duration they could sustain.


    Especially since the Hall Master was assisting them from the sidelines!


    Even though Tang Gang was aware that the fighters of the Nether Temple were extraordinarily powerful, often overwhelming those of the same Realm, the overall advantage on his side was too great.


    So when the battle started, he wasn''t too worried!


    However, he soon furrowed his brows deeply, noticing that Demon and Eniel among others were continuously injecting the Gene Modifiers around them with syringes!


    What on earth were they doing?


    Since the drug hadn''t taken effect yet, those Gene Modifiers didn''t have much of a reaction for the time being, which made Tang Gang even more puzzled!


    Another unsettling point was that he suddenly realized the Demon had reached the brink of Meridian Expansion Realm ¨C this truly frightened him!


    Furthermore, with Su Chen, didn''t that mean the enemy had two experts on the brink of Meridian Expansion?


    In the Dark World, organizations with experts at this bordering stage numbered only two or three, and now the Nether Temple had suddenly produced two, which was quite astonishing!


    What worried him even more was Su Chen, who didn''t participate in the battle but continuously moved around the periphery, rescuing any member of the Nether Temple in danger, then swiftly withdrawing from the battlefield.


    His speed was faster than lightning; only a vague shadow could be seen, leaving those Gene Modifierspletely at a loss to deal with him!


    "Roar!"


    Just as Tang Gang was about to order the Gene Modifiers to intensify their attack, suddenly a heaven-shaking roar came out!


    He was startled, hastening to look in the direction of the sound, only to see that the roar came from one of the Gene Modifiers!


    At that moment, his eyes were blood red, veins on his body bulging, looking extremely anguished!


    "Roar!"


    "Roar!"


    "Roar!"


    ...


    Following that, roars erupted one after another, as if they were going to pierce through the sky!


    The Gene Modifiers who were previously engaged with the people from the Nether Temple nearly all issued such roars!


    They also stopped their attacks on the Nether Temple members!


    Their reactions were simr to the first one; all appeared extremely agonized!


    "Could it be that the Almighty Bone Marrow is taking effect?"


    The members of the Nether Temple were instantly overjoyed in their hearts!


    Before this, they had been somewhat skeptical about the effects of the Almighty Bone Marrow.


    Upon seeing this, Su Chen''s eyes shone even more intensely with fervor!


    What he was most concerned about at the moment was the actual effect of the Almighty Bone Marrow!


    Those Gene Modifiers seemed to be in increasing pain, their howls getting more and more tragic!


    Suddenly, one of the Gene Modifiers slowly fell down, motionless as if he had exhausted all his strength!


    Soon after, those who were howling one by one toppled over...


    Of course, these Gene Modifiers weren''t dead...

 Chapter 757: The Fourth Generation Gene Modifiers

    What''s going on?


    Tang Gang''s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him, his expression as if he had seen a ghost!


    For him, this indeed was like seeing a ghost!


    He stared at the hundreds of Gene Modifiers lying on the ground, his mindpletely befuddled, as if he had been struck by lightning!


    He also felt that this was rted to the contents of those syringes.


    But what exactly was it? It could actually make those nearly indestructible Gene Modifierspletely lose their will to resist!


    Due to themotion here, most of the Skull Society''s members had already arrived, and they werepletely stunned as well!


    Let alone these normal people, even the Gene Modifiers were dumbstruck!


    The Gene Modifiers were low on intelligence, but not unresponsive to the outside world, so they too were utterly confused at this moment!


    Contrasting sharply with the dumbfounded Skull Society members were the people from the Nether Temple; they hadn''t expected the Almighty Bone Marrow to be this effective!


    "Attack, all of you, attack! Kill them!"


    Tang Gang suddenly shouted madly, his face twisted with ferocity!


    The Gene Modifiers had long be puppets that acted onmand, so upon hearing Tang Gang''s order, the remaining 150 or so swarmed forward in a rush!


    Now that the effectiveness of the Almighty Bone Marrow was confirmed, Demon and the others were even more confident!


    Although there were slightly more people this time and the attack was fiercer, their hearts were more serene than before!


    Demon and Su Chen were not only handling the situation with ease, but they were also able to keep an eye out for others. At this moment, Su Chen didn''t reveal his stronger cultivation but maintained his realm at about the same level as Demon.


    This was due to Su Chen''s caution. Firstly, the realm of half-step Meridian Expansion was already enough to handle the situation, and secondly, in case of any unexpected events, he still had an ace up his sleeve.


    "Don''t let them get injected with the syringes!"


    Seeing that the members of the Nether Temple were still using syringes to inject the Gene Modifiers as before, Tang Gang was so anxious that he shouted out.


    Unfortunately, the intelligence deficit of the Gene Modifiers could not be improved with just a couple of shouts, especially since agility was not their strong suit to begin with!


    The sound of Tang Gang''s anxious shouting made the situation appear even more chaotic.


    One after another, the Gene Modifiers were still hit by the syringes and injected with some Almighty Bone Marrow...


    When the familiar roar sounded again momentster, Tang Gang''s face instantly revealed a deep sense of defeat!


    It was over; apart from the hundred or so Gene Modifiers around him, the others were done for!


    What shocked and frustrated him the most was that he had no idea how all of this had happened; it was over before he knew it!


    Soon, those Gene Modifiers were lying on the ground, each appearing as if they had lost all their strength!


    "Attack! All of you, attack!"


    Tang Gang suddenly yelled at the remaining Gene Modifiers by his side!


    Upon hearing themand, those Gene Modifiers immediately swarmed to attack.


    Tang Gang knew that the third-generation Gene Modifiers posed no threat to those people anymore, and his hopes were pinned on the twenty-some fourth-generation Gene Modifiers!


    He hoped that the contents of the syringes had no effect on the fourth-generation. If that was the case, he still had a chance!


    After all, the strength of the fourth-generation Gene Modifiers wasparable to that of the Qi Refinement Peak, and the power unleashed by over twenty Qi Refinement Peak was not to be underestimated!


    After those Gene Modifiers charged forward, Tang Gang subtly signaled to the female secretary by his side. She immediately caught on and then turned and left.


    Su Chen naturally noticed the situation, but he didn''t intervene, as he wanted to see what other cards Tang Gang had in his hand.


    For him, as long as Tang Gang didn''t run away, that was enough!


    Su Chen and Demon and the others quickly realized something was wrong, as the strength of twenty or thirty of those gene modifiers was obviously much greater than the others, almostparable to the middle stage of the Qi Refinement Peak!


    "Could it be that Tang Gang has already created the fourth generation of gene modifiers?"


    Su Chen''s eyes suddenly narrowed, once again feeling grateful that he had arrived on time, as the progress of the Skull Society''s gene modifiers far exceeded his expectations!


    If he had allowed them to continue developing unchecked, the consequences would''ve been unimaginable, and countless innocent people would have be victims!


    Although there were the fewest people this time, the addition of the fourth-generation gene modifiers meant that Eniel and the others faced much greater pressure than before!


    While two or three third-generation gene modifiers could tangle with a martial artist at the Qi Refinement Peak, the effect of ten at the Qi Refinement Peak and twenty or thirty third-generation gene modifiers was significantly different!


    A real battle is never a simple mathematical equation!


    Fortunately, with the presence of Su Chen and Demon on their side, although it was tough, they still managed to hold on!


    As long as Su Chen was there, no matter the situation, the members of the Nether Temple had never felt despair!


    It was their belief, as well as their spiritual support!


    As expected, those third-generation gene modifiers who were pricked by the syringe soon let out tearing howls!


    Then, one by one, they fell...


    For this, Tang Gang had been prepared, what he feared most was that the fourth-generation gene modifiers would react the same way!


    "Roar!"


    Suddenly, a roar that was louder and seemingly more painful than before erupted!


    Upon hearing this roar, Tang Gang''s heart quivered violently because it hade from a fourth-generation gene modifier!


    His body also started to shudder violently!


    It was over! Everything was over!


    In an instant, Tang Gang''s eyes became incredibly hollow and scattered...


    It didn''t take long for all the gene modifiers to fall!


    When all these gene modifiers had fallen, Su Chen and the others came face to face with Tang Gang and the real members of the Skull Society!


    "Tang Gang, today you will pay a heavy price for your actions!"


    Su Chen spoke indifferently.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s cold voice, Tang Gang couldn''t help but shudder!


    He thought that what Su Chen referred to was his betrayal, which caused Su Chen''s Dantian to shatter!


    Little did he know that in Su Chen''s heart, that matter was no longer of such importance; what Su Chen truly meant was the Skull Society''s, and Tang Gang''s in particr, use of innocent people for gene experiments!


    That was what Su Chen truly couldn''t forgive, because it was thoroughly inhumane!


    "Everyone attack together! Otherwise, not one of us will survive!"


    Tang Gang said to the remaining twenty or thirty martial artists with fear in his voice; these were the true operatives of the Skull Society!


    As for the gene modifiers, in their eyes, they were nothing more than tools, not really people at all!

 Chapter 758: Hearing from the Messenger Again

    Those people also knew that Su Chen and his group would not let them go, so they suddenly emanated a strong oppressive aura, seemingly ready to fight at any moment!


    In fact, Su Chen indeed would not let these people go as they were truly evildoers!


    Turning back time slightly, a woman dressed in a fashionable business suit rushed to a door on the far east, and immediately, a series of unbearable noises followed by a woman''s painful cries came out clearly!


    At that moment, however, she could not care less about these noises as she urgently shouted,


    "Emissary, something terrible has happened! The Nether Temple suddenly attacked our Skull Society; we can''t hold on much longer!"


    "What?!"


    Inside, an annoyed shout immediately followed, and then the door opened. A man around sixty years old, wearing only underwear, appeared in front of her!


    As soon as the door opened, Jennifer detected the filthy air inside and couldn''t help but slightly frown.


    A quick nce inside revealed three or four scantily d women curled up on a bed that was three meters wide!


    "What did you just say?!"


    The old man urgently demanded in a cold tone.


    "Emissary, the Lord of Nether led the people of the Nether Temple and suddenly broke in. We can''t hold on much longer; we need your help!"


    Jennifer said urgently.


    "Don''t you have so many Gene Modifiers? How can you not withstand even the small Nether Temple?"


    The old man spat out discontentedly, clearly underestimating the Nether Temple.


    "Those people somehow got something like reagents, and once injected into the Gene Modifiers, it quickly made them lose their ability to fight!"


    Jennifer exined.


    "Outrageous!"


    The old man''s expression immediately tightened, and a tremendous oppressive power burst out!


    That oppressive power seemed like a huge wave in the sea instantly engulfing Jennifer, making her body freeze!


    At that moment, she truly felt the power of the old man!


    It''s important to note that she herself was a Martial Artist of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, but facing that oppressive force just now, she felt like a puppet, hardly able to muster even a slight resistance!


    "Come, take me to see, I want to meet this so-called Lord of Nether,"


    The old man said coldly.


    He did not really care about the Lord of Nether and the Nether Temple, but the matter with the Gene Modifiers was something the organization highly valued, so he couldn''t take it lightly!


    "Yes!"


    Jennifer immediately revitalized, leading the old man in a certain direction...


    .....


    Su Chen and Demon did not make a move, and Eniel and others quickly dealt with the people of the Skull Society, leaving only Tang Gang there!


    These people had joined the Skull Society andmitted those evil deeds, indicating they were those without any scruples!


    Su Chen naturally would not show them any mercy, otherwise, they would continue their wrongdoings, causing more people to suffer!


    Hence, Su Chen also did not mind helping to cleanse the air of this world a bit...


    "Tang Gang, who is the person behind you? Speak up and I''ll make it quick for you,"


    Su Chen said indifferently:


    "Otherwise, you know my methods!"


    For Su Chen, Tang Gang was no longer important now; he could be eliminated with a flick of a hand. What mattered was the force behind him!


    "That is an entity beyond your imagination. They will not let you go for what you''ve done today!"


    Tang Gang snorted coldly, his face showing a trace of urgency!


    Su Chen did not respond to Tang Gang''sment, having guessed already that the force behind Tang Gang was no ordinary one. Therefore, he was not surprised at this moment!


    Moreover, even if the force behind Tang Gang was extraordinary, Su Chen had to face them, no, he had to make sure they suffered. At the very least, he had to take a piece of flesh from them!


    When it came to dealing with the force behind Tang Gang or dealing with the Hidden Dragon Hall, Su Chen''s attitude was different. As long as the Hidden Dragon Hall didn''t interfere with his actions against the Five Great Families, Su Chen didn''t bother with them; it was best if everyone stayed out of each other''s way!


    But the force behind Tang Gang was different. As long as he had enough strength, he would definitely not let them go!


    The main reasons were twofold: firstly, because they were detrimental to him, and secondly because they had conducted Gene Modifiers experiments using Tang Gang. Just because of this, Su Chen knew they were an evil entity!


    From that point alone, whenever there was a chance, Su Chen had no reason to let the opponent go!


    However, seeing Tang Gang''s expression at this moment, he was somewhat surprised. Could this guy still have a trick up his sleeve?


    But this guy had even used the fourth-generation gene modifiers, what else could he have up his sleeve?


    Could it be¡­


    Suddenly, Su Chen''s eyes lit up!


    "Are you waiting for someone?"


    Su Chen said, his mouth curling up in a meaningful faint smile as he looked at Tang Gang.


    "Right, don''t you want to know what kind of presence is behind me?"


    After a slight start, Tang Gang deliberately put on a proud look:


    "You''ll see soon enough! Have the guts to wait and see!"


    Tang Gang was deliberately provoking Su Chen, scared that the messenger lord wouldn''t arrive before Su Chen took action!


    He was well aware that if Su Chen truly took action, he had no chance of resisting, so at this moment, his heart was extremely anxious!


    He had previously sent the real members of the Skull Society not to defeat the opposition, but to buy time!


    He also wouldn''t have expected Su Chen and his people to resolve all the Gene Modifiers so quickly, or else he would have sent Jennifer to call the messenger lord earlier!


    "Well then, I really would like to see that."


    Su Chen said yfully, seeing through Tang Gang''s intentions at a nce, but he didn''t care much about it either.


    Just then, suddenly a silhouette floated swiftly towards them, its speed so fast that it astonished everyone in the Nether Temple!


    And a little further behind that figure, followed a panting woman, precisely the woman who had left earlier.


    "Messenger Lord, you''ve finally arrived. You must uphold justice for our Skull Society!"


    The moment Tang Gang saw the elder arrive, his heart finally settled, and he quickly pointed at Su Chen:


    "This bastard here has almostpletely eradicated our Skull Society!"


    Upon hearing Tang Gang''s "Messenger Lord," Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat, reminding him of that night when he had eavesdropped outside Qimeng Tower and heard "Messenger Lord".


    Could the force behind Tang Gang and the force behind Qi Meng be the same one?


    After all, such a title as Messenger Lord was quite umon.


    "If that''s the case, things are getting more interesting!"


    A yful smile couldn''t help but appear on Su Chen''s face.

 Chapter 759: Overestimating Oneself

    "Trash!"


    Upon hearing Tang Gang''s words, the old man scorned with disdain.


    However, as his gaze fell upon the ground covered with Gene Modifiers, a bone-chilling coldness emerged on his face, as if the air around him had frozen!


    "Is this all your doing?!"


    The murky light in the old man''s eyes suddenly burst forth, shooting directly towards the people from the Nether Temple!


    That sharp light, almost tangible, made Eniel and the others involuntarily shudder, and even Demon felt the same!


    They immediately sensed the old man''s strength¡ªand it was an extraordinary kind of powerful!


    "So what if it was?"


    Eniel suppressed the oppressive force of that powerful aura and spat out with hatred!


    Because she knew that the person behind Tang Gang was the real mastermind who had designed the ambush against Su Chen, the one responsible for Su Chen''s misfortune!


    The old man, upon hearing the voice, immediately turned his gaze to Eniel, and when he saw her, his eyes lit up instantly!


    What a beautiful face! Such a perfect figure! Truly a rare beauty!


    The old man immediately licked his lips, with a hint of lecherousness appearing on his face!


    Tang Gang saw this and was instantly overjoyed, saying to the old man:


    "This woman is named Eniel, the lover of the Nether King!"


    Upon hearing this, the old man turned his attention to Su Chen, tilting his head slightly with disdain, and said:


    "Are you that so-called Nether King?"


    In the Dark World, the Nether King might be a legendary figure, even someone whose name would make one bow in worship, but in his eyes, at best, the Nether King was a somewhat passable existence!


    Upon hearing the old man''s words, Demon and the others furrowed their brows deeply, disying a very dissatisfied look on their faces!


    In their hearts, Su Chen was a totemic figure, not to be belittled by others!


    "Correct, it''s me."


    When Demon and the others were about to scold the old man, Su Chen spoke up.


    He wasposed, not taking the attitude of the other party to heart, as if the words spoken were not about himself.


    "Good, today, aside from this beauty, all of you trash including you are going to die!"


    The old man''s eyes narrowed as he spat these words at Su Chen, his eyes sparkling with intensity!


    All of a sudden, an overwhelmingly powerful aura erupted, pressing down on the people from the Nether Temple like a force overturning seas and rivers, as if to sweep them all up!


    The people from the Nether Temple immediately felt enveloped by that might, giving rise to an unstoppable sensation!


    Even Demon, who was at the Half-Step Extension Realm, was only slightly better, still feeling a significant pressure!


    They couldn''t help but be secretly shocked; who was this old man, and how could he be so powerful?!


    As the old man saw the changing expressions of the Nether Temple''s people, a look of satisfaction surfaced on his face!


    Ants are ants after all, unable to bear even the pressure emanating from my body!


    His gaze involuntarily shifted towards Su Chen¡ªthe so-called Nether King. When he saw Su Chen, his face momentarily stiffened.


    He found that Su Chen seemed entirely unaffected by his pressure, and what''s more, he was leisurely smoking a cigarette!


    The old man''s expression darkened, as this was obviously a disparagement from Su Chen, seemingly in response to his own attitude just now!


    He also didn''t believe that Su Chen was truly undisturbed, but rather thought he was stubbornly resisting.


    Of course, even if he was resisting, being able to do so was somewhat surprising to the old man.


    It seems the so-called Nether King does have some tricks up his sleeve, the old man thought to himself.


    "Is that all you''ve got?"


    Su Chen took a drag on his cigarette, ncing indifferently at the old man.


    "Kid, you''re quite arrogant!"


    A fierce look appeared on the old man''s face instantly.


    "If trash like you can be so arrogant, why can''t I!"


    Su Chen sneered.


    "Good, good, good!"


    The old manughed from extreme anger, saying the word ''good'' three times, then his face turned cold:


    "Let''s see what gives you the right to be so arrogant!"


    Before his words had finished, he seemed to vanish from where he was in the blink of an eye, suddenly reappearing in front of Su Chen, and at the same time, a straight punch thundered towards him!


    This punch seemed to utterly shatter the void, as the air around it trembled instantly!


    At the same time, a strong gust of wind howled up, and the temperature in the air surged dramatically!


    A thick yet condensed burst of True Essence Energy erupted from the fist, creating a piercing ''sizzle'' in the air!


    Eniel and the others, upon seeing this rainbow-like punch, were instantly frozen, wanting to scream, but something seemed to block their throats, leaving them unable to make a sound!


    Because the power of this punch aimed at Su Chen was too great for a human to bear, even for top Martial Artists like themselves!


    Even Demons felt that if this punch hit him, it would leave him severely injured, if not dead!


    He couldn''t help but worry for Su Chen because he had always thought Su Chen was about as strong as he was, or even a little less so.


    After all, it had been just over a year since Su Chen''s Dantian was shattered, and reaching this step hadpletely exceeded his expectations!


    This speed was already defying the heavens! Even with the assistance of that so-called Formation, it was terrifying!


    He wanted to block for Su Chen, but he found that the old man''s speed was too fast, unbelievably so!


    He simply couldn''t react in time!


    For a moment, Demons and the others seemed to hold their breath, hardly daring to watch what would happen next!


    Unlike the reaction of the people from Nether Temple, Tang Gang, upon seeing the old man release this mountain-overturning punch, immediately showed a smug smile on his face!


    Kid, do you think just because you are the Hall Master of Nether Temple, you are invincible?


    Do you think just because you are at Half-Step Extension Realm, you''re the best in the world?


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but cheer for his decision to keep the old man at all costs, or else he would have surely died today!


    And now, the only one who could die was Su Chen, the one who had been making his life miserable!


    At this moment, Su Chen wasn''t concerned with what others were thinking. He watched the old man''s punch, fierce as a tiger roaring in the forest, and a cold smile appeared on his face:


    "Overestimating yourself!"


    The opponent was certainly strong, but there was a gap between them, at most the same as before he had broken through to the peak of Qi Refinement, perhaps even less so!


    So he didn''t take this old man, whom even Demons and the rest feared greatly, to heart at all!


    As the fist was about to make contact with his body, Su Chen''s figure flickered like a ghost, easily dodging the ferocious punch, which merely whooshed past his ear!


    How is this possible?


    The old man, seeing Su Chen dodge his punch, widened his eyes in astonishment!


    He had never expected Su Chen to evade his punch, and what shocked him even more was that he hadn''t even seen Su Chen move...


    Because it was too fast, everything seemed to bepleted in an instant!

 Chapter 760: Accept or Not

    The Demon was also stunned by this scene, because he, too, had not seen how Su Chen had dodged that old man''s punch, which hade thundering down!


    He only saw a flickering afterimage, and then the punch boomed into the air!


    The Demon thought to himself that he definitely couldn''t do this, especially as effortlessly and artistically as the Hall Master!


    Could it be that the Hall Master had cultivated some special technique?


    At this moment, the Demon''s thoughts were quite simr to those of the old man in the hemp robe from the Su Family earlier, not daring to consider another possibility.


    Because that would be too terrifying!


    "Is that all the strength you have?"


    With a mocking smile on his lips, Su Chen said,


    "You''re finished, now it''s my turn!"


    As soon as he spoke, not only did the old man freeze, but even the Demon, Eniel, and others were stunned!


    Was he taking the initiative to attack?


    In that split second of confusion, Su Chen''s figure shed, and he had already disappeared from his original spot, appearing beside the old man!


    The speed he demonstrated in that instant was beyond everyone''s imagination!


    At that moment, Su Chen raised his fist and hammered it towards the old man!


    The old man initially felt that Su Chen''s straightforward punch was nothing special, but midway through the punch, his pupils suddenly contracted.


    Because he suddenly felt the terrifying power carried in that fist, which he couldn''t withstand!


    "Boom!"


    With one punch, the old man was heavily smashed to the ground!


    "Bang bang bang~~"


    "Boom boom boom~~~"


    ...


    In an instant, the Demon and others werepletely dumbfounded!


    Their mouths agape in shock, they stared at the scene before them, feeling overwhelmed!


    Can anyone tell me what the heck is happening?


    What they saw at this moment was Su Chen relentlessly swinging his fists at the old man lying on the ground, asionally kicking him directly, even a few stomps!


    He was continuously muttering under his breath:


    "Acting tough! Are you convinced now?!"


    "Say it! Are you convinced?!"


    "Not speaking, huh! Still not convinced? Then I''ll beat you until you are!"


    This abrupt shift in the scenariopletely overwhelmed the minds of the Demon, Eniel, and others!


    Was this groaning old man lying on the ground the same unbeatable master they saw before?


    If they were from Huaxia, at this moment their minds would surely recall the lyrics of a famous rock song: It''s not that I don''t understand, the world changes too fast!


    This moment, they finally understood what Su Chen meant by "my turn," because when it was his turn, the opponent had no chance to fight back, only to be beaten!


    To be honest, although the Demon and Eniel deeply hated that old man because his organization had plotted against the Hall Master, pushing the Temple into a desperate situation that almost led to its ruin,


    they had to admit that the old man was very strong, extremely strong, so strong that when they faced him, it was like a child facing a robust adult!


    Even the Demon, who had already stepped into the Half-Step Meridian Realm, felt that if he were to fight the old man, the chance of winning was less than ten percent!


    Yet, this powerful being was nowpletely powerless under the Hall Master''s hands!


    At this moment, they also understood that the Hall Master must have been hiding his true strength!


    Otherwise, he would definitely not have been able to do this!


    What exactly was the true strength of the Hall Master? For a time, they could not see through it!


    Thinking about how more than a year ago the Hall Master''s Dantian had shattered and his cultivation had returned to zero, they were suddenly filled with endless shock!


    They could only sigh, the Hall Master is after all the Hall Master!


    Tang Gang watched this scene, and he also felt like his brain had short-circuited!


    He shook his head vigorously, hoping that what had just happened was all a dream!


    But when he turned his gaze back to the scene, he found that crazy man was still punching and kicking the messenger, demanding whether he would submit or not!


    Tang Gang wanted to run at this moment, but he did not flee, because he knew he couldn''t escape!


    He couldn''t understand, how had the haughty old man from a few minutes ago suddenly be a dead dog at the mercy of others!


    And that poor old man lying on the ground, apart from shock, was filled with nothing but grievance!


    He really wanted to say, "Are you even being reasonable?"


    "Am I not speaking? It''s just that you simply give me no chance to speak!"


    Because every time he was about to speak, a punch or a kick woulde flying at him!


    Demons and others might see Su Chen''s flurried punches as mere street fighting, but only the old man understood the immense power contained in each punch and kick, and the severe damage they inflicted!


    "You old geezer, your bones are quite tough. I''m even tired of beating, yet you still don''t submit!"


    A momentter, Su Chen rubbed his wrists and said.


    "I submit, I submit!"


    Seizing the opportunity, the old man quickly spoke, fearing the guy might attack him again!


    When Demons and others looked back at the old man, they were startled. Was this still the proud old man from before?


    Now, the old man had be aplete mess, his face a patchwork of blue and purple, barely a spot remained intact, and even his eyes had turned into panda eyes!


    "Wouldn''t it have been better to say so earlier? Why suffer so much?"


    Su Chen looked at him and said with a hint of sympathy.


    Hearing this, the old man nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood!


    But at this moment, he was too shocked to care about that and stared at Su Chen as he stammered:


    "Are you in the Meridian Expansion Realm?"


    When Demons and others heard the old man''s question, they sharply inhaled, their gazes incredulously turning towards Su Chen!


    Could it be that the Hall Master really had crossed into that legendary realm?


    This was too inconceivable!


    At this moment, their gazes towards Su Chen were filled with anticipation, waiting for his answer!


    However, Su Chen did not answer the old man''s question but with a cold expression, he indifferently said:


    "Now, it is not you who should be asking questions, but rather me!"


    "Speak, who exactly are you? What is the name of your organization?"


    Since this old man was here, Su Chen did not need to ask Tang Gang, who, after all, was just a puppet and surely knew less than the old man.


    When Su Chen asked this question, the old man, already his face mashed, did not hide anything and proudly said:


    "Listen well, our organization is the Judgment Department, and I am a Holy Knight in the department!"


    "The Judgment Department?"


    Su Chen frowned slightly, he had also never heard of this name.


    However, recently he had heard of several organizations that he had never known before, such as Shengyi Gate and Hidden Dragon Hall!


    These were all names he had never heard before, so at this moment he simply made a note of the name Judgment Department in his mind.


    He also thought to himself, could Qi Meng also be from this organization?

 Chapter 761: Your Mind Is Too Dirty

    "What the heck is a Holy Knight?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and continued to ask.


    "A Holy Knight is not a ''what''; it''s a symbol of noble status!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the elder could not help but retort, clearly proud of his status!


    "Howe I can''t see anything noble about you?"


    After ncing at his nearly unrecognizable form, Su Chen said with a yful smile.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the Demon and Eniel, among others, immediately burst into "tittering"ughter!


    This Hall Master was too damaging, beating a man to such a state and still making sarcastic remarks!


    Fuming at the words, the elder''s chest heaved, but having experienced Su Chen''s ferocity, he dared not talk back for fear of enduring the torture from before!


    "What is the structure of your organization? What level is your so-called ''noble'' Holy Knight within it?"


    Su Chen naturally wanted to understand as much as possible about his opponent if he was to confront them in the future.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, the elder fell silent, not responding.


    After all, the structure of an organization was a fairly confidential matter, which he dared not divulge easily!


    "It seems you still haven''t learned your lesson!"


    Su Chen''s voice rose coldly as he flipped a dagger in his hand. Drawing it through the air, a cold light shed, and a highly concentrated True Yuan, sharp like a de, streaked towards the elder''s body, instantly severing one of his arms, sending blood spurting out!


    "Aaooo, aaooo..."


    The elder cried out in agony, hastily saying:


    "I''ll talk, I''ll talk!"


    He had not expected the young man to be so ruthless. He only hesitated for a moment, and yet his arm had been cleanly severed!


    "I hope you are telling the truth, otherwise I wouldn''t mind severing your other arm!"


    Su Chen looked indifferently at the elder as he spoke, his eyes devoid of any emotion.


    Seeing this look, the elder instinctively felt a shiver in his heart and quickly said:


    "I dare not lie, I swear I am telling the truth!"


    "The highest leader of our Judgment Department is the High Priest, beneath whom are the Left and Right Priests. Below them are the third-tier Holy Knights¡ªI am a mid-tier Holy Knight. Beneath the Holy Knights are the Golden Knights and Silver Knights!"


    The elder said without daring to hide anything.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen thought to himself that it must have been Golden Knights and Silver Knights he encountered when hest tried to rescue Doctor Gaia.


    "What is the strength of each level?" Su Chen asked again.


    "Golden Knights are generally equivalent to the Peak of Qi Refinement, with Silver Knights being slightly below that tier. A Holy Knight is an honorary title only granted to those who have stepped into the Meridian Expansion Realm!"


    The elder exined.


    In the Dark World, there are different power level divisions such as A-level, S-level, SS-level, etc., that are different from the Realm levels of Dongfang. However, in higher ranks of Martial Arts powers, the terminology has unified with that of Huaxia. The reasons behind this are not widely known.


    "What about this High Priest, and the Left and Right Priests you mentioned?"


    Su Chen showed little interest in anyone below the level of Holy Knight; he was more concerned about the strength of the top few leaders of the opposing side.


    "I don''t know. I have seldom seen the Left and Right Priests, and as for the High Priest, I have never seen them in all these years!"


    "But surely the strength of the Left and Right Priests must have reached the Meridian Expansion Realm. As for how powerful they truly are, I really don''t know."


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback upon hearing this from the elder, not so much because of their strength.


    Hearing that their organization''s top leaders had reached the Meridian Expansion Realm was something Su Chen had expected.


    What surprised him was that this elder, who held a not-so-low position in their organization, had never even seen the so-called High Priest!


    This was quite peculiar!


    "I heard Tang Gang call you ''Emissary''. What''s that about?"


    Su Chen nced at Tang Gang, who was already pale with utter fear, and then turned to the elder to ask.


    "That''s the special title given by people like Tang Gang, who carry out the organization''s tasks outside, to those sent by the organization to oversee and manage them¡ªalthough only Holy Knights and those above have the right to be addressed that way!"


    Ayer of pride glimmered on the elder''s face as he spoke.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen felt a slight frown crease his forehead. Could Qi Meng''s situation be simr?


    "Then, is there a girl named Qi Meng in your organization, very beautiful, in her twenties?"


    At this thought, Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "I haven''t heard of her, there might be, or might not be, as everyone in the organization is responsible for different tasks."


    The elder, not knowing why Su Chen was asking this, shook his head and exined.


    Su Chen found this exnation usible. Now that he had asked everything he wanted to know, he looked at the elder and said:


    "Seeing that you''ve been somewhat cooperative, I''ll give you a quick end!"


    "I..."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the elder''s face immediately showed a thick shade of horror!


    He seemed to want to say something, but just as he uttered a word, a sh of cold light had already crossed his neck, and blood sprayed out directly!


    Until his death, that look of terror remained etched on his face.


    "Please, spare me, I wasn''t involved in their affairs!"


    Suddenly, Tang Gang''s secretary, Jennifer, kneeled on the ground with a "thud," trembling as she spoke.


    Although she had the strength of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, this level of power wasn''t even sufficient to be considered a threat to her opponent!


    "You think I would believe you?"


    Su Chen''s mouth curled up into a cold smile as he spoke.


    "Don''t kill me, I can be your ve, I''ll do whatever you want!"


    Jennifer said in utmost fear:


    "I... I know many positions, you can y however you like!"


    The members of the Nether Temple who witnessed this scene all showed a look of disgust, as if they were toozy to even give her another nce.


    Especially Eniel, who felt nauseous seeing her act this way!


    By now, Tang Gang next to her had be somewhat resigned. He had realized that his fate was already sealed and there was no possibility of changing it!


    If that was the case, eptance was the only option.


    He nced at Jennifer, who was kneeling on the ground, and subtly shook his head, thinking to himself:


    Do you think Su Chen will spare you just because you''re acting like this? Too naive!


    However, regardless of what others thought, Jennifer just wanted to live!


    Pride, dignity¡ªshe had thrown all of that away!


    "Sorry, you''re too dirty for my taste, I''m not interested," Su Chen shook his head and said.


    "Nether King, my body isn''t dirty at all, only one man has touched me!" Jennifer hurriedly said to Su Chen.


    "No, what I meant was, your soul is too dirty," Su Chen said indifferently.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Jennifer despaired in an instant!


    She knew that this sentence was a death sentence for her!


    Then, with a casual wave of Su Chen''s hand, a streak of cold light shed, and Jennifer "thudded" to the ground, blood flowing out...

 Chapter 762: Ill Make it Happen for You

    At that moment, Su Chen''s gaze finallynded on Tang Gang.


    Simultaneously, Tang Gang''s eyes also met his!


    Their gaze intersected in mid-air, and for an instant, both men were surprisingly calm!


    Tang Gang no longer had the fear he had before, and Su Chen was devoid of the anticipated rage and hatred!


    It seemed as if the past had drifted away like smoke, and it appeared that now was only for bringing things to an end.


    "Su Chen, I only have one request,"


    Tang Gang said indifferently.


    Su Chen didn''t speak, instead, he calmly waited.


    "Give me a quick end!"


    Tang Gang requested.


    "I will grant you that."


    Su Chen nodded indifferently.


    Without saying much more, he reached out, seized the other man''s neck, and with a slight force, a ''crack'' sound echoed...


    After dealing with Tang Gang, Su Chen found himself not as excited or thrilled as he had imagined, but rather, he felt very calm, as if he had just done something that needed to be done.


    The Demons and others merely nced at Tang Gang''s body on the ground before shifting their gaze away.


    In death, as in the snuffing of amp, even the greatest resentment finds its conclusion...


    "Military de, take some men and nt explosives everywhere, especially in theboratory. Make sure there are no remnants left!"


    Su Chen then instructed:


    "And if you encounter any remnants of the Skull Society, show no mercy!"


    "Yes!"


    Military de immediatelyplied, and then led several people to the wall side.


    To avoid affecting thebat, they had already ced the supplies by the wall earlier, which contained some tools and a lot of high explosives!


    Military de and the others immediately took out all the explosives and then ran to various locations!


    "Hall Master, what should we do with these people?"


    The Demon looked at the Gene Modifiers and asked, considering those people were not dead yet, although at this point they appeared more like the living dead.


    "Take them all back to our firstboratory," Su Chen said.


    Dr. Gaia had mentioned to him while he was in Jianghai that if possible, he hoped Su Chen could bring those Gene Modifiers back.


    He wanted to study whether he could return them to normal, although this was difficult and the hope was slim.


    Actually, taking them back to Dr. Gaia for treatment also provided these people a chance at rebirth since, after bing Gene Modifiers, they were no longer human, just tools of the Skull Society!


    If they had any autonomous will, they would probably prefer death over continuing to live like this!


    More importantly, even if Su Chen and his team hadn''t injected them with Almighty Bone Marrow today, these people''s lives would not have been long after undergoing gic modification!


    For example, the third generation of Gene Modifiers had a lifespan of three to five years at most, and the fourth generation no more than two years!


    It was estimated that the fifth and sixth generations might only have about a year left!


    The higher the level, the shorter the lifespan!


    This was understandable after all; they were not Martial Arts practitioners, so their power enhancement inevitably came at the cost of other damages, which was also the main reason Su Chen considered the Skull Society''s gic experiments anti-human.


    In the world of Martial Arts, the enhancement of one''s strength is due to absorbing the Yuan Qi from nature and converting it for personal use, which paradoxically means that the higher one''s strength, the longer one''s lifespan. This is essentially different from Gene Modifiers!


    Of course, for Doctor Gaia, being able to restore these individuals to normalcy was not only a great act of merit but also a matter of considerable aplishment, and it might even elevate his gic research to another level!


    However, conducting research within the Belle Corporation would definitely be inconvenient, given therge number of people there!


    The Number One Laboratory of the Nether Temple, located at the center of ake and rarely visited by outsiders, was deemed more suitable!


    Ever since Tang Gang had stolen the documents from theboratory, Demon had decided to move theboratory there.


    After learning of this, Su Chen also expressed his support for Demon''s decision!


    Indeed, one of the main reasons Su Chen agreed to have them brought back for treatment by Doctor Gaia was that most of these people were innocent victims.


    If he really had to kill these people, Su Chen would find it rather difficult to proceed!


    If these individuals were inherently evil, he would have no issue, considering the countless lives lost to him over his many years in the Dark World¡ªa mountain of corpses and a sea of blood would not be an exaggeration!


    Nevertheless, when the opportunity arose, he did not mind performing such so-called good deeds.


    After all, there was still a hint of reluctance in his heart!


    Although there were a great many Gene Modifiers here, with the power of the Nether Temple, transporting these individuals back was not particrly challenging.


    At a building top of the Skull Society, where a helipad was located, dozens of helicopters had also taken off towards Argentina,nding not too far from Mendoza, as Su Chen and his team were setting out.


    The reason so many helicopters were utilized was because of the limited carrying capacity of each helicopter.


    Fortunately, there were enough helicopters, otherwise it would have been quite impossible to transport so many Gene Modifiers back!


    At that moment, Su Chen made a phone call to have the helicopterse over.


    After wave upon wave of helicopters arrived and left, Su Chen and hispanions departed as well.


    After walking a distance, Military de pressed the remote control button.


    Immediately, bursts of explosions started, and the massive building constructed on the mountainside becamepletely reduced to rubble.


    The experimental base at the back was particrly involved, with consecutive explosions and mes reaching the sky!


    Fortunately, Tang Gang had cleared the forest within ten kilometers around for easier surveince, so even with the intense fire, it was hardly likely to spread elsewhere.


    With that, the Skull Society, which had risen meteorically in the Dark World, was thoroughly obliterated, bing history...


    After casting a nce at the mes, Su Chen and his team descended the mountain.


    The group then drove to the Mendoza airport and boarded a ne back home.


    Su Chen did not head directly back to Yandu, as he needed to bid farewell to the people at the Temple!


    After all, he might rarely return there in the future!


    At the same time, Doctor Gaia had also boarded a ne departing from Jianghai, though he was somewhat reluctant to leave.


    Having adapted to the life there, he was very content!


    Fortunately, whether sessful or not, it would only take about half a month to 20 days.


    If they hadn''t seeded by then, those people would probably not be likely to survive!


    Regarding this matter, Su Chen did not pay much attention, as he had done all that he could.


    The rest was beyond his control, and if Doctor Gaia ultimately did not seed, there was nothing that could be done.


    If it had been the Su Chen from before, he might not have cared much for these people''s survival.


    It must be said, the rtively peaceful city life, especially his burgeoning rtionship with Lin Ruoxue, had undeniably softened his heart a bit...


    Of course, this softening of the heart was conditional; if necessary, he would definitely let others see what was meant by being truly ruthless and cold-hearted!

 Chapter 763 - 763 What Do You Need a Face For

    Su Chen returned to the Temple just as evening arrived, and when everyone saw Su Chen and the others return, they all greeted them warmly!


    "Hall Master, these past two days of cultivation feel like they''re worth a whole month from before!"


    The Clown squeezed his way excitedly next to Su Chen.


    Lone Wolf and the others had also nned to brag about their rapid progress in cultivation, but upon hearing the Clown''s im, they couldn''t help but curl their lips, revealing a disdainful expression.


    "Nonsense!"


    Su Chenughed and gave the Clown a smack on the back of his head.


    While the formation effects were significant, it couldn''t possibly be as exaggerated as the Clown described, at most six to seven times faster!


    "I might have exaggerated just a tiny bit."


    A sly smile suddenly appeared on the Clown''s handsome face, somewhat simr to when he fawned over Lin Ruoxue in Su Chen''s presence!


    "But the speed of cultivation is something I couldn''t even dare to imagine before!"


    As the Clown spoke, sighing, Lone Wolf and the others nodded in agreement.


    Indeed, even at six to seven times the speed, it was terrifying!


    It was like cultivating from the age of twenty to thirty, equivalent to others cultivating from twenty to the eighties or nies¡ªwasn''t that terrifying?


    The Demon and Eniel, having been out with Su Chen, hadn''t had the chance to experience the real conditions for cultivation, but upon hearing this, they were filled with anticipation!


    Soon it was dinner time, and everyone knew that Su Chen would be leaving the next day, so they certainly wanted to gather together.


    Of course, this was limited to a dozen or so senior members and did not include the other two to three hundred people.


    Although Su Chen was approachable and unassuming, there was still a basic hierarchy, for without it, there would be no rules!


    An organization without basic rules would only degenerate into a shoddy troupecking strongpetitiveness.


    Before dinner, Su Chen also instructed Team A to rest for the evening and head to Lake Heart Ind, which was five hundred kilometers away from the small town, mainly to protect Dr. Gaia.


    With only two Team B squads there, Su Chen was still somewhat uneasy.


    Around seven or eight o''clock, Su Chen, the Demon, Eniel, and others gathered for dinner in the side hall.


    During the meal, everyone wasughing and talking merrily, perhaps the happiest they had been in over a year.


    They drank quite a lot of alcohol; even Shadow, who didn''t like drinking, had a fair amount, her little face flushed red, looking endearing.


    "Hall Master, have you really entered that legendary realm?"


    In the middle of the meal, the Demon suddenly asked.


    The Demon had always wanted to ask this question but had some reservations, and now, he finally couldn''t hold back any longer.


    Hearing this, Eniel and Military de also turned their gaze to Su Chen; they were eager to know as well.


    "What legendary realm?"


    After taking a sip of wine, the Clown asked with some confusion.


    "Meridian Expansion Realm!"


    The Demon gave the Clown a deep look and uttered these words meaningfully.


    As soon as the words were spoken, everyone at the table, except for Eniel and Military de, was stunned.


    Whether it was the wine sses they held or the chopsticks with which they picked up food, everything froze in that instant as if they had all been hit with a Binding Spell.


    Meridian Expansion Realm?


    After a moment of stunned silence, a surge of shock and awe rose in everyone''s hearts.


    That was indeed the realm of legends!


    Not one of them had ever seen a true Meridian Expansion Realm practitioner,


    including Su Chen himself. Although he suspected that his old ghost of a master, as well as Zhuge, that old chatan, might be in that realm, he had never had confirmation!


    Su Chen looked at the excited faces of the people around him and smiled faintly,


    "Maybe."


    Truth be told, Su Chen was merely guessing; after all, he himself didn''t know for sure.


    However, when his words fell upon the ears of the others, they took it as Su Chen''s admission!


    The so-called maybe was just modesty!


    Subsequently, everyone''s faces were filled with utter shock, followed by a sharp intake of breath!


    More than a year ago, the Hall Master''s Dantian had shattered, nearly reducing him to amoner. Yet, in this short span of just over a year, not only had he repaired his Dantian, but he had also reached that legendary Realm!


    It was nothing short of a myth!


    If they knew that Su Chen only began cultivation more than half a year after his Dantian was shattered, namely, he had only been cultivating for just over half a year, they would probably be scared senseless!


    Even so, it was still far beyond their understanding!


    Then, amidst such shock, everyone finished their meal, of course, mixed with even more excitement!


    Because the Hall Master had always been the soul of the Nether Temple, their totem!


    Even when Su Chen had be disabled, this fact had never changed!


    After dinner, everyone went to rest. Of course, most of them seized every second to cultivate!


    Su Chen''s terrifying strength also provided them with ample motivation; if they did not progress, they would only be left further behind by the Hall Master!


    Eniel, upon leaving, gave Su Chen a meaningful nce.


    Su Chen, of course, understood the meaning behind that look. Facing Eniel, he felt not only love but also deep remorse.


    When the night deepened, Su Chen shed to Eniel''s door.


    Though everyone in the Temple knew where he would be at night, being seen was still embarrassing!


    At that moment, Eniel''s door was ajar, with a few strands of soft light seeping through the crack...


    Su Chen gently pushed open the door, then turned and entered.


    "There''s no wife here for you, what are you acting so sneaky for?"


    Seeing Su Chen looking like a thief, Eniel spoke with some exasperation.


    "Isn''t it because I''m afraid of being seen? How embarrassing that would be!"


    Su Chen chuckled and stammered out his words, his gaze inevitably drifting towards Eniel on the bed.


    With that nce, his heart rate immediately began to speed up!


    At this moment, Eniel was lying on her side on the bed, her golden wavy hair casually spread out. She was wearing a purple satin nightgown, the neckline slightly open to reveal a glimpse of her delicate corbone.


    Looking further down, there was the majority of her fair, long legs exposed to the air, subtly bent...


    The purple nightgown lent Eniel an aura filled with sexiness and a mystique!


    "What''s there to be embarrassed about, who in the Temple couldn''t guess you''d be here with me tonight?"


    Eniel retorted with a spit, thinking that this fellow getting bashful was as unlikely as the sun rising from the west!


    Suddenly, Eniel noticed that his gaze was hotly fixed on her, almost drooling, and she felt a slight thrill.


    "Guessing and seeing are different things after all. I''m just thin-skinned!"


    Su Chen pretended to be shy as heughed, while he had already climbed onto Eniel''s bed and made his way beside her.


    "Su Chen, you really have be more shameless after not seeing you for a while!"


    Eniel looked at Su Chen, who had climbed onto the bed, and a teasing smile appeared on her face.


    "I have you, what do I need a face for?"


    Su Chen grinned, then suddenly rolled over, and kissed Eniel on the lips...

 Chapter 764 - 764 Withdrawal

    The next morning when they awoke, both seemed lively and radiant!


    Perhaps it was the reunion after a long separation, butst night they were wild enough especially Eniel, who seemed to unleash all her passion, longing, and admiration!


    Upon waking in the morning, they engaged in another intense battle, not stopping until they were drenched in sweat...


    "When will youe next?"


    Eniel asked while lying in Su Chen''s arms, her beautiful eyes full of longing as she looked at him.


    Su Chen looked into Eniel''s eyes, unsure of what to say for a moment, then he said,


    "I''lle to see you when I have time."


    Upon hearing this, a joyful smile finally appeared on Eniel''s face, followed by a sigh,


    "Why do I feel even less than a mistress? A mistress might not be seen in public, but she at least gets to see him quite often. I don''t even know when I''ll next see you."


    "I''m sorry,"


    Su Chen said with full remorse.


    "It''s okay, I''m willing to be in this situation,"


    Eniel said, forcing a smile.


    "Don''t worry, when the right timees, I will talk to Ruoxue,"


    Su Chen said, hinting at the affair between him and Eniel.


    He had actually thought about this earlier, not just to appease Eniel.


    After all, such matters could not be hidden forever; they must be addressed, not only concerning Eniel but Du Hanbing as well.


    These two women had given him so much, and his feelings for them were indeed deep.


    Therefore, from any perspective, he could not possibly abandon either of them!


    However, he knew Lin Ruoxue was a person who valued fidelity immensely in rtionships and would likely struggle to ept such matters, even though she deeply loved him.


    That was the reason Su Chen was hesitant between confessing and holding back, always waiting for the right moment to tell Lin Ruoxue. But such a moment seemed never toe.


    In essence, he feared loss, or perhaps he was greedy; he didn''t want to lose any of these three women!


    "It''s alright; knowing that you feel this way makes me very happy!"


    Eniel said with a gentle smile, her words sincere.


    For Eniel, the most important thing was that she held a ce in Su Chen''s heart; nothing else mattered!


    "I know."


    Su Chen said with a smile as he nced at Eniel,


    "We should get up now, or they''ll tease you!"


    "Who dares!"


    Eniel immediately huffed, looking rather adorable.


    Although she said that, she still got out of bed thereafter.


    When the two got out of bed and met up with everyone else, there was no unusual behavior from anyone; after all, everyone understood their rtionship!


    Only Shadow, upon seeing Eniel, intentionally blinked and squeezed out, "Sister Eniel, you look different today, prettier!"


    This statement turned Eniel''s cheeks a light shade of red, making her slightly embarrassed as she cursed, "Silly girl!"


    After that, Su Chen instructed someone to call the Demon into his office. Naturally, Su Chen had an office in the Temple, where he previously handled most of his affairs.


    "Hall Master, you wanted to see me?"


    The Demon said as he knocked and entered.


    "Have a seat."


    Su Chen got up from his office chair and sat on the sofa, with the Demon sitting beside him.


    "Hall Master, do you have any orders for me?"


    "It''s not really an order."


    Su Chen shook his head and then looked into the Demon''s eyes, solemnly saying:


    "I want to entrust the Nether Temple to you!"


    "No, that''s absolutely impossible!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the Demon suddenly stood up, waving his hands repeatedly.


    "Don''t get excited, sit down first."


    Su Chen pulled the Demon back down.


    "Hall Master, you have worked hard to establish the Nether Temple, how could you hand it over to me?"


    After sitting down, the Demon shook his head and said.


    "Why not?"


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and smiled slightly:


    "Haven''t you been doing well in the year I''ve been gone?"


    "It''s not the same, Hall Master!"


    The Demon said anxiously.


    "There''s nothing different, it''s actually the same as before. The only difference is that previously you discussed matters with Eniel and the Clown together, and now you have the authority to make decisions, and some matters no longer need to be consulted with me."


    Su Chen pat the Demon''s shoulder, and before he could speak, he enunciated phrase by phrase:


    "Demon, listen, I trust you!"


    "Only if the Temple is in your hands can Ipletely rest assured!"


    Su Chen knew that while a temporary management by the three of them was feasible, it wasn''t a long-term solution. After all, there needed to be someone who could make final decisions.


    Looking into Su Chen''s eyes, knowing he had made up his mind, the Demon reluctantly agreed.


    "Hall Master, are you not going toe back in the future?"


    The Demon asked with some trepidation.


    "How could that be? I''lle back and visit everyone when I have the time."


    Su Chen said smilingly.


    In fact, Su Chen''s words were meant tofort the Demon, because since he had decided to hand over the Temple, he shouldn''te back often, as it would undermine the Demon''s authority!


    As for meeting with Eniel, they could meet anywhere; it didn''t have to be at the Nether Temple.


    It wasn''t that Su Chen was reluctant to directly hand over the position of Hall Master to the Demon, it was just that even if given, the Demon wouldn''t dare to ept it right now!


    More importantly, the others wouldn''t ept it either!


    Su Chen nned that after a few years, once hepletely phased out and the Demon''s authority was established, the transition of the Hall Master position to him would naturally follow.


    For now, the most he could do was let him act as the Hall Master.


    Su Chen made this decision after finding out that the Demon had already half-stepped into the Meridian Expansion since he came to the Temple. The Demon now definitely had the capability and strength to shoulder this responsibility!


    That''s why Su Chen had brought the Demon on this mission, because going forward, the Demon might have to stay at headquarters for extended periods, only participating in missions under exceptional circumstances!


    Later, Su Chen gathered the two to three hundred core members of the Temple and announced the decision to appoint the Demon as the acting Hall Master.


    Everyone knew that Su Chen was going back to Huaxia, so there wasn''t much reaction to this decision, or perhaps it was somewhat expected.


    Although previously the decision-making group consisted of the Demon, Eniel, and the Clown, the Demon was still the most respected.


    Now, the Hall Master was just confirming the Demon''s decisive position, and the difference was not very significant.


    Right now, they still didn''t know that Su Chen had decided to gradually fade out of the Nether Temple.


    Unless the Temple faced a life-or-death situation, he would no longer influence it, and then it was just a matter of waiting for the right opportunity to fully hand the Temple over to the Demon¡­


    After settling this matter, Su Chen prepared to return to Yandu¡­

 Chapter 765 - 765 The Worst Guy

    Su Chen left without asking people to send him off too far, just had them return once they reached the outskirts of the small town.


    The one who took Su Chen to the airport was, of course, Eniel. Though it was possible to depart directly from his private airfield, coordinating with Huaxia''s air traffic control department and airport was necessary and had to be arranged in advance.


    Su Chen didn''t have any special business and didn''t want to go through the hassle, so he decided to just take amercial flight back home.


    ....


    When Su Chen walked out of Yandu International Airport, the night had fallen, and neon lights were flickering on both sides of the streets.


    It was around eleven at night, and Su Chen hailed a taxi to return to Imperial Garden.


    After Su Chen opened the door to his home, he tiptoed inside; the ce was pitch dark, obviously Lin Ruoxue had already gone to sleep.


    So he slowly walked upstairs and then opened the bedroom door, entering without making a sound.


    The sly moonlight spilled in through the curtains, casting ayer of silver light on Lin Ruoxue, whoy in bed looking like an angel!


    Su Chen gently lifted the corner of the duvet, ready to climb into bed, but just as he had taken off his clothes and one buttock and leg had barely touched the bed,


    "Who''s there!"


    Suddenly, a shout rang out, apanied by the sh of cold steel, it seemed as if a de had pierced through the air.


    Startled, Su Chen quickly reached out and caught the source of the cold sh!


    In the moonlight, Su Chen found it was an extremely sharp pair of scissors!


    "Darling, are you trying to murder your own husband!"


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue, who had suddenly awoken from her sleep, Su Chen said with augh mixed with disbelief, then released the scissors.


    If not for his quick reaction, an ordinary person would surely have been wounded!


    "Husband?!"


    Lin Ruoxue also looked shocked, then reached to turn on the bedsidemp, and light filled the room!


    She focused her eyes and saw that the man before her was none other than her own husband.


    "Howe you''re here?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked in a daze.


    "If I''m not here, where would I be?"


    Su Chen replied, quite speechless. He hadn''t expected to be attacked by his own wife as soon as he got back!


    What was this turn of events?!


    "I mean, why didn''t you tell me before you suddenly came back?"


    "I did make a phone call before boarding the ne, but you were already on a call. I thought it''s just a few hours of flight, so I didn''t call again,"


    Su Chen exined with some helplessness.


    Only then did Lin Ruoxue remember that she had indeed received a notification about a missed call. Just as she was about to call back, something urgent came up.


    She had been preupied for several hours and had identally forgotten about it¡­


    "Drip-Drop!"


    Suddenly, a very light sound was heard. Lin Ruoxue looked down and noticed a drop of blood on the sheets!


    "Are you hurt?!"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately looked at Su Chen''s hand, which had grabbed the scissors. She saw a bit of fresh blood and was instantly startled.


    "It''s nothing, I just need to wash it, and I''ll be fine,"


    Su Chen said with a smile. For him, such a minor injury was nothing to worry about.


    In the split second when the scissors came stabbing at him, he was worried that grabbing Lin Ruoxue''s wrist or arm might identally hurt her, as she was just a regr person.


    So, Su Chen simply reached out and grabbed the tip of the scissors, without exerting much force.


    He hadn''t taken the sudden attack with the scissors seriously at all.


    But he hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue to suddenly exert such force, causing him to identally cut his palm a little.


    Su Chen felt quite embarrassed. His high level of cultivation was just wounded by his wife with a pair of scissors, something that would likely beughed at if it were known!


    After saying this, Su Chen went to the bathroom to wash his wound. Momentster, when he came out, he noticed Lin Ruoxue had gotten out of bed and had brought out a white medicine box.


    "Honey, what are you doing?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "Find a band-aid."


    Lin Ruoxue, without lifting her head, said:


    "Found it!"


    "Wife, no need."


    Su Chen hurriedly said.


    Joking aside, he could already be a person of the Meridian Expansion Realm using a band-aid¡ªwouldn''t that beughable!


    "What do you mean, no need¡ªhand it over!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s pretty face chilled as she pulled Su Chen''s injured hand over.


    "It''s alright, it''s just a tiny prick."


    As Lin Ruoxue spoke, she tore open the band-aid and then stuck it on the palm of Su Chen''s hand.


    Su Chen then looked at the band-aid on his hand and was further at a loss for words, but if Lin Ruoxue wanted to put it on, he just let her.


    Afterward, the two of them went to bed, with Su Chen cuddling Lin Ruoxue and curiously asking:


    "Why are you still hiding a pair of scissors under the pillow?"


    "Isn''t it because I''m afraid that in case..."


    Lin Ruoxue said softly, somewhat embarrassed.


    "In case of what?"


    "In case there''s a bad guy!" Lin Ruoxue said.


    "Haven''t I told you? You have someone to protect you by your side."


    "What if the bad guy is really powerful?"


    Lin Ruoxue pouted her lips and said.


    Hearing this, Su Chen was speechless once again. He looked down to see Lin Ruoxue''s tempting cherry lips in his arms and felt a sudden heat in his heart, with a mischievous smile curving on his lips:


    "Do you think your husband here looks like a bad guy?"


    Following that, he rolled over and kissed Lin Ruoxue...


    "Mmm mmm mmm~~~"


    ...


    "You are the worst guy ever!"


    Soon after, Lin Ruoxue''s bashful voice sounded through the night...


    .....


    Perhaps absence makes the heart grow fonder, the night was full of joy for both of them...


    The next morning, when the sun was high in the sky, Lin Ruoxue finally opened her eyes in Su Chen''s embrace, feeling very secure.


    This was a feeling she definitely did not have during those days the troublesome guy was away.


    The Lin Ruoxue from before would have never imagined that a man could bring her this kind of feeling!


    Su Chen smoked a cigarette in bed before getting up and then started making breakfast downstairs.


    About twenty minutester, Lin Ruoxue also got up, freshened up, and went downstairs.


    After breakfast, they both drove to the office separately...


    Upon arriving at the office, Su Chen did as usual, brewed himself a cup of tea, and then went to the front desk to get thetest issue of "Men''s Style" magazine.


    A cup of tea, a magazine¡ªlife is rarely this pleasant!


    Although life can sometimes be boring, he would rather live leisurely here.


    Who would want to hustle around like the past few days, to Europe and South America? Isn''t that crazy?


    The magazine was worth Su Chen''s appreciation mainly for those few sexy model spreads; once he finished reading this issue, the magazine held no further use for him.


    After finishing the tea and almost flipping through the magazine twice, Su Chen stood up, ready to head to Xia Qiuru''s office.


    After all, not having seen her for several days, he missed her quite a bit!


    His feelings for Xia Qiuru were always quite special...

 Chapter 766 - 766 Who is it?

    When Su Chen pushed open Xia Qiuru''s office door, a sh of excited joy shimmered in Xia Qiuru''s beautiful eyes, but she quickly reined it in.


    "Where have you been these past few days? I haven''t seen you around."


    Xia Qiuru asked casually, with a smile.


    During the days Su Chen was absent, she truly felt somewhat distracted. She couldn''t ask Lin Ruoxue for information, and she was also too embarrassed to call Su Chen.


    What would she have said if she had called?


    She was neither his girlfriend nor his wife; what right did she have?


    So all she could do was wait, wait for him to return.


    "It was nothing, just went abroad for some business."


    Su Chen smiled as he sat down on the sofa in Xia Qiuru''s office.


    "Oh, is that so?"


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru didn''t say much, but walked out from behind her desk and sat down on the sofa as well.


    "By the way, I received a call from my mother a few days ago. She said the medicine you provided was very effective and told me to thank you."


    Xia Qiuru suddenly turned her head to look at Su Chen as she spoke.


    "It was a trifle, Auntie is too polite,"


    Su Chen said, waving his hand dismissively.


    Just then, Xia Qiuru''s phone suddenly rang, and she couldn''t help but cover her head, feeling a headacheing on.


    "Who''s calling? If you don''t want to answer, then don''t."


    Su Chenughed, seeing her troubled expression.


    "It''s Xu Xinran."


    Xia Qiuru said it and then answered the call.


    "Then I''ll be leaving first."


    Su Chen said, knowing that girls'' conversations can sometimes be quite private, and it wasn''t really appropriate for a man to stick around.


    Xia Qiuru simply nodded in agreement. After all, he had returned, and they would be able to see each other often.


    After Su Chen returned to his office, he lit a cigarette and began to ponder strategies for dealing with the Five Great Families.


    After all, the business with the Skull Society had already concluded, and the matter of the Judgment Department behind the society wasn''t urgent.


    What remained most pressing for him was the issue with the major families.


    It was time to consider how to finally settle the grudges of the past! Su Chen thought to himself.


    As for continuing to provoke Shen Shao and then targeting him to draw out the Shen Family, that no longer seemed necessary to him.


    The purpose of doing so initially was simply to force the Shen Family''s hand, thereby revealing what was behind the Five Great Families¡ªafter all, the Shen Family was the most prominent!


    Now, however, with Hidden Dragon Hall having surfaced, this strategy had lost its effect.


    As for his cooperation with Shen Lin, it had always been a game of mutual deception, and Su Chen didn''t feel obligated to be responsible to him.


    Moreover, now that he had learned of Shengyi Gate from Shen Lin, whatever usefulness Shen Lin had to him was virtually gone.


    Actually, to the current Su Chen, dealing with the Five Great Families wasn''t difficult; the challenging part was the entity behind them, the Hidden Dragon Hall.


    The strength of that organization was definitely beyond what he could currently contend with, even though he might have entered the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    He had previously thought that if he managed to reach the Meridian Expansion Realm, he would be invincible, and he could stride boldly anywhere in this vast world!


    But now, he realized just how naive he had been!


    It turns out there were no shortage of individuals at the Meridian Expansion Realm in this world, such as those in Hidden Dragon Hall and in Judgment Department.


    He was increasingly convinced that there must be others at the Meridian Expansion Realm elsewhere in the world, and even those who stood higher than the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    He just didn''t know whaty beyond the Meridian Expansion Realm yet¡ªit was simply too remote for him at this point.


    Right now, his focus was solely on the major families and the Hidden Dragon Hall.


    In his view, it was uncertain how long it would take for his strength to match that of Hidden Dragon Hall, possibly even years.


    After all, he didn''t know the true extent of Hidden Dragon Hall''s formidable power; it might even surprise him by being stronger than he imagined!


    Although his cultivation speed was incredibly fast, so much so that one could call it abnormal, the key issue was that the cultivation technique recorded on the sheepskin scroll had nothing beyond the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    He had no idea what to do after reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    In other words, it was possible that this would be his limit for life, and he might never reach the strength to contend with Hidden Dragon Hall!


    Since he might not be able to defeat them even after many years, why not solve the problem now?


    Moreover, even if he were told that in ten years he could contend with Hidden Dragon Hall, he wouldn''t wait!


    Because he couldn''t wait anymore!


    Although he usually seemed carefree and jocr, the deep-seated enmity was always pressing on his heart like a heavy mountain, leaving him gasping for breath!


    At this moment, he had already made up his mind to resolve the matters with the several major families before the end of the year!


    If Hidden Dragon Hall insisted on getting involved, then he was prepared to fight to the death!


    Even if he died, he would make sure to drag those who hadmitted those atrocious deeds to hell with him!


    Having realized this, Su Chen felt slightly relieved from the previously heavy burden weighing on his mind.


    However, as for how exactly to approach the situation, he still needed to give it some thought, as the matter was of great significance!


    .....


    The time for lunch arrived swiftly, and Su Chen went downstairs to eat, naturally choosing the same restaurant he had visited with Xia Qiuru before.


    As expected, they entered the restaurant one after the other and naturally ended up sitting together.


    Su Chen casually ordered a few dishes and then handed the menu to the waiter.


    "By the way, what was with that expression when you answered your cousin''s phone call earlier? I thought someone was calling to collect a debt," Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Ah, you don''t know. Recently, Xinran''s parents have been pressing her to go on blind dates, which has made her upset and distressed. So she came to me to vent and asked me to persuade her parents not to push her," Xia Qiuru said helplessly.


    "Her parents even called me to persuade Xinran to agree to the blind dates."


    "Just go on the blind dates then," Su Chen remarked, shrugging nonchntly.


    Although Su Chen spoke casually, the thought of that young girl going on blind dates still made him feel odd, and he couldn''t quite exin why.


    "If Xinran heard you say that, she''d probably be hurt," Xia Qiuru said with a meaningful nce at Su Chen.


    "Why?" Su Chen feigned ignorance.


    "You don''t know?" Xia Qiuru tilted her head to look at Su Chen. Her eyes were gleaming, almost as if she could see through people''s hearts.


    "How would I know?" Su Chen said with an awkwardugh, feeling somewhat sheepish and avoiding Xia Qiuru''s ck gem-like eyes.


    "Pressed by her parents, Xinran said that she already has someone she likes," Xia Qiuru teased, looking at Su Chen meaningfully.


    "Ah, who is it?" Su Chen felt a sudden pang in his heart at Xia Qiuru''s words.


    "Her parents also want to know, but Xinran refuses to say," Xia Qiuru said with piercing eyes fixed on Su Chen.


    As a woman, Xia Qiuru''s instincts were naturally sharp, and she had noticed Xinran''s feelings for Su Chen, though she wasn''tpletely sure.


    Although she liked Su Chen, she didn''t feel any resentment towards Xu Xinran, after all, love was free.


    Sometimes falling in love with someone was simply beyond one''s control. Just like herself, knowing that he had a wife, knowing there was no future, yet she still fell for him...


    If that was the case for her, then what right did she have to me Xinran?

 Chapter 767: Evergreen Superior to Momentary Blossoms

    "Since she stubbornly refuses to talk, maybe this person doesn''t exist, and she made them up to fool her parents and stop them from pushing her into blind dates,"


    After hearing Xia Qiuru''s words, Su Chen replied, with some disingenuousness.


    "Really?"


    Seeing his guilty demeanor, Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but smile.


    "It should be."


    Su Chen nodded emphatically, unsure if he was trying to convince Xia Qiuru or himself.


    "Your thinking actually coincides with what her parents believe, which is why they keep forcing her to go on blind dates. That''s why Xinran called her this morning to talk about it."


    "Oh, is that so!"


    Su Chen stammered, and just as the dishes arrived, he hastily changed the subject:


    "Come on, their braised pork here is very good, try it."


    He said, picking up a piece for Xia Qiuru.


    Xia Qiuru smiled and didn''t continue the conversation...


    ...


    In a small courtyard of the Situ Family, there was a pine and cypress tree.


    At that moment, an old man was standing in front of the tree, looking up with a nk expression, lost in thought.


    Shortly after, a man in his fifties walked into the courtyard and stood beside him.


    "Master, what are you looking at?"


    Nian Song asked softly.


    "Braving the cold to wee the heat, standing tall on the mountain ridge; green in all seasons, proud against the azure sky. Thoughcking brilliance, permanence wins over fleeting fragrance."


    Situ Kong recited a poem as he gazed upon the lush green pine and cypress.


    "What do you mean by that, Master?"


    Nian Song seemed to understand but was also somewhat puzzled.


    "Permanence wins over fleeting fragrance!"


    Situ Kong uttered reflectively, his gaze still upon the tree:


    "This is also the philosophy of the Five Great Families. Legacy is of utmost importance! Permanence is more valuable than momentary splendor!"


    "Sir, are you worried?"


    Nian Song nced at the old man and asked.


    "The old monster of the Su Family is dead, how can I not be worried?"


    Situ Kong turned his head and sighed at Nian Song:


    "Do you think those other old fellows aren''t worried? They are even more concerned than I am!"


    "Yes, I never imagined that that young man could actually defeat that person from the Su Family, a true half-step Meridian Expansion master!"


    Upon hearing Situ Kong''s words, Nian Song, too, expressed his sentiments:


    "And he''s just barely over twenty!"


    "Even now, it still feels like a dream to me!"


    Nian Song continued.


    "What if he were to grow for another ten or twenty years?"


    Situ Kong looked at Nian Song as he spoke.


    After hearing Situ Kong''s words, Nian Song couldn''t help but shiver!


    "We must kill him as soon as possible!"


    Nian Song''s murky eyes suddenly red with fierce determination.


    In his mind, if this young man were allowed to continue to grow, perhaps not even the heavens could contain him!


    Of course, they had already made this decision earlier; now they were simply more resolved in their conviction!


    So, at this moment, when Situ Kong heard what Nian Song said, he nodded solemnly, although there was still a look of concern on his face.


    "My lord, you needn''t worry too much. I''m sure the other families will agree to join forces, and when the timees, as long as the Five Great Families act together, that young man will certainly have no chance of survival, no matter how powerful he is!"


    Nian Song reassured him.


    "You do have a point," replied Situ Kong.


    Situ Kong nodded, but in his heart, he was not as confident as Nian Song.


    Because this young man had already surprised them time and again beyond their expectations!


    Although they had Hidden Dragon Hall, it was not a force controlled by the Five Great Families!


    Whether they would take action or when they would do so was not up to them to decide!


    "Oh yes, my lord, I''ve revised the guest list for the third young master''s wedding again. Please take a look," Nian Song said, as he passed a rolled-up piece of paper to Situ Kong.


    Normally, wedding invitations would have been sent out by now, but since the Situ Family was a major n and Situ Kong attached great importance to this wedding, the guest list had been revised several times, so it hadn''t been sent out yet.


    "I''ll take a lookter. If there are no issues, go ahead and print them, and try to send them out the day after tomorrow," said Situ Kong, taking the guest list from Nian Song.


    "All right."


    Nian Song agreed, and then he left, as there were more and more things to deal with as the wedding date drew closer.


    And as the person in charge of this wedding, he was, of course, very busy¡­


    ...


    Unbeknownst to Su Chen, the Situ Family was preparing to join forces with the other great families to deal with him. Even if he knew, he wouldn''t care.


    After dining with Xia Qiuru, Su Chen strolled back to thepany.


    He didn''t stay long at thepany, only visiting the public rtions department for a while before driving back home to prepare for cultivation.


    He had been running around dealing with Skull Society affairs recently, so his cultivation practice had fallen behind.


    Once he entered the state of cultivation, time always flew by especially fast, and before he knew it, evening had arrived.


    Afterward, he stopped his cultivation to go grocery shopping, thinking that Lin Ruoxue probably hadn''t been eating well while he was away.


    Even though grocery shopping and cooking might seem mundane, and many men might feel it was beneath them, Su Chen actually enjoyed it quite a bit.


    He and Lin Ruoxue had dinner together that evening, and then they rested.


    The next day, after breakfast, Su Chen didn''t go to thepany with Lin Ruoxue but stayed at home to continue his cultivation.


    In the afternoon, he drove to the hospital because it was Yunlong''s day to be discharged.


    Actually, Yunlong had wanted to be discharged after just a couple of days, but Yunyao insisted that he listen to the doctors and stay until now.


    "Sis, when big brotherester, you have to take the initiative and seize the opportunity!"


    "And, you shouldn''t rush back to Jianghai anytime soon. Stay here for a while longer. You can think about going back after you''ve won big brother over."


    "You know what they say, ''A man woos a woman across a mountain, a woman woos a man behind a veil.'' Plus, you''re so beautiful!"


    ...


    At this moment, in the hospital room, Yunlong was earnestly giving advice to Yunyao.


    "Are you done being annoying?"


    Yunyao, who was busy packing up Yunlong''s belongings, couldn''t help but toss a piece of clothing onto the bed in frustration and spat out her impatience.


    Yunlong''s incessant advice was throwing her into a turmoil; she now deeply regretted admitting to him a few days ago that she felt something special for Su Chen.


    Because Yunlong had been harping on about his "big brother" constantly, asking her about her feelings for him.


    Yunyao, on a whim, said she didn''t know if she liked him or just found him special.


    Who knew that would lead her little brother to behave like he was on a stimnt, urging her every day to actively pursue his "big brother"¡ªwith even more zeal than before!


    Yunyao had already been feeling rather troubled about Su Chen and sometimes tried deliberately not to think about him.


    But now, even if she tried not to think about him, Yunlong would incessantly remind her, so one could only imagine how irritable she felt¡­

 Chapter 768 - 768 Hidden Dragon Hall Meeting

    "Sis, let me tell you, actually, Big Brother can be pretty lecherous at times, of course, every man would be."


    Yunlong leaned in close to Yunyao and said:


    "So sis, with you being so beautiful and having such a great figure, that''s the best weapon you have!"


    Upon hearing what Yunlong said, a blush instantly bloomed across Yunyao''s face!


    Yunlong called him lecherous, and Yunyao actually agreed wholeheartedly¡ªthe first impression is always the most profound, after all!


    But what Yunlong said was just too distasteful!


    What does he mean by the best weapon? It''s as if she''s that kind of woman!


    "Ahem!"


    Just then, a coughing sound suddenly arose!


    The two looked up and saw Su Chen; they had no idea when he hade in.


    Yunyao''s face also turned "whoosh" and she blushed deeply, looking like a ripe apple!


    Did he just hear Yunlong''s words? If he did, that would be so embarrassing!


    It was all Yunlong''s fault, that jerk, always pushing her to chase after his Big Brother. Is he really that great?


    "Are your things packed up?"


    Su Chen asked somewhat awkwardly, having not expected to walk in and overhear such a conversation!


    He was utterly speechless with Yunlong¡ªaren''t you selling your sister out a bit too thoroughly?


    "All¡­ all set!"


    Yunyao responded in a fluster after hearing Su Chen.


    "Big Brother, you''re here!"


    Yunlong, seemingly oblivious, cheerfully called out to Su Chen as soon as he saw him, then even blinked and said:


    "My sis was just asking why you hadn''t shown up yet!"


    With those words, Yunyao''s face turned even redder!


    And a surge of anger rose within her. If it weren''t for Su Chen being there, she would have punched Yunlong right then and asked him:


    "Since when did I ever ask about his arrival?"


    "Oh, is that so?"


    Su Chen could only respond with an awkward smile.


    "Of course, my sis brings you up to me every day!"


    Yunlong dered with absolute certainty.


    Now, Yunyao almost fainted; it was him talking about his Big Brother every day, wasn''t it!


    She swore that if there was a hole in the ground, she would dive in without a second word!


    Because this was just too mortifying, wasn''t it?!


    At this moment, Yunyao truly wanted to strangle Yunlong!


    No, she felt it was absolutely necessary to verify their DNA, to see if this was really her brother or not!


    Nobody sabotages their sister like this!


    Su Chen, of course, knew Yunlong was spouting nonsense; Yunyao talking about him every day? No one would believe that!


    "Keep talking nonsense!" Su Chen said, "If you''re packed, let''s go."


    Yunyao couldn''t wait to leave right away, who knew what else Yunlong might say if the conversation went on.


    Afterwards, Su Chen drove them back, and the whole way Yunyao was on tenterhooks until Su Chen left and she finally breathed a sigh of relief...


    Su Chen didn''t linger at Yunlong''s ce either. Although he figured Yunyao probably wasn''t interested in him, Yunlong''s constant attempts to set them up were bound to be awkward!


    After leaving Yunlong''s, Su Chen naturally returned to hispany, went to his office, and began ying Candy Crush...


    ....


    In some ce in Yandu, there stood an ancient building that had witnessed countless years.


    Yet no one in Yandu had ever seen this building, for it was always concealed by a formation.


    At this moment, in the great hall of this building, a middle-aged man with a rather schrly demeanor sat above. This person was Wei Hua, the Vice Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall.


    At his lower seat, there were thirty to forty people standing.


    Most of these individuals had reached at least half a step into the Meridian Expansion, and quite a few were actually in the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    Yan Xi was conspicuously among them, yet Han Cheng, who was with herst time, was not present.


    At this moment, everyone''s expression seemed somewhat troubled.


    "Vice Hall Master, why don''t we send someone to capture that person again and administer punishment?"


    After a long silence, a man in his thirties spoke up.


    "Capture? There''s no need for more capturing, if you ask me. His tant disregard for our Hidden Dragon Hall warrants death!"


    An elderly man around sixty huffed coldly, he was none other than Yu Xiangdong, the master of Han Cheng, who had been injured by Su Chen.


    "Protector Yu, after all, he has done quite a few things beneficial for Huaxia. We should give him a chance to reform," another somewhat fierce-looking woman suggested.


    "Just because of that little bit of merit, he can do whatever he pleases?"


    Yu Weidong nced sideways at the woman and disdainfully retorted,


    "If that''s the case, everything would fall into chaos!"


    "You''re just settling personal scores!"


    At that moment, a crisp voice rang out.


    "What did you say?"


    Upon hearing this, Yu Weidong''s face instantly darkened, and he said through gritted teeth.


    "It is exactly as I said, you''re only angry and want to kill him because Su Chen hurt your disciple!"


    Yan Xi spoke candidly.


    The others changed their expressions slightly upon hearing this; they all actually shared the same sentiment.


    However, because Protector Yu had seniority, it was ufortable for them to voice their thoughts out of concern for his dignity.


    Besides, they all knew that though Yu Weidong held the position of a protector, he was not magnanimous, and many were dissatisfied with him.


    No one expected the words they hesitated to say would be blurted out by the young Yan Xi.


    "Yan Xi, it is inappropriate to speak to a protector in such a manner!"


    At this point, the middle-aged man sitting above deliberately put on a somewhat displeased face and reprimanded her.


    "Hmph!"


    Yan Xi hummed lightly, neither too loudly nor too softly.


    "Protector Yu, Yan Xi is still young, and her words mayck restraint; I hope you won''t take them to heart," the schrly middle-aged man said, shaking his head slightly at Yan Xi''s disgruntled expression and then addressing Yu Weidong.


    "The Vice Hall Master thinks too highly of me. How could I possibly take a child''s words so seriously?"


    Wei Hua had spoken, what more could he say? Yet the look he gave Yan Xi was filled with malice.


    "Protector Yao, what is your opinion?"


    Wei Hua then turned to another man of about the same age.


    "Vice Hall Master, I too believe that what Protector Yu said about killing him outright is improper. Not to mention the young man''s contributions to Huaxia, his actions were motivated by the visceral need to avenge his kin, which is understandable."


    The man referred to as Protector Yao by Wei Hua stated.


    "So you suggest that we simply turn a blind eye?"


    Seeing Protector Yao also disagree with him, Yu Weidong immediately retorted, his toneced with sarcasm.


    "Did I say we should turn a blind eye?"


    While others might have been more cautious in their words towards Yu Weidong, Yao Zhe, who was of equal status to Yu Weidong, was not so reserved, especially given his straightforward nature.


    "Then what do you mean by that?"


    Yu Weidong spoke coldly, his expression as dark as a stormy sea.


    "I think the best course of action is to persuade him to let go, for the person in question has already passed away."


    Without paying heed to Yu Weidong, Yao Zhe continued speaking to Wei Hua,


    "Besides, it''s extremely rare to find someone so young with such a level of cultivation. Why not recruit him into our Hidden Dragon Hall?"

 Chapter 769: Suddenly Leaving

    As soon as everyone heard Yao Zhe''s words, their eyes lit up. Yes, that young man was only in his early twenties and was already one step away from the Meridian Expansion Realm, definitely a Martial Arts monster, no, a Martial Arts prodigy!


    Although several of them were also at the Meridian Expansion Realm, they had only entered that Realm in their forties, even Vice Hall Master Wei Hua had entered it in his thirties!


    Why not recruit such a young man and utilize his capabilities to contribute to the stability of Huaxia?


    "I agree with Protector Yao''s suggestion!"


    The woman who had spoken out earlier, who was quite robust and somewhat fierce-looking, immediately said.


    "I also agree. Judging by his past actions, he seems to have deep feelings for Huaxia. I think he would agree."


    Another person also nodded in agreement.


    The others also expressed their support for Yao Zhe''s suggestion. After all, it would be a win-win situation, and the organization would gain a once-in-a-century talent who might even lead the Hidden Dragon Hall in the future!


    .....


    "I disagree!"


    Just then, a voice filled with anger suddenly arose!


    Seeing everyone unanimously supporting Yao Zhe''s proposal, Yu Weidong felt like his lungs were about to burst with anger!


    Wasn''t this a p in his face?


    Instead of punishing the young man who had injured his disciple, these people were actually considering recruiting him!


    "Protector Yu, feel free to speak your mind."


    A hint of dissatisfaction flickered across Wei Hua''s face, but it quickly disappeared, and he retained his gentle and refined demeanor.


    "Vice Hall Master, we had just decided to punish this young man. Now, not only are we not punishing him, but we also want to recruit him. Isn''t this changing orders overnight?"


    Yu Weidong spoke vehemently:


    "Moreover, he severely injured Han Cheng! This is an extreme disrespect to our Hidden Dragon Hall! Even if we don''t kill him, we absolutely must not fail to punish him severely!"


    "As for recruiting him into the organization, that''s even more impossible! Otherwise, outsiders might think that Hidden Dragon Hall is afraid of this young man!"


    "Ha ha~~~"


    As soon as Yu Weidong finished speaking, a somewhat harshugh rang out, clearly carrying a tinge of sarcasm.


    "Yao Zhe, what are youughing at?"


    Yu Weidong frowned upon hearing thisughter.


    "It seems Yan Xi was right after all. In the end, it''s all because that young man injured your disciple."


    Yao Zhe looked at Yu Weidong and said:


    "Besides, I have heard from Yan Xi about what happened then. It was Han Cheng who started with a deadly move, aiming to kill him, and the young man responded as such. It would have been easy for him to kill your disciple then and there, and his mercy was already shown!"


    "You not only fail to teach your disciple to be humble, but you are also only set on seeking revenge for him. How is that reasonable?"


    "Moreover, what do you mean by changing orders overnight? We all want him to join because we recognize his talent, moved by admiration for talent, that''s all!"


    Yao Zhe''s words struck Yu Weidong''s vulnerabilities sharply, causing his face to undergo several changes, looking extremely ugly!


    The others were secretly nodding their heads, agreeing with Yao Zhe''s words.


    At that moment, Yu Weidong had no words to retort, his chest heaving in frustration!


    "Does anyone else have any objections to the suggestion made by Protector Yao earlier?"


    Wei Hua surveyed the crowd and asked. After two seconds, he continued:


    "Since no one has any objections, let this matter be settled. Does anyone wish to speak with him and invite him to join our Hidden Dragon Hall?"


    "I''ll go."


    Yao Zhe smiled and said:


    "I''m quite interested in thisd and would like to meet him first."


    "Very well, then, Protector Yao, this matter is yours to handle!"


    Wei Hua nodded:


    "Yan Xi, you''ve met him before, so please apany Protector Yao."


    "Vice Hall Master, I''m afraid Protector Yao''s suggestion might not work?"


    Yan Xi nced at Wei Hua, somewhat troubled.


    Upon hearing Yan Xi''s words, everyone was slightly stunned. Wasn''t it going well? Why wouldn''t it work?


    "Yan Xi, are you saying he isn''t willing to join our Hidden Dragon Hall?"


    Wei Hua spoke coldly, believing that joining Hidden Dragon Hall was the highest honor for every person in Huaxia!


    "Whether he''s willing to join Hidden Dragon Hall, I do not know."


    Yan Xi shook her head and said:


    "Only that Protector Yao mentioned him letting go of the past, which is impossible."


    "I have advised him before, but he mentioned a blood feud that must be avenged! I could see that without settling the matters of the past, he will absolutely not rest!"


    Hearing Yan Xi''s words, everyone then remembered that there was a precondition for him to join Hidden Dragon Hall, which was to refrain from acting against the Five Great Families, essentially to give up on revenge!


    If he isn''t willing to do so, then recruiting him was unlikely to happen, as they couldn''t simply allow him to act against the Five Great Families!


    However, the fact that he was still resolute despite knowing of Hidden Dragon Hall''s existence did deserve admiration!


    The people of Hidden Dragon Hall all knew that Yan Xi and that young man were acquainted, but exactly how they knew each other, Yan Xi was not willing to disclose.


    Despite this, everyone still tended to believe what Yan Xi said.


    "Vice Hall Master, since thisd is so stubborn, we need not be too polite anymore!"


    The others felt somewhat troubled upon hearing Yan Xi''s statement, except for Yu Weidong, who suddenly became excited!


    "In that case, let''s still trouble Protector Yao to make the trip. If he can persuade him to let go of the past, all the better. If it''s not possible, then bring him back and confine him at the rear cliff for three years. Over time, he might change his mind."


    Wei Hua decisively said, also worried that Yu Weidong might propose some harsher punishment, hence he quickly made the decision!


    After speaking, he couldn''t help but nce at Yan Xi, as if to say, "Little girl, are you satisfied now?"


    Sure enough, upon hearing Wei Hua''s words, Yu Weidong immediately became discontented. What kind of punishment was that? Obviously, Wei Hua just wanted to protect thatd!


    Just as he was about to continue speaking, suddenly a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy came from a hallway adjacent to the hall and walked straight towards Wei Hua, whispering something into his ear.


    Everyone somewhat recognized the boy; he was an orphan adopted by Wei Hua.


    Upon hearing the boy''s words, Wei Hua''s expression subtly changed, then he said to everyone:


    "Please wait here for a moment; I shall return shortly."


    Without waiting for anyone to speak, he rose and headed down the hallway the boy had juste from, hurrying along, with the boy closely following him.


    The people in the hall were instantly puzzled. What had the boy and the Vice Hall Master discussed that made him leave everyone behind so abruptly without even suggesting they disperse?


    Thus, everyone simply stayed where they were, waiting for Wei Hua to return...

 Chapter 770 - 670 Wei Huas Decision

    "Little girl, how on earth did you get to know that guy?"


    Yao Zhe asked Yan Xi with a curious smile.


    "Just met by chance!"


    Yan Xi pursed her lips and said.


    "What? You''re keeping it a secret from your master, and you want to hide it from Uncle Yao too?"


    Yao Zhe pretended to be angry, knowing that Yan Xi''s master was actually Vice Hall Master Wei Hua.


    "If I tell you, you''re not allowed to tell that old Wei guy."


    Yan Xi whispered, although Wei Hua was a vibrant middle-aged man, she always called him old Wei.


    Because Wei Hua was very strict with her, disallowing this and that, like an old pedant!


    Of course, this nickname was only used privately. During formal proceedings, like earlier, she obviously referred to him as the Vice Hall Master.


    The same went for Yao Zhe; privately, she didn''t call him Protector Yao, but Uncle Yao.


    In fact, Wei Hua knew that although she appeared to be a mature woman, she was actually quite naive and straightforward in her thinking. He was strict with her because he feared that she would be deceived or inadvertently cause trouble.


    "Don''t worry, we know each other well, Uncle Yao promises not to tell!"


    Yao Zhe said earnestly.


    "Alright then."


    Yan Xi trusted Yao Zhe quite a bit and then whispered in his ear:


    "Actually, we met at a bar!"


    "Ah, you actually went to that kind of ce?!"


    Upon hearing Yan Xi''s words, Yao Zhe instantly widened his eyes in disbelief.


    "Shh!"


    Yan Xi was startled and quickly shushed him.


    "Oh, oh!"


    Yao Zhe immediately caught on and quickly smiled apologetically, then pulled Yan Xi into a corner:


    "Quick, tell me what exactly happened?"


    "Why are you asking about this?"


    Yan Xi said with a hint of embarrassment.


    "Just curious. I want to see what kind of boy he is. Tell me about your interaction with him!"


    Yao Zhe casually inquired, truly concerned about Yan Xi. After all, a bar was a ce where all sorts mingled, and he did not know Su Chen.


    Yan Xi didn''t suspect anything and generally described what happened that night, which was partly due to the good rtionship she shared with Yao Zhe.


    After listening to Yan Xi excitedly and somewhat shyly tell her story, Yao Zhe just smiled nomittally.


    It seemed that the young man was indeed a decent person!


    "Uncle Yao, please don''t hurt him when you take him away. Consider it a request from me, okay?"


    Yan Xi said with some concern.


    "Don''t worry, your Uncle Yao knows what he''s doing!"


    Yao Zhe said with a slight smile...


    Yu Weidong, looking at Yao Zhe and Yan Xi in the corner, let a trace of coldness cross his face!


    Yao Zhe certainly felt it, but didn''t take it to heart; in fact, he often disagreed with Yu Weidong''s methods and tactics.


    The others were also discussing in small groups, with most of them guessing about what had just happened...


    About half an hourter, Wei Hua emerged from the passage they had used earlier, and everyone stopped their discussions and looked at him as he walked in.


    Wei Hua sat down on the stage, then swept his gaze over the crowd, and said in a deep voice:


    "I am now announcing a decision!"


    Everyone was taken aback by Wei Hua''s solemn tone and attitude, and then their expressions turned grave.


    Usually, Wei Hua appeared amiable and approachable, addressing problems by discussing solutions with everyone, rarely ever looking like this.


    "Starting today, we will no longer concern ourselves with matters between Su Chen and the Five Great Families. No matter what happens, no one from Hidden Dragon Hall may intervene!"


    Wei Hua spoke slowly, his words imbued with an undeniable authority that spread out around him!


    Everyone was dumbfounded upon hearing Wei Hua''s deration, their mouths agape in shock!


    What was going on?


    Wei Hua had just talked about bringing that young man back to be confined at the rear cliff for three years, so how had it suddenlye to this?


    Moreover, wasn''t this decision contrary to the long-standing rules of Hidden Dragon Hall?


    What exactly caused Vice Hall Master Wei Hua to have such a drastic change in attitude?


    It must be rted to his brief absence just now, but what exactly happened during that time?


    Everyone waspletely in the dark, feeling everything was very mysterious!


    "Uncle Yao, what on earth is going on?"


    Yan Xi turned to Yao Zhe beside her and asked. Of course, she hoped that Hidden Dragon Hall would stay out of the affairs between Su Chen and the Five Great Families, but the current situation was just too bizarre!


    "It seems the young fellow you know is not of ordinary status!"


    Yao Zhe looked at Wei Hua''s serious expression and murmured insightfully.


    "Not ordinary?"


    Yan Xi frowned upon hearing this, thinking that he didn''t seem extraordinary, did he?


    His identity as the King of the Nether might seem powerful to outsiders, but in the eyes of Hidden Dragon Hall, it wasn''t something to be concerned about.


    If one were to say his cultivation was formidable, there were certainly not a few within Hidden Dragon Hall stronger than him!


    "Vice Hall Master..."


    Yu Weidong, upon hearing Wei Hua''s words, became anxious. What was this about?


    Was his disciple going to be beaten for nothing?


    The so-called punishment of three years'' seclusion was already as light as it could be, and he was biting the bullet on that!


    Now, to his dismay, they were straight-up ignoring the matter; how could he stand for this!


    But as soon as he spoke up, Wei Hua interrupted him:


    "Protector Yu, this is my final decision. I hope you don''t have any objections!"


    As Wei Hua''s wordsnded, everyone was once again profoundly stunned!


    After all, it was rare for Wei Hua to show so little regard for Yu Weidong''s feelings, especially with such an upromising and imperious attitude!


    "Yes!"


    As the Vice Hall Master, Wei Hua was ultimately inmand. Although he usually seemed like a gentle person, once he exerted his authority, even Yu Weidong wouldn''t dare to defy him!


    However, as he uttered the word "Yes," his heart was filled with frustration and disdain!


    "Alright, let''s leave the matter at that. Everyone, you may disperse," Wei Hua dered, signaling an end to the discussion with a wave of his hand.


    Upon hearing this, everyone retreated, but each person left with a heart full of doubts...


    ......


    Su Chen waspletely unaware of the events unfolding within Hidden Dragon Hall!


    At the moment, he was joyfully ying Candy Crush in his office; he hadn''t been ying the game long, so he was still enjoying it immensely!


    Considering he had nothing else to do at thepany besides ying games, reading magazines, or asionally visiting the PR department and Xia Qiuru, he was quite content.


    However, since he was under the watchful eye of his own wife, he only visited the PR department and Xia Qiuru asionally. After all, if Lin Ruoxue got annoyed and issued a strict confinement edict, it would be more than he bargained for!


    In truth, Lin Ruoxue understood his character, so she usually turned a blind eye unless he went too far...


    If she were to get angry with him every day over such matters, she herself would be the one to suffer in the end...

 Chapter 771 - 771 Visitors from Hidden Dragon Hall

    The night was cool as water, and the bright moonlight spread across thend.


    It was after ten o''clock at night, and Su Chen was quietly lying on his bedroom bed, casually flipping through a fashion magazine, while Lin Ruoxue was still working in the study next door.


    Su Chen had long grown ustomed to this situation, who else but himself hadnded such a workaholic wife?


    Probably not letting her work would be more painful for her than killing her.


    Therefore, Su Chen had never thought of making her a housewife, at most he just often reminded her to take care of her health and not to overwork herself.


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly sensed an unusual presence. He immediately narrowed his eyes, then opened the window and leaped out in a sh.


    As soon as hended, he began to search for the unusual presence he had detected just moments before.


    Soon, his gaze fixed on a tree not far away.


    "p, p, p!"


    At that moment, a figure jumped down from the tree, pping andughing:


    "I didn''t expect you to be so sharp; I had just arrived and you noticed me!"


    "Who are you?"


    Su Chen looked at the man walking towards him and asked coldly.


    At the same time, his muscles tensed, and the True Yuan in his body gathered in an instant!


    Because although this middle-aged man looked ordinary, Su Chen sensed an incredibly powerful aura from him!


    Although his cultivation had improved beyond recognition and had reached a level he had never imagined before,


    he still felt weak in front of this middle-aged man!


    "Hidden Dragon Hall!"


    The man said indifferently.


    As the words fell, Su Chen suddenly felt his heart contract!


    They had indeede after all!


    And they had sent such a powerful figure!


    Compared to him, thest one who came, Han Cheng, was utterly insignificant!


    Su Chen''s heart immediately felt heavy¡ªthe strength of Hidden Dragon Hall was truly extraordinary!


    Just then, the man suddenly moved, disappearing from his spot in an instant and appeared right in front of Su Chen,unching a palm strike at him!


    The air around his palm moved without wind, and a massive wave of True Essence Energy surged toward him, like a wild beast opening its mouth to devour everything!


    "Too fast!"


    Su Chen''s pupils constricted, and not daring to be careless, he too moved swiftly, dodging to the side!


    "Eh!"


    The man, seeing Su Chen had actually dodged his palm strike, couldn''t help but let out a light sound of surprise, his interest in the young man increasing!


    Immediately, he swung a side kick towards the side, the speed like an arrow leaving the bow, and the power akin to a cannonball!


    Su Chen had just steadied himself when he saw a leg sweeping toward him with terrifying force; unable to think, he instinctively twisted his waist and barely dodged the ferocious attack!


    But before he could catch his breath, the leg that had just swept past swung back towards him, aiming straight for his abdomen!


    "Damn, will this ever end!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but curse to himself, while simultaneously moving swiftly, retreating back like a gust of wind!


    "Indeed, quite interesting!"


    The man, seeing Su Chen repeatedly evade his attacks, became even more astonished and his interest in Su Chen deepened!


    Suddenly, the man attacked Su Chen again, with increased speed and vigor from before!


    Under the opponent''s fierce offensive, Su Chen could only continuously dodge!


    But the opponent was too fast, no sooner had he dodged one attack than the next was already upon him, and each was faster than thest!


    Though Su Chen barely managed to dodge each wave of attacks, he ended up utterly disheveled!


    Sometimes, driven to desperation, he had to roll on the ground to evade the opponent''s strikes!


    Before long, his face and body were smeared with mud and the grass and leaves from the nearby flower beds, and he felt extremely frustrated!


    You should know, besides being betrayed by Tang Gang over a year ago and cornered by the masters of the Judgment Department, he had never been in such a disarray!


    Back then, at least it was many people attacking him, but this time it was just one person!


    What he didn''t realize was that the middle-aged man''s heart was growing more and more shocked!


    Although this young boy was pressed into a disarray by him, he could dodge appropriately every time no matter what method was used!


    The opponent''sbat experience was too rich, and his reaction speed was absolutely rare!


    More importantly, he vaguely felt that the true strength of his opponent was not as simple as he thought!


    He had initially just wanted to test the depth of this young boy, but this test had greatly exceeded his expectations!


    Well, let me see just how far you can hold up!


    The man then threw a punch at Su Chen, his fist tearing through the void; on the edge of his fist shimmered a powerful energy of True Essence, heading straight for Su Chen!


    "Damn, here ites again!"


    Su Chen felt that continuing to dodge was not a solution, and he immediately decided to go on the offensive instead!


    Of course, he wouldn''t confront the man directly since he felt his strength was definitely not on par with his opponent''s!


    Watching the imposing punch barreling towards him, he suddenly flicked his wrist and five Silver Needles shot out!


    "Swoosh swoosh swoosh~~"


    A series of sounds cutting through the air suddenly rang out, with a sh of silver light!


    The man, seeing the silver light shooting towards his face at the speed of lightning, was startled. He hadn''t expected the young man to suddenly counterattack!


    When the Silver Needles were about twenty centimeters from his face, he hurriedly tilted his head slightly, and the five Silver Needles flew past his eyes!


    Though he was confident in his superiority in strength over the young man, he didn''t retract the punch he had thrown!


    So, after dodging the Silver Needles, he immediately turned his head back, his fist continuing its relentless advance!


    But just as he turned his head back, suddenly several cold lights shed in the void ¡ª this time, seven Silver Needles were speeding towards him!


    "Is this fun?"


    The man, rather speechlessly, twisted his mouth and again dodged to the side, his punch still relentlessly pushing forward, now reaching the young man!


    But just as he dodged past the seven Silver Needles with his face still tilted, he suddenly felt a chilling surge over his body, and he without hesitation pulled back the punch he had thrown!


    A sh of cold light urred, and a mist of blood sprayed out!


    The man was a bit too slow, and a deep gash was sliced across his arm!


    The man felt a wave of relief. If he hadn''t felt the fluctuation of Yuan Qi around his arm and immediately pulled back, he might have had his hand cut off by the opponent''s dagger!


    Seeing this, Su Chen internally remarked it a pity; though the opponent didn''t see it due to his tilted face, he had felt the danger and timely withdrew his hand!


    Su Chen also knew that the opponent had likely sensed it through the fluctuation of Yuan Qi. It just proved that the middle-aged man had an incredibly sharp sense of Yuan Qi!

 Chapter 772: No More Fighting

    But Su Chen knew this was not the time for regrets, so as he swung his dagger, his figure shed, directly closing in for an attack, simrlyunching a punch!


    This punch was truly Su Chen''s finishing move, because even if the dagger had just cut off his opponent''s arm, that wasn''t a fatal injury!


    However, the pain caused by a severed arm would definitely slow down the opponent''s reaction speed; what he wanted was that slight dy in reaction¡ªit was his opportunity!


    Although the opponent had only sustained a minor injury due to his sensitive perception of True Yuan, it ultimately had a little effect!


    Therefore, Su Chen didn''t waste this rare chance and exerted his speed to the extreme, closing in on his opponent and gathering all his body''s True Essence Energy into his fist beforeunching it!


    "Meridian Expansion Realm?!"


    Feeling the immense and pure True Yuan on Su Chen''s fist, the man was shocked!


    He dared not take it lightly and, in a flurry, raised his arms to block the punch carrying the powerful True Essence Energy!


    "Boom!"


    The punchnded on the arms, releasing an explosive sound, and the man was actually knocked back five or six meters!


    After being knocked back, the man didn''t immediately counterattack, but looked at Su Chen with a shocked face!


    Based on Han Cheng''s description, this young man hadn''t entered the Meridian Expansion Realm at the time¡ªcould it be that in less than a month, he had already advanced to it?


    Wasn''t this far too terrifying? Entering the Meridian Expansion Realm in his early twenties, he didn''t even dare to contemte it!


    After all, the Meridian Expansion Realm was a tremendous divide in martial arts; how could it be so easily crossed?!


    But then, the man''s brows furrowed!


    Something wasn''t right? This young man hadn''t carved out a single meridian yet; it was impossible for him to be at the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    But how could he possess the dense True Yuan and speed that only those in the Meridian Expansion Realm could possibly have?


    What was going on?


    For a moment, the man''s heart was full of doubts!


    No matter what, this young man was undoubtedly a monster!


    He must bring him into the Hidden Dragon Hall!


    Su Chen, seeing that the opponent was only knocked back five or six meters, also felt a wave of frustration!


    The opponent had mustered True Essence Energy in haste, yet it had already neutralized most of his own True Essence Energy!


    It was an unavoidable fact that simply demonstrated the gap between them was still too obvious!


    But Su Chen was not someone who gave up easily; he stared intensely at the middle-aged man, his eyes flickering with fierce determination!


    The middle-aged man, seeing the ferocity in Su Chen''s eyes, as if ready to fight to the death at any moment, couldn''t help but wryly shake his head!


    It seemed this youngster really did see himself as an enemy!


    "Alright, let''s sit down and talk!"


    The man suddenly gestured with his hand.


    Su Chen was momentarily stunned upon hearing this!


    What was this about?


    They had just been fighting fiercely, why suddenly sit down and talk?


    The change in tone was much too abrupt, wasn''t it?


    "No more fighting?"


    Su Chen asked tentatively.


    "No more. I just wanted to test your mettle,d, but who knew you''d fight so ferociously!"


    The man said helplessly, ncing at the deep wound on his arm.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but smirk, thinking to himself, I have such a huge gap with you, could I afford not to fight with all I''ve got?


    "Alright then, let''s reintroduce ourselves. I''m Yao Zhe of Hidden Dragon Hall."


    The man extended a hand with a smile toward Su Chen.


    Yes, this middle-aged man was none other than Yao Zhe, the protector of Hidden Dragon Hall.


    "Su Chen."


    Su Chen, although he also extended a hand and lightly shook it, remained on high alert, wary that this could be a trick.


    Although he knew that if the other party really wanted to deal with him, they wouldn''t need any tricks and could simply defeat him with their strength, being cautious was never a mistake!


    Yao Zhe looked at Su Chen''s guarded appearance and smiled faintly.


    He understood why the other party was so cautious; after all, Hidden Dragon Hall had been trying to capture him before. If it were him, he would definitely be extra careful, especially when his strength was inferior to the other''s.


    Yao Zhe then walked over and sat down on the steps in front of a nearby household, patting the space beside him:


    "Come on, sit down and let''s have a chat!"


    Su Chen became even more puzzled. It seemed that this guy really did want to talk to him!


    "Sure, you want to talk, so let''s talk!"


    Su Chen was not someone to dilly-dally, and immediately went over and sat down next to him.


    "Do you know why I came looking for you today?"


    Yao Zhe turned his head to look at Su Chen and asked.


    "How would I know."


    Su Chen pursed his lips and then lit a cigarette.


    Although he was not as strong as the other party, that did not mean he had to show any weakness in front of him.


    "I came mainly for two purposes. The first one was to test your depth, and I''ve already done that just now. To tell you the truth, it greatly exceeded my expectations."


    Yao Zhe looked at Su Chen''s calm demeanor and could not help but feel a bit of admiration!


    "Just get to the second one!"


    Su Chen was not interested in beating around the bush and bluntly said.


    If it were an average master facing someone less powerful daring to speak to them so rudely, they would certainly be annoyed and might even teach them a lesson!


    But Yao Zhe didn''t react that way. The more Su Chen behaved like this, the more it suited his taste!


    To him, regardless of strength, one must never cower and lose the bearing of a man!


    If Su Chen had acted timid and terrified in front of him just because of his superior strength, Yao Zhe would have actually looked down on him.


    "The second thing is probably something you are very interested in hearing," Yao Zhe said with a slight smile.


    "What is it?"


    Su Chen became somewhat curious after hearing him say that.


    "We at Hidden Dragon Hall have decided, as of today, to no longer intervene in your affairs with the Five Great Families."


    Yao Zhe looked at Su Chen, with an ambiguous smile on his face.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen was momentarily stunned!


    Hidden Dragon Hall is stepping back? How could that be possible?


    Although that was indeed his wish, the news came so suddenly that it left him somewhat dazed!


    "Why?"


    Su Chen asked, his voice tinged with bewilderment, as he was genuinely at a loss.


    Not long ago, Hidden Dragon Hall had wanted to capture him and severely punish him, so why the sudden change of heart?


    "I don''t know the specific reason, but this is the decision of our Vice Hall Master, so you can rest assured!"


    Yao Zhe said as he looked at the rather perplexed Su Chen:


    "You don''t know the reason?"


    "Of course not! If I knew the reason, why would I ask you?"


    Su Chen replied irritably, his brow furrowing deeper.


    "That''s true, haha!"


    Yao Zhe didn''t take offense; instead, he burst intoughter.


    He had originally thought that Su Chen might know something about the reason, but seeing him this way, it was apparent that he waspletely clueless.


    Su Chen''s reaction made him even more curious. What exactly had prompted Vice Hall Master Wei Hua to make that sudden decision? If it was because Su Chen had an extraordinary identity, then he should at least know something about it...

 Chapter 773: Invitation and Rejection

    Su Chen and Yao Zhe chatted for a while and found that he rather liked this person, who did not put on airs like Han Cheng didst time.


    If that were the case, Su Chen wouldn''t have bothered with him, no matter how strong his abilities were.


    Because of this, his impression of the Hidden Dragon Hall had slightly improved.


    "By the way, with your strength being so formidable, you must hold a significant position in your Hidden Dragon Hall. What is your role?"


    After a moment, Su Chen asked curiously.


    "Protector."


    Yao Zhe said indifferently, a trace of pride shing across his face!


    "Protector?!"


    Su Chen was indeed a bit shocked when he heard this. ording to Yan Xi''s introduction, the position of protector in Hidden Dragon Hall was the highest, after only the primary and deputy hall masters!


    He hadn''t expected the middle-aged man who hade to his doorstep tonight to be such a person!


    At this point, Su Chen wasn''t surprised by his formidable strength since his status was obvious!


    "Su Chen, although we in the Hidden Dragon Hall have decided not to intervene in your affairs with the Five Great Families, there are conditions!"


    Yao Zhe said, his expression turning serious:


    "It means you must not affect the stability of Yandu or even Huaxia, and you must try to minimize the impact to a local area!"


    "If you go too far, we will retract our decision ande at you with full force!"


    The words Yao Zhe said were, of course, ryed by Wei Hua to give to Su Chen, as Hidden Dragon Hall''s purpose was to maintain the stability and order of Huaxia!


    "I''m aware of that."


    Su Chen responded nomittally. Even if Yao Zhe hadn''t mentioned it, he would have been mindful of it himself!


    After all, he was a Huaxia native and had even been the Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade!


    "By the way, I have a question I''d like to ask you."


    Su Chen suddenly said.


    "What question?"


    Yao Zhe asked casually.


    "I want to ask you, based on your judgment, what is my strength level, and have I reached the Meridian Expansion Realm?"


    Su Chen had always wanted to know how his cultivation realmpared to that of ordinary martial artists, and now that Yao Zhe, a top-notch expert, was present, he took the opportunity to ask.


    "You don''t know your own realm?"


    Yao Zhe immediately asked in surprise.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen rolled his eyes, implying the same as before, which was, if I knew, would I still be asking you?


    "Actually, I also find your strength and realm a bit strange. Judging by the True Essence Aura emitted from thatst punch you threw at me, you had definitely reached the Meridian Expansion Realm!"


    Yao Zhe also showed a puzzled look and said:


    "But you clearly haven''t entered the Meridian Expansion Realm!"


    Since below the Meridian Expansion Realm, one could only judge a person''s realm by the strength of their True Essence Aura, it was normal for Yao Zhe not to see that his actual realm was at the Qi Refinement Peak!


    "My strength in thatst punch really reached the Meridian Expansion Realm? You didn''t see wrong?"


    Su Chen got excited on hearing Yao Zhe''s words. Although he had felt the same before, he wasn''t quite sure!


    "Do you think I would see wrong?"


    This time it was Yao Zhe''s turn to roll his eyes. If he couldn''t even see that, how could he be a protector of the Hidden Dragon Hall?


    Yet, he found it strange that Su Chen did not even know his own real realm. That was quite abnormal!


    This young man was indeed full of mysteries, instilling curiosity!


    "Yes, yes, definitely not wrong!"


    Su Chen was momentarily foolishly pleased.


    Seeing him looking foolishly happy, Yao Zhe became even more certain that he really didn''t know he had reached the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    "By the way, I also came for another reason."


    Yao Zhe suddenly said.


    "What is it?"


    "I hope you can join our Hidden Dragon Hall,"


    Yao Zhe said seriously.


    "You want me to join you?"


    Su Chen pointed to his own nose with a surprised gesture and asked.


    "What do you think? Such an opportunity is very rare!"


    Yao Zhe looked at Su Chen and smiled faintly.


    "Sorry, I''m not interested."


    Su Chen waved his hand decisively, without any hesitation.


    "Won''t you reconsider? Such opportunities are something others can''t even beg for!"


    Yao Zhe hurriedly said, not expecting Su Chen to refuse!


    "No need to consider, my decision won''t change."


    Su Chen said firmly.


    "Why?"


    Yao Zhe found it strange that he was so adamant in his refusal and had virtually no second thoughts.


    "I''m not ustomed to being under someone''s control, and I prefer being free on my own!"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    He didn''t even want to be the Hall Master of the Nether Temple, let alone a regr member of the Hidden Dragon Hall?


    Even though Hidden Dragon Hall was much stronger than the Nether Temple, he wasn''t interested!


    "Honey! Honey!~~~"


    Just then, a few panicked voices came from the vi across the street.


    "Alright, my wife is calling me, I need to go back," Su Chen stood up and turned to smile at Yao Zhe.


    It seemed that Lin Ruoxue had finished her work and returned to the bedroom but didn''t see him, thus she started calling out in worry.


    "Okay, but think it over once more!"


    Yao Zhe also stood up, still somewhat unwilling to let it go.


    Su Chen smiled and said nothing, continuing to walk towards his own house.


    "Honey, where did you go?"


    Lin Ruoxue hadn''t found Su Chen in the house, so she thought to go outside and look for him.


    But just as she stepped out the door, she saw Su Chen walking into the yard, so she asked him.


    "And why are you so dirty?"


    The yard was well lit, and Lin Ruoxue became more curious as she noticed a lot of dust on him.


    "It''s nothing, I was just bored and decided to go out for a walk, and I identally tripped."


    Su Chen said,ughing:


    "Let''s go back to sleep!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at him skeptically, tripped? How could that be possible?


    Nevertheless, she didn''t ask any further and turned around with him to head back inside!


    After returning, Su Chen took another shower, changed into his pajamas and went to bed...


    Laying in bed, Su Chen watched the faint moonlighting through the bedroom window, and couldn''t help but think about what had just urred.


    It could be said that looking back, he still felt somewhat bewildered and unreal!


    He couldn''t understand why the attitude of the Hidden Dragon Hall had suddenly changed so drastically!


    Specifically, what had prompted the Vice Hall Master mentioned by Yao Zhe to change his attitude?


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but feel strange, why was this bad guy so obedient today? This was nothing like him!


    She curiously nced at Su Chen next to her, but vaguely saw him staring nkly at the ceiling.


    "Honey, what are you thinking about?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked him, curious.


    "Thinking about you!"


    Su Chen heard Lin Ruoxue''s voice andughed, his thoughts snapped back to the present, since he couldn''t figure it out, he stopped thinking about it!


    After all, his pressure had suddenly reduced a lot.


    Without the threat of the Hidden Dragon Hall, and just the five great families alone, they really weren''t much in his eyes anymore...

 Chapter 774: Confidence Disappears

    "Trusting you would be foolish!"


    Lin Ruoxue scoffed, having clearly caught him deep in thought just moments ago,bined with his muddy appearance upon returning from outside, she was even more certain something had happened!


    "Then what do I need to do for you to believe me, honey?"


    Su Chen curved his lips into a sly smile, and hisrge hands started wandering:


    "Do you mean like this?"


    "Don''t..."


    Before Lin Ruoxue could say another word, Su Chen had already rolled over and kissed her...


    .....


    Meanwhile, elders from several major families were unable to sleep!


    During this night, someone from the Hidden Dragon Hall suddenly arrived to inform them that they would maintain neutrality regarding their issues with Su Chen and would not interfere!


    Keep in mind, the Hidden Dragon Hall was these elders''st resort!


    Although they had felt both shocked and even fearful of the tactics and strength Su Chen disyed, the existence of the Hidden Dragon Hall always gave them a bit more confidence!


    They had always thought, no matter how things progressed, as long as the Hidden Dragon Hall was there, things wouldn''t be too terrible!


    But now, someone from the Hidden Dragon Hall hade to say they would no longer bother with this matter, leaving them suddenly feeling utterly deted!


    More importantly, the implications behind the Hidden Dragon Hall''s stance were even more intriguing!


    Regardless, one thing was certain, they no longer had any other choice, they had to act swiftly to eliminate that young boy from back then!


    Otherwise, as he continued to grow, it would truly brew immense disaster, the consequences unimaginable!


    Because they all knew Su Chen would not let them off...


    .....


    The next morning, the two woke up embraced in the warm sunlight of the early dawn, and Su Chen gently kissed Lin Ruoxue''s forehead before getting out of bed.


    Lin Ruoxue, of course, continued to lounge in bed a while longer, as the bed still carried the scent of Su Chen, to which she had grown ustomed.


    When Su Chen had almost finished preparing breakfast, Lin Ruoxue also got up!


    Looking at the sumptuous breakfast, she couldn''t help but take a deep breath before sitting down and starting to eat!


    After serving a small pot of porridge, Su Chen too sat down.


    After finishing breakfast, like usual, they both drove separately to their offices.


    Settling down in his office with a cup of brewed tea, Su Chen couldn''t help but recall the events fromst night.


    The issue always felt somewhat off to him, but he couldn''t exactly pinpoint what it was!


    However, if The Hidden Dragon Hall truly stepped back, he could indeed face the major families morefortably!


    Of course, he hadn''tpletely let his guard down, since another name was still lingering on his mind, Shengyi Gate!


    He had thought about asking Yao Zhe yesterday, but he held back.


    Although he didn''t mind Yao Zhe, interaction had only been brief and was not enough to establish trust!


    And this matter could potentially rte to the true circumstances of his grandfather''s and parents'' deaths, he couldn''t be careless!


    He figured he might ask his old master after the New Year or perhaps he would know.


    That''s right, since ns had changed, he should call Pei Man to inform her; their couple''s act no longer needed continuing.


    After some thought, he decided it was better tomunicate this in person and called Pei Man to arrange a meeting.


    Pei Man had no objections and readily agreed.


    Soon after, Su Chen drove to the Pei Family residence; like thest time, Pei Man was already waiting at the gate when he arrived!


    Today Pei Man wore a Bohemian style long dress adorned with colorful little flowers scattered throughout, brimming with youthful charm and grace!


    Over the long dress, she draped a long woolen coat, which looked very stylish.


    Her face was adorned with a lightyer of makeup, making her already exquisite and wless face even more devastatingly beautiful!


    And with her hair casually draped over her shoulders, she was breathtakingly gorgeous!


    "You''ve arrived!"


    Pei Man saw Su Chening and smiled faintly.


    She seemed to always look this way, her face always bearing a gentle smile.


    "Yes, I''vee."


    Su Chen nodded. Every time he saw Pei Man, he always felt she was too perfect, so much so that one could easily overlook her disability.


    "How do you n to spend the day?"


    Pei Man turned her head and asked with a smile:


    "You''re not going to take me to a hotel likest time, are you?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen did feel somewhat embarrassed and blushed.


    "No, I have something to discuss with you this time."


    Su Chen said softly.


    "Oh, alright. What is it that you want to talk about?"


    Pei Man was slightly startled by his words and then asked.


    "It''s pretty cold outside, let''s talk in the car."


    Su Chen then pushed Pei Man''s wheelchair over to the car. After all, it was winter now, and Pei Man, being a woman, must feel somewhat cold outside, especially since she wasn''t wearing much.


    Su Chen opened the rear door of the car, picked up Pei Man, ced her on the seat, and then walked around to the other side to get in.


    "What is it you want to talk about? Go ahead."


    Pei Man asked with curiosity.


    "The thing is, I wanted to thank you for ying the part of my girlfriend during this time, and also thank you for putting up with a lot."


    Su Chen said apologetically, as he had taken advantage of her quite a bit during that process.


    It must be said, some of those advantages were necessary for the act, while others were moments when Su Chen couldn''t quite control himself!


    After all, few men could remain unmoved in the presence of a woman like Pei Man, but most men felt intimidated by her grace and nobility, even feeling unworthy to approach her.


    That wasn''t a problem for Su Chen.


    "No need to thank me. Didn''t I tell you before? I did it willingly, and I had my reasons."


    Pei Man smiled faintly.


    "Regardless, I still want to thank you; I know you did it to help me."


    Although Pei Man had mentioned before that she did it to get Shen Shao to give up on her,


    Su Chen knew that with Pei Man''s abilities, there were many ways to achieve that goal without having to pretend to be his girlfriend.


    "Alright, I ept your thanks."


    Pei Man was not pretentious and then nced at him:


    "So you came today just to thank me."


    "Yes, and also to tell you that there''s no need to proceed with the previous n concerning Shen Shao and the Shen Family anymore. From now on, you''re free, and we don''t have to pretend to be a couple anymore."


    Su Chen said while looking at Pei Man with a smile.


    "Why?"


    Upon hearing this, Pei Man felt a sudden jolt of surprise and asked with some confusion.


    After all, in her view, that n had been a multifaceted strategy.

 Chapter 775: Because Ive Fallen in Love with You

    "Things have changed a bit, the old n is no longer needed."


    Su Chen exined:


    "Sorry for having you act with me for such a long time."


    "Don''t be sorry, I''ve been very happy during this time.


    Pei Man said with a smile, looking into Su Chen''s eyes.


    "Happy?"


    Pei Man''s words made Su Chen a bit confused. What did she mean by that?


    "Yes! Is it hard to understand?"


    Pei Man looked at the somewhat puzzled Su Chen and revealed a sly smile.


    "It is a bit."


    Su Chen hesitantly nodded his head.


    To him, it didn''t seem like something a woman should be happy about, pretending to be a couple with a strange man!


    Although he didn''t know why Pei Man had helped him initially¡ªperhaps because she took a liking to him, or maybe because they got along well? He didn''t know, and he hadn''t thought about it deeply.


    "Actually, it''s very easy to understand, because I''ve fallen in love with you!"


    Pei Man said to Su Chen with a steady tone, her beautiful eyes twinkling, conveying her seriousness.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Su Chen was stunned!


    "Pei Man, let''s not joke about this kind of thing, okay?"


    Su Chen quickly waved his hands.


    Pei Man indeed had said simr things before, but not as seriously, merely in a somewhat joking manner, so Su Chen hadn''t taken it seriously, thinking she was just ying around.


    But her serious demeanor right now truly caught Su Chen off guard.


    He had never really considered that Pei Man could fall in love with him. How could that be possible?


    "Do you really think I''m joking?"


    Pei Man tilted her head slightly and smiled at Su Chen:


    "You''ve taken liberties with me several times and I wasn''t even mad. Don''t you think that exins enough? Or do you see me as a frivolous woman?"


    "No, no! You''re definitely not a frivolous woman!"


    Su Chen hastily said, feelingpletely overwhelmed at the moment!


    He really hadn''t considered what Pei Man had just brought up; at the time, he probably had just been happy taking advantage of the situation!


    Now that Pei Man had pointed it out, he suddenly experienced a moment of realization!


    Of course! A woman like Pei Man, if she wasn''t truly interested in a man, why would she allow him to go so far!


    I''m really stupid!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but curse himself internally!


    But now that things hade to this, what could he do?


    If he said he felt nothing for Pei Man, he would certainly be a hypocrite!


    However, with the issues involving Eniel and Du Hanbing still unresolved, adding Pei Man to the mix would just be too chaotic!


    "But I already have a wife!"


    Su Chen murmured.


    "I know!"


    Pei Man smiled casually.


    "What I mean is, you falling in love with me isn''t worth it, I can''t give you any status."


    Su Chen said anxiously.


    "Do you think I care about that?"


    Pei Man brushed her hair back and smiled lightly:


    "Besides, when you fall in love, it is what it is, there''s no question of worthiness!"


    "You don''t need to be so conflicted, to use a popr phrase nowadays, falling in love with you is my business, it''s none of your concern!"


    Pei Man said very casually, seemingly not treating the matter as any big deal.


    Su Chen was even more baffled after hearing this. What did she actually mean by all that?


    "Okay, have you finished talking now?"


    Pei Man said.


    "Yeah, ha~~"


    Su Chen responded, his mind aplete mess.


    "Alright then, carry me down, and you can leave."


    Pei Man said as she opened the car door.


    Hearing this, Su Chen had no choice but to get out of the car, lift Pei Man down, and ce her back in the wheelchair beside him:


    "Do you want me to push you inside?"


    "No need, you can go ahead, I can manage on my own."


    Pei Man said with a gentle smile.


    Su Chen then drove away, but his head was still somewhat dizzy!


    His feelings were a mix of emotions. Being liked by a woman like Pei Man was certainly something any man would be happy about, but it all came so suddenly that he always felt confused!


    But what bothered him more was what he was supposed to do in the future!


    Pei Man watched Su Chen''s leaving car, her face showing an indescribable expression!


    However, she had already made up her mind not to let go of this man easily!


    And she believed that a man like him definitely had more than one or two women!


    Perhaps he didn''t even know how attractive he was to women!


    His wife would eventually have to ept this reality, which might just be a part of loving such a man!


    Regarding this, Pei Man was confident in her judgment.


    Hence, why should she care whether he had a wife or not?


    For Pei Man, it wasn''t necessary for Su Chen to ept her immediately; letting him know about her love for him was enough!


    After waiting outside for a while, Pei Man pushed her wheelchair and went inside...


    ....


    Su Chen still felt dizzy even after arriving at thepany andy down on the sofa in his office, zoning out. He even forgot to go down for lunch, as his mind kept going back to the morning''s encounter with Pei Man.


    He had initially just wanted to rify the charade of them pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend, but it had turned out to be a major headache!


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Just then, the office door was pushed open, and Xia Qiuru walked in to see him lying on the sofa, lost in thought, and couldn''t help but ask.


    "Qiuru, it''s you!"


    It was only then that Su Chen sat up upon hearing Xia Qiuru''s voice.


    "You haven''t had lunch yet, have you? I''ve brought you some."


    Xia Qiuru ced the packed meal on the coffee table; she knew he was in the office and had brought a portion seeing that he hadn''t gone for lunch.


    "I am actually a bit hungry! Thanks!"


    Su Chen said, smelling the food''s aroma and smiling.


    "Alright then, you eat. I''ll go back to work."


    Xia Qiuru said and then left.


    After finishing lunch, Su Chen saw there wasn''t much else to do and went back to practice.


    Although the pressure from the Hidden Dragon Hall was no longer there, it didn''t mean he would give up on cultivation.


    After all, there was still the Judgment Department to deal with!


    The situation with Hidden Dragon Hall was easing, and they managed to coexist peacefully.


    However, as for the Judgment Department, whether for personal grievances or for the sake of humanity, he would absolutely not let it go!


    Moreover, there was the matter involving Qi Meng; if indeed the Judgment Department was behind Qi Meng, what were they nning against him?


    About this, he still had no clue.


    Once he settled the matters in Yandu, dealing with the Judgment Department was going to be his next step!


    But considering the information currently avable to him, the Judgment Department also had its fair share of strong practitioners, including those in the Meridian Expansion Realm. How could he afford not to focus on cultivating?

 Chapter 776: 776 Mist

    Moreover, besides the Judgment Department, there was an even more mysterious entity, the Shengyi Gate, about which he knew absolutely nothing!


    His instincts told him that it probably wasn''t something simple either!


    And if Shengyi Gate really had something to do with the incidents of the past, how could Su Chen possibly ignore it?


    He had a strong feeling that it was very likely!


    After all, the timing of that mysterious figure''s appearance back then was too coincidental, and Shen Lin had no reason to lie to him about this matter!


    Su Chen suddenly realized that even though he had already dealt with the Skull Society, and even if he were to resolve the issues with the Five Great Families afterward, it seemed like things were far from over; instead, they were bing moreplex and more troublesome!


    Thinking of all this, Su Chen felt overwhelmed with pressure, and he could only try his best to improve his Cultivation Realm!


    Although the Cultivation Technique on the sheepskin scroll only went up to the Meridian Expansion Realm, he had to at least cultivate to that Realm first!


    In addition, Old Master Pei''s spection about his mother had always been swirling around in his mind. Although he felt it was unlikely, he couldn''t let it go either!


    All these things truly made Su Chen feel as if he was in the midst of a fog, stumbling around and unable to find his way!


    However, he also deeply believed that the fog would eventually clear, and all truths would ultimatelye to light!


    Of course, all this was predicated on the foundation of formidable strength!


    ....


    Just as Su Chen was practicing cultivation at home in the afternoon, the Situ Family had already sent out invitations for Situ Guang''s wedding!


    In one afternoon, nearly all the upper echelons of Yandu were aware of the news that the third young master of the Situ Family, Situ Guang, would be holding his wedding in five days!


    And the bride was a woman whose name they had hardly heard before, named Ye Mei, reportedly from the Wu Family of Jianghai!


    In fact, the upper ss of Yandu had already heard rumors, but it was only this afternoon that they officially received the invitations!


    Although the invitations from the Situ Family were sent out somewhatter than usual, the upper-ss individuals could begin preparing thoughtful gifts as soon as they received their invitations!


    Because they could feel how much the Situ Family valued this wedding, nearly all the upper crust of Yandu were invited!


    Such a scale was not normal even for a third young master''s wedding, even though he was the grandson of Situ Kong!


    Recalling the previous financial summit, some astute individuals began to realize something, and thus selected their gifts even more carefully!


    Although the Five Great Families, especially the Situ Family, had been embroiled in negative newstely, a camel starved is still bigger than a horse, and they were far from starvation!


    At most they were just a bit depleted of Yuan Qi!


    Even for the so-called upper ss, the Situ Family was still a behemoth, an unattainable existence to be looked up to!


    So they still had to try their best to ingratiate themselves, in hopes of getting aboard thatrge ship!


    At the moment, in a room within the vast Situ courtyard, sat a young man idly flipping through a magazine.


    "Cousin, you''re about to get married, howe you still spend every day in this room?"


    Just then, someone pushed the door open and walked in,ughing.


    "Isn''t it because grandfather ordered that I not leave the courtyard at all before the wedding?"


    Situ Guang helplessly shrugged and said,


    "Ah, these days are almost making me moldy!"


    "No wonder I haven''t seen you go outtely, always cooped up in the house!"


    Yang Rongughed and said,


    "So it''s an order from your grandfather! But why won''t he let you go out?"


    "Isn''t it because he''s worried I might identally bump into that gue again and another ident might happen!"


    Situ Guang said,


    "Actually, it''s not just grandfather who''s worried, I myself am a bit scared of encountering that guy. He is literally a lunatic!"


    As Situ Guang mentioned that evildoer, his face immediately showed an expression of immense anger and hatred, and a bit of fear!


    "He is indeed a madman!"


    Yang Rong agreed, nodding his head, his face a mix of expressions!


    He had not expected that the young man he had encountered at the Jianghai Night Club would be so incredible, even turning the Five Great Families upside down!


    Although he was filled with hatred for that man, he dared not take any action!


    After all, if all the great families were so wary of him, what was the Yang Family inparison?


    "But don''t worry, this kid won''t be hopping around for much longer. I heard from Grandpa that he is nning to unite the other great families to deal with this kid!"


    A gleam of light shed across Situ Guang''s face as he spoke.


    "Really?"


    Upon hearing this, Yang Rong became incredibly excited:


    "Does that mean this kid is dead for sure?"


    "What do you think?"


    Situ Guang nced at Yang Rong and hummed:


    "Do you think he has any chance of surviving when several great families join hands against him?"


    "That''s definitely a dead end then!"


    At this moment, Yang Rong seemed to see the tragic end of Su Chen, his face suddenly showing a look of relief:


    "This kid has been arrogant; he must not have expected his day woulde too!"


    "He brought it upon himself. He thinks he is someone, thinking the Five Great Families are just for show!"


    Situ Guang also curled his lips and said.


    "Right, after this wedding, you should be officially in power, right?"


    Yang Rong suddenly blinked and spoke to Situ Guang.


    "Should be about time!"


    At these words, a proud smile spread across Situ Guang''s face:


    "Speaking of which, I really have to thank that kid!"


    "If it weren''t for him forcing Situ Lei to kneel and bow in public at the financial summit, losing face, this position wouldn''t havee to me!"


    "That''s true, it turns out that kid actually did do a good deed!"


    Yang Rong also happily spoke, after all, Situ Guang''s rise in position brought great benefits to the Yang Family!


    Immediately, the two men exchanged nces and burst into loudughter...


    ....


    Su Chen spent the entire afternoon cultivating at home, naturally unaware of Situ Guang''s uing wedding.


    Of course, even if he were not at home, he might not have known this news, as it was currently circting only among the upper echelons!


    Although Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin were absolutely top-tier upper-ss individuals, the Situ Family, even if their heads were squeezed by a door, wouldn''t possibly send invitations to them!


    In fact, even if Lin Ruoxue or Su Jin knew about this news, they didn''t think it was rted to Su Chen, so naturally, they wouldn''t tell him!


    Su Chen cultivated until more than five in the evening, then he went to the market to buy groceries and cook.


    Two hourster, Lin Ruoxue came back, and Su Chen had just finished preparing the meal, so the two of them shared a simple yet cozy dinner together.


    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue went back to work upstairs, while Su Chen returned to his former room, taking out the Formation Technique Book to study.


    He nned to wait a few days for the materials Demon had prepared for him to arrive, then he would dismantle the current small Gathering Yuan Formation and rece it with a medium-sized one!


    With that, his cultivation speed would climb to a new level...

 Chapter 777: Ye Mei Goes Missing

    For Su Chen, the next two or three days were business as usual. Besides work, teasing the girls in the Public Rtions department, dining with Xia Qiuru, and visiting Lin Ruoxue''s office, his remaining time was devoted to cultivation.


    Of course, that didn''t include the evenings, which were reserved for more important matters!


    Over these few days, news of the Situ Family''s Third Young Master''s wedding had gradually spread from the upper echelons and was now the talk of the town!


    However, Su Chen, who spent his days either at thepany or at home, hadn''t heard about it yet.


    That morning, as Su Chen was in his office enjoying thetest issue of "Men''s Style," his phone suddenly rang. Picking it up, he saw that it was from Xiao Yaning.


    Hadn''t this girl been in Jiangbeitely, discussing partnerships on a business trip? Why would she think to call him now?


    He didn''t think too much about it and answered the call.


    "Yaning, what''s up?"


    While talking, Su Chen was still admiring the sexy models in the magazine.


    "Su Chen, Ye Mei might be in trouble!"


    As soon as the call connected, Xiao Yaning''s voice came through, tense and urgent.


    "Yaning, don''t panic. Take it slow, what happened?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen instantly tensed up, promptly putting down the magazine.


    "I haven''t been able to contact Ye Mei for several days now. I''m worried something has happened to her!"


    Xiao Yaning''s voice was filled with concern.


    "You scared me there. I thought something serious had happened!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s heart eased slightly. After all, it was just a case of lost contact; he had thought that something major had happened to Ye Mei!


    "Isn''t she still on a business trip in Europe?"


    Su Chen asked again. About twenty days ago, he had received a call from Ye Mei, who said that the Phillip Family had introduced her to several major financial groups. Naturally, she wouldn''t miss such an opportunity, so she nned to stay a few more days.


    Her call was mainly to thank Su Chen, knowing that the Phillip Family''s eagerness was surely for his sake.


    "No, she called me ten days ago, saying she would be back in a couple of days."


    Xiao Yaning said anxiously:


    "A week ago, when I called her, I couldn''t reach her again, not till now!"


    "I also called thepany to ask. Her secretary said she hasn''te back yet. I even had her secretary check her ce, but still, no one!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen truly became hesitant, realizing this situation was a bit troubling.


    "Did you call the police?" Su Chen asked.


    "I had Ye Mei''s secretary report it, but the police said it''s difficult to handle since it''s uncertain where she disappeared, or even if she''s in Huaxia. She could be in Europe or somewhere on the way back. There are too many possibilities."


    Xiao Yaning continued:


    "The police also tried to locate her mobile phone, but there''s absolutely no signal."


    "Why didn''t you call me sooner?"


    Su Chen said somewhat helplessly.


    "I didn''t want to bother you! I thought I''d wait to see, maybe she''d show up in a few days!"


    Xiao Yaning said sheepishly. She hadn''t initially nned to contact Su Chen, but with a week gone and no news, she was getting more anxious!


    "Alright, let me try to handle this matter!"


    Su Chen reassured her:


    "Don''t worry too much, with me here, everything will be alright!"


    "Okay, thank you so much. Please let me know immediately if there''s any news."


    Xiao Yaning ced all her hope in Su Chen and pleaded.


    "Don''t worry, Ye Mei is also my friend,"


    Su Chen spoke in a rxed tone.


    "Where on earth could this girl have gone?"


    After hanging up the phone, Su Chen slightly frowned and murmured.


    He immediately dialed a number, and as soon as the phone rang, it was picked up:


    "Esteemed Hades, Your Highness, I am so delighted that you''ve called me!"


    The voice was somewhat aged and extremely excited ¡ª it belonged to Philip Aldridge, the head of the Phillip Family!


    "Mr. Aldridge, how have you beentely?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Great, incredibly great ¡ª ever since you treated me two years ago, I feel as if I''ve regained twenty years of youth!"


    Aldridgeughed heartily.


    Two years ago, Aldridge had suddenly suffered a stroke. Despite numerous authoritative doctors'' attempts, his condition remained untreated until they had to seek out Su Chen.


    With just a few hours of intervention from Su Chen and some pills he left behind, not only had Aldridgepletely recovered, but he also felt more energetic than before!


    Of course, Su Chen''s treatment wasn''t for free; he charged a friendly sum of two billion US dors!


    Although it seemed like a lot of money, it was nothingpared to the health of the Phillip Family''s patriarch!


    "Hades, Your Highness, is there anything specific you wanted to discuss? Whatever it is, rest assured, the Phillip Family will dedicate all efforts to assist you,"


    Aldridge said magnanimously, knowing that helping Su Chen could mean even greater benefits for him, tangible or intangible.


    "It''s nothing major, I simply wanted to thank you for looking after my friend."


    Su Chen casually stated.


    "Hades, Your Highness, are you referring to Miss Ye? You are too kind. It was but a small effort, and of course, we must treat your friends well!"


    Aldridge said with augh.


    "By the way, is she still in Europe? I''ve been having trouble contacting her these past few days."


    "No, she isn''t there. A week ago, no, to be precise, eight days ago she returned."


    Aldridge reflected for a moment.


    "Are you sure she returned to Huaxia?"


    Su Chen quickly asked.


    "Absolutely, I personally handed her the ticket, and I, along with some others, personally saw her onto the ne!"


    Aldridge hesitantly spoke:


    "Hades, Your Highness, is there some trouble?"


    "No, just asking. Oh, and do send me the flight details she took immediately."


    "Certainly, Hades, Your Highness."


    Seconds after Su Chen hung up the phone, Aldridge sent over the flight details Ye Mei had taken.


    Su Chen checked them and found that nothing unusual had urred on that flight; it hadnded on time at Jianghai International Airport at ten at night!


    This meant that, barring any unforeseen incidents, she had safely returned to Jianghai.


    Therefore, it''s highly likely that something had happened to her after she returned to Jianghai!


    And it must have been during that very night because if not, she would have gone to work the next day, and her colleagues would definitely have seen her. However, currently, no one had seen her.

 Chapter 778 - 778 Receiving the News

    Su Chen then made a call to Qin Ming, asking him to try locating Ye Mei''s cell phone again, as the Special Security Bureau''s equipment was far superior to that of an ordinary police station.


    But the result was still no news, and Su Chen, somewhat unwilling to ept it, made another call to Shadow, to have the young girl give it a shot, but the oue was the same!


    Although he tried not to contact the people of the Temple, this was, after all, a matter of life and death.


    After receiving the message from Shadow, Su Chen was almost certain that Ye Mei might have really met with trouble!


    Moreover, the perpetrator must be experienced,pletely destroying Ye Mei''s cell phone; otherwise, it wouldn''t be untraceable.


    He immediately made a call to Jiang Lixing in Jianghai, instructing him to intensify the search for Ye Mei''s whereabouts!


    Although Ye Mei''s secretary had already reported the disappearance to the police, the police station would only investigate as per the usual missing person procedure, since the police station wasn''t just handling this one case.


    However, it was different once Su Chen made the call. After receiving Su Chen''s call, Jiang Lixing immediately deployedpetent officers and even formed a special investigation team to look into the case!


    Su Chen checked the time; it was already lunchtime, so he went downstairs to eat.


    After all, Ye Mei had been missing for many days, and a moment more or less wouldn''t matter.


    It wasn''t that he was truly heartless, but Ye Mei''s situation left him somewhat restless, and he wanted to walk around outside.


    Of course, based on some information he had just obtained, he had his own small spection, but he stillcked any evidence.


    However, if his guess was right, then Ye Mei wouldn''t be in any immediate danger to her life!


    No matter what, he nned to wait and see if Jiang Lixing had any news.


    Perhaps his guess was wrong, and Ye Mei really had encountered some bad people acting upon lust or greed?


    Such a scenario was also possible, especially since it had been night when she arrived in Jianghai!


    If that were the case, the situation could be quite bad; Ye Mei might have already...


    If that turned out to be the case, Su Chen swore to send those bastards to Hell, since he truly valued Ye Mei as a friend!


    Su Chen, of course, went to the same restaurant he had been to before for his meal, and as soon as he sat down, Xia Qiuru arrived.


    "What''s up? You seem to be heavily burdened."


    Xia Qiuru sat down next to him and said.


    "A friend has been missing for several days, and I''m a bit worried."


    Su Chen didn''t hide it and told her.


    "Ah?! Nothing has happened, right?"


    Upon hearing this, a tense expression appeared on Xia Qiuru''s face.


    "I hope not."


    Su Chen shook his head and gave a wry smile.


    Too much time had passed; anything was possible now, and it was impossible not to worry!


    At that moment, the waitress came over, and seeing that he was still worried, Xia Qiuru took the menu and ordered several dishes.


    "Don''t worry, good people will always be safe. I believe nothing will happen to your friend."


    After ordering, Xia Qiuru stretched out her hand and gently patted Su Chen''s waitingrge hand on the table.


    "I''ll take your auspicious words."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile, the anxious look on his face easing a bit.


    Soon, the dishes they ordered had arrived, and the two began to eat.


    After only a few bites, Su Chen put down his chopsticks, pulled out his cigarette pack, took out the cigarette, and lit it.


    Knowing he was too troubled to eat, Xia Qiuru did not try to persuade him and continued to eat slowly by herself.


    "You know about the wedding of the third young master of the Situ Family, don''t you?"


    "Of course, I do! But it''s not like it has anything to do with small fry like us, we just listen in for the fun of it."


    "Who says it''s got nothing to do with us? This time I''m going to attend the wedding of the third young master of the Situ Family!"


    "Are you kidding me? Even if the Situ Family were sending out invites, they wouldn''t reach someone like you. Not to knock you down, but what are you in their eyes?"


    "I might not be anything, but my brother-inw is a different story. He is going to be a partner at Future Gics."


    "Your brother-inw is willing to take you with him? Doesn''t he usually look down on you?"


    "Things are different now, my sister is carrying his child. She tells him to bring her over, would he dare not to?"


    "No wonder! The old man at your sister''s inw''s family is dying for a grandson every day, and now your sister definitely takes precedence!"


    It was at this moment that Su Chen heard a buzz of conversation from the table next to him.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s heart stirred, and he turned to Xia Qiuru:


    "Qiuru, that third young master of the Situ Family is getting married?"


    "Yeah, didn''t you know? They even made an announcement in the papers, now the whole Yandu is going crazy over it!"


    Xia Qiuru spoke hesitantly to Su Chen, not knowing why he suddenly took interest in this news.


    Upon hearing this, a huge weight seemed to lift from Su Chen''s heart!


    It seemed that his earlier conjecture was correct after all; Ye Mei''s incident really had something to do with the Wu Family!


    Su Chen''s spection had basis; first and foremost, it could be confirmed that Ye Mei ran into trouble after she got off the ne in Jianghai.


    Moreover, Ye Mei was apanied by two bodyguards with the skills of special forces operatives. If it were some petty lustful or greedy kidnappers, they would not likely be a match for her two bodyguards.


    Of course, that didn''t rule out the slightest possibility, but such chances were incredibly slim!


    Plus, her phone, not even a trace of a signal could be detected by the Shadow monitoring system, which is not something ordinary people could aplish!


    This indicated the other party''s counter-surveince skills and awareness were extremely high!


    Furthermore, the fact that Ye Mei encountered trouble upon her arrival in Jianghai suggested that the other party might have known her flight information well in advance.


    All of these clues pointed toward a perpetrator who was no ordinary individual, and the one Su Chen found most likely and most motivated to do such things was the Wu Family!


    Now that he had heard about the third young master of the Situ Family''s uing marriage, he felt even more certain of this!


    After all, hadn''t the Wu Family always wanted Ye Mei to marry this third young master of the Situ Family, to forge a strong alliance with them?


    It was just that Ye Mei had always refused, and it seemed now they had no choice but to force the issue!


    Thinking this, Su Chen feltpletely at ease.


    If that was the case, then Ye Mei was certainly not in any danger to her life, she couldn''t even possibly be harmed.


    After all, if Ye Mei arrived at the wedding covered in bruises, the Wu Family would have to answer to the Situ Family!


    "By the way, when is this wedding of the Situ Family?"


    Su Chen hurriedly asked.


    "It seems to be this Friday. I didn''t pay much attention, just caught wind of it."


    Xia Qiuru muttered in response.


    "So it''s in two days."


    Su Chen murmured to himself, a sly smile curling on his lips!


    "Su Chen, you''re not thinking of causing a scene at the Situ Family''s wedding, are you?"


    Seeing the expression on Su Chen''s face, Qiuru''s heart skipped a beat with nervousness as she asked...

 Chapter 779: Im Going to Offer Congratulations

    Xia Qiuru, although knowing less than Lin Ruoxue, still knew a bit about the grudge between Su Chen and the major families!


    After all, some incidents had already caused quite a stir in Yandu!


    So, at this moment, seeing Su Chen''s expression, her heart couldn''t help but tremble with fear that he might harbor some terrifying intention!


    This was different from the previous incidents¡ªafter all, it was someone''s wedding!


    If he really made a scene there, the turmoil would be much greater than any previous incident!


    It would be akin to a deration of a fight to the death!


    Although Su Chen had not suffered losses in several confrontations with the major families, even outmaneuvering them, the Five Great Families still held too much sway over the hearts of ordinary people!


    Therefore, facing these great families, Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but feel frightened and insignificant!


    "How could I possibly cause trouble on such a joyous asion as a wedding?"


    In Su Chen''s eyes, there was ayer of sly sharpness as he said:


    "If I were to go, it would be to offer congrattions!"


    Listening to him put it this way, Xia Qiuru became even more uneasy, especially on hearing the words "offer congrattions"¡ªit was as if she had a sense of panic, feeling as though some major event was about to happen!


    "Su Chen, you mustn''t be impulsive!"


    Xia Qiuru still felt uneasy and cautioned him again.


    "Don''t worry."


    Su Chen smiled faintly.


    Because he had been reassured about Ye Mei''s situation, Su Chen actually felt hungry, so he went ahead and polished off the rest of the food Xia Qiuru had left unfinished!


    Xia Qiuru found his behavior even more puzzling; he had started off so worried about his missing friend that he couldn''t even eat, just smoking in silence.


    But after hearing about the third young master of the Situ Family''s wedding, it seemed as though he had shifted all his focus there!


    Now, he was eating heartily again, as if he had encountered something delightful!


    Was he no longer worried about his friend?


    Wasn''t this change in attitude a bit too quick?


    Full of questions about Su Chen, Xia Qiuru didn''t quite know how to ask them.


    "I''m done eating; let''s go back!"


    After finishing his meal, Su Chen casually wiped his mouth and stood up with a smile.


    "Okay."


    Xia Qiuru nodded in agreement.


    The two then walked back to thepany. As soon as Su Chen arrived, he immediately made a phone call to Yunlong, asking him to find out the name of Situ Guang''s bride-to-be.


    Although Su Chen was almost certain it was Ye Mei, he still did this to be absolutely certain.


    After thest business war, Yunlong had also helped the group climb a significant step, now being part of Yandu''s upper echelon.


    And since the Situ Family''s wedding was sure to invite those upper-ss individuals, it was easier for Yunlong to gather information.


    In no time, Yunlong had the information. As Su Chen had guessed, the bride''s name was indeed Ye Mei!


    With this, Su Chen''s heart waspletely at ease!


    At the same time, other thoughts began to stir within him...


    "Right, I''ve got to tell Yaning quickly to reassure her."


    A momentter, Su Chen suddenly remembered and hurriedly made another call to Xiao Yaning, informing her that there was news of Ye Mei and telling her not to worry.


    As for Xiao Yaning''s questions about Ye Mei''s current whereabouts, he didn''t mention it, only saying that she would surely see her after she returned from Jiangbei in a few days.


    Actually, this matter is also tricky, Xiao Yaning was not in Jianghai, and if she had been there, she would have immediately suspected that the Wu Family was behind it.


    Because at this moment in Jianghai, and even throughout the entire Jiangnan, the news of the Wu Family''s daughter being married off to the third son of the Situ Family from Yandu was spreading like wildfire!


    Xiao Yaning was also aware that the Wu Family had always been pressuring Ye Mei to marry Situ Guang, so if she knew about this matter, would she not have guessed that it was rted to the Wu Family?


    When Xiao Yaning heard Su Chen speak like this, she always felt that this guy was being secretive, but since he said that Ye Mei was fine, she did believe him and felt somewhat relieved!


    Of course, Su Chen also made a phone call to Jiang Lixing afterward, telling him not to look anymore, as he had already found her.


    At the same time, he also casually inquired about any progress on the case of the murdered young girls, only to receive disappointing news.


    However, this was what he had anticipated, but the matter of the Blood Cultivator always left him somewhat uneasy, and every time he thought about it, he felt ufortable!


    After all, so many young girls in the prime of their lives! It was simply too cruel!


    It was just that this case was particrly difficult to investigate, especially since Su Chen suspected it was very likely that the perpetrator was under the protection of some power in Jiangnan¡ªhow to investigate that?


    Su Chen shook his head, not wanting to think about these troubling matters for the time being.


    Seeing that there was nothing else to deal with, Su Chen then went back home to continue his cultivation.


    As for Ye Mei''s matter, he wasn''t in a hurry at all...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Wu Family in Jianghai.


    Old Madam Wu sat at the head of the hall, with Wu Jingui and his son Wu Yuanli to one side, and Wu Jinjun, Liang Jing, and Wu Yuanpin on the other.


    "Second son, how did your talk with that girl go?"


    Old Madam Wu turned her head and looked at Wu Jinjun as she asked.


    "......"


    Facing Old Madam Wu''s question, Wu Jinjun didn''t utter a word.


    "Speak if you have something to say!"


    Old Madam Wu coldly snorted, having controlled the Wu Family single-handedly for so many years, she least tolerated Wu Jinjun''s hesitant and indecisive nature.


    "She... she wouldn''t speak a word with me,"


    Wu Jinjun mumbled his reply. When he had gone to talk to Ye Mei just a moment ago, she did not even engage in conversation with him, let alone give him a nce, as if her birth father was a stranger to her.


    This left Wu Jinjun quite embarrassed, and after staying for a while, he slunk out!


    "If she doesn''t want to talk, then let it be, it''s no big deal. After all, we have her mother in our hands; we''re not afraid of her causing any trouble!"


    Liang Jing said dismissively, frowning.


    She was quite dissatisfied with the current situation of having to coax that wild girl by all means. Although she could bear it for the sake of her son''s future¡ªsince, in her eyes, Wu Yuanpin was already the future head of the Wu Family¡ª


    That wild girl had always been imprable, constantly making her angry and feeling quite embarrassed!


    "Sister-inw, I don''t agree with your view. It would be best if she could be persuaded to agree willingly,"


    Wu Jingui spoke up slowly from the other side.


    "Do you think I don''t wish for that?"


    Liang Jing nced at Wu Jingui and said:


    "Besides, you said the same thingst time, and in the end, even after negotiating with three-tenths of the Wu Family''s assets, she didn''t agree. How was that any better?"


    "Yes, I too didn''t expect her to be so determined,"


    Wu Jingui smiled faintly and said:


    "My point is, no matter what she''s like, we must still show enough willingness. What if she suddenly softens her stance? As for her mother, that''s just ourst resort to keep things under control!"

 Chapter 780 - 780 "Repentance

    Wu Jingui knew that his younger brother was essentially a figurehead in the Wu Family¡ªaside from the olddy, it was he and Liang Jing who mattered.


    Therefore, in most cases, whenever he had the opportunity, he would take a slight dig at Liang Jing, as he was doing now.


    "How many years has it been? Haven''t we adopted a humble enough posture? But has it been of any use?"


    Liang Jing replied irritably:


    "That wild girl is just impervious to reason!"


    "Sister-inw, after all, it''s because you still harbor such deep prejudice about the past. You still insist on calling her a ''wild girl.'' How could she possibly be willing to acquiesce?"


    Wu Jingui said indifferently.


    "You¡­"


    "Enough, stop arguing!"


    Liang Jing was about to erupt when she was interrupted by the Wu Family matriarch.


    "All this talk, but do you have any constructive suggestions? If not, then shut your mouths!"


    The Wu Family matriarch''s eyes shot two sharp nces at them, and both of them fell silent at once.


    "Mother, I believe we still need to be wary of someone!"


    After a moment''s pause, Wu Jingui spoke solemnly.


    "Who?"


    "Su Chen!"


    Wu Jingui looked at the Wu Family matriarch and uttered the two words.


    Upon hearing this name, the air in the main hall suddenly went still!


    This name had now be something the Wu Family waspletely reluctant to mention, even loathed to think of!


    When the news from the financial summit had reached Jiangnan earlier, everyone in the Wu Family waspletely dumbfounded!


    They had never imagined that the young man who had once humiliated Liang Jing andter pped the olddy at a Jiangnan banquet would actually hail from the Su Family of Yandu!


    That was the Su Family, an existence even more powerful than the Situ Family, whom they had been so eager to court!


    Fortunately, he seemed to have no connection to the current Su Family and appeared to actually bear quite a grudge against them!


    What was even more unexpected was that this young man had managed to suppress the Five Great Families single-handedly!


    Although they did not truly believe that the young man had the power to contend with any of the Five Great Families, after all, that was only at the financial summit.


    But even so, it was already horrifying enough to deeply shock them!


    Of course, it was normal for them to think this way, as the power and immovability of the Five Great Families had long been embedded in the hearts of every person in Huaxia!


    Especially for the Wu Family, the foremost great family in Jiangnan, they were all too aware of the heritage and strength of those major families!


    Their mindset was also influenced by their rtive istion in Jiangnan, their scant knowledge of the subsequent business conflicts and, not to mention, their ignorance of Su Chen''s assault on the Su Family estate.


    After all, even in Yandu, only a very few were privy to thesetter events.


    Had they known, their thoughts might have changed considerably!


    Even so, the young man''s power far exceeded their estimations!


    The Wu Family matriarch even felt that the martial artists she had raised had not died in vain, as that fellow was so formidable!


    "Mother, that guy is too enigmatic and, what''s more, his rtionship with Ye Mei is far from ordinary. So, it''s still better to be careful!"


    Wu Jingui continued while looking at the Wu Family matriarch.


    In the past, Wu Jingui had indeed considered leveraging the poor rtionship between Su Chen and Liang Jing to strike at his second brother''s family.


    However, after the news from the financial summit came through, he thoroughly discarded that idea, recognizing that this man was not someone he could use and that he might even get burnt ying with fire.


    "You''re right, thatd is indeed a bit demonic. We really do need to pay attention to this matter."


    The Wu Family matriarch nodded and said:


    "But there''s no need to worry too much, after all, it''s the Situ Family''s wedding, and I doubt he''d be bold enough to cause trouble at the Situ Family''s wedding!"


    "Of course he wouldn''t dare to make a scene at the Situ Family''s wedding, but we will definitely be staying at the hotel first when we go to Yandu tomorrow, and then the Situ Family will pick up people from the hotel on the day of the wedding."


    Wu Jingui pondered for a moment before saying:


    "What if that guyes and causes trouble while we are in the hotel?"


    "You make a good point, indeed we need to guard against this issue."


    Madam Wu agreed.


    "Mother, since that''s the case, why don''t we inform the Situ Family about this situation so they can arrange for more people to provide protection?"


    Wu Jinjun spoke up at this time.


    "Idiot! Do you even have a brain?"


    As soon as the words fell, Madam Wu scolded:


    "Do you want to tell the Situ Family that Ye Mei is intimately concerned with that man? That they might even be in a boyfriend-girlfriend rtionship? What would the Situ Family think of that?"


    Wu Jinjun rarely spoke up, but when he did, he was met with a fierce scolding from his mother, which made him shrink back and dare not speak again.


    Liang Jing, seeing her husband''s cowardly appearance, couldn''t help feeling furious!


    "Alright, I''ll arrange this matter!"


    Madam Wu said, thinking in her heart that it was time to trouble that venerated one to take action; it was about time he proved his worth!


    "Additionally, Jingui did make a valid point earlier; we need to fully demonstrate our attentiveness towards Ye Mei."


    Madam Wu swept a nce over everyone before saying:


    "Even if Ye Mei is unwilling, it will not have a significant impact on the alliance between our families and the Situ Family, and with her mother there, she wouldn''t dare to disobey!"


    "However, if she willinglyplies, it would maximize the Wu Family''s interests!"


    Madam Wu continued, then cast a sharp look at Liang Jing:


    "Liang Jing, let me tell you, I don''t want to hear the words ''wild girl'' from your mouth ever again!"


    "I understand, Mom."


    Liang Jing''s heart trembled, and she quickly responded.


    "Fine, I''ll go see her now."


    Madam Wu said as she stood up and walked towards the door, followed by two people.


    After Madam Wu stepped out, she turned and walked towards the backyard, where there was a row of houses.


    The person following her immediately went to a door, took out a key, and opened it.


    Madam Wu then stepped in; the room was spotless and neatly organized¡ªabsolutely dust-free!


    The room had everything¡ªa bed, a bathroom, a sofa, and more.


    A woman sat on the bed with her back to the door, her hair falling naturally down her back. Hearing footsteps, she remained motionless, not turning around.


    "Ye Mei, haven''t you eaten anything?"


    Madam Wu nced at the untouched food on the small table inside and said tenderly:


    "How can one go without food? If you continue like this, how will your body withstand it?"


    The woman on the bed seemed not to hear at all, showing no reaction whatsoever.


    "Ye Mei, I know you hold grievances in your heart, and I don''t me you for that, really."


    Madam Wu seemed to have anticipated this reaction and continued nonchntly:


    "Indeed, the Wu Family has not done well in many aspects in the past, especially regarding your mother. In this respect, I am the first to introspect!"


    At this moment, Madam Wu''s tone was very sincere, as if she was truly repentant...

 Chapter 781 - 781 The Day of the Wedding

    However, faced with Madame Wu''s "sincere outpouring," the woman in the bed remained utterly unmoved!


    After so many years, could it be that one still cannot see the true face of a person?


    "Ye Mei, I know you must think that this olddy is doing this because she wants you to marry into the Situ Family, that it''s all false courtesy, both sycophantic and thieving!"


    Madame Wu sat down on a chair and spoke with grave sincerity:


    "It takes more than one cold day for the river to freeze three feet deep. It''s normal for you to suspect me given my past wrongdoings, I understand! Who made memit sins in the past?"


    As she spoke, Madame Wu''s voice grew even more sorrowful:


    "But Ye Mei, don''t forget one thing, you are, after all, my own granddaughter. Blood is thicker than water; how could I possibly truly wish to harm you?"


    "I admit, I do want to arrange a marriage with Yandu''s Situ Family. Wouldn''t anyone want the same?"


    Madame Wu continued, regardless of whether Ye Mei reacted or not:


    "However, isn''t this also a wonderful matrimonial match for you? Consider letting go of your preconceptions and think about it. How many women wish to enter the doors of the Situ Family but can''t?"


    "Moreover, the Situ Family''s third son is academically sessful,petent, and can be considered quite handsome. Even without his family background, he wouldn''t be a bad husband at all!"


    "There are even rumors that the third son might rece the eldest and be the future heir of the Situ Family. If you don''t wish to marry such a man, who would you want to marry?"


    "Again, you are my own granddaughter. If it were truly a pit of fire, how could I push you into it? I would rather jump in myself!"


    At this point, Madame Wu had begun to sob softly, her words ringing with deep emotion.


    It must be said that Madame Wu was clever enough. Most of what she said was the statement of facts, and she was also honest about her past mistakes!


    "No matter how much you say, in the end, it''s still about marrying me off to the Situ Family so that you can hitch a ride on the Situ Family''s big ship."


    Only then did Ye Mei show a slight reaction, turning her head and scoffing coldly:


    "Madame Wu, you think by lowering your stance, I''ll be moved, and then behave as if nothing has happened?"


    At this moment, Ye Mei''s face was filled with exhaustion, and herplexioncked any color!


    "I know you still harbor deep prejudices, but time will reveal a person''s true nature, and you will eventually realize that this olddy wants the best for you!"


    Madame Wu, unconcerned by Ye Mei''s attitude, sighed deeply and said.


    "Indeed, time reveals a person''s true nature, and I''ve certainly seen enough of the Wu Family''s!"


    Ye Mei''s tone remained chillingly cold:


    "Madame Wu, you aren''t foolish, and I am not stupid either, so spare me your earth-shattering rhetoric. It spares you from saying things against your will, and spares me from feeling nauseous hearing them!"


    At this moment, Ye Mei felt deep regret, regretting that she hadn''t taken action sooner!


    Before she went to Europe, her mother''s attitude had gradually softened. She had just been too busy recently!


    She had nned to go through with persuading her mother once she returned from Europe, and then take her mother away with her!


    She had already thought of the ce, a residence within the Phillip Family''s domain. She had spoken to the head of the Phillip Family, who had agreed to take in her mother for retirement and had even guaranteed they would take great care of her!


    She knew that all this was thanks to Su Chen''s face!


    She hadn''t acted because she had yet toe up with a good ce to settle her mother, but now she had finally found an ideal location!


    In her opinion, surely the Wu Family wouldn''t dare to snatch someone from the Phillip Family''s territory?


    Forget about the Wu Family; even the Situ Family wouldn''t dare!


    For her, a single woman, to oppose the Phillip Family and even possibly cause diplomatic disputes would be unwise indeed!


    She had it all nned out, but who knew that as soon as she returned from Europe and barely stepped off the ne, she was "invited" by the Wu Family''s people!


    She had never expected that the Wu Family would press her to marry Situ Guang so soon; she had thought there would be at least until the first half of next year, giving her some time!


    At this moment, she knew she had no choice left, as previously they had allowed her mother some freedom, but now they were definitely keeping a tight rein on her mother.


    Because they knew that was the most effective way to control her!


    In the current situation, even if Su Chen came, she doubted he could rescue her mother!


    After all, having been in a position of authority for so many years, the elderly Mrs. Wu showed a sh of annoyance on her withered face upon hearing Ye Mei''s blunt and merciless words, but she quickly reined it in!


    "Cut the pretense. With my mother in your hands, rest assured, I will marry!"


    Ye Mei spat out coldly.


    "Ah, Ye Mei, I''m only doing this for your good. You will thank me one day!"


    Mrs. Wu again spoke with sincerity.


    "Alright, try to eat a little something at least."


    Mrs. Wu stood up and said, then walked out.


    Then the door was locked once more. Knowing that her mother was in her hands and she dared not escape, but Mrs. Wu still couldn''t afford to be careless.


    Because any mishap and the Wu Family would have no way to exin it to the Situ Family!


    The consequences would be too grave!


    ....


    For the past couple of days, Su Chen''s life had been quite normal: work as usual, sleep as usual, "cultivation" as usual, without the slightest worry for Ye Mei''s situation.


    Time flew by, and before long, it was Friday, two dayster!


    That day, the Situ Family''s home was decorated withnterns and streamers, big red "happiness" characters posted everywhere, filled with a festive atmosphere!


    Everyone in the Situ Family, from top to bottom, was busy as could be, albeit with smiles on their faces.


    Early in the morning, a line of dozens of luxury cars was already heading towards the Centrium Hotel in the city center; the Wu Family had been staying there since they arrived in Yandu. Of course, these dozens of luxury cars were off to fetch the bride!


    At this moment, the groom, Situ Guang, was seated in the first of the stretch Bentleys. Today he was wearing a hand-tailored ck suit, his hair sleek and perfectly styled!


    At first nce, he really looked like a fine figure of a man!


    At the time, Situ Guang was somewhat nervous. He had been captivated by Ye Mei ever since he firstid eyes on her several years ago!


    And today, this woman was finally going to be his!


    When he arrived at the Centrium Hotel and went through a series of procedures and finally saw Ye Mei, he was momentarily stunned!


    To be honest, Situ Guang had been abroad these past two or three years and hadn''t really seen Ye Mei since.


    Seeing her again, he found she had grown even more beautiful than before! And even more tasteful!


    Her ck hair was swept up high, exuding elegance and dignity!


    Her brows were delicately drawn, her eyes like blooming peach blossoms, her skin as smooth as creamy jade, and her face a perfect oval!


    Most importantly, she exuded a seductive charm from head to toe!


    However, this charm was not as mboyant as that of other women, but more restrained, as if it radiated from within her bones¡­

 Chapter 782: A Nuclear-Weapon-Level Sentence

    Such a charming woman was rare, not to mention one who was charming on the inside!


    In an instant, Situ Guang felt that he had found a treasure, and his initial decision was indeed correct!


    This woman was truly exceptional!


    But he was no fool; he knew that Ye Mei seemed unwilling to marry him, which was evident from her haggard face and indifferent demeanor!


    Actually, Situ Guang had known this early on, but he didn''t care!


    To both the Situ Family and the Wu Family, how much could a woman''s own wishes matter?


    After all, the Wu Family wanted to establish ties with the Situ Family, and Situ Guang wanted the woman.


    Of course, the marriage within the Situ Family couldn''t be that simple, devoid of any interests!


    If there were no benefits, just liking Ye Mei for her beauty wouldn''t suffice; even if Situ Guang agreed, old Master Situ Kong would not!


    For the Situ Family, although the Wu Family did not possess their strength and heritage, they were still the preeminent family in Jiangnan!


    In Huaxia, they were considered a top second-tier family, with an influence in Jiangnan unmatched by other families!


    The economic prosperity of Jiangnan gave it a special status in Huaxia!


    A major reason why old Master Situ initially agreed to this marriage was because of the Wu Family''s status and power in Jiangnan!


    This was irreceable for the Situ Family in their quest to capitalize on the vast market of Jiangnan!


    Especially since recent business wars had heavily damaged the Situ Family''s standing in themercial world, they valued the alliance with the Wu Family even more!


    This means Ye Mei was merely acting as a bridge between the two; once the connection was established, her role diminished significantly!


    As time passed and interactions between the two families increased, Ye Mei''s role became nearly negligible!


    That was why neither the Situ Family nor the Wu Family cared much about Ye Mei''s personal desires!


    Of course, if Ye Mei had willingly epted the marriage and happily lived with Situ Guang afterward, that would have been even better!


    Such a situation would have further tightened the ties between the two parties!


    Although Ye Mei was very unwilling to enter this marriage, what could she do when her mother was in the hands of the other''s family?


    At that moment, she wondered if he woulde?


    Immediately, she dismissed this foolish thought in her heart¡ªafter all, this was a Situ Family wedding!


    Even if he were bold, he wouldn''t dare create a scene at a Situ Family wedding, would he?


    Having been abroad all this time, she waspletely unaware of the happenings in Yandu, which naturally led to such thoughts!


    Even if she were in the country, she might not have had ess to much information, likely leading to the same perspective!


    Generally, during the bride collection, the groom is supposed to carry the bride all the way to the car, so Situ Guang subsequently walked over and picked Ye Mei up.


    When Situ Guang caught a whiff of Ye Mei''s natural scent from up close, he couldn''t help but show a slightly intoxicated expression!


    However, Ye Mei''s face was filled with disdain and repulsion, even disgust!


    But she dared not resist. She could be fearless herself, but what about her mother?


    Although the olddy had spoken nicely the day before, like a respectful elder!


    Yet she knew, if she embarrassed the Wu Family and the Situ Family today, the one who would suffer would be her mother, so she could not act impulsively!


    At this moment, Ye Mei even felt a sense of hopelessness, perhaps this was her fate, and she had to endure this life!


    An image of a man appeared in her mind involuntarily, bringing a bitter smile to her lips!


    Soon, the dozens of luxury cars left the hotel again and sped towards the Situ residence!


    At this moment, many people had already started their day; when they saw the line of astonishingly luxurious vehicles, they gasped in amazement!


    However, upon learning that this was the Situ Family''s wedding convoy, they found it rather normal...


    .....


    When the wintry morning sunlight streamed in, bathing the bedroom in a golden glow, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes!


    "Honey, you''re awake."


    Upon seeing Su Chen open his sleepy eyes, Lin Ruoxue called out softly.


    She had been awake for half an hour already, just lying in Su Chen''s embrace; she feared that any movement would wake him up, so she kept her eyes closed to rest!


    Moreover, she quite enjoyed the feeling of being in Su Chen''s embrace¡ªwarm,fortable, safe, solid, and blissful!


    "Wife, why did you wake up so early today?"


    Su Chen asked casually because he usually woke up first.


    "I woke up because I couldn''t sleep!"


    Lin Ruoxue snuggled further into Su Chen''s embrace and grumbled.


    Su Chen felt a soft, pressing sensation against his body and instantly felt warmth in his heart!


    "Since you can''t sleep, let''s do some exercise!"


    Su Chen pulled the quilt over both their heads!


    "Husband, no! It''s daylight."


    "Daytime is perfect, full of energy!"


    "Ah!~~~"


    Soon, the quilt started to heave tumultuously...


    ...


    "You big perv!"


    "You big sex fiend!"


    "Jerk!"


    "Scoundrel!"


    ...


    Almost an hourter, Lin Ruoxue red at Su Chen, who sat leisurely at the head of the bed, smoking a cigarette, and cursed him with every word she could think of, her teeth itching with rage.


    While Su Chen merely smiled at her curses!


    After Lin Ruoxue had exhausted all her words, he calmly said,


    "Weren''t you holding me tightly just now? You didn''t even want to let go!"


    That single sentencepletely defeated Lin Ruoxue!


    Her exquisite face suddenly flushed deep red¡ªLin Ruoxue felt she had lost all her dignity in that moment!


    "Su Chen, I''m going to kill you!"


    Suddenly, a deafening scream erupted in the bedroom, tearing through the sky!


    ...


    "Wife, be careful not to bite your hand!"


    Su Chen cautiously advised as he watched Lin Ruoxue fiercely biting into a sandwich!


    Especially the little resentful look in her eyes made Su Chen''s heart pound even more!


    "Mind your own business!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat out coldly, and for a moment, it seemed like a return to the chilly Siberian air of the past!


    "Fine, fine, I won''t interfere!"


    Seeing his good intentions were not appreciated, Su Chen just ate on his own, thinking, you cursed me so much, and all I did was say one sentence, is it worth this much fuss?


    But he didn''t consider that her many words were just like little bullets.


    While his single sentence was absolutely nuclear weapon level!


    After finishing breakfast, Lin Ruoxue left for work, still furious.


    After Lin Ruoxue left, Su Chen couldn''t help but chuckle as he watched her departing figure.


    But that smile gradually faded, reced by a look of gravity, as if some serious event was about to unfold...

 Chapter 783 - 783 Prepared a Generous Gift

    Lin Ruoxue didn''t know that Su Chen''s tomfoolery today was also an attempt to lighten his own mood a bit.


    But today was too special for him!


    The issue with Ye Mei was just a minor matter and not difficult to solve!


    What was more important was that he wanted to bring a thorough closure to the events of the past today!


    Because of the Situ Family''s wedding, the key figures of the Five Great Families would definitely be present!


    Could there be a better asion or a better time than this?


    Although he had fooled around with Lin Ruoxue for a bit, Su Chen''s heart still found it hard to truly calm down!


    After all, it had been a huge burden pressing down on him for nearly twenty years, like shackles and chains binding him, preventing him from ever truly rxing!


    Could he really calm down at this moment? Of course it was impossible!


    Hadn''t he been waiting for this day for so many years?


    Of course, he wasn''t going to head to the Situ Family right now; after all, it was too early, and the real drama wouldn''t unfold until the evening!


    So he turned around and went upstairs to continue his cultivation. His cultivation today wasn''t for the purpose of improving his skills but to calm his spirit!


    ......


    Around three o''clock in the afternoon, at the entrance of the Situ courtyard, Situ Ping was wearing a sharp suit, greeting the guests!


    Although some guests had arrived in the morning, they were rtives or those with particrly close rtions on normal days and didn''t require his personal reception.


    But the guestsing in the afternoon were far too many high-status ones, and as the father of Situ Guang, it was naturally his inescapable duty.


    Currently, Situ Ping was the most favored among the younger generation by the old master; if nothing went wrong, he would definitely inherit the position of Family Head!


    Therefore, his status within the family also rose substantially!


    Even if the old master were to kick the bucket early, to consider legacy, he might even take the position of Family Head until his son matured and was ready to take it over!


    After all, when the big families choose their sessors, they can''t only look at one generation!


    This is also why the great families,pared to the middle-aged generation, care more about the younger generation!


    And all this, was something the former Situ Ping couldn''t even have imagined.


    Just then, a Rolls-Royce limousine stopped not far from the entrance. An elderly man in traditional Chinese attire and full of spirit came down from the car!


    Following him was a host of people.


    "Uncle Zheng Shi, you''ve arrived so early!"


    Situ Ping''s eyes lit up, and he immediately went up to greet him, his face full of respectful smiles!


    He didn''t expect Patriarch Zheng toe so early!


    "It''s your nephew''s wedding; how could the old man note early? I also want to bask in the wedding bliss!"


    Patriarch Zhengughed heartily.


    Following that, the other members of the Zheng Family also congratted Situ Ping, who thanked them continuously.


    "Where is your father?"


    Zheng Yuxian then asked.


    "He''s in the backyard. Shall I lead you there?"


    Situ Ping said with a slight smile.


    "No need, you take care of your affairs; I''ll find him myself."


    Patriarch Zheng waved his hand and walked in with a smile, and the others followed.


    Shortly after Patriarch Zheng and his group had entered, Su Yuan and Su Tai both supported an old man as they came over.


    Of course, other members of the Su Family followed behind them!


    "Uncle Su Shi, you''ve alsoe so early!"


    Situ Ping was slightly taken aback but immediately went up to meet them.


    "From your tone, it seems like you''re not weing me?"


    Su Chun said with a teasing smile.


    "How could I dare! It''s an immense honor that you''vee!"


    Situ Ping promptly responded.


    "You just said you''vee so early as well, meaning someone arrived before me?"


    Su Chun casually asked.


    "Oh, Uncle Zheng Shi just arrived a little while ago."


    Situ Ping answered.


    "That old guy is quite early!"


    Su Chun said meaningfully and then led the Su Family members inside.


    Of course, the other members of the Su Family also offered their congrattions and blessings before they entered.


    Watching the retreating figures of the Su Family members, Situ Ping''s brows furrowed deeply!


    This situation is way too abnormal!


    Normally, these major ns always make their appearance at the very end of any event!


    It''s a disy of face and dignity!


    But now it''s only three o''clock, isn''t it too early?


    If the Zheng Family came early because they have close ties with the Situ Family, or even marital rtions, that would be understandable.


    But it''s baffling why the Su Family would alsoe this early!


    Just as he stood there, stunned, suddenly anotherrge group of people came walking over!


    Situ Ping looked up and was immediately dumbstruck!


    The Shen Family?


    They''vee this early too?


    Though filled with questions, he did not dare to neglect them and once again went up to greet them enthusiastically.


    After a round of cordial greetings, Shen Mingchang led the members of the Shen Family inside.


    By now, Situ Ping waspletely flustered!


    What on earth is going on today?


    It''s too abnormal!


    He acutely sensed that these peopleing so early must not be because of his son''s wedding; his son didn''t have that much clout!


    Their early arrival surely indicated some other motive, and he had a vague feeling that something big was about to happen!


    Could it be something minor that had rmed these esteemed individuals?


    But with the other families having all arrived, why hadn''t the Pei Familye yet?


    However, it wasn''t his ce to inquire into such matters yet, so with his questions unanswered, he continued to wee the guests at the entrance!


    ....


    After a half day of cultivation, Su Chen''s True Yuan reached a full and harmonious state within his body!


    More importantly, his heart, which had been somewhat restless and uneasy in the morning, hadpletely calmed down!


    "Alright, time to go!"


    Su Chen suddenly opened his eyes, then got out of bed; he had been sitting in meditation on it before.


    After leaving the bed, he went down to the bathroom on the first floor, and when he emerged from the bathroom, he looked like apletely different person!


    Even Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t recognize him now, let alone others!


    Su Chen didn''t drive himself, but instead went to themunity entrance and hailed a taxi to the Situ mansion!


    The taxi driver, upon hearing that Su Chen wanted to go to the Situ Family, asked curiously:


    "Boss, are you going to attend the wedding of the third young master of the Situ Family?"


    "Yes,"


    Su Chen replied with a faint smile.


    "That''s really lucky! I envy you! It''s a pity that we ordinary folks don''t get the chance to see those grand family estates in our lifetime!"


    The driver said with a sigh.


    "Do you want to go?"


    Su Chen then asked with a smile.


    "Who wouldn''t? It''s the wedding of the Situ Family we''re talking about!"


    The driver sighed, then nced at Su Chen through the rearview mirror:


    "I''m just curious, boss, but don''t people usually drive themselves to such events? Why are you taking a taxi?"


    This boss seemed quite talkative, but that''s also a characteristic of Yandu drivers¡ªthey love to chat!


    "My car is in for repairs,"


    Su Chen replied nonchntly, with a light smile.


    "Oh, I see."


    The driver took another look at Su Chen and said:


    "But no offense, boss, you''re dressed way too casually. How can you wear casual clothes to a wedding at the Situ Family?"


    "As long as the intention is there, what one wears isn''t that important,"


    Su Chen replied with a slight smile.


    "That''s true, but it''s not about what you say, it''s about what gift you bring,"


    The driver nodded and said:


    "Ordinary gifts won''t impress the Situ Family!"


    "Don''t worry, I''ve prepared a generous gift they''re sure to be satisfied with,"


    Su Chen said, a yful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

 Chapter 784 - 784 Conspiracy

    Just as Su Chen was taking a taxi to the Situ Family, in Situ Kong''s study, several old timers from the major families were gathered there.


    Of course, besides them, there were also a few old monsters from the families!


    Ever since thest time Su Chen defeated that old man in the hemp shirt from the Su Family, these old folks also became more cautious when stepping out!


    However, their presence here was not only to ensure the safety of those old men but also because today''s discussion was rted to them.


    "There''s no need to wait any longer, it seems Brother Pei has been held up by something,"


    A momentter, Situ Kong spoke.


    "Indeed."


    The others also nodded in agreement, understanding in their hearts that ever since the incident with the Su Family and the stance taken by the Hidden Dragon Hall, Pei Zhennan, that old fox, did not want to get involved anymore. He wasn''t even attempting to pretend!


    This was quite a clear expression of his stance!


    Actually, if possible, they too wouldn''t want to face the current tricky situation.


    At this moment, they all envied Pei Zhennan''s ability to choose to stand aside and not involve himself!


    But they had no way out now, no other choice!


    "What I want to say is that at this point, there''s no need to keep hiding or to put on any pretense!"


    Shen Mingchang looked around at everyone and said:


    "Our only choice is to gather all our strength to kill that young man; otherwise, everyone can imagine the consequences."


    Although Situ Kong was the host here, Shen Mingchang naturally took the lead!


    This was partly because the Shen Family was the strongest, and more importantly, because it was Shen Mingchang who had nned and connected the Five Great Families back then!


    Su Chun, Situ Kong, and Zheng Yuxian stopped Shen Mingchang''s words and also nodded in agreement.


    "Indeed, this kid is too monstrous. We must remove him as soon as possible!"


    Zheng Yuxian said in a deep voice.


    "Everyone knows that, but how to remove him is the key!"


    Situ Kong slightly furrowed his brow and said.


    "This is something we amateurs definitely can''te up with a solution for; let''s hear what Nian Song and Granny have to say."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the Family Heads turned their attention to those old monsters, who in some way, were also the greatest trump card and most precious resource of the Five Great Families.


    "You all give your opinions; we amateurs will just listen,"


    Shen Mingchang looked towards Granny and Nian Song and others and said.


    The heard were nodding then one of them looked at the old man in the grey-brown hemp shirt and asked:


    "Brother Yutian, you have fought with him; tell us the situation."


    The one who spoke was an old monster from the Zheng Family, named Tu Shan.


    As he asked this question, Granny, Nian Song, and another old man from the Su Family all turned their attention to him.


    "The kid''s Cultivation is probably not much different from mine, also half-step Meridian Expansion. Even if he is higher, it''s limited."


    The man in the hemp shirt pondered for a moment and then said:


    "However, what needs to be noted is that this kid has likely cultivated a movement technique. His speed in an instant is incredibly fast! That''s where I was caught off guard, struck from behind with a palm by him!"


    The people were enlightened after hearing the words of the man in the hemp shirt; so that was the thing!


    Although they all knew that Su Chen had defeated the man in the hemp shirt, they knew little about how he was defeated.


    "Brother Yutian, are you sure his Cultivation Realm is about equal to yours?"


    Granny also asked.


    "I''ve fought with him; how could I not know this?"


    The man in the hemp shirt, seeing the doubt in their tone, became somewhat displeased.


    "Brother Yutian, don''t be angry; after all, this matter is too important to us! We must be sure!"


    Granny said with a gentle smile.


    "Indeed, we cannot afford to fail in this operation, it''s only right for the elder to be cautious,"


    Tu Shan also advised.


    The other Family Heads said the same, and the old man in the hemp robe was reassured.


    "With that in mind, we still have confidence."


    The elder nodded:


    "Both Tu Shan and I are half a step into the Meridian Expansion, almost like Brother Yutian. Nian Song and Gao Yang are also half a step into entering the Meridian Expansion!"


    "In this way, we still hold an absolute advantage. However, as Brother Yutian reminded, we must be wary of his movement technique at the time and best cut off all his paths!"


    Actually, the elder was being modest with her words as her own power far surpassed that of the old man in the hemp robe!


    There are significant gaps even within the half-step Meridian Expansion, for instance, Su Chen, Han Cheng, and Yan Xi in the past were all at this level, but their strengths varied greatly!


    However, to martial artists of a higher realm, such discrepancies seemed trivial.


    For example, a half-step Meridian Expansion views a Qi Refinement Peak, regardless of whether in the early, middle, orte stages, as mere trivialities that could be killed with a single p!


    Simrly, someone in the Meridian Expansion Realm views anyone within the half-step Meridian Expansion, whether strong or weak, as negligible!


    Such differences typically be prominent only during matches within the same realm!


    "Sorry, my other half-step has also entered!"


    At that moment, a voice rang out, belonging to Gao Yang, whom the elder had mentioned.


    Gao Yang was also from the Su Family, though he had always been cultivating abroad as he believed confinement to one ce would hinder his cultivation.


    It was only after the old man in the hemp robe was injured that Su Chun urgently called him back.


    As the words fell, everyone was filled with shock!


    With that said, the Su Family had produced two individuals at half-step Meridian Expansion!


    Truly worthy of being the former top n, such profound foundations!


    Though the old man in the hemp robe was now severely injured and almost without any fighting capacity, his injury wasn''t incurable; resting for a year or two would almost do the trick!


    Upon hearing this, Shen Mingchang''s eyes momentarily shone with sharpness.


    However, he quickly concealed it, knowing now was not the time to dwell on that matter.


    "That''s excellent, our strength has been augmented yet again!"


    The elder spoke excitedly, then looked towards the other Family Heads:


    "With this, we are absolutely assured of ying that young man!"


    "Are we really that certain?"


    Situ Kong asked, somewhat apprehensive.


    "Absolutely no problem!"


    The elder blurted out, and Tu Shan along with others nodded firmly.


    Only Nian Song felt somewhat awkward, as he was the only one not at half-step Meridian Expansion in the room!


    But now, no one really cared about his slight mood, as dealing with that young man was currently the most pressing issue!


    Everyone including Situ Kong believed the stronger their side was, the better!


    Those old timers hearing these few old monsters being so confident finally felt at ease!


    "Good, with that settled, prepare for action within three days, and three dayster, we want to see that young man''s corpse!"


    Shen Mingchang said with a hardened gaze.


    The elder and Tu Shan all nodded gravely.


    ....


    By evening, the Situ Family''s ce was bing increasingly lively, with more and more guests arriving, most of whom were prominent figures from Yandu!


    At this moment, a man dressed in casual clothes and sporting a little beard was leisurely strolling in the courtyard...

 Chapter 785: Full Belly Makes Good Work

    At this moment, the courtyard was bustling with people, and no one would pay attention to such an inconspicuous and unfamiliar figure.


    For Su Chen, altering his appearance was very easy, hardly anything worth mentioning.


    The mask he wore was hastily made two days ago after learning about Situ Guang''s wedding.


    The reason he wore a mask was, naturally, because he didn''t want to be recognized. If he were recognized now, it would certainly cause an uproar, and that would take the fun out of things...


    The dignitaries stood in groups, chatting lightly andughing, their conversations seemed to convey a sense ofmanding authority¡ªafter all, they were the true elites!


    Su Chen wandered casually among them,pletely unnoticed, or if noticed at all, it was only the asional disdainful nce that brushed past him.


    Su Chen didn''t go looking for Ye Mei; they were bound to meet at some point.


    He just didn''t know what expression that youngdy would have when she saw him, and at the thought, Su Chen couldn''t help but reveal a sly smile.


    However, she must have been suffering these past days, he knew. Ye Mei didn''t want to marry Situ Guang at all.


    Just then, a group of elders walked over from the direction of the back yard. The appearance of these elders instantly invigorated everyone!


    But ordinary people didn''t dare to go over and greet them; they simply didn''t qualify¡ªonly a select few stepped forward to say hello.


    Seeing these four old fellows appear together, especially at this time, Su Chen suddenly felt enlightened!


    It seemed these old men could no longer sleep. But after tonight, you will have an even harder time sleeping!


    Su Chen looked at the group of people, his face breaking into a faint, knowing smile.


    Seconds and minutes passed, and the sky gradually darkened¡ªsince it was winter, dusk came earlier.


    When the lights first came on, the Situ family had already arranged for the guests to take their seats.


    Of course, for the Situ family, the cement of guests was extremely important, especially the VIP seats in the front rows¡ªthey couldn''t afford a single mistake!


    Thest eight or nine tables were more casual. Most of these people came with the major figures from the front, like various assistants or drivers, or those who were simply curious to witness the grandeur of the great families.


    Su Chen naturally sat casually at one of thest few tables, and no one really paid him any mind.


    The banquet was naturally set up in the front yard. It was spacious enough there that even a hundred tables wouldn''t feel cramped!


    There was a broad stage, already set up, extending outwards. The tables for the guests were arranged on either side of the extended stage, ayout that allowed the guests the best view of the wedding ceremony.


    This wedding was a fusion of elements from both Eastern and Western traditions, but the Situ family had managed the design so well that it didn''t feel awkward or misced.


    In fact, the wedding site wasn''t overtly luxurious; it struck a bnce between solemnity and festivity.


    The Situ family didn''t need to usevish decorations to prove their status¡ªwith their status, such ostentation would seem like an indication of insecurity.


    The guests at Su Chen''s table were exceptionally excited. For them, attending a wedding of the Situ family was a great honor!


    It was something to brag about for a lifetime!


    Once the guests were settled and the romantic background music began to y, the wedding ceremony officially started!


    The host, smiling, walked onto the stage to the sound of music. Almost everyone recognized the host¡ªhe was a well-known presenter from Huaxia!


    After he got on stage, he enthusiastically went on and on about how two excellent young man and woman met, got to know each other, fell in love, and finally stepped into the sacred marriage hall!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lips when he heard this. What nonsense, the two of them hadn''t even met two or three times, how could they have gotten to know each other and fallen in love?


    However, the other young people at the scene were listening with envy, especially the girls, who were practically glowing!


    No matter how good these women''s family backgrounds were, they ultimately longed for romantic love!


    After the host finished what Su Chen considered to beplete fabrications, he suddenly said loudly:


    "Let''s wee the bride and groom to the stage!"


    As his words ended, the music slowly started up again, and Situ Guang emerged from the side of the joyous tform, while Ye Mei came from the flower arch at the extension of the tform, then walked towards the center of the joyous tform.


    Situ Guang also looked quite handsome, and after the makeover from a master, he really looked the part of a graceful gentleman!


    Situ Guang''s image had many women in the audience seeing stars!


    And when everyone saw the bride in her pure white wedding dress, they were even more stunned.


    Why? Of course, because she was too beautiful!


    At that moment, Ye Mei looked just like an angel, with her slightly exposed fragrant shoulders, a perfect golden ratio figure, high-updo hair, and exquisitely beautiful features!


    Every aspect seemed to dere her unrivaled beauty!


    What puzzled everyone, however, was why there seemed to be a faint sadness on her face...


    But the crowd quickly rationalized it, probably because she was getting married and would have to leave her home; that must be why, right?


    But Su Chen knew the reason. When he saw Ye Mei''s forlorn look, he felt as if she had lost all her vitality and felt an inexplicable ache in his heart.


    "Ye Mei, don''t worry, I will definitely fulfill the promise I made to you before!"


    Su Chen said silently to himself.


    Seeing Ye Mei, Situ Guang couldn''t help but feel his heartbeat quicken. Tonight, this delicate woman would belong to him, and he would be able to pick this bright red rose!


    As Situ Guang and Ye Mei each made their way toward the center of the joyous tform, the host''s voice came on again, reading the "moving" voiceover with deep emotion.


    Some little girls were already teary-eyed, wishing they were the female lead in the scene!


    Of course, they knew that was all just wishful thinking¡ªafter all, who could easily cross the threshold of the Five Great Families?


    After Situ Guang and Ye Mei reached the center of the joyous tform, the host briefly said a couple of words before announcing:


    "Next, we invite Mr. Zheng Yuxian, the elder of the Zheng Family, to officiate the marriage for the two, let''s give a warm wee!"


    As soon as the words were spoken, thunderous apuse erupted from the audience. This was the Family Head of the Zheng Family, after all¡ªno one dared not to show respect!


    The apusested for more than a minute, only stopping when Mr. Zheng himself walked to the center of the joyous tform and motioned with his hands, many people''s hands had turned red from the pping!


    Of course, Su Chen definitely hadn''t pped; he was too busy eating!


    Not to mention, the Situ Family''s wedding banquet was quite good; it would be a waste not to eat!


    Besides, you need to be full to work well, right?

 Chapter 786: A Forced Melon is Not Sweet

    The people around Su Chen watched him eat with such relish that they looked at him as if he were a fool!


    After all, the host had not yet announced the beginning, this was simply too impolite!


    Keep in mind, this was a wedding banquet! And it was the Situ Family''s wedding banquet at that!


    Who was this important person''s driver or assistant, making such a fool of his own boss!


    However, their seats were tucked away in the back corner, far from the center of the bridal stage, so apart from the people nearby, no one else noticed him.


    The wedding continued in ordance with the agenda; following the witness ceremony, it was time for the parents of both sides to step onto the stage, with the Situ Family naturally being represented by Situ Ping and his wife, Yang Shan.


    Yang Shan was from the Yang Family of Jiangbei, and it was her marriage to Situ Ping that had catapulted the Yang Family into the ranks of Jiangbei''s top tycoons!


    As for the Wu Family, the ones ascending the stage were Wu Jinjun and Liang Jing, and of course, they would not allow Ye Mei''s birth mother to rise onto the stage, nor did they even bring her to Yandu, instead, they kept her strictly guarded within the Wu Family.


    When Ye Mei called out "Mom" to Liang Jing, her heart truly reached the pinnacle of humiliation!


    But for her own mother''s sake, she had no choice!


    Soon, the most sacred moment of the wedding was upon them, the exchange of rings.


    Of course, before the exchange of rings, there was the part with the vows!


    This was also the climax of the entire wedding, with everyone in attendance turning their gaze towards the center of the stage, witnessing the heart-stirring scene about to unfold!


    "Situ Guang, do you take this woman before you to be yourwfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her for all eternity, be faithful to her, in sickness and in health, in richness and in poverty, until death do you part?"


    The officiant asked Situ Ping emotionally.


    "I do!"


    Situ Guang said without hesitation, his voice firm and strong, his eyes aze with an excited fervor!


    The younger crowd underneath the stage, moved by the resounding "I do," looked at his agitated demeanor and felt even more convinced that Situ Guang was brimming with love for this woman!


    No wonder, seeing as the bride was so beautiful and possessed such a unique charm!


    However, what they didn''t know was that, at this moment, Situ Guang wasn''t thinking about growing old with Ye Mei at all, but rather that this tantalizing woman would be lying in his bed tonight, at his mercy!


    The very thought made his heart surge with heat!


    "Ye Mei, do you take this man before you to be yourwfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him for all eternity, be faithful to him, in sickness and in health, in richness and in poverty, until death do you part?"


    The host then turned his gaze towards Ye Mei and asked.


    Upon hearing the host''s words, everyone expected Ye Mei to immediately utter those three words!


    However, after a few seconds, a sense of astonishment began to spread among the guests!


    Because, contrary to what they had expected, they didn''t hear those few words ¡ª the bride was silent!


    What was going on?


    There was suddenly a hush over the venue!


    The ones still standing on the stage, Situ Ping and his wife as well as Wu Jinjun and his wife, suddenly became anxious, knowing that any mishap at this point would be no small embarrassment!


    At this moment, Ye Mei was extremely conflicted. In her heart, those three words were very sacred!


    Because her mother never experienced joy in her marriage, Ye Mei had always hoped to willingly say those three words in front of the man she loved most!


    Now, under these circumstances, facing a man whose gaze was filled with desire for her body, it was difficult for her to say those three words without feeling aggrieved!


    As the seconds ticked by, the venue which had been filled with various murmurs suddenly fellpletely silent!


    Such a scene was rare, especially at the wedding of the Situ Family, it was simply unbelievable!


    Sitting at the foremost table below the stage, Situ Kong''s face slowly began to show ayer of frost, and the old Madam Wu sitting next to him, upon seeing the patriarch''s expression, couldn''t help but grow increasingly uneasy!


    "It seems that our bride is so excited that she can hardly speak! Let''s give the bride a moment to calm down."


    The host suddenly said to the guests at the scene.


    It must be said, the host had some skill, as his words dissipated much of the awkwardness.


    Although everyone knew the reality was far from it, at least there was a way out, and it wasn''t as embarrassing as before!


    Damn girl!


    Old Madam Wu cursed inwardly, her turbid eyes suddenly shooting a sharp and sinister light at Ye Mei!


    Ye Mei, feeling the gaze, turned her head slightly and met Old Madam Wu''s eyes, trembling all over!


    She understood the meaning behind that look in an instant¡ªit was a warning!


    Indeed, her mother was still in their hands; what power did she have to resist?


    Forget it, things have gone this far, just ept it!


    Ye Mei sighed deeply.


    "I..."


    Ye Mei began speaking, sounding lost, when she finally did, the people from both the Situ and the Wu Families breathed a sigh of relief!


    But just at that moment, a faint voice rang out:


    "If you''re unwilling, why force yourself?"


    The voice was calm and faint, not intentionally loud or emotionally charged, as if discussing a trivial matter, yet it was exceptionally clear!


    The guests felt as if their ears were deceiving them; how could someone dare to be so bold?


    So that one sentence brought silence to the entire room!


    For a moment, not a sound was heard, and the atmosphere grew eerily quiet!


    All eyes involuntarily started searching for the source of that voice, including those from the Situ and Wu Families, and even Ye Mei, who had been so distraught moments before!


    She had not expected someone to speak up for her at this time!


    While everyone''s gazes scoured the room, a figure slowly stood up from a corner table, appearing as unfazed as ever!


    At this time, those around that figure were already dumbfounded because they knew before anyone else who had spoken those words!


    Under the watchful eyes of all, the rather thin figure walked out from the seat, stepped onto the extending joyous stage, and walked towards its center, step by step.


    "Who''s this bastard causing trouble at my Situ family''s wedding?"


    Situ Ping suddenly shouted, his face covered in dark clouds!


    The figure paid no attention to Situ Ping, proceeding straight to the center of the stage, and then turned his gaze to the table closest to the stage where Situ Kong and Old Madam Wu were seated.


    "A melon forced from the vine isn''t sweet."


    The figure shook his head lightly as he spoke.


    At the end of his words, everyone was stunned once again, involuntarily gasping in shock!

 Chapter 787: Hes Here! Hes Really Here!

    What did he say? A forced melon is not sweet?


    Did he mean that the Situ Family and the Wu Family forced this woman to marry Situ Guang?


    Although they think that marrying into one of the Five Great Families is every woman''s dream, considering this woman''s consistent depression and loneliness, including her hesitation just now, it seems to make sense!


    Could this woman truly have been forced into marrying into the Situ Family against her will?


    Yet even so, isn''t this man too bold to say such things?


    After all, this is at a Situ Family wedding, and in front of so many guests!


    There''s a saying, "Don''t p someone in the face," yet he is certainly pping faces here! But is the Situ Family''s face so easy to p?


    At this moment, Situ Kong''s face was almost dripping with gloom, and old Mrs. Wu also seemed on the verge of exploding!


    The other members of the Situ Family at the table, including those from the Wu Family, were all staring intently at the young man on the stage!


    However, amid their fury, Situ Kong, including old Mrs. Wu, felt that the voice sounded somewhat familiar.


    But looking at his face, they had absolutely no impression and feltpletely estranged.


    It wasn''t just them; others like Shen Mingchang and Pei Zhennan sitting at the neighboring table also felt the same way.


    Pei Zhennan arrivedte, clearly showing his stance, but at the scene, he still sat together with the other few old timers.


    These old timers were also shocked, surprised that someone dared to be so bold and arrogant!


    Yes, this man had only spoken calmly, but his arrogance was fully shown!


    Now it could be said that the entire room''s attention was on Situ Kong, waiting to see how he would handle it.


    "Young man," today is a joyous day for my Situ Family. I don''t want to make any embarrassing scenes,"


    Situ Kong, with a darkened face, said,


    "If you leave the Situ Family now, I will not make it difficult for you!"


    "Make it difficult for me? I''m afraid you''re not qualified!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly and then turned his gaze toward Ye Mei:


    "Since you''re unwilling, why force yourself?"


    His voice was filled with tenderness and sympathy, looking at Ye Mei with eyes soft as water.


    Ye Mei stared dumbfoundedly at the man in front of her, feeling that his gaze, his voice was so familiar!


    "It''s you!"


    Suddenly, a sh of realization crossed her mind, and she gasped in shock, her pretty face filled with astonishment!


    "It''s me!"


    Su Chen gently nodded his head.


    Upon hearing this voice, Ye Mei felt her whole heart bursting with joy!


    He hade! He really hade!


    Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly came to realize!


    So, this was just like those melodramatic scenes in movies!


    The heroine is marrying a wealthy man, and on the wedding day, the hero suddenly appears, ultimately causing the heroine to jilt her groom in public and elope with the hero!


    It''s just that renouncing a wedding in the Situ Family is not that simple!


    Another odd thing was, the bride seemed like she did not initially recognize this man?


    Regardless, the rtionship between these two individuals was definitely not normal!


    Witnessing this scene, the faces of the Situ Family members all burnt with embarrassment, especially Situ Guang!


    At his own wedding, his fianc¨¦e had initially been publicly reluctant to say the words "I do," and now she was making doe eyes at a stranger. Wasn''t this an outright humiliation to him?


    In an instant, he felt as if there was a green halo above his head, his face utterly lost!


    "Who the hell are you! Get out!"


    A firestorm of rage rose in Situ Guang''s heart as he shouted loudly.


    "Smack!"


    Su Chen didn''t even nce at Situ Guang, he just swung back his hand and pped him across the face!


    Situ Guang was sent flying,nding t on his back on the wedding stage!


    What had been a rather handsome face swelled up on one side immediately, making it look grossly asymmetrical!


    The p left a fiery red mark, with five distinct finger prints clearly visible!


    When the loud p echoed, everyone at the venue was dumbstruck!


    Who was this young man? He was so audacious! To dare p the groom, Situ Guang, at the Situ family''s wedding!


    It was simply courting death!


    Lying on the ground, Situ Guang stared nkly at the young man''s retreating figure, utterly unable to believe what had just happened!


    "Kid, you must be tired of living!"


    Situ Kong gritted his teeth as he spat out these words, a tant murderous intent bursting forth!


    The guests on-site all knew that old Mr. Situ was truly enraged enough to kill!


    For the Situ family, killing such a young man was easier than crushing an ant behind the scenes!


    Hearing this, Ye Mei''s heart trembled fiercely, and she suddenly came to her senses!


    She, like everyone else, had beenpletely stunned by Su Chen''s p!


    She had not expected that Su Chen would p Situ Guang without a second thought, and with such force!


    "You should leave quickly, today''s matter doesn''t involve you!"


    Ye Mei quickly grabbed Su Chen''s sleeve and tried to pull him away from the stage:


    "You being here today already made me very happy! I have no regrets now! This is my fate; don''t worry about it!"


    Seeing that he was in disguise, Ye Mei guessed that he didn''t want to reveal his identity, so she didn''t call out his name!


    But no matter how much Ye Mei pulled, Su Chen''s feet didn''t budge an inch, driving her to near tears!


    What Ye Mei didn''t realize was that the more she did this, the more it embarrassed both the Situ family and the Wu Family!


    By this point, who couldn''t see that this woman didn''t want to marry into the Situ family!


    The man she truly loved was this stranger who suddenly appeared, someone they all didn''t recognize!


    As for why Ye Mei ended up marrying Situ Guang, it wasn''t hard to understand.


    After all, with the means of the Situ family and the Wu family, making a young girl submit was easier than easy!


    When the crowd''s gaze fell once again on the faces of the Situ and Wu family members, they all felt a burning pain on their faces!


    "This pair of dogs!"


    That was their actual thought at the moment!


    In their minds, they had already sentenced this man to death


    However, what was most important at the moment was that the wedding must continue!


    This concerned the honor and glory of the Situ family!


    "Someone, grab this brat! The wedding must go on!"


    Situ Kong knew that their reputation was already damaged!


    To prevent losing more face, all they could do was grit their teeth and continue with the wedding!


    "The wedding continues?"


    Su Chen huffed coldly, then scanned all the people present, and lightly dered:


    "I hereby announce that the wedding is canceled!"


    The wedding is canceled?


    Did I hear wrong, did he just say the wedding is canceled?


    What authority does he have to say that?


    The guests only felt that the shocks of the evening wereing wave after wave, making it hard for them to keep up!


    Not just them, even people from the Situ family, the Wu family, and the other Great Families felt as if they were hearing a huge joke!

 Chapter 788: He is Her Hero

    The situation had escted to this point, and the couples of the Situ Ping and Wu Jinjun on stage were just mutely staring, their mindspletely bewildered!


    What in the world was going on?


    Where did this little brat pop out from? And how dare he be so bold?


    However, with the old Mr. Situ speaking up, it was not their ce to interject, even if Situ Guang had been hit!


    Of course, they all believed that the elder surely wouldn''t let this stinky kid off the hook!


    "Who do you think you are, spouting nonsense here with such arrogance?"


    Situ Kong nearly trembled as he rose to his feet, his voice bing shrill!


    "Alright then, I''ll let you see exactly what I am."


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a sly smile, and then he reached up and gently rubbed his ear, slowly starting to peel something away!


    "A mask?!"


    The crowd was stunned as they witnessed this scene; they had never imagined that this man was wearing a mask!


    Now they were truly curious about what kind of facey hidden beneath the mask.


    "Su Chen?!"


    The moment the mask waspletely removed, a chorus of gasps rang out!


    The elders of the Five Great Families all sprang to their feet!


    Their faces instantly registered disbelief as they stared at the slightly delicate yet mature visage on stage!


    This shock wasced with shades of fear, unbearablyplex!


    They had never imagined in their wildest dreams that this man would be him!


    Why did it have to be him!


    Upon seeing the face clearly, Old Madam Wu''s pupils contracted sharply!


    Yes, how could I be so stupid!


    Apart from this kid, who else could have such a close rtionship with that wild girl?!


    No wonder the voice sounded vaguely familiar earlier on!


    She suddenly realized that the reactions of the people around her seemed a bit off, so she hurriedly turned her head to look around.


    She noticed that many people around her had stood up, staring dumbfounded at the young man on stage!


    Their faces were full of shock, and even the elders of the Five Great Families were no exception!


    Seeing this scene, Old Madam Wu''s heart gave a fierce jolt; did this young man wield so much influence in Yandu?


    Enough that just hearing his name caused such uncontroble reactions?


    It made sense for others, but why did the family heads of the Five Great Families react this way? It was all too strange!


    What she didn''t know was that in recent times, the name ''Su Chen'' had be a legend in Yandu!


    Many of the attendees had been present at the previous financial summit, so they had seen Su Chen!


    Even so, the reaction of the elders of the Five Great Families was beyond their expectations.


    Not just for them; the insiders of the Five Great Families were also astonished at their elders'' reactions!


    They thought to themselves, even considering the financial summit, the subsequent business battles, and the fact that he had single-handedly confronted the Su Family, these reactions seemed too intense, right?


    But what they didn''t realize was that to these old folks, the events that had just unfolded weren''t all that serious.


    The real reason they were so wary was that Su Chen had defeated the bup-d elder and the Hidden Dragon Hall had dered a hands-off stance!


    For these old folks, Su Chen was like a sword hanging over their heads, poised to drop at any moment!


    Ye Mei waspletely frozen, watching everyone''s reaction; she too had not expected Su Chen''s deterrent power in Yandu to be this formidable!


    Just the sight of him was causing such an intense reaction from these big shots, who could shake the entirety of Yandu, even Huaxia, with a mere stomp!


    What on earth did he do to deserve this?


    Su Chen faced the crowd''s reaction with virtually no expression, his face calm and even carrying a faint smile.


    Ye Mei looked at Su Chen standing on the stage alone, facing so many people, and suddenly felt a surge of heroism as if he were one man against ten thousand!


    Every woman has a hero in her heart, and Ye Mei felt that he was her hero¡ªthe one who came to save her on a rainbow-cloud steed!


    "It''s you, you beast!"


    Liang Jing''s eyes suddenly shot a vicious light, and a fiery rage burned in her heart!


    Seeing Su Chen immediately reminded her of that humiliating scene in the Jianghai mall, where this guy had dragged her by the hair and stuffed her into a toilet!


    Liang Jing was already a vtile person, and while she could hold it in on a normal day, seeing Su Chen in person made it impossible to contain herself!


    Furthermore, the Wu Family, the Situ Family, and the other great families were all present, which subconsciously gave her a sense of security.


    However, she clearly forgot that Situ Guang and Situ Kong''s own grandson, the one they had high hopes for, had been pped by Su Chen. How could he care about her, the daughter-inw of the Wu Family?


    As expected, before she could finish speaking, a loud p resounded!


    Liang Jing''s hair fell into disarray, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth!


    The others, witnessing this scene, were unshocked, merely shaking their heads and sighing at the woman''s foolishness!


    After all, they had all heard about the events at the financial summit, where this man had forced the Five Great Families to lose face. Hitting such a woman was just standard procedure.


    "You beast, I''m going to fight you!"


    Liang Jing then scrambled up, wing and snapping as she lunged toward Su Chen!


    "Liang Jing, don''t disgrace our Wu Family in public!"


    At that moment, the Wu Family matriarch huffed coldly, and upon hearing this, Liang Jing hesitantly stopped in her tracks, her gaze towards Su Chen still filled with resentment.


    But as for Liang Jing, this petty clown, Su Chen did not even bother to give her a second nce!


    Others, however, were curious as to why Su Chen seemed to have such a deep grudge against the Wu Family?


    This guy really was a troublemaker!


    But considering he dared to provoke the Five Great Families, provoking the Wu Family of Jianghai seemed hardly a big deal!


    "Su Chen, do you think you can just call off the wedding?"


    The Wu Family matriarch asked coldly.


    "Why? Do you have a problem?"


    Su Chen cocked his head and asked, smiling.


    "It''s not about whether I have a problem or not, you should ask Ye Mei, she''s the one involved,"


    the Wu matriarch said, looking at Ye Mei with profound meaning.


    Upon hearing the Wu matriarch''s words, a look of sadness immediately appeared on Ye Mei''s face!


    "Su Chen, just go. I must go through with this wedding,"


    Ye Mei said, hanging her head. With her mother in their hands, what choice did she have?


    "Su Chen, did you hear that? This is her own decision, what else do you have to say?"


    The Wu matriarch gloated with a nce at Su Chen.


    The others immediately understood that this woman must have some fatal weakness held in the hands of the old matriarch!


    Situ Kong also breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, even though they were already quite humiliated!


    If the wedding could not proceed, it wasn''t just about losing face!


    It would be the trampling of the Situ Family''s centuries of glory on the ground!


    This was more severe than thest financial summit, where Situ Lei was forced to kneel, much more severe!

 Chapter 789: Irreconcilable Differences

    "I have said before that you Wu family have no shame, and it really is true! Your Wu family has indeed carried the shamelessness through to the end!"


    Su Chen''s mouth curved into a mocking smile as he said,


    "You''re just holding Ye Mei''s biological mother hostage, making her subject to your control, aren''t you?"


    As soon as Su Chen uttered these words, the guests all understood and looked at the Wu Family and even the Situ Family with subtly changing expressions.


    "What are you talking about? I don''t understand!"


    Madam Wu snorted coldly, her face suddenly turning pale and then red; she, of course, could not admit to Su Chen''s allegation publicly.


    "Don''t understand? Let me make sure you understand clearly."


    Su Chen, with a yful smile, then took out his phone, dialed a number, and turned on the speakerphone.


    "How are things going?" Su Chen asked.


    "Report, Master, the mission isplete, the target has been rescued!"


    A crisp and decisive voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "Good, now hand the phone to Ms. Ye."


    Afterward, Su Chen handed the phone to Ye Mei with a smile,


    "Talk to your mother for a bit."


    Ye Mei, with a face full of excitement, grabbed the phone and immediately shouted,


    "Mom!"


    "Little Mei, it''s Mom who has caused you harm! Mom is sorry!"


    A somewhat elderly and guilt-ridden voice transmitted from the other end of the line.


    By now, Ye Mei''s mother had fully woken up to reality, no matter how foolish she had been before.


    As for the Wu family, she no longer held any sentiment.


    Actually, before Ye Mei went to Europe, her mother had almost figured it all out.


    But she had lived half her life with the Wu Family, and there was a man she had once deeply loved here; it was not easy to bepletely resolute.


    Yet it was this hesitation that led to the current situation; she had beenpletely confined by the family half a month ago.


    Not long after her confinement, she heard about Ye Mei''s marriage and immediately realized that the Wu Family was trying to force Ye Mei to agree by using her!


    She regretted that, because of herself, she had destroyed her daughter''s lifelong happiness!


    "Mom, don''t say that, I don''t me you!"


    Ye Mei shook her head, her voice choking, while tears glistened in her eyes.


    "Alright, you can rest assured now."


    Su Chen took the phone back with a slight smile,


    "You mother and daughter can have a long chat when you meet."


    "You rescued her?"


    Madam Wu''s eyes shot sharp glints of disbelief,


    Her words amounted to an admission of what Su Chen had said earlier, but she was past caring about that now!


    To know, she had arranged for eight Martial Arts experts to closely monitor Ye Mei''s mother; even if those guards couldn''t defeat the opposition, wasn''t it possible for them to kill her if necessary?


    "So, what else do you have up your sleeves? Feel free to use them."


    Su Chen nced at the people from the Wu and Situ Families and said indifferently.


    He had guessed that the Wu Family wanted to force Ye Mei into marriage only by controlling her mother.


    Therefore, early this morning, he had instructed two members of the Shadow Guard to rescue her in Jianghai!


    In his opinion, Lin Ruoxue should not encounter any trouble in one day, especially with an A-team squad from the Nether Temple present.


    Although he had decided to withdraw from the Nether Temple, Lin Ruoxue''s safety was still something he could not take lightly; hence, he nned to let the squad return after settling the matters in Yandu.


    "Ms. Ye, do you truly intend to call off the wedding?"


    Situ Kong''s eyes twinkled with a cold light as he spoke in amanding manner.


    He had never expected that this Su Chen would also have a connection with Ye Mei¡ªand a significant one at that!


    But now, the Situ Family had no way out anymore, they could only save a bit of face by taking down this youngster.


    A person''s name must be like the shadow of a tree!


    Ye Mei shivered when she saw Situ Kong''s gaze, after all, this was the Situ Family''s patriarch!


    To her, he was an untouchable figure of great importance!


    Just at that moment, Su Chen gently took her hand, and she immediately felt an inexplicable sense of security!


    At that moment, she felt his support and encouragement!


    "Follow your heart, with me here, there''s no need to be afraid,"


    Su Chen''s words fluttered into her ear like a spring breeze.


    "Indeed, this marriage was something the Wu Family pressured me into using my birth mother; I never agreed to it!"


    Ye Mei dered firmly.


    With these words, the Situ Family''s face was thoroughly swept into the trash heap!


    "Good, very good!"


    Situ Kong said through gritted teeth; then his gaze fixed intently on Su Chen:


    "Su Chen, by ruining my Situ Family''s marriage today, my family will be irreconcble with you!"


    "Indeed, we can''t coexist, because it will be your Situ Family that falls."


    Su Chen spoke calmly, as if stating a fact!


    "Then I must see what makes you so arrogant!"


    As he spoke, Situ Kong nced at a few elders at another table. Aside from Pei Zhennan, the others all nodded their heads.


    They all understood that the Situ Family could not swallow this insult and would make their move!


    And since Nian Song had not yet entered the half-step Meridian Expansion, he was probably no match for Su Chen; hence, the Zheng Family would surely assist.


    If anything happened to these two, the remaining elders and Gao Yang might not be so certain to take down this youngster!


    At least, not as assured as they were now!


    Rather than wait, they might as well make their move together now. Even though there were many people here, as long as they didn''t kill him in public, it wouldn''t be a problem to capture him severely wounded!


    Thinking this, these old fellows subtly signaled a few elders at the adjacent table.


    Meanwhile, Pei Zhennan at the center acted as if he had seen nothing, just drinking his wine, with a sly fox''s smile forming at the corner of his mouth.


    "Alright, no need to look around stealthily like old mice. All of you elders might as welle at me together!"


    Su Chen obviously noticed their exchange of nces and contemptuously looked towards the table with Nian Song and the elderly woman, provocatively tilting up his chin!


    "Impudence!"


    Nian Song''s anger red instantly, he mmed the table fiercely, and in one leap, he flew onto the stage!


    The other few people also hardened their eyes with rising anger, simrly taking to flight towards the tform!


    Simultaneously, a fierce wind swept through, causing the elders'' robes to rustle loudly!


    Once the elders flew onto the stage, they immediately exuded a powerful oppressive force like Overturning Seas and Rivers, their piercing gazes shooting towards Su Chen!


    The guests, under the weight of this oppressive force, almost felt it hard to breathe!


    Situ Ping and his wife, and Wu Jinjun and his wife, were intimidated by the momentum as soon as Nian Song leaped onto the stage. Frightened, they ran to the sides of the tform and then jumped off.


    And Ye Mei was almost unable to stand steady under that enormous pressure, after all, it was the aura of three half-step Meridian Expansion experts, not something an ordinary person could withstand!


    But she still stood firmly beside Su Chen, supporting herself with determination!


    "Su Chen, although you''re exceptionally strong, for daring to disrupt my Situ Family''s wedding today, not even the gods can save you!"


    Nian Song said, his eyes aze as he stared at Su Chen.


    "Young man, I''ve long wanted to meet you myself," the elderly woman spoke.


    "Boy, you''re so recklessly audacious; do you genuinely think nobody can deal with you?"


    Tu Shan said arrogantly with a cold snort.


    Gao Yang did not speak, but his gaze towards Su Chen was like that of looking at a dead man!

 Chapter 790: The Look

    The onlookers, including Shen Mingchang, heard the words of the few old monsters, a smirk of satisfaction also appeared at the corners of their mouths.


    Today, this menace was finally going to be eliminated!


    From now on, they could sleep peacefully atst!


    During this period, they had often been awakened in the middle of the night, their hearts almost always in suspense!


    However, faced with the domineering taunts of these elders, Su Chen simply ignored them.


    "Ye Mei, go down first and wait for me."


    Su Chen spoke gently to Ye Mei, because the fight that was about to happen could inadvertently affect her.


    "Su Chen, I..."


    Ye Mei was reluctant to leave Su Chen alone on the stage, since this matter had originated because of her.


    "Don''t worry, these old things can''t do anything to me, I don''t even consider them a threat."


    Su Chen smiled at Ye Mei, his expression one of determination!


    "Alright then, just be careful."


    Ye Mei could see that these people were not easy to deal with; her presence might only be a burden.


    Following that, Ye Mei slowly walked down from the stage.


    When the elders heard Su Chen''s words, they immediately became furiously angry!


    This young man was too audacious, not only disregarding them but also insulting them as old things!


    "Boy, you are indeed arrogant!"


    Tu Shan''s murky eyes suddenly burst forth with a zing beam directed at Su Chen.


    "Su Chen! I advise you to kneel down and admit your mistake obediently, or else, when we start, haha..."


    Nian Song cast a sideways nce at Su Chen.


    The old woman and Gao Yang, just like him, said nothing, just watching Su Chen with cold indifference!


    In their view, this young man was outrageously arrogant. Without a profound lesson, he would really think he was the best in the world!


    Moreover, these old fellows believed that the four of them against this one young man left no room for suspense!


    Though it was four against one, and they were all elders, it did feel somewhat like winning dishonorably, which made them slightly embarrassed!


    But this young man was too monstrous and too significant; they could not afford to be negligent. So, for now, they could not care less about appearances!


    "Since you so wish to die, then I shall grant your wish!"


    Su Chen looked at the several elders indifferently and spoke calmly.


    Upon meeting Su Chen''s gaze, the minds of the elders all shook violently!


    That gaze was filled with bone-chilling coldness, deste and distant, as if it came from the ancient Netherworld or perhaps from the billions of stars above the ninth heaven!


    In that instant, they felt the approach of death!


    This feeling was so sudden, yet so intense, that it was difficult for them to ignore!


    What is happening?


    How could this young man possess such a terrifying, heart-palpitating gaze!


    At that moment, they felt they were not facing a young man, but a ruler who controlled the heavens and the earth!


    It was almost instinctual to prostrate themselves on the ground!


    But when they shook their heads and looked again, that feeling had abruptly vanished, as if everything had been an illusion!


    Standing in front of them was still the young man, his face calm, unchanged from before!


    An illusion, yes, it must have been an illusion!


    The elders all reassured themselves internally!


    The abrupt sensation had left them unsettled; they didn''t want to dy any longer and needed to deal with this young man immediately!


    Suddenly, Nian Song made his move!


    A residual image streaked across the stage, swift as a gust of wind, reaching the ultimate speed!


    Almost at the same time, the other few also moved, with even faster speeds; the crowd could only see a blurry shadow shing by!


    "Isn''t that too fast?"


    "Damn, what kind of speed is this?!"


    "Is this even human?"


    .....


    The moment they moved, a gasp erupted from the audience below!


    Such speed, they had only seen it in the special effects of blockbuster movies; where had they ever seen it in real life?!


    "Get lost!"


    "Boom!"


    The next second, as a cold shout rang out, a huge thud also sounded, and then they saw a figure flying backward!


    This sudden turn of events not only stunned the guests below but also momentarily dazed the other older individuals on stage, who immediately leapt backward, escaping Su Chen''s attack range!


    "Fast! Too fast!"


    The grandmothers and others had the same thoughts in their minds at this moment!


    Compared to the audience below who were watching the excitement, they were looking more into the techniques!


    Nian Song had just swung a punch when the young man kicked him away, almost not even taking a second!


    And the kick was so casual, so straightforward, without any fancy moves!


    It was precisely for this reason that the others were so shocked!


    Because it proved that Su Chen''s strength overwhelmingly surpassed Nian Song''s, allowing him to act with such ease and freedom!


    And none of them, including the highest in the Cultivation Realm, Grandma, could achieve this!


    The few exchanged nces, and their eyes revealed an unprecedented seriousness!


    It seems the old man in sackcloth had it wrong, this young man''s strength couldn''t possibly be simr to his; it must be much higher!


    Of course, maybe he had made some breakthroughs during this time and his cultivation had be even more profound!


    But no matter what the reality was, this young man could no longer be left alive!


    For a moment, all of them simultaneously burst out with a torrential surge of True Yuan Essence Aura, their own momentum growing wildly, quickly reaching a fearsome level!


    Their robes fluttered without wind, immediately billowing out with a "whooshing" sound!


    If they had held back before, in this moment, they dared not keep anything hidden, unleashing all their mightiest strength!


    When they unleashed that furious aura, the guests nearby felt as if the air themselves had begun to stiffen!


    At the same time, a terrifying intent to kill spilled out from them; the crowd didn''t know it was a killing intent but just felt the aura was terrifying, making them want to stay away!


    At this moment, the guests truly realized how frightening these elders were!


    They also had not expected that this proper wedding would turn into a martial contest, and the wedding tform into a battle ring!


    Just then, Grandma, Tu Shan, and Gao Yang, all half-step through Meridian Expansion, moved simultaneously; if they did not move, they were like mountains, but once they moved, they were unstoppable!


    Three figures tore through the void, stirring up a vast storm, their momentum overturning rivers and seas, heading straight for Su Chen, seemingly about to devour his somewhat lean body!


    In the midst of this storm, Su Chen watched them quietly, his expression serene!


    He slowly closed his eyes, no longer watching their movements, as if the entire world quieted down with his eyes shut!


    Though the roar of fury was right in front of him, it seemed as if it was miles away...

 Chapter 791: Defeated? Just Like That?

    The three elders watched as Su Chen suddenly closed his eyes at that moment, and they immediately felt somewhat perplexed, as well as deeply angry!


    Because in their eyes, this was an extreme disy of contempt towards them!


    Consequently, all three unleashed their full potential, and a powerful aura of True Essence poured out as theyunched an attack at Su Chen!


    As they came within an inch of Su Chen, his eyes remained closed, seemingly oblivious to everything around him!


    Granny and the other two, upon seeing this scene, each felt a sense of triumph in their hearts!


    At such a short distance, it waspletely impossible for him to avoid their attack!


    Although they didn''t understand why Su Chen had closed his eyes just now, what they could be certain of was that he was finished!


    However, at that moment, Su Chen suddenly opened his eyes¡ªeyes that seemed to shoot out des, making the heavens and the earth change color!


    At the same time, an aura of True Essence emanated from him that was several times stronger than thebined force of the three of them!


    Granny and the others felt this overwhelming aura, and their expressions changed drastically, their faces involuntarily showing a thick sense of fear!


    At that very moment, Granny and the others'' palm winds, fist edges, and leg strengths were almost touching Su Chen''s clothes, yet suddenly, Su Chen miraculously leaped into the air, positioning himself above their heads!


    He looked down at them indifferently, his gaze akin to a sovereign looking down upon his subjects, causing Granny and the others to have the mistaken impression that they wanted to submit!


    "Bang bang bang!"


    Three massive thuds followed, and in an instant, Su Chen had kicked out three times, each kick striking his opponents'' Dantian!


    Immediately, the three flew backward like cannonballs and finally crashed among the banquet tables, smashing several and overturning dishes and drinks everywhere!


    "Ahh~~"


    The surrounding crowd was startled, screaming and dodging out of the way, although many still got sshed with the drinks and soups!


    Afternding on the ground, the three of them immediately spat out several mouthfuls of blood!


    The key point, however, was that they felt their Dantian had been shattered!


    That is to say, they had been thoroughly reduced to invalids!


    Yes, what difference was there for them between being without Cultivation and an invalid?


    Their hearts were filled with shock; what kind of monster was this person, and to what level had his Cultivation Realm reached?


    Could it be that he had already surpassed that major threshold of the Realm?


    But he was only in his early twenties, how was that possible?


    Even if he were monstrously talented, he couldn''t possibly be this monstrous, right?


    The old man in homespun looked at the young man on the stage, his heart also churning up!


    So, the fight they had before was just him toying with him, huh?


    Remembering how he had told others that the young man''s Cultivation was almost equal to his own, he felt a burning shame on his old face!


    Shen Mingchang and the other old fellows saw this scene and stood up suddenly, their pupils sharply contracting, their faces showing an incredulous look!


    Defeated? Just like that, defeated?


    The experts of the Four Great Families joined forces and didn''t even touch the opponent''s sleeve before being defeated?!


    After the shock, a bone-chilling fear surged through Shen Mingchang and the others!


    This fear was so intense that it left their hands and feet ice-cold, their bodies uncontrobly shaking!


    The other guests thought that a defeat was just that, a defeat¡ªapart from being quite embarrassing, it wasn''t a big deal.


    After all, they hadn''t been undefeated at the financial summits and had faced embarrassment before!


    But Shen Mingchang and the others all knew that this defeat was nothing like the ones before!


    They knew what this defeat truly meant!


    Su Chen stood on the stage, hands behind his back, looking indifferently at Shen Mingchang, Su Chun, Situ Kong, and Zheng Yuxian.


    "The matters of the past should be settled."


    Su Chen said softly, as if talking about an ordinary matter!


    Having said that, he turned and walked towards Ye Mei, offered a slight smile, then grasped her hand and headed towards the entrance of the Situ Family estate...


    Although he had told his mother-inw and those people that if they wished for death, he would grant it to them, he wouldn''t actually start a massacre on such an asion unless absolutely necessary!


    At this point, no one else came forward to stop him, and Situ Kong no longer uttered a word...


    .....


    After Su Chen led Ye Mei out of the Situ Familypound, he looked up at the ink-ck sky and deeply sighed...


    It was finally over, what to do next was up to their own choices!


    Su Chen believed that for the sake of their n, they would make the right decisions!


    This was perhaps the best solution to the matter, for everyone involved.


    Su Chen then escorted Ye Mei to the vi where the Shadow Guard and Nether Temple''s A Team were based.


    While it was unlikely that the Situ Family would make a move, what if Situ Kong had a moment of madness?


    So, he felt somewhat more at ease cing her there.


    Today had been an incredibly tumultuous day for Ye Mei and her mind must have been in disarray, so Su Chen suggested that she rest early!


    "Alright then, I''ll take my leave now."


    Su Chen said, looking at Ye Mei who appeared somewhat tired as shey on the bed.


    "Okay."


    Ye Mei nodded.


    After Su Chen pulled the nket up for her, he got up and left.


    "Su Chen!"


    Just as he was about to reach the door, a voice suddenly called out from behind him, causing him to turn around.


    "Thank you."


    Ye Mei said softly.


    At her words, Su Chen smiled faintly, then opened the door and left...


    .....


    When Su Chen returned home, it was just after nine o''clock.


    Lin Ruoxue was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine, fork in hand, punctuating a piece of honeydew melon into her mouth.


    Maybe because she felt a bit cold, her delicate feet were curled beneath her thighs.


    The sight instantly warmed Su Chen''s heart.


    "Husband, you''re back!"


    Lin Ruoxue heard footsteps, looked up, and immediately a joyous smile spread across her face.


    "Mhm."


    Su Chen smiled slightly and then sat down next to Lin Ruoxue, naturally putting an arm around her slender waist.


    "Here, feed your husband a piece."


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue with a smile.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue speared a piece of melon and brought it to Su Chen''s mouth.


    In the past, Lin Ruoxue would have found such an action difficult to ept, but now it seemed quite normal to her.


    However, as Lin Ruoxue was about to put the melon into his mouth, he suddenly opened wide, not only taking the melon but also gently enclosing Lin Ruoxue''s slender fingers in his mouth, giving them a soft lick.


    Lin Ruoxue''s heart fluttered, she quickly withdrew her hand, her face flushing with crimson!


    "You bad guy! Always bullying people!"


    Lin Ruoxue red at him with her beautiful eyes, feigning annoyance...

 Chapter 792: 792

    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s yfulint, Su Chen merely smiled faintly and said nothing, a trace of weariness visible in his eyes.


    Lin Ruoxue also felt something was strange, sensing that Su Chen was not quite himself tonight.


    "Husband, why do I feel like you seem a little tired?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with concern.


    "It''s nothing, I''ll be fine after a sleep,"


    Su Chen said casually. For him, it was just a matter of rxing the tension that had been wound up for so long, which was why he seemed this way.


    ....


    This night, the lights in the great families'' residences shone brightly!


    When those old timers saw Su Chen defeat those old monsters, they knew they had lost the game!


    And when they learned that the Dantians of those old monsters had been destroyed, they werepletely disheartened!


    They knew it was time for them to make a choice!


    But did they have any room for choice?


    No!


    If they didn''t want their family to suffer a bloodbath, there was only one option!


    That was to take responsibility for the events of the past ande to a satisfying settlement for that young man!


    That way, the young man might spare their families and allow their legacies to continue.


    In their hearts, the continuation of the family legacy was their utmost priority; everything else was secondary!


    On this night, Shen Mingchang decided to step down from the position of Family Head, to be seeded by his younger brother Shen Mingsheng;


    Zheng Yuxian decided to remove his son Zheng Qiusheng from the position of Family Head and have his younger brother Zheng Yuhua take over;


    Su Chun and Situ Kong also resigned from their positions as Family Heads, passing on the roles to younger, middle-aged, and sideline members of their families.


    They did not pass on the position to their sons or grandsons.


    They understood that this was a gesture of sincerity and a statement of attitude.


    Of course, it was also the least they could do!


    However, as soon as they made this decision, they faced fierce opposition from their families!


    After all, in their eyes, there was no need to go to such lengths!


    Wasn''t it just that a few old men joined forces and were defeated by that young man today?


    At most, it was a loss of face, so why resign from the position of Family Head?


    Most people opposed their decision for the sake of the family, as they had amply proven over a long period that they were capable leaders!


    However, some people opposed it for their personal interests, like Shen Shao and Shen Lin!


    Even though Shen Mingsheng was their own grandfather''s brother, if Shen Mingsheng took over as Family Head, it was highly unlikely that they would ever be in line for the position!


    Because after that, Shen Mingsheng would surely pass the position on to his own grandson Shen Yu.


    At this moment, they loathed Su Chen to the bone!


    Shen Lin could never have imagined that his coboration with Su Chen, instead of earning him the position of Family Head, hadpletely dashed his hopes.


    And then there was Situ Guang, who became theughingstock of Yandu when his bride ran away on their wedding day!


    Now that his grandfather was about to pass the leadership to a member of the side branch of the family, his future position seemed utterly beyond reach!


    It could be said that in one night, he had plunged from the pinnacle of life into its deepest valley!


    And yet, those who benefited from this decision could not openly express their support for the current leaders'' choices; thus, they chose to remain silent or to offer hypocritical counsel.


    In summary, there was a tumult within the great families, and the old men felt a wave of sadness as they watched the chaotic scene unfold.


    Did they want it to be like this? They had no choice!


    These people had no idea what tonight''s defeat signified!


    In the end, the old men relied on their years of authority to firmly uphold their previous decision, irrevocably so.


    Furthermore, they announced that, from then on, no matter what happened, no one in the family was allowed to provoke Su Chen; anyone who did would be immediately expelled from the family!

 Chapter 793: Traces of the Blood Cultivator

    Upon hearing the elders'' words, the other family members were all invigorated!


    They thought to themselves, was it necessary to be so wary of that young man?


    Although he seemed not to be simple, it should suffice just to tell the family members not to provoke this gue god lightly!


    Why would it go so far as to say that if someone provoked him, they would be immediately expelled from the family!


    This was a severe punishment!


    No matter what, they were still the Five Great Families!


    However, the authority of those old fellows was deeply ingrained in everyone''s mind, so when they dered this decisively, everyone could only nod in agreement.


    Still, many who had been humiliated by Su Chen looked quite frustrated.


    This only showed that they still hadn''t realized the gravity of the situation, and if they knew what those old-timers were about to do next, they probably wouldn''t have such thoughts!


    After exining those matters, those elders called the newly appointed family heads to the study for a long conversation.


    After this lengthy talk, the sessors all emerged from the study with extremely grave expressions, bowing deeply or kneeling and kowtowing as they exited the room!


    One could say that except for the Pei Family, the reaction of the other Four Great Families was all too simr, almost identical!


    This was because they all knew what needed to be done at this time!


    In this world, frankly, not much reasoning was necessary¡ªthe root of everything was power!


    And that young man, obviously, possessed the power to determine everything!


    The Five Great Families might appear powerful and revered, but in the face of absolute power, they were virtually as frail as paper.


    If that young man came charging in, causing rivers of blood and mountains of corpses, what else could they do besides express their anger?


    Thew only applied within the mundane world; at the level of that young man, it had no binding force whatsoever!


    The only thing that could truly restrain him was a power greater than his, such as the Hidden Dragon Hall!


    But after the Hidden Dragon Hall dered it would not interfere, they were like fish on a chopping block, with no power to resist!


    ....


    At three o''clock in the morning, Su Chen watched Lin Ruoxue, who had already fallen asleep, gently kissed her forehead, and then slowly got out of bed.


    As he left the vi, he immediately made a phone call to Qin Ming:


    "I have found that Blood Cultivator, and I need you to bring people to the Junting Hotel now!"


    Qin Ming had just fallen asleep and was very sleepy when he heard Su Chen''s words, which instantly jolted him awake, revving up his emotions!


    Shortly after, Qin Ming arrived at the entrance of the Junting Hotel with a dozen people; Su Chen was already there, leaning on the car door and smoking a cigarette.


    "Old fellow, you arrived quite fast!"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile as he saw Qin Ming approaching.


    "You, I really don''t know what to say. You are going to be the talk of the whole Yandu again tomorrow!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, Qin Ming couldn''t help but shake his head and sighed:


    "Are you really not afraid that the Hidden Dragon Hall will act against you?"


    What Qin Ming was referring to was, of course, Su Chen causing a huge scene at the Situ Family''s wedding tonight. As the head of the Special Security Bureau, he was naturally the first to receive the news.


    "Don''t worry, they have already approached me. As long as I don''t cause too much chaos in Yandu, they will not interfere with this matter."


    Su Chen said, smiling.


    "Huh? What''s that about?"


    Qin Ming was immediately shocked to hear this. Why would Hidden Dragon Hall suddenly back off?


    "I also want to know why. It seems that it was an order from their Vice Hall Master."


    Su Chen slightly frowned and said, honestly, he himself couldn''t figure it out yet!


    Upon hearing this, Qin Ming immediately gasped in shock. An order personally issued by the Vice Hall Master?


    His gaze towards Su Chen became strange. What exactly about this guy warranted the personal intervention of the Vice Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall?


    "Alright, let''s not talk about this anymore. Don''t you want to know more about that Blood Cultivator?"


    Seeing Qin Ming staring at him so oddly, Su Chen also felt somewhat goosebumpy.


    "Right, right, right, tell me, how did you find this Blood Cultivator?"


    Only then did Qin Ming suddenly remember the main matter and hastily asked.


    This Blood Cultivator was indeed too cruel, having brutally harmed countless young girls, an outrage to both gods and humans!


    "If I''m not wrong, that person is hidden within the Wu Family!"


    Su Chen stated solemnly.


    "The Wu Family of Jiangnan?"


    Qin Ming eximed in shock; he had never dreamed that the perpetrator they were seeking was hidden within the most prominent Wu Family of Jiangnan!


    "Yes, today at the Situ Family''s wedding, I sensed a faint scent of blood from a person standing beside that olddy of the Wu family. It should be right."


    Su Chen continued thoughtfully; he had noticed that person right after stepping up to the wedding stage.


    However, because he had important matters to attend to and considering the distinctiveness of Blood Cultivators, it wasn''t appropriate to make a move in such a setting, so he had kept silent.


    "If it truly is their hiding ,It looks like the Wu Family doesn''t want to live!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Qin Ming''s eyes instantly shot out sharp glints!


    Qin Ming was wary of the Five Great Families of Yandu, but he had no such reservations towards the Wu Family of Jiangnan!


    Moreover, if they really were sheltering such a person, they indeed deserved death!


    Though many great families had masters and would kill, sometimes even more extensively, Qin Ming could understand and ept this!


    But this kind of Blood Cultivator, specifically targeting young girls and draining their blood until their corpses dried out, was utterly atrocious!


    It wouldn''t matter if it were the Wu Family or even the Five Great Families harboring such a person; he would stop at nothing to apprehend those involved!


    Because this¡ªwas too cruel! Absolutely inhumane!


    "It''s nighttime now, make it clean and efficient."


    Su Chen said to Qin Ming.


    Qin Ming nodded and then gave some instructions to his subordinates.


    The elevator stopped at the fifteenth floor, and a group of people stepped out, heading in a certain direction without making a single sound.


    When Su Chen left the Situ Family mansion, he had already arranged for two people from the Nether Temple''s Team A to follow him, scouting out the situation clearly, including who was staying in which room.


    Although most of the people Qin Ming brought this time were Qi Refinement sixth or seventh level¡ªapparently not very strong¡ªthey were sufficiently capable to deal with the Wu Family''s martial artists!


    Soon, these people each positioned themselves by the doors of a dozen rooms, with most focusing on the doors of the rooms where the Wu Family martial artists were staying.


    "Ding!"


    Almost simultaneously, a soft sound echoed as those doors were flung open, and the Special Security Bureau''s agents streamed in all at once!


    Su Chen, however, opened the door leisurely, as if he were about to enter his own room...

 Chapter 794: Are There Really Blood Clan?

    "Boom!"


    No sooner had Su Chen stepped inside with one foot than a figure suddenly appeared in the darkness, rushing towards him with a punch!


    That punch, carrying a fierce wind, howled towards Su Chen!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen directly kicked out, sending the figure flying backward, heavily crashing into the wall!


    The strength of that punch was about equivalent to the eighth or ninthyer of Qi Refinement, which posed no threat to Su Chen now!


    However, he was indeed surprised by the speed of this person in that instant, which was clearly the speed only found in thete stage of Qi Refinement Peak!


    After entering, Su Chen turned on the light, and as it illuminated, he saw a foreigner with golden hair, handsome features, rosy lips, and a somewhat diseased, paleplexion.


    This appearance reminded Su Chen of the man involved with Eniel and Shadow whom he had encountered at the Kasa International Airport; they seemed quite simr.


    "Is it you?!"


    The man got up, looked towards the doorway, and was startled when he saw Su Chen.


    Because he had just met this man tonight, a man with unbelievable strength!


    Why would hee looking for him? Because of the Wu Family?


    He thought about escaping through the window, but this was the fifteenth floor¡ªjumping would either kill him or cripple him!


    "I have nothing to do with the Wu Family, if you''re looking for them, it''s none of my business!"


    The man said somewhat fearfully.


    He had seen this man in action and knew how formidable he was!


    "No, it is you I''m looking for!"


    Su Chen''s eyes gradually narrowed as he looked at the foreigner!


    He was also quite amazed at his recovery ability since he hadn''t used much force just now; after all, identally breaking through the hotel''s wall would have been problematic.


    But the foreigner''s ability to recover just through breathing still surprised him, a recovery capability that could almost match those of the Gene Modifiers from the Skull Society in the past.


    But the problem was, this man wasn''t a Gene Modifier!


    "Looking for me? What do you want with me?"


    The man said, both frightened and puzzled.


    "To avenge those deceased young girls!"


    Su Chen stared intently into the other''s eyes.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, a hint of panic shed through the man''s eyes, though he quickly covered it up.


    "What are you talking about? I can''t understand you at all?"


    The man stammered, his handsome face taking on an innocent expression.


    "Is that so? I will make you understand!"


    Su Chen had already captured that moment of panic; he was now sure that this foreigner before him was the murderer he had been desperately searching for!


    "Today, your life will end here!"


    Su Chen said lightly, as a surge of killing intent burst forth from him!


    The man felt the intense killing intent and his heart trembled, knowing there was no way out!


    "Let''s see if you have the ability then!"


    The foreigner shouted, then charged towards Su Chen like lightning, wing at him!


    "Boom!"


    Su Chen lightly threw a punch, sending the man flying, who spat out a mouthful of blood and madly charged at Su Chen again, without any decrease in speed.


    "Bang!"


    "Bang!"


    "Bang!"


    The man kept charging at Su Chen but was continually sent flying by Su Chen''s punches.


    If it had been an ordinary martial artist, they would have already suffered severe injuries, struggling to even crawl. But this foreigner seemed to fare much better.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but frown slightly. Even though he used only a bit of his cultivation, he had indeed injured him every time. How could this be possible?


    Su Chen understood that this was because the other party possessed extremely strong healing abilities. The key question was, who was this person, and why did he have such powerful healing abilities?


    The man, continuously sted away by Su Chen, was burning with rage inside. His eyes fixed on Su Chen as he coldly said,


    "Then let me show you my true strength!"


    Although he knew that his chances were slim, he had to try. The young man seemed determined to kill him!


    As soon as these words fell, his eyes instantly turned blood red, like those of a wild beast about to devour its prey!


    At the same time, his body also seemed to undergo some changes. He appeared taller, and an overwhelming scent of blood surged forth!


    Most terrifyingly, a pair of fangs suddenly grew out of his mouth!


    At that moment, the fearsome power he emitted was almostparable to thete stage of Qi Refinement Peak! From the Eighth or Ninth Layer to thete stage of Qi Refinement Peak in an instant ¨C it had to be said, the increase in his strength was incredibly intense!


    "Vampire?"


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen''s pupils fiercely contracted!


    At this time, the foreigner almost resembled the vampires seen in movies, except for theck of wings on his back and slightly shorter fangs!


    Upon seeing those fangs, Su Chen became even more certain that this foreigner was the one he was looking for!


    He had initially thought that the twin tooth marks on those girls'' corpses were made by a criminal using some sort of mold for their teeth, but he had never expected the reality to be what it was!


    Just then, the foreigner charged at Su Chen with even greater speed, stretching out his hand as a terrifying bloody aura enveloped everything in its path!


    Su Chen also sensed something abnormal and did not want to dy any longer. Thus, with a flick of his wrist, a dagger appeared in his hand!


    With a sh of cold light, a spurt of fresh blood gushed out!


    "Ah~~~!"


    The foreigner instantly felt a surge of severe pain and shrieked out loud. Blood spurted from his shoulder like a fountain, and one of his arms had been chopped off!


    Su Chen then executed a wide-legged split, flipping him to the ground with a single foot pinned to his chest!


    The foreigner attempted to struggle but was utterly immobilized!


    "Move again, and I''ll kill you right now!"


    Su Chen''s icy voice rang out.


    "What do you want?"


    A look of immense humiliation appeared on the foreigner''s face, but he was powerless.


    "Your life is in my hands now, so I should be the one asking questions, not you!"


    Su Chen retorted coldly.


    "If I answer your questions, will you let me go?"


    A hint of hope surfaced on the foreigner''s face.


    "That depends on my mood."


    Su Chen snorted coldly and then asked,


    "What''s your name?"


    "Gapa!" the foreigner replied.


    "Who exactly are you?"


    "I am of the Blood n!"


    Even though he was under Su Chen''s foot, Gapa still spoke the words "Blood n" with undeniable pride.


    "Blood n?"


    Upon hearing these words, Su Chen felt a shiver in his heart. The so-called vampires belonged to the Blood n.


    "Could it be that the Blood n truly exists in this world?"


    Su Chen seemed to mumble to himself...

 Chapter 795: Youre Afraid of Something Else, Arent You?

    "Of course, the history of our Blood n is as long and extensive as that of you humans!"


    Gapa proudly dered.


    "Then why did youe to Huaxia? Why did you kill those girls?"


    Su Chen asked coldly.


    "What girls? I don''t understand what you''re talking about?"


    Gapa had already sensed from Su Chen''s words that he was here because of those girls, so naturally, he dared not admit it now!


    "Swish"


    No sooner had his words fallen than a cold light red up again, and Su Chen directly severed his other arm!


    "Ah~~~"


    Gapa immediately let out a tearing scream!


    "If I hear another lie from your mouth, the next thing to be severed will be your head!"


    "I''ll talk, I''ll talk!"


    Gapa trembled as he spat out:


    "I came to your Huaxia because there are many people, and the girls here are much more conservative than those in Europe and America, hence there are more virgins!"


    "Our Blood n needs to perform cultivation with fresh blood, and the blood of virgins is the purest and most effective!"


    Gapa thought that if he could absorb the blood of twenty more virgins, he would attain the strength of an Earl; then you might not necessarily be my match!


    However, he did not know that Su Chen, whether dealing with the old men yesterday or with him, had only used part of his strength!


    Su Chen naturally did not know Gapa''s thoughts, and even if he did, he wouldn''t have cared!


    At that moment, hearing Gapa''s words, he only felt a wave of nausea!


    "Who in the Wu Family knows about what you''ve done? And what deal do you have with the Wu Family?"


    Su Chen asked coldly, as it seemed obvious to him that the Wu Family wouldn''t protect Gapa for no reason.


    "Huaxia is quite special, after all, so only Mrs. Wu knows about it."


    Gapa said:


    "We have an agreement; she provides me with protection, and I help her with some matters when she needs it."


    Hearing this, Su Chen had already sentenced that Mrs. Wu to death in his heart!


    Because Mrs. Wu''s involvement utterly vited Su Chen''s bottom line!


    Just then, the door was pushed open, and Qin Ming walked in from outside.


    "How is it? Is it him?"


    Qin Ming immediately asked upon seeing the person at Su Chen''s feet.


    "It''s him, he''s from the Blood n, practicing Blood Cultivation, and virgin blood works best!"


    "Beast!"


    Qin Ming immediately shouted angrily, his eyes turning bloodshot upon hearing this!


    At that moment, he hadn''t noticed the Blood n mentioned by Su Chen, but then, realizing it, his face showed an incredulous expression:


    "Blood n?! You''re saying he''s from the Blood n?"


    "Hmm, it''s the first time I''ve heard of it too; I never expected such a thing to really exist in this world!"


    Su Chen was somewhat surprised as he spoke.


    "Is this badge yours?"


    Suddenly recalling something, Qin Ming took out his phone, flipped to a photo, and asked Gapa.


    It was a badge found by the Special Security Bureau at one of the crime scenes; they had long assumed that the intertwining patterns of evil spirits and blood were the emblems of a shrine from the Ind Country.


    "Correct, it''s mine; the pattern on it is the crest of our n!"


    Seeing the pattern, Gapa proudly dered.


    "It seems our earlier guesses were all wrong."


    Qin Ming said to Su Chen.


    "Not really, at least he''s indeed a practitioner of Blood Cultivation."


    Su Chen said, it''s just that the Blood n is a special type of Blood Cultivators.


    "How are things on your side?" Su Chen asked.


    "They''re all under control, but those Martial Artists resisted, and they''ve all died."


    "That''s good."


    Su Chen nodded, then looked at Gapa beneath his feet:


    "Alright, you can say goodbye to this world now!"


    Su Chen said indifferently, his eyes unabashedly revealing his intent to kill.


    "You just said that as long as I answered your questions, you would let me go. You can''t go back on your word!"


    Gapa said in utter terror.


    "I only said it would depend on my mood, and right now, my mood is very bad!"


    Su Chen coldly spat out, then he raised his hand holding the dagger!


    "You can''t kill me, I belong to the thirteen families of the Blood n..."


    His words were not yetplete when the glint of cold light shed again, and his head had already been chopped off...


    ...


    "What should we do next?"


    Qin Ming asked.


    "The others can wait, but Old Madam Wu must die!"


    Su Chen''s eyes zed with a frosty anger as he said:


    "She colluded with the Blood n, provided shelter; she must bear half of those sins!"


    "Leave this to me, I''ll deliver her a bullet. As for the rest of the Wu family, they won''t see the outside of a prison for the rest of their lives,"


    Qin Ming patted his shoulder and said.


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen nodded, too weary to see Old Madame Wu''s face that resembled a venomous scorpion anymore!


    He trusted that Qin Ming would handle everything well, so he needn''t worry himself.


    But from today on, the Wu family was thoroughly finished, a consequence of her misdeeds perhaps!


    .....


    As Su Chen walked out of the hotel, the sky suddenly started a drizzling rain; Su Chen hurriedly drove home.


    After arriving home, it was almost five o''clock, and Su Chen was toozy to go back to bed, wary of waking Lin Ruoxue.


    First, he cultivated for a while in his previous room, then he came out to make breakfast.


    After eating breakfast, he and Lin Ruoxue drove separately to the office.


    By noon, Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru, among others, had also found out about the incident that urred at the Situ family the previous night.


    At first knowing about this, both women were greatly shocked!


    After all, it was the Situ family''s wedding!


    During the meal, Xia Qiuru kept ming Su Chen for being too impulsive.


    Su Chen just casually smiled, knowing Xiuru was concerned for him.


    After lunch, the two walked back to the office. But just as Su Chen returned, Chen Guo called him to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Wife, you were looking for me?"


    As Su Chen pushed open the door of Lin Ruoxue''s office, he immediately said with a grin.


    Lin Ruoxue lifted her head to see him enter and couldn''t help but sneer, making Su Chen''s heart quiver.


    "Wife, I know, not telling you aboutst night was my fault,"


    Su Chen thought Lin Ruoxue''s sneer was because he hadn''t told her aboutst night''s events, so he quickly said.


    "What aboutst night?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him with a tone that was a mix of sarcasm and seriousness:


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about?"


    Su Chen, hearing this, became even more certain of his guess, came beside Lin Ruoxue and coaxed with augh:


    "Wife, I didn''t tell you because I was afraid you''d worry about me. See, I''m fine, aren''t I?"


    "You were afraid I''d worry? I think you were afraid of something else,"


    Lin Ruoxue said meaningfully.


    "Afraid of what else?"


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen suddenly became confused...


    (ps: The matter with the Five Great Families is not yet over; there''s still a concluding part!)

 Chapter 796: Su Chens Vow

    "By the way, where is your sweetheart hiding? Why didn''t you bring her over to show me?"


    Lin Ruoxue said indifferently.


    However, her words genuinely startled Su Chen:


    "Wife, what are you talking about? What sweetheart?"


    "Didn''t everyone say that Situ Guang''s new bride eloped with you at the wedding?"


    This morning, Lin Ruoxue had gone out to run some errands and ended up hearing all aboutst night''s event at the Situ Family''s wedding.


    "Wife, you shouldn''t listen to those people''s nonsense. That person and I are just friends, there''s absolutely nothing romantic between us!"


    Su Chen hastily swore.


    "What I heard wasn''t like that. Rumors have it that the two of you were exchanging tender looks on the wedding stage, as if you were deeply in love."


    Lin Ruoxue said sourly.


    "Wife, I swear, that woman and I really are just friends!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen became anxious:


    "If you don''t believe me, I will call her and have her exin it to you personally!"


    With that, Su Chen took out his cell phone, ready to make the call.


    "Alright, stop! Don''t call!"


    Just then, Lin Ruoxue''s voice rang out as she snatched Su Chen''s phone away.


    "Wife, do you believe me now? I really am just ordinary friends with her! We''re just on good terms, but there is absolutely nothing romantic between us!"


    "Barely," Lin Ruoxue responded coolly.


    Actually, she had never really believed the rumors. It wasn''t that she thought Su Chen was a saint, but rather that he wasn''t that foolish!


    After all, it would have been very easy for her to find out!


    What was more crucial was that after she heard the detailed ount ofst night, she immediately knew that there must have been another reason for Su Chen''s actions, not just to save that woman. If it was simply to save her, Su Chen wouldn''t have chosen that method. Wouldn''t it have been safer to secretly ensure her rescue?


    It must be said that nowadays, Lin Ruoxue was often able to sense what was on Su Chen''s mind, truly a kind of tacit understanding!


    But she didn''t know whether this telepathy was a good thing for Su Chen, since it made it difficult for him to keep things hidden!


    Although Lin Ruoxue didn''t quite believe the rtionship between Su Chen and that woman was as the rumors suggested, as a woman, hearing such rumors was always somewhat upsetting!


    After hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen instantly grinned, knowing he had passed this hurdle. However, he still needed to strike while the iron was hot!


    "Wife, no matter what happens in the future, you are the woman I love the most!"


    Suddenly, Su Chen reached out and grabbed Lin Ruoxue''s hands, saying earnestly.


    "Humph! Pretty words!"


    Su Chen''s sudden gesture made Lin Ruoxue slightly flustered, and a blush tinged her stunning face!


    She intended to pull her hands away, but found Su Chen holding them tightly; she couldn''t move them at all.


    Despite feeling embarrassed, her heart was sweeter than honey!


    "What? You don''t believe your own husband?"


    Su Chen raised an eyebrow before releasing one hand and raising it:


    "I could swear to the heavens, to the sun, the moon, and the stars, that no matter what, you are the woman Su Chen loves the most!"


    Silently in his mind, Su Chen added, Eniel, Hanbing, you too are the women I love the most!


    Of course, these were words he would never dare to speak aloud, unless he no longer wanted his life or desired to be thest eunuch in Huaxia!


    As emotional creatures, when Lin Ruoxue heard such touching love derations, her beautiful eyes immediately sparkled!


    Suddenly, she stood up swiftly, her free hand hooking around Su Chen''s neck, and then her rosy lips pressed against his!


    Was this a forceful kiss?


    Su Chen was instantly stunned!


    Damn, this is not my style at all!


    Thus, he reached out with one big hand across Lin Ruoxue''s desk, sweeping all the files onto the floor, including theputer.


    Then he lifted Lin Ruoxue onto therge desk, and his hand began to wander restlessly!


    "Honey, no!"


    When Lin Ruoxue realized what Su Chen wanted to do, she quickly became panic-stricken.


    At that moment, Su Chen was on a roll, so how could he listen to Lin Ruoxue?


    "Honey, let''s go to the lounge inside!"


    Lin Ruoxue, with a trace of rity left in her mind, whispered like a mosquito.


    Su Chen, hearing this, immediately picked up Lin Ruoxue again and walked into the lounge inside...


    "This is so embarrassing!"


    The young secretary Chen Guo couldn''t help but cover her face, feeling it burn hot.


    The sounds and movements just now had not missed her ears...


    ....


    "Look what you''ve done!"


    Lin Ruoxue, who had juste out from the lounge, looked at the mess on the floor and cast a resentful nce at Su Chen!


    That look was truly seductive, making Su Chen''s heart itch again.


    Immediately, Lin Ruoxue bent down to pick up the documents and theputer, fortunately, it was a desktop, and the data were all in the CPU, it would have been a disaster if it had been aptop!


    Meanwhile, Su Chen sat on Lin Ruoxue''s chair like andowner,fortably lighting a cigarette.


    Taking a puff, he felt incrediblyfortable, hmm, all that was missing was a young maid to massage his shoulders and legs...


    This behavior of his made Lin Ruoxue even more irritated...


    "Get lost already!"


    After cleaning up, Lin Ruoxue huffed unhappily at him.


    "Wife, let''s continue tonight!"


    Su Chen stood up, whispered in Lin Ruoxue''s ear while blowing a breath of air, and then left with a satisfied smile...


    "You bad boy!"


    Lin Ruoxue, whose pretty face had just calmed down, blushed again and spat at his retreating figure.


    She had wanted to ask aboutst night''s matter with the Situ Family, but decided to let it go, thinking he must have his ns.


    "Chen Guo, why is your face so red?"


    Upon leaving Lin Ruoxue''s office, Su Chen asked in surprise.


    "It''s nothing, maybe it''s just too hot!"


    Chen Guo replied in a fluster.


    "Hot? It''s winter!"


    Su Chen shook his head, puzzled, and walked towards his own office...


    .....


    That afternoon, the events ofst night had already spread throughout thepany, and practically everyone knew about it.


    Whenever Su Chen went out, people looked at him strangely.


    When Su Chen went to the public rtions department, the women there were all pumped up, eagerly asking him about the scene ofst night''s wedding snatch.


    Zhao Lin, that woman, even directly asked him if he had slept with the new bridest night, scaring him to immediately run out!


    As soon as it was time to leave work, Su Chen immediately drove home...


    "One day and one night might have been enough for those old folks to sort out their family affairs,"


    Su Chen mumbled as he looked out at the drizzling rain that had not stopped all day...

 Chapter 797: All for the Family

    Su Chen did what he usually did, buying some groceries from the market on his way home to cook dinner.


    After dinner was ready, it was almost 8 o''clock, and Lin Ruoxue came home not long after, and they dined together.


    After eating, Su Chen still did the dishes while Lin Ruoxue casually flipped through a magazine on the sofa.


    The reason Su Chen always did the dishes wasn''t that Lin Ruoxue didn''t want to, but that he wouldn''t let her.


    In just two times, she had broken three bowls and even cut her own finger. How could Su Chen let her do the dishes?


    Lin Ruoxue was also annoyed¡ªshe could dominate at work and intimidate her opponents, but when it came to household chores, she was like an idiot!


    Luckily, she had a good husband who was adept both in the hall and in the kitchen. His only faults were that he seemed to have a bit too much charm with women, and, well, he was a bit of a lech!


    After Su Chen had put away the dishes, he sat down next to Lin Ruoxue and picked up a magazine to read.


    As he read, hey down, resting his head on Lin Ruoxue''s thigh.


    "What are you doing?"


    Lin Ruoxue tapped him and asked when she saw him like this.


    "Just lying down for a while,"


    Su Chen flipped through the magazine nonchntly.


    "If you want to lie down, just use a pillow. Isn''t it heavy resting on my leg?"


    Lin Ruoxue said, feeling annoyed.


    "A pillow isn''t asfortable as your long leg!"


    Su Chen stated matter-of-factly.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes¡ªthis guy really knew how to enjoy life!


    "Are you going to get up?"


    Lin Ruoxue lifted her thigh and huffed.


    "Nope!"


    Su Chen said stubbornly, no matter how much Lin Ruoxue moved her leg.


    Seeing him act like a spoiled child, Lin Ruoxue was both amused and exasperated, so she let him be.


    Around ten o''clock, Lin Ruoxue said,


    "Honey, it''s about time to go to sleep."


    At this, Su Chen immediately sat up, his eyes twinkling as he said,


    "Wife, are you thinking about continuing what we were doing during the day¡­"


    "What are you thinking?!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned red at his words; she was immediately reminded of the ridiculous incident in the office that day!


    Lin Ruoxue had never imagined that she would do such a thing with a man in the office, even if that man was her own husband!


    "Isn''t it?"


    Su Chen said, his lips curving into a mischievous smile, looking like a big bad wolf ready to devour a little white rabbit!


    Seeing Su Chen''s expression, Lin Ruoxue''s heart suddenly started thumping wildly.


    At the same time, a strange interest rose within her¡­


    However, contrary to Lin Ruoxue''s expectations, Su Chen didn''t take any further action but shifted his gaze toward the door and said meaningfully,


    "No rush, let''s sit a little longer. Someone should being soon."


    "Who?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue suddenly became confused.


    Who woulde over sote at night, especially since it was raining outside?


    Moreover, how did he know someone wasing?


    Could he foresee the future?


    "You''ll know soon."


    Su Chen said lightly, a yful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.


    Lin Ruoxue became even more puzzled, but since Su Chen had said so, she had no choice but to wait with him.


    She was curious, who woulde visiting in the rain sote at night?


    .....


    In the deep of winter, there were few people about, and with the incessant drizzle throughout the day, the streets werepletely deserted.


    The dim streetlights reflected off the wet pavement, casting a faint glow when suddenly four stretch limousines drove towards the Imperial Garden and stopped at the gate.


    Then a man alighted from each car, holding umbres as they hurried to the other side to open the car doors.


    Then an elder stepped out of each vehicle, and after getting out, their gazes were directed towards one of the vis.


    "You all go back now, we old folks will walk the rest from here," said Shen Mingchang softly, and the other eldersmanded the same.


    "Let''s go, all of you," Su Chun said, waving his hand when he saw some hesitation in the men.


    The attendants could only respond with a yes and then drove away.


    They had intended to leave the umbres for the elders, but none of the elders epted them.


    After the cars had left, only Shen Mingchang and the other three elders remained outside the gate of the Imperial Garden, their expressionsplex as they looked in a certain direction through the night rain.


    "Ah, who would have thought we''d see this day," Zheng Yuxian sighed in defeat.


    The other elders also disyed a hint of destion upon hearing this.


    They had once been so high and mighty; now, they had to ept such a fate!


    "The situation is such; we have no choice," observed Situ Kong as he saw everyone''s mood was gloomy andforted them:


    "Forget about so-called pride; besides, we old timers have lived long enough not to be at a loss. Let''s do what we must for the continuation of our families,"


    "Yes, for the future of our families, let everything go, be it dignity or life," Shen Mingchang said calmly.


    Then the elders walked over to the security booth by the main gate, where Shen Mingchang said to the security inside with a slight smile:


    "Please inform Mr. Su at vi number 15 that a few old fellows would like to see him,"


    "Oh, no need, Mr. Su already instructed us that if several elders wanted to see him tonight, we should just let them in," said someone who appeared to be the head of security.


    Upon hearing this, Shen Mingchang and the others felt a tremor in their hearts, followed by a bitter smile.


    It seemed that the other party had anticipated their actions, right down to the timing.


    "Thank you!" Shen Mingchang said to the guard and then proceeded inside, followed closely by Su Chun and the others.


    The Imperial Garden was a mid-to-high-end vi area, naturally with excellentndscaping. Even in winter, the roadsides were lined with lush greenery, the drizzle tapping on them with a "drip-drop" sound.


    The elders slowly made their way inside and arrived at the door of a vi. They intended to gently knock on the door knocker, but unexpectedly, the courtyard door wasn''t locked at all; a gentle touch caused it to creak open.


    So Shen Mingchang gently pushed open the courtyard door and walked in.


    The elders stopped at the steps in front of the vi, then removed their shoes, barefooted, lined up, and, prostrating themselves, knelt down....


    .......


    "Honey, it seems there''s some noise outside; are those the people you were waiting for?"


    It was drizzling outside, and Lin Ruoxue couldn''t hear clearly, asking with some confusion.


    "Yes, it''s them,".


    Su Chen nodded, his face calm....

 Chapter 798: Its Not Me You Should Be Kneeling To

    "Why didn''t they knock on the door? What are you still doing sitting here?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help asking, her stomach full of questions and not knowing where to begin.


    "Don''t worry, let them wait."


    Su Chen casually flipped through a magazine, seemingly unconcerned.


    Seeing Su Chen''s calm demeanor, as if everything was under his control, Lin Ruoxue''s anxious heart settled down a bit....


    ....


    Meanwhile, at the Pei Family''s estate.


    Pei Zhennan looked out at the pattering rain through the study window''s ss, sighing:


    "It should all be over now!"


    He had never dreamed that things would end this way!


    It seems he really had aged, Xiao Man indeed had a better vision!


    At this moment, he was certain that Mr. Zhuge had indeed been speaking about Su Chen!


    .....


    Time slowly passed, the elderly men kneeling on the ground were already trembling, their white hair disheveled, tightly stered to their scalp by the rain, looking quite disheveled....


    After all, it was winter, and it was also raining; their old age certainly made it unbearable.


    "Creak!"


    Suddenly, a noise came, and the vi''s door burst open from the inside!


    The elderly men involuntarily lifted their heads upon hearing the noise, rain running down their cheeks.


    Su Chen quietly watched those kneeling on the ground, his expression slightly stern.


    Following him out, Lin Ruoxue saw this scene and her eyes widened in shock!


    These were the helmsmen of the four great family heads!


    They could be considered the most elite existences in Huaxia! Countless people worshipped them!


    Yet at this moment, they looked like drenched chickens, pitifully kneeling in front of their own vi!


    No, to be precise, they were kneeling in front of Su Chen!


    What on earth was going on?


    What had Su Chen done to make these old men kneel in a row on such a cold rainy night for so long?


    "You may leave."


    Su Chen nced at Shen Mingchang and others, his tone cold.


    As soon as he spoke, a shiver ran through the old men, a silent fear spreading throughout their bodies!


    Because those words meant that the other party had no intention of sparing their family, which was exactly what they feared most!


    Even Su Chun was no different; he might have killed his own elder brother, but he still regarded the family''s legacy as the most important.


    Struggles amongrge families were normal, even death was not beyond reproach, and he had no regrets!


    But if the Su Family''s lineage were to be severed on his watch, resulting in their extermination, he would be a sinner through the ages, without the dignity to meet his ancestors after death!


    That was something he couldn''t bear!


    "Su Chen, we ept the consequences of our actions, we only hope you will spare our family!"


    Shen Mingchang said to Su Chen.


    "You are not kneeling to me. If you really want me to spare your family, I think you know what to do."


    Su Chen looked at them indifferently and continued:


    "Moreover, I do not wish to ughter innocents, but I will not spare anyone involved in the past. If tomorrow it''s still just you few, then there''s nothing more to discuss."


    "We understand, and we will definitely give you a satisfactory response," Shen Mingchang said after hearing Su Chen''s words.


    "Bang!"


    Shortly after, the door was shut, Su Chen wrapped his arm around Lin Ruoxue and went upstairs to rest, while Lin Ruoxue''s heart was still filled with shock!


    The events of this evening seemed so abrupt, so inconceivable!


    "Alright, let''s not keep hiding things. If we don''t want disaster to strike, let''s y by the rules,"


    Shen Mingchang said, standing up shakily.


    The others also silently nodded their heads; they originally intended to take the whole me themselves, but it was clearly not enough.


    Then, a few elderly men slowly walked out of the neighborhood and had peoplee to pick them up...


    "Husband, is it over?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked from the bed in the darkness.


    "It should be almost over, unless they y tricks," Su Chen''s voice also emerged from the darkness.


    Was it really over?


    Su Chen couldn''t help but think of the name "Shengyi Gate" at this moment...


    .....


    The next morning, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue were having breakfast at home when suddenly his phone rang; it was a call from Su Jin.


    "I''m here,"


    Su Chen answered, and immediately, Su Jin''s voice came through.


    "Alright, I''lle out,"


    Su Chen said and stood up.


    "Husband, do you want me toe with you?"


    As Su Chen was about to leave, Lin Ruoxue spoke up, sounding a bit nervous.


    "No need, wife, you better go to work,"


    Su Chen replied with a faint smile,


    "You''ve already helped me a lot with this matter; thank you!"


    Su Chen didn''t want her toe because there might be some distressing scenes. After all, Lin Ruoxue was a woman, and it was better for her not to see them.


    But Su Jin was different, her lifelong wish was to avenge her big brother and father; if he didn''t include her today, she might never forgive Su Chen!


    "Well, then, take care,"


    Lin Ruoxue said hesitantly, always a bit worried.


    "Don''t worry,"


    Su Chen smiled slightly and then walked out.


    When he left the neighborhood, Su Jin''s Mercedes was parked nearby; Su Chen directly opened the door and got in.


    Su Jin immediately stepped on the gas and drove toward the northern part of the city.


    On the road, the two were silent, not saying a word...


    Soon, the car stopped at the bottom of a small hill.


    There, the newly appointed family heads of various families were each leading two or three people, waiting there.


    Upon seeing Su Chen, they all bowed their heads and dared not meet the young man''s gaze.


    Su Chen and Su Jin ignored them and walked up the small hill, where the cemetery of the Five Great Families was located!


    Passing by the main gate of the cemetery, Su Chen noticed there wasn''t a single guard, clearly, they had been sent away.


    The situation today truly wasn''t appropriate for extra people to be present.


    When Su Chen and Su Jin arrived at the Su Family''s cemetery, there were already people kneeling all over the ce.


    Aside from Shen Mingchang and four other old fellows, there were also Su Yuan, the Zheng Qiusheng couple, the Situ couple, the mother-inw, and the old man in the jute shirt!


    Seeing these people, Su Chen nodded slightly; this was right, itpletely matched what Qin Ming had told him before!


    Initially, Qin Ming had informed him that his father, Su Lou, was deceived by Su Yuan under the guise of a business matter and taken out of town, never to return¡ªprobably the work of this mother-inw and the old man in the jute shirt.


    After all, his father must have had absolute experts protecting him at that time.


    And as his mother was heartbroken, she lost interest in food and spirits. Therefore, the wives of Zheng Qiusheng and Situ, who were close to her at that time, persuaded her to go out and rx, apanying her.


    In the end, however, his mother was severely poisoned and died not long after returning to Yandu...

 Chapter 799: Who Exactly Is Mother?

    Upon seeing Su Chen and Su Jin approaching, Shen Mingchang and his group of four, including the elderly woman and the old man in the sackcloth shirt, all wore faces of indifference.


    However, the couple Zheng Qiusheng and the Situ elders, including Su Yuan, all showed expressions of fear!


    They all knew what they would face next; the reason they came today was that the elders had made the stakes and consequences clear to them yesterday.


    They would die so that the family could survive!


    If they thought of escaping, they would never seed. Not only would they die, but their sons and daughters would meet the same fate!


    So they had no choice but toe today...


    Although they had arrived, theycked the resolve and dignity of the elders!


    They felt they hadn''t lived long enough yet!


    So when they saw Su Chen, they couldn''t help but start trembling!


    Su Chen, however, paid no attention to their reactions, instead fixing his gaze on Shen Mingchang and his group.


    To him, these people were not worthy of pity; everyone must be held responsible for their actions!


    "Aunt, is there anything you want to ask?"


    Su Chen asked Su Jin.


    "I want to know the truth of what happened back then!"


    Su Jin looked at these people. Although her face was calm, her heart was raging like a storm.


    Her dazzling and outstanding elder brother, along with his kind-hearted wife, had died at the hands of these people. How could she not harbor hatred in her heart?


    Oddly enough, although Su Jin had affection for her father, what she found hardest to ept after the incident was the death of her half-brother from the same father!


    For her, that truly was a pain that pierced her heart!


    "At this point, there''s nothing left to hide,"


    Shen Mingchang said calmly, looking at the two.


    Then he started recounting the events of that year while kneeling before Su Yi''s tombstone. His narrative closely matched what Qin Ming had told Su Chen, including the details Su Chen had spected.


    The motives of these people were also easy to understand.


    Shen Mingchang''s aim was for the Shen Family to be the number one n. Su Chun aspired to be the Su Family Head. The Zheng Family and the Situ Family wanted their share of the spoils, and none of them wanted to see an overly powerful Su Family.


    After hearing all this, Su Jin couldn''t help but shed tears.


    Interests! In the end, it all boiled down to interests!


    "Well, do you have anything else you want to say?"


    Su Chen asked indifferently.


    "Su Chen, may I have a word with you in private?"


    Shen Mingchang asked, looking at Su Chen.


    Su Chen and Su Jin exchanged a nce, both seemingly understanding the request.


    "Alright,"


    Su Chen nodded and then walked to one side.


    Shen Mingchang also stood up and walked towards Su Chen.


    The others were somewhat puzzled about what Shen Mingchang wanted to discuss with Su Chen at this time.


    "Su Chen, even though today hase to this, I do not regret the things I''ve done,"


    Shen Mingchang said indifferently to Su Chen:


    "As the Family Head of the Shen Family, I must prioritize the interests of the n. Even if I could do it all over again, I would make the same choices."


    Su Chen didn''t say anything, but he did believe what he said; Shen Mingchang was indeed a man with the bearing of a hegemon!


    Shen Lin and Shen Shao might also consider themselves great, but in Su Chen''s eyes, they really couldn''tpare to Shen Mingchang!


    "Actually, my rtionship with your grandfather was one of the best among the older generation,"


    Shen Mingchang said with a tinge of nostalgia:


    "If I weren''t in this position, I could even trade lives with your grandfather! Do you believe that?"


    "It''s no longer important. What you want to tell me isn''t just that, is it?"


    Su Chen said indifferently, then nced at him:


    "What I am more interested in hearing is about the Shengyi Gate!"


    "You know?"


    Upon hearing this, Shen Mingchang''s body suddenly shook!


    "Certainly, I don''t know as much as you do."


    Su Chen did not hide it, directly looking at Shen Mingchang as he spoke.


    "Indeed, the incident that I nned back then started when Shengyi Gate suddenly approached us."


    Shen Mingchang recalled and said:


    "Before that, I had never entertained such thoughts. Even the medicine I gave to your grandfather was supplied by them, which I handed over to Su Chun. The hospital was never able to detect the real cause of death."


    "Why did they want to do this?"


    Su Chen asked, staring intently at Shen Mingchang. It was a question he had yet to understand.


    He knew the motives of Shen Mingchang and the others, but what exactly was the purpose of Shengyi Gate?


    "Although they did not explicitly say, I felt as if they were targeting your mother, as if they held a significant grudge against her!"


    Shen Mingchang pondered before speaking:


    "As for the reason, I don''t know."


    Su Chen frowned immediately upon hearing this. What exactly was his mother''s rtionship with Shengyi Gate?


    Unexpectedly, the old Master Pei''s conjecture turned out to be true; the incident back then really did involve his mother!


    If Shen Mingchang was not lying to him, then how could his mother be involved with the so-called Shengyi Gate?


    Who exactly was his mother?


    "Of course, they may have had other motives, but that''s what I don''t know,"


    said Shen Mingchang.


    "What exactly is this Shengyi Gate?"


    asked Su Chen. Up to now, he remainedpletely in the dark about Shengyi Gate.


    "I don''t know, but they are extremely powerful and very secretive! The person they sent to discuss with me imed to be from the Meridian Expansion Realm!"


    Shen Mingchang shook his head:


    "It was precisely because they were so powerful that I agreed to their terms. Of course, I won''t deny that the arrangement also aligned with the interests of the Shen Family!"


    Su Chen, in fact, knew that Shen Mingchang had notpletely told the truth, such as the benefits that Shengyi Gate had promised to the Shen Family which he had omitted.


    After all, Shengyi Gate had not exerted much effort in the matter, aside from providing some medicines that albeit yed a significant role in the whole affair.


    Given this, why would Shen Mingchang listen to them?


    Out of fear of Shengyi Gate''s retribution? Clearly not a viable reason.


    That Shengyi Gate wanted to leverage the Shen Family for their ns was without a doubt because they had reservations, and it was very possible that those reservations concerned Hidden Dragon Hall!


    After all, if they had taken direct action against the Su Family, Hidden Dragon Hall would not have remained indifferent!


    Simrly, if they made a move against the Shen Family, Hidden Dragon Hall would not have ignored that either!


    However, the details that Shen Mingchang hid were no longer important to Su Chen.


    What he desired most was the truth of what happened back then and for those responsible to pay the price for this truth!


    That was enough!


    "All right, regardless, thank you for voluntarily telling me all this."


    Su Chen said indifferently. Although he would have asked even if Shen Mingchang had remained silent, his initiative still signified a certain gesture!


    After all, Shen Mingchang did not know that Su Chen was already aware of the existence of Shengyi Gate!

 Chapter 800: The Cost

    Su Chen had returned to his previous position and cast a cold nce at the kneeling people, speaking:


    "Seeing that you all have been cooperative, I promise, in front of my grandparents'' and parents'' gravestones, that as long as the members of your families do not actively provoke me, I will not seek trouble with them either."


    "However, if they do provoke me, then I''m sorry!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Shen Mingchang and the others immediately showed a relieved expression.


    Wasn''t this promise exactly what they wanted?


    As for those in the family who might have a death wishter, that was their own fault!


    Suddenly, a sh of cold light sparked, and blood sttered everywhere...


    .....


    When Su Chen and Su Jin walked down the hillside again, the members of the major families were still there.


    "You can go up now."


    Su Chen told them.


    As soon as he finished speaking, those people immediately rushed up the hillside...


    Su Chen and Su Jin then drove back.


    "Su Chen, there won''t be any problems that you killed those men today, right?"


    Although she knew that Su Chen wouldn''t act this way without being confident, she was still somewhat worried.


    "Auntie, in this world, most of the people and events abide by rules, but once your strength reaches a certain level, you can transcend those rules, and only a more powerful force can restrain you!"


    Su Chen nced at Su Jin with a faint smile as he drove.


    Upon hearing these words, Su Jin nodded. His logic was indeed sound.


    For instance, would the Five Great Families pay with lives for killing a person? Obviously not!


    "By the way, did Shen Mingchang call you over to talk about that mysterious person? Who exactly is that person?"


    Su Jin asked, still curious about the mysterious individual.


    "No, we discussed something else."


    Su Chen casually said:


    "I also inquired about the mysterious person. He has nothing to do with the past events."


    "Are you sure?"


    Su Jin asked doubtfully.


    "Auntie, don''t you trust me?"


    Su Chen responded, his lips curling into a smile.


    "Of course I trust you, but it hardly seems likely!"


    Su Jin furrowed her brows slightly.


    "You''re overthinking it and getting too fixated."


    Su Chen gently grasped Su Jin''s hand and said:


    "Auntie, rx, this matter ispletely over."


    The reason he didn''t tell Su Jin about Shengyi Gate was to keep her out of this affair.


    Because Shengyi Gate might be very powerful, and involving Su Jin could be very dangerous, something he didn''t want to see!


    Besides, she had already paid too much for what happened in the past ¡ª¡ª she deserved a rest...


    "Okay, Auntie will listen to you; I''ll stop thinking about it."


    Su Jin smiled faintly, then leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.


    For Su Jin, the experiences still felt like a dream; she hardly understood how everything had happened.


    Although Su Chen had exined it to her simply, there were still parts she didn''t quite grasp.


    But what she was certain of was that the events of the past had finally concluded!


    All thanks to her elder brother and sister-inw having such a fine son! And she was increasingly unable to see through this nephew of hers!


    At this thought, she looked toward Su Chen, who was driving, feeling a bit conflicted.


    Should she tell him about that matter or not?


    "Would telling him be too cruel?"


    Su Jin thought about it but ultimately chose not to speak...


    Su Chen first parked the car at the Imperial Garden and then Su Jin drove back alone.


    Just as Su Chen entered the small yard of the vi, Lin Ruoxue rushed out.


    "Husband, are you alright?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a tense expression.


    "What could possibly happen to me?"


    Su Chen smiled and then asked:


    "Honey, why didn''t you go to work?"


    "Was I in the mood to work today?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him and said,


    "How did things turn out?"


    "It''s over, they paid the price they had to pay."


    Su Chen said with a faint smile:


    "Come on, let''s go inside."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue didn''t ask further. She was a smart woman and knew that Su Chen didn''t want to talk more...


    .....


    In the following days, a shocking piece of news spread throughout Yandu and even Huaxia.


    The patriarchs of the Four Great Families, including Su Yuan of the Su Family, Zheng Qiusheng and his wife from the Zheng Family, and the couple from the Situ Family, had gone on a trip together and tragically perished in a ne crash...


    At the same time, a few new tombstones were added to the cemetery of the Five Great Families...


    During the same period, an explosive piece of news shook all of Jiangnan!


    That was the leading family of Jiangnanmitting treason; the olddy of the Wu Family was executed by firing squad, and most others were sentenced to life in prison with only a few escaping punishment!


    The people of Jiangnan were still secretly envying the Wu Family for connecting with the Situ Family of Yandu, not realizing they would never return from their trip to Yandu!


    It''s fair to say, it was a tremendous irony!


    With that, the Wu Family became the third family in Jiangnan to fall, leaving only the Yun Family remaining from the Four Great Families!


    ......


    When Lin Ruoxue first heard of these events, her mind went nk from shock!


    While others might not know, she clearly understood that this was all Su Chen''s doing!


    When she initially heard of Su Chen nning to take revenge on the Five Great Families, it seemed like a fantasy!


    It was truly a case of David versus Goliath!


    But facing such deep-seated hatred, she couldn''t well advise him to let go. She could only do her utmost to help him.


    She hadn''t expected that in just a few months, he would actually seed!


    The people involved had paid for the past with their lives.


    It took Lin Ruoxue several days to slowly ept this reality; after all, the events were too shocking!


    ......


    However, people are forgetful, especially in this era of information overload.


    When another ten days or so had passed, the people of Yandu seldom discussed the ''ne crash'' involving the several great families.


    These days, Su Chen was rather leisurely, his life revolving almost around the recurrent theme of going to work, getting off work, and practicing cultivation.


    As for the Shengyi Gate, he of course had not let it go, but without any information, how could he proceed?


    He nned to wait until the school holidays began for his daughter, then take her back to the Kunlun Mountains to visit the old man and perhaps inquire if he knew anything about Shengyi Gate, before making further ns. After all, it was just three or four days until the school holidays started.


    Compared to the issues with Shengyi Gate, another matter kept him on edge, which was that Du Hanbing had not returned yet!


    By now, it had been two months since Du Hanbing had left to carry out her mission, too long a time!


    But he was also helpless. A few days ago, he had visited the Eighth Brigade and heard that the authorities had already dispatched many airnes and personnel to the area where she was carrying out her mission to search and rescue her.


    For now, all he could do was wait for news and pray for her safe return...

 Chapter 801: Never-Ending

    After getting off work this evening, Su Chen still went to buy groceries and then headed home as usual.


    However, as soon as he reached the door, he heard some noise inside. Although it was subtle, it did not escape Su Chen''s ears.


    He frowned involuntarily, Lin Ruoxue hasn''te back yet. Who could be inside?


    Without much thought, he opened the door and pushed it open.


    At the same time, a figure quickly shed out from a room.


    Seeing the figure, Su Chen was slightly stunned, then smiled and said:


    "Ms. Sun, you''re back?"


    ording to Lin Ruoxue, Ms. Sun was supposed to return in theing days.


    "Yes, sir, you''re off from work already!"


    Ms. Sun smiled lightly.


    Su Chen was momentarily taken aback by her words but quicklyposed himself.


    He looked at the "Ms. Sun" in front of him again, a sly smile curling at the corner of his mouth.


    "Yes." Su Chen said casually. "Has dinner been made? I''m actually a bit hungry."


    "Oh, not yet."


    The "Ms. Sun" showed a sh of panic on her face, trying to remain calm:


    "Sorry, sir, I just arrived a short while ago and tidied up a bit, but haven''t had time to buy groceries yet."


    "How about we just cook some noodles and eat something simple tonight?"


    The "Ms. Sun" said as she looked nervously at Su Chen.


    "No problem, I happen to have brought groceries."


    Su Chen raised the stic bag in his hand, his smile growing wider.


    He nced around the house, there wasn''t the slightest sign of tidying up, in fact, some ces were even messier.


    "Alright then."


    The "Ms. Sun" took the bag with apprehension.


    Su Chen looked at her hand, secretly thinking, you''ve done a good job acting.


    "Then sir, I''ll go cook now."


    The "Ms. Sun" said, then walked toward the kitchen.


    Su Chen sat on the sofa, casually flipping through Lin Ruoxue''s fashion magazines. There was no visual barrier between the living room and the kitchen, so he could clearly see inside.


    The "Ms. Sun" nced back and saw Su Chen still sitting in the living room, which made her even more nervous, but she couldn''t say anything.


    "Ms. Sun, please cut me a te of cantaloupe."


    Su Chen''s voice echoed from the living room.


    "Oh, okay."


    The "Ms. Sun" hurriedly replied, then took a cantaloupe out of the refrigerator.


    Since Lin Ruoxue liked eating cantaloupe, there was almost always some at home.


    "Sir, here you go."


    After a while, the "Ms. Sun" brought a te of cantaloupe over and ced it on the coffee table.


    "Ms. Sun, why did you cut the cantaloupe into such uneven sizes today?"


    Su Chen nced at it and said casually.


    "Oh, sorry, sir, I''ll pay attention next time."


    The "Ms. Sun" hurriedly said, taking advantage of Su Chen''s moment of distraction to re at him fiercely, thinking to herself:


    "How annoying, cutting it for you is good enough, and you''re still being picky!"


    However, when Su Chen looked up, she quickly resumed her smiling expression.


    "Alright, go ahead and cook."


    Su Chen waved his hand, then halfy on the sofa, flipping through the magazine and eating cantaloupe, asionally ncing toward the kitchen.


    "Crash!"


    Suddenly, the sound of a bowl breaking came from the kitchen.


    "Sorry, sir, I''m very sorry!"


    Before Su Chen could speak, the voice of the "Ms. Sun" came from inside.


    "It''s okay, be careful, don''t cut yourself."


    Su Chen said yfully, ncing at the kitchen.


    "I understand."


    The "Ms. Sun" immediately picked up the broken pieces, swept up, and continued cooking.


    For the next hour or so, Su Chen heard asional ttering noises, fortunately, no more bowls were broken.


    Around seven o''clock, the meal was finally prepared, and a littleter, Lin Ruoxue returned home.


    "Ms. Sun, you''re finally back!"


    Lin Ruoxue eximed with delight upon seeing the "Ms. Sun."


    "Yes, I''ve been gone long enough, it was time toe back."


    Ms. Sun smiled.


    "Alright, Ms. Sun, let''s eat."


    Su Chen immediately said.


    "Okay."


    Soon, the "Ms. Sun" brought the dishes to the table, and Lin Ruoxue invited her to sit down and eat together.


    When she first came to Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue''s home, Ms. Sun firmly refused to eat at the table with them.


    But as they grew more familiar, Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen invited her several times, eventually making her sit and eat with them.


    This was the first time Ms. Sun, who had worked for many affluent families, could sit and eat with the owners.


    "Ms. Sun, what happened to today''s dishes...?"


    Lin Ruoxue frowned after taking the first bite.


    "Ruoxue, Ms. Sun just finished a long drive, it''s natural to be tired, let''s not worry about the taste."


    Su Chen smiled gently at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Sorry, Ms. Sun, it''s actually fine."


    Lin Ruoxue, being inherently kind, quickly said upon seeing the awkward expression on Ms. Sun''s face.


    "Honey, you know Ms. Sun is tired from traveling, why not cook yourself?"


    Lin Ruoxue then turned to Su Chen with mild irritation.


    Ms. Sun couldn''t help feeling a surge of gratitude upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words.


    "My bad, my bad."


    Su Chen quickly apologized, then looked at Ms. Sun with a faint smile.


    Ms. Sun took a bite of the dish herself, it indeed was hardly edible.


    But that seemed inevitable, what a surprise if it tasted good!


    Around ten o''clock, everyone went to rest.


    Ms. Sun entered her room but did not sleep immediately; she listened to the sounds from upstairs.


    Soon, she heard intimate sounds, making her blush and feel hot all over!


    Moreover, those sounds grew louder, making her increasingly agitated and filled with mixed emotions.


    A normal person might not clearly hear those sounds, but she could hear them very distinctly, even the creaking of the bed upstairs reached her ears without missing a beat!


    "Damn it! When will it end!"


    Ms. Sun initially thought it wouldst twenty or thirty minutes, but now, over an hour had passed, and the noises still hadn''t stopped.


    Ms. Sun secretly adjusted her breathing, trying to calm her mind and ignore those embarrassing sounds. But she couldn''t manage it!


    The rhythmic sounds constantly stirred her emotions!


    Finally, after over two hours, the noises gradually ceased.


    Ms. Sun touched her face, finding it burning hot...

 Chapter 802: Fatal Mistake

    The "Aunt Sun" downstairs waited for half an hour, confirmed there was no more movement, and then quietly came out of the room.


    "Let''s start from thest room we searched before."


    "Aunt Sun" frowned in thought and muttered to herself. Then suddenly, she shed into one room¡ªSu Chen''s former room.


    Although she had entered this room before, Su Chen came back just as she entered, so she hadn''t had the chance to search it thoroughly!


    As soon as she entered, her eyes began to search around. The room was quite clean, almost at a nce, with virtually nothing superfluous.


    She couldn''t help feeling a bit disappointed. Then she inadvertently looked under the bed and her eyes lit up when she caught sight of a wooden box!


    She immediately dragged the wooden box out gently, making no sound at all!


    After dragging it out, she found a lock on it. She didn''t look for a key, but directly extended her hand and broke the lock.


    "How much good stuff has this guy hidden?"


    She was actually surprised by such a simple wooden box, and it broke so easily that she didn''t expect much good stuff inside. She was just trying her luck because she was unwilling to give up.


    However, when she opened it, "Aunt Sun" immediately brightened up and uttered an astonished cry softly.


    "Is this the Bright Moon Pearl of the W Royal Family?"


    "Is this the long-lost Heaven Lake Jade? How could it be in his hands?"


    "This is..."


    ...


    Every item "Aunt Sun" picked up astonished her!


    Mind you, these items were all pricelessly valuable; any one of them could fetch a staggering price at auction!


    "This... this is a Buddhist Relic?! And it''s a Golden Relic!"


    Then, she picked up a cloth bag, poured the contents into her palm, revealing a round bead emitting a golden glow!


    She examined it closely for a moment, and a look of disbelief appeared on her face!


    This was truly a Supreme Treasure of the Buddhist sect!


    If the world knew that he possessed this item, he would be hunted down all over the ce!


    And he just carelessly put it in this old, dpidated wooden box¡ªunbelievable!


    "What''s this now?"


    At this moment, "Aunt Sun" picked up a Token casually and muttered to herself.


    It was a pitch-ck Token, triangr at both ends, with some mottled patterns on it.


    However, after looking at it for a while, she didn''t recognize it, so she put it back.


    Although the items in the box were all valuable beyondparison and shocked her greatly, she looked at them and put them back, not intending to take anything away!


    Because what she was looking for was not these items...


    "Aunt Sun, what are you doing here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"


    Suddenly, an abrupt voice sounded behind her.


    In this dark and empty room, the sudden voice made this "Aunt Sun" jolt in shock, her hairs standing on end!


    She turned her head and saw Su Chen standing by the door, looking at her with a smile on his face!


    That smile was full of yfulness!


    "Weren''t you already..."


    "Aunt Sun" stammered at Su Chen, her face full of astonishment!


    "Asleep?"


    Su Chen finished with a smile, then sighed:


    "I wanted to sleep too, but since there''s a thief in the house, how could I sleep peacefully?"


    "What thief?"


    "Aunt Sun" trembled and asked hurriedly, appearing very confused and innocent!


    "Of course, it''s far away yet right in front of me!"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a yful smile.


    "Sir, what do you mean?"


    "Aunt Sun" stammered upon hearing this, then calmed down and pretended to be angry:


    "Do you think I''m a thief?"


    "Aren''t you?"


    Su Chen said with a lightugh.


    "Sir, are you joking with me?"


    "Aunt Sun" became even angrier upon hearing this, then walked straight toward the door!


    But when she got to the door, she stopped, because Su Chen was blocking the way, smiling faintly!


    This made "Aunt Sun" extremely nervous:


    "What do you mean? Do you really think I''m a thief?"


    "Then what were you just doing?"


    Su Chen looked at "Aunt Sun", his smile growing wider.


    Hearing this, "Aunt Sun" was momentarily at a loss for words. She indeed had no good reason to exin her actions just now!


    Was she cleaning? Even if she was, there was no need to rummage through things, especially in the middle of the night!


    "Sir, I''ve worked here for so long. Have I ever been dishonest?"


    Unable to find a suitable reason, "Aunt Sun" could only change the subject.


    Of course, she couldn''t lose her momentum!


    "Aunt Sun indeed hasn''t, but you have!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, then leaned close to "Aunt Sun''s" ear and whispered:


    "Qi Meng!"


    "You...!"


    "Aunt Sun''s" face immediately showed an incredibly shocked expression upon hearing this, stammering as she looked at Su Chen, not knowing what to say!


    If she had a bit of luck in her heart a moment ago, it was instantly gone now!


    "Alright, this mask doesn''t suit you. Let me help you take it off."


    As he spoke, Su Chen reached out and gently peeled off a thin, film-like mask from her face, revealing her delicate features!


    Wasn''t she Qi Meng!


    She wanted to escape, but gave up, as she knew she had no chance at all!


    "Hades, I believe my Disguise Technique has no ws. How did you see through I wasn''t Aunt Sun?"


    Qi Meng asked, looking at Su Chen.


    At this moment, she was filled with curiosity about how Su Chen recognized her.


    If she hadn''t believed in her Art of Disguise, she wouldn''t have dared to act this way!


    "Indeed, your Art of Disguise had no ws¡ªappearance and voice were almost indistinguishable from the real thing! Even I was almost fooled at first!"


    Su Chen nodded and said lightly:


    "But unfortunately, you made two fatal mistakes!"


    "What two?"


    Qi Meng asked curiously.


    She thought she had been extremely careful, as the other party said, not only in appearance but also in voice and tone, imitating the real Aunt Sun!


    "First, the real Aunt Sun never called me ''sir'', she always called me ''son-inw''!"


    Su Chen looked at Qi Meng with a teasing smile.


    Qi Meng''s face immediately turned ashen upon hearing this!


    This mistake was indeed fatal!

 Chapter 803 - 803 Were you just bluffing me? Modified after:

    "Butpared to this mistake, there''s another one that''s even more deadly. However, it isn''t truly a mistake, but rather an unavoidable vulnerability."


    Su Chen continued.


    "What is it?"


    Qi Meng hurriedly asked, her heart full of confusion.


    "It''s the unique scent on you!"


    Su Chen said softly:


    "I remember, the first time I smelled this scent was at Jianghai''s manor that night..."


    "You knew back then that I was the one who tried to assassinate you?"


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng waspletely stunned!


    She had always thought she was well hidden, especially since she had disguised herself that first time!


    But unexpectedly, all her performances over the long time seemed nothing but clownish in front of him!


    Thinking of this, Qi Meng couldn''t help but reveal a bitter smile...


    "That''s right, I knew it when I first met you in Yandu."


    Su Chen looked at Qi Meng and smiled mischievously:


    "Surprised? Unexpected?"


    What could Qi Meng say to this? Surprised, yes, but delighted? Definitely not!


    "Alright, now we can have a proper talk, can''t we?"


    Su Chen said lightly.


    "Talk about what?"


    Qi Meng avoided Su Chen''s gaze.


    "Of course, let''s first talk about why you''re wandering around in the middle of the night instead of sleeping."


    The hand Su Chen had on Qi Meng''s waist wasn''t behaving itself either. Qi Meng wanted to avoid it, but she was tightly pressed by Su Chen and couldn''t move!


    "I just couldn''t sleep, so I came to take a look."


    Qi Meng said in a fluster, feeling very ufortable with Su Chen''s mischievous hand.


    "Alright, since you''re willing to talk about this topic, let''s discuss who you really are!"


    Su Chen said casually.


    "I don''t understand what you''re saying. I''m just me!"


    Qi Meng''s heart trembled and she immediately spoke.


    "Really?"


    Su Chen''s mouth curved into a teasing smile again:


    "Don''t think I don''t know your true identity."


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng''s charming face lost its previous allure and turned to a look of panic.


    But then she calmed down. There''s no way he could know, he must be trying to trick me! He must be!


    "My lord, Hades, why are you saying things I don''t understand tonight?"


    Qi Meng adjusted her state of mind again and coquettishly replied.


    Su Chen heard Qi Meng''s words and the corner of his mouth pulled up into an evil smile.


    He then almost whispered in her ear:


    "Judgment Department, Lord Messenger."


    As soon as he spoke, Qi Meng''s delicate body suddenly shook violently, her beautiful eyes opened wide, staring at Su Chen inplete disbelief!


    She was even more shocked than when Su Chen revealed her true identity and recognized her as the assassin from Jianghai''s manor!


    How did he know? This is impossible!


    Qi Meng''s mind was nk, her heart almost jumping out of her throat!


    "So it''s true!"


    Seeing Qi Meng''s pale face, Su Chen also felt a shock in his heart!


    At this moment, how could he not know that this Qi Meng and the hidden mastermind behind the Skull Society were the same¡ªthe Judgment Department!


    "Were you just tricking me?"


    Qi Meng heard Su Chen''s mutter and couldn''t help but widen her eyes again.


    "That''s right, I was just guessing before, but just now, Miss Qi Meng, you have confirmed my suspicion."


    Su Chen smiled lightly, then looked at Qi Meng and said:


    "So, can you talk now?"


    "What do you want to know?"


    At this moment, Qi Meng hadpletely lost her will to fight, her face full of defeat.


    Her mission was doomed to failure, and her oue was foreseeable.


    "Why did you try to assassinate me at first, thenter seem to ingratiate yourself to me in every possible way?"


    Su Chen asked his first question.


    "I found it strange at first too, until recently I learned the reason."


    "What reason?"


    "They wanted to win you over, to recruit you, hoping to get something from you."


    Qi Meng looked at Su Chen and said.


    "You were looking for that thing earlier?"


    Su Chen immediately asked.


    "That''s right."


    Qi Meng nodded and admitted.


    "What exactly is it that makes your organization so fixated?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "A cultivation technique! Lord Messenger told me you could repair broken dantians, and promoted your cultivation to almost half-step Meridian Expansion level so quickly. The High Priest thought you must''ve cultivated some kind of heaven-defying cultivation technique."


    Qi Meng said:


    "So he ordered me to get it from you and bring it back to the organization."


    "So that''s it!"


    Upon hearing Qi Meng''s words, Su Chen suddenly realized!


    However, the High Priest''s guess was correct; he indeed practiced a heaven-defying cultivation technique!


    He couldn''t help but feel d he hid the sheepskin scroll early!


    "Are you a Golden Knight in your organization?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "It seems like you really understand our organization!"


    Qi Meng said in surprise after hearing Su Chen''s words:


    "That''s right, I''m a Golden Knight."


    "By the way, why were you infiltrating Qimeng Tower before? And why approach Shen Lin?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    After all, Qi Meng had infiltrated Qimeng Tower before he came to Yandu. It couldn''t have been just for him.


    "The organization''s task for me was to help Shen Lin be the head of the Shen Family and control him."


    "But now, because of you, this n is also impossible toplete!"


    Qi Meng gave Su Chen a meaningful look and said.


    A new family head had taken over the Shen Family. Shen Lin and Shen Shao had no chances left!


    Unless a new n was made for Shen Yu, it meant all the previous work was for nothing.


    Even if she was willing, the organization wouldn''t have the patience to wait any longer.


    "Why?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen was puzzled. What on earth is the Judgment Department nning?


    "I don''t know either, but I guess they might want to hide someone in the Shen Family in the future."


    Qi Meng pondered and said:


    "After all, Huaxia is too special. If arge number of organization members entered Huaxia, they would definitely attract the attention of Huaxia''s internal forces, especially the Hidden Dragon Hall!"


    "With the cover of these big families, it won''t be so easily detected."


    "You even know about the Hidden Dragon Hall?"


    Su Chen nodded and asked, a bit surprised.


    "Of course, organizations at certain levels all know about the Hidden Dragon Hall. Why is Huaxia so stable? It''srgely because of the deterrence of the Hidden Dragon Hall!"


    Qi Meng looked at Su Chen and said:


    "An organization like the Judgment Department, even if it wants to do something in Huaxia, it only dares to send a few people sporadically without cover! It would never dare to sendrge squads!"


    "It seems the Hidden Dragon Hall is really effective, I used to underestimate them."


    Su Chen thought to himself...

 Chapter 804 - 804 Wiping Out the Judgment Department

    "Right, you just mentioned that they n to hide someone in the Shen Family in the future. What exactly do they intend to do? What''s the conspiracy?"


    Su Chen continued to ask.


    "I don''t know, it''s just my spection. Even if there''s really some conspiracy, I''m not qualified to know it."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen nodded. Indeed, Qi Meng''s rank was too low. Above her were the Holy Knights, the Right Priest, the Left Priest, the High Priest, and so on. She wouldn''t know too many confidential matters...


    "Okay, I''ve told you everything you wanted to know. Now, kill me or y me, do as you wish!"


    After saying this, a determined look appeared on Qi Meng''s alluring face.


    "Why would I want to kill you?"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a yful smile.


    "You''re not going to kill me?"


    Qi Meng was stunned upon hearing Su Chen''s words. What was he up to?


    In her mind, it was impossible for Su Chen to let her live after knowing all this.


    After all, she had tried to assassinate him before, and even attempted to seduce him to steal his Cultivation Techniques. Anyone else would have never allowed her to live!


    "Such a delicate and beautiful flower, how could I bear to break it?"


    Su Chen extended a hand and gently caressed her exquisite face, smiling lightly:


    "I have always been a man who cherishes and loves flowers!"


    "What exactly are you nning?"


    Qi Meng was utterly bewildered by him. Why would he let her go?


    Because of her beauty?


    Perhaps, but that wasn''t the real reason. If it was, the oue wouldn''t have been the same when she first tried to seduce him!


    "What do you think I''m nning?"


    Su Chen smiled faintly, then released Qi Meng and returned to sit by the bed:


    "Alright, let''s sit down and talk."


    Qi Meng sat down on a nearby chair upon hearing this.


    To be honest, her head was a bit dizzy at that moment.


    "Qi Meng, now that you''ve failed both of your missions, what do you n to do?"


    Su Chen asked:


    "Will your organization let you go next?"


    "No way."


    Qi Meng''s face turned a shade of sorrow as she shook her head. She knew the organization''s rules!


    One reason she divulged all that information to Su Chen was her special feelings towards him, and another was knowing her own fate!


    Even if Su Chen spared her, the organization wouldn''t.


    "So what do you n to do? Surely you don''t intend to wait for death?"


    Su Chen nced at her and asked.


    "I don''t know."


    Qi Meng shook her head again. Yes, she had no idea what to do next!


    "Have you ever thought of leaving your organization?"


    Su Chen pondered for a moment and said.


    "Ah!"


    Qi Meng was immediately stunned upon hearing this and her face filled with intense fear as she waved her hands vehemently:


    "Impossible, impossible, it''s impossible!"


    "Why is it impossible?"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a faint smile.


    Yes, why was it impossible?


    Qi Meng was struck dumb by Su Chen''s question. Ever since she was young, she had been indoctrinated with the idea that the organization was invincible! That she must unconditionally obey the organization!


    This mindset had taken root in her heart! She had never even considered leaving the organization!


    Such a thought seemed too crazy, too unbelievable to her!


    Seeing Qi Meng''s conflicted expression, Su Chen did not urge her but sat quietly beside her.


    "I suppose you know that your organization hasmitted many atrocities."


    After a moment, Su Chen solemnly said:


    "If you''re willing, we can work together to destroy the Judgment Department!"


    "You want to destroy the Judgment Department?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Qi Meng waspletely shocked!


    This guy was utterly mad!


    How was that possible? Did he know how powerful they were?


    The most she had thought of was escaping the organization, managing to flee somewhere they couldn''t find her!


    Once the organization found her, it would almost certainly mean her death!


    Though she knew the chances of sessful escape were slim, there was always a glimmer of hope.


    As for the idea of destroying the organization, such a deranged notion had never even crossed her mind!


    "Of course!"


    Su Chen replied naturally.


    "You''re not joking?"


    Qi Meng still couldn''t believe her ears and asked involuntarily.


    "Do I look like I''m joking?"


    Su Chen smiled lightly.


    "Impossible! Do you know what kind of existence the Judgment Department is? Do you know how powerful it is?"


    Qi Meng shook her head adamantly like a rattle drum.


    "Isn''t there you? You surely know more about it than I do!"


    Su Chen said matter-of-factly.


    "Are you sure I''ll agree?"


    Qi Meng couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen and ask.


    "Not sure, but I believe you''ll make the right decision."


    Su Chen shrugged:


    "I think you know it''s hard to escape. The best way is topletely destroy it!"


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Qi Meng fell into a brief silence. She indeed knew how hard it was to escape!


    But merely the thought of destroying it was hard for Qi Meng to ept mentally. After all, it was the organization she had served for so long, and obedience and loyalty to it had been instilled in her since childhood!


    Moreover, even if she was willing, was the organization that easy to destroy?


    She knew very well how powerful it was!


    To think that he could do it alone was sheer madness!


    "Why do you have to destroy the organization? Do you have such a big grudge against it?"


    Seeing he wasn''t joking, Qi Meng asked curiously.


    "Absolutely. Both publicly and privately, I must destroy the Judgment Department!"


    Su Chen''s face bore a determined look.


    His decision to invite Qi Meng had been well thought out.


    Firstly, from their usual interactions, this woman wasn''t inherently bad, otherwise, Su Chen wouldn''t have brought it up;


    Secondly, based on their recent conversation, she didn''t have a strong subconscious attachment to the Judgment Department.


    Perhaps she hadn''t even realized it herself, but she often referred to the Judgment Department with words like "them," and mostly used "the organization" instead of "we" when referring to them!


    Having someone like Qi Meng from the Judgment Department to help him would undoubtedly make things much easier!


    Subsequently, Su Chen recounted his feud with the Judgment Department to Qi Meng, including being ambushed and the Skull Society.


    When he mentioned how the Skull Society, supported by them, was using innocent humans for gic modification experiments, Su Chen noticed Qi Meng''s face turning unpleasant, and her clenched fists showed bulging veins!


    Although Qi Meng knew they had done many evil things, including some she herself had participated in!


    But she never imagined they would do something so cruel and unscrupulous!

 Chapter 805 - 805 No Clue is the Biggest Clue

    In the Judgment Department, everyone is assigned separate tasks, especially top-secret missions. This ismon among most organizations, including the Nether Temple.


    So, it was entirely normal for Qi Meng to be unaware of the situations Su Chen described, particrly regarding the Gene Modifiers.


    "Is everything you said true?"


    Qi Meng couldn''t help but look at Su Chen and ask, still a bit incredulous.


    "It''s up to you to believe it or not."


    Su Chen did not guarantee that he wasn''t lying or anything else.


    Hearing this, Qi Meng''s face fell. She knew Su Chen had no reason to deceive her, and for some reason, she believed him.


    "My mind is a mess right now. Give me a few days to think it through, and I''ll get back to you."


    Qi Meng said with a pained expression.


    "Okay."


    Su Chen nodded and said:


    "Are you nning to return to Qimeng Tower now?"


    "If not there, where else can I go?"


    Qi Meng said weakly.


    "The people from the Judgment Department mighte looking for you at any time. I think it''s better if you find another ce."


    Su Chen said with some concern.


    "They shouldn''t. They''re still waiting for me to steal the Cultivation Technique from you."


    Qi Meng shook her head.


    "Alright, just be careful."


    Su Chen thought about it and agreed, then said:


    "Just in case, set my number as a speed dial. If anything unexpected happens, you can tell me immediately."


    "Got it."


    Qi Meng said and then turned to leave.


    "By the way, Aunt Sun is in Room 804, Yuquan Apartments."


    As she walked out the door, Qi Meng''s voice suddenly came from behind.


    Hearing this, a relieved smile appeared on Su Chen''s face. He knew Qi Meng hadn''t killed Aunt Sun. Otherwise, he would have doubted his own judgment.


    If that were the case, even if they cooperated to take down the Judgment Department, he would have been more cautious.


    After Qi Meng left, Su Chen drove to Yuquan Apartments, which wasn''t too far away.


    As for the door lock, it was nothing to him; he twisted it lightly and it brokepletely.


    Inside, Aunt Sun, who was bound hand and foot, held her breath as she heard the door open. She still had no idea what had happened.


    She had just gotten off the train and suddenly fainted for some unknown reason. When she woke up, she was tied up in this ce, not knowing where she was as night fell.


    "Snap!"


    The light turned on, and Aunt Sun looked up, stunned.


    "Son-inw?!"


    Aunt Sun babbled in surprise:


    "Why are you here?"


    "Aunt Sun, I''m sorry for scaring you."


    Su Chen smiled slightly and untied her ropes.


    "Son-inw, what exactly happened?"


    Seeing Su Chen, Aunt Sun finally rxed.


    "It''s quite obvious, Aunt Sun, you were kidnapped."


    Su Chen joked with a mischievous smile.


    "Kidnapped?"


    Hearing this, Aunt Sun became even more puzzled:


    "Why kidnap me? I have no money!"


    "Who knows? Maybe they mistook you for a wealthy woman!"


    "Are they crazy? Do I look like a rich woman? Are they blind?"


    Now that she was safe, Aunt Sun began to feel indignant. After all, who wouldn''t have some emotions after such an event?


    "Exactly, they must be lunatics!"


    Su Chen echoed her with augh.


    If Qi Meng knew he was saying this, she might spit out a mouthful of blood!


    "By the way, son-inw, how did you know I was here?"


    On the way back, Aunt Sun asked curiously.


    "I have a sixth sense!"


    Su Chen joked:


    "Actually, the person who kidnapped you was nning to disguise as you to steal a treasure from our house!"


    "Steal something from us? Did they get it?"


    Hearing this, Aunt Sun was startled. Although she hadn''t formed a family bond with Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue yet, she felt much more affection for them than for other employers!


    "Of course not. They were caught by me just as they were about to make a move. How else would I have discovered you were here?"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Oh, thank goodness!"


    Aunt Sun patted her chest with relief.


    "By the way, Aunt Sun, don''t tell Ruoxue about this. She doesn''t know the person from yesterday wasn''t you."


    Su Chen instructed Aunt Sun:


    "I don''t want her to worry too much!"


    "Got it."


    Aunt Sun replied, then asked:


    "That person disguised so well that even the youngdy didn''t recognize them?"


    "Yes, it was almost indistinguishable!"


    "It''s really hard to guard against thieves these days!"


    Aunt Sun sighed.


    In no time, they arrived home. Once inside, Su Chen told Aunt Sun to rest and that she didn''t need to get up early to make breakfast.


    After all, she had just had a long train ride and then such an incident; she was undoubtedly exhausted and needed a good rest.


    Su Chen then went upstairs to rest. Lin Ruoxue was still asleep, unaware that Su Chen had been gone.


    As soon as Su Chen got into bed, her slender arm came over, and her leg draped across his...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a mysterious ce in this world, there was a building resembling a temple.


    In one of the halls of this building, a man in a ck robe knelt on one knee.


    "Have you figured out who destroyed the Skull Society?"


    A sinister voice came from above, where a man in an extravagant red robe sat!


    On his robe was a flower embroidered with gold thread, but the type of flower was unknown.


    "I''m sorry, Right Priest, the ce was burned to ashes. We couldn''t find any useful clues!"


    The ck-robed man kneeling on the ground said, trembling.


    "No clues is the biggest clue!"


    The red-robed man''s eyes gleamed:


    "This is the Nether Temple''s handiwork!"


    "Right Priest, should we order to destroy it?"


    The ck-robed man nced up at the red-robed man and asked.


    "Not for now. The Nether Temple is still somewhat useful."


    The red-robed man shook his head:


    "Alright, you may leave."


    "Yes!"


    The ck-robed man immediately retreated.


    As he left, a figure suddenly appeared behind the red-robed man.


    "Tell Joseph he must obtain that Cultivation Technique within half a month. Once he gets it, kill the Nether King and Qi Meng immediately!"


    The red-robed man said coldly...

 Chapter 806 - 806 Hidden Dragon Halls Visit

    "Right Priest, what if we don''t obtain it?"


    The person behind asked.


    "If we don''t obtain it, we will keep the Hades King and kill Qi Meng first. The Judgment Department does not keep useless people!"


    The person in the red robe said coldly:


    "We have already given her too much time, and the things on the Yandu side have also been messed up by her, ruining the High Priest''s grand ns. She must bear the responsibility for this!"


    "Understood!"


    Before the words were fully spoken, the person behind disappeared from the original ce.


    .....


    "Old Wei, does Su Chen work in this building?"


    The next morning, at the entrance of the Rainbow Mansion, a tall and graceful woman looked at the office building in front of her and asked.


    Her long hair fell softly over her shoulders, her eyes were bright and her teeth were white, her features were perfect, her skin was fair and her beauty was captivating, quickly attracting the attention of those entering and exiting Rainbow Mansion.


    "Yes, inside."


    The middle-aged man standing next to her nodded.


    Then the two walked towards the building.


    "Old Wei, what are you nning? Why did youe with me?"


    While waiting for the elevator, the woman tilted her head and asked curiously.


    This woman was naturally Yan Xi, and the "Old Wei" she referred to could only be the Vice Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall, Wei Hua.


    Today, Yan Xi originally wanted to sneak out to have fun with Su Chen, but was caught by the person Wei Hua sent to monitor her before she could get away and brought to Wei Hua.


    Old Wei asked her why she wanted to sneak out. Realizing there was no chance of getting away, she told him directly that she nned to go out to find Su Chen for fun.


    Yan Xi initially thought that Old Wei would scold her harshly and confine her to her room for a few days, as he had done in the past.


    But this time, after hearing her words, Old Wei surprisingly said:


    "Alright, I''ll go with you to see him."


    Old Wei''s unexpected words left herpletely bewildered, even wondering if Old Wei had taken the wrong medicine or had a break in his cultivations that muddled his mind?


    Old Wei''s abnormal attitude left her quite unclear and perplexed about the situation.


    "I''m just curious, wondering what''s special about the young man that keeps you mentioning him all the time."


    Wei Hua touched her soft hair and said with a smile, a subtle gleam crossed his eyes!


    "Ding!"


    At that moment, the elevator door opened, and the two walked in.


    Su Chen was in the office appreciating thetest issue of "Men''s Uno" magazine. This issue of "Men''s Uno" captured his interest, and he was reading it more attentively than usual!


    Because the cover girl of this issue was unexpectedly Jiang Ying, and the style of her photoshoot amazed Su Chen greatly!


    On the cover, Jiang Ying wore a ck hat, with only ck lingerie beneath, and a ck trench coat over it. With the trench coat open, her perfect figure was clearly visible!


    Especially her t abdomen without an ounce of excess flesh and her long, slender legs, which were certainly enough to make many men drool!


    The most stunning part was her posture and expression. She had one leg slightly forward, standing on tiptoe, her head tilted up revealing her chin and slender neck, her facial expression proud, and her eyes held an indifferent gaze that disregarded everything!


    This picture truly exuded various different vors: cold, cool, sexy, proud, and indifferent, all intertwined, even radiating a unique allure and temptation!


    Su Chen did not expect that Jiang Ying would have such a side!


    This actress''s adaptability was truly strong!


    However, there was one thing Su Chen did not know: Jiang Ying took this photoshoot entirely because of him.


    Previously, "Men''s Uno" had invited her several times to shoot the cover, but she had always declined.


    Because the magazine''s covers mainly focused on sexiness, which did not align well with the pure image she had been maintaining.


    But after seeing several stacks of this magazine on Su Chen''s desk during a visit to his officest time, an idea sprouted in her mind!


    Then she asked her agent to proactively contact "Men''s Uno" magazine, which led to this cover and other photos in different styles inside the magazine.


    "Knock knock!"


    As Su Chen was engrossed in Jiang Ying''s captivating photos, there were suddenly two knocks on the door.


    "Come in." Su Chen said casually.


    As soon as he spoke, the office door was pushed open.


    "Yan Xi, why are you here?"


    Su Chen looked up and was momentarily stunned, his gaze quickly captured by the middle-aged man who followed Yan Xi inside!


    This man was simply dressed, with a faint smile on his face, giving off a schrly and gentle impression!


    But the moment Su Chen saw this man, there was a feeling of profound depth, like the ocean!


    Very strong! Extremely strong! Unmatchably strong!


    Su Chen instantly affirmed one thing¡ªthis man was stronger than Yao Zhe, whom he had metst time, and much stronger!


    Although Yao Zhe was very strong, strong enough that Su Chen had almost no chance of winning, he could still dare to fight desperately!


    But in front of this man, he didn''t even have the courage to fight desperately!


    Like a drop of water facing a river, how could it cause any ripples?


    Su Chen vaguely guessed the identity of the visitor, thinking to himself how Hidden Dragon Hall truly harbored hidden powerhouses!


    If they insisted on managing the affairs of the Five Great Families, he would truly stand no chance at all!


    "Of course, I''m here for fun with you. Didn''t you say I coulde find you anytime?"


    Yan Xi''s face bloomed with a smile.


    Su Chen recalled that he indeed said that in the bar at that time, but it was merely a polite remark.


    "Please have a seat."


    Su Chen came out from behind the desk and made a gesture of invitation.


    "Thank you."


    Wei Hua responded and sat down with Yan Xi on the nearby sofa.


    Su Chen also sat on the adjacent sofa chair, his demeanor natural.


    Seeing this, a gleam flickered in Wei Hua''s eyes, silently praising him¡ªit seemed this young man was indeed not ordinary!


    He clearly sensed that Su Chen was somewhat lost and nervous, even stiff initially, upon seeing him, but adjusted so quickly.


    "I believe you have already guessed my identity."


    Wei Hua looked at Su Chen and smiled gently.


    "May I ask which of the two you are?"


    Su Chen nodded and asked.


    Yao Zhe was already a protector of Hidden Dragon Hall, and someone much stronger could only be one of the two Hall Masters!


    "I am Wei Hua, the Vice Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall. This girl always calls me Old Wei."


    Wei Hua chuckled.


    Su Chen''s body trembled slightly upon hearing this, thinking if even the Vice Hall Master was this powerful, how strong would the Hall Master be?

 Chapter 807 - 807 "Conspiracy," "Big Conspiracy"!

    Besides, he didn''t expect that Yan Xi had such a close rtionship with the Vice Hall Master of the Hidden Dragon Hall.


    But he''s not old, why call him an old man?


    However, he kept this doubt to himself and didn''t voice it out.


    That was enough!


    "What brings you here today?"


    Su Chen nced at Wei Hua and asked.


    He currently had a fairly good attitude toward Wei Hua, even using honorifics. This wasn''t because of the man''s strength, nor because of his decision not to meddle in the affairs of several major families.


    It was mainly due to what Qi Meng had told him: the Hidden Dragon Hall indeed yed a significant role in maintaining the stability and order of Huaxia.


    "It''s still the matter that Protector Yao mentioned to you. I hope you can seriously consider joining our Hidden Dragon Hall."


    Wei Hua said solemnly.


    He was already amazed that Su Chen, at such a young age, was just a step away from the Meridian Expansion Realm, which made him admire the young man''s talent.


    However, when Yao Zhe returned and told him that this young man, although not in the Meridian Expansion Realm, had actual strengthparable to the First Layer, even the Second Layer!


    This shocked Wei Hua deeply!


    It made him more determined to recruit Su Chen into the Hidden Dragon Hall. Such young talent with such cultivation was extremely rare!


    At first nce, he could tell that Su Chen hadn''t entered the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    But he didn''t test Su Chen''s cultivation, as he absolutely trusted Yao Zhe''s judgment.


    "Ah, old man Wei, so you came here to recruit Su Chen today!"


    Upon hearing Wei Hua''s words, Yan Xi''s eyes instantly sparkled with excitement!


    "Su Chen, you must agree! It''s old man Wei personally inviting you!"


    Yan Xi immediately ran to Su Chen''s side and shook his arm.


    She looked more excited and happy than both Wei Hua and Su Chen!


    Su Chen just smiled without saying anything.


    "So, Su Chen, what do you say?"


    Wei Hua looked at Su Chen and asked. Although his expression was calm, Su Chen could see the anticipation in his eyes!


    "I''m sorry, my answer is still the same."


    Su Chen shook his head and refused.


    He knew that Wei Hua, as the Vice Hall Master of the Hidden Dragon Hall, personally inviting him was a great honor!


    But his principles were not easily swayed.


    Wei Hua didn''t expect that even after personally inviting him, Su Chen would still refuse.


    But seeing the resolute look on Su Chen''s face, he didn''t press further.


    Yan Xi, however, was visibly unhappy upon hearing Su Chen''s refusal.


    "Why? Just agree! Please?"


    Yan Xi persistently pulled on Su Chen''s arm, shaking it back and forth. She wanted Su Chen to join the Hidden Dragon Hall not for the same reasons as Wei Hua, thinking about the future of the Hidden Dragon Hall.


    She simply found Su Chen interesting, more so than anyone else in the organization.


    If he joined, she wouldn''t be so bored in the organization anymore!


    After all, she was still somewhat girlish at heart, being only twenty years old.


    However, in other aspects, she didn''t seem like a typical twenty-year-old. Yan Xi didn''t realize that in shaking his arm, she had touched his chest several times with her...


    Su Chen immediately felt the soft touch and sighed inwardly, thinking Yan Xi''s figure was indeed impressive!


    "Alright, Yan Xi, don''t make things difficult for him."


    Wei Hua gently pulled Yan Xi back.


    "Hmph!"


    Yan Xi pouted and unhappily sat back in her previous spot, ring at Su Chen angrily.


    Seeing her like this, Su Chen could only shake his head with a wry smile.


    Then he turned to Wei Hua and said:


    "Although I won''t join the Hidden Dragon Hall, if there''s anything you need help with, I''ll do my best."


    "Alright, with that, my trip here wasn''t in vain."


    Wei Hua gave Su Chen a cunning smile:


    "Actually, I have a favor to ask you right now."


    Su Chen was stunned upon hearing this, feeling like he''d dug a hole for himself, and Wei Hua was waiting for him to fall in!


    As expected, someone of Wei Hua''s status as the Vice Hall Master of the Hidden Dragon Hall couldn''t be all that benevolent, despite his kind appearance!


    It was all an act!


    But at least show some restraint. How could you ask for something right after I offered?


    Su Chen found this supposedly gentle and humble Vice Hall Master to be quite "shameless"!


    But having said those words, how could he take them back now?


    Deep down, Su Chen thought he was still too soft, unlike the shameless Wei Hua!


    "Fine, let''s hear it. But let me be clear, I''ll help if I can, but there''s no guarantee."


    Su Chen said helplessly, clearly a bit annoyed, so he didn''t make any promises.


    Wei Hua felt a bit awkward seeing Su Chen''s reaction.


    After discussing with Yao Zhe, he knew the chances of recruiting Su Chen were slim. But he had to try.


    He had two ns for today. Recruitment was the first. With that failing, he moved to the second!


    Regardless, he had to strengthen Su Chen''s connection with the Hidden Dragon Hall!


    Besides Su Chen''s aptitude and potential in cultivation, there were other reasons for his insistence!


    "Here''s the thing."


    Wei Hua looked at Su Chen warmly and said:


    "Yan Xi is my disciple. She''s spent most of her time within the organization. I always wanted her to get some real-world experience, but she''s too naive andcks social experience. I constantly worry about her."


    "So, I hope you can take her with you on your adventures outside!"


    Su Chen was taken aback!


    Let Yan Xi follow him?


    Su Chen thought it was a joke!


    The Vice Hall Master''s disciple was to follow him?


    How was that possible?


    "A conspiracy!"


    "A major conspiracy!"


    Su Chen sensed thick "conspiracy" in the air, especially looking at Wei Hua''s seemingly kind face, heightening his suspicions!


    Su Chen was confused, but Yan Xi, upon hearing this, was ecstatic!


    "Really? You really allow me to roam outside?"


    Yan Xi couldn''t believe Wei Hua''s words, her eyes sparkling with excitement!


    Previously, even a short trip outside was hard for her. Now, old man Wei had agreed to let her roam freely!


    Yan Xi felt like happiness knocked on her door, overjoyed beyond words!


    "Don''t be too excited, it''s up to Su Chen to agree!"


    Wei Hua slyly smiled at Su Chen.


    Yan Xi quickly ran back to Su Chen, grabbing his arm and shaking it forcefully:


    "Su Chen, you must agree! Otherwise... Otherwise..."


    "Otherwise what?"


    Su Chen asked helplessly.


    "Otherwise I''ll shout that you''re harassing me!"


    Yan Xi abruptly said...

 Chapter 808 - 808 Su Chen Feeling Tricked

    Su Chen was stunned by Yan Xi''s extremely fierce words, and he looked at her with astonishment.


    Even Wei Hua was dumbfounded, staring at his female disciple with wide eyes.


    Wei Hua immediately came to his senses and said:


    "Yan Xi, stop talking nonsense!"


    Although his original intention was to have Yan Xi pester Su Chen to make him agree because he could see that Su Chen and Yan Xi seemed to have a good rtionship.


    But he hadn''t expected Yan Xi toe out with such a shocking statement!


    "Su Chen, will you agree? If you don''t, I''ll really yell!"


    Yan Xi red at Su Chen "fiercely" and threatened.


    After saying those words, she felt a bit embarrassed and blushed, but given the rare opportunity, she couldn''t care less!


    She was like a bird trapped in a cage, yearning for the free world outside!


    Su Chen wasn''t actually afraid of her screaming because no one would believe it!


    If it were just the two of them in the office, it might be possible, but with Wei Hua there, and he was her master!


    But seeing her hopeful eyes indeed made Su Chen hesitant to refuse.


    But how could he let her follow him?


    "Su Chen, this should be something you can handle, right?"


    Wei Hua spoke eagerly.


    He was inwardly frustrated; he was the Vice Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall, yet he had to resort to such petty tricks. It was really embarrassing!


    Su Chen momentarily didn''t know what to say upon hearing this.


    He had indeed promised to help as much as he could before, and this was something he could help with.


    Alright, considering Yan Xi''s pitiful look and Hidden Dragon Hall''s help in the past, he decided to agree.


    Su Chen reluctantly nodded:


    "Alright then!"


    As soon as he spoke, a faint smile appeared on Wei Hua''s face!


    Yan Xi instantly excitedly hugged Su Chen''s neck and gave him a firm kiss on the cheek!


    "Thank you, Su Chen!"


    Yan Xi said with a beaming smile, her face radiant with joy!


    "This isn''t me molesting you, but you molesting me!"


    Su Chen pouted, feeling that he had been tricked by the Vice Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall!


    But he couldn''t change it now, he had to ept it!


    Upon hearing this, Yan Xi''s face turned red with genuine embarrassment.


    After all, it was her first time being so intimately close to a man, and she was the one who initiated it.


    "Alright, I''ll be leaving now, take care of Yan Xi!"


    Wei Hua stood up, looking satisfied:


    "When you have time, Yan Xi can take you to visit Hidden Dragon Hall, you might change your mind."


    He felt relieved and light-hearted since his goal was achieved, and he cheered up.


    Su Chen just nodded and smiled slightly.


    "Yan Xi, you must listen to Su Chen in everything outside, or I''ll take you back immediately!"


    Wei Hua sternly said to Yan Xi.


    "Got it, I''ll listen to him!"


    To Yan Xi, staying outside was the most important thing, so she would agree to anything Wei Hua said without hesitation.


    Yan Xi eagerly sent Wei Hua out. At this moment, she felt like a student going to university in another city, finally free from parental control!


    Su Chen, sitting in the empty office, frowned at the unexpected situation.


    But how should he arrange for Yan Xi?


    "Su Chen, let''s go out and have fun."


    A momentter, Yan Xi excitedly pushed the door open and said.


    "Fun? Don''t you see I''m working?"


    Su Chen pouted.


    "Oh!"


    Yan Xi immediately felt deted:


    "But it seems like you don''t have much to do now!"


    "I''m thinking!"


    Su Chen said seriously.


    At that moment, he really was thinking, thinking about how to proceed with the act!


    After a while of thinking, he decided he only had one option.


    Then he solemnly said to Yan Xi:


    "I need to exin a few things to you now. You must agree unconditionally, or you will have to go back immediately!"


    "Alright, go ahead!"


    Yan Xi said nonchntly, as long as she didn''t have to go back, anything was fine!


    "Firstly, to everyone, you must say you are a friend''s sister, which means you are my step-sister,ing from a rural area to find a job at ourpany!"


    "A friend''s sister? Your step-sister? From a rural area?"


    Yan Xi asked with astonishment.


    "Yes, got it?"


    Su Chen asked sternly.


    "Alright." Yan Xi agreed reluctantly, somewhat dissatisfied with Su Chen''s arrangement.


    "But I don''t know anything!"


    Yan Xi asked.


    "Don''t worry about that, I will have someone teach you!"


    "Alright then."


    "Okay,e with me to meet the president to exin the situation."


    Su Chen stood up and said.


    "Your wife?"


    Yan Xi asked curiously, knowing quite a bit about Su Chen.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen said, walking out, Yan Xi closely following.


    "Chen Guo, is President Lin in?"


    Su Chen asked at the door of Lin Ruoxue''s office, not daring to call Chen Guo by her nickname anymore.


    "Yes." Chen Guo quickly stood up, nced at Yan Xi behind him, and quietly asked:


    "Brother Su, who is this?"


    "My sister." Su Chen said, pushing the door open.


    "Honey, I''m here!"


    As soon as he entered, Su Chen shouted with a ttering smile.


    His instant change of face left Yan Xi, who followed him inside, bewildered!


    His behavior was too shameless, totally different from her previous impression of him!


    "Su Chen, who is this...?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked up at him, immediately noticing Yan Xi, and asked in surprise.


    "My friend''s sister, also my step-sister, just came from the countryside, wants to find a job in the city, so I brought her here."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Your step-sister?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen suspiciously; the term ''step-brother and sister'' hadplex meanings in today''s Huaxia!


    "Honey, don''t misunderstand, she really is just my sister!"


    Su Chen hurriedly exined, hearing Lin Ruoxue''s meaningful words.


    "What did I say? Why are you so defensive?"


    Lin Ruoxue said calmly, seeing his nervous reaction.


    She then immediately walked from behind the desk to Yan Xi, smiling warmly.


    "Rest assured, since you are my husband''s sister, you''re my sister too. Don''t worry about the job." Lin Ruoxue said kindly.


    "Sister-inw, you are so beautiful!"


    Yan Xi couldn''t help but praise, looking at Lin Ruoxue.


    She had been shocked by Lin Ruoxue''s beauty as soon as she entered!


    She thought: How could there be such a perfect woman in the world!


    Confident Yan Xi couldn''t help but feel a sense of inferiority...

 Chapter 809: Hand Over the Token

    "You are quite beautiful too!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile as she looked at Yan Xi, feeling that this woman didn''t seem like she had juste from the countryside.


    Having been in the Hidden Dragon Hall for a long time, Yan Xi naturally exuded a noble and refined aura.


    "Darling, she might have to stay at our ce for some time moving forward."


    Su Chen said with some embarrassment.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to tell Lin Ruoxue the truth, but the matters of the Hidden Dragon Hall were simply too far removed from ordinary people''s lives.


    If he exined the whole situation, she''d be frightened!


    "Alright, I''ll call Auntie Sun to prepare a room for her."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile, as she really didn''t think there was anything between Su Chen and this woman.


    If there really was something, there''s no way Su Chen would dare to let her stay at their house. Lin Ruoxue had this much confidence!


    So hearing Su Chen say this, she was quite relieved.


    "By the way, what''s your name?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a smile, looking like the friendly girl next door.


    "Yan Xi."


    "Yan Xi, Xi Yan, that''s a nice name."


    Lin Ruoxue praised with a smile, then turned to Su Chen and said:


    "You take care of Yan Xi''s arrangements yourself then."


    After chatting casually with Yan Xi for a bit, Su Chen and Yan Xi left as Lin Ruoxue had to return to work.


    "Su Chen, I didn''t expect your wife to be so beautiful!"


    In the hallway, Yan Xi eximed as they walked.


    "Of course, just look at whose wife she is!"


    Su Chen said proudly.


    "Humph!"


    Yan Xi snorted at his smugness.


    "Alright, I''m going to take you to buy a couple of business outfits now."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "Like the ones they are wearing?"


    Yan Xi asked excitedly, looking at the women in business suits walking by.


    She imagined herself working here dressed like that; it felt quite novel!


    Anything was better than being stuck in the Hidden Dragon Hall all day!


    "Yes."


    Su Chen nodded, then they went to the mall by car.


    Yan Xi had rarely gotten the chance to go shopping, so she felt as joyful as a little bird!


    "There are so many pretty clothes here!"


    Being a woman, Yan Xi naturally loved pretty things. Her eyes lit up at the sight of all the beautiful clothes, and she felt an itch to buy them all.


    "Su Chen, can I buy a few more?"


    Yan Xi pleaded, clinging to Su Chen''s arm.


    "Sure."


    Su Chen nodded without much thought, as money wasn''t an issue for him.


    Hearing Su Chen''s approval, Yan Xi dashed into a women''s clothing store and started picking out clothes.


    In no time, she had picked out two or three outfits and went into the dressing room to try them on. Every time she changed into a new outfit, she would ask Su Chen for his opinion.


    She was so beautiful that every outfit she wore stunned Su Chen.


    In the end, Yan Xi bought three outfits from that store, all paid for with Su Chen''s card.


    She then bought three or four more outfits and three or four pairs of high heels from several other stores. She had so many bags that Su Chen had to help carry some.


    "Enough, after buying two more business outfits, you can''t buy any more!"


    Su Chen said sternly as they walked out of another women''s clothing store.


    It wasn''t that he was reluctant to spend the money; he simply couldn''t carry any more bags!


    "Other than that, can I buy two more?"


    Yan Xi pouted and pleaded, still unsatisfied.


    "No!"


    Su Chen refused bluntly, keeping a stern face.


    "Fine then!"


    Seeing his firm stance, Yan Xi had no choice but to agree with a pitiful expression.


    They then went to a store specializing in women''s business outfits. Although they used to be quite monotonous, business outfits nowadays came in many styles, with meticulous details.


    Yan Xi quickly picked a cream-colored business outfit consisting of a small zer and a short skirt.


    She then picked a shirt and went into the dressing room to change.


    "Su Chen, how do I look?"


    A few minutester, Yan Xi came out of the dressing room, spun around and asked.


    Su Chen was momentarily stunned by how stunning Yan Xi looked in her business attire!


    "Well, what do you think?"


    Yan Xi urged when she saw he was dazed.


    "Not bad."


    Su Chen quickly snapped back to reality and responded casually.


    Yan Xi then picked a ck business outfit, and after Su Chen finished paying, they headed out.


    Looking at the nearly twenty bags they were carrying, Su Chen was at a loss for words!


    It seemed that all women, even those from the Hidden Dragon Hall like Yan Xi, had an innate passion for shopping!


    Half carrying and half hauling a bunch of bags, they headed to the underground parking lot.


    Yan Xi''s excited face formed a stark contrast with Su Chen''s miserable expression!


    For Yan Xi, she had never had such a joyful experience before!


    They soon arrived at the underground parking lot. Just after they went down, before reaching their car, they stopped!


    Because not far in front of them stood three people, each radiating waves of True Yuan.


    Su Chen could tell that each of them was at a cultivation level of half-step Meridian Expansion, and they were much stronger than Yan Xi!


    The man in the middle was nearly at Qi Refinement Peak, just a step away from entering the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Yan Xi also felt their strength, realizing she was no match for them!


    "Su Chen, who are they? Are they your enemies?"


    Yan Xi asked in a whisper.


    "I don''t know, never seen them."


    Su Chen shook his head.


    "Hand over the token, and we''ll make it quick for you!"


    The man in the middle looked at Su Chen coldly and said.


    As for Yan Xi beside him, hepletely ignored her...

 Chapter 810: The People of Holy Gate 1

    "What token are you talking about? I don''t understand what you''re saying."


    Su Chen couldn''t help but chuckle upon hearing this. These guys seem to be too arrogant, even more than him!


    "It seems like you won''t cry until you see the coffin!"


    The person shed a sinister look and spoke with a cold voice.


    "You''re a strange person. I don''t even know who you are."


    Su Chen put down the item in his hand, then curled his lips into a smile and said:


    "How about you tell me who you are first? Then I''ll think carefully about the token you mentioned."


    "Shengyi Gate!"


    The man uttered these words indifferently!


    Yan Xi''s heart trembled the moment she heard the name Shengyi Gate, her eyes widening in disbelief!


    They are actually from Shengyi Gate!


    That is a Martial Arts force that even Hidden Dragon Hall fears!


    In fact, Hidden Dragon Hall, while able to intimidate most forces in the Martial Arts World, can only restrain some particrly powerful entities.


    Shengyi Gate is one of those particrly powerful entities!


    Generally, as long as these powerful entities do not create chaos in Huaxia, Hidden Dragon Hall turns a blind eye.


    Of course, Hidden Dragon Hall fears them, and they likewise fear Hidden Dragon Hall.


    It''s fair to say that everyone adheres to certain rules within a mutual bnce.


    Additionally, as martial forces, they usually don''t have to involve in the mundane world, except for the incident with the Su Family back then.


    Even then, Shengyi Gate leveraged the power of other families and did not dare to take direct action due to the presence of Hidden Dragon Hall.


    Yan Xi thought: How did Su Chen get involved with people from Shengyi Gate? And what token are they asking him for?


    Regarding Shengyi Gate''s role in events from the past, Su Chen had told no one, so Yan Xi didn''t know about Su Chen''s entanglements with Shengyi Gate.


    "You are from Shengyi Gate?"


    Su Chen nced at these people and asked with a tilted head.


    Upon first hearing the name, Su Chen''s body shook violently!


    He hadn''t expected that before he could find them, they had alreadye to him!


    "Yes, if you know what''s good for you, hand over the token to avoid suffering!"


    The person in the middle spoke arrogantly, thinking that Su Chen must be frightened upon hearing their name.


    "Since you are from Shengyi Gate, stay here today."


    Su Chen said calmly, his tone brooking no argument!


    "You want to keep us here?"


    The person was stunned by Su Chen''s words, thenughed loudly.


    "Kid, I think you''re truly ignorant and arrogant!"


    "I think he has a death wish!"


    ...


    The other two echoed, clearly not taking the young man Su Chen seriously!


    "Alright, since this kid is so blind, let him see our prowess!"


    The person in the middle''s expression suddenly turned cold, and a terrifying aura immediately spread out!


    At the same time, the other two also released tremendous auras!


    All three looked at Su Chen coldly, as if staring at a dead person.


    However, Su Chen did not respond to them; instead, he spoke to Yan Xi:


    "Wait for me in the car."


    "I''ll stay and help you."


    Yan Xi said worriedly.


    "No need, just three garbage!"


    Su Chen sneered.


    "Alright, be careful."


    Having heard this, Yan Xi walked to the car, opened the door, and sat inside, her face still full of worry.


    "Courting death!"


    Seeing Su Chen call them garbage, the three were enraged and simultaneously attacked Su Chen!


    In an instant, three shadows shed by, three sharp palm winds roared in like whirlwinds!


    The swirling True Yuan rolled in their palms, cutting through the void and making a "buzzing" sound!


    Sitting in the car, Yan Xi saw this scene and her heart tightened. The opponent''s attack was too strong!


    Can Su Chen withstand it?


    However, facing the attack from the three, Su Chen remained calm, not taking them seriously!


    Su Chen''s arrogant attitude further infuriated the three, and more True Essence Energy gathered in their palms, striking towards Su Chen!


    In their view, under such an onught, Su Chen would either be dead or heavily injured!


    When the palm prints were still some distance from Su Chen''s body, the powerful palm winds had already blown his clothes tightly against his body!


    At this moment, Su Chen suddenly extended his palms, striking at two of the attackers. Two waves of True Essence Energy surged forward like breaking seas!


    The two felt the unstoppable energy and their pupils shrank, wanting to turn and flee, but it was toote!


    "Pfft!"


    The two spat out a mouthful of blood simultaneously, flying backward and crashing heavily atop two cars, their lives uncertain!


    After palm-striking two away, only one remained¡ªthe strongest among them!


    He was shocked by the sudden burst of Su Chen''s True Essence Energy!


    However, experienced and realizing he had underestimated his opponent, he knew the best strategy now was to exploit the moment Su Chen attacked the other two to severely injure him!


    Thus, he sped up, gathering all his True Yuan into his palms!


    Seeing he was about to strike Su Chen, a smug smile crossed his lips.


    He didn''t care if the other twopanions were dead. As long as he severely injured Su Chen and seized the token, he could report to the Sect Leader.


    But in the next second, his smile froze!


    Because he saw a sharp, glistening dagger suddenly appear in the path of his advancing palm!


    "Pfft!"


    The next moment, his palm was pierced, blood spurting out!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen kicked him, sending him flying like a cannonball until he collided with a thick stone pir in the parking lot and fell down!


    He felt his internal organs shift, spat out blood mixed with bits of flesh!


    Su Chen walked step by step towards the person dozens of meters away and stopped in front of him.


    The man looked at Su Chen, a deep fear filling his heart. Before the fight, he never imagined that this young man would possess such terrifying cultivation!


    Even Yan Xi in the car was shocked seeing this scene. He seemed to have be even stronger than before!


    "I will ask you one thing. If your answer satisfies me, I will let you go!"


    Su Chen asked, standing tall over him.


    "What?"


    The man originally thought he would die, but upon hearing Su Chen might spare him, a desperate desire to survive arose.


    "Why did Shengyi Gate eliminate the Su Family''s eldest line around twenty years ago?"


    Su Chen asked coldly:


    "Also, what is the rtionship between Shengyi Gate and my mother?"

 Chapter 811 - 811 Martial Arts World

    "What Su Family? I don''t know what you''re talking about. I''ve only been in the organization for twelve years, so I don''t know what happened twenty years ago."


    The man said with a puzzled expression:


    "I don''t even know who your mother is!"


    "If that''s the case, then there''s no need for you to stay alive!"


    Su Chen''s face turned cold, a sh of chilling light, and the man''s throat was cut open, blood gushing out!


    "You... you..."


    The man clutched his neck with one hand, pointed at Su Chen with the other, but suddenly both hands dropped down, clearly dead.


    Afterward, Su Chen made a phone call to Qin Ming, asking him to handle the aftermath, while he drove away.


    "Su Chen, how did you get involved with Shengyi Gate?"


    In the car, Yan Xi couldn''t help but ask.


    Earlier, Yan Xi didn''t hear the conversation between Su Chen and the man because she was too far away and sitting in the car.


    "You know about Shengyi Gate too?"


    Su Chen nced at Yan Xi and asked.


    "Of course, Shengyi Gate is a very powerful force in the Martial Arts World, even our Hidden Dragon Hall usually doesn''t want to provoke them."


    Yan Xi pouted.


    "So powerful? What is the Martial Arts World?"


    Su Chen, hearing about the Martial Arts World for the first time, asked.


    "The Martial Arts World is just a general term referring to the circle formed by forces based on martial arts. However, at least the forces with cultivators at the Meridian Expansion Realm can im to be part of the Martial Arts World."


    Yan Xi looked at Su Chen and said:


    "For instance, those forces in the Dark World, hardly any have cultivators at the Meridian Expansion Realm, so they can''t be considered part of the Martial Arts World."


    "What forces are there in the Martial Arts World?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    He also understood now that his previous belief of the Nether Temple Hall Master being nearly invincible was utterly mistaken!


    Since he started retraining, he realized that the world is vast, with many impressive people and forces!


    It is said "there''s always someone better," and that saying is indeed true!


    "There are many forces. I''m not very familiar with the foreign ones, but within Huaxia, several Martial Arts Families are considered part of the Martial Arts World. For example, the Wei Family and Zhou Family in Jiangnan; the Sun Family and Wei Family in Jiangbei; the Zhang Family in the Northeast, and so on, though few know of their existence."


    Yan Xi, despite her young age, was from the Hidden Dragon Hall, and hence knew more than Su Chen.


    Often hearing others discuss, she naturally knew a lot.


    She listed them as if counting treasures:


    "However, most of these Martial Arts Families are rtively weak in the Martial Arts World. Within Huaxia, several powerful forces exist, like Lingyue Pce, Shengyi Gate, and our Hidden Dragon Hall, which belong to the Martial Arts World. These three are the top-notch existences in the Martial Arts World, though we are somewhat special, with a semi-official status."


    "Also, there are sects like Shaolin, Wudang, Kunlun, which are part of the Martial Arts World too, but they have even less contact with the outside world, only asionally having individuals train in the secr world. Except when the nation faces a dire crisis, they rarelye out."


    Yan Xi''s words seemed to open a window for Su Chen, showing him a whole new world!


    There are so many impressive people and forces in this world!


    "What else do you know about Shengyi Gate?"


    Su Chen was now most concerned about Shengyi Gate, other forces, no matter how powerful, were irrelevant at the moment.


    "I don''t know much, but I once heard Uncle Yao say that Shengyi Gate used to be called the Holy Sect."


    Yan Xi frowned slightly and said:


    "Around twenty-one or twenty-two years ago, some changes urred, leading to the name change to Shengyi Gate."


    "What changes?"


    Su Chen asked nervously, sensing that these changes might be rted to the answers he sought!


    "I don''t know. If you get a chance, you can ask Uncle Yao when youe with me, he might know."


    Yan Xi shook her head and then looked at Su Chen:


    "By the way, you haven''t told me how you got involved with Shengyi Gate, what token are they looking for?"


    "I''ll tell youter."


    Su Chen took a cigarette from the pack, lit it, and fell into contemtion.


    Seeing that he wasn''t willing to talk, Yan Xi didn''t press further.


    "I''m telling you, be careful. You killed someone from Shengyi Gate; they won''t let you off easily."


    After a while, Yan Xi said worriedly.


    "They won''t let me off? I won''t let them off either!"


    Su Chen''s eyes shed with brilliance!


    "Su Chen, Shengyi Gate isn''t as easy to deal with as the Five Great Families. They probably underestimated your strength, which is why they sent these few people."


    Yan Xi hurriedly said after hearing Su Chen''s words:


    "But Shengyi Gate is full of experts. If they send more experts next time, you might not be able to withstand them!"


    "If soldierse, we''ll block them; if wateres, we''ll cover it with earth. What''s the big deal!"


    Su Chen shrugged.


    Though he spoke with apparent ease, he actually felt enormous pressure.


    From Yan Xi''s words, he understood more clearly how powerful Shengyi Gate was!


    Shengyi Gate waspletely different from the few families. Su Chen began to fear its backing force, Hidden Dragon Hall, rather than the families themselves.


    Since Hidden Dragon Hall stated it wouldn''t interfere, the families posed no threat to Su Chen; it''s just about how far he wanted to go!


    Shengyi Gate, however, was entirely different, as it itself was almost on par with Hidden Dragon Hall in terms of sheer power!


    Su Chen drove Yan Xi not to thepany but directly home.


    "The Yuan Qi here is so abundant!"


    As soon as she stepped into the small courtyard of the vi, Yan Xi couldn''t help but say:


    "The Yuan Qi here is much denser than usual ces."


    "I arranged a Formation here to absorb all the surrounding Yuan Qi."


    Su Chen smiled and said. He had recently modified the small Gathering Yuan Formation into a medium-sized one, including one in the estate.


    "Formation? You can arrange Formations!"


    Yan Xi eximed upon hearing Su Chen''s words, her eyes filled with disbelief!


    It''s known that the Way of Formation is vast and profound, and among cultivators, those who understand Formation are one in ten thousand!


    Even in Hidden Dragon Hall, she heard that only the Hall Master knew some basic Formations, and old Wei didn''t understand the Way of Formation.


    But a Formation capable of gathering Yuan Qi clearly isn''t basic, and the Hall Master probably can''t achieve this!


    Yan Xi looked at him, feeling deeply shaken!


    Such cultivation at a young age, and understanding Formation!


    This man is indeed mysterious!

 Chapter 812 - 812 The Secret of the Token?

    "Sir, is this your sister?"


    Aunt Sun saw Yan Xi beside Su Chen and immediately beamed:


    "The girl is really beautiful!"


    "Hello, Aunt Sun."


    Yan Xi sweetly called out.


    "Alright, Miss has already called back, and I''ve prepared Miss Yan''s room." Aunt Sun cheerfully replied upon hearing Yan Xi''s sweet voice.


    "Thank you, Aunt Sun."


    Truth be told, Yan Xi''s sweet talk instantly won Aunt Sun''s favor upon their first meeting.


    "Alright, Aunt Sun, please take her to see her room first," Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Alright, Sir." Aunt Sun then said to Yan Xi:


    "Miss Yan,e with me and take a look. If there''s anything you''re not satisfied with, let me know and I''ll make the changes."


    Saying that, she walked towards the row of rooms inside the living room...


    Su Chen also walked toward a room near the entrance, which used to be his room.


    After entering the room, Su Chen immediately dragged out a wooden box from under the bed. The lock had been broken by Qi Meng, so Su Chen didn''t bother to rece it, opening the box with a flick.


    He didn''t look at the treasures inside, but instead took out a pitch-ck token from the bottom of the box.


    "Could it be that what they''re looking for is this token?"


    Su Chen murmured to himself, staring at the mottled patterns on the token.


    He remembered that this token and the sheepskin scroll were the only two things he had when he was expelled from the Su Family.


    He never paid much attention to the token before, casually tossing it into the wooden box.


    After all, it didn''t look special; if sold on a street stall, no one would buy it for even five bucks.


    The reason he kept this token was that his mother had given it to him, merely a sentimental keepsake!


    But now that people from Shengyi Gate came looking for this token today, it indicated it was by no means simple!


    But what exactly was special about this token?


    Su Chen scrutinized it for a moment but found nothing notable.


    However, since someone, especially people from Shengyi Gate, had their eyes on it, he had to hide it well!


    He then leaped up, opened a hiddenpartment in the ceiling, and retrieved a metal box, cing the token inside before sealing it back in thepartment.


    These people didn''te to his ce first to search because they probably didn''t consider him a threat.


    After all, no matter where he hid the token, as long as they captured him, they wouldn''t have trouble finding it.


    Hearing footsteps outside, Su Chen opened the door and stepped out.


    "Yan Xi, satisfied with the room?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "Satisfied, extremely satisfied!"


    Yan Xi replied with a broad smile; her amodations in Hidden Dragon Hall were too in!


    "d you''re satisfied!"


    Su Chen said.


    "Sir, I''ll go buy groceries now." Aunt Sun said and then left.


    "Although you have left Hidden Dragon Hall, you mustn''t neglect your cultivation, or I won''t be able to justify it to your master."


    After Aunt Sun left, Su Chen said seriously.


    "Got it. Cultivating here is so easy; one day is equivalent to eight or nine days elsewhere!" Yan Xi cheerfully eximed.


    "Alright then, I''m going to cultivate. Feel free to look around." Su Chen said before heading upstairs.


    Yan Xi then started exploring, knowing she might be living here for a while.


    After finishing her tour, Yan Xi returned to her room to cultivate. Although yful, she knew not to ck off in cultivation.


    Both stayed in their rooms until Lin Ruoxue returned, and Aunt Sun called them out for dinner.


    The group sat around the table and began eating dinner.


    In Hidden Dragon Hall, Yan Xi mostly ate alone, feeling bored and lonely.


    Unlike here, where everyone was chatting andughing, even Aunt Sun, the servant, joined in.


    This atmosphere quickly made her like, if not love, the ce.


    After dinner and some casual chat, it was around ten o''clock when Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue headed upstairs to rest, while Aunt Sun and Yan Xi each went to their rooms.


    Lying in bed, Su Chen couldn''t help but think about the token again. Suddenly, a somewhat terrifying thought popped into his mind!


    "Could Shengyi Gate''s attack on the Su Family''s eldest branch, or rather targeting my mother, have been for that token?"


    Once this thought emerged, it couldn''t leave Su Chen''s mind, making it hard for him to fall asleep...


    .....


    Early the next morning, Aunt Sun had breakfast ready. After eating together, the three of them went to work.


    Lin Ruoxue drove her own car, and Su Chen took Yan Xi along.


    When Yan Xi, dressed in a cream-white professional suit, walked into thepany, she instantly caught the attention of every passing male, their eyes filled with a burning intensity!


    The wolfish gazes made Yan Xi somewhat embarrassed, and Su Chen red at them, making them reluctantly look away.


    Su Chen then took her to the PR department. The women there eyed him yfully as he led a stunning beauty in.


    Su Chen understood their insinuations and pretended to cough twice:


    "This is my god-sister. She''ll be working in the PR department. Please take care of her."


    "Su Minister, is she your god-sister or ''god''-sister?" Zhao Lin approached Su Chen, leaning half her body on him, and whispered teasingly in his ear.


    She emphasized the word "god" notably when referring to the second "god-sister."


    "Su Minister, these god-brother and god-sister rtionships can easily turn into something more!" Ran Ting swayed her slim waist and leaned in, pressing close to him.


    Soon, other women joined themotion, their soft bodies nearly enveloping Su Chen like a sandwich!


    Yan Xi spent most of her time in Hidden Dragon Hall, not understanding their suggestive remarks!


    She simply stared, wide-eyed, at the beautiful women tightly surrounding Su Chen, seemingly taking liberties with him, feeling a bit stunned!


    What is going on? Yan Xi felt her brain wasn''t quiteputing!


    She also noticed Su Chen wasn''t all that innocent, grabbing a handful here and pinching a bit there, enjoying himself thoroughly!


    After a while, Su Chen finally managed to break free from the encirclement and said:


    "Alright, I entrust my sister to you all! Please teach her well!"


    "Your grand minister has spoken, how could we dare disobey?" Ran Ting nced at him with her beautiful eyes.


    "Alright, work well here!"


    Su Chen said to Yan Xi.


    "Got it!" Yan Xi replied with a slightly curt tone.


    Su Chen felt puzzled. What was wrong with her?


    However, he didn''t think much and turned to walk back to his office.


    Just as he was about to sit down, his phone rang. He saw it was Du Hanshuang, and although he didn''t want to answer, he feared she mighte straight to thepany if he didn''t, so he picked it up.


    "Brother-inw, my sister is critically ill! Pleasee and see her!"


    As soon as the call connected, Du Hanshuang''s tearful voice came through...

 Chapter 813 - 813 Du Hanbing is Injured

    "What?!"


    When Su Chen heard Du Hanshuang''s words, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his entire body chilled from the inside out, from head to toe!


    The thing he feared the most had happened!


    ....


    A Buick car was weaving rapidly through the traffic, like a whirlwind, startling other vehicles to the point where they thought they had seen a ghost!


    Several police cars tightly followed the Buick, but after only a few seconds, they were blocked by other vehicles and couldn''t continue. They had no choice but to pick up their radios and notify the officers ahead for interception!


    However, they encountered the same situation within less than a minute; there were too many cars on the road!


    And the car they were chasing moved like a snake through the gaps between vehicles at speeds of over 200 mph!


    This was simply horrifying!


    At this moment, they received a stern order from their superiors: Do not chase that car!


    The police officers were stunned!


    Who on earth was this guy in front?


    He was recklessly charging through the streets, ignoring all rules, and the higher-ups were sternly forbidding them from chasing him?


    But they vaguely understood that he must be someone very important!


    Moreover, driving a car in this manner on such congested roads was already impressive!


    Su Chen took only a few minutes to drive to the Central Military Hospital and rushed straight to the ICU on the eighth floor!


    Outside the door, Du Hanshuang and several members of the Eighth Brigade were gathered, every face showing a somber expression, with red eyes.


    Du Hanbing and Du Hanshuang, the two sisters, were orphans, so there were no other rtives present at this moment.


    "Brother-inw, you''re finally here. My sister...?"


    Du Hanshuang immediately rushed forward upon seeing Su Chen, her eyes, now red like a peach, filled with tears.


    "Instructor, you''re here!"


    Seeing Su Chen arrive, the people gathered around him.


    For Du Hanshuang to know Su Chen was not surprising to them, given the rtionship between Du Hanbing and Su Chen!


    And since Du Hanshuang had said she would call her brother-inw, they had guessed it was Su Chen, so they didn''t make the call themselves.


    Du Hanshuang had already learned that these people were her sister''srades, part of that mysterious unit.


    Upon hearing them call Su Chen ''Instructor,'' she was somewhat shocked.


    Then she quickly understood ¡ª no wonder her sister had emotional ties with him!


    It turned out they used to be in the same unit; feelings must have developed over time!


    "How is Hanbing?"


    Su Chen asked, seeing the expressions on their faces, knowing the situation was definitely not good!


    "The doctor said her internal organs arepletely ruptured, no signs of life, just hanging by a thread.!"


    Old Sun shook his head and sighed:


    "Go in and have a look; this might be thest time."


    Su Chen''s heart sank upon hearing Old Sun''s words, his face bing extremely solemn, and then he walked in.


    Old Sun and Du Hanshuang followed him inside, while the others stayed outside.


    As soon as Su Chen entered, he looked towards the hospital bed and saw a beautiful woman lying there quietly.


    Her eyes were closed, her long ck hair disheveled, her face pale as paper, without a trace of blood, and her lips were a dark purple.


    Her body was covered with conspicuous scars, on her face, arms, and body, shockingly visible!


    Though still on IV, the heart monitor beside her almost showed a straight line!


    Su Chen then seriously examined her, the more he checked, the heavier his mood became; the situation was worse than Old Sun had said!


    He had no confidence!


    "Brother-inw, what are you doing...?"


    Du Hanshuang asked in surprise upon seeing Su Chen''s actions.


    "Examining."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "Brother-inw, you know medicine?"


    Du Hanshuang looked as if she had discovered a new world, her eyes widened.


    Su Chen did not answer but immediately took out a small blue pill from his pocket, one he had seized from Zhuge, never having used the other one himself!


    Su Chen put the pill into Du Hanbing''s mouth since she couldn''t swallow, he used True Yuan to guide it into her body.


    The Restorative Pill could replenish the body''s Yuan Qi, which could nourish the internal organs, thus helping Du Hanbing at this moment.


    But her injuries were too severe; this would only barely help, merely dying the inevitable!


    "Hanshuang, the Instructor''s medical skills are exceptional. When we were injured during missions, he was the one who treated us."


    Old Sun told Du Hanshuang.


    Yet this time, he felt the hope was slim since Du Hanbing''s injuries were critically severe!


    However, Du Hanshuang''s eyes sparkled with fierce hope upon hearing these words!


    "Brother-inw, does my sister still have hope?"


    Du Hanshuang asked eagerly.


    While she asked, she held little hope, her feelings akin to a drowning person clutching at a small raft.


    "Not sure."


    Su Chen said casually.


    Yet, Su Chen''s uncertainty brought immense joy to Du Hanshuang, as the doctors had said there was no hope!


    "Brother-inw, you must save my sister! Please!"


    Du Hanshuang clung to Su Chen''s arm, pleading.


    "Don''t worry, I will definitely save Hanbing!"


    Su Chen patted Du Hanshuang''s head, said firmly.


    "Alright, Old Sun, take Hanshuang out first. I need to treat Hanbing."


    Su Chen said to Du Ruohai.


    "Yes."


    Old Sun agreed immediately, then led Du Hanshuang out.


    After Old Sun and Du Hanshuang left, Su Chen immediately removed Du Hanbing''s clothes.


    Then he took out Silver Needles and started acupuncture on her.


    Soon, Su Chen had inserted dozens of Silver Needles into Du Hanbing''s body, densely packed!


    Then he took a deep breath and briskly brushed his hands over the needle tails like a ghost, using Ghost Brushing Hand!


    The Silver Needles emitted a buzzing sound, their tails vibrating intensely, almost invisible.


    Despite the intense vibration, with each needle tail very close to the others, there was no collision!


    Although his actions seemed simple, they were extremely taxing.


    Suddenly, he felt a sweetness in his throat, a mouthful of blood surged up, but he immediately suppressed it and swallowed it back down...


    .....


    Time slowly passed, people waited anxiously outside the door, hoping for a miracle.


    After all, the Instructor had performed many miracles before; they hoped it would be the same this time...

 Chapter 814: Lingyue Palace and the Mysterious Ice Flower

    At this moment, Su Chen in the intensive care unit was drenched in sweat and as pale as a ghost.


    After a round of treatment, he could only temporarily keep Du Hanbing''s life hanging, but this could onlyst for about five days.


    But after that, he would be out of options!


    No, I have to find a way to save Hanbing!


    He immediately thought of someone, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number:


    "Old quack, get to the Central Military District Hospital immediately, or else I''ll burn down your courtyard in under twenty minutes!"


    He hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking.


    He knew that Zhuge, that old quack, was also quite skilled in medicine; maybe he might have a solution.


    Sure enough, it only took sixteen or seventeen minutes for Zhuge Dongming to arrive.


    Du Hanshuang and the members of the Eighth Brigade were puzzled as to who this person was when Su Chen came out.


    "Hurry up ande in."


    Su Chen said to the travel-worn Zhuge Dongming.


    Seeing that Su Chen knew this man who looked like a Taoist, everyone kept quiet.


    Zhuge Dongming, however, maintained an air of superiority, nodding slightly before following Su Chen inside.


    "You little bastard, do you know how far I had to travel? Twenty minutes! Are you trying to kill me?"


    Once inside, Zhuge Dongming lost his earlier aloof demeanor and berated Su Chen!


    "Alright, quit your whining and help me look at the patient first!"


    Su Chen ignored hisints and ordered bluntly.


    Zhuge Dongming curled his lips but said nothing. After all, this little bastard had a powerful master.


    "You''ve done well enough! I can''t be of any help!"


    Zhuge Dongming said after a brief examination.


    "Is there really no way?"


    Su Chen asked unwillingly.


    "No."


    Zhuge Dongming shook his head.


    "What about my master? Could he have a solution?"


    "That old Ghost Doctor is indeed very skilled, but there''s no way even he could have a solution. With all five viscera shattered and life hanging by a thread, what can be done?"


    Zhuge Dongming shook his head and said:


    "Even if a deity came, it would be useless."


    Of course, Su Chen knew this reasoning; he just couldn''t ept letting Du Hanbing die like this!


    "Actually, there is one way."


    After a moment, Zhuge Dongming suddenly said.


    "What way?"


    Su Chen''s eyes immediately shined with a fierce light and he asked urgently.


    "Have you ever heard of the Mysterious Ice Flower?"


    "Mysterious Ice Flower?"


    Su Chen frowned and said:


    "Isn''t that something from legend?"


    He had indeed heard of the Mysterious Ice Flower. It was said that when it bloomed, ice and frost would form around it!


    Using the flower in medicine could repair the five viscera, restore vitality, and bring the dead back to life!


    It was said that Emperor Qin Shi Huang sought this very flower for immortality, but it was never found before his untimely death.


    "It exists, but it''s extremely rare."


    Zhuge Dongming said:


    "If you want to save this girl, the only way now is the Mysterious Ice Flower."


    "Where can I find this Mysterious Ice Flower?"


    Su Chen asked urgently; he wasn''t willing to give up any sliver of hope.


    "You won''t be able to find it by yourself in the short amount of time you have. Many have searched their entire lives without finding it."


    "Then what''s the point of telling me this?"


    Su Chen retorted irritably.


    "I haven''t finished speaking, why are you in such a rush?"


    Zhuge Dongming said with a smile.


    "You old quack, can''t you just say everything in one go?"


    Su Chen retorted angrily, wishing he could set Zhuge''s beard on fire.


    "I was just about to!"


    Zhuge Dongming was also exasperated; probably only this kid dared to speak to him like that!


    If it weren''t for the fact that he couldn''t defeat Su Chen''s master, he would have taught him about respecting elders long ago!


    "But I do know of a ce that has one."


    Zhuge Dongming said with a smile.


    "Where?"


    Su Chen asked urgently.


    "Lingyue Pce!"


    Zhuge Dongming slowly uttered three words.


    "Lingyue Pce?"


    Su Chen shivered upon hearing those words!


    He had just heard that name yesterday and now he was hearing it again today; what a coincidence!


    "Yes, as far as I know, there is a Mysterious Ice Flower in the Medicine Pavilion of Lingyue Pce."


    Zhuge Dongming nodded and said.


    "Alright! I''ll set off today!"


    Su Chen said with determination burning in his eyes.


    After asking a few more questions, especially about the location of Lingyue Pce, Su Chen and Zhuge Dongming walked out together.


    Zhuge Dongming left as soon as they exited; he didn''t stay.


    "Brother-inw, how is my sister?"


    Du Hanshuang asked hurriedly, and the members of the Eighth Brigade also looked at him anxiously.


    "I have temporarily kept her life hanging; she should be fine for the next five days."


    Su Chen said to them:


    "During these days, you must take turns watching over Hanbing. No one is allowed to touch her, not even if it''s a doctor wanting to treat her."


    Su Chen was worried that the doctors might mess things up.


    "Yes!"


    The members of the Eighth Brigade responded loudly.


    "Brother-inw, what about after five days? What should we do?"


    Du Hanshuang asked anxiously.


    "Don''t worry, there will be a way, there must be!"


    Su Chen said, secretly vowing that he would get the Mysterious Ice Flower no matter what, even if he had to steal it!


    Although he wasn''t entirely sure if the Mysterious Ice Flower would work, it was the only hope they had!


    "By the way, where is your bureau chief? Why isn''t he here?"


    Su Chen asked curiously. The old man was very concerned about Hanbing and would have definitelye if he knew.


    "The Bureau Chief went abroad on business; he left several days ago."


    Du Hanshuang said.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen nodded and then said to Old Sun:


    "Old Sun, have everyone go backter; just leave two people here."


    "Yes."


    Old Sun replied.


    "Okay, I''ll leave now."


    Su Chen said, then left.


    Everyone knew he was off to find a way to save Du Hanbing. There was no way he would just leave her to die...


    ....


    After leaving the hospital, Su Chen called Qin Ming to have him arrange a helicopter immediately.


    Although Qin Ming was abroad, a simple task like this was a phone call away.


    Su Chen didn''t tell Qin Ming about Du Hanbing''s situation, as it wouldn''t do any good and would only make him worry.


    After making the call, Su Chen drove straight to the helipad at the Special Security Bureau, calling Lin Ruoxue on the way to tell her he would be away for a few days.


    Lin Ruoxue was used to him going off on missions from time to time, so besides reminding him to take care, she didn''t say much else.


    When Su Chen reached the helipad, he boarded a ready helicopter.


    The helicopter took off immediately, heading in a certain direction within Huaxia...

 Chapter 815: No Men in Lingyue Palace?

    In the deep mountains of Shu lies the Lingyue Pce, so after arriving in the nearest city by ne, Su Chen rented an off-road vehicle to continue his journey.


    Although driving an off-road vehicle through dense mountain forests can be challenging, it allows for deeper pration than other vehicles, proving quite useful.


    After driving for about two hours, Su Chen was approaching the mountains, and the road had be rough and uneven.


    Earlier, there were still some scattered shops, but now they had all disappeared.


    As he drove a bit further, the road narrowed to a small path nked by lush trees.


    If it weren''t for Su Chen''s superb driving skills, traversing such mountain roads would be nearly impossible for an average person.


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly heard what seemed like a woman''s cries for helping from the nearby forest.


    He immediately stopped the car and approached stealthily, keeping his body concealed.


    Not far ahead, he saw a man in his twenties pinning down a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, his hands frantically tearing at her clothes.


    The girl struggled desperately, but her dress was already shredded into tatters.


    "Young Master Fei, let me go,"


    the girl cried out while resisting.


    "Xiao Jiao, I''ve liked you for a long time. Let me take good care of you today,"


    the man said with a lewd grin, his hands not stopping their actions.


    "Rip!"


    With a tearing sound, arge piece of the girl''s dress was ripped away, exposing her bare skin.


    Seeing this, Su Chen''s heart ignited with fury.


    However, just as he was about to rush out and teach this scoundrel a lesson, the girl cried out:


    "Young Master Fei, aren''t you afraid that Lingyue Pce wille after you for this?"


    Su Chen was taken aback. This girl is from Lingyue Pce?


    "Hmph, Lingyue Pce may be powerful, but if I kill and defile you here, who will know it was me?"


    the man sneered.


    Hearing this, the girl became even more frantic and struggled harder.


    Although she was also a Martial Artist, her cultivation was only at the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refinement, far from a match for the man who was nearing Meridian Expansion.


    In front of this man, she had no power to resist!


    "I know who you are!"


    At this moment, a voice echoed from behind them.


    "Who''s there?!"


    A startled voice rang out, and Fei An quickly turned around.


    Seeing a young man in his early twenties, a sneer spread across his face:


    "Get lost, or I''ll kill you!"


    "Let the girl go,"


    Su Chen said calmly, as if issuing amand.


    "Damn, you really got a death wish!"


    Enraged, Fei An stood up from the girl.


    "Xiao Jiao, wait here. I''ll deal with this fool, thene back for you,"


    Fei An said to the girl with a wicked smile.


    The girl quickly got up, torn between staying and fleeing.


    After all, this man had gotten involved to save her. Would it be disloyal to leave?


    But if she stayed and Fei An defeated or even killed this man, he wouldn''t spare her either.


    While she hesitated, Fei An''s fist came crashing towards Su Chen, powerful True Yuan swirling around his fist, tearing through the air.


    "Watch out!"


    Seeing the Fist Mang, the girl couldn''t help but cry out!


    She even covered her eyes, afraid to see Su Chen being sent flying by Fei An''s punch.


    In her mind, this oue was almost certain.


    But after waiting for several seconds, hearing no noise, she peeked through her fingers, her eyes wide.


    What she saw shocked her.


    Fei An''s mighty fist was caught in arge hand, suspended in mid-air, unable to move further!


    What was happening?


    Had this young man actually blocked Fei An''s attack?


    She couldn''t believe her eyes and quickly put her hand down, staring wide-eyed again.


    Indeed, Fei An''s fist was stopped by the young man, hanging in the air!


    Fei An himself was filled with shock, stunned by the unexpected strength of this young man.


    "Crack!"


    Su Chen exerted a slight force, snapping Fei An''s wrist, then kicked him away, sending him flying into the woods dozens of meters away!


    "Is he dead?"


    the girl asked softly.


    "No idea,"


    Su Chen shrugged, not caring whether Fei An was dead or alive.


    "Thank you for saving me. I didn''t expect you to be so strong,"


    the girl said sincerely, grateful that the man had saved her from an unimaginable fate.


    "It was no big deal,"


    Su Chen shrugged casually, taking off his jacket and handing it to her:


    "Your clothes are torn, wear this."


    Looking down at her exposed body, the girl blushed.


    "Thank you,"


    she said softly, taking Su Chen''s jacket and wrapping it around herself.


    "By the way, how did you end up here?"


    the girl asked curiously.


    "I''m here for an adventure trip and identally got lost."


    Su Chen hadn''t thought much earlier, but now he saw an opportunity in the girl.


    After all, from Yan Xi, he had learned that Lingyue Pce was on par with Hidden Dragon Hall.


    If he barged in recklessly, he might not even get the Mysterious Ice Flower and could die trying.


    But with someone from Lingyue Pce helping him, it would be much easier.


    "So, why are you here alone?"


    Su Chen asked intentionally.


    "I live in these mountains!"


    The girl answered without hesitation.


    "Your home is in these deep mountains?"


    "Sort of,"


    the girl nodded after thinking.


    "I have a favor to ask. Could you grant it?"


    Su Chen asked with an embarrassed expression.


    "Just say it. Since you saved me, I''ll help if I can,"


    the girl replied enthusiastically.


    "Well, it''s gettingte, and there''s nowhere to stay around here. Can I stay at your ce for the night?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s request, the girl looked troubled.


    Helping with other things was fine, but this...


    Seeing her hesitation, Su Chen quickly added:


    "Don''t worry, I''ll pay. I won''t stay for free."


    "It''s not about money. My home doesn''t allow men to stay,"


    the girl exined, embarrassed.


    "There are no men at your ce?"


    "None!"


    The girl nodded affirmatively.


    Su Chen was stunned to hear this. No men at Lingyue Pce?

 Chapter 816: Entering Lingyue Palace

    This situation waspletely unexpected for Su Chen, he never imagined there would be no men in Lingyue Pce!


    "Alright then, I won''t make things difficult for you. I''ll just make do on the car for one night."


    Su Chen showed a somewhat sorrowful expression on his face, one that truly made others feel sorry for him.


    The girl felt deeply embarrassed upon seeing Su Chen''s expression.


    After all, he had just saved her and made such a simple request, yet she had refused him. It seemed a bit unreasonable.


    "Alright, you cane back with me to stay for the night."


    The girl hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.


    "Isn''t that inappropriate? Didn''t you say men aren''t allowed to stay at your ce?"


    Su Chen asked hesitantly.


    "It should be fine for just one night."


    The girl replied.


    "Well, maybe it''s better not to."


    Su Chen mumbled, still hesitant.


    "Enough with the hesitation, you''re a grown man, there''s nothing to worry about."


    The girl said, thinking that herdy was a very kind person and it should be fine after exining to her.


    "Alright then, sorry for the trouble."


    Su Chen nodded slightly, though he was actually quite happy inside.


    "It''s no trouble at all."


    "Let''s hurry up, it''s already getting dark."


    Su Chen urged.


    "Mm."


    They walked side by side towards the road, but after taking a few steps, the girl suddenly said:


    "Red bean bun!"


    She then ran back a few steps and picked up a yellow oil-paper wrapped square thing from the grass.


    "I almost forgot the red bean bun I bought for mydy."


    The girl chuckled as she walked back to Su Chen''s side.


    "Did youe out of the mountains just to buy a red bean bun for yourdy?"


    "Yes, mydy loves the red bean buns from this ce."


    "You mentioned yourdy, are you a maid?"


    "I am mydy''s personal maid."


    "By the way, I don''t know your name yet."


    "My name is Meng Jiao. And you?"


    "Su Chen."


    "I must say, yourdy is a bit too much, making you travel so far just for a red bean bun!"


    "Don''t you dare speak ill of mydy, she is a good person!"


    The girl, who was cheerful just moments ago, immediately red at Su Chen with puffed cheeks upon hearing this.


    "Alright, alright, yourdy is a good person, a very good person, okay!"


    Su Chen quickly replied, surprised at how protective the girl was of herdy.


    Hearing Su Chen say this, Meng Jiao let it go and continued walking forward. Soon, they reached Su Chen''s car.


    "Get in the car."


    Su Chen called out, and the girl named Meng Jiao got in. Su Chen then continued driving.


    "Actually, I lied to you just now."


    Meng Jiao suddenly said.


    "Lied to me? About what?"


    Su Chen pretended to be confused.


    "The ce where I live is called Lingyue Pce, it''s not my home."


    "What is Lingyue Pce?"


    "It''s a power in the Martial Arts World."


    Meng Jiao then began to introduce Lingyue Pce to Su Chen, thinking it was necessary since she was about to take him inside.


    Through Meng Jiao''s introduction and his own careful questioning, Su Chen gained further understanding of Lingyue Pce.


    Lingyue Pce had a Pce Master with an only daughter who was thedy Meng Jiao spoke of.


    Additionally, all disciples within the pce were female, not a single male.


    "Are all the women in your pce there because they''ve been hurt by men and hate all men, so there are no men around?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask, thinking of the Yihua Pce in the story "The Proud Twins," which was also entirely female, except for Hua Wuque.


    "Of course not. We only have women in Lingyue Pce because the cultivation techniques we practice are only suited for women."


    Meng Jiao pouted slightly.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen felt much more at ease.


    If Lingyue Pce was like the Yihua Pce on TV, full of women who hated men, he would be in trouble the moment he stepped in.


    If that were the case, it would be quite unfortunate for him!


    After another half-hour drive, Su Chen and Meng Jiao got out of the car, with Su Chen carrying a package. Ahead was a single-nk bridge, beneath whichy a deep gorge of over ten meters.


    The single-nk bridge was about a meter wide, making it impossible to drive across.


    The two crossed the bridge and walked through a long, dense forest, which eventually opened up before them.


    Standing before Su Chen was a grand structure epassing several hundred acres!


    Seeing such a magnificent building deep in the mountains, Su Chen couldn''t help but marvel!


    This Lingyue Pce was indeed a top power in the Huaxia Martial Arts World!


    On either side of the main gate stood three guards, each with impressive cultivation.


    Seeing Meng Jiao escorting a man inside, they didn''t say much.


    Though there were no men in Lingyue Pce, it didn''t mean no men ever visited. If representatives from other forces came, would they not be allowed in?


    However, men were never allowed to stay overnight, which was true. This was mainly because it was an all-women environment, and having men stay overnight was very inconvenient, leading to the establishment of such a rule.


    Su Chen followed Meng Jiao inside, surveying the area. He wondered which of these many buildings housed the Medicine Pavilion.


    He had a few guesses in mind, though he wasn''t entirely sure.


    Soon, they reached an inner area.


    "Wait here, I''ll go inform mydy."


    Meng Jiao said before entering a side hall.


    "The Fei Family is too audacious! They even dare to insult people from our Lingyue Pce. Do they really think we won''t dare touch them just because Shengyi Gate is backing them?"


    Soon, an angry and delicate voice emanated from within.


    After a while, Meng Jiao emerged and said to Su Chen:


    "Su Chen, mydy requests your presence."


    Su Chen then followed Meng Jiao inside, only to be stunned by what he saw!


    A woman dressed in white sat before him, her long hair cascading down, her features seemingly sculpted to perfection.


    Even while seated, one could sense her graceful yet proud figure!


    She resembled a beautifuldy stepping out of an ancient painting!


    Her demeanor was somewhat simr to Pei Man, but with an added aura of cold pride!


    Upon seeing Su Chen enter, she immediately stood from her seat and said:


    "Thank you, Mr. Su, for your righteous aid in rescuing Meng Jiao today."


    Seeing how young Su Chen was, she couldn''t help but be a little surprised. She knew that the young master of the Fei Family had reached the half-step Meridian Expansion Realm. The fact that Su Chen could defeat him with one move demonstrated the depth of his cultivation!


    However, she was certain that Su Chen had not entered the Meridian Expansion Realm; he must be at the brink of it!


    Of course, such cultivation wasn''t particrly astonishing to her, although it was quite rare in the secr world!

 Chapter 817: Night Walker

    "A trivial task, anyone who sees a situation like this wouldn''t stand by and do nothing."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Regardless, I must thank Mr. Su."


    The woman in white said faintly:


    "I heard from Little Jiao that Mr. Su wants to stay for a night. By rights, our Lingyue Pce doesn''t allow men to stay overnight, but considering you rescued Little Jiao, we''ll let you stay for one night. You''ll leave early tomorrow morning."


    Although the woman in white seemed to be allowing him to stay, upon closer listening, she was essentially asking him to leave, essentially saying, "You must leave first thing in the morning!"


    "Sorry for the disturbance."


    Su Chen cupped his hands and said.


    Then the woman in white instructed another woman in yellow to lead Su Chen to a guest room at the front.


    After Su Chen left, the woman in white couldn''t help butin to Meng Jiao:


    "I told you not to run around, now see what trouble it brought!"


    "I was just getting some bean paste buns for you!"


    Meng Jiao tugged at the corner of the woman in white''s dress.


    "Was it worth it for bean paste buns? How many times have I told you not to run around aimlessly? You never listen. See if you''ll dare next time!"


    The woman in white said irritably.


    "But you love eating them, don''t you miss?"


    Meng Jiao murmured.


    "You!"


    The woman in white stretched out a slender finger and poked Meng Jiao''s forehead, somewhat speechless.


    Facing Meng Jiao, the woman in white seemed to lose some of the coldness she had when speaking with Su Chen.


    "And you never listen when told to focus on your cultivation. You didn''t even notice you were being followed the whole way."


    The woman in white said with some anger and helplessness:


    "You''re grounded for a month! Stay in the pce and focus on your cultivation!"


    "Understood, miss."


    Meng Jiao said pitifully.


    ......


    The ce arranged for Su Chen by Lingyue Pce was spacious and clean. After lying down to rest for a while, someone brought him dinner, though it was quite nd.


    After dinner, Su Chen sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate, as it was still early.


    True Yuan flowed within his body, quietly nourishing every organ, making him feel veryfortable!


    Because the small Gathering Yuan Formation in the vi had been upgraded to a medium-sized one, his cultivation speed had taken a big leap forward!


    After so many days of cultivation, he faintly felt that he was about to break through again, only missing a catalyst!


    If he broke through this time, he''d reach half-step Meridian Expansion. The next step would be the true Meridian Expansion Realm!


    What should he do after reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm?


    The closer he got to the Meridian Expansion Realm, the more anxious and confused he became.


    ......


    Tonight, the moon was bright and sparse stars dotted the sky, with asional bird calls from around.


    Feeling that it was about time, Su Chen stopped his cultivation and opened his bag.


    Inside, there was a set of nightwalking clothes and a mask. Besides those, there were also a few smoke bombs prepared by Qin Ming.


    Coming to a ce like Lingyue Pce, he naturally had to be well-prepared.


    After putting on the nightwalking clothes and mask, Su Chen slipped a few smoke bombs into his pocket and quietly slipped out, making sure to close the door behind him.


    Although Su Chen didn''t know where the Medicine Pavilion was, he had a few options in mind.


    This was mainly based on the storage conditions for herbs, such as needing to be dry, ventted, but not exposed to direct sunlight¡ªbetter if it was somewhere cool.


    So, the firstyer of buildings was immediately ruled out because the first floor tends to be damp, okay for regr herbs but not for precious ones!


    ces exposed to sunlight were also ruled out, meaning the rooms on the right were impossible because those faced the sun at noon!


    So he was left with buildings on the left and front, two-storied or higher, and with windows.


    This ruled out most buildings.


    Taking into ount secrecy and security, there were even fewer options left.


    Based on these criteria, Su Chen initially identified five or six ces.


    He nned to start with those ces, and if he didn''t find it, he''d consider other possibilities.


    Since the ce he stayed was close to the front, he naturally started searching from the front.


    He brushed against the columns outside the left rooms, quietly approaching his first suspect building, a two-storied structure.


    Su Chen nced left and right, then leaped up to the second floor, peeking through a window to see it wasn''t the ce, so he quickly slipped down.


    Soon after, he moved to the next ce. Although there were female disciples patrolling and some moonlight spilling about, it was night, and Su Chen was wearing nightwalking clothes. Plus, he was extremely fast and experienced, so no one noticed!


    When a patrol team turned a corner, Su Chen quickly jumped upstairs again. Checking upstairs was safer as the ground floor was more likely to be noticed.


    Peering through a window on the second floor, he found all sorts of weapons inside¡ªstill not the Medicine Pavilion.


    The next two or three suspect ces also didn''t turn out to be the Medicine Pavilion.


    "Could that old diviner Zhuge have been deceiving me?"


    Su Chen hid in a corner, wondering to himself.


    Any further, and he''d reach the residential area of Lingyue Pce members. They wouldn''t ce the Medicine Pavilion near their living quarters, right?


    Here, the buildings'' structures were entirely different from earlier. Up front, they stood separately.


    Here, they were connected into one, with both sides connected to the middle.


    Whether left or right or the center, they were all three-storied buildings with hooked eaves, and the second and third-floor corridors were interconnected.


    Meaning you could walk from any ce on the second or third floor to any other room along the corridors.


    The only difference was the central building was more spacious and grand than the sides.


    Searching these rooms was far more dangerous than before!


    Though there were no patrols, it was the residence of Lingyue Pce members!


    Who knows how many hidden masters were lurking here. Not to mention today''s encounter with the woman in white; her cultivation wasn''t much worse than his, maybe even higher.


    But having reached this point, Su Chen couldn''t give up!


    Du Hanbing was still lying in the hospital, waiting for him to save her!


    Gritting his teeth, Su Chen climbed up a column on the left to the second floor and immediately hid.


    He judged the Medicine Pavilion wouldn''t be on the right. If it existed, it was either on the left or center.


    Luckily, most people had gone to bed. asionally, someone passed by, but he hid quickly and avoided detection. It was a close call...

 Chapter 818: Accidentally Entering the Young Ladys Boudoir

    Su Chen kept darting forward along the winding corridor, ncing through each window as he passed by each room.


    However, he had checked most of the rooms and all were upied - he hadn''t found the Medicine Pavilion.


    "Searching like this is reckless; if I identally run into a master, I''m done for."


    Su Chen thought to himself. Plus, he only had tonight. If he couldn''t find it by dawn, it was game over!


    No choice, Su Chen decided to find someone to ask. No matter how muchmotion he caused, he would sh out once he got the item!


    At that moment, he heard light footsteps. Quickly, he stepped onto the railing and leaped up, hooking his feet onto the frame, grasping onto a protrusion, pressing his back against the top of the corridor, holding his breath!


    Soon, a woman in a blue dress walked right below him. Suddenly, Su Chen dropped from above, covering her mouth with one hand and pressing a cold, gleaming dagger to her neck with the other.


    "Uuuh~~~"


    Facing this sudden situation, the woman''s bright eyes revealed an expression of terror!


    She wanted to scream but found her mouth covered ¨C she couldn''t make a sound!


    "I''m going to ask you some questions now. Answer well, otherwise I''ll drag you to a secluded spot and rape then kill you, kill then rape you, rape then kill again! Understand?"


    Su Chen showed a fierce look and spoke in a low voice.


    "Uuuuu~~~"


    Terrified by Su Chen''s brutal words and "fierce" look, the woman''s face turned pale.


    "I''m asking you now - where is the Medicine Pavilion of your Lingyue Pce? If you know, blink three times!"


    Su Chen growled fiercely.


    Upon hearing this, the woman immediately blinked three times, signifying she knew as she didn''t want to endure such horrifying torture!


    "Don''t try anything funny. If you scream, I guarantee my dagger will slit your throat before you can make a sound!"


    Su Chen warned her just in case.


    The woman quickly shook her head, indicating she wouldn''t dare try anything.


    Seeing this, Su Chen released the hand covering the woman''s mouth, though the dagger still pressed against her neck!


    The woman took a breath of fresh air and spoke:


    "The Medicine Pavilion is in the sixth room on the third floor in the middle."


    "Bang!"


    As soon as she finished, Su Chen struck her on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious.


    In the moonlight, Su Chen saw her face was quite pretty, though he noticed all the women in Lingyue Pce were quite striking, including that Meng Jiao.


    No wonder that man wanted to insult her yesterday!


    Especially thatdy - she was truly stunning, incredibly beautiful!


    Su Chen nced at the woman, then dragged her into a corner to hide.


    She would be fine, probably waking up in two or three hours.


    Su Chen then climbed up the pirs to the third floor, darting towards the row of rooms in the middle!


    As he approached, he was dumbfounded!


    Didn''t that woman say the sixth room on the left or the right?


    This row had over twenty rooms ¨C counting from the left and the right made a huge difference!


    No matter, if he''d searched so many rooms already, searching one more wouldn''t hurt.


    Since he came from the right corridor, naturally, he''d start with the right sixth room.


    He looked through the window, noticing this room was different from the ones on the right ¨C those were single rooms, while this seemed like a suite.


    Could the Medicine Pavilion be within one of its rooms? It was possible; after all, medicine was very precious to cultivators.


    Su Chen then took out a piece of iron wire and inserted it into the door lock. The door silently opened, and he gently walked in.


    This looks more like a residence, not the Medicine Pavilion.


    Su Chen scanned the surroundings and thought to himself.


    But since he was here, he couldn''t leave without searching.


    He quickly approached one of the rooms with a curtain blocking the doorway.


    Suddenly, he heard the sound of sshing water inside.


    Someone''s bathing?


    Su Chen immediately realized that this was indeed a residence, not the Medicine Pavilion, and he wanted to leave.


    At that moment, a charming voice came from behind the curtain:


    "Xiao Jiao, bring me the clothes and towel from outside."


    Damn, I''ve been discovered!


    If he ran now, it wouldn''t work ¨C she had surely heard his footsteps; running would expose him! If she screamed, it''d be game over ¨C forget about the Mysterious Ice Flower, his life would end here!


    He had no confidence in his ability to defeat the masters of Lingyue Pce; it was sheer luck he hadn''t encountered any yet, presumably because those on the right were ordinary disciples.


    "Xiao Jiao, what are you standing there for? Hurry up!"


    The voice sounded again from inside.


    "Coming!"


    Su Chen pinched his nose and mimicked Meng Jiao''s voice.


    He intentionally said only two words to avoid revealing himself.


    Indeed, there was no reaction from inside.


    Su Chen nced around, spotting a rack with clean clothes, lingerie, a dress, and a towel ¨C probably forgotten in their haste to bathe.


    Su Chen grabbed the clothes and slightly lifted the curtain to hand them in.


    "Xiao Jiao, what are you doing? Bring them inside!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen was speechless.


    No choice, he thought to himself, you asked me toe in.


    He also realized that inside was thedy Meng Jiao had mentioned.


    So, he lifted the curtain and gently stepped in.


    He intended to put down the clothes and leave immediately, possibly avoiding disaster!


    But as soon as he entered, he was stunned by the sight!


    In the misty steam, a long-haired woman sat in arge wooden tub, her smooth back disying perfect lines!


    Even from the back view alone, it was enough to make any man lose control, like Su Chen right now!


    Suddenly, the sound of sshing water rang out as the woman wiped her body with a towel, droplets falling into the tub.


    Hearing the water sound, Su Chen snapped out of his daze!


    What am I thinking? I didn''te here to admire beauty; I have important tasks to do!


    "Xiao Jiao, help me wipe my back."


    As Su Chen turned to leave, the woman in the tubzily spoke...

 Chapter 819: Do You Think I Would Believe That?

    If on another normal day such a beauty asks him to wipe her back, he''d be overjoyed and wouldn''t miss the chance!


    But now he''spletely dumbfounded, he could only think: Miss, are you messing with me?


    Looking at the woman who had already sat in the bathtub and closed her eyes to rest, Su Chen really didn''t know what to do!


    Should he leave? Wouldn''t that be looking for death?


    But if he didn''t leave, was he really supposed to wipe her back?


    "Hurry up!"


    Azy voice sounded again.


    Su Chen had no choice but to gently ce hisrge hand on her smooth back.


    However, he didn''t dare to put his whole palm down, only touched with his fingertips and began to wipe gently.


    Can''t deny that the skin of this youngdy Meng Jiao mentioned is really good, as smooth as milk!


    That womany half-reclined in the bathtub, slender arms resting on the edge, eyes slightly closed enjoying the moment.


    But suddenly, she frowned slightly, feeling something wasn''t right, and quickly turned her head!


    In front of her was a man dressed in nightwalking clothes and wearing a mask!


    "Who are you?!"


    Ling Yao''s face, filled with red blush, instantly turned pale with terror and anger!


    Suddenly discovering that the person behind her was a man, anyone would get frightened!


    She suddenly noticed his eyes were staring at a certain spot on her body, lowering her eyes to take a look, her pretty face blushed even more, quickly submerging her entire body into the water!


    "It''s you!"


    Although this man wore a mask and seemed to have changed his hairstyle, Ling Meng recognized his eyes!


    He''s the man Meng Jiao brought in with her during sunset!


    Moreover, in the entire Lingyue Pce, there was no other man except him!


    Ling Yao originally thought he was a gentleman who saved Meng Jiao from Fei An''s clutches!


    Unexpectedly, he was also a scoundrel!


    "It''s not me, I''m not..."


    Su Chen was also shocked, hurriedly waving his hand, speaking incoherently.


    "Come..."


    Ling Yao opened her mouth to shout for help, after all, she wasn''t dressed, otherwise, she would definitely kill him herself!


    But as soon as she opened her mouth, she was suddenly covered by arge hand.


    "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! It''s really a misunderstanding!"


    Su Chen immediately whispered.


    He had no other choice; after all, this was Lingyue Pce. If she called out, the masters would move, he couldn''t help but die!


    To hell with misunderstanding!


    Ling Yao instantly grew angrier, hitting Su Chen with her palm!


    The fierce palm wind carried thick True Yuan and terrifying power, seemingly capable of destroying everything!


    Su Chen saw the palm wind and was also frightened, dared not be careless, immediatelyunched his palm as well!


    "Boom!"


    So close, their palms collided instantly, producing a loud explosion, the abundant True Yuan poured out towards all directions!


    "Boom!"


    How could the wooden tub bear the impact of such True Essence Energy? With a "boom," it exploded!


    Half a tub of water sshed everywhere!


    Both were shocked by the True Essence Energy, retreating; Su Chen only stepped back, but Ling Yao retreated two steps!


    Ling Yao stood firm, immediately looked at Su Chen with amazement. How could he be so strong?


    During the palm sh just now, she clearly felt that his power was simr to hers, at least not weaker!


    But he hadn''t entered the Meridian Expansion Realm while she was indeed in the Meridian Expansion Realm, although only the First Layer!


    Know that the Meridian Expansion Realm is a huge watershed, the gap between it and non-Meridian Expansion is like an abyss.


    For this reason, she hadn''t paid much attention to him initially, even though he defeated Fei An with one palm!


    But now, the situation entirely overturned her knowledge!


    Non-Meridian Expansion can be this strong too?!


    However, she promptly pulled her thoughts back, her face bing immensely ashamed.


    She wasn''t dressed,pletely seen by this guy!


    "Miss, what happened?"


    Suddenly, a worried voice sounded from outside the door.


    Ling Yao slightly opened her mouth, but before she could speak, a rapid flickering shadow approached!


    Before she reacted, a gleaming dagger was already against her neck!


    Too fast, way too fast!


    Such speed at least needed Meridian Expansion Second Layer!


    Ling Yao looked up in fright, seeing a pair of cold eyes!


    Her heart trembled, she had no doubt that if she spoke, the dagger would immediately slice through her neck''s artery!


    "It''s okay, Aunt Liu, I just slipped while bathing, it''ste, you should sleep!"


    "Miss, are you really okay?"


    The voice outside sounded again, evidently worried.


    "Rest assured, Aunt Liu, I''m ready to sleep, you should rest early too."


    "Alright then."


    The woman outside felt relieved upon hearing the voice, then left.


    She couldn''t even think that the Miss could be kidnapped in Lingyue Pce!


    Even Shengyi Gate''s people wouldn''t dare such audacity!


    Su Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he was drenched in cold sweat!


    Upon hearing the voice, his heart really skipped a beat!


    Luckily his speed was fast enough; more importantly, they were close, his sudden action restrained her, otherwise the consequences were unimaginable!


    Speed, distance, suddenness, missing any of these conditions wouldn''t have led to sess given her power!


    Su Chen slightly turned, handed her the clothes:


    "Put these on first!"


    Ling Yao nced at him, thinking, ''You''ve seen everything, what''s the point of putting these on now?''


    Of course, she couldn''t stay undressed, taking the clothes and dressing up under Su Chen''s gaze.


    Suddenly, this made her extremely embarrassed, her face red enough to drip water, the first time dressing under a stranger''s gaze!


    Su Chen didn''t want to look either, it''s too rude; but he dared not look away, her power was evident.


    If he turned away, what if she attacked from behind, he wouldn''t even have a ce to cry!


    Can''t deny, this Miss''s figure Meng Jiao mentioned is amazing!


    "Alright, believe it or not, I honestly didn''t do it on purpose."


    Momentster, once Ling Yao was dressed, Su Chen exined:


    "It''s truly a misunderstanding!"


    "Do you think I would believe you?"


    Ling Yao coldly nced at him, eyes as sharp as knives.


    Completely seen by this guy, and he still ims it''s a misunderstanding!


    "Anyway, I believe it!"


    Su Chen shamelessly replied...

 Chapter 820 - 820 Trapped in the Cage

    Ling Yao''s submission to this guy''s thick skin isplete. No, it should be said that he has no skin at all!


    At this moment, Su Chen suddenly chopped down with a hand de, and Ling Yao slowly fell down.


    "Offended, I was forced to!"


    Su Chen cupped his fists and then shed out.


    But what he didn''t know was that just as he was leaving, Ling Yao, who should have been unconscious on the ground, slowly opened her eyes.


    Actually, Su Chen''s hit was light. After all, the opponent was a beauty, and he couldn''t bear to hit too hard!


    Of course, the most crucial point is that Ling Yao is a master in the Meridian Expansion Realm; he has no experience knocking out someone at that level!


    Knocking someone out is a technical skill. Too light, it won''t work. Too heavy, you might identally kill the person!


    Obviously, Su Chen failed to master this skill this time. Of course, Ling Yao was also pretty good at pretending!


    "It seems this guy really isn''t just after my beauty. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have left immediately."


    Ling Yao thought to herself:


    "I want to see what you are up to by sneaking into our Lingyue Pce?"


    At this moment, she was certain this guy wasn''t just looking for a ce to stay, as Meng Jiao, that little fool, said!


    ....


    This time, Su Chen didn''t stay, and went directly to the sixth room on the left. As soon as he peeked inside, his eyes lit up!


    He knew immediately that this was the Medicine Pavilion!


    He gently pried open the door, and then his body shed inside.


    At the other end of the corridor, a pair of bright, star-like beautiful eyes were watching this scene!


    "So the real purpose of this guy sneaking in is the Medicine Pavilion!"


    Ling Yao murmured to herself:


    "He probably identally found the wrong room just now."


    "But even if it was unintentional, it''s unforgivable!"


    Ling Yao snorted coldly.


    When she thought of her body being seen all over by a strange man, a surge of anger rose in Ling Yao''s heart.


    Humph, if I don''t teach you a lesson, do you really think I''m easy to bully, Ling Yao?


    Besides, the Medicine Pavilion is the most important ce in Lingyue Pce, just for this, we can''t let him go!


    For some reason, Ling Yao did not call for help to stab Su Chen with swords but quietly followed him.


    ......


    At this moment, Su Chen looked at the rows of drawers filled with a dazzling array of herbs, his heart full of shock!


    Once again, he saw the foundation of Lingyue Pce as a top force in the Huaxia Martial Arts World!


    Many of these were very rare raw materials!


    But Su Chen didn''t intend to take those precious herbs; he only needed the Mysterious Ice Flower!


    He searched for a long time, looking at many drawers, even though the types were already marked, he still opened them to check, but he still couldn''t find it.


    "Could it be in that row of locked drawers?"


    Su Chen murmured, looking at the top row of drawers.


    It was possible since the Mysterious Ice Flower was very precious!


    Su Chen brought a chair and a stool over, stacked them together, and stood on top. A fine wire appeared in his hand again.


    The lock on this was veryplex, but it was no difficulty for Su Chen.


    He had even opened the safes of the CIA; not to mention this kind of lock!


    Although the CIA''s strength was definitely not as strong as Lingyue Pce, in other aspects, it might not be so!


    "Snap!"


    With a light sound, the lock core popped out, and Su Chen immediately opened it. Inside was an ancient wooden box.


    Although Su Chen knew this couldn''t be the Mysterious Ice Flower because it wouldn''t be stored in a wooden box, he was still curious and opened it.


    "Ghost Beard Grass!"


    Seeing the contents inside the wooden box, Su Chen''s eyes widened!


    He didn''t expect to find Ghost Beard Grass here!


    Seeing the Ghost Beard Grass, he immediately thought of Pei Man; this is what she needed to treat her leg!


    Su Chen thought for a moment, then put the wooden box into his arms and continued to open the next locked drawer!


    Su Chen opened three or four drawers in a row, and although the contents were extremely precious, no less than the Ghost Beard Grass, Su Chen put them back and did not take them.


    At this time, outside the window, Ling Yao was watching Su Chen inside, her mouth curling with a crafty smile.


    Gradually, there were only three drawers left in the top row, and Su Chen was getting nervous.


    "Snap!"


    Another drawer was opened. Inside was Tiger Fern Grass, still not the Mysterious Ice Flower he was looking for.


    Su Chen took the fine wire again and stretched it towards the secondst drawer.


    "Snap!"


    This drawer was opened, Su Chen''s eyes suddenly shone brightly!


    Because there was a Jade Box inside, if the Mysterious Ice Flower needs to be stored, it must be kept in the Jade Box to ensure its cold air!


    Su Chen took the Jade Box in his hands, even his hands were trembling, he slowly opened it, and insidey a blue flower condensed with ice frost!


    This is the Mysterious Ice Flower!


    Su Chen immediately closed the Jade Box and also put it into his arms!


    With the items in hand, Su Chen was ready to withdraw, as this was not a ce to stay for long!


    Su Chen jumped lightly from the top stool andnded on the ground.


    However, just as hended, suddenly four huges were thrown at him from four directions.


    Thoserges moved quickly, looking imprable!


    Traps!


    Su Chen''s pupils tightened, and as the fourrges encircled him, he immediately rolled and escaped, looking very embarrassed!


    But just as he rolled out and didn''t have time to stand up, suddenly the floor under him "nged" and split into two, and Su Chen''s body began to fall.


    Su Chen was greatly shocked, quickly extended a hand, and grabbed the edge of the split floor, his body hanging in mid-air!


    Just as he prepared to leap up, suddenly dozens of arrows shot down from the roof directly at the hole!


    Su Chen was startled. He let go of his hand and swung a bit to the side.


    If he didn''t dodge or went up, those arrows would have shot him into a sieve!


    Releasing his hand, his body naturally fell rapidly, descending a full seven or eight meters before stopping,nding on the ground!


    "ng!"


    At this moment, the two pieces of the floor above merged again, making a loud noise.


    Su Chen nced around and found himself in a square cage, with only some candlelight illuminating it!


    He never expected that just when he was about toplete his mission and retreat, he would encounter such a thing.


    He had considered traps, so he was always very cautious!


    But he never thought that just as he got what he wanted and was about to escape, the traps began to activate...

 Chapter 821: Dungeon Breakthrough

    But at this moment, there was no use in ming anyone; he could only find a way out as soon as possible.


    He could wait, but Hanbing couldn''t!


    He nced at the cage and found that the frame was pitch ck and felt as hard as iron. When he touched it, he realized it wasn''t iron but some special metal material.


    He looked around again and found no door, and naturally, there wasn''t any lock either.


    The only opening seemed to be at the top. When he looked up, he discovered that the wooden board above was also made of special metal material!


    To open the top undoubtedly required a switch, but the switch wasn''t inside the cage!


    In other words, unless someone from Lingyue Pce released him, he wouldn''t be able to escape on his own!


    Fortunately, Zhuge Dongming wasn''t aware of his current situation. If he knew, he would probably only let out a long sigh!


    He thought that if Su Chen came to request the Mysterious Ice Flower, the people at Lingyue Pce would at most refuse, but wouldn''t harm the boy.


    But Su Chen never thought to ask for it; stealing it was his first idea!


    He didn''t anticipate that Su Chen would identally enter the miss''s boudoir and see her body!


    Su Chen also had his considerations. The Mysterious Ice Flower was too important, almost life-saving. How could others be willing to give it to him? It was more reliable to take it himself!


    Just at that moment, a series of footsteps sounded, and then a graceful figure appeared from a passage inside.


    "How is it? Feeling better now?"


    Ling Yao looked at Su Chen inside andughed teasingly:


    "Dare to peek at me bathing, and then daring to steal from the Medicine Pavilion, you have some nerve!"


    "Why are you here?"


    Su Chen saw the woman in front of him and couldn''t help but widen his eyes. Wasn''t she knocked unconscious by him? How could she be here?


    Then he realized that he had hit too lightly, and she was only pretending to be unconscious.


    A bitter smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, thinking that beautiful women couldn''t be trusted!


    He also understood that the trap must have been set by this woman!


    "Entering your room was really a misunderstanding. Stealing from the Medicine Pavilion was out of necessity; I hope you can forgive me."


    Su Chen sped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, knowing that he was at fault in both matters.


    "Oh? Out of necessity? I''d like to hear how."


    Ling Yao sneered twice,pletely not believing Su Chen''s words.


    Seeing him reminded her of the embarrassing scene from earlier, and she couldn''t help wanting to give him a lesson!


    "A friend of mine is severely injured, his internal organs heavily damaged, and his life hanging by a thread. Only the Mysterious Ice Flower can save him!"


    Su Chen did not hide the reason and exined it aloud.


    "If that''s the case, then you can take the Mysterious Ice Flower. Why did you steal the Ghost Beard Grass too?"


    Ling Yao said sarcastically.


    "I have another friend whose legs are crippled; only the Ghost Beard Grass can heal them. I happened to see it, so I..."


    "So you couldn''t resist taking it too, huh? Seems like you have a lot of friends!"


    Ling Yao mocked, even more unwilling to believe his nonsense.


    "Hand it over!"


    Ling Yao reached out her lotus-like arm and said indifferently.


    Su Chen had no choice but to reluctantly take out the wooden box from his chest. After all, this was Lingyue Pce and the items were hers. He had no choice but to give them.


    Ling Yao took the wooden box and then extended her arm again:


    "There''s another one!"


    Su Chen slowly took out the jade box in response to her words and handed it over helplessly.


    Ling Yao grabbed one end of the jade box but found Su Chen gripping the other end tightly, not letting go.


    "Can you give me the Mysterious Ice Flower? I will agree to any of your conditions!"


    Su Chen pleaded.


    Giving away the Ghost Beard Grass didn''t matter, he could think of another way to find it for Pei Man; it wasn''t urgent and a few years'' dy wouldn''t matter too much.


    But the Mysterious Ice Flower was different. Hanbing had only a few days left, making this flower his only hope!


    Ling Yao heard Su Chen''s words and couldn''t help but look at him. His pleading eyes were filled with a mix of longing and hope!


    Seeing such a gaze made Ling Yao''s heart flutter, giving birth to a trace of sympathy!


    No, this guy must be acting! She must not be deceived!


    "You think I would believe you?"


    Ling Yao exerted force and instantly snatched the jade box away, then turned to leave.


    After a few steps, she couldn''t resist looking back, seeing his gaze filled with despair!


    Her heart seemed to be clenched by something, making it hard to breathe. So she quickly sped away from that ufortable ce.


    After she left, Su Chen slumped to the ground. She didn''t believe him, and he understood that, but what about Hanbing?


    And he was still trapped in this prison with no sunlight in sight!


    He was extremely anxious yet had no solution!


    Calm down! He needed to calm down! There must be a way!


    He must not give up. If he gave up, then Hanbing would have no hope at all!


    But after a while, his mind was still chaotic and unable to calm.


    Cultivation! Only cultivation could bring peace to his mind now!


    So he sat cross-legged on the ground and silently began to operate the Nine Yang Divine Technique. Soon, he entered that profound state...


    .....


    By now, it was deep into the night, and Ling Yao was lying in bed, unable to sleep, her mind filled with the image of that annoying guy''s gaze!


    That sorrow, that despair, lingering in her mind...


    Even if everything he said was true, she couldn''t give him the Mysterious Ice Flower. It was too important, a life-saving resource at critical moments!


    Still, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, feeling extremely frustrated.


    Forget it, I''ll let him go in the morning!


    After all, not holding him ountable for peeping at her and stealing from the pavilion was already quite lenient...


    .....


    "Ah~~~!"


    Suddenly, a long howl rose from the dungeon, shaking the whole underground so hard that it seemed to tremble!


    A surge of formidable True Yuan burst out, extinguishing the surrounding candlelights and causing dust and small stones to fall from the walls!


    Fortunately, the underground chamber''s walls were thick and the space was enclosed; this prevented others from being alerted!


    Otherwise, thismotion would have awakened everyone in Lingyue Pce!


    In the darkness, Su Chen couldn''t help but let out a bitter smile. He didn''t expect to break through to the Half-step Meridian Expansion Realm here in the dungeon!


    Yet, he wasn''t overly joyful. He was still imprisoned, cut off from the daylight.


    What good was it to break through to the Meridian Expansion Realm?


    Unless he could escape the cage himself to save Hanbing, which seemed impossible...

 Chapter 822: The Young Master of Shengyi Gate

    The next morning, Meng Jiao got up to attend to Ling Yao''s washing and dressing.


    "By the way, after breakfast, go to the dungeon at the Medicine Pavilion and release the man you brought back yesterday,"


    Ling Yao said to Meng Jiao after finishing her wash.


    "Mr. Su? Why is he in the dungeon of the Medicine Pavilion?"


    Meng Jiao asked in bewilderment.


    "What do you think?"


    Ling Yao cast her a sidelong nce.


    "He came to the Medicine Pavilion to steal something?"


    Suddenly realizing, Meng Jiao eximed,


    "I was kind enough to bring him back, but he turned out to be... I''m so mad!"


    "But he doesn''t look like a bad person?!"


    "What can you tell, you little fool?"


    Ling Yao said.


    "If he came to steal something, why are we letting him go?"


    Curiously, Meng Jiao asked.


    "Just do as I say, stop nagging!"


    Ling Yao replied impatiently.


    Meng Jiao noticed Ling Yao''s strange expression. What was wrong with thedy today?


    Just then, a servant brought their breakfast, and Ling Yao started eating with Meng Jiao.


    Since Meng Jiao had grown up with Ling Yao, they shared a deep bond. Though they were master and servant, their rtionship was more like that of sisters.


    At that moment, another female disciple rushed in, flustered!


    "Miss, the Young Master of Shengyi Gate is here!"


    the female disciple reported.


    "Why does this guy stick to us like glue?!"


    Meng Jiao sneered as soon as she heard the news.


    Ling Yao also showed signs of displeasure, but she did not express it as openly as Meng Jiao.


    "Is he alone?"


    Ling Yao looked up and asked.


    "No, he is here with Elder Chen from Shengyi Gate."


    The female disciple replied.


    Ling Yao''s face immediately showed a serious expression upon hearing this.


    Could it be that they knew mother wasn''t here, and with only Aunt Liu remaining among the three stewards, they chose this timing on purpose?


    This was also the main reason why Su Chen''s actionst night was rtively smooth, only to be trapped by the mechanism at the end.


    If everyone were present, he wouldn''t have survived even with ten lives!


    "Alright, I will go to the main hall,"


    Ling Yao stood up immediately and said.


    "Miss, I''ll go with you,"


    Meng Jiao also stood up.


    "No need. You go to the Medicine Pavilion and release that man,"


    Ling Yao turned and said to Meng Jiao,


    "After you release him, have him leave immediately."


    "Fine then,"


    Meng Jiao could only nod in agreement...


    .....


    Su Chen kept searching for a way to escape, even though he knew there was little hope, he still didn''t want to give up.


    He had explored almost every inch of the dungeon, but to no avail.


    He shouted a few times, but only endless echoes answered him, there was no way anyone outside could hear.


    He was nearly in despair, not for himself, but for Du Hanbing.


    He could afford to wait, but Hanbing couldn''t!


    He sat down heavily, lit a cigarette, and the glowing tip red bright and dim in the darkness!


    "Bang!"


    At that moment, a loud noise came from above. He looked up to see the floor opening up!


    Was this the moment of his release?


    "Come up!"


    A cold voice rang out. Looking up, he saw the delicate, adorable face of Meng Jiao peering down at him from the opening.


    Su Chen''s heart lifted, and with a push of his feet, he soared up.


    "Thank you!"


    Su Chen said earnestly aftering up.


    "Don''t thank me. Thedy ordered your release,"


    Meng Jiao said coolly.


    "Her?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but conjure the image of Ling Yao''s cold, beautiful face in his mind. He was momentarily puzzled by her intentions!


    "Hmph, I trusted you, and you turned out to be a thief!"


    Meng Jiao snorted coldly,


    "Yet thedy was kind enough to release you!"


    "I''m sorry, I had no choice but to deceive you."


    Su Chen said apologetically,


    "It was all for the sake of saving my beloved."


    "Saving your beloved?"


    That piqued Meng Jiao''s interest.


    "What exactly happened?"


    Meng Jiao asked hurriedly.


    "She is gravely injured, her internal organs shattered. Only the Mysterious Ice Flower can save her. I heard your Lingyue Pce has one, so I sought to¡­"


    "So you came to steal it?"


    Meng Jiao interjected, but upon hearing that it was to save a beloved, her attitude softened.


    "She has only a few days left to live, I am left with no other option¡­"


    Su Chen shook his head, his face showing signs of defeat.


    "You must love her very much?"


    Seeing Su Chen''s sorrowful look, Meng Jiao couldn''t help but ask.


    "Would you like to hear about it?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked.


    "Yes."


    Meng Jiao nodded. A young girl dreaming of love, Meng Jiao, just sixteen or seventeen, was at the age of romantic fantasies!


    "Alright, let me tell you."


    Su Chen then recounted the tale of him and Du Hanbing, their battles side by side, their close moments restrained by rules, their longing after parting, the solitary figure by the cliff edge...


    As Meng Jiao listened, her eyes turned red, and tears began to flow.


    Su Chen''s deception no longer angered her.


    "Alright, I forgive you."


    Wiping away her tears, Meng Jiao said,


    "I''ll take you out of here."


    "No, I can''t leave."


    Su Chen shook his head.


    "Why are you being ungrateful? Thedy has shown great mercy by releasing you, what more do you want?"


    Meng Jiao stomped her foot in frustration.


    "Take me to see yourdy. I must obtain the Mysterious Ice Flower, or I won''t leave."


    Su Chen said resolutely.


    "I advise you to think of another way. It might be possible, but the Mysterious Ice Flower is one of the three Supreme Treasures of Lingyue Pce. Thedy will never agree."


    Meng Jiao said.


    Su Chen replied to Meng Jiao,


    "Just take me to see yourdy. I''ll handle the rest."


    Su Chen thought to himself that he must persuade the other party to give up the Mysterious Ice Flower, no matter what condition they might set!


    "Thedy has no time to see you right now."


    "Why?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "The Young Master and Elder of Shengyi Gate are here. Thedy is meeting with them, she won''t see you."


    Meng Jiao''s face showed a trace of irritation.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes flickered with a glimmer, and he immediately asked,


    "Why are they here?"


    "What else could they want but a marriage proposal, to marry ourdy!"


    Meng Jiao sneered,


    "Such a pestering lot, thedy has rejected them several times, but they stille every year!"

 Chapter 823: Forced Marriage

    "Oh, it seems your miss really has something to do, I will be leaving then."


    Su Chen sighed after hearing this and said.


    "Okay, let me lead you out."


    Meng Jiao nodded and said.


    "No need, I know the way myself, you go and tend to your matters."


    Su Chen waved his hand and said.


    "Really no need?"


    "Really no need!"


    "Alright then."


    Meng Jiao was still somewhat uneasy about her miss''s situation so she didn''t insist further.


    The two of them went downstairs together, and after descending, Su Chen walked towards the door, while Meng Jiao nced at him then walked towards the hall on the side.


    This showed Meng Jiao''s too trustful nature as she easily believed Su Chen''s words, not noticing how abruptly his attitude shifted before and after.


    Sure enough, halfway through the walk, Su Chen suddenly shed into a deserted spot and circled back...


    ......


    At the same time, in the hall of Lingyue Pce.


    A woman dressed in white sat at the upper seat, she was Ling Yao.


    Around forty years old woman with a good-looking and graceful appearance stood beside Ling Yao, draped in green clothes!


    Standing on either side of the hall below were rows of women in long skirts, each holding a sword, exhibiting a ssic heroine''s demeanor.


    At the center below stood two men, one old and one young, they were Mo Wei the Young Master and Elder Chen of Shengyi Gate.


    After Meng Jiao entered, she directly stood beside Ling Yao. Ling Yao immediately leaned over and whispered:


    "Did you send him away?"


    "Yes."


    Meng Jiao lightly nodded.


    "Little Meng girl, you''re bing more and more beautiful!"


    Below, Mo Wei said with a smile.


    "Humph!"


    Meng Jiao snorted after hearing the young man''s words, her face showing disdain.


    Mo Wei couldn''t help but get angry, thinking:


    "A little girl dares to be so impolite to me, just wait until I marry your miss, you won''t escape my grasp!"


    "Steward Liu, men must marry women at the right age, that''s how it''s always been."


    Elder Chen sped his fists and said:


    "This is our fifth time proposing, we hope Steward Liu can grant this wish."


    "Sorry, only the Pce Master can decide the miss''s marriage, I don''t have the authority."


    Liu Yin beside Ling Yao said indifferently.


    "Then please let your Pce Mastere out, so we can discuss this matter face to face?"


    Elder Chen said.


    "I''m sorry, our Pce Master is in closed-door training, she cannot meet you at this moment."


    Liu Yin replied with a nk expression.


    "Hmph, still pretending, we know she isn''t here."


    Mo Wei and Elder Chen sneered silently.


    They came knowing that the Pce Master and two of the Stewards of Lingyue Pce were not here!


    Because they know if the Pce Master were here, she would never agree to this marriage!


    "I rememberst year when we visited, your Pce Master said she would give us an answer next time."


    Mo Wei said aggressively:


    "But this time the Pce Master is avoiding us, what does this mean?"


    "What do you mean avoiding us!"


    Ling Yao''s face turned cold upon hearing this:


    "Aunt Liu already said my mother is in closed-door training!"


    "Sorry, our Young Master''s words were improper, please pardon us."


    Elder Chen apologized with a fist salute, but his facial expression betrayed a sense of superiority!


    Ling Yao and Liu Yin chose not to pursue the matter further upon hearing this.


    However, their reaction confirmed the message Mo Wei and Elder Chen received!


    "Steward Liu, our Young Master''s admiration for your miss is as clear as day and night!"


    Elder Chen raised his head and spoke:


    "They are a perfect match and their union will be a celebrated event in the Martial Arts World."


    "Sorry, Elder Chen, marriage is a serious matter and can only be decided by the Pce Master."


    Liu Yin said calmly.


    She insisted one point, that this matter must be decided by the Pce Master!


    "Although your Pce Master isn''t here, I believe she wouldn''t oppose this."


    Elder Chen spoke eloquently:


    "Previously, your Pce Master said that Ling Yao was too young, she never mentioned the two were not suitable."


    "Now, both of them are at the age for marriage, it''s time to consider this matter."


    Elder Chen continued:


    "And I believe, there isn''t anyone in the Martial Arts World more suitable for Ling Yao than our Young Master."


    "Since your Pce Master is not here, why not exchange marriage documents first? If your Pce Master disagrees, we can discuss further, considering the effort we made toe here."


    Ling Yao and Liu Yin were conflicted upon hearing this.


    Although it sounded simple, once the marriage documents were exchanged, the marriage would be finalized.


    If they change their mindter, it would be a p to Shengyi Gate''s face!


    Shengyi Gate wouldn''t let it go for the sake of pride!


    "Steward Liu, Miss Ling Yao, we came from afar, don''t let us return empty-handed."


    Elder Chen squinted his eyes slightly:


    "If that happens, how will I exin to our Sect Leader?"


    This was clearly Shengyi Gate pressuring Ling Yao and Liu Yin.


    Ling Yao and Liu Yin nced at each other, feeling the pressure.


    Although Lingyue Pce and Shengyi Gate are top forces in Huaxia''s Martial Arts World, there''s a significant gap between them!


    But they equally did not want to agree to this marriage, hoping to drag this matter in a nonmittal way.


    "Elder Chen, Young Master Mo, apologies, exchanging marriage documents also requires the Pce Master''s approval!"


    Liu Yin pondered briefly but remained firm.


    "What do you mean?"


    Elder Chen''s face darkened and he said coldly:


    "You keep pushing us away, is it because you don''t like our Young Master or Shengyi Gate?"


    Just as Liu Yin was about to exin, a voice suddenly came from the hall entrance:


    "Of course, we don''t like either of those!"


    This voice caught everyone''s attention immediately!


    A young man slowly walked in, his face bearing a light smile. He stepped across the threshold and walked straight into the hall.


    Ling Yao and Meng Jiao widened their beautiful eyes in surprise upon seeing him!


    "Wasn''t he gone? Why is he back?"


    The others also looked at him with confusion, including Liu Yin.


    Only a few people knew about Su Chen''s presence herest night, not everyone was aware, let alone having seen him.


    "Who are you? How are you inside Lingyue Pce?"


    Said Mo Wei, the Young Master of Shengyi Gate, immediately questioning him.

 Chapter 824: A Mole

    It was quite normal for Mo Wei to ask this, because everyone knew that Lingyue Pce did not have men, and men were not allowed to stay overnight.


    Now, seeing a man here early in the morning, it was no wonder he felt like he had seen a ghost!


    "Why can''t I be here if you all can?"


    Su Chen sneered.


    "You..."


    Mo Wei was furious seeing how this man defied him.


    Just as Mo Wei was about to explode, Elder Chen spoke up:


    "Young man, what did you mean by that statement just now?"


    "Who would call you an old man brother? Wouldn''t it shorten my lifespan?"


    Su Chen said calmly:


    "As for that statement, it''s simple. Because she is my woman, she obviously wouldn''t be interested in your Young Master!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was dumbfounded, whether it was the female disciples of Lingyue Pce below, Meng Jiao and Liu Yin, or Elder Chen and Mo Wei, all stared at him in shock!


    Even Ling Yao herself waspletely stunned, her mind went nk!


    Su Chen began walking upwards, and none of them stopped him!


    "No wonder you didn''t want me toe, you were afraid I''d be angry."


    Su Chen walked to Ling Yao''s side and said softly:


    "Don''t worry, your man is not so petty."


    As he spoke, Su Chen gently took Ling Yao''s hand, while Ling Yao remained expressionless, with no reaction at all!


    However, the others were already stupefied watching this scene!


    "You say Ling Yao is your woman?"


    Mo Wei asked coldly, eyes zing as if they could burn Su Chen to ashes!


    "Is there a problem?"


    Su Chen nced at Mo Wei and spoke indifferently.


    In fact, it was only then that he realized Lingyue Pce''sdy''s name was Ling Yao!


    "Do you have any evidence?"


    Mo Wei asked coldly, he simply didn''t believe this man was Ling Yao''s man!


    At this moment, he saw Ling Yao suddenly withdraw her hand, further confirming his thoughts!


    This guy must be talking nonsense!


    "Why do we need to prove anything to you? Who do you think you are?"


    Su Chen spat contemptuously.


    "Steward Liu, is what this young man said true?"


    Elder Chen''s eyes gleamed as he asked.


    Liu Yin didn''t know how to respond!


    Because she didn''t know if it was true or not; although she thought it impossible, since Ling Yao was almost always at Lingyue Pce and rarely went out.


    But what if it was true? So far, thedy hadn''t denied it!


    Moreover, the young man''s presence here was already beyond her expectations. She was in her room cultivating all day yesterday and didn''t know Su Chen had arrived.


    "Miss Ling, is this true?"


    Elder Chen directly asked Ling Yao when Liu Yin didn''t answer.


    Ling Yao was about to speak, but Su Chen interrupted:


    "Of course it is!"


    "I don''t believe it!"


    Elder Chen said each word with emphasis:


    "Unless you have solid evidence!"


    "You old geezer, how shameless can you get?"


    Su Chen spat disdainfully:


    "Do you expect us to take photos or videos while being intimate?"


    "Even if we did, we wouldn''t show you! If you want to see something, go find some Ind Country films yourself!"


    As soon as Su Chen said this, the women of Lingyue Pce blushed deeply!


    What kind of person is this? How shameless can he be!


    To say such things in public!


    Ling Yao''s face turnedpletely red, what did he mean by being intimate? Who did those things with him...


    If there was a hole in the ground, she would dive right into it!


    How embarrassing could it get?


    Even the middle-aged Liu Yin felt her face burn at those words!


    The two Shengyi Gate members were already burning with rage at Su Chen''s words!


    Especially Mo Wei who stared at him as if he wanted to devour him!


    Even Elder Chen felt this youth was utterly disrespecting him, the Shengyi Gate Elder!


    Nevertheless, Elder Chen was evidently moreposed than Mo Wei, and after calming down slightly, he said:


    "Without solid evidence, we won''t believe it!"


    Not just the two Shengyi Gate people, even the Lingyue Pce members didn''t believe it.


    Especially Meng Jiao, knowing Su Chen had arrivedst night, how could it be possible in one night?


    "Fine, it seems you won''t give up without solid evidence!"


    Su Chen suddenly said.


    His words startled everyone, did he really have evidence?


    Was it true about him and Ling Yao? How incredible could it be?


    "91¡ª65¡ª92."


    Su Chen slightly raised his head and said three numbers.


    The others were baffled, not knowing what it meant!


    However, Ling Yao immediately bowed her head, her face turning crimson with a blush that almost dripped water!


    Others were unaware, but she was too familiar with those numbers!


    They were her measurements!


    "What do you mean by this? Just showing off!"


    Mo Wei eximed in confusion.


    "These are Yaoyao''s measurements."


    Su Chen said indifferently, then turned to Ling Yao:


    "Yaoyao, sorry for revealing such private details."


    Ling Yao gazed at him nkly, not knowing what to say!


    At this point, what could she say?


    The entire area fell into a deadly silence!


    He knew thedy''s measurements? Even they didn''t know that!


    Liu Yin now questioned her previous judgment, as measurements were an extremely private matter for a woman! How could he know if they weren''t close?


    Meng Jiao stood as if struck by lightning, stunned!


    Their speed was incredibly fast! But how could he be locked in the dungeonst night, and what about stealing the medicine?


    Those were things thedy told him herself!


    Ling Yao felt her mind in chaos, impossible to untangle!


    "I still don''t believe it!"


    Mo Wei roared like an enraged lion, his eyes blood-red!


    "Seems like you won''t give up until you reach the Yellow River."


    Su Chen nced at him and said indifferently:


    "Yaoyao has a mole on her butt, did you know?"


    Silence!


    Deadly silence!


    Even the sound of wind blowing through melting snow could be heard!


    If there had been any doubts before, Su Chen''s statement removed them all!


    Mo Wei almost fell into madness hearing this, the question "Did you know?" echoing in his mind!


    How could he know? Where would he know?


    At this moment, Ling Yao felt utterly humiliated!


    She wished everyone had gone deaf when Su Chen said that...

 Chapter 825: You Say Fight, We Fight?

    At this moment, Ling Yao looked at those strange eyes staring at her, and she really wanted to die!


    Now she really couldn''t cleanse herself even if she jumped into the Yellow River!


    Exin? How to exin?


    Do they want her to tell what happenedst night? She couldn''t even say it!


    When she heard Liu Yin''s sigh beside her, she was truly at a loss for words!


    At this moment, Meng Jiao finally understood why this guy had stolen medicinal herbs from the Medicine Pavilion, and the youngdy still let him go!


    It turns out the two of them had that kind of rtionship!


    But when did they get together?


    Could it be that the two of them knew each other before and pretended not to in front of her yesterday?


    About this, Meng Jiao couldn''t make sense of it no matter how much she thought about it!


    However, she had no doubts about their rtionship. After all, he knew the youngdy had a mole on her butt, and the youngdy indeed had a small mole there!


    "Youngdy, why didn''t you say anything earlier? What do we do now?"


    Liu Yin couldn''t help butin in a low voice!


    After all, there were still people from Shengyi Gate here. How could this matter be resolved?


    Ling Yao was at a loss for words as well, saying something earlier, saying what exactly?!


    It seemed that in everyone''s eyes, this matter had be irrefutable. Even if they exined, would anyone believe it!


    "Who are you? What gives you the right to be with Ling Yao?"


    Mo Wei''s eyes were bloodshot as he roared, looking almost insane!


    "What kind of person are you? If I''m not qualified, are you?"


    Su Chen spat out carelessly.


    However, as soon as he said this, everyone from Lingyue Pce was startled!


    This is Mo Wei, the Young Master of Shengyi Gate!


    He actually rebuked him like this?!


    Even Ling Yao didn''t know why, but she started to worry inexplicably.


    "Steward Liu, what does your Lingyue Pce mean by this?"


    Elder Chen said with a displeased look:


    "Since your youngdy has someone, what else is there to discuss? Are you toying with us?"


    As soon as these words were spoken, Ling Yao and Liu Yin were really at a loss for words to refute!


    "What does this have to do with Yaoyao and Aunt Liu? It''s clearly you who are shameless!"


    Su Chen pouted and said:


    "Aunt Liu has given you enough face. She said to wait for the Pce Master''s decision, which was giving you a way out. Who knew you''d still be so inconsiderate!"


    Su Chen, naturally familiar, also started calling Liu Yin "Aunt Liu," as if they were close, like a family!


    But these words left the two from Shengyi Gate utterly embarrassed!


    "Kid, who are you calling shameless?"


    Mo Wei, upon hearing this, almost exploded with rage!


    "I said you''re shameless and dim-witted. Can''t you understand that?"


    Su Chen said disdainfully.


    As soon as he finished, everyone from Lingyue Pce was stunned!


    This guy really didn''t take the Young Master of Shengyi Gate seriously!


    But isn''t he courting death?


    Could he be relying on his rtionship with the youngdy to act so recklessly?


    Would the youngdy really offend Shengyi Gate for him?


    Does Su Chen not know that Shengyi Gate is not someone he can mess with?


    Clearly not!


    He had long been in a hidden spot, overheard their conversation, and clearly perceived that neither Ling Yao nor Liu Yin wanted to agree to this marriage.


    But the two people from Shengyi Gate were trying to capitalize on the absence of the Pce Master of Lingyue Pce to pressure them into an irreversible situation.


    So, in this stalemate, he decided to stir the pot!


    He had no good feelings toward Shengyi Gate and naturally didn''t want them to seed!


    If it was something ordinary, they would have left after being so humiliated, and naturally, Lingyue Pce would have to give an exnation for the lost face.


    However, the matter of the alliance through marriage with Lingyue Pce was something that the Sect Leader highly valued, as it concerned the rise and fall of Shengyi Gate!


    So even if they were so humiliated, they couldn''t just leave in a huff!


    Both knew that if they failed to achieve this, they wouldn''t have a good ending when they returned, even if Mo Wei was the Young Master!


    So Mo Wei had to marry Ling Yao, not just for her beauty, although that was also an important reason.


    More importantly, it was his father''smand!


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Mo Wei was even more furious, his fists clenched tight!


    "I am not convinced!"


    Mo Wei, originally somewhat handsome, now had a fierce expression.


    "What good is your conviction? We love each other, who cares if you''re convinced!"


    Su Chen said as he reached out and held Ling Yao close, drawing her head to his chest, looking very intimate!


    Ling Yao quickly wanted to break free, but found hisrge hand firmly controlling her.


    With so many people watching, she couldn''t make too big a scene, so she could only half-heartedly go along with him!


    But one of her hands stealthily reached behind, pinching his waist hard!


    Su Chen instantly felt the pain. How is it that women are born knowing this trick, even the youngdies of Lingyue Pce aren''t exceptions!


    Seeing Ling Yao''s small action, Liu Yin couldn''t help but stifle augh, thinking it might not be a bad thing, at least it could make Shengyi Gate give up!


    Little did she know, at this moment, Ling Yao was truly burning with shame!


    This guy was so shameless!


    Looking at her body yesterday was one thing, but today he outright imed she was his woman!


    The worst part is, everyone actually believed him. Even she couldn''t exin it!


    Her innocence was utterly ruined by this guy!


    "Steward Liu, if this kid were an outstanding young talent, it might be eptable, but him, what qualifications does he have for Miss Ling Yao!"


    Mo Wei nced at Su Chen and said to Liu Yin.


    "Then what do you think would qualify someone for Miss Ling?"


    Before Liu Yin could speak, Su Chen''s mouth already curled into a sly smile.


    "As a martial artist, naturally, it''s based on strength."


    Mo Wei said haughtily:


    "Let''s have a match. If you can defeat me, I will acknowledge your qualifications!"


    As soon as the words fell, everyone from Lingyue Pce was taken aback!


    Although Mo Wei seemed not deeply scheming, he was a genius in the Martial Arts World, reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm at only twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old!


    To challenge Su Chen was clearly bullying!


    "You think just because you say fight, we have to fight? Why should I fight you?"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    "Afraid, aren''t you?"


    Mo Wei nced at Su Chen with disdain.


    "That''s right, if you don''t want everyone to think you''re unworthy of Miss Ling, you must prove it!"


    Elder Chen chimed in:


    "I think it''s also for Miss Ling''s benefit. You wouldn''t want people saying Lingyue Pce''s youngdy married a good-for-nothing, right?"


    It was clear Elder Chen was using provocation, believing a young man like Su Chen would not withstand such a taunt, especially in front of everyone from Lingyue Pce!

 Chapter 826 - 826 A Contest Without Suspense

    However, he did not know that the person he was facing was Su Chen. How could Su Chen, with his temperament, be provoked by a few words?


    On the contrary, he and that Mo Wei had no idea that they were already step by step falling into Su Chen''s trap.


    Su Chen''s previous actions were obviously not just to provoke these two people, because it would be meaningless!


    "Proof? What a joke! Why should I prove anything to you?"


    Su Chen said dismissively:


    "Besides, what''s in it for me?"


    At this moment, the situation in the field seemed to have turned into a confrontation between Su Chen and the two people from Shengyi Gate, with the people from Lingyue Pce just watching the drama!


    "If you can defeat me, I swear I will never mention this marriage again!"


    As soon as Mo Wei heard Su Chen''s words, he immediately said.


    "Young Master, be cautious!"


    Elder Chen beside him quickly reminded.


    "Elder Chen, rest assured, I have already decided on this matter, no need to dissuade me."


    Mo Wei said firmly.


    "Very well."


    Elder Chen pondered for a moment and then nodded. He was just being cautious just now, as the matter of the marriage alliance with Lingyue Pce was too important!


    However, he also believed that the boy was definitely not a match for the Young Master, as the gap between the two was too great!


    "Hah, the fact is that my little Yaoyao and I are in love, and it''s useless for you to mention it. Why would I fight you for that? I''m not that foolish!"


    Su Chen said calmly, still not intending to ept the challenge.


    Seeing that even after all this, the boy still did not agree, Mo Wei immediately grew anxious:


    "If youpete with me and I lose, I will not only never mention this marriage again, but also wager a spirit stone!"


    Everyone was stunned at these words!


    It seemed that Mo Wei was determined to challenge this young man and was even willing to put up a spirit stone as the wager!


    One must know that for any Martial Arts power, spirit stones were extremely precious cultivation resources!


    In fact, most Martial Arts powers did not even possess such resources.


    Even Lingyue Pce only had three!


    As for Shengyi Gate, even with more, it wouldn''t be that much more!


    Hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes also brightened. He had certainly heard of spirit stones!


    However, this thing was so rare that he had never seen one before!


    Originally, Su Chen just wanted to trick some benefits out of them, but he didn''t expect that once he tricked them, this guy would evene up with a spirit stone!


    If that was the case, then what reason did Su Chen have to hold back?!


    "Fine, it seems you won''t be satisfied until you get beaten. In that case, I''ll make your wishe true."


    Su Chen said lightly.


    When Su Chen spoke these words, others were all stunned!


    They didn''t expect this young man to actually dare to ept the challenge. This was Mo Wei, a famous genius in the Martial Arts World!


    And this young man, whom they didn''t even know, couldn''t be that powerful!


    As good as the spirit stone was, one must be alive to take it!


    Liu Yin was also startled as she heard Su Chen''s words. She could tell at a nce that Mo Wei was at the Meridian Expansion Second Layer, possibly even close to the Meridian Expansion Third Layer.


    And this young man, who had suddenly appeared, had not even reached the Meridian Expansion Realm. The difference between the two was night and day!


    Even Ling Yao, who knew Su Chen''s true strength wasn''t simple, couldn''t help but feel anxious for him!


    After all, during their duelst night, she felt his truebat ability was at most Meridian Expansion Second Layer, maybe not even that!


    And Mo Wei had achieved the Meridian Expansion Second Layer two years ago. It was highly possible that he had already reached the Meridian Expansion Third Layer by now!


    Even if he hadn''t, he was still not someone that this Su-named kid could contend with!


    Of course, she also hoped that Su Chen could win, as that would free her and Lingyue Pce from a major problem, leaving the other party with nothing to say!


    But ultimately, it had to be a win to make a difference!


    "Very well, if you lose, you must leave Ling Yao!"


    As soon as Mo Wei heard that Su Chen had agreed, his eyes immediately lit up with a fierce light!


    As for some of the disrespect in his words, he had no mind to worry about it right now!


    He secretly decided to immediately cripple this boy!


    He wasn''t worried that Lingyue Pce would do anything to him because of this unknown boy!


    Liu Yin could tell that he hadn''t reached the Meridian Expansion Realm, and how could Elder Chen and Mo Wei not see it!


    It was precisely because they saw this that they dared to say that they would never mention the marriage if they lost and even offered a spirit stone as a wager!


    In their view, thispetition had no suspense at all!


    "Fine, but you should also remember what you said. If you lose, not only must you never mention the marriage again, but you must also avoid any ce where Ling Yao is in the future."


    Su Chen said calmly:


    "Of course, don''t forget the spirit stone either!"


    "Deal!"


    Mo Wei agreed without hesitation:


    "I would like to see what you can do!"


    "Do you really want topete?"


    Ling Yao softly asked, her voice filled with concern that she hadn''t noticed.


    Perhaps it was because this matter started because of her or maybe for some other reason!


    "Of course, don''t you think this guy is quite annoying?"


    Su Chen smiled lightly in her ear:


    "I''ll take care of this for you, as my apology forst night."


    Hearing him mentionst night''s incident, Ling Yao''s cheeks immediately flushed as it was really too embarrassing!


    However, seeing this scene, the others became more convinced of the rtionship between the two!


    Mo Wei''s heart filled with rage, further intensifying his resolve to cripple the boy!


    "Can we start now?"


    Mo Wei asked coldly, a bit impatient.


    "What''s the rush? Can''t you see I''m talking with Yaoyao?"


    Su Chen pouted in annoyance, then straightened up:


    "But since you are so eager to get beaten, I have no reason to refuse."


    With that, Su Chen made his way down from above, standing opposite Mo Wei and looking at him with amusement!


    Mo Wei disliked the way Su Chen looked at him. Although Su Chen stood before him, his gaze seemed to look down on him inwardly!


    "You are quite arrogant. I want to see what qualifies you to be so arrogant!"


    Mo Wei red at Su Chen.


    It wasn''t just him; others also felt Su Chen was too arrogant and wondered where his confidence came from!


    "Swish!"


    At that moment, Mo Wei drew his sword with a "swish," pointing its tip directly at Su Chen:


    "Draw your weapon!"


    Originally, Su Chen didn''t n on using a weapon, but suddenly, a sword with a jeweled hilt flew toward him.


    It was Ling Yao''s sword!


    Su Chen reached out and gripped the sword, ncing at Ling Yao, who was looking back at him with a hopeful expression!


    Others, including Liu Yin, were watching Ling Yao in astonishment. After Su Chen appeared, she hadn''t spoken much, much less expressed any opinion.


    Everyone could understand, given the fact that the opponent was Shengyi Gate!


    But at this moment, although she still hadn''t spoken, her sword clearly expressed her stance!

 Chapter 827: Crushing

    To be honest, Su Chen hadn''t expected Ling Yao to take such action.


    Since arriving, Su Chen had been incessantly provoking the two from Shengyi Gate, all with the aim of the final duel!


    By doing so, even if Shengyi Gate harbored anger, most of it would be directed at him and not at Lingyue Pce!


    If he merely misled the opponent into believing he and Ling Yao had an intimate rtionship without the final duel, Shengyi Gate might very well vent their anger on Lingyue Pce!


    Although Su Chen bore hostility towards Shengyi Gate, he wouldn''t drag Lingyue Pce into this mess!


    That''s why he had always intervened when Ling Yao and Liu Yin were about to speak, hoping they wouldn''t make any statements!


    Things were indeed progressing as he had expected; now, the two from Shengyi Gate focused their attention entirely on Su Chen!


    But with Ling Yao throwing out the sword, the situation shifted, drawing the conflict onto herself and Lingyue Pce!


    Su Chen looked at Ling Yao and gave a faint, bitter smile. Given the circumstances, there was nothing more to say!


    Liu Yin sighed as she looked at Ling Yao but said nothing, realizing it was toote for words.


    Sure enough, Mo Wei and Elder Chen''s faces turned dark upon seeing Ling Yao throw out the sword!


    This was an outright p to their faces!


    Mo Wei roared in anger, charging forward with his longsword, his True Yuan surging mightily, violently attacking Su Chen!


    The Sword Qi was immensely powerful, seeming to carry a destructive force!


    The female disciples of Lingyue Pce below felt a strong pressure, their clothes billowing fiercely from the wind generated by the Sword Qi!


    Even Ling Yao and Liu Yin above couldn''t help but feel tense as Ling Yao tightly gripped the armrest of her chair, holding her breath!


    Yet, upon seeing the Sword Qi, Su Chen felt relieved instead!


    It seemed his estimation was correct; this guy''s strength was still inferior to his own, about the same as before his breakthroughst night!


    But now! It was somewhat inadequate!


    As the Sword Qi approached, Su Chen swiftly dodged.


    "Buzz!"


    Simultaneously, Su Chen drew Ling Yao''s sword from its sheath, a chilling gleam appearing instantly, producing a buzzing sound!


    "Good sword!"


    Su Chen quietly praised, thrusting the treasured sword upward, sending an incredibly strong and concentrated Sword Qi, apanied by a terrifying wave of True Essence Energy, shooting towards Mo Wei!


    Initially, Mo Wei didn''t pay attention when Su Chen wielded the sword, thinking someone who hadn''t even entered the Meridian Expansion Realm couldn''t possibly deliver a powerful strike.


    However, once Su Chen swung the sword, Mo Wei felt enveloped by a terrifying force!


    How could this strike be so powerful? It was much more potent than his previous strike!


    Others were also dumbfounded, staring nkly at the scene!


    The female disciples below were like puppets, seemingly unable to move!


    Even from such a distance, Ling Yao could feel the immense energy contained within, giving her a sense of unstoppable power!


    He wasn''t this strong yesterday?


    Could he have hidden his strength during their encounter yesterday?


    Even the highest cultivators present, Liu Yin and Elder Chen, were equally shocked!


    Such strength was only attainable by someone at the Fourth Layer of the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Being at the Fourth Layer of Meridian Expansion Realm wasn''t terrifying, but being so young and already possessing such cultivation was truly rming!


    The most critical point was, he didn''t seem to have entered the Meridian Expansion Realm yet; this wasn''t just terrifying but eerie!


    Liu Yin observed the scene, her eyes seemingly sparkling!


    This young man is extraordinary!


    In contrast to Liu Yin''s expression, Elder Chen''s face was incredibly grim!


    "Boom!"


    A Sword Qi sliced through where Mo Wei had been standing, extending all the way to the wall, where bricks started falling!


    Luckily, Mo Wei reacted quickly, narrowly avoiding the strike, though his clothes were already torn by the Sword Qi!


    Mo Wei roared in rage, immediately wanting to counterattack, but Su Chen wouldn''t give him that chance!


    Su Chen stepped forward, swinging his sword; another fierce and terrifying Sword Qi burst forth, attacking Mo Wei like rushing thunder!


    Mo Wei had no choice but to dodge again!


    However, as soon as he evaded, the soul-wrenching Sword Qi swept in once more!


    Thus, Mo Wei continuously dodged the terrifying Sword Qi.


    He had no choice; if hit, he''d be gravely injured if not dead!


    The scene stunned everyone, leaving their minds nk!


    Especially Ling Yao, Liu Yin, and Elder Chen!


    They couldn''t believe that Su Chen, who hadn''t entered the Meridian Expansion Realm, hadpletely suppressed Mo Wei, who was at the Second Layer of Meridian Expansion Realm, forcing him to frantically flee!


    "Kid, you''re seeking death!"


    Suddenly, a palm print as heavy as Mount Tai pressed down towards Su Chen, making him feel an immensely strong and dangerous aura!


    Undoubtedly, this palm print was something he couldn''t block!


    At this moment, another palm print angled out, directly meeting the iing attack!


    "Boom, boom, boom!"


    Explosions echoed, causing everyone''s ears to ring slightly, as the wave of True Essence Energy surged like a tide!


    Seeing this, Su Chen rxed and shed out again!


    Liu Yin looked coldly at Elder Chen:


    "Elder Chen, what do you mean by this?"


    Elder Chen didn''t speak but stared coldly at Liu Yin!


    He intervened because he realized the Young Master was no match for Su Chen; continuing would eventually lead to a severe injury!


    He couldn''t believe the Young Master, at the Second Layer of Meridian Expansion Realm, was utterly powerless against this unknown young man!


    "Steward Liu, does Lingyue Pce truly intend to oppose Shengyi Gate?!"


    Elder Chen''s icy voice sounded.


    "Elder Chen, Shengyi Gate proposed the duel. Now, seeing you''re losing, you intervene; isn''t that disgraceful?"


    Ling Yao also stood up from her chair above:


    "Is Shengyi Gate truly such sore losers? If so, why bother asking for a duel in the first ce?"


    Ling Yao''s words left Elder Chen''s face alternating between red and white, utterly humiliated!


    Of course, he was more furious!


    Mo Wei felt like a mouse being toyed with by a cat, where Su Chen was the cat and he was the mouse!


    The hall''s space was limited, so he seized the moment between Su Chen''s strikes, attempting to flee outside!


    Seeing Mo Wei trying to escape, Su Chen also moved quickly, closing the distance between them, delivering another sh, Sword Qi aiming directly at Mo Wei''s back!


    "Pfffff!"


    Having just reached the hall''s entrance, Mo Wei failed to dodge the strike, instantly spewing blood and falling forward.


    Immediately, a sword was ced at his neck...

 Chapter 828 - 828 Yuan Qi Has Spirit

    "How about it? Do you surrender?"


    Su Chen asked coldly.


    "I surrender!"


    Mo Wei, lying on the ground, spat out in utter humiliation.


    At this moment, the sword was still on his neck. What else could he do but surrender?


    Seeing him surrender, Su Chen sheathed his sword. Mo Wei also struggled to stand up, feeling his blood Qi surging, extremely ufortable!


    Actually, Su Chen had shown mercy with the sword just now; after all, this was Lingyue Pce. Truly killing Mo Wei would undoubtedly bring great trouble to Lingyue Pce.


    If it had been somewhere else, Su Chen definitely wouldn''t have spared him.


    "Keep away from my woman in the future, or next time it won''t be just a slight injury!"


    Su Chen warned, hoping to draw the hatred more towards himself.


    "You have my word!"


    Mo Wei snorted coldly.


    Ling Yao felt incredibly embarrassed when she heard him say "my woman".


    "Young Master, let''s go!"


    At this moment, Elder Chen came over to support Mo Wei, cast a cold nce back, and then walked towards the main door.


    For them, this trip not only failed to aplish the task given by the Sect Leader but also lost face entirely!


    It''s all because of that damn kid!


    Of course, Lingyue Pce was also ungrateful!


    "Hey, the Spirit Stone!"


    At this moment, Su Chen''s voice rang out from behind them.


    As soon as the words fell, an object flew towards him. He reached out and caught it, feeling a cold touch in his hand.


    He looked at it. The Spirit Stone was about the size of a normal egg stone, crystal clear, with a green hue, and extremely dense Yuan Qi flowed within it, incredibly lively.


    "So this is the Spirit Stone!"


    Su Chen looked at the Spirit Stone and sighed. He had never seen a Spirit Stone before; he had only heard his old master mention it.


    Actually, Spirit Stone is more urately called Yuan Stone, but there is a saying in the Cultivation World: Yuan Qi has spirit!


    Therefore, Yuan Qi is sometimes also called spiritual Qi. Yuan Stone is called Spirit Stone. They are actually the same thing!


    "You all can leave now!"


    At this time, Ling Yao ordered. The female disciples below immediately withdrew from the hall upon hearing the order.


    However, when they retreated, they all looked at Su Chen with strange expressions!


    At this moment, only Ling Yao, Meng Jiao, Liu Yin, and Su Chen were left in the hall.


    Ling Yao and the others'' faces were all tinted with worry. Unquestionably, they had offended Shengyi Gate today!


    Of course, if Ling Yao hadn''t given her sword to Su Chen earlier, if Liu Yin hadn''t blocked that palm strike from Elder Chen when he attacked Su Chen, things would have been much better.


    But this was ultimately for Lingyue Pce, Ling Yao''s action of giving the sword is debatable, but Liu Yin had to intervene when Elder Chen attacked Su Chen!


    If she didn''t step in, no matter how strong Su Chen was in the Fourth Layer of Meridian Expansion, he wouldn''t be able to withstand it!


    "Sorry for causing you trouble."


    Su Chen stepped forward and apologized.


    If he hadn''t intervened, maybe the matter could have been dragged out longer. Now, the face-off was almost torn apart!


    "It has nothing to do with you originally."


    Liu Yin forced a smile and said:


    "Shengyi Gate has been eyeing Miss for a long time!"


    "It''s only a matter of time before the face-off."


    "Aunt Liu, actually, I have no real rtionship with him."


    Ling Yao, seeing Liu Yin looking at Su Chen as if he was family, couldn''t help but exin.


    "Yes, I was just talking nonsense earlier, don''t take it seriously!"


    Su Chen said simrly.


    Now that things were over, he had to clear his name!


    "Alright, I know."


    Liu Yin smiled and said:


    "Xiao Jiao,e with me."


    "Ah?!"


    Meng Jiao was slightly stunned upon hearing Liu Yin, wondering why go out?


    "You little girl, howe you have no perception?"


    Liu Yin nced at Su Chen and Ling Yao, speaking meaningfully.


    "Ah, oh, I got it!"


    Only then did Meng Jiao realize, quickly responding.


    "Aunt Liu, really there''s nothing between us..."


    Ling Yao saw the scene, knowing her previous words were wasted, quickly exining again.


    But before she could finish, Liu Yin interrupted:


    "Alright, I know you''re thin-skinned. I''m sorry, Xiao Jiao and I will leave, you two talk slowly!"


    In Liu Yin''s view, since Su Chen knows such private things, how could there be anything else? Any more exnation would just be a cover-up!


    Hmm, don''t know when the Pce Master will return; better hurry and let her know about this.


    Believe the Pce Master will be satisfied with this young man, as his strength at such a young age is rare!


    Moreover, he hasn''t entered the Meridian Expansion Realm but could suppress a Martial Arts World genius like Mo Wei of the Meridian Expansion Second Layer with no fight back, showing he is no ordinary talent, undoubtedlying from a significant background!


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen suddenly felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, just like earlier misunderstandings with Tang Yun, which were hard to rify!


    It seems it''s the same situation now!


    Of course, both situations had onemon point¡ªhis own fault! ming no one else!


    Thinking of Tang Yun, he realized it had been a while since hest saw that little girl, not even Aunt Pei had called in a long time!


    Right, since he''ll return to Jianghai soon, he''ll take the chance to see them.


    Ling Yao looked at Su Chen, feeling anger surface on her cold face!


    Other things could be exined, but this matter was too tough to exin!


    iming he saw her bathe and saw everything?


    Not only was it embarrassing to say, but who would believe it?


    People formed their first impression already, thinking she and Su Chen were involved!


    Of course, it''s pointless toin now. Thankfully, he''s leaving soon, and she can figure it out gradually!


    She was more curious about another matter. Staring at Su Chen, she asked:


    "What was your purpose just now?"


    "Miss Ling, you''re smart enough to have guessed."


    Su Chen smiled faintly.


    "Still for the Mysterious Ice Flower?"


    Ling Yao tilted her head and asked.


    Ling Yao could clearly see Su Chen''s actions aimed to solve the forced marriage issue by Shengyi Gate without implicating Lingyue Pce.


    Considering her pce so carefully, even risking offending Shengyi Gate, definitely wasn''t without purpose!


    Who would provoke such a power without reason?


    His likely intent was the Mysterious Ice Flower!


    Indeed, Su Chen had enmity with Shengyi Gate, but without the Mysterious Ice Flower matter, he wouldn''t have stepped in today!


    He hoped to solve this issue perfectly to have Ling Yao give him the Mysterious Ice Flower!


    In a way, it''s an exchange!


    Though unexpectedly, he implicated Lingyue Pce too...

 Chapter 829: Ambush

    Su Chen did this because he had no other choice; Du Hanbing had only a few days left, and he had to obtain the Mysterious Ice Flower to save her.


    He owed her too much, and this time he had to save her no matter what!


    "Are you really here to steal the Mysterious Ice Flower to save your friend?"


    Ling Yao asked, although by now she already believed Su Chen''s words.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have done what he did before.


    Su Chen solemnly nodded, looking at Ling Yao with a face full of hope.


    Ling Yao, for some reason, couldn''t stand the look in his eyes, which was uncharacteristic for her usual cold self.


    "Come with me."


    Ling Yao said and started walking out of the hall, with Su Chen following her in confusion.


    What does she mean by this?


    Is she agreeing to give him the Mysterious Ice Flower, or does she have other ns?


    The two quickly arrived at the door of her boudoir on the third floor, and Ling Yao opened the door and went in.


    "Wait here."


    Ling Yao said coldly, then continued walking inside while Su Chen had no choice but to wait where he was.


    After a while, Ling Yao came out with two rectangr boxes in her hands.


    Seeing the boxes, Su Chen''s pupils couldn''t help but shrink!


    Is she really going to give him the Mysterious Ice Flower and the Ghost Beard Grass as well?


    His guess was confirmed in the next moment when Ling Yao walked over and handed him the two boxes:


    "Take these and save her quickly!"


    "Miss Ling, you are...?"


    Su Chen asked in astonishment, looking at Ling Yao.


    To be honest, he had hoped Ling Yao would give him the Mysterious Ice Flower because of that event, but he wasn''t very confident.


    The reason was, of course, that the Mysterious Ice Flower was too precious, worth more than a life at a critical moment!


    Such a treasure was priceless!


    But now, this youngdy of the Lingyue Pce actually took it out and even gave him the Ghost Beard Grass!


    It was unbelievable to him.


    "Isn''t this what you came here for? Why are you hesitating?"


    Ling Yao ced the two boxes in his hand and said irritably:


    "Get lost!"


    Su Chen didn''t act courteous anymore, putting away the two boxes and then sincerely said:


    "I won''t say thanks for this great favor. If you ever need help, you can find me at the Belle Group in Yandu."


    After saying that, he bowed to Ling Yao, which made her feel a bit embarrassed.


    He then stood up and turned to leave, as he needed to hurry back to save Du Hanbing!


    Although logically there were still a few days left, getting back early definitely increased the chances!


    Besides, it was still uncertain if the Mysterious Ice Flower would work!


    Ling Yao went to a window, watching his figure walking toward the gate, feeling uncertain inside!


    She wasn''t sure why she gave him the Mysterious Ice Flower and the Ghost Beard Grass. Was it to thank him for what he did earlier?


    Or was it because...


    What''s the use of thinking about all this? They probably won''t see each other again.


    Ling Yao shook her head and returned to her bedroom...


    ....


    At the same time, in an ancient building, only a fewmps were lit in a room, illuminating only part of it, while other areas were dim and shadowy.


    Suddenly, someone walked in from outside and bowed:


    "Sect Leader, the mission failed. Those who went to seize the Token were all killed by that young man!"


    There was no response after the words fell.


    After a while, a shadow at the end of the room turned around, but his appearance could not be seen.


    "I didn''t expect that bastard to have such skills!"


    A hellish voice came from that shadow, sending chills down one''s spine!


    "Send more people, I want to see how capable that bastard is."


    An eerie voice came from the shadow again:


    "If they fail, they needn''t return."


    "Yes!"


    The person who had just entered answered coldly and retreated.


    "The Token must be on that bastard. We haven''t found him all these years, and now he shows up himself!"


    The man in the shadow muttered softly:


    "Little sister, don''t me me. me yourself for choosing the wrong person and betraying my trust!"


    ....


    Su Chen let out a long breath after leaving the Lingyue Pce. Although this trip was dangerous, he managed to get the Mysterious Ice Flower.


    Not only that, he also unexpectedly gained the Ghost Beard Grass, which gave hope for Pei Man''s leg!


    He didn''t dare to dy and hurried back immediately.


    He quickly crossed the forest, which was about twenty to thirty kilometers long, and arrived at the log bridge.


    At this moment, he suddenly felt something unusual in the forest on the opposite side; to be precise, a few leaves were swaying unnaturally.


    Another person might not notice this and might think it was the wind.


    But having undertaken numerous missions in the jungle in both the Eighth Brigade and the Dark World, Su Chen didn''t think so. There was a difference between the wind and human-caused motion.


    Su Chen quickly understood that it must be the two people from Shengyi Gate, unwilling to leave, nning to ambush him!


    Su Chen immediately stopped advancing. The Young Master of Shengyi Gate wasn''t a concern, but that Elder was formidable. Although they hadn''t fought, his one palm strike had shown he was definitely more powerful!


    At this moment, the best choice for Su Chen was to avoid fighting, as he was carrying the life-saving Mysterious Ice Flower!


    But would the Elder let him go? Clearly not!


    Su Chen slowly walked onto the log bridge, appearing as though nothing was out of the ordinary, while keeping his eye on a certain direction.


    As the leaves shook violently, Su Chen had already gathered his True Yuan and shed towards the end of the bridge!


    The Chen Elder hiding in the grass was surprised; as he stood up, Su Chen had already sped up, rushing to the bridge side!


    He had nned to quietly stand up and cut the bridge chain before Su Chen could react!


    After all, the gorge was over ten meters deep, with sharp rocks and a turbulent stream below. Falling would cause injuries.


    And Fei Family''s men were hiding at the bottom, ready to strike, leaving no chance for him!


    Then he would descend, and Su Chen would be doomed!

 Chapter 830: Hostage-taking

    His n was very good, but he didn''t anticipate that Su Chen would see through his hiding early and swiftly dash towards the shore.


    Although his speed was faster than Su Chen''s, his reaction was ultimately slower by a beat. As he reached the shore, Su Chen also leaped into the air, almost simultaneously arriving at the shore!


    Although Su Chen hadn''t noticed anything unusual below, he guessed that there were definitely people ambushed by the deep ravine.


    Otherwise, Elder Chen wouldn''t hide on the opposite side, waiting for a chance to cut the iron cable. Even if he fell from the middle of the ten-meter-deep ravine, he would just get a little hurt, with no major issues.


    At this moment, Mo Wei also walked out from the bushes; the rustling of the leaves earlier had been caused by him.


    He had suffered a severe injury from Su Chen''s Sword Qi, lost some control over himself, causing some minor movements.


    "Didn''t expect your observation to be so sharp, noticing us!"


    Elder Chen said casually.


    Although his n failed, he didn''t have much regret. To him, it would still be easy to kill this kid.


    His earlier arrangements were more for caution''s sake since this kid hadn''t even reached the Meridian Expansion Realm yet, but still had such cultivation abilities, which was indeed strange!


    Of course, in front of his absolute power, the kid was nothing but a clown causing no waves!


    "Kid, the humiliation at Lingyue Pce earlier, I will make sure to return it double!"


    Mo Wei said, his eyes zing as he stared at Su Chen:


    "At Lingyue Pce, you had Liu Yin protecting you. Now let''s see what tricks you can pull!"


    This was the first time he had faced such humiliation in his life; naturally, he found it hard to swallow.


    He also believed that Su Chen was no match for Elder Chen, even if he had the strength of Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer!


    Because Elder Chen was one of the four major elders of Shengyi Gate, second only to his father!


    Su Chen was also aware of this. The terrifying aura emanating from Elder Chen made it difficult for him to withstand!


    Just then, he heard some movement from below. He turned to look, only to see four or five people climbing up.


    These people had excellent cultivation, at least two among them had strengthparable to Mo Wei''s. He saw that the man who humiliated Meng Jiao earlier was also among them.


    He hadn''t expected him to recover so quickly, presumably taking some miraculous medicine.


    Su Chen thought he must quickly resolve this matter, as facing a group attack from these people would be too much pressure!


    "It was my fault earlier. What do I need to do for you to forgive me and let me go?"


    Su Chen asked "fearfully," with a "terrified" expression on his face.


    "Scared now?"


    Mo Wei said with a triumphant smile upon seeing Su Chen''s demeanor.


    "Understood. Please show mercy! I''ll do whatever you ask!"


    Su Chen said "submissively" with hands folded in supplication.


    "You''ll do anything?"


    Mo Wei nced at Su Chen mischievously.


    "Alright, kneel down and call me grandfather three times, and I''ll let you go."


    Mo Wei said contemptuously.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes shed with a trace of cold light but quickly restrained himself.


    "That doesn''t seem right."


    Su Chen remarked as if he were troubled.


    "If you don''t want to, then forget it!"


    Mo Wei retorted coldly.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen trembled and quickly said:


    "If I kneel, will you really let me go?"


    "Of course!"


    Mo Wei replied yfully.


    In reality, he was deceiving Su Chen; he had no intention of letting him go, regardless of whether he kneeled.


    However, he did enjoy ying with the guy who had publicly embarrassed him.


    Elder Chen naturally knew this too, so he stood by silently.


    Moreover, he didn''t believe Su Chen could pull any tricks in his presence.


    "I... I''ll kneel."


    Su Chen said seemingly filled with iparable humiliation.


    Neither Elder Chen nor Mo Wei doubted him, given that no one wants to die!


    In the face of absolute power,promising is often the only option. They had seen such scenarios countless times!


    Su Chen''s face showed "shame and anger" as he slowly approached Mo Wei, knees slightly bending...


    Watching this, Mo Wei''s heart was filled with a sense of satisfaction, as if all his previous grievances and humiliation had vanished!


    At that moment, Su Chen suddenly pulled out a cylindrical object from his pocket and threw it between Mo Wei and Elder Chen!


    A thick smoke immediately rose, enveloping the surroundings, with a pungent and irritating odor!


    At the same time, Su Chen kicked his legs, shooting forward like an arrow. As he passed by Mo Wei, he ced a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away!


    This sudden turn of events shocked Elder Chen, who immediately kicked at where Su Chen was standing, but missed!


    Elder Chen quickly escaped the smoke, only to find the previously "terrified" young man now ten meters away!


    More crucially, the young master was in his grasp, a knife now pressed against the young master''s neck!


    "Kid, you tricked us!"


    Elder Chen''s eyes narrowed, emitting a terrifying gleam!


    "So what? It only shows that you''re stupid!"


    Su Chen sneered, showing none of his previous fearful demeanor!


    Everything Su Chen had done earlier was an act. He had nned ahead before crossing the bridge, knowing he wouldn''t win in a fight.


    The only way out was to hold the young master of Shengyi Gate hostage, forcing them to let him go!


    So he had ced a few smoke bombs from the Special Security Bureau in his pocket, preparing to strike unexpectedly!


    These smoke bombs were not ordinary; they were specially made by the bureau, capable of producing arge amount of smoke instantly, with a pungent, irritating odor.


    Though the area was open, Su Chen needed only a moment, so it didn''t matter.


    "What do you want? Let me go, or you''ll regret it!"


    Mo Wei, with a knife at his throat, shouted angrily.


    "Shush, don''t shout. If my hand slips and cuts your artery, that would be bad."


    Su Chen said lightly.


    Hearing this, Mo Wei''s face turned pale with fear.


    At this moment, the people climbing up from the ravine had also reached the top.


    They didn''t expect that uponing up, they''d encounter such a situation...

 Chapter 831 - 831 Provocation

    "It''s you?!"


    One of the young men, upon seeing Su Chen, immediately showed ayer of coldness on his face and eximed in surprise.


    "Xiao An, do you know this person?"


    A middle-aged man asked.


    "Uncle, this is the guy who severely injured me yesterday!"


    The young man said coldly. He was none other than Fei An, who had humiliated Meng Jiao yesterday.


    Looking at Su Chen, he immediately felt a surge of anger, wishing he could tear him apart!


    Although he had taken the family''s treasured medicine, his chest and abdomen still ached faintly, clearly not fully recovered!


    "It''s him?!"


    The middle-aged man cried out in shock. He didn''t expect that the person Elder Chen of Shengyi Gate asked them to deal with was actually the one who injured his nephew yesterday!


    But now with Young Master Mo in his hands, he didn''t dare make any rash moves. After all, their Fei Family was just a small martial arts family under Shengyi Gate''s dominance.


    "Elder Chen, how should we handle this?"


    Fei Cheng approached Elder Chen and asked in a low voice.


    "No matter what, the Young Master''s safety must be ensured!"


    Elder Chen said in a deep voice.


    "Of course."


    Fei Cheng nodded repeatedly.


    "Kid, release the Young Master immediately, and I''ll let you go!"


    Elder Chen looked at Su Chen and said.


    If anything happened to the Young Master, he would be doomed for sure, and even wish he were dead!


    "Do you think I''m stupid? If I let him go now, you would pounce on me like a pack of rabid dogs."


    Su Chen sneered. They were still too inexperienced to y these tricks with him!


    "Kid, I hope you know what you''re doing. If you dare harm our Young Master, you''re dead!"


    Elder Chen stared at Su Chen and spat out the words.


    "Really?"


    Su Chen''s mouth curved into a cold smile. Suddenly, he moved the knife and directly stabbed Mo Wei''s thigh, then quickly withdrew and held the knife to Mo Wei''s neck again!


    Blood gushed from Mo Wei''s thigh, and a wave of sharp pain surged!


    Provocation!


    Naked provocation!


    The others watching trembled inwardly. This young man was clearly ruthless!


    Facing the Young Master of Shengyi Gate, he showed no hesitation. Not everyone could achieve this!


    Elder Chen''s face turned extremely grim. This brat was outrightly humiliating Shengyi Gate!


    "Young Master Mo, I need you to take me somewhere!"


    Su Chen''s mouth curved into an amused smile as he spoke gently.


    Then he started to retreat, dragging Mo Wei with him, towards his car parked not far away.


    Su Chen checked briefly and was relieved that they hadn''t damaged his car.


    Without the car, a lot of time would have been wasted!


    As Su Chen retreated, Elder Chen and the Fei Family followed.


    "If you take another step forward, I''ll slit his throat!"


    Su Chen looked at those people and said coldly.


    "How dare you?!"


    Elder Chen roared upon hearing this.


    "Then try me."


    Su Chen slightly tightened his grip, and the sharp knife pressed even more closely to Mo Wei''s artery, drawing blood!


    "If you''re bold enough, move forward, and see what happens!"


    Su Chen said in an icy tone, exuding a fierce killing intent!


    His gaze was firm without a trace of hesitation!


    Did Elder Chen dare to bet?


    Of course, he didn''t!


    Su Chen opened the passenger door and said:


    "Get in and drive!"


    Mo Wei had no choice but to move slowly from the passenger seat to the driver''s seat under the knife.


    Throughout the process, the knife never left his neck by an inch!


    Mo Wei started the car and drove forward, while Su Chen waved to the people behind...


    "Elder Chen, what do we do now?" Fei Cheng asked.


    Elder Chen coldly nced at him, thinking, how should I know what to do?


    ....


    Su Chen drove directly to the helipad where the helicopter hadnded earlier. After boarding, the helicopter flew towards Yandu.


    Midway, Su Chen told the pilot to lower the altitude, then he kicked Mo Wei out of the helicopter.


    Though only dozens of meters high, it was enough to severely injure Mo Wei, especially given his existing wounds!


    This was Su Chen''s calcted decision. Although he had the urge to kill, he knew Shengyi Gate would retaliate fiercely if Mo Wei died!


    Moreover, if they retaliated against his loved ones?


    The first person he thought of was Lin Ruoxue. If anything happened to her, he would regret it for life!


    Though he had killed those who sought the Token, and humiliated them at Lingyue Pce, there was still room for maneuver!


    But killing Mo Wei would lead to unimaginable consequences, far beyond what he could handle!


    Ultimately, it came down to his insufficient power. If he were strong enough, he wouldn''t be so constrained!


    He had to hurry with his cultivation, but the Nine Yang Divine Technique ended at the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    How should he continue cultivating beyond the Meridian Expansion Realm?


    This thought troubled him deeply...


    ....


    By dusk, he finally arrived at Yandu. Su Chen wasted no time and drove straight to the hospital.


    At the entrance of the ICU, only Owl, Bloodhound, and Du Hanshuang from the Eighth Brigade were there.


    This was his arrangement, as there were many matters to handle within the brigade.


    Du Hanshuang looked exhausted, clearlycking rest.


    As soon as Su Chen arrived, their eyes lit up!


    "Brother-inw, have you found a way to save my sister?"


    Du Hanshuang asked quickly, eyes filled with expectation.


    "Rest assured, Hanbing will be fine."


    Su Chen nodded.


    Upon hearing this, the three were overwhelmed with joy and excitement, restraining themselves from shouting aloud in the hospital!


    "Alright, you stay here, Hanshuange with me."


    Su Chen ordered and walked in, followed by Du Hanshuang.


    At this moment, Du Hanbing''s condition was worse than when seen in the morning. Her face and body were drained of color, lips turning ck and dry.


    "Hanshuang, open Hanbing''s mouth a bit."


    Su Chen instructed.


    Du Hanshuang immediately used both hands to pry open Du Hanbing''s mouth.


    Su Chen quickly took the Jade Box from his bag, opened it, picked up the Mysterious Ice Flower by its stem, and stuffed the entire flower into her mouth, then immediately closed her lips!

 Chapter 832: Young Master Hames

    "Brother-inw, is this enough?"


    Du Hanshuang asked curiously.


    However, Su Chen did not answer. Instead, he quietly observed Du Hanbing''s physical response, as he wasn''t sure if the Mysterious Ice Flower would have any effect!


    Very quickly, it seemed that Du Hanbing''s body began to change at a visible speed. First, her face and body gradually regained some color.


    Although still very pale, it was a noticeable improvementpared to before!


    Su Chen immediately ced a hand on Du Hanbing''s lower abdomen, sending in a thread of True Yuan to check her internal organs'' condition.


    He was astonished to find that Du Hanbing''s internal organs were also slowly recovering!


    "Brother-inw, you gave sister an Immortal Elixir!"


    Du Hanshuang asked in utter surprise, a look of sheer joy appearing on her face.


    To be honest, Su Chen himself did not expect the Mysterious Ice Flower to be so miraculous!


    And the more it proved to be, the more he felt indebted to the Lingyue Pce!


    Su Chen gradually sensed that Du Hanbing had regained some life force and was at least out of immediate danger.


    After about half an hour, Su Chen took the Mysterious Ice Flower out of Du Hanbing''s mouth.


    Du Hanshuang was surprised to see that the originally iceden blue flower had nowpletely turned white and withered,cking its previous brilliance!


    However, Su Chen didn''t throw it away but rather carefully ced it back in the Jade Box, then said:


    "Watch over your sister for a while; I''ll be back soon."


    With that, Su Chen left and went to personally prepare a medicine for Du Hanbing at the hospital, which had such facilities.


    The hospital could indeed prepare the medicine, but Su Chen was not at ease and insisted on using a small stove to decoct it himself.


    The main ingredient, of course, was the now seemingly withered Mysterious Ice Flower. Despite its appearance, the flower still retained much of its medicinal potency!


    After more than an hour, Su Chen returned to the intensive care unit with the prepared medicine and slowly fed it to Du Hanbing.


    "Alright, Hanshuang, let''s go out."


    After feeding the medicine, Su Chen said to Du Hanshuang.


    "Instructor, what''s the situation with Instructor Du...?"


    As soon as Su Chen stepped out, Owl and Hound immediately asked.


    "Don''t worry, Hanbing is fine now and is slowly recovering!"


    Upon hearing this, Owl and Hound couldn''t contain their excitement!


    The instructor is always the instructor, never letting them down!


    "Brother-inw, when will my sister wake up?"


    Following closely behind Su Chen, Du Hanshuang asked, still somewhat worried.


    "If all goes well, in about five to ten days."


    Su Chen said, finally relieved.


    Heaven knows how worried he had been these past two days!


    "Alright, you take good care of Hanbing here. I have to go now."


    Su Chen said, as he needed to go back and inform Lin Ruoxue. She didn''t say it out loud, but she was surely worried too.


    Moreover, Du Hanbing would be in aa for the next few days, so staying here wasn''t very meaningful for him.


    He nned to take this time to return to Jianghai, bring Xiaoxun back, and then take her and Lin Ruoxue to visit that old ghost of a master.


    It had been a long time since hest saw the old guy; he did miss him...


    ......


    When Su Chen returned to thepany, no one reacted. It had be routine for Su Chen to be absent for a few days, not something worth making a fuss about.


    "Honey, I''m back!"


    Su Chen arrived at Lin Ruoxue''s office door, and seeing that the little secretary Chen Guo was not around, he cheerfully pushed the door open and walked in.


    However, upon entering, he was somewhat stunned. He saw a man about thirty years old sitting in Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    This man looked quite distinguished and had an extraordinary demeanor!


    When he heard Su Chen''s voice, a sh of light passed through his eyes!


    But because his back was to Su Chen, Su Chen didn''t notice it.


    Lin Ruoxue gave Su Chen a slightly annoyed look upon hearing his voice, feeling that his previous words were too frivolous!


    If it was just the two of them, it wouldn''t matter, but it was a bit inappropriate in front of such an important guest!


    Of course, this slight annoyance quickly dissipated and was reced by joy upon seeing Su Chen.


    "Young Master Hames, this is my husband, Su Chen. He''s also the head of ourpany''s public rtions department."


    Lin Ruoxue walked out from behind her desk and introduced:


    "Su Chen, this is Young Master Hames of the Hames Family from M Country."


    "Mr. Su, being able to marry such a beautiful woman as President Lin is something many men would envy!"


    Young Master Hames said, looking at Su Chen with a gentlemanly smile.


    "Thank you."


    Su Chen said tly.


    If not for Lin Ruoxue, he wouldn''t bother with this Young Master Hames.


    As for the Hames Family from M Country, he had heard of them, of course.


    They were one of the three major conglomerates in M Country, with family power no weaker than some old European families!


    But to Su Chen, it was no big deal.


    When he was roaming the Dark World, he didn''t take this family seriously, and now even less so!


    Young Master Hames found Su Chen''s somewhat perfunctory attitude to be strange.


    Usually, when people heard of his identity, they would tter him likepdogs.


    However, he didn''t think much of it. If Su Chen didn''t take him seriously, he likewise didn''t take Su Chen seriously!


    He just felt a bit resentful about Su Chen marrying a woman like Lin Ruoxue, considering it a waste of a precious gem!


    Of course, he didn''t show this emotion, which could be considered a form of cultivation or shrewdness.


    "Thank you for the coffee, President Lin."


    Young Master Hames revealed another gentlemanly smile:


    "Today''s conversation with you was very enjoyable! I''ll take my leave now!"


    "Young Master Hames, let me see you off!"


    With that, Lin Ruoxue politely escorted Young Master Hames out of thepany, while Su Chen sat down in her office chair and lit a cigarette.


    After a short while, Lin Ruoxue returned, and seeing Su Chen''sid-back attitude, she just pursed her lips. She was already used to it.


    If he ever acted seriously, Lin Ruoxue would find it abnormal!


    "Honey, what did this persone here for?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "What else, of course, to discuss business!"


    Lin Ruoxue said to Su Chen.


    Now, Belle Group was no longer the small, somewhat famous group in Jiangnan but had be renowned in Yandu and across Huaxia.


    Quite naturally, many sought to coborate, including numerous international conglomerates.


    Lin Ruoxue hadn''t expected the renowned Hames Family to personally reach out!

 Chapter 833 - 833 Ling Yaos Soaring Thoughts

    "Have you decided to coborate with the Hames Family?" Su Chen asked.


    "Not so fast, we''ve just had preliminary talks."


    Lin Ruoxue sat down on the sofa and said:


    "But this is a rare opportunity, and if the talks go well, I certainly won''t let this chance slip by."


    Lin Ruoxue''s n to expand internationally had already begun, and the coboration with Slore Group was proceeding smoothly.


    If they could also coborate with the prestigious Hames Family in the US, it would undoubtedly be a major boost for Belle Group''s international expansion!


    Su Chen didn''t say much in response. He rarely involved himself in Lin Ruoxue''s business affairs.


    "By the way, I''m nning to visit Jianghai tomorrow."


    Su Chen stood up from Lin Ruoxue''s office chair and sat down next to her.


    "Why are you going back to Jianghai?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "Winter vacation is here, so I''ll bring the two little girls over for the holidays."


    Su Chen pressed his cigarette butt into the ashtray.


    "That''s good, I''ve missed them a lot too. It would be great to have them here."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded and said:


    "And bring Wang Ma too, no one else is there anyway."


    "Do you even need to say that?"


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "By the way, arrange your work for the next few days and set aside two days. Would that be possible?"


    "Why?" Lin Ruoxue asked, puzzled.


    "The New Year ising, I want to take you to meet my mentor."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "What?!"


    Lin Ruoxue was taken aback by Su Chen''s words:


    "Meet your mentor?"


    "Yes, why?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked, not expecting Lin Ruoxue''s reaction.


    "Nothing."


    Lin Ruoxue shook her head.


    She remembered Su Chen mentioning that he had a mentor who lived with him after he was expelled from the Su Family.


    Although this wasn''t the first time she met Su Chen''s rtives, she couldn''t help feeling nervous.


    It was understandable since Su Chen''s parents and grandfather had passed away, and she naturally felt less nervous meeting those who were no longer living.


    Aside from his aunt Su Jin, whom she hadn''t known was Su Jin at their first meeting, it had been easier when she found out.


    But his mentor was different, it felt almost like meeting the parents!


    Moreover, Su Chen mentioned how difficult his mentor could be!


    Someone who requires dozens of steps to prepare one dish wouldn''t be easy to please!


    "Can we dy it for a while?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked hesitantly.


    "What? Our invincible President Lin actually has moments of fear?"


    Su Chen smiled, seeing Lin Ruoxue slightly nervous.


    Actually, he had another reason for wanting Lin Ruoxue to meet his mentor this time.


    "Who said I''m afraid? It''s just meeting your mentor, let''s do it."


    Lin Ruoxue said immediately:


    "Alright, I''ll arrange my work for the next two days. When you get back, we can go see your mentor together."


    She thought: It''s inevitable. I can''t avoid it forever.


    Besides, they had been married for a while, so it made sense to visit.


    "Alright, it''s gettingte. Let''s go home together."


    Su Chen said. He had arrived after work, and it was already past their usual time.


    With the New Year approaching, there was no other choice as things were particrly busy.


    Especially since Belle Group had just acquired several new businesses, there was even more work to do!


    "Alright, wait for ten minutes while I finish this document."


    Lin Ruoxue returned to her desk and started working.


    After a dozen minutes, they left together.


    When they got home, Aunt Sun had already prepared dinner.


    After dinner, Su Chen apanied Lin Ruoxue for a walk in the neighborhood.


    They hadn''t had such a quiet walk in a long time, with everything going on recently.


    The moon hung in the sky like a jade disk, spreading its gentle light like ayer of white gauze over the earth.


    Hand in hand, even without speaking, they felt a deep sense of happiness¡­


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a bedroom at Lingyue Pce, two women in thin nightgownsy side by side on the bed.


    Suddenly, the older woman sighed softly.


    "Miss, are you thinking about Mr. Su?"


    The girl beside her asked.


    "What nonsense!"


    The woman frowned slightly and said:


    "I told you, there''s nothing between us, it was all a misunderstanding!"


    "But Miss, you do have a mole on your butt!"


    The girl looked at her with a puzzled and innocent expression.


    The woman had nothing to say after hearing this, and could only re at the girl angrily.


    The girl chuckled and didn''t take it too seriously.


    "Miss, did you really give him the Mysterious Ice Flower?"


    The girl asked.


    Even if there was something between them, it was a surprising gesture.


    "I did."


    The woman nodded.


    "Miss, you gave him the Mysterious Ice Flower, and still say you have no rtionship with him? Do you believe that yourself?"


    The girl pouted and said:


    "What will you tell the Pce Master when she returns?"


    After hearing this, the woman felt troubled. Yes, what should she say to her mother when she returned?


    Should she really im they had that kind of rtionship?


    "Miss, I''m not sure if I should say this."


    The girl hesitated.


    "Just say it."


    "Miss, you might have been tricked by Mr. Su."


    "Tricked? How?"


    The woman turned her head and asked.


    "Mr. Su already has someone he loves."


    The girl said thoughtfully.


    "How do you know that?"


    The woman felt her heart skip a beat and asked.


    "He told me himself."


    "He told you?"


    The woman quickly asked:


    "What''s going on?"


    "Do you know who he needed the Mysterious Ice Flower to save?"


    The girl looked at the woman and said:


    "It was to save his beloved."


    The woman''s heart tightened upon hearing this.


    The two women lying on the bed were naturally Ling Yao and her maid Meng Jiao.


    Meng Jiao recounted the story Su Chen had told her.


    When Ling Yao heard about the woman jumping off a cliff repeatedly after their separation, tears welled up in her eyes.


    She envisioned the solitary and stubborn figure on the cliff edge!


    The cultivation method was foolish, but at that moment, she found the woman''s determination endearing and heartbreaking!


    If the Mysterious Ice Flower were for her, Ling Yao felt it was worth it!


    Her dedication to the rtionship moved her, and the man''s efforts to steal medicinal herbs at Lingyue Pce showed he was deeplymitted!


    How wonderful it would be if there were a man who would do the same for her!


    As she thought this, an image surfaced in her mind...

 Chapter 834 - 834 Yan Xis Dark Circles

    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue walked around the neighborhood for forty minutes before heading back. After all, it was deep winter, and the weather was quite cold.


    Just as they reached the doorstep, the sound of footsteps suddenly emerged from behind.


    Su Chen looked up and saw that it was Yan Xi, the little girl.


    "Back so soon, huh?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but pout.


    She understood that this girl, fresh out of her cage, was surely hard to control.


    "Ah! You''re back?"


    Yan Xi looked at him and said:


    "I went for dinner with Sister Zhao Lin and Sister Ran Ting."


    "Looks like you''ve gotten quite close with them pretty fast!"


    Su Chenmented lightly, and then he frowned slightly:


    "Did you drink?"


    "Just a little."


    Yan Xi said somewhat embarrassedly.


    "Alright, hurry inside then."


    Su Chen said nothing more and went inside.


    Since he arrived home early today, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to continue working.


    "What have you been up to these past two days? You didn''t even take me!"


    Yan Xi couldn''t help but say.


    "All you think about is ying; I was handling some business."


    Su Chen said grumpily.


    "Next time you handle business, can you take me along, please?"


    Yan Xi pleaded, her eyes sparkling.


    "We''ll see."


    Su Chen replied nomittally:


    "You should get back to your room and cultivate!"


    "Got it."


    Yan Xi pouted upon hearing this: "Why are you acting like Old Man Wei now?!"


    After saying this, she went back to her room, and Su Chen also walked into his room and put away the wooden box containing Ghost Beard Grass.


    He nned to start treating Pei Man after seeing the old ghost master since the treatment must be continuous for seven days.


    Then Su Chen went upstairs, took a shower, andy on the bed browsing a magazine.


    Around eleven o''clock, Lin Ruoxue finished working and returned to the room. After taking a shower, she came out wearing a pinkce camisole nightgown.


    Su Chen''s eyes immediately lit up when he saw Lin Ruoxue emerge, looking like a hungry wolf!


    It wasn''t his fault, as Lin Ruoxue was very different from her usual self. The nightgown she wore was a provocative lingerie, highly seductive!


    Her perfect, curvaceous figure was fully revealed!


    Normally, Lin Ruoxue was already mesmerizing, let alone now in such alluring attire!


    "Do I look good?"


    Lin Ruoxue felt a mix of shyness and joy seeing Su Chen''s almost devouring gaze.


    She had bought the nightgown online, and it had arrived yesterday. She had read in a magazine that maintaining freshness and passion in love required paying attention to couple''s intimacy.


    "Beautiful!"


    Su Chen blurted out without thinking, his Adam''s apple moving deeply, feeling a bit dry and itchy!


    He hadn''t expected the usually conservative Lin Ruoxue to wear such seductive clothing!


    Though this nightgown wasn''t as revealing as other lingerie, it was still eye-catching and added a touch of allure!


    Lin Ruoxue heard this and bit her lip gently, nced at him, then pressed her hands on the bed, bending down slowly to climb up like a sexy little wildcat!


    It was challenging for Lin Ruoxue, as it was so out of character for her!


    Though her movements were somewhat stiff, and her expression wasn''t quite right!


    But precisely because of this, Su Chen felt a rush of heat when he saw her!


    Who had she learned this from? It was too tempting!


    Unable to hold back anymore, he pulled Lin Ruoxue into his arms and flipped over, pressing her down, his eyes seemingly burning with fire...


    .....


    The next morning, Lin Ruoxue slowly opened her eyes and heard the sound of rustling outside.


    She gently pressed the curtain remote, and the curtains slowly drew open, revealing a winter wondend. The trees were covered with thickyers of snow, still falling, snowkes drifting past the window.


    "It''s snowing!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes lit up slightly. She had always loved snow since childhood, though it rarely snowed in the south, sometimes not even once in several years.


    Even when it did, it was minimal and melted quickly, leaving more regret.


    She was afraid of the cold but loved snow.


    Aftering to Yandu, she had been silently anticipating the first snowfall.


    Unexpectedly, she saw it this morning.


    Lying in Su Chen''s arms, watching the falling snow, she felt very cozy.


    "Awake already, honey."


    Suddenly, a low voice sounded.


    "Mm, it''s snowing!"


    Lin Ruoxue replied casually.


    "It really is."


    Su Chen propped up on one hand, while the other hugged Lin Ruoxue, slightly turned, watching the swirling snow.


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly, a sound of pain came.


    "What''s wrong, honey?"


    Su Chen immediately asked.


    "It''s because of you!"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him with deep resentment. He was too wildst night; she wanted to change positions slightly but felt a wave of pain!


    "Well, beyond control, beyond control."


    Su Chen understood instantly, chuckling sheepishly.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s shyness deepened, her face flushed red. This guy!


    "Since you''re in pain, stay in bed. I''ll bring breakfast to you,"


    Su Chen said softly.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue responded obediently, and Su Chen went downstairs in his pajamas.


    "Yan Xi, why do you have dark circles?"


    Coming downstairs, he noticed Yan Xi looked very tired and asked.


    Logically, cultivators shouldn''t be affected by sleepless nights; quite opposite, a night of cultivation should make them more energetic!


    "What do you think?"


    His question immediately ignited the frustration in Yan Xi''s heart.


    "I don''t know?"


    Su Chen was utterly clueless.


    "Forget it!"


    Yan Xi sighed deeply.


    She had suffered from the noises from upstairs just like Qi Meng before!


    Though she hadn''t experienced romantic rtionships, she hadn''t just seen pigs run without tasting pork, had she?


    Especially with the inte being so advanced, even kindergarten kids knew about dating!


    Unlike Qi Meng''s incident, which had been deliberate, this time it was purely uncontroble!


    Hence, Su Chen hadn''t yet connected the dots...

 Chapter 835 - 835 Pei Rous Strange Attitude

    Actually, if it were a normal situation, even for a Martial Artist, they might not hear anything.


    But when the battle is too intense, that''s different, likest night!


    So Yan Xi almost listened to those embarrassing sounds for several hours.


    Cultivation?


    She didn''t dare, in that kind of situation, it would be a miracle not to go crazy!


    So she could only toss and turn in bed, having dark circles under her eyes became quite normal!


    "Really strange!"


    Su Chen pouted, then carried a tray with a few things and went upstairs.


    Yan Xi looked at his back, actually feeling a bit envious.


    "Honey, why did you bring so much? Do you think I''m a pig?"


    When Lin Ruoxue saw the tray full of food, she couldn''t help but say.


    "It''s for both of us, we''ll eat together."


    Su Chen climbed onto the bed and ced the tray on the nket.


    It was snowing outside, and the two of them ate breakfast on the bed, which had its own charm.


    After breakfast, Su Chen tidied up and took the things downstairs.


    Lin Ruoxue also got out of bed; although she was still in some pain, it was much better than before.


    After washing up, she went to work, even though it was the weekend, as the CEO she still had a lot of things to deal with.


    However, she didn''t drive; on one hand, the snowy roads were slippery and dangerous.


    More importantly, she wanted to walk in the snow; she liked the soft feeling of stepping on it.


    After a while, Yan Xi also went out; Wei Hua had asked her toe back for something, but she didn''t know what.


    Approaching noon, Su Chen also drove to the airport from home, and took a flight to Jianghai.


    A few hourster, he appeared at the entrance of Jianghai Airport, took a taxi directly to Grand Epoch Court.


    "Sir, why are you back?"


    As soon as Wang Ma saw Su Chen, a delighted smile burst on her face.


    "Wang Ma, what do you mean by that? Aren''t you happy to see me back?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen deliberately joked.


    "Sir, you''re talking nonsense again."


    Wang Ma said helplessly.


    "Haha, Wang Ma,e here, give me a hug!"


    Su Chenughed and hugged her without waiting for her consent.


    To him, Wang Ma was truly family.


    Wang Ma knew her young sir''s cheeky nature, so she was helpless, but she was genuinely happy to see him suddenly.


    "By the way, where are those two little girls?"


    After letting go of Wang Ma, Su Chen nced around and asked.


    It''s summer vacation, where did those two little girls run off to?


    "Oh, they went out to y, probably won''t be back untilte."


    Talking about those two little girls, Wang Ma sighed a bit.


    "Alright then, I''ll head out for a bit. Wang Ma, pack up your stuff and the two little girls'' things, we''re going to Yandu tomorrow."


    Su Chen nodded. Since the two little girls wouldn''t be back until evening, he nned to use this time to visit Pei Rou and Tang Yun.


    Previously, when he returned to Yandu, it was always in a rush, and he didn''t visit them.


    This time, not visiting would be unjustifiable.


    Although he and Tang Yun didn''t have that kind of rtionship, it was all a misunderstanding, it couldn''t be denied that Pei Rou was very kind to him.


    But he felt strange, Pei Rou hadn''t contacted him in a long time.


    This waspletely unlike her previous care, calling every three to five days!


    "Sir, I don''t need to go, it''s troublesome."


    Upon hearing that she was going too, Wang Ma protested.


    "It''s no trouble, mainly Ruoxue misses you, she specifically asked me to bring you there."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Alright, I do miss the youngdy."


    Hearing this, Wang Ma nodded.


    Then Su Chen went out again, took a taxi to the municipalpound.


    On the way, he specially bought some nutritional products, as a courtesy, after all, it had been a long time.


    The car stopped at the entrance of the municipalpound, and Su Chen carried the nutritional products inside.


    As he reached the door, he happened to see Tang Yuning out.


    Seeing Su Chen, she thought she was seeing things. How could he suddenly appear?


    When she confirmed it was Su Chen, her beautiful eyes shed with surprise, then her face immediately showed extreme tension.


    "Why are you here?"


    Tang Yun quickly ran down the steps, came to him, and whispered.


    "It''s been a while, since I came back to Jianghai today, I thought I''d visit you and Aunt Pei!"


    Su Chen replied casually with a smile.


    "Don''t visit, just leave quickly!"


    Upon hearing this, Tang Yun immediately tried to push Su Chen out.


    "Tang Yun, what''s wrong with you?"


    Su Chen, feeling baffled, said:


    "I''m just visiting Aunt Pei! What''s the problem?"


    Su Chen dodged and continued towards the door.


    Tang Yun became desperate, chased him, and grabbed his arm:


    "You need to leave now!"


    "Xiaoyun, who''s here?"


    At this moment, a voice came from inside the house, and Pei Rou''s figure appeared at the door.


    "You?!"


    When she saw Su Chen, her face turned cold as ice, as if she were seeing an enemy!


    "Aunt Pei, it''s been a long time. I''m sorry... I..."


    Seeing Pei Rou, Su Chen immediately smiled and said.


    But halfway through, he noticed something unusual about her and quickly stopped talking.


    What''s wrong with Aunt Pei? Why is she looking at him like this?


    "I don''t need you to visit!"


    Pei Rou said coldly:


    "You''re not wee here, leave."


    "Aunt Pei, what''s wrong?"


    Su Chen stammered, feeling that Tang Yun and Pei Rou were quite off today.


    Previously, Pei Rou was always exceptionally kind to him, even closer than a son!


    It''s only been a few months, what happened?


    "I''m not your Aunt Pei, and our family has nothing to do with you."


    Pei Rou continued coldly.


    "Just leave!"


    Tang Yun tugged his arm, giving him meaningful looks.


    "Tang Yun,e back here!"


    Seeing this, Pei Rou snorted coldly.


    "Oh."


    Hearing this, Tang Yun reluctantly went up the steps, and Pei Rou pulled her inside, followed by a loud bang as the door shut.


    Su Chen, looking at the closed door, could only shake his head and walk away with the nutritional products.


    He had thought Pei Rou would definitely invite him for a meal, but he didn''t even get inside the door...


    .....


    At dinner, the two little girls, exhausted from ying, finally came back.


    As soon as they saw Su Chen, they rushed over, one on each side, and Su Chen picked them up with augh.


    Then the two started chirping in his ears.


    With the two little girls chattering away, his earlier frustration from being turned away eased considerably...

 Chapter 836: The Second Group of People

    10 PM, Rose Bar.


    At the bar, a woman was sitting on a high stool with a cocktail in her hand, her eyes constantly ncing towards the entrance.


    She had a delicate nose, eyes bright like gems, brows arched like a willow leaf, and her lips red and slightly upturned, making her face stunningly beautiful!


    She was wearing a long khaki trench coat and slim light blue jeans, which perfectly outlined her long legs!


    Such a woman appearing in a bar naturally caught the eye, with many men surreptitiously ncing in her direction.


    Many of them were looking for an opportunity to approach her, hoping they might leave with her tonight.


    Beauty like hers was rare, even movie stars might notpete!


    "Hey, over here!"


    Suddenly, the woman''s eyes lit up, and she waved her hand towards the entrance.


    Su Chen saw Tang Yun waving and smiled slightly before walking over.


    "So, she''s taken."


    Seeing this scene, many men shook their heads in disappointment and turned their attention elsewhere.


    Of course, some were still reluctant to give up, for such a beautiful woman was not often seen, and it would be a shame to miss out!


    "A rum, please."


    Su Chen gently tapped the bar, and soon a ss of rum was handed over.


    "I knew you woulde looking for me."


    Su Chen took a sip of his drink and smiled.


    "I also knew that even if I didn''t look for you, you would find me."


    Tang Yun smiled as well.


    What they were going to talk about next was, of course, this afternoon''s events.


    "Do you know why my mom reacted that way to you?"


    Tang Yun tilted her head and asked.


    "Because my mom knows you are married."


    Without waiting for Su Chen to answer, Tang Yun continued.


    "I thought so!"


    Su Chen sighed upon hearing this.


    "You guessed that?"


    "I couldn''t think of any other reason."


    On the way back, Su Chen had actually spected quite a bit. As for Yandu''s affairs, Pei Rou most likely had heard about them as well.


    But at the time, he was too busy and didn''t pay attention to this particr detail.


    "Wasn''t this the perfect opportunity to rify our rtionship? Why didn''t you say anything?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "I did! I talked until my mouth was dry!"


    Tang Yun rolled her eyes at him and said:


    "But she needs to believe it!"


    It''s no wonder. The two of them were found by Pei Rou multiple times. iming they had no rtionship wouldn''t be credible to anyone!


    Especially the time when Pei Rou found them kissing passionately in Tang Yun''s apartment. It was an undeniable sight!


    To say they felt nothing for each other would be self-deception, but it seemed not to the extent of undying love!


    So, this matter became more and more tangled!


    "In my mom''s eyes, you are now a scoundrel who toys with women''s emotions!"


    Tang Yun said with a wry smile:


    "If it wasn''t for my dad and me, she would have gone to Yandu to settle the score with you!"


    "So what now?"


    Su Chen was helpless upon hearing this, not even daring to im he was wronged.


    After all, he did take advantage of Tang Yun several times, although Tang Yun yed a role in that too!


    "Don''t worry too much."


    Tang Yun smiled and said:


    "I can tell my mom still likes you."


    "It''s just that the incident is still fresh, and she hasn''t gotten over it yet."


    "My dad and I will talk to her more, and I believe things will get better. When the timees, you can exin things properly."


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen nodded. At the moment, it seemed this was all they could do.


    "By the way, next semester I might be teaching at a school in Yandu."


    After a moment, Tang Yun suddenly said.


    "Why are you going to Yandu?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise, then a yful smile appeared on his face:


    "Could it be you''ve fallen for me and decided to follow me?"


    One had to admit, his teasing side resurfaced.


    "Dream on! Who do you think you are!"


    Tang Yun couldn''t help but scoff at his words:


    "My father is being transferred to Yandu, so our whole family has to go!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen was somewhat shocked. Moving from Jianghai directly to Yandu was a big step!


    But Su Chen quickly understood. With the Four Great Families of Yandu having suffered significant setbacks, it would take a long time for them to recover their strength.


    Now, the Pei Family had be the top family, and relevant considerations surely took this into ount.


    Tang Mingji, as the Pei Family''s son-inw, also had his own aplishments and a good reputation, so his promotion was only natural!


    "Congrattions to Uncle Tang on his promotion then!"


    They then continued to chat casually until Tang Yun suddenly looked intently at him with a meaningfully deep expression on her face.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? It''s making me nervous!"


    Su Chenughed lightly, starting to feel a bit embarrassed under her gaze.


    "I never thought, you turned out to be from the Su Family."


    Tang Yun sighed and looked at Su Chen:


    "When I first heard the news, my whole family was quite shocked!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen just smiled and said nothing. Tang Yun was not the first to say such words.


    He avoided speaking too much about the Su Family, feeling it was something from a past life.


    Seeing that he didn''t want to discuss this topic, Tang Yun didn''t continue.


    "It''s past eleven, let''s go," Su Chen said.


    "Alright."


    Tang Yun nodded, and the two walked towards the entrance.


    But just as they stepped out of the bar, Su Chen stopped, for five men in ck appeared about seven or eight meters ahead.


    The cultivation of these men was undoubtedly high, with at least two of them reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm, simr to Mo Wei.


    Su Chen now had some understanding of the strength of the Meridian Expansion Realm, so he recognized it immediately.


    However, he didn''t worry, though Tang Yun beside him was indeed a concern.


    "Hey, littledy, leaving so early?"


    At this moment, a frivolous voice sounded.


    Three or four men dressed like hoodlums approached them from behind.


    "Littledy, your boyfriend doesn''t look like much. With such a thin body, can he satisfy you?"


    A man with a gold chain whistled and teased Tang Yun:


    "Why note with me tonight? I guarantee I''ll show you what a real man is!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the rest of the hoodlums burst intoughter...

 Chapter 837: Are They Looking for You?

    These thuggish-looking individuals who suddenly appeared from behind the two were naturally the same ones who had been eyeing Tang Yun''s beauty in the bar earlier.


    They had been watching Tang Yun continuously in the bar, and as soon as Su Chen and Tang Yun left, these guys immediately followed them out.


    The one who spoke just now was the leader of these thugs, a notorious thug in this area named Ma Liu.


    He had some men under hismand, and ordinary people really didn''t dare to mess with them.


    Of course, he didn''t dare to provoke anyone too powerful either.


    But seeing Su Chen dressed in ordinary casual clothes and his demeanor not that of someone with high status, he naturally felt confident and fearless!


    Moreover, he had seen most of the notable figures in Jianghai, but this young man was aplete stranger to him.


    "Scoundrel!"


    Tang Yun''s face immediately darkened upon hearing the vulgar words from this gold-chained, bald-headed man!


    "A lovelydy is still lovely, even when she''s cursing!"


    Instead of being angry, Ma Liu, the gold-chained man,ughed even more happily when he heard Tang Yun''s voice, and hisckeys chimed in with their jeers.


    "Kid, yourdypanion is mine today, get lost."


    Ma Liu subsequently said to Su Chen disdainfully, not taking him seriously at all.


    "I suggest you get lost now, or you won''t be able to leaveter."


    Su Chen nced at the man yfully, then quickly shifted his gaze to the people behind the thugs.


    "Haha, what''s this kid talking about, saying I can''t leave?"


    Ma Liuughed out loud to hisckeys as if he had just heard a joke.


    Hisckeys alsoughed recklessly upon hearing this.


    "Kid, do you know who you''re standing in front of?"


    One of theckeys sneered:


    "That''s Brother Ma! Talking like this in front of Brother Ma, I guess you''re itching for a beating!"


    "Hmph, kid, I want to see what you can do to keep me from leaving!"


    Ma Liu''s face darkened as he spoke coldly.


    "Move aside!"


    Before Su Chen could speak, a cold voice rang out from behind the thugs.


    "Damn, who the hell is it now!"


    Hearing this voice, Ma Liu immediately frowned in annoyance and turned around, only to see five men dressed in ck.


    Although these five men kept their auras restrained, they still gave Ma Liu a strong sense of oppression, clearly not easy opponents!


    "Who are you?"


    Ma Liu asked, trying to stay calm.


    "You don''t deserve to know."


    One of the men in ck replied coldly.


    Ma Liu''s face darkened even more upon hearing this.


    What''s more, there were quite a few onlookers around. The other party''s attitude made him feel extremely humiliated; after all, he was a significant figure!


    "You''re after this chick too? But there''s got to be some order of arrival!"


    Ma Liu said indignantly:


    "Get lost right now, or don''t me me for being rude!"


    He assumed these men were also attracted to Tang Yun''s beauty and had the same intentions as him!


    "Swish!"


    Suddenly, one of the men in ck drew a sword, and a cold sh passed through the bar''s neon lights.


    Immediately, the thugs all fell to the ground, their eyes wide open, each with a long, deep gash in their chests and abdomens, dead beyond a doubt!


    "Murder!"


    "Murder!"


    "Murder!"


    ...


    The onlookers were initially stunned with fright, then they erupted into screams and scattered in all directions.


    Tang Yun turned deathly pale at the sight of this scene, almost on the verge of vomiting!


    If not for Su Chen holding her hand, she might have copsed!


    "Let''s leave quickly!"


    Tang Yun said to Su Chen, these people were too dangerous, taking multiple lives with just one strike!


    She intended to leave and call the police immediately to handle the situation.


    But when she tugged, she discovered Su Chen had not moved and was still standing there.


    "You guys are from the Shengyi Gate."


    Su Chen looked at these men and asked calmly.


    "Correct. If you don''t want us to act, hand over the token obediently!"


    One of them said haughtily.


    "Are they looking for you?"


    Tang Yun asked hesitantly upon hearing their conversation.


    "Go back to the bar and have another drink. I''ll call you when I''m done."


    Su Chen smiled gently at Tang Yun and said.


    "But..."


    Tang Yun hesitated when she heard this. She knew how skilled Su Chen was; she had seen him in action before.


    However, these people were too strange and ruthless, killing several people in an instant, showing no regard for life at all!


    She couldn''t understand how they dared to kill in broad daylight!


    Even the Four Great Families wouldn''t dare to be this bold, especially in a society governed byw!


    "Just give them what they want."


    Tang Yun advised softly, thinking that human life was more important than any object.


    "Don''t worry, it will be over soon."


    Su Chen said, holding her arms and looking at her with a rxed expression. He knew she was worried about his safety.


    "Alright, but be careful."


    Tang Yun nodded, seeing his insistence, and reluctantly walked back towards the bar, looking back at every few steps.


    She couldn''t sit down for a drink as Su Chen suggested; she wasn''t in the mood for that!


    Once inside the bar, she stood by the entrance, anxiously looking at Su Chen outside.


    "Kid, you really are arrogant!"


    One of the men in the Meridian Expansion Realm said.


    They had heard Su Chen''s words to Tang Yun and felt infuriated by how little he regarded them.


    "With you trash, arrogance isn''t necessary!"


    Su Chen sneered, his expression full of contempt!


    He seemed disdainful, but inside, he was somewhat shocked!


    He had once thought that the Meridian Expansion Realm was extremely rare, a level that only prodigies could achieve!


    But after encountering top martial arts forces like the Hidden Dragon Hall, Shengyi Gate, and Lingyue Pce, he realized that the Meridian Expansion Realm was not so umon!


    It wasn''t ubiquitous likemon vegetables, but certainly not that rare either!


    Even a martial arts family like the Fei Family could easily produce several Meridian Expansion Realm experts!


    Suddenly, he realized how narrow-minded he had been, like a frog in a well!


    Fortunately, his cultivation of the Nine Yang Divine Technique was unique; otherwise, he would have met his end facing these experts...

 Chapter 838: Are You Afraid?

    "Kid, you''re looking for death!"


    Seeing this young man''s reckless boasting, those few individuals'' eyes suddenly narrowed, and a sharp gleam shot out simultaneously!


    At the same time, their figures moved, and they all attacked!


    Watching those who were closing in, Su Chen didn''t engage. Instead, his figure flickered, and he fled into the distance!


    After all, this was the bar entrance, and there were pedestrians on the street, which was very inconvenient!


    If they really fought fiercely, it would undoubtedly cause panic.


    These people didn''t care about that, but Su Chen had to pay attention unless he had no choice!


    To be honest, he didn''t expect those people to kill at the bar entrance without even blinking.


    It seems that the people of Shengyi Gate are indeed ruthless!


    "So, you''re just a bbermouth!"


    Seeing him flee, the ck-d attackers thought he was afraid and pursued relentlessly!


    However, they were surprised by his extremely strange movement.


    Every time it seemed they would catch up, they were just a little short!


    In no time, they had chased for more than ten kilometers.


    Since Su Chen kept running to deserted ces, there were already few people around here.


    Suddenly, Su Chen noticed an abandoned factory by the roadside not far ahead, his eyes gleamed, and he darted towards the factory!


    Those people naturally followed closely, like shadows.


    But as they entered, they sensed something was wrong.


    For unknown reasons, an overhead light hung from the roof of the abandoned factory was still lit.


    Though dim, it illuminated a small area around.


    Under the light stood a figure with a faint, eerie smile at the neers.


    It seemed he was deliberately waiting for them!


    Seeing this scene, those people suddenly had a bad feeling in their hearts!


    "You lured us here on purpose?"


    One of them in the Meridian Expansion Realm said in a deep voice, appearing to be the leader.


    "Bingo, you guessed right."


    Su Chen responded with a mocking smile:


    "Too bad there''s no prize!"


    "Hmph, you haven''t even broken through to the Meridian Expansion Realm. I don''t know where you got the confidence to do this!"


    The ck-d man spat disdainfully.


    Although feeling something was not quite right, he couldn''t pinpoint it.


    After all, the one standing in front of him was just a nobody!


    "You''ll find out soon enough!"


    Su Chen smiled calmly, showing no concern for these people.


    "Today, this ce will be your burial ground!"


    Su Chen''s tone was t, as if stating an impending fact!


    The more he acted this way, the more humiliated the ck-d men felt!


    "Kid, I''ll make you pay for what you said!"


    the leading ck-d man spat coldly.


    "Attack!"


    He shouted, and before his voice faded, those people attacked Su Chen again!


    At the same time, a powerful pressure spread out, enveloping Su Chen!


    Facing their attack, Su Chen did not confront them head-on; that would be the worst strategy!


    Even though he was confident in defeating them, Su Chen instinctively sought the optimal solution!


    He had dealt with such situations many times, instinctively knowing what to do!


    No doubt, the best strategy was to catch them off guard, attacking the weakest first to reduce their numbers!


    Otherwise, fighting the stronger ones with the weak ones still around would be troublesome!


    So, as they closed in, his figure shed and vanished!


    They were stunned, not expecting the young man to be so fast!


    In the next moment, two nearly Meridian Expansion individuals showed startled expressions.


    They suddenly found the opponent right in front of them!


    "sh!"


    Before they could react, Su Chen''s dagger had slit their throats, causing a spray of blood!


    The remaining three noticed something wrong and saw their twopanions falling!


    Their faces grew serious, no longer daring to underestimate the young man.


    Though the two in the Meridian Expansion Realm didn''t think he was stronger, they dared not ck off!


    "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"


    The three simultaneously unsheathed their swords, and three streams of Sword Qi flew toward Su Chen like rainbows!


    Su Chen moved, dodging their Sword Qi, while his wrist flicked, sending nine silver needles shooting toward them!


    Three needles aimed at each person, their speed like lightning, making the three startled and raising their swords to block!


    "ng, ng, ng~!"


    The sound of silver needles hitting the swords echoed; clearly, the needles were blocked!


    But not all; the remaining half-step Meridian Expansion individual reacted slower, and this slowness cost him his life!


    Three silver needles were lodged in his forehead, and he fell back with a thud!


    Su Chen didn''t send the nine silver needles to kill all three; his current cultivation couldn''t achieve that. He aimed only to take down the one half-step Meridian Expansion person!


    The simultaneous attack on the others was just to prevent them from saving him!


    And he seeded; the half-step Meridian Expansion man fell!


    In the blink of an eye, only the two strongest Meridian Expansion individuals remained!


    Their faces darkened, and their eyes flickered with rage looking at Su Chen!


    This oue was something they couldn''t have imagined beforehand. Threerades dead in just a few moves!


    Though those three had lower strength, they were still half-step Meridian Expansion, not easy to kill!


    Even they couldn''t have done it so cleanly!


    No wonder the previous group was wiped out; this young man indeed was tough!


    "Kid, you''re strong, but you''re still no match for us!"


    One ck-d man said:


    "Hand over the token, and we might let you live!"


    They felt pressured and sensed something strange since this young man hadn''t even entered the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Though the sect leader ordered them to retrieve the token and kill the boy, the token was undoubtedly the priority. As long as they brought it back, they wouldn''t be punished, even if there was no great merit!


    "Are you scared?"


    With a mocking smile, Su Chen said,

 Chapter 839: Return to Yandu

    "Unappreciative fool! We''re giving you a way out!"


    The man became enraged by Su Chen''s words, which hit the mark.


    "Oh, really? It''s a pity, but I have no intention of leaving you a way out!"


    Su Chen shook his head lightly and sighed.


    "Kid, you''re too arrogant! Let''s see what you can do!"


    Another ck-d man shouted harshly, thoroughly angered by Su Chen''s words!


    "Last time, the people from Shengyi Gate said the same thing. But unfortunately for them, they''re already in hell."


    Su Chen said indifferently:


    "Don''t worry, you''ll soon join them!"


    "Courting death!"


    At this moment, the faces of the two men were already clouded with fury. They shouted loudly and once again swung their swords at Su Chen!


    One man''s sword pointed directly at Su Chen''s forehead, while the other ck-d man''s long sword aimed straight for Su Chen''s heart!


    The power of these two strikes was even more formidable than before, as if they had pierced through the void itself. The True Yuan enveloping their swords was not released!


    If these strikes hit, their power would be no less than a powerful bomb exploding on one''s body!


    Su Chen didn''t dare to be careless either. When the swords were within half a foot of him, he suddenly knelt down, narrowly avoiding their deadly strikes!


    Simultaneously, he slid toward the two men at an almost imperceptible speed!


    His sudden kneeling caught the two ck-d menpletely off guard. Their faces changed drastically when they saw the young man sliding toward them on his knees!


    They instinctively felt an immense danger and tried to retreat, but it was already toote!


    Su Chen clenched a dagger in one hand and made a fist with the other, attacking simultaneously as he approached the two ck-d men!


    "Bang!"


    One of them was sent flying by Su Chen''s punch, crashing hard into a wall, which copsed instantly and buried him inside.


    The other man''s chest and abdomen were shed open by Su Chen''s dagger!


    Su Chen knew the man he punched was already dead, while the one beside him now had his Dantian destroyed!


    That man looked at Su Chen in horror, feeling a sense of disbelief at what had just happened!


    How could he be so fast? And his strength so immense?


    Two Meridian Expansion Realm Second Stage, and three Half-Step Meridian Expansion Realm individuals were dealt with so effortlessly by this young man, as if it took no effort at all!


    How was this possible?


    He hadn''t even entered the Meridian Expansion Realm yet!


    Regardless, it was already toote for any questions.


    "Tell me, what''s so special about that token? Why does Shengyi Gate want it so badly?"


    Su Chen looked at the man and asked.


    Shengyi Gate''s persistent attempts to take the token indicated that it was extraordinary!


    However, Su Chen''s long study of it had yielded no results!


    "I don''t know. I just know it''s the Sect Leader''s order. If we don''t get the token, it''s a dead end for us!"


    At this point, the man saw no reason to struggle anymore.


    So he answered whatever Su Chen asked.


    Su Chen then asked him about the Su Family''s matters from twenty years ago, but he still knew nothing.


    Since that was the case, there was no need to keep him alive.


    After dealing with the bodies, Su Chen casually made his way back to the bar.


    At this time, Tang Yun was still anxiously looking out. She hadn''t followed them when they left.


    Of course, she wanted to follow but didn''t have the speed. When they left, they moved like a gust of wind, leaving her stunned!


    Another reason she didn''t follow was because she knew she''d only be a burden to Su Chen, distracting him and serving no purpose.


    But she couldn''t help but worry about Su Chen, fearing he might get into trouble, as those men were ruthless killers!


    While she was anxiously waiting, a figure came into view from a distance!


    She immediately ran out from the bar''s entrance toward the figure, moving like a gust of wind herself!


    "Are you okay?"


    Tang Yun walked up to him, nervously asking, looking him up and down to see if he was hurt.


    "I''m fine, I''m fine."


    Su Chen grabbed her spinning body with a smile:


    "Do I look like I''m hurt?"


    "You had me worried sick!"


    Tang Yun said as she lightly punched him with her delicate fist, her beautiful eyes shimmering with tears.


    "You were really worried about me!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but smile as he looked at her anxious expression.


    "Yes, I was worried you wouldn''t die!"


    Tang Yun retorted coyly.


    "Alright, alright, it''s over now!"


    Su Chen smiled gently:


    "Let''s go back."


    Tang Yun wiped her eyes upon hearing this, then looked at the bodies of the thugs and asked:


    "What about them?"


    "The police will handle it, no need for us to worry."


    Su Chen said, believing that some of the onlookers must have already reported it to the police.


    Su Chen then took Tang Yun''s car back, as he had taken a cab and hadn''t driven.


    Sure enough, as they left, sirens started to wail from the distant street...


    ....


    "How are those ck-d men who were chasing you?"


    On the way, Tang Yun suddenly asked.


    "I fought them off."


    Su Chen smiled. He didn''t tell her the truth because there was no need.


    "That''s good."


    Tang Yun was somewhat relieved to hear this.


    However, she couldn''t understand how those men dared to kill in such a public ce, with no regard for thew!


    Tang Yun first dropped Su Chen off at the Grand Epoch Court and then drove home alone.


    As he walked towards the vi, Su Chen called Jiang Lixing, telling him to stop investigating the incident at the bar because it wasn''t within his jurisdiction.


    Although Jiang Lixing didn''t know why, he stillplied, handling only the aftermath.


    When Su Chen got home, Aunt Wang and the two little girls had already gone to bed, so he went upstairs to rest in Lin Ruoxue''s room...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in an old manor in Europe.


    An old man was sitting in the hall, with several men in ck tuxedos standing below him.


    "Go to Huaxia and check on my son Gapa. I haven''t heard from him in a month!"


    The old man said in a low voice:


    "I suspect something has happened to him!"


    "Yes, Patriarch!"


    The men in tuxedos bowed and replied, then retreated...


    .....


    The next morning, after breakfast, Su Chen took Aunt Wang and the two little girls to the airport. The two little girls were quite excited.


    In the afternoon, the nended gently at Yandu Airport.


    Su Chen''s car was parked at the airport. He retrieved it and took them back to the Imperial Garden...

 Chapter 840: The Mystery of the Mother

    Aunt Sun knew that Aunt Wang and the others wereing, so she prepared the room early.


    When Su Chen brought Aunt Wang home, Aunt Sun and Aunt Wang chatted a bit and found they got along very well, like old friends who hadn''t seen each other in years.


    The two little girls immediately ran to their rooms to see how they looked.


    He originally wanted the two little girls to attend school in Yandu with him. He had mentioned this idea to Aunt Wang in Jianghai yesterday.


    Aunt Wang then spoke to the old master of the Lin Family about it, but surprisingly, the old master was firmly against it!


    The reason for the refusal made Su Chen feel both amused and exasperated; the old man said that having the kids around would be too noisy and disrupt his and Lin Ruoxue''s baby-making ns!


    The old man said that the two little girls coulde over after they had their own child, but until then, they should stay in Jianghai under Aunt Wang''s care!


    For the old master of the Lin Family, his greatest wish at present is for Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen to quickly bear fruit in their rtionship!


    This morning, Su Chen even called the old man specifically to bring up the matter again.


    To his surprise, the old man scolded him instead, urging him to hurry up and give him a grandchild to hold.


    Given Su Chen''s current status, the old master no longer sees him as a mere son-inw.


    With no other options, Su Chen could only repeatedly assure him that he was working on it before hastily ending the call.


    This means, after the winter break, Su Chen will have to send the two little girls and Aunt Wang back.


    Fortunately, travel is convenient now, and it''s just a few hours by ne between the two ces.


    He''s already taken care of his affairs in Yandu, so he''ll have more free time in the future, and he can bring them over for short visits during holidays.


    .....


    Su Chen stayed in the living room for a while before returning to his room. He took the iron box from the secretpartment again, then retrieved the mottled, jet-ck token.


    Shengyi Gate had sent people one after another to try to take the token from him, which was enough to indicate its significance!


    But what exactly is so extraordinary about it?


    Su Chen studied it for almost an hour, still without any breakthroughs.


    His brows furrowed deeply, then suddenly his eyes lit up:


    "Why not try True Yuan?"


    With that thought, he slowly channeled a few strands of True Yuan into the token through his palm. At that moment, something astonishing happened!


    The True Yuan could only prate the surface and couldn''t go any deeper, as if some restrictive force was blocking it!


    "This token truly is peculiar!"


    Su Chen murmured, "Mother, what exactly did you leave me?"


    He was increasingly curious about his mother''s identity, sensing that there was a huge conspiracy surrounding it.


    However, so far, his knowledge of his mother, aside from their time together during his childhood, was only a name¡ªMu Tong!


    It seems all the mysteries still revolve around Shengyi Gate, and ording to that girl Yan Xi, Shengyi Gate used to be called Shengmen. It changed its name after some incidents over twenty years ago!


    "Brother Su, where are you?"


    At this moment, Xiao Xun''s voice came from outside.


    Su Chen quickly put the token back in the iron box, then lightly jumped up and ced the box back in the secretpartment.


    "You little girl, what are you shouting for?"


    Su Chen walked out of the room and said teasingly.


    "I thought you went out!"


    Xiao Xun pouted, responding.


    "Where are Aunt Wang and Aunt Sun?"


    "They seem to have gone out to buy groceries together."


    "Where''s your sister Ruohan?"


    "Over there."


    Xiao Xun pointed towards the direction of the stairs.


    Su Chen turned to look and saw little Ruohan sitting there, deeply engrossed in a book.


    "Ruohan, what are you reading?"


    Su Chen walked over and sat down beside her, asking with a smile.


    "Tui Bei Tu."


    Little Ruohan showed Su Chen the cover of the book and continued reading.


    Hearing this, Su Chen was at a loss for words, marveling at the little prodigy!


    A 12-year-old girl reading Tui Bei Tu, who would believe it?


    "Can you understand it?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "Of course; it''s based on Zhou Yi (the Book of Changes)!"


    Little Ruohan responded naturally.


    Once again, Su Chen was speechless. He had heard from the Lin Family that this little girl was easygoing most of the time, but as soon as she read something interesting, nothing and no one could distract her.


    Talking to him at this moment was already quite courteous; even her mother, Lin Wenting, rarely received such treatment!


    "Hehe!"


    At this moment, a burst ofughter sounded. Su Chen looked up to see Xiao Xun holding a tablet, wearing headphones, and watching cartoons!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh, noticing that the two little girls were like two extremes: one was utterly pure, and the other...


    In any case, they seemed like total opposites!


    Soon, Aunt Wang and Aunt Sun returned with groceries, and began preparing dinner.


    However, because Aunt Wang had just gotten off the ne, Aunt Sun asked her to rest on the sofa while she took over the cooking.


    Actually, Aunt Wang had insisted on going to the market earlier; Aunt Sun originally wanted her to stay at home and rest.


    Seeing nothing else needed his attention, Su Chen went back to his bedroom upstairs to start cultivating.


    Now, Su Chen both hoped to reach the Meridian Expansion Realm early and feared it a little.


    Because once he reached that realm, he had no idea how to proceed with his cultivation, a problem he currently had no solution for.


    Lin Ruoxue knew that Aunt Wang and the others wereing, so she came back immediately after work, bringing Yan Xi along as well.


    In the evening, everyone gathered for a lively dinner, though it was the two little girls who made the most noise.


    Su Chen noticed that Xiao Xun had be much more livelypared to the first time he met her.


    He still vividly remembered the stubborn little girl who insisted she was sick in front of him.


    He still had no clue about the strange energy inside Xiao Xun, so he nned to ask his old ghostly master when he visited in a few days.


    Although many people were staying at the vi, there were enough rooms. By ten o''clock, everyone had retired to their respective rooms to rest.


    The next day, Su Chen didn''t go to work; instead, he took the two little girls out to y. Yan Xi, too, couldn''t resist her childlike urges and insisted oning along, so Su Chen let her join.


    The four of them yed until dark, during which Yan Xi got along well with the two little girls.


    The only issue was that little Ruohan kept calling Yan Xi "childish," making her feel quite embarrassed.


    That was to be expected; for a girl like Ruohan, few people could ever meet her high standards.


    After dinner, Su Chen suddenly received a call from Yunlong, saying he wanted to meet and discuss something.


    Su Chen was curious about what Yunlong could want at this hour, but he still went immediately...

 Chapter 841 - 841 Going to the Kunlun Mountains

    Su Chen drove all the way to Yunlong''s vi, feeling a bit uneasy on the way.


    What did Yunlong call him to his home for?


    Could it be he still wanted to set him up with Yunyao?


    It''s undeniable that Yunyao is rarely seen beauty, but Su Chen wasn''t really in the mood for that now.


    After all, the issues with Eniel and Du Hanbing weren''t resolved yet, and he didn''t know how to solve them.


    He originally intended to turn back, but then thought, what if Yunlong really had something important?


    So he continued driving forward, and in no time, he arrived at Yunlong''s vi.


    As soon as Yunlong heard the car, he immediately ran out, and after Su Chen got out of the car, he followed Yunlong inside.


    "Kid, are you thinking of some new trick to set me up with your sister again?"


    As soon as Su Chen walked into the courtyard, he asked. If so, he would leave right away to avoid any awkwardness!


    "It''s not that, my sister has already left."


    "Uh, when did she leave?"


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback when he heard this, and then asked.


    "A few days ago."


    Yunlong said while walking into the house.


    "So why did you call me here today?"


    Yunyao wasn''t around, and Yunlong didn''t seem to be in any trouble either. What did he want?


    Su Chen was really confused for the moment.


    "Big brother, there''s something that the more I think about it these days, the more I feel something''s off, so I wanted to discuss it with you."


    After entering the house, Yunlong said seriously.


    "What seems off?"


    Seeing him like this, Su Chen quickly asked.


    "Big brother, remember I told you some time ago that I had just acquired a piece ofnd in Jinmen?"


    "Hmm, is there a problem?"


    Su Chen nodded and asked. He had heard Yunlong mention it before.


    After thest business fight, Yunlong had gained quite a lot, naturally expanding his business!


    Currently, real estate is the hottest industry, and Yunlong certainly wouldn''t want to miss this piece of juicy meat.


    Thend prices in Yandu are too high, and good plots are rare, gradually expanding to the suburbs!


    Jinmen, adjacent to Yandu, naturally attracted the attention of many sharp-eyed businessmen. Moreover, the two have always been arge business circle.


    In terms of development potential, it might even surpass Yandu, as Yandu is already mature and even saturated!


    "Recently, I went to check out the construction site and found something unusual under the site, like someone had dug a tunnel underneath."


    Yunlong recalled and said:


    "I originally thought it was something left from a special reason in the past and didn''t pay much attention. I could just fill it upter, but the past few days, I heard reports from the site that some strangers have been visiting the area."


    "I''m not sure if there''s any connection, but I just feel a bit uneasy."


    Hearing this, Su Chen also felt something was off, though it might also be that he was overthinking.


    "How about this, I have to go out for a few days. When Ie back, I''ll go with you to take a look."


    Su Chen said:


    "In these few days, you just have the site guards keep an eye out."


    "Alright, I''ll trouble you, big brother."


    Yunlong nodded. Despite not officially starting work yet, a few people were guarding the site since some materials had already been gradually transported over.


    After discussing this matter, Su Chen drove back home.


    On the way back, Su Chen kept thinking about what Yunlong had said. Could there really be something fishy going on?


    He pondered for a while, then shook his head, thinking: Maybe Yunlong and I are just being too suspicious!


    Then he stopped thinking about it, focusing on driving back home...


    .....


    One dayter, Su Chen boarded a ne to the Kunlun Mountains with Lin Ruoxue and Xiaoxun.


    Of course, there were no direct flights. Afternding, Su Chen rented a car and drove a long distance until they reached a small town near the foot of the Kunlun Mountains.


    Then, they walked towards the Kunlun Mountains, Su Chen dragging a suitcase, with arge backpack on his back, Lin Ruoxue carrying tworge bags, and even Xiaoxun holding a small package.


    These were items Lin Ruoxue had prepared early, saying they were for paying respects to her master.


    Before setting off in the afternoon, when Lin Ruoxue brought out these items, it really shocked Su Chen!


    Isn''t this too much?


    Su Chen told her not to bring so many things, but Lin Ruoxue insisted, as it was her first time meeting his master, she had to show proper respect!


    He had no choice but to let her be, and the result was this.


    After walking for a long time, the three finally reached the real foot of the Kunlun Mountains. Xiaoxun was alright, but Lin Ruoxue felt she couldn''t walk anymore. When had she walked such a long distance before!


    "Woof woof woof~~"


    At this moment, barkings were heard from the mountainside.


    "Big Yellow!"


    Su Chen''s eyes lit up upon hearing the sound, and shortly after, they saw an old big yellow dog dashing towards them, startling Lin Ruoxue and Xiaoxun.


    But the big yellow dog ignored the two of them and pounced directly on Su Chen!


    "Stop!"


    Su Chen loudlymanded, causing the big yellow dog tond forcefully, then it ran to Su Chen''s side, barking excitedly!


    This scene amazed the other two!


    "Honey, is this the dog you mentioned before?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked in surprise, looking at the big yellow dog.


    She had heard Su Chen mention before that his master had a big yellow dog, which normally wouldn''t even eat food from star-rated hotels...


    "Yes, this foodie!"


    Su Chen nodded, then took off his backpack and ced it on the big yellow dog''s back, along with Xiaoxun''s package.


    "Brother Su, I better carry it myself, it''s already so old, it must be getting tired."


    Xiaoxun said sympathetically.


    "Yeah, honey, how can you make it carry these things?"


    Lin Ruoxue mirrored herpassion.


    "Don''t worry, this weight is nothing for Big Yellow."


    Su Chen smiled slightly and said:


    "Isn''t that right, Big Yellow?"


    It should be noted that, in usual times, his master would make it carry a sack of rice back from the town!


    "Woof woof!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, the big yellow dog barked proudly twice, seeming to respond to Su Chen.


    "This dog seems quite intelligent, doesn''t it?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously.


    Su Chen smiled without speaking, there are plenty of surprising things about this foodie!


    "Honey, let me carry you on my back."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "No need, I can manage on my own."


    Even Xiaoxun, a little girl, was walking on her own. How could she, an adult, let herself be carried...

 Chapter 842 - 842 A Man, A Boy, and A Dog

    "What''s ''okay'' supposed to mean? Your legs were wobbling when you were walking earlier. What if you identally slip while climbing the mountain?"


    Su Chen''s face went serious as he said that. As for Xiaoxun, he could tell her situation was much better than Lin Ruoxue''s.


    That''s normal, after all, Xiaoxun used to live near Tianshan. Walking long distances and climbing mountains weremon for her.


    "If you don''t get on, I''ll carry you up!"


    Seeing Ruoxue still hesitating, Su Chen "threatened."


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue had to let him carry her. She indeed couldn''t walk anymore, let alone climb.


    "Dahuang, clear the way ahead!"


    Su Chen said, and Dahuang the dog happily ran ahead...


    Then Su Chen carried Lin Ruoxue on his back while holding onto Xiaoxun with one hand and caught up.


    At first, Lin Ruoxue was okay, but soon she blushed when she noticed Su Chen''s hand dishonestly touching her round bottom...


    In front of Xiaoxun, a little girl, she was too embarrassed to say anything. She could only reach out her delicate hand and fiercely pinch the flesh on Su Chen''s back.


    But Su Chen had thick skin, feeling nothing, which made Lin Ruoxue gnash her teeth in anger, yet she was helpless...


    "We''re here!"


    Walking halfway up the mountain, a small courtyard appeared in front of the three, with a small wooden house inside.


    "Woof woof woof~~!"


    The big yellow dog carrying two bundles rushed in, barking non-stop, seeming both very happy and trying to tell the people inside someone had arrived.


    "I wondered why Dahuang was so happy and kept running down the mountain. Turns out it''s because you little rascal came back!"


    At this moment, a light voice drifted out from inside. Though soft, it carried an immense piercing power!


    Soon a figure came out of the house, an elder in a Taoist robe with a faint smile on his face.


    This was precisely Su Chen''s old master, named Gongsun Liang, with the Taoist name Lingxiao.


    The name sounds quite grand, but it waspletely different from the impression Gongsun Liang usually gave Su Chen.


    "Your disciple greets Master!"


    Su Chen immediately knelt down to pay his respects.


    Though he often called the elder "old ghost," it had been so long since theyst met, the first encounter still required proper kowtowing and respect.


    Lin Ruoxue saw this and hurriedly knelt down too, her voice as soft as a mosquito''s buzz:


    "Disciple''s wife, Lin Ruoxue, greets Master!"


    After she finished, her face turnedpletely red. She wasn''t used to this kind of greeting and felt very embarrassed.


    But rites should not be neglected; it was a must!


    Xiaoxun saw both Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue kneeling and followed suit, though unsure what to say.


    "Get up, all of you!"


    Gongsun Liang gently raised his hand, his demeanorposed.


    "Little girl, in a blink of an eye, you''ve grown so much, be a youngdy."


    Gongsun Liang said sentimentally as he looked at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Master, you''ve seen me before?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked in surprise. As for the form of address, of course, she followed Su Chen''s lead.


    "Otherwise, how would you two get married?"


    Gongsun Liang smiled slightly:


    "Let''s alle inside first."


    With that, he walked in, and Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue, and Xiaoxun entered with their suitcases and bundles.


    Lin Ruoxue found that although the ce was simple, it was quite spacious.


    "Old ghost, look at the good stuff I brought you!"


    Once inside, Su Chen opened the suitcases and bundles with augh.


    Gongsun Liang, who had just been all serious, suddenly had his eyes light up!


    "Is this thirty-year-old Huadiao?"


    "This is deep-sea cod!"


    "This is authentic wild boar meat from the Northeast!"


    "This is white truffle from Alba Town!"


    "And this caviar''s not bad either, it''s from wild sturgeon from the Caspian Sea!"


    ...


    Each item Gongsun Liang picked up made his cloudy eyes gleam with brilliance!


    He looked just like a miser who discovered a room full of gold and jewels!


    Lin Ruoxue began to doubt Su Chen''s earlier im that his master was a foodie. After all, at first meeting, Gongsun Liang seemed quite otherworldly!


    However, at this moment, she had no doubts left!


    What amazed her even more was that the big yellow dog beside them also had gleaming eyes looking at the stuff!


    "You little rascal, at least you still have some heart, thinking of your master!"


    Gongsun Liang chuckled.


    "Wait a second! Since when did this little rascal be so considerate?"


    Gongsun Liang immediately furrowed his brow:


    "It had to be your wife who prepared all this!"


    "Old ghost, whatever my wife''s is mine, isn''t it the same? After all, it''s the thought from both of us!"


    Su Chen was not embarrassed at all even when exposed. Heughed cheekily.


    Lin Ruoxue smiled quietly on the side, saying nothing.


    Indeed, she had prepared all these things over the past few days and then had them shipped over.


    Though these ingredients were rare, fortunately, Lin Ruoxue had nock of money. Given the right price, no matter how rare the items were, she could get her hands on them.


    Even so, it had taken quite some effort.


    Seeing Gongsun Liang so satisfied now, she felt it was all worth it!


    "You little rascal, still so shameless!"


    Gongsun Liang curled his lips:


    "Since you''re back, hurry up and cook."


    "Even Dahuang, the foodie, has been looking forward to your cooking for so long and has almost starved thin!"


    "Who''s shameless here, you clearly want to eat, but you''re ming the dog!"


    Su Chen immediately curled his lips in disdain.


    "Woof woof!"


    The big yellow dog barked twice as if to say, "Exactly, exactly!"


    In front of Lin Ruoxue and Xiaoxun, Gongsun Liang felt embarrassed and kicked towards Dahuang:


    "Stop barking, or I''ll stew you!"


    Dahuang dodged quickly, its body agile!


    "Woof woof~~"


    It then ran to the courtyard, continuing to bark at Gongsun Liang inside.


    "Hurry up, get cooking!"


    Gongsun Liang ignored the barking dog, annoyed, he told Su Chen.


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue with a resentful look. He knew this would happen with all the stuff she brought!


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen''s grimace and smiled.


    "I''ll go lie down, you two look around."


    Gongsun Liang said to Lin Ruoxue.


    "Okay, Master."


    She then saw Gongsun Liang lie down on a reclining chair at the door, bathed in the sunset.


    The big yellow dog jumped onto him andy down, closing its eyes slightly, soaking in the sun¡­


    Lin Ruoxue then looked at Su Chen busy in the kitchen. She found the interaction among the elder, the young, and the dog quite interesting, feeling a sense of harmony¡­

 Chapter 843 - 843 Demonic Qi

    Lin Ruoxue then took Xiaoxun for a walk nearby. The scenery here was beautiful, and the air was fresh.


    There weren''t any skyscrapers or cutthroatpetition like in big cities. Here, she felt her spirit was entirely released!


    This is where my husband grew up!


    Lin Ruoxue felt as if she had touched the traces of Su Chen''s past!


    After strolling around the mountainside for almost two hours, the sun had almostpletely set, and the sky darkened. Lin Ruoxue took Xiaoxun back.


    When they returned to the cabin, they found Gongsun Liang and the big yellow dog still lying on the lounge chairs at the door.


    "Dinner is ready!"


    At this moment, Su Chen''s voice came from inside!


    Lin Ruoxue was utterly shocked to witness what happened next!


    The man and the dog simultaneously opened their eyes. The big yellow dog leaped off Gongsun Liang''s body and bolted straight into the house!


    Its speed was as swift as an arrow, disappearing in the blink of an eye!


    Gongsun Liang immediately got up, ready to sh into the house. His gaze happened to catch Lin Ruoxue and Xiaoxun just entering the courtyard.


    He quickly steadied himself and calmly said:


    "You two girls, it''s time to eat."


    Although Lin Ruoxue and Xiaoxun were more than ten years apart in age, they were both considered little girls in his eyes.


    During dinner, Gongsun Liang naturally sat at the head of the table, with Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue on one side, and Xiaoxun sitting opposite them.


    The big yellow dog kept circling around the table.


    Lin Ruoxue truly felt that this was the most delicious meal she had ever eaten; the vors were indescribable!


    But what she didn''t expect was that Gongsun Liang almost found fault with every dish!


    This made Lin Ruoxue truly understand how picky Su Chen''s master was when it came to food!


    She couldn''t help but wonder, how did he eat when Su Chen wasn''t around?


    Did he not eat at all?


    But Su Chen didn''t say much, understanding that the old man was right.


    Even so, Su Chen didn''t hold back on the food, and he drank a fair amount of Hua Diao wine.


    After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. On this mountainside, there seemed to be no reason to stay up.


    There weren''t many rooms here, to be precise, just two¡ªone for Gongsun Liang and the other was Su Chen''s former room. Naturally, Xiaoxun slept with the couple.


    In the dead of night, while Lin Ruoxue and Xiaoxun were fast asleep, Su Chen slowly got up from the bed and quietly walked out, closing the door behind him.


    When he reached his master''s door, the oilmp inside was still lit. He knew the old man was waiting for him.


    "I knew it. You''re not here just to visit me this time,"


    Gongsun Liang said, looking at Su Chen as he walked in.


    "Seeing you is the main thing. I also have a few questions to ask."


    Su Chen chuckled, sitting down opposite Gongsun Liang and pouring two cups of tea from the kettle on the table.


    "Your mind has been very unsettledtely,"


    Gongsun Liang said, looking at Su Chen.


    "Old man, you''re talking nonsense. I''ve been doing great, nothing unsettled."


    Su Chen smiled nonchntly.


    "You can''t deny it. Even from the dishes you cooked today, I can tell. If your mind were truly at peace, every dish would''ve been perfect."


    Gongsun Liang said calmly:


    "Alright, just ask what you want to know."


    "Did you see the little girl I brought today? Did you sense any strange energy in her?"


    Su Chen asked. Although he had no kinship with Xiaoxun, he had promised to cure her, so he couldn''t go back on his word.


    Besides, he liked and cherished the little girl very much.


    Gongsun Liang nodded upon hearing this.


    "Do you know what that strange energy is?"


    Su Chen quickly asked.


    "Yes,"


    "Old man, what exactly is it?"


    "Demonic Qi,"


    Gongsun Liang slowly uttered the two words.


    "Demonic Qi?!"


    Su Chen was shocked upon hearing this!


    What on earth is Demonic Qi? He had never heard of it!


    Besides, how could such a pure little girl like Xiaoxun have Demonic Qi inside her?


    "That''s right, Demonic Qi! Like True Yuan, it is also a kind of energy between heaven and earth!"


    Gongsun Liang seemed to understand his thoughts and continued.


    "Since Demonic Qi and True Yuan are both types of heavenly energy, why does True Yuan make people feelfortable, while Demonic Qi makes Xiaoxun feel ufortable?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "Both True Yuan and Demonic Qi are transformed through cultivation, making the body tougher over time,"


    Gongsun Liang exined:


    "But this little girl was born able to absorb Demonic Qi without any cultivation. How could her frail body withstand such an impact?"


    With his master''s exnation, Su Chen finally understood the general situation.


    However, he was still shocked that Xiaoxun could naturally absorb Demonic Qi!


    "So, old man, your point is, as long as she cultivates and gradually strengthens her body, it will be okay?"


    Su Chen quickly asked.


    "That''s right. Moreover, cultivating and absorbing True Yuan can partially suppress the Demonic Qi inside her, reducing her pain."


    "That''s great, that''s great!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen revealed a rxed smile.


    While Su Chen looked relieved, Gongsun Liang secretly sighed. There were some things about Xiaoxun he hadn''t told Su Chen.


    In fact, for the little girl, Demonic Qi was not the main issue; the key problem was the Demonic Nature!


    Once the Demonic Nature awakens, then...


    "How about this? You leave the little girl with me. I''ll help hery a solid foundation. When she''s capable of cultivating on her own, you can take her back."


    Gongsun Liang said to Su Chen.


    "That would be very helpful, master!"


    Su Chen chuckled. With his master personally teaching her, that was certainly the best.


    As for school, Su Chen did not hold it in high regard.


    Originally, he sent Xiaoxun to school just so she wouldn''t get bored at home. At least she''d havepanions at school.


    Of course, another reason was to let her gain more knowledge.


    But currently, her health was the most important. It wouldn''t matter if she started schoolter.


    "Hmph, don''t be pretentious!"


    Gongsun Liang snorted:


    "Any more questions, ask away."


    "Also, it seems Ruoxue has something like a seed inside her body..."


    "That''s a Gu,"


    Su Chen hadn''t finished speaking when Gongsun Liang interjected.


    "How do you know that?"


    Su Chen blurted out in shock, his expression full of incredulity.


    He just couldn''t fathom that Lin Ruoxue actually had a Gu inside her!

 Chapter 844: Just a Bit Stronger Than You

    "Because I treated her when she was little."


    Gongsun Liang nced at Su Chen and said:


    "I said I had seen her before, that''s when."


    It was also at that time that Gongsun Liang and Lin Ruoxue''s grandfather arranged their marriage.


    "Then why didn''t you extract that Gu?"


    Su Chen hurriedly questioned, surprising him that his old ghost master had treated Lin Ruoxue before.


    "I can usually handle normal Gu, but this Gu is very special, I can only suppress it."


    Gongsun Liang replied.


    Su Chen nodded thoughtfully, as a Ghost Doctor, he had seen Gu before, but the Gu inside Lin Ruoxue, he couldn''t even recognize, let alone cure!


    This alone indicated how special this Gu was!


    He once thought that with his increased cultivation, he could expel it from Lin Ruoxue''s body, but he realized he underestimated it!


    Recently, he tried to help Lin Ruoxue through massages twice, but still failed.


    One reason was Lin Ruoxue''s body couldn''t handle too much True Yuan; another reason was the Gu was too special, it absorbed all the limited True Yuan!


    At that time, he didn''t know it was a Gu.


    "Fortunately, this Gu now has no adverse effects on her body, even bringing some benefits."


    Gongsun Liang continued:


    "But before the Gu awakens, it must be removed, otherwise, it could threaten her life!"


    "That serious?!"


    Su Chen was startled by Gongsun Liang''s words, bing very anxious.


    "Is there no way to remove it?"


    Su Chen hurriedly asked.


    "Of course there is."


    Gongsun Liang nodded and said:


    "The first way is obvious, the one who imnted the Gu."


    "Who imnted this Gu?!"


    His eyes shed with a killing intent, coldly asking.


    This person was truly vicious!


    "An olddy from the Hua Family in Miaojiang."


    Gongsun Liang said indifferently.


    Su Chen silently remembered this information, vowing to ensure that vicious olddy met a dire end!


    Of course, that would happen after ensuring Lin Ruoxue was okay.


    "Besides that, are there any other ways?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    After all, the one who imnted the Gu was waiting for it to awaken, naturally wouldn''t remove it beforehand!


    By then, it would be toote!


    "There is another way, that is the Holy Witch. If the Holy Witch is willing to help, she can also remove it."


    Gongsun Liang took a sip of tea and said:


    "Because every Holy Witch learns the supreme Witchcraft and Gu Techniques."


    "The Holy Witch?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but think of Mu Ling''er.


    Her brother had mentioned she was one of the three candidates for the Holy Witch!


    If Mu Ling''er could be the Holy Witch, asking for her help should not be a problem!


    Thinking of this, Su Chen''s eyes lit up, and he felt a ray of hope igniting in his heart.


    "Kid, if you''re going to Miaojiang, be very careful. It''s a mysterious ce, even your master wouldn''t dare to go easily!"


    Gongsun Liang knew he was bound to go, thus warned him solemnly.


    "Don''t worry!"


    Su Chen nodded in acknowledgment.


    Though he had never been to Miaojiang, he had heard of its dangerous fog, snakes, rats, insects ¡ª any of which could take a person''s life!


    "Old ghost, do you know how long until the Gu wakes?"


    Su Chen asked, this question was crucial, indicating how much time he had left.


    "About a year."


    Su Chen felt a bit relieved upon hearing, time was still sufficient.


    However, to be safe, he couldn''t wait until then, the sooner the better.


    If there were no unexpected issues, he nned to go after New Year''s, which was less than a month away.


    He hoped to use this time to further enhance his cultivation, increasing his chances in Miaojiang!


    He swore to himself, no matter what, he would ensure Lin Ruoxue was safe!


    Absolutely!


    Fortunately, the old ghost told him the method, he knew what to do, hence he rxed slightly.


    "Alright, are your questions finished? It''s time for me to examine your cultivation."


    Gongsun Liang stood up and said.


    From the first nce at Su Chen, he knew his dantian had recovered, and his cultivation had advanced further.


    He didn''t need to ask, understanding Su Chen must have practiced the cultivation technique from the sheepskin scroll.


    "Old ghost, wait, onest question!"


    Su Chen pulled on Gongsun Liang and said.


    "Defeat me in a fight, then ask yourst question."


    Saying this, Gongsun Liang walked outside.


    Without choice, Su Chen followed.


    They soon reached an empty ground not far behind, standing opposite each other, Su Chen prepared his defenses.


    Out of nowhere, a big yellow dog appeared, bing the sole audience.


    This scene had yed out many times before, but this time, it was at night.


    With Lin Ruoxue and Xiao Xun around, daytime was inconvenient, so they chose the night.


    Fortunately, the impact on them was minimal.


    Gongsun Liang ced one hand behind his back, then moved swiftly, striking at Su Chen with one palm.


    His speed was unbelievable, in a blink he was right in front of Su Chen!


    True Yuan condensed in his palm, apanied by a gust of wind!


    Su Chen quickly blocked and swept a kick at Gongsun Liang''s lower body.


    Soon, they exchanged more than a dozen moves; although Gongsun Liang used only one hand, he was effortlessly skillful!


    "Bang!"


    Suddenly, Gongsun Liang made a change in his move, pping Su Chen''s shoulder with one palm, causing him to retreat over ten meters before stabilizing!


    Though there was sharp pain in his shoulder, Su Chen knew it would recover in two days of cultivation.


    "Still lost!"


    Su Chen spat irritably, then took out a cigarette and lit it.


    "I''m your master, losing to me is normal."


    Gongsun Liangughed, though inside, he was astonished!


    The cultivation technique from the sheepskin scroll was indeed extraordinary!


    "Old ghost, what''s your current realm and strength exactly?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "A bit stronger than you."


    Gongsun Liang replied casually.


    "No way!"


    Su Chen pouted.


    He always said that before.


    Now his strength was unparalleledpared to before, yet he still said that!


    "Kid, I must warn you seriously."


    Gongsun Liang suddenly became unusually serious:


    "Regarding the cultivation technique you''re practicing, don''t reveal it to anyone! Remember, anyone!"


    Seeing him rarely that serious, Su Chen nodded solemnly.


    He knew, despite the Nine Yang Divine Technique being iplete, ending at the Meridian Expansion realm.


    But if revealed, it would surely be the target of various factions vying for it!


    See, hadn''t the Judgment Department already set their eyes on it?

 Chapter 845: Taking Advantage of Brother Zhan!

    Su Chen did not ask Gongsun Liang about the three great tribtions, because he was only one step away from reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm, and there were no records of anything beyond that realm, so where would the three great tribtionse from?


    He guessed that at the beginning, this old ghost just didn''t want him to take risks, so he made up this story to fool him!


    Because the first step of the Nine Yang Divine Technique was extremely dangerous and incredible, as it required breaking and reforming the dantian!


    What martial artist would dare to do that? If the dantian couldn''t be reformed, it would undoubtedly be digging one''s own grave!


    At first, he didn''t dare to do it either. Later, when his dantian broke, it coincidentally met the conditions for cultivation!


    At that time, he had no other options and could only give it a try with all his might!


    Unexpectedly, it actually seeded, and the power of the cultivation technique far exceeded his expectations, it was almost against the heavens!


    If it weren''t iplete, it would be perfect!


    "Alright, old ghost, let''s head back!"


    Su Chen said as he started heading back. He knew that with the old ghost''s personality, he wouldn''t get any answers this time.


    "You little rascal, it''s not that I don''t want to tell you, but your current strength is still too weak, far from being a match for Shengyi Gate!"


    Gongsun Liang looked at Su Chen''s back and sighed silently.


    He knew that although his disciple appeared carefree and unrestrained, he had never gotten over what happened to the Su Family years ago. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have caused such a bigmotion in Yandu!


    But Shengyi Gate was notparable to those families in Yandu!


    The next day, after a few of them finished lunch, they were preparing to leave in the evening.


    Of course, Su Chen cooked lunch.


    Hearing that Su Chen was going to leave her here, Xiao Xun was quite reluctant, her eyes welling up with tears that she held back from falling.


    This scene made Lin Ruoxue feel quite distressed, but Su Chen had exined to her that it was for Xiao Xun''s health, so there was no other way.


    Although Xiao Xun was very sensible, she didn''t cause a scene despite being reluctant. Instead, she and Da Huang saw them off to the town before turning back.


    "By the way, what did the old ghost say to you this morning?"


    On the way back, Su Chen saw that Lin Ruoxue seemed to have something on her mind, looking rather unhappy, and thought she was feeling sad about the parting. He found a topic to ask about.


    In the morning, the old ghost master had specially called Lin Ruoxue over for a long conversation, even he didn''t know what they talked about.


    "Nothing much, just some casual concern from the old man."


    Lin Ruoxue''s eyes flickered slightly as she spoke.


    "The treatment is indeed different, that old ghost has never shown me such concern!"


    Su Chen didn''t take it to heart and curled his lips as he spoke:


    "For me, apart from making me serve him, there''s just one word¡ªpunch!"


    "Pfft!"


    Lin Ruoxue was amused by him, casting him a nce with her beautiful eyes as she spoke:


    "That''s because you deserve to be punched!"


    That flirtatious nce made Su Chen, who was driving, feel a wave of excitement.


    However, now was clearly not the right time to do anything serious, and such an activity in the car would have to be something Lin Ruoxue could ept!


    Even so, the hand that moved closer to Lin Ruoxue seemed a bit restless...


    When the two of them returned to Yandu, it was already three or four in the morning, and the others were, of course, already asleep.


    The only one not asleep was Yan Xi, as she was cultivating, but she didn''te out...


    They both slept until noon, and Su Chen didn''t mind since it didn''t matter much to him if he didn''t sleep.


    But Lin Ruoxue couldn''t do that. She had been tired out on this trip!


    They both slept until noon before getting up for lunch.


    When Xiao Ruohan heard that Xiao Xun couldn''te back for the time being, a look of disappointment appeared on her face.


    Although she usually disliked her little follower, they actually had a good rtionship.


    After lunch, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue bothforted the little girl for a while before driving separately to their offices.


    Lin Ruoxue had been busy looking for a new office building recently, as the Belle Group had taken a huge step forward, and the floor in Rainbow Mansion was no longer enough, nor was it grand enough!


    She wanted to rent an entire office building to match the Belle Group''s current status!


    After all, in the future, the Belle Group was going to enter the international market, and she wanted to gradually move the headquarters from Jianghai to Yandu.


    When Su Chen arrived at the office, he naturally followed his usual routine: a cup of tea and a magazine, feeling quitefortable!


    When the tea was finished and the magazine had been read a few times, he started to feel bored.


    Then he got up and went to the PR department, mainly to check on how Yan Xi was doing.


    Since he had ced her in the PR department, he hadn''t really cared much about her.


    When he walked into the PR department, he found Yan Xi working seriously!


    She looked very different from usual, and Su Chen was not quite used to it!


    "Director, did youe to see us or your sister?"


    Zhao Lin saw Su Chening in and naturally followed her usual routine, immediately stepping forward and getting very close to him!


    "Of course, he came to see his sister. He''s long tired of seeing us. Why would hee specifically to see us?"


    On the other side, Ran Ting also swayed her slender waist over to Su Chen''s side, speaking somewhat resentfully, her slender finger lightly brushing his chest!


    Being teased like this, Su Chen felt he couldn''t take it and awkwardly said:


    "I''m here to see everyone!"


    But Yan Xi, hearing their words, couldn''t help but blush and feel a bit embarrassed!


    Although she had experienced the PR department''s women''s enthusiasm for Su Chen, she still felt very surprised at this moment!


    However, whether it was them or Su Chen, they were all too bold, daring to be so unconcerned under the eyes of his wife!


    In a short while, almost all the women in the PR department had surrounded Su Chen, and it seemed like he was quite enjoying it!


    "Yan Xi,e feel your elder brother''s good physique!"


    At this time, Zhao Lin meaningfully beckoned to Yan Xi.


    Hearing this, Yan Xi''s face turned red down to her neck, feeling her face burning hot!


    Such bold words were something this girl who had little contact with the outside world had never heard before!


    "Don''t talk nonsense, you''re all corrupting my sister!"


    Su Chen''s expression changed as he spoke sternly.


    But his stern expression didn''t bother anyone.


    "Do we need to corrupt her?"


    Ran Ting''s beautiful eyes nced at him yfully as she spoke:


    "Being with you as her elder brother, she would turn bad without us corrupting her!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen was speechless. Wasn''t this defaming his innocence?


    Fortunately, he didn''t say this out loud, otherwise these women would definitely spray him right in the face:


    "Do you have any innocence?"


    When Su Chen walked out of the PR department again, he suddenly found that two of his shirt buttons had been torn off...


    "These lustful women always take advantage of me!"


    Su Chen shamelessly muttered to himself...

 Chapter 846: Lived an Extra 20 Years

    After Su Chen came out, he hurried to the bathroom to tidy up his clothes and remove any other traces!


    However, as soon as he arrived at the bathroom, he saw Xia Qiuru walking out.


    "Were you bullied by your female subordinates again?"


    Seeing his wrinkled clothes, Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but cover her mouth andugh.


    She had long heard about how he often got into messy situations with the women in the PR department.


    Like Lin Ruoxue, Xia Qiuru was aware of his temperament, so she wasn''t surprised.


    Since Lin Ruoxue hadn''t said anything, she didn''t feel she had the right toment.


    Lin Ruoxue was now turning a blind eye to these matters as well.


    She knew it was impossible to expect her rascal of a husband topletely behave like a gentleman!


    "Oh, I just took a nap on the sofa, so..."


    "Napping made your buttons fall off?"


    Xia Qiuru looked at him yfully and teased.


    "Uh, really?"


    Su Chen deliberately looked down and eximed:


    "Huh, when did it fall off? Howe I didn''t notice?"


    After saying that, he rushed into the men''s bathroom.


    Xia Qiuru chuckled as she watched him flee in panic and then returned to her office.


    When Su Chen came out again, he had straightened his clothes and slightly concealed the missing button area.


    Afterward, he went home to cultivate, feeling an increasing urgency to enhance his strength!


    This sense of urgency was far stronger than when he faced the Five Great Families before, as he was now up against a different level of opponent!


    Whether facing the Judgment Department, Shengyi Gate, or the impending journey to Miaojiang, without sufficient strength, everything would be in vain!


    However, the first thing he did upon returning home was to change his shirt before going into the bedroom to cultivate.


    This time, he asked his old ghost master about the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    The Meridian Expansion Realm involves opening up the meridians; the human body has nine meridians, and every meridian opened enhances one''s cultivation a step further!


    For instance, opening one meridian is the Meridian Expansion First Layer, opening two meridians is the Second Layer.


    By extension, opening all nine meridians is the Ninth Layer.


    When all nine meridians are opened and integrated, achieving a harmonious state results in the Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Upon entering the Meridian Expansion Realm, True Yuan circtes within the meridians, greatly enhancing one''s power!


    Opening the meridians essentially involves using True Yuan to break through the acupuncture points on each meridian; once all the acupuncture points are cleared, the meridian is open!


    This sounds simple but is extremely difficult to execute!


    If it weren''t for this difficulty, he wouldn''t have almost never seen anyone in the Meridian Expansion Realm over so many years.


    Except for that unreliable old ghost, there might also be that old scammer!


    Su Chen kept cultivating until Lin Ruoxue returned, by which time it was past 8 PM.


    As usual, everyone had dinner together, chatted for a while, and then each returned to their rooms when it was time.


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a simple, old building, the room was dimly lit.


    An elder and a young man knelt on the floor, fear written on their faces, sweat dripping onto the floor without them daring to wipe it off.


    Not far from them was the back of a middle-aged man enveloped in shadows.


    "Elder Chen, in light of your many contributions to the sect, cut off one of your arms yourself."


    A sinister voice sounded.


    "Thank you, Sect Leader, for sparing my life!"


    The elder immediately kowtowed, excitedly saying.


    Without hesitation, he severed his own arm with a sword, as this was the best result he could imagine!


    "Mo Wei, although you are my son, you must ept punishment for your mistakes."


    The sinister voice continued:


    "Twentyshes with the spiked whip, go ept your punishment now!"


    "Yes!"


    The young man stood up with his injured body and retreated.


    The spiked whip was different from ordinary whips, being a wooden stick covered in sharp spikes used with force!


    Though not fatal, the pain it inflicted was unforgettable for a lifetime!


    But faced with his father, he didn''t dare to resist in any way!


    "Elder Chen, you mustplete the remaining task, you understand what I mean!"


    The man in the shadows then turned his head and said:


    "The matter of the alliance with Lingyue Pce is of utmost importance, so you must kill that young man, allowing us to propose anew!"


    "I hope you don''t disappoint me again this time."


    "Yes, Sect Leader, rest assured, I will not fail in my mission!"


    The elder replied immediately.


    "Also, more important than his life and the alliance is the token he carries, it''s more critical than anything else."


    "Go now! Obtain the token and kill him; this is your mission!"


    The man in the shadows waved his hand, and the elder quickly left.


    He knew that failing this mission meant certain death!


    "I can''t believe that bastard has gained such strength!"


    The figure in the shadows hissed:


    "But this time, you won''t be as lucky!"


    "You''ve lived almost twenty extra years, and that should be enough!"


    His tone was full of anger and hatred!


    .....


    Su Chen, of course, knew nothing about what happened at Shengyi Gate, nor that Elder Chen was nning to make a move against him again.


    At this moment, he was peacefully sleeping, holding Lin Ruoxue, with a faint mischievous smile on his face, dreaming of something unknown.


    Early next morning, the sunlight streamed into the bedroom, filling it with brilliant light.


    Su Chen slowly opened his eyes and immediately felt the warmth in his arms.


    Lin Ruoxue was cuddled up in his arms like a kitten.


    Su Chen smiled slightly without disturbing her, as he looked at Lin Ruoxue, he couldn''t help but think of the Gu inside her!


    He hadn''t told Lin Ruoxue about it, knowing it would only make her worry unnecessarily.


    At that moment, the sleeping Lin Ruoxue burrowed further into his arms, seemingly finding a morefortable position.


    "Husband, are you awake?"


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue slowly opened her eyes.


    "Yes."


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue awake, Su Chen sat up against the headboard and lit a cigarette.


    "You men always like smoking, what''s so good about it?"


    Lin Ruoxuey on his chest.


    "Why don''t you give it a try?"


    Su Chen smiled.


    "No way."


    Lin Ruoxue pouted.


    After finishing his cigarette, they got out of bed.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue drove to thepany while Su Chen, carrying Ghost Beard Grass, headed to the Pei Family.


    With some free time, he was prepared to help Pei Man heal her leg.

 Chapter 847: Focused Treatment

    On the way, he called Pei Jian.


    When he arrived at the gate of the Pei family courtyard, Pei Zhennan and Pei Jian were already waiting at the door.


    "Su Chen, did you find the Ghost Beard Grass?"


    As soon as Su Chen got out of the car, Pei Jian hurried over to ask.


    This period, he had offered a high reward, hoping to get a Ghost Beard Grass. He received quite a few leads, but they all came for the reward of a billion US Dors or even higher!


    In the end, they hadn''t even heard of Ghost Beard Grass!


    This made Pei Jian even doubt at one point whether the Ghost Beard Grass even existed!


    So, the moment he saw Su Chen, he couldn''t wait to ask!


    "Yes, I found it."


    Su Chen nodded.


    At Su Chen''s words, both Pei Jian and the old Mr. Pei, who had just walked up, couldn''t hide their excitement!


    "It really exists?!"


    Pei Jian couldn''t help but exim.


    "Did you think I was fooling you?"


    Su Chen nced at Pei Jian and said indifferently.


    "No, no!"


    Pei Jian quickly gave a sheepish smile.


    But for him, as long as Su Chen could save Pei Man, that was all that mattered.


    "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Su!"


    Pei Zhennan smiled solemnly.


    Now, Pei Jian and Pei Man still treated Su Chen as a friend, like before.


    But Pei Zhennan no longer dared to treat him like the young man who first came to their door a few months ago!


    What had happened in these past few months felt like a dream to Pei Zhennan!


    He never thought that in just a few months, the Five Great Families would undergo such drastic changes!


    "You''re wee."


    Su Chen casually nodded and followed them to Pei Man''s room.


    As soon as Su Chen saw Pei Man, he felt a bit awkward, after all, Pei Man had confessed to himst time!


    But Pei Man''s reaction waspletely different. She seemed like nothing had happened. When she saw him, she smiled faintly and said:


    "You''re here?"


    "Yeah."


    Su Chen nodded shyly, looking like a bashful young girl.


    This time, both Pei Jian and Pei Zhennan didn''t need Su Chen''s instructions. They proactively left the room and closed the door behind them.


    Su Chen then took out a wooden box from his body and opened it.


    The Ghost Beard Grass, unlike the Mysterious Ice Grass, was not afraid of exposure to air.


    Su Chen took out the Ghost Beard Grass from the box and handed it to Pei Man.


    "How should I use it?"


    Pei Man tilted her head and asked.


    "Chew and eat it."


    Su Chen said directly.


    "You''re not joking?"


    Pei Man''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Do I look like I would joke about this? But it is quite bitter."


    Su Chen took out a pill and handed it to her with a smile:


    "Here, take this pill first."


    "You treat me like a child."


    Pei Man red at him but still took the pill. She knew it wasn''t candy.


    She didn''t ask more questions and swallowed it.


    Actually, it was a special pill made by Su Chen to counteract the side effects of consuming Ghost Beard Grass raw.


    Then, under Su Chen''s watchful eyes, Pei Man began to eat the grass bit by bit!


    At this moment, she realized Su Chen wasn''t joking. The grass was not just bitter, it was more bitter than bile!


    Pei Man furrowed her brows as she ate, her stomach feeling very ufortable.


    It took nearly an hour to consume just one Ghost Beard Grass because it was extremely bitter!


    At this point, her mouth, tongue, throat, and stomach were filled with bitterness!


    "Let me know as soon as you start feeling any slight sensation in your legs."


    After Pei Man finished the Ghost Beard Grass, Su Chen instructed.


    "Will it really have an effect so quickly?"


    Pei Man asked in surprise.


    "Of course, otherwise how could it be so rare and precious?"


    Su Chen smiled.


    "I feel something, I feel something!"


    After more than ten minutes, Pei Man said in disbelief:


    "It''s tickling, tingling, feels like, feels like..."


    For a moment, Pei Man couldn''t describe it urately, but the joy on her face was undeniable!


    Although she usually appearedposed and calm, as if she didn''t care about her disabled legs!


    But as a young woman in her prime, how could she truly not care?


    If it weren''t for the constraints and helplessness, why wouldn''t she want to run, jump, and move just like other normal women?


    And now, for the first time, her legs, which had never had any sensation since she could remember, finally had a reaction. How could she not be overjoyed?


    Standing outside the door, upon hearing Pei Man shout with joy, Pei Jian immediately wanted to rush in, but the old Mr. Pei stopped him.


    "Wait a little longer, don''t disturb them."


    The old Mr. Pei also let out a long sigh of relief, a look of contentment appearing on his face!


    But Su Chen showed no reaction upon hearing this, as this was all within his expectations.


    He quickly took out a cloth bag, opened it, and a row of Silver Needles glistened brightly!


    Then, he swiftly flicked his fingers, making several Silver Needles fly into his fingertips, and then at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye, he began to quickly insert them into Pei Man''s exposed legs.


    Soon, Pei Man''s legs were already covered with Silver Needles, and it had taken less than a minute!


    Pei Man was stunned watching his dazzlingly fast movements!


    Su Chen finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. The reason he had hurriedly done this was that the best time to treat was when the medicine just started to take effect!


    He slightly rxed his breath, then immediately began to brush both hands over the needle tips. The Silver Needles made a buzzing sound as they vibrated just likest time.


    Then he moved quickly in a sh, fixing each needle as they vibrated violently, and infused a thin stream of True Yuan through the needle tail to the needle tip, finally entering Pei Man''s body!


    Now, Pei Man''s legs reacted even more noticeably, like fish thawing out in water that was slowlying to life!


    At this moment,rge beads of sweat blurred Su Chen''s vision as they dripped down.


    Pei Man''s heart seemed to be gently touched as she watched Su Chen''s concentrated expression.


    Su Chen then carefully removed each Silver Needle one by one, still cautiously, not daring to be careless!


    "All done!"


    Only then did Su Chen use his sleeve to wipe the sweat off his face, revealing a smile.


    "It''s done already?"


    Pei Man asked in disbelief.


    "The treatment is over. For the next few days, I''lle daily to give you a massage."


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "In about a week, it will bepletely finished."

 Chapter 848: Final Deadline

    "However, before the treatment is finished, don''t even think about standing up, and don''t exert any force on your legs; you needplete rest."


    Su Chen continued to solemnly instruct:


    "Only after the treatment is done can you try to stand, and then slowly attempt to walk, just like a baby learning to walk."


    "Alright, I got it."


    Hearing that he woulde every day for the next few days, Pei Man couldn''t help but feel happy inside.


    Immediately, Su Chen started to slowly massage Pei Man''s legs. Since this was the first session, it naturally took a bit longer, considering that Pei Man hadn''t used her legs for so long!


    With Su Chen''s continuous massage, Pei Man felt a slight warmth in her legs, which was veryfortable!


    "Come in!"


    After finishing the massage, Su Chen called out.


    Pei Zhennan and Pei Jian heard the call and immediately pushed the door open and came in.


    "How is she?"


    Both of them asked in unison.


    "No problem at all. As long as Ie to massage her legs for an hour every day for the next few days, she''ll be fine."


    Su Chen said inly.


    "Thank you, Mr. Su! Thank you so much!"


    Upon hearing this, Pei Zhennan spoke from the heart, tears involuntarily falling down his face.


    "Su Chen, your great kindness goes beyond words; if you ever need anything from me in the future, just say the word!"


    Pei Jian solemnly expressed.


    "No need for such formality; it''s merely lifting a finger for me."


    Su Chen waved his hand dismissively.


    For him, the treatment was indeed not difficult; the key was this Ghost Beard Grass.


    For that, he still had to thank the youngdy from Lingyue Pce!


    "For you, Mr. Su, it may be a small matter, but for us, it''s a great debt of gratitude!"


    Pei Zhennan eximed.


    Although Pei Zhennan''s emotions were sincere, Su Chen still preferred Pei Jian''s straightforwardness.


    Su Chen then repeated the instructions he had given to Pei Man to Pei Zhennan and Pei Jian.


    Both of them nodded repeatedly, remembering it well.


    This concerned Pei Man''s lifelong well-being; they dared not be careless!


    After giving his instructions, Su Chen was about to leave, and Pei Jian escorted him to the gates of the courtyard.


    "Then I''ll be going."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Wait."


    Just as he was about to leave, Pei Jian called out.


    "What''s the matter?" Su Chen asked.


    "You need to be wary of the Shen brothers, Shen Lin and Shen Shao."


    Pei Jian looked at Su Chen and said:


    "You cut off their path to be the Family Head; they may seek revenge!"


    "Them?"


    Su Chen sneered upon hearing this:


    "If they don''t know their ce and insist on courting death, I don''t mind sending them on their way."


    "I know you don''t take them seriously, but those two are devious and underhanded; you must be cautious!"


    Pei Jian warned.


    "Understood, thank you."


    Su Chen thought for a moment, acknowledging that Pei Jian had a point, as the two were indeed like venomous snakes.


    Shen Lin believed he was biding his time and hiding well, but in fact, he was always under Pei Jian and Pei Man''s watchful eyes!


    It''s just that they hadn''t exposed him, as there was no need; they preferred it that way!


    In this regard, the Shen brothers were merely fooling themselves.


    In terms of wit and strategy, they couldn''tpare to Pei Jian and Pei Man!


    If these two siblings were his enemies, he would really have to be extremely cautious!


    Fortunately, they were friends, and they had a good rtionship, even Pei Man...


    "Don''t worry, I''ll keep an eye on them for you."


    Pei Jian patted him on the shoulder and said:


    "I mentioned it just in case. I doubt they would be foolish enough to actually make a move against you."


    "Thanks a lot."


    Su Chen nodded; then, without further ceremony, he drove to the hospital to visit Du Hanbing.


    Although Du Hanbing hadn''t woken up yet, herplexion had improved, and her vitality, though not the same as before, had grown stronger. Even her wounds were gradually healing.


    Seeing this, Su Chen felt relieved...


    He stayed with Du Hanbing for two hours before heading back to thepany.


    On the way back to thepany, he suddenly saw a massive poster on the wall of a high-end shopping mall!


    It was an advertisement poster for Sara''s concert, showing her passionately ying the violin in a white dress.


    At the bottom of the poster, there was detailed information about the concert: New Year''s Eve, Yandu Grand Theater!


    "So, this little girl is reallying!"


    Su Chen muttered to himself, a warm smile appearing on his face.


    Last time, when this little girl called, she also inquired about Du Hanbing''s condition. He couldn''t bring himself to tell her the truth and ended up giving an evasive response.


    He knew that this little girl also had deep feelings for Du Hanbing.


    After all, back in Africa, after they rescued this little girl, Du Hanbing took care of her most of the time. Being a man, he naturally wasn''t suitable for that.


    Thinking of the twelve-year-old girl who cried in the corner of the ruins, covered in dirt, now grown into a globally renowned superstar, Su Chen felt a sense of pride and happiness for her!


    He felt a moment of surreal nostalgia...


    After lingering for a moment, he continued driving and returned to thepany.


    .....


    Meanwhile, at Qimeng Tower.


    Suddenly, a figure appeared silently outside Qi Meng''s room on the third floor, then directly pushed open the door.


    "Who is it!"


    Hearing the door, Qi Meng immediately turned and shouted.


    The person had silently appeared outside her room, yet she had not sensed a thing, indicating the visitor was a master!


    However, upon seeing the cloak-like ck robe, she immediately knelt on one knee and called out:


    "Your Excellency, Messenger!"


    "You seem very nervous."


    The ck-robed figure said in a hoarse voice.


    "No, Your Excellency, I am just surprised by your sudden visit!"


    Qi Meng hurriedly replied, her voice shaking.


    "Surprised? Is that so?"


    The ck-robed figure teased.


    "Yes, Your Excellency, I am greatly honored by your visit!"


    Qi Meng steadied her mind and replied.


    "Be it surprise or fright."


    The ck-robed figure said tly:


    "How is the matter proceeding?"


    "I searched his vi but didn''t find that cultivation technique."


    Qi Meng lowered her head and said:


    "Give me a little more time, I assure you I will find it!"


    Of course, this was a premeditated excuse; she hadn''t mentioned being captured and turned by Su Chen.


    "Hehe, more time?"


    Upon hearing this, the ck-robed figureughed sinisterly:


    "The organization has already given you enough time!"


    "Five days, you have five more days. If you fail again, you know the consequences."


    The ck-robed figure''s voice suddenly turned ice-cold, exuding a murderous intent!


    She wasn''t worried about Qi Meng escaping because she knew there was no way to escape...

 Chapter 849 - 849 Pleasant Cooperation

    For the people of the Judgment Department, even if they knew they were doomed, no one ever dared to run away recklessly.


    On the one hand, this was due to the indoctrinated loyalty to the organization embedded in their minds over time. On the other hand, they also knew that escape was impossible, and if caught, the consequences would be worse than death!


    So, at this moment, the man in the ck robe did not have any reservations and almost bluntly told Qi Meng that if the task was notpleted in five days, they should prepare to die!


    "This is the order of the Right Priest, you better take care of yourself!"


    The man in the ck robe nced at Qi Meng and said indifferently.


    Upon hearing the words "Right Priest," Qi Meng''s body couldn''t help but tremble, showing how much of an impact these words had on her!


    "Yes!"


    Qi Meng quickly responded, cold sweat already breaking out on her body!


    At this time, the man in the ck robe had already disappeared from Qi Meng''s room.


    Qi Meng suddenly felt as if the strength had been drained from her, copsing to the ground, her face pale and her eyes hollow...


    .....


    In thepany, Su Chen was still idle, ying a game for a while before going home to cultivate.


    After everyone had dinner together in the evening, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to continue working, which didn''t surprise Su Chen.


    However, recently Su Chen had made a strict rule with her that no matter how busy she was, she had to stop working by 11 o''clock.


    So far, Lin Ruoxue had been rtively obedient.


    Su Chen was sitting on the sofa with Ruohan when suddenly the phone rang. Seeing that it was Qi Meng calling, a sinister smile appeared on his lips.


    Could it be that she finally made up her mind?


    "Brother Su, your smile is so scary!"


    Little Ruohan looked at Su Chen with her bright little eyes, blinking as she spoke:


    "Are you going to do something bad?"


    "Go, go! What bad thing!"


    Su Chen spat a few times then stood up and walked to the side to answer the phone.


    "Little Ruohan, Brother Su is going out for a while."


    Hanging up the phone, Su Chen walked back and said.


    "Brother Su, where are you going? Take me with you, okay?"


    Little Ruohan said excitedly.


    "Go, go, it''ste, go to bed early."


    Su Chen waved his hand.


    Hearing this, Little Ruohan pouted immediately, looking very angry.


    "Go ahead, son-inw, don''t mind this little girl."


    Aunt Wang, who was tidying up the house,ughed.


    Su Chen patted Little Ruohan''s head and then drove out.


    The call just now was Qi Meng asking to meet him at a bar, saying she had something to talk about.


    It took Su Chen about twenty minutes to reach the bar Qi Meng mentioned. When he entered, he didn''t stay on the first floor and headed straight to the second floor.


    Arriving at the door of a private room on the second floor, he pushed the door and walked in. Once inside, he saw a few bottles of wine on the coffee table, with one bottle already half emptied.


    Looking at Qi Meng again, her drunken, flushed face seemed to be full of worries.


    "What happened? And with so much wine?"


    Su Chen sat down beside her and asked softly.


    "Nothing, this amount of wine is nothing to me."


    As she spoke, Qi Meng downed the half ss of wine in one gulp.


    "But you can''t drink like this!"


    Su Chen reached out and snatched her ss away.


    "What exactly happened?" Su Chen asked.


    But Qi Meng didn''t answer him; instead, she gazed at him with her beautiful eyes, staring for over a minute, making Su Chen feel somewhat ufortable.


    Especially since she had just been drinking, her face was a rosy blush, and Qi Meng was already an enchantingly seductive woman. Any man would find it hard to resist her gaze with her captivating eyes!


    "What are you..."


    "I agree!"


    Before Su Chen could finish his sentence, Qi Meng''s voice rang out.


    Qi Meng''s voice wasn''t loud, but it seemed to carry all the courage she could muster!


    This decision truly required immense courage from her!


    Although, in her view, Su Chen''s decision was almost like hitting a rock with an egg, like trying to stop a chariot with a mantis, essentially courting death!


    But right now, it seemed she had no other path to take!


    Otherwise, she would just wait for death!


    Of course, a part of this stemmed from what Su Chen had told herst time about Gene Modifiers, something she found hard to ept!


    So even without the arrival of the messenger, she had been in a state of internal conflict these past few days!


    The deadline given by the messenger was merely a catalyst, prompting her final decision!


    But there was another reason for her decision, one she might not even be conscious of herself: her special feelings for Su Chen!


    "I knew you would agree."


    Su Chen smiled faintly and then poured himself a ss of wine.


    "To a pleasant cooperation!"


    Su Chen raised his ss, his face exuding a confident smile.


    "To a pleasant cooperation."


    Qi Meng lightly clinked her ss with his, her face also showing a smile, but it was a bitter one.


    She still had little confidence in Su Chen''s insane n. In fact, she had no confidence at all!


    She couldn''t deny that Su Chen was powerful, but what did that amount to in front of the Judgment Department?


    "What exactly happened today?"


    After they finished drinking, Su Chen set the ss down and asked.


    He could tell that something special must have happened today.


    Qi Meng didn''t hide it and told Su Chen about the events of the afternoon.


    After hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes lit up and he quickly asked:


    "Is the messenger you mentioned still in Yandu?"


    "I don''t know, maybe. How would I know his whereabouts?"


    Qi Meng frowned slightly and then looked at Su Chen:


    "Why are you asking this?"


    "Give me his number."


    Su Chen didn''t answer Qi Meng''s question but asked directly.


    He had eavesdropped on their conversationst time, so Qi Meng definitely had the other''s number.


    Although puzzled about what he wanted to do, Qi Meng still gave him the number.


    Hearing this, Su Chen immediately called Qin Ming and asked him to help locate this number.


    When Qi Meng heard his words, her face was immediately filled with disbelief!


    Did he intend to...?


    But after a while, Qin Ming called back, saying he couldn''t locate it.


    Su Chen frowned; it seemed the Judgment Department was still quite capable withmunications!


    It looked like he would have to trouble Shadow, that little girl. Fortunately, she was rather special in the Temple, and even frequent contact with her wouldn''t undermine the Demon''s authority.


    Eniel was another option because their rtionship was more personal than official!


    If it were a clown, Lone Wolf, or others, he would avoid contacting them unless absolutely necessary, at least until a few yearster when the Demon''s authority was firmly established!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''smand, Shadow immediately responded, "No problem!"

 Chapter 850: Of Course to Kill You!

    To the Shadow, as long as there is a trace of information, she can capture it.


    The reason Ye Mei wasn''t foundst time was because the Wu Familypletely smashed her mobile phone and then threw it into the fire!


    With that, even a deity Shadow could do nothing!


    "Su Chen, what are you trying to do?"


    Although she had her suspicions, Qi Meng couldn''t help but ask.


    "Of course, it''s to collect some interest from the Judgment Department first."


    Su Chen shrugged casually.


    "You want to kill the emissary?"


    Qi Meng asked, trembling.


    "Of course. If he wasn''t in Yandu, it would be fine. But if he is, he won''t leave Yandu alive!"


    A gleam shed in Su Chen''s eyes.


    "Su Chen, be careful. The emissary is a high-ranking Holy Knight. You can''t deal with him at your current level!"


    Qi Meng became anxious.


    She originally thought Su Chen was going to bide his time and slowly deal with the Judgment Department.


    As for herself, she nned to hide and avoid them for as long as she could.


    She never expected he would act so soon!


    One must know, the cultivation of a high-ranking Holy Knight might have already reached the mysterious Meridian Expansion Realm that she found awe-inspiring!


    No matter how strong Su Chen is, could he be a match for an expert in the Meridian Expansion Realm?


    She always believed Su Chen was merely half a step into the Meridian Expansion, albeit the pinnacle of half-step Meridian Expansion!


    But half a step is still half a step, iparable to the actual Meridian Expansion Realm!


    "It''s just a high-ranking Holy Knight!"


    Su Chen spat carelessly. He had previously heard from the Skull Society''s emissary that a high-ranking Holy Knight at most had just stepped into the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    Qi Meng initially wanted to persuade him further, but at that moment, Su Chen''s phone rang.


    "Seems like the guy is indeed in Yandu!"


    He nced at it, a red dot appeared on the screen, then he finished his drink and stood up.


    "Are you really going?" Qi Meng asked worriedly.


    "Of course, you thought I was joking?"


    Su Chen spoke as he prepared to leave.


    "I''ll go with you!"


    Qi Meng stood up as well.


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen pondered for a moment and then nodded.


    ....


    In the dark night, Su Chen was advancing based on the red dot on his phone.


    After half an hour of driving, the car stopped at the entrance of a star-rated hotel.


    "Who would''ve thought this emissary knows how to enjoy life!"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a smile, appearing rxed, as if he was about to do a trivial task!


    But Qi Meng beside him felt her heart pounding wildly, it was a high-ranking Holy Knight after all!


    She truly didn''t understand where Su Chen''s confidence came from!


    The Shadow not only provided Su Chen with the exact location but also infiltrated the hotel''swork system.


    So, all the guest information and surveince of this hotel were under the Shadow''s control.


    Su Chen had already reviewed them while in the car and knew the specific room of his target.


    The two took the elevator straight to the ninth floor and then walked down the corridor to a room door.


    "Knock knock knock!"


    Su Chen knocked directly on the door.


    Beside him, Qi Meng found his move unbelievable. Was he really just going to walk right in?


    At first, she thought Su Chen would y stealth, but she didn''t expect him to knock openly!


    Wasn''t this suicidal?


    "Who is it?"


    A voice came from inside.


    "Room service!"


    "Go away, what room service at this hour!"


    A voice of impatience came from inside.


    "Knock knock knock!"


    The knocking sounded again. The person inside finally couldn''t bear it and came to open the door.


    "Squeak!"


    The door opened, revealing a figure in a ck robe, eye sockets deep, clearly not an Asian!


    Su Chen knew he must have been cultivating just now, as there were still True Yuan fluctuations on him.


    "It''s you?"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, the ck-robed man''s eyes emitted a gleam.


    Although he hadn''t seen Su Chen in person, as Qi Meng''s direct superior, her mission was to obtain the mystical cultivation technique from him, so he had definitely seen Su Chen''s information.


    "How did you get here?"


    He asked coldly.


    "Of course, to kill you!"


    Su Chen stepped forward, fully opening the door, and said indifferently.


    "Kill me? Just you?"


    The ck-robed man sneered, evidently dismissing Su Chen''s words.


    But he was curious, how did this guy know about his existence ande after him!


    "Why are you here as well?!"


    At that moment, he nced and saw Qi Meng, who had been blocked by the door earlier.


    "So, you''ve betrayed the organization!"


    The ck-robed man said icily, finally understanding why Su Chen knew about him!


    "Your petty organization is involved in shady dealings. What''s worth betraying?"


    Su Chen scoffed.


    "Kid, how dare you disrespect the Judgment Department!"


    The ck-robed man''s face darkened at once, speaking angrily.


    "I disrespected it, what can you do about it?"


    Su Chen walked in with hands behind his back, as casually as if stepping into his own room,pletely disregarding the ck-robed man!


    Qi Meng could only follow him in with trepidation, worried at every moment that the ck-robed man might attack them!


    Yet for some reason, the ck-robed man didn''t strike, allowing them inside.


    "Since you walked into my trap, don''t me me!"


    The ck-robed man said to Su Chen:


    "Hand over your cultivation technique, and I''ll give you a quick death!"


    "And you, you know the consequence of betraying the organization!"


    He coldly hummed at Qi Meng.


    "Alright, the cultivation technique is on me,e and get it if you can!"


    Su Chen boldly sat down on a chair, lit a cigarette, and started smoking leisurely.


    The ck-robed man, infuriated by Su Chen''s nonchnce, said:


    "Alright, since you''re courting death, don''t me me!"


    He said coldly, eyes shing, and a powerful aura of the First Layer of Meridian Expansion Realm emerged!


    Qi Meng instantly felt a terrifying pressure descending, like a mountain. The air seemed solidified!


    "Boom!"


    The ck-robed man struck at Su Chen, the chair he was sitting on exploded into fragments, wood shards flying!


    "Where is he?"


    The ck-robed man suddenly realized the young man had vanished!


    "Looking for me?"


    He felt a tap on his shoulder from behind and heard a mocking voice...

 Chapter 851: Killed with One Punch

    The ck-robed figure was instantly startled, every hair on his body standing on end.


    He turned his head and saw a young face before him. The corner of the young man''s mouth slightly lifted, as if filled with a yful smile.


    The way he looked at him, it was as if he was looking at a mere toy!


    The ck-robed figure felt a surge of anger and turned to throw another punch at Su Chen!


    As the punch was thrown, the air made a "hiss" sound, and the temperature around them suddenly rose by several degrees!


    But... but..., the punch still hit only the air. Qi Meng, who was not far off, felt her blood and Qi disrupted by the residual True Yuan.


    "Too slow!"


    A sigh echoed again from behind him.


    The ck-robed figure whipped his head around, and the young man was already sitting on the sofa, leisurely exhaling a puff of smoke that drifted slowly toward the ceiling...


    "How is this possible? How is this possible?"


    The ck-robed figure murmured, how could he be so fast?


    Qi Meng, who had been watching from the side, was even more stunned. Su Chen''s speed hadpletely exceeded her understanding!


    "I don''t believe it!"


    The ck-robed figure, enraged by Su Chen''s taunts, gathered all his True Yuan and threw a punch at Su Chen!


    This time, Su Chen did not dodge but remained seated and threw a punch from his chair!


    The ck-robed figure was delighted to see Su Chen engaging in a direct punch-off with him!


    Despite Su Chen''s eerily fast speed, when it came to cultivation realm, he was confident he could crush Su Chen!


    Like others who had fought Su Chen, he could tell Su Chen was not at the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    "Since that''s the case, prepare to die!"


    A ferocious expression emerged on the ck-robed figure''s face!


    Qi Meng, seeing this, was left speechless!


    Was he stupid? Since he had the speed advantage, he should use it to maneuver and sneak attack!


    Head-on collision¡ªcould he really match a high-rank Holy Knight?


    Her heart was already in her throat!


    "Boom!"


    A deafening sound echoed, as if a powerful explosive had detonated. A figure flew backward at high speed, crashing into a wall, leaving a huge hole!


    Luckily, the ck-robed figure was staying in a suite, and the wall he crashed through was of the inner bedroom. The hotel''s soundproofing was good, so not too many were disturbed.


    The ck-robed figure went right through the wall,nding in the bedroom beyond!


    Qi Meng stared in shock at Su Chen, who was still sitting calmly on the sofa!


    "Let''s go see if he''s dead!"


    Su Chen smiled, stood up from the sofa, and headed toward the bedroom.


    Qi Meng, hearing this, snapped out of her daze and followed him inside.


    Upon entering, she saw that the envoy''s chest had copsed in, and there was arge pool of fresh blood beside him.


    Actually, during their punch exchange, Su Chen had suddenly shifted his arm, directly striking the opponent''s chest, resulting in such a scene!


    Qi Meng was utterly shocked by the gruesome sight!


    She hadn''t expected that Su Chen''s true strength was so immense that he could kill a high-rank Holy Knight with a single punch!


    "You... You are Meridian Expansion...!"


    The ck-robed figure''s eyes were filled with disbelief as he looked at Su Chen. To know, he was also at the Meridian Expansion Realm, and that punch had left him feeling utter defeat!


    This indicated that Su Chen''s strength was at least at Meridian Expansion Third Layer or higher!


    But how was that possible?


    Just as the figure tried to speak another word, his head tilted, and he passed away!


    Though he hadn''t finished his words, Qi Meng understood their meaning. She looked at Su Chen in shock!


    From Dantian shattering to now, less than a year had passed, and he had reached the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Such cultivation speed was simply horrifying! It was unbelievable!


    No one would believe it if it was said out loud!


    For the first time, Qi Meng thought that with Su Chen''s cultivation speed and talent, maybe he could achieve that crazy goal!


    They promptly disposed of the body and drove back.


    "What cultivation realm was that Holy Knight at?"


    On the way back, Qi Meng couldn''t help but ask.


    "Should be at the Meridian Expansion Realm, probably First or Second Layer,"


    Su Chen casually replied.


    Hearing this, Qi Meng waspletely astonished!


    He had toyed with a Meridian Expansion cultivator and then killed him with one punch¡ªwasn''t that too exaggerated?


    It had to be known that it was a Meridian Expansion cultivator!


    Qi Meng''s confidence in him rose slightly, but just slightly!


    Although he had killed a Holy Knight, it wasn''t a big deal since Holy Knights were just mid-to-upper-level in the Judgment Department!


    Any high-ranking officer could achieve what he did!


    However, it had far exceeded her expectations...


    Su Chen could guess Qi Meng''s thoughts, but it wasn''t her fault. The Judgment Department was formidable, beyond his current capabilities!


    The reason Su Chen crushed that ck-robed figure was to bolster Qi Meng''s confidence.


    Though Qi Meng agreed to cooperate, she had almost no confidence...


    ....


    Su Chen first dropped Qi Meng off at the bar, since her car was there.


    "Alright, for the time being, the Judgment Department shouldn''t target you."


    Before Qi Meng got out, Su Chen said casually.


    Since the deceased envoy was to punish Qi Meng, with his death, the Judgment Department would focus on figuring out what happened.


    "But for safety''s sake, you should find a new ce to stay quickly."


    Su Chen continued:


    "And clean up any other traces!"


    Qi Meng was stunned upon hearing this!


    So, he killed the envoy today for her protection!


    Her heart suddenly felt chaotic...


    "I know, thank you."


    Qi Meng nodded, then pushed the car door open and got out...


    Su Chen hit the gas, leaving the bar entrance. Qi Meng watched his car disappear from sight, then got her car and drove away.


    Su Chen returned to his vi around 11 PM, and Lin Ruoxue had just finished bathing and gone to bed.


    Su Chen quickly took a shower and joined her in bed.


    A momentter, soft, intimate sounds filled the room...


    The next morning, after breakfast, they each drove to work, along with Yan Xi.


    He had nned to buy Yan Xi a car, but she had bought a red BMW yesterday, and he wondered where she got the money.


    Wei Hua had only given her living expenses when leaving her with him.


    He nned to ask about the source of the money when he had time.


    After all, Wei Hua entrusted her to him, and he had agreed, so he had to be responsible...

 Chapter 852: Magic Artifact

    After staying in the office for a while, Su Chen went to the Pei Family to continue massaging Pei Man''s legs.


    After the initial surprise yesterday, Pei Man had calmed down considerably.


    The two chatted while Su Chen massaged her, almost like old friends.


    Pei Man seemed to havepletely forgotten that she had once confessed to him.


    Seeing how calm she was, Su Chen thought to himself, why should he, as a man, be hesitant?


    After finishing the massage for Pei Man, he was about to head back to thepany when his phone suddenly rang on the way.


    Seeing it was a call from Yunlong, he quickly answered.


    "Brother, something has happened!"


    As soon as the call connected, Yunlong''s somewhat serious voice came through.


    "What happened?"


    Su Chen asked hurriedly.


    "The gatekeeper at my Jinmen construction site is dead!"


    "The gatekeeper is dead? How did he die?"


    Su Chen quickly inquired upon hearing this.


    He was nning to visit the site with Pei Yunlong in the next couple of days, but before they could go, the gatekeeper had already died!


    "He died of a heart attack."


    Yunlong said, though his tone suggested he didn''t quite believe it.


    Not only Yunlong but also Su Chen found it hard to believe.


    They had already suspected something was off, and within a few days, the gatekeeper died. How could it be such a coincidence?


    "Wait for me downstairs at your office. I''ll pick you up, and we can go take a look together." Su Chen said.


    Ten minutester, Su Chen''s Buick arrived at Yunlong''s office building, and Yunlong was already waiting.


    Then the two headed for Jinmen together...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a hotel room in Jinmen.


    Five men were seated inside, three middle-aged and two young men.


    "Third brother, is the gatekeeper taken care of?"


    The middle-aged man sitting at the head asked.


    "Rest assured, big brother, it''s all clean. Anyone who investigates will find only one conclusion: that he died of a heart attack!"


    Another middle-aged man confidently said from his seat.


    "But he was just unlucky himself, getting drunk and urinating on the spot."


    One of the young men murmured disdainfully.


    If Su Chen was there, he would have recognized this young man as Fei An from the Martial Arts Family Fei Family!


    He had just arrived from Sichuan a few days ago.


    "Big brother, we''ve been digging for such a long time, when will it end? Since there''s a construction site there now, it''s quite inconvenient!"


    The other middle-aged man said, he was the third brother, Fei Yong.


    The Fei Family had five brothers in total, the eldest being Fei Ming, the Family Head, the second Fei Rong, and the third Fei Yong. The other two stayed in Sichuan.


    Fei An was Fei Ming''s son, and the other young man in the room named Fei Ren was Fei Yong''s son. Fei Ren had always wanted to change his name.


    "It should be soon. Based on the information we have, the item should be in this area!"


    Fei Ming sighed at the head of the table:


    "I didn''t expect the government would suddenly auction off thatnd, and that someone would actually buy it! This has made things a lot more difficult for us!"


    "Yeah, with so many good ces in Jinmen, who would have thought someone would bid on thatnd!"


    The second brother, Fei Rong, shook his head:


    "We misjudged, thinking thend would go unsold. That would have given us much more time."


    "Big brother, why do we have to do this ourselves?"


    The third brother, Fei Yong, murmured disdainfully:


    "Wouldn''t it be better to hire some workers earlier to dig it up?"


    "Absolutely not!"


    Fei Ming immediately responded upon hearing this:


    "This matter must be kept secret, I only trust our own family. If any news leaks out, the consequences would be unimaginable!"


    "Big brother, you always say it''s a treasure. What kind of treasure is it that makes you so cautious?"


    The third brother, Fei Yong, asked:


    "And why did wee all the way from Sichuan to dig here?"


    Upon hearing Fei Yong''s question, the others looked expectantly at Fei Ming, even Fei An, who knew nothing about the treasure!


    Fei Ming had always kept silent about what the treasure was.


    "I can tell you, if our Fei Family obtains that treasure, it will bring great honor to our family!"


    Fei Ming said mysteriously.


    Everyone gasped upon hearing this.


    What kind of treasure could make the Family Head believe it would bring such honor?


    "Father, what exactly is this treasure?"


    Fei An asked urgently.


    "Do you all want to know?"


    Fei Ming looked around the room and asked with a slight smile.


    No kidding! You''ve piqued our interest, how could we not want to know?


    Everyone''s eyes were shining with eagerness as they looked at Fei Ming!


    "I can tell you now, it is a Magic Artifact!"


    Fei Ming said calmly.


    "A Magic Artifact?!"


    The second brother, Fei Rong, eximed in shock upon hearing this. His expression was one of amazement!


    The others seemed a bit confused, apparently not very familiar with the concept of a Magic Artifact!


    "Second Uncle, what is a Magic Artifact exactly?"


    Fei An asked in confusion.


    "A Magic Artifact is basically a powerful weapon that can unleash unimaginable power!"


    Fei Rong exined with a sigh:


    "But Magic Artifacts are extremely rare. As far as I know, in the Huaxia Martial Arts World, only the Hidden Dragon Hall is rumored to have one, and even that is just a rumor!"


    Everyone was amazed upon hearing this, and they all understood why the Family Head was so cautious!


    Such a rare item in the entire Huaxia Martial Arts World, its value was beyond words!


    If other families or martial arts factions learned about it, would the Fei Family still have a chance?


    ......


    At this moment, Su Chen''s car arrived at a suburban area of Jinmen, stopping near a mountain.


    Not far away, arge area had been fenced off, though the mountain was rtively small and also enclosed.


    "Yunlong, is this thend you bought?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled, as he looked at the still barrennd:


    "Why didn''t you buynd in the city?"


    "Big brother, you might not know!"


    Yunlong smiled and said:


    "To develop Yandu''s satellite city and create argemercial zone, thend prices in Jinmen City have skyrocketed."


    "Because this ce is in the suburbs and has a mountain, it''s not perfect for residential use, so thend price is very cheap!"


    "Here''s a fact you might not know, big brother. Jinmen''s poption has been growing rapidly each year, so urban expansion is inevitable, and this suburb is only a 30 to 40-minute drive from the city."


    "In my estimation, within three years, the government is bound to develop this area."


    "You''ve really surprised me!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, seeing Yunlong''s confident demeanor:


    "But even if you''re buying suburbannd, why choose this area near the mountain? As you said, it can''t be used for housing?"


    Before Yunlong could answer, Su Chen''s eyes suddenly brightened as he blurted out:


    "A resort!"


    "Big brother, you''re indeed wise!"


    Yunlong couldn''t help but praise as he pointed to the currently barrennd:


    "I''m nning to build thergestprehensive resort in Jinmen here!"


    "It will have resort centers, hospitals, schools, banks, and more!"

 Chapter 853: Murder

    "I didn''t expect you, a spoiled brat, to have such a good business acumen!"


    Su Chen joked.


    Of course he knew Yunlong merely appeared cynical and reckless, like a wastrel, but he was actually a rare talent!


    "Of course."


    Yunlong handed Su Chen a cigarette, then lit one for himself and said:


    "Once myrge resort is built, it will expedite the government''s extension into this area to some extent."


    "And, brother, have you noticed? This suburb is the main passage from Yandu to Jinmen, which will attract people from Yandu here."


    Yunlong spoke rather confidently.


    "Alright, let''s stop chatting and go visit the construction site."


    Su Chen took a drag on his cigarette, not particrly interested in business.


    "Alright, big brother, I''ll first show you the corpse of the gatekeeper."


    Yunlong said as he walked ahead.


    "The corpse is still here? His family hasn''t imed it?"


    Su Chen asked strangely, but it was better this way; he could check what happened.


    "What family?! The old man had no children, no rtives at all."


    Yunlong replied,


    "The police came by, the forensic doctor determined it was a heart attack, judged no foul y, and they left."


    Su Chen did not respond and continued walking inside.


    The remaining three inside knew Yunlong, the boss, wasing, so they had been waiting for a while.


    After all, quite a few materials had already been delivered; one gatekeeper wasn''t enough.


    If there really were thievesing to steal, a single old man wouldn''t be much use!


    "Boss, you''re here to see old Li, right?"


    One person ttered,


    "Boss, you''re really kind, stilling to see him despite your busy schedule."


    "Sure, where''s the room? Lead me there."


    Yunlong said casually.


    "Alright, boss, follow me."


    They quickly led Yunlong and Su Chen to a simple house; all the houses on the construction site were temporary, so they couldn''t be very good.


    Inside, on a bedy a quiet old man in his sixties.


    Su Chen ignored the others and carefully examined the corpse.


    "Sir, no need to inspect; the police have already confirmed it was a heart attack!"


    the same person who spoke earlier couldn''t help but say, seeing Su Chen looking over the corpse.


    Su Chen didn''t respond, instead pulling out a slightly longer Silver Needle and inserting it into the heart area of the old man.


    "Who do you think you are? Better than the police?"


    Another person sneered, though he didn''t dare say much since the young man came with the boss.


    "Alright, you all can leave, no need to stay here for now."


    Yunlong waved his hand, and the few people had to leave.


    "Brother, what''s the verdict? Was it a heart attack?"


    After they left, Yunlong quickly asked.


    "Yes and no."


    Su Chen put away the Silver Needle and said.


    "What do you mean?"


    Yunlong was confused.


    "He did die from a heart attack, but what triggered it was an agent; he was injected with it and then had the attack."


    "Murder?!"


    Yunlong eximed.


    "Yes, it''s murder!"


    Su Chen nodded,


    "And the method used is high-level; even an autopsy might not reveal it."


    His face grew serious as he spoke; someone who could orchestrate such a clever n must not be ordinary!


    "Since he had no rtives, let''s ensure he gets a proper burial."


    Su Chen urged.


    "Don''t worry, brother, I''d do it even if you didn''t say so."


    "Alright, let''s check that underground tunnel you mentioned."


    "Okay!"


    Yunlong then led Su Chen towards the mountain.


    When they were about tens of meters from the hill, they stopped. Here appeared a slightly hidden entrance.


    This was a deste area, so a cave-like entrance wouldn''t attract much attention, people wouldn''t bother to look at it.


    If Yunlong hadn''t purchased thend for developing the resort, perhaps no one would have discovered it!


    "Have you checked it out?" Su Chen asked.


    "No, I didn''t pay much attention at first."


    Yunlong shook his head.


    "Alright, let''s go inside now."


    Su Chen then entered the cave, following the sloped pathway down, estimating a vertical drop of twenty to thirty meters to the bottom.


    "Didn''t expect it to be so deep!"


    Yunlong eximed, turning on his shlight.


    A straight tunnel extended far before them.


    "The soil looks fresh; it should have been dug recently."


    Su Chenmented as they walked forward,


    "Seems the work hasn''t beenpleted."


    "These people probably excavated at night."


    Yunlong echoed.


    They soon reached the end, seeing a mix of soil and a mottled wall of rock and dirt. Su Chen''s lips curled into a mischievous smile.


    "Alright, let''s head back up."


    Su Chen turned around, with Yunlong following closely.


    "Brother, who''d dig such a tunnel in this deserted ce, and what''s the purpose?"


    Back outside, Yunlong asked,


    "And could the gatekeeper''s death be rted to them?"


    "It''s unclear for now."


    Su Chen shook his head, then said,


    "Yunlong, quickly drive and buy a few things, three cameras and a night vision scope, get the best quality!"


    "Sure, no problem."


    Yunlong agreed and drove off quickly.


    About an hourter, he returned.


    Su Chen installed the cameras in hidden spots nearby, connecting their footage to his mobile.


    Though he wasn''t as skilled in tech as Shadow, setting up surveince cameras was a simple task.


    "Yunlong, drive the car a bit farther and hide it, act as usual."


    Su Chen advised, cautious not to alert anyone.


    Yunlong excitedlyplied, reminiscing their times working side-by-side!


    Just like Su Chen, Yunlong wasn''t too fond of business; he preferred the thrill and excitement!


    It was evening now; both waited in an empty construction site house.

 Chapter 854 - 854 Ambush

    Because it was already deep winter, by eight o''clock in the evening, the sky waspletely dark, with only a few stars shining!


    "Brother, someone ising!"


    Yunlong, who was holding Su Chen''s mobile phone, suddenly whispered.


    In fact, they were still a long way from the underground cave.


    When Su Chen heard this, he quickly took the phone over.


    He saw a few people on the screen, they looked around and quickly entered the cave, holding some excavation tools in their hands!


    "It''s him?!"


    Su Chen quickly recognized Fei An among them. Why was he here?


    Fei An was a member of a Martial Arts Family, his appearance here was quite unusual!


    Su Chen didn''t have any fondness for Fei Family members, and there was considerable enmity between them. Fei An had attempted to humiliate Meng Jiao and was injured by Su Chen, subsequently, Fei Family members, along with Shengyi Gate people, surrounded him!


    If given the chance, he wouldn''t show mercy to Fei Family members. Moreover, Fei Family was Shengyi Gate''spdog!


    "Brother, should we act now?"


    Yunlong asked excitedly.


    "No hurry."


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and said:


    "You don''t need to participate in what''s toe, I''ll handle it myself."


    "Brother, why?"


    Yunlong quickly asked.


    "These people are very skilled Martial Artists, you can''t handle them."


    "Skilled Martial Artists?"


    Yunlong was a bit confused and blurted out:


    "Even more skilled than Situ Guang''s two bodyguards?"


    "Those two, in these people''s eyes, aren''t even qualified to tie their shoes!"


    Su Chen curled his lips and said, although he didn''t know the identities of the others, anyone standing with Fei An had to be exceptional.


    Moreover, seeing Fei An following those three middle-aged men hinted that they might be even more skilled than Fei An!


    Although Fei An was nothing to Su Chen, dozens of Yunlongs couldn''t match him, as Fei An was a half-step Meridian Expansion expert!


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong felt defeated.


    He knew that today, he could only hide here, going out would be a hindrance!


    This made him frustrated, as he was also a grown man!


    Yet now, he could only hide behind his brother like a woman!


    Yunlong secretly made a decision, a thought he had already had before!


    Around eleven o''clock at night, Su Chen came out, he circled around and approached from the direction of the small hill near the cave.


    He found a young man standing guard near the entrance, holding a walkie-talkie.


    On the small hill, there was a small forest, Su Chen deliberately made some noises as he approached.


    The guard looked hesitantly towards the forest, but the noise then stopped.


    He paid no mind, thinking it was just the wind or some night creatures.


    A few minutester, another sound was heard, the guard walked a few steps forward, but the noise disappeared again, so he returned.


    But after a while, the noise came again!


    "Damn it, if I catch you, I''ll kill you!"


    The guard quickly walked up the small hill, still thinking it was wild cats or dogs.


    However, the sound was making him uneasy!


    When he arrived, the sound disappeared again!


    As he entered the forest, he looked around, but it was quiet, with no signs of movement.


    Logically, with his cultivation, he should have sensed something!


    While he was puzzled, suddenly a figure descended from the sky!


    Immediately, he felt a cold sensation on his neck, and the walkie-talkie in his hand was snatched away.


    "If you dare to shout, I''ll slit your throat. You can test if you shout faster or I cut faster!"


    A voice came, but it was very low!


    He hurriedly nodded, indicating he wouldn''t.


    He had already determined that the opponent was a Martial Artist, with cultivation at least equal to his!


    Su Chen first ced the walkie-talkie on the ground, then coerced the guard to walk a distance away with a dagger, to prevent any noise from being heard by the other side.


    "Who are you, what are you digging underground?" Su Chen asked.


    "We are tomb robbers, heard there''s a buried prince''s tomb underground, so..."


    The guard said.


    "Do you think I''m a three-year-old easy to fool?"


    Su Chen said coldly:


    "If you don''t tell the truth, my dagger won''t show mercy!"


    Upon hearing this, the guard''s face showed panic.


    "You are all from the Fei Family of Sichuan, right?"


    "How do you know?"


    The guard blurted out in surprise.


    "If you don''t tell the truth, you might not see tomorrow''s sun!"


    Su Chen spoke with a chilling voice, exuding immense killing intent!


    Actually, Su Chen was just bluffing, he only recognized Fei An, he didn''t know the others.


    Unexpectedly, the bluff worked, they were indeed from the Fei Family!


    But why had these Fei Family memberse all the way to Jinmen to dig?


    Su Chen sensed that their goal was not simple!


    "I''ll tell, I''ll tell!"


    The guard, feeling the immense killing intent, trembled and said.


    Moreover, the other side already knew their identity, it would be hard to hide.


    "Good, now answer my questions, one unanswered or dyed for over three seconds, and you''re dead!"


    Su Chen said in a low voice.


    "What''s your name, who from the Fei Family is here?"


    "My name is Fei Ren, my uncle, second uncle, my father, and my cousin are here."


    Fei Ren candidly replied.


    Hearing this, Su Chenughed:


    "Fei Ren (Wasting), how much your dad hated you to give you this name? Was it because your mom cheated on him?"


    "Absolutely not!"


    Fei Ren felt extremely humiliated by Su Chen''s words.


    Since childhood, this name had brought him endless shame!


    However, Su Chen didn''t continue to mock him but asked:


    "Why are you digging this underground passage in Jinmen?"


    Fei Ren hesitated, as it was the family''s greatest secret!


    "One!"


    "Two!"


    "We are here to dig a treasure!"


    While Fei Ren hesitated, Su Chen started counting, moving the dagger closer, Fei Ren quickly blurted out.


    "What treasure?"


    Su Chen asked quickly, curious what treasure could make the Fei Family go to such great lengths and be so cautious?


    "Magic Artifact!"


    Fei Ren nced at Su Chen, and painfully uttered the words!


    Hearing these words, Su Chen felt a shock!


    He had heard from his old teacher about Magic Artifacts, legendary weapons of immense power!


    He had thought the old teacher was just boasting, but the world actually had Magic Artifacts!


    Moreover, the Fei Family was searching for one here!

 Chapter 855: Double Kill

    "How did you know there was a magic artifact here?" Su Chen asked again.


    "I don''t know. This was something the Family Head told us." Fei Ren replied. In fact, they had asked the Family Head yesterday, but he hadn''t said anything.


    Seeing that Fei Ren didn''t know, Su Chen didn''t care too much, as he wasn''t very interested in this question anyway.


    "What are the cultivation levels of the people from your Fei Family?" Su Chen asked again.


    "My eldest uncle is at the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer, but he might already be at the Fifth Layer. My second uncle is at the Meridian Expansion Second Layer, my father just entered the Meridian Expansion Realm, and my cousin is at half-step Meridian Expansion!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen frowned. These people''s strengths were not weak either.


    He was confident in dealing with each one individually, except for the one at the Meridian Expansion Fourth or Fifth Layer, which would be somewhat challenging.


    However, if they all came at him together, he probably wouldn''t be able to handle them!


    So, the key was to take them down one by one!


    Then Su Chen emerged from the forest, holding a walkie-talkie in his hand. Behind himy Fei Ren''s corpse, quietly.


    In a sh, Su Chen reached the entrance of the underground passage. He knew that those people were deep inside; the end he reached with Yunlong in the afternoon was not the real end.


    Even if he made some noise here, those inside might not hear it. This was why they used such high-end walkie-talkies!


    Su Chen didn''t act rashly. He was waiting¡ªfor an opportunity!


    If he barged in now, it would be extremely dangerous!


    At this moment, Su Cheny still by the water''s edge like a crocodile, waiting to deliver a fatal blow when the prey appeared!


    He had patience, plenty of patience!


    Time ticked by, and before he knew it, it was already past 1 a.m. He had been waiting here for two hours.


    "Fei Ren, what''s the situation outside?"


    At this moment, a voice came through the walkie-talkie in Su Chen''s hand.


    Su Chen''s spirit immediately jolted, realizing that an opportunity might have arrived.


    "Fei Ren, Fei Ren, answer!"


    "Something''s wrong, let''s go out and check!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen felt a chill down his spine.


    He initially thought the other party would send one or two people out, in which case he would have had a better chance!


    Unexpectedly, they were alling out together, which instantly made him tense!


    Actually, his n was to deal with one of them when they conveniently came out.


    Without anyone returning, the Fei Family would definitely send people out to search, allowing him to take them down one by one!


    Or like just now, when no one responded to Fei Ren''s walkie-talkie, they would sense something was wrong and send people out to check, allowing him to strike one by one!


    But he didn''t expect the Fei Family to be so cautious,ing out together to check the situation, making him undeniably nervous!


    Su Chen thought to himself: It can''t be helped; I can only use the second n now.


    Then, he shed into the passage and headed straight to the end, where there was a mottled wall made of dirt and rocks!


    Once there, he immediately held his breath and stood close to the wall!


    Meanwhile, he also put on night vision goggles. Although his cultivation at this realm had enhanced his visual and auditory acuity far beyond that of ordinary people,


    Comparatively speaking, it''s still less effective than this top-end technological product.


    Soon, he heard noisy footstepsing from the other side of the wall.


    Quickly, a door opened in the rock and dirt wall!


    The disguise was so well done that if Su Chen hadn''t specially observed it in the afternoon, he wouldn''t have noticed it!


    A few figures passed through, hardly noticing Su Chen hidden behind the wall!


    "Who''s there?"


    Just as Su Chen was about to take action, a loud shout rang out!


    Su Chen was startled, realizing the opponent''s senses were too sharp!


    He also realized that this person was undoubtedly the strongest¡ªFei Ren''s eldest uncle and the Fei Family Head!


    The two middle-aged men beside him, however, seemed oblivious, not knowing why their eldest brother suddenly shouted.


    Could it be that someone else is here?


    But after all, this was an underground passage, pitch ck. Even though they were martial artists, they couldn''t see clearly!


    The so-called enhanced vision and hearing for martial artists only meant seeing and hearing farther and clearer in dim light than ordinary people!


    But here, there was almost no light at all!


    However, night vision goggles worked with the aid of infrared light, allowing one to see clearly.


    In their confusion, they felt a sweetness at their throats and copsed to the ground!


    Su Chen didn''t strike at the strongest person because his sensitivity to True Yuan fluctuations was more acute. Even in a sneak attack, Su Chen wasn''t fully confident of sess!


    Instead, he chose to take down the others first!


    As the two middle-aged men fell, Su Chen was about to strike at Fei An when he saw the strongest person lift him and dart outside!


    He moved like a ghost in the night!


    Su Chen once again marveled at his opponent''s experience and decisiveness, making the correct choice in an instant!


    If they had fought here, despite the opponent being slightly stronger, Su Chen was confident he could take him down!


    When the strongest person emerged holding Fei An like a chick, Su Chen had just followed them outside!


    Ultimately, he was a step toote, Su Chen thought to himself with regret.


    Once outside, Fei Ming''s eyes immediately locked onto Su Chen, determined to see who was so bold to attack them!


    Fei An also red at Su Chen!


    "It''s you?!"


    When Fei An saw who it was, he cried out in disbelief, as though he had seen a ghost!


    Despite the darkness, there was some starlight, and with them standing so close, he could still see clearly.


    Fei An thought in shock, how did this guy suddenly appear here?


    This isn''t normal at all!


    "Little An, do you know this guy?"


    Hearing his son''s words, Fei Ming was also puzzled!


    "Yes, father, this is the guy who seriously injured me not long ago!"


    Fei An''s eyes red with hatred as he spoke!


    "So it''s this brat?!"


    Upon hearing his son''s words, Fei Ming coldly nced at Su Chen:


    "In that case, let''s settle both the old and new scores together!"


    He had heard about his son''s severe injury some time ago, and how he only recovered with the help of the precious Snow Toad Pill!


    Noticing that Su Chen hadn''t yet entered the Meridian Expansion Realm, Fei Ming felt much more at ease!


    He figured that the sessful sneak attack earlier was likely due to the night vision goggles!


    Considering the unique environment of the underground passage,


    This brat has no more chances to win here!

 Chapter 856: Hes Already Dead!

    "Don''t worry, I''ll soon reunite you with your families!"


    Su Chen said with a faint smile.


    Since things havee to this, and he couldn''t eliminate everyone in the underground passage, he could only ept it!


    Fortunately, he had already taken out two Meridian Expansion Realm warriors, leaving only the strongest Fei Ming and the weakest Fei An.


    To him, Fei An was negligible and might even be of great help to him. Essentially, he only had to deal with Fei Ming!


    "Hmph, I''ll make you pay for my brothers'' lives!"


    Fei Ming looked at Su Chen as if he were looking at a dead man!


    He never expected such a twist tonight, where his two brothers died in the blink of an eye.


    Even his own son, had he been a bit slower, wouldn''t have escaped death!


    As for Fei Ren, who was missing, he was likely in critical condition!


    Still, he was puzzled. Despite having night vision goggles, this kid killing his two brothers instantly was astonishing!


    After all, those two brothers were both in the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    It seemed this kid had some tricks, Fei Ming thought cautiously, but that was all.


    After all, this was just a kid who hadn''t entered the Meridian Expansion Realm yet!


    "Father, don''t kill him quickly; I want to torture him properly to avenge our uncles!"


    Fei An spat viciously at Su Chen, though inwardly, he was more concerned about venting his frustration.


    "Alright, I''ll break his arms and legs and hand him over to you!"


    Fei Ming nodded in agreement.


    Upon hearing this, Fei An''s eyes gleamed; he was already imagining how to torment Su Chen!


    Just then, Fei Ming moved. His movement was like a whirlwind, sweeping towards Su Chen!


    Su Chen met him head-on, throwing a punch towards his opponent!


    "That''s all you''ve got!"


    Fei Ming looked at the True Yuan on Su Chen''s Fist Mang and revealed a disdainful expression.


    No doubt, from the density of that True Yuan, although Su Chen was infinitely close to the Meridian Expansion Realm, he had not quite made it yet!


    "Boom!"


    Su Chen was hit by Fei Ming''s leg as if struck by a speeding truck, sent flying out!


    "Puff!"


    Su Chen instantly spat a mouthful of blood, struggling to get up.


    "Boy, you have some durability, still not dead!"


    Fei Ming was slightly surprised to see Su Chen stand up again!


    One must know that even an average Meridian Expansion Realm First Layer couldn''t withstand that leg strike!


    But he didn''t mind. He swiftly shed beside Su Chen andunched another punch!


    Majestic True Yuan circted on his fist, vibrating the space where it passed!


    Su Chen saw the powerful punch and hastily blocked it, but to no avail. He was blown away,nding close to Fei An!


    "Puff, puff!"


    Su Chen spat two more mouthfuls of blood, trying to stand but copsing each time!


    "Hahaha! Boy, keep being arrogant! Keep boasting!"


    Seeing this, Fei Anughed heartily, then walked over and looked down at Su Chen:


    "Boy, the humiliation you gave me, I''ll return a hundredfold!"


    At this moment, Fei Ming also walked towards Su Chen with an icy expression!


    This boy had killed so many of his Fei family members; he wouldn''t let him die so easily!


    Letting his son torture him first was a good idea!


    "Just you? Are you worthy?"


    Su Chen spat a mouthful of blood, his face full of disdain!


    "Boy, you''re still being stubborn at this point!"


    Fei An stepped on Su Chen''s chest and said.


    Just then, Su Chen, who was seemingly on hisst legs, suddenly had a gleam in his eyes!


    He moved like lightning, grabbing Fei An''s ankle and twisting it sharply. A clear "crack" was heard, and Fei An toppled over.


    Simultaneously, Su Chen leapt up, a gleaming dagger appearing in his hand, shing towards Fei An!


    Fei Ming was shocked at the sight, quickly darting towards Su Chen!


    His speed was incredibly fast, reaching in the blink of an eye, and heunched a palm strike at Su Chen''s back!


    At this moment, he couldn''t care about defense or anything else; if he were a split secondte, his son would be dead!


    Feeling the True Yuan fluctuations behind him, a sly smile tugged at the corners of Su Chen''s mouth!


    When Fei Ming''s palm was just a few centimeters from Su Chen''s back, he suddenly twisted his body.


    In that instant, Su Chen exerted his speed to the maximum, and his dagger shot forth like a venomous snake towards Fei Ming''s heart!


    "So fast!"


    Fei Ming''s pupils dted with shock and fear; he had never felt such terror before!


    "Thud!"


    The dagger pierced Fei Ming''s heart without resistance, continuing forward!


    "Bang!"


    Almost simultaneously, Su Chen kicked Fei Ming''s chest, withdrawing the dagger from his heart, causing a fountain of blood to spray out!


    Fei Ming, like a kite with a broken string, was sent flying,nding on the grass twenty meters away!


    Fei An was dumbfounded by the sudden scene; his mind went nk!


    Hadn''t his father just beaten this boy to the point where he couldn''t get up?


    How did things turn around so dramatically in an instant?


    "My father..."


    Fei An stammered.


    "He''s dead!"


    Su Chen nced at him coldly.


    Hearing this, Fei An shivered all over!


    "How do you want to die? I''ll let you choose!"


    Su Chen''s cold voice sounded again.


    "Please, spare me!"


    Upon hearing this, Fei An immediately knelt and pleaded; he didn''t want to die!


    "I''ll do whatever you want!"


    Fei An said in utmost fear; he hadn''t imagined this guy was so powerful, even his father couldn''t beat him!


    In fact, he misunderstood. If Su Chen hadn''t pretended to be weak and made his opponent careless, he wouldn''t have had that final deadly chance!


    For this, he had also suffered considerable internal injuries!


    Because Su Chen knew that in terms of strength, he was slightly inferior to his opponent!


    So, before making a move, he had already nned to use Fei An!


    Everything was nned around this!


    Negligence and contempt, coupled with paternal love, so many weaknesses were enough for Su Chen to take his life!


    "If you don''t want to die, answer my question."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "I''ll answer, I will!"


    Fei An quickly replied.


    "Have you found the magic artifact?"


    "Are you here for the magic artifact too?"


    Fei An asked quickly upon hearing this.


    "I''m the one asking questions, not you!"


    Su Chen coldly looked at him.


    "Yes, yes!"


    Fei An immediately nodded:


    "Not yet. We all doubt if there is a magic artifact. Even my father wasn''t sure!"


    "Alright, take me inside to see."


    Su Chen then pushed the limping Fei An back down the underground passage...

 Chapter 857 - 857 Basement

    After the two entered, it was pitch ck inside. Su Chen wasn''t too troubled by it, especially since he had night vision goggles with him.


    Because Su Chen had broken Fei An''s ankle, and it was too dark, Fei An nearly fell two or three times.


    After a short while, they reached a wall of mixed dirt and rocks. Fei An felt around and pressed a rock nearby.


    The door immediately opened. Su Chen nced at the rock; it was nearly indistinguishable from the wall around it and hard to detect.


    Once inside, Su Chen turned on his shlight and noticed that the inside was muchrger than the passage outside.


    Seeing Su Chen turn on the shlight, Fei An couldn''t help but smirk, thinking that if Su Chen had turned it on earlier, he wouldn''t have stumbled all the way, though he didn''t dare to voice this thought.


    "How did your father know there was a magic artifact here?"


    Su Chen asked as he walked inward.


    Actually, he had asked Fei Ren this question before, but Fei Ren had said he didn''t know, as Fei Ming hadn''t told him.


    But he thought that since Fei An was his son, it was possible he knew more.


    Sure enough, Fei An knew the situation. Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, he immediately replied:


    "I heard from my father that this used to be a Martial Arts site, but it was destroyed decades ago. That''s all he told me."


    Su Chen nodded upon hearing this. That made more sense.


    He had always been curious about why there would be a magic artifact here, and this exnation seemed usible.


    They didn''t know how far they had walked, but Su Chen estimated they had nearly crossed the entire mountain.


    Thankfully, the tunnel was deep enough, and he had made almost no noise. Otherwise, they might have been discovered earlier when they were on the mountain.


    At the end of the tunnel, they encountered a wall with scattered carvings. Several shovelsy nearby, likely the Fei family''s excavation tools.


    There was also a medium-sized spotlight on the ground, not a heamp or handheld, which lit the surroundings as bright as day.


    Su Chen quietly celebrated that their spotlight wasn''t portable; otherwise, they might have brought it out earlier, making his ambush less likely.


    Of course, the main reason was likely that they hadn''t expected anyone to ambush them in the tunnel.


    Su Chen could understand why the Fei family was using shovels to dig.


    Although martial artists could potentially move more dirt with a single palm strike or punch, especially higher-level ones, it wasn''t very controble. A small mistake could cause the tunnel to copse, burying them alive.


    "What else did your father say? Where exactly is the magic artifact?"


    Su Chen scanned the surroundings and asked.


    "He said it''s nearby. We probably need to dig for a few more hours."


    "Is it really just buried in the dirt?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "I don''t know." Fei An shook his head.


    Su Chen then made a phone call to Yunlong, asking him toe over.


    Fortunately, Su Chen''s phone was specially made by Shadow, as ordinary phones had no signal underground.


    "The gatekeeper was killed by you, right? Why did you kill him?"


    Waiting for Yunlong, Su Chen asked.


    "We hadn''t arranged anyone to be on watch. The old man seemed drunk and came near the cave entrance to urinate, running into my second and third uncle transporting the excavated dirt, so we just..."


    Fei An''s exnation matched Su Chen''s suspicions. The gatekeeper had stumbled upon their secret and was silenced.


    They had likely set up a watch only after the mishap yesterday.


    After a while, footsteps approached, and Yunlong entered with a shlight.


    "Brother, I never expected the wall to be fake, with something hidden inside!"


    Upon arriving, Yunlong couldn''t help but marvel.


    "Brother, this person was part of the group that entered earlier, right? What are they digging for here?"


    Yunlong nced at Fei An and asked.


    Since his brother had called him in, there was no danger.


    He had seen two bodies in the tunnel earlier and figured the others had already met King Yan.


    Being an elite soldier, Yunlong had killed many people before and wasn''t too concerned.


    "Yes, they came to dig for treasure." Su Chen nodded and said, "First, dispose of those bodies, thene help dig!"


    After Su Chen told Yunlong where the bodies were, Yunlong went off.


    Half an hourter, Yunlong returned and joined the excavation team.


    Poor Fei An, with his broken foot, was still forced to dig by Su Chen. Every dig brought him immense pain, causing cold sweat to drip.


    The three of them dug for another two or three hours but found nothing.


    Fei An didn''t dare to make a move on Yunlong, knowing that Su Chen was wary of him.


    If he failed, he wouldn''t have any hope of surviving. Even though it seemed unlikely the others would spare him, there was still a chance.


    "Brother, something seems off here!"


    Yunlong''s voice suddenly called out, prompting Su Chen to rush over.


    Yunlong had found a piece of wood while digging. Despite being underground, the wood was well-preserved.


    More seemed to be buried in the dirt as well.


    Su Chen examined it carefully, and a spark of excitement appeared in his eyes:


    "This is Jo Pear Wood!"


    Jo Pear Wood is an expensive type of wood known for its resistance to corrosion and moisture.


    "Dig along the wood!"


    Su Chen ordered and began digging vigorously.


    Yunlong seemed infected by his enthusiasm and dug with renewed vigor.


    Fei An, on the other hand, had a cunning look in his eyes, seemingly plotting something.


    After about another hour of digging, a wooden wall, about three meters high and four meters long, appeared before them.


    "Brother, what''s this? How could there be...?"


    Yunlong asked in confusion.


    "It should be an underground room!"


    Seeing the wooden wall, Su Chen couldn''t help but get excited.


    He knew that some wealthy families used Jo Pear Wood to build underground rooms due to its excellent resistance to corrosion and moisture, which made itst for centuries without rotting.


    Of course, there were likely protective measures on the outer side, but time and geographical changes had eroded them, leaving the Jo Pear Wood rtively intact.


    Thend above had long be a wastnd, but the room remained.


    However, building an underground room this deep was rare!


    Su Chen thought: Could there really be a treasure inside? Could the magic artifact be behind this wooden wall?

 Chapter 858: Dragon-Slaying Sword

    Fei An''s eyes flickered with a bright gleam, but he also felt a bit of regret secretly!


    With the strength of so many people from the Fei Family, if they had dug for another hour or so, they might have found this ce already!


    If there''s really a Magic Artifact inside, and they managed to obtain it, this kid would surely be dead!


    Unfortunately, they never got their hands on it, and they were all killed by this kid, leaving only himself!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen punched the wooden wall, creating arge hole, big enough for someone to pass through. Yunlong was the first to go inside, followed by Su Chen, dragging along Fei An.


    Indeed, inside was a well-preserved study room, not veryrge, only about thirteen to fourteen square meters.


    There was a desk, a chair behind the desk, and several famous paintings hanging on the walls, though they were already dpidated!


    After entering, Yunlong looked around, marveling at the small wooden room so deep underground!


    "Big Brother, what kind of treasure were you talking about?"


    Yunlong couldn''t help but ask.


    "Magic Artifact, it''s hard to say if it''s here or not."


    Su Chen replied casually.


    Once Fei An entered, his eyes immediately started searching like a radar.


    "Are you thinking of finding the Magic Artifact to kill me?"


    At this moment, an amusing voice sounded beside him.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Fei An''s heart trembled, and he quickly forced an awkward smile:


    "No, no, how would I dare?"


    But his heart was filled with unease because Su Chen had hit upon his true intentions!


    Although he didn''t know if he could defeat the opponent with a Magic Artifact, it was his only hope!


    He had no confidence that Su Chen would voluntarily spare him!


    "It doesn''t matter if there is or isn''t one, because you have no chance anymore!"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a sly smile.


    "Don''t kill me, I''m willing to be your dog!"


    Seeing that Su Chen indeed had the intent to kill, he quickly knelt down, seemingly out of conditioned reflex!


    "I don''t need a dog!"


    Su Chen smiled faintly, and immediately several Silver Needles shot out, making "swish, swish, swish" sounds.


    Seeing the Silver Needles rapidly approaching his pupils, Fei An had no way to dodge, they were too fast!


    "Thud!"


    Immediately after, Fei An copsed on the ground, with three Silver Needles in his forehead, his eyes wide open, seemingly unwilling to ept his fate!


    But Su Chen didn''t care at all and continued searching with Yunlong.


    However, after searching around, they found nothing.


    Su Chen''s gaze fell on the desk. In this room, besides the desk and chair, there seemed to be no other suspicious ces.


    Could it be that the Magic Artifact was hidden in the same way as the Formation Technique Book he found at Jianghai Manorst time, within the tabletop?


    With this idea, Su Chen immediately started tapping every inch of the desk and pressed his ear against the desk, listening carefully.


    Soon, Su Chen seemed to hear something different. His eyes lit up and he began searching for a mechanism.


    Finally, he found a button in the corner under the desk. The button was very hidden and would not be easily found without deliberately searching.


    He pressed it lightly, and immediately heard a "bang" as a slender hiddenpartment popped out from the edge of the desk.


    Inside the hiddenpartment was a rectangr box. He immediately took the box out, and upon opening it, he saw a sword lying inside!


    The sword sheath was in, without any carvings or embedded gems, seeming not luxurious at all.


    However, when Su Chen held it in his hand and drew a portion of the de, it instantly emitted a humming sound and a chilling aura!


    Su Chen immediately realized the extraordinary nature of this sword!


    "These people sure know how to hide things!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh:


    "Could this sword be a Magic Artifact?"


    Su Chen drew the swordpletely out of its sheath. The de was about seventy centimeters long, and its material was evidently unusual, exuding a slight chill!


    Su Chen suddenly noticed some inscriptions on the de. Upon closer inspection, he saw the characters "Dragon-ying" clearly!


    This name was really impressive, Su Chen thought to himself!


    "Big Brother, is this the Magic Artifact you were talking about?"


    Yunlong came closer to ask, though he was utterly ignorant about what a Magic Artifact really was.


    "It should be."


    Su Chen nodded, and the two walked out, carrying Fei An''s corpse, whose eyes were still wide open in death.


    As they came out, dawn was breaking. It was not early anymore, but since it was winter, daylight cameter.


    Su Chen and Yunlong dealt with the corpse first, then returned to the construction site.


    They returned mainly to ensure the few people at the site took care of the gatekeeper''s final arrangements properly. Yunlong left fifty thousand yuan for this purpose.


    Of course, he knew it wouldn''t require that much, but to Yunlong, it was a small matter.


    The few people naturally agreed, promising to handle it splendidly.


    Then Su Chen and Yunlong drove back to Yandu, arriving close to noon.


    After lunch, they each returned to their respectivepanies, and the sword was left in the trunk of Su Chen''s Buick.


    No one would have thought he would leave the Magic Artifact in the trunk like that.


    Of course, Su Chen wasn''t sure if it was a Magic Artifact yet. He nned to test it in a remote ce during the quiet night.


    He had originally nned to test it in the morning, but gave up.


    It was daytime then, and though the construction site was deste, people were still around, and farmers were working in nearby fields.


    .....


    After returning to thepany, Su Chen went into his office, made a cup of tea as usual, and leisurely read a magazine.


    After finishing the magazine, he grew bored again and suddenly remembered Yan Xi''s car purchase. He then walked towards the PR department.


    "Yan Xi,e to my office for a moment."


    Su Chen called out at the entrance of the PR department.


    The women there initially wanted to joke around when they heard Su Chen call Yan Xi to the office, but seeing his unusually stern expression, they held their tongues.


    Yan Xi was also seeing him this serious for the first time, causing her to be quite uneasy. She stood up and followed him out.


    "Tell me, what''s going on with your car?"


    Su Chen sat down in his office chair and asked Yan Xi, who had just walked in.


    "I bought it! What''s the problem?"


    Yan Xi rxed upon hearing Su Chen asking about her car. She had feared it was something more serious!


    "Of course, I know you bought it! I''m asking where the money for the car came from?"


    Su Chen stared at Yan Xi seriously.


    "It''s my money!"


    Yan Xi responded with conviction...

 Chapter 859: 18 Credit Cards

    "I just want to know, where did you get so much money?"


    Su Chen''s face was stern as he said:


    "If I remember correctly, your master only left a few thousand when he left for living expenses."


    "Anyway, this money wasn''t stolen, nor was it robbed! Why do you care so much?!"


    Yan Xi replied matter-of-factly.


    "Since you won''t tell, I''ll have to call your master!"


    Su Chen pulled out his trump card, knowing that Yan Xi was most afraid of Wei Hua.


    "No, no, I''ll tell you!"


    Yan Xi hurriedly stopped when she heard this, then pouted:


    "You''re really annoying!"


    "Will you tell me or not?"


    Su Chen lifted his phone threateningly.


    "I''ll tell you, it was Uncle Yao who gave it to me."


    Yan Xi red at Su Chen with her beautiful eyes.


    "How much did he give you?"


    Su Chen continued asking.


    "Just the money to buy that car!"


    Yan Xi muttered softly.


    "I don''t believe it, I''ll call to ask now. The Uncle Yao you mentioned is Yao Zhe, the protector of your Hidden Dragon Hall, right?"


    Su Chen squinted at Yan Xi.


    "You have Uncle Yao''s number?"


    Yan Xi asked in disbelief; she didn''t know Yao Zhe had visited Su Chen earlier.


    "Of course, so you''d better be honest."


    Actually, Su Chen knew Yao Zhe, but they hadn''t exchanged numbers; he was just bluffing Yan Xi.


    "He... he gave me 300,000."


    Yan Xi, being simple-minded, muttered upon hearing his words.


    "What about the rest of the money?"


    Su Chen continued to press. The red BMW she bought wouldn''te for less than 700,000.


    "Credit card."


    Yan Xi dared not meet Su Chen''s eyes!


    "Credit card?!"


    Su Chen was stunned upon hearing this.


    But he thought again. With Yan Xi''s current sry, a credit card would give a limit of no more than 50,000, far from enough!


    "Don''t fool me; can a credit card have that much money for you to use?"


    Su Chen said coldly.


    "I applied for eighteen credit cards."


    Yan Xi whispered.


    "What?!"


    Su Chen couldn''t sit still upon hearing this, standing up abruptly.


    Eighteen credit cards? Is she joking?


    Su Chen waspletely defeated by this woman, feeling a dizzy spell!


    "Bring the credit cards here for me to see."


    Su Chen said speechlessly.


    "Okay."


    Yan Xi then turned and went out, returning with a bag after a while. She opened the bag and took out a thick stack of bank cards.


    Indeed, there were eighteen of them, from various banks, in different colors!


    "How did youe up with this idea?"


    Su Chen sat down powerlessly, asking despairingly.


    Actually, he didn''t care about tens of thousands of dors, but Yan Xi applying for so many credit cards at once shocked him!


    "I went shopping and eating out with Sister Zhao Lin and Sister Ran Ting earlier, and saw they didn''t pay anything; they just swiped their cards."


    "They told me these were credit cards, for advance consumption, saying you have to understand life and enjoy life."


    "Thenst time I went back, Uncle Yao gave me 300,000 for buying a car, but when I saw the red one at the dealership, I liked it."


    "Then I thought of what Sister Ran Ting said about advance consumption, and slowly paying it back."


    After hearing Yan Xi, Su Chen almost fell off his chair.


    Others have a limit for advance consumption; she went ahead and spent 400,000 at once!


    "How do you n to repay so much money?"


    Su Chen asked, looking at her:


    "Can you afford to repay it?"


    "I did it in three-year installments. I only need to pay over 10,000 monthly. I now have a monthly sry of 15,000!"


    Yan Xi said proudly, her bright eyes sparkling.


    "You have it calcted clearly, huh?"


    Su Chen pouted.


    Actually, giving her 5,000 monthly was already considered high; Lin Ruoxue only offered such a high sry out of respect for him.


    Everyone knew her rtionship with Su Chen. Since Su Chen was the CEO''s husband, there wasn''t much to say, keeping the group''s sry structure intact.


    But this girl actually nned to use almost all her sry to pay credit card bills...


    "Alright, you can go out now."


    Su Chen waved his hand wearily.


    He originally intended to give her a sum of money to repay it first, but on second thought, decided against it. Let her repay for a few months, and she would realize she couldn''t spend money this recklessly!


    After she went out, Su Chen still couldn''t believe it!


    This little girl actually applied for eighteen credit cards just to buy a car!


    But Su Chen didn''t really n to tell Wei Hua; such a small matter wasn''t necessary.


    He was previously worried that Yan Xi, being too simple-minded, might be exploited to do something outrageous.


    Though applying for eighteen credit cards was quite outrageous, it wasn''t too serious.


    ....


    Su Chen stayed at thepany for a while before going home; cultivation remained his priority.


    The Judgment Department and Shengyi Gate were like swords hanging over his head, urging him not to rest!


    On the path to bing stronger, he found his enemies increasingly powerful!


    When he got home, little Ruohan was sitting on the stairs reading a book. It seemed to be an ingrained habit; Su Chen had seen this scene several times.


    Seeing her engrossed in the book, Su Chen didn''t disturb her, entering his room and shutting the door to start cultivating.


    After having dinner together in the evening, Lin Ruoxue went to the study upstairs to continue working, and Su Chen drove out.


    He knew there was a piece of wastnd behind the manor; it was almost deserted during the day, even more so at night!


    Driving to the wastnd, he looked around and indeed saw no shadow, only asional bird calls.


    Su Chen eagerly took out the Dragon-ying Sword, then activated True Yuan, shing towards a small mound in the distance!


    A wave-like Sword Qi burst forth from the sword, rushing towards the small mound!


    "Boom!"


    A loud explosion, the site of the small mound was instantly enveloped in dust, like rising yellow sand!


    As the dust settled, Su Chen saw the small mound had vanishedpletely, with a crack in the ground extending tens of meters, smoother than man-made excavation!


    The mound''s site had formed arge pit, more than half a meter deep!


    "Damn! That''s intense!"


    Su Chen was stunned, not expecting such power from the Dragon-ying Sword!


    Although it was a small mound, it was five or six meters high, with a diameter of ten-plus meters!


    "Is this the power of a magic artifact? Isn''t it too exaggerated?"


    Su Chen muttered, looking at the Dragon-ying Sword in his hand...

 Chapter 860 - 860 I Like This Kind of Beauty

    Su Chen originally wanted to give it a try, but he decided against it. After all, the power of the Dragon-ying Sword was truly too immense!


    To be honest, although he had guessed that the magic artifact was very powerful, he hadn''t expected it to be this powerful!


    However, he also understood the principle that amon man is innocent, but those who possess treasure are deemed guilty. So unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to use it lightly.


    Su Chen nced onest time at the now-vanished mound and then drove away from there.


    .... .....


    Meanwhile, in a hotel room in Yandu.


    A man dressed in a tailcoat dialed a number:


    "Patriarch, we''ve basically figured it out. The one who attacked the young master is likely a young man named Su Chen!"


    "Three days!"


    The voice on the other end said only this.


    "Yes!"


    The man in the tailcoat replied respectfully.


    "The patriarch has given us three days."


    After hanging up, he spoke to two otherpanions in the room, who were also dressed in tailcoats.


    "He''s just a young man. Let''s go take care of him right now!"


    A man sitting on the sofa said nonchntly.


    "Compared to this nd wine, I prefer the taste of blood."


    Another handsome-looking man swirled the wine in his ss and licked his scarlet lips.


    "Don''t be careless. This is Huaxia!"


    The first man cautioned seriously,


    "It''s not just you; even the patriarch has to be careful here!"


    This person apparentlymanded some respect, as neither of the other two argued.


    Indeed, Huaxia was an incredibly mysterious country; you never knew when a master might appear!


    "So we must act silently and leave quietly, preferably with no one knowing we were here!"


    The man continued, and the other two nodded in agreement.


    ...... ......


    Su Chen had no idea that his killing of a member of the Blood n had already sparked their revenge, but even if he knew, he wouldn''t care.


    Given the atrocitiesmitted by that Blood n member, no matter how powerful his backing was, Su Chen would still kill him!


    At that moment, Su Chen was driving through the streets of Yandu when light rain began to fall.


    He intentionally rolled down the window, watching the neon lights on both sides. Instead of feeling cold, he felt refreshed andfortable.


    Just then, he saw an elderly couple roasting chestnuts under arge umbre at the roadside, with steam slowly rising. Nearby, two young couples were waiting.


    The elderlydy asionally wiped the elderly man''s forehead with a towel.


    Seeing this, Su Chen felt a warmth in his heart. He slowly pulled over and approached them.


    As the two young couples left, the elderlydy asked,


    "Young man, how much do you want?"


    "How much are these chestnuts?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "One kind is twelve yuan, the other kind is fifteen."


    "Give me one hundred yuan of the fifteen-yuan kind."


    "Young man, you don''t need to buy so much. Too many chestnuts aren''t good either."


    The elderlydy quickly said.


    "It''s fine. I have a big family, and everyone loves chestnuts."


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    "Oh, alright then."


    Upon hearing this, the elderlydy didn''t continue to say anything.


    Just then, she suddenly looked past Su Chen with surprise and said,


    "Miss Pei, you''re here!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen immediately turned his head and saw someone he didn''t expect.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise.


    "I should be asking you that."


    Pei Man smiled, a look of surprise appearing on her beautiful face.


    Behind her, Ah Tai was pushing her wheelchair.


    "I was just passing by." Su Chen smiled.


    "Miss Pei, you know this gentleman?"


    The elderly man, smiling, asked as well. It was clear he was familiar with Pei Man.


    "We are good friends."


    Pei Man replied with a smile.


    "Well then, since he''s a friend of Miss Pei, my dear, just weigh out 7 jin."


    The elderly man smiled at his wife.


    "You don''t need to say anything!"


    The elderlydy red at him before turning to Pei Man,


    "Miss Pei, the usual?"


    "Yes."


    Pei Man smiled and nodded.


    Soon, the two of them left. Su Chen pushed her while holding an umbre.


    "How do you know these two elderly people?" Su Chen asked.


    "Ie here almost every week, for the past five years." Pei Man smiled.


    "I didn''t expect you to love chestnuts so much,"


    Su Chen said in a slightly surprised manner.


    "Actually, I don''t really like them. It''s basically Ah Tai who eats them."


    "Then why . . .?" Su Chen asked with some confusion.


    "Every time I see these two elderly people, it gives me a sense of hope and beauty in life, and I like this feeling!"


    Pei Man looked back and smiled at him,


    "I think you bought so many for the same reason, right?"


    "Yes, I saw the elderly couple roasting chestnuts and felt a warmth in my heart, so I got out of the car to buy some."


    Su Chen didn''t hide the truth and nodded,


    "By the way, do they know who you are?"


    "Does it matter?"


    Pei Man chuckled softly.


    "You''re right, it doesn''t matter."


    Su Chen alsoughed.


    As they walked, the rain started to get heavier, so Su Chen pushed Pei Man back to her car, lifted her in, and then Ah Tai drove away.


    Su Chen then drove to Imperial Garden.


    After returning home, he distributed the chestnuts among everyone, and he only ate a little himself.


    The next morning, after breakfast, Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue, and Yan Xi each drove to their respectivepanies.


    After spending some time at thepany, he went to the hospital to check on Du Hanbing.


    Even though all of Du Hanbing''s physiological functions had mostly recovered, he still hadn''t regained consciousness, which left Su Chen slightly worried.


    Even though he believed there wouldn''t be any issues, he couldn''t be fully at ease until Du Hanbing woke up.


    After leaving the hospital, he drove to the Pei Family to give Pei Man a massage. It was only the third day; he would need at least four or five more days to finish.


    Pei Jian and Pei Man''s grandfather seemed even more anxious these days than Pei Man herself; they were all eagerly awaiting the day she could stand up.


    That day didn''t seem far off now.


    Su Chen, on the other hand, wasn''t too worried about it. Everything was under his control.


    After treating Pei Man, Su Chen returned to thepany. On the way, he received a call from Ye Mei.


    The content of the call surprised him slightly; Ye Mei informed him that she was also nning to relocate the group to Yandu.


    While she imed it was for the sake of the group''s development, Su Chen couldn''t shake the feeling that something wasn''t quite right...

 Chapter 861: 8-Star Dragon Locking Array

    Su Chen vaguely felt that Ye Mei might havee for him, and he also sensed Xiao Yaning''s feelings for him.


    If it were the old him, for beauties of Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning''s level, he would certainly not refuse; after all, it''s a mutual consent thing!


    But now, he''s somewhat hesitant. It''s not that he doesn''t want to; saying he doesn''t want would be deceiving himself!


    Why is he afraid?


    Because a few days ago, while chatting with Lin Ruoxue, he asked her what she would do if he had other women.


    Of course, Su Chen was testing her in a joking manner at the time.


    If Lin Ruoxue''s reaction wasn''t too intense, he nned to find an appropriate time to tell her about Eniel and Du Hanbing.


    Lin Ruoxue just gave him a cold nce and said calmly, "Then I''ll castrate you!"


    Those wordsing from Lin Ruoxue''s mouth truly left Su Chen stunned!


    At the same time, he felt a chill run through a certain part of his body; it was truly chilling!


    Remembering Lin Ruoxue''s icy expression still sends a shiver down his spine!


    Eniel and Du Hanbing are one thing, but to mess with other women now, he really doesn''t dare!


    Although Lin Ruoxue might have been joking, he still felt a bit apprehensive!


    What if someday Lin Ruoxue catches him off guard at night and "snip"? He''d have nowhere to cry!


    However, there''s nothing he can do about Ye Mei wanting to move the group to Yandu. What reason or way does he have to stop it?


    Besides, they are merely friends now; it''s not his ce to say anything!


    ....


    In no time, Su Chen arrived at thepany and went straight to his office as usual.


    But before he could even sit down, the office door was suddenly pushed open.


    Yan Xi stormed in, looking extremely displeased, with her beautiful eyes almost spitting fire at Su Chen!


    Seeing her angry demeanor, Su Chen was taken aback. Who on earth annoyed this little girl?


    "How can you be like this?"


    Before Su Chen could ask anything, Yan Xi pointed at him usingly.


    "What did I do?"


    Completely bewildered, Su Chen mumbled.


    "Still pretending?"


    Seeing his innocent and confused look, Yan Xi became even angrier and said coldly:


    "I never expected you to be a tattletale! I really misjudged you!"


    "What tattletale? What did I do?"


    Just returned to thepany and got scolded by Yan Xi for no apparent reason; it was truly baffling!


    "Wasn''t it you who told Old Man Wei about my car purchase?"


    Yan Xi coldly looked at him and said.


    "He knows too?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask upon hearing this.


    "Stop pretending, you snitched!"


    Yan Xi said coldly.


    Su Chen, seeing her like this, also started to feel annoyed. Whom did he offend?


    "I''ll tell you once, first, I didn''t say anything. I haven''t even spoken to your Vice Hall Master. Second, even if I did, what could you do?"


    Su Chen replied with an elongated face without any courtesy.


    Seeing his expression, Yan Xi hesitated a bit.


    "You really didn''t say anything?"


    Yan Xi asked again, losing her initial aggression.


    Su Chen just snorted in response.


    "Then that''s strange. If it''s not about that, why is Old Man Wei calling us back?"


    Yan Xi muttered to herself.


    "Your master is calling us back?"


    Su Chen asked after hearing this.


    "Yes, he just called asking if you could go back with me for a bit." Yan Xi said. Hearing this, she thought Su Chen had reported her for buying a car with a credit card, leading to Old Man Wei calling her back to discipline her!


    She had no doubt that Old Man Wei would harshly punish her and even forbid her froming out.


    That''s why she felt betrayed and furious at Su Chen!


    But now, thinking back, things didn''t seem to add up!


    If Old Man Wei really knew, his tone wouldn''t be so calm.


    However, her previous suspicion was understandable since Su Chen had just learned about her car purchase yesterday, and today Old Man Wei called her back. It was too coincidental!


    "Alright, let''s have lunch first, then I''ll go back with you." Su Chen said casually. He was also keen to check out the Hidden Dragon Hall!


    Yan Xi, realizing Old Man Wei likely had other reasons, instantly felt relieved.


    After a quick lunch downstairs, they drove towards the eastern outskirts of Yandu.


    Of course, Su Chen drove his Buick; Yan Xi didn''t dare to drive her conspicuous red BMW!


    They drove deep into a dense forest in the eastern outskirts. Hidden within this forest was a formation. Following Yan Xi through the formation, Su Chen looked back and asked casually:


    "Was that the Eight-Star Dragon Locking Formation just now?"


    He had seen this formation in Zhuge Zi''s book and found it not veryplex.


    He had been studying the Formation Technique Book frequently and was familiar with all but the most profound formations.


    Yan Xi was slightly shocked that Su Chen recognized the formation at a nce after just one walk through. Amazing!


    Yan Xi was once again impressed by Su Chen''s formation skills!


    Su Chen just mentioned it casually and then raised his head to look at the scene before him.


    In front of him appeared a vige-like ce, with houses arranged neatly and sparingly.


    The only noticeable difference from a typical vige was a six or seven-story building standing in the distance.


    This building covered arge area, with somewhat weathered outer walls, exuding an ancient yet grand and solemn aura!


    "Is this your Hidden Dragon Hall?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask. It was quite different from what he imagined; he thought Hidden Dragon Hall would bevish and luxurious!


    "Yes!"


    Yan Xi introduced to Su Chen:


    "Those cottages are where the regr members of Hidden Dragon Hall live." Then she pointed to that grand and ancient building and said:


    "That''s our headquarters. We usually hold discussions there. The two Hall Masters and three protectors also live there." Yan Xi then led Su Chen towards it...

 Chapter 862: Reap What You Sow

    As they walked along the road, several people greeted Yan Xi; it was clear that Yan Xi had a good reputation around here.


    However, they were quite curious about Su Chen, this stranger. Perhaps they had heard his name, but almost none had seen him before.


    Naturally, they inquired a bit since Hidden Dragon Hall did not allow outsiders in freely.


    Upon hearing that Vice Hall Master Wei Hua had instructed it, they said nothing more, nodded to Su Chen with a smile, and left.


    After walking a while longer, they arrived at the entrance of an ancient-looking building.


    "I''ll go in and report to Old Man Wei first. You wait here for a bit."


    Yan Xi said to Su Chen.


    Although Old Man Wei had called him here, it was still the headquarters of Hidden Dragon Hall, so it was necessary to report in. That was the rule.


    "No problem, go ahead."


    Su Chen waved his hand, understanding the need for such protocols.


    Not just Hidden Dragon Hall, when he was at the Nether Temple, the rules were the same.


    After Yan Xi went inside, Su Chen lit a cigarette and started waiting at the entrance, while casually observing the headquarters of Hidden Dragon Hall.


    This ce was indeed vast, estimating several hundred acres. At the far end of the site stood the grandest main building, nked on both sides by numerous rooms, each about six or seven stories high.


    "What are you doing here?"


    As Su Chen waited and nced around in boredom, a figure suddenly approached the entrance.


    The person was none other than Han Cheng, whom Su Chen had defeated. He had juste out from his master''s ce and unexpectedly encountered the man who had given him the greatest humiliation!


    Instantly, his eyes red up in fury as he red at Su Chen!


    "What business of yours is it where I am?"


    Su Chen sneered. He didn''t have a good impression of Han Cheng.


    "Do you think Hidden Dragon Hall is a ce where any outsider like you can just enter?"


    Han Cheng rebuked.


    However, he knew that a person like Su Chen couldn''t have entered alone; someone must have brought him in.


    But upon seeing Su Chen, he couldn''t help but recall his humiliating defeat in the ditch, rekindling his shame.


    He had long sworn to avenge that humiliation!


    Su Chen merely cast a cold nce at him and then looked away, not even bothering to acknowledge him, as if he were nonexistent!


    Originally, Han Cheng had been pondering whether it was Yao Zhe or Vice Hall Master Wei Hua who had brought this guy here.


    The other protector and the Hall Master had been away for quite some time already.


    However, Su Chen''s dismissive attitude deeply provoked Han Cheng, especially that indifferent nce, brimming with contempt and disdain!


    In a burst of anger, Han Cheng threw a punch aimed directly at Su Chen!


    Knowing Su Chen''s strength, he put all his True Yuan into this punch!


    During his recovery, his master had given him two exceptionally precious Hao Yuan pills.


    Not only did they heal him quickly, but they also advanced his cultivation by a step!


    Although he hadn''t broken through to the Meridian Expansion Realm, he was right at the threshold!


    He believed his current strength was at leastparable to Su Chen''s!


    The next turn of events, however, quickly changed his mind!


    Su Chen, without even looking at the iing punch, raised his foot and kicked in response.


    "Bang!"


    Han Cheng was sent flying as if he had collided with a speeding train,nding heavily in the courtyard with a resounding thud.


    Struggling to lift his head, he felt several of his ribs had broken. He stared at Su Chen, who was still standing at the entrance, with an expression of utter disbelief!


    Had he really entered the Meridian Expansion Realm?!


    There was no doubt. That kick had the aura of someone in the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Could he have advanced to the Meridian Expansion Realm in such a short period? How was that possible?


    "Little Cheng!"


    Suddenly, there was an exmation, and Yu Xiangdong rushed out after hearing the thud.


    Seeing Han Cheng lying on the ground, his heart tightened, and he leaped down from the fourth floor, rushing over to help Han Cheng up a bit!


    "What happened?" Yu Xiangdong asked coldly.


    "Master, it was he who injured me!"


    Seeing Yu Xiangdong, Han Cheng quickly pointed at Su Chen and said:


    "Master, you have to avenge me!"


    "Who is this brat?" Yu Xiangdong''s eyes gleamed with sharpness as he looked at Su Chen, almost tangible in intensity!


    "He is that Su Chen!"


    Upon hearing Han Cheng, Yu Xiangdong showed slight surprise. So, this was the notorious Su Chen, his eyes narrowing as he sized him up.


    "Good, today I shall teach this brat a lesson!"


    Previously, Han Cheng had hesitated because he thought Su Chen might have been called by Wei Hua or Yao Zhe. But in his fury, he had acted impulsively.


    Yu Xiangdong, however, didn''t have these concerns!


    This kid had injured his apprentice twice; even if it was in front of Wei Hua or Yao Zhe, he had to get a resolution!


    "Oh, beaten by the apprentice, now the master is stepping in; how impressive!"


    Su Chen mocked as he watched Yu Xiangdong approach with a grim face.


    Yan Xi had mentioned Han Cheng''s master, surnamed Yu, was also a mentor at Hidden Dragon Hall.


    When Hidden Dragon Hall was deliberating over how to deal with him, the others had suggested disciplinary action within the Hall!


    Only this person had advocated for his death!


    Against such a person, how could Su Chen show any courtesy!


    Moreover, seeing how Han Cheng acted, he could guess his master''s character wasn''t much better!


    Su Chen''s words made Yu Xiangdong''s face darken even more. He said coldly:


    "You have twice severely injured my apprentice; today, I will make you taste the same pain!"


    In an instant, a terrifying pressure emanated from Yu Xiangdong, engulfing Su Chen with immense power!


    Even without moving, Su Chen could sense the profound danger!


    This man''s cultivation was far beyond anything Su Chen could contend with!


    "Your apprentice brought this upon himself!"


    Su Chen retorted unflinchingly.


    Su Chen was also a stubborn person. Despite knowing he was not a match, he was unwilling to yield to Yu Xiangdong!


    "Fine, then today I will cripple you. This is youreuppance!"


    Yu Xiangdong shouted coldly. The moment his words fell, he vanished and reappeared next to Su Chen, delivering a palm strike!


    The palm strike shattered the air, resembling a powerful tornado!


    The oppressive energy enveloped Su Chen with an icy determination in Yu Xiangdong''s eyes!


    Facing the destructive palm wind, Su Chen wanted to dodge, but the opponent was too swift to evade!


    In desperation, he instinctively raised his arms to block...

 Chapter 863: Certain Death

    "Stop!"


    At that moment, two voices rang out simultaneously, filled with urgency and fear!


    But Yu Xiangdong turned a deaf ear, and the palm wind still unrelentingly continued to strike towards Su Chen!


    "Bang!"


    His palm print immediatelynded on Su Chen''s blocking arm, making a sound like an explosion, with True Yuan spreading all around like a flood!


    Su Chen''s body instantly flew backward and thennded on a piece of ground more than a dozen meters away.


    "Su Chen!"


    Seeing this, Yan Xi''s face changed dramatically, and she hurriedly rushed over!


    "How are you? Please, don''t scare me! If you die, how am I supposed to exin to your wife!"


    Yan Xi anxiously shook Su Chen''s body, almost crying.


    She was really terrified, after all, that was a punch from Protector Yu!


    And it seemed like he didn''t hold back!


    "Stop shaking, if you keep shaking, you''ll really shake me to death!"


    A voice sounded, and Su Chen slowly opened his eyes.


    "You''re not dead!"


    Hearing this, Yan Xi immediately broke into a smile through her tears.


    Then, with Yan Xi''s help, Su Chen struggled to stand up from the ground, feeling as if his internal organs were all twisted together and blood qi was surging fiercely, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.


    After spitting out the blood, he felt a little better.


    Yu Xiangdong was extremely shocked that Su Chen could stand up so quickly!


    He originally thought that even if his palm didn''t kill him, the other party would at least be bedridden for half a year!


    Just as Yu Xiangdong was about to make another move, two figures appeared in front of him: Wei Hua and Yao Zhe.


    "Didn''t you hear me tell you to stop?"


    Wei Hua said expressionlessly, his face showing great displeasure!


    He had been talking with Yan Xi just now, and Yao Zhe hade over upon hearing that Yan Xi had returned, so they chatted for a bit.


    Unexpectedly, they heard a muffled sound at that moment, so they rushed out.


    But Wei Hua lived in the main building at the back, farther from the entrance, so he arrived a bitte.


    When they arrived, they saw Han Cheng lying injured on the ground and Yu Xiangdong attacking Su Chen!


    Wei Hua and Yao Zhe were both shocked, so they hurriedly tried to stop him!


    But who would have thought, Yu Xiangdong acted as if he hadn''t heard and still struck out that palm!


    The two of them were too far to save him in time!


    After that palm strike, they were extremely nervous!


    Yu Xiangdong''s palm just now, without the strength of at least the Meridian Expansion Third or Fourth Layer, simply couldn''t be resisted!


    In an instant, both of them thought Su Chen was doomed!


    When they saw Su Chen struggling to get up from the ground just momentster, they were filled with shock!


    Although he undoubtedly suffered some injuries, he seemed okay!


    But how was that possible?


    Both of them couldn''t help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief!


    To be honest, Yao Zhe still quite liked this young man Su Chen, with extraordinary talent, one could even say monstrous, and what''s more, quite to his own taste!


    Besides the sigh of relief, Wei Hua also felt a bit scared!


    If this kid truly had an ident here on Hidden Dragon Hall''s territory today, things would really get out of hand!


    By then, not to mention him as a Vice Hall Master, even Chu Tiannan, the Main Hall Master, might not be able to cover it!


    As for Yu Xiangdong and his disciple? Only four words¡ªcertain death!


    At this moment, Wei Hua coldly stared at Yu Xiangdong, filled with dissatisfaction!


    He usually didn''t care much if Yu Xiangdong didn''t respect him due to his seniority, but today he almost caused a huge disaster and didn''t even realize it!


    "He hurt my disciple twice seriously, so what''s wrong if I teach him a lesson?"


    Wei Hua was displeased, and Yu Xiangdong was equally dissatisfied, not knowing why they always protected that kid!


    "Did you understand the whole story?"


    Yao Zhe asked:


    "Do you know why Su Chen injured Han Cheng?"


    "All I need to know is that he hurt my disciple, that''s enough!"


    Yu Xiangdong snorted coldly.


    "Oh, so ording to you, your disciple can bully others, but others can''t bully your disciple, right?"


    Yao Zhe said mockingly.


    Then he waved to Su Chen and said:


    "Little Su, why don''t you tell us what happened?"


    "I don''t have the habit ofining when I lose, if you want to know, ask him."


    Su Chen nced at Han Cheng on the ground, speaking with no small amount of sarcasm.


    The faces of Yu Xiangdong and his disciple turned red then ck at his words, clearly mocking Han Cheng for losing the fight and calling for his master''s help.


    "This kid has quite a sharp mouth!"


    Yao Zhe thought to himself, then said to Han Cheng, who was still lying on the ground:


    "Han Cheng, tell us, what exactly happened?"


    Han Cheng dared not lie on the ground anymore, struggling to get up. Actually, Su Chen didn''t use too much force just now, otherwise, he wouldn''t still be alive!


    "Tell the truth!"


    Just as Han Cheng was about to speak, Wei Hua said calmly.


    "Yes!"


    Han Cheng trembled at his words and recounted what happened.


    Because Su Chen was present, and more importantly, in front of Wei Hua, he didn''t dare fabricate stories, at most only downying his role!


    But no matter how he told it, the fact that he started the fight first was undeniable!


    "Protector Yu, anything to say now?"


    After Han Cheng finished, Yao Zhe nced at him and said.


    "Let''s go!"


    Yu Xiangdong said to Han Cheng.


    For a moment, he felt he had lost face, his expression turning ugly. With these two around, continuing to deal with this kid was impossible!


    Han Cheng followed Yu Xiangdong out...


    "Young Su, are you alright?"


    After Yu Xiangdong left, Yao Zhe immediately asked anxiously.


    "No big deal, just my internal organs a bit ufortable, I''ll be fine after a while."


    Su Chen waved his hand, just wondering when he became "Young Su"?


    "Here, take a Jade Mechanism Pill."


    Wei Hua took out a small bottle, poured out a pill, and handed it to him.


    Su Chen didn''t stand on ceremony, took it, and soon felt much better.


    "Mr. Su, I''m really sorry for today, for inviting you over and letting something like this happen."


    Wei Hua said with an apologetic tone.


    Wei Hua''s courteous attitude left Yao Zhe beside him quite surprised. Even if appreciated, was it really necessary to be this polite?


    No matter what, he was still a junior, right?


    "It''s nothing, no big deal."


    Su Chen smiled casually. Besides, given his status as Vice Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall, what more could he say?


    "By the way, what was it you wanted me here for, Hall Master Wei?"


    Su Chen immediately asked...

 Chapter 864: The Way of Formation

    "Let''s go inside and talk slowly."


    Wei Hua smiled slightly upon hearing Su Chen''s question.


    Yao Zhe, who was also curious about why he called Su Chen over, followed them inside...


    .....


    In a room inside a small two-story building not far from the Hidden Dragon Hall headquarters, Yu Xiangdong was checking Han Cheng''s injuries as hey on the bed.


    This small building was Han Cheng''s residence in Hidden Dragon Hall.


    "Fortunately, they''re just minor injuries. Two broken ribs, but nothing too serious."


    After a moment, Yu Xiangdong spoke.


    "Master, are we just going to let this go?"


    Having been defeated and humiliated twice by Su Chen, Han Cheng couldn''t swallow the bitterness!


    "Let it go? How is that possible?"


    Yu Xiangdong''s eyes shed with a chilling light as he responded coldly:


    "But that kid is protected by Wei Hua and Yao Zhe, plus the rules of Hidden Dragon Hall. We can''t act recklessly; we must wait for the right opportunity!"


    Even if Wei Hua and Yao Zhe hadn''t shown up today, he wouldn''t have dared to truly kill Su Chen, considering this was inside Hidden Dragon Hall.


    However, severely injuring him, making him lie in bed for a year or two, is entirely possible!


    "Opportunity, opportunity. How long will that take?"


    Han Cheng asked resentfully.


    "Cheng''er, don''t worry. Opportunities wille. I promise you, sooner orter, I''ll help you avenge this!"


    Yu Xiangdong suddenly leaned close to Han Cheng''s ear and whispered.


    Yes, Han Cheng was not just his disciple but also his secret child!


    None of the Hidden Dragon Hall members knew this, which is why he harbored such deep hatred towards Su Chen!


    Of course, this also had something to do with his own ruthless personality!


    "Fine, I''ll wait!"


    Han Cheng''s eyes were filled with mes of hatred...


    ......


    Meanwhile, Su Chen, Wei Hua, Yao Zhe, and Yan Xi had already sat down around the table.


    Yan Xi, unusually, poured tea for each of them before taking a seat herself.


    "Yan Xi went out for a while, and she seems much more sensible now!"


    Yao Zhe joked with a smile.


    "Protector Yao, you''ve overthought. We just have guests today, and us old folks are enjoying the reflected glory!"


    Wei Hua also joked.


    "Oh, I see, it seems I was overthinking!"


    Yao Zheughed.


    Their casual banter made Yan Xi slightly embarrassed, and she red at them, her face slightly red.


    "Alright, let''s stop joking, otherwise this little girl will be very rude to us old folks!"


    Yao Zhe gave Yan Xi a yful look.


    "Uncle Yao!"


    Hearing this, Yan Xi red at Yao Zhe again, even more embarrassed.


    Inwardly, she cursed: Stop saying that!


    "Okay, okay, let''s talk business."


    Wei Hua smiled, waved his hand, and then looked at Su Chen:


    "I heard from Yan Xi that you can set up formations?"


    "Set up formations?!"


    Yao Zhe''s face, which had been smiling, instantly turned to shock!


    "I know a little. What''s up?"


    Seeing Yao Zhe''s extreme reaction, Su Chen asked curiously.


    Yao Zhe was speechless upon hearing this. Why ask what''s up?


    Do you know how rare array masters are?


    In the whole Martial Arts World, there are hardly any array masters!


    Even in Hidden Dragon Hall, only the Hall Master knows a little about the way of formations!


    And he''s so young, yet he understands formations, which is unbelievable!


    "Do you really know how to set up formations?"


    Yao Zhe asked again, still finding it hard to believe!


    "I''ve studied for three months, so I know a bit."


    Su Chen didn''t realize the rarity of array masters and casually said.


    However, upon hearing this, the three others looked at him with extremely strange expressions.


    Yan Xi didn''t fully grasp this, only thinking his ability was impressive!


    While Wei Hua and Yao Zhe simultaneously had a thought!


    Monster! He''s absolutely a monster!


    Learning formations in just three months? What else could he be?


    Other array masters spend decades, at least ten years, to barely grasp the basics!


    "Did you really study for three months?"


    Wei Hua asked hastily aftering to his senses.


    He had heard from Yan Xi that Su Chen set up a Gathering Yuan Formation at his vi, where the Yuan Qi is several times more abundant than elsewhere, and wanted to meet him to ask about it.


    Honestly, he had some doubts, since he had never heard of such a young array master!


    Both he and Yao Zhe understood better than Yan Xi the value of an array master!


    Upon hearing he had studied for three months, it felt like a fairy tale!


    "Yes, maybe I''m a bit slow."


    Su Chen smiled embarrassedly:


    "At first, I studied for several days, and it made my head hurt before I sessfully set up a small Gathering Yuan Formation. Gradually, it became smoother."


    Su Chen was speaking the truth. In the early days of studying formations, finding no insights, Su Chen indeed felt he was quite foolish!


    But at this moment, to Wei Hua and Yao Zhe, it sounded like bragging, naked boasting!


    If this is called slow, what are they? Dumb?


    Yet if he truly meant his words, his talent in formations was truly astounding!


    Several days of study to set up a formation, no one would believe that upon hearing!


    Moreover, the formation was a Gathering Yuan Formation, which is not just any formation!


    In truth, their Hall Master Chu Tiannan only had a superficial understanding of formations!


    This showed howplex and difficult the way of formations was!


    "Alright, can I ask you for a favor to set up a Gathering Yuan Formation for our Hidden Dragon Hall as well?"


    Wei Hua asked.


    Of course, he was testing Su Chen. He believed Yan Xi when she said there''s a Gathering Yuan Formation at his home.


    But it might not have been set up by him!


    If he could indeed set it up, a Gathering Yuan Formation would greatly benefit the cultivation of Hidden Dragon Hall members!


    "No problem."


    Su Chen agreed readily before saying:


    "But some materials need to be prepared first."


    Although he had some conflicts with Yu Xiangdong and his disciple, overall, he still recognized Hidden Dragon Hall.


    He wouldn''t refuse because of some personal grudges!


    "Alright, tell me." Wei Hua promptly replied.


    Then Su Chen listed the necessary materials. Yao Zhe silently memorized them and said:


    "Two days. I''ll have everything ready!"


    "Great, let me know when the materials are ready, and I''lle over."


    .....


    Sunset bathed the room in red, making everything glow crimson.


    Su Chen and Yan Xi had left, while Wei Hua and Yao Zhe remained seated.


    "Vice Hall Master, do you think his words are credible?"


    Yao Zhe asked, sipping his now-cold tea.


    "I don''t know."


    Wei Hua shook his head and then looked at Yao Zhe:


    "What do you think?"


    "So young, yet so deep in formation knowledge, it''s too hard to believe!"


    Yao Zhe pondered and then spoke:


    "But if it''s true, by any means necessary, we must make him join Hidden Dragon Hall!"


    "It will be difficult!"


    Wei Hua sighed:


    "I talked to him once before. It''s clear he''s someone very determined, and his thoughts are hard to change."

 Chapter 865 - 865 Su Jins Hesitation

    "But it would be a real pity to miss out on this kid!"


    Yao Zhe sighed and said:


    "Not just his skills in formation, even his martial arts cultivation is impressive!"


    "I know, the fact that he was able to take that palm strike from Yu the Protector today shows that his cultivation has advanced again. Honestly, I can''t even imagine how fast it is!"


    Wei Hua eximed:


    "Right, as for letting him join the Hidden Dragon Hall, let''s just let it happen naturally. At least our rtionship with him is pretty good now, that''s enough."


    Yao Zhe nodded when he heard this, and temporarily let it go.


    .....


    After leaving the Hidden Dragon Hall, Su Chen remembered that he had forgotten to ask Yao Zhe about Shengyi Gate.


    Fortunately, he had to help them set up a Gathering Yuan Formation two dayster, so it wouldn''t be toote to ask then.


    Since it was already evening when he left the Hidden Dragon Hall, Su Chen didn''t go back to thepany and drove straight home instead.


    What Su Chen didn''t know was that as he and Yan Xi were driving home, a figure had just left the Imperial Garden.


    To be precise, they had just left the vi he shared with Lin Ruoxue.


    However, neither Auntie Sun nor Nanny Wang, nor Little Ruohan noticed anything.


    After Su Chen got home, he went straight to his room to cultivate, continuing until Lin Ruoxue returned home that night.


    In the evening, as usual, everyone had dinner together.


    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to continue working, which was amon urrence, so the family was not surprised.


    Su Chen naturally went to the bedroom to continue cultivating, as he was eager to enter the Meridian Expansion Realm as soon as possible!


    Today at the Hidden Dragon Hall, when facing that palm strike from Yu Xiangdong, he felt so powerless!


    If it had been a one-on-one duel, without Wei Hua and Yao Zhe intervening, the opponent could have easily killed him!


    At that moment, he truly felt how weak he still was!


    At that moment, he craved power immensely!


    And poweres from regr cultivation!


    After cultivating in the evening and at night, the injury from the palm strike by Yu Xiangdong in the afternoon had somewhat improved, but his chest and abdomen still ached faintly.


    The next day, he didn''t go to work. After giving Pei Man a massage, he went back home to cultivate.


    After another day of cultivation, his injuries were almost fully healed, with no major issues remaining.


    However, in the evening, his aunt Su Jin called, saying that it had been a while since shest saw him and Lin Ruoxue, and she invited them for dinner.


    He immediately called Lin Ruoxue, but she was too busy and had no time, apparently discussing a coboration with a young master from the Hames Family whom Su Chen had met before.


    However, since Lin Ruoxue and Su Jin were quite familiar, it was no big deal, as they could always meet again in Yandu anytime.


    Su Chen had no choice but to go alone, and once there, he treated it as his own home.


    Apart from eating, the main topic from Su Jin was urging him and Lin Ruoxue to have a child soon!


    Su Chen was puzzled, as he and Lin Ruoxue were still young. Why were these people in such a hurry?


    He didn''t know that after the Five Great Families'' matters were settled, Su Jin''s biggest concern now was this!


    Su Jin initially nned to wrap up matters in Yandu, then hand over the Jinsheng Group to Lin Ruoxue, and travel the world.


    But she soon realized that this would make Lin Ruoxue even busier, with even less time to have children.


    So she changed her mind, deciding to continue working until they had a child.


    After all, she was going to hand over the Jinsheng Group to them eventually.


    Su Chen couldn''t stand Su Jin''s urging anymore, and hurriedly left after finishing dinner!


    It wasn''t until he had driven a distance away from Su Jin''s estate that he finally breathed a sigh of relief!


    He felt that both Old Master Lin and Su Jin seemed more concerned about them having a child than they were, no, much more concerned, as if it had be their top priority!


    Su Chen''s Buick sped along the roads of Yandu. He then opened the car window and lit a cigarette.


    His brows furrowed slightly, as it seemed Su Jin''s invitation tonight had another purpose besides urging them to have a child. She appeared hesitant to speak about it each time.


    Su Chen asked twice, but Su Jin just shook her head, saying it was nothing, so he didn''t press further.


    Yet, what could be so difficult for his aunt to talk about?


    Su Chen pondered for a long time but couldn''t think of anything significant enough to trouble her like this.


    He smiled bitterly and shook his head, thinking to himself: Maybe I''m just being too sensitive?


    At that moment, three figures suddenly appeared in front of his car. They were three handsome foreigners.


    What was strange was that they were wearing rare tailcoats!


    This street was sparsely popted, especially in the deep winter night, making it clear that these people had deliberately chosen this ce.


    Su Chen stopped the car and got out, asking:


    "Who are you?"


    As for their identities, Su Chen couldn''t discern much about them yet. Could they be from the Judgment Department?


    But the Judgment Department wouldn''t respond so quickly, right?


    "We''re here to take your life!"


    One of them said.


    "You can try to kill me, but at least tell me why. I don''t want to die without knowing why!"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a slight smile.


    These people didn''t have a True Essence Aura, but they were definitely not ordinary people!


    "Fine, I''ll let you die knowing why."


    The man looked at Su Chen and said:


    "You killed our young master, Gapa, didn''t you?"


    "Gapa?"


    The name seemed familiar to Su Chen, and suddenly a thought shed in his mind, making him realize.


    The Blood n member he killed was named Gapa, wasn''t he?


    "You''re Blood n?"


    Su Chen''s voice turned cold immediately. He had no fondness for these blood-sucking creatures; calling them heinous would not be an exaggeration!


    He closely observed them, noticing the same unnaturally paleplexion and a faint scent of blood as Gapa.


    "So it was you who killed our young master!"


    The man''s killing intent surged upon hearing Su Chen''s words.


    They had initially deduced Su Chen was likely the one who killed their young master based on various pieces of information but couldn''t be sure.


    Now, hearing Su Chen''s words confirmed their suspicion!


    "Yes, I killed him. His crimes were heinous beyond redemption, he deserved to die!"


    Su Chen coldly replied...

 Chapter 866 - 866 Bloodification

    Su Chen regretted being too merciful to the young master they mentioned back then. He should have tortured him until he wished he were dead!


    Given the crimes hemitted, he should''ve suffered even more! After all, dozens of young girls saw their lives end tragically because of him!


    However, when the three heard Su Chen''s words, their eyes gleamed with a terrifying light!


    To them, Su Chen''s words insulted their n!


    "Kid, you dared to kill our young master, you''re dead!"


    Another person looked at Su Chen coldly and spat.


    All three simultaneously erupted with a terrifying aura, the thick stench of blood immediately filled the air!


    "I see you''ve sucked quite a bit of human blood. In that case, leave your lives here!"


    Su Chen said calmly, but his expression instantly turned icy, with a touch of destion and barrenness, as if the world held no life!


    His bright gemstone-like eyes also filled with chilling cold!


    This wasn''t ordinary coldness. Several blood n members felt this aura and thought of one word: death!


    At this moment, the overwhelming killing intent that formed from walking out of heaps of corpses and seas of blood surged out without reservation!


    The killing intent instantly enveloped the few, making them feel incredibly stifled!


    They were secretly amazed, how could this young man possess such chilling aura and overwhelming killing intent!


    How many people must he have killed to form such killing intent!


    This young man probably killed more people than them, no, far more!


    Without countless piles of corpses, such killing intent couldn''t exist!


    Originally, they thought dealing with this young man would be easy, as long as Huaxia forces didn''t notice them!


    But at this moment, they felt this young man wasn''t as simple as they thought!


    "Attack!"


    The leading blood n member shouted.


    As soon as the words fell, the three simultaneously formed ws with their fingers, reaching for Su Chen!


    Their sharp, knife-like ws directly tore through the void, approaching Su Chen from three directions!


    Su Chen tightly clenched a dagger and charged forward, his figure suddenly shed, skillfully avoiding their pincer attack!


    Simultaneously, his wrist flicked, a cold light directly heading for the outermost blood n member''s wrist!


    When the blood n member saw theet-like cold light, his heart tightened, and he quickly retracted his hand!


    However, he didn''t expect Su Chen''s dagger to change direction just as he retracted his hand. The de that had been shing downward suddenly went straight for his throat!


    The blood n member rarely encountered such a strange technique, his nerves tensed up immediately, and he quickly leaned back slightly to dodge the dagger!


    The de narrowly grazed his neck, leaving a blood trail!


    The blood n member couldn''t help but feel a burst of fear. If he had been even a fraction slower, he likely would have...


    But he underestimated Su Chen, who always considers subsequent ns if there''s a chance!


    It''s a habit he developed over many years!


    So, as the blood n member leaned back, Su Chen''s other fist already arrived!


    "Boom!"


    Su Chen''s long-prepared punch was unstoppable, equivalent to the powerful True Yuan of a Qi Refinement Fourth Layer cultivator exploding on his chest!


    The impact of that True Essence Energy Wave sent him flying, leaving arge bloody hole on his chest!


    Though it seemedplex, it was aplished almost in an instant!


    The other two blood n members just reacted, but it was toote!


    They looked at Su Chen in disbelief, one of theirpanions was killed so easily?!


    Su Chen initially didn''t understand their strength, but after the fight, he felt relieved.


    Based on his estimation, these people only had the strength of Meridian Expansion First or Second Layer!


    "Kid, we underestimated you!"


    One blood n member looked at Su Chen coldly and spat.


    "I said, you''d leave your lives here!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly.


    "You think we''re just this capable?"


    The blood n member suddenly revealed immense confidence, his expression turned hideous, his eyes filled with blood-red color!


    Crack!


    Suddenly, the sound of bone and skin breaking echoed!


    The two blood n members'' tailcoats ripped, and a pair of huge ck bat wings extended from their backs, spanning three meters wide!


    At the same time, long fangs grew from their mouths!


    These fangs were much longer and sharper than the young master he killed before!


    At this moment, their aura clearly ascended a level!


    Su Chen was genuinely surprised!


    What''s going on?


    What he didn''t know was that this was actually the blood n''s secret technique called Bloodification!


    After Bloodification, both their strength and speed would significantly increase!


    And Bloodification is a secret technique only avable to blood n members who''ve advanced to Earl!


    Earl is a power rank in the blood n, simr to Qi Refinement Realm and Meridian Expansion Realm!


    The blood n is divided by strength into Baron, Viscount, Earl, Marquis, and Duke!


    The young master Gapa killedst time couldn''t perform Bloodification because he was still a Viscount, not yet advanced to Earl!


    These three blood n members didn''t use Bloodification initially because every Bloodification consumes a lot of Blood Qi!


    Blood Qi is extremely precious to the blood n, taking a long time to recover!


    Especially for Earl-ranked blood n members, it''s even more so!


    Precisely because of this, although they realized Su Chen might be moreplex than they imagined before acting, they were reluctant to use Bloodification!


    But Su Chen killing one of theirpanions with one move forced them to use this technique!


    "Heh heh, kid, now you''re dead!"


    One blood n member looked at Su Chen, his raspy voice said, that lowugh making people ufortable!


    "You seemed to have said this before!"


    Su Chen mocked:


    "What''s the result? I''m still standing here perfectly fine!"


    "Kid, I''ll suck your blood dry!"


    One blood n member snarled angrily at Su Chen''s words.


    As soon as the words fell, the two blood n members pped their wings, rushing at Su Chen!


    Their aura was now very thick, the pping wings emitted strong Vigor Qi Energy!


    The key was their speed, like a sh of lightning, much faster than before!

 Chapter 867: Is There Still Someone?

    Actually, the strength of these two Blood n members after Bloodification is only equivalent to the Triple Layer of a regr cultivator.


    Of course,pared to their previous strength equivalent to the First or Second Layer of Meridian Expansion Realm, it has increased significantly!


    However, the speed of those two Blood n members far exceeds that of a regr Martial Artist at the Triple Layer; their speed is almostparable to the Fourth Layer, or even faster!


    The greatest enhancement from Bloodification is in speed!


    In other words, Su Chen''s advantage over his opponents'' speed waspletely nullified, and he was even at a slight disadvantage!


    Because his actual cultivation strength now wasparable to a regr cultivator at the Fourth Layer, his speed naturally was too!


    Fortunately, he felt that although the opponent''s strength had increased significantly, he still had the confidence to handle it!


    Moreover, when dealing with the first Blood n member earlier, he had deliberately held back some of his strength, which was part of his experience!


    That experience being: never easily reveal your trump card unless absolutely necessary!


    For example, his "Dragon-ying Sword" in the car, he hadn''t even considered using it.


    Although these two Blood n members'' strength and speed had greatly increased, it wasn''t to the point where he needed to use the "Dragon-ying Sword."


    At this moment, the two Blood n members who had undergone Bloodification pped their wings and were in front of him in the blink of an eye, one of them aimed the bone spur on his wing straight at Su Chen!


    While the other Blood n member spread his wings to block Su Chen''s retreat, afraid he would escape!


    The coordination between the two Blood n members was quite seamless!


    But what they didn''t expect was that Su Chen had no intention of fleeing. Instead, he advanced, shing at the protruding bone spur with the dagger in his hand!


    "Boom!"


    The collision between the dagger and the bone spur released a massive burst of energy, causing the surrounding air to tremble!


    "Crack!"


    The bone spur on the Blood n member''s wing was cut off with one sh from Su Chen!


    The power of Su Chen''s sh far exceeded the Blood n member''s expectations!


    Because the True Essence Energy Su Chen had disyed when he killed the other Blood n member earlier was only slightly stronger than the Second Layer.


    But now, the True Essence Energy was much more profound than before!


    "Sss!"


    The Blood n member whose bone spur was cut off gasped in pain, looking at Su Chen with immense shock!


    However, the dagger in Su Chen''s hand didn''t stop after breaking the bone spur; it swiftly shed across the wing, leaving a long, bloody gash!


    Su Chen''s mastery over the dagger was so refined that it seemed to possess a will of its own in his hand!


    "Aargh~~!"


    The Blood n member let out a miserable scream, after all, the wing was part of his body!


    The other Blood n member who was blocking Su Chen''s escape route froze upon seeing this and quickly pped his wings to attack from both sides, with the bone spurs on both wings stabbing at Su Chen!


    Su Chen thought he must seize this opportunity to kill the injured Blood n member!


    The saying "Strike while the iron is hot" applied here!


    As the bone spurs of the Blood n member behind him were about to stab down, Su Chen sprang forward, simultaneously shing the dagger at the throat of the injured Blood n member!


    The Blood n member was startled and immediately bore the intense pain to p his wings and retreat, he was fast, but Su Chen''s speed was not much slower!


    Most importantly, the speed enhancement from Bloodificationrgely depended on the wings.


    Now that his wings were injured, his speed was inevitably affected!


    Even so, Su Chen was slightly slower, and his dagger narrowly missed the throat.


    But what the Blood n member didn''t expect was that just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Su Chen''s wrist turned, and the dagger shifted from a sh to a stab!


    "Squelch!"


    The dagger then pierced straight into his throat!


    All of this happened in a sh, and at this moment, the wings of the Blood n member behind him fell, and the bone spurs from both sides were about to stab into Su Chen!


    When Su Chen was chasing the front Blood n member, the one behind had been following closely as well!


    Su Chen quickly dodged, trying to escape, but because he had been focused on killing the Blood n member, he missed the best chance to avoid it!


    One of the bone spurs still stabbed into his body a little, then pulled out, causing blood to gush from the wound immediately!


    At this moment, Su Chen''s extensive battle experience came into y; an ordinary person would try to run far away to avoid the danger!


    But Su Chen knew that after the opponent scored a hit, this was when they were mostcent and defenses were lowest!


    Not only did Su Chen not run, but he also turned halfway, and with the dagger in a reverse grip, shed at the opponent''s throat!


    This series of movements was as smooth as flowing water, executed with extreme speed, his eyes flickering with a fierce light!


    The Blood n member thought Su Chen would escape, so after stabbing him, immediately moved closer for another stab!


    When he saw the sh of cold light at his throat, he realized the danger, but it was toote to escape!


    "Squelch!"


    A spray of blood erupted, and the Blood n member reluctantly fell with a thud!


    At this moment, Su Chen finally let out a breath of relief. Although the Blood n members, after Bloodification, weren''t necessarily stronger, dealing with them was truly troublesome!


    If not for his decent strength and rich experience, the oue of tonight''s battle could have been very different!


    Of course, this was also because he had no experience dealing with Blood n members.


    If there was a next time, it might be much easier!


    "Wonderful! Wonderful!"


    At this moment, a voice suddenly echoed in the empty street!


    Someone else was here?


    Su Chen was instantly shocked and turned to look at the direction of the voice!


    In his sight appeared a one-armed old man!


    "It''s you?!"


    Su Chen''s eyes narrowed sharply, sensing immense danger!


    Because this one-armed man was Elder Chen from Shengyi Gate!


    He didn''t know when the left arm was lost, but it looked like it had been severed!


    Even though the opponent was missing an arm, Su Chen knew he was still far from being a match for him!


    "Young man, I watched the whole process just now. I must admit, your performance was nothing short of perfect!"


    That Elder Chen praised without reservation.


    Recalling how Su Chen had used a smoke bomb to kidnap the Shengyi Gate''s Young Master and escape, he had to admit, this young man''s knack for seizing opportunities was rare!


    Although that incident had left him humiliated and infuriated!


    But admiration aside, what he nned to do next was another matter altogether...

 Chapter 868: The Might of One Sword

    "You came here for the token as well?"


    Su Chenpletely ignored the other''s praise.


    "Indeed, although your battle experience is quite rich and your strength among the youth can be considered rare, you should know, this is useless in the face of absolute power!"


    Elder Chen looked at Su Chen and spoke calmly, his tone full of confidence!


    Of course, he had the qualification to say so!


    "So I advise you, it''s better to obediently hand over the token!"


    Elder Chen continued.


    Su Chen knew that what the other said made sense, the ultimate deciding factor still lies in power!


    If the gap in strength between the two is too great, all tactics and experience are merely empty talk!


    Just like now, between him and this elder from Shengyi Gate!


    "I can hand over the token, but can you tell me what it''s used for? Why did you send people multiple times to retrieve it?"


    Su Chen asked intentionally.


    "To be honest, I don''t know!"


    Elder Chen shook his head.


    In fact, he was quite puzzled, not knowing why the sect leader valued that token so much!


    Su Chen saw that he seemed genuinely clueless, and it did appear that he was telling the truth!


    This surprised Su Chen a bit, it''s one thing for ordinary people not to know, but for an elder in Shengyi Gate to be in the dark as well was beyond belief!


    Could it be that only the sect leader of Shengyi Gate knows the secret of the token?


    If that''s the case, Su Chen bes more convinced that what happened to the Su Family years ago was likely aimed at his mother!


    More precisely, it was targeted at that token!


    "Alright, quickly hand it over!"


    Elder Chen said impatiently.


    "If I hand it over, will you spare my life?"


    Su Chen asked nervously.


    "Of course, as long as you don''t y any tricks!"


    Elder Chen pondered for a moment, then nodded.


    Of course, he was deceiving Su Chen; the sect leader''s orders were to retrieve both the token and Su Chen''s life.


    But the sect leader valued the token the most. Once the token was in hand, killing Su Chen wouldn''t be toote!


    Even though he knew Su Chen was a cunning person, as he had said, what good is cunning against absolute power?


    So he wasn''t afraid of Su Chen ying tricks!


    Last time Su Chen held the young master hostage, rendering him unable to act. This time, Su Chen wouldn''t be so lucky!


    "How dare I?"


    Su Chen quickly said:


    "I''m not even your match while in good health, let alone injured!"


    "Good you know. If you dare to y any tricks, I''ll make you taste my methods!"


    Elder Chen warned grimly!


    "I wouldn''t dare, but remember your promise to spare my life!"


    Su Chen sighed and said:


    "Actually, I''ve figured it out, I don''t even know what use this thing has. Keeping it only attracts mortal danger, better to hand it over to you!"


    His appearance right now seemed genuinely resigned, so Elder Chen didn''t suspect too much.


    After all, in his opinion, everyone wants to live, and at this moment Su Chen had no other way but to hand it over!


    "Good that you''ve figured it out."


    Elder Chen said:


    "Don''t worry, I''ll keep my promise!"


    "Alright, the thing is in the car, I''ll go fetch it for you."


    Su Chen nodded quickly and then walked towards the car, opening the trunk.


    Elder Chen was surprised, it turned out that Su Chen had hidden the token in the car, no wonder it wasn''t found in his vi!


    So he stood quietly, waiting for Su Chen to fetch the token.


    He thought to himself, as soon as the token was in hand, he would immediately kill Su Chen, and his task would be perfectlypleted!


    Over there, Su Chen nced at Elder Chen not far away, a cold smile forming at the corner of his mouth.


    Then his hand touched a rectangr box, he took out the Dragon-ying Sword from within!


    To Su Chen, no matter what use the token had, if Shengyi Gate wanted it, he certainly wouldn''t hand it over!


    Everything he did was for the opportunity toe near the car and retrieve the Dragon-ying Sword within!


    He knew his strength was simply no match for the other, not even a ten percent chance of winning!


    His only hope was the Dragon-ying Sword!


    "Where''s the token?"


    When Elder Chen saw Su Chen take out a sword from the car instead of the token, his expression immediately turned grim!


    "You think I would hand over the token to people from Shengyi Gate? Dream on!"


    Su Chen scoffed coldly.


    "It seems you are seeking death!"


    Elder Chen''s eyes squinted instantly, a substantial gleam shot out from them!


    "Do you think if I gave you the token, you would spare me? Do you think I would believe your lies?"


    Su Chen sneered:


    "Besides, even if you spared me, I wouldn''t spare you!"


    "Haha, not spare me?"


    Elder Chenughed, then said:


    "With you? You think holding a sword makes you my match? Ridiculous!"


    "Just afraid you won''t beughing soon!"


    Su Chen retorted confrontationally!


    "Alright, today I''ll see what makes you so arrogant!"


    Elder Chen''s face darkened.


    With those words, a whirlwind-like energy wave surged within his robe, making it bulge!


    Then a pressure akin to Mount Tai descended, enveloping Su Chen!


    Su Chen immediately felt breathing bing difficult.


    This old man''s cultivation was indeed terrifying!


    At this moment, Elder Chen moved, his speed far exceeding those Blood n members from before!


    At the same time, heunched a palm strike from afar, True Essence Energy surged towards Su Chen like overturning seas and rivers!


    Su Chen stood straight and suddenly unsheathed the Dragon-ying Sword, a buzzing sound emanated from the de, as if in excitement!


    Su Chen raised the Dragon-ying Sword, his expression solemn, and suddenly swung it towards the rapidly approaching Elder Chen!


    The cold light immediately bloomed in the night, carrying a crushing aura!


    The powerful energy waves made the void tremble!


    Elder Chen''s face turned pale as he felt the terrifying Sword Qi!


    This Sword Qi, carrying an overwhelming force, was like a tsunami!


    In front of this Sword Qi, he sensed a strong crisis!


    He knew it was toote to escape, he could only summon all the True Essence within his body, concentrating it into his other palm!


    Right now, his goal was not to attack Su Chen, but to defend against the terrifying Sword Qi!


    "Boom!"


    The Sword Qi collided with the True Essence Energy, immediately creating a deafening sound!


    But the True Essence Energy was instantly annihted within the ocean-like Sword Qi, the overwhelming Sword Qi continued to sweep towards him, unstoppable!

 Chapter 869 - 869 The Fraudster

    "Ah!"


    The Elder Chen let out a miserable cry, then his body flew backward like a kite with its string cut!


    When Su Chen walked up to him, he found that Elder Chen''s chest and abdomen were almostpletely shattered by powerful Sword Qi, leaving a hollow void!


    Blood was still gushing out from his mouth, and the fear on his face had not yet faded, it seemed he still had a breath left.


    He looked at Su Chen as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he couldn''t utter a word before he died in a few seconds!


    Su Chen had no expression on his face, he dealt with the bodies of Elder Chen and three Blood n members, then got into the car and prepared to drive away.


    Sitting in the car, he looked at the wound on his body, located just a bit above his waist,


    It was quite terrifying, still bleeding, and in no time it had stained the seat red!


    As for his clothes, they were already all red with blood.


    But for such an injury, Su Chen didn''t feel much; he had faced much more serious situations before.


    Of course, he definitely couldn''t go home in this state, otherwise, Lin Ruoxue would be terrified!


    So, he drove to the manor and called Lin Ruoxue on the way, saying he had something to take care of and would be out for two days.


    He had been using this excuse a bit too oftentely, which had drawn some smallints from Lin Ruoxue.


    When he arrived at the manor, he treated his wound a bit, stopped the bleeding, and then threw away the blood-stained clothes, changing into clean ones.


    Then he sat in the room he used for cultivation and started cultivating. For him, cultivation was the best way to recover!


    Moreover, today''s battle made him realize once again the importance of enhancing his strength!


    Just dealing with those Blood n members had already stretched him thin and exhausted him!


    As for Elder Chen from Shengyi Gate, if it weren''t for the Dragon-ying Sword, he would definitely be the one dead!


    Strength, he still needed to improve his strength, which was the most fundamental thing!


    What he encountered in the past two days made him extremely eager for power!


    He wasn''t one to bully others, but only with power could he protect himself and the ones he cared about!


    Moreover, the matter of his parents was far from over, and Shengyi Gate seemed to be even more powerful than he had imagined!


    However, there was still a surprise, and that was the Dragon-ying Sword!


    Under the strong resistance of Elder Chen''s True Yuan, it still had such lethal power, which was truly incredible!


    This gave him some confidence!


    Of course, the more it was like this, the less he could use the Dragon-ying Sword easily!


    If it were identally exposed, there would certainly be people coveting it, and then he could forget about peace!


    For the next two days, apart from going out to treat Pei Man, Su Chen spent the rest of his time cultivating in the manor.


    Two dayster, his injuries were almost seventy to eighty percent healed, and more importantly, he felt that his cultivation was approaching that threshold!


    During these two days, Wei Hua called him, saying that all the materials for the formation had been prepared.


    On the afternoon of the second day, after finishing his cultivation, Su Chen finally walked out of the manor.


    The first ce he went was, of course, Lin Ruoxue''s office. Seeing that he was fine, Lin Ruoxue ignored him and let him do whatever he wanted.


    Feeling neglected, Su Chen pouted and walked out.


    After leaving, he went to the hospital to visit Du Hanbing again, but she was still unconscious.


    ording to Su Chen''s estimation, she might wake up in the next two or three days, and if not, the problem might be more serious!


    Su Chen was anxiously waiting for Du Hanbing to wake up, eager to ask her what had happened!


    He now knew that the five or six people who carried out the mission with Du Hanbing had all died, leaving only Du Hanbing alive!


    If not for the Mysterious Ice Grass he got from Lingyue Pce, Du Hanbing would have had no hope either!


    He needed to know that those who died were his brothers, with whom he had braved life and death!


    He vowed that whoever was responsible must pay the price!


    But now that Du Hanbing was still unconscious, he had no way to know the details.


    Not even themander knew the specifics; everything depended on Du Hanbing waking up!


    After Su Chen left the hospital, it was already time to get off work, so he drove straight home.


    .....


    The next morning, he once again passed through the Eight-Star Dragon Locking Formation with Yan Xi, returning to Hidden Dragon Hall. Upon meeting Wei Hua and Yao Zhe, he exchanged a few words and then started setting up the formation!


    For Hidden Dragon Hall, preparing these materials was, of course, a very easy task, and the materials prepared were the best!


    For example, the stones were all at least a thousand years old, the jade was of the finest quality, and other materials were also filled with Yuan Qi!


    For Su Chen, setting up a medium-sized Gathering Yuan Formation was something he had done several times and was very familiar with!


    However, each ce''s geographic location and various aspects were different, so he still needed to observe and survey everywhere before setting it up, making some adjustments ordingly.


    When the people of Hidden Dragon Hall saw Vice Hall Master Wei Hua and Protector Yao Zhe following a young man, asionally asking him questions like schoolchildren, their eyes almost popped out in shock!


    Soon, everyone in Hidden Dragon Hall came out of their rooms, including those who were cultivating, and followed behind to see what was going on!


    When they found out that this young man was Su Chen, who had been the subject of much controversy in the hall recently, they all scrutinized him carefully.


    Looking at him, he seemed to be quite handsome, and didn''t appear to be a reckless person.


    Curious, someone naturally asked what they were doing walking around and looking at everything.


    When Yao Zhe told them that Su Chen was setting up a Gathering Yuan Formation for Hidden Dragon Hall, their first reaction wasn''t shock, but rather¡ªthis must be a joke, right?


    A young man in his early twenties setting up a formation, and not just any formation, but a Gathering Yuan Formation?


    Isn''t this a joke?


    Although they didn''t understand The Way of Formation, they knew how difficult and incredible it was!


    Because of Wei Hua and Yao Zhe''s presence, they didn''t say anything, but their eyes clearly showed disbelief when they looked at Su Chen!


    "This kid can set up a formation? Don''t be fooled!"


    At this moment, a mocking voice rang out.


    Su Chen didn''t need to look to know who the owner of the voice was.


    Besides Han Cheng''s master, Yu Xiangdong, there was no one else!


    His sarcasm wasn''t just directed at Su Chen; it was also implicitly aimed at Wei Hua and Yao Zhe.


    The deceiver was obviously Su Chen.


    As for who was being deceived? Naturally, it was Wei Hua and Yao Zhe...

 Chapter 870 - 870 Doubt

    "Yes, Vice Hall Master Yao, how could he possibly set up an array formation?"


    "Right, and it''s the Gathering Yuan Formation, which is no ordinary formation!"


    "I don''t believe it at all. Array Masters need at least a decade of study just to get started, especially for the Gathering Yuan Formation, which requires at least twenty years of research. It''s simply impossible."


    "Vice Hall Master Yao, how can you believe such nonsense?"


    ...


    Upon hearing Protector Yu speak, many others also chimed in agreement.


    However, they were simply incredulous about Su Chen having such skills and had no other intentions!


    After all, this sort of thing waspletely beyond theirprehension!


    Wei Hua and Yao Zhe understood why everyone was saying this; it was, indeed, hard to believe.


    Even the people who had just spoken were skeptical, and so were they!


    The only one with significant confidence in Su Chen was likely Yan Xi; she believed that Su Chen definitely could do it!


    Although Wei Hua wasn''t entirely convinced, it seemed somewhat inappropriate for the members of the Hidden Dragon Hall to speak like that in front of Su Chen, who was their guest.


    Just as he was about to say something, Su Chen nced at the crowd coldly and then said:


    "You all are just whining. What if I set up the array? What would you say then?"


    The crowd was somewhat angered when they heard this. Who is he calling whiny?


    This kid was giving them no face!


    "You think you can set up an array formation?"


    Han Cheng sneered:


    "If you set it up, I''ll take your surname!"


    "I don''t need an unworthy descendant like you!"


    Su Chen retorted disdainfully, looking quite dismissive.


    "You!"


    Han Cheng got furious immediately upon hearing this.


    Yu Xiangdong''s face turned as ck as charcoal at the side. If Han Cheng was considered an unworthy descendant, what about him?


    "Shut up!"


    At this moment, Wei Hua shouted angrily, sweeping his cold gaze over everyone. No one dared to make a sound!


    "Mr. Su is my invited guest, so show some respect!"


    Wei Hua said with a cold snort, then turned to Su Chen and said:


    "Sorry about that, Mr. Su. Please continue."


    Su Chen just smiled indifferently and then continued to observe the surroundings.


    About an hourter, Su Chen said to Wei Hua:


    "Alright, I''ve seen enough. Let''s begin."


    "Okay, just tell me what you need me to do."


    Wei Hua responded quickly.


    "No need, you can''t really help anyway."


    Su Chen waved his hand dismissively.


    Hearing this, Wei Hua gave a somewhat embarrassed smile. Although it felt a bit humiliating, he didn''t take it to heart too much.


    Besides, Su Chen was right; he indeed couldn''t be of much help!


    "Can we observe and learn from the process?"


    Wei Hua asked respectfully, like an eager student devoid of any Vice Hall Master authority.


    "As you wish."


    Su Chen didn''t mind and replied indifferently.


    Then, Su Chen started setting up the array with the Hidden Dragon Hall''s headquarters as the center.


    The members of the Hidden Dragon Hall followed him, some out of curiosity and others hoping to see him fail.


    Especially Yu Xiangdong and his apprentice, no, more urately, his son, who were eager to see Su Chen make a fool of himself!


    Su Chen had no interest in their thoughts. Sometimes he would dig a spot to transnt a tree, and other times he would ce a boulder by the river, embedding half of it into the ground.


    ...


    In short, he was busy for half a day, and the members of the Hidden Dragon Hall watched for half a day but still couldn''t make sense of it, feelingpletely bewildered!


    Even Wei Hua and Yao Zhe were no exception!


    "I think you''re just putting on a show. The Yuan Qi hasn''t changed at all!"


    Han Cheng sneered:


    "Everyone should leave; there''s no need to watch him mess around and waste time!"


    Most others had a simr thought; after all, despite his efforts, the Yuan Qi in the surroundings hadn''t changed at all!


    "Foolish people, perpetually foolish!"


    Su Chen shook his head and nced at him with disdain.


    "Who are you calling foolish!"


    Han Cheng was instantly enraged.


    "Foolish yet unaware, truly hopeless!"


    Su Chen said dismissively, toozy to argue with them.


    "You''re asking for death!"


    Han Cheng''s anger zed, eager to teach him a lesson!


    "You''re seriously not acknowledging me?"


    Wei Hua said coldly:


    "As I''ve said, Mr. Su is my guest. Insult him again, and I won''t be polite!"


    Everyone knew that Wei Hua was truly angry, and nobody dared to speak.


    Han Cheng also fell silent instantly. Usually, Wei Hua was gentle, but if Han Cheng didn''t restrain himself, even Yu Xiangdong couldn''t protect him!


    Su Chen ignored them and continued his work.


    After another half-hour, Su Chen finally pped his hands. His hands and clothes were now covered in dust and dirt.


    Was it done?


    Everyone checked again, finding no change in the True Yuan. Had they really wasted all this time for nothing?


    "Mr. Su, is it done?"


    Wei Hua asked hesitantly, seeing Su Chen''spletion look.


    "Just onest step."


    Su Chen smiled:


    "But this step is secret. Hall Master Wei and Protector Yao, pleasee with me to the headquarters. Everyone else, stay here."


    Yu Xiangdong felt a burning p on his face. Su Chen called Wei Hua and Yao Zhe,pletely ignoring him, clearly on purpose!


    If it were just Wei Hua, it would be fine, but calling Yao Zhe as well was a clear p to his face!


    Others also realized this, casting nces at him, making Yu Xiangdong even more embarrassed.


    "Alright, Yao Protector, let''s apany Mr. Su to the headquarters."


    Wei Hua pretended not to notice and said.


    "I''ming too!"


    Yan Xi called out and followed, and Su Chen, naturally, had no objections.


    Watching the four leave, Yu Xiangdong''s eyes seemed to burn with fury!


    "Hmph, I want to see how you''ll handle it!"


    Even now, Yu Xiangdong didn''t believe that Su Chen could genuinely set up the Gathering Yuan Formation!


    Most others shared the same thought!


    Once inside the headquarters, Su Chen moved to the main building''s core, entered the central hall, and after some calctions, pried open a floorboard, cing a piece of superb jade inside!


    Of course, the cement had its intricacies!


    "Is it done?"


    Yao Zhe eagerly asked again.


    "It''s done!"


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "Wait ten minutes, and you''ll feel it!"


    Wei Hua and Yao Zhe nervously and anxiously waited upon hearing this...

 Chapter 871: Surname "Mu

    Actually, it didn''t take ten minutes; within only five or six minutes, Wei Hua and Yao Zhe felt the Yuan Qi in the air gradually be thicker!


    Their faces couldn''t help but reveal expressions of disbelief!


    He actually seeded!


    He really set up the Gathering Yuan Formation!


    Both of them looked at Su Chen with strange gazes; this guy, he''s not simple!


    "By the way, let me tell you this, it''s fine with other things, but this Jade Disk must not have any damage or destruction, it''s the Formation Eye!"


    Su Chen looked at Wei Hua and Yao Zhe and said solemnly.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Su! I will pay special attention to this!"


    Wei Hua nodded in agreement.


    At the same time, outside the headquarters of the Hidden Dragon Hall.


    "The Yuan Qi really seems to be changing!"


    Suddenly, an exmation rang out, and everyone else began to feel attentively.


    "Really, the Yuan Qi seems to be much thicker!"


    "It seems to be continuously gathering! Bing more and more abundant!"


    "Is this really the effect of that kid''s formation?"


    "Of course, what else could it be?!"


    "Unbelievable, he actually seeded!"


    "Yes, a formation master in his twenties, it''s simply unimaginable!"


    "That young man is really a genius, a monster!"


    ...


    Everyone felt the increasingly abundant True Yuan, their faces filled with expressions of shock and joy!


    Whether they were initially expectant, somewhat schadenfreude, or had other attitudes, deep down, they all hoped Su Chen would seed!


    Because most people know just how valuable this Gathering Yuan Formation is to cultivators!


    Of course, not everyone was excited, like Yu Xiangdong and his apprentice!


    They were different from others; they genuinely did not want Su Chen to seed, even though sess would greatly benefit their cultivation!


    At this moment, listening to the praises of others, they felt as if eachpliment was a p on their faces, and their expressions turned as dark as a storm!


    When they saw Su Chen and Wei Hua walk out, everyone immediately gathered around!


    "Mr. Su, I apologize for my offense earlier!"


    The person who had previously doubted Su Chen a few times couldn''t help but p himself and say!


    "Mr. Su, I''m sorry, I was ignorant and didn''t recognize your talent!"


    "Mr. Su, I''m sorry too..."


    ...


    Everyone sincerely apologized to Su Chen for their previous offenses and doubts, even voluntarily using the respectful title of Mr. Su!


    They really hadn''t expected Su Chen to seed!


    At this moment, looking at Su Chen''s young face, they still felt a bit incredulous!


    But the facts made them have to believe!


    "Everyone, you''re too kind; this was just a small effort!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, knowing that these people had no real malice!


    But that didn''t mean everyone had none!


    He gradually turned his gaze toward Han Cheng, his lips curling into a mocking smile:


    "How is it, worthless descendant?"


    "Luck is on your side!"


    Han Cheng said with a gloomy face.


    Yu Xiangdong watched Su Chen with an equally terrible expression, but he knew that saying anything now would merely invite ridicule!


    Truth be told, Su Chen had no interest in arguing further with this master and apprentice, so he said nothing more.


    Everyone then began praising Su Chen''s genius and formation talents, making Su Chen a bit shy!


    Yan Xi stood by and listened, feeling very happy, as if this was her glory!


    "In the future, I will build more rooms near the headquarters, so everyone can cultivate here during their ordinary days!"


    Wei Hua said with a smile.


    Although the Gathering Yuan Formation benefits the entire Hidden Dragon Hall, the ce with the densest Yuan Qi is still here at the headquarters!


    After hearing this, everyone became extremely excited!


    Conversely, Yu Xiangdong and his apprentice''s faces turned even darker...


    .....


    Two hourster, on a grasnd within the Hidden Dragon Hall, two figures sat there.


    "Su Chen, what do you want to talk about with me alone?"


    Yao Zhe looked at Su Chen curiously and asked.


    "I have something I want to ask you."


    Su Chen said.


    "Oh, what is it? Don''t worry, I''ll definitely tell you everything I can!"


    Yao Zhe replied frankly.


    "Thank you, I want to ask about Shengyi Gate. I heard from Yan Xi that you seem to know quite a lot about it."


    Su Chen tilted his head and nced at Yao Zhe.


    "I do know a bit, but why do you ask?"


    Yao Zhe felt even more curious as Su Chen brought up Shengyi Gate.


    "I came across this name recently and was quite curious. Could you tell me about it?"


    Su Chen said casually:


    "I heard from Yan Xi that Shengyi Gate used to be called Shengmen, and then something happened twenty-one or twenty-two years ago, resulting in the name change to Shengyi Gate, is that right?"


    "Correct, Shengyi Gate was indeed called Shengmen before."


    Yao Zhe nodded:


    "The current sect leader of Shengyi Gate was the adopted son of the former Shengmen leader Mu Qingyang. Twenty-one or twenty-two years ago, on a specific day I can''t quite remember, Mu Qingyang''s entire family suddenly perished, leaving only the adopted son alive."


    "So the position of sect leader fell into his hands. There were rumors saying that Mu Qingyang''s family was killed by his adopted son!"


    "Afterward, he changed Shengmen to Shengyi Gate, and even altered his surname from Mu to Mo, which seems to support the rumor, though it''s ultimately just spection!"


    "The truth of the matter is unclear, and it''s an internal affair of Shengmen. Since it didn''t affect the stability and order of Huaxia, we at Hidden Dragon Hall didn''t pay much attention."


    As Yao Zhe spoke, he suddenly realized that Su Chen''s face had turned pale, his teeth making a "grinding" sound, and his forehead seemed to be covered in arge amount of sweat!


    "Su Chen, what''s wrong?"


    Yao Zhe was startled and quickly asked.


    But Su Chen seemed not to hear, his fists clenched tightly, and his eyes seemed to show a bloodthirsty red color!


    At this moment, there was only one word in his mind ¡ª "Mu"!


    What Yao Zhe, or any Hidden Dragon Hall members didn''t know was that Su Family''s eldest son''s wife also had the surname Mu back then!


    No wonder, Hidden Dragon Hall focused on matters threatening Huaxia''s stability, why would they care about the surname of the eldest son''s wife in Su Family?


    Even if they did know, they probably wouldn''t connect it to Shengmen, as there were so many people with the surname Mu in the world!


    Furthermore, it''s extremely rare for women from Martial Arts forces to marry into the secr world, almost impossible, even if the Su Family is one of the Five Great Families!


    Because in the eyes of Martial Arts forces, the Five Great Families are still secr forces; they really don''t think much of them.


    If ordinary Martial Arts forces feel this way, imagine how a top Martial Arts force like Shengmen feels?


    So they wouldn''t think in that direction...

 Chapter 872: Events of That Year

    However, at this moment, Su Chen seemed to have found the key to the matter in his haze!


    That is, his mother is definitely rted to the Holy Sect.


    Because the previous sect leader of the Holy Sect had the same surname as his mother, Mu!


    Connecting this with Shen Mingchang''sst words before he died, and the fact that people from Shengyi Gate have been frequentlying to him recently to ask for the token his mother gave him!


    Stringing these things together, Su Chen was almost certain of his judgment!


    So the Su Family''s troubles back then really were because of his mother!


    "I''m fine!"


    After a moment, Su Chen shook his head slightly and said.


    "You really scared me just now! What''s the matter?"


    Yao Zhe was relieved to hear Su Chen''s voice, feeling that Su Chen''s previous demeanor was too strange, as if he had suddenly received a strong shock!


    "It''s nothing, my breath just got a bit chaotic."


    Su Chen shook his head, forcing a smile.


    "Do you know any other things about the Holy Sect from the past?"


    Su Chen continued to ask.


    "I don''t know anything else. You know the duties of Hidden Dragon Hall. We only pay attention to things that threaten Huaxia''s stability and order."


    Yao Zhe shook his head:


    "As long as they haven''t caused major harm to the secr world, we won''t intervene, let alone their internal affairs."


    Su Chen nodded at this and expressed his understanding.


    Indeed, martial artists running amok without checks would be catastrophic for the nation. That''s why organizations like the Hidden Dragon Hall are critical!


    Without them, martial arts forces like Lingyue Pce and Shengyi Gate would be rampaging in the secr world without restraint, which would be a disaster!


    It''s precisely because of the checks of the Hidden Dragon Hall that they don''t dare to act recklessly. Even in the Su Family''s case back then, Shengyi Gate had to borrow power from the Shen Family!


    Simrly, Hidden Dragon Hall must strictly adhere to its duties and not act recklessly!


    At this moment, Su Chen even wondered, if his suspicion was correct, whether the former Holy Sect leader Mu Qingyang arranged for his mother to marry into the Su Family to protect her or that token, realizing the boundaries between the martial world and the secr world.


    But the subsequent betrayal by Shengyi Gate using the Shen Family against the Su Family''s main branch probably wasn''t something he had anticipated.


    Of course, this was all just Su Chen''s spection!


    "Alright, I''m getting ready to leave now. Thank you, Uncle Yao, for today."


    Su Chen stood up and said.


    "Since you call me Uncle Yao, there''s no need for thanks for such a small matter."


    Yao Zhe stood up with a smile:


    "Besides, we should be the ones thanking you today. This Gathering Yuan Formation you''ve given us is invaluable to the Hidden Dragon Hall!"


    Although Yao Zhe found Su Chen''s interest in Shengyi Gate somewhat strange, he didn''t think much of it!


    After all, he couldn''t have dreamt that Su Chen would have any involvement with such a top martial arts force as Shengyi Gate!


    At this time, Yan Xi was still chatting with Wei Hua at the Hidden Dragon Hall headquarters. Su Chen gave her a call, and she came out, then the two of them left Hidden Dragon Hall together...


    .....


    "Su Chen, what''s wrong?"


    On the way back, Yan Xi couldn''t help but ask when she saw him looking troubled.


    "Nothing, just a bit tired from being busy all day."


    Su Chen said casually.


    After returning home, Su Chen went straight to the bedroom. This time, he didn''t cultivate, buty directly on the bed.


    In his mind, sometimes things were clear, and sometimes they were very vague!


    At one moment, he felt that he was very close to the truth, but then he felt he was very far from it!


    For many years before, he thought that solving the few big families would mean avenging his parents and grandfather. Now he realized that was not the end, but the beginning!


    He suddenly felt a bit tired, physically tired, mentally tired, and emotionally tired!


    Just like that, hey on the bed and drifted off to sleep...


    He slept until Lin Ruoxue came home in the evening. He then washed his face and returned to normal; he didn''t want Lin Ruoxue to worry about him.


    After dinner, the two of them took a walk around their neighborhood, and then, at around ten, they went to bed...


    The next day, the weather was great. As dawn broke, the morning glow had already filled the room with a golden hue!


    In this golden light, Su Chen opened his eyes, and at that moment, Lin Ruoxue also woke up.


    Su Chen gently kissed Lin Ruoxue''s forehead, then got out of bed in his pajamas and barefoot, walked to the window, and opened the curtains and the window, taking a deep breath of fresh air!


    He immediately felt revitalized, as if yesterday''s confusion and exhaustion had disappeared after a good night''s sleep!


    "Shengyi Gate, I will go to the end with you!"


    Su Chen murmured to himself.


    Since this is the reality, there''s no avoiding it, and he doesn''t want to avoid it!


    He believed that one day, he would uncover all the truths!


    Of course, to deal with the Shengyi Gate, the most crucial element was still strength!


    He must enhance his strength quickly!


    "Honey, are you alright?"


    Lin Ruoxue softly asked from the bed, sensing something was off.


    Because Su Chen rarely acted like this upon waking. Normally, he would smoke a cigarette and then get up.


    Sometimes he might even tease her a bit...


    "What could be wrong with me? Just getting some fresh air."


    Su Chen turned and smiled, but the smile quickly turned mischievous!


    "Honey, you''re calling me for..."


    Su Chen, with a yful "sneer," approached the bed step by step, then suddenly pounced on the bed...


    "Honey, no, it''s morning!"


    "The morning is the best time to start the day!"


    "Ah... There are people at home..."


    "They can''t hear us..."


    Soon, a series of intimate sounds filled the room...


    ...


    "You naughty guy!"


    Afterwards, Lin Ruoxue, lying in his arms,ining somewhat resentfully, gave Su Chen a light punch.


    "Guys who aren''t naughty aren''t loved by women!"


    Su Chen said nonchntly with a cheeky grin.


    "Shameless!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat.


    But at that moment, Su Chen did appear like the familiar rascal she knew, making her feel more at ease!


    After that, the two took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast.


    After breakfast, they both drove to thepany, of course with Yan Xi.


    Upon arriving at thepany, Su Chen went straight to his office.


    A cup of tea and a copy of "Men''s Health" magazine had be his standard routine.


    After flipping through the magazine twice and finishing his tea, he drove to the Pei Family; only two days were left for Pei Man''s treatment.


    As usual, Su Chen massaged her legs while they chatted casually, like old friends who''ve known each other for years.


    "I just got some excellent Xueding Hancui tea, would you like to try some?"


    After the massage, Pei Man asked with a gentle smile.


    "Of course, good things must be tried."


    Su Chen grinned back.


    Pei Man then started brewing the tea with graceful and elegant movements!


    "Try it, how is it?"


    Pei Man handed him a cup of tea.


    "Good!"


    Su Chen took a sip and felt a refreshing aroma spread in his mouth, filling his taste buds!


    Just then, his phone suddenly rang, and he casually answered it.


    Suddenly, a look of great joy appeared on his face, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground, spilling tea everywhere...


    Du Hanbing woke up!

 Chapter 873: A Flower

    Su Chen arrived at the hospital almost as fast as he could. Du Hanbing''s situation had been weighing on his mind for the past few days!


    Now hearing the news of her awakening, he was, of course, overjoyed!


    When he arrived, Dandelion and Tengu along with Du Hanshuang were surrounding Du Hanbing''s bed, chattering away animatedly, their faces full of joy and happiness!


    Du Hanbing, lying in the hospital bed, smiled at the exceedingly excited group!


    However, upon seeing Su Chen arrive, both Dandelion and Tengu immediately left, and even Du Hanshuang sensibly left the space for the two of them.


    "You really scared me to death."


    Su Chen looked at the finally awakened Du Hanbing and said softly.


    When he first saw Du Hanbing severely injured, barely clinging to life, he genuinely felt as if the world had turned dark!


    "You saved me again."


    Du Hanbing also looked at Su Chen and said, recalling how he had saved her life twice during previous missions!


    "But, Cang Lang and the others..."


    As she spoke, tears began to roll down Du Hanbing''s cheeks, thinking of the brothers who had followed her on this mission, all of whom had died!


    Although, as soldiers, they were prepared for death, this time was different. It was the first near-annihtion in the history of the Eighth Brigade!


    Hearing this, Su Chen''s face darkened; those men were his brothers!


    Su Chen still remembered what they were like when they first joined the Eighth Brigade. Some were naive, some were arrogant, some were quiet, some were jokesters...


    It was Su Chen who had steadily forged them into steel, into a victorious force!


    The sentiment involved was difficult for outsiders to understand.


    "What exactly happened to you all on this mission?"


    After a moment, Su Chen asked.


    "Our mission was to retrieve a top-secret document and bring it safely back to the country, but we were unfortunately ambushed on our way back!"


    Du Hanbing said, her face darkening.


    "Do you know who did it?"


    Su Chen sat down on the nearby chair and asked softly again.


    "No, they hid very well, but one thing is certain¡ªthey were incredibly skilled. We barely had any chance to fight back against them!"


    Du Hanbing shook her head.


    Su Chen was slightly shocked upon hearing this because to render members of the Eighth Brigade utterly powerless, the attackers'' strength was undoubtedly extraordinary!


    No force within the Dark World could achieve this, unless it was a Martial Arts force!


    Yet if it were a Martial Arts force, why would they target Du Hanbing and her team?


    "Think again. Did you notice any other information about their identity? Anything at all."


    Su Chen continued to ask.


    "No, they hardly said a word the entire time."


    Du Hanbing tried to recall but couldn''te up with anything unusual.


    "Alright, if there''s nothing else, don''t worry about it. You''re just waking up. Focus on resting and getting better."


    Seeing she was getting a headache from thinking, Su Chen quickly said.


    Du Hanbing nodded at his words, and Su Chen stayed with her for over an hour.


    During this time, he learned some more things.


    For example, the reason Du Hanbing and the others took so long to return was because ofplications during the mission, dying them for over a month.


    In reality, they were ambushed only about five days before they were officially found.


    If they had been ambushed much earlier, with such severe injuries, she would have died long ago.


    "Alright, you get some rest now. I''lle see you again tomorrow."


    Su Chen then stood up and said.


    "Okay."


    Du Hanbing smiled and nodded.


    "Wait a minute!"


    Just as Su Chen took a couple of steps, Du Hanbing suddenly called out.


    "What is it?"


    Su Chen turned and asked.


    "I suddenly remembered something."


    "What is it?"


    "While I was fighting one of them, perhaps he underestimated me. I identally shed his shoulder, tearing his clothes. I think I saw a tattoo."


    During their conversation earlier, Du Hanbing had been trying to recall the events.


    "What kind of tattoo?"


    Su Chen asked quickly. For him, if he knew who did it, he would definitely settle the score.


    But if he didn''t even know who the enemy was, what could he do?


    "It seemed to be a flower, a very strange flower."


    Du Hanbing described the image of the flower to Su Chen as best as she could remember.


    Su Chen mentally noted it down and then smiled:


    "Alright, don''t think about this anymore. Your main job now is to rest and get healthy."


    Afterwards, Su Chen told Cang Lang that Du Hanbing could be transferred to a room where doctors could take care of her.


    ......


    After seeing Du Hanbing, Su Chen drove away from the hospital and returned to the office.


    In his office, Su Chen was still thinking about the flower tattoo.


    But such idle thinking wasn''t going to get him anywhere.


    This ambush incident involving Du Hanbing and the others felt like aplete mystery, with almost no clues.


    Nevertheless, at least Du Hanbing was safe now, which was a small constion.


    It was almost lunchtime, so Su Chen put these thoughts aside and went downstairs to eat.


    When he went downstairs, he naturally walked into the same restaurant where he had once met Xia Qiuru.


    He had been busy with one thing or another recently and hadn''te here for some days.


    As soon as he walked in, he spotted Xia Qiuru sitting inside.


    "Hey beautiful, mind if I join you?"


    Su Chen walked up to Xia Qiuru, smiling.


    Xia Qiuru, who had just sat down and was looking at the menu, thought it was some random guy trying to hit on her.


    But when she looked up and saw Su Chen, her eyes immediately sparkled with joy.


    "You''ve been absent for quite a while."


    Xia Qiuru said meaningfully.


    Actually, she came here every day for lunch, hoping to run into Su Chen.


    Buttely, he had not shown up even once, leaving her somewhat disappointed.


    "I''ve been busy."


    Su Chen chuckled and sat down.


    "I wonder what keeps you so busy every day."


    Xia Qiuru pouted slightly, her toneced with a hint ofint.


    Su Chen scratched his head with a sheepish smile, took the menu and selected some dishes before passing it to the server.


    Xia Qiuru just casually chatted a bit and then stopped.


    Soon, the dishes they ordered arrived, and the two began to eat.


    This meal was the happiest Xia Qiuru had eaten in a while, and naturally, also the most filling.


    When eating with this guy, he always treated her like a pig, urging her to eat more.


    Though she was a bit worried about gaining weight, his concern was still quite endearing...

 Chapter 874: Its Already Late

    At the same time, Lingyue Pce.


    "Miss, Miss!"


    A girl of about sixteen or seventeen excitedly ran upstairs, heading straight for a room, her voice ringing out from afar.


    "What are you rushing in for?!"


    Ling Yao, who was cultivating in the room, red at Meng Jiao, who had just pushed open the door.


    "Miss, I didn''t know you were cultivating."


    Meng Jiao stuck out her tongue and said.


    "What''s the matter? Why are you making such a fuss?"


    Ling Yao asked casually.


    "The Pce Master and the two stewards are back, they''re almost at the entrance!"


    Meng Jiao suddenly remembered she hadn''t mentioned the important matter and quickly said excitedly.


    "Why didn''t you say so earlier?!"


    Ling Yao''s face lit up with surprise and joy when she heard that, and she immediately stood up and ran out.


    "How is this my fault?"


    Meng Jiao muttered resentfully and then ran out as well.


    "Miss, wait a moment!"


    Seeing Ling Yao running ahead like the wind, Meng Jiao quickly called out.


    "What is it?"


    Ling Yao stopped in confusion and looked back at Meng Jiao, who was catching up.


    "Miss, how do you n to exin Mr. Su''s matter to the Pce Master?"


    Meng Jiao ran up and whispered to Ling Yao.


    The words stunned Ling Yao for a moment. Yes, how was she going to exin his matter to her mother?


    The key point was she had given him the precious Mysterious Ice Flower and Ghost Beard Grass!


    Aunt Liu already knew, which further confirmed their rtionship.


    At the entrance of Lingyue Pce, Liu Yin was looking around.


    "Pce Master!"


    Seeing three figures emerging from the woods, she quickly walked up and bowed respectfully to the woman in the middle.


    The woman in the middle was Ling Long, the Pce Master of Lingyue Pce, about the same age as Liu Yin, around forty years old.


    If Liu Yin was considered still charming, then this woman could only be described as transcendent, seemingly untouched by the dust of the world.


    She nodded slightly at Liu Yin''s words.


    "Sister Liu, I''ve missed you so much!"


    Immediately, one of the women came up excitedly and gave Liu Yin a big hug!


    "Sister Liu, you look even more beautiful after all this time!"


    The other woman also joked with a smile.


    These two women were the other two stewards of Lingyue Pce, one named Sun Qi and the other named Lan Yun.


    They were a bit younger than Liu Yin, around thirty-five or thirty-six years old.


    However, they did not look their age at all and appeared more like they were around thirty, maintaining their looks and skin very well!


    "Younger sisters, you must have had a hard time on this trip with the Pce Master!"


    Liu Yin said with a smile.


    "Yes, I can finally take a good bath today!"


    Sun Qi said happily.


    "I feel like I stink!"


    Lan Yun chimed in.


    "Pce Master, did you gain anything from this trip?"


    Apanying them inside, Liu Yin asked.


    "We''ll talk about thatter, how have things been at home during this time? Anything happen?"


    Ling Long asked calmly.


    "Pce Master, honestly, something did happen recently."


    Liu Yin nced at Ling Long and said:


    "Something indeed happened recently."


    "What happened?"


    Ling Long stopped and looked at her immediately after hearing this.


    Liu Yin hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to begin.


    "Just say it directly."


    Ling Long said calmly.


    "It seems Miss has a love interest."


    After another nce at Ling Long, Liu Yin finally spoke.


    As soon as these words came out, Sun Qi and Lan Yun''s eyes immediately lit up with excitement!


    They had not expected to hear such explosive news as soon as they returned!


    "Sister Liu, are you serious?"


    Sun Qi quickly asked.


    "Do you think I would joke about something like this?"


    Liu Yin sighed.


    "Where is that boy? I have to interrogate him to see if he deserves Miss!"


    "That''s right, I want to see what kind of abilities this boy has to make someone as proud as Miss fall for him!"


    Sun Qi and Lan Yun said, more excited than Ling Long, who was the mother.


    "Even if you don''t think he deserves it, it''s already toote."


    Liu Yin shook her head.


    Her words made the other three women''s hearts skip a beat, including Ling Long.


    Hearing that Ling Yao had a love interest hadn''t affected her much initially and she seemed indifferent, but now her expression changed slightly!


    "Sister Liu, what do you mean by ''toote''?"


    Before Ling Long could speak, Sun Qi asked.


    "Miss seems to have already had physical intimacy with that man..."


    At this moment, Liu Yin spoke cautiously.


    Though the Pce Master appeared cold, she was actually very kind, and they didn''t usually feel pressured around her.


    But now, Liu Yin felt extremely nervous because this was too big and extraordinary an issue!


    Hearing this, Sun Qi and Lan Yun widened their eyes, full of shock!


    The news that Miss had a love interest had been startling enough, but hearing that they had already been physically intimate was even more astonishing!


    They could hardly believe it. Such a significant event had urred during their absence!


    The usually indifferent Ling Long felt like she was dreaming. She knew her daughter very well; how could this be possible?


    "Are you sure, Sister Liu?"


    "Yes, Sister Liu, you can''t speak carelessly about this!"


    Sun Qi and Lan Yun said seriously.


    Liu Yin just rolled her eyes at them instead of replying.


    They understood immediately. Yes, could Sister Liu joke about something like this if she wasn''t absolutely certain?


    After all, this was a monumental event for Lingyue Pce!


    "Actually, this matter was brought to light because Shengyi Gate came to propose again; otherwise, I would still be in the dark!"


    Liu Yin continued.


    "The people of Shengyi Gate have been here?"


    Ling Long immediately asked upon hearing this, and the other two women also looked at Liu Yin.


    "Yes, just recently."


    Liu Yin nodded.


    "Tell me everything that happened that day."


    Ling Long said solemnly.


    Hearing this, Liu Yin recounted the events of that day, including Shengyi Gate''s insistent proposal and then Su Chen suddenly intervening!


    When Sun Qi and Lan Yun heard Su Chen announcing Miss''s measurements in public, especially mentioning the mole on her butt, they couldn''t help but feel a sudden urge tough!


    Although they hadn''t witnessed it in person, they could imagine how embarrassing it must have been for Shengyi Gate!

 Chapter 875: So Thats What Happened

    However, when they heard how Su Chen hadpletely overpowered Mo Wei, they were filled with shock!


    Although they all disliked Mo Wei, not wanting Ling Yao to marry someone from Shengyi Gate, they had to admit that Mo Wei''s martial arts talent was indeed outstanding...


    "How old is that boy?"


    Sun Qi couldn''t help but ask.


    "About twenty-three or twenty-four, maybe twenty-four or twenty-five,"


    Liu Yin could only specte as she wasn''t sure of his exact age.


    Upon hearing this, the others were even more stunned. He is actually a few years younger than Mo Wei?


    So young and yet so powerful, it''s unbelievable!


    If that''s the case, it seems he''s quite suitable for Miss.


    Martial artists are different from ordinary people; to them, the most important standard is one''s martial arts cultivation!


    After hearing Liu Yin''s story, they all believed her words. After all, such matters are too private!


    If it weren''t for that kind of rtionship, how could he possibly know?


    Moreover, Miss had specially given him her sword before the match, which clearly indicated something!


    It indeed had a hint of mutual affection!


    "Do you know who that young man is?"


    Ling Long asked.


    By her reasoning, someone so young and yet so skilled must have a remarkable background!


    "No idea. Never heard of him, never seen him,"


    Liu Yin shook her head and said:


    "I asked Miss, and she said she didn''t know either. Not sure if that''s true or not!"


    Ling Long was somewhat surprised at hearing this. Liu Yin had heard of and met most of the excellent disciples in the Martial Arts World.


    Since Lingyue Pce is a premier power in Huaxia''s Martial Arts World!


    It was surely a lie that Ling Yao didn''t know his identity; how could she not know the identity of someone in such a close rtionship?


    "But from what Liu Yin said, I feel like this boy has the air of a rascal."


    Sun Qi suddenlyughed, clearly recalling the incident where the boy had mentioned Miss had a birthmark on her buttocks in front of everyone!


    "This little fellow is quite interesting!"


    Lan Yun also smiled slightly, just in time to see Ling Yao walking over:


    "Miss is here. If there''s anything, let''s ask her directly."


    "Mother, Aunt Sun, Aunt Lan, you''re back!"


    Ling Yao walked up to them and said.


    "Miss, if we hadn''te back, you might have eloped with someone!"


    Sun Qi looked at Ling Yao with a teasing smile, while Lan Yun was also looking at her yfully.


    Ling Yao''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this; she was indeed afraid of such things!


    She red at Liu Yin, already knowing it must have been her who spoke.


    "Let''s go inside and talk first,"


    Ling Long said. This being right at the front gate, it wasn''t convenient to talk too much.


    She was shocked by this news and thus had spoken quite a bit right there.


    She wasn''t worried about anything else; it was her daughter''s private matter, after all.


    They then went to a side hall and sat down.


    Liu Yin, Sun Qi, and Lan Yun were not only stewards at Lingyue Pce but also particrly cared about Ling Yao, so Ling Long didn''t keep them out of her daughter''s affairs!


    "What''s that man''s name?"


    Ling Long asked seriously.


    "What man?"


    Ling Yao muttered hesitantly.


    "Stop beating around the bush, Yao. Do you know that your marriage isn''t just your personal issue but also Lingyue Pce''s!"


    Ling Long''s expression turned extremely serious.


    Ling Long took this matter so seriously not only because it concerned her daughter''s lifetime but also because it was closely tied to the future of Lingyue Pce!


    Liu Yin and the others nodded solemnly. Although they had joked and teased Ling Yao initially, they were deeply concerned about this matter!


    Because Ling Yao was the miss of Lingyue Pce, and the entire pce would be hers in the future!


    So how could her marriage be taken lightly?


    Knowing this, Liu Yin hadn''t done anything but waited for the Pce Master to make a decision.


    "His name is Su Chen, but I don''t have that kind of rtionship with him. Liu Yin misunderstood."


    Ling Yao fiddled with her fingers as she spoke.


    "Miss, he even knows about a mark on your body, which even I don''t know about!"


    Sun Qiughed and said.


    Ling Yao''s face turned red to her neck upon hearing this.


    Realizing the importance of her mother''s words, she understood that the matter had to be cleared up, even if it was embarrassing.


    If her mother and the stewards really misunderstood, it could lead to unimaginable consequences.


    "Actually, the situation went like this..."


    Ling Yao exined everything, including the intimate scenes in the bathroom, making her feel hot all over!


    She didn''t dare to look at her mother and the stewards!


    "That''s roughly how things happened."


    Ling Yao''s voice trailed off, almost whispering, with her head almost buried under the table!


    Ling Long and the others were stunned, realizing the situation was entirely unexpected!


    This is unbelievable, isn''t it?


    Why does it seem almost nonsensical?


    At this moment, Liu Yin finally understood that things weren''t what she had imagined!


    But knowing her daughter well, Ling Yao''s detailed exnation made Ling Long realize that her daughter might have feelings for that man!


    "This boy must be daring,ing to Lingyue Pce to steal! Especially the Mysterious Ice Flower, such a supreme treasure!"


    Lan Yun intentionally pped the table to ease the awkwardness.


    "Exactly. I think we should teach him a good lesson if we see him again!"


    Sun Qi chimed in:


    "Luckily, Miss was alert and didn''t let him steal it!"


    Hearing this, Liu Yin and Ling Yao felt embarrassed.


    "About that Mysterious Ice Flower, I¡ªI already gave it to him."


    Ling Yao continued to lower her head, knowing such things couldn''t be concealed.


    "What?! You gave it to him?!"


    Sun Qi was genuinely shocked and spoke out.


    This time it wasn''t an act; she was truly stunned!


    That was the Mysterious Ice Flower, a treasure hard toe by!


    Lan Yun also looked at Ling Yao, dumbfounded!


    Ling Long sighed and nced at her daughter.


    Not only she, but Sun Qi and Lan Yun also realized that although the birthmark incident was a misunderstanding, the unusual rtionship between them was undeniable!


    "And the Ghost Beard Grass!"


    Ling Yao quietly added.


    The others were at a loss for words, but since the Mysterious Ice Flower had already been given away, another Ghost Beard Grass didn''t seem that significant!


    "I gave them to him out of gratitude for helping us fend off Shengyi Gate''s pressure."


    Ling Yao exined.


    But this seemed unconvincing, even to herself...

 Chapter 876 - 876 Xiao Yaning Has Arrived

    At this moment, Ling Yao''s shy appearance was seen by a few people, how could they still not understand?


    "By the way, do you know where that boy lives?"


    Ling Long immediately asked.


    "Mother, you don''t want to..."


    Ling Yao stood up, and before leaving, said somewhat uneasily.


    "Miss, are you worried that the Pce Master will kill that boy?"


    Sun Qi joked with a smile.


    "Don''t worry, that boy won''t be in any danger."


    Lan Yun nced at her teasingly:


    "At most, we''ll let him know that peeping at our Miss while she''s bathing,es at a price!"


    "That''s not what I meant!"


    Ling Yao''s face turned even redder at these words, like a ripe apple!


    At this time, Ling Yao lookedpletely different from her usual cold and arrogant self, as if she had be a different person!


    And this kind of look only appears in one situation, that is, when a girl is in love!


    Regardless of the type of woman, their reaction in such moments is probably simr!


    However, when she heard from Aunt Sun and Aunt Lan that they wouldn''t harm Su Chen, she felt relieved, and then she shared thest information Su Chen had told her.


    "Alright, Xiao Yao, you can go now. I have something to discuss with Aunt Liu and the others."


    At this time, Ling Long waved her hand and said.


    Ling Long heard this and had to retreat.


    "Pce Master, I will personally investigate that boy."


    Before Ling Long could speak, Sun Qi said. They had been together for so many years, this level of tacit understanding still existed.


    "Hmm, we''ll discuss it further once you have results from your investigation."


    Ling Long nodded and said.


    "But Shengyi Gate''s pressing us like this is simply too much! Do they really think our Lingyue Pce is made of mud?"


    At this time, Lan Yun''s eyes shed sharply as she said this!


    "Exactly, it''s outrageous!"


    Sun Qi echoed, equally indignant.


    "You don''t need to be so angry. You should understand very well why Shengyi Gate is doing this."


    Ling Long said calmly:


    "They want to marry Yaoyao only to annex our Lingyue Pce. At the very least, they want to bind us to them."


    "This time they dared to be so tant because they knew we weren''t around, leaving only Liu Yin to guard."


    "In fact, this time we really need to thank that boy Su Chen for stirring things up. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have given up so easily."


    "If it weren''t for that boy sparring with Mo Wei, leaving them speechless, they might have mobilized more experts to coerce Sister Liu and Sister Xiao Yao into agreeing."


    Sun Qi also nodded and said.


    "In the end, it''s because our strength is insufficient. There''s still quite a gap between us and Shengyi Gate."


    Ling Long sighed and continued.


    Although Liu Yin, Sun Qi, and Lan Yun were somewhat unwilling, they knew this was the truth.


    Otherwise, how would Shengyi Gate dare to act like this?


    In fact, they all understood. Although the Huaxia martial arts world considered Lingyue Pce, Hidden Dragon Hall, and Shengyi Gate to be top-tier forces, their actual strengthpared to the other two was still quite evidently different!


    As for whether Hidden Dragon Hall or Shengyi Gate was more powerful, that was unclear!


    To be precise, everyone had mutual deterrents and bnces!


    The reason they were grouped together was just a fancy title!


    Therefore, Ling Long and others always wanted to improve their strength. The measure of a martial arts power''s strength wasn''t based on the lower tiers, but on some of the top people''s power!


    For example, the overall strength of Lingyue Pce''s Liu Yin, Sun Qi, and Lan Yun was slightly weaker than some Elders of Shengyi Gate and Hidden Dragon Hall''s protectors.


    Of course, Pce Master Ling Long''s strengthpared to Shengyi Gate''s Sect Leader and Hidden Dragon Hall''s Hall Master was also likely a bit weaker.


    This time Ling Long and the others went out to improve their strength, but the results didn''t seem satisfactory...


    .....


    At the same time, Su Chen was cultivating at home. He had nopany matters in the afternoon, so he came back to cultivate.


    Now he had already opened up most of the meridians of the first channel, and it was estimated that in a few days he couldpletely open it up. By then, he would truly enter the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    He was looking forward to seeing how much his strength would increase after entering the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    But of course, the old question still lingered in his heart: what should he do after entering the Meridian Expansion Realm?


    Even though his strength would be greatly enhanced after entering the Meridian Expansion Realm, he didn''t have the confidence to deal with Shengyi Gate!


    Actually, he also had means to speed up the process, like that Spirit Stone, which he hadn''t used yet.


    But the Spirit Stone was too precious, and he was reluctant to use it. He nned to use it only when he was really about to break through!


    Su Chen had been cultivating for several hours, and after finishing, he thought of another matter.


    That was, he stillcked a suitable weapon. Although he was proficient with a dagger, its benefits were obvious, its shorings were also apparent; it was too short!


    With the improvement in his realm, he found that a sword was more suitable most of the time!


    For example, when he dealt with those Blood n membersst time, if he had a sword, it might have been much easier!


    Although he now had the Dragon-ying Sword, it was a magic artifact, too powerful to be used in general situations!


    Thinking of this, the first person that came to his mind was naturally that old chatan Zhuge!


    If Zhuge Dongming knew this, who knows whether he wouldugh or cry, probably more crying!


    It was gettingte, and Su Chen nned to visit Zhuge Dongming''s courtyard tomorrow!


    Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from Xiao Yaning, so he immediately answered it.


    Xiao Yaning told him she had arrived in Yandu and asked him to wee her.


    Su Chen thought about it, he hadn''t seen her for a long time, so he agreed.


    Su Chen then drove to Elegant Heights Hotel, a five-star hotel where Xiao Yaning was staying.


    When he arrived at the hotel entrance, Xiao Yaning was already waiting there.


    At this moment, Xiao Yaning''s long hair was slightly draped behind her, she wore a cowl-neck sweater, a white coat, and casual slim-fit jeans with long boots.


    This outfit not only perfectly showcased her tall, slender figure but also exuded the aura of a metropolitandy!


    Her appearance was still as exquisite and wless as ever, making people marvel!


    Men entering and leaving the hotel couldn''t help but pause their gaze on her for a few seconds!


    But shepletely ignored those men''s looks.


    When she saw that long-awaited figure appear, her face immediately burst into a smile as warm as spring, and she walked towards him...

 Chapter 877: This Is Interesting

    "Long time no see, Xiao the beautifuldy!"


    Su Chen looked at Xiao Yaning walking from the hotel entrance and said with a smile, while extending a big hug.


    "Are you trying to take advantage of me as soon as you arrive?"


    Xiao Yaning said yfully, looking at Su Chen''s extended arms.


    Su Chen was a bit taken aback on hearing this, feeling a bit embarrassed, and was about to withdraw his extended arms.


    At this moment, Xiao Yaning had already walked up to him and hugged him proactively!


    "So you''re the one taking advantage of me now?"


    Su Chen whispered teasingly in Xiao Yaning''s ear.


    "Su Chen, you are still as shameless as ever!"


    Xiao Yaning responded right away.


    Although they hadn''t seen each other for a long time, they quickly found that familiar feeling.


    Some men who had been staring at Xiao Yaning saw her embrace Su Chen, then nced at his employee uniform and couldn''t help but sneer:


    "This woman doesn''t have great taste!"


    But this sounded a bit like sour grapes.


    "What do you want to eat, I''ll treat you!"


    Su Chen pped his chest heroically and said, like a nouveau riche!


    "Then I will make sure to feast at your expense today, Su Chen!"


    Xiao Yaning chuckled, covering her mouth.


    Afterward, Xiao Yaning got into Su Chen''s car and left. They stopped at a restaurant.


    "This ce is said to have been open for over two hundred years, its ancestors were Imperial Pce chefs, attracting many people."


    After getting out, while walking in, Su Chen introduced to Xiao Yaning.


    "Really?"


    Xiao Yaning asked with a smile upon hearing this.


    "Who knows?"


    Su Chen shrugged:


    "But the food is quite good."


    Su Chen came to know this ce thanks to a treat from Yunlong once.


    "As long as the food is delicious."


    Xiao Yaning nodded.


    After they went inside, they requested a private room and ordered a few signature dishes.


    Actually, Yaning wasn''t really here for the meal, she was just looking for an excuse to meet him.


    "By the way, why did you suddenlye to Yandu?"


    Su Chen poured two cups of tea, pushed one to Yaning and asked.


    "Didn''t Ye Mei tell you?"


    "Tell me what?"


    "The headquarters is moving to Yandu!"


    "Ah, so you''re here for that matter?"


    Su Chen asked somewhat surprised.


    "Otherwise, did you think I''m here to see you?"


    Yaning gave him a nce and said:


    "Such a big move for the headquarters, someone has to scout ahead!"


    Ye Mei did mention it, but he didn''t expect it to happen so soon.


    "By the way, how has Ye Mei been doing? And her mother?"


    Su Chen asked, he took Ye Mei away from the wedding at the Situ Family a week before she returned to Jianghai.


    "They''re both fine, since the Wu Family''s gone, she doesn''t need to worry anymore, she''s now living with her mother."


    "That''s good."


    Su Chen felt at ease hearing this.


    "You care so much about Ye Mei, and took her away from the Situ Family wedding, honestly, do you have feelings for her?"


    Xiao Yaning teased.


    When she first heard about it, Xiao Yaning was utterly shocked!


    Taking someone away at the Situ Family''s wedding, it sounded like a fairy tale!


    Yet it actually happened!


    After being astonished, she was deeply moved!


    Which man would do something so crazy for a woman?


    Moreover, they weren''t even in that kind of rtionship!


    Regardless of other aspects, talking about responsibility, the man before her was beyond reproach!


    Isn''t that what a woman desires?"


    "Nonsense, we are good friends, if she didn''t want it, of course I''d help."


    Su Chen pouted.


    "If it were me, would you do the same?"


    Yaning fixed her beautiful eyes on Su Chen and asked.


    "Without hesitation!"


    Su Chen replied without any dy.


    "Those words are enough for me!"


    Yaning''s face immediately blossomed with joy upon hearing it.


    Su Chen didn''t realize that his natural remark had already nted a deep seed in Yaning''s heart.


    Shortly after, the food arrived, and the two began to eat.


    "Yaning, I feel like you have something on your mind."


    Halfway through the meal, Su Chen suddenly asked because he noticed Yaning zoned out a couple of times absentmindedly.


    "Sharp eyes you have."


    Yaning smiled faintly.


    "What''s the matter, tell me, maybe I can help."


    Yaning shook her head and said:


    "Not much really, just someone from Jiangbei came by a few days ago, saying he''s my father."


    "Is he?"


    Su Chen asked eagerly, he knew Yaning''s situation, she was left in the fields,ter found and sent to an orphanage.


    "Seems so."


    Yaning nodded.


    "What are your ns?"


    Su Chen asked again, he knew Yaning must have her reasons.


    "No idea, he wanted me to go to Jiangbei, but I didn''t agree."


    Yaning said then smiled:


    "Let''s not discuss this, it''s not a big deal, let''s eat."


    "Alright."


    Su Chen nodded understandingly, he knew Yaning''s seeming indifference meant greater concern inside!


    It''s normal; what onecks is what one desires most. As an orphan, Yaning deeply yearns for family warmth!


    However, when it trulyes, she hesitates more!


    Because she cares!


    It''s precisely for this reason that she would have resentment, anyone would, even a saint can''t be without it!


    Longing, resentment, unfulfilled desires had created her present hesitation!


    They spent over an hour on the meal, then left the ce conversing happily...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in an old-fashioned building somewhere in Huaxia.


    A man entered a room, knelt on one knee. In the room''s shadowy end stood a silhouetted figure.


    It felt as though he always remains there.


    "Sect Leader, Elder Chen has lost contact."


    The man reported upon entering.


    "What?"


    A voice filled with surprise emanated from the shadowy corner.


    The man who entered had never seen the Sect Leader react so strongly!


    "Confirmed?"


    "Confirmed!"


    The man answered calmly.


    "Understood."


    From the shadow came a chilling voice, seemingly back to its usual tone.


    The man stood up and quietly exited¡­


    "You truly surprise me!"


    He gazed in a direction, eyes glinting in the dark, murmuring yfully:


    "But, this makes it interesting¡­"

 Chapter 878: Meridian Expansion Realm!

    No one noticed, or rather, no one dared to notice, that on the wall in the direction he turned his head, there was a painting.


    The painting depicted a young woman, at that moment, her face blossomed with a brilliant and carefree smile...


    The shadowy figure gazed at the woman in the painting, a smile also appeared on his face, as if he remembered something.


    But soon, that smile faded away, reced by a face that was somewhat grim and ferocious!


    .....


    The following days for Su Chen were almost exclusively devoted to cultivation.


    Moreover, he was not cultivating at home; instead, he went to the manor by Laixing Lake for training because he felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough, and there were fewer people there to disrupt him.


    Ordinarily, cultivation was fine, but at this critical juncture of breaking through the Meridian Expansion Realm, he didn''t dare to show the slightest negligence.


    In terms of realm, this was a ce he had never reached before!


    Actually, in the past, even before he started practicing the Nine Yang Divine Technique, he thought breaking through the Meridian Expansion Realm would be extremely difficult.


    But he didn''t expect that when it actually came to this moment, he hardly faced any obstacles, and it hadn''t been long since he reached the half-step Meridian Expansion stage!


    This was due to several factors, the most important being the uniqueness of the Nine Yang Divine Technique.


    Another factor was that he usually cultivated in the Gathering Yuan Formation, which greatly elerated his speed.


    There''s also another reason why his cultivation speed increased significantly, although he''s still unclear about what that reason is.


    Today was his fourth day cultivating at the manor, and at this moment, he was tightly gripping a spirit stone, continuously absorbing the abundant and pure Yuan Qi within, to breakthrough the final two bottlenecks!


    Before, he hadn''t used spirit stones, but now at the final moment, he finally decided to use them.


    In the first two days, Su Chen only trained at the manor during the day and went back to sleep at night, but in the recent two days, he had been training there non-stop!


    Although Su Chen had set up a formation here, making the Yuan Qi much purer than elsewhere, it still couldn''tpare to the quality of Yuan Qi in spirit stones!


    And the more abundant and pure the Yuan Qi impacting the meridians'' bottlenecks, the better, even though it also intensifies the tearing pain!


    The Yuan Qi continually struck the remaining bottlenecks in the already cleared parts, over and over again, each impact felt like it was tearing through his nerves with pain!


    His clothes were already soaked with sweat, as if he had just been fished out of a river!


    "Whew, another one cleared!"


    Half an hourter, he let out a long breath, the second tost bottleneck was finally cleared!


    Now, only the final bottleneck remained, if he could clear it, he would genuinely enter the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but feel a bit excited!


    He then lit a cigarette to calm his nerves a bit.


    Five minutester, he resumed his cultivation.


    As he absorbed the Yuan Qi from the spirit stone, it gradually depleted, and its color slowly faded.


    "Boom!"


    It was unclear how much time had passed when suddenly a booming sound echoed within his body, and the final bottleneck was finally cleared!


    With thisst bottleneck cleared, the first meridian was formed, and he immediately felt an overwhelming amount of True Yuan surging through the meridian, like tumultuous winds and waves!


    This turmoilsted for almost an hour, causing him great difort!


    However, after enduring this period of agitation, it seemed like the True Yuan formed some kind of resonance with his meridians!


    To use an analogy, if the meridians were a flute, the cleared apertures were like the holes on the flute, and the True Yuan was like the air, together they could produce beautiful music!


    This feeling wasfortable and wonderful, something that could only be experienced and not conveyed in words!


    "So this is the Meridian Expansion Realm!"


    Su Chen suddenly opened his eyes, feeling the vast True Yuan contained within the newly formed meridians, muttering to himself.


    At this moment, he clearly felt that the richness and purity of True Yuan within him had taken a qualitative leappared to before!


    Unlike previous breakthroughs, this time the True Yuan didn''t uncontrobly spill out, causing his clothes to tear apart!


    Instead, the True Yuan wreaked havoc within his body!


    In fact, when he had reached the half-step Meridian Expansion in the Lingyue Pce dungeonst time, this trend had already emerged, otherwise, it would have been utterly humiliating!


    If it had been like before, wouldn''t Meng Jiao that little girl think he was a pervert when she saw him?


    The answer would surely be yes!


    Su Chen then took a bath, shaved, changed into clean clothes, and walked out of the room into the courtyard!


    Standing in the courtyard, he couldn''t wait to test the power of the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    He looked at the stone that he had previously shattered into half, and struck it once more, the overwhelming True Yuan instantly surged towards the stone, which was already deeply embedded in the ground.


    "Boom boom boom!"


    Immediately, a series of explosions sounded, and the stone was not just fractured likest time, but almost shattered into countless small fragments!


    Even the part embedded in the ground was the same!


    "Wow, this is so powerful!"


    Su Chen was stunned by the sight before him!


    He felt that even if he were to fight Elder Chen from Shengyi Gate now, although he couldn''t guarantee a victory, he at least had the power to contend with him!


    He believed that if he could reach the Meridian Expansion Second or Third Layer, he would surely be able to defeat him!


    Thinking about this, his joy from the breakthrough diminished considerably!


    Because the Nine Yang Divine Technique inscribed on the sheepskin scroll ended here, what should he do for future cultivation?


    If he had no other goals, he would be content with what he had achieved, but the Judgment Department and Shengyi Gate were still standing in his way!


    However, there was nothing he could do about it for now, so he decided to temporarily set it aside!


    "Oh right, I''ve been so focused on cultivation these past few days that I forgot to ask that old bastard for stuff!"


    Su Chen suddenly thought, and a fox-like smile appeared on his lips.


    He then drove to Zhuge Dongming''s courtyard.


    "The robber is here again!"


    As soon as Xia Zi in the courtyard saw Su Chen''s figure, his face changed dramatically, he screamed, and ran towards the house.


    It really looked like a viger fleeing from the invading bandits!


    Seeing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but twitch the corner of his mouth:


    "Am I really that scary?"


    If Zhuge Dongming heard this, he would surely answer without hesitation:


    "Yes!"


    And Xia Zi would definitely nod in agreement while hiding behind his master...

 Chapter 879: Shameless Su Chen

    "Old geezer, I''m here to see you! Come on out!"


    Su Chen shamelessly shouted.


    Zhuge Dongming inside the house heard this and immediately sneered:


    "Here to see me? More like a cat burr is here!"


    However, since the brat had alreadye, there was no avoiding it. Zhuge Dongming had to step outside.


    "What are you here for?"


    Zhuge Dongming looked at him, annoyed, and spat out.


    "Didn''t I say? I''m here to see you!"


    Su Chen acted as if he didn''t notice Zhuge Dongming''s expression, or maybe he noticed but pretended not to.


    "Look, I even brought you two bottles of good wine!"


    Su Chen smugly waved a bag, the wine inside clearly bought from a roadside shop.


    "What do you want this time?"


    Zhuge Dongming saw this brat had brought wine, but the feeling of something bading grew stronger!


    "Well, you always give me stuff, I felt a bit embarrassed! Think of this as my way of giving back. Mutual exchanges make for longsting rtionships!"


    Su Chen chuckled:


    "This wine cost me over a thousand bucks!"


    But the moment Zhuge Dongming heard this, he almost fainted!


    He really wanted to say, you little punk, do you have any shame?


    Were those things you gave me? Clearly, you took them yourself, or more like you grabbed them!


    Also, what''s with this ''longsting''? He actually wants this to be a long-term thing?


    Moreover, the value of my stuff is how many times more than those two bottles of wine worth over a thousand?


    You could buy the entire winery and more with that!


    Little did Zhuge Dongming know, those two bottles actually cost Su Chen just over three hundred bucks altogether! How would he feel?


    Would he spit out a mouthful of old blood?


    "Xiaoxia, Brother Su brought you some tasty treats!"


    Su Chen then lifted another bag and smiled.


    Xiaoxia''s eyes lit up instantly at the sight of it, wanting to step forward but after taking two steps, he retreated again.


    Because when he was a kid, Su Chen had scared him too much. One time, Su Chen said he brought snacks, giving him a ck bag. The six-year-old Xiaoxia eagerly opened it, only to find it filled with frogs and snakes!


    It scared Xiaoxia so badly he was traumatized for days!


    Because of that, Zhuge Dongming gave Su Chen a good scolding!


    Of course, the final result was, Zhuge Dongming was also scolded by Su Chen''s protective old master, and took three months to recover from his injuries!


    ording to that old master, you tell me, I can scold him, but you can''t scold my disciple!


    No wonder Xiaoxia was so scared of Su Chen! It wasn''t just because Su Chen always came to take things, but mainly because he had been tormented so much as a kid!


    And Su Chen shamelessly told Zhuge Dongming, I''m just toughening up your disciple for you!


    Not that Zhuge Dongming didn''t understand, what toughening up my ass, this brat was just too bored living in the mountains!


    That''s why Zhuge Dongming rarely went to the Kunlun Mountains afterward, not without this reason, until Su Chen went out into the world, then he went back a bit more...


    "Xiaoxia, this time it really is tasty treats!"


    Su Chen smiled, opened the bag, and took out some candies.


    Only then did Xiaoxia dare to step forward, timidly grabbing a handful of candies:


    "Thank you, Brother Su!"


    "Good boy, Xiaoxia. Brother Su will bring you more next time."


    Su Chen patted his head and then looked at Zhuge Dongming:


    "Look at you, so old, and no better than your disciple. I bring you such good wine, and you don''t even say thank you!"


    Little did they know, how could he shamelessly say it was such good wine!


    "So, what do you really want?"


    Zhuge Dongming remained unmoved, coldly spitting out.


    "Didn''t I say? Just came to see you!"


    Su Chen chuckled:


    "And borrow some things while I''m at it!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s shameless words, Zhuge Dongming wasn''t surprised. If he didn''t say that, the sun would rise in the west!


    But don''t expect him to return what he borrows!


    "Haven''t you taken all the good stuff I have? What more do you want?"


    Zhuge Dongming said, annoyed.


    "Well, do you have any good weapons, preferably a sword?"


    Su Chen grinned awkwardly, clearly just pretending. Asking this old geezer for stuff, no need to feel awkward!


    "Wait here!"


    This time Zhuge Dongming surprisingly didn''t refuse, turning and walking back into the house.


    Su Chen was quite surprised. Why was the old man so agreeable today?


    Usually, he wouldn''t leave empty-handed, but it always took some effort! What''s going on today?


    While Su Chen was puzzled, Zhuge Dongming returned, holding a sword.


    He looked at Su Chen with a nce and tossed the sword to him:


    "You''ve entered the Meridian Expansion Realm, you do need a good weapon."


    "Thanks, old geezer!"


    Su Chen took the sword and nced at it. The sheath was entirely ck, with a sense of weight. Drawing the sword, a sh of cold light hit his eyes!


    More importantly, he felt a strong killing intent from the sword!


    "Good sword!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but praise!


    "Don''t thank me, it''s that old man''s sword. He left it with me for safekeeping, intending it for you."


    Zhuge Dongming said indifferently, referring to Su Chen''s master, Gongsun Liang.


    Su Chen was taken aback. That old man''s sword?


    Then, a warm feeling flowed through his heart...


    "Old geezer, do you have any other weapons?"


    Su Chen quickly asked.


    "No, no!"


    Zhuge Dongming quickly shook his head.


    "Why are you so nervous? I didn''t even ask for anything!"


    Su Chen pouted:


    "Alright, I''m leaving!"


    After saying that, Su Chen left with the sword.


    Watching his car drive away, Zhuge Dongming let out a long sigh of relief...


    When Su Chen left Zhuge Dongming''s courtyard, it was just after 2 PM, still early. He drove to thepany...


    What he didn''t know was that a woman in a long dress stood in front of the vi he shared with Lin Ruoxue.


    "So this brat has a wife but still dares to mess with Miss!"


    The woman muttered through clenched teeth, her face full of anger!


    After returning to thepany, Su Chen of course went to Lin Ruoxue''s office first.


    There, he saw the young master of the Hames family again. The two seemed to be discussing something.


    Seeing him enter, the young master of the Hames family stood up and smiled:


    "Mr. Su, we meet again!"


    Su Chen just slightly nodded his head, then sat down on the sofa...

 Chapter 880 - 880 Xiao Yanings Father

    Seeing Su Chen''s attitude, a trace of anger shed in the eyes of this Hames young master!


    Upon meeting twice, he greeted warmly and enthusiastically, but this guy seemed so indifferent, which made the usually revered Hames feel quite embarrassed.


    "Young master Hames, please don''t mind. He has this kind of character, but he''s actually a nice person."


    Lin Ruoxue quickly said, knowing that offending this young master Hames was not an option.


    "It''s nothing, President Lin. Do you think I''m so narrow-minded?"


    Young master Hames forcibly swallowed his breath and then smiled, saying:


    "Mr. Su''s personality is quite good!"


    "That''s good, that''s good. Let''s continue our discussion."


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue also heaved a sigh of relief and gave Su Chen, who was drinking tea with her cup, a re.


    Su Chen nced at this young master Hames and secretly became more cautious in his heart.


    Usually, hypocrites are more dangerous than straightforward viins. However, with himself there, he wasn''t afraid of any tricks!


    Furthermore, there were always five Shadow Guards by Lin Ruoxue''s side for protection.


    As for the Nether Temple A team''s action squad, Su Chen had sent them back after dealing with several major families.


    Because of this, he had added three more Shadow Guards.


    If this young master Hames really had bad intentions, he wouldn''t mind taking down the entire Hames family!


    It seemed their discussion would take a long time, so Su Chen returned to his office after sitting for a while.


    Just as he sat down in his office chair, the front desk called to say someone was there to see him. Su Chen didn''t think much of it and let the front desk allow the visitor through.


    Soon, there was a knock on his office door, and Su Chen casually said, "Come in."


    The door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man in his forties walked in, looking very ordinary, much like any middle-aged man on the street.


    However, Su Chen was a bit stunned at first nce!


    Because this middle-aged man was a Martial Artist and a rather highly cultivated one at that!


    Simrly, the middle-aged man was even more shocked upon seeing Su Chen!


    He did not expect the young man he was looking for to be an expert in the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Such a young Meridian Expansion Realm cultivator was very rare, even if he was just at the Meridian Expansion First Layer!


    "Sir, may I help you?"


    Su Chen asked after being momentarily stunned.


    "Mr. Su, I do have something to discuss with you."


    The middle-aged man spoke up.


    "I''m sorry, but I don''t think I know you."


    Su Chen waved his hand.


    "But you know my daughter."


    The middle-aged man looked at Su Chen and said.


    "May I know who your daughter is?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise upon hearing this.


    "You know Xiao Yaning, don''t you?"


    "Your daughter is Yaning?"


    Su Chen''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    A few days ago, Xiao Yaning mentioned that someone named Jiangbei came looking for her, iming to be her father.


    Unexpectedly, he found his way to Su Chen today.


    "It seems your rtionship with my daughter is quite deep."


    The middle-aged man smiled lightly upon hearing this.


    "We''re good friends."


    Su Chen didn''t deny it, nodding his head.


    The middle-aged man did not refute either. However, based on his investigation, this young man and his daughter were probably more than just good friends.


    Since Xiao Yaning''s attitude was unclear, Su Chen''s current demeanor was rather normal.


    "Mr. Su, I came today because of your good rtionship with my daughter, hoping you could help me with a favor."


    The middle-aged man looked at Su Chen and said.


    "Go ahead."


    Su Chen responded indifferently.


    "It''s like this, I want to ask Mr. Su to persuade Yaning toe home."


    The middle-aged man spoke sincerely, almost to the point of pleading.


    "Pardon my asking, why did you abandon Yaning back then, and why are you looking for her now?"


    Su Chen stared at the middle-aged man and asked.


    This question was crucial, as it would determine his stance.


    "Sigh, Yaning is my only child. If it wasn''t necessary, how could I bear it?"


    The middle-aged man sighed and said:


    "Back then, our family had a powerful enemy, threatening to wipe us out."


    "Yaning was still a baby, so my wife and I entrusted her to an old servant of our family to take her away and hide."


    "But yearster, when the crisis was over, we tried to find Yaning, only to have no leads at all. Even the old servant couldn''t be found."


    "Later, we learned that the old servant had died within two or three years, and Yaning had vanished without a trace."


    "It was only in recent years that we found some clues suggesting she might be in Jiangnan."


    "Over the years, I''ve almost traveled all over Jiangnan, and finally, Heaven did not let me down; I found her!"


    The middle-aged man sighed deeply, tears mixed with a relieved smile.


    Su Chen handed him a tissue and thought: it seems they didn''t intentionally abandon her, but did so to keep Yaning safe.


    "Then why didn''t you exin this to Yaning?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked.


    "Sigh, Yaning is very guarded and resentful towards me now. I haven''t had the chance to speak."


    The middle-aged man sighed.


    "It''s not resentment; Yaning cares too much!"


    Su Chen looked at the middle-aged man and said:


    "Moreover, this happened so suddenly; it''s normal for her to not ept it immediately."


    "I know, I don''t me her. If anyone''s to me, it''s us as parents for not fulfilling our duty!"


    The middle-aged man shook his head.


    "Alright, uncle, I promise I''ll try to persuade Yaning to go back."


    Su Chen said:


    "But I can''t guarantee the oue. I''ll respect Yaning''s own decision."


    "Thank you, thank you!"


    The middle-aged man quickly stood up and deeply bowed to Su Chen!


    "Uncle, you shouldn''t do this. Please get up."


    Su Chen immediately came out from behind his desk and helped the middle-aged man up.


    "Mr. Su, I will be in Yandu recently. This is my number. Please contact me if there''s any news."


    The middle-aged man took a piece of paper and a pen from the desk and wrote down a phone number.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen nodded.


    Soon after, the middle-aged man left, and Su Chen returned to his position.


    He didn''t expect Xiao Yaning''s biological father to be such a powerful Martial Artist!


    Su Chen then made himself another cup of tea and started reading thetest issue of "Men''s Health".


    After flipping through it twice, he got bored and began looking at some past "insightful" issues.


    He couldn''t help but see the issue with Jiang Ying on the cover. Seeing it again, he couldn''t help but marvel at her versatility and potential!


    Simrly, he remembered that he had nned to help her but hadn''t done so yet.


    So, he called Jiang Ying to ask if she was in Yandu, as she was always traveling for filming.


    Fortunately, Jiang Ying had just finished a movie and was resting recently.


    So Su Chen asked her out for coffee, and Jiang Ying readily agreed...

 Chapter 881 - 881 The Supporting Actress

    Time''s Caf¨¦, a poetic name for a poetic ce.


    Originally, it should have been very quiet here, everyone drinking their coffee and chatting.


    But at this moment, everyone was gathered around one of the tables, their faces filled with excitement.


    In the middle of them, a woman was smiling and writing something on the table.


    "And mine too."


    "Mine."


    ...


    Such voices were heard from time to time...


    "Has everyone got their autographs?"


    After a while, the woman sitting there asked with a smile.


    "Yes, thank you, Miss Jiang Ying!"


    "Miss Jiang Ying, you''re so nice!"


    "Idol, I didn''t expect you to be even more beautiful in person than on TV!"


    ...


    The woman sitting there was, of course, the big star Jiang Ying. She had juste in with sunsses, so it only took a few minutes for people to recognize her.


    Luckily, there were only about ten to twenty people in the caf¨¦, so it didn''t cause too much of amotion.


    "Miss Jiang, is this gentleman your boyfriend?"


    At this moment, a fan asked, and everyone else looked at the young man across from her.


    They found this man very young. Although he wasn''t the type that would stun you at first nce, the more you looked, the more you found him attractive, one with a lingering charm!


    They seemed to make a good match in appearance, except for his somewhat eye-catching employee uniform!


    Anyway, Jiang Ying was one of the hottest stars in Huaxia right now!


    The fans originally thought that even if the two were really in a rtionship, Jiang Ying wouldn''t admit it!


    It''s well known that a star''s rtionship being exposed is a big taboo, especially for a big star like Jiang Ying.


    Unexpectedly, Jiang Ying mischievously nced at Su Chen across from her, then looked at the fans and smiled:


    "What do you think?"


    This statement left everyone in a daze!


    What did Jiang Ying mean by this? Was she about to admit to a rtionship?


    For a moment, the expressions on everyone''s faces became even more excited, as if they had uncovered a big secret!


    Su Chen also smiled wryly when he heard this, not expecting Jiang Ying to make such a mischievous joke at this time.


    "Don''t overthink it, we''re just friends who haven''t seen each other for a long time and decided to grab a coffee together." Su Chen smiled at everyone.


    "That joke just now, that''s enough, everyone disperse and let me chat with my friend, okay?"


    Jiang Ying also said with a smile at this time.


    The people who came to this caf¨¦ were generally quite cultured, so upon hearing Jiang Ying say this, they all returned to their seats, and besides, they had all gotten their autographs.


    But they were somewhat suspicious of the identities of the two.


    A big star like Jiang Ying wouldn''t casually say anything reckless; she was usually very discreet with her words.


    The statement just now was already quite out of line!


    "Luckily, this is a caf¨¦, or I''d definitely be making headlines tomorrow." Su Chen nced at Jiang Ying and said.


    "Mr. Su, you wouldn''t mind the joke I made just now, would you?"


    Jiang Ying alsoughed, she was just caught up in the moment when she made that joke.


    "If you, the big star, don''t mind, why should I?" Su Chen took a sip of coffee and said:


    "But it seems like you celebrities get recognized and surrounded everywhere you go, that''s a bit of ack of freedom!"


    "It''s inevitable, you gain some, you lose some." Jiang Ying smiled and said:


    "If I were walking down the street and no one came up for a photo or autograph, that would probably be worse, it would mean I''m outdated."


    "That''s true!" Su Chenughed and said:


    "You really can''t have both the fish and the bear''s paw!"


    "By the way, Mr. Su, is there something you wanted to talk about when you asked me out today?"


    Jiang Ying tilted her head and asked.


    Actually, she was quite surprised and delighted to receive Su Chen''s phone call today; it seemed to be the first time he had reached out to her on his own!


    She originally had an interview at the TV station, but upon receiving Su Chen''s call, she immediately asked her agent to cancel it!


    When her agent got the news, they were practically going crazy!


    "Of course, there''s something." Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Are you interested in filming in Hollywood?"


    Jiang Ying was stunned as soon as she heard this!


    Hollywood? That''s every actor''s dream!


    How could she not want to?


    But what was the use of wanting?


    Although she was very popr in Huaxia, she barely had any recognition internationally!


    No, she wasn''t even on the radar!


    From an industry perspective, Huaxia wasn''t a mainstream country; the Westerners still had the upper hand in this area!


    "So, how about it? If you''re not interested, forget it, just pretend I never asked."


    Su Chen then smiled.


    "How could I not be interested?" Jiang Ying gave a bitter smile and said:


    "But I don''t have any resources!"


    "I do!" Su Chen''s lips curled into a smile and he said:


    "As long as you want it, there''s no problem!"


    "You have?" Jiang Ying asked in surprise as soon as she heard this.


    "That''s right, it seems that Director Cameron is prepping a new movie, I can arrange a role for you." Su Chen pondered for a moment and said,


    "It''s unlikely for you to start with the lead role, but let''s get you a supporting role first."


    Su Chen''s words left Jiang Yingpletely dumbfounded!


    Director Cameron? How is that possible?


    He is one of the three most famous directors in the world!


    Which of his works hasn''t caused a market sensation?


    Forget being a supporting actress, people would probably fight each other to even get a minor role!


    Letting her y a supporting role, this must be a joke, right?


    "Actually, if you insist on being the lead, that''s possible too, but I think it''s better to start with supporting roles and gradually build up." Su Chen continued,


    "First, star in a couple of supporting roles, get yourself familiarized, and then I''ll arrange a lead role for you, definitely with renowned Hollywood directors."


    At this moment, Jiang Ying was already in a daze, feeling like Su Chen was telling an enormous international joke!


    Things that she wouldn''t even dare dream of, he said it as casually as having a meal or drinking water!


    When she first met Su Chen, it was indeed because she felt this young man was extraordinary and hoped to gain something from him.


    But after going through several incidents, her thoughts gradually changed and she almost had no ulterior motives.


    Even at the beginning when her intentions were less pure, she never thought he could offer her such an opportunity!


    "Are you joking?" Jiang Ying asked, still stunned because she couldn''t quite believe what Su Chen had just said...

 Chapter 882 - 882 Yunlong Must Become Stronger

    "Of course, do I look like I''m joking?"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    Actually, this was nothing to him; he definitely knew Cameron.


    But that wasn''t the key point. It''s those theater chains and entertainmentpany bosses; who would dare to disrespect him when they hear his name?


    If he wants to arrange a role, it''s just a matter of a word. Never mind that Jiang Ying is a professional actor; even if Su Chen randomly picked someone off the street and made her the lead, they wouldn''t dare to say no either!


    "If you agree, I''ll make a call, and tomorrow your agent can start discussing the specifics."


    Su Chen continued.


    Looking at Su Chen, Jiang Ying felt that he was really not joking!


    "Why are you helping me so much?"


    Jiang Ying asked naively.


    "Do you want to hear the truth?"


    Su Chen said, and Jiang Ying nodded in response.


    "Because you''re a big beauty. I''m always enthusiastic about beautiful women!"


    Su Chenughed.


    Hearing this, Jiang Ying couldn''t help but pout. How could this be the truth?


    She knew her looks were decent, but it''s not like he hasn''t seen beautiful women before.


    Not to mention others, just his wife Lin Ruoxue, the president of Belle Group, made Jiang Ying feel inferior!


    "Mr. Su, can you be serious?"


    Jiang Ying couldn''t help but roll her eyes.


    "Alright, no more jokes."


    Su Chen waved and said:


    "Actually, there are two reasons. One is that I think you are ambitious, dedicated, and kind. Secondly, I saw the cover of the magazine you shot recently, and I felt your potential is strong, knowing you have this ability, that''s why I want to help you."


    Upon hearing this, Jiang Ying nodded and then asked somewhat shyly:


    "You''ve seen that cover?"


    Actually, this was a rhetorical question. She knew Su Chen had seen the magazine, which is why she agreed to shoot the cover.


    "Of course, I have seen it. It was shot wonderfully!"


    Su Chen sincerely praised, which made Jiang Ying blush even more.


    Because that cover was quite bold and very sexy, so when Su Chen mentioned it now, she felt very embarrassed.


    "Mr. Su, thank you very much. I will definitely seize this opportunity and not let you down."


    Jiang Ying said sincerely, thinking that Su Chen giving her such an opportunity must involve a lot of personal connections.


    If she didn''t do well, it wouldn''t just be her losing face; the introducer, Su Chen, would also be med.


    "I don''t mind; you just need to meet your own expectations."


    Su Chen said:


    "But don''t stress too much, it''s no big deal, just do your best."


    "I will."


    Jiang Ying nodded again.


    Then Su Chen gave Jiang Ying a phone number, telling her she could make contact tomorrow.


    Of course, Su Chen had to mention this beforehand.


    After finishing a cup of coffee, they left, with Jiang Ying putting on her sunsses.


    After they walked out, Su Chen''s phone rang. It was Yunlong calling, saying he wanted to meet him.


    So Su Chen drove to Yunlong''spany. Before going upstairs, he joked a bit with the receptionist girl who had stopped him the first time.


    "Yunlong, what do you need me for this time?"


    After entering Yunlong''s spacious office, Su Chen sat down on the sofa.


    Seeing Su Chene in, Yunlong immediately closed the door!


    "Yunlong, what''s the meaning of this? I don''t have any special preferences!"


    Su Chen quickly said upon seeing that.


    "Brother, neither do I. I still prefer women at the moment!"


    Yunlong replied helplessly.


    "Alright, what''s this about?"


    Su Chen said, knowing he was just joking earlier.


    But Yunlong specially called him over and closed the door right away. What was he up to?


    "Thud!"


    Yunlong suddenly knelt in front of Su Chen, startling him.


    But Su Chen didn''t immediately tell him to get up. Instead, he calmly asked:


    "What do you mean by this?"


    "Brother, I want to be stronger!"


    Yunlong said with determination.


    "Stronger?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked:


    "What do you mean?"


    "Brother, I want to be like you, be a martial artist!"


    Yunlong said, looking at Su Chen.


    After all, he knew about martial artists. His Yun Family also had martial artists.


    But their skills were mediocre at best, none surpassing the Triple Layer of Qi Refinement.


    He had sparred with those people before; they were better than him, but not by much, so he didn''t take it seriously.


    The injury he sufferedst time, however, gave him a huge shock. The two bodyguard martial artists beside Situ Guang left him utterly helpless.


    He then realized that those were real martial artists; the Yun Family''s were just weaklings inparison.


    Through these experiences, he also realized that his brother must be a martial artist, and a very powerful one at that!


    In the affairs of the Five Great Families, his brother seemingly didn''t rely heavily on external forces, appearing to take them on single-handedly!


    The deciding factor in all this must have been his brother''s powerful strength!


    Only then did he understand that with absolute strength, everything else was just a paper tiger!


    Even entities like the Five Great Families!


    And he said he wanted to follow his brother to achieve something great, not to be the burden that his brother has to take care of!


    For example,st time at the construction site, he could only hide in a room. Only when his brother eliminated all the dangers could hee out.


    At that moment, he felt extremely frustrated, feeling like he wasn''t a man!


    He thought it over for a long time and finally made up his mind!


    By any means necessary, he had to be a martial artist, be strong, so he could fight alongside his brother in the future!


    This was why he followed his brother, wasn''t it?


    If everything was like before, where he couldn''t be helpful in any way and was only a burden, he might as well just peacefully stay in Jianghai as the eldest Young Master of the Yun Family!


    After making up his mind, he didn''t want to wait even a moment longer; he felt an urgent desire.


    Knowing Su Chen had a family at home and it wouldn''t be convenient to discuss this there, and also not wanting to inconvenience him at his sister-inw''spany, he called him over to his own office, believing it to be private enough.


    "So the reason you asked me here today is for this?"


    "Yes!"


    "Are you sure about this?" Su Chen asked lightly.


    "I''m sure!"


    Yunlong nodded heavily.


    "Yunlong, martial artists, especially those who have cultivated to a certain level, are indeed very powerful, far beyond ordinary people. But everythinges at a cost."


    Su Chen said, looking at him:


    "The path of cultivation is exceedingly arduous. It''s not as morous as you might think!"


    "Don''t worry, brother. I''m mentally prepared!"


    Yunlong said resolutely with an unwavering expression.

 Chapter 883 - 883 Uninvited Guests

    "Alright, I agree. You can get up now."


    Su Chen nodded and said.


    To be honest, he had already considered this, but he hadn''t expected Yunlong to bring it up himself today.


    "Thank you, big brother!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s agreement, he immediately stood up from the ground with a beaming smile.


    "Yunlong, you didn''t start cultivating from a young age, so you''ll face even more hardships. Be mentally prepared for this!"


    Su Chen said solemnly.


    "Big brother, don''t worry! No matter how hard it is, I will persist!"


    Yunlong nodded firmly.


    Su Chen then briefly exined to him the general situation of martial artists, giving him a basic understanding.


    As Yunlong listened to Su Chen''s exnation, his eyes lit up!


    So, martial artists can be so powerful!


    This further strengthened Yunlong''s determination to be a martial artist!


    .....


    After leaving Yunlong''spany, Su Chen went back home.


    Upon returning home, he first made two phone calls to discuss Jiang Ying''s situation, and then went to his bedroom to train.


    Although he couldn''t advance further in his cultivation, he had just broken through to the First Layer of the Meridian Expansion Realm and still needed to consolidate it!


    He had now cleared one meridian, and through this fully cleared meridian, the Yuan Qi stored in various parts of his body could connect to his hands, feet, eyes, ears, and other parts. Not only had his attack power significantly increased, but his visual acuity, hearing, and perception had also noticeably improved!


    Su Chen continued to train until dinner time. Lin Ruoxue surprisingly came home early today.


    After dinner, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue took a short walk in the neighborhood.


    The bright moonlight fell on the ground, illuminating the two of them.


    In such moments, they both felt a rare sense of peace and warmth!


    After more than half an hour, they returned home. Lin Ruoxue naturally went to the study upstairs to work.


    And Su Chen had no choice but to sit on the sofa and chat with little Ruohan. By this time, Aunt Wang and Aunt Sun had already gone to rest since they were old.


    Little Ruohan always asked him strange and curious questions. Luckily, Su Chen had broad knowledge and could answer most of them.


    For those he couldn''t answer, he made something up. Surprisingly, he sometimes even managed to convince the little girl.


    "Alright, let''s stop chatting. It''s already ten o''clock. Go to sleep now."


    Suddenly, a sharp light shed in Su Chen''s eyes, and he said to little Ruohan.


    "Alright, good night, brother Su!"


    Hearing this, little Ruohan reluctantly got up from the sofa and went back to her bedroom.


    A few minutester, Su Chen quietly went outside.


    As he stepped out, he saw a woman in a purple long dress standing not far from the vi.


    "Who are you?"


    Su Chen asked coldly, full of vignce!


    He sensed that the other party was an absolute martial arts expert with a very powerful aura!


    "You have the nerve to ask who I am?"


    The woman in the purple dress responded icily, with an angry face.


    Hearing this, Su Chen felt something was off.


    What does she mean by I have the nerve to ask who she is?


    You''re a stranger standing at my door, why can''t I ask?


    He initially thought that the other party might be from the Judgment Department or Shengyi Gate, but now it seemed unlikely!


    "Miss, who exactly are you?"


    Su Chen asked again, but this time less guarded.


    "Who are you calling ''miss''?"


    The woman in the purple dress immediately rebuked.


    "Then, ma''am, who exactly are you? Why are you here?"


    Su Chen had no choice but to change his address.


    "Who are you calling ''ma''am''!?"


    To his surprise, the woman''s anger soared even more!


    Her face almost froze, looking as if it could kill someone!


    This woman in the purple dress was none other than Sun Qi, the steward of Lingyue Pce, who came to investigate Su Chen''s situation!


    She was already furious that Su Chen, despite having a wife, was still entangled with her young mistress!


    And this guy had the audacity to call her ''miss''!


    Although she rarely stayed in the city, she knew that addressing someone as ''miss'' in the city was an insult!


    Calling Ling Yao ''miss'' and calling her ''miss'' was entirely different!


    The change from ''miss'' to ''ma''am'' was even more unforgivable!


    Ma''am, do I look that old?


    Although Sun Qi took great care of herself, being in her mid-thirties, she was very sensitive about being called old!


    Ling Yao calling her ''aunt'' was eptable because it was how she had always addressed her!


    If Su Chen knew her thoughts, he would feel wronged. Whether ''miss'' or ''ma''am,'' they were just terms of address!


    All he wanted to know was who she was!


    Was it too much to ask?


    "Alright, how should I address you then?"


    Su Chen, feeling helpless, asked.


    "It doesn''t matter now!"


    Sun Qi shouted and charged at him with a sword.


    Su Chen was startled. Howe she started attacking without exining anything?


    Faced with Sun Qi''s furious strike, he quickly dodged!


    As Sun Qi turned and struck again, this time faster and more vicious!


    "Are we really fighting?"


    Su Chen quickly darted away. He didn''t want to wake the others up at the doorstep!


    Seeing Su Chen escaping, Sun Qi chased him closely!


    Su Chen ran to a quiet ce before stopping.


    "Who the hell are you? What do you want?"


    Su Chen asked in frustration. He was stillpletely confused!


    However, the only response he got was a cold sword, with True Yuan flowing on its de!


    Su Chen also drew his long sword and thrust it forward, his sword cutting through the void with sharp intensity, aiming directly at Sun Qi!


    When he came out, he brought the sword he had taken back from Zhuge Dongming, thinking the visitor was from the Judgment Department or Shengyi Gate!


    He believed that even if the visitor was one of them, he could now fight with his current cultivation!


    Seeing the power of Su Chen''s strike, Sun Qi''s heart trembled!


    Before she came, Liu Yin, along with the Pce Master and Lan Yun, had told her that this guy was a bit eerie, already having the strength equivalent to the Fourth Layer of the Meridian Expansion Realm despite not having entered it yet!


    She came not only to investigate but also to test his strength herself.


    After he came out, Sun Qi realized this guy had already entered the Meridian Expansion Realm, making her secretly surprised at how fast he had advanced!


    It hadn''t been long since he left Lingyue Pce, yet he had already broken through? Was this even possible?


    To be honest, she initially doubted Liu Yin''s words because it seemed too incredible!


    But after seeing this strike, she believed it!

 Chapter 884: Meridian Expansion Level 6

    The power of this sword actually exceeded what the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer could exert, almost reaching the strength of the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer!


    Perhaps it was because he had just broken through!


    Although Sun Qi was furious, she had held back a lot of strength.


    After all, she just wanted to teach him a lesson, not take his life!


    But seeing Su Chen''s formidable strength, she turned serious, though it also excited her battle spirit!


    Evading Su Chen''s sword, she thrust her sword forward. This time, her attack was different!


    Sword blossoms shed radiantly after she thrust her sword, blooming brilliantly under the moonlight!


    The sword blossoms then converged and transformed into an illusory sword shadow, with sword qi bursting forth!


    Wherever the sword shadow passed, the void quaked, and a vacuum formed around the sword de!


    "Damn, so strong?!"


    Su Chen was startled by this sword and didn''t dare hide his strength anymore, hastily swinging his sword horizontally!


    Equally brilliant sword aura burst out, with powerful sword qi rushing towards her sword qi!


    "Boom!"


    The two sword qis shed, causing an earth-shattering explosion!


    Thankfully, there were no residents nearby, or they would have been startled awake!


    Su Chen was forced back a few steps by the sword qi, feeling a tumult in his chest and abdomen!


    Sun Qi fared slightly better but had to take a step back to steady herself!


    "Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer?!"


    Sun Qi gaped at Su Chen in shock, her mouth wide open in disbelief!


    Su Chen''s disyed strength of the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer had already surprised her, but she hadn''t expected him to hide his strength more!


    One should know that the strength gap between eachyer of the Meridian Expansion Realm was significant, not just seemingly close on the surface!


    She felt that his strength was even beyond the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, nearing the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer!


    How could this be? It was simply too incredible!


    After all, as the steward of Lingyue Pce, she was only at that realm!


    Her slight advantage earlier was because he seemed to have just reached this realm, with unstable strength!


    Given more time, it would probably be a fifty-fifty match!


    Su Chen was equally shocked; although he had known from the start that this woman was no ordinary person, he hadn''t expected her to be so strong!


    Who was this powerful woman?


    She didn''t seem like someone from the Judgment Department or Shengyi Gate, yet she appeared to hold a grudge against him!


    But her initial attacks had shown restraint, clearly intending to teach rather than kill!


    Su Chen was totally bewildered by this woman, feeling inexplicable!


    "Who the hell are you? Even if you want to fight or kill me, at least let me know why!"


    Su Chen asked, feeling vexed.


    "Fine, I''ll let you know!"


    Although Su Chen''s strength far exceeded her expectations, Sun Qi had yet to vent her anger. She looked coldly at Su Chen and said:


    "Tell me, since you have a wife, why did you still try to seduce ourdy?"


    "Seduce yourdy? Where did thate from?"


    Su Chen was even more bewildered:


    "I don''t even know who yourdy is, how could I have seduced her?"


    "You ungrateful wretch! Ourdy just gave you two treasures, the Mysterious Ice Flower and Ghost Beard Grass, and you forgot so quickly?!"


    Sun Qi said coldly.


    "You''re from Lingyue Pce?"


    Su Chen widened his eyes in disbelief upon hearing her words!


    "Indeed, I am the steward of Lingyue Pce, Sun Qi!"


    Sun Qi said, staring at Su Chen.


    Realizing this, Su Chen finally understood why she was so strong; she was the steward of Lingyue Pce!


    "Now you understand!"


    Sun Qi still looked at Su Chen coldly.


    "I still don''t understand."


    Su Chen shook his head:


    "You said I seduced yourdy, when did I ever do that?"


    "Still won''t admit it! Have you seen ourdy bathing?!"


    Sun Qi, hearing him deny it, became furious again!


    Raising her sword, she was about to attack again!


    "Wait, wait! Sister, listen to me!"


    Seeing her stance, Su Chen hurriedly stopped her.


    This time he didn''t dare address her as ''miss'' or ''big sis,'' choosing ''sister'' directly!


    If it were anyone else, he''d fight, but against a Lingyue Pce member, how could he fight?


    They had given him the precious Mysterious Ice Flower and Ghost Beard Grass, especially the Mysterious Ice Flower, which had saved Hanbing''s life!


    "What else do you have to say?"


    Sun Qi''s eyes narrowed, but she had no issue with his term of address!


    "Sister, I did see yourdy, but it was a misunderstanding!"


    Seeing no opposition to ''sister,'' Su Chen continued:


    "Here and now, I sincerely apologize to Lingyue Pce and yourdy, but as for seducing, it never happened!"


    "This is a total insult to our integrity. While my reputation doesn''t matter, yourdy''s innocence must not be tarnished!"


    Su Chen said earnestly.


    "Sharp-tongued!"


    Sun Qi immediately asked:


    "If you didn''t seduce ourdy, why can''t she forget you?"


    "Can''t forget me? Are you joking?"


    Su Chen was further baffled by Sun Qi''s words.


    That girl couldn''t forget him? What a joke!


    He found it hard to believe this woman in the purple dress.


    "Do you think I''d joke about such things?"


    Sun Qi''s tone remained harsh, though she also began to question if outside the misunderstanding, everything was herdy''s one-sided feelings.


    If that was the case, it wouldplicate matters!


    "Sister, I swear, I really didn''t seduce yourdy!"


    Su Chen raised a hand solemnly.


    He now felt a bit helpless, realizing this powerhouse had caused him so much trouble over this!


    What was going on?


    "Is that really true?"


    Sun Qi asked coldly again, but Su Chen could tell her attitude had softened!


    "Absolutely, true as gold!"


    Su Chen replied firmly, his face resolute!


    Sun Qi sighed, realizing it was just herdy''s unrequited love!


    She''d have to talk to herdy back home...


    "You''d better be telling the truth. If I find you''re lying, hmm!"


    Saying so, Sun Qi sheathed her sword and turned to leave.


    "I wouldn''t dare!"


    Su Chen quickly said. Watching her leave, he heaved a sigh of relief...


    Shaking his head, he walked back, thinking: What was all that about?


    Remembering Sun Qi''s im that Ling Yao couldn''t forget him, he felt inexplicably pleased.


    This was amon w of men; who wouldn''t be happy to hear a beauty liked them?


    Of course, it stopped there, not meaning he intended to pursue her...

 Chapter 885: He Is Indeed Very Special

    Su Chen returned home just as Lin Ruoxue had finished her work and was also back in the bedroom.


    "Honey, should we shower together to save water?"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue, who was about to walk into the bathroom, and said fawningly.


    Lin Ruoxue just gave him a cold look, then pushed the bathroom door open and walked in.


    Save water, huh ¡ª this jerk is getting more shameless by the day!


    After catching that look, Su Chen could only touch his nose awkwardly and then throw off his coat and lie on the bed.


    Having lived with Lin Ruoxue for a while now, he''s be very hygienic.


    In the past, he wouldn''t care about things like this. Who was he kidding?!


    After Lin Ruoxue finished showering, it was Su Chen''s turn, and then the two turned off the lights and went to bed...


    As for what happened after the lights went out, that''s not something that needs to be shared...


    The next morning, the two came downstairs looking full of energy.


    After breakfast, they and Yan Xi drove to thepany together.


    Yan Xi was increasingly resembling a freshly graduated urban white-cor worker, learning things quickly and taking on many responsibilities.


    At thepany, Su Chen naturally fell into his usual routine ¡ª a cup of tea, a magazine, and his legs propped up on the desk.


    Once, Lin Ruoxue walked in and happened to see this. She said, "You don''t look like a department head at all, more like a grandpa!"


    Su Chen smoothly replied, "Come, give grandpa a leg massage!"


    To this, Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes and walked out.


    .....


    While Su Chen was pretending to be a grandpa, in a high-end apartment in Yandu,


    there were two women in the room ¡ª one in her twenties, sitting on the sofa, and the other around forty, but very well-preserved and looking smart and capable.


    At this moment, the woman in her forties was pacing back and forth in the room, almost unable to stop. Even if she did stop, she would start moving again within two seconds!


    Her face was a little flushed, not for any other reason but sheer excitement!


    She clutched a phone tightly in her hand.


    "Sister Qin, can you please stop pacing back and forth?"


    The young woman on the sofa said helplessly:


    "You''ve been making so manyps that you''re making my head spin!"


    "Headache? That''s nothing! Sister Qin is so excited right now I could explode!"


    Sister Qin immediately responded upon hearing the young woman''s words:


    "Do you know who that was? Director Cameron! He''s an absolute legend in the film industry!"


    "Can you believe it? Such a bigshot speaking so nicely to me, probably even more politely than he would to some of the mega-stars in Hollywood''s ten-million-dor club!"


    "And it doesn''t stop there; do you know who called me just now? Mr. James, the owner of thergest theater chain in the US! He said he would personally receive us when we arrive in the US!"


    "What kind of treatment is this? Do you know what this means? My silly girl!"


    "Sister Qin, you''ve said all this more than ten times in the past couple of hours!"


    The young woman pursed her lips and said, though she too was incredibly stunned inside!


    Right now, a man''s imagepletely filled her mind!


    Honestly, before it was confirmed, she had her doubts!


    She never thought he would actually pull it off!


    Even more shocking was that Mr. James, the biggest theater chain owner in the US, said he would personally apany her! She felt like her soul was about to leave her body!


    At the same time, she grew more curious. Who exactly was he to have such influence abroad?


    "Xiao Ying, when you turned down the TV interview yesterday, Sister Qin was almost infuriated with you!"


    Sister Qin said:


    "I didn''t expect you to bring back such an earth-shaking piece of news afterward!"


    "Given the invaluable resources you''ve secured, thepany is taking it very seriously. The boss has already said thepany will leverage all its resources to support you in this!"


    The boss at Jiang Ying''spany wasn''t foolish; he knew exactly what this opportunity meant!


    This was a milestone for thepany!


    Reputation, wealth, resources, connections ¡ª all of these were part of the opportunity Jiang Ying had secured. Of course, he had to give full support!


    "Tell me, how did you manage this?"


    Sister Qin immediately sat down beside Jiang Ying, staring at her intently as she asked.


    She was genuinely curious how such a miraculous stroke of luck hade about!


    "It was introduced by a friend."


    Jiang Ying said in response to Sister Qin''s question.


    "What kind of person is this friend of yours to have such vast influence? And you went out to meet him yesterday?"


    At this moment, Sister Qin looked like a gossip journalist!


    "Well, actually, I don''t know him too well. We''ve only met a few times."


    "How is that possible?"


    Sister Qin immediately said, then looked at Jiang Ying with suspicion:


    "You don''t have that kind of rtionship with him, do you? But if he can bring you such opportunities, it''s worth it."


    Having spent twenty years in the entertainment circle, Sister Qin had seen it all.


    "Sister Qin, it''s not what you think. We''re really just normal friends!"


    Of course, Jiang Ying knew what Sister Qin meant. She shook her head and sighed:


    "Actually, he probably doesn''t even find me attractive."


    "Not find you attractive? How is that possible? Jiang Ying, with your qualities, how could anyone not?"


    "Compared to his wife, my looks really don''t count for much."


    Jiang Ying said somewhat self-pityingly.


    In fact, she was underestimating herself. While she may not quitepare to Lin Ruoxue, the difference wasn''t too great.


    If she wasn''t remarkable, she wouldn''t be hailed as the national goddess!


    Sister Qin believed Jiang Ying''s words and was convinced there was nothing between them.


    Having managed Jiang Ying for several years, she knew her well!


    "Hearing you say this makes me curious about your friend. He seems quite extraordinary!"


    Sister Qinughed and said:


    "I''ve been in this industry for so many years, and I''ve never seen someone like him!"


    "He really is quite special!"


    Upon hearing this, Jiang Ying smiled slightly, her lips curling into a beautiful arc!


    "Do you like him?!"


    Sister Qin couldn''t help asking, her tone part questioning and part certain.


    Jiang Ying didn''t deny it; she nodded lightly and looked a bit sad.


    "Don''t be sad. Even if you''re not in that kind of rtionship, the fact that he''s helped you like this makes him a very worthwhile friend!"


    Sister Qin said:


    "Worthwhile, not in terms of value, but in terms of sentiment."


    "Mm."


    That statement made her feelforted. Yes, at least he considered her a friend!

 Chapter 886: Untying the Knot

    Su Chen didn''t know that Jiang Ying and her agent, as well as thepany, had such a big reaction. Even if he knew, he wouldn''t mind because it was just a small favor for him, nothing significant.


    Of course, it was also because Jiang Ying was worth helping; after all, he wasn''t Doraemon!


    As usual, after reading magazines and having tea, he went to the Pei Family to give Pei Man a massage.


    ording to the n, today should have been thest day.


    However, after checking her condition, Su Chen decided toe back one more time tomorrow for another massage to achieve the perfect effect.


    When he returned from the Pei Family, it was still early. He yed some games for a while and then went downstairs for dinner, of course with Xia Qiuru.


    Being with Xia Qiuru was always sofortable and rxed; a lunchsted more than half an hour.


    After lunch, Xia Qiuru went back to thepany to continue working, while Su Chen went straight to the parking lot and drove out.


    He had already arranged to meet Xiao Yaning at the hotel to discuss the matter, after all, he was entrusted with the task.


    But when Xiao Yaning heard he wasing to the hotel where she was staying to meet her, she felt somewhat uneasy.


    Could he be nning to¡­


    Otherwise, why would hee to the hotel where she was staying?


    Thinking about this, Xiao Yaning felt her face flushing.


    If he really wanted to do something like that, should she agree or refuse?


    Although her heart already belonged to him, as a woman, she still felt very shy!


    Just as she was feeling as messy as ants on a hot pan, the doorbell rang.


    Her heart trembled instantly, and she rushed to the bathroom to wash her face. After calming herself and seeing her face wasn''t so red, she went to open the door.


    "What took you so long? I thought something happened to you."


    When the door opened, Su Chen couldn''t help but say.


    "What could happen to me?"


    Xiao Yaning deliberately pretended to be calm and weed him in.


    "What exactly do you want to talk about?"


    When Xiao Yaning asked this, she felt her heart pounding wildly.


    "Just a casual chat, get me something to drink."


    Su Chen said casually. Xiao Yaning fetched a bottle of mineral water and tossed it to him.


    However, she was wondering if his "casual chat" really meant just that, or if it had another meaning.


    It''s no wonder she thought so because other matters could be discussed elsewhere; there was no need to stay in a hotel room!


    A hotel is easily a ce of endless imagination, not to mention the hint of feelings involved.


    "Actually, I''m here today because I was entrusted."


    Sitting on the sofa, Su Chen took a sip of water and said.


    Xiao Yaning froze on hearing this and immediately asked:


    "Entrusted by whom?"


    "Your father."


    Su Chen looked at Xiao Yaning seriously and said.


    She trembled all over, scarcely able to believe it!


    All the wild thoughts just vanished instantly!


    "How could he¡­?"


    "He came to mypany yesterday and knowing our good rtionship, he begged me to persuade you."


    Su Chen said calmly.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Xiao Yaning felt her mind in aplete mess...


    Su Chen knew she must be quite upset now, so he didn''t continue speaking...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in an ancient manor in Europe.


    "Any news from Martin and the others yet?"


    An elder asked calmly.


    "Not yet."


    A nearby elder servant shook his head and said.


    "It seems they must be in trouble."


    The elder squinted his eyes slightly and said.


    "Chieftain, that''s unlikely, isn''t it?"


    That elder servant responded:


    "ording to their report, that kid doesn''t seem too strong; Martin and his team shouldn''t have had any problem handling him, should they?"


    "The kid isn''t anything special, but remember, it''s Huaxia."


    The elder said in a deep voice:


    "There are many hidden experts there. If they discovered Martin''s tracks, could they still be alive?"


    "Remember, Huaxia has always been extremely wary of our Blood n. If discovered, they would never show mercy."


    "So what should we do now, master?"


    The elder servant asked.


    "Wait for now. Martin and the team just got into trouble. If we send more people there now, it will likely be at a great risk too."


    The elder deliberated and said:


    "It would be best to wait until he leaves Huaxia or do it after some time."


    "You are indeed very wise, Chieftain!"


    The elder servant ttered with a smile.


    .....


    "Wipe your tears; it''s not pretty to cry so much."


    Su Chen pulled a tissue from the coffee table and handed it to Xiao Yaning.


    Ever since hearing Su Chen exin the true circumstances of why her parents abandoned her, Xiao Yaning had been crying her eyes out.


    She always thought they abandoned her because they didn''t love her, which was something she could never forgive!


    But now she knew, it wasn''t because they didn''t love her, but because they loved her that they abandoned her.


    From the moment she learned about her background from Xiao Dingguo, she finally untied the knot in her heart!


    "Thank you for telling me this."


    Xiao Yaning wiped her tears and said.


    "No need to thank me, your father wanted to tell you himself, but..."


    "It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have acted that way..."


    Xiao Yaning said choking up.


    "It''s not your fault. Anyone would find it hard to ept at first."


    Su Chenforted by patting her on the shoulder.


    Then he sat quietly with her until she calmed down and asked:


    "What do you think about your dad''s wish for you to visit home?"


    "What do you think?"


    Xiao Yaning looked at Su Chen, feeling a bit unsure.


    "You should go, even if it''s just to see them ande back. It would fulfill their wish, and most importantly, you wouldn''t have any regrets."


    Su Chen thought for a while and said. He knew Xiao Yaning wanted to go but was just nervous about visiting for the first time.


    "Can you go with me?"


    Her beautiful eyes looked at Su Chen pleadingly.


    "Okay, no problem."


    Looking at her pleading eyes, Su Chen agreed.


    "When do you n to leave?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "In two or three days, I need to handle things here first."


    Xiao Yaning said.


    "Alright, I''ll go with you once you''re done here."


    Su Chen nodded and said:


    "Also, take some time during these days to visit your father."


    "I will."


    Xiao Yaning nodded after hearing Su Chen''s words.


    A whileter, Su Chen left Yaning''s room...

 Chapter 887: Finally Standing Up!

    After Su Chen left the hotel where Xiao Yaning was staying, he looked at the time and decided it was time to go home.


    Once home, he immediately went into his old room and took out the sheepskin scroll from the hiddenpartment in the ceiling to study it.


    To be honest, Su Chen always felt that something was off!


    How could this almost divine Cultivation Technique abruptly end at the Meridian Expansion Realm?


    He had a strong feeling that things wouldn''t be so simple!


    But no matter how many times he studied the scroll, he couldn''t discover anything new.


    This time, he studied it for another four or five hours until it was nine o''clock at night when Lin Ruoxue returned, but still found nothing.


    This left him feeling very frustrated...


    .....


    The next morning, Su Chen spent only a short time in the office before driving to the Pei Family estate once again.


    Pei Zhennan and Pei Jian were standing at the gate as they had been on the first day!


    Today was special after all!


    Today, the results would finally be revealed!


    After getting out of the car, Su Chen apanied the two into Pei Man''s room.


    Like before, Su Chen massaged Pei Man''s legs while chatting with her.


    Pei Zhennan and Pei Jian waited outside because Su Chen was massaging Pei Man''s entire leg. They found it inappropriate to watch when he massaged her thighs.


    Honestly, at first, Su Chen felt a bit embarrassed since Pei Man was a woman with an exceptional aura!


    But Pei Man didn''t seem to mind too much, so Su Chen gradually rxed, treating it as an ordinary doctor-patient rtionship.


    After the massage, Su Chen gently ced her skirt back down and called out:


    "You cane in now."


    As soon as he finished speaking, two figures pushed their way in¡ªno, to be precise, they almost crashed through the door!


    "Mr. Su, is it okay now?"


    Pei Zhennan asked, trembling.


    "No problem,"


    Su Chen nodded and said,


    "But Pei Man has been sitting in a wheelchair for a long time, so she needs to take it slowly."


    "Of course, of course!"


    Pei Zhennan nodded repeatedly.


    "Today, let''s just try standing up and see how it feels."


    Su Chen said softly as he gently supported one of her arms:


    "First, ce one foot on the ground, then slowly lift your body out of the wheelchair, and feel the pressure as your foot touches the ground."


    Pei Man nodded with a heart full of expectation. As the days went by, she had also felt her legs graduallying back to life!


    Seeing this, Pei Jian immediately stepped forward to support Pei Man''s other arm.


    "Brother, isn''t this a bit too much?"


    Pei Man couldn''t help but pout when she saw Pei Jian.


    "Better to be careful,"


    Pei Jian smiled sheepishly.


    Seeing Pei Jian like this, Su Chen also smiled, then said:


    "Don''t use too much force, just support her lightly."


    Following Su Chen''s instructions, Pei Man ced one foot on the ground and slowly lifted her body out of the wheelchair.


    The sensation of grounding she had never experienced before seemed to travel through her entire body from her foot!


    At that moment, she realized why everyone used the word "solid" to describe the earth!


    This feeling was likely something a healthy person could hardly experience, but Pei Man felt it intensely at that moment.


    About ten minutester, Pei Man followed Su Chen''s instructions and ced her other foot on the ground.


    With both feet on the ground, it felt different once again!


    After a few minutes, Su Chen had her sit back down in the wheelchair to rest for a while.


    Then, he had her repeat the process again, and rest again shortly after.


    They repeated these steps three to four times. Since Pei Man had just recovered, every step had to be taken with caution.


    Today''s main objective for Su Chen was to let her get a feel for standing. Once she was used to the feeling, it would be easier moving forward.


    This first day was critical!


    "Alright, now we''re going to let go. Just watch yourself carefully,"


    Su Chen said gently once Pei Man was standing on the ground for the fourth time.


    "Okay."


    Pei Man nodded, feeling a little nervous.


    "Alright, let''s slowly let go,"


    Su Chen told Pei Jian, and the two of them slowly released their hold.


    Once they let go, Pei Man managed to maintain her bnce for only a few seconds before her body started to shake. Su Chen and Pei Jian quickly reached out to support her.


    But even those few seconds were enough to bring tears to Pei Zhennan''s eyes!


    His granddaughter was finally standing up!


    "Hang in there!"


    Su Chen encouraged her.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Pei Man nodded and managed to stand for about another minute.


    Su Chen then had her sit down to rest for a while before helping her stand up again.


    They continued this process for over an hour, and then Su Chen said:


    "Let''s call it a day. I should be going now."


    Pei Zhennan and Pei Jian escorted him to the gate, where Pei Zhennan suddenly grabbed Su Chen''s hand and said emotionally:


    "Great kindness needs no thanks!"


    "It''s nothing, just a small matter,"


    Su Chen lightly patted the back of Pei Zhennan''s hand.


    Pei Jian simply said, "Thank you."


    In the following days, Su Chen came to the Pei Family home for two hours each day to practice with Pei Man.


    On the second day, Su Chen told them that he needed to go out for a while.


    Of course, Su Chen exined everything they needed to do in theing days.


    For instance, she shouldn''t walk for a week, only perform these repetitive practices.


    They should practice for two to three hours a day.


    After a week, when they started practicing walking, each session shouldn''t exceed ten steps!


    In short, the key principle was to take it slow, very slow, as Pei Man had never stood up since birth.


    Although she didn''t need to learn to walk like an infant, transitioning from crawling to standing to walking, the process still needed to be gradual!


    As long as they followed this principle, there shouldn''t be any problems.


    If there were any issues, he would rather discuss with Xiao Yaning to dy apanying her back to Jiangbei for a few days.


    He also told them they could call him anytime if they had questions, and he could provide video guidance!


    This way, there would be no mistakes!


    After two or three days of training, Su Chen was confident that Pei Man would be fine; it was just a matter of taking things step by step.


    The remaining tasks were straightforward and notplicated.


    He was so meticulous in his instructions because he genuinely cared about Pei Man!


    ....


    That afternoon, Su Chen, Xiao Yaning, and her father boarded a ne to Jiangbei.


    As the ne took off with a thunderous roar, Xiao Yaning couldn''t help but feel a little nervous...

 Chapter 888 - 888 Martial Arts Family

    Su Chen naturally felt her mood, so he reached out his hand and held hers.


    Feeling the warmth in Su Chen''s palm, Xiao Yaning''s mood rxed a bit...


    "Mr. Su, we are really grateful to you for helping us reunite this time!"


    Xiao Yaning''s father, who was sitting next to Su Chen, sincerely said this to him.


    "Uncle Yu, you''re too kind, this is what I should do."


    Su Chen said with a smile; he already knew that Xiao Yaning''s father was named Yu Jun.


    The two began to chat, and maybe it was because both were martial artists, or perhaps because of their connection through Xiao Yaning, they hit it off quite well.


    After some conversation, Su Chen had gained a bit of understanding about the Yu family''s situation.


    A few hourster, the airne slowlynded at the Binjiang City airport. Binjiang is one of the major cities in Jiangbei, so naturally, it also has an airport.


    As they walked out of the airport, a Bentley car was already parked there, and a sixty-year-old man was waiting by the car!


    "Young Master, is this the youngdy?"


    As Yu Jun and his group approached, the elder asked this.


    This elder had been apanying Yu Jun for many years, so he always called him Young Master.


    "Yes, Old Zhong, I found my daughter!"


    Yu Junughed heartily.


    "Yaning, this is Uncle Zhong."


    Yu Jun introduced Xiao Yaning, then said to Uncle Zhong:


    "This is my daughter Yaning, isn''t her name beautiful? And this is her friend, Su Chen, who apanied her on this visit."


    "Uncle Zhong."


    Xiao Yaning politely greeted after hearing this.


    "Young Lady, the Young Master has been searching for you for so many years, and finally found you!"


    Uncle Zhong said emotionally.


    Su Chen felt a bit confused by the titles, he called Xiao Yaning ''youngdy'' and Xiao Yaning''s father ''young master''. The generations...


    Of course, this was just Su Chen''s random thoughts, but he was actually paying attention to something else.


    That elder turned out to be a martial artist too, also at the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    He found that he had been meeting too many people at the Meridian Expansion Realm recently, making him feel like they were everywhere!


    Maybe this is the difference in the level of circles!


    Previously, he was dealing with the forces of the Dark World, but now he was facing martial forces like Shengyi Gate, Hidden Dragon Hall, Judgment Department, Lingyue Pce, etc!


    "Uncle Zhong."


    Su Chen quickly gathered his thoughts and called out.


    "Wee, wee!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Uncle Zhong shifted his gaze from Xiao Yaning to Su Chen.


    He then said:


    "Let''s get in the car quickly, Madam has been waiting at home anxiously!"


    "Alright, alright!"


    Yu Jun quickly said, then invited Su Chen and Xiao Yaning into the car.


    Uncle Zhong then drove towards City South. Su Chen looked out the window and discovered that the scenery in Jiangbei was quite different from that in Jiangnan and Yandu, with its unique charm!


    Xiao Yaning had no mood to appreciate the scenery at this moment; she felt extremely nervous and tightly gripped Su Chen''s hand.


    Although the ce they were about to go was her home, to her, it was apletely unfamiliar environment!


    Likewise, the rtives she was about to face were also strangers to her.


    "Take a few deep breaths, rx."


    Feeling the sweat in Xiao Yaning''s palm, Su Chen smiled gently.


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Yaning did as Su Chen suggested, feeling a little better.


    At that moment, in front of arge courtyard in City South, there were about twenty to thirty people standing.


    They all knew that the long-lost youngdy was returning today!


    Especially a middle-aged woman at the front, her nervousness and excitement were evident!


    She was Yu Jun''s wife and Xiao Yaning''s biological mother¡ªQi Hui.


    "Sister-inw, don''t worry, they will arrive soon."


    Someone beside herforted.


    But to Qi Hui, the person she was about to meet was her daughter who she hadn''t seen since shortly after birth, her only daughter!


    How could she not be nervous?


    Fortunately, the Bentley soon arrived.


    As the car stopped at the gate, Su Chen and others got out!


    Seeing Xiao Yaning, Qi Hui immediately ran up.


    "My good daughter, Mom missed you so much!"


    Qi Hui hugged Xiao Yaning tightly and emotionally said, her tears flowing like rain.


    Xiao Yaning was held so tightly that she almost couldn''t breathe, but she didn''t push away or speak.


    She was just thinking, is this woman her mother?


    After a while, Qi Hui gradually loosened her grip on Xiao Yaning, wiped her tears, and smiled:


    "Sorry, Mom was too excited!"


    "Yaning, call her Mom!"


    Yu Jun said.


    Xiao Yaning wanted to call out but found it hard to say, so she looked at Su Chen.


    At this moment, Su Chen was her anchor.


    Seeing her looking over, Su Chen gave an encouraging look.


    "Mom."


    Xiao Yaning finally managed to call out.


    "Yes!"


    Hearing Xiao Yaning calling her Mom, Qi Hui''s face immediately beamed with joy.


    "Congrattions, brother and sister-inw, you''ve been searching across Huaxia for almost half your lives and finally found your daughter."


    At that moment, a man in a suit walked up with a smile; it was Yu Jun''s younger brother, Yu Ran.


    "Yaning, let me introduce, this is your third uncle."


    Yu Jun said to Xiao Yaning.


    "Third Uncle."


    Xiao Yaning softly called.


    At this time, other members of the Yu family also came up, and Yu Jun introduced them one by one to Xiao Yaning.


    Xiao Yaning softly called each of them.


    Then Yu Jun introduced Su Chen, whose greetings were quite simple.


    Su Chen just nodded and smiled to get through, and the Yu family did the same.


    However, Su Chen was a bit surprised to find that more than half of the twenty-plus members of the Yu family were martial artists, and there were three or four experts at the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    He didn''t expect Xiao Yaning to be born into a martial arts family!


    Su Chen sighed inwardly.


    After all, with so many martial artists, what else could it be but a martial arts family?


    Simrly, the Yu family also discovered Su Chen''s martial artist status, especially those at the Meridian Expansion Realm, who saw through his Meridian Expansion First Layer cultivation!


    They were slightly shocked but didn''t think much of it.


    "I didn''t expect our Yu family''s youngdy to be so beautiful, one of the top in the entire Binjiang City!"


    At that moment, Yu Ranmented with augh.


    Upon hearing this, the others also praised.


    They were also shocked by how beautiful the youngdy, lost for over twenty years, was!


    As soon as she got out of the car, they were deeply amazed...

 Chapter 889: A Stroll on the Streets

    Hearing everyone praise Xiao Yaning for her beauty, Yu Jun and Qi Hui felt as sweet as if they had tasted honey.


    As it was almost dark by now, Yu Jun invited everyone into the hall.


    Of course, without a doubt, all eyes were on Xiao Yaning.


    Such excessive enthusiasm made the usually quiet Xiao Yaning very ufortable, fortunately Su Chen was by her side, making things a bit easier.


    Naturally, this resulted in Su Chen also bing the focus after a while. To be precise, the rtionship between Su Chen and Xiao Yaning became the center of everyone''s attention.


    "Yaning, is this Mr. Su your boyfriend?"


    At this moment, a woman asked with a smile. She was Wei Ling, the wife of Xiao Yaning''s third uncle, Yu Ran.


    "No, we are just good friends."


    Xiao Yaning answered a bit shyly.


    "Really, don''t lie to your third aunt!"


    Upon hearing this, Wei Ling''s smile grew even brighter, a gleam shed in her eyes as if she had some ns in mind.


    "No, we are really just good friends."


    Xiao Yaning said, though she added a ''for now'' in her mind. As for the future, who knows?


    But for now, the two of them were indeed just friends.


    "I understand."


    Seeing his daughter''s embarrassment, Yu Jun intervened to help:


    "They are indeed good friends. Since it''s Yaning''s first time back, she is inevitably a bit nervous, so I invited Mr. Su to apany her."


    If he said that Xiao Yaning had invited him, they surely wouldn''t believe their good friends'' rtionship and would probably keep asking questions, making his daughter ufortable.


    Sure enough, everyone nodded upon hearing this, understanding that this was normal.


    In fact, as soon as they saw Su Chen, they suspected he was her boyfriend, but since they had just met, it wasn''t appropriate to ask.


    "Alright, it''s gettingte. Let''s eat first, we can chat more tomorrow."


    Yu Jun said with a smile.


    The servants then arranged the meal. Knowing that Xiao Yaning wasing back, this meal was prepared to be particrly sumptuous, even grander than the New Year''s feast.


    Also, because Xiao Yaning had just returned, the whole family gathered to eat together, which they only did during major holidays.


    During dinner, everyone''s enthusiasm did not wane, with all sorts of questions directed at Xiao Yaning, making it difficult for her to handle.


    Of course, most of these were from the women, particrly her third aunt Wei Ling, who was the most active.


    Sitting beside Xiao Yaning, Su Chen had a few drinks with Yu Jun, and some other men also toasted with him, after all, Su Chen was considered a guest.


    The wine brewed by the Yu family was very pure but not too strong, and the taste was quite good.


    "Yaning, are you eating so little?"


    Seeing Xiao Yaning barely touching her food, Qi Hui asked with concern.


    "Yes, after sitting on a ne for several hours, I don''t have much of an appetite."


    Xiao Yaning said softly. The truth was that the situation made her a bit ufortable, so she couldn''t eat much.


    If it were the bustling scene of a business banquet, she would have no problem at all, but in this situation...


    "Alright, don''t force yourself if you can''t eat. If you get hungry at night, just tell Mom. I''ll make you some noodles or wontons. If there''s anything you want to eat, you can also let me know!"


    For Qi Hui now, all she wanted was to be good to Xiao Yaning, to make up for her absence over the past twenty years.


    "Thank you... Mom."


    Seeing Qi Hui care so much for her, she couldn''t help but feel a warmth in her heart.


    However, having just met, calling her mom still felt a bit unnatural.


    For Qi Hui, hearing Xiao Yaning call her mom was already very gratifying.


    After dinner, Yu Jun said,


    "You must be exhausted after being on a ne for hours. Get some rest early."


    He then arranged for a servant to take Su Chen to the guest room.


    Meanwhile, Qi Hui personally took Xiao Yaning to her room. Ever since she knew her husband had found their daughter, she had been meticulously preparing this room, personally selecting everything.


    In fact, this wasn''t the true ancestral home of the Yu family. Typically, martial arts families are far removed from the secr world, and the Yu family was no exception.


    Their real ancestral home was about two hundred kilometers away, deep in a mountain range.


    Of course, they also had various properties and estates outside, and this courtyard was one of them.


    Yu Jun and Qi Hui were concerned that Xiao Yaning, being an elite urbanite, wouldn''t adapt to life in the mountains, so they arranged to meet here.


    As for the ancestral home, there would be plenty of opportunities to visit it in the future.


    Once Su Chen entered his room, he took a shower, changed his clothes, and rested for a while before calling Xiao Yaning.


    "Have you rested?" Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Not yet, what''s up?"


    Xiao Yaning''s voice came through.


    "You must be hungry,e out, I''ll take you for ate-night snack."


    Su Chen said, recalling Qi Hui''s words. He knew Xiao Yaning well enough to know that even if she was hungry, she wouldn''t trouble Qi Hui.


    She generally didn''t like to trouble others. Although Qi Hui wasn''t just an ''other,'' she was still getting used to their rtionship.


    Before long, they met in the yard and walked out together.


    "Mr. Su, Miss, are you going out?"


    Uncle Zhong saw them and asked.


    "Yes, we couldn''t sleep, so we decided to take a walk."


    Su Chen replied casually.


    "Shall I arrange a car for you?"


    Uncle Zhong asked again.


    "No need, we''re just going for a stroll."


    Su Chen smiled and waved his hand, then walked out with Xiao Yaning...


    It was around ten o''clock at night, and the streets were still brightly lit.


    The two of them wandered aimlessly along the streets. After a while, they saw a pretty decent restaurant ahead.


    "How about that ce?"


    Su Chen pointed to the restaurant and asked.


    "Let''s walk a bit more, I''m not that hungry yet."


    Xiao Yaning said. She actually enjoyed the opportunity to walk with Su Chen, such chances were rare for her.


    So she would rather be a bit hungry to spend more time walking with him.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen shrugged and continued to walk forward.


    When Xiao Yaning walked alongside him, she was tempted to hold his hand but didn''t dare.


    Holding hands now would be entirely different from holding his hand when she felt nervous before.


    Her hand lightly brushed against Su Chen''s hand a few times and then pulled back quickly. Su Chen was oblivious, as a couple of bumps while walking were normal.


    Just as Xiao Yaning was once again, secretly moving her hand closer, suddenly a bright green Rolls-Royce that had just passed by backed up...

 Chapter 890: The Bai Family of Jiangbei

    "Mr. Su, is it really you?"


    The car window rolled down, and a young man in casual clothes stuck out his head and eximed in surprise at Su Chen:


    "Su Chen, is this your friend?"


    Xiao Yaning asked curiously.


    Su Chen shook his head and then said with some confusion:


    "I don''t seem to know you, right?"


    "Mr. Su, don''t you recognize me?"


    The young man quickly said:


    "Sanya, hotel, Bai Family!"


    "Oh, so it''s Young Master Bai!"


    Su Chen finally remembered after hearing this and smiled slightly.


    The young man in casual clothes was indeed the Young Master of the Bai Family whom Su Chen had taught a lesson to in Sanya.


    Of course, at that time, there was also his father Bai Shan, and Su Chen had a deeper impression of Bai Shan.


    Not for any other reason, just simply because Bai Shan was rtively fat...


    The young man, seeing that he was finally recognized, immediately walked down with a big smile on his face.


    After getting out, he fawningly extended a hand to Xiao Yaning:


    "This must be sister-inw, right? Hello, sister-inw, my name is Bai Yang."


    As soon as he said this, Xiao Yaning''s face immediately turned red.


    "Don''t talk nonsense, this is my friend."


    Su Chen said.


    "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have said that!"


    Bai Yang quickly pped his own mouth as he said.


    "Mr. Su, why are you in Jiangbei? I thought I was seeing things just now."


    Bai Yang then looked at Su Chen.


    "Just here to handle some matters."


    Su Chen said casually. The reason he was still willing to talk to the other party was mainly that during that crisis in Sanya, the other party had lent him a Maybach.


    It must be said that the car dide in handy.


    "So, what about now...?"


    Bai Yang couldn''t help but ask.


    "Oh, we n to go get somete-night snacks."


    "Why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    Bai Yang immediately said upon hearing this:


    "Let''s go, I know a great ce forte-night snacks, let me take you there."


    "No need to trouble you!"


    Xiao Yaning said upon hearing this.


    "No trouble at all, not one bit!"


    Bai Yang quickly said:


    "Mr. Su, since you''re in Jiangbei, give me the chance to be a good host."


    Bai Yang''s enthusiasm definitely had a reason. After Su Chen left that day, his father Bai Shan had told him that this man was extraordinary, and if they ever met again, he must seize the opportunity to connect.


    Moreover, people in Jiangbei worship strength even more, and Su Chen''s formidable strength hadpletely convinced him back then!


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen nodded, and naturally, Xiao Yaning followed Su Chen''s lead.


    Then the two got into Bai Yang''s Rolls-Royce, which Bai Yang drove himself, as he liked driving.


    However, behind his car, there was a Mercedes following, with two or three bodyguards protecting him.


    After about ten minutes, the car stopped at the entrance of a restaurant, and Bai Yang led Su Chen and Xiao Yaning inside.


    As soon as Su Chen walked in, he knew Bai Yang wasn''t exaggerating. Despite it being veryte, the restaurant''s hall was still packed, with many people waiting in line for seats.


    "Young Master Bai, you''re here!"


    As Bai Yang entered, the manager immediately came over, showing that Bai Yang was a regr customer.


    "Manager Huang, arrange a private room for me."


    Bai Yang nodded and said calmly.


    "Young Master Bai, um... the private rooms are currently full, could you wait a while?"


    The manager responded nervously to Bai Yang.


    "What did you say, making me wait?"


    Upon hearing this, Bai Yang immediately got angry, especially since he was hosting Mr. Su today!


    This would make him lose face!


    "Don''t trouble them, we''ll just wait a bit."


    Su Chen said casually:


    "Manager Huang, you can go about your work."


    Manager Huang awkwardly nced at Bai Yang, wondering who this man was, that Bai Yang seemed like a subordinate to him?


    In Jiangbei, this Young Master Bai was one of the most formidable two or three young masters!


    "Hurry up!"


    Bai Yang red at him.


    Manager Huang immediately left upon hearing this.


    Su Chen and hispanions then waited in the hall, but it wasn''t too long, only seven or eight minutes before Manager Huang came over again to inform them that a private room was avable.


    Su Chen knew right away that Manager Huang must have worked something out with the current guests, possibly offering them a free meal to leave early, which most people would agree to.


    Obviously, Manager Huang didn''t want to keep Young Master Bai waiting for long. But such things are normal everywhere, and Su Chen wasn''t noble enough to refuse. He then followed Manager Huang to the private room.


    The design of the private room was quite unique, with one wall being arge floor-to-ceiling window, allowing people inside to see outside and vice versa.


    Once inside, they all sat down casually.


    "Mr. Su, what would you like to eat?"


    Bai Yang asked politely.


    "You''re familiar with this ce, you order."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "Alright then."


    Bai Yang responded and said to Manager Huang who was still standing by:


    "Bring a portion of your signature dishes, and for the main course, something light, maybe some of your specialty porridge."


    Bai Yang was smart enough to know it was ate-night snack, and with ady like Xiao Yaning around, he chose something light for the main course.


    He also noticed that pleasing Xiao Yaning seemed to be more effective than pleasing Su Chen himself.


    "Mr. Su, does that sound good to you?"


    Bai Yang asked after ordering, and Su Chen nodded.


    Manager Huang, seeing this, was even more shocked!


    Young Master Bai was too humble in front of this young man. Who on earth was he?


    "Mr. Su, I''ll just go to the restroom, be right back."


    Bai Yang said and then left.


    "Su Chen, who is he?"


    After Bai Yang left, Xiao Yaning asked.


    "The Bai Family in Jiangbei, haven''t you heard?"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "The Bai Family of Jiangbei?"


    Xiao Yaning eximed in surprise. She didn''t expect that this young man was actually from the renowned Bai Family of Jiangbei!


    This made her feel very shocked, and recalling the young man''s humble and even fawning attitude just now, the shock grew stronger!


    This Su Chen, she really couldn''t see through him more and more!


    Seeing Xiao Yaning''s shocked expression, Su Chen couldn''t help but think to himself:


    Silly girl, you don''t know that your own family is even more powerful than the biggest families in Jiangbei!


    Not to mention them, even the Five Great Families of Yandu can''tpare!


    How can secr great familiespare to Martial Arts Families?


    It''s just that the forces in the Martial Arts World rarely operate in the secr world, so few people know about them...

 Chapter 891: Concern Leads to Chaos (Revised)

    Su Chen could also see that therge courtyard they just visited was not the true ancestral home of the Yu Family, as there was not much sign of life there.


    Before long, Bai Yang came back and the dishes started to be served.


    "By the way, I haven''t thanked you for the carst time. Thank you."


    Su Chen said, feeling that he should at least express his gratitude.


    "Mr. Su, you''re too kind."


    Bai Yang quickly waved his hand and then asked:


    "But Mr. Su, when I saw you looking so anxious at the time, was everything alright in the end?"


    "No problems, thanks to your car, I made it back in time."


    Su Chen said:


    "But since we''re having dinner, let me give you a piece of advice - don''t get involved in things like that again."


    What Su Chen referred to was the kind of behavior involving bullying and coercing women, as the incident in Sanyast time was indeed caused by Bai Yang''s inappropriate intentions towards Jiang Ying.


    "No, no, after you talked to mest time, I changed."


    Bai Yang quickly said:


    "I used to keep three actresspanions, and now there''s only one left, and I can''t even get rid of her."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Yaning felt awkward, as if keeping just one actresspanion was some great honor.


    "I don''t care how many you keep, but it must be consensual. If it''s done by force, it''s meaningless and very low-brow."


    Su Chen said.


    If this guy couldn''t change his ways, Su Chen wouldn''t judge him morally, but he wouldn''t associate with someone like that in the future either.


    The main reason he agreed to the dinner invitation this time was to give face due to the car borrowedst time.


    "Actually, I''ve also found it meaningless, but when you''ve been in this circle for a long time, everyone does it, and it seems to be a habit."


    Bai Yang said:


    "But rest assured, Mr. Su, I certainly won''t do it again."


    "That''s good. That way, we''ll have the chance to sit down and eat together, otherwise, this would be the first time and thest time we have a meal together."


    Su Chen shrugged his shoulders and said.


    He also understood that Bai Yang''s point had merit. If everyone around you acts a certain way, you''re likely to act the same, illustrating how environment changes people.


    "Rest assured, Mr. Su, I definitely won''t do it again."


    Bai Yang immediately promised, then urged:


    "Everyone, let''s eat quickly, the food won''t taste good when it''s cold."


    Then they began to eat, and to be honest, the dishes introduced by this young master of the Bai Family were actually quite good, the signature dishes at least tasted excellent.


    "Oh, right, there''s an antique fair happening here in a few days, are you interested in checking it out, Mr. Su?"


    Halfway through the meal, Bai Yang suddenly asked.


    "We''ll see then, maybe I won''t be around by then, but if I am, I might go take a look."


    Su Chen casually replied and continued eating.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in a bedroom in the courtyard of the Yu Family in Binjiang City.


    "Has the boy who came back with Yaning gone to rest?"


    Qi Hui, already lying in bed, asked her husband who just walked in.


    "Rest where! He and Yaning left long ago."


    Yu Jun replied with a dismissive gesture.


    "Huh, how do you know that?"


    Qi Hui asked.


    "Uncle Zhong just told me."


    Yu Jun said as he lifted the quilt to get into bed.


    "What are they doing out sote?"


    Qi Hui asked again.


    "How am I supposed to know?"


    Yu Jun shrugged:


    "Uncle Zhong doesn''t ask too many questions either."


    "Tell me honestly, are they really just friends?"


    Qi Hui asked seriously:


    "Before you left, you told me Yaning would be bringing a friend back, not someone you had invited."


    "I didn''t want our daughter to feel awkward!"


    Yu Jun rolled his eyes and said:


    "As for their rtionship, do you really believe they''re just good friends?"


    "Are you saying they''re a couple?"


    Qi Hui got nervous upon hearing this, feeling their rtionship wasn''t that simple.


    "Not exactly, but based on my investigation, while they aren''t in a couple rtionship right now, they''re more than just good friends. One thing we can be sure of is that our daughter definitely likes him!"


    Yu Jun said:


    "Didn''t I tell you over the phone? It was because of his persuasion that Yaning and I could reunite, which shows that he holds a significant ce in our daughter''s heart."


    "Yes, when you mentioned this on the phone, I also realized this."


    Qi Hui immediately nudged her husband beside her:


    "Tell me more about this boy."


    Concerning their daughter''s lifelong happiness, Qi Hui was naturally extremely anxious, especially as she was their long-lost daughter!


    "Everything else is positive; in all aspects, he''s quite good, and his Martial Arts Cultivation is also notable, making him a suitable match for our family."


    After thinking for a moment, Yu Jun said:


    "The only concern is, he''s already married!"


    "Married?"


    Qi Hui became anxious upon hearing this:


    "How can that be? Why didn''t you advise Yaning?"


    "Do you think she''d listen if we talked to her now?"


    Yu Jun gave a wry smile and said:


    "I''m afraid, right now, we don''t hold as much value in our daughter''s eyes as that young man does! Even though we are her biological parents, the fact remains that we''ve only just reunited. Emotional ties between people, besides blood, depend even more on day-to-day interactions!"


    Hearing this, Qi Hui fell into a moment of despair. Yes, it''s already a surprise that Yaning epted them so quickly.


    If they were to ask her to leave the man she loves now, would she listen?


    That might only cause resentment, potentially even demolishing the newly formed bond!


    "But going on this path, in the end, our daughter is bound to get hurt!"


    Qi Hui said helplessly.


    "You shouldn''t worry too much about this."


    Yu Jun replied with some nonchnce:


    "I''ve interacted with that young man two or three times; he genuinely cares for Yaning. I believe he wouldn''t do anything to hurt her."


    "And also, I see that he likes Yaning too. The reason they aren''t together might precisely be because he''s already married!"


    "Don''t worry, I feel he''s not an irresponsible man!"


    "I hope it''s just as you say!"


    Qi Hui said with resignation.


    "Besides, young people''s feelings are unpredictable these days. Maybe in two or three years, Yaning will have someone else she likes."


    Yu Jun continued consoling his wife:


    "By then, looking back, we might feel we were worrying for nothing today!"


    "You''re optimistic."


    Qi Hui said irritably, then suddenly jumped up:


    "Do you think they could''ve gone to get a room together?"


    "I already said, they''re not in a rtionship yet. If they wanted to get a room, they would have done so already, not waited until now!"


    Yu Jun replied exasperatedly:


    "Even if they did get a room, what would you do? Catch them in the act?"


    Hearing her husband''s words made Qi Hui feel relieved, as long as they hadn''t gone to get a room together...


    "Alright, let''s sleep now!"


    Yu Jun said, knowing that his wife''s previous concerns were out of worry...

 Chapter 892: Mandatory Course

    After dinner, Su Chen and Xiao Yaning began to walk back. Bai Yang was initially prepared to escort them, but they declined.


    "I''ll go get a cab."


    After Bai Yang left, Su Chen said.


    "Let''s walk for now. The night air is nice; we can grab a cab once we''re tired."


    Xiao Yaning said softly.


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen nodded in agreement.


    He found it a bit odd that Xiao Yaning was so keen on walking today.


    "By the way, what should we do tomorrow? I don''t want to stay home."


    After walking for a while, Xiao Yaning suddenly said.


    "I actually know of a hot spring near the outskirts here. It''s quite nice, and winter is the perfect season for hot springs."


    Su Chen thought for a moment and said. He understood why Xiao Yaning didn''t want to stay home.


    Undoubtedly, she wanted to avoid the endless questions from all their nosy rtives.


    "You''re not nning anything mischievous, are you?"


    Hearing Su Chen mention the hot spring, Xiao Yaning eyed him yfully.


    "Of course not! You''re overthinking it, aren''t you?"


    Su Chen shrugged and said:


    "I just think it''sfortable to soak in a hot spring during winter, and it''s good for the body."


    Of course, his main objective was to see Xiao Yaning in a swimsuit. Su Chen had quite a passion for swimsuits!


    He had always wanted to see Lin Ruoxue in a swimsuit, but unfortunately, that dream had yet toe true!


    "Alright then, let''s go buy a swimsuit tomorrow."


    Xiao Yaning said shyly.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes lit up. Did this mean he could help her pick one?


    "Sure, I''ll be your consultant!"


    Su Chen said, deliberately masking his excitement.


    After walking for half an hour, when Xiao Yaning got tired, they decided to get a cab.


    But strangely, after waiting for ten minutes, only a cab with passengers came by!


    So they had no choice but to keep walking.


    "Ah!"


    A sudden cry of pain rang out.


    "What''s wrong?" Su Chen asked hurriedly.


    "I twisted my ankle."


    Xiao Yaning said with a slight frown.


    It was understandable; she was already tired and wearing high heels, so it was easy to twist it by ident.


    "Let me take a look."


    Su Chen gently touched her ankle, and Xiao Yaning cried out in pain, clearly showing it wasn''t a minor sprain, and the heel of her shoe was broken.


    "I''ll carry you back first, and we can take a look at it there."


    "No, no!"


    Xiao Yaning quickly waved her hand.


    "How can you say no? You can''t walk like this!"


    Su Chen''s expression turned serious, and before she could refuse, he carried Xiao Yaning on his back and continued walking...


    Resting on his back, Xiao Yaning gradually felt a strange emotion, slowly lying against him and nestling her forehead on his shoulder.


    In the nighttime setting, being carried by him as they walked forward, Xiao Yaning felt warm and cared for.


    Facing forward, Su Chen could feel a soft sensation on his back, which was quitefortable...


    After a while, just as Xiao Yaning was enjoying this, she felt something was not quite right.


    Su Chen''s hands, supporting her, seemed to have be a bit restless...


    Gradually, Xiao Yaning''s cheeks became flushed, but she was too embarrassed to mention it and pretended not to notice...


    A few vacant cabs did pass by, but neither of them stopped one, rather strangely...


    So, Su Chen carried Xiao Yaning all the way, walking nearly an hour, until they reached the entrance of the Yu Family''s residence.


    By this time, Xiao Yaning was almost out of breath...


    Once inside, Su Chen still didn''t put her down, carrying her all the way to his room, considering her twisted ankle!


    When he finally set her down in the room, Xiao Yaning almost couldn''t stand on her own, her face blushed red, almost dripping with embarrassment...


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    Su Chen asked with concern.


    "Nothing!"


    Xiao Yaning replied with a bit of irritation.


    Hearing Su Chen''s annoying question made Xiao Yaning want to hit him!


    How can you ask what''s wrong? Isn''t it all because of you!


    She touched her back and realized her clothes were all wrinkled...


    "Alright, sit on the bed, I''ll massage it for you."


    Su Chen said, helping Xiao Yaning sit on the bed, then took off her high heels!


    Some say you can judge a woman by her feet, and in this regard, Xiao Yaning was definitely top-tier!


    Because she had a pair of feet that amazed Su Chen, with perfectly graceful arches, her skin translucent and tender, like a peeled egg!


    Looking at these beautiful feet, he was reminded of a phrase from ''The Ode to the Nymph'' ¡ª¡ª ''Her steps stride gracefully, sending up swirls of dust as her silk shoes brush lightly upon the ground!''


    "What are you staring at?"


    Seeing him absorbed in looking at her feet, Xiao Yaning couldn''t help but tease him.


    "It''s nothing."


    Su Chen finally snapped out of it upon hearing her voice, and gently began to massage Xiao Yaning''s foot while channeling a bit of True Yuan into it.


    Soon, Xiao Yaning began to feel warmth spreading through her foot.


    "All done."


    After a while, Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Is it really okay?"


    "Try it out."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Yaning tried putting her foot on the ground, and to her surprise, there was really no pain like before.


    "You''re amazing!"


    Xiao Yaning praised and then said:


    "I''ll head back now."


    "Do you want me to walk you back? Your heel is broken." Su Chen asked.


    "No need; it''s just a few steps."


    Xiao Yaning quickly said.


    "Alright then, goodnight."


    Su Chen nodded, and Xiao Yaning also said goodnight before leaving.


    After Xiao Yaning left, Su Chen didn''t immediately go to sleep. Instead, he took out the Sheepskin Scroll he carried with him and studied it.


    Yes, he carried the scroll with him, hoping to make some progress over this period.


    Currently, his Cultivation seemed to be at a standstill, and finding a new method was something he felt very urgent!


    But lying on the bed, turning back and forth on the scroll, he still couldn''t find anything new.


    After two or three hours, he had no choice but to go to sleep in disappointment...


    .....


    The next morning, shouts and cries were heard from the yard. After washing up, Su Chen went out to check.


    In the yard, the young people of the Yu Family were wearing training suits and sparring, each full of vigor!


    Meanwhile, the adults stood by watching.


    "Mr. Su, did we wake you?"


    Yu Jun saw Su Chen approaching and asked with a smile.


    "Not at all."


    Su Chen smiled and approached Yu Jun.


    "What are they doing?"


    Xiao Yaning also walked over at this moment, curious about the scene.


    "Our Yu Family is a Martial Arts Family, and this is their sparring routine, apulsory morning exercise."


    Qi Hui exined with a smile.

 Chapter 893: Cross-Border Battle

    "Martial Arts Family? What''s a Martial Arts Family?"


    Xiao Yaning couldn''t help but ask, it was the first time she had heard of the term.


    "I''ll exin it to you slowlyter."


    Yu Junughed and then nced at Su Chen:


    "Mr. Su should have some understanding of this."


    "I understand a bit."


    Su Chen smiled as he spoke.


    Seeing that Yu Jun said so, Xiao Yaning didn''t ask much, but watching these people fight made her feel like she was watching a movie blockbuster!


    The speed was so fast that she could hardly see clearly!


    For Xiao Yaning, this waspletely a whole new world she had never encountered before!


    The scene she woke up to made her more curious about her family!


    "Mr. Su, would you like to go down and try?"


    At this time, Yu Ran, the third in the Yu family, came over andughed.


    "No need."


    Su Chen shook his head andughed. Though Yu Ran was always courteous, he always gave Su Chen a feeling of being a ''smiling tiger'', unlike the solid impression Yu Jun left.


    "Can you beat them?"


    Xiao Yaning asked curiously upon hearing that, although she knew Su Chen was very skilled and had seen him in action, she didn''t think he could beat these people.


    Because the few times she saw Su Chen in action, it didn''t strike her as powerfully as this scene did!


    "Hehe, Yaning, you really underestimate Mr. Su."


    Yu Junughed upon hearing Xiao Yaning''s words:


    "Even if these people all joined forces, they wouldn''t be a match for Mr. Su."


    Yu Jun said this because these young disciples were all below the Meridian Expansion level, with only two or three being half-step Meridian Expansion.


    "Ah! You''re so powerful!"


    Xiao Yaning couldn''t help but widen her eyes in disbelief.


    "How''s that? Admire me even more now?"


    Su Chen curled his lips into a smile and said.


    Everyone aroundughed upon hearing this.


    "In your dreams!"


    Xiao Yaning said shyly, feeling embarrassed.


    Actually, she was only a bit shocked, nothing more, as she didn''t understand Martial Artists or Martial Arts.


    "Mr. Su, what do you think about our Yu family''sbat training practice?"


    Yu Jun asked proudly and evidently still quite pleased.


    Su Chen just smiled and didn''t speak upon hearing this.


    Yu Jun had asked casually at first, but seeing Su Chen''s seemingly indifferent expression, he said:


    "Mr. Su is not an outsider, don''t hesitate to speak frankly."


    The people watching around didn''t take this seriously, after all, thisbat training was arranged by Family Head Yu Jun and several others at the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    "Better not say."


    Su Chen shook his head and said.


    "Mr. Su, you''re really intriguing me now, I''d like to hear your thoughts!"


    Yu Jun became a bit serious.


    "If I have to say, it''s just one sentence¡ªlooks good but not useful."


    Su Chen lightlymented as he looked at the scene.


    "What did you say?"


    "Young man, what do you know?"


    "You''re Yaning''s friend, we treat you as a guest, but that doesn''t mean you have the right to talk nonsense!"


    ....


    Martial Artists are generally quite prideful, and hearing Su Chen''s words, they couldn''t help but be angry.


    "Dad..."


    Seeing everyone targeting Su Chen, Xiao Yaning became nervous.


    "What are you all doing?"


    Yu Jun immediately sternly scolded:


    "I asked Mr. Su myself, is our Yu family socking in tolerance that we can''t even bear a few unpleasant words?"


    Upon hearing Yu Jun''s words, those people shut up quietly...


    "Mr. Su, speak frankly."


    Yu Jun looked at Su Chen again, actually feeling indifferent, intending to hear what this young man could say.


    "Uncle Yu, don''t you feel that theirbat looks a bit like a performance?"


    Su Chen said softly.


    "Continue!"


    When Yu Jun heard this, he immediately encouraged him to go on, because Su Chen hit the crucial point as soon as he spoke.


    "Combat is necessary, but the entire arrangement of yourbat training is wrong."


    Others couldn''t help but feel that this guy was too arrogant, daring to say the entirebat arrangement was wrong!


    "Mr. Su, what insights do you have?" Yu Jun asked again.


    "Look at how you arranged thebat practice; all are contests between people with simr abilities: Late Stage Qi Refinement against Late Stage Qi Refinement, Qi Refinement Peak against Qi Refinement Peak, half-step Meridian Expansion against half-step Meridian Expansion."


    "These people have simr strengths and almost fight each other every day, they know each other very well. Do you think there is still any effect? It''s bound to be a performance in the end."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone changed their attitude and thought it was indeed the reason.


    "Since Mr. Su sees it this way, how should thebat be arranged better?"


    Yu Jun looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "First, you have to understand what''s the purpose ofbat, mainly two: one is to increase experience, the other is to stimte potential!"


    "To achieve these two purposes, there''s only one way, which is cross-levelbat!"


    "Cross-levelbat?"


    Yu Jun murmured.


    "Yes, for example, Late Stage Qi Refinement against Qi Refinement Peak, Qi Refinement Peak against half-step Meridian Expansion, half-step Meridian Expansion against true Meridian Expansion Realm!"


    "Isn''t the strength gap too vast?"


    One of the Yu family members couldn''t help but ask.


    "What''s the point ofbat if the strength is equal? You need a significant strength gap! That way you can maximum stimte the potential!"


    Su Chen''s eyes glowed with brightness:


    "Moreover, it''s important to stipte that as long as you don''t die, the rules are not limited!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone couldn''t help but gasp!


    This young man¡ªruthless!


    "That''s not enough, strict reward and punishment measures must assist, for example, tilt family resources towards those who perform exceptionally! Only then will everyone bring out their true skills!"


    Su Chen continued.


    "Brilliant!"


    Yu Jun couldn''t help but praise loudly after hearing this:


    "Mr. Su is indeed talented!"


    "Isn''t this too cruel, after all, it''s a family?"


    Someone couldn''t help but ask.


    After all, whether fighting too harshly or skewing resources, it won''t look good on the surface!


    "You have to understand, what is your Yu family? It is a Martial Arts Family!"


    Su Chen looked at the person and said:


    "On the path of Martial Arts, has there ever been a smooth road?"


    "Well said!"


    Yu Jun praised again upon hearing this:


    "Mr. Su is right, the path of Martial Arts is indeed survival of the fittest?"


    "Our Yu family has been toofortable before, everyone has lost their ambition!"


    Yu Jun said to several among them at the Meridian Expansion Realm:


    "Today we''ll reorganize thebat n and start implementing it tomorrow!"


    After this incident, Yu Jun became even more satisfied with this young man Su Chen, whether it''s his cultivation level or insights, he''s an exceptional talent indeed!


    If only he hadn''t been married...

 Chapter 894 - 894 Master

    Although Xiao Yaning felt that the topic they were discussing was iprehensible, as if she were listening to a celestial script!


    Nevertheless, she was quite happy to see Yu Jun appreciating Su Chen, especially since watching Su Chen speak eloquently just now seemed to envelop him in a halo, contrasting with his usual self!


    Half an hourter, the young members of the Yu Family finished their battle and went off to shower.


    "Alright, Mr. Su, let''s go have breakfast first."


    Yu Jun called out, then he and his wife Qi Hui led Su Chen and Xiao Yaning into the house.


    Breakfast was eaten separately by each family, so the others didn''t follow along.


    After breakfast, Su Chen and Xiao Yaning drove out, as the Yu Family had several cars prepared in the courtyard.


    As per yesterday''s n, the two drove to the mall to buy swimwear.


    Su Chen was still excited, as this counted as his first time apanying a woman to buy swimwear, while Xiao Yaning felt anxious and embarrassed all the way there!


    After all, this kind of thing was quite private!


    Once they entered the mall, Su Chen headed straight towards a certain direction.


    "How do you know it''s here?"


    A momentter, when the two stood before the swimwear counter in the mall, Xiao Yaning was astounded!


    "I''ve researched it; swimwear counters in malls are usually located in this position,"


    Su Chen said confidently.


    "You''ve researched it?"


    Xiao Yaning, hearing this, immediately felt this guy was quite peculiar. He actually researched this?


    "No, just noticed it asionally."


    Su Chen realized he had let slip and quickly patched up his words.


    But Xiao Yaning already felt today''s trip was definitely intentionally nned by this guy!


    "Quick, go inside and have a look!"


    Su Chen eximed and led the way inside.


    Xiao Yaning watched his eyes light up with excitement, feeling even more like she''d boarded a pirate ship!


    Unfortunately, it was toote to think about getting off now, so she had no choice but to follow nervously.


    "What kind of swimwear are you two interested in looking at?"


    Once they entered, a sales assistant smiled and approached them.


    "We''re just looking around ourselves."


    Su Chen waved his hand and began checking out the various swimsuits.


    "Alright, feel free to call if you need anything."


    The sales assistant replied to his words.


    "I didn''t expect there to be quite a variety of styles here!"


    Su Chen eximed in admiration after scanning the selection.


    "Just pick one randomly, it''s fine."


    Feeling quite shy buying swimwear with him, Xiao Yaning said.


    "How can it be just random?"


    Su Chen immediately criticized upon hearing this:


    "Swimwear, like lingerie, is something very refined and different people suit different styles of swimwear!"


    "For example, these high-waisted swimsuits are best for women with a slight belly, ideally paired with diagonal patterns to achieve a waist-lifting effect and also divert attention, creating a ttering look."


    "Then there''s the skirt-style swimwear, perfect for women with t buttocks, to visually enhance the lines of their hips and showcase their beautiful legs!"


    "Yaning, take a look at this deep V-neck one-piece swimsuit, suitable for women with fuller figures! But the pattern shouldn''t be too shy, as it could affect the overall look."


    ...


    Su Chen talked eloquently,pletely mesmerizing Xiao Yaning!


    A big man like him being so knowledgeable about women''s swimwear?


    This... this is just...


    Xiao Yaning couldn''t find an adjective for a moment, feeling utterly speechless!


    But his high-spiritedmentary left Xiao Yaning stunned and even shook the sales assistant!


    No wonder he didn''t want the sales assistant earlier; he''s more professional than them!


    At the same time, Su Chen''s words attracted the attention of other female customers in the store.


    "Sir, could you help me see what kind of swimwear suits me?"


    "And me too, please help me pick one!"


    "Hey handsome, what do you think of the swimwear I just picked?"


    ...


    For a moment, the female customers were feverishly asking for advice from Su Chen, their ''swimwear master,'' leaving Yaning inplete astonishment!


    "Alright, one at a time."


    Su Chen fully embraced the spirit of socialist youth, eager to help others.


    "Madam, judging by your appearance, you''ve likely just given birth recently and are still in recovery, so this high-waisted swimwear is best for you right now."


    "Miss, this boyshort-style swimsuit doesn''t quite suit you, as it might make your legs look heavy. I suggest switching to a skirt style is better."


    "For you, it goes without saying, not wearing a bikini would be a disservice to such a good figure!"


    "Miss, judging by your clothing style, you seem to prefer a more conservative approach, this one-piece swimwear would be the best choice for you, and one-piece swimwear also carries an allure of modesty!"


    ...


    Su Chen patiently exined to each woman, even personally picking out suitable swimwear for them!


    He could even determine their size with just a nce!


    Those women were very satisfied with the swimwear Su Chen chose for them!


    Some women were apanied by boyfriends or husbands, and those men watching Su Chen being so popr couldn''t help but feel jealous!


    Thinking if only they''d prepared better in this field!


    Manydies rolled their eyes at the men beside them and said: "Learn well from him!"


    "Madam, you''re lucky to have such a good man!"


    One woman said to Xiao Yaning.


    "Indeed, if I had such a man, I wouldn''t trade him for a mountain of gold. Nowadays, how many men truly understand a woman''s mind?"


    "You better hold onto a man like this! Or someone else might snatch him away!"


    "Indeed, and he''s quite handsome too!"


    ...


    The other women echoed her sentiments too.


    Listening to these words, Xiao Yaning blushed and didn''t know what to say!


    The scene just now left her feeling dazed!


    She once again confirmed, Su Chen is indeed an oddball!


    And this guy''s charm towards women is just too good!


    She wouldn''t doubt for a moment that more than half of those women were willing to have further interactions with him!


    "Hey handsome! Thanks a lot!"


    "Goodbye!"


    "Hey handsome, can I get your contact info? Let''s grab a meal sometime!"


    The woman with the best figure said with a charming smile.


    Su Chen, hearing this, was preparing to say "Sure, sure!"


    But seeing the gaze drifting over from Xiao Yaning, he swallowed his words...

 Chapter 895: Whos Afraid?

    After thest batch of customers left, Xiao Yaning nced at Su Chen and said:


    "You were quite popr just now!"


    "I was just enjoying helping others!"


    Su Chen chuckled and replied.


    "You sure brazenly say that!"


    Xiao Yaning responded somewhat sourly.


    Xiao Yaning waspletely defeated by this guy''s shamelessness, and the key point was that he said such shameless words so naturally!


    "Alright, Yaning, I''ll pick something for you too!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Okay."


    Hearing this, Xiao Yaning shyly nodded. She really felt too embarrassed to bring this up herself!


    ...


    "I''ve picked two for you, one blue and one ck. Ocean blue is graceful, and ck is mysterious!"


    Su Chen said with a smile after a while.


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, she felt even more embarrassed!


    However, she didn''t say anything, just gently nodded!


    Meanwhile, Su Chen also bought a set for himself from a nearby counter, his was more casual without much fuss.


    After leaving the mall, the two headed to the holiday resort near the eastern outskirts of the city, where there is a nationally famous hot spring!


    Su Chen sped up the car as he couldn''t wait to see Xiao Yaning in the swimwear!


    Althoughst time in Sanya, he had already enjoyed the swimsuit showcase of the girls from the PR department, but to be honest, those women were quite charming, butpared to Xiao Yaning, they were a notch lower!


    The only one who could rival Xiao Yaning was probably Jiang Ying, but their temperaments were very different, belonging to different kinds of charm!


    After driving for forty to fifty minutes, they arrived at the resort, which was built alongside the mountain, preserving much of the original scenery.


    And the facilities inside were veryplete, with hotels, restaurants, shopping, various forms of entertainment, even casinos!


    After Su Chen entered, he settled the check-in procedures at the front desk, and a waitress in a cheongsam led them towards the holiday hotel at the back.


    That hotel felt more like a guest house, nestled in a grove, and they quickly followed the waitress to the door of two adjacent rooms.


    Then they ced their luggage inside the rooms, nning to stay another day if they found it nice.


    After storing their luggage, they nned to go soak in the hot springs.


    This resort has both public and private hot spring areas, and Su Chen booked a private one, which obviously costs quite a bit more.


    But they certainly didn''t mind spending this extra money.


    "I wonder what effect Xiao Yaning will have when shees out in a while?"


    Su Chen, being a man, changed clothes more quickly, so he headed to the hot spring pool first, leaned against the poolside, lit a cigarette, and leisurely smoked.


    Although generally smoking while soaking isn''t good for health, Su Chen naturally didn''t have such concerns.


    "p, p..."


    Suddenly, the sound of slippers dragging was heard, and Su Chen couldn''t help but turn towards that side.


    Then his expression got stunned!


    At this moment, Xiao Yaning had her long hair slightly tied up, her delicate face showing a hint of shyness!


    "What are you looking at!"


    Xiao Yaning said, a bit shyly.


    "Of course, I''m admiring a beauty!"


    Hearing Xiao Yaning''s voice snapped Su Chen back, he pressed the cigarette butt into the ashtray at the poolside andughed.


    "Come on!"


    Su Chen beckoned.


    Xiao Yaning slowly walked over, seeming a bit nervous with every step!


    "Yaning, why stay so far away?"


    Su Chen teased, seeing Xiao Yaning whose face turned rosy as soon as she entered the water:


    "Am I really so scary?"


    Hearing this, Xiao Yaning couldn''t help but think to herself:


    Indeed, he''s not a tiger, why am I afraid of him?


    Thus, Xiao Yaning moved a bit closer to Su Chen, and for some reason, she suddenly challenged:


    "Do you dare?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately retreated.


    Yes, does he dare?


    Currently, aside from asionally taking advantage, he really didn''t dare to do anything excessive!


    But as a man, losing face in front of a woman felt a bit embarrassing!


    "Want to try?"


    Su Chen leaned a bit closer to Xiao Yaning, a yful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.


    His daring response was because he knew that even if he dared, Xiao Yaning currently wouldn''t dare either, so what was there to be afraid of?


    However, Xiao Yaning''s thinking was the same, believing that even given the chance, he wouldn''t dare, this made the matter interesting!


    "Just afraid you wouldn''t dare to try!"


    Xiao Yaning cast him a flirtatious nce with her beautiful eyes:


    "Look, who wears a top while soaking, like you!"


    Indeed, generally men don''t wear tops while soaking, as it allows the hot spring''s therapeutic effects to work best, feeling morefortable!


    "I''m just afraid of scaring you."


    Hearing this, Su Chen lightly chuckled.


    "Scare me? Haven''t you got any better excuse?"


    Hearing this, Xiao Yaning was even more certain of his cowardly nature, disdainfully pouted:


    "What do you have that would scare me? You''re dressed more conservatively than me, who''s really afraid here?"


    "Really, I have more scars on my body that might make you ufortable."


    Su Chen looked at Xiao Yaning and said.


    "Really?"


    Hearing this, Xiao Yaning asked suspiciously, she didn''t expect it to be for this reason!


    "Why would I lie about this?"


    Su Chen smiled softly...

 Chapter 896: Refuse to Acknowledge?

    "I don''t believe you!"


    Xiao Yaning looked at Su Chen and said:


    "If you''re so capable, show me!"


    "Do you really want to see?"


    Su Chen thought for a moment and said:


    "Better not, there''s nothing worth seeing."


    "Stop the nonsense! Today, I insist on seeing it!"


    Su Chen''s coyness only stirred up Xiao Yaning''s stubbornness!


    Of course, if it weren''t Su Chen, she wouldn''t insist like this.


    "Alright then, if you insist on seeing, I''ll show you."


    Su Chen wasn''t actually that bothered; the reason he kept his shirt on was to avoid scaring her with the scars.


    Saying that, Su Chen began to take off his shirt, but as he lifted it halfway, revealing his chest and stomach, Xiao Yaning covered her mouth in shock, her face full of rm!


    When Su Chen finally took off his shirt, Xiao Yaning waspletely dumbfounded!


    She stared at the mottled, hideous scars crisscrossing his body, her mind a nk!


    How could this be? How could it be like this?


    How could he have so many terrible scars on his body?


    The old and new scars intertwined so vividly, it was shocking!


    At first, Xiao Yaning thought he was joking, but unexpectedly, it was real!


    "How did you get these?"


    Xiao Yaning asked with a trembling voice, a delicate hand reaching over Su Chen''s body, gently tracing the scars, distinctly feeling their presence.


    "Just messing around in the past, you know, for a man, a few scars are cool!"


    Su Chenughed yfully.


    He found it odd, how women were the same!


    When Lin Ruoxue first saw these scars, her reaction was much the same as Xiao Yaning''s now.


    Xiao Yaning certainly knew Su Chen was talking nonsense. How could fooling around result in such severe and numerous injuries?


    However, she didn''t say anything, continuing to gently stroke the scars, feeling the stories behind them...


    For Su Chen, the sensation was somewhat unusual!


    It was no surprise, after all, he was a normal man!


    Especially under these circumstances!


    "Alright, stop looking, let me put my shirt back on," Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "Don''t!"


    Xiao Yaning immediately said.


    Su Chen was taken aback when he heard this!


    What was going on?


    Xiao Yaning caressed the scars, feeling a pang in her heart, her beautiful eyes glistening with moisture!


    Like Lin Ruoxue, her first reaction was not fear but heartache, an urge tofort this man!


    Moreover, these scars endowed him with an unusual aura!


    Wildness? Mystery? World-weariness? Loneliness?...


    Precisely what it was, Xiao Yaning couldn''t say, only that this peculiar aura was somewhat alluring...


    "Are you enamored with my looks?"


    Su Chen curled into a wicked grin and joked.


    "Can you tell me the story behind these scars?"


    Xiao Yaning looked up at Su Chen with deep affection and said softly, her fingers still tenderly touching the scars!


    "There''s nothing much to say, it''s all in the past."


    Su Chen chuckled bitterly and said:


    "Stop it, or something might actually happen!"


    "What could happen!"


    Xiao Yaning red at him and said indignantly.


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen replied, somewhat exasperated.


    "I''d like to see you have the nerve!"


    Xiao Yaning nced at him provocatively.


    "Don''t think just because the tiger is not angry that it''s sick,"


    Su Chen was indeed feeling a bit ufortable due to Xiao Yaning''s teasing. In a swift move, he slipped his arm around Xiao Yaning''s soft waist and pulled her close, their bodies pressed tightly together.


    Now, they were less than a few inches apart, close enough to feel each other''s breaths!


    Their eyes met, and the things both had been avoiding seemed to be slowly simmering!


    Suddenly, driven by an unknown courage, Xiao Yaning leaned forward...


    "Boom!"


    In that instant, Su Chen was utterly dumbfounded!


    Had he just been kissed forcibly again?


    This time, he was genuinely stunned and remained in a daze even five minutester!


    Although Xiao Yaning''s actions were inexperienced, she was consistently proactive!


    This was Su Chen''s first time being passively engaged throughout!


    "You..."


    Su Chen stammered, looking at her, unsure of what to say.


    Xiao Yaning''s face was now like a peach blossom, radiant and inviting, making one want to take a bite!


    "Just pretend it never happened, or that it wasn''t me just now!"


    Xiao Yaning stated to Su Chen.


    Su Chen was even more bewildered upon hearing this, what did she mean?


    Could one simply treat it like that?


    Was she intending to deny everything that happened?


    Su Chen thought shamelessly.


    "Did you hear me? And don''t tell anyone about this, especially Ye Mei!"


    Xiao Yaning suddenly and "viciously" said to Su Chen.


    "What''s it got to do with Ye Mei?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "Just don''t! Understand?"


    Xiao Yaning "warned" him sternly.


    "Alright, alright, I promise not to say anything."


    Su Chen quickly replied, thinking to himself, women''s minds were truly unfathomable!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s promise, Xiao Yaning felt relieved.


    Even Xiao Yaning herself wasn''t sure what hade over her earlier, why she took the initiative, but it happened...


    She knew Ye Mei also liked Su Chen, which made her feel she''d betrayed her friend, hence not wanting Su Chen to say a word...


    Afterward, the two continued to soak in the hot spring, though the atmosphere was inevitably a bit awkward!


    No one had expected such an event to ur after just a few minutes in the spring...


    "By the way, what is this Martial Arts Family you mentioned this morning?"


    Xiao Yaning suddenly shifted the topic, and she was genuinely curious.


    "Simply put, a Martial Arts Family is a family that thrives on martial arts, with most family members being martial artists."


    Su Chen, without overthinking, exined:


    "Don''t underestimate Martial Arts Families,pared to Jiangnan''s Four Great Families and Yandu''s Five Great Families, they''re nothing."


    "That impressive?"


    Xiao Yaning gasped in amazement upon hearing this, her face full of shock!


    She didn''t know much about Martial Arts Families, but she was familiar with Jiangnan''s Four Great Families and Yandu''s Five Great Families!


    Each of these was beyond her reach!


    Especially the Five Great Families of Yandu, which she had always regarded as the pinnacle of Huaxia!


    Yet, Su Chen had just told her they were insignificantpared to his family, how could she not be astonished?


    She never imagined her family could be such a formidable entity!

 Chapter 897: So what do you want to do?

    "Actually, the Martial Arts World rarelymunicates with the outside world, so people in the secr world seldom see them, and know almost nothing about them. Moreover, secrws don''t really constrain them; they have their own circle and rules."


    Su Chen continued to exin to Xiao Yaning.


    He believed that if he didn''t tell her these things, Yu Jun and his wife would eventually inform her...


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Yaning understood that brand-new world a bit more.


    However, she didn''t yearn for that unfamiliar world; she was simply curious about it!


    After all, it was her own family!


    Su Chen didn''t go into further details, and the two of them soon moved on to other topics.


    The previously awkward atmosphere slowly faded away, though Xiao Yaning''s stunning figure indeed gave Su Chen quite an eyeful, as his gaze asionally wandered to ces it shouldn''t have!


    Xiao Yaning pretended not to notice, but secretly, she felt a slight joy at heart.


    "I was so stunned earlier, I didn''t get a taste. How about trying it again?"


    Su Chen suddenly joked, of course referring to Yaning''s earlier kiss.


    "Wishful thinking!"


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Yaning shyly retorted.


    After soaking in the hot springs, they went for a sauna and a massage, feeling thoroughly rxed!


    In fact, Su Chen was thinking of discussing with the female masseuse to let him rece her in massaging Xiao Yaning, but in the end, he decided against it!


    After the massage, they returned to their rooms for a shower, and then went to the restaurant for a meal together.


    By then, it was already close to two in the afternoon, and both were feeling a bit hungry.


    The restaurant in the resort was quite nice, specializing in various game meats, usually hunted by local hunters and sold to the restaurant!


    It was rare for Xiao Yaning to eat game, and since she was genuinely hungry, she ended up eating quite a bit.


    After eating, they sat and rested for another twenty or thirty minutes, had some fruit, and then left the restaurant.


    "How about we y some tennis?"


    During their post-meal walk, Xiao Yaning suddenly noticed a sportsplex and eximed with delight.


    The sportsplex had not only tennis courts but also basketball and badminton courts, though all were outdoors.


    "Exercising vigorously right after eating isn''t such a good idea, and can you even y tennis?"


    Su Chen asked skeptically.


    "Once in a while, it''s fine. Besides, don''t underestimate me; I used to be on the school tennis team!"


    "That impressive?"


    Su Chen responded with an exaggerated expression of surprise.


    "Of course!"


    Xiao Yaning proudly lifted her elegant neck and said.


    "Still doesn''t work, look at the clothes you''re wearing, and the high heels on your feet, how are you going to y?"


    Su Chenughed.


    "Oh right, I forgot about that. I should have bought a set of sportswear."


    Xiao Yaning said with some annoyance, suddenly her eyes lit up, pointing not far from the tennis court:


    "Oh, there''s a sports apparel store!"


    Su Chen looked in the direction she was pointing, and there really was a sports goods store, so the two of them walked over.


    Entering the store, they saw it was quite well-stocked, with various sportswear and shoes avable.


    "There are swimsuits here too; had I known, I wouldn''t have gone to the mall."


    Xiao Yaning said, still feeling a bit miffed about Su Chen choosing swimsuits for those women in the morning!


    Su Chen just chuckled lightly at this, and the two of them picked outplete sets of tennis outfits, including shoes.


    They went to their hotel rooms to change and then returned to the tennis court.


    There were several courts in total, and luckily two of them were avable.


    "Today, I''m going to test your skills as an expert."


    Su Chen joked.


    He looked at Xiao Yaning, now sporting tennis gear, who seemed to have switched styles entirely, exuding youthful energy.


    But hey, a beauty looks good in anything!


    "Hmph, just watch and see!"


    Xiao Yaning retorted defiantly.


    Then the two of them took positions on opposite sides of the court, with Xiao Yaning serving first.


    Xiao Yaning gently tossed the ball up and struck it over!


    However, the next moment, Xiao Yaning froze, and Su Chen couldn''t help but chuckle!


    Xiao Yaning had intended to aim for an angle to give Su Chen a surprise, but unexpectedly, the ball went out of bounds!


    "Noughing!"


    Xiao Yaning red at Su Chen and said:


    "This one doesn''t count, I''m a bit rusty from not ying for so long!"


    "Alright, doesn''t count, doesn''t count!"


    Su Chenughed.


    Soon, Xiao Yaning served again, this time she didn''t dare aim too much for an angle, fearing another mistake would make Su Chen, the rascal, mock her.


    Although Su Chen hadn''t really yed tennis, it was no difficulty for him; he was merely apanying Xiao Yaning for some fun.


    Xiao Yaning did have some skill, and after some initial adaptation, she yed better and better, growing more confident.


    As she faced a flying ball, Xiao Yaning hurriedly ran sideways a few steps and swung with force.


    But just as she swung, her foot slipped slightly, causing a deviation in her hitting position and direction.


    At that moment, a young man was passing by with a young woman in his arms.


    By chance, Xiao Yaning''s ball hit the young man.


    "Who? Watch where you''re going!"


    The young man immediately looked around and yelled angrily.


    Seeing her tennis ball hit him, Xiao Yaning hurried over:


    "Sorry, I''m so sorry!"


    The young man was about to lose his temper, but upon seeing Xiao Yaning, his angry face immediately softened into a smile.


    "Miss, was it you who hit me just now?"


    The young man released the woman in his arms, looking at Xiao Yaning with a smile.


    His gaze couldn''t help but wander over Xiao Yaning.


    "I truly apologize, I''m really sorry!"


    Although the man''s gaze made Xiao Yaning ufortable, since she did hit him, she apologized sincerely.


    "Miss, your hit just now wasn''t light; it still stings! So what do you say we do about it?"


    The young man eyed Xiao Yaning, thinking to himself, it''s rare to see such a perfect woman!


    The model he''s with pales inparison to her!


    "What do you propose?"


    Xiao Yaning asked hesitantly, knowing that her hit earliercked force as she had mishit.


    Let alone the considerable distance.


    But if he wanted to extort some money, she''d rather let it go, not wanting to cause trouble.


    "What do I propose? You hurt me, so just give me a massage to make it better."


    The young man smirked sleazily and suddenly pulled Xiao Yaning''s hand toward his body...

 Chapter 898: Dont You Want to Give It a Rub?

    Xiao Yaning never expected the young man to suddenly make such a move, and she was startled, quickly trying to break free from his hand.


    But how could the strength of a woman surpass that of the other party?


    At that moment, anotherrge hand reached out from the side, grabbing the young man''s wrist.


    "Let go!"


    The young man immediately shouted, feeling intense pain in his wrist, and he involuntarily released Xiao Yaning''s hand...


    Seeing him let go, Xiao Yaning quickly hid behind Su Chen.


    "You little punk, do you know who I am? I warn you, let go of me immediately!"


    The young man shouted angrily.


    "Alright!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, but there was a hint of coldness in that smile!


    When he initially saw Xiao Yaning running over to apologize, he didn''t think much of it. If you hit someone, it''s only right to say sorry.


    If the other party had a good temper, they might have simply said it''s okay; even if they were less approachable, some scolding wouldn''t have been a big deal.


    But he didn''t expect this guy, seeing Xiao Yaning''s beauty, to have such malicious intentions, so when he grabbed Xiao Yaning''s hand, Su Chen acted!


    At this moment, he applied a slight pressure to the young man''s wrist, and a clear "crack" sound was instantly audible.


    Su Chen directly broke his wrist, and sure enough, he let go.


    "Ah!"


    The young man immediately screamed in agony!


    "Go, cripple him for me!"


    The young man yelled angrily at his bodyguards!


    "Kid, how dare you touch me, you''re a dead man!"


    Ignoring the intense pain, the young man''s eyes burned with anger as he coldly said to Su Chen.


    The bodyguards swung their fists, charging at Su Chen.


    Su Chen didn''t even nce at them; in his eyes, these people were in no way a threat. With a sweeping kick, he knocked them all to the ground.


    The people immediately started groaning in pain on the ground, appearing to be in great distress.


    The young man was stunned by this sight!


    His bodyguards were martial artists!


    Although only at the Qi Refinement third or fourthyers, they''re not people that just anyone can handle!


    "Who the hell are you?"


    The young man asked grimly.


    "Who I am isn''t important. What''s important is that you tried to bully my friend, and you must pay the price for that!"


    Su Chen coldly said:


    "Didn''t you want my friend to massage you just now? A woman''s strength is too small to be effective, let me do it instead!"


    "You... what are you going to do?"


    The young man shivered from Su Chen''s words:


    "I''m telling you, if you harm me, you definitely won''t leave Jiangbei!"


    Themotion here not only attracted nearby tennis yers, but also onlookers from nearby basketball and badminton courts, as well as many other tourists passing by!


    Hearing the young man''s words, the crowd couldn''t help but specte about his identity!


    "Oh, and what bigshot are you, that I can''t leave Jiangbei?"


    Su Chen teased with a yful smile.


    "I''m Wang Yuanfeng from the Wang Family!"


    The young man proudly dered:


    "If you''re smart, let''s let this go, and I won''t hold you ountable."


    Wang Yuanfeng realized he couldn''t act too arrogant after seeing Su Chen take down his bodyguards so easily.


    In any case, getting out of here safely was his priority!


    Hearing Wang Yuanfeng''s words, the onlookers couldn''t help but take a deep breath!


    The Wang Family and the Bai Family are renowned, long-established families in Jiangbei!


    Their status in Jiangbei was even higher than the Four Great Families in Jiangnan back in the day!


    No one expected this youth to be a young master of the Wang Family!


    "Young man, you can''t afford to offend the Wang Family, let it go."


    "You''ve already taught him a lesson, and he''s not holding you responsible, so let it be."


    "Yes, if this esctes any further, you''ll be in big trouble."


    ...


    After realizing the young man was from the Wang Family, others advised earnestly.


    This impressed Su Chen, there are indeed plenty of kind people in this world!


    However, what they didn''t know was that even the Five Great Families of Yandu fell to Su Chen, so why would he care about a mere Wang Family?


    "Su Chen, let it go!"


    Xiao Yaning, learning he was from the Wang Family, didn''t want any more trouble either.


    Although Su Chen had told her that her family was superior to the Five Great Families of Yandu, it was clear she didn''t quite realize it yet.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got this."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "This guy wanted to harm you, how could I let him go so easily?"


    "Don''t do anything reckless!"


    Wang Yuanfeng was truly scared upon hearing this!


    He never expected that invoking the Wang Family wouldn''t help!


    Who exactly is this kid?


    "Didn''t you want a massage?"


    Su Chen said softly, a smile on his face, but Wang Yuanfeng felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight of it!


    Su Chen lightly ced his hand on him, and gently began to "massage."


    "Ah~~~"


    Just as everyone was puzzled, thinking Su Chen was indeed going to massage him, an ear-piercing scream broke out!


    The one who screamed was indeed Wang Yuanfeng, but everyone found his scream rather baffling!


    It didn''t seem like Su Chen had done anything!


    What they didn''t know was that Wang Yuanfeng''s internal organs felt like they were being torn apart, the pain was excruciating!


    "This is a small lesson for you!"


    Su Chen said coldly, then turned to Xiao Yaning:


    "Let''s go."


    After such an incident, he knew Xiao Yaning wouldn''t want to continue ying.


    The two then left the tennis court, heading towards the hotel, while Wang Yuanfeng watched their retreating figures with intense hatred, suddenly unable to hold back, vomiting a mouthful of blood...


    ......


    "Su Chen, let''s take a shower and then head back."


    After returning to the hotel, Xiao Yaning suggested to Su Chen, given that they had just finished ying and were drenched in sweat, feeling a bit ufortable.


    She initially wanted to stay overnight, but now lost interest.


    Su Chen naturally had no objections and let her decide everything.


    Meanwhile, as Su Chen and Xiao Yaning were taking their respective showers, Wang Yuanfeng, with the support of the woman he had brought earlier, dragged his injured body to a private hot spring pool.


    As he approached, the sound ofughter and sshing came from within!


    It was the sound of a young man and two or three women ying around in the hot spring, seemingly engaging in a game of "eagle catching chicks"!


    By the side of the hot spring, stood an elderly man in a double-breasted long gown, wearing a pair of ck cloth shoes!


    He paid no attention to the yful noises from the hot spring, standing there expressionlessly...

 Chapter 899: Ill Give You a Choice Too

    "Haha, I''ve caught you,e give me a kiss!"


    At this moment, the young man grabbed a woman andughed heartily.


    Then he pulled the woman over and nted a kiss on her lips, while hisrge hand roamed restlessly over her body!


    "Young Master Sun!"


    Wang Yuanfeng approached the edge of the hot spring pool and respectfully called out.


    The man in the pool heard the voice, let go of the woman, and turned to look at Wang Yuanfeng.


    "Wang Da Shao, what''s with you? Weren''t you ying tennis?"


    Upon seeing the bloodstains at the corner of Wang Yuanfeng''s mouth, he casually asked.


    "I was beaten up, Young Master Sun, you must avenge me!"


    Wang Yuanfeng pleaded.


    "Oh, in Jiangbei, who dares to touch you, Wang Da Shao?"


    Hearing that Wang Yuanfeng was beaten, the young man in the pool felt a slight surprise but didn''t have much reaction beyond that.


    Upon hearing these words, Wang Yuanfeng immediately recounted what had happened.


    "Defeated all your bodyguards with one move? Interesting!"


    The young man in the pool curved a smile at the corner of his mouth.


    However, besides that smile, he had no other reaction; he didn''t express any intention to help Wang Yuanfeng on his behalf!


    You''re kidding, I''m a guest of honor, not one of your henchmen. Instead of wasting time on this, I''d rather have fun with these models!


    "Young Master Sun, please help me teach that guy a lesson!"


    Seeing Young Master Sun''s reaction, Wang Yuanfeng became anxious.


    To be honest, he didn''t know the background of this Young Master Sun. His father had just instructed him to do his utmost to entertain the guest, making sure he eats and ys well!


    ording to his father, if they establish good rtions with the guest, the Wang family could rise to new heights!


    Not just in Jiangbei, even the Five Great Families in Yandu wouldn''t matter anymore!


    Although he didn''t know who the guest was, he did know one thing: this young man was incredibly powerful!


    His father, under this young man''s ability, couldn''t evenst a single move!


    Thus, as soon as something happened, he immediately ran here to ask Young Master Sun for assistance.


    But he didn''t expect that despite hosting himvishly for several days and providing a daily rotation of models and stars for his enjoyment, the guest was unwilling to help with such a small favor!


    This made him slightly angry, though he didn''t dare to express it.


    At that moment, he suddenly had a brainwave, and then bent down with difficulty to whisper a few words in the guest''s ear.


    "Are you serious?"


    Upon hearing Wang Yuanfeng''s words, Young Master Sun''s eyes brightened up.


    "Definitely serious! Even if I had a huge courage, I wouldn''t dare to deceive Young Master Sun!"


    Wang Yuanfeng immediately assured him.


    "Alright, considering your efforts in hosting me these days, I''ll go get you some satisfaction!"


    Young Master Sun instantly climbed out of the hot spring pool.


    Upon hearing these words, Wang Yuanfeng almost coughed up blood again. What a shameless lie!


    Young Master Sun''s clothes were right beside him, so he changed directly in front of everyone.


    .....


    After taking a shower, Su Chen smoked a cigarette beforeing out, knowing Xiao Yaning would definitely take longer than him.


    Women are always like this!


    After Su Chen came out, he waited at the door. Soon, Xiao Yaning also finished packing and came out.


    Since the hotel was a guesthouse style rather than a typical high-rise, there was a spacious courtyard outside the hotel.


    Just as Su Chen and Xiao Yaning were exiting the hotel, Wang Yuanfeng came over with Young Master Sun and an elder wearing a double-button long shirt and ck cloth shoes.


    "Trying to run away? Too bad you''re toote!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, Wang Yuanfeng''s eyes narrowed immediately, shooting out a beam of hatred!


    Seeing the luggage in the two''s hands, he thought they were attempting to escape!


    "That''s better; since you''vee out voluntarily, I don''t have to go looking for you!"


    Wang Yuanfeng continued.


    "Seems like I went too easy on you earlier; you still haven''t learned your lesson!"


    Su Chen curved a smile at the corner of his mouth.


    "Were you the one who beat Wang Da Shao earlier?"


    Young Master Sun nced at Su Chen, then his gaze fell on Xiao Yaning, and his face immediately showed excitement!


    This Wang Yuanfeng indeed didn''t deceive him. This truly is a rare beauty!


    This woman is much more exciting to y with than those celebrity models!


    The elder behind him trembled instantly upon seeing Su Chen!


    Unexpectedly, this young man was a master at Meridian Expansion First Layer. Luckily, he came along; otherwise, Young Master Sun would definitely be in trouble!


    But since he''s here, there''s nothing to worry about.


    "So what if it''s me?"


    Su Chen chuckled mockingly.


    "Since you hit someone, you need to pay the price."


    Young Master Sun spoke in a lofty tone:


    "I''ll give you a choice: kneel down and apologize, and hand over your woman to me, then I might consider letting you off!"


    This Young Master Sun is merely at the threshold of the Meridian Expansion, so he couldn''t see Su Chen''s level at all!


    Especially when Su Chen suppressed his aura and didn''t actively release it, he was only able to vaguely tell he was a Martial Artist!


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help butugh. Where did this guy get his confidence?


    He snorted coldly:


    "I''ll also give you a choice: kneel and apologize, andpensate my friend with fifty million for emotional damages, or I''ll break your legs!"


    "What audacity!"


    Young Master Sun immediately red up in anger:


    "How ignorant! Do you think defeating those trash earlier allows you to challenge me? I can sweep you off with one hand!"


    Before he finished speaking, Young Master Sun moved and struck at Su Chen with a palm!


    Simultaneously, Su Chen moved too, swinging a palm right back!


    "Be careful, Young Master, you''re not his match!"


    The elder was shocked and rushed forward to assist!


    He didn''t expect Young Master would suddenly take action, catching him off guard!


    But when he reacted, it was already toote!


    Since they were already close together, the distance for high-level Martial Artists was just a moment!


    Moreover, the two were moving towards each other!


    "Bang boom!"


    Su Chen''s palmnded on Young Master Sun''s chest, instantly sending him flying!


    The elder hurriedly caught the airborne Young Master Sun, then floated back!


    He quickly checked Young Master''s injuries and found severe internal damage!


    It''s no wonder; after all, the difference between half-step and true Meridian Expansion is immense. Being killed in one strike isn''t impossible!


    "Bastard!..."


    "Young Master, don''t speak, quickly take this pill!"


    Said the elder, producing a red pill and feeding it to Young Master Sun.


    Wang Yuanfeng was shocked by the scene!


    He initially intended for Young Master Sun to avenge him, but unexpectedly, a single strike sent him flying...

 Chapter 900: As You Wish

    This fact left Wang Yuanfeng utterly shocked!


    It must be known, in his eyes, this Sun Young Master was already an unimaginable expert, after all, his own father couldn''t withstand even one move against him!


    Yet this peerless expert in his eyes couldn''t withstand even one move from this young man!


    Just how powerful is this guy?


    At this moment, he somewhat regretted having this Sun Young Mastere to avenge him; now he just wanted to escape!


    "Uncle Li, kill this brat for me!"


    Having taken medicine and slightly recovered, the Sun Young Master immediately gritted out to the elder.


    "Don''t worry, Young Master!"


    The elder slowly put down the young master; the Sun Young Master still couldn''t stand up.


    Wang Yuanfeng was momentarily stunned upon hearing this; could this elder also be a Martial Artist, and an even more powerful one than the Sun Young Master?


    Based on the meaning of their earlier words, it should be so, and thus he halted his preparation to flee.


    "Kid, to have such cultivation at a young age, you are already considered a Martial Arts genius, but some people are not to be provoked. If you provoke them, there''s only a dead end!"


    The elder stood not far from Su Chen.


    "You mean you guys?"


    Su Chen sneered, curling his lips as he spoke:


    "With just this little bit of power, do you really take yourselves seriously!"


    Su Chen had long seen through that this elder''s strength was around the Meridian Expansion Second Layer; for him, it was unremarkable.


    "You''re truly arrogant, punk!"


    The elder was instantly enraged after hearing Su Chen''s words!


    The Sun Family wasn''t an ordinary existence; and now being ridiculed by such a young brat, he couldn''t endure!


    "Uncle Li, stop wasting words with him, just kill him, no, cripple him first. I''ll have his woman right in front of him, hahahaha~~~"


    The half-lying Sun Young Master suddenlyughed maniacally.


    Upon hearing this, a cold gleam instantly flickered in Su Chen''s eyes!


    "Just for those words, you are already dead!"


    Su Chen fixed his gaze on the Sun Young Master and spoke.


    "Punk, what are you showing off for? You think showing off doesn''t cost money?"


    The Sun Young Master burst intoughter upon hearing Su Chen''s words:


    "I''m right here,e kill me if you can!"


    Although the Sun Young Master was severely beaten by Su Chen and was shocked by Su Chen''s strength, he didn''t believe Su Chen could possibly defeat the elder!


    "As you wish!"


    Before his words finished, Su Chen moved, his figure disappeared from the spot, heading directly toward the Sun Young Master!


    The elder saw this and immediately realized the young man''s target was directly aimed at the young master,pletely ignoring him still in between!


    This made the elder instantly furious; this was treating him as nonexistent!


    Moreover, he absolutely couldn''t let this young man harm the young master, so he immediately punched out to block!


    This punch was thrown, instantly shattering the void; the powerful True Yuan glimmered on the fist, heading straight toward Su Chen''s face!


    Yet facing the elder''s enraged punch, Su Chen just casually pped it away.


    The punch was swept aside, and not only that, the elder felt as if his arm had shattered into several pieces!


    The elder was suddenly shocked, how could this be?


    How could this casual p possess such power?


    But now was not the time for his shock, for Su Chen had already gracefully passed in front of him!


    He hurriedly mustered all of his True Yuan to chase after Su Chen''s back, but Su Chen''s speed was simply beyond his reach!


    "Impossible! Stop!"


    As he saw Su Chen strike a palm toward the young master on the ground, his face dramatically changed, terrified!


    And the Sun Young Master lying on the ground was already stiff all over, as if shrouded by a powerful aura!


    He couldn''tprehend how Su Chen bypassed Uncle Li as a barrier!


    He knew Uncle Li was there to protect him, hence his earlier reckless behavior!


    "No... don''t..."


    Seeing the approaching palm print and the chilling smile at the corner of the opponent''s mouth, he was extremely frightened, genuinely feeling the breath of death...


    "Boom!"


    With a loud crash, everything settled down, and his fearful expression was forever frozen there!


    Just then, Su Chen sensed the True Yuan fluctuation behind him, and swiftly kicked backward, his move indescribably graceful!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen''s kick directly swept the side of the elder chasing him, flinging him away!


    The elder happened to crash into a big tree nearby, directly fainting away.


    Wang Yuanfeng was dumbfounded by the scene, then turned and ran frantically.


    But after only a few steps, a figure appeared behind him, grabbed his shirt cor and fiercely tossed him over.


    Falling to the ground, Wang Yuanfeng''s entire body ached, and stars spun before his eyes.


    He was genuinely terrified; the battle scene just now was beyond his imagination!


    "Hero, please, hero! Spare me!"


    Wang Yuanfeng immediately knelt down and pleaded:


    "I won''t dare anymore!"


    "Kneel and apologize, and pay for mental damages!"


    Su Chen looked at Wang Yuanfeng coldly and stated.


    "I apologize, I''ll pay!"


    Wang Yuanfeng quickly agreed; at this moment, his life was the most important, especially since even the formidable Sun Young Master had perished!


    "Miss, I was wrong, I''m a bastard!"


    Wang Yuanfeng immediately knelt before Xiao Yaning, pping his own cheek as he spoke.


    "Sir, is this okay?"


    Wang Yuanfeng then turned to look at Su Chen.


    "Transfer the money."


    Su Chen spoke calmly.


    "Okay, fifty million, I''ll transfer it right away." Wang Yuanfeng quickly said.


    "No, the price has gone up, it''s five hundred million now."


    "Didn''t you say fifty million earlier?"


    Wang Yuanfeng asked timidly.


    "Earlier was earlier, now is now. Shouldn''t my moves be charged asbor fees?"


    Su Chen said matter-of-factly.


    Face to face with this brazen extortion, Wang Yuanfeng really wanted to say ¡ª why don''t you just rob?


    But ultimately, he didn''t dare, obediently transferring money to the ount Su Chen provided.


    Though he was the Wang Family''s Young Master, that much money still made him feel pain!


    "Can I leave now?"


    Wang Yuanfeng now only wanted to swiftly leave this perilous ce.


    "And your two legs?"


    Su Chen''s devilish voice rang out again.


    Wang Yuanfeng froze upon hearing this:


    "Didn''t you say earlier to kneel and apologize, pay, and you wouldn''t hit?"


    "I said, that was earlier; after you already took action, naturally the conditions changed! That five hundred million was allbor fees. It has nothing to do with your legs!"


    Su Chen spoke with justice, appearing reasonable.


    "I''ll add another five hundred million; can it be settled, just consider it buying my legs?"


    Wang Yuanfeng asked fearfully.


    "No, I want your legs now. Keep your legs or your life, you choose!"


    Su Chen said coldly, his voice utterly icy...

 Chapter 901 - 901 Congratulations, You Made the Right Decision

    Upon hearing this, Wang Yuanfeng''s face turned pale. His legs and his life, he didn''t want to lose either!


    "It seems you want your legs more than your life!"


    Su Chen said coldly.


    "I want my life, I want my life!"


    Wang Yuanfeng quickly said, shutting his eyes.


    "Congrattions on making the right choice!"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a cold smile.


    "Crack, crack!"


    The sound of bones breaking echoed, and Wang Yuanfengy on the ground, apanied by a scream that was chilling to hear...


    "Su Chen, let''s go."


    Such a scene made Xiao Yaning a bit ufortable, so she walked over and gently said to Su Chen.


    Su Chen saw that she looked unwell, so he nodded.


    As he left, he said casually:


    "Today, I''ll spare your life."


    "Thank you, thank you!"


    Lying on the ground, Wang Yuanfeng said, utterly frustrated.


    After Su Chen left, the old man slowly opened his eyes.


    He knew that the young man actually referred to him rather than Wang Yuanfeng!


    After a brief exchange of moves with the young man, he immediately realized he was not his match.


    This both shocked and confused him!


    How could someone at the Meridian Expansion First Layer have such strong power?


    If the young master hadn''t died, he would have protected him with all his might, but since the young master was already dead, there was no need for him to resist.


    If he stayed alive, he could report the situation back home; the Family Head would surely unleash his fury!


    This young man was doomed!


    Could the Sun Family be provoked?


    All of this happened within ten minutes; most people weren''t in the hotel but out ying, so not many noticed what happened here...


    .....


    "Do you think there''ll be trouble?"


    On the way back, Xiao Yaning asked Su Chen, worried, since Su Chen had just killed someone!


    "Don''t worry, there won''t be trouble."


    Su Chen smiled and said casually.


    Seeing his rxed manner, Xiao Yaning felt a bit relieved.


    "It''s a pity, no feast for the eyes."


    Su Chen looked at Xiao Yaning meaningfully.


    Hearing this, Xiao Yaning felt embarrassed; she knew he was talking about seeing her in a swimsuit.


    The car sped along, and when they got home, Yu Jun and his wife were just about to have dinner.


    Seeing them return, they naturally ate together...


    "Yaning, what''s wrong? You don''t seem very cheerful."


    During dinner, Qi Hui noticed something off with Xiao Yaning and asked.


    "Nothing, just tired from ying all day."


    Xiao Yaning forced a smile.


    After dinner, Qi Hui called Xiao Yaning for a chat, and Su Chen was invited by Yu Jun for tea.


    This was something expected; such a step was necessary.


    In Yu Jun''s study, Su Chen and Yu Jun sat on either side of the tea table.


    To Su Chen''s surprise, Yu Jun, as a cultivator, seemed to have quite a knack for making tea.


    "This is tea we grow in the mountains, picked every March or April, preserved tost a year, and the water is from a mountain spring. I brought some specially; try it."


    Yu Jun gestured invitingly.


    Hearing it was tea brewed with spring water, Su Chen became interested and took a gentle sip from the cup.


    The tea leaves weren''t particrly good, but they were unique. Brewed with the sweet mountain spring water, this tea could be considered high grade!


    "Mr. Su, we really have you to thank these past days; otherwise, Yaning and we..."


    Yu Jun said gratefully, knowing that although their rtionship wasn''t as close as typical parents and children, it was still harmonious.


    Honestly, it was more than their expectations. All thanks to Su Chen being by Yaning''s side, though he seemed to have done nothing.


    "There''s no need to thank me; I just want Yaning to live happier."


    Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "By the way, I have some questions for Mr. Su. If you find them inconvenient to answer, it''s alright."


    "No problem, Uncle Yu, go ahead."


    Su Chen smiled, taking another sip of tea.


    "Mr. Su, being so young and reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm, you are truly a genius. Who is your teacher?"


    Yu Jun asked.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t casually disclose the revered names of my teachers without permission."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "However, I am not from any prestigious sect, and my master is not well-known."


    Su Chen was telling the truth. Gongsun Liang''s little hut in the Kunlun Mountains couldn''t be considered a prestigious sect.


    Moreover, he hadn''t heard much about his master''s reputation, so he didn''t think the old ghost was a big figure!


    However, Yu Jun thought he was being modest because a master capable of nurturing such a young expert in the Meridian Expansion Realm couldn''t be unknown!


    In fact, Yu Jun was mistaken. Regardless of Gongsun Liang''s status, Su Chen reached the Meridian Expansion Realm quickly due to the heaven-defying Nine Yang Divine Technique and his amazing martial arts insight!


    "Also, Mr. Su, I''m curious why a martial arts expert like you would work in an office in the city?"


    Yu Jun continued to ask.


    That was what puzzled him the most. How could someone who reached the Meridian Expansion Realm work in an office like a white-cor worker?


    ording to his investigation, Su Chen seemed to be a cker at work, but he was definitely employed.


    This was truly unique!


    Even if his wife was the CEO of thepany, it still seemed unusual...


    Su Chen understood his confusion and smiled, saying:


    "Whether you believe it or not, Uncle Yu, I yearn for a normal, peaceful life. I wonder if you can understand."


    "Some might think itcks ambition, but if I could choose, I''d prefer to live this way for life."


    Yu Jun didn''t expect Su Chen would say such things. It sounded like a sentiment of an old soul, not a young man.


    It seemed this young man had deeper concerns than his carefree appearance suggested!


    Of course, Yu Jun wouldn''t continue probing, as it wouldn''t be appropriate.


    The two then chatted about various topics, mostly Yu Jun asking questions, since he wanted to know more about Xiao Yaning.


    Su Chen also asked some questions about the Martial Arts World, gaining a bit more understanding of the circle...

 Chapter 902 - 902 Sun Family Meeting

    Like other Martial Arts families, the Sun Family is also nestled deep within the mountains, with a road built by the Sun Family extending from outside the mountain all the way to the family''s doorstep.


    Just the construction of this single road was a monumental task, which shows that the foundation and strength of the Sun Family are truly extraordinary!


    The Sun Family''s courtyard is vast; standing at the entrance, one can barely see its edge. The architectural style of the buildings is ancient and seems to have been passed down through generations, exuding a solemn and dignified aura.


    At this moment, in one of the halls, the main figures of the Sun Family have gathered together in one ce!


    Except for during rituals, the Sun Family members have never all been together like this before; aside from those outside, everyone else is present!


    Because today, a colossal event has urred in their Sun Family!


    That is, the youngest son of the Family Head, Sun Yu, has actually been murdered!


    When they heard the news, they thought it was a joke. In Huaxia, not many people would dare touch their Sun Family!


    Especially not in Jiangbei!


    However, once they saw Sun Yu''s corpse, especially the bloody hole in his stomach, they couldn''t help but believe it!


    At this time, Sun Yu''s corpse had been carried into the back hall, and in the main hall, an elder was kneeling in the middle reporting!


    He was kneeling there to answer questions from the main figures of the Sun Family about the incident, since this matter was incredibly serious!


    "Are you saying that the young man is an expert in the Meridian Expansion Realm?"


    One person spoke up to ask.


    The reason for this question is that while experts in the Meridian Expansion Realm are not umon in the Martial Arts World, there aren''t that many. In any martial art power or family, they are considered rather vital resources!


    Moreover, such a young expert in the Meridian Expansion Realm is even rarer!


    "Yes, his Cultivation Realm is the Meridian Expansion First Layer."


    The elder kneeling on the ground replied.


    "That''s impossible, the young man is merely in the Meridian Expansion First Layer, while you are in the Meridian Expansion Second Layer, not to mention that little Yu was almost in the Meridian Expansion realm himself."


    At this time, another person red at him and questioned:


    "How was he able to kill little Yu? Were you not with little Yu, which allowed little Yu to die so tragically!"


    "That''s not the case!"


    The elder on his knees quickly changed his expression and said urgently:


    "I was always by the young master''s side. I admit that at first, I was somewhat negligent and didn''t expect the two to suddenly engage, which resulted in the young master being injured. Although it was severe, a few months of recuperation would certainly heal him."


    "After that, I positioned myself between the young master and that young man, fearing he would attack the young master again!"


    "If that is so, why did the young master still end up dead?"


    The person who questioned him angrily shouted:


    "Therefore, you must be lying; the true situation is as I said earlier; you were not by little Yu''s side, causing little Yu to die tragically! You must be held ountable for little Yu''s death!"


    "Fifth Master, you are using me wrongly! If I had not intervened, then how did I get these injuries?"


    The elder in the center of the hall argued.


    "Perhaps you injured yourself purposely, fearing severe punishment?"


    The Fifth Master retorted coldly, while others also looked at the elder.


    Indeed, although the young master is dead, the elder definitely bears responsibility, but whether he fulfilled his duty to protect, the magnitude of his responsibility can be vastly different!


    "At that time, the eldest young master of the Wang Family was also present; whether I tried my best to protect the young master, everyone can inquire with him!"


    The elder hurriedly said.


    After hearing this, everyone hesitated again. Yes, there were others present at the scene!


    So, what exactly happened?


    "Since you insist you were protecting little Yu, why did he die? Can you provide us a reasonable exnation?"


    The Fifth Master continued to ask.


    "When the young man attacked the young master the second time, I did indeed try to stop him but failed."


    The elder shook his head and sighed:


    "That''s why the young master ultimately died tragically."


    "Hmph, don''t you find your excuse ratherme?"


    The Fifth Master sneered upon hearing this:


    "You, being in the Meridian Expansion Second Layer, couldn''t block someone in the Meridian Expansion First Layer? Do you think we would believe such a thing? Or are you treating us all like fools?"


    "Exactly, this isplete nonsense!"


    "I don''t believe it either!"


    ...


    After hearing the elder''s words, others loudly expressed simr views.


    Though a Meridian Expansion First Layer defeating a Meridian Expansion Second Layer isn''t entirely impossible, it is rtively rare, given the obvious disparity between realms.


    "Alright, everyone, stop arguing and let Old Li finish speaking."


    At this moment, the person seated first waved his hand and said:


    "Old Li has been in our Sun Family for a good portion of his life; everyone knows what kind of person he is."


    Then he directed his gaze at the elder:


    "But Old Li, you indeed need to give us an exnation!"


    "Ah, Second Master, I understand if people don''t believe me, but I''m speaking the truth."


    The elder sighed again and said:


    "Primarily, that young man is quite enigmatic. Although he appears to be only in the Meridian Expansion First Layer, his true strength is far beyond that. In my estimation, he has definitely reached the Meridian Expansion Third Layer, possibly even the Fourth Layer!"


    "How is that possible?"


    Upon hearing the elder''s words, gasps erupted, and others wore expressions of disbelief!


    This is utterly inconceivable!


    For someone in the Meridian Expansion First Layer to possess strength of the Third or Fourth Layer? They''ve never heard of something like this!


    Moreover, achieving the Meridian Expansion Third or Fourth Layer¡ªwhat kind of strength is that?


    Among the many Martial Artists in the Sun Family, only three or four have reached such a realm!


    How could a young man in his early twenties possibly achieve this?


    "Are you certain?"


    The Second Master shot a sharp nce and asked.


    "I swear, if what I''ve said contains deceit, may I meet an untimely end!"


    The elder raised his hand and said:


    "Otherwise, I wouldn''t have failed to save the young master."


    At this moment, the elder''s earnest demeanor caused the others to hesitate further.


    If everything he has said is true, it''s indeed unfathomable!


    "Elder Brother, what do you think..."


    The Second Master who had spoken earlier couldn''t help but look toward one person at the forefront.


    "Investigate! Get to the bottom of what happened; find out everything about the young man!"


    The person at the forefront suddenly struck the chair''s armrest, his voice extremely chilling:


    "Even if that young man truly possesses such strength, he must pay with his life for killing my son!"


    A wave-like vast aura immediately emanated, enveloping the entire hall!


    Several people felt a heavy pressure, along with the anger behind it...

 Chapter 903 - 903 Carrying the Coffin to the Door

    At the same moment, in a VIP ward of a private hospital.


    "Father, Mother, you must avenge me!"


    The face of Wang Yuanfeng lying on the hospital bed was twisted as he roared. The doctor had already given the final verdict that it was almost impossible for him to stand up ever again!


    This made him utterly copse and drove himpletely mad!


    "Little Feng, don''t worry, Mom will make sure that boy meets a horrible end!"


    A middle-aged woman with lingering grace consoled him, her face also filled with a look full of hatred!


    "Yuanfeng, our Wang Family cannot take any action in this matter!"


    The middle-aged man beside the woman said in a deep voice.


    "Why?"


    Wang Yuanfeng roared unwillingly!


    "Yes, why should we let our son suffer a broken leg for nothing?"


    The middle-aged woman also stared at the middle-aged man with eyes zing with fire!


    "Because this person is someone our Wang Family cannot afford to provoke!"


    The middle-aged man said word by word.


    "I don''t believe it! Does he have three heads and six arms?"


    The woman also shouted angrily:


    "I will contact Mad Lion right now, I just can''t believe it!"


    The woman said as she took out a phone and prepared to dial a number.


    Her precious son had been beaten up like this, she was going crazy!


    Her son''s legs were not only broken, but the doctor also said he had severe internal injuries, and his internal organs were damaged!


    "Pa!"


    Suddenly, a loud p sounded!


    "If you don''t want the entire Wang Family to be buried along with your son, then make the call!"


    The middle-aged man also shouted sternly:


    "If you two want revenge, you can! But do not use any resources from my Wang Family! And this matter has nothing to do with my Wang Family!"


    This p from the middle-aged manpletely stunned the mother and son!


    It seemed... they finally realized the seriousness of the situation!


    Otherwise, why would he say such words?


    "Yuanfeng, you''re my son, if revenge were possible, wouldn''t I seek it for you? I would certainly grind that boy into pieces and throw him into the river to feed the fish!"


    The middle-aged man slowly sat down at the bedside and patted the nket on him.


    "But after hearing the details you told me, I know this person is not someone we can provoke. In their eyes, our Wang Family is no different from ants, they could crush us with a single hand!"


    Upon hearing the middle-aged man''s words, the mother and daughter finally understood what kind of existence had injured their son!


    "Consider yourself lucky to have survived!"


    The middle-aged man sighed, even though the Young Master of the Sun Family was dead, what hope could he possibly have?


    "Is this matter just going to end like this?"


    The middle-aged woman still asked unwillingly.


    "It won''t end just like this, rest assured, that boy won''t live for much longer either!"


    The middle-aged man said meaningfully.


    The Young Master of the Sun Family was dead, would the Sun Family let it go? It''s clearly impossible!


    If the Sun Family made a move, no matter how powerful that boy was, he would be doomed!


    Actually, their contact with the Sun Family was also driven by mutual goals, everyone understood deep down.


    The Sun Family wanted to support his Wang Family as their representative in the secr world, while his Wang Family hoped to enhance their family''s power with the help of the Sun Family!


    Although Martial Arts forces rarelymunicated with people in the secr world, they also needed money. How would they obtain money?


    Either by supporting a representative interest, or by designating some internal personnel to handle these affairs exclusively.


    For example, the Yu Family has designated personnel to handle industry affairs.


    These practices are very normal, as long as they don''t disrupt the rules of the secr world.


    Wang Yuanfeng immediately understood what his father meant, he was talking about the Sun Family!


    "Alright, then I''ll just wait for that boy to die!"


    Wang Yuanfeng spat with zing eyes.


    "Don''t worry, he will!"


    The middle-aged man reassured...


    .....


    Of course, Su Chen was unaware of the reactions of the Sun and Wang families, and even if he knew, he wouldn''t care.


    After talking with Yu Jun, he came out, coincidentally meeting Xiao Yaning and Qi Hui, the mother and daughter, who had also juste out of the room.


    The two were holding hands, smiling, seemingly having had a good chat, and their rtionship had grown closer.


    "Great, you two go have some fun."


    Seeing Su Chen, Qi Hui smiled and said.


    Though she knew Su Chen had a wife and wasn''t willing for the two to be together, she harbored no animosity towards Su Chen.


    Actually, the mother and daughter hadn''t discussed such matters just now, as Qi Hui was concerned it might ruin their first chat.


    She nned to gently persuade Xiao Yaning over time.


    Then Su Chen and Xiao Yaning went for a stroll nearby...


    "By the way, my mom said, in a few days, she wants me to go back with everyone for a visit, to pay respects to our ancestors."


    Xiao Yaning suddenly said.


    "Makes sense, you''re usually so busy with work, since you''re here now, take the opportunity to go back once."


    Su Chen smiled.


    "Then youe back with me too."


    Xiao Yaning pleaded.


    "No problem."


    Su Chen shrugged and smiled, he actually wanted to see what a Martial Arts Family was like.


    The two strolled for a while and then went back, given that it was gettingte.


    After returning to the room, Su Chen took out the Sheepskin Scroll again and studied it carefully.


    But the results were the same as countless previous times, leaving him very frustrated!


    In the following two days, Su Chen''s and Xiao Yaning''s life was pretty much the same, going out during the day anding back to eat and sleep at night.


    Xiao Yaning rarely had such long leisure time, so she was quite happy.


    The most important thing was her rtionship with the Yu Jun couple was improving.


    Though the closeness wasn''t like in normal families, Xiao Yaning no longer felt unnatural or ufortable like she did initially.


    During these two days, the Yu Family''s morningpetition mode had changed, shifting to cross-realm duels!


    Every morning the courtyard was in turmoil,cking the previously lively but actually peaceful atmosphere!


    Almost everyone was traumatized, always getting beaten up by Martial Artists of a higher realm!


    Despite this, the effects were visible to everyone!


    During this process, Yu Jun had consulted Su Chen for some opinions, and Su Chen did not hold back his thoughts.


    "Xiao Su, is there anything else that needs improvement?"


    This morning, Yu Jun looked at the Yu Family disciples fighting in the field and asked Su Chen.


    Now he really valued Su Chen''s opinions, and after spending these days together, his address had shifted from Mr. Su to Xiao Su.


    "No, I''ve pretty much said everything I needed to."


    Su Chen casuallyughed.


    At this moment, suddenly heavy footsteps sounded at the entrance, and a group of people appeared there.


    Strangely, they also brought along a ck coffin.


    Themotion here immediately drew everyone''s attention, even the young disciples in the middle ofbat temporarily stopped.


    Yu Jun also cast his gaze there, and upon seeing the leading person, his heart trembled, and he rushed over rapidly:


    "Sun Family Head, why have youe?"

 Chapter 904: I killed him

    "Family Head Sun, what is this..."


    Yu Jun nced at the ck coffin behind Sun Kun and asked.


    At this moment, some key figures from the Yu Family also came forward.


    They noticed that not only Family Head Sun Kun had arrived, but several elders from the Sun Family were here too!


    This gathering seemed excessivelyrge, didn''t it?


    The most crucial point was that they had brought a coffin, leaving the Yu Family puzzled about the situation.


    Moreover, bringing a coffin to the door was really quite disrespectful!


    However, they didn''t immediately question it. Even though both families were Martial Arts Families in Jiangbei, they generally didn''t have muchmunication.


    Naturally, such a provocative move wouldn''t be made without cause, so they needed to understand the situation first!


    "Humph, do you know who''s lying in this coffin?"


    That Sun Erye snorted coldly.


    "No idea."


    Yu Jun shook his head and said.


    The rest of the Yu Family members thought too, what a strange question, how would we know who''s inside your coffin?


    "Inside lies my elder brother''s youngest son, Sun Yu. Now you know, don''t you?"


    That Sun Erye snorted again.


    "Ah, my dear nephew Sun..."


    Yu Jun was stunned upon hearing this.


    "He''s dead!"


    At this moment, another person from the Sun Family spoke coldly.


    "Dead?"


    Yu Jun murmured:


    "How could dear nephew Sun just die like that?"


    "He was murdered!"


    "Murdered?"


    Yu Jun was shocked, quickly asking:


    "Who would dare to do such a brutal act to dear nephew Sun?!"


    This time Yu Jun was truly frightened. The Sun Family was one of the top Martial Arts Families in Jiangbei; who would dare murder the Family Head''s youngest son?!


    "The perpetrator is in your Yu Family!"


    This time, the Sun Family Head finally spoke, staring intensely at Yu Jun as he spat.


    "Family Head Sun, you can''t just talk nonsense!"


    "Exactly! Without evidence, don''t make such ims!"


    "How can you say the killer is in our Yu Family!"


    ...


    Upon hearing Sun Kun''s words, the Yu Family was immediately in an uproar!


    Such an usation was far too serious!


    If it were true, the Yu Family would certainly face the wrath of the Sun Family!


    And their strengthpared to the Sun Family was far inferior!


    "Family Head Sun, such words can''t be spoken casually. You said the killer is in my Yu Family; identify which of my Yu Family killed your son?"


    "Is there a young man named Su Chen in your Yu Family?"


    Sun Kun asked with a sinister voice.


    In fact, for the Sun Family, investigating these matters wasn''t difficult.


    But what they hadn''t expected was that the young man actually had some affiliation with the Yu Family!


    "Little Su?"


    Yu Jun was instantly bewildered upon hearing this:


    "Are you saying he killed dear nephew Sun?"


    "Yes, it''s him!"


    This time, Sun Erye from the Sun Family also spoke!


    "It seems the Family Head has quite a connection with him!"


    As soon as these words fell, all the Yu Family members were dumbfounded!


    Could the young man who arrived a few days ago kill the son of the Sun Family Head? How is that possible?


    "Family Head Sun, that''s unlikely, right? Could there be some misunderstanding?"


    Yu Jun said, struggling to believe.


    "Misunderstanding? My son is dead; what misunderstanding could there be?"


    Sun Kun said, his face sullen:


    "I advise you to hand him over quickly and don''t force me to act personally!"


    Although the Yu Family was also a Martial Arts Family, they were still far behindpared to the Sun Family!


    Usually, everyone would be polite when they asionally met, but now that his son was dead, Sun Kun couldn''t be as courteous!


    As these words fell, the Yu Family members all looked somewhat embarrassed!


    "Brother, let''s call Su Chen over and ask clearly."


    At this point, Yu Ran from the Yu Family spoke.


    "Yeah, things must be rified face to face."


    Yu Ran''s wife, Wei Ling, also said, her eyes lighting up as she concurred.


    For a moment, Yu Jun was unable to make a decision, as Su Chen was a good friend of Yaning! They might even be closer!


    "Yes, I''m the one who killed him!"


    At this point, Su Chen gently freed himself from Xiao Yaning''s grasp and walked forward.


    Xiao Yaning had to follow along.


    "It''s him, it''s him who killed the young master!"


    At this point, an elder pointed at Su Chen and said excitedly. He was the one who previously protected Sun Yu.


    The Yu Family members were immediately in an uproar upon hearing this; it was indeed him who killed the young master of the Sun Family. How could he dare?


    "What do you have to say now, Yu Family?"


    That Sun Erye sneered.


    "Family Head Yu, I won''t make things difficult for your Yu Family. Hand him over, and this matter will have nothing to do with your Yu Family!"


    Sun Kun said coldly.


    "No!"


    At this time, a voice rang out.


    "Dad, I''m begging you, please don''t!"


    Xiao Yaning pleaded. Seeing the menacing visitors, she feared imagining the oue if Su Chen fell into their hands!


    Yu Jun was also caught in a dilemma; indeed, it was the Sun Family, one of the top Martial Arts Families in Jiangbei. They couldn''t withstand them!


    However, to hand him over would be a loss of face, but the main issue was how to exin to Yaning?


    "Brother, this matter needs an exnation, especially since Su Chen has admitted he killed young master Sun."


    Yu Ran said.


    "Yes, for the sake of everyone, hand him over. Otherwise, the Sun Family will definitely not agree."


    Wei Ling also advised.


    After hearing Yu Ran and Wei Ling''s words, the other Yu Family members also echoed, agreeing to hand him over to the Sun Family.


    Although they had gotten along well with Su Chen for the past few days, they couldn''t offend the Sun Family for a stranger. It was unwise!


    "Mom, I beg you!"


    Xiao Yaning grabbed Qi Hui''s arm imploringly.


    Yu Jun and Qi Hui were also deeply conflicted. On one side, the Sun Family wanted him; the family''s attitude was another, and there was the plea of their recently reunited daughter!


    Other matters might permit flexibility, but how could this bepromised? After all, their son was murdered!


    Besides, they understood why such a heavy coffin was brought to the door, not for anything else but to show determination!


    They wouldn''t stop until their goal was achieved!


    Ah, why did Su Chen have to provoke the Sun Family, and even kill their young master?


    "Uncle Yu, I did this; let me handle it."


    Su Chen smiled faintly and said.


    The Yu Family members couldn''t help but sneer when they heard this.


    Handle it? How will you handle it?


    That''s the Sun Family, even our Yu Family dares not provoke them! What do you think this is?


    You''re a Martial Artist of the Meridian Expansion First Layer, butpared to the Sun Family, you''re far from even meeting expectations...

 Chapter 905 - 905 Shock!

    "Su Chen, you..."


    Yu Jun hesitated when Su Chen said he would handle it himself, feeling a bit troubled, but didn''t know what to say.


    This situation was indeed a dilemma for him!


    "Uncle Yu, I understand."


    Su Chen nodded and then smiled slightly:


    "Rest assured, with just the trivial Sun Family wanting to make a move on me, they don''t have the qualifications!"


    His words revealed immense confidence!


    He dared to face Shengyi Gate, so why would he fear the Sun Family?


    However, everyone in the Yu Family thought this kid was too ignorant of the world!


    Not even putting the Sun Family in his eyes, who else would be worthy?


    Any one of these men from the Sun Family could easily overpower him!


    Yu Jun was also puzzled, unsure where Su Chen''s confidence came from!


    The Sun Family membersughed dismissively, clearly disdainful of Su Chen''s words!


    "Old Five, take him away!"


    Sun Kun suddenly ordered, initially intending to kill him outright, but now deciding to take him back for proper torment to avenge his son!


    Before the words fell, a figure around forty years old moved.


    In an instant, he was beside Su Chen, directly wing towards Su Chen''s shoulder with his five fingers!


    A hint of disdain crept over his lips, despite Old Li saying Su Chen had the strength of the Meridian Expansion Third or Fourth Layer, he didn''t believe it!


    "Get lost!"


    Facing the opponent''s hawk-like sharp w, Su Chen shouted lowly and directly kicked out!


    "Boom!"


    The figure charging at Su Chen was immediately sent flying as if hit by a high-speed train!


    His body directly smashed into a nearby courtyard wall, knocking it down!


    That kick left everyone in the Yu Family stunned!


    That was Old Five of the Sun Family, a figure at the Meridian Expansion Third Layer!


    Was this young man actually able to kick him away with one strike?


    This was just... too unbelievable!


    Yu Jun and his wife, along with the rest of the Yu Family, all stared at Su Chen with wide eyes, unable to utter a word!


    Wasn''t he at the Meridian Expansion First Layer? How could he be so strong?


    Even the Meridian Expansion Third Layer of Old Five from the Sun Family was kicked away by him!


    Not only was the Yu Family shocked, but the members of the Sun Family were even more bewildered!


    Although Sun Kun didn''t quite believe Old Li saying his strength was at the Meridian Expansion Third or Fourth Layer, to be cautious he had Old Five make a move!


    However, he didn''t expect this young man to so effortlessly send Old Five flying!


    Even if he was at the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer, it wouldn''t be this easy, would it?


    This was just too unbelievable!


    "Now I want to see how capable you really are!"


    At this moment, another lightning-fast figure swept towards Su Chen, simultaneously swinging a powerful punch like a meteor!


    Su Chen surged forward as well, slightly tilting his head to evade the powerful punch before delivering a punch of his own in return!


    "Boom!"


    Once again, a loud explosion rang out as Sun Second, at the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer, was also sent flying!


    The entire scene suddenly fell silent, and everyone''s gaze was drawn to the young man!


    All these people had one thought: just how strong was he really?


    Those at the Meridian Expansion realm were even more bewildered; he was clearly only at the Meridian Expansion First Layer!


    How could he be so overwhelmingly powerful?


    "Father, please help Su Chen. He only killed that person because of me!"


    Xiao Yaning once again pleaded desperately.


    Even though Su Chen defeated two opponents, she was still very worried!


    "Hmm? What''s going on?"


    Yu Jun quickly asked upon hearing her words.


    He suddenly realized, although it was confirmed that Su Chen killed the Sun Family''s Young Master, he didn''t yet understand why!


    So, Xiao Yaning began to recount the whole incident at the resort yesterday, from beginning to end.


    "Ah, so that''s how it is!"


    Upon hearing this, Yu Jun''s eyes instantly filled with fire, understanding that Su Chen killed the Sun Family''s young master solely because he harassed his daughter!


    Beside him, Qi Hui tightly clenched her fists as she listened, feeling the Sun Family had truly gone too far, clearly wrong from the start yet stilling here to stir trouble!


    Though Su Chen killed his son, that was because Su Chen was strong enough. What if Su Chen wasn''t that strong?


    What would be the oue for their daughter? It was almost predictable!


    Yu Jun and his wife shuddered with fear just thinking about it!


    "Sun Family Head, you immediately said Su Chen killed your son, but why not mention why he killed him?!"


    Yu Jun spat out angrily.


    "Is that important? What''s important is my son is dead now!"


    Sun Kun said ominously.


    Qi Hui''s face was almost frozen over:


    "Who let him harass my daughter? If not for Su Chen, what would have been her fate, Family Head Sun, have you thought about it?"


    "Your daughter? Howe I didn''t know you had a daughter?"


    Sun Kun only knew about the dispute between his son and that young man over a woman.


    As to who the woman was, he hadn''t paid attention.


    He was puzzled when Xiao Yaning called Yu Jun and his wife Mom and Dad!


    Not having asked earlier due to dealing with a major issue today!


    Hearing Xiao Yaning''s words now, he understood!


    It turns out the woman causing the dispute between his son and this young man was the one standing right here!


    To be fair, she was indeed a rare beauty, no wonder his son, known for being rather promiscuous, took a liking!


    "She is my daughter lost for over twenty years. We just found her!"


    Yu Jun snorted coldly:


    "What? Does the Yu Family need to report its affairs to the Sun Family Head?"


    "So my son died for nothing?"


    Sun Kun''s voice was icy as well.


    Having heard about the Yu Family''s persistent search for their long-lost daughter, he was surprised they finally found her.


    "And what do you want?"


    Qi Hui retorted without backing down.


    "For my son harassing your daughter, I can apologize! But no matter what, this young man must die today!"


    Sun Kun stated decisively.


    "Impossible! Su Chen is under the protection of the Yu Family!"


    Yu Jun looked determined:


    "Unless I die!"


    Yu Jun felt apologetic for not decisively aiding Su Chen initially.


    Now knowing he killed the Sun Family''s Young Master because of Yaning, how could he stand by?


    "Family Head Yu, do you really mean to drag the entire Yu Family in opposition to the Sun Family?"


    Sun Kun squinted slightly, scanning the faces of the Yu Family members.


    The Yu Family members trembled internally; they were conflicted, as they genuinely didn''t want to make an enemy of the Sun Family.


    But considering this happened because of their Miss, to ignore it would feel too weak!


    Moreover, this Miss was the family head''s long-lost daughter...

 Chapter 906 - 906 This Child—Monster!

    "That''s right! Our Yu Family will definitely handle this matter!"


    At this moment, another voice rang out...


    "Family Head Sun, we also deeply regret the death of your son, but the right and wrong of this matter is obvious to anyone!"


    The person who just spoke took two steps forward and said:


    "As my sister-inw just mentioned, have you considered what would have happened to my niece if it weren''t for Su Chen?"


    "For a young girl, that could ruin her entire life!"


    The people of the Yu Family were startled by these words. They could understand the Family Head''s stance, but why did the Fourth Uncle share the same opinion?


    And with such determination?


    Yes, the person who spoke was indeed the Family Head''s fourth brother, Yu Chun. He hadn''t spoken much before, and no one expected him to have this stance!


    With the Family Head and Fourth Uncle having this attitude, what could the other Yu Family members say?


    Su Chen somewhat unexpectedly nced at the Yu Family''s Fourth Uncle. In the past few days, he hadn''t exchanged more than five words with him.


    "But my son is already dead! Yet she stands here perfectly fine!"


    Sun Kun''s face turnedpletely dark as he spoke word by word.


    "That''s not because of anything else, but because Su Chen protected her!"


    Yu Chun calmly stated:


    "Precisely because of this, our Yu Family must protect Su Chen. Otherwise, how can we hold our ground in the Martial Arts World?"


    "Moreover, no matter where this is discussed, our Yu Family is justified!"


    Yu Chun''s righteous words essentially blocked all the Yu Family''s paths of retreat!


    This meant that regardless of the oue, they had to advance and retreat with Su Chen!


    So, for Yu Chun''s stance, not only were the Sun family members perplexed, but even the Yu family members found it somewhat strange!


    Yu Jun and his wife, however, cast grateful nces, and Xiao Yaning also gratefully looked at this usually reticent Fourth Uncle!


    "No matter what you say today, even if you talk your head off, I am still going to kill this boy!"


    Sun Kun''s face contorted sinisterly.


    "Hahaha~~~"


    At this moment, Su Chen suddenly burst intoughter.


    "Boy, what are youughing at?"


    Hearing Su Chen''sughter, Sun Kun found it grating!


    "Are you so confident that you can kill me?"


    Su Chen tilted his head slightly and said mockingly.


    These words left everyone stunned once again!


    Perhaps before, they thought this was a question with no doubt!


    But now?


    Who could guarantee that he would definitely be killed? Even without the Yu Family''s involvement!


    After all, Sun Fifth Lord of Meridian Expansion Third Layer and Sun Second Lord of Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer were easily defeated by him!


    Who knew how truly powerful he was!


    But as the Sun Family''s Family Head, with his son killed and the culprit right in front of him, how could Sun Kun swallow this anger!


    "Then let''s try it!"


    Sun Kun shouted and swung a palm directly towards Su Chen!


    The True Yuan on his palm made a "sizzling" sound in the air, conjuring a terrifying whirlwind that roared up!


    At the same time, a pressure as massive as a mountain enveloped them!


    The Yu Family members all felt the immense pressure, murmuring that the Sun Family Head was certainly extraordinary!


    Faced with this palm, Su Chen also showed a touch of seriousness, feeling that this person''s cultivation was not below his own.


    Of course, even if it were slightly higher, the difference was limited; they were almost equals!


    Now with Su Chen''s cultivation at the Meridian Expansion First Layer, he was infinitely approaching the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer in real strength!


    Seeing Sun Kun approach, Su Chen also moved to meet him, unleashing a burst of violent momentum!


    Quickly, the two shed together, and the muffled sounds of fists and feet colliding echoed continuously!


    Even other Meridian Expansion Realm experts could only see a series of afterimages!


    The Yu Family members watched this scene in shock, their faces full of amazement!


    This young man in his early twenties was actually fighting the Sun Family Head to a standstill!


    Although they might have thought this could happen before, especially since the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer Sun Second Lord was easily defeated by him!


    But when the scene unfolded before them, they still felt an unprecedented impact!


    They couldn''t help but think that this young man was indeed a monster!


    Other members of the Sun Family also didn''t move because they knew if they did, the Yu Family would definitely act!


    Although the Yu Family''s overall strength wasn''t as good as the Sun Family, they were still a medium-to-above Martial Arts Family!


    Yu Family Head Yu Jun was also at the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer!


    Soon a sh of cold light split the afterimages, and the two immediately separated!


    When they parted, everyone saw their clothes were in tatters, like beggars!


    However, a deep, bone-revealing wound on Sun Kun''s chest stood out starkly, with blood continuously flowing out...


    Everyone was dumbfounded; had Su Chen just won this altercation?


    He actually defeated Jiangbei''s top Martial Arts Family''s Head?


    "Let''s go!"


    Sun Kun''s voice was icy as he spoke, his face almost dark enough to drip water!


    At hismand, the Sun Family members, including the just-struggling-to-get-up Sun Second Lord and Sun Fifth Lord, all left.


    Of course, taking with them the ck coffin they brought!


    One could say that the Sun Family came in with great momentum but left in dejection!


    Su Chen watched their backs without any action.


    Although Sun Kun''s cultivation was simr to his, even slightly higher, hisbat experience couldn''tpare to Su Chen, who had often walked the edge of death!


    "Little Su, you really are..."


    Yu Jun looked at Su Chen, shook his head, wanting to say something, but didn''t know what to say.


    "Well done, kid!"


    Just then, Yu Chun also came over, patting Su Chen''s shoulder and grinning.


    "Su Chen, when I initially suggested handing you over, it was for the Yu Family''s sake. Please don''t mind."


    Yu Ran also approached, speaking apologetically.


    "Exactly, the Sun Family isn''t just any ordinary family; we really had no choice."


    Wei Ling said with an awkward smile.


    "No worries."


    Su Chen smiled lightly.


    Yu Ran and his wife shivered at his smile, as if his eyes could see through people''s hearts.


    After today''s events, they had to put away some of their hidden thoughts.


    "Old Third, Old Fourth, and Little Su, let''s go to the side hall to chat."


    Yu Jun said and then walked ahead...


    ....


    On a street in Binjiang, two extended vans sped along, one carrying a pitch-ck coffin inside.


    "Big Brother, are we just going to let this go?"


    Sun Fifth Lord asked in the car.


    "Hmph, killing my son, how could this possibly be the end of it?"


    Sun Family Head Sun Kun snorted coldly.

 Chapter 907: The Old Master of the Sun Family

    "Big brother, what do you n to do?"


    Fifth Master Sun spoke:


    "But that kid is quite strange. With a Meridian Expansion First Layer realm, he actually has such strong power!"


    "It seems Old Li didn''t lie. He really isn''t a match for that young man!"


    Second Master Sun also spoke up.


    Given this young man''s strength, Old Li at Meridian Expansion Second Layer is no match for him at all!


    "I also didn''t expect this kid to be such a monster!"


    Sun Kun said:


    "But this trip was worth it since we finally confirmed his cultivation, nearly at Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer!"


    "Big brother, you still haven''t said what you n to do next?"


    Fifth Master Sun continued to ask.


    "Wait!"


    Sun Kun only said one word.


    "Wait for what?"


    Second Master Sun and Fifth Master Sun asked in unison.


    "The old man will be back soon!"


    "The old man is finallying back?"


    Second Master and Fifth Master Sun eximed simultaneously, a trace of excitement on their faces!


    "This is good. Once the old man is back, let''s see how that kid can jump around!"


    "Exactly, the old man has always favored Xiao Yu, he will definitely tear that kid to pieces!"


    The two were both very excited as they spoke.


    Sun Kun also silently said in his heart:


    "Let that kid live a little longer!"


    ....


    In the side hall of the Yu Family, Su Chen and the three Yu brothers sat around a table.


    "Su Chen, today you really opened our eyes!"


    Yu Jun sighed with a smile.


    He, the proud Family Head of the Yu Family, only at Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer, while this young man barely over twenty was nearly at Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, making him sigh in admiration!


    "Indeed, heroes have always been young throughout history!"


    Yu Ran also praised Su Chen.


    "If today''s events spread, it will surely shock the martial arts world! Many people''s jaws would probably drop in fright!"


    Yu Chunughed heartily, a change from his usual quiet self.


    "If you keep on praising, I might blush!"


    Su Chen said modestly.


    His demeanor amused the Yu brothers.


    "However, Su Chen, the Sun Family won''t let this go easily. You still need to be careful!"


    Yu Jun then solemnly said, dropping his smile.


    "If they dare, let theme!"


    Su Chen snorted disdainfully.


    "Su Chen, you must not be careless."


    Yu Jun hurriedly said when he saw Su Chen''s indifference:


    "First of all, as the top martial arts family in Jiangbei, the Sun Family''s foundation and strength should not be underestimated! Most importantly, the Sun Family has an old man whose strength is not to bepared with Sun Kun''s!"


    "Indeed, the Sun Family''s old man not only has extraordinary strength but also a sinister temperament! It''s just that for the past six months, no one knows where he went. If he returns, you must really be careful!"


    Yu Chun warned seriously as well.


    "Caution is the parent of safety!"


    Yu Ran also echoed.


    "Thank you, uncles, I will be careful."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    Although Su Chen said this, he didn''t really take it to heart.


    Even if his cultivation realm is inferior, he still has his trump card¡ªthe Dragon-ying Sword!


    He does not believe that old fellow can withstand the power of the Dragon-ying Sword!


    Seeing that he still seemed unconcerned, Yu Jun and the others felt quite helpless.


    "However, Uncle Yu, I''m quite worried about you guys. What if they retaliate against you?"


    Su Chen said with some concern.


    "You don''t need to worry about that, they absolutely won''t retaliate against us."


    Yu Jun said:


    "Firstly, although this incident was caused by Yaning, it''s primarily your feud with them, and today we essentially didn''t help you."


    "Secondly, in this matter, it''s our Yu Family that stands on reason. If the news of them retaliating against us gets out, their Sun Family would be despised by the entire martial arts world as well."


    "That''s reassuring."


    Su Chen nodded and said, indeed, the Sun Family retaliating against the Yu Family would not make much sense.


    However, it''s certain that the two families can''t peacefully coexist in the future, which will somewhat impact the Yu Family.


    Su Chen chatted with them a bit more before leaving, while Xiao Yaning was waiting not too far outside the door for him.


    At this moment, her mind was still a whirlwind of emotions, chaotic and unorganized!


    If what happened before just left her feeling overwhelmed, like watching a Hollywood blockbuster!


    Then what just happened was beyond her imagination,pletely overturning her perception!


    As Su Chen came out and hadn''t walked far, she immediately came over to ask:


    "Are you alright?"


    She had been stunned earlier, and by the time she came around, Su Chen had already been called away by her father.


    However, she still felt uneasy, so she waited outside.


    "Of course I''m fine!"


    Su Chen chuckled, showing his usual cheeky grin.


    "You really scared me to death!"


    Xiao Yaning raised her small fist and punched him lightly.


    "Don''t worry, I''m perfectly fine."


    Su Chen held her small hand and said softly.


    "Let go."


    Xiao Yaning, seeing her hand being held, quickly pulled away, her face flushed!


    "Go wash up and change your clothes first."


    Seeing his tattered clothes, Xiao Yaning pushed him slightly.


    Following Xiao Yaning''s guidance, Su Chen went to wash up and get changed¡­


    .....


    At this time, the three Yu brothers were still sitting in the side hall.


    "Fourth brother, thank you very much today!"


    Yu Jun nced at Yu Chun and said.


    The gratitude he mentioned was naturally about how, when he stood up for Su Chen, Yu Chun also stood up to support his decision.


    Actually, at that moment, everyone''s resolve in the Yu Family was still shaky; during that critical time, Yu Chun stepped forward at the right moment and even said those words.


    His actions almost had a decisive effect!


    "Big brother, you should know why I did this."


    Yu Chun lightly smiled.


    "I understand what you mean."


    Yu Jun nodded and said:


    "You want to tie Xiao Su to our Yu Family, don''t you?"


    "Exactly, for him, offending the Sun Family, or even greater forces, is absolutely worthwhile!"


    Yu Chun''s eyes gleamed as he said:


    "If given time, I believe he will grow into someone even beyond our capacity to admire!"


    "Missing this opportunity, we will regret it for a lifetime!"


    "I understand, but it probably won''t be that easy, right?"


    Yu Jun frowned slightly and said:


    "I think he has also guessed your intention."


    "If he guessed, he guessed. There''s nothing to hide anyway."


    Yu Chun blinked at Yu Jun and smiled:


    "Moreover, we have the right time, ce, and people advantage!"

 Chapter 908 - 908 Stars Fill the Sky

    Yu Jun heard this andughed, then shook his head and said:


    "Too bad he''s already married!"


    "So what if he''s married? What''s the big deal?"


    Yu Chun smiled and said:


    "Even if you''re not thinking about strengthening ties with him, big brother, do you think you and sister-inw can actually make much of a difference in this matter?"


    Yu Jun nodded at this, yes, even if Su Chen is just an ordinary person, if Yaning insists on being with him, what can the two of them do as a couple?


    Perhaps there''s nothing else to do but hope they live happily.


    "I''ve been observing for the past few days, and it seems like the two of them aren''t in that kind of rtionship yet, but the feelings are already quite deep."


    Yu Chun smiled and continued:


    "Didn''t you see how nervous Yaning was just now?"


    "Big brother, with a man like Su Chen, it''s definitely not just one or two people who like him, nor is it just one or two women he has, so you and sister-inw really don''t need to get too tangled up in this issue."


    "For now, we can only let nature take its course!"


    Yu Jun sighed and said, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.


    "That''s it, those four words ''let nature take its course''. If in the end, he''s not with Yaning, it just means he has no destiny with our Yu Family."


    Yu Chun pped his hands andughed.


    He then looked seriously at Yu Ran and said:


    "Third brother, since the day Yaning returned, when sister-inw asked about her rtionship with Su Chen, I knew she definitely wanted to introduce Yaning to her brother''s son, Wei Ping."


    "Today, you and sister-inw did that because you saw how close Su Chen and Yaning were, so you hoped something would happen to him."


    "Third brother, I advise both of you, don''t engage in these risky actions in the future. Do you think people didn''t see through your intentions?"


    "They only yed dumb for Yaning''s sake! If you continue without restraint, the consequences will be very serious!"


    "Old Third, what Old Fourth said is exactly what I intend to say. I don''t oppose you and your wife introducing the two of them. If Yaning and Wei Ping are interested in each other and wish to interact, I also have no objections. But if you try these little tricks again, don''t me me for being rude!"


    Yu Jun also spoke coldly.


    "I was wrong, big brother!"


    Yu Ran heard this and didn''t deny it; previously, he hadn''t taken Su Chen seriously.


    Now? Even with ten times the courage, he wouldn''t dare!


    "Alright, brotherhood is just about hitting the right point!"


    Yu Jun patted Yu Ran''s shoulder andughed.


    .....


    Meanwhile, after Su Chen finished his bath and changed clothes, he and Xiao Yaning went out shopping.


    Anyway, they had nothing to do at home.


    That day, Su Chen apanied her shopping for a whole half day; after all, Xiao Yaning was so busy usually, shopping was quite a luxury for her!


    But this was tough for Su Chen, by the time they returned, the packages he held almostpletely covered him!


    She not only bought a lot for herself but also quite a bit for her parents and for Yu Ran and Yu Chun''s families.


    Of course, she also bought some clothes for Su Chen!


    She originally wanted to get things for the others too, but she simply couldn''t carry any more!


    Yu Jun and Qi Hui were moved to tears when they received the gifts!


    Yu Chun and Yu Ran''s families were also very grateful!


    Anyway, this girl was quite understanding and considerate!


    For them, the things didn''t matter; it was the thought that counted...


    ....


    Early the next morning, the Yu family gathered and prepared to return to the actual Yu Family estate.


    The true Yu Family estate was located more than two hundred kilometers east of Binjiang City, in the Azure Dragon Mountain, a mere two or three hours'' drive away.


    But once they got to the Azure Dragon Mountain Range, they had to continue driving dozens of kilometers into the depths of the mountains.


    Like the Sun Family, the Yu Family also had a road built from the outside to the estate, though not as wide and grand as the Sun Family''s.


    When Xiao Yaning stood not far from the entrance of the estate, she saw a connectedplex of buildings spread across several hundred acres, majestic and imposing!


    "Dad, do you usually live here?"


    She couldn''t help but ask.


    "Yes, this is where we, the Yu Family, usually live, spending most of our year here!"


    Yu Jun patted Xiao Yaning''s hair and chuckled.


    "Are there people here as well?"


    Upon walking inside, she noticed people walking back and forth asionally, so she asked.


    "Of course, our Yu family has seventy or eighty people, and most of them stay here."


    Yu Junughed:


    "Knowing you''re not one for lively crowds, we didn''t arrange a wee ceremony. We''ll just introduce you to everyer."


    "That''s best, a bit morefortable."


    Xiao Yaning smiled and nodded.


    They had naturally already prepared a separate courtyard for Xiao Yaning, the youngdy.


    At the same time, they arranged for Su Chen to stay in a guest room not far from the courtyard.


    After settling in a little, the two began to stroll leisurely around the Azure Dragon Mountain Range.


    The fresh air and beautiful environment made Xiao Yaning immediately fond of the ce.


    However, Su Chen, having lived in the Kunlun Mountains for many years, didn''t feel much other than familiarity and a sense offort!


    During dinner, Su Chen and Xiao Yaning naturally dined with Yu Jun''s family.


    Yet life in the mountains wasn''t as colorful as in the city; after dinner, there was almost nothing to do!


    The two could only take a walk around the not yet familiar Yu Family estate before going to rest!


    With nothing else to do, Su Chen again took out the Sheepskin Scroll to study it carefully.


    But after several hours, the result was the same as before!


    However, after so many disappointments, Su Chen seemed to have gotten used to it!


    .....


    Early the next morning, Xiao Yaning got up because today she was to participate in a solitary ritual just for her.


    Once up, she started bathing and dressing, and by eight o''clock, she followed Yu Jun to the ancestral hall, beginning aplex series of rituals.


    With the longstanding traditions of the Yu Family, such an important ceremony held no room for sloppiness or errors!


    When it all ended, it was nearly noon!


    Xiao Yaning had originally nned to leave in the afternoon, but Qi Hui found it hard to let her go, so she stayed another day.


    Faced with Qi Hui''s longing gaze, Xiao Yaning could hardly refuse, so she agreed.


    That night after dinner, Qi Hui took Xiao Yaning to her courtyard and insisted on spending the night to chat together as mother and daughter.


    Thus, Su Chen ended up wandering around alone, as it was too early to sleep anyway.


    As he walked, he found himself in an open space, casuallyy down, and looked up at the myriad of stars!


    The stars seemed especially bright tonight, their light illuminating the entire mountain range!


    After lying down for a while, he once again took out the Sheepskin Scroll to study it...

 Chapter 909 - 909 Buy 1 Get 2

    The words on the sheepskin scroll were clearly visible under the starlight. Hey there staring intently at the sheepskin scroll, studying it closely.


    The content of the text, the nk spaces, the variations in color and depth¡ªeverything was scrutinized, hoping to find some clues from it.


    He was truly unwilling to give up like this!


    But he didn''t know how long he''d been looking at it or how many characters he''d studied. Each time the result was a deep sense of disappointment and frustration!


    As he kept looking, he suddenly felt as if an ancient and rustic aura emitted from the sheepskin scroll, creating some kind of connection with the energies within his body!


    Su Chen''s heart trembled sharply because he''d never felt this way before!


    He instinctively sat up, then spread the sheepskin scroll on the b where he justy resting!


    The starlight poured down on the mountain, the clearing, and this small sheepskin scroll!


    Gradually, the characters on the sheepskin scroll seemed to lift one by one from the scroll, floating in the air, then blurring in his vision...


    At this moment, Su Chen seemed to be drawn by some powerful mysterious force; he didn''t even know whether it was an illusion or a real scene happening!


    Later, the sheepskin scroll seemed to be a nk sheet, devoid of the original cultivation technique, and left only with an eternal ancient aura!


    That aura seemed toe from the high heavens, possessing the majestic power of a king who looked down upon the world, sacred and invible!


    Yet, Su Chen felt inexplicably familiar and intimate with that aura, as if a long-lost soul had found its body!


    He didn''t know how much time had passed when a line of words gradually emerged in the center of the seemingly nk sheepskin scroll:


    With the innate bloodline, inherit the legacy!


    "What is this supposed to mean?"


    Su Chen was stunned and his mind was a whirl of confusion.


    What innate bloodline? What heritage?


    He didn''t understand at all!


    After being in a daze for a moment, he couldn''t help but bite through his fingertip and let a drop of blood drip onto the sheepskin scroll!


    Even he didn''t know why he suddenly did this, as if some voice was urging him to do so!


    "Boom!"


    The moment the drop of blood touched the scroll, the sheepskin scroll vanished, transforming into a vast and ancient aura, enveloping himpletely!


    The majestic aura seemed to keep flowing into his body, utterly beyond his control!


    He suddenly felt a splitting pain in his head, and then he fainted...


    The gentle mountain breeze blew over, and Su Cheny quietly on that clearing, devoid of any awareness...


    The starlight poured down on him, flowing over his body...


    At the same time, among the billions of stars, a previously dim star suddenly brightened, overshadowing the others!


    ....


    Su Chen slowly opened his eyes on a bed, feeling a bit dizzy.


    "What happened to me?"


    Su Chen slowly sat up, thinking in a daze:


    "What exactly happened before? Why did I suddenly faint?"


    As he was puzzled, a sudden explosion urred in his mind!


    All of a sudden, a torrent of information surged into his brain like a tide!


    The sudden change left Su Chen flustered!


    No wonder, who wouldn''t be unnerved if something suddenly filled their head!


    This was when Su Chen''s strong mentalposure showed its effect. After a brief shock, he gradually calmed down.


    At this time, the chaotic information entering his brain seemed to have automatically organized itself, so he did an introspection of the information in his head.


    To his delight, he found that the cultivation technique he had been practicing, the Nine Yang Divine Technique, was also appearing among these pieces of information!


    And that wasn''t all; the parts that were previously missing on the sheepskin scroll were also included in this information!


    Su Chen nced over it and realized that after the Meridian Expansion Realm, there were also the Kaiyuan Realm and the Condensation Pill Realm!


    There seemed to be other realms as well, but those pieces of information had already be fuzzy and were obscured, as if blocked by some force!


    But even so, it was enough to make him ecstatic!


    He could finally cultivate again!


    The heavy stone weighing on his heart could finally rest, and he couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief!


    After putting this matter to rest, he began to look at other information!


    To his astonishment, besides the Nine Yang Divine Technique, his mind contained two more cultivation techniques, namely the Supreme Star Shifting Technique and the Calm Spirit Body Technique.


    What on earth are these things? The names certainly sound mysterious!


    He originally just hoped to obtain thetter parts of the Nine Yang Divine Technique, but unexpectedly, not only were the missing parts of the Nine Yang Divine Technique filled, but there were also two more techniques he was unfamiliar with!


    Was this a case of buy one, get two free?


    In addition to these three cultivation techniques, there seemed to be some other information in his mind, but those too were indistinct.


    "Su Chen, you''re finally awake!"


    At that moment, the door suddenly opened, and a delicate figure rushed in, seeing Su Chen awake, she immediately flew over and hugged him!


    She didn''t expect that the time she spent going to the bathroom, he had already woken up!


    "Yaning, why am I on the bed?"


    A momentter, Su Chen couldn''t help asking.


    "What do you think?"


    Xiao Yaning slowly got up from him after hearing his words and said:


    "You fainted outside and wouldn''t wake up. It was my dad who brought you back."


    "Su Chen, why did you faint outside?"


    Xiao Yaning looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "How would I know!"


    Su Chen said with a wry smile. Indeed, he did not know why he suddenly fainted, but it must have been rted to that sheepskin scroll.


    "You really scared me this time. I wanted to take you to the hospital, but Dad didn''t allow it. He checked you and said you were fine and didn''t need a hospital."


    Xiao Yaning continued with a worried look.


    "Uncle Yu was right. Look, I''m fine now, aren''t I?"


    Su Chen smiled and nced out the window to find that it was already daylight, so he said:


    "Didn''t you say we''re leaving today? Let''s hurry and pack up to prepare to go."


    "What do you mean today? Do you know how long you''ve been unconscious?"


    Xiao Yaning gave him a sidelong nce and said.


    "Didn''t I faintst night?"


    Su Chen asked hesitantly.


    "Night beforest! You''ve been unconscious for three days and nights!"


    Xiao Yaning rolled her eyes and said.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen quickly took out his phone to check, discovering that indeed a few days had passed!


    He was stunned; he had been in aa for more than three days!


    "Are you hungry? Let me get you some food."


    Xiao Yaning asked with concern.


    "No need, I''m fine now; just go out and eat by yourself."


    Su Chen said, feeling embarrassed to have Xiao Yaning serve him food.

 Chapter 910: What to Discuss If Not Money?

    Don''t mention it, after being in aa for several days, Su Chen was really quite hungry. He ate threerge bowls of rice in one go, and polished off all the dishes!


    This made Xiao Yaning, who was watching from the side, a bit dumbfounded. Could his stomach really handle all that?


    "Su, is that enough? If not, I''ll get you some more."


    Qi Hui asked with a smile, but at that moment, there seemed to be something different in her gaze towards Su Chen.


    Hmm, more like a mother-inw looking at her son-inw!


    If Qi Hui was still uncertain about Xiao Yaning''s feelings before, during the days Su Chen was in aa, how could she not see it clearly?


    In those few days, the worry on Xiao Yaning''s face never faded, and she personally stayed by his side the whole time, only resting a little while at the bedside when she was truly exhausted!


    She refused to let the servants take over for her, even for a short while.


    She understood that a woman isn''t just simply fond of a man; her feelings are deeply rooted!


    Added to that, with the words her husband spoke to her a few days ago, Qi Hui decided to leave them be and let them develop naturally.


    Besides, judging by Su Chen''s demeanor, it seemed he wouldn''t give her daughter any grief.


    Once her mindset shifted, Qi Hui naturally became more affectionate towards Su Chen!


    "That''s enough, Auntie, I''m already full!"


    Su Chen quickly said, but after seeing Qi Hui''s gaze, couldn''t help but feel a tremor in his heart!


    .....


    Now that Su Chen had awoken and seemed fine, Xiao Yaning was preparing to go back, considering she''d stayed long enough.


    The Yu Jun couple knew she was quite busy with work, so they didn''t insist on her staying longer.


    Originally, they nned to leave a few days ago, but due to Su Chen''sa, they had already extended their stay.


    Nheless, the Yu Jun couple personally took the two to Binjiang''s airport, seizing an opportunity for a couple more hours together.


    At the airport entrance, after a few words of advice, Xiao Yaning urged them to head back quickly, and then they entered the airport''s doors.


    But immediately afterward, bad news arrived; there was a heavy rain in Yandu, causing flight dys.


    This dy, who knows how long it wouldst, but it seemed a few hours were inevitable.


    They had no choice but to wait.


    Just at that moment, Su Chen''s phone rang. He looked and saw it was an unfamiliar number calling, so he answered.


    "Mr. Su, why hasn''t anyone been answering your phone these past few days?"


    As soon as the call connected, the voice on the other side asked curiously.


    "Is there something you need?"


    Su Chen casually replied. He immediately recognized the voice as Bai Yang, the Bai Family''s young master, whom he''d met a few days ago.


    Indeed, during thatte-night snack, he had left Bai Yang his number.


    "Oh, it''s like this, didn''t I mention before that there''s an antique fair here in Binjiang? Are you interested in checking it out?"


    Bai Yang said. He had been calling for two days just to mention this, but the calls weren''t able to get through.


    He obviously wasn''t aware that Su Chen had been in aa and couldn''t pick up the phone.


    Of course, Xiao Yaning wouldn''t answer his calls either.


    Upon hearing Bai Yang''s words, Su Chen recalled there indeed was such a matter, and he had said he would visit if he had the time.


    "When is this antique fair?" Su Chen asked.


    "It''s happening right now, just started. If you''re interested, Mr. Su, I cane to pick you up!"


    "No need, just tell me the location; I can take a taxi there myself."


    Su Chen thought about it for a moment. Since he couldn''t leave anyway, instead of waiting idly, he might as well go to have a look and pass the time.


    Then Bai Yang informed him of the venue''s location for the antique fair, and Su Chen took a taxi with Xiao Yaning to go there.


    They weren''t worried about missing their flight since they could stay updated with the flight information on their phones.


    Twenty minutester, the two appeared at the entrance of a spacious warehouse where the antique fair was held inside.


    At this point, a young man, who had been waiting at the entrance, immediately approached with a warm smile:


    "Mr. Su, Miss Xiao, you''ve arrived!"


    "Young Master Bai, we can go in on our own, so there''s no need to wait here."


    Su Chen said.


    "You may not be aware, Mr. Su, but the antique fair has quite strict requirements; an invitation or someone to escort you is needed to enter."


    Bai Yang exined.


    Of course, even if this wasn''t the rule, Bai Yang would still have waited here.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen nced towards the entrance and noticed guards checking invitations.


    Then, he and Xiao Yaning followed Bai Yang inside. At the entrance, Bai Yang presented the invitation for the guards to see, and then the three entered.


    In reality, for Bai Family''s young master, even without an invitation, it wouldn''t matter; he could simply get in with his reputation.


    After entering, Su Chen nced around and found the ce more spacious than he had imagined; even during the day, the lights were bright!


    Inside, there were numerous stalls disying various antiques, porcin, paintings, and more.


    Su Chen took a quick look around; the items there seemed noteworthy, each estimated to be worth at least hundreds of thousands!


    Anyone without some wealth would certainly hesitate toe to a ce like this!


    "Young Master Bai, we''ll take a look around ourselves."


    Su Chen saw Bai Yang was following them and said.


    He didn''t mean anything else, just preferred not having someone tagging along.


    "Alright then, Mr. Su, Miss Xiao, I happen to have friends over there, so I''ll go greet them."


    Bai Yang understood Su Chen''s intention and delicately replied.


    After Su Chen nodded, Bai Yang stepped away.


    Then Su Chen and Xiao Yaning started wandering around.


    It was Xiao Yaning''s first time in such a ce, and she felt it was quite fascinating, lingering at each stall for a while.


    "This pendant is nice, boss, how much is it?"


    Su Chen asked while holding a pendant.


    "Sir, you have a good eye; this pendant features an embedded exquisite cat''s eye jade, at least 15 million."


    The stall owner responded enthusiastically.


    "Su Chen, why are you buying this?"


    Xiao Yaning asked from the side.


    "To give it to you."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "I gave Ye Mei a gift for her birthdayst time, but didn''t give you anything. Didn''t you say I should make up for it?"


    Actually, Su Chen already owned much more valuable items, but he suddenly thought this piece suited Xiao Yaning perfectly and decided to buy it for her.


    "No, no, that''s way too expensive!"


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Yaning quickly waved her hands.


    She might have epted something worth tens of thousands, but this was over tens of millions, simply beyond measure. "No worries, between us, do we need to talk about money?"


    Su Chen chuckled and said, then handed the boss a card for payment.


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Yaning didn''t say anything else, especially since the boss was already processing the payment.


    Fortunately, she knew this amount of money was negligible for Su Chen; otherwise, she''d never ept it!


    However, hearing Su Chen''s earlier words, she couldn''t help but want to ask:


    "If we''re not discussing money between us, then what are we discussing, feelings?"

 Chapter 911: 1000 Times

    Su Chen personally put the pendant on Xiao Yaning, which indeed made her look even more noble and elegant.


    Xiao Yaning touched the pendant in front of her chest, her heart was sweet, not because of its value.


    To be honest, a few million means nothing to her either.


    But since this was a gift from Su Chen, it holds a different significance.


    "I''ll choose something to give you as a gift too." Xiao Yaning smiled and said.


    "Sure!" Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    Then the two continued to stroll around inside, and as they reached a stall, Xiao Yaning''s eyes suddenly lit up. She picked up a ring and said:


    "Look at this ring, it''s quite unique, let''s go with this one."


    "What would a man do with a ring!"


    Su Chen immediately shook his head and spat upon hearing.


    "Try it on!"


    Without saying a word, Xiao Yaning grabbed Su Chen''s hand and slipped the ring onto it.


    "What does this look like!"


    Su Chen nced at the ring, seeing it was entirely ck with a circle of small intricate patterns, exuding an ancient charm.


    "Isn''t it quite special?"


    Holding his hand, Xiao Yaning looked and smiled.


    This ring would never make people think it''s a wedding or couple ring, but rather just a piece of jewelry.


    That''s exactly why she dared to give it.


    If it were a diamond or simr type of ring, she definitely wouldn''t give it, since she knows he has a wife.


    "Boss, how much?" Xiao Yaning asked.


    "Honestly, I don''t really know the background of this ring, so I''m just selling it casually. If you like it, give me a hundred thousand."


    The owner candidly said.


    If people outside heard this, they would definitely say, you dare sell something for ten thousand when you don''t even know what it is?


    Do you think money grows on trees?


    However, it''s quite understandable, selling things often depends on the environment.


    Just like a bottle of mineral water, originally costing one or two yuan, might cost five or even ten yuan in a hotel, and even more in a scenic area!


    In fact, the item remains the same.


    This ring might not even fetch five hundred yuan on an outdoor stall, or might bepletely ignored, but here it''s sold for such a price!


    After all, everything else here costs at least hundreds of thousands, selling this ring for a few hundred yuan would be unfitting!


    Moreover, every stall here has to pay a considerable entrance fee, naturally making it more expensive!


    Plus, who among those entering here would turn a blind eye to ten thousand yuan?


    "Swipe the card."


    Xiao Yaning also took out a card and handed it to the stall owner.


    While Xiao Yaning was paying, Su Chen was shocked to find that the ring seemed to suddenly shrink!


    When it was just put on, it was a bit oversized, but now it seemed to automatically fit Su Chen''s finger, bing just right.


    This discovery left Su Chen astonished!


    Could it be that there''s something peculiar about this ring?


    He carefully examined it but didn''t find anything wrong or unusual.


    "Su Chen, don''t say it''s too cheap!"


    Xiao Yaning tilted her head and smiled.


    She didn''t feel like she had to return a gift of equal value just because Su Chen gave her something worth tens of millions. That would be too formal and too focused on appearances.


    She and Su Chen thought alike, simply feeling that the item looked good on the other person, and that''s why they bought it.


    "Am I that kind of person?"


    Su Chen pursed his lips and said.


    The two of them then continued to look around at other stalls...


    At this moment, three or four men in ck suits suddenly entered the venue!


    They hurriedly walked towards Su Chen, passed by Su Chen and Xiao Yaning, and went straight to the stall they had just left!


    "The ring? Where''s that ring?"


    One of them red at the empty stall and immediately shouted with crimson eyes.


    "Sold... sold."


    The owner was frightened by their fierce demeanor and stammered.


    "Didn''t I ask you to keep it for me?"


    That man asked angrily.


    "I didn''t know if you woulde back!"


    The stall owner said innocently.


    That''s true, what if you left and never returned, who would I look for!


    "Don''t bother with him; ask him who he sold it to."


    At this point, another man in a suit spoke deeply.


    "Who did you sell that ring to?!"


    The man immediately grabbed the stall owner''s cor furiously when he heard it.


    He looked as if he was ready to eat someone alive!


    "He... them."


    The owner fearfully pointed to Su Chen and Xiao Yaning''s backs.


    The man immediately let go of the stall owner, throwing him to the ground, then walked straight towards Su Chen.


    Several of them surrounded Su Chen and Xiao Yaning.


    "Is that owner''s ring with you?"


    The man who had just attacked the owner asked coldly.


    "Yes, any problem?"


    Su Chen raised his hand with the ring and said.


    "Hand over the ring, whatever you paid for it, we''ll give you."


    The man ordered.


    "Why should I?"


    Su Chen tilted his head and asked with a smile.


    "Ten times!"


    The other man said.


    "Not selling."


    Su Chen refused without hesitation.


    "A hundred times!"


    The man continued expressionlessly.


    By now, themotion had attracted quite a few people, who got a rough idea of the situation from those nearby earlier.


    When they heard the offer of a hundred times, they gasped!


    They all admired the young man in the center of the crowd, who had made such a huge profit just after buying something!


    The owner climbing back up heard this and almost fell to the ground again, nearly crying tearlessly!


    If only I had waited for them, knowing they are willing to pay so much!


    The item is already sold, and it''s toote for regret!


    "Sorry, I don''t have the habit of selling things."


    Su Chen shook his head and smiled.


    As soon as Su Chen said this, everyone was stunned!


    A hundred times! This guy still wouldn''t sell?


    Isn''t that too greedy?


    "A thousand times!"


    The man continued deeply.


    As he finished his words, everyone waspletely shocked!


    Are these men in suits crazy?


    They are willing to pay a thousand times the price for an item, are they out of their minds?


    Their eyes couldn''t help butnd on Su Chen, admiring him greatly!


    This young man is impressive!


    Calmly made them increase the offer by ten times, surely he would be satisfied now?


    The stall owner''s mind went nk upon hearing this!


    He wished he were still lying on the ground, wished he hadn''t heard this, as now his heart was bleeding!

 Chapter 912 - 912 Ninjutsu

    "I''ve just said earlier, I don''t have the habit of selling things."


    Su Chen spoke indifferently:


    "Even if you offer me ten thousand times the price, I still won''t sell it!"


    Of course, these words were merely Su Chen''s polite refusal.


    In his view, since the other party was willing to pay a thousand times the price for this ring, it indicated that the ring was indeed very special! He had already sensed this from its ability to automatically adjust its size!


    Although he was still unclear about the reason behind this!


    Apart from this, there was another more important reason why Su Chen was unwilling to sell to them.


    That was because he discovered that these people were actually from the Ind Country!


    Although their Huaxianguage was spoken very fluently, they were indeed from the Ind Country!


    Su Chen had never had a good impression of people from the Ind Country.


    So no matter how much money they offered, Su Chen would never sell it to them, even if it was just a piece of scrap metal!


    "Are you looking for death?!"


    The previously hot-tempered man shouted angrily, his eyes fiercely staring at Su Chen!


    "Everyone, I''m sorry, please calm down, please calm down."


    At this moment, a middle-aged man led a group of security guards over, and Bai Yang apanied him.


    The middle-aged man walked up to them, cupped his hands, and chuckled:


    "I am Dong Mingkang, the organizer of this antique fair. If there''s anything, let''s discuss it properly, don''t get angry!"


    "Let''s go!"


    The man who had made the offer earlier cast a deep nce at Su Chen, snorted coldly, and then walked out with the others.


    After all, this was Huaxia, and they dared not behave too recklessly in such a public ce!


    Due to recent events, Xiao Yaning wasn''t as scared facing the earlier situation, she just tightly held Su Chen''s hand!


    If it were in the past, faced with such fierce people, she would have certainly been terrified, and worried endlessly.


    "Young Master Bai, since your friend is here, I''ll take my leave."


    Dong Mingkang smiled and said, then walked away.


    "Did you call these people over?"


    Su Chen looked at Dong Mingkang and the security guards behind him and asked.


    "Yes, I figured Mr. Su wouldn''t want to start anything here, so I called Dong Mingkang over, and it''s also his responsibility."


    Bai Yang chuckled and said.


    He immediately called Dong Mingkang upon realizing those people were unusual.


    "Thank you!"


    Su Chen patted Bai Yang''s shoulder and said.


    Then Su Chen and Xiao Yaning looked around for a while, bought some trinkets, and then rushed to the airport.


    This time Bai Yang offered to see them off, and Su Chen did not refuse!


    Screech!


    After the car had traveled some distance, two or three cars suddenly intercepted Bai Yang''s car!


    "Can''t hold back anymore, huh?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a cold smile, murmuring to himself, as he had already noticed the presence of these cars!


    "You two stay in the car, don''t get out, I''ll handle this."


    Su Chen said to the pair and stepped out of the car.


    At this moment, the doors of the other cars opened, from which several figures emerged, it was the same four people from the Ind Country.


    "You n to rob me?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a cold smile, asking.


    "Kid, hand over the ring obediently and I''ll spare your life!"


    The man who seemed to be the leader, dressed in a suit, spoke with a gloomy face. He was the one who had earlier made the offer to Su Chen.


    "You seem to want this ring badly, what''s so special about it?"


    Su Chen asked deliberately.


    "You don''t need to know!"


    The man coldly replied.


    He certainly wouldn''t reveal any information about the ring to Su Chen.


    "What if I don''t hand it over?"


    Su Chen smiled yfully.


    "Then it means you''ve given up your only chance to live!"


    The man spoke coldly.


    The cultivation methods of the Ind Country and Huaxia are simr, so naturally, they could see that Su Chen was a Meridian Expansion First Layer. Though they felt a bit surprised, they didn''t pay attention to Su Chen.


    Actually, the cultivation methods worldwide are quite simr, differing only slightly.


    "Hehe, quite self-confident!"


    Su Chen coldly smiled, then looked at the four and said:


    "If you kneel down now and admit your mistakes, I might still forgive you!"


    "Kid, what did you say? You want us to kneel down and admit our mistakes?"


    The more hot-tempered man immediately sneered:


    "Do you know who we are? Asking us to kneel and apologize?"


    The others also sneered, treating Su Chen''s words as a joke.


    "All I need to know is that you''ve offended me!"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "Kid, you''re quite arrogant!"


    The man disdainfully curled his mouth and said:


    "Apparently, you still haven''t seen the situation clearly, it''s necessary to make you sober up!"


    Saying this, the manunched a punch at Su Chen, and the others moved in response!


    Su Chen didn''t back down either, he directly rushed up and struck at the four!


    However, Su Chen was quite surprised when all of his strikes missed!


    "Ninjutsu?"


    Su Chen''s eyes slowly narrowed, he had seen ninjutsu before, such as Iga-ryu, Kouga-ryu, Ino-ryu from the Ind Country, all having ninjas.


    Ninjas are divided into three levels based on their strength: Lower Ninja, Middle Ninja, Upper Ninja!


    But the ninjutsu of these people in front of him was evidently even stronger than the Upper Ninja he had encountered!


    Su Chen wasn''t worried though, because regardless of the level of ninjutsu, it''s all rooted in speed, evolving based on the five elements, supplemented by makeup, hiding, hidden weapons, assassination, ambush, and other tactics!


    But at this moment on the street, they had nowhere to hide!


    Moreover, facing Su Chen, they didn''t intend to hide.


    They didn''t consider Su Chen a threat at all.


    With a cultivation level around Meridian Expansion Third Layer along with mysterious ninjutsu, they did qualify as experts!


    So not putting Su Chen, who appeared to be First Layer, in their eyes was considered normal!


    Yet after Su Chen struck several times earlier, they became somewhat serious!


    This young man''s strength seemed to be even stronger than they expected!


    "Attack!"


    Those people shed again and surrounded Su Chen, while Su Chen also confronted them again.


    This time, however, his steps werepletely different from before, as if following some hidden pattern, even his speed seemed to carry a certain rhythm and melody!


    Boom, boom, boom, boom!


    Four muffled sounds rang out, and the people were all knocked flying by Su Chen.


    When theynded, they all spat out arge mouthful of blood!


    When they looked at Su Chen again, a look of astonishment appeared on their faces!


    How could this person be so strong?


    The most critical thing was, how could he know their movement trajectory?


    It should be known that for ninjas at their level, movement trajectory is the hardest to grasp!


    However, this young man seemed to easily see through it, making thempletely vulnerable before him...

 Chapter 913: 3 Cultivation Techniques

    Immediately, a patch of white mist shed before those people, and their figures disappeared; clearly, they had escaped!


    "Art of Stealth!"


    Su Chen watched this scene, his eyes slightly narrowed.


    However, he didn''t pursue, first because the four individuals dispersed in four directions, and at most he could only catch one or two.


    The main reason was, what if they had aplices nearby? That was very possible!


    If he went chasing, what would happen if their aplices came out to hold Xiao Yaning captive?


    So, Su Chen moved the Audi blocking the way with one hand directly aside, then got into the car!


    This scene startled Bai Yang and Xiao Yaning sitting in the car; moving a car with one hand, wasn''t that terrifying?


    Moreover, he seemed so rxed and casual, as if picking up a small item!


    Bai Yang once again confirmed the correctness of his father''s advice to build a good rtionship with this young man!


    "Are you okay?"


    Although Xiao Yaning wasn''t as scared as before, she was still somewhat worried.


    "I''m fine, let''s drive."


    Su Chen said gently.


    Hearing this, Bai Yang restarted the car and drove towards the airport.


    After delivering Su Chen and Xiao Yaning to the airport, Bai Yang left.


    ......


    An hourter, Su Chen and Xiao Yaning finally boarded the ne to Yandu.


    When it was past seven in the evening, the ne slowlynded at Yandu Airport.


    Returning to Yandu again aroused a feeling of familiarity in Su Chen.


    After exiting the airport, Su Chen first drove Xiao Yaning back to the hotel.


    When they went to Binjiang, Su Chen drove to pick up Xiao Yaning and her father to the airport, so his car was parked here all along.


    Xiao Yaning had some matters to deal with here and would be returning to Jianghai in a few days.


    After dropping off Xiao Yaning, he drove straight home, and when he arrived, Lin Ruoxue had just returned not long before.


    He had already called home in advance, telling them roughly when he would return, so Wang Ma and the others had been waiting for him to eat dinner together.


    It''s been a long time since he ate with the family, and this meal was very cheerful.


    However, after the meal, Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen sat on the sofa chatting for a while, ate some fruit, then continued working upstairs.


    There''s no choice, the closer it gets to the end of the year, the busier the group is, and now it''s only about twenty days until the new year.


    Especially this year, so many things happened in Belle Group, their strength is no longerparable to before, making them even busier.


    After Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to work, Su Chen entered his old room and closed the door.


    Then, he sat cross-legged on the bed, as if in his usual cultivation state, and slightly closed his eyes to start checking the three cultivation techniques in his mind.


    Since these three cultivation techniques appeared in his mind, he hadn''t had the chance to take a good look at them.


    At this moment, he was naturally impatient, since he still didn''t know what the other two cultivation techniques were like.


    He already understood the Nine Yang Divine Technique well. As long as he had the technique, continuing cultivation wasn''t difficult.


    Thus, he focused his attention on the other two techniques, first checking the information on "Calm Spirit Body Technique."


    However, the opening sentence of this technique shocked him!


    Because it said¡ªCalm Spirit Body Technique, cultivated to the extreme, the body can suppress gods!


    Seeing this, Su Chen realized it was a body cultivation technique.


    But was it boasting this much?


    Of course, in Su Chen''s view, the so-called god suppression wasn''t real but an exaggerated expression of how incredible the technique was.


    After all, are there really gods in this world?


    He found this Calm Spirit Body Technique, like the Nine Yang Divine Technique, only had the first twoyers, with most of thetter missing!


    He skimmed the description of the first twoyers and was even more shocked!


    If the information is true, even the first twoyers are very, very, very powerful!


    Even cultivating just oneyer is extremely formidable!


    Although a martial artist''s physical body strengthens with cultivation realm improvement, it doesn''tpare to this Calm Spirit Body Technique''s description, like ants to elephants!


    But he cannot currently cultivate this technique because, ording to the information, the first step in cultivating this is body refining.


    Body refining requires assistance; the least is medicine, essence blood is better, with ck Dragon or Flood Dragon essence blood being ideal; naturally, the best is True Fire!


    Su Chen currently doesn''t know what ck Dragon, Flood Dragon essence blood, or True Fire is.


    Even the medicinal materials needed for body refining, Su Chen, the Ghost Doctor, only knows partially.


    Therefore, Su Chen can''t even take the first step in cultivating the Calm Spirit Body Technique, let alone further!


    No choice, Su Chen turned his attention to the other technique, "Supreme Star Shifting Technique"!


    It made him want to cry with frustration; this technique... only shows the firstyer!


    Do you have to be so tricky?!


    Su Chen cried out helplessly in his heart.


    He didn''t expect each of the three cultivation techniques to keep most spells hidden!


    How should he unlock these hidden techniques?


    Su Chen had no idea!


    But faced with reality, he had no choice but to first check the specific contents of the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique."


    Just a nce startled him!


    This technique is actually for cultivating Ster Power, or Star Energy!


    To him, this was practically incredible!


    Ster Power! Such mysterious stuff, can it be cultivated?


    It was something he never dared dream of before!


    However, it seems this technique isn''t easy to cultivate either; its contents are deeply obscure and challenging toprehend!


    He estimated it would take a long time to understand it!


    But this is normal since it''s a technique for cultivating Ster Power!


    The starry sky is inherently vast and filled with mystery!


    Reflecting on the three cultivation techniques in his mind, Su Chen was profoundly shaken!


    It''s clear that these three techniques all seem so unbelievable, making them hard to believe!


    Of course, if he knew the true origins of these three techniques, he would find it even more than just shocking!


    No choice, for now, Su Chen had to continue cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    Though he couldn''t cultivate the other two techniques yet, he was very satisfied!


    After all, previously, he couldn''t even continue cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    So, he cleared his mind of distractions and focused on cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique...

 Chapter 914: Cangyue Ring

    The feeling of being able to cultivate again made him feel veryfortable, very at ease!


    Su Chen continued cultivating until eleven o''clock, then stopped and went upstairs to shower and sleep.


    The so-called "absence makes the heart grow fonder," and naturally, their night was filled with passion, leaving many marks from each other on their bodies!


    The next morning, the two came downstairs looking vibrant and refreshed.


    Especially Lin Ruoxue, she was glowing, as if she had been nourished...


    Lin Ruoxue''s noticeable change caught the attention of others, who couldn''t help but give her an extra look, which made Lin Ruoxue feel a bit embarrassed.


    Su Chen didn''t mind, cheerfully greeting everyone with a "good morning" before sitting down to eat breakfast.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and Yan Xi drove to thepany separately, while Su Chen didn''t go to thepany but drove to the manor, where it was undeniably more convenient to cultivate.


    With great difficulty, he finally resumed cultivating, and Su Chen''s enthusiasm was naturally high!


    Previously, he had worried about it for quite some time!


    As soon as Su Chen started cultivating, he quickly regained that mysterious yet familiar feeling.


    Once immersed in cultivation, hepletely lost track of time, and before he knew it, it was already afternoon.


    After finishing his cultivation, Su Chen couldn''t help but look again at the pitch-ck ring in his hand.


    Why did those people from the Ind Country want to seize this ring? What is so strange about it?


    He examined it and then took the ring off to observe. After the change, the ring fit perfectly, not tightly constricting his hand.


    He discovered that the inner circle of the ring also had some tiny patterns, and it seemed to have two characters, extremely small.


    He took a closer look and found the two characters were "Cang Yue!"


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a certain ce in the Ind Country, there was an ancient building.


    In one of the rooms of this building, a row of men knelt there.


    These men were the ones attempting to seize Su Chen''s ring yesterday; their faces were pale, clearly not yet recovered from their injuries!


    A man of undiscernible age sat above them, with a solemn face and emitting a terrifying aura of sinister energy!


    "Can you confirm it''s the Cangyue Ring?"


    His chilling voice rang out, as if it came from the Netherworld!


    "This subordinate isn''t sure, it just looked very much like the one you showed us in the data, Ghost Master."


    One of the men said, trembling.


    "If that''s the case, why did someone else buy it first?"


    The man above asked coldly.


    "Subordinate, subordinate wasn''t sure, so I thought we could alle and see if it really was."


    The man was already sweating coldly, his face filled with fear.


    "Fool!"


    The man above suddenly shouted coldly:


    "Couldn''t you have bought it first before talking?"


    "Yes, it was my mistake, subordinate admits!"


    The man bowed his head to admit his mistake, feeling extremely frustrated!


    He had no idea such an inconspicuous ring would be bought in the short time he left.


    He thought even if it sat there for a month, no one would ask about it. Actually, he was quite unlucky; under normal circumstances, no one would buy it, or else the owner wouldn''t have sold it for just 100,000 at an antique fair.


    Yesterday just happened to be Xiao Yaning wanting to give Su Chen a gift, and besides that ring, there seemed to be nothing else suitable at the scene.


    Xiao Yaning certainly wouldn''t give him antique calligraphy, paintings, or porcin, right? Apart from that ring, the only other option was jade.


    Su Chen had already given her jade; she wanted to give something different. After considering all options, there was only the ring left.


    Of course, Xiao Yaning also thought the ring was unique enough!


    "Admitting mistakes is meaningless!"


    The man''s voice sounded as if it came from a ce of extreme cold, and then he lightly breathed out:


    "Come in!"


    As soon as his words fell, a woman with long hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a long skirt, walked in, her face a mask of coldness!


    "Ghost Master!"


    She came to the side of the man above and bowed, saying.


    "I''ll give you one more chance. This time I''ll send Qian Ying with you, make sure to bring the Cangyue Ring back to me!"


    The man above swept his gaze over the kneeling men below and said.


    "Rest assured, Ghost Master, with Master Qian Ying''s help, we will definitelyplete the task!"


    The men quickly said, their faces filled with joy!


    They originally thought they would be severely punished, or even possibly face death!


    Unexpectedly, the Ghost Master not only didn''t punish them but gave them another chance!


    This was simply delightful!


    That''s not all; the Ghost Master even dispatched Qian Ying, one of his eight top experts.


    With Master Qian Ying''s involvement, they were fully confident they could take the ring back from that kid!


    "If you fail to seize the opportunity again this time, all of you will go to Ghost Cave when you return!"


    The man''s voice sounded again, as if it came from the Ghost Mansion!


    Upon hearing this, the men couldn''t help but tremble violently, their souls seemingly shaking with fear!


    Even the woman who just walked in reacted likewise!


    Evidently, the Ghost Cave is a ce that terrifies them greatly!


    Then, the man above swept his sleeve and left.


    "Master Qian Ying, we''re counting on you this time!"


    After the man left, the kneeling men quickly got up worriedly and said to that woman.


    "If you don''t want to enter the Ghost Cave, just do your job well!"


    The woman responded icily.


    "Yes, yes, yes, we''ll follow Master Qian Ying''s instructions in everything!"


    The men nodded repeatedly...


    ......


    Su Chen watched the ring for a while but couldn''t figure out what was so special about it, so he wore it again.


    Then he drove to the Pei Family mansion, of course intending to check how Pei Man was recovering.


    Moreover, because he was unconscious he hadn''t called in the few days before his return, so he didn''t know the current situation!


    However, Pei Jian hadn''t contacted him, so presumably there were no issues.


    When he arrived at the Pei Family mansion gate, the gatekeeper was already well-acquainted with Su Chen, naturally allowing him in without any hindrance.


    As Su Chen reached the door to Pei Man''s room, she was inside carefully and slowly walking.


    Though her steps didn''t seem steady, at least she could walk!


    Upon hearing footsteps, Pei Man couldn''t help but raise her head, and upon seeing Su Chen, a joyful expression immediately appeared on her elegant and ethereal face!


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly an exmation rang out, and Pei Man''s body was about to fall.


    Pei Jian beside her was also startled, quickly preparing to help, but Su Chen was faster, and Pei Man instantly fell into his arms!


    "Fortunately, fortunately, really, you gave me a scare!"


    Pei Jian said with lingering fear and then looked at Pei Man disapprovingly:


    "You shouldn''t get this excited just because he''s here!"

 Chapter 915 - 915 Qi Meng in Danger

    When Pei Jian spoke, Pei Man blushed slightly.


    Just now, she had indeed gotten distracted because she saw Su Chen, and she was still practicing walking. If her focus slips, she could fall, couldn''t she?


    "Miss Pei, how long are you nning to take advantage of me?"


    Su Chen also smiled yfully.


    "Who''s taking advantage of you!"


    Pei Man retorted shyly and then leaned on Su Chen''s body to stand up.


    Su Chen saw that Pei Man was in good condition, so he stayed with her to practice for an hour, instructed on some matters, and then left.


    Actually, the instructions were the same as before¡ªfour words: Step by Step!


    Su Chen then got ready to drive back to thepany, but just as he was about to reach thepany, suddenly his phone rang with the sound of a message.


    He originally didn''t pay much attention, but when he picked it up and looked at it, his pupils suddenly contracted sharply!


    Qi Meng is in danger!


    Because this was the quick secret code he and Qi Meng had agreed on previously!


    So he immediately turned the car around and sped off towards the northern part of the city, with the gas pedalpletely to the floor!


    Without a doubt, the people from the Judgment Department must have arrived!


    This day was bound toe eventually!


    They couldn''t contact the so-called Envoy, so naturally, they would send someone to investigate.


    If the investigation yields no results, they won''t just let it go; instead, they''ll increase their power to handle the unfinished business!


    That''s why Su Chen was so nervous at this moment!


    Qi Meng''s strength is ultimately too weak, only at the Qi Refinement Peak!


    ording to Su Chen''s n, it would be best to wait until he advanced his strength one or two tiers, and then have Qi Meng lead him to destroy the Judgment Department!


    But clearly, the opponent won''t follow his n!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a courtyard located in the suburbs north of the city.


    Qi Meng looked at the three ck-robed figures in front of her, her face turning pale!


    Although these people did not release any pressure, they gave her a tremendous sense of oppression!


    She felt that each of these individuals seemed more dangerous than the previous Envoy!


    Though she had already sent a message to Su Chen, could he get here in time?


    Even if he arrives in time, could he be their match?


    Truthfully, she felt the hope was slim!


    But apart from this, she had no other option but to wait for death!


    In fact, at the moment she sent the message, she already felt a vague sense of regret!


    She felt she was being too selfish!


    If she really had to die, it would be enough for her alone, why drag Su Chen into it?


    Although they were unlikely to spare Su Chen, it hadn''t happened yet, right?


    "Qi Meng, you''re quite good at hiding!"


    One of the ck-robed figures sneered:


    "What''s the point of hiding here? We found you all the same!"


    "I did nothing wrong, why should I be killed?"


    Qi Meng stubbornly asked.


    "Qi Meng, you''ve been with the Division long enough to ask such a naive question."


    The ck-robed figureughed scornfully:


    "The rules are the rules; failing the mission means death!"


    "Why? I won''t ept it!"


    Qi Meng''s face was full of indignation!


    If she had been brainwashed by the Judgment Department in the past, thinking it normal.


    But after interacting with Su Chen, she increasingly resisted it!


    Because she now understands the meaning of existence as an independent person!


    Why? She was not livestock to be ughtered!


    "Won''t ept? Does it matter?"


    The ck-robed figureughed disdainfully, seeing Qi Meng as nothing more than an ant!


    What''s the point of an ant''s struggle?


    No matter how unwilling or resentful she was now, what could she do?


    "Alright, time''s almost up!"


    Another ck-robed figure spoke:


    "Let''s deal with her quickly, we still need to find that young man and get the Cultivation Technique from him!"


    As he spoke, the powerful aura of Meridian Expansion Third Layer emanated from him!


    To her, this aura formed a massive pressure, and under its influence, she felt like a lone leaf in the ocean, with no room to resist!


    Her mind was almost frozen under the intimidation of this pressure!


    And this was just one person!


    If all three released it simultaneously, the pressure would be enough to utterly crush her!


    "No! I have to hold on! At least until Su Chen arrives!"


    Qi Meng silently told herself in her heart!


    Even if it was just to see him onest time before dying, she had to hold on!


    Qi Meng, who was almost about to sumb and kneel on the ground, forcefully resisted the pressure again, slowly straightening her body!


    "Hmm? Still has some fight in her!"


    The ck-robed figure saw Qi Meng''s response and was slightly taken aback, then sighed:


    "But what use is it?"


    Then the ck-robed figure casually struck with a palm towards Qi Meng!


    The other two ck-robed figures stood still, surely dealing with Qi Meng alone didn''t require them to take action!


    Even with Su Chen added, any one of them would already be enough!


    The reason these three high-rank Holy Knights were sent together was because the previous high-rank Holy Knight at Meridian Expansion First Layer mysteriously disappeared, likely dead!


    The Division wasn''t very assured, so they sent these three here.


    Another reason is the High Priest''s valuing of the Cultivation Technique the young man possesses!


    They all coldly watched Qi Meng, already foreseeing the scene of her demise!


    The palm was struck casually, lightly, but in Qi Meng''s eyes, it was like a beast with a bloodthirsty mouth about to swallow her!


    However, Qi Meng did not quietly surrender. She fought against the immense pressure to draw her sword, then concentrated all her True Yuan onto it, and fiercely thrust towards the opponent!


    The long sword cut through the void, emitting a tremor!


    After the opponents arrived, she knew things wouldn''t go easily, so she purposely had her prepared sword in hand!


    "Overestimating oneself!"


    Seeing Qi Meng''s thrusting sword, he didn''t dodge at all; the palm continued its unwavering forward!


    "Bang!"


    The sword collided with the palm, and it shocked Qi Meng; her sword unexpectedly broke, while the opponent''s palm was utterly unaffected and continued forward!


    Qi Meng''s heart trembled, trying to dodge, but it was toote!


    "Boom!"


    Qi Meng''s shoulder was struck hard with a palm, and she flew backward, the broken sword slipping from her hand, finallynding heavily on the ground!


    Qi Meng instantly felt her internal organs churn as if they were misaligned!


    Her shoulder hurt immensely as if not only dislocated but shattered...

 Chapter 916: Another 10, still trash!

    "Why resist?"


    The ck-robed man walked up to Qi Meng,ughing maniacally:


    "Do you think your resistance is useful?"


    Qi Meng heard his words but said nothing, only staring fixedly at him, her beautiful eyes brimming with furious fire!


    She really wanted to fight once more, but she found that she was too seriously injured to even stand up!


    A blow from someone at the Meridian Expansion Third Layer was truly something her Qi Refinement Peak couldn''t withstand¡ªthe gap was too vast!


    "To be honest, with a beauty like you, I really hesitate to do it!"


    The ck-robed man murmured as he appraised Qi Meng''s body.


    Indeed, with a stunner like Qi Meng, no man could remain unmoved!


    This ck-robed man was no exception, naturally!


    When the other two ck-robed men, who hadn''t made a move yet, heard what he said, they exchanged a nce and couldn''t help but reveal a lecherous look on their faces!


    Actually, all these ck-robed men had the same thought upon seeing Qi Meng, but none dared voice it!


    Because if the department knew about such a thing, they would surely be severely punished!


    It''s not that the Judgment Department is a ce of high morals, but because the task is of utmost importance!


    If this had nothing to do with the task, the department wouldn''t care about anything they did!


    The two ck-robed men subsequently walked over, one of them yfully said to the one who had just acted:


    "I also think just killing her is a bit of a waste."


    The ck-d man couldn''t help but look at his twopanions upon hearing this, then the three of them exchanged knowing smiles, their intentions clear among them, and then their three pairs of eyes focused on Qi Meng''s body!


    "What do you intend to do?"


    Qi Meng asked in utter fear, recognizing such looks all too well, instantly understanding their intentions!


    "With a stunner like you, to just die like this would be such a pity!"


    One of the ck-robed men who had just walked over didn''t conceal his desire at all as he looked at Qi Meng''s alluring face and voluptuous body:


    "Before you die, why not let us enjoy a bit!"


    The other two menughed as well, looking at Qi Meng as if she were prey!


    "You... you can''t!"


    Qi Meng''s face showed a look of fear even greater than before. If she were really defiled by these people, she would rather die now!


    But she also knew that in her current state, she couldn''t evenmit suicide!


    If they indeed had such intentions, they wouldn''t allow her to kill herself!


    "What''s not allowed?"


    The ck-robed man smirked suggestively:


    "Don''t worry, after it''s over, we''ll give you a quick death!"


    Hearing the ck-robed man''s words, Qi Meng''s body couldn''t help but tremble!


    Was she to be humiliated like this before dying?!


    "Rip! Rip!"


    At that moment, the ck-robed man suddenly moved like lightning, tearing off all her clothes in an instant, leaving only her underwear and a glimpse of white skin exposed!


    Qi Meng was terrified, hurriedly crossing her arms for cover and looking at the group in panic.


    "Please, no! Don''t!"


    Qi Meng almost begged as she spoke.


    However, her pitiful appearance only fueled the desire of the ck-robed men!


    They looked at Qi Meng''s delicate body, licking their lips involuntarily, their eyes full of greed!


    "Don''t bother covering up! Do you really think you can?"


    The ck-robed man said yfully.


    Before the words left his mouth, he reached out once more toward Qi Meng, intending to remove her hands and take a good look at her charms!


    "Stop!"


    At that moment, a loud shout rang out!


    The three ck-robed men were taken aback upon hearing the voice, almost simultaneously turning their heads toward the direction of the courtyard gate.


    Because the shout hade from there.


    What greeted their eyes was a young man, walking toward them step by step!


    Each step he took seemed to brim with endless fury, his face so dark it could almost drip water!


    "Su Chen!"


    Qi Meng saw the figure and cried out in overwhelming joy, her beautiful eyes almost welling with tears!


    She hadn''t expected Su Chen to arrive so quickly!


    This showed just how anxious he was!


    Thinking of this, Qi Meng couldn''t help but feel moved!


    Forget it, at this moment she''s let go of her worries. If Su Chen can defeat these people, that would be best. If not, at worst, they both perishing together here might not be a bad oue!


    Taking advantage of the moment when the ck-robed men turned to look at Su Chen, she quickly took a pill from her pocket and put it in her mouth!


    If these men truly intended to insult her, she wouldmit suicide, it only took a gentle bite to do it!


    She hadn''t anticipated earlier that these high-ranking Holy Knights would dare do such a thing to her, otherwise she would have already held the pill in her mouth!


    "We were just about to look for you, didn''t expect you''de to us!"


    One of the ck-robed men said teasingly to Su Chen.


    "Thest person you sent said the same thing, but he''s already dead!"


    Su Chen said coldly, seeing Qi Meng''s torn clothes, a ze of anger ring up within!


    If he''de a momentter, the consequences could have been dire!


    "Did you really kill him?!"


    The ck-robed man was startled upon hearing this, though the previous person was in the Meridian Expansion Realm, how could he have been killed?


    The other two ck-d men had the same thought, so they scrutinized Su Chen once more and were suddenly enlightened!


    It turned out he had already reached the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    They all thought Su Chen had entered the Meridian Expansion Realm after which he killed the prior high-ranking Holy Knight!


    However, Su Chen reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm deeply shocked them!


    This guy''s dantian was shattered just over a year ago, and now he''s already in the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    The speed was terrifying!


    No wonder the High Priest wanted to obtain that cultivation technique, it was indeed heaven-defying!


    If they had known Su Chen had actually only been cultivating for just over half a year, they would have thought differently!


    "Yes, I killed him! But today you''ll meet an even worse fate than he did!"


    Su Chen looked at them and spoke in an icy voice.


    "With just you? You''re too arrogant!"


    The ck-robed man sneered disdainfully upon hearing:",


    "Just because you could kill him doesn''t mean you can kill us. Not to mention all three of us, you can''t even handle any one of us!"


    The other two menughed along in agreement, seemingly mocking Su Chen''s arrogance!


    Not just them, even Qi Meng felt Su Chen was boasting!


    After all, these people''s strength was overwhelming!


    "Hmph, you really overestimate yourselves!"


    Su Chen also sneered dismissively:


    "Trash like you, even ten more of you would still be just trash!"

 Chapter 917 - 917 Tragedy

    The three ck-robed men, upon hearing this, grew furious immediately. One of them threw a punch at Su Chen right away!


    The power of the Meridian Expansion Third Layer erupted instantly, shaking the void!


    That punch swept up a fierce gust, sweeping everything in its path as it rolled towards Su Chen!


    Not far away, Qi Meng was stunned by this punch!


    She finally understood that the opponent had only used a small portion of their power to deal with her earlier, yet even so, she was utterly defenseless!


    At this moment, her already limited confidence in Su Chen was further diminished!


    The other two ck-robed men stood there quietly watching; despite the young man being almost like a monster, so young yet having reached the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    But ultimately, he was destined to fall!


    A confrontation between the First Layer and the Third Layer of Meridian Expansion¡ªit''s easy to imagine the gap!


    The fall of a genius evokes sighs, but also excitement!


    Though they certainly wouldn''t kill him immediately, as the cultivation technique was still on him, ultimately, once the technique was obtained, he was bound to die!


    However, in the next second, they were all dumbfounded!


    Staring with wide eyes in disbelief!


    The shock on their faces seemed frozen in ce!


    How is this possible?


    The young man gently extended a hand and actually caught that thunderous punch!


    Is this a joke?


    Even Qi Meng, who thought that Su Chen was bound to be injured or worse, was stunned, her beautiful eyes shing with surprise, though mostly with shock!


    "I told you, you''re trash, yet you wouldn''t believe it."


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a slight smile as he spoke.


    "You... how could you...?"


    The ck-robed man looked at Su Chen with a dazed expression, his heart filled with shock, so much so that he couldn''t evenplete his sentence!


    A master of the Meridian Expansion Third Layer actually got his fist caught by someone from the First Layer; who would believe that?


    "Now it''s my turn. I told you, you would die a horrible death!"


    Su Chen suddenly showed a smile as warm as springtime!


    Yet when the ck-robed man saw this smile, it was as if he fell into an ice cave; his heart went cold!


    At this moment, he felt an endless sense of danger and fear, as if he were being targeted by a fierce beast, his hair standing on end!


    And then!


    "Bang bang bang~~~ boom boom boom~~~~"


    A muffled sound rang out endlessly!


    The two ck-robed men watched the young man throw punches like shadows,pletely stunned!


    Theirpanion in his hands, let alone fight back, couldn''t even move, almost like a target, allowing him to strike at will!


    The continuous sounds shattered their spirits, making them feel as if they were dreaming!


    "Bang!"


    Suddenly, a figure flew over, and they quickly stepped back, then the figurended in front of them with a loud crash!


    When they looked down, their souls shivered violently!


    Tragic!


    Too tragic!


    Tragically inhumane!


    The ck-robed man lying on the ground was almost unrecognizable, covered in blood!


    As for the appearance, it went without saying, one couldn''t even tell who it was!


    Clearly, he was dead beyond dead!


    The two couldn''t help but look at Su Chen, his expression still smiling, but to them now, he lookedpletely like a demon!


    This young man, ruthless enough!


    They just couldn''t figure out how he became so strong?


    Maybe swapping roles would seem more normal, but the reality was, theirpanion was the one lying on the ground!


    Qi Meng was left in a daze the moment the muffled sounds began!


    Everything happening before her eyes was a violent shock to her sight and heart, making it feel like an illusory realm!


    She couldn''t help but wonder: just how strong is this man? Where are his limits?


    "Boom boom boom!"


    At this moment, Su Chen, with a smile, walked towards the other two ck-robed men.


    Hearing those footsteps, both couldn''t help but grow nervous, something they never imagined before!


    But now, they were genuinely nervous, even instinctively wanting to run!


    But they knew they couldn''t run! The mission must bepleted!


    The two ck-robed men exchanged a nce, a trace of ferocity shed in their eyes, and with a movement, they charged at Su Chen!


    Su Chen sneered and then vanished from sight!


    "Bang bang bang~~~ boom boom boom~~~"


    Just like before, a series of heart-pounding muffled sounds rang out again.


    If Qi Meng''s cultivation were higher, she could see that Su Chen was repeatedly striking the two.


    Moreover, he controlled his strength so well that he neither sent them flying nor allowed them to fall.


    The two stood there, as if they were puppets, allowing Su Chen to do as he pleased!


    "Boom!"


    Finally, Su Chen delivered two consecutive punches and sent them flying!


    When theynded, they too were bloodied all over, though still left with a breath!


    They couldn''t help but look at the young man, their vision blurred and faces filled with shock and dismay!


    Just moments ago, they fully realized the immense gap in strength between themselves and this young man!


    They simply couldn''tprehend how someone at the First Layer of Meridian Expansion could be this formidable!


    It made no sense at all!


    But they no longer needed to think about it; almost simultaneously, after spitting out blood, they both died!


    They probably never imagined, even in their wildest dreams, that this trip to Huaxia would be thest journey of their lives!


    And in such a tragic manner!


    Actually, Su Chen isn''t a cruel person unless truly provoked!


    Like today, these ck-robed men not only wanted to kill Qi Meng but even dared to vite her, Su Chen naturally wouldn''t let them die easily!


    For evil people, Su Chen always believed in¡ªbeing more evil than them!


    Showing mercy to evil is a crime!


    By now, Qi Meng had slightly recovered, struggling to stand up slowly!


    She looked at everything,pletely unable to believe it was real!


    He actually defeated those three Holy Knights, who seemed insurmountably powerful to her, and won so easily and casually!


    "Let me take you somewhere."


    Su Chen walked over to Qi Meng with a smile and spoke.


    "Where?" Qi Meng, hiding her shock, asked.


    "You''ll know when we get there. Just take some clothes, you don''t need anything else."


    Su Chen said with a mysterious smile.


    "Alright, wait here for me."


    Qi Meng said and went inside. A few minutester, she came out carrying a small bag with her uninjured arm.


    "Let''s go."


    Su Chen took the bag and said.


    "What about these people?"


    Qi Meng nced at the ck-robed individuals on the ground and asked.


    "Someone will handle them."


    Su Chen promptly made a call to Qin Ming, asking him toe and deal with the situation.


    Qin Ming, upon receiving the call, was quite frustrated, wondering why he always had to handle these aftermath tasks?

 Chapter 918 - 918 Su Chens Worries

    Afterward, Su Chen drove the car continuously towards the direction of the estate by Laixing Lake.


    "From now on, you''ll live here."


    After arriving at the estate''s entrance, Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Is this estate yours?"


    "You could say that."


    Su Chen smiled slightly, anything given away by the old chatan Zhuge is naturally his now.


    "I feel the Yuan Qi here is so abundant!"


    Qi Meng eximed in amazement.


    "I''ve set up a formation here, so you''ll be able to cultivate more efficiently."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    This was the reason he brought Qi Meng here to live.


    He hadn''t brought her here previously because he felt staying with the farmers was safer, and less likely to be discovered by the Judgment Department.


    However, today''s events made him realize that hiding was not possible, and the best course of action was to enhance Qi Meng''s own strength!


    "Formation?!"


    Qi Meng''s first reaction, like others, was one of disbelief!


    She couldn''t help but look at Su Chen, feeling that he was full of mystery!


    For instance, today, she could never have dreamed that Su Chen actually possessed the strength to crush those ck-robed men!


    Su Chen smiled without saying anything, then opened the gate and led Qi Meng inside.


    The further they walked towards the main building, the more vibrant the Yuan Qi felt to Qi Meng!


    This made her exceedingly joyful, for a cultivator, this was priceless!


    Then Su Chen led Qi Meng into the main building and said:


    "Pick any room you like."


    Qi Meng didn''t mind and casually chose a room.


    Su Chen then helped her onto the bed, as she was injured before.


    "Are you alright?"


    Su Chen looked at Qi Meng''s slumped shoulders and said:


    "Let me take a look."


    Qi Meng blushed slightly and nodded.


    Her clothes had already been torn to shreds, leaving only her underwear, so there was no need to undress.


    When Su Chen saw that glimpse of spring, his heart trembled, he had to admit, Qi Meng''s figure was indeed remarkable!


    "Hurry up."


    Qi Meng noticed Su Chen''s peculiar gaze and couldn''t help but feel shy.


    "Alright!"


    Su Chenughed awkwardly.


    "Ah!"


    When Su Chen gently touched her shoulder de with his fingers, Qi Meng couldn''t help but let out a moan of pain!


    The sound, filled with charm, caused Su Chen''s heart to waver!


    This seductress!


    Su Chen silently eximed, then quickly gathered his thoughts and started examining her...


    "Good news, it''s just a bit fractured!"


    After examining her, Su Chen said:


    "But the internal injury is a bit more severe."


    Then, Su Chen helped Qi Meng to the bed in the room and began treating her.


    Through his treatment, the shoulder bone injury would heal in a few days, and with a considerable amount of True Yuan transferred to her, the internal injury also improved significantly.


    After all, Su Chen''s True Yuan was much thicker and purer than that of the average cultivator, providing excellent healing effects.


    "Just rest well, I''m heading out."


    Su Chen stood up and said.


    "Alright."


    Qi Meng nodded lightly.


    Then Su Chen walked out, and Qi Meng watched his disappearing back, for the first time sincerely believing that he might really be able to take down the Judgment Department.


    It was already around five or six in the evening, the road was bustling with vehicles, and soon got congested, as it was the peak time for leaving work.


    Su Chen then took out a cigarette and lit it, frowning slightly.


    Although he dealt with the three ck-robed men today, he didn''t feel any relief!


    Because next time, they will definitely send in stronger experts!


    How strong, who knows?


    For a presence like the Judgment Department, they surely wouldn''t becking experts!


    Besides the Judgment Department, there''s also the Shengyi Gate. Although they haven''t made a move for a while, it doesn''t mean they''ve given up!


    Even if they did give up, Su Chen would never let it go!


    But right now, for Su Chen, his strength is still too weak!


    If he were strong enough, he would have already taken a sword and directly started a massacre!


    No need to wait around for waves of enemies toe like he does now!


    Fortunately, they haven''t acted against his family yet, probably because they underestimate him!


    Now that they keep failing, there''s no guarantee they won''t target Lin Ruoxue and others!


    However, Su Chen really has no solution, unless he stays close by!


    Honestly, though Lin Ruoxue has the Shadow Guard for protection, if the onesing are from the Judgment Department or the Shengyi Gate, how much can the Shadow Guard really do?


    Even dying them would be limited!


    Of course, if it''s not either of those two, they''re quite sufficient for other threats to Lin Ruoxue''s safety!


    In the business world, Lin Ruoxue inevitably makes enemies, and some of them will go to extremes.


    During the time the Shadow Guard has been around, they''ve already fended off three assassination attempts for Lin Ruoxue!


    Of course, Lin Ruoxue knows nothing of this, such matters are unnecessary to tell her.


    Ultimately, the greatest threat remains the Shengyi Gate and the Judgment Department!


    The best solution for dealing with the Shengyi Gate and the Judgment Department is still to enhance one''s strength and eliminate them as soon as possible.


    This would not only protect those around him but also achieve his revenge and unravel some mysteries that have been troubling him!


    Like matters concerning his mother, or that token!


    So it''s imperative to quickly elevate his realm another notch!


    Moreover, he needs to quickly study and cultivate the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique"!


    Right now, for Su Chen, he wouldn''t miss any opportunity to boost his strength!


    "Beep beep beep!"


    At this moment, a honk sounded from behind, and Su Chen realized the road had cleared.


    So he pressed the elerator and continued driving forward...


    After returning home, he went to his bedroom, sat cross-legged on the bed, and closed his eyes slightly, delving into the contents of the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique."


    The contents were indeed profound and obscure, but after researching for a while, Su Chen actually found himself somewhat immersed, seemingly captivated by it!


    He continued this study for several hours until past nine o''clock when Lin Ruoxue returned, at which point he stopped and went downstairs to apany Lin Ruoxue for dinner.


    By then, Aunt Wang, Aunt Sun, and little Ruohan had already eaten; Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue would never let these elders and the little one wait around.


    Yan Xi mostly went out to eat with colleagues, rarely staying home for meals!


    For Yan Xi, sparing no effort to enjoy her freedom now was only natural!


    She''s been much happier during these days than in the past decade at the Hidden Dragon Hall!


    However, what''s curious to Su Chen is whether she still has money?


    Is she always freeloading while others pay?


    That''s quite possible for her!


    Of course, she might also get money from Yao Zhe.


    If she asked, Yao Zhe probably wouldn''t refuse...

 Chapter 919: Teach or Not?

    Early the next morning, a Buick raced down the streets of Yandu.


    "Big brother, where are we going?"


    Yunlong, sitting in the passenger seat, asked curiously.


    "Don''t you want to be a Martial Artist?"


    Su Chen tilted his head slightly and asked.


    "Yeah, are we starting today?"


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong immediately became incredibly excited.


    "Yes, I''ve found a master for you, we''re going to meet him today."


    Su Chen said.


    "Ah, big brother, you''re not teaching me?"


    Yunlong asked hesitantly.


    "Don''t worry, the master I''ve found for you is definitely better than me."


    Su Chen said with a smile, nning to have that old mystic Zhuge to teach Yunlong.


    The reason for this arrangement is partly because he himself urgently needs to cultivate and improve his strength, so he doesn''t have much time normally.


    And the initial teaching is highly time-consuming and exhausting!


    Also, he truly believes that old mystic is more suited to teaching!


    Young Xiazi is so small, yet he has already reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement realm.


    It can be seen that this old mystic has some capabilities.


    "Alright then, big brother, whatever you say, I''ll do it."


    Yunlong was rather open-minded, anyway, his big brother wouldn''t harm him.


    .....


    "Brother Su!"


    This time when Su Chen entered the courtyard, young Xiazi didn''t shout "the robber is here" in fright!


    Perhaps the candy fromst time worked!


    "You little rascal, why are you here again?"


    Seeing Su Chen, Zhuge Dongming immediately became wary, it was already an instinctive reaction!


    Anyway, there can''t be anything good when this kides over, without exception!


    However, his eyes quickly fell on Yunlong beside him, what''s this kid doing bringing a stranger here?


    "Of course it''s something good, something great!"


    Su Chenughed heartily and said.


    "Oh, you little rascal still have good things to say? I''d like to hear it!"


    Zhuge Dongming asked sarcastically.


    Yunlong watched this scene with some confusion, what kind of rtionship do these two have anyway?


    Could it be that the master big brother found for him is this person?


    Seeing this old man seems to dislike big brother a lot, would he agree?


    If Zhuge Dongming knew what Yunlong was thinking, he''d surely say: I''d rather have no rtion with this little rascal at all!


    "I''ve found a good disciple for you, isn''t that a good thing?"


    Su Chen said with a cheeky smile.


    "You''re talking about him?"


    Zhuge Dongming nced at Yunlong and asked.


    "Yeah, look at him, with a broad forehead, extraordinary bones, and bright eyes! Just looking at him shows he''s a promising talent! He''ll definitely carry forward your legacy in the future!"


    Su Chenpared Yunlong and said.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Yunlong felt a bit embarrassed!


    He wanted to ask: Big brother, is what you said true? Am I really as good as you said?


    "I don''t see it!"


    Zhuge Dongming said indifferently.


    As soon as those words fell, Yunlong''s face dropped, thinking, old man, can''t you be more tactful? It''s quite disheartening, you know!


    "You teach him and you''ll see, it''s just not apparent yet!"


    Su Chen chuckled and said.


    "I won''t teach!"


    Zhuge Dongming shook his head and said.


    "Will you teach or not!"


    Su Chen felt displeased upon hearing this, even using a respectful tone, but the old mystic was still putting on airs!


    "I won''t teach! I already have a disciple!"


    Zhuge Dongming shook his head and said.


    "Old mystic,e on, are you really pretending? Will you teach or not?"


    Su Chen spat.


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong became a bit dumbfounded!


    The tone changed so fast!


    Big brother, we''re here to be disciples, is this attitude really okay?


    "I said I won''t teach!"


    Zhuge Dongming said indifferently.


    Seeing Zhuge Dongming persistently refusing to teach him, Yunlong couldn''t help but feel a bit down, it''s ufortable toe here and not be epted as a disciple.


    But he doesn''t know the interaction mode between these two, itpletely doesn''t concern him, today the same would happen to anyone else!


    Actually, it doesn''t matter much to Zhuge Dongming to teach one more person, he just doesn''t want Su Chen to seed!


    For so many years interacting with this little rascal, it seems he got the short end every time!


    "Really not teaching?"


    At that moment, Su Chen suddenly changed his expression, a wicked smile appeared on his face.


    "You little rascal, what are you nning again?"


    Seeing this familiar smile, Zhuge Dongming''s heart trembled, a sense of unease surged!


    "Nothing, if you''re not teaching then not teaching, we''ll be leaving first then."


    Su Chen immediately turned and walked towards the door, with Yunlong naturally following behind, feeling inevitably dejected...


    Leaving just like that?


    Zhuge Dongming, along with little Xiazi, was momentarily stunned, this seemed to be the first time he returned without sess?


    Yet Zhuge Dongming didn''t feel victorious at all, instead, he felt a strong unease!


    Especially that wicked smile before leaving, making his heart beat "thump thump thump!"


    "Alright, let the person stay!"


    Just as Su Chen and the others were about to step over the courtyard gate, Zhuge Dongming''s voice rang from behind.


    As those words fell, Su Chen''s lips curled into a smug smile, then he turned around and said calmly:


    "Since you won''t, let''s just forget it."


    As soon as those words came out, Yunlong became a bit bewildered!


    The person finally agreed, why is big brother rejecting again?


    Although it''s about his matters, he didn''t say anything, leaving everything to big brother''s arrangements!


    "I think this kid''s aptitude is decent, let''s leave him, it''d be a waste to lose a good seedling."


    Zhuge Dongming seemed to casually nce at Yunlong and said.


    Yunlong felt even more bewildered hearing this!


    Wasn''t it just now that you couldn''t see it? How did you suddenly find I''m promising?


    This change is too fast!


    He''s beenpletely confused by these two people!


    "Alright then, since you insist on teaching, let''s leave him then."


    Su Chen seemed somewhat reluctant to say.


    Seeing Su Chen''s "getting a bargain yet acting aloof" demeanor, Zhuge Dongming really wished he could kick him on the behind!


    "Yunlong, you stay here and learn well from Senior Zhuge!"


    Su Chen said casually.


    "Don''t worry, big brother, I''ll definitely learn well!"


    Yunlong assured immediately, feeling overjoyed, he''s finally going to be a real Martial Artist!


    "Alright, Yunlong, see me out."


    Su Chen said.


    Then the two walked towards the car not far from the door where Su Chen parked.


    "Yunlong, study hard, aim to get initiated soon!"


    When reaching the car, Su Chen said:


    "Once initiated, you can cultivate most of the time by yourself, as the saying goes, ''the master leads you to the door, but cultivation depends on oneself'', this is the principle."


    "Don''t worry, big brother, I will."


    Yunlong nodded heavily.


    "By the way, this old mystic, like my old ghost master, loves alcohol, just give him some good wine regrly."


    "That''s easy, all kinds of good wine, I''ll give him the best!"


    Yunlong said confidently, thumping his chest, giving good wine is nothing to him...


    Su Chen gave a few more reminders to Yunlong, then drove away.


    Listening to the engine starting outside the gate, Zhuge Dongming within the courtyard felt utterly frustrated!


    That little rascal seeded again!

 Chapter 920: Sara Is Here

    Su Chen certainly didn''t know about Zhuge Dongming''s frustration, and even if he knew, he''d just be even more proud and happy!


    Su Chen always felt quite delighted every time he pulled one over on this old chatan!


    After leaving Zhuge Dongming, he drove straight home.


    For the next three or four days, he stayed at home, spending his time either cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique or studying the Supreme Star Shifting Technique!


    In the past few days, he''s made quite some progress!


    Su Chen was about to break through to the Meridian Expansion Second Layer, and he also gradually started to figure out the intricate and obscure Supreme Star Shifting Technique.


    Su Chen felt that it wouldn''t take much longer before he could start cultivating this Supreme Star Shifting Technique!


    Ster Power? He was really looking forward to it!


    After breakfast on the fifth day, he headed to thepany.


    He hadn''t been there since he''d returned and it was about time to check things out!


    At this time, Sara''s concert was about a week away, and nearly all of Yandu was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this international superstar.


    Yet, what no one knew was that Sara had already arrived in Yandu, even Su Chen was unaware!


    Upon entering thepany, Su Chen roamed around, visiting Lin Ruoxue, Xia Qiuru, and even the PR department.


    In short, he toured all the ces where there were beautiful women!


    Then he returned to his office with a cup of tea and two magazines because he hadn''t read thest two issues yet!


    Just then, a young woman about eighteen years old, dressed in a white gown like a fairy, walked through the main entrance of Belle Group!


    As soon as she walked in, everyone, regardless of age or gender, was instantly petrified!


    Their eyes widened with disbelief!


    They didn''t even dare to exim, afraid it was all a dream that would vanish upon waking!


    "Are you Sara?"


    The receptionist, a little girl, asked hesitantly, her heart pounding.


    "I am Sara, hello everyone."


    Sara waved gently and smiled slightly.


    "Sara! It''s truly Sara!"


    "Unbelievable!"


    "Oh my gosh! Am I dreaming? Please don''t wake me up!"


    ...


    No one could believe it was real!


    Because it was too unlikely to be real!


    Sara appearing at theirpany''s entrance¡ªwho would believe it if they said it out loud? They themselves couldn''t believe it!


    "Sara! Sara!~~~"


    Once they confirmed it was indeed real, cheers followed immediately!


    Everyone acted as if they''d gone crazy!


    Theypletely ignored the fact that they were at work in thepany!


    Soon, everyone in the group was alerted and rushed over!


    Upon arrival, their reactions were just like everyone else''s¡ªnothing but craziness!


    "Su Chen, what''s going on?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s office was in the innermost area and also heard themotion, so she came out.


    As she reached Su Chen''s office door, she happened to run into himing out.


    "No idea."


    Su Chen shrugged his shoulders, seeming to hear everyone calling out for Sara, but he couldn''t quite believe it was true!


    Why would Sarae here? Moreover, she was supposed to arrive in two or three days, right?


    As they reached the entrance and saw the girl in the white gown, both were stunned!


    Like everyone else, Lin Ruoxue felt the shock and joy of seeing an idol!


    Saraing to herpany? Is it real?


    Yet, the fairy-like girl wasn''t Sara¡ªwho else could it be?


    Especially with such enthusiastic cheers!


    Lin Ruoxue froze in ce, dazed!


    Su Chen was a mixture of surprise and disbelief; it really was that little girl!


    At this moment, Sara saw Su Chen, and a smile blossomed on her beautiful face, lighting up like spring!


    "Master!"


    Sara called out excitedly, then dashed towards Su Chen!


    When she called out "Master," the cheers immediately stopped!


    Everyone was dumbfounded!


    Master?


    Did Sara just call him Master?


    Who did she call Master?


    Is someone here Sara''s Master?


    No, no! It must be a mishearing!


    Yet, in the next second, everyone was frozen!


    As if someone pressed the pause button!


    Not only did their actions freeze, but even their expressions did!


    Because they saw Sara actually leap onto a man''s body excitedly, and that man immediately hugged her!


    This... this... what''s going on?


    "Little girl, why did youe to mypany?"


    Su Chen held her and spun around, then set her down, affectionately ruffling her hair as he asked.


    "I missed you, so I came early!"


    Sara happily replied.


    Beside them, Lin Ruoxue waspletely dizzy, feeling like her mind wasn''t enough to process this!


    Her husband, that cheeky and roguish man, was Sara''s Master?


    And they were quite intimate?


    She couldn''t ept this reality at all!


    Not just her¡ªXia Qiuru and the other beauties in the PR department had the same reaction!


    That guy is actually Sara''s Master, and they''ve reached such a level of intimacy?!


    They knew Su Chen wasn''t a simple person; in fact, he was extremely extraordinary!


    But this matter still shocked them to the core; they couldn''t believe it!


    That''s Sara!


    She''s not just a national goddess; she''s a global goddess for goodness'' sake!


    "Alright, everyone, disperse. Sara will give everyone an autograph phototer."


    Su Chen waved his hand and told the crowd.


    Upon hearing this, everyone cheered, a Sara autographed photo¡ªso rare!


    Thus, though they were reluctant, they still dispersed!


    "Honey, let''s talk in your office, shall we?"


    Su Chen gently said to thepletely nk-minded Lin Ruoxue.


    "Ah?! Okay!"


    Lin Ruoxue promptly nodded.


    Su Chen then escorted Sara along to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Master, is this where you work?"


    Sara curiously nced around as they walked.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen held her hand andughed:


    "By the way, Sara, how did you end uping here?"


    "Didn''t you tell me your workce on the phonest time? And when I said I''d find you, you said ''sure''!"


    Su Chen recalled upon hearing this; there was indeed such a thing.


    Back then, Sara asked where he worked, and he gave her the information, and when Sara said she''d find him in Yandu, of course, he said it was fine!


    Unexpectedly, this little girl actually dide!


    "Miss Sara, please have a seat."


    After entering the office, Lin Ruoxue politely said.


    "Just call me Sara, Lady Master."


    Sara smiled and said.


    Lin Ruoxue was suddenly a bit taken aback!


    Lady Master?


    What a strange title; it was the first time someone called her that, it felt odd!


    Plus, it was Sara, making the feeling even stranger, yet quite special!


    Sara called her Lady Master?


    That was something she dared not even imagine!

 Chapter 921: Cant I Stay Small?

    "You can also call her little girl."


    Su Chen said casually with a smile.


    In his mind, Sara had always been that little girl he rescued from the ruins in Africa, not an international superstar.


    "Sara."


    Lin Ruoxue tried calling her name directly, but it felt rather odd.


    Of course, she couldn''t call Sara little girl like Su Chen did.


    After all, Sara''s status is there, and honestly, this girl is still her idol.


    Being called ''Teacher''s Wife'' by her idol, the feeling was just too unique!


    "Teacher''s Wife, you''re so beautiful and graceful!"


    Sara moved forward and held Lin Ruoxue''s hand, giggling as she spoke:


    "Only someone as wonderful as Teacher''s Wife can be a match for my teacher."


    Getting a close look at Lin Ruoxue earlier, Sara waspletely mesmerized, eximing in her heart!


    "Sara, you''re also very pretty, so many people around the world like you!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile, feeling a bit shy at Sara''spliment.


    "So annoying!"


    Sara pouted with her cherry-like lips:


    "I don''t feel free at all!"


    Looking at her like this, Lin Ruoxue saw not an international superstar but rather a spoiled neighborhood girl.


    But it''s no wonder that for someone of her star level, freedom must be the most luxurious thing!


    Thinking about it, Lin Ruoxue felt a bit sympathetic towards her; it looks morous butes with a lot of helplessness.


    Indeed, Sara usually couldn''t even go to the supermarket.


    Coming to Su Chen''s ce today, shepletely let loose for once!


    With Sara here, Lin Ruoxue rarely spent the morning talking to the two instead of working.


    Lin Ruoxue also asked how the two met, and Su Chen didn''t hide it, telling her about the situation at that time.


    Su Chen had already told Lin Ruoxue about having been a Chief Instructor in a special force.


    Upon hearing that Sara was rescued during a mission in Africa from the ruins and had lost her mother then, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but feel pity for this girl!


    A little girl saved from the ruins, now bing an international superstar ¡ª who could have imagined such a thing, right?


    Yet fate is so wondrous!


    "Alright, it''s about time; let''s go have lunch."


    Lin Ruoxue nced at the time; it was already past eleven, so she got up to speak.


    With Sara visiting herpany, she certainly had to y host, not to mention Sara was Su Chen''s disciple.


    The three then went to a nearby five-star hotel and booked a private room.


    After leaving Belle Group, Sara wrapped herself up tightly; she had only taken off her scarf, hat, sses, and the like at the entrance of Belle Company before.


    The three had a delightful meal together, especially Lin Ruoxue, who probably never imagined herself sharing a table with Sara one day.


    "Alright, Su Chen, I''ll head back to thepany now. You apany Sara for some fun."


    After leaving the hotel, Lin Ruoxue said.


    She was busy with work, so it was quite impressive that she spent the whole morning.


    "Alright." Su Chen nodded and said.


    "Teacher''s Wife, you muste to the concert that day!"


    Sara said to Lin Ruoxue.


    "Okay, I''ll definitely go with your teacher."


    Lin Ruoxue had initially hesitated about going, given her busy work scheduletely!


    But given this connection, attending was now a must.


    "Teacher, why not call Sister Du and ask her toe out and y? I haven''t seen her in a long time."


    After Lin Ruoxue left, Sara immediately said.


    "Alright, let me see if she''s free."


    Su Chen said.


    Hest saw Du Hanbing before heading to Jiangbei and hadn''t seen her sinceing back.


    Coincidentally, Du Hanbing was free this afternoon, and hearing Sara was there, she was immediately delighted!


    It had indeed been a long time since she''d seen this little girl and really missed her.


    After a period of recuperation, her health was nearly fully recovered.


    Ten minutester, Du Hanbing arrived at the hotel entrance and immediately recognized Sara by her well-covered figure.


    "Sister Du!"


    Upon seeing Du Hanbing, Sara instantly ran over excitedly!


    "Sara, you haven''t seen each other in two or three years, yet you''ve grown into a youngdy!"


    Seeing Sara, Du Hanbing affectionately ruffled her hair as Su Chen did, said with a smile.


    "Sister Du, why do you treat me like a child, just like Teacher does!"


    Sara said unhappily.


    "Why would I? Didn''t I say earlier? You''re all grown up now!"


    Du Hanbing smiled.


    Du Hanbing, usually rather aloof, only showed such warmth when she saw Sara.


    "When you say that, it means you''re still treating me like a child!"


    Sara pouted:


    "I''m already neen!"


    "Little girl, you''re bing quite articte!"


    Du Hanbingughed and said.


    "Alright, you two think about where to go for fun?"


    Su Chen walked over, wrapped his arm around Du Hanbing''s waist, andughed.


    "You two... you two?"


    Sara''s eyes widened immediately upon seeing Su Chen''s gesture:


    "You really kept it from me, without telling me!"


    "Well, I''m telling you now, aren''t I?"


    Su Chenughed and said.


    But Sara didn''t say any more, having always known the two would eventually be together.


    She just felt annoyed they hadn''t told her at the first moment!


    Suddenly, her eyes shone brightly like stars as she said:


    "Sister Du, the first wife just left, oh! If the second wife gets caught, it would be terrible!"


    "What first wife, second wife?"


    Du Hanbing asked, puzzled.


    "Teacher''s Wife is the first wife, of course, Sister Du, you''re the second wife, and I''ll make a small concession as the third!"


    Sara counted on her fingers.


    "What nonsense is that?"


    Su Chen ruffled her hair, speaking irritably.


    The little girl had said this before in Jianghai.


    "I''m willing to be the third wife, Teacher; what more do you want?"


    Sara said, aggrieved.


    On the side, Du Hanbing watched, amused, knowing well that Sara liked Su Chen, and the feelings weren''t shallow.


    This was precisely why she didn''t let them call her little girl.


    "Alright, stop with the silly talk and start thinking about where to go for fun."


    Su Chen said.


    "Whatever, go where you say!"


    Sara said indifferently.


    To be honest, Su Chen didn''t quite know where to take her for fun, finally deciding to visit some attractions and amusement parks in Yandu...


    .......


    Meanwhile, in a suite of a five-star hotel in Yandu.


    "Is all the information gathered?"


    A long-haired woman asked coldly.


    "Lord Qian Ying, it is gathered; currently, we''ve only collected this data."


    A man in a suit respectfully handed over the folder in his hand.


    The woman reached out a slender hand to take it, then started flipping through it.


    "Lord Qian Ying, when do we take action?"


    Another man asked cautiously.


    "I''ll let you know when it''s time, just focus on your tasks!"


    The woman remained expressionless.


    "Yes!"


    The men nodded in agreement...

 Chapter 922: Grandpa Sun Has Returned

    At the same time, in a deep mountain in Jiangbei, there was a grand manor, stretching endlessly to the eye!


    "Nearly a year, finally home!"


    An old man, weather-beaten and weary, saw the manor and couldn''t help but smile:


    "It''s good that this trip out took me to the Ninth Layer, it''s worth it!"


    In the future, in the Martial Arts World, besides those three major forces, who else could rival the Sun Family?!


    He thought ambitiously, in the near future, he would make the Sun Family the fourth major force in the Martial Arts World!


    However, the next second, the expression on the old man''s face stiffened a bit!


    Why is there a white sail hanging at the entrance?


    Looking closer, the guards at the gate had a circle of ck cloth wrapped around their arms!


    The old man''s heart suddenly trembled, who in the family had passed away?


    As soon as the guards saw the old man, their eyes widened, and then they turned and ran towards various parts of the manor!


    "Master has returned!"


    "Master has returned!"


    "Master has returned!"


    .....


    The sound echoed throughout the manor!


    It wasn''t long before the main figures of the Sun Family gathered at the entrance!


    "Father, you''ve finally returned!"


    Sun Kun saw the old man and immediately knelt down.


    "Father!"


    The other brothers also knelt down together.


    "Kun, what is going on?"


    The old man looked at the white sail at the entrance and asked:


    "What happened at home?"


    "Father, Xiaoyu... Xiaoyu... has died!"


    Sun Kun choked and said:


    "Father, you must avenge Xiaoyu!"


    When the old man heard this, his mind went nk!


    Suddenly, his vision went dark, and he fell straight backward!


    Sun Kun quickly got up to support the old man!


    After a while, the old man slowly opened his eyes, ring at Sun Kun beside him; touched by that gaze, Sun Kun''s heart shook fiercely!


    Has Father''s strength improved again?!


    "Speak, what exactly happened?!"


    The old man asked sternly.


    A terrifying aura naturally spread, all the Sun Family members felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them from above, and the air stopped circting!


    He originally thought it was some elder in the family who had passed away, but unexpectedly it was his own grandson!


    How could he bear such a blow!


    Sun Kun dared not hide anything and quickly recounted the whole story!


    "You were right not to act against the Yu Family!"


    The old man said, sinking his voice:


    "However, that boy dared to kill my grandson, I will definitely tear him into pieces!"


    "Father, that boy is very strange, young, seemingly at the Meridian Expansion First Layer, but his strength was not too different from my Seventh Layer!"


    "So what?"


    The old man snorted coldly, disdainfully:


    "To me, he''s nothing more than a measly trickster!"


    "Father, what is your realm now?"


    Asked Sun Kun upon hearing this.


    "Ninth Layer!"


    The old man said proudly.


    As soon as the words fell, Sun Kun and others were shocked, and fiery light burst forth from their eyes!


    They did not expect the old man really broke through!


    You know, theter stages of the Meridian Expansion Realm, every step up bes extremely difficult, increasingly difficult!


    Of course, the gap in strength bes greater and greater!


    It''s not just the Meridian Expansion Realm, it''s the nature of cultivation itself!


    It''s like climbing a mountain, naturally, the further you go, the harder!


    The Ninth Layer and Seventh Layer of Meridian Expansion seem simr, but the gap is immense!


    For instance, if this old man acted against Sun Kun now, one palm could knock him flying, or even kill him!


    Sun Kun and others didn''t expect that in less than a year, the old man went directly from the Eighth to the Ninth Layer!


    The speed is indeed astounding!


    Many can''t even cross over in ten years!


    But Sun Kun was now thinking not of this, but rather of avenging his son!


    This time, even heaven can''t save that boy!


    Since returning dejected from the Yu Family, the brothers of the Sun Family have been feeling depressed and frustrated!


    For their dignified Sun Family to be unable to deal with a mere youngster!


    This moment, their feelings were finally released!


    "Father, when do you n to kill that boy to avenge Xiaoyu?"


    Sun Kun asked.


    "Wait until Xiaoyu''s funeral rites are over! I want to apany Xiaoyu on hisst journey properly!"


    The old man said, grievingly, a trace of ruthlessness passing through his eyes!


    In his mind, Su Chen was already a dead man!


    ......


    Su Chen naturally did not know the old man of the Sun Family had returned, nor that he had made a firm resolution to kill him!


    At this moment, he was ying around with Sara and Du Hanbing at Yandu''s Yuming Pool!


    Sara was ying happily, the only unhappy thing was she had to be wrapped up tightly!


    Even while taking photos with Master and Sister Du, she couldn''t show her real face!


    But there''s no choice; if identally recognized in this crowded tourist spot, there might be chaos!


    Su Chen stayed with them until evening, then had dinner together, sent Sara back to the hotel, and headed home.


    Her safety wasn''t too much of a concern, as Su Chen had arranged for Shadow Guards to protect her.


    Lin Ruoxue had spent all morning chatting with Sara, even had lunch together, and didn''t return to thepany until after one in the afternoon, so she had a lot of work left undone, and had to work overtime tonight.


    She called Su Chen and said she would be back after ten at night.


    So after returning home, Su Chen just went upstairs to cultivate, doing so until Lin Ruoxue came back exhausted.


    ......


    The next day, Su Chen didn''t continue apanying Sara, firstly because he needed to cultivate, secondly, Sara had a lot of preparation for her concert.


    If she keeps going out every day, her agent andpany would be driven crazy!


    Although Sara''s visit to Yandu was not known to outsiders, her agent andpany certainly know, and the professional team followed along.


    Her agent had already changed, after the Jianghai incident, it was naturally impossible to use the previous one.


    And Du Hanbing, being the Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade, was obviously busy.


    So they agreed toe out and have fun together after the concert.


    That morning, Su Chen drove directly to his estate, bringing along many daily essentials, including food.


    "Why are you here?"


    Qi Meng, who was strolling in the yard, asked upon seeing Su Chen.


    "This is my estate, why can''t Ie?"


    Su Chen joked.


    "I didn''t mean that."


    Qi Meng quickly exined.


    "Alright, I came to see how your recovery is going."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Pretty good, no issues."


    Qi Meng was somewhat touched upon learning he came to check on her recovery, as no one had ever cared so much for her all these years...

 Chapter 923 - 923 Right Priest

    "Let me check it out; otherwise, I won''t feel at ease."


    Su Chen said.


    Qi Meng had no choice but to pull down her clothes a little, revealing her snow-white fragrant shoulder and part of her sexy corbone.


    Su Chen immediately began to carefully examine the injury on her shoulder.


    Being watched so closely by Su Chen, with his hand gripping her clothes as if intentionally showing him,


    this situation made Qi Meng''s face blush red!


    "It''s fine!"


    Su Chen said and then put one hand on her small abdomen, preparing to examine her internal injury.


    He mainly came to check the internal injury; the shoulder wasn''t of much concern.


    Because if the internal injury doesn''t heal well, it will damage a martial artist''s core.


    Su Chen didn''t say this, so Qi Meng didn''t expect him to suddenly touch her there!


    Her body suddenly trembled violently, as if struck by an electric current!


    "What''s wrong?"


    Su Chen looked at him strangely and asked.


    "What are you doing?"


    Qi Meng also asked.


    "Of course, I''m checking your internal injury; what else did you think?"


    Su Chen immediately realized she probably thought he was going to do something to her.


    "Oh."


    After hearing Su Chen''s words, Qi Meng''s face turned as red as blood, feeling so awkward!


    "Miss Qi Meng, am I really that lustful in your heart?"


    Su Chen said, quite speechlessly, while pursing his lips.


    "No, no."


    Qi Meng said embarrassedly.


    Actually, in her heart, Qi Meng thought, "What did you think?"


    Ever since interacting with him, she had been taken advantage of by this guy quite often!


    Su Chen continued to put his hand on her small abdomen, channeling a few strands of True Yuan to check her internal injury.


    He discovered that although Qi Meng wasn''t entirely healed, there was no serious issue anymore!


    "By the way, Qi Meng, I killed those few people, what do you estimate the Judgment Department will do next?"


    Su Chen asked.


    He thought that since Qi Meng used to be part of the Judgment Department, she would know better.


    "If there are no surprises, maybe next time one of the priests will make a move, most likely the Right Priest."


    Qi Meng pondered for a moment and said:


    "Because those you killed were already among the top in the high-rank Holy Knights."


    "Why the Right Priest, not the Left Priest?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "Because the first Holy Knight you killed mentioned the Right Priest to me, indicating that this matter is managed by the Right Priest."


    Su Chen nodded upon hearing this.


    "Just as well; I was afraid it would be just a small frying!"


    Su Chen sneered.


    Even without Qi Meng''s matters, he and the Judgment Department were already in a situation of life and death.


    From their initial ambush, it was destined.


    Especially since theyter used stolen experimental data from the Nether Temple for such anti-human projects like Gene Modifiers.


    Of course, Su Chenter destroyed the Skull Society andpletely obliterated the experimental base, which also made the Judgment Department hate him deeply!


    It can be said that they were already mortal enemies; it''s just that the Judgment Department hadn''t truly put Su Chen in their sights yet.


    Su Chen might not be strong enough to fight the entire Judgment Department now, but if it''s a higher-up, he doesn''t mind leaving them forever!


    "Su Chen, you mustn''t be careless; the priests are notparable to high-rank Holy Knights!"


    Qi Meng saw that he seemed to not take the Right Priest seriously, and eximed, quickly saying.


    "Don''t worry; I can handle it!"


    Su Chen said lightly. In his mind, those ck-robed people were only at the third or fourthyer of the Meridian Expansion Realm, what powerful can the priests be, one level above?


    Just Meridian Expansion Fifth and Sixth Layer at best, a little higher, maybe Meridian Expansion Sixth and Seventh?


    Even so, he felt capable of handling it, he had this confidence!


    "No, you cannot handle it!"


    Qi Meng shook her head and said:


    "You don''t understand; you think the priests are only more advanced in cultivation realm?"


    "You''re wrong! Being a priest, they master special techniques!"


    "Oh, there''s such a matter?"


    Su Chen felt surprised hearing Qi Meng''s words:


    "What kind of special techniques?"


    "I don''t know either, but what is certain is, the priests and high-rank Holy Knights are worlds apart, different realms entirely!"


    Qi Meng shook her head and said:


    "Even ten high-rank Holy Knights facing the priests are just ants!"


    Hearing Qi Meng''s words, Su Chen couldn''t help but grow solemn!


    It seems he had underestimated this so-called Judgment Department!


    His initial alliance with Qi Meng was because she was from the Judgment Department and familiar with it, and this point indeed proved beneficial!


    Hearing Qi Meng''s words, Su Chen''s previous doubts intensified!


    If they were already so powerful, why still pursue Gene Modifiers and his cultivation techniques? What are they trying to achieve?


    Without a clue for now, Su Chen decided not to dwell on it.


    "Alright, I''ll find a room to cultivate then."


    Su Chen said, then walked inside.


    Qi Meng soon returned to her room to cultivate too. Seeing how hard Su Chen worked even being so strong, she had no reason to ck off!


    At this moment, Qi Meng felt she was vaguely seeing the threshold to the half-step Meridian Expansion. She believed that in this ce with such abundant Yuan Qi, she might break through soon!


    A few hours flew by, and Su Chen''s garments were soaked again; in the Meridian Expansion Realm, expanding the meridians, the pain truly is unbearable!


    Finally, with a long roar, Su Chen broke through thest bottleneck of the second meridian!


    Meridian Expansion Second Layer!


    Sess!


    Looking at his soaked garments and hair like he had just washed it, Su Chen couldn''t help but smile wryly, proceeding to the bathroom for a shower!


    After showering, he returned to the room where he had been cultivating, sitting cross-legged.


    This time he wasn''t cultivating but studying the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique" in his mind!


    He had spent a lot of time these days focusing on studying this "Supreme Star Shifting Technique."


    If he didn''t understand it, he wouldn''t start cultivating it!


    The saying "Sharpening the axe won''t dy the work of chopping firewood," expresses this logic well!


    As for the "Calm Spirit Body Technique," it would have to wait until suitable Body Tempering Materials were found.


    Almost the entire day, Su Chen was engrossed in studying this "Supreme Star Shifting Technique."


    To him, the content seemed to transition from esoteric and obscure to profound and magical!


    Until the moon hung in the sparse sky, the night as dark as ink, he finally left the manor; through today, his understanding of the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique" had deepened once again!


    When Su Chen returned home, Lin Ruoxue was already working upstairs, while Aunt Wang and others were naturally asleep.


    He ate a little and went upstairs...

 Chapter 924: Pressure

    Su Cheny on the bed, holding a magazine, but his thoughts had already wandered far away...


    Although he has now broken through to the Meridian Expansion Second Layer, he feels it''s still far from enough, he must seize the time to continue improving!


    Otherwise, always waiting for others toe knocking is a very troublesome matter!


    The most crucial thing is, the initiative is not in his hands, this feeling makes him very ufortable!


    And to grasp the initiative, there is no other way, only strength is the root of everything!


    He may seem strong now, but what if Shengyi Gate or the Judgment Department were to fully attack him?


    Regarding his current self, he doesn''t have much confidence.


    Although he has the Dragon-ying Sword, he doesn''t have absolute assurance!


    Instead, if the Dragon-ying Sword is exposed, it might bring unexpected trouble!


    A magic artifact, in the Martial Arts World, is definitely a treasure coveted by others!


    After all, there are virtually no magic artifacts in the entire Martial Arts World.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    At this moment, the door opened, and a slender figure walked in.


    "Other than thinking about you, my wife, what else could I be thinking about?"


    Su Chen withdrew his thoughts, looked at Lin Ruoxue and smiled.


    "Sweet talk."


    Lin Ruoxue pouted, although knowing he wasn''t thinking about her just now, Lin Ruoxue was still very happy to hear it.


    Women, that''s just the kind of species they are.


    Though they often say trusting a man''s words is like trusting a sow can climb a tree!


    Yet many times, they''d rather believe the sow can climb a tree!


    What if this sow grows a pair of wings?


    "Wife, I see you''re quite tired, let me give you a massage."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Mm."


    Lin Ruoxue responded, since she had already bathed and was in her pajamas, she went straight to bed.


    Su Chen also ced his hands on Lin Ruoxue''s shoulders, starting to massage her, only gradually his hand drifted lower...


    Then, the lights went out...


    .....


    The next day, it was another rainy day.


    No matter whether it''s rainy or snowy, Lin Ruoxue likes it.


    So after opening her eyes, she used the remote to open the curtains.


    Her body curled up in Su Chen''s arms, listening to the sound of rain hitting the ss, she felt very peaceful!


    "Awake?"


    At this time, Su Chen also opened his eyes, and lightly kissed Lin Ruoxue''s back!


    "You rascal, yesterday you said you''d give me a massage, in the end..."


    Seeing him awake, Lin Ruoxue said somewhat displeased.


    "That was a kind of massage too!"


    Su Chen teased softly beside her ear:


    "Didn''t you feel veryfortable?"


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue suddenly blushed, then fiercely bit the arm she was resting on!


    "Lin Ruoxue, are you a dog? Why are you biting people?!"


    Su Chen grimaced in pain instantly!


    He quickly withdrew his arm, only to see two clear rows of teeth marks!


    This woman is truly ruthless!


    "Hmm!"


    Lin Ruoxue turned her head and gave him a provocative look, snorting.


    "Truly, it''s difficult to cater to wicked people and women!"


    Su Chen curled his lips and said.


    "What did you say?"


    Lin Ruoxue raised her brows and red at him.


    "I''m hard to care for, I''m hard to care for!"


    Su Chen quickly said.


    He dared not provoke her again, what if she bites again? Wouldn''t the pain be on him?


    Afterward, Lin Ruoxue got up to get dressed, while Su Chen leaned against the bedhead smoking, watching Lin Ruoxue''s back as she dressed, he couldn''t help but praise his wife''s perfect figure!


    Lin Ruoxue turned her head and saw him staring at her, couldn''t help but re at him!


    Su Chen finished his cigarette and got up too.


    After breakfast, he, Lin Ruoxue, and Yan Xi each drove to thepany.


    After arriving at thepany, Su Chen, of course, stuck to his usual routine, a cup of tea, a magazine!


    Seeing this magazine, he couldn''t help but think of Jiang Ying who was already in Hollywood.


    She had called a couple of days ago, saying everything was going well.


    Regarding Jiang Ying, he had helped as much as he could, the rest was up to her, the opportunity was already presented to her.


    At this moment, his phone rang, he saw it was Yu Jun''s number, and couldn''t help but wonder, why would he call him early in the morning?


    Though a bit puzzled, he still immediately answered.


    "Su Chen, I have to tell you something, the old man from the Sun Family has returned."


    On the phone, Yu Jun said solemnly.


    "Okay, I got it, thanks Uncle Yu."


    Su Chen was slightly stunned, then said.


    Previously at the Yu Family, it seemed everyone was quite afraid of that old man.


    "Additionally, I heard his cultivation has improved again, now has reached the Realm of Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer."


    Yu Jun continued, his voice sounding heavy.


    Because of the rtionship between Su Chen and his daughter, he has been paying extra attention to the Sun Family''s movements recently.


    When he heard this news, it truly frightened him!


    In his view, Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer is an insurmountable peak!


    No matter how formidable Su Chen is, he couldn''t possibly be his opponent!


    "I understand."


    Su Chen was also stunned by this news, and felt a pressure!


    He didn''t expect the old man from the Sun Family to already be a master of the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!


    Though he has now broken through to Meridian Expansion Second Layer, he''s definitely not a match for the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!


    The strength gap in thete stage of the Meridian Expansion Realm is not as simple as the earlier stages!


    By Su Chen''s own estimate, his current strength is at mostparable to Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, perhaps even less!


    After all, his previous true cultivation was only close to Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, hadn''t reached the Seventh Layer!


    This isrgely thanks to his cultivation of the "Nine Yang Divine Technique," this defying cultivation technique which allows the effect from a Minor Realm advancement in the early stage of the Meridian Expansion to be nearlyparable to the effect from a Minor Realm advancement in thete stage for ordinary martial artists!


    "Su Chen, be careful yourself, it''s best toy low, better to keep the green forest than worry about the firewood!"


    Yu Jun said worriedly, ultimatelycking confidence in him.


    It''s understandable, after all, Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer is indeed quite a top existence!


    "Okay, I know, thank you Uncle Yu."


    Su Chen replied, then hung up.


    Of course, he couldn''t really hide as Yu Jun suggested!


    Hide? Where could he run to?


    If that old guy couldn''t find him and went after Lin Ruoxue, the situation would be even worse!


    He wouldn''t even have a chance to fight desperately!


    So, he must improve his strength quickly before the opponentes for revenge!


    It''s best to advance to Meridian Expansion Third, even Fourth Layer, only then would it be safe!


    Of course, this is without using the Dragon-ying Sword...

 Chapter 925: And Theres Another Girl!

    Although Yu Jun''s phone call made him feel the pressure, it wasn''t enough to make him panic!


    If it reallyes down to it and he can''t win, he''ll just have to use the Dragon-ying Sword!


    Su Chen stayed in the office until noon, and after having lunch with Xia Qiuru, he returned to the manor to cultivate.


    Yu Jun''s message ultimately stirred him. Although he wouldn''t be cultivating day and night, he would definitely be more diligent than usualtely!


    After all, the old man from the Sun Family coulde knocking at any time. He killed his grandson, no need to think; once they meet, it will be a fight to the death, no negotiation!


    With Su Chen as a benchmark forparison, Qi Meng also became diligent.


    She thought, no wonder I''m so weak. To use a popr saying: even those more talented than you work harder than you, how could you possiblypete?!


    Su Chen first cultivated for four or five hours using the Nine Yang Divine Technique, then continued to study the Supreme Star Shifting Technique.


    After three or four hours, he couldn''t help but let out a long sigh!


    After studying for so many days, he finally fully understood it!


    He ns to start cultivating the Supreme Star Shifting Technique tomorrow!


    Regarding this, he''s incredibly excited!


    Because this Ster Power and Yuan Qi, and even the Demonic Qi his old ghost master mentioned, arepletely different!


    Thetter two already exist between heaven and earth, while Ster Power is the energy emitted by attracting stars!


    After studying the Supreme Star Shifting Technique, Su Chen went to take a bath.


    "I love bathing, my skin feels great! Ah-oh Ah-oh!... Rub up and down, scrub left and right..."


    Soon, a burst of cheerful singing came from the bathroom!


    "What''s making this guy so happy, that he''s even singing?"


    In a nearby room, Qi Meng heard this song and couldn''t help but curl her lips.


    This song sounds kinda weird, doesn''t it?


    For Su Chen, finally having studied the Supreme Star Shifting Technique thoroughly gave him a reason to be happy!


    However, halfway through humming, he suddenly frowned and quickly slipped on some underwear and wrapped a towel around himself!


    Ignoring the water dripping from him, he gently opened the door and slipped into Qi Meng''s room!


    Seeing him suddenlye in, Qi Meng was about to speak, but a big hand covered her mouth, preventing her from making a sound!


    Qi Meng was startled. Could he really be nning to do that to her?!


    No wonder, given Su Chen''s actions and the fact that he''s only wrapped in a towel, bare-chested, it''s hard for Qi Meng not to think that way!


    Moreover, she''s always been confident in her looks and figure!


    Being this close, especially in such a situation, made Qi Meng''s breathing quicken uncontrobly!


    Qi Meng suddenly realized whether she should struggle a bit?


    For some reason, once Su Chen covered her mouth, she frozepletely!


    "Shh, someone''sing!"


    At this time, Su Chen whispered.


    Qi Meng''s beautiful eyes suddenly widened. So she misunderstood again?


    Her face flushed a fiery red!


    Thank goodness Su Chen doesn''t know what she was thinking, or she''d just want to die!


    Isn''t this too embarrassing?


    But Su Chen didn''t seem to notice her expression, instead holding his breath to listen for noises outside!


    After several breaths, Qi Meng finally felt a bit better and also started listening for outside noises.


    However, she immediately became confused, as she didn''t seem to hear anything!


    "Wait here for me, try not to let anyone notice!"


    Su Chen whispered, then swiftly slipped out.


    Although somewhat worried about Qi Meng, waiting here for the opponent toe didn''t seem like a good choice.


    Luckily, Qi Meng was at least at the Late Stage of Qi Refinement Peak, with some power to protect herself!


    So Su Chen decided to take the initiative. Based on his judgment just now, the opponent''s movement technique was excellent, and they were good at hiding their presence.


    If it weren''t for his vastly improved perception, it would have been hard to notice!


    Of course, another reason was that when the opponent was outside the courtyard, they didn''t expect him to notice, so they hadn''t been too deliberate about hiding their presence and movements!


    Su Chen darted several times quickly to approach the hall, where those people were searching each room for his whereabouts!


    When Su Chen recognized that those people were the ones who wanted to seize his ring, he was slightly surprised!


    Didn''t expect these guys to be so determined, even chasing him all the way here!


    However, if they really wanted to investigate, it wouldn''t be too hard¡ªthings like flight information can be checked.


    He originally worried it would be someone else but felt relieved seeing it was these people from the Ind Country!


    "Are you looking for me?"


    Suddenly, a teasing voice sounded.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s voice, those people froze slightly, then turned towards the source of the sound.


    Su Chen spoke because he wanted to draw everyone''s attention, and at this moment, he was in the passage leading to Qi Meng''s room.


    As long as he guarded here, Qi Meng would be safe.


    "Ah! There''s an extra chick!"


    Su Chen looked at the five people walking over and pulled a mischievous smile!


    "Bold! Disrespecting Lord Qian Ying, asking for death!"


    "Kneel down and apologize, maybe Lord Qian Ying will spare your pathetic life!"


    Before the woman spoke, two men beside her had already jumped in anger!


    Su Chen tilted his head to look at the woman and was somewhat amazed!


    Her inky flowing long hair contrasted sharply with her aloof face, which was somewhat gaunt. Her slender willow-leaf brows showed a bit of chill, and her icy beautiful eyes shone with killing intent!


    Wet cherry lips pressed together alluringly, tempting one to want a bite!


    Her features were exquisite and perfect; her skin was fair and smooth, and her figure was voluptuously curvaceous!


    Standing nearly one meter seventy-five tall, dressed in tight ck clothing, her perfect curves werepletely outlined!


    This woman really is an exceptional beauty!


    "I''ve never had the habit of kneeling and apologizing to a woman. Usually, it''s women who kneel and sing ''Conquer'' for me!"


    Su Chen pulled a wicked grin, especially since his towel-d look made him resemble a rogue!


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, the woman''s cool face instantly showed anger!


    "Hand over the ring, and I''ll spare your life!"


    The woman said ndly, seemingly unwilling to say more.


    However, she was slightly surprised inside; this man is merely at the Meridian Expansion First Layer, how did he defeat four men at the Meridian Expansion Third Layerst time?


    Moreover, these few men also knew ninjutsu, meaning their actualbat strength exceeded the Meridian Expansion Third Layer!


    "This ring is something I bought, why should I give it to you?"


    Su Chen curled his lips:


    "That doesn''t seem reasonable, does it?"


    The other men immediatelyughed when they heard this, this guy wants to reason with them, isn''t he crazy?


    In their eyes, there''s only one thing that speaks: strength!

 Chapter 926: Oh No! A Trap!

    "If you want money, just say so, no matter how much!"


    The long-haired woman spoke with a cold tone.


    "I don''t need money."


    Su Chen shook his head and said.


    "Then what do you want? As long as I can do it, I can agree to it!"


    The long-haired woman said.


    "Really?"


    The smile on Su Chen''s face grew a bit wider.


    "Of course."


    The long-haired woman nodded.


    Because thest time the other party defeated several others, she felt somewhat uneasy.


    She thought if she could retrieve the Cangyue Ring without a fight, it would naturally be the best oue!


    "I want you..."


    Su Chen looked at the long-haired woman and said yfully.


    "How dare you!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, the men next to the woman shouted angrily!


    Qian Ying''s face flushed with anger!


    "I haven''t finished talking yet, what''s the rush?!"


    Su Chen continued with a smile:


    "I want you... to be my servant!"


    "Kill!"


    Qian Ying''s lips parted slightly, spitting out the word coldly!


    An air of Ice Frost appeared on her face, and the killing intent in her beautiful eyes intensified!


    As soon as the words fell, the four men immediately surged forward to attack Su Chen!


    Despite their own belief in their movement technique being infallible, Su Chen''s ability to catch themst time left them still baffled!


    This time they didn''t believe in superstition and insisted on testing whether he was truly so formidable!


    The result, however, was that the four of them still flew backward like cannonballs!


    Only this time, they were more severely injured thanst time and could not even deploy the Art of Stealth!


    "You are indeed strong!"


    Qian Ying said seriously, looking at Su Chen.


    When she made the four men attack just now, it was indeed to test the waters with Su Chen!


    The conclusion was that this man was indeed very strong!


    No wonder they failedst time!


    "But you are not my match! I advise you to hand over the ring obediently!"


    As one of the eight top experts of her organization, Qian Ying held confidence in her strength!


    "If you''re capable,e and take it!"


    Su Chen responded with a mocking smile, even unting the ring on his finger provocatively!


    At this moment, Qian Ying''s cold eyes narrowed, and her figure moved, disappearing from the spot instantly!


    In the next moment, a shadow ghostly appeared in front of Su Chen!


    "Interesting!"


    A smile curled up on Su Chen''s lips; this woman''s ninjutsu seemed more advanced than those men, and her speed seemed faster!


    Nevertheless, it remains within the overarching principles and foundations of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams!


    Even so, handling it wasn''t easy!


    Firstly, the opponent had surely cultivated a movement technique, advocating the reduction of Su Chen''s speed advantage.


    On the other hand, although her movement routes were also built on the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams basis, they seemed like an advanced version!


    Unlike those men before, whose routes were apparent at a nce.


    It''s like having mastered mathematics; you can spout answers to basic arithmetic instantly.


    But when it bes moreplicated? You need time to calcte!


    Both are based on the same Mantra after all!


    This was Qian Ying''s movement technique, although Su Chen knew the basis, calctions required time!


    And Qian Ying was so fast!


    This brought certain pressure to Su Chen, luckily the opponent''s Realm was insufficient, only the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer!


    Otherwise, she truly would have been a formidable enemy!


    Luckily for Su Chen, his speed and intellect barely kept up, in another''s case, they''d have folded long ago!


    Qian Ying grew increasingly astonished every time she thought she could evade and attack when her opponent mirrored her perfectly!


    As she became more impatient, she suddenly noticed Su Chen finally slowed, showing a w!


    She was immediately pleased, hastily striking at Su Chen, releasing the fierce power of the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer!


    However, in the next second, her gem-like bright pupils contracted sharply in horror!


    Oh no! A trap!


    It was already toote as she realized this, as Su Chen caught her wrist precisely!


    Then, Su Chen sprang up like a leopard, mming her away with a powerful knee strike!


    In terms ofbat experience, not many surpass Su Chen in this world!


    Gained again and again, while teetering on the edge of death!


    Landing on the ground, Qian Ying felt her organs were shifted intensely, churning violently!


    "Ugh!"


    She spat out arge mouthful of blood onto the ground, looking at the man in disbelief!


    Only now did she realize the man had been hiding his true strength all along!


    "Alright, I will now ask you two questions. If you are willing to answer, I will spare your life. If not, it''s alright as well, today next year will be your death anniversary!"


    Su Chen looked coldly at those lying on the ground and said.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, those people were stunned, would this guy really spare them?


    "If we answer, will you really let all of us go?"


    Despite seriously hurt, Qian Ying asked coldly.


    "Of course!"


    Su Chen sneered.


    "How can I believe you? What guarantee do you offer?"


    Qian Ying stared at Su Chen and said.


    "Believe it or not, you''re not in a position to negotiate!"


    Su Chen spat coldly:


    "You only have two paths, trust andply, or remain and lose your life!"


    At this moment, his face showed no expression, and his eyes were emotionless!


    "Alright, I believe you, hoping you''ll keep your promise!"


    Qian Ying nced at the other four, then at Su Chen, and nodded.


    She didn''t want everyone''s life lost over two questions.


    As the leader of this mission, she had to consider everyone.


    Moreover, answering two questions shouldn''t be too problematic!


    "First question, who exactly are you people?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Ghost Domain!"


    Qian Ying replied coldly.


    This was no big deal for her, as some people in the world know of the Ghost Domain''s existence!


    "Ghost Domain?"


    Su Chen looked puzzled hearing the term; he hadn''t really heard much about this organization!


    On the Ind Country, he''d heard of Yamaguchi-gumi, several famous schools, and Shrines but not really about Ghost Domain.


    Judging by this woman and the others'' strength, this organization must also be remarkable!


    "Second question, why do you want that ring, to the extent of following it to Yandu? What precisely is that ring and its function?"


    Su Chen then inquired.


    This second question had some underhandedness; iming to be one question was aption of multiple queries...

 Chapter 927: "Supreme Star Shifting Technique

    "That ring is called the Cangyue Ring, but as for what it''s used for, I don''t know either."


    Qian Ying pondered for a moment and said:


    "It''s destined for us to find and bring it back as per the Ghost Master''s orders."


    "That''s as good as saying nothing!"


    Su Chen pursed his lips and said:


    "You''re making it hard for me to be satisfied!"


    Considering whom she referred to as the Ghost Master, it should be the head of the Ghost Domain!


    "Believe it or not!"


    Qian Ying said coldly.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen truly believed her!


    But this woman sure has a strong personality; perhaps if it weren''t for the other people''s lives also being in his hands, she wouldn''t be so cooperative!


    "Alright, you can leave now."


    Su Chen waved his hand casually and said.


    At this moment, Qian Ying and the others were quite stunned!


    Is he really going to let them go?


    "If you want to stay for dinner, that''s no problem either."


    Su Chen suddenly showed a smile and said.


    Their hearts trembled instantly, and they struggled to get up, heading towards the gate...


    "Next time if youe again, you might not be so lucky."


    Su Chen''s voice sounded behind them, they paused slightly and then continued forward...


    The reason Su Chen was willing to keep his promise and let them go was because he didn''t take these people seriously.


    If they were someone who made him truly ufortable, he wouldn''t be so kind.


    Discussing moral qualities when facing enemies? What a joke?


    Of course, it couldn''t be denied there''s also a factor that Qian Ying is quite a beauty.


    It''s easier to forgive beauties after all!


    Especially for Su Chen, as long as they haven''t made any unforgivable mistakes, he''s not willing to be the ruthless person who harms flowers.


    At this time, Qi Meng also came out of the room.


    "Are you okay?"


    Qi Meng asked worriedly.


    "They''re just small fries, nothing to worry about."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "I''m really useless, needing your protection every time."


    Qi Meng said helplessly, then her beautiful eyes revealed a determined glow:


    "No, I must quickly improve my realm and reach the Half-Step Meridian Expansion soon!"


    "Don''t worry, train well in the manor; I believe that day wille soon."


    Su Chenforted her.


    "Mm!"


    Qi Meng nodded heavily.


    Su Chen then drove home, and upon reaching home, it was already past ten, so he went straight to bed.


    Momentster, Lin Ruoxue finished her work and came to rest...


    ......


    Early the next morning, Su Chen came to the manor to start cultivating the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique"!


    Since it was his first time cultivating it, he was worried about encountering specific situations, so he came to the manor, as besides Qi Meng, there was no one else here.


    Starting the cultivation of "Supreme Star Shifting Technique," Su Chen was indeed very excited!


    For him, this is apletely new field!


    Although the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique" absorbs Star Energy, the functioning method is entirely different from the technique that absorbs True Yuan!


    In the next two days, Su Chen was almost entirely focused on cultivating the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique," and he even told Lin Ruoxue he was going out so he never went home!


    But to his great annoyance, after cultivating for two days, he absorbed some Star Energy, but it was too slow, far too slow!


    If measured by True Yuan quantity, it would be probably only a tenth or a hundredth!


    At this rate, who knows when this First Turn will bepleted!


    If those who understood the Star Technique knew, they''d surely be eager to give him a piece of their mind!


    The "Supreme Star Shifting Technique" is a rare technique; the fact that he can cultivate it is already a miracle, yet heins!


    Moreover, what do you think the Star Technique is? What is Ster Power? Cabbage?


    Actually, his cultivation speed is already remarkably fast!


    For others, even cultivating the most basic Star Technique, the speed would likely be a tenth of his, or even slower!


    Of course, these are things Su Chen couldn''t possibly know!


    Star Energy, a thin bluish mist state, stored inside his body, like a life energy source!


    Su Chen originally intended to test the power of Star Energy or Ster Power, but since the amount was too little, he was rather stingy about using it!


    After all the effort to cultivate a tiny bit, it''s unreasonable to just st it against mountains and trees, right?!


    ....


    However, on the second night, Su Chen didn''t continue cultivating, but instead returned home.


    A night of warmth ensued, and on the third morning, after breakfast, Su Chen drove to thepany with Lin Ruoxue and Yan Xi.


    After all, he was still a minister; sometimes he should make an appearance.


    The quintessential set of a cup of tea and a magazine was indispensable!


    But after flipping through just a few pages, the phone on his desk rang; the receptionist said someone was looking for him, so Su Chen directly let them in.


    "Hall Master Wei, what brings you here?"


    Su Chen was a little surprised as he watched Wei Hua push the door open and enter.


    "Oh, just came over to see Yan Xi."


    Wei Hua smiled and said.


    "Alright, I''ll take you over to see her."


    Su Chen said, then got up and took Wei Hua to the PR department.


    When they reached the door of the PR department, Su Chen was about to call for Yan Xi, but Wei Hua stopped him.


    At this moment, Yan Xi was staring at theputer while discussing something with Zhao Lin beside her, then continuously tapping away on the keyboard.


    Wei Hua, hiding by the door, looked at Yan Xi and almost didn''t recognize her!


    Now she was wearing a professional outfit, working seriously, indistinguishable from any typical office worker.


    "Let''s go."


    After a while, Wei Hua softly said and turned to leave; Su Chen followed suit.


    Then the two returned to Su Chen''s office again, and Su Chen made a cup of tea for him.


    "Perhaps these kinds of days are truly suitable for her, at least much happier than before in Hidden Dragon Hall."


    Wei Hua sighed and said.


    "She''s rtively carefree and loves a bit of freedom."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Indeed, it seems it was wrong to keep her bound in Hidden Dragon Hall before."


    Wei Hua said:


    "I''ll leave Yan Xi in your care."


    "No problem, Yan Xi and I are friends after all."


    Su Chen shrugged and asked:


    "Hall Master Wei, did youe just to see her?"


    "Not really, I had some matters to attend to, so I swung by to see the girl."


    Wei Hua took a sip of tea and said.


    "By the way, Hall Master Wei, there''s something I''ve always been puzzled over and wanted to ask you."


    Su Chen suddenly said.


    "What is it?"


    Wei Hua gave him a curious nce and asked.


    "Why did you guys at Hidden Dragon Hall suddenly change your attitude and not interfere with my dealing with the various families?"


    Su Chen asked, this matter had always been on his mind, unresolved.


    He even asked Yao Zhe before, but Yao Zhe said he didn''t know and imed it was a vice hall master''s order...

 Chapter 928: The Mystery of Pei Mans Parents

    "You don''t know?"


    Wei Hua asked upon hearing this.


    "Should I know?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "Forget it, if you don''t know, I won''t tell you. You will naturally find out in the future."


    Wei Hua said.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen felt frustrated!


    What do you mean by not telling me because I don''t know? Isn''t it because I don''t know that you should say something?


    But since he wouldn''t speak, Su Chen was also helpless.


    It seemed like Wei Hua really just dropped by; after having a cup of tea, he left.


    After Wei Hua left, Su Chen didn''t continue reading the magazine but started thinking about the matters concerning Shengyi Gate and Judgment Department.


    He currently had no understanding of just how strong these two major enemies were.


    Especially the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate and the High Priest of the Judgment Department, he waspletely unaware of what cultivation realm they were in!


    As they say, know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat; in this area, he had already fallen behind!


    Earlier, he tentatively asked Wei Hua about the Judgment Department and their High Priest, but Wei Hua didn''t borate, only mentioning it''s a top martial arts force abroad!


    As for the strength of the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate, Wei Hua only said two words¡ªvery strong!


    Someone who Wei Hua described as very strong must indeed be very strong!


    Moreover, Wei Hua was very serious when he said this!


    At least for now, Su Chen didn''t think he had the ability to fight Wei Hua!


    Su Chen thought for a while, feeling a bit frustrated, and decided to stop thinking about these matters for now.


    Su Chen stayed in the office until noon, then went downstairs to eat, naturally still with Xia Qiuru.


    They went to their regr restaurant where the owner, his wife, and their daughter were very familiar with them. They no longer needed to order.


    Just saying "the usual" was enough!


    Initially, they thought the two were a couple, butter realized they were not...


    ....


    At the same time, in a mysterious ce in this world, there was a building resembling a temple.


    The entire structure was grand yet gave off a gloomy feeling!


    In a room within this building, a person dressed in luxurious red robes stood there.


    "Right Priest, those three high rank Holy Knights have also lost contact."


    Suddenly, a figure appeared behind him, ghostlike.


    "What''s the reason?"


    The person in red trembled slightly, asking hoarsely.


    "It hasn''t been found yet."


    The person behind reported.


    "What about those two?" the red-robed person asked.


    "ording to reports, they''re fine and everything is normal."


    "Looks like I need to personally go to Huaxia soon."


    After a moment, the red-robed person sighed and said.


    "Right Priest, you mustn''t; that''s Huaxia!"


    The person behind quickly said upon hearing.


    "It doesn''t matter!"


    The red-robed person''s eyes shone brilliantly:


    "I want to see what capability he has that can cause the demise of three high rank Holy Knights!"


    "But Right Priest, you don''t have to go yourself; you can send someone else!"


    The person behind voiced concern.


    "There''s no time; the High Priest will soon return! I must settle this matter before the High Priestes back!"


    The red-robed person murmured, looking out the window.


    The person behind him didn''t speak any further...


    "Alright, you may leave."


    The red-robed person waved his hand, and that figure vanished...


    .....


    After Su Chen and Xia Qiuru finished eating, they walked back to Rainbow Mansion.


    Xia Qiuru directly went back inside to continue working at thepany, while Su Chen, thinking he had nothing to do upstairs, decided to drive to the Pei Family estate.


    Since he had the time, naturally as the attending physician, he was supposed to check on Pei Man''s recovery.


    Upon reaching the gate of Pei Family estate, Su Chen parked his car and walked straight in...


    One had to admit that Pei Man''s progress was quite rapid; she could now gradually walk twenty to thirty steps.


    No longer needed anyone guarding her to prevent falls, but Pei Jian, not entirely confident, still apanied her during daily exercises.


    Seeing Su Chen arrive, Pei Jian said something then left for now!


    Seeing Pei Man''s state, Su Chen believed it wouldn''t be long before she could be like a normal person!


    The sensation of walking with both feet on the ground delighted Pei Man greatly; if Su Chen hadn''t specifically instructed against tiring herself, she might never want to stop, as if trying to make up for the twenty years of walking she had missed!


    After a while, Pei Man sat in the wheelchair and made him a cup of tea, handing it to him.


    "By the way, still no news about your parents?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    He knew Pei Man previously refused treatment, hoping her parents would return withpassion upon seeing her condition.


    For that, she even preferred staying in a wheelchair.


    Though her grandfather, brother Pei Jian, and most of the Pei Family treated her well and got along.


    However, these people could never rece her parents.


    The moment the words left his mouth, Pei Man''s joyful expression darkened instantly.


    "Sorry, I just asked casually, didn''t mean to offend!"


    Seeing her change in expression, Su Chen quickly said, silently ming himself for his insensitivity!


    "It''s alright."


    Pei Man forced a smile and said:


    "Still no news."


    Su Chen found it strange too; all these years, how could her parents not visit their daughter?


    It seems excessively cruel!


    Unless something happened to them, maybe even demise!


    "I am living well now, I have family, and friends like you, that''s enough!"


    Pei Man continued, sounding more like selffort!


    "Don''t worry, they wille back to visit you eventually!"


    Su Chen smiled andforted her.


    "I hope so!"


    Pei Man said:


    "Actually, I often wonder why they hurriedly sent me back and left! What was happening with him at the time?"


    "Don''t think too much about it, let things be, you''ll meet them naturally when it''s meant to be."


    Su Chen advised Pei Man.


    "I think so too!"


    Pei Man''s smile blossomed, full of infectious joy!


    Seeing this smile, Su Chen also smiled but felt a hint of sadness inside!


    Sometimes, Su Chen thought, believing she might be even more pitiful than him!


    At least he knew his parents were harmed by others, giving him direction to fight!


    Moreover, he had avenged them to a degree, with those directly involved paying the price!


    But Pei Man?


    She didn''t even know whether her parents were alive; she didn''t even know who her mother was!


    Who could ept such circumstances?


    Yet she lived with positivity, and her life was brilliant!


    That''s truly remarkable!

 Chapter 929: Saras Concert

    After Su Chen left the Pei Family, he naturally went to thepany. Rare to be there for a day, of course, he should clock out!


    It''s about ten days until New Year, and the air in Yandu is already saturated with the holiday atmosphere. Belle Group will be off for the New Year in five or six days too.


    At this time, many people are eager to return home, after all, many at Belle Groupe from all over the country.


    Most of them haven''t been back for a year, some haven''t returned for two or three years.


    But facing the generous year-end bonus, they still have to put their thoughts away and do the final few days of wrap-up work well.


    For Su Chen, this year he naturally will spend New Year with Lin Ruoxue at the Jianghai Lin Family.


    Old Master Lin also specifically called to talk about this, and inevitably mentioned having children!


    Su Chen couldn''t help it; he''s trying very hard!


    Su Chen suspects that it might be rted to the Gu inside Lin Ruoxue.


    Of course, he wouldn''t mention this to Old Master Lin, saying it would only add one more concern.


    He has decided that after returning home with Xia Qiuru after the New Year, he would immediately head to Miaojiang.


    As long as the Gu inside Lin Ruoxue remains, he will not have peace.


    Su Chen stayed at thepany until it was time to clock out, then drove home.


    In these final days, Lin Ruoxue''s work is naturally still very busy, so recently she usuallyes back quitete.


    After Su Chen returned home, he began cultivating.


    Now he not only needs to cultivate the Nine Yang Divine Technique, but also the Supreme Star Shifting Technique, naturally feeling pressed for time.


    He kept cultivating until Lin Ruoxue came home past nine, ate dinner with her, then went to rest.


    In the next two or three days, Su Chen used most of his time for cultivation, whether at home or in the estate.


    This situationsted until New Year''s Eve, when Sara''s performance urred.


    That day, Lin Ruoxue deliberately came back early, after dinner, she specifically changed into a noble purple evening gown!


    After all, Sara''s rtionship with her is different now, not only a superstar but also Su Chen''s disciple!


    She naturally dressed grandly to show importance!


    Thinking of this, Lin Ruoxue still felt a little dazed!


    "Honey, you look beautiful!"


    Su Chen admired as he watched Lin Ruoxue gracefully descend the staircase in a fitted long dress.


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue''s hair was tied up, revealing her long, fair neck.


    That fitted dress perfectly showcased her figure!


    Along with her incredibly beautiful face, it''s almost unbelievably stunning!


    Ever since she and Su Chen had a substantial rtionship, her skin has be more radiant, and she exudes a subtle aura!


    Like a fairy from the heavens!


    Of course, to match Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen also took a shower and changed into a blue suit he had worn only a few times!


    Not only Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen, little Ruohan was also carefully dressed, looking very excited!


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue decided to take the little girl along for some cultural enrichment.


    Initially, Su Chen nned to invite Aunt Wang and Aunt Sun to go too, but the two elderly declined, shaking their heads, iming they couldn''t appreciate it!


    So it was just the three of them going, looking like a family of three!


    As they headed out, Su Chen was naturally driving, but he was driving Lin Ruoxue''s car.


    When they arrived at the Yandu Music Hall, the entrance was already lined with luxury cars!


    Of course, not all of them were violin enthusiasts; some were just there to showcase their style.


    What could be more stylish than attending a Sara''s performance?


    After entering, the three of them sat in the best seats in the middle, as specifically instructed by Sara.


    But before long, Su Chen felt a gaze on him. He turned to see it was Du Hanbing sitting two rows behind him!


    Sara''s performance, of course, she woulde if she had time!


    Su Chen''s eyes revealed a hint of guilt, while Du Hanbing offered a rxed smile.


    Seeing this smile, Su Chen felt slightly better.


    Regarding Du Hanbing and Eniel, Su Chen had countless times wanted to speak, and countless times retreated.


    For the usually decisive Su Chen, perhaps this is the only issue that has left him in turmoil!


    If he speaks out, he doesn''t know how Lin Ruoxue would react!


    But if he keeps silent, he feels he''s not being decent!


    He secretly resolved at this moment to find a time to confess to Lin Ruoxue!


    He thought about waiting until he removes the Gu from her, because if Lin Ruoxue reacts strongly, she might not want him to treat her!


    No matter whether she forgives him, he must first solve the hidden danger in her body!


    After all, this concerns her life!


    Before long, the lights in the music hall dimmed, and Sara appeared on stage like a fairy!


    Then erupted a wave of prolonged apuse, with many looking extremely excited!


    Lin Ruoxue looked at the radiant Sara on stage, then at Su Chen beside her, still unable to connect the two together!


    At this moment, Sara on stage nced over here, and both Lin Ruoxue and Du Hanbing smiled at her.


    A feast for the ears began!


    When the music yed, everyone was immersed in the wonderful notes, with all kinds of emotions slowly released!


    Even those who came to showcase style felt their souls purified!


    At this moment, they finally understood why so many people insisted on seeing Sara''s performance!


    "This little girl has reached a higher realm, no longer focusing on technique!"


    Su Chen listened for a while and softly murmured.


    "I can''t tell that, just feel it''s good. My heart seems to fly away with it!"


    Lin Ruoxue whispered.


    "That''s the highestpliment."


    Su Chen chuckled softly and said:


    "For a chef, the most important thing is to make delicious food; for a tailor, it''s to make beautiful clothes; for a musician, it''s definitely that the music sounds good!"


    "You rascal, sometimes you say things that make sense."


    Lin Ruoxue whispered like a buzzing mosquito.


    "You just realized that?"


    Su Chen smiled, then said:


    "Let''s just listen."


    Then the two continued to seriously enjoy Sara''s performance.


    Su Chen closed his eyes slightly, with visions of the little girl amidst the ruins during the shelling still swirling in his mind...

 Chapter 930: The Woman Lying by the Road

    The nearly two-hour concert flew by, leaving everyone with a feeling that it wasn''t enough!


    Being together with Lin Ruoxue, and with Du Hanbing here, there was no way to meet up with Sara.


    Of course, Su Chen was also looking forward to the day when Lin Ruoxue and Du Hanbing could sit down together.


    Moreover, after Sara''s performance, there were still a lot of things to deal with, so both Su Chen and Du Hanbing left first.


    Anyway, they could still spend a day with Sara tomorrow.


    "Honey, is there someone up ahead?"


    On the way back, Lin Ruoxue, sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly pointed not far ahead and said.


    "Huh, yeah, why is she lying on the road?"


    Little Ruohan noticed it as well.


    "I''ll go check it out, you all stay in the car."


    After pulling the car to the side, Su Chen said.


    A random person lying on the road, Su Chen certainly had to be cautious.


    After getting out, Su Chen walked over and softly asked:


    "Miss, are you okay?"


    Su Chen could clearly see that this was a woman, and she had a nice figure.


    "Miss, are you alright?"


    Su Chen called out again, but still got no response.


    So Su Chen bent down and turned her over, wanting to see what was going on with her.


    But as soon as he turned her over, the woman''s eyes suddenly opened, and her small cherry-like mouth slightly opened!


    "Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"


    Immediately, a piercing sound echoed as three Five-Star Darts emitting a blue light shot out from her mouth, swiftly darting towards his face!


    The two were so close that an average person would have had a hard time dodging!


    Fortunately, Su Chen''s cultivation was sufficient now, and he had been extra cautious.


    So, as soon as the sound rang out, he had already gathered all his True Yuan and floated backward!


    At that moment, a long leg swept in with a gust of force toward Su Chen!


    The path of the leg even caused the air to vibrate!


    But with a swift grasp of his hand, Su Chen caught her calf!


    The feel was smooth and soft, and Su Chen couldn''t help but gently stroke it, causing her to shudder!


    However, the woman did not struggle much, but used the momentum to get closer to Su Chen, as a short sword appeared in her hand and she thrust it towards Su Chen''s heart!


    At this point, Lin Ruoxue and Little Ruohan in the car were already shocked; they didn''t expect this woman was faking it, just to assassinate Su Chen!


    Contrary to Lin Ruoxue''s worry, Little Ruohan''s eyes were filled with excitement!


    This was much more thrilling than watching a big movie, right?


    The sword came thrusting, Su Chen quickly released her calf and slightly turned, reaching out to grab the hand holding the short sword!


    At the same time, Su Chen spun her 180 degrees and grabbed her other hand!


    At the moment, she faced away from Su Chen, with both hands restrained, leaving her no chance to fight back!


    Although her legs were free, Su Chen was prepared!


    "Let go!"


    The woman immediately shouted angrily!


    "I told you, if youe again, I won''t be so kind!"


    Su Chen could clearly see that this woman was the same one from the Ind Country before, although she had disguised herself!


    "This is yourst chance! If you try again, I will kill you!"


    Su Chen whispered softly into her ear.


    "You''re not going to kill me?"


    Qian Ying waspletely stunned; this man actually spared her twice?


    "Get lost!"


    Su Chen then released her and sent her flying with a palm strike!


    Qian Ying flew forward like a kite with a broken string, and afternding, she coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood!


    But ignoring this, she immediately vanished from the spot!


    This time, it wasn''t just because the opponent was a beauty that Su Chen spared her; of course, that yed a part, but mainly because Lin Ruoxue and Little Ruohan were present!


    Especially Little Ruohan, despite her being a monster, she was still just a little girl, and Su Chen wouldn''t kill someone in front of her!


    As for that palm strike, attacking him had toe with some consequences!


    "Honey, are you alright? Who was that?"


    As soon as Su Chen got in the car, Lin Ruoxue asked nervously.


    "Don''t worry, I''m fine."


    Su Chen replied casually:


    "She wanted something from me."


    "Brother Su, you were so cool just now!"


    Little Ruohan''s eyes sparkled as she said, then sighed:


    "Too bad she got away!"


    Su Chen was speechless upon hearing this; why wasn''t this little girl scared?


    Then Su Chen stepped on the gas, and the car shot off like an arrow, leaving the scene...


    Not far away, in a small grove, Qian Ying leaned against a tree, her expressionplex!


    She didn''t expect that he would let her go again!


    But unable to retrieve the Cangyue Ring, how could she exin it when she got back?


    Beforeing here, she didn''t expect this young man to be so powerful!


    .....


    Soon, Su Chen drove to the vi and, upon returning, sent Little Ruohan to bed.


    It was about 10 o''clock, so Lin Ruoxue still nned to work for a while.


    Lying alone in bed, Su Chen lit a cigarette.


    He didn''t take the matter with Qian Ying to heart but it reminded him of Sun Yang, the martial arts fanatic who went to the Ind Country over three months ago!


    Although it''s normal for Sun Yang to challenge people and stay in one ce for a while, three months was really too long, making Su Chen uneasy!


    The downside of a martial arts fanatic is that he never uses mobile phones or any modernmunication tools!


    As a result, he knows nothing about Sun Yang''s situation now!


    He decided, after spending the day with Sara tomorrow, to go to the Ind Country the day after to check on things!


    Of course, it wasn''t like finding a needle in a haystack since Sun Yang went to challenge Watanabe Yu. Even if he couldn''t find Sun Yang, he could definitely get clues from Watanabe Yu.


    Soon after, Lin Ruoxue finished work and returned from the study.


    "Honey, I''m going to the Ind Country the day after tomorrow."


    Su Chen said.


    "It''s only a few days before New Year; what are you going to the Ind Country for?"


    Lin Ruoxue was slightly taken aback and then asked:


    "Is it rted to that woman tonight?"


    "Of course not, I''m going to find a friend. Don''t worry, I''ll be back before the New Year."


    "Alright then, I won''t interfere with where you go, just make sure to stay safe."


    Lin Ruoxue said seriously, looking at him.


    "Don''t worry, with such a beautiful wife waiting at home, I''d hate to die!"


    Su Chen said with augh.


    "Don''t say that word!"


    Lin Ruoxue said sternly, obviously very superstitious about it.


    "Alright, I won''t say it. Before I leave, let your husband take good care of you!"


    Su Chenughed, pulling Lin Ruoxue, still in her purple dress, onto the bed!


    The dress sketched Lin Ruoxue''s graceful curves perfectly, making Su Chen''s fingers itch with temptation!

 Chapter 931: Breaking into Kitano-ryu Headquarters

    The next day, Su Chen and Du Hanbing apanied Sarah for a day of crazy fun outside, which was a promise made to the little girl, and Su Chen certainly would not break it.


    A little after nine in the evening, she boarded the ne and left China.


    This trip to China was still quite enjoyable for Sarah because the two people she valued the most apanied her for two days!


    This had be rather rare in recent years!


    The following morning, Su Chen boarded the ne heading to the Ind Country...


    .....


    Ind Country Kyoto, the most prosperous ce in the Ind Country, not only has tall buildings but also many structures with ancient Chinese architectural styles.


    Su Chen was not visiting Kyoto for the first time, so he was still quite familiar with the streets here.


    After leaving the airport, he directly hailed a taxi to Sakura Street No. 32 because this is the headquarters of the Kitano-ryu!


    Kitano-ryu, along with Kouga-ryu, Iga-ryu, Ino-ryu, Sakura-ryu, and Hokushin Itto-ryu, are collectively known as the six major schools in the Ind Country, renowned throughout the Ind Country!


    The reason Su Chen came here was because Watanabe Yu is the current head of Kitano-ryu!


    "Who are you? This is a Kitano-ryu stronghold, leave quickly!"


    The two guards at the gate saw Su Chen walking straight to the entrance, and immediately emerged from hiding.


    "Call Watanabe Yu out!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    "Who are you to dare call our head by name!"


    The two guards immediately shouted.


    "Bang bang!"


    Su Chen''s palms struck out, instantly unleashing a wave of True Essence Energy, and the two guards were immediately sent flying, crashing against the gate, which swung open!


    Su Chen had no interest in chattering with these ant-like figures, having dealt with the two guards he strode inside!


    Even when he was in the Nether Temple, Su Chen had never considered these Japanese factions worth his attention, much less now?


    Themotion here instantly rmed the others, and soon, over ten people appeared from various parts of the courtyard, all wearing ninja outfits, mostly Middle Ninja and Lower Ninja!


    After all, they were all guarding the gate.


    "Who are you, and why are you trespassing in our Kitano-ryu headquarters?"


    One of them who seemed to be a leader said coldly.


    "You are not qualified to speak to me, have Watanabe Yue out!"


    Su Chen nced at him with disdain and spat coldly.


    "How dare you!"


    The leader shouted loudly, and the dozen or so people all surged forward.


    However, none of them managed to approach Su Chen''s body as they were all sent flying and instantly killed!


    On his way in, Su Chen dealt with more than twenty Middle Ninja before arriving at the inner depths of Kitano-ryu!


    The reason Su Chen showed no mercy from the start was first due to the ethnic animosity, which Su Chen naturally shared!


    The second reason is that this nation is known for bullying the weak and fearing the strong, only when you show great strength will they respect you, fear you, and submit to you!


    Since he was here, he naturally intended to eliminate Kitano-ryu in passing!


    At this moment, not far ahead appeared a man-madeke, beside theke stood a wooden building, somewhat reminiscent of Huaxia''s Tang Dynasty architecture.


    The pavilion reflected on the shimmeringke surface, adding a touch of poetic charm!


    Suddenly, from the surrounding bushes, twenty to thirty ninjas appeared, most of them were Upper Ninja!


    This indicates they should be the core forces of Kitano-ryu!


    In a room on the second floor of thekeside building, a man pushed the window open to look out.


    Su Chen looked from afar, seeing a man roughly in his fifties, hair slightly white, wearing a ck ninja outfit!


    He exuded an air of dignity and restraint, giving the impression of a seasoned expert!


    He was none other than Watanabe Yu, the head of Kitano-ryu!


    But at this moment, his face showed strong anger!


    For the headquarters of Kitano-ryu to be intruded upon, what a bunch of ipetent fools!


    Yet he didn''t know, that bunch of fools were all dead!


    "Advance one more step, die!"


    One of the Upper Ninja looked at Su Chen, uttered coldly.


    "Get down here!"


    Su Chen ignored them, instead throwing his gaze to the second floor not far away!


    "Courting death!"


    Hearing him so brazenly address the head, those ninjas became enraged!


    Each of them moved instantaneously like ghosts!


    But for Su Chen, these people were still just ants!


    In less than a minute, those people were all on the ground, unmoving!


    The man on the second floor was full of shock!


    Is this guy a man or a ghost!


    These were more than twenty Upper Ninja!


    They were dead in the blink of an eye, he hadn''t even seen clearly how the opponent acted!


    He immediately realized that this young man who suddenly broke in was definitely not someone he could handle!


    So he turned around and ran to the opposite side, then jumped out of the window,nded on awn, and fled towards the courtyard wall not far away!


    He had just run a short distance when suddenly a figure appeared in front of him!


    His pupils shrank sharply, then turned intending to flee again!


    "Bang!"


    But before he could turn around, he was kicked by Su Chen, sent flying, andnded by the artificialke!


    "Who are you?"


    Watanabe Yu clutched his chest, asked in shock:


    "Why are you here at my Kitano-ryu? I seem to have no grudges with you!"


    At this moment, Watanabe Yu was gripped with sorrow, undoubtedly, Kitano-ryu was going to be wiped out from now on!


    With dozens of Upper Ninjas dead, is it possible any other ninjas survived?


    "Nether King!"


    Su Chen replied calmly.


    "You are the Nether King?"


    Watanabe Yu shuddered, full of shock!


    Of course, he had heard of the Nether King, the ruler and legend of the Dark World!


    He didn''t expect that this young man would be the famous Nether King!


    But this can''t be right? Even if he was the Nether King, he shouldn''t have such formidable strength, killing dozens of Upper Ninjas in less than a minute!


    However, since the opponent dared to use that name, it naturally wasn''t fabricated!


    "Nether King, it seems our Kitano-ryu hasn''t provoked you in any way? Why are you so relentless in wiping us out!"


    Watanabe Yu eximed in despair.


    "Hasn''t Kitano-ryu done enough of such relentless deeds?"


    Su Chen sneered dismissively:


    "But today, I will only ask you one question, whether you live or die is entirely up to you!"


    Watanabe Yu knew at this moment there was no point in talking to the Nether King!


    "I want to live."


    Watanabe Yu replied trembling.


    "Where is Wu Chi?"


    Su Chen asked directly.


    "Wu Chi? What Wu Chi? I don''t know!"


    Watanabe Yu shook his head, his gaze flickering.


    Actually, he too was puzzled, why was the Nether King asking about Wu Chi?


    He knew about the Nether King and Wu Chi, but didn''t understand what the connection between them might be, besides both being from Huaxia, but there were many Huaxia people in the Dark World, not just these two!


    Indeed, few people knew about the connection between Su Chen and Wu Chi...

 Chapter 932 - 932 Something Happened

    "The martial arts fanatic came to challenge you, and you im you don''t know?"


    Su Chen snorted:


    "It seems you''re not nning to tell the truth!"


    Then Su Chen took a silver needle in hand and stabbed it into Watanabe Yu''s body!


    "Hades, what are you doing?"


    Watanabe Yu instantly felt his muscles tighten and asked in a trembling voice.


    "Soon, you''ll know!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, his expression resembling that of a devil!


    "Swish, swish, swish!"


    Su Chen''s movement was swift as lightning, several silver needles stabbed into various acupoints on Watanabe Yu''s body!


    "Ah~~~"


    As the final silver needle was inserted, Watanabe Yu let out a scream that pierced through the clouds and into the heavens!


    The mere sound was enough to make one''s skin crawl, sending chills down the spine!


    The howl seemed to express all the pain throughout the body, along with immense fear!


    Watanabe Yu swore he had never imagined pain could reach such a level!


    This pain wasn''t localized, it was all over his body, as neural endings were constantly pulled and torn, resulting in excruciating agony!


    Although Watanabe Yu didn''t know how painful childbirth or cutting bones to remove poison might be, he believed,pared to what he was currently experiencing, those would be child''s y!


    Within seconds, Watanabe Yu''s tears and mucus flowed uncontrobly, his entire body turned red, face twisted into a grotesque shape!


    "Alright, I want to see if you truly don''t know or if you''re pretending not to. If you can endure for three minutes, I''ll believe you!"


    Su Chen pped his hands and stood up, speaking with a smile.


    But just a minuteter, Watanabe Yu couldn''t hold on!


    "I''ll talk! I''ll talk!"


    Watanabe Yu shouted, trembling!


    Su Chen then gently waved his hand and removed the silver needles, saying coldly:


    "I hope what you say is useful, otherwise..."


    "I guarantee everything I say is true!"


    Watanabe Yu said, his face full of fear, preferring death over experiencing that sensation again!


    Through Watanabe Yu''s ount, Su Chen finally understood the whole process!


    It turned out Sun Yang was indeed in trouble, and it happened a month ago, his instincts were right!


    After arriving in the Ind Country, Sun Yang sought out Watanabe Yu to challenge him, but unexpectedly, Watanabe Yu was not around!


    Sun Yang then challenged everyone he met, and in just two months, he defeated eighteen masters from the Ind Country. During this period, he finally broke through to the half-step Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Then, Watanabe Yu returned, and Sun Yang challenged him without dy!


    The Ind Country esteemed martial prowess, so a challenge naturally demanded a response!


    Yet, within less than ten moves, Watanabe Yu also fell!


    Then another expert came voluntarily to challenge Sun Yang, something that Sun Yang, an avid martial artist, longed for!


    However, the result was: within just one move, Sun Yang was defeated and subsequently taken away by the opponent!


    And the expert turned out to be someone from the Ghost Domain, a group Su Chen had just learned about days ago!


    Su Chen suddenly understood, with the power of the Ghost Domain, Sun Yang couldn''t possibly be their opponent!


    Every Ghost Domain member Su Chen had encountered was at the Meridian Expansion Realm, suggesting while not all might be at this realm, there were certainly many!


    If the attacker was a Meridian Expansion Realm master, Sun Yang being defeated with one move would be normal!


    What caught Su Chen off guard was learning in recent years, major schools had submitted to the Ghost Domain, and Watanabe Yu was actually appointed by the Ghost Domain to manage Kitano-ryu!


    Of course, he was merely part of the Ghost Domain''s outer management. Being called a manager was due to hisck of martial arts talent, capped at that level!


    True elites would disdain such work!


    Su Chen was puzzled why major schools suddenly changed their leaders, and it wasn''t ording to family tradition!


    For instance, Kitano-ryu had been controlled by the Kitano Family, yet a few years ago it was reced by Watanabe Yu!


    The real members of the Kitano Family had long been purged, and other major schools faced simr situations!


    Previously, Su Chen hadn''t paid much attention to affairs in the Ind Country, so his knowledge was limited.


    Moreover, the Ghost Domain was the pinnacle of martial arts in the Ind Country; he was still unfamiliar with Huaxia''s martial arts powers, how could he understand the Ind Country''s?


    Sun Yang challenged so many experts, many were from major schools, naturally affronting the Ghost Domain, making it logical for them to retaliate.


    "Take me to the Ghost Domain!"


    After hearing Watanabe Yu''s story, Su Chen coldly demanded.


    "You want to go to the Ghost Domain?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Watanabe Yu was instantly terrified.


    "Of course!"


    Even though Su Chen didn''t know if Sun Yang was still alive, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he had to rescue him!


    Because they were friends!


    "Hades, the Ghost Domain is not easy to enter. Though you''re strong, entering means certain death!"


    Watanabe Yu said incredulously!


    "Stop talking! If you don''t want to experience that sensation again, lead the way!"


    Su Chen naturally knew the Ghost Domain was extraordinary, but he had no choice!


    Though Watanabe Yu feared the Ghost Domain killing him for bringing someone over, under Su Chen''s coercion, he had no room for resistance!


    Moreover, the pain just now was too soul-shaking!


    Su Chen then took Watanabe Yu by car towards east of the Capital City; of course, Watanabe Yu drove while Su Chen sat beside him.


    Su Chen closed his eyes slightly, conserving energy, not concerned about any tricks from Watanabe Yu.


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a valley in the deep mountains east of the Capital City, a buildingplex upied almost the entire valley.


    Inside one room, a woman and four men were kneeling on the ground, above them stood a man with a solemn face!


    "Ghost Master, sorry, we didn''tplete the task."


    The woman on the ground said, she was none other than Qian Ying, whom Su Chen defeated twice and let go twice!


    "Didn''tplete the task?"


    The man above emitted a magnificent aura, causing the group to keep their heads down.


    "Just a young man, and you tell me you didn''tplete the task!"


    His voice was as cold as an icy cave, chilling to the bone!


    "Ghost Master, that young man is too powerful, I''m no match for him."


    Qian Ying said, trembling!


    "I don''t need reasons, just results. Do you know how important the Cangyue Ring is?"


    The man said harshly:


    "Since you failed the task, you''ll be sent to the Ghost Cave!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, several people came forward.


    "Ghost Master, please spare us, please!"


    The four men quickly kowtowed in panic, faces full of terror!


    Though they had never been inside, they''d heard the horrors of entering the Ghost Cave!


    However, Qian Ying didn''t plead, knowing begging was futile...


    (PS: The two chapters will be released soon, and the two missing chapters from yesterday will also be made up soon!


    The recent plot hasn''t been progressing smoothly, resulting in repeated deletions and rewrites; if I''m not satisfied, how can I let readers see it?


    This is why updates haven''t kept pace in thest two days, my apologies!


    But the missing content will be made up as soon as possible!)

 Chapter 933 - 933 Fierce Battle in the Ghost Domain

    "Ghost Lord, something''s wrong, someone has intruded!"


    Just then, someone rushed in to report.


    Qian Ying was suddenly stunned. Someone intruded into the Ghost Domain?


    Am I hearing things?


    Is someone tired of living?


    The reactions of the others were simr, even those who were about to take a few people to the Ghost Cave stopped in their tracks!


    This news was too shocking for them!


    Someone dared to intrude into the Ghost Domain?


    This kind of situation has never happened in countless years!


    "Courting death!"


    The man''s face darkened with intense fury upon hearing the report, almost gritting his teeth as he spoke!


    "Give the order, capture them alive!"


    He wanted to see who was so bold!


    "Yes!"


    The person who hade to report immediately retreated to convey the order!


    ......


    At this time, Su Chen was facing wave after wave of people surging towards him, the weakest among them at least in the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer!


    Su Chen''s original intention was certainly not to confront directly, but to sneak in, find Sun Yang, and rescue him.


    However, before sneaking in too far, Watanabe Yu identally made a sound and got discovered.


    Thus, Su Chen was now confronting the rushing enemies!


    Of course, Su Chen eliminated Watanabe Yu at the first opportunity; he suspected Watanabe Yu did it on purpose.


    But regardless of whether it was intentional, it was no longer important, the reality before him was what mattered!


    Fortunately, the most powerful among these people was only around the Fourth Layer of Meridian Expansion, simr to the four individuals who first attacked him to seize the ring.


    From this, it was evident that those four were of mid-to-upper rank within the Ghost Domain!


    Presumably, the ring was so important that they were dispatched for it.


    Now, in Su Chen''s eyes, these people no longer posed a threat, in a matter of moments, dozens had fallen!


    Of course, more enemies continued to arrive!


    Those people were secretly surprised, not expecting the strength of this sudden intruder to be so formidable!


    As time slowly passed, the corpses around Su Chen had piled up to over a hundred!


    Fear gradually appeared on the faces of those people!


    Though more kept falling, Su Chen''s True Yuan consumption increased, with beads of sweat now appearing on his forehead!


    "Move aside!"


    At this moment, a shout rang out from outside the crowd, and once they heard the voice, indeed, they moved aside!


    Su Chen also halted his attack, turning to look towards the sound!


    Seven people slowly approached, each exuding a rich True Essence Aura!


    Each had at least the strength of Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, and of course, the highest was around Eighth Layer, but only one!


    "Could these be the eight experts Watanabe Yu mentioned before?"


    Su Chen pondered in his heart:


    "Where''s the other one then? Could it be the girl who tried to assassinate me twice?"


    "Daring to cause trouble in the Ghost Domain, have you thought about how to die?"


    One of them arrogantly spat.


    "Death? I''m afraid you are not qualified to talk about that!"


    Su Chen snorted disdainfully.


    Although Su Chen spoke like this, he was very serious inside!


    So many experts, this won''t be easy!


    He said this just to provoke the opponent!


    As expected, seeing Su Chen''s arrogance, anger appeared on their faces!


    "The three of you, take him down, remember, the Ghost Lord wants him alive!"


    A middle-aged man with a mustache instructed:


    "Besides, this guy is somewhat strange, for someone at the Meridian Expansion First Layer to have such strength, be careful!"


    "Don''t worry, just a brat, no problem!"


    Immediately, three people stepped forward, their eyes locked on Su Chen!


    In the next second, they vanished like ghosts from their original spots!


    When they reappeared, they were already attacking Su Chen, the three of them were two at Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, and one at Seventh Layer!


    As he saw three shadowy fistsing from the left, middle, and right directions, six Silver Needles shot out, targeting the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer in the middle and the Sixth Layer on the left, forcing them to retract their fists and dodge!


    At the same time, he slightly tilted his head to avoid a punch from the right Sixth Layer, then pped a palm at the opponent''s chest!


    "Bang!"


    A loud boom sounded immediately, immensely powerful True Yuan exploded on the opponent''s chest, sending him flying back with a bloody hole in his chest!


    As the palm struck, a dagger suddenly appeared in Su Chen''s other hand, sweeping towards the central Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer!


    The palm strike and dagger swing were almost simultaneous!


    The Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer person didn''t expect to be attacked while attacking hispanion!


    Upon seeing the gleaming cold light, he truly felt his hair stand on end, instinctively leaning back to dodge!


    "Buzz!"


    The dagger emanated a buzz as it sliced through the air, narrowly passing in front of his neck, even making his neck feel chilly!


    While dodging, his body gracefully retreated, putting some distance!


    Finally safe, the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer felt like he''d just experienced a dream, a moment slower and he would have been dead!


    Luckily, he was also a special-grade ninja, faster than average Martial Artists!


    Su Chenmented inwardly, had the Sixth Layer been in the Seventh Layer''s spot, the oue would be different!


    Of course, another reason was that Su Chen hadn''t disyed his full power, he controlled it to the standard of a general Martial Artist in the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer Realm!


    Because there was still a Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer expert in the background!


    Against the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer expert, he needed surprise, a killing blow!


    Otherwise, once entangled in battle, it would be troublesome!


    The four who hadn''t participated in battle looked heavy-faced at the brief exchange earlier!


    This young man was trickier than they imagined!


    "Everyone together, capture him and hand him to the Ghost Lord!"


    The Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer person said solemnly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining four attacked Su Chen simultaneously!


    Suddenly, from all directions, peopleunched attacks at him!


    However, in Su Chen''s eyes, only the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer person mattered; this time, unlike before when he dealt with the weaker first, he aimed to take down the strongest at all costs!


    Su Chenmented inwardly, regretting not bringing his two swords, especially the Dragon-ying Sword, it would have boosted his confidence!


    It''s understandable, he initially only intended to visit Kitano-ryu, who knew it would get tangled with the Ghost Domain!


    Visiting Kitano-ryu was like window shopping for him!


    But facing the Ghost Domain, the situation waspletely different...

 Chapter 934 - 934 Important Intelligence

    But the facts were as they were, and he could only choose to face them!


    The reason he decided to first deal with the person at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer was because this person posed too great a threat!


    And the only way to achieve this was to exploit the gap in information where the opponent did not know his true cultivation level,unching a sudden attack!


    Although under normal circumstances, he would choose to deal with the weakest first, this is not always the case!


    Sometimes you need to adapt flexibly ording to the actual situation!


    In short, the principle is to choose the most effective method!


    Facing the people attacking from all sides, he suddenly charged fiercely in the southeast direction!


    His figure never stopped, his fists relentlessly striking out, looking almost insane, like he was trying to tear open a gap to escape!


    Because the force was weakest over there, with only one person at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer and one at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer encircling him!


    Upon seeing Su Chen''s actions, those people naturally thought he was trying to flee!


    After all, at this moment, he was being besieged by three at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, three at the Seventh Layer, plus one at the Eighth Layer!


    Su Chen suddenly punched the person at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer flying, while simultaneously striking the person at the Seventh Layer!


    However, he had already used this move earlier, and the person at the Seventh Layer was well-prepared!


    Utilizing the pause created by his attack on the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, the person threw a punch at Su Chen!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen couldn''t dodge in time and was suddenly punched away!


    His body flew backward like a projectile!


    And the direction he flew was precisely where the expert at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer was located!


    As he was about to get close, Su Chen suddenly released a burst of True Yuan, causing a slight pause in his movement due to the reaction force!


    At this moment of pause, all of Su Chen''s True Yuan erupted, instantly elevating his level beyond what it was before!


    Meanwhile, the dagger glinting with cold light shed once more in Su Chen''s hand, as his body was still in the air, charging forward unstoppably towards the person at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer!


    His speed was so fast that it utterly exceeded their imaginations!


    As the dagger passed, the void trembled!


    The person at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer had never expected such a turn of events, and his pupils suddenly widened!


    In his eyes, the glimmer of the dagger was drawing closer!


    He immediately fluttered backward, trying to avoid this deadly strike, but the dagger followed like a shadow, always advancing near his chest!


    After retreating seven or eight steps, only a soft "swish" was heard as the dagger plunged into his heart!


    Su Chen had already calcted the distance, and the dagger prated three inches into the heart, enough to take a person''s life!


    At this moment, the other six people werepletely dumbfounded!


    In the blink of an eye, their strongest member was already dead!


    Now they also realized that this youngster had been hiding his strength all along!


    Su Chen had once again exploited the opponent''s carelessness, a tactic he had tested countless times, and it could be said it never failed!


    Therefore, he often warned himself, he could be proud, he could be disdainful, but he must never be careless!


    For a Martial Artist, once a sense of carelessness arises, death is not far away!


    When Su Chen looked again at the remaining people, a fiery ze shot from his eyes; he felt his blood boiling!


    Now that his strength was exposed, the remainder was to fully deal with these people!


    "Everyone attack together!"


    One of the people at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer shouted to the dozens who remained!


    And thus, those people allunched their assault!


    Although Su Chen had no problem dealing with individuals, the pressure from so many people was immense!


    This time, he returned to his previous strategy, deciding to first deal with the weaker ones!


    His figure moved and dashed towards the crowd.


    Simultaneously, dozens of silver needles sted out!


    Immediately, eight or nine of those who had been attacking him fell!


    After that, he continued weaving through the crowd, dodging the attacks of the remaining five experts, focusing solely on taking down others!


    Those people stood no chance against Su Chen; he practically took down one with each move, never missing!


    As time went on, the dozens who had besieged him gradually all fell!


    However, this also brought a serious problem: the True Yuan within him was dwindling!


    Because earlier, he had dealt with a Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, then feigned a breakthrough to deal with another Sixth Layer, and finally killed the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer through a sudden burst!


    Therefore, among the seven experts, only four remained, one at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer and three at the Seventh Layer!


    If he were at full strength, he was confident he could battle them all, but at this moment, only one-third of his True Yuan was left!


    Moreover, earlier he had taken a strike from the expert at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, and although he did it deliberately, it still had some impact!


    Those four people looked at the ground filled with corpses, their faces showing shock and disbelief!


    Even with the strength of the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, achieving this was an incredible feat!


    Not to mention the fallenpanion at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer; in a simr situation, he definitely wouldn''t have reached the level this young man did!


    It was over a hundred Martial Artists from Qi Refinement Eighth Layer to Meridian Expansion Third Layer, along with one at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer and two at the Sixth Layer!


    Although for a Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer expert, dealing with over a hundred Martial Artists below the Meridian Expansion Third Layer was generally not a major problem.


    After all, most of them fell below the Meridian Expansion Realm, with only a dozen or so truly reaching it!


    Facing one at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer and two at the Sixth Layer individually was possible, given the clear difference between the Eighth Layer and Sixth Layer!


    But when you add it all together, it''s not so easy!


    In fact, it sounds simple: utilizing various conditions to defeat them one by one!


    But saying it is easy, doing it is extremely difficult!


    Little did they know, Su Chen was secretlymenting, his strength was stillcking.


    If his cultivation could advance more, reaching the Meridian Expansion Third Layer, or even the Fourth Layer, he wouldn''t have been so troubled and embarrassed!


    Combat experience and techniques are truly useful, but the fundamental key lies in cultivation strength!


    Without this foundation, no amount of experience or skill can sustain!


    At this moment, Qian Ying and several others were being escorted and walked nearby.


    Qian Ying''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if she was contemting something or making some decision!


    Suddenly, Qian Ying nced around and saw Su Chen covered in blood!


    He appeared almost like a god of death, standing between heaven and earth!


    Qian Ying was shocked; she never expected that the guy who suddenly broke in would be Su Chen!


    Moreover, it seemed he had killed most of the people!


    "Take me to see the Ghost Lord immediately, I have important information!"


    Qian Ying''s eyes were suddenly full of brilliance, she excitedly shouted to those escorting her.


    The other four people also followed Qian Ying''s gaze, and when they saw Su Chen, they instantly shivered, then also eagerly shouted:


    "Indeed, quickly take us to see the Ghost Lord, we have important information!"


    The people escorting them were suddenly stunned. Had they all suddenly lost their minds?


    But judging by their expressions, it really seemed like something significant!


    They didn''t dare dy and immediately escorted them back...

 Chapter 935: Facing the Ghost Lord

    Returning to the previous room again, the man exuding authority from above couldn''t help but look at the few people who were holding them:


    "What''s going on?"


    "Ghost Master, they all im to have important intelligence to report. I didn''t dare to neglect it, so I brought them here first!"


    One of the people who was holding them reported.


    "Hmm? What important intelligence?"


    The man above couldn''t help but ask curiously.


    "Ghost Master, we saw that man!"


    One of the men immediately knelt down and said:


    "That man who broke in is the young man with the Cangyue Ring!"


    "Really?"


    The man above immediately asked.


    "Absolutely true! I dare not deceive you!"


    The man kneeling on the ground nodded heavily and said!


    "Good, if it''s true, I will forgive you this time!"


    The man above suddenly emitted a zing light from his eyes and said!


    "Thank you, Ghost Master!"


    The few people, including Qian Ying, immediately said.


    Afterwards, these people all followed the man outside!


    As they approached the door, they smelled a bloody scent!


    Moving forward, when they saw the scene before them, the Ghost Master suddenly emitted zing mes from his eyes!


    He originally thought that with several top experts under hismand, there would be no problem!


    But he didn''t expect that those people were almostpletely ughtered!


    Only three people of Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer remained standing there!


    Yes, just now another person was in by Su Chen!


    At this moment, as he was fighting, Su Chen suddenly felt an extremely dangerous aura targeting him!


    This aura was the most dangerous he had ever felt in his life!


    He quickly distanced himself from the few experts and turned his head to look!


    Only to see a man whose age was hard to discern approaching, emanating a sinister aura!


    The previous aura hade from him!


    The other three experts of Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer also saw it and immediately knelt down respectfully:


    "Greetings, Ghost Master!"


    However, the Ghost Master didn''t pay attention to these people, instead focusing on Su Chen''s hand. When he saw the ring on Su Chen''s hand, his eyes immediately shone brightly!


    "Indeed, it''s the Cangyue Ring!"


    His heart immediately filled with excitement!


    "Hand over the ring, and I''ll give you a quick death!"


    The Ghost Master spoke coldly.


    "Then answer me one question first."


    Su Chen said calmly.


    "Heh, you actually dare to ask me questions!"


    The Ghost Master''s eerieughter immediately resounded, causing chills, and then he said:


    "Alright, in light of the Cangyue Ring, today I will make an exception and answer you one question!"


    "A month ago, was a Huaxia man killed by you?"


    Su Chen asked, but while asking, his heart couldn''t help but tighten!


    "Are you talking about the Huaxia man who challenged everywhere?"


    The Ghost Master asked slightly puzzled:


    "You broke in because of him?"


    "Yes!"


    "He''s not dead yet, but he''s close. Daring to challenge the Ind Country, how could I let him die so easily?"


    The Ghost Master replied sinisterly.


    However, upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but feel an overwhelming joy inside!


    Frankly, although he fought hard to break in, his hope for Sun Yang being alive felt very slim!


    After all, a month had passed, how could the other side possibly spare his life!


    Yet he didn''t expect that Sun Yang was actually still alive!


    Although it seemed the other side wanted to torture him, to Su Chen, as long as he was not dead, there was hope!


    "Alright, hand over the ring now!"


    The Ghost Master said lightly.


    "Want it? Come and get it if you can!"


    Su Chen shrugged with a yful smile!


    The reason he didn''t propose to exchange the ring for Sun Yang wasn''t because he was reluctant.


    If possible, even if it were ten Cangyue Rings, he would hand them over without hesitation, no matter how precious the ring was!


    But he knew, handing it over was useless!


    The other side wouldn''t spare them, even if agreed, it was to deceive him. How could Su Chen believe such childish lies!


    Now, for Su Chen, there was only one path left, to defeat the opponent and rescue Sun Yang!


    "You''re asking for death!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the Ghost Master immediately released an immense sinister aura like overturning seas and rivers!


    Su Chen immediately felt an unprecedented tremendous pressure, under the pressure, he felt almost powerless to resist!


    The other three experts were even more immobilized under the pressure!


    Too strong!


    This was the most powerful enemy Su Chen had ever faced, perhaps the only oneparable was Wei Hua!


    He expected the Ghost Master of Ghost Domain to be strong, but he didn''t expect such strength!


    What realm was he in?


    Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer?


    Though the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer was much stronger than the Eighth Layer, Su Chen sensed the opponent was definitely not simply at this level!


    Moreover, the opponent''s aura seemed more sinister rather than regr True Yuan!


    At this moment, the opponent moved!


    Once moved, it was like a mountain!


    The immense aura shattered the surrounding air, forming a vacuum region!


    Su Chen forced himself to stay upright, preventing himself from falling!


    Within a breath, the opponent was already in front of him,unching a punch wrapped in endless pressure!


    Su Chen had no doubt, even a super elephant couldn''t withstand this punch!


    Faced with the punch, Su Chen also swung a punch, seemingly wanting to sh head-on!


    Because he knew, at this moment, all techniques were useless, before the absolute strength of the opponent, the only thing topete with was strength!


    Therefore, when invoking True Yuan, he simultaneously infused a thread of Star Energy!


    Though said to be a thread, it actually ounted for half of his body''s Star Energy, as he had too little Star Energy within!


    Trying to release even a little less was impossible!


    This never-used Star Energy was Su Chen''s trump card today!


    Knowing the Ghost Master of Ghost Domain had not appeared yet, even under extreme urgency, he restrained himself from using Star Energy!


    Seeing Su Chen wanting to confront the Ghost Master directly, everyone was dumbfounded!


    This guy is crazy?!


    Actually trying to withstand the Ghost Master directly!


    Even seeking death isn''t done like this?!


    They all thought this guy was crazy!


    Does he know how powerful the Ghost Master is?


    He is strong, but in the eyes of Ghost Master, still not worth seeing!


    When the Ghost Master saw Su Chen''s punch, his lips couldn''t help but curl into a cold smile!


    Now, let you pay the price for killing so many people of Ghost Domain and challenging its authority!


    He believed the guy absolutely couldn''t withstand the power of this punch!


    "Boom!"


    An earth-shattering explosion sounded, vigor qi scattered, seemingly sweeping away everything around...

 Chapter 936: Major Plot Twist!

    Like a tide, the energy instantly spread out. Although others were a distance away, they still felt shaken by the residual impact of that energy, causing a turmoil within their bodies!


    However, at this moment, they couldn''t be bothered by that; their focus was on the two people in the arena!


    They thought, with such a massive energy sh, this kid was certainly doomed!


    Yet the next second, everyone was stunned!


    Both took a few steps back, and more astonishingly, the Ghost Lord vomited blood!


    And the young man seemedpletely unharmed?


    How could this be?


    Are they seeing things?


    Or are they dreaming!


    The two exchanged punches, surprisingly putting the Ghost Lord at a disadvantage?!


    At this moment, the most terrified ones were the three at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer!


    They never expected that in such circumstances, he would still be hiding his strength!


    If this young man had unleashed this punch earlier, who among them could have resisted it?


    Is Su Chen really as fine as he appears?


    Of course not; at the first moment, he felt his blood surge, almost wanting to spit it out, but he forcibly swallowed it back!


    To be honest, Su Chen dared to use Ster Power as a trump card not without any reason.


    Although he hadn''t tested it, the Supreme Star Shifting Technique did describe it!


    It''s just that the energy contained within the Ster Power was even stronger than he had imagined. Even though it was just a trace, its explosive power was unparalleled!


    Honestly, his willingness to barge in was fueled by the confidence the Star Energy gave him!


    However, this Ghost Domain, especially the Ghost Lord''s strength, exceeded his expectations!


    He could now be certain that the Ghost Lord was definitely not just at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Expansion!


    At this moment, the Ghost Lord was slightly bent over, his gaze toward Su Chen filled with shock!


    Although he knew the opponent wasn''t as unscathed as he appeared, there''s no doubt that in the previous collision, they were equals, and he was even faintly at a disadvantage!


    He couldn''t help but wonder: When did such a monster appear among Huaxia''s young people?!


    One must know, he had already broken through to the Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Though merely at the primary stage of Meridian Expansion Peak, it was still a peak, fundamentally different from the Ninth Layer!


    For the first time, the Ghost Lord truly felt a bit nervous and heavyhearted!


    Moreover, he vaguely sensed a faint blue energy in the opponent''s punch earlier?


    What was that?


    Could he possess two kinds of True Yuan Energy within him?


    Meanwhile, Su Chen''s inner tension and heaviness were much greater!


    No one knew that with such a punch, Su Chen could only throw one more punch like it!


    Because that''s all the Star Energy he had within him!


    Not only that, the previous punch also consumed a lot of his True Yuan, and now he had very little True Yuan left!


    In other words, if he threw another punch like that, not only would he exhaust his Star Energy, he would also be nearly out of True Yuan!


    However, he had no retreat at this point, if he wanted to forge a path, he had to kill the Ghost Lord, or at least severely injure him!


    In that instant, both of them locked eyes, their gazes colliding mid-air, sparking mes!


    In the next breath, both individuals vanished from their original spots!


    "Boom!"


    Immediately, there was a massive earth-shattering sound that erupted, as if a huge explosion had urred there!


    Following that, two figures flew back like kites with broken strings!


    "Crash!"


    Then the two figuresnded on the ground dozens of meters away!


    "Ssh!"


    After hitting the ground, both of them coughed uprge mouthfuls of blood!


    Undoubtedly, they both suffered serious injuries!


    "Ghost Lord, are you alright?"


    Qian Ying and another person immediately rushed over and slowly helped the Ghost Lord up.


    Even though Su Chen felt his body was nearly exhausted, he still relied on his indomitable will to struggle and stand up!


    "Despite delivering a full-force blow, I still couldn''t kill this man!"


    Su Chenmented internally, feeling quite regretful!


    If only he had more Star Energy, he might have been able to kill the opponent!


    But there''s no helping it, cultivating Star Energy is extremely difficult!


    He had been cultivating all this time, yet only managed to develop this little bit!


    Alternatively, things might have been better if he had brought the Dragon-ying Sword!


    Nheless, it wasn''t his fault; the current situation waspletely unexpected for him!


    Firstly, he didn''t expect that looking for Sun Yang in Kitano-ryu would implicate the Ghost Domain!


    Second, he didn''t expect to be discovered when sneaking in, leading to an attack by the crowd!


    Originally, that wasn''t a big deal, given he had a Martial Artist''s Eighth Layer Realm and some Ster Power as his ace in the hole!


    But he didn''t expect the Ghost Domain''s Ghost Lord to be such a powerful existence, far beyond his expectations!


    Yet now, these assumptions were meaningless, actively confronting the present predicament was the righteous path!


    Perhaps an average person in this situation would feel defeated, but he didn''t, even when he was almost at the end of his rope!


    "All of you, attack, kill him!"


    The Ghost Lord''s eyes zed as he fiercely shouted, and upon speaking, he felt another surge of blood rising!


    Evidently, Su Chen''s desperate strike earlier dealt him extremely severe injuries!


    While his heart was filled with anger, he was more overwhelmed with shock!


    A young man barely over twenty, yet the power he unleashed wasparable to his own at the primary stage of Meridian Expansion Peak!


    This can no longer be described as monstrous!


    It''s a situation not only never seen before, but even never dared to be imagined!


    Of course, Su Chen''s condition wasn''t much better, perhaps even worse!


    Except the Ghost Lord could rely on others to support him to slowly recover, Su Chen could only sustain himself through relentless, inhuman determination!


    "Yes!"


    Upon receiving the order, those people immediately focused their gaze on Su Chen, breathing intently!


    Although Su Chen appeared very weak now, his previous performance was overwhelming; their instincts still felt fear!


    The air in the arena seemed to freeze instantly, and silence fell, as a great battle was about to break out!


    "Ssh!"


    At this moment, suddenly the sound of a sharp object piercing into flesh was heard!


    Everyone was slightly stunned and couldn''t help but look toward the source of the sound!


    Yet upon seeing, everyone was dumbfounded!


    Even Su Chen waspletely shocked!


    What was happening?


    Incredibly, there was a long sword pierced through the Ghost Lord''s heart, prating his body!


    And the hilt was actually gripped by Qian Ying standing at his side and back...

 Chapter 937: Subduing 1000 Shadows

    Everyone watched this scene, only feeling their minds went nk!


    Qian Ying killed the Ghost Lord?


    "Why?"


    The Ghost Lord looked at the sword piercing his heart, asking in disbelief!


    His face was full of shock and confusion...


    "My mother is Sakura Mihiko, now you know the reason!"


    Qian Ying looked at him coldly and said:


    "I stayed by your side just to find an opportunity to kill you!"


    "Traitor, I''ll kill you!"


    The Ghost Lord shouted abruptly, his face full of anger!


    A powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body, and he pped towards Qian Ying!


    Qian Ying quickly let go of the sword hilt and drifted back!


    Although the Ghost Lord was severely wounded, the strength he suddenly unleashed was still not to be underestimated!


    "Bam!"


    Qian Ying''s shoulder was still hit by a palm, knocking her back!


    However, at the same time, the Ghost Lord also fell to the ground, his life or death unknown...


    Qian Ying endured the sharp pain in her shoulder, slowly stood up, and took a step forward to the Ghost Lord, stabbing him twice more!


    At this moment, the Ghost Lord was dead if he wasn''t already!


    And during this process, not a single person stopped Qian Ying or made any move, not even uttering a sound!


    Because they were all stunned by what had just happened, still unable to react!


    Su Chen, after a brief confusion, was suddenly overjoyed!


    This unexpected situation suddenly turned the tide!


    "Now that your Ghost Lord is dead, do you still want to fight?"


    Su Chen looked at them, speaking proudly.


    The three experts at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer exchanged looks upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    Yes, the Ghost Lord is dead, and so are most of the Ghost Domain''s members, which means the Ghost Domain ispletely finished!


    Is there still a need for them to continue fighting?


    Although they felt that Su Chen''s words were meant to intimidate them, thinking he might also be at his wit''s end!


    But even if that were true, so what?


    Moreover, this kid is so mysterious, and they don''t have absolute confidence!


    There''s really no need to risk their lives here!


    Besides, living in the Ghost Domain has always been tense because the Ghost Lord is a cruel person!


    After exchanging nces, they all seemed to understand each other''s intentions, then disappeared from the scene!


    Seeing the three people at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer flee, the rest quickly scattered as well!


    The saying "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter" was never more true!


    Soon, only Qian Ying and Su Chen were left in the field!


    Su Chen also sat down on the ground, supporting himself with his hands behind him, gasping for breath, looking exhausted!


    At this moment, Qian Ying also walked over, suddenly kneeling beside Su Chen:


    "Master!"


    "What are you doing?"


    Su Chen was baffled, as this woman who had twice tried to assassinate him was now kneeling in front of him, calling him Master!


    What kind of game was this?


    "I once swore that whoever could help me kill the Ghost Lord, I would serve them for life, as a ve or servant!"


    Qian Ying said seriously.


    "No, you''re the one who killed him, it has nothing to do with me!"


    Su Chen waved his hand and said.


    "If it weren''t for you severely injuring him, I wouldn''t have had this opportunity!"


    Qian Ying said earnestly.


    In fact, the Ghost Lord''s death was the result of both of their efforts, indispensable from each other!


    Firstly, without Su Chen, the Ghost Lord could not have been so severely injured, but if the attacker hadn''t been Qian Ying, whom he never expected, even if he were injured, sess would not have been possible!


    Qian Ying timed it perfectly!


    At that time, the Ghost Lord had just ordered everyone to deal with Su Chen, so when Qian Ying drew her sword, he naturally thought Qian Ying was going to deal with Su Chen!


    He never expected that Qian Ying''s sword was aimed at him!


    The weakness caused by severe injuries andpleteck of defense finally allowed Qian Ying to seed!


    "Are you really willing to follow me?"


    Su Chen immediately thought that having someone like her by his side could be quite useful; he was currentlycking such a Martial Arts expert.


    "I am willing!"


    Qian Ying looked at Su Chen and nodded solemnly.


    This man spared her twice, and now helped her get revenge, so she was naturally more than willing!


    "Alright then, from now on you will follow me! By the way, do you know where the Huaxia person I mentioned earlier is kept?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "I don''t know, but I think I can guess where."


    Qian Ying said:


    "If I''m not mistaken, that person should be kept in the Ghost Cave!"


    "Fine, take me there!"


    "Yes, Master!"


    Then Su Chen followed Qian Ying as they walked into the depths of the valley.


    On their way, Su Chen finally understood the enmity between Qian Ying and the Ghost Lord!


    Because Qian Ying''s mother was Sakura Mihiko, the head of the Sakura n and the master of Sakura-ryu!


    Sakura-ryu, unlike other sects, is a female-led sect!


    In order to control Sakura-ryu, the Ghost Domain sent people to kill her entire family.


    They thought they had eradicated all, but little did they know that Qian Ying had been sent away by her mother at a young age to learn Martial Arts from a high master!


    After the master''s death, she rarely returned and instead traveled around!


    So the Ghost Domain did not know that there was still a woman named Qian Ying alive from the Sakura n.


    Of course, this was also because the Ghost Lord didn''t even consider the Sakura n worth his attention!


    In his eyes, the Sakura n was nothing more than an ant-like existence!


    After Qian Ying learned that her family was wiped out, she investigated and finally discovered it was the Ghost Domain''s doing!


    So she created an opportunity to enter the Ghost Domain, and at that time she was already at the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer, which of course made the Ghost Lord very weing!


    After entering, she had always been looking for a chance to kill the Ghost Lord and avenge her family, but the Ghost Lord was too powerful!


    She knew that acting rashly would only get herself killed, so she quietly waited for the opportunity!


    So today, when she saw Su Chen breaking in, she immediately realized that this might be an opportunity!


    What she did not expect was that this man would indeed severely injure the Ghost Lord!


    She seized the opportunity and killed him herself!


    After walking for a while, the two finally reached the deepest part of the valley!


    "Qian Ying, what kind of ce is this Ghost Cave?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Master, I''ve never been inside, but everyone who''s been in feels extremely terrified aftering out! Of course, many people just die in there!"


    Qian Ying exined to Su Chen:


    "If you hadn''te today, I and four others would have been locked up in there."


    Upon hearing Qian Ying''s introduction, Su Chen couldn''t help but worry more about Sun Yang''s situation!


    Although he wasn''t sure if Sun Yang was indeed locked in there!


    Furthermore, the Ghost Lord had previously said that Sun Yang was not far from death, which made his heart even more anxious!

 Chapter 938: Rescue Sun Yang

    "Master, this is the Ghost Cave!"


    Soon, the two of them arrived at the entrance of a cave, Qian Ying said.


    Su Chen looked around and noticed that at the cave''s entrance, there was a stone gate. Next to the stone gate, there was a protruding stone block.


    So he pressed down on it, but it didn''t move. Then he gently rotated it, and the stone gate immediately began to open slowly...


    As soon as the stone gate opened, a musty smell was released, due to theck of sunlight for years...


    "Let''s go."


    Su Chen said, and then he walked inside, while Qian Ying naturally followed closely behind!


    She also turned on a shlight, which Qian Ying had just found.


    The cave looked very deep. The further they walked, the more it gave a chilling feeling, somewhat terrifying!


    From time to time, there was the sound of water dripping, "drip-drop"...


    Su Chen''s heart grew heavier and heavier. Even without physical torment, being in this ce without sunlight for such a long time posed a significant challenge both physically and psychologically!


    After walking for about seven or eight more minutes, a deep pool appeared in front of them!


    "Damn it!"


    When he saw the scene above the pool, his eyes turned blood red, filled with rage!


    His body couldn''t help but tremble, fists clenched tightly!


    At that moment, suspended above the pool, was a person, whose corbone had been pierced byrge iron hooks!


    Although the hair that hung down concealed their appearance, he recognized the clothes, a long cyan robe!


    Sun Yang had such a robe among the few long robes he often wore!


    "Hold your breath!"


    Just then, he suddenly smelled a faint odoring from the pool.


    Su Chen immediately deduced that this was a substance that could destroy a person''s vitality!


    It vaporizes in the water, rising slowly, and gradually seeps through the wounds on a person''s skin to destroy their bodily structure and functions!


    This was slow murder!


    A murder that made one feel life slipping away slowly!


    The scene before them was extremely cruel!


    Utterly cruel!


    No wonder those who came out before were tight-lipped about the situation inside and were extremely fearful!


    Whether being hung by iron hooks piercing through the corbone or having vitality-destroying substances seeping into the body, making one feel life slipping away!


    It''s easy to say that each of these is an utterly inhumane act!


    If the Ghost Master were still alive at this moment, Su Chen would stop at nothing, going mad to make them experience a taste of death!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Qian Ying immediately held her breath!


    Even though she didn''t know about the substance inside, just seeing the person suspended there with iron hooks pierced through their corbone made her shiver!


    If nothing unexpected had happened today, she would have met the same fate!


    In such a situation, she might very well have died here, not to mention seeking revenge!


    Thinking of this, she felt even more grateful to Su Chen!


    However, faced with the current situation, Su Chen found it challenging, after all, the pool was quiterge.


    If his True Yuan were sufficient, he could barely leap across and grab the iron chains above to rescue Sun Yang!


    But now, his True Yuan was nearly depleted, making such a feat impossible!


    And Qian Ying''s Meridian Expansion at the Sixth Layer couldn''t achieve that either.


    The best solution would be to have a foothold or support in mid-air, which would also make it easier to remove the iron hooks from Sun Yang''s body!


    At this moment, looking at Sun Yang''s condition, Su Chen was truly anxious!


    He felt that there was still a faint sense of vitality in Sun Yang, but it seemed like it could extinguish at any moment!


    At the same time, he was thankful that he hade. If he had been dyed by a few days or even just one or two days, Sun Yang might havepletely lost his life!


    "Is there adder?"


    Su Chen asked Qian Ying.


    "There should be,"


    Qian Ying thought for a moment and replied.


    "Hurry and find them, bring as many as possible! And also bring saws, ropes, and other tools!"


    Su Chen instructed.


    "Yes, master!"


    Qian Ying immediately turned and headed out.


    About half an hourter, Qian Ying returned with four or five longdders and some tools.


    Su Chen then began assembling them, making thedders into a base that was rectangr with a longdder stretching forward on top!


    Afterpleting it, he climbed up the structure to get closer to the suspended Sun Yang.


    At this moment, Sun Yang was almost like a dead person, with an extremely weak presence!


    Su Chen carefully spent a long time extracting the tworge iron hooks from his body, noticing that there was even some rust on them!


    Fortunately, Sun Yang, being a martial arts fanatic, had astonishing willpower and strong vitality, allowing him to hold on until now. Otherwise, anyone else would have already died multiple times!


    Su Chen first transferred his remaining True Yuan into Sun Yang''s body, then had Qian Ying transfer some as well, temporarily reviving his vitality!


    Afterward, Su Chen checked his condition and realized that it was manageable for him, just a bit troublesome!


    This situation waspletely different from thest time with Du Hanbing, whose circumstances were too unique!


    Thus, his tense heart finally eased a bit.


    Then, Su Chen immediately called Qin Ming, asking him to send a helicopter over.


    While waiting for the helicopter, Qian Ying also led Su Chen to scour the treasure room in the Ghost Domain.


    As for the other treasures, they were fine, but Su Chen found six pieces of Yuan Stones there, also known as Spirit Stones!


    Su Chen immediately gave one to Qian Ying. He nned to keep two for himself, leave one for Yunlong, and one for Qi Meng, as Qi Meng''s power was currently very weak!


    Thest one was, of course, reserved for Sun Yang!


    A few hourster, the helicopter arrived in the Capital City of the Ind Country. Then, he and Qian Ying boarded the helicopter with the unconscious Sun Yang, heading back to Yandu.


    By the time they reached Yandu, it was already in the middle of the night, around three or four o''clock. He immediately hurried to the manor and settled Sun Yang there!


    The reason he arranged for him to stay at the manor was because he nned to have Qian Ying temporarily stay there as well.


    With Qian Ying and Qi Meng, both Martial Artists, caring for him, he would feel much more at ease!


    Of course, he also intended for Qian Ying to temporarily protect Qi Meng, as Qian Ying''s cultivation at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer was far superior to Qi Meng''s!


    After settling Sun Yang, Su Chen began his cultivation, as his True Yuan within had beenpletely depleted!


    As daylight broke, Su Chen went to a traditional Chinese medicine shop, bought some materials, concocted ointments, and applied them to Sun Yang''s wounds!


    The primary purpose of these ointments was to absorb the toxins and impurities caused by the iron hook piercing through Sun Yang''s corbone...

 Chapter 939 - 939 Preparing to Return to Jianghai

    After finishing this, Su Chen performed acupuncture on Sun Yang for over an hour. Finally, he transferred most of the True Yuan he had just cultivated into Sun Yang''s body!


    Because the nourishment of True Yuan can restore his damaged vitality at the fastest speed!


    Moreover, True Yuan can also repair his internal organs!


    "Alright, his condition is temporarily stable now, you two take care of him."


    Su Chen said to the two women:


    "Call me immediately if there''s any situation."


    The two women naturally agreed right away.


    Afterwards, Su Chen returned to thepany; after all, Lin Ruoxue was still worried!


    However, upon arriving at thepany, he found that almost everyone wore expressions of excitement.


    Because tomorrow is the start of the year-end holiday, it''s thest day of work!


    "You came back so soon?"


    Lin Ruoxue saw Su Chen return after just one day, and couldn''t help but be a bit surprised.


    "Honey, I think from your expression, you might be a bit unhappy to see me back!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Yeah, I wish you''d nevere back!"


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes at him and said with some irritation.


    "Honey, how can you be so heartless!"


    Su Chen grabbed Lin Ruoxue''s hand, pressed it against his chest, pretending to be deeply wounded.


    "What are you doing?!"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly became bashful, trying to pull her hand away, but Su Chen held on tightly, not giving her a chance.


    "Honey, give me a kiss!"


    Su Chen leaned in towards Lin Ruoxue with a smile.


    "Don''t mess around, we''re in the office!"


    Lin Ruoxue hurriedly said.


    "What''s there to be shy about? We''re an old married couple, it''s not our first time!"


    Su Chen said with a carefree smile.


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s face immediately blushed with a hint of red, recalling the embarrassing incident they hadst time in the office lounge!


    "Mwah!"


    Su Chen took advantage of her unpreparedness and suddenly kissed Lin Ruoxue on the cheek!


    "You rascal!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat as she watched his disappearing silhouette, muttering.


    But Su Chen just smiled smugly, then slipped away, running into Xia Qiuru right in the hallway.


    "Qiuru, where are you going for the holiday?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Going to Xinran''s home for the new year."


    Xia Qiuru nced hesitantly at Su Chen:


    "About what we discussed earlier, is there any issue with apanying me home after the new year?"


    Xia Qiuru hadn''t immediately returned home on vacation because she was waiting for Su Chen.


    She had told her mother that Su Chen was busy during the New Year, and wouldn''t be free until several dayster.


    "Didn''t I already agree with you?"


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "As long as there''s nothing special thates up, I''ll apany you for two days, and we''ll visit your uncle and aunt."


    "Alright!"


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru let out a sigh of relief, her face showing a hint of a smile:


    "Alright, I have something to do, so I''ll get busy first!"


    "Go ahead and get busy."


    Su Chen said, then they each returned to their office.


    Su Chen drank a cup of tea in his office, skimmed through a magazine, then returned to the manor to continue his cultivation.


    His True Yuan was greatly depleted, so of course, he needed to replenish it as soon as possible!


    Currently, he has many enemies, and each one of them is not easy to deal with!


    Without recovering his strength, he doesn''t feel very secure!


    Moreover, he nned that once his True Yuan was restored, he would focus more on cultivating Ster Power. He finally understood the might of Ster Power now!


    If he had enough Star Energy yesterday, he could have certainly smashed that ghost lord with one punch, avoiding such a perilous situation!


    He''s very curious why the two cultivation techniques in his mind, whether it''s the Nine Yang Divine Technique or the Supreme Star Shifting Technique, are so unfathomable!


    He is now eagerly anticipating to see what effects cultivating the Calm Spirit Body Technique will bring!


    The unfortunate thing is that he does not yet have the conditions to cultivate the Calm Spirit Body Technique, so he can only wait for the right opportunity!


    Su Chen continued cultivating until past nine o''clock and then went home!


    Early the next morning, he went back to the manor again because Sun Yang was there. If anything happened, he could take timely actions!


    Meanwhile, Lin Ruoxue went to thepany. As the president, although she was on vacation, she still had business to attend to.


    Upon arriving at the manor, Su Chen again transferred some True Yuan into Sun Yang''s body.


    This time it didn''t require much; just transferring a quarter of the True Yuan in his body was sufficient!


    Afterward, Su Chen resumed his cultivation in his dedicated room and continued until the afternoon!


    "Su Chen, your friend has woken up!"


    At this moment, Qi Meng''s excited voice suddenly sounded outside the door.


    Now that the rtionship between the two had be quite familiar, Qi Meng directly called him by name!


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately leapt off the bed without even putting on his shoes, opened the door, and rushed towards Sun Yang''s room!


    Seeing Sun Yang with his eyes open, Su Chen stopped abruptly in excitement!


    He adjusted his breath, then smiled and walked over:


    "Old Sun, you little rascal really scared me!"


    "I knew you''d definitelye to save me, so I held on all this time!"


    Sun Yang, lying on the bed, gently said to Su Chen.


    Though he did not know the extent of the Ghost Domain''s power, he knew that Su Chen would certainlye!


    "Of course, if you were gone, who would I have to bully?!"


    Su Chen said with a heartyugh, then asked:


    "So, how do you feel now?"


    "Alright, just a bit weak."


    Sun Yang smiled slightly and replied.


    "You''re just waking up, it''s normal, it''ll get better gradually!"


    Su Chenforted:


    "Moreover, your vicle was seriously wounded, but once Ipletely heal it for you, you''ll be just as good as before!"


    "Hmm!"


    Sun Yang nodded, fully trusting Su Chen''s medical skills.


    Moreover, their rtionship does not require any "thank you".


    "Alright, you rest first, we won''t disturb you!"


    Su Chen joked:


    "I have to keep cultivating too; this time I ended up losing a lot to save you!"


    Su Chen then left with Qian Ying and Qi Meng, closing the door behind them!


    With Sun Yang finally awake, Su Chen was relieved, and now it was time for recovery!


    Su Chen continued to cultivate until nine o''clock in the evening, then he told Sun Yang he''d be going home!


    Today is already the 28th day of the lunar month, and tomorrow afternoon he needs to return to Jianghai with Lin Ruoxue to prepare for the New Year!


    Of course, he also told Qian Ying, Qi Meng, and Sun Yang that they would also be heading to Jianghai tomorrow.


    By then, he nned for Qian Ying and Qi Meng to stay at a hotel; Sun Yang would stay at the Lin Family home for convenient follow-up treatments.


    He let Qi Meng go as well since he was worried about the Judgment Department people showing up. In case something did happen, he would be unable to handle it in time!

 Chapter 940: The Most Desired Gift

    The next morning, Su Chen apanied Lin Ruoxue on a big shopping spree, naturally intending to bring back some gifts...


    After lunch, the group boarded a ne to Jianghai, including Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue, Auntie Wang, and little Ruohan.


    Of course, there was also Sun Yang, who had just been picked up. Su Chen had already discussed Sun Yang''s situation with Lin Ruoxue, and since Ruoxue had met Sun Yang before, she had no objections.


    Although Sun Yang was still very weak, he could manage a few simple steps, after all, he still had quite a bit of True Yuan in his body.


    Auntie Sun had just returned to her hometown a while ago, so she wouldn''t be going back for the New Year.


    Auntie Wang originally invited her to Jianghai as well, but Auntie Sun insisted on staying to watch the house.


    Seeing her determination, everyone had no choice but to give up.


    During the trip to Jianghai, Su Chen considered that he should really get a helicopter, otherwise, traveling was very inconvenient each time.


    The helipad could be built near the estate or in another location.


    A few hourster, under the glow of the sunset, with a loud rumbling of the nending, Su Chen and the group finally arrived back in Jianghai!


    The group then collected their checked luggage and walked out of the airport.


    "Finally back, it feels like revisiting familiar ces!"


    After stepping out of the airport, Lin Ruoxue took a deep breath and said with a smile.


    Since going to Yandu, Su Chen had returned a few times, but Lin Ruoxue hadn''te back even once.


    "Miss, Sir, you''ve returned!"


    At this moment, a stretched Lincoln stopped by the roadside, and the driver immediately approached upon seeing Su Chen and the others.


    This driver was a middle-aged man known by the younger generation as Uncle Cheng, the personal driver of Old Master Lin.


    He only came because of Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue''s return, usually, he was only responsible for Old Master Lin''s travels.


    "Uncle Cheng, how is my grandfather''s health?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "Quite well, but he really misses you and Sir."


    Uncle Cheng replied with a smile:


    "Hurry and get in the car, the Master is still waiting at home!"


    So the group got into the car and headed straight for the Lin Family''s old house.


    When the car arrived, the family was eagerly awaiting!


    For the Lin Family, this couple now held significant weight!


    Especially Su Chen, at this moment he was seen as an unreachable existence, never to be treated like the looked-down-upon son-inw he was during his first visit!


    Lin Ruomei, upon seeing Su Chen, remembered how she used to target him with Lin Chao and felt like her past self was such a joke!


    Old Master Lin and Lin Wenqing and his wife smiled as soon as they saw the group.


    "Grandpa! Mom and Dad!"


    Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen greeted them first and then said hello to the other members of the Lin Family.


    "This must be Mr. Sun, right? Wee to our Lin Family."


    Old Master Lin soon noticed Sun Yang standing nearby. Seeing such a young man dressed in a long robe, Old Master Lin found it a bit odd.


    But thinking he was a friend of Su Chen''s, he quickly let it go!


    "Sorry to intrude."


    Sun Yang was naturally a more introverted and reserved person, unlike the more assertive Su Chen!


    "No trouble at all, no trouble at all."


    "Alright, dinner is ready, let''s go eat first!"


    Old Master Lin said, and everyone headed into the courtyard and then to a side room.


    With the return of Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen, this meal was lively and bustling.


    Sun Yang, still quite weak, was escorted by the servants to a guest room to rest after the meal.


    "Grandpa, Mom, Dad, I brought you all a lot of gifts, let me show you."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Ruoxue, is there anything for us?"


    Lin Wenting asked.


    "Yes, yes, everyone has something!"


    Lin Ruoxue replied and had Su Chen help bring in a fewrge suitcases from the adjacent room.


    After bringing back the suitcases, they started handing out the gifts. What Lin Ruoxue bought was undoubtedly excellent, making everyone very happy with their gifts.


    "Grandpa, this is your gift!"


    Lin Ruoxue handed a set of chess pieces to Old Master Lin:


    "This chess set is made from golden-thread nanmu wood. I had a friend search for it for quite some time."


    Upon hearing this, Old Master Lin''s eyes flickered with a hint of delight, but he immediately hid it, appearing nonchnt, not even reaching out to ept it.


    "Grandpa, what''s the matter? You don''t like this gift?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously.


    Others also looked puzzled, wondering what was wrong with the old man?


    "This isn''t the gift I want most."


    Old Master Lin replied calmly.


    "Grandpa, what gift do you want? Tell me, and I will make sure to bring it next time."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Really?"


    Old Master Lin nced at Lin Ruoxue and asked.


    "Of course, just tell me."


    It was just a gift, no matter how difficult to find, Lin Ruoxue was confident she could get it.


    "Alright then, listen carefully, I want a grandson!"


    Old Master Lin said gently:


    "That''s the gift I want most, so bring it to me next time!"


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue were taken aback upon hearing this!


    This was the only thing on the old man''s mind now!


    They thought they could dy this topic for a couple of days before the old man would bring it up.


    To their surprise, the moment they returned, it was already the subject of discussion just over a gift!


    "Grandpa, what are you saying?!"


    Lin Ruoxue replied shyly. Discussing this topic in front of so many people made her feel embarrassed.


    "What do you mean you don''t know? Give me a promise, how long will it take?"


    The old man "unreasonably" demanded:


    "One month, or two months?!"


    Other members of the Lin Family, upon hearing this, were all thrilled!


    "Yes, Su Chen, Ruoxue, don''t make us wait too long!"


    "Right, you''re both so handsome and beautiful, don''t waste those genes!"


    "Yes, have a few more. Look, the old man isn''t dealing with business matters now, how boring. Have a few kids to keep himpany!"


    ...


    Hearing this chatter, both had a headache!


    Especially Lin Wenqing and his wife, who wished they could instantly grant them a child!


    "Brother-inw, could it be that you can''t, shall I take you to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow!"


    Lin Hao teased.


    "Get lost, you''re the one who''s incapable!"


    Su Chen kicked him in the butt.


    "Grandpa, Mom and Dad, we''re working on it!"


    Su Chen gave a sheepish smile afterward.


    "Working hard my foot!"


    Old Master Lin pursed his lips and said:


    "There hasn''t been any action!"

 Chapter 941 - 941 The Young Girl Lin Ruoxue

    "Grandpa, Mom and Dad, this should happen naturally, it can''t be forced."


    Lin Ruoxue said helplessly.


    "Naturally? Hmm, are you nning to wait until I''m in the coffin to make it happen?"


    Grandpa Lin said irritably.


    "Grandpa, what are you talking about? You''re going to live to be a hundred!"


    Lin Ruoxue replied.


    "Live to be a hundred? You guys are going to drive me to my grave!"


    Grandpa Lin snapped.


    "Grandpa, don''t worry, there''ll definitely be progress by next year''s New Year!"


    Su Chen could tell that unless he gave a promise, Grandpa wouldn''t let it rest!


    "Su Chen, what are you talking about?"


    Lin Ruoxue pulled Su Chen aside and said:


    "How can anyone be certain about this?"


    "Honey, haven''t you realized? If we don''t say it like this, will they let us off the hook? We''ll be bothered to death over the next few days!"


    Su Chen whispered in Lin Ruoxue''s ear.


    Lin Ruoxue said nothing upon hearing this. It''s true,ing back this time without giving a proper answer would be futile.


    "Alright, a year is a bit long, but this old man can wait."


    Grandpa Lin pondered and said:


    "Let me tell you, this isn''t just idle words. If there''s no progress by next year''s New Year, I''ll take back the group and hand it over to someone else to manage!"


    Although legally speaking, most of Belle Group has been given to Lin Ruoxue, and it can be said that Belle Group legally belongs to Lin Ruoxue now.


    Yet in the family, the patriarch holds absolute authority, and if Grandpa Lin really wants Lin Ruoxue to relinquish power, she wouldn''t dare refuse.


    "How can this be?"


    Lin Ruoxue panicked upon hearing this!


    Having Belle Group thriving, she was ready to expand her aspirations!


    If Grandpa really wanted to take it back, how could she be willing!


    If she already achieved her dream, turning Belle Group into a global giant, she wouldn''t mind if Grandpa decided to take it back!


    Lin Ruoxue seeks not profit, but self-actualization!


    "Hmph, why can''t it be?"


    Grandpa Lin snorted and said:


    "If you don''t want me to take it back, you better hurry! Anyway, once the child is born, you don''t have to raise them; it won''t dy you!"


    Grandpa Lin clearly knows Lin Ruoxue''s weakness and grabbed it immediately!


    Naturally, Lin Wenqing and Zhang Xin wouldn''t object; they even felt one year was too long!


    "I got it."


    Lin Ruoxue reluctantly agreed.


    Others saw Lin Ruoxue looking like a wilted eggnt and couldn''t help butugh.


    "Alright, the gifts are given, stop standing around and hurry back to your room!"


    Grandpa Lin waved his hand.


    As for hurrying to do what, do you even need to ask? Of course, it''s about making babies!


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s face instantly turned red, feeling hot on her face!


    Su Chen wasn''t bothered and said:


    "Indeed I''m quite tired, everyone goodbye, we''ll go to sleep first."


    Everyone burst intoughter upon hearing this.


    This son-inw is quite amusing!


    "Go quickly!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s mother Zhang Xin urged them repeatedly, practically pushing them into the room.


    Lin Ruoxue red beautifully at Su Chen, but ended up just leaving; no need to say anything more!


    The two retreated under everyone''s watchful eyes, Lin Ruoxue almost embarrassed to look at the yful grins on everyone''s faces!


    Soon they reached a room on the east side; this was Lin Ruoxue''s chamber at the old mansion.


    Frankly, this was Su Chen''s first time entering this chamber.


    Upon entering and looking around, Su Chen was momentarily stunned!


    Because everything was pink, from the walls to the furniture and other decorations, predominantly pink themed!


    This room''s style is totally different from Lin Ruoxue''s vi in Jianghai and their vi in Yandu!


    "Is this your room?"


    Su Chen asked awkwardly:


    "Why does it look like Ruohan''s room?"


    "Of course not; it was decorated like this when I was in elementary school. I haven''t slept here much since high school when I left for studies."


    Looking at the pink decor now, Lin Ruoxue also felt a bit embarrassed.


    "Honey, hurry up and take a shower!"


    Su Chen urged.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue agreed with a nod, then took clothes and went into the bathroom.


    She certainly understood why Su Chen urged her to shower.


    Soon, Lin Ruoxue came out wearing pink silk pajamas again!


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue, especially in this room, it was as if Su Chen saw her as a young girl, heart instantly aze!


    She''s doing it on purpose! She''s definitely doing it on purpose!


    But Su Chen was very fond of it!


    He immediately rushed into the bathroom, quickly took a shower, and came out impatiently with water drops still clinging to him!


    If Lin Ruoxue weren''t a cleanliness freak, he wouldn''t bother to bathe!


    Lying on the bed, Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen''s seemingly fiery eyes, slightly trembling inside!


    "Honey, they all want us to have kids early! Let''s hurry and make it happen!"


    Su Chen slowly climbed onto the bed, his lips curling into a devilishly charming smile!


    "Pervert!"


    Lin Ruoxue hissed, a blush appearing on her face, making her look like a peach!


    Su Chen''s appetite was whetted, then he leaned down slightly, kissing Lin Ruoxue.


    The two were very acquainted with each other; Lin Ruoxue soon responded...


    That night, they fought several rounds, especially for Su Chen; it was as if he was doing those shy things with a young Lin Ruoxue in this room!


    This feeling is extremely special, not easily expressed but intensely felt!


    The next day, they slept in the same bed until after nine.


    This was rare for Lin Ruoxue, not having to consider workpletely, plus being truly fatigued from the previous night''s exertions; hence they rose sote!


    As they finished washing up and came out, everyone seemed to be watching them, making Lin Ruoxue feel very embarrassed!


    Then they went to the side hall for breakfast, just in time to see Sun Yang there, Grandpa Lin seemingly chatting casually with him, as if they just finished breakfast.


    "Old Sun, why aren''t you resting in the room?" Su Chen asked.


    "Always lying down is dull, and now I''m sitting, it''s fine."


    Sun Yang smiled slightly; Su Chen didn''t say more upon hearing.


    "Alright, Ruoxue, Su, sit down quickly and have breakfast."


    Grandpa Lin looked pleased seeing them both looking energetic.


    "Su Chen, I never dreamed you''d live such a family life one day."


    Sun Yang said with some sentiment, looking at him.


    Hearing this, Grandpa Lin and Lin Ruoxue were slightly taken aback, nced at Su Chen but didn''t ask anything...

 Chapter 942 - 942 Watching Idol Drama (Revised)

    "A man should have a home."


    Su Chenughed and said,


    "Do you want me to introduce you to a wife? I guarantee she''s a beauty!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sharp pain in his waist.


    "Looks like you know quite a few beauties!"


    Lin Ruoxue pinched the flesh on his waist with a yful smile and said,


    "When are you going to introduce them to me?"


    "No, no, the biggest beauty I know is you, my wife!"


    Su Chen quickly replied,


    "Other women are just ugly ducklings in my eyes!"


    Upon hearing this, both the Elder Lin and Sun Yang gave Su Chen a disdainful look!


    This guy''s ttery is so shameless!


    However, seeing how obediently Su Chen was being handled by Lin Ruoxue, and how he could tter so easily, Sun Yang was amazed!


    Who would have believed that the man afraid of his wife in front of him was the King of Hell?


    It was just too unbelievable!


    Lin Ruoxue saw her grandfather and Sun Yang staring at her, as if she were a tigress, and quickly released her delicate hand that was pinching Su Chen!


    "Mr. Sun, if you really want to start a family, I can honestly introduce someone to you."


    After letting go of Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Thank you, but I don''t have such thoughts for now."


    Sun Yang immediately said, as he was currently immersed in martial arts and truly had no intention of settling down.


    He believed that it would be a burden that would affect his martial heart!


    As for Su Chen, he thought that everyone''s situations were different!


    After finishing breakfast, Su Chen went to Sun Yang''s room with him and gave him a round of acupuncture, passing some True Yuan into him.


    He estimated that in a few days, Sun Yang wouldn''t need his True Yuan anymore, as by then he could try to cultivate himself.


    After treating Sun Yang, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue went out for a casual stroll, and there weren''t too many pedestrians and vehicles on the road.


    The two walked the streets of Jianghai, contemting the major changes in the past year, with a feeling of nostalgia.


    This year, two people who originally had no connection somehow came together and even became a married couple!


    Their feelings evolved from initial indifference, even with some hostility, to slowly mellowing and finally bing the supportive rtionship they shared now!


    There was no doubt that the past year was the most special for both Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen!


    It was a year where significant turning points urred in their lives!


    They wandered hand-in-hand through the streets of Jianghai, chatting away without feeling bored.


    Instead, everything felt peaceful and warm!


    The following few days of New Year weren''t particrly special and were simr to usual, with the only difference being the Lin Family receiving many more visitors, including several high-level officials from Jiangnan!


    Because today''s Lin Family was no longer the same as before!


    Of course, Elder Lin and Lin Ruoxue had to wee these esteemed guests with due respect!


    After all, connections are an important measure of a family''s standing, and they might need each other at some point!


    As for Su Chen, he couldn''t be bothered meeting these people!


    He thought he''d rather spend the time cultivating!


    Lin Ruoxue understood her husband''szy personality and didn''t force him to entertain these guests!


    Of course, Elder Lin felt the same way; whether Su Chen met them or not was entirely up to him!


    So while the Lin Family, including Lin Ruoxue, entertained one group of guests after another, Su Chen quietly stayed in his room to cultivate.


    Currently, he wasn''t just cultivating the "Nine Yang Divine Technique," but also the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique!"


    Neither of which should be underestimated!


    After several days of cultivation, his True Yuan had finally returned to perfection!


    And the Star Energy within him was gradually nearing its previous state!


    He was generally satisfied with this speed!


    More importantly, his understanding of the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique" had deepened a bit; practice indeed yields real knowledge!


    At this time, Sun Yang had also begun cultivating, even though his injured body hadn''t fully recovered.


    However, for martial artists, cultivation itself was a form of healing, as the True Yuan generated through cultivation could continuously nourish and repair various parts of his body!


    Sun Yang had also set a goal for himself, not just to recover to his peak state, but to break through to the true Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Because Su Chen had already reached the Meridian Expansion Second Layer!


    With the Spirit Stone given by Su Chen, his confidence increased significantly!


    Though they shared a life-and-death friendship, between Su Chen and him, there was always a sense of healthypetition, which was normal among martial artists!


    If ordinary martial artists felt this way, how could a martial arts enthusiast not?


    That afternoon, because he had been cultivating for several days in a row, Su Chen wanted to go out and rx¡ªto bnce work and rest!


    He was initially nning to call Lin Ruoxue to join him, but when he went to find her, she was chatting with a few guests along with Elder Lin.


    So Su Chen had no choice but to drive out alone.


    After thinking for a while, he decided to visit the hotel to see Qi Meng and Qian Ying.


    After all, since he had brought them over, he hadn''t visited them yet!


    That seemed inappropriate!


    He quickly arrived at the hotel and then went to the door of their room, knocking on it.


    "Master, you''re here!"


    When Qian Ying opened the door and saw Su Chen, she immediately greeted him.


    Su Chen nodded and nced inside, shocked to find Qi Meng sitting barefoot on the sofa watching a Korean idol drama!


    After calling him, Qian Ying couldn''t wait to take off her slippers and sit cross-legged on the sofa to watch TV.


    This scenepletely stunned Su Chen. Although it was normal for women to watch idol dramas, even if Lin Ruoxue watched them, he wouldn''t find it too strange.


    But seeing Qi Meng and Qian Ying, both female martial artists, engrossed in this idol drama, deeply shocked him with a strong sense of dissonance!


    Indeed, the influence of Korean idol drama love stories couldn''t be underestimated!


    Even Qi Meng and Qian Ying, these two female martial artists, couldn''t escape its grip!


    What Su Chen didn''t expect was that he ended up sitting on the sofa and watching with them, spending several hours together until nightfall!


    In the end, Su Chen could only attribute it to him being too bored!


    Actually, it wasn''t as hard to understand as Su Chen imagined; although the two were martial artists, they were still women!


    After all, they''d never watched before, so being momentarily attracted by the fairytale-like love stories was perfectly normal!


    After that, Su Chen joined them for a sumptuous dinner at the hotel downstairs, as it was New Year''s after all!


    Of course, he also made a phone call home to let them know...

 Chapter 943: People Are Different

    "Alright, Qi Meng, you head upstairs first, I need to say a few words to Qian Ying."


    After dinner, Su Chen said.


    "Okay then."


    Qi Meng nced at the two before heading upstairs.


    "Qian Ying, there''s a possibility that someone mighte for Qi Meng in theing days, so you must stay by her side at all times."


    Su Chen instructed solemnly:


    "If anyone doese, unless you''re absolutely sure you can handle it, notify me immediately. Just hold the other party off, and also try to protect yourself!"


    "Yes, Master!"


    Qian Ying responded at once.


    "Alright, go on up."


    Su Chen waved his hand. He gave this instruction because he had a feeling that the people from the Judgment Department should have arrived, it''s just that they suddenly came to Jianghai, and perhaps the other party hasn''t located them yet.


    But it won''t be long before the other party finds them.


    After Qian Ying left, Su Chen also drove away from the hotel...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a courtyard in Yandu.


    A young man was chopping wood vigorously, beside him was already arge pile of chopped firewood.


    At this moment, his forehead was covered in sweat!


    "Master, why do you have me chopping wood every day?"


    The young man asked an elderly gentleman in a Taoist robe sitting on a recliner, not far away.


    That young man was none other than Yunlong, and that elderly man was none other than Zhuge Dongming!


    "Don''t call me Master, I haven''t officially taken you as my disciple yet!"


    Zhuge Dongming took a sip from the wine jug beside him and said.


    "Alright, Mr. Zhuge, why do you keep having me chop wood? It''s not like you burn firewood!"


    Yunlong asked in frustration. Ever since he came to the courtyard, there was only one task every day, and that was¡ª chopping wood!


    Even during the New Year, it continued unabated!


    As for cultivation, it waspletely out of the question!


    If the old man needed the firewood, it would be understandable, but every time after Yunlong finished chopping, he was told to throw them into the river!


    Isn''t this purposely messing with people? And tantly so!


    Like he''s afraid Yunlong wouldn''t know the old man was messing with him!


    Whenever Yunlong questioned, the old man simply said, if you''re unwilling, you can leave.


    With no other option, Yunlong could only continue, not knowing when it would end!


    "Cultivation."


    Upon hearing Yunlong''s words, Zhuge Dongming simply uttered these two words.


    Yunlong was pleasantly surprised by this response, finally getting an answer that wasn''t the simple and blunt "you can leave if you''re unwilling!"


    "But when my brother introduced cultivation to me, it wasn''t like this!"


    Yunlong asked puzzledly.


    "Your damn brother knows nothing!"


    Zhuge Dongming shouted as soon as he heard Yunlong mention his brother, a sound full of deep resentment!


    Yunlong couldn''t help but shrug and think, brother is just brother, why does it turn into damn brother in your mouth?


    But he was used to it; ever since he came here, every mention of his brother rendered Mr. Zhuge unable to stayposed!


    He was also puzzled about what kind of abominable act his brother had done.


    To the extent that whenever he mentioned him, the always divine-like Mr. Zhuge would react like this!


    "Was my brother chopping wood when he started cultivation too, Mr. Zhuge?"


    Yunlong asked curiously.


    "No." Zhuge Dongming shook his head.


    "Why?"


    Upon hearing this answer, Yunlong became even more puzzled!


    Why didn''t his brother need it, but Yunlong did?


    However, Yunlong soon regretted asking this question!


    Because Zhuge Dongming calmly replied:


    "People are different from each other."


    Upon hearing this, Yunlong immediately felt a massive blow!


    Was it necessary to be this demoralizing!


    The usually confident member of the Yun Family even started to feel as if he was worth nothing!


    "You don''t need topare yourself to that damned brother of yours; that guy is a monster!"


    Zhuge Dongming said casually:


    "Alright, stop with the nonsense, focus, and keep chopping! You''re not allowed to sleep until you finish chopping the rest!"


    "Once finished, follow the usual rules, throw them into the river!"


    Afterward, Zhuge Dongming got up and went inside to get some rest.


    In the courtyard, the sound of chopping wood began again...


    .....


    "Achoo!"


    Su Chen was driving back, window open, and suddenly a cold wind blew in, causing him to sneeze!


    "Which bastard is talking bad about me!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but mutter.


    Just then, he turned his head and suddenly saw a familiar figure!


    "Qiuru!"


    Su Chen immediately stopped the car and shouted.


    He was secretly puzzled, wondering why Xia Qiuru would be at a nightclub.


    Xia Qiuru was walking toward the nightclub when she suddenly heard someone calling her name, and the voice was very familiar, so she turned around.


    Upon seeing Su Chen waving at her, her face lit up with surprise.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Xia Qiuru asked Su Chen in surprise as she walked to his car window.


    "I just finished dinner, happened to be passing by, and thought I saw you."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "By the way, what are you doing here?"


    "Qiuru, who is this...?"


    Just then, a man who was walking in front of Xia Qiuru returned and came to Su Chen''s car window to ask.


    "He''s my...colleague, Su Chen."


    Xia Qiuru introduced Su Chen and then smiled at him:


    "This is my college ssmate, Guo Rufei."


    "Su Chen, do you have anything going on? If not,e on in with us for a drink."


    Xia Qiuru invited with a smile.


    "Qiuru, this is a gathering for us two old ssmates, bringing an outsider in might not be appropriate, right?"


    The man frowned slightly upon hearing Xia Qiuru''s invitation.


    "What''s the big deal, we could use some extrapany, it''ll be more lively! Besides, you guys are men, have a drink and you''ll get acquainted quickly!"


    Xia Qiuru said with a smile.


    She was actually worried about being alone with the man, so Su Chen''s appearance was timely.


    She initially didn''t want toe, but since it was an old ssmate holding a gathering, it didn''t seem right to refuse.


    "Alright, let''s have a drink then, I don''t really have anything nned."


    Su Chenughed and said, then got out of the car.


    He could tell Xia Qiuru seemed a bit worried and really wanted him to join.


    Then Xia Qiuru and Su Chen led the way into the nightclub, chatting andughing along the way.


    Guo Rufei followed behind them, his gaze on Su Chen''s back was shadowed!


    He had finally managed to arrange a one-on-one meeting with Xia Qiuru, and this guy had ruined it!


    Even more critical was his sharp perception that Xia Qiuru''s rtionship with this man seemed to be more than just colleagues!


    However, he was quiteposed and immediately hid his displeasure, keeping a calm face as he followed them...

 Chapter 944: A Familiar Scene

    Walking into the nightclub, dazzling lights immediately shone over, and a few sexy bunny girls were dancing seductively on the stage!


    Around the stage, men and women swayed passionately, releasing their enthusiasm!


    Su Chen looked around and found that the nightclub''syout was quite unique.


    In the center were tworge stages, surrounded by an evenrger dance floor, with various booths arranged around the walls!


    This way, no matter where you sat, you could clearly see the scenes on the stage and dance floor!


    Guo Rufei then picked a booth, and the three of them sat down, with Xia Qiuru naturally sitting beside Su Chen.


    After sitting down, a woman in a short skirt came over to ask what they would like to order, with a charming smile on her face.


    "Mr. Su, what would you like to drink?"


    Guo Rufei looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "Anything is fine."


    Su Chen said nonchntly.


    "Then I''ll just order something casually."


    Guo Rufeiughed, but he definitely did not order casually.


    He ordered several bottles of very high-end alcohol, totaling over a hundred thousand yuan, and with some snacks and such, it would probably be two hundred thousand!


    "Order a little less, it''s too much, and these drinks are too expensive!"


    Xia Qiuru said, a little uneasy.


    "It''s okay, I rarely get the chance to treat you, Qiuru, this amount is nothing!"


    Guo Rufei said with a carefree smile.


    The woman in the short skirtughed even more heartily upon hearing his order, because she also had a considerablemission from the two hundred thousand!


    "Sir, our nightclub has just received some Euson red wine, which is a fine wine from the Euson castle! It''s perfect for someone like you!"


    The woman in the short skirt bent over and ttered Guo Rufei, her prominent features almost pressing on his shoulder, making him feel entranced!


    Guo Rufei nced at the price of the red wine, nearly a hundred thousand, and couldn''t help but feel a bit of pain!


    But faced with such enthusiastic persuasion, and most importantly, with Xia Qiuru across from him, he gritted his teeth and, pretending to be nonchnt, smiled and said:


    "Alright, since you''ve specially introduced it, it must be good. Let''s have a bottle to try."


    "Guo, one bottle won''t be enough! There are three of us here!"


    At this moment, Su Chenughed and said:


    "We should at least have one bottle each!"


    Xia Qiuru originally wanted to tell Guo Rufei to stop, but upon hearing Su Chen''s words, she swallowed her words.


    At this moment, she suddenly had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, as this scene seemed so much like the time he tricked Yu Guangping!


    Regardless of what Su Chen did, she never had any objections; she believed Su Chen knew what he was doing.


    Guo Rufei''s heart trembled when he heard Su Chen''s words, and he quickly said:


    "We wouldn''t be able to finish all that wine."


    "Actually, this Euson red wine isn''t very strong."


    The woman in the short skirt said at the right time, her heart racing!


    If they really ordered one bottle each, plus everything else, the total would be five hundred thousand!


    Hermission this month could buy many things she always wanted but couldn''t bear to buy!


    So, of course, she was going to urge them to buy more!


    "Guo, are you really that stingy? Or is it that you didn''t bring enough money?"


    Su Chen said casually:


    "If that''s the case, we should just get one bottle!"


    "How could I be?"


    Guo Rufei said with an awkward smile, but the smile looked rather forced.


    "Alright then, let''s have three bottles!"


    This guy had no choice after what was said!


    "Guo, you''re spending a lot!"


    Su Chen said with augh:


    "But looking at your outfit, this shouldn''t be much for you, right?"


    He wouldn''t extort someone without reason, but he could tell this guy had some bad intentions towards Xia Qiuru, otherwise, he wouldn''t have refused to let him join from the beginning.


    Besides, this guy wasn''t a good person; the way he looked at the woman in the short skirt earlier clearly showed his intentions.


    If not for Xia Qiuru being here, he probably would''ve made ns already!


    Of course, another reason was that his feelings for Xia Qiuru were quite special, and seeing other men with her made him ufortable!


    Perhaps this is the selfish nature of men!


    "It''s alright, it''s alright."


    Even though Guo Rufei said this, he was already cursing Su Chen in his heart!


    This was five hundred thousand!


    Initially ordering the two hundred thousand felt like too much, but in the end, it became five hundred thousand!


    You should know, his annual sry is just over two million, and his family has a clothing factory with an annual profit of two to three million!


    So spending five hundred thousand in one go at a nightclub seemed too extravagant for him.


    Of course, it wasn''t unbearable!


    In a while, the drinks and such arrived, and Guo Rufei earnestly poured a ss for Su Chen and Xia Qiuru, as well as one for himself, appearing courteous.


    After a toast, Guo Rufei asked:


    "Qiuru mentioned that Mr. Su is her colleague, may I ask what position Mr. Su holds?"


    "Su Chen is the head of public rtions in our group."


    Before Su Chen could speak, Xia Qiuru introduced.


    "Head of public rtions? Not bad."


    Guo Rufei nodded andmented, clearly with an air of superiority.


    Because previously, Xia Qiuru only told him she worked in a smallpany as a human resources director.


    And he himself worked as a director in arge multinationalpany, so in his eyes, a public rtions head in a smallpany was nothing much!


    It just sounded a bit nicer!


    After a while, Su Chen also understood this Guo Rufei''s general situation.


    It turns out he and Xia Qiuru were ssmates at Jianghai University. After graduation, Guo Rufei went abroad for further studies and came back to work as a director in a Fortune 500pany!


    While Xia Qiuru needed to ease her family''s burden, so she started working right after graduation.


    The two hadn''t seen each other in a long time, and coincidentally, he called Xia Qiuru, found out she was also in Jianghai, and asked to meet up.


    Qiuru had already found excuses to refuse twice and couldn''t do it every time, as they were old ssmates.


    So she agreed, thinking one meeting would be enough to say it was done.


    A main reason Xia Qiuru didn''t want to see him was that, back in university, Guo Rufei had pursued her, but at that time, she had no interest!


    Su Chen also learned about his family running a clothing factory, of course, this was Guo Rufei''s deliberate bragging, seeming to want Su Chen to know the gap between them...

 Chapter 945: 3 Seconds

    Su Chen had seen plenty of people like Guo Rufei before, and naturally wasn''t bothered, even finding it somewhatughable.


    Xia Qiuru had originally nned to sit for a moment and then leave, but because of Su Chen''s presence, she wasn''t in a hurry anymore.


    The two leisurely drank and chatted, only asionally acknowledging Guo Rufei out of respect for Qiuru''s old ssmate.


    Guo Rufei watched the pair''s rtionship, clearly closer than mere colleagues or friends, and gritted his teeth in jealousy, yet he was powerless!


    A ball of furious me seemed ready to explode in his heart at any moment!


    This guy was drinking the wine he paid for and chatting up the woman he liked¡ªunbearable!


    Just when Guo Rufei was at his emotional limit and wanted to do something to vent, two people suddenly passed by them.


    "Hey!"


    The man, about thirty years old walking in front, saw Xia Qiuru sitting inside and his eyes immediately lit up!


    The henchman next to him understood his nce right away!


    "Get out of the way, make room for our boss!"


    The henchman swaggered over to Su Chen and barked imperiously.


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback by this, not expecting to encounter such clueless characters while just having a drink.


    "Scram!"


    Su Chen hadn''t had the chance to speak before Guo Rufei had already roared explosively.


    He was looking for an outlet, and this guy was the perfect target!


    Moreover, this could be seen as ying the hero saving the damsel in distress!


    After yelling, Guo Rufei nced smugly at Xia Qiuru, as if saying, "Now, you see who the real man is?"


    The kid wouldn''t dare even fart earlier, what use is he!


    "Kid, what did you say? Asking us to scram?"


    The henchman pointed at himself and sneered!


    "Smack!"


    Suddenly, his expression turned serious, and he pped Guo Rufei hard across the face!


    Guo Rufei was immediately dazed; he hadn''t expected this henchman to dare p him!


    He was at least an overseas returnee elite, and his father was a small boss¡ªhow could he tolerate such disrespect!


    "Bang!"


    Guo Rufei instantly kicked out, booting the henchman away!


    Guo Rufei practiced Taekwondo, so his punches and kicks were much more formidable than the average person!


    "Damn, that''s like the dog biting the master!"


    The man around thirty years old was instantly enraged and waved his hand, prompting two muscr men nearby to step forward!


    Seeing those two men, Guo Rufei was instantly startled¡ªnot his match at all!


    "What are you going to do?"


    Guo Rufei had been infuriated by Su Chen and Xia Qiuru earlier, getting fired up and wanting to vent!


    Adding the fact that the henchman pped him, it was humiliating, hence his retaliation!


    Another reason was that earlier these two muscle-bound bodyguards were some distance from the man.


    With peopleing and going, he didn''t know these were the man''s bodyguards, and the man himself seemed somewhat disreputable, not appearing to be someone with such bodyguards!


    Otherwise, no matter how angry he was, he might not have dared!


    Seeing those bodyguards approaching, he couldn''t help but feel scared!


    "What do you think we''re going to do?"


    The man around thirty coldly said:


    "Give him a good beating for me!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the two muscr men moved in!


    "Bang bang!"


    The two bodyguards immediately began to punch and kick Guo Rufei, causing those who gathered to watch to wince!


    The man around thirty then ced Guo Rufei aside and sat opposite Xia Qiuru with a grin.


    "Hey gorgeous, how about you let me buy you a drink?"


    The man said lewdly, his eyes lustfully fixated on Xia Qiuru, even licking his lips!


    Xia Qiuru''s exquisite face, perfect figure, and exceptional demeanor each thoroughly captivated him!


    Xia Qiuru shot him a look of disgust,pletely ignoring him!


    "I''ll give you three seconds to get out of this nightclub!"


    Su Chen took a sip of the hundred-thousand-a-bottle wine and said indifferently.


    As soon as Su Chen spoke, the man opposite immediately froze!


    Geez, they''re all this bold nowadays. Even this kid dares to be arrogant with me?!


    The guy dressed decently earlier was one thing, but now this young kid who doesn''t even look aspetent dares to provoke!


    "Are you tired of living, daring to talk to me like that?"


    The man around thirty shot a sharp look in response!


    "What do you count for, apologize to my boss on your knees and let this woman apany him for a few days. Maybe my boss will spare you!"


    The henchman who had been kicked by Guo Rufei stood up again, roaring boastfully!


    "Smack!"


    Before he could finish, he took a p across the face!


    His body then flew up¡ªyes, flew¡ªright into the dance floor!


    The onlookers were stunned; how strong must that p have been to send someone flying!


    The two bodyguards who had been beating Guo Rufei paused and looked at Su Chen with a newfound respect!


    The man around thirty narrowed his eyes; this kid seemed quite formidable!


    But even so, he wasn''t afraid at all!


    "The three seconds are up!"


    Su Chen promptly said.


    Upon hearing this, the man was stunned!


    This kid really meant it!


    "I''m sitting right here, you dare...?"


    He dismissively sneered.


    "Bang!"


    Before he could finish, a solid bottle smashed onto his head, wine sttering everywhere!


    Everyone was dumbfounded!


    The man touched the mix of wine and blood on his head, utterly incredulous!


    This kid really dared to make a move!


    "Get him, cripple him for me!"


    He furiously shouted at the two bodyguards, fire zing in his eyes!


    As soon as he spoke, the two bodyguards charged at Su Chen, fists swinging furiously!


    "Bang bang!"


    But as they got close to Su Chen, both were sent flying backwards!


    The group of onlookers was shocked yet again at this sight!


    This kid was too impressive¡ªthey hadn''t even seen him strike!


    The man watched this scene,pletely dumbfounded!


    "Who dares to cause trouble here!"


    Suddenly, a loud shout rang out.


    Then a man led a group of security guards over, each looking like tough characters!

 Chapter 946: Lord Dragon, What Great Prestige!

    "What''s going on here?"


    The man walked over to Su Chen, looking at the mess, and asked in a deep voice filled with dark clouds.


    Then, a waiter came over and exined what happened!


    "Are you the manager of this nightclub?"


    The man, who looked about thirty, asked as he looked at the man who approached.


    "Yes, I am the manager here!"


    The man who just walked over nced at him and said:


    "Is there a problem?"


    "Alright, I now order you to arrest this assant!"


    The man, around thirty years old, shouted immediately!


    The onlookers, upon hearing this, couldn''t help but show disdain. Shouldn''t you be the one assaulting first?


    Moreover, who do you think you are to order the manager around!


    It''s well known that the owner of this nightclub is a big figure around Jiangnan!


    "Who are you? We don''t need you telling us how to do things!"


    The manager snorted coldly and said.


    "I''ll tell you, my brother-inw is Long Xiaoshan of the Longteng Group!"


    The man proudly stated, he was Long Xiaoshan''s brother-inw, Yuan Jiang.


    As soon as he spoke, the onlookers gasped in shock!


    They never imagined that this man''s brother-inw was Long Xiaoshan, the Dragon Lord!


    Who is Long Xiaoshan? He''s the underground boss of Jianghai City, though he''s gone legitimate now!


    When the Four Great Families were in their prime, the Long Family was second only to them!


    Now that three of those families have fallen, the Long Family''s status has naturally risen with the tide!


    Currently, in Jianghai, a new trio of families has been proposed: the Yun Family, the Long Family, and the Lin Family!


    Lying on the ground, Guo Rufei started trembling violently at the mention of Long Xiaoshan''s name!


    He couldn''t believe he had just confronted the brother-inw of such a big boss!


    He even felt that taking this beating was not in vain!


    The manager''s body also shook upon hearing Yuan Jiang''s words!


    Though his own boss is a significant figure in Jiangnan, he''s no match for Long Xiaoshan!


    "What are you waiting for? Arrest this thug now!"


    Yuan Jiang shouted angrily, with liquor mixing with blood dripping down,bined with his ferocious expression, he looked terrifying!


    "You guys, go up and arrest this person!"


    The manager instructed in a deep voice, by this time, he knew exactly what he had to do!


    As for who''s right or wrong, is fairness meaningful?


    The onlookers all sighed, this guy couldn''t have pissed off anyone else, he just had to cross paths with Long Xiaoshan''s brother-inw, just bad luck!


    "Are you sure you want to arrest me?"


    Su Chen smiled as he looked at the nightclub manager and asked.


    The crowd, seeing Su Chen''s demeanor, couldn''t help but admire this guy''s boldness, even at this time, he remained so calm, and could still smile!


    However, this manager was a bit adept at reading people, and seeing Su Chen like this, his heart couldn''t help but skip a beat!


    Could this young man also have a significant background?


    "Of course, don''t tell me you''re a big shot!"


    The manager deliberately asked.


    "No, I''m just a nobody, but is it reasonable for you to arrest people without asking questions?"


    Su Chen said casually with a smile.


    "Did you make a move just now? If you did, we can arrest you!"


    Upon hearing that Su Chen had no background, the manager was immediately relieved!


    The others hearing their conversation also marveled at how na?ve this young man was!


    "I hope you won''t regret your decision."


    Su Chen said lightly.


    "What are you waiting for, hurry up and do it!"


    Yuan Jiang shouted, this guy dared to hit him, he must teach this kid a good lesson!


    "Go, capture him immediately!"


    With a wave of the manager''s hand, the security guards rushed forward!


    "Bang bang bang~~~"


    In less than a minute, everyone was stunned!


    Because the young man was still standing there perfectly fine, while the dozen or so guards were already down!


    Both the manager and Yuan Jiang werepletely dumbfounded!


    This guy, how terrifying!


    "You... you... don''t act recklessly, if you dare, my... my brother-inw won''t let you off!"


    Yuan Jiang said in extreme fear as Su Chen''s gaze shot over.


    "Call Long Xiaoshan, and tell him to get over here right now!"


    Su Chen said lightly.


    But as soon as he said this, everyone was stunned!


    He had just assaulted Long Xiaoshan''s brother-inw, and instead of thinking about running, he told him to call Long Xiaoshan over!


    And he even used the word ''roll''!


    In today''s Jiangnan, who dares to use the word ''roll'' with Long Xiaoshan?!


    Everyone thought this young man waspletely insane!


    Do you know the kind of men Long Xiaoshan has at his disposal, they''re not as easy to deal with as these security guards!


    Isn''t his behavior just courting death?


    "Are you sure?"


    Yuan Jiang was alsopletely dumbfounded, he couldn''t understand what this young man was up to!


    Even Guo Rufei lying on the ground cursed him as a fool!


    "Call."


    Su Chen said lightly!


    "Okay!"


    Yuan Jiang then dialed Long Xiaoshan''s number, thinking to himself, once brother-inw arrives, I''ll show you what happens when you offend me!


    After the call, the scene seemed to quiet down, everyone was waiting, waiting for Long Xiaoshan to arrive!


    And that young man had already sat down, drinking!


    Although Xia Qiuru knew Su Chen wasn''t simple, she was still very worried, it was a woman''s intuition!


    Besides, she had lived in Jianghai for many years, she certainly had heard of Long Xiaoshan''s name, the underground boss!


    And others looked at Su Chen, still eating and drinking there, with a very strange feeling!


    Is he really not afraid of Long Xiaoshan?


    About ten minutester, there were suddenly heavy footsteps at the entrance!


    Everyone looked up and saw a group of peopleing over, led by a man wearing a Zhongshan suit, his hair already somewhat gray!


    His back straight, eyes sharp as lightning,manding respect even without anger!


    Seeing this man, everyone''s hearts trembled, because this man was Long Xiaoshan, known as the Dragon Lord!


    Yuan Jiang saw the arrival and immediately rushed up crying:


    "Brother-inw, you must seek justice for me!"


    "Who did it?!"


    Long Xiaoshan looked at Yuan Jiang''s face, smeared with a mess of liquor and blood, and shouted fiercely!


    Yuan Jiang had deliberately not cleaned up, just to let Long Xiaoshan see it!


    "Brother-inw, it''s him!"


    Yuan Jiang pointed to a man in the booth, who was still drinking red wine there!


    Long Xiaoshan followed Yuan Jiang''s direction, only seeing a backview!


    But this backview seemed somewhat familiar to him!


    At this moment, Su Chen put down his wine ss, then slowly got up, turning around with a smile on his face.


    "Master Long, impressive aura you have!"


    Su Chen gently smiled and said...

 Chapter 947: "Little Characters

    "Mr. Su?"


    Long Xiaoshan was so terrified upon seeing the man''s face that his soul practically left his body!


    "Thud!"


    Long Xiaoshan immediately fell to his knees, trembling as he spoke:


    "Please, Mr. Su, have mercy and spare his pathetic life!"


    Stunned!


    Everyone''s minds shared the same reaction!


    Upon seeing this man, Long Xiaoshan didn''t reprimand him but knelt down at once!


    Who in Jianghai today could withstand Long Xiaoshan kneeling?!


    And now, in front of this young man, Long Xiaoshan didn''t hesitate for even a second and knelt down immediately!


    What''s more exaggerated is that he doesn''t even ask for the reason behind the issue and directly pleads for the young man to spare his brother-inw!


    How... how is this possible?


    Just who is this young man?


    To make Long Xiaoshan act this way?


    After all, there are no such big figures here, so no one recognizes Su Chen!


    Guo Rufei, lying on the ground, waspletely dumbfounded!


    Isn''t he just the PR manager of a smallpany?


    Why would Long Xiaoshan kneel to him?


    The manager''s mind also went nk, realizing he had made a huge mistake!


    Even without thinking, anyone that could make Long Xiaoshan act this way was of significant status!


    He couldn''t help but recall that this young man had just said he was a nobody, making him feel somewhat ridiculous!


    Nobody?


    A nobody who could make Long Xiaoshan kneel?


    "Brother-inw, what are you doing...?"


    Yuan Jiang felt utterly baffled at Long Xiaoshan''s action!


    "If you don''t want to die, just kneel and beg Mr. Su for forgiveness!"


    Before Yuan Jiang could finish, Long Xiaotian roared!


    Even if Yuan Jiang was slow to react, by now he knew he''d really upset someone he shouldn''t have, so he quickly got down on his knees!


    "Mr. Su, my father-inw and mother-inw only have this one son, bornte and spoiled by both his sister and the family, making him ratherwless!"


    Long Xiaoshan loved his wife dearly, although he knew his brother-inw''s mischief sometimes overshadowed even Long Xiaobin''s past deeds!


    But since his wife constantly protected him, there was nothing he could do!


    Just a moment ago, while he was having dinner with his wife, she insisted on rushing over when she heard about Yuan Jiang, even refusing to let him finish his meal!


    In fact, Long Xiaoshan was now leading Longteng Group towards a legitimate path, trying to cut ties with his former underworld kingpin image.


    Even Long Xiaobin''s past antics were not to be repeated.


    Yet his brother-inw was stillwless and beyond discipline, as any attempt to admonish would lead to his wife sobbing!


    "Do you know why I called you here?"


    Su Chen nced at Long Xiaoshan on the ground and spoke mildly.


    "Please, enlighten me, Mr. Su."


    Long Xiaoshan shook his head as he replied.


    "It''s considering the past connections we shared; I''m letting you handle your family affairs personally."


    Su Chen said tly:


    "I don''t want him to act recklessly anymore in the future."


    "Understood, thank you, Mr. Su!"


    Long Xiaoshan said solemnly.


    "Alright, handle this yourself. I''m leaving now!"


    Su Chen said while holding Xia Qiuru''s hand.


    "Let me see you off, Mr. Su!"


    Long Xiaoshan stood up and said respectfully.


    Su Chen nodded, then moved toward the door, with Long Xiaoshan following closely like ackey.


    "By the way, can you handle that manager''s matter?"


    After taking a few steps, Su Chen stopped and turned to look at the manager.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Su, please!"


    Long Xiaoshan replied hurriedly.


    The manager shuddered at the words, his face instantly ashen...


    Su Chen and Xia Qiuru then drove away, leaving everyone, including Guo Rufei, unattended.


    Of course, he shouldn''t be in any danger now, but a hospital stay for about a month seems unavoidable...


    Before long, Long Xiaoshan returned to the nightclub, then asked gravely:


    "What happened exactly? Tell me everything!"


    Yuan Jiang dared not conceal anything and recounted the story roughly.


    "Smack!"


    After hearing Yuan Jiang''s words, Long Xiaoshan pped him hard enough for blood to trickle from the corner of his mouth, showing he truly showed no mercy!


    "Daring to target Mr. Su''s woman, that''s not how you seek death!"


    Long Xiaoshan''s eyes flickered with icy coldness as he said:


    "Someone, break his limbs and send him back home!"


    "Brother-inw, please don''t!"


    Yuan Jiang turned deathly pale upon hearing this!


    "Let me tell you, if not for some past kindness between our Long Family and Mr. Su, do you think you''d still have a dog''s life?"


    Long Xiaoshan said coldly to Yuan Jiang:


    "Be grateful you''re keeping your pathetic life!"


    Immediately, two men came up and dragged Yuan Jiang away!


    Everyone was visibly shocked by Long Xiaoshan''s words!


    Recalling the young man''s appearance earlier, they felt a bit dazed!


    The young man may no longer be present, but his authority was undiminished!


    Long Xiaoshan had long admired Su Chen, and after hearing news from Yandu, was even more relieved for mending ties with him!


    Such a person is not someone the Long Family can afford to provoke!


    "And that manager, break his limbs as well!"


    Long Xiaoshan coldly snorted afterward.


    Although it wasn''t his turf, he knew the boss behind the scenes and believed they would only appreciate him!


    Guo Rufei, still lying on the ground, felt his mind was at its limit!


    Is that guy really just a PR manager of a smallpany?


    Could a PR manager of a smallpany wield such influence?


    No one would believe that!


    Long Xiaoshan then had someone send Guo Rufei to the hospital!


    .....


    On the road back, Xia Qiuru remained dazed.


    Though she knew Su Chen was formidable and extraordinary, the recent scene deeply shocked her!


    Su Chen casually chatted with her for a while, helping her calm down a bit.


    Su Chen then first dropped her off at Xu Xinran''s neighborhood before driving back to the Lin Family''s old mansion!


    When he arrived at the Lin Family''s old mansion, it was already ten o''clock.


    Upon returning to the room, Lin Ruoxue was already in bed, flipping through some old books.


    Su Chen took a shower and went to bed too, and after talking for a while, they fell asleep.


    Of course, they didn''t forget about making babies...


    The next day, the two didn''t wake up toote. After getting up, they freshened up and went to the side hall for breakfast...


    .....


    That afternoon, a man in a luxurious red robe appeared on the streets of Jianghai.


    His entire face was covered, holding something like a cane in his hand!


    However, the roads he took were quiet, almost unnoticed by anyone...

 Chapter 948: Judgment Department Arrival

    On this day, Su Chen spent most of his time cultivating in his room. Now his Meridian Expansion Second Layer Realm was basically stable, and he was working towards the Meridian Expansion Third Layer!


    After cultivating until past three in the afternoon, Su Chen thought it over and decided to buy some gifts to visit Tang Yun''s family.


    Although Pei Rou had some misunderstandings about him, she had generally been nice to him, and since he was in Jianghai, it was only right to pay a visit.


    Fortunately, Tang Mingji was home this time, and instead of driving him away, he invited him in for a cup of tea.


    The gifts were epted, but Pei Rou still kept a cold face throughout, and Su Chen only stayed for a cup of tea before leaving.


    This left Tang Mingji and Tang Yun feeling a bit embarrassed, as after all, Su Chen came to pay a New Year visit.


    Su Chen didn''t mind, though, at least it was better thanst time when he wasn''t allowed past the door!


    Moreover, he couldn''t possibly be angry with Pei Rou, and as for the rtionship, it could develop slowly, especially since time was on his side!


    After returning from Tang Yun''s home, Su Chen found the time still early, so he continued cultivating for a while before having dinner.


    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue went to her room to start packing, as the two were preparing to visit her master tomorrow.


    This was actually Lin Ruoxue''s suggestion. Firstly, because Lin Ruoxue''s job was busy, and if not for the New Year holiday, she wouldn''t have had the time.


    Secondly, she thought that the old master would be lonely spending the New Year on the mountain, with only the little girl Xiaoxun around. Visiting would surely cheer him up.


    Su Chen naturally had no objections to this, and even felt he hadn''t been as considerate as Lin Ruoxue as a disciple.


    This time they didn''t need to bring anything, because since theirst visit, Lin Ruoxue knew the address and could send things directly to the nearby town.


    Before the New Year, Lin Ruoxue had already prepared and sent quite a few things over.


    While Lin Ruoxue was packing, Su Chen lounged on the sofa, smoking like a lord, making Lin Ruoxue roll her eyes several times!


    "Alright, stop packing."


    Su Chen suddenly hugged Lin Ruoxue from behind, holding her onto him with augh.


    "You rascal, what are you doing?"


    Lin Ruoxue said shyly.


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen smirked mischievously, his hands starting to wander.


    Before long, Lin Ruoxue''s face was flushed, and her breath was uneven!


    "Alright, stop fooling around, I haven''t finished packing!"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly pinched his arm,ining as she broke free with effort.


    Su Chen didn''t continue bothering Lin Ruoxue, but he did think of an issue¡ªthat is, what to do with Qi Meng while he and Lin Ruoxue were at the Kunlun Mountains?


    What if the Judgment Department people came looking in the next couple of days?


    He thought to himself, there wouldn''t be such a coincidence, would there¡ªsomething happening in the two days he was away?


    Actually, during thest trip to the Ind Country, he had the same worry!


    At that moment, his phone rang. When he saw it was from Qian Ying, he immediately answered!


    "Nether King, I have two women here with me. Shouldn''t we meet?"


    As soon as the call connected, the voice wasn''t Qian Ying''s, but an extremely cold male voice.


    "Judgment Department?"


    Su Chen''s heart jolted sharply; was it really such a coincidence?


    Just as he was thinking, the Judgment Department people came for him?


    "Smart, if you don''t want them dead, thene. You know what I want!"


    The cold voice on the other end sounded once more.


    "Honey, I''m stepping out for a bit!"


    Su Chen promptly said to Lin Ruoxue with a smile.


    "Go ahead, be careful!"


    Seeing his change of expression, Lin Ruoxue knew something was wrong, so she didn''t hold him back!


    "Mwah!"


    "I''ll be back soon."


    Su Chen kissed Lin Ruoxue''s cheek with a smile, trying to appear rxed!


    Then, Su Chen drove towards the hotel where the two were located, his heart slightly shocked. This time, the one from the Judgment Department was indeed formidable¡ªso much so that even someone like Qian Ying hadn''t had the chance to notify him!


    Otherwise, Qian Ying would have surely alerted him immediately!


    This meant the visitor was likely one of the priests Qi Meng mentioned!


    Previously, Su Chen had easily dealt with the Judgment Department visitors, leading him to underestimate them slightly.


    But this incident showed him the Judgment Department wasn''t as simple as he thought!


    In less than ten minutes, Su Chen arrived at the hotel and went straight to the room where Qi Meng and Qian Ying were.


    Just as he approached, the door opened!


    "Nether King, wee!"


    A voice sounded inside, and Su Chen saw a man in a red robe. His body seemed enveloped in the robe from head to toe!


    In his hand was something like a cane, but the top was extravagantly ornate, appearing to have special shapes!


    Of course, it wasn''t a cane; it was actually a scepter!


    Su Chen immediately nced to the side, seeing two women bound there. The ropes clearly made of special materials, impossible to break free from, and they were unconscious.


    "Did you bring the item?"


    Once inside, the man in the red robe asked.


    "Do you think I''d just hand it over to you like that?"


    Su Chen said calmly, not intimidated even with the two women in their hands!


    "Oh, then what do you propose?"


    The man in the red robe asked, curious.


    "Let''s fight; if you win, I''ll give you the item!"


    Su Chen said:


    "Otherwise, even if you kill everyone, you won''t get the Cultivation Technique!"


    The man in the red robe was slightly taken aback by Su Chen''s words; he hadn''t expected this!


    He had captured Qian Ying and Qi Meng without killing them to lure Su Chen here and pressure him to hand over the item!


    Otherwise, he would have killed them straight away, especially Qi Meng, punished immediately!


    But the lives of these two were insignificantpared to the Cultivation Technique!


    Especially upon seeing Su Chen now at the Meridian Expansion Second Layer Realm, he was even more eager for the Cultivation Technique, wanting to possess it himself!


    However, the Nether King didn''t follow his nned route but challenged him directly!


    And even threatened him by saying that if he didn''t ept, he wouldn''t get the technique even if he killed everyone, his stance very strong!


    "Fine, I''ll indulge you!"


    The man in the red robe thought for a moment and said dismissively:


    "I do want to see what you''re capable of, daring to challenge me!"


    Su Chen was after all at the Meridian Expansion Second Layer, so the robed man didn''t regard him seriously.


    Though he didn''t yet know how several high-rank Triple Layer Holy Knights diedst time,


    the gap was toorge!


    Even if this boy had some tricks, he wasn''t afraid...

 Chapter 949: Today, this will be your burial place!

    "It''s not convenient here, let''s go outside!"


    Su Chen said casually, turning around and walking out, with the person in the red robe following closely behind.


    After the two left the hotel, they immediately shed to a distant ce, and before long, they arrived at a deserted area in the suburbs!


    Of course, Su Chen maintained his speed just above the Meridian Expansion Second Layer throughout, but it was still extremely fast!


    "Alright, let''s do it here!"


    Su Chen suddenly stopped on a grassy area and turned to the person in the red robe who was following him, and said coldly:


    "Today, this will be your burial ce!"


    From start to finish, Su Chen''s attitude was neither arrogant nor humble, without being led by the nose, but instead using the other party''s eagerness to obtain the cultivation technique to grasp the initiative!


    At this moment the moonlight shone down, and within this wilderness, only their silhouettes could be seen!


    "Kid, you only have Meridian Expansion Second Layer cultivation, yet you want to kill me? Aren''t you overestimating yourself?"


    The person in the red robe sneered with a chilling voice.


    "You''ll know if you try!"


    Su Chen said casually, wasting no words, directly drawing his sword from its sheath, which was the Light Martial Sword left to him by his old ghost master!


    Due to the lesson from thest trip to the Ind Country, he brought both the Light Martial Sword and the Dragon-ying Sword this time to Jianghai.


    "ng"


    The long sword was drawn, instantly emitting a resonant sword mor!


    Immediately, he wielded the long sword, and with a swing, powerful True Yuan apanied by Sword Qi surged forward like a long serpent!


    The person in the red robe''s pupils immediately shrank, then he thrust a scepter forward, unleashing a torrent of True Yuan!


    "Boom!"


    The two streams of True Yuan collided in mid-air, producing an explosive sound, resonating True Yuan everywhere!


    Rebounding from the Energy Wave of True Yuan, Su Chen could not help but take two steps back, while the old man in the red robe barely moved!


    Even so, the expression on the face of the person in the red robe gradually became solemn!


    This kid is nowhere near the Meridian Expansion Second Layer; he''s actually at the Meridian Expansion Seventh or Eighth Layer!


    What''s going on? This is way too peculiar!


    At this moment, Su Chen''s second sword stroke had alreadye out, with True Yuan even more formidable than before!


    Sword Qi vibrated through the void, rolling forward!


    The person in the red robe raised his scepter again, releasing True Yuan energy to block the opponent!


    "Bang boom!"


    This time, Su Chen was again shaken back three or four steps, his clothes even torn by the wave of Sword Qi!


    "You''re strong, unexpectedly strong!"


    The person in the red robe looked at Su Chen and said:


    "But if you think this is enough to defeat me, you''re being too overly ambitious!"


    Su Chen did not speak; those two sword strokes were merely to test the opponent''s strength.


    Now he was certain that the opponent''s cultivation was greater than his own, almost reaching the level of that Ghost Domain Ghost Lord, albeit slightly weaker!


    "I advise you to obediently hand over the cultivation technique, don''t make pointless struggles! That way, I''ll grant all of you a swift end!"


    The person in the red robe continued.


    "I said, today this will be your burial ground!"


    Su Chen reiterated, looking at the opponent.


    "Young man, confidence is good, but arrogance leads to doom!"


    The person in the red robe heard Su Chen''s words and said coldly, with a hint of anger on his face!


    Suddenly, he withdrew his scepter and his figure moved, attacking Su Chen!


    Su Chen also sheathed the sword, meeting the attack with fighting spirit overflowing!


    "Bang bang bang!"


    For a moment, the two exchanged a dozen moves in the wilderness, moving as fast as lightning, with Su Chen clearly being suppressed, already sustaining some minor injuries!


    "Seems like I have to use the Ster Power!"


    Su Chen mused internally, because Ster Power is incredibly rare, he would refrain from using it unless necessary!


    During the exchange, he realized that without using Ster Power, he was no match for the person in the red robe!


    At this moment, when the opponent delivered a palm strike, Su Chen also raised a palm, seemingly trying to match the opponent''s strike!


    The person in the red robe was startled by Su Chen''s move, as the guy had been dodging him until now, yet this time he wasn''t avoiding!


    "In that case, let''s end the fight!"


    The person in the red robe coldly sneered in his heart, gathering more True Yuan in his palm!


    Su Chen did the same, infusing a strand of Star Energy into his palm!


    "Boom!"


    As their palms met, the wind raged, the surrounding airpressed by Energy Waves, forming a vacuum space!


    Initially, the person in the red robe was indifferent, as his cultivation was stronger than the opponent''s!


    But at the moment their palms touched, his expression immediately changed!


    He felt a terrifying energy within the opponent''s True Yuan!


    But everything was already toote!


    His entire body was uncontrobly blown away!


    "St!"


    Afternding, he immediately vomited a mouthful of blood, his red robe was ripped apart, revealing his face!


    It was a face with sunken eyes and protruding cheekbones, around forty or fifty years old.


    Now hisplexion was pale, and his eyes were aze with anger!


    "Since you daree, leave your life here!"


    Su Chen said casually, looking at the man.


    He could easily see that this guy had suffered severely internal injuries!


    "Humph, do you think you can kill me like this? You underestimate me, the Judgment Department''s Right Priest!"


    The man looked at Su Chen and said, eyes suddenly filled with brilliance!


    Su Chen was stunned, does this guy have some trump card?


    "St!"


    At that moment, the Right Priest suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood, all sprayed on the top of the scepter, there was a small crown!


    What''s happening?


    Su Chen was momentarily bewildered, he realized that this mouthful of blood was intentionally sprayed, not involuntarily!


    In an instant, the crown radiated intense golden light, seemingly enveloping everything around, and the Right Priest suddenly seemed to gain some energy, standing up again!


    He grasped the middle of the scepter and extended it horizontally, muttering something in his mouth!


    The golden light immediately detached from the crown on the scepter, shaped like an arc, shooting towards Su Chen!


    Su Chen was startled in response, quickly gathering True Yuan to block, because they were quite close, it was toote to dodge!


    "Boom!"


    The True Yuan shattered under the impact of the golden light, which mmed into Su Chen!


    Su Chen seemed to be hit by a train, instantly blown away...

 Chapter 950 - 951: Prelude to the Fall of the Judgment Department

    When Su Chennded, he immediately felt as though his internal organs had been shattered!


    He hadn''t anticipated that the energy contained within the golden light would be so terrifying, which was why he didn''t mobilize thest bit of Ster Power in his body to resist!


    If he had used the Ster Power to counter it, he was confident he could block it!


    Ultimately, he was reluctant to do so!


    After all, that stuff is too scarce and too hard to cultivate!


    Su Chen struggled to get up a bit and examined his body, finding many ces where the skin and flesh had burst open, and blood was flowing profusely, looking extremely miserable!


    He nced at the Right Priest walking towards him from the opposite side and thought to himself: Could that golden light be the special technique Qi Meng mentioned before?


    It was indeed magical and powerful enough!


    Even though Qi Meng mentioned it to him, he still underestimated it!


    "Now hand over the Cultivation Technique!"


    The Right Priest walked to a spot not far from Su Chen and said, looking at him.


    In fact, his heart still harbored some fear; although he had defeated the opponent, this young man had left him seriously injured!


    If he hadn''t overdrawn his life force earlier to use a secret technique, he would likely be the one dead!


    Also, he''s still unsure about the terrifying energy contained in that young man''s palm strike.


    Therefore, he secretly remained cautious, keeping a distance from Su Chen.


    If this guyes at me again, I might not be able to handle it!


    He kept a tight grip on the scepter in his hand, ready to activate the secret technique at any moment!


    "Cultivation Technique? Dream on!"


    Su Chen slowly stood up, looking at the Right Priest and said solemnly:


    "From today onwards, starting with you, I will officially begin the destruction of your Judgment Department!"


    "You want to destroy our Judgment Department? Hahaha~~~"


    The Right Priest seemed to have heard a great joke and burst intoughter instantly:


    "Just you?! You better think about whether you can survive tonight first!"


    But Su Chen''s expression was indifferent, not at all stirred by the opponent''s words, then he pulled out another sword from his body¡ªthe Dragon-ying Sword!


    The star energy within him was only a tiny bit left, using it again would deplete it, so he didn''t n to use it for now!


    After all, once star energy is exhausted, it needs to be cultivated again!


    Moreover, even if he uses star energy, it doesn''t necessarily mean he can kill the opponent, since the opponent has that mysterious secret technique!


    Currently, the surroundings were empty and unpopted, so he wasn''t too worried about exposure issues, so he decided to use the Dragon-ying Sword!


    The Right Priest was taken aback when he saw the sword Su Chen had drawn was not the same as the previous one, and he tightened his grip on the scepter in his hand!


    Since the opponent switched swords, it must mean there is something special about this sword!


    "Prepare to die!"


    Su Chen suddenly shouted at the Right Priest and swung his sword!


    The cold gleam emanating from the Dragon-ying Sword immediately bloomed under the moonlight, emitting dazzling brilliance!


    A majestic sword qi, as if a river bursting its banks, surged forward with a destructive aura!


    After feeling the terrifying sword qi, the Right Priest''s expression changed drastically!


    Although he had anticipated that this sword might be special, he didn''t expect the sword qi it emitted to be so horrifying, giving him a sense of being unstoppable!


    He quickly activated the secret technique again to withstand the overwhelmingly powerful sword qi!


    Although each time he activated the secret technique, it consumed several years of his life force, at this moment he didn''t care!


    Because if he didn''t, he might just end up dead!


    It could be said that today''s situation was full of unexpected twists, far beyond his expectations!


    Firstly, the kid''s Meridian Expansion Second Layer realm actually possessed strengthparable to the seventh or eighthyer of Meridian Expansion, which was already enough to leave him astonished!


    Then, this kid suddenly unleashed a strand of peculiar and extremely powerful energy he had never seen before!


    That was surprising enough, then, he brought out a sword harboring such terrifying sword qi!


    The sword qi seemed to carry a destructive force, crushing and even devouring everything!


    He couldn''t help but wonder: just how many trump cards does this kid have?!


    However, it was clear that he couldn''t ponder too much now; he could only quickly activate the secret technique!


    The golden light flourished once again, then shot out, colliding with the terrifying sword qi!


    Immediately, an earth-shattering explosion erupted; in just a breath, the golden light seemed to bepletely swallowed by this ocean-like sword qi, with the remaining sword qi continuing its unyielding forward momentum!


    "Boom!"


    In the next moment, the Right Priest was already blown away by the sword qi, a wide and deep wound appeared on his chest, with almost all his internal organs spilled out!


    Needless to say, the golden light did block quite a bit of the sword qi, otherwise, the injury wouldn''t be limited to this extent.


    Of course, even this portion of sword qi was enough to im the life of someone nearing the peak of Meridian Expansion!


    "Rest assured, soon your Judgment Departmentrades will one by one go down to apany you, and you are just the beginning!"


    Su Chen looked at the Right Priest and said coldly, as if stating a fact!


    The Right Priest''s face was filled with shock, moments ago when this young man said those words, he felt the opponent was telling a grand joke.


    But in a blink, this joke had already be a reality!


    He then passed with a look of unwillingness...


    Su Chen processed his body a bit and rushed back to the hotel.


    When he arrived at the hotel, the two women were still unconscious, he first untied the knots on their bodies, then used a Silver Needle to prick them a few times, and the two women woke up leisurely!


    "Su Chen, you must leave quickly, the Right Priest is here!"


    As soon as Qi Meng woke up and saw Su Chen, she hurriedly said, her face full of anxiety!


    "Don''t worry, he''s already dead."


    Su Chen patted Qi Meng''s shoulder and said softly.


    "Dead?"


    Qi Meng said with a face of disbelief upon hearing it:


    "Are you serious?"


    "Of course, don''t worry, it''s all fine now!"


    Su Chen reassured.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Master, I''m sorry! He suddenly found our room, and I had no chance to contact you!"


    Qian Ying said apologetically.


    "No need to dwell on it, it wasn''t your fault."


    Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "Su Chen, you''ve saved me once again!"


    Qi Meng said with aplex expression, looking at Su Chen covered in scars.


    If it weren''t for him, she didn''t know how many times she would have died.


    Although he said he wanted to cooperate with her before, in reality, she hadn''t yed any role but instead kept causing trouble!


    "Are you so touched that you want to offer yourself in marriage?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a smile as he teased.


    "If you''re willing, I can!"


    Qi Meng said seriously.


    Not only was she grateful, but this man had already been in her heart for a long time!


    "Well, I was joking, joking, don''t take it seriously, haha!"


    Su Chen immediately felt awkward upon hearing this, andughed sheepishly...

 Chapter 951: Issue with the Heat Treatment

    Qian Ying looked at his master and found him quite interesting.


    He liked to flirt with Qi Meng whenever he had free time, but the moment Qi Meng fought back, he immediately backed down!


    "Are your injuries okay?"


    Qi Meng looked at the cuts and bruises all over him and felt a little heartache.


    "It''s just some flesh wounds, nothing serious."


    Su Chen smiled casually.


    In truth, it wasn''t just minor injuries. That strike from the Right Priest using the secret technique had really caused him significant harm, leaving him with some internal injuries too!


    Qi Meng knew he was just trying tofort her, after all, that was the Right Priest, not someone so easily killed, right?!


    But since he spoke like that, Qi Meng didn''t say anything further, and instead, hid her special thoughts in her heart.


    Su Chen didn''t go back that night; he stayed there. It wasn''t because he wanted anything to happen with Qi Meng or Qian Ying, but because going back like that would definitely scare Lin Ruoxue.


    So he made a phone call and casually found an excuse, saying he had something that night and wouldn''t return, but would definitely visit the master together with her the next morning.


    After a night of cultivation, Su Chen''s minor injuries were almost healed, which shocked the two girls!


    Of course, those internal injuries still needed two to three days to gradually recover!


    Thoughst night''s matter cost him something, the result was not bad, and now he could go to the Kunlun Mountains with peace of mind, otherwise, he really wouldn''t feel at ease!


    Believe that with the death of a Right Priest-like figure, the Judgment Department would definitely be more cautious, maybe even stop sending people to Huaxia!


    But regardless of whether the Judgment Department would send people again, Su Chen wouldn''t let them off the hook just like that!


    Just like he told the Right Priest yesterday, destroying the Judgment Department has always been something he is determined to do, whether for public or personal reasons!


    He ns to improve his strength a bit more and then go to wipe out the Judgment Department!


    After all, his current strength is quite limited. It was already embarrassing to deal with one Right Priest yesterday. If it weren''t for the Dragon-ying Sword, the result would have been hard to tell!


    It wasn''t that the opponent was inherently powerful, but that secret technique of theirs was too formidable!


    By this reasoning, the Left Priest and High Priest were definitely not simple characters, perhaps even stronger!


    When Su Chen returned home, Lin Ruoxue was already up, having breakfast.


    "Why is your clothes torn?"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately noticed Su Chen''s damaged clothes and, connecting it with the fact he was out allst night and hadn''t returned, couldn''t help but worry:


    "Are you okay?"


    "Look at me, I''m fine, aren''t I? How could there be anything wrong?"


    Su Chen replied with a rxed smile.


    Lin Ruoxue was now very familiar with him, and immediately looked at him suspiciously.


    She didn''t know what he didst night, but was certain it involved something dangerous again.


    "Honey, why are you looking at me like that? Could it be that I''ve gotten more handsome?"


    Su Chen joked.


    When Lin Ruoxue''s eyes stared at him like that, it really made his heart quiver, feeling like he was being seen through!


    "Alright, hurry up and have breakfast. Once you''re done, we''ll head out."


    Lin Ruoxue said calmly.


    "Got it."


    Su Chen nodded and quickly finished his breakfast.


    Afterwards, the two of them simply packed some luggage and were ready to set off.


    At this moment, Old Master Lin, along with the Lin Wenqing couple, came over. Knowing they were going to visit Su Chen''s master, they all asked him to send their regards.


    Old Master Lin even asked Su Chen to invite his master to visit Jianghai whenever he was free.


    Su Chen naturally agreed to all of it, then took Lin Ruoxue in the old master''s special car to the airport, with Uncle Cheng driving as usual.


    By evening, they had already arrived at the small town at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains.


    This time, Lin Ruoxue was smart and didn''t wear high heels likest time, but a pair of white sneakers!


    When they reached the foot of the mountain, the big yellow dog came running down frantically, with the little girl Xiao Xun following behind.


    Her speed was almost on par with the big yellow dog!


    Seeing this, Lin Ruoxue was almost stunned!


    Su Chen, however, thought to himself: It looks like this little girl has officially embarked on the path of cultivation during this period!


    "Brother Su, Sister Lin!"


    Xiao Xun ran up to them and eximed with surprise:


    "Why are you here?"


    She had seen the big yellow dog running down the mountain and followed it down here.


    "Of course, we came to see you!"


    Su Chen patted her head and said.


    "Xiao Xun, how did you run so fast just now!"


    Lin Ruoxue asked in amazement.


    "I learned it from Master."


    Xiao Xun replied with a smile.


    Lin Ruoxue was even more confused; initially, Su Chen said it was because Xiao Xun''s health wasn''t good, so she stayed here with the master for treatment for a while.


    How did this period pass, and yet her speed became so fast?


    "Alright, let''s head up quickly!"


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "Come on, let your husband carry you up."


    "No need, I''ll climb by myself this time!"


    Lin Ruoxue said somewhat stubbornly.


    Su Chenughed and said:


    "Alright then, let me know if you can''t manage."


    So the three of them with the dog headed up the mountain, and by the time they reached the top, Lin Ruoxue was almost exhausted. She had refused Su Chen''s offer to carry her three times mid-way.


    "Why are you here, kid?"


    Gongsun Liang looked surprised to see Su Chen since it hadn''t been long since hisst visit.


    "Isn''t it the New Year? I came to see you, old man!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Hah, you kid wouldn''t be so kindhearted. It must be your wife who asked you toe, right?"


    Gongsun Liang immediately understood and said with mock displeasure.


    "Old ghost, you''re saying this with no conscience, deliberately tarnishing my image in front of my wife and Xiao Xun!"


    Su Chen pouted.


    "Alright, go and cook!"


    Gongsun Liang said tly.


    "Old ghost, you''re really impolite!"


    Su Chenmented, epting his fate of having such a master!


    "Stop nagging, it''s gettingte, hurry up!"


    Gongsun Liang said impatiently.


    Lin Ruoxue watched this scene from the side and found it quite interesting.


    Although both seemed to find each other annoying, the master didn''t seem like a master, nor the disciple like a disciple, yet there seemed to be an unusual bond between them.


    "Alright, you win!"


    Su Chen knew cooking was inevitable once he arrived, so he didn''t say more and went in to cook.


    Over an hourter, a sumptuous dinner was ready.


    "Although it''s a bit better thanst time, you still haven''t mastered the heat properly."


    Gongsun Liang tasted a few bites and said tly.


    "Next time, there''ll definitely be no problem."


    Su Chen nodded.


    What Lin Ruoxue didn''t understand was that the master and disciple seemed to be talking about the dish, but in truth, they weren''t; they were talking about his heart!


    Gongsun Liang meant to say his heart was a little chaotic, not calm enough!

 Chapter 952 - 952 Storage Ring

    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue and Xiaoxun were chatting in Xiaoxun''s room. Mainly, Lin Ruoxue was asking her how her life had been recently.


    The room Xiaoxun was staying in was Su Chen''s old room. There were only two rooms in total.


    Of course, Su Chen was in Gongsun Liang''s room, chatting with him.


    "Let me have a look at that ring of yours."


    As soon as Su Chen sat down, Gongsun Liang spoke.


    "Old ghost, what''s so special about this ring?"


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback by this question, and then took off the ring and handed it to Gongsun Liang.


    He had noticed earlier, during dinner, that Gongsun Liang had been ncing at his ring several times.


    Gongsun Liang stared at it for a while, the shock on his face growing more intense, then looked at Su Chen:


    "Where did you get this ring?"


    "A friend of mine bought it for a hundred thousand yuan at an antique exchange and gave it to me as a gift."


    Su Chen said casually.


    But upon hearing this, Gongsun Liang''s expression became extremely peculiar!


    He bought it for a hundred thousand yuan? And someone else bought it and gave it to him?!


    This kid''s luck is unbelievably good?!


    "Old ghost, what''s with your expression?"


    Su Chen then asked:


    "Is this ring really something special?"


    "Nonsense, this is a storage ring, also known as a Na Jie, how could it not be special?"


    Gongsun Liang smirked and said:


    "This is something rarer than even a magic artifact or spiritual artifact!"


    "Spiritual artifact? What''s that?"


    Su Chen immediately asked curiously.


    However, he also understood that a spiritual artifact was more impressive than a magic artifact, and it seemed this ring was even more valuable than a spiritual artifact!


    "Your strength is gradually increasing now, so it''s time to tell you about many things concerning cultivation!"


    Gongsun Liang handed the Cangyue Ring back to Su Chen, and said solemnly:


    "But first, let me tell you about this ring. You should drop a drop of blood on it to establish ownership."


    Although Su Chen was confused, he still did as he was told, biting his finger and letting a drop of blood fall onto the Cangyue Ring.


    Instantly, the blood disappeared, as if absorbed by the ring, and then a dazzling light erupted from it but soon calmed down!


    Su Chen faintly felt a mysterious connection between the Cangyue Ring and himself.


    "Now, use your mind to open the storage ring."


    "Mind?"


    "Just think, think about it in your mind."


    "Oh."


    Su Chen quickly followed the instruction, and suddenly, it was as if he opened a big door, behind which was a room!


    "There''s really space inside!"


    Su Chen immediately showed a look of surprise. This was truly amazing!


    Su Chen found that the space inside was about twenty square meters!


    "What you''re seeing now is the internal space of the storage ring."


    Gongsun Liang exined to Su Chen:


    "As long as it''s an object you can touch, you can store it using your mind, and if you want to take it out, you just need to give a mentalmand!"


    At this moment, Su Chen waspletely stunned. He never thought this ring could be so magical!


    No wonder that Ghost Domain wanted to get it so badly!


    "Give it a try."


    Gongsun Liang said with a smile as he looked at the astonished Su Chen.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen began to test it quickly, grabbing a teacup in front of him, and with a thought, the teacup disappeared into the Cangyue Ring.


    With another mentalmand, the teacup returned to his hand!


    Su Chen was immediately overjoyed, and then began experimenting with various objects in the room!


    He was like a child who just got a beloved toy, ying with it with immense joy!


    "You just established ownership of this ring, so unless you die, it will only follow your control."


    Gongsun Liang continued, watching the delighted Su Chen.


    With Gongsun Liang''s words, Su Chen was even more delighted, as this meant that putting things in the Cangyue Ring would be even safer and more private!


    "Come and sit down, let me tell you about some things in the Cultivation World."


    Gongsun Liang said. Su Chen''s strength was too weak in the past, and there was no need to tell him much.


    Now that his strength was increasing, it was necessary for him to know.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen also sat down and listened to Gongsun Liang''s exnations and introductions!


    Gongsun Liang spoke for several hours, and Su Chen, just like when he first started learning cultivation, sat there listening intently!


    After a few hours had passed, it was as if a whole new world opened up to Su Chen!


    Some things he had heard about before, but only sporadically. This time, Gongsun Liang gave him a more systematic exnation!


    Thanks to Gongsun Liang''s exnation, he had a moreprehensive understanding of weapons, martial arts techniques, elixirs, and other aspects of cultivation than before!


    But these things were very rare in the Martial Arts World, and even if they existed, they were of very low levels!


    Overall, this conversation was very fruitful for Su Chen!


    After the two finished talking, Gongsun Liang prepared to rest, and Su Chen returned to what is now Xiaoxun''s room, finding Lin Ruoxue and Xiaoxun already sound asleep. He did not disturb them, quietly closing the door behind him.


    Then he went to the open space at the back to cultivate...


    In the following couple of days, Su Chen apanied Lin Ruoxue on leisurely walks around Mount Kunlun, and after lunch on the third day, they prepared to leave!


    Xiaoxun and Dahuang escorted them to the small town, and then Su Chen drove the rented car away. Dahuang kept barking "Woof woof woof" behind the car, making Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue feel a bit reluctant...


    Once back in Jianghai, Lin Ruoxue was getting ready to return to Yandu.


    Although there were still a few days before work started, as the CEO, she had to start getting busy.


    In fact, Belle Group granted quite a long annual leave, mainly because everyone worked too hard in the past year, especially thetter half, so Lin Ruoxue gave everyone a few more days off.


    Of course, before parting, whether it was Grandpa Lin or Lin Wenqing and her husband, or other members of the Lin Family, all reiterated the matter of having children, leaving the two rather speechless!


    Besides, Wang Ma and little Ruohan stayed at the Lin Family and didn''t go to Yandu with Lin Ruoxue.


    After all, little Ruohan was about to start school soon, so there was no need to shuttle back and forth.


    On the day they returned to Yandu, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue naturally went to visit Su Jin for the New Year!


    However, what they didn''t expect was that once again they faced Su Jin''s "urging"!


    Both Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue felt very speechless, and for a moment even felt that whether or not they had a child had be a matter of national importance!


    So the couple hurriedly returned home right after dinner as if escaping!


    On the same day, Qian Ying and Qi Meng also returned from Jianghai and stayed at the manor.


    Sun Yang felt that living with the two women was a bit inconvenient and wanted to find another ce to stay.


    So Su Chen asked him to stay with the Shadow Guard, as there was a Gathering Yuan Formation there, making it convenient for his cultivation...

 Chapter 953: Accompany Xia Qiuru Home

    Peng Yue County, located in the western part of Huming Province, has mountains as its most significant geographical feature.


    The geographical environment here has resulted in the people being rtively poor.


    Many children stop attending school after finishing primary school, because in the local mindset, as long as you know some words and can do calctions, that''s enough. Continuing education is seen as a waste of money.


    Therefore, over the years, there have been very few college students from this area, and most of theme from rtively well-off families.


    Xia Qiuru is one of these scarce college students, but unlike others, her family does not belong to the affluent ss locally.


    It can be said that her parents tightened their belts just to send her to high school, and her younger brother went to work at the age of fourteen!


    The reason for this decision was because her father had been to the city before.


    He knew that without attending university, there was no way to escape this impoverished mountainous vige.


    However, given their capabilities, they could only afford to support one child, and since Xia Qiuru had always excelled in her studies, they decided to support her education further!


    Originally, Xia Qiuru wanted her younger brother to continue his education, but he adamantly refused and left a note one night before heading out to work.


    This has made Xia Qiuru feel guilty for a long time, andter on, after learning about something, her heart has ached even more, and she hasn''t been able to let it go over the years!


    Her brother knew that their family could only afford to support one child, so in the year or two before Xia Qiuru took her high school entrance exams, he deliberately underperformed in his usual tests.


    Of course, suddenly doing very poorly would have aroused the family''s, especially his sister''s, suspicion, so he gradually pretended to be a bit more yful, and his grades slowly declined, making it look seamless!


    Hearing Xia Qiuru''s story, Su Chen was deeply moved. Having such family members was a blessing for Xia Qiuru!


    Of course, after Xia Qiuru started working, she actively gave back to both her family and her vige.


    Back when her parents were tightening their belts to fund her education, the vigers often helped them out.


    The only concrete road in the vige, along with two or three dozen new brick houses, was funded by Xia Qiuru.


    This exins why as the HR director of Belle Group, Xia Qiuru doesn''t have much savings!


    Now, Xia Qiuru''s vige has be the envy of the surroundingmunities!


    One could say that the entire vige takes pride in Xia Qiuru!


    So, as Xia Qiuru and Su Chen walked into the vige, they immediately caused a sensation!


    "Qiuru is back!"


    "Qiuru, Auntie has been waiting for you all year!"


    "Qiuru, stay at home for a few more days this time!"


    ...


    Everyone warmly greeted Xia Qiuru upon her return.


    When they saw Su Chen by her side, the uncles and aunts looked him over, as if assessing whether he was worthy of Xia Qiuru!


    Their gaze was just like how they''d look at their own son-inw!


    Su Chen also sensed the affection from those looks!


    Though the people here were poor, Su Chen genuinely felt the warmth and emotion here!


    This was far moreforting than the indifference in the concrete jungle of the city, where neighbors living across the hall for decades don''t even know each other!


    "Xiao Su, Qiuru, you''re back!"


    A surprised voice rang out at this moment.


    Everyone turned to see Xia Qiuru''s parents, Xia Youwei and Zheng Hui, arriving.


    The crowd immediately understood that her parents had already epted this son-inw.


    "Dad, Mom!"


    Xia Qiuru hurriedly called out upon seeing her parents.


    "Hello, Uncle, Aunt!"


    Su Chen also greeted politely.


    "Young man, when are you nning to call us Mom and Dad?"


    "Yeah, we''ve been waiting to celebrate Qiuru''s wedding!"


    "Old Xia, I''ve got my red packet ready!"


    ...


    Since Xia Qiuru''s parents acknowledged him, they started teasing the young couple.


    "What are you all talking about!"


    Hearing everyone''s teasing, Xia Qiuru''s face immediately turned red.


    Meanwhile, Xia Qiuru''s parents were already grinning from ear to ear!


    "Look, you''ve embarrassed Qiuru!"


    A middle-aged woman remarked with a smile:


    "Alright, let''s disperse and let the family of four head home."


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru''s face grew even redder!


    "Okay, let''s go home."


    Xia Youwei said with a smile and then started walking back with Zheng Hui, followed by Su Chen and Xia Qiuru.


    In a short while, the four of them arrived in front of a two-story building. Zheng Hui took out the key, opened the door, and smilingly said to Su Chen:


    "Xiao Su,e in!"


    Then, the four of them entered the house.


    "You two sit down first, we''ll go make dinner."


    Xia Qiuru''s parents said and then went to the kitchen to get busy.


    At this moment, only Xia Qiuru and Su Chen were left in the room.


    Although it was normal to be alone at thepany, for some reason, Xia Qiuru felt a bit nervous now.


    "The vigers were just joking earlier, don''t take it to heart."


    After a while, Xia Qiuru softly said.


    "It''s okay, it''s obvious that they''re all great people."


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "Hmm."


    Xia Qiuru nodded, not knowing what else to say.


    "By the way, where''s your brother?"


    Su Chen also noticed Xia Qiuru seemed a bit uneasy, so he casually asked.


    Through Xia Qiuru''s stories, he had a good impression of her brother and even admired him a bit.


    "Yeah, where is he?"


    Xia Qiuru frowned:


    "I''ll ask Mom and Dadter."


    "By the way, Qiuru, have you thought about taking him to Yandu? After all, there are more opportunities in the big city."


    Su Chen asked.


    "Of course, I have!"


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru sighed:


    "In Jianghai, every year Ie back, I ask him to go with me, but he refuses. I also know he''s afraid of bing a burden to me."


    "You don''t know, my brother is really stubborn. Since you''re here, maybe you can help me persuade him, he might listen to you."


    "No problem."


    Su Chen agreed with a smile.


    With this topic opened, the two started chatting.


    After about two hours, Xia Qiuru''s parents brought out more than ten dishes, filling the tablepletely.


    "Uncle, Aunt, this is too much, you could have kept it simple."


    Su Chen said, looking at the table full of dishes.


    "It''s alright, it''s no trouble anyway."


    Zheng Hui replied with a smile.


    "By the way, Dad, where''s Xiaofeng? Why haven''t I seen him?"


    Xia Qiuru asked.


    "Who knows? He''s been acting a bit strange these days, and when your mom and I ask, he doesn''t want to say."


    Xia Youwei said somewhat helplessly.


    "Ah, kids grow up and don''t tell us anything anymore!"


    Zheng Hui also sighed...

 Chapter 954 - 954 Xia Qiufengs Concerns

    "Alright, let''s not talk about him for now, let''s eat first."


    Xia Qiuru''s father smiled as he invited Su Chen.


    Su Chen nodded, and then they began to eat.


    Halfway through the meal, suddenly there was the sound of footsteps outside.


    "It should be the rascaling back."


    Hearing themotion, Xia Qiuru''s parents looked delighted and quickly said.


    Sure enough, a young man in his early twenties appeared at the door.


    "You rascal, didn''t you say your sister and her boyfriend would be back today? Where the hell did you go!"


    Seeing him, Xia Qiuru''s mother said unhappily.


    "What have you been up to, leaving early anding backte every day?"


    Xia Youwei also remarked with a frown.


    "Alright, mom and dad, don''t say anything for now. Qiufeng, sit down and have dinner."


    Xia Qiuru quickly said.


    "Sister is the one who loves me the most!"


    The young manughed heartily and then looked at Su Chen:


    "This must be brother-inw!"


    "Qiufeng, don''t say nonsense!"


    As soon as these words came out, Xia Qiuru blushed instantly and then whispered quietly:


    "Not yet."


    "You''ve brought him home. It''s going to happen sooner orter, right?"


    Xia Qiufengughed and sat down next to Su Chen.


    "Good, good."


    Xia Qiuru''s motherughed cheerfully.


    "Alright, hurry and eat!"


    Xia Qiuru served a bowl of rice to Xia Qiufeng and gave him a re as she spoke.


    "Sister, are you shy?"


    Xia Qiufeng teased.


    "I''m eating, I''m eating."


    Xia Qiufeng quickly stopped talking upon seeing Xia Qiuru''s look as if ready to eat him alive.


    Su Chen feltfortable seeing how harmonious their family was.


    However, Xia Qiuru''s younger brother, although making a few jokes as soon as he came in, seemed to be deliberately cheerful, as if something was troubling him.


    The joyful dinnersted for over an hour before they were done.


    After dinner, Xia Qiuru went to take a shower first.


    Su Chen went to the main door and saw Xia Qiuru''s brother smoking on the roof of the house in the courtyard, so he went up from the staircase nearby.


    "Brother-inw, why are you here?"


    Xia Qiufeng asked, somewhat surprised, upon seeing Su Chen.


    "Saw you up here, came to check on you."


    Su Chen smiled and then nced at him:


    "Something on your mind?"


    "No, what could I have on my mind?"


    Xia Qiufengughed.


    "Give me one."


    Su Chen nced at the cigarette in his hand and said.


    "No, brother-inw, these cigarettes are only a few bucks a pack, not what you usually smoke."


    Xia Qiufeng quickly waved his hand.


    "I can even smoke rolled-up leaves, so what makes you say I can''t smoke this?"


    Su Chenughed.


    Xia Qiufeng was stunned at his words, thinking, who would smoke rolled-up leaves?


    Unaware, sometimes people, under extreme circumstances, need stimtion!


    Nheless, Xia Qiufeng still handed him one and lit it for him.


    "I understand, when men have things on their minds, they''re reluctant to tell their family¡ªone, they don''t want to worry them, two, it''s embarrassing."


    Su Chen chuckled as he took a puff.


    Xia Qiufeng was startled upon hearing this. That''s exactly why he hadn''t spoken, because of these two reasons¡ªand saying it wouldn''t solve anything.


    "But since you call me brother-inw, why not share with me?"


    Su Chen said casually.


    "You promise not to tell my sister, or mom and dad."


    Xia Qiufeng thought for a moment and said.


    "Do I look like someone who would do that?"


    Su Chen shrugged and smiled.


    Then, Xia Qiufeng shared the whole story with him.


    As it turns out, this year Xia Qiufeng invested the money he earned over the years, along with a portion from Xia Qiuru, to open a logisticspany in Peng Yue county.


    Because Xia Qiufeng is kind, hardworking, and provides good service, and because he runs his business responsibly, more and more customers are choosing his logisticspany.


    This way, he infringed upon the interests of other logisticspanies.


    In simple terms, he actually disturbed the Peng Yue County''srgest logisticspany, Tondar Logistics!


    However, Tondar Logistics isn''t that simple¡ªthe boss behind it is a man named Ge Yuanbiao, who is also the leader of the underground forces in Peng Yue County!


    Recently, with the market gradually being swallowed by Xia Qiufeng, Ge Yuanbiao couldn''t sit still any longer!


    He warned Xia Qiufeng to shut down, or he wouldn''t be kind to him!


    Of course, Xia Qiufeng refused; he''s worked hard to build up his business, why should he close it!


    Seeing no action, one of Ge Yuanbiao''s men warned Xia Qiufeng again a few days ago, saying if he continued to be ungrateful, not only he but also his family would suffer!


    Xia Qiufeng knew these people meant what they said and would do as they threatened.


    If it were just him, he wouldn''t be afraid¡ªat worst, he''d fight it out. But if they went after his parents, what could he do?


    Yet, he''s unwilling to close the hard-earned logisticspany like this, and more than that, he can''t swallow this indignation!


    This is why he''s been troubled all this time!


    Just then, Xia Qiufeng''s phone rang, and he immediately answered.


    "Bastard!"


    After hanging up, Xia Qiufeng angrily shouted in a low voice!


    "What''s wrong?"


    Su Chen asked involuntarily.


    "Ge Yuanbiao has taken my girlfriend!"


    Xia Qiufeng furiously said, then prepared to rush downstairs.


    But Su Chen grabbed him:


    "Calm down, first let your family know so they don''t worry."


    "Alright."


    Xia Qiufeng nodded, then followed Su Chen downstairs into the house.


    "Mom, dad, my logisticspany is facing a tricky situation, I need to check it out."


    Su Chen told the parents.


    "What''s going on? It''s sote, you can go tomorrow."


    Zheng Hui quickly said.


    "No, this matter can''t wait, it needs to be resolved immediately."


    Xia Qiufeng said apologetically.


    "Uncle, aunt, I''ll go with Qiufeng to have a look."


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "I know a bit aboutpany issues."


    Xia Qiufeng was stunned, not expecting Su Chen to offer to go with him.


    "It''s too much trouble for you."


    Xia Youwei said.


    "No worries, I''ll just go see, not necessarily help out!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Alright then."


    Zheng Hui felt reassured having two people gote at night and then said:


    "Finish quickly ande back soon."


    "We''ll try."


    Xia Qiufeng said and then went out with Su Chen.


    Xia Qiufeng drives a Santana, bought for two or three thousand dors from the second-hand market, currently parked outside the courtyard gate.


    "Brother-inw, I''ll go get a few guys first!"


    Xia Qiufeng said aftering out.


    "No need, just the two of us will suffice!" Su Chen said.


    "How is that possible? They have quite a few people!"


    Xia Qiufeng said, surprised.


    Although Xia Qiufeng thought having more people wouldn''t necessarily be helpful given the opponent''s background, it''s definitely not just the two of them going; that would be suicide!

 Chapter 955: 3 Conditions

    "Stop yammering, hurry up, your girlfriend is still in their hands!"


    Su Chen said directly:


    "Give me the car keys!"


    Xia Qiufeng was stunned for a moment and involuntarily handed over the car keys.


    "Get in the car!"


    Su Chen climbed directly into the car, and Xia Qiufeng opened the door to sit inside as well.


    "Boom!"


    The engine roared to life, and the car shot out immediately!


    The Santana sped along the road, almost heading towards the county seat at top speed, and Su Chen was familiar with the road, havinge from there himself.


    However, his driving stylepletely frightened Xia Qiufeng!


    Keep in mind, the roads here are nothing like the ones in the city, with many spots full of potholes and even ditches!


    Xia Qiufeng was genuinely worried that one careless move would lead to a car flip, resulting in a fatal ident!


    But none of that happened, and when Xia Qiufeng saw him light a cigarette while driving so recklessly, he was even more dumbfounded!


    This was simply putting his life at risk!


    Covering the forty to fifty kilometers, Su Chen arrived quickly without much dy.


    Then, under Xia Qiufeng''s direction, they headed towards hispany!


    Being a logisticspany, the so-calledpany looked more like a factory, with an open area at the entrance where several trucks were parked.


    By the time they reached the entrance, those trucks had already been smashed beyond recognition, and he turned his gaze to the factory building where the doors and windows seemed destroyed!


    But Su Chen couldn''t worry about these now because his girlfriend was still in their hands.


    "Boss, he''s here!"


    At this moment, someone at the entrance saw Xia Qiufeng arrive and ran inside to the middle-aged man seated in the boss''s chair, saying.


    "How many people came?"


    The middle-aged man asked.


    "Looks like he only brought one person over."


    The person said.


    "One person?"


    The middle-aged man paused, then sneered:


    "He really has some guts!"


    At this moment, Xia Qiufeng and Su Chen also appeared at the entrance, and Xia Qiufeng''s face turned immensely gloomy upon seeing the scene inside.


    Inside, a middle-aged man sat there, with a dozen burly men standing behind him.


    A girl around twenty years old was tied to a chair nearby, her mouth stuffed with fabric, unable to make a sound!


    Su Chen nced at the girl; she was quite pretty and pure-looking, quite a good match for Xia Qiufeng.


    He had previously heard Xia Qiufeng''s introductions, learning that he and his girlfriend usually lived at thepany, though today, after returning with Xia Qiuru, he went home for a bit.


    Unexpectedly, Ge Yuanbiao''s men suddenly came today and abducted his girlfriend!


    "Woo woo woo~~~"


    Seeing Xia Qiufeng, the girl promptly made some noises.


    Though her words weren''t clear, her worry and urgency were evident on her face!


    "Ge Yuanbiao, what do you mean by this!"


    Xia Qiufeng angrily shouted at the man in the boss''s chair.


    "Xia Qiufeng, I''ve warned you before to shut down!"


    Ge Yuanbiaoughed and said:


    "Since you didn''t listen, I can only teach you a lesson!"


    "I''m not stealing or robbing; we each do business based on our abilities. Why should I shut down just because you say so?"


    Xia Qiufeng replied defiantly.


    "Why? Just because of my name, Ge Yuanbiao!"


    Ge Yuanbiao said arrogantly.


    "Hehe, I''ve heard that your girlfriend is quite nice. Now that I see her today, she really is pure and beautiful!"


    Ge Yuanbiao then smiled slyly, nced at the girl beside him, and gently stroked her fair face with his hand.


    "Bastard, if you have guts,e at me; what kind of skill is it to target a woman!"


    Xia Qiufeng''s eyes instantly burned with fury as he prepared to charge forward with his fists.


    "Xiaofeng, leave it to me."


    Su Chen held back Xia Qiufeng, knowing that charging recklessly would only lead to losses!


    "Brother-inw, you?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Xia Qiufeng was stunned. He looked at Su Chen''s not-so-strong body and felt suspicious. Was Su Chen capable?


    "Don''t worry."


    Su Chen smiled at him slightly, his gaze seemingly having a magic power, imparting firm confidence, making Xia Qiufeng nod involuntarily.


    Su Chen patted his shoulder and walked out to quietly observe Ge Yuanbiao!


    "Kid, where did youe from, daring to stand up for him."


    Ge Yuanbiao scoffed at Su Chen:


    "I''m telling you, it won''t matter whoes today, unless he immediately shuts down this logisticspany!"


    "Cut off the hand you just used to touch that girl,pensate Xia Qiufeng for a million in losses, and leave Pengyue County forever!"


    Su Chen said calmly:


    "Agree to these three conditions, and I''ll spare your life today!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ge Yuanbiao and his men were all stunned!


    Not just them, but Xia Qiufeng was also stunned!


    He initially thought Su Chen would negotiate, but unexpectedly, he directly proposed three such conditions!


    Each of the three conditions was extremely harsh, impossible for the other side to agree to!


    Moreover, they had a hostage; the initiative was in their hands!


    Su Chen was acting as though he had the upper hand!


    Ge Yuanbin and others stared at Su Chen, as if looking at a madman!


    "Who are you to talk to me like that?"


    Suddenly waking up, Ge Yuanbiao mmed the armrest and stood up!


    He''s been in Peng Yue County for so many years, and nobody dared speak to him like this!


    "You''ve been given a chance; whether you cherish it is up to you!"


    Su Chen said nonchntly.


    "Get him, kill this kid for me!"


    Ge Yuanbin waspletely enraged by Su Chen''s arrogant attitude, shouting in fury!


    "Ge Yuanbin, no!"


    Hearing Ge Yuanbiao''s words, Xia Qiufeng was startled and quickly shouted.


    But how could Ge Yuanbiao''s men listen to him?


    No sooner had Ge Yuanbiao''s words fallen than the burly men behind him charged over!


    "Bang bang bang~~~"


    Followed by muffled thuds, as soon as those dozen men approached Su Chen, they all flew backward,nding on the cement ground!


    The meny on the ground groaning endlessly, seemingly in great pain!


    This eerie scene instantly stunned Ge Yuanbiao, Xia Qiufeng, and even the girl!


    Their minds wentpletely nk!


    What just happened? Was it a ghost?


    It seemed Su Chen hadn''t even made a move?!


    This scenepletely exceeded their understanding!


    In the next second, Ge Yuanbiao''s body suddenly convulsed, and he quickly rushed towards the girl, pulling out a gun!


    Seeing him pull out a gun, Xia Qiufeng''s face turned pale with fear!


    But just as Ge Yuanbiao was about to aim the gun at the girl, a cold gleam appeared!


    "tter!"


    The gun in his hand fell to the ground...

 Chapter 956: General Su

    Ge Yuanbiao looked down and saw a thin Silver Needle appear on the hand he held the gun with earlier!


    "You will die if you court death!"


    A fierce gleam shed through Su Chen''s eyes as he said indifferently:


    "But you, have to insist on killing yourself!"


    "I... I''ll give money, please spare me!"


    Ge Yuanbiao suddenly knelt down.


    He realized that this young man in front of him was truly someone he couldn''t provoke; his skills were mysteriously unpredictable!


    "Let me see how much money you have!"


    Su Chen said yfully.


    "I have... twenty million!"


    Ge Yuanbiao said tremblingly.


    Although Pengyue County is very poor, it''s normal for a boss here to have over twenty or thirty million.


    "Xia Qiufeng, bank card."


    Su Chen said ndly.


    "Ah?"


    The series of events hadpletely stupefied Xia Qiufeng, and he only came to his senses upon hearing Su Chen''s words.


    "Brother-inw, I can''t take this money."


    Xia Qiufeng shook his head.


    "What''s a grown man dawdling for? Quickly hand it over!"


    Su Chen reached out impatiently as he spoke.


    Xia Qiufeng had no choice but to pull out a bank card from his wallet and hand it to Su Chen.


    "Come, transfer!"


    Su Chen tossed the bank card in front of Ge Yuanbiao, saying casually.


    Ge Yuanbiao immediately took out his phone, ready to make the transfer!


    "What do you n to do with the remaining two hundred and twenty thousand?"


    Su Chen nced at his ount bnce, smirked, and said.


    Upon hearing this, Ge Yuanbiao''s body suddenly shook!


    This guy is ruthless; he''s not leaving him anything!


    Though he is forced under the circumstances, he has no choice!


    Once he gets back and gathers with his brothers, he''ll demand they return everything they took from him, with interest!


    Ge Yuanbiao thought secretly. As the underground leader of Peng Yue County, he certainly had more men under him than this!


    At this moment, Xia Qiufeng''s phone rang. He quickly took it out to check and saw the bank notification indicating a deposit of twenty-two million two hundred thousand yuan!


    His eyes widened instantly. He has never seen so much money before!


    However, he quickly put away his phone and walked over to untie his girlfriend.


    "Qiufeng, I was so scared!"


    The girl cried as she embraced Xia Qiufeng as soon as she gained her freedom!


    It''s no wonder that girls generally get terrified in such situations!


    "Alright, it''s okay now, it''s okay now. It''s all my fault for not being with you!"


    Xia Qiufeng patted her back, wiped her tears, andforted her.


    "Sir, can I leave now?"


    Ge Yuanbiao asked expectantly.


    "Leave, where are you going?"


    Su Chen said yfully.


    "I''ll listen to you and get out of Peng Yue County immediately."


    Ge Yuanbiao said ingratiatingly.


    "Do you think I would trust you?"


    Su Chen snorted coldly:


    "Since you don''t want to go, you may as well stay here forever!"


    Upon hearing this, Ge Yuanbiao''s heart suddenly chilled, filled with inexplicable fear!


    Immediately, a sh of cold light brought forth a spray of blood!


    "You... you..."


    Ge Yuanbiao covered his neck with fresh blood gushing out, face filled with disbelief!


    He did not expect this young man to kill him like this!


    "Bang!"


    His body suddenly fell backward...


    "Brother-inw, you killed him?"


    Xia Qiufeng was shocked to see this scene and asked, stunned!


    The girl also looked dumbfounded.


    Even the thugs who were previously injured were stunned; their boss was just killed like that?!


    "If he doesn''t die, he''ll surely retaliate against you,"


    Su Chen said indifferently to Xia Qiufeng.


    "But brother-inw, you killed him, what do we do now?"


    Xia Qiufeng, being an ordinary person, was alreadypletely bewildered!


    He was naturally afraid of retaliation, but there was nothing he could do.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll handle it."


    Su Chen then took out his phone, walked to the side, and made a call!


    A minuteter, Su Chen returned, handed Xia Qiufeng a cigarette, and said with a smile:


    "Come, have a smoke while waiting."


    "Brother-inw, what are we waiting for?"


    Xia Qiufeng asked naively as he took the cigarette.


    "You''ll find out soon,"


    Su Chen smiled mysteriously, then leisurely started smoking.


    Xia Qiufeng and his girlfriend watched Su Chen''s demeanor and were even more puzzled!


    How could he be so calm after killing someone?


    What if the police arrive?


    Seeing Su Chen''s demeanor, they could only wait alongside him!


    With fear and confusion filling their hearts, they had no idea what he was waiting for!


    This brother-inw whom they just met, his words and actions werepletely beyond their expectations, and judging by his demeanor, killing someone seemed insignificant to him!


    After about half an hour, Xia Qiufeng nervously smoked three cigarettes when suddenly the sound of police sirens rose outside!


    Police cars with shing lights stopped at the entrance, followed by the sound of car doors opening!


    Xia Qiufeng and his girlfriend heard this momentum and their hearts instantly tightened!


    "Not too slow ining!"


    Su Chen smiled and stood up.


    At that moment, more than a dozen police officers marched in, and Xia Qiufeng saw the two officers walking at the front. Suddenly his pupils contracted!


    Because he recognized one of the officers, it was the police chief of Peng Yue County, Lu Qing!


    As for the policeman beside Lu Qing, he didn''t recognize them, but judging by the look, the rank seemed not low.


    Lu Qing''s attitude towards him was clearly respectful!


    "Ge Yuanbiao!"


    Upon entering, Lu Qing immediately noticed Ge Yuanbiao''s corpse, his face full of surprise!


    "Director Wei, are you here for Ge Yuanbiao?"


    Lu Qing timidly asked the officer beside him.


    He actually didn''t know what was going on until now. Twenty minutes ago, Wei Yong, the direct leader of the district, suddenly descended upon Peng Yue County''s police station, asking him to lead a team to the scene immediately!


    Upon hearing Lu Qing addressing him, Xia Qiufeng immediately understood who Director Wei was!


    Peng Yue County is under Mingzhou City''s jurisdiction, and Director Wei is precisely the police chief of Mingzhou City, Wei Yong!


    Thinking about this, Xia Qiufeng couldn''t help but gasp. Why has such a big figuree?


    At this moment, Xia Qiufeng looked at Su Chen more nervously.


    This big figure is here; the situation seems big.


    Director Weipletely ignored Lu Qing''s question at this moment and directly approached Su Chen, saluting:


    "Reporting to General Su, Mingzhou City Police Chief Wei Yong is here on orders, awaiting instructions!"


    The words had just fallen, and everyone present was shocked!


    General Su?


    Which General Su?


    Xia Qiufeng suddenly cast his gaze at Su Chen, filled with shock!


    He knew his brother-inw''s surname was Su, but wasn''t he his sister''s colleague?


    How did he suddenly be a general?


    Suddenly, his mind lit up. There was no emergency alert, except for the call his brother-inw made just now...

 Chapter 957: The Problem of Where to Sleep

    Xia Qiufeng connected all the events and thought it over, immediately confirming his suspicions!


    The police were indeed called by his brother-inw; he was waiting for the police!


    Then, without a doubt, that general was real too!


    No wonder he was always so fearless!


    General?


    Xia Qiufeng felt dizzy and couldn''t believe what was happening in front of him!


    His brother-inw is a general?


    This feeling is so strange!


    Xia Qiufeng suddenly had the urge tough, but he couldn''t.


    As for his girlfriend beside him, she had an even more dumbfounded look!


    All the previous worries had long disappeared!


    "Director Wei, this is..."


    Not just Xia Qiufeng and his girlfriend, even Lu Qing and the police under him were all dumbfounded!


    They were here today to meet a general?


    A general so young, what a joke!


    "Director Lu, you don''t need to know, just strictly follow General Su''s orders!"


    Wei Yong said seriously.


    "Yes!"


    Lu Qing immediately straightened up and said.


    "Director Lu, you know Ge Yuanbiao, right?"


    Su Chen asked calmly.


    "I know him."


    Lu Qing nodded upon hearing.


    "He kidnapped my friend''s girlfriend today and I have already dealt with him."


    Su Chen said:


    "But rted to his businesses, people, and so on, you need to investigate thoroughly."


    "Yes, General Su!"


    Lu Qing immediately responded:


    "Actually, we''ve been collecting criminal information on Ge Yuanbiao and we''re preparing to close the once the time is right!"


    "That''s for the best."


    Su Chen waved and said:


    "Alright, there''s nothing more. You can take his body and these dozen men with you!"


    "General Su, do you have any other orders?"


    Wei Yong asked.


    "Nothing else, I''m sorry for making youe over at thiste hour!"


    Su Chen smiled and then took out two cigarettes and handed them to Wei Yong and Lu Qing.


    "Serving General Su is my honor!" Wei Yong said quickly.


    Then both of them hurriedly took the cigarettes, especially Wei Yong, who knew Su Chen''s identity, acted even more respectfully!


    Although Lu Qing doesn''t smoke, he also took it!


    "Then we won''t disturb you any longer."


    Wei Yong said and then left with Ge Yuanbiao and his men.


    After the police left, Xia Qiufeng''s gaze towards Su Chen became quite peculiar.


    "Brother-inw, are you a general?"


    Xia Qiufeng couldn''t help but ask.


    "Didn''t you hear it just now?"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Brother-inw, you must be an extraordinary general, because even an ordinary general wouldn''t be fine after killing someone."


    Xia Qiufeng asked curiously.


    Su Chen nced at him and said:


    "You''re right, my authority as a general is somewhat greater, for example, if Director Wei just nowmitted a serious illegal act, I have the power to execute him on the spot!"


    Upon hearing this, Xia Qiufeng was shocked, his expression even more astonished!


    This power is not just a bit greater, it''s almost like the imperial envoys of the past!


    "Alright, you don''t have to worry about this matter now, do you?"


    Su Chen smiled.


    He called the police over precisely to ease Xia Qiufeng and his girlfriend''s minds.


    If this matter couldn''t be perfectly resolved, even if he left, it would weigh on them, bothering their peace of mind!


    After all, they are just ordinary people with limited perspective!


    They don''t know that sometimes human life can be very cheap in this world.


    For those big families, killing someone can be as simple as eating or drinking, it''s just not done openly.


    Yet to people like them, they can''t even reach that level!


    "Not worried, not worried anymore!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Xia Qiufeng quickly said with a smile, what is there to worry about with such a powerful brother-inw?


    "But my sister doesn''t know about my identity, so don''t tell her for now."


    Su Chen instructed.


    "Understood, rest assured, not a word will slip from me."


    Xia Qiufeng said quickly.


    "I won''t say anything either."


    Xia Qiufeng''s girlfriend also immediately assured, looking quite cute.


    "Alright, Xiaofeng, after so much has happened, spend a good night with your girlfriend." Su Chen said.


    "Mm, brother-inw, you shouldn''t go back either, it''s sote and the road is not easy to navigate, go back tomorrow morning." Xia Qiufeng also said.


    Su Chen thought about it, it was indeed toote now, going back would definitely disturb their rest, so he nodded.


    So the three of them went to a nearby hotel and got two rooms to rest.


    Of course, Su Chen also sent a message to Xia Qiuru saying it was toote and the road was difficult to travel, so he would return in the morning.


    Early the next morning, Su Chen greeted Xia Qiufeng and his girlfriend and then called an electric tricycle to go back.


    Because the road was difficult and there were few passengers, taxi drivers usually didn''t want to drive into the vige.


    He also arrived with Xia Qiuru using such an electric tricycle, which felt quite unique.


    As for Xia Qiufeng, he had to stay in town because all the stuff including the vehicles at the factory had been vandalized and needed to be reced.


    Su Chen did have a brief chat with himst night about developing in big cities, but Xia Qiufeng had his own ns and seemed to want to expand his logisticspany step by step.


    Su Chen understood his thoughts and didn''t say much more.


    When he returned to the Xia Family, Xia Qiuru''s parents had just served breakfast, and upon seeing hime back, they immediately invited him to join them.


    Of course, they couldn''t avoid asking aboutst night''s events, but Su Chen naturally wouldn''t tell the truth and just brushed it off.


    After breakfast, Su Chen and Xia Qiuru went to give gifts from house to house.


    The vigers were overwhelmingly enthusiastic, making even someone as thick-skinned as Su Chen feel a bit embarrassed!


    Of course, everyone "warned" Su Chen to treat Qiuru well, otherwise, the whole vige wouldn''t let him go!


    Never did Su Chen expect, the whole vige cared for Xia Qiuru so deeply!


    After the "warning," they urged the two to get married soon, which made them both feel a bit embarrassed.


    For a moment, Su Chen even felt like the y was bing real!


    After visiting each household and sitting for a while at each, half the day passed by.


    By evening, just like the day before, Xia Qiuru''s parents prepared a table full of dishes.


    Today Xia Qiufeng was still in town with his girlfriend, after all,st night''s events were hard for a girl to get over in a short time.


    After dinner, the two chatted with Father Xia and Mother Xia, as there wasn''t much entertainment in the vige.


    "Alright, it''s gettingte, you should hurry to bed."


    After chatting for a while, Zheng Hui said.


    "Okay, Auntie, which room should I sleep in?"


    Su Chen asked, as he hadn''t stayed therest night, so he didn''t know his room.


    "Aren''t you sharing a room with Qiuru?"


    Zheng Hui asked in surprise...

 Chapter 958 - 958 Burn!

    As soon as Zheng Hui spoke, both of them felt awkward.


    "Um... this... "


    Xia Qiuru mumbled with her lips,pletely unsure of what to say.


    Yesterday, after she finished her bath and came out, Su Chen was already gone. She hadn''t really concerned herself with where Su Chen would sleep because she thought her mother had prepared a room for him!


    Who knew her mother would actually make him sleep with her...


    "Don''t worry, Qiuru, your dad and I aren''t old-fashioned!"


    Zheng Huiughed and said:


    "Nowadays, which young couple doesn''t live together once they start dating? Besides, I only made the bed in your room, none of the other rooms have beds ready!"


    What Zheng Hui meant was that they had no choice but to stay together!


    "That''s right, we''re looking forward to having grandchildren!"


    Father Xia chimed in and then looked towards Zheng Hui:


    "Let''s go, they feel awkward with us here."


    "Yes, yes, you should go upstairs and rest early too!"


    Zheng Hui quickly said with a smile, then followed Father Xia to a room downstairs.


    After they left, Xia Qiuru almost didn''t dare look at Su Chen; her face was so red it seemed like it could drip water!


    "Let me show you to the room."


    After an unsure amount of time passed, Xia Qiuru finally spoke.


    "Oh, okay."


    Su Chen also nervously replied and then followed Xia Qiuru upstairs to a room.


    Su Chen looked at Xia Qiuru''s intellectually decorated room and felt a ripple within his heart.


    Looking at Su Chen, Xia Qiuru''s heart was also pounding!


    "I''ll go take a bath first."


    Xia Qiuru said and then walked towards the bathroom next door.


    Su Chen was taken aback¡ªwhat did Xia Qiuru mean by what she just said?


    Was she implying something?


    Or was it just a normal statement?


    Su Chen didn''t know why his thoughts suddenly became so chaotic, so he sat on the nearby sofa chair and lit a cigarette.


    Ten minutester, the door swung open, and a faint fragrance wafted in.


    Xia Qiuru entered wearing a ck camisole nightdress, her shoulders exposed to the air, along with her sexy corbones. The skirt hem was just above her knees.


    Her exquisite oval face looked even more alluring under the graceful long hair!


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen couldn''t help but be stunned!


    Xia Qiuru now seemed less ensconced in her work-rted hardness, adding a touch of softness¡ªperhaps this is what they mean by tender sentiments like water!


    Seeing Su Chen mesmerized, Xia Qiuru became even shyer, a blush slowly creeping across her face!


    "I should go take a bath too!"


    Feeling hot, Su Chen eximed and left.


    Su Chen avoided using hot water and took a cold shower instead; although it was winter, it didn''t bother him.


    He once soaked in an icyke for three hours while hunting a target during the Russian winter!


    After a cold shower, Su Chen felt the heat subside a little.


    But as soon as he came out wearing pajamas, the cold shower seemed wasted!


    At this moment, Xia Qiuruy across the bed, one hand on her forehead, the other daydreaming!


    Her straight hair cascaded down, the strap slightly slipped off, revealing her slim curves without any reservation!


    Xia Qiuru was in a casual pose, unaware of how tantalizing she looked¡ªlike a rose awaiting harvest!


    Su Chen suddenly felt his throat dry, involuntarily swallowing hard.


    Seeing his gaze fixed on her, Xia Qiuru looked down and felt it was somewhat inappropriate, so she quickly sat up and tidied her clothes.


    "How should we sleep then?"


    Su Chen looked at the singlerge bed and asked awkwardly.


    Hearing Su Chen, Xia Qiuru didn''t know how to respond.


    If she didn''t let him on the bed, where would he sleep?


    Since there was AC in the room, there was only one nket, making it impossible to sleep on the floor.


    Let him on the bed?


    Would he think she had some ideas?


    Did she have any ideas?


    She didn''t know...


    But if he had ideas, what should she do?


    Would he have ideas?


    For a moment, Xia Qiuru was torn between conflicting thoughts, ultimately unsure of what she was even thinking!


    "How should I sleep?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    "It''s just one bed, how else should we sleep?"


    Xia Qiuru mumbled in a barely audible voice.


    Thankfully, Su Chen''s hearing was sharper than most, so he heard her.


    He took off his slippers and then slowly climbed on the bed.


    As he climbed onto the bed, it trembled slightly, along with Xia Qiuru''s heart.


    Once on the bed, both were troubled by having just one nket.


    Two nkets would be fine, one for each; though still intimate, surely better than this.


    "No worries, you take the nket. I''m not cold."


    Su Chen said.


    "That''s not okay, it''s winter, and even with the AC on, that''s not practical!"


    Xia Qiuru blurted out.


    So Su Chen stopped arguing andy down, while Xia Qiuru spread the nket over both of them.


    Inside, both of them felt restless.


    Of course, this was due to their mutual feelings!


    These feelings had yet to be expressed, remaining vague and hazy!


    Thus, it felt like ants were crawling over their hearts!


    "Qiuru, you won''t do anything to me at night, will you?"


    After a short while, Su Chen joked to ease the awkwardness, turning to Xia Qiuru with a smile.


    "What are you talking about! I''m more worried about you!"


    Xia Qiuru retorted, pouting as she looked at him.


    "That''s good, I''m quite strong on the chastity view!"


    Su Chen stated seriously.


    "Pfft!"


    Upon hearing this, Xia Qiuruughed:


    "Su Chen, can''t you be a little modest!"


    "But it''s true!"


    Su Chen said confidently:


    "Someone as handsome as me; it''s normal to attract intentions!"


    "You really are getting shameless!"


    Xia Qiuru quipped with a chuckle, reaching to pinch his waist.


    "Ah! Why do all women love this move?!"


    Su Chen winced slightly, instinctively grabbing Xia Qiuru''s slender hand!


    In an instant, the sensation of her smooth skin spread, and Su Chen couldn''t resist brushing her hand.


    Feeling his subtle movements, Xia Qiuru''s heart skipped, her face turning rosy!


    Since they were face-to-face, suddenly, the atmosphere became slightly wrong.


    They quietly gazed at each other, hearts ame with a voyaging spark!


    Almost simultaneously, both moved their faces slowly forward, drawn by an invisible attraction!


    "Boom!"


    When their lips finally met, it was as if a reservoir burst, releasing a torrent!


    It was also like dry wood suddenly catching fire after exposure to the sun''s ze!


    The emotions deeply reserved in their hearts explodedpletely!


    Soon, clothes were flying around the room, scattered everywhere...

 Chapter 959: A Different Xia Qiuru

    The storm has just subsided, and the wind has swept away the clouds!


    The two of themy on the bed, drenched in sweat. Perhaps such an oue was something neither of them expected.


    However, while this affair seemed sudden and unexpected, it was actually inevitable!


    Both of them knew very well about their feelings, but they just kept repressing them intentionally.


    Even when there was some ambiguity, it was immediately pulled back!


    Yet, these feelings did not dissipate; instead, they umted more and more!


    As long as there is a suitable outlet, it would naturally erupt like a flood or a beast!


    And tonight, the two stayed in one room, slept in one bed, under one quilt; if nothing happened, that would be abnormal!


    "I''m sorry!"


    "I''m sorry!"


    After a moment of silence, the two spoke at the same time.


    "Why say sorry? No matter how you look at it, men benefit from this situation."


    Su Chen smiled slightly. He had already thought it through; it happened, and he could only face it positively.


    "Do you really like me then?"


    Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but look at Su Chen and ask.


    Women are like this; even if they know the answer in their hearts, they are never satisfied until they hear it directly from the other person.


    "What do you think? I''m not an animal driven by instincts, nor haven''t I seen beautiful women."


    Su Chen reached out and gently pulled Xia Qiuru into his arms, kissed her forehead softly, and smiled.


    Now that things have reached this point, Su Chen decided not to avoid it anymore.


    "I still have to say sorry for causing trouble for you."


    Xia Qiuru said, considering he was a married man and her boss.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll handle it."


    Su Chen touched her smooth long hair and said.


    In his heart, he sighed; the issues with Eniel and Du Hanbing hadn''t been resolved, and now there was Xia Qiuru.


    For now, they could only take things step by step, but a confession was inevitable.


    Afterwards, the two embraced and rested...


    The next morning, when Su Chen woke up, he went downstairs for breakfast, then said Xia Qiuru wasn''t feeling well, possibly caught a cold, and personally took some breakfast upstairs for her.


    Given Xia Qiuru''s condition today, she wasn''t fit to get out of bed, but thankfully her parents didn''t mind much.


    As Xia Qiuru ate breakfast, she felt something special in her heart!


    Did she just be his woman like this?


    She felt as if everything was a dream, without any mental preparation!


    But the stronger feeling was happiness!


    The two originally nned to return to Yandu today, but it seemed unlikely now, so it had to wait until the next day!


    Following that, Su Chen spent the entire day practically with Xia Qiuru.


    By noon, Xia Qiuru was feeling much better, so she got out of bed.


    After their rtionship transitioned, their way of interaction naturally changed!


    Of course, Xia Qiuru found herself at his advantage many times, resulting in endless yfulints!


    Though previously, they often had fairly intimate gestures, overall there was restraint. Now, there was no need for that!


    At night, Su Chen initially worried that her body couldn''t handle it and didn''t intend to do anything. But Xia Qiuru knew such opportunities would be rare after returning to Yandu, so still...


    Early next morning, Xia Qiufeng drove back. Initially not picking them up was a stretch, but not sending them off would be inexcusable.


    This time, he brought his girlfriend along, whom he had been dating for over a year, known by the family, though Xia Qiuru hadn''t met her.


    Last year when they returned home, their rtionship was still fresh, so he didn''t bring her. This time Xia Qiuru actively requested him to.


    Upon meeting the young woman, Xia Qiuru liked her immediately, giving her a big red envelope, which was prepared in advance.


    The girl was stunned upon seeing Xia Qiuru; she had heard Xia Qiufeng mention his sister''s beauty but was somewhat skeptical. Seeing her in person, she found her even more gorgeous than expected.


    She thought to herself: Perhaps only such a woman is suitable for her brother-inw!


    Ever since knowing Su Chen was a general, the girl had shown some respect towards him, which was natural!


    Su Chen discreetly asked Xia Qiufeng about his girlfriend''s condition these days, given the previous events were quite impactful.


    Xia Qiufeng said she initially felt slightly shaken, but is now much better, and Su Chen felt relieved upon hearing this.


    After bidding farewell to their parents, Xia Qiufeng drove Su Chen and Xia Qiuru away.


    This time, they weren''t heading to Pengyue County, but Mingzhou City, because only Mingzhou has an airport.


    "Sis, howe I feel you look prettier than you did a couple of days ago?"


    While driving, Xia Qiufeng nced at the rear-view mirror and said:


    "Hmm, seems like there''s more femininity!"


    "What nonsense are you talking?"


    Xia Qiuru scolded, then quietly nced at Su Chen beside her, her face blushing slightly.


    "Exactly, your sister has always been this beautiful and feminine!"


    Su Chen chuckled.


    "Beautiful indeed, but definitely somewhat different from a few days ago!"


    Xia Qiufeng pursed his lips.


    With those words, Xia Qiuru felt even more bashful...


    By nearly noon, they arrived at Mingzhou Airport, where they had a quick lunch at the airport.


    After lunch, Xia Qiufeng and his girlfriend drove back, while Su Chen and Xia Qiuru waited for a bit before boarding the flight to Yandu.


    By evening, the ne gentlynded in the night at Yandu Airport.


    Su Chen''s car was still parked at the airport, so he drove Xia Qiuru back.


    Knowing they''d be working and living in Yandu for a long time, people from Belle Group had already rented or bought houses; the initial apartments were only temporary amodations.


    Now Xia Qiuru''s rental was in a medium-to-high end district in City South, mainly inhabited by white-cor workers.


    "Alright, you''re still recovering, hurry back to rest, only two days till work starts."


    Upon getting out of the car, Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Okay, I know, you should rest early too."


    Xia Qiuru nodded slightly.


    Returning to Yandu felt like nothing changed, yet their rtionship had already transformed.


    A night breeze blew, ruffling a few strands of her fine hair. Xia Qiuru naturally extended a slender hand, cing the strands behind her ear.


    Such a gesture exuded feminine elegance!


    "How about a farewell kiss?"


    Su Chen grinned mischievously at Xia Qiuru.


    Inwardly, Xia Qiuru trembled slightly!


    Then, Su Chen pulled Xia Qiuru into his arms, bowed his head to kiss her, and embraced her tightly.


    Beside the dim streetmp, their shadows stretched long and far...

 Chapter 960: Old Master Sun Sets Off

    Su Chen walked into Imperial Garden again, heading towards the vi he shared with Lin Ruoxue, feeling uneasy.


    No doubt, he was feeling guilty...


    Standing at the vi''s entrance, Su Chen took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, shed a natural smile, and then opened the door.


    "Sir, you''re back!"


    Aunt Sun said as soon as she saw him.


    "Yeah, where''s Ruoxue?"


    Su Chen changed into slippers and asked.


    "She''s working upstairs!"


    Aunt Sun pointed upstairs to Lin Ruoxue''s study and then sighed softly:


    "Miss, being such a big boss, has such a tiring job!"


    "Yes, it''s indeed tough!"


    Su Chen nodded in agreement.


    Lin Ruoxue is such a workaholic; getting her to put down work and enjoy life is simply impossible, at least for now!


    "I''ve made chicken soup for Miss, and was going to serve a bowl upstairs; you might as well take it up with you."


    Aunt Sun said to Su Chen.


    Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen are the best owners she''s met in all her years of housekeeping, never treating her as a servant!


    Naturally, with sincerity for sincerity, Aunt Sun gradually considered herself a part of the family.


    Although she still called them Sir and Miss, her attitude was more like treating them as family.


    "Alright, thank you, Aunt Sun, you should rest early too."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Then Su Chen went to the kitchen, served a small bowl of chicken soup, and headed upstairs.


    "Alright, take a break. Have a bowl of chicken soup."


    Su Chen ced the chicken soup beside the desk and said.


    "You''re back!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked up and saw Su Chen, revealing a joyful expression.


    "This is specially made for you by Aunt Sun, drink it while it''s hot."


    Su Chen pushed her documents aside a bit and said with a smile.


    "I am indeed a bit hungry!"


    Lin Ruoxue slightly moved her shoulders and smiled.


    "Tired? I''ll give you a massage."


    Su Chen said as he approached Lin Ruoxue from behind, cing his hands on her shoulders and gently massaging.


    While enjoying Su Chen''s massage, Lin Ruoxue slowly drank the chicken soup, feeling rather cozy.


    "Husband, it''s nice when you''re home!"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but smile.


    "Of course!"


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    Since Su Chen returned, Lin Ruoxue finished the chicken soup, worked a bit more, and then went to bed to rest!


    That night was naturally indescribably delightful...


    Since it was not a workday, the schedule was rtively rxed, and the next day, they both slept in until after eight o''clock before slowly waking up.


    Su Chen held her in his arms, while she quietly stared outside the window. She loved being held by him like this, feeling veryfortable and at ease!


    It felt like in this embrace, there was no need to worry even if the sky fell, this embrace was her safe harbor!


    Then, Su Chen slightly rose and lit a cigarette.


    Lin Ruoxue reached out with her slender hand, snatched the cigarette from him, took two puffs, but immediately started coughing.


    "I really don''t know what''s good about this thing!"


    Lin Ruoxue, not for the first time, grabbed his cigarette and took a few puffs, but each time she couldn''t tolerate it.


    Su Chen smiled slightly at her demeanor and then took the cigarette back.


    After Su Chen finished the cigarette, they both got out of bed...


    ......


    A few dayster, at the entrance of Sun Family in the deep mountains of Jiangbei!


    A long Rolls-Royce was parked there, and the members of the Sun Family were standing at the entrance!


    Among them, an elder wearing a blue robe, facing the crowd, his hair already grey, blown into disarray by the mountain wind!


    "Father, the big revenge for Xiao Yu, I''ll leave it to you!"


    Sun Kun said to the elder.


    "Father, you must kill that boy and wash away the disgrace our Sun Family suffered before!"


    "With you, Father, taking action, that boy''s days are numbered!"


    ...


    Sun Kun''s several brothers also spoke one after another.


    "Don''t worry!"


    The elder replied passionately:


    "I will make sure that boy dies miserably, regretting what he did before!"


    During New Year, other families are joyful, but the Sun Family is engulfed in sorrow, attending a funeral, and for such a young grandson!


    This incited immense hatred towards Su Chen among the Sun Family, eager to tear him apart!


    That''s why the Sun Family elder couldn''t wait for the funeral to be over before seeking revenge against the culprit who killed his grandson!


    He wanted to kill that boy personally, ensuring his miserable demise, only then could he slightly alleviate the hatred in his heart!


    After bidding farewell to everyone, he entered the nearby Rolls-Royce!


    Subsequently, the Rolls-Royce left along the road out of the entrance...


    ....


    After Old Sun left the Sun Family, Su Chen immediately received a message from Yu Jun.


    Su Chen just shrugged indifferently; if it was before, he would have been extremely worried.


    But now, after killing the Ghost Domain''s ghost master and the Judgment Department''s Right Priest, these two experts, he has a better understanding of his strength!


    Though his true cultivation is roughly about the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, he has Ster Power within his body!


    Although the Ster Power is pitifully small, he believes, even without using the Dragon-ying Sword, he absolutely has the ability to fight anyone below the Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Moreover, now knowing the usage of the Cangyue Ring, both the Dragon-ying Sword and Light Martial Sword are tucked inside, carried along, avoiding situations like before!


    Previously, going around with two swords would make one seem like a lunatic, wouldn''t it?


    Especially during work or while walking on the street, so encountering sudden situations was unmanageable.


    Now, he has no worries in this regard, so Su Chen still carries on as usual, working when needed, cultivating when needed.


    As for the Sun Family''s elder, he didn''t give it much thought.


    Though it''s only been a few days since going back to work, Lin Ruoxue has already gotten busy.


    Since she just bought a building at a bustling downtown location, nned to be used as the headquarters for Belle Group.


    But right now, it''s under renovation, oncepleted, Belle Group will gradually relocate there, including Jianghai.


    In the future, Jianghai will only serve as a branch or possibly what is known as a standby city!


    However, these days, Su Chen hasn''t been idling either, instead, he''s been hiring people to build a helipad.


    Due to frequent travelstely, and Huaxia''s airnes always being dyed, it''s quite inconvenient, prompting him to n a helipad himself.


    Besides, he''s ordered two or three helicopters, all very expensive.


    Of course, premium price brings premium goods, the facilities inside are extremely luxurious, flying in them practically provides an emperor-level experience!

 Chapter 961 - 961 Dugu Mingyue

    That afternoon, Su Chen received a call from Yan Min, asking why he hadn''t visited in so long and if he was still upset about thest incident.


    Of course, Su Chen said he wasn''t mad. To alleviate the young girl''s concerns, he drove to Yandu University, realizing he hadn''t seen her in quite some time.


    When Su Chen arrived outside Yandu University, Yan Min was already waiting at the entrance.


    After parking the car, Su Chen walked over with a smile. Yan Min quickly hugged one of his arms, feeling wronged:


    "Brother Su, why haven''t youe to see me for so long? Are you still upset about the entertainmentpany incident? I know I was wrong."


    "How could I be?"


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "I''ve been too busytely. Didn''t you call, and I came right away?"


    Hearing this, Yan Min instantly showed a happy smile.


    While talking, they walked into the campus. Su Chen then took out a red envelope from his pocket and handed it to her:


    "Here, Brother Su is giving you New Year''s money."


    "Brother Su, I''m so old now, I don''t need New Year''s money!"


    Yan Min pushed Su Chen''s hand away and pouted.


    "How old? Aren''t you still in school?"


    Ignoring her protests, Su Chen stuffed the envelope into her hand.


    Left with no choice, Yan Min reluctantly epted it.


    "Aren''t you going to open it?" Su Chen smiled.


    "Alright, let''s see how big a red envelope Brother Su has given me."


    Yan Min smiled and said, not expecting much since the envelope wasn''t thick, and opened it.


    As she took out the slip inside and nced at it, she was instantly shocked!


    "Brother Su, it''s too much! I definitely can''t ept it!"


    Yan Min had thought it was just a few hundred yuan, so she epted it.


    But upon opening it, she found a check, and it was for one million!


    It was way too much for Yan Min!


    "ept it!"


    Su Chen said:


    "This isn''t money for you to splurge; you always wanted to study abroad, right? This is for your overseas studies!"


    "But still, I n to strive for a full schrship, and I''ll earn my living expenses by working, so I really don''t need it."


    "But abroad, there are always unexpected expenses."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Yet Yan Min still refused because the amount was toorge!


    "Okay, just think of it as me depositing it with you. Use it if you have an emergency, and if not, just return it to meter."


    Su Chen intentionally put on a serious expression as he said:


    "I said all that, if you still don''t ept it, I''ll be unhappy!"


    "Alright then!"


    Yan Min had no choice but to carefully put away the check.


    Seeing this, Su Chen felt at ease and smiled faintly.


    Then they continued walking into Yandu University, with Yan Min introducing various sights of the campus, which Su Chen hadn''t properly learned about during hisst visit.


    Listening to Yan Min''s exnations, Su Chen nodded constantly and instinctively took out his cigarette case, but quickly put it away.


    Suddenly, Su Chen''s gaze was captivated!


    On their side, ahead, there was a pavilion, and at that moment, a graceful figure was sitting on a bench in the pavilion, engrossed in a book!


    She exuded a transcendent aura somewhat simr to Pei Man''s, but carried a sacredness that couldn''t be vited!


    It was as if her whole being was enveloped by a holy light!


    She sat quietly there, serene and natural, seemingly disconnected from everything around her!


    "Brother Su, stop staring, your eyes are about to pop out!"


    Yan Min teased upon seeing Su Chen''s fixed gaze on the graceful figure.


    "Ahem, ahem, ahem!"


    Su Chen felt a bit awkward and coughed.


    "There''s no need to feel embarrassed, Brother Su; every man would be attracted to her at first sight!"


    Yan Min said with augh.


    "Who is she?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "The top beauty of Yandu University¡ªDugu Mingyue!"


    Yan Min said softly.


    "Alright, let''s go."


    Su Chen said, yet couldn''t help but nce over again.


    He suddenly noticed that near the pavilion, three or four experts were hidden, each giving him an unfathomable feeling!


    Could they be protecting this girl?


    If that''s the case, her identity must be extraordinary!


    The girl seemed to sense Su Chen''s gaze and looked up briefly, but then quickly returned to her book.


    Su Chen then continued walking with Yan Min...


    For the next two hours, Su Chen and Yan Min indeed toured Yandu University, and it took so long because Yandu University was truly vast!


    "It''s about time; let''s go have dinner."


    Su Chen suddenly said.


    "There''s a restaurant near our school that has pretty good food. I''ll treat you."


    "Sounds good, today I''ll enjoy the treat!"


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    Then the two walked toward an alley across the street, where the restaurant Yan Min mentioned was located.


    Upon entering, Su Chen found that the restaurant wasn''t luxuriously decorated, but it gave a clean and tidy impression, unlike other greasy ces.


    They sat at an empty table, and Yan Min took the menu and ordered some of the restaurant''s specialty dishes.


    Just then, a girl walked in¡ªit was the girl Su Chen had seen at the pavilion earlier.


    She sat at a table next to Su Chen.


    Su Chen wasn''t bothered and chatted casually with Yan Min.


    Not long after, their dishes were served.


    "Brother Su, try it and see if you like it!"


    Yan Min said with a smile.


    "It''s pretty good, quite light and refreshing."


    Su Chen tasted and said.


    Then Yan Min also started eating!


    As they were finishing their meal, Yan Min''s phone rang.


    After taking the call, Yan Min said to Su Chen:


    "Sorry, Brother Su, I need to return to the dorm; my forgetful roommate forgot her keys again!"


    "No worries, you go ahead."


    Su Chen said with a casual smile.


    "Brother Su, I''ll head off now. Make sure to visit me when you have time!"


    Yan Min said earnestly.


    "Alright, I promise."


    Su Chen replied with a smile:


    "Hurry up and go."


    After Yan Min left, Su Chen continued eating for a bit. He did notice that the girl next to him was diligently eating.


    Once finished, Su Chen got up and left.


    But shortly after leaving the alley, an old man suddenly blocked his path.


    "Who are you?"


    Feeling the martial artist aura emanating from the old man, Su Chen asked.


    "I''m here to kill you!"


    The old man''s cloudy eyes shed with a fierce light...

 Chapter 962: Death is Well-Deserved!

    "Are you that old fellow from the Sun Family?"


    Su Chen looked at the elder''s appearance and asked, because he noticed that he looked quite simr to Sun Kun.


    Connecting this to what Yu Jun had told him, the patriarch of the Sun Family hade out to seek revenge on him, it all became clear to him.


    "Boy, you killed my grandson, today I''ll make you pay with your life!"


    The elder gritted his teeth and said, eyes shooting out mes of hatred!


    Moreover, the fact that he dared to call himself an old fellow made him even angrier!


    "Kill me? Do you have what it takes?"


    Su Chen sneered and said:


    "Furthermore, your grandson deserved to die!"


    "What did you say?!"


    The elder''s powerful aura of True Yuan suddenly burst out as he looked at Su Chen angrily and spat.


    This guy killed his grandson, and now he''s saying such callous words!


    "Can''t hear clearly? Then I''ll say it again!"


    Su Chen said word by word:


    "Your cherished grandson, deserved¡ª¡ªto¡ª¡ªdie!"


    The elder''s face became clouded with fury!


    "Outrageous!"


    The elder could no longer endure, shouted loudly, and the magnificent aura of Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer waspletely unleashed!


    Immediately, he stomped the ground fiercely, and his figure instantly disappeared!


    When he reappeared, a shadow of a fist had already appeared in front of Su Chen, seeming to smash through the void with its extreme power!


    Su Chen squinted his eyes, then shifted to the side to dodge the opponent''s strike!


    Seeing his punch strike empty, the elder immediately changed his fist to a palm, again attacking Su Chen!


    Su Chen moved again, evading the angry palm strike from the opponent!


    The elder, having failed his attack twice, showed a hint of shock in his eyes!


    It seems this kid has improvedpared to when he fought with my son!


    The speed of this kid''s cultivation is truly astonishing!


    I must quickly kill him, otherwise, over time, I might not even be his match!


    Thinking of this, the elder kept moving, a series of phantoms shed, and his hands repeatedly attacked Su Chen!


    Su Chen immediately dodged left and right, quickly bing a bit strained.


    After all, Su Chen''s cultivation was only equivalent to the typical martial artist''s Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, and there was still a significant gappared to the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!


    Of course, all of this was under Su Chen''s control!


    Since the opponent was filled with anger, he certainly had to make good use of this emotion!


    Seeing Su Chen clearly struggling, the elder''s attacks became more ferocious!


    Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer? So what?


    He wants this kid to be buried along with his grandson!


    At this moment, Su Chen finally found a gap and unleashed a punch he had been preparing!


    As he unleashed the punch, he couldn''t help but smile, a mocking smile!


    The elder noticed his smile, his heart suddenly trembled, realizing there might be a problem, and quickly prepared to withdraw his hands to block the punch!


    "Boom!"


    But just as he withdrew his hands, Su Chen moved his feet slightly, closing the distance between the two and shortening the punch distance!


    Su Chen''s punch directly hit below the elder''s chest!


    He immediately felt an unbearable energy, and his face disyed a look of terror!


    His body instantly flew out like aunched cannonball!


    Afternding, he couldn''t help but spit out several mouthfuls of fresh blood!


    He looked incredulously at the young man, filled with shock!


    If not for releasing the True Yuan around his body at thest moment to block that punch, that punch might have taken most of his life!


    He quickly realized that this kid had been showing weakness all along, using a defensive counterattack strategy, ready to strike a fatal blow as soon as there was any gap!


    This kid is indeed too strange!


    He was horrified to find that the energy contained in the opponent''s punch was not something he could resist!


    How could someone at Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer have such energy? Moreover, his true cultivation level was only Meridian Expansion Second Layer!


    Although he didn''t understand much, he swiftly made a wise decision, which was to turn around and flee!


    Su Chen quickly chased after him; he wasn''t in the habit of letting a tiger return to its mountains, especially such a martial arts expert!


    "Interesting!"


    After the two left, a graceful figure appeared at the previous location, none other than the top beauty of Yandu University¡ªDugu Mingyue!


    She looked in the direction where the two disappeared and couldn''t help but show a faintly yful smile.


    But soon, she also left...


    After a while, Su Chen returned to the ce, looking somewhat depressed!


    The elder, despite being injured, was after all higher by a minor realm than him!


    Su Chen chased for a while but still didn''t catch up, which naturally made him upset!


    This old guy is indeed troublesome; when things go wrong, he directly fled!


    You''re seeking revenge for your grandson, have some integrity, okay?


    How can you escape at the first sign of difficulty?


    Indeed, the older one gets, the more they cherish their life!


    Su Chen could only think this way.


    Of course, he also realized that the matter wouldn''t end just like that!


    But things hade to this, and he had no choice but to head to the entrance of Yandu University and drive back home...


    When Su Chen returned home, Lin Ruoxue also had just gotten back.


    As for Yan Xi, her presence seemed increasingly rare, spending every evening shopping and dining with the public rtions department women, living quite a good life!


    Su Chen, although he had already eaten, still sat with Lin Ruoxue and drank a bowl of soup.


    After the meal, the two sat on the sofa, chatted for a while, ate some fruit, and then Lin Ruoxue went upstairs to continue working!


    Su Chen went to his former room and then lightly leaped, retrieving the iron box hidden in the ceiling camougedpartment.


    He was preparing to store the contents inside the Cangyue Ring; now there was no safer ce than the Cangyue Ring!


    Because as long as he was alive, the Cangyue Ring could only be controlled by him!


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but take out the pitch-ck, extremely mottled token from the iron box.


    He again studied what was special about this token, but apart from feeling a restriction inside, he didn''t find anything else.


    He couldn''t help but wonder: what exactly is special about this token?


    So much so that Shengyi Gate desires it so much?


    Even in the past, using the Shen Family to overthrow the Su Family''s longhouse might have been for this token?


    But Su Chen had no answers to all this!


    Then, he shook his head, temporarily put these matters aside, and stored the contents of the iron box into the Cangyue Ring.


    Immediately, he sat cross-legged on the bed and started cultivating, continuing until nearly eleven o''clock, and then returned to his room to sleep...

 Chapter 963: The Pei Man Who Dare Not Be Recognized

    Time flies like a white horse crossing a gap, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye!


    During this month, the relocation of the Belle Group has beenpleted, and most of Jianghai''s employees have rushed to Yandu.


    Of course, some local employees who didn''t want to leave Jianghai stayed there, as there is still a branch over there!


    The new Belle Group headquarters is located in the Belle Building in Yandu''s bustling area. Naturally, the name was changed after Lin Ruoxue bought the building, and now the entire building belongs to the Belle Group.


    During this period, Sun Yang, Qi Meng, and Qian Ying all made breakthroughs with the help of spirit stones!


    Sun Yang made a breakthrough in the Meridian Expansion Realm, Qi Meng almost reached the Meridian Expansion too, even at thete stage, while Qian Ying reached the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer.


    Of course, this was thanks to the Gathering Yuan Formation. Due to its effects, achieving such cultivation speed was quite normal!


    Moreover, Sun Yang and Qi Meng''s breakthroughs were alsorgely due to guidance from Su Chen and Qian Ying, as they have valuable experience!


    Su Chen initially forgot about Yan Xi, who had almost be a city white-cor worker. After seeing her, he gave her a spirit stone, which led to an excited kiss from Yan Xi!


    Six spirit stones were given to Sun Yang, Qi Meng, Qian Ying, Yan Xi, and Yunlong, after which Su Chen kept just one for himself.


    After consuming that spirit stone, Su Chen finally broke through to the Third Layer of Meridian Expansion!


    Ifpared to average Martial Arts Cultivation, it''s almost equivalent to the Ninth Layer of Meridian Expansion, though still a significant distance from the Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Actually, he might have broken through to the Fourth Layer of Meridian Expansion, but he spent half of his time cultivating the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique"!


    The good news is, the Ster Power within him has increased significantlypared to before!


    Of course, this is only significant in rtion to before, but the absolute amount is still very small.


    During this time, aside from asionally visiting thepany, Su Chen mostly stayed at the manor or vi for cultivation, leading a rtively calm life!


    During this period, he also visited Yunlong twice, who began formal cultivation after training in wood chopping!


    Although currently only at Qi Refinement''s secondyer, he has at least officially embarked on the cultivation path, and ording to the old hermit, he has talent and potential.


    He also kept that spirit stone, intending to use it once his cultivation has increased somewhat!


    Yunlong is currently not managing thepany, having brought in Yunyao to take care of it for him, since they are siblings, and benefits aren''t an issue.


    And Yunlong''s reason waspelling, being the saying, "The pavilion closest to water sees the moon first," which means relying on closeness to the big brother may lead to opportunities!


    I don''t know if this reason convinced Yunyao, but she dide all the way from Jianghai...


    .....


    This afternoon, after cultivation, Su Chen suddenly remembered that since returning after Chinese New Year, he hadn''t visited Pei Man yet. So he drove to the Pei Family''s courtyard.


    Upon reaching the gate of the Pei Family courtyard, he greeted the guard and entered.


    Then he saw the back of a woman: her long hair over her shoulders, wearing a snow-white high-neck sweater on top, fitted azure jeans below, and white t shoes on her feet!


    The woman seemed to hear the footsteps behind, turned to look, and then a cheerful smile appeared on her face:


    "You''vee!"


    Seeing the woman, Su Chen was momentarily stunned!


    It''s his first time seeing Pei Man like this!


    This outfit perfectly entuated her gorgeous figure!


    Majestic peaks, a slender waist, long and straight legs, and an indescribable roundness ¨C each part seemed to exude special charm!


    Coupled with her wless looks, she''s undeniably a stunning beauty!


    "What''s wrong? Can''t recognize me?"


    Pei Man saw him stare and approached with a slight smile.


    "I''m afraid to recognize you!"


    Su Chen smiled at Pei Man''s words, then asked:


    "Is walking normallyfortable now?"


    Su Chen knew Pei Man could walk normally now, though it''s his first time seeing it; before, it was just practice!


    "It''s quite good."


    Pei Man smiled.


    "But still, caution is necessary¡ªno running or jumping, avoid vigorous activities!"


    "You truly are a responsible good doctor; you''ve said this eight hundred times over the phone!"


    Pei Man giggled.


    "What did you mean by saying you''re afraid to recognize me?"


    Pei Man tilted her head and smiled, asking.


    "It''s too perfect!"


    Su Chen praised as he looked at Pei Man.


    "Really?"


    Pei Man spoke shyly:


    "Actually, it''s my first time wearing jeans in two days; I always wanted to wear them before, and now I''ve finally achieved my wish!"


    "But I still want to wear high heels, though Grandpa and my brother won''t allow it."


    Pei Man continued.


    "It''s better not to for now; maybe in a few months, time is on your side!"


    Su Chen hurriedly said.


    "Don''t worry, I''m just saying, I understand the importance."


    Pei Man blinked yfully!


    Su Chen noticed that after her leg healed, Pei Man is more lively than before,cking the cold demeanor in her bones.


    The two then wandered around the Pei Family courtyard, casually chatting.


    The Pei Family members who saw them showed no surprise, rather greeting them with smiles.


    At this moment, in Pei Zhennan''s study, Pei Zhennan and Pei Jian watched the two strolling through the window.


    "Xiao Man and he seem well-matched, like a celestial couple!"


    Pei Jian gentlyughed.


    "I''d like them to be together, but he is already married."


    Pei Zhennan sighed:


    "This hurdle isn''t easy to cross!"


    "Grandpa, that''s their personal matter; why should we meddle?"


    Pei Jian smiled at Pei Zhennan.


    "You''re right, leave them be; not interfering is the best way."


    Pei Zhennan smiled, then turned towards the tea table:


    "Come, let''s y a round."


    Upon hearing this, Pei Jian sat down opposite him...


    Su Chen wandered with Pei Man for over an hour in the Pei Family courtyard, then returned home.


    After returning home, he continued his cultivation.


    He''s been cultivating intensely recently because he''s preparing to go to Miaojiang. Lin Ruoxue''s matter still hangs over his head, preventing him from feeling at ease!


    And Miaojiang is always filled with mystery and danger, so enhancing his power as much as possible makes him feel more secure, especially since it concerns Lin Ruoxue''s life, which he doesn''t dare to take lightly!


    Su Chen continued his cultivation until Lin Ruoxue returned after nine o''clock, after which they had dinner and went upstairs to rest...

 Chapter 964: Room Under Attack

    A few dayster, the luxury helicopter that Su Chen bought finally found its purpose.


    Su Chen piloted that luxurious helicopter all by himself, flying straight southwest.


    Since he needed to pilot it himself, he couldn''t fully enjoy the helicopter''s luxury. If there were a pilot, he could at least lie in bed for a nap.


    After about ten hours of flying, he finally reached South Yunnan, the city closest to Miaojiang.


    By the time Su Chen arrived, it was already around nine in the evening, so he casually found a hotel to stay in.


    After settling down, he gave Mu Fan a call to let him know he arrived.


    When he parted ways with the Mu siblings, they had exchanged phone numbers.


    In fact, when he first heard from his master, the old ghost, that the Gu inside Lin Ruoxue could only be unsealed by the one who ced it or by the Holy Witch Maiden, Su Chen had already pinned most of his hopes on thetter.


    Because getting the one who ced the Gu to unseal it before the Gu worm awakened was simply impossible!


    As it happened, he knew a candidate for the Holy Witch Maiden, and that was Mu Ling''er!


    If Mu Ling''er truly bes the Holy Witch Maiden, with his friendship with the Mu siblings, getting her to help Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t be too difficult.


    Of course, if the other two candidates were chosen, Su Chen would also ask them for help, which would be far more reliable than asking the one who ced the Gu!


    As for the price, for Lin Ruoxue, he was willing to pay anything!


    Su Chen had previously called the Mu siblings to inquire about their situation, given they were constantly pursued.


    Mu Ling''er is now a person linked to Lin Ruoxue''s life, so naturally, he cared more than before!


    When Mu Fan told him that they werepletely safe, Su Chen felt relieved.


    He also asked about the selection of the Holy Witch Maiden, and Mu Fan told him that it hadn''t been decided yet, but mentioned the approximate timing.


    When Su Chen informed the siblings that he would be visiting Miaojiang sometime, both were thrilled and warmly weed him to visit!


    Upon learning that Su Chen had arrived, Mu Fan was even more excited, saying they would pick him up early the next morning.


    After finishing the call with Mu Fan, Su Chen sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating.


    However, he was so used to cultivating in the Gathering Yuan Formation environment that suddenly cultivating in a normal environment felt a bit ufortable, as the speed was too slow!


    It''s like being ustomed to eating shark fin soup and bird''s nest and suddenly being given a hard bun to chew; naturally, it''s hard to swallow!


    So after cultivating for an hour or two, Su Chen turned off the lights and rested!


    The night deepened gradually, enveloping everything in silence!


    At this moment, a little golden snake quietly slithered through the door gap into Su Chen''s room, then crawled up the bed along the bedpost and slowly glided onto the nket.


    "Hiss hiss!"


    Suddenly, the little golden snake flicked out its crimson tongue and darted straight for Su Chen''s throat!


    "sh!"


    A cold glint shed, and the little snake was immediately cut into seven or eight segments!


    Su Chen got out of bed, looking at the dismembered snake with cold eyes!


    He naturally wouldn''t consider this sudden snake attack in his room as an ident; it was clearly controlled by someone!


    Yet he had just arrived here and hadn''t had any grievances with anyone, so who was so impatient?


    After dealing with the snake briefly, Su Chen simply went back to sleep; the incident didn''t affect him at all!


    Upon waking up in the morning, Su Chen went to the restaurant downstairs for breakfast.


    He had just finished eating when Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er arrived!


    "Su Bro!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen again, Mu Fan immediately gave him a big hug!


    "Mu Bro, long time no see!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "Mr. Su, wee to Miaojiang as our guest!"


    Mu Ling''er, standing beside Mu Fan, smiled and said.


    "Miss Mu, you''re even more beautiful than thest two times!"


    Su Chen joked, noting that both times he met them before, they were fleeing.


    At that time, they were in disarray; talking about beauty was a luxury; maintaining one''s life was fortunate!


    At this moment, both were dressed in Miao attire, looking rather special!


    "Mr. Su, you''re teasing me!"


    Upon hearing him say this, Mu Ling''er was slightly shy.


    Subsequently, Su Chen followed the Mu siblings to Miaojiang.


    After a few hours, they arrived outside a dense forest, an untouched, primitive woond.


    Looking up, it stretched endlessly, highlighting its vastness and enormity!


    And Miaojiang was situated deep within this forest, well concealed by it!


    Without a guide, it would be difficult for outsiders to enter!


    "Su Bro, take this pill." Mu Fan handed a pill to Su Chen and said,


    "Inside this forest, there are terrifying miasmas and poisonous creatures; this antidote pill will protect you well."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen took it and swallowed it. The Mu siblings also each took one, and the three ventured into the forest...


    In this primeval jungle, the foliage was dense, making it difficult for sunlight to prate. It was quiet, and oddly so!


    Not long after they set out, they encountered many poisonous insects and ants, even a few pythons as thick as a small bowl¡ªand they had only just entered the jungle!


    At the same time, Su Chen saw some white bones, probably left by those who came to explore Miaojiang!


    "By the way, Mu Bro, you mentionedst time that something happened in Miaojiang, but I didn''t want to ask over the phone. What exactly happened?"


    Su Chen suddenly asked as they walked.


    "Hua Xinglong is dead," Mu Fan said.


    Su Chen was startled; Hua Xinglong was dead?


    Mu Fan had previously exined that in the Miao tribes, there were seven major tribes and many smaller ones, or Miao viges!


    Among the seven major tribes, the strongest was the Heavenly Moon Tribe, home to many experts, so the Miao King had almost always been from the Heavenly Moon Tribe!


    After the Heavenly Moon Tribe, it was the Cang Lang Tribe and the Red Hawk Tribe, with the other four being more or less on equal footing.


    Discontented with the Heavenly Moon Tribe''s prolonged hold on the Miao King''s throne, the Cang Lang Tribe united with the other five tribes to suddenly attack the Heavenly Moon Tribe!


    In that battle, the Cang Lang Tribe drove wolves to swallow tigers, causing all except the Red Hawk Tribe, which never exerted much effort, to suffer significant losses, bing mere ordinary tribes!


    Thus, the Cang Lang Tribe''s leader naturally became the new Miao King, and that leader was Hua Xinglong!


    In other words, Hua Xinglong was the current Miao King!


    Now, hearing from Mu Fan that Hua Xinglong was dead, how could he not be shocked!


    "When did this happen? How did he die?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask...

 Chapter 965 - 965 Shi Zhuo

    "A few days before the New Year, but as for how he died, I haven''t heard any exnation."


    Mu Fan sneered, clearly showing not a shred of sympathy for Hua Xinglong''s death.


    It''s no surprise, after all, Mu Fan and his sister were the previous leaders of the Heavenly Moon Tribe and also the children of the Miao King, naturally hating Hua Xinglong to the core for his rebellion!


    Su Chen felt even more that this matter was quite strange!


    Although standing as a friend of Mu Fan and his sister, Su Chen also had no fondness for Hua Xinglong!


    However, for the dignified Miao King to die just like that, he couldn''t help but find it odd and abrupt!


    "Actually, back then he obtained the Miao King''s throne through those means, and his promise of rotating the position of Miao King was never fulfilled, making him a king everyone was disgruntled with! Moreover, he hadn''t acquired the ''Spirit Insect Manual,'' making his position even more unstable!"


    Mu Fan continued:


    "It''s just that everyone was intimidated by the strength of their Cang Lang Tribe, so they dared not speak out even if they were angry! So now that he suddenly died, aside from the Cang Lang Tribe, the other tribes were all secretly delighted!"


    Su Chen, after listening to the siblings'' exnation, understood a bit more.


    Of course, it was precisely because Hua Xinglong died that the siblings were temporarily safe!


    "By the way, when is the Saint Witch selection?"


    Su Chen immediately asked.


    Although he was doubtful about Hua Xinglong''s sudden death, he wasn''t overly concerned, as it didn''t directly involve him.


    "It should have started long ago, but because of Hua Xinglong''s incident, it''s been dyed. A new Miao King must be elected first before the Saint Witch selection can proceed!"


    Mu Fan said, then looked at Su Chen:


    "By the way, Brother Su, why are you so interested in the Saint Witch selection?"


    Since Su Chen had asked about the Saint Witch selection before during a call, asking again now seemed rather unusual.


    "It''s like this, my wife has been afflicted by a special Gu, and only the one who cast it or the Saint Witch can cure it."


    Su Chen didn''t hide it, speaking frankly.


    "I see, no wonder Brother Su woulde to our Miaojiang."


    Mu Fan said after hearing him:


    "Do you know who cast the Gu?"


    "The olddy of the Hua Family!"


    Su Chen''s eyes shot out a zing intensity of hatred, and if she weren''t also one of Lin Ruoxue''s hopes, he would have killed the old woman immediately!


    "Her?"


    Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er were both startled after hearing Su Chen''s words.


    Although they hadn''t been back in the vige for long, they had heard of this old woman!


    "Brother Su, if it were anyone else, there might still be a sliver of hope, but if it''s her, it''s utterly impossible to make her lift the curse."


    Mu Fan stated solemnly.


    "Yes, I''ve heard of her too; she''s truly a heartless person!"


    Mu Ling''er said with a bit of seriousness:


    "Hua Xinglong was her son, but his death had no effect on her; her entire focus is still on researching Gu Techniques! Apart from that, she cares about nothing else!"


    "Everyone''s evaluation of heres down to one word¡ªobsessive!"


    Hearing the siblings'' words, Su Chen''s heart sank a little!


    "Actually, it''d be best if Ling''er could be the Saint Witch; that way, she could help Brother Su!"


    Mu Fan smiled at his sister while saying.


    "I hope so too!"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Actually, I originally wasn''t nning to participate in the selection, because my initial intention in returning was merely to avoid Hua Xinglong''s people''s pursuit."


    Mu Ling''er said, then smiled brightly:


    "But for Mr. Su, I will give it my all this time!"


    "Thank you so much!"


    Su Chen said sincerely.


    "No need, no need, considering how much you''ve helped us before, it''s what I should do. But I''m not sure if I''ll be selected; if not..."


    Mu Ling''er said.


    "Don''t bear too much burden; your thoughtfulness already touches me deeply!"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    The three of them continued to chat casually as they walked forward.


    "Xiao Fan, Ling''er, you''re back!"


    Just then, a few figures appeared ahead, with a young man in histe twenties leading them, followed by a few others all dressed in Miao attire.


    Upon seeing Mu Fan and his sister, he immediately greeted them with a radiant smile.


    "Brother Zhuo, why are you here?"


    The siblings eximed excitedly upon seeing the visitor.


    "Father was a bit worried, so he sent me to pick you up."


    The young man said with a smile, then turned his eyes towards Su Chen, warmly saying:


    "And this must be Brother Su? I''ve heard a lot about you from these two, and we really owe much to Brother Su for his great help!"


    "It was nothing, really."


    Su Chen said with a faint smile.


    "Uncle Shi insisted on it, despite my saying it wasn''t necessary. It''s such a hassle for you toe all the way!"


    Mu Fan said apologetically.


    "Oh, it''s nothing!"


    The young manughed heartily:


    "I''ve been wanting to meet this friend you two have so fondly mentioned!"


    "Oh, I haven''t officially introduced you yet!"


    Mu Fan said, patting his head:


    "Brother Su, this is the son of Uncle Shi whom I told you about, Shi Zhuo; Brother Haoran, this is Su Chen, Brother Su."


    "Nice to meet you!"


    Shi Zhuo extended a hand with a smile.


    "Likewise."


    Out of respect for Mu Fan and his sister, Su Chen also extended a hand for a light shake.


    Although Shi Zhuo appeared very warm, Su Chen couldn''t help but sense a deliberate intention!


    "Oh, by the way, how did you know I wasing?"


    Su Chen asked, acting casual.


    "Well, it really was just a coincidence. When you called me yesterday, Ling''er and I were at Uncle Shi''s ce."


    Before Shi Zhuo could answer, Mu Fan smilingly exined.


    "I see."


    Su Chen said thoughtfully.


    "Alright, let''s move on, we''ve still got some distance to cover!"


    Shi Zhuo said with a slight twitch in his heart, then smiled.


    The group walked for several more hours, finally emerging from the dense primal forest, reaching the inhabited regions where the Miao people lived.


    The first thing to greet the eye was a stilt house, followed by a spacious square paved with bluestone bricks!


    "Usually, our major Miao activities are held in this square!"


    Mu Ling''er said with a smile to Su Chen.


    Su Chen nced into the distance, noticing that the viges seemed close to each other, yet in reality, there was quite a gap between them, all built along the mountains!


    "Come with me first."


    Shi Zhuo said.


    "Brother Su, what do you think? Uncle Shi''s Red Hawk Tribe is closer, while our Heavenly Moon Tribe still has a long way to go."


    Mu Fan asked Su Chen, though he also leaned towards Shi Zhuo''s suggestion.


    "Alright, I''ll trouble you then."


    Su Chen had no objections, and besides, he wanted to meet the Uncle Shi whom the siblings admired so much...

 Chapter 966: Women Are All Born Actors

    The group then walked towards one of the viges, and arrived after about forty or fifty minutes.


    "Greetings, Young Master."


    "Greetings, Young Master."


    ...


    Those wearing Miao clothing all saluted Shi Zhuo.


    Shi Zhuo nodded and smiled at them, then led Mu Fan and his sister, along with Su Chen, into thergest house.


    At this moment, a middle-aged man with aposed face was sitting inside. He was the leader of the Red Hawk Tribe, Shi Yuntian. Hearing footsteps, he immediately came out to greet them.


    "This must be Mr. Su who saved Mu Fan and his sisterst time!"


    Shi Yuntian approached Su Chen directly, with a gentle smile, and bowed to him:


    "I thank Mr. Su for saving them on behalf of their parents."


    "No need for thanks, I just happened toe across the situation."


    Su Chen replied casually. Nheless, for Shi Yuntian, as a tribe leader, to show such an attitude was truly remarkable!


    Indeed, Mu Fan and his sister were deeply moved by Uncle Shi''s humility on their behalf!


    "Everyone, pleasee inside; dinner is already being prepared."


    Shi Yuntian then said.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen smiled slightly, realizing it had all been pre-arranged.


    Even if Mu Fan, his sister, and Su Chen had nned to visit the Heavenly Moon Tribe earlier, the Shi father and son would have found a reason to invite them here.


    "Then, we''ll impose!"


    Su Chen said lightly.


    The group then followed Shi Yuntian inside, with Shi Yuntian sitting at the head, and Su Chen and others sitting on both sides.


    Everyone then began talking casually, but Su Chen sensitively noticed that Shi Yuntian was frequently probing him, intentionally or unintentionally.


    Though his probing was skillful, who was Su Chen? How could he not discern such subtlety?


    Hence, Su Chen handled it with ease, leaving no trace!


    However, observing Mu Fan and his sister''s attitude towards Shi Yuntian, it was clear they paid no mind to Su Chen''s previous warning before theirst parting.


    Su Chen had urged them to be wary of this Uncle Shi and the people he sent!


    Because Su Chen had noticed many inconsistencies at that time, and now at the Red Hawk Tribe, the issues were even more prevalent!


    "Ling''er, Uncle Shi has always had a thought, but felt embarrassed to bring it up."


    Shi Yuntian suddenly said:


    "Today, let''s use the presence of honored guests to speak it out."


    "Uncle Shi, just say whatever you have to say."


    Mu Ling''er said softly.


    "It''s like this, I''ve always felt you and Zhuo are quite a match, and hope you can be together."


    Shi Yuntian smiled at Mu Ling''er:


    "Actually, Zhuo''s feelings for you, I believe, you understand."


    "If Ling''er you have no objections, in a few days, I will personally go to propose marriage to your Uncle Fang."


    Shi Yuntian continued to smile and said.


    The Uncle Fang mentioned was Fang Wen, the current leader of the Heavenly Moon Tribe. Mu Ling''er belonged to the Heavenly Moon Tribe, with her parents not around, naturally, the proposal had to be made to their tribe leader.


    Mu Ling''er didn''t expect Shi Yuntian to suddenly bring up such matters, and her pretty face immediately showed an embarrassed expression.


    She indeed liked Shi Zhuo, because she felt he was genuinely good to them!


    But her liking was merely as an older brother, with no romantic feelings at all!


    "Ling''er, trust me, I will be good to you for life, never letting any harme to you!"


    Shi Zhuo said affectionately to Mu Ling''er.


    This made Mu Ling''er even more awkward, afraid of hurting him if she refused; yet not refusing was something she didn''t desire either!


    For a moment, she felt quite helpless.


    "Xiao Fan, what do you think of Uncle Shi''s proposal? Do you agree?"


    Shi Yuntian turned to Mu Fan and asked.


    Mu Fan also didn''t expect him to bring up this issue, thought for a while and said:


    "I have no opinion, as long as Ling''er likes it herself, I respect her own decision!"


    But he felt the couple was unlikely to work out; as Mu Ling''er''s brother, he understood his sister''s feelings somewhat.


    "Uncle Shi, I''m sorry, but Ling''er might disappoint you!"


    After a while, Mu Ling''er finally spoke up.


    "Ling''er, what do you mean?"


    Shi Yuntian''s eyes shed with a keen light upon hearing this.


    "Nothing, it''s just that I''ve already found someone in my heart!"


    Mu Ling''er said, lowering her head, with a blush appearing on her face!


    "How is that possible?"


    Shi Yuntian eximed:


    "Who is it?"


    Shi Zhuo''s emotions were also tense, his eyes tightly fixed on Mu Ling''er.


    Not only him, but even Mu Fan disyed a shocked look on his face!


    "He is Su Chen."


    Mu Ling''er almost dared not look into Su Chen''s eyes, stammered out.


    As soon as the words fell, not to mention others, Su Chen himself was immediately dumbfounded, feeling as if his brain had short-circuited!


    "He just saved you once, how could it...?"


    Shi Zhuo stood up suddenly, an excited look across his face.


    "Yes, Ling''er, such matters can''t be spoken lightly!"


    Shi Yuntian also spoke earnestly.


    "Uncle Shi, Brother Zhuo, this is true, and we have already confirmed our rtionship."


    Mu Ling''er stabilized her mind and calmly said:


    "Actually, before our meeting at Yandu, we had met once, that was when we fled abroad for the first time and encountered him on the ship."


    "At that time, my brother and I were already injured, and he saw me cold at night, so he took off his coat to cover me."


    Mu Ling''er then summoned the courage, looked at Su Chen with deep affection and said:


    "Ever since the moment his coat covered my body, he has left a mark in my heart!"


    Su Chen, looking at Mu Ling''er at this moment, waspletely stunned!


    He did take off his jacket for her, but it wasn''t him who personally covered her, rather he had Mu Fan do it!


    Moreover, howe I didn''t know you had feelings for me then? And now we have confirmed a rtionship?


    Of course, he soon realized Mu Ling''er was using him as a shield.


    However, her deeply affectionate appearance almost made Su Chen believe it was true!


    He couldn''t help but sigh, women truly are natural-born actresses!


    Yet, beside him, Mu Fan had a slightly different idea. She actually knew her sister had a special impression of Su Chen, having mentioned him several times inadvertently.


    So, how much truth was there in her words, it was indeed hard to tell!


    "Also,st time at Yandu, when those people were about to insult me, he showed up suddenly and saved me from peril!"


    Mu Ling''er continued looking at Su Chen with deep affection saying:


    "At that moment, I felt he was the prince sent by heaven to save me!"


    "You are also my angel!"


    Su Chen went over to Mu Ling''er, bowed to kiss her forehead lightly and said!


    Su Chen was already very skilled at cooperating in an act!


    Mu Ling''er hadn''t expected him to make such a move, her soul suddenly trembled, and the blush on her face gradually spread!


    Seeing this, not only Shi Yuntian and his son but even Mu Fan almost believed it was true!


    Su Chen inadvertently nced at the angry expressions on Shi Yuntian and his son''s faces, a cunning smile yed at the corners of his lips...

 Chapter 967 - 667: The Truth About Hua Xinglongs Death

    Mu Ling''er then looked at Shi Zhuo like a shy little girl and sincerely said:


    "I''m sorry, Brother Zhuo, I''ve always seen you as an elder brother in my heart."


    "Hahaha, Ling''er, what''s there to be sorry about? If anyone should apologize, it should be Uncle Shi, for not understanding the situation clearly."


    Shi Yuntianughed heartily, seemingly unconcerned.


    "Mr. Su is quite impressive, talented and good-looking, he matches well with you, Ling''er!"


    Shi Yuntian then nced at Shi Zhuo and said:


    "Zhuo''er, you should also congratte Ling''er."


    "Ling''er, do you know him well? Like you said, you''ve only met twice!"


    Shi Zhuo stared intently at the two and said:


    "Besides, how can a rtionship be confirmed after only two meetings?"


    Mu Ling''er panicked a bit upon hearing this; indeed, they had only met twice.


    Moreover, both times were during escapes, there was no chance to be together!


    Shi Yuntian also looked at the two upon hearing this. Although they acted very much like a couple just now, time was a big issue, there simply wasn''t an opportunity!


    "You don''t get it. With how advancedmunication is now, do you need to meet in person to confirm a rtionship?"


    Su Chen shrugged and said:


    "We''ve always cared about each other, and after a few phone calls, we understood each other''s feelings."


    "Otherwise, why would Ie all the way to Miaojiang if not for Ling''er?"


    Upon hearing this, Shi Yuntian and his son had nothing to say. Although they rarely went out, they knew many young people nowadays fell in love throughmunication tools.


    Moreover, Mu Ling''er had been living outside and only recently returned to Miaojiang.


    Mu Ling''er breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, thankful for his cleverness!


    "As for understanding, as long as we feel we understand each other, it''s no one else''s business!"


    Su Chen looked at Shi Zhuo with a slight smile and said.


    "Alright, your brother Zhuo was just concerned about you, worried that you''d be deceived."


    Shi Zhuo seemed to want to say something, but Shi Yuntian immediatelyughed, giving him a re at the same time.


    As night fell, everyone sat in a circle to start having dinner.


    After dinner, Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er, along with Su Chen, bid farewell and headed to the Heavenly Moon Tribe.


    From the Red Hawk Tribe to the Heavenly Moon Tribe would take one or two hours, of course, that''s at a normal walking pace.


    "By the way, the way you acted earlier was quite convincing, I almost thought it was real!"


    On the way back, Mu Fan joked.


    "Brother, what are you talking about!"


    Mu Ling''er immediately became extremely shy.


    Of course, everyone knew what was really going on earlier.


    "By the way, Miss Mu, aren''t you a candidate for the Saintess? Can you really date and marry?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "Mr. Su, don''t call me Miss Mu, just call me Ling''er."


    Mu Ling''er said shyly.


    "Alright then, you can also just call me Su Chen."


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "Exactly, you two are in a rtionship, no need for such formalities!"


    Mu Fanughed heartily.


    Su Chen was fine, but Mu Ling''er''s face turned red down to her neck, thankfully it was night!


    "Brother Su, you might not know this, first of all, Ling''er is just a candidate, she might not necessarily be the Saintess."


    Mu Fan finally answered Su Chen''s earlier question:


    "Even if she does be the Saintess, it''s no problem. Things are different now; as long as the Saintess abides by the Miaows and fulfills her duties, her basic life won''t be affected."


    Su Chen nodded upon hearing this; it seems some Miaojiang traditions are gradually aligning with the outside world!


    ....


    Meanwhile, in a room of the house where Su Chen and the others had just left, Shi Yuntian and his son sat there.


    "I long suspected that there was something unusual about this guy''s rtionship with Ling''er, and sure enough!"


    Shi Zhuo angrily pounded the table and said:


    "This kid is sure lucky; the Golden Wolf Snake didn''t kill himst night!"


    "Yes, this kid might be an obstacle to us controlling the Mu siblings, especially Mu Ling''er!"


    Shi Yuntian also sighed with some regret.


    "Father, did you ask them about the ''Spirit Insect Manual''?"


    "We can''t ask now; maintaining the current rtionship is crucial. When I actually be the Miao King, she will naturally hand it over. Asking now would only raise their suspicion."


    Shi Yuntian contemted and said:


    "So, we must pay close attention to the Miao King selection. This matter is not to be taken lightly!"


    Shi Zhuo said nonchntly:


    "Even if something unexpected happens during the selection, we can just emte Hua Xinglong from back then and force a resolution! Anyway, Hua Xinglong is dead, the Hua Family is in chaos, who dares to oppose us now?"


    "Idiot!"


    Upon hearing this, Shi Yuntian mmed the table and stood up:


    "Do you want me to die suddenly like Hua Xinglong?"


    "Father, what do you mean?"


    Shi Zhuo asked hesitantly.


    "Do you know why Hua Xinglong died suddenly?"


    "Why?"


    Shi Zhuo looked confused; he genuinely didn''t know much about it!


    "It''s because he led the rebellion back then, disrupting the rules of the Miao people, and this was his punishment!"


    "But he was the Miao King! Who dared, or even could, punish him?"


    Shi Zhuo suddenly widened his eyes and asked.


    "It was those Miao Elders who took action."


    Shi Yuntian sat back down and said.


    "Them? Aren''t they just a bunch of old folks waiting to die?"


    Shi Zhuo blurted out, unable to fathom how Hua Xinglong''s sudden death could be rted to those frail elders!


    "Father, what exactly is going on here?"


    Shi Zhuo asked in confusion.


    "Zhuo''er, as you know, all our Miao Kings have been selected under the auspices of several Miao Elders."


    Shi Yuntian exined:


    "Until ten years ago, when Hua Xinglong incited several major tribes to attack the Heavenly Moon Tribe and brazenly dered himself king, breaking this tradition!"


    "But do you think this tradition is so easily broken?"


    "At that time, because internal strife had just ended and there was a need to quickly restore order, the elders tacitly agreed!"


    "Nearly ten yearster, the previous wounds have almost healed, and it was time for punishment, so Hua Xinglong died!"


    "I thought those old folks were just for show!"


    Shi Zhuo muttered, somewhat incredulous.


    "Ten years ago, we all thought the same, and didn''t take those unassuming elders seriously."


    Shi Yuntian sighed:


    "Otherwise, we wouldn''t have dared tounch a full-scale attack on the Heavenly Moon Tribe back then!"


    And all of this, he only learned after Hua Xinglong''s death!


    Of course, the other tribal leaders felt the same!


    It was only at that moment did they realize how terrifying the elders were!

 Chapter 968: Full of Doubts

    After walking for about an hour and a half, Su Chen finally apanied the Mu siblings, Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er, to the Heavenly Moon Tribe.


    As they entered the vige, all around was silence, everyone had already rested, with only a few dog barks breaking the quiet.


    "Why are you onlying back now?"


    At this moment, a figure emerged from the darkness, it was a man around fifty years old with a square face.


    "We just came back after having dinner at Uncle Shi''s ce."


    Mu Ling''er immediately approached the man, holding his arm and acting spoiled.


    "Uncle Fang, you haven''t slept yet!"


    Mu Fan also asked with a smile.


    "How could I sleep when you haven''t returned?"


    Fang Wen replied irritably.


    "Is this Mr. Su?"


    At this point, Fang Wen directed his gaze at Su Chen and asked.


    "Hello, Uncle Fang."


    Although this man wasn''t as enthusiastic as Shi Yuntian before, Su Chen felt a more reliable presence from him.


    "I appreciate your rescue of the siblings earlier!"


    Fang Wen said sincerely.


    "No need for such politeness, Uncle Fang."


    Su Chen smiled lightly.


    "Alright, let''s go in and have some tea together."


    Fang Wen said, then turned and headed into one of the houses.


    After everyone sat down, Fang Wen poured a cup of tea for each person and then sat down.


    "By the way, Uncle Fang, the Miao King selection is in three days, who is our Heavenly Moon Tribe nning to send to participate this time?"


    Mu Fan took a sip of tea and asked.


    "It''s not decided yet."


    Fang Wen replied:


    "Though we are participating this time, hopes aren''t high."


    "I guess this time it''s very likely that Uncle Shi''s Red Hawk Tribe will win, the Miao King position is probably Uncle Shi''s."


    Mu Ling''er said.


    "I think so too, ever since the events of the past, both the overall strength and the strength of the younger generation, the Cang Lang Tribe and Red Hawk Tribe have remained above the rest."


    Fang Wen nodded in agreement:


    "Since the Cang Lang Tribe isn''t participating in the selection this time, no one can likely be the match for the Red Hawk Tribe!"


    "Why isn''t the Cang Lang Tribe participating?"


    Mu Fan couldn''t help but ask.


    "Hua Xinglong just died not long ago, the Cang Lang Tribe is internally fractured, and the new leader hasn''t been selected yet. Even if their tribe wins, who will hold the Miao King position?"


    Fang Wen replied casually.


    Mu Fan nodded upon hearing this, right, in every tribe it is the final winner who bes the Miao King, and the Cang Lang Tribe doesn''t even have a leader right now!


    "Uncle Fang, Mu Fan and Ling''er, if possible, I think you should prevent the Red Hawk Tribe from achieving the final victory."


    Su Chen pondered and said.


    "Su Chen, why do you always have a prejudice against Uncle Shi?"


    Mu Ling''er asked:


    "You told us to be wary of Uncle Shi and his peoplest time."


    "Indeed, Su brother, while we were fleeing outside, it was thanks to Uncle Shi''s help! Otherwise, Ling''er and I couldn''t have returned to the Heavenly Moon Tribe alive!"


    Mu Fan also spoke up.


    "Mr. Su, let''s hear your reasoning."


    Fang Wen waved his hand, signaling Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er to stop, and then looked towards Su Chen.


    "First, back to the two questions I askedst time, why does your Uncle Shi help you so much, simply out of good intentions? And secondly, why can people from the Cang Lang Tribe always find you no matter where you flee to?"


    Su Chen nced at everyone and said.


    Upon hearing this, Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er became somewhat speechless. Indeed, Su Chen had raised these two questions before, making them think about it, but at that time on the escape route, they simply didn''t have the time to consider these issues.


    Now reflecting on it, it indeed seemed strange. If helping them was purely out of goodwill, it was understandable, but why they always got found seemed a bit abnormal.


    "Continue."


    Fang Wen said with a somewhat heavy expression.


    "Secondly, Uncle Fang, when I saved the siblingsst time, both sides had Qi Refinement Realm expertspeting. Originally, I thought Miaojiang was famous for Gu, poison, and medicine, hence there was not much achievement in Martial Arts."


    Su Chen looked at Fang Wen and said:


    "But today I went to the Red Hawk Tribe and found they also have Meridian Expansion Realm experts. If really to protect, why not send Meridian Expansion Realm experts for protection?"


    As the Mu siblings didn''t understand Martial Arts, he directly conveyed it to Fang Wen.


    "The Cang Lang Tribe sending Qi Refinement Realm I can understand, perhaps they feared sending Meridian Expansion Realm experts would attract attention, after all, the target is to assassinate a holy witch candidate! Moreover, both siblings have no cultivation, Qi Refinement Martial Artists were sufficient!"


    "But what is the Red Hawk Tribe being wary of?"


    Fang Wen upon hearing this tucked his brows and said:


    "Maybe they too were considering the Cang Lang Tribe? Didn''t want Hua Xinglong to find out it was their Red Hawk Tribe opposing them? After all, everyone knows the Meridian Expansion Realm experts from each tribe."


    "Alright, let''s assume this, but there is still a big loophole!"


    Su Chen said seriously.


    "Another one?"


    Fang Wen was taken aback upon hearing this. Truthfully speaking, though some reasons were found for those earlier doubts, they were indeed a bit forced!


    "Go on."


    Fang Wen''s expression gradually became solemn!


    "I''d like to ask Uncle Fang, if you knew the siblings were in danger, what would you do?"


    Su Chen looked at him and asked.


    "Nonsense, of course, I''d send experts to bring them back, if possible, I''d go myself! I don''t believe Hua Xinglong dares to make a move against a holy witch candidate in the vige!"


    Fang Wen replied without hesitation.


    "There you go, even if the Red Hawk Tribe were wary of the Cang Lang Tribe, not wanting exposure, they couldpletely pass the message to you!"


    Su Chen said with a hint of sarcasm:


    "But Shi Yuntian didn''t, Uncle Fang, what are his real intentions?"


    With this statement, Fang Wen had nothing to say!


    Yes, why didn''t he tell me? Was that difficult? Just a lift of a hand!


    At this moment, even the Mu siblings, who always held gratitude and admiration towards Shi Yuntian, realized that things were indeed abnormal!


    "There''s another intriguing matter that you don''t know,st night, in the hotel room, I was attacked by a snake!"


    Su Chen said calmly:


    "And it was a Golden Wolf Snake!"


    "Su Chen, what happened? How could a snake attack you? Are you alright?"


    Mu Ling''er asked nervously upon hearing this.


    "Yes, Su brother, what exactly happened?"


    Mu Fan also immediately asked.


    Su Chen then briefly told what happenedst night.


    "Golden Wolf Snake?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Fang Wen couldn''t help but say:


    "That snake is extremely poisonous, after being poisoned, one would die within minutes!"


    "There are quite many in the outer dense forest, but they never operate in crowded ces, let alone a hotel! This must be controlled by someone!"

 Chapter 969: Selection Begins

    Upon hearing this, Mu Fan and his sister understood that it must have been Shi Yuntian and his son behind it.


    First of all, apart from when Mu Fan called, Shi Yuntian and his son were the ones who heard about Su Chening, he only told Uncle Fang, and that was when he was heading out in the morning, whereas the incident happenedst night.


    "But why would he do that?"


    Mu Ling''er couldn''t help but ask.


    "Because he wants to be the Miao King."


    Fang Wen thought about it for a moment and understood the intricacies, and said:


    "Previously he must have wanted to bring you two siblings to his side without breaking ties with the Cang Lang Tribe, especially Ling''er."


    "And the more dangerous the situation gets, the more grateful you will feel towards him!"


    "As for why he wants to win you over, there are several reasons. First, the ''Spirit Insect Manual'' is still in your hands. Secondly, you are after all the children of the former Miao King. The more everyone resents Hua Xinglong, the more they will miss your father, naturally, these feelings will transfer onto you!"


    "The most important reason is that if Ling''er were to be the Holy Witch, your influence would be very significant. If you support him, his position would be exceedingly stable!"


    Upon hearing this, Mu Fan and Mu Ling''er finally understood everything!


    It turns out Shi Yuntian''s affectionate expressions were all calction, all driven by self-interest!


    This truth was a great blow to both of them!


    "But at that time, Hua Xinglong hadn''t died yet, he was still the Miao King!"


    Mu Fan asked.


    "Because Shi Yuntian knew that Hua Xinglong wouldn''t hold onto that position for long, he was preparing for the future!"


    Fang Wen spoke.


    "Then, Uncle Fang, could it be Hua Xinglong was taken down by him?"


    Su Chen asked, as he had had simr suspicions when he heard about Hua Xinglong''s death.


    "That''s not the case."


    Fang Wen shook his head and briefly exined the elders'' matters.


    After hearing it, Su Chen realized it was actually the Miaojiang elders'' retribution for his past rebellion!


    Back in those days, because the major elders lived too far away, they hadn''t anticipated anyone rebelling. By the time they arrived, it was already toote!


    At that time, for the sake of Miao stability, they didn''t express any stance about him bing Miao King!


    After all, it had just experienced turmoil at that time, and only he and his Cang Lang Tribe could maintain some control.


    However, retribution wille sooner orter; now things have stabilized, so the elders made their move!


    "Actually, there''s something else very strange."


    Fang Wen suddenly said:


    "Back in the days when the Cang Lang Tribe allied with the other tribes to attack our Heavenly Moon Tribe, though Shi Yuntian was the one informing us, the timing was very problematic; he clearly could have informed us earlier, in which case, we wouldn''t have been caught off guard."


    "Now that I think about it, it''s very likely he did it on purpose, intending to let us and the other tribes fight to the death, then emerge to reap the benefits. He just didn''t expect the Cang Lang Tribe to have the same intention, so he didn''t seed!"


    "And I''ve heard rumors that the events of those days were orchestrated by Shi Yuntian to instigate Hua Xinglong, but whether or not it''s true remains unclear!"


    Upon hearing Fang Wen''s words, anger surged on Mu Fan siblings'' faces!


    It turns out that the Shi uncle they once regarded as family was such a person!


    Upon reflecting on his proposal about the situation between Mu Ling''er and Shi Zhuo this afternoon, there must be ulterior motives!


    "Now that we understand who he is, what should we do next?"


    Mu Fan asked, as they once hoped Shi Yuntian would be the new Miao King, but now they must prevent this deceitful person from stepping into that position!


    "I''m afraid we want to but don''t have the strength!"


    Fang Wen also sighed.


    "Uncle Fang, how is the Miao King selection conducted?"


    Su Chen curiously asked.


    "It mainly involves severalpetitions, including Gu, medicine, and martial arts!"


    Fang Wen exined:


    "Then, the leader of the tribe with the best overall performance bes the new Miao King!"


    "But after that battle, the other tribes have certain disparitiespared to the Cang Lang Tribe and Red Hawk Tribe in various aspects!"


    "Can I participate?"


    Su Chen asked. If he could participate, although hecked confidence in Gu, he was quite confident in the other two, especially medicine!


    In terms of medical skills, aside from his old ghost mentor, he ims second, and no one dares to im first!


    As for martial arts, Shi Yuntian is only at about the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer Realm!


    Furthermore, would the leader himselfpete?


    "The selection prohibits outsiders from participating, but you could say you''re Ling''er''s boyfriend, and that would work!"


    Fang Wen considered and said:


    "After all, even at Meridian Expansion Third Layer, you are one of the top experts of the younger generation, and participating would indeed be a great help!"


    "Hahaha~~~ you two are indeed destined for each other!"


    Upon hearing this, Mu Fan, who was furious just now, couldn''t help butugh.


    Mu Ling''er blushed intensely!


    "What''s the matter?"


    Fang Wen asked somewhat puzzled.


    Mu Fan recounted the events of the afternoon, after which Fang Wen couldn''t help but mock:


    "They''re really ying a calcted game. Perfect, Mr. Su, you can participate as Ling''er''s boyfriend!"


    After chatting for a while, Su Chen returned to the siblings'' house with them. The house wasrge, with many rooms.


    His room was already prepared by Mu Ling''er after returningst night.


    Su Chen then cultivated for two to three hours before resting!


    For Su Chen, deciding to intervene in the Miao King selection was merely an incidental matter; what he was most interested in was the future Holy Witch affair!


    In the following two days, Mu Fan and his sister apanied Su Chen as they wandered through the Heavenly Moon Tribe. Over these two days, he became quite familiar with the people there!


    Everyone found him quite approachable, with a good sense of humor, liking him quite a lot, especially some children in the tribe.


    Time quickly passed, reaching the third day, the very day when the Miao people elected a new Miao King!


    This morning, as the sun just rose, the Miao people''s square was already filled with people, all waiting!


    In the center of the square, there was a newly erected stage, prepared for today''spetition!


    Gradually, people from each tribe arrived, including Su Chen, Fang Wen, Mu Fan, his sister, and other members from the Heavenly Moon Tribe.


    "It''s truly lively!"


    Su Chenmented with a smile.


    "Of course, the selection of the Miao King is the foremost event for our Miao people!"


    Fang Wen replied with a smile.


    "Ling''er, you''re here!"


    At that moment, Shi Zhuo approached with a smile, apanied by several people from the Red Hawk Tribe!


    "Humph!"


    Seeing Shi Zhuo, Mu Ling''er immediately grunted, previously thinking his smile was warm and brotherly!


    Now, upon seeing, Mu Ling''er only found it insincere and revolting...

 Chapter 970: Gu Insect Perception

    "Ling''er, what''s wrong?"


    Shi Zhuo asked, puzzled by Mu Ling''er''s attitude.


    "Don''t call me Ling''er anymore, my boyfriend won''t be happy."


    Mu Ling''er directly said while holding Su Chen''s hand.


    "Ling''er, what happened to you?"


    Shi Zhuo was even more confused, so he asked:


    "Are you upset because of what my father proposed a few days ago?"


    "I told you, stop calling me Ling''er, you''re not my brother or my boyfriend!"


    Mu Ling''er snapped with no politeness.


    Seeing many people looking over, Shi Zhuo felt awkward and embarrassed, so he awkwardly left!


    Su Chen didn''t want Mu Ling''er to feign politeness with him, because ultimately, the truth woulde out!


    Mu Fan and Fang Wen watched from the side, also sneering coldly!


    After returning to the Red Hawk Tribe''s area, Shi Zhuo immediately reported the unusual situation to his father, Shi Yuntian.


    Upon hearing, Shi Yuntian nced towards the area where Mu Ling''er was, also feeling somewhat bewildered!


    However, he faintly felt that Mu Ling''er''s change in attitude might have something to do with the newly arrived man!


    Indeed, this man is trouble!


    "Father, do you think that the siblings have already learned something?"


    Shi Zhuo couldn''t help but ask.


    "Possibly, I felt something was off when I first saw that young man!"


    Shi Yuntian said solemnly, a gleam flickering in his eyes!


    "Alright, let''s not worry about this for now. First, win today''s selection contest, that''s the most important!"


    Shi Yuntian then said:


    "We shouldn''t have a problem with the medicine part; Elder Ding''s witch doctor skills are profound. The key is martial arts!"


    "Don''t worry, Father, leave the martial arts contest to me. Among the younger generation, I am confident!"


    Shi Zhuo confidently replied!


    Shi Zhuo said this because, in the selection of the Miao King, there is an unwritten rule for martial arts - it''s mainly a contest among the younger generation, with few elders involved!


    This ispletely different from the contests of Gu and medicine. Gu is the most unique and valued in Miaojiang, so the first round of Gu is a contest among all those with Miaojiang bloodline!


    It''s not about the Refining Gu Art but the perception between people and Gu, which is the best way to assess one''s talent in Gu techniques!


    And for medicine, it''s clearly more suitable for older individuals, as without decades, it''s hard to achieve anything substantial in medicine!


    In contrast, the martial arts contest bes a stage for young people from various tribes to showcase themselves!


    "Mhm!"


    Shi Yuntian nodded upon hearing this.


    His son is recognized as the top genius in martial arts in Miaojiang, not yet thirty, and already at the Meridian Expansion Third Layer!


    In the future, his son''s aplishments in martial arts are sure to surpass his own!


    At this moment, an elder appeared on the stage, and with a gentle wave of his hand, the venue immediately fell silent!


    He is one of Miaojiang''s few elders!


    Previously, the tribe leaders scoffed at these elders because, apart from presiding over some important events, they seemed almost absent!


    However, since Hua Xinglong''s incident, they have be incredibly respectful towards these elders!


    They may appear ordinary, but their cultivation is truly frightening!


    Even Su Chen, looking at that elder, felt slightly apprehensive. Though his aura was restrained, he sensed that the elder''s power might surpass that of the Ghost Domain''s Ghost Lord!


    And the Ghost Lord is the most formidable enemy he has encountered so far!


    Moreover, it''s said there are seven elders in total. If each of them possesses such power, that''s indeed formidable!


    "Today is our Miao tribe''s grand day, where we will select a new Miao King to lead us forward!"


    The elder began, saying:


    "I believe everyone is quite familiar with the rules, so I won''t waste words."


    "Now, I announce the official start of the first round Gupetition. Here are ten Gu, ten per group. Everyone with Miaojiang blood muste up and try, except those who have tried before!"


    The elder continued as he looked at the long table being carried up.


    He said this because, during previous selections of the Miao King, a simr procedure was followed, and their sensitivity to the Gu had been recorded!


    So now, those who haven''t been tested are all under twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old!


    Even so, there are still quite a few in the entire Miao tribe!


    Subsequently, these individuals went on stage batch by batch. Su Chen, having not seen this before, was quite curious!


    After a while, he noticed that when different people interacted with the Gu, the Gu would immediately emit a radiance!


    These radiances varied in color and were extremely mystical!


    He guessed that the different colors of light represented different levels of perception!


    Meanwhile, in the diaojiaolou at the back of the square, six elders were observing the proceedings below!


    "Hopefully, we find some good seeds this time!"


    One of the elders smiled.


    "Let''s hope so!"


    Another elder softly said.


    "This is not the main point of today, ensuring the smoothness after the turmoil is most crucial!"


    An elder spoke up again.


    "Indeed, what happened ten years ago must not happen again!"


    "With the lesson from Hua Xinglong''s incident and discussions with tribe leaders, I believe it will not ur!"


    Gradually, dozens of batches went on stage. After all, it didn''t take long, just a matter of seconds!


    Some children were too young, carried onto the stage by their parents!


    At this moment, it was finally Heavenly Moon Tribe''s turn!


    Mu Fan and his sister never interacted with Gu, so they didn''t take it seriously and simply went on stage!


    Following the previous people''s example, they ced one hand on the ck stone-like Gu in front of them!


    Simrly, Gu in front of everyone radiated different colors: red, blue, yellow, and more!


    The Gu before Mu Fan emitted a blue glow, while the one before Mu Ling''er emitted a purple glow!


    The elder, upon seeing the purple glow, couldn''t help but reveal a strange expression!


    Mu Ling''er was about to withdraw her hand, but at that moment, a yellow glow radiated from the Gu in front of her!


    "Don''t move!"


    The elder''s face changed upon seeing the yellow glow, and he urgently shouted!


    His shout startled everyone, unsure of whom he was referring to, so each kept their hand on the Gu!


    "Others can withdraw their hands, but you stay, keep your hand on it!"


    The elder hurriedly said, approaching Mu Ling''er.


    So everyone withdrew their hand and left the stage, leaving only Mu Ling''er.


    She had no idea what was happening at the moment!


    At this moment, a red glow radiated from the Gu in front of her...

 Chapter 971: Wait!

    When the red light shed, everyone widened their eyes in surprise!


    Because previously, everyone else could only emit one color of light!


    But the Gu in front of Mu Ling''er emitted three colors at this moment!


    The three colors intertwined in a ring-like pattern, creating a wondrous scene!


    Su Chen also marveled, thinking that this Miaojiang is truly a magical ce, with so many things that outsiders can''tprehend!


    Even the few elders in the stilt house showed expressions of disbelief at this time!


    "The three-colored Spiritual Maiden, it has been a long time since one appeared!"


    An elder sighed:


    "I didn''t expect one to appear today!"


    "Indeed, isn''t that Mu He''s daughter?"


    Another elder sighed:


    "Truly, a dragon begets a dragon, a phoenix begets a phoenix, extraordinary indeed!"


    "Could it be that the Heavenly Moon Tribe is about to rise again?"


    Another elder also muttered to himself.


    "This seems unlikely; in the subsequent twopetitions, I''m afraid no one will be a match for the Red Hawk Tribe!"


    The elderly man beside him spoke:


    "However, her strong sense with the Gu significantly increases her chances of bing the Holy Witch Maiden!"


    The other elders nodded in agreement, though nothing can be easily guaranteed!


    But one elder had remained silent, and none of the others dared to disturb him!


    He was the elder from Dali of Miaojiang, the head of all elders!


    After Mu Ling''er stepped down, wave after wave of people took the stage!


    About an hourter, it finally ended!


    "Now, I announce that in the first-roundpetition, the Heavenly Moon Tribe has won!"


    At this time, the ceremonial elder announced loudly from the stage!


    The people of the Heavenly Moon Tribe immediately erupted in enthusiastic cheers!


    Fang Wen also had a gratified smile on his face, not expecting Mu Ling''er''s great sensitivity to the Gu!


    Meanwhile, Shi Yuntian and his son watched with somewhat disgruntled looks, as their tribe would have won had it not been for Mu Ling''er.


    Because a person from their tribe also managed to emit a two-colored light with the Gu!


    In the past, he would have weed this oue!


    But now, Mu Ling''er''s previous attitude towards Shi Zhuo made them somewhat uneasy!


    "Now, the second round of the medicalpetition begins!"


    The elder announced.


    As his words fell, a man and woman brought a little girl to the stage, apanied by a middle-aged man!


    The little girl''s face was pale, her whole body seemed weak and feeble!


    "This little girl is a patient we invited from the South Yunnan Central Hospital. She has blood cancer, with only a few months to live, but she hasn''t found a suitable bone marrow match."


    The elder introduced:


    "So we discussed with the president of the South Yunnan Central Hospital and her family, to let us try, for even a glimmer of hope!"


    Upon hearing that the girl had terminal blood cancer, everyone drew in a cold breath!


    Blood cancer is not an ordinary disease, otherwise known as leukemia. Patients with it are weak, and their bodily organs gradually fail!


    Normally, symptoms can only be alleviated through dialysis, but dialysis causes significant pain and is merely symptomatic relief!


    Currently, besides bone marrow transnts, there are no other effective treatments, and suitable matches are incredibly difficult to find!


    Many people never find a match before they pass away!


    Indeed, each tribe in Miaojiang has some witch doctors, but they have no solutions for blood cancer!


    Witch doctors are a type of medical practice, like Chinese and Western medicine, and are not omnipotent!


    "Elder Ding, do you have confidence?"


    At this time, Shi Yuntian looked at an elder beside him and asked.


    "Blood cancer is indeed extremely challenging; I''ll do my best, perhaps extending her life by two or three years!"


    Elder Ding responded hesitantly:


    "But I believe no one from the other tribes has a solution!"


    "That''s enough; as long as you can extend her life, we''ve won!"


    Shi Yuntian smirked.


    He only cared about winning, not about the little girl!


    Moreover, she''s bound to die anyway; gaining a few more years is already a bonus!


    "Anyone who has a way, feel free to try!"


    The elder continued:


    "Even if not for thepetition, saving a life is a great merit!"


    But no one responded.


    "Please save my daughter, we''re begging you!"


    Then, the man and woman who brought the girl knelt down; they were the girl''s parents!


    They were truly out of options, which is why they agreed to let the Miaojiang elder try witchcraft medicine!


    "I can!"


    Seeing the girl''s condition, Su Chen couldn''t bear it and was about to act when a voice piped up!


    Then an elder walked onto the stage, and people weren''t too surprised upon seeing him!


    "It''s Elder Ding!"


    "Indeed, probably only he might have a way!"


    "Elder Ding''s medical skills are well recognized! If even he can''t manage it, no one can!"


    .......


    Seeing the elder, everyonemented, clearly having great faith in his medical skills!


    Hearing the praise around him, that elder was full of satisfaction, stepping confidently onto the not-too-high tform!


    "Thank you, thank you!"


    Seeing someone finally willing to help, the girl''s parents gratefully kowtowed multiple times to Elder Ding.


    "Stand up, it''s the least we can do."


    The presiding elder smiled at the girl''s parents, ready to help them up.


    However, the girl''s parents couldn''t allow such an elderly person to help them, so they stood up themselves.


    "Elder, can we start?"


    Then the middle-aged man who came with the girl''s parents asked. He was the president of the South Yunnan Central Hospital!


    After all, the girl was a patient from his hospital, so he came along, also wanting to witness the uniqueness of witchcraft medicine!


    "We can begin."


    Elder Ding immediately squatted down and took out a stone-like object that shimmered in rainbow colors!


    Then he infused it with True Yuan, and ayer of Ice Frost appeared on the stone!


    "Hold on!"


    At this time, a voice rang out; of course, it was from Su Chen!


    With that said, everyone who was focused on the stage turned their attention toward him!


    Seeing that it came from a young man from the Heavenly Moon Tribe, everyone became even more curious!


    Fang Wen, the Mu Fan siblings, and the members of the Heavenly Moon Tribe who had gotten to know each other over the past days were also puzzled, unsure of his intentions!


    Su Chen, however, ignored the others and walked straight to the stage...

 Chapter 972: Then Let Me Do It

    "Who are you?"


    The elderly man preparing for treatment was interrupted by a young man, and his face immediately showed a hint of anger.


    Although Su Chen had been to the Red Hawk Tribe once, he hadn''t met him!


    "I''m from the Heavenly Moon Tribe."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "I''m preparing for treatment, what are you doing here?"


    The elderly man asked coldly. Even though he didn''t recognize Su Chen, with so many people in the Heavenly Moon Tribe, he couldn''t possibly know everyone!


    "I just want to ask, are you confident you canpletely cure this little girl?"


    Su Chen looked at him and said.


    "Who can have that confidence? This is blood cancer!"


    The elderly man became even more displeased when he heard this question:


    "But I''m eighty percent sure that I can extend her life by two or three years!"


    "Thank you, thank you!"


    On hearing this, the girl''s parents became excited and quickly came forward to shake the elder''s hand!


    For them, even one more day is good, let alone two or three years!


    What if they find suitable bone marrow during that time?


    Not only the parents but even the principal appeared excited!


    This witch doctor truly has something unique!


    "What method do you n to use?"


    Su Chen calmly asked.


    "Who do you think you are? Do I owe you an exnation?"


    The elderly man replied dismissively!


    "Are you nning to use some special method to suppress the rate of blood mutation?"


    Su Chen asked directly.


    "How did you know?"


    The elderly man blurted out, his face full of shock!


    "Do you know how much pain it will cause the patient when it erupts? Can a little girl bear that?"


    Su Chen asked coldly.


    Even though he didn''t understand witch doctors and didn''t know what methods they might use!


    But he understood the human body, and the principles are just a few; simplicity is the ultimate sophistication!


    The other party said he could let the girl live for two or three more years; he immediately understood it must involve suppressing the blood mutation!


    But this is suppression, and it will eventually erupt. The longer you suppress it, the more severe the eruption!


    "That''s when there''s no choice. Otherwise, she would only have a few months to live!"


    For this young man''s questioning, he was getting more and more annoyed, feeling that the other party was just here to cause trouble!


    The principal also sighed. In any case, it at least meant two or three more years to wait for suitable bone marrow!


    "Please step aside and don''t dy my treatment!"


    The elderly man pushed Su Chen but failed to move him.


    "What do you mean?"


    At this moment, a shadow appeared on the elderly man''s face!


    "If you can''t guarantee aplete cure for this girl, then let me do it!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    "I have no assurance; do you have the guarantee to cure her?"


    The elderly man immediately retorted, dissatisfied!


    "Of course!"


    Su Chen lightly uttered two words.


    Although his voice was soft, the audience was in an uproar!


    What did he say? He''s going to do it? He can cure this girl?!


    On what grounds?


    A youngd like this, what does he know about medicine?


    Even the people of the Heavenly Moon Tribe were filled with shock, each showing a suspicious look, thinking their ears might have deceived them?


    "Ling''er, does Su Chen also know medicine?"


    Fang Wen couldn''t help but ask.


    "I don''t know."


    Mu Ling''er shook her head and then a light shed in her beautiful eyes:


    "But I believe him!"


    Seeing her say this, Fang Wen could only shake his head and watch the developments in silence!


    At this moment, in the Red Hawk Tribe''s area, Shi Yuntian''s face had already turned gloomy!


    This brat really is here to stir up trouble!


    How unbearable!


    However, he didn''t believe for a second that Su Chen could cure this girl!


    Shi Zhuo looked at him with equal hatred!


    Compared to Shi Yuntian, he hated Su Chen even more!


    His feelings toward Mu Ling''er were not just about using her; he truly fancied this woman!


    Mu Ling''er was considered the number one beauty in Miaojiang, with top-notch looks and figure!


    Especially those long legs, which were extremely tempting!


    "Who is this young man? Does anyone know?"


    At this time, an elder in the stilt house asked.


    "Don''t know, never seen him!"


    "Me neither, never seen this person before."


    ...


    Other elders also expressed their unfamiliarity.


    "He just said he could cure this girl, do you think it''s credible?"


    The elder asked again.


    "I don''t think it''s reliable."


    "I feel the same; this is blood cancer!"


    "But looking at the young man''s confident demeanor, maybe he really could create a miracle?"


    The elders casually discussed.


    "Let''s just watch and see!"


    Another elder chuckled.


    "That''s true."


    The othersughed and continued to watch the square...


    "Sir, can you really cure my daughter?"


    The girl''s mother was so excited upon hearing this that she hurriedly ran over and tightly grabbed Su Chen''s arm, asking.


    "Of course, don''t worry, ma''am, I will surely cure your daughter and let her live healthily!"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Young man, you''re not joking, are you? Can you truly cure Xiaorou''s illness?"


    The principal also asked incredulously.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen nodded firmly!


    "Hehe~~"


    Just then, the elderly man beside them couldn''t help but sneer:


    "Do you really believe him? How naive!"


    "This is blood cancer, not amon cold or flu!"


    Hearing the elder''s words, the excitement in several people''s hearts also cooled down.


    Indeed, is this disease that easily cured? This is a global problem!


    Moreover, this person is so young!


    "Uncle, Auntie, believe me."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "I will definitely return your daughter to you healthy!"


    "Alright, after all, we''ve seen so many doctors and hospitals, trying one more time doesn''t hurt!"


    The girl''s father looked at Su Chen and gritted his teeth as he spoke.


    "Hmph, I''d like to see how you will handle it!"


    The elderly man snorted coldly.


    "What if I cure this girl?"


    Su Chen smiled and nced at him.


    "If you cure her, I''ll crawl around this tform once!"


    The elderly man pursed his lips and said:


    "What if you can''t cure her?"


    He didn''t believe for a moment that this young man could cure the girl!


    Of course, others had nearly the same thought!


    "The same for me!"


    Su Chen smiled nonchntly:


    "If I can''t cure her, I''ll crawl around this tform too!"


    "Alright, I''ll wait to see you crawl!"


    The elderly man said coldly.


    "I''m afraid you won''t have that chance."


    Su Chen smiled indifferently...

 Chapter 973: Heavenly Profound Divine Needle

    The atmosphere in the crowd grew even more intense upon hearing the bet between the two!


    After all, people love watching a good show, especially when it getsplicated!


    "Bro, do you think he can really cure that little girl?"


    Mu Ling''er asked nervously.


    "Worried about him, are you?"


    Mu Fan smiled slightly and said,


    "Don''t worry, although I haven''t known him for long, I can tell he isn''t someone who acts recklessly with blind arrogance."


    Mu Ning''er felt a little more at ease upon hearing Mu Fan''s words.


    "This little guy is quite interesting."


    At this moment, an Elder from the stilted building spoke up.


    "Yes, I am quite looking forward to seeing if this little fellow can create a miracle!"


    Another Elder said.


    Several other Elders looked at Su Chen, also seeming full of interest.


    "Is it Xiaorou?"


    Su Chen walked to the little girl''s side, gently stroked her hair, and smiled slightly:


    "Do you trust big brother?"


    Looking at the little girl in front of him, he couldn''t help but recall Xiaoxun, especially when he first met Xiaoxun at Tianshan.


    This girl had short hair, looked around the same age as Xiaoxun, very thin, and herplexion was very pale!


    "I believe you!"


    The little girl nodded.


    "Good, since you believe in big brother, big brother promises to cure you, so that you won''t suffer so much in the future!"


    Su Chen said seriously.


    "Really? Then can I go to school in the future? Can I y with my ssmates?"


    The little girl listened to Su Chen''s words, and a gleam of happiness appeared in her eyes.


    The girl''s parents heard this, almost burst into tears, their noses feeling a sour rush.


    Since being diagnosed with this illness over two years ago, she had dropped out of school and didn''t dare to y outside usually!


    Because if she got bumped with this illness, the consequences could be very serious!


    "Of course, in the future, you will be just like your ssmates, doing whatever you want!"


    Su Chen looked at her innocent and pure expression and said with a smile.


    "Thank you, big brother!"


    The little girl happily pecked his face and said gleefully.


    "Alright, let''s begin!"


    Su Chen lifted the little girl, ced her on the long table that hadn''t been cleared away, revealing a light smile:


    "Xiaorou, be good, close your eyes first, and only open them when big brother tells you to!"


    This rxed expression was entirely for the little girl''sfort, so she wouldn''t be nervous. In truth, his heart was heavy!


    Healing leukemia was actually more challenging than the treatments he previously did for Pei Man, Elder Pei, and Elder Lin, as this was a problem caused by abnormalities in the blood!


    "Okay!"


    The little girl answered softly and immediately closed her eyes tightly!


    Su Chen took out a long cloth bag,id it open on the long table, and it was filled with silver needles of various lengths and thicknesses, totaling a hundred and eight!


    Su Chen took a deep breath, his face showing a slightly grave expression!


    What he was concerned about now was not the contest but purely wanting to cure this girl!


    For a doctor, it is most important to have a heart ofpassion!


    Suddenly, he pped the table vigorously, and at the same moment, all those silver needles shot out!


    "Set!"


    Su Chen shouted forcefully, waving his hand, and a bizarre scene unfolded: those firing silver needles halted!


    Witnessing this, everyone in the square widened their eyes!


    "Rise!"


    Su Chen shouted again, raising his hands upward, and those silver needles seemed controlled by an invisible force, soaring up, then pausing in the void above the little girl''s body!


    "Transform!"


    Su Chen continued waving his hands rapidly, moving so fast that his shadow could barely be seen!


    The silver needles began to move in the void, gradually arranging themselves in an orderly manner, resembling a Milky Way waterfall!


    Suddenly, a buzzing sound echoed in the air; these silver needles in the void trembled incessantly, as if eager to begin!


    ...


    "Elder Dali, what''s the matter with you?"


    At this moment, an Elder from the stilted building suddenly noticed Elder Dali, who had been silent, trembling, startled, and hurriedly asked!


    Hearing the sound, the other several Elders also looked towards Elder Dali, only to see him agitated, his face flushed, eyes gleaming, staring firmly at the square tform!


    "Elder Dali, what''s wrong with you?"


    They couldn''t help but ask him as well; they had been marveling at the young man''s miraculous methods, not paying attention to what was happening on his side!


    "This is the Heavenly Profound Divine Needle!"


    Elder Dali didn''t hear what others said, his face full of shock!


    "He is actually that person''s disciple!"


    Elder Dali murmured softly.


    "Elder Dali, what did you say?"


    The other several Elders asked when they saw him mumbling to himself.


    "Nothing, that girl is saved now!"


    The head Elder, Elder Dali, also came to his senses and said gently.


    ...


    "Descend!"


    At this moment, Su Chen shouted again, gently pulling downwards with one hand, as if casually!


    Those silver needles, trembling in the void as if in urgent anticipation, immediately fell and pierced into the girl''s body!


    "Mm!"


    The girl''s body, covered top to bottom with silver needles, looked like a hedgehog, elicited a soft moan!


    Then blood began to seep out from each point where a silver needle pierced, gradually staining the girl''s clothes!


    At this moment, the girl had already fallen into aatose state...


    The earlier scene had left the entire Miao ethnic group dumbfounded and their gazes nk!


    "What is happening?"


    The girl''s mother quickly asked, her expression somewhat frightened.


    "This is blood traction, currently drawing out the mutated blood; once the traction isplete, it will be okay!"


    Su Chen replied with a smile, only giving a simple exnation, since she wouldn''t understand it anyway.


    Not to mention her, even the dean, who was a blood cancer expert standing beside her, listened in confusion, bewildered.


    After a while, Su Chen lightly brushed a hand over those silver needles, and they all ended up in his hand.


    At this point, the blood on the girl''s body had ceased flowing outward, and he inserted the silver needles back into the cloth bag.


    Su Chen then infused some True Yuan into the girl''s body, slowly guiding it to nourish her body, considering she had lost some blood just now!


    "Sir, how is my daughter?"


    After Su Chen finished all this, the girl''s parents once again asked worriedly.


    "She''s fine now."


    Su Chen answered smilingly.


    "Fine?"


    Upon hearing this, the girl''s parents, as well as the dean, widened their eyes in disbelief!


    The other people in the square were also in shock!


    Does this mean she''s fine?


    They all felt bewildered and incredulous!


    "Dad, Mom."


    At this moment, the girl slowly opened her eyes and called out.


    "Xiaorou, how do you feel?"


    The girl''s mother immediately asked.


    "I feel different, veryfortable."


    The girl meekly said.


    Upon hearing this, the girl''s parents'' faces immediately bloomed with intense joy!


    Although they couldn''t yet ascertain whether their daughter was fully cured!

 Chapter 974 - 974 Duel

    "You say it''s alright and it''s alright!"


    At this moment, the elder named Ding sarcastically said:


    "How to prove it? Who can prove it?"


    "That''s not difficult."


    At this moment, the Elder spoke:


    "Dean Liao specifically brought a set of equipment from their hospital that''s been phased out, and it''s in the stilted building now!"


    "Indeed, although this set of equipment isn''t the most advanced, it''s perfectly capable of checking if Xiao Rou''s blood cancer is cured."


    Dean Liao said, hospitals are critical ces for saving lives, so the equipment is frequently updated, naturally leading to some being phased out.


    Knowing today was apetition and results needed quickly, a set of blood testing equipment was brought over.


    Then the Elder instructed two people to take the girl, her family, and Dean Liao to the stilted building.


    Miaojiang is different now than before, with basic infrastructure like electricity and water already established, and rumors say they''ll have inte in a couple of years!


    "Hmph, I''m waiting for you to crawl around the tform like a dog!"


    Elder Ding sneered at this time, still not believing Su Chen cured the girl!


    "I''m afraid when the timees, it''ll be you crawling like a dog!"


    Su Chen shrugged with a smile, and then both of them stepped off the tform!


    However, just halfway down, Su Chen couldn''t help but spit out a mouthful of blood!


    "Su Chen, what''s wrong?"


    As soon as Mu Ling''er saw him vomiting blood suddenly, she rushed over, followed closely by Mu Fan.


    "I''m fine."


    Su Chen smiled, supporting himself on Mu Ling''er''s arm.


    The use of the needle method just now had greatly drained his energy!


    "You''re still saying you''re fine after this!"


    Mu Ling''er gave him a resentful look and quickly helped him to a seat nearby.


    "Alright, it''ll take some time for the results toe out, so we''ll proceed with the third round of the martialpetition now."


    At this moment, the Elder had people remove the long table and spoke.


    Once the words were spoken, everyone became excited!


    Although the specialties of Miaojiang are Gu and medicine, the martial artspetition is the most popr!


    After all, the matches are the most lively, especially appealing to the warm-blooded youth¡ªthis is their stage!


    "Anyone who wants to challenge me,e up and try!"


    At this point, a young man with a rtively darkplexion leapt up onto the tform with a powerful stride. He was built like a bull and yelled loudly after jumping on stage!


    "This is ck Bull from the Tengu tribe, and not just anyone can withstand his fists!"


    Someone remarked.


    "I''ll take you on!"


    Just then, another young man jumped onto the stage.


    However, he was a size smaller than the previous guy, and his True Essence Aura radiated widely!


    These two were both young talents at the Meridian Expansion First Layer, immediately heating up the atmosphere on stage!


    Then the two began an intense battle on stage. In just a short while, they had exchanged twenty to thirty moves, leaving the watching young people envious!


    After all, among the youth of Miaojiang, masters at the Meridian Expansion Realm are rare!


    Su Chen was sitting on a wooden bench on the side, regting his breath and recovering his body.


    The Heavenly Profound Divine Needle is a marvelous needle method, but every use consumes considerable energy!


    He had only used it twice before, and today was his third time!


    "Bang!"


    Just then, ck Bull punched the other''s body, sending him flying!


    Afterward, two more people went up to challenge him but were also sent flying by his fists!


    "ck Bull, you''re quite something! Let me have a go!"


    At this time, someone as agile as a skinny monkey hopped onto the stage jokingly; his nickname was Skinny Monkey!


    However, the usually arrogant ck Bull wore a serious expression upon seeing this person!


    Although his fists were his trump card, this Skinny Monkey was a master at the Meridian Expansion Second Layer!


    Sure enough, upon starting to fight, he found that the opponent was incredibly fast and agile, truly like a monkey!


    He could hardly touch even the corner of the Skinny Monkey''s clothes, thus unable to show off his strength!


    Instead, he got thoroughly teased by the opponent!


    "Go ahead!"


    Then Skinny Monkey delivered a kick to his butt, sending him off the tform,nding in a disgraceful manner!


    Seeing this, the crowd burst intoughter, and ck Bull''s face, already dark, turned even darker!


    After ck Bull, two or three more challenged Skinny Monkey, but all were easily defeated and toyed with!


    "This Skinny Monkey is truly a martial arts genius!"


    Someone remarked in admiration.


    Just then, a proud-looking young man stepped out from the crowd and headed towards the tform!


    "Shi Zhuo is finally hitting the stage!"


    "Skinny Monkey won''t be unting now!"


    "Yes, Shi Zhuo is the number one martial arts talent among the younger generation in Miaojiang!"


    ...


    Seeing Shi Zhuoe out, the crowd excitedly discussed!


    Many young women even cast admiring nces towards him!


    "Shi Zhuo, I''ve been waiting for you!"


    Skinny Monkey squinted his eyes and said, no longer with his previous yful demeanor!


    "You are no match for me."


    Shi Zhuo said tly.


    He didn''t consider Skinny Monkey, who had just taken down several Meridian Expansion Realm experts, to be a challenge at all!


    "We''ll only know after the fight!"


    Skinny Monkey said seriously. Without finishing his sentence, he disappeared like a puff of smoke and suddenly appeared in front of Shi Zhuo,unching a palm strike!


    The palm wind, like a sharp de, shed through the air!


    However, Shi Zhuo remained calm, unmoved!


    Just as Skinny Monkey''s palm was about to hit him, he suddenly took a step to evade it and then kicked towards the side of his opponent!


    "Bang!"


    Skinny Monkey intended to rely on his flexible body to dodge the kick, but unexpectedly the opponent''s speed was too fast, and he failed to dodge, getting kicked back several steps!


    Seeing the previouslycent Skinny Monkey unable to dodge even Shi Zhuo''s casual kick, the crowd on the square couldn''t help but show looks of astonishment!


    Some older experts even nodded in approval!


    "Your speed and agility are not advantages against me!"


    Shi Zhuo said condescendingly, as he surpassed Skinny Monkey by a Minor Realm!


    "Fine, then let''s fight it out!"


    Skinny Monkey said, then directly charged towards Shi Zhuo!


    The two quickly became entangled in battle!


    "Bang!"


    But after only seven or eight moves, Skinny Monkey was sent flying by a palm strike from Shi Zhuo!


    "I concede! You truly deserve to be known as the top martial arts genius of our generation in Miaojiang!"


    Skinny Monkey struggled to stand, admitting his defeat willingly.


    "Thank you for letting me win!"


    Shi Zhuo said tly:


    "The gap in realm is not easily bridged!"


    "Anyone else willing toe up?"


    Shi Zhuo nced over the tform with indifference, but no one dared to challenge him!


    Of course, this refers to the young people!


    The older ones, if they were to step up, would instead be looked down upon, as the stage for martial arts is meant for the young...

 Chapter 975: Self-inflicted harm, no survival!

    Shi Zhuo looked at the young people under the stage, their expressions filled with fear, admiration, envy, or worship for him, feeling somewhat like overlooking other mountains from the peak!


    Then, his gaze fell upon Su Chen, who was resting outside the crowd!


    "Mr. Su, aren''t you from the Triple Layer Realm in Meridian Expansion? Would you like toe up and try?"


    Shi Zhuoughed mockingly.


    Following his gaze, everyone realized that the Mr. Su he was referring to was the man who had just stepped up to treat the little girl.


    However, most of them had never seen him before, so naturally, they didn''t recognize him!


    Some people neighboring the Heavenly Moon Tribe could not help but inquire, only to find out that this young man was Mu Ling''er''s boyfriend!


    As word spread from one to ten, then ten to a hundred, everyone soon knew!


    Although the Mu siblings arrived in Miaojiang after Hua Xinglong''s death, as the children of the former Miao King, nearly everyone attended their wee ceremony, so naturally, they were recognized!


    Of course, that wee ceremony was secretly orchestrated by Shi Yuntian, but at this moment, it seemed to have backfired!


    Shi Yuntian still hadn''t fully understood the reason for the change in attitude of the Mu siblings!


    Just hearing Shi Zhuo proactively challenge Su Chen, his heart instantly sank!


    He was previously afraid this man named Su would cause trouble; after all, he was also a skilled practitioner of the Triple Layer, just like his son!


    But he never expected that before the man could cause trouble, his son would proactively challenge him!


    "Foolish!"


    He couldn''t help but mutter under his breath!


    He certainly knew why Shi Zhuo wanted to challenge the man, and most of the reason was, of course, Mu Ling''er!


    He wanted to stop it, but then thought that this guy seemed to have been somewhat injured earlier¡ªperhaps it was a good opportunity to suppress him!


    Because in the first two rounds today, it was the Heavenly Moon Tribe that shined brightly; first Mu Ling''er sensed a Gu insect and released three-colored light, then this guy stepped up to save someone!


    Whether he managed to cure her was still unknown, but undoubtedly, his actions had amazed many!


    If he couldn''t be suppressed, in the minds of everyone, they would likely be more inclined toward the Heavenly Moon Tribe!


    "Shi Zhuo, you''re taking advantage of someone''s weakness; you know perfectly well Su Chen has just rescued someone and is now physically weak!"


    Mu Ling''er immediately protested at Shi Zhuo on the stage.


    However, the more Mu Ling''er defended Su Chen, the more Shi Zhuo wanted to teach Su Chen a lesson!


    Shi Zhuo had always been confident in his Martial Arts talent, even though Su Chen was also from the Triple Layer in the Expansion Realm, he wasn''t afraid!


    Especially since Su Chen''s physical condition was visibly poor now!


    "Mr. Su, are you afraid?"


    Shi Zhuo immediately nced at Su Chen and mocked.


    At this moment, the whole audience focused their attention on Su Chen, watching how he would respond!


    The young couldn''t see Su Chen''s realm; the older ones spotted Su Chen was also a Triple Layer expert, and were somewhat astonished!


    Upon hearing Shi Zhuo''s words, Su Chen couldn''t help but scoff!


    He hadn''t gone to settle with him yet, and he dared to provoke him proactively!


    Truly, as the saying goes, bringing misfortune upon oneself cannot end well!


    "Do you really want to challenge me?"


    Su Chen looked yfully at Shi Zhuo on the stage not far away and asked.


    "In Miaojiang, we worship warriors the most; being Mu Ling''er''s boyfriend, surely you have enough courage?"


    Shi Zhuo deliberately taunted Su Chen.


    "Su Chen, ignore him."


    Mu Ling''er worriedly advised Su Chen.


    Though she didn''t understand Martial Arts, she saw Shi Zhuo''s match with others earlier and knew he was strong!


    Moreover, Su Chen''splexion was quite pale now!


    "Indeed, Su Chen, there''s no need to bother with him."


    Mu Fan also said likewise.


    "Don''t worry, since he wants a p in the face, how can I not oblige?"


    Su Chen smiled indifferently and said:


    "Consider it a little interest for you siblings being deceived by these sanctimonious father and son for so long!"


    After speaking, he stood up, and then casually walked toward the stage.


    "Kid,e on! Today, I''ll show you my prowess!"


    Seeing hime up, Shi Zhuo''s eyes suddenly shot a sharp glint towards him:


    "Let Ling''er know who the true warrior is!"


    "You really have the gall to bring up Ling''er; just what intentions do you hypocritical father and son have for the siblings, do you really think no one knows?"


    Su Chen retorted disdainfully.


    "Nonsense?!"


    Shi Zhuo''s expression trembled at that moment, secretly thinking they''ve indeed found out!


    So he immediately shouted, then moved swiftly to attack Su Chen!


    The purpose was naturally to prevent him from speaking further in this public setting!


    Only, after hearing the previous words, and recalling earlier scenarios, everyone became even more puzzled.


    They remembered earlier scenes where the Mu siblings and Shi Yuntian father and son appeared close as family, yet now it seemed not the case?


    However, they soon formed their own opinions, believing it might be due to romantic issues between young men and women!


    Possibly Shi Zhuo fancied Mu Ling''er, and Mu Ling''er began dating this young man, leading to conflict!


    The hypocrisy the young man mentioned seemed to stem from believing Shi Yuntian and son treated the siblings well only to have her marry into the Shi Family!


    "Boom!"


    As everyone still spected on Su Chen''s earlier remarks, suddenly, a loud, dull sound rang out!


    A figure had been thrown back,nding at the edge of the stage several meters away!


    When everyone saw who was on the ground, they were astonished with wide eyes!


    Shi Zhuo had been struck and sent flying out?!


    For most people, they didn''t know their exact skill level, but they knew one thing!


    Shi Zhuo was the first genius in Martial Arts among Miaojiang''s younger generation, also the top expert!


    Even those who could discern both were Triple Layer practitioners were shocked!


    Not because Shi Zhuo lost, while they had more confidence in him, losing or winning at the same level was normal!


    But it happened too quickly!


    It was so fast they couldn''t even react!


    This only indicated one thing: this person''s strengthpletely overwhelmed Shi Zhuo!


    Moreover, this was despite his apparent poor condition!


    That''s what truly shocked them!


    "Isn''t this unbelievable?"


    "Indeed, that previous strike was at least the power of the Fifth Layer in Meridian Expansion!"


    "More than that, I think it might have reached the Sixth Layer!"


    "What a young prodigy! Inparison, Shi Zhuo falls far short!"


    "Indeed, this young man truly surprised us!"


    ...


    Simultaneously, the elders in the stilts were also amazed!


    "Certainly worthy of being that person''s disciple!"


    The Dali elder watched this scene, his eyes filled with extraordinary brilliance...

 Chapter 976 Healing

    <h4>Chapter 976: Chapter 976 Healing</h4>


    "Zhuo¡¯er!"


    At this moment, a startled voice rang out, and a figure swiftly leaped onto the stage!


    "Zhuo¡¯er, are you alright?"


    Shi Yuntian slowly supported Shi Zhuo¡¯s back, helping him rise a little.


    "Pfft!"


    Just as Shi Zhuo was about to speak, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out!


    "Don¡¯t speak!"


    Shi Yuntian quickly said, pressing his palm against Shi Zhuo¡¯s back, slowly channeling some True Yuan into him, making Shi Zhuo feel a bit better!


    Afterward, Shi Yuntian helped him stand up and said:


    "Wait for me here for a moment."


    With that said, he walked step by step towards Su Chen, a look of venomous resentment shooting from his eyes!


    Just now, he had heard Su Chen¡¯s words from the stage, and immediately understood that it was indeed this boy who had ruined things, which is why Mu Fan and Mu Ling¡¯er had their current attitude!


    At this point, the siblings probably already knew their hidden purpose, but how did this boy find out?


    No matter how it happened, everything had been ruined by this boy!


    He wanted to heal the girl earlier, leaving Elder Ding without a chance to intervene!


    Back then, he imed to have the confidence to cure the girl, and since it was a girl¡¯s life at stake, Elder Ding didn¡¯t darepete for the chance to act without certainty!


    On top of that, in the current tournament, his own son was injured by him in a single move!


    Except for the uncontroble first round of Gu sensing, he was confident about the following two rounds.


    But now, everything was spoiled by this boy!


    All these incidentsbined made Shi Yuntian eager to get rid of Su Chen as soon as possible!


    "Boy, how dare you injure my son!"


    Shi Yuntian red furiously at Su Chen, spitting out his words.


    "Oh, if the son can¡¯t do it, is the father stepping in?"


    Su Chen tilted his head, smiling mockingly.


    "Shi Yuntian, what are you nning to do?!"


    Just then, another roar erupted, and a figure swiftly descended onto the stage, standing between the two. It was Fang Wen, the leader of the Heavenly Moon Tribe!


    "Shi Yuntian, this is a martial arts contest among the young. Do you intend to make a move?"


    Fang Wen coldly spat.


    "I don¡¯t recall this contest having an age limit!"


    Shi Yuntian replied, his face dark.


    "So you insist on fighting Su Chen, then?"


    Fang Wen retorted without showing weakness:


    "Then beat me first and then speak!"


    At that moment, the spectators below all cast disdainful nces!


    Of course, these looks were aimed at Shi Yuntian. Although the tournament had no age restrictions, everyone adhered to the unwritten rule that this was a tform for the young to showcase their skills!


    Shi Yuntian abruptly jumping in undoubtedly broke this unwritten rule!


    However, he technically didn¡¯t vite any rules, so even the Elder couldn¡¯t argue.


    Just as Shi Yuntian was ready to make a move, he felt the eyes of the crowd beneath him, and immediately realized he might have aroused public anger. He snorted coldly:


    "I¡¯ll spare him today!"


    Then he left the stage with Shi Zhuo; it was clear that Shi Zhuo was no match for him!


    Now Su Chen stood alone on the stage, and not a single young person dared to challenge him!


    Are you kidding? Even Shi Zhuo couldn¡¯t withstand a single move from this guy; going up would be asking for trouble!


    "The third round, again the Heavenly Moon Tribe wins!"


    Seeing no one else stepping onto the stage, the Elder loudly announced!


    It was then that everyone realized the Heavenly Moon Tribe had already captured all the glory in today¡¯s selection!


    Regardless of whether the girl was cured, it didn¡¯t change this fact!


    That means, after the chaos of previous years, the leader of the Heavenly Moon Tribe would once again ascend to the throne of the Miaowang!


    Yet, it wasn¡¯t met with the expected resistance, especially after Hua Xinglong!


    Truth be told, even in previous times, the ordinary Miao people had no objections to members of the Heavenly Moon Tribe bing the Miaowang. The dissatisfaction came from leaders of other tribes!


    After all, as long as humans have ambitions, it¡¯s amon urrence!


    However, this time, those leaders were more than happy to see the Heavenly Moon Tribe¡¯s victory, as they initially believed it would surely be Shi Yuntian!


    If that were the case, the Red Hawk Tribe would undoubtedly dominate, especially since Hua Xinglong¡¯s death would significantly weaken the Cang Lang Tribe, which was already on a downward path!


    Now with the leader of the Heavenly Moon Tribe being elected as Miaowang, considering their influence in Miaojiang over the years, their rise is inevitable!


    This would, in turn, restrict the Red Hawk Tribe!


    Moreover, it seemed issues were arising between the two tribes!


    So aside from the Red Hawk Tribe, other tribes were quite pleased with this oue!


    Just at this moment, when the Elder saw a group of people emerging from the stilted building, he quickly said:


    "It seems the result of our second round will soon be out as well!"


    Everyone turned to look, seeing two Miao people leading Dean Liao and the girl¡¯s family walking towards them!


    "Hmph, the result is out now, let¡¯s see how you keep pretending!"


    Elder Ding couldn¡¯t help but snort!


    "Alright then,e join us and wait for the result!"


    Su Chen beckoned Elder Ding with a smile:


    "We still have a bet to settle, don¡¯t we?"


    "Are you afraid toe up and face it?"


    Su Chen added provocatively.


    "Come up then!"


    Elder Ding then walked directly onto the stage!


    At this moment, the crowd watching the few approaching were even more nervous than before during the martial arts contest!


    They wanted to know if the young man had indeed created a miracle and cured the girl of her blood cancer!


    Although hopeful, reason told them it was unlikely!


    Because it would be too incredible!


    At this moment, the girl was in a different outfit, wearing Miao attire since her previous clothes were stained with too much blood!


    As they walked over, the crowd immediately cleared a path for them to pass!


    Now, the crowd noticed the girl¡¯s parents¡¯ faces filled with excitement and joy, while Dean Liao looked shocked and somewhat bewildered!


    Seeing their expressions, the crowd¡¯s hearts trembled, could she really be cured?


    Their hearts leapt to their throats.


    The girl¡¯s parents, supporting her, walked onto the stage, joined by Dean Liao!


    "Divine Doctor, thank you! Thank you!"


    The girl¡¯s parents kneeled in front of Su Chen with a plop, pulling the girl down with them!


    "Uncle, Auntie, please get up!"


    Su Chen quickly said:


    "Xiao Rou, be good, stand up first and help your parents up!"


    Slowly, the girl¡¯s parents stood up again, their faces filled with joy and gratitude!


    This day for their family was akin to a rebirth!


    "Sir, your skills are truly miraculous, you¡¯vepletely cured Xiao Rou!"


    Dean Liao said:


    "If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it!"


    Now, the crowd below was utterly dumbfounded!


    He really cured the girl¡¯s blood cancer? This was unbelievable!


    Mu Ling¡¯er and Mu Fan looked at Su Chen, equally shocked!


    "It¡¯s nothing, medicine is indeed profound and extensive!"


    Su Chen casually smiled:


    "Alright, Dean Liao, take Xiao Rou back to the hospital, she¡¯s lost some blood, it¡¯s best to give her a transfusion and let her rest!"


    "Of course, I know all that, we¡¯ll take our leave then!"


    Dean Liao promptly said.


    "Goodbye brother, thank you!"


    The girl yfully smiled.


    "Goodbye Xiao Rou!"


    Su Chen also replied with a smile.


    Afterward, the Elder assigned a few people to escort them back...

 Chapter 977: You Have Seen My Master?

    <h4>Chapter 977: Chapter 977: You Have Seen My Master?</h4>


    "Now, what else do you have to say? Crawl!"


    After Director Liao and the girl¡¯s family left, Su Chen looked at Elder Ding with a joking smile and said.


    Upon hearing this, Elder Ding¡¯s face immediately turned a deep shade of liver red!


    He never expected that this young man actually cured the little girl¡¯s leukemia!


    "Do you want me to help you?"


    Su Chen spoke lightly, a sharp gleam shooting out from his eyes!


    Elder Ding¡¯s face became increasingly unpleasant, and just then, a light bulb went off in his mind, and he eximed:


    "No, this is against the rules!"


    Immediately, he clung to this lifeline, addressing the Elder next to him:


    "Elder, our Miaojiang medicalpetition has always been about witch doctor techniques, and what he used was fundamentally not witch doctor techniques!"


    Upon hearing that, Su Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a smile, saying nothing.


    "Elder Ding, although our previouspetitions were all about witch doctor techniques, that¡¯s because Miaojiang specializes in witch doctor skills!"


    The Elder spoke up:


    "But what is the essence of medicine, it is to cure and save lives. Does the type of medical technique matter? Whether it¡¯s traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, or our witch doctor skills, as long as it achieves this purpose!"


    The elder¡¯s words made Su Chen regard him in a new light!


    Not only him, but even the people below the stage nodded repeatedly; this simple truth is understood by everyone!


    For instance, if a person falls ill, do they care what kind of medical technique is used to cure them?


    The patient only cares about whether they can be healed!


    "Elder Ding, a loss is a loss, why argue for nothing?"


    "Exactly, even as a Miaojiang person, can¡¯t you admit defeat?"


    "That¡¯s right, if you dare to bet, then be ready to ept the result!"


    ...


    In an instant, the people below the stage began to shout!


    This made Elder Ding¡¯s face flush red and then pale!


    Is he really going to crawl like a dog?


    "Mr. Su, I was wrong, I apologize here, can we call it off?"


    Elder Ding said to Su Chen with difficulty.


    Shi Yuntian¡¯s face also didn¡¯t look good because Elder Ding was from their Red Hawk Tribe. He embarrassed himself, which meant he embarrassed the entire Red Hawk Tribe, especially him as the leader!


    "Su Chen, let¡¯s let it go."


    At this point, Fang Wen beside Su Chen spoke up.


    "Yeah, Su Chen, let it go."


    At this moment, Mu Ling¡¯er also stepped forward and said.


    They said this because after all, in front of so many people, it was too embarrassing!


    "Since Uncle Fang and Ling¡¯er, you both say so, alright."


    Su Chen shrugged indifferently and said:


    "I¡¯ll let you off this time!"


    "Thank you!"


    Elder Ding quickly said his thanks upon hearing these words and hurriedly went down, afraid that if he dyed even a second, Su Chen might change his mind!


    "Alright, now I announce, the final winner of this selection is the Heavenly Moon Tribe. The leader of the Heavenly Moon Tribe, Fang Wen, will be the new Miao King of our Miao ethnic group!"


    As everything settled, the Elder presiding over the ceremony loudly announced!


    As soon as he finished speaking, a deafening cheer immediately erupted, especially from the people in the Heavenly Moon Tribe!


    They seemed to see the glory of the past!


    And all of this is because of a man they just met a few days ago!


    At this moment, Fang Wen was still a bit dazed. To be honest, this result waspletely unexpected for him!


    Initially, he had only one goal today, to prevent the Red Hawk Tribe from winning the final victory!


    Of course, bing the Miao King, he was still very excited!


    "Two dayster, we will first conduct the selection of the Holy Witch Maiden, and then choose a suitable time to hold the Miao King ceremony!"


    The Elder said with a smile to Fang Wen.


    "I will follow the Elder¡¯s arrangements!"


    Fang Wen hurriedly replied respectfully.


    Afterwards, leaders of various tribes also came up to congratte Fang Wen and praised Su Chen greatly!


    Shi Yuntian, with a somber face, directly led the Red Hawk Tribe people away!


    About an hourter, the crowd gradually dispersed, and Su Chen also nned to return with the people of the Heavenly Moon Tribe.


    At this moment, he had already be the hero and pride of the Heavenly Moon Tribe, surrounded by young people.


    Just then, a young man from the Miao tribe came running over and said:


    "Mr. Su, Elder Dali invites you!"


    Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, especially Fang Wen!


    Why does Elder Dali want to see Su Chen?


    But they soon figured it out; it must be because his performance today was too outstanding, so Elder Dali wants to meet him!


    "Uncle Fang, who is Elder Dali?"


    Su Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Oh, Elder Dali is the foremost of our Miaojiang Elders!"


    Mentioning Elder Dali, Fang Wen showed great respect.


    "Since it¡¯s Elder Dali inviting you, quickly go, we¡¯ll wait here for you!"


    He immediately said.


    "No need, Uncle Fang, you all go back first. After meeting Elder Dali, I¡¯ll return on my own, I know the way after all."


    Su Chen smiled.


    "That¡¯s alright then!"


    Fang Wen nodded and said, then left with everyone first.


    Su Chen then followed the young Miao tribesman to the stilted building and came to a room door upstairs.


    "Mr. Su, pleasee in, Elder Dali is waiting for you inside!"


    The young Miao tribesman said to Su Chen, then he left.


    Su Chen nodded and then pushed the door open and walked inside.


    "You¡¯re here!"


    As he entered, the elder dressed in Miao ethnic attire immediately smiled and said.


    "Elder Dali."


    Su Chen greeted politely.


    "Take a seat."


    Elder Dali pointed to a rattan chair for Su Chen and sat down beside him.


    "Do you know why I asked you toe?"


    After Su Chen sat down, he smiled and asked, appearing very friendly.


    Su Chen shook his head, though he guessed it might be because of his performance today, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    "The formation you used today was the Heavenly Profound Divine Needle, right?"


    Elder Dali looked at Su Chen and smiled.


    "How did you know?"


    Su Chen was immensely shocked!


    After all, the elder¡¯s words were too unexpected; he actually knew the formation Su Chen used!


    "Because I¡¯ve seen someone use it before!"


    Elder Dali said lightly.


    "You¡¯ve met my master?"


    Su Chen blurted out, because this formation was learned from his old ghost master!


    "So my guess was correct, you truly are a disciple of Senior Lingxiao!"


    Elder Dali said excitedly.


    Su Chen was also certain; indeed, he knew his master, otherwise, he couldn¡¯t have mentioned Senior Lingxiao!


    "How do you know my master?"


    Su Chen asked in wonder.


    "It was decades ago; I was in middle age then, and you hadn¡¯t been born yet!"


    Elder Dali recollected:


    "This area is the southwestern border; asionally, some forces try to enter Huaxia through here, and Miaojiang is the first barrier. Once, a powerful force encountered a group led by my father."


    "Although we finally repelled them, my father was seriously injured and almost beyond saving!"


    "At that time, someone told me that Senior Lingxiao of the Kunlun Mountains might have a way, so I took my father to visit Senior Lingxiao."


    "Senior Lingxiao used this needle technique to save my father!"


    "I see."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen understood, realizing that his old ghost master had this connection with Miaojiang!

 Chapter 978: Greetings to the Holy Witch

    <h4>Chapter 978: Chapter 978: Greetings to the Holy Witch</h4>


    "Mr. Su, why do I feel that your needle technique is different from the one Senior Lingxiao used to save my father back then? I can¡¯t quite pinpoint the difference."


    Afterward, the elder from Dali asked somewhat puzzledly.


    "Elder, since you know my master, just call me Su Chen or Little Su."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "After learning this needle technique, I indeed modified it a bit to make it more suitable for myself."


    The elder from Dali was utterly astonished after hearing this!


    He also knew some medicine, understanding what this meant!


    Originally, the Heavenly Profound Needle Technique was already extremely difficult to master!


    To modify such a technique to better suit oneself, what kind of terrifying talent must this require?


    The elder from Dali thought to himself: This disciple of Senior Lingxiao is even more monstrous than he had previously imagined!


    Actually, it¡¯s not surprising; that old ghost once said that Su Chen¡¯s talent in Martial Arts was unparalleled, and his talent in the Medical Path was no less impressive!


    "I never expected that the sessor of my benefactor woulde to Miaojiang! What a coincidence!"


    Subsequently, the elder from Dali put away his shocked expression andughed heartily:


    "Su Chen, apany me for a few drinks here tonight!"


    "I¡¯d be honored!"


    Su Chen smiled, perhaps feeling a sense of closeness since the other person knew his master, the old ghost!


    Later that night, Su Chen drank several bottles of Miaojiang¡¯s specially made wine with the elder from Dali before rushing back to the Heavenly Moon Tribe...


    ......


    "Bastard!"


    In a room in the Red Hawk Tribe, Shi Yuntian roared furiously, smashing a wine bottle to the ground with a "bang," shattering it into countless pieces!


    At this moment, his face was flushed red, whether from drinking or extreme anger was unknown!


    He had been determined to win this selection, but now it was all ruined, and even the Red Hawk Tribe had be the most disgraceful existence!


    This made him feel as if a zing fire was gathered in his chest!


    "Boy, you won¡¯t die if I don¡¯t quench the hatred in my heart!"


    Shi Yuntian spat out harshly, his bloodshot eyes making him look like a wild beast!


    "Father, what do you n to do?"


    By his side, Shi Zhuo perked up instantly after hearing these words:


    "Should we act now?"


    "No, we can¡¯t act here!"


    Shi Yuntian forced himself to calm down a little, then said:


    "Isn¡¯t he living in the city? Eventually, he will have to go back. We¡¯ll act when he returns!"


    At this moment, a glint appeared on both their faces!


    .......


    When Su Chen returned to the Heavenly Moon Tribe and just walked into the room, Mu Ling¡¯er immediately came out.


    "Ling¡¯er, you¡¯re still awake!"


    Su Chen smiled upon seeing her and said.


    "You drank alcohol?"


    Mu Ling¡¯er asked upon smelling the scent of wine.


    "Just a little."


    "Let me pour you a ss of water first."


    Saying so, Mu Ling¡¯er immediately poured him a ss of warm water.


    "Thank you, you should rest early as well."


    Su Chen said after drinking it, then walked into the room, while Mu Ling¡¯er also returned to her room...


    ......


    Two dayster!


    A mountain range in Miaojiang was crowded with people because today, the Saint Witch would be selected here!


    The selection of the Saint Witch is the most sacred event in Miaojiang, more important than the election of the Miao King!


    However, this process is unseen; instead, it¡¯s where seven Elders take the candidates for the Saint Witch into a cave to sense the Holy Witch Stone!


    At this moment, several candidates for the Saint Witch and the seven Elders had already been inside for a long time!


    Su Chen was filled with tension because the matter of the Saint Witch concerned Lin Ruoxue¡¯s safety, which was why he came here!


    He certainly hoped Mu Ling¡¯er would be chosen, so there would be no worries!


    As time passed by the second, everyone was anxiously waiting!


    Finally, after an unknown period, the Stone Gate of the cave opened, with the seven Elders walking out first, followed by three Saint Witch candidates!


    At this moment, Su Chen felt as though his heart had stopped, waiting for the result!


    "Greetings to the Saint Witch!"


    At this time, the seven Elders bowed to Mu Ling¡¯er.


    "Greetings to the Saint Witch!"


    Following the Elders¡¯ words, everyone also bowed, including Shi Yuntian and his son.


    "Everyone, please rise."


    Mu Ling¡¯er said shyly, her face flushing red, clearly still unustomed to such a role!


    Su Chen was overjoyed, not expecting that Mu Ling¡¯er was indeed chosen!


    Meanwhile, Mu Ling¡¯er smiled and looked at him!


    The birth of the Saint Witch sent everyone into a frenzy!


    That night, the square was decorated festively, and everyone sang and danced on the wide square!


    Su Chen was especially thrilled, toasting with anyone who offered!


    He was now a renowned figure in Miaojiang, so by the end of the night, he had no idea how much he drank!


    Finally, it was Fang Wen who couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and stopped everyone from pouring more for him!


    Though Mu Ling¡¯er had be the Saint Witch, he couldn¡¯t leave immediately; he needed to wait until Mu Ling¡¯er finished cultivating the Witch God Spirit Score.


    Only afterpleting the Witch God Spirit Score could Mu Ling¡¯er unravel the Gu on Lin Ruoxue!


    The Witch God Spirit Score is the most precious and sacred book in Miaojiang, much more important than the Spirit Insect Manual representing the Miao King!


    Because it contains the most profound Gu techniques and witch doctor skills, only the Saint Witch from each generation is qualified to cultivate it!


    Su Chen asked the elder from Dali how long this typically took, and the elder told him it generally took one to three months!


    So Su Chen prepared to keep waiting, not feeling at ease going back now!


    ......


    In the days that followed, Su Chen stayed by Mu Ling¡¯er¡¯s side, even when she was cultivating the Witch God Spirit Score, he stayed outside her door!


    Mu Ling¡¯er knew he was doing this not for her, but for his wife!


    This made her feel somewhat moved, but also a little sad!


    He surely had a deep bond with his wife, often thought Mu Ling¡¯er.


    ......


    Time flies like an arrow, and a month and a half quickly passed, during which Fang Wen also officially became the Miao King!


    On this particr evening, Mu Ling¡¯er came out of the room and smiled at Su Chen:


    "Tomorrow we can go to Yandu."


    "You¡¯ve finished your cultivation?"


    Su Chen asked with immense joy, as previously when he asked Mu Ling¡¯er, she always said soon, soon, so he didn¡¯t know exactly when!


    "Yes!"


    Mu Ling¡¯er smiled and nodded.


    "That¡¯s fantastic!"


    Su Chen excitedly picked up Mu Ling¡¯er, spun her around, and after a while, realized the issue, put her down, and apologized:


    "I¡¯m sorry, I got too excited!"


    "I understand."


    Mu Ling¡¯er whispered, her face now covered with a blush, then she fled into the room...


    That night, Su Chen was too excited to sleep and couldn¡¯t concentrate on cultivating!


    This was something that had never happened to him before!


    The next morning, Su Chen, Mu Ling¡¯er, and the others bid farewell and set off!


    Mu Fan apanied them, but not to Yandu, just to escort them out of the dense forest!


    In a sh, Su Chen had been in Miaojiang for almost two months, and now he was eager to return home!

 Chapter 979: Ambush

    <h4>Chapter 979: Chapter 979: Ambush</h4>


    At the edge of the dense forest, a group of ck-d masked meny hidden in the bushes, when suddenly someone ran over!


    "Father, they¡¯ve entered the forest!"


    The person ran up to one of the masked men and said:


    "But Mu Fan and his sister are with them!"


    "Perfect, I was just worried about not having the opportunity to get rid of that woman!"


    The masked man¡¯s eyes, visible outside the mask, shed with a cunning light and said.


    "Father, she¡¯s the Sacred Witch now!"


    The man who had just arrived was startled at these words and quickly said.


    "If she wasn¡¯t the Sacred Witch, I wouldn¡¯t act. If nothing happens to her, I can never be the Miao King!"


    The masked man nced at the man who had just arrived and said:


    "Are you still reluctant to part with her? Let me tell you, a man with ambitions doesn¡¯t dwell on romantic feelings!"


    "Yes, Father!"


    The man just arrived quivered inside and quickly replied.


    However, the other masked men showed expressions of fear upon hearing about dealing with the Sacred Witch!


    Although they were loyal and wouldn¡¯t hesitate to give their lives, the thought of confronting the Sacred Witch instinctively frightened them!


    "Don¡¯t worry, as long as we operate inplete secrecy, who will know it¡¯s us?"


    That person noticed the thoughts of hisrades and said to them.


    "Yes, Leader!"


    Hearing these words, they felt a little more at ease!


    .....


    In the dense forest of Miaojiang, Su Chen and hispanions walked leisurely, chatting andughing along the way, not feeling bored or tired!


    "Ling¡¯er, once my wife is healed, stay in Yandu for a while and enjoy yourself."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Indeed, I¡¯ve always been on the run before and never had a chance to have fun!"


    Mu Fan looked at his sister with a yful smile and said.


    "We¡¯ll see."


    Upon hearing this, Mu Ling¡¯er blushed slightly and said softly.


    As the three continued to walk, after two or three hours, they were about to reach the edge of the forest.


    "Shh!"


    At this moment, Su Chen¡¯s expression tightened, and he gestured to Mu Fan and his sister.


    "What¡¯s wrong, Su Chen?"


    Mu Fan hurriedly asked.


    "Someone¡¯s here."


    Su Chen sensed the surroundings and then calmly spoke:


    "Come out, or do you want me to invite you out?"


    With that, an immediate rustle sounded, and eight or nine figures appeared from the nearby bushes!


    Mu Fan and his sister were startled, having never expected an ambush here!


    "Shi Yuntian, is there any point in hiding like this?"


    Su Chen looked at the people and smirked.


    To him, other than Shi Yuntian and his son, no one else had the motive!


    "Kid, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so clever!"


    The leading masked man tore off his mask; he was Shi Yuntian, the leader of the Red Hawk Tribe. Seeing as they were already exposed, there was no need to hide!


    Besides, these people were as good as dead today, there was no reason to conceal further, it was just for caution before!


    At this moment, the others also removed their masks, revealing their true faces!


    "How dare you ambush the Sacred Witch? ording to Miaow, that¡¯s a death sentence!"


    Mu Fan, seeing these were members of the Cang Lang Tribe, couldn¡¯t help but shout.


    "Death sentence? Heh, if you die silently here today, who will know it was us?"


    Shi Yuntian sneered.


    Hearing this, Mu Fan and his sister couldn¡¯t help but show fearful expressions on their faces!


    "And you, kid, you ruined everything, I must kill you today!"


    Shi Yuntian then looked at Su Chen and spat with hatred.


    "That¡¯s because your intentions weren¡¯t pure. We even considered you good people, but all you did was for gaining our trust, to control us!"


    Mu Fan snorted coldly:


    "The pursuit we faced all along was due to the information you leaked, right?"


    "Exactly!"


    Now that things were out in the open, Shi Yuntian had no reason to hide, and he sneered:


    "If you had remained safe and sound, how would you have felt indebted to me?!"


    "Enough talk! It¡¯s time to send you on your way!"


    Shi Yuntian said in a cold voice.


    With those words, the group from the Cang Lang Tribe immediately attacked!


    Of course, Shi Yuntian and his son stayed in ce, believing their men were strong enough to tackle Su Chen!


    They mainly remained wary of Mu Ling¡¯er¡¯s attacks, as she had already cultivated the "Witch God Spirit Score" and received the Sacred Witch¡¯s legacy.


    Su Chen stepped forward to shield Mu Fan and Mu Ling¡¯er!


    Among these people, besides Shi Yuntian, a meridian expansion expert of the Seventh and Eighth Layer, there was one at the Sixth Layer, one at the Fourth Layer, two at the Third Layer, three at the Second Layer, and one at the First Layer!


    It could be said that nearly all of the Red Hawk Tribe¡¯s meridian expansion masters were present, and Shi Yuntian clearly made a desperate move!


    However, this level of strength was already quite formidable, considering the Red Hawk Tribe was merely a tribe in Miaojiang, albeit the strongest one!


    For Su Chen, facing these people wasn¡¯t overwhelmingly stressful, but he was only concerned about having to look after Mu Fan and his sister!


    "Bang! Bang!"


    Facing these charging opponents, Su Chen quickly punched two of them flying, one was a Meridian Expansion Third Layer and the other a Second Layer!


    Seeing these two, the others found their chestspletely copsed, dead for sure!


    The members of the Red Hawk Tribe were stunned for a moment; two of their own were down at the onset ¡ª that was too fast, wasn¡¯t it?!


    Furthermore, this young man¡¯s attacks were far more ruthless than before, directly striking for the kill!


    This sent a shiver through each heart!


    In a blink, two more were killed under Su Chen¡¯s hands, one was a Fourth Layer and the weakest was a First Layer!


    Especially witnessing the Fourth Layer getting pped to death by Su Chen, the remaining were afraid, momentarily hesitant to move!


    Shi Yuntian and his son looked at him with a grave expression!


    "Kid, you¡¯re even stronger than I thought!"


    Shi Yuntian said to Su Chen in a serious tone.


    "People like you, I really don¡¯t take seriously."


    Su Chen shrugged and said:


    "Originally, I didn¡¯t want to bother with you, but you keeping for death, don¡¯t me me for it!"


    "Kid, you have quite the arrogance!"


    Shi Zhuo scoffed coldly.


    Although this kid was extraordinarily strong, he still had his father, an expert at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer!


    Mu Ling¡¯er hid behind Su Chen, wanting to strike but hesitating, as she never fought before!


    "Cut the talk, let¡¯s attack together and deal with this kid first!"


    Shi Yuntian shouted in a heavy voice, feeling that dragging it out like this only worsens their situation!

 Chapter 980 The 1st Passenger

    With Shi Yuntian joining in, the momentum of the remaining people suddenly surged, and once again, they charged wildly at him!


    Su Chen flicked his wrist, and the Light Martial Sword appeared in his hand!


    The sight made the others pause, wondering, where did he get this sword from?


    However, they couldn''t afford to think much, as the people of the Red Hawk Tribeunched attacks with fists, palms, and feet almost simultaneously at Su Chen!


    Su Chen''s eyes hardened, and he swung his sword to sh out, instantly unleashing a powerful True Yuan and Sword Qi thatbined and shot forth!


    Wherever it passed, everything was wiped out, absolutely dominating!


    Originally confident, expecting to resolve Su Chen in one blow, Shi Yuntian and his men were immediately filled with fear as they saw the True Yuan and Sword Qi surging forward like an overturning sea and river!


    How did he possess such strong energy?!


    The people dodged in session, but ultimately it was too slow, followed by a cacophony of screams!


    With a single sh, either dead or injured!


    Even Shi Yuntian''s waist was injured by the Sword Qi, leaving a long gash!


    Shaken, he turned his head to see his son lying there covered in blood, his eyes instantly lit with a furious ze!


    Moreover, besides him, only one person at the Meridian Expansion Second Layer was still alive!


    It was mainly because that Meridian Expansion Second Layer individual was at the back of the crowd that he miraculously survived!


    That is to say, Su Chen''s earlier sword directly killed three people, including even one at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer!


    "You killed my son!"


    Shi Yuntian''s eyes red fiercely at Su Chen, as if wanting to devour him whole!


    "Deserved it!"


    Su Chen stated indifferently.


    "You''re seeking death!"


    Shi Yuntian roared furiously and charged forward upon hearing this.


    He knew this kid was far stronger than he imagined, and might not be his match, but if he didn''t kill these people, once the murder of the Holy Witch Woman was exposed, it would be his death sentence, implicating his family!


    As Shi Yuntian charged, the Meridian Expansion Second Layer individual turned and fled in fear, only to hear the sound of "whizz whizz whizz" behind him, immediately copsing to the ground.


    Three Silver Needles had embedded into the back of his head!


    At this moment Shi Yuntian gathered all his True Yuan, staking everything on one blow, ready to go all out against Su Chen!


    Su Chen also realized his intent, a contemptuous smile tugging at his lips, then moved in a sh, and was by his side, delivering a punch!


    "Bang!"


    Shi Yuntian immediately flew backward, crashing into arge tree, breaking it directly, falling onto the grass, fresh blood gurgling out of his mouth!


    Within a few breaths, he waspletely dead...


    "Alright, it''s over."


    Su Chen returned to the Mu Fan siblings who were still frightened and said.


    "I''m sorry, I..."


    Mu Ling''er said, she actually had cultivated the "Witch God Spirit Score," receiving the Holy Witch Woman''s legacy, she could have handled these few people with some effort.


    But she was originally just an ordinary girl, when the moment came, she still didn''t dare to act.


    "No worries, these people are nothing to me anyway."


    Su Chen smiled casually, he could vaguely guess Mu Ling''er''s thoughts.


    "What should we do with these people now?"


    Mu Fan couldn''t help but ask.


    "Well, brother, we''re almost out of the dense woods now, you should immediately go back and inform the elders about what happened here."


    Mu Ling''er said.


    "Alright."


    Mu Fan nodded and prepared to leave.


    "Wait a moment, brother."


    "What else?"


    "Tell the elders not to trouble their families, and bring their bodies back for a proper burial, after all, they are people of Miaojiang!"


    Mu Ling''er continued, because ording to Miaojiangw, attempting to assassinate the Holy Witch Woman was a capital sin of treason!


    Even their families must be severely punished!


    "Not pursuing them?"


    "They''re already dead, let''s leave it at that."


    Mu Ling''er nced at the bodies, and softly said.


    "Fine, you''re just too kind-hearted."


    Mu Fan said, and then ran back!


    Su Chen also smiled, feeling that Mu Ling''er was too kind-hearted, perhaps this was what made her both lovely and precious!


    Su Chen and Mu Ling''er continued forward, and shortly, they exited the dense forest and came to the road where they gged down a car heading towards South Yunnan...


    .......


    At this time, in a house in Miaojiang, seven elders were sitting inside, their expressions gloomy and tense!


    And Mu Fan stood there, having just reported to the elders about the incident in the dense forest!


    "Daring to assassinate the Holy Witch Woman, truly deserved to die!"


    One elder mmed the table fiercely in anger!


    "Yes, they absolutely cannot be lightly forgiven, not them nor their families, they must be harshly punished under Miaojiangw!"


    Another elder spoke darkly.


    The others also voiced their agreement!


    "Elders, the Holy Witch Woman said, they''re already dead so just leave it, and don''t trouble their families."


    Mu Fan said:


    "Also, give them a proper burial, after all, they''re people of Miaojiang."


    The elders were taken aback at this, surprised that even after Shi Yuntian and others had attempted to assassinate her, she still wanted to show leniency and give the assassins proper burials?


    "Having this Holy Witch Woman is indeed a blessing for Miaojiang!"


    After a while, an elder from Dali sighed:


    "Since this happened to the Holy Witch Woman herself, there''s no need to delve deeper since she''s willing to forgive, let us follow her wishes!"


    The other elders nodded at these words.


    "By the way, is Su Chen okay?"


    The elder from Dali asked again.


    "He''s fine, they should be nearing South Yunnan by now."


    Mu Fan said, feeling a bit puzzled by the elder''s special concern for Su Chen.


    The other elders felt the same, though they didn''t inquire further.


    .....


    Su Chen and Mu Ling''er reached a military district in South Yunnan, after giving the driver two hundred yuan they went inside, as when he arrived, the helicopter was parked here.


    With his status, a temporary helicopternding was a minor affair.


    "You''re flying back with the helicopter?"


    Mu Ling''er asked curiously upon seeing Su Chen''s helicopter.


    "Yes, I just bought this helicopter, you''re the first passenger!"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Ah! Is there any danger?"


    Mu Ling''er eximed, sticking out her tongue after hearing she was the first passenger.


    "Don''t you trust me?"


    Su Chen said, his face instantly filled with a ck line!


    Of course, Mu Ling''er was just joking, and after a while, they both boarded.


    Su Chen then piloted the helicopter slowly into the air, and Mu Ling''er was amazed by the luxurious interior!


    This is way too extravagant!

 Chapter 981: Return to Yandu

    In the bustling center of Yandu, there stands a towering skyscraper!


    The fourrge characters "Belle Building" shine brilliantly under the sunlight!


    Ever since Belle Group moved its headquarters here, this building has be andmark!


    At this moment, in a spacious office within Belle Building, a woman stands before a floor-to-ceiling window, gazing outside dreamily.


    Her white professional outfit perfectly outlines her graceful curves, making every aspect of her presence just right!


    And her face is so exquisite, as if not of this mundane world, that one nce will make any man fall!


    Yet at this moment, a trace of mncholy seems to cloud her brow!


    "Sister-inw, if you keep looking out like this, you''ll be a rock waiting for your husband!"


    Just then, a lightugh sounds from behind her.


    "Yan Xi, you''re here!"


    The woman slightly turns as she hears the voice and speaks.


    "Sister-inw, has Brother Su said when he''sing back?"


    Yan Xi asks.


    "No, when he called a few days ago, he just said it would be soon."


    Lin Ruoxue shakes her head and replies.


    "What on earth is he doing? Why is he away for so long this time?"


    Yan Xi asks with a pout.


    "I don''t know; he just said he had some matters to attend to and might be away for a while."


    Lin Ruoxue sighs as she speaks.


    She also feels that Su Chen has been away for quite a while this time; although he used to travel, never for this long!


    "Alright, let''s not talk about him. What brings you here?"


    Lin Ruoxue returns to her desk and sits down.


    "President Lin, here''s our PR department''s recent work summary."


    Yan Xi ces a document on Lin Ruoxue''s desk and speaks; when ites to business, Yan Xi naturally changes the form of address.


    Nowadays, Yan Xi has changed significantly, bing a capable member of the PR department, exuding a bit more fashion andpetence than before.


    "Alright, you go ahead with your work."


    Lin Ruoxue gently rubs her temples and says.


    Yan Xi hears this and leaves, closing the door behind her.


    .....


    Meanwhile, in Xia Qiuru''s office, she too seems rather downcast.


    "Where has this guy gone? How can he be away for so long?"


    Xia Qiuru murmurs to herself.


    At this moment, Xia Qiuru looks a bit thinner...


    It''s no surprise; she and Su Chen just confirmed their rtionship a month or so ago, and then he left, and even during that month, they only met a few times.


    This longing naturally feels hard to endure...


    .....


    "Finally, back home!"


    When the helicopter enters Yandu''s sky, Su Chen can''t help but exim!


    Mu Ling''er hears this and also looks out the window; what meets her eyes are skyscrapers, quite spectacr!


    "It''s really beautiful!"


    Mu Ling''er also can''t help but praise, as she has never seen Yandu from this angle before!


    To be precise, she only passed through Yandu once when she was fleeingst time.


    Soon, the helicopternds behind the manor; Su Chen has built a helipad here.


    Su Chen first takes Mu Ling''er into the manor, where Qi Meng and Qian Ying are currently cultivating.


    The two women, upon seeing Su Chen finally return, reveal a hint of surprise!


    However, seeing Mu Ling''er behind Su Chen, they be suspicious, thinking:


    Has he been away all this time just for this beautiful woman?


    Mu Ling''er, upon seeing these two beautiful women, is deeply amazed!


    Especially Qi Meng, whose appearance and allure make Mu Ling''er momentarily lose herself as a woman!


    Simrly, she''s wondering:


    What is their rtionship with Su Chen?


    Is any of them Su Chen''s wife, or are they all his women?


    Su Chen observes their expressions and knows they''ve misunderstood!


    "Alright, let me introduce everyone."


    Su Chen says with a smile, then introduces them to each other.


    Of course, Su Chen refers to them as his friends during the introduction.


    However, it''s clear that none of the women quite believe this.


    Su Chen then asks if anything has happened recently.


    Although he thinks having killed a Right Priest, the Judgment Department will at least not lure any more people here in the short term, after all, this is Huaxia!


    But if the High Priest bes furious and reckless, who knows?


    Only when the two women say nothing has happened does he rest easy.


    "Alright, let me take you to meet my wife, introduce you to each other."


    Su Chenughs, then drives Mu Ling''er to Belle Building!


    The car rolls along the streets of Yandu again, giving him a familiar feeling; he can''t help but open the car window and look outside!


    It''s already mid-March, although it''s still a bit chilly, but those young fashionable women can''t wait to shed theyers of winter, revealing their graceful figures!


    Su Chen''s gaze casually sweeps over the pedestrians on the street, naturally lighting a cigarette, leisurely puffing away.


    Before long, he arrives at the foot of Belle Building.


    "Is this your wife''spany?"


    Mu Ling''er remarks while looking at this majestic and imposing skyscraper.


    "Yes, I rely on my wife to live off her!"


    Su Chen jokes.


    "That''s quite a sumptuous life!"


    Mu Ling''erughs and responds; she naturally knows Su Chen isn''t such a man!


    "Minister Su, you''re finally back!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, the receptionist downstairs exims with joy.


    "Xiao Qing, you''ve grown prettier!"


    Su Chen teases with a smile.


    "Minister Su, wee back!"


    Others seeing him also greet him with smiles.


    "Su Chen, you have good rtions with people!"


    Mu Ling''er observes everyone he meets smiling warmly!


    "Of course, this is my wife''s territory. If I talk the wrong way at night, their jobs won''t be safe!"


    Su Chen says with a light chuckle to Mu Ling''er.


    "Oh, Minister, you''ve been gone for two months, and now you''ve brought back another little sister!"


    Just then, a yful voice sounds from behind Su Chen.


    Su Chen recognizes the voice well; besides Zhao Lin, that vixen, it couldn''t be anyone else!


    Soon, her gentle figure leans close.


    "Zhao Lin, don''t talk nonsense; she''s my friend."


    Su Chen himself doesn''t mind such jokes, but Mu Ling''er, after all, is a woman with thin skin, especially as someone he''s invited to help!


    "Minister, aren''t you afraid President Lin will deal with you since you brought another woman right after returning?"


    Zhao Lin teases.


    "Zhao Lin, you really wish for chaos, don''t you?"


    Su Chen remarks, quite speechless, curling his lips:


    "Alright, let''s go up!"


    Su Chen says while heading towards the elevator...

 Chapter 982: The Target Has Returned

    "Su Ge, you..."


    When Su Chen arrived at Lin Ruoxue''s office door, Chen Guo immediately eximed in surprise, her eyes lighting up.


    "Shh!"


    Su Chen smiled briefly and then walked straight in through the door!


    "Honey, I''m back!"


    Upon entering, Su Chen called out yfully, just like he used to.


    "You..."


    Lin Ruoxue, who was buried in her work, thought she was hearing things. When she looked up and saw that remarkably familiar face, she was at a loss for words!


    Immediately, a figure flew out and threw herself into Su Chen''s arms!


    "You rascal, where did you go for so long?"


    As Lin Ruoxue spoke, crystalline tears began to fall, and then came a flurry of yful punches!


    At this moment, she was nothing like her usual cold and aloof self, more like a sulky little woman!


    And this side of Lin Ruoxue would only appear in front of one person, her husband!


    "I''m sorry for making you worry!"


    Su Chen said, holding Lin Ruoxue''s exquisite face, feeling her burning longing. Wasn''t he feeling the same?


    Their eyes met, and suddenly, they kissed fiercely!


    This kiss was so long, so deep, as if trying to release all the longing from these days!


    After a long while, they finally parted slightly, and Lin Ruoxue''s face was already as radiant as a peach blossom!


    "Honey, you''re so beautiful!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but exim.


    "Youe back and immediately start with the sweet talk!"


    Lin Ruoxue teased.


    Then the two continued to cuddle on the sofa for a bit, and suddenly, Su Chen pped his forehead and said:


    "Oh no, I almost forgot there''s someone else!"


    "Who?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously.


    "Oh, a friend. She helped me a lot this time, so I invited her to Yandu for a few days."


    Su Chen exined.


    Originally, Su Chen had intended to call Mu Ling''er in with him, but Mu Ling''er thought it would be better for Su Chen to go in first. Besides, he and his wife hadn''t seen each other in so long, so she waited in the corridor!


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen was so excited that he almost forgot!


    "Then invite her in quickly, you..."


    Lin Ruoxue chuckled bashfully.


    But this showed that Su Chen''s mind was entirely on her earlier, which made her heart instantly sweet!


    "Ling''er,e in quickly."


    Su Chen opened the door and called into the corridor.


    Upon hearing this, Mu Ling''er walked in, but like everyone else, she froze upon seeing Lin Ruoxue!


    Such a beautiful woman! Is this his wife?


    She couldn''t help but sigh. If Qi Meng had left her utterly amazed, then Lin Ruoxue left her utterly shocked!


    Of course, it''s not that Qi Meng was much inferior; they were both the kind of absolute beauties she had never seen before!


    However, Lin Ruoxue''s cool demeanor, which seemed to emanate from her very being, gave an impression of being untouchable!


    "This is Mu Ling''er."


    Su Chen introduced to Lin Ruoxue, then turned to Mu Ling''er:


    "This is Lin Ruoxue, my wife."


    Lin Ruoxue gave Su Chen a sly nce seeing that he brought another beautiful woman, but didn''t really think there was anything between them. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have dared to introduce her to herself.


    "Wee to Yandu!"


    Lin Ruoxue warmly extended a hand and smiled:


    "Since you''re a friend of my husband, you can stay with us while you''re here in Yandu."


    Su Chen smiled when he heard this. He had nned on it, but since Lin Ruoxue offered, he didn''t have to bring it up.


    "Then I''ll be imposing."


    Mu Ling''er said, a bit shyly.


    "Don''t be so polite. Su Chen just told me you''ve helped him a lot, so it''s the least we can do!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Alright, honey, let''s go home now. You shoulde home early tonight too."


    "I got it."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded in agreement.


    Su Chen then took Mu Ling''er home, and the first thing to do was to have Aunt Sun prepare a room.


    In the meantime, Su Chen took Mu Ling''er for a walk around the area, and by about seven in the evening, Lin Ruoxue had alreadye home.


    For Lin Ruoxue, this was already considered quite early!


    Su Chen hadn''t been home for so long, so this dinner was lively, filled withughter!


    At this point, Mu Ling''er felt that Lin Ruoxue wasn''t as aloof as she had imagined!


    After dinner, everyone continued casually chatting on the sofa, with no particr topic in mind.


    Until around ten o''clock, everyone decided to head to their rooms to rest.


    After entering the room, Su Chen hurriedly took a shower and got into bed waiting for Lin Ruoxue!


    Su Chen was a normal man; after almost two months, he was naturally quite anxious!


    When Lin Ruoxue came out of the bathroom after her bath, he immediately pulled her onto the bed and rolled on top of her!


    "Ah! Honey, you''re crazy!"


    Lin Ruoxue eximed in surprise!


    "What do you think!"


    Su Chen looked at his beautiful wife beneath him, a wicked smile ying at the corner of his mouth!


    Lin Ruoxue slowly closed her eyes...


    Su Chen slowly lowered his head, and soon an intensely passionate battlemenced...


    Tonight, for the two of them who hadn''t seen each other in nearly two months, was undoubtedly incredibly wild!


    Finally, Lin Ruoxue, feelingpletely drained of energy,y on Su Chen''s chest and fell into a deep sleep...


    The next morning, Lin Ruoxue felt like her body was falling apart and could barely get out of bed!


    "Youe back just to bully people!"


    Lin Ruoxue red at Su Chen with a sulky and shy look.


    Thinking back, she felt that she had been too wildst night, almost not daring to believe that was her!


    "Alright, just take a good rest today!"


    Su Chenughed heartily,pletely unconcerned:


    "I''ll bring breakfast up for you in a bit."


    Afterwards, Su Chen stayed in the room to have breakfast with Lin Ruoxue and then said:


    "I''ll take Mu Ling''er out to have some fun today."


    "Alright, you guys go ahead."


    Lin Ruoxue theny back down to continue resting; yesterday''s activities had indeed been too much!


    Su Chen then took Mu Ling''er out for some fun. He wasn''t sure what to do, so they just visited some malls and tourist spots in Yandu...


    Fortunately, these activities were all quite novel for Mu Ling''er, and she was very enthusiastic about them.


    As for the Gu inside Lin Ruoxue, he already had a n in mind.


    ......


    While Su Chen was apanying Mu Ling''er on their outing, several men were in the basement of a vi in Yandu.


    At this moment, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed at the basement staircase!


    "Boss, the target has returned!"


    At this time, another man came down, eximing excitedly...

 Chapter 983 Breaking the Gu

    Su Chen spent the whole day ying with Mu Ling''er and returned around dusk, but when he got back, he didn''t see Lin Ruoxue.


    He asked Aunt Sun and found out that after lunch, she had gone to thepany again.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but shrug upon hearing this. For a workaholic like Lin Ruoxue, he really didn''t know what to do.


    Lin Ruoxue finally came back a little after eight in the evening, looking exhausted, almost out of strength to walk.


    By this time, everyone else had already had dinner. Yan Xi had gone out with colleagues from the PR department, so Su Chen apanied Lin Ruoxue to have a bit more to eat.


    After they finished eating, the two of them casually strolled around the neighborhood. It had been a long time since Lin Ruoxue had such a leisurely walk with him, and her mood improved quite a bit.


    When they returned from their walk, it was nearly ten o''clock. Aunt Sun had already gone to bed, so the two of them went upstairs to rest.


    "Honey, you look really tired. Let me give you a massage."


    Su Chen said as he looked at her weary appearance.


    "Hmm."


    Lin Ruoxue naturally wouldn''t refuse and nodded her head.


    As usual, Su Chen ced his hands on her shoulders and gently started massaging. Gradually, his hands moved to the back of Lin Ruoxue''s neck, pressing lightly a few times.


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes were already closed, and she copsed into his arms, but she wasn''t asleep ¡ª she was unconscious!


    Su Chen immediately made a call to Mu Ling''er in the room, and in less than a minute, Mu Ling''er came up.


    "Ling''er, I''ll have to trouble you."


    Su Chen said to Mu Ling''er.


    "Leave it to me, but I need to focus a bit, so please wait outside."


    Mu Ling''er said.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen agreed and went out. He really trusted Mu Ling''er.


    Su Chen then went downstairs, sat on the sofa, and lit a cigarette. It was impossible for him not to be nervous at this moment!


    After all, this was a matter concerning Lin Ruoxue''s life!


    Time passed by minute by minute, and the midnight bell had already tolled downstairs, but there was still no movement upstairs.


    During these two hours, Su Chen had already smoked six or seven cigarettes!


    Several times, he wanted to go up and check, but he forced himself to hold back, afraid of disturbing Mu Ling''er!


    At this moment, he lit another cigarette, otherwise, it would be difficult for him to calm himself!


    After about another hour, the door upstairs finally opened, and he immediately dashed up the stairs.


    "How is it?"


    He asked nervously, looking at Mu Ling''er.


    "It''s done, your wife is fine now!"


    Mu Ling''er smiled weakly.


    "That''s great!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but exim, a huge sense of joy appearing on his face.


    "What about you?"


    Only then did he notice that Mu Ling''er''s face was pale, and her forehead was covered in sweat!


    "It''s nothing, just drained a bit of energy, a good sleep will fix it."


    Mu Ling''er said with a smile.


    Although Mu Ling''er spoke lightly, Su Chen could sense that this matter was definitely not so simple.


    "Thank you so much!"


    Su Chen said solemnly.


    "It''s just a small effort, and after all, we''re friends!"


    Mu Ling''er said nonchntly:


    "But I didn''t expect that the Gu in your wife''s body was the Ice Spirit Gu!"


    "What kind of Gu is that?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise. He knew a bit about Gu and how to dispel some of them, but he wasn''t exactly an expert in this field.


    "It''s one of the top three Gu in all of Miaojiang. It must be nurtured under extreme yin conditions, and I feel your wife just happens to have this extreme yin constitution!"


    Mu Ling''er exined:


    "Perhaps that''s why the person who nted the Gu chose your wife back then!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen suddenly understood. No wonder he always felt there was an extremely cold energy within her body!


    It turned out to be the Ice Spirit Gu, and just by hearing its name, he could tell its attribute!


    And it actually ranks among the top three Gu in Miaojiang, which proves its terrifying nature. It''s understandable that it could devour some of the True Yuan he had transferred into her!


    "Fortunately, this Gu has been removed now. If it woke up, it would devour your wife''s Essence Blood, and it wouldn''t be long before she lost her life!"


    Mu Ling''er also said with a lingering fear.


    "Is shepletely fine now? Will there be any aftereffects?"


    Su Chen hurriedly asked.


    "Not at all, she''s just like a normal person now! You don''t have to worry!"


    Mu Ling''er said with a smile:


    "And the Gu was dead once it was taken out of your wife''s body."


    "That''s good, that''s good!"


    Hearing Mu Ling''er''s assurance, Su Chen finally felt relieved.


    "Ling''er, you should go and rest, have a good sleep."


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "Your face looks really terrible right now."


    "Hmm, I''ll go now. Good night."


    Mu Ling''er said, and then she went downstairs to rest, truly exhausted!


    Su Chen also returned to the bedroom, looking at Lin Ruoxue quietly lying on the bed, aforting smile appeared on his face.


    He then gently channeled a thread or two of True Yuan into her body to check, and indeed, everything was flowing smoothly, and that "seed"-like thing from before no longer existed!


    It''s not that he doubted Mu Ling''er, but instinctively felt uneasy without checking himself!


    Su Chen didn''t tell Lin Ruoxue about this matter because he was concerned she might have a psychological barrier.


    Although everything was fine now, if Lin Ruoxue, as an ordinary person, learned that there had once been a Gu inside her, she would surely feel ufortable!


    Since everything was okay now, Su Chen decided not to tell her. After all, everything was fine now!


    Havingpletely rxed, Su Cheny down quietly next to Lin Ruoxue and closed his eyes...


    ......


    Just as Mu Ling''er removed the Ice Spirit Gu from Lin Ruoxue''s body, in the secret room of a Miaojiang mountain vige, an elderly woman suddenly opened her eyes!


    "Who killed my spirit insect!"


    The old woman''s eyes shot out a devouring re!


    She had been waiting for the spirit insect to sessfully mature and awaken for so many years, just when it was about to seed, it was killed!


    This made her extremely furious and agitated!


    With a flicker of her form, she darted out of the secret room and rushed straight into the dense forest!


    But when she arrived at the forest, she found a group of people blocking her path, none other than the seven Elders of Miaojiang!


    "Why are you old guys here?"


    The old woman rudely said.


    "Shouldn''t we be the ones asking you that?"


    One of the Elders spoke:


    "Lady Hua, where are you rushing off to?"


    "Where I go is none of your business!"


    The old woman scoffed:


    "Move aside!"


    "Lady Hua, there''s no need to hide it."


    Another Elder spoke:


    "We already know where you''re intending to go!"

 Chapter 984 Meditation

    "You know?"


    The old woman''s eyes shed with a sharp light upon hearing the words, then she said:


    "Since you know, then get out of my way!"


    "Mrs. Hua, have you forgotten the Miao Law?"


    At this moment, the Dali elder coldly snorted and said:


    "The Miao Law stiptes that you cannot use Gu on ordinary people!"


    He had heard about this matter before Su Chen left. At that time, Su Chen said he would take the Holy Witch back for a visit, and as the Dali elder, of course, he had to inquire a bit.


    Su Chen, considering his ties with his own master, told him about Lin Ruoxue.


    The Dali elder was enraged when he heard and was furious and uncontroble!


    Gu Techniques are indeed a specialty of Miaojiang, but the Miao Law clearly states that Gu cannot be used on ordinary people, let alone a Gu that endangers life!


    So this Dali elder told Su Chen at the time that he woulde and deal with Mrs. Hua!


    Su Chen originally intended to handle Mrs. Hua himself after the Gu on Lin Ruoxue was lifted, but since the Dali elder said so, he nodded in agreement.


    "Don''t try to pressure me with the Miao Law! I don''t buy it!"


    At this moment, Mrs. Hua coldly snorted. She was inherently a fanatic, focused solely on Gu, and considering her seniority was greater than several elders, she utterly disregarded them!


    Moreover, now that the Gu in which she invested countless efforts had died, she was even more outrageously furious!


    "In that case, we won''t be courteous!"


    With those words, a few elders attacked Mrs. Hua!


    In matches between experts, there won''t be any holding back, especially as what Mrs. Hua did was a capital crime!


    A whileter, Mrs. Hua was simultaneously hit by two palms and died on the spot!


    .....


    The next morning, when the sunlight trickled through the thin curtains into the room, Lin Ruoxue slowly opened her eyes.


    She looked at Su Chen lying beside her, and a mischievous urge suddenly rose up, so she took a strand of hair and gently brushed it over Su Chen''s face.


    Su Chen blocked it with his hand and then pouted, continuing to sleep.


    Lin Ruoxue, seeing this, found it even more amusing, brushing his face again with her hair.


    However, suddenly, she let out a gasp!


    Because Su Chen held her delicate waist in an embrace, flipping her over and pressing her underneath him!


    "Little wife, you are pretty bold, teasing your husband, huh?"


    Su Chen said with a wicked smile on his lips.


    "Honey, I was wrong, I won''t dare again!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen and said timidly.


    "Humph, if you''re wrong, you must be punished!"


    Su Chen said, smiling like a big bad wolf.


    "Honey, how do you want to punish me?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Chen with a pitiful look, just like a frightened little bunny.


    "What do you think?"


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue like this, Su Chen felt warmth at his heart and his lips curled up slightly:


    "Naturally, you need a good ''lesson''!"


    Even before the words fell, Su Chen had already pulled up the nket, wrapping the two of them underneath¡­


    When the two of them emerged from the nket again, they were both drenched in sweat¡­


    "You rascal, nothing good happens when youe back!"


    Lin Ruoxue said, pouting.


    "You were the one who provoked me today!"


    Su Chen shamelessly smiled and then lit a cigarette.


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes upon hearing this, and then they went to shower separately, as being sweaty was ufortable¡­


    After finishing breakfast, Lin Ruoxue went to work, while Su Chen continued hanging around Yandu with Mu Ling''er.


    After a night''s rest, Mu Ling''er''splexion recovered quite a bit¡­


    After ying for another two or three days, Mu Ling''er returned, after all, she was the Holy Witch of Miaojiang, and she had responsibilities there.


    Su Chen only came back after seeing her off on the ne.


    He was indeed very grateful to Mu Ling''er for helping with Lin Ruoxue''s matter!


    After sending Mu Ling''er away, he went to the Belle Building, for he hadn''t been to work since he returned!


    Even though the Belle Group had changed locations, it made no difference to Su Chen.


    Upon arriving at the Belle Group, he went straight to his office, a cup of tea, and a few magazines!


    These magazines were, of course, umted while he was in Miaojiang, so it was just the right time to appreciate them together!


    However, Su Chen was only looking at the sexy models inside, so he finished them in a while.


    After looking through the magazines, Su Cheny back in his office chair, lost in thought.


    He mostly contemted the matters regarding the Judgment Department and Shengyi Gate, especially Shengyi Gate!


    His intent with the Judgment Department was to eliminate them once his power grew sufficient, thus there wasn''t much to dwell on.


    His primary concern was Shengyi Gate because it rted to his mother!


    Moreover, there was that mysterious token!


    To this day, he still didn''t know what use that token had, despite having studied it many times!


    Although Shengyi Gate hadn''t troubled himtely, he never thought they had truly backed off!


    He felt that the matter of him killing Elder Chen merely made them more cautious, which instead made him uneasy!


    Because the next encounter might be a grave trial!


    Regardless, Shengyi Gate was among the top forces in Huaxia''s Martial Arts World!


    Besides that, he was also puzzled by the old man from the Sun Family!


    Other than attempting to assassinate him once, there seemed to be no other movements!


    Could it be that he was truly afraid?


    Even though he killed his grandson, and even if his strength exceeded their expectations, it shouldn''t be just let go of!


    Su Chen pondered for quite some time but couldn''t figure out what the Sun Family elder intended!


    In fact, Su Chen was genuinely worried during his time in Miaojiang, worrying that someone from Shengyi Gate or the Sun Family might make a move on those around him, especially Lin Ruoxue.


    As for Xia Qiuru, since hardly anyone knew about their rtionship, he wasn''t too concerned!


    However, Lin Ruoxue was different, everyone knew she was his wife!


    Fortunately, no one was harmed during his month-long absence!


    Thinking of Xia Qiuru, he got up and went out. It had been a few days since he returned, yet he hadn''t seen Qiuru; she probably hadints!


    Su Chen took the elevator to the sixth floor, where Xia Qiuru''s office was located.


    The Belle Group now upied an entire building, unlike before when everyone was crammed on one floor, which conveniently concealed Su Chen and Xia Qiuru''s affair.


    However, Su Chen had already decided to find a suitable time to confess everything to Lin Ruoxue.


    He knew he couldn''t hide it forever!


    More importantly, it wasn''t fair to Lin Ruoxue or the other women!


    It was just that Lin Ruoxue had been growing more important in his heart, and he was always afraid of her reaction upon knowing these things!


    This was why he hadn''t spoken up several times¡­

 Chapter 985: The Sudden Ambush

    However, when Su Chen arrived at Xia Qiuru''s office, she wasn''t there. After asking around, he learned she had left a while ago.


    Su Chen thought for a moment and decided to return to the estate to continue his cultivation. After all, during these past couple of months in Miaojiang, cultivation matters had inevitably been dyed.


    Of course, this referred to the Nine Yang Divine Technique.


    Yet during this period, the Star Energy within him had increased quite a bit, as cultivating the Supreme Star Shifting Technique didn''t require the Gathering Yuan Formation!


    Now, he desperately needed to elevate his own Cultivation Realm ¡ª that was the foundation!


    He continued his cultivation until eight or nine in the evening, and then prepared to go back.


    Because the estate was built on akeside high ground, it looked like a small hill. From the base to the top, there was only a narrow path surrounded by woods, which meant that cars couldn''t directly drive up.


    Every time, he parked at the foot of the hill where there were a dozen parking spaces, used by the residents of nearby estates.


    At this moment, he was humming an unknown tune as he walked down that path, and since it was the end of the month, there was practically no moonlight!


    Additionally, the past couple of days had been overcast and rainy, so the starlight was dim; thus, the night was so dark, he could barely see his hand in front of his face!


    Fortunately, Su Chen had walked this path countless times already; he could manage even with his eyes closed!


    Yet, just at this moment, sharp sounds of something cutting through the air suddenly came from both sides!


    His pores opened abruptly, a strong sense of danger rushed over him!


    He instinctively rolled forward, narrowly avoiding the threat!


    At the moment of dodging, he realized it was Hidden Weapons, probably poisoned to the core!


    However, before he could stand up, two people suddenly emerged from both sides of the woods, each wielding a long sword!


    The four swords lunged at him simultaneously, their angles deadly like poisonous snakes!


    In an instant, the swords enveloped him from all directions; escaping seemed impossible!


    Su Chen''s eyes narrowed, an intense light shed, as he flipped his wrist, the Light Martial Sword appeared in his hand, and he swung it swiftly to one side!


    Simultaneously, he twisted his body to the extreme to dodge the attack from the other side!


    The formidable True Yuan shot out along with Sword Qi!


    In an instant, one of the two on that side was killed, and the other was slightly injured!


    Yet he didn''t fully evade the attack from the other side; one left a deep cut on his body!


    But he couldn''t care about that right now; in that moment, his body shed, pushing his speed to the limit, quickly distancing himself from those people!


    In the darkness, the three remaining stared sharply like hawks at Su Chen!


    They hadn''t expected this target would be so challenging!


    They had been following him from afar for days, waiting for such an opportune moment to strike, and the weather greatly aided them!


    Yet somehow, even under these conditions, their sudden and sessive surprise attacks were still dodged by him, even causing a death and injury on their side!


    Su Chen tightly watched the remaining few, sensing they were no ordinary foes!


    The lowest among them had reached the Meridian Expansion Level Layer six or seven, while the highest matched his own Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!


    Who were these people?


    Clearly, they were Huaxia people, unlikely to be sent by the Judgment Department!


    Could it be Shengyi Gate?


    But he felt that didn''t quite add up!


    Their previous moves were more akin to assassins or killers!


    If not for his years of honing instinctive reactions, Su Chen would certainly have been gravely injured!


    It''s known that assassins or killers at the same realm are far more dangerous than typical Martial Artists!


    "I don''t think I know any of you, but even if you want to kill me, shouldn''t you offer an exnation first?"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    "Indeed, we don''t know each other, nor do we have any grievance,"


    The leader among them said:


    "We were merely tasked by someone else."


    "Sun Family sent you!"


    Su Chen''s eyes shot a gleam of brilliance!


    He said this because there was no one else but Sun Family!


    If Shengyi Gate were to make a move, they absolutely wouldn''t rely on other forces!


    "Noment!"


    The leader replied coldly, then they all jumped at Su Chen again!


    Su Chen saw them advancing and swung his sword again!


    Having learned from the previous encounter, seeing Su Chen''s sword swing, they all dodged to the sides!


    In the midst of their evasion, Su Chen suddenly sprinted in one direction, then punched fiercely, sending a Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer individual flying!


    Just after the leader dodged, he saw another loss on his side, and his eyes turned crimson!


    With the task upleted, two had already fallen!


    He had never encountered such a humiliating situation!


    These experts were the core strength of the organization!


    If not for Sun Family''s generous offer, the organization wouldn''t have deployed such formidable forces!


    Sun Family, being a notable Martial Arts Family, had an old master of Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer strength. They hired them because assassination was their specialty!


    Assassination isn''t a task that strength alone guarantees sess!


    At this moment, the leader nced at the remaining member, who instantly understood his intentions!


    Afterward, the leader charged at Su Chen again, while the other stayed motionless!


    Seeing the leader charge, Su Chen swung the Light Martial Sword repeatedly, Sword Qi shooting forth!


    But the leader, prepared, dodged and gradually approached Su Chen!


    Soon, he was near Su Chen, who then stored his sword into the Cangyue Ring!


    "Boom boom boom!"


    The two engaged in a melee, echoes of intense sound resounded frequently!


    Then, the remaining person darted from the side towards them!


    Su Chen immediately understood their n: to use the leader to entangle him, while the other strikes from stealth!


    "Quite an astute n!"


    Su Chen sneered inwardly.


    Honestly, their initial surprise attack was the only thing that made Su Chen feel endangered and flustered!


    After gaining some distance, he was utterly unconcerned!


    Just as they were about to reach him, he suddenly infused a strand of Star Energy into his Fist Mang, then struck fiercely at the leader!


    The leader instantly sensed a far more terrifying energy than before, and hastily raised his arm to defend!


    "Boom!"


    Su Chen''s punch shattered his arm, then continued its unstoppable path, hitting his body...

 Chapter 986: Blood Kill

    The leader couldn''t withstand the blow, and was immediately sent flying more than ten meters away, crashing to the ground and rolling several times before stopping.


    His body was covered in blood, most of his chest copsed and shattered beyond recognition!


    The remaining person was shocked when he saw this scene, his eyes filled with disbelief!


    How could this young man be so powerful?


    At that moment, Su Chen was already in front of him!


    "Speak, who on earth are you people?"


    Su Chen asked coldly.


    Just then, Su Chen noticed a look of determination in the other party''s eyes. He quickly grabbed his jaw, but it was already toote. A mouthful of ck blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.


    "A poison refined from the pollen of the Azura Wood Lotus!"


    Su Chen sniffed the ck blood''s scent and immediately identified it!


    He hadn''t expected the opponent to hide such a poison under his tongue andmit suicide without any hesitation!


    The strength of these people, including the decisiveness of thest one''s suicide, made Su Chen feel that their identities were not ordinary!


    He thought for a while, then made a call to Yao Zhe. Now, to uncover these people''s identities, he could only seek help from the Hidden Dragon Hall.


    After receiving Su Chen''s call, Yao Zhe didn''t say much and agreed toe over immediately.


    About an hourter, Yao Zhe had already arrived.


    "What happened? Why did you need me here so urgently?"


    Yao Zhe asked immediately upon arrival.


    "Who are these people?"


    Then he noticed the bodies nearby and was even more surprised.


    "I don''t know who these people are, so I wanted to ask Uncle Yao to take a look."


    Su Chen said:


    "These people just ambushed me in the woods wanting to attack me."


    Upon hearing this, Yao Zhe immediately inspected the corpses. At first, he had no reaction, but when he saw the leader, he immediately showed a shocked expression!


    "This is the third-inmand of Blood Kill!"


    Yao Zhe eximed.


    "Blood Kill? What kind of organization is that?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask, he had never heard of such an organization.


    "It''s normal for you not to know. Blood Kill is a special entity in the Martial Arts World, they are an assassin organization!"


    Yao Zhe said:


    "As long as you can afford it, you can have anyone killed, of course, the payment doesn''t just have to be money, training resources work too!"


    "I guessed right then, these people indeed belong to an assassin organization!"


    Su Chen nodded.


    "Don''t underestimate them!"


    Yao Zhe said:


    "Although we, Hidden Dragon Hall, Shengyi Gate, and Lingyue Pce are considered the top three forces in the Martial Arts World, Blood Kill is no less formidable!"


    "Their Late Stage martial artists are just as numerous as our three sects, but since they''re an assassin organization and operate discreetly, few mention them. It''s normal that you didn''t know!"


    Su Chen was slightly surprised to hear this, not expecting that the organization behind these people was so powerful!


    "Who exactly did you offend to have Blood Kill set against you?"


    Yao Zhe asked, utterly surprised:


    "And what level is your power now, to have killed the third-inmand of Blood Kill Sect?"


    He knew the strength of Blood Kill''s third-inmand, a Ninth Layer existence!


    To think that just a few months ago, Su Chen''s true strength was only at the Meridian Expansion Level of one or two!


    How could his power have grown to such a terrifying extent in less than half a year?


    "Practice with me one day, Uncle Yao, and you''ll know my strength."


    Su Chen smiled:


    "As for who hired Blood Kill, if I''m not mistaken, it should be the Sun Family."


    "The Sun Family of Jiangbei?"


    Yao Zhe couldn''t help but ask.


    "It''s them."


    Su Chen nodded.


    "What enmity do you have with the Sun Family of Jiangbei?"


    Yao Zhe felt that Su Chen was indeed a troublemaker!


    "It''s nothing significant, just that once the Sun Family''s head''s son tried to harass a female friend of mine, and I killed him!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    Yao Zhe was taken aback when he heard this, he killed the Sun Family head''s son?


    No wonder the Sun Family would go as far as hiring Blood Kill to deal with him!


    "You aren''t just offending the Sun Family now."


    Yao Zhe said somewhat speechlessly:


    "Having killed Blood Kill''s third-inmand, Blood Kill won''t let you off either!"


    "Since they want to kill me, naturally, I will kill them, it''s only logical!"


    Su Chen shrugged.


    "That''s true."


    Yao Zhe nodded:


    "Should we, the Hidden Dragon Hall, mediate? Perhaps they''ll give us this face."


    "No need, I''ll handle this myself!"


    Su Chen''s eyes gleamed as he spoke. If they dared to send more people, he would just take them down!


    "Alright, if you need help, just let me know."


    Yao Zhe said, he had a good impression of Su Chen and didn''t wish for anything to happen to him.


    "Thank you, Uncle Yao."


    Su Chen smiled lightly:


    "But my master always taught me to solve my own problems, so I''ll handle it myself!"


    "Good, you''re responsible!"


    Yao Zhe couldn''t help but praise.


    "Alright, Uncle Yao, you should head back. It''ste; sorry for troubling you on such short notice."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Okay then."


    Yao Zhe immediately drove off.


    Su Chen dealt with the bodies and then drove back.


    When he got home, Lin Ruoxue was still working in the study. Su Chen had a simple meal, then went to his room.


    He took a shower first, and after washing up, he went to bed, leaned against the headboard, and lit a cigarette!


    He hadn''t anticipated that the issues with the Judgment Department and Shengyi Gate hadn''t been resolved, yet Blood Kill came into the picture. Truly, this was a troublesome period!


    He wasn''t worried about anything else, only about the safety of those around him.


    The current enemies he faced were nothing like those in the past!


    Whether it be the Nether Temple or the Shadow Guards, against these foes, they stood no chance!


    But for now, he could only take things one step at a time!


    Before long, Lin Ruoxue finished her work and came in through the door.


    She had showered before work, so she got into bed in her pajamas...


    The next morning, after breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and Yan Xi drove to work separately.


    Su Chen didn''t go to work; instead, he drove to Zhuge Dongming''s courtyard.


    He hadn''t visited Yunlong for days and wanted to see how Yunlong''s cultivation was going!


    However, with the old sage Zhuge as his master, he wasn''t too worried.


    Before long, Su Chen arrived at the entrance of the courtyard, parked his car, and walked straight in...

 Chapter 987: Are You Up to No Good?

    The moment Xiao Xiazi in the courtyard saw Su Chening in, he instinctively got a bit nervous, but since Su Chen hadn''t teased him thest two times he came, he didn''t immediately run away.


    "Xiao Xiazi, where''s that old geezer?"


    Su Chen shook a bag of candy with a smile and said.


    He teased Xiao Xiazi mainly a few years ago, it was too boring back then!


    "Can you show some respect for the elderly in front of my apprentice, you little bastard?"


    At this moment, Zhuge Dongming walked out with a dark face.


    But what surprised him a bit was that there was a woman beside him, who else could it be but Pei Man?


    Pei Man was now tilting her head, looking at him with a smile on her lips.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise.


    "Is it strange for me to be here?"


    Pei Man chuckled lightly.


    At this moment, she was wearing a white chiffon top with a trench coat over it, paired with jeans and white sneakers!


    Perhaps to make up for past regrets, Pei Man recently dressed almost like this all the time.


    However, this perfectly outlined the perfect figure she had previously hidden!


    "Not strange, not strange, I just didn''t expect you to be here."


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "By the way, how''s your leg? Are you doing well recently?"


    "Pretty good, no problems."


    Pei Man said casually.


    "You little bastard, youe in and start asking about her leg, what''s that supposed to mean?"


    Zhuge Dongming snorted.


    Upon hearing that, Pei Man suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.


    Su Chen had a face full of ck lines:


    "Old geezer, I''m asking from the perspective of a doctor and a patient. How can you have such filthy thoughts?"


    "Regardless, you''re up to no good. Little Man, be careful of this kid in the future!"


    Zhuge Dongming said grumpily.


    He obviously knew that Su Chen cared about Pei Man''s leg recovery, he just didn''t like Su Chen and couldn''t resist teasing him.


    However, he still admired him for being able to heal Pei Man''s leg, he had tried before to treat it but wasn''t confident.


    Even that old ghost had said that this little bastard''s medical skills were actually no worse than his own!


    "Are you up to no good?"


    Pei Man shot Su Chen an amused smile and asked.


    The smile made Su Chen''s heart tremble, and he quickly said:


    "Am I, such a kind and upright person, up to no good? The old geezer ispletely ndering me, it''s defamation!"


    But Zhuge Dongming and Pei Man felt weird hearing him call himself kind and upright!


    Him, kind and upright? Only a ghost would believe that!


    "Big brother, you''re here!"


    At this moment, Yunlong came out of the room beside them, eximing joyfully.


    He had heard the sounds earlier and quickly finished his cultivation toe out.


    "Big brother, when did youe back?" Yunlong asked.


    "A few days ago."


    Su Chen replied casually:


    "How are you doing now?"


    "I''m already at the Qi Refinement Triple Layer Realm, almost at the Fourth Layer realm!"


    Yunlong said proudly.


    "Not bad, keep it up!"


    Su Chen nodded, his speed was really quite good.


    Of course, this was due to both the guidance of the old geezer and the effects of the Gathering Yuan Formation.


    Although he always bickered with Zhuge Dongming, Su Chen had set up a Gathering Yuan Formation in this courtyard right away, as a kind of return gift for extorting the old geezer over the years!


    Moreover, that Formation Technique Book was left by the ancestors of Zhuge old geezer!


    In his view, if he used that Spirit Stone, Yunlong breaking through to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refinement would bepletely possible, after all, the Yuan Qi needed for the middle stage of Qi Refinement can''t bepared to the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    "Since everyone''s here, kid, stay and have dinner together today."


    Zhuge Dongming said nonchntly:


    "Yeah, you go buy and cook the food."


    While saying this, Zhuge Dongming''s eyes lit up with fiery light!


    "Great, I haven''t eaten Brother Su''s cooking in a long time!"


    When Xiao Xiazi heard this, he immediately became unbelievably happy.


    Although he was afraid of Su Chen''s teasing, he couldn''t resist Su Chen''s cooking!


    "Su Chen, you know how to cook too?"


    Pei Man''s beautiful eyes widened, asking in surprise.


    "Yeah, big brother, I didn''t know you could cook!"


    Yunlong asked full of shock, he and Pei Man had never seen him cook before!


    "Brother Su''s cooking is really delicious!"


    Xiao Xiazi immediately said.


    "This little bastard has no other skill, but his cooking is top notch, today you guys are in for a treat!"


    Zhuge Dongming curled his lip and said.


    Upon hearing this, both Pei Man and Yunlong looked at Su Chen with faces full of expectation.


    "Alright then, for Xiao Xiazi''s sake today, I''ll indulge you, old geezer."


    Su Chen said:


    "Okay, I''ll head out to buy groceries now."


    "I''ll go with you then."


    At this time, Pei Man spoke up.


    "You..."


    Su Chen looked at Pei Man suspiciously, she didn''t really fit in with a market environment!


    "What''s wrong with me? I can''t go to the market?"


    Pei Man came over smiling and said.


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen nodded, and the two walked out the main gate.


    Yunlong originally wanted to go with them, but was called back by Zhuge Dongming to continue his cultivation...


    ......


    After arriving at the market, Pei Man was quite happy, it was her first time in a ce like the market.


    Sitting in a wheelchair before was naturally inconvenient, and even if it wasn''t for her leg, the Pei family wouldn''t need her to buy groceries.


    Although when she first entered, the smells inside were a bit hard for her to handle, she still endured the smell and asked the vendors this and that, looking very curious!


    The vendors didn''t find it annoying at all seeing how pretty she was, and exined everything to her.


    For example, what kind of vegetable this is, how much this vegetable costs, and so on!


    When she reached the seafood area, she saw those fish swimming happily in the pond, and couldn''t help but reach out to grab one to take a look.


    The startled fish suddenly flicked its tail, sshing a spray of water right onto Pei Man''s face and body!


    "Miss, you don''t use your hands, there''s a beside you, just scoop the one you like,"


    the woman selling fish said to her with a smile.


    Pei Man had seen the beside her, but she just wanted to touch one with her own hands, she didn''t expect the fish to be so uncooperative!


    "All right, let me do it."


    Su Chen said, amused, seeing her like that.


    "What are youughing at, is it that funny?"


    Pei Man grumbled unhappily.


    "I''m notughing at you, I''mughing at the fish; having such a great opportunity to get close to a beauty, yet it doesn''t appreciate it!"


    Su Chen said with augh.


    "Pfft!"


    Upon hearing his words, Pei Man couldn''t help butugh, yfully punching him in the shoulder.

 Chapter 988: Talking Too Much Only Brings Tears

    <h4>Chapter 988: Chapter 988: Talking Too Much Only Brings Tears</h4>


    "Young man, you really have a sweet mouth, making your girlfriendugh with just one word."


    The olddy joked with a smile.


    Hearing the olddy¡¯s words, Pei Man¡¯s beautiful face immediately turned a shade of red!


    Su Chen also felt a bit embarrassed, but neither of them contradicted the olddy¡¯s words.


    Su Chen was afraid that saying it wasn¡¯t true would upset Pei Man. After all, he now understood Pei Man¡¯s feelings for him and could only y dumb.


    Su Chen then picked a fish and continued walking forward...


    The two of them strolled around the market, bought two big bags of stuff, and then headed back...


    .....


    In a certain valley in Huaxia, there was a massive building!


    At this moment, in the hall, stood dozens of people. At the topmost position sat a middle-aged man, whose eyes seemed like they were about to shoot fire!


    "You¡¯re saying the third one and the others were all killed by that young man?"


    He coldly asked the person kneeling below.


    "Yes, leader, I was hiding in the woods far away and saw it with my own eyes."


    The person kneeling below said tremblingly:


    "Third Master knew my movement technique was good, so he let me stand guard there, just in case of any ident, so I could report back in time."


    The other members of Blood Kill were shocked upon hearing this, not expecting a young man could actually kill their third-ranking member!


    "Courting death!"


    The middle-aged man spat out hatefully.


    Their Blood Kill group had less than ten experts at the Late Stage of Meridian Expansion, which was already an elite existence in the Martial Arts World!


    But this time, they lost four at once, including the third boss at Ninth Layer Meridian Expansion!


    It was simply heart-wrenching for him!


    He then looked at another person below and said coldly:


    "Old Second, this time take two people with you and make sure to finish off that kid."


    "Yes!"


    A man immediately stepped forward and replied.


    "Also, have someone visit the Sun Family and tell Old Master Sun that we¡¯ve suffered heavy losses this time. The previously agreed price is doubled!"


    The middle-aged man continued.


    "Big brother, I estimate he may not agree."


    The old second slightly frowned and said.


    "It¡¯s not up to them. Since they found Blood Kill, they have to follow our rules. Who else but them would bear the cost of Old Third¡¯s life?"


    The middle-aged man said coldly.


    "Yes, big brother, I¡¯ll send someone right away!"


    The old second nodded and said.


    ......


    At this moment, Su Chen naturally had no idea about the Blood Kill situation. He was busy in the kitchen of Zhuge Dongming¡¯s siheyuan.


    Xiao Xiazi was standing eagerly by, his eyes shining with excitement!


    And Pei Man was also watching him cook. Looking at Su Chen at this moment, she felt he seemed different from usual!


    In fact, it was very much like his state when treating her illness. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so serious when cooking!


    When is a man most charming?


    Some say when he works seriously; others say when he passionatelymands and strategizes; of course, some say when a man fights heroically!


    If Pei Man were to say, she still felt that a man is most charming when cooking, like Su Chen right now!


    If Xiao Xiazi weren¡¯t there, she thought, she might have gone forward to tightly hug him from behind!


    "Pei Man, why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I¡¯m very handsome?"


    Su Chen nced at Pei Man with a smile.


    "Indeed, very handsome."


    Pei Man lightlyughed.


    "Pei Man, you¡¯re making me embarrassed."


    Su Chen didn¡¯t expect Pei Man to actually go along with his words. Even if his face was thick, he felt a bit embarrassed.


    "You can even feel embarrassed?"


    Pei Man tilted her head and couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    "You¡¯re making it sound like I have a thick skin."


    Su Chen pouted.


    "No, in Zhuge Senior¡¯s words, you have no skin at all!"


    Pei Man yfullyughed.


    "Alright then, can¡¯t have a conversation."


    Su Chen said speechlessly.


    Seeing him at a loss, Pei Manughed even more happily.


    "This old scoundrel is ndering my reputation everywhere. I feel like putting some arsenic in his tea would do him good."


    Su Chen spat angrily.


    Finally, at around eleven, Su Chen finished cooking and served the dishes on the table.


    Of course, Xiao Xiazi had already tasted two bites of each dish. Seeing him eat with gleaming eyes, Pei Man was tempted to try as well, but she couldn¡¯t just follow Xiao Xiazi¡¯s example, right?


    At this time, Yunlong also finished cultivating and came to eat. He hadn¡¯t tasted his big brother¡¯s cooking yet!


    When they tasted the first bite, they were genuinely shocked!


    After hearing Zhuge Dongming¡¯sments earlier, they anticipated that Su Chen¡¯s cooking might be good; otherwise, Xiao Xiazi wouldn¡¯t act like that!


    But they didn¡¯t expect it to be this good!


    "Su Chen, how is your cooking so delicious?"


    Pei Man asked in surprise:


    "After eating your dishes, can we still eat other people¡¯s cooking?"


    "Hahaha~~~"


    Upon hearing this, before Su Chen could reply, Zhuge Dongming burst into a gloatingugh.


    "Master, what are youughing at?"


    Yunlong asked in a daze, and Pei Man was also a bit puzzled!


    "Don¡¯t you know, you have to thank him for having a good master, one with the sharpest pte on this Earth!"


    Zhuge Dongmingughed heartily:


    "The little rascal¡¯s culinary skills were forced out by his old ghost master."


    "How many fish did he have to cook the first time he prepared crucian carp to barely pass?"


    Zhuge Dongming teased as he looked at Su Chen with a smile:


    "Thirty-eight or forty-eight?"


    "Seventy-three!"


    Su Chen said grudgingly:


    "Forty-eight was the bass."


    Pei Man and Yunlong were both dumbfounded after hearing Su Chen and Zhuge Dongming¡¯s words!


    Is that a master? Why does it seem more like a cruel tyrant?


    Making someone cook dozens of fish to pass, wouldn¡¯t that drive anyone mad?


    "Hahaha~~~"


    Zhuge Dongmingughed again seeing Su Chen¡¯s bitter face:


    "Thanks to that old ghost, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have the culinary skills you have today! We wouldn¡¯t be enjoying such a feast now!"


    "Just eat if you have food, old people really talk a lot!"


    Su Chen pouted.


    For Su Chen, those past experiences were something to cry about if talked about too much!


    Just like Lin Ruoxue was curious about his master when she first heard, Pei Man also became very curious about Su Chen¡¯s master!


    She secretly sighed, indeed, only an extraordinary master can teach an extraordinary disciple!


    As for Xiao Xiazi, he didn¡¯t care about them at all! Eating was the most important thing!


    Everyone, except Su Chen, felt a bit stuffed after that meal!


    Since Pei Man came by taxi, shortly after the meal, she left together with Su Chen...

 Chapter 989 Su Chen’s Struggle

    <h4>Chapter 989: Chapter 989 Su Chen¡¯s Struggle</h4>


    Su Chen first sent Pei Man back to Pei Family¡¯s manor, and then he left there to return to the group, arriving at his office.


    After sitting in his office for a while and casually flipping through some magazines, he was ready to visit Xia Qiuru.


    After all, it¡¯s been so long since he came back, and he hasn¡¯t seen her yet. Yesterday, he came specially, and she happened to be out.


    "This guy, he¡¯s been back for days and hasn¡¯te to see me! When hees, I definitely can¡¯t give him a friendly face. Yes, definitely."


    At this moment, in the Human Resources Director¡¯s office, Xia Qiuru was resting her chin in her hand, thinking resentfully, and picked up the teacup beside her to take a sip of water, only to find that there was no water left.


    She sighed and then got up to go to the water dispenser by the wall to get some water.


    Her slender waist bent down, and the silver professional suit outlined a perfect curve!


    Suddenly, a pair ofrge hands wrapped around her waist from behind, startling Xia Qiuru. She hurriedly tried to turn around, but the other person held her tightly, making it impossible for her to turn.


    "I¡¯ve caught you, where do you think you¡¯re running to?"


    Su Chen rested his head on her fragrant shoulder, lightly sniffed the scent of her hair, and said with a smile.


    Upon hearing this familiar voice, Xia Qiuru immediately gave up struggling and gradually leaned her body against him.


    "I wondered which rascal dared to be so bold in the Belle Building; turns out it¡¯s you, you naughty guy!"


    Xia Qiuru murmured softly.


    "Sorry for taking so long toe see you."


    Su Chen said apologetically.


    "Oh, you know?"


    Xia Qiuru said resentfully:


    "I thought you were going to abandon me after using me!"


    "How could I? I can¡¯t bear to!"


    Su Chen chuckled lightly, then turned her body around, looked at her carefully, and said with a stern face:


    "You¡¯ve lost weight! Haven¡¯t you been eating properlytely?"


    "No, I haven¡¯t!"


    Xia Qiuru pouted and said:


    "I¡¯ve been eating on time all this time."


    "Yeah, right!"


    Su Chen said, then pulled her hand and sat down on the sofa.


    Of course, he pulled Xia Qiuru onto hisp, his hands encircling her willow-like slender waist.


    "Look, your waist has gotten a lot slimmer, and you say you¡¯ve been eating on time?!"


    Su Chen said grumpily.


    "My waist has always been very slim."


    Xia Qiuru said shyly in a low voice.


    However, at this moment, she discovered that Su Chen¡¯s hands encircling her waist had started to move restlessly.


    "Su Chen, don¡¯t..."


    Xia Qiuru panicked in her heart and hurriedly said, but she couldn¡¯t say anything anymore as her rosy lips were already covered by Su Chen!


    Just a momentter, Xia Qiuru couldn¡¯t help but respond, although it was very clumsy!


    As for the idea of giving him a bad timeter, it was long gone...


    A full ten minutester, the two slowly separated, and Xia Qiuru¡¯s breathing had be uneven, her professional suit also in disarray...


    "Knock, knock, knock!"


    Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Xia Qiuru was startled, suddenly remembering she hadn¡¯t closed the door!


    Luckily, others wouldn¡¯te in without knocking like him, otherwise, there would be trouble...


    She quickly stood up, tidied her clothes, and patted her flushed face to ease her nervousness.


    "Knock, knock, knock!"


    At this moment, the knocking sound came again.


    "Come in."


    Xia Qiuru hurriedly said.


    As soon as the words fell, a girl walked in, it was Xia Qiuru¡¯s assistant Xiao Li.


    "Director Su, you¡¯re here too!"


    Xiao Li casually said upon seeing Su Chen.


    "Oh, Director Su came over for some work coordination."


    Xia Qiuru immediately covered up the situation and said.


    "Okay."


    Xiao Li didn¡¯t think much of it, but when she looked at Xia Qiuru, she was puzzled:


    "Director, why is your face so red?"


    "Oh, it¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ve just had a slight cold these past couple of days."


    Xia Qiuru said upon hearing this.


    Although Xia Qiuru had already tried her best to ease it, it¡¯s not so easy for the redness to fade!


    Moreover, she was still nervous and hadn¡¯t rxed at all.


    "Do you want me to apany you to the hospital?"


    Xiao Li asked, actually finding it strange; does a cold make your face that red?


    "No need, I¡¯ll be fine after drinking more water."


    Xia Qiuru pretended to be casual as she spoke.


    "Alright, Director Xia, I¡¯ll be going now."


    Su Chen gave Xia Qiuru a yful smile and then left...


    After leaving Xia Qiuru, he went directly home to cultivate...


    ......


    In the following days, to Su Chen, life seemed peaceful, bncing cultivation and work, looking casual and carefree.


    But he was far from at ease internally; the situation with those women was like a ticking time bomb strapped to him, wanting to speak out but unable to do so.


    Whenever he saw Lin Ruoxue, it was impossible not to feel guilty, and this feeling of guilt kept intensifying!


    But now, cutting ties with those women was also impossible!


    Su Chen felt more conflicted and uneasy than when facing strong enemies!


    Until he formally speaks out, Su Chen could only try to prepare thoroughly!


    This mindset was impossible for the former Su Chen, who used to maintain rtionships with many women, moving freely and without pressure.


    Of course, most of those rtionships were fleeting, with mutual needs!


    But the current women were different; each held a unique ce in his life that he couldn¡¯t let go of!


    Moreover, his mindset had shifted, and he was no longer carefree and yful!


    Indeed, enjoying the joy of being surrounded by many is not that easy!


    Every time he thought about this perplexing issue, Su Chen felt sad!


    This afternoon, after cultivating at the manor, Su Chen was ready to visit thepany.


    For Su Chen, after tiring from cultivation, he¡¯d sit at the group, browse a bit; when bored, he¡¯d return to cultivation, as nobody would say or control him.


    At the moment, he just walked to the bottom of Belle Group¡¯s building when he saw Hames Young Master and a few other Westerners walking out, escorted by a group deputy chief.


    Su Chen and Hames Young Master saw each other, but both pretended not to see and directly walked away.


    After returning to the office, Su Chen was like before, brewing tea, lying in the chair, and reading some magazines.


    However, after half an hour, he became idle and, after ying some games, took the elevator to Lin Ruoxue¡¯s office.


    "Honey, busy?"


    Su Chen pushed the door open, entering with a cheerful smile...

 Chapter 990: The Matter of the Token

    "Hmm, just say what you have to say. If there''s nothing, go do what you need to do."


    Lin Ruoxue nced up at Su Chen and then continued to bury herself in her work.


    She wasn''t as idle and carefree as Su Chen!


    "Um, honey, have you really decided to partner with the Hames Family?"


    Su Chen walked over to Lin Ruoxue and asked.


    "If there are no major issues, yes. We just concluded the third meeting, and the conditions are pretty much settled."


    Lin Ruoxue said, naturally she had nothing to hide from Su Chen:


    "Oh, by the way, I''ll also be heading to the U.S. sometime soon to inspect their group and industries on-site."


    "Alright then, I''ll go with you."


    Su Chen thought for a moment, he still wasn''t quite at ease with that so-called Young Master Hames.


    Of course, he wouldn''t let his preferences dictate Lin Ruoxue''s decisions.


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue gave him a suspicious look; it was rare to see him so proactive about work.


    "Fine, coincidentally you''re the head of PR, so it''s part of your job."


    Lin Ruoxue casually nodded.


    Su Chen then stayed in Lin Ruoxue''s office to apany her since he had nothing else to do.


    He casuallyy on the sofa, picking up a fashion magazine or business journal from the coffee table to skim through.


    However, after a while, he tossed them aside and started to rest on the sofa...


    After more than an hour, Lin Ruoxue felt a bit sore after finishing a document, so she stretched her arms and noticed that Su Chen seemed to have fallen asleep on the sofa...


    She slowly left her seat, walked to Su Chen''s side, and seeing him sleeping soundly, couldn''t help but smile softly.


    "This bad rascal, he has his quiet moments too!"


    She thought to herself and then picked up a nket to cover Su Chen.


    Actually, Su Chen was already awake by then, but he didn''t open his eyes.


    Feeling Lin Ruoxue''s gesture, a warm current flowed through his heart...


    However, the more caring Lin Ruoxue was, the harder it became for him to speak those words he wanted to confess!


    After tucking him in with the nket, Lin Ruoxue returned to her work, while Su Chen continued to enjoy the warmth of the nket...


    Su Chen slept for a while longer before waking up, and by then it was already time to get off work.


    "Alright, honey, stop working, let''s finish early today."


    Su Chen got up and walked over to Lin Ruoxue''s desk, taking the document from her hands and closed it.


    "Don''t mess around, I still have a lot of work to do!"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately reached out to retrieve the document, but Su Chen wouldn''t give it back to her.


    "Honey, work is never-ending."


    Su Chen said earnestly:


    "We need to set a rule, at least two days a week to get off work on time."


    "How can that be? There''s so much work!"


    Lin Ruoxue instantly rejected.


    "Can''t be, it must be done; if you keep this up, what''s going to happen to your health?"


    Su Chen said with a stern face.


    He hadn''t suggested this on a whim; it was something he had wanted to do for a long time, and today was just the right moment to bring it up.


    If it weren''t for the Gathering Yuan Formation at the vi, with Lin Ruoxue''s work intensity, her body probably wouldn''t have held out for long.


    "How about one day?"


    Seeing Su Chen''s serious expression, Lin Ruoxue knew he meant it and couldn''t help but plead.


    "Well... alright, but no cking off, and no work even after we get home."


    Su Chen pondered for a while and nodded, knowing that dealing with a workaholic like Lin Ruoxue required gradual progress.


    "Alright."


    Seeing Su Chen so serious, she reluctantly agreed.


    "Let''s start from today."


    Su Chen put the document back on the table, grabbed her hand, and said:


    "Come on, let''s go home now."


    With no choice under Su Chen''s "coercion," Lin Ruoxue obediently followed him out of the office, and the two of them drove home separately.


    While having dinner, Aunt Sun curiously asked Lin Ruoxue why she was home so early today.


    Su Chen cheerfully exined their agreement to Aunt Sun, who nodded in approval.


    She always thought Lin Ruoxue worked too hard and her health would suffer.


    Not just Aunt Sun, Yan Xi agreed as well, having witnessed Lin Ruoxue''s hard work.


    Faced with the trio''s persuasion, Lin Ruoxue had no choice but to promise to rest more, knowing they all meant well.


    With Su Chen watching, Lin Ruoxue indeed didn''t work that night, which felt a bit unusual for the constantly busy Lin Ruoxue.


    It was rare for the two of them to go to bed as early as nine o''clock...


    ......


    Meanwhile, in an ancient room in a mysterious ce in Huaxia.


    "Sect Leader Mo, what''s the status of the token? You told usst time it would be in hand soon!"


    A man sat on a sofa in the room, holding a ss of red wine.


    He casually asked the man in the shadows at the end of the room.


    "I''ve got it under control!"


    The man in the shadows said coldly.


    "But don''t you think this is dragging on too long? Can''t you handle a young guy?"


    The man immediatelyughed mockingly:


    "Or is it because he''s that woman''s son, and you still have feelings, unable to make a move?"


    The man in the shadows looked extremely displeased upon hearing this!


    "What, did I touch a nerve, Sect Leader Mo?"


    The manughed, seemingly unconcerned whether he angered the leader of Shengyi Gate.


    "I don''t need yourmentary on my affairs. Inform the Family Head that I will handle the token!"


    The man in the shadows said with a chilling voice, his face livid!


    "Your time is running out."


    The man stood up, walked over slowly, and gazed at his shadowed face, speaking lightly:


    "The Family Head asked me to tell you, we can elevate you, and we can also pull you down to Hell! Consider yourself warned!"


    After saying that, the young man put down his wine ss and turned to leave.


    "The wine''s good."


    Then, his voice drifted away from the doorway...


    .....


    The next morning, Lin Ruoxue awoke with a stretch in the warm spring sunlight.


    "Doesn''t it feel much better?"


    Having long been awake, Su Chen smiled softly as he looked at Lin Ruoxue.


    "A bit."


    Lin Ruoxue smiled a bit bashfully, indeed feeling more refreshed today than usual.


    "See, that''s it. Work should have a bnce, how can you be wound up all the time like a spring?"


    Su Chen gently lectured.


    "I get it, so naggy!"


    Lin Ruoxue pouted.


    Though she seemed annoyed, Su Chen''s concern was well-received...

 Chapter 991: Goodbye, Ye Mei

    After Lin Ruoxue and Yan Xi finished breakfast, they went to work, while Su Chen stayed at home to practice cultivation.


    He is currently ascending towards the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer. ording to his own estimation, if he reaches the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer, his strength will be almostparable to that of an ordinary martial artist at the initial stage of Meridian Expansion Peak!


    ording to the introduction of the Nine Yang Divine Technique, after the Meridian Expansion Realm, there are the Kaiyuan Realm and the Condensation Pill Realm, beyond which he is unsure.


    But even the Kaiyuan Realm is still too distant for him right now!


    Moreover, he has been cultivating the Supreme Star Shifting Technique for several months now, but has not yet reached the First Turn.


    As for the Calm Spirit Body Technique, he has researched it a bit over these days and is now quite familiar with the spell of the First Layer.


    However, without the right materials, he isn''t able to practice it!


    Su Chen temporarily put aside his extraneous thoughts and began cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique.


    Anyway, he must quickly raise his realm to the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer!


    Currently, he has already encountered some experts at the peak of Meridian Expansion. If it weren''t for his star energy and Dragon-ying Sword, he might have struggled to remain alive and well until now!


    Once Su Chen entered his cultivation state, half the day quickly passed by in the blink of an eye.


    ...


    After finishing his cultivation, Su Chen thought for a moment and decided to drive out...


    Ye Mei has moved the headquarters of the group to Yandu recently, which happened during the two months that Su Chen was in Miaojiang.


    Since he returned, he hasn''t visited there yet.


    So, he thought of going to have a look today, as friends should indeed visit each other.


    Several minutester, he drove up to a building.


    Though this building is not as grand and majestic as the Belle Building, it still has more than ten floors.


    The name of the building was retained from the headquarters building in Jianghai, called Rose Mansion.


    Back in Jianghai''s underworld, Ye Mei was famously known as the "Bloody Rose"!


    After parking his car, Su Chen walked straight inside, where one of the three youngdies at the reception desk widened her eyes upon seeing him!


    She remembered the first time this man came, she stopped him and asked if he had an appointment.


    Later, she realized he might be the president''s man, which made her worry for a few days!


    However, this man seemed to rarely visit the group afterward, havinge a total of about one or two times!


    Unexpectedly, after the group moved to Yandu, this man reappeared!


    "Mr. Su!"


    The youngdy quickly stood up and shouted.


    Su Chen saw this youngdy at the reception desk and smiled; he also remembered her.


    "What floor is your president''s office on?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Twelfth floor."


    The youngdy quickly replied.


    "Thanks."


    Su Chen smiled, then headed towards the elevator, which arrived just then, and he walked in.


    "Who was that man just now? You seemed so excited as if you saw the president!"


    The moment Su Chen entered the elevator, the other two youngdies at the reception desk hurriedly asked.


    They were new employees recruited after the group moved to Yandu, so they hadn''t seen Su Chen before.


    "Shh! Keep your voice down."


    The youngdy nced around and whispered:


    "Let me tell you, that was the president''s man just now! Whatever you do, don''t foolishly offend him!"


    "No way, he looked so ordinary, how could he be the president''s man?"


    Upon hearing this, one of the youngdies showed a look of disbelief!


    "Yeah, I''ve been at the group for over a month, and I''ve never seen him?"


    The other youngdy chimed in.


    "He''s a rare visitor to the group; I''ve only seen him two or three times total!"


    The initial youngdy said:


    "Regarding his rtionship with the president, I''ve seen it with my own eyes¡ªyou can believe it or not!"


    "Don''t me me if you lose your job for offending him, though!"


    The other two youngdies seemed somewhat convinced by her serious demeanor.


    At this moment, Su Chen waspletely unaware he had be gossip material for the three receptionists downstairs and was incorrectly identified as Ye Mei''s man! If he knew, he wouldn''t know whether tough or cry!


    "Ding!"


    The elevator made a light sound as it reached the twelfth floor, and Su Chen walked out.


    Although there were quite a few offices on the twelfth floor, the president''s office was easy to find, and Su Chen quickly located it.


    His rtionship with Ye Mei was very good, so he didn''t bother to knock; he just pushed the door open and walked in.


    "President Ye, handling a myriad of affairs, huh!"


    After walking in, Su Chen teased as he looked at Ye Mei busy working.


    Upon hearing this voice, Ye Mei suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise shed in her beautiful eyes!


    "When did youe back?"


    Ye Mei quickly masked the surprise in her eyes and asked casually.


    "About a week ago."


    Su Chen sat down casually on the sofa and lit a cigarette.


    "And you only came now?"


    Ye Mei walked over, pouted, and said.


    "Just returned, busy, you know!"


    Su Chen chuckled, then asked:


    "By the way, how is your mother now?"


    "Pretty well, though she is somewhat saddened by the Wu Family''s matters."


    Ye Mei said gently, then looked at Su Chen:


    "Was the Wu Family affair your doing?"


    Though she had been guessing for a while, she had never asked Su Chen.


    "That''s correct, but not just because of your situation; they deserved it!"


    Su Chen nodded.


    Ye Mei, hearing this, didn''t pursue the matter further. After all, she held no affection for the Wu Family!


    "By the way, are you freeter? Let''s have dinner together."


    Ye Mei suggested, her eyes filled with a hint of expectation.


    "No problem, let''s invite Yaning too."


    Su Chen thought for a moment. Since Lin Ruoxue didn''t have to work overtimest night, she probably wouldn''te home before nine or ten today, so he agreed.


    "Yaning hasn''te over yet; there are some final tasks to handle in Jianghai, so she won''t be here for about a month."


    Ye Mei spoke while ncing at Su Chen yfully and asked:


    "You seem very concerned about Yaning; is there something going on between you two? I heard from Yaning that you even went home with her!"


    "What nonsense!"


    Su Chen replied, speechless:


    "I see you and Yaning the same, just as good friends!"


    Though Su Chen sensed that both Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning might have feelings for him, he was genuinely afraid of being reckless now!


    With three women around him already, he didn''t even know how to confess to Lin Ruoxue. Any more, and Lin Ruoxue might genuinely have the urge to kill him!


    If it weren''t for the special circumstance that night at Xia Qiuru''s house, even if he and Xia Qiuru had mutual feelings, perhaps they would not have developed into a substantial rtionship!

 Chapter 992: The Girl Under the Table

    However, what Su Chen didn''t know was that ever since he took Ye Mei away from the Situ Family''s wedding that day, her heart had only room for him!


    If not, why would she relocate the Rose Group from Jianghai to Yandu?


    Pursue greater development? That was just an excuse that sounded usible!


    She was different from Lin Ruoxue; her initial intention in establishing the group was merely to shed the identity of an underground force, providing a good path for those who followed her, without seeking grandiosity!


    So, at this moment, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, a hint of sadness appeared on her face!


    But this trace of sadness quickly faded; she believed that one day her wish woulde true!


    She was willing to wait!


    The two sat on the sofa, chatting for a while before getting ready to have a meal.


    As Su Chen and Ye Meiughed and joked their way through the lobby downstairs, the other two girls immediately believed what the previous girl had said.


    Because they had never seen President Ye walking so closely with any man before!


    After leaving the Rose Mansion, they walked into a nearby restaurant.


    Su Chen initially wanted a private room, but they were all full, so they had to sit in the main hall and ordered a few dishes casually.


    "By the way, do you remember the first time we met?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile after taking a sip of tea.


    "Of course I remember. You ordered a bottle of rum. It was the first time I saw someone drink such strong alcohol."


    With a look of reminiscence, Ye Mei smiled and said:


    "That''s why I went over to talk to you."


    "And you? Do you remember?"


    Ye Mei then looked at Su Chen with a smile.


    "How could I forget? You were the focus of the entire room then. It was the first time I''d seen such a seductive pole dance."


    Su Chen also smiled and said:


    "Looking at your strong-willed woman persona now, it''s hard to imagine, it''s like you''re a different person!"


    Indeed, in Ye Mei, Su Chen saw the transformation of a woman!


    If he had just met Ye Mei now, he definitely wouldn''t have thought she had such a side!


    "I never expected I''d be what I am today either."


    Ye Mei sighed and said:


    "Now, if you asked me to perform on stage again, I probably couldn''t let go."


    "Well, you''re President Ye now!"


    Su Chen chuckled and said.


    "But if you want to see, I can dance for you alone."


    Then, with meaningful eyes, Ye Mei looked at Su Chen and said.


    Faced with Ye Mei''s almost straightforward confession, Su Chen suddenly felt awkward, not knowing how to respond!


    Just at that moment, a girl about seventeen or eighteen years old, dirty all over, shed in through the door like the wind, coincidentally arriving right next to Su Chen and Ye Mei!


    She looked around, and suddenly her eyes lit up like stars, then she lifted the tablecloth of Su Chen and Ye Mei''s table and drilled under it.


    This scene left Su Chen and Ye Mei dumbfounded!


    What was going on?


    However, aside from confusion, Su Chen also felt a huge shock!


    Because he could tell, the speed of this little girl just now was almost at the level of Meridian Expansion six or seven, so much that the other people in the restaurant hardly noticed hering in!


    A girl who looked about seventeen or eighteen with such high cultivation was indeed incredible to Su Chen!


    While Su Chen was still in shock, three people rushed in through the door!


    "Excuse me, did any of you just see a girl in a green dresse in?"


    One of them asked.


    The others, upon hearing, all indicated they didn''t know, partly because the girl was too fast, and partly because there were so many people in the hall, they hadn''t paid attention in that instant.


    "I think I saw her."


    Su Chen spoke up, sensing that these three people''s cultivation was also very profound!


    "Sir, could you tell us where she went?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s voice, the three people immediately looked joyful and walked toward Su Chen.


    At the same time, Su Chen felt his pant leg being tugged twice!


    "I think I saw her head towards the back door, just a moment ago!"


    Su Chen chuckled to himself, then spoke sincerely!


    "Thank you!"


    One of them sped their fists and said, then waved a hand:


    "Quick, chase!"


    Before the words were finished, the three figures shed towards the back door...


    After about one or two minutes, the girl crawled out from under the table!


    At this point, the diners in the restaurant were all stunned by this scene, then burst intoughter!


    They didn''t expect that the girl had been hiding under the table of the person who just directed them.


    By this time, the dishes Su Chen and the others had ordered were also served.


    Before Su Chen and Ye Mei started eating, the girl was already wolfing down, no, gobbling!


    Su Chen and Ye Mei exchanged a nce, both feeling somewhat bewildered!


    "Aren''t you afraid those people wille back looking for you?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "Don''t worry, those idiots won''t find their way back so quickly."


    The girl responded, her mouth full, speaking indistinctly.


    "Take it easy."


    Ye Mei stretched out a slender hand to gently rub her back:


    "How long has it been since youst ate?"


    "Days."


    "Four days?"


    "Ten days!"


    The girl swallowed a mouthful of food with effort and said.


    "Ten days?!"


    Ye Mei was shocked upon hearing this and hurriedly asked:


    "What have you been eating during these ten days?"


    "Wild fruits."


    The girl said, now eating slowly, perhaps because she had been ravenous earlier!


    "So pitiful! Eat more!"


    Ye Mei felt sympathy for the girl upon hearing this.


    It was hard for her to imagine what it would be like to survive on wild fruits for ten days.


    Su Chen then had the waiter bring two more dishes, and he and Ye Mei finally began eating.


    After finishing the meal, the girl followed Su Chen and Ye Mei outside again.


    "Who were those people, and why are they chasing you?"


    Outside, Ye Mei curiously asked.


    "I''ll tell you another time when I get the chance. Do you have any money? Can you lend me some?"


    The girl muttered:


    "I still need to keep running!"


    "Are they bad people? Why don''t you call the police?"


    Ye Mei said worriedly.


    "No, no."


    The girl was startled by Ye Mei''s suggestion and quickly waved her hand, saying:


    "Just give me some money."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen also chuckled. Reporting such matters involving Martial Artists was a joke, wasn''t it?


    Furthermore, even if they reported it, could the police handle it? The Special Security Bureau can''t even handle it, right?


    Ye Mei took out her wallet, pulled out a credit card, and handed it over, saying:


    "I don''t have any cash on me. This card has no password. It originally had a credit limit of five hundred thousand. Now, it probably has a little over a hundred and fifty thousand left. You take it and use it first."


    "I have some cash, but not much, just over two thousand yuan. You take it too."


    Su Chen also said; since they were helping, might as well help thoroughly.


    "Thank you both so much!"


    The girl expressed her gratitude profoundly, took the money and the card, and dashed off...

 Chapter 993 Martial Arts Conference

    "What is going on here?"


    Ye Mei watched the girl''s disappearing figure, feeling a bit amused and helpless...


    Su Chen also chuckled; she''s quite an interesting girl.


    Then he returned to the Rose Mansion with Ye Mei; his car was still parked there!


    By the time Su Chen drove home, it was around nine o''clock, and indeed, Lin Ruoxue hadn''te back yet.


    It wasn''t until nearly ten o''clock that Lin Ruoxue walked in, so Su Chen once again made an agreement with Lin Ruoxue, that she shouldn''t be home after nine in the future!


    Otherwise, resting one day while being busy the other days is useless, isn''t it?


    Of course, Su Chen''s idea was eight o''clock, but this had to be done step by step.


    Under Su Chen''s strong insistence, Lin Ruoxue helplesslypromised again!


    ......


    "Sir, someone is looking for you!"


    The next day, while Su Chen was cultivating in the bedroom, Aunt Sun downstairs suddenly called out.


    Upon hearing the shout, Su Chen immediately ended his cultivation and came out!


    "Old Sun, you''re finally back!"


    As soon as Su Chen saw the person standing in the living room wearing a dark blue robe, he instantly showed a look of surprise!


    Sun Yang is a martial artist who can''t sit still; he likes to challenge people everywhere and temper himself through the challenges!


    However, the ce Su Chen arranged for him now has a Gathering Yuan Formation, so he would return every now and then, cultivate for a period, and then go out again.


    Of course, the realm of the people he challenges now ispletely different from before; he can now be considered part of the Martial Arts World!


    When Su Chen returned from Miaojiang, Sun Yang had just gone out not long before.


    "Not bad, you''ve reached Meridian Expansion Second Layer!"


    Su Chen walked up to Sun Yang, gave him a punch, and said with a smile, seeing his strength improvement, Su Chen was sincerely happy!


    "I owe it all to your Gathering Yuan Formation, and besides, I''m still far behind you."


    Sun Yang smiled shyly, knowing that although Su Chen looked like he was only at Meridian Expansion Third Layer, his true strength was immeasurable.


    Not to mention anything else, Qian Ying''s current Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer strength was nothing in his presence.


    Every time he thought of this, he could only curse silently ¡ª not human!


    "Then keep working hard."


    While talking to Sun Yang, Su Chen didn''t need to feign modesty andughed, asking:


    "By the way, why did youe back so quickly this time?"


    The reason Su Chen said this was because when Sun Yang went out to challenge people before, he generally stayed out for at least a month!


    But Sun Yang now knew that Huaxia was full of hidden talents, requiring no need to look for opponents elsewhere, so he decided to stay in Huaxia!


    "I heard some news this time and deliberately came back to tell you."


    Sun Yang said seriously.


    "Oh, sit down and say."


    Seeing Sun Yang speaking seriously, Su Chen immediately invited him to sit down at the table.


    "It''s like this, two months from now, the Huaxia Martial Arts World will hold a Martial Arts Conference over at Azure Dragon Mountain!"


    Sun Yang looked at Su Chen and said.


    "Martial Arts Conference?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but be slightly taken aback.


    "Yes, this Martial Arts Conference is held once every five years and is the most important event in the Huaxia Martial Arts World!"


    Sun Yang said excitedly. Previously, neither he nor Su Chen had stepped into the Meridian Expansion Realm, and since they weren''t part of any martial forces, they couldn''t ess this level.


    "What''s this Martial Arts Conference about?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask, beingpletely ignorant of the Martial Arts Conference, if Sun Yang hadn''t told him, he wouldn''t have known about it!


    "Apparently, it mainly has two parts: exchanges between various martial forces and a martialpetition!"


    Sun Yang thought for a moment and said:


    "I heard that every time the martialpetition has extremely valuable prizes, but I don''t know exactly what they are."


    "Do you want to participate?"


    Su Chen looked at Sun Yang and asked.


    "Hmm."


    Sun Yang nodded, his eyes glowing fiercely:


    "There will definitely be many experts there!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lips, realizing old Sun was interested in this aspect, truly worthy of being a martial arts fanatic!


    "Are you going or not?"


    Sun Yang then asked Su Chen.


    "If you want to go, then I''ll apany you."


    Su Chen''s eyes shed with a gleam, thinking to himself: Surely the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate will go, right!


    "Great, we will go together then."


    Sun Yang saw Su Chen agreeing to go along, his face rarely showing a smile:


    "This time, I won''t go out, I''ll stay home and cultivate, striving to break through to Meridian Expansion Third Layer in two months!"


    Of course, he said this because of the Gathering Yuan Formation, where two months of cultivation almost equals what others would cultivate in a year and a half!


    "I believe you can make it!"


    Su Chen patted his shoulder with a smile:


    "I should work hard too!"


    "I believe you''ll be a sensation then!"


    Sun Yang looked at Su Chen and said, speaking his heartfelt words.


    Su Chen smiled, saying nothing; he wasn''t concerned with bing sensational. He only wanted to meet the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate!


    Of course, he went for another reason: not feeling entirely at ease with Sun Yang, considering Sun Yang''s current strength was still insignificant within the Martial Arts World.


    If he identally offended some people, the consequences could be severe!


    Since it was almost noon, Su Chen invited Sun Yang to stay for lunch, given only he and Aunt Sun were home.


    After lunch, Sun Yang eagerly returned to cultivate!


    Su Chen also went upstairs to his bedroom, once again taking out the token from the Cangyue Ring.


    He looked at it from all angles but found no special features in it, except sensing a restriction inside!


    If it contained some treasure, it didn''t seem like it!


    After observing for a while and gaining nothing, Su Chen put the token back into the Cangyue Ring and resumed cultivating!


    He cultivated until nightfall, stopping only when Lin Ruoxue came home.


    Lin Ruoxue nailed the timing, returning at 8:55, which left Su Chen speechless!


    Afterwards, Su Chen apanied Lin Ruoxue for dinner and then went to rest...


    .....


    Admittedly, the Martial Arts Conference mentioned by Sun Yang did have an impact on Su Chen''s mind!


    Primarily it was due to the influence of Shengyi Gate, for at the Martial Arts Conference, the Sect Leader would likely be present!


    A man who can unravel many of his mysteries!


    And the opponent''s strength was evidently not to be underestimated, yet the specifics were still unknown to Su Chen!


    Hence, in the following ten days, Su Chen once again devoted himself entirely to cultivation!


    This time, he was fullymitted to breaking through to Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer, determined not to give up if unsessful!


    Cultivation sometimes requires a bit of a never-give-up attitude!


    Like Sun Yang, his rapid progress, despite the Gathering Yuan Formation, his innate talent, and spirit stones, was greatly facilitated by his martial arts fanatic nature!

 Chapter 994: Danger Encountered at the Bar

    On a morning several dayster, as the True Yuan surged powerfully within his body, Su Chen finally broke through to the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer Realm!


    He wiped the sweat off his forehead, revealing a satisfied smile.


    He could truly feel the density of the True Yuan within surpassing another levelpared to before!


    Then he took a shower, feeling refreshed, and drove to Belle Group...


    ...


    It was already April now, the weather was getting warmer, and the beautiful women on the street had started to wear shorts, revealing their long and captivating legs!


    Having finally broken through to the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer Realm, Su Chen was in a particrly good mood, whistling as he drove to Belle Group.


    Su Chen first, as usual, flipped through thetest issue of Men''s Wear magazine in his office, drank a cup of tea, and then leisurely made his way to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Honey!"


    Su Chen walked in and said with a cheeky grin, but suddenly froze!


    For he saw someone absolutely unexpected in there!


    "Hello, Minister Su, don''t you recognize me?"


    Eniel looked at Su Chen, whose face was inplete shock, and smiled yfully.


    "Eniel... Miss, how... are you here?"


    Su Chen stammered, his brain suddenly short-circuiting!


    How did shee?


    "We are partners with the Sloley Group; isn''t it normal for Miss Eniel to visit?"


    Lin Ruoxue was displeased upon hearing Su Chen''s words, as they sounded unwee to others.


    The Sloley Group is now a crucial partner of Belle Group, and Belle Group has also achieved some sess overseas, thanks to the influence of the Sloley Group!


    "Indeed, but it seems Minister Su isn''t very weing of me, huh?"


    Eniel gave Su Chen a meaningful nce and smiled.


    "How could that be?"


    Lin Ruoxue hastily spoke and signaled Su Chen.


    "I was just too excited to suddenly see Miss Eniel. Wee, wee!"


    Su Chen enthusiastically proimed.


    "As long as you''re weing."


    Eniel smirked with deeper meaning.


    "Alright, you can leave now; I have things to discuss with Miss Eniel."


    Lin Ruoxue then said to Su Chen.


    Su Chen reluctantly left upon hearing this and returned to his office.


    He sat in his office chair, lit a cigarette, feeling a bit restless; he hadn''t anticipated Eniel visiting at this time!


    He thought to himself: should he just take this opportunity to be honest with Lin Ruoxue?


    Suddenly, he shivered inexplicably; speaking without any preparation would definitely lead to undesirable consequences!


    For the rest of the day, Su Chen sat conflictingly in the office, contemting.


    Only after work did he helplessly walk out of the office.


    It seems too many romantic entanglements are not a good thing!


    He wished Lin Ruoxue already knew everything and calmly epted the other women.


    But he knew it was hard, almost impossible, for Lin Ruoxue!


    That''s the fundamental reason he hadn''t said anything, because he knew Lin Ruoxue too well!


    After dinner, Su Chen drove to the bar, seeking a bit of rxation.


    Listening to the dynamic music and seeing the neon lights flickering around, he took a sip of rum, finally feeling a bit better.


    Watching the young men and women indulging themselves on the dance floor, Su Chen couldn''t help but feel a bit envious of them.


    Time passed second by second, and after a few more rums, feeling it was enough, Su Chen picked up his jacket ready to leave.


    Just then, the bar''s lights suddenly went out, and the music stopped abruptly!


    The bar was plunged into darkness, with Su Chen able to only see faint shadows.


    "Ah!!!!"


    The sudden situation startled everyone, and some timid women even screamed!


    Su Chen quickly became alert, for in a major international metropolis like Yandu, power outages were rare, happening perhaps not once a year!


    At that moment, a sword''s piercing sound broke the silence by Su Chen''s ear, with the air even making "whizzing" sounds!


    Su Chen''s mind moved, the Light Martial Sword appeared in his hand, and instinctively he blocked in the void!


    "ng!"


    A sound of weapons shing rang out, and he swiftly darted towards the door!


    Undoubtedly, this sudden ckout was a deliberate attempt to kill him!


    And the first thought of assassination was about Blood Kill!


    Blood Kill''s attempts, twice now, were suddenly enough, well-versed in the essence of assassination!


    This time they chose the bar environment, which was even more ingenious!


    For a moment, Su Chen felt a deep sense of crisis; rushing out quickly was the best choice!


    This not only ensured his safety but also prevented others in the bar from being identally injured or killed!


    His idea was good, but when he reached the door, he found two people guarding it!


    Just then, the air behind him vibrated, the piercing sound of the sword rang out again; it was clear that the person who struck earlier was making another move!


    He hadn''t anticipated the opponent''s speed, which was almost as fast as his!


    One must know, he had now reached the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer Realm, equivalent to a Martial Artist''s Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Meaning the opponent was almost of the same realm!


    If the opponent really was Blood Kill, it wouldn''t be surprising; after all, the first assassin sent was of the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!


    As Su Chen rushed over, the two guarding the door simultaneously thrust two sharp swords!


    These two wielded cultivation levels of Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer and Eighth Layer, their double swords incredibly fierce!


    At this moment, three swords were almost simultaneously at Su Chen''s side, the situation extremely perilous!


    If it were anyone else, even a skilled person, faced with this scenario, they''d definitely panic; but not Su Chen!


    Just then, Su Chen held a sword in his right hand and pinched three Silver Needles in his left!


    "Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"


    In an instant, his left-hand wrist flicked, sending the three Silver Needles shooting towards the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer individual, who instantly dropped!


    At the same time, he slightly sidestepped to avoid the deadly blow from behind, his right hand deflecting the sword from the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer individual and continuing to thrust towards the opponent''s heart!


    "Thud!"


    "Thud!"


    Two sounds rang simultaneously!


    One was the sound of piercing through the heart of the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer individual, the other was the sound of Su Chen''s shoulder being pierced!

 Chapter 995 Eniel’s Message

    Although Su Chen had already tried his best to dodge, he was still a little toote!


    This was expected, after all, the opponent was at the Meridian Expansion Peak, and it was a sneak attack from behind!


    In the moment his shoulder was pierced, Su Chen turned around and shed at the person behind him with his sword!


    The person behind saw this and quickly pulled the long sword out of Su Chen''s shoulder, bringing out a mist of blood, and then retreated a bit!


    However, Su Chen''s previous attack was just a feint. As soon as the opponent retreated, he crashed through the bar''s door and dashed out!


    Once outside, Su Chen instantly breathed a sigh of relief!


    The person behind realized they had been tricked, suddenly feeling infuriated, and immediately followed him out!


    This second-inmand of Blood Kill couldn''t understand it. Clearly, they were the onesunching the sneak attack, and under such favorable conditions too!


    Moreover, their overall strength was superior!


    They could be said to have every advantage in timing, location, and people!


    How did it suddenly be a one-on-one situation where almost all of their advantages had disappeared!


    If there was any advantage, it would be that the opponent''s shoulder had been stabbed once!


    Actually, it wasn''t just him; the third-inmand of Blood Kill had encountered an equally puzzling situationst time!


    But if they knew Su Chen''s past, they wouldn''t be so surprised!


    For Su Chen, reversing the situation under unfavorable conditions was simply nothing new!


    The key factors are calmness and judgment!


    Su Chen can always make the most correct choice in the first moment!


    For example, earlier, if he hadn''t run towards the door immediately, and if he hadn''t adhered to the first principle of eliminating those two guards, it wouldn''t have turned out this way!


    If any decision was wed, the situation would be different!


    Of course, such choices are also based on one''s own strength, and different strengths lead to different choices.


    "Are you one of Blood Kill''s people?"


    At this moment, Su Chen looked at the man in front of him and asked coldly.


    "That''s right!"


    The man looked at Su Chen with cold eyes and replied. He was the second-inmand, Chen Xiong of Blood Kill!


    "I didn''t expect you toe to me even before I went to settle ounts with you!"


    Su Chen''s eyes were full of anger as he stared closely at the person in front of him!


    "Hmph, having crossed us Blood Kill, you''re sure to die!"


    Chen Xiong sneered as he spoke.


    Although the current situation was unexpected, and his opponent''s strength was surprising, he still had confidence!


    After all, the opponent''s shoulder had been pierced, which would surely impact his movements!


    In a duel between masters, such an impact could be fatal!


    "Let''s see if you have the ability to do so!"


    Su Chen replied coldly, stowing the Light Martial Sword into the Cangyue Ring, and suddenly darted forward, with vigorous True Yuan surging around him, even the air seemed to ripple!


    Seeing Su Chen charging over, Chen Xiong immediately swung his long sword down. As Chen Xiong''s sword came down, Su Chen dodged aside and continued forward!


    The sword Qi struck the ground at the bar''s entrance, instantly whipping up a cloud of sand and stones!


    Seeing a missed strike, and Su Chen almost upon him, giving no time to strike again, Chen Xiong quickly sheathed his sword and advanced, fully releasing the terrifying aura of a Meridian Expansion Peak Primary Stage!


    Seeing the opponent approaching, Su Chen let out a cold smile, thenunched a palm strike, with not only vigorous True Yuan in his palm but also a trace of light blue energy!


    "Boom!"


    The collision of both palms instantly produced a deafening sound, apanied by the noise of shattering bones!


    "Ah~~~"


    Chen Xiong staggered back a few steps, clutching his striking arm and howling in pain, as a piercing agony spread throughout his body!


    "Bang!"


    Without hesitation, Su Chen struck with his fist again at the opponent''s dantian, crippling it!


    Chen Xiong''s body instantly seemed to defy gravity, flying backward into the bushes across the road!


    "You wait, my big brother will surely kill you!"


    Chen Xiong shot a gaze filled with intense hatred at Su Chen, who was walking over!


    He didn''t expect thating to deal with such a young man, he''d end up having his dantian crippled and turning into a cripple!


    "Hmph, I''ll spare your life today, go back and tell your leader to prepare for my arrival!"


    Su Chen coldly spat at Chen Xiong on the ground.


    This was the second time Blood Kill had sent people to kill him. If he didn''t show them some color, they''d really think he was made of y!


    "Alright, alright, you really are arrogant!"


    Chen Xiong struggled to stand up and then walked away step by step into the distance...


    By now, the bar''s power had been restored, and everyone inside waspletely dumbfounded!


    Su Chen made a call to Qin Ming, asking him to arrange for someone to handle the aftermath and to calm everyone down. He then drove himself home...


    The Blood Kill matter didn''t really trouble Su Chen, nor did he put much thought into it.


    As for the person he let go, a dantian-crippled Meridian Expansion Peak, it was no different than killing him!


    ......


    The next day, Su Chen still didn''t go to work but stayed home cultivating, perhaps also somewhat avoiding the situation.


    After all, with Enieling over, Lin Ruoxue, as the president, would surely apany him.


    Since he had now broken through to the Fourth Layer of Meridian Expansion, Su Chen began cultivating the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique"!


    After more than half a day of cultivation, he felt as though the Star Energy within his body was experiencing some sort of change, not in amount, but in some other aspect!


    Could this be a sign of a breakthrough to the First Turn?


    Su Chen couldn''t help but wonder excitedly to himself, but he wasn''t sure, so he just continued cultivating!


    Time flew by, and it was suddenly seven in the evening when his phone rang with the sound of a message.


    Su Chen picked it up to see just one line:


    "Vidona Hotel, 803."


    Needless to say, it was a message from Eniel!


    Upon seeing the message, Su Chen didn''t know whether to feel happy or otherwise.


    Normally, being invited by such a beauty, and one he deeply loved, was a great joy!


    Usually, he would eagerly ept the invitation!


    However, recently, he had been hesitating and struggling about being honest, so he naturally had more thoughts at the moment.


    But then he thought he couldn''t just ignore Eniel, after all, she was a woman he deeply loved!


    Moreover, since Eniel hade over, if he really didn''t go, she would surely be very sad!


    Thinking of this, Su Chen immediately cast aside his earlier hesitations and excitedly drove to Vidona Hotel!


    To be honest, as a normal man, how could he not want to go!


    Moreover, Eniel was a woman he deeply loved!


    Upon reaching the hotel, he directly took the elevator to the eighth floor.


    Standing at the door of 803, Su Chen''s lips curled into a mischievous grin...

 Chapter 996: Thunderclap on a Clear Day!

    Su Chen was just standing there when the door suddenly opened, causing his pupils to constrict and his eyes to shine brightly!


    At this moment, Eniel''s golden hair was cascading down, and she was wearing a burgundy silk low-neck nightgown!


    Though the nightgown was loose, it couldn''t hide her extremely alluring figure!


    Her breathtakingly beautiful face bore a seductive smile, as if silently summoning Su Chen!


    Eniel seemed like a ripe peach, tempting one to take a bite!


    A faint fragrance wafted from her body, melting Su Chen''s heart.


    "Are you trying to steal my soul away?"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Yes, I am here to steal your soul!"


    Eniel grabbed him from outside the door and pulled him in, then mmed the door shut!


    "Be good, wait for me on the bed, I''ll take a shower first!"


    Su Chen gently kissed Eniel, then hurriedly rushed into the bathroom!


    How could he not be in a hurry at a time like this?!


    Watching Su Chen''s urgent demeanor, a sense of pride welled up in Eniel''s heart!


    After three to five minutes, Su Chen came out, looking at the alluring Eniel lying on the bed, his blood suddenly surged!


    "What are you waiting for?"


    Eniel''s red lips parted softly, her gaze gradually bing dreamy.


    Upon hearing her words, Su Chen immediately climbed onto the bed,ing to Eniel''s side.


    Their eyes met, understanding each other''s intentions without the need to say a word!


    Su Chen slowly lowered his head and kissed Eniel!


    Quickly, passion ignited within the room, clothes were scattered messily across the floor!


    It had been nearly half a year since theyst met, naturally, they releasedpletely, turning the world upside down!


    At that moment, Su Chen''s phone rang from the bedside, he casually grabbed it, intending to see who was calling!


    "Why bother looking!"


    Eniel snatched the phone and hung it up, then casually tossed it onto the luxurious bed!


    At this moment, she didn''t want any interruptions!


    Su Chen didn''t mind and continued the battle between the two!


    They rolled from one side of the bed to the other, and back again, the battle was extremely intense!


    Even when Su Chen''s back identally pressed against the phone, he didn''t care!


    ...


    Currently, Lin Ruoxue was buried in work in her office when her phone suddenly rang.


    Seeing it was Su Chen calling, she felt a bit strange. Why was he calling at this time?


    Even so, she promptly answered the call!


    The moment the call connected, she heard embarrassing sounds!


    Lin Ruoxue was no longer the inexperienced woman she once was, she immediately recognized what those sounds represented!


    Her face turned pale, and her body instantly felt cold!


    Those embarrassing sounds continued to reach her ears, she just held the phone, seemingly frozen!


    Her mind was nk, devoid of any ability to think!


    This sudden situation was nothing short of a thunderp on a sunny day!


    ......


    It''s unclear how much time passed, but Su Chen and Eniel finally stopped, both drenched in sweat!


    "You''re really crazy!"


    Su Chen lit a cigarette, looking at Eniel, who was exhausted and lying in his arms, he said with a smile.


    "It''s been such a long time since seeing you, of course, I have to drain you dry!"


    Eniel drew circles on his body, teasing him.


    Upon hearing Eniel''s words, Su Chen couldn''t help but feel a bit guilty!


    "By the way, where''s my phone? Let me see who called me earlier."


    Su Chen said casually, then scanned the bed briefly and saw the phone.


    He took the phone and checked the call log!


    Seeing it, Su Chen was instantly dumbfounded!


    It wasn''t the iing call that shocked him; it was Yunlong who called, which was nothing unusual.


    Most importantly, there was an outgoing call, made to Lin Ruoxue, exactly forty minutes ago!


    Forty minutes ago, what was he doing? Isn''t it evident?


    Su Chen hurriedly checked the call duration, and seeing this, he waspletely stunned!


    It clearly disyed: 12 minutes and 54 seconds!


    Su Chen recollected briefly and immediately understood; he must have identally pressed the phone and dialed!


    But what use is understanding now?


    12 minutes and 54 seconds ¡ª this time was enough to exin everything!


    "What''s wrong?"


    Seeing his expression change, Eniel promptly asked.


    "Ruoxue knows."


    A bitter smile appeared on Su Chen''s face as he handed his phone to Eniel!


    He had been pondering how to tell Lin Ruoxue about his affairs with other women, considering the best way to reduce the impact on her, hoping she could somewhat ept it.


    But he never expected, after much thought, to end up revealing to Lin Ruoxue the fact of his affairs this worst possible way!


    Eniel nced at the phone and waspletely stunned!


    "What do we do now?"


    She asked nervously, looking panicked!


    Eniel was also very clear about Lin Ruoxue''s unique ce in Su Chen''s heart!


    "I don''t know."


    Su Chen shook his head, he really didn''t know what to do!


    He thought even if he had prepared gently, Lin Ruoxue might not ept it.


    Much less in this way!


    He didn''t need to think to know how intense the impact would be on her!


    "I''m sorry, it''s all my fault."


    Eniel whispered, filled with apology!


    If she hadn''t casually thrown his phone on the bed, this wouldn''t have happened!


    "It''s not your fault, don''t carry the burden."


    Su Chen gently said.


    "Maybe I should go and exin to her?"


    Eniel suggested, looking at Su Chen.


    "No need, this is a fruit I nted, it''s only mine to taste."


    Su Chen shook his head.


    He smoked another cigarette, then got dressed and left the hotel.


    Of course, before leaving, he consoled Eniel, telling her not to worry too much!


    After all, at the root, this was not her fault!


    .....


    When Su Chen stood again at the entrance of Imperial Garden, his mood grew increasinglyplex.


    He looked at a lit spot inside, wanting to approach but hesitated, unsure of what awaited him!


    "What''s to be faced must be faced!"


    Momentster, Su Chen took a deep breath, then stepped into the neighborhood...

 Chapter 997: Two Lines of Tears

    Su Chen walked a short distance from the gate to the house, yet he felt like he had been walking for ages.


    He had never felt this stretch of road to be so interminable!


    Finally, he arrived at the gate, his expression wasplex.


    After a minute, he took out his keys, opened the door, and went inside...


    "Sir, you should quickly go check on Miss, she looked awful when she came back! I asked her what happened, but she wouldn''t say."


    Aunt Sun, worriedly, spoke as soon as she saw Su Chen return.


    "Alright, I''ll go take a look."


    Su Chen smiled gently:


    "Aunt Sun, it''ste, you should get some rest too."


    "Alright, I was just waiting for you toe back so I could tell you."


    Aunt Sun nodded and then headed to her room.


    Su Chen sighed and walked towards the upstairs bedroom, his footsteps heavy...


    When he entered the bedroom, he found Lin Ruoxue staring nkly out the window at the night, her expression was indifferent!


    In that moment, Su Chen seemed to see the Lin Ruoxue from their first meeting once more!


    No, to be precise, Lin Ruoxue''s expression was far colder than back then, like an ice cer, as if anyone who approached would be frozen!


    "Honey, I..."


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue''s back, struggling to speak.


    "Who is that woman?"


    But as soon as he spoke, Lin Ruoxue interrupted him, her voice was extremely cold!


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s voice, Su Chen''s heart sank!


    Though he didn''t see the struggle and pain hidden in Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes as she faced the night!


    "Eniel."


    Su Chen confessed truthfully.


    "Her?"


    Upon hearing the name, Lin Ruoxue immediately turned around, her face full of shock!


    She did indeed recognize it as a foreign woman''s voice, but she hadn''t thought that woman would be Eniel!


    What identity does Eniel hold? She is the Princess of the Ster Kingdom!


    How could she be involved with Su Chen...?


    "You''ve only met twice, how could it be...?"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t believe her ears!


    "We''ve known each other for several years."


    Su Chen replied hesitantly; though as he said this he almost didn''t dare to meet Lin Ruoxue''s eyes!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue waspletely stunned!


    They have known each other for years?


    "So, I''m the third wheel?"


    Lin Ruoxue then couldn''t help butugh bitterly, her tone full of irony!


    She felt like a fool who had been kept in the dark!


    At that moment, she suddenly recalled something; when Eniel had first visited, she had said she fell deeply in love with a married Huaxia man, and that they had met and loved before the man got married!


    She had even advised Eniel to strive for her happiness and not give up!


    But she never thought the man would be her husband!


    Thinking back now, it truly was a colossal joke!


    "Honey, it''s not like that..."


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue like this, Su Chen inexplicably felt a pang of heartache!


    "Not like that? Then tell me how it should be!"


    Lin Ruoxue red at Su Chen, as her voice once again grew cold.


    "I actually wanted to tell you about these matters long ago, but I was afraid..."


    Su Chen nced at Lin Ruoxue and spoke.


    "You have other things you''re hiding from me?"


    Lin Ruoxue, being the president of a major corporation, quickly noticed the slip in Su Chen''s words!


    Because he mentioned ''these matters'' rather than ''this matter''!


    Her voice then became even icier!


    "Honey, seeing as things havee to this, I''ll just confess everything!"


    Su Chen spoke helplessly:


    "I''ve always wanted to find the right moment to tell you, but I was afraid you wouldn''t be able to handle it..."


    "Speak, I''m listening!"


    Lin Ruoxue coldly interrupted.


    She was curious to see how many other things this guy was hiding from her!


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue''s nearly freezing expression, nervously confessing about Du Hanbing and Xia Qiuru...


    Of course, he only gave an overview; he dared not detail the deep emotions he shared with these women to Lin Ruoxue, as that would only hurt her more!


    Lin Ruoxue never imagined that besides Eniel, there were two other women!


    More unbelievably, one was the Human Resources Director of her own corporation, whom she had always trusted as apetent assistant!


    Her expression then turned as cold as ice frost, eyes filled with anger and chill!


    Lin Ruoxue always maintained puritanical views on rtionships; before Su Chen, she had never had any close contact with any man!


    How could she ept the fact that Su Chen had other women, three of them no less!


    Though Su Chen didn''t detail it, as a woman, she could discern that the rtionship wasn''t mere flings; there was deep affection there, impossible for him to abandon!


    "Ruoxue, everything is my fault, I''ve wronged you, I know I''m not a good man, but my love for you..."


    "Alright, I don''t want to hear it, I need to rest."


    Su Chen''s words were mercilessly interrupted once again, though Lin Ruoxue spoke calmly, her tranquility was full of indifference and alienation!


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue felt a silent mourning within her heart; she was desperately hiding the pain in her expression, not wanting Su Chen to see!


    "Then I won''t disturb you, have a good rest."


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue in this state, Su Chen felt equally terrible inside!


    He knew that saying anything now would be useless; she didn''t want to hear anything from him!


    Besides, this wasn''t something that could be solved with just a few words!


    Su Chen then got up to leave the room, gently closing the door.


    As the door shut, two lines of tears slipped down her exquisite face...


    .....


    "Ah!"


    On the streets of Yandu, Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh, lighting a cigarette!


    Perhaps he had anticipated this moment for a long time, but when it truly happened, he was still filled with helplessness!


    If he and Lin Ruoxue were still in the early stages of their acquaintance, he could coolly turn and walk away without any hesitation and drag!


    But now...


    How could he?


    Lin Ruoxue had already ingrained herself into his blood, bing an inseparable part of his life!


    To let go would mean he wouldn''t beplete as a person!


    But with Eniel and the others, he was equally unable to forsake them!


    Even if he didn''t talk about responsibility, honor, only emotion, it was something he couldn''t relinquish either!


    Regarding the current situation, Su Chen waspletely at a loss about what he should or could do!


    He didn''t know what the final result would be; maybe only time could reveal the answer...

 Chapter 998: Going far to Country M

    Su Chen wandered the streets of Yandu, feeling somewhat lost!


    After wandering for over an hour, he thought about it and decided that he should tell Qiuru about the situation, so he took a taxi to Xia Qiuru''s ce.


    When Xia Qiuru heard the doorbell ring, she immediately went to open the door. Seeing Su Chen at such ate hour filled her with surprise, she hadn''t expected him toe over sote.


    "What''s wrong with you? Did President Lin kick you out of the house?"


    Xia Qiuru looked at Su Chen''s somewhat dejected appearance and couldn''t help but tease.


    "More or less."


    Su Chen walked in, sat down on the sofa, and sighed.


    "What exactly happened?"


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru''s heart fluttered, realizing that something might have truly happened.


    "Ruoxue already knows about us."


    Su Chen nced at Xia Qiuru and spoke.


    "Ah! President Lin knows?"


    Xia Qiuru was startled upon hearing this, it was too sudden!


    "Yes."


    Su Chen nodded, then exined the events of the evening to Xia Qiuru.


    After hearing it all, Xia Qiuru waspletely bewildered, unable toprehend what her reaction should be!


    The whole situation was just too coincidental!


    She looked at Su Chen with eyes filled with sympathy!


    Without much thinking, she knew what kind of reaction Lin Ruoxue would have after hearing that voice!


    Most women would find it difficult to ept such a situation, let alone a proud and aloof woman like Lin Ruoxue?!


    Especially in that kind of manner!


    Thinking from Ruoxue''s perspective, if she were in Lin Ruoxue''s position, she would definitely find it difficult to ept!


    But considering she was already ying the role of a ''third party,'' she naturally had no qualifications to say much.


    For Xia Qiuru, as long as she could be with Su Chen and confirm he loved her, she was already very satisfied!


    She hadn''t considered the fact that Su Chen had two other women besides Lin Ruoxue and herself!


    She hadn''t thought that Princess Eniel was also his woman!


    "Qiuru, do you also think I''m not a good person? A bastard!"


    Su Chen looked at Xia Qiuru with a bitter expression.


    "You are quite the bastard! But who made us all fall for a bastard like you?"


    Xia Qiuru nced at him with her beautiful eyes.


    Of course, Xia Qiuru was only joking. If he truly was a bastard, how could so many outstanding women fall for him?


    Some men are just natural poison to women!


    Yet, knowing that it''s poison, they still willingly indulge!


    "What are your ns next? You wouldn''t want to give up so easily, would you?"


    Xia Qiuru then asked.


    "How could I?"


    Su Chen''s eyes shed with a determined look:


    "You''re all my women, not one can escape!"


    "You really are greedy!"


    Xia Qiuruughed lightly, relieved to hear Su Chen say that.


    "Rest assured, even a blind man could see President Lin''s feelings for you!"


    Xia Qiuru thenforted him:


    "Only, President Lin just found out about this matter, and in such a way, she definitely can''t ept it immediately!


    "Give her some time, I believe she will eventually forgive you!"


    "I hope so."


    Su Chen felt a bit better after hearing Xia Qiuru''s words.


    That night, Su Chen stayed at Xia Qiuru''s ce, but given what happened, neither had the mood for anything.....


    .....


    Early the next morning, Su Chen woke up and immediately returned home.


    Back home, he found Lin Ruoxue was already gone. After asking Aunt Sun, she told him Lin Ruoxue had left for work early in the morning.


    "Are you having a dispute with Miss?"


    Aunt Sun asked worriedly:


    "Miss left an hour early, and she didn''t even have the breakfast she made."


    Lin Ruoxue''s strange behaviorst night and unusual actions this morning made Aunt Sun very uneasy.


    "It''s nothing, don''t worry."


    Su Chen smiled slightly, not wanting Aunt Sun to worry, but he still sighed inwardly hearing her words.


    He then called Lin Ruoxue''s secretary Chen Guo, asking her to bring breakfast for Lin Ruoxue and to keep an eye on her, informing him if anything happened.


    Chen Guo agreed to Su Chen''s request without hesitation...


    ......


    Three days passed quickly, during which the two spoke hardly a word. Whenever Su Chen wanted to say something, she would walk away.


    On the fourth day, Lin Ruoxue left, saying she was going to the Hames Family in Country M for an investigation!


    The reason sounded legitimate, but Su Chen knew she was avoiding him!


    Originally, the investigation was scheduled for one or two monthster.


    Although he didn''t want Lin Ruoxue to leave, he couldn''t stop her if she was determined to go!


    He couldn''t exactly tie her up with a rope, could he?


    Feeling uneasy about the Hames Young Master, Su Chen instructed the five Shadow Guards apanying Lin Ruoxue to be extra vignt.


    He also wanted to go along, but at this time, how could Lin Ruoxue agree to apany him?!


    ....


    In the international airport hall of Yilia State in Country M, a civilian flight from Huaxia smoothlynded.


    A group of about ten people carrying luggage made their way out of the hall, including four or five foreigners with blonde hair and blue eyes and seven or eight Huaxia people!


    Meanwhile, outside the airport hall, two or three extended luxury Rolls-Royce cars were already waiting, with two men in ck suits standing alongside each car.


    "President Lin, why don''t you and your group stay at our Hames Family estate? I''m sure our family would be very weing."


    Hames Young Master courteously invited, his eyes reflecting a glimmer.


    "Hames Young Master, thank you for your kind offer, but we''ve already booked a hotel, so we won''t trouble you."


    Lin Ruoxue politely declined, she certainly couldn''t stay at the Hames Family estate, it was simply impossible!


    Moreover, despite the official reason for this visit being an investigation, Lin Ruoxue was more inclined to find a quiet environment to calm down!


    "It''s no trouble at all, one of our family''s estates is nearby."


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s refusal, Hames Young Master quickly said.


    "We appreciate your kindness, but let''s leave it at that."


    Lin Ruoxue shook her head.


    "Alright, since President Lin insists, I won''t force it."


    Hames Young Master responded gentlemanly:


    "Rest today, we''ll discuss work details tomorrow."


    "Okay, goodbye."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded in agreement...

 Chapter 999 Passion

    Lin Ruoxue had been gone for three days, and Su Chen felt a lingering emptiness in his heart, as if something essential had been taken away!


    He sat on the living room sofa. Although Lin Ruoxue had left, her presence was still felt everywhere!


    Feeling somewhat stifled, Su Chen stood up and went out...


    At that moment, a myriad of starlight cascaded down, illuminating the earth with a sacred aura!


    Su Chen wandered aimlessly through the streets of Yandu. Every night, as darkness fell, he''d walk like this, without any purpose!


    He simply couldn''t stay at home!


    Watching the intimate couples on the street, he got a bit poetic and envious!


    Walking like this, unwittingly, he found himself on a secluded street...


    Suddenly, three figures appeared in front of him. These three people were no spring chickens; the youngest was nearly fifty. They were all dressed in ck tight-fitting outfits, blending into the night!


    Though their auras were restrained, Su Chen had a feeling they were anything but simple!


    As Su Chen was contemting who they were, the elder in the middle spoke:


    "Hand over the token!"


    With that statement, Su Chen no longer needed to guess; without a doubt, they were from Shengyi Gate!


    "Your Shengyi Gate is truly persistent, after several people have died, you stille!"


    Given Su Chen''s lousy mood, their arrival was a trigger for his discontent.


    "Hand over the token, and I''ll leave you a whole corpse!"


    The elder in the middle spoke again.


    "Hmph, who gave you old farts such confidence?"


    Su Chen spat derisively.


    Though their cultivation was certainly not simple, Su Chen wasn''t about to be frightened!


    After all, his current cultivation was already equivalent to the primary stage of Meridian Expansion Peak for average martial artists.


    "You little brat, how dare you!"


    One of the elders, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, instantly flew into a rage, a sharp light shing in his eyes, seemingly tangible!


    One of them had cultivation at thete stage of Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer, about to step into Meridian Expansion Peak. Another was at the primary stage of Meridian Expansion Peak, and thest one''s cultivation was even more terrifying, likely already at the middle stage of Meridian Expansion Peak!


    The pressure they simultaneously released was unimaginably terrifying!


    Feeling this overwhelming pressure, Su Chen''s mood turned grave!


    Things were indeed as he anticipated!


    He had known that after dealing with that Elder Chen, if Shengyi Gate acted again, it wouldn''t be simple!


    But deploying such a lineup at once was still somewhat beyond his expectations!


    He thought, perhaps this was already all of Shengyi Gate''s experts except for the Sect Leader, right?


    Even if not, there wouldn''t be more than one or two left!


    These people''s strength was clearly a notch above that of Elder Chen, who back then only had cultivation around the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer!


    Fortunately, he had trump cards like Star Energy and the Dragon-ying Sword, otherwise, he really wouldn''t have much confidence!


    Though he had richbat experience, it still required strength as a foundation; otherwise, it''s just a tree without roots, water without a source!


    "So what if I''m bold? To take the token, you better show whether you have the strength!"


    Su Chen coldly snorted at these words:


    "It''s your misfortune that you''ve encountered me in a bad mood today!"


    "Arrogant words!"


    The elder in the middle shouted explosively, and then the three of them charged together!


    They knew how much the Sect Leader valued the token!


    The Sect Leader originally thought dealing with such a young brat from the mundane world would be effortless!


    But who would''ve thought, several groups were sent and all returned without sess, even losing an elder in the end!


    Now, having to send three of them over together, they understood the Sect Leader''s intent to ensure foolproof sess!


    They also believed it themselves, that if the three old dogs couldn''t subdue a young man, they''d be aughing stock!


    The moment they moved, the surrounding airflow seemed to shatter and disintegrate all around!


    Their momentum was like thousands of rivers surging forward, unstoppable!


    These past few days, Su Chen''s mood had been extremely gloomy and suppressed, eager to unleash it all!


    And so, he immediately released all of his aura, letting a torrential fighting spirit pour out!


    The blood within his body surged wildly, as if boiling!


    He hadn''t felt such a rush of blood for a long time!


    The so-called battle was today!


    Both to release and to establish authority!


    And of course, it was also the first official deration of war with Shengyi Gate!


    Feeling the overwhelming True Essence aura released by this young man, and his war-god-like intense fighting spirit, the approaching elders paused slightly in shock!


    Though the young man appeared to only have Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer, the True Essence aura was clearly that of a primary stage Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Despite their disbelief, this was reality!


    "Drink!"


    At this moment, Su Chen let out a loud shout, his body shooting forward like a ferocious tiger emerging from the forest!


    Wherever he went, the void fractured, stirring up a fierce gale, with his True Essence surging like waves, seemingly capable of destroying everything!


    The elders were shocked watching this young man charge at them,pletely stunned!


    Even though this young man had the abilities of a primary stage Meridian Expansion Peak, he wasn''t their match!


    How dare he provocatively attack?


    Was he crazy?!


    "Attack!"


    But since the other party hade, they were of course ready to fight, releasing formidable pressure to counter!


    Soon, two elders at the Meridian Expansion Peak shed in front of Su Chen, each striking at him from different angles, distorting the very space with their punches!


    Su Chen was undaunted,unching his fists to counterattack them at the same time!


    His massive True Essence coated his Fist Mang, with two and three strands of pale blue energy each!


    The two elders at Meridian Expansion Peak were furious seeing him fight two at once!


    To them, this was a tant insult!


    Their fists'' momentum grew even mightier, seemingly ready to swallow mountains and rivers!


    "Boom!"


    Su Chen''s fists collided almost simultaneously with theirs, a deafening roar ensued, and the overturning seas and rivers'' energy wave spread out in all directions!


    Su Chen''s fists directly shattered their arms and struck powerfully at their chests!


    The two elders flew backward and crashed heavily to the ground!


    At this moment, the elder who had yet to reach Meridian Expansion Peak happened to charge in front of Su Chen!


    After all, his speed was slightly slower than the two at Meridian Expansion Peak, and everything just unfolded in an instant!

 Chapter 1000: I Just Want to Get Drunk Once, Is That Okay?

    The elder who had just rushed to Su Chen was stunned at this scene!


    Su Chen, however, didn''t hesitate at all, directly injecting a strand of star energy into his palm, then struck towards him!


    "Boom!"


    There was also a loud bang, and he was also sent flying!


    The person at the Meridian Expansion Peak Middle Stage slowly struggled to rise, his arm was shattered, and his chest was a horrifying mess, with the blood inside his internal organs boiling, clearly suffering significant internal injuries.


    He had felt it just now, not only did the opponent''s fist contain strong True Yuan, there was also a hint of pale blue energy!


    He didn''t know what it was, although there was very little of it, yet it contained an incredibly terrifying power!


    He nced at his twopanions and suddenly discovered that their chests had copsed, undeniably dead!


    He couldn''t help but turn his head to look at Su Chen, his eyes filled with fear!


    This young man was too terrifying! He was simply a demon!


    Three of them with such strong strength, yet facing this young man, in the blink of an eye, there were two dead and one seriously injured!


    Su Chen also secretly sighed, the strength of the Middle Stage of Meridian Expansion is indeed much stronger than the Primary Stage!


    The fist he hurled at the elder at the Meridian Expansion Peak Primary Stage contained only two strands of star energy, but the fist at the Meridian Expansion Peak Middle Stage contained three strands!


    The result was that the Meridian Expansion Peak Primary Stage was dead, while the Middle Stage only suffered severe injuries, at least he was still alive!


    Of course, this was also because he had split his True Yuan into two parts, which was equivalent to actively lowering his cultivation by half!


    Otherwise, with his equivalent of the Meridian Expansion Peak Primary Stage cultivation, plus three strands of star energy, it would be a wonder if he wasn''t dead!


    Even with just one or two strands of True Yuan, he would have perished instantly!


    At this moment, a glint appeared in the elder''s eyes, he just wanted to escape, because he knew he was no match for this young man!


    "Want to escape? Do you think you can?"


    Su Chen seemed to know his thoughts, and said with a yful smile.


    "I... I..."


    The elder at the Meridian Expansion Peak Middle Stage stammered, but before he could finish his sentence, a sh of de light appeared!


    His pupils shrank sharply, he hurriedly tried to avoid it, but after all his severe injury he couldn''t!


    A mist of blood spurted out, and his body fell to the ground with a "bang"!


    Su Chen looked at these three people, without a hint of emotion, simply dealt with the bodies, then left...


    Through the battle just now, Su Chen now had a deeper understanding of his own strength!


    In his view, at least below the Kaiyuan Realm, he should still be capable of fighting!


    However, in this battle, Su Chen consumed nearly half of the star energy in his body!


    You must know, this star energy was umted over several months!


    Star energy, while extremely powerful, is too difficult to cultivate!


    Through the release of this battle, Su Chen''s suppressed emotion was slightly alleviated...


    At this moment, a drizzle suddenly started falling from the sky, so Su Chen headed home...


    After returning home, he didn''t sleep, but instead sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate.


    Now, perhaps only during cultivation can he focus a bit of his energy, and not think about those vexing matters...


    .....


    Yilia State in M country is a prosperous state, and as its central city, Bosifo is even more so!


    Like other developed cities in the world, Bosifo also has ces like bars and nightclubs gathered for people''s entertainment!


    Now that night had fallen, these ces gradually became lively, with people flocking in.


    In one of the bars, two women sat across from each other in a booth!


    These two women were of Dongfang descent and both were stunning beauties!


    "Ruoxue, stop drinking!"


    One of the women grabbed the bottle and said:


    "Did you call me all the way from Europe just to get drunk with you?"


    "Xiwen, just let me drink, today I just want to be drunk once, okay?"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at the woman opposite her and pleaded.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t have many friends, even fewer close friends, almost none!


    If there was one, it would be this woman named Luo Xiwen in front of her.


    They met while studying abroad, perhaps because both were from Huaxia, they were inevitably closer in a foreignnd.


    Gradually, they found they got along better and better, so during their years studying abroad, they almost ate, lived, and yed together, bing inseparable friends!


    However,ter, Lin Ruoxue returned to take over Belle Group while Luo Xiwen stayed in Europe to work, so they seldom met!


    But that friendship always stayed in their hearts!


    So when Lin Ruoxue wanted to find someone to apany her, the first and only person she could think of was Luo Xiwen!


    "Ruoxue, what happened? Tell me, then I''ll drink with you!"


    Luo Xiwen tightly held the bottle and said, very worried about Lin Ruoxue because this kind of Lin Ruoxue was very abnormal!


    "Nothing, nothing!"


    Lin Ruoxue shook her head and said, now having drunk quite a bit, her face was flushed red!


    "Ruoxue, you got married and I haven''t even congratted you yet, why didn''t you bring your husband so I could see him this time?"


    Luo Xiwen suddenly said with a smile.


    "Don''t mention him to me!"


    Lin Ruoxue immediately shouted upon hearing that!


    "Sure enough it''s about her husband!"


    Luo Xiwen thought to herself, she was actually just testing!


    She knew Lin Ruoxue was a strong person, rarely would anything make her like this!


    The only possible reason was feelings!


    Although Luo Xiwen had never met Lin Ruoxue''s husband, she had heard Lin Ruoxue mention the man more than once!


    From initially mentioning him asionally, with even that filled with indifference and disdain, toter sometimes saying: that guy isn''t that bad actually!


    Eventually, each time couldn''t help but mention this man, talking about his various aspects, of course, except for some secrets about Su Chen himself!


    It''s safe to say, though Luo Xiwen hadn''t met her husband, she was already very familiar with him!


    "Ruoxue, what happened, tell me!"


    Luo Xiwen came over to sit beside Lin Ruoxue, then hugged her shoulders gently saying:


    "Just say it out loud, it''ll be better!"


    "Xiwen, he has another woman outside!"


    Lin Ruoxue couldn''t hold back anymore, turned to cry on Luo Xiwen''s shoulder:


    "I want to let go, but I can''t! Xiwen, what should I do?"


    "What? That damned bastard!"


    Luo Xiwen couldn''t help cursing, a sh of anger appeared on her face...

 Chapter 1001: Tell or Not?

    In the hotel room, Luo Xiwen looked at Lin Ruoxue, who had already fallen into a deep sleep, feeling very distressed!


    She knew early on that Lin Ruoxue had fallen in love with that man. She was happy for Lin Ruoxue; after all, Lin Ruoxue used to be too indifferent to men!


    But she hadn''t expected that Lin Ruoxue''s feelings for that man were so deep!


    It was precisely because of this that she was in such pain!


    This was probably the first time she got drunk!


    "It seems you can''t be apart from that guy at all now!"


    Luo Xiwen sighed secretly and whispered.


    At this moment, she had already cursed the man she had never met thoroughly in her heart!


    However, she didn''t feel safe letting Lin Ruoxue return in this state, so she decided to stay and apany her for a few days, trying to console her...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in an ancient manor in Europe.


    An old servant excitedly walked briskly into the main hall.


    "Patriarch, we just received news that the man''s wife has just arrived in Country M!"


    As soon as he entered, the old servant immediately reported to an elder.


    "Is the news urate?"


    Upon hearing this, the elder''s body shook, and he asked excitedly.


    "Absolutely urate, I''ve already confirmed it!"


    The old servant bowed and replied:


    "At the beginning, the people arranged were all focused on him personally and neglected his wife, which is why we were a few dayste."


    "Great! After waiting so long, we''ve finally got a good opportunity!"


    The elder stood up from his seat abruptly, and a fierce gleam burst out from his cloudy eyes!


    The matter of his son''s death had always been on his mind, and several earls sent for revenge did not return!


    He had held back from sending more people due to fear of the mysticalnd of Huaxia, and had been waiting for an opportunity!


    Now, effort has paid off, and such a good opportunity has finally arrived!


    "Patriarch, what should we do next?"


    The old servant asked.


    "Make arrangements; we will depart for Country M immediately!"


    The elder immediately ordered.


    "Patriarch, are you going to go personally?"


    The old servant asked upon hearing this.


    "Yes, I want to watch that boy die right before my eyes!"


    A deep hatred spread across the elder''s face as he spoke.


    "Yes, I will go and arrange it!"


    The old servant agreed and turned to leave...


    .....


    Su Chen naturally did not know that someone had already set their sights on Lin Ruoxue. He continued his cultivation, seemingly wanting to use it to numb himself!


    He kept cultivating until the afternoon of the next day. After finishing his cultivation, he took a shower, then thought about visiting the manor.


    Upon arriving at the manor, Qi Meng was in the middle of cultivating.


    Under the guidance of Su Chen and Qian Ying, Qi Meng was close to breaking through to the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    That''s why she had spent most of her time recently in cultivation, hoping to break through soon.


    Because stepping into the Meridian Expansion Realm represents entering another level!


    However, seeing Su Chen arrive, she stopped her cultivation for the moment.


    "By the way, has your wife forgiven you yet?"


    Qi Meng asked when she saw him.


    Qi Meng knew about this because Su Chen had voluntarily told Qian Ying a few days ago, and she happened to hear it.


    Su Chen mainly wanted Qian Ying to take over some of the Shadow Guard duties, to secretly protect Lin Ruoxue!


    No matter what, Qian Ying was now at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, aiming for the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer. Compared to the strength of several Shadow Guards, it was like night and day!


    Besides, Qian Ying is a woman, which offers much convenience!


    As for Qi Meng, from what Su Chen thought, the Judgment Department was unlikely to send anyone soon, given that the Right Priest had already fallen in Huaxia!


    But even if they do send someone, it''s unlikely that Qian Ying could stop them, so his presence beside Qi Meng doesn''t make much difference!


    "It''s not that easy."


    Upon hearing Qi Meng''s words, Su Chen shook his head and sighed.


    "Women need to be coaxed. When she returns, just coax her well."


    Qi Mengforted, a hint of light shing in her beautiful eyes!


    Su Chen heard her words but only smiled bitterly, for this might work with most women.


    With Lin Ruoxue? He didn''t have much confidence!


    Perhaps when she''s usually upset, he can coax her and everything will be fine, but for this matter? It''s very difficult!


    "How is your cultivation going now?"


    Su Chen asked casually afterward.


    "Still haven''t broken through. Many times I feel infinitely close, as if I''m about to break through at any moment, but in the end, I still haven''t!"


    Qi Meng said frustratingly.


    "That''s normal, the Meridian Expansion Realm is a threshold; it''s not easy to break through!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly and said.


    Qi Meng certainly understood this truth, but this feeling was quite torturous.


    "By the way, in a month and a half, there will be a Martial Arts Conference in the Huaxia martial arts world. If you can break through by then, I''ll take you to see it."


    "Really? Will you really take me?"


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng''s beautiful eyes immediately shone brightly!


    Huaxia, to martial artists, has always been the most mysterious country. The Martial Arts Conference held by the Huaxia martial arts world is exciting just to hear about!


    "Of course, as long as you reach the Meridian Expansion Realm by then, I''ll take you!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Alright, I will definitely break through before the Martial Arts Conference, don''t worry!"


    Qi Meng said resolutely.


    After chatting with Qi Meng for a while, Su Chen continued his cultivation in the manor.


    After all, he had drained quite a bit of Star Energy yesterday, and he needed to replenish it quickly. Moreover, he hoped to elevate his cultivation realm by one more tier before the Martial Arts Conference arrives!


    From his past experience, reaching the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer should mean reaching the mid tote stage of the Meridian Expansion Peak!


    No doubt, the Martial Arts Conference would be filled with experts, as it''s the grandest event of the Huaxia martial arts world!


    .....


    Meanwhile, in the Five Great Families'' cemetery north of Yandu!


    "Dad, Big Brother, Sister-inw, I''m sorry, it''s been a while since I''vee to see you."


    Su Jin knelt there, looking somewhat sad:


    "Xiao Jin doesn''t want to avoid visiting you; it''s just that there''s a matter weighing on my heart, and I don''t know what to do!"


    "Big Brother, Sister-inw, can you tell me if I should reveal that matter to him?"


    Su Jin looked at the tombstones of his big brother and sister-inw, murmuring:


    "If I don''t tell him, I''m afraid he might hate me in the future, and he has the right to know about that matter; but if I tell him, I''m afraid he won''t be able to handle the blow!"


    "He''s a good boy, very good! Over the years, he''s already endured so much suffering; I don''t want to see him suffer again! But can I really hide that matter from him?"


    "Big Brother, Sister-inw, can you tell me, what is the right thing for me to do?"


    As the sun set, the sky filled with red clouds, and Su Jin knelt there, speaking softly, his face filled with hesitation and inner conflict...


    (ps: The remaining three chapters for today wille out tonight, and the five overdue chapters will be made up soon, rest assured everyone!)

 Chapter 1002: Kidnapped

    In a mysterious ce in Huaxia, within an ancient building, a person walked into one of the rooms, his face full of shock!


    "Have the three Elders returned? Let them in quickly!"


    From the shadowed end of the room, a voice came forth, filled with a mix of excitement and relief!


    However, upon hearing these words, the person who just entered stood there, moved his lips, but said nothing.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you still standing there?"


    The voice from the shadows grew a bit grim.


    "Reporting to the Sect Leader, the three Elders have also lost contact..."


    The neer spoke tremblingly, with a touch of fear appearing on his face!


    He understood what ''lost contact'' implied!


    "Hmm?!"


    The voice from the shadows turned extremely cold suddenly:


    "What did you say? Lost contact?"


    "Yes! Sect..."


    The person replied shakingly, his body trembling as well.


    But before he could finish speaking, a palm print suddenly struck out from the shadows, and across more than ten meters away, the person flew backward and crashed into the wall behind him, sliding down with his eyes wide open!


    Soon, someone came in and dragged the corpse away!


    "Very well, I never thought you, this wily spawn, would truly broaden my horizons!"


    The shadowed voice was now filled with sinister sharpness!


    "I''m curious to see what kind of surprises you can still give me!"


    .....


    Su Chen cultivated until nightfall and then directly slept for a while in the manor.


    Actually, calling it sleep was just him lying on the bed thinking about Lin Ruoxue...


    Just like him, across the ocean, Lin Ruoxue had just awakened, her head aching slightly, as she rarely drank so much.


    Shey at the bedside, her mind flickering through moments spent with him!


    She didn''t want to think about it, but as soon as she had some idle time, those scenes appeared in her mind like a movie!


    "Ah, a heartbreaker!"


    Lin Ruoxue sighed, feeling that Su Chen was her destined heartbreaker, yet he...


    She couldn''t bear to let go, but she couldn''t ept it all either...


    She thought escaping to the faraway M Country would make things better, but she found herself missing him even more...


    Just then, the door opened, and a figure walked in.


    "I knew you''d probably be awake."


    Luo Xiwen said with a smile:


    "I brought some porridge back for you. Hurry and drink it; I had to run across two streets to get it for you!"


    After all, in M Country which isn''t Huaxia, buying porridge isn''t easy.


    "Thank you."


    Lin Ruoxue said and prepared to get up.


    Seeing this, Luo Xiwen quickly held her down:


    "Don''t get up, just drink it on the bed."


    Lin Ruoxue heard this and leaned back against the headboard again.


    "I never thought that a big beauty like you, Lin, would drink for a man."


    While Lin Ruoxue drank porridge, Luo Xiwen teased.


    "Did youe just tough at me?"


    Lin Ruoxue said, a bit embarrassed.


    "How could I dare?"


    Luo Xiwen replied with a smile.


    "By the way, sorry to call you over from faraway Europe; you had so much to do, just head back today."


    Lin Ruoxue said, she''d desperately wanted someone to apany her for the past two days, so she contacted Luo Xiwen, who rushed over once she finished her urgent tasks, which moved her greatly.


    "There''s nothing much happening on my end, we haven''t seen each other for ages; let''s hang out for a few days."


    Luo Xiwen smiled, actually worrying about Lin Ruoxue.


    "Alright then."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded, knowing the other was worried about her.


    "Let''s have some fun these days, rx a bit, leave the survey work to the team below."


    Luo Xiwen suggested.


    With Luo Xiwen proposing, Lin Ruoxue agreed.


    Indeed, the survey work wouldn''t be much different with or without her, she just needed to consolidate the information from the survey team and makeprehensive judgments.


    "Okay, rest a bit more, then we can go out and have some fun."


    Luo Xiwen said and left first.


    .....


    More than an hourter, the two women appeared on Bosifo''s wide streets.


    They reached out to hail a taxi, ready to go shopping, as for many women, leisure activities are few, and shopping is fairly universal.


    More so, these two women hardly had any chance to shop, taking this opportunity in M Country to shop extensively was a fine choice!


    Moreover, Lin Ruoxue heard shopping was the best way to heal a broken heart, so she wanted to give it a try.


    After getting in the car, the taxi headed towards Bosifo''srgest shopping mall.


    However, as the taxi drove along a tree-lined road, it suddenly braked sharply, causing the bodies of the two women sitting in the back to lurch forward, crashing into the front seat back.


    "Driver, what''s going on? How are you driving?"


    Luo Xiwen rubbed her head,ining slightly.


    "Miss, someone is blocking the road ahead."


    The taxi driver turned to nce at the two women and said.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue and Luo Xiwen immediately looked ahead, where two men in tuxedos stood blocking the way!


    Just then, another car sped in, stopping beside the taxi, and a woman got out from it!


    "What are you trying to do?"


    Qian Ying stepped in front of the two tuxedoed men and asked coldly.


    Feeling extremely grave, as these two gave her an intensely dangerous feeling!


    "We just want thedies in the car toe with us."


    One of the tuxedoed men smiled.


    "In your dreams!"


    Qian Ying scoffed.


    "Get them!"


    The person who spoke didn''t hesitate, ordering directly.


    As soon as the words fell, the two men moved, one attacking Qian Ying, while the other headed for the taxi!


    Seeing this, Qian Ying wanted to intercept the man heading for the taxi, but she was tightly entangled, even suppressed!


    She was astonished; who was this person with such strong abilities!


    "Bang!"


    Right then, Qian Ying was pped away by the opponent,nding on the taxi roof, the front hood smashed in!


    The driver was already scared stiff, and the two women naturally couldn''t fare much better, their faces pale!


    Then another person opened the car door, and Lin Ruoxue inside shuddered all over.


    "You..."


    But before Lin Ruoxue could finish her words, she was dragged out of the car.


    "What about the other woman?"


    The person asked the one who injured Qian Ying earlier.


    "She''s a beauty too, take her along!"


    The other person quickly appeared, then opened the car door and dragged Luo Xiwen out too...

 Chapter 1003: At the Mercy of Others

    "Who the hell are you people? What do you want?"


    Qian Ying''s face was deathly pale, blood stained the corner of her mouth, she struggled to get up a bit, her gaze coolly fixed on the two people!


    "Tell her husband, if he wants to see his wife, he shoulde to Emil Park in the east of Bosifo City."


    One of them said, and then the two of them quickly left with the two women...


    ....


    Su Chen had been asleep for more than three hours, just woke up, and then heard his phone ringing.


    He saw it was Qian Ying''s number, and his heart trembled immediately, he answered it at once!


    "Qian Ying, what''s the matter?"


    Su Chen asked directly.


    "Master, madam has been taken, along with one of her good friends."


    Qian Ying said on the other end of the phone.


    "Who took them?"


    Su Chen''s face changed, he quickly asked.


    "I don''t know, but I smelled a bloody scent on them!"


    Qian Ying thought for a moment and answered.


    "Blood n!"


    Suddenly, a murderous glint shed in Su Chen''s eyes!


    He hadn''t expected the Blood n, silent for so long, to strike again, and this time at Lin Ruoxue, filling him with killing intent!


    "What did they say?"


    Su Chen continued to ask in a deep voice, there was no doubt that capturing Lin Ruoxue was aimed at dealing with him.


    "They said to meet them at Emil Park in the east of Bosifo City."


    Qian Ying immediately said.


    "Alright, I''m heading to Bosifo right now!"


    Su Chen said and then hung up the phone, his eyes filled with endless frost...


    .....


    Almost ten hours had passed, and by this time, M country had already enteredte night.


    In Emil Park, it was nearly pitch-ck, only a little moonlight spread some light, the entire park extremely quiet, asionally the sounds of insects and birds could be heard.


    Deeper in Emil Park, there was a towering tree where Lin Ruoxue and Luo Xiwen were tied up.


    Beside them, six people stood there, including two elders and four men in tailcoats!


    "Chief, do you think that boy, knowing we are ready and waiting for him here, will stille?"


    An elder who looked like an old servant asked.


    "Don''t know, I think he shoulde, his wife is in our hands!"


    The elder pondered for a moment and said.


    "What if the boy gets scared and doesn''t dare toe, what do we do then?"


    The old servant asked again.


    After all, it seemed to him that if the boy came today, it would be almost certain death!


    "Hmph, if he doesn''te, don''t me me for being rude, these two women can be left for those few."


    The elder nced at the other four men and said.


    The four men in tailcoats were immediately overjoyed upon hearing this, their eyes filled with greed as they looked at the two women!


    Both of these women were rare Eastern beauties!


    Especially that person''s wife, her beauty was unimaginable!


    Lin Ruoxue and Luo Xiwen felt the gaze of those few people, they shivered immediately, their beautiful eyes filled with fear!


    "You''re courting death!"


    At this moment, an icy voice pierced through!


    Then a figure slowly emerged in the moonlight, their face covered with ayer of frost!


    "Are you Su Chen, the murderer who killed my son Gapa?!"


    Upon seeing this figure, endless hatred shed in the elder''s eyes!


    "Yes!"


    Su Chen admitted directly.


    "What grievance did my son have with you for you to kill him?"


    The elder red at Su Chen, asking sharply.


    "Because he deserved to die!"


    Su Chen said calmly:


    "Cruelly killing dozens of innocent Huaxia girls, even dying a thousand deaths wouldn''t atone for his crimes!"


    "You... how dare you!"


    Hearing Su Chen curse his son as deserving to die, the elder was immediately furious, ordering the four men next to him:


    "Go, kill him immediately!"


    "No!"


    As soon as the elder''s words fell, Lin Ruoxue screamed in panic, her face full of terror!


    Luo Xiwen was also startled, how could these people resort to killing over just a few words!


    However, Lin Ruoxue''s scream was ineffective, those four people had already rushed towards Su Chen aggressively!


    Su Chen looked at these four people, his eyes cold, a slight smile forming on his lips!


    These four people, were merely at Meridian Expansion Fifth and Sixth Layer, and two at Meridian Expansion Eighth and Ninth Layer!


    Although these people were much stronger than the few from the Blood n who attacked him the first time, in the past few months, his strength had transformed, he no longer deemed these opponents worthy!


    But he still needed to be wary of their Bloodification, since the power of the Blood n significantly increases post-Bloodification!


    What Su Chen didn''t quite understand was that although the Blood n members who attacked himst time were Earls, they were the lowest grade Earls!


    The Blood n is ranked by strength, from low to high: Baron, Viscount, Earl, Marquis, Duke, with each realm divided into high, middle, and low tiers!


    Currently, these four are two middle-tier Earls and two high-tier Earls!


    As for Dukes, it''s been many years since a Duke has appeared within the Blood n, they are legendary figures!


    The four saw Su Chen was only at Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer and didn''t pay him any mind,unching at him like a sh of lightning!


    Su Chen immediately dashed towards them, engaging in battle!


    He directly punched a middle-tier Earl, sending him flying; then turned and pped towards another high-tier Earl!


    That high-tier Earl was caught off guard by the young man''s strength, he was startled, and seeing the fierce palming his way, he grabbed a nearby middle-tier Earl as a shield!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen''s palm hit the middle-tier Earl, sending him and the high-tier Earl hiding behind him flying!


    In just a moment, out of the four, only one high-tier Earl remained standing!


    "Stop!"


    Just as Su Chen was about to attack the remaining high-tier Earl, a booming voice rang out!


    Hearing the shout, Su Chen had to stop!


    Because at that moment, the elder had one hand tightly gripping Lin Ruoxue''s neck, her face flushed red!


    Additionally, the elder exuded a terrifying aura and a bloody scent!


    Su Chen didn''t expect that the strongest one among them was the elder; the aura he unleashed wasparable to the early stage of Meridian Expansion Peak!


    With Lin Ruoxue under such an expert''s control, Su Chen dared not make a single move!


    At this time, the high-tier Earl who used the middle-tier Earl as a shield was also slowly getting up from the ground!


    Thanks to the cushion, he only suffered minor injuries, not serious!


    Su Chen originally wanted to seize the element of surprise, to attack before they could Bloodify and inflict as much damage as possible!


    But unexpectedly, he only managed to kill the two weakest among them!


    He was rather dissatisfied; since now, the opponents would be less likely to give him such an opportunity!


    Ultimately, Lin Ruoxue was in their hands, he had no choice but to be constrained!

 Chapter 1004 Heartache

    At this moment, Luo Xiwen waspletely stunned. She had never seen such a scene before!


    She was thinking, just what kind of person is Ruoxue''s husband?!


    And what about the matter of harming dozens of innocent Huaxia girls that he mentioned earlier?


    How could someone be so cruel?


    "What do you want to do?"


    Su Chen looked at the old man and spoke with piercing eyes.


    "I want you dead!"


    The old man looked at Su Chen with a deep-seated hatred!


    He never expected that this young man would be so formidable!


    To know, the few people he brought were already quite powerful masters of their Gapa n!


    Yet, facing this young man, these masters weren''t even a match for him!


    "What will it take for you to let my wife go?"


    Su Chen asked the old man in a deep voice.


    "Each of us will punch you once. You can''t resist. If you don''t die, then you''re lucky, and all matters between us will be written off. I''ll let you and your wife leave. If you die, I''ll send your wife down to reunite with you."


    The old man looked at Su Chen with a cold smile, a glint of light shing in his eyes!


    "What if I refuse?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Then I''ll kill her immediately!"


    The old man spoke without hesitation.


    "Fine, I agree!"


    Su Chen said calmly. Although he knew that what the other said about not dying and then writing it off wasplete nonsense, since Lin Ruoxue was in the other''s hands, he had no choice but to agree!


    "Su Chen, no! Are you crazy?!"


    Lin Ruoxue shouted immediately as she saw Su Chen agreeing, shaking her head ceaselessly!


    "Good!"


    The old man was suddenly overjoyed upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    He had just been testing to see how much this hostage mattered to the other person by proposing a particrly outrageous condition!


    Unexpectedly, this man agreed without any hesitation!


    Luo Xiwen also widened her beautiful eyes incredulously, staring nkly at this man she had just met!


    "Go!"


    The old man shouted at the two high-ranking Earls.


    The two high-ranking Earls immediately walked forward, and one of them punched Su Chen in the abdomen fiercely!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen immediately spewed a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, smashing a statue of an unknown celebrity nearby into pieces beforending on the ground!


    "Pfft!"


    After hitting the ground, Su Chen couldn''t help but spit out another mouthful of blood!


    Su Chen only felt a turmoil in his internal organs, feeling extremely ufortable and painful!


    Although he was at the Meridian Expansion Peak Primary Stage, the opponent had a Realm equivalent to the Meridian Expansion Level Layer!


    How could he withstand such a punch?


    Fortunately, he had Star Energy protection in his body, otherwise, this punch could have cost him his life!


    But this sort of protection waspletely different from the power generated by actively releasing it for attack, so he still suffered considerable internal injuries!


    And the reason these two members of the Blood n did not undergo Bloodification to exert their maximum strength was that, ever since Su Chen agreed to that incredible condition, in their minds, he was already a dead man!


    Moreover, each Bloodification consumes a lot of Blood Qi, which is precious and takes a long time to recover!


    For someone destined to die, why waste it?


    Lin Ruoxue saw Su Chen like this, and her beautiful eyes blurred, tears pouring down like rain...


    "Kid, not bad! You can actually take a punch and still hold on!"


    The man sneered and then looked at the man next to him:


    "Your turn!"


    "Fine, I want to see how tough he really is!"


    The man next to him shed his figure and appeared in front of Su Chen, then punched his chest!


    Su Chen''s whole body immediately flew backward like a kite with a broken string, falling nearly twenty meters away, his body trembling constantly, blood spilling from his mouth!


    "No!!!!"


    Lin Ruoxue saw this scene and let out a tearing scream, feeling her heartache to the point where it almost cramped in suffocation!


    Luo Xiwen was alsopletely shocked!


    At this moment, she finally seemed to understand why Lin Ruoxue was so hopelessly in love with this man!


    Indeed, falling in love with such a man is a catastrophe for a woman!


    "Still not dead!"


    The old man squinted his eyes upon seeing Su Chen struggling to get up again, a killing intent shooting out!


    He then had the old servant control Lin Ruoxue while he approached!


    The reason he didn''t let the old servant over was that his strength was too weak, just a Viscount.


    He only stayed by his side because he had taken care of him for decades!


    His figure moved like a meteor, appearing in front of Su Chen in the blink of an eye and then struck with all his might!


    "Boom!"


    In an instant, Su Chen seemed to be hit by an oing train, his entire body tossed into the air!


    Then he smashed into arge tree with a diameter of about a meter, breaking it in half with the force, and thennded on the ground!


    At this moment, Su Cheny on the ground, blood continuously flowing from his mouth, staining the ground red, with no trace of blood on his face, frighteningly pale!


    He felt as if he had lost every ounce of strength, his bones shattered, and his internal organs felt crushed!


    This punch from the old man inflicted severe injuries on Su Chen, making him feel like this body no longer belonged to him!


    Seeing Su Chen willing to sacrifice his own life to save her, enduring such inhuman pain, Lin Ruoxue''s heart was filled with regret!


    She hated herself for insisting oning here; if she hadn''te, maybe none of this would have happened!


    At this moment in her heart, she no longer cared how many women he had!


    She just wanted him to be well, tough, to y, to be mischievous with her, and that would be enough!


    At this moment, she finally understood what it meant to be heartbroken, to wish for death!


    "Pfft!"


    Lin Ruoxue also spit out a mouthful of blood!


    Luo Xiwen was now also inexplicably shedding tears from her beautiful eyes!


    She thought to herself, having a man love you like this in a woman''s life, there''s no regret in dying!


    Does it matter how many women he has?


    How many men in this world can do this for their woman?


    The old man slowly walked to Su Chen, coldly smiling:


    "Kid, finally can''t hold on?"


    Immediately, the other two high-ranking Earls also came to Su Chen''s side, looking down at him mockingly...


    Just then, a sudden change happened!


    Suddenly, a slight sound came from behind, and all three turned to look, only to see the old servant''s body already on the ground. A woman had cut the ropes tied to the two women''s bodies with one sh and was dragging them away in another direction!


    "Seeking death!"


    The old man immediately shouted, and these few Blood n members prepared to turn around and give chase!


    Meanwhile, a strong killing intent burst forth from Su Chen''s eyes, and the Dragon-ying Sword materialized in his hand...

 Chapter 1005: If You Die, Will I Still Be Alive?

    As soon as the Blood n members turned around, they immediately sensed an extremely terrifying and dangerous aura approaching!


    When they turned their heads again, they were instantly engulfed in the vast ocean-like Sword Qi of the Dragon-ying Sword!


    The three Blood n members didn''t even have time to scream before they were sted into smithereens, arge rain of blood falling down!


    They were too close, how could they withstand the powerful force of the Magic Artifact?!


    At this point, not to mention they hadn''t undergone Bloodification, even if they had, the oue would still be the same!


    At this moment, Su Chen saw Qian Ying pulling two women and running frantically, and couldn''t help but smile.


    This was his strict order to Qian Ying; he knew the other party wouldn''t easily release Lin Ruoxue and her friend, so he instructed Qian Ying not to care about him and to remain hidden in the dark, ready to rescue them and escape without hesitation once seeded!


    Faced with this toughmand from Su Chen, Qian Ying could only agree!


    Although Lin Ruoxue struggled desperately, unwilling to leave Su Chen alone to escape, how could she be a match for Qian Ying? She was pulled forward, staggering and stumbling!


    Su Chen initially wanted to call out to them, but on second thought he decided against it!


    It wasn''t good for two ordinary women to witness such a bloody scene!


    So he sent a message to Qian Ying, asking her to take the two back to the hotel ande back to pick him up afterwards.


    He then used the Dragon-ying Sword to support himself as he slowly stood up, and then walked step by step to a nearby flowerbed and sat down against it!


    He quietly circted the Nine Yang Divine Technique to heal his injuries!


    His injuries were so severe that it would take at least a week to recover, even with the abnormal healing power of the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    About half an hourter, Qian Ying drove a car over, picked up Su Chen, and headed to the hotel where Lin Ruoxue was staying.


    When she supported Su Chen and arrived outside Lin Ruoxue''s room, the door was open!


    Seeing Su Chen, covered in blood, standing in front of her again, Lin Ruoxue froze, staring at him nkly!


    Tears suddenly flowed like a faucet being turned on, gushing uncontrobly!


    "I''m sorry, wife, for making you suffer. It''s my fault that you got dragged into this."


    Su Chen, with the help of Qian Ying, walked in, with a hint of guilt shing in his eyes!


    If he hadn''t killed that Blood n Young Master, none of this would have happened, and Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t have been put in danger!


    Just then, Lin Ruoxue suddenly rushed over like the wind and hugged Su Chen tightly, as if loosening her grip even a little might make him vanish like a breeze!


    At this moment, both Qian Ying and Luo Xiwen quietly retreated outside and closed the door!


    Of course, they wouldn''t want to y the role of third wheel at a time like this...


    "Wife, could you loosen your grip a little? I can barely breathe."


    A few minutester, Su Chen said with a smile.


    Lin Ruoxue quickly released him, then stared at him with tearful eyes, murmuring:


    "Why are you so foolish, willing to risk your life?"


    "If you were gone, what meaning would my life have?"


    Su Chen said tenderly, looking at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Did you ever think that if you were gone, I would still be alive?"


    Lin Ruoxue gently looked at Su Chen and said.


    "That''s why I''vee back safely, haven''t I?"


    Su Chen chuckled softly.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s current state, Su Chen felt a slight sense of relief; it seemed that he had finally opened the knot in Lin Ruoxue''s heart!


    Only the price was too high, nearly costing him half his life!


    Of course, this was just his joking thought.


    "How are you feeling now?"


    Looking at Su Chen''s injuries, Lin Ruoxue asked worriedly.


    "I''m okay, just need a few days to recuperate."


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "Really?"


    Lin Ruoxue still felt uneasy, as the wounds looked so severe!


    "You forgot your husband is a Divine Doctor!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue nodded; indeed, this had been proven true many times before.


    Thinking about it, Lin Ruoxue felt a bit reassured.


    "But wife, I probably won''t be able to properly ''reward'' you in the next few days."


    Su Chen blinked and said with a cheeky smile.


    "Who wants your ''reward''!"


    Lin Ruoxue was momentarily stunned, then immediately understood Su Chen''s meaning, and said shyly.


    "Why are you still standing? Hurry up and sit down!"


    Suddenly realizing, Lin Ruoxue urged, then quickly helped Su Chen to sit on the sofa.


    "By the way, wife, could you go downstairs and book me another roomter?"


    Su Chen said.


    "What do you mean?"


    Hearing these words, Lin Ruoxue''s eyebrows furrowed immediately.


    "Wife, don''t misunderstand, it''s not that I don''t want to sleep with you."


    Seeing her reaction, Su Chen knew she had misunderstood due to sensitivity:


    "You''re so beautiful, if I can''t control myself, those wounds..."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s face blushed instantly:


    "You rascal! Can''t you control yourself?!"


    "I want to control myself, but wife, you''re too beautiful!"


    Su Chen said with feigned grievance.


    "Fine, I''ll go book another room for you now."


    Lin Ruoxue thought for a moment and said, feeling happy from Su Chen''spliment.


    But after a while, Lin Ruoxue hadn''t returned, causing Su Chen to feel a bit worried; had something unexpected happened again?


    Just then, the door opened, and seeing what Lin Ruoxue held, he understood immediately.


    She had gone to buy clothes for him.


    After all, the clothes he was wearing were covered in blood and couldn''t be worn again!


    A whileter, Su Chen returned to the room Lin Ruoxue had booked for him, which was diagonally opposite Lin Ruoxue''s.


    Entering the room, Su Chen immediately sat on the sofa and started cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    He continued cultivating until near noon the next day, until Lin Ruoxue knocked on the door.


    After being so scared and experiencing such intense emotions yesterday, Lin Ruoxue was somewhat exhausted, so she got up ratherte!


    After a night''s cultivation plus the morning, the external wounds of Su Chen were nearly healed, although the internal injuries would take a few more days to recover!


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but marvel at the power of the Nine Yang Divine Technique once again!


    If ordinary Martial Artists suffered such serious injuries, they wouldn''t be able to recover in less than half a year.


    Seeing that after just one night, the terrifying wounds on his body seemed to have nearly disappeared, Lin Ruoxue was shocked beyond words!


    Su Chen first let Lin Ruoxue sit in the room for a while, then he went to take a shower, and put on the clothes Lin Ruoxue bought him yesterday, while the previous ones were tossed directly into the hotel''s trash bin.


    "Husband, let''s go downstairs for a meal; Xiwen is still waiting for us downstairs."


    After Su Chen changed clothes, Lin Ruoxue said:


    "Also, invite the girl who saved us yesterday to join us."

 Chapter 1006: Cocktail Party Invitation

    Su Chen nodded, then she called Qian Ying to invite her toe down for dinner together.


    At this time, Qian Ying was also in cultivation. After all, she had taken a hit from that high-level Earl yesterday, and had suffered quite a bit of injury.


    Qian Ying said she wanted to take a shower first and woulde downter. Su Chen naturally had no objections, so she and Lin Ruoxue went downstairs first.


    "Honey, is Xiwen the good friend you were talking about earlier? Why haven''t I heard you mention her before?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask in the elevator.


    "Yes, her name is Luo Xiwen, she is my best friend, and she has been working in Europe. I originally nned to introduce you guys when she returned to the country."


    Lin Ruoxue said.


    "By the way, what happened to those people you arranged to protect me before? Why was it switched to a girl?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously.


    "Don''t underestimate this girl, she is very powerful, much stronger than those people before."


    Su Chenughed and said:


    "Even though you got angry and went off to a foreign country on your own, how could your husband not be worried for you, so I sent her to secretly protect you."


    However, Su Chen didn''t expect that those Blood n members would target Lin Ruoxue. If those Shadow Guards were around, they would likely have been in big trouble.


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Ruoxue felt a warmth flow through her heart. Although there had been some issues between themtely, he was still always concerned about her...


    "Let''s have her continue to protect your safety, okay? After all, she''s a girl, which is much more convenient."


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded.


    At this moment, the two had already reached the hotel lobby and then walked into a private room, where Luo Xiwen was already sitting.


    When Su Chen saw her, he couldn''t help but be astonished. Last night, he just thought this woman was very pretty, but under those circumstances, he couldn''t pay much attention.


    Seeing her again at this moment, he hadn''t expected her features to be so exquisite!


    "Xiwen, this is my husband, Su Chen."


    Lin Ruoxue introduced:


    "Honey, this is my best friend, Luo Xiwen."


    "I was nning to give you a good scolding when I first met you. You married such a woman like Ruoxue, and yet you still flirted around!"


    Luo Xiwen looked at Su Chen and said:


    "But, considering how you risked your life to save Ruoxue yesterday, I''ll let it go."


    "Everything is my fault!"


    Su Chen awkwardly said, but it was apparent that this woman genuinely cared for Ruoxue, or she wouldn''t have rushed over from Europe to apany her.


    For that, Su Chen was truly grateful.


    After saying this, Luo Xiwen took a moment to assess this man who had left such a striking impression at first sight!


    He''s not the kind of man you find unforgettable at first nce, but if you look closely, he''s quite appealing in a subtle way.


    Moreover, what about his injuries?


    Just then, Qian Ying also came over. Seeing Su Chen''s injuries were almost healed, she was full of shock!


    Although she knew it was due to cultivation recovery, the speed of this recovery was just too extraordinary, wasn''t it?


    But she couldn''t ask too much about her master''s matters, so she just sat down.


    Lin Ruoxue and Luo Xiwen expressed their sincere thanks to Qian Ying since she had risked her life to save them yesterday!


    Their genuine gratitude made Qian Ying feel a little embarrassed.


    At this moment, Su Chen pressed the bell on the table, called the waiter, and ordered a few dishes.


    "Xiwen, I''m sorry, I didn''t expect you to encounter such a thing when you came."


    Lin Ruoxue said apologetically.


    "It''s alright, I''m sitting here perfectly fine now, aren''t I?"


    Before Lin Ruoxue could finish speaking, Luo Xiwenughed and said:


    "And I''ve met your mysterious husband, so it''s not a wasted trip."


    "Actually, speaking of which, you were all caught up in trouble because of me. If anyone should apologize, it should be me."


    Su Chen apologized.


    "You two don''t need to apologize, otherwise I''ll feel embarrassed."


    Luo Xiwen, being an open-minded person, said.


    After hearing what Luo Xiwen said, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue didn''t bring it up again.


    After chatting casually a bit more, the dishes arrived, and everyone started to eat.


    "Alright, now that your husband is here, I''m relieved to leave."


    After the meal, Luo Xiwen said with a smile.


    "Okay, I''ll see you off in a bit."


    Lin Ruoxue knew she must have a lot of work on her side and only stayed because she was worried about her, so she didn''t say much more at this point.


    After a while, Luo Xiwen packed up her luggage, and both Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue took her to the airport.


    "Xiwen, think carefully about the suggestion I mentioned earlier."


    At the airport entrance, Lin Ruoxue said.


    The suggestion was for Luo Xiwen to return to work at Belle Group.


    "Okay, I''ll definitely consider it carefully."


    Luo Xiwen nodded, then smiled and said:


    "Alright, I''ll head in now. You two head back."


    "Okay, safe travels."


    Lin Ruoxue and Luo Xiwen hugged briefly.


    "This man is worth entrusting, hold on to him tightly."


    Luo Xiwen whispered softly in her ear, then turned around and entered the airport lobby...


    .....


    After seeing off Luo Xiwen, Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen returned to the hotel.


    But just as they arrived at the hotel entrance, a man walked towards them.


    "President Lin..."


    The man immediately approached when he saw Lin Ruoxue, but froze when he saw Su Chen.


    Why is this guy here too?


    "Young Master Hames, long time no see!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Mr. Su is here too?"


    The Young Master Hames awkwardly said, his mind even more confused!


    This was the first time this guy was so proactive in greeting him, and with such enthusiasm!


    "You look really surprised to see me, Young Master Hames!"


    Su Chen smiled with a slight curve of his lips.


    "Surprised, surprised!"


    Young Master Hames forced a smile and said.


    "Why are you here, Young Master Hames?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "President Lin hasn''te to inspect our group these past two days, so I came to see if there was something going on."


    Young Master Hames said.


    "Thank you for your concern, Young Master Hames. My team will handle the inspections, and I trust they will do a good job."


    Lin Ruoxue said:


    "Is there anything else?"


    "Well, President Lin, tomorrow night our family is hosting a banquet at the estate, and I would like to invite you to attend."


    Young Master Hames said expectantly.


    "I''m sorry, Young Master Hames..."


    Lin Ruoxue was about to refuse, but Su Chen spoke up.


    "Thank you for the invitation, Young Master Hames. We''ll be there tomorrow evening."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Upon hearing Su Chen say this, Lin Ruoxue didn''t say anything else.


    "Alright, then I will await the two of you at the estate tomorrow."


    Young Master Hames said with a smile, then turned and left.


    Su Chen watched his back, with a faint smile on his lips...


    (Previously, the author mentioned that Young Master Hames asked Lin Ruoxue to call him Young Master Fuller, but this small detail was removed. It doesn''t affect the reading experience, just a slight rification here.)

 Chapter 1007: Unexpected Encounter with Jiang Ying

    After the two returned to the hotel, what made Su Chen speechless was that Lin Ruoxue started working again.


    Since her rtionship with Su Chen had thawed, Lin Ruoxue naturally shifted the focus of this trip to Country M from rxation and cooling off to serious investigation and work.


    She was now analyzing the information that her team had gathered to ultimately decide whether to coborate with the Hames Family.


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue at work, Su Chen returned to his room to continue his cultivation, needing to quickly heal his internal injuries.


    After this incident, he felt an urgent desire to cultivate the Calm Spirit Body Technique.


    If he had cultivated the Calm Spirit Body Technique, even just mastering the basics, with the descriptions provided,st night''s attack would have posed little threat to him!


    The only issue is that the materials required for the Calm Spirit Body Technique are too unique, which is why he hadn''t started it!


    If things don''t go well this time upon returning, he ns to first try using herbs for body refining, and if better options be avableter, he can further refine his body without any drawbacks!


    With Lin Ruoxue''s schedule still having a few days, he temporarily suppressed his urgency and focused on cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    Su Chen continued cultivating until about seven or eight o''clock in the evening, then went with Lin Ruoxue to a nearby western restaurant for a light meal.


    After eating, they strolled around the streets a bit. Walking along the foreign streets felt quite special to them!


    When Lin Ruoxue felt a bit tired, they headed back.


    Back at the hotel, Lin Ruoxue continued her work, and Su Chen resumed his cultivation...


    .....


    Time quickly passed, and it was evening the next day, with Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue standing outside a manor in Bosifo.


    Lin Ruoxue was wearing a long gown ofke-blue, with a hem trailing on the ground, looking noble and elegant, like a queen!


    At this moment, Su Chen was dressed in a high-end sky-blue suit, exuding a mysterious and charming aura,plementing Lin Ruoxue!


    Su Chen dressed this way to match Lin Ruoxue; he himself didn''t mind.


    As soon as the two appeared here, they immediately drew the attention of everyone around!


    Because they were both truly striking!


    The only slightly jarring thing was that they came out of a taxi!


    One must know that everyone attending tonight arrived in luxury cars!


    Even many ssic cars appeared, all antique, privately collected!


    Even those luxury cars worth tens of millions on the market can''tpare!


    Such a grand event only happens with a Hames family-hosted cocktail party, given the Hames Family is the thirdrgest family in Country M, with unimaginable strength!


    "Wee, Ms. Lin!"


    At this moment, a young man in a handcrafted gown ran over with a smile.


    As soon as everyone saw this young man, they were shocked, because it turned out to be Young Master Hames!


    They couldn''t help but wonder: Who are these two people that even Young Master Hameses out to greet them himself!


    People at the manor entrance were puzzled.


    "Ms. Lin, pleasee in."


    This Young Master Hames warmly invited.


    Though he appeared polite, he deliberately yed a small trick by ignoring Su Chen from start to finish, treating him as if he were just an attendant.


    Lin Ruoxue noticed this, furrowing her brow with some dissatisfaction, but with so many people around, she didn''t show it.


    Su Chen, however, chuckled indifferently, not caring about Hames''s small tricks.


    Then Su Chen went in with Lin Ruoxue...


    The Hames Family''s cocktail party was held in the manor''s garden, filled with white dining tables spread across thewn, with lots of self-service drinks and food on the stands!


    Under the brilliant lights, the ce was as bright as day, with greenwns, white tables, abundant food and drinks, and a gentle breeze, creating a free and easy atmosphere!


    Guests gathered in small groups, and everything appeared very pleasant!


    Su Chen had to admit, he quite liked this free and unrestrained atmosphere!


    Lin Ruoxue spotted many globally renowned figures here; she hadn''t expected so many prominent individuals to attend!


    But it made sense, considering Country M is still the world''s strongest nation inprehensive national power.


    Noticing the surprise in Lin Ruoxue''s eyes, Young Master Hames showed a smug expression.


    One of the reasons he invited Lin Ruoxue was to let her experience their energy and connections!


    "Young Master Hames, please go ahead with your duties, we can handle ourselves."


    A few minutester, Lin Ruoxue spoke up.


    "Alright then, enjoy yourselves!"


    Young Master Hames didn''t linger, as he had many prominent people to entertain at the party.


    "Darling, I''m going to meet these people too."


    Lin Ruoxue said to Su Chen at that moment.


    These individuals are major figures globally across various industries, and Belle Group now has numerous enterprises. Lin Ruoxue naturally wanted to get acquainted with them, perhaps finding coboration opportunities.


    Even if coboration wasn''t feasible, just discussing with them could be highly rewarding!


    "Go ahead, I''m just wandering around."


    Su Chen smiled, fully understanding Lin Ruoxue''s intentions.


    Hearing him, Lin Ruoxue left, heading in a certain direction.


    Though Belle Group isn''t a giant overseas yet, it has some reputation, especially with Huaxia''s market being highly attractive to global businessmen.


    After hearing Lin Ruoxue''s introduction, they invited her to join their discussion.


    Moreover, beauties are always weed anywhere!


    Watching Lin Ruoxue charmingly and confidently interact with several foreigners, Su Chen smiled slightly, then wandered off with a wine ss.


    The Hames family''s manor is extensive; just the garden is almost asrge as a football field!


    But since few people knew him, naturally no one paid him any attention, except for two or three blonde women who approached for a drink, noticing his good looks.


    "Mr. Su?!"


    Just then, a voice rang out near Su Chen.


    Su Chen turned to look and saw a woman in a ck evening dress walking over.


    "Mr. Su, is it really you?"


    The woman in the ck evening dress expressed delightedly, approaching as Su Chen turned.


    "Miss Jiang?!"


    Su Chen was slightly surprised; he didn''t expect to run into Jiang Ying here...

 Chapter 1008 Charles Family

    "Miss Jiang, what are you doing here?"


    After Jiang Ying walked over, Su Chen asked curiously.


    "Of course, I was invited by the Hames family."


    Jiang Ying said with a smile, though it was actually the butler in charge of the banquet who extended the invitation, not the head of the Hames family personally.


    Now that Jiang Ying is in a film directed by Cameron, although it hasn''t been released yet, she has gained some fame in America and was invited toe.


    This banquet not only invited Jiang Ying but also several other big-name stars; Su Chen had already run into two earlier.


    "Oh, I see."


    Su Chen smiled, thinking it made sense since Hollywood is in a neighboring state.


    "By the way, Mr. Su, why are you here?"


    Jiang Ying was equally surprised to see Su Chen here and felt a burst of delight.


    "I''m apanying my wife. She might coborate with Hames."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Oh, that''s why you''re here."


    Jiang Ying nodded in understanding.


    "By the way, how are you adjusting to filming in Hollywood?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "It''s okay. There''s quite a bit that''s different from filming domestically, and I''m slowly getting used to it."


    Jiang Ying replied, then smiled:


    "But there are indeed a lot of things here worth learning from; it''s truly the pinnacle for actors."


    "You''ve just arrived; with more time, you''ll get the hang of it."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "I''m looking forward to your first Hollywood film release."


    "I owe it all to you, Mr. Su. Without you, I wouldn''t have had this opportunity!"


    Jiang Ying looked at Su Chen seriously and said.


    Jiang Ying''s impression of this man grew increasingly special; an ordinary man would certainly ask for something in return for such a big favor, but he didn''t!


    He genuinely helped her achieve the dream of countless actors as if they were just friends, without any conditions!


    In the past few months, he almost never contacted her.


    Her manager even jokingly asked if there was something wrong with him.


    Otherwise, how could he not have any thoughts about Jiang Ying, such a beautiful actress, after lending such significant help?!


    Having been a manager for nearly twenty years, she''d never encountered a man like this!


    Since Su Chen didn''t know many others, he continued chatting casually with Jiang Ying.


    Lin Ruoxue also saw Su Chen chatting with a beautiful woman; the way they looked, it seemed they knew each other!


    Immediately, Lin Ruoxue felt the woman looked familiar, then she thought, isn''t she the star who''s been all the buzz in Chinately for filming in Hollywood?


    Seems her name is Jiang Ying, but how is it that Su Chen knows her too?


    At this moment, she couldn''t help but pout, thinking her husband''s affinity with women was just too good!


    Although she had almoste to terms with Su Chen having other women, there was still a slight twinge of jealousy.


    Of course, she felt they were just acquaintances and not anything more.


    After all, he had already exined about the three other women; if they really had that kind of rtionship, he wouldn''t mind exining about another.


    At this time, not only Lin Ruoxue was noticing Su Chen, but so was the Young Master Hames.


    Upon seeing Su Chen happily chatting with a woman, his eyes immediately gleamed with light!


    "Get the head butler over here."


    The Young Master Hames then instructed someone beside him.


    "Yes, sir."


    That person responded and immediately left.


    Not long after, an elderly gentleman ran over:


    "Young Master, what can I do for you?"


    "Andrew the butler, who is that woman?"


    Hames looked in Jiang Ying''s direction and asked.


    "Oh, she''s a Huaxia actress who came to Hollywood a few months ago to film. She''s gained some fame recently. Since you mentioned there were prestigious guests from Huaxiaing, I thought I''d invite her along!"


    The butler Andrew followed his gaze, nced, and said.


    "Oh, got it."


    Hames nodded, then said:


    "Alright, you can carry on; I''ll call you if I need anything."


    "Understood."


    Andrew the butler bowed, replied, and left.


    The Young Master Hames looked in the direction of Su Chen and Jiang Ying, his eyes flickering, lost in thought!


    At that moment, a man in his fifties or sixties rushed over:


    "The patriarch of the Charles family has arrived; quicklye with me to greet him!"


    "Yes, father!"


    The Young Master Hames promptly tightened his expression, collected his thoughts, and followed the man out.


    Soon, the Hames father and son led a middle-aged man back inside.


    Seeing this middle-aged man''s arrival, everyone in the room gasped in surprise!


    "Couldn''t believe it, he actually came!"


    "Yes, I hadn''t heard about it!"


    "Who knows?"


    "Must be ast-minute decision, otherwise the Hames family would have let it slip already."


    ...


    Seeing this middle-aged man''s arrival, everyone in the room began chatting, their faces filled with astonishment!


    The reason for their shock is that the Charles family is the foremost family in America; its formidable power is nothing the Hames family canpare to!


    In America, there''s a saying that the Charles family is the only super family!


    And this middle-aged man is the current patriarch, Charles Rayne. His standing is evident!


    Facing the people greeting him, he merely nodded, smiled lightly, and waved his hand.


    Yet his eyes kept searching for someone...


    Having just arrived in the US, Jiang Ying wasn''t too familiar with these prominent families, but judging by everyone''s reactions, she knew he was a big deal, especially since he was the first to be personally greeted by the Hames patriarch!


    Next to her, Su Chen nced at the middle-aged man and secretly thought: Didn''t expect this guy to have such a sharp nose, finding out only two days after I arrived!


    Soon, the middle-aged man''s gaze found Su Chen. Seeing him, his face immediately showed signs of excitement!


    However, upon seeing Su Chen shake his head slightly, he quickly contained his emotions.


    Su Chen wasn''t keen on bing the center of attention now!


    So the middle-aged man sat down at a table after entering, apanied by the Hames father and son.


    Su Chen continued sipping wine leisurely and chatting with Jiang Ying.


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue walked over in their direction.


    "Su Chen, who is this?"


    Lin Ruoxue approached Su Chen, asking yfully.


    "Oh, honey, let me introduce you; this is my friend, Jiang Ying."


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied...

 Chapter 1009: Young Master Hames’s Conspiracy

    "Jiang Ying, this is my wife, Lin Ruoxue."


    Immediately afterward, Su Chen introduced her to Jiang Ying.


    "So it''s the famous Jiang the celebrity, I''ve heard so much about you. I thought you looked familiar just now, and it really is you."


    Lin Ruoxue said, though she wasn''t sure if she was being genuine or not.


    "I dare not ept suchpliments, it is your reputation that I''ve heard so much about! I didn''t expect to meet you here."


    Jiang Ying said with a slight smile. Truth be told, this was her first time seeing Lin Ruoxue up close.


    She had heard before that she was beautiful, but only upon this close encounter did she realize just how beautiful this woman truly was!


    Jiang Ying nced at Su Chen and thought to herself: No wonder he''s not interested in me!


    "You two chat, I have something to attend to, so I''ll be leaving first."


    Jiang Ying said with a smile. Now that his wife was here, of course it was time for her to leave.


    As a woman, she naturally understood Lin Ruoxue''s intentions, she was dering her territory!


    But being a woman as well, she also understood. If she were in her shoes, she would do the same!


    "Honey, Jiang Ying and I are just pure friends, don''t overthink it."


    After Jiang Ying left, Su Chen immediately said, especially since that incident just passed, and their rtionship was just beginning to ease up.


    "Did I say I''m overthinking?"


    Lin Ruoxue said faintly.


    "That''s good if you didn''t overthink it, that''s good."


    Su Chen chuckled upon hearing her response.


    Seeing his expression, Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes in exasperation.


    Even though she''d alreadye to terms with it that night, seeing Su Chen with another beautiful woman, she couldn''t help but walk over to take a look¡ªit''s a woman''s nature!


    After all, no woman would remain indifferent seeing her husband having a good chat with another beautiful woman!


    The two of them chatted briefly before Lin Ruoxue left again. With so many elite figures from various fields here, she certainly didn''t want to waste the opportunity!


    Su Chen then also wandered off with a wine ss towards a secluded spot...


    At that moment, the head of the Hames Family took to the stage and said a few words, mainly weing everyone to the gathering and wishing them a good time.


    Such gatherings are quitemon in high society, whether in M Country or Huaxia Country, they are all focused onworking.


    After the Hames Family head took the stage, Charles Rayne also began strolling around alone, asionally greeting others.


    Before long, as if coincidentally, he wandered over to Su Chen''s secluded spot.


    "Your sharp senses haven''t dulled a bit!"


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Your Highness of the Netherworld, you know that the Charles Family''s strongest suit is their intelligencework, especially in M Country."


    Charles Rayne replied with a smile.


    Su Chen couldn''t help but agree. The Charles Family''s intelligencework wasn''t far behind evenpared to the Nether Temple.


    The Charles Family adhered to the creed that information is everything!


    Because sometimes a single piece of information could be invaluable, and even being a little ahead time-wise could have immeasurable effects!


    The Charles Family''s intelligence system had be so powerful that at times even the CIA had to turn to them for assistance.


    "My father is still hoping to invite you over as a guest."


    Charles Rayneughed.


    "Let''s skip it this time; maybe another opportunity in the future."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in another part of thewn, Jiang Ying was with her manager, Sister Qin.


    "Was that man just now the one who helped you get a role in Hollywood?"


    Sister Qin asked.


    Jiang Ying looked at her in surprise before nodding.


    "And the one who came over was his wife?"


    Sister Qin asked again.


    "Yes, a national beauty, right?!"


    Jiang Ying responded with a somewhat self-conscious smile.


    "She is indeed astonishingly beautiful, I thought you were joking before!"


    Sister Qin remarked,


    "But you shouldn''t belittle yourself; you''re not any worse, and besides, you have a different charm."


    Jiang Ying chuckled upon hearing this. She knew she was considered a super beauty, butpared to that woman, she was still a bit inferior.


    Just then, a butler-like figure approached them:


    "Ms. Jiang, our Young Master wishes to see you."


    "Your Young Master wants to see me?"


    Jiang Ying couldn''t help but ask, both she and Sister Qin slightly surprised.


    They recognized the butler; it was him who had initially invited Jiang Ying, and the Young Master he referred to was none other than the Hames Young Master.


    Jiang Ying couldn''t help but nce at Sister Qin.


    "Since Young Master Hames is inviting, you should go."


    Sister Qin suggested, understanding that in the entertainment industry of any country, offending these figures was unwise.


    Jiang Ying felt a bit apprehensive, wondering if Young Master Hames had other intentions?


    Currently, she only had one man in her heart, but with Young Master Hames proactively inviting, not going would be quite inappropriate.


    "Please lead the way."


    Jiang Ying said, thinking she''d just be polite and leave quickly.


    She then followed the butler toward the main building...


    ......


    Su Chen and Charles Rayne parted ways after a brief chat, as there weren''t many people around their secluded spot.


    Even if seen, people would only think the two had bumped into each other and exchanged a few words.


    Su Chen then resumed leisurely strolling on thewn, casually snacking on some food.


    With no one disturbing him, he was quite content to enjoy some peace...


    ......


    "Impossible!"


    At this moment, in a room on the second floor of the manor, Jiang Ying stood up furiously upon hearing what Young Master Hames had to say!


    She couldn''t believe that this Young Master Hames was making such a demand!


    He wanted her to seduce Su Chen on purpose and let his wife catch them in the act. How could she possibly agree to such a thing?!


    Jiang Ying quickly understood that his true intention was to target Lin Ruoxue!


    "Think it over, agree to my conditions, and I''ll make you a huge star in M Country. If you refuse, hmm..."


    Young Master Hames said leisurely from the sofa.


    "Impossible!"


    Jiang Ying knew the other party wielded significant power but was still unwilling topromise!


    "Are you sure you want to refuse me?"


    Young Master Hames narrowed his eyes, a dangerous gleam shing in them!


    His initial n was to use the opportunity of this gathering to get Lin Ruoxue drunk or drugged, and then have his way with her!


    But unexpectedly, Su Chen arrived unannounced.


    This made his original n unfeasible.


    However, after seeing Jiang Ying and Su Chen seemingly enjoying a lively conversation, he devised a new n!


    He thought if Lin Ruoxue caught him in an affair with another woman, she would fly into a rage, and the two might even split up!


    With that, his opportunity woulde!


    From the first time he saw Lin Ruoxue, he thought she was a goddess and swore he would have her!


    He had usually hidden these feelings well, without showing much outward sign of his intentions!


    Little did he know, Lin Ruoxue had already epted the reality of Su Chen having other women!


    His entire n, even if sessful, was nothing but wishful thinking!

 Chapter 1010: Su Chen’s Wrath

    "I can''t agree to this!"


    Jiang Ying said firmly.


    If she did this, Su Chen would probably hate her for life; how could she agree?


    Just then, the door to the room opened, and a waiter came in with a tray, on which there were two sses of red wine. After handing them to the two people, he left.


    "Well, in that case, I won''t force it."


    The young master of the Hames family suddenly smiled as if he''d changed his face.


    "Thank you."


    Jiang Ying sat down and said, still wondering why this Hames seemed so suddenly different.


    She thought to herself that she must inform Su Chen of this situation once she left.


    .....


    Su Chen had already eaten and drunk his fill, feeling a bit bored and smoking.


    At that moment, his phone rang. He took it out and saw it was a message from Jiang Ying, asking him toe to a certain room upstairs.


    Su Chen found it strange. What was Jiang Ying doing?


    However, he thought about it, feeling a bit uneasy, and headed towards the main building.


    Everyone was on thewn outside, the house was empty, and Su Chen went directly to the second floor from the staircase and entered the room mentioned in the message.


    Standing at the door, he immediately heard some unusual noises from inside, which made his heart tense. He quickly pushed open the door.


    Inside, he saw a woman on the sofa twisting her body, tearing at her clothes!


    At that moment, her face was flushed, but her expression was somewhat painful!


    Su Chen immediately understood that Jiang Ying had been drugged!


    Su Chen instinctively realized something was wrong. He looked around the room and quickly found two well-hidden small cameras, then sent out a Silver Needle to break them!


    Jiang Ying saw Su Chen enter and immediately rushed over!


    "Miss Jiang, hold on!"


    Su Chen hurriedly said.


    However, Jiang Ying waspletely overwhelmed by the drug''s effects and couldn''t control herself!


    There was no other choice; Su Chen had to be strong. He pushed Jiang Ying away with one hand and extended the other, channeling strands of True Yuan into her body...


    In any case, he must first cure Jiang Ying!


    He had already determined that this was a conspiracy!


    At this moment, Jiang Ying felt a gentle stream flowing, nourishing her body and dissolving the drug''s effects...


    ...


    "Young Master, the cameras in the room were destroyed; the footage couldn''t be recorded."


    At this time, someone in the surveince room called the young master of the Hames family to report.


    "What? How could this happen?"


    The young master of the Hames family was furious upon hearing this in the manor''s courtyard!


    He originally wanted to record thepromising video of the two and send it to Lin Ruoxue, but unexpectedly...


    He hade outside to distance himself from the matter. As for the video, he couldter im the surveince staff had discovered and informed him.


    "We don''t know either; he broke the cameras as soon as he entered."


    The person on the call said timidly!


    "Useless!"


    The young master of the Hames family immediately cursed.


    Such a rare opportunity was gone just like that!


    He suddenly had a bright idea; although the cameras were destroyed, he could still lure Lin Ruoxue over!


    In his mind, the two must be doing that in the room now!


    The only question was under what pretense?


    He certainly couldn''t let Lin Ruoxue see it as his arrangement; otherwise, it would be pointless!


    Everything he did was to win over Lin Ruoxue; otherwise, he wouldn''t have let go of the beautiful woman just now!


    He had to hold back just for Lin Ruoxue!


    He thought for ten minutes withouting up with a good reason, and just then, he saw two peopleing out of the main building!


    Finished so quickly? How useless!


    The young master of the Hames family thought silently, feeling regret that there was now no opportunity!


    Though he also wondered how this guy, just after finishing, dared toe down with this female celebrity, wasn''t he afraid Lin Ruoxue would suspect?


    Su Chen, holding Jiang Ying, walked out step by step and then came to Lin Ruoxue''s side.


    "Honey, could you please take care of her for me?"


    Su Chen said gently to Lin Ruoxue.


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Jiang Ying, whose clothes were torn and wearing Su Chen''s jacket, feeling puzzled!


    Although the two seemed out of sorts as if they''d done something wrong, Lin Ruoxue knew the real situation couldn''t be so.


    Otherwise, no matter how bold Su Chen was, he wouldn''t dare to walk out with her, nor ask her to take care of Jiang Ying!


    Looking at Su Chen''s face, covered in frost with eyes zing with anger, she was even more certain of this.


    "Okay!"


    Lin Ruoxue nodded without asking anything.


    After handing Jiang Ying over to Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen then walked step by step towards the young master of the Hames family!


    The young master of the Hames family also noticed him. Though Su Chen was furious, he was indifferent!


    He didn''t even care about the Belle Group; why would he be concerned with the husband of Belle Group''s CEO?


    If it wasn''t for his special affection for Lin Ruoxue, he wouldn''t have bothered saying a word to such a person!


    In his eyes, Lin Ruoxue''s husband and himself were not of the same level, like an eagle flying above and an ant crawling below!


    "Mr. Su, wasn''t it enjoyable just now?"


    The young master of the Hames family said with augh, knowing he couldn''t hide it and didn''t intend to!


    Even if Su Chen knew he was scheming against him, what could he do? Dare to retaliate against him?


    It''s unfortunate that he missed the chance to win Lin Ruoxue, except by force!


    "It was enjoyable, but you''ll find what''sing next even more enjoyable!"


    Su Chen said coldly.


    "What do you mean?"


    The young master of the Hames family asked with narrowed eyes.


    "Bam!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Su Chen swung a p, and a loud smack was heard, knocking the young master of the Hames family to the ground.


    His three teeth flew out and fell onto thewn!


    The p was so loud that everyone around was shocked!


    When they saw the young master of the Hames family''s face somewhat deformed, they were taken aback!


    What was going on?


    Someone dared toy a hand on the young master of the Hames family at the family''s party; wasn''t that suicidal?


    "You dare hit me?"


    The young master of the Hames family struggled to get up, looking at Su Chen in disbelief, shooting angry beams from his eyes!


    "Hit you? That''s too easy for you!"


    Su Chen said icily...

 Chapter 1011: Worse Than Death!

    Su Chen finished speaking, grabbed a chair beside him, and smashed it towards the Young Master of the Hames Family!


    Although it was a stic chair, when Su Chen acted, he still managed to smash the Young Master of the Hames Family to the ground!


    The Young Master of the Hames Family immediately felt a sharp pain, and he hadn''t expected that a stic chair could hurt so much!


    Su Chen, however, felt unsatisfied, and directly picked up the table, lifting it high!


    Seeing Su Chen''s actions, everyone gasped; is this young man too crazy?!


    The table and chair are two entirely different concepts!


    Even though it''s stic, it still isn''t light!


    The Young Master of the Hames Family was even more frightened, his pupils shrinking!


    "Stop!"


    At this moment, a voice of shock sounded!


    "Bang!"


    Before the words were finished, a huge thud echoed!


    The round table still fell down, smashing onto the Young Master of the Hames Family!


    "Ah!!!"


    The Young Master of the Hames Family immediately let out a miserable cry!


    "Who are you, daring to beat my son!"


    The head of the Hames Family walked over and asked coldly, clouds covering his face!


    He hadn''t expected that someone would dare to strike his son in their Hames Family estate!


    This waspletely disregarding their Hames Family!


    "Get lost!"


    "p!"


    Su Chen shouted deeply, and directly pped backhanded, sending the head of the Hames Family flying!


    The p sent everyone into a shock!


    This was the head of the Hames Family, and he too was sent flying with a p!


    Who exactly is this young man, daring to be so brazen in the Hames Family estate?


    At this time, suddenly a group of figures came over from all directions, they were the bodyguards of the Hames Family!


    "Break this kid''s legs for me!"


    The head of the Hames Family stood up with support, shouting angrily.


    He also hadn''t expected that this young man would dare to act against him!


    At this moment, one side of his face was swollen like a bun, and his mouth was split open!


    The Young Master of the Hames Family, seeing his family''s bodyguards arriving, was also excited, a gleam appearing on his face!


    He simrly hadn''t expected Lin Ruoxue''s husband to be so arrogant!


    At their family''s banquet, he dared to act, and with such heavy hands!


    Seeing the Hames Family''s bodyguards emerge, everyone felt this young man was in trouble!


    But he brought it on himself; behaving so presumptuously in the Hames Family, doesn''t he have a death wish?


    The Hames Family is the thirdrgest family in Country M, do you think they are so easily provoked?


    But there was one person who differed, and that was Charles Rayne.


    At this moment, this guy was holding a ss of red wine, quietly sitting there, a yful curve forming at the corner of his mouth!


    Although he didn''t know how the Young Master of the Hames Family provoked the underworld king, without a doubt, the Hames Family was in for disaster!


    Is this madman casually provoked?


    Even if their Charles Family identally provoked him, his first choice would definitely be to use any means necessary to quell his anger!


    Of course, this situation wouldn''t happen!


    And seeing him again this time, Rein felt this underworld king gave him an even more terrifying feeling, much more terrifying!


    At this time, those bodyguards heard their patriarch''s orders and charged towards Su Chen in great momentum!


    "Bang bang bang bang~~"


    At the moment those bodyguards rushed over, a continuous sound of thuds rang out!


    These people were almost instantly sent flying, knocking over several tables!


    The rest of the people were all dumbfounded!


    Is this real?


    Could this be the legendary Huaxia Kung Fu?


    The Hames father and son were also staring nkly at those bodyguards on the ground, moaning incessantly, feeling incredible!


    Especially the Young Master of the Hames Family, looking at Su Chen, it was as if he was seeing him for the first time!


    Su Chen coldly smiled at the Young Master of the Hames Family lying on the ground and said:


    "I said I would y you to death today, don''t hope to live well! No one can save you!"


    "What do you want to do?"


    The Young Master of the Hames Family asked, trembling at Su Chen''s shing gaze.


    If he had been fearless before, now he was truly afraid!


    This guy really is a madman!


    "Make you wish you were dead! Let you know there are people you can''t provoke!"


    Su Chen coldly spat out, then stamped one foot on the opponent''s knee, a crackling sound immediately spreading out, making someone''s hair stand on end!


    "Ah ~~!!!"


    The Young Master of the Hames Family on the ground immediately let out a scream like a pig being ughtered, tears sprayed out!


    However, this was not yet over, Su Chen stomped again on his other leg''s knee!


    "Ah!!!!!!!"


    The Young Master of the Hames Family erupted with an even more miserable scream, which almost pierced the sky, his entire face contorting!


    Seeing this scene, everyone couldn''t help but shiver!


    This young man is too terrifying!


    "You bastard!"


    The head of the Hames Family angrily shouted, seeing his son being tortured like this, he wanted to tear Su Chen to pieces!


    But those bodyguards had all been dealt with, he could only watch helplessly!


    Of course, the Hames Family had far more strength than this, and this estate was only one of their many properties!


    However, their family''s headquarters wasn''t here, far water couldn''t quench near thirst!


    Su Chen turned his head upon hearing the Hames patriarch''s shout, smiled at him briefly, then his smile faded, and his eyes turned cold!


    "Bang!"


    At this moment, Su Chen suddenly kicked toward the Young Master of the Hames Family''s crotch!


    In an instant, everyone seemed to hear a certain shattering sound, those men immediately felt a certain tightness!


    This young man''s strike is truly ruthless!


    He''s going topletely destroy the Young Master of the Hames Family!


    Actually, up to now, everyone still didn''t know what had happened, it seemed this young man had suddenly gone mad!


    "Ah ah ah ah~~~~!!!!"


    The Young Master of the Hames Family immediately rolled on the ground, his cries heart-wrenching!


    Su Chen remained expressionless, daring to scheme against Lin Ruoxue, and even involving Jiang Ying, Su Chen would naturally make him pay the price!


    Henceforth, the Young Master of the Hames Family could only be wheelchair-bound, and no longer a real man!


    This result, for this big young master, was true misery!


    "You are challenging our Hames Family, I swear, you will die an unspeakable death!"


    The head of the Hames Family seeing his son crippled, shot fierce fire from his eyes...

 Chapter 1012: An Unprovokable Existence

    "Oh, how would you make me die a miserable death?"


    Su Chen approached the patriarch of the Hames Family, smiling yfully.


    "Mr. Charles, could you have your people take down this kid? I''ll give you the Hames Family''s pharmaceuticalpany!"


    The patriarch of the Hames Family said, looking at Charles Rayne, who was sitting nearby drinking wine.


    Now all their bodyguards were lying on the ground, and the only one they could seek help from was Charles!


    He might feel humiliated asking others, but not when asking the Charles Family!


    Besides, he knew that the experts of the Charles Family couldn''t bepared to their own bodyguards!


    He believed that as long as Charles Rayne agreed, no matter how powerful this kid was, it would be in vain!


    Everyone was stunned upon hearing the patriarch of the Hames Family''s words!


    Most of them were aware of the Hames Family''s pharmaceuticalpany, which was ranked among the world''s top ten pharmaceuticalpanies, an important asset of the Hames Family!


    It seemed that the patriarch of the Hames Family was truly determined to deal with this kid, offering such a high price!


    Rein was also taken aback by his words, feeling as if he had heard a joke, and couldn''t help butugh!


    The patriarch of the Hames Family actually wanted him to deal with the Underworld King, does he have a screw loose?


    The patriarch of the Hames Family saw Charles Rayne suddenlyugh, thinking he had agreed, and coldly said to Su Chen:


    "Kid, you''re arrogant, but soon I''ll have you kneel in front of my son and repent!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help butugh as well, then tilted his head slightly to look at Charles Rayne:


    "Charles, are you nning to take action against me?"


    As soon as his words fell, everyone couldn''t help but be stunned!


    Could it be that this young man knows Charles?


    How is that possible? The Charles in front of them was the patriarch of the Charles Family!


    And the Charles Family was an entity known to every citizen of M Nation!


    But at this moment, Charles smiled, stood up, and walked over to Su Chen and the patriarch of the Hames Family.


    "Patriarch of the Hames Family, do you know who is in front of you?"


    Charles Rayne smiled and said:


    "Daring to provoke him, I must admire the courage of your Hames Family. Anyway, our Charles Family dare not."


    Charles Rayne''s words profoundly shocked everyone present!


    Who exactly was this young man that even the Charles Family dared not provoke?


    How could this be possible?


    At this moment, even the young master of the Hames Family lying on the ground seemed to forget his pain, staring nkly at the young man, full of doubt in his eyes!


    Wasn''t he just the husband of the president of Belle Group? A guy who lived off a woman!


    Could he really be some important figure?


    He really couldn''t believe that this guy was someone even the Charles Family dared not provoke!


    Not to mention others, even Lin Ruoxue waspletely bewildered at this moment!


    Her husband kept giving her surprises!


    "Mr. Charles, who exactly is he?"


    The patriarch of the Hames Family frowned slightly, unable to resist asking.


    "Who he is, you needn''t worry, but for the sake of your Hames Family, let''s stop this matter here!"


    Charles Rayne said softly.


    "Must my son be crippled in vain?!"


    The patriarch of the Hames Family said in a deep voice, full of unwillingness!


    "Your Hames Family still has many people, and you have other sons. If you don''t want them to be buried with him, you''d better stop."


    Charles said seriously as he looked at him.


    Hearing Charles'' words, the patriarch of the Hames Family trembled inwardly!


    Could it be that this young man really was a great figure he couldn''t afford to offend?


    He found it hard to believe, but he also knew Charles Rayne had no reason to deceive him!


    "Besides, this gentleman isn''t someone unreasonable. You''d better ask your son first about what exactly he did to offend this gentleman."


    Charles continued, having known Su Chen for a long time, and was familiar with him.


    "Su Chen, can we leave now? I don''t want to stay here any longer."


    At this time, Lin Ruoxue and Jiang Ying, along with her agent Sister Qin, walked over.


    Lin Ruoxue had learned the truth from Jiang Ying and couldn''t believe that this Hames Family young master was such a person, so sinister!


    As for cooperation, it was no longer necessary!


    "Sure, let''s go."


    Su Chen smiled slightly and then looked coldly at the patriarch of the Hames Family and said:


    "If you''re looking for revenge, feel free, as long as your Hames Family can afford to y!"


    After saying that, Su Chen led Lin Ruoxue out, naturally followed by Jiang Ying and her agent.


    After leaving, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue returned to the hotel, while Jiang Ying and her agent went to their hotel to prepare to return to the filming crew the next day.


    ....


    Due to the incident, the guests at the banquet also dispersed one by one.


    At this moment in the room, the patriarch of the Hames Family had also learned the truth and sighed deeply!


    Actually, such matters weren''t a big deal for families like theirs. They could only attribute it to bad luck, offending someone they couldn''t or shouldn''t offend!


    Since even the Charles Family dared not provoke him, what choice did they have but to ept their fate!


    Would they really gamble with the entire family? At least their son was still alive, wasn''t he?


    ...


    After returning to the hotel, Su Chen apanied Lin Ruoxue to have somete-night snacks downstairs, as Lin Ruoxue had been chatting all evening and hadn''t eaten anything!


    "Husband, let''s go back tomorrow."


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly said while eating herte-night snack.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen nodded and then smiled:


    "As for the cooperation, we can just coborate with the Charles Family directly."


    Since Lin Ruoxue already knew about his rtionship with the Charles Family, they might as well keep things in the family, which was also beneficial to the Charles Family.


    "No need, let''s put this matter aside for now and talk about itter."


    Lin Ruoxue said, having little interest in this aspect anymore and just wanting to return to Yandu soon.


    "Okay."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen nodded, having no interest in business matters himself, so whatever Lin Ruoxue wanted to do, he had no objections.


    After finishing theirte-night snack and chatting for a while, Su Chen returned to his room for cultivation...


    His external injuries were fully healed, but the internal ones would still need three or four more days topletely recover...

 Chapter 1013: Aunt Sun Has Left

    After lunch the next day, Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue, and the people from the exploration team took a ne back home.


    When Su Chen came, because he was in a hurry, he didn''te by helicopter, but asked Qin Ming to urgently arrange a flight to country M for him.


    This was because the speed of a helicopter is much slowerpared to a regr passenger ne, with a helicopter''s top speed just over 300 kilometers per hour, while a passenger ne can reach nearly 1,000 kilometers per hour.


    The difference is nearly three times, and Su Chen was extremely anxious, so of course he chose the fastest way to get to country M!


    When the ne carrying Su Chen and Lin Ruoxuended at Yandu International Airport, it was already past ten in the evening. After exiting the airport and bidding farewell to the exploration team, they took a taxi directly home.


    Returning to the familiar environment, coupled with the fact that Su Chen''s external injuries hadpletely healed, the two naturally didn''t idle that night.


    Having just gone through an emotional turmoil, the two fully freed themselves that night!


    Luckily, Yan Xi had moved out with Ran Ting some time ago; otherwise, her ears would have been tortured again that night...


    She moved out, not without some reasons rted to that!


    There''s no helping it, as Yan Xi has now reached the Meridian Expansion Realm, her hearing is even better than before!


    For a youngdy like her to constantly hear such sounds, isn''t it tormenting?


    Regarding Yan Xi moving out, Su Chen agreed after setting some ground rules with her!


    Moreover, with her living together with Ran Ting, he had no worries...


    .....


    Early the next morning, when Lin Ruoxue awoke in Su Chen''s embrace again, she seemed to have found that familiar feeling of the past!


    This feeling made her feel very secure, very at ease, very happy, and even somewhat indulgent!


    Although not many days had passed, Lin Ruoxue felt as if a long, long time had gone by...


    After these days, she confirmed once again that she could never leave this man!


    "Awake already, honey."


    Soon after, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes, smiled faintly at Lin Ruoxue, and then slightly sat up, lighting a cigarette.


    After finishing the cigarette, they both got up and went downstairs to prepare breakfast.


    "Young master, youngdy, you finally reconciled!"


    Seeing the twoe down from upstairs, Aunt Sun immediately said joyfully.


    She was truly worried a few days ago seeing them in a cold war!


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue''s face showed a slight hint of embarrassment.


    Su Chen, however, smiled happily at Aunt Sun...


    After breakfast, the two went to the corporation separately by driving their own cars.


    Su Chen hadn''t been to the corporation for quite some days, and after entering his office, he made himself a cup of tea as usual, took a copy of thetest issue of "Men''s Health" magazine, and leisurely started reading.


    Since his rtionship issues with Lin Ruoxue were finally resolved, his mood was particrly rxed!


    However, by noon, he began to feel bored again because he really had nothing much to do at the corporation.


    He had lunch at the corporation''s cafeteria and went back. Now that Belle Corporation had moved to a brand-new building, it naturally had a dedicated staff cafeteria.


    Back home, Su Chen once again immersed himself in cultivation, as he needed to recover from his internal injuries as soon as possible.


    As usual, he continued his cultivation until after eight o''clock when Lin Ruoxue returned.


    Today was a bit strange, as Aunt Sun still hadn''t had dinner, and usually, she would have dinner around 7 o''clock.


    After all, she''s getting older, and if she waited for dinner with Su Chen every day like this, her body wouldn''t be able to handle it.


    "Aunt Sun, why haven''t you eaten yet?"


    Lin Ruoxue said upon her return:


    "Didn''t I tell you before? You don''t have to wait for me."


    After Lin Ruoxue sat down, she said.


    "That''s right, Aunt Sun, you''re getting older, why wait for us."


    Su Chen echoed.


    He had been cultivating in the room and didn''t know that Aunt Sun hadn''t eaten.


    "Today should be waited."


    Aunt Sun said with a smile and then sat down.


    Her words left Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue puzzled.


    "Young master, youngdy, I''m leaving."


    Aunt Sun said.


    "Why?"


    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue asked in unison.


    Honestly, although Aunt Sun hadn''t been with them for long, they had already grown very ustomed to her presence and gradually felt a little like family, like Aunt Wang.


    "Actually, I was nning to leave a few days ago, but with you two in a tiff, I wasn''t at ease leaving like that."


    Aunt Sun said with a smile:


    "Now that I see you have made up, I can leave with peace of mind."


    "Aunt Sun, did something happen?"


    Su Chen quickly asked.


    "Something did happen, but it''s a joyous event."


    A joyful expression appeared on Aunt Sun''s face as she said:


    "My daughter-inw gave birth to a big, healthy baby boy. They''re both busy with work, so I have to go back to take care of them."


    "Then we must open a bottle of wine to celebrate!"


    Su Chen initially thought something bad had happened to Aunt Sun but was relieved after hearing this.


    After saying this, he went to the kitchen and fetched a bottle of red wine. For the elderly, drinking a little red wine is not a bad thing, and in fact, it could be beneficial.


    "Yes, we should have a good drink."


    Lin Ruoxue also said with a smile, even though she was reluctant to see Aunt Sun go, she couldn''t persuade her to stay over something like this.


    "Young master, youngdy, I''m really reluctant to leave you. After working as a housekeeper for more than twenty years, you two are the best hosts I''ve ever encountered."


    As Aunt Sun spoke, tears began to fall from her eyes:


    "I really wish I could stay here forever."


    Seeing Aunt Sun like this, Lin Ruoxue''s eyes also turned slightly red.


    "There''s no need for everyone to be so sentimental!"


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "It''s a joyful thing for Aunt Sun to have a healthy grandson!"


    Then he poured them all some wine, raised his ss, and said:


    "Aunt Sun, congrattions."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue also raised her ss and smiled:


    "Aunt Sun, congrattions."


    "Thank you, thank you."


    Aunt Sun''s face immediately blossomed into a smile, and she clinked sses with the couple, taking a big gulp.


    "Come on, let''s eat!"


    Su Chen said with a smile as he picked up his chopsticks...


    .....


    Early the next morning, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue took Aunt Sun to the airport together. Initially, Aunt Sun nned to take a train back, but she couldn''t resist Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue''s insistence.


    "Young master, youngdy, you two must take good care of yourselves and definitely don''t have any more conflicts."


    In the airport hall, Aunt Sun gave her worried reminders.


    "Don''t worry, Aunt Sun, we will be fine."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded and smiled.


    "Don''t worry, Aunt Sun, with such a beautiful wife, how could I bear to?"


    Su Chen also said with a smile.


    "You sweet talker!"


    Aunt Sun said with a smile upon hearing this:


    "And youngdy, don''t work too hard normally, health is important."


    "I understand."


    Facing Aunt Sun''s "nagging," Lin Ruoxue felt very warm...

 Chapter 1014: Meeting of 4 Women

    Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue were preparing to return to thepany after seeing off Aunt Sun.


    "By the way, find a time to gather the three women rted to you for a meal together to get to know each other."


    On the way back, Lin Ruoxue said casually.


    "What did you say?"


    Hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Su Chen hurriedly hit the brakes, looking at her in shock.


    For a moment, he thought his ears were malfunctioning!


    "Find a time to gather the three women rted to you for a meal together to get to know each other."


    Lin Ruoxue repeated her words verbatim, even with almost the same tone.


    "Why do you want to meet them?"


    Su Chen said awkwardly.


    He thought the matter had passed, but apparently, he was too optimistic!


    It seems that enjoying the blessings of having so many partners isn''t so easy!


    Su Chenmented to himself.


    "Didn''t I say it just now? To get to know each other."


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him casually:


    "What''s wrong? Is there a problem?"


    "No, no, no problem!"


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue''s gaze, Su Chen quickly shook his head and said.


    He couldn''t quite figure out what Lin Ruoxue was nning, but at the moment, he seemed to have no choice but to agree!


    "That''s good."


    Lin Ruoxue still said calmly.


    She originally nned to bring this upst night, but didn''t due to Aunt Sun''s unexpected situation.


    "Let''s do it this weekend then."


    Lin Ruoxue made the decision.


    Just then, the car behind honked, so Su Chen had to step on the gas and drive off again.


    Along the way, Su Chen''s mood, which had just calmed down in the past few days, became unsettled again...


    After arriving at thepany, Su Chen sat in the office, neither in the mood to drink tea nor read magazines, just pondering what Lin Ruoxue really meant.


    After thinking for a while without a clue, he decided to stop thinking about it. Whatever happens, happens!


    He first made a call to Eniel, who had returned to her ce the day after the incident happened.


    "What is your wife nning with this?"


    Eniel asked in surprise upon hearing that Lin Ruoxue wanted to meet her.


    "How would I know? Juste over when the timees."


    Su Chen said with a dismissive tone.


    "Do I really have to go?"


    Eniel asked somewhat apprehensively.


    "Eniel, are you, the Witch, scared?"


    Hearing Eniel''s slightly timid tone, Su Chen joked.


    "What am I afraid of, your wife can''t exactly eat me, and besides, I can''t beat her!"


    Eniel retorted immediately on the other end of the line:


    "Just wait, I''ll be sure to meet your wife then!"


    The tone seemed to be filled with a fighting spirit!


    Hearing this, Su Chen immediately regretted his earlier joke!


    If these two women really got into a fight, what would he do then?


    Lin Ruoxue definitely wouldn''t be a match for Eniel, who was almost in the Meridian Expansion stage, should he help Lin Ruoxue then?


    After notifying Eniel, he went to Xia Qiuru''s office.


    "Why are you here?"


    Xia Qiuru, about to leave, asked when she saw him arrive.


    "Why, am I not wee?"


    Su Chen curved his lips into a smile, gently embracing Xia Qiuru''s slender waist.


    "What are you doing, this is the office."


    Xia Qiuru hurriedly tried to remove his hands, but couldn''t, so she gave up.


    "By the way, how is it with Lin? Has she forgiven you?"


    Xia Qiuru asked. She had been worried about this for days but didn''t dare call Su Chen to ask.


    "It seems she forgave me, but Ruoxue invited you to dinner this weekend."


    Su Chen initially thought Lin Ruoxue had forgiven him, but now he seemed uncertain.


    "Invited me to dinner?"


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru was also stunned!


    "Not just you, but my other two women too."


    Su Chen released Xia Qiuru, sat on the sofa, and pouted.


    "What does President Lin want to do?"


    Xia Qiuru asked nervously:


    "Is she gonna negotiate with us?"


    "Probably not, but I''m not sure what Ruoxue is thinking either."


    Su Chen said:


    "You don''t need to be too nervous, she probably won''t make things difficult for you."


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru rolled her eyes, as if she could avoid being nervous. After all, this was the mistress meeting the queen!


    After being affectionate with Xia Qiuru for a while, Su Chen left.


    .....


    One hourter, at a caf¨¦ near Belle Group.


    "What, your wife wants to see me?"


    Du Hanbing asked in disbelief.


    Du Hanbing had just returned from a mission two days ago, and thus knew nothing of what had happened before.


    Su Chen exined the previous events to Du Hanbing, who was stunned.


    She never imagined that such a major change had urred during her mission!


    Since Lin Ruoxue suggested a meeting, she could only agree, but she was extremely nervous inside!


    In the following days, both Su Chen and the three women spent their time in a state of anxiety.


    .....


    On Saturday night, as night fell in a luxurious private room of a Five-Star Level hotel in Yandu.


    Four women and a man sat here, looking somewhat like a meeting of five forces!


    Among them, only Lin Ruoxue appeared rtively calm, while the other three women felt nervous and uneasy.


    Even though Eniel had a rtively high profile before, she seemed to hunch slightly upon seeing Lin Ruoxue.


    After all, she was the legitimate wife!


    It was the first time for Eniel, Xia Qiuru, and Du Hanbing to meet, and they couldn''t help but size each other up, all secretly cursing Su Chen for being a big womanizer!


    Without a doubt, any of these women could be called super beauties!


    As for Lin Ruoxue, needless to say!


    Of course, the most nervous and awkward was Su Chen!


    What would happen next was entirely beyond his control, no matter how powerful he was, in the face of this situation, he was useless!


    For a moment, no one spoke, and the atmosphere grew a bit eerie!


    "Everyone, don''t be too nervous, I didn''t call you here for anything else, just for everyone to meet each other briefly."


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue finally spoke up:


    "No matter how you put it, we are all his women and somehow connected."


    "Honestly, when I first found out about this, I couldn''t ept it, I even thought about letting go."


    Lin Ruoxue continued calmly:


    "But I eventually realized that I couldn''t let go, just like a person can''t live without air!"

 Chapter 1015: Happiness Knocks on the Door

    "Honey..."


    Su Chen was deeply moved upon hearing Lin Ruoxue say that!


    "Since we can''t give up, then we must ept reality."


    Lin Ruoxue continued:


    "Then obviously, the best oue is for us to try to ept each other and coexist harmoniously!"


    "That''s also the main reason I''m meeting you all today."


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, the other three women were all stunned, looking at her with an incredulous expression!


    They hade today prepared to put on a show of a wife confronting her husband''s mistress, but unexpectedly, the situation took a sudden turn, and Lin Ruoxue said such things!


    This was something they absolutely hadn''t anticipated beforeing!


    This made the three of them feel a bit guilty!


    After all, in this matter, Lin Ruoxue was in the right, no matter how you looked at it; they hadn''t expected her to take the initiative to ept them!


    Su Chen also looked at Lin Ruoxue in astonishment. This was too sudden, wasn''t it?


    He suddenly felt as if happiness was knocking at the door!


    He wanted tough but didn''t dare to, holding it back with difficulty!


    "Are you satisfied now?"


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue nced at him, speaking with a hint of annoyance.


    "No, no, no..."


    Su Chen shook his head quickly.


    Even if he was indeed overjoyed, he wouldn''t dare to admit it!


    "Alright, you go home now; we women need to have a talk."


    Lin Ruoxue said calmly.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen was perplexed once again!


    What was Lin Ruoxue nning now?


    "What? Worried?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him yfully.


    "No, no, honey, why would I be worried about you?"


    Su Chen said sheepishly:


    "Haven''t we eaten yet? Let me finish eating first before leaving."


    Su Chen wasn''t really there for the meal; he just wasn''t at ease!


    "Go home and cook some noodles for yourself."


    Lin Ruoxue remarked.


    She knew what he was thinking, and so did the other women!


    No choice, since Lin Ruoxue clearly didn''t want him there, Su Chen had no option but to get up and obediently leave.


    However, just after he left, he stuck his head back in and chuckled:


    "Peace is precious, peace is precious!"


    Although Lin Ruoxue had said earlier to ept each other and get along harmoniously, he was still not at ease.


    The other three women found his sneaky appearance quite amusing.


    "Still not leaving?"


    "I''m going, I''m going, you all ''enjoy'' your meal."


    Su Chen chuckled awkwardly, then closed the door.


    .........


    At the hotel entrance, Su Chen lit a cigarette and squatted down, smoking leisurely.


    He certainly wouldn''t go home now; he wouldn''t be at ease going home at this moment!


    He couldn''t figure out Lin Ruoxue''s thoughts anymore, as if anything could happen!


    The night breeze blew as Su Chen squatted for a while, then got up and started pacing back and forth, countless thoughts swirling in his mind.


    An hour passed in a sh, yet the women hadn''te out, making him quite anxious and uneasy.


    Just as he was considering whether to check the situation, suddenly the sound of high heels "cking" came from inside.


    Su Chen turned his head to look, and his eyes widened!


    He couldn''t believe his eyes, rubbed them, and looked again, seeing the four women walk out together with Lin Ruoxue in the middle, like the center of attention!


    At that moment, they looked very close, with warm smiles on their faces.


    Moreover, they seemed to have drunk quite a bit; at that moment, each of their faces was flushed with a charming blush, looking very beautiful!


    What was going on?


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen waspletely bbergasted, his mind couldn''t process it!


    He had imagined countless possibilities, but never this one!


    Although Lin Ruoxue had previously expressed epting them, he hadn''t expected such a harmonious scene to appear!


    The four women, seeing his shocked expression, couldn''t help butugh with a "hee-hee."


    They had guessed he wouldn''t just leave like that.


    "Ruoxue, we''re leaving first."


    The other women greeted Lin Ruoxue and then drove off, seemingly not even looking at Su Chen.


    "Okay."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded gently and then said to Su Chen:


    "Let''s go."


    "Oh, alright."


    Su Chen responded quickly.


    ......


    "Honey, what did you all talk about? You all seemed to have a good talk!"


    On the way back, Su Chen drove while tentatively asking.


    "That''s a matter between us women; you don''t need to know."


    Lin Ruoxue said calmly.


    Hearing this, Su Chen twitched his mouth and had no choice but to drive quietly...


    .........


    Late at night, the area around the vi was silent!


    After an intense battle, the two were drenched in sweat; Lin Ruoxue was almost out of energy.


    Su Chen sat up and lit a cigarette.


    "Honey, thank you!"


    Looking down at Lin Ruoxue in his arms, Su Chen said gently.


    Although he didn''t know what the women talked aboutter or what happened, it was clear that Lin Ruoxue hadpletely epted the other women!


    He fully understood Lin Ruoxue''s sacrifice in this matter, which made him feel both touched and guilty!


    He knew how difficult this was for someone with Lin Ruoxue''s personality!


    "I really don''t know what you have that''s so great, that the good women are all so infatuated with a bad guy like you!"


    Lin Ruoxue pouted at his words.


    "What''s so great? Didn''t you just experience it?"


    Su Chen replied with a cheeky grin.


    "You shameless guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned crimson as she retorted.


    Now that things hade to this point, Lin Ruoxue hadpletelye to terms with it and calmly epted the reality!


    After cuddling and chatting for a while, the two fell asleep...


    .........


    The next morning, Su Chen got up to make breakfast again.


    With Aunt Sun gone, he had to take up the role of the household cook once again.


    Although he hadn''t done it in a while, he quickly found his old groove.


    When Lin Ruoxue woke up and saw his busy figure in the kitchen, she didn''t know what she was thinking of, but a gentle smile appeared on her face!


    Perhaps herplete love for him began with that breakfast!


    Although it was the weekend, there were still matters at Lin Ruoxue''spany, so after having breakfast with Su Chen, she went to the office.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen stayed at home to continue his cultivation; now, his internal injuries were almost healed, and at most, in another day or two, he would bepletely recovered!

 Chapter 1016: Meeting Huang Menglei Again

    After Su Chen cultivated for a few hours, he remembered the matter of the "Calm Spirit Body Technique".


    The experiences on this trip to Country M made him passionate about cultivating the "Calm Spirit Body Technique"!


    Because once he cultivates the "Calm Spirit Body Technique", the strength of his physical body will undergo a qualitative leap!


    However, to cultivate the "Calm Spirit Body Technique", the first step required is Body Refining, and Body Refining is mainly aplished through three methods: medicinal herbs assistance, Demon Beast Essence Blood¡ªthe essence of ck Dragons and Flood Dragons being the best¡ªand True Fire, especially the Spirit Fire within True Fire!


    But Demon Beast Essence Blood and True Fire are practically impossible for him right now; the most feasible method at present is to undergo Body Refining through a medicinal herb bath.


    Fortunately, these methods don''t conflict; even after using medicinal herbs for Body Refining, he can still use Demon Beast Essence Blood or True Fire for further Body Refining anytime,ying a better foundation!


    However, even using medicinal herbs for a medicinal bath Body Refining isn''t easy. Among them are two herbs Su Chen has never seen or heard of¡ªBarbarian Bull Flower and Dark Steel Tree Root!


    Besides these, there are several other rtively precious and rare herbs!


    This was also the reason why he had not cultivated the "Calm Spirit Body Technique" before.


    Su Chen thought it over, then drove out!


    Yet after a day, he had visited all the major herbal shops in Yandu, and found all the other herbs, including the precious ones!


    The only things he couldn''t find were Barbarian Bull Flower and Dark Steel Tree Root!


    As he imagined, none of the shopkeepers had ever heard of such things!


    This was normal; after all, even he, the renowned Ghost Doctor, hadn''t heard of them. How would they?


    Su Chen was just trying his luck after all!


    Without the Barbarian Bull Flower and Dark Steel Tree Root, Su Chen could only temporarily abandon the cultivation of the "Calm Spirit Body Technique". It was unavoidable.


    The reason why he wanted to cultivate the "Calm Spirit Body Technique" so much was not only due to the influence of the trip to Country M!


    More importantly, it was because of the Judgment Department and Shengyi Gate¡ªthese two forces had always weighed heavily on his mind!


    He wanted to have more cards in hand when facing these two forces!


    In fact, he already had quite a few cards, like Star Energy, the Dragon-ying Sword, and although he appeared to be at the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer, his cultivation was actually equivalent to an average Martial Artist''s Meridian Expansion Peak from the Primary to Middle Stage!


    Yet he still wasn''t satisfied, as he still didn''t fully understand the strength of the High Priest of the Judgment Department and the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate!


    But since he couldn''t cultivate the "Calm Spirit Body Technique" for the time being, he could only focus on strengthening his cultivation of the "Nine Yang Divine Technique" and the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique".


    He hoped to quickly elevate his cultivation realm to the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer Realm, and then store as much Star Energy as possible!


    Without revealing the Dragon-ying Sword, Star Energy was now his greatest card!


    So, in the following days, Su Chen was almost entirely focused on cultivating at home...


    Now that Aunt Sun was gone, it''s just him and Lin Ruoxue at home, which was more conducive and peaceful for his cultivation...


    ....


    After cultivating continuously for a few days, Su Chen was also ready to go out and rx, bncing work and rest!


    A spring rain had just fallen in Yandu. Walking on the streets of Yandu now, breathing in the fresh air, Su Chen felt particrly refreshed!


    As he walked, Su Chen seemed to see a familiar figure!


    Looking closer, wasn''t that the girl who had inexplicably crawled under their dining table when he was having dinner with Ye Mei some time ago?


    At this moment, she was intently watching a street performance in front of a mall, asionally pping and shouting in delight!


    Su Chen walked over and gently patted her on the shoulder.


    Just as his hand touched the girl''s shoulder, she immediately jerked as if electrocuted, turning to run!


    "Why are you running?"


    Su Chen grabbed her, speechless, and asked.


    "It''s you!"


    The girl, hearing the voice, turned her head and patted her chest in shock upon seeing Su Chen:


    "You really scared me when you suddenly patted me."


    "Why are you still in Yandu?"


    Su Chen asked, since that was the question he wanted to ask initially; he didn''t expect her to react so strongly!


    Taking another look at this girl who seemed to be seventeen or eighteen years old, or eighteen or neen, he realized she looked very different from the first time he saw her!


    The first time, she was dirty all over, like a little beggar.


    But now she was wearing a beige long dress, with a face that was fair and clean!


    Su Chen did not expect her to be such a beauty in the making, with willow-leaf eyebrows, eyes like clearkes, a delicate nose, and lips that were moist and cherry red, seemingly holding a unique allure!


    She appeared to be about 1.68 meters in height, and although her dress was very loose, Su Chen could tell that she had a good figure!


    Moreover, she seemed to have been doing welltely!


    And no wonder, considering Ye Mei had given her that credit card with tens of thousands of remaining bnce!


    Ye Mei gave her that credit card out of pity, especially after hearing she had not eaten for ten days and survived only on wild fruits, herpassion overflowed!


    Although Ye Mei was born into the Wu Family, she had a tough childhood, so she could deeply empathize with others'' hardships!


    As for the credit card, once it''s spent, it could just be canceled.


    Besides, for Ye Mei, now worth billions, tens of thousands was just a drop in the bucket!


    "This ce is so fun, of course, I''d stay here!"


    The girl said matter-of-factly:


    "And it''s easy to hide in a big city; they find it hard to locate me!"


    "Have you eaten?" the girl asked.


    "Not yet."


    Su Chen shook his head and replied.


    "Come on, let me treat you to a meal."


    The girl said heartily.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but twitch his mouth; wasn''t she going to use his or Ye Mei''s money anyway for this treat!


    But he could see that the girl had a straightforward personality!


    "Alright, thank you then!"


    Su Chen then smiled.


    The two walked for a short while before entering a nearby decent-looking restaurant, and she ordered six or seven dishes as soon as they sat down.


    Su Chen quickly stopped her:


    "That''s enough, that''s enough. The two of us can''t eat that much."


    "Fine then."


    The girl handed the menu to the waiter upon hearing this.


    "We really are fated to meet, encountering each other on the street."


    After the waiter left, the girl smiled and said to Su Chen, looking quite happy.


    "Yes, we are quite fated."


    Su Chen nodded and smiled as well.


    "By the way, my name is Huang Menglei, what about you?"


    The girl looked at Su Chen and asked...

 Chapter 1017: Huang Menglei’s Escape from Marriage

    "Then how about I call you Brother Su from now on?"


    Huang Menglei said, fluttering her lively eyes.


    "Of course, I''ll call you Menglei then."


    Su Chen replied casually.


    Just then, the waiter began serving the dishes.


    "Hmm, Brother Su, let''s eat."


    Huang Menglei said with a smile.


    Seeing Su Chen again, she was still very happy, even though they had only met once!


    During this time, she had indeed tried to find Su Chen and Ye Mei, but amidst the vast sea of people, she couldn''t find them!


    Unexpectedly, she ran into him on the street by chance.


    "By the way, the people chasing youst time didn''t seem like your enemies, did they?"


    While eating, Su Chen asked curiously.


    "No, they were sent by my parents to take me back."


    "What?!"


    Su Chen was a little surprised to hear that they were sent by her parents!


    "Why do your parents want to take you back?"


    Su Chen immediately asked.


    "To take me back for an engagement!"


    Huang Menglei pouted unhappily and said.


    "So you ran away to avoid the marriage?"


    Su Chen asked awkwardly.


    "Yes."


    Huang Menglei nodded as she ate.


    "Since you don''t want to, why not just talk to your parents? Why go to the extent of running away?"


    Su Chen advised.


    "Those two old stubborns, they won''t listen at all."


    Huang Menglei nced at Su Chen and said:


    "The guy they found for me is so ugly. If he were as handsome as you, Brother Su, maybe I wouldn''t have run away!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen secretly rejoiced and thought: Little girl, you''ve got good eyes!


    But he felt embarrassed to say it out loud!


    "How long do you n to hide then?"


    Su Chen wasn''t too worried about her safety, considering she was at the sixth or seventhyer of Meridian Expansion. Anyone foolish enough to bother her would just be unlucky.


    "It depends on when they change their minds."


    Huang Menglei pouted slightly, speaking with determination:


    "Hmph! Anyway, if they don''t change their minds, I won''t go back."


    Seeing her determination, Su Chen said no more. After all, this was her private affair, and a lifelong matter at that.


    Su Chen originally nned to leave after dinner, but since Huang Menglei had finally met someone she knew, she naturally wouldn''t let him go so easily.


    So Su Chen stayed with her for another couple of hours, during which they did nothing much, just wandered around casually.


    Before leaving, Su Chen left her a number, telling her to contact him if she ever had any trouble.


    After parting with Huang Menglei, Su Chen thought about it and, having nothing else to do, went back to continue his cultivation.


    He cultivated until dusk, and as usual for the past few days, Su Chen went to the market to buy groceries and cook dinner!


    For Su Chen, such things were nothing at all and even quite enjoyable.


    After finishing cooking, it was about eight o''clock. After waiting for a while, Lin Ruoxue returned.


    After having a simple yet delicious meal together, they went for a walk around the neighborhood.


    The gentle moonlight poured down on them.


    Even though it was already mid-April, the night air was still a bit chilly. Su Chen took off his jacket and draped it over Lin Ruoxue''s shoulders.


    Feeling the warmth of the jacket, Lin Ruoxue gave him a small smile and then continued walking...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a secret ce in this world, there stood an imposing building reminiscent of a temple.


    At this moment, the grand hall was filled with over a hundred people, all wearing solemn expressions, seemingly waiting for something!


    At the top of the assembly, there was arge, heavy chair, with a dazzling gem embedded in its backrest, shining brilliantly!


    Soon, a man with an imposing aura walked in and sat on that chair.


    He was wearing a majestic purple-gold robe, looking exceptionally noble!


    "Wee back, High Priest!"


    All the people in the hall shouted in unison with a look of reverence!


    The man in the purple-gold robe nced at the crowd and then frowned slightly:


    "Where is the Right Priest? Why isn''t he here?"


    Hearing the man''s words, everyone lowered their heads, not daring to answer.


    "Left Priest, you answer!"


    The man in the purple-gold robe looked at one person and said solemnly.


    At his words, a man in an extravagant red robe at the front stepped forward two steps and bowed:


    "Reporting to the High Priest, the Right Priest went to Huaxia and never returned."


    After speaking, his head remained bowed, not daring to look up.


    As the second-inmand of the Judgment Department, he certainly knew what the Right Priest had gone to Huaxia for.


    He just didn''t expect that once gone, he''d nevere back!


    "Never returned?!"


    The High Priest''s face instantly turned cold, and he said chillingly.


    Although he knew the Right Priest had gone to Huaxia to seek out that so-called Hades, he did not believe the Right Priest could have been killed by him, because he thought the difference in their strength was too great!


    Even if that Hades'' power had grown rapidly, it couldn''t have reached such levels so quickly!


    He naturally assumed that the Right Priest had identally alerted some powerful figures in Huaxia, and thus was killed!


    However, this grudge had to be held against that so-called Hades!


    Yet since he was in the dragon''s den of Huaxia, he really had no way to handle it for the time being!


    If he went to Huaxia and simrly alerted the Hidden Dragon Hall or other powers, getting away would be difficult!


    He didn''t want to take that risk!


    The situation with the Right Priest demonstrated that very point, didn''t it?


    .....


    Su Chen naturally was unaware of the events within the Judgment Department. At the moment, he was apanying Lin Ruoxue for a walk, and even if he knew, he wouldn''t care.


    Because even if they didn''te after him, he nned to find them!


    He had already decided that once his cultivation reached the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer, he would go and destroy the Judgment Department!


    Even if he couldn''t wipe them outpletely, he would at least severely damage them!


    After strolling outside with Lin Ruoxue for several minutes, they returned indoors.


    After returning inside, Lin Ruoxue naturally went back to the study to continue working.


    Su Chen, on the other hand, went back to the bedroom, took a shower, andy on the bed. He casually picked up a fashion magazine ced by Lin Ruoxue on the bedside and started flipping through it...


    Around ten o''clock, Lin Ruoxue finished her work and returned to rest.


    The next morning, Su Chen got up early as usual to make breakfast. When Lin Ruoxue woke up, breakfast was just about ready.


    After they had breakfast together, Lin Ruoxue drove off to work, and Su Chen stayed home to continue his cultivation...

 Chapter 1018 Yun Ya Residence

    In the following days, Su Chen continued as before, fully dedicating himself to cultivation at home. Now, he had already unlocked two-thirds of the crucial points of the fifth meridian and reckoned it wouldn''t take too long to fully open the remaining ones!


    That night, Lin Ruoxue hadn''t returned yet, and while Su Chen was cultivating, the doorbell suddenly rang.


    Hearing the sound, Su Chen went downstairs and opened the door, only to find it was Yunlong.


    "What brings you here?"


    Su Chen was slightly surprised to see Yunlong.


    "My master saw how hard I''ve been cultivatingtely and gave me a day off to go have some fun,"


    Yunlong said as he walked in:


    "I spent the entire day shopping with my sister, and since she spared me tonight, I came straight over to find you, big brother!"


    "That old crank is pretty humane, huh!"


    Su Chen smirked as he spoke.


    "Big brother, don''t cultivate today. Let''s go out and have some fun. I only have tonight, and I have to return to practice tomorrow,"


    Yunlong suggested, knowing that Su Chen had nothing else to do at home except cultivate.


    "Sure, where do you want to go?"


    Su Chen shrugged casually. Since Yunlong put it that way, he agreed.


    "Big brother, I''ve done some special digging."


    Yunlong said with a mysterious wink to Su Chen:


    "Ever since Qimeng Tower closed and Qi Meng vanished, the elite of Yandu have found a new hangout."


    "What''s this ce?"


    Seeing Yunlong act so secretive, Su Chen couldn''t help but ask out of curiosity.


    "Yun Ya Residence!"


    Yunlong said slightly eagerly!


    "Yun Ya Residence? What''s that ce?"


    Su Chen frowned slightly and thought about it, but he hadn''t heard of it before.


    But that wasn''t surprising; he normally just spent time in the group''s office, his home, or the estate, rarely venturing elsewhere.


    "They say it''s a ce where one can forget all earthly troubles!"


    Yunlong said with a look of longing on his face.


    "Is it really that magical?"


    Su Chen shook his head slightly with a smile, feeling somewhat skeptical.


    "I haven''t been there either, but based on what I found out, it feels like not going there would be a disservice to oneself,"


    Yunlong continued:


    "The most important thing is, there''s a woman who ys the zither at this elegant ce!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately understood: indeed, the real attraction for men remained women!


    "Those who''ve been there say that if Qi Meng left an impression of ultimate seductive allure, then this woman leaves an impression summed up in one word¡ªfairy!"


    Yunlong continued excitedly:


    "But that woman isn''t the owner; she just ys the zither there, leaves after, and never speaks a word to anyone!"


    Su Chen, hearing this, indeed felt somewhat intrigued by Yunlong.


    "Hearing you say this, I''m quite curious. Let''s go take a look then,"


    Su Chen said casually.


    "Big brother, let''s hurry then. It''s about time,"


    Yunlong urged hastily.


    Su Chen nodded, then left with him. He didn''t drive but took Yunlong''s car instead.


    "Big brother, do you know why Qimeng Tower closed?"


    On the way, Yunlong sighed and said:


    "Many people still miss it! Even if they couldn''t do anything with Qi Meng, just seeing such a charming woman was a kind of enjoyment!"


    "She''s at my ce,"


    Su Chen said upon hearing these words, having no need to hide it from Yunlong.


    Startled, Yunlong''s hand slipped, almost causing him to crash into a car beside them.


    Thankfully, he reacted quickly, steering back in time to avoid a minor traffic ident.


    "Big brother, you said Qi Meng is at your ce?"


    Yunlong asked incredulously.


    "Yeah, I got an estate from that old swindler, and she''s living there now,"


    Su Chen replied nonchntly.


    "Big brother, have you taken in Qi Meng and kept her at your manor?"


    Yunlong''s face still showed some shock. He never expected that the Qi Meng, desired by countless men, was at his big brother''s ce!


    "Taken in? No, Qi Meng and I are just friends. She''s merely staying at my ce temporarily!"


    Su Chen retorted with a smirk.


    However, thinking of Qi Meng, it''s impossible to say he had no thoughts about her at all!


    Though much of her previous seductive allure was intentionally disyed, it couldn''t be denied she was undoubtedly a creature of temptation for men!


    But before, he was already overwhelmed by a few other women, so he dared not get too involved with Qi Meng, sometimes even deliberately maintaining some distance.


    Now, considering Lin Ruoxue just learned he had three women already, he couldn''t find a fourth so soon!


    Yet Yunlong, hearing his words, just smirked. Secretly keeping her while iming to be just friends?


    No one would believe that!


    Yunlong thought to himself, realizing he needed to push his sister Yunyao a bit, as he was quite certain of his intentions toward her!


    .....


    Yun Ya Residence was located away from the bustling center of Yandu City, a very elegant structure resembling ancient architecture!


    Yunlong drove for nearly an hour before finally reaching there.


    "Big brother, let''s go in quickly,"


    Yunlong said eagerly upon getting out of the car.


    Su Chen smiled and walked in with Yunlong.


    Once inside, Su Chen noticed there were already many people there. He even saw two or three young masters from the Five Great Families, but they were always from the side branches, not very notable!


    With the night fog veiling the surroundings, naturally, they didn''t notice Su Chen''s presence, and Su Chen couldn''t be bothered to pay attention to them.


    By now, aside from the Pei Family, he held no grudges with the remaining Four Great Families, and they were nothing more than strangers.


    Su Chen looked around and saw willow trees swaying, with a little pavilion not far away, surrounded by a pool of verdant spring water, separating everyone!


    The small hall was linked by a pavilion and a corridor, all draped with light veils, while the water glistened under the moonlight, creating an ethereal aura that enveloped the entire pavilion and corridor!


    At first nce, it truly felt like a fairnd, leaving one unsure if it was reality or a dream!


    Several maids in long skirts were moving among the guests, attending to them.


    Despite being maids, their appearances were very fresh and pleasing to the eye!


    Su Chen and Yunlong also found an empty table to sit and ordered a pot of sake, as nothing else was avable here!


    But listening to the zither is an elegant affair, and a bit of sake is sufficient!


    Su Chen hadn''t originally thought much about it, only apanying Yunlong out of curiosity.


    However, seeing the scene, he couldn''t help but have some expectations...


    (ps: The heavy rain and cold have caused a dy in updates recently, but everything will be made up soon. I''ve managed to maintain at least four updates every day for nearly nine months, so please continue to trust in the stormy weather!


    As of now, adding today''s expected four chapters, a total of 11 are owed. I''ll make up for them as quickly as possible!)

 Chapter 1019: Let Her Go

    "She''sing, she''sing!"


    Suddenly, someone eximed softly.


    Su Chen and Yunlong immediately raised their heads at the words and looked toward the pavilion by the pool, only to see a graceful figure appearing along the corridor!


    Though separated by a silk curtain, her tall figure in a white dress was clearly discernible. She moved gracefully towards the edge of the pavilion, where a y¨¢o qin was already ced.


    The woman behind the silk curtain approached the y¨¢o qin, slightly bowed in greeting, then sat down and extended her slender hands!


    Despite the curtain, every movement she made emanated a special kind of beauty, as if she were meant to be just this way!


    At this moment, everyone seemed to hold their breath and listen attentively.


    As soon as her fingers touched the strings, a delicate melody instantly resonated, seemingly captivating everyone''s hearts!


    Soon, a supremely beautiful and enchanting melody drifted out, reaching everyone''s ears, making them irresistibly immersed in it!


    The audience couldn''t help but close their eyes slightly, savoring this music like celestial sounds!


    At this moment, they felt as if they were standing on the clouds, stepping on five-colored clouds, beholding a heavenly pce and an ethereal woman before them!


    Everyone''s face unconsciously showed a faint smile of infatuation!


    The woman in the pavilion seemed to nce at the audience across the pool. When she saw Su Chen still sipping wine while watching her, she uttered a soft "hmm."


    However, she soon lowered her head and continued ying...


    For some reason, Su Chen felt an air of familiarity about the woman, although he hadn''t even seen her face to understand the source of this feeling...


    "Maybe I''m just overthinking,"


    Su Chen shook his head, muttering to himself, then resumed drinking...


    Just then, there was amotion at the entrance, and three or four men entered!


    Actually, after the music started, people had been quietly entering, finding seats without making a sound.


    But the men who came in now were boisterous, as if oblivious to everyone else.


    "Young Master, this ce isn''t bad!"


    One of them ttered.


    "Hmm, not bad at all!"


    The young man in the leadughed heartily:


    "This music sounds damn good!"


    "You did a good job this time!"


    The young man patted the shoulder of the sycophant, praising him.


    "It''s rare for Young Master to go out; I ought to put in my best effort!"


    The sycophant, ted from the pat, grinned obsequiously again!


    Those immersed in the music were startled awake, ring at the neers with discontent!


    But seeing that they sat down quietly to listen, no one spoke up.


    Primarily, they feared sparking a dispute that would disturb the fairy-like woman''s ying in the pavilion!


    Yet, the woman seemed unaffected throughout, her music flowing dreamily, unhurriedly!


    Soon, everyone closed their eyes again, just like before, lost in the music, including the neers!


    When the music ended, everyone slowly opened their eyes, as if awakening from a dream!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but marvel at the music''s enchantment, as if it possessed some magical power!


    At this moment, the woman rose again, offered a slight bow, and prepared to leave!


    "Wait a moment, miss!"


    At this time, a voice rang out, the speaker being the young master who had entered earlier.


    The woman in the silk curtain paused slightly but remained silent.


    "I find you... utterly captivating!"


    The young master took a few seconds toe up with this expression, then continued to call out to the woman in the pavilion:


    "Why not find a ce to have dinner, drink some wine, and admire the moon together?"


    Though he hadn''t seen the woman''s face clearly, she stirred an irresistible longing within him!


    Hearing this, everyone was incensed, considering his words extremely rude!


    Moreover, his face showed undisguisedsciviousness, his tone was filled with flippancy!


    Anyone could guess his intentions just by looking at him!


    Yet the woman ignored him and turned to leave...


    Just as everyone prepared to rebuke him, a servant girl approached:


    "Sir, please conduct yourself!"


    "Conduct myself?"


    The young master snorted coldly, his anger rising seeing the woman vanish into the pavilion!


    Seeing the servant girl pure and beautiful like a lily, his face once more showed thatscivious expression!


    "Since she won''t apany me, why don''t you join me?"


    The young master seized the servant girl''s slender wrist,ughing impudently, lecherous eyes examining her body!


    "Let me go!"


    The servant girl struggled desperately upon her wrist being seized. But her frail body was no match for the young master, her wrist reddened from effort, to no avail!


    "Release the girl!"


    At this moment, an indignant man eximed!


    "Bang!"


    Before the sentence was finished, someone beside the young master kicked him directly away, sending him flying into the pool!


    Thankfully hended at the shallow edge of the pool, where the water wasn''t too deep. The man slowly climbed out,pletely soaked, like a drowned rat!


    Several others who initially intended to intervene retreated, seeing how formidable just one of his men was!


    As for the few men from the Five Great Families, they didn''t step forward either.


    Since the incident, the families strictly forbade their members from provoking trouble outside!


    Judging by this person''s appearance, he was clearly extraordinary, so they naturally chose not to meddle!


    The young master nced disdainfully at the crowd, thinking they were foolish to dare involving themselves in his affairs!


    He then used a bit of force, causing the servant girl to fall onto hisp!


    "Let me go!"


    The servant girl panicked even more, cried in fear.


    "Why let you go,e, join me for a drink!"


    The young master chuckled.


    "Let her go!"


    At this moment, a gentle voice sounded.


    "Who the hell sticks their nose where it doesn''t belong!"


    The young master uttered in irritation, seeing yet another person stepping forward.


    Meanwhile, the man beside him prepared to kick again!


    "Bang!"


    A muffled sound echoed, but this time it wasn''t someone else flying; instead, it was the young master himself...

 Chapter 1020: The 1st Person to Hold Firm to Their Heart

    Su Chen initially didn''t intend to intervene. After all, Yun Ya Residence looked extraordinary, and he imagined they must have their own protective forces.


    He originally wanted to wait for the people of Yun Ya Residence to take action so he could observe!


    However, after waiting for a while and seeing no one make a move, he had no choice but to act himself. He couldn''t just stand by and watch such a young girl get bullied by this guy!


    Yet, in Su Chen''s view, this so-called young master was quite the piece, or perhaps a person with no ss at all, to dare do such a thing in broad daylight!


    Even those heirs of great families wouldn''t be so rough and reckless just because they found a woman pretty!


    This showed that this guy has always been arrogant and domineering,cking any sense!


    However, the guy''s cultivation realm was somewhat beyond Su Chen''s expectations; he turned out to be at the Meridian Expansion First Layer!


    And the person he just kicked flying was at the Late Stage of Qi Refinement, with the other two at about the same realm!


    "Kid, turns out you''re a martial artist. No wonder you dare meddle in the affairs of this young master!"


    The young master also released the maid, stood up, and looked at Su Chen, speaking coldly.


    At this moment, Su Chen''s aura was restrained, and with his cultivation and insight, he couldn''t discern Su Chen''s true realm!


    Yet he could sense the other party''s strength was above his own, which surprised him somewhat!


    Still, there wasn''t much fear on his face!


    "p!"


    Su Chen didn''t waste words with him, answering directly with actual action, pping him to the ground!


    "Kid, you''re asking for it! Do you know who our young master is?"


    "Yeah, daring to hit our young master, I think you''re courting death!"


    "Kid, kneel down immediately and apologize to our young master, or you''ll meet a horrible end!"


    ...


    Seeing Su Chen p their young master down, a few of hisckeys instantly jumped up in rage, pointing at Su Chen and moring!


    "p p p!"


    Their response was again a series of resounding ps, each turning 180 degrees andnding on the ground!


    "Kid, you damn well dare hit me!"


    At this moment, the young master also slowly got up, looking at Su Chen and said viciously.


    "I''m hitting scum like you!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly, then directly kicked out!


    Just then, suddenly a figure appeared behind Su Chen, striking at his back, with True Yuan swirling in the palm, tearing through the air!


    Su Chen felt the palm wind from behind, a taunting smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, yet he didn''t react!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen kicked the so-called young master flying, and simultaneously slightly sidestepped, dodging the sudden strike from behind!


    Immediately, he also struck out, the palm printnding on that person''s chest, sending him flying as well!


    "Boom!"


    At this moment, the young master fell from mid-air into the pool, sshing up a big spray!


    He then endured the severe pain, slowly swam to the water''s edge, and crawled up, looking even more miserable than the previous person who fell into the water!


    "Kid, daring to humiliate me like this, I swear I will kill you!"


    The young master red at Su Chen, gritting his teeth, his face exceedingly grim, with mes of hatred zing in his eyes!


    "Let''s see if you have the capability!"


    Su Chen sneered disdainfully, hearing the supposed young master''s words, he figured the other party probably had some backing!


    Moreover, the middle-aged man who just attacked from behind was a martial artist at the Meridian Expansion Fourth or Fifth Layer, having someone of this strength as a guard would naturally imply significant backing!


    Yet, Su Chen didn''t care at all...


    "Fine, let''s wait and see!"


    The young master threw down a sentence and left, with the others, including the middle-aged man knocked flying by Su Chen, struggling up and following him out!


    "Sir, thank you!"


    At this moment, the maid who had hidden came over, saying gratefully.


    "You''re wee, it was just a small effort!"


    Su Chen smiled casually.


    At this time, everyone was some distance from him, when things got physical earlier, they all backed off to avoid getting involved!


    "Yunlong, let''s go."


    Su Chen said to Yunlong.


    Then the two walked towards the door and out...


    Those two or three young people from the Five Great Families watched Su Chen''s back, secretly thinking:


    This guy is indeed a jinx, seems like trouble follows him everywhere, better stay away from him in the future!


    They hadn''t noticed Su Chen before, but once he stood out, they suddenly realized it was him!


    After Su Chen and Yunlong went out the door, they drove back...


    .....


    At this time, on a road not far from Yun Ya Residence.


    "You useless! You can''t even handle a young man! What use are you?"


    The young master yelled angrily at the middle-aged man at the Meridian Expansion Fourth or Fifth Layer.


    "Young master, that young man''s strength is very formidable!"


    The middle-aged man said solemnly.


    "Formidable my ass! That''s just an excuse from a useless person like you!"


    The young master cursed without a care.


    The middle-aged man''s face turned red and white, but he didn''t dare to retort!


    "And why were you so slow to arrive? If that''s the case, what''s the point of keeping you around at all!"


    The young master still couldn''t dispel his anger, continuing to berate the middle-aged man.


    "Young master, I''m sorry, it''s my fault."


    The middle-aged man said, feeling utterly depressed. Clearly, he found himself a nuisance and let himself keep some tteringckeys by his side most of the time!


    Now that something happened, he was being med, what was this logic?!


    Of course, he dared not voice these words, only grumbling silently in his heart...


    .....


    Inside Yun Ya Residence, the spectators had all left by now.


    Two women appeared by the poolside, one was a woman of mature charm wearing a cheongsam. If anyone had seen her before, they would know she is the owner of Yun Ya Residence!


    The other was a young woman in a white dress, who had been the one ying the zither in the pavilion just now!


    A gust of wind rose, gently stirring her white skirt...


    "Miss, why did you stop our people from taking action earlier?"


    The mature woman asked with some curiosity.


    "I just wanted to see if he would take action!"


    The woman in the white dress said lightly.


    "Does Miss have...an interest in that man?"


    Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman looked at the woman in the white dress, then cautiousl asked.


    "He is the first person to maintainposure under my zither sound!"


    The young woman in the white dress said, her beautiful eyes flickering slightly, then a smile yed at her lips as she looked at the mature woman:


    "Moreover, I''ve seen him once before, no, to be precise, it should be twice!"


    (ps: Don''t wait up tonight, we''ll continue tomorrow!)

 Chapter 1021: Heading to the Judgment Department

    Su Chen naturally didn''t know what happenedter in Yun Ya Residence, nor did he know that the woman ying the zither had actually been watching him all along.


    To him, tonight''s incident was just a minor episode and he didn''t take it to heart.


    When he arrived home, it was already past ten o''clock. Lin Ruoxue was on the bed reading a fashion magazine, while Su Chen took a shower before going to bed to rest...


    .......


    Time flies, and seven or eight days passed in the blink of an eye!


    During this period, apart from visiting Xia Qiuru and Du Hanbing once respectively, Su Chen spent almost all of his time cultivating at home!


    On the afternoon of the eighth day, with a tremor in his body, he finally unlocked thest key node on the fifth meridian. The vast True Yuan inside him surged violently, calming down after a while!


    "Finally broke through!"


    Su Chen murmured to himself, looking at his sweat-drenched body, he went to take a shower.


    After taking a shower, he drove to the manor to meet Qi Meng!


    Since he had already broken through to the Fifth Layer of the Meridian Expansion Realm, next he was nning to take a trip to the Judgment Department!


    "Are you really going to the Judgment Department?"


    Qi Meng was startled when she heard Su Chen say he was going to the Judgment Department tomorrow!


    Although he had expressed his intention to destroy the Judgment Department before, Qi Meng couldn''t help feeling scared when he truly nned to go!


    After all, in her heart, the Judgment Department was still an invincible existence!


    "Of course."


    Su Chen said.


    "Why not wait a little longer?"


    Qi Meng couldn''t help but suggest, mainly worried about Su Chen''s safety.


    "I won''t wait; this matter needs to be resolved eventually."


    Su Chen said, although he wasn''t entirely confident, he didn''t want to keep procrastinating on this issue.


    Moreover, now that he had advanced to the Fifth Layer of the Meridian Expansion Realm, equivalent to the peakte stage of an ordinary martial artist, it gave him considerable confidence!


    After all, during his previous confrontation, the Right Priest was just a tiny step away from reaching the Meridian Expansion Peak. He thought that even if the High Priest was stronger, he wouldn''t be too excessive, right?!


    "Alright then."


    Seeing that Su Chen seemed determined, Qi Meng reluctantly nodded, although she was very worried in her heart!


    After talking to Qi Meng, Su Chen went back, bought some groceries while passing the market.


    Around eight in the evening, Lin Ruoxue also arrived home.


    "Honey, are you hungry? Let''s eat quickly."


    Su Chen took her bag and handed her a pair of slippers.


    "I am indeed hungry."


    Lin Ruoxue said as she changed into slippers and sat down at the dining table.


    "By the way, honey, I''m going out tomorrow."


    While eating, Su Chen casually said.


    "Where are you going again?"


    Upon hearing he was going out again, Lin Ruoxue''s heart tightened, and she put down her chopsticks to ask.


    "Abroad, this time it won''t take long, I''ll be back in a few days."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "Alright, pay attention to your safety, safety first!"


    Hearing that it was just a few days, Lin Ruoxue felt a little relieved and nodded.


    Actually, she wasn''tpletely reassured, but she understood that her husband wasn''t an ordinary person and the things he needed to do could not be stopped by her!


    "Don''t worry, it''s just a small issue."


    Su Chen said with a rxed smile, and continued eating...


    .....


    Early the next day, Su Chen went to the manor, and then boarded the luxurious helicopter he had bought together with Qi Meng and Qian Ying!


    When Qian Ying returned to the manorst night and heard from Qi Meng that Su Chen was going to the Judgment Department, she wanted to go along.


    Su Chen thought it over; she was already at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer Realm, so he agreed.


    As for Lin Ruoxue''s safety, he entrusted it to Yan Xi, who is now at the First Layer of the Meridian Expansion Realm, which should be enough in the general situation.


    Furthermore, they were only leaving for a few days.


    Although both Qi Meng and Qian Ying knew that Su Chen had a helicopter parked on the helipad not far behind the manor, it was their first time flying in it!


    Once inside, both were stunned by the luxury!


    "There are drinks in the bar, feel free to have some if you''d like."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng immediately opened the bar and was amazed to find a variety of good drinks inside!


    She promptly took out a bottle of red wine and two wine sses and began drinking with Qian Ying on the brown leather sofa.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen had sat down in the pilot''s seat and started operating the controls; in no time, the helicopter gently ascended...


    ...


    ording to Qi Meng, the headquarters of the Judgment Department was located in a gorge between Europe and Africa, very hidden and almost unknown!


    The reason for bringing Qi Meng was precisely because she knew the location; her purpose on this trip was merely to guide the way, as her cultivation was still too low!


    Despite sounding far away from Yandu in Huaxia to the Europe-Africa junction, the direct distance was just about seven thousand kilometers.


    With the flight range of Su Chen''s helicopter, a stop for refueling was enough, quite convenient!


    After nearly twenty hours of flight, they finally reached therge gorge!


    Su Chen found a rtively t ce andnded the helicopter.


    "Qi Meng, you stay in the helicopter, wait for us to return."


    Afternding, Su Chen said to Qi Meng.


    "Yes, you walk forward a few kilometers, then pass through a narrow gorge, and you will see a grand temple-like building, which is the headquarters of the Judgment Department."


    Qi Meng pointed at a gorge up ahead that was already visible.


    She understood that given her current strength, insisting on apanying them would be pointless and only pose a hindrance!


    "Got it."


    Su Chen nodded and prepared to disembark the helicopter with Qian Ying.


    "You both must be extremely careful."


    Qi Meng said worriedly, fearing not only for Su Chen but also very much for Qian Ying!


    Having lived together with Qian Ying in the manor for so long, she had already be friends, even close friends, as there were only the two of them in the manor.


    "Don''t worry, Qi Meng, we will be alright."


    Qian Ying smiled, while Su Chen gave her a reassuring nce, then disembarked with Qian Ying.


    Not long after they had set off, they reached the gorge Qi Meng had mentioned, and they did not pause, continuing onward!


    This gorge was very tall; when looking up, only a streak of sky was visible!


    The surroundings were very quiet, and the lighting was dim when traversing this area. Those with faint hearts might even feel a bit eerie!


    However, for Su Chen and Qian Ying, this was no concern at all!


    After walking almost tens of kilometers, they were approaching the gorge''s exit!


    "Who goes there?!"


    At this moment, a sharp shout emerged from the exit, and two figures appeared!


    Upon seeing these two, Qian Ying immediately vanished and reappeared in front of them, a sword swung, and both fell!


    These two were only at the Meridian Expansion First and Second Layers, posing no challenge for Qian Ying!


    The urrence happened so swiftly that the sentries guarding the gorge exit had no time to sound the rm!


    As Su Chen and Qian Ying walked out of the gorge, the lighting quickly brightened!


    Su Chen looked up to see not far away a magnificent temple-like structure, looking incredibly solemn and imposing...

 Chapter 1022: Battle Against the Left Priest

    "Let''s go!"


    Su Chen said and headed towards the building, with Qian Ying following closely behind.


    He didn''t hide his presence but instead swaggered openly forward!


    Because this time was different from when he broke into the Ghost Domain;st time, he was there to save the martial fanatic Sun Yang, and it was best to be quiet and not alert anyone!


    But this time, he was here to overthrow the Judgment Department, so there was no need to hide!


    For him, the sess of this mission depended solely on one thing: whether the strength of the High Priest was something he could contend with!


    As for some other people, including that Right Priest, he didn''t take them seriously at all!


    Since that Right Priest wasn''t even at the peak of the Meridian Expansion Realm, how strong could the Left Priest, who shared almost the same status, possibly be?


    For someone of his cultivation, no matter how many weaklings there were, they would be mere cannon fodder!


    At this time, in the main hall of the Judgment Department headquarters, the High Priest, d in a purple-gold robe, was discussing some matters with the Left Priest and other high officials.


    Suddenly, someone rushed in hurriedly and said with a panicked expression:


    "Something terrible has happened, High Priest!"


    "What''s the matter?"


    The High Priest''s face sank instantly, and he spoke harshly!


    "High Priest, someone has broken in!"


    The person who had just run in reported.


    "What? Who''s so bold? Daring to intrude into the Judgment Department!"


    The High Priest''s voice instantly turned icy, and a trace of anger shed in his eyes!


    "I don''t know, I only know it''s two very powerful people, a man and a woman!"


    The person said.


    Upon hearing this, the Left Priest also showed an incredulous expression. Someone actually dared to intrude into their Judgment Department; were they tired of living?!


    Other people had simr thoughts, finding it unbelievable!


    "Let''s go out and take a look!"


    The High Priest stood up abruptly and said, wanting to see who was so eager to die!


    The High Priest and the Left Priest immediately walked out, followed by a group of people!


    When they stepped out of the headquarters, they immediately found dozens of bodies lying on the ground!


    These were the people who had tried to block Su Chen and Qian Ying when they arrived, but they couldn''t stop the pair and were all killed in a short time!


    Among these dead were many wearing ck robes; they were the Holy Knights of the Judgment Department, considered the backbone of the department!


    In the Judgment Department, most tasks were distributed to or executed by the Holy Knights!


    Seeing these bodies on the ground, the eyes of the High Priest and the Left Priest immediately turned blood-red, filled with the mes of anger!


    "It''s you?!"


    The High Priest''s pupils contracted sharply when he saw Su Chen!


    He had been worrying about how to settle ounts with this boy, but unexpectedly, he delivered himself to the door!


    What surprised him, however, was that this boy had broken through to the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer so quickly, which indeed shocked him!


    A Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer, along with the woman beside him at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, was enough to kill these people, which wasn''t too strange!


    After all, among these people, there was hardly anyone above the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer!


    The Left Priest also couldn''t believe it was Su Chen who had broken into the Judgment Department; he really was courting death!


    "Hand over your cultivation technique, and I''ll give you a swift death!"


    The High Priest said coldly to Su Chen.


    He had always coveted Su Chen''s cultivation technique, not for other reasons but because it could repair the dantian!


    After all, the dantian is crucial to a martial artist!


    In his view, the greatest possibility why Su Chen could repair his dantian was due to acquiring a special cultivation technique!


    "Hmph, that depends on whether you have the ability!"


    Su Chen sneered disdainfully.


    Though at this moment, his mood was somewhat grave because the High Priest gave him a feeling of being even stronger than he had anticipated!


    Moreover, both the Left Priest and the High Priest had a staff at their waists, simr to the one held by the Right Priest he had killed, although the crown at the top was a bit different!


    He remembered that when that Right Priest had used secret techniques with the staff, it released a golden light!


    The energy contained within that golden light far exceeded the Right Priest''s own strength by a long shot!


    "Left Priest, go and meet this arrogant boy!"


    The High Priest''s face chilled upon hearing Su Chen''s words and then instructed.


    "Yes!"


    The Left Priest agreed with a bow and then started walking toward Su Chen!


    "Qian Ying, step aside."


    Su Chen turned to Qian Ying and said because, from now on, neither the Left Priest nor the High Priest was someone she could handle!


    "Yes, Master!"


    Qian Ying stepped back a certain distance at his word!


    Seeing Qian Ying retreat, the High Priest and the Left Priest found it utterly baffling!


    Especially as she retreated on the boy''smand!


    In their view, since this woman was at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, a level higher than the boy''s Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer, he should be the one stepping back, even if retreat was needed!


    Did this boy have a death wish, or did he have something to rely on?


    Despite finding Su Chen''s actions odd, the Left Priest didn''t pay it much heed, because the gap in their realms was a chasm that could not be bridged!


    "Boy, daring to cause trouble in my Judgment Department, you must be sick of living!"


    The Left Priest coldly said as he approached Su Chen.


    "I''m here today to destroy your Judgment Department!"


    Su Chen said tly!


    He had already decided beforeing that if possible, he would wipe them out unless it was truly unfeasible!


    After all, he had long since formed a death grudge with this Judgment Department!


    "Hahaha~~~ Are you kidding me? Who do you think you are? Dream on about destroying our Judgment Department!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the Left Priest immediatelyughed heartily, feeling as though he had heard the joke of the century!


    The group that had followed him and the High Priest out also showed mocking expressions, feeling that this boy was jesting!


    With just a Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer and a Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer, wanting to destroy their Judgment Department, if that wasn''t a joke, what was it!


    "Fine, let me see what gives you such arrogance!"


    The Left Priest''s eyes turned cold, and his body shot forward, attacking Su Chen!


    His fist shattered the air with a howling sound, pounding towards Su Chen, the force of the punch seemingly unstoppable!


    Facing this punch, Su Chen didn''t meet it head-on; instead, he lightly shifted his steps, twisting his body into a peculiar shape to dodge the opponent''s punch!


    Simultaneously, his own fist slipped under the opponent''s armpit, punching directly at the opponent''s body!


    "Boom!"


    The Left Priest instantly felt as if he was hit by a heavy hammer weighing ten thousand pounds, "thump, thump, thump" he stepped back several paces before steadying himself!


    After stabilizing, he immediately felt a surge in his chest and abdomen, then raised his head to look at Su Chen with a shocked expression!


    This boy was actually this strong?!


    The High Priest''s pupils constricted dramatically upon witnessing this, his face filled with equal shock!


    Wasn''t this boy supposed to be at the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer?


    How could the power of that punch just now be so overwhelming?!

 Chapter 1023: The Powerful High Priest

    "Kid, you truly are something else! No wonder you dare toe to our Judgment Department and act recklessly!"


    The Left Priest snorted after calming down, feeling that the strength Su Chen just disyed had actually reached the Ninth Layer of Meridian Expansion!


    In fact, he was unaware that Su Chen was still hiding a considerable amount of strength!


    This was because Su Chen realized at the moment he punched, that this punch couldn''tpletely settle the opponent, at most severely injure him. After all, he was also at the Primary Stage of Meridian Expansion Peak strength!


    If only the Left Priest was present, it would be one thing, but the key was there was a High Priest far more powerful than Su Chen expected!


    If he exposed his usual strength of the Late Stage of Meridian Expansion Peak and couldn''t defeat the Left Priest, attracting the High Priest to also attack him, that would be the worst!


    After all, even if the High Priest exerted himself fully, he was not sure if he could be his match!


    "You''re nothing special yourself!"


    Su Chen sneered contemptuously, deliberately taunting.


    He thought secretly: It seems the best strategy is to catch the Left Priest off guard with a surprise move, preventing the High Priest from reacting in time!


    As for Star Energy, he didn''t want to expend any before facing that powerful High Priest!


    "Kid, do you think you can be my match just because you''re at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Expansion? I''ll let you taste my true power!"


    The Left Priest was instantly enraged upon seeing Su Chen''s taunting expression, his face covered with dark clouds!


    He thought he had underestimated the opponent due to negligence!


    After all, he previously thought the opponent was only at the Fifth Layer of Meridian Expansion, and he could end it with a casual punch!


    After saying that, he once again rushed towards Su Chen like a bolt of lightning!


    At the same time, he swung a palm towards Su Chen, this time unleashing his full strength of the Primary Stage of Meridian Expansion Peak without reservation!


    The palm wind contained a powerful True Yuan, causing the air to ripple with a "sizzle" sound!


    Seeing the opponent''s palm approaching, Su Chen also dodged forward, striking with a palm of his own!


    "Daring to challenge me with only Ninth Layer Meridian Expansion, you''re courting death!"


    The Left Priest sneered, as if already picturing the scene of the opponent being struck flying by his palm!


    Just as the two palms were about to collide, the Left Priest''s pupils suddenly contracted sharply, his face showing immense fear!


    Because he saw a mysterious three-foot-long sword suddenly appear in the opponent''s hand!


    His hand was indeed empty just a moment ago, how did a sword suddenly appear?!


    Even more terrifying was that the opponent''s True Essence Aura suddenly exploded, reaching the Primary Stage of Meridian Expansion Peak like his own!


    At this moment, Su Chen flicked his wrist, slightly changing the direction, thrusting the sword towards the Left Priest''s heart!


    "Puchi!"


    The sudden urrence of two unexpected events left the Left Priest unable to react!


    The sword tip instantly pierced through his body, and Su Chen fiercely withdrew the sword, causing a spray of blood from the Left Priest''s heart area, then plummeting to the ground, raising a cloud of dust!


    He didn''t even have the chance to use his strongest Secret Technique before dying, as using it required a significant price like Bloodification of the Blood n!


    The Bloodification required consuming Blood Qi, and the Secret Technique even demanded consuming lifespan, naturally, he wouldn''t use it lightly!


    The High Priest, seeing this scene, couldn''t help but tremble, his face showing endless fear!


    He knew trouble was imminent the moment he saw the sword abruptly appear in Su Chen''s hand.


    When Su Chen exploded with the Primary Stage of Meridian Expansion Peak''s aura, he knew¡ªthe Left Priest was doomed!


    There was no possibility of aiding from a distance!


    Actually, Su Chen could have used this maneuver during the first punch, but he wasn''t fully prepared at that time.


    If the opponent avoided it then, pulling off the move again would be challenging, so he temporarily abandoned it!


    "Did you kill the Right Priest?"


    At this moment, the High Priest suddenly thought of a question. Since this kid could kill the Left Priest, he could naturally kill the less powerful Right Priest too, so he asked in a cold tone!


    "That''s right, since he came to Huaxia to court death, I certainly had to oblige!"


    Su Chen smirked.


    "Kid, daring to kill my Judgment Department''s Left and Right Priests, you''re dead!"


    The High Priest looked at Su Chen with gritted teeth, an immensely terrifying True Yuan aura erupted instantly!


    Even from a distance, Su Chen could feel the intense oppressive aura!


    This High Priest indeed is no ordinary foe!


    Compared to him, the Left and Right Priests were insignificant!


    Could he have already reached a higher level of the Kaiyuan Realm?


    Yet he felt it was unlikely, more likely a Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm!


    Even so, he felt intense pressure!


    Just like the Half-Step Meridian Expansion, the Half-Step Kaiyuan is not something the Meridian Expansion Peak canpare to, as it already embodies the aura of a higher Realm!


    The opponent''s strength far exceeded Su Chen''s prior expectations. He initially thought the opponent would be simr, at most limited in strength!


    Yet he naturally wouldn''t be scared off by this, he also said to the High Priest:


    "It''s your turn next, I''ll send you to join the other two!"


    Though Su Chen sensed the opponent''s strength, he still possessed so many trump cards, making a fight possible!


    At this moment, Su Chen''s fighting spirit also burned intensely, he stood straight, gazing at the High Priest in a purple-gold robe not far away!


    "Very well, then let me see what you''re capable of!"


    Feeling Su Chen''s fighting spirit, the High Priest was also filled with a battling desire!


    Suddenly, both figures moved simultaneously, only fleeting shadows shing by, impossible to see clearly!


    "Boom!"


    A sudden explosion sound like thunder erupted, as if everyone''s eardrums were split!


    Violent energy like tidal waves dispersed in all directions, squeezing out arge vacuum space around them!


    Then they both retreated five or six steps each, simultaneously swallowing to forcefully ingest the blood about to be spat out!


    "Impressively strong!"


    Su Chen held his knees, panting heavily, looking up at the High Priest with thoughts in his heart.


    He had just released almost the equivalent of the Late Stage of Meridian Expansion Peak''s strength, infusing three strands of Star Energy into the punch, yet could only barely draw against him, even slightly at a disadvantage!


    Now, although the High Priest stood firm, he too felt a surge of blood within, ufortable!


    His gaze fixed on Su Chen, his heart filled with indescribable shock!


    He was in the Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm, fully striking with such power, yet this kid withstood it, even repelling him!


    This was something he hadn''t expected!


    Furthermore, for that moment, the burst of aura reached the Late Stage of Meridian Expansion Peak, which was unbelievable!


    From Fifth Layer Meridian Expansion, to Ninth Layer, to Primary Stage Meridian Expansion Peak, and then Late Stage Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Su Chen kept shattering this High Priest''s understanding step by step!


    "But that should be his true cultivation!"


    The High Priest thought secretly.


    What shocked and puzzled him more was, the previous punch contained, besides True Yuan, some other kind of energy!


    Although it was scant, its power was terrifying, leaving lingering fear even now...


    (ps: A few days ago, Feng-Yu was not feeling well, hence the slow updates. Today, finally feeling almost recovered. Starting today, there will be at least four updates daily, with more if there''s enough time, gradually catching up on past dues. Feng-Yu sincerely apologizes here! Thank you all for your continued support!)

 Chapter 1024 The Overthrow of the Judgment Department

    Although he didn''t know exactly what that unknown energy was!


    One thing is for sure, this young man must be dealt with immediately; otherwise, if he continues to grow, it will spell true disaster for their Judgment Department!


    Because the two are already in a life-or-death enemy rtionship!


    On the other side, Su Chen''s heart was also extremely heavy. It could be said that this High Priest of the Judgment Department was the strongest enemy he had ever encountered, even stronger than those he had faced before by an entire level!


    If it were solely based on cultivation realm, he, at the Half-Step Kaiyuan, was crushing for Su Chen''s Meridian Expansion Peak. Fortunately, he had other means!


    Both of them were quietly watching each other, then as if by telepathy, suddenly moved simultaneously, leaving their original positions again!


    "Boom!"


    This collision created an even greatermotion, akin to a massive explosion urring!


    The energy impact caused the dust to fly up from the ground, as if the earth had been cut off by oneyer!


    Amidst the flying dust, a silhouette flew backward like a cannonball!


    "Bang!"


    The sound traveled a great distance beforending heavily on the ground, making a huge thudding sound!


    Another silhouette also retreated a few steps backward!


    "Pfft!"


    Su Chen took a sidestep, stopping his backward momentum, and then spat out a mouthful of fresh blood!


    He wiped the blood from his mouth corner, sighing slightly with relief!


    This time it should be about enough!


    Earlier, he released six strands of Star Energy, which was quite a big move for him!


    This was the first time he had released so much Star Energy on a person at once!


    Still, the problem remained, Star Energy was incredibly difficult to cultivate!


    With the majestic True Yuan at the Late Stage of the Meridian Expansion Peak added to six strands of Star Energy, Su Chen thought that regardless of how strong the High Priest was, it should be enough to resolve the situation!


    But just at that moment, his eyes widened suddenly!


    "What! Not dead yet?!"


    He saw that the High Priest was actually wobbling and getting up from afar!


    Despite looking like he could be blown over by a breeze, he did stand up!


    Ultimately, Su Chen underestimated the strength of Half-Step Kaiyuan!


    "Kid, I must say, your strength has far exceeded my expectations, shocking me greatly! However, you still must die!"


    The High Priest looked at Su Chen and said calmly, while speaking, he took out the scepter from his waist!


    Not good! A secret technique!


    Seeing the other''s movement, Su Chen''s heart tightened immediately!


    He immediately rushed forward, trying to stop the opponent from using the secret technique!


    But it was ultimately toote. That High Priest, like the previous Right Priest, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, which sttered onto the crown at the top of the scepter!


    The crown at the top of his scepter was different from that of the Left and Right Priests. There was a skull on top of it, looking very eerie and frightening!


    The moment the bloodnded on it, a ck light suddenly burst forth, then a huge shadow of a skull shed from within the ck light, rushing towards Su Chen!


    The shadow of the skull seemed to contain some destructive power, sending chills down one''s spine!


    After witnessing this scene, a great sense of danger immediately surged in Su Chen!


    But because he was rushing towards the opponent rapidly just a moment ago, dodging now became quite difficult!


    He had no choice but to use the Dragon-ying Sword!


    Otherwise, he might have to release most of the Star Energy within himself to possibly fend it off!


    Su Chen moved his thoughts, the Dragon-ying Sword appeared in his hand, then he grasped the sword hilt tightly, swinging it across the air!


    Massive Sword Qi immediately surged towards the skull, the Sword Qi like a vast ocean, carrying a terrifying power to crush everything!


    The powerful energy wave caused the void to tremble!


    "How is this possible?!"


    Feeling the overwhelming Sword Qi, the High Priest''s expression changed dramatically!


    This kid still has tricks up his sleeve?!


    At this moment, the High Priest felt a great danger and was utterly speechless at the shock Su Chen had once again brought him!


    "Boom!"


    Immediately, the shadow of the skull collided with the Sword Qi, producing a huge roar, then the enormous skull shadow shattered instantly, vanishing into nothingness!


    "Pfft!"


    The instant the skull shadow shattered, the High Priest suffered a bacsh, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood!


    At this point, the Sword Qi continued to surge forth; the High Priest, now facing the seemingly destroy-all Sword Qi, had no means to stop it!


    Because earlier, Su Chen had already inflicted severe wounds on him, consumed a lot of life force to activate the secret technique, and finally suffered bacsh from the secret technique!


    He was now extremely weak. He had hoped that the previous secret technique could solve the opponent, yet unexpectedly...


    Out of instinct, he released his remaining True Yuan trying to block it, but at the next moment, he was engulfed by the massive Sword Qi...


    The dozen high-ranking members of the Judgment Department werepletely dumbfounded seeing this scene; they hadn''t expected the seemingly unbeatable High Priest in their minds to be in by this young man!


    Seeing Su Chen turn his gaze towards them, a shudder involuntarily ran through their hearts!


    But they also understood that since the opponent came to annihte the Judgment Department, he would not spare them!


    "Attack!"


    They exchanged nces and then rushed towards Su Chen together, knowing they were outmatched, they could only fight!


    However, these individuals were ultimately too weak for the current Su Chen, and soon were all dealt with!


    Thus, the Judgment Department, which had long weighed on Su Chen''s mind, waspletely annihted...


    "Let''s go."


    Then Su Chen walked up to Qian Ying and said.


    At this moment, Qian Ying waspletely stunned!


    She did not expect the master to be so powerful!


    "Yes, master!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s voice, she finally woke up and replied.


    The two then retraced their steps back...


    .....


    Right now, Qi Meng was standing beside the helicopter, looking into the distance, filled with anxiety and tension!


    "They wouldn''t encounter an ident, right?"


    She thought to herself, then shook her head:


    "No, they wouldn''t, they wouldn''t!"


    At this moment, she finally saw two silhouettes appearing in her field of vision, though still somewhat blurry!


    Since just two figures were seen, it was likely them, so she immediately ran forward excitedly like the wind...


    When she reached Su Chen and Qian Ying, she finally breathed a sigh of relief!


    "Are you okay?"


    Qi Meng noticed Su Chen seemed a bit injured and asked worriedly.


    "Just slightly injured."


    Su Chen smiled and replied.


    "What''s the situation?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen was only slightly injured, Qi Mengpletely rxed and asked.


    "The Judgment Department no longer exists!"


    Su Chen said gently.


    "You really destroyed the Judgment Department?!"


    Qi Meng''s eyes widened in disbelief!


    Although seeing theme out, Qi Meng had already realized something, but at this moment, hearing Su Chen say it, she was still filled with shock!


    Previously, when she heard him talk about annihting the Judgment Department, Qi Meng thought he was joking, or it was a pipe dream!


    Unexpectedly, just a few months have passed, and he indeed aplished it!

 Chapter 1025: Wanting to Cry but Having No Tears

    On the way back, the three of thempletely rxed!


    Qi Meng and Qian Ying were also finally able to fully enjoy the luxurious environment!


    The music started ying, and the two womeny sprawled out on the leather sofa, holding wine sses in their hands, clinking them from time to time!


    If drinking on the way was to soothe their nerves, now it was entirely for enjoyment!


    Su Chen turned his head to see this scene and couldn''t help but pout; he bought this helicopter for his own enjoyment!


    But he had been the pilot both times, turning himself into theborer, making him feel quite unbnced!


    He thought to himself: It seems necessary to hire a pilot, or teach everyone around him to fly, so he can enjoy himself in the future!


    However, seeing two beautiful women lying on the sofa was indeed a charming sight, but since Su Chen was flying the helicopter, he could only nce asionally!


    Influenced by the two women and also having finally resolved matters with the Judgment Department, Su Chen was in a great mood. Looking at the blue sky and white clouds outside, he didn''t feel tired at all.


    After nearly twenty hours of flying, they finally arrived in Yandu!


    When Su Chennded the helicopter on the helipad behind the manor, it was almost noon!


    He took the opportunity to make lunch in the manor and ate with the two women. After lunch, he went directly to the group.


    The first step, of course, was to report to his wife, and then he sat in Xia Qiuru''s office for a while.


    Of course, he didn''t miss taking advantage of the two women, so he was eventually chased out...


    Because with him there, they couldn''t work properly at all!


    After leaving Xia Qiuru''s office, Su Chen went to his own office, still with the usual setup: a cup of tea, a magazine!


    For him, perhaps this was a rather leisurely life!


    After admiring the sexy models in the magazine, Su Chen started ying Candy Crush again; he hadn''t yed for a while and was thoroughly enjoying it!


    Then he went to the PR department, because he was still the PR manager and needed to show some presence asionally!


    The women in the PR department hadn''t seen him for a long time, were initially surprised to see him, and then their eyes seemed to light up!


    "Everyone is working hard! Not bad, not bad!"


    Su Chen said, pretending to be formal as he entered.


    "Manager, you''ve been gone so long, have you forgotten about all of us?"


    Zhao Lin, that enchantress, was the first to cling to him, speaking in a sweet, sticky voice.


    Su Chen immediately felt a soft touch, feeling extremelyfortable!


    "Zhao Lin, you seem to have grown!"


    Su Chen said with a mischievous smirk.


    "Manager, what are you referring to?"


    Zhao Lin asked, her beautiful eyes looking at Su Chen seductively.


    "I mean your waist has gotten much bigger!"


    Su Chen wrapped an arm around Zhao Lin''s slender waist and said deliberately, though his eyes were elsewhere!


    To Su Chen, these kinds of interactions and jokes with the women in the PR department had be quite normal!


    If he were to shy away, they would only push further!


    The other women burst intoughter upon hearing Su Chen''s words.


    "This is a standard A4 waist, what''s up with your vision!"


    Zhao Lin rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.


    "Really? I don''t see it!"


    Su Chen gently brushed Zhao Lin''s waist and said:


    "Look, there''s some meat here."


    "I don''t see it either!"


    This time, Ran Ting came over, gently blowing her breath near Su Chen''s ear:


    "Manager, you''ve be naughtier!"


    Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat, Ran Ting, this little minx, had be more flirtatious in his absence!


    "Ran Ting, are you courting death?"


    Upon hearing Ran Ting''s words, Zhao Lin became unhappy!


    "The manager said so, if you want to be fierce, be fierce with the manager, what''s the point of being fierce at me!"


    Ran Ting pouted, then looked at Su Chen with her beautiful eyes:


    "Manager, don''t you agree?"


    Su Chen immediately raised his hands above his head and said:


    "Fine, this is a grudge between you two, I''m not getting involved!"


    Only a fool would meddle in at this point, besides, these two women bickering had be routine!


    But if there ever was an issue with one of them, the other would definitely help out!


    However, since Su Chen didn''te by often nowadays, the two let their "grudge" temporarily go and "entertained" Su Chen!


    Before long, some other women came over, enthusiastically calling him manager, their hands and feet never "idle"...


    Yan Xi, of course, didn''te over, but she had seen this kind of scene more than once, so she wasn''t surprised!


    She couldn''t quite understand why he was so popr with the PR department women?


    And she also knew that both Ran Ting and Zhao Lin, not to mention Shu Yin, all liked him!


    Even she herself couldn''t say exactly how she felt about him...


    This waspletely different from when she first met him at the bar!


    Back then, quite a few women deliberately approached him, either hinting or explicitly expressing their thoughts, and he would always refuse with a smile...


    Yan Xi couldn''t figure out which version of him was the real him!


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    Perhaps because Su Chen hadn''te by in a while, the women in the PR department were extremely "enthusiastic"!


    In no time, Su Chen shouted that he couldn''t take it anymore and quickly fled...


    Watching his embarrassed retreat, a peal ofughter rose up...


    Back in his office, Su Chen looked at the marks on his body, feeling like crying but had no tears!


    Of course, he hadn''t been idle either, otherwise, wouldn''t that be too much of a loss?


    After sitting in the office for a while longer, he checked the time and figured it was about right, so he drove back, grabbing some groceries on the way.


    After returning home, he practiced cultivation for a bit before starting dinner, humming an unknown tune as he cooked!


    The dinner was nearly ready when Lin Ruoxue came back.


    After setting the dishes on the table, they ate together.


    "Wife, tomorrow is Saturday, how about I take you somewhere?"


    Su Chen suddenly said.


    "Where to?"


    Lin Ruoxue was slightly stunned and then asked.


    "You''ll know when we get there tomorrow."


    Su Chen replied with a mysterious smile.


    "Alright then."


    Seeing his mysterious demeanor, Lin Ruoxue nodded.


    She actually had ns for tomorrow, but since he mentioned it, she naturally agreed.


    However, she was quite curious about where he nned to take her!


    After dinner, Su Chen sliced a cantaloupe, put it on a te, and ced it on the coffee table.


    They sat on the sofa, chatting and eating cantaloupe, feeling very cozy...

 Chapter 1026: Buying a Mountain

    The next morning, Su Chen drove out with Lin Ruoxue.


    "Honey, where are we going?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously while on the road.


    "You''ll know when we get there."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue became even more curious...


    After driving a while longer, the car stopped at the foot of a mountain.


    "Honey, this is a mountain. What are we doing here?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked naively, looking at the mountain in front of her.


    "Just looking at the mountain!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, then started to walk around the mountain.


    "What''s so interesting about a mountain?"


    Lin Ruoxue pouted.


    Earlier, Su Chen seemed so mysterious that she thought he was taking her somewhere special, but it turns out they ended up at a mountain!


    "What do you think if I buy this mountain?"


    Su Chen suddenly looked at Lin Ruoxue and asked with a smile.


    "You want to buy this mountain?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but widen her beautiful eyes, feeling as if he were joking.


    "Yes!"


    Su Chen nodded and smiled:


    "Look here, the scenery is beautiful, the vegetation is rich, we can build arge estate on the mountain! Honey, did you know there''s a hot spring here? We could develop the hot spring, and soak at home. Isn''t that great?"


    "It sounds nice, but will the government let you buy it?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked, still not understanding why Su Chen suddenly wanted to buy a mountain.


    "No problem, just pay a bit more at the time."


    Su Chen smiled, with his status buying a mountain naturally isn''t an issue, especially since the mayor of Yandu is still Tang Yun''s father, Tang Mingji!


    The real reason Su Chen wants to buy this mountain is to set up arge Gathering Yuan Formation here!


    He has been spending time studying the Formation Technique Book in addition to cultivating, because the function of formations is tremendous!


    Especially the Gathering Yuan Formation, its effect on cultivation is too apparent!


    Otherwise, even if the Nine Yang Divine Technique is extraordinary, and his Martial Arts talent is high, he wouldn''t be able to cultivate from scratch to his current level in such a short time!


    The formations set up at home and in the estate are medium-sized Gathering Yuan Formations, with a yuan qi concentration already seven or eight times that of normal ces, which is astonishing!


    If arge Gathering Yuan Formation is set up, the effect will be double that of the current medium formations!


    Meaning, in the future, the density of yuan qi here will be equivalent to fifteen to sixteen times other ces!


    Su Chen is thrilled just thinking about it!


    To set up arge Gathering Yuan Formation, it''s most suitable to ce it on a mountain, with enough area, and mountains naturally are ces where yuan qi gathers!


    Around Yandu, there are only two or three mountains, Su Chen already looked at the relevant information online and finally chose this Yuquan Mountain!


    Right now, he roughly looked around, finding the environment even more beautiful than he imagined, plus the hot spring, definitely a great ce for secluded cultivation!


    He wanted to visit some time ago, but he set it aside temporarily to quickly reach Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer at the time!


    After all, buying the mountain first and building the estate, then setting the formation centered around the estate is required!


    Building the estate, even fast, would take at least a month or two!


    Now with some free time, he brought Lin Ruoxue here to look around, since Lin Ruoxue will be living here in the future too!


    Thepletion of arge Gathering Yuan Formation will be very beneficial to Lin Ruoxue''s health, although she might need an extra ten or twenty minutes driving to the officepared to living at the Imperial Garden!


    Butpared to the benefits arge Gathering Yuan Formation brings, a little extra drive is nothing, plus the scenery here is magnificent, suitable for rxing after heavy work!


    "If you really want to buy it, just buy it."


    Lin Ruoxue said, thinking it wouldn''t be bad to build an estate and live here, and she also thought of other things.


    "Honey, after then you can wear your bikini and soak in the hot spring at home."


    Su Chen suddenly leaned close to Lin Ruoxue, yfully whispered in her ear.


    Su Chen has always been obsessed with Lin Ruoxue wearing a bikini, just never realized it!


    Now seeing the opportunity, he is naturally excited!


    Plus, he can see it often!


    Lin Ruoxue blushed immediately upon hearing this, she didn''t expect after so long, Su Chen still remembered this!


    She then thought, is this guy buying the mountain just for this reason?


    It seems a bit too crazy!


    If Su Chen knew Lin Ruoxue''s thought, he might spit out his soda!


    Afterwards, the two continued to explore, since Su Chen wants to build an estate to live here, Lin Ruoxue naturally examined it thoroughly unlike before!


    The more they looked, the more satisfied they became, Lin Ruoxue was already eager to experience living here!


    They explored around the mountain for quite a long time, only heading back in the afternoon, stopping at a restaurant and having a bite.


    After returning home, Lin Ruoxue naturally drove off to work, while Su Chen stayed at home to cultivate.


    It''s Saturday, Su Chen knows Tang Mingji typically spends weekends with family, so he ns to go to Tang Mingji''s office on Monday to discuss this.


    Actually, shortly after New Year, Tang Yun and Pei Rou both came to Yandu.


    Since Tang Yun arrived, Su Chen has only had one or two meals with her, besides that, they haven''t met face to face.


    Mostly due to being busy after New Year, not having much free time.


    After cultivating for a few hours, Su Chen thought about it and took out the mysterious token to study again!


    Upon seeing the pitch-ck token, memories of Shengyi Gate flood his mind!


    Although the Judgment Department is resolved, Shengyi Gate remains the only pressure on him now!


    In Su Chen''s heart, the matter concerning Shengyi Gate weighs more than the Judgment Department, as it''s key to unraveling the mystery within himself!


    Recalling Shengyi Gate reminds him that the Martial Arts Conference will ur in just over twenty days!


    That might be the best chance to connect with and understand the Shengyi Gate''s leader!


    Even though the Judgment Department is settled, Su Chen''s heart hasn''t rxed much!


    After researching the token but finding nothing special, he put it away!


    If it weren''t for the fact the token was left by his mother, he might have thrown it away long ago!

 Chapter 1027: How did he get married?

    In the blink of an eye, it was Monday. After breakfast in the morning, Su Chen drove to the office building of the Yandu City Government.


    "Come in."


    Tang Mingji heard the knock on the door and said casually, but he didn''t put down the document in his hand.


    View the correct content at fre.ewe(bn)ovel.c om


    Now that he''s the mayor in Yandu, the pressure is much greater than when he was the mayor in Jianghai, after all, this is the center of everything nationwide!


    "Xiao Su?!"


    Upon hearing the footsteps, he looked up and was stunned!


    "Xiao Su, why are you here?"


    Tang Mingji asked curiously.


    "Hello, Uncle Tang, I came to discuss something with you."


    Su Chen was quite respectful and polite to Tang Mingji, partly because he was indeed a good person, and partly because of Tang Yun and Pei Rou''s rtionship.


    Although Pei Rou currently has some misunderstandings about him, he almost considers her a family member.


    "Oh, what is it?"


    Tang Mingji put down the document and asked. He understood that the young man in front of him couldn''t be regarded as an ordinary young man.


    The current changes in the pattern of Yandu''s major families were all caused single-handedly by this polite and courteous young man!


    How could such a young man be treated lightly?


    To be honest, even after hearing some of the inside stories from Old Master Pei, he still couldn''t believe that the young man, who always greeted him and Pei Rou with "Uncle" and "Auntie" so politely, had such immense power!


    After hearing Tang Mingji''s words, Su Chen mentioned that he wanted to buy Yuquan Mountain.


    "It''s easy to handle, I''ll have my secretary help you with the necessary procedures at that time."


    Tang Mingjiughed heartily after hearing this.


    "Thank you, Uncle Tang."


    Su Chen also said with a smile.


    "Why thank me? If anyone should be thanking, it''s me thanking you. We can''t even auction Yuquan Mountain for such a high price when we open it for development."


    Tang Mingji waved his hand jokingly:


    "But this is government''s fiscal revenue, so I won''t stand on ceremony with you, especially since your family doesn''tck money."


    Now, of course, Tang Mingji knows that Belle Group''s president, Lin Ruoxue, is his wife, and Belle Group''s current assets are staggering!


    However, he doesn''t know that Su Chen''s personal wealth is even greater.


    Of course, there is no distinction between him and Lin Ruoxue, they both don''t ce much importance on money.


    "No need to be polite."


    Su Chen alsoughed at Tang Mingji''s joking words.


    "Alright, Uncle Tang, you''re busy, so I''ll get going."


    Since they had finished talking, Su Chen nned to leave.


    "Wait a moment."


    At this moment, Tang Mingji stood up and called him, and Su Chen stopped.


    "You haven''t been to the house for a long time, why note over for dinner tonight?"


    Tang Mingji looked at Su Chen and said.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen hesitated for a moment...


    "What? Are you nning not to see your Auntie Pei for the rest of your life?"


    Tang Mingji naturally knew what Su Chen was worried about, so he smiled and said.


    "No, I''m just afraid Auntie Pei is still angry."


    Su Chen replied.


    "Don''t worry, she won''t shut you out this time."


    Tang Mingji said jokingly with a smile.


    "Alright then."


    Since Tang Mingji said so, Su Chen agreed.


    "Actually, your Auntie Pei was so worked up initially because she really liked you, that''s why..."


    Tang Mingji exined.


    "I understand."


    Su Chen nodded. He knew this all too well.


    Precisely because he knew the other party sincerely liked him, he always regarded Pei Rou as a family member, even when she had some misunderstandings about him.


    Those misunderstandings were all due to unfortunate coincidences, of course, Su Chen did bear some responsibility...


    fre.ew(e)bnov el


    .....


    Now that Tang Mingji was still the mayor, he naturally lived in the No. 2 building of the municipalmitteepound.


    In the evening, Su Chen drove there from his house. After parking his car, he walked inside with gifts in hand.


    At this time, Tang Yun was standing at the door waiting. When she saw Su Chen, her beautiful eyes lit up and she went down the steps to greet him.


    "Where''s your mom?"


    Su Chen asked nervously.


    "Are you that afraid of my mom?"


    Tang Yunughed when she saw how cautiously he was behaving:


    "Don''t worry, my mom isn''t as angry now."


    "Uh, really?"


    Su Chen immediately asked in surprise.


    "It''s mainly because you healed my cousin''s leg. My mom has always been very fond of her."


    The cousin Tang Yun referred to was naturally Pei Man!


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen breathed a sigh of relief¡ªso that was the reason. No wonder Tang Mingji told him not to worry.


    "And after all this time, my mom does understand there''s nothing between us, it was all a misunderstanding."


    Tang Yun continued.


    As she spoke, she felt a bit guilty because her first kiss had been taken by this guy.


    Although the two times at home were misunderstandings, the time at her apartment when her mother caught them, she was indeed moved!


    "That''s good, that''s good!"


    Su Chen smiled contently upon hearing this.


    Tang Yun, hearing his words, actually felt a bit unhappy.


    When her mother kept misunderstanding them, she felt restless, but now that everything was cleared up, she wasn''t as happy as she thought she''d be, rather she felt an inexplicable sense of loss!


    While talking they''d already entered the house, Pei Rou was sitting on the sofa.


    "You''re here."


    Seeing the two enter, Pei Rou said lightly.


    However, it was beyond Su Chen''s expectations.


    "Hello, Auntie Pei."


    Su Chen quickly greeted and then ced the gifts on the table.


    "Su Chen, have a seat."


    Tang Yun saw Su Chen still standing, so she invited him to sit.


    But Pei Rou, who was on the sofa, remained unresponsive.


    This scene waspletely different from when Su Chen first came. At that time, Pei Rou was incredibly hospitable, while Tang Yun kept a cold face throughout.


    At this moment, after hearing Tang Yun''s words, Su Chen sat down on a chair beside.


    But after a few minutes, no one said a word, and the air seemed a bit cold!


    "Su Chen,e with me for a moment, I have something to tell you."


    Seeing the atmosphere wasn''t right, Tang Yun spoke, then headed upstairs.


    Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat at her words!


    What if he followed and Auntie Pei immediately took a broom to kick him out?


    However, seeing that Pei Rou didn''t show much reaction, he got up and slowly went upstairs...


    "Why did he have to get married?!"


    Watching Su Chen''s back as he went up, Pei Rou sighed quietly in her heart, looking quite regretful...


    She was very satisfied with this young man from the first meeting, he matched well with her daughter, but who would''ve known...


    More importantly, she could tell that her daughter liked him, or at least had a good impression of him!


    Otherwise, why would she go to the trouble of changing her outfit just because she knew he wasing over?

 Chapter 1028 Treating Tang Yun’s Illness

    "Why did you call me here?"


    Su Chen entered Tang Yun''s room and said:


    "You called me up just now, it scared me to death."


    "Are you that timid?"


    Tang Yun chuckled at his words, then looking at him with implication, she said:


    "I remember you used to be quite brave!"


    Su Chen felt slightly embarrassed at her words, then heughed awkwardly, as if something came back to his mind.


    "I just noticed you guys were downstairs and the atmosphere was too cold, I couldn''t bear it."


    Tang Yun said casually.


    At that moment, Tang Yun''s brows suddenly furrowed, looking quite pained!


    "What''s wrong?"


    Seeing her like that, Su Chen hurriedly asked.


    "It''s nothing."


    At that moment, Tang Yun said through gritted teeth, and soon beads of sweat appeared on her forehead!


    Su Chen observed for a while, and immediately understood, she was having menstrual cramps!


    This sudden onset is indeed a killing pain!


    "You''re having menstrual cramps, let me treat it for you."


    Su Chen said.


    "No need, I''ll be fine in a while."


    Tang Yun waved her hand, if it were another problem, she wouldn''t mind, because she knew Su Chen''s medical skills were exceptional.


    But for this issue, she was truly too embarrassed, especially in front of Su Chen.


    Otherwise, she would have asked Su Chen long ago, and maybe she wouldn''t have to suffer every time it acted up.


    She had seen quite a few doctors for this condition, but it wasn''tpletely cured, and sometimes it still red up!


    Who would''ve thought it would suddenly act up today!


    "Don''t be so stubborn, look at how much pain you''re in."


    Su Chen said.


    Just as Tang Yun was about to speak, she suddenly felt her abdomen cramp with such intense pain!


    Seeing her like that, Su Chen didn''t care whether she agreed or not, and directly lifted her from the chair and ced her on the bed!


    Tang Yun didn''t resist, not knowing whether she didn''t have the strength to resist, or simply didn''t want to.


    Afterying her on the bed, Su Chen gently lifted her shirt''s hem, revealing her slender waist!


    "What are you doing?!"


    Feeling Su Chen''s actions, Tang Yun was shocked and eximed, while holding the hem firmly with her hands!


    "Of course, I''m treating you, don''t you lift your clothes when the doctor treats you at the hospital?"


    Su Chen said with a shrug.


    "Oh."


    Only then did Tang Yun realize she had overreacted, indeed, doctors do it the same way during check-ups, so she slowly released her grip.


    Su Chen immediately ced his hand on her lower abdomen, and as soon as he touched it, Tang Yun involuntarily shuddered.


    At this moment, Su Chen focused on the treatment, as he ced his hand there, he gently massaged it with great skill using a special technique.


    Gradually, Tang Yun felt the pain slightly subside, reced by a sense of shyness, her pretty face turned crimson!


    Even in the few times she kissed Su Chen, Tang Yun never felt this shy!


    It''s no wonder, when Lin Ruoxue had a stomachache before, and Su Chen treated her in a simr position, she had a simr reaction!


    Although their rtionship had just improved at that time, after all Lin Ruoxue was his legal wife!


    She reacted like that, let alone Tang Yun now!


    However, the treatment methods for both were different, for Lin Ruoxue''s stomachache Su Chen used acupuncture, whereas for Tang Yun''s menstrual cramps it was massage, followed by some herbal medicine to drink!


    As Su Chen massaged, the pain became almost negligible, Tang Yun felt warmth emerging there!


    After a while, she felt like her body was enveloped by sea water, extremelyfortable!


    "Mmm~~~"


    Unconsciously, a coquettish sound escaped from her nose, seemingly beyond her control!


    The sound was very alluring, even making Su Chen feel a bit unsettled!


    Correct content is on f(r)eew(e)bnovel.(c)o(m)


    Fortunately, his medical ethics were good, and he immediatelyposed himself, continuing to massage her.


    After all, it wasn''tpletely healed yet, stopping suddenly would mean starting over again!


    At that moment, Pei Rou went upstairs to get something from her room, and as she passed by Tang Yun''s room, she suddenly heard embarrassing soundsing from inside, causing her face to drastically change color!


    "Bang!"


    Pei Rou pushed the door open, and her eyes froze at the scene!


    Because right then her daughter was lying on the bed, her shirt lifted, revealing her waist!


    Most importantly, Su Chen''s hand...


    "What are you two doing?"


    Pei Rou immediately demanded, if it were earlier, she might not have pushed the door open, but instead, she would have been quite pleased.


    But now, after all he was married!


    "Mom!"


    Seeing Pei Rou, Tang Yun was shocked, she hurried to sit up!


    At that moment, she couldn''t help recalling the first time Su Chen came over as a guest.


    Their actions at that time also seemed ambiguous, and once again, Pei Rou had barged in!


    She was speechless, how did they always seem to be caught by her mother, what a coincidence?!


    "Don''t move!"


    Su Chen pressed her down gently, his face calm!


    "Su Chen, what are you doing?"


    Pei Rou''s face turned cold at his words, even with her presence, this guy still...


    "Mom, you misunderstood, Su Chen is treating me."


    Tang Yun hurriedly exined seeing Pei Rou like that.


    "Treating you? Treating for what?"


    Pei Rou was bbergasted at her words, though her expression did not improve much.


    "Aunt Pei, Tang Yun suddenly had menstrual cramps just now, and I''m treating it for her."


    While massaging her, Su Chen exined.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Pei Rou slightly calmed the agitated emotions from before.


    She knew Tang Yun had this problem, having seen many doctors with no cure, and she had mentioned before that Su Chen might be able to treat it.


    But Tang Yun had insisted otherwise, so she let it be.


    She thought once they were married, Su Chen would surely find out about this issue, and if possible, he would definitely treat it.


    She just didn''t expect...


    At that moment, she calmed down, if it was treatment for this issue, then his actions seemed reasonable.


    "I''m sorry, Su Chen, I was too agitated just now and misunderstood you."


    Pei Rou, being a reasonable person, couldn''t just leave after wrongly using someone, even though apologizing to Su Chen felt somewhat strange.


    "It''s no problem, Aunt Pei."


    Su Chen smiled at Pei Rou, not taking offense.


    Seeing his humble demeanor, Pei Rou once againmented why he had to be married already?!


    Just like Tang Mingji said, she wouldn''t have been so upset after learning of his marriage if she hadn''t been so pleased with Su Chen before!


    Then Pei Rou quietly withdrew and closed the door.


    After Pei Rou left, Tang Yun''s face turned as red as a ripe apple, seeming like it could produce juice with a pinch...

 Chapter 1029 Myriad Medicines Hall

    After another moment, the massage was finallypleted, and Su Chen infused two strands of True Yuan into her body for nourishment!


    "All done."


    Su Chen stood up and said with a smile, then wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve...


    Tang Yun quickly got up from the bed upon hearing this, but just as she stood, her body went soft, almost causing her to fall.


    Fortunately, Su Chen reacted quickly and caught her!


    This made Tang Yun even more embarrassed, and she hurriedly withdrew from Su Chen''s embrace once she regained her bnce.


    "I need to use the restroom."


    Tang Yun said and then ran out, mainly to wash her face.


    Su Chen chuckled and also went downstairs.


    "How did it go?"


    Seeing Su Chene down, Pei Rou hurriedly asked.


    She was naturally most concerned about Tang Yun''s health.


    "Just take some medicine and she''ll be fine; it wasn''t a big problem to begin with."


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "Aunt Pei, could you please bring some paper and a pen? I''ll write down the herbs to buy and the method to prepare them for you."


    "One moment."


    Pei Rou said, then hurried to get a sheet of paper and a pen.


    Su Chen took them and wrote down the prescription, the method of preparation, and how to take it, then handed them to Pei Rou.


    After this incident, Pei Rou''s attitude toward Su Chen seemed to have softened a lot.


    Actually, Pei Rou was not that angry with Su Chen before; it''s just that as an elder and a member of the Pei Family, it wasn''t easy for her to put aside her pride.


    After a while, Tang Mingji came back, and then dinner was served.


    When Su Chen saw the table full of dishes, most of which were his favorites, he felt a wave of emotion!


    Although Pei Rou had been quite cold since he arrived, she was tough on the outside but soft on the inside!


    "Aunt Pei, I''m really sorry for what happened before, for hurting your feelings."


    Halfway through the meal, Su Chen said sincerely.


    "Forget it; after all, I was too hopeful that you two would be together."


    Pei Rou sighed, indicating that she had been so hopeful that she even picked out a date, showing how much she looked forward to it.


    "I also know you didn''t mean to deceive me."


    Pei Rou continued.


    She was indeed right; back then, Su Chen wanted to exin everything when he saw how serious Pei Rou was.


    However, Tang Yun had her reasons for not letting him say anything, so he had no choice.


    After dinner, Su Chen prepared to leave.


    "Feel free toe by for a meal anytime."


    Just as Su Chen was going down the steps, Pei Rou said softly.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen responded with a joyful smile.


    Then he went to his car and drove away...


    "It''s such a pity!"


    Pei Rou sighed again, looking in the direction Su Chen''s car had left.


    "Matters of fate can''t be forced; just let nature take its course."


    Tang Mingji said casually with a slight smile.


    "What are you both talking about? I''m not interested in him!"


    Tang Yun retorted stubbornly and then ran into the house.


    Tang Mingji and Pei Rou shook their heads and smiled, then they also went inside...


    ......


    As Su Chen drove back, his mood gradually rxed.


    When he got home, Lin Ruoxue had just finished dinner. Before heading to Pei Rou''s, Su Chen had already prepared dinner, and all Lin Ruoxue needed to do was heat it in the microwave if she returned early.


    Su Chen apanied her for a walk, after which Lin Ruoxue continued her work upstairs, while Su Chen went to his former room.


    He needed to quickly draft the architectural ns for the vi, so the constructionpany could follow his designs for construction.


    f.(r)eew ebnov\ll


    Because he mainly wanted to set up arge Gathering Yuan Formation, many aspects were essential.


    However, after Lin Ruoxue finished her work at eleven, he went to rest, nning to continue the drawing over the next couple of nights.


    After all, the process of purchasing Yuquan Mountain, even at the fastest pace, would still take two or three days...


    ....


    The next day, Su Chen continued his cultivation at home as usual.


    View the correct content at f.reewebn.ovel.co\m


    Although the Judgment Department issue had been resolved rtively smoothly, the battle with that High Priest consumed quite a bit of his Star Energy!


    He hoped to replenish his Star Energy before the Martial Arts Conference and ideally store some more.


    Of course, if his Cultivation Realm could advance further, that would be even better!


    However, with just over twenty days left, achieving any of those goals seemed challenging!


    ........


    Myriad Medicines Hall was located in the western part of Yandu City. Although not in a bustling area, it was thergest and mostprehensive herbal medicine shop in Yandu.


    Moreover, there were branches of Myriad Medicines Hall in several parts of the country as well.


    At this moment, a carriage slowly approached and stopped in front of the Myriad Medicines Hall.


    In today''s metropolitan city, carriages were even rarer than cars or multimillion-dor luxury vehicles, so seeing this carriage, many passersby stopped to curiously watch.


    Subsequently, the carriage door opened, and a woman in a yellow long dress emerged.


    "What a beautiful woman!"


    After getting a clear look at her face, the onlookers couldn''t help but exim in amazement!


    She had bright eyes and white teeth, with finely sculpted features, as if meticulously carved, and an exquisitely slender and graceful figure!


    After alighting from the carriage, the woman opened an oiled paper umbre, as it was currently drizzling.


    Then she walked towards Myriad Medicines Hall, followed by an old man and two young men.


    "Miss, you''re here!"


    Upon seeing her enter, the shopkeeper hurried out from behind the counter.


    "Shopkeeper Qin, how''s businesstely?"


    She asked casually.


    "Everything''s going well, rest assured, Miss."


    The shopkeeper responded with a friendly smile.


    "With you here, there''s nothing for me to worry about."


    The woman said with a light smile:


    "I brought some of the herbs you needed this time."


    As she finished speaking, the old man behind her ced a square-foot box on the counter. After all, these herbs were precious, and this amount was quite substantial.


    "This is too kind; for such a minor matter, I''m really grateful, Miss."


    The shopkeeper quickly said.


    "It''s nothing; it was on the way."


    The woman gently waved her hand and said:


    "By the way, these herbs are rare even in the Secr World and aren''t used much. Why did they suddenly run out?"


    "Indeed, under normal circumstances, a year''s worth is usually sufficient."


    The shopkeeper said:


    "It''s just that a young man came not long ago and bought up all these herbs, taking as much as we had."


    "We''re here to do business, so we can''t refuse a customer when they want to buy."


    "You''re right, Shopkeeper Qin, but what''s that young man doing with so many?"


    The woman asked with a slight frown.


    "That, I don''t know. But speaking of that young man, there was something quite peculiar about him."


    The shopkeeper suddenly remarked.

 Chapter 1030: Not Taking a Single Cent

    "Oh, what strange thing?"


    The woman asked upon hearing this.


    "That young man came over with a list."


    The shopkeeper Qin said:


    "But there were two things on it that even I hadn''t heard of. He also said that if there were such materials, or any rted information, to contact him, no matter how much it costs."


    "Is that so? What materials are they?"


    The woman asked with slight astonishment after hearing the shopkeeper Qin''s words. After all, this shopkeeper Qin had been immersed in the medicine trade for half his life, and even he hadn''t heard of them, which was indeed rare!


    "One is the Barbarian Bull Flower, and the other is the Mysterious Steel Root."


    The shopkeeper Qin thought for a moment and said.


    "What did you say?"


    The woman suddenly started breathing rapidly, her beautiful eyes staring tightly at the shopkeeper Qin in front of her!


    The sudden movement from the woman startled the shopkeeper Qin, even the people behind her seemed somewhat at a loss!


    "Barbarian Bull Flower and Mysterious Steel Root."


    The shopkeeper Qin murmured.


    "A Body Refiner! It turns out to be a Body Refiner!"


    The shock in the woman''s heart instantly reached an iparable level!


    Others might not be clear, but she knows that these two materials are used by Body Refiners during Body Refinement.


    "Yufei, what''s wrong?"


    One of the two young men couldn''t help asking upon seeing her in this state.


    "Nothing, nothing."


    The woman calmed her mind, then solemnly said to the shopkeeper Qin:


    "Shopkeeper Qin, please contact that young man now and tell him there is news about the two materials he wanted."


    "Miss, do these two materials really exist?"


    The shopkeeper Qin asked. He thought the young man had made them up, so he never mentioned them, and was merely speaking offhandedly now.


    "Of course, they exist."


    The woman nodded and said:


    "Call him now and have hime over."


    "Yufei, you want to meet that guy now?"


    The young man who spoke earlier immediately asked with some discontent upon hearing the woman''s words.


    "That''s right."


    The woman nodded.


    "But we have urgent business to attend to!"


    The young manined.


    "Not urgent."


    The woman said calmly. In her heart, meeting that young man was the most important thing right now!


    Even if he only has the potential to be a Body Refiner, it''s worth it!


    Because Body Refiners are so rare!


    Upon hearing the woman''s words, the shopkeeper Qin immediately found the number the young man left and dialed it...


    ......


    At this moment, Su Chen was focusing on his cultivation when suddenly the phone rang.


    Seeing it was an unfamiliar number, he thought for a moment and answered.


    "Mr. Su, I''m Shopkeeper Qin from Myriad Medicines Hall. There is news about the two materials you wanted."


    Just as the call connected, a slightly aged voice came through.


    "Is it about the Barbarian Bull Flower and Mysterious Steel Root?"


    Upon hearing the other party''s words, Su Chen instantly became immensely excited, his face even slightly flushed!


    "Yes, can youe over now?"


    The voice on the other end continued.


    "Yes, yes, I''lle over right away!"


    Su Chen said hurriedly, then hung up the call.


    He could hardly believe it, such good news suddenly falling from the sky!


    Immediately, he drove towards the location of Myriad Medicines Hall, a thirty-minute journey took him only a little over ten minutes.


    This clearly showed how urgent he was!


    The shopkeeper Qin was slightly shocked to see him, not expecting him to arrive so soon.


    "Shopkeeper Qin, do you really have news about those two materials?"


    Su Chen asked immediately as he entered.


    "Mr. Su, don''t be anxious, please follow me."


    The shopkeeper Qin smiled slightly and lifted a curtain to head further in.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen had no choice but to calm his mind and followed inside.


    Subsequently, the shopkeeper Qin led him into an elegant room where several people were seated.


    "Miss, this is Mr. Su."


    Shopkeeper Qin introduced to the woman among them.


    "Hello, Mr. Su, my name is Qiu Yufei."


    The woman extended a lotus-like white and slender arm and said with a smile.


    "Su Chen."


    The girl had already given her name directly, so Su Chen naturally didn''t hold back.


    He nced slightly at the woman before him, finding her exceptionally beautiful.


    Her brows were like the crescent moon, her beautiful eyes were bright and lively, her delicate nose was exquisite, her lips were as tender as flower petals, her skin fair as snow, and her temperament was extraordinary!


    At this moment, shopkeeper Qin quietly retreated.


    Su Chen also realized that the news the shopkeeper mentioned probably depended on this girl named Qiu Yufei, so he asked:


    "Miss Qiu, do you have any rted news about the Barbarian Bull Flower and Mysterious Steel Root?"


    "Indeed."


    Qiu Yufei nodded and said:


    "The Barbarian Bull Flower is already with my family, but the Mysterious Steel Root is a bit more troublesome. Give me a week, and a weekter, you cane here to get it."


    Su Chen was stunned upon hearing this. Just having rted news was already enough to surprise him.


    Unexpectedly, the woman directly asked him toe and get it a weekter!


    He could hardly believe his ears!


    "Thank you very much!"


    Su Chen said gratefully.


    "You''re wee."


    Qiu Yufei responded indifferently.


    "By the way, how much will it cost, I will transfer the amount to you then."


    Su Chen asked, having already decided that as long as she could bring those two materials, he wouldn''t hesitate even if she demanded an exorbitant price!


    After all, these two materials were extremely important for him right now!


    "Not a single cent."


    Qiu Yufei said nonchntly.


    Su Chen was stunned once again!


    Not a single cent?


    What does this mean?


    "This doesn''t seem appropriate, does it?"


    Su Chen murmured afterward. He knew how valuable these two things were!


    Taking them for free seemed unreasonable, plus she had mentioned that the Mysterious Steel Root needed to be found!


    "Yufei, how can this be?"


    At this moment, a young man behind the woman spoke up, his gaze towards Su Chen was not friendly!


    Although he didn''t know what these two materials were, he now understood that they were incredibly precious!


    Of course, what bothered him most was Qiu Yufei''s attitude towards the other party!


    "No need to say more, this is my decision."


    The woman waved her hand, her tone leaving no room for doubt, and the young man who spoke had no choice but to stop.


    "Mr. Su, don''t feel embarrassed, just consider it making a goodwill connection."


    The woman said casually.


    "Then I won''t be polite. I will definitely repay this favor if I get a chance."


    Since she put it that way, Su Chen didn''t stand on ceremony.


    As for the slight hostility of the young man behind her, he naturally filtered it out.


    Su Chen also knew that they wouldn''t help him for no reason, she must have her own motives.


    However, regardless of her intentions, if she could indeed find these two materials, she was really helping him out!


    "With Mr. Su''s words, that''s enough."


    Qiu Yufei smiled upon hearing this...

 Chapter 1031: The 1st Body Refining

    On the way back from the Myriad Medicines Hall, Su Chen still found it a bit unbelievable. Had he just suddenly acquired those two types of medicinal herbs?


    Of course, Su Chen also realized that the identity of that woman was not simple. Just her demeanor was not something an ordinary person possessed!


    Before long, Su Chen arrived home. After calming his excited mood, he resumed his cultivation.


    Three dayster, Tang Mingji informed him that all the paperwork was done, and he made a trip to retrieve the documents.


    Next, Su Chen sought out the best project manager from Yandu''s top constructionpany and handed over the architectural ns he had drawn.


    Of course, what he had drawn was just a simple sketch!


    The project manager also found this person quite strange, surprising that he even drew his own architectural ns, and they seemed pretty good!


    However, he still brought in thepany''s best designer to have a detailed discussion with Su Chen.


    Since Su Chen was not a professional, he respected the opinions of the experts. In the end, they finalized the designer''s n without affecting the formationyout!


    The rendered effects looked so impressive that Su Chen was full of anticipation; it was absolutely top-notch!


    No wonder, when the project manager asked him about the budget, Su Chen simply stated, "No budget!"


    As a result, the designer gave it his all!


    Having entrusted the matter to the professionals, Su Chen left it in their hands, trusting in their expertise!


    Su Chen continued to immerse himself in cultivation in the following days.


    A few dayster in the afternoon, while he was cultivating, Shopkeeper Qin called to say that the two types of herbs he wanted had arrived.


    Su Chen was delighted upon hearing this, not expecting it to take only six days for the herbs to be acquired.


    Once he entered the Myriad Medicines Hall, Shopkeeper Qin handed him two exquisite boxes:


    "Mr. Su, these are the Barbarian Bull Flower and the Xuan Steel Root that you requested."


    Su Chen was truly excited as he epted the boxes and gently opened them to take a look.


    The name Barbarian Bull Flower might not sound appealing, but the flower itself was very pretty, with pale blue blossoms that were crystal clear.


    However, the Xuan Steel Root was not as visually appealing, looking mottled, as if it had endured thousands or even tens of thousands of years!


    "Is your youngdy not here?"


    Su Chen closed the box and casually asked a question.


    "The youngdy left shortly after meeting Mr. Su that day,"


    replied Shopkeeper Qin.


    "Oh, then pass on my thanks to your youngdy for me."


    Su Chen expressed his gratitude.


    "Certainly, I will definitely convey Mr. Su''s gratitude,"


    nodded Shopkeeper Qin, though he was puzzled as to why the youngdy valued this young man so much!


    He had heard that acquiring that Xuan Steel Root hade at a great cost over there, yet the youngdy didn''t charge a single cent, leaving him wondering what she was thinking!


    Truth be told, those costs couldn''t be measured in terms of money!


    Back home, Su Chen took out the previously prepared herbs and sorted them. The Barbarian Bull Flower and Xuan Steel Root were also divided into several portions!


    Such herbs, of course, weren''t meant to be dumped in all at once; that would be too wasteful!


    Following the recipe in the "Calm Spirit Body Technique," Su Chen prepared eight medicinal baths, then went downstairs to the bathroom, poured one portion into the bathtub, and filled it with hot water.


    After a while, his entire body was immersed in the bathtub!


    Only, once inside, he didn''t feelfort but rather intense pain, forcing Su Chen to grit his teeth and endure!


    A normal person might not havested past the initial plunge!


    But not only did Su Chen have to endure such inhuman pain, he also had to silently operate the "Calm Spirit Body Technique!"


    As time slowly passed, the intense pain did not subside but became even worse!


    Su Chen hadn''t expected the medicinal bath to be so painful, yet he never had the thought of giving up, remaining fully concentrated on silently operating his cultivation technique!


    The medicinal bath stimtes the body with herbs, aiming to nurture the flesh and further enhance its limits!


    It''s somewhat akin to being reborn, so the process naturally isn''t easy!


    After over an hour, Su Chen felt that he had absorbed most of the medicinal powers and finally emerged from the bathtub!


    At this moment, he felt an even greater sense offortable bliss, making him exim with satisfaction!


    Su Chen also clearly sensed that the strength of his body had significantly improved, leaving him extremely delighted!


    This was just the first medicinal bath, so the body refinement wasn''t evenplete!


    If the body refinement were truly finished, to what extent would his physical strength be enhanced?


    Su Chen was very much looking forward to it!


    ...


    When Su Chen had dressed and stepped out of the bathroom, the door suddenly opened, and a graceful silhouette walked in.


    "Yan Xi, what are you doing here instead of going to work at this time?"


    Su Chen asked curiously upon seeing Yan Xi. It was normal for her to let herself in as she had a key to the house.


    Yan Xi wore a slightly low-cut white chiffon blouse and a ck pencil skirt, along with ck stockings and ck leather high heels!


    This outfit showcased her curvaceous figure, with an alluring and voluptuous silhouette!


    "Where are your eyes wandering?!"


    Yan Xi couldn''t help but snort as she noticed his gaze roaming over her.


    "Right, you still haven''t said why you''re suddenly showing up during work hours?"


    Su Chen asked nonchntly, smiling.


    The biggest difference with Yan Xi nowpared to when they first met was her heightened maturity, a result of half a year of building experience in the workce!


    Before, even though her physique resembled a mature woman, her personality still resembled that of a young girl.


    "I just had some business nearby and came by to tell you something."


    Yan Xi replied after hearing his words.


    "What is it?"


    Su Chen asked, lounging broadly on the sofa.


    "I mainly came to inform you that the Martial Arts World of Huaxia will hold a Martial Arts Conference near Azure Dragon Mountain in the future."


    Yan Xi sat down on the sofa, looking at Su Chen as she spoke.


    Being someone from Hidden Dragon Hall, she naturally knew about this.


    "I already know about it," Su Chen said.


    "You do?"


    Yan Xi was slightly taken aback, then asked,


    "Are you nning to go?"


    "Of course I''m going. How could I miss out on such a grand event?"


    Su Chen smirked and said.


    "Why don''t youe with us from Hidden Dragon Hall when the timees?"


    Yan Xi suggested.


    "Let''s discuss it then."


    Su Chen replied nonchntly, then looked at her,


    "By the way, why don''t you return from staying with Ran Ting for a while? You still need to cultivate, and there''s no Gathering Yuan Formation over there."


    "I got it, I''ll think about it,"


    Yan Xi said, then stood up,


    "As long as you know about it, that''s all. I''ll be going now."


    With that, she left like a wisp of smoke...

 Chapter 1032: Heading to Azure Dragon Mountain

    Two dayster, Yu Jun also called and informed him about the Martial Arts Conference.


    Upon learning that Su Chen already knew about this news, he asked if Su Chen was attending, to which Su Chen naturally replied that he was.


    Yu Jun did not extend an invitation to travel together, as they were not in the same ce and traveling together would be somewhat inconvenient, with the departure time uncertain.


    So Yu Jun just said see you then.


    However, Su Chen learned more information from Yu Jun; originally he nned to ask Yan Xi, but she rushed off after speaking only a few words.


    For instance, the reason why this Martial Arts Conference is held at Azure Dragon Mountain is that the Qingyun Sect, the organizer, is located there.


    Azure Dragon Mountain got its name because, when viewed from a distance, it is shrouded in mist!


    ording to Yu Jun, the Qingyun Sect is a formidable force in the Martial Arts World, with the Sect Master''s power reaching thete stages of Meridian Expansion Peak!


    .......


    In the following week, Su Chen spent most of his time practicing cultivation.


    Of course, aware of the tight schedule, he eventually made the decision to set aside Star Energy training and focus entirely on advancing his Realm!


    After all, he currently has almost twenty strands of Star Energy within him, which should be sufficient!


    In the current Martial Arts World, there are few opponents who couldpel Su Chen to use his Star Energy.


    His cultivation is alreadyparable to ate-stage Meridian Expansion martial artist; if he reaches the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, those who could make him use Star Energy would be even fewer!


    As the week progressed, he had only one-third of the key points on the sixth meridian yet to unlock. With the remaining time, unlocking them all wasn''t entirely leisurely!


    However, he''s already grown ustomed to such pressure!


    Apart from cultivation, he never missed his daily medicinal baths, soaking for over an hour every afternoon in the bathroom downstairs!


    After a week of refinement, he finally seeded in Body Refining!


    Hence, he had initially taken the first step into the Calm Spirit Body Technique!


    Though his body''s surface showed no significant change, merely appearing healthier and smoother than before, Su Chen knew his body''s strength had undergone an incredible transformation!


    This transformation was unmatched by those brought about by previous Realm enhancements!


    He felt that his defensive capabilities could almost disregard any attack below the Kaiyuan Realm!


    As for the Kaiyuan Realm Primary Stage, he was still uncertain!


    Just having entered the technique, and already seeing such effects, and based on medicinal refinement, one wonders what would happen with Demon Beast Essence Blood or True Fire?


    Su Chen could hardly imagine!


    Undoubtedly, Su Chen gained yet another card up his sleeve!


    After Body Refining sess, Su Chen was notcent; instead, he immediately immersed himself in the Nine Yang Divine Technique training!


    After all, he hadn''t yet advanced to the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer!


    ........


    Time flies, and another week quickly passed. With Su Chen''s relentless cultivation, persistence finally paid off¡ªhe broke through to the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer Realm!


    Su Chen considered the extent of his True Yuan and realized it was very close to that of a Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm martial artist, although he hadn''t quite reached it!


    Even so, Su Chen was already very satisfied!


    Since prior to this, he was slightly behind the truete-stage Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Now, only two days were left until the Martial Arts Conference began!


    Not long ago, Qi Meng also finally broke through to the Meridian Expansion First Layer, and the martial enthusiast Sun Yang reached the Triple Layer Realm as he wished!


    Thinking it over, he phoned Yan Xi to inquire when the Hidden Dragon Hall would depart, ready to travel together if the timing was suitable.


    However, Yan Xi mentioned they would only leave the day after tomorrow afternoon, so Su Chen decided against it, intending to head there the next day instead.


    It was, after all, his first participation, thus nning to arrive a bit early.


    .......


    The next morning, Su Chen, Sun Yang, and Qi Meng gathered at the manor; Qian Ying was not there as she needed to stay behind to protect Lin Ruoxue.


    With Yan Xi also attending the Martial Arts Conference tomorrow, if Qian Ying left too, Lin Ruoxue would have no one guarding her, and Su Chen wasn''tfortable with that.


    Qian Ying had no objections to Su Chen''s instructions!


    Upon meeting, Qi Meng and Sun Yang exchanged greetings, as they knew each other from Su Chen rescuing Sun Yang from the Ind Country and Qi Meng and Qian Ying taking care of him afterward, which Sun Yang was very grateful for!


    Although he understood it was all thanks to Su Chen!


    Shortly after, the trio boarded Su Chen''s luxurious helicopter!


    Only this time, Su Chen had to pilot it himself with some difort.


    Fortunately, the journey was rtively short, just a few hours.


    By afternoon, they finally arrived at the Ludong Military District. Su Chennded the helicopter there, then secured an off-road vehicle to drive toward Azure Dragon Mountain.


    This time, Sun Yang took the wheel instead, as he couldn''t pilot an aircraft, but could drive a car.


    Su Chen sat in the back with Qi Meng, who appeared very excited, with a keen interest in Huaxia''s Martial Arts Conference!


    Huaxia, after all, is widely recognized by martial artists worldwide as the most mysterious nation!


    The vehicle traveled for about two hours, finally reaching the foot of Azure Dragon Mountain, where dozens of vehicles were already parked, clearly participants of the Martial Arts Conference.


    Su Chen was surprised to see so many had arrived early; several youths stood by the cars, though their Realm wasn''t too high, only at Qi Refinement''ste stage.


    Sun Yang parked the vehicle there and stepped out.


    "Are you here for the Martial Arts Conference?"


    One of the youths immediately approached with a smile, but upon seeing Qi Meng, his eyes lit up!


    However, he quickly withdrew his gaze, aware that as Qingyun Sect''s reception personnel, offending guests would be a severe embarrassment to the sect, with very serious consequences!


    "Yes, we''re here for the Martial Arts Conference."


    Su Chen nodded, saying to himself, he didn''tment further upon seeing the youth retracted his gaze.


    Few men can remain unmoved upon seeing Qi Meng, except for martial enthusiast Sun Yang!


    "Please follow me."


    The youth quickly said, sounding very courteous.


    Upon hearing that, Su Chen and the others followed the youth deeper into the forest.


    "By the way, may I ask which sect or family you belong to?"


    The youth asked, as they walked forward.


    "No sect, no family."


    Su Chen replied casually.


    "Loose cultivators?"


    The youth was slightly startled but then his gaze cooled; no wonder these people seemed unfamiliar, as if never seen before...

 Chapter 1033 - 1033 Room Type C

    The young man who received them originally thought these people were disciples from some sect or family but didn''t expect them to be loose cultivators.


    One must know that although there are some loose cultivators whoe to participate in the Martial Arts Conference, they are very few; most belong to some sect or force.


    Loose cultivators generally are not very respected because they don''t have any backing!


    Unless one is extraordinarily powerful, but such loose cultivators are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns!


    What''s more, those few powerful loose cultivators already have their information recorded, and the youngest among them is nearly forty years old!


    These people are so young, the young man thought it impossible!


    Thus, his attitude instinctively turned cold!


    With the young man''s level of cultivation, if Su Chen deliberately hid his aura, he wouldn''t be able to see through his exact realm!


    Seeing the young man''s change in attitude, Su Chen roughly guessed his thoughts but didn''t care at all.


    If he cared about everyone''s attitude, wouldn''t that be exhausting!


    After walking for about one or two hours, they finally arrived at the Qingyun Sect deep in the Qingyun Mountain Range.


    The Qingyun Sect, worthy of being a great sect in the Martial Arts World, upies a vast area with many buildings standing in close rows!


    However, many of the houses are newly built, presumably specifically prepared by the Qingyun Sect for this Martial Arts Conference!


    At this time, in a nearby spacious square, over a hundred people gathered in groups of three or five chatting.


    Of course, these are from some medium and small forces, with a few mid-upper forces as well!


    Even so, only a small part of medium and small forces arrived early, as most martial arts forces will arrive tomorrow!


    Soon, the young man led them to a row of houses at the far edge, all of which were short andpact, simply built with wood.


    "These three ss C houses are yours."


    The young man handed them three keys, pointed to the three houses, nonchntly said, and then turned away.


    It was obvious that the rooms arranged for Su Chen and the others by the young man were the most inferior type.


    Fortunately, Su Chen was not particr about living conditions, so he said nothing.


    They then each opened a door and walked inside. The interior was only about seven or eight square meters, with nothing but a simple bed, and the floor was still dirt.


    "This Qingyun Sect is really bullying us, actually letting us live here!"


    Before long, Qi Meng came over with a displeased expression and said to Su Chen.


    She wasn''t picky about the living environment but was very unhappy with such discriminatory treatment as if they were inferior.


    "Forget it, we''re only staying for two or three days anyway. Come on, let''s call Old Sun and go out for a stroll."


    Su Chen said with a nonchnt smile, then called Sun Yang and walked towards the square.


    The three of them took a stroll around the square and got to know more about the situation.


    Although the Martial Arts Conference is divided into the Martial Arts Exchange Meeting and the Martial Arts Competition, for various martial arts forces, the former is still the most important!


    However, only those ranked in the top fifty in strength are qualified to participate in this Martial Arts Exchange Meeting!


    During this time, major forces can exchange cultivation resources, form alliances, or share cultivation insights, etc.!


    Many marital connections in the Martial Arts World were formed at the Martial Arts Conference!


    After all, everyone usually hides in the mountains and woods, rarely having the opportunity to interact, and the Martial Arts Conference provides such an opportunity!


    Some weaker, lower-middle forces are not qualified to participate in this exchange meeting; they gather here mainly to get the relevant information first.


    After all, with so many forces participating, there will definitely be newsing out.


    As members of the Martial Arts World, they naturally need to grasp thetest trends in the Martial Arts World!


    As for the Martial Arts Competition following the Martial Arts Exchange Meeting, its main purpose is still for entertainment and excitement!


    However, to make it more exciting, they generally offer some rewards as encouragement!


    Of course, there are also hostile forces with grudges that use this opportunity to settle scores, with some reconciling after a fight and others deepening their grudges!


    For Su Chen, neither the Martial Arts Exchange Meeting nor the Martial Arts Competition is important!


    He is here for one person, the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate!


    After taking a stroll around, they found more and more people noticing them, naturally because Qi Meng was too beautiful!


    So, Su Chen and hispanions prepared to return. Just as they were about to leave, a voice suddenly called out:


    "Little Su!"


    Su Chen turned his head to see Yu Jun walking towards him, apanied by Yu Chun, the fourth elder of the Yu Family!


    "Hello, Uncle Yu."


    Su Chen said with a smile, not needing to mention Yu Jun, Yu Chun had been quite good to him too, so Su Chen was very polite at the moment.


    "Little Su, it''s only been a few months and your cultivation has improved quite a bit!"


    Yu Jun said in surprise upon seeing Su Chen.


    He recently got an elixir and had just broken through from the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer to the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, which already surprised him!


    However, he suddenly discovered that Su Chen had also reached the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer!


    It''s only been a few months, his cultivation speed is simply astonishing!


    It''s like rocket speed!


    Yu Chun was equally shocked at how quickly Su Chen''s realm had advanced, realizing his earlier judgment was correct; this kid was no ordinary person!


    "It''s alright."


    Su Chen said with a shy smile.


    Hearing this, Yu Jun and his brother''s faces twitched, you call that alright, then what do others call it?


    "By the way, Little Su, who are these two?"


    Yu Jun then looked at Sun Yang and Qi Meng beside Su Chen, and when he saw Qi Meng, his heart skipped a beat; what a beautiful woman!


    However, he wasn''t thinking about anything else but what kind of rtionship she has with Su Chen!


    After all, he was very aware of his daughter Yaning''s feelings for him!


    Su Chen already had a wife, rumored to be astonishingly beautiful as well!


    Now, another such beautiful woman appears, making him worried for his daughter!


    Even though his daughter was exceptionally beautiful, a rare beauty indeed!


    But this woman was not bad either, objectively speaking, she might even be slightly superior!


    "Oh, these are my friends, this is Sun Yang, and this is Qi Meng."


    Su Chen had no idea Yu Jun was thinking so much and simply introduced them.


    "Hello, two Uncles Yu."


    Since Su Chen addressed them this way, Sun Yang and Qi Meng naturally also greeted politely.


    "Hello, hello."


    Yu Jun and his brother both smiled and nodded, although worried for his daughter, Yu Jun didn''t show any animosity towards Qi Meng.


    After all, these matters are ultimately the business of the young people themselves!


    Moreover, he said she is just a friend, even if she isn''t and it''s that kind of rtionship, it might not be a bad thing.


    That is, if he can ept this woman, he can naturally ept his daughter!


    For Martial Arts Families, such matters are not as significant as in the Secr World!


    Especially given the extraordinary potential of this young man!

 Chapter 1034: Its You?

    "By the way, Xiao Su, where are you staying?"


    At this moment, Yu Chun asked with a smile.


    "In the furthest Bing Number house."


    Su Chen casually replied.


    "Bing Number house?"


    Yu Chun was taken aback upon hearing this, then he understood. It must be because Qingyun Sect saw him as a loose cultivator, so they arranged him there.


    The Bing Number house is designated for the weakest powers in the Martial Arts World and loose cultivators!


    "Su Chen, the conditions of the Bing Number house are too simple. How about I speak to them for you and get a better ce?"


    Yu Chun suggested.


    The Yu Family holds a slightly upper-middle position in martial forces, residing in the Jia Number house. Even if he couldn''t get Su Chen and his friends into the Jia Number house, moving them to the Yi Number house should be no problem.


    In fact, the reason Qingyun Sect categorizes lodging into several levels is due to the sheer number of attendees for the Martial Arts Conference!


    Building every amodation like the Jia Number ones is impossible, due to the massive consumption of both manpower and materials!


    Furthermore, these people would only stay for two to three days, which amounts to a tremendous waste!


    However, for factions above the middle-upper level, Qingyun Sect still tries to host them well!


    "No need, it''s quite nice there, very quiet."


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    The Bing Number house is located at the edge, how could it not be quiet?


    The Yu Jun brothers persuaded him a little more, but seeing that Su Chen really had no such intention, they dropped the matter.


    Not far from the square is arge canteen, somewhat simr to a restaurant, newly built, where everyone eats during the Martial Arts Conference.


    Su Chen and the other two happened to not have had lunch yet, so they went to grab some food and then returned to cultivate!


    That day, besides the Yu Jun brothers, Su Chen didn''t encounter any other acquaintances; the people he knew hadn''t arrived yet.


    The next day, as the sun rose high, the entire Qingyun Sect became exceedingly lively!


    Those who arrived yesterday came to the square early in the morning, as most martial forces, including major ones, were arriving today!


    However, Su Chen wasn''t interested in that and took Qi Meng down the mountain early in the morning, having already acquired all the necessary information.


    Su Chen wasn''t in a hurry to see the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate, as he knew he would eventually meet him.


    As for Sun Yang, he stayed in the room to continue cultivating, and Su Chen let him be.


    Su Chen and Qi Meng yed all day and didn''t return until dusk!


    When Su Chen saw the massive crowd on the square, he was taken aback!


    At that moment, the square probably had one to two thousand people, maybe even more. Fortunately, the square wasrge enough that groups of people chatting didn''t cause any problems!


    Su Chen thought: Even if each faction came with three people, that would be hundreds of factions!


    He hadn''t expected there to be so many forces within the Martial Arts World! After all, his involvement in the Martial Arts World was still rtively new, and he wasn''t very knowledgeable about it!


    Qi Meng was also shocked by this grand scene, and no wonder ordinary martial artists were so wary of Huaxia, seeing a scene like this exined it all!


    ...


    "Young Master, look quickly, what a stunning beauty!"


    Amidst the crowd, someone suddenly said excitedly.


    "Where?"


    Upon hearing this, the Young Master hurriedly asked.


    "Over there, Young Master."


    The person who spoke pointed in a specific direction.


    The Young Master immediately looked over, and his eyes brightened instantly!


    "Indeed a stunner!"


    The Young Master couldn''t help but lick his lips with a greedy look!


    Such a beautiful and enchanting woman was the first he''d ever seen!


    He then stepped toward that direction, followed by three or four others!


    "Hello, beauty, I am Wu Liang, the Young Master of the Wu Family. May I get to know you?"


    The Young Master approached Qi Meng and first reported his family background!


    "Not interested, not at all."


    Qi Meng coldly replied. She knew that for those who deliberately make advances, the best way was to show no kindness!


    Otherwise, the other party might pester endlessly!


    "Just because you didn''t know me before doesn''t mean you can''t get to know me now!"


    Although Qi Meng was indifferent, the Young Master was still relentless!


    "Didn''t you hear her? Get lost already!"


    Su Chen didn''t expect that in such a short time, someone would already be buzzing around.


    He had slowed his pace a bit, wanting to see if Yan Xi had arrived yet.


    "What the heck did you just say?!"


    Wu Liang''s face darkened immediately and he looked over.


    "It''s you?!"


    Seeing clearly, Wu Liang was stunned!


    Su Chen was also slightly surprised; since the opponent''s face was to the side, he hadn''t clearly seen who it was!


    And now that he turned, Su Chen realized this so-called Young Master was the man he had disciplined for harassing a maid in Yun Ya Residence!


    "Yes, it''s me."


    Su Chen said calmly.


    This guy really couldn''t change his ways; he was flirting with women again, and this time it was with Qi Meng!


    "What a coincidence, running into each other!"


    Wu Liang suddenly sneered. Ever since being humiliated by Su Chen that night, he had been searching for him, but to no avail in the sea of people. He had no clues at all.


    Unexpectedly, with narrow paths, they met again here!


    "So it was you, boy!"


    "Haha, boy, this time you''re dead for sure!"


    "Boy, let''s see where you run to this time!"


    ...


    At this moment, Wu Liang''spanions started shouting too. They were the sameckeys who were with him that day and were also disciplined by Su Chen!


    The square wasrge, so others hadn''t yet noticed the disturbance here, but the surrounding crowd was drawn to the conflict!


    "Hey, isn''t that the Young Master of the Wu Family? How did this young man get on his bad side?"


    "Probably because the Wu Family Young Master took a liking to the beautiful woman beside him!"


    "Most likely, but the Wu Family is a top-notch existence among the Martial Arts Families; its Family Head has reached Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!"


    "Indeed, this young man is in trouble!"


    "True, the Wu Family Head is notoriously protective!"


    ...


    Those around began to talk upon seeing this scene...


    At this moment, Su Chen maintained a restrained aura; unless one reached the Meridian Expansion Eighth or Ninth Layer, they couldn''t discern Su Chen''s realm!


    Although there were many people on the square, those who truly reached this level were few, making up only a small portion!


    The day before, Yu Jun detected it because Su Chen hadn''t constrained his aura, and Yu Jun just happened to be at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer!


    Of course, even if discovered, they''d only see his Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, never realizing his actual cultivation strength!


    Hearing the surrounding discussions, Su Chen raised his eyebrows, realizing this so-called Young Master had some background, exining his reckless behavior!

 Chapter 1035: Let Go of My Son!

    "Miss, look quickly, it''s Mr. Su!"


    Not far away, a maid-like person also noticed Su Chen and excitedly pointed to him, jumping as she spoke to the woman beside her.


    Upon hearing this, the woman immediately trembled in her heart and then looked over!


    The moment she saw Su Chen, her heart suddenly began to race uncontrobly!


    Before she came, she was wondering if he would show up, and here he really was!


    Ling Yao didn''t understand why, even though she had only met Su Chen once, she kept thinking of him!


    But why did this guy get involved with the Wu Family''s Young Master again?


    This Wu Family Young Master is not someone easily provoked!


    "Kid, do you know who I am now?"


    Wu Yi, hearing the discussions around him, raised his head proudly and haughtily said:


    "Kid, kneel and apologize to me, and let this woman beside you apany me for two days, and I''ll let you go!"


    Just as he finished speaking, a figure suddenly shed by, and the previously smug Wu Liang was swiftly grabbed by the neck!


    "Mmm mmm mmm~~~"


    His face flushed red instantly, making it difficult for him to breathe, and he couldn''t say a word!


    Wu Liang''s expression turned to one of disbelief; he hadn''t expected this young man to darey a hand on him in this setting!


    "Kid, are you looking to die? Let our Young Master go immediately!"


    "Kid, release him at once, or you''ll be in big trouble!"


    ...


    Seeing Su Chen grasp their Young Master''s neck, Wu Liang''sckeys were shocked and, in a panic, began to yell!


    The surrounding people were also visibly astonished, not expecting this young man to act without a word!


    This was the Wu Family''s Young Master; what was he thinking?


    "What''s going on?"


    Just then, a patrol team approached, clearly members of the Qingyun Sect.


    With this many martial artists around, they would promptly intervene if any friction urred!


    The Qingyun Sect naturally didn''t want any unpleasant incidents at their Martial Arts Conference, so they had arranged a patrol team.


    Although not the most powerful, they were usually given face!


    "His mouth was just a bit foul, that''s all."


    Su Chen nced at the patrol captain, speaking indifferently.


    "Mmm mmm mmm~~~"


    Seeing the patrol team arrive, Wu Liang was immediately pleased and began to "mmm mmm mmm" excitedly!


    "Young Master Wu?!"


    The patrol captain was equally startled upon seeing the man in Su Chen''s grip!


    He didn''t know everyone, but he certainly recognized someone of Young Master Wu''s status!


    "Which sect or family are you from?"


    The patrol captain asked Su Chen, thinking that someone bold enough to act against the Wu Family''s Young Master at the Martial Arts Conference must belong to a significant power, so he treated the matter carefully.


    However, strangely, he had no impression of this person?


    "None."


    Su Chen replied directly.


    "Are you a rogue cultivator?"


    The captain asked in astonishment.


    "Yes, is there a problem?"


    Su Chen tilted his head slightly in reply.


    Upon hearing this, a trace of anger shed through the captain''s eyes. Did he just ask if there was a problem? The problem was huge!


    If he belonged to somerge force, fine, but as a rogue cultivator, he dared to be presumptuous at the Qingyun Sect''s Martial Arts Conference, tantly disregarding them!


    Moreover, he dared to assault the Wu Family''s Young Master!


    How could they exin this to the Wu Family?


    "I order you to release Young Master Wu immediately, or I''ll show you no mercy!"


    The patrol captain shouted, since the guy had no backing, he didn''t need to hold back!


    "Oh, how exactly will you show me no mercy?"


    Su Chen sneered disdainfully.


    At the same time, a hint of coldness shed in his eyes. If the patrol captain had persuaded him carefully, he might have given the Qingyun Sect some face and merely taught this Young Master Wu a minor lesson because this was their territory after all!


    But now, the patrol captain''s attitude made him very displeased!


    Hearing Su Chen''s disdainful words, the patrol captain was immediately enraged, because this was a challenge!


    He immediately swung his fist, attacking Su Chen!


    He thought this young man, barely in his twenties, couldn''t have achieved much cultivation; after all, he was a Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer expert!


    When the patrol captain''s overwhelming momentum erupted, many around them believed Su Chen was doomed!


    Almost no one around could discern Su Chen''s realm!


    After all, birds of a feather flock together, and those few martial arts elites were still on the other side of the za,ughing and talking!


    Those were the helmsmen or key figures of major forces, and although formal meetings were to follow, it didn''t prevent them from making preliminary social contacts!


    Seeing the patrol captain charge at him, Su Chen showed no emotional fluctuation, casually kicking out!


    "Bang!"


    Immediately, a dull sound was heard, and everyone around was dumbfounded because they saw the patrol team captain being sent flying!


    "Captain, are you okay?"


    The patrol team rushed over to help him up!


    The surrounding people were equally shocked inside!


    This young man was too strong!


    He actually kicked the patrol captain flying with just one kick!


    No wonder he was so proud; he had achieved sess so young!


    But what does it matter?


    Daring toy hands on Qingyun Sect members on Qingyun Sect''s turf was like pping them in the face!


    Could Qingyun Sect let you off easily?


    Not to mention, there was also the formidable Wu Family!


    In their eyes, Su Chen''s behavior could only be described with one word: courting death!


    Wu Liang''s severalckeys were also a bit dumbfounded; although they knew Su Chen was formidable, they didn''t expect he would show no regard for Qingyun Sect and would even injure its members!


    Originally, they thought the arrival of Qingyun Sect people would resolve the situation, so they hadn''t immediately reported to the Family Head!


    ...


    Since a fight broke out, themotion quickly drew the attention of the whole za, and those who were far away began to gather!


    "Kid, daring to attack me on Qingyun Sect ground, it seems you don''t want to live!"


    The patrol captain roared angrily, and his excessive agitation triggered an internal injury, causing him to cough!


    "Just with you?"


    Su Chenughed contemptuously.


    Hearing Su Chen''s arrogant words, people around couldn''t help but shake their heads.


    Ignoring the Qingyun Sect, was he aiming to reach the sky?


    "Release my son!"


    At this moment, a booming voice rang out, followed by a middle-aged man walking over with a grim face!


    Seeing this man arrive, there was a wave of exmations in the crowd because this was Wu Liang''s father, Wu Sheng!

 Chapter 1036: Does Your Qingyun Sect Have a Lot of Prestige?

    "Family Head, this kid is the one who injured the Young Master a while ago!"


    As Wu Sheng arrived, one of Wu Liang''sckeys immediately spoke.


    The otherckeys looked smugly at Su Chen, thinking, "Now that the Family Head is here, let''s see how arrogant you can be!"


    The onlookers also sighed and shook their heads, thinking, "You were so wild, and now you''ve gotten yourself into big trouble!"


    "So it''s this kid!"


    Wu Sheng''s eyes immediately shot out a sharp gleam!


    He certainly knew about his son''s beating from a while back, but he simply couldn''t find the person responsible.


    There was nothing he could do about it, so he had to swallow his anger!


    Unexpectedly, this kid showed up here today and has once again made a move against his son!


    A man can endure, but this is unbearable?!


    "What in the world is going on?"


    At this time, an elder arrived here and asked the Patrol Captain who had just been kicked away.


    "Reporting to the Second Elder, when I was patrolling here earlier, I found him grabbing the Young Master Wu by the neck. I told him to let go, but he not only refused, he also attacked me!"


    The Patrol Captain spoke indignantly.


    What he said was indeed the truth, although he omitted the fact that because the opponent had no background, he was arrogant.


    Upon hearing this, the Second Elder''s face darkened immediately!


    Openly attacking the Qingyun Sect members ¡ª isn''t this disregarding the Qingyun Sect?!


    But now is not the time to dwell on this matter; the priority is to resolve the Young Master Wu''s situation, otherwise the Wu Family would not be satisfied!


    "Kid, let go of my son!"


    Seeing that the opponent was still grabbing his son, Wu Sheng shouted angrily again!


    "Young man, if you know what''s best for you, let go of Young Master Wu!"


    The Second Elder also shouted sternly!


    Although they were surprised to see Su Chen at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, they didn''t mind, as they were both at the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!


    "Whining~~~!"


    Seeing his father and the elder from the Qingyun Secte over, Wu Liang suddenly became extremely excited!


    "Are you happy your father is here? Finally, someone hase to save you."


    Su Chen nced at Wu Liang and said with a teasing smile!


    Although his neck was being held, Wu Liang proudly looked at Su Chen with an expression that seemed to say, "Kid, you know what''sing next; you''re in for bad luck!"


    "What a pity, they can''t save you. If I don''t want to release you, no one can save your miserable life!"


    Su Chen shook his head slightly, sighing, his teasing smile growing stronger!


    "Bold!"


    "Presumptuous!"


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, Wu Sheng and the Second Elder both shouted at the same time, their bodies trembling with anger!


    This young man dared to speak so arrogantly; it was simply outrageous!


    The onlookers also nearly lost it upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    This guy, facing the Wu Family Head and the Qingyun Sect''s Second Elder, was still so arrogant and disrespectful!


    Truly, he doesn''t know what death is!


    "Is that bold and presumptuous?"


    Su Chen scornfully nced at the two and said:


    "Then I''ll kill him to show you what real presumptuousness and real boldness are!"


    Su Chen had such a temperament; if others respected him, he would return the respect, but if others acted rudely, they would see who could be more domineering!


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was suddenly shocked, looking at Su Chen in disbelief!


    What did this kid just say?


    He wants to kill the Wu Family''s Young Master?


    And do it in front of the Wu Family Head and the Qingyun Sect!


    He''s crazy, he''s crazy!


    This guy must be out of his mind!


    "I''d like to see you dare!"


    When Wu Sheng heard this, he immediately shouted with eyes wide open, then stepped forward, releasing the True Essence Aura of Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!


    Some people with lower realms around felt a horrible pressure!


    "Do you think I dare or not!"


    Su Chen fearlessly looked at Wu Sheng, snorted coldly:


    "If you dare take one more step, then prepare to erect a tombstone for your son!"


    "I don''t believe you truly dare to kill my son!"


    Wu Sheng''s eyes were as sharp as an eagle''s, staring at Su Chen, his eyes zing with intensity!


    He truly did not believe Su Chen would dare to be audacious enough to kill his son!


    Because once he kills his son, he will surely kill Su Chen!


    "Don''t believe me? Then try it!"


    Su Chen said calmly, and at the same time, he applied slight pressure with his hand, making Wu Liang''s face turn a bluish-purple, feeling suffocated!


    At this moment, the onlookers also felt breathless; the shock this young man brought was too great!


    What kind of confidence did he have to be so arrogant!


    Wu Sheng hesitated, looking at Su Chen''s face as calm as water, uncertain whether the young man truly dared to be so bold!


    He felt that all eyes in the venue were fixed on him!


    This step might decide his son''s life since the opponent is a master of the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, he only needs less than a breath to twist his son''s neck!


    But if this step is not taken, then the one to lose face would be the Wu Family, and it would be in front of almost half the Martial Arts World!


    "Young man, are you really going to disregard the face of Qingyun Sect?"


    While Wu Sheng hesitated, the Second Elder said solemnly to Su Chen.


    "Does your Qingyun Sect have such a face?"


    Su Chen shot a sideways nce at the Second Elder, snorting:


    "If your Qingyun Sect had dealt with this matter reasonably, maybe I''d give you some face, but if you''re arrogant without knowing the reason, then I''m sorry, I have no face to give!"


    Su Chen''s remarks stirred another wave of uproar!


    Especially that line "Does your Qingyun Sect have such a face," which was simply too arrogant and wild!


    The Patrol Captain trembled upon hearing the words!


    Indeed, after knowing the opponent had no sect or n, he didn''t take this young man seriously at all!


    The Second Elder felt the same!


    After all, a young man is too insignificantpared to the Wu Family!


    But unexpectedly, the young man they encountered today was someone who wouldn''t back down!


    At this point, everyone''s gaze once again gathered on Wu Sheng!


    Wu Sheng naturally felt this, then steeled his heart; he really didn''t believe this guy was so fearless, daring to kill his son!


    "Hold on!"


    Just then, two voices sounded almost simultaneously!


    Then figures emerged from two directions and walked over to Su Chen.


    At this point, everyone widened their eyes!


    Hidden Dragon Hall and Lingyue Pce?!


    They are among the top three forces in the Martial Arts World!


    "Su Chen, give me some face, and let Young Master Wu go."


    Wei Hua patted Su Chen''s shoulder and said, followed by Yao Zhe and Yan Xi behind him!


    "I am Ling Long, the Pce Master of Lingyue Pce. Let''s forget about this matter."


    Ling Long also walked up to Su Chen and said.


    Behind her were three people, besides Ling Yao and Meng Jiao, there was another person who Su Chen had not seen before.

 Chapter 1037: Cant Escape the Punishment!

    Wei Hua stepping forward was easy to understand. First, because of his rtionship with Su Chen, and second, because he was the Vice Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall, naturally he didn''t wish for the situation to escte!


    As for Ling Long stepping forward, it was because Ling Yao had been worried and begged her to help Su Chen break the impasse. Plus, the matter of Shengyi Gate forcing marriagest time made Ling Long agree.


    There was a clear reason for both Wei Hua and Ling Long speaking up at that moment; they had been observing Su Chen all along!


    To Wei Hua, since Su Chen''s appearance, he had never been able to see through him.


    To Ling Long, it was more because of Ling Yao''s involvement; she wanted to see what kind of man had captured her daughter''s heart!


    Not until they noticed Wu Sheng truly seemed about to act, and Su Chen really seemed intent on killing the Young Master of the Wu Family, did they suddenly speak up. Another moment dyed, and things would have been irreparable!


    However, their motives were different. As mentioned before, Hidden Dragon Hall didn''t want the situation to grow too big!


    Ling Long, on the other hand, felt obliged to her daughter to keep Su Chen from harm; if Su Chen really killed the Young Master of the Wu Family, things would be irreparable!


    By then, there''s no way Lingyue Pce would feud with the Wu Family over Su Chen, who wasn''t well known to them, right?


    As long as Su Chen didn''t cause the Wu Family''s Young Master any substantial harm, Ling Long believed she could handle it, whether it was the Wu Family or Qingyun Sect. They''d have to show some face!


    At the moment, Ling Long didn''t think Su Chen could match Wu Sheng!


    Wei Hua and Ling Long never expected each other to step forward, and they exchanged a knowing smile, wondering what Su Chen''s rtionship was with the other!


    Everyone around was utterly stunned!


    No wonder this kid was so arrogant and rampant; he had the backing of Hidden Dragon Hall and Lingyue Pce!


    That backing was indeed formidable!


    Even the captain of the patrol team was dumbfounded; didn''t he say he had no sect or family?


    Picking anyone out was enough to scare people to death!


    At this moment, he felt like he had been tricked by Su Chen!


    In everyone''s minds, Hidden Dragon Hall and Lingyue Pce stepping up at this moment fully rescued Su Chen!


    Even Wei Hua thought so, despite Yao Zhe telling himst time that Su Chen had killed the third member of Blood Kill.


    But now, if they hadn''t stepped forward, not only would Wu Sheng have moved against him, even the second elder of Qingyun Sect would have attacked!


    Facing two at the Ninth Layer at once, he didn''t believe Su Chen could withstand it!


    Moreover, this was the Qingyun Sect!


    What if the other elders of Qingyun Sect, or even the Sect Master, took action then?!


    "Alright."


    After hearing their words, Su Chen nodded. He couldn''t refuse the favor of these two, after all, Wei Hua had always been kind to him, and Lingyue Pce had gifted him the Mysterious Ice Flower, tantamount to saving Du Hanbing''s life!


    Hearing this, Wu Sheng finally breathed a sigh of relief!


    Despite feeling shocked at Su Chen having ties with two top forces like Hidden Dragon Hall and Lingyue Pce, his subconscious felt a sense of relief!


    What if this guy was truly reckless and broke his son''s neck in an instant?!


    But that second elder started feeling a bit regretful; he hadn''t expected the young man to have such a formidable background!


    If he had known earlier, he should have taken a more pacifying approach!


    Just when everyone thought the matter was resolved, Su Chen spoke indifferently:


    "However, he spoke foully of my friend; a death sentence can be avoided, but a living punishment cannot!"


    As his words fell, Su Chen released his grip on Wu Liang''s throat, then struck with a palm, sending Wu Liang flying like a cannonball!


    "Liang''er!"


    Wu Sheng''s pupils shrunk, and he quickly moved towards the ce where Wu Liang was falling!


    The crowd was shocked upon witnessing this scene!


    No one expected Su Chen to suddenly strike at this moment!


    Beside him, Qi Meng''s eyes shone a bit, watching Su Chen with rippling emotions inside.


    Not just everyone, even Wei Hua and Ling Long were a bit stunned!


    Then, both shook their heads; this guy was really someone who wouldn''t take a loss!


    Wu Sheng hastily checked his son''s injuries; fortunately, he only had a few broken ribs!


    But oh, the face he lost was immense!


    "Father, you must avenge me!"


    Wu Liang, in pain, cried out in resentment, wishing he could instantly kill Su Chen!


    "Rest assured, Liang''er!"


    Wu Sheng slowly lifted Wu Liang, nodding.


    "You will pay for this!"


    He nced at Su Chen, word by word, with anger and hatred that everyone could clearly feel!


    He never intended to spare Su Chen, and now, even less!


    "Do as you please!"


    Su Chen replied indifferently.


    "We shall see! Hmph!"


    With a snort, Wu Sheng departed with his son...


    "You kid!"


    Wei Hua looked at Su Chen, sighing with a wry smile. He didn''t expect Su Chen''s temperament to be so fierce!


    Thinking about past events, perhaps this guy was just that kind of person!


    Now Wu Sheng would certainly not let Su Chen go, and even they in Hidden Dragon Hall wouldn''t be able to intervene easily!


    After all, Hidden Dragon Hall''s primary duty was to maintain Huaxia''s stability and order, focusing mainly on two things: preventing threatening Martial Arts forces from outside from entering Huaxia and ensuring Huaxia''s Martial Arts forces didn''t disrupt the secr world''s normal operations!


    As for personal vendettas, if they interfered too rigorously, it''d surely be viewed as overly controlling or domineering!


    At this moment, Ling Long''s impression of him slightly improved; at least this guy seemed like a man!


    However, the women around him were too beautiful. From what he said earlier, nearly everyone understood it should have been Wu Liang''s intention toward his femalepanion that led Su Chen to act!


    Everyone had heard a bit about this Wu Family Young Master''s promiscuous nature!


    Yan Xi noticed yet another exceptionally beautiful woman next to him, and couldn''t help but re at him!


    Su Chen didn''t understand why Yan Xi suddenly red at him, so he could only smile awkwardly.


    Then Wei Hua led the people of Hidden Dragon Hall away from the za...


    "Pce Master Ling, thank you very much for the Mysterious Ice Flowerst time!"


    After Wei Hua and others left, Su Chen bowed deeply to Ling Long in gratitude.


    The Mysterious Ice Flower was incredibly precious, and seeing the true master of Lingyue Pce, he naturally wanted to express his sincere thanks!


    Ling Long looked at the young man before her, slightly surprised; this humble and polite youth waspletely different from the one just now!


    "No need, consider it a token of gratitude for helping us outst time."


    Ling Long waved her hand dismissively.


    At this moment, looking at the graceful woman before him, Su Chen understood why the Martial Arts World referred to Lingyue Pce as one of the three major powers!


    Before, he had doubts, as the stewards he had encountered didn''t seem particrly strong!


    Now he finally understood; it was all because of the Pce Master of Lingyue Pce, this charming woman was actually a top master of Half-Step Kaiyuan!


    Of course, besides her, Wei Hua also seemed to be a Half-Step Kaiyuan expert!


    He could see this now that he had reached a simr level, as he himself was very close to that realm!

 Chapter 1038: But that is clearly Mr. Su!

    "Miss Ling, Little Jiao, long time no see."


    Su Chen then smiled and greeted Ling Yao and Meng Jiao.


    "Long... long time... no see."


    Ling Yao felt a bit flustered upon hearing him greet her.


    "Hello, Mr. Su."


    Beside her, Meng Jiao was much moreposed and seemed quite happy to see Su Chen.


    Ling Long and Lan Yun looked at Ling Yao''s slightly flushed face and shook their heads with a sigh.


    It was well-known that Ling Yao usually had a calm demeanor; perhaps only at this moment did she show such a girlish attitude!


    "Mr. Su, we will be leaving now."


    Ling Long said.


    "Alright, goodbye." Su Chen nodded in response.


    The people from Lingyue Pce then left. As the sky began to darken, others also slowly returned to their quarters.


    Su Chen was about to leave as well when he suddenly felt as if someone was watching him!


    He turned his head and immediately understood¡ªit was the Sun Family!


    The elder from the Sun Family, along with the Family Head Sun Kun, was looking at Su Chen as if he were their enemy!


    Their eyes were filled with deep-seated hatred!


    What Su Chen didn''t know was that because of him, the Sun Family had been having a really tough timetely!


    In order to kill Su Chen, the Sun Family first paid a considerable price to Blood Kill, and then because the third leader of Blood Kill and several other experts died, Blood Kill forcibly demanded double the price!


    Against the obviously stronger Blood Kill, the Sun Family had no choice but to agree painfully!


    But immediately after, the second leader and two other experts of Blood Kill were also killed by Su Chen, and the leader of Blood Kill vented his anger on the Sun Family again by demanding an evenrger price!


    He even threatened to destroy the Sun Family if they didn''t pay!


    ording to Blood Kill''s leader, if it weren''t for them, how could Blood Kill have suffered such heavy losses!


    The Sun Family wanted to argue, saying it''s their own business, how could they me them for their ipetence?


    Moreover, the second assassination was entirely their own doing; we didn''t ask you to do it at all!


    But facing the unreasonable leader of Blood Kill, they dared not speak because it was useless anyway!


    After several rounds, more than half of the Sun Family''s wealth had been drained by Blood Kill!


    At this point, an even more serious consequence urred¡ªa severe internal conflict erupted within the Sun Family!


    Initially, everyone supported avenging the Family Head''s son by targeting Su Chen, as this was a matter of the Sun Family''s prestige!


    However, when the elder sought help from Blood Kill after a defeat, the disagreements began!


    After all, the cost of hiring Blood Kill was too great!


    Yet, since the Sun Family was headed by the elder and Sun Kun, dissenting opinions were suppressed!


    But as Blood Kill sought doublepensation after the third leader was killed, dissatisfaction grew evenrger!


    Even the elder and Sun Kun were finding it hard to manage!


    And when Blood Kill asked for an evenrger price the third time, the conflict eruptedpletely!


    They dared not do anything against the unreasonable Blood Kill but med the elder and Sun Kun entirely!


    Although they led the Sun Family, it ultimately belonged to everyone; they couldn''t drag the whole family into the abyss just because one of the Family Head''s sons was killed!


    Recently, there were even voices calling for a change of Family Head or a division of the family!


    The elder and Sun Kun were helpless in response; what made them even more frustrated was that despite the huge price paid, Blood Kill was still very dissatisfied with them!


    After all, Blood Kill lost someone at the initial stage of Meridian Expansion Peak and someone at thete stage of the Ninth Layer!


    The importance of such two people was unimaginable, and the wealth extracted from the Sun Family could not evenpare!


    The elder and Sun Kun were filled with overwhelming hatred for Su Chen but dared do nothing¡ªeven the second leader of Blood Kill had fallen; they were no match at all!


    Initially, they were very excited when they saw Su Chen had conflicts with the Wu Family and Qingyun Sect!


    If the two families took action, especially Qingyun Sect, this brat would surely be doomed!


    Because the Sect Master of Qingyun Sect had reached the mid tote stage of Meridian Expansion Peak, not to mention a few very powerful elders!


    They wouldn''t believe this brat reached half-step Meridian Expansion at such a young age!


    Otherwise, there would have been no way he could have been a match for Qingyun Sect!


    But unexpectedly, the Hidden Dragon Hall and Lingyue Pce suddenly intervened!


    In this way, even if Qingyun Sect had some dissatisfaction, they couldn''t take action anymore!


    As for the Wu Family alone? They didn''t have high hopes, after all, the Wu Family still had a gap with Blood Kill!


    And Blood Kill was a special presence in the Martial Arts World, generally not interacting with other forces; therefore, they never participated in the Martial Arts Conference!


    Su Chen didn''t care at all about the gaze of the Sun Family father and son.


    Su Chen was not a bloodthirsty and cruel person; if they never came to provoke him again, that would be the end of it.


    If they dide again, Su Chen would have no qualms...


    "Let''s go back."


    Su Chen smiled slightly at Qi Meng.


    Qi Meng nodded upon hearing him, and they walked back together...


    "Father, are you just going to let him go?"


    Sun Kun spoke with resentment as he watched Su Chen''s back!


    "Given the current state of the family, we can''t afford any more losses because of him; otherwise, the family will fall apart."


    The elder sighed, appearing a bit deste.


    Then he unexpectedly trembled and said:


    "But don''t worry, even if we do nothing, the leader of Blood Kill won''t just let it go!"


    "Father, then why hasn''t he done anything for such a long time?"


    Sun Kun asked in confusion.


    "That, I don''t know."


    The elder shook his head and then said:


    "Alright, let''s go back first."


    ...


    As night fell, in a guest room at Qingyun Sect''s sect.


    "Miss, shouldn''t we go check on Mr. Su?"


    Meng Jiao asked with her bright eyes blinking.


    "Why should we see him?"


    Ling Yao felt a tremor in her heart and then replied indifferently.


    "Miss, don''t you miss him?"


    Meng Jiao asked curiously.


    "Why should I miss him? I don''t even know him well!"


    Ling Yao pursed her lips and said.


    "Miss, but then why did you draw his portraitst time?"


    Meng Jiao tilted her head and said.


    "Who said I drew him?!"


    Ling Yao felt a wave of embarrassment upon hearing this and said stubbornly, showing some small emotional agitation.


    "Isn''t it?"


    Meng Jiao tilted her head again, showing a look of confusion:


    "But that clearly was Mr. Su, wasn''t it?"


    Ling Yao felt even more embarrassed hearing this!


    Meng Jiao was a very simple and straightforward girl who had the character of speaking whatever came to mind.


    Ling Yao liked her and almost treated her as her own sister, and this personality was a big part of the reason!


    But at this moment, she "hated" Meng Jiao''s straightforward nature very much!


    She thought, even if you figured it out, can''t you just keep it to yourself?

 Chapter 1039: Fox Spirit

    "However, that woman next to Mr. Su is really beautiful, she seems a little prettier than you, Miss."


    Meng Jiao continued.


    "Is she really that beautiful?"


    Ling Yao quickly asked upon hearing this, though she already knew the answer deep down.


    When she saw that woman, she too was taken aback.


    "Yes."


    Meng Jiao nodded, with a trace of envy, she said:


    "I didn''t expect there to be a woman born so beautiful."


    Ling Yao couldn''t help but feel a bit chaotic inside hearing this, and she also knew that the woman wasn''t his wife.


    She wondered what his wife looked like. Is she as beautiful as well?


    Last time, he needed the Mysterious Ice Flower to save his loved one, was it for his wife?


    "That woman is probably the kind of vixen that all men like!"


    Meng Jiao thought for a moment and continued.


    In her simple mind, all seductive-looking women were vixens!


    Ling Yao''s mind became even more restless hearing this!


    "Alright, you hurry up and go to sleep, chattering away, aren''t you tired!"


    Ling Yao pursed her lips and said, then directly pushed Meng Jiao out of her room and closed the door.


    After "driving" Meng Jiao out, shey on her bed, feeling her mind in turmoil...


    Ling Yao didn''t know why this man, who had appeared only once before, left such a deep impression on her!


    Was it because of the embarrassing situation in the bathroom, or because he suddenly appeared to help her out of trouble? Or was it his courage to venture alone into Lingyue Pce for love?


    She didn''t know, anyway, this man seemed to have settled in her heart, and couldn''t be driven out...


    ...


    Yan Xi, not far from Meng Jiao''s room, was obviously not pleased either!


    "Hmph,ing here and bringing such a beautiful woman, see if I don''t tell Lin Boss when I get back!"


    Yan Xi thought angrily, wondering if Lin Boss would make him kneel on durians as punishment!


    She knew that probably only Lin Boss could manage Su Chen in this world!


    Don''t be fooled by his domineering and arrogant act today!


    In front of Lin Boss, isn''t he as obedient as a cat!


    A look from Lin Boss is more effective than the ultimate moves of those Martial Arts masters!


    Thinking of this, Yan Xi couldn''t help butugh out loud...


    ......


    Su Chen naturally had no idea what was happening in the guest rooms at Qingyun Sect that night.


    He stayed in that simple C-numbered guest room, cultivating untilte at night, before lying down for a while.


    The next day, almost everyone got up early because the two-day exchange conference was about to begin!


    For the Martial Arts World, this was a big event!


    Su Chen and his group weren''t particrly interested in it, and Su Chen didn''te for this anyway, so he took Qi Meng down the mountain for the next two days!


    After all, besides cultivation, there seemed to be nothing else to do on this mountain!


    When Su Chen and Qi Meng passed through the square, everyone avoided them as if they were the gue!


    Previously, many people couldn''t help but take a second look at Qi Meng''s beauty, but now they didn''t even dare to look!


    After all, the incident with the Wu Family was still fresh in everyone''s mind!


    After yesterday''s events, he had indeed made a name for himself!


    But whether this reputation was good or bad, that was uncertain in the eyes of the masses!


    However, what was certain was that almost everyone recognized him now!


    Su Chen didn''t care about others'' gazes and went straight through the square with Qi Meng, then headed down the mountain.


    The two of them spent two days ying in a nearby small town, and naturally, Su Chen was in good spirits being with such a naturally charming woman as Qi Meng!


    This is also a man''s nature, the love for beauty is universal!


    For Qi Meng, such moments were rare, so she was even happier than Su Chen!


    However, what displeased her was that for some of her overt or covert hints, this guy just wouldn''t take the bait!


    When they were superficially interacting, he took quite a bit of advantage of her, and now that they were open with each other, he pretended to be a gentleman!


    But Qi Meng also knew that this guy was in no way rted to a real gentleman!


    They happily yed for two days and then returned!


    After returning, naturally, Su Chen continued cultivating.


    Of course, here he would definitely be practicing the Supreme Star Shifting Technique and not the Nine Yang Divine Technique since there was no Gathering Yuan Formation here.


    Moreover, these few days of cultivation wouldn''t advance his Realm any further, but perhaps he could gain one or two more threads of Star Energy!


    ......


    The next morning, everyone was continuously heading towards the square, and so were Su Chen and his group.


    Although Sun Yang appeared calm on the surface, Su Chen knew he was very excited at the moment!


    Because he was here specifically for today''s martial arts challenge, after all, searching for people to challenge all over the world was not as convenient as having everyone gathered here!


    Even though Sun Yang also had the surname Sun, he had nothing to do with the Sun Family.


    This was normal, after all, there were so many people in Huaxia, and many had the surname Sun!


    "Little Su, be careful, the Wu Family certainly won''t let you go, especially on the way back after it''s over."


    At this moment, Yu Jun appeared out of nowhere and quietly said to Su Chen.


    He was actually ready to step in and mediate the conflictst time, especially since Su Chen was quite close with his daughter!


    But just before he stepped out, his younger brother Yu Chun stopped him!


    In Yu Chun''s view, they were still rtively weak overall, and their words didn''t really carry much weight.


    But more importantly, in Yu Chun''s mind, Su Chen was not someone reckless who didn''t know his limits!


    Since he dared to do this, he surely had something to rely on!


    However, none of them expected Hidden Dragon Hall and Lingyue Pce to stand up at the same timeter on, which took them by surprise!


    "Rest assured, Uncle Yu."


    Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "Alright, I just wanted to let you know, be a bit more cautious."


    Yu Jun nodded and said.


    Just then, a familiar face called out to Yu Jun, so after exchanging a few words with Su Chen, he left first.


    Su Chen took a few steps and saw the people of Hidden Dragon Hall not far ahead, so he quickened his pace to catch up.


    "Uncle Wei, would it be convenient for the three of us to sit with you?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Of course, you can."


    Wei Hua immediately responded upon hearing this.


    "Thanks."


    "It''s just a trivial thing, no need to be so formal."


    Wei Hua responded nonchntly.


    Before long, the group arrived at the square, where arge tform had been added, probably built overnight.


    For the people of Qingyun Sect, erecting a tform overnight was no big deal!


    Around the tform were four to five hundred seats for some of therger factions.


    Following Hidden Dragon Hall, Su Chen naturally sat at the very front, right next to Wei Hua!


    Gradually, more and more people gathered at the square...

 Chapter 1040: Shengyi Gate Sect Leader Mo Changqing

    Not long after, most people had arrived, forming a vast, impressive crowd!


    "By the way, Uncle Wei, who is the leader of Shengyi Gate?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Uh, why are you asking this?"


    Wei Hua nced at Su Chen and asked offhandedly.


    "Yeah, Su Chen, why are you so concerned about Shengyi Gate?"


    Yao Zhe, on the other side of Wei Hua, asked curiously.


    Becausest time at Hidden Dragon Hall, Su Chen had also asked about Shengyi Gate.


    "Since it''s the preeminent sect and its figures in the Martial Arts world, I''m naturally very ''admiring'' of them!"


    Su Chen said with a mysterious smile at the corner of his mouth.


    The reason he sat next to Wei Hua was actually to ask him this question.


    A few days ago, they attended an exchange meeting, which was inconvenient; today''s martial artspetition was naturally the best opportunity!


    Wei Hua didn''t seem suspicious and looked toward a direction:


    "It''s that middle-aged man in his forties, diagonally across from you."


    He didn''t point a finger because the other party would certainly notice, which would be extremely impolite!


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen looked over and saw a middle-aged man smiling at him!


    Although there were many people around Su Chen, he knew the man was smiling at him!


    This middle-aged man gave Su Chen a very, very special feeling. If described with a single word, it would be¡ªdark!


    Words like sinister, cruel, and insidious failed to urately describe it; darkness was Su Chen''s most intuitive feeling at the moment!


    As though he lived without ever seeing the sunlight!


    Even the smile on his face was like that. It wasn''t a sinister smile but a standard smile, yet for Su Chen, it still felt dark!


    Moreover, that smile seemed to contain incrediblyplex meanings!


    Even though there were many people there, and many middle-aged men, Su Chen had a strong intuition that he was the leader of Shengyi Gate¡ªMo Changqing!


    No need for evidence, no need for reason; he knew it was him!


    Su Chen''s myriad thoughts turned into a smile, subtly looking at the other man!


    At this moment, an elder stepped onto the stage, the great elder of Qingyun Sect!


    The elder looked at everyone with a hearty smile:


    "Firstly, wee everyone to the Martial Arts Conference hosted by our Qingyun Sect. We feel greatly honored by your presence! If there are any shorings, please pardon us!"


    "Next is the time forbat, with rules the same as before, free challenges! Anyone can be a challenger and the challenged. If you know you can''t win, you can concede!"


    "In the path of martial arts, victory and defeat aremon, so don''t take it too seriously!"


    "Additionally, our Qingyun Sect has prepared some small rewards for this Martial Arts Conference: two Spirit Stones and four Hao Yuan Pills!"


    The great elder continued.


    He said they were small rewards, but that was merely modesty!


    Everyone was excited upon hearing these rewards!


    No one expected Qingyun Sect to be so generous, offering two Spirit Stones and four Hao Yuan Pills!


    Leaving Spirit Stones aside, their preciousness is known to all; even those four Hao Yuan Pills aren''t ordinary. Once consumed, they can effectively enhance cultivation speed!


    The only downside to Hao Yuan Pills is that they are only suitable for Martial Artists in the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    To be honest, presenting these items, Qingyun Sect felt a twinge of pain!


    Because in the Martial Arts world, whether Spirit Stones or Elixirs, they are very rare treasures!


    But as hosts, it was a matter of face and they could only grit their teeth and present them!


    They can''t allow the entire Martial Arts world to say Qingyun Sect is miserly, right?!


    "Alright, surely you all don''t want to listen to this old man''s chatter any longer. So below, I announce: thebat for this Martial Arts Conference officially begins!"


    The great elderughed and then floated off the stage!


    Though thebat is free challenge, there are some basic unwritten rules!


    For instance, typically, the challenger and challenged do not greatly differ in realm!


    After all, for most Martial Artists, if the realm difference is too vast, there''s no point inpeting!


    At that time, even if the one with the higher realm wins, it wouldn''t be honorable, and the one with the lower realm can concede without shame!


    Another unwritten rule is that top figures don''t usually enter thebat, such as Wei Hua, Mo Changqing, and Ling Long!


    Not only them, but even some who pride themselves on their status won''t step onto the stage!


    After all, thisbat is ultimately just to liven up the Martial Arts Conference and make it lively!


    "I''ll go first!"


    As soon as the great elder stepped down, a young man with Half-step Meridian Expansion flew to the stage!


    After this young man flew onto the stage, another young man immediately followed, also at the Half-step Meridian Expansion realm!


    Though the cultivation of these two young men seemed too low to many, the audience still apuded for encouragement!


    After a few rounds, the young man who came onter was kicked off the stage by the first!


    "I ept!"


    The young man on the stage cupped his fists with pride and said!


    The one kicked down also cupped his fists, shook his head, sighed, and returned to his ce!


    "Let me try!"


    Quickly, another person stepped onto the stage!


    Also at the Half-step Meridian Expansion, but after a few rounds, was struck away with a palm p!


    After all, the first one on stage was just a step away from the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    But he didn''t enjoy his victory for long before another young man came on stage!


    After two or three rounds ofbat, the first young man conceded.


    Because the opponent was indeed in the Meridian Expansion Realm, though only at the First Layer, but had entered the realm nevertheless, not someone he could defeat!


    To some experts, such contests seemed low-level, but there was no disdainful sentiment. Everyone hade from their youthful days!


    Watching these young people, they seemed to recall their own youthful times!


    Time gradually passed, and those eager young warriors took turns ascending and descending the stage...


    Sun Yang was also eagerly waiting below; to him, the First Layer of Meridian Expansion was indeed low; at least, his opponent needed to be at the Second Layer, as he was now in the Third Layer of the Meridian Expansion!


    Finally, when a Second Layer expert appeared on stage, Sun Yang could no longer contain himself, and leaped up!


    After a brief mutual gaze, they began!


    Watching the battle between these two on stage, the audience below expressed admiration!


    After all, in the Martial Arts world, entering the Meridian Expansion Realm at a young age is rare, let alone being in the Second Layer and Third Layer!


    (ps: The previous text mentioned that killing is prohibited in the Martial Arts Conference. This was removed by Feng Yu not long after.


    That is to say, there''s no explicit rule against killing, though some readers definitely saw the line. Here''s a brief exnation!


    This is just a minor detail and doesn''t have much impact, but Feng Yu thought having less restriction would be better!)

 Chapter 1041: Accepting the Challenge

    Even though he was facing an opponent one minor realm lower than himself, Sun Yang still fought very seriously!


    After seven or eight rounds, Sun Yang punched his opponent, sting him seven or eight meters away!


    "I lost!"


    The opponent admitted defeat sincerely, as his cultivation was lower than Sun Yang''s, there was no shame in losing!


    "Su Chen, your friend is not bad!"


    Wei Hua nodded with a hint of appreciation.


    Su Chen smiled at the words, feeling happy for Sun Yang!


    After the previous opponent left the stage, two more Martial Artists of the Meridian Expansion Third Layer stepped up, but they were already thirty years old!


    The Martial Arts has always been judged by cultivation level, not age, so no one thought it was inappropriate!


    Yet, to everyone''s surprise, those two over-thirty-year-olds were defeated!


    They originally thought that even though all were at the Meridian Expansion Third Layer, the older ones should have a more stable realm, thus not very optimistic about Sun Yang!


    But to Su Chen, it did not feel surprising at all, considering Sun Yang had been battling in the Dark World for many years!


    Now it seemed that although the Dark World''s level was a bit lower, its impact was significant!


    It was about the honing ofbat experience and techniques, something iparable to the Martial Arts World!


    That was trained at the edge of danger and even life and death at all times!


    Although Sun Yang and Su Chen still had gaps in this area,pared to ordinary martial artists, Sun Yang was still much stronger!


    Sun Yang''s performance created a small climax at the scene, and at this time, a person of the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer also felt itchy and jumped onto the stage!


    Sun Yang also sensed the opponent''s strength and looked solemn, yet faintly excited!


    After the two stared at each other for ten seconds, suddenly their auras fully released, then swept past like a shadow!


    Quickly, the two engaged in a fierce battle, the dull sound of "bang bang bang" kept ringing!


    "Boom!"


    After exchanging about fifty or sixty rounds, Sun Yang was ultimately knocked flying due to the gap in realm, falling to the ground off stage!


    "I lost!"


    Sun Yang sped his fists and spoke directly, then returned to his seat.


    Although Sun Yang lost, he still won everyone''s praise!


    After all, he fought for dozens of rounds with a Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer opponent and inflicted significant injuries!


    ...


    Time gradually passed, and the battles on stage became more and more exciting, with martial artists showing higher and higher cultivation!


    At this moment, it was a contest between two Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer experts, True Essence Energy was rampant, and the space was trembling!


    The crowd below was watching with great enjoyment, after all, the Seventh Layer masters were already considered experts in the entire Martial Arts World!


    After fighting for dozens of rounds, the winner was finally determined!


    The two showed good manners, exchanging bows with each other!


    Suddenly, a figure shed onto the stage!


    "Wu Sheng?!"


    Seeing this figure, the crowd eximed in surprise!


    It was known that Martial Artists reaching Wu Sheng''s level rarely took the stage, as the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer belonged to the absolute elite in the Martial Arts World!


    Among so many people in the Martial Arts World, only a few dozen had cultivation above the Ninth Layer!


    The Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer on stage trembled at the sight of him!


    "You''re not my opponent, step down!"


    Wu Sheng said calmly to the Seventh Layer person.


    Upon hearing this, the Seventh Layer fighter immediately left without dy!


    He was self-aware, knowing he could never be a match for Wu Sheng!


    At this point, the crowd became even more puzzled. By having the other step down, what was Wu Sheng aiming to do?!


    He stood on the stage, and those with lower cultivation wouldn''t dare step up, while most at his level would disdain to take the stage!


    "Weren''t you very arrogant that day? Come up if you dare now!"


    Ignoring the crowd''s thoughts, Wu Sheng looked directly at Su Chen, slightly raised his head, and provocatively spoke.


    Hearing this, the crowd immediately understood; he intended to challenge the young man who had grabbed his son''s throat that day!


    "Wu Sheng is Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer, and that young man is only Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer, isn''t that toorge of a gap?"


    "Isn''t Wu Sheng afraid of being considered dishonorable?"


    "Are you stupid? Wu Sheng obviously wants to teach that kid a good lesson!"


    "Do you think the young man will ept the challenge?"


    "How could he? He doesn''t have a death wish!"


    "Exactly, Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer against Ninth Layer, wouldn''t Wu Sheng just do whatever he wanted with him?"


    ...


    At this moment, the crowd began to discuss fervently, all believing Su Chen would not ept the challenge!


    After that day, even those with lower realms knew of Su Chen''s Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer cultivation!


    Although among the younger generation in the Martial Arts World, it was considered top-notch genius level, the gap with Wu Sheng was still toorge!


    It wasmon knowledge that Wu Sheng''s realm was the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!


    "Su Chen, do you have confidence?"


    Wei Hua, seeing Su Chen about to get up, couldn''t help but ask with concern.


    "Yes, Su Chen, even if you refuse, no one will say anything."


    Yao Zhe also expressed some worry.


    Although Su Chen had killed the Ninth Layer Blood Kill old third that day, Yao Zhe hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, so he couldn''t help being concerned!


    Su Chen smiled slightly, then stood up and walked straight to the arena!


    Seeing this, the crowd instantly widened their eyes, their faces filled with disbelief!


    "He really came out!"


    "He''s really overestimating himself!"


    "Yes, isn''t he courting death?"


    "Wu Sheng certainly won''t go easy on him!"


    ...


    At this moment, the crowd once again began to chatter, all considering Su Chen''s actions unwise...


    "You actually dared toe up?!"


    Looking at Su Chen, Wu Sheng''s eyes shed with a sharp gleam!


    Though he had issued the challenge, he was equally shocked at Su Chen''s courage in epting!


    If the young man didn''t dare ept the challenge, it would at least save some face for the Wu Family!


    Of course, if he did ept, it would be even better, giving Wu Sheng a chance to get revenge for that day!


    However, he didn''t have high hopes for this!


    But unexpectedly, the young man actually epted the challenge, which delighted Wu Sheng!


    Soon after, an exhrated expression appeared on his face!


    "Why wouldn''t I dare? Just because of your mere Ninth Layer cultivation?"


    Su Chen retorted dismissively, appearing indifferent.


    The crowd, hearing Su Chen''s words, began to doubt their ears!


    A young man of the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer actually used the word "mere" to describe a Ninth Layer martial artist!


    The young man was indeed extraordinarily bold!

 Chapter 1042: Toward You, No Need for Arrogance

    "Hmph, even at this moment, you''re still so arrogant!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s disdainful words, Wu Sheng was truly infuriated. A hint of coldness appeared on his face as he stared intently at Su Chen and said:


    "I hope you can remain so arrogant in a while!"


    "For you, arrogance is unnecessary."


    Su Chen said lightly, as if describing an objective fact!


    Though he spoke so calmly, it was precisely this calmness that made everyone feel it was so out of tune!


    Everyone sensed powerful confidence from his calmness, as well as disdain for Wu Sheng!


    But on what grounds?


    A Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer showing disdain for a Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer, wasn''t it too incongruous?


    If it were the other way around, they would find it normal!


    But now, they all shook their heads, feeling that this young man was excessively arrogant!


    Even though Wei Hua and Yao Zhe had some confidence in Su Chen, they couldn''t help but feel he was a bit too frivolous upon hearing his words!


    "This guy, why must he show off at a time like this?!"


    Yan Xi thought silently, feeling very uneasy inside!


    Compared to the Hidden Dragon Hall side that had a bit of confidence, the Lingyue Pce side had none at all!


    Ling Long felt that although this young man had some merits, his personality was truly too arrogant!


    To put it bluntly, it was truly reckless, like hitting a stone with an egg!


    Ling Yao''s palms began to sweat, and even Meng Jiao beside her felt her heart pounding "dong dong dong" uncontrobly!


    But they all knew that if things came to blows that evening, Ling Long might have a slight chance to intervene, but at this moment, it was definitely impossible!


    Yu Jun and his brother were also not doing well. Although they felt Su Chen wasn''t impulsive, they still couldn''t help but feel extremely nervous!


    The ones at the scene with the most confidence in Su Chen were probably Qi Meng and Sun Yang!


    In Qi Meng''s heart, Su Chen even destroyed the Judgment Department. This person shouldn''t be more powerful than the High Priest of the Judgment Department, right?!


    As for Sun Yang, he wasn''t worried at all because he knew Su Chen all too well!


    He felt Su Chen''s ease, which meant the opponent was absolutely no threat to him!


    This guy, he''s truly a monster! Text acquired from M|V|LEMP&YR.


    His progress was already astonishingly fast, something he couldn''t have imagined before, yetpared to him, he still couldn''t measure up!


    At this moment, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Wu Sheng felt as if his entire body was about to erupt with anger!


    If the other party argued with him, he might not be so angry!


    But this young man?


    He actually said calmly: For you, arrogance is unnecessary!


    This was naked contempt, even disregard!


    Wu Sheng felt he had been immensely humiliated!


    "Hah!"


    Wu Sheng shouted angrily, and his figure vanished instantly, arriving right in front of Su Chen!


    At this moment, he didn''t want to say more; he only wished to make this kid pay the heaviest price for his prior actions with his actions!


    Upon seeing this scene, the crowd eximed in shock!


    Too fast!


    After all, most of the people present were below the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer, so seeing Wu Sheng''s speed was unbelievable!


    As he reached Su Chen, Wu Sheng''s fist also punched out, aiming straight for Su Chen''s chest!


    The mighty True Yuan adhered to the Fist Mang, making a "sizzle" sound as it sliced through the air!


    Simultaneously, an intangible pressure emanated from him, making people tremble!


    The audience below was intimidated by Wu Sheng''s strength, secretly admiring that he truly lived up to being a Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer!


    At this moment, everyone looked at Su Chen with sympathy, thinking that even if he didn''t die, he would surely be severely injured!


    Below, Wu Liang also becamecent, thinking, "Kid, let you be arrogant, let you humiliate me twice!"


    Hmph, let''s see how arrogant you are now!


    Don''t worry, I''ll take good "care" of that beauty for you!


    Those concerned for Su Chen also couldn''t help but tense up!


    But at this moment, an abrupt change suddenly urred on the stage!


    Su Chen, facing Wu Sheng''s domineering punch, suddenly flickered like a phantom, bizarrely appearing behind Wu Sheng!


    Simultaneously, he rose into the air, extending a leg downward, crashing down on Wu Sheng''s back!


    "Boom!"


    It was as if Wu Sheng''s back was suddenly struck by a ten-thousand-jin iron hammer, making him slump forward at once, while a mouthful of blood spurted out!


    The floor beneath him immediately shattered, emitting a loud noise!


    In an instant, the entire scene suddenly fellpletely silent!


    What exactly happened?


    Just now, Su Chen''s speed was so fast that most of the people present couldn''t see his movements clearly!


    But they definitely saw Wu Sheng lying there, spitting a mouthful of blood!


    The crowd was filled with shock and confusion!


    Could it be that Wu Sheng lost just like that?!


    Wasn''t it too incredible?!


    They didn''t see it clearly, but some did!


    Seeing this scene, Ling Long''s beautiful eyes shrank dramatically!


    How could this be possible?


    How old is he?!


    How could he be so powerful?


    Ling Long couldn''t believe the scene she had just witnessed, her heart roaring in waves!


    Even those like Wei Hua and Yao Zhe, who had some confidence in Su Chen, werepletely dumbfounded!


    Su Chen''s strength hadpletely exceeded their expectations!


    They knew Su Chen was powerful, not to be judged bymon standards, but they didn''t expect him to be this powerful!


    Qi Meng and Sun Yang had simr thoughts. Su Chen winning wasn''t too surprising, but he won so effortlessly, that was what they hadn''t expected!


    The second elder of Qingyun Sect was also thoroughly bewildered!


    Remembering that he tried to attack him that day made him feel a sense of lingering fear!


    But he''s only a young man in his twenties, how could he be this strong?


    This makes no sense, does it?!


    However, people like Yan Xi, Ling Yao, and Qi Meng finally breathed a sigh of relief, as long as Su Chen was okay!


    ...


    "I said, for you, arrogance is unnecessary."


    Su Chen casually spat at Wu Sheng, who was lying on the ground.


    When Su Chen said this earlier, almost everyone thought he was arrogant and boastful!


    Yet, at this moment, everyone finally realized that what he said was true!


    Wu Sheng struggled to lift his head; with his face full of blood and somewhat deformed due to the violent collision with the stage, he looked rather frightening!


    More seriously, the kick Su Chennded on his back earlier had caused him quite a severe internal injury!


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Wu Sheng gritted his teeth until they made a "krkr" sound, as boundless hatred began to spill over!


    He knew today he had thoroughly lost face!


    Actively challenging a Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer kid, only to not even manage to touch the corner of his opponent''s clothes and get beaten down!


    This was bound to be a joke in the Martial Arts World in the future!


    This was something he could not ept!

 Chapter 1043: Certain Death!

    "Get lost!"


    Su Chen said calmly, then turned his head to look in another direction!


    At this moment, his mind was not on Wu Sheng; a mere Wu Sheng, he couldn''t be bothered to pay attention to!


    However, just then, Wu Sheng''s eyes narrowed, and suddenly, with all his strength, he leaped up, simultaneously drawing the sword at his waist, stabbing straight towards Su Cong''s back!


    The long sword pierced through the air, emitting a shrill sound, and endless killing intent gushed out wildly!


    Wu Sheng''s expression was fierce, and at this moment, he had only one thought, and that was to kill this young man!


    So with this sword, he held nothing back!


    "Watch out!"


    Seeing this scene, Qi Meng, Yan Xi, Ling Yao, Sun Yang, and others'' faces changed drastically, almost simultaneously letting out a cry of rm!


    "Courting death!"


    Su Chen didn''t need any warning to sense it. Just when the long sword was only a few centimeters from his back, he suddenly turned, just managing to dodge the sharp sword!


    At the same time, his figure flickered, appearing right in front of Wu Sheng!


    Wu Sheng was startled to see him suddenly appear in front of him!


    Especially the chilling look on Su Chen''s face, which filled him with immense terror as if he sensed the arrival of death!


    "Bang!"


    Immediately, Su Chen struck with a palm, sending Wu Sheng flying!


    Wu Sheng''s body instantly soared through the air like a kite with a broken string, thennded among the crowd, causing the surrounding people to hastily step aside!


    Wu Sheng''s body mmed into the ground with a dull thud!


    "Father!"


    Seeing this, Wu Liang shouted and rushed towards where Wu Sheng had fallen!


    When he reached Wu Sheng, he found that Wu Sheng''s chest had caved in, his eyes wide open, clearly dead!


    "Father!"


    Wu Liang hugged Wu Sheng''s corpse and cried bitterly!


    In fact, at this moment, Wu Liang''s grief was partly for Wu Sheng''s death, but more so for himself!


    All along, he''d been domineering andwless, relying on the Wu Family, in essence, relying on his father!


    But now that his father was dead, what was he to do?!


    A selfish person like Wu Liang always thought of himself first!


    He never expected that the guy who humiliated him at Yun Ya Residence was so strong!


    The crowd sighed, knowing while fatalities weren''tmon in martial arts tournaments, they had nothing to say!


    Because everyone saw that the young man had spared Wu Sheng, but Wu Sheng, feeling humiliated or unsatisfied, tried to ambush him, leading to his own death!


    Moreover, Wu Sheng''s sword was clearly aimed at taking his life!


    Being killed was a fate he brought upon himself!


    However, the young man''s decisive palm that killed Wu Sheng once again demonstrated his power!


    In his early twenties, with a Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer cultivation, he effortlessly killed a Ninth Layer master!


    This was something everyone could not imagine before!


    Could a once-in-a-lifetime genius be emerging in the Martial Arts World?!


    Soon, several elders from the Qingyun Sect arrived by Wu Sheng''s corpse,forted Wu Liang, then instructed people to take Wu Liang away to rest and also took care of Wu Sheng''s body!


    After all, as the organizers, they had to handle it properly.


    Before leaving, Wu Liang cast a gaze filled with immense hatred towards Su Chen on the stage, his fists clenched tightly!


    But he only dared to re, not daring to act, or even to utter threats! Thi!s is a sa^mp+l^e f$rom! My Virt&u%al Li+bra^r.y. Emp.i-re-. R^ead@ the rest on M^-$V@LE%MP#YR*.


    With his father dead, what could he do?!


    Su Chen couldn''t be bothered with him; from start to finish, he hadn''t taken Wu Sheng and his son seriously!


    It was just that Wu Sheng had repeatedly courted death, so Su Chen obliged!


    At this moment, everyone looked at Su Chen on the stage again, their perceptionspletely changed!


    But they didn''t understand why this young man, having already won, was still standing on stage?


    Could he be waiting for a challenge?


    But having so effortlessly defeated, no, killed Wu Sheng of the Ninth Layer, who else besides a few people dared to challenge him?


    While puzzlement lingered, Su Chen once again looked in the direction he nced at earlier and said calmly:


    "Mo Changqing,e up!"


    Silence!


    Silence!


    Dead silence!


    The expressions of over a thousand people seemed to freeze in an instant!


    Almost without exception!


    Except for Qi Meng, who was not very familiar with the Huaxia Martial Arts World!


    The light words from the young man on stage echoed in everyone''s minds!


    Mo Changqing,e up!


    Mo Changqing!


    Did he say Mo Changqing?!


    Crazy, absolutely crazy!


    Even though he just killed Wu Sheng with one move, everyone still thought he was utterly insane!


    Not only ordinary Martial Artists but even top-notch experts felt this way!


    Ordinary Martial Artists might only know that Mo Changqing was a top figure in the Martial Arts World!


    But top experts knew exactly how terrifying Mo Changqing was!


    This young man challenging Mo Changqing was a sure path to death!


    It''s not a one in ten chance of survival, but dead certain!


    No one doubted this!


    "Su Chen, what are you doing?"


    Wei Hua couldn''t help but exim:


    "Get down now!"


    In his mind, besides the Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall who had been missing for years, no one in the Martial Arts World was Mo Changqing''s match, not even he and Ling Long!


    If Su Chen challenges him, he''s courting death!


    "Su Chen, do you want to die?"


    Yao Zhe also stood up, looking anxious:


    "Come down immediately!"


    "Young man, you have a limitless future, don''t throw your life away recklessly!"


    At this moment, Ling Long also spoke.


    "Su Chen,e back!"


    Even the usually silent Sun Yang spoke, also believing Su Chen had no chance!


    At the same time, a question arose in everyone''s mind: why did Su Chen specifically challenge Mo Changqing, the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate?


    Wei Hua and Yao Zhe suddenly recalled the question Su Chen asked them earlier. He had asked shortly after sitting down who the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate was.


    Wei Hua thought it was a casual question at the time, and while Yao Zhe found it strange that he inquired about Shengyi Gate twice, he didn''t think much of it.


    Now it seems that nothing was random!


    But based on the previous situation, they seemingly didn''t know each other?


    If they didn''t know each other, what was the connection between the two?


    However, Su Chen seemed oblivious to all the persuasion, quietly watching the middle-aged man¡ªMo Changqing, the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate!


    Likewise, Mo Changqing calmly looked at him, his face serene!

 Chapter 1044: The Bet

    At this moment, everyone''s gaze moved back and forth between the two, feeling that things seemed not so simple!


    After a while, Wei Hua and Yao Zhe saw Su Chen still responding this way, and said nothing further!


    Because they felt, no matter what they said, it was useless...


    Suddenly, Mo Changqingughed and said lightly:


    "Why do you think I''ll get on the tform?"


    Wei Hua and others were relieved to hear Mo Changqing''s words.


    Indeed, how could someone of Mo Changqing''s status go up on the tform topete with a young man in a contest of strength?


    "You will."


    Su Chen said lightly as well.


    "Oh, tell me why."


    Mo Changqing looked at Su Chen and said.


    "If you don''t get on the tform today, I promise, you will never get what you want!"


    Su Chen voiced with a firm face.


    Upon hearing this, Mo Changqing''s expression suddenly tensed, then he looked at Su Chen seriously and said:


    "If I get on the tform today, you will give it to me?"


    "Yes, I have what you want, and you should know what I want, and this is today''s wager!"


    Su Chen said seriously.


    Actually, beforeing to the Martial Arts Conference, Su Chen didn''t n to do anything, just wanted to see the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate, as he knew almost nothing about him!


    However, at this moment, he changed his mind, thinking this is a rare opportunity!


    Everyone listening to their conversation felt confused!


    Even Wei Hua, Yao Zhe, Ling Long, and others, or Qi Meng, Sun Yang, and others did not understand what Su Chen had that someone like Mo Changqing wanted, or what Su Chen wanted to get from him?


    The two seemingly unrted people seemed to have a deep connection!


    But how could this be possible?!


    "Alright, in that case, I agree!"


    Mo Changqing casually stood up from his seat.


    "I suppose you need to prepare what I want."


    Su Chen looked at Mo Changqing and said.


    "What? You''re worried I won''t even have a chance to speak?"


    Mo Changqing revealed a mocking smile and said.


    "Better to be safe."


    Su Chen said.


    "Alright, as you wish."


    Mo Changqing said, then looked at the elderly man in his sixties seated not far away from him:


    "He Sect Master, could you find a room and prepare some ink and paper?" To report errors, please visit the original post on M|VLEMPYR.


    This old man was the Qingyun Sect''s Sect Master He Shan!


    In such a gathering, he naturally was present!


    However, he didn''t expect that what was meant to be a lively match to entertain the Martial Arts Conference would result in so many waves!


    And all of this was rted to this young man!


    And this young man had even had a little conflict with their Qingyun Sect a few days ago!


    If not for the face of the Hidden Dragon Hall and Lingyue Pce, their Qingyun Sect would have acted against him long ago!


    But now, he didn''t think so anymore; he thought this young man was too mysterious and it was best not to provoke him!


    As for that little conflict, it was actually nothing!


    "Alright, no problem."


    He Shan nodded in response, even though he didn''t understand what riddle these two were ying!


    Then Mo Changqing went with He Shan and temporarily left the square.


    To be honest, everyone''s mind was in a haze at this moment!


    Yan Xi and Ling Yao initially nned to go on stage to persuade Su Chen, but were stopped by Wei Hua and Ling Long!


    They understood that now, nothing could be changed!


    The conversation just now clearly expressed this point!


    They just didn''t understand why the two had such deep entanglements and where Su Chen got the confidence to dare tobat the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate, Mo Changqing?


    At this moment, they were even more unable to see through this young man sitting cross-legged on the tform, meditating with closed eyes!


    About twenty minutester, Mo Changqing returned to the square again and directly walked onto the stage.


    "I''ve prepared what you want, it''s on me."


    Mo Changqing said.


    "I''ve prepared what you want too, it''s also on me."


    Su Chen stood up and said, he was not deceiving Mo Changqing, as the token was indeed in his pocket now!


    He also believed Mo Changqing wouldn''t deceive him because there was no need!


    And what he wanted was also simple, that was the truth of everything!


    And only Mo Changqing could give him the answer!


    Mo Changqing could guess these thoughts!


    Su Chen asked him to prepare in advance, to have him write everything down, because in a confrontation with a master of Mo Changqing''s level, life and death were at the brink!


    "I must say, you surprised me greatly, but if you think your Meridian Expansion Peak''s Late Stage cultivation can defeat me, then you''re too arrogant."


    Mo Changqing looked at Su Chen and said lightly.


    Because the strength Su Chen had been disying was at the peak of the Meridian Expansion Late Stage, naturally he assumed this was Su Chen''s true strength!


    It was precisely because of this that Wei Hua and Ling Long thought Su Chen was suicidal in challenging Mo Changqing!


    Because they knew Mo Changqing was at the top of Half-Step Kaiyuan!


    Even they considered themselves not a match for Mo Changqing!


    Not to mention Su Chen, who was only at the peak of Meridian Expansion Late Stage?


    "Is that so?"


    Su Chen smiled lightly, his mood bing much calmer!


    He challenged Mo Changqing not out of impulsiveness.


    Because his current cultivation was almost equivalent to the average Martial Artist''s Half-Step Kaiyuan, moreover he had Star Energy, the Dragon-ying Sword, and had sessfullypleted Body Refining!


    So he still had confidence in himself!


    More importantly, today was the best opportunity for him to obtain the truth of everything!


    At this moment, the crowd almost held their breath, their hearts iparably excited!


    The two people in the field, one was a top figure in the Martial Arts World, the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate Mo Changqing, the other was a young man previously unheard of, yet who amazed everyone as soon as he appeared!


    This kind of showdown was indeed anticipated!


    But undoubtedly, no one believed Su Chen would win!


    "Come on!"


    Mo Changqing said casually, obviously not considering Su Chen a significant matter!


    But he wouldn''t mind killing him and taking the token if given the chance!


    Because seeing Su Chen reminded him of past memories, like a knife stabbing into his heart!


    Meanwhile, the furious True Yuan fluctuations from his body spread throughout the tform, releasing an irresistible momentum!


    Those closer to the tform felt as if a mountain had suddenly pressed down on them, causing suffocation and an inexplicable fear in their hearts!


    Even Wei Hua and Ling Long felt significant pressure!


    Clearly, Mo Changqing was even stronger than they imagined!


    "Alright, today, let us settle all this once and for all!"


    Su Chen looked at Mo Changqing and said calmly, he also felt the other''s strength!

 Chapter 1045: You dont look so good

    Before the words finished, Su Chen''s figure moved, like a whirlwind, attacking Mo Changqing!


    At the same time, he alsopletely released the vigorous aura from his entire body!


    He wanted to have a good fight with this Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate, and when facing such a master, hiding his cultivation wasn''t very effective!


    More importantly, Su Chen was certain that this Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate was the one hiding behind the Shen Family!


    That is to say, the deaths of his grandfather, father, and mother were all thanks to this person!


    Although Su Chen tried hard to calm himself down, could his heart truly be at peace?


    As he shed towards Mo Changqing, those past scenes reyed in his mind like movie clips!


    Grandfather luring him with candies in the study to memorize books, his mother ying hide and seek with him in the courtyard, his father always smiling so gently...


    Everything beautiful was destroyed by this person!


    Yet, he didn''t understand why. Was it because of that token? Or other reasons?


    He wanted to know!


    So today, even if he wasn''t very confident, he was willing to give it a try!


    "He actually reached Half-Step Kaiyuan too?"


    When they felt the strong True Essence aura from Su Chen, Wei Hua and Ling Long''s expressions changed dramatically, looking as if they had seen a ghost!


    How is this possible?


    Half-Step Kaiyuan at just over twenty, what a joke!


    Half-Step Kaiyuan wasn''t terrifying in their eyes, but a Half-Step Kaiyuan at just over twenty was frightening!


    However, despite this, they still believed Su Chen was not Mo Changqing''s match, only the gap wasn''t as big as they had imagined!


    At this moment, others also felt Su Chen''s aura was stronger than before, and much stronger at that!


    "Was he hiding his strength in the previous battle with Wu Sheng?"


    "It should be, it''s truly unbelievable! How strong is this young man really!"


    "Yes, it''s simply unimaginable, he''s only in his twenties!"


    "Genius, no, genius isn''t enough to describe him, a monster, an absolute monster!"


    "Indeed a monster, but it''s a pity he wants to seek death by challenging Mo Changqing!"


    "Yeah, no matter how monstrous, he is just over twenty, how could he be Mo Changqing''s opponent?!"


    "I really don''t know why he insists on challenging Mo Changqing. What entanglement is there between the two, what are they each seeking?"


    "Who knows? Affairs between such figures aren''t for small people like us toment on!"


    "That''s true!"


    ...


    While everyone was discussing, Su Chen''s fist was already rushing towards Mo Changqing, shaking the void violently wherever it passed, as the air was torn open, forming a vacuum!


    Suddenly, a mocking smile appeared at the corner of Mo Changqing''s mouth, as if ridiculing Su Chen for overestimating himself!


    When Su Chen saw that smile, he instantly realized something was wrong.


    Sure enough, the next moment, Mo Changqing took a light step, easily dodging the prepared punch from Su Chen!


    Su Chen''s punch hit the air!


    Fortunately, this wasn''t too beyond his expectations, as the opponent''s cultivation was above his, naturally his speed was also a bit quicker, and dodging was normal!


    Therefore, without assurance of hitting the opponent, Su Chen wouldn''t merge in Star Energy!


    Otherwise, if the opponent dodged several times, the Star Energy would be too wasted!


    As Su Chen''s punch hit the air, a palm print enveloped with infinite might came towards him from the side, intending to p him to death!


    The opponent''s speed was too fast, and Su Chen instinctively turned around, hurriedly responding with a palm!


    At the moment of contact, he instantly poured five or six strands of Star Energy into his palm!


    Now, Su Chen was bing more familiar with the power of Star Energy, knowing that just one or two strands of True Yuan for a master of Mo Changqing''s level didn''t mean much and couldn''t make up for the difference in their cultivation levels!


    "Rumble!"


    Suddenly, a sound like a copsing mountain and cracking earth rang out, with violent energy waves spreading violently like a torrent, shattering the arena''s railings upon impact!


    Those seated in the front row stretched out their hands to block the wood chips flying everywhere!


    As soon as the two shed, the audience was stunned by the shocking scene!


    Subsequently, the audience was amazed to discover that in this engagement, Su Chen only retreated half a step, while Mo Changqing retreated five or six steps, spitting a mouthful of blood!


    This scenepletely shocked everyone present!


    Mo Changqing was injured?!


    How is this possible?


    Even top martial experts like Wei Hua and Ling Long were shocked, their faces full of astonishment!


    How could he be this strong?


    Just now, the True Essence Energy in Mo Changqing''s palm was something they could clearly feel!


    Even they couldn''t withstand it, yet Su Chen, this young man, not only withstood it but also appeared undamaged!


    What shocked them even more was that Mo Changqing, instead, was so embarrassed by Su Chen''s palm!


    This is just too unthinkable!


    This oue was something they never expected!


    "This ''Calm Spirit Body Technique'' didn''t disappoint me! To only take half a step back and remain unharmed under such a powerful attack!"


    Su Chen thought with delight in his heart!


    Without this ''Calm Spirit Body Technique,'' his condition might not have been much better than the opponent!


    "You''re good!" <em ss="ref-894788">This trantion is powered by the readers at M|V|LE9MPYR.</em>


    After spitting out a mouthful of blood, Mo Changqing looked at Su Chen, saying one word at a time.


    At this moment, Mo Changqing''s heart was also filled with shock, shocked at how strong Su Chen''s physical defense was?


    Shocked at what that hint of terrifying light blue energy in Su Chen''s palm was?


    That light blue energy surprisingly made him feel an unstoppable force!


    Unexpectedly, this brat has such a good method!


    Immediately, a cold gleam appeared in his eyes, directly shooting towards Su Chen!


    "But you don''t seem too well!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    He roughly estimated Mo Changqing''s strength, confidently believing that even without using the Dragon-ying Sword, he should have seventy to eighty percent confidence, maybe even more!


    "No matter."


    Mo Changqing''s attitude suddenly changed, he said lightly:


    "Now, it''s time to end this!"


    He spoke indifferently, exuding strong confidence all over!


    Su Chen was a bit puzzled, how could Mo Changqing, who had just been injured, have such confidence?


    But vaguely, a sense of extreme danger suddenly arose in his heart, causing his heart to tighten involuntarily!

 Chapter 1046 - 1046 Kaiyuan Realm

    At this moment, the already terrifying True Essence Aura emanating from Mo Changqing suddenly surged, as if roaring, causing his clothes to flutter!


    In just a moment, it had reached a terrifying extent!


    The majestic True Essence Aura, like a towering mountain and vast ocean, circted around him. At the same time, the oppressive aura he exuded seemed to make the entire arena tremble...


    In an instant, the world seemed to change color because of it!


    "Kaiyuan Realm!"


    Wei Hua and Ling Long both eximed almost simultaneously, unable to conceal the shock on their faces!


    Although they had not reached the Kaiyuan Realm, they knew that this was surely it!


    Otherwise, his True Essence Aura couldn''t possibly be so dense and refined, and the pressure couldn''t be so powerful!


    Hearing their voices, everyone waspletely stunned!


    Kaiyuan Realm, the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate is actually at the Kaiyuan Realm?!


    This was too unbelievable!


    Although many present knew that after the Meridian Expansion Realm came the Kaiyuan Realm, they had never seen a true expert of the Kaiyuan Realm!


    They never expected that the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate, Mo Changqing, would actually break through this realm!


    This realization immediately extinguished the little hope that had just sparked for Su Chen!


    Wei Hua and Ling Long then exchanged a nce, both revealing a bitter smile!


    Neither of them expected that these two would deliberately hide their true cultivation!


    Seeing Mo Changqing''s aura rise to such heights, Su Chen also realized that he might have reached the Kaiyuan Realm!


    Although the Kaiyuan Realm and the Half-Step Kaiyuan pinnacle are only separated by a fine line, they arepletely different!


    That is the difference of a major realm!


    His heart became extremely heavy, knowing that retreating now was impossible!


    But the difference in cultivation between him and the other party was so evident, what should he do?


    Star Energy?


    Star Energy is indeed powerful, but there isn''t enough of it!


    If the quantity of Star Energy were sufficient, no matter how powerful the opponent, Su Chen wouldn''t be afraid!


    But this was merely his wishful thinking!


    Earlier, he had used five strands of Star Energy at once to cause significant internal damage to the opponent!


    Indeed, although Mo Changqing looked fine now, Su Chen knew his internal injuries weren''t light!


    After all, he had just used five strands of Star Energy, almost equivalent to the Half-Step Kaiyuan cultivation of an average martial artist!


    He was very familiar with the power of Star Energy!


    But now that the opponent advanced to the Kaiyuan Realm, the gap had widened, and how many strands of True Yuan would it take to severely injure the opponent again, or even finish him offpletely?


    And inside him, there weren''t even twenty strands of True Yuan left!


    Does he really have to use the Dragon-ying Sword?


    No, unless absolutely necessary, he mustn''t expose the Dragon-ying Sword!


    He believed that if he used the Dragon-ying Sword, even Mo Changqing at the Kaiyuan Realm would still meet a dead end!


    He had always avoided using the Dragon-ying Sword, partly to avoid exposing it, and partly to train himself!


    Of course, if it really came to a life-and-death critical moment, he wouldn''t care about anything else!


    After all,pared to exposing the Dragon-ying Sword, his own life was obviously more important!


    "Now it''s time for you to go meet the one you should meet!"


    After releasing the overwhelming aura of the Kaiyuan Realm, Mo Changqing looked at Su Chen and said, his voice icy cold.


    Upon hearing this, a chill spread across Su Chen''s face!


    "I''ll have you descend and atone for your sins!"


    Su Chen also stared at Mo Changqing, speaking coldly.


    "I''d like to see what you''re capable of!"


    Even before Mo Changqing''s words were finished, his figure vanished from the spot, and a Fist Mang abruptly appeared before Su Chen!


    The Kaiyuan Realm enhances not only cultivation strength but also speed! If you''re not on M*VLEM*PYR, you''re viewing a copy.</abbr>


    Su Chen, in shock, immediately extended his arm to block!


    "Boom!"


    However, Mo Changqing''s fist bizarrely bypassed Su Chen''s arm, directly hitting his body with a loud bang!


    Su Chen immediately felt an incredibly formidable Fist Mang, carrying terrifying momentum, crash into him head-on. His body staggered back six or seven steps before stopping!


    Su Chen felt his chest and abdomen churning, quite ufortable, but fortunately, he hadn''t suffered any substantial harm!


    All this was naturally thanks to his just-learned "Calm Spirit Body Technique"!


    Seeing Su Chen only retreat six or seven steps, seemingly unharmed, Mo Changqing was also incredulous!


    How could this be?


    What level had his physical defense reached?


    After all, the power of that punch just now was entirely on a different level than the previous palm strike, yet it only made the opponent take a few steps back?!


    And without injury, even if injured, it wasn''t severe!


    Not only him, but Wei Hua and Ling Long were also equally stunned by Su Chen''s defensive ability!


    They imagined that if Mo Changqing''s punch just now hit them, they would expect severe injury, even death being a possibility!


    Su Chen''s performancepletely overturned their understanding!


    "Is this all you''ve got?"


    Su Chen, after stabilizing for a moment,ughed mockingly!


    He thought to himself: It seems I underestimated the body refining effect of the "Calm Spirit Body Technique"!


    With this, he almost stood undefeated!


    But merely being undefeated is not enough; he aims for victory, so how can he resolve the opponent?!


    For the current Su Chen, the Kaiyuan Realm is not so easily resolved!


    Su Chen''s mind was racing, searching for possible opportunities!


    "Hmph, then let me show you my strongest strength!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Mo Changqing''s expression turned utterly cold, chilling to the bone!


    The crowd shuddered instantly at hearing this!


    What?!


    This isn''t his strongest strength yet?!


    Everyone couldn''t believe their ears!


    Wei Hua and Ling Long were especially so!


    Mo Changqing breaking through to the Kaiyuan Realm primary stage had already been surprising enough, but could he still have some hidden strength yet to be revealed?!


    If that''s the case, then Mo Changqing is too terrifying!


    They always thought there was a gap between them and Mo Changqing, but it shouldn''t have been thatrge!


    Now they realized they were wrong, gravely wrong!


    Mo Changqing''s might far exceeded their expectations!


    Of course, Su Chen''s strength also surpassed their imagination!


    All that had happened proved that even they weren''t opponents of this young man!


    This realization was somewhat difficult for them to ept, but it was the truth!


    "Overlord Tiger Fist!"


    At this moment, Mo Changqing suddenly shouted, his figure exploding into motion!


    Simultaneously, his fist once again surged toward Su Chen, a fist shadow shing!


    That fist shadow seemed to contain immense might, like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, or a tiger roaring in the forest, unstoppable in momentum!

 Chapter 1047: Hard Fight

    Martial Technique?


    Su Chen''s heart tightened, and he suddenly steeled his resolve!


    It''s time to make a move!


    Otherwise, if it drags on, the situation will be very unfavorable for him!


    As Mo Changqing''s punch came crashing down, Su Chenunched a punch of his own!


    At the same time, his other wrist flicked, sending nine silver needles shooting out with a piercing sound!


    Mo Changqing shifted his body to evade the nine silver needles, and the shadow of his fist continued forward like a ferocious tiger!


    Just as the two fists were about to collide, Mo Changqing suddenly realized that his opponent''s fist rxed and now held a longsword!


    Mo Changqing''s heart immediately shuddered, and chills ran down his spine!


    How did he have a sword in his hand?


    Where did this sworde from?!


    At this moment, Su Chen''s face showed a determined expression!


    With this strike, Su Chen not only gathered all the True Yuan around him onto the sword''s edge but also infused it with the remaining threads of Star Energy!


    With this sword strike, Su Chen was determined to decide the victor!


    Su Chen knew that the nine silver needles would not harm Mo Changqing; he could easily dodge them!


    What Su Chen wanted was for him to dodge!


    This dodge, no matter how slight, would affect his observation and reaction!


    But that is enough!


    He wanted Mo Changqing to be unable to dodge the following sword strike, forcing him into a direct confrontation of strength!!!


    After all, his opponent was much faster than him, and if he used his speed to slowly circle around, Su Chen would be at a real disadvantage!


    Due to the disparity in strength, it would be impossible to directly pierce his opponent''s body with a sword, unlike when he faced the left priest from the Judgment Departmentst time!


    That would be pure fantasy!


    After all, facing the left priest, he was at a higher cultivation realm; now, he was at a weaker position, apletely different situation!


    At this moment, the best choice for him was¡ª full-on confrontation!


    A head-on confrontation seemed clumsy, but it was Su Chen''s only choice at this moment!


    Since it''s the only choice, it''s the best choice!


    Of course, the existence of the Cangyue Ring made Su Chen''s sword strike utterly sudden!


    As Su Chen''s sword swung out, the overwhelming True Yuan, mixed with those seventeen or eighteen strands of Star Energy, surged forward like a tide along with the vast Sword Qi towards Mo Changqing!


    Mo Changqing''s pupils suddenly contracted, feeling the inherent danger!


    He hurriedly urged his True Yuan to strengthen the power of his fist shadow, making it appear like a ferocious beast with a roaring tiger''s momentum!


    "Boom!"


    "Boom!"


    ......


    A series of massive explosions echoed, like rolling thunder carrying overwhelming power!


    After the collision, the fist shadow vanished, True Yuan scattered, and Sword Qi reverberated, distorting the surrounding space with pressure and causing the temperature to rise sharply!


    Mo Changqing sighed in slight relief; that sudden sword strike had truly scared him!


    Thankfully, his Overlord Tiger Fist was powerful enough; otherwise, it wouldn''t have been easy!


    Just then, he suddenly sensed seven or eight strands of pale blue energy passing through the palm shadow, rushing toward him!


    Seven or eight strands of Star Energy sound like a lot, but in fact, it''s quite little, pitifully little!


    Yet, Mo Changqing showed intense fear!


    How could this be?


    What on earth is this pale blue energy?


    He quickly attempted to use his True Yuan to block the attack, but after using all his strength in the Overlord Tiger Fist, how much True Yuan could he summon in a hurry?


    "Bang!"


    A loud explosion as Star Energy burst on Mo Changqing''s chest!


    Mo Changqing''s entire body arched backward, flying out while dozens of silver needles shot out like shadows following a form, almost enveloping him!


    Before Mo Changqing could stop, a dozen silver needles had already prated his body, with several entering near his brow ¡ª Su Chen''s target spot!


    "Boom!"


    Mo Changqing''s body suddenly fell with a thunderous crash at the edge of the arena, raising a cloud of dust!


    ......


    The scene turned silent once again, this time with even more eerie quiet, without even the sound of breathing!


    The crowd looked up, seeing a ghastly bloody hole in Mo Changqing''s chest and abdomen, looking grim and terrifying!


    Countless silver needles were still embedded in his body, especially the few near his brow, making a shocking sight!


    .......


    Mo Changqing, the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate ¡ª just died like that?


    At this moment, everyone felt like it was a dream, unable to believe what was happening!


    Wei Hua, Ling Long, and others felt even more unreal!


    Did Su Chen just kill Mo Changqing, who was almost as famous as the Hall Master of Hidden Dragon Hall?


    More importantly, he seemed almost unscathed?!


    This meant that Su Chen was already standing at the pinnacle of the Martial Arts World!


    But he''s only in his twenties!


    Everyone on the scene looked at Su Chen with unending awe!


    If this young man continues to grow, what level will he reach?


    It''s truly unimaginable!


    Su Chen looked at Mo Changqing, copsed at the arena''s edge, and finally exhaled!


    This oue made others feel like a dream, but it wasn''t entirely unexpected for him! <cite ss="in-imprint-a">This version was sourced from M|V|L^EMPYR.</cite>


    Just now, Su Chen had been fighting for his life, releasing nearly twenty strands of Star Energy without reservation!


    No one knew better than him how powerful Star Energy was!


    Moreover, although Mo Changqing was one major realm higher, he was only at the primary stage of the Kaiyuan Realm, while Su Chen was nearly at the Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm!


    Another point is the Light Martial Sword, given to him by the old master Zhuge Dongming, was no ordinary weapon!


    Though not as outrageous as the Dragon-ying Sword, it was notparable to regr weapons!


    In this blow, Su Chen leveraged all his offensive means, except the Dragon-ying Sword!


    In such abined circumstance, the result was reasonable, even if the opponent had mastered a martial technique!


    After all, the martial technique Mo Changqing mastered was not a particrly powerful one; it only slightly enhanced his own strength!


    If it were one of those particrly powerful cultivation techniques, it might have been different!


    However, martial arts techniques in the Martial Arts World are scarce, so having one technique is already fortunate!


    Su Chen was not worried about the Cangyue Ring being exposed, as the old master said, the Martial Arts World hardly had anyone who knew or even heard of storage rings!


    Seeing the sword suddenly appear in his hand, most people just felt puzzled and mystified!


    However, if the Dragon-ying Sword were used, it would be different, and everyone would realize the weapon''s power!


    It could then bring endless troubles!


    After all, the principle of ''a man of virtue shouldn''t hoard treasures'' was something Su Chen understood well!


    Of course, he had prepared for the worst; if this strike had failed, he would''ve had to reveal the Dragon-ying Sword!

 Chapter 1048 - 1048 Leaving

    Fortunately, with this one swing of his sword, he finally took care of the opponent, so there was no need to expose the Dragon-ying Sword!


    Just now, feeling uncertain, he even followed it up with dozens of Silver Needles shooting out!


    Now it seems that was unnecessary, even without the Silver Needles, Mo Changqing wouldn''t have survived!


    Immediately, tears welled up in Su Chen''s eyes as he muttered to the sky:


    "Grandpa, Father, Mother, Xiaotian has avenged you!"


    After a moment, Su Chen took a deep breath, approached Mo Changqing, and after searching him a bit, found an envelope and pocketed it directly!


    Although undoubtedly, Su Chen became the first ce in this martialpetition, he had no interest in staying on the stage to receive the honor and walked off directly!


    Wei Hua and Yao Zhe saw himing down and seemed like they wanted to say something, but in the end, realized they didn''t know what to say at all!


    What could they possibly say to such a monster?


    Ling Long also didn''t expect that the guy who captured her daughter''s heart was actually a stronger existence than herself!


    This left her quite speechless!


    Beside her, Lan Yun was still in shock, unable to snap out of it!


    Sun Yang, seeing that Su Chen was unharmed, couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief, followed by a deep sigh!


    It seems it''s impossible for me to catch up to this monstrous guy!


    It''s unbelievably abnormal!


    And Yan Xi, Ling Yao, including Qi Meng, looked at him, their beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration!


    At this moment, several disciples of Qingyun Sect went up to collect Mo Changqing''s body, as there wasn''t really anyone who needed consoling, since he was the only one from Shengyi Gate who came!


    Others wondered why no other elders from Shengyi Gate hade.


    They had no idea that the elders of Shengyi Gate were almost entirely wiped out by Su Chen!


    "Thank you all for the series of exciting duels today, which allowed us to feast our eyes! I announce that this martialpetition ends perfectly, and the first ce goes to Su Chen!"


    At this moment, He Shan, the Sect Master of Qingyun Sect, personally went on stage to announce!


    Originally, any elder could announce the results; it didn''t need to be him at all!


    But at this moment, he personally came up because of that young man who had shocked the crowd earlier!


    Actually, he didn''t really know this young man, not even his name, until just now!


    "Also, this Martial Arts Conference has concluded perfectly! Thanks again for your presence!"


    He Shan continued in a loud voice.


    Everyone found his words somewhat odd; two people had just died, and he still said it was perfect!


    Of course, now no one dared to criticize Su Chen at all!


    At this moment, a disciple of Qingyun Sect brought up a tray with two Spirit Stones and a small porcin bottle. He Shan took the tray and went down to Su Chen!


    "Mr. Su, these are the prizes for the first ce this time, please ept them."


    He Shan said with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of respect!


    "Thank you."


    Su Chen also didn''t stand on ceremony, taking up the Spirit Stones and the small porcin bottle.


    "Mr. Su, a few days ago, Qingyun Sect may have offended you, please forgive us!"


    He Shan spoke again.


    "It''s not about offending me, it''s about fairness. Your patrol team captain and elder didn''t ask any questions of red or ck, they just abused their power, is this how Qingyun Sect conducts itself?"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    "Mr. Su is right, indeed, the way Qingyun Sect handled this was not appropriate."


    He Shan said repeatedly:


    "Qingyun Sect will deal with both of them."


    "That''s good." Su Chen nodded his head and said.


    Su Chen actually also knew that it was mainly his strength that forced the other party to do this; it wasn''t that they truly thought they were wrong!


    But this kind of thing wasn''t surprising; there were too many such cases, Su Chen just mentioned it casually.


    As for the handling that He Shan spoke of, he didn''t really care.


    Before long, everyone began returning to the amodations arranged by Qingyun Sect, packing up and preparing to leave!


    At this moment, their hearts were still unable to calm down!


    The final martialpetition was just supposed to be a bit of entertainment for them, just something to watch, but unexpectedly, it kept shocking them!


    Yearster, they would remember this Martial Arts Conference, and that monstrous young man!


    ...


    In the afternoon, everyone gradually left one by one!


    Su Chen and the three of them, a few from Hidden Dragon Hall and Lingyue Pce, and the Yu Jun brothers all went down the mountain together.


    Then at the foot of the mountain, everyone bid farewell to each other!


    Ling Yao looked at Su Chen, seeming a bit reluctant, just too shy to show it.


    The Yu Jun brothers said a word to Su Chen and also drove off.


    "Xiao Su, let''s leave together then."


    After the others left, Wei Hua smiled and said.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen naturally agreed with pleasure.


    They hadn''t expected that Su Chen had actuallye by helicopter.


    So they all boarded Su Chen''s helicopter and went back. On the way back, it was Yao Zhe who piloted the helicopter, allowing Su Chen to finally enjoy himself properly!


    He took out a few bottles of good wine and started drinking with everyone!


    Although Yan Xi looked at Qi Meng sitting with Su Chen, her eyes filled with some wariness!


    Of course, in Yan Xi''s heart, she told herself silently that she was watching him for Director Lin, not because she had any thoughts about him!


    During this short trip, everyone was happy, and no one mentioned what happened in the morning!


    Because everyone realized that there seemed to be some stories hidden here, stories that Su Chen didn''t want to bring up!


    ...


    After a few hours of flying, the helicopter finallynded slowly on the helipad behind the manor! This chapter was made possible by themunity at MV|LEM|PYR.</abbr>


    Wei Hua and Yao Zhe spoke a few words with Su Chen, warned Yan Xi not to cause trouble, then left.


    "Oh, so you''re hiding a beauty in a golden house outside, I''ll tell Director Lin when I get back!"


    A whileter, when Su Chen led Yan Xi and Sun Yang to the manor, Yan Xi quietly warned Su Chen "maliciously".


    "What nonsense, Qi Meng is my friend, she''s just temporarily staying here."


    Su Chen repeated to her the excuse he used with Yunlong.


    But Yan Xi, like Yunlong, just pouted and didn''t believe it at all!


    "So are you saying I could also stay here then?"


    Yan Xi asked.


    "Of course, there''s even a Gathering Yuan Formation here, you cane here to cultivate as well."


    Su Chen shrugged, speaking indifferently.


    "Are you really not hiding a beauty in a golden house?"


    Yan Xi''s suspicions deepened upon hearing this, otherwise, why would he let her move in?

 Chapter 1049: The Real Truth!

    "Hide, your head!"


    Su Chen knocked Yan Xi''s forehead with displeasure.


    "Oh!"


    Yan Xi shot Su Chen an indignant look after being tapped!


    It was about seven in the evening. After having a cup of tea at the manor, Su Chen drove Yan Xi and Sun Yang away.


    He first dropped Yan Xi at Ran Ting''s ce, then took Sun Yang home, since Sun Yang didn''t live far away from him.


    When he returned home after dropping them off, Lin Ruoxue had note back yet. Su Chen went into his old room and took out the envelope he got from Mo Changqing.


    Opening the envelope, his hands were trembling!


    Because the mystery of his grandfather and parents'' deaths was about to bepletely revealed!


    This was very likely the true answer he had been waiting for all these years!


    Su Chen calmed his emotions and took out the letter inside!


    The letter was thin, just two pages, but in Su Chen''s hand, it felt like it weighed a ton!


    He slowly unfolded the letter and began to read it carefully...


    As time passed, after half an hour, Su Chen gently put down the letter.


    "So, it is not over yet!


    So, Mo Changqing was just a tool!"


    Su Chen sighed deeply.


    ording to Mo Changqing''s ount, the mastermind behind everything turned out to be the Ximen n of the Ancient Martial World!


    They wanted that token, which led to all of these events!


    As he previously imagined, his mother Mu Tong was indeed the daughter of the former Sect Leader of the Holy Sect!


    Even though she was part of the Holy Sect, his mother had a free spirit and disliked the tedious cultivation since childhood, so she was just an ordinary person!


    Mo Changqing always admired his mother, but because she married his father, he harbored resentment towards the entire Mu Family, including his mother!


    The Ximen n somehow learned that the token was in the hands of the Holy Sect!


    But they couldn''t act directly, fearing drawing attention from other Ancient Martial forces!


    So they found Mo Changqing, who already resented the Mu Family, and it was a natural coboration! S#ou%r!c.ed direct&l.y^ fr-om M&V%6L&E*M.P$6Y!R.


    Then the Ximen n secretly sent two experts to help Mo Changqing annihte the Mu Family, take over the Holy Sect, and rename it to Shengyi Gate, and he changed his surname from Mu to Mo!


    Since Mo Changqing took action, no one would suspect the Ximen n!


    But after taking control of the Holy Sect, Mo Changqing searched everywhere and couldn''t find the token the Ximen n wanted!


    So he thought of his married mother, thinking that if there was a token, it must have been taken away by her!


    However, the Ximen n couldn''t personally act against the Su Family, because in the Martial Arts World, the Hidden Dragon Hall restrained all forces to avoid affecting the stability and order of the secr world!


    This principle is observed in the Ancient Martial World too, everyone follows this rule!


    The forces in the Ancient Martial World have agreed not to disturb the stability and order of Huaxia''s secr world!


    If any force vites this rule, other ancient martial forces will join hands to suppress them!


    After all, everyone lives in Huaxia and is a part of it!


    The primaryponent of Huaxia is still the secr world!


    So over the years, no ancient martial force dared to cause chaos in the secr world!


    If the Ximen n acted against the Su Family, it would undoubtedly break this mutually observed rule!


    So they entrusted the matter of the token entirely to Mo Changqing, telling him to find the token no matter how long it took, even if it took decades!


    But Mo Changqing was also aware of the threat of the Hidden Dragon Hall, so he couldn''t act directly either!


    After years of investigation, he finally understood the situation of the Five Great Families, and then found a breakthrough through the Shen Family, the second of the Great Families at that time!


    Hence the subsequent series of events!


    However, Mo Changqing also wrote that he didn''t know what the realm of the token was or its purpose!


    The Ximen n seemed to be very secretive about it!


    Upon finishing Mo Changqing''s two-page letter, Su Chen finally understood everything!


    Everything was as he imagined, but he didn''t expect that there was an Ancient Martial World''s Ximen n behind it!


    In short, the Ximen n wanted the token from the Holy Sect but couldn''t act directly, so they found Mo Changqing as a cover, leading to all the subsequent events!


    Regarding the Ancient Martial World, Su Chen had never heard of it!


    He nned to go to the Kunlun Mountains in a few days to ask his old mentor!


    At this moment, Su Chen thought of more things. Perhaps the reason his unseen grandfather agreed to let his mother marry a man from the secr world was that he was already aware that powerful enemies were eyeing the Mu Family and that token!


    After all, neither the Martial Arts World nor the Ancient Martial World''s forces would easily harm the Su Family, which held a significant position in the secr world!


    This was actually a form of protection for his mother, but the events that followed were probably beyond his grandfather''s expectations!


    Of course, all of this was just Su Chen''s spection, but he thought it was highly possible!


    Because the letter also stated that the Su Family had no idea about his mother''s true identity, and not a single person from the Mu Family attended the wedding!


    All of this seemed to sever his mother''s ties with the Holy Sect!


    ...


    A whileter, Su Chen took out a lighter and ignited the two pages, cing them in the ashtray!


    Watching the mes burn, his eyes shot out a sharp gleam!


    This time, he finally identified the true culprits behind his loved ones'' tragic deaths!


    "Ximen n! Very well!"


    Su Chen stared at the zing mes, articting each word!


    His eyes turned blood-red!


    No matter who it is, he must avenge his grandfather and parents!


    What of the Five Great Families, the Martial Arts World, the Ancient Martial World!


    He won''t let them off!


    Besides, only the Ximen n might reveal the true secret of the token!


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly heard the door open. He quicklyposed himself and stepped out of the room!


    A gentle smile was already on his face.


    "You''re back, hubby?"


    Seeing Su Chene out, Lin Ruoxue''s exquisite face lit up with a joyful expression.


    "Didn''t I say, only gone for a few days."


    Su Chenughed and said:


    "By the way, did you eat? Should I cook something for you?"


    "I had a little, have you eaten?" Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "Not yet, nning to whip up some noodles." Su Chen replied casually.


    "Alright, make some for me too."


    Lin Ruoxue said, she wasn''t really hungry having just eaten, but wanted to keep Su Chenpany...

 Chapter 1050: Another Encounter with Luo Xiwen

    Su Chen quickly entered the kitchen and started cooking after hearing that, shortly thereafter, he came out with two bowls of fragrant noodles.


    Lin Ruoxue caught the aroma of the noodles and couldn''t help but feel a little hungry!


    After the two finished eating, they began to take a walk in the neighborhood, strolling hand in hand casually...


    The moonlight, like a jade disk, scattered the remaining light over thend. After walking for a while, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue''s somewhat unsettled mood calmed down significantly.


    After a while, they went back to their room to rest.


    The night''s passion, needless to say...


    .....


    The next day, when the early summer sunshine streamed into the bedroom through the thin curtains, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes.


    He looked at Lin Ruoxue sleeping in his arms, smiled gently, and then closed his eyes and slept a little longer.


    After half an hour, Lin Ruoxue woke up, as did Su Chen.


    He leaned against the headboard, lit a cigarette, smoked while admiring Lin Ruoxue''s unearthly perfect face, secretly sighing that such days were trulyforting!


    If possible, he would just apany Lin Ruoxue, along with Du Hanbing and Xia Qiuru, and asionally have a transoceanic date with Eniel. Such a life was worth more than a mountain of gold!


    Of course, he also knew this was just a wishful thinking of his own!


    After finishing a cigarette, Su Chen got up to prepare breakfast.


    When avish breakfast was ready, Lin Ruoxue came downstairs in her pajamas!


    After the two finished breakfast, Lin Ruoxue drove to the group, while Su Chen drove to the Yuquan Mountain area.


    Nearly twenty days had passed now, he nned to check the progress.


    Arriving there, Su Chen discovered that many workers were intensely busy with work!


    From the foot of the mountain to the top, a wide and smooth road had been built, allowing vehicles to directly drive up!


    The foundation and other necessary works had beenpletelyid, and construction was underway.


    "Mr. Su, why have youe?"


    At this moment, a middle-aged man saw Su Chen approaching and immediately came over; he was the project manager Su Chen had hired.


    "The speed is quite fast!"


    Su Chen said with a light smile.


    "Of course, I hired seven or eight construction teams to work simultaneously, plus over a dozen pieces of equipment in operation."


    The project manager pointed to the site and said.


    His dedication was naturally because Su Chen''s payment was sufficiently generous!


    Su Chen initially asked him to pay extra attention, promising him amission of twenty million!


    His annual ie was usually around two million, twenty million was almost enough for ten years of work, so he dedicated himself exceptionally!


    "That''s good, how long do you estimate beforepletion?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "If everything goes smoothly, it should take about two months to fullyplete and be ready for upancy."


    The project manager thought for a moment and said:


    "Mr. Su, after all, the project is quiterge."


    "No hurry."


    Su Chen nodded and said.


    Su Chen casually wandered around, was quite satisfied, and then drove away.


    After leaving, Su Chen naturally drove to Belle Group, since he hadn''t visited the group muchtely.


    As he passed by downstairs, people greeted him enthusiastically, jokingly, after all, he was the husband of the president!


    Moreover, the stories about him circting in Yandu were numerous, almost like legends!


    Su Chen naturally walked forward, casually and happily greeting others, soon arriving at the elevator door.


    Not long after, the elevator door opened, just as Su Chen was about to step in, a figure suddenly collided with him!


    With this collision, an exmation sounded, papers scattered everywhere, and the figure directly fell backward!


    In a hurry, the figure reached out with a hand, iling loosely in the air, and grasped Su Chen''s clothes.


    Seeing this, Su Chen immediately reached out and wrapped his arm around the person''s waist, preventing them from falling!


    In this pull and embrace, the two were tightly pressed together!


    Su Chen instantly felt a smooth sensation between his fingers, and he couldn''t help but gently stroke it!


    The body held in his arms immediately trembled violently!


    "Sorry, sorry!"


    The person in his arms quickly pushed Su Chen away, and only then did the two recognize each other!


    "It''s you?!"


    They spoke simultaneously.


    "Miss Luo, why are you here?"


    Su Chen immediately asked in surprise.


    The woman who had just collided with him was Luo Xiwen, whom he had met in M Country, so he was naturally quite amazed to see her at Belle Group!


    Moreover, looking at her attire and the papers scattered on the ground, Su Chen was even more perplexed.


    "I''m working here, of course."


    Luo Xiwen said matter-of-factly.


    "You''re working here?"


    Su Chen said, somewhat surprised:


    "Weren''t you working in Europe?"


    "Your wife tempted me to quit."


    Luo Xiwen pursed her lips and said:


    "Now, I''m working for your wife."


    "Oh, so that''s how it is."


    Su Chen nodded and smiled.


    "Alright, I have things to do, I''ll be off now, goodbye."


    Luo Xiwen said.


    "Okay, goodbye." <samp ss="in-imprint-b">For character sheets and glossaries, visit MV|LEMPYR.</samp>


    Su Chen said, then entered the elevator.


    Since he wasn''t familiar with Luo Xiwen, he only exchanged a few words with her.


    Luo Xiwen walked a few steps, turned to nce at the now-closed elevator door, and thought to herself:


    "Ruoxue said it before, this guy really is a naughty rogue!"


    If the embrace was due to his well-meaning nature, afraid she would fall, she could understand!


    But then what about the mischievous act of the hand resting on her waist?


    Had Su Chen known Luo Xiwen''s thoughts, he would have called out his innocence, it was just a reflex!


    After all, he wasn''t Liu Xiahui, with soft fragrance in his arms, unable to resist was normal, right?


    Naturally, he didn''t know that upon their first meeting, he had already left an impression of being a naughty rogue on Luo Xiwen!


    Back in his office, Su Chen naturally did what he usually did, picked up a magazine, and started flipping through it...


    ......


    What Su Chen didn''t know was that on this day, the entire Martial Arts World was buzzing!


    All families and forces were discussing matters regarding the young man from the Martial Arts Conference!


    Since not all families participated in the Martial Arts Conference, and only two or three representatives attended!


    Of course, after this incident, many people restrained their ambitions!


    Like the Sun Family, they decided never to seek revenge against Su Chen again.


    After all, only a young generation member had died, continuing might lead to a catastrophe for the entire Sun Family!


    Simrly, Yu Xiangdong and his son, upon hearing Su Chen defeated and killed Mo Changqing in the ring, also put aside their intentions!


    They''re not foolish, and they still want to live!


    Moreover, thinking carefully, aside from some matters of prestige, they didn''t have any significant enmity with Su Chen!

 Chapter 1051 - 1051 Ancient Martial World

    As for Shengyi Gate, the pinnacle force in the Martial Arts World, its decline became inevitable after the death of four Elders and Sect Leader Mo Changqing!


    Besides this, there was another piece of news that went unnoticed, which is that Wu Liang was killed yesterday on his way back!


    Actually, this didn''te as a surprise to many, after all, Wu Liang had definitely offended a lot of people in his time. Previously, everyone was wary of the Wu Family, or more precisely, wary of Wu Sheng, so they could only swallow their grievances!


    Now that Wu Sheng is dead, it''s natural for those people to seek revenge and settle their scores!


    .....


    Su Chen, of course, was unaware of all these happenings. For him, as long as others didn''t bother him, he was quite content with peace!


    However, if they indeed intended to do something, Su Chen was more than willing to apany them!


    After reading a magazine for a while, Su Chen visited Xia Qiuru, chatted with her for a bit, and then went back to his cultivation.


    Although he hadn''t suffered any serious injuries during this Martial Arts Conference, his Star Energy waspletely depleted!


    It would likely take a month or two to recover!


    This was assuming that his recent increase in the cultivation speed of Star Energy continued!


    Therefore, he needed to cultivate some Star Energy as quickly as possible.


    After such a long period, he had fullye to realize the power of Star Energy!


    In the following days, Su Chen stayed at home cultivating, asionally visiting thepany.


    He had originally nned to visit the Kunlun Mountains in two days, but decided to stay home and spend a few more days with Lin Ruoxue instead, given how he had been running around so muchtely.


    ......


    A weekter, Su Chen flew solo in his helicopter to the Kunlun Mountains,nding on a rtively t area at the foot of the mountain.


    As before, no sooner had hended, than Da Huang came running up, circling around him excitedly!


    "Da Huang, let''s go!"


    Su Chen called with a smile, and together, they headed up the mountain lightheartedly.


    Before long, Su Chen arrived at the small wooden cabin. As soon as he reached the courtyard entrance, he saw the old ghost master lying on a deck chair, while Xiao Xun sat on a small stool beside him, fanning him!


    The scene made Su Chen unable to look directly; it was aplete picture of a wickedndlord exploiting a poor little servant girl!


    "Old ghost, you''re simply ''utterly heartless''!"


    Su Chen eximed with feigned indignation after pushing open the wooden gate.


    "Brother Su!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen arrive, Xiao Xun threw away the fan and ran over quickly!


    "Xiao Xun!"


    Su Chenughed heartily and picked Xiao Xun up.


    "You''ve grown quite a bit taller!"


    Su Chen remarked with a smile.


    "Brother Su, why are you here?"


    Xiao Xun asked, her face breaking into a joyful smile!


    "Of course, I came to see you, Xiao Xun!"


    Su Chen replied with a smile, setting her down.


    "Is that true?"


    Xiao Xun became even happier upon hearing this.


    "Of course it''s true."


    Su Chen said, patting her violet hair.


    With her violet hair and exquisite face, Xiao Xun always gave off a mysterious, enchanting feel, yet she was just an incredibly pure little girl!


    "What brings you here, you little brat?"


    At this moment, Gongsun Liang slowly opened his eyes and remarked with a slight sneer.


    "Nonsense, didn''t I just say I came to see Xiao Xun? Did you think I came to see you, you old ghost?"


    Su Chen replied, ncing at Gongsun Liang.


    "You little brat, don''t you know to respect your master?"


    Gongsun Liang stood up from the deck chair, grumbling discontentedly.


    "Since you''re not acting like a master, naturally I''m not acting like a student,"


    Su Chen shrugged, returning a gaze of disdain.


    Banter like this between the two had be routine. If Su Chen was proper and respectful one day, Gongsun Liang would find it unusual!


    Although he had the upper hand in banter, now that he was here, there was no avoiding the task of cooking!


    After lunch, Gongsun Liang sent Xiao Xun off for a nap, and after that, it was time for cultivation.


    This was a daily routine that never changed.


    While Xiao Xun napped, Su Chen and Gongsun Liang sat down at a tea table in the courtyard and brewed a pot of tea.


    "Old ghost, what''s Xiao Xun''s current realm? How is she doing?"


    After pouring each of them a cup of tea, Su Chen asked. <dfn ss="in-imprint-a">This chapter was made possible by the MV_LEMPYRmunity.</dfn>


    Xiao Xun''s situation was always a concern for him.


    "She is now at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, and the Demonic Qi within her body has been partially suppressed by True Yuan, so it no longer causes her as much pain as before."


    Gongsun Liang exined.


    "Is she ustomed to living here?"


    "Don''t worry, this little girl is much more sensible than you were back then."


    Gongsun Liang replied with a bit of grumbling.


    "That''s good."


    Su Chen felt much relieved upon hearing this. Although he saw Xiao Xun fanning him as soon as he arrived, he never really believed Gongsun Liang treated Xiao Xun poorly; that was simply impossible.


    However, only someone with Xiao Xun''s temperament could stay peacefully in these foothills. If it were the lively Ruohan, she wouldn''tst three days here!


    She''d likely torment Gongsun Liang until he wished for death!


    The two little girls had entirely different personalities!


    "What brings you here this time?"


    Gongsun Liang asked.


    He knew Su Chen genuinely cared about Xiao Xun, but this time he wasn''t here just for her.


    "Old ghost, do you know about the Ancient Martial World?"


    Su Chen asked, looking at Gongsun Liang.


    "How did you find out about the Ancient Martial World?"


    Gongsun Liang inquired, his eyes narrowing slightly.


    "So you do know about it, old ghost!"


    Su Chen said with a hint of excitement, then continued:


    "Don''t ask me how I found out yet, just tell me what this Ancient Martial World is all about."


    "Fine, since your strength is growing, you''ll inevitably encounter it sooner orter. I''ll go ahead and tell you."


    After a pause, Gongsun Liang began to exin:


    "In thend of Huaxia, Martial Arts flourished with countless powerful figures. However, the true superpowers are not in the Martial Arts World but in the Ancient Martial World!"


    "As the name suggests, Ancient Martial derives from the Ancient Era. The cultivation techniques they practice are stronger than those of the Martial Arts World, and various cultivation resources are also more abundant!"


    "For example, Spirit Stones, Martial Techniques, and other things rare in the Martial Arts World, though not asmon as cabbages, are not so scarce in the Ancient Martial World."


    "The so-called Ancient Martial World is a circle formed by these Ancient Martial Artists,plete with sects, families, and, naturally, conflicts like the Martial Arts World!"


    "However, this circle is smaller and more closed off, having fewer interactions with the outside world!"


    "Of course, with the progress of industrialization, this is no longer the case as it once was. Ancient Martial Artists have begun changing and started interacting with the mortal world!"

 Chapter 1052: It Seems Like Youre Not Very Famous Either

    "In modern times, quite a few Ancient Martial Artists have integrated into society, living within the broader social environment. Many of these forces even possess their own economic industries, leveraging technological advancements to obtain the resources they desire!"


    "In this respect, they are somewhat simr to the Martial Arts World; societal development has prompted them to undergo appropriate changes!"


    "However, ultimately, the foundation of the Ancient Martial Forces does not lie within the secr world; they remain secluded from society."


    "Regardless of how times change, Ancient Martial Artists do not intervene, even if war breaks out; at most, they temporarily retreat, waiting for stability before reappearing."


    "But there is an unwritten rule in the Ancient Martial World: Huaxia''s territory must not be upied by foreign races. If such a situation indeed urs, they will take action and drive out the invaders!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen finally grasped a rough understanding of what the so-called Ancient Martial World and Ancient Martial Artists entail!


    He hadn''t expected that there exists such a group of people in this world!


    To put it inly, they are amunityposed of Ancient Martial Forces that are one or even several levels higher than the Martial Arts World!


    "By the way, old ghost, I''ve heard that there is a rule in the Ancient Martial World that prohibits affecting the stability and order of the secr world; otherwise, it would lead to attacks from other forces. Is that true?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Your statement is both correct and incorrect. There is indeed such a rule, but the key lies in defining what constitutes affecting the stability and order of the secr world; there''s an issue of extent here."


    Gongsun Liang replied:


    "Of course, sometimes this also serves as an excuse."


    "However, if any Ancient Martial Force significantly affects the stability and order of the secr world, other forces will indeed unite to punish or even eliminate that force!"


    After listening to Gongsun Liang''s exnation, Su Chen nodded.


    Indeed, even if Martial Artists intervene in the secr world, the impact is substantial, let alone the existence of the Ancient Martial World. A rule observed by everyone is very necessary!


    Otherwise, the secr world would have already been divided among them!


    "Old ghost, do you know about the Ximen n in the Ancient Martial World?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    "The Ximen n is a first-ss force in the Ancient Martial World."


    Gongsun Liang nodded and said:


    "The forces in the Ancient Martial World are divided into three tiers based on strength: super first-ss forces, first-ss forces, and second-ss forces!" <kbd ss="phantom-imprint">No-t^e fr+om the ed%ito@r: A&lw-ay^s c@hec!k M-V#2L+E.MPY^R for c%orre^c^ti!o#n^s$..</kbd>


    "It seems this Ximen n is a rather powerful family in the Ancient Martial World!"


    Su Chen thought to himself.


    "Rascal, have you provoked the Ximen n?"


    Gongsun Liang cast a sidelong nce at Su Chen and asked, considering how else he would ask such a question.


    "They''ve provoked me."


    Su Chen chuckled lightly.


    "Do you want me to intervene...?"


    "Old ghost, you forgot how you taught me since childhood¡ªto solve my own problems!"


    Su Chen interrupted, smiling, before Gongsun Liang could finish.


    "Fine, fine, fine!"


    Gongsun Liang chuckled and pped his hands:


    "As expected of my pupil, the Ximen n is nothing to worry about!"


    "Indeed, rest assured, I won''t tarnish your title as Lingxiao Taoist."


    Su Chen said, then nced at Gongsun Liang with a yful smile:


    "But, old ghost, it seems you''re not particrly famous either!"


    Upon hearing this, Gongsun Liang was momentarily at a loss, but Su Chen pretended not to notice.


    "By the way, old ghost, take a look at this token."


    Su Chen flipped his wrist, and the token, ck as ink and with mottled markings, appeared in his hand, which he then handed to Gongsun Liang.


    He had absolute trust in Gongsun Liang.


    Gongsun Liang examined the token for a while and then returned it to Su Chen:


    "There''s a prohibitive force contained within; this token might unlock a certain ce or item and functions as a key."


    "However, I don''t know its specific purpose; these are just my spections."


    "Unlock a certain ce or item?"


    Su Chen muttered, holding the token. Upon seeing that Gongsun Liang could not provide more insight, he stored it in the Cangyue Ring.


    "Old ghost, take a look at this sword."


    Su Chen took out the Dragon-ying Sword and ced it on the table.


    "Rascal, you really have a lot of items."


    Gongsun Liangughed as he picked up the sword and swiftly unsheathed it!


    "Buzz!"


    The Dragon-ying Sword immediately emitted a bright ringing sound, and a chilling gleam appeared!


    "Good sword!"


    Gongsun Liang''s expression changed, and he eximed.


    "Old ghost, is this a magic artifact?"


    "Magic artifact?"


    Gongsun Liang huffed in annoyance:


    "This sword might exceed even the level of a spiritual artifact!"


    "So formidable?!"


    Su Chen was surprised by this revtion!


    His reason for showing Gongsun Liang was because he always felt the sword''s power seemed to surpass that of a simple magic artifact; it was merely an intuition!


    He had initially thought it would at most be a spiritual artifact, but Gongsun Liang stated that the sword might even exceed that rank!


    Su Chen knew that weapon grades are divided into mortal artifact, magic artifact, spiritual artifact, treasured weapon, and king artifact. Whether there are higher grades beyond these, or what they might be, he had no idea.


    On previous visits, Su Chen hadn''t brought the token and Dragon-ying Sword, so he couldn''t ask about them.


    Now, he had the Cangyue Ring to carry them, so he naturally asked Gongsun Liang.


    "What grade is this weapon?"


    Su Chen hurriedly asked.


    "I don''t know, it''s somewhat beyond my understanding."


    Gongsun Liang shook his head and returned the Dragon-ying Sword to him, advising that the sword should not be casually disyed!


    Su Chen nodded solemnly, a fact he had already realized.


    Su Chen had asked most of his questions and began conversing casually with Gongsun Liang.


    Before long, Xiao Xun woke up, but after she woke up, she washed her face and cultivated in her room.


    Time unknowingly reached evening, and Su Chen had no choice but to start cooking again, with Xiao Xun having finished her training and joining him to lend a hand.


    In the evening, after dinner, Su Chen took Xiao Xun for a walk nearby.


    However, he was very surprised at how quickly Xiao Xun had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement; her speed was astonishing!


    After the stroll, the two returned, as there wasn''t much to see in the mountain area.


    The next morning, Su Chen got up early to make breakfast, and after eating, he nned to return.


    Xiao Xun and Da Huang apanied him all the way down the mountain.


    "Xiao Xun, train well on the mountain and be obedient."


    Su Chen smiled and advised.


    "Yes, I know, Brother Su."


    Xiao Xun nodded obediently.


    "Go back, Brother Su will leave now."


    Su Chen smiled again, waved, and boarded the helicopter...


    Soon, the loud roaring sound started, the helicopter slowly rose into the air, and Xiao Xun and Da Huang''s shadows below became increasingly small...

 Chapter 1053 - 1053 Clash (Revised)

    After a few hours of flying, Su Chen returned to Yandu again by the afternoon.


    Then he went home to cultivate, and he spent time doing so until it was evening.


    At this time, his phone suddenly rang, and when he saw it was Ye Mei calling, he immediately answered.


    It turned out that Xiao Yaning had arrived in Yandu and invited him to a meal together.


    Su Chen, of course, dly epted, and after a while, he drove to the restaurant Ye Mei mentioned...


    ...


    Around six in the evening, Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning stood on the steps at the entrance of an upscale restaurant, looking like a pair of beauties!


    At this moment, Ye Mei was wearing a form-fitting dress, appearing sexy and charming; while Xiao Yaning donned a hard-to-pull-off Bohemian long dress, exuding an intellect and ease!


    Though they had different styles, there was no doubt they were both top-tier beauties!


    The mening and going at the door were so entranced by the sight of these two women that they couldn''t even walk straight.


    They could onlyment having only one pair of eyes and didn''t know where to look!


    It''s just that these two women had a noble air that ordinary people wouldn''t dare to approach, so most only dared to look from afar.


    Before long, Su Chen drove up to the locale.


    Both women knew Su Chen''s car, so when they saw he had arrived, their eyes lit up, and they walked over together!


    "That was quick!"


    After Su Chen got out of the car, Ye Mei casually remarked.


    "Invited by two beauties, how could I not rush?"


    Su Chen replied with a yful smile.


    Today, both women were clearly dressed up, and at a nce, Su Chen''s eyes brightened as well!


    "Alright, let''s go in."


    Xiao Yaning said with a smile as well.


    So the three of them headed into the restaurant together...


    Some people at the door initially thought these two must be waiting for some extraordinarily important person, but unexpectedly, it was just a young man in casual wear!


    The gazes directed at Su Chen were full of envy and jealousy!


    Of course, the trio didn''t care what others thought, and soon they reached a pre-booked private room.


    After entering, the three sat down, with Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning sitting on either side of Su Chen!


    Then they began ordering dishes together, and since they were looking at the menu together, the two women soon leaned in close to Su Chen, with their shoulders touching, perhaps intentionally.


    Su Chen immediately sensed a faint fragrance wafting over, stirring his heart slightly!


    Yet none of them seemed aware of any impropriety, earnestly ordering dishes.


    It took nearly twenty minutes to order eight or nine dishes; then they rang the bell, and soon a waiter came to collect the menu.


    Even after ordering, the two women didn''t budge, still snugly close to Su Chen.


    Naturally, Su Chen wouldn''t tell them they were too close; doing so would embarrass them, and deep down, he didn''t want them to move anyway!


    Su Chen never imed to be Liu Xiahui, especially with two such stunning beauties. It''s just a man''s nature!


    Soon, the dishes arrived, along with a few bottles of red wine!


    Su Chen opened a bottle first and poured each of them a ss.


    "Come, let''s toast first."


    Su Chen said with a smile as he raised his ss, and the two women did the same!


    "Clink!"


    The crisp sound of sses touching echoed, and all three downed their drinks in one go.


    As they ate and drank, chatting away, the atmosphere was rxed andfortable.


    However, after several rounds of wine, as the two women became slightly tipsy, the atmosphere turned a bit ambiguous.


    Read ahead and get updates at M*V*L*E*M*P*Y*R.


    After all, everyone knew about the affections the women held for Su Chen, and he too wasn''t without his own feelings.


    This made things be quite subtle.


    Moreover, with them sitting so close, their bodies asionally touched, which could have been either idental or deliberate.


    If only one of them had dined with Su Chen individually, it might not have been like this, but having apanion and being close friends gave them extra courage!


    Especially for Xiao Yaning!


    Honestly, the two women weren''t actually drunk; it was just an act under the guise of alcohol''s influence.


    At this point, Su Chen suddenly felt a shock going through his body!


    He sensed a foot lightly ying with his calf, the soft touch sliding up and down.


    He looked at Ye Mei beside him in surprise, only to see her gaze like autumn water, casting him a captivating nce!


    That look sent Su Chen''s heart racing, recalling the scene of the first meal the three of them shared.


    Back then, Ye Mei had enticed him just the same!


    But afterwards, their interactions became more like friends, unexpectedly today, Ye Mei was once again showing her seductive side!


    Ye Mei also recalled that moment!


    However, today''s situation was different, as Ye Mei, though attracted to this man back then, had moreplicated thoughts!


    Whereas now, it was simply pure attraction between a man and a woman!


    Being so close, Xiao Yaning quickly noticed Su Chen''s unease.


    She observed briefly and caught sight of the yful scene beneath the table.


    After a while, she bit her lip, discreetly slipped off her high heel, and stretched her delicate foot towards him as well...


    Su Chen was again surprised!


    He nced at Xiao Yaning beside him, who was earnestly eating as if nothing was amiss!


    Yet the blush on her pretty face was as vivid as the red wine in their sses!


    This was something Su Chen never expected, though he had dined with the women several times!


    However, he forgot, those were instances of dining with them separately; it was naturally different when the two women were together!


    At this moment, Su Chen couldn''t tell if he was enjoying it or enduring it!


    The previous time, thankfully, it was only Ye Mei; but now even Xiao Yaning joined in!


    So Su Chen pretended not to notice, continuing to eat and drink!


    After about ten minutes, he suddenly stood up and suggested they call it a night!


    Because it was unbearable, after all, Su Chen was just an ordinary man!


    At this moment, the women''s faces were also flushed, almost dripping!


    The three then left the restaurant, and after saying goodbye, Su Chen immediately drove away, as if fleeing the scene!


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning exchanged awkward nces, then both burst intoughter!


    "Coward!"


    Ye Mei muttered with a hint of grievance, while Xiao Yaning nodded in agreement.


    Soon, they were standing on the street, hailing a taxi to leave...

 Chapter 1054 - 1054 Returning to the Former Pei Man

    In the following days, Su Chen once again devoted most of his time to cultivation.


    However, he distributed most of the Spirit Stones and Hao Yuan Pills he gained from the Martial Arts Conference to the people around him, keeping only one Hao Yuan Pill for himself.


    After all, the cultivation realms of these people around him were still too low, and Su Chen hoped they could quickly raise their cultivation levels.


    Of course, the pressure on his own cultivation was not small, especially after hearing about the Ancient Martial World from his old ghost mentor.


    Days passed by uneventfully for Su Chen, aside from cultivation, he sometimes strolled around Belle Corporation.


    A dozen dayster, his Star Energy inside finally recovered a bit, and he had unblocked about a third of the meridians on the seventh channel!


    Su Chen was quite satisfied with this speed of cultivation, and he hadn''t even consumed the Hao Yuan Pill yet.


    Another surprise was the increased speed of Star Energy cultivation, which seemed to have elerated considerably, though he knew not why.


    However, he hoped that his realm could soon reach the Kaiyuan Realm, though there was still a significant distance to cover!


    Of course, the Nine Yang Divine Technique was different from other cultivation techniques; he estimated he only needed to cultivate to the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer to nearly reach the primary stage strength of a general Martial Artist in the Kaiyuan Realm!


    As for the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, it was definitely insufficient; even eightyers was an optimistic estimate, and nineyers could very well be required!


    After all, the Kaiyuan Realm differed fundamentally from the Meridian Expansion Realm and the Qi Refinement Realm!


    If not for the sudden release of so much Star Energy, plus the Light Martial Sword, he wouldn''t have been able to defeat Mo Changqing of the Kaiyuan Realm primary stage with just his cultivation level!


    Additionally, the ssification of the Kaiyuan Realm is entirely different from that of the Qi Refinement Realm and the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    The realm divisions in the Qi Refinement and Meridian Expansion Realms range from the First to the Ninth Layer, followed by the peak, while the Kaiyuan Realm, including the subsequent Condensation Pill Realm, is divided into the primary, middle,te stages, and then the Great Perfection!


    Naturally, such advancement would be much more difficult than before, when one would only break through a minor realm!


    Right now, Su Chen was unaware of how powerful the Kaiyuan Realm cultivated with the Nine Yang Divine Technique would be; he was quite curious and eagerly anticipated it!


    After his cultivation for the day ended, he drove to check on the progress of the estate''s construction, which he was also eagerly anticipating itspletion.


    Because then he could arrange arge Gathering Yuan Formation, and his cultivation speed could almost double!


    Of course, he didn''t rush the project manager, as an early orte month wouldn''t make that big of a difference.


    Moreover, barring any ident, he might be living here long-term with Lin Ruoxue.


    In this case, it''s naturally best to make everything as perfect as possible!


    Su Chen only stayed on the mountain for a while, once again reminding the project manager to follow the design ns strictly without any alterations before leaving.


    On his way back, he thought it''d been a long time since he visited Pei Man, so he drove to the Pei Family manor.


    He''s now familiar with the way to the Pei Family manor and walked right in after a step.


    The others in the Pei Family nodded at him in acknowledgment, and Su Chen walked several hundred meters before turning to the right.


    Next to Pei Man''s room was a small flower bed with only one type of flower nted in it, that was the crabapple.


    Currently, a woman was leaning down to gently sniff the blooming flowers, a gentle smile appearing on her face.


    She was dressed in a white gown, her sash fluttering,plementing the white crabapple blooms!


    Shortly after turning the corner, Su Chen saw this captivating scene! R§Ö§Ñd §Ñh§Ö§Ñd §Ñnd g§Öt upd§Ñt§Ös by visiting §®^VL§¦§®§²YR.</abbr>


    For a moment, he was somewhat stunned, unable to help but stop his steps, quietly watching, reluctant to disturb or ruin this view!


    After a while, the woman stood up, seemingly aware of something, and gently turned her head.


    "Why didn''t you say anything when you came?"


    Pei Man walked over with a smile.


    "I didn''t dare to disturb you, did I?"


    Su Chen also replied with a smile:


    "By the way, why did you change your attire?"


    He asked this because thest two times he saw Pei Man, she was wearing jeans, looking like a city beauty.


    "That''s just to make up for the loss over the years, after a while, I felt more at ease like this, maybe I''ve gotten used to it."


    Pei Manughed lightly.


    Su Chen nodded knowingly at these words, understanding that since Pei Man was in a wheelchair for over twenty years, she hadn''t had the chance to try many things; now that her legs were healed, she naturally wanted to try what she hadn''t been able to before!


    However, now Pei Man seemed to have returned to her old self!


    Although regardless of how Pei Man dressed, she couldn''t hide her extraordinary temperament and appearance, Su Chen felt that this dress style suited her more naturally!


    After all, everyone has a style that suits them best!


    This version of Pei Man can captivate anyone at a nce!


    "Why did you suddenlye today?"


    Pei Man slightly tilted her head with a smile and asked.


    "It''s been a while since Ist came to see you, and I had time, so I came."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "At least you have a conscience."


    Pei Man nced at him and said.


    The two then casually strolled around the Pei Family manor, looking from afar they did seem like a pair of wonderful people.


    "By the way, still no word from your parents?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    He knew this was the greatest concern of Pei Man''s, even though she seemed carefree and unburdened, she never truly let this matter go.


    "No, but I have a feeling there will be."


    Pei Man said softly, a determined expression appearing on her beautiful face.


    "Hmm, I also believe there will be news."


    Su Chen nodded:


    "I''ll help you inquire whenever there''s a chance."


    It''s already May, not only the crabapples, but also other ces in the Pei Family manor have peonies, roses, and various flowers blooming, the fragrance was mesmerizing!


    The two of them walked like this, sometimes saying a sentence or two, sometimes saying nothing at all, yet the atmosphere wasn''t awkward or silent at all.


    Then a gentle breeze blew, disrupting a few strands of Pei Man''s hair, which Su Chen saw, instinctively reaching out to tidy it.


    Halfway through, he suddenly realized that was inappropriate, stopping midair.


    Su Chen didn''t know why he would suddenly make such a brusque move, it was like a reflex!


    Perhaps it was just too beautiful!


    Fortunately, he stopped in time, then he retracted the hand that was in midair, brushing the back of his head, pretending that was what he had intended to do initially.


    Pei Man seemed to notice his movement, the corners of her mouth lifted in a meaningful smile, and then she extended her slender hand to tidy her wind-disheveled hair...

 Chapter 1055 - 1055 Behind the Scenes

    Su Chen apanied Pei Man for two hours and then left.


    After returning home, he naturally continued his cultivation, and soon the doorbell rang.


    When Su Chen opened the door, Sun Yang was there.


    "I''m nning to go out for a trip, just came to let you know."


    Sun Yang said directly after entering.


    "Going to challenge someone again?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Yes, I''ve arranged with Zhu Guangyun to have a rematch in a month. It''s about time now."


    Sun Yang nodded and said.


    This Zhu Guangyun is the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer martial artist who defeated Sun Yang at the Martial Arts Conference.


    After the contest ended, Sun Yang found him and asked for a rematch in a month.


    The man saw that Sun Yang was a straightforward person. Although his realm was a bit lower, he was still a good opponent, so he agreed.


    So after returning from the Martial Arts Conference, Sun Yang secluded himself for training again, just to defeat him in a month!


    A month of hard training, along with the effect of the Haoyuan Pill, he was about to break through to the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer!


    "Alright, but this time you must bring a phone. Don''t be likest year when we couldn''t contact you, it was worrying to no end!"


    Su Chen said.


    Last year, when Sun Yang went to the Ind Country to challenge, he didn''t return for two or three months, which really made Su Chen worry.


    If he carried a phone, he could contact him in time to know the situation.


    Even if he was eventually caught by people from the Ghost Domain and couldn''t be contacted, at least Su Chen would know something was wrong when calls couldn''t get through and would rescue him immediately, instead of blindly guessing!


    Ultimately, Su Chen couldn''t wait anymore and decided to personally go investigate the situation.


    Fortunately, he did, otherwise, Sun Yang would have long been dead!


    Last time Sun Yang went out, Su Chen happened to be in Miaojiang and didn''t know.


    Since he knew this time, Su Chen firmly insisted that he bring a phone.


    "Alright, I''ll bring one."


    Sun Yang was a bit embarrassed upon hearing this and nodded.


    "That''s more like it, let me take you to buy one now."


    Su Chen wasn''t too assured in this regard and spoke as he walked out, with Sun Yang following him.


    The two didn''t walk far, just bought a smartphone costing three or four thousand yuan and a SIM card at a phone store not far from themunity.


    Of course, Su Chen paid for it, but this wasn''t an issue between them.


    Although Sun Yang didn''t have as much money as Su Chen, he still had tens of millions.


    He was quite ufortable holding the smartphone, having never used electronic products before.


    The two then returned to the vi, where Su Chen sat on the sofa, guiding Sun Yang on using various functions of the phone!


    In this regard, he was even inferior to that little girl Xiaoxun!


    Sun Yang, like an elementary school student, listened seriously as Su Chen spent two to three hours to finally lead him in.


    "Old Sun, since you don''t even have a woman now, do you want me to download a few Ind Country movies for you to enjoy in your free time?"


    Su Chen joked.


    "Better not."


    Sun Yang, being an honest person, said embarrassedly upon hearing this.


    Seeing his flushed face, Su Chen burst intoughter.


    "By the way, were you cultivating at home just now?"


    Sun Yang changed the topic.


    "Of course, what else do you think I could do at home?"


    Su Chen said casually and didn''t continue teasing him.


    "You''re already at such a high cultivation level, there shouldn''t be many in the Martial Arts World who are your opponents now."


    Sun Yang said admiringly.


    "Old Sun, we can''t look at the world from the bottom of a well; above the Martial Arts World, there''s an even stronger Ancient Martial World!"


    Su Chen sighed.


    "Ancient Martial World?"


    Sun Yang frowned slightly.


    "What is it?"


    Su Chen then shared with Sun Yang the information about the Ancient Martial World he heard from the old ghost master, leaving Sun Yang stunned!


    He had the same reaction as when Su Chen first heard about it, not expecting such a circle to exist.


    "Huaxia truly is a ce hiding dragons and crouching tigers!"


    Sun Yang couldn''t help but sigh, realizing that while he searched worldwide for challenges, little did he know there were hidden masters in Huaxia!


    "Indeed!"


    Su Chen nodded in agreement, the deeper he dived into theyers, the more he understood why the foreign forces were so fearful of the Huaxia nation!


    After a while, Sun Yang left to challenge Zhu Guangyuan!


    Although he also yearned for the Ancient Martial World, the road had to be walked step by step; cultivation needed to progress step by step!


    After Sun Yang left, Su Chen naturally continued his cultivation. By dusk, he went to buy groceries and then went home to cook.


    For him, cooking was both familiar and enjoyable, especially cooking for his loved ones¡ªit was a special joy!


    Around eight in the evening, Lin Ruoxue returned home, and upon hearing the door open, Su Chen immediately went over to help her with her bag and shoes, before the two sat down to eat.


    After dinner, they chatted casually for a while, then Lin Ruoxue went upstairs.


    She first took a shower and then, in her pajamas, went into the study next to the bedroom to continue working.


    Su Chen also went upstairs for a shower, and after that, hey by the bedside, lit a cigarette, and smoked leisurely.


    However, his mind was filled with thoughts about the Ancient Martial World; apart from the vague information he got from the old ghost, he knew almost nothing.


    After all, he hadn''t interacted with anyone from the Ancient Martial World!


    Thinking of this, a person suddenly popped into his mind¡ªHuang Menglei, the girl who hid under his desk to escape marriage!


    Could she, at such a young age, achieve a cultivation level around the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer and be someone from the Ancient Martial?


    The more Su Chen thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and he decided to ask her tomorrow. <kbd ss="frag-195b4f">This<i ss="node-sep"></i>content<i ss="node-sep"></i>originates<i ss="node-sep"></i>from<i ss="node-sep"></i>M1VLEMPYR,<i ss="node-sep"></i>My<i ss="node-sep"></i>Virtual<i ss="node-sep"></i>Library<i ss="node-sep"></i>Empire.</kbd>


    Suddenly, he also thought of that pitch-ck, mottled token.


    What exactly did the Ximen n want with that token?


    If, as his old ghost master said, the token was to open a certain ce or thing, where would that ce be, and what would that thing be?


    Su Chen thought a lot but still didn''t quite understand.


    He always thought that as long as he resolved the Five Great Families, he could avenge his parents and grandfather!


    He didn''t expect the situation to be soplicated; after dealing with the Five Great Families, the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate appeared, and after dealing with that, the Ximen n showed up!


    But now he roughly sorted out that the Ximen n should be the real mastermind!


    As for the Ximen n, he certainly wouldn''t let them go!


    "What are you thinking about, so engrossed?"


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue opened the door and came in, and directly came to Su Chen''s side. She reached out a slender hand to gently rub Su Chen''s furrowed brows...

 Chapter 1056: Mysterious Speed Improvement

    "Of course, I''m thinking of you, my wife!"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue, who had just sat down, and said with a slight smile.


    Although Su Chen''s words were clich¨¦, and Lin Ruoxue knew he was thinking about something else, she still enjoyed it!


    "As if I''d believe you!"


    Lin Ruochen side-eyed him and said yfully.


    "Then, let me make you believe, honey!"


    Su Chen gave a mischievous smile and said.


    As he spoke, Su Chen pulled Lin Ruoxue into his arms. She was wearing a light purple silk nightgown, feeling silky to the touch!


    But Lin Ruoxue''s skin was even better, snow-white and tender like a baby''s. As Su Chen gazed at her stunning face, he slowly lowered his head, and his hand started to wander.


    Lin Ruoxue gently closed her beautiful eyes and then copsed onto the bed...


    ...


    The next day, the weather was great, and feeling the sunlight stream into the bedroom, the two woke up one after the other.


    Just like usual, after smoking a cigarette while leaning on the bedhead, Su Chen went downstairs to make breakfast.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue naturally drove to thepany, while Su Chen stayed home to cultivate.


    It wasn''t until almost noon when he made a call to Huang Menglei.


    Huang Menglei was feeling bored, so she was delighted to receive Su Chen''s call. They agreed to meet at the hotel where Huang Menglei was staying.


    When Su Chen drove there, Huang Menglei was already waiting downstairs.


    Su Chen parked his car in the za at the hotel entrance and got out.


    "Brother Su, why did you suddenly invite me for a meal today?"


    Seeing him approach, Huang Menglei immediately went up to him and asked.


    "I have something I want to ask you."


    Su Chen said.


    "What is it?"


    Huang Menglei asked curiously.


    "No rush, let''s find a restaurant and sit down to talk."


    Su Chen said as he led Huang Menglei to the side, the hotel she stayed in was in a bustling area, so there were plenty of restaurants.


    Soon, they reached a nice-looking restaurant and went in; Su Chen requested a small private room.


    After sitting down, Huang Menglei went through the menu and ordered five or six signature dishes.


    "Brother Su, what exactly do you want to ask me?"


    After ordering, Huang Menglei asked again.


    She was quite curious about what Su Chen wanted to talk to her about.


    "No hurry, let''s talk while eating."


    Su Chen smiled and then inquired about her recent situation.


    Hearing this, Huang Menglei started to recount the interesting things she had encountered recently, and she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.


    After a while, the dishes were served.


    Looking at the delicious dishes, Huang Menglei immediately felt her appetite increase and quickly began eating.


    After eating for about ten minutes, she tilted her head to look at Su Chen and said:


    "Brother Su, can you ask now?"


    "Yes, I want to ask if you, Menglei, are part of an ancient martial family or force?"


    Su Chen put down his chopsticks and took a sip of tea while saying.


    "Ah, Brother Su, how did you know?"


    Upon hearing this, Huang Menglei''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Menglei, you really are?!"


    Su Chen was also quite surprised, he was only guessing, but he didn''t expect to be correct!


    The girl who first appeared dirty and suddenly hid under his and Ye Mei''s table turned out to be from a force in the Ancient Martial World!


    "Yes, but my family told me not to reveal it outside, but it''s okay to tell Brother Su."


    Huang Menglei said.


    "Why''s that?"


    Su Chen asked with a slight smile.


    "Because you''re a good person!"


    Huang Menglei said naturally. <cite ss="in-imprint-b">This trantion is powered by the readers at M|V|LE9MPYR.</cite>


    Su Chenughed upon hearing this:


    "How do you know I''m a good person?"


    "Just a feeling, my feelings are usually very urate, just like I feel Brother Su and that sister fromst time are good people, but Song Chu is not a good person!"


    Huang Menglei said naturally.


    "Who is Song Chu?"


    Hearing the name, Su Chen asked curiously.


    "He''s the guy who dreams of marrying me!"


    Mentioning the name, Huang Menglei''s face immediately turned disgruntled, even a bit grumpy.


    Her cute demeanor made Su Chen chuckle a bit.


    But it was rted to Huang Menglei''s lifelong issue, and since Su Chen didn''t know Song Chu at all, he naturally wouldn''tment.


    "Alright, let''s not talk about him, let''s eat!"


    Huang Menglei pouted a bit and said.


    Then, while continuing to eat and chat, Su Chen learned about Huang Menglei''s basic situation.


    She came from the Huang Family, a second-rate force in the Ancient Martial World, with her father as the Family Head.


    However, from the information she conveyed, she had a good rtionship with her family, and her parents doted on her.


    It was only due to the marriage arrangement that she threw a tantrum and ran away.


    Over an hourter, after finishing their meal, they once again came to the hotel entrance, bid goodbye, and Su Chen drove back.


    His purpose in meeting with Huang Menglei was to confirm her connection to the Ancient Martial World and gather some relevant information.


    ...


    In the days that followed, Su Chen continued as usual, dedicating most of his time to cultivation, feeling bored, he would visit thepany or asionally the Eighth Brigade to see Du Hanbing.


    After taking the Hao Yuan Pill and utilizing the effects of the Gathering Yuan Formation,bined with the uniqueness of the Nine Yang Divine Technique, Su Chen sessfully broke through to the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer in half a month!


    Such speed, in the eyes of others, was absolutely incredible, almost miraculous!


    Reaching the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, Su Chen had already achieved the pinnacle of a Half-Step Kaiyuan among typical martial artists.


    Meaning, under the Kaiyuan Realm, with his own cultivation realm, Su Chen practically had no opponents!


    Time flew by, and another month had passed.


    However, within this month, Su Chen did not break through to the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer.


    Because during this time, besides cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique, he spent most of his time on the Supreme Star Shifting Technique!


    For some unknown reason, the speed of cultivating Star Energy increased, and after a month, he stored up to thirty or forty strands of Star Energy!


    Previously, Su Chen could only cultivate a few strands in ten days!


    Although the reason was unknown, the increased speed of cultivating Star Energy was undoubtedly a good thing...


    During this one and a half months, the people around Su Chen also improved.


    Qi Meng was now at the Meridian Expansion Second Layer, and Qian Ying finally broke through to the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer!


    Sun Yang informed Su Chen over the phone that he had reached the Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer!


    Yan Xi, always staying with Ran Ting, progressed slower and hadn''t broken through to the Meridian Expansion Second Layer yet!


    Yunlong was also approaching the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer!


    Seeing those around him improve their cultivation, Su Chen was very pleased!


    Moreover, after a month and a half, the manor was almostpleted, just as the project manager had promised!


    Lin Ruoxue was very fond of the manor''s design and took the opportunity to visit it twice!

 Chapter 1057: Conspiracy, Big Conspiracy!

    On this day, Su Chen was leisurely sipping tea in Belle Group''s office, admiring the sexy models in a magazine, when suddenly the door swung open.


    Su Chen quickly hid the magazine under the table, thinking it wouldn''t be great if someone saw it!


    "No need to hide it."


    A yfulugh followed.


    "Hanbing, why are you here?"


    Su Chen was taken aback to see Du Hanbing walking in!


    After all, Du Hanbing had never been here before.


    "Why? Can''t Ie?"


    Du Hanbing smiled slightly, then walked over to Su Chen, and "took" the magazine "Men''s Style" from his hands!


    "Indeed, very beautiful, and very sexy!"


    After flipping through a few pages, Du Hanbing nced at Su Chen and teased with a smile.


    "No matter how beautiful, they''re not as beautiful as my Hanbing!"


    Su Chen pulled Du Hanbing into his arms, sweet words slipping from his lips!


    "How did I never realize your words are so sweet before?!"


    Drops into Su Chen''s embrace, Du Hanbing smiled yfully.


    "I''m just telling the truth!"


    Su Chen looked at Du Hanbing and smiled.


    At this moment, Du Hanbing''s short hair was smoothly falling to her ears, dressed in a ck and white small suit, with crystal high heels, exuding a sense ofpetence, freshness, fashion all in one!


    There was also a hint of subtle sexiness!


    Moreover, her features were exquisite to perfection, and her figure was without an ounce of excess fat, adding an inexplicable allure to men!


    While talking, Su Chen also used actions to prove he was telling the truth!


    One of his arms was supporting Du Hanbing, while the other big hand started to be a bit restless.


    "What are you doing?"


    Du Hanbing was startled and was about to stand up.


    "What? Are you still going to resist stubbornly?"


    Su Chen firmly held Du Hanbing, a flirtatious smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.


    "Ruoxue wasn''t wrong, you''re indeed a lustful person!"


    Du Hanbing retorted with some annoyance, knowing she couldn''t win, she let this bad guy have his way.


    "By the way, why did youe here?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise when she mentioned Lin Ruoxue, though his hands didn''t stop!


    "Of course, I came to see Ruoxue and Qiuru."


    Du Hanbing quickly blushed as she said:


    "And to see you, didn''t expect you to be such a guy¡­"


    "Came to see Ruoxue and Qiuru? For what?"


    Su Chen was even more surprised. Since when did they have such a good rtionship?


    Although the other day in the hotel, the group of women came joyfully together, Su Chen still found it hard to believe.


    "If you want to know, ask Ruoxue yourself!"


    Du Hanbing rolled her eyes and said.


    After a while, seeing Du Hanbing already a bit short of breath and flushed, Su Chen finally let her go!


    Though the two had confirmed their feelings for some time now, they hadn''t crossed the ultimate boundary yet!


    Because Du Hanbing spent most of her time in the army, they mostly met there, Su Chen couldn''t have their first time in a military dormitory!


    After a while, Du Hanbing tidied up her clothes, red at Su Chen, and then left.


    After Du Hanbing left, Su Chen couldn''t help but frown slightly!


    A conspiracy! A big conspiracy!


    These women must be up to something behind his back!


    But if they didn''t want to tell, asking wouldn''t make a difference!


    Just what were they doing?


    As the saying goes, a woman''s heart is like a needle in the sea, Su Chen thought for a long time but couldn''t figure it out!


    Just like that, time unknowingly passed, and in the afternoon, seeing nothing much to do, he went back to cultivate!


    But he hadn''t cultivated for long when his phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was Huang Menglei''s number, he answered it.


    Since their dinnerst time, in the past month and a half, they had only asionally been in contact.


    "Brother Su, where are you, can Ie to see you?"


    As soon as the call connected, Huang Menglei''s voice came through, sounding a bit excited.


    "Of course."


    Su Chenughed and then gave her the address.


    About half an hourter, Huang Menglei arrived.


    "What''s up, Menglei? Running low on cash?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Brother Su, I''m here to say goodbye."


    Huang Menglei said.


    "Goodbye? Where are you going?"


    Su Chen asked, somewhat surprised.


    "Going home, of course!"


    Huang Menglei said happily:


    "My parents finally relented and are no longer forcing me to get engaged!"


    "Congrattions then, you don''t have to marry someone you don''t want to!"


    Su Chenughed, no wonder she was so happy, it turned out she had finally won the struggle with her parents!


    But that''s also understandable, usually, no parents would want their child wandering outside, especially a girl not even twenty.


    "Yes! I truly owe this sessful escape from marriage to meeting you and that sister, Brother Su."


    Huang Menglei nodded and said:


    "Otherwise, I really wouldn''t know what to do!" <b ss="phantom-imprint">Y.ou+r+ sup+p#ort- at M$V^^LE*MP^*Y+R% k.e&e%ps the ser@ies goi^n-g.#</b>


    It must be said, the money Ye Mei gave her was truly a help in her time of need. Living in Yandu isn''t easy without money!


    Let alone staying in a hotel, even meals would be tough!


    Although Huang Menglei has high cultivation, she really isn''t cut out for making money, couldn''t possibly be a bodyguard, right?


    "It was nothing, we were just lending a helping hand."


    Su Chen said casually as he waved his hand:


    "Menglei, are you nning to travel by bus or ne tomorrow? I can see you off."


    "Brother Su, aren''t you curious about the Ancient Martial World? Why don''t youe home with me tomorrow for a visit?"


    Huang Menglei suggested, a cunning glint in her eyes.


    Hearing this, Su Chen felt a stir in his heart. Currently, the only person from the Ancient Martial World he knew was Huang Menglei. If he wanted to explore the Ancient Martial World, this was indeed a good opportunity.


    "Will it be troublesome for you?"


    Su Chen asked worriedly, after all, the Ancient Martial World was known to be exclusive.


    "What''s there to worry about! You''re my guest!"


    Huang Menglei responded boldly:


    "Brother Su, I''ll take that as you agreeing!"


    "Yes, to be honest, I''d really like to see it."


    Su Chen admitted with a smile.


    "That''s great!"


    Huang Menglei eximed joyfully:


    "Tomorrow morning let''s set off together, and how about inviting that sister to my home too, I want to thank you both properly!"


    "That sister might not have time, when we leave tomorrow, you can just say goodbye to her."


    Su Chen said, not needing to ask, he knew Ye Mei would surely be busy, given she was the president of such arge corporation, except maybe during holidays like the Spring Festival.


    "Alright then."


    Huang Menglei nodded upon hearing this.


    After a while, Huang Menglei left, she had bought quite a few things during her time in Yandu and needed to pack them up at the hotel.


    ...


    Su Chen checked the time, seeing it was past six, he went out to buy groceries to prepare dinner.


    Around eight-thirty in the evening, Lin Ruoxue returned, just as Su Chen finished cooking.


    During dinner, Su Chen mentioned to Lin Ruoxue about leaving for a period of time.


    Lin Ruoxue was already used to his asional departures; this time staying at home for two months was already quite long!


    Like before, Lin Ruoxue didn''t ask where he was going or what he was doing, only told him to be safe!


    This made Su Chen feel quitefortable and warm inside...


    After dinner, Su Chen couldn''t help but curiously asked Lin Ruoxue about what Du Hanbing was doing at Belle Group.


    But Lin Ruoxue didn''t answer at all, just went upstairs to work, leaving Su Chen looking dejected¡­

 Chapter 1058: Overnight Stay

    The next day.


    After breakfast, Su Chen drove to pick up Huang Menglei, and then they went to the Rose Mansion together to say goodbye to Ye Mei.


    Huang Menglei invited Ye Mei to visit in person, but Ye Mei truly had no time, though she promised to visit if she ever got the chance.


    Upon hearing this, Huang Menglei had to give up. Of course, she also returned the credit card to Ye Mei, insisting that she would repay the money once she returned.


    Ye Mei wouldn''t hear of it, considering it a gift for her younger sister.


    This made Huang Menglei feel a bit embarrassed!


    Concerning Su Chen and Huang Menglei returning together, Ye Mei simply thought that he was worried about a girl traveling back alone, so he escorted her home.


    After bidding farewell to Ye Mei, Su Chen and Huang Menglei went to the station and boarded a bus bound for Linyang.


    Su Chen didn''t take his helicopter this time; it was too exhausting to fly every time, and taking the bus was morefortable.


    Besides, taking public transportation asionally is a way to stay grounded!


    By the time they reached Linyang, it was already dark.


    "Su Chen, it''s still a few hours to go, and thest bus has left. How about we stay here for the night and continue in the morning?"


    Huang Menglei suggested.


    "Sounds good."


    Su Chen nodded.


    However, Linyang was just a small, remote county, unlike the bustling cities of Jianghai or Yandu, with only a few inns and hotels.


    At this time, Linyang was hosting a local festival, which drew many outsiders, leading to all the amodations being fully booked.


    It wasn''t until the fifth hotel that they found a vacancy, and that was only because a couple had to rush back home due to an emergency.


    Upon learning there was only one room left, Huang Menglei felt a bit bashful.


    Would they have to share a room?


    She initially thought of suggesting they not stay, since being martial arts cultivators, spending a night outdoors wasn''t an issue.


    Of course, staying in a hotel would undoubtedly be morefortable.


    But before she could voice her concerns, Su Chen had already paid andpleted the check-in.


    "Let''s go, put our stuff away first."


    Su Chen smiled, holding the room card, and headed upstairs.


    As Huang Menglei entered, she saw it was a single room with arge bed, which made her even more anxious.


    Su Chen didn''t give it much thought and said with a smile:


    "We haven''t eaten all day; let''s grab something to eat first."


    "Okay."


    Huang Menglei said softly, then followed Su Chen downstairs.


    Normally, there wouldn''t be much to eat sote in a small county, but thanks to the festival, many restaurants were still open.


    The two casually entered a restaurant and ordered a few dishes.


    After finishing their meal, they returned to the hotel.


    Upon returning, Huang Menglei felt genuinely nervous.


    "What''s wrong? Didn''t you say I''m a good guy? Why the nervousness?"


    Su Chen teased as he saw her uneasy demeanor.


    "Who said I''m nervous!"


    Huang Menglei retorted.


    "That''s good then, let''s get some rest."


    Su Chen said, moving towards the bed.


    When Huang Menglei heard him say ''let''s,'' and saw him heading towards the bed, her heart skipped a beat, and her face turned even redder.


    But then she saw Su Chen pick up a thin quilt.


    "Alright, not teasing anymore. You take the bed, and I''ll make a bed on the floor."


    Su Chen chuckled,ying the quilt on the floor.


    "You''re going to sleep on the floor?"


    Huang Menglei asked.


    "Didn''t you say I''m a good guy? I have to act the part!"


    Su Chen replied with a yful smile.


    Huang Menglei burst intoughter at his words.


    Since they were sharing the room, showering was inconvenient, so they decided to sleep in their clothes.


    As Huang Mengleiy in bed, she still felt tense since this was her first time sharing a room with a man.


    "Su Chen, are you from the Martial Arts World?"


    Huang Menglei asked.


    "No."


    Su Chen casually replied, with one hand under his head.


    "So, what did you do before?"


    Huang Menglei curiously continued.


    "Nothing much, just wandering around the world."


    "Su Chen, did anything interesting happen during your travels? Can you tell me?"


    Huang Menglei eagerly asked, full of interest.


    Besides this time''s runaway marriage, she had only been out a few times before, and even then, always apanied by family.


    "Sure."


    Su Chen smiled and began to tell her about the strange and wonderful things he''d encountered!


    Su Chen had traveled almost everywhere in the world, encountering all sorts of bizarre incidents.


    What started as a conversation to ease awkwardness soon captivated Huang Menglei!


    Su Chen talked for two to three hours, and the more she listened, the more thrilled she became, wishing she could have experienced those things firsthand!


    "Su Chen, please tell me more."


    Huang Menglei urged.


    "It''s gettingte, let''s rest for now and continue next time."


    Su Chen said, his voice a bit hoarse, as countless fascinating stories could fill days on end!


    "Okay, but you have to tell meter."


    Huang Menglei reluctantly agreed.


    "Don''t worry."


    Su Chen assured with a smile, then both closed their eyes.


    However, not long after they closed their eyes, before they could fall asleep, a woman''s moans could be heard from the next room!


    The sound, almost like seductive music, reached Huang Menglei''s ears without fail.


    Su Chen didn''t seem too affected, but the noise disturbed Huang Menglei''s peace of mind!


    She dared not speak, instead pretending to sleep as shey in bed.


    Though she hadn''t experienced intimacy with a man, she knew what that sound was!


    It might have been fine if she were alone, but there was a man right below the bed!


    After a while, the sounds grew louder, apanied by some unmentionable words!


    Huang Menglei felt her body heat up, almost like ants were crawling, making her quite ufortable!


    She dared not move, enduring it slowly!


    She thought enduring a bit longer would suffice, but the sound persisted intermittently for several hours!


    Only near dawn did Huang Menglei finally drift off to sleep.


    Around 10 a.m., Huang Menglei awoke, eyes ringed with fatigue.


    Even though Su Chen didn''tment, Huang Menglei felt embarrassed looking at him!


    Because she knew, he must''ve heard it toost night...

 Chapter 1059: First Encounter with Ouyang Jing

    After getting up, the two of them went to a bus stop and then got on a bus.


    This bus passes through a dozen viges and towns below, and those viges and towns generally take this bus to the county seat.


    After about an hour''s journey, they finally arrived in a small town.


    However, they did not stop in the town but continued walking towards a mountain range in the distance, where the Huang Family was located deep in the mountains.


    While Su Chen helped Huang Menglei with her suitcase, he shared stories of past adventures, and she listened with great interest!


    "Shh! It sounds like someone is ahead!"


    Su Chen suddenly stopped talking and said softly.


    Huang Menglei listened carefully, and sure enough, she vaguely heard the sounds of fighting.


    "Let''s go, take a look!"


    Su Chen said, then stealthily walked a few hundred meters forward and hid behind a rock, looking over at the scene not far ahead.


    There, a young man was fighting against three strangely dressed, fierce-looking men, with the sound of weapons shing ringing out from time to time.


    The young man looked about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. His strength seemed to be higher than the three men, but fighting against all three at once was challenging, and he was at a disadvantage!


    At this time, all four had suffered some injuries, but the young man was clearly more seriously injured.


    Next to him, Huang Menglei, upon seeing this scene, immediately wanted to rush out, but Su Chen grabbed her:


    "What are you doing?"


    "Going up to help!"


    Huang Menglei pressed her voice down but said anxiously.


    "You don''t even know the situation; who are you going to help?"


    Su Chen quirked his lips and said in a low voice:


    "And at your Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, going up would mean certain death, wouldn''t it?"


    "I know that young man. He is the eldest young master of the Ouyang Family, Ouyang Jing, a very upright person who deals specifically with treacherous folks!"


    Huang Menglei said. From her expression, she held Ouyang Jing in high regard!


    Hearing this, Su Chen''s eyes lit up. This person was indeed interesting!


    Since that was the case, helping wouldn''t be an issue. Previously, he knew nothing about the situation and naturally wouldn''t act rashly!


    Now, after listening to Huang Menglei''s words, he had a n in mind.


    "Menglei, these people are too powerful. Stay here, I''ll go help."


    Su Chen said in a low voice, then moved and hid behind a tree.


    Watching his back, Huang Menglei muttered:


    "Aren''t you the same as me, both at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer?"


    But for some reason, she actually listened to Su Chen''s words and obediently hid behind the rock.


    Su Chen didn''t act blindly. Although he was confident that going out to join forces with the young man, they could take down the three men, why not conserve energy if possible?!


    As the fight continued, they changed positions constantly. When the three men''s backs were to him, Su Chen suddenly darted out like lightning, piercing his sword towards the strongest one''s heart!


    The strongest among them was already at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, naturally with keen perception. Amidst the fight, and with Su Chen holding his breath and focusing, he was not noticed!


    But as Su Chen neared him, he immediately sensed it and instinctively dodged to the side.


    However, Su Chen''s strength was alreadyparable to a pinnacle Half-Step Kaiyuan. Although the sword didn''t pierce his heart, it still struck his body!


    Su Chen quickly drew his sword back, immediately causing a mist of blood!


    Simultaneously, Ouyang Jing in front didn''t miss the opportunity and shed the person''s head off with one stroke!


    However, another person shed Ouyang Jing''s chest and abdomen with a knife, causing incessant bleeding!


    The remaining two were stunned, appearing somewhat panicked since that person was their strongest!


    "One each!"


    Su Chen shouted and charged at one of them.


    Ouyang Jing engaged the person who had just injured him!


    From fighting three at once, Ouyang Jing now faced only one, and it was the weakest among the three, drastically reducing his pressure!


    He was quite puzzled about who the person who suddenly appeared to help him was!


    But this wasn''t the time to delve into that; he needed to focus on defeating the opponent at hand!


    The one fighting Su Chen had a simr Cultivation Realm or even a bit lower, so Su Chen managed with ease. Within minutes, he killed him with a single strike!


    Subsequently, Ouyang Jing also slew thest one with a single sh!


    When the battle ended, Ouyang Jing walked straight over to Su Chen, cupped his fist, and said admiringly:


    "Brother, thank you for your righteous assistance!"


    "No problem."


    Su Chen replied casually.


    Just then, Huang Menglei also walked out from not far away.


    "Brother Ouyang."


    Huang Menglei called out happily upon seeing Ouyang Jing.


    "Are you... Miss Huang from the Huang Family?"


    Ouyang Jing looked carefully for a moment and finally recognized Huang Menglei; they had met once before.


    "It''s me, Brother Ouyang, who are these people?"


    Huang Menglei asked curiously.


    "They are the Mo Bei Three Wolves!"


    Ouyang Jing said.


    "The Mo Bei Three Wolves?!"


    Huang Menglei eximed in shock.


    "Who are the Mo Bei Three Wolves?"


    Su Chen hadn''t heard of them, so he asked.


    "Brother Su, you might not know. The Mo Bei Three Wolves are three brothers from Mo Bei, but they murder without blinking,mitting atrocities even against children!"


    Huang Menglei exined to Su Chen.


    "Right, although they are from Mo Bei, they''ve been active in the heart of Huaxia these years. I only managed to get their whereabouts with great effort this time."


    Ouyang Jing nodded and said:


    "But I didn''t expect them to be so formidable. If it weren''t for you today, Brother, my life would have been in danger!"


    "It was nothing, Brother Ouyang, no need to be too courteous! If I had known who they were, I would have killed them too!"


    Su Chen cupped his hands and said.


    "Brother, I don''t know your honorable name. Could you tell me?"


    Ouyang Jing asked, not wanting to be ignorant of the name of someone who saved his life.


    "Su Chen." Su Chen said.


    "So it''s Brother Su, once again, thank you for your help!"


    Ouyang Jing sincerely said.


    "Brother Ouyang has already thanked me, once more and I will be embarrassed."


    Su Chenughed.


    "Alright, no more thanks then. But, Brother Su, I''ll remember this favor!"


    Ouyang Jing said:


    "But Brother Su, to be at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer and have such strength, it''s truly admirable!"


    "Yes, Brother Su, how are you so amazing?"


    Huang Menglei asked in surprise, as the strength Su Chen showed was far more than just the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer!


    "Brother Ouyang tters me!"


    Su Chen smiled and didn''t say more.


    "By the way, Brother Ouyang, my home is only dozens of kilometers from here; why note and visit us?"


    Huang Menglei suddenly suggested.


    "No, I have other matters to attend to!"


    Ouyang Jing said, then chatted casually with the two before taking his leave, not lingering at all!


    "He''s quite an interesting person."


    Su Chen smiled and continued on his way...

 Chapter 1060: 3 Spirit Stones

    "Of course, Senior Brother Ouyang''s character is well-known in the Ancient Martial World!"


    Huang Menglei said as she followed behind Su Chen.


    "From your tone, do you like this Senior Brother Ouyang? He seems like a good person."


    Su Chen nced at her and joked with a smile.


    "No, I don''t!"


    Huang Menglei quickly replied:


    "I just admire his character and righteousness, and envy him for traveling around and eliminating evildoers!"


    "If not, then fine, why are you so anxious, Menglei?"


    Su Chenughed.


    "I''m not anxious at all!"


    Huang Menglei pouted.


    "Alright, just teasing you!"


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "By the way, is the Ouyang Family also an Ancient Martial Family?"


    Su Chen asked because he noticed that Ouyang Jing was not even thirty and already reached the Primary Stage of the Kaiyuan Realm.


    "Yes, the Ouyang Family is a top-tier force in the Ancient Martial World, their strength can''t bepared to our Huang Family."


    Huang Menglei replied honestly.


    The two of them talked as they walked along, after more than two hours, they finally saw a spacious three-courtyard dwelling!


    The building seemed to have the style of the Tang and Song dynasties, full of an antique charm!


    "Finally home!"


    Seeing the courtyard, Huang Menglei raised her hands and cheered.


    "This is your home?"


    Su Chen asked, somewhat surprised, as the house seemed inferior not to mentionpared to Lingyue Pce, it was even less than the Yu Family!


    He thought the Ancient Martial World would be above the Martial Arts World and the houses would be more luxurious!


    "Yes!"


    Huang Menglei turned to nce at Su Chen and said.


    But Su Chen soon realized that although it wasn''t luxurious and didn''t cover arge area, it was more hidden!


    When Huang Menglei appeared at the doorway, a servant in the front yard immediately threw down his broom and ran back, shouting:


    "The youngdy is back! The youngdy is back!"


    In no time, a group of people appeared with a middle-aged couple at the forefront!


    "You girl, disappeared for months, aren''t you trying to worry us to death!"


    Upon seeing Huang Menglei, the middle-aged woman immediately started crying.


    "Mother, I''m back now, aren''t I?"


    Huang Menglei walked over to the middle-aged woman''s side,ughing and said.


    Seeing the scene, Su Chen couldn''t help but think of thest time he went home with Xiao Yaning, it seemed somewhat simr.


    However, Xiao Yaning had returned after twenty years apart, while Huang Menglei was a sess story of escaping marriage.


    "And who might this be...?"


    The middle-aged man asked, confused as he looked at Su Chen. He was Huang Menglei''s father, Huang Zhenhua.


    "Oh, Father, I almost forgot to introduce you. This is my friend, his name is Su Chen. I couldn''t have managed without Brother Su and a sister''s help outside."


    Only then did Huang Menglei remember she hadn''t introduced Su Chen, so she said.


    "Brother Su Chen, my daughter has always been a mischievous character, thank you for looking after her."


    Upon hearing Huang Menglei''s words, Huang Zhenhua smiled and said.


    "Uncle Huang, it''s really nothing, I didn''t help much."


    Su Chen smiled and replied. He was being honest, as they hadn''t spent much time together, and his greatest help was just giving him some money.


    Huang Zhenhua and his wife found his polite manner endearing, and went on to briefly introduce other family members.


    "Steward Xu, please arrange a guest room for this young man."


    Huang Zhenhua instructed.


    "Yes."


    An elder agreed:


    "Mr. Su, please, this way."


    "Much appreciated."


    Su Chen sped his hands and walked off with the steward. Others also dispersed, as Huang Menglei had been gone a long time, naturally first following her parents.


    Within a short while, Su Chen followed the steward to a room, simple, but very clean and quite spacious.


    "Mr. Su, are you satisfied?"


    The steward asked.


    "It''s great."


    Su Chen nodded.


    "Then Mr. Su, please rest."


    The steward said a word before exiting.


    After walking so long on the mountain road, Su Chen was indeed a bit weary, so heid down on the bed.


    About an hourter, suddenly there was a knock on the door, so Su Chen got up and opened it.


    "Brother Su, hold out your hand."


    Huang Menglei said with a soft smile.


    "What for?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "Just do it!"


    Huang Menglei said coquettishly.


    "Alright, alright."


    Su Chen smiled upon hearing this and extended his hand.


    Huang Menglei held his wrist, then ced something tightly grasped in her own hand into his.


    "Spirit Stones?"


    Seeing the three spirit stones in his hand, Su Chen was taken aback!


    "Brother Su, my father asked me to give them to you, to thank you for looking after me in Yandu."


    Huang Menglei smiled.


    "No way, it''s too valuable! Menglei, take them back quickly!"


    Su Chen immediately said.


    "Brother Su, what''s this about?"


    Huang Menglei hid her hands behind her back.


    "These spirit stones are too valuable, Menglei you should take them back."


    Su Chen repeated.


    "Brother Su, you''re treating me as an outsider."


    Huang Menglei pouted:


    "In Yandu, when you and Sister Ye gave me money, I didn''t refuse!"


    "That bit of money was nothing, but spirit stones are too valuable, far beyond that money."


    "Brother Su, if you say that, then you''re not treating me as a friend, should we still ount for equivalent exchange between us?"


    Huang Menglei pouted, unhappy.


    Hearing this, Su Chen was a bit at a loss.


    "Brother Su, if you consider me a friend, just take them."


    Huang Menglei said earnestly.


    Her words were so sincere that Su Chen had no choice but to ept them.


    Seeing that he finally epted, Huang Menglei smiled.


    "Menglei, the gift you gave Brother Su is too valuable!"


    Su Chen looked at the three spirit stones in his hand and said, these three stones seemed of higher quality than any he had received before and more abundant in Yuan Qi!


    He thought to himself: The Ancient Martial Families really live up to the name, offering three spirit stones at once!


    In this respect, the Martial Arts World truly couldn''tpare!


    Despite all that, the Huang Family''s gesture of gratitude was heavy, almost overwhelming!


    "We''re friends, Brother Su, why be so formal!"


    Huang Menglei giggled:


    "Alright, Brother Su, you rest, I''ll call you for dinner."


    Having said that, Huang Menglei went out.


    .....


    Time flew by; Su Chen had been staying for two days.


    Besides cultivating, he immersed himself in the atmosphere of this Ancient Martial Family.


    Of course, most of the time he was apanied by Huang Menglei, after all, Su Chen was her invited guest!

 Chapter 1061: Auction House

    "By the way, Brother Su, there''s a small auction in the Ancient Martial World happening in a few days in the neighboring province. Do you want to check it out?"


    That day, while Su Chen was strolling around with Huang Menglei, she asked him.


    "An auction in the Ancient Martial World? What''s being auctioned?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "Not sure, it could be martial techniques, cultivation techniques, elixirs, and such."


    Huang Menglei said.


    "Then let''s go have a look, but will your parents allow you to go?"


    Su Chen nced at her and asked.


    "No problem. I talked to my parents. They also think I should go practice on my own, so they won''t restrict my freedom anymore. They said as long as I don''t stir up trouble ande back often to visit, it''s fine!"


    Huang Menglei said happily, like a bird that had gained its freedom!


    "In that case, let''s go take a look."


    Su Chen nodded. He quite understood Huang Menglei''s parents'' thinking. After all, she was young and a girl before, and naturally, they were worried she''d get into trouble.


    But since she is part of the Ancient Martial World, gaining experience is necessary. Perhaps, this elopement was an opportunity for her.


    Huang Menglei had been outside for a few months without anything happening, which eased Huang Zhenhua and his wife''s concerns to some extent.


    Besides, she''s almost twenty years old now, it''s about time!


    .....


    A few dayster, in the morning, Su Chen and Huang Menglei packed simply and set off for the neighboring province.


    Just like before, they spent two to three hours walking out of the mountain range where the Huang Family was located, then took a bus to the county town.


    Because only in the county town can you catch a bus to Anping City, the provincial capital of the neighboring province.


    The auction Huang Menglei mentioned was going to be held there.


    Although Anping City wasn''t as prosperous as Jianghai or Yandu, as a provincial capital, it was still a big city, with tall buildings and numerous shopping malls and office buildings everywhere!


    Having spent a few months in Yandu, Huang Menglei had grown ustomed to such metropolitan cities, finding herself bored at home after just a few days!


    After arriving in the downtown area of Anping, the two first found a hotel to stay in. After all, the auction wouldn''t start until the next day, and they had arrived a day early.


    This time, there were no issues with room avability. Su Chen booked two rooms facing each other, making it convenient to help out in case of any problems.


    After setting their things down, they went out shopping, of course, with Huang Menglei dragging Su Chen along.


    Whether women from the secr world or the Ancient Martial World, they all seem to share a passion for shopping!


    After two to three hours, Su Chen couldn''t take it anymore. His legs weren''t tired; his heart was!


    Initially, Su Chen went into the stores with her, butter he just sat on a bench outside ying a match-three game.


    Huang Menglei didn''t finish shopping until dinner time, which finally delivered Su Chen.


    The two had hotpot for dinner at a hotpot restaurant, and after dinner, they returned to rest.


    After taking a shower, Su Chen sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate, not resting until halfway through the night.


    The next afternoon, the two went to an auction house in Anping City.


    This auction house was specifically for the Ancient Martial World; if you weren''t part of the Ancient Martial forces, you couldn''t enter at all.


    As Su Chen and Huang Menglei approached the entrance, they saw groups of people walking in, most of whom were young people.


    These young people were mostly martial artists at the Meridian Expansion Fifth to Ninth Layer!


    Having stayed at the Huang Family for a few days, Su Chen had gained more understanding of the Ancient Martial World.


    Young people in the Ancient Martial World generally only reached thete stage of Meridian Expansion, and someone like Huang Menglei, who was not even twenty and already at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, was considered exceptionally talented!


    As for someone like Ouyang Jing, who they met before, being under thirty and already at the primary stage of the Kaiyuan Realm, was even more rare!


    Reaching thete stage of Meridian Expansion at a young age was something unimaginable in the Martial Arts World!


    After all, reaching thete stage of Meridian Expansion was already considered an expert in the entire Martial Arts World!


    It''s understandable why most attendees were young, as this was just a small auction, unlikely to feature extraordinarily valuable items!


    "Menglei?!"


    Just as Su Chen and Huang Menglei were about to enter, a surprised voice called out suddenly.


    Upon hearing the voice, the two of them turned their heads slightly.


    However, upon seeing the person who called out, Huang Menglei''s face turned dark immediately.


    "Who is that?"


    Su Chen asked quietly.


    "Song Chu!"


    Huang Menglei muttered in displeasure.


    So it was him, no wonder Huang Menglei had that attitude!


    Wasn''t he the one who was supposed to be engaged to Huang Menglei?


    Of course, he wasn''t the ugly freak Huang Menglei initially described him as, that was just her out of frustration, as he actually looked quite proper.


    In fact, they hadn''t yet reached the stage of an official engagement. It was just that once, Song Chu''s father brought him to visit the Huang Family, and Song Chu was captivated by Huang Menglei''s beauty upon seeing her!


    Fathers know their sons best. Song Chu''s father had also picked up on his son''s feelings and decided to bring Song Chu to the Huang Family every once in a while thereafter.


    After a few visits, Song Chu''s father proposed the idea of marriage alliance, and by then, Huang Zhenhua and his wife already understood the intent of the father and son duo. Otherwise, why would they visit the Huang Family so frequently all of a sudden?


    In front of Huang Menglei''s parents, Song Chu always presented himself as polite and cultivated, and along with his good looks, he was quite favored by Huang Zhenhua and his wife.


    After considering, Huang Zhenhua verbally agreed, saying that if Menglei had no objections, they would get engaged in a year!


    He hadn''t anticipated Huang Menglei''s intense reaction; she ran away as soon as she heard the news!


    Huang Zhenhua sent people to chase after her, not to forcibly bring her back for an engagement or anything, but because she had never left home before, they were worried!


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t be brought back, and she ended up disappearing!


    While out, Huang Menglei was considerate enough to call back every week using a public phone to report her safety!


    On the phone, Huang Zhenhua always told her toe back first and spend time getting to know Song Chu. If they werepatible, they could get engaged, and if not, it would be fine ¨C after all, they viewed Song Chu as a good match, and who knows if the two might have feelings for each other?!


    But Huang Menglei was adamant, insisting that her father mustpletely refuse before she would return!


    Huang Menglei''s firm stance had its reasons!


    Because she had met Song Chu several times before, and although he tried hard to hide it, there was a lecherous glint in his eyes that didn''t escape her notice!


    It must be said, women tend to have sharp intuition about such things!


    However, it wasn''t something she could easily exin to her parents and could only show her resolve by giving the other party no chance!


    With no other choice, after three to four persistent incidents, Huang Zhenhua and his wife, seeing that she remained unyielding, had to give up!


    Even though Huang Zhenhua and his wife hadn''t agreed to anything concrete, they felt somewhat embarrassed and prepared a significant gift to go to the Song Family to apologize...

 Chapter 1062: From the Secular World

    "Menglei, you''re here too!"


    Song Chu immediately came up, looking pleasantly surprised as he spoke to Huang Menglei.


    At this time, following behind Su Chen were two or three other Young Masters from Ancient Martial Families.


    Huang Menglei was wearing a white casual T-shirt on top and hot pants at the bottom. The T-shirt covered the hem of the hot pants, revealing a pair of long, fair legs. This was also the style many urban young girls preferred¡ªyouthful and lively yet notcking in sexiness!


    One had to admit, Huang Menglei had be even more adept at dressing during her months in Yandu, showcasing her beauty and good figure perfectly!


    Especially since Huang Menglei was naturally beautiful, with a little grooming, she became even more appealing!


    Seeing Huang Menglei like this, Song Chu''s feelings stirred even more!


    "Menglei, who is he?"


    Then, Song Chu noticed Su Chen beside Huang Menglei and immediately spoke with a displeased tone.


    "What business is it of yours who he is?"


    Huang Menglei replied impatiently.


    "Kid, Huang Menglei is my fianc¨¦e, stay away from her!"


    Song Chu scolded.


    "Song Chu, you''re talking nonsense! When did I be your fianc¨¦e?!"


    Concerned about her own reputation, Huang Menglei immediately retorted.


    Hearing this, Su Chen also raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of disdain. He now had a fairly good understanding of the situation between the two.


    The Huang couple had just said to see how things would go between the two, and if it was appropriate, they''d get engaged in a year. Yet he already imed Huang Menglei as his fianc¨¦e ¡ª truly shameless!


    "Even if you disagree now, you will eventually be mine!"


    Song Chu''s eyes shone brightly as he spoke!


    "That''s never going to happen!"


    Huang Menglei bluntly replied:


    "I''m telling you, give up on this idea!"


    "Are you interested in this punk?"


    Hearing Huang Menglei''s words and seeing how close they appeared to be, Song Chu''s face darkened immediately.


    "It''s none of your business!"


    Huang Menglei unceremoniously replied:


    "Song Chu, I have nothing to do with you, don''t pester me anymore."


    "Kid, which force of the Ancient Martial World are you from? State your name!"


    Song Chu''s face grew even darker hearing this and shifted his focus to Su Chen.


    However, he didn''t dare be too rash. What if the guy had a powerful background?


    "I''m not from the Ancient Martial World."


    Su Chen said coolly.


    "Could this guy be from the Martial Arts world? No wonder I haven''t seen him before!"


    Someone nearby remarked.


    "Wow, a kid from the Martial Arts world dares to snatch a woman from Young Master Song, he must be tired of living!"


    "Exactly, how blind can one be!"


    ....


    The others started discussing after hearing Su Chen''s words. Those from the Ancient Martial World naturally looked down on the Martial Arts world, simr to how the Martial Arts world looked down on the Secr World!


    "You''re from the Martial Arts world?" Song Chu asked contemptuously.


    "No, I''m from the Secr World."


    Su Chen said casually.


    As soon as he finished speaking, others were even more astonished!


    "Miss Huang, Young Master Song taking a liking to you is your good fortune!"


    "Exactly, how can this kid from the Secr Worldpare to Young Master Song!"


    "Miss Huang, Young Master Song is truly your perfect match!"


    ....


    They couldn''t believe Su Chen wasn''t even from the Martial Arts world, just a kid from the Secr World, so they started discussing again.


    Most of these people came from second-rate martial arts forces, and the Song Family was among the top of these second-rate forces.


    So naturally, between Young Master from the Song Family and a young man from the Secr World, they would choose to support the former.


    At this moment, they had already regarded Su Chen as Song Chu''s rival in love!


    "Let''s go inside."


    Su Chen couldn''t be bothered with these people and said to Huang Menglei.


    "Okay."


    Huang Menglei smiled slightly and then prepared to go in with Su Chen.


    "You must have a death wish!"


    Seeing the two ignoring himpletely, reducing himself to a mere sideshow clown, Song Chu was furious and swung a punch at Su Chen!


    Su Chen sensed the True Yuan fluctuating behind him, dodged slightly, and then turned his head to look at Song Chu calmly:


    "I don''t want to start a fight, but if you''re eager to embarrass yourself, I wouldn''t mind helping you out!"


    Having missed his punch, Song Chu was already embarrassed enough, and now hearing Su Chen''s words, his expression worsened!


    The others found Su Chen''s words boastful, a kid from the Secr World daring to threaten the Song Family''s Young Master ¡ª utterly ignorant!


    What if he was at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer?


    Maybe in the Secr World, or even the Martial Arts world, Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer counted as a top expert, but in the Ancient Martial World, it was just ordinary!


    "Don''t you know the rules here!"


    At this moment, a stern voice came over, issued by the guard at the entrance!


    Everyone shivered at those words, finally remembering the background of this auction house!


    At this time, Song Chu naturally couldn''t continue his actions and could only re fiercely at Su Chen!


    "Brother Su, you looked super cool just now!"


    Huang Menglei smilingly said to Su Chen, finding his calm words earlier very charming!


    Of course, the "super cool" phrase was something she had learned recently outside.


    "This auction house seems no ordinary ce!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help butment after observing how the entrance guard''s words stopped an arrogant Young Master like Song Chu.


    "That''s right, this Tianyuan Auction House is indeed remarkable, having branches in over twenty major cities across the country!"


    Huang Menglei nodded and said:


    "However, not many people truly know their background. There''s a rumor that this Tianyuan Auction House is backed by a super first-ss force!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but nod hearing this, no wonder Song Chu dared not move recklessly.


    In the entire Ancient Martial World, there were just a few super first-ss forces, each having deeply unfathomable strength, he naturally wouldn''t dare act wantonly!


    Soon, Su Chen and Huang Menglei arrived inside the grand hall, and even though this was just a branch of the Tianyuan Auction House, it was quite luxurious, adorned extravagantly.


    "Brother Su, let''s sit here."


    Huang Menglei sat down in a seat towards the back, and Su Chen sat down beside her.


    "Brother Su, that is the Young Master of the Flying Hawk Sect in the front, the two in the right front corner are disciples of the Lishan Sect, the one beside them is from the ck de Alliance, sitting next to him is from the Peng Family, and over there those two are from the Luo Family...."


    Knowing that Su Chen was not familiar with the Ancient Martial World, Huang Menglei introduced them to him one by one.


    Su Chen casually scanned each of them with his gaze. ording to Huang Menglei''s introduction, most belonged to second-rate forces in the Ancient Martial World.


    The only exception was the Lishan Sect, which counted as a first-ss sect, but the ones who came were just ordinary disciples....


    (ps: Sorry for theck of updates recently, everything will be back to normal starting tomorrow! Thank you for not giving up, it really means a lot! I promise to create even more exciting stories as a thank-you gift! Also, there will be one or two more chapters at night!)

 Chapter 1063: Riding a Tiger, Hard to Dismount

    Su Chen sat there, naturally feeling a gaze fixed on him, without a doubt, it was Song Chu''s.


    However, regarding Song Chu, Su Chen didn''t care much, he sat there leisurely, waiting for the auction to start.


    Before long, a woman in a blue cheongsam with floral patterns walked in. This woman was tall, with a lovely face, her hair styled in a bun, revealing an elegant and slender neck!


    She gave off an ancient charm, as if she came out of the water towns of Jiangnan!


    "Bang!"


    The woman reached the front of the stage, picked up the red little gavel, and tapped it on the table, and the room immediately quieted down!


    "Wee everyone to our Tianyuan Auction House Anping Branch, I am today''s auctioneer Tao Susu."


    The woman charmingly nced around the room, making those men''s hearts skip a beat, then she slowly opened her cherry lips and said.


    "This woman is indeed special, very skilled at capturing men''s hearts!"


    Su Chen thought to himself, gaining a bit more interest in this Tianyuan Auction House.


    "Miss Susu, let''s start quickly!"


    Someone impatiently shouted.


    "Looks like everyone can''t wait!"


    Tao Susu giggled, her body slightly trembling, then she spoke:


    "In that case, let''s begin!"


    "The first item we''re auctioning today is a Martial Technique called ''Kongming Fist'', with a starting price of two billion, and each increment is fifty million, starting now!"


    "Three billion!"


    As soon as Tao Susu finished speaking, a voice called out, directly raising the bid by one billion.


    "Three billion five hundred million!"


    Immediately another voice rang out.


    ...


    Before long, this "Kongming Fist" had already been bid up to five billion!


    Su Chen listened to everyone''s bids, but had no intention to participate.


    Although he currently had no martial techniques, he wasn''t interested in this set of "Kongming Fist."


    Because truly good things only ept exchanges of resources, like spirit stones, elixirs, spirit fruits, or cultivation techniques!


    These are all valuable cultivation resources, not measurable by money, and can only be exchanged with other cultivation resources!


    For Su Chen, this set of "Kongming Fist" was less useful for enhancing power than a strand of star energy!


    What''s more, Su Chen came mainly to observe this time, without really intending to buy, and the same went for Huang Menglei beside him.


    This time, Huang Zhenhua only gave her five low-grade spirit stones, the same as the three spirit stones he gave Su Chen a few days ago!


    After all, this is just a small auction, and Huang Zhenhua mainly wants her to participate!


    Although these spirit stones were a bit better than what Su Chen got before, they were still low-grade spirit stones, not reaching middle-grade!


    Of course, although Su Chen wasn''t interested, this fist technique was somewhat attractive to some second-rate forces in the Ancient Martial World, as it can somewhat enhance their strength!


    After a while, this set of "Kongming Fist" was eventually bought by a young master from the Luo Family for seven billion!


    The Tao Susu on stage was very happy to see the first item sold for more than three times its price, her smile blooming like flowers!


    "Now we proceed with the second item, another set of martial techniques, but it''s a movement technique called ''Phantom Step'', with a starting price of five billion, each increment is one billion!"


    Tao Susu''s pleasant voice rang out again.


    "Six billion!"


    As before, as soon as Tao Susu finished speaking, someone ced a bid!


    Upon hearing that this was a movement technique, Su Chen was moved!


    The people around him still had weak strength, and in case of danger, this "Phantom Step" could enhance their speed!


    So, Su Chen nned to buy this movement technique and give it to Qi Meng!


    But in a daze, this "Phantom Step" had already been bid up to nine billion. Clearly, movement techniques were more popr than regr techniques, since speed is an important factor in battle!


    Especially in encounters with danger, it can increase escape chances!


    "Ten billion!"


    Su Chen lifted his paddle and called out.


    "Brother Su, are you nning to buy it?"


    Huang Menglei asked upon seeing Su Chen bid.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen nodded and replied.


    "Eleven billion!" <kbd ss="in-imprint-b">Read ahead and get updates at *.</kbd>


    Quickly another voice called out.


    "Twelve billion!"


    "Fifteen billion!"


    Su Chen''s voice rang out again, raising the price by three billion, immediately attracting a lot of attention!


    Although people from the Ancient Martial World also have industries and aren''t short on money, they can''tpare with big financial groups!


    After all, what they pursue is not wealth but the enhancement of their own strength. Mary wealth is usually secondary for them!


    Seeing Su Chen bid so aggressively, many had already given up.


    Firstly, the item might not be worth that much, and secondly, even though many were young masters from sects or families, the resources, including money, they could use were limited!


    "Ladies and gentlemen, are there any more bids?"


    Tao Susu cast a charming nce and asked sweetly, feeling very happy at this point!


    If this "Phantom Step" sells at this price, it would be three times the starting price again!


    Tao Susu looked around, and seeing no more bids, she said:


    "Fifteen billion going once!"


    "Fifteen billion going twice!"


    "Fifteen billion..."


    "Sixteen billion!"


    Just as Tao Susu was about to drop the little red gavel, a voice suddenly called out.


    Su Chen and Huang Menglei turned to look, only to see Song Chu looking at Su Chen yfully.


    "Song Chu, what do you mean by this?"


    Huang Menglei stood up and said immediately.


    "What''s the matter? You can bid, but I can''t?"


    Song Chu replied nonchntly.


    "You didn''t bid earlier, norter, but chose now, clearly intentional!"


    Huang Menglei retorted indignantly, and others naturally noticed this as well.


    "I like it, he can continue to bid if he dares!"


    Song Chu nced at Su Chen, his tone somewhat provocative.


    Su Chen pulled Huang Menglei down, motioning her to sit, while a yful smile appeared on his lips!


    Although his cultivation resources weren''t as rich as those of the Ancient Martial World, they couldn''tpete with him financially!


    This Song Chu was attacking with his weakness against the enemy''s strength!


    "Seventeen billion!"


    Su Chen casually said.


    "Eighteen billion!"


    Song Chu immediately followed!


    "Twenty billion!"


    Su Chen slightly opened his mouth and lightly said.


    Upon hearing Su Chen bid twenty billion, Song Chu''s heart trembled!


    Because the resources his father allowed him to use this time were only twenty billion in money and ten low-grade spirit stones!


    He initially bid just to annoy Su Chen, but now he found himself in a difficult situation!


    Backing down now, without a doubt, would be very embarrassing!

 Chapter 1064: Young Master Song, You Are So Rich!

    "Young Master Song, why aren''t you bidding anymore?"


    Su Chen said with a teasing smile.


    "2.1 billion!"


    Song Chu spat out through gritted teeth.


    "2.2 billion!"


    Before his words even faded, Su Chen''s voice rang out again!


    "Damn it! How can this guy have so much money?!"


    Song Chu was gnashing his teeth in hatred, but he certainly didn''t think Su Chen would dare to bid this amount and not have the money!


    Because if you dare to mess with the Tianyuan Auction House in this way, it''s certain death!


    "Young Master Song, do you still want to bid?"


    At this moment, Tao Susu''s charming voice sounded again, and she was already beaming with a smile!


    As an auctioneer, her favorite scene was of course this kind of spiteful bidding war!


    The others were also watching like it was a show, including those who previously spoke for him at the door, now they were just bystanders!


    "2.3 billion!"


    Song Chu said with difficulty, anger ring in his eyes!


    "2.4 billion!" <samp ss="in-imprint-b">This trantion is powered by the readers at *.</samp>


    Su Chen turned and nced at Song Chu, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of his mouth!


    It was clearly saying, go on, keep going!


    "2.5 billion!"


    Song Chu gritted his teeth and spat out, having already decided in his heart that this was thest bid!


    If this guy continues to raise, he won''t follow!


    After all, he couldn''t keep up endlessly!


    At this moment, the smile on Tao Susu''s lovely face on the stage couldn''t be hidden, after all, the bid had increased fivefold!


    "Congrattions, Young Master Song, this magical ''Phantom Step'' is yours!"


    Su Chen turned back and sped his hands in a salute, his face full of teasing smiles!


    "Kid, you tricked me!"


    Upon hearing this, Song Chu''s face was immediately clouded with anger.


    "How did I trick you? Clearly, Young Master Song has deep pockets!"


    Su Chen said "innocently."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the other people burst intoughter.


    Because everyone could see that Su Chen did it on purpose!


    Honestly, most people thought that 1.5 billion was already high enough for this movement technique, and now Song Chu spent nearly double that, 2.5 billion, to get it, undoubtedly bing a fool!


    "Yes, Young Master Song, you are so wealthy!"


    Huang Menglei, seeing Song Chu fall short, also said gleefully, clearly very happy!


    Song Chu looked at the two, his heart filled with anger, his fists clenched tightly!


    But in this Tianyuan Auction House, he dared not be presumptuous!


    At this moment, the next auction item had already started on stage.


    "Brother Su, you are so naughty!"


    Huang Menglei whispered with a smile.


    "Am I?"


    Su Chen chuckled lightly.


    Actually, after Song Chu jumped in, Su Chen didn''t intend to get that movement technique anymore.


    It wasn''t that he was reluctant to spend the money; even if it cost a hundred billion, he wouldn''t care!


    But it''s obvious that Song Chu was deliberately antagonizing him, and Su Chen felt very irritated by this!


    Su Chen wasn''t a saint; if you make him unhappy, he would naturally make you even unhappier!


    So every step afterwards was just him leading the opponent into a trap.


    When he saw Song Chu was almost at his limit, he stopped, letting Song Chu be the fool!


    Otherwise, if he bought it in the end, wouldn''t he be the fool?


    Of course, the main reason Su Chen gave up was that the Martial Arts Techniques didn''t quite appeal to him!


    He believed thatter on, both he and the people around him would have ess to better Martial Arts Techniques!


    Unconsciously, the auction had already been going for over an hour, and item by item was being auctioned off.


    Gradually, the items improved in quality, and now they no longer used money for transactions, but cultivation resources.


    Of course, most were using Spirit Stones; at this point, Spirit Stones practically served as a universal currency!


    However, the Spirit Stones mentioned here were all Low Grade Spirit Stones; Middle Grade Spirit Stones were also rtively rare among second-tier forces of the Ancient Martial World, and each force''s Middle Grade Spirit Stones were limited!


    Although the items were getting better, Su Chen only had the three Spirit Stones Huang Menglei gave him a few days ago, and he wasn''t quite willing to use them, so he could only be a spectator.


    Huang Menglei was in the same situation, wanting everything but after feeling the Spirit Stones in her pocket, she gave up!


    As time ticked by, some who won their desired treasures were all smiles, while others silently regretted missing out on treasures!


    "Now we move on to the next auction item."


    On stage, Tao Susu took out a thumb-sized sphere from a small ring box-sized case.


    This sphere was blood-red throughout, crystal-clear, and it looked like a top-grade ruby!


    But inside the sphere, it seemed to flow like a liquid, with a faint smell of blood wafting out!


    "Miss Susu, what is this thing?"


    Someone asked; they had never seen this thing before.


    However, as soon as Su Chen saw this, he couldn''t help but widen his eyes and hold his breath!


    He couldn''t believe that this item would appear at such a small auction!


    Because Su Chen knew, this was the appearance of demon beast essence blood!


    This was described in detail in the ''Calm Spirit Body Technique''!


    "This is Silver Moon Grey Wolf Essence Blood, starting bid is five Spirit Stones!"


    Tao Susu said, her beautiful eyes looking at the crowd.


    "Miss Susu, you haven''t said what this thing does yet!"


    Someone shouted.


    Many had heard of the Silver Moon Grey Wolf; it was a first-tier demon beast, but they didn''t know the use of its Essence Blood.


    If it were the Silver Moon Grey Wolf''s inner core, they would be very interested because the inner core of demon beasts has a very significant effect on cultivation enhancement!


    "Sorry, Susu doesn''t know either; the one whomissioned us for the auction only said that the knowledgeable will recognize it, and it''s useless for those who don''t!"


    Susu shook her head slightly.


    Upon hearing this, the crowd lost interest and excitement in this item!


    After all, five Spirit Stones weren''t a small amount, and if it was worthwhile, it would be fine, but the key was not knowing what it did if bought!


    However, while others didn''t know, Su Chen did!


    If he had this Essence Blood, he could make his Body Refining more perfect, and of course, he could advance the ''Calm Spirit Body Technique'' even further while Body Refining!


    Because after the first Body Refining ispleted, further Body Refining not only enhances his physique but also advances the ''Calm Spirit Body Technique,'' bringing it closer to the First Layer!


    So, Su Chen must obtain this demon beast essence blood!


    However, Su Chen immediately calmed himself down, and then gently spoke to Huang Menglei beside him:


    "Menglei, could you lend me two Spirit Stones?"


    Because he also observed that apart from him, it seemed no one else was interested in this demon beast essence blood.

 Chapter 1065: "The Fortunate Song Chu

    "Su Chen, are you nning to buy this?"


    Huang Menglei tilted her head and asked.


    "Yes, I must have this Silver Moon Grey Wolf''s essence blood!"


    Su Chen stated firmly, a hint of desire showing deep in his eyes.


    "Su Chen, do you know what this Demon Beast Essence Blood is for?"


    Huang Menglei asked, slightly shocked.


    Since Su Chen wanted to buy it, he must know its use. Yet, among so many Ancient Martial Artists present, none seemed to know; only Su Chen did, which made Huang Menglei curious about this acquaintance she stumbled upon.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen nodded.


    "Isn''t anyone bidding?"


    Tao Susu on stage looked around seeing no one bidding, feeling a bit awkward.


    If no one bid, it would be considered a failed auction, which was extremely rare at the Tianyuan Auction House!


    "Isn''t anyone interested in bidding? This is a rare piece of Demon Beast Essence Blood! Don''t miss the opportunity!"


    Tao Susu''s captivating voice rang out again.


    But people weren''t stupid; why would anyone spend five spirit stones on something whose use was unknown?


    "Alright, Su Chen, go ahead. If you need five spirit stones, take them."


    Huang Menglei said cheerfully.


    "Thank you, Menglei."


    Su Chen said softly, knowing he would treasure this kindness in his heart.


    Just as Tao Susu was about to announce the auction as failed, a voice rang out!


    "Five spirit stones!"


    Su Chen called out loudly.


    Tao Susu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing someone finally bid!


    She looked towards the voice, and it was the same young man who had been bidding against Song Family''s Young Master earlier.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s bid, Song Chu instinctively wanted to counterbid, having a grudge yet to vent. He felt quite ufortable!


    As he was about to voice a bid, he saw Su Chen slightly turn his head with a familiar yful smile on his face!


    Song Chu''s heart skipped a beat; was this guy scheming to trap him again?


    Considering this unknown Demon Beast Essence Blood, he felt even more convinced!


    "Luckily, I am alert, or I would have fallen for this guy''s trick again!"


    Song Chu thought to himself, secretly relieved!


    Unbeknownst to him, Su Chen was intentionally acting this way to encourage such thoughts!


    After all, evenbining his and Huang Menglei''s spirit stones, there were only eight in total, so the biggest worry was someonepeting against him!


    Among those present, the one most likely to act irrational andpete with him was Song Chu, so Su Chen needed to eliminate this possibility!


    With a perfectly timed expression, Su Chen had already achieved this!


    "Five spirit stones, anyone else bidding? Don''t miss the chance, it won''te again!"


    Tao Susu said as her beautiful eyes scanned the crowd.


    Yet after shouting twice, no one ced a bid.


    When Tao Susu''s small red gavel fell, Su Chen finally rxed!


    This was the first item sold at the starting price today, but Tao Susu wasn''t too disappointed. After all, had the young man not spoken, it would have been a failed auction!


    Many saw Su Chen spend five spirit stones to buy the spherical essence blood and thought he was foolish!


    Unaware of its purpose, spending five spirit stones seemed foolish!


    Many knew Su Chen was a secr world youngster brought in by Huang Menglei. They couldn''t fathom how someone from the secr world could recognize something unknown to them.


    Su Chen didn''t care what others thought, feeling pleasantly surprised:


    "This trip was worthwhile; unexpectedly, I obtained a Demon Beast Essence Blood!"


    "Although the Silver Moon Grey Wolf is a first-tier Demon Beast, its body refinement effects should be better than herbs!"


    "If the Demon Beast Essence Blood is refined, an attack from Kaiyuan Middle Stage shouldn''t cause substantial harm!"


    After another hour, seven or eight items were auctioned, and the event concluded.


    Although there were more good itemster, Su Chen didn''t bid!


    The main reason being ack of funds, but obtaining a Demon Beast Essence Blood on this trip was already satisfying for him! <var ss="story-note-vis">C§Ñt§ãh th§Ö f§àrm§Ñtt§Öd v§Örsi§àn §Ñt §®|V|L§¦§®_§²YR.</var>


    Afterward, Su Chen went to the auction house''s second floor with his spirit stones and bank card for settlement. Shortly after, he emerged, having stored the essence blood in the Cangyue Ring.


    "Let''s go."


    Upon seeing Huang Menglei waiting at the door, Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "Su Chen, can I see that essence blood?"


    Having never seen Demon Beast Essence Blood, Huang Menglei was curious.


    "Certainly."


    Su Chen flipped his wrist, and a ruby-like sphere appeared in his palm.


    Huang Menglei didn''t realize Su Chen had taken it from the ring, assuming he held it all along!


    "So this is what Demon Beast Essence Blood looks like!"


    Huang Menglei held it and examined it, while a faint iron scent wafted out.


    However, after a few minutes, she lost interest and returned it to Su Chen.


    "So, Su Chen, what is the purpose of this essence blood?"


    Huang Menglei asked curiously.


    "Primarily to enhance physical condition and increase defense."


    Su Chen replied, keeping his identity as a Body Refiner a secret.


    "I see."


    Huang Menglei nodded.


    The two continued chatting casually as they walked.


    Just after walking a short distance from the auction house, several figures suddenly appeared before them!


    "Kid, you''re not in the auction house anymore. Let''s see who can save you now!"


    Song Chu red at Su Chen fiercely, his eyes gleaming!


    Initially, his grudge against Su Chen was due to his presence with Huang Menglei inciting jealousy and anger.


    After the auction, he purely hated Su Chen. Even without Huang Menglei, he intended to teach the youngster a lesson!


    For the young man not only cost him excessive money, but most importantly, he made him lose face!


    After winning "Phantom Step," others looked at him not with admiration, but with a hint of mockery!


    For he was clearly fooled by the secr world youngster!


    However, since others didn''t show it, he couldn''t do anything.


    Especially since they were all disciples of sects and families; he couldn''t start fights over an unspoken judgment!


    So, he had to direct all his anger towards Su Chen!


    Firstly, it was his fault; secondly, he wasn''t affiliated with any sect, so there wouldn''t be repercussions. He wouldn''t face consequences!


    "Song Chu, what do you intend?"


    Seeing Song Chu block their way with three others, Huang Menglei immediately asked coldly.


    "What do you think?"


    Song Chu said disdainfully:


    "This kid dared challenge me, causing me embarrassment. Naturally, I need to teach him a lesson!"

 Chapter 1066: It seems you’ve forgotten what I said before.

    "You asked for it!"


    Huang Menglei spat, after all, it was he who first wanted to cause trouble for Su Chen, but ended up falling into a trap, making himself aughingstock!


    "Hmph, boy, kneel and apologize to me, and stay away from Menglei in the future. I might consider letting you go!"


    Song Chu''s face darkened upon hearing Huang Menglei say he asked for it, and then he arrogantly looked at Su Chen and spat.


    He, a young master from a second-tier top power in the Ancient Martial World, naturally looked down on someone like Su Chen from the Secr World!


    "Song Chu, don''t push people too far!"


    Huang Menglei was so angry at Song Chu''s words that her chest heaved, and Song Chu''s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets!


    "Huang Menglei, I advise you to stay away and not get involved in this matter."


    Song Chu sneered, but his eyes remained fixated on the already sizable peaks of Huang Menglei.


    Noticing Song Chu''s gaze, Huang Menglei suddenly felt nauseous!


    "Indeed, Miss Huang, he''s just a boy from the Secr World, you better not meddle!"


    "Miss Huang, Young Master Song is sincerely devoted to you!"


    ...


    The few people apanying Song Chu chuckled as well, their eyes on Huang Menglei were equally unscrupulous!


    Among them were Peng Kang, the young master of the Peng Family, and two others from the ck de Alliance - Young Master ck Tiger and a disciple. Peng Kang and ck Tiger were on good terms with Song Chu.


    These people often arranged to meet at a ce for dining and women when they had free time!


    Right after the auction ended, Song Chu invited these people to join him in dealing with Su Chen.


    After all, Song Chu himself was only at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer and didn''t have much confidence in dealing with Su Chen, especially if Huang Menglei intervened, he might not be in an advantageous position!


    Perhaps in dealing with other Ancient Martial World people, they would be more cautious, but against a young man from the Secr World, Peng Kang and ck Tiger had no concerns and promptly agreed!


    With the help of these people, Song Chu had no worries anymore!


    Because Young Master Peng Kang of the Peng Family was a Martial Artist at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, and ck Tiger was a master at the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer, while the disciple from the ck de Alliance apanying him was also at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer like himself.


    This meant their side had one at the Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer, two at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, and one at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer. Handling two at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer would be a piece of cake!


    At this time, other Ancient Martial Artists hadn''t gone far either, and noticing themotion, many gathered around to watch the spectacle.


    As for Su Chen, by now they all knew he was from the Secr World.


    "Looks like this kid''s in trouble now!"


    "Serves him right for tricking Song Chu at the auction; naturally, Song Chu won''t let him off."


    "Exactly, getting into trouble without strength, now he''s doomed!"


    ...


    People around them began to discuss, clearly thinking Su Chen was going to get a harsh lesson!


    After all, on one side was Song Family''s young master, Peng Family''s young master, and the ck de Alliance''s young master, while the other side was just a young man from the Secr World, at most with an addition of a youngdy from the Huang Family!


    "Kid, are you only going to hide behind a woman?"


    ck Tiger, the ck de Alliance''s young master, mocked Su Chen who was shielded by Huang Menglei.


    "Kid, do you think you can hide behind Miss Huang and get away?!" <kbd ss="frag-987b17">Please<i ss="node-sep"></i>read<i ss="node-sep"></i>this<i ss="node-sep"></i>chapter<i ss="node-sep"></i>on<i ss="node-sep"></i>its<i ss="node-sep"></i>original<i ss="node-sep"></i>tform¡ª*.</kbd>


    Peng Kang alsoughed sarcastically.


    Su Chen could only smile wryly and shake his head at their words; indeed, there were always fly-like people anywhere.


    Then he gently stepped out and stood up.


    "Brother Su..."


    Huang Menglei looked at Su Chen with some concern.


    She wasn''t mainly worried about Su Chen being unable to handle them, as she had seen Su Chen''s skills before.


    She believed that with the two of them joining forces, they could still put up a fight against these people.


    Her main concern was the forces behind them; whether it was the Peng Family or the ck de Alliance, they were not weaker than their Huang Family, and the Song Family was even stronger!


    If theyter caused trouble for Brother Su, he would be in great danger!


    "No problem."


    Su Chen smiled calmly, and that smile seemed to have a magical power, making people feel at ease.


    "Did you just ask me to kneel and apologize?"


    Su Chen nced at Song Chu casually and asked.


    "Correct, if you don''t want to die, kneel and apologize immediately!"


    Song Chu looked at Su Chen with disdain and spat out:


    "Also, stay away from Menglei in the future."


    Su Chen''s casually rxed attitude at the moment made him very displeased. In his imagination, shouldn''t this boy be trembling and begging for mercy now?


    "Kid, stop wasting time, Young Master Song is being magnanimous here!"


    "That''s right, making our Young Master Song impatient can''t be resolved just by kneeling!"


    ck Tiger and Peng Kang also concurred withughter.


    They looked at Su Chen as if he were a clown on stage, not taking him seriously at all.


    "It seems you''ve forgotten what I said earlier."


    Su Chen looked at Song Chu and said calmly.


    Song Chu paused at his words, what did this guy say, then immediately snickered:


    "Who do you think you are, for your words to be worth remembering?"


    "It seems you''ve really forgotten, then I''ll say it again."


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a smile and said:


    "If you''re determined to embarrass yourself, I don''t mind helping you!"


    The people around were slightly surprised at his words; he really dared to say such bold words!


    And dared to say them to this young master of the Song Family!


    Song Chu, upon hearing these words, actually recalled he might have said something like that.


    But so what, who would take his words seriously?


    "I really want to see how you make me embarrass myself."


    Song Chu spat out with disdain.


    "p!"


    His words hadn''t even fallen when suddenly a figure shed, a crisp p resounded!


    The onlookers trembled involuntarily at the sound!


    When they looked towards Song Chu, they saw a clear five-finger mark on his face, and a bit of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth!


    The scene rendered everyone speechless!


    This kid actually pped the young master of the Song Family?!


    This gutsiness was overwhelming!


    As the saying goes, hit without pping the face, yet he came up and pped,pletely disregarding Young Master Song!


    Song Chu waspletely stunned too!


    He had just realized and intended to stop when he sensed the movement, but it was toote!


    Mainly, he never expected this young man from the Secr World to dare to p him so boldly!


    This was entirely beyond his expectation!


    Then an immense rage burned within him; he looked at Su Chen, eyes filled with fury wanting to turn the other into ashes!


    This kid from the Secr World dared p him in front of so many people!


    Simply courting death!

 Chapter 1067: You Dare to Kill Me?

    The nearby ck Tiger and Peng Kang were also stunned in an instant!


    This p not onlynded on Song Chu''s face but also on theirs!


    After all, they were currently in the same camp as Song Chu, and this guy utterly disregarded their presence!


    "Didn''t you want to know how I could embarrass you? Now you know, right? Are you satisfied?"


    Su Chen teased with a smirk.


    "Kid, let''s see what you can do today; having such audacity!"


    Song Chu spat out, gritting his teeth, a fierce look appearing on his face!


    Huang Menglei knew that Song Chu and his men were going to make a move, so she was ready!


    "Menglei, step back a little. Just these few trash, I''m enough to handle them alone."


    Su Chen said calmly.


    The crowd felt that Su Chen was too arrogant after hearing his words!


    Facing a Meridian Expansion Ninth Layer, two Meridian Expansion Eighth Layers, and a Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer while being merely at Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer himself, yet this arrogant; truly courting death!


    Hearing Su Chen calling them trash infuriated Song Chu, who immediately trembled with rage and struck at Su Chen with a palm!


    As the palm print passed through the void, it emitted a slight crackling sound, and the space around waspletely twisted by the surging True Yuan!


    The other few also attacked simultaneously, but this time, Huang Menglei didn''t heed Su Chen''s words and engaged Peng Kang, who was at Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer.


    In her view, one against four was too troublesome; if she could tie down one opponent, it would reduce the pressure on Su Chen!


    Su Chen knew her good intentions and said nothing about it!


    At this moment, Song Chu''s palm print was already upon Su Chen, while ck Tiger''s iron-like fist was also crashing down!


    Su Chen curved his mouth into a cold smile, ignoring Song Chu''s palm print, instead delivering a punch directly towards ck Tiger''s fist!


    "Bang!"


    "Boom!"


    Two loud noises rang out simultaneously; one was the sound of Song Chu''s palm printnding on Su Chen and the other, the collision of Su Chen''s and ck Tiger''s fists!


    "How could this be?"


    When Song Chu''s palmnded on Su Chen''s body, he was dumbfounded!


    Because he found out that his full-force palm strike had no effect on the opponent at all; instead, his own arm throbbed with pain!


    On the other hand, the scene waspletely different. At the moment the fists collided, a "snap" sound was heard; it was the sound of bones fracturing!


    With one punch, Su Chen shattered the bones in ck Tiger''s arm, then punched him in the chest!


    ck Tiger''s body immediately flew backward like a kite with a broken string!


    After sting ck Tiger away with one punch, Su Chen extended his hand, directly grabbing Song Chu''s arm, and slightly exerted force, bending Song Chu''s arm into several segments, leaving it dangling!


    At this moment, the disciple from the ck de Alliance beside ck Tiger, wielding a long knife, shed towards Su Chen!


    Su Chen slightly sidestepped, delivering an elbow strike to immobilize Song Chu, then, in one fluid motion, kicked the ck de Alliance disciple away!


    The actions were extremely smooth, as if casually flowing like water!


    All of this waspleted in nearly a blink, so fast that no one could even react!


    Witnessing the scene, everyone was utterly shocked, their faces nk, with their mouths agape!


    What unfolded before their eyes was beyond their wildest dreams!


    At this moment, Peng Kang and Huang Menglei, who noticed themotion from the side, werepletely taken aback too!


    They had just crossed hands, after all!


    The young man from the Secr World, fighting one against three, had already dealt with those three!


    Moreover, each of those three had a cultivation realm higher than his!


    Wasn''t this too terrifying?!


    Even Peng Kang and Huang Menglei were utterly shocked!


    Back when Su Chen fought the Three Wolves of Beibei Desert, she just thought Brother Su was impressive!


    However, as those two were both at the peak of Half-Step Kaiyuan, the gap in cultivation levels was too vast for Huang Menglei to perceive clearly!


    Now, she finally had the most direct feeling!


    Brother Su was simply too strong!


    What she didn''t know was, Su Chen was still concealing more than half of his strength!


    For the current Su Chen, anyone below Half-Step Kaiyuan really was like an ant! <samp ss="ref-e19d67">If you''re not on *, you''re viewing a copy.</samp>


    Even against someone at Kaiyuan Primary Stage, he was absolutely confident he''d prevail!


    As for Kaiyuan Middle Stage, he believed he still had the power to fight!


    Besides the inherent power of the "Nine Yang Divine Technique", it was also due to the effects of Ster Power and God Suppression Body!


    For the current Su Chen, these three were the foundation of his strength!


    It''s thebined impact of the three that allowed him to defeat opponents far above his cultivation realm!


    After being slightly stunned, Peng Kang immediately wanted to escape. He wasn''t foolish enough to not realize he had hit a steel te today!


    So, after exchanging a move with Huang Menglei, he darted in another direction to flee!


    "Thinking of escaping now, don''t you find it toote?"


    Su Chen snorted coldly, moved his figure, and appeared right in front of Peng Kang!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen then pped a palm, instantly knocking Peng Kang flying away, crashing beside Song Chu!


    Everyone around was now terrified beyond words!


    From the moment this young man made his move until now, it had only been just over a minute!


    It was aplete rout!


    They never expected this young man from the Secr World to be that frightening!


    "You two, get over here!"


    Su Chen said to the two ck de Alliance members who had been sent flying and were still lying on the ground!


    Hearing his words, the two immediately struggled to stand up and, trembling, walked over!


    The impression Su Chen had left on them just now was terrifying!


    At this point, ck Tiger and Peng Kang deeply regretted helping Song Chu!


    "Young Master Song, how did I do helping you?"


    Su Chen said with a yful smile on his lips:


    "If you''re not satisfied, I''ll assist you more!"


    Since Su Chen had previously told Song Chu, "If you insist on wanting to lose face, I can help you," he was clearly mocking Song Chu now!


    "Kid, just you wait, I will kill you sooner orter!"


    Song Chu said, ring at Su Chen with utmost hostility; his hatred for Su Chen had far surpassed his desire for Huang Menglei!


    "I''m afraid you won''t see that day!"


    Su Chen said lightly.


    "Would you dare to kill me?"


    Song Chu showed no fear; he didn''t believe Su Chen truly dared to kill him!


    Even the others thought so; despite Su Chen defeating these few people showcasing incredible strength, the Song Family was, after all, among the top-tier in the second-rate forces of the Ancient Martial World!

 Chapter 1068: Experiencing the Feeling of Death

    "What if I kill you!"


    Su Chen sneered, his eyes shing with killing intent!


    Since the other party wants to kill him, then it''s only natural for him to kill the other party as well!


    Song Chu saw Su Chen''s cold gaze, his heart trembled involuntarily, but he still stubbornly said:


    "If you dare,e at me! Even if you kill me, you won''t survive!"


    "Then I will oblige you!"


    Su Chen reached out and directly grasped Song Chu''s throat!


    "Taste the feeling of death!"


    At this moment, Su Chen''s face showed no expression, and his hand gradually tightened, firmly choking Song Chu''s neck!


    Song Chu instantly found it hard to breathe, his face turning purplish-blue in seconds!


    At this moment, he truly felt the approach of the Grim Reaper!


    Song Chu immediately became extremely frightened; this madman actually dared to kill him!


    He had been so stubborn before, not because he wasn''t afraid of death, but because he rationally didn''t believe Su Chen would really dare kill him!


    Now he realized he was wrong!


    Peng Kang and ck Tiger, watching nearby, were so frightened they almost lost their guts!


    Although they feared Su Chen''s power before, they truly didn''t believe Su Chen would dare kill people like them!


    After all, they weren''t alone, their background was either part of an ancient martial family or a sect from the ancient martial world!


    "Brother Su, let it go, spare him."


    Huang Menglei, seeing Su Chen''s actions, was startled and quickly grabbed his arm to speak.


    If Brother Su really killed Song Chu, the Song Family would indeed pursue him relentlessly!


    No matter how strong Brother Su is, he couldn''t possibly be a match for the Song Family!


    Su Chen, hearing Huang Menglei''s words, thought about it. If he really killed Song Chu here today, it could cause trouble for the Huang Family!


    "Consider yourself lucky today!"


    Su Chen casually threw Song Chu to the ground like a dead dog!


    "Cough cough cough...!"


    Song Chu immediately started coughing uncontrobly, looking at Su Chen with limitless hatred!


    In Song Chu''s view, Su Chen''s actions only proved he was cowardly and didn''t dare actually harm him!


    "Hmph, do you think letting me live means I''ll spare you?"


    Song Chu snorted inwardly!


    He secretly vowed in his heart to kill this bastard!


    In fact, it wasn''t only Song Chu, but others watching also thought Su Chen ultimately didn''t dare kill the Young Master of the Song Family!


    However, Su Chen didn''t care at all about the thoughts of Song Chu or anyone else.


    Su Chen never cares about others'' thoughts unless it''s someone he truly cares about!


    Su Chen spared Song Chu today mainly to avoid causing trouble for the Huang Family.


    After all, the day''s events were closely rted to Huang Menglei, and if he really killed Song Chu, it was hard to guarantee the Song Family wouldn''t vent their anger on the Huang Family! Thetest chapters are always avable first on *.</abbr>


    Su Chen is someone who doesn''t want to trouble others or cause them trouble.


    Of course, for Su Chen, letting Song Chu go this time doesn''t mean he will let him go next time.


    If he insists on courting death, then Su Chen will oblige!


    "Let''s go."


    Su Chen said with a light smile to Huang Menglei, then took her hand and left.


    Su Chen''s casual gesture caused a ripple in Huang Menglei''s heart as her slender hand was held...


    At this moment, the crowd watching the two walk away were yet to recover from their earlier shock!


    They never imagined a young man from the secr world could be so powerful!


    ......


    Su Chen and Huang Menglei took a taxi after walking a while, then returned directly to the hotel.


    By now, it was already veryte, and they ate a little something near the hotel before returning to their room.


    After showering, with nothing else to do, Su Chen began cultivating the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique" on the bed.


    He cultivated until the second half of the night before lying down to sleep for a while.


    The next morning, after finishing breakfast, they nned to head back.


    Su Chen was quite satisfied with this trip to Anping, as it deepened his understanding of the ancient martial world.


    Of course, the main gain was the essence blood of the Silver Moon Grey Wolf!


    The two returned to the Huang Family in the afternoon and stayed briefly for a couple of days before Su Chen nned to head back.


    Huang Menglei did not leave with him; although Huang Zhenhua and his wife had given her freedom, she had just returned after being away for three to four months, so naturally, she wanted to stay home with her parents for a while.


    "Brother Su, I will go to Yandu to find you in a while."


    That day, Huang Menglei said reluctantly as she saw Su Chen off.


    "Okay, don''t stay in a hotel this time. You can stay at my ce,"


    Su Chen said with a smile, their rtionship naturally closer after spending these days together.


    "Okay."


    Huang Menglei happily nodded upon hearing this.


    "Alright, I''m going, see you in Yandu."


    Su Chen waved his hand, then left...


    ......


    Su Chen walked back towards the direction of the town along the path he hade, initially concerned that the Song Family might have set an ambush for him in this mountain range. However, he saw no sign of anyone by the time he reached the town.


    After more than half a day''s journey, Su Chen finally returned to Yandu that evening!


    When Su Chen got home, it was already past eight in the evening, and Lin Ruoxue was already back.


    She was lying on the sofa reading a magazine, having finished her bath with ace silk nightgown on.


    Because she was lying down, quite a bit of her ''spring light'' was inadvertently exposed, her snow-white skin like milk,pelling one to touch!


    Her long, shapely legs were also exposed, Lin Ruoxue''s legs were wless!


    Lin Ruoxue was naturally lying on the sofa waiting for Su Chen to return, as he had called beforeing back, saying he''d be home at night.


    Now Lin Ruoxue truly couldn''t live without Su Chen; if he stayed away for two or three days, she immediately felt like something was missing in her life!


    Upon entering and seeing Lin Ruoxue lying on the sofa, Su Chen approached with a yful smile.


    "Honey, did you wash up and lie here waiting for hubby?"


    Su Chen sat down on the sofa, chuckling.


    "Who''s waiting for you! I''m reading!"


    Lin Ruoxue spat back, of course not admitting she was intentionally waiting for him!


    That would be so embarrassing!


    Lin the CEO valued her dignity very much!


    "Really?"


    Su Chen said yfully, as hisrge hand had already started gently stroking Lin Ruoxue''s leg.


    Lin Ruoxue immediately felt a slight electric current pass through, and her beautiful face flushed with a faint blush...

 Chapter 1069 - 1069 The Completion of the Mountain Villa

    Although Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t admit it verbally, she quickly sumbed to Su Chen''s advances!


    Since no one else was at home, Lin Ruoxue did those embarrassing things with Su Chen for the first time in the living room!


    This made Lin Ruoxue feel extremely shy, yet also somewhat new and exciting!


    In the end, Lin Ruoxue was almost entirely weak on the sofa, having no strength left...


    Since she developed a substantial rtionship with Su Chen, many things Lin Ruoxue previously dared not imagine seemed to have been tried!


    Previously at the office, now in the living room!


    Actually, Lin Ruoxue is still rtively conservative, generally preferring more private ces like the bedroom.


    However, since she married such a husband, she often has to go along with him...


    "Come, darling, let me carry you upstairs!"


    Su Chen said contentedly, then picked up Lin Ruoxue in a princess hold.


    Lin Ruoxue did not refuse, as she truly had no strength left...


    "You''re such a bad guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue wrapped her arm around Su Chen''s neck, blushing, and said angrily.


    Recalling the madness in the living room, she still felt very embarrassed!


    "If a man isn''t a bad guy, women wouldn''t love them!"


    Su Chen shamelesslyughed out loud...


    .....


    Early the next morning, Su Chen got up to make breakfast, as he always did.


    After they had breakfast together, they each drove to thepany.


    When Su Chen arrived at the office, as usual, he had a cup of tea and thetest issue of "Men''s Health" magazine.


    It was natural that after an hour or two, Su Chen found himself idle.


    He suddenly remembered that the project manager told him the vi waspleted a couple of days ago and asked when he wanted to inspect it.


    So Su Chen called the project manager and asked him to go over now.


    Su Chen also drove to the estate, and by the time he arrived, the project manager was already waiting at the gate.


    "Mr. Su, please check it out and see if there''s anything you''re dissatisfied with."


    The project manager said respectfully, this was, after all, the real financial backer!


    But this financial backer was quite peculiar, he practically threw his hands off such a big project and almost never asked about it!


    Su Chen nodded slightly, and from the foot of the hill, he felt the vi was very beautiful, stylish, and grand!


    Which was only natural, as the vi cost nearly a billion yuan!


    There''s no need to imagine how luxurious a billion yuan-produced vi must be!


    As for the style, it wasn''t of ancient Chinese design but more of a modern minimalist style!


    The entire building was mainly in light colors like white, indeed full of modern, stylish, and simple feeling!


    The main reason Su Chen chose this style was because of Lin Ruoxue, after all, she was a modern urban career woman and surely preferred this style!


    Su Chen then strolled around apanied by the project manager!


    The entire estate was mainly divided into tworge sections, front and back, each with dozens of rooms and everything one could need!


    For example, audio-visual centers, gyms, etc., are all avable!


    The central part between the front and back sections was what Su Chen was most satisfied with! <var ss="meta-ref-static">Spot an error? Visit the original post on M&VLEMPY&R.</var>


    That was the beautifully designed hot spring pool, with four pools including onerge pool and three smaller ones!


    Between the pools were winding paths paved with cobblestones, extending to the front and back estates!


    It can be said that it was the hot spring pool that perfectly connected the front and back parts of the vi!


    Besides these, Su Chen also built a small courtyard next to the main estate, the two are almostpletely independent but look perfectly unified overall, due to the designer''s skill!


    In fact, besides the hot spring pool, what Su Chen was looking forward to most was thepletion of therge-scale Gathering Yuan Formation for the improvement in cultivation it would bring!


    Once therge-scale Gathering Yuan Formation waspleted, his cultivation speed would increase significantly!


    After inspecting, Su Chen was very satisfied with the entire estate!


    "Manager Liu, thank you for your hard work during this time, I''m very satisfied!"


    Su Chen said.


    "Mr. Su, you''re too kind, as long as you''re satisfied!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s satisfaction, Manager Liu finally felt relieved.


    After all, having received a twenty millionmission, he certainly hoped the owner was very satisfied!


    After a while, Manager Liu took his leave.


    Su Chen also strolled around the estate and then drove away.


    But there was nothing to do at thepany, so he went straight back to cultivate.


    After connecting with the Ancient Martial World, Su Chen''s understanding of its strength deepened!


    For example, Huang Menglei''s father Huang Zhenhua is a Kaiyuan Middle Stage Martial Arts expert!


    Keep in mind that the Huang Family is only an ordinary family among the second-tier forces of the Ancient Martial World!


    Hence, one can imagine how strong the first-tier forces and even the super-tier forces of the Ancient Martial World must be!


    So Su Chen definitely couldn''t ck off!


    ...


    Su Chen''s cultivationsted until evening, then he went to buy groceries to cook a meal.


    Lin Ruoxue returned home around eight o''clock, she generally came home at this time now, much better than before when it was often around ten.


    "By the way, darling, the vi is ready, when will you have time to take a look together and move in?"


    Su Chen casually asked during dinner.


    "It''s ready?!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes lit up when she heard this, she was quite looking forward to the vi, then thought for a moment and said:


    "Two weekster, I''m a bit busytely!"


    After all, moving house isn''t something you can get done in an hour or two, it might take a day or two, so Lin Ruoxue had to n her time in advance.


    "That''s fine."


    Su Chen was indifferent to this, he could use these days to set up the Gathering Yuan Formation!


    Setting up arge-scale Gathering Yuan Formation is notparable to a medium-sized Gathering Yuan Formation, much moreplex, and can''t bepleted in one or two days!


    So, for the next few days, Su Chen spent most of his time arranging formations around the mountain!


    As for the materials needed for the formations, he had prepared them long ago and stored them in a superrge warehouse.


    The materials required for the formations were plentiful, they couldn''t fit at home or elsewhere.


    Since it was his first time setting up arge-scale Gathering Yuan Formation, Su Chen took nearly ten days in total, and only after a lot of effort finally managed toplete it!


    The stones and trees used in the formations were cleverly ced by Su Chen, perfectly blending with the surrounding scenery, showing no sign of anything special or mysterious!


    (ps: First update, there will be three more updates today!)

 Chapter 1070: Meeting Dugu Mingyue Again

    After the formation waspleted, Su Chen quickly felt an abundance of Yuan Qi that he had never experienced before, as if he werepletely enveloped by it!


    Su Chen looked at the incredibly beautiful and magnificent vi in front of him, experiencing that wonderful feeling, unable to hide the excitement in his heart!


    Now that thisrge Gathering Yuan Formation wasplete, his cultivation speed was twice as fast as before, about fifteen or sixteen times that of an average Martial Artist!


    What''s more, the Nine Yang Divine Technique is inherently a heaven-defying cultivation method!


    At this moment, he was already envisioning a true breakthrough into the Kaiyuan Realm!


    As his old master would say, only by entering the Kaiyuan Realm can one truly embark on the path of cultivation!


    However, his current realm was still at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, with several vital points yet to be opened before reaching the Eighth Layer, so he was still quite a distance away from the Kaiyuan Realm!


    After arranging the Gathering Yuan Formation, Su Chen sat at the vi''s entrance for two or three hours before returning.


    On the way back, Su Chen suddenly realized he hadn''t visited Yan Min in a long time.


    Thest time he saw her was before he went to Miaojiang, and he had promised to return and visit her soon.


    Now that so much time had passed without visiting, that girl must be ming him for not keeping his word!


    Su Chen thought about it and decided to take the opportunity to visit her today!


    Soon, Su Chen drove to the entrance of Yandu University. After getting out of the car, he called Yan Min.


    Yan Min was overjoyed to hear that Su Chen had arrived at the entrance of Yandu University and quickly ran to meet him. <dfn ss="story-note-vis">Th§Ö §àrigin§Ñl s§àur§ã§Ö is §®|V|L5§¦§®§²YR.</dfn>


    "Why are you running so fast?"


    Su Chen saw her jogging over, her face slightly flushed, panting, and couldn''t help but pat her hair with a smile.


    "Brother Su, why are you here all of a sudden?"


    Yan Min blinked her bright eyes and asked.


    "I haven''t seen you in a long time, so I came to check on you."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Brother Su, you saidst time you''d visit me soon, why did it take so long?"


    Yan Minined upon hearing this.


    "I''m sorry, that''s my fault. I''ll make it up to you."


    Su Chen said with an awkward smile.


    But indeed, after visiting Yan Minst time, he was quite busy, first with going to Miaojiang, then matters with the Judgment Department, and afterward the Martial Arts Conference.


    Before this, all these matters were weighing on Su Chen''s mind, giving him considerable pressure, so he spent most of his time cultivating.


    "It''s alright. I''m just happy you came to see me, Brother Su."


    Yan Min said cheerfully, not taking it to heart.


    Then she took Su Chen''s arm and walked into the campus. Although Su Chen had been to the university two or three times, he still felt a sense of tranquility and peace walking through the campus!


    Probably the college years are one of the most carefree periods of a person''s life, which is why many people cherish them!


    However, Su Chen did not have that fortune!


    During the age he should have been attending college, he was fighting in the Dark World, walking the edges of danger every day!


    So for Yan Min, he sincerely wished that she would enjoy and happily pass through this most beautiful time!


    As they walked, they unknowingly found themselves near a pavilion.


    His gaze instinctively turned to the pavilion, becausest time he met a woman here who left a deep impression on him!


    At that time, the woman was sitting on the bench, engrossed in a book, as if nothing around her was of concern!


    Her entire being seemed to be shrouded in a holy light, with a sense of untouchable sanctity!


    Su Chen still remembered her name¡ªDugu Mingyue, a very special name!


    So when passing by here, he couldn''t help but look that way!


    Indeed, a graceful figure appeared there, still holding a book, her expression serene and natural!


    As if time hadn''t passed, and she had always been sitting there!


    That woman seemed to sense something and looked up, then a faint smile appeared on her face.


    At the same time, she gently closed the book and stood up, walking toward Su Chen.


    "Hello, may I get to know you?"


    The woman said with a gentle smile, looking at Su Chen:


    "I''m Dugu Mingyue."


    Yan Min was utterly amazed upon seeing this!


    It''s known that this first belle of Yandu University had been studying there for almost a year and had never heard of her actively talking to anyone, let alone a boy!


    Now she actually took the initiative to approach and talk to Brother Su!


    What''s even more astonishing is that Dugu Mingyue actively expressed a wish to know Brother Su!


    Su Chen was also surprised when the other side suddenly came over to greet him, and he was momentarily stunned.


    Afterward, he smiled politely and said:


    "Of course you can. My name is Su Chen."


    "Very nice to meet you."


    Dugu Mingyue smiled faintly.


    "I''m also pleased to meet you, and you look a lot like a friend of mine."


    Su Chen said, looking at Dugu Mingyue.


    "Brother Su, your flirting game is so old,cking any novelty."


    Yan Min said with a slight mouth twitch and "disdain".


    "It is indeed a bit old."


    Dugu Mingyue gave a soft smile, jokingly.


    "I''m being serious."


    Su Chen spread his hands innocently.


    The friend he was referring to, naturally, was Pei Man.


    The two women had a simr aura, both giving off a transcendent, otherworldly feeling.


    However, there were subtle differences; Pei Man gave him an impression of wisdom, seeing through everything, which made her indifferent!


    Whereas the woman in front of him appeared more untouched by the world, untainted by dust, which made her see past everything!


    In essence, Pei Man possessed more wisdom, while the woman before him exuded a more celestial aura!


    In terms of appearance alone, the two women were neck and neck, both considered world-ss beauties!


    "Mr. Su, if you have time, feel free to visit Yun Ya Residence."


    Dugu Mingyue said with a softugh.


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback by this invitation, realizing after a moment:


    "So Yun Ya Residence''s musician was Miss Dugu all along!"


    No wonder he felt some familiarity with that musician before!


    "I hope it pleases Mr. Su''s ears."


    Dugu Mingyue said with a slight smile, effectively confirming that she was indeed the musician!


    "Miss Dugu is too modest; it was wonderful, like a heavenly sound!"


    Su Chen praised sincerely:


    "I will definitely visit when I have time."


    Su Chen was curious about how she, as a university student, could y at Yun Ya Residence?


    But since they weren''t familiar yet, he refrained from asking more.


    "Thank you, Mr. Su. I look forward to your visit. I''m heading off now."


    Dugu Mingyue said softly, then left...

 Chapter 1071: Living Together

    Su Chen left after apanying Yan Min for a few hours and returned home to resume his cultivation.


    Anyway, there were only a few days left before moving, so he wasn''t in a hurry to start cultivating at the newly built manor, although the speed there was twice as fast!


    That night, after Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue finished dinner, they took a leisurely walk around the neighborhood before going to rest...


    .....


    Meanwhile, inside a luxurious vi in Yandu, a womany reclining on the sofa, her clothes barely covering her!


    Her figure was incredibly graceful, like a water snake, her face remarkably beautiful, able to enchant with merely a smile, making one sumb!


    Before her stood another woman in a long dress, seemingly reporting something.


    She listened casually, a seductive smile slowly spreading across her face!


    "Are you saying she took the initiative to speak with that man?"


    Her slightly moist, cherry-like lips gently parted.


    "Yes, Miss!"


    The woman in the long dress replied.


    "Could it be that the exceptionally pure Miss Dugu has developed mortal feelings, longing for a man?"


    The woman giggled coquettishly:


    "Now, this is getting interesting!"


    "Miss, she merely exchanged a few words with that man; it doesn''t signify anything, right?"


    The woman in the long dress looked at the other woman with some confusion.


    "Don''t you know our Miss Dugu is like a celestial being, always so aloof?"


    The woman cast her a nce with her beautiful eyes:


    "Her initiating a conversation with that man is intriguing in itself!"


    "But Miss, isn''t Young Master Hua interested in her?"


    The woman in the long dress hesitated:


    "It would be terrible if Young Master Hua found out!"


    "That''s not our concern!"


    The woman smirked yfully:


    "Find out well, who is the man who stirred the heart of our pure and pristine fairy?"


    "I''m quite curious about that man!"


    "Yes!"


    The woman in the long dress bowed and went out.


    Slowly rising, the woman went to the window, gazing at the night outside, her face revealing a triumphant and cunning smile:


    "Dugu Mingyue, oh Dugu Mingyue, never did I expect such a day woulde for you!"


    ....


    A few days swiftly passed, during which Su Chen refined and utilized the essence blood of the Silver Moon Grey Wolf!


    As a result, the strength of his body went up another notch, making his skin even smoother!


    Even Lin Ruoxuemented on how his skin was improving; after all, they often engaged in such activities, allowing Lin Ruoxue to notice the significant change clearly!


    With Su Chen''s current body strength, a typical Kaiyuan Middle Stage attack wouldn''t cause too much harm!


    When he activated the ''Calm Spirit Body Technique,'' the surface of his skin would shimmer slightly, forming a shield-like aura!


    Despite his enhanced body strength, his cultivation realm remained at Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, not yet breaking through to the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer!


    After the Martial Arts Conference, he mainly focused on cultivating star energy, followed by a visit to the Huang Family, which left him little time for cultivating the ''Nine Yang Divine Technique''!


    Although his ''Supreme Star Shifting Technique'' hadn''t reached the First Turn and the ''Calm Spirit Body'' not the First Layer, both had made significant improvements!


    Thus, next, he focused more on cultivating the ''Nine Yang Divine Technique,'' intending at least to reach the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer!


    ......


    Saturday morning came quickly, and after breakfast, Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue drove to Yuquan Mountain.


    They nned to start moving house this day, having barely arranged two days of free time.


    Normally, hiring a movingpany would be more convenient, but Lin Ruoxue insisted on doing it herself this time.


    During their first trip, they didn''t bring much; Lin Ruoxue mainly wanted to see what the fully constructed manor looked like first.


    Upon reaching the manor''s entrance, Su Chen''s eyes widened in disbelief!


    Because he saw Eniel, Xia Qiuru, and Du Hanbing there; how could they be here?


    "Eniel, Qiuru, Hanbing, you''ve arrived?"


    Lin Ruoxue appeared calm and collected.


    "We just got here too."


    Du Hanbing replied with a gentle smile.


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen was utterly stunned!


    What on earth is going on?


    "What? Don''t recognize your own women?"


    Lin Ruoxue gave Su Chen a yful nce.


    "How are you all here?"


    Su Chen asked, suddenly feeling a bit awkward, scratching his head sheepishly.


    "What, don''t you want us here?"


    Eniel pretended to be upset:


    "In that case, Hanbing, Qiuru, let''s go."


    "That''s not what I meant."


    Su Chen quickly pulled Eniel back, a bit embarrassed.


    "We will all live here together in the future."


    Lin Ruoxue casually exined.


    Su Chen froze upon hearing this!


    Living together here?


    After a brief moment of surprise, Su Chen''s face lit up with an irrepressible smile of excitement!


    Does this mean...


    "Now you''re happy, aren''t you!"


    Seeing his expression, Lin Ruoxue knew exactly what he was thinking, and retorted with some annoyance!


    "No, no..."


    Su Chenughed awkwardly, though inside he was overjoyed! <samp ss="in-imprint-a">Uploaded by the *) team.</samp>


    The other women saw his reaction and chuckled, knowing well his mischievous thoughts!


    "Alright, open the door, let''s take a look inside."


    Lin Ruoxue spoke casually; despite her decision, seeing Su Chen''s silly grin still irritated her slightly!


    Upon hearing, Su Chen hurried joyfully to open the door:


    "Wee,dies!"


    Su Chen bowed like a waiter, though his ebullient smile was evident!


    The women ignored Su Chen and entered the manor together!


    "So beautiful!"


    They eximed upon entering.


    Even outside, they had felt the manor''s grand, stylish beauty!


    Inside, they liked it even more; every design was so gorgeous!


    Lin Ruoxue''s face also beamed with satisfaction.


    Trailing behind the women, Su Chen watched their graceful figures, suddenly feeling surrounded by happiness!


    It felt like a dream, and he couldn''t quite believe it was real!


    £¨ps: Today''s third update, one more to go, "Wind and Rain" wille out soon, might be past twelve, tomorrow still four updates!£©

 Chapter 1072 - 072: Harmonious Coexistence

    The women walked through the vi, chatting and sharing their thoughts, looking quite harmonious and joyful!


    Each of the four women had a unique style and aura. Lin Ruoxue and Eniel were slightly more beautiful, but Xia Qiuru and Du Hanbing were also stunning beauties, one in a million!


    Su Chen followed the women as if admiring a beautiful scene!


    Although this was a scenario he had dreamed of, he still didn''t understand how it hade to be!


    After more than an hour of wandering, the women finally finished touring the vi and then sat down in a living room at the rear estate.


    Sitting one against four in this way, Su Chen couldn''t help but feel nervous; of course, he was mostly puzzled!


    Seeing Su Chen''s confused expression, the women helped to clear up his doubts.


    It turned out that Lin Ruoxue had already made this decision when she first met Eniel and the others.


    As she said at the time, since she couldn''t give up this man, the best result was to ept each other and coexist harmoniously.


    At the time, after sending Su Chen away, she told Xia Qiuru and the others that if they were willing, they could all live together.


    Xia Qiuru and the others were naturally very willing and deeply moved by Lin Ruoxue''s generosity and magnanimity!


    They reflected on themselves and realized that if it were up to them, they might not be able to do it!


    It wasn''t because Lin Ruoxue didn''t love Su Chen, but because she loved him deeply and was willing to make sacrifices!


    Since Lin Ruoxue agreed to everyone living together, Eniel and Du Hanbing made a decision at that time.


    They decided to give up on their previous matters, so currently, Eniel was no longer associated with the Nether Temple, and Du Hanbing was no longer the Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade!


    For Eniel, although the Nether Temple was important, the most important person was this man in front of her! <cite ss="story-note-vis">Visit §®y Virtu§Ñl Libr§Ñry §¦mpir§Ö (§®V-L§¦§®§²-YR) f§àr m§àr§Ö.</cite>


    And after Du Hanbing almost died from an injuryst time, her mindset changed, especially since she was now with Su Chen.


    She wanted to spend quality time with this man, and besides, after years of constantly carrying out tasks, she felt exhausted!


    Moreover, since both of them were martial artists, this way, they could dedicate more time to cultivation.


    They had already handled the necessary affairs and agreed with Lin Ruoxue to move into the vi in the Imperial Garden with Xia Qiuru when the time came.


    Just as it happened, soon after, Su Chen decided to purchase Yuquan Mountain and build a vi, so Lin Ruoxue thought it would be better to wait until the vi was constructed for everyone to move in together.


    Thus, Lin Ruoxue informed them yesterday, inviting them all toe today!


    In fact, Eniel had arrived in Yandu the day before, but she kept her presence hidden to surprise Su Chen.


    After learning everything, Su Chen was very touched, feeling that he couldn''t ask for more in life!


    Especially with Lin Ruoxue, her eptance of him having other women already made him feel very forgiven!


    He didn''t expect she would actually...


    At that moment, Su Chen silently vowed to protect these women who loved him deeply with all his heart, not letting theme to any harm!


    .......


    "Su Chen, why does this vi feel so refreshing and delightful?"


    Xia Qiuru suddenly asked.


    "Yes, it feels extremelyfortable, indescribable by words!"


    Lin Ruoxue echoed her sentiment.


    Previously, at the vi, she had felt that home was morefortable than other ces, but she didn''t expect this ce to be even morefortable!


    Eniel and Du Hanbing, both women skilled in cultivation, felt an incredible concentration of True Yuan here!


    "I set up arge formation here!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Formation?"


    Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru, both ordinary women, were a little mystified.


    Du Hanbing suddenly realized, while Eniel had almost guessed beforehand.


    "It''s a bitplicated to exin for now, just know that living here will be very beneficial for your health!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru didn''t press further; as long as they knew it was good for their health, that was enough!


    Next up was the moving process, which was quite a hassle. They were busy until the afternoon of the next day before finally settling in, and everyone was exhausted!


    Of course, they all lived in the back half of the vi, quickly choosing their rooms, including Su Chen who picked one too!


    Since Lin Ruoxue had already epted this reality and let everyone live together, naturally, she couldn''t monopolize Su Chen; otherwise, it wouldn''t be harmonious coexistence!


    To achieve harmonious coexistence, everyone needed to be tolerant and understanding of each other, that way, they could be like a family!


    If she monopolized Su Chen, over time, it would worsen rtionships, even leading to breakdowns!


    Because it would be like having someone see their affection unting right under their nose, which wasn''t tolerance but malice, stabbing into others'' hearts!


    Therefore, Su Chen also had a separate room, meaning he could go to anyone''s room at night if he wanted!


    Of course, if anyone couldn''t bear the loneliness, they coulde to find him!


    This way of living bnced equality and ease, and everyone felt more rxed!


    However, Eniel and the others knew that Su Chen would spend most of his time with Lin Ruoxue, after all, she was the legitimate wife!


    More importantly, they clearly understood that Lin Ruoxue held the most special ce in Su Chen''s heart, a position no one else could rece!


    Of course, they had no objections to this, given that Lin Ruoxue had already done so much, earning their utmost admiration and gratitude!


    As the legitimate wife, she had shown such kindness, what more could they ask for?


    .....


    After moving in, Su Cheny on his bed, suddenly feeling like he was in a harem with countless beauties, a sensation that was very pleasurable!


    "Waited so long, finally waited till today. Dreamed for so long, finally made the dreame true..."


    Soon, Su Chen''s melodious singing echoed from the room, filled with a sense of fulfillment!


    The other women, discussing what to eat for their housewarming, suddenly blushed upon hearing Su Chen''s singing!


    Each woman''s expression seemed to say: the happiest one must be this rascal!


    But since he was so happy, let him cook a meal!


    So, a momentter, Su Chen, who was dreaming of a wonderful life, was dragged up by several women to cook...


    Even handling one woman was a challenge for Su Chen, let alone four; so he could only get up begrudgingly to cook!

 Chapter 1073: Breakthrough in Strength

    After busying themselves for more than two hours, they finally prepared a table full of dishes!


    Everyone then sat around the table, faces beaming with warm smiles.


    Except for Su Chen, the other women were actually still in the process of adapting!


    "Come, let''s raise a toast to celebrate our new home."


    Su Chen raised his ss and smiled.


    The four women also raised their sses and toasted together!


    After Lin Ruoxue finished her drink, she poured a little more and then raised her ss, smiling at Du Hanbing and the others:


    "I hope we can get along happily like good sisters in the future!"


    The other women naturally agreed and took another drink.


    Lin Ruoxue''s move was very smart. Firstly, it highlighted her status and identity as the legitimate wife, and secondly, it demonstrated her magnanimity and generosity!


    "Alright, everyone, dig in!"


    Su Chen chuckled and said, seeing his women getting along so well, he was obviously the happiest!


    The mealsted for about two hours, during which the four women engaged in lively conversations, almost unanimously leaving Su Chen aside!


    After all, they weren''t familiar with each other before, and this atmosphere added a touch of intimacy!


    After the meal, it was gettingte, so everyone went back to their rooms to rest.


    On the first day they moved in, Su Chen naturally went back to the room with Lin Ruoxue...


    .....


    In the early hours of the morning, an intense battle had just ended, and both of them were drenched in sweat. The beads of sweat glistened under the lights, as if narrating the intimate scene just moments before...


    Su Chen leaned against the headboard, lighting a cigarette, while Lin Ruoxue rested on his chest, her slender hand drawing circles on his skin.


    "Wife, thank you!"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue sincerely and said, his expression somewhat guilty!


    He knew that for Lin Ruoxue to make such a decision, she had sacrificed and given up so much, especially for a woman like her!


    "I''vee to terms with it. A man like you could never have just one woman. There will certainly be more in the future."


    Lin Ruoxue said softly:


    "All I want is for you to love me forever and never leave me!"


    Since thest time she was kidnapped and Su Chen was willing to risk his life to save her, she hadpletely let go of her mental block!


    For him to be willing to sacrifice his life for her, what more could she possibly ask for?


    She loved this man and should ept everything about him!


    She had thoroughly understood what was most important to her!


    That is, for the two of them to love each other forever and always be together!


    What could be more important than that?


    "Wife, rest assured, as long as I have a sliver of a soul, I will always, always love you! We will never part!"


    Su Chen gazed at Lin Ruoxue passionately and said.


    "Those words are enough for me!" <q ss="meta-ref-static">Uploaded by the *) team.</q>


    A blissful smile appeared on Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful face as she softly spoke.


    Soon, the two of them fell asleep in each other''s arms...


    .....


    Early the next morning, Su Chen got up early to make breakfast.


    Du Hanbing, having been in the military before, was used to getting up early.


    Of course, there was another important reason she got up so early today, and that was that she didn''t really sleep wellst night.


    After all, she was also about to step into the Meridian Expansion Realm, so she naturally heard the sounds fromst night.


    Eniel, though she also heard, already had an intimate rtionship with Su Chen, so she fell asleep soon after.


    But it was different for Du Hanbing. Although Su Chen had taken many liberties with her, they hadn''t really had a romantic rtionship yet!


    That kind of sound entering her ears was torturous!


    Of course, she also knew that now living here, that day would probablye soon, which made her feel a bit nervous!


    But upon getting up and seeing Su Chen busy in the kitchen, she felt wonderful!


    This was a scene she had imagined countless times, and now it had finallye true!


    Though he wasn''t hers alone, Du Hanbing was already very satisfied!


    After Su Chen prepared breakfast, the other women gradually got up.


    Early in the morning, the four women sat together having breakfast, which felt quite special!


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru went to work, leaving only Su Chen, Eniel, and Du Hanbing at home.


    "How is it, having three wives and four concubines, pretty nice, right?"


    After Lin Ruoxue left, Eniel sat on Su Chen''sp right away, smiling teasingly.


    Since Lin Ruoxue was the legitimate wife, and since everyone just started living together, even Eniel was a bit restrained in front of Lin Ruoxue for the time being.


    But with Lin Ruoxue gone, and only Du Hanbing around, she rxed a lot and began to tease Su Chen.


    "It''s alright."


    Su Chen shamelessly rubbed his chin and said, while one of his big hands began to misbehave.


    Du Hanbing, seeing this, blushed shyly, her face turning slightly red.


    "Hanbing, there''s another leg here. It''s quitefortable to sit on, why not give it a try!"


    Enielughed coquettishly.


    "I think I''ll head back to my room."


    Du Hanbing blushed even more at her words, immediately making a hasty retreat. She wasn''t as open about these things as Eniel!


    But first thing in the morning they didn''t do anything serious, Eniel was just joking around.


    After a while, the three of them separately began to cultivate in their respective rooms.


    For Su Chen, he clearly noticed a significant increase in cultivation speed at the estate, especially after entering the mysterious state of cultivation, the feeling was indescribable!


    .......


    In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed, and they had lived in the vi for over ten days.


    The four women had moved from initial polite courtesy to now being more familiar and rxed, treating the vi as a true home!


    Of course, the other three women unanimously regarded Lin Ruoxue as the leader!


    This naturally wasn''t about age; firstly it was due to Lin Ruoxue''s status as the legitimate wife, and mainly because the other women understood well the sacrifices Lin Ruoxue had made in this matter!


    Su Chen also observed these changes, and of course, he hoped that everyone could get along easily and care for each other!


    Because of the vi''s abundant Yuan Qi, in these ten days, Su Chen finally broke through the Eighth Layer of the Meridian Expansion Realm and even cleared two or three acupoints of the ninth meridian!


    Now his true cultivation was equivalent to the Kaiyuan Primary Stage of an average Martial Artist!


    Eniel and Du Hanbing also truly broke through to the First Layer of the Meridian Expansion Realm, stepping up to a new level!


    Actually, their talents weren''tcking. It''s just that previously, one was in the Nether Temple and the other in the Eighth Brigade, and they didn''t have much time for real cultivation!


    (PS: Recently, these have been mostly transitions and setups, so the plot is a bit nd. Soon it will get exciting! Thank you all for your support!)

 Chapter 1074: Groping Hands!

    On Saturday morning, as soon as breakfast was over, Su Chen eagerly pushed the women to get going!


    The reason he was so excited was because today they were going swimwear shopping together!


    It could be said that besides the abundance of Yuan Qi, the hot spring pool at the vi was what pleased Su Chen the most!


    Yet, even after more than ten days, he still hadn''t had the chance to feast his eyes!


    Su Chen has always had a particr fondness for swimwear!


    The women found his eagerness both infuriating and hrious!


    Especially Lin Ruoxue, who was utterly speechless at her husband''s antics!


    He had babbled about swimwear so many times, and now, atst, this rascal''s wish wasing true!


    Of course, the main reason Lin Ruoxue was letting him have his way was that she also wanted to enjoy a rxing soak in the hot springs in her free time¡ªafter all, what''s the point of having such a beautifully designed hot spring otherwise?


    Since there were four women and one man, making five people in total, Su Chen selected a stretch limousine, allowing the women to sitfortably inside!


    "Qiuru, what kind of swimwear do you like?"


    Du Hanbing asked, having never worn swimwear before and knowing little about it.


    "Not sure, I''ll see at the time."


    Xia Qiuru replied and then nced at Lin Ruoxue:


    "Ruoxue, what kind of swimwear do you like?"


    Xia Qiuru was initially not used to addressing Lin Ruoxue this way since she was ustomed to calling her ''President Lin''.


    Luckily, over time it became less awkward and much more natural.


    Of course, this was only at home or in private; in thepany, she still called her ''President Lin''.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen. She wanted the kind she had seen in magazines he showed her before, but she felt embarrassed to say it out loud at the moment.


    "You all don''t need to worry about this. I''ll help you select, ensuring you''ll be thoroughly satisfied!"


    Upon hearing the women''s discussion, Su Chenughed heartily.


    "Satisfied you mean!"


    Eniel remarked with a pout.


    As soon as she spoke, the women burst into giggles.


    "Everyone will be satisfied, everyone!"


    Su Chen chuckled slyly.


    Before long, they reached a high-end mall, parked the car, and took the elevator directly to the third floor!


    Although the third floor featured women''s clothing, there were still quite a few men around, typically apanying their girlfriends or wives shopping.


    When Su Chen and the four women appeared, they instantly drew everyone''s attention!


    After all, each of these four women was a rare beauty!


    Especially the man in the middle of these women¡ªhe was the object of intense envy!


    Glimpsing at their ownpanions, some couldn''t help but wonder why there was such a gap between people?


    The women were used to such stares andpletely ignored them!


    Briefly, Su Chen and the women walked into a dedicated swimwear store!


    The swimwear here wasprehensive, with various styles avable!


    The women were initially delighted to look around, but soon they wanted to find a hole to crawl into!


    Because Su Chen knew so much about swimwear, the shop assistants looked at him with peculiar eyes!


    Lin Ruoxue wished she could toss her husband right off the third floor!


    Why does a man know so much about swimwear?


    Let alone Lin Ruoxue, even Eniel seemed to be reevaluating her impression of him!


    No wonder he was so eager in the morning to rush them out the door!


    ...


    "Young Master, these are all women''s clothing stores. Why are you here?"


    At this moment, in the third-floor corridor, a follower-like person was asking a young man dressed like a Young Master.


    Following behind them was a middle-aged man.


    "Do you know where the highest quality beauties gather?" <dfn ss="story-note-vis">This §ã§àpy w§Ñs g§Ön§Ör§Ñt§Öd fr§àm §ã§ànt§Önt §Ñt §®V|L§¦§®§²YR.</dfn>


    The Young Master smirked yfully as he spoke.


    "Oh, where might that be?"


    The follower asked curiously.


    "Of course, it''s in the women''s clothing stores of high-end malls!"


    The Young Master slightly raised his head as he spoke.


    "Isn''t it at nightclubs?" the follower blurted out.


    "You just don''t get it."


    The Young Master said proudly:


    "Most women who frequent nightclubs are questionable, and besides, do you know what they look like once the makeupes off?"


    "The women who appear in high-end malls are different. Most of them have light makeup or are even bare-faced, and many are well-educated city elites, iparable to those nightclub women!"


    "Young Master, your insights are enlightening!"


    The follower bowed with admiration on his face.


    "Just look at the aura; they''re onpletely different levels!"


    The Young Master sighed as he spoke.


    "Young Master, look ahead, is that the kind of beauty you''re talking about!"


    The follower suddenly lit up.


    "Exquisite! They''re all exquisite!"


    The Young Master immediately looked over, seeing several beautiesing out of the swimwear store!


    "I can''t believe by wandering around, I''ve stumbled upon four exquisite women at once! What luck!"


    The Young Master instantly became incredibly excited, nearly drooling.


    "Ladies, carrying so much must be tiring, let me help you with it!"


    He promptly walked forward and said "enthusiastically".


    "No, thank you!"


    Lin Ruoxue happened to be in the front; she knew exactly what this person was thinking and directly refused coldly.


    After speaking, Lin Ruoxue walked straight ahead, knowing it was best to ignore such people!


    "Ah!!!!"


    Just as Lin Ruoxue passed by, a cry of pain suddenly erupted from behind.


    She turned to see Eniel grabbing the man''s wrist in a twisted position!


    "Eniel, what happened?" Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but ask.


    "Nothing, it''s just that this guy''s hand was a bit too disobedient!"


    Eniel looked at the Young Master-like man and sneered.


    After hearing Eniel''s words, Lin Ruoxue immediately understood; this guy must have been trying to take advantage of her as she walked past, but Eniel caught him before he could seed!


    Su Chen had been carrying several bags, happily following the women, without noticing what was happening.


    He hadn''t paid any mind when he heard someone hitting on the women earlier.


    Upon hearing Eniel now, his face was also covered with ayer of frost!


    If you see a beautiful woman and flirt a little that''s understandable, but trying to cop a feel is unforgivable!


    "Let go of me, you crazy woman!"


    The Young Master''s face changed instantly as his wrist was held, and he began to shout!


    (ps: There will be two more chapters tonight!)

 Chapter 1075: Big Bad Wolf

    "Crack!"


    Eniel didn''t pay any attention to him at all but directly used force to break the wrist of this young master!


    "Ah!"


    With his wrist broken, the young master immediately let out a scream like a pig being ughtered!


    "How dare you!"


    At this moment, a loud shout suddenly rang out!


    The middle-aged man following behind the young master immediately moved and pped towards Eniel!


    Seeing the situation, Du Hanbing immediately stepped forward and also sent a palm strike!


    Su Chen was originally prepared to make a move, but seeing the opponent was at thete stage of Qi Refinement, he stopped!


    For Du Hanbing, such a guy posed no difficulty at all!


    "Bang!"


    Du Hanbing pped the middle-aged man flying,nding him in the corridor more than ten meters away!


    At this point, many people noticed themotion here and were so scared seeing Du Hanbing knock a man flying with one palm that they hid in the store, fearing getting caught up in the chaos!


    "Pfft!"


    After hitting the ground, the middle-aged man immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the marble floor red!


    He was utterly shocked looking at these women ahead!


    Who on earth were they?


    Just now, the woman who broke the young master''s arm had an unfathomable martial artist aura, but he had to save the young master from her grasp!


    Unexpectedly, as soon as he made a move, another woman came out that he couldn''t match!


    "Bitch, you still won''t let go of our young master! We are from the Shi Family of Yandu!"


    The attendant immediately shouted at Eniel.


    "Scram!"


    Eniel pped the attendant to the ground, knocking out a few teeth!


    She didn''t care who the other party was!


    However, Su Chen had heard of the Shi Family of Yandu, which was quite famous, a second-rate family in Yandu!


    Although not as good as the Five Great Families, it''s still formidable!


    "You bitch, how dare you hit me, I''ll make sure you die miserably!"


    After barely recovering, the Shi family young master red at Eniel and spat viciously!


    This young master was usually high and mighty; being humiliated like this, he couldn''t swallow his anger!


    Upon hearing this, Eniel''s beautiful face suddenly turned dark!


    "Crack!"


    With a fierce effort, she broke the young master''s arm into several pieces!


    "Ah~~~"


    He immediately felt an even more intense, unbearable pain and began howling!


    "Bang!"


    However, just as he let out a scream, Eniel kicked him flying with her high-heeled foot, mming heavily onto the marble floor!


    Daring to insult Eniel like that, she spared his life out of kindness!


    "Alright, let''s go!"


    Seeing the lesson was sufficient and attracting a crowd, Su Chen said.


    Then the group of women followed Su Chen to the elevator and directly went to the underground parking lot!


    As for what happened earlier, Du Hanbing and Eniel naturally weren''t worried.


    Even Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru knew Su Chen wasn''t ordinary, not even considering the Five Great Families a threat, so they weren''t worried either!


    In short, what happened earlier was just an unpleasant little episode for them!


    Soon, Su Chen drove towards the vi direction, feeling very delighted!


    Because from now on, he could not only admire Lin Ruoxue in a swimsuit but also Eniel, Du Hanbing, and Xia Qiuru''s swimsuit shows!


    He was very, very much looking forward to it!


    This time he picked four or five swimsuits for each woman, in various styles and designs!


    If not for the women''s stopping, he might have bought half the swimsuits in that shop!


    ...


    "Eniel, and Hanbing, thanks for earlier!"


    Lin Ruoxue suddenly said, thanking them for stepping in!


    Especially Eniel; if it weren''t for her, she would have suffered a loss to that guy!


    If that had happened, Lin Ruoxue would have been very ufortable!


    Eniel and Du Hanbing felt a bit embarrassed upon Lin Ruoxue''s solemn thanks.


    "Ruoxue, didn''t you say we''re like sisters? It''s something we should do!"


    Eniel said, blushing slightly.


    "Yes, Ruoxue, it''s nothing."


    Du Hanbing said, looking a bit uneasy.


    "Alright, I won''t mention it then."


    Lin Ruoxue smiled slightly, not dwelling on it.


    Soon they arrived at the vi, and everyone went to their rooms to change into swimsuits!


    To Su Chen''s slight regret, Lin Ruoxue didn''t get a chance to join because she had to go back to the group!


    This morning''s couple of hours were squeezed out for this...


    But with the swimsuits bought, there will be plenty of chances in the future, no rush!


    Soon, wearing swimming trunks, Su Chen excitedly headed to thergest hot spring pool, leaning at the edge, waiting for the women!


    After a short nap, the three women showed up as if coordinated, all at once!


    Du Hanbing was wearing a halter-neck swimsuit. Though rtively modest among swimsuits, it was still low-cut and backless, entuating her perfect figure perfectly!


    As for Xia Qiuru, having already had a substantial rtionship with him, she was a bit bolder, wearing a bandeau swimsuit!


    Her look differed significantly from her usual intellectual appearance, marking a significant breakthrough!


    Certainly, she had enough to show off, though usually, it was discreet!


    Yet most eye-catching was Eniel, in a bikini that fully exhibited her explosive Western figure!


    No matter their looks or figures, these women were perfect, without a w!


    Seeing these three stunning women with distinct charms, Su Chen almost got a nosebleed!


    Watching Su Chen stand in awe, the women shared mischievous smiles!


    They gently slipped out of their slippers, stepping their long legs into the pool!


    However, they entered not thergest pool where Su Chen was but a slightly smaller adjacent pool!


    Sitting in the pool, they started chatting andughing as if Su Chen wasn''t even there!


    Witnessing this, Su Chen was stupefied!


    Damn! They''re messing with me?


    With a roll of his eyes, if you don''te over, why wouldn''t I go over?


    He then walked barefoot into the adjacent pool:


    "You all have some guts, daring to tease your husband, huh!"


    Su Chen''s gaze roamed over the women, much like a big bad wolf!


    The women exchanged nces and then began sshing water at Su Chen, sttering it all over!


    Not to be outdone, Su Chen took on all three, sshing them back!


    In this childish game, everyone was having a st...


    After getting tired of ying, the three womeny beside Su Chen, sipping drinks, chatting leisurely, their faces beaming with happy smiles!


    Though nothing outrageous happened, Su Chen certainly took advantage of the situation.


    But they seemed used to it long ago; acting all prim and proper wouldn''t be him anyway...

 Chapter 1076: Someones Coming from Over There

    While Su Chen and a few women were enjoying the hot springs, in a private hospital in Yandu, a high-level ward:


    Lying on the hospital bed, Shi Minghang gritted his teeth and said:


    "I want to have those women, then kill them to vent the hatred in my heart!"


    At this moment, his face was full of anger. For the first time since he was a child, he suffered such a huge loss!


    "Minghang, don''t worry, they will all pay the price!"


    Standing by the bedside, Shi Tong said in a deep voice, his face also clouded with gloom!


    Daring to harm my son is a surefire way to court death!


    After a while, Shi Minghang said with some unease:


    "But father, those people seem to be unusual and not easy to deal with!"


    He was not a brainless person; someone who could send his bodyguard flying with a single palm was definitely not ordinary!


    "Don''t worry, someone from over there wille to settle the ount in a few days, and I''ll ask them to make a move then!"


    Shi Tong said carelessly.


    "They''reing over? That''s great!"


    Upon hearing this, Shi Minghang''s eyes immediately lit up with intense excitement!


    As long as those peoplee, everything will not be a problem!


    ......


    Su Chen and the others soaked for more than an hour and then went back to their rooms to change clothes. After all, the hot spring was at home, so they could soak whenever they wanted.


    After soaking in the hot spring, it was time to cook!


    However, today it wasn''t Su Chen who cooked, but Du Hanbing and Xia Qiuru together.


    While they were cooking, Eniel was also learning alongside; she wanted to learn how to cook Chinese food!


    After lunch, Su Chen, Eniel, and Du Hanbing went back to their rooms to cultivate!


    Now Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru also knew that Su Chen, Eniel, and Du Hanbing were Martial Artists and, through their introductions, also knew some basic things about Martial Arts!


    They had to practice diligently to be more formidable!


    However, both of them were not particrly interested in Martial Arts; they were more focused on businesses and careers!


    Su Chen didn''t force this, as everyone has their own things they want to do!


    So while Su Chen and the others were cultivating, Xia Qiuru spent her time watching movies and reading books by herself, not finding it boring!


    By evening, the three women were busy cooking dinner together.


    Considering Lin Ruoxue''s schedule and normal dining time, they decided to have dinner at eight o''clock!


    After all, living together means each person needs to adapt a bit and makepromises!


    Of course, this excludes situations when Lin Ruoxue is extremely busy.


    Su Chen was very supportive of this; he wished Lin Ruoxue would work only eight hours a day like a regr office worker.


    That day, close to eight o''clock, Lin Ruoxue returned, and they all sat down to prepare for dinner.


    At this moment, Su Chen''s phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was Huang Menglei calling, he immediately answered.


    Huang Menglei said she''d arrived at Yandu''s long-distance bus station, so Su Chen drove over to pick her up.


    At the station''s entrance, he saw Huang Menglei dressed like a city girl, with tworge suitcases at her feet!


    "Are you moving house?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but say upon seeing her.


    "From now on, Yandu will be my base camp!"


    Huang Menglei said with a joyful smile, feelingpletely free atst!


    "Alright,e home with me!"


    Su Chen smiled, helped put her luggage in the car, and brought Huang Menglei back to the vi!


    "Su big brother, your house is so beautiful!"


    When they arrived at the entrance of the vi, Huang Menglei eximed in amazement!


    "I used to live over at the vi; we just moved to this vi recently."


    Su Chen said, then led Huang Menglei inside.


    Hearing Su Chen''s voice, a few women came out.


    Seeing so many beautiful women at once, Huang Menglei felt a bit stunned!


    "Su big brother, who are they...?"


    Huang Menglei asked awkwardly, recalling that Su Chen had told her he lived with his wife.


    She didn''t know which one was Su Chen''s wife, and what if she called the wrong one?


    "They''re all my women."


    Su Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Ah..."


    Huang Menglei was stunned and blurted out:


    "Su big brother, you''re such a yboy!"


    As soon as she finished speaking, Su Chen got a little flustered!


    The women all giggled, each giving him a meaningful look, especially Lin Ruoxue, whose gaze was particrly intriguing!


    "So, be careful and don''t get fooled by this guy!"


    Xia Qiuru joked for once.


    "I...I didn''t..."


    Upon hearing Xia Qiuru, Huang Menglei''s face turned red, and she stammered a bit.


    The women immediately knew this girl must like him, or at the very least, she was fond of him.


    "Alright, let''s eat first, or the food will get cold."


    Lin Ruoxue rounded up the situation.


    Lin Ruoxue''s words carried more weight than Su Chen''s, so after hearing her, everyone went back to the dining room.


    Earlier, when Su Chen mentioned picking someone up, they hadn''t eaten, waiting for everyone to return and eat together.


    This wasn''t out of consideration for Su Chen, this rogue; they didn''t care about him!


    It was more about the guest; they couldn''t serve leftover food to someone who just arrived¡ªthat would be too rude!


    "Is this another sister you''re bringing us?"


    Eniel whisperedughingly to Su Chen.


    "What nonsense!"


    Su Chen rolled his eyes.


    Everyone then sat down to eat, and the women took good care of Huang Menglei.


    By the end of the meal, Huang Menglei figured out that the prettiest woman was his real wife!


    Although Eniel was no less attractive than Lin Ruoxue, in Huang Menglei''s eyes, as an Easterner, Lin Ruoxue''s beauty was more impressive!


    After dinner, Su Chen took Huang Menglei to the front vi, where they usually amodated guests.


    Su Chen led her into a room, saying:


    "Menglei, do you think this room is okay?"


    "Yes."


    Huang Menglei nodded.


    Each room in the vi was well decorated, and Huang Menglei was naturally very satisfied.


    She just hadn''t expected that Su big brother had so many women, and each was so beautiful!


    "Alright, have a good rest then."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "If you can''t sleep, you can watch TV, or there''s an entertainment room you can use. If you want to soak in the hot spring, feel free to borrow a swimsuit from any sister; they''re all very easy to talk to."


    "Understood."


    Huang Menglei nodded again.


    "By the way, Su big brother, I almost forgot to tell you something."


    Just as Su Chen was about to leave, Huang Menglei hurriedly said.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.

 Chapter 1077: Du Hanbings Transformation

    "Brother Su, that Song Chu mighte looking for trouble with you, you need to be careful."


    Huang Menglei said worriedly.


    She had been thinking about it for a while and felt that given Song Chu''s character, the matter could not be over just like that.


    "Don''t worry, if he dares toe, then he shouldn''t think about leaving."


    Su Chen smiled calmly. He was not a saint, if that guy really dared toe, then he would have no choice but to kill.


    "Brother Su, you''d better be careful."


    Unlike Su Chen, Huang Menglei couldn''t be so nonchnt. After all, the Song Family was not that simple.


    "I understand, I will be careful."


    Seeing her worried look, Su Chen smiled and nodded.


    Hearing his words, Huang Menglei felt a little relieved, and then she curiously asked:


    "Brother Su, why is the Yuan Qi here so abundant?"


    Actually, she had felt it at the foot of the mountain, and it became more intense as she got closer to the manor. Once inside, the concentration was astonishingly unreal!


    She sensed it and found that the level of Yuan Qi here was several times more abundant than in other ces!


    This was terrifying!


    "I set up a formation here to gather the surrounding Yuan Qi."


    Su Chen exined with a smile.


    "A formation? Brother Su, you know how to set up formations?"


    Huang Menglei was astonished upon hearing this, as if she had seen a ghost!


    In the entire Ancient Martial World, Array Masters were extremely rare!


    Brother Su was so young, yet he could set up formations, and it was even a formation that gathered Yuan Qi!


    "Is it that strange?"


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback and asked. He had thought that in the Ancient Martial World, formations might not be as rare as in the Martial Arts World.


    "Of course it''s strange, in the entire Ancient Martial World, those who can use formations are rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, you can count them on one hand!"


    Huang Menglei pouted, feeling that this Brother Su was bing more mysterious!


    Su Chen didn''t expect that the Way of Formation was so rare even in the Ancient Martial World, which made him feel a bit proud!


    "My cultivation speed here will definitely advance by leaps and bounds!"


    Huang Menglei said excitedly.


    "Then you should settle down well, Brother Su here, you can stay as long as you like."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Mm!"


    Huang Menglei nodded happily.


    "Alright, you can look around, get familiar. I''ll head back first."


    Having said that, Su Chen returned to the back of the manor.


    After returning to his bedroom, Su Chen began to cultivate.


    Around eleven o''clock, when everyone was almost asleep, his door was suddenly pushed open gently, and a graceful shadow tiptoed in without making a sound, like a little wild cat.


    Su Chen nced and saw it was Du Hanbing, wearing a ckce slip nightdress, looking very sexy!


    "Hanbing, why are you here?"


    Seeing Du Hanbing, Su Chen''s lips curled into a mischievous smile.


    "Ah! I couldn''t sleep, wanted to chat with you."


    Du Hanbing said shyly after hearing Su Chen''s words, a blush appearing on her pretty face!


    "Just chat."


    Su Chen''s eyes roamed over Du Hanbing as he joked.


    "Mm."


    Du Hanbing''s voice was as soft as a mosquito, but she felt her face grow even hotter.


    "Then let''s have a good ''chat''."


    Su Chen reached out a hand, gently pulled her into his arms, the smile on his lips widening:


    "Little Hanbing, do you want your hubby to pamper you?"


    "No, I don''t!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s straightforward words, Du Hanbing denied it with a guilty heart.


    Although her purpose ining was to have a substantial rtionship with Su Chen, she certainly couldn''t admit it!


    The reason she acted as she did was because she was aware that initially, after Su Chen spent two or three days with Lin Ruoxue, he nned to be with Du Hanbing first!


    After all, they had been in a rtionship for so long, and hadn''t yet had a substantial rtionship.


    In the past, it was fine, but now living here if they didn''t break through thatstyer, he was worried Du Hanbing would overthink!


    It was just unexpected, that Du Hanbing, despite being from a military background, was very timid and shy in this aspect!


    For two consecutive nights the main business was not aplished, seeing her indeed very nervous, Su Chen didn''t push her!


    In this regard, Su Chen generally respected women, after all, there would always be a natural progression one day!


    Su Chen figured perhaps she hadn''t yet adjusted to her current life, and waiting a while was no problem.


    Although the two did sleep together afterwards, Su Chen only took some liberties without really intending to do that kind of thing!


    Actually, a few dayster Du Hanbing felt she was almost adjusted, but since Su Chen didn''t take the initiative, she, as a woman, felt embarrassed to take the lead!


    However, today''s arrival of Huang Menglei made Du Hanbing feel a slight prompting.


    Although they were not in that kind of rtionship, it gave Du Hanbing a slight sense of crisis, feeling that she should give herself to him sooner!


    After all, the other three women had already had that kind of rtionship with him, and in the future, there might be more women.


    So, after thinking for a long time, she finally resolved toe to Su Chen''s room. Sooner orter, she''d have to give herself to him!


    Of course, there was also a precedent, as Eniel had already done this. Had she been the first, she would have been truly embarrassed!


    Although Du Hanbing didn''t admit it, Su Chen already understood, otherwise she wouldn''t sneak into his room at midnight!


    "No? Then why is your heart beating so fast, Little Hanbing?"


    Su Chen teased.


    Du Hanbing blushed even more at his words, her face vibrant and vivid!


    "Alright, I''ll be very gentle, just rx."


    Su Chen stopped teasing her and spoke softly.


    "Mm."


    Du Hanbing whispered so softly it was almost inaudible to anyone but herself.


    Gradually, Su Chen pressed his lips to hers,ying Du Hanbing''s body on the bed, hisrge hands roaming around..


    Although still very nervous, Du Hanbing was much better than before!


    After some time, she responded awkwardly, and her nightdress fell to the ground..


    .....


    The next day, when the sunlight poured into the room, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes.


    Looking at Du Hanbing in his arms, there was a special feeling!


    To be precise, Du Hanbing should be the first woman he fell in love with, the time preceding Lin Ruoxue and even Eniel, because at that time he hadn''t met them yet!


    After a short while, Du Hanbing also woke up, looking at Su Chen lying beside her, she smiled slightly, that smile filled with happiness!


    Once, she thought the two of them would be like two parallel lines, never intersecting again!


    However, some things are so wonderful, the two of them ended up together!


    Now, she had truly be his woman!


    In retrospect, Du Hanbing still felt like it was all a dream!


    For Du Hanbing, at this moment, she felt very content!

 Chapter 1078: The Appearance of the Spirit Fruit

    After a while, the two of them got up and went out for breakfast.


    Su Chen initially wanted Du Hanbing to lie down and he would bring the food to her, but Du Hanbing refused no matter what, mainly out of embarrassment!


    Seeing her insistence, Su Chen had no choice but to let her be. Fortunately, she didn''t have to work, so she could rest after breakfast.


    When the two of them arrived at the dining room, several women looked at Du Hanbing and started to smile yfully!


    This made Du Hanbing''s face turn red again!


    "Hanbing, congrattions!"


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Congrattions!"


    Xia Qiuru and Eniel chimed in with smiles.


    Du Hanbing wished she could find a hole to crawl into, her face was so red it seemed like water could drip from it!


    Su Chen, however,ughed heartily,pletely unbothered!


    "Come on, everyone, have breakfast."


    Su Chen called out, and then everyone sat down together.


    After finishing breakfast, Lin Ruoxue went to thepany, and since it was Sunday, Xia Qiuru didn''t need to go.


    Su Chen also let Du Hanbing return to her room to rest, after all, it was her first time experiencing intimacy!


    Just then, Huang Menglei came in, and she said somewhat embarrassedly:


    "Have you all eaten already?"


    She felt embarrassed mainly because she got upte.


    "Yes, breakfast is still hot, so hurry and eat."


    Su Chen noticed her embarrassment and said with a smile.


    They didn''t call her earlier because they wanted her to sleep a little longer, as she had just arrivedst night.


    "Mm."


    Huang Menglei nodded, deciding to get up a little earlier in the future to have breakfast with everyone.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in a luxurious vi in Yandu, a woman had just gotten up, her long hair loosely draped around her, and there was a hint ofzy beauty on her stunning face!


    "Knock, knock, knock."


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door.


    "Come in."


    The woman saidzily, her voice having a distinctive allure.


    "Miss, we''ve found some clues about the person you asked us to investigate."


    A woman in a long dress came in to report.


    "Oh, let''s hear it."


    The woman stepped down with one bare foot, her foot exquisitely delicate, indeed fitting to be called a jade foot.


    She was draped in a sheer gauzy fabric, vaguely revealing the beauty beneath!


    "That man''s name is Su Chen, from the Su Family, one of the Five Great Families in Yandu, but then some things happened...."


    "Those details are not important, just tell me the crucial parts."


    The woman in the gauzy fabric interrupted the woman in the long dress.


    "Yes!"


    The woman in the long dress said:


    "There is something quite interesting. A few months ago, at the Martial Arts Conference in the Martial Arts World, he killed the Sect Leader Mo Changqing of Shengyi Gate with a Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer cultivation, and Mo Changqing had already broken through to the Kaiyuan Realm, at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage."


    "Oh, really?"


    The woman paused slightly, her face showing a hint of intrigue:


    "That''s quite interesting!"


    "Miss, should we continue the investigation?"


    The woman in the long dress asked.


    "No need, you can let this matter go."


    The woman in the gauzy fabric said softly.


    "Yes!"


    The woman in the long dress bowed and exited.


    After the woman in the long dress left, the woman in the gauzy fabric raised a meaningful smile at the corner of her mouth...


    .....


    A few days slipped by again, and one morning Su Chen was practicing in his room when the door was suddenly pushed open, and Huang Menglei walked in from outside.


    "Brother Su, I just received news that there''s a Spirit Tree on Thousand Clouds Mountain, and it seems that the Spirit Fruit on it is about to ripen. Many from the Ancient Martial Forces have gone over!"


    Huang Menglei said excitedly as soon as she entered the room.


    "Spirit Fruit?"


    Su Chen''s eyes immediately glowed upon hearing that!


    He was quite aware of what Spirit Fruit was. It''s a type of spiritual fruit that can quickly improve cultivation after consumption, an important resource for cultivation!


    "Do you know which Spirit Fruit it is?"


    Su Chen asked hastily because there''s quite a range in the quality of Spirit Fruits.


    He didn''t even ask how Huang Menglei got the information; being part of the Ancient Martial World, it wasn''t surprising she knew such news.


    "I don''t know the specifics either."


    Huang Menglei shook her head, then asked:


    "Brother Su, are we going?"


    "Go!"


    Su Chen said without hesitation. Could he pass up Spirit Fruit?


    Moreover, he was currently focusing on entering the Kaiyuan Realm at an early date, and the help of a Spirit Fruit would undoubtedly make it much easier!


    Huang Menglei quickly said:


    "In that case, we need to set off immediately. I heard the Spirit Fruit will mature within the next two or three days!"


    "Don''t worry, we have time!"


    Su Chen replied confidently with a smile.


    He immediately stopped cultivating and first bid farewell to Du Hanbing and Eniel, telling them he was going out for a trip.


    The reason he didn''t take them with him was mainly because their current strength was too weak!


    It''s worth noting that even the young members of second-tier Ancient Martial Forces usually were at the Late Stage of Meridian Expansion!


    Of course, with the help of arge Gathering Yuan Formation, it''s foreseeable that they could reach the Late Stage of Meridian Expansion!


    However, it still takes time!


    After saying goodbye to the two, Su Chen took Huang Menglei to a spot not far behind the vi.


    There was a helipad with a helicopter parked on it!


    Since the vi was constructed, Su Chen naturally also built a helipad here, making things more convenient and faster!


    Previously, he didn''t build a helipad near the vi because there was no suitable ce to build one, so he could only build it on the estate side!


    "Ah! Brother Su, you have a helicopter here too!"


    Huang Menglei''s eyes lit up when she saw the helicopter, and she eximed in disbelief!


    She had been at the vi for a few days, rarely going to the back, so she had no idea that there was a helicopter parked not far behind the estate!


    She had never been on a helicopter before, so she found it incredibly exciting!


    It''s not that her family couldn''t afford one, but even if they bought it, they wouldn''t be able to pilot it!


    "Brother Su, you know how to fly a helicopter too!"


    Huang Menglei asked with admiration.


    No wonder Brother Su said earlier that they''d have enough time!


    Flying a helicopter is certainly much faster, and more importantly, it eliminates the time wasted waiting for a ne and transferring on the road!


    "Of course!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, then opened the cockpit door.


    Huang Menglei eagerly boarded the helicopter, immediately awed by its luxurious interior, like everyone else stepping in for the first time!


    "This is amazing!"


    Huang Menglei couldn''t help but praise.


    This journey is practically an enjoyment!


    Seeing Huang Menglei''s excitement, Su Chen smiled gently and then sat in the driver''s seat, starting up the helicopter!


    Soon enough, the helicopter began lifting into the sky, heading toward Thousand Clouds Mountain...

 Chapter 1079: First Encounter with Zhu Ming

    Huang Menglei was extremely happy on the ne, sometimes looking at the clouds outside, sometimes sitting down for a ss of red wine, and sometimes lying down for a quick nap of ten minutes or so!


    She felt that life with Su Chen was much more interesting!


    Although he wasn''t from the ancient martial world, he was not any less capable than the young people from that world, at least not the average ones; he was even more formidable!


    He also knew formations, and it was a formation capable of gathering Yuan Qi!


    Besides, he could also pilot a helicopter, and his cooking was particrly delicious...


    For a time, she felt that this Su big brother was all good traits, seemingly without any ws!


    Of course, if one had to say something bad about him, it would be that he had too many women, and they were all too beautiful!


    As she watched Su Chen seriously piloting the ne, the young girl''s heart began to flutter...


    ....


    Thousand Clouds Mountain is a mountain range made up of more than a dozen peaks, stretching about two hundred kilometers, with an altitude of over three thousand meters!


    On it are bizarre rocks and abundant vegetation, and naturally plenty of wild animals!


    After four or five hours of flying, Su Chen was almost near Thousand Clouds Mountain.


    "Menglei, do you know which direction the spirit fruit is?"


    Su Chen suddenly asked.


    "Ah! I don''t know either."


    Huang Menglei was slightly taken aback and then said.


    Having no other choice, Su Chen could only circle above Thousand Clouds Mountain searching; of course, it wasn''t about finding the tree itself, as it was impossible to spot it from the high altitude.


    At this moment, he was looking for figures. If there were more people somewhere, or if some people were heading in a certain direction, that should be where the spirit fruit was!


    Su Chen lowered the speed, slowly searching for figures below, and Huang Menglei also looked down through the window to help.


    After a while, Su Chen finally saw some faint silhouettes!


    "It should be around here!"


    After noting the position, Su Chen began looking for a ce tond.


    However, after searching for a while, he found there was no suitable ce tond nearby.


    So he flew a little farther and finally found a rtively open space at the foot of a mountain, where he slowlynded the helicopter, and then the two of them got off.


    After getting off the helicopter, they walked toward the direction where they had seen the figures earlier.


    They chatted as they walked, not feeling bored.


    After a while, they saw two or three figures, but those people didn''t talk to Su Chen and Huang Menglei, just walked straight ahead.


    Undoubtedly, everyone appearing here was after the spirit fruit.


    "Hey brother, wait up!"


    Suddenly a voice came from behind Su Chen.


    Su Chen turned his head and saw a young man dressed in a robe, looking somewhat plump, with a warm smile on his face!


    "Is there something you need?"


    Su Chen asked with a curious tilt of his head.


    "Was that helicopter that justnded yours?"


    The man asked with a smile.


    "Yes, it''s mine. Is there a problem?"


    Su Chen nodded and then asked.


    "Oh, nothing much. I was just a little behind earlier and seemed to see a man and woman get off from it, so I just wanted to ask."


    The man exined and then said with an admiring tone:


    "Brother, you''re something else! Coming by helicopter, that''s quite unique!"


    He was indeed quite taken aback by seeing someone arrive by helicopter, which made him catch up to ask.


    "It''s just a means of transport."


    Seeing his friendly and amiable demeanor, Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "By the way, may I know your name, brother?"


    The man seemed quite familiar and asked.


    "Su Chen."


    Su Chen didn''t hide it:


    "And may I ask yours?"


    "Zhu Ming."


    The man seemed a bit embarrassed as he said.


    "You are that Zhu Ming?"


    Huang Menglei suddenly realized and eximed with some surprise, her eyes wide open.


    "Looks like my reputation precedes me!"


    Zhu Ming saw Huang Menglei''s reaction andughed somewhat bitterly and self-deprecatingly.


    "I... I didn''t mean it that way."


    Huang Menglei also said somewhat awkwardly.


    "It''s alright either way."


    Zhu Ming seemed a bit carefree as he smiled.


    Su Chen felt there might be something more, but having just met it was not good to ask directly.


    "Brother Su is also here for the spirit fruit, right? How about we join forces?"


    Zhu Ming then said with a smile.


    "I''d love to!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, as he also didn''t know the exact location and having someone along was nice.


    "Brother Su, you''re not from the ancient martial arts world, right?"


    After walking for a short while, Zhu Ming suddenly said.


    "Why do you say that?"


    Su Chen nced at him and asked.


    "If you were, your reaction upon hearing my name wouldn''t have been like that."


    Zhu Ming smiled lightly:


    "It seems like yourdypanion is more like someone from the ancient martial world."


    "Yes, I am indeed not from the ancient martial world."


    Su Chen nodded and replied.


    "By the way, Brother Zhu, do you know what type of spirit fruit is about to mature?"


    After walking for a bit more, Su Chen asked.


    "The Zhu Yuan Fruit."


    Zhu Ming, who knew the relevant information, said.


    "The Zhu Yuan Fruit?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen felt somewhat disappointed because the Zhu Yuan Fruit was considered one of the lesser spirit fruits!


    However, after a moment, heforted himself; at least it was a spirit fruit, and its effect should be better than the Hao Yuan Pill!


    It''s no wonder Su Chen had this mindset because he was poor!


    This poverty wasn''t about money but about cultivation resources!


    He had no sect, no n, naturallycking cultivation resources.


    Whether it was spirit stones or elixirs or spirit fruits, he had nothing!


    When one is poor, naturally everything seems like a treasure!


    What''s more, a spirit fruit is ultimately a spirit fruit; otherwise, there wouldn''t be so many peopleing here!


    The trio continued walking and chatting, and before they knew it, they had reached the foot of a mountain; people from all directions gradually gathered because the Zhu Yuan Fruit was on this mountain peak.


    Though the peak appeared high, it was nothing significant for a Martial Artist.


    The three of them looked at the peak and then started climbing.


    Around them, there were also some other people, but there was little interaction among everyone because soon they could be rivals fighting for the spirit fruit!


    In no time, the three of them had reached the mountain top!


    As they looked around, the summit was vast, and in the distance, there was arge group of people sitting in a circle, probably dozens of them.


    It looked like a campfire party, but there were no songs or dances; instead, everyone had a wary look on their face!

 Chapter 1080: The Plan

    "Let''s go over there."


    Su Chen said casually, then walked towards the crowd, with Huang Menglei and Zhu Ming naturally following closely behind.


    At first, Huang Menglei felt a sense of adventure, but as she approached the crowd, she couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous.


    Because soon, if they truly wanted the Spirit Fruit, a fight was inevitable!


    To be honest, although Huang Menglei''s cultivation was decent, she had almost no realbat experience, mostly cultivating at home!


    Previously in the Huang Family, Huang Zhenhua and his wife couldn''t bear to let such a young girl take risks!


    As Su Chen and his group approached, others looked at them warily, especially noting their cultivation levels!


    After all, everyone present was a potentialpetitor!


    Su Chen suddenly felt a sharp gaze lock onto him. He looked up and found it was the Young Master of the Song Family, Song Chu!


    At this moment, Song Chu''s gaze shot beams of cold light full of hatred at him!


    Beside him, Peng Kang and ck Tiger also looked at him with dark expressions!


    There were a few others behind them, each with decent cultivation!


    Su Chen didn''t expect to run into these guys here, and thought to himself, these guys really are close friends!


    Huang Menglei also saw them and became even more nervous. Her hand involuntarily tightened on Su Chen''s arm!


    Although Su Chen had defeated them soundly before, now each of them had brought three or four people, totaling twelve to thirteen people!


    More importantly, Huang Menglei felt that some of them gave her a very dangerous feeling!


    To be honest, when Huang Menglei heard the news about the Spirit Fruit, she was so excited that she forgot about the possibility of encountering Song Chu and others!


    She thought, if I had known, I wouldn''t have told Brother Su about the Spirit Fruit!


    She thought this way because she was worried that Su Chen might be in danger!


    However, Su Chen merely nced at them and then shifted his gaze, as he didn''t take them seriously at all!


    Su Chen surveyed the surroundings. These people were sitting in a circle with a diameter of about four hundred meters, meaning they were all roughly two hundred meters away from the Spirit Tree!


    The crowd was made up of about a dozen forces, each with a few people, many of whom Su Chen had seen at the auction before!


    At the center of the circle, there was a not-toorge tree, lush with branches and leaves, bearing fifty or sixty fruits.


    Most of these fruits were red, with only a small part at the bottom still green!


    A faint fragrance wafted out, refreshing and invigorating!


    Even though Su Chen hadn''t seen the Zhu Yuan Fruit before, he knew it must be it for sure!


    No one was rushing to grab it because eating it before maturity not only brings no benefit but can even lead to poisoning!


    No conflicts had arisen yet because they didn''t want others to take advantage, given there were so many forces present!


    Su Chen observed that the strength of these people wasn''t too strong; there were almost no Kaiyuan Realm practitioners among them!


    Huang Menglei whispered to Su Chen that most of those present were from second-rate Ancient Martial forces.


    Su Chen nodded in agreement. It wasn''t surprising, given that the Zhu Yuan Fruit was only one of the lesser types of Spirit Fruits!


    This point was evident from the number of fruits it bore!


    Some precious Spirit Fruits only yield a dozen or a few fruits at a time, with some even taking years to produce a single fruit!


    This subtly aligns with the idea that rarity enhances value!


    So even second-rate forces, for the most part, consisted of disciples from families or sects!


    Moreover, another undeniable point was that the Zhu Yuan Fruit had a noticeable effect on Martial Artists of the Meridian Expansion Realm.


    In the Kaiyuan Realm, while it had an effect, it was negligible!


    Su Chen looked at the strength of these people and was quite confident in securing some Spirit Fruits.


    Of course, for him, he wouldn''t be too greedy or too polite, getting around a dozen would suffice!


    After all, the Zhu Yuan Fruit wasn''t so valuable as to be worth going to extremes!


    ...


    "Young Master Song, what do you think?"


    Peng Kang nced at Su Chen, then quietly asked Song Chu beside him.


    "That kid dared to humiliate me like this; I must kill him!"


    ck Tiger, overhearing Peng Kang''s words, said through gritted teeth!


    They were injured by Su Chenst time, and that too in public, so they harbored deep hatred for Su Chen and wanted revenge!


    "Don''t worry, I have a n. Since he''s delivered himself, he won''t get away this time!"


    Song Chu''s eyes shed with a sinister gleam as he looked at Su Chen:


    "This time, he''s dead for sure!"


    If anyone held the deepest grudge against Su Chen, it was undoubtedly Song Chu!


    Although they were harshly taught a lesson by Su Chenst time, they were unafraid this time, because now they had over a dozen strongpanions!


    They just couldn''t believe a boy from the Secr World could be that formidable!


    Su Chen couldn''t care less about these people and casually found a spot to sit, with Huang Menglei and Zhu Ming sitting on either side of him.


    "Brother Su, those guys seem to harbor quite a bit of hostility towards you!"


    Zhu Ming said, naturally sensing the hostility from Song Chu and his group towards Su Chen!


    "Just clowns!"


    Su Chen sneered dismissively,pletely unconcerned.


    Perhaps due to the long wait, everyone''s mood gradually rxed, and they began chatting freely with those around them.


    After all, they were all part of the same circle and somewhat knew each other, with some even attempting to form alliances!


    Time flew by, and soon it was the afternoon of the second day. Seeing that the Zhu Yuan Fruit was about to ripen, its fragrance had be pronounced!


    Everyone perked up, and to be honest, the Zhu Yuan Fruit was quite attractive to those present!


    Firstly, because they were from second-rate forces in the Ancient Martial World, their cultivation resources were far inferior to first-rate or super-first-rate forces!


    Secondly, because they were all in the Meridian Expansion Realm, the Zhu Yuan Fruit was most beneficial to them!


    "Menglei, Brother Zhu, stay close to meter, so I can look after you both."


    Su Chen also whispered.


    Naturally, he couldn''t let Menglei encounter any danger.


    And the newly met Zhu Ming was quite an unusual person, probably the weakest Su Chen had encountered in the Ancient Martial World with only Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer!


    But having gotten to know each other and having pleasant conversations, Su Chen naturally would lend them a hand.


    Both nodded upon hearing this, aware of their limited strength...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1081: Useless Young Master

    After another hour, as those fruits gradually turned red all over, everyone stood up!


    Everyone was observing their surroundings, ready to move the moment someone else did!


    At this moment, they were both holding each other back and willing to wait a bit more for the Zhu Yuan fruits to ripen fully!


    After all, as long as no one made a move, they wouldn''t lose out!


    In a trance, everyone seemed to feel a wisp of Yuan Qi emanating from the Spirit Fruits!


    Just then, a gust of wind suddenly swept across the mountain top, a powerful mountain wind, causing one of the red fruits to fall towards the ground!


    At the instant the fruit left the branch, almost everyone moved!


    In an instant, it seemed a whirlwind sprang up on the mountain top!


    "Bang bang bang bang!"


    The sound of fists and feet shing echoed one after another!


    At this moment, a man beside Huang Menglei struck a palm towards her, and seeing this, Su Chen immediately pulled Huang Menglei away and kicked the man, sending him flying!


    Then he headed towards the Spirit Tree again!


    Because Su Chen was looking after both Huang Menglei and Zhu Ming, naturally he wasn''t the fastest!


    In just a short distance of a few dozen meters, Su Chen had already fended off three people trying to create obstacles for them!


    Three people managed to reach the tree first, with one directly striking the Spirit Tree with his palm!


    That Spirit Tree was not particrlyrge to begin with, and immediately began to shake from the impact, causing the Zhu Yuan fruits on it to shower down!


    Seeing this, everyone''s heart tensed up, then they all heightened their speed to the maximum, dashing forward!


    Su Chen nced around the three people, finding no immediate danger, and also elevated his speed to the fastest!


    Because if he dyed any further, there would be nothing left for him!


    Among these people, Su Chen was probably the fastest, so he was among the first to reach the tree!


    When he got under the tree, there were still some fruits falling, and with a quick motion, he caught four or five Zhu Yuan fruits!


    He smoothly collected them into the Cangyue Ring, drawing no attention!


    In a moment, everyone arrived under the tree, since they were all at thete stage of Meridian Expansion, speed was inevitable.


    Moreover, the distance was only about two hundred meters to begin with!


    "Bang bang bang bang~~~"


    Then, a more intense sound of fighting erupted!


    However, by this time Su Chen had already secured thirteen to fourteen Zhu Yuan fruits!


    Huang Menglei had snatched three fruits, while Zhu Ming got one.


    At this moment, those who had seized some fruits started rushing down the mountain!


    "Let''s go!"


    Su Chen shouted, then headed down the mountain, with Huang Menglei and Zhu Ming immediately following upon hearing him!


    Along the way, there were naturally all sorts of people trying to snatch the Zhu Yuan fruits; Su Chen also encountered a few reckless ones, but he quickly dealt with them!


    Of course, quite a few had seen Su Chen teaching Song Chu and others a lesson near the auction before, knowing he was not to be messed with, so they went to rob others instead!


    After Su Chen and the others reached the foot of the mountain, they headed straight towards where the helicopter was parked.


    But before long, a noise of footsteps suddenly came from behind; a group of people was chasing after them.


    Su Chen turned back and stopped in his tracks!


    Because he knew, carrying Huang Menglei and Zhu Ming, they couldn''t escape.


    The main thing was, he didn''t want to run!


    Soon, those people surrounded Su Chen and the other two!


    Of course, these people were Song Chu, ck Tiger, Peng Kang, and their subordinates!


    Song Chu and hispanions looked at Su Chen with sinister smiles on their faces!


    "Kid, you were so arrogantst time, didn''t expect you''d end up like this, huh?"


    Peng Kang taunted.


    "Who are you people? What do you want to do?"


    Zhu Ming asked, looking at Song Chu and the others.


    "And who the hell are you?"


    ck Tiger sneered dismissively:


    "Wanna meddle? I''ll deal with you too!"


    "Humph! Do you know who I am? Even if I lend you courage, you wouldn''t darey a hand on me!"


    Zhu Ming snorted.


    "Oh, and who might you be?"


    Song Chu raised an eyebrow at these words, acting indifferent but bing more cautious!


    "Listen up, I''m from the Zhu Family!"


    Zhu Ming dered haughtily.


    Song Chu and the others were momentarily startled, slightly shocked!


    This fat guy is actually from the Zhu Family!


    The Zhu Family is one of the top powers in the Ancient Martial World, and the gap between a top power and a second-rate power is immense!


    "May I ask which Young Master you are from the Zhu Family?"


    Song Chu cautiously inquired, dealing with someone from the Zhu Family made things tricky!


    "Who I am is none of your business."


    Zhu Ming replied indifferently:


    "I want to take them and leave, do you have any objections?"


    "This person is our enemy; we hope Brother Zhu doesn''t interfere!"


    Song Chu bowed slightly, really unwilling to let Su Chen go just like that!


    "I know, he''s the useless Young Master Zhu Ming from the Zhu Family!"


    Peng Kang suddenly remembered something and blurted out.


    He had been pondering who this young man from the Zhu Family was!


    He had already noticed that this person''s cultivation was at the Meridian Expansion Fifth Layer, which was extremely rare, if not unprecedented, for someone of the younger generation from a top power like the Zhu Family in the Ancient Martial World!


    In top powers within the Ancient Martial World, the younger generation generally reached at least the Eighth or Ninth Layer in cultivation realm!


    Seeing his rather plump figure, he immediately thought of the well-known useless Young Master!


    "So that''s who he is!"


    Song Chu and ck Tiger also recalled his identity upon Peng Kang''s reminder, a rxed smile appearing on their lips.


    Zhu Ming wore a slightly embarrassed expression at this moment!


    He had deliberately acted high and mighty earlier, hoping to take the opportunity to lead Su Chen and Huang Menglei out.


    He also did not think Su Chen could be a match for so many people!


    "I want to take them, move aside!"


    Zhu Ming still wanted to try, as Su Chen had looked after him before!


    He was someone who repaid kindness!


    "Sorry, Young Master Zhu, I''m afraid we can''t agree to your request."


    Song Chu taunted with a smile, nowpletely at ease.


    "Are you really going to disrespect our Zhu Family like this?"


    Zhu Ming''s face turned serious.


    "I''m afraid, Young Master Zhu, you can''t represent the Zhu Family."


    Song Chu smiled yfully and said:


    "If it were your brother making the request, we''d step aside without a second thought, but for you, sorry..."


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Ming''s face turned red and then white, looking even more embarrassed!


    ck Tiger and Peng Kangughed sarcastically at Zhu Ming, seemingly not taking this Zhu Family Young Master seriously at all...

 Chapter 1082: Hes Gone Mad!

    Su Chen, upon hearing this, finally guessed some things. Without a doubt, the Zhu Family where Zhu Ming resided must be a renowned power in the Ancient Martial World.


    It''s just that perhaps Zhu Ming had poor talent, or for some other reason, his Cultivation Realm was very low!


    In the Ancient Martial World, strength is the root of everything. Without strength, nothing is useful!


    Therefore, Zhu Ming was naturally not valued, and many people even called him the "worthless Young Master"!


    For any man, this title could be considered extremely disgraceful!


    Moreover, Zhu Ming was also a practitioner of Martial Arts Cultivation.


    Perhaps others looked down on him, but Su Chen felt a bit fond and even moved by him.


    Zhu Ming certainly knew his situation; no one looked up to him, and standing out might very well be self-humiliation!


    But he still stood up immediately earlier, trying his best to help himself!


    From this point of view, this man still had a strong sense of loyalty!


    At this moment, he finally understood why Huang Menglei had such a reaction upon hearing his name at the start. Clearly, she had heard rted information too.


    However, Huang Menglei''s response was much kinder and friendlier...


    ...


    At this time, the contest over the Zhuyuan Fruit seemed to havee to an end, with the weak fleeing as they could, leaving behind only those with some power who weren''t afraid of others trying to take it!


    After all, earlier snatching was all about the strong robbing the weak.


    Now that they noticed themotion here, they also stopped.


    This included some people from the previous auction, and through their word of mouth, the spectators had pretty much understood the grudge between them!


    "This is our business, it has nothing to do with the two of them, let them go, and I''ll stay behind."


    Su Chen said calmly, looking at Song Chu and the others.


    "Okay."


    Song Chu reflected for a moment and nodded. He hadn''t nned to target Huang Menglei as he was still coveting her!


    As for Zhu Ming, although he was a worthless person, he was nevertheless the Young Master of the Zhu Family; looking down on him was one thing, but killing him would be a slight to the Zhu Family''s face¡ªsomething he didn''t dare do!


    Of course, they were willing to let the two go because they believed Su Chen was certain to die!


    Song Chu had not taken action on the mountain because he wanted to kill him after the Zhuyuan Fruitpetition and seize the fruit from him!


    For him, killing two birds with one stone was absolutely worthwhile!


    He had noticed earlier that Su Chen acquired quite a few Zhuyuan Fruits!


    "Wait for me at the ne, I''ll be there soon."


    Su Chen smiled and spoke to the two.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Song Chu and the others couldn''t help but sneer. Soon? You''re likely never getting that chance!


    "No way!"


    Huang Menglei said with a pout.


    "I''m not leaving either!"


    Zhu Ming echoed.


    Zhu Ming was used to being ridiculed, with few taking him seriously as a friend.


    Not just those from first-rate forces, but even most from second-rate ones acted simrly!


    Everyone knew he wasn''t valued within his family; a few mocking words here and there didn''t matter!


    However, Su Chen knew of his low strength andter learned he was called a "worthless Young Master," yet still treated him on rtively equal terms!


    This was very important to him!


    "Don''t worry, with these trash, trying to keep me here is a dream!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, saying:


    "You being here only ties me down!"


    The onlookers, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, couldn''t help but find it astonishing. This guy thinks bragging doesn''t tax anything, surely!


    He''s facing more than a dozen opponents alone!


    Moreover, each one''s cultivation is above his!


    Even those who saw Su Chen casually face three people earlier believed he was doomed this time!


    After all, there were a dozen at the Eighth and Ninth Layer of Meridian Expansion, and even two at the half-step!


    Only with the power of the Kaiyuan Realm could it possibly be done!


    Yet those people didn''t believe this young man from the Secr World had Kaiyuan Realm strength!


    Knowing that even in the entire Ancient Martial World, entering Kaiyuan Realm at such a young age would definitely count as outstanding!


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Song Chu and others were even more infuriated, their faces filled with anger!


    Last time, this guy called them trash, now at death''s door, he still insults them as trash!


    "Rest assured, Menglei, when has Big Brother Su ever lied to you?"


    Su Chen disregarded others'' opinions, gently patting Huang Menglei''s hair as he spoke.


    The reason he wanted the two to leave is he faced over a dozen people; inevitably, there''d be some harm if he couldn''t handle everything.


    "Alright then, Big Brother Su, be careful."


    Huang Menglei thought it over, realizing staying might make her a burden.


    "It''s fine!"


    Su Chen smiled, then looked at Zhu Ming:


    "Brother Zhu, today''s favor, I, Su Chen, will remember!"


    Huang Menglei and Zhu Ming nodded, then exited the encirclement.


    They didn''t go far, though, and stood among the crowd not far away...


    "Kid, are you ready to die?"


    Seeing the two walk out, ck Tigerughed, his smile chilling!


    "You dare oppose us, today you shall be forever buried on this Thousand Clouds Mountain."


    Peng Kang joked coldly as well:


    "To have this green mountain as your burial site, it''s not a loss!"


    Though Song Chu said nothing, the killing intent on his face was most severe!


    "Since you''re so eager to die, I''ll dly fulfill your wish!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    Last time, these people didn''t have such strong intent to kill; now it seemed they wouldn''t stop without killing him!


    If that''s the case, Su Chen had nothing to consider further!


    Moreover, things had progressed to this point; it wasn''t much rted to Huang Menglei anymore!


    Were the Huang Family dragged into this, Su Chen wouldn''t stand idly by!


    Of course, that seemed unlikely!


    Regardless, they wanted to kill him, and he''d just have to kill them... simple logic!


    Song Chu and the rest were furious, seeing Su Chen still so arrogant at this moment!


    "Attack!"


    Song Chu suddenly yelled, and more than a dozen people surged at Su Chen, broad-shouldered, intending to engulf him in one move!


    Su Chen looked at these individuals, his lips curling into a cold smile!


    Instead of retreating, he moved forward, diving into the crowd!


    The onlookers, seeing this scene, were stunned, eyes wide open!


    Was this guy crazy?


    Faced with such an imposing group, instead of trying to escape or use defensive counter-strategies to break through, he dashed straight into their densest point!


    If not madness, then what?

 Chapter 1083: Do You Think I Care?

    Seeing Su Chen''s actions, everyone not only thought he was crazy but also believed he was doomed!


    However, just as this thought surfaced in their minds, they witnessed an unbelievable scene!


    "Bang bang bang bang~~~"


    One figure after another was sted away, falling into the distance, with some dying on the spot!


    Whether Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer or Ninth Layer, there seemed to be no distinction!


    Even Half-Step Kaiyuan met the same fate!


    These people werepletely powerless before this man!


    Some people''s punches and kicksnded on this young man, but they seemed to pose no threat to him, at most leaving some dust on his clothes!


    This scene left everyone utterly dumbfounded!


    If your attack power is terrifying, that''s fine, but even your defense is so defying, it''s simply monstrous!


    In just two or three minutes, seven or eight people were scattered everywhere, with three or four sted dead on the spot!


    At this moment, everyone''s minds werepletely nk from shock!


    Too powerful!


    So powerful that these people seem like children before him!


    Huang Menglei''s cherry lips were agape, almost able to fit an egg!


    This big brother Su had once again given her heart a violent jolt!


    "Damn!"


    Zhu Ming beside her couldn''t help but curse!


    Song Chu and others originally thought that with so many people rushing up at once, this guy surely couldn''t cope!


    Once he''s knocked down, they could humiliate him however they wanted!


    But unexpectedly, in a blink, only four or five remained out of a dozen, including the three of them!


    Luckily, the three of them were at the back just now, otherwise, the oue would have been the same!


    After exchanging nces, the three immediately turned and fled in three directions!


    This guy was too abnormal!


    Abnormally beyond their imagination!


    However, Peng Kang had just run a few steps when a True Yuan ripple opened the void behind him. He nced back while running, and a palm print was alreadying!


    "Boom!"


    A formidable force struck him, and he flew out like a kite with broken strings, tracing a parab in the air, spitting a mouthful of blood skyward!


    Su Chen struck Peng Kang with a palm and then moved to catch up with ck Tiger instantly!


    Seeing him approaching, ck Tiger''s face filled with extreme terror!


    Su Chenunched a punch, sting ck Tiger dozens of meters away. Onnding, he crushed a patch of nts, his chest already caved in, looking extremely terrifying!


    Su Chen''s clean and efficient moves instantly solved Peng Kang of the Peng Family and ck Tiger of the ck de Sect, shocking the onlookers and terrifying Song Chu!


    Song Chu wished he had more legs to run faster!


    Watching Song Chu''s desperate escape, Su Chen''s lips curled into a sneer, then he flicked his wrist!


    "Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"


    The sound of breaking air arose as several Silver Needles shot towards Song Chu, glimmering coldly!


    Song Chu suddenly felt one leg powerless, stumbling onto the grass!


    As he supported himself on one leg from the ground, a smiling face looked mockingly at him!


    Only the hidden murderous intent in that smile could he feel!


    "What do you want?"


    Song Chu''s pupils shrunk violently, trembling as he spoke.


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a line as he calmly said:


    "Since you want to kill me, I naturally send you off first."


    "If you kill me, my Song Family won''t spare you!"


    Song Chu was still making ast-ditch effort!


    "Do you think I care?"


    Su Chen looked at him as if he were an idiot.


    Song Chu suddenly realized!


    Indeed, this guy has already killed ck Tiger and Peng Kang; would he care about killing him?


    Understanding this, Song Chu knelt down with a thud:


    "Please, spare me. I was blind to your greatness!"


    Though unwilling, he had no choice, fearing death!


    Seeing this scene, others'' hearts skipped a beat!


    Song Chu was the Young Master of the Song Family!


    The Song Family was a top force among the second-tier powers of the Ancient Martial World, rivaling some of the weaker first-tier forces!


    And now, the Young Master of the Song Family knelt before this young man from the Secr World!


    Seeing Song Chu''s current state, Su Chen''s eyes shed with disgust!


    If Song Chu stayed tough to the end, he might have looked up to him!


    But now, his actions revealed his true cowardly nature!


    Of course, whether or not he begged, Su Chen wouldn''t spare him!


    If you wish to kill, you must be prepared to be killed!


    Seeing neitherpromise nor his intent to spare, Song Chu stood up, turning to flee again!


    Though rationally knowing he couldn''t escape, it was a survival instinct!


    Like a drowning person, knowing it''s futile yet still iling desperately...


    But as he just stood up, a gleam shed, apanied by a burst of blood mist!


    The Song Family''s Young Master fell straight to the ground!


    At this moment, everyone''s heart skipped a beat as they looked at this young man!


    This young man was truly a demon, not one to provoke!


    Song Chu, ck Tiger, Peng Kang, none of them ordinary, yet he killed them just like that!


    Su Chen didn''t care what others thought; he gathered the Zhu Yuan Fruits from the bodies. There were seventeen or eighteen of thembined!


    It was indeed a considerable gain for him!


    Others didn''t dare even think of robbing them, fearing for their lives!


    Ignoring the crowd, Su Chen then walked with Huang Menglei and Zhu Ming towards the helicopter.


    At this moment, Huang Menglei and Zhu Ming were still dazed, unwilling to believe what had just happened!


    He killed them all without a moment of hesitation?


    Soon, the three reached the helicopter, bidding farewell to Zhu Ming.


    Before leaving, Su Chen gave Zhu Ming five Zhu Yuan Fruits, as he had only grabbed one before!


    Zhu Ming initially refused, but Su Chen insisted, leaving him touched!


    Although Zhu Ming was the Young Master of the Zhu Family, his weak talent limited his resources, as resources gravitate towards more promising members!


    Moreover, due to some shorings and external reasons, Zhu Ming found it hard to obtain Cultivation resources; otherwise, he wouldn''t bepeting for these Zhu Yuan Fruits!


    While the Zhu Yuan Fruits were important, Su Chen''s friendship meant even more!


    After bidding farewell to Zhu Ming, Su Chen and Huang Menglei boarded the helicopter, which soon lifted off, heading towards Yandu...

 Chapter 1084: Uninvited Guests

    As Su Chen piloted the ne nearing Yandu, the sky had already darkened, and the neon lights of the city below had begun to twinkle!


    Looking down from the sky, it seemed like a flowing river, extremely beautiful!


    However, Huang Menglei was not in the mood to appreciate this beauty. On the way back, she was much less excited than when she came, with a lot more worry between her brows!


    Undoubtedly, Brother Su killed those three people, and those families or sects wouldn''t just let it go!


    After all, those few people were either Young Masters or Sect Leaders!


    She was worried about even one force, let alone three forces!


    Su Chen didn''t think much of it, anyway, since those people so wanted to kill him, he naturally wouldn''t show mercy!


    Especially since he had already given them a chancest time!


    ......


    Meanwhile, at the foot of Yuquan Mountain in Yandu, two figures appeared here.


    One was wearing a luxurious robe embroidered with gold and silver, while the other was dressed in a bespoke suit from a workshop!


    "Brother Lei, those women are staying here."


    The man in the suit said to the man in the luxurious robe with a smiling face, his tone very ttering!


    "They really know how to pick a ce to stay."


    The man in the luxurious robe nced at the exquisite vi on the mountain, then at the man in the suit:


    "Are those women really as beautiful as you described?"


    "Brother Lei, how would I dare to deceive you? I just regret I couldn''t adequately describe their beauty, each is an absolute knockout!"


    The man in the suit, hearing this, quickly said:


    "When you see them in person, you''ll know!"


    "Oh! If they are truly as you say, I won''t treat you poorly."


    The man in the luxurious robe said.


    "Thank you, Brother Lei. Our Shi Family will certainly dedicate ourselves to Heavenly Thunder Sect with all our might!"


    The man in the suit, upon hearing this, immediately said excitedly.


    This man in the suit was naturally Shi Minghang, who was harshly reprimanded by Eniel a few days ago!


    On the surface, the Shi Family is a well-known family in Yandu City, but in reality, it''s the interest manager of the first-ss force Heavenly Thunder Sect in the Secr World!


    In simple terms, the Shi Family is merely a worker, just that Heavenly Thunder Sect, to hide itself, brought it to prominence!


    Actually, entities like the Shi Family are not umon in Huaxia, it''s just that the real details generally aren''t known to people!


    Because Heavenly Thunder Sect rarely contacts the Shi Family typically, just every half a year, they send people to review the ounts!


    This time happened to be the time for the ount review, and the Shi father and son nned to wait for the person from the other side toe and ask them to severely punish those women who humiliated Shi Minghang!


    But they didn''t expect that the person who came was Lei Gang!


    Lei Gang''s identity wasn''t simple, he was the direct disciple of Heavenly Thunder Sect''s Sect Master, Lei Hong!


    Shi Minghang promptly changed his mind, as he had long heard many things about Lei Gang and knew he was a womanizer!


    Of course, hardly any man isn''t womanizing, isn''t he also?


    Otherwise, there wouldn''t have been such an issue!


    He thought, since that''s the case, why not take this opportunity to please this favorite disciple of the Sect Master of Heavenly Thunder Sect?


    He figured that Lei Gang would definitely be very satisfied seeing those incredible women!


    Actually calling him Brother Lei was already overreaching because, in the end, their Shi Family was merely on the periphery of Heavenly Thunder Sect!


    "By the way, is there no male owner inside?"


    Lei Gang casually asked.


    "There is one, but he shouldn''t be anything special."


    Shi Minghang, after all, hadn''t seen Su Chen in action, so naturally, he overlooked him.


    Moreover, if he were formidable, would he still have let a woman take action at that time?


    Not long after, they arrived at the vi''s entrance. The door wasn''t closed, and with a push, it opened, and they walked straight in!


    However, it was quiet upfront, with not a person in sight, so they walked through the front vi, continuing to the back.


    "Who are you looking for?"


    Xia Qiuru happened to be on a walk and saw two mening over, so she asked.


    Lei Gang''s eyes lit up immediately upon seeing Xia Qiuru, revealing a greed that was hard to disguise!


    Sure enough, she''s an exceptional woman!


    This kind of woman is rare even in the entire Ancient Martial World!


    "It''s you?"


    Soon after, Xia Qiuru''s gaze fell on the man in the suit, and she couldn''t help but say:


    At this moment, she naturally recognized this man as the one who tried to take advantage of Lin Ruoxue thest time they went to buy swimsuits!


    Xia Qiuru wasn''t foolish, she immediately sensed that these two did note with good intentions!


    "Miss, impressive perception, I didn''t expect you to recognize me!"


    Shi Minghang said with a smirk.


    At this time, Du Hanbing and Eniel came out together, as they had also heard the noise outside.


    "It''s you?!"


    They too recognized Shi Minghang at a nce, but soon their gaze was fixed on the man in the luxurious robe beside him!


    Although this man had a restrained aura, he gave them an incredibly dangerous and unbeatable feeling!


    Their hearts grew heavy at once, understanding well that the sudden visit of these two could not be for any good reason!


    "It seems youdies have a good memory, all remembering me!"


    Shi Minghang boasted with a proud grin.


    Meanwhile, Lei Gang beside him had his eyespletely fixed!


    Wow, each one of them is so beautiful, truly stunning!


    The foreign woman especially, that figure, it''s explosive!


    That head of golden hair, a beautifully enchanting face, filled him with desire!


    Such a woman, if in bed, it would be ecstasy!


    Another short-haired woman was also a rarity, her body proportions were perfect!


    He looked at these three women, feeling his breath nearly stopping!


    "Gulp!"


    He couldn''t help but swallow hard, his face openly disying lewd and obscene intent!


    "Not bad, not bad, as expected, you really didn''t deceive me, they are truly each a peerless beauty!"


    Lei Gang patted Shi Minghang''s shoulder, praising with a smile.


    "Thank you for thepliment, Brother Lei!"


    Shi Minghang grinned and said:


    "But Brother Lei, there''s also one most beautiful woman not here!"


    "There''s also a most beautiful one?"


    Upon hearing this, Lei Gang was taken aback!


    These women are already so beautiful, what would the most beautiful one look like?


    Lei Gang thought to himself, his heart filled with anticipation!


    But even the women in front of him were rare and extraordinary!


    "What are you here for?"


    Du Hanbing asked coldly, feeling ufortable with these two men''s gaze!


    At the same time, a hand in her pocket pressed a button!


    Though Du Hanbing mightck in strength, as the Chief Instructor of the Eighth Brigade, her mental fortitude and mind were certainly adequate!


    She knew what needed to be done at this moment!

 Chapter 1085: Gathering

    "We''vee to greet all the beautifuldies here!"


    Lei Gang said yfully, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the women!


    "Get lost!"


    Eniel shouted, her temper as fiery as her figure. Even though she knew she wasn''t a match, she still spoke without courtesy!


    "Don''t take an inch when given a mile!"


    Lei Gang''s face darkened instantly, and he said coldly:


    "You''d better behave and serve us, otherwise... humph humph."


    "Wishful thinking!"


    Du Hanbing scoffed coldly.


    "Hmph, it seems I have to act before you''ll behave a bit!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lei Gang moved, a shadow shed past!


    Seeing this, Du Hanbing and Eniel quickly attacked Lei Gang together, shielding Xia Qiuru behind them!


    Xia Qiuru had no martial skills, just an ordinary office woman, so they naturally took on the responsibility to protect her!


    Even though they knew the man in front of them was extremely powerful, beyond their ability to handle!


    Eniel struck with a palm directly, while Du Hanbing suddenly grasped a dagger in her hand, stabbing straight forward!


    Seeing the two women dare to fight back, Lei Gang''s mouth curled into a disdainful smile!


    "Bang!"


    Lei Gang kicked out, his move arrivingter butnding first, directly kicking Eniel in the abdomen, sending her flying!


    At the same time, his other hand strangel reached out, grabbing Du Hanbing''s wrist!


    Du Hanbing tried to break free, only to find she couldn''t move an inch no matter how hard she tried!


    "Two mere Meridian Expansion First Layer, and you dare to make a move in front of me, really overestimating yourselves!"


    Lei Gang sneered, then with a light twist of his wrist, Du Hanbing''s body spun in mid-air, then mmed onto the ground!


    "Eniel, Hanbing!"


    Seeing this, Xia Qiuru cried out in shock!


    She hurried to Eniel''s side first, slowly helping her up.


    At this moment, Eniel felt as if her internal organs were all disced, churning, very ufortable!


    Tiny streaks of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth...


    "Eniel, are you okay?"


    Xia Qiuru asked worriedly.


    "I''m fine."


    Eniel wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said:


    "Go check on Hanbing."


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru quickly ran over to Du Hanbing, slowly helping her up.


    Du Hanbing''s condition seemed slightly better than Eniel''s...


    At this moment, Xia Qiuru felt awful inside, she couldn''t do anything in the face of these two bad guys, nor could she help Eniel and Hanbing!


    For the first time, she felt so useless!


    Lei Gang watched them quietly with an amused expression, not stopping them at all, like a cat toying with a mouse!


    Once Eniel and Du Hanbing stood up, they looked at Lei Gang with even more serious expressions!


    They had expected their enemy to be strong, beyond their ability to handle, but didn''t expect him to be this powerful!


    Even when they joined forces, they couldn''t make him move a single step!


    After all, they were already experts in the Meridian Expansion First Layer!


    "Ladies, I advise you not to resist in vain, just obey peacefully!"


    Lei Gang said with heat in his eyes, looking at the women, having barely used any cultivation strength earlier!


    For these top-quality women, he wouldn''t destroy the flowers with a rough hand!


    The women didn''t speak, looking coldly at this man!


    "I''ve never yed with such a beautiful foreign woman before, you''ll be the first!"


    Lei Gang looked at Eniel''s fiery figure, nearly drooling!


    He slowly walked toward Eniel, footsteps making ''thump thump'' sounds!


    Seeing this, Du Hanbing moved to attack Lei Gang again, of course, Eniel did too!


    Though they were not his match, they wouldn''t sit and wait for death!


    But before Du Hanbing could get near, Lei Gang swatted her away with a palm, sending her flying back, and she fell heavily onto the ground again!


    The next moment, Eniel''s long neck was also caught by arge hand!


    "Lady, I advise you to behave, or you''ll suffer!"


    Lei Gang looked at Eniel''s fiery figure, swallowing hard, then his other big hand reached for Eniel!


    Eniel was unbearably ashamed and furious, wishing she could kill this guy, but at this moment, her neck was clutched tight, unable to move!


    Just then, Lei Gang suddenly felt a strong wave of True Yuan behind him, much stronger than that of the earlier two women!


    His nerves tightened, he immediately released Eniel, then dodged to the side!


    The sound of a sharp sword slicing through the air rang out beside him, then abruptly stopped!


    Lei Gang turned his head to see a woman with shoulder-length hair and an oval face, wearing leather clothes and pants, appearing in front of him!


    "Another super beauty!"


    Lei Gang murmured!


    This vi had way too many beauties!


    Who was this woman?


    The women in the vi looked at Qian Ying in confusion.


    Because they hadn''t seen Qian Ying before, who was in charge of protecting Lin Ruoxue and usually stayed in the shadows!


    Every time after escorting Lin Ruoxue back, she would return to the manor by Laixing Lake!


    Today, after bringing Lin Ruoxue back, she was about to leave when she heard somemotion from the back of the vi, so she immediately told Lin Ruoxue and rushed over!


    Upon reaching the back, she saw a man trying to take liberties with Eniel!


    She knew these women belonged to her master, how could she let anyone take liberties!


    She immediately drew her sword and stabbed, though she didn''t expect the opponent to dodge so easily!


    Knowing she was now Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, and this was a sneak attack!


    This showed the opponent''s cultivation was extraordinary!


    "Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer? Interesting!"


    Lei Gang murmured lightly, looking at Qian Ying.


    "Thump thump thump!"


    Just then, another set of footsteps sounded, and a woman in business attire with silver high heels walked over!


    When Lei Gang saw this woman, he immediately felt his heart skip a beat!


    So beautiful!


    Especially with that cool demeanor paired with that wless, absolutely stunning face, she was beauty enough to take one''s breath away!


    "Senior Brother Lei, I mentioned the most beautiful woman is her!"


    Shi Minghang, upon seeing Lin Ruoxue, quickly said.


    "Indeed a kingdom-toppling beauty!"


    Shi Minghang couldn''t help but marvel:


    "How can there be such a perfect woman in the world!"


    Looking at the five or six beauties here, Shi Minghang felt this trip to Yandu was truly worthwhile!


    He didn''t expect this vi to gather so many peerlessly beautiful women!

 Chapter 1086: The One Who Has Come for Your Life

    "Ruoxue, why are you here?"


    Qian Ying hurriedly said when she saw Lin Ruoxue.


    She originally intended for Lin Ruoxue to hide after arriving at the manor, while she checked the situation.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Ruoxue had followed her!


    Of course, Qian Ying used to call her Main Mother, but Lin Ruoxue had her change the address, treating her like a sister!


    To Lin Ruoxue, regardless of Qian Ying''s rtionship with her husband, this woman had always protected her from the shadows, and Lin Ruoxue was naturally grateful!


    Moreover, Qian Ying was only twenty-one or twenty-two. Over time, Lin Ruoxue almost regarded her as a cherished younger sister!


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue walked over, obviously worried. She immediately spotted Shi Minghang, who had previously attempted to take advantage of her!


    She quickly understood that these two uninvited guests were not benevolent!


    The other women, upon hearing Qian Ying call Lin Ruoxue ''Ruoxue'', immediately realized she was one of their own!


    Of course, this could also be seen from that previous sword move!


    "This is a private residence, please leave!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at the two and said coldly.


    "You want us to leave? Hahaha~~~"


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, Lei Gang and Shi Minghangughed as if they had heard a joke.


    This woman who had just entered was beautiful, but a bit too naive, wasn''t she?


    Was Lin Ruoxue naive? Only Lei Gang might think so!


    How could Lin Ruoxue, the CEO of the Belle Group, be naive?


    Her words were merely a test, and another purpose was to buy time!


    Although she didn''t understand Martial Arts, she could see the injuries on Eniel and Du Hanbing and the serious look in Qian Ying''s eyes!


    This indicated that the unknown man was very powerful!


    She believed that Du Hanbing and the others must have already contacted Su Chen!


    As long as Su Chen returned, there would be hope!


    "Beautifuldy, why don''t we have a little chat first?"


    Lei Gang looked at Lin Ruoxue, his face full of desire, and then stepped closer to her!


    "Courting death!"


    Qian Ying''s face immediately turned cold, then she struck again, stabbing at Lei Gang''s back!


    The long sword pierced through the void, its tip flickering with a cold light, augmented by strong True Yuan, a slight humming sound echoed in the air!


    But Lei Gang''s face showed no disturbance, he was only slightly tense earlier due to being ambushed!


    To be honest, someone at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer didn''t really concern him!


    When Qian Ying''s sword thrust forward, Lei Gang slightly turned, moved, and flung a punch!


    "Boom!"


    Qian Ying immediately felt like a heavy hammer had struck her, flying backward while bent over!


    "Hmph, you''re like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"


    Lei Gang snorted disdainfully.


    As he was about to turn around and continue towards Lin Ruoxue, Eniel and Du Hanbing both rushed in!


    However, they were still easily knocked aside by Lei Gang, barely managing to dy him!


    They then heavily crashed to the ground, their bodies seeming to fall apart!


    After knocking the two aside, he turned again to approach Lin Ruoxue!


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t flee; she knew escape was impossible, but her face towards Lei Gang was covered with ayer of frost!


    A chill as if from icynds exuded from her bones, causing even Lei Gang to shiver involuntarily!


    At this moment, Qian Ying struggled to get up from the ground, her long sword poised in the air, thrusting towards Lei Gang with unstoppable determination!


    Even knowing she was not a match, she absolutely couldn''t let this guy harm Lin Ruoxue!


    Realizing Qian Ying wasing again, Lei Gang''s face turnedpletely serious!


    This was getting out of hand!


    They were really pushing him to be ruthless!


    As Qian Ying''s sword got close to Lei Gang''s back, he suddenly turned, moving swiftly to close the distance with Qian Ying!


    He casually pped Qian Ying''s sword-wielding arm, causing her to involuntarily release her grip, the sword dropping to the ground.


    Lei Gang reached out, grabbed the sword, and swung it fiercely!


    Qian Ying''s face changed drastically, she retreated hastily but toote, her ck leather jacket was shed, a long gash appeared on her chest and abdomen, blood gushing out!


    "Bang!"


    Lei Gang then kicked her away, and Qian Ying''s body flew out like a cannonball, crashing into a column and slumping down!


    By this time, neither Qian Ying, Eniel, nor Du Hanbing could barely stand!


    At this moment, Xia Qiuru suddenly ran to Lin Ruoxue''s side, looking at Lei Gang and shouted:


    "If you have guts,e at me!"


    "Qiuru, it''s useless!"


    Lin Ruoxue sighed.


    She knew in her heart that since these two hade to the manor, they wouldn''t spare any of them!


    "Rest assured, I''ll get to all of you soon!"


    Sure enough, Lei Gang thenughed lewdly:


    "I won''t ''neglect'' any of you!"


    These were all stunning beauties, and Lei Gang was certainly not going to let any of them go!


    "If you dare touch us, you''ll be doomed!"


    Lin Ruoxue looked at Lei Gang and said calmly.


    "Oh, I''d like to see how I''m doomed?"


    Lei Gang chuckled mockingly, not taking Lin Ruoxue''s threat seriously!


    "You''ll find out!"


    At this moment, a cold voice sounded, and a figure approached...


    ......


    Just as Su Chen was nearing Yandu, his phone rang; it was a message!


    Perhaps others wouldn''t understand the message''s content, but Su Chen understood at a nce, knowing it was from Du Hanbing!


    Given their years of fighting side by side in the Eighth Brigade, they naturally had a set of emergency codes!


    His phone chirped again, this time it was from Eniel, also an emergency message, a special alert code for the Nether Temple!


    "Something''s happened at the manor!"


    With two simr signals sent right after the other, Su Chen immediately realized there must be a major incident at the manor!


    He dared not dy and immediately pushed the helicopter to its maximum speed!


    The manor housed his most beloved women, and he couldn''t bear for anything to happen to even one of them!


    When he reached Yuquan Mountain, there was no time tond the helicopter on the helipad; hended it directly at the mountain''s base, then dashed towards the manor like lightning...


    Upon arriving, Su Chen first nced at the women, and his heart became much calmer!


    Though Eniel and the others were injured, they didn''t seem to be in any life-threatening danger!


    "Who are you?"


    Lei Gang asked in an unfriendly tone after hearing Su Chen''s words.


    "The one who will take your life!"


    Su Chen shot a nce at the two, a vast killing intent immediately emanating from him!


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 Chapter 1087: Death Sentence

    "Brother Lei, he''s the male owner of this vi!"


    At this moment, Shi Minghang whispered.


    Upon hearing this, Lei Gang couldn''t help but find it strange. Didn''t Shi Minghang say he was nothing special?


    But how could he have such a strong killing intent? How many people has he killed?


    Although Su Chen''s killing intent was extremely intense, Lei Gang wasn''t particrly afraid.


    Because he was merely at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer, not even as good as that leather-d woman!


    Moreover, the man''s arrogant words earlier made him very angry, so he looked at Su Chen and snorted coldly:


    "Take my life? Just you?"


    "Dare to harm my woman, you two are doomed!"


    Su Chen''s voice remained as cold as ever, as if proiming death!


    At this moment, footsteps sounded, and another figure appeared here.


    "Brother Su..."


    Huang Menglei, upon arriving, voiced her concern.


    Just now, Su Chen hurried here at full speed, so naturally, she was a bit slower.


    Just before reaching Yandu, she noticed that Brother Su had sped up the ne, and his expression was grim, so she knew something was definitely wrong!


    Looking now upon entering, it was indeed the case!


    "Menglei, go tend to the sisters first."


    Su Chen said.


    "Okay."


    Huang Menglei nodded. With Brother Su here, she naturally had no worries.


    Now she had a new understanding of Brother Su''s strength!


    Afterwards, Huang Menglei went over and slowly helped Qian Ying, Eniel, and Du Hanbing up one by one.


    She then took out some pills from her body and gave each of them a Healing Pill.


    These pills weren''t particrly precious, but their healing effects were still decent.


    It was Huang Menglei''s first time venturing out, and Huang Zhenhua was worried she might get hurt, so he had specially prepared some for her.


    Besides Qian Ying, she had been with Du Hanbing and Eniel for a few days, so they were rtively familiar!


    "Thank you!"


    The three women said in unison and then silently began healing.


    As for other matters, they left it to Su Chen.


    "I have to see who falls between us!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Lei Gang''s face instantly turned unsightly!


    This guy''s cultivation was mediocre, yet so arrogant!


    "Rest assured, after you''re gone, I''ll ''take care'' of your women!"


    A sinister smile suddenly appeared on Lei Gang''s face!


    To be honest, he was quite envious of the man before him having so many exceptional women!


    "We''ll see if you''re lucky enough!"


    Su Chen now looked at Lei Gang as if he were a dead man because, in his heart, Lei Gang already was!


    "Then let me see what capabilities you have, daring to be so arrogant in front of me!"


    Lei Gang immediately roared.


    With that, he threw a punch towards Su Chen!


    Su Chen''s gaze irritated him, and he wanted to punch this man to death and then im his women!


    He had been lenient with the women earlier, as he coveted those beauties!


    But right now, he showed no such courtesy, unleashing the pressure infinitely close to the Kaiyuan Realm!


    Even though Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru were some distance away, they still felt immense oppression, like a mountain suddenly pressing down and making breathing difficult!


    They wanted to retreat, but every step was so challenging!


    Standing not far from Lei Gang, Shi Minghang had a cold smile at the corner of his mouth, thinking this guy was seeking death by provoking Brother Lei!


    With Lei Gang''s punch, the air was violentlypressed, as if breaking through the void!


    One can see the power of this punch!


    But as Su Chen watched the unstoppable punch, he disdainfully smiled!


    He naturally saw the opponent''s Realm, belonging to the pinnacle of the Half-Step Kaiyuan, just a step away from entering the real Kaiyuan Realm!


    Of course, that step wasn''t so easy to cross!


    Even if he crossed it, what then?


    Lei Gang felt a sense of pride seeing his punch about tond!


    He thought, what''s the use of arrogance!


    For Martial Artists, it ultimatelyes down to strength!


    Only with strength does one have the right to speak!


    However, the next moment, his smugness vanished, his expression changing dramatically as if seeing a ghost!


    Not only him, but everyone else was also stunned!


    Because at this moment, Lei Gang''s fiercely powerful punch suddenly stopped, hanging in midair!


    And what stopped his fist was arge hand, wrapping around the fist, making it unable to advance an inch!


    Eniel and Du Hanbing exchanged incredulous nces!


    Previously, before this man, they had no power to fight back!


    And now, this man''s prepared punch was being held by Su Chen''s single hand, rendering him powerless!


    It was simply unbelievable!


    Moreover, they could all feel that Lei Gang''s punch was far stronger than his previous attacks!


    Qian Ying watched, her beautiful eyes sparkling!


    As expected of the master, he had grown significantly stronger over the months!


    Such a rate of strength growth was terrifying!


    Standing not far from Lei Gang, Shi Minghang was also stunned, his mouth wide open!


    How was this possible?


    Lei Gang was the Sect Master''s direct disciple!


    How could this man withstand Lei Gang''s punch?


    But the person most shocked was Lei Gang!


    He knew too well the power and energy contained in his punch!


    This guy simply stopped it so effortlessly!


    Wasn''t he at the Meridian Expansion Seventh Layer?


    How did he be this powerful?


    Su Chen looked at the deeply shocked Lei Gang, a sneer breaking over his lips!


    Though this guy was at the peak of the Half-Step Kaiyuan, he was ultimately not at the Kaiyuan Realm!


    There is a fundamental difference between the Kaiyuan Realm and non-Kaiyuan Realm, iparable!


    And before, the reason Su Chen could defeat the Kaiyuan Primary Stage Mo Changqing while only a Half-Step Kaiyuan wasrgely thanks to the mysterious and iparably powerful Star Energy!


    Typically, expecting a Martial Artist a major realm lower to defeat one a realm higher is sheer lunacy!


    If lower by one or even two minor realms, it''s entirely possible!


    Now, Su Chen''s cultivation is equivalent to a typical Martial Artist''s Kaiyuan Primary Stage, a whole realm above Lei Gang!


    Even without using any hidden trump cards, Lei Gang is no match!


    "Crack!"


    "Ah!!!!"


    At this moment, Su Chen''s hand gave a sudden twist, and a clear sound of bones cracking resounded!


    Lei Gang''s arm twisted into a very irregr shape, looking terrifying!


    Lei Gang immediately felt heart-piercing pain and instinctively screamed out loud...

 Chapter 1088: Dominance

    Su Chen then reached out with another hand, grabbing Lei Gang''s other arm and following the same method, another clear sound of bones cracking echoed!


    "Aaaaaah~~~~!"


    A scream that pierced through the clouds erupted, sounding miserably tragic, even fierce!


    However, Su Chen showed no expression at all, since this man dared toy a hand on his woman, he must face his wrath!


    If they attack him, at most Su Chen would only kill them, but if they dare to harm those around him, then sorry, even dying won''t be that easy!


    Because these women are Su Chen''s reverse scale!


    The dragon has a reverse scale; touch it and you will die!


    "Bang!"


    Another dull thud sounded, as Su Chen kicked Lei Gang''s knee, a crisp bone-cracking sound echoed again, and Lei Gang fell to the ground on one knee with a "thud"!


    "Aaaaaaah~~~!"


    Lei Gang''s miserable screams echoed above the vi, so tragic!


    However, several women did not show any sympathy for him, because he deserved it!


    Shi Minghang listening to Lei Gang''s pitiful cries felt shivers run down his spine!


    Such a scene waspletely beyond his imagination!


    Lei Gang was now snotting and tearing up, his entire facial expression twisted viciously!


    "Now you can die!"


    Su Chen''s icy voice sounded again, like the arrival of the grim reaper!


    His main concern was that torturing too much might leave a psychological shadow on Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru, after all, they were just ordinary people!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lei Gang''s heart suddenly trembled violently. Disregarding the pain deep within his bones, he immediately shouted out:


    "I am from the Heavenly Thunder Sect, you can''t kill me!"


    "Heavenly Thunder Sect?!"


    At this moment, an astonished voice sounded!


    "Menglei, do you know about this Heavenly Thunder Sect?"


    Su Chen asked, because it was Huang Menglei who had just spoken.


    "Yes."


    Huang Menglei walked over on hearing these words:


    "Heavenly Thunder Sect is a first-ss force in the Ancient Martial World, extremely powerful!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen was slightly surprised, unexpectedly, this young man is from a first-ss force in the Ancient Martial World!


    After all, considering that he was only one step away from breaking through the Kaiyuan Realm cultivation, it seems quite reasonable!


    "I tell you, Senior Brother Lei Gang is not an ordinary disciple of the Heavenly Thunder Sect, but the direct disciple of Lei Hong, the Sect Master!"


    Seeing the surprising expression on Su Chen''s face, Shi Minghang from afar also showed a proud look, taking a nce at Su Chen he said:


    "If you dare kill Senior Brother Lei, Heavenly Thunder Sect won''t let you off!"


    At this time, Lei Gang also slightly rxed, truly afraid the other party was unfamiliar with the Ancient Martial World!


    Seemingly, he knew about the Ancient Martial World!


    "I advise you to be sensible, if you don''t want to suffer the retaliation of our Heavenly Thunder Sect, obediently hand over these women of yours, perhaps I would spare you!"


    Lei Gang arrogantly spat at Su Chen.


    In his view, since the other party knew about the Ancient Martial World, and knew that Heavenly Thunder Sect was a first-ss force in the Ancient Martial World, he absolutely dared not take a tough hand!


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly sneered, looking at Lei Gang with an expression full of yfulness and mockery!


    "What are youughing at?"


    Seeing Su Chen suddenly inexplicablyugh, Lei Gang asked puzzlingly, feeling a vague unease in his heart!


    "Do you think just because you''re from the Heavenly Thunder Sect, I won''t dare to kill you?"


    Su Chen said tly.


    "You dare?!"


    Lei Gang gritted his teeth and spat, for some reason, the confidence he had just built inexplicably wavered again!


    He thought to himself: Could this guy really be so arrogant, after knowing what kind of existence the Heavenly Thunder Sect is, does he still dare to take action, even kill me?


    "Hmph, even if you are a person from a super first-ss force, so what!"


    Su Chen nced at Lei Gang, saying tly:


    "Dare to harm my women, even the Jade Emperor can''t save you!"


    His tone was light, yet it was full of dominance!


    When Lin Ruoxue and other women heard this, they were filled with emotion, with eyes full of admiration looking at him!


    Perhaps this man is somewhat phnderous, but in terms of responsibility, no one canpare!


    As long as he is there, there will be a sense of security!


    Not just Lin Ruoxue and others, even Qian Ying and Huang Menglei were deeply moved upon hearing this!


    Such a man is the one that women should choose!


    Which woman would not love such a man?


    At this moment Huang Menglei seemed to understand a bit why these beautiful sisters ended up falling for Big Brother Su!


    However, she was now even more worried!


    After all, a first-ss force in the Ancient Martial World is no joke!


    Moreover, Big Brother Su has just offended three second-rate forces in the Ancient Martial World!


    All in a day, Big Brother Su has established four strong enemies!


    She feels like Big Brother Su is like a fiendish god, trouble arises wherever he goes!


    Though all these things were not something he actively stirred up!


    Huang Menglei originally wanted to advise Su Chen, after all, establishing so many enemies, without a doubt, puts Big Brother Su in a very dangerous situation!


    But looking at Big Brother Su''s expression, she ultimately didn''t say it!


    Firstly, this Lei Gang indeed deserved to die, if Big Brother Su hadn''t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable!


    Secondly, she could see that Big Brother Su had made up his mind!


    Sure enough, at this time, Su Chen reached out with one hand, directly grabbing Lei Gang''s neck!


    Seeing Su Chen''s hand reaching out, Lei Gang instantly panicked beyond belief, but with both arms and one leg broken, he had no way to escape!


    He could only watch wide-eyed as Su Chen''s hand reached over, then tightly clenched his neck, like amb waiting to be ughtered!


    "Snap!"


    With a slight force from Su Chen, he twisted Lei Gang''s neck, then casually threw him to the ground.


    Lei Gang''s face still bore an expression of fear and disbelief, even when he died, he couldn''t believe that Su Chen really dared to kill him!


    Shi Minghang was quietly trying to escape when he saw Lei Gang being choked, but just a few steps away, several silver needles shot by Su Chen pierced the back of his head, and he fell headfirst to the ground!


    Afterward, Su Chen apanied Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru into the house, with Huang Menglei following them in.


    Du Hanbing and Eniel went to handle the matters below simply, after taking the Healing Pills given by Huang Menglei, they recovered quite a bit.


    Qian Ying also said goodbye to Su Chen and left...


    That night, Su Chen slept between Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru.


    This incident somewhat shocked the two ordinary women, Lin Ruoxue was slightly better, as it wasn''t her first time.


    Rtively speaking, Xia Qiuru was more affected, after all, she had never experienced such things before...


    Although Su Chen slept between the two women, he didn''t do anything, merely to give the two women some peace of mind...

 Chapter 1089: Rising Fame

    The next morning, as sunlight streamed into the room, the three of them woke up almost simultaneously.


    After a night''s rest, the two women appeared to be in much better spirits...


    However, the problem that followed was a bit awkward, as all three were lying on the same bed!


    Of course, only the two women felt awkward; Su Chen really got to experience the feeling of having both in his arms!


    "Come here, give me a kiss!"


    Su Chen hugged one with each arm, his head slightly resting on the headboard, grinning as he looked at Lin Ruoxue.


    "Who''s kissing you!"


    Lin Ruoxue blushed and retorted, considering that Xia Qiuru was still beside her!


    "Mwah!"


    But Su Chen was a rogue at this moment, directly nting a kiss on Lin Ruoxue''s baby-like cheek!


    Lin Ruoxue was immediately flustered, and even Qiuru beside her felt embarrassed!


    "Qiuru, no need to feel shy, you''re included too!"


    Su Chen chuckled and then kissed Xia Qiuru as well!


    "Scoundrel!"


    Xia Qiuru whispered, her face lighting up with a blush!


    Soon, both women got out of bed; they didn''t have Su Chen''s thick skin!


    Su Chen had to lean against the headboard, feeling a bit lonely without any softness in his arms. After smoking a cigarette, he also got up.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru went to work, and Eniel and the others returned to their rooms to cultivate!


    Yesterday''s events had a significant impact on these women, making them realize exactly how weak they were, increasing the pressure they felt!


    Su Chen soon retreated to his room to cultivate...


    .....


    What Su Chen didn''t know was that the entire Ancient Martial World was stirred up because of him that day!


    First, news spread through every power in the Ancient Martial World about the deaths of the Song Family Young Master, Peng Family Young Master, and ck de Alliance''s Young Master by a young person!


    Many were shocked upon hearing this news!


    Who would be so bold as to provoke three factions at once?


    At first, they thought it was the work of a top-tier force, possibly even a super-tier force, but when they learned the culprit was a young man from the Secr World, they were astounded!


    A kid from the Secr World having the audacity to challenge the forces of the Ancient Martial World was nothing short of seeking death!


    Moreover, he managed to provoke all three families at once!


    Gradually, they learned the young man''s name¡ªSu Chen¡ªthis was the first time the Ancient Martial World had ever heard of this name!


    While the various factions in the Ancient Martial World were still digesting this news, they heard another bombshell!


    It was that Lei Gang, the prized disciple of the Sect Master of Heavenly Thunder Sect, a top-tier power, had also been killed for unknown reasons!


    The various factions were dumbfounded upon hearing this news!


    What was happening?


    In a single day, incidents urred one after another!


    And when they found out that the one who killed Lei Gang was also a young man from the Secr World, named Su Chen, it seemed like the entire Ancient Martial World was shocked!


    For a time, many people became curious about this name from the Secr World!


    Who exactly was this young man?!


    Firstly, the fact that a young man from the Secr World possessed the ability to kill Song Chu and others, especially Lei Gang, was shocking enough!


    Even more shocking was his audacity!


    In many people''s eyes, this young man was acting with fearless ignorance!


    .....


    Su Chen didn''t realize that he had suddenly be famous in the Ancient Martial World, but he didn''t care!


    This evening, while Su Chen was cultivating, his phone suddenly rang, revealing it was Qi Meng calling, so he promptly answered.


    Qi Meng said she had reached the vi''s entrance, and Su Chen was slightly taken aback, then quickly went outside.


    Qi Meng''s car was parked here; she was unloading several suitcases from the car.


    "What''s this?"


    Su Chen asked with some confusion.


    "Didn''t you ask me toe over a few days ago?"


    Qi Meng joked:


    "I''m here to seek refuge with you!"


    Su Chen remembered; indeed, a few days ago he visited the estate and suggested to Qi Meng that she pack her things and move to the vi when she had time!


    Actually, when Su Chen was constructing this vi, he had already nned for Qi Meng, Qian Ying, Yan Xi, including Sun Yang and Yunlong, toe live here!


    Because this vi has arge Gathering Yuan Formation, which greatly elerates cultivation.


    He had carefully considered where each person would stay¡ªQi Meng, Qian Ying, and Yan Xi could live in the front estate, while Yunlong and Sun Yang would reside in the adjacent courtyard!


    The reason for cing the two men, Sun Yang and Yunlong, in the small courtyard was so they could both enjoy the effects of therge Gathering Yuan Formation without affecting each other''s lives!


    As for Eniel and Du Hanbing, he hadn''t initially thought they would leave the Nether Temple and Eighth Brigade!


    The reason Su Chen didn''t immediately ask Qi Meng and Qian Ying, including Yan Xi, to move over was a small intention of his; he wanted to enjoy some time in a two-person world.


    Well, strictly speaking, it should be a five-person world!


    But after Huang Menglei had already moved over, he thought to himself that he had already enjoyed a period of five-person life; it was time for Qi Meng, Qian Ying, and Yan Xi to move in!


    The main reason was, of course, therge Gathering Yuan Formation here that significantly enhances cultivation speed!


    So he mentioned it to Qi Meng, Qian Ying, and Yan Xi a few days ago, asking them to move over when they had space!


    As for Sun Yang, he was still out adventuring!


    Nowadays, Sun Yang has a phone, and they contact each other from time to time, so Su Chen isn''t too worried.


    When he returns, Su Chen will naturally let him stay at the vi.


    Yunlong''s situation was a bit different; after all, he hadn''t been cultivating for long, so Su Chen decided to let him follow that old chatan for a while longer!


    Su Chen hadn''t quite expected Qi Meng toe over suddenly today.


    But he immediately understood; it must have been Qian Yingst night who mentioned what happened at the vi to her which prompted her visit today.


    Understanding this, Su Chen couldn''t help but feel touched...


    Indeed, Qi Meng had heard about what happened at the vi and was somewhat worried!


    Being there, she could share some of the burden, especially since she was now at the Meridian Expansion Second Layer!


    The most important thing was, her rtionship with Qian Ying was very good; if she didn''te, Qian Ying definitely wouldn''te either, unless Su Chen requested her to.


    Qian Ying was an expert at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, certainly very helpful to Su Chen!


    After careful consideration, Qi Meng decided to move in today since it was bound to happen eventually!


    Moreover, deep down, didn''t she want to be closer to Su Chen?


    From the very beginning, this man had left a deep imprint in her heart...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1090: The Banquet

    "What, you''re not happy to see me?"


    Qi Meng''s face showed a faint smile as she spoke.


    "How could I not be? If I wasn''t, would I have asked you to move in a few days ago?"


    Su Chenughed and then helped Qi Meng bring in the luggage, which included Qian Ying''s belongings.


    Finally sharing a roof with Su Chen, Qi Meng couldn''t help feeling a flutter in her heart...


    Su Chen first took Qi Meng to the front vi, letting her choose a room.


    Qi Meng quickly picked one and ced her suitcase down.


    Su Chen then led her to the back vi, intending to introduce her to the other women.


    As they passed the hot spring, Qi Meng''s lips curled into a yful smile:


    "Isn''t the hot spring your favorite spot in this estate?"


    "You know me well, Qi Meng!"


    Su Chenughed heartily, looking rather shameless!


    But Qi Meng was clearly used to his shamelessness, and smirked back.


    Before long, Eniel, Du Hanbing, and Huang Menglei heard footsteps and came out.


    Huang Menglei had been cultivating until the afternoon, when she joined Du Hanbing and Eniel for a chat.


    As soon as the women came out, they immediately saw Su Chen approaching with another woman!


    "Another beautiful woman!"


    This thought crossed everyone''s mind.


    Actually, Su Chen had mentioned that a friend would be arriving in a few days!


    They just didn''t expect another stunning woman woulde!


    However, thinking about it, this guy bringing back a beautiful woman isn''t really surprising!


    What surprised them a bit was that her smile was almost as captivating as Lin Ruoxue''s!


    "Oh, you''re all here!"


    Su Chen said with a smile upon seeing Du Hanbing and the others:


    "This is my friend, Qi Meng. She''ll be staying in the front vi from now on."


    "Qi Meng, this is Eniel, Du Hanbing, and Huang Menglei."


    Su Chen also introduced Qi Meng.


    The women all greeted with smiles, as they were all meeting for the first time, and that was about it.


    Naturally, Qi Meng was aware of these women; except for Huang Menglei, the others were his women!


    "Alright, it''s about time. We''ll start cooking. You show Qi Meng around the estate first."


    Du Hanbing smiled and remarked, shooting Su Chen a knowing look.


    It wasn''t just Du Hanbing; Eniel and even Huang Menglei had expression that seemed somewhat meaningful.


    Su Chen knew exactly what they meant and awkwardly chuckled, then apanied Qi Meng for a stroll around the estate.


    As it neared eight o''clock, Lin Ruoxue returned.


    Everyone gathered around, ready to have dinner. Apart from Qi Meng who arrived in the evening, there was also Qian Ying!


    Thanks tost night''s events, everyone felt more familiar with Qian Ying!


    Lin Ruoxue was prepared for this kind of situation, as Su Chen had mentioned it before.


    These days, Lin Ruoxue is much more open about such matters...


    She first raised her ss to propose a toast weing Qi Meng and Qian Ying, and although they were still a bit unfamiliar with Qi Meng, they made an effort to get to know her!


    This surprised and touched Qi Meng, as she had initially expected some degree of hostility from these women, but their warmth was unexpected!


    Actually, Lin Ruoxue and the others could mostly guess that although this woman is currently staying in the front vi, she''d probably end up in the back vi eventually.


    It wasn''t just her; even Qian Ying and Huang Menglei had the same possibility!


    After dinner, everyone took a walk in the back vi''s courtyard. After some time, Eniel suggested a soak in the hot spring!


    Su Chen, of course, eagerly agreed to this suggestion, no, he couldn''t agree more even if he tried!


    The women looked at his face, which was all smiles, and muttered "pervert" under their breath!


    Especially Lin Ruoxue, whose heart pounded faster!


    Oh well, since this guy always wanted this, let''s just indulge him today!


    To be honest, even though they''ve been like an old married couple, this was the first time Lin Ruoxue wore a swimsuit in front of Su Chen, so she was a bit nervous!


    Perhaps it''s because Su Chen often talked about it!


    In no time, the women emerged wearing various swimsuits!


    Lin Ruoxue, Qi Meng, Eniel, Du Hanbing, Xia Qiuru, Qian Ying, Huang Menglei, six women, each with their own charm and grace!


    Some were cool, some noble, some charming, some intellectual, some youthful, some seductive...


    Su Chen looked at these women, and his nose almost bled!


    But the women didn''t pay him any mind, chatting in groups over the hot spring!


    No matter where Su Chen went, he was met with scornful nces!


    With no choice, Su Chen stayed at the edge of the pool by himself!


    He thought, if his body can''t get close, can his eyes at least enjoy the view?


    So his eyes, like radar, scanned over each woman!


    The women naturally noticed this, and no matter which woman his gazended on, they couldn''t help but shiver inside!


    Because Su Chen''s gaze was so intense, it was as if he was eyeing his "prey"!


    After his gaze made a round, it naturally settled on Lin Ruoxue first!


    Su Chen had been waiting so long for this day, eagerly wishing for it!


    Lin Ruoxue wore the very one-piece suit that Su Chen first saw in her office!


    Su Chen''s eyes were practically glued to Lin Ruoxue!


    To be honest, the moment Lin Ruoxue came out wearing that suit, Su Chen''s heart couldn''t stop racing!


    The suit fit Lin Ruoxue as if tailor-made for her!


    Though it was a one-piece, it was full of allure!


    If it weren''t for so many people around, Su Chen would''ve surely taken immediate action against Lin Ruoxue!


    When Lin Ruoxue felt Su Chen''s eyes lingering on her, her splendid face flushed with a rosy blush!


    However, deep inside, there was a hint of pride!


    But after a few minutes, she couldn''t bear Su Chen''s gaze any longer and shot him a slight re with her beautiful eyes!


    Su Chen awkwardly chuckled, and without a care, shifted his gaze to the side, spotting an adorable and slightly sexy swimsuit with a skirt design!


    "Su Da-ge''s gaze is terrifying!"


    Huang Menglei sensed Su Chen''s gaze and felt a slight jolt in her heart, thinking to herself as she lowered her head slightly!


    "Uh, seems I looked too much!"


    Su Chen blinked, feeling quite beast-like, and quickly moved his gaze to the next woman...


    (PS: This afternoon, just one chapter for now, then updates at midnight, with more efforts to provide you more content!)

 Chapter 1091: Ouyang Jing Arrives

    Su Chen admired these beauties one by one, and every woman felt quite embarrassed under his gaze, even Qian Ying was the same!


    Su Chen felt that with such days, he wouldn''t trade them even to be an emperor!


    ....


    Just as Su Chen was enjoying this swimwear feast, there was a grand construction deep within a certain mountain range in Huaxia!


    A tall and imposing middle-aged man sat in the hall, his expression gloomy, exuding a murderous aura!


    He was Song Haitian, the Family Head of the Song family, a top second-rate force in the Ancient Martial World!


    Since yesterday, he had been in a state of fury!


    "Song Bo!"


    "Family Head!"


    A middle-aged man suddenly appeared in the hall, his appearance rugged, with thick, ck eyebrows, exuding a powerful presence!


    He was an elder of the Song family with a cultivation about to break through to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    "I''ve received news that the thug who killed my son is in Yandu, go to Yandu immediately and avenge my son!"


    Song Haitian spoke with a chilling murderous intent!


    "Yes, Family Head!"


    Song Bo bowed in response and then vanished from the hall...


    .....


    Almost simultaneously at the headquarters of the Heavenly Thunder Sect!


    A middle-aged man with a tiger-like back and a bear-like waist stood proudly, his face clouded, spreading a pressure that seemed to solidify the air!


    He was Lei Hong, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Thunder Sect!


    The death of Lei Gang had made him furious, as Lei Gang was his prized disciple who went to Yandu only to be killed by a kid from the Secr World!


    This was a serious provocation to the Heavenly Thunder Sect!


    "Lei Ang, go to Yandu now, capture that kid alive within three days! I want him to know the consequences of offending the Heavenly Thunder Sect!"


    Lei Hong coldly spat, murderous intent shooting from his body!


    "Yes, Sect Master!"


    A man of about fifty walked out, each step of his seemed so powerful!


    He was the second elder of the Heavenly Thunder Sect, a true Kaiyuan Middle Stage expert!


    Not just them, both the Peng Family and the ck de Alliance also sent experts to Yandu that night!


    Although the experts they sent weren''t as formidable as those from the Heavenly Thunder Sect and the Song family, they had also reached the Kaiyuan Realm Primary Stage!


    .....


    Simrly, on this night, in a luxurious vi in Yandu.


    A woman draped in a light veil stood on the balcony, the corners of her mouth subtly upturned!


    "This man is really bing more interesting!"


    She murmured softly, looking at the dim night.


    .....


    Su Chen naturally didn''t know that on this night, so many focused their attention on him!


    After soaking with all the women in the hot spring, everyone returned to their rooms, some rested, others cultivated!


    As for those Zhu Yuan fruits, Su Chen had already distributed them among everyone and left some for Sun Yang and Yunlong.


    Early the next morning, Su Chen got up to make breakfast, though there were more people, it didn''t take much more time!


    By the time breakfast was ready, most of the women had gotten up.


    Then everyone sat down to have breakfast together, and while eating, Su Chen''s phone suddenly rang.


    Seeing the caller ID, he was a bit stunned: Ouyang Jing?


    Why would he suddenly call?


    He naturally remembered this person was a young man he encounteredst time on the way to Huang Menglei''s house!


    He had been fighting the Mo Bei Three Wolves at the time, and Su Chen joined him to deal with those infamous guys!


    Though they exchanged numbers before parting, they hadn''t been in contact since!


    Thus, receiving his call surprised Su Chen, but he answered immediately.


    Ouyang Jing then told him that he was in Yandu and wanted to visit, asking if it was convenient.


    Su Chen had no inconvenience, so he gave him the address, having a good impression of that man who hated evil.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru went to work!


    After a bit, Ouyang Jing arrived at the vi.


    Su Chen invited him to the main hall for a meeting, and naturally, Huang Menglei was there too.


    Ouyang Jing appeared to be travel-worn and promptly spoke upon seeing Su Chen:


    "Su brother, you really are..."


    But halfway through, he stopped.


    He thought for a moment, not quite sure how to describe it!


    "Brother Ouyang, what''s wrong?"


    Su Chen smiled slightly as he said.


    "Su brother, trouble''s about to fall on you, and you''re still smiling?!"


    Ouyang Jing couldn''t help but shake his head:


    "Do you know, having killed Song Chu and others, their families and sects will undoubtedly seek revenge on you!"


    "Since they''reing for me, there''s no alternative."


    Su Chen shrugged innocently, he didn''t want trouble, but certainly wasn''t afraid of it!


    "By the way, Brother Ouyang, did youe all this way because of this matter?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Of course, why else would I be in Yandu?"


    Ouyang Jing replied, shocked upon first hearing the news!


    Later, when Su Chen''s name reached his ears, he remembered the young man who had helped him kill the Mo Bei Three Wolves not long ago was indeed Su Chen!


    Ouyang Jing decided toe and see if he could help.


    After all, without this young man, he might have died at the hands of Mo Bei Three Wolves!


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen felt a bit moved, since they had only met once and he had just helped casually!


    This man truly has a feeling of camaraderie!


    "By the way, is there any help you need? No need to hold back!"


    Ouyang Jing looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "Brother Ouyang, thank you for your kindness, but I don''t want to drag you into this."


    Su Chen gratefully replied.


    "Su brother, that''s being too distant."


    Ouyang Jing, somewhat displeased, said:


    "If it weren''t for you, I might not even be alive! So don''t be polite!"


    Su Chen thought for a while and said:


    "Brother Ouyang, speaking of help, there might be something you can assist with."


    "Su brother, don''t hesitate, whatever I can help with, just say the word!"


    Ouyang Jing smiled after hearing Su Chen say this.


    "It''s like this, there are quite a few women in this vi, if anything happens, could you help protect them?"


    Su Chen said.


    He wasn''t too worried about the enemies he provoked, but was a bit concerned about affecting the people around him.


    Although he felt that those people weren''t likely to target his people yet, at least not now!


    Not because they were good people, but because their target was him!


    Estimating that those forces didn''t see him as a threat yet, naturally not attacking his women!


    Unless they really find it impossible to deal with him, then they might target his people!


    He was asking Ouyang Jing for help just in case!

 Chapter 1092: "Expert

    "No problem!"


    Ouyang Jing agreed heartily without even thinking.


    Su Chen felt quite relieved upon hearing this. Firstly, Ouyang Jing was at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage. Even if he encountered a master, he could at least dy them for a while!


    Of course, the most important factor was his status. After all, he was the Young Master of the Ouyang Family, and people would definitely have concerns about thisyer.


    Besides, their target was surely himself, not the women around him!


    This way, even if he wasn''t there, the problem wouldn''t be too big!


    Moreover, this would not only help Su Chen but also keep Ouyang Jing from being too deeply involved in this matter; truly killing two birds with one stone!


    As for Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru, the possibility was even smaller.


    Of course, to prevent any idents, he still instructed Qian Ying and Yan Xi to pay special attention, and if any special situation arises, contact him immediately!


    "Thanks a lot, Ouyang brother."


    Su Chen cupped his hands gratefully and said.


    "Su brother, you''re too polite!"


    Ouyang Jingughed and said:


    "Oh, by the way, Su brother, on my way here, I found the Yuan Qi nearby is incredibly dense, probably ten times that of ordinary ces! Could it be that some master hasid a Formation here?"


    "Ouyang brother, you''re correct. There is indeed a Formation here."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Oh, I wonder which master set up such a Formation that the Yuan Qi could be so abundant. Such a means is truly extraordinary!"


    Ouyang Jing asked, and at this moment, he couldn''t help but wonder if Su Chen''s dare to confront those forces was rted to this master?


    However, Ouyang Jing had heard of the famous Array Masters in the Ancient Martial World, but he hadn''t heard of anyone with such skills!


    To know, the cultivation speed here is equivalent to ten times that of other ces. Such a speed increase is simply astounding!


    "Talk about masters, this Formation is just set up by me."


    Su Chen didn''t conceal it and said with a smile.


    "You set it up yourself?!"


    Much like the reaction to the first kiss with Huang Menglei, Ouyang Jing felt a shocking and surreal sensation!


    How could this be possible?


    "Are you serious, Su brother?"


    Ouyang Jing asked dumbfoundedly.


    Su Chen nodded slightly with a faint smile on his face.


    Although it seemed incredible, Ouyang Jing truly believed it when he saw Su Chen''s expression!


    "Su brother, you indeed have great talent!"


    Ouyang Jing admired sincerely.


    "Ouyang brother praises me too much."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "If Ouyang brother is willing, you could stay long term here, there''s plenty of space after all."


    It must be said, Su Chen''s suggestion truly tempted Ouyang Jing!


    After all, for those who cultivate, who wouldn''t want their strength to improve faster?


    Cultivating here for a year is just like cultivating for more than ten years elsewhere!


    "Thanks a lot then!"


    Ouyang Jing, being a straightforward person, didn''t fake modesty.


    "We''re friends now, no need to be so polite."


    Su Chenughed, finding this person quite to his taste.


    After chatting for a while, Su Chen took Ouyang Jing to a nearby independent courtyard.


    He chose a room close to the entrance, making it easier to notice any movements outside!


    With Ouyang Jing here, Su Chen felt reassured and then drove to Belle Group!


    After all, he hadn''t visited the group much during this period!


    Upon arriving at the group, he felt a sense of revisiting familiar ground!


    Seeing him, thoseing and going naturally greeted him, saying it''s been a while!


    Not long after, Su Chen arrived at his office; despite not visiting for a few months, everything remained as it was!


    Entering his office, Su Chen first brewed a cup of tea, then took out several issues of "Men''s Wear" magazine to enjoy.


    His legs were even propped up on the desk, like a lord!


    Everything seemed the same as before, without any changes!


    Despite umting several magazines, he finished reading them quickly!


    Then Su Chen stood up and wandered around the group, eventually arriving at Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    "Brother Su!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s young secretary, Chen Guo, immediately stood up upon seeing Su Chen, her face filled with surprise and joy!


    This Brother Su hadn''t visited the group for several months, like a Divine Dragon appearing and disappearing!


    "Little Guo Guo, you seem to have grown again!"


    Su Chen curled his lips into a mischievous smile and said.


    The reason he dared to call Chen Guo little Guo Guo was because the current President''s office was different from before, and speaking like this couldn''t be overheard; usually, Lin Ruoxue contacted her through the phone on the desk.


    Hence, Su Chen couldn''t resist teasing the youngdy!


    "Really?"


    Asked Chen Guo quietly, looking very shy!


    "Of course, if you don''t believe, let Brother Su measure!"


    Su Chen said, holding out a hand to gesture.


    "Brother Su, you''re so naughty now!"


    The youngdy sped her hands to her chest shyly and said.


    "Haha~~"


    Su Chenughed heartily, then pushed open Lin Ruoxue''s office door and went in.


    He was just making a casual joke with the youngdy after not seeing her for a long time, which was based on their long-standing familiarity!


    "Honey, I''m here!"


    Su Chen entered with a cheeky grin.


    "Howe you''re here today?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked surprise upon seeing him enter, because he hadn''te to the group for ages.


    "Isn''t it because I miss you too much at home, my dear wife?"


    Su Chen said withughter.


    "As if I''d believe you!"


    Lin Ruoxue scoffed.


    "Honey, let me massage you."


    Su Chen went up behind Lin Ruoxue and said.


    He wasn''t actually seeking Lin Ruoxue''s consent, as she hadn''t even opened her mouth when his hands were already resting on her fragrant shoulders.


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue had been reading files for two consecutive hours, feeling a bit tired, so she leaned back in the chair and let him start massaging.


    Gradually, Lin Ruoxue felt totally rxed.


    However, Su Chen''srge hands unwittingly slid down from her fragrant shoulders...


    "Snap!"


    A loud sound resonated!


    "What are you doing?"


    Lin Ruoxue snorted coldly, pping his salty pig hand red!


    This guy was truly shameless, never missing a chance!


    Luckily Lin Ruoxue knew him very well, always guarded against him!


    "It''s just inertia!"


    Su Chenughed indifferently and continued with the massage.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue secretly cursed, this guy is really good at making excuses, what inertia, just being lustful!


    About twenty minutester, Su Chen was expelled by Lin Ruoxue!


    After exiting Lin Ruoxue''s office, he wandered over to Xia Qiuru''s office.


    Thereafter, he wandered over to the public rtions department to see Yan Xi, and naturally, was cruelly teased by the prettydies in the department!


    "These women are getting fiercer!"


    Su Chen escaped from the public rtions department and sighed secretly.


    Seeing there was nothing special, Su Chen drove back home...


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 Chapter 1093: If You Want to Fight, Then Fight

    The night was gradually falling as the bright moonlight bathed the earth, as if covered with ayer of silvery attire!


    After Lin Ruoxue returned, everyone sat down together for dinner, and naturally, Su Chen invited Ouyang Jing to join them.


    Ouyang Jing looked at the room full of beautiful women and was momentarily dumbfounded!


    Initially, when Su Chen mentioned there were some women in the vi, he thought nothing of it.


    He really didn''t expect there to be so many women, each more stunning than thest!


    As the meal went on, Ouyang Jing felt anxious and somewhat uneasy.


    "Su Chen,e out and face your death!"


    At that moment, a sudden booming voice resounded, like rolling thunder, spreading throughout the entire manor!


    Hearing the voice, a chilling look appeared on Su Chen''s face!


    "You all stay inside, I''ll go out and take a look."


    Su Chen stood up and said.


    The women looked at him with expressions of worry on their faces!


    "Don''t worry, it''s going to be fine."


    Su Chen smiled slightly.


    "Brother Su, let me go with you."


    Ouyang Jing stood up, also looking a bit concerned.


    "No need, Brother Ouyang, just keeping an eye on things here for me would be more than enough."


    Su Chen smiled and said, actually not needing much oversight here, but he didn''t want to drag Ouyang Jing into it!


    On the contrary, with Ouyang Jing here, he could focus entirely on dealing with the situation outside!


    "Brother Su..."


    "Brother Ouyang, let''s settle it this way."


    Su Chen interrupted Ouyang Jing, his face showing a determined look...


    Seeing his insistence, Ouyang Jing could only give up.


    And since he dared to go out alone, he must have some confidence!


    .....


    The road in front of the vi led all the way from the foot of the mountain to the entrance of the vi. At that moment, four middle-aged men were standing on the cement ground at the mountain''s base.


    They found it incredible how abundant the Yuan Qi was here!


    However, their minds were focused on killing Su Chen, or even capturing him alive.


    They had all arrived in Yandu today and coincidentally chose to act at night, unexpectedly meeting at the mountain''s base!


    All of them knew each other''s purposes, which were to kill that young man!


    After a short while, the door opened, and a young man walked out from inside, heading toward them along the cement path in front of the vi!


    His steps were steady as usual, without a hint of panic!


    "Kid, are you Su Chen?"


    When Su Chen walked near them, Song Bo asked disdainfully.


    "What if I am, and what if I''m not?"


    Su Chen nced at them, a slight curve on his lips, and said:


    "Were you sent by the Song Family, Peng Family, Heavenly Thunder Sect, and ck de Alliance?"


    Su Chen originally thought it was just one person arriving, but didn''t expect four people all at once, and among them, three were at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    Especially the one who spoke just now, his aura was significantly stronger than the other two at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, possibly nearing the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    Another rough-looking middle-aged man had the strongest aura among the four, giving Su Chen the feeling of utmost danger!


    Su Chen surmised this person had likely reached the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    "Good that you know, now obediently kneel and ept your death, perhaps we can give you a swift end!"


    Song Bo snorted coldly.


    Others also looked at Su Chen yfully, as if this boy dared kill their offspring; he was simply courting death!


    Lei Ang from Heavenly Thunder Sect kept silent upon hearing Song Bo, even though the Sect Master wanted him to bring this kid back only to torment him before killing!


    Killing him here wouldn''t result in saying anything from the Sect Master!


    But they were somewhat puzzled as to why this kid, just at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, had the strength to kill those people?


    Although they couldn''t figure it out at that moment, it didn''t matter in their eyes because he would be a dead man soon!


    Even if this young man had the ability to kill a few of their forces'' offspring, he wouldn''t stand a chance in front of the four of them!


    If four of them couldn''t even kill such a young man, wouldn''t they be aughing stock?


    "Kneel and ept death?"


    Right then, Su Chen looked at them sardonically andughed:


    "Many have wanted me dead, yet here I am alive today, while they''ve all gone to hell."


    "Kid, facing death yet you''re so boastful still!"


    "Kid, you must''ve gotten tired of living!"


    "Kid, you''re so arrogantly crazy!"


    ....


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, they became furious!


    Such a secr world kid, at that moment, wasn''t begging for mercy but dared to threaten them; he simply didn''t regard them at all!


    "Fight if you want, don''t whine like women!"


    Su Chen said indifferently, his tone full of scorn, looking at them as if they were clowns!


    Since he couldn''t avoid it, Su Chen wouldn''t back down!


    Even though these four were strong, Su Chen still had considerable confidence to defeat them!


    "Court death!"


    An angry shout suddenly erupted, Su Chen''s wordspletely igniting the anger in them!


    As the voice fell, the four of them moved in unison, attacking Su Chen!


    Four Kaiyuan Realm experts attacking together could be easily imagined!


    True Essence Aura surged violently, causing the air currents to swirl chaotically, temperatures to soar, emitting "chi-chi" sounds!


    Their offensive, onceunched, was like a torrent flowing and fabricating an all-destroying force!


    Yet Su Chen faced this fierce onught without an ounce of panic!


    Just moments ago, Su Chen had worked out what to do!


    Their position was remarkably favorable for Su Chen because the strongest person, likely at Kaiyuan Middle Stage, stood at the far left!


    Su Chen suddenly moved, directly shing to the far right!


    There, two at the weakest Kaiyuan Primary Stage happened to stand!


    Their stances were casually taken without any consideration, but for Su Chen, it provided him the utmost convenience!


    For Su Chen, there were two choices: either first taking out the weakest ones at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage or targeting the strongest at Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    However, Su Chen didn''t have a hundred percent certainty of dealing with the Kaiyuan Middle Stage directly, hence he chose to eliminate the weakest Kaiyuan Primary Stage first!


    In such battles, Su Chen had rich experience!


    Whether to first tackle the strongest or the rtively weak ones, then gradually maneuver against the strongest, the key was picking them off one by one, avoiding getting entangled inbat!


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 Chapter 1094: Hes Still Unscathed?

    The two people on the far right saw Su Chen actually taking the initiative to attack them, and a trace of anger shed in their eyes!


    They thought to themselves, do you think we are the weakest and easy to bully?


    Although they were indeed the weakest of the four, they were at least at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage and also did not view Su Chen as a threat!


    "Heavenly Origin Palm!"


    One of them shouted loudly, and a fierce palm print struck out, the powerful True Yuan forming a palm shadow containing immense energy!


    "Mountain Shaking Fist!"


    The other person also punched towards Su Chen, that fist carried a terrifying momentum, forming a vacuum around the fist!


    Su Chen saw the fist and palm but showed no change in expression. In the Ancient Martial World, after reaching the Kaiyuan Realm, many martial artists possess martial techniques!


    However, under normal circumstances, martial techniques are just a means to better utilize a martial artist''s strength, with the foundation still in the cultivation realm!


    Only some particrly powerful martial techniques can achieve extraordinary effects, but such techniques are extremely rare!


    Facing the fist and palm, Su Chen alsounched a fist and palm of his own!


    Of course, he added eleven or twelve strands of star energy into each strike!


    In fact, Su Chen felt that seven or eight strands would be enough, but to ensure he was ready, he released so much star energy!


    Now that the cultivation speed of star energy had elerated, Su Chen did not use it as sparingly as before!


    This mindset was quite simr to that of a nouveau riche, as if spending money like water!


    Seeing Su Chen daring to fight two with one, the two were even angrier!


    This guy is really too arrogant, treating them as nothing!


    The power of the fist and palm instantly rose even higher, reaching its peak, intending to crush this young man in one move, making him pay for his arrogance!


    "Boom!"


    The pairs of fists and palms almost collided simultaneously, sounding a thunderous explosion, with True Yuan pouring out, and nearby trees were directly snapped!


    In the instant of the sound, the arms of the two were renderedpletely useless, and Su Chen''s fist and palm then struck their chests!


    The two figures flew out in two different directions, wobbling in the air before crashing to the ground!


    Originally, Lei Ang and Song Bo saw Su Chen attacking the far right and also changed direction to continue attacking Su Chen!


    But seeing Su Chen fight two with one and send the two of the ck de Alliance and Peng Family flying in one move, they were stunned!


    How is this possible?


    He is merely at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, how could he be this strong?


    Although the two were the weakest among the four, they were at least Martial Artists at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    Lei Ang and Song Bo couldn''t help but nce over, only to see that the twoid there unmoving, with their chests sunken in!


    Dead?


    Lei Ang and Song Bo were dumbfounded, their hearts seemed to be heavily shaken by something!


    At this moment, Song Bo suddenly saw a cold light shing before his eyes, startling him, and he slightly tilted his head back, then floated back to narrowly dodge that de!


    It was only now that he snapped out of his earlier shock!


    At this moment, Su Chen suddenly felt a fierce True Yuan fluctuation behind him, it must have been Lei Ang attacking him from the rear!


    Song Bo also saw this and was overjoyed; Lei Ang was at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, if this punch hit, it would be difficult for the young man to survive!


    Thus, he immediately approached Su Chen again, punching towards Su Chen, the powerful True Yuan embedded in the fist mang, shaking the void!


    Seeing this, the corner of Su Chen''s mouth turned up in a sly smile, silently activating the Calm Spirit Body Technique, a faint glow circted over his body!


    A long sword suddenly appeared in Su Chen''s hand, and he fiercely swung it towards Song Bo!


    The powerful True Yuan, the majestic Sword Qi, and six or seven strands of light blue star energy all surged out like a vast ocean towards Song Bo!


    Earlier, because it was two against one, he used eleven or twelve strands of star energy, but now one against one, he didn''t need that much!


    Moreover, although Song Bo was stronger than the previous two, he still belonged to the Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    When Su Chen swung the sword, Song Bo immediately felt immense danger, with his hair standing on end!


    He originally thought that in such a pincer attack, this young man would definitely try everything to avoid!


    Because any sane person would choose that!


    After all, they were both close to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, with one truly at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    But he never expected this young man didn''t care about Lei Ang behind him at all!


    On the contrary, he attacked recklessly towards him!


    This truly caught him by surprise!


    What Song Bo didn''t expect even more was that a sword suddenly appeared in this young man''s hand, with such terrifying energy being released!


    Realizing the danger, Song Bo turned to flee, but the distance was too close, and he couldn''t escape at all!


    Soon, he was obliterated in that terrifying energy...


    "Bang!"


    At the same time, a huge muffled sound rang out as Lei Ang''s punch struck Su Chen''s back!


    Su Chen staggered back more than ten steps before stabilizing himself!


    Although his Calm Spirit Body had advanced, a full-force strike from a Kaiyuan Middle Stage still caused his chest and abdomen to churn, feeling quite unpleasant!


    Lei Ang thought his punch would take Su Chen''s life, but unexpectedly, Su Chen merely staggered more than ten steps, without sustaining significant injury!


    What kind of freak is this guy, to be unharmed after such an attack?


    It should be noted that his true realm is only the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer!


    He was equally puzzled as to how a sword suddenly appeared in the opponent''s hand, where did that sworde from?


    He nced at Song Bo lying on the ground, seeing a massive blood hole in his chest and abdomen, obviously dead beyond words!


    Lei Ang''s gaze towards Su Chen suddenly grew serious!


    He never imagined that in the blink of an eye, the experts from the other three forces were all dead!


    Even he could not perform with such efficiency and decisiveness!


    He realized that from the beginning, all of them, including their sects or families, had underestimated this young man!


    This young man dared to be so reckless, not out of ignorance, but because he indeed had some skills!


    Su Chen also looked at Lei Ang, realizing that now it was just him left!


    However, the Kaiyuan Middle Stage clearly wasn''t as easy to deal with as the previous three!


    At this time, Lei Ang slowly drew the long sword from his waist, then moved towards Su Chen!


    "Heavenly Net!"


    Lei Ang shouted, the long sword danced wildly, and countless sword shadows appeared around him,pletely enveloping the area!


    This move was both defense and attack!

 Chapter 1095: Resolution

    Su Chen was confident in breaking the opponent''s move, but the consumption of star energy was toorge!


    Although his star energy cultivation speed had increased, he had already consumed about one-third of his star energy!


    So he twisted his wrist, grasped the Dragon-ying Sword in his hand, and then swung it fiercely!


    The surging sword qi erupted like a flood, carrying a momentum of destruction, rushing towards Lei Ang!


    The moment the sword qi from the Dragon-ying Sword and the sword shadows made contact, all the sword shadows shattered, as if they were nothing!


    "Ah!!!"


    Then, a scream of terror sounded, and a figure was sent flying.


    When Lei Ang''s body hit the ground, it was already in a miserable state, blood streaming from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with shock and unwillingness!


    It wasn''t long before he waspletely motionless...


    Su Chen had a feeling that this Dragon-ying Sword seemed to have be more powerful with the improvement of his cultivation!


    But this was understandable, after all, the Dragon-ying Sword was just a sword, the key was the person who wielded it!


    And now, Su Chen''s true strength was already equivalent to the Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    Su Chen dealt with the bodies of several people and then returned to the manor...


    ......


    A few women were anxiously waiting, including Ouyang Jing, who knew the Ancient Martial World better!


    He knew that the masters sent by these forces from the Ancient Martial World wouldn''t be weak, after all, it was their sons and direct disciples who died!


    He also knew a bit about Su Chen''s cultivation, having fought side by side with him before; back then, Su Chen had disyed peak Half-Step Kaiyuan strength!


    Such cultivation was considered quite good among the younger generation in the Ancient Martial World, but against the masters sent by those forces, it wasn''t enough!


    He truly didn''t know where Su Chen got the confidence to resolve it!


    Ouyang Jing was already somewhat regretful, he should have gone out with him just now!


    Just as everyone was worried, the sound of footsteps approached, and the women rushed out; upon seeing Su Chen, they couldn''t help but throw themselves at him!


    "Alright, alright, it''s fine now!"


    Su Chenforted with a smile.


    Seeing that he was safe, Ouyang Jing was also relieved.


    "Su Brother, is it resolved?"


    Ouyang Jing asked.


    "Resolved."


    Su Chen smiled casually.


    Ouyang Jing was slightly surprised; this speed was too fast!


    Ouyang Jing didn''t know that the experts from the four forces had arrived together, otherwise, his eyes would have popped out in astonishment!


    Seeing that Su Chen had arrived, Ouyang Jing returned to the nearby wing.


    Su Chen then went to the rear hall of the manor with the women, where both the front and back manors had halls.


    The women looked at him closely, checking if he was injured, and only after seeing that there were no serious issues did they rxpletely.


    After a while, they each returned to their rooms.


    In the middle of the night, Su Chen quietly slipped into Xia Qiuru''s room...


    ......


    Time quickly passed another three or four days, during which not much happened.


    Su Chen knew that after resolving that group, there would at least be a rtively calm period.


    During these days, he lived leisurely, apanied by so many beauties, which for Su Chen was practically a celestial life!


    However, during these days, Ouyang Jing stayed almost entirely in the nearby wing and didn''te to the manor, mainly because the manor was full of women, most of whom were Su Chen''s, which was inconvenient.


    Of course, Su Chen often went over to see him, and they would casually chat, and their personalities matched quite well. After a few days, they naturally became quite familiar, even having some admiration for each other!


    Interaction between people is just like that; if they connect well, it takes only a few days to be good friends; if not, you could know each other for decades without bing true friends!


    Just like him and Sun Yang, although they met rarely, they couldpletely entrust their backs to one another!


    During these days, Yan Xi also moved in. Although she is a martial artist, it''s fine to be free for a while, ultimately cultivation cannot be neglected too much.


    However, after moving in, seeing so many women, she did voice some dissatisfaction on behalf of Lin Ruoxue, and gave Su Chen a good lecture!


    The lecture content, of course, was about his excessive amorousness!


    Although usually it''s him who lectures Yan Xi, in this matter, Su Chen could only listen obediently!


    Who let Yan Xi have the reason?


    After a good round of lecturing, Yan Xi let him go!


    Of course, like Huang Menglei, Qi Meng, and Qian Ying, Yan Xi also chose a room in one of the many avable in the front manor to live, since the back manor was where he and his women resided, considered the inner quarters!


    However, Yan Xi told Su Chen something else that surprised him, which was that she had also left the Hidden Dragon Hall.


    It wasn''t that she wanted to leave, but that Wei Hua had her leave.


    After spending more than half a year, Wei Hua also realized that the identity of the Hidden Dragon Hall was a constraint for the freedom-loving Yan Xi!


    Moreover, now that she has a close rtionship with Su Chen, there was no worry about her safety.


    Yan Xi''s move here didn''t need much adjustment like the other women, mainly because her rtionships with Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue were too familiar!


    Therefore, moving in felt just like moving into her own home!


    Although she felt a bit displeased with Su Chen, towards the other women there was no hostility or displeasure, and after a few days, she waspletely integrated!


    She truly couldn''t understand why these women, who were one in a thousand, even one in a million, would fall for that guy, even willing to share him!


    Of course, this was just some random thoughts she had asionally, besides working, she mainly focused on her cultivation.


    After all, having been out for so long, her cultivation had been neglected, and she wanted to quickly elevate her cultivation to the Meridian Expansion Second Layer!


    ....


    In short, among the women in the manor, some went to work while others cultivated, everything in order!


    Although Su Chen hadn''t been in the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer for long, now, with the aid of therge Gathering Yuan Formation and the Nine Yang Divine Technique, he had already cleared half of the key points on the ninth meridian!


    This was mainly because Su Chen had to allocate a lot of time to practice the Supreme Star Shifting Technique; otherwise, he would have already broken through to the Meridian Expansion Level Layer!


    Once all nine meridians are fully opened, the next step is to integrate the nine meridians into a harmonious state, which is the Meridian Expansion Peak!


    At that time, reaching the true Kaiyuan Realm wouldn''t be far off!


    Breaking through to the Kaiyuan Realm was something Su Chen highly anticipated!


    However, for Su Chen, now it was still too soon!


    The path of cultivation is akin to climbing high peaks, it must be done step by step...


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 Chapter 1096: Su Jins Strange Attitude

    Although Su Chen has the formidable Dragon-ying Sword, he never neglects his cultivation!


    Firstly, the Dragon-ying Sword cannot be easily used, and secondly, it is not all-powerful!


    Although the Dragon-ying Sword can easily y those in the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, what about the Kaiyuan Late Stage, or even Perfection in Kaiyuan?


    Even if the Dragon-ying Sword can still prevail, what about the Condensation Pill Realm?


    Moreover, is there not a realm even more powerful than the Condensation Pill Realm?


    Therefore, the most fundamental thing is to improve one''s own strength, as external items are ultimately just auxiliary!


    In the worst-case scenario, only if one is strong themselves can the Dragon-ying Sword unleash greater power!


    If an ordinary person were to use the Dragon-ying Sword, the power they could unleash would be quite limited!


    ....


    That day, after Su Chen finished cultivating, he walked out of his room and saw a graceful woman in a swimsuit resting on a lounge chair by the hot spring pool in the middle of the vi. Who else but Yan Xi could it be?


    Since the girls often soaked in the hot spring, they ced a dozen lounge chairs by the pool to rest asionally and then continue soaking.


    When Yan Xi saw Su Chening out, she was startled and immediately pulled up a white towel beside her to cover her body!


    Although she had soaked a few times, it was always when Su Chen was cultivating, and she hadn''t been seen by him yet!


    Normally, Su Chen''s cultivation sessionssted several hours, so why did hee out after just one or two hours today?!


    Although she was quite familiar with Su Chen, she was still embarrassed to be seen by him in a swimsuit!


    It was her first time wearing so little in front of Su Chen, so she naturally couldn''t be unconcerned!


    "What''s there to cover? It''s not like there''s anything to see anyway!"


    Su Chen saw Yan Xi on high alert and said while pouting.


    Of course, Su Chen said this on purpose, perhaps subconsciously to retaliate for the way she had scolded him a few days ago!


    Wasn''t that quite humiliating?


    "What did you say? Who has nothing to see?"


    Yan Xi has always been very confident in her figure; saying anything else about her is fine, but saying her figure isn''t good is absolutely not eptable!


    Upon hearing her words, Su Chen didn''t respond verbally; he just gave the towel she was holding a disdainful nce!


    Su Chen''s look made Yan Xi feel quite hurt, even insulted!


    If he had said something harsh, it would have been better, but with him saying nothing and just looking disdainfully, Yan Xi found it difficult to ept!


    "Open your eyes wide and take a good look, there''s nothing about me that''scking!"


    Yan Xi threw the towel away and stood up suddenly!


    The exquisite curves of her front and back were immediately disyed before Su Chen''s eyes, and the droplets leftover from her hot spring bath glistened under the setting sun!


    For a moment, Su Chen''s eyes were a bit fixated!


    It''s undeniable, this little girl indeed has quite the assets!


    No wonder when they first met, Su Chen was deeply impressed by her outstanding figure!


    "It''s just a C, what''s with the unting?"


    At this moment, Su Chen naturally couldn''t admit defeat, at least not verbally!


    "Which eye of yours saw a C? It''s clearly a D, okay?"


    Yan Xi said angrily with her hands on her hips.


    Her heaving chest was quite a spectacle!


    "Really? Howe I didn''t see that?"


    Su Chen still maintained a nonchnt tone, making Yan Xi grit her teeth in anger, almost wanting to bite him!


    "Oh, Su Chen, you''re such a beast, not even sparing Yan Xi!"


    At this moment, a teasing voice rang out.


    Qi Meng had heard some noise, so she came out from her room.


    Not just her, but the other girls also came out one by one!


    When they saw the two of them, every woman''s face disyed a gossipy expression!


    Yan Xi, who had been furious, suddenly felt a bit embarrassed when she saw everyoneing out!


    Especially since she had just been wearing a rather sexy swimsuit in front of Su Chen!


    "We seemed to hear something about C or D, what were you guys talking about?"


    Eniel also had a sly smile as she asked.


    "Yes, I heard it too. Why don''t you tell us, and we can all discuss it together!"


    Du Hanbing said with augh as she looked at Su Chen.


    "We heard it too!"


    The other girls chimed in one after another!


    These words made Yan Xi even more embarrassed, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into!


    In her excitement earlier, her voice inevitably became a bit louder, not expecting everyone to hear!


    "We were just discussing a serious academic issue. When we have time, we can research it together!"


    Su Chen said with a straight face, not skipping a beat.


    "Seems like it''s quite a profound topic!"


    Eniel teased with a smile.


    The girls, hearing Su Chen''s nonsense, couldn''t help but think to themselves¡ªwhat a bunch of nonsense!


    Even Yan Xi was speechless at him, couldn''t hee up with a better excuse?


    "I''ll go back to my room first!"


    Feeling utterly embarrassed, Yan Xi said as she blushed and quickly ran back to her room!


    "Su Chen, be honest, what did you do to Yan Xi just now?"


    Eniel yfully asked as she walked up to Su Chen.


    "Yes, confess honestly, or face stricter measures!"


    Qi Meng also chimed in with a grin, not wanting to miss out on the fun.


    "What are you thinking? We were just chatting casually!"


    Su Chen replied speechlessly with a pout.


    "Alright, let''s stop teasing him."


    Du Hanbingughed and said, trying to smooth things over!


    The girls all gave Su Chen an amused look but decided not to continue joking, then headed back indoors.


    The incident was just a small interlude!


    Su Chen also nned to return to his room to continue cultivating...


    Just then, his phone rang, and seeing it was from his aunt Su Jin, he quickly picked it up.


    "Aunt, what''s up?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "What do you mean what''s up? You''ve almost forgotten about me, haven''t you?"


    On the other end of the line, Su Jin''s somewhat displeased voice came through.


    "Aunt, how could I?"


    Su Chen chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    Indeed, he had contacted his aunt less often this year, thest time being twenty days ago.


    He had visited even less frequently, only four or five times this year!


    "Alright,e over for dinner tonight."


    Su Jin said.


    "Okay, aunt, I''ll get in touch with Ruoxue, and we''lle together."


    Su Chen readily agreed, not yet daring to bring all the women to visit Su Jin!


    "No need, just youe. I saw Ruoxue a few days ago."


    Su Jin quickly said on the phone.


    Su Chen was taken aback by Su Jin''s words, considering their close rtionship, even closer than he was with his aunt as her nephew!


    And now, she wants him toe alone, making it all seem a bit odd.


    Su Chen thought about how every time he visited Su Jin this year, she seemed to have something on her mind, often appearing hesitant to speak.


    He couldn''t help but wonder: could it be that the reason aunt called today isn''t just because she hasn''t seen me in a while, but because there''s something special?


    "Alright, aunt, I''lle over shortly."


    Su Chen then said and hung up the phone.

 Chapter 1097: Su Chens True Origins

    After hanging up the phone, Su Chen didn''t dy and immediately drove to Su Jin''s residence, as it was already evening.


    Driving on the streets of Yandu, his heart was filled with confusion; what could his aunt possibly want from him?


    He felt that Su Jin wouldn''t just want to have a simple meal today!


    But even after thinking all the way, he still couldn''t figure out what his aunt Su Jin wanted to talk to him about.


    Forget it, when I get there, I''ll know.


    Su Chen drove for twenty or thirty minutes and arrived at Su Jin''s estate!


    He had been there many times and naturally went straight in, arriving at a hall.


    "You''re here."


    Seeing him, Su Jin smiled and said, her eyes filled with a doting gaze.


    "Aunt, I''m sorry, I''ve been so busytely that I haven''te to see you!"


    Su Chen said somewhat apologetically.


    "Alright, I know you''ve been surrounded by women, where would you find time to deal with your aunt!"


    Su Jin nced at him, teasingly said with augh.


    "Aunt, I..."


    Su Chen heard this and felt a bit embarrassed.


    "Enough, I''ll just emphasize one thing. I don''t care how many women you have, but if you dare treat Ruoxue badly and make her suffer, I won''t let you off lightly!"


    Su Jin warned, half-jokingly and half-seriously.


    "How could that be, aunt, rest assured, I''ll treat Ruoxue well for a lifetime!"


    Upon hearing Su Jin''s words, Su Chen immediately chuckled and said.


    "That''s more like it."


    Su Jin nodded, and then said:


    "Alright, it''s about time, let''s go eat in the pavilion."


    After saying this, Su Jin stood up and went outside, naturally apanied by Su Chen.


    Though puzzled by Su Jin''s purpose for calling him over, he didn''t impatiently ask.


    On the way, they chatted casually, asking each other about their recent lives.


    After walking for a while, they reached the artificialke''s edge, where willow branches swayed and lotus leaves connected, very beautiful!


    Then the two walked onto the wooden bridge and entered the pavilion at the center of theke.


    It was midsummer, and the evening breeze was blowing softly, bringing greatfort!


    On the purple sandalwood table in the pavilion, seven or eight exquisite dishes were alreadyid out, along with a pot of sake!


    "Xiao Chen, when you have time, bring your women over and let your aunt have a look."


    After sitting down, Su Jin said.


    Nowadays, Su Jin had bepletely ustomed to calling him by his name, Su Chen.


    "Alright, aunt."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately agreed, as Su Jin was his only elder, he should bring them to meet her.


    "Alright, stop dawdling and eat."


    Su Jin instructed, picking up the wine pot intending to pour wine for Su Chen.


    How could he let her do it? He hurriedly took it over and poured them each a cup.


    They ate the dishes while drinking wine, also enjoying the beautiful scenery; before long, half an hour passed and they had drunk two or three cups of wine.


    Of course, the cups were very small, with a small amount in each.


    "Do you know why your aunt asked you toe alone today?"


    Su Jin looked at Su Chen and suddenly spoke.


    Su Chen also looked at Su Jin, and said:


    "I think my aunt has something to say to me alone, right?"


    "Yes, indeed, there is something to say to you."


    Su Jin drank the wine in her cup in one go, then said earnestly:


    "Actually, ever since I met you, I''ve always wanted to say it, but... kept hesitating until now."


    "But after much thought, I feel you have the right to know and should know."


    Upon hearing Su Jin''s words, Su Chen''s heart suddenly sank!


    From the moment we met, you''ve always wanted to say it?


    Su Chen immediately realized that whatever Aunt Su Jin wanted to tell him wasn''t simple!


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have hesitated from the time she met him until now!


    But what special matter could she have to tell him?


    "Your aunt never told you because she feared you couldn''t handle it, so she hopes you can be strong after hearing it!"


    Su Jin looked at Su Chen and said with great seriousness.


    Su Jin''s expression made Su Chen feel even more uncertain, but he still nodded and said:


    "Aunt, just say it, no matter what it is, I can ept it."


    Su Jin also nodded, remained silent for several seconds, then finally spoke with difficulty:


    "Xiao Chen, actually, my brother and sister-inw, your parents, are not your biological parents!"


    As soon as these words were spoken, Su Chen''s head suddenly buzzed, as if struck by a thunderbolt out of the blue!


    "Aunt, you said..."


    Su Chen waspletely stunned, totally dumbfounded!


    He predicted that what Aunt Su Jin had to say today wouldn''t be simple, but in his wildest dreams, he never thought her opening words would be this!


    How could this be?


    "Xiao Chen, are you okay?"


    Seeing Su Chen''s state, Su Jin was immediately flustered and hurriedly held his hand to ask.


    But she found Su Chen''s hand was almost ice cold!


    This scared Su Jin even more!


    She had always feared Su Chen wouldn''t be able to ept the truth!


    "Aunt, I''m fine."


    Seeing Su Jin''s frightened look, Su Chen calmed down a bit, though his mind was still buzzing!


    "You scared your aunt."


    Su Jin felt relieved hearing him speak.


    "Are you really okay?"


    Su Jin still asked worriedly.


    "Don''t worry, aunt."


    Su Chen gently held Su Jin''s hand:


    "Aunt, go on, what''s going on?"


    "Forget it, let''s talk next time. Just get a good rest here first."


    Su Jin said, although Su Chen had calmed down, she could feel his hand was still ice cold!


    "Aunt, it''s okay, go ahead, I can take it."


    Su Chen smiled slightly and gently said:


    "Besides, aunt, do you think I can rest peacefully now?"


    Although Aunt Su Jin''s words just struck him like a thunderbolt, unbelievably, he knew she wouldn''t say such things lightly.


    "Actually, my sister-inw, your mother, cannot conceive."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Su Jin continued:


    "You were found by her."


    "Do you know why your mother named you ''Xiao Tian''?"


    Su Jin looked at Su Chen and asked.


    Su Chen shook his head and listened to Su Jin continue.


    "Because she felt you were the greatest gift from heaven, so she named you ''Xiao Tian''."


    "But hold on, aunt, if I''m not my mother''s biological child, howe no one else knows? After all, women give birth after ten months of pregnancy; it''s hard to hide."


    Su Chen asked puzzledly.


    Although this news hit Su Chen like a bolt from the blue, his instincts kept his mind sharp, immediately spotting areas that didn''t quite add up.

 Chapter 1098: Confusion (Revised)

    "Because after picking you up, your parents went abroad on the pretext of setting up an overseas branch, and they were gone for two years, then they brought you back to Yandu."


    Su Jin exined:


    "When they picked you up, you were only about two or three months old. Your mother exined that she imed to be five months pregnant when she went abroad, as generally the belly only starts to show at five months."


    "By this calction, the difference with your real age is only seven or eight months."


    "For such a small child, who could tell even if something seemed off? They could brush it off, and initially, your parents rarely let you interact with the outside world, so outsiders, even the Su Family, had no suspicions!"


    Su Jin''s words shattered Su Chen''s hope; how he wished his aunt had made a mistake!


    But he knew, that was impossible!


    "Am I really not my parents'' biological child?"


    Su Chen asked unwillingly.


    "Can such a thing be said lightly by an aunt?"


    Su Jin sighed, showing deep mncholy on her face.


    Both of them fell silent, only the wind blew in gusts, and the food on the table had already gone cold...


    Scenes from Su Chen''s childhood resurfaced in his mind, so warm, so beautiful!


    The expression on Su Chen''s face grew more determined:


    "Aunt, no matter whether I am my parents'' biological child or not, in my heart, they are my parents, and you are my aunt! This can never change!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Su Jin couldn''t help but show a relieved smile!


    But it was also to be expected, because she knew, Su Chen was a person who valued emotions and righteousness!


    "Yes, we will always be family!"


    Su Jin smiled slightly, her face full of tenderness!


    "Yes!"


    Su Chen nodded heavily as well.


    Afterwards, the two drank a little more wine, and Su Chen was ready to leave. Su Jin was worried about him and wanted him to stay here for the night, but Su Chen politely declined.


    Because he wanted to walk alone quietly, he left his car at Su Jin''s without driving away.


    Su Jin also knew that although he appeared fine, how could he really feel nothing inside?


    Such a thing is difficult for anyone to ept, let alone someone like Su Chen who values emotions?


    Although Su Jin was very worried, such things ultimately have to be epted by him alone over time!


    ......


    Su Chen walked on the streets of Yandu, the neon lights on both sides suddenly felt somewhat dazzling, his mind, his heart, filled with confusion!


    He felt like a ghost, wandering through this city!


    His previous strength was nothing but a facade, mainly because he didn''t want Su Jin to worry!


    Although his aunt Su Jin didn''t say it, how could he not understand, she hadn''t told him for so long not because of anything else, but surely out of concern that he couldn''t ept it!


    So he acted rtively calm in front of Su Jin just now!


    He walked mainly to be alone quietly, but his heart couldn''t be at peace at all!


    He could only walk aimlessly on the street, going wherever the path took him!


    The sky gradually darkened, it was already past ten at night, and many young men and women began their nightlife!


    They were carefree, working hard during the day, indulging and partying at night!


    Su Chen initially wanted to go to a bar for a drink, but stopped at the door, feeling somewhat disinterested, then turned around intending to go back.


    Just then, a woman appeared in front of him!


    This woman was not dressed like a city person, wearing a garment resembling ancient attire, yet filled with charm!


    She was incredibly beautiful, with an oval face, willow eyebrows, skin as white and smooth as jade, bright eyes like stars, and moist cherry red lips that made one want to take a bite!


    Her figure was gentle and graceful, with a graceful charm exuding an alluring aura all over her!


    Her looks matched those of Lin Ruoxue and Qi Meng around Su Chen, showing how beautiful she was!


    Especially that kind of charm, even Qi Meng could notpare!


    However, Su Chen had no intention to admire this beauty!


    Yet at this moment, the woman''s moist red lips parted slightly, and she asked:


    "Why not go in?"


    "Not interested."


    Su Chen shook his head and said, then prepared to continue walking forward.


    "Mr. Su, why don''t I buy you a drink?"


    The woman said with a charming smile on her face.


    "Who are you?"


    Hearing her address him as Mr. Su, Su Chen frowned slightly and spoke in a deep voice.


    He originally thought she was a passerby, but hearing her words, he realized, she was actually there for him!


    What surprised him even more was that he only then discovered that this extremely beautiful woman was actually a martial artist!


    At this moment, the woman''s aura was restrained, he couldn''t quite see through her realm!


    This indicated one thing, that this woman was very powerful, at least reaching the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, or even higher!


    A beautiful woman specificallying for him, with very profound cultivation, this was very unusual!


    "Apany me for a drink inside, and I''ll tell you."


    The woman said with a soft smile!


    "Sorry, I''m not in the mood today, at another time, I don''t mind going to bed with you."


    Su Chen shook his head and said, then once again prepared to leave.


    The beautiful woman was immediately annoyed upon hearing such frivolous words from Su Chen!


    What did this brat say?


    Go to bed with her?


    What did this guy think she was?


    She had never had anyone so bold, speaking to her in such a manner!


    Her pink fists clenched tightly, she wanted to immediately teach this arrogant guy a lesson!


    "I advise you not to take action, I''m in a bad mood today, if you do, it''ll be you who suffers!"


    Su Chen nced at the pretty woman''s clenched fist and said lightly.


    The words barely fell when he was already stepping away...


    "This guy always manages to be surprising!"


    After Su Chen walked far, the woman watched his back, loosened her fists, and smiled again with a coquettish smile, full of allure!


    After leaving the bar entrance, Su Chen no longer paid attention to the woman he encountered earlier, he instinctively walked towards the direction of the vi.


    Perhaps only there, his heart could find sce...


    About an hourter, he finally reached the vi entrance, then pushed the door and went in.


    At this time, the women had already gone to rest, of course, some were cultivating, Su Chen didn''t disturb them, and went directly back to his room.


    That day, Su Chen did not take a bath, hey straight on the bed!


    He stared at the ceiling, his mind chaotic, disordered information kept shing in his mind!


    To be honest, the information Su Jin revealed today still left him confused!


    He never thought that his parents were not his biological parents!


    This was something he never considered!


    Then came the questions, who were his biological parents? Where were they?


    He knew nothing about his true background, nor had any other information!


    Aunt Su Jin told him, when his mother picked him up, there was only a sheepskin scroll in the swaddling!


    Apart from that, nothing else!


    Su Chen guessed, that must be the original Nine Yang Divine Technique cultivation scroll.


    Could that sheepskin scroll be rted to his background?


    Su Chen didn''t know, he knew nothing...

 Chapter 1099: Clarity of Mind

    Although Su Chen didn''t have any definite information about all of this, he vaguely sensed many things worth pondering!


    For example, why did he possess that sheepskin scroll?


    And why is the cultivation technique on it so extraordinary?


    Also, why did the sheepskin scroll initially only have the cultivation method up to the Meridian Expansion Realm, with nothing beyond that?


    Is it to prevent others from stealing it? Or for some other reason?


    Furthermore, on that starry night, the sheepskin scroll underwent a mutation, and a line of words appeared on it¡ª"With the Innate Bloodline, the inheritance is obtained!"


    All of these seem to herald some issues!


    Even the token that the Ximen n coveted for decades, why did it end up in the hands of the Holy Sect of the Martial Arts World?


    Could this also be somehow rted to him?


    ...


    Su Chen never delved into these questions before, and even now, he still doesn''t want to think about them, but these questions uncontrobly infiltrate his mind, making his head swell!


    Unknowingly, he felt his head grow dizzy and then gradually fell asleep...


    In his dreams, scenes of warmth from his childhood with his parents and grandpa shed in his mind!


    Perhaps his memories started from when he returned to Yandu!


    After all, after returning to Yandu, there was a span of three to four years until his grandpa and parents had an ident!


    Those have be cherished pictures deep in his memory!


    On the next day, Su Chen slept till the afternoon, which was quite rare for him!


    Even during the most dispirited days when he just returned to the city, he at most slept till noon!


    This unusual behavior of Su Chen''s worried the women around him greatly!


    After all, he has always left an impression of being optimistic and carefree!


    ........


    Days passed by, and during these days, Su Chen barely cultivated, looking rather preupied!


    Seeing him like this made the women even more worried!


    Every time they asked, Su Chen just smiled and said there was nothing to worry about, telling them not to worry!


    How could they possibly not worry? But since Su Chen didn''t say, they had no way of knowing!


    Over these days, Su Chen indeed had been mentally and emotionally disorganized!


    However, after a few days, his strong psychological adjustment ability came into y!


    During this time, he gradually came to understand some things!


    First and foremost in his mind, his parents will forever be his parents, whether biologically rted or not!


    They have given him love that even biological parents might not be able to give!


    In his heart, they are his biological parents, just as they always have been!


    This has nothing to do with bloodlines!


    Naturally, their feud still needs to be avenged!


    The matter with the Ximen n must eventually be resolved!


    This requires no second thought and won''t change at all!


    As for finding out his true origin, that can be left to fate; he won''t go out of his way to seek an answer!


    Though he says this to himself, does he truly feel indifferent deep down?


    Perhaps only he knows!


    However, after sorting through these thoughts, Su Chen''s mind also cleared up a lot, and his mood gradually lifted from the previous depression and gloom!


    He realized that the most important thing is to live well in the present and cherish those around him!


    As for everything else, take it a step at a time!


    That evening, while having dinner with the women, Su Chen once again returned to his previous yful and carefree demeanor!


    The women, seeing that familiar rascal return, finally felt relieved!


    After dinner, they ally on the lounge chairs by the hot spring, enjoying the night breeze and chatting casually, feeling utterly leisurely!


    With beauty all around, a relieved Su Chen naturally enjoyed it immensely!


    At this moment, while lying on the lounge chair, he suddenly recalled the mysterious woman he encountered the other night.


    At that time, he felt so miserable, and naturally, he wasn''t very polite!


    But who exactly was that woman?


    So young, yet possessing such profound cultivation?


    Su Chen felt that her strength surpassed Ouyang Jing by far!


    But why would such a woman suddenly seek him out?


    Could it be that he''s truly incredibly handsome?


    Thinking this, he couldn''t help but curve his lips into a cheeky smile.


    The women, seeing this expression, immediately knew that this guy was probably daydreaming something shameless again!


    But they all seemed quite ustomed to it!


    After resting here for an hour or two, the women all returned to their rooms to rest.


    Su Chen returned to his room, took a shower, and then stealthily slipped into Lin Ruoxue''s room!


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue had just finished her shower and was casually flipping through a fashion magazine at the bedside!


    Perhaps influenced by other women, Lin Ruoxue''s workaholic nature seemed to have improved quite a bit!


    Su Chen was certainly delighted by this!


    "Why are you here?"


    Lin Ruoxue said when she saw Su Chen sneak in silently.


    "Of course, I missed my dear wife!"


    Su Chen lifted the nket and snuggled in immediately.


    "Have you figured things out?"


    Lin Ruoxue nced at him and asked.


    Indeed, Lin Ruoxue was the one among these women who understood him the best. She knew that Su Chen had been struggling with some issues a few days ago!


    "Yeah, I''ve figured it out."


    Su Chen said as he closed Lin Ruoxue''s magazine and tossed it onto the nightstand.


    "What are you doing? I haven''t finished reading it yet!"


    Lin Ruoxue reached out to grab the magazine; she was nning to finish the article she was reading!


    "You can read it tomorrow."


    Su Chen''srge hand was already reaching under the covers, bing mischievous, as he smiled mischievously:


    "Darling, a night of passion is worth a thousand gold pieces!"


    "What a shameless rogue!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face flushed with a blush as she spat softly.


    "This is the great path!"


    Su Chen said, gentlyying Lin Ruoxue down t and lowering his head for a kiss...


    Soon, Lin Ruoxue''s nightgown disappeared without a trace...


    ....


    The next morning, Lin Ruoxue woke up in the warmth of Su Chen''s embrace.


    She turned her head slightly, looking at Su Chen still sleeping, and revealed a gentle smile.


    A few days ago, she was genuinely worried about him being so unusual!


    Having lived with Su Chen for so long, it was the first time he''d behaved like that!


    As she looked at Su Chen, she couldn''t help but wonder secretly what had happened to him to make him change so abruptly like that!


    Even having faced the Five Great Families before, he had never acted like that!


    Fortunately, after a few days, he finally got over it, and she could finally set down her heart!


    "What a fateful pair!"


    Lin Ruoxue thought to herself, watching Su Chen sleep like a child...

 Chapter 1100: Ruins

    "Honey, you''re awake."


    After a while, Su Chen also slowly opened his eyes.


    "Hmm."


    Lin Ruoxue said a word and got up, while Su Chen leaned against the bedhead, smoked a cigarette, and got up too.


    Then they went out together to prepare for breakfast. Nowadays, breakfast wasn''t necessarily made by Su Chen.


    Anyway, there were so many women, and quite a few could cook. Today''s breakfast was made by Du Hanbing.


    Before long, the women gathered, and everyone sat down to have breakfast together.


    "Su Chen, our vi doesn''t have a name yet. Why don''t youe up with one?"


    During breakfast, Xia Qiuru suddenly suggested.


    The women brightened up at the suggestion and all agreed excitedly, urging Su Chen to choose a name.


    "I''m not suddenlying up with a good name."


    Su Chen shook his head and smiled.


    "Just pick one!"


    "Anything will do."


    ...


    The women immediately got interested.


    "Alright, let me think."


    Su Chen pondered for a moment and said:


    "This mountain is called Yuquan Mountain. How about we name it Yuquan Vi?"


    "Yuquan Vi?"


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru murmured and then said:


    "Not bad, simple and direct, and it sounds quite nice actually."


    "Yes, it''s quite elegant and fits the environment here."


    Du Hanbing nodded in agreement.


    Lin Ruoxue and the others also repeated the name twice, felt it was good, and all nodded in agreement!


    "Great, I''ll go make a que today!"


    Yan Xi said excitedly.


    Unlike Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru, Yan Xi wasn''t as busy and hardworking. Her job was rtively easy, with plenty of free time, so she proactively took on the task.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue, Xia Qiuru, and Yan Xi went to work, while the other women either cultivated or chatted casually.


    Su Chen went to the annex next door. For the past few days, he had been troubled by personal issues, so he hadn''t visited Ouyang Jing.


    When Su Chen arrived, Ouyang Jing was cultivating and stopped upon seeing Su Chening over.


    "Su Chen, I was nning to ask you toe over in the next couple of days, didn''t expect you toe first."


    Ouyang Jing smiled.


    "Oh, Ouyang, what do you want to see me about?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    As the two were fairly familiar, they naturally referred to each other by name!


    "Su Chen, have you heard of the Heavenly Profound Mountain?"


    Ouyang Jing looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "Of course I''ve heard of it. It''s one of Huaxia''srgest mountain ranges."


    Su Chen nodded and said:


    "Ouyang, why do you ask?"


    "You might not know, but there''s a ruin in the Heavenly Profound Mountain Range. However, what kind of ruin it is, nobody knows."


    Ouyang Jing said:


    "In these ruins, there''s a wealth of cultivation resources, herbs, secret manuals, elixirs, various materials, and so on¡ªa trove of treasures, really!"


    "Such a magical ce?"


    Su Chen eximed in surprise. He indeed didn''t know that there was a ruin in the Heavenly Profound Mountain, let alone that it was full of treasures!


    "Yes, in the Ancient Martial World, this is almost like an open secret. Almost every Ancient Martial Force has entered, and they have obtained some treasures to varying degrees."


    Ouyang Jing continued:


    "Some forces have even obtained magic artifacts there, and it''s rumored that spiritual artifacts have appeared there too! Just don''t know if it''s true!"


    Su Chen was stunned upon hearing what Ouyang Jing said!


    Magic artifacts and even spiritual artifacts appeared there? That''s simply unbelievable!


    Just from that alone, it is certain that it''s a ce full of treasures!


    "Su Chen, if you''re interested, you might as well take a stroll. Now is a good time, maybe you''ll find something valuable."


    Ouyang Jing said with a smile.


    To be honest, hearing Ouyang Jing''s words, Su Chen was really tempted, because he was very short on cultivation resources, almost having none!


    "Alright, I''ll go take a look in a couple of days."


    Su Chen nodded and then asked:


    "Ouyang, will you be going?"


    "I''ve been there three or four times already, so I won''t be going this time."


    Ouyang Jing shook his head and said.


    Ouyang Jing wasn''t going mainly because his cultivation had been advancing rapidly recently, and he was about to make progress anytime!


    Of course, this was chiefly due to the effects of therge Gathering Yuan Formation!


    If he progresses further, then he will be close to leaving the Kaiyuan Middle Stage behind, and at that moment, he naturally wouldn''t want to interrupt his cultivation!


    "But Su Chen, if you are determined to go, there''s one thing I need to emphasize especially."


    Ouyang Jing''s expression suddenly became serious.


    "Go ahead."


    Su Chen said, knowing that having been there three or four times, Ouyang Jing surely possesses considerable experience.


    "Su Chen, in other areas you should be alright as long as you pay attention to things yourself."


    Ouyang Jing said earnestly:


    "But what you must particrly note is demon beasts!"


    "There are demon beasts inside?"


    Su Chen eximed in surprise at the news.


    "Yes, there are indeed demon beasts inside. What makes now a good time to go is exactly this."


    Ouyang Jing exined:


    "Around this time every year, most of the powerful demon beasts are in the deepest part of the ruins and don''te out, while the ones that do areparatively weak! The Ancient Martial World has discovered this pattern over the years!"


    "So remember, don''t venture into the deepest part of the ruins. There''s not only demon beasts there, but also something even more terrifying, though I don''t know what it is specifically."


    Ouyang Jing chose to tell Su Chen about this also because he knew Su Chen''s current actual cultivation had reached the Kaiyuan Primary Stage; otherwise, he wouldn''t have informed Su Chen.


    Because if one hasn''t reached the Kaiyuan Realm, and considering Su Chen would be alone, it might be quite dangerous.


    Su Chen nodded upon hearing this.


    "Over the years, although many forces venture into the ruins annually, they generally only reach the edge of the deepest part, not daring to go deeper!"


    Ouyang Jing said seriously:


    "Once there were three elders from super first-ss forces who entered together to explore the treasures inside, but once they entered, they never came out!"


    Su Chen felt a subtle shock upon hearing this. The strength of the elders from super first-ss forces is well-known, and even three elders together failed to return!


    The implication of not returning, of course, is that they perished inside!


    At this point, Ouyang Jing took out a map and handed it to Su Chen:


    "If you decide to go, take this map with you. It''spiled from years of experience by the Ouyang family, and the red area denotes the deepest part of the ruins. Remember, absolutely do not go in, and it''s best not even to get close!"


    "Thank you!"


    Su Chen solemnly said as he epted the map.


    Since the map is based on umted experiences of the Ouyang family, generally one won''t easily give it away, yet Ouyang Jing handed it to him without hesitation.


    The favor granted is indeed heavy!


    For someone like himself who has never ventured there, the map is extremely valuable!


    "Between us, there''s no need for such formality!"


    Ouyang Jing smiled:


    "In any case, be careful and take care of yourself!"


    "Don''t worry, I''m quite keen on preserving my life!"


    Su Chen joked.


    Afterward, the two chatted for a while longer, and after Ouyang Jing reminded him of some points to take note of, Su Chen went back...

 Chapter 1101: Measurement

    After returning from the nearby vi, Su Chen went back to his room to cultivate.


    Su Chen cultivated until the afternoon. After finishing, he had nothing else to do.


    He suddenly remembered that he hadn''t seen Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning for a while, so he drove to the Rose Mansion.


    It wasn''t too far from the vi to the Rose Mansion, it only took about half an hour.


    As he walked into the Rose Mansion, the three girls at the front desk who were chatting paused for a moment, then immediately stood up.


    No kidding, this man has an unusual rtionship with the CEO!


    "Is your President Ye here?"


    Su Chen found the behavior of the three young girls a bit odd, but he didn''t mind and casually asked.


    "Yes, she''s here."


    One of the young girls quickly replied, speaking in a rather respectful tone.


    Su Chen wondered if he was really that intimidating.


    He shook his head and continued to walk forward, then took the elevator up. When he reached the door of Ye Mei''s office, he gently pushed it open and walked in.


    They were all familiar with each other, so knocking on the door wasn''t necessary; it had always been like this when Su Chen came.


    After all, it''s an office, what could possibly be inappropriate to see?


    If it were a room, he would have to be a little cautious.


    But as he pushed the door open and entered, he was immediately dumbfounded!


    Unexpectedly, there really seemed to be something inappropriate to see in the office at the moment!


    Because there were two beautiful women inside, and it wasn''t strange that they were there, but their actions were simply too much to bear!


    The women''s business suits, including the shirts underneath, were pulled up, revealing half of their chests and abdomens, along with their sexy waists!


    Moreover, their hands were ced gently on each other''s chests and abdomens, lightly stroking...


    This scene was simply too eye-catching!


    At this moment, Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning were also stunned, frozen in ce, their actions suddenly halted!


    Why was he here?


    "Ah~~~~"


    Suddenly, two screams rang out!


    Fortunately, there weren''t many people on this floor, and Ye Mei''s office was soundproofed well, otherwise others might have thought something was happening!


    The screams managed to jolt Su Chen back to his senses!


    "What''s all the yelling for? Others might think I did something to you!"


    Su Chen curled his lips and sat down on the sofa.


    "Howe you''re here?"


    After a few seconds, Ye Mei finally calmed down, pulled her clothes down, and asked with annoyance.


    "Yeah, why are you here?"


    Xiao Yaning also asked, a blush appearing on her face, embarrassed by what had just happened!


    "You two are really heartless! I hadn''t seen you for a while, so I specifically came over to check on you."


    Su Chen unhappily said:


    "Come on, pour me a ss of water."


    Su Chen was just killing time and came to check on them, who would have expected to stumble upon such a stimting scene?!


    "Do you really think you''re the boss here?"


    Ye Mei scoffed, but still picked up her cup and poured him a ss of warm water, then ced it on the coffee table in front of him with a "tap."


    Su Chen picked up the cup, took a sip, and asked curiously:


    "What were you two doing just now?"


    As he said this, Su Chen suddenly stopped, looking at the two women in shock, incredulously asking:


    "You aren''t, like, lesbian lovers, are you?"


    "No way!"


    Ye Mei, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, wished she could spray him with a mouthful of soda!


    "You can''t get anything good from a dog''s mouth!"


    Xiao Yaning, her face flushed with shame, also scoffed.


    Just thinking about the recent scene made both women feel extremely shy!


    Actually, after finishing their work discussion, they were just chatting when Ye Mei suddenly said she felt like she had gained a bit of weight, and Xiao Yaning said no.


    As they chatted, they lifted their shirts to see if each other had any belly fat, or if their waists had gotten slightly thicker!


    After all, as best friends, discussions about their bodies were frequent, and every woman cares about her figure!


    Moreover, it was in Ye Mei''s office, who dared to enter without knocking?


    But unexpectedly, this guy Su Chen suddenly barged in!


    Luckily, it was him; if someone else had seen, it would have been a big loss, but besides him, no one else would enter without knocking!


    In fact, they were just initially stunned, and now that they''ve calmed down, it''s not a big deal being seen by him!


    After all, the two women had long since set their hearts on him, though it was true that they were a bit annoyed by his suggestion of them being lesbian lovers!


    If they were, it would save them from worrying about this guy all the time!


    "Su Chen, tell me, who has a better figure, me or Yaning?"


    At this moment, Ye Mei sat down beside Su Chen, resting an arm on his shoulder, a sly smile tugging at her lips as she asked.


    "How would I know?"


    For such a tricky question, Su Chen naturally tried to avoid answering!


    "Didn''t you just see it? Don''t tell me you didn''t!"


    Ye Mei, like a seductress, whispered into Su Chen''s ear, her breath hot and fragrant.


    Xiao Yaning also chuckled lightly, knowing Ye Mei was intentionally teasing him!


    "Yeah, who do you think has a better figure?"


    Xiao Yaning also sat down on the other side of Su Chen, smiling slightly as she asked.


    When Xiao Yaning was with Ye Mei, she became bolder than usual.


    Being sandwiched between the two, Su Chen couldn''t help but recall the ambiguous scene from theirst dinner!


    In fact, the two women felt the same way, and their hearts started racing a bit!


    "Come on! Me, a grown man, am I going to be scared off by you two littledies?"


    Su Chen thought to himself, recalling how he had embarrassingly fledst time during dinner¡ªit was quite a loss of face!


    So Su Chen steeled himself, extending his arms to either side, wrapping them around their slender waists, and mischievously said:


    "How could just looking be urate? I need to personally measure to find out!"


    Hisrge hands started gently stroking their waists...


    The two women didn''t expect Su Chen to suddenly be so bold, and their bodies shuddered simultaneously!


    They instinctively wanted to pull away, but unexpectedly, Su Chen''s hands were like iron mps, firmly holding their waists!


    In just moments, the women''s faces turned red and they started to feel a little hot...


    This naughty guy, what was he up to?!


    The two women started to feel a bit flustered...


    Even though their hearts were already his, the nerves couldn''t be avoided!


    Seeing the women''s flushed, delicate faces, Su Chen couldn''t help but feel a bit smug:


    "Two little girls, trying to mess with me!"


    "Su Chen, can you let go, please?"


    Xiao Yaning, her eyes looking pitiful, pleaded with Su Chen, her face a deep red!


    "Yeah, can you let go first, please?"


    Ye Mei also softly asked!


    "How can I?"


    Su Chen seriously shook his head and said:


    "Weren''t you asking me to judge whose figure is better? I haven''t measured it yet!"

 Chapter 1102: Not Sincere Enough

    Hearing Su Chen''s words, the two girls blushed even more, knowing this guy was doing it on purpose!


    But his mischievous hand at her waist was ying with their nerves, making their hearts feel like countless ants crawling over them!


    If it were just one of them alone, perhaps they might reluctantly go along with it...


    But there was another woman nearby, even though they were best friends!


    Some things are better done together, like flirting with Su Chen, but if it''s to go further, it''s naturally better done alone!


    "Okay, Su Chen, it''s my fault, will you let me go, please?"


    Ye Mei blew softly into Su Chen''s ear enchantingly.


    Ye Mei''s fairy-like demeanor made Su Chen''s heart race, especially the words "Okay, Su Chen," which made his whole body feel weak!


    "You know you''re wrong?"


    Su Chen looked at Ye Mei and said.


    "Mmm, mmm, mmm~~~~"


    Ye Mei nodded quickly:


    "Could you let go, please?"


    "Alright! Seeing your good attitude, I''ll spare you this time!"


    Su Chen said grandly, then released the big hand on Ye Mei''s waist.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, both women breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as Su Chen let go, Ye Mei immediately stood up, only to find her legs were a bit weak.


    "Su Chen, why haven''t you let go yet?"


    Xiao Yaning was also about to stand up, only to find Su Chen''s hand still misbehaving. She blurted out in embarrassment.


    "Ye Mei admitted her mistake, you haven''t said anything yet!"


    Su Chen looked at Xiao Yaning, with a mischievous smile curling at his lips!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Xiao Yaning''s face turned red!


    This guy was really pushing his luck, not content with Ye Mei''s admission, insisting she also say something!


    "Su Chen, I was wrong!"


    Xiao Yaning said softly, her face red with embarrassment.


    "No sincerity."


    Su Chen pouted and said.


    Xiao Yaning thought she had finally said it, and the guy would definitely let go, but unexpectedly, he said itcked sincerity!


    This guy, what does he want?


    Ye Mei watched them with an amused expression, clearly enjoying the show!


    "Su Chen, I was wrong, will you let go, please?"


    Xiao Yaning pleaded.


    The guy''s hand kept causing trouble, making Xiao Yaning flustered!


    "Still no sincerity!"


    Su Chen picked up a tea cup with his other hand and took a sip of water.


    "Pfft!"


    Ye Mei couldn''t help butugh out loud!


    Xiao Yaning was getting desperate:


    "What exactly do you want?"


    "Speak from the heart, understand?"


    Su Chen''s face lit up with a cunning smile.


    "This bad guy!"


    At that moment, Ye Mei nced at Su Chen, then came to Xiao Yaning''s side, whispering something in her ear!


    Xiao Yaning''s face gradually turned redder, then she took a deep breath and parted her lips slightly:


    "Good brother, I was wrong, will you forgive me?"


    After saying that, her face was already burning!


    Ye Mei just told her that if she said this, the guy would definitely let her go!


    "Mmm, reluctantly okay."


    Su Chen nodded, and only then did he "reluctantly" release his hand from around Xiao Yaning''s slender waist.


    Xiao Yaning felt him let go, finally sighed in relief, but just as she was about to stand, she felt the guy''s fingers lightly slide over her waist as he let go!


    Xiao Yaning''s delicate body trembled violently again, as if struck by an electric current!


    "Feels really good!"


    Su Chen said casually, also ncing at Ye Mei!


    "Pervert!"


    The two women said simultaneously, spitting at Su Chen''s words!


    Su Chen felt wronged,st time when you took advantage of me, why didn''t you say anything, but when I took a little advantage, I''m a pervert?!


    Moreover, today you were the ones who provoked me!


    Isn''t it unreasonable to allow only officials to set fires but not themon people to lightmps?


    Fortunately, Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning didn''t know his thoughts, otherwise, they would have sprayed his face, questioning him: Do you have any shame?


    Afterward, Su Chen stayed with the two girls in Ye Mei''s office for another hour, but during that time, Xiao Yaning gazed at Su Chen with resentment several times!


    Su Chen''s earlier teasing naturally left her quite unhappy!


    However, Su Chen epted her resentful and slightly angry gaze with ease!


    Moreover, he even looked back yfully, which had Xiao Yaning feeling overwhelmed after a few exchanges!


    Ye Mei naturally saw their exchanges and found it very interesting!


    She thought: This bad guy is fine when proper, but once he''s shameless, how can Yaning ever win?!


    Probably few women could outmatch this guy!


    Later, seeing the time was about right, Su Chen left Ye Mei''s office and drove back.


    After returning, Su Chen naturally had nothing to do, so he went back to his room to cultivate.


    ...........


    In a sh, two days passed. During these couple of days, Su Chen spent most of his time cultivating, taking breaks soaking in the hot springs when he felt bored!


    In these two days, the signboard of the vi was ready, the four characters "Yuquan Vi" were extraordinarily eye-catching!


    Once the signboard was hung, it looked both grand and dignified!


    From then on, the vi was called Yuquan Vi!


    Two dayster, Su Chen was ready to set out for the Heavenly Profound Mountain Range!


    Of course, the night before, during dinner, Su Chen had told thedies that he was going out for a while!


    But the specifics of Su Chen''s trip were only known to Huang Menglei, who, being from the Ancient Martial World, naturally knew about the Heavenly Profound Mountain''s relics.


    However, she didn''t say she''d go with Su Chen because she knew her current strength was still too weak, having only just broken through to the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer a few days earlier!


    Going in there could not only be unhelpful but also drag him down!


    This morning, just after breakfast, Ouyang Jing came over.


    "Uh, why are you here?"


    Su Chen asked, somewhat surprised.


    Because apart from the wee party on the first day, Ouyang Jing had nevere over.


    "Are you seeing me off?"


    Su Chen soon thought and smiled, knowing that Ouyang Jing naturally knew about his departure today.


    "Su Chen, let me go with you."


    Ouyang Jing said, having thought about it for two days, he still felt uneasy, after all, it was Su Chen''s first time going.


    Although he knew that Su Chen''s cultivation had reached the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, in that ce, what was the Kaiyuan Primary Stage?


    "No need, don''t worry!"


    Su Chen patted Ouyang Jing''s shoulder andughed.


    A few days ago, during a chat, he also learned that Ouyang Jing was at a critical period in his cultivation.


    The cultivation path is not only crucial when breaking through realms, but many bottlenecks need to be ovee midway!


    These bottlenecks can be broken through in one go when the feeling is right, but if interrupted, it could take several times longer to break throughter!


    Ouyang Jing had previously told Su Chen that he was confident he could break through in about the next ten days or so!


    Thus, afterward, breaking through to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage would also be much smoother!

 Chapter 1103: First Encounter with Lan Xinyi

    Su Chen naturally also knew that Ouyang Jing was worried about his safety and concerned that there might be danger.


    However, at this moment, Su Chen certainly wouldn''t interfere with his cultivation progress.


    Moreover, he was confident there wouldn''t be any danger.


    "No problem, having two people together is better. Maybe we''ll have good luck this time, and I can get a magic artifact too?"


    Ouyang Jingughed.


    He was thinking that at this time, going to the Heavenly Profound Mountain Range, there would be the fewest Demon Beasts, and Su Chen wouldn''t coincidentally encounter one.


    Furthermore, although there would definitely be strong martial artists, he wasn''t going there for a fight but rather quietly to see if he could gain some treasure, thinking there wouldn''t be much danger.


    But after all, it''s a ruin, and there are many martial artists; who can tell what might happen?


    After all, he had been there a few times, and he was the young master of the Ouyang Family. Even if they didn''t get any treasure, there should be no major safety issues if they went together.


    "Alright, don''t worry!"


    Su Chen joked andughed:


    "Rest assured, if there''s danger, I''ll just run away!"


    Ouyang Jing tried to persuade him a few more times, but seeing Su Chen insist, he just gave up.


    Of course, he also knew Su Chen was concerned about his cultivation.


    "Okay, just be more careful yourself."


    Ouyang Jing had no choice but to say, then returned to the courtyard.


    After a while, Su Chen also left the vi and headed to the airport.


    The Heavenly Profound Mountain was quite far from Yandu, so Su Chen intended to take a direct flight there.


    Later that evening, Su Chennded at the closest airport to the Heavenly Profound Mountain and then rented an off-road vehicle to go to a small city closer to the mountain.


    By the time he arrived, it was already very dark, so Su Chen nned to stay the night and head to the Heavenly Profound Mountain in the morning.


    Su Chen first checked into a room at a hotel, then went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.


    Since it was midsummer, people generally had their dinnerter.


    Thus, when Su Chen walked in, the ce was packed.


    Luckily, a couple had just finished their meal and left, so Su Chen took a seat at their table.


    Soon, a waiter came over to clear the table, and Su Chen took the opportunity to browse the menu. Another waiter came to take his order, and Su Chen casually ordered two dishes and a soup.


    He was dining alone, so there was no need for anythingplicated, just something simple would suffice.


    The restaurant was quite efficient; it didn''t take long for his food to be served, and Su Chen started eating.


    At this moment, a group of people walked in from the entrance, none of them were very old, the oldest was only around thirty.


    Upon entering, this group immediately attracted a lot of attention!


    First off, their outfits were nothing like modern urban attire, more like ancient costumes!


    Yet, the most captivating was the young woman leading the group, who was stunningly beautiful!


    Her eyes were bright, lips red, teeth white, with very exquisite facial features, as if crafted intricately!


    She wore a nted-neck long dress, its hem reaching down to her calves!


    The figure beneath the dress appeared exceptionally slender and graceful!


    Though many looked her way, the woman didn''t mind; she scanned the room and eyed a particr direction, then said to a young guy behind her:


    "Haifeng, go negotiate with that young man and see if we can share his table."


    "Xinyi, don''t worry, it''s just a table. I''m on it."


    The young man said, walking forward.


    "Hey kid, move to the next table; we want this one."


    The young man said to Su Chen as if issuing amand.


    Su Chen nced indifferently at the young man,pletely ignoring him, continuing to eat.


    "Hey kid, are you deaf? Didn''t hear me talking to you?"


    Seeing Su Chen''s attitude, the young man immediately got angry!


    Su Chen felt like he was dealing with a lunatic, continuing his meal, not bothering with such types!


    This attitude made the other party even angrier, feeling ignored!


    Indeed, Su Chen was ignoring this man entirely!


    Here I am, just eating my meal, bothering you? Provoking you?


    The young man, having been ignored twice, had fiery eyes, and in anger, he raised his fist intending to strike Su Chen!


    Su Chen naturally noticed his movement, his eyes instantly shed with brilliance!


    "Stop!"


    At this moment, a voice rang out.


    Then five or six people came over, Lan Xinyi looked displeased at the man and said:


    "Lan Haifeng, I told you to negotiate, and this is how you negotiate?"


    She already knew Lan Haifeng to be arrogant and disdainful of all, not expecting him to put on airs for such a simple matter!


    Can''t me others; even if it were her, she would''ve been upset in this situation!


    Lan Xinyi then smiled slightly at Su Chen and said:


    "Sorry, our person was impolite earlier."


    "I wanted him to negotiate with you about sharing your table."


    Lan Xinyi had just looked around, finding only this man alone, and of course, only this table could amodate all of them.


    "Of course."


    Su Chen nodded.


    Hearing the woman''s words made him feel a bit better; this is the attitude one should have when seeking a favor!


    If that man had approached him reasonably earlier, Su Chen wouldn''t have minded such trivial matters.


    "Thank you."


    Lan Xinyi smiled slightly and then gestured for everyone to sit down.


    Su Chen had his back to the entrance, and with the restaurant bustling, he hadn''t really noticed their arrival until now.


    At this moment, observing the woman, he was slightly amazed!


    Her beauty was on par with Xia Qiuru and Du Hanbing, rare to see!


    Moreover, Su Chen also realized all of them were martial artists, and their cultivation wasn''t weak!


    Su Chen was initially surprised to see these people, but upon reflection, it seemed usible!


    After all, it was the time of year when many ancient martial forces explored the ruins at Heavenly Profound Mountain.


    Recently, in this small city closest to the Heavenly Profound Mountain, the number of ancient martial artists had certainly increased.


    Another waiter came over at this moment, and Lan Xinyi casually ordered about ten dishes, as they had a sizable group!


    Once sitting at the same table, they naturally started chatting casually, and after a while, they knew each other''s names.


    However, the man called Lan Haifeng kept looking at Su Chen with a hostile gaze, but Su Chen didn''t mind.


    Soon, the dishes Lan Xinyi ordered were served, and everyone began eating...

 Chapter 1104: Yunhai Hall

    "Miss Lan, are you going to the Heavenly Profound Mountain to explore the ruins?"


    After Lan Xinyi and the others had eaten for a while, Su Chen asked.


    "How do you know?"


    Lan Xinyi immediately asked in surprise upon hearing Su Chen''s words.


    "Because I''m going there too."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "You? Alone?"


    Lan Xinyi was stunned upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    "Why? Is it not allowed?"


    Su Chen smiled slightly and said.


    "Mr. Su, I think, for your safety, it''s better not to go."


    Lan Xinyi looked at Su Chen seriously and said.


    Of course, they also noticed Su Chen''s Cultivation at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer.


    To be honest, such cultivation is indeed considered low in their eyes, especially for someone entering the Heavenly Profound Mountain ruins to seek treasures!


    "Why?"


    Su Chen tilted his head andughed.


    "Nonsense, with your skills, forget about getting treasure, it''ll be impressive if you cane out alive!"


    Lan Xinyi sneered disdainfully.


    "Mr. Su, although what they said might sound harsh, it''s true. With your cultivation, and going alone, it''s really very dangerous!"


    Lan Xinyi said more sincerely.


    "It''s fine, I''ll just take a stroll."


    Su Chen smiled and said, naturally not wanting to reveal his capabilities to these newly acquainted people.


    Not to mention them; even Ouyang Jing doesn''t know his full capabilities, only that his true cultivation is simr to the Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    As for abilities like Star Energy and Calm Spirit Body Technique, Su Chen hasn''t mentioned them either.


    It''s not that Su Chen doesn''t trust him, but some secrets are better kept to oneself, which is better for everyone!


    "Do you think it''s like shopping?"


    Lan Haifeng sarcastically retorted again.


    Su Chen listened to him and didn''t say anything, mainly not wanting to bother with the guy.


    Lan Xinyi, on the other hand, said to Su Chen:


    "Mr. Su, if you''re determined to go, why not join us? It''d be good to have someone looking out for each other."


    Lan Haifeng immediately wanted to oppose upon hearing this; to him, bringing Su Chen was aplete burden, with absolutely no use!


    What''s more, this guy was disrespectful to him earlier!


    But just as he was about to speak, Lan Xinyi stopped him with a look.


    "That would be troublesome."


    Su Chen thought to himself that since it''s his first time going in, havingpanions would be a good choice.


    "We''re staying in the hotel next door; how about we leave at eight tomorrow morning?"


    Lan Xinyi said.


    "Coincidentally, I''m staying there too."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Great, then it''s settled," Xie Xinyi said.


    "No problem."


    Su Chen nodded.


    After about half an hour, everyone went back to the hotel next door.


    Interestingly enough, they all stayed on the same floor.


    After saying goodnight to Lan Xinyi, Su Chen returned to his room.


    After going in, Su Chen took a shower, then sat on the bed and began his cultivation.


    Without a Gathering Yuan Formation here, he naturally cultivated with the Supreme Star Shifting Technique!


    Su Chen cultivated until dawn, then slept for two hours before waking up!


    Lan Xinyi and the others also got up and had breakfast together downstairs, and then set off!


    Like Su Chen, they also drove off-road vehicles. There were six of them, so they drove two cars in total.


    Lan Xinyi had originally invited Su Chen to ride with her, but Su Chen politely declined, saying he would just follow them in his car.


    Lan Xinyi didn''t insist and got into her car.


    Soon, three off-road vehicles headed towards the Heavenly Profound Mountain Range!


    The Heavenly Profound Mountain Range wasn''t too far or too close from the small city; it took over three hours to reach the foot of the mountain range.


    When they arrived, another group happened to arrive, led by a middle-aged man.


    Both parties clearly knew each other; the middle-aged man greeted Lan Xinyi immediately upon seeing her!


    The middle-aged man showed a bit of respect for Lan Xinyi, which made Su Chen realize immediately that Lan Xinyi''s group likely came from a significant power!


    Of course, both parties only exchanged simple greetings before heading into the depths of the mountain range from two directions.


    The Heavenly Profound Mountain Range stretches for several hundred kilometers, muchrger than the Thousand Cloud Mountain Range!


    There are rivers, primeval forests, swamps, various poisonous insects, wild beasts, etc., even without encountering demon beasts, walking here is somewhat dangerous!


    As Lan Xinyi walked forward, she chatted with Su Chen. To some extent, Su Chen was considered a guest, and Lan Xinyi, as the host, had to take care of him out of courtesy.


    However, as they chatted, she found that talking to this man was quite interesting and an enjoyable experience!


    Gradually, the others even fell a little behind them!


    Of course, with the conversation going on, they gradually learned a bit more about each other.


    After all, they only metst night and didn''t know much about each other.


    Su Chen was quite surprised to learn that Lan Xinyi and her group were from the Yunhai Hall, and Lan Xinyi was the eldest youngdy of Yunhai Hall!


    After meeting Huang Menglei and Ouyang Jing, Su Chen had learned about many of the significant powers in the Ancient Martial World.


    Naturally, he had heard of Yunhai Hall, one of the top forces among the first-rate powers of the Ancient Martial World!


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Lan Xinyi to have such a prominent background, no wonder the middle-aged man was so respectful to her earlier!


    However, Lan Xinyi also didn''t expect Su Chen to be from the Secr World!


    A young man from the Secr Worlding to the Heavenly Profound Mountain ruins to seek treasures always made Lan Xinyi feel somewhat unreal!


    "By the way, Mr. Su, how did you learn about the ruins in the Heavenly Profound Mountain?"


    Lan Xinyi asked curiously, as the information was only known to people in the Ancient Martial World, not to mention the Secr World; even those in the Martial Arts World didn''t know.


    "A friend told me," Su Chen said.


    "Your friend is from the Ancient Martial World, right?" Xie Xinyi continued asking.


    "Yes, he is Ouyang Jing, the young master of the Ouyang Family."


    Su Chen didn''t hide and said casually.


    "You''re friends with Ouyang Jing?"


    Lan Xinyi was astonished upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    "Yes, we are good friends."


    Su Chen nodded.


    Hearing this, Lan Xinyi couldn''t help but take a closer look at Su Chen, thinking to herself:


    This man can be friends with Ouyang Jing, it seems he''s not as simple as he seems!


    "Do you know him?"


    Su Chen slightly turned his head and asked.


    "I have a good rtionship with Senior Brother Ouyang, we are very good friends."


    Lan Xinyi smiled slightly.


    "Then it seems we can count as friends too!"


    Su Chen alsoughed and said.

 Chapter 1105: Lan Haifengs Scheming

    "Of course it is!"


    Lan Xinyi giggled.


    The two had been chatting and getting along quite well, and with Ouyang Jing as their mutual acquaintance, they felt even closer and more familiar with each other.


    Su Chen had always been interesting and humorous. Sometimes, he would casually joke around, and Lan Xinyi''s cheerfulughter could be heard from time to time.


    Not far behind the two, Lan Haifeng watched them talk happily, and especially seeing Lan Xinyi so joyful made him feel quite upset!


    Although Lan Haifeng shared the same surname, he had no blood rtion to Lan Xinyi, so he inevitably had some other feelings. After all, Lan Xinyi''s appearance and figure were there for everyone to see!


    Which normal man wouldn''t be moved?


    However, he hadn''t shown this, so most people, including those in Yunhai Hall, were unaware of it.


    So seeing Lan Xinyi and Su Chen enjoying their time together naturally made him very displeased!


    Especially when he thought about how she deliberately kept a distance from him regrly, his displeasure intensified.


    "Haifeng, who is this guy? Why does the youngdy seem so happy talking to him?"


    Someone beside him whispered.


    "Who the hell knows!"


    Lan Haifeng replied, displeased.


    At this time, they were still some distance away from Lan Xinyi and Su Chen and couldn''t clearly hear what they were talking about.


    "Xinyi, why is it that only young people like you from Yunhai Hall came out, without any older ones apanying you?"


    Su Chen asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "That''s because, though the ruins in Heavenly Profound Mountain are vast, in recent years, numerous forces have searched for treasures here almost annually, making it harder and harder to find anything. Those elders are no longer as enthusiastic about it as they were at the beginning."


    Su Chen nodded upon hearing this. It was only natural, after all, treasures weren''t innate and never-ending. Over time, they inevitably became scarcer and harder to find.


    Ouyang Jing had told Su Chen the same thing before, advising him to just take it lightly, no need to hold too much hope, just treat it as a leisure trip and try their luck.


    Decades ago, in the early years when these ruins were discovered, almost every force sent experts here to vie for treasures!


    Back then, bloodshed wasmonce. Many were injured by rampaging demon beasts since no one yet understood their behavior.


    Of course, more often, when treasures were found, each force would sh violently!


    Human nature was thoroughly exposed back then, and many forces with good rtions would instantly turn against each other before treasures!


    Such urrences were not umon in the early years!


    "Originally, my father arranged for two elders to apany us this time, but I turned them down. After all, we young people should have our own experiences. Always being under the protection of elders would never lead to real growth!"


    Lan Xinyi continued.


    Su Chen was somewhat impressed by this Lan Xinyi. If she were a man, it wouldn''t be surprising. However, for a woman to have such thoughts was indeedmendable!


    But Su Chen also knew that Yunhai Hall allowed their young ones outrgely because exploring ruins nowadays wasn''t as dangerous as before!


    The group walked on for two or three hours without realizing it, until suddenly, a few figures appeared faintly from the bushes ahead.


    "Xinyi, what a coincidence!"


    Upon seeing Lan Xinyi, the group immediately approached, and the man in the lead, dressed invish clothes, called out joyfully.


    Lan Xinyi''s expression subtly changed upon seeing the group, but she quickly recovered to disy a polite smile and replied indifferently:


    "Yes, quite a coincidence."


    "Haifeng, there is going to be a show now!"


    "Indeed, everyone knows how the Young Sect Master feels about the youngdy."


    ...


    The people from Yunhai Hall began to chuckle quietly when they saw the group approaching and started whispering about it!


    They were equally unweing of Su Chen joining their team!


    It was only because the youngdy invited him that they refrained from opposing it!


    Now, seeing the arrival of thevishly dressed young man, they all anticipated an interesting spectacle.


    The identity of that young man was no secret. He was Zhou Hao, the Young Sect Master of the prominent Liewu Sect from the Ancient Martial World!


    Though Liewu Sect''s power was slightly lesser than Yunhai Hall''s, it wasn''t much of a difference!


    Moreover, this Young Sect Master of Liewu Sect had been pursuing Lan Xinyi, making the two forces quite a match!


    This Young Sect Master of Liewu Sect wouldn''t be indifferent seeing the youngdy with another man!


    He wouldn''t dare do anything to the youngdy, but he surely wouldn''t hold that guy in high regard!


    At this moment, Lan Haifeng''s lips curled into a cold smile!


    What others didn''t know was that he was the one who contacted the Young Sect Master of Liewu Sect!


    Because of Lan Xinyi, he couldn''t do much, but the Young Sect Master of Liewu Sect was different!


    In fact, he had known Zhou Hao was around, so more than an hour ago, he secretly sent a message to Zhou Hao, informing him of a young man in their group who was quite close to Lan Xinyi!


    He also shared their route!


    He believed Zhou Hao would rush over upon receiving this information, and indeed, it happened as he expected, with Zhou Hao appearing!


    Now he just needed to sit back and watch!


    In this way, Lan Haifeng wasn''t stupid; he was just too arrogant to bother with Su Chen!


    On the contrary, it was Zhou Hao, the Young Sect Master of Tianwu Sect, who was rather foolish, being used as a pawn without realizing it!


    He even thought Lan Haifeng was being considerate for informing him of this!


    Of course, this was because he was unaware that Lan Haifeng harbored the same feelings for Lan Xinyi!


    At this moment, Su Chen also nced at thevishly dressed man, thinking to himself:


    The Ancient Martial World indeed lives up to its reputation, iparable to the Martial Arts World. Not to mention anything else, just this man in front of him, including Lan Xinyi and even Lan Haifeng, had all reached the Kaiyuan Realm Primary Stage!


    Bear in mind, during the Martial Arts Conference in the Martial Arts World, everyone was stunned when they learned that the Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate, Mo Changqing, had entered the Kaiyuan Realm!


    But in the Ancient Martial World, among the younger generation, this seemed fairlymon, at least not so rare.


    This shows how vast the gap between the two really is!


    "Xinyi, why didn''t you tell me you wereing over? We could have traveled together!"


    Zhou Hao said, looking at Lan Xinyi.

 Chapter 1106: Defeating the Enemy in One Move

    "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Zhou, but no need."


    Lan Xinyi said lightly.


    "It''s nothing, it''s only right for us to look out for each other!"


    Zhou Hao said with a smile. After all, being rejected by Lan Xinyi wasn''t something new for him, so it didn''t matter much.


    "Who are you? Why are you standing beside Xinyi?"


    Zhou Hao cast his gaze on Su Chen who was standing beside Lan Xinyi, his eyebrows slightly furrowing.


    Actually, he had already seen the two chatting cheerfully when he came out from the trees up front, which seemed quite unusual!


    "Young Master Zhou, let me introduce you, this is my friend Su Chen, Mr. Su."


    Lan Xinyi saw Zhou Hao''s gaze and immediately felt tense, quickly saying:


    "Mr. Su, this is the Young Master of Liewu Sect, Zhou Hao."


    Of course she knew Zhou Hao liked her, but she didn''t really feel much about it. At this moment, she was making introductions to ease things up a bit.


    "Su Chen? Never heard of him!"


    Zhou Hao sneered disdainfully.


    Actually, he had heard of him, not only him but also Lan Xinyi and others had heard of him.


    They just couldn''t connect the young man before them with the madman who had offended the Heavenly Thunder Sect, Song Family, ck de Alliance, and Peng Family all in one day!


    Because those were things they dared not do!


    How could this man with just Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer possibly manage that?


    Not to mention anything else, he couldn''t even kill those disciples and the people around them!


    Of course, although that guy had gained some attention in the Ancient Martial World, everyone thought he wouldn''tst long, it''s not an exaggeration to say he''s seeking death!


    So actually, most of the Ancient Martial World didn''t pay much attention to that person!


    What is there to care about a person destined to die?


    It''s quite possible that he has been killed by one of those four powers by now!


    "And who are you, Zhou something? Sorry, I haven''t heard your name either."


    Su Chen smirked, pursing his lips.


    Upon hearing this, everyone felt a slight chill in their heart; this guy was deliberately going head-to-head with Zhou Hao!


    "What did you say?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Zhou Hao immediately pulled a long face, staring firmly at Su Chen:


    "Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?!"


    "Zhou... whatever, you''ve got quite the bad breath!"


    Su Chen responded disdainfully, waving his hand like there really was an odor in the air!


    "You''re asking for death!"


    In Zhou Hao''s eyes, Su Chen''s action was pure provocation, and his face instantly darkened!


    "You, teach this kid a lesson on how to behave!"


    Zhou Hao immediately ordered someone behind him.


    As soon as he finished instructing, a person behind him swiftly moved to attack Su Chen!


    This person had reached Meridian Expansion Peak, just a step away from Half-Step Kaiyuan!


    In Zhou Hao''s opinion, dealing with someone like Su Chen at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer was more than enough!


    Lan Xinyi was immediately shocked and wanted to intervene.


    However, she hadn''t had the chance to act before a shadow whisked past at lightning speed!


    The next moment, everyone was stunned!


    A dagger was pressed against the throat of the one who had just attacked, its sharp gleam exuding a chilling light!


    "How is this possible?"


    Everyone seemed dumbfounded, staring dazedly at the scene!


    How could someone at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer possibly surpass someone at the Meridian Expansion Peak Late Stage?


    And to defeat them so effortlessly?


    Lan Xinyi was perplexed too, she intended to stop the attacker, yet she was slower than Su Chen?


    How could he be so fast at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer?


    More terrifying than speed was his maneuver!


    She could also defeat someone at the Meridian Expansion Peak with one attack, most Kaiyuan Realm cultivators could do it, even some at Half-Step Kaiyuan could!


    But how did Su Chen aplish it?


    More importantly, his attack was with such ease, she faintly felt that even if she made a move, she couldn''t do it as effortlessly!


    It was incredibly mysterious!


    Lan Haifeng was equally shocked, this was far from what he imagined!


    When Zhou Hao''s subordinate attacked, he thought the young man named Su Chen would be in trouble, yet within a breath, the situation changed so drastically!


    The person at the Meridian Expansion Peak was utterly terrified, breaking into a cold sweat!


    What on earth was going on?


    His mind was bewildered, he couldn''t react at all; he just felt a chilling sensation around his neck!


    Then Su Chen gently put away his dagger, as if nothing had happened!


    Zhou Hao''s face was almost dark enough to drip water, and sparks flew from his eyes!


    Su Chen''s action was practically a p in the face!


    "Young Master, sorry..."


    The Meridian Expansion Peak person sighed in relief after Su Chen put away the dagger and bowed to Zhou Hao.


    "Useless!"


    Zhou Hao was even more furious upon seeing this person; he kicked him seven or eight meters away!


    "Young Master Zhou, sorry, how about we let this go for today, just to give me some face?"


    Lan Xinyi quickly said.


    She could still mediate now, but if it escted any further, it would be hard for her to mediate.


    After all, she had been traveling with Su Chen and had good conversations, so she didn''t want anything bad to happen to him.


    Zhou Hao stared at Su Chen for a while, then said:


    "Fine! I''ll give Xinyi some face today!"


    He could argue with others, but Lan Xinyi had spoken, he couldn''t refuse her for he was pursuing her!


    "Thank you, Young Master Zhou!"


    Lan Xinyi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.


    To her, although Su Chen had easily subdued the Meridian Expansion Peak, if a real fight broke out, Su Chen would likely suffer.


    "Kid, you''re lucky today, you won''t be so lucky next time!"


    Zhou Hao coldly snorted, looking at Su Chen:


    "Also, you better stay away from Xinyi, or else...!"


    After saying this, Zhou Hao led the Liewu Sect people away!


    The events just transpired made him feel humiliated; with Lan Xinyi''s intervention, he couldn''t immediately retaliate against Su Chen, so he decided to leave for now!


    Lan Haifeng was somewhat surprised that Zhou Hao let Su Chen off so easily, feeling a bit displeased!


    But he quickly understood; Zhou Hao didn''t want any conflict with Lan Xinyi over this as it would harm his pursuit of her!


    However, knowing Zhou Hao, this was just temporary; he would definitely not let Su Chen go if given the chance!


    At least, getting a powerful enemy for this kid seemed quite satisfying, his efforts weren''t in vain...

 Chapter 1107: An Unexpected Encounter with Zhu Ming

    "Su Chen, you are really..."


    Lan Xinyi looked at him and shook her head, saying.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Su Chen didn''t take it too seriously and said casually.


    "What do you mean what''s wrong?"


    Lan Xinyi pouted slightly and said in annoyance:


    "If Zhou Hao had really made a move just now, you would have been in big trouble!"


    "By then, you might have lost your life here before even finding a single treasure!"


    "Yes, yes, Miss Xinyi makes a good point!"


    Su Chen grinned cheekily and bowed with a smile:


    "Thanks a lot for your help earlier, Miss Xinyi. A beauty saving a hero; otherwise, this hero might have turned into a fool!"


    "Pffft!"


    Lan Xinyiughed out loud at his words and then spat:


    "What a silly hero-saving-beauty story, sounds awful!"


    Seeing her suddenly coy expression, Su Chenughed, and then the group continued to move forward.


    "Mr. Su, what is your actual cultivation realm?"


    After a while, Lan Xinyi suddenly asked.


    She knew that Su Chen''s strength couldn''t be as simple as the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer!


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen nced at Lan Xinyi and smiled slightly.


    "Half-Step Kaiyuan?"


    Lan Xinyi also nced at Su Chen and asked tentatively.


    To be honest, she thought calling it Half-Step Kaiyuan was already quite high, considering he seemed to be only at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer!


    There are two minor realms between that and the Half-Step Kaiyuan, and it''s not easy to cross them!


    But the strength Su Chen disyed earlier made her think this way!


    "That''s about right."


    Su Chen chuckled nonchntly.


    He thought, if he revealed that his cultivation had reached the Kaiyuan Primary Stage and he even had the strength to defeat someone at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, would he be seen as boasting?


    Even so, it was enough to stun Lan Xinyi!


    After all, it was just spection before, but when she heard Su Chen confirm reaching Half-Step Kaiyuan, she found it incredible!


    She had never seen or heard of anyone at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Realm having reached the Half-Step Kaiyuan cultivation!


    The two chatted idly and continued to walk forward, with the rest of the Yunhai Hall members following behind. Along the way, they crossed several rivers and swamps!


    Of course, they also encountered other groups searching for treasure in the relics.


    The relics were in the deepest part of the mountain range, and since the Heavenly Profound Mountain Range was quiterge, reaching it was not quick!


    Luckily, there was no rush, and it took them two days to finally reach a point around sixty to seventy kilometers from the relics'' outskirts.


    "Miss Xinyi, how about we separate here?"


    Su Chen suggested.


    "Sounds good."


    Lan Xinyi nodded.


    She knew that splitting up was inevitable. After all, with so many people in their group, how would they decide who gets a treasure if they found one?


    If she were alone, it wouldn''t be a big deal to split it evenly, but how could herpanions agree?


    Though she was the eldest daughter of Yunhai Hall, she couldn''t ignore herpanions'' opinions and ideas.


    No matter how they divided the treasures, it might not be suitable.


    To avoid conflicts, it''s better to separate for now.


    "But Mr. Su, you should be careful, don''t act rashly if you meet other forces like earlier."


    Lan Xinyi advised.


    In her view, Su Chen was great in other respects, but just a bit too arrogant!


    Earlier, when they met those from the Liewu Sect, if not for her, those people wouldn''t have let him off for speaking like that.


    Of course, she knew that the Liewu Sect targeted Su Chen because of her.


    But his unwillingness topromise might cause trouble!


    "Thank you for your concern, Miss Xinyi, I understand."


    Su Chen smiled, acknowledging her goodwill, and didn''t feel the need to reject it.


    However, for Su Chen, he didn''t seek trouble, but he never feared it either!


    After parting ways with Lan Xinyi, Su Chen headed in another direction.


    At this moment, a yful smile appeared at the corner of Lan Haifeng''s mouth...


    .....


    Su Chen casually swung a stick at the surrounding flowers and tree branches, humming an unknown tune to himself.


    His demeanor didn''t resemble someone on a treasure hunt, but more like a leisurely outing.


    As for directions, being here, even without a map, he wouldn''t get lost, as long as he continued moving forward.


    Currently, a stream flowed alongside the direction where Su Chen was headed; it wasn''t very wide, just three or four meters across!


    Approaching the deepest part of the Heavenly Profound Mountain Range, it wasn''t like earlier, where the roar of beasts asionally sounded, but instead, a quiet and eerie atmosphere prevailed, only with the sound of flowing water!


    But as he walked, the stream veered in another direction, its source and destination remaining unknown.


    Su Chen continued ahead, and as he walked further, the sound of the stream gradually lessened until it disappeared...


    "Brother Su!"


    Just then, Su Chen seemed to hear someone calling him.


    So he stopped in his tracks and looked in the direction where the voice came from.


    Soon, he saw someone running toward him, with four or five others following behind!


    "Brother Su, it really is you!"


    A somewhat chubby man ran up to him and eximed in delight.


    "Brother Zhu, long time no see."


    Seeing who it was, Su Chen smiled and said.


    The man who ran over was none other than Zhu Family''s Young Master, Zhu Ming, whom he metst time at Thousand Clouds Mountain.


    "Brother Su, are you also here treasure hunting in the relics?"


    Zhu Ming asked, but before Su Chen could answer, he pped his forehead with augh:


    "Look at the question I asked, what else would you be doing here if not for treasure hunting."


    "Indeed."


    Su Chen just nodded with a smile, not saying much more in response to his self-question.


    "By the way, after you killed Song Chu and the othersst time, I was worried for you for a long time. I never thought you also killed a disciple from the Heavenly Thunder Sect. I was shocked when I heard the news!"


    Zhu Ming said in a low voice.


    Zhu Ming was indeed very worried at that time since Su Chen had looked out for him before.


    But he forgot to exchange contact information with Su Chen before leaving, so he had no way to ask about the situation.


    Wanting to help was beyond his capability!


    "Thank you for the concern, but as you can see, I''m doing just fine now."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Strange, didn''t they cause you any trouble?"


    Zhu Ming furrowed his brow slightly and said:


    "But they should have!"


    In Zhu Ming''s mind, if those people had really gone after Su Chen, there was no way he would still be unharmed!


    However, given their capabilities, finding Su Chen didn''t seem too difficult.


    While he was worried, there wasn''t much he could do.


    As he was pondering this with slight confusion, a few people from behind him approached...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1108 - 1008: The Ten Geniuses

    "Su Chen, let me introduce you, this is my younger brother, Zhu Jun."


    Zhu Ming warmly introduced Su Chen, then addressed the leading person who just walked over:


    "Second brother, this is a friend of mine, Su Chen."


    Su Chen heard Zhu Ming''s introduction and couldn''t help but take a nce at the young man with a bit of surprise!


    The True Essence Aura emanating from this young man was incredibly strong, much stronger than Ouyang Jing, Lan Xinyi, and the others!


    Su Chen immediately sensed that this young man was close to reaching the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, but hadn''t broken through yet!


    Reaching such cultivation at such a young age already indicated that this person was extraordinary!


    While Su Chen was observing him, Zhu Jun nced at Su Chen and sarcastically said to Zhu Ming:


    "Sure enough, your friends are just as useless as you, Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, such high cultivation!"


    Several people behind him looked at the two with mocking smiles, making no effort to hide it!


    "Second brother, what are you saying?"


    Zhu Ming hurriedly said with a note of embarrassment on his face.


    "Am I saying anything wrong?!"


    Zhu Jun replied with disdain.


    In Zhu Jun''s heart, he never had any respect for this elder brother.


    In his view, Zhu Ming''s strength was pitifully low, not even as good as young people from second-rate powers!


    If it weren''t for their father''s words, he wouldn''t want to bring him along at all, even seeing his elder brother as a burden!


    "Seems like you''re very confident in your own strength?"


    Su Chen heard this, his eyes sharpened, a cold glint appearing!


    "What? You''re not convinced?"


    Zhu Jun curled his lips disdainfully, clearly not taking Su Chen seriously.


    At this moment, Zhu Ming quickly grabbed Su Chen and signaled him subtly with a nce.


    "Hmph!"


    Zhu Jun snorted coldly, then turned and walked forward.


    "Brother Zhu, what do you mean by this?"


    Su Chen asked, a bit dissatisfied.


    If Zhu Ming hadn''t held him back just now and signaled him, he would not have let it go so easily.


    "Brother Su, my second brother has this kind of temper, but I stopped you from arguing with him for your own good."


    Zhu Ming exined.


    "Forget it."


    Su Chen waved his hand, saying he was only angry for a moment.


    "But your second brother seems to not respect you very much!"


    Su Chenmented, looking at Zhu Ming. It was understandable that Zhu Jun didn''t consider him, since they were strangers after all.


    But it was clear that he also looked down on Zhu Ming, which could easily be seen in his words and expression.


    This was rather inappropriate, after all, they were family!


    However, Su Chen quickly realized that there was little affection and kinship in great families!


    The Five Great Families were like that, just as families in the Ancient Martial World were the same!


    Even more so in the Ancient Martial World, where everything is determined by cultivation strength!


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Zhu Ming gave a somewhat bitter smile:


    "Brother Su, I''m sorry you had to see this, but it''s no wonder, my strength is indeed too poor, and he''s among the top ten prodigies!"


    "Brother Zhu, don''t be discouraged, I believe you''ll surpass him one day!"


    Su Chen patted his shoulder with a smile.


    Su Chen thought that there might be an opportunity for him to train at his vi.


    No matter how ordinary Zhu Ming''s talent was, with his training speed increased tenfold, over time he could surpass Zhu Jun!


    "Thanks for your kind words!"


    Zhu Ming smiled, but he didn''t exhibit much confidence.


    Su Chen saw his doubt, smiled slightly without exining further, and curiously asked:


    "By the way, Brother Zhu, what are these top ten prodigies you mentioned?"


    "Brother Su, you don''t know about the top ten prodigies?"


    Zhu Ming asked, somewhat surprised.


    "I''ve really never heard of it."


    Su Chen shook his head and smiled. Though he chatted about the Ancient Martial World with Ouyang Jing and Huang Menglei sometimes, they couldn''t exin everything.


    "The top ten prodigies are the ten most talented young people in the Ancient Martial World, recognized as the most gifted and promising!"


    Zhu Ming exined, his eyes full of admiration:


    "Like my second brother, who is about to break through the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, but only ranks ninth among the top ten prodigies!"


    Su Chen, hearing Zhu Ming''s exnation, couldn''t help but be a little surprised!


    Zhu Jun is about to break into the Kaiyuan Mid-Stage, yet ranks only ninth. The strength of those ahead is unimaginable!


    What''s more, they are all young people!


    This Ancient Martial World truly is extraordinary!


    "However, most of the top ten prodigies are within super first-ss powers, with only a few in first-ss powers, and none in second-ss powers!"


    Zhu Ming continued.


    Su Chen nodded upon hearing, which was quite understandable, as one''s cultivation realm depends not only on talent but also on cultivation resources!


    In terms of cultivation resources, second-ss forces couldn''tpare with first-ss forces, just as first-ss forces couldn''t contend with super first-ss forces!


    "So, Brother Su, I stopped you before for your own good. Even though you killed Song Chu and even Lei Gang, you can''t be a match for Zhu Jun."


    Zhu Ming told Su Chen:


    "My second brother being one of the top ten prodigies isn''t an empty reputation!"


    "Alright, the previous matter is past, I haven''t taken it to heart."


    Su Chen casually smiled.


    Actually, while Zhu Jun''s strength was indeed extraordinary, defeating him wouldn''t be too hard for Su Chen.


    But of course, Zhu Ming didn''t know this. Even if Su Chen told him, he wouldn''t believe it!


    "By the way, Brother Su, let''s exchange contact information."


    Zhu Ming suggested, and Su Chen readily agreed, thus exchanging contact details with Zhu Ming.


    "Okay, I still have to catch up with them. I''ll visit you when I have time in the future."


    Zhu Ming said with a smile.


    "Good, you''re always wee at my ce."


    Su Chen nodded and smiled back.


    Then Zhu Ming headed in the direction Zhu Jun went earlier. Su Chen didn''t say anything about it.


    After all, they were family, and though Zhu Jun looked down on him, traveling with the Zhu family is probably safe and convenient!


    Once Zhu Ming left, Su Chen also headed forward, but he strolled leisurely, not in any hurry.


    After all, many Ancient Martial World factions had likely already entered the ruins. Whether he arrives early orte doesn''t make much difference.


    Moreover, over the years, the explorative areas within the ruins had been turned over so many times, finding treasures was increasingly difficult...

 Chapter 1109: Suspicion

    "Finally arrived!"


    After walking some more, Su Chen finally arrived in front of a copsed ruin, murmuring to himself, with a look of shock in his eyes!


    Because the scope of this ruin was muchrger than he imagined. From a distance, there were almost ruins everywhere, as far as the eye could see, blending with this piece of forest!


    In the forest, fallen walls and pirs could be seen everywhere, many of which were already buried in the soil.


    As for the marble or other stonesid on the ground, some ces have them, and some don''t.


    However, many corridors and rooms were rtively well preserved!


    Of course, this is rtive. What is called well-preserved merely refers to the general structure being visible!


    Overall, this was an incredibly massive ruin!


    "It seems finding the treasure is even more difficult than I imagined!"


    Su Chen thought to himself, such an environment is too challenging to search for treasures.


    Of course, if it were easy, it probably wouldn''t be his turn; it would''ve been looted clean long ago!


    After all, over the years, too many people havee treasure hunting!


    So nowadays, the top-level forces don''t pay much attention to it, but second-tier forces, due to the rtive scarcity of cultivation resources, still consider it important, at least sending elder-level experts!


    Luckily, Ouyang Jing had told him the general situation beforeing, so Su Chen was also prepared to return empty-handed, treating it as a leisure trip if nothing else!


    Su Chen walked while searching around, asionally using the stick in his hand to poke around!


    Although hope wasn''t high, this was basically a matter of trying one''s luck!


    At that moment, two people suddenly walked out from a corner ahead.


    Su Chen sensed the movement ahead and instinctively looked up. He originally thought they were also treasure hunters since he had encountered two or three groups along the way.


    But when he saw who they were, his expression turned slightly cold!


    Because he knew those two wereing for him!


    "Did your master send you over?"


    Su Chen asked coldly.


    "Indeed, you offended our young master, let''s just say you''re unlucky!"


    The two looked at Su Chen with a mocking smile, as if viewing prey!


    They were the ones following Liewu Sect''s young master Zhou Hao before, so Su Chen recognized them at a nce!


    "Or perhaps it''s your misfortune?"


    Su Chen''s mouth curled into a slight smile, but the smile carried a hint of amusement!


    These two were just Half-Step Kaiyuan level, naturally not in Su Chen''s eyes!


    "But how did they know my route?"


    Su Chen thought to himself, considering the ruins were sorge, entering from any direction was possible!


    How could they urately track his route?


    Though they met before, after that Su Chen and the others from Yun Long Hall had walked quite a long distance, making it hard to determine!


    These two were clearly not coincidentally encountering him, but purposefully waiting around here!


    The most likely scenario, Su Chen thought, was that someone from Yunhai Hall informed them of his route, because when he parted ways with Lan Xinyi, they were only sixty or seventy kilometers from the ruins, making it easier to determine the direction!


    At this moment, a shadow of an individual suddenly appeared in Su Chen''s mind¡ªLan Haifeng!


    Although there was no evidence yet, he was undoubtedly the prime suspect, having shown the strongest hostility towards him before!


    By that logic, the encounter with Liewu Sect''s people might not have been coincidental either, but deliberately guided to deal with him!


    Of course, these were just Su Chen''s conjectures for now, but he was seventy to eighty percent confident!


    "Our misfortune?"


    On hearing Su Chen''s words, the person who spoke earlier sneered:


    "You think defeating a Meridian Expansion Peak master with one move is impressive?"


    "Today, I''ll show you what it means to overestimate your abilities!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, one of the men drew a sword and lunged at Su Chen, the sharp de immediately emitting a buzzing sound!


    When it reached Su Chen, the man''s wrist shook, causing a flurry of sword blossoms to appear, glimmering and the True Yuan raging!


    Simultaneously, the other man wielded a long knife, shing to Su Chen''s side, then shing down, the de gleaming with unstoppable force!


    Facing the two''s attack, Su Chen remained calm. As the sword and knife neared his body, he moved, a shadow shed by, dodging their fierce strike!


    However, Su Chen did not retreat but instead moved forward between the two, and with a casual wave, a cold light suddenly appeared!


    "Pfft!"


    A spray of blood followed, and the wrist of the man with the knife was severed, his hand "plop" fell to the ground, still gripping the knife!


    The man with the sword next to him was momentarily stunned. Just then, he found Su Chen turning towards him, and another gleam of cold light appeared!


    His eyes narrowed, instinctively dodging, fortunately reacting swiftly, leaving only a slight cut on his wrist!


    The man whose wrist had been cut quickly backed off, and the two stood together!


    Although he hadn''t killed them, Su Chen wasn''t greatly affected!


    But now those two looked at Su Chen with immense shock!


    This was entirely different from what they had imagined!


    Because he had already disyed unusual techniques before, the young master deliberately sent these two experts of Half-Step Kaiyuan Peak to be safe.


    After all, as long as this guy wasn''t in the Kaiyuan Realm, there shouldn''t have been any problems!


    Unexpectedly, in a mere initial encounter, they suffered a miserable loss, appearing very embarrassed!


    Despite this, they weren''t overly worried, for Su Chen hadn''t revealed the True Essence Aura of the Kaiyuan Realm!


    But Su Chen''s speed just now reached the Primary Stage of the Kaiyuan Realm, making them wary!


    Speed is also a crucial aspect inbat. If one''s speed is fast enough, no matter how strong the opponent, what good is it if they can''t catch up?


    They reckoned Su Chen had cultivated some kind of Body Technique Manual, as cultivating movement techniques was not umon in the Ancient Martial World.


    "Come, let''s continue!"


    Su Chen gestured at the two, sneering dismissively.


    "Arrogant!"


    The man who had his arm cut off shouted angrily, his wrist was still bleeding, he tore off a piece of his clothes for a rough bandage!


    "Be careful of that guy''s speed and try to engage him directly!"


    The other person whispered a reminder, and the man with the severed wrist nodded in agreement.


    They believed that if they met head-on, Su Chen wouldn''t stand a chance against them!

 Chapter 1110: Youre Too Weak

    After a moment''s pause, both moved simultaneously, but this time their positions had undergone subtle changes!


    Earlier, they attacked Su Chen from the left and right forward nks, but now, they positioned themselves in a straight line with Su Chen as the center, and it was a diagonal line!


    This positioning''s biggest advantage was that it made it harder for Su Chen to escape; neither left nor right was feasible, and even front and back were within their attack range!


    At the same time, they bothunched a punch at Su Chen!


    Although they hadn''t reached the Kaiyuan Realm, they were at the pinnacle of the Half-Step Kaiyuan, so their full-force punches were still formidable!


    The void seemed to shatter, with ripples of airflow spreading out, and the powerful True Yuan surged on the Fist Mang!


    Su Chen, with his vast experience, instantly understood their intentions upon seeing their positions!


    He didn''t care about these two to begin with, and now it only made it more convenient for him to act!


    Their fatal mistake was underestimating Su Chen''s cultivation and strength, thinking any one of them was not weaker than him!


    Moreover, if he engaged one, the other could attack from behind!


    This way, they believed there was no room for error!


    Seeing the fistsing from both directions, Su Chen directly charged toward one of them. He swiftly dodged the iing punch and then struck the person''s chest with his palm!


    "Bang!"


    A massive dull sound echoed, and that person flew backward!


    "Bang!"


    "Crack!"


    Almost simultaneously, the punch from the person behind Su Chennded on him, followed by the clear sound of a bone fracture!


    "How can this be?"


    The person behind Su Chen was stunned; it was precisely the one who had wielded a sword earlier!


    He hadnded a solid punch on the opponent, yet not only did it not harm Su Chen, but his arm got fractured instead!


    "Are you human or ghost?"


    That person looked at Su Chen, speechless and incredulous!


    No matter how strong Su Chen was, he shouldn''t be unaffected!


    "You''re too weak!"


    Su Chen turned around, a mocking smile ying at the corner of his mouth!


    The current strength of Su Chen''s body wouldn''t be affected by someone at the primary stage of Kaiyuan, let alone this Half-Step Kaiyuan!


    "Ah!!!"


    The man shouted and suddenly turned to flee; this was too bizarre, and he instinctively sensed the danger!


    But after just a few steps, he stumbled and fell to the ground!


    When he touched the back of his knee, he found several Silver Needles embedded there!


    He pulled out the needles with a jerk, but as soon as he did, his leg felt off!


    However, it wasn''t the time to worry about that now. He quickly tried to get up to continue fleeing!


    But just as he tried to stand, he realized that leg had no strength at all!


    "What''s going on?"


    His face turned to one of utter terror; how could this be happening?!


    "My Silver Needles aren''t so easily removed!"


    At this moment, Su Chen approached slowly, sneering.


    Under this sky, aside from his old ghost of a master, no one would dare remove his Silver Needles, not even the old mystic!


    "I beg you, please spare me!"


    The man, realizing he couldn''t escape, quickly pleaded:


    "It''s all the Young Master''s orders; it has nothing to do with me!"


    Death is a terrifying prospect for everyone, and now he was filled with fear of dying!


    "Answer me one question, and I''ll let you go."


    Su Chen said calmly.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll answer everything I know!"


    The man agreed hastily.


    "Where is Zhou Hao now?"


    Su Chen asked.


    This Young Master of the Liewu Sect wanted to harm him, and Su Chen wouldn''t let it slide!


    "I... I don''t know."


    The man replied:


    "Soon after entering the ruins, the Young Master ordered us to wait for you along this route and then kill you! He took the others in a different direction."


    "How did he know I would take this route?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    "I don''t know either; the Young Master seemed to receive some message, then instructed the two of us toe here."


    The man shook his head as he spoke.


    "In that case, keeping you alive is useless!"


    Su Chen reached out, grabbed the man''s throat, and twisted it, breaking his neck and tossing the body aside!


    Even if the man knew the answers and told Su Chen, Su Chen would not have let him go!


    Su Chen was not a bloodthirsty killer, but he was no saint either!


    "It appears someone informed the Young Master of the Liewu Sect about my travel route, using him as a de to kill me!"


    Su Chen thought to himself as he continued forward.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in another direction within the ruins, a group was advancing while carefully surveying their surroundings, especially near building ruins where their search became more meticulous!


    This group was precisely the people from Yunhai Hall who had apanied Su Chen earlier.


    "Xinyi, you seem to be preupied?"


    Lan Haifeng asked with concern.


    "It''s nothing much."


    Lan Xinyi shook her head and said:


    "It''s just that it''s Mr. Su''s first time exploring the ruins, and I''m a bit worried about his safety."


    "Xinyi, he has nothing to do with us, so why worry about a stranger like him?"


    Lan Haifeng scoffed at Lan Xinyi''s words.


    "How can you say that? Even though we are mere acquaintances, naturally, I hope nothing happens to him."


    Lan Xinyi frowned slightly and said.


    Actually, Lan Xinyi didn''t know why, but that man left a special impression on her.


    Of course, that''s all there was to it!


    She thought, perhaps it was because of his carefree manner and witty speech!


    "That guy is quite arrogant, isn''t he? He must have some backing, so we don''t need to worry about him!"


    Lan Haifeng remarked sarcastically.


    Lan Xinyi didn''t say anything at Lan Haifeng''s words; her concern was actually about his personality!


    After all, there were many Ancient Martial Forces here, and if he shed with one over a treasure or some other reason without backing down, he''d be in trouble!


    These types of incidents were not umon in treasure hunts over the years!


    Lan Haifeng was quite irritated seeing Lan Xinyi worry about a mere stranger.


    But soon he smirked slightly and thought secretly:


    "Your worries are in vain; this punk has likely already been killed by the Liewu Sect by now!"


    He believed that with the strength of the Liewu Sect, dealing with such a conceited punk would be very easy!


    Of course, Lan Haifeng would never say this out loud!


    The people of Yunhai Hall continued to search for traces of treasures as they moved forward steadily.


    Just then, Lan Xinyi suddenly seemed to hear an indistinct roar!


    Though the roar was somewhat low and faint, it caused Lan Xinyi''s entire being to tense uppletely...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1111: Abandonment

    In just an instant, the roar became clear, and even the ground showed some slight tremors!


    Immediately, a tiger appeared on a small hill ahead, but this tiger was different from ordinary tigers, its body was almost entirely ck!


    As the ck tiger appeared on the small hill, it also noticed Lan Xinyi below and immediately charged over!


    "Demon beast!"


    Everyone was shocked. Earlier, the small hill not far away had blocked their view, so the people of Yunhai Hall hadn''t noticed the demon beast on the other side of the slope!


    When ites to the most dangerous things in the ruins of Heavenly Profound Mountain, there''s no doubt it''s the demon beasts!


    Because even the weakest demon beast isn''t easy to deal with!


    Fortunately, at this time of year, the demon beasts that emerge generally aren''t too powerful!


    "Xinyi, what should we do?"


    Lan Haifeng said:


    "The inner core of this demon beast is a good thing!"


    "What do you mean?"


    Lan Xinyi asked.


    "Of course, kill it and take the inner core!"


    "Alright!"


    Lan Xinyi agreed after just a moment''s thought, as time was pressing and a quick decision was needed!


    Although Lan Xinyi also really wanted the inner core, she made this decision not because of that.


    At this moment, she only had two choices: fight or flee!


    But the ck tiger''s speed was so fast, escaping might not be an option!


    As for scattering and fleeing, Lan Xinyi didn''t even consider it, because once separated, the person chased by the ck tiger was bound to face disaster!


    Having led everyone out, Lan Xinyi naturally didn''t want anyone to get hurt!


    "Everyone, get ready to fight!"


    Lan Xinyi shouted to the crowd, and the others drew their weapons in session!


    "Charge!"


    When the ck tiger was about two hundred meters away from them, Lan Haifeng immediately shouted!


    Before the words were even finished, the people of Yunhai Hall had already rushed forward, but Lan Haifeng secretlygged behind a step!


    In this tense moment, no one else noticed this detail!


    As they approached the ck tiger, everyone raised their swords and des, ready to attack!


    "Roar!"


    The ck tiger suddenly let out a roar that shook the forest and charged abruptly, sending three people standing in its way flying!


    Their swords and des hadn''t even swung before they were sent flying!


    Lan Xinyi was originally at the forefront, but her speed was faster, and she dodged suddenly!


    Meanwhile, her long sword shed down, and a Sword Qi struck the ck tiger''s spine, leaving a deep wound on its back!


    "Roar~~~~!"


    The ck tiger immediately felt immense pain and began roaring angrily, its eyes seemed to redden!


    With this roar, an immense pressure was released without reservation, making one feel irresistibly overwhelmed!


    "Kaiyuan Middle Stage?"


    Feeling the pressure, the people of Yunhai Hall were momentarily stunned!


    They just assumed the ck tiger was at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, which is why they decided to take a shot!


    Now, this ck tiger was actually a demon beast at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, how could they fight?


    Moreover, demon beasts are naturally more powerful inbat than humans of the same realm!


    Lan Haifeng, seeing this situation, was also startled!


    "Run!"


    He shouted, and immediately began to flee, the others followed suit, scattering quickly, including those three who had been sent flying by the ck tiger earlier!


    Although they felt their bodies were disintegrating, they still unleashed all their potential!


    If they were even a bit slower, they might lose their lives!


    However, after running for a while, they stopped when they noticed the ck tiger wasn''t chasing them but was instead pursuing Lan Xinyi!


    The ck tiger seemed to have focused on Lan Xinyi because she was the one who left the wound on it earlier!


    Lan Xinyi wasn''t nning to run initially, thinking everyone could fight with all their might and there might still be a chance!


    But suddenly, herpanions all fled while the ck tiger was charging directly at her!


    No choice, Lan Xinyi could only dash forward quickly, fleeing desperately!


    Those who had fled earlier gradually gathered around Lan Haifeng after realizing there was no danger and looked at him with questioning eyes!


    The meaning was quite clear; should they go up and help the youngdy?


    Lan Haifeng pretended not to see, or rather pretended not to understand their questioning looks; the others quickly understood Lan Haifeng''s intentions.


    If they were just regr members of Yunhai Hall, seeing youngdy Lan Xinyi in trouble, they surely would have rushed to her rescue!


    But these few were Lan Haifeng''s confidants, so naturally, they followed his lead!


    Before setting off, Lan Xinyi had asked Lan Haifeng to select a few capable young individuals to join them, and of course, Lan Haifeng chose his own people.


    Lan Xinyi was currently fleeing for her life,pletely unaware of the situation around her, and was still unaware that Lan Haifeng and the others had abandoned her!


    From Lan Haifeng''s perspective, facing such a Kaiyuan Middle Stage demon beast, even if they went to rescue her, it would be difficult to save her and might cost them their lives!


    If there were no danger, he surely wouldn''t miss the opportunity to y the hero rescuing the beauty!


    But if going forward posed a life-threatening risk, then sorry, he wouldn''t!


    Moreover, this matter was deep in the mountains, besides them, no one else would know!


    "What a pity for such a beautifuldy, yet to taste her sweetness, she''s about to meet her doom!"


    Lan Haifeng couldn''t help but think regretfully.


    Soon, Lan Xinyi and the ck tiger disappeared from his sight...


    ......


    Lan Xinyi no longer knew how long she had been fleeing; by now, her clothes were ragged, fate revealing its cruel light!


    There were even more wounds on her body, and her clothes were stained red with blood!


    The ck tiger seemed to be taking revenge for the stab earlier, treating her like a toy, catching up to her, swatting with its ws or ramming directly, sending her flying or crashing away!


    The reason demon beasts are what they are is naturally because they possess some degree of intellect and consciousness, unlike ordinary animals or beasts!


    Each time after being sent flying, Lan Xinyi would continue to run, only to be caught up again and sent flying once more!


    This had already happened seven or eight times, being toyed with by the ck tiger, Lan Xinyi was truly furious and humiliated!


    But the ck tiger wasn''t something she could handle, so each time after being airborne, all she could do was continue to flee!


    "Bang!"


    Soon, she was sent flying dozens of meters again by the ck tiger, rolling into a bush!


    "Rip!"


    The branches on the ground tore open her clothes again, leaving her upper body clothing with almost no covering effect, revealing clearly her fair skin and the purple underwear beneath!


    Of course, now the fair skin was already covered with scars, but it seemed to add a wild allure...

 Chapter 1112: Wisdom

    But Lan Xinyi couldn''t care less at the moment. She hurriedly got up to continue fleeing, as the ck tiger charged towards her again like an arrow leaving the bow!


    Before she could even run a hundred meters, the ck tiger was already behind her, lifting a paw to strike down at Lan Xinyi''s back!


    At this moment, a shadow suddenly shed from the bushes beside her!


    "Boom!"


    A thunderous roar suddenly erupted behind Lan Xinyi!


    Lan Xinyi originally thought she would get knocked away again like the many times before!


    However, she managed to sprint a short distance, yet the "familiar" blow didn''te; instead, a loud bang reverberated behind her!


    She nced back with slight confusion and was instantly stunned:


    "Mr. Su?!"


    Looking again, she saw that the ck tiger, which had made her flee in such a sorry state, was actually stumbled back by a punch from Su Chen!


    Lan Xinyi was utterly shocked¡ªhow could he possess such immense strength to make the ck tiger stagger?


    That strength is at least of the Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    After the ck tiger got back on its feet, it red at Su Chen with eyes asrge as bells, red with fury!


    "Quick, climb the tree!"


    Su Chen shouted at the dumbfounded Lan Xinyi.


    "Oh!"


    At this moment, Lan Xinyi snapped back to her senses a little!


    "Right, how foolish of me!"


    Lan Xinyi scolded herself for not realizing sooner:


    "I can climb the trees! No matter how fierce the demon beast ck tiger is, it can''t climb trees, can it?!"


    "Why didn''t I think of this earlier?!"


    Actually, she had been so focused on escaping for her life that she hadn''t the mind to think about anything else!


    Then she spotted a rtively dense grove not far away, with nearly a hundred sturdy trees connected together!


    She immediately ran over and swiftly climbed up!


    Seeing that Lan Xinyi had already climbed up, Su Chen turned and ran towards the grove, ignoring the enraged ck tiger!


    The ck tiger, seeing Su Chen running, roared furiously and chased after him!


    By now, its fury hadpletely transferred to this suddenly appearing man, as if its dignity had been gravely challenged!


    When Su Chen reached the base of arge tree, the ck tiger was not far off, its ws bared as it lunged forward, jaws wide open!


    "Careful!"


    Seeing this scene, Lan Xinyi was startled!


    She thought that Su Chen had run when telling her to run, not expecting him to wait until she was safely up the tree before he moved!


    This realization made Lan Xinyi feel a surge of emotion!


    Su Chen naturally sensed the violent disturbance behind him, so he twisted and punched out at the ck tiger''s abdomen, adding seven or eight strands of Star Energy!


    "Boom!"


    The ck tiger, which was already in mid-air, was instantly knocked back several meters!


    After delivering the punch, Su Chen immediately and swiftly climbed up the tree, moving with great agility!


    Although using a sword might have inflicted greater damage on the ck tiger, his main aim was to open sufficient distance and climb the tree, so using his fist gave him more assurance!


    When he previously ambushed without using his sword, it was mainly to save Lan Xinyi. Although a sword might have caused greater harm, the effectiveness was uncertain!


    More importantly, they were still some distance from the little forest; utterly enraging the Kaiyuan Middle Stage ck tiger might not have been wise!


    Although the ck tiger was knocked back several meters by Su Chen, it didn''t suffer any major wounds, just felt a bit ufortable!


    But what was more pronounced was its anger; seeing Su Chen already up the tree, the ck tiger roared furiously, a thunderous howl echoing!


    Then, it began to vehemently ram the tree with its body!


    "Bang!"


    "Bang!"


    "Bang!"


    ........


    Each hit made the already rather hefty tree shake violently, almost as if it might break at any moment!


    Lan Xinyi thought she''d be safe on the tree but didn''t expect the ck tiger to start ramming it like crazy!


    At this rate, it''s going to break soon!


    Although the tree was quite sturdy, almost too thick to wrap arms around, the ck tiger was still of the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    Yet Su Chen, seeing this, wasn''t worried; instead, a sly smile crept onto his face!


    In his heart, he mused: Just as I expected, the ck tiger has started ramming the tree frantically!


    After a few more hits, the tree was broken by the ck tiger, slowly tilting downwards. Su Chen took advantage of this and leapt to another nearby tree!


    The trees here were quite close together; jumping to another tree was a simple matter!


    Not feeling entirely assured, Lan Xinyi also jumped from tree to tree, slowly moving closer to Su Chen!


    After all, Su Chen had saved her, so it was better to be nearby in case any help was needed!


    Nheless, the ck tiger, repeatedly struck by Su Chen''s powerful punches, waspletely frenzied, entirely focused on Su Chen, having forgotten about Lan Xinyi!


    Thus, Lan Xinyi easily jumped to the tree next to Su Chen!


    "Mr. Su, you''re so clever!"


    Lan Xinyi sincerely eximed, his method of dealing with the ck tiger was incredibly effective; it was impressive he could think of it!


    "Haha, it''s nothing!"


    Though the tree they were on was shaking violently from the ck tiger''s ramming, Su Chen remained unfazed, letting the creature crash about at will!


    Not only that, but he even struck up a conversation with Lan Xinyi.


    "Though demon beasts are strong fighters, their greatest weakness is intelligence. They''re a bit smarter than regr animals but still can''tpare to humans."


    Su Chenughed, sitting on the swaying tree:


    "If I didn''t use this intelligence gap, wouldn''t it be pretty stupid?"


    "Are you implying that about me, Mr. Su?"


    Lan Xinyi replied bashfully.


    She had just been blindly fleeing for her life before!


    She believed most people, if faced with the situation she was in, would have done the same!


    This proves how remarkably intelligent Mr. Su is, especially in his ability to resourcefully utilize avable resources¡ªit''s admirable!


    "Oh, sorry, I didn''t mean it like that."


    Su Chen had forgotten that point and replied with a chuckle.


    "It''s alright,pared to you, I really am quite foolish!"


    Lan Xinyi responded with a smile, not minding at all!


    However, little did she know, Su Chen''s inherent instinct to resourcefully and effectively use all means to solve problems had been ingrained in his very bones!


    Just as Su Chen was about to speak again, the tree made a cracking sound and broke, prompting him to immediately jump to another tree.


    Simultaneously, Lan Xinyi jumped over as well!


    It must be said, the ck tiger was truly powerful; they just uttered a few words, and the beast had already broken such a thick tree!


    "Bang!"


    "Bang!"


    "Bang!"


    ......


    The ramming resumed, even more violently than before!


    Meanwhile, Su Chen and Lan Xinyi continued their chat on adjacent trees, appearing quite rxed...

 Chapter 1113: Outsmarting the Demon Beast

    Just like that, the ck tiger continuously crashed into the trees below, the thunderous "bang bang bang" reverberating without end!


    Su Chen and Lan Xinyi were chatting casually high up in the trees, jumping to another tree whenever the one they were sitting on was knocked down!


    The ck tiger, staring at Su Chen in the trees, grew increasingly furious, its aura continuously escting!


    Su Chen knew that after knocking down dozens of trees, the ck tiger was consuming a significant amount of energy!


    Another few dozen trees, and if they were all knocked down together, the consumption would be immense!


    This was Su Chen''s strategy, to wait until the ck tiger was sufficiently exhausted before making his move!


    Otherwise, fighting a normal Kaiyuan Middle Stage demon beast would not be easy for Su Chen, even though he was confident of victory. It would still be risky!


    Since there''s a more effortless method, why not use it?


    "Mr. Su, thank you so much for today!"


    Lan Xinyi said sincerely; had Su Chen not suddenly appeared today, her fate would have likely been dire!


    She had encountered a couple of groups in the distance before, but none offered any assistance!


    "It was just a small effort!"


    Su Chen smiled casually.


    He was simply walking by when he heard somemotion here, so he came over!


    He hadn''t expected to run into Lan Xinyi, whom he had separated from earlier.


    He had a pretty good impression of this Lan Xinyi, so naturally, he stepped in to help!


    "By the way, where are yourpanions?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Not sure, they''re probably far gone by now!"


    Lan Xinyi said, unaware that Lan Haifeng and the others had been standing in ce earlier, just watching her being chased by the ck tiger, withouting to help!


    "Boom!"


    At this moment, the tree Su Chen was standing on broke again, and he leaped onto another tree next to him!


    Lan Xinyi joined him on the adjacent tree, continuing the conversation.


    As the ck tiger continued its assault, the towering trees crashed down one by one.


    Soon, there was only the tree Su Chen was standing on and one other tree left, where Lan Xinyi was perched on a rather sturdy branch!


    However, the ck tiger below was no longer crashing as fiercely as it had been!


    Despite its intense anger, it was clearly fatigued!


    After all, it had crashed into nearly a hundred towering trees, even for a demon beast, it wasn''t easy!


    Due to the constant violent impacts, the wound Lan Xinyi had left on its back earlier was tearing wider and wider, with quite a bit of blood flowing out from the wound!


    "Bang boom!"


    Finally, the tree under Su Chen''s feet broke, and he quickly leapt onto the tree where Lan Xinyi was!


    Lan Xinyi instinctively reached out to catch him, and Su Chen instinctively slightly touched her hand, resulting in a moment of slight contact!


    Su Chen immediately felt a soft sensation from the front, and Lan Xinyi felt it too!


    Her face instantly flushed red, as she suddenly realized she was barely clothed!


    Lan Xinyi''s upper body was almost only d in underwear, her outer garments long worn and tattered, making no real difference whether worn or not!


    Her long skirt on her lower body had long been torn off, making it practically indistinguishable from wearing a mini skirt!


    No wonder Su Chen''s gaze seemed off a few times before, now I understand...


    Lan Xinyi thought btedly.


    "Bang!"


    At this moment, the ck tiger crashed again, temporarily alleviating a bit of the minor awkwardness!


    "What should we do in a while?"


    Lan Xinyi asked, as there were no trees within a few hundred meters around.


    Although the ck tiger was now less fierce than before, this tree would definitely be knocked down eventually!


    "It''s almost time now!"


    Su Chen''s mouth curled into a hint of a smile as he said:


    "Xinyi, you stay up here first."


    "Where are you going?"


    Lan Xinyi asked.


    "Time to meet this ck tiger!"


    Su Chen said.


    To be honest, it was Su Chen''s first encounter with a demon beast!


    As soon as the words fell, Su Chen slowly made his way down, when he was about ten meters from the ground, he jumped straight down!


    The ck tiger saw Su Chen finallye down, and immediately roared aloud, uncertain if it was excessively angry or excessively excited!


    Then it seemed to muster all its energy and lunged at Su Chen!


    Lan Xinyi immediately jumped down too, wanting to assist!


    Although Su Chen asked her to stay up there, how could she possibly stay there peacefully?


    That wouldn''t be righteous at all!


    Moreover, it was her own trouble that Su Chen had voluntarily drawn over!


    Afternding, she immediately drew a slightly shorter sword from her waist, her form moved swiftly, charging after the ck tiger!


    Her previous long sword had long been knocked flying by the ck tiger during their battle, so she could only use this sword now!


    Seeing the ck tiger lunge at him, Su Chen didn''t dodge at all, yet his expression was exceedingly serious!


    "Su Chen, watch out!"


    Lan Xinyi hadn''t expected Su Chen to stand there motionless, her face abruptly changed, and she shouted urgently!


    But the force with which the ck tiger lunged was immensely strong; even though it had consumed quite a bit of power, its gathered energy burst forth with lightning speed, and it was about to pounce on Su Chen!


    In this critical moment, Su Chen suddenly lowered his body in a swift move, matching its speed to the extreme!


    The ck tiger instantly flew over his head, and at that moment, a long sword materialized in Su Chen''s hand, and he thrust it straight upwards!


    "Pfft!"


    A cloud of blood spray erupted, and Su Chen deftly evaded!


    Simultaneously, his sword sliced across, opening a long gash on the ck tiger''s abdomen!


    "Boom!"


    The ck tiger crashed heavily to the ground with a loud bang!


    Despite being at Kaiyuan Middle Stage, it struggled up shakily after the fall!


    At this moment, Lan Xinyi''s sword was in ce too, delivering a full force strike and leaving a deep wound on its body once more!


    However, its hind legs kicked out, like an iron rod sweeping across, sending Lan Xinyi flying!


    After all, Lan Xinyi had suffered substantial injuries previously, while the ck tiger was still a Kaiyuan Middle Stage demon beast!


    At this time, Su Chen''s figure also reached in front of the ck tiger, then punched fiercely towards it!


    The powerful aura of a Primary Stage of Kaiyuan Realm radiated out, and he infused ten threads of Star Energy into his Fist Mang!

 Chapter 1114: The Skillful and Ingenious Lan Xinyi

    "Boom!"


    The ck tiger demon beast was blown away a dozen meters!


    The ck tiger struggled to stand up again, trembling, its eyes burning with rage as it stared at Su Chen!


    Although it was a demon beast at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, continuous collisions with a hundred or sorge trees had depleted over half of its cultivation!


    Subsequently, it was further wounded by sword thrusts from Su Chen and Lan Xinyi, leaving it bloodied and battered!


    Especially the sword thrust from Su Chen into its abdomen, which caused it a lethal injury!


    Immediately after, Su Chen''s thunderous punch left itpletely defenseless!


    After all, Su Chen''s cultivation was roughly equivalent to the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, and earlier he had infused it with ten strands of Star Energy!


    The ck tiger, though ring angrily at Su Chen and Lan Xinyi, was already at the end of its strength...


    Because Su Chen''s strategy had been exceptionally correct, wearing it down little by little, leaving the ck tiger with no power to resist!


    .....


    Meanwhile, several kilometers away, four or five people were moving forward.


    "Haifeng bro, are we really going over there?"


    One of them asked the person leading in the center.


    "Let''s go check it out; after all, she is the youngdy, we need to prepare an exnation when we return!"


    Lan Haifeng said.


    "Haifeng bro, there''s really no need; she must be dead, probably already a delicacy for a demon beast!"


    The person from before said, and the others nodded in agreement.


    In their view, it was impossible for Lan Xinyi, the youngdy, to still be alive!


    "Rx, if we spot the beast, we''ll keep our distance."


    Lan Haifengughed.


    Hearing this, the others were slightly relieved, after all, they worried about encountering that demon beast.


    Previously, when they had encountered the ck tiger, it had been by chance that they hadn''t noticed it thanks to a small rise in thend ahead!


    Now they were paying attention and would be able to spot the opponent from a long distance, making it easier to hide and evade!


    ......


    At this time, Su Chen and Lan Xinyi were lying on a patch of grass, panting heavily, with the corpse of the ck tiger not far from them!


    Even though the ck tiger had been almost exhausted, it was a demon beast equivalent to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, still not easy to deal with!


    The two had put in considerable effort to finally take down the ck tiger, and of course, that was because Su Chen hadn''t used more Star Energyter on!


    After all, Su Chen was confident that they could resolve the issue with theirbined strength, so there was no need to waste Star Energy!


    However, Su Chen still suffered minor injuries, but fortunately, they were just superficial wounds, nothing serious!


    The more serious issue was that Lan Xinyi had even less clothing on now!


    Lan Xinyi, with her hair slightly disheveled, hadrge swathes of skin, pale as snow, exposed to the air, marked by numerous crisscrossing scars!


    Most of these scars were old, with only a small portion freshly inflicted.


    Even more striking than the scars was Lan Xinyi''s purplece underwear!


    At that moment, Lan Xinyi exuded a very special vibe: wild, alluring, and sensual!


    Su Chen took out a white shirt and a pair of trousers from the Cangyue Ring and handed them to Lan Xinyi:


    "Wear these for now."


    "Thank you!"


    Lan Xinyi whispered as she epted them, feeling quite embarrassed to be in such a state in front of a young man.


    Lan Xinyi put on the shirt first, which was naturally oversized for her, conveniently covering part of her thighs.


    "Can I modify these trousers a bit?"


    Lan Xinyi asked, finding the loose trousers rather unappealing!


    After all, women have a love for beauty!


    Even in the wilderness, where possible, one would prefer to look better!


    There was also a subconscious reason she wasn''t aware of: she didn''t want to look unattractive in Su Chen''s presence.


    "It''s just a pair of trousers, do whatever you want with them."


    Su Chen said, then curiously looked at her:


    "You have this skill too?"


    "Just a simple modification."


    Lan Xinyi said, slightly embarrassed, then took out her small sword and started cutting!


    Su Chen, having nothing else to do, just sat aside watching her work.


    "Could you not stare at me like that..."


    Being stared at by Su Chen, Lan Xinyi felt very self-conscious, with a slight blush on her delicate face!


    "That''s because you''re pretty, Xinyi. If you looked like an ugly bug, I wouldn''t even bother to look!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, having be ustomed to saying such pleasant words while coaxing the women at home!


    But this was the first time a man had ever spoken to Lan Xinyi like that, making her even more bashful!


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and casually sat on the grass, watching her busy at work...


    Lan Xinyi showed nothing outwardly, but inside, her heart was pounding furiously; she didn''t dare look at Su Chen, focusing instead on modifying the trousers.


    "Done!"


    After a while, Lan Xinyi finally finished modifying the trousers.


    She originally nned to put them on immediately but saw Su Chen staring at her; her face instantly turned red again, and she shyly turned around before dressing.


    "Haven''t I already seen what should and shouldn''t be seen?"


    Su Chen smirked to himself cheekily.


    "Su Chen, how does it look?"


    With the trousers on, Lan Xinyi stood up and asked Su Chen.


    After interacting previously and fighting alongside each other, naturally, their rtionship had be closer and deeper, leading to the more casual and friendly way of addressing each other.


    "It looks really great!"


    Su Chen nced over, momentarily surprised!


    Lan Xinyi had turned Su Chen''s long trousers into short hot pants!


    And they seemed to match perfectly with the white shirt, giving off a refreshing and sensual vibe!


    "Xinyi, you really are clever and skillful!"


    Su Chen praised.


    "If I had needle and thread, I could make it even better."


    Lan Xinyi smiled lightly, evidently happy to hear Su Chen''spliment.


    "By the way, Su Chen, where did you get the clothes from earlier?"


    Lan Xinyi asked curiously.


    She also remembered the sword he had suddenly produced, which seemed to appear out of thin air!


    "Just a little magic trick!"


    Su Chen said mysteriously.


    Although he trusted Lan Xinyi to some extent, the Cangyue Ring and Dragon-ying Sword were his biggest secrets, so he wouldn''t divulge them lightly.


    Seeing Su Chen reluctant to exin, Lan Xinyi didn''t press further; after all, everyone has their own secrets...

 Chapter 1115: Hypocrisy

    Moving on, the two of them continued forward. Of course, before leaving, Lan Xinyi took the demon core from the ck tiger and handed it to Su Chen.


    After all, most of the credit for ying the ck tiger belonged to Su Chen, and moreover, he had saved her; how could she have the nerve to keep it?


    Su Chen was quite straightforward and easygoing, epting it without any back-and-forth!


    This demon core from the ck tiger was quite valuable to him. Consuming it could quickly elevate him to the Ninth Layer of Meridian Expansion!


    Of course, Su Chen didn''t consume it immediately; he stored it in the Cangyue Ring, nning to use it after returning from the Heavenly Profound Mountain!


    "Xinyi, you really have the potential to be a virtuous wife and loving mother!"


    Su Chen said while walking:


    "Whoever marries you in the future will be incredibly fortunate!"


    "I''m not as great as you say!"


    Lan Xinyi replied,ughing softly, slightly embarrassed.


    At that moment, she was wearing Su Chen''s clothes, giving her a particrly indescribable feeling!


    The two walked and chatted, feeling veryfortable and truly in tune with each other!


    Their interaction was much more rxed and casual than when they first met, disying a truer version of themselves!


    In Lan Xinyi''s life, she had never met someone as interesting as him, and for a moment, she found herself quite interested in him.


    ......


    As the two were enjoying their conversation, a few figures appeared at the ce where they had battled the ck tiger earlier!


    These people looked at the ck tiger''s corpse lying on the ground and were momentarily stunned!


    "Haifeng bro, how did this demon beast die?"


    One person asked hesitantly.


    "Maybe someone lent a helping hand."


    Lan Haifeng pondered for a moment, saying, after all, Yunhai Hall is a top-tier force in the Ancient Martial World, and they have many allied forces.


    If they encountered a force friendly with Yunhai Hall, and there were people at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage in the opposing team, it would be normal to lend a hand!


    Moreover, the demon core from this ck tiger was extremely alluring too!


    "It seems that the miss is likely still alive!"


    Lan Haifeng said, feigning joy:


    "Let''s hurry and follow the tracks; we might see the miss soon!"


    Although these were his own people, sometimes it''s necessary to keep up appearances!


    Besides, indeed, he was quite pleased if Lan Xinyi was alive, considering he had feelings for her!


    Soon, Lan Haifeng and a few others followed a trail of footprints, some deep and some shallow, chasing after them...


    ....


    "There is a part of the building over there that is still rtively well-preserved. Let''s go take a look."


    Su Chen suddenly noticed a section of ruins ahead to the side, and said.


    Though it was a scene of broken walls and ruins, the overall structure was fairly intact, with two rows of rooms and corridors, seemingly a part of an ancient pce!


    The total area covered several hundred, if not over a thousand square meters!


    Such fragmented buildings were quitemon throughout the ruins, but finding one with such arge area was very rare, if not thergest!


    "Hmm!"


    Lan Xinyi naturally had no objections and nodded in agreement.


    "Xinyi!"


    Just as the two were about to head there, a delighted voice sounded not far behind them.


    Lan Xinyi turned to see four or five figures running over!


    "Miss, I''ve been looking for you everywhere!"


    Before Lan Xinyi could speak, Lan Haifeng said with a face full of excitement:


    "We rushed all the way here, fearing you might be in danger, thankfully, you''re safe and sound!"


    At this moment, he seemed genuinely worried for Lan Xinyi, and the other people were each putting on their own performances!


    Lan Xinyi, hearing this, didn''t suspect anything, perhaps they really were scared at the time, running off far away, while she was chased by the ck tiger, pushing her speed to the limit!


    Lan Haifeng and the others indeed found it difficult to catch up, especially since the others hadn''t reached the Kaiyuan Realm, making them naturally slower!


    "Just d everyone''s okay."


    Though she was somewhat dissatisfied with them fleeing in all directions at the first sign of danger, she let it slide!


    If it were someone else being chased by the ck tiger, she would certainly rush to help, but some things can''t be forced on everyone!


    Lan Xinyi had no idea that they watched her being chased by the ck tiger and didn''t step in even when the situation was extremely dire!


    If she knew, her heart would probably freeze over!


    "You... why are you... here?"


    At this time, Lan Haifeng finally noticed Su Chen beside Lan Xinyi, immediately widening his eyes in disbelief!


    How was he still alive, and why was he here, with Lan Xinyi?


    "What? Haven''t we met before? Forgot so soon?"


    Su Chen said, a yful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.


    Upon seeing the shock on Lan Haifeng''s face, Su Chen became even more certain that it was this guy who deliberately leaked his route to that Young Master Zhou Hao of the Liewu Sect, wanting to kill him with a borrowed knife!


    "Of course... I remember."


    Lan Haifeng said awkwardly:


    "I just didn''t expect you to be with our miss."


    Earlier, regardless of words or gaze, Lan Haifeng had shown clear hostility towards Su Chen. At this moment, under guilt, he wasn''t disying that, instead appearing somewhat flustered!


    Lan Haifeng also realized his state wasn''t quite right, calming his shocked emotions, then looking at Lan Xinyi curiously, asking:


    "Xinyi, earlier I saw the ck tiger''s corpse, how did you deal with it?"


    "Oh, it''s like this, thanks to¡­"


    Lan Xinyi was about to say thanks to Su Chen''s help, but she saw Su Chen shaking his head slightly, though puzzled, she stopped in time, saying:


    "Thankfully, we encountered a few seniors from the Ancient Martial World who helped us take care of the demon beast."


    "Oh, so that''s how it was."


    Lan Haifeng nodded, thinking, just as he had thought.


    "Alright, Xinyi, let''s go check it out up front!"


    Su Chen said, not exposing the matter for now, he surely wouldn''t admit it now.


    Of course, Su Chen not exposing it also had another purpose!


    Then Su Chen walked towards the front as if nothing had happened, with Lan Xinyi walking beside him, and Lan Haifeng and the others following closely behind.


    Before long, they arrived at the scene resembling an ancient pce''s ruins and proceeded inside!


    A few columnsy copsed on the ground, bricks and tiles scattered everywhere, many ces already covered in cobwebs!


    "Everyone, look around, maybe we''ll find something."


    Lan Xinyi said; she didn''t hold much hope, knowing this ce had been searched many times before, even if there was something, it likely wouldn''t be their turn.


    However, across the entire ruins, except for the deepest parts, which ce hadn''t been searched countless times?


    Every year, some treasures are still found, aren''t they?

 Chapter 1116: Idiot

    Then everyone scattered to search, while Lan Xinyi stayed with Su Chen and they entered a room together!


    Each room maintained its overall shape, but all had varying degrees of damage. For example, in this room, a corner on the right had copsed, allowing light to shine directly in.


    After entering, the two naturally began rummaging around, but Su Chen''s search was slightly different from Lan Xinyi''s; he paid more attention to peculiar spots.


    In his view, if something could be found easily, it wouldn''t fall to him to find it.


    They searched this room for about half an hour without finding anything, so they moved on to the next room.


    Just like that, they searched room by room, and before they knew it, several hours had passed, yet they found nothing.


    "Xinyi, have you discovered anything?"


    At this moment, Lan Haifeng approached and asked.


    "No."


    Lan Xinyi shook her head and then asked:


    "What about your side?"


    Earlier, they had been searching in separate directions, one group going left and the other right, thus Lan Xinyi''s question.


    "Nothing at all."


    Lan Haifeng replied, somewhat dejected.


    In the next two to three hours, they searched three to four more rooms meticulously but still found nothing!


    Of course, Lan Haifeng was with them too.


    After all, this ce was almost a thousand square metersrge, with many rooms and corridors, though severely damaged in many parts!


    Su Chen had spected about what kind of relic this might be to be so vast?


    A super sect or family from the Ancient Era, or perhaps a pce from a certain dynasty?


    However, after so many years, even the Ancient Martial World hadn''t figured out the origin of these ruins, so naturally, he was also clueless.


    Before long, they entered another room just as a few other members of Yunhai Hall also arrived.


    "Eh, this room seems a bit different!"


    As soon as they entered, Lan Xinyi let out a light exmation.


    Su Chen also felt this room was somewhat different; while other rooms were square, this one was circr!


    Of course, this room was equally dpidated, featuring severalrge columns inside the circr hall that stood out prominently!


    "This room is different; everyone, quickly search!"


    Lan Haifeng hurriedly instructed the other Yunhai Hall members.


    By now, Lan Haifeng had recovered from the initial panic of seeing Su Chen and naturally still harbored hostility, fearing any valuable item might get snatched away by him!


    Once he spoke, the others immediately began searching around the circr hall.


    "Su Chen, what are you looking at?"


    Lan Xinyi was also about to search but paused when she saw Su Chen frowning and observing the surroundings, prompting her to ask.


    "Xinyi, don''t you find this room strange?"


    Su Chen asked.


    "Strange?"


    Lan Xinyi was slightly taken aback, then replied:


    "It is a bit strange; other rooms are square, but this room is circr."


    "That''s not what I mean."


    Su Chen said with a frown, his gaze continually scanning the room.


    "Then what are you referring to?"


    Lan Xinyi wondered, if not that, what''s strange?


    "I haven''t figured it out yet, but there''s something that feels off."


    Su Chen said, furrowing his brows slightly.


    "Pretentious!"


    Not far away, Lan Haifeng curled his lips with disdain.


    "Idiot!"


    Su Chen coldly spat out two words!


    "What did you say!"


    Hearing Su Chen call him an idiot, Lan Haifeng immediately responded in a cold voice.


    Su Chen ignored him, continuing to scrutinize the circr hall.


    "Exin yourself! Who are you calling an idiot!"


    Seeing Su Chen''s indifference only fueled Lan Haifeng''s anger, even prompting him to want to teach Su Chen a lesson!


    "Lan Haifeng, what are you doing!"


    Seeing Lan Haifeng''s furious demeanor, Lan Xinyi loudly reprimanded him.


    "Lan Xinyi, didn''t you hear what he called me, and you''re asking what I''m doing!"


    Upon hearing that Lan Xinyi wasn''t criticizing Su Chen but instead questioning him, Lan Haifeng became even more infuriated!


    "If you hadn''t provoked him first, would he have called you that?"


    Lan Xinyi said bluntly.


    In Lan Xinyi''s view, Su Chen was standing there minding his own business, without bothering anyone, and it was Lan Haifeng''s sarcastic ''pretentious''ment that started the trouble.


    "You..."


    Lan Haifeng was so annoyed by Lan Xinyi''s words that his face turned red!


    After being called an idiot, she was still siding against him! What''s so good about this guy, just some trash at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, yet Lan Xinyi was defending him!


    Su Chen was slightly surprised by Lan Xinyi''s words and nced at her.


    Feeling Su Chen''s gaze, Lan Xinyi was a bit embarrassed and quickly changed the subject:


    "Alright, we''re all here to hunt for treasure, let''s not have unnecessary arguments."


    "Hmph, just wait!"


    Lan Haifeng grumbled and returned to his search.


    "Kid, you just keep being arrogant, but soon you won''t be able to!"


    As he turned away, a sinister and cunning expression appeared on his face!


    Su Chen wasn''t interested in dealing with him for now, so he continued his observations. Lan Xinyi, curious, stood by his side, unsure of what he was thinking!


    She didn''t disturb Su Chen, rather finding his thoughtful demeanor to have a unique charm!


    "Xinyi, don''t you think there''s something off about these columns?"


    Su Chen asked, stroking his chin with one hand.


    "Aren''t columns in a circr hall fairly normal?"


    Lan Xinyi responded, somewhat clueless.


    "Having columns is normal, but don''t you think the positioning of these four columns feels a bit awkward?"


    Su Chen spoke again:


    "Are columns in halls typically arranged like this?"


    Su Chen looked around and finally confirmed it, realizing the unsettling feeling came from these columns!


    Specifically, the positioning of these columns was quite different from usual architectural norms!


    "They do seem a bit off!"


    With Su Chen''s prompt, Lan Xinyi looked at the columns again and indeed sensed something amiss!


    "And Xinyi, look at that column."


    Su Chen pointed to one of the columns and told Lan Xinyi:


    "A small section at the top of that column has broken off, disconnecting from the roof, yet the room isn''t affected at all, indicating that this column wasn''t meant to bear any weight."


    "It really is!"


    Lan Xinyi''s eyes widened in surprise and delight.


    She might have noticed it, but she hadn''t thought about it as Su Chen did, or perhaps she simply overlooked it without much thought.


    "What''s the use of saying so much!"


    Su Chen''s words naturally reached Lan Haifeng''s ears, he thought to himself secretly.


    However, this time he didn''t embarrass himself by speaking up...

 Chapter 1117: A Monster Among Geniuses!

    Although Su Chen noticed the peculiar and strange features of this circr hall, he still couldn''t quite understand what it implied.


    So, he continued to stand there, frowning and pondering as he observed the surroundings of the circr hall.


    Lan Xinyi stood quietly by his side and didn''t disturb him.


    Suddenly, Su Chen stepped back a bit and continued to watch. He felt a sense of familiarity, yet couldn''t quite pinpoint it!


    Then he stepped back further, almost reaching the doorway, and the feeling of familiarity intensified!


    Lan Haifeng and the others from Yunhai Hall also stopped their search and stood inside, watching Su Chen, with obvious sneers on their faces!


    After a few minutes, Su Chen took a few more steps back, stopping about seven or eight meters from the doorway, and looked inside again!


    "I understand!"


    Suddenly, it was as if a lightning bolt struck Su Chen''s mind, and he eximed.


    "Su Chen, what do you understand?"


    Lan Xinyi, hearing this, quickly asked.


    Lan Haifeng''s heart skipped a beat. Could this guy have really figured something out?


    But then he shook his head, dismissing the thought.


    In his mind, this ce had surely been searched by many people over the years, including those super strong warriors of the Ancient Martial World!


    If those people couldn''t find anything special, how could this little-known guy possibly discover something?


    Even so, due to his previous lesson, he wisely kept silent, thinking to himself:


    "I want to see how long you can keep pretending!"


    However, Su Chen''s mind was entirely focused on this circr hall, and he paid no attention to Lan Haifeng, that clown!


    "Xinyi, actually, this room is designed differently and in a circr shape, with the positions of the four pirs being so unusual mainly because the entire room is a formation."


    Su Chen said as he looked at the circr hall.


    Earlier, when Su Chen stood inside, he felt a sense of familiarity but couldn''t quite identify it, and it was because the entire room collectively formed a formation!


    It was only when Su Chen stood at a certain distance from the doorway and took in the whole view of the circr hall that he could see it more clearly!


    "A formation? What kind of formation?"


    Lan Xinyi asked naively,pletely ignorant about formations!


    But what shocked her more was that he even understood formations?


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lan Haifeng was even more convinced that he was just pretending!


    The Way of Formation is extremely profound, and he thinks he can grasp it?


    It''s utter nonsense!


    At this point, he kept quiet, just waiting to see how Su Chen would embarrass himself next!


    "This is the Four-Star Dragon Gathering Formation, and the positions of these four pirs correspond to the directions of the four stars, together forming the formation''s core, supporting the entire formation''s operation!"


    Su Chen didn''t pay any attention to Lan Haifeng''s thoughts and exined to Lan Xinyi.


    The reason Su Chen recognized this formation, of course, was because he had read about it in that Formation Technique Book.


    However, Su Chen didn''t recognize it at first, partly because he was previously inside and didn''t notice the overallyout of the circr hall. More importantly, this formation had gone through some changes, which made it different from the description in the book!


    Of course, after observing for a while, Su Chen realized that although this formation had some modifications, the principles should be more or less the same.


    "Su Chen, how do you even understand formations?"


    Lan Xinyi looked at Su Chen with admiration, her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of radiance!


    Though she found it unbelievable that Su Chen knew about formations, when she saw him exining earnestly, she couldn''t help but believe him!


    Moreover, she felt as if he was enveloped in a mysterious aura. Previously, the sudden appearance of the longsword and clothes, along with his strength in fighting the ck tiger, which exceeded normal primary Meridian Expansion level...


    All of this indicated this man was extraordinary, and now he even understood formations, which was simply incredible!


    "A genius like me naturally understands everything!"


    Su Chen said with a narcissistic smile.


    "You''re talking as if it''s true, but only a fool would believe that!"


    Lan Haifeng watched Su Chen speaking confidently. When he saw Lan Xinyi looking at him like a fangirl, he felt very displeased!


    However, since Lan Xinyi''s rtionship with this guy had clearly be closer, and she was even wearing his clothes, he held his tongue. After all, Lan Xinyi is the youngdy of Yunhai Hall!


    "What should we do next?"


    Lan Xinyi asked, fully handing over control to Su Chen now.


    "Let me think for a while."


    Su Chen pondered for a moment, although he had seen this formation, he hadn''t studied it carefully back then, so he still needed to think it over carefully now!


    Of course, it didn''t mean that just destroying the four pirs would work, because that might directly destroy the entire formation, leaving no chance of activating it!


    Since the key lies in those four pirs, Su Chen started focusing on them!


    Undoubtedly, breaking the formation required changing the positions of these four pirs!


    The only problem was, how could he change the positions when they were embedded in the ground?


    After observing for a while, Su Chen drew his sword from his waist and started etching on the ground. Ever since he took out the Light Martial Sword, it had been hanging at his waist and not stored back in the Cangyue Ring.


    From time to time, his brows furrowed, and then he "swish, swish, swish," drew several lines on the ground with the sword!


    Lan Xinyi watched Su Chen''s actions and found it utterly perplexing, not knowing what he was up to!


    But it bore an enigmatic, even more mysterious, allure!


    Soon, lines began to appear under Su Chen''s sword, crisscrossing!


    If you looked closely, you''d find those lines converging at four points!


    "This should be correct!"


    After finishing, Su Chen smiled with satisfaction.


    Su Chen then used his sword to pry open a palm-sized area of ground at one of the points, revealing a spherical controller!


    The controller was connected underneath with awork of slots, allowing movement in any direction!


    "How could there be such a thing here? How did you know?"


    Upon seeing this controller-like object, Lan Xinyi''s eyes widened in disbelief!


    "I''m a genius!"


    Su Chen shamelessly replied, then pried open the ground at the other three points.


    Those three ces simrly revealed controllers and slots just like the previous one!


    Lan Xinyi, hearing Su Chen''s words, didn''t think he was being shameless; instead, she believed he wasn''t just a genius but a prodigy among geniuses!


    To be able to find this, what else could he be but a monster?


    She, of course, knew that Su Chen hadn''t stumbled upon it by sheer luck but genuinely understood the secrets within!

 Chapter 1118: Hidden Depths

    Lan Haifeng was taken aback when he saw this scene!


    Could it be that this guy really understands this formation?


    Although Lan Haifeng was reluctant to admit it deep down, he couldn''t deny that Su Chen seemed to truly understand!


    "Su Chen, how did you know there would be a mechanism here?"


    Lan Xinyi asked curiously.


    "Actually, I was just trying it out. Because this pir couldn''t be moved, but to break the formation, the position of the pir had to be changed. I thought maybe the pir was controlled by a mechanism, and it turned out to be true!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "What do the lines you drew mean? How did you find the location of the mechanism?"


    Lan Xinyi asked, looking at Su Chen as if she were a curious baby.


    "There''s a set of algorithms involved. These four pirs exist independently but form an organic whole. The mechanism corresponding to each pir needs to be determined using the positions of the other three pirs."


    Su Chen exined.


    Lan Xinyi listened to Su Chen''s exnation, looking confused, but she just felt that Su Chen was amazing!


    "Alright, you don''t have to understand it, as it''s not something that can be exined in just a few sentences."


    Su Chenughed at Lan Xinyi''s bewildered expression.


    "Alright."


    Lan Xinyi felt a bit dumbpared to Su Chen!


    "Is it almost done now?"


    Lan Xinyi asked.


    "Pretty much!"


    Su Chen smiled, but actually, the most challenging part was just beginning, which was how to move these four pirs and where to move them!


    Luckily, this problem posed no difficulty for Su Chen because he knew the answer.


    This Four-Star Dragon Gathering Formation was slightly different from what Su Chen had seen in a book before, but the principle was the same!


    The so-called principle being the same naturally involved the arrangement of the four pirs forming the formation eye and the calction method within!


    Of course, Su Chen observed and understood that the movement of the controllers and the pirs followed a certain ratio!


    The slots below the controller covered the entire circr hall, and the controller itself was equivalent to the pir, so Su Chen only needed to move the controller to a certain position proportionally!


    Next, Su Chen first moved one of the controllers to the calcted position.


    As the controller moved, the pirs started moving mysteriously, seeming to produce a metal friction-collision sound below!


    Su Chen immediately understood that these four pirs were definitely not simply built onto the ground; that was just a facade.


    The lower part of the pirs was definitely connected to something below via a mechanistic method, so when the controllers moved, the pirs followed suit!


    Out of concern for his safety and fearing any special situation, Lan Haifeng gradually moved to the gate, ready to retreat at the first sign of danger!


    The other members of Yunhai Hall naturally stuck with Lan Haifeng!


    Seeing this, Lan Xinyi frowned slightly; she wasn''t foolish, and she understood Lan Haifeng and the others'' intentions.


    Su Chen then moved the other three controllers, and naturally, like the first pir, the other pirs also changed positions!


    "Boom!"


    Once the four pirs moved to their new positions, a sudden loud noise was heard as a wall suddenly peeled away, revealing a massive stone gate!


    Immediately, the stone gate opened to both sides automatically, revealing a stone chamber!


    This scene left everyone dumbfounded, staring in disbelief!


    There was more beyond this wall!


    "Let''s go in and take a look!"


    Su Chen''s eyes gleamed with excitement as he spoke!


    He then quickly walked towards the stone gate, with Lan Xinyi naturally following suit!


    Although Su Chen had guessed that after breaking the formation, something special might happen, he hadn''t expected a stone chamber to appear behind the wall!


    Su Chen quickly recalled the entire spatialyout from earlier and soon understood that the stone chamber was well hidden; without careful observation, it was indeed hard to notice!


    In fact, many buildings in this world were like this, with hidden spaces, mainly utilizing the special and mystical properties of geometric structures and natural visual barriers!


    Upon entering, Su Chen found a grid embedded in one of the stone walls, with a delicate little potion bottle ced within it!


    Su Chen casually picked it up and opened it, immediately releasing a rich aura of Yuan Qi!


    "What is this?"


    Lan Xinyi asked curiously.


    "I''m not sure. Take a look and see if you recognize it."


    Su Chen casually handed it to Lan Xinyi.


    Lan Xinyi looked at it, sniffed it, and then revealed a look of shock:


    "It''s a Jade Spirit Pill!"


    "A Jade Spirit Pill?!"


    Su Chen was also shocked upon hearing this!


    He had heard of Jade Spirit Pills but had never seen one before. The Jade Spirit Pill was an extremely precious elixir, much more effective than the Hao Yuan Pill he had obtained before, absolutely iparable!


    Moreover, the Jade Spirit Pill had a significant advantage over the Hao Yuan Pill: it had no realm limitations. Its effects were immense and evident regardless of whether it was taken in the Qi Refinement Realm, Meridian Expansion Realm, or the Kaiyuan Realm!


    "Yes, I''ve seen my father have two of them before."


    Lan Xinyi nodded:


    "If I''m not mistaken, it should be the Jade Spirit Pill."


    "I never expected there to be a Jade Spirit Pill in this stone chamber!"


    Lan Xinyi said emotionally as she handed the small bottle back to Su Chen.


    "Boy, hand over the Jade Spirit Pill!"


    At this moment, a voice sounded as Lan Haifeng walked into the stone chamber, his eyes filled with fervor as he looked at the small bottle!


    Thinking that this stone chamber was so hidden, it might contain special treasures, he quickly came over!


    Just arriving here, he heard Su Chen and Lan Xinyi talking about the Jade Spirit Pill!


    He was well aware of how precious the Jade Spirit Pill was!


    How could he let such a treasure go?


    The people behind him also looked at the exquisite small bottle in Su Chen''s hand with heated eyes!


    "Lan Haifeng, what do you want to do?"


    Lan Xinyi immediately rebuked upon hearing Lan Haifeng''s words.


    "Lan Xinyi, you''re the eldestdy of Yunhai Hall, and you''re just giving away such a precious elixir!"


    Lan Haifengined discontentedly.


    He acted this way because a few years ago, Yunhai Hall had established a rule: when treasure hunting in the relics, unless treasures of the level of Magic Artifacts or Spiritual Artifacts were found, the other treasures would be distributed by the treasure hunters themselves!


    This meant that unless extraordinary treasures needed to be handed over to the Hall for management, they were free to keep and distribute the rest themselves!


    In this way, naturally, he and Lan Xinyi would get the most, and then they could distribute a bit to these subordinates. . .


    ```

 Chapter 1119: You Want to Snatch It?

    So in Lan Haifeng''s view, Lan Xinyi handing this elixir over to Su Chen was undoubtedly infringing on his interests!


    "Lan Haifeng, what do you mean by this?"


    Lan Xinyi snorted:


    "This stone chamber was discovered by Su Chen, and the jade spirit pill was also obtained by him first, so naturally it is his!"


    In Lan Xinyi''s view, without Su Chen, they would never have found this stone chamber, let alone this jade spirit pill!


    "Hmph, treasure hunting in ruins is always about strength, who cares who got it first!"


    Lan Haifeng snorted disdainfully.


    Upon hearing this, Lan Xinyi was somewhat at a loss for words!


    Indeed, in treasure hunting in ruins, the strong are respected!


    However, Lan Xinyi is someone who values fairness; if someone else finds something first, she generally wouldn''t intentionally snatch it, and since it''s Su Chen, she definitely wouldn''t!


    Moreover, Su Chen trusts her so much, he handed it over for her to see without any precaution when he got it just now.


    "What? You want to snatch it?"


    Su Chen curled his lips into a smile.


    He has seen such things too many times and doesn''t care at all!


    "That''s right, I advise you to hand over the jade spirit pill obediently!"


    Lan Haifeng said coldly.


    Of course, he couldn''t let go of the jade spirit pill!


    In his eyes, what does it matter that you got it first?


    Amon man is innocent, but bearing a treasure is a crime!


    Does a guy at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer deserve to possess this thing?


    "What if I say no?"


    Su Chen tilted his head yfully and looked at him.


    I haven''t even gotten time to settle ounts with him, and he''s jumping out again!


    Really clueless!


    "Then don''t me me for taking action!"


    Lan Haifeng said with a sh of sinister intent in his eyes.


    "Lan Haifeng, as the eldest miss of Yunhai Hall, Imand you not to take action!"


    Upon hearing Lan Haifeng''s words, Lan Xinyi immediately shouted.


    "Sorry, Xinyi, I can''t agree to this!"


    Lan Haifeng said with a coldugh:


    "I think Xinyi you should be standing on the same front line as me!"


    "How about you guys? Are you not listening to me either?"


    Lan Xinyi asked the others.


    The other people had a slightly uneasy look on their faces, because no matter what, Lan Xinyi is still the eldest miss of Yunhai Hall.


    Although they didn''t speak, they still stood by Lan Haifeng''s side!


    Seeing this, Lan Xinyi was furious, her chest heaving!


    "It seems that the matters within Yunhai Hall are quite intricate!"


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen showed a nuanced expression!


    Ordinarily, how would the people below dare to show such an attitude to Lan Xinyi, the distinguished eldest miss?


    "I''ll say it onest time, hand over the jade spirit pill!"


    Lan Haifeng said with a flicker of icy intent in his eyes!


    "Jade spirit pill, this is a good thing, how could I miss my share!"


    Just then, a voice rang out as a group of people appeared at the entrance of the round hall!


    Leading them was none other than Zhou Hao, the young sect master of the Liewu Sect previously encountered!


    Seeing the people from Liewu Sect, Lan Xinyi''s heart suddenly skipped a beat, why were they here?


    Su Chen, however, suddenly had a meaningful smile on his face and nced at Lan Haifeng!


    Lan Haifeng felt his heart tremble upon meeting Su Chen''s gaze, as if some secret had been seen through!


    Nevertheless, seeing Zhou Hao and the Liewu Sect people arrive, Lan Haifeng''s feelings grewplex!


    Because Zhou Hao was summoned by him; upon entering, when everyone went off to find treasures individually, he secretly contacted Zhou Hao, informing him of Su Chen''s well-being!


    Consequently, Zhou Hao immediately contacted the two men he had sent out and found they could no longer be reached!


    Thus Zhou Hao naturally knew that those two were in trouble, which intensified his hatred and anger towards Su Chen, and he rushed here following the location described by Lan Haifeng!


    Only Lan Haifeng hadn''t anticipated that Su Chen would discover the formation and even crack it open!


    Nor did he expect the existence of the jade spirit pill!


    Now that Zhou Hao is here, of course, he wants a piece of the pie!


    If Lan Haifeng had known there would be a jade spirit pill, he might not have contacted Zhou Hao!


    His intent in contacting Zhou Hao was to have him deal with Su Chen, or at least make his life difficult!


    "Young Sect Master Zhou, do you think the death of two people is too few?"


    Upon seeing Zhou Hao, Su Chen sneered yfully.


    "Did you kill my people?"


    Hearing this, Zhou Hao''s eyes suddenly erupted with brilliance!


    He had suspected this before, given that those two were sent to assassinate Su Chen!


    But how could this young man who was merely at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer resolve the two Half-Step Kaiyuan experts Zhou Hao dispatched?


    Despite having seen Su Chen demonstrate his abilities once before, Zhou Hao believed he had at most the strength of Half-Step Kaiyuan, making it impossible to kill the two people he sent!


    Yet now, none of this mattered; all he needed to know was that the incident involved this young man!


    "Su Chen, what happened there? Why did you kill the people from Liewu Sect?"


    Lan Xinyi asked curiously.


    "You''d better ask him."


    Su Chen nced at Lan Haifeng and smiled.


    "Why are you looking at me? How would I know?"


    Lan Haifeng sputtered somewhat flusteredly.


    "Lan brother, what does it matter if he knows? Are you afraid of him?"


    Zhou Hao chimed in.


    Upon hearing this, Lan Haifeng immediately snapped back to his senses!


    Yeah, so what if this guy knows?


    Is he really capable of doing anything to me?


    "Su Chen, what exactly happened?"


    Lan Xinyi asked once more.


    "Nothing much, just ran into two short-sighted people on my way who wanted to kill me."


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    Lan Xinyi, upon hearing this, immediately understood; those two were definitely from Liewu Sect!


    As for why they wanted to kill him, presumably partly due to Su Chen''s prior humiliation of Zhou Hao, and partly because she was rather close to Su Chen!


    Lan Xinyi was thoroughly aware of Zhou Hao''s intentions towards her, but she had no feelings for him at all!


    Moreover, it seemed that this matter was closely tied to Lan Haifeng, given their previous hostility!


    Lan Xinyi, not being a fool, quickly surmised that Lan Haifeng had secretly divulged Su Chen''s route to Zhou Hao.


    Since they separated near the ruins, it was natural for Lan Haifeng to know Su Chen''s general route!


    She just hadn''t expected Lan Haifeng to be so narrow-minded!


    Of course, she hadn''t expected Zhou Hao to truly harbor murderous intent towards Su Chen!


    "How could you two do such a thing?"


    After figuring out the gist, Lan Xinyi angrily questioned.


    "Such a garbage, if killed then killed; what''s the big deal!"


    Zhou Hao replied indifferently.


    In his heart, Su Chen was merely a dispensable character; provoking and obstructing him meant being killed, without needing much consideration!

 Chapter 1120: I Wasnt Planning to Leave You Any

    Actually, in Lan Haifeng''s heart, he almost had the same thoughts as Zhou Hao, and didn''t really take Su Chen seriously!


    At first, they were just slightly apprehensive about Lan Xinyi, unwilling to let her know.


    But thinking about it now, even if she found out, so what?


    Would she really act against them because of this unknown guy?


    At most, it would just slightly affect her impression of them; that''s all they were concerned about regarding Lan Xinyi''s impression!


    "Alright, hand over the Jade Spirit Pill quickly, and I might let you suffer less!"


    Zhou Hao looked coldly at Su Chen and said.


    At this moment, another burst of chaotic footsteps was heard, and everyone instinctively turned to look.


    They saw a somewhat arrogant-looking young man leading a group of people in!


    The arrival of this group made everyone slightly startled!


    "It seems quite lively here!"


    The arrogant young man said lightly.


    "Young Master Zhu, why are you here?"


    Although Zhou Hao was also very proud and arrogant, in front of this young man, his tone involuntarily softened a bit.


    There was no choice; this person was one of the top ten geniuses, much more famous than him!


    So, he instinctively felt a bit inferior.


    Moreover, the Zhu family''s strength was in no way inferior to their Liewu Sect, and evenparable to Yunhai Hall!


    Not only him, but even Lan Xinyi and Lan Haifeng looked at him with some respect!


    After all, the top ten geniuses are the most talented young people in the entire Ancient Martial World, not something ordinary people canpare to!


    "I was also here to see if there were any treasures, but I just heard something about a Jade Spirit Pill."


    Upon hearing Zhou Hao''s question, Zhu Jun casually said.


    His gaze then fell on the exquisite small bottle in Su Chen''s hand,Éì hand and said:


    "Is this the Jade Spirit Pill? Hand it to me, and I will distribute it, ensuring that each faction present gets a share."


    He said this very casually, as if it were a matter of course!


    He had indeed seen Su Chen before, but didn''t bother with him, as a young man at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer couldn''t catch his eye!


    No one else said anything upon hearing this.


    In terms of strength and status in the Ancient Martial World, Zhu Jun was undoubtedly the highest among these people!


    Lan Xinyi was extremely worried now, as the situation became increasinglyplicated!


    Not only did Lan Haifeng want the Jade Spirit Pill, but the people from Liewu Sect and the Zhu family didn''t seem willing to give up either!


    It''s no wonder, as the Jade Spirit Pill is a particrly precious cultivation resource for top forces in the Ancient Martial World!


    Moreover, there were twenty to thirty Jade Spirit Pills in that bottle; it was difficult not to be tempted!


    With so many peoplebined, no matter how formidable Su Chen was, how could he be their opponent?


    Not to mention so many people, just Zhu Jun alone was certainly not someone Su Chen could contend with!


    Zhu Jun was the ninth of the top ten geniuses and was one step away from entering the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    Thinking about this, Lan Xinyi couldn''t help but look at Su Chen apprehensively, fearing his stubborn temperament!


    Just as she was about to persuade Su Chen, he spoke up, saying calmly:


    "This belongs to me, why should I give it to you?"


    "Why?"


    Zhu Jun was slightly taken aback, obviously not expecting Su Chen to say that, then nced at him and said:


    "Because I am Zhu Jun!"


    "Sorry, I''m not interested in who you are!"


    Su Chen said casually.


    As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was suddenly shocked!


    This guy was really bold, wasn''t he?


    He clearly wasn''t taking Zhu Jun seriously at all!


    On what grounds does he have the nerve to speak to Zhu Jun like this, when even they wouldn''t dare?


    Although the strength between the factions was about the same, no one could predict what Zhu Jun, being one of the top ten geniuses, would grow into in the future!


    It''s important to know that among the top tier forces in the Ancient Martial World, there are only three geniuses!


    Currently, the Ancient Martial World is more focused on Zhu Jun than even the Zhu family, because everyone knows he will elevate the Zhu family to greater heights!


    But in Su Chen''s eyes, Zhu Jun was still taken lightly, and instead, he cast a gentle smile at Zhu Ming standing behind him.


    Zhu Ming felt a bit embarrassed at this moment; he really wanted to help Su Chen, but he knew that no one took him seriously here.


    "I originally intended to leave you one or two pills, but now it seems unnecessary!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Zhu Jun''s eyes gradually narrowed, his face frost-covered:


    "Because you''re about to be a dead man!"


    "Sorry, I''m not nning on leaving any for you!"


    Su Chenughed casually:


    "Besides, you wanting to kill me, I''m afraid you''re not qualified!"


    "It seems you really have a death wish!"


    Zhu Jun said in a sinister tone, his heart now filled with anger!


    Everyone else also thought Su Chen was courting death, even saying the other party was unqualified, as though killing you was akin to squashing an ant!


    Lan Haifeng''s mind, however, became more agile; in this situation, he didn''t need to get too involved anyway, since Zhu Jun and Zhou Hao wouldn''t let him off!


    If there were a fight shortly, removing himself was perhaps the best choice!


    "Second brother, he is my friend, can you give me face and let him off!"


    Zhu Ming snapped to attention at Zhu Jun''s murderous intent and hurriedly said:


    "I''ll have him give you some Jade Spirit Pills, okay?"


    Zhu Ming''s thoughts were simr to Lan Xinyi''s; though Su Chen was strong, he was definitely not a match for Zhu Jun!


    "Give you face?"


    Zhu Jun nced coldly at Zhu Ming and said:


    "Do you have face?"


    Zhu Jun usually didn''t regard his elder brother Zhu Ming at all, and now seeing him plead for Su Chen was even more displeasing!


    "Hahaha~~~~"


    Upon hearing Zhu Jun''s words, others mocked as well.


    "Zhu Ming, you, the waste of a young master, have ended up like this and still plead for others!"


    Zhou Hao said unceremoniously.


    "Indeed, and what''s more interesting is a waste pleading for another waste!"


    Lan Haifeng also ridiculed with a smile!


    They never expected the famously wasteful young master of the Zhu family to know Su Chen!


    Zhu Ming felt extremely embarrassed upon hearing their ridicule, but there was nothing he could do!


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen couldn''t help but shake his head!


    Seeing Zhu Ming plead on his behalf in such a situation, he was naturally very touched, as this at least showed that the person regarded him as a true friend!


    Su Chen shook his head because Zhu Ming''s personality was too soft, not even rebuking them!


    It was the samest time as it is this time!


    No matter the strength, a man should at least have some spirit!


    Of course, this was what Su Chen thought Zhu Ming needed to improve.


    However, seeing others humiliate Zhu Ming like this stirred a chilly and murderous intent in Su Chen''s heart for the first time!

 Chapter 1121: Damn It

    "Do all of you want this Jade Spirit Pill?"


    Su Chen''s face then revealed a meaningful smile, as he waved the exquisite little bottle in his hand, the sound of the elixir colliding with the bottle wall immediately rang out!


    Upon hearing this sound, Zhu Jun, Zhou Hao, and Lan Haifeng''s faces immediately showed intense greed!


    Initially, they only guessed that there were quite a few Jade Spirit Pills inside, but now, hearing the sound, they immediately judged that there were at least twenty Jade Spirit Pills in there!


    This is undeniably a huge temptation for anyone!


    "If you want it, thene at me together!"


    Su Chen nced at these people and ndly said.


    As soon as the words fell, everyone waspletely bbergasted!


    Is this guy insane?


    Does he know what he''s saying?


    Together?!


    Where does he get this courage!


    Lan Xinyi''s heart tightened sharply when she heard these words!


    What''s this guy doing, showing off recklessly!


    Zhu Jun and Zhou Hao immediately looked furious, this guy is too arrogant to treat them like this!


    Who does he think he is, daring to be so arrogant!


    Lan Haifeng, hearing this, was somewhat secretly pleased, this guy is indeed marching quicker on the road to doom!


    "Xinyi, you won''t want to meddle in this matter, will you?"


    Zhou Hao asked coldly.


    After all, Lan Xinyi is the youngdy of Yunhai Hall; they naturally don''t wish to sh with her!


    "Miss Lan, as long as you don''t get involved, you''ll get your share of the Jade Spirit Pill, the three families will divide it together!"


    Zhu Jun also spoke.


    Of course, in his mind, he intended to take more, and Yunhai Hall and Liewu Sect would take less!


    He also knew that wanting to take it all by himself was unrealistic!


    "If you intend to take action against him, I will definitely help him!"


    Lan Xinyi looked at the two and firmly said.


    Su Chen had previously saved her life, so she naturally wanted to assist Su Chen at this time, even if it meant offending the Liewu Sect and Zhu Family!


    If not for this, she now had special feelings for Su Chen and didn''t want to see him truly perish!


    "Xinyi, don''t be foolish! Why bother for such a brat!"


    Lan Haifeng also feigned kindly urging; he really didn''t understand why Lan Xinyi was so good to this boy, protecting him like this!


    "You needn''t say more!"


    Lan Xinyi firmly stated.


    "Since that''s the case, Miss Lan, don''t me us for being impolite!"


    Zhu Jun voiced coldly.


    "Brother Zhu, let''s take action!"


    Zhou Hao grumbled unpleasantly.


    Before the words fell, he attacked Su Chen with a palm!


    He couldn''t wait to resolve that arrogant brat!


    The palm wind shed through the void, roaring fiercely; this palm was indeed extremely powerful and domineering!


    Zhou Hao had ample reasons to want to kill Su Chen; firstly, this guy started by rudely insulting him, secondly, the deaths of the two he had dispatched definitely rted to him!


    Moreover, Zhou Hao was jealous of his rtionship with Lan Xinyi!


    Each of these reasons was unforgivable for Zhou Hao!


    What''s more, now there''s the factor of the Jade Spirit Pill!


    Hence, Zhou Hao showed no mercy once he attacked!


    Meanwhile, the other members of the Liewu Sect also attacked from several directions!


    Lan Xinyi sensed Zhou Hao''s aggressive killing intent, quickly moved to help Su Chen!


    But as she moved, a figure blocked her path!


    That person was, of course, Zhu Jun!


    Lan Xinyi immediately attacked Zhu Jun!


    The two quickly shed!


    At this point, Zhou Hao''s palm was already in front of Su Chen, the fierce palm wind lifting Su Chen''s clothes!


    However, Su Chen didn''t respond, instead dodged Zhou Hao''s attack, then struck back at Liewu Sect''s two disciples with his fists!


    What Su Chen had to do was certainly first eliminate their subordinates!


    Because apart from one at Meridian Expansion Level Layer, all others were either at Meridian Expansion Peak or Half-Step Kaiyuan!


    When they start harassing, it bes very troublesome indeed!


    "Bang bang!"


    Two dull sounds echoed, followed by two figures flying backward from the Stone Gate and heavilynding in the outer circr hall!


    Zhou Hao suddenly nced back, a look of rage appeared instantly on his face!


    For he realized that his two subordinates'' chests had caved in, evidently dead!


    Yet alongside this rage, there was a touch of surprise!


    Among those two was a Meridian Expansion Peak, the other Half-Step Kaiyuan!


    He actually killed the two with just his fists!


    Zhou Hao felt that Su Chen''s strength just revealed was nearly equal to his own, reaching the Kaiyuan Primary Stage cultivation!


    This was entirely beyond Zhou Hao''s expectations!


    At this moment, Zhou Hao finally determined that the two he had dispatched were indeed killed by him!


    Su Chen''s move killed two of Liewu Sect''s subordinates, darkening Zhou Hao''s face further and intensifying his killing intent!


    Zhu Jun, catching sight of this contrast, was slightly surprised, this guy seemed to have some uniqueness!


    Aside from Zhou Hao, the Liewu Sect brought eight people to explore the relic this time!


    Su Chen previously eliminated two, now two more, leaving only four remaining!


    Just then, Zhou Hao saw Su Chen striking at another person without pause and immediately drew a sword aiming at Su Chen''s arm!


    Seeing this, Su Chen swiftly withdrew his arm; the person was shocked seeing Su Chen''s punching!


    After all, the brutal scene of the previous two being killed by a punch was still vivid!


    In reality, even if Su Chen hadn''t withdrawn, nothing would happen, because with his current body strength, even the Kaiyuan Middle Stage couldn''t inflict substantial damage!


    Moreover, it was just the Kaiyuan Primary Stage Zhou Hao!


    Still, Su Chen wasn''t ready to reveal too many of his cards, thus deliberately withdrawing his hand!


    After the brief encounter just now, Liewu Sect people were extremely cautious with Su Chen!


    The remaining four plus Zhou Hao were even more prudently careful!


    Su Chen wasn''t in a rush; he rarely fought against Ancient Martial World people, so sharpening hisbat experience now was a good choice!


    As they fought, they gradually shifted from the Stone Chamber to the outer circr hall, for the Stone Chamber was too cramped to fully maneuver!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Jun did the same, tangling close to Su Chen and Zhou Hao''s group!


    At this point, Lan Xinyi was anxious, eager to help Su Chen but her strength was quite a distance from Zhu Jun!


    Zhu Jun had no intent to kill Lan Xinyi, merely blocking her!


    After all, with Yunhai Hall''s strength and resources, killing Miss Lan would be unwise!


    Zhu Jun handled himself smoothly, making it exhausting for Lan Xinyi, leaving her unable to assist Su Chen!


    Su Chen also wielded the Light Martial Sword, fighting fiercely with Liewu Sect members, the sound of weapons shing frequently ringing out, True Yuan fanning fiercely!


    Zhou Hao and others fought and felt increasingly frightened, cursing inwardly: Damn! Why is this guy so strong?


    Despite fighting five against one, they couldn''t settle this guy!

 Chapter 1122: Its Time to End This!

    Not only were Zhou Hao and the others shocked, even Lan Haifeng, who had not intervened all along, widened his eyes in surprise!


    He never expected that the guy he always looked down on would be so formidable!


    After Lan Xinyi was blocked by Zhu Jun, he thought Su Chen would quickly meet his end!


    Unexpectedly, he killed two people with a single move, and then managed to hold out for so long under the siege of Zhou Hao and his subordinates!


    Seeing that Su Chen had no significant issues, Lan Xinyi''s anxious heart slightly eased as she tangled with Zhu Jun!


    She could also see that Zhu Jun was just trying to stop her and held no real intent to kill her!


    She naturally understood that Zhu Jun''s actions were not out of goodwill, but rather out of concern for Yunhai Hall!


    With that understanding, Lan Xinyi continued her struggle with Zhu Jun, helping to relieve some pressure from Su Chen!


    Because Zhu Jun was indeed the strongest person in the field, his cultivation nearly reaching the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    Zhu Jun also noticed Lan Xinyi''s intentions but didn''t mind.


    Though Su Chen''s strength was somewhat unexpected to him, he still believed that the people of Liewu Sect would have no problem dealing with that kid!


    "ng!"


    At this moment, the Light Martial Sword in Su Chen''s hand shed sharply with the long sword in Zhou Hao''s hand, producing a loud crash, as powerful True Essence Aura and Sword Qi exploded out!


    Both were knocked back two steps by the powerful energy wave!


    Zhou Hao looked at Su Chen with a solemn expression, his heart brimming with even more killing intent!


    He felt this guy was too strange, and if he wasn''t dealt with, it would be a future catastrophe!


    Just then, he suddenly noticed a slightly wicked smile appear on Su Chen''s face across from him!


    "It''s time to end this!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    Zhou Hao and several others from the Liewu Sect, upon hearing this, were somewhat baffled!


    What did this guy mean, what did he mean by it''s time to end?


    At that moment, Su Chen moved, his figure turning into a blur!


    The Light Martial Sword in his hand swept out instantaneously, a cold gleam drawing a marvelous arc in the air!


    Next, the immensely thick True Essence Aura, the overwhelming Sword Qi, and a mysterious faint blue Star Energy brimming with terrifying power surged from the sword''s edge, forming a tremendously formidable energy shockwave!


    As the people of Liewu Sect sensed that dreadful energy shockwave, their expressions changed dramatically!


    A strong sense of fear welled up from their hearts, engulfing them entirely!


    They felt so insignificant in the face of this mighty energy shockwave!


    "Boom!"


    The next moment, the energy shockwave struck the members of Liewu Sect, followed by several screams!


    Along with the screams, several figures were sent flying!


    The sudden change left everyone stunned!


    They all looked towards the figures that flew out, and saw that besides Zhou Hao, two of the four others had already died on the spot!


    The other two, after a slight struggle, also expired!


    Everyone quickly turned their gaze towards Zhou Hao, feeling somewhat tense inside!


    At this moment, Zhou Hao slowly climbed up from the ground, with several wounds on his body, almost reaching the bone, looking very terrifying!


    At this moment, his gaze towards Su Chen was not filled with anger, but rather with shock!


    How could he...how could he have be so strong?


    The energy he released just now seemed nearly at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    What exactly is this guy''s limit?


    For a moment, Zhou Hao felt as if his mind was short-circuiting. If not for the blood and pain on his body, he wouldn''t even believe what had just happened!


    Luckily, he moved fast enough earlier and dragged someone to block for him; otherwise, even if he hadn''t died, he would have been severely injured!


    Though he looked quite miserable, the situation was actually not so bad.


    Of course, he was injured, but it wasn''t as serious as it seemed!


    Recalling that terrifying energy surging like a tide, he still felt fear lingering in his heart!


    Lan Haifeng was alreadypletely dumbfounded!


    He...he...he was actually this strong!


    At this point, he couldn''t help but feel a bit scared. It was a good thing he hadn''t actually fought with him earlier, otherwise he would surely have been the one to die!


    Even though Lan Xinyi and Zhu Jun were at a distance, they still felt a huge aura just now!


    Both of them stopped simultaneously, staring at everything before them in astonishment!


    Although Lan Xinyi knew Su Chen was strong, she never thought he would be so strong!


    At this moment, she felt that the man she recognized outside was full of mystery, as if he could never be seen through!


    Zhu Ming, having simr thoughts, was also clueless about Su Chen being this formidable!


    His heart had been tangled all along, but his strength was too weak to help at all!


    Though he was the Zhu Family''s Young Master, nobody would actually listen to him!


    So all he could do was burn with impatience on the sidelines!


    The shock in Zhu Jun''s heart was no less than anyone else''s, perhaps even greater!


    He felt that the power released by Su Chen earlier was alreadyparable to his own, except that his was pure True Yuan, whereas apart from True Yuan and Sword Qi, there seemed to be another unfamiliar energy!


    Even though that energy was rather sparse, it gave off a terrifying sensation!


    No wonder this kid dared to act so arrogantly before; his strength had already reached such a high level!


    "Who exactly are you?"


    Zhu Jun asked, his eyes fixed intently on Su Chen.


    In his view, someone so young possessing such cultivation was exceedingly rare!


    Hearing Zhu Jun''s question, the others also turned to look at him, simrly curious about who this guy really was, possessing such immense strength!


    Previously, they all thought he was merely at the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer and naturally didn''t take him seriously!


    However, now they had no choice but to take him seriously!


    "Me? I''m just a nobody, naturally inferior to you Young Masters and Young Lords!"


    Su Chen replied with a yful smile:


    "What? Are you all scared now?"


    "Scared?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Zhu Jun sneered coldly:


    "Your strength indeed exceeded my expectations and can certainly be considered outstanding among the younger generation in the Ancient Martial World!"


    "But I''m sorry, you encountered me today! This is your misfortune!"


    The others, upon hearing Zhu Jun''s words, were all taken aback!


    Even though Su Chen had shown formidable strength, they did not think Zhu Jun was exaggerating!


    Because he is one of the Top Ten Heavenly Talents in the Ancient Martial World!


    The term ''Heavenly Talent'' said it all!


    Unquestionably, Zhu Jun intended to personally take on Su Chen now!


    In everyone''s eyes, this young man who had deeply shocked them earlier was truly going to have bad luck!

 Chapter 1123: Just Kill Them!

    Although almost everyone, including Lan Xinyi, had little faith in Su Chen, Zhu Jun''s strength was deeply ingrained in their minds!


    But Su Chen didn''t care much; let alone this time, hadn''t he killed that true Kaiyuan Middle Stage opponentst time?


    Moreover, this Zhu Jun had yet to step into the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    Though he had used the Dragon-ying Sword then, even relying solely on his own strength, Su Chen was confident. Back then, he just didn''t want to consume too much Star Energy!


    He was dissatisfied with the effect of that strike because Zhou Hao was still alive and hadn''t even taken a serious hit!


    To think his pure cultivation power was already beyond the average Kaiyuan Primary Stage, stronger than the usual Kaiyuan Primary Stage by some measure!


    Moreover, the Light Martial Sword wasn''t an ordinary sword; while not as good as a Magic Artifact, it wasn''tparable to typical weapons!


    Importantly, he had just released fifteen strands of Star Energy at once, a considerable feat!


    Though his speed of cultivating Star Energy had greatly improved now, he had less than a hundred strands of Star Energy in his body!


    Given all three factorsbined, Su Chen was naturally unsatisfied with only killing a few Liewu Sect disciples!


    Of course, if it hadn''t been for that fellow grabbing someone to shield himself, reducing half the energy for him, he wouldn''t have been able to stand back up!


    "Everyone, attack together and take care of this kid first!"


    Zhu Jun shouted.


    He wasn''t a fool; Su Chen''s power wasn''t much weaker than his, so he naturally opted for caution!


    As soon as he finished speaking, he and the other Zhu Family members aggressively charged forward!


    Of course, Zhu Ming stayed in ce, anxious but unsure what to do or how to act!


    At this moment, it wasn''t just the Zhu Family members, Zhou Hao was filled with murderous intent!


    Su Chen had killed eight members of their Liewu Sect, so he, as the Young Sect Master, naturally harbored immense hatred towards Su Chen!


    Seeing this scene, Lan Haifeng''s heart suddenly rxed!


    Finally, this guy should die!


    He knew, if Su Chen didn''t die, he wouldn''t be spared!


    Seeing Zhou Hao move, Lan Xinyi immediately prepared to block Zhou Hao!


    "Xinyi, you don''t need to intervene, I can handle these people!"


    Su Chen said towards Lan Xinyi''s direction.


    After several incidents, Lan Xinyi already had a kind of natural obedience towards Su Chen!


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, she was slightly stunned, not understanding his intent!


    While Lan Xinyi was confused, Zhou Hao had already charged over, joining the group besieging Su Chen!


    For Su Chen, there''s nothing left to think about; he just has to kill!


    At this moment, Su Chen''s blood also began to boil, as if responding to a long-awaited call!


    An overwhelming murderous aura spread out, seemingly enveloping the entire round hall!


    Zhu Jun and the others shook as they felt the powerful murderous intent!


    They felt that this young man now seemed entirely different from before!


    Though he remained calmly standing there, he felt as though he was walking from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!


    But at this moment, they had already rushed forward, only a breath away from Su Chen!


    They appeared fierce, seven people surrounded Su Chen within a tight space!


    Su Chen seemed perilously trapped in the middle, without any retreat!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming were the only two concerned about Su Chen''s safety at the scene; Lan Xinyi truly couldn''t understand why Su Chen stopped her!


    Not far away, Lan Haifeng was standing aside, watching, looking quite pleased!


    He believed Su Chen''s downfall was already certain, without any suspense!


    Was it really so?


    Of course not!


    Seeing these people, Su Chen instead became extraordinarily focused!


    Exhibiting in this space was his forte!


    Moreover, the strength of his body provided tremendous assurance!


    At that moment, Su Chen moved!


    A dagger tightly gripped in his hand, reversed!


    Su Chen certainly wasn''t nning topare strength with Zhu Jun, or even with Zhou Hao!


    The five Zhu Family members were both prey and cover for him!


    Such scenes were already familiar to Su Chen!


    "Squelch!"


    "Squelch!"


    .....


    Su Chen moved like a ghost among the crowd!


    Every few seconds, a spurt of fresh blood would burst out!


    In less than a minute, the Zhu Family''s three Meridian Expansion Peak and two Half-Step Kaiyuan experts had fallen!


    And all had their throats cleanly cut, without exception!


    Yet neither Zhu Jun nor Zhou Hao even touched Su Chen''s clothing!


    Because whenever they were about to attack him, he would skillfully hide behind one of the Zhu Family disciples, forcing them to retract their attacks!


    Seeing the fallen, Zhu Jun''s face was clouded, almost dripping water dark!


    He truly understood Zhou Hao''s mood earlier!


    Lan Xinyi, Zhu Ming, and even Lan Haifeng were utterly dumbfounded, as if they had seen a ghost!


    What... what happened?


    In less than a minute, how did those Zhu Family members all fall?


    They only felt their minds werepletely nk!


    Moments ago, they just saw Su Chen''s afterimage flitting through the crowd, then blood spurting and those people falling one by one!


    "Alright, now it''s your turn!"


    Su Chen said lightly to Zhu Jun and Zhou Hao, as if he didn''t take them seriously at all!


    "You''re seeking death!"


    Zhu Jun spat out through gritted teeth!


    Then he and Zhou Hao attacked simultaneously, releasing their full pressure, their powerful True Essence Aura inting their clothes!


    The twounched punches towards Su Chen from the left and right, the surrounding air currents swirling, shattering the void!


    Facing their attack, Su Chen naturally became more cautious!


    First, he had to figure out how to deal with Zhou Hao!


    After all, Zhou Hao was only at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, and he was previously injured!


    As their fists neared, Su Chen lightly pivoted on his toes, instantly closing in on Zhou Hao!


    Seeing Su Chen evade, Zhu Jun immediately changed direction, continuing his punch towards Su Chen!


    In that brief moment, Su Chen swiftly punched Zhou Hao!


    "Bang!"


    A loud explosion sounded as their fists collided, followed by a distinct sound of bones cracking, Su Chen''s fist aggressively continued towards Zhou Hao!


    Zhou Hao''s chest felt as if struck by a massive iron hammer, uncontrobly flying backward, crashing into a wall!


    This time, Su Chen again infused seven to eight strands of Star Energy!


    Su Chen''s cultivation was originally slightly higher than Zhou Hao''s,bined with the Star Energy and Zhou Hao''s previous injury!


    With thisbination, it was hard for Zhou Hao not to die!

 Chapter 1124: Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains

    Sure enough, when everyone looked over, Zhou Hao was already motionless on the ground!


    When Su Chen struck this punch, it was definitely to kill him!


    At this moment, Zhu Jun''s punch had once again rushed towards him!


    Because Su Chen wanted to ensure Zhou Hao''s death, he naturally slowed down a bit!


    At this moment, he could only instinctively dodge, but since Zhu Jun was close to reaching the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, his strength was naturally not to be underestimated, so Su Chen''s shoulder was hit, causing a sharp pain!


    Although he paid a small price, Su Chen still thought it was worth it!


    Now there''s only Zhu Jun left!


    "Today you must die!"


    Zhu Jun''s eyes shot a fierce gleam as he stared at Su Chen and dered.


    He never expected that so many people would be dealt with by this guy!


    A Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer person possessing such strength was beyond anything he could imagine!


    Since a grudge had already been formed between them, it was better to settle it as soon as possible!


    What''s more, he had already realized that if this person wasn''t eliminated, he would be a major threat in the future!


    "I''m afraid you don''t have the ability?"


    Su Chen nced at Zhu Jun scornfully and said.


    Although he hadn''t fought Zhu Jun before, it didn''t mean he was afraid of him; it was more a strategic choice!


    "Copsing Cloud Fist!"


    Zhu Jun''s eyes turned cold, and he suddenly shouted, hurling a punch at Su Chen!


    As this punch was thrown, the surrounding airflow became turbulent, as if the clouds could be shattered by that fist!


    "Watch out!"


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming both shuddered and felt a pang in their hearts when they saw this punch!


    They both knew that the Copsing Cloud Fist was Zhu Jun''s most powerful martial technique and his signature technique!


    This punch, even a true Kaiyuan Realm person, would not dare to take it head-on!


    "Interesting!"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a yful smile; he could also feel that the power of Zhu Jun''s punch had increased considerably from before!


    Su Chen neither retreated nor dodged but instead shot out a punch in a straight line as well!


    "Boom!"


    A sound like an explosion erupted, with True Essence Energy raging everywhere!


    Not far away, Lan Xinyi and the others felt an unbelievably powerful pressure; the force from this punch was simply too strong!


    "Step, step, step..."


    Both Su Chen and Zhu Jun couldn''t help but retreat six or seven steps before they stabilized themselves!


    At this moment, the look in their eyes revealed a glimpse of shock as they gazed at each other!


    Su Chen didn''t expect Zhu Jun to be so strong; just now, he had fused ten strands of True Yuan, yet he only barely matched him!


    Zhu Jun didn''t expect that after executing the Copsing Cloud Fist, he could still resist and draw even with him!


    This further solidified his determination to eliminate Su Chen!


    "Buzz!"


    He abruptly drew the longsword from his waist, emitting a clear sword sound!


    Even if this sword wasn''t a Magic Artifact, it was clearly no ordinary item!


    "Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains!"


    Zhu Jun shouted once more, then moved his form, slicing downward with the sword!


    A dazzling glint instantly shed in the void, and the powerful Sword Qi, apanied by vigorous True Yuan, surged forth!


    The power of this sword seemed as if it could tten mountains and sever rivers!


    "What? He actually mastered Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains!"


    Upon hearing the words "Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains," Lan Xinyi''s pupils suddenly contracted, and her face was struck with overwhelming shock!


    Their Yunhai Hall and the Zhu Family were both top-tier factions in the Ancient Martial World, so naturally, they were quite familiar with each other''s strengths!


    This "Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains" is no ordinary martial technique but the Zhu Family''s most powerful martial technique!


    Until now, only the Zhu Family Head had mastered this martial technique!


    And Zhu Jun, being so young, had actually mastered this profound martial technique!


    You have to acknowledge, the ten great prodigies are indeed the ten great prodigies, even beingst in line, their talent is unmatched!


    After the initial shock, Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming suddenly grew tense!


    Su Chen was truly in danger now!


    Lan Haifeng, however, showed a different expression; earlier he was repeatedly stunned by Su Chen''s performance and was somewhat worried something unexpected might happen!


    If he didn''t die, he would be in trouble, having conspired against him twice!


    However, with Zhu Jun''s sword out, he finally rxedpletely!


    When Zhu Jun''s sword was struck, Su Chen also felt the immense power contained within, and his expression turned extremely grave!


    At this moment, the stones on the ground were already lifted by the fierce Sword Qi, and debris flew everywhere!


    Su Chen immediately activated the "Calm Spirit Body Technique," and a faint light circted over his body!


    Though he had gone through Body Refining twice, and his physical strength was far beyond ordinary Martial Artists, without activating the Calm Spirit Body Technique, he could only withstand attacks from a typical Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    By activating the Calm Spirit Body Technique now to defend, his defensive ability naturally became much stronger!


    This was the decision Su Chen made in the blink of an eye because if he didn''t use the Calm Spirit Body Technique, he would need to expend arge amount of True Yuan and Star Energy to withstand it!


    And this was something Su Chen didn''t want to do; on the other hand, he also wanted to test how strong his current defense really was!


    "Rumble!"


    The Sword Qi fell, and Su Chen was instantly engulfed by the powerful Sword Qi and True Yuan, the gravel on the ground shattered by this powerful energy, even turned directly into dust, permeating the air, covering Su Chenpletely!


    People outside only saw a grayish mist, unable to see Su Chen within!


    "Now it should be about done!"


    Zhu Jun thought to himself, finally exhaling a breath of relief, then began moving toward the grayish shrouded Su Chen!


    "Su Chen!"


    Lan Xinyi suddenly shouted loudly, as if something important had been taken away!


    The previous wave of energy was too strong, even stronger than Su Chen''s earlier power; she instinctively believed that Su Chen must have been unable to withstand it!


    Zhu Ming was also left dumbstruck there!


    At this moment, he deeply hated himself for being so useless!


    Yet Lan Haifeng and those around him disyed a relieved smile!


    To Lan Haifeng, even if Zhu Jun won, it might not necessarily mean much Jade Spirit Pill for him, and given everything that happened, it''s possible none would be shared!


    Even so, he still hoped Zhu Jun would kill Su Chen!


    Firstly, if Su Chen won, it''s even less likely anything would be shared, and secondly, they already had a grudge; more importantly, if Su Chen won, it was unlikely to spare him!


    Now, he was finally at ease; under such a powerful sword, there was no chance of survival!


    Yet at this moment, suddenly everyone''s eyes widened in disbelief as if something unimaginable had happened!

 Chapter 1125: Unbelievable

    Just when everyone thought Su Chen was doomed, suddenly a shadow swiftly shed out from the still lingering dusty sand, rushing straight at Zhu Jun!


    Zhu Jun was startled and slightly dazed for a moment, right then, a Fist Mang appeared in front of him!


    In panic, he quickly raised his arms to block, hastily gathering some True Yuan to defend!


    "Boom!"


    Zhu Jun''s arms were instantly shattered, and the hastily gathered True Yuan was scattered by a single punch from Su Chen, followed by a solid blow to his chest!


    Zhu Jun immediately shot out like a cannonball, crashing into the wall!


    This time, Su Chen used nearly twenty strands of Star Energy, and his entire cultivation exploded forth!


    Because Zhu Jun felt somewhat dangerous to him, although he hadn''t broken through to Kaiyuan Middle Stage, his actual strength was considerably stronger than thest Kaiyuan Middle Stage he encountered!


    Just like he killed Zhou Hao earlier, Su Chen simrly hoped topletely solve Zhu Jun!


    Zhu Jun''s attack was powerful, but his defense wasn''t necessarily so!


    When Zhu Jun''s body smashed into the wall like a cannonball, the entire round hall seemed to shake!


    Not far away, Lan Xinyi and others werepletely stunned!


    The shock Su Chen brought to them today was too intense!


    For Zhu Jun, who''s so powerful, to be sted away by Su Chen, it''s unbelievable!


    As one of the top ten talents, Zhu Jun even used Zhu Family''s strongest martial technique "Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains" and was defeated by Su Chen!


    Does this mean that Su Chen''s strength has already reached the level of the top ten talents?


    This is too incredible!


    But the reality is right in front of them, forcing them to believe!


    At this moment, Zhu Jun, who had been knocked down, slowly got up, eyes fixed on Su Chen!


    Su Chen was shocked; this guy wasn''t dead yet?


    Impossible!


    "Kid, you''re ruthless! Just wait!"


    Before finishing his words, Zhu Jun''s figure flickered and dashed out of the round hall!


    He was knocked down close to the door, so he quickly rushed out!


    Su Chen gave him an eerie feeling, and he felt that if he continued fighting, he might die here!


    As one of the top ten talents, he wouldn''t be willing to die like this!


    As for Su Chen, there''s always a next time!


    Seeing Zhu Jun fleeing, Lan Haifeng also wanted to escape, his body already turned towards the door!


    "Spurt!"


    At this moment, Su Chen was also half-kneeling on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood!


    His body was already full of wounds, several deep enough to show bone, blood flowing freely!


    Clearly, his condition was very bad!


    It''s not that Su Chen''s defense was weak, but Zhu Jun''s sword exceeded his expectations!


    The power of that sword was almost equivalent to Kaiyuan Late Stage; even if not as strong, it was not far off!


    Fortunately, he cultivated "Calm Spirit Body Technique"; though severely injured now, he could still barely hold up!


    If it weren''t for "Calm Spirit Body Technique," Zhu Jun''s sword just now, he absolutely would not be able to block!


    This also exins why he didn''t actively pursue Zhu Jun; chasing him now was clearly unwise!


    Lan Haifeng, ready to flee, saw this scene and suddenly a peculiar gleam shot from his eyes!


    Turns out this guy couldn''t hold out either, turns out he was just pretending to bluff!


    Zhu Jun, the fool, actually got scared away!


    "Su Chen!"


    Seeing Su Chen suddenly spitting out arge mouthful of blood and half-kneeling on the ground, Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming eximed!


    Then, suddenly, a cold light shed alongside a silhouette, a shining long sword straight towards Su Chen!


    This unexpected sword tightened Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming''s nerves instantly, even opening their mouths without making a sound!


    At this moment, not only him, but several others from Yunhai Hall also attacked Su Chen!


    Hoping to resolve Su Chen together while he''s weak!


    "This guy just couldn''t hold it in!"


    Su Chen was actually not as weak as he appeared; he pretended to be this weak just to see how Lan Haifeng would react!


    Although their rtionship with Lan Xinyi was somewhat subtle, after all, they were all from Yunhai Hall!


    If this guy showed any kindness, Su Chen might have spared his life for Lan Xinyi''s sake!


    But at this moment, as they attacked, Su Chen no longer needed to show any mercy!


    "Seeking death!"


    Su Chen''s eyes suddenly focused, then grasped Dragon-ying Sword in hand, swinging fiercely at them!


    An unparalleled Sword Qi immediately surged out like a river bursting forth, as if threatening to overturn the entire roof!


    Lan Haifeng originally saw Su Chen so weak, assuming it was a good time to finish him!


    But unexpectedly, a powerful Sword Qi beyond his imagination surged forth!


    Facing the formidable Sword Qi, he felt like a small boat tossed in the sea, powerless to resist!


    Of course, instinctively, he and some others behind him hurriedly activated True Yuan, trying to block the destructive Sword Qi!


    "Boom!"


    But ultimately, all efforts were futile; subsequently, they were engulfed by the vast Sword Qi, flying backward!


    When crashing to the ground, those people were utterly miserable, blood streaming!


    Except for Lan Haifeng who still had a breath left, the others all died on the spot!


    "Spirit... Spiritual Artifact?!"


    Lan Haifeng looked at Su Chen, his face full of shock, disbelief, and doubt!


    He''s seen Magic Artifacts, none as powerful as this!


    Clearly, what the opponent held must be a Spiritual Artifact, or even a higher-level weapon!


    But how could this kid have such a treasure!


    After all, treasures like this are rare throughout the Ancient Martial World!


    But now, for him, no amount of shock, no amount of doubt mattered as soon he fell silent, dead!


    Simrly, this swing of the sword also cost Su Chen a lot; at this moment, he held the sword for support to avoid copsing!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming watched this scene as if in a dream!


    It was only a few minutes before they slightly regained their senses!


    They never expected, after some time passed, people from Liewu Sect were all dead, and from Yunhai Hall and Zhu Family, except for the two of them, were all killed!


    Of course, they also knew, this wasn''t Su Chen''s fault, because if Su Chen didn''t kill them, they would have killed Su Chen!


    In this situation, anyone would have done the same!


    It''s just they never imagined Su Chen would have such strong strength to achieve this!


    But on reflection, since knowing him, he always brings unexpected surprises...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1126: Sudden Change

    "Su Chen, are you alright?"


    Very soon, Lan Xinyi walked up and asked.


    Zhu Ming also looked at him=Su Chen with some concern, his condition indeed seemed not too great!


    "I''m fine, just need some rest!"


    Su Chen smiled weakly, and then he took out that small bottle, poured out a Jade Spirit Pill and swallowed it.


    There were roughly thirty Jade Spirit Pills inside, so Su Chen shared some with Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming.


    They initially didn''t want to take it, feeling they didn''t deserve such a reward since they hadn''t yed any significant role, and the Jade Spirit Pill was too precious, but Su Chen insisted on giving it to them!


    As for the remaining ones, he still had many people around him, like Qi Meng, Qian Ying, Eniel, Du Hanbing, Ouyang Jing and others, including Sun Yang and Yunlong, so each had to be given some. There weren''t many left when distributed among everyone!


    Su Chen then leaned against a pir and sat down, closing his eyes to cultivate!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming also took a pill and sat down to cultivate as well!


    .....


    Meanwhile, Zhu Jun had been running without knowing how far he had gone, eventually finding himself outside the ruins!


    "Thud!"


    Finally, he couldn''t hold on any longer and copsed onto the ground, vomiting a mouthful of blood!


    He also took out a healing elixir and swallowed it, continuing to lie on the grass!


    After a long time, he slowly sat up and began to undo his clothes!


    Beneath them was a Golden Thread Garment!


    "Luckily, I wore this garment as a precaution, otherwise I might have actually died just now!"


    Zhu Jun muttered to himself.


    This Golden Thread Garment was an unexpected treasure his father had acquired years ago, looking thin but possessing strong defensive capabilities!


    Zhu Family gave it to Zhu Jun, as he was the future hope for their revival!


    In the past, Zhu Jun had rarely worn it, but this time he had made a sudden decision, and thinking about it now, he owed much to that decision!


    But despite this, he was still gravely injured, far worse than Su Chen!


    "Kid, someday I''ll tear you to pieces!"


    Thinking of the young man who had humiliated him so, Zhu Jun spat through clenched teeth.


    After resting for another while, Zhu Jun felt somewhat recovered and continued to head beyond the mountains!


    Continuing to search for treasures now was unrealistic, and he had lost interest...


    .....


    After a long half-day, Su Chen finallypletely absorbed the effects of the Jade Spirit Pill!


    He was pleasantly surprised to find that not only had his previous injuries improved significantly, but he had also broken through the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer, reaching the Ninth Layer!


    The density of the True Yuan within him had reached a new level, his cultivation now should be about the same as Zhu Jun''s previously!


    Su Chen silently marveled: This Jade Spirit Pill truly is extraordinary, no wonder those people were willing to risk their lives for it!


    At this time, he noticed that Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming were still cultivating, digesting the pill''s effects, so he stood up and walked towards the inside of the Stone Chamber!


    He always felt something was off, as if such aplex formation was used, could it really just be to hide a bottle of Jade Spirit Pills?


    Though precious, Su Chen believed it might not justify such measures!


    Thus, Su Chen began observing the Stone Chamber to see if there was anything special!


    The chamber was simple, inside was empty, it was easy to see at a nce!


    However, Su Chen was unwilling to give up, so he gently touched and pressed every wall to look for anything special.


    He had previous experiences like this, sometimes such dull searching could lead to discoveries!


    For example, he had found the Formation Technique Book in such a manner!


    But after two or three hours passed, Su Chen still hadn''t found anything special!


    "Su Chen, what are you looking for?"


    At this moment, Lan Xinyi also came over, seeing Su Chen touching the walls, she asked curiously.


    "I''m checking if there''s any mechanism, that such aplex formation covers this chamber, it shouldn''t be just to hide a bottle of Jade Spirit Pills."


    Su Chen smiled slightly as he searched:


    "Perhaps there are even more precious treasures!"


    Lan Xinyi thought it over, and there really might be such a possibility, so she also joined Su Chen in searching.


    Before long, Zhu Ming also joined the search, and the three of them checked every spot on the walls, even the ceiling was not overlooked!


    But still, nothing was discovered, and the three felt a bit dejected!


    Su Chen, however, observed the entire chamber once more, still feeling a bit unsatisfied!


    Upon inspection, the most attention-grabbing feature in the chamber seemed to be the small alcove where the Jade Spirit Pill bottle had been ced before!


    The other walls were smooth with nothing special, so Su Chen stepped in front of the little alcove.


    "Su Chen, I just checked there, there''s nothing."


    Lan Xinyi saw Su Chen stretch his hand to inspect the alcove, and remarked.


    "I''ll take another look."


    Su Chen said casually, stretching his hand around the alcove, indeed, as Lan Xinyi said, there was nothing special.


    "Ah! It seems there''s no hope!"


    Su Chen sighed slightly, then his hand pressed casually under the alcove!


    It was at that moment that he suddenly realized the area under the alcove was being pressed down!


    "What''s this?"


    Su Chen eximed in surprise.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s voice, Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming both turned to look!


    "Boom~~~"


    At that moment, a sudden loud noise erupted, and the ground beneath Su Chen and the others seemed like a door, abruptly opening!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming, without any mental preparation, and with the abnormality from Su Chen earlier, were headed towards him, now reaching the center of the chamber!


    So they fell straight down...


    In a hurry, Su Chen managed to grasp a point, but seeing Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming had already fallen, he let go and followed them down!


    "Thud, thud, thud!"


    Soon, the three stopped falling and crashed on a t surface!


    Luckily, all three were Martial Artists, so it seemed none sustained injuries, all of them stood up.


    "Xinyi, are you alright?"


    Su Chen noticed Lan Xinyi''s face showing a slight expression of pain, and asked out of concern.


    "I''m fine, I''m fine!"


    Upon Su Chen''s words, Lan Xinyi''s pretty face immediately flushed red, and she waved her hands, saying.


    "Really okay?"


    Su Chen hesitated and asked again.


    "Yes, I''m really okay!"


    Lan Xinyi replied, she hadnded during the fall with her butt hitting a protruding stone, causing a sharp pain!


    But how could she bring herself to say this to Su Chen? She could only grit her teeth and say it was fine...

 Chapter 1127: The True Ruins

    Su Chen heard Lan Xinyi say this and didn''t ask much, then looked up and saw that they were about twenty meters away from the top!


    Su Chen looked around and found that it was a passage, with walls made of stone blocks on both sides. There was a faint lighting from an unknown source!


    "Let''s go ahead and take a look."


    Su Chen said, and after finishing, he walked forward.


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming followed behind him, but Lan Xinyi intentionally stayed at the back, quietly rubbing the spot where she had been bumped earlier!


    This passage was quite long and not straight, winding this way and that. They walked for one or two hours, yet the three of them were still in it, seemingly endless!


    After walking for a long time, they finally saw a brighter ce ahead!


    In the eyes of Su Chen and the others, a trace of joy shed, and they quickened their pace to walk forward!


    When they walked out of this passage, what appeared in front of them was a square za, brighter than before!


    "Finally out!"


    Zhu Ming eximed.


    "Yes!"


    Su Chen nodded, then nced around and suddenly felt puzzled!


    Not only him, Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming were also a bit confused!


    Because what appeared before them were four passage entrances in four directions, including the one they had just exited!


    "Damn, it''s a maze!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but exim.


    "Which way should we go next?"


    Lan Xinyi instinctively asked.


    Normally, she was quite a decisive woman, after all, she was the youngdy of Yunhai Hall!


    But with Su Chen, she didn''t know if she became dumb or just toozy to think, or perhaps she trusted Su Chen too much, and left the decision to him!


    "Let''s just go with the one straight ahead!"


    Without any basis to judge from, Su Chen randomly pointed at a passage and said.


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming naturally had no objections, so the three of them headed for the passage Su Chen mentioned!


    Once inside, the light became dim again, very faint!


    Yet this time they walked for several hours, even longer than before, still winding and seemingly endless!


    They were already a bit dazed, not knowing where they were at all!


    "Su Chen, could we have reached the depths of the ruins?"


    Lan Xinyi suddenly thought of a question and said.


    Although she had never been to the deepest part of the ruins, she had heard about the dangers there!


    Many experts in the Ancient Martial World did not dare to venture there!


    Zhu Ming also knew this point, and upon hearing Lan Xinyi say this, he couldn''t help but show a worried and anxious expression on his face.


    In Su Chen''s heart, there was a sudden "thump". The building ruins above were already very close to the edge of the deepest part, and after they fell down, they''d been walking for almost a day!


    It might really be possible that they had reached the deepest part of the ruins!


    But the key question now was whether to continue moving forward.


    If they were walking above ground, Su Chen found himself inadvertently reaching the deepest part of the ruins, he would very likely turn back immediately!


    Although very confident, Su Chen was not arrogant¡ªhe didn''t think his strength was at the peak level of the Ancient Martial World yet!


    Besides, even those people dared not explore the deepest part of the ruins!


    Moreover, he was not alone, he had Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming with him!


    But now the situation was quite different, because they had entered the Stone Chamber by deciphering the Formation, and then dropped to a ce twenty meters below through the chamber''s mechanism!


    In Su Chen''s view, since there was such a Formation and mechanisms, there must be a reason for their existence!


    Perhaps this method was the correct and only way to reach the depths of the ruins!


    And if they went directly from above to the deepest, they would face the most resolute obstructions or even annihtion!


    Whether by Demon Beasts or other terrifying things!


    Although these were Su Chen''s spections, the more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed!


    "No matter what, since we got here with difficulty, not going out would always feel unsatisfactory!"


    Lan Xinyi smiled and said. Seeing Su Chen''s expression, she knew he wanted to keep moving forward!


    In fact, how could she not feel the same?


    Getting through such a difficult Formation, unlocking the Stone Chamber, finding mechanisms, then gradually arriving here!


    To quit now would really be unwilling!


    Even to satisfy her curiosity, she wanted to take a look!


    Moreover, there might be even more precious Treasures ahead!


    Hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but nce at Zhu Ming. Although Zhu Ming was not very strong, his opinion should still be respected!


    "I also really want to take a look!"


    Zhu Ming said with a smile.


    "Alright, let''s continue forward then!"


    Su Chen waved his hand and said.


    Actually, Su Chen knew that although they were curious and expected what Treasures there might be, they couldn''t deny their own reasons!


    They probably all saw that he really wanted to go, so they agreed!


    The three of them continued winding their way through the passage again!


    Who knows how long they walked; each person''s spiritual power seemed quite fatigued!


    After all, walking in the passage with such dim light inevitably led to such reactions¡ªMartial Artists are human, too!


    Just then, they suddenly found a section ahead that was very bright, even brighter than in the za before, as if it was daylight!


    Su Chen and the others were immediately overjoyed and rushed forward eagerly!


    In just a moment, the three of them found themselves outside the passage, fearing it might again be multiple passageways like before¡ªthat would be maddening!


    Fortunately, it was not. What appeared before their eyes was a pce of several hundred square meters, with a ten-step staircase at its entrance!


    The three of them were somewhat stunned, surprised to see a pce after emerging!


    This pce waspletely different from the ruins encountered before, preserved exceptionally well and appearing as if built from marble-like materials all around!


    All along the way, Su Chen had been a bit worried, thinking that even if he found the right way to enter, he would inevitably encounter some troubles or even dangers!


    But on the way, aside from the winding passages being frustrating, there was not a bit of danger, not even any mishaps!


    This was indeed beyond Su Chen''s expectations!


    He turned around and saw four passages behind him, almost lined up in a row!


    Seeing these four passages, Su Chen was suddenly enlightened!


    It turns out that no matter which way you choose, they all lead to the same ce here!


    In other words, these four passages formed a veryrge and enclosed loop between the za before and the pce now!


    Looking at these four passages and then at the well-preserved pce before him, Su Chen had a strong intuition!


    This might be the real ruins!


    It''s just so easy, yet it makes Su Chen feel somewhat unreal...

 Chapter 1128: Conquest!

    "Let''s go inside!"


    Su Chen said.


    Havinge this far, there''s no reason not to climb up to the pce and take a look!


    After speaking, Su Chen was the first to walk towards the steps in front of the pce, but as soon as his feet touched the steps, he felt his body be exceedingly heavy, making movement difficult!


    Normally, when climbing stairs, one would naturally step onto the secondyer immediately, but he found it quite difficult to do so and had to stay on the firstyer!


    When his feet fully settled on the firstyer, the feeling of heaviness became even more distinct!


    An rming oppressive force enveloped him, making his whole body tense up, and he couldn''t help but let out a muffled groan!


    While Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming were puzzled as to why Su Chen wasn''t moving forward, Su Chen spoke:


    "Watch out, there''s something strange here, an exceptionally strong pressure!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming felt a shiver run through them!


    After Su Chen spoke, he turned around and continued ascending the steps, while Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming also stepped up, ready to climb the stairs!


    "Boom!"


    However, as soon as Su Chen stepped onto the secondyer, he felt the pressure suddenly intensify, as if a terrifying force smashed into his body!


    By this time, Lan Xinyi had also stepped onto the firstyer and immediately felt as though her body weighed a thousand pounds!


    "Be careful, the pressure might increase as we go higher!"


    Su Chen cautioned again.


    His words sent another shiver through their hearts, this was too eerie!


    Havinge all this way, giving up was not an option!


    Su Chen managed to set his other foot on the second step and continued advancing towards the thirdyer!


    "Thud!"


    An even more terrifying force crashed against his body, as if a massive mountain pressed onto his back, causing him to bend slightly and his steps to slide sideways!


    Inside, his blood churned relentlessly, and as he looked at the pce just within reach, his eyes were full of resolve!


    This is merely the third step; how could it shake his determination?!


    He finally understood why they encountered almost no obstacles on their journey here!


    The real testy upon these steps!


    Only by passing these ten steps could one qualify to enter the pce!


    These ten steps likely constituted an advanced formation or a special setup, creating something akin to a gravity field but far more terrifying!


    Though he was slightly bent over, he cast a sharp gaze towards the pce!


    Could this force make him retreat? Impossible!


    "Thud!"


    Su Chen steadily took another step; he was bent even lower, and his bones creaked loudly!


    He felt the energy within him roaring furiously!


    This oppressive force caused his muscles, bones, blood, heart, every part of his body to bear a massive burden!


    But Su Chen firmly refused to give up; what supported him was not just potential treasures inside but more an unwavering resolve!


    He was determined to conquer these ten steps!


    He paused briefly, then resolutely stepped forward again, striving towards the fifth step!


    "St!"


    Once his footnded, Su Chen couldn''t help but spit out a mouthful of fresh blood, staining the steps, his legs buckling uncontrobly until he nearly kneeled!


    He felt an immensely powerful and chaotic force enveloping him, violently assaulting his body!


    "Ah!"


    "Ah!"


    At the same time, two cries resounded concurrently, Su Chen turned to look and saw Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming both being pushed down from the steps!


    Having been shaken off the steps, both of them also couldn''t help but spit out a mouthful of blood!


    "How are you?"


    Su Chen hurriedly asked.


    "I''m okay, just the pressure is too scary, I don''t think I can go on."


    Lan Xinyi wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and replied with a faint smile.


    "Zhu Ming, are you alright?"


    Su Chen asked Zhu Ming.


    "Not seriously hurt, just a bit shaken internally."


    Zhu Ming also smiled and shook his head.


    Seeing they were merely slightly injured internally, Su Chen felt relieved!


    Truth be told, the steps'' pressure was overwhelmingly strong, even though Lan Xinyi was at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, just stepping on the third step knocked her down immediately!


    Zhu Ming couldn''t hold up even at the first step, after all, his cultivation was too weak!


    He gritted his teeth to reach the second step but ultimately couldn''t sustain it and got pushed down!


    "You two rest here for a bit, I''ll continue onward."


    Su Chen said.


    "Okay, be careful, don''t push yourself if it''s too much!"


    Lan Xinyi advised!


    She sincerely respected Su Chen; reaching the fifth step meant facing pressure levels well beyond theirs, possibly increasing geometrically!


    Unquestionably, the pressure grew heavier with each ascent!


    It''s hard to imagine how much pressure and force would be at the tenth step!


    "Rest assured!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, aware of the growing danger the higher he climbed!


    He thought, fortunately, his body had been refined, and his will was steadfast; otherwise, reaching the fifth step might have been impossible step by step!


    Body refining?


    Suddenly, a sh of insight struck Su Chen; under this pressure, isn''t it the perfect opportunity to use the Calm Spirit Body Technique?


    This way, he could enhance his defense and make use of this rare condition to hone his body technique!


    With that thought, Su Chen immediately activated the Calm Spirit Body Technique, and a faint glow surfaced around his body!


    At this moment, he felt the pressure and impact improved slightly, better than before!


    Su Chen took a deep breath and continued upwards!


    "Thud!"


    Su Chen stepped onto the sixthyer, and stronger pressure pressed down like dark clouds!


    The blood within him churned wildly; although his Calm Spirit Body Technique was activated, the sixth step''s pressure negated any benefits!


    The pressure he felt now was akin to before stepping onto the fifthyer without using the body technique, possibly even stronger!


    In essence, two main factors contributed to this: Su Chen''s Calm Spirit Body Technique was still at a low stage, nowhere near the First Layer!


    Secondly, the steps'' pressure was immensely strong; each step up brought a pressure increase to a new level!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1129: The Ultimate Limit

    Su Chen crazily operated the Calm Spirit Body Technique while resisting with his tenacious will!


    He climbed step by step, each step was like a cmity!


    He didn''t know how long it took, but he finally climbed to the eighth step!


    To be honest, by this point, although the Calm Spirit Body Technique was still functioning, with even stronger defense than before, what truly made the difference now was his willpower!


    This was really an inhuman torment; if Su Chen had even a thought of giving up, he would likely be immediately crushed down the steps by that terrifying oppressive force!


    But with victory in sight, Su Chen was unwilling to give up just like that!


    "No matter how much pressure you put on me, I will definitely stand firm!"


    Su Chen bent over and looked up at the remaining two steps, his eyes filled with an unyielding light!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming watched Su Chen''s difficult progression from below, their hearts clenched tightly!


    They didn''t need to think to know that Su Chen must be enduring tremendous torture!


    Zhu Ming couldn''t help but feel deep admiration for Su Chen as he watched him struggle on the steps; no wonder he had such cultivation at such a young age as a worldly person!


    The resilience of his mentality alone was not something ordinary people couldpare to!


    Lan Xinyi looked at Su Chen''s difficult back struggling to move forward, and her beautiful eyes showed a faintyer of mist!


    That lonely and stubborn back on the steps made her feel admiration, respect, moved, and a bit of heartache!


    Her heart seemed to be slowly melting...


    By now, Su Chen had already spat blood two or three times, and the blood was so striking that it almost stained the steps red!


    But Su Chen''s eyes at this moment had nothing else in them, only thosest two steps!


    After stabilizing himself a bit, he resolutely took another step forward without any hesitation!


    "Ah!"


    A painful groan involuntarily escaped from his throat, and then he couldn''t help but spit out arge mouthful of blood again!


    He felt like his bones might give out at any moment!


    His back was already bent almost ny degrees, as if he were carrying a mountain!


    The impact force continued to crash into his body, causing him immense suffering!


    Su Chen could clearly feel the surging power within him, seemingly ready to explode!


    Su Chen barely managed to stand a bit beforeboriously lifting the other leg slowly!


    As soon as itnded, an even more terrifying oppressive force hit, Su Chen couldn''t help but step back one or two steps, almost reaching the edge of the stairs!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming were both startled and were about to speak but held back, afraid of disturbing him!


    They looked at Su Chen on the steps, seeing his pale face devoid of any color, his entire body seemingly trembling violently!


    "Pfft!"


    Su Chen spat out tworge mouthfuls of blood again, his white shirt long since stained red!


    "This test is too perverse!"


    Su Chen barely stabilized his body, looking at the only remaining step, thinking silently!


    He slowly moved back to the middle of the stairs, crazily operating the Calm Spirit Body Technique to resist the terrifying oppression!


    Su Chen lingered on the ninthyer for a very long time, then looked at the final step!


    "Thest step!"


    He gritted his teeth tightly, his body not just at its limit, but wildly over-exerting it!


    In simpler terms, he was pushing himself to the extreme, not treating himself as human!


    As long as there was breath left, he would definitely step up!


    Su Chen was prepared to be oppressed by unimaginable pressure, he didn''t even know if he could withstand such pressure!


    But without a doubt, he wanted to step up!


    If you want it, then do it!


    Simple as that!


    So Su Chen once again lifted that extremely heavy leg and then heavily dropped it onto thest step!


    At this moment, Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming below were also extremely nervous!


    Thest step, can Su Chen withstand it?


    "Boom!"


    When his footnded on the step, a slight sound was heard, and the surging oppressive force hit like a huge wave, making Su Chen feel like a leaf boat in the ocean!


    "Boom!"


    Even more violent oppressive force enveloped his entire body, as if the leaf boat was shattered!


    "Pfft~~"


    Su Chen coughed up several mouthfuls of blood!


    "Boom!"


    The third wave of force was stronger, more violent, more terrifying, Su Chen''s waist was bent very low, he felt like he might be sted away by this mysterious force at any moment!


    These three waves of oppressive force were stronger than the one before, even the weakest of them was iparable to the previous ones!


    The overwhelming tidal wave-like oppression and impact made him feel so small and powerless!


    No, I absolutely cannot admit defeat!


    Su Chen''s eyes were filled with red, and his gaze was more determined!


    From who knows where, Su Chen slowly straightened his back, staring at the pce ahead!


    His movements were very slow, slower than a movie slow motion, because it was too painful, almost like purgatory!


    But ultimately, his waist straightened bit by bit!


    At the same time, his other foot was slowly lifted and then "thump"nded on the step!


    When the second footnded, the oppressive force suddenly increased again, as if topletely destroy him!


    Su Chen stubbornly stood there, with the oppressive force overwhelming him like an evil beast wanting to devour him!


    At this moment, Su Chen had only one thought, and that was to stabilize himself there!


    The overwhelming force kept crashing onto Su Chen''s body, yet he stood immovable!


    Who knows what kind of torment and pain he''s enduring at this moment!


    His muscles, his internal organs, every part of his body was subjected to an incredibly intense tearing sensation!


    The pain was absolutely inhuman, anyone else standing here might notst a second before being crushed!


    Yet a voice in Su Chen''s mind told him: Don''t give up! Don''t concede!


    So he continued to madly operate the Calm Spirit Body Technique and convinced himself to ignore the body''s sensations!


    Who knows how long it took, seconds? Minutes? Su Chen didn''t know!


    But all of a sudden, the oppressive force and impact like a storm suddenly vanished, disappearedpletely, nothing left!


    "What''s going on? How did it all disappear?"


    Su Chen murmured, had he passed the test?


    At this point, he felt like his body was no longer his own, every part of it bringing an indescribable pain!


    Yet, he felt a special kind of deep happiness from the bottom of his heart...

 Chapter 1130: Divine Abilities

    Su Chen simply couldn''t dare to recall the process just now; the pain he endured was countless times more difficult than ever before!


    He had no idea that these seemingly ordinary ten steps could be so terrifying!


    He didn''t even know how he managed to get through!


    However, at this moment, he felt a kind of satisfying joy!


    Because he seeded!


    At that moment, he nced downward, and Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming were looking at him with extreme worry!


    "Su Chen, how are you?"


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming asked in unison as they saw Su Chen looking over.


    Just now, Su Chen had vomited a lot of blood, clearly indicating that his situation was not optimistic; naturally, they were very worried!


    Su Chen originally wanted to speak but found he temporarily couldn''t utter a single word!


    He could only manage to smile at both of them, indicating he could still hold on...


    After a while, Su Chen finally spoke to the two of them:


    "Try it yourselves; see if you cane up now."


    The oppressive force around him had vanished, but he wasn''t sure if Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming would encounter it upon ascending, so he asked them to give it a try!


    Upon hearing this, Lan Xinyi walked towards the steps, but as soon as she stepped onto them, she felt the same oppressive force and impact as before!


    "It''s still not possible!"


    Lan Xinyi shook her head and said to Su Chen:


    "You go in alone; we''ll wait for you here!"


    Su Chen immediately understood; it wasn''t that the oppressive force hadpletely disappeared, but that he had ovee all the steps andpleted the trial!


    "Alright then, wait for me!"


    Su Chen said, not believing there was another way into the pce; otherwise, the test of the steps would be unnecessary!


    After speaking, Su Chen turned and walked into the pce, his heart filled with anticipation, having gone through such difficulties to reach this point!


    Upon entering, he discovered the space inside was quiterge, and the lighting was adequate!


    On the main tform of the pce, there was a high pedestal; besides a long desk, there was nothing else!


    Yet, the pce''s surroundings were opulent, contrasting sharply with the ruins they had encountered before!


    However, Su Chen was not focused on the decorations; upon entering, he sensed an exceptionally dense Yuan Qi!


    Its richness surpassed even therge Gathering Yuan Formation he had set up!


    Su Chen followed the direction of the Yuan Qi emission and arrived at a corner where there were two small boxes, seemingly the source of the Yuan Qi!


    Su Chen first opened one box, and upon doing so, he was utterly shocked!


    Because inside the small box were various Spirit Fruits and some elixirs!


    Once he saw the contents of the box, Su Chen''s eyes immediately shed with brilliance!


    Su Chen picked up each item and examined them; some he recognized, but there were others unfamiliar to him!


    Unquestionably, these were very precious treasures,parable to the Jade Spirit Pill, or even more valuable!


    Then Su Chen opened another small box, and this time he waspletely awe-struck!


    Spirit Stones, an entire box full of Spirit Stones!


    Though the box was about the same size as the previous one, it held some two to three hundred Spirit Stones!


    That''s not the key point; the key is the quality of these Spirit Stones was exceptionally high!


    The Yuan Qi contained within these Spirit Stones was far superior to any Su Chen had obtained before¡ªit was simply iparable!


    The value of each Spirit Stone was enormous!


    He always felt hecked cultivation resources, having none! But now, suddenly having so many resources felt like overnight wealth!


    Su Chen did not hesitate, directly cing all the items into the Cangyue Ring, as if someone mightpete for them!


    Luckily, he had the Cangyue Ring, or else it would be inconvenient to transport them!


    Quickly enough, those two boxes were emptied entirely!


    Su Chen then took another round to see if there might still be treasure hidden somewhere!


    Su Chen believed that reaching this point meant treasures wouldn''t be hidden too deeply, given they had already passed several checkpoints!


    If it were someone else, they wouldn''t even reach this point!


    Firstly, there''s no breaking through that formation, meaning the Stone Chamber couldn''t be found, the mechanism wouldn''t be triggered, and definitely not descended!


    The most crucial was the terrifying stair test!


    At this stage, what reason would there be to hide anything?


    Truth be told, Su Chen vaguely felt that the tenyer stair test was about testing steadfast will and character. Cultivation was secondary!


    No matter how strong one''s cultivation, as long as the mind has even a slight instability, one probably wouldn''t seed!


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly discovered that on the desk below the high pedestal in the pce''s main position, a purple light cluster appeared!


    "Hmm, what is that?"


    Su Chen murmured curiously to himself and then walked over to the tform, quickly reaching the desk''s side!


    The purple light cluster hovered in front of him, extremely dazzling!


    Curiously and cautiously, Su Chen stretched his hand towards the light cluster but felt nothing!


    How did a light cluster suddenly appear?


    Su Chen was very puzzled and curious!


    At that moment, the light cluster slowly vanished, and unexpectedly, a jade slip appeared in Su Chen''s hand!


    Su Chen didn''t even know how the jade slip ended up in his hand, nor where it came from!


    Su Chen felt like the purple light cluster had been absorbed by the jade slip!


    Not help but studying the glistening jade slip!


    "Boom!"


    At this moment, the jade slip suddenly released a purple glow that shot into Su Chen''s mind!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    A segment of profound information suddenly shed in Su Chen''s mind, and he eximed!


    Fortunately, he had already experienced information from the previous three cultivation techniques appearing in his mind, so he quickly calmed down and carefully examined the sudden information!


    Thousand Hand Seal¡ªDivine Abilities!


    The first line of information Su Chen saw was this!


    Afterwards was the introduction of the Thousand Hand Seal and its cultivation method, quiteplex!


    In his mind, Su Chen continued exploring, instantly feeling joyous!


    It turns out the Thousand Hand Seal is a martial skill, and a very powerful one!


    Upon starting, a single palm strike can form three palm prints, each capable of being real or illusory, entirely controlled by thoughts!


    He couldn''t help but think: In actualbat, using this martial skill, opponents would never know which palm print is real¡ªhow could they defend against it?


    Suppressing his excitement, Su Chen continued reading the information in his mind, growing increasingly exhrated!

 Chapter 1131: Recuperation

    ording to the information provided above, the more you cultivate the Thousand Hand Seal, the more palm prints you can form, eventually even forming thousands of palm prints in theter stages!


    Seeing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but gape!


    Thousands of palm prints?!


    Just how powerful would that be? Even immortals might not be able to withstand it, right?!


    Of course, the more palm prints you want to control, the stronger your spiritual power or telekinesis needs to be!


    The mental power of an average martial artist can at most control only a few dozen palm prints!


    Even so, Su Chen was extremely satisfied!


    This is definitely a very, very powerful martial technique!


    It also specifically emphasized above that this cultivation technique cannot be shared with others!


    In fact, even without this information, Su Chen certainly wouldn''t share it easily!


    Su Chen was a bit puzzled, though, as this was clearly a martial technique, why was it initially introduced as a Divine Ability?


    Could it be because this martial technique is too powerful, so they use such a grand term to describe it?


    Su Chen didn''t know if this was the case, but it didn''t matter to him!


    He just needed to know that the Thousand Hand Seal was incredible!


    At this moment, Su Chen felt that his greatest gain from this trip was not the box of spirit fruits and elixirs, nor the box of premium spirit stones, but this immensely exciting martial technique¡ªthe Thousand Hand Seal!


    Su Chen had always wanted to obtain a very powerful martial technique, but had never been able to get his wish!


    Unexpectedly, he stumbled upon such a heaven-defying martial technique here!


    Just for this, the ruins expedition was absolutely worth it!


    At this moment, Su Chen noticed that there seemed to be a ck stone-like object embedded on the desk, with only half exposed!


    "What is this?"


    Su Chen nced at it curiously and was about to pull it out, but didn''t expect it to be quite slippery, making it difficult to exert force.


    So Su Chen took out a dagger and slowly carved around the stone-like object.


    The desk itself wasn''t anything special, perhaps just made from good material. After a few swipes, Su Chen opened it and extracted the object!


    The item was jet-ck and shiny, smooth to the touch, and quitefortable!


    Su Chen examined it but didn''t see anything special, so he didn''t think much of it and just put it into the Cangyue Ring!


    Afterward, Su Chen carefully looked around again and, finding nothing else, walked out of the pce!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming saw Su Chening out with a broad smile and guessed he must have gained something!


    However, they were still a little worried about how Su Chen would get down; would it be like when he climbed up?


    In his current state, Su Chen feared he couldn''t repeat such a feat!


    Su Chen wasn''t worried. He was almost certain this staircase was a test; since he had passed it,ing down should be fine!


    Sure enough, when Su Chen descended the stairs, they were no different from ordinary stairs, which was quite miraculous!


    "Let''s divide the spoils!"


    Su Chen said with a smile, taking out all the spirit fruits, elixirs, and spirit stones from the Cangyue Ring and tossing them on the ground!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming were stunned by the ground full of spirit fruits, elixirs, and spirit stones!


    They recognized more things than Su Chen, especially Lan Xinyi!


    Looking at the treasures one after another, they could hardly believe their eyes!


    "Su Chen, where did you hide these things just now?"


    Zhu Ming asked curiously.


    Lan Xinyi had previously asked the same question about where he had hidden his sword, but Su Chen had casually brushed it off with a joke at the time.


    "Alright, hurry up and take a look, pick some!"


    Su Chen also said with a smile.


    He knew that Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming would definitely be curious seeing him take out these things from the Cangyue Ring.


    But some things are personal secrets, and Su Chen naturally wouldn''t talk about them if he didn''t have to, which is a normal thing!


    Moreover, very few in the Ancient Martial World knew about storage rings, almost none, so they probably wouldn''t know!


    Of course, if they did know about storage rings and guessed, it was no big deal!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the two no longer asked!


    They soon shifted their attention back to the treasures!


    To be honest, they hadn''t known each other long, and for Su Chen to take out these treasures was extremely generous and magnanimous!


    At least most people would never do that!


    "These are all premium spirit stones!"


    Lan Xinyi eximed as she looked at the spirit stones, which naturally were the most eye-catching of the treasures!


    Of course, the other treasures were also valuable!


    "Stop just looking and hurry up and choose."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming then started picking and soon selected some items!


    Seeing that they had picked too little, Su Chen randomly grabbed some more and gave them!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming were reluctant to ept, feeling they hadn''t contributed much, and the items they had taken were already quite valuable, making them embarrassed!


    Though many treasures were present, they were ultimately obtained by Su Chen through his own efforts, as his own possessions!


    But in the end, they couldn''t resist Su Chen and had to ept, feeling very touched!


    Su Chen then put the remaining items back into the Cangyue Ring, while Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming marveled at the treasures disappearing into thin air!


    They spected that Su Chen must have some treasure that can store items, but what it was, they had no clue!


    "Su Chen, why don''t we heal here before leaving?"


    Lan Xinyi suggested.


    She knew that every year upon leaving, people often encounter others trying to steal treasures!


    At this moment, all three of them had some injuries, especially Su Chen''s, which were the most serious!


    "Alright."


    Su Chen nodded; Ouyang Jing had also mentioned this point to him before.


    He also felt it was prudent to heal before heading out!


    So the three found corners to start cultivating. For martial artists, cultivation is the best way to heal!


    All three took a Jade Spirit Pill and began their cultivation!


    Time unknowingly passed a day, and Su Chen felt the effects of the Jade Spirit Pill were almost done. His injuries were still not fully healed, especially the internal ones, so he took another Jade Spirit Pill!


    He had a lot of resources now, so he used them liberally!


    While Su Chen was still absorbing the effects of the second Jade Spirit Pill, Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming finished cultivating!


    They had lighter injuries before, so they were already healed!


    They waited on the side for Su Chen...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1132: Homeward Bound

    Su Chen cultivated there for a total of four days and consumed three Jade Spirit Pills!


    During these four days, not only did his external and internal injuries almostpletely heal, but his cultivation also progressed by leaps and bounds, with the Meridian Expansion Peak not far away!


    "Alright, let''s get ready to leave this ce!"


    After Su Chen had almost fully absorbed the medicinal power of thest Jade Spirit Pill, he stood up and said.


    "Okay!"


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming naturally agreed; this ruins expedition was definitely the most rewarding for them!


    In fact, it was more than just rewarding. For example, Lan Xinyi received treasures from Su Chen that possibly surpassed all the treasures Yunhai Hall had acquired from the ruins over so many years!


    Of course, Su Chen garnered the most significant haul!


    However, Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming weren''t envious, as he earned it through his own knowledge, abilities, courage, and resolve!


    They were more like bystanders, and such gains were already pleasantly surprising for them!


    However, Su Chen felt a bit unsatisfied because he didn''t find any weapons, like Spiritual Artifacts. Even if there were no Spiritual Artifacts, he at least hoped to get a few Magic Artifacts!


    Unfortunately, there were no weapons inside!


    Su Chen then shook his head, realizing he was indeed greedy, despite gaining so many benefits, he still wasn''t content!


    Of course, for Su Chen, this journey wasn''t just about these gains; even his God Suppression Body made some progress!


    However, the most significant gain of this trip was undoubtedly the immensely powerful Martial Technique¡ªThousand Hand Seal!


    Undoubtedly, if he mastered this Thousand Hand Seal, his strength would be greatly enhanced!


    Then, to avoid unnecessary trouble, they returned the way they hade.


    A dayter, Su Chen and the others appeared beneath the stone chamber where they had fallen earlier.


    Though it was about twenty meters high, since they were on a ruins expedition, ropes and such were definitely essential!


    Lan Xinyi tossed a rope up, hooking it onto the edge of the opened ground, and then climbed up along the rope.


    Zhu Ming climbed up next, and Su Chen was thest!


    After Su Chen climbed up, he leaned against the wall and headed to the grid in the stone chamber where earlier, the ground had fully opened, but the part closest to the wall still retained a narrow edge to walk over.


    He pressed a mechanism under the grid, causing the previously sunken section to rebound, and the ground slowly closed back up, looking exactly as it did before, showing no signs of difference!


    "Let''s go!"


    Su Chen said and continued to walk outside, with Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming following him out!


    In the round hall, those who had been dealt with by Su Chen before were still lying there, and Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming couldn''t help but feel emotional upon seeing this scene again!


    Su Chen, however, didn''t feel much; since they wanted to kill him, they naturally had to be prepared to be killed!


    This is the most basic principle in the world of Martial Artists!


    Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming naturally understood this because if Su Chen had lost then, these people would probably not, no, definitely not have spared Su Chen!


    After the three of them left the ruins, they didn''t linger and continued to walk forward!


    Now, they were naturally heading towards the outside of the ruins, then preparing to return to their respective ces!


    Along the way, the three of them chatted andughed, feeling quite rxed and happy!


    Lan Xinyi had heard of Zhu Ming before but they had no interactions at the time, and she didn''t understand him!


    This time, through Su Chen, they got acquainted, and Lan Xinyi found Zhu Ming to be quite nice, at least pleasant to get along with!


    Besides, through certain encounters, his character was decent, proving to be a person worthy of friendship!


    Along the way, they indeed encountered a few people who wanted to rob them, but once they heard the name of Lan Xinyi, the youngdy of Yunhai Hall, they instantly ran away!


    After all, apart from those top-notch forces, Yunhai Hall was already among the top forces in the Ancient Martial World, and ordinary people dared not provoke them!


    Neither the Zhu Family nor the Liewu Sect couldpare too much; in reality, they were still a slight notch below Yunhai Hall!


    Two or three dayster, Su Chen and the others had already walked out of the mountains, reaching the foot, where it was time to part ways!


    The three people had built a good rapport over these days, and naturally found it hard to part!


    Su Chen and Zhu Ming, being men, found it a bit easier; Zhu Ming bid farewell to Su Chen and Lan Xinyi before leaving!


    Although Zhu Ming had a low cultivation, he wasn''t foolish, having long noticed that Lan Xinyi seemed somewhat special towards Su Chen, so he left first!


    Before leaving, Zhu Ming smiled meaningfully at Lan Xinyi, causing her to blush immediately!


    "Then I''ll be going too."


    After Zhu Ming left, Lan Xinyi said to Su Chen timidly.


    "Mhmm."


    Su Chen nodded; he hadn''t noticed anything special from Lan Xinyi towards him, at least for now, considering her just a good friend.


    "Xinyi, if you get bored, you cane to my ce in Yandu to hang out."


    Su Chen casually said to Lan Xinyi.


    This was merely a simple invitation from Su Chen; he had said simr things while bidding farewell to Zhu Ming!


    However, upon hearing these words, Lan Xinyi''s heart pounded rapidly, wondering if his invitation to his house implied something?


    She sneaked a peek at Su Chen, seeing a clear light in his eyes, immediately realizing she was overthinking it!


    This made her even more embarrassed!


    "Lan Xinyi, what nonsense are you thinking! Aren''t you ashamed!"


    Lan Xinyi thought to herself.


    She thenposed herself and casually said to Su Chen:


    "Alright, I''ve never been to Yandu, and I''d love to visit!"


    "Great, I''ll be sure to take you around Yandu when the timees!"


    Su Chenughed.


    Then the two of them drove off in different directions; they didn''t return to that hotel where they first met as they both had already checked out!


    Moreover, they were directly heading back now; previously, it was justte, so they had stayed there for a night!


    Su Chen drove his off-road vehicle directly towards the airport he had taken earlier, and Lan Xinyi naturally returned to Yunhai Hall!


    That night, Su Chen already boarded a ne heading to Yandu!


    He had been away for about ten days and honestly missed Lin Ruoxue and others very much!


    Thinking of those women, he slightly closed his eyes for a short rest, a happy smile forming at the corner of his mouth...


    After a while, a rumbling sound arose, and the ne slowly ascended, flying towards Yandu...

 Chapter 1133: A Twist of Fate

    By the afternoon of the next day, the ne finallynded slowly at Yandu Airport!


    "It''s still nice to be back!"


    After Su Chen exited the airport doors, he couldn''t help but take a deep breath of fresh air!


    After walking for a while, he casually hailed a taxi and got in!


    More than half an hourter, he finally reached the foot of Yuquan Mountain, and Su Chen asked the driver to stop the car there!


    After getting out, Su Chen headed straight up.


    He wanted to give those women a surprise!


    When he reached the entrance, he gently pushed the door open and walked in. After a short walk, the front yard seemed very quiet, with no sign of activity, as if no one was there!


    "What''s going on here?"


    Su Chen muttered to himself after entering:


    "Could everyone be in the back yard?"


    So he tiptoed towards the back. To get to the back yard, one naturally had to pass through the area with the hot spring pool.


    At this moment, he noticed a woman resting on a recliner, wearing a one-piece swimsuit!


    The swimsuit perfectly outlined her impable golden-ratio figure!


    She had evidently just soaked in the hot spring, as numerous droplets of water remained on her fair skin, glistening under the sunlight, giving a special allure!


    However, at the moment, her face was covered by a sunhat, evidently because the sunlight was somewhat ring!


    Seeing this scene, Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lips into a mischievous smile!


    He tiptoed over, then sat beside the recliner, simultaneously cing a big hand on the smooth, white skin!


    "Wifey, why didn''t you go to thepany today?"


    Su Chen''srge hand softly stroked the smooth skin, and the feeling was naturally wonderful!


    "Ah!"


    At this moment, a startled scream burst out!


    At the same time, the delicate body suddenly trembled with spasms, and a long, slender leg kicked Su Chen hard, with quite a force!


    Su Chen never expected to encounter such a situation, and ended up being kicked into the hot spring pool beside them, sshing water everywhere!


    "Wifey, what are you doing?"


    Su Chen was understandably upset about being kicked into the water, wiped the water off his face, and said aggrievedly.


    He was just back to get a little closer to his wife and give her a surprise!


    Can''t he even do that? Was it necessary to kick him into the pool with one strong kick?


    At this moment, the woman on the recliner also stood up, and once Su Chen got a clear look at her, he was dumbfounded and at a loss!


    Because the woman was not Lin Ruoxue!


    If it wasn''t Lin Ruoxue, it would be slightly better if it were any other woman staying at the vi!


    But it was neither, the woman was actually Luo Xiwen!


    "What are you trying to do?"


    Luo Xiwen, looking at Su Chen with a face full of vignce, said!


    She had been restingfortably when suddenly a pair of big hands stroked her body, which startled her heavily, instinctively kicking out!


    Although her legs were very slender and long, the sudden burst of power from fear was quite strong!


    "What do you think I''m trying to do?"


    Su Chen climbed out of the hot spring pool while retorting with a displeased expression:


    "How was I supposed to know it was you?"


    To be honest, one couldn''t me Su Chen for mistaking Luo Xiwen for Lin Ruoxue!


    Firstly, Luo Xiwen''s height and body proportions were simr to Lin Ruoxue, and both had wless fair skin, almost like could burst through the surface!


    Moreover, Luo Xiwen had covered her face with a sunhat earlier, making it impossible for Su Chen to see her face clearly!


    Of course, the key reason for Su Chen''s mistake was that Luo Xiwen was wearing Lin Ruoxue''s swimsuit!


    Su Chen had no idea Luo Xiwen was there, so naturally, upon entering, he assumed it was Lin Ruoxue lying there, and his actions were normal!


    But he never imagined that the person lying there was actually Luo Xiwen!


    Realizing this, Luo Xiwen perhaps understood that he genuinely mistook her for Lin Ruoxue, given she was wearing Lin Ruoxue''s swimsuit!


    "What''s going on?"


    At this point, several women ran out from the backyard, including Lin Ruoxue, Eniel Qi Meng, and Qian Ying!


    They ran out because they heard the noise near the hot spring pool!


    "Hubby, you''re back!"


    As soon as Lin Ruoxue appeared, she saw Su Chen, and her beautiful eyes instantly sparkled with joy!


    Then she rushed into Su Chen''s arms, hugging him tightly!


    The other women also showed expressions of obvious surprise and happiness upon seeing Su Chen!


    "Yes, I''m back!"


    Su Chen also hugged Lin Ruoxue tightly, smiled gently, then kissed her cheek!


    "Hey! So many people are watching!"


    Lin Ruoxue blushed and scolded.


    "They''re all our people anyway!"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    Seeing this scene, the other women alsoughed with a "giggling"!


    "What are youughing at? Eniel,e here, let hubby give you a kiss too!"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    Eniel also came over without hesitation, and upon hearing, she walked directly over to give Su Chen a kiss on the cheek!


    Su Chen looked at Qi Meng and Qian Ying, contemting whether to treat everyone equally?


    However, for the sake of his life safety, Su Chen thought for a moment and decided to postpone it for now!


    "By the way, hubby, what were you and Xiwen talking about just now?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked curiously:


    "And why are your clothes wet?"


    "No, it''s nothing!"


    Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, before Su Chen could speak, Luo Xiwen quickly denied it eagerly!


    "Su Chen, could it be that you were up to something improper with Xiwen, which is why you got kicked into the water?"


    With a nce, Qi Meng casually said yfully.


    Qi Meng was just saying it casually, never expecting it to be so close to the truth!


    Upon hearing, Luo Xiwen''s heart skipped a beat, feeling somewhat guilty!


    "What nonsense are you speaking!"


    Su Chen deliberately retorted, feeling a bit guilty as well!


    Although he harbored no improper motives towards Luo Xiwen, he did take advantage of her moments ago!


    After conversing briefly, everyone headed towards the backyard!


    Luo Xiwen inadvertently gave Su Chen a fierce re; the advantage Su Chen took might only be unfairly taken!


    Su Chen had mistaken her for Lin Ruoxue, so one could imagine the intimacy and boldness of the actions!


    Luo Xiwen had never been treated so forwardly by a man, naturally feeling quite annoyed!


    Yet she wouldn''t speak about such things, only ring at Su Chen as a way to express her feelings!


    Su Chen could only pretend not to see, feeling quite wronged about the whole thing!


    Although Luo Xiwen''s skin did feel extraordinarily good!


    The women then gathered in the living room, while Su Chen first took a shower, changed clothes, and also went to the backyard living room...

 Chapter 1134: The Fickleness of Women

    After Su Chen came to the living room for a while, he finally understood the gist of it.


    Luo Xiwen had moved to the vi a few days ago, of course, it was Lin Ruoxue who asked her to move here, because Su Chen said that living in this vi is especially good for health!


    Lin Ruoxue also indeed found that her health significantly improved after moving here!


    The rtionship between Lin Ruoxue and Luo Xiwen needs no further boration. When something good is avable, it''s natural to share it, so she let her move in!


    Curious about Lin Ruoxue''s mystical talk, Luo Xiwen came to check it out!


    Indeed, as soon as she came here, she felt incredibly refreshed andfortable, instantly falling in love with the ce!


    Moreover, with so many women living here, and several not being Su Chen''s women, there seemed to be nothing to be too discreet about, so she moved in!


    Of course, besides these, the beautifully designed hot spring was particrly attractive to her!


    In the days after moving in, she liked soaking in the hot spring when she had nothing to do!


    And after a few days, she found that the women in the vi were quite friendly and easy to get along with, so she quickly became familiar with everyone!


    Coincidentally, today was Sunday. Xia Qiuru and Du Hanbing went shopping together, while Lin Ruoxue and others were casually chatting in the living room!


    After spending so much time together, especially during the days Su Chen was away, these women had be extremely harmonious in their rtionships!


    Luo Xiwen had been chatting as well, but after a while, she came out to soak in the hot spring!


    After soaking for a bit, shey down on a lounge chair to rest, feeling veryfortable!


    She had asked Lin Ruoxue before why Su Chen wasn''t around, but Lin Ruoxue only knew he had gone out and didn''t know when he''d be back!


    Luo Xiwen didn''t pay much attention to it, but she never expected Su Chen to suddenly return and, upon arrival, make such a gesture towards her!


    As a result, at this moment in the living room, Luo Xiwen would asionally shoot Su Chen a fierce re!


    Of course, she didn''t dare make such actions too obvious!


    Su Chen found her quite interesting, but he pretended not to see it, leaving Luo Xiwen feeling like she had punched the air, clenching her teeth in frustration!


    With Su Chen''s return, Lin Ruoxue and Eniel were incredibly happy, as were Qi Meng and Qian Ying!


    Seeing this, Luo Xiwen couldn''t help but pout. She was undoubtedly the most annoyed at the moment!


    One must admit, women are indeed fickle!


    Last time, when Su Chen was willing to sacrifice himself to save Lin Ruoxue, she thought deeply that a woman with such a man should have no regrets!


    She even felt that there was no other man like him in the world!


    But at this moment, her thoughts were different; she wondered what was so good about this guy to make everyone so happy!


    In the evening, Xia Qiuru, Du Hanbing, along with Huang Menglei and Yan Xi, returned carryingrge and small bags!


    Each of them was very happy to see Su Chen, and naturally, Su Chen kissed Xia Qiuru and Du Hanbing, making the two women a bit embarrassed!


    But afterwards, the women started picking through their spoils in the living room, including clothes, cosmetics, etc.!


    Su Chen was then sent off to make dinner!


    Of course, Su Chen quite enjoyed cooking, and in no time, he was busy in the kitchen!


    Around eight in the evening, Su Chen prepared a table full of dishes, all of which were visually appealing and delicious!


    Although Su Chen now rarely cooked, everyone still preferred his cooking!


    Each of the women ate a bit too much, and even Luo Xiwen, after tasting such delicious food, felt much better, her dissatisfaction with him subsiding a bit!


    Of course, Luo Xiwen was mainly just unused to being treated so frivolously by a man, hence her irritation!


    Luo Xiwen had often heard Lin Ruoxue say that her husband''s cooking was amazing, and she had been somewhat skeptical, but today, tasting it herself, she realized it was true!


    After dinner, Su Chen and the women strolled in the courtyard for over half an hour before everyone went back to their rooms to do what they needed to do!


    Luo Xiwen naturally stayed in the front vi, just like Huang Menglei, Qi Meng, and others!


    Su Chen, on the other hand, went to the room with Lin Ruoxue. The first night back was, of course, for Lin Ruoxue, the legitimate wife!


    The two had been apart for more than ten days, and that night, they fully released the passion that had been pent up for so long!


    By midnight, both were drenched in sweat!


    Lin Ruoxuey weakly on Su Chen''s chest, her beautiful eyes filled with deep affection!


    Su Chen leaned back, lit a cigarette, and began to smoke.


    At this moment, holding Lin Ruoxue, Su Chen truly understood the meaning of home being the harbor of love!


    For Su Chen now, no matter what he did outside or how long he stayed out, he would eventually have to return to this home!


    This was where his heart could truly find rest!


    The two didn''t say much, but they could clearly sense each other''s feelings, a kind of bloodline fusion feeling, as if they were an inseparable part of each other''s life!


    ....


    Early the next morning, basking in the sunshine, the two woke up embraced in each other''s arms!


    They lingered in bed for a while before getting up and heading to the dining room!


    Today''s breakfast was made by Xia Qiuru and Qi Meng, and when Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue arrived, almost everyone was there!


    Everyone could clearly see that Lin Ruoxue looked different from the past few days, presumably the result of love''s nourishment!


    After a hearty breakfast, those who had to go to work left, including Lin Ruoxue, Xia Qiuru, Luo Xiwen, and Yan Xi!


    Qian Ying, being in charge of protecting Lin Ruoxue, naturally left too!


    Su Chen distributed some of the treasures he obtained from the ruins to Huang Menglei, Qi Meng, and Eniel!


    Although many of the women, including Huang Menglei, didn''t recognize everything, it didn''t stop them from knowing the value of those things!


    Not to mention other things, just the Spirit Stones alone were far superior to ordinary ones, containing much more powerful Yuan Qi than regr Spirit Stones!


    Those Elixirs, Spirit Fruits, and so on were definitely not ordinary items at first nce!


    Qi Meng and Eniel were both amazed, wondering where Su Chen had gone to, returning with so many invaluable treasures!


    Huang Menglei knew Su Chen had gone to the ruins, but she hadn''t expected him to bring back so many treasures!


    Each item was invaluable to a Martial Artist!


    After receiving the treasures, they quickly returned to their rooms to cultivate!


    Although Su Chen obtained a lot of treasures, there were also many cultivators around him, and naturally, he had to take care of everyone...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1135: Thousand Hand Seal

    Yesterday, after just returning, he didn''t rush to distribute it. Su Chen nned to wait for Yan Xi and Qian Ying to return in the evening before giving their share.


    Apart from the women around him, Sun Yang and Yunlong also needed to be left some.


    Then Su Chen went to the separate courtyard where Ouyang Jing lived to deliver some to him. If it weren''t for Ouyang Jing informing him about the relics, he wouldn''t have gained so much!


    He truly needed to thank Ouyang Jing properly!


    When he arrived at the adjoining courtyard, Ouyang Jing immediately gave him a warm hug!


    To be honest, these days Ouyang Jing was quite worried about Su Chen''s safety, as he wasn''t from the Ancient Martial World and it was his first time visiting the relics!


    Actually, when Su Chen returned yesterday, Ouyang Jing was already aware. Although he lived in a separate courtyard, he still paid special attention to whether anyone entered the vige!


    In any case, he had to protect the women in the vige. If anything happened to them, he wouldn''t have the face to see Su Chen!


    When Su Chen ced those elixirs, spirit fruits, and spirit stones on the table, Ouyang Jing was utterly stunned!


    In terms of knowledge, Ouyang Jing was even more insightful than Lan Xinyi. When he saw those treasures, he found it simply unbelievable!


    "Su Chen, you''ve hit the jackpot?!"


    Ouyang Jing looked at Su Chen and blurted out a sentence!


    "Yes, indeed, I''ve struck it rich!"


    Su Chen joked:


    "These are for you. Take them!"


    "For me?!"


    Ouyang Jing stammered, then shook his head:


    "No, no, these things are too precious; I can''t ept them!"


    "Ouyang, if it weren''t for your information, I wouldn''t have had the chance to get these, so take them with peace of mind."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "I just told you about the relics; in fact, most people in the Ancient Martial World already know about them, so it''s nothing!"


    Ouyang Jing shook his head, saying that these things were indeed too precious; just the spirit stones alone would make most factions in the Ancient Martial World extremely envious!


    He hadn''t really done anything, so how could he ept such valuable items?!


    "Alright, are we not friends? If we are, then stop being so awkward!"


    Su Chen suddenly pulled a long face and said.


    "This..."


    Ouyang Jing, a straightforward person, was momentarily at a loss for words!


    "Alright, since we''re friends, don''t be so petty, be straightforward!"


    Su Chen continued.


    "Then... alright then!"


    Since Su Chen insisted, Ouyang Jing had no choice but to ept.


    Su Chen''s generosity made him admire him greatly; such treasures are not something one would easily give away!


    "By the way, Ouyang, how''s your cultivation been going recently? I feel like you''ve improved again!"


    Seeing he finally epted it, Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "The previous bottleneck has been broken through!"


    Excitedly, Ouyang said, seeing Su Chen inquire about it:


    "I feel I''m very close to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage now, and with the aid of these treasures you gifted me, I''m confident I''ll reach the Kaiyuan Middle Stage soon!"


    In fact, Ouyang Jing felt these treasures were more than enough to support him to cultivate to the Kaiyuan Late Stage or even beyond!


    "Then congrattions!"


    Su Chen said sincerely.


    "I see your cultivation has also made a breakthrough after this trip to the relics!"


    Ouyang Jing alsomented happily; he could surely tell Su Chen had reached the Ninth Layer of Meridian Expansion!


    But he also knew, Su Chen''s cultivation seemed impossible to measure by usual means, leaving one quite puzzled!


    After chatting for a while, Su Chen went back to cultivate!


    Although Su Chen received many treasures, after distributing them among so many people, he actually didn''t have much left for himself!


    However, Su Chen didn''t mind this; he was still happy to help those around him!


    He was never someone who didn''t know how to share!


    After Su Chen entered the room, he neither cultivated the Nine Yang Divine Technique nor the Supreme Star Shifting Technique but instead explored andprehended the Thousand Hand Seal!


    He nned to focus on mastering the powerful martial technique, Thousand Hand Seal!


    Once mastered, he could simultaneously unleash three palm prints, and their reality all depended on his will, which was controlled by his spiritual power!


    Although Su Chen hadn''t trained in any martial technique before, he knew that cultivating martial techniques required insight along with some practice!


    If you understood it, then you understood it!


    .....


    In the following days, Su Chen seemed to return to his old state, besidesprehending the Thousand Hand Seal, he also spent time with a few women in the hot spring and sometimes went for a stroll to thepany just to rx!


    Of course, he also spent intimate moments with his women, but the grand dream of everyone sleeping together had yet to be realized!


    Overall, the past ten days had been veryfortable and leisurely for Su Chen!


    One day, Su Chen came to the open ground at the back of the vige!


    He felt he had alreadyprehended the introduction of the Thousand Hand Seal, so he came here to test it!


    "Believe in yourself, you can do it!"


    Su Chen took a deep breath and said to himself!


    Then, recalling the key to the introduction of the Thousand Hand Seal, he suddenly struck towards the air with his palm!


    At the same time, three palm prints appeared in the void!


    Su Chen then moved his will, and immediately one of the palm prints shot out in the air, striking a bowl-sized tree in front of him!


    "Bang!"


    The bowl-thick tree immediately cracked and fell to the ground!


    "It worked!"


    Looking at this scene, Su Chen was overjoyed!


    He then struck another palm, and again three palm prints suddenly appeared in the void!


    This time, he used his will to control all three palm prints to simultaneously strike a piece of rock!


    The three parts of the rock were immediately shattered!


    "This martial technique is truly powerful; it''s literally hitting wherever I target!"


    Su Chen was genuinely thrilled!


    Of course, when all three palm prints were unleashed, the power of each was somewhat reduced, which was perfectly normal!


    The Thousand Hand Seal, apart from allowing Su Chen''s cultivation strength to be exerted to a greater extent, its greatest effect was its ghastly unpredictability!


    Because there''s no way to defend against it!


    This is just three palm prints; what if there were ten, a hundred, or even a thousand?


    That would truly be beyondprehension!


    Of course, for now, Su Chen could only imagine, because the more palm prints, the more spiritual power it would consume!


    Currently, Su Chen was fine, but if it were dozens of palm prints, his current spiritual power probably couldn''t support it!


    Still, Su Chen was already very pleased!


    Afterward, he yed happily in the back mountain, his palms constantly striking out. Sometimes he would use his will to control one palm print to strike, sometimes two, and sometimes three!


    Su Chen was having lots of fun there; even the surroundingrge trees were knocked down by dozens, and his True Yuan was also considerably depleted!


    But Su Chen didn''t care about that; at this moment, it was like a child with a new toy, having endless fun...

 Chapter 1136: Doubts

    Su Chen had been practicing in the back mountain for an hour or two, no, to be precise, he was ying around for an hour or two before he contentedly headed to the manor!


    At least after this hour or two, he had gotten a good grasp of the basics of the Thousand Hand Seal!


    Next, he should focus on cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique; reaching the Meridian Expansion Peak is his first goal!


    With therge Gathering Yuan Formation and those precious Spirit Fruits, Elixirs, and Spirit Stones to aid him, this is hardly a challenge!


    Additionally, he still needs to continue cultivating Star Energy, which is essentially Ster Power!


    Ster Poweres from countless stars, and although Su Chen has yet to reach the First Turn of the Supreme Star Shifting Technique, he has already witnessed the power of Ster Power countless times!


    One could say that Su Chen''s progress to this day has been greatly aided by Star Energy or rather Ster Power!


    Thankfully, the cultivation speed of Ster Power is now much faster than before, and Su Chen finds it much easier to use!


    With these thoughts in mind, Su Chen walked into the manor!


    Today is a normal working day, so Lin Ruoxue, Xia Qiuru, Luo Xiwen, and Yan Xi all went to work, and Qian Ying naturally followed Lin Ruoxue around!


    At home, only Eniel, Qi Meng, Du Hanbing, and Huang Menglei were left. They generally had a rxed lifestyle, besides cultivating, they often chatted, went shopping, dined out, and enjoyed hot springs!


    Sometimes, Su Chen felt like he was the most redundant one!


    For instance, when Su Chen walked in, he found the women soaking in the hot spring, not knowing what they were discussing, but they all had happy smiles on their faces!


    When Su Chen came in, the women just nced at him and continued their chatter, acting as if he didn''t exist!


    Feeling hurt, Su Chen quickly went to the room, donned swimming trunks, and forcefully joined in!


    He squeezed between Eniel and Qi Meng, spreading his arms back with a somewhat possessive air!


    On the left were Eniel and Huang Menglei, and on the right were Qi Meng and Du Hanbing!


    "Su Chen, did you purposely sit here to take advantage of Qi Meng?"


    Eniel teased after seeing this shameless guy forcefully squeeze in!


    "I was nning on taking advantage of you!"


    Su Chen responded with a grin, pulling Eniel closer and giving her a peck on the cheek.


    "Even if you wanted to, I doubt you''d have the guts!"


    Qi Meng said yfully, shooting Su Chen a nce with her beautiful eyes!


    Hearing Qi Meng''s words, the other women immediately burst outughing!


    In fact, by now all the women knew that Qi Meng would eventually move to the room at the back of the manor!


    It''s just that no one had really talked about it openly yet!


    This time, it was clear Qi Meng was making a small move again. She used to asionally tease Su Chen, and most of the time, Su Chen would retreat!


    But this moment in the hot spring pool made the atmosphere feel a bit different!


    Qi Meng''s graceful figure under her swimsuit seemed to speak of subtle temptations!


    In truth, Su Chen had always had feelings for Qi Meng!


    All the women could see this as well!


    It''s just that Su Chen asionally felt a bit embarrassed since Qi Meng had only moved in recently!


    But upon hearing Qi Meng''s words, his heart warmed, and he pulled Qi Meng''s willow-like waist closer, a mischievous smile ying on his lips as he said:


    "So how do you want me to take advantage of you?"


    As Su Chen spoke, his gaze lingered on the peaks of Qi Meng''s body!


    The other women cursed in their hearts about how shameless Su Chen was!


    How was Qi Meng supposed to reply to this?


    Qi Meng''s heart trembled, thinking Su Chen would dodge like thest few times, but this time, he didn''t!


    Her heart felt both sweet and a little flustered!


    Especially since Su Chen''s hand on her waist started acting up!


    Although he''d taken advantage of her before, they were at least clothed then!


    Now, d only in a swimsuit, her smooth waist felt particrly sensitive to Qi Meng!


    The crucial part was that Eniel, Du Hanbing, and Huang Menglei were all watching. Surely they noticed Su Chen''s cheeky moves!


    "Qi Meng, does this count as taking advantage of you?"


    Su Chen asked softly into Qi Meng''s ear, his gaze fixed on her.


    Of course, the other women heard it too!


    They all thought Su Chen was getting naughtier!


    Why taunt her yet still ask?!


    After all, Qi Meng is a woman!


    "If it doesn''t count, I can still..."


    "It counts, it counts!"


    Qi Meng hurriedly replied, almost wanting to bury her head in the water!


    At this point, her beautiful face had turned crimson, exceedingly beautiful!


    She used to be annoyed by Su Chen''s constant evasion, but now that he was not evading and was remarkably bold, Qi Meng felt a bit scared!


    She feared that Su Chen might take even bolder actions, knowing he was fully capable of doing so!


    After all, Eniel and the other women were watching!


    If he did something outrageous, wouldn''t she beughed atter?


    Seeing Qi Meng back down, Su Chen didn''t continue teasing but instead wrapped an arm around Eniel and Qi Meng''s fragrant shoulders!


    Qi Meng felt a mix of embarrassment and happiness in Su Chen''s embrace!


    Does this mean they''ve broken the unspoken barrier and confirmed their rtionship?


    Thinking about this confused Qi Meng even more!


    But regardless, she just felt extremely happy now!


    Su Chen felt slightly confused too; was it truly a confession? Though it somehow didn''t feel like it!


    Whatever! After all, it''s inevitable that Qi Meng will be his girl!


    Su Chen thought narcissistically and dominantly!


    At this moment, Huang Menglei went to the dining room and brought back a bottle of red wine and five wine sses. Everyone soaked in the hot spring, sipping wine, and watching the clouds roll across the sky, feeling very rxed!


    If everyday life were like this, Su Chen felt it would be like living a god''s life!


    Of course, Su Chen knew it was just a fantasy!


    Not to mention, the Song Family, ck de Alliance, and Peng Family probably wouldn''t leave things be!


    What puzzled Su Chen was that after so long, there had been no movement from these forces, as if they had retreated entirely!


    He knew those forces wouldn''t let it go!


    But Su Chen didn''t think too much of it!


    After all, these matters were minor to him, hardly worth worrying over!


    The family secret that always intrigued him was the Ximen n. Did they really not want the Token anymore?


    (ps: No updates for tonight; moreing tomorrow! Thank you all for your support!)

 Chapter 1137: Meridian Expansion Peak

    Because lying by the hot spring reminded Su Chen of the Ximen n and the token, after bathing and returning to his room, he couldn''t help but take out that pitch-ck, mottled token!


    Su Chen used to frequently take out this token to study it, but he never gained any insights despite many attempts, which dampened his interest!


    He hadn''t researched it for quite some time now.


    Just like before, with the token in hand, he still felt at a loss!


    After about an hour of research, Su Chen still couldn''t discern anything special about the token, so he stored it in the Cangyue Ring.


    Afterward, Su Chen devoted his time to cultivation!


    Su Chen hoped to break through to the Meridian Expansion Peak in one fell swoop, which would make his power equivalent to a martial artist at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    At that point, with the Ster Power and the God Suppression Body, along with the newlyprehended Thousand Hand Seal, he should be able to hold his own within the Kaiyuan Realm!


    At least dealing with the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection wouldn''t be a problem!


    The differentiation within the Kaiyuan Realm is different from before, starting with the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, then the Middle Stage, Late Stage, and finally the Kaiyuan Great Perfection!


    However, between the Late Stage and the Kaiyuan Great Perfection, there''s often another sub-stage called the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection!


    After all, there is quite a gap between the Kaiyuan Late Stage and the Great Perfection!


    So for the next week, Su Chen focused entirely on cultivation, even curbing his yful antics with the women, which made the women at the vi feel a bit unustomed!


    Finally, one afternoon a weekter, the True Yuan within Su Chen reached a harmonious and unified state, surging intensely like a resonance had urred!


    Su Chen immediately felt that the density of the True Yuan was a level higher than before!


    He knew this marked the breakthrough to the Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Su Chen felt as if his whole body became light, a feeling sofortable it was indescribable!


    He even felt like it was a dream, considering it had been less than two years since his dantian was destroyed, and just over a year since he truly began cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    He had never dared to imagine that he would cultivate to this level in such a short time!


    Of course, besides the Nine Yang Divine Technique''s formidable power, this also couldn''t be separated from Su Chen''s own talent, insight, and diligence!


    How could one reach certain heights without dedication?


    For example, the Gathering Yuan Formation, which yed a massive role in his cultivation, was something he spent great efforts studying!


    After breaking through the Meridian Expansion Peak, Su Chen finally allowed himself some rxation. He first took a shower and then drove to the Belle Group!


    Lately, Su Chen only visited once or twice, to be honest, his visits to the Belle Group this year could be counted on one hand!


    Every time the Belle Group employees saw him, the Public Rtions Director, they felt amazed, which was quite a rare phenomenon!


    Of course, no one dared to gossip randomly, not only because Su Chen was easygoing and down-to-earth but most importantly because he was the husband of President Lin!


    Who would talk behind his back if they valued their life!


    As Su Chen entered, three or four receptionists immediately stood up warmly and smiled, saying:


    "Hello, Director Su!"


    "Xiaojian, you''re looking more and more charmingtely!"


    Su Chen walked over, leaned on the reception desk, and said with a smile.


    The receptionist named Xiaojian immediately touched her face, showing a very happy expression upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    "Director Su, you only praise Xiaojian. Are we not as charming?"


    The other two or three girls pouted at his words.


    "You''re all charming and beautiful!"


    Su Chen replied with a yful smile, then his gaze fixed on the prominent area of one girl:


    "Xiaojing, it seems like that part of you has gotten bigger. Have you taken something?"


    "Director Su, what nonsense are you talking about?"


    Xiaojing feigned anger, lightly hitting Su Chen with a pink fist, coyly saying:


    "I''ve always been this big, okay?"


    "Oh, really? Did I remember it wrong?"


    Su Chen touched his chin and muttered "confusedly."


    "Director Su, why don''t you try it yourself to see if it''s really bigger!"


    The other girl teasingly suggested.


    "The problem is the director never tried it even before, so even if it got bigger, he wouldn''t know!"


    Su Chen said with some "difficulty."


    Of course, his gaze was still focused on Xiaojing''s area!


    If it were another man, Xiaojing would have pped him by now, but not with Su Chen!


    It''s not because Su Chen is the Public Rtions Director or Lin''s husband, it''s simply because she doesn''t dislike Su Chen!


    Yes, it''s strange, even though Su Chen smiles mischievously and has a roving eye, they aren''t too repulsed; instead, they feel bashful and embarrassed!


    Perhaps this is a man''s inherent charm or magic!


    And Su Chen seemed to possess that magic!


    At this moment, hearing the conversation between Su Chen and the girl beside her, Xiaojing blushed intensely:


    "Xiaoqi, why don''t you let Director Su try yours!"


    "Mine''s so small, not like yours have a good feel!"


    The girl named Xiaoqi retorted without losing to the provocation!


    There''s no denying that young girls nowadays are bolder than before!


    Although Su Chen doesn''t visit often, he''s familiar enough with these girls to joke around like this, having known them since Jianghai!


    Back then, Su Chen would asionally make simr jokes!


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but cast a nce at the girl named Xiaoqi and teased:


    "Xiaoqi, you''re mistaken. Precisely because it''s small, you need to massage it to stimte growth and make it bigger!"


    The girl named Xiaoqi blushed, her face turning a shade of camel red, and she unintentionally thought about how it would feel if Director Su massaged her!


    Then the girl quickly dismissed that slightly wicked thought from her mind!


    "Director Su, what are you doing?"


    Just then, a voice sounded from behind Su Chen.


    "Hello, Director Xia!"


    The reception girls immediately called out upon hearing the voice.


    "Director Xia, did you just return from outside?"


    Su Chen turned his head with a smile.


    Even though they had that kind of rtionship, they still addressed each other by their positions in front of the other group members, and the same went for Lin Ruoxue!


    This was a tacit understanding among everyone since they didn''t know about their rtionship!


    "Yes, just went out to handle some matters."


    Xia Qiuru nced at him and yfully said:


    "What are you doing? Are you harassing these youngdies?"

 Chapter 1138: An Important Question

    Actually, without asking Xia Qiuru also knows, this guy is definitely not having a proper chat with those few reception girls!


    No need to say anything else, just look at those girls'' rosy faces, shy expressions, and a bit of excitement to know!


    She really doesn''t understand why this guy is so popr with women!


    He rarelyes to the group, yet he seems to have a good rtionship with most of the women here!


    For instance, these few reception girls in front, chosen as the receptionist for such a big group like Belle, naturally have good looks!


    As for the PR department, which has the most beauties in the group, that goes without saying!


    Although she hasn''t seen it with her own eyes, she knows those women in the PR department are not proper in hispany!


    Actually, the one who feels most frustrated by this issue is probably Lin Ruoxue. This guy seems naturally able to be weed by women!


    Otherwise, there wouldn''t be so many women living in that manor now!


    Of course, regarding this matter, Lin Ruoxue has already figured it out!


    Since she loves this man, naturally she must love all of him, including his amorousness!


    Lin Ruoxue can figure it out, and naturally, other women too, especially the always gentle Xia Qiuru, because they all fell for this bad guy!


    She just saw him teasing the girls just now, so she was merely joking or teasing him a bit!


    "Director Xia, you''re ndering me, okay?"


    Su Chen slightly smiled as he said:


    "We were discussing some important issues just now!"


    "Oh, what important issues, I''d love to hear it!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Xia Qiuru couldn''t help but grumble inwardly. Important issues? Really?


    Ghosts wouldn''t believe it! No, not even ghosts!


    The few reception girls also couldn''t help but want tough upon hearing Su Chen''s words, but they didn''t dare!


    This Minister Su is just too farfetched!?


    Could discussing sizes there count as an important issue?


    But thinking about it, it actually might be considered a somewhat important issue!


    "We were discussing something regarding etiquette, you think about it, reception is the face of the group, isn''t this an important issue?"


    Su Chen said seriously without blushing.


    "Really?"


    Xia Qiuru tilted her head questioning, with a smile on her lips. She certainly didn''t believe they were discussing this issue!


    "Of course!"


    Su Chen then looked at the few reception girls and said:


    "Xiao Jing, Xiao Juan, Xiao Qian, weren''t we just discussing the precautions for group reception etiquette?"


    "Um, yes."


    The girls certainly nodded in agreement.


    They obviously couldn''t reveal the real content of their conversation just now!


    Xia Qiuru, of course, knew it wasn''t true, shot Su Chen a look, and then prepared to walk upstairs with her long legs!


    Xia Qiuru was merely asking casually, not intending anything!


    Just then, suddenly a roar of car engines sounded at the entrance, followed by a noisy sound, seeming like quite a few people were there watching!


    Su Chen heard themotion and turned to look outside, and at a nce, his eyes widened, blurting out:


    "This is way too shy?!"


    Only to see eight extended Rolls-Royces parked in the direction of the za!


    Perhaps ordinary people wouldn''t know, but Su Chen instantly saw these weren''t simple limited editions, but specially custom-made!


    If one doesn''t reach that level, just having money definitely wouldn''t achieve this!


    At least the status wouldn''t be below the Five Great Families in Yandu!


    However, the most eye-catching wasn''t these eight extraordinary cars, but the decorations on them!


    Because at this moment, there were plenty of roses ced on the roofs of the eight cars, and the cars were parked not in a straight line but in a specific arrangement, just making the roses on the roofs form the word "love"!


    At this time, people from other cars all got out, dressed in ck suits, looking very imposing!


    Then the door of the car in the middle opened too, and a person in a ck suit emerged, he got out and jogged to the back, pulling open the car door!


    Only to see a man dressed in a white suit stepping out!


    This person had blonde hair and blue eyes, his facial features were extremely delicate, more perfect-bodied than male models!


    "Wow, this man is here again!"


    The reception area could see outside, and Xiao Jing immediately shouted in amazement!


    "So spectacr!"


    Xiao Juan also said with a face full of envy, referring obviously to those huge prominent "love" signs made from roses on the cars!


    "If there were such a handsome guy treating me like this, I''d definitely go for it!"


    Xiao Qian expressed simrly.


    "Oh, is there anyone as handsome as our Minister?"


    Su Chen didn''t like hearing this instantly!


    "Of course no one is as handsome as Minister Su, Minister Su is the world''s number one handsome guy!"


    Xiao Qian immediately chuckled and ttered upon hearing Su Chen!


    "Exactly, Minister Su is the most handsome!"


    Xiao Jing said with a smile.


    The other two girls also giggled.


    "That''s more like it!"


    Su Chenughed, of course knowing the girls were joking, as he was also joking!


    Actually, the girls weren''t speaking against their conscience; Su Chen definitely wasn''t particrly handsome at first nce!


    However, if one interacts more or spends more time, they''ll find he''s the kind of man who grows on you, increasingly appealing!


    Perhaps this is one reason he''s popr with women, after all, women with certain taste and standards or reaching a certain height be particrly interested in men with charisma!


    This far surpasses what a simple attractive appearance canpete with!


    Of course, even Su Chen had to reluctantly admit, this big man suddenly appearing at Belle Group indeed was a sight to behold!


    Especially some young and less experienced girls might immediately go starry-eyed!


    In mere moments, quite a few people gathered in the za, not just people, those eight extended Rolls-Royces were highly catching attention!


    Su Chen was wondering, what kind of person puts on such a big show when appearing?


    "Hey, Xiwen''s going to have a headache again!"


    At this moment, Xia Qiuru came to Su Chen''s side, sighed, and spoke.


    "This guy is pursuing Luo Xiwen?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise upon hearing.


    This just-arrived foreigner putting so many roses on the cars and arranging them into the word "love" ¡ª even a fool would know it''s a courtship!


    Su Chen was just curious about which woman is so charming to make this foreigner chase affection across the ocean!


    Only to find out this man was actually a pursuer of Luo Xiwen!

 Chapter 1139: Su Chen Up to No Good

    "Hmm, this person has been here a few times, and Xiwen is quite fed up with it."


    Xia Qiuru nodded and said:


    "But he never made such a big fuss before!"


    "Tch, what''s so good about that woman! Someone actually likes her!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but pout as he spoke.


    Obviously, Su Chen was not happy about being kicked into the water by that girl Luo Xiwen before!


    After all, it was the first time Su Chen had been kicked into the water by a woman like that, it''s really humiliating!


    Who says only women hold grudges, men can too, like Su Chen, who has been holding a grudge about Luo Xiwen''s kick!


    "What''s going on between you and Xiwen? Why does it seem like you have a grudge? Isn''t Xiwen quite nice?"


    Xia Qiuru was speechless when she heard Su Chen''s words and retorted!


    She thought Luo Xiwen was pretty nice, with good looks, a good figure, good temperament, independent and with a good personality!


    Although maybe because she had spent a long time abroad, some habits were different from those back home, but overall, she was quite easy to get along with!


    Really don''t know, why Su Chen seems to dislike her so much!


    Of course, it seems that Luo Xiwen likes him even less!


    Now that everyone is living together, it''s easy to sense that!


    It''s not just Xia Qiuru; even Lin Ruoxue finds it a bit odd, after all, when they were in Country M, they got along quite well!


    At least they were somewhat polite to each other!


    They had no clue about the unspeakable things that had happened between them in the past!


    Although things seemed to have improved after dinner that day, some of their small emotions were still present!


    Especially Luo Xiwen, who seemed to never give Su Chen a good face whenever she saw him!


    Seeing her like this, Su Chen was naturally displeased!


    After all, even though Su Chen took some advantage in that incident, it wasn''t his fault!


    Who knew she and Lin Ruoxue had simr figures and she was wearing Lin Ruoxue''s swimsuit!


    Moreover, Su Chen was kicked into the hot spring pool by her!


    Su Chen still felt wronged with no one toin to!


    After that, the two of them were like children, throwing little tantrums at each other!


    Sometimes Su Chen even found it somewhat amusing!


    "Come on, let''s go and see!"


    Su Chen said with a smile to Xia Qiuru, holding a purely observational mindset!


    Just now, Xia Qiuru''s words indicated that Luo Xiwen had no good feelings towards this young foreign man, and he was quite curious to see how Luo Xiwen would handle it!


    Seeing the mischievous smile on Su Chen''s face, Xia Qiuru felt quite helpless, but she was a bit worried for Luo Xiwen!


    "Luo Xiwen, I love you!"


    The young man in the white suit got out of the car and shouted up to the Belle Building.


    His behavior made Su Chenugh, this guy is quite adept at local customs, even learning the tricks of young people in Huaxia!


    Nowadays, it''s trendy among young people, especially college students, to disy hearts or the word "love" at the residence or dormitory of a girl to confess their feelings!


    "What are youughing at!"


    The man saw Su Chen''s mocking smile and instantly got upset!


    He was engaged in a noble task, what did this guy''s suddenughter mean?


    "What''s it to you if Iugh? I''llugh if I want to!"


    Su Chen pouted.


    He was also quite bewildered, as if he couldn''tugh at their love deration!


    What kind of rule is that?!


    Moreover, this was on his wife''s turf!


    If he wasn''t curious to see how Luo Xiwen dealt with it, Su Chen would have had the security team escort him out!


    "Who the hell are you to talk to me like that!"


    The man shouted when he heard Su Chen''s words, with an air of authority!


    "Who I am is none of your damn business!"


    Su Chen said with disdain.


    As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, the man''s face immediately darkened, as if he was getting angry!


    At this moment, footsteps sounded from the elevator, approaching the lobby entrance!


    The man looked over, and upon seeing the figure, his expression changed, shifting from anger to a face full of smiles, with a hint of ttery!


    Su Chen was stunned by the man''s rapid change of expression!


    At this time, the figure had already walked to the group entrance!


    When she saw Su Chen, she was initially taken aback, then her face showed a displeased expression!


    What kind of cold wind was blowing today, for this guy to actuallye to the group?


    When she passed by Su Chen, she snorted secretly, then went straight to the foreign man.


    "Dimans, I''ve told you countless times, we''re not suitable for each other, we can''t be together!"


    Luo Xiwen said solemnly.


    "Luo Xiwen, why not, I think we''re very suitable!"


    The foreign man named Dimans said:


    "Is there any man more suitable for you than Dimans? Likewise, only a woman like you is worthy of me, Dimans!"


    "That''s right, I think you''re quite suitable!"


    At this moment, Su Chen also stepped forward, enthusiastically saying with a smile:


    "One is tall and handsome, the other is beautiful, with a good figure, truly a match made in heaven!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Luo Xiwen was so furious she could explode!


    She was racking her brains to get rid of Dimans''s entanglement, and Su Chen was adding fuel to the fire!


    Of course, she knew Su Chen was doing it on purpose, making her gnash her teeth in frustration!


    "Friend, you make a good point!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Dimans felt like he''d found a soulmate, his previous displeasure seemed to dissipate!


    "You''re wee, you''re wee!"


    Su Chen said, then curled a mischievous smile, provocatively looking at the fuming Luo Xiwen!


    You have to admit, Luo Xiwen''s figure is indeed impressive!


    Looking at those impressive peaks, Su Chen found them quite eye-catching!


    Luo Xiwen noticed Su Chen''s gaze and became even more infuriated!


    "You lecherous pervert!"


    Luo Xiwen cursed inwardly, quickly calming herself!


    "Su Chen, what are you doing?"


    Xia Qiuru helplessly reached out and pinched Su Chen''s waist with her slender hand!


    This guy was just too "bad," she even felt a bit sorry for Luo Xiwen!


    "Dimans, I''m speaking from the heart, we''re truly not suitable for each other in any aspect, so don''t waste your efforts!"


    Luo Xiwen reiterated earnestly!


    After she finished, she red at Su Chen sharply, telling him to stop spouting nonsense!


    Meanwhile, Xia Qiuru pinched him again, clearly telling him to stop causing trouble!


    Actually, Su Chen''s mischief was more about finding Luo Xiwen''s anger amusing...

 Chapter 1140: Youre No Match for Him

    "Xiwen, I''ve been pursuing you for two years. I won''t give up!"


    The man became slightly annoyed upon hearing Luo Xiwen''s words, though he hid it well.


    "Luo Xiwen, you will end up being Dimans'' woman sooner orter!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but curl his lips and let out a light hum at this.


    This guy sure is persistent, chasing after this girl, Luo Xiwen, for two years!


    Judging by this Dimans'' identity, he''s clearly umon, and it seems like he''s quite invested in Luo Xiwen.


    But more likely, it''s a desire for conquest. The higher the status, the more unattainable something is, the more they want it!


    Su Chen found that this Dimans fitted this scenario perfectly!


    And honestly, what''s so good about this violent woman!


    Of course, this was Su Chen''s own "petty" thought.


    He actually knew that Luo Xiwen was an exceptional woman, only slightly inferior to Lin Ruoxue, and on the same level as beauties like Qi Meng and Eniel!


    Also, because she spent many years in Europe, there were certain ideas and practices of hers that Su Chen quite admired and liked!


    To put it simply, there wasn''t really anything between them, it''s just that Luo Xiwen was understandably annoyed and displeased the first time a man took liberties with her!


    Su Chen, for his part, saw it as a bit of fun!


    Luo Xiwen naturally heard Su Chen''s light hum and rolled her pretty eyes at him in annoyance!


    But the matter of Dimans in front of her was frustrating, and she had no time to deal with Su Chen!


    "Alright, I''ve said everything I needed to. Now, you better leave!"


    Luo Xiwen said directly.


    This was, after all, Belle Group''s entrance, and gathering so many people was really bad for business!


    Besides, Lin Ruoxue wasn''t here now; she went to see an important business contact!


    "I won''t leave, unless you agree to be my woman!"


    Dimans had created such a scene today and had no intention of giving up!


    He had pursued Luo Xiwen for two years, and recently when she suddenly vanished, he spent a great deal of time to find out she''s returned to Huaxia!


    So he quickly followed her to Huaxia, and he came to see Luo Xiwen a few times, but this woman actually still didn''t appreciate it!


    He actually saw Luo Xiwen two years ago at a ball in Europe and was instantly dazzled by her!


    Luo Xiwen''s perfect Dongfang face, charming figure, and unique temperament deeply attracted him!


    At that moment, he decided he had to win her over!


    Except he hadn''t expected that after several pursuits, this woman still didn''t agree!


    This only kindled his strong desire for conquest, fueling his wish to make Luo Xiwen his woman!


    But, patience has its limits, and after two years, with too many rejections, his patience was nearly exhausted!


    "If you don''t leave, I''ll have security escort you out!"


    Luo Xiwen''s face turned cold as she spoke.


    In truth, Luo Xiwen was already extremely fed up with this man!


    The reason she agreed to help Lin Ruoxue at Belle Group was partly because she was Huaxia, and of course, wanted to return to Huaxia. Another reason was her close rtionship with Lin Ruoxue, as well as her optimistic outlook on Belle Group''s future!


    A crucial reason was also to escape the pestering of this Dimans!


    Yet she hadn''t expected Dimans to chase her all the way to Huaxia shortly after her return!


    Today he made such a huge scene, with so many people present, Luo Xiwen felt quite vexed; she was not ustomed to such situations!


    Deputy head of security, Meng Shan, who had been recently promoted, stood there with some security personnel, ready to act at Luo Xiwen''smand!


    Previously, Liu Yuan, rmended by Su Chen for the security head role, resigned due to personal matters a few months back!


    Lin Ruoxue subsequently promoted Meng Shan to head of security, not only because he waspetent, but also due to his good rtions with Su Chen!


    Luo Xiwen, being a top executive of the group, could easily have these people removed on her orders, and Meng Shan would follow through!


    Of course, with Su Chen standing there, if Su Chen said to break this guy''s leg, Meng Shan would not hesitate to go up and strike with the baton!


    "Security?"


    Dimans sneered coldly upon hearing Luo Xiwen''s words:


    "Do you think these trash can kick me out? Let them try!"


    "What did you say!"


    Meng Shan, despite bing more mature, was enraged by these words!


    "Dimans, show at least some basic respect!"


    Luo Xiwen was also displeased upon hearing Dimans'' words!


    "Trash is trash, what respect do they deserve?!"


    Dimans nced at Meng Shan with disdain and spat out!


    Meng Shan was deeply angered by such insulting words, and his fiery temper was about to re up!


    Just as he was about to charge forward, arge hand held him back!


    He attempted to shake it off but couldn''t, and turning around, he saw it was Su Chen and said:


    "Brother Su, why are you holding me back?"


    "You can''t beat him!"


    Su Chen shook his head softly and said.


    "Brother Su, why crush my spirit while boosting others?"


    Meng Shan pouted, feeling a bit defiant.


    As a retired special forces officer, and after bing head of security, he trained hard without giving up!


    He understood that he owed his position to Su Chen''s connections, and he didn''t want to embarrass Brother Su!


    He believed his current level could match even elite special forces in a contest!


    Yet Su Chen straightforwardly said he wasn''t a match; Meng Shan, being a hot-blooded young man, naturally found it hard to ept!


    However, due to his respect and admiration for Su Chen, he stopped, though he continued to re at Dimans with a face of animosity!


    Su Chen roughly guessed Meng Shan''s thoughts, just smiled slightly, and said nothing more!


    To be honest, it''s not even about Dimans, even the guys in ck suits behind him could each deal with several Meng Shans easily!


    Because those people were Martial Artists, and their cultivation was quite decent!


    As for Dimans, his cultivation was even higher than the others!


    Looking down on Meng Shan and the security people was to be expected!


    Just his overly arrogant attitude was deeply disrespectful!


    Su Chen felt that hearing Luo Xiwen stand up for Meng Shan was quite decent!


    She was just too temperamental; wasn''t it just a few touches?


    Did she need to be so mad for so long?


    But how did this girl get involved with this foreign man, Su Chen had a vague feeling that his identity might not be simple!

 Chapter 1141: Luo Xiwens Performance

    "You sure have some sharp perception!"


    The person named Dimans also heard Su Chen''s words and then looked at him.


    To be honest, he had only nced at Su Chen once or twice before, as Su Chen had been concealing his aura, so he hadn''t noticed anything!


    Of course, the main issue was that he simply hadn''t paid any attention to Su Chen!


    At this moment, he looked over carefully and found that Su Chen was faintly exuding the aura of a Martial Artist, which surprised him!


    "Of course, the man I, Luo Xiwen, chose is naturally extraordinary!"


    Luo Xiwen suddenly pouted her moist cherry lips slightly, speaking with a face full of pride!


    As soon as Luo Xiwen''s words fell, it shocked everyone around!


    Although there were many people gathered at the entrance of Belle Group, and quite a few were passersby, most of them were employees of Belle Group!


    When they heard Luo Xiwen''s words, they widened their eyes in disbelief, staring at Luo Xiwen!


    Because everyone at Belle Group knew that Su Chen was the husband of the CEO, Lin Ruoxue!


    Recently, they had also learned that the suddenly arrived Luo Xiwen was the CEO''s best friend, specially invited from Europe!


    The CEO''s husband and the CEO''s best friend...?!


    At this moment, everyone fully unleashed their talent for gossip and imagination!


    What kind of story could this be?


    Almost everyone instantly began imagining various stories in their minds, and surely as many people as there were, there were as many versions!


    Xia Qiuru''s pretty face was also shocked for a moment, then she sighed helplessly!


    Others might overthink, but Xia Qiuru, who knew the inside story, naturally wouldn''t!


    It''s just that Xiwen saying that, who knows if she''s using Su Chen as a shield, deliberately "paying back" Su Chen, or a bit of both!


    These two, seriously!


    Su Chen was also suddenly dumbfounded!


    What is this move, what is this girl up to!


    "What?!"


    Dimans was also stunned upon hearing this, and then a dark color appeared on his face:


    "Exin yourself! What''s your rtionship with him?!"


    "Haven''t I made myself clear enough?"


    Luo Xiwen had an air of certainty, as if she were stating an objective fact!


    "Impossible!"


    Dimans immediately shouted:


    "He just said you and I are a pair! If you have that kind of rtionship with him, why would he say that?!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen thought to himself: He''s not entirely stupid!


    He nced sideways at Luo Xiwen, thinking, let''s see how you smooth over this lie now!


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but seem a bit amused at others'' misfortunes, appearing rather annoying, at least in Luo Xiwen''s eyes!


    Actually, that sentence Luo Xiwen said earlier was uttered on impulse, firstly because Dimans was annoying her, and secondly because, in her subconscious, she wanted to "get back" at Su Chen!


    Who told this guy to be so annoying!


    Especially at this moment, he''s still enjoying the show, which made Luo Xiwen very unhappy!


    "Do I really have to spell it out this clearly?"


    Luo Xiwen looked at Su Chen with a hint of grievance, then sighed:


    "To put it bluntly, isn''t it just about a man seducing and abandoning? ying and then just wanting to toss away!"


    "Everyone in our group knows he''s our CEO''s husband, and he''s afraid the CEO will find out, so he doesn''t want to take responsibility!"


    Luo Xiwen''s acting reached a new level, truly resembling a spiteful woman who''d been abandoned, as she looked at Su Chen, speaking each word with resentment:


    "Su Chen, let me tell you, dream on!"


    As soon as these words came out, everyone instantly had an epiphany!


    So that''s how it is!


    What the bystanders love to hear most are such stories, aren''t they?


    Everyone believed this story without much thought!


    At this moment, Su Chen was utterly dumbfounded!


    His mind was left with just one thought, and that was¡ªdoes this also work?


    Sure enough, he immediately felt the truth in certain sayings, like how the hearts of women can be the most venomous!


    And that women are born actresses!


    At least at this moment, Luo Xiwen''s acting was definitely Oscar-worthy!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but nce at Luo Xiwen, the meaning clear, conceding her ruthlessness!


    Seeing Su Chen like this, Luo Xiwen felt quite satisfied!


    She wasn''t worried about Belle Group''s people overthinking it, though many were looking at her and Su Chen with odd expressions!


    But as long as two or three days pass, and everyonees to their senses, they''ll know the whole thing was fake, a trick she used to get rid of Dimans''s pestering, and it won''t have any impact!


    Xia Qiuru also understood this, yet seeing this performance by Luo Xiwen, she was both amused and bewildered!


    However, Dimans was now exploding in anger, especially towards Su Chen, filled with hatred!


    Just now he even thought this guy noted his unusual status and was matching them up!


    Unexpectedly, this guy only eagerly pushed Luo Xiwen onto him to rid himself of trouble!


    What did he take him for?!


    At this moment, he deeply felt he''d been fooled!


    Moreover, the woman he''d been pursuing had been taken by this guy first, knowing that he''d been chasing Luo Xiwen for two years!


    These two thingsbined instantly made Dimans want to tear Su Chen apart!


    "You punk, seeking death!"


    Dimans shouted, instantly swinging a punch towards Su Chen!


    Su Chen did not mind, extending a hand to casually pull Luo Xiwen behind him!


    The conflict between him and Luo Xiwen was internal; he couldn''t let anything happen to her!


    Besides anything else, just for her always genuinely looking after Lin Ruoxue, he''d already considered her as one of his own, without any real grievances!


    When Lin Ruoxue first learned he had other women and ran to the U.S., Luo Xiwen set aside her own affairs and immediately went there to apany Lin Ruoxue!


    For this, Su Chen had always been grateful!


    To be honest, Su Chen had only been teasing Luo Xiwen before.


    If Luo Xiwen didn''t like that man, Su Chen would naturally help sort it out, not really letting it trouble her!


    Dimans''s punch cut through the air, causing the surrounding air currents to scatter, formidable True Yuan swirling around his fist, imposing grandeur!


    Ordinary people had never seen such a powerful punch and were instantly startled, scrambling in all directions!


    Pulled behind by Su Chen, Luo Xiwen''s pretty face turned pale; she hadn''t expected Dimans to actually make a move, and he seemed this formidable!


    However, the corner of Su Chen''s mouth lifted into a disdainful smile; this Dimans was only Half-Step Kaiyuan at most, Su Chen certainly didn''t take him seriously!


    When Dimans''s punch was only a dozen centimeters away, Su Chen reached out, grabbing the opponent''s wrist!


    Dimans didn''t expect his fierce punch to be caught by this guy. He struggled forcefully, unable to break free, and a look of astonishment shed in his eyes!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen then kicked out, directly sending Dimans flying!


    Dimansnded on the roof of one of the cars, his body sliding some distance across the roofs of several cars before falling to the ground due to inertia!


    On that car roof, the roses arranged in the shape of "love" were scattered messily all over the ce...

 Chapter 1142: Didn’t Catch That

    Su Chen''s kick sent shockwaves through the crowd!


    "Wow, I didn''t know Director Su was this amazing!"


    "Of course, otherwise how could he be President Lin''s husband!"


    "Director Su''s move just now was too cool!"


    ...


    A lot of girls from the Belle Group already got along well with Su Chen, and now, seeing his fluid and stylish moves, their eyes sparkled with admiration!


    The dozen or so people Dimans brought with him immediately rushed forward when they saw Dimans defeated!


    These people might be slightly below Dimans, but they were all at the Late Stage of Meridian Expansion, with several even at the Perfection of Meridian Expansion Peak!


    As these dozen or so Late Stage and even Peak-level people moved at once, an intimidating aura exploded, causing the air currents to swirl violently, apanied by a howling wind!


    The onlookers were immediately cowed by this aura, feeling the chaotic airflows, they continued to retreat further, afraid of bing coteral damage!


    At this moment, Su Chen also moved, a blur streaking past!


    Soon, a series of loud "boom, boom, boom" sounds were heard as those people were sent flying rapidly, like kites with broken strings!


    As they crashed onto the spacious ground, the onlookers werepletely dumbfounded!


    They knew Su Chen wasn''t ordinary, but they never expected him to be this powerful, it was beyond what they couldprehend!


    The girls looked at Su Chen with even more admiration and adoration!


    Women, especially young girls, naturally admire the strong!


    Luo Xiwen was a bit moody about Su Chen having mistaken her for Lin Ruoxue and being too forward with her before!


    But now, with Su Chen standing protectively in front of her, she felt an unexpected sense of security!


    It seemed like as long as this man was here, nothing was an issue!


    Luo Xiwen didn''t understand why she suddenly felt this way!


    Dimans, who had just struggled to get up, watched as the people he brought were effortlessly blown away by this guy, and his pupils contracted sharply, shock coursing through his heart!


    Who the hell is this guy? How can he be so strong?


    Even so, Dimans wasn''t necessarily afraid of Su Chen!


    "Kid, do you know what the consequence of today''s actions are?"


    Dimans suppressed the searing pain in his body and walked up to Su Chen, snorting coldly.


    "Consequences? I don''t know of any consequences!"


    Su Chen said calmly:


    "But let me say this clearly, stop bothering Xiwen again. If there''s a next time, it won''t be so easy for you to leave!"


    Although his tone was mild, the warning within was unmistakably clear!


    "Fine, we''ll see!"


    Dimans snorted, then got into the grand stretch Rolls-Royce in the middle, and those who had just been blown away by Su Chen struggled to get up and got into the car!


    Soon, the eight Rolls-Royces drove away from this ce, Dimans knew that none of them were Su Chen''s match, staying would only add to their humiliation!


    When the eight Rolls-Royces arrived, they dazzled everyone, but now, as they left, they appeared somewhat dejected!


    "Alright, the show''s over, everyone get back to their business!"


    Su Chen said to the crowd gathered there.


    Soon, the crowd dispersed, as most of them were from Belle Group!


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, everyone naturally went back to their tasks, continuing their work!


    "Thank you for before."


    Luo Xiwen said, a bit embarrassed and awkward, her voice naturally quite low!


    After all, she had just "tricked" Su Chen, it was really a bit difficult to express gratitude now!


    But Su Chen did help her out just now, otherwise, she really didn''t know how to shake off Dimans!


    So saying "thank you" was appropriate both emotionally and logically!


    Especially Su Chen''s final mild warning, it lightly tugged at Luo Xiwen''s heartstrings!


    "Miss Luo, what did you just say? I didn''t quite catch it!"


    Su Chen feigned cleaning his ear and said.


    "Thank you!"


    Luo Xiwen truly thought Su Chen didn''t hear, since her voice had been very low, so she raised her volume a tiny bit!


    "What? Can you speak a little louder?"


    Su Chen spoke again, a yful, mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his mouth!


    "Tha..."


    Luo Xiwen, ready to raise her voice a bit more, suddenly noticed the mischievous smile on Su Chen''s face and immediately understood, this guy was teasing her!


    "Forget it if you can''t hear!"


    Luo Xiwen''s face darkened, she snorted, and then turned and walked into the building!


    "You, Su Chen, Xiwen finally managed to thank you, and you just had to upset her again!"


    Xia Qiuru shook her head upon seeing this, sometimes this guy was just like a kid, leaving people helpless!


    "Just teasing her for fun!"


    Su Chenughed it off, not taking it seriously.


    "You really are something, alright, I''ve got things to do, I''ll head up first!"


    Xia Qiuru said, as the HR director, of course, she had a lot to handle!


    "Let''s go up together."


    Su Chen smiled and went inside the building with Xia Qiuru, taking the elevator up, each heading to their own office!


    ...


    Luo Xiwen returned to her office, still feeling quite annoyed!


    Su Chen was really too infuriating!


    The slight goodwill toward him she had managed to muster waspletely dispersed by Su Chen''s final teasing!


    Of course, Su Chen didn''t know that his little "prank" had caused Luo Xiwen such resentment!


    Perhaps if he did, he wouldn''t care and would find it quite amusing instead!


    After returning to his office, as usual, Su Chen made himself a cup of tea and began flipping through thetest issues of Men''s Uno magazine!


    Whenever Su Chen returned to the group, there was nothing much to do. It was always like this, very leisurely and carefree!


    As for what had just happened, he had already put it behind him.


    Though that Dimans had a somewhat unusual identity, Su Chen didn''t pay much attention!


    Besides, no matter what, the trouble facing Luo Xiwen was something Su Chen was definitely going to help solve!


    After finishing his tea and reading the magazine, Su Chen casually yed some games, and then, feeling bored, took a trip to the PR department!


    Though he was still the PR director, which was indeed a bit of a misnomer, sometimes he still had to make appearances!


    Of course, this was just his excuse!


    Actually, he missed the enthusiasticdies in the PR department quite a bit...

 Chapter 1143: Is It True?

    As soon as Su Chen walked into the PR Department, the women led by Zhao Lin and Ran Ting immediately swarmed around him, and a soft feeling came from all directions!


    Although Su Chen feltfortable, he was also a little startled!


    What''s with these women? They''re getting more and more fierce!


    But I''m not like Tang Monk!


    However, after a moment, Su Chen understood why the women in the PR Department reacted this way!


    In the two hours Su Chen had been in his office, what happened at the main entrance had already spread throughout Belle Group!


    And it was bing more and more exaggerated, which was normal; after all, with each retelling, the original story loses some truth!


    By the time it spread further, Su Chen had almost been made out to be like a Heavenly God descending to earth, especially in the eyes of those women who were sparkling with interest!


    Since the PR Department was on a higher floor and the incident didn''t take long, no one in the PR Department actually witnessed the entire process!


    Some of them just heard about it and came back to tell the others!


    The women in the PR Department already had a very special feeling about Su Chen, after all, they had never met a department head like him!


    Now, hearing about his heroic image, their hearts trembled even more!


    So they rushed over, partly out of curiosity about the truth of the matter, and perhaps also to take advantage and get a little flirty!


    So Su Chen felt a clear sense of pressure and softness, especially from the well-endowed Zhao Lin and Ran Ting!


    Besides these beauties, there were also a few men in the PR Department who watched Su Chen amidst the flowers, truly envious beyond words!


    They could only feel envy, nothing more!


    Yan Xi and Shu Yin watching him surrounded by those women also felt something different inside!


    They seemed to want to go up there too, but in the end, they didn''t move!


    Shu Yin was restrained by her own personality; although she worked in the PR Department, she was quite shy and introverted.


    As for Yan Xi, she was shy because of their rtionship, so it was naturally embarrassing for her to go up there like the others and make any ambiguous moves!


    Though subconsciously, part of her might have wanted to!


    Su Chen never imed to be an honest person, especially in his actions!


    Therefore, while the beauties in the PR Department were eagerly flirting with Su Chen, he was also constantly enjoying their affections, sometimes being a little forceful, causing one or two soft moans!


    It was only after more than half an hour that Su Chen finally emerged from the PR Department!


    The first thing he did aftering out, of course, was go to the restroom to tidy up, to avoid revealing any tell-tale signs!


    After tidying up, Su Chen returned to his office and yed games until it was time to clock out!


    As soon as it was time to leave work, Su Chen immediately drove back...


    When Su Chen returned to the vi, everyone was busy as well, Huang Menglei and Eniel were cultivating, while Du Hanbing and Qi Meng were busy in the kitchen with dinner!


    Su Chen didn''t disturb Huang Menglei and Eniel''s cultivation, but went to the kitchen, softly approaching Du Hanbing from behind, gently wrapping his arms around her slender waist!


    "Hanbing, what''s for dinner tonight?"


    Su Chen rested his chin on Du Hanbing''s fragrant shoulder and said, leaning his head against hers.


    "Just some home-cooked dishes!"


    Du Hanbing gently caressed Su Chen''s face and said.


    "Just these, huh." Su Chen casually remarked.


    "What do you want to eat?"


    Du Hanbing continued cooking and said:


    "Aren''t these home-cooked dishes your favorite?"


    "Who said these are my favorites?"


    Su Chen pouted and said.


    "Oh, then what do you like best? I''ll make it for you next time."


    Du Hanbing smiled slightly and said.


    "What I like best, of course, is¡ªyou!"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a mischievous smile.


    At the same time, therge hand encircling Du Hanbing''s waist began to slowly climb upward!


    Earlier, in the PR Department, his heart was set aze by those women, but with them, Su Chen could only enjoy a little fun, nothing more!


    But with his woman, it''s naturally different!


    "Smack!"


    Du Hanbing freed one hand and quickly pped away Su Chen''s misbehaving hands!


    She had experienced Su Chen''s yful antics countless times before, much like Lin Ruoxue and the others, and had grown quite skilled at spotting his little schemes!


    If it were under other circumstances, it wouldn''t be a big deal, but she was cooking, and Qi Meng was right there!


    Unlike Su Chen, Du Hanbing wasn''t as thick-skinned, so how could she bear it!


    "What now? Your scheme got exposed?"


    From the side, Qi Meng, who was picking vegetables, saw Su Chen thwarted and couldn''t help butugh.


    "Hanbing, don''t you know what this guy is like? If he doesn''t get his way, he''s never satisfied!"


    Qi Meng then turned to Du Hanbing teasingly.


    "Qi Meng, are you teasing me again!"


    Du Hanbing''s cheeks turned slightly red, then she nced at Su Chen teasingly and said:


    "Speaking of eating, Qi Meng is secretly wishing you''d eat her up! How much longer are you nning to make Qi Meng wait?"


    Because they were all familiar with each other, Du Hanbing was bolder with her words than before!


    "Hanbing, what are you saying!"


    Although everyone knew Qi Meng''s feelings, and she wasn''t particrly shy about it, Du Hanbing''s tant words still made Qi Meng''s cheeks heat up!


    "Is that so?"


    Su Chen''s smile became more yful!


    Seeing his smile, Qi Meng''s heart gave a tiny flutter, sensing some impending danger!


    After Du Hanbing swatted his hands away, Su Chen didn''t retract them but kept them around Du Hanbing''s waist!


    Then, he slyly reached out the hand closest to Qi Meng and wrapped it around her waist as well!


    "Ah!"


    Unprepared, Qi Meng let out a sharp squeal, then quickly silenced it so as not to alert the others!


    "What are you doing, let go!"


    Qi Meng hurriedly said.


    Even though she said this, she didn''t actually move away.


    "Was what Hanbing said just now true?"


    Su Chen''s face showed a sly smile as he spoke.


    "What do you mean by true?"


    Qi Meng was suddenly flustered upon hearing these words.


    She definitely understood that Su Chen was referring to Du Hanbing''s earlier remark about her wishing to be eaten up by him, but there was no way Qi Meng could answer that!


    Even if she wanted to, she was a woman after all, naturally with a woman''s reserved nature!


    Especially since the words were so blunt, so pretending to be clueless was the best and only option!


    Since that incident at the hot spring, even though the thin veil between them wasn''t fully torn, there was at least a small hole!


    So the current behavior wasn''t all that abrupt!


    Everything seemed like it was just falling into ce!


    Du Hanbing, listening to Su Chen''s teasing, couldn''t help butugh. Su Chen was wicked enough to say such things!


    Yet strangely, you couldn''t bring yourself to dislike this kind of mischief...

 Chapter 1144: Three Factions Converge

    Su Chen naturally wasn''t so thirsty that he''d do anything in the kitchen; after teasing the two women for a while, he returned to his room and started cultivating!


    Although he had already broken through to the Meridian Expansion Peak, his realm was not yet stable, so he needed to consolidate it first!


    To Su Chen, this would probably take one or two days!


    Su Chen cultivated until around eight o''clock before Lin Ruoxue came back, and then everyone went to the restaurant together for dinner!


    During dinner, Luo Xiwen''s gaze towards Su Chen was still somewhat resentful!


    Although Lin Ruoxue was not at thepany at that time, she knew what had happened after she returned, andter learned the true story from Xia Qiuru!


    She felt helpless about this; naturally, she hoped Luo Xiwen and Su Chen could get along well!


    But it seemed like they shed a bit, not quite seeing eye to eye!


    Fortunately, it wasn''t a big issue, and they seemed more like they were sulking, so Lin Ruoxue let them be!


    After dinner, everyone took a walk, theny on lounge chairs by the hot spring to rest.


    The evening breeze was gentle, and this kind of life was indeed very pleasant!


    Su Chen closed his eyes slightly, listening to the light chatter of the women around him, and unknowingly, he fell asleep!


    Lin Ruoxue and the others soon noticed Su Chen had fallen asleep, with the sound of his long, even breaths, and they all simultaneously showed a knowing smile!


    This rascal probably only behaves when he''s asleep, though sometimes even when asleep, he''s not too well-behaved!


    Xia Qiuru then went inside to get a nket to cover him, afraid he might catch a cold!


    Su Chen naturally felt Xia Qiuru''s movements, he slightly opened his eyes, shifted slightly then closed his eyes again, feeling very warm...


    Of course, after an hour or so passed, Su Chen woke up again, and then everyone went back to their rooms.


    Su Chen didn''t sneak into anyone''s room tonight, instead he went back to his room to cultivate, wanting to use these two days to stabilize his realm!


    Next, he nned to spend some time primarily cultivating the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique," hoping to store as much Ster Power as possible!


    In absence of using the Dragon-ying Sword, Ster Power or Star Energy, it''s currently Su Chen''s greatest asset for battling across levels!


    Although the Calm Spirit Body Technique is also powerful, its primary function at the moment is still defense, at least for now!


    Of course, he currently has another strong attack up his sleeve, which is the Thousand Hand Seal!


    However, the precise effects of the Thousand Hand Seal have yet to be proven in actualbat!


    Su Chen''s cultivation went on until the next morning; after taking a shower, he didn''t feel tired at all, so he went to the kitchen to make breakfast!


    Soon after, Xia Qiuru also came in, saw Su Chen making breakfast, smiled slightly, and began to help.


    While they were making breakfast, the other women also got up one by one and came into the dining room.


    Although some went to work, and some didn''t have to, since they were living together, they naturally had to amodate andpromise with each other, so by now their schedules were basically aligned.


    Once breakfast was ready, everyone sat down to eat together, and after finishing, Lin Ruoxue and the others naturally went off to work!


    Su Chen didn''t go to thepany today but stayed home to cultivate, as did the other women!


    Due to therge Gathering Yuan Formation''s effects, alongside the Spirit Fruits, Elixirs, and Spirit Stones Su Chen had distributed earlier, the cultivation levels of the women residing in the vi had progressed rapidly recently!


    Firstly, Qian Ying had also reached Meridian Expansion Level Layer, seemingly just one tier below Su Chen!


    Next was Huang Menglei, who had reached Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer and was striving towards the Meridian Expansion Level Layer!


    Huang Menglei never thought it possible to reach Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer in such a short time!


    It''s important to note that even within the Ancient Martial World, breaking through a Minor Realm in thete stages of the Meridian Expansion Realm isn''t a simple feat!


    A while ago, when she called her father Huang Zhenhua, he was taken aback!


    Then there are Qi Meng and Eniel; since their cultivation levels were low before, breakthroughs were somewhat easier for them.


    Now, Qi Meng had reached Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer, closely followed by Eniel, who reached Meridian Expansion Third Layer!


    As for Yan Xi, although her cultivation was somewhat sporadic, fortunately, her foundationid in Hidden Dragon Hall was strong, along with having decentprehension, so she too reached Meridian Expansion Third Layer like Eniel!


    Seeing the women around him improving their skills, Su Chen naturally felt very pleased!


    As for Sun Yang, Su Chen had contacted him earlier; he too had broken through to Meridian Expansion Fourth Layer and had even half-unlocked the key point in the fifth meridian!


    Moreover, Sun Yang was expected to return soon!


    Additionally, Yunlong''s cultivation had surged to Qi Refinement Eighth Layer!


    Su Chen thought, perhaps he could have Yunlong move to the viter on.


    Then he, along with Sun Yang, could stay in the courtyard of the vi with Ouyang Jing!


    As for that old godfather, Su Chen invited him, but he probably wouldn''te because he feared Su Chen "corrupting" Xiao Xiazi!


    .....


    Recently, in the Heavenly Profound Mountain Range, teams of people were also leaving there!


    These people were naturally treasure hunters looking for relics; some obtained rewards, some received minimal gains, and quite a few returned empty-handed!


    At this time, at the foot of Heavenly Profound Mountain, three teams had gathered together!


    They congregated together not by chance but because of a man!


    The leaders of these three teams were all middle-aged men, namely Song Family Head Song Haitian, ck de Alliance''s leader Hei Feng, and Peng Family Head Peng Yue!


    The man who brought them together was none other than Su Chen!


    They hadn''t gone to trouble Su Chen yet not because they were letting him off the hook¡ªfor the ones who died were their sons, how could they just let it go!


    After failing to send Elders, they contacted each other, given their previously decent rtions; otherwise, their Young Masters wouldn''t have formed such a band of friends!


    Throughmunication, they discovered that each had sent experts at nearly the same time, and all experts from the three forces perished, prompting them to be more cautious!


    Any further action would have to be much more deliberate than before!


    Additionally, it was prime time for relic treasure hunting, so they held off the matter for now!


    Being second-tier forces in the Ancient Martial World, while treasures were declining in the relicspared to before, they still left a significant allure!


    Moreover, they could use this time to gather intel on Su Chen''s situation, with a n to reconvene after the relic treasure hunt and discuss their next move...

 Chapter 1145: Joining Forces

    "Gentlemen, how was the yield from this relic expedition? Must have been pretty good?"


    Upon meeting, Peng Yue, the Family Head of the Peng Family, asked with a smile.


    "Not bad, it was worth the trip."


    Hei Feng of the ck de Alliance said casually.


    "I''d say it wasn''t a wasted journey!"


    Song Haitian, the Family Head of the Song Family, also smiled slightly.


    They were prominent figures, so naturally, some polite exchanges were necessary upon meeting!


    After chatting briefly, they slowly delved into the main topic, as this was the primary reason for their current meeting!


    "Have you found anything on that kid you''ve been investigating recently?"


    Hei Feng inquired.


    "It seems that kid is indeed from the secr world, someone never before known in the Ancient Martial World."


    Peng Yue shook his head and said:


    "The only two valuable clues are: one is that he has close interactions with the youngdy of the Huang Family, and the other, a bit puzzling, is that a few months ago, during the Martial Arts Conference held in the Martial Arts World, he defeated the Sect Leader Mo Changqing of Shengyi Gate, who was already at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, with his cultivation at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer."


    "What I''ve found is simr to Brother Peng''s. Also, it seems this kid has stirred some turmoil within the Five Great Families of the secr world."


    Song Haitian also frowned slightly and said:


    "Other than that, there aren''t any clues of much value. This person indeed left no trace in the Ancient Martial World before."


    "The information I''ve gotten is pretty much the same."


    Hei Feng also said ordingly.


    "Brother Song, what should we do next? We can''t just let this kid''s palm print stay on our faces forever, can we?"


    Peng Yue looked at Song Haitian and said.


    Hei Feng also looked towards Song Haitian upon hearing this, for in the Ancient Martial World, strengthmanded respect. Whether it was the Song Family or Song Haitian himself, their strength was the highest among the three parties, so naturally, they followed his lead.


    "Of course not. A kid from the secr world daring to challenge us, it''s like he has a death wish!"


    Song Haitian snorted coldly and said.


    "However, this kid is a bit sinister, so it''s wise to be cautious!"


    Peng Yue said in response.


    After all, the experts dispatched by the three forces were all never to return, which naturally gave them some unease!


    "You''re right. This has already made the Ancient Martial Worldugh at us, so this time, we must ensure our strike is precise and sessful!"


    Song Haitian nodded and said:


    "If we fail again this time, we''d be utterly embarrassed!"


    "Brother Song is right; we must kill this kid this time!"


    Upon saying this, Hei Feng gnashed his teeth, and the expressions of the other two naturally did not look good either!


    "Brother Song, how do you propose we do it? We are all ears this time!"


    Hei Feng said.


    "To be safe, after we return, let''s make some preparations, and this time the three of us shall join forces and must kill this person!"


    Song Haitian said in a deep voice.


    "The three of us?"


    Upon hearing this, both Peng Yue and Hei Feng were slightly taken aback, feeling somewhat astonished!


    "Indeed, first of all, as we discussed earlier, we must kill this person this time, leaving him no hope!"


    Song Haitian nced at the two and said:


    "Moreover, do you not want to personally kill that kid to avenge your sons?"


    "Alright, this time, I must personally kill that kid to avenge my son, ck Tiger!"


    Upon hearing Song Haitian''s words, Hei Feng''s eyes emitted a fierce glow as he spoke!


    "Right, this time, we will ensure that kid has no ce to be buried!"


    Since both Song Haitian and Hei Feng were willing to personally act, Peng Yue naturally agreed to it!


    After all,st time the three families already sent experts at the Elder Level, yet they did not seed, so this time their action would be most assured!


    ....


    Su Chen was unaware that Song Haitian and the other two had already prepared to personally join forces against him, though even if he knew, he might not care too much!


    Su Chen continued his cultivation until the afternoon when his phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was from Pei Man, he immediately answered.


    Pei Man didn''t specifically mention the matter, only asked if he had time and if it was convenient to meet up.


    Su Chen dly agreed and drove to the Pei Family estate.


    Upon reaching the Pei Family estate, he walked in with familiarity and directly headed to Pei Man''s room.


    "You''ve arrived!"


    Pei Man, still in her white garment, was seated beside the tea table, gracefully preparing tea, her actions pleasing to the eye!


    "Mm."


    Su Chen sat down on the opposite side. Although Pei Man appeared no different than usual, today he felt there was something slightly unusual about her.


    "This is some Millennium Frost I recently acquired. The taste is quite good, give it a try."


    Pei Man said with a smile.


    "Since you said it''s good, it surely must be."


    Su Chen replied with a smile as well, knowing Pei Man was a tea lover and connoisseur, he took a sip!


    "Indeed, it''s crisp and refreshing!"


    Su Chen praised after a sip and then ced the teacup down:


    "Pei Man, do you have something on your mind?"


    "You could tell, huh!"


    Pei Man did not deny it; she smiled and said.


    "Go on, what''s bothering you?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    Pei Man nced at Su Chen, seemingly hesitant to speak.


    "Is there anything you feel you can''t tell me?"


    Su Chen sipped his tea lightly again with a gentle smile.


    "True."


    Pei Man also smiled and then looked at Su Chen, asking somewhat earnestly:


    "Do you know about the Ancient Martial World?"


    "Uh, how do you know about the Ancient Martial World?"


    Su Chen was slightly surprised.


    In his mind, although Pei Man was from the Pei Family of the Five Great Families, the Martial Arts World was far removed from them, let alone the Ancient Martial World!


    "You really know?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Pei Man immediately grasped Su Chen''s big hand and asked excitedly.


    She hadn''t had much hope initially, especially since even her grandfather hadn''t heard of it before!


    Calling Su Chen over today was mainly because she hadn''t seen him for some time and wanted to.


    It was only when Su Chen noticed she seemed troubled that Pei Man casually asked.


    Unexpectedly, he truly had heard of the Ancient Martial World!


    "I do know a bit."


    Su Chen nodded and said.


    "Can you tell me what the Ancient Martial World is all about?"


    Pei Man looked at Su Chen with anticipation in her eyes.


    "Of course."


    Su Chen said, and then he roughly exined the Ancient Martial World to Pei Man, primarily describing what kind of world the Ancient Martial World was!


    Pei Man listened with her delicate eyes wide open, her lips slightly parted, her face filled with shock!


    She never expected the Ancient Martial World to be a worldpletely beyond the secr world''s reach, not bound by any of its regtions!


    The only constraints on them were some mutually agreed-upon rules, the most important of which was not to disrupt the normal functioning of the secr world and not allow the Huaxia territory to be upied by foreign powers!


    They had no interest in secr rights whatsoever, only concerned with growing their own strength!


    For them, their own strength was the foundation of everything!


    This world was too novel and too incredible for Pei Man!

 Chapter 1146: News of Pei Mans Parents

    "Why are you asking about this?"


    After briefly exining the Ancient Martial World, Su Chen asked with some surprise.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, Pei Man didn''t respond immediately but took a sip of tea before leisurely saying:


    "My parents might have some connection to the Ancient Martial World."


    "Huh?!"


    This made Su Chen even more shocked!


    He knew Pei Man had always been deeply obsessed with her parents!


    Pei Man had never met her parents since she was young and had no clue about them, so how could she not have such an obsession?


    Take Su Chen himself for example; after learning about his true heritage from his aunt Su Jin, although heforted himself to go with the flow, deep down, how could he not want to know about his biological parents?'' news?


    These are simply human nature!


    Of course, Su Chen had thought about some possibilities for her, but he never considered the idea that Pei Man''s parents might be rted to the Ancient Martial World!


    "What''s going on exactly?"


    Su Chen looked at Pei Man and asked.


    "I don''t know the specifics yet either."


    Pei Man shook her head and frowned:


    "I''ll tell you once I''ve sorted some things out in a while."


    "Alright then, if there''s any problem by then, you must let me know!"


    Su Chen held Pei Man''s slender hand slightly firmly and said:


    "Don''t worry about any difficulties or troubles, I''ll solve them all for you!"


    Su Chen figured Pei Man might have just received some vague information from some sources, knowing her parents had a connection to the Ancient Martial World, which is why she asked about it today.


    However, if her parents truly were connected to the Ancient Martial World, this matter might be beyond what she can handle, which is why Su Chen said that!


    As for Pei Man, not to mention other things, at the very least, he regarded her as a rare friend!


    If she needs anything, Su Chen would certainly be obliged without hesitation!


    "I understand!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Pei Man smiled slightly, feeling very warm-hearted!


    From Su Chen''s introduction just now, she also learned what kind of world that was!


    Yet, Su Chen still made such a promise without hesitation; Pei Man knew Su Chen wasn''t just saying it casually!


    ording to Su Chen''s words, as the eldestdy of the Pei Family, she indeed didn''t hold much weight in that world. If she got any relevant information by then, she might really need Su Chen''s help!


    "Rest assured, since there''s already a start now, I believe eventually you will figure out your parents'' affairs."


    Seeing that Pei Man''s pretty face was still full of worries, Su Chenforted her.


    "Well, I''m actually quite happy to get this bit of information."


    Pei Man smiled a little:


    "It''s just that I''m not sure whether this information is true right now!"


    "Having information is better than having none."


    Su Chen said.


    "You''re right about that."


    Pei Man nodded.


    Su Chen stayed there chatting with Pei Man for a while until Pei Man rxed quite a bit, and then he left.


    Pei Man finally getting some news about her parents, Su Chen was genuinely happy for her!


    Returning to the vi, it was already dusk, just as he was about to enter the door, he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind!


    So he paused and turned around, and a hint of surprise shed in his eyes:


    "Old Sun, didn''t you say you wouldn''t arrive for another couple of days? Why are you here now?"


    Su Chen hurried over to give him a warm hug and said.


    This person who suddenly called out to him was, of course, Sun Yang, who had left Yandu long ago. At this moment, his beard had grown, and his clothes were dusty and travel-worn!


    Not seeing Sun Yang for such a long time, Su Chen was naturally very excited!


    "I had an appointment with a friend to meet and spar, but something happened at his home over the past couple of days."


    Sun Yang said.


    "Great,e in quickly!"


    Su Chen quickly said.


    "Let me take a shower first!"


    Sun Yang said with a smile.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen then led Sun Yang into the courtyard, introducing him and Ouyang Jing to each other.


    Ouyang Jing was quite happy about having an extra person living together, especially since it was another Martial Artist, they certainly wouldn''tckmon topics!


    As for Sun Yang''s rtively low cultivation, he didn''t mind at all!


    Sun Yang then picked a room to settle down briefly and went to take a bath, while Su Chen chatted away with Ouyang Jing just in time.


    Su Chen often came to the vi to chat with him, and they had be quite good friends!


    After a while, Sun Yang came over after bathing, and although he and Ouyang Jing just met, with Su Chen there to facilitate, they soon got familiar with each other!


    Though they had different personalities, their temperaments matched quite well!


    Around eight o''clock, Su Chen invited the two to have dinner together in the vi''s dining hall, which served as a wee party for Sun Yang!


    The meal was filled with joy and happiness.


    The only thing was that both Ouyang Jing and Sun Yang felt slightly uneasy facing so many women!


    But in the future, they would naturally stay at the separate courtyard and wouldn''te over unless there was something special happening!


    After all, these women were either Su Chen''s partners or had various connections with him!


    Truthfully, they also greatly admired Su Chen for being able to have so many extraordinary women getting along harmoniously!


    If it were them, just thinking about it would give them a headache!


    Luckily, Su Chen didn''t know what they were thinking; otherwise, he would shamelessly proim, "That''s my charm!"


    After dinner, after chatting for a while, Ouyang Jing and Sun Yang excused themselves to return to the nearby separate courtyard!


    Around nine o''clock, everyone returned to their rooms, some cultivated, some worked, while others read books...


    Su Chen stayed in his room tonight as well; after one more night, he felt the Meridian Expansion Peak Realm should have stabilized!


    Next, he could focus on cultivating the Supreme Star Shifting Technique, storing more Ster Power!


    Just like the previous night, Su Chen continued cultivating until the morning, then got up to take a shower and started making breakfast for everyone!


    Today, it wasn''t Xia Qiuru who got up first, but Du Hanbing. Seeing Su Chen busy, she naturally helped out!


    Once breakfast was ready, all the women got up one by one and sat down to eat together.


    At such times, Su Chen couldn''t help but sigh with how beautiful life is, feeling surrounded by happiness!


    After breakfast, the women went about their work or cultivation while Su Chen headed to the nearby courtyard!


    He naturally went to find Sun Yang, as he''d left for so long; they surely needed a good chat!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1147: The Mysterious Invitation

    When Su Chen arrived at the vi, Ouyang Jing and Sun Yang happened to be chatting, and the two were quite happy, with asionalughter.


    "What are you talking about?"


    Su Chen walked in and smiled.


    "Just talking casually."


    Sun Yang saw Su Chene in and replied casually with a smile.


    Su Chen then joined in the conversation, mostly listening to Sun Yang talk about his experiences in the past few months, which included quite a few interesting stories.


    Ouyang Jing had also traveled extensively before and shared many amusing incidents he''d encountered.


    Everyone was talking andughing, feeling very happy.


    Su Chen stayed at the vi for two to three hours before returning to cultivate.


    In the next few days, Su Chen spent most of his time cultivating at the manor, mainly focusing on the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique."


    In his spare time from cultivation, Su Chen would either wander around the group or soak in the hot springs at home!


    Now, soaking in hot springs had already be everyone''s favorite leisure activity at the manor!


    For Su Chen, it was even more so, because he could always appreciate the graceful figures of the women around him!


    Sometimes, he could even be a bit cheeky with them, wasn''t that delightful!


    Su Chen had initially chosen to build the manor here not only because it was suitable for setting up arge "Gathering Yuan Formation," but also because he was most attracted to the hot springs!


    The longer he spent here, the more Su Chen felt that his initial decision was tremendously wise!


    After finishing his cultivation for the day, Su Chen put on big shorts and soaked in the hot springs again.


    However, there was no one else in the hot spring pool besides him at the moment; everyone else was still cultivating in their rooms.


    Su Chen grabbed a bottle of red wine and a wine ss, soaking in the hot springs and sipping the wine, feeling veryfortable!


    Su Cheny there, and his thoughts began to drift to some things he couldn''t quite understand.


    For example, why had the Song Family and other forces been silent for so long without taking action?


    If they were being cautious because the experts they sent earlier failed to return, Su Chen could understand that!


    But howe there hadn''t been any follow-up to the events at the ruins?


    After all, he killed so many people in the ruins, especially the Young Sect Master of the Liewu Sect, Zhou Hao, and Lan Haifeng of Yunhai Hall, whose identity was quite special, being the son of the Great Elder of Yunhai Hall!


    Logically, if they knew of these events, they certainly wouldn''t remain indifferent!


    It''s unlikely they don''t know about it either, right?


    Su Chen believed that Lan Xinyi and Zhu Ming definitely wouldn''t say anything, but what about Zhu Jun?


    In the end, he escaped and knew the whole truth?


    This guy really loathed Su Chen deeply, could it be that he hasn''t said anything?


    But why?


    Su Chen couldn''t quite figure out the intrigue within, was this guy nning to confront him personally?


    After pondering for a while without getting anywhere, Su Chen decided not to think about it anymore, after all, he now wouldn''t take it seriously!


    Considering he''s already reached the Meridian Expansion Peak, equivalent to a typical Martial Artist in the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, and he''s already initiated the Thousand Hand Seal!


    If he were to encounter Zhu Jun again, Su Chen was confident he could handle him easily!


    Su Chen then thought about other things for a while and started resting by the side of the hot spring pool...


    After a while, he heard the sound of footsteps, and upon hearing them, Su Chen opened his eyes. Looking over, it turned out to be Qi Meng.


    "Qi Meng, are you nning to apany me in the hot springs?"


    Su Chen smiled mischievously.


    "Oh, you wish, who''s apanying you!"


    Qi Meng saw his gaze roving her like radar and blushed slightly as she retorted.


    "Then what are you here for?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    He knew, of course, that Qi Meng wasn''t there for the hot springs; if she were, she''d at least change into swimwear!


    "There''s a pretty woman looking for you in the front hall!"


    Qi Meng pouted her moist red lips somewhat jealously, thinking to herself about what kind of romantic troubles this guy had gotten into!


    "Who is it?"


    Su Chen asked in surprise.


    "How should I know?"


    Qi Meng replied peevishly.


    "What''s wrong, Qi Meng, are you jealous?"


    Su Chen stood up from the hot spring pool with a ssh, water rippling around him!


    "Who am I to you, why should I be jealous!"


    Qi Meng pouted, feeling disgruntled.


    Actually, Qi Meng wasn''t really jealous; after all, this guy had so many women, if she wanted to be jealous, she''d never finish!


    The main issue was that although her rtionship with Su Chen had developed somewhat recently, it still wasn''t clearly defined, and now there was another woman looking for him, which naturally irked her a bit!


    "You better go check it out, don''t keep her waiting!"


    Qi Meng continued sarcastically.


    "Okay, I''ll go change first. Let the guest wait for a bit!"


    Su Chen walked next to Qi Meng and said with a smile, pretending not to notice her sarcasm!


    "I know!"


    Qi Meng responded and then prepared to turn back to the vi.


    "Smooch!"


    Just as she was about to turn, Su Chen suddenly kissed her cheek!


    Qi Meng was stunned, her mind a bit nk, and by the time she reacted, Su Chen was already far away!


    "This rascal!"


    Qi Meng blushed and muttered, feeling a bit annoyed, but mostly shy, yet her heart was sweeter than honey!


    Su Chen changed his clothes and then went to the front vi''s living room, where Qi Meng certainly wouldn''t be. After notifying him of the visit, she returned to her room to continue cultivating.


    Su Chen entered the living room and found a woman in a long dress sitting there. Her appearance was lovely, her figure graceful, indeed a pretty beauty!


    "Hello, may I know who...?"


    Su Chen asked, as he had never seen the woman before; she seemed more like an attendant.


    "Mr. Su, this is an invitation from mydy. She invites you to visit our residence for a chat tomorrow night!"


    The woman in the long dress stood up and said.


    "Who is yourdy?"


    Su Chen asked, puzzled.


    "Mr. Su, you''ll know when you arrive."


    The woman in the long dress smiled lightly:


    "I''ve delivered the message; Mr. Su, I''ll take my leave!"


    With that, the woman in the long dress left without lingering.


    Watching her disappear, Su Chen became even more confused!


    Su Chen then looked at the invitation in his hand: Tomorrow at seven, Tianxiang Vi Building 18!


    However, there was no signature, and Su Chen became even more puzzled, not knowing who thedy mentioned was, nor what tricks she was nning!


    Su Chen casually put the invitation in his pocket and returned to his room to continue cultivating...

 Chapter 1148: Its You?!

    The next evening came quickly. Su Chen originally didn''t intend to go, but in the end, he couldn''t resist his curiosity and drove there.


    The most important thing is that the maid-like person he saw yesterday was actually a master at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Expansion!


    If a maid has such cultivation, it indicates that thedy she referred to is unlikely to be an ordinary person!


    He had to see for himself what kind of person this mysterious woman was and what tricks she wanted to pull!


    Su Chen had been in Yandu for quite some time and naturally knew about Tianxiang Vi. It was a famous luxurious vi in Yandu and even throughout all of Huaxia, much more upscale than the Imperial Garden where Su Chen used to live and the Grand Epoch Court in Jianghai!


    When Su Chen reached the entrance, a security guard immediately stopped him.


    For such a high-end vi area, the security was naturally excellent and extremely responsible. Of course, they wouldn''t let strangers in easily!


    When Su Chen said he was going to Building 18, the security guard''s gaze towards him changed!


    "Are you truly a guest invited by Vi 18?"


    The security guard asked, scrutinizing Su Chen.


    "Yes."


    Su Chen nodded, thinking, is there something special about Vi 18?


    "Please wait a moment."


    The security guard didn''t drive him away at the sight of Su Chen''s casual attire, perhaps ustomed to seeing truly wealthy people dressed casually.


    "I apologize, sir, I''ve confirmed it. Please,e in!"


    A minuteter, the security guard respectfully said.


    Su Chen said nothing more and walked straight in.


    It was Su Chen''s first visit to Tianxiang Vi. As he walked inside, he saw that it truly was extraordinary, an exquisite view at every turn!


    When Su Chen found Vi 18, he finally understood why the security guard had looked at him strangely at first!


    Because Vi 18 was the only vi in the entire area built on the hillside!


    One must know that those living in Tianxiang Vi were all renowned figures across Huaxia, and those living in this hillside vi must have even more exceptional status!


    Before long, Su Chen reached the vi entrance, where yesterday''s long-dress maid was already waiting!


    "Mr. Su, please follow me."


    The maid gestured for him to follow, and Su Chen smiled slightly and followed along!


    It seemed the other party had expected him toe, further piquing Su Chen''s interest in the so-calleddy.


    Upon entering, Su Chen found it very quiet inside, seemingly with no one else around.


    "Mr. Su, mydy is waiting for you on the second floor, please follow me upstairs!"


    The maid smiled slightly at Su Chen at the stairway and continued upstairs.


    Su Chen wasn''t particrly worried or scared. Although he didn''t know who the other party was or why he was invited, judging from their actions, it seemed they didn''t mean him any harm!


    Reaching the entrance of a room, the maid pushed the door open and went inside:


    "Miss, Mr. Su is here."


    "You may leave now."


    A woman''s voice came from inside, very pleasant and charming.


    "Yes!"


    The maid in the long dress bowed in response and then said to Su Chen:


    "Please, Mr. Su!"


    With that, she exited the room.


    Only then did Su Chen get a clear look inside the room, and he was surprised to find that it was a dining room. A long dining tabley before him, filled with a variety of delicacies.


    A woman in traditional attire sat at one end of the long table, but with her back to Su Chen, her features were unclear.


    "Mr. Su, why note in?"


    The woman slowly stood up at that moment, turned around, and smiled at Su Chen.


    "It''s you?!"


    Seeing the woman''s appearance clearly, Su Chen was shocked!


    Though he didn''t know the woman before him, he had seen her before!


    She was the woman he encountered at the bar entrance on the very night Su Chen had learned from Su Jin that his biological parents were someone else, and his mind was in chaos!


    He never expected the mysterious person suddenly inviting him would be her!


    That night, Su Chen truly wasn''t in the mood to appreciate beauty, only recalling that she was extremely beautiful!


    Seeing her again now, he was slightly startled by her beauty once more!


    This woman had eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like water, a straight nose, and slightly parted moist red lips, an oval face, with skin as white as porcin!


    She was in the same ss of beauties as Lin Ruoxue, Eniel, and Qi Meng, but her temperament was entirely different!


    Lin Ruoxue was cool, Eniel was bold, and Qi Meng was alluring!


    This woman, however, exuded a unique charm!


    Her every smile and gesture brought that charm to its peak!


    Such charm was not deliberately put on, but seemed innate!


    Upon seeing her, any man would be bewitched, even Su Chen, who was momentarily dazed!


    "How long does Mr. Su n to keep staring?"


    The woman lightly spoke with a smile.


    "Apologies, it''s all your fault for being so beautiful, I couldn''t help myself!"


    Su Chen snapped out of it immediately upon hearing this and said with a smile.


    "Mr. Su..."


    The woman hadn''t expected Su Chen to be so straightforward. Previous men, even if they thought such things, would often find some righteous reason to express it!


    So much so that she was momentarily at a loss for how to respond, pausing before saying:


    "Mr. Su is quite interesting!"


    "Is that so?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a meaningful smile and replied:


    "I think you''re even more interesting!"


    The woman sensed Su Chen''s words held more meaning, but for the moment, she didn''t delve deeper and instead smiled and said:


    "Mr. Su should haven''t had dinner yet, please have a seat."


    Su Chen wasn''t bashful and sat at the other end of the long table:


    "I feared I might miss dinner but didn''t expect you to have prepared such a feast."


    "As long as Mr. Su doesn''t mind, please try some."


    The woman said with a gentle smile.


    Su Chen picked up the chopsticks and started eating. He had to admit, the food she prepared was quite exquisite!


    Because of cultivation, Su Chen hadn''t eaten lunch, and he was indeed hungry now!


    "When Mr. Su saw it was me, were you surprised?"


    The woman asked with a smile, looking at Su Chen.


    "Indeed, I wasn''t expecting it."


    Su Chen put down his chopsticks and said:


    "Had I known it was a beautiful woman inviting, I wouldn''t have hesitated at all!"


    "Mr. Su, you''re really witty."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the woman immediatelyughed.


    "I''m just being honest!"


    Su Chen chuckled and then resumed eating while the woman started eating as well.


    In the moments that followed, Su Chen didn''t speak further and focused on the meal, as he was genuinely quite hungry.


    At first, the woman didn''t mind, but after a while, she sensed something was off.


    She then set down her chopsticks and gazed at Su Chen with her beautiful eyes...

 Chapter 1149: In This World, No One Is Worthy

    The woman was very strange; it seemed like this man was genuinely serious about eating his meal!


    Isn''t he curious?


    Aren''t you curious about who I am? Aren''t you curious why I invited you? Aren''t you curious about my intentions behind the invitation?


    She felt that this man was really quite special; it seemed she had never met a man like him before!


    Su Chen, of course, also noticed the woman''s gaze but didn''t mind at all and continued eating his meal!


    While he was curious about some things, since it was she who invited him, and she could hold herposure, why should he be in any rush?


    If you want to y psychological games with me, this youngdy is still a bit too inexperienced!


    Besides, he was quite hungry, so whatever needed to be said could wait until he''d eaten his fill!


    Su Chen didn''t gobble down the food but instead savored it slowly, as there was no rush.


    It wasn''t until nearly forty minutester that he put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.


    "Mr. Su, how do you find the food?"


    The woman asked as she saw Su Chen finally finish eating.


    "It''s alright."


    Su Chen nodded and said:


    "Though, the bass was cooked a bit too long on medium heat."


    "The tofu in this jade tofu dish has some issues; it''s tofu that''s been salted three times, whereas twice would yield a better vor for this dish."


    "Also, this Wenchang chicken isn''t tender enough; one, the choice of ingredients wasn''t top-notch with the skin not thin enough, and two, during the cooking process, it spent a bit too little time on a gentle heat."


    .......


    Su Chen critiqued seven or eight dishes consecutively, pointing out ws in each one!


    "However,pared to general standards, it''s already very good."


    Su Chen finally smiled and said that even though he had deep culinary knowledge, he generally wasn''t picky about what he ate and didn''t really care about it.


    Speaking of being picky, it was his old master who was the one truly particr!


    The woman was utterly dumbfounded, looking at Su Chen as if he were some kind of freak!


    Who on earth was this guy?


    After all, today''s dishes were all prepared by top-notch chefs!


    And this guy managed to pick out ws in virtually every dish!


    The key point is, he artictes it all so convincingly, as if it''s truly the case!


    "Mr. Su, are you a chef?"


    The woman couldn''t help but ask.


    "Just have a minor interest, nothing more."


    Su Chen smiled slightly and said.


    The woman couldn''t help but internally criticize; is this what you call minor interest?


    Of course, the woman did not dwell on this issue, as it wasn''t the primary reason she invited him today!


    "Mr. Su, do you know why I invited you today?"


    After a moment, the woman looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "I''m waiting for the youngdy to tell me!"


    Su Chen also nced at her and smiled.


    "Before that, let me introduce myself. My name is Qin Nishang."


    Qin Nishang said.


    Su Chen just nodded and didn''t give much of a reaction.


    "Mr. Su doesn''t know me?"


    Qin Nishang was taken aback by Su Chen''s response and asked curiously.


    "Am I supposed to?"


    Su Chen tilted his head naturally and asked.


    This question, instead, left Qin Nishang stunned, unsure how to respond!


    "Alright, Miss Qin, just tell me your purpose!"


    Su Chen finally felt it was about time since the other party had already brought up the purpose of tonight''s invitation.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Qin Nishang looked at him seriously and said:


    "I want Mr. Su to be one of my people!"


    "Be your person?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into an inexplicable smile at these words:


    "Is Miss Qincking in men? I think with Miss Qin''s looks, you surelyck no suitors?"


    "Mr. Su, please watch your words!"


    Qin Nishang''s face instantly showed an angry expression and she said in a low voice.


    This guy was disrespectful the first time, saying if he was in a bad mood, he wouldn''t mind spending time with her in bed another day!


    Today, she specifically invited him, and he dared to tease her again!


    Although Qin Nishang always gave him great importance, it was more like a courtesy from a higher status!


    Frankly speaking, Su Chen might not even catch her eye!


    If not for some special reasons, she wouldn''t have paid attention to this person!


    This guy actually took her courtesy as a leverage for being insubordinate!


    "Weren''t you the one who said it? Let me be your man, then why are you angry now?"


    Though Qin Nishang seemed somewhat enraged, Su Chen didn''t care!


    Perhaps this Qin Nishang had an unusual status, but what did that have to do with him?


    "What I meant was, I want you to be my subordinate!"


    Qin Nishang suppressed her anger and said:


    "I will give you benefits beyond your wildest dreams!"


    "Sorry, not interested."


    Su Chen lit a cigarette, took a deep puff, and exhaled rings of smoke.


    It was only then that Su Chen realized that this woman''s purpose was to recruit him!


    "Won''t you reconsider? This could be a rare opportunity for you!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s unhesitating refusal, Qin Nishang couldn''t help but say.


    "No need to consider; just you, are not qualified."


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    "I''m not qualified?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Qin Nishang found itughable; did this guy know who she was?


    He actually said she was unqualified!


    She felt that her willingness to recruit him should be his honor!


    "I''d like to hear who qualifies to make you submit!"


    Qin Nishang asked with a hint of anger.


    "In this world, no one qualifies!"


    Su Chen said lightly, without a trace of emotion, as if stating a matter of fact!


    These words made Qin Nishang''s heart tremble slightly; this guy was too presumptuous, right?


    However, upon looking at him, she discovered his expression waspletely calm, with no emotional fluctuation!


    Despite this, he somehow exuded an aura like that of a king!


    This feeling emerged, and Qin Nishang quickly shook her head, attributing it to an illusion!


    When she prepared to once again observe Su Chen, he had already stood up:


    "If Miss Qin has finished her words, then I''ll take my leave."


    With that, Su Chen headed towards the door and pulled it open.


    "If you wish to be my woman, I might consider giving you a chance."


    Just then, Su Chen''s indifferent voice floated back.


    When Qin Nishang turned to look, the man''s figure at the door had already disappeared...


    Staring at the doorway, Qin Nishang was slightly taken aback!


    This guy was really too arrogant!


    Did he mean that if she wanted to be his woman, he''d have to consider whether or not to ept?


    If the people of the Ancient Martial World knew about this, they''d probably treat it as an enormous joke, right?


    Yet this guy said it with such seriousness, not at all like he was joking!

 Chapter 1150: An Unexpected Arrival

    At this moment in Yandu, the weather is still quite warm, but it cools down a lot by evening.


    A Buick car was driving unhurriedly along the streets of Yandu, its windows open, allowing a refreshing breeze to blow in andfortably wrap around Su Chen.


    Su Chen, enjoying the breeze, was also contemting tonight''s events.


    Why does that woman named Qin Nishang want to recruit him?


    What is it about him that she admires?


    Of course, it''s certainly not that she''scking men as he flirted, so what could it be?


    His strength?


    It shouldn''t be. Although he appeared nonchnt earlier, he was genuinely shocked by that woman''s cultivation!


    Because the feeling she gave him actually reached the Kaiyuan Late Stage, perhaps even beyond!


    To know, that woman named Qin Nishang looks no more than about twenty-five years old!


    So young, yet her cultivation is at such a level. How could Su Chen not be astounded?!


    Although if it really came to a fight, Su Chen was confident he could defeat her, but she didn''t know that.


    Therefore, from this perspective, it''s unlikely she''s recruiting him for his strength. Even if there''s a reason, it is definitely not the main one!


    But apart from that, what does he have that would attract the attention of a woman who carries herself with such extraordinary bearing?


    Su Chen pondered the entire way, but still couldn''t figure out her intentions!


    At least, for now, she hasn''t shown him much hostility.


    Except for the bit of anger she felt from his deliberate flirting...


    ...


    "Bang!"


    At this moment, suddenly a figure seemed to descend from the sky,nding right on Su Chen''s car hood, denting it significantly!


    Su Chen barely had time to react before a sharp sword pierced straight through the windshield!


    The windshield, in front of the long sword, seemed like mere tofu, offering no resistance at all!


    At the same time, another sharp sword thrust in through the side window!


    Though the car speed was high, the attacker was even faster!


    Su Chen knew that if he drove straight forward, no matter how much he elerated, he couldn''t avoid the two swords!


    So he quickly leaned back, almost ttening his body to dodge the swords, while simultaneously kicking the car door beside him!


    The car door was immediately kicked open with a "bang", slightly halting the person wielding the sword from the side!


    Using this reaction, his body instantly slid towards the passenger door!


    His hand smoothly opened the passenger door!


    As his body just shot out of the passenger door, another long sword struck like a snake!


    That sword seemed to be waiting there, blocking his path!


    Su Chen was startled, quickly twisting his body in the air with difficulty, while punching towards the long sword!


    "Boom!"


    Su Chen''s fist collided with the opponent''s de, immediately scattering True Yuan and Sword Qi. His fist managed to deflect the sword just a bit!


    Utilizing this brief pause, Su Chen immediately rolled swiftly sideways to create some distance, then stood up!


    All of this happened in a sh of lightning. Su Chen performed a series of actions purely on instinct!


    He hadn''t expected someone tounch such a fierce ambush as he was driving!


    At this moment, a faint cold sweat broke out on his back, for the earlier situation was exceedingly dangerous!


    "Boom!"


    His Buick car also lost control, rushing forward until it finally crashed into a roadside barrier and stopped!


    Su Chen nced around, seeing three middle-aged men before him, subtly shifting their positions to surround him in a triangr formation!


    Song Haitian and the others were also greatly surprised. They hadn''t expected that their carefully prepared finishing moves had failed, which truly caught them off guard!


    They could only say that in the previous instance, this guy reacted with incredible speed and physical quickness!


    Even though they had a high opinion of this young man, they didn''t expect they''d still underestimated his strength!


    "Who are you?"


    Su Chen looked at these people and asked gravely.


    "Hmph, you killed our son, yet you have the face to ask who we are!"


    Peng Yue replied coldly.


    "Are you people from the Song Family, Peng Family, and the ck de Alliance?"


    Su Chen, upon hearing Peng Yue''s words, guessed, since the opponent mentioned he had killed their son!


    "Yes!"


    Hei Feng stared at Su Chen with eyes burning with a deep-seated hatred:


    "Today is your day to die; I''m going to cut you down to avenge my son!"


    The other two stared at Su Chen with the same intent of tearing him apart!


    "I''ve been waiting for you all!"


    Su Chen said with a faint smile.


    Honestly, Su Chen had been wondering why these forces hadn''t made a move yet!


    But now they''ve finally showed up!


    Moreover, it''s three leaders from these forces, which certainly saves Su Chen a lot of trouble!


    Su Chen nced over, noticing two were Kaiyuan Middle Stage, while one was Kaiyuan Late Stage!


    Based on Su Chen''s previous understanding, the two Kaiyuan Late Stage individuals should be the heads of the Song Family, while the others are naturally from the ck de Alliance and Peng Family!


    Luckily, the person who dealt with him beside the passenger seat was Kaiyuan Middle Stage; had it been Kaiyuan Late Stage, it would have been quite troublesome!


    Honestly, given Su Chen''s current strength, these individuals truly don''t pose much concern!


    The reason it became perilous a moment ago was entirely because the opponents unexpectedlyunched an ambush, catching Su Chen off-guard!


    "Alright, since you were waiting for us, today we''ll send you down to apany our sons!"


    Hei Feng said through gritted teeth.


    "I was thinking of sending you down to reunite with your sons!"


    Su Chen remarked scornfully.


    His words immediately turned their faces dark, the brat was indeed too arrogant!


    "Soul Severing de!"


    Hei Feng shouted loudly, drawing a ck de and shing towards Su Chen!


    Hei Feng''s specialty weapon was a ck de, hence he named his force ck de Alliance!


    Hei Feng''s most powerful martial technique was Soul Severing de!


    Once the de strikes, souls are severed!


    Previously, he didn''t use the de because swords are more convenient for ambush, and subconsciously he thought Su Chen didn''t deserve him using the de!


    But now, provoked by Su Chen''s arrogance, he wanted to cut this brat down!


    "Heavenly Tyrant Fist!"


    Peng Yue was also eager to act, sheathing his sword and punching towards Su Chen!


    He too wanted to personally kill Su Chen, thus unleashing his most powerful martial technique!


    His most formidable martial technique wasn''t swordsmanship but a set of fist techniques!

 Chapter 1151: First Use of the Thousand Hand Seal

    Peng Yue''s punch sted out, as if tearing a massive hole in the void, creating a vacuum zone!


    The formidable pressure of his Kaiyuan Middle Stage cultivation also fully emanated!


    This set of Heavenly Tyrant Fist techniques was passed down through the Peng Family, and its power was immense!


    "Moon Shadow Sword"


    At the same time, Song Haitian swung his sword at Su Chen, the dazzling Sword Aura shimmering with a cold, fierce light under the streetmp, a half-moon arc of Sword Shadow sweeping towards Su Chen!


    This Sword Shadow seemed to contain a vast energy, capable of destroying everything!


    The Moon Shadow Sword was equally Song Haitian''s most powerful Martial Technique!


    Undoubtedly, these three had the same idea, which was to finish off this arrogant brat who killed their sons in one strike!


    To Song Haitian and the others, with such a fierce offensive, no matter how strong this brat''s strength was, there''s absolutely no chance of survival!


    After all, they had two Kaiyuan Middle Stage and one Kaiyuan Late Stage, all unleashing their strongest Martial Techniques!


    And the other side was just a Meridian Expansion Peak cultivation, no matter how menacing, he couldn''t survive!


    In their view, this was the retribution he deserved for killing their sons!


    "Humph, if they think they can kill me like this, they''re too naive!"


    Su Chen''s body flickered, and in a blink, he was in front of Peng Yue, then punched towards Peng Yue!


    "Courting death!"


    Seeing Su Chen dare to sh fists with him, Peng Yue was instantly enraged, feeling insulted!


    He further channeled his True Yuan, enhancing the power of the Heavenly Tyrant Fist to almost the limit!


    "Boom!"


    As the fists collided, a thundering sound rang out, and a magnificent burst of energy immediately erupted!


    The crack of bones was masked by the thunderous impact sound, as Su Chen shattered Peng Yue''s arm with a punch, continuing forward to m into Peng Yue''s chest, sending Peng Yue flying like a cannonball!


    This was a scenario Su Chen had tested many times, and naturally, the result was as he expected!


    Though the opponent used Martial Techniques to enhance their strength, how could theypare to Star Energy?


    After Su Chen sent Peng Yue flying with a punch, the attacks of Hei Feng and Song Haitian were almost upon him!


    Under this pincer attack, Su Chen had to make a choice!


    He ducked his head and twisted his body to dodge their attacks as much as possible, then with a flick of his wrist, the Light Martial Sword appeared in his hand!


    Gripping the hilt tightly, he sharply swung the sword towards Peng Yue''s chest and abdomen area!


    Hei Feng, initially thinking Su Chen was certain to die, suddenly felt an unprecedented fear, a sense of death enveloping him, making his hair stand on end!


    He hastily withdrew his de and retreated, trying to distance himself from this sudden danger!


    However, he was too close earlier, and despite retreating with all his might, he still couldn''t escape!


    "Boom!"


    The terrifying energy of Sword Qi, True Yuan, and Ster Power erupted in his chest and abdomen, sending Hei Feng uncontrobly flying backwards!


    At the same time, Song Haitian''s Moon Shadow Sword had already mmed into Su Chen''s back!


    Though Su Chen tried his best to dodge, facing two opponents, he couldn''t have the upper hand in speed and simultaneously had to kill the Kaiyuan Middle Stage one!


    In thisplex situation, naturally, he had to pay some price!


    Su Chen was also instantly sted seven or eight meters away!


    Actually, from the moment Hei Feng first attacked Su Chen until now, only a very brief moment had passed!


    Song Haitian took a long look and found that both Hei Feng and Peng Yue were dead!


    Though their deaths wouldn''t make him sad, it did shock him considerably!


    He hadn''t expected that under the siege of the three of them, this brat could still kill two of them!


    This brat was truly formidable; with just Meridian Expansion Peak, he already possessed such strength!


    In hindsight, it was truly fortunate that he had called Hei Feng and Peng Yue along, though they died!


    Otherwise, dealing with this brat alone would''ve been too troublesome!


    At this moment, not far away, Su Chen was already standing up, somewhat grinning in pain!


    This scene made Song Haitian feel as if he had seen a ghost!


    He was at the Kaiyuan Late Stage realm, and just used the "Moon Shadow Sword," and yet this guy stood up so quickly?


    This was too unbelievable?!


    Song Haitian initially thought his Moon Shadow Sword hit Su Chen, and the guy must be dead!


    Even if not dead, he must have been seriously wounded and lost the ability to fight!


    Yet unexpectedly, the young man promptly stood up from the ground!


    This impact on Song Haitian was even greater than seeing Hei Feng and Peng Yue dead earlier!


    This didn''t make sense!


    Could it be that this guy''s defense was already at such a powerful level?


    Song Haitian thought to himself: Isn''t this too terrifying?!


    Su Chen stood up, feeling a burning pain where his back met his waist, and when he touched it, his hand was covered in a smear of blood!


    Clearly, Song Haitian''s sword had inflicted some damage on him!


    Which was understandable, given that Song Haitian was already at the Kaiyuan Late Stage, and his Moon Shadow Sword was undeniably powerful, so it wasn''t surprising for Su Chen to be hurt!


    Fortunately,st time when climbing the relic steps, his Calm Spirit Body Technique improved again, or else his injuries would have been much worse!


    This was the reason why Su Chen dared to risk being hit by the opponent to kill Hei Feng earlier!


    If he didn''t have enough confidence in his body''s defensive capabilities now, he would have definitely opted to avoid the danger first and tackle it gradually!


    "Now it''s my turn!"


    Su Chen, enduring some pain, curled the corner of his mouth into a strange smile.


    Seeing Su Chen''s sinister smile, Song Haitian couldn''t help but shudder!


    At this moment, Su Chen already moved towards Song Haitian!


    Song Haitian couldn''t believe Su Chen still dared to approach him actively, it seemed unbelievable!


    Could this guy truly be fearless of death!


    "Moon Shadow Sword!"


    Song Haitian poised to swing his sword once more!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Simultaneously, Su Chen unleashed a palm strike towards Song Haitian, instantly causing three Palm Prints to eerily appear before Song Haitian!


    This was his first time using "Thousand Hand Seal" in actualbat, and he was curious to see how powerful the Thousand Hand Seal really was!


    Song Haitian''s long sword hadn''t swung down yet, but seeing the three Palm Prints manifesting in front of him, he was taken aback!


    "What''s happening? How are there three Palm Prints?"


    Song Haitian had no idea what was happening, but he realized the intense danger immediately!


    He hurriedly withdrew his sword for defense, but he faced difficulty because he didn''t know which Palm Print to defend against!

 Chapter 1152: Bewilderment

    In the midst of chaos, Song Haitian could only choose one of the palm prints to defend against!


    "Boom!"


    Subsequently, one of the remaining two palm prints crashed onto Song Haitian''s body. Just like Hei Feng and Peng Yue before him, he flew backwards,nded on the ground, and kept coughing up blood!


    Song Haitian had no idea that Su Chen could use his mental power to control any palm print to strike at will, even two or all three at once!


    Song Haitian, lying on the ground, stared in disbelief at Su Chen nearby, as if this young man was a demon!


    How old is this guy, yet how does he possess such formidable strength?


    Especially the palm print he just released was so eerie and powerful!


    Truth be told, not just him, even Su Chen himself felt a bit surprised!


    He didn''t expect the palm prints sted out by the Thousand Hand Seal to possess such powerful might, instantly rendering Song Haitian, at the Kaiyuan Late Stage, in such a near-death state!


    Although he had tested the Thousand Hand Seal before, firstly, it was against trees or rocks, and he wasn''t able to feel it as vividly!


    Secondly, he was mainly practicing the familiarity with the Thousand Hand Seal, so he couldn''t exert himself fully!


    Su Chen knew that advanced martial techniques enhance one''s power, but he didn''t expect such a significant increase all at once!


    This truly delighted Su Chen!


    The reason Su Chen hadn''t used the Thousand Hand Seal earlier was that he wanted to hone his realbat skills, which proved to be very beneficial!


    Su Chen walked over and nced at Song Haitian, who was lying on the ground and barely able to get up, expressionless!


    Song Haitian''s body suddenly began to tremble!


    "Please¡­"


    Although Song Haitian rationally knew Su Chen wouldn''t spare him, his strong survival instinct still made him beg!


    However, as soon as he started speaking, Su Chen already stepped on his chest!


    Since he came to kill him, Su Chen naturally didn''t have the goodwill to spare his opponent!


    After dealing with these people, Su Chen continued driving towards the vi...


    He didn''t mind the small episode on the road earlier too much!


    At least he felt a bit relieved for the moment, otherwise, these forces hesitating to strike would cause Su Chen some unease.


    It wasn''t long before Su Chen returned to the vi; by then, it was almost ten o''clock, and thedies had finished dinner and gone back to their rooms.


    Su Chen returned to his room, and after being back, he couldn''t help but recall tonight''s events!


    Of course, he wasn''t pondering the Song Family''s forces ambushing him on the way, but rather matters concerning Qin Nishang!


    This woman''s identity is certainly unusual, as her cultivation already indicates!


    Su Chen feels her cultivation is even higher than the Song Family''s Family Head!


    What''s inconsistent with her cultivation is her age, as she seems only about twenty-five!


    However, Su Chen isn''t too interested in her identity and background; he''s intrigued by why this woman wants to recruit him!


    He simply cannot fathom what makes him worthy of her spending so much effort to recruit him!


    What truly is her purpose?


    Su Chen currently doesn''t have any useful information, so he can''t judge!


    After pondering for a while, Su Chen decided to let it go again.


    Since this woman sought him out, Su Chen believes her ultimate purpose will eventually reveal itself, so he doesn''t need to rush.


    After letting it go, Su Chen sat cross-legged on the bed and started cultivating!


    Finally, by thetter half of the night, Su Chen finished his cultivation!


    He took a shower, feeling slightly fatigued, and decided to lie down for some rest.


    When he awoke, thedies were already sitting and eating breakfast together,ughter abounding, rxed and at ease!


    Su Chen also walked over with a smile, sat down, and joined them for breakfast.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and the others drove to work as usual.


    Later, Huang Menglei and the others went back to their rooms to cultivate as they always did.


    Su Chen, having just finished cultivating not long ago, didn''t n on cultivating further. Besides, he needed to visit the 4S shop to repair his car today.


    Due to yesterday''s ambush by Song Haitian and the others, his car was severely damaged - the front hood had arge dent, the car door was kicked in, and it crashed into the guardrail, causing severe damage to the front.


    Su Chen handed his car over to the staff and did not worry further, waiting then at a guest round table.


    Positioned near the ss wall, Su Chen drank the tea brewed by the staff while sometimes ncing outside!


    "Su Chen!"


    At this moment, Su Chen seemed to hear someone calling him!


    He looked outside and saw the window of a car slowly roll down, a long-haired woman sticking her head out!


    "Tang Yun?!"


    Seeing the woman''s face, Su Chen was somewhat surprised.


    Tang Yun then parked her car, got out, and came inside.


    "Why are you here?"


    Tang Yun sat down opposite Su Chen and asked with a smile.


    "The car has some issues, so I came for repairs."


    Su Chen casually replied:


    "But you, why are you here?"


    "If you cane here, why can''t I?"


    Tang Yun yfully said.


    "Of course you can, your presence adorns and brightens the whole street!"


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "Your words are getting more persuasive!"


    Tang Yun nced at him, clearly happy with thepliment.


    "I came to the shop ahead to slightly modify my car."


    Tang Yun then shared her purpose with Su Chen.


    "Are you still racing now?"


    Su Chen asked, knowing Tang Yun''s interest in racing in the past.


    Back in Jianghai, Su Chen once apanied her in a crazy escapade!


    Even now, he''s vividly impressed by Tang Yun''s leather outfit, contrasting starkly with her usual appearance!


    "Not much now, but asionally when distressed, I rx a bit."


    Tang Yun replied; as she grew older, her racing interest gradually faded.


    Now she modifies cars mostly for nostalgic reminiscence of past sensations!


    "Do you have any worries?"


    Su Chen casually asked upon hearing this.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, Tang Yun nced at him and then sighed:


    "Just work-rted matters, not worth mentioning!"


    Actually, what truly burdens Tang Yun isn''t work but the man in front of her!


    However, she couldn''t voice that, as it would add anxiety for both, leaving work issues as the narrative...

 Chapter 1153: Su Chen, I Like You!

    After Su Chen and Tang Yun chatted for a while, a staff member came over, briefly exined the situation, and told Su Chen to pick up the car in two days.


    Su Chen nodded, then stood up and smiled:


    "Tang Yun, I''ll trouble you to give me a ride, so I don''t have to call for a car."


    "Sure, let''s go."


    Tang Yun naturally agreed to such a small request.


    Moreover, she hadn''t visited Su Chen''s home since she came to Yandu.


    The two then headed toward Tang Yun''s Cadic, with Su Chen naturally bing the driver.


    "Roar!"


    When Su Chen started the car and stepped on the elerator, it instantly roared to life and shot out like an arrow!


    Tang Yun''s car had been modified, and naturally, it was different from ordinary Cadics.


    After driving a while, Su Chen saw a highway entrance not far away and smiled slightly:


    "Wanna speed up a bit on the highway?"


    "Sure!"


    Tang Yun replied with a smile as well.


    Then Su Chen turned the car onto the highway, making the road suddenly spacious and the traffic quite sparse!


    Su Chen continued to press the elerator, letting out an even louder roar!


    The Cadic sped down the wide highway like lightning, and Tang Yun hadn''t felt such a rush of speed for a long time!


    She took off her shoes, opened the sunroof, and stood up, half of her body out of it, arms spread wide, slightly gazing at the sky, feeling the sound of the wind howling!


    It seemed to liberate some of the feelings pent up in her heart!


    "Su Chen¡ª I¡ª like you!"


    All of a sudden, Tang Yun shouted towards the sky, her voice carried far with the rushing wind!


    Su Chen, not deaf, naturally heard the shout. He didn''t seem too shocked, just pulled a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth!


    He was not unaware of Tang Yun''s feelings; it''s just that everyone had been concealing and restraining them.


    He hadn''t expected Tang Yun to suddenly shout into the wind!


    Su Chen gradually slowed down the car, and Tang Yun sat back inside.


    Honestly, Tang Yun was also stirred by the rushing speed, which caused her to shout out what she was thinking!


    The words were like a fishbone stuck in her throat, hard to swallow!


    So most of her troubles stemmed from this!


    Just now, unexpectedly, she impulsively shouted it out!


    Then she felt Su Chen slow down the car. She knew, Su Chen definitely heard it!


    How could he not hear it?


    At this moment, she was a bit uneasy, unsure of what to do!


    She felt she was too impulsive earlier, but then she thought, if she didn''t shout it out, she would keep feeling stifled!


    Since it''s said, it''s said!


    As for what happens next, honestly, she felt unsure, especially with Su Chen remaining silent, which made her a bit panicked!


    Su Chen then exited at the next highway entrance and pulled over on the roadside after a short drive.


    The car stopped, and Tang Yun became more flustered, not knowing what Su Chen would do!


    "Tang Yun, I''m not clueless; I can sense your feelings somewhat!"


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and said:


    "Honestly speaking, I like you too, only..."


    "You also like me?"


    Tang Yun, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, instantly had a sparkle in her beautiful eyes!


    "Of course, you''re so beautiful, have such a great figure, and are kind-hearted, how could I not like you?"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Then..."


    "But I''m not exactly a good person."


    Su Chen gave a bitterugh and said:


    "You know I have a wife, Lin Ruoxue, the president of Belle Group, but there are some things you aren''t aware of."


    "What am I unaware of?"


    Tang Yun thought, apart from Su Chen having a wife, what else could there be?


    "Besides Ruoxue, I actually have three other women, and there might be more in the future. Do you still like someone like me?"


    Su Chen looked at Tang Yun with a bitter smile.


    "You..."


    Tang Yun was stunned by Su Chen''s words!


    Apart from his wife, he has so many women?


    This was a situation Tang Yun had never imagined, suddenly unsure of what to say!


    After a good while, Tang Yun finally stammered:


    "Do the women know about each other? Can they ept it? Especially your wife Lin Ruoxue, can she ept it?"


    "Initially, Ruoxue had a hard time epting it, but after going through some events, she came to ept them."


    Su Chen faintly smiled and said:


    "Now they all live together harmoniously, like sisters."


    "How is that possible?"


    Tang Yun''s mind became chaotic upon hearing this, finding it unbelievable!


    Multiple women sharing a husband, how could they ept that? And even get along like sisters?


    Su Chen somewhat understood what Tang Yun might be thinking and didn''t say much, then drove towards the mansion.


    Tang Yun didn''t speak either, just thinking of seeing for herself what was going on.


    Since they sped on the highway for a distance, Su Chen took over half an hour to reach the mansion.


    "It''s really refreshing here!"


    After getting out of the car, Tang Yun immediately felt an extraordinary sensation.


    Su Chen smiled, then led Tang Yun into the mansion.


    However, upon entering the front yard, Su Chen didn''t feel anyone''s presence and thought they might be in the backyard!


    Indeed, when Su Chen reached the backyard, several women were discussing something.


    "What are you guys chatting about?"


    Su Chen entered with a smile.


    Eniel was about to speak but suddenly saw Tang Yun behind Su Chen and nced at Su Chen:


    "Su Chen, who is this..."


    "Oh, this is my friend, Tang Yun."


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    But the other women thought, this friend might not be just a simple friend!


    Of course, nowadays, they weren''t too surprised if Su Chen brought a pretty woman home!


    After all, this bad guy attracts women so well! There is nothing to be done!


    Su Chen then introduced Tang Yun to the women, and after an introduction, Tang Yun learned that Eniel and Du Hanbing were his women.


    Although the other women said they were friends, Tang Yun sensitively realized their rtionship with Su Chen was definitely not simple, especially Qi Meng!


    What shocked Tang Yun more was that each of these women was rare beauties!


    Even the youngest, slightly naive Huang Menglei, was a beauty in the making!

 Chapter 1154: Ximen Conference

    Tang Yun initially had a lot of confidence in her looks and figure, but now she was feeling a bit insecure!


    Actually, Tang Yun was overthinking it. Tang Yun had her own unique attributes. In terms of looks and figure, Tang Yun, Xia Qiuru, and Du Hanbing were all incredibly rare beauties!


    "By the way, you haven''t said what were you guys talking about just now?"


    Su Chen sat down on the sofa with Tang Yun and asked with a smile.


    "We were thinking about what to do this weekend!"


    Eniel replied casually to Su Chen.


    These days, the women in the vi got along very well, and whenever they had time, they would often think of activities to do together.


    "Did you guyse up with any good ideas?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Isn''t that a silly question? If we hade up with something, we''d be doing it instead of discussing here!"


    Eniel said while pouting.


    "Do you have any good ideas?"


    Du Hanbing also looked at Su Chen and asked.


    "Does he even need to be asked? Of course he''d say hot springs, to satisfy some of his personal desires!"


    Qi Meng said, slightly pursing her lips.


    All the women burst outughing at this!


    To be fair, Qi Meng''s words were spot on!


    This mischievous guy indeed would jump at the opportunity if given!


    Even Tang Yun couldn''t help butugh at this!


    Tang Yun and Su Chen didn''t meet just yesterday, she naturally knew well about his temperament!


    Not to mention, how many times has he taken advantage of her?


    Especially that time when they were caught by her mother kissing in her apartment; even now, Tang Yun feels incredibly shy recalling it!


    "Miss Tang, it looks like you''re also under this guy''s spell!"


    Eniel joked with a smile.


    "No, no!"


    Tang Yun waved her hands repeatedly.


    Even if it were true, how could she admit it, or even have the face to admit it!


    After saying this, she couldn''t help but guiltily nce at Su Chen.


    Just as she did, she found Su Chen looking at her as well, making Tang Yun''s heart skip a beat, and she lowered her head shyly with a blush!


    This scene fell into the eyes of the other women, further confirming their suspicions that there was something going on between her and Su Chen!


    Of course, they surely wouldn''t say anything about it!


    Qi Meng couldn''t help but feel a bit of a "crisis," sincest time there was already another woman looking for this guy, and today he brought back such a beautiful woman again!


    It seems she should hasten to make their rtionship official!


    The women sat and discussed for quite a while, but it seemed fruitless.


    At this point, Tang Yun was about to leave; she had been here for some time.


    Naturally, Su Chen was going to see her off, and the two walked towards the vi gate.


    At the moment, Tang Yun''s mind was in turmoil; she didn''t expect that Su Chen''s vi would have so many women, and all so beautiful!


    And there were a few women at work who weren''t around; they''re likely not bad either, at least Lin Ruoxue is someone all women would envy!


    What bothered her even more was that those women really seemed to get along well, blissfully so!


    This was no pretense; Tang Yun believed she had the perception to see that!


    Tang Yun then began to consider herself, what should she do?


    Could she ept sharing a man with so many women?


    Even if she could ept it, could her parents? Probably not!


    Soon, the two walked out the gate to where Tang Yun had parked her car.


    "Seems like my cousin was right!"


    Tang Yun said with a sigh as she reached her car.


    The cousin she referred to was naturally Pei Man!


    "What did she say?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "My cousin has always said that with a man like you, it''s impossible for you to have just one or two women."


    Tang Yun looked at Su Chen and said with a sigh.


    Her rtionship with Pei Man had always been good, not only were they of simr age, but as women, they often confided in one another about things they couldn''t easily share with others.


    Truthfully, Tang Yun didn''t expect that her cousin Pei Man would also fall for Su Chen!


    Pei Man openly admitted it without any reservation!


    Of course, Pei Man was aware of Tang Yun''s feelings for Su Chen, though Tang Yun stubbornly denied it at the time.


    So Pei Man kept encouraging her to confess if she liked him, not to let herself have regrets!


    She shyly mentioned her concerns, primarily about the fact that Su Chen already had a wife!


    Pei Man then told her that a man like Su Chen was bound to have more than one or two women; some men naturally have a special allure that captivates women!


    And Su Chen happened to be that kind of man!


    At this moment, Tang Yun couldn''t help but admire her cousin''s remarkable insight, as things indeed turned out as she said!


    But her heart was nheless receiving quite a jolt, leaving her a bit confused and muddled!


    Su Chen felt somewhat awkward upon hearing Tang Yun''s words and thought to himself:


    Does Pei Man need to understand me so well!


    "Alright, it''s gettingte. I''ll be off now; I have ss this afternoon!"


    Tang Yun said with a smile.


    "Okay, take care."


    Su Chen nodded with a smile as well.


    Before long, Tang Yun drove away from the Yuquan Mountain vi. Su Chen watched the car disappear into the distance, sighed slightly, and then turned to head back inside...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in a secret location in Huaxia, there stood a grand building!


    At the entrance of this building, two bold characters were engraved ¡ª Ximen!


    Inside the hall, there was a long conference table!


    At present, six or seven people were already seated around the table, but the main seat was vacant!


    After a while, an elder in a blue long robe walked in from outside!


    Upon seeing the elder enter, everyone''s attention immediately turned to him!


    "Father!"


    "Grandfather!"


    ...


    They greeted him respectfully, simultaneously sensing an immensely overwhelming aura, like a vast ocean!


    "Everyone, please sit down!"


    The elder motioned for all to sit, and he took his ce at the head of the table.


    "Father, have you improved your cultivation?"


    A middle-aged man at the far end asked with a smile.


    "Yes, it was worth the time spent in seclusion!"


    The elder nodded.


    "Congrattions, Father (Grandfather)!"


    The others all smiled and offered their congrattions as well.


    The elder''s advancement in cultivation was undoubtedly the greatest benefit to the Ximen n!


    "Alright, let''s get to the business at hand!"


    The elder said gently, then looked at the middle-aged man at the far end:


    "Bohai, you start by exining the situation."


    "Yes, Father!"


    The middle-aged man nodded and said.

 Chapter 1155: The Importance of the Token

    "Father, during the half year you''ve been in seclusion, indeed many things have happened. Let me briefly report to you."


    The middle-aged man continued speaking, he was the eldest son of the Ximen n''s Family Head, Ximen Bohai!


    "Let''s not talk about other matters first, speak about Mo Changqing''s situation."


    The elder in the blue long robe spoke.


    Although as soon as he came out of seclusion, his eldest son told him Mo Changqing had already died, he hadn''t asked for the specific details yet!


    Because this matter was too important, a family meeting was immediately convened!


    Of course, this meeting was limited to the very core members of the family, only his sons and grandsons attended!


    "Yes, Father, Mo Changqing was killed a few months ago at the Martial Arts Conference held in the Martial Arts World."


    Ximen Bohai spoke while cautiously observing his father''s expression!


    Because he knew how highly his father regarded Mo Changqing!


    Of course, it wasn''t that he valued Mo Changqing himself, but rather the role he yed!


    Indeed, upon hearing this, fury immediately rose on the elder''s face, gloom spreading like water!


    "Useless!"


    The elder shouted sternly:


    "To think we invested resources to cultivate him to the Kaiyuan Realm, yet he is so useless!"


    "Who exactly killed Mo Changqing? In the Martial Arts World, there shouldn''t have been anyone who could rival him!"


    The elder nced at Ximen Bohai and said.


    "I investigated afterwards, the killer was that Su Family youngster who most likely holds the token!"


    Ximen Bohai replied.


    "Him?!"


    The elder''s eyes narrowed, immediately shooting out a sharp light!


    "What is that boy''s strength, to be able to kill Mo Changqing at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage?"


    "ording to my investigation, at the time he was at about the sixth or seventh level of Meridian Expansion."


    "At the sixth or seventh level of Meridian Expansion and able to kill Mo Changqing?"


    The elder was slightly shocked upon hearing this, and couldn''t help but ask.


    "I am also quite shocked, but it happened on the martial stage of the Martial Arts Conference, with countless eyes watching. There could be no mistake."


    Ximen Bohai contemted for a moment and said.


    The elder, hearing this, did not doubt it. It was indeed unbelievable that someone at the sixth or seventh level of Meridian Expansion could kill Mo Changqing of the Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    "I also felt this matter was a bit strange, so I refrained from taking any action, waiting for you, Father, to decide aftering out!"


    Ximen Bohai looked at the elder and said.


    "You''re right!"


    The eldermended and said:


    "This matter is extremely important; for us, it''s better to refrain from action than to act rashly!"


    "Grandfather, isn''t it just a kid from the Secr World? Do we need to be so cautious?"


    Among them, a young man disdainfully said.


    He really couldn''t understand why their Ximen n, a first-ss power in the Ancient Martial World, needed to handle a young man from the Secr World so solemnly!


    As soon as he said that, a few people nodded in agreement.


    As a first-ss power in the Ancient Martial World, they naturally looked down on people from the Secr World!


    "How many times have I told you, and you still don''t understand?"


    The elder''s face showed a trace of cold sternness and said:


    "Mo Changqing is not important, that boy is even less important, but the token in his hand is vital and must not be lost!"


    "Father, is that token really that important?"


    A middle-aged man sitting below Ximen Bohai asked, he was Ximen Bohai''s brother, Ximen Boyuan.


    "Yes, Father, you''ve been saying we must obtain that token, and haven''t given up for over twenty years. What exactly does that token do?"


    Ximen Bohai asked the same.


    Not only him, almost everyone looked at the elder in confusion!


    As the core descendants of the Ximen n, they certainly knew the elder long yearned to obtain that token, even spending considerable effort and resources to support Mo Changqing!


    But they still didn''t quite understand what was so special about that token!


    "What exactly this token does, you''ll know when the timees, but I can tell you, this token concerns the future of our Ximen n!"


    The elder looked at everyone seriously and said.


    Upon hearing this, everyone was suddenly shocked, their eyes widened!


    They couldn''t believe the elder linked this token with the future of the Ximen n!


    "If we obtain this token, our Ximen n might even ascend to super-first-ss power in the future!"


    The elder continued speaking.


    As soon as the words were spoken, everyone became unsettled!


    Super-first-ss power!


    That was something they dared not even imagine!


    And the father (grandfather) just said this token could elevate them to the ranks of super-first-ss power!


    How could they not be shocked?!


    At this moment, everyone''s eyes shone with fervent light!


    No wonder, there are only a few super-first-ss powers, they stand at the pinnacle of the Ancient Martial World!


    If their Ximen n could reach such a height, just the thought of it made their hearts stir!


    "Now you understand the importance of this matter?"


    The elder asked with a stern face.


    Now that his cultivated tool Mo Changqing was gone, it meant that their Ximen n had to act personally next!


    He worried that someone in the family might act rashly, ruining the major affair, so he revealed some information!


    "Don''t worry, Father, we all understand!"


    Ximen Bohai nodded solemnly, and so did the others!


    Because if what the Family Head said was true, then this matter was indeed too important!


    Seeing everyone''s response, the elder nodded in satisfaction.


    "So we must approach this matter cautiously, first, because that token is likely in that young man''s hands. Killing him is of no use, what matters is obtaining the token!"


    The elder said in a deep voice:


    "Also, whatever actions we take from now on must be in secret, we must not let other forces detect it. If people with ulterior motives be aware, and the news leaks, it would be very troublesome for us!"


    Actually, this was also the reason the elder fostered Mo Changqing, because no matter how Mo Changqing moved, it wouldn''t be connected to their Ximen n by the forces in the Ancient Martial World!


    But now that Mo Changqing is dead, their Ximen n can only take action themselves!


    Though this situation wasn''t what he wanted to face, at this point, there was no other choice!


    The people of the Ximen n nodded repeatedly, they naturally understood this reasoning too!


    "Father, what should we do next?"


    Ximen Bohai looked at the elder and asked.


    "No rush, let me think this through first."


    The elder thought for a bit and said, after all, he had juste out of seclusion and just learned the news of Mo Changqing''s death, he naturally needed to strategize well!


    Fortunately, while this matter is very important, it''s not urgent...

 Chapter 1156: You’re Ruthless

    Su Chen had no idea about the happenings in the Ximen n, nor did he know they hadn''t taken action for so long because they were waiting for the Family Head to emerge!


    After dropping off Tang Yun, Su Chen went back to his room to cultivate!


    Su Chen didn''t cultivate for too long today, only two or three hours beforeing out of his room.


    He thought about it, and since there wasn''t anything else to do, he decided to drive to thepany!


    Even though his Buick was in for repairs, how could there possibly be a shortage of cars at home?


    He casually took one out and left...


    As he parked and walked into thepany building, the receptiondies'' eyes lit up upon seeing him!


    They always looked at Su Chen a bit differently before, but now there was a clear hint of admiration!


    Obviously, their reaction was influenced by Su Chen''s heroic performance at thepany''s entrance some time ago. They still vividly remembered his descent from the heavens like a Heavenly God!


    "If you keep looking at me like that, watch out, your boyfriends might get jealous!"


    Su Chen joked lightly.


    "No worries, Su Manager, I''m single!"


    The girl named Xiaoqian responded with a giggle.


    After speaking, she proudly nced at the two girls beside her:


    "You two aren''t so lucky, huh!"


    "Be careful, we might tell President Lin, and she''ll give you a hard time!"


    The girl named Xiaojing pouted, seeing Xiaoqian''s smug expression.


    "What hard time, President Lin would just fire her directly!"


    The girl named Xiaojuan chimed in with augh.


    "Dear sisters, I''m sorry, okay?"


    The girl named Xiaoqian quickly begged for mercy, yet had a cheeky grin on her face.


    Seeing them like this, Su Chen felt quite pleased. He knew well that these girls got along splendidly, and they were just messing around.


    Su Chen smiled, then strode towards the elevator.


    Taking the elevator, Su Chen went to his office. Once there, he did as he always had: a cup of tea and some men''s magazines!


    Once he was ready, he tossed his legs casually onto the desk and started flipping through the magazines!


    The seductive images of the models immediately caught his eye, making his eyes light up!


    Of course, Su Chen perceived himself as appreciating beauty with a "devout" attitude, considering it a noble act!


    However, if the women around him knew his thoughts, they''d surely roll their eyes at him!


    Good times always pass quickly; it wasn''t long before Su Chen finished a few magazines!


    He then stood up and strolled out of the office for a wander around thepany.


    Soon, he reached Lin Ruoxue''s floor and headed over.


    "Su!"


    At the door, Chen Guo stood up sweetly when she saw him approach.


    Su Chen smiled and nodded, refraining from teasing her this time, and directly pushed open Lin Ruoxue''s office door.


    "Honey, I''m here!"


    Su Chen announced with a cheeky grin as he entered!


    However, his tone and grin always gave off a mischievous, naughty vibe!


    Upon entering, he immediately noticed a woman''s back facing him, lying on Lin Ruoxue''s desk!


    The business attire perfectly highlighted her figure, tracing out her alluring curves!


    The posture she assumed over the desk only made those curves even more captivating!


    Witnessing this scene, Su Chen couldn''t help but swallow hard!


    Upon hearing the sound, Luo Xiwen turned her head and saw Su Chen ogling her with a lusty expression!


    Realizing quickly, her beautiful eyes red with anger!


    This guy was a true pervert!


    She was about tosh out, but remembered she was in Lin Ruoxue''s office, so she suppressed her frustration!


    She merely shot Su Chen a fierce re with her beautiful eyes!


    "Why are you here?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked casually upon seeing Su Chen.


    "I came to see you, of course, because I miss my dear wife!"


    By now, Su Chen hadpletely regained hisposure, and joked with a cheeky smile.


    "Such a sweet talker!"


    Lin Ruoxue blushed and scolded lightly.


    "Wife, what were you two busy with just now?"


    Su Chen inquired.


    "Oh, just some work-rted things."


    Lin Ruoxue chuckled, not specifying further.


    She knew that Su Chen wasn''t really interested and was just asking to make conversation.


    Indeed, Su Chen soon yfully moved over to Lin Ruoxue''s side, perching himself on the arm of her chair.


    "Honey, has work been tiringtely?"


    Su Chen inquired gently.


    "Not really, I''ve let go of quite a bit of work recently, it''s much easier than before."


    Lin Ruoxueughed.


    She now got home before eight every day and tried to rest on weekends; her workload certainly reduced!


    The solution was to delegate tasks she used to handle to others, and here Xiweni''s arrival had indeed helped a lot!


    Besides, others performed better than she expected!


    Over time, Lin Ruoxue felt reassured!


    "You should''ve done this long ago!"


    Su Chen chuckled, then nced at Luo Xiwen:


    "Miss Luo, could you be more perceptive? Why are you still standing there? Can''t you see I''m having a heart-to-heart with my wife?"


    As soon as Luo Xiwen heard these words, a frosty expression swept over her face!


    This guy is unbelievable...!


    "What are you doing here has nothing to do with you?!"


    Luo Xiwen retorted furiously, her chest heaving with indignation, almost mesmerizing Su Chen!


    Yet, in Lin Ruoxue''s presence, he could only pretend to gaze sideways!


    Lin Ruoxue felt exasperated hearing the two bicker upon meeting!


    She knew Su Chen did it on purpose, and his yful address of "Miss Luo" made it quite evident!


    "I''m about to engage in some activities not suitable for children with my wife. Are you sure you want to stay and watch?"


    Su Chen quipped with a sly grin.


    As soon as he said that, both women''s faces blossomed in pink hues!


    This guy, really leaves people speechless!


    He actually said something like that!


    Especially Lin Ruoxue, her face zed hot, desperately wanting to crawl under the desk!


    Even though Luo Xiwen hadn''t experienced romantic affairs, she was no clueless youngster, understanding what Su Chen implied by "activities not suitable for children"!


    She just hadn''t expected him to be so shameless, saying it outright in the office!


    "Fine, you''re tough!"


    Coldness enshrouded Luo Xiwen''s face as she spat the words, before storming out "thud-thud-thud" with her long strides...


    (Note: Running a bitte today, there''ll be two more chapters tonight!)

 Chapter 1157: Kicked Out

    "Why do you always have to upset Xiwen?"


    After Luo Xiwen left, Lin Ruoxue said with a bit of a headache.


    These two are like natural enemies, rarely a moment of peace between them!


    "I''m not trying to upset her."


    Su Chen spread his hands, looking very innocent as he spoke.


    "Then weren''t you deliberately trying to provoke Xiwen with what you said just now?"


    Lin Ruoxue turned to nce at him.


    "What did I say?"


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue with a half-smile.


    "You don''t know what you said?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s exquisite face blushed deeply, making Su Chen''s heart beat faster!


    "Of course not, because I was telling the truth!"


    Su Chen whispered softly, blowing a breath next to Lin Ruoxue''s ear.


    Lin Ruoxue shivered immediately and quickly said:


    "Stop it, we''re in the office!"


    "It''s not like it hasn''t happened before!"


    Su Chen smiled mischievously, then, without caring whether Lin Ruoxue agreed or not, picked her up and headed to the lounge inside!


    Actually, Su Chen didn''t really n to do anything initially; it was just seeing Lin Ruoxue this beautiful that got him excited!


    After all, she''s his wife, no need to worry about too many things!


    "Su Chen, put me down!"


    "Hurry up, stop fooling around!"


    "Honey, please..."


    Lin Ruoxue was suddenly picked up by Su Chen, and she got a fright, repeatedly pleading!


    But no matter how much she pleaded or struggled, it was futile!


    After all, when have you ever seen a big bad wolf let go of a little white rabbit?


    Su Chen carried Lin Ruoxue to the lounge inside, although he also wanted to do it outside, he knew for sure Lin Ruoxue wouldn''t ept that.


    Although Lin Ruoxue had done many crazy things with Su Chen, deep down, she was still a rtively traditional woman!


    "Bang!"


    The door to the lounge closed, and then waves of murmuring sounds came from inside!


    Over an hourter, the door opened, and Lin Ruoxue walked out while adjusting her already wrinkled clothes!


    "You bad guy!"


    Lin Ruoxue gave Su Chen a resentful look; she still felt sore all over!


    How could she work like this?!


    But there was nothing she could do, having picked such a rogue of a husband!


    "Where am I bad?"


    Su Chen grinned naughtily.


    Hearing this, Lin Ruoxue blushed deeply and couldn''t help but wave her hand and say:


    "Quickly leave, don''t disturb my work!"


    If this guy stayed here, she certainly wouldn''t be able to finish her work today!


    "Honey, how could you be so heartless, using me and then tossing me aside!"


    Su Chenined.


    "What do you mean by using and tossing aside, that''s so awful to say!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face turned red as she spat out, suddenly recalling the embarrassing scene just now, promptly and without further ado kicking Su Chen out!


    "Brother Su, did you get on the wrong side of Director Lin again?"


    Chen Guo at the door teased, seeing Su Chen was kicked out.


    "How could that be?"


    Of course, Su Chen couldn''t admit that he was kicked out by his own wife, as he had to save face!


    However, Chen Guo had already seen through everything, just smiled without saying anything!


    "Alright, you continue with your work!"


    Su Chen said, then left there, returning to his own office.


    After returning to the office, Su Chen had nothing to do, so he casually started ying a game of ''Landlord''.


    He hadn''t yed this game for a long time, and ying it now felt a bit refreshing...


    .....


    Blood Kill is a unique presence in Huaxia''s Martial Arts World!


    Besides taking various tasks to obtain resources and rewards, they rarely get involved with any power!


    Even in the grandest event of the Martial Arts World, the Martial Arts Conference, they''ve never participated!


    At this moment, in a room at Blood Kill headquarters, Blood Kill''s leader, Xue Lang, was standing there.


    However, at this moment, in front of him stood a man dressed in a gray robe!


    "Greetings, Envoy!"


    Xue Lang bowed to the man in the gray robe.


    "How''s the task I instructed you to dost time?"


    The man in the gray robe asked in a deep voice.


    "Reporting to you, I''ve already found a Yin Girl, I''m nning to act at a suitable opportunity in theing days!"


    Xue Lang replied.


    "Not bad, you''ve found one so quickly!"


    The man in the gray robe praised:


    "But one is far from enough, you need to keep searching. If this is done well, the Sect Master won''t treat you unfairly!"


    "This is what I should do!"


    Hearing this, Xue Lang said excitedly.


    The gray-robed man nodded and then said:


    "Xue Lang, I heard that you suffered heavy losses not long ago, what''s the deal?"


    Upon hearing the words of the man in the gray robe, a grim look immediately appeared on Xue Lang''s face:


    "Yes, not long ago, we epted a task to assassinate a young man from the Secr World, but unexpectedly, both my second and third brothers were killed by that boy, and we lost a lot of our masters too!"


    "Is that true?"


    The man in the gray robe asked with a slight hint of surprise.


    "I hope you can take action this time and eliminate that person to avenge our brothers of Blood Kill!"


    Xue Lang pleaded.


    Because he himself was only slightly stronger than his second and third brothers, he hadn''t dared to rashly seek revenge on Su Chen yet!


    "You''re working for us, of course we''ll stand up for you!"


    The man in the gray robe nodded:


    "Rest assured, as long as you bring back the Yin Girl unharmed, I will help you get rid of that boy before returning to the Sect!"


    "Thank you, Envoy!"


    Xue Lang said excitedly.


    As long as the Envoy is willing to make a move, that boy''s days are numbered!


    .....


    Su Chen was in his office ying ''Landlord'', thoroughly enjoying himself!


    Just then, his phone suddenly rang, and when he looked, it was Lan Xinyi calling, so he answered it.


    "Xinyi, what made you think of calling me?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile after answering the call.


    "What do you mean, can''t I call you?"


    On the other end of the line, Lan Xinyi pouted upon hearing this.


    "Of course you can, I just feel ttered!"


    Su Chenughed.


    "Then I should be the one feeling ttered!"


    Lan Xinyi joked back, then said:


    "Alright, enough banter, I''ve got something to tell you."


    "What''s up?" Su Chen asked casually.


    "Well, it''s like this, on the 12th of next month, it''s my father''s 50th birthday, can youe to attend?"


    Lan Xinyi asked, her tone carrying a hint of expectation.


    "Xinyi, are you inviting me to attend?"


    Su Chen said with a teasing smile.


    "Of course, what else would you think?"


    "Since the great Miss Lan personally invited me, how dare I not go!"


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "Then I''ll take that as a yes, see you then!"


    Lan Xinyi said before hanging up the phone.


    Su Chen chuckled, then continued ying ''Landlord''...

 Chapter 1158: Luo Xiwens Anger

    Su Chen kept ying games until it was time to get off work, and after work, he drove back home.


    When he got home, a few women were making dinner in the kitchen!


    Of course, mostly it was Du Hanbing and Qi Meng cooking, while Huang Menglei and Eniel were learning, or rather, Du Hanbing was doing all the cooking, and the others were just observing!


    Among them, only Du Hanbing had decent cooking skills; the others started learning after moving to the vi and could only manage basic dishes for now!


    As a result, the kitchen was a bit chaotic, but it was a picturesque chaos nheless!


    Su Chen sat on the side, lit a cigarette, and watched the women cook!


    "Why are you sitting there like a lord, not thinking to help?"


    Qi Meng saw Su Chen leisurely smoking by the dining table outside and said with a hint of annoyance.


    "Come here, girl, give the lord a leg massage."


    Su Chen not only didn''t go in to help but cheekily smiled and said.


    "Get lost!"


    Qi Meng spat at him.


    Eniel and the othersughed...


    "By the way, Su Chen, is Ruoxue busy today?"


    After some time, Du Hanbing casually asked, knowing that Su Chen had gone to Belle Group today.


    "Why do you ask?"


    Su Chen exhaled a smoke ring and replied.


    "Ruoxue called earlier and said she''d be back around nine or ten tonight, telling us not to wait for her."


    Du Hanbing said as she continued cooking.


    "Not too bad."


    Su Chen curled his lips into a yful smile, of course knowing why Lin Ruoxue would bete today.


    Around eight, dinner was ready, and everyone started eating.


    As for Lin Ruoxue, she could simply reheat the food when she returned.


    After dinner, they strolled around the vi, and after a while, everyone went back to their rooms!


    At around ten at night, Lin Ruoxue returned home, dragging her somewhat tired body. Hearing the noise, Su Chen immediately came out.


    He then reheated the food for her while casually chatting with Lin Ruoxue as she ate.


    When Lin Ruoxue went to her room, he eagerly followed her!


    "What are youing over for?"


    Lin Ruoxue noticed him tagging along and couldn''t help saying:


    "Go away, go find the others!"


    Lin Ruoxue''s body was still sore, and she couldn''t handle his antics!


    And hoping for this guy to stay peaceful all night was like wishing for the moon!


    Helplessly, Su Chen turned and went to Eniel''s room!


    Eniel was always so fiery and passionate; she was watching a movie when she saw Su Chen enter, immediately pouncing him onto the bed!


    Soon, the two started an intense battle, with the action ranging from the bed to the floor, and even the bathroom...


    Almost everywhere in the room bore traces of their fight!


    It wasn''t until the wee hours that the battle gradually subsided, and they copsed in bed, wrapped in a nket, and fell into a deep sleep...


    The next morning, Su Chen got up as if nothing happened, lit a cigarette, and got out of bed.


    As for Eniel, she was too exhausted to even think about getting up!


    As Su Chen''s cultivation improved, his abilities in certain areas seemed to get stronger!


    After getting up, Su Chen went to the dining room, where the women were already up.


    Since today was Saturday, no one had to go to work, including Lin Ruoxue, so there was no rush.


    "Where are Eniel and Xiwen?"


    Xia Qiuru asked, not seeing the two of them.


    "Don''t worry about Eniel, let her sleep a bit more."


    Su Chen chuckled.


    Upon hearing this, the women immediately understood that Su Chen had definitely stayed in Eniel''s roomst night, and Eniel was probably thoroughly exhausted by him!


    "Why isn''t Xiwen here yet?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked:


    "Su Chen, go get Xiwen."


    Lin Ruoxue knew that Luo Xiwen never slept in. It could be said that she had maintained this habit for many years.


    Su Chen was about to refuse when Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful eyes shot him a look.


    "Alright, I''ll go!"


    Helpless, Su Chen headed towards the front vi.


    The women looked at Su Chen''s reluctant back and burst into chuckles.


    It seemed only Lin Ruoxue, hiswful wife, could keep this scoundrel in line, sometimes with just a nce, like right now!


    Su Chen walked to the front vi and found that Luo Xiwen was not in her room.


    Feeling a bit puzzled, he suddenly heard the sound of the TVing from the front living room, so he followed the sound.


    Once he entered the living room, he saw a curvaceous woman doing yoga on a mat following the TV!


    She had a ponytail, wore a sports bra, and a pair of capri leggings, revealing her fair and delicate legs and feet!


    The outfit highlighted her sexy curves fully, enough to stir any man''s heart just by looking!


    Especially those yoga poses, done by her, carried an indescribable allure!


    The fine sheen of sweat on her body added an extrayer of appeal!


    Though Su Chen didn''t always get along with Luo Xiwen, he had to admit, she was truly captivating!


    No wonder that foreign guy chased her all the way from Europe to Huaxia!


    At this moment, Luo Xiwen executed a pose with her hands supporting the ground and her body arching backward!


    Her flexibility was excellent, making the move look effortless and pleasing to the eye!


    Because of the backward arch, Luo Xiwen immediately saw the direction of the door!


    Seeing a man''s silhouette, she got startled and hurriedly stood up!


    Meanwhile, Su Chen stood there, eyes fixated!


    Because at that moment, Luo Xiwen was too enticing, a crime waiting to happen!


    Luo Xiwen, noticing he was still staring at her body, felt her pretty face frost over!


    "What are you looking at!"


    Luo Xiwen snapped in a soft voice.


    Su Chen, hearing Luo Xiwen''s voice, snapped back to his senses and realized he had been entranced!


    However, there was no trace of embarrassment on his face, just disdain as he retorted:


    "Who wants to look at you, as if you''re that pretty! Ruoxue asked me to call you for breakfast!"


    After speaking, Su Chen walked toward the vi''s dining room.


    Luo Xiwen gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes zing with anger!


    Clearly, he had taken advantage and still yed innocent!


    In fact, Luo Xiwen had practiced yoga before, but her busy schedule, especially after joining Belle Group, made it hard. So she could only practice on weekends.


    To be honest, this was the first time she practiced yoga since moving to the vi!


    Practicing yoga is best on an empty stomach, so she started in the living room first thing this morning.


    Unexpectedly, Su Chen came over and ogled at her!


    The most irritating part was that after staring, he wouldn''t admit it and even mocked her!

 Chapter 1159: The Joys of Life

    "Where''s Xiwen?"


    When Su Chen walked into the dining room, Lin Ruoxue asked.


    "I called her already!"


    Su Chen replied casually.


    After a while, Luo Xiwen came in wearing casual clothes, probably having just taken a shower.


    But as soon as she sat down, Luo Xiwen''s beautiful eyes were tightly fixed on Su Chen!


    It wasn''t a gaze filled with affection, but more like she wanted to pounce on him and bite him!


    "Su Chen, did you upset Xiwen again?"


    Lin Ruoxue asked with a bit of a headache.


    To be honest, she asked Su Chen to call Luo Xiwen in hopes that the two could soften up to each other a little since calling her for breakfast is a good thing!


    But it seems their rtionship not only failed to improve but got a little worse!


    "She''s on her period; I''d never dare to provoke her!"


    Su Chen pouted and said.


    "What did you say!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Luo Xiwen''s eyes immediately narrowed and practically shot through him!


    The other women burst outughing, and Huang Menglei almost spat out her milk!


    This bastard really has no filter!


    "Alright, alright, everyone eat!"


    Lin Ruoxue said quickly upon seeing that the two seemed about to argue again.


    "Xiwen, that''s just how he is. Don''t mind him!"


    Next to Luo Xiwen, Xia Qiuru smiled and advised.


    "Yeah, if you''re still upset, find a chance to give him a good beating to let it out!"


    Du Hanbing also said with a smile.


    Listening to Xia Qiuru and Du Hanbing, Luo Xiwen finally calmed down a bit and thought:


    This guy is thick-skinned; beating him won''t do any good, and I might even end up hurting more!


    Su Chen was lucky he didn''t know Luo Xiwen''s thoughts, or he would''ve cried injustice, saying, "Where did you see that I''m thick-skinned?"


    In fact, ever since Su Chen practiced the Calm Spirit Body Technique, his defense significantly improved, and even his skin became much better, incredibly smooth, way better than expensive skincare products!


    It''s not that Su Chen was as angry as Luo Xiwen; he mostly found it amusing!


    Life needs a bit more fun!


    Luo Xiwen didn''t know she had be Su Chen''s source of amusement. If she knew, who knows if she would actually pounce on him and bite him!


    In reality, Luo Xiwen wasn''t quite sure how she felt about Su Chen either; anyway, seeing him made her ufortable, but to say she hated him, it didn''t seem like that either!


    In short, seeing this guy, she couldn''t stay calm!


    After breakfast, the women went about their activities. Some went shopping, while Lin Ruoxue and a few others had worked for a week and felt tired, preferring to stay home to rest and maybe soak in the hot springs.


    Su Chen was cultivating in his room, and of course, whenever he got tired of cultivating, he''d take a dip in the hot springs to rx!


    Of course, he couldn''t help getting a little cheeky during this time!


    "You lecher!"


    Luo Xiwen was soaking there too, but seeing Su Chen take liberties with Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru made her purse her lips andment.


    "What''s it to you? Was I lecherous to you?"


    Su Chen looked openly at Luo Xiwen and said.


    Although saying this, his gaze on Luo Xiwen wasn''t quite that honest!


    Lin Ruoxue, Xia Qiuru, and Yan Xi admired Su Chen''s shamelessness seeing how his words didn''t match his actions!


    Luo Xiwen almost questioned back, "Weren''t you?"


    Not to mention yesterday and today, even thest time she was resting, this guy''s wandering hands were too much!


    But she wasn''t as shameless as Su Chen; she still cared about face, so she didn''t say it out loud!


    Su Chen soaked long enough, or rather took enough advantage, and then contently returned to his room to cultivate!


    .....


    Time flew by, and three or four days passed. The weekend was over as well, and Lin Ruoxue and the others went back to work!


    Su Chen continued like he usually did, spending most of his time cultivating, asionally visiting thepany, or soaking in the hot springs at home, and hanging around the vi, living quite freely!


    However, during these days, the mysterious disappearances of Song Family''s head Song Haitian, Peng Family''s head Peng Yue, and the ck de Alliance''s leader Hei Feng caused quite a stir in the Ancient Martial World!


    The key issue was that no one knew what these three were doing; even the internal members of these three powers were clueless!


    Because Song Haitian and hispanions didn''t tell anyone of their ns, they thought handling a young person in the Secr World was a sure thing, so they didn''t overthink it!


    They never imagined this action would cost them their lives!


    As they made no prior arrangements, the result was a disruption within these three powers!


    The forces had no idea if these three were dead due to an ident or went off to do something secret!


    As a result, key figures within these powers didn''t dare to act rashly, but at the same time, didn''t want others to seize the opportunity first!


    It''s safe to say that these three powers were currently facing internal turbulence...


    However, some mindful people in the Ancient Martial World associated this with that secr young man since the only reason connecting the three powers might be the incident involving their sons being killed!


    Could it be they went to avenge themselves on this young person and met with mishaps, or even got killed?


    But when the mindful ones thought of this, they shook their heads immediately, as it seemed like a fantastic tale to them!


    Even the top ten talents couldn''t achieve this, let alone that young person from the Secr World.


    Although they were only second-rate forces, they were still helmsmen of their respective powers!


    Their cultivation level was at least in the Kaiyuan Mid-to-Late Stage. Could a young secr person achieve this?


    They thought it preposterous and mostly believed it to be caused by something else!


    As for those in the Ancient Martial World acquainted with Su Chen, they never even considered such a thing, given how imusible it was!


    ......


    Still, Song Haitian and the others, being figures of second-rate powers, caused some waves but nothing more.


    Of course, none of these events troubled Su Chen; he continued enjoying life¡ªeating, drinking, cultivating, and asionally teasing a few women!


    Recently, Su Chen focused mainly on cultivating Ster Power, and as time passed, he gained deeper insights into the profound cultivation technique, Supreme Star Shifting Technique!


    He was eagerly anticipating reaching the first turn of the Star Shifting Technique; he felt it was imminent...

 Chapter 1160: Too Slow

    That afternoon, Su Chen was in the midst of cultivating when suddenly his phone rang. Seeing it was Ye Mei calling, he quickly answered.


    "Su Chen, Yaning seems to be missing!"


    As soon as the call connected, Ye Mei''s somewhat panicked voice came through!


    "Ye Mei, take your time and tell me, what do you mean by ''missing''?"


    Su Chen immediately narrowed his eyes and asked.


    "Here''s the thing, I came home firstst night. Sometimes Yaning workste, so I didn''t really worry. She wasn''t back by ten, and I just went to sleep."


    Ye Mei said:


    "But this morning when I got up, I didn''t see her. I checked her room, and she wasn''t there either."


    "So I started calling her, I''ve called dozens of times since morning but her phone''s been off the whole time! And I went to check, Yaning''s car is still in thepany''s garage."


    "Su Chen, do you think something happened to Yaning?"


    Ye Mei asked worriedly over the phone:


    "Should we call the police first?"


    But Ye Mei was also worried that without 48 hours, the police wouldn''t file a case.


    "Not for now!"


    Su Chen said:


    "Wait for me, I''m heading to yourpany right now, have the security department prepare all surveince footage fromst night!"


    "Okay, okay, I''ll arrange it right away!"


    Ye Mei replied hurriedly.


    After hanging up the phone, Su Chen rushed to the Rose Mansion. A drive that usually took half an hour, Su Chen covered in just ten minutes!


    When Su Chen arrived, Ye Mei was already waiting anxiously at the entrance. As soon as she saw Su Chen get out of the car, she quickly approached!


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got it all under control!"


    Su Chen patted Ye Mei''s shoulder and smiled slightly.


    "Mm!"


    Since contacting Su Chen, Ye Mei felt a bit more reassured, but she was still extremely worried about Xiao Yaning.


    "The surveince footage is ready; let''s go over."


    Ye Mei said, and then led Su Chen to the security department, which, like in otherpanies, was located on the first floor of the Rose Group.


    Su Chen followed Ye Mei over and entered a room filled with dozens of monitors.


    "Miss Ye!"


    Upon seeing Ye Mei enter, several people stood up and greeted her respectfully.


    Ye Mei nodded and said:


    "This is Mr. Su, listen to his instructions now!"


    The group nced at Su Chen, recognizing him: after all, Su Chen had visited the Rose Mansion once or twice, apanied by both the CEO and the deputy CEO.


    "Mr. Su!"


    They greeted him collectively.


    "Immediately pull up all the CCTV footage of the parking lot from seven o''clock onwardst night!"


    Su Chen instructed solemnly.


    "Mr. Su, why start with the parking lot?"


    One person asked, puzzled.


    "Stop asking questions, just do it!"


    Su Chen snapped, an imposing aura emanating from him, startling them!


    Su Chen knew Yaning''s situation was abnormal; he didn''t have time to fuss about with them!


    The group quickly and obediently pulled up five screens. The one who had asked spoke:


    "Mr. Su, these are all the footage after eight o''clockst night!"


    "y it at five times speed!"


    Su Chen ordered.


    "Mr. Su, isn''t five times too fast? We can''t make out anything!"


    That person spoke again, the head of the control room.


    After all, even if pressed for time, at most they used double speed; three times was the limit!


    "Stop babbling, just follow orders!"


    Su Chen frowned slightly and said.


    The head had no choice but toply¡ªafter all, this man had an unusual rtionship with both the CEO and deputy CEO.


    Haven''t you noticed Miss Ye hasn''t said a word all this time?


    As the footage yed at five times speed, the screens shed like slideshows!


    Even those who watched the surveince daily felt dizzy¡ªit was too fast for their brains to keep up!


    Su Chen was scrutinizing all five screens, his expression serious and focused!


    The people in the control room thought, "How can you possibly see anything like that?"


    Given that each of them was struggling with one screen at that speed, yet Mr. Su was reviewing five at once!


    "Too slow, ten times speed!"


    Su Chen frowned andmanded again.


    His words stunned everyone in the control room!


    Is this guy crazy? How could anyone see clearly at ten times speed?


    But seeing Su Chen''s stern expression, with Ye Mei also silent, the head again sped up the footage!


    He wasn''t really dissatisfied; he just thought the man was showing off!


    Su Chen didn''t care what they thought; he waspletely absorbed, watching the screens intensely!


    The images shed by, dizzying and bewilderingly fast!


    Ye Mei stood by, not daring to interrupt Su Chen!


    "Stop!"


    After a while, Su Chen suddenly shouted!


    The group froze for a moment but instinctively hit the stop button, freezing the scene!


    Su Chen immediately moved to one of the screens. The person sitting there quickly vacated the spot.


    Su Chen didn''t sit down but began operating directly, rewinding the footage a bit, then setting it back to five times speed before ying it again.


    He then rewound a little more, reduced the speed to double, and finally, restored normal speed!


    The staff in the control room watched his operations, feeling quite amazed.


    Had he actually spotted something at such fast speeds on five screens?


    So they looked at the screen, seeing Xiao Yaning appear, seemingly about to take out her car keys from her bag!


    Just when Yaning pulled out the keys, a fleeting shadow seemed to sh by, and it appeared as if Yaning was dragged away from the spot!


    "What happened to Deputy Xiao?"


    The head blurted out in surprise.


    Until now, they still didn''t understand what had happened.


    The head only then realized why Ye wanted the surveince checked; so Deputy Xiao had an ident!


    But what was that fleeting shadow?


    In just a blink, Deputy Xiao disappeared!


    Wasn''t this speed too fast?


    If unnoticed, this could easily be missed!


    Su Chen''s eyes grew more solemn; these people might not know, but he clearly understood, these individuals were Martial Artists, and their cultivation had reached Late Meridian Expansion Stage!


    Their speed was indeed startling, especially with the dim garage lighting and them wearing ck nightwalking clothes. It''s no wonder they couldn''t see clearly!


    But how could Xiao Yaning attract the attention of Martial Artists with such significant cultivation?

 Chapter 1161: Pursuit

    At this moment, Su Chen''s phone suddenly rang, it was Qin Ming calling, and he immediately answered it.


    "Su Chen, we''ve found the phone you''re trying to locate, it''s at..."


    Qin Ming directly provided Su Chen with the specific location information.


    "Okay, I got it. Send me the dynamic link of the phone signal."


    Su Chen said, then hung up the phone.


    Su Chen contacted Qin Ming just as he was about to reach the Rose Mansion, asking him to help with Xiaoyan Ning''s phone.


    In fact, he was taking a two-pronged approach: having Qin Ming locate the phone while he came to the Rose Group to see if he could find any clues about her sudden disappearance!


    After all, Xiaoyan Ning might not have suffered an ident at the group, but could have encountered something on the way. In that case, finding clues would be much harder, requiring a lot more time!


    Moreover, if the person involved was very experienced, they might have already thrown away the phone, rendering this approach useless as well.


    Su Chen thought that as long as any lead yielded a result, he would find her!


    He was extremely relieved that both sides had yielded certain results!


    Firstly, the surveince footage revealed to Su Chen that Xiaoyan Ning was kidnapped, and it was by a martial artist with considerable cultivation!


    Secondly, the mobile tracking provided a direct clue!


    It seemed that while these people were quite good in cultivation, they were quite poor in certain aspects!


    "Do you have news of Yaning?"


    Ye Mei asked urgently after seeing Su Chen hang up the phone.


    "Yes, you stay here. Don''t worry, I''ll handle this. I promise to bring Yaning back safe and sound!"


    Su Chen said to Ye Mei.


    "Alright."


    Ye Mei nodded, havingplete trust in Su Chen.


    For instance, with today''s matter, Su Chen was the first person she thought of!


    "You all must keep this matter confidential. If anyone dares to leak anything, pack your things and leave immediately!"


    Ye Mei then sternly said to the people in the surveince room.


    As the CEO of the Rose Group, she naturally possessed both authority and charisma!


    "Yes!"


    The few people in the surveince room immediately stood straight and responded.


    They also knew that the vice president being kidnapped was a huge deal. If this leaked out, it would have quite an impact on the group!


    Su Chen quickly left the Rose Group and drove back to the vi!


    As soon as he got back to the vi, without going inside, he rushed towards the back of the vi.


    He nned to take a helicopter to the location where Ye Mei''s phone appeared, as this was the fastest way!


    In no time, the roaring sound of the helicopter started, and it slowly ascended.


    Hearing the roar of the helicopter, a few women from inside the vi ran out.


    "What''s happened?"


    Huang Menglei asked puzzledly.


    "Something urgent must have happened, otherwise he wouldn''t just leave without saying a word."


    Du Hanbing said.


    The few women showed a trace of worry on their faces...


    .....


    Six or seven hourster, Su Chen appeared over a city about two thousand kilometers from Yandu.


    This was a medium-sized city, but it seemed quite prosperous!


    Su Chen casuallynded the helicopter in a vacant area, then got off!


    By now, it was about nine or ten at night, and the city was lit up brilliantly, with many young men and women starting their nightlife!


    Su Chen took out his phone, a red dot on it was continuously shining, catching the eye!


    "Truly knows how to enjoy himself, having fun in a nightclub!"


    Su Chen sneered, then headed towards the direction where the red dot was.


    In no time, he arrived at that nightclub, and the neon lights immediately enveloped Su Chen, with many young men and women expressing their passion there!


    Instead of staying on the first floor, Su Chen went straight to the second floor and directly headed in a certain direction!


    The Special Security Bureau''s positioning technology is far more powerful than that of ordinary police or even the National Security Bureau, capable of locking the range within three to five meters!


    If it were the Nether Temple''s Shadow, this technology would be even stronger!


    And within this three to five-meter range, there was only one room, so Su Chen kicked the door open with a single blow!


    The door was immediately kicked open with a "bang," and a few women inside let out a burst of screams!


    After Su Chen went inside, he found three men and three women. Those women were reasonably good-looking and had nice figures, but their clothes were very revealing!


    "Who are you?"


    One of the men immediately walked over and asked sternly.


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen didn''t waste any words and directly kicked the man, who then crashed onto the ss coffee table in the room!


    The coffee table was instantly shattered, with ss scattering all over the floor!


    "Ah~~~~!!!"


    At this, the few women were so scared that their legs went soft, letting out even louder screams, but since Su Chen was standing at the entrance, they didn''t dare escape!


    Su Chen''s kick also startled the other two men in the room!


    They knew that thepanion who had been kicked just now was someone at the Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer!


    This young man who had suddenly burst in actually kicked him flying with just one blow!


    "Who the hell are you?"


    One of the men asked again in a deep voice.


    "You aren''t qualified to know who I am!"


    Su Chen said calmly:


    "I only have one question, where is the woman you kidnapped yesterday?"


    As soon as Su Chen''s words came out, the two men''s hearts instantly trembled!


    Could it be that the woman had some powerful background?


    "I don''t understand what you''re talking about!"


    The man tried to appear moreposed as he spoke.


    "Then I''ll make sure you understand!"


    Su Chen''s eyes sharpened, his figure moved, and he instantly appeared in front of the man, extending arge hand inly!


    The man felt a huge hand suddenly reaching out, scaring him so much that his pores contracted, and he hurriedly tried to block it!


    But he found that all was in vain, as therge hand soon clutched his neck!


    His face then disyed a look of immense fear!


    Just who on earth was this young man?


    How could he be so powerful?


    Faced with this casual reach from the opponent just now, he actually felt like there was no ce to hide!


    The other man was also so scared that his heart thumped, and his pupils contracted rapidly!


    He immediately realized: they were probably in trouble!


    Just now he hadn''t had any reaction at all, and this young man had alreadypletely controlled his otherpanion!


    At this moment, the few women were curled up in a corner of the sofa, trembling with fear, not daring to make any moves!


    "Get out!"


    Su Chen shouted at the women.


    The women, hearing this, instantly felt a huge relief, quickly staggering out!


    "Speak, who are you people? Why did you kidnap that woman? And where is that woman now?"


    Su Chen looked at the man whose neck was in his grasp, his voice coldly asking.

 Chapter 1162: Blood Kill Returns

    "I don''t know..."


    The man with his throat squeezed out a few words from his throat.


    Since Su Chen had asked, he naturally loosened his grip a bit to let him barely speak.


    "Then what is this?"


    Su Chen reached into his pocket with his other hand, pulled out a cell phone, and waved it while asking.


    That phone was the one Xiao Yaning often used, so Su Chen naturally recognized it!


    Of course, if he couldn''t find it on this person, he would search the other people as well!


    "Number... changed... can still... locate... huh?"


    The man with the strangled neck asked in surprise, thinking he was safe after changing the SIM card!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but roll his eyes upon hearing this; these guys were just as clueless as he thought!


    Other than having high cultivation, they were reallycking in other areas, not even knowing the simple principle of cell phone tracking!


    Not to mention the Special Security Bureau, even the ordinary police departments could do it, since phones could be located using cell towers!


    I really don''t know what these people were thinking, actually believing changing the number made them safe!


    However, their ignorance was a big help to Su Chen, saving him a lot of trouble!


    The other man and the man lying on the ss were also surprised, clearly unaware of this!


    "Who are you to cause trouble in my nightclub!"


    At this moment, a middle-aged man in a suit burst in with a group of people!


    Obviously, these people came because of the report from the women who ran out just now!


    "Scram!"


    Su Chen turned around and shouted coldly!


    "Looking for death, how dare you be arrogant!"


    The middle-aged man instantly became furious upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    Anyone capable of running a nightclub obviously wasn''t simple!


    He immediately waved his hand, and the seven or eight strong men he brought with him rushed forward like wolves!


    "Bang bang bang~~~"


    Yet the young man didn''t seem to move at all, and the seven or eight strong men were immediately knocked back!


    "You... you..."


    Upon seeing this, the middle-aged man looked as if he had seen a ghost!


    Who on earth was this person?!


    The other person in the room couldn''t help but roll his eyes; this guy could kick a Meridian Expansion Sixth Layer person flying with one blow and catch a Meridian Expansion Seventh Layerpanion with just a hand.


    What use was it for such a group toe up? It was already lucky he spared them!


    "Still not leaving?"


    Su Chen nced at the middle-aged man and said calmly.


    The middle-aged man also had some perceptiveness, realizing this person was not to be messed with, so he obediently left.


    The people who came with him also slowly got up one by one and retreated!


    "Are you still not nning to speak?"


    Su Chen looked coldly at the man he strangled by the neck and asked.


    The man shivered involuntarily upon meeting Su Chen''s gaze!


    In his eyes, he saw a sharp killing intent, feeling that if he dared to say he didn''t know, the next moment his neck would be snapped!


    "I... I''ll talk, I''ll... talk!"


    The man saidboriously.


    "Good, I ask and you answer. If you dare to hide a single word, you won''t see the sunrise tomorrow!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly.


    "I wouldn''t dare!"


    The man''s body trembled, and he quickly said.


    The other two people felt uneasy, knowing that if the organization found out they leaked this secret, they would surely be punished!


    But facing this young man, they dared not resist!


    "First, let me ask you, who exactly are you?"


    Su Chen released him and then asked solemnly.


    "We are from Blood Kill."


    That person replied.


    "Blood Kill?!"


    Upon hearing these two words, Su Chen''s eyes immediately shot out a terrifying brilliance!


    He never expected, after these few months, to hear the name "Blood Kill" again!


    As for the organization "Blood Kill", Su Chen could say he had no affection!


    "Why did you capture that woman?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    He was most puzzled about why they wanted to capture the ordinary woman, Xiao Yaning. What was it about her that made them act?


    "Our boss instructed us to do it. It seems this woman is a Tianyin Woman, which is quite rare."


    That man dared not hide anything and told what he knew.


    "Tianyin Woman?"


    Su Chen knew what a Tianyin Woman was: a woman born on a yin year, yin month, and yin day, which some mystical paths believe is greatly beneficial for cultivation!


    But it poses a huge threat to the woman herself, even resulting in direct death!


    Initially, Su Chen thought the reason they captured Xiao Yaning had something to do with the Yu Family because her only connection to martial artists besides himself was the Yu Family!


    Unexpectedly, this was the reason!


    To be honest, Su Chen had known Xiao Yaning for quite a while, but he hadn''t noticed this.


    But such means are generally despised, as they are rather insidious, so the Righteous Path typically does not engage in such acts!


    This only intensified the killing intent in Su Chen''s heart!


    "Where is that woman now?"


    Su Chen coldly asked, as this was his biggest concern!


    "At our Blood Kill headquarters."


    That person answered.


    "Lead the way!"


    Su Chen instructed.


    "You want to go to our headquarters?"


    Upon hearing this, that person widened his eyes in disbelief.


    This guy was looking to die?


    No matter how strong you are, daring to go to our Blood Kill headquarters, aren''t you tired of living?


    "Stop talking nonsense, lead the way!"


    Su Chen shouted, then looked at the other two:


    "And you two,e along!"


    Under Su Chen''s coercion, the three had no choice but to walk out.


    "I warn you, don''t try any tricks, or suffer the consequences!"


    Su Chen said coldly.


    "We wouldn''t dare, wouldn''t dare!"


    The man muttered timidly, ncing at the other two with a gleam in his eye!


    Before long, they had left the nightclub. Su Chen didn''t bother to escort them like prisoners because it wasn''t necessary!


    The middle-aged man from the nightclub didn''t stop them either, just hoping this demon would leave soon!


    These three had driven over, so Su Chen quickly got into their car and sat in the passenger seat, and one of the three started driving away.


    After getting in the car, Su Chen asked a few minor questions and finally cleared some things up.


    It turns out, after capturing Xiao Yaningst night, they nned to throw away the phone and other items.


    However, they saw the phone was very exquisite and beautiful, not something avable on the market, so they became a little greedy and kept it.


    More importantly, they thought changing the SIM card was safe, though Su Chen couldn''t understand their naive thought!


    Of course, they also took a few thousand yuan in cash from Xiao Yaning.


    They knew they couldn''t use bank cards and credit cards, as the matter had to be conducted in secret and not be known, but cash, of course, was fine.


    The next day, the three took that money to a city rtively close to their headquarters to indulge!


    But to their surprise, shortly after arriving, someone was already pursuing them...


    (ps: The earlier chapters were originally about Ye Mei being captured, but Fengyu slightly revised it to make it Xiao Yaning. This notice is for the few readers who had read it before.


    Most readers are reading the revised version and can ignore this note entirely.


    This change is minor and should not affect everyone''s reading experience, but if it causes any inconvenience, Fengyu apologizes here!


    Lastly, thank you all for supporting Fengyu!)

 Chapter 1163: Youre Not Qualified to Speak to Me!

    Su Chen finished asking himself some questions and then began to take a nap in his seat.


    After such a long flight and having messed around at the nightclub, he was a bit tired.


    When those people saw Su Chen close his eyes and nap, a gleam of light sparked in their eyes!


    Undoubtedly, they thought this was a great opportunity to make their move!


    It''s understandable they wanted to act because if they got to headquarters and the organization learned they leaked the information, they''d be skinned alive even if they weren''t killed!


    However, they didn''t take action immediately, but waited patiently...


    The car continued driving for another hour, and Su Chen seemed to have fallen asleep, his long breaths gradually audible.


    The three exchanged a look and slowly pulled out daggers from their bodies!


    Being part of Blood Kill, they naturally excelled in assassination; therefore, daggers were essential!


    Suddenly, like leopards, the three moved at the same time, their three daggers stabbing towards Su Chen from three different directions!


    Feeling their actions, a smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of Su Chen''s mouth!


    He suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam shot out!


    He swiftly acted, grabbing the wrist of the person on the driver''s seat who was thrusting a dagger straight forward, and the dagger immediately fell into Su Chen''s hand!


    Su Chen swung the dagger backhand, instantly slicing through the person''s throat, a spray of blood shot out!


    Without stopping, Su Chen casually tossed the dagger towards the one at the rear side!


    The person at the rear side saw the dagger shoot towards him like lightning, his pupils suddenly widened!


    But it was too fast, he couldn''t react in time, and the dagger had already pierced into his heart!


    At this point, his dagger was about thirty centimeters from Su Chen, then he fell back into the seat, still clutching that dagger!


    Meanwhile, Su Chen also grabbed the wrist of the person behind him, rendering him immobile!


    As Su Chen did these actions, he stretched out a foot to step on the car''s brakes!


    Su Chen performed these actions without a second thought, as if he had practiced them countless times; they had be instinctive!


    Then Su Chen turned off the car, the hand grasping the rear person''s wrist slightly exerted force, causing the opponent''s hand to open involuntarily, and the dagger fell down!


    The one whose wrist was grabbed by Su Chen was precisely the one Su Chen interrogated earlier, now looking at Su Chen with a shocked face!


    Is this person human or a ghost?!


    In the blink of an eye, he managed to take down his twopanions!


    His bizarre moves left him speechless!


    But thinking back to the nightclub earlier, where this young man controlled them in one move, it didn''t seem all that strange anymore!


    Otherwise, the three of them wouldn''t have followed him obediently!


    He thought perhaps only the boss or multiple masters acting together could take down this youngster!


    But wasn''t he just asleep? How did he suddenly wake up?


    Could he have been pretending to sleep to test them?


    Actually, he was thinking too much; Su Chen was truly napping a moment ago.


    But for Su Chen, even asleep in such an environment, he remained alert, which was a reflex honed from years in the Dark World!


    Except when he was among his women or friends, he would truly rx!


    So when they acted, Su Chen immediately became vignt!


    The person saw Su Chen looking at him with a half-amused expression, and immediately felt a surge of fear, hurriedly saying:


    "Boss, I won''t dare again!"


    "Throw them out ande drive!"


    Su Chen released his hand, not worried about any tricks he might y!


    "Yes, yes!"


    Seeing Su Chen didn''t intend to kill him, he immediately replied hastily.


    He suddenly understood that the opponent spared his life only because he needed a guide.


    Otherwise, he would likely join his twopanions in death!


    In the face of Su Chen''s might, he had no room for resistance, only obedientpliance!


    Soon, the car was moving forward again...


    "Remember, this is yourst chance!"


    Beside him, Su Chen said lightly.


    "Yes!"


    The person''s body suddenly trembled, promptly nodding.


    Soon the car drove into the mountains, the road conditions bing bumpy.


    Su Chen smoked casually...


    After about two hours, they finally arrived at a rather grand building''s gate along a road constructed through the mountains.


    "Sir, this is Blood Kill''s headquarters!"


    The Blood Kill member said.


    At his domain, he felt both terrified and a bit pleased!


    Terrified of being punished for leaking information and bringing a stranger; pleased to finally get rid of this demon!


    Su Chen seemed unaware of his thoughts, stepping out of the car.


    He looked at the building, his eyes shooting a fierce murderous intent!


    He had long wished to wipe out Blood Kill, and now that he had the chance, Su Chen wouldn''t miss it!


    At that moment, several people walked out from the gate.


    "Second Master, save me!"


    That person saw the leader among them, his eyes suddenly burned with enthusiasm, he shouted loudly, and then ran forward recklessly!


    He thought his senior was Meridian Expansion Level Layer Ninth, even if he couldn''t defeat the young man, at least he could dy him!


    Although the organization suffered severe losses months earlier, there were still two or three true masters like this senior before him!


    "Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"


    As he ran forward, suddenly a piercing sound resonated, several Silver Needles shot towards him!


    "Thunk!"


    He then fell to the ground at once, motionless!


    Actually, Su Chen initially nned to eliminate those three once reaching Blood Kill''s headquarters.


    Unexpectedly, they were so eager, they acted on the way, leaving Su Chen no choice but to oblige, leaving only a guide.


    The leader was startled by this scene, hurried forward to investigate, and found the person was already dead!


    "Who are you? How dare youmit murder at our Blood Kill headquarters!"


    The leader''s face immediately sank, he shouted.


    "You''re not qualified to speak to me, get your boss here!"


    Su Chen curled his lips and said.


    "Seek death!"


    The leader immediately shouted angrily.


    He was Blood Kill''s new second-inmand, recing the previous one killed by Su Chen!


    How could he stand Su Chen talking to him like that, so he shouted and charged towards Su Chen!


    The few behind him alsounched attacks on Su Chen simultaneously!


    "Alright, since so, I''ll have to barge in!"


    A magnificent murderous intent emanated from Su Chen, then he moved, immediately rushing into the crowd...

 Chapter 1164: Expulsion

    At this moment, in a room at the Blood Kill headquarters, Xue Lang was standing there with the man in the gray robe.


    "Xue Lang, the Sect Master has recently hit a bottleneck in his cultivation. I need to send that woman back immediately."


    The man in the gray robe said:


    "As for the young man you mentioned, I will personallye over and deal with him when the timees."


    "Yes, Envoy!"


    Xue Lang said respectfully:


    "Of course, the Sect Master''s matters are more important than these trivial things!"


    "It''s best that you think this way. Rest assured, since you''ve found the Tianyin girl this time, the Sect Master will not mistreat you."


    The man in the gray robe nodded and said:


    "However, the Sect Master also instructed that he hopes you can continue your efforts to find more Tianyin girls!"


    "Yes, I will not disappoint the Sect Master''s expectations!"


    Xue Lang bowed once again.


    "Boss, it''s bad, someone has broken in!"


    At that moment, someone rushed in, stumbling and panicking, shouting.


    "What, has someone broken in?"


    Xue Lang was startled, thinking he had heard wrong.


    "Yes, boss, a young man has broken in, and he''s too fierce. The brothers can''t hold him off!"


    The person said, panting.


    "Damn it! I have to see who''s courting death!"


    Upon hearing these words, Xue Lang became furious.


    "Xue Lang, I''ll go with you to check it out."


    The man in the gray robe spoke.


    "Envoy, how can this matter trouble you?"


    Xue Lang said quickly.


    "I''m free anyhow, and I''m curious about which bold young guy this is!"


    The gray-robed manughed nonchntly.


    "Alright then, I''ll trouble the Envoy."


    Snow Wolf quickly said.


    The person who had rushed in to report was also very puzzled. Who was this gray-robed man?


    Why was the boss so polite, even respectful, towards him?


    But he also knew, some things were not for him to ask, nor for him to know!


    When Xue Lang walked to the spacious courtyard outside, he suddenly found that almost everyone from Blood Kill had been knocked down, only a very few were still standing!


    And among those people, a strange young man stood out visibly!


    As Xue Lang looked at so many of his subordinates lying on the ground, a chill erupted, as if the surrounding air had suddenly dropped by several degrees!


    But, the fact that the opponent was able to deal with so many people clearly indicated he was not someone easy to contend with!


    Thus, he cast his gaze once more at the young man. Earlier, he hadn''t paid much attention to the opponent''s appearance, but now, upon taking a closer look, he suddenly eximed:


    "It''s you?!"


    Xue Lang never expected that the young man who suddenly barged into their Blood Wolf headquarters was the very one he had been thinking of eliminating!


    "That''s right, it''s me!"


    Su Chen nodded casually.


    Blood Kill had tried to send people to assassinate him several times, so it was normal for their boss to recognize him.


    "Xue Lang, who is this person?"


    The gray-robed man noticed Xue Lang seemed to know this young man, so he asked.


    "Envoy, this is that brat I told you about, who caused great losses to Blood Kill!"


    Xue Lang said through gritted teeth, his gaze towards Su Chen filled with hatred!


    "It''s him?!"


    The gray-robed man was slightly shocked, and then he smiled:


    "Since this guy came knocking at the door himself, I will deal with him for you!"


    "Thank you, Envoy, but let me have a go at him first."


    Xue Lang said.


    Although he was wary of Su Chen, with the Envoy here, it shouldn''t be a problem.


    If it seemed he couldn''t handle it, he could always retreat.


    If possible, he still hoped to deal with the opponent personally!


    "Alright!"


    The gray-robed man said indifferently.


    He didn''t care much about a young man, only at Meridian Expansion Peak!


    "Before the fight, answer me one question."


    Su Chen said calmly.


    Just about to strike, Xue Lang stopped and frowned:


    "What do you want to ask?"


    "Where is the girl you caught yesterday?"


    Su Chen asked while looking at Xue Lang.


    As soon as Su Chen spoke these words, Xue Lang and the man in the gray robe had their bodies shaken!


    "You''re here for that woman?"


    Xue Lang couldn''t help but ask.


    Even the man in the gray robe was staring at Su Chen intently, wondering what his rtionship was with this woman?


    Knowing that the Tianyin girl was extremely valued by the Sect Master, especially when the Sect Master had reached a bottleneck in cultivation!


    This matter absolutely could not have any mishaps!


    "Indeed, what happened to her?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    "She''s fine at the moment, butter she might not be!"


    Xue Lang replied coldly, not afraid to tell Su Chen the truth!


    When Su Chen heard Xue Lang''s words, he was relieved.


    He feared he was toote and that Xiao Yaning was already in trouble!


    "Come on! Today, I''ll wipe Blood Kill off the map!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly.


    He unleashed his powerful True Essence Aura, causing the surrounding space topress and warp!


    "Audacious talk!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen say he''d erase Blood Kill, Xue Lang retorted angrily.


    Before the words had fully left his mouth, he felt the pressure like a mountain falling, giving him an overwhelming feeling!


    "Kaiyuan Middle Stage?!"


    The gray-robed man, after sensing Su Chen''s formidable True Essence Aura, paled significantly!


    Damn it, this young man was clearly only at the Meridian Expansion Peak, how could he have an auraparable to Kaiyuan Middle Stage?


    "Xue Lang, this person is too powerful and strange, have everyone attack at once!"


    The gray-robed man became extremely tense immediately andmanded.


    "Yes!"


    Xue Lang felt a tremor throughout his body upon hearing this; he hadn''t expected the gray-robed man to say such a thing!


    He originally thought that even if he couldn''t resist, the gray-robed man would surely manage!


    But at this moment, he could not worry too much; defeating this young man was the most important!


    "Everyone attack together, kill this man!"


    Xue Lang suddenly shouted and attacked Su Chen!


    Other Blood Kill members also attacked simultaneously, including the gray-robed man!


    Su Chen''s killing intent was fully released as well. Facing the attackers, he punched them one by one, sending them flying!


    Simple and brutal to the extreme, pushing through with overwhelming force!


    As for the attacks from those people, Su Chen chose to ignore them!


    Given his current defensive power, Kaiyuan Middle Stage people had difficulty causing him harm, let alone these ants!


    He only needed to be slightly cautious of the gray-robed man''s attack!


    Su Chen had noticed early on that the gray-robed man was close to reaching Kaiyuan Middle Stage, which truly amazed him!


    After all, Blood Kill was merely a force within the Martial Arts World; logically, it shouldn''t have such a powerful presence!


    The respectful attitude Xue Lang showed towards the gray-robed man only made Su Chen more suspicious!


    Nheless, Su Chen temporarily set aside his questions andunched a powerful attack on those people!


    After a brief moment, all those from Blood Kill, except Xue Lang, were down!


    Of course, the numbers were initially small, as many had already been dealt with by Su Chen...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1165: Red Blood Sect

    Su Chen''s powerful disypletely stunned Xue Lang and the man in the gray robe!


    They knew those people couldn''t resist this young man, but at least they could hold on for a bit!


    But unexpectedly, under that young man''s hand, they had no effect at all!


    They were even less formidable than a stone on the road, unable to form any barrier to this young man!


    At this moment, Xue Lang looked at the Blood Kill members lying on the ground, his eyes filled with anger!


    The Blood Kill was a group he had painstakingly built, only to be effortlessly destroyed by this young man!


    How could he not be hateful?


    "I will kill you!"


    His inner rage conquered his fear, and he moved, his fists clenched tightly as he charged at Su Chen!


    "A mantis trying to stop a chariot!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly, his foot lightly turned, dodging Xue Lang''s fist, then kicked his chest!


    Xue Lang immediately flew back like a cannonball, then crashed to the ground!


    He couldn''t react at all, and a trace of shock and iprehension remained on his face!


    "Now it''s your turn, tell me, who exactly are you?"


    Su Chen looked at the man in the gray robe not far from him and said calmly.


    "Are you from the Ancient Martial World?"


    The man in the gray robe also assessed Su Chen cautiously and asked.


    This was indisputable in the eyes of the man in the gray robe; his strength even entered the ranks of the top ten prodigies!


    If he wasn''t from the Ancient Martial World, how could he have such a terrifying cultivation at such a young age?


    But he secretly thought: When did such a prodigy emerge from the Ancient Martial World, and he didn''t know?


    "Who I am is unnecessary for you to know, but I''m quite curious about your identity."


    Su Chen looked at the man in the gray robe and jested.


    "This you don''t need to know!"


    The man in the gray robe replied in kind, naturally not willing to easily disclose his background!


    "Blood Fiend Palm!"


    Before the sound of his voice fell, the man in the gray robe struck with a palm towards Su Chen!


    The palm contained a clear Blood Fiend aura, engulfing the entire surrounding space!


    "Overestimating oneself!"


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Su Chen snorted coldly, simultaneously striking out with a light palm, immediately causing three palm prints to emerge, one of which collided with the opponent''s Blood Fiend Palm!


    After the collision of the two palm prints, they both instantly dissipated into nothingness!


    Meanwhile, the other two palm prints continued to float in the void, staring at the man in the gray robe like wild beasts!


    "How can this be?"


    The man''s face in gray instantly broke into a cold sweat, hisplexion turned pallid!


    He had just used the Blood Fiend Palm, unable to block, let alone against two palm prints!


    In a hurry, he could only muster all his True Yuan to try and resist!


    "Boom!"


    However, the effect was not apparent, the next moment, one of the palm prints mmed into him, sending him flying!


    After flying over twenty meters, hended, kicking up a cloud of dust!


    "Pssh!"


    He couldn''t help but vomit a mouthful of blood, his organs seemed to splinter!


    "Tell me, who exactly are you? Speak, and I can give you a swift death!"


    Su Chen said expressionlessly.


    "Dream on!"


    The man in the gray robe looked at Su Chen and snorted.


    At the same time, the shock in his heart reached an indescribable level!


    This young man clearly only had the cultivation at the Meridian Expansion Peak, how could he have the True Essence Aura of Kaiyuan Middle Stage?


    That can be overlooked, but the power he disyed seemed even more potent than an average Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    It''s far too sensational!


    Even so, he still wouldn''t disclose his background to the other!


    "Is that so?"


    Su Chen sneered, and then stepped down with a foot, a chilling sound of bone splintering echoed!


    "Ah!!!!!!"


    The man in the gray robe immediately screamed!


    Martial Artist''s strength is formidable, but the fracture of bones is equally excruciating!


    "Crack!"


    Amidst the painful screams, Su Chen crushed his other leg without hesitation, triggering an even more miserable scream!


    "Alright, I''ll talk, I''ll talk!"


    The man in the gray robe repeatedly said.


    "I thought your bones were tougher, turns out not so!"


    Su Chen said with disdain, he hadn''t even used the Silver Needle!


    Though Su Chen''s words were full of sarcasm, the man in the gray robe dared not retort!


    This young man was truly ruthless!


    He knew if he didn''t relent, this guy would keep assaulting, so he was wise enough!


    "Speak, who exactly are you?"


    Su Chen looked down at the man in the gray robe and asked.


    "We are people from the Red Blood Sect of the Ancient Martial World."


    The man in the gray robe replied enduring the pain.


    The other being from the Ancient Martial World was expected, but Su Chen had never heard of this Red Blood Sect!


    At this moment, Su Chen didn''t dwell on this matter since Xiao Yaning was pivotal, so he asked directly:


    "Did Blood Kill capture that woman for you?"


    "Yes! Blood Kill is a force we cultivated in the Martial Arts World!"


    The man in the gray robe nodded and said.


    "Why did you capture that woman?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    "It was the Sect Master''s instruction; the Sect Master''s cultivation technique advances rapidly with the aid of a Tian Yin Woman, so he ordered Blood Kill to find a Tian Yin Woman!"


    At this point, the man in the gray robe had nothing left to hide!


    Su Chen nodded, it was as he thought, and then asked gravely:


    "Where is that woman now?"


    Su Chen himself could search, but with so many buildings here, it was too time-consuming!


    The man in the gray robe knew hiding was meaningless, and could only say:


    "That woman is in the basement of the building on the far east!"


    "I''ve told you everything I know, please spare me!"


    People fear death, and the man in the gray robe was no exception, now pleading hopefully.


    "Do you think that''s possible?"


    Su Chen''s mouth curved into a cold smile, and with one palm down, the person immediately died!


    Even though his face was full of unwillingness...


    After dealing with the man in the gray robe, Su Chen immediately darted in the direction mentioned by the man.


    Su Chen quickly arrived at the building on the far east, kicked open the door, and soon reached the basement.


    At this point, Xiao Yaning''s hands and feet were bound to a chair, and her eyes were covered!


    "Who are you?"


    Hearing footsteps, Xiao Yaning immediately asked in a panic.


    Last night she was about to drive at the parking lot, when she suddenly lost consciousness.


    When she awoke, she was already bound like this!


    She didn''t know where she was, who had tied her up, or why they had captured her!

 Chapter 1166: Am I That Kind of Person?

    "Don''t be afraid, Yaning, it''s me!"


    Su Chen heard Xiao Yaning''s panicked voice and immediately said.


    "Su Chen? Is that you?"


    Xiao Yaning might not be familiar with others'' voices, but she was very familiar with Su Chen''s voice!


    "It''s me!"


    Su Chen stepped forward, directly tore off the ropes binding Xiao Yaning, and then untied the long cloth covering her eyes!


    "Su Chen!"


    Seeing Su Chen in front of her, Xiao Yaning couldn''t hold back anymore and rushed into Su Chen''s arms, crying!


    "All right, it''s all over, it''s okay now!"


    Su Chen gently patted her back and said softly.


    He knew that Xiao Yaning must have been very scared, and it was understandable. Who wouldn''t be afraid when encountering such a thing?


    Especially since Xiao Yaning was a woman!


    Su Chen took quite a while to soothe Xiao Yaning''s emotions, making her feel a bit calmer. Then he led Xiao Yaning away.


    Of course, they left from another direction, as Su Chen didn''t want Xiao Yaning to see the rather bloody scene at the square.


    ....


    After leaving the Blood Kill headquarters for a distance, Su Chen first made a call to Ye Mei to reassure her.


    Undoubtedly, Ye Mei must have been worrying all the time!


    Since they left from the side, they didn''t have a car, so they could only walk!


    Fortunately, this road was nothing for Su Chen, but it was more difficult for Xiao Yaning, especially after she had just been frightened!


    So after walking a short distance, Su Chen carried Xiao Yaning on his back, and although Xiao Yaning was initially a bit embarrassed.


    But Su Chen didn''t let her refuse, carrying her, and Xiao Yaning could onlyply!


    In a usual situation, Su Chen certainly wouldn''t be very proper, taking advantage of her somewhat.


    However, since Xiao Yaning had just been through some shock, Su Chen managed to behave himself for once.


    There was contact, but it was the normal touch from carrying her on his back!


    Xiao Yaning was also somewhat surprised at Su Chen''s unusual honesty, but after thinking a bit, she roughly understood the reason, and warmth flowed into her heart.


    Gradually, her face leaned against Su Chen''s sturdy back, feeling his body heat, extremely secure!


    A short whileter, she unexpectedly fell asleep against Su Chen''s back!


    Previously, her emotions had been tense, and now she was indeed tired...


    Su Chen also walked a bit more gently, and when Xiao Yaning woke up again, she found herself still on Su Chen''s back and immediately wanted to get down, mainly worrying that Su Chen would be tired.


    Seeing her spirits indeed better, Su Chen put her down, and luckily, they were not far from the highway now, walking a bit was okay.


    The two walked for another half an hour, finally reaching a road where cars asionally passed by.


    Finally, Su Chen gged down a car, agreeing to give the driver two hundred yuan before they agreed to take them to the nearest small city.


    After reaching the town, the two of them took a bus to the medium-sized city where Su Chen had been before, and finally took a cab to the ce where Su Chen had parked the helicopter.


    Xiao Yaning hadn''t thought that Su Chen actually came in a helicopter, feeling surprised and moved again!


    Shortly after, the helicopter slowly rose into the air and flew towards Yandu...


    After drinking a ss of red wine, Xiao Yaningy down on the sofa to rest.


    This time she slept rather soundly, waking up only after several hours, and upon waking, she looked down at the skyscrapers or mountain rivers below...


    By evening, they finally arrived at Yandu, and the helicopter slowlynded on the helipad behind Yuquan Manor!


    At this time, Qi Meng and others all came running out of the manor.


    Yesterday, Su Chen hurriedly flew the helicopter away, and naturally, they were very worried.


    However, when they saw Su Chen and a beautiful woman getting off the helicopter, they were momentarily at a loss!


    This guy made them so worried, and he returns with a woman, and such a beautiful woman!


    "Why did youe?"


    Seeing Qi Meng and the others, Su Chen smiled and said,


    "Let me introduce you, this is Xiao Yaning, my friend."


    "Yaning, this is Qi Meng, Huang Menglei, Du Hanbing, Eniel."


    Su Chen then introduced them to Xiao Yaning.


    Seeing these women of different temperaments, Xiao Yaning was slightly stunned!


    Why are there so many beautiful women here?!


    "All right, Yaning, let''s take a seat in the manor first."


    Su Chen said with a smile, and Xiao Yaning shyly nodded.


    Then everyone headed towards the manor.


    Su Chen and the women came to the front living room, sitting down on the sofa.


    Du Hanbing saw Xiao Yaning a bit uneasy and poured her a ss of water.


    "Thanks!"


    Xiao Yaning nodded and said.


    After a while, a series of footsteps sounded, and Su Chen stood up with a smile and said,


    "Ye Mei should be here."


    After saying that, he went outside, and naturally, Xiao Yaning joined him.


    Before reaching Yandu, he had already informed Ye Mei.


    Du Hanbing and the others wondered who this Ye Mei was.


    Curious, the women followed outside.


    Sure enough, once Su Chen came out, a graceful silhouette hurried over, who could it be but Ye Mei?


    "Yaning, are you okay?!"


    Ye Mei asked immediately upon seeing Xiao Yaning, her worried expression obvious!


    Though Su Chen had told her earlier that Xiao Yaning was okay, she couldn''t help but worry!


    "Don''t worry, I''m fine, nothing''s wrong."


    Xiao Yaning smiled and said.


    Ye Mei looked her up and down to confirm she was okay and finally felt relieved!


    It was then that she noticed the women behind Su Chen, reacting the same way as Xiao Yaning did, initially slightly stunned.


    Su Chen then introduced them once again.


    Qi Meng, Du Hanbing, and the others were speechless, this woman clearly had an unusual rtionship with Su Chen!


    They couldn''t help but think: how many women did this guy attract outside?


    And all such beautiful ones!


    After a couple of sentences, everyone returned to the living room again.


    "Yaning, why don''t you stay here from now on?"


    After a while, Su Chen said.


    "This..."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Yaning hesitated a bit.


    "There are more people here, and you can feel more at ease. I''ll feel more rxed too."


    Su Chen said.


    "Brother Su, asking someone to stay, are you up to no good?"


    Sitting next to Su Chen, Huang Menglei whispered with a smile...


    Su Chen rolled his eyes at this: Am I that kind of person?


    Luckily he didn''t say it out loud, or thedies would definitely give him an affirmative answer!

 Chapter 1167: Newcomers at the Villa

    Actually, Su Chen wanted Xiao Yaning to stay mainly because he was worried about her condition.


    Although her situation had temporarily improved, being alone at night with only Ye Mei around might inevitably be scary for her.


    What''s more, Ye Mei sometimeses home quitete.


    On this side of the vi, at least there are more people, which is beneficial for her psychological recovery!


    On the other hand, having Xiao Yaning stay here also gives him some peace of mind!


    "Then if Ye Mei agrees, I''ll stay."


    After thinking for a moment, Xiao Yaning spoke up.


    Although she wanted to stay, she felt embarrassed to be alone, and she couldn''t just leave Ye Mei there by herself, right?


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen nced at Ye Mei, the meaning was already obvious!


    "Alright, then I''ll intrude on you all."


    Ye Mei then nodded and said to the other women present.


    As for Su Chen, she directly ignored him¡­


    To be honest, neither she nor Xiao Yaning would mind living with Su Chen.


    They just couldn''t bring it up before, and now it''s an opportunity!


    After all, both women had long set their hearts on him!


    If it was just Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue here, they wouldn''t have stayed, but since there are so many women here, it''s different.


    Of course, apart from this reason, Ye Mei agreeing was also because she thought like Su Chen, that it''s better for Xiao Yaning to be around more people!


    As for Du Hanbing and the others, they naturally had no objections and weren''t too surprised by the situation!


    They all understood that a man like Su Chen couldn''t be like a regr man, belonging to just one woman!


    Now they''ve sorted it out, as long as this man truly loved them, that''s enough!


    Next, Su Chen took Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning to pick out two rooms and settled down.


    It was alreadyte, so Qi Meng brought some essential living supplies for them.


    As for their luggage, it would have to wait until tomorrow to be moved.


    After a while, Du Hanbing and Qi Meng went to prepare dinner!


    Not yet eight o''clock when Lin Ruoxue and the others came back.


    When they discovered two more stunning beauties at home, they all gave Su Chen a yful nce without saying much.


    It made Su Chen feel a bit embarrassed!


    Since Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning were neers, during dinner, the women took extra care of them, trying not to make them feel restrained!


    This was the tacit understanding among the women for a long time, knowing there might be new additions, whether Su Chen''s woman or not!


    For everyone to get along harmoniously in the future, they should wee each other with a tolerant attitude!


    This was the wisdom of the women, each wanting Su Chen to belong only to them, but knowing it was impossible!


    Since that was the case, getting along like family was the best result!


    Although Xiao Yaning and Ye Mei were still a bit reserved, they felt the kindness from the women!


    This really surprised them, but mostly touched them!


    After dinner, the women went back to their rooms to sleep.


    Su Chen, having been through some chaos the past few days, didn''t visit the other women''s rooms, cultivated for a while, took a bath, and slept.


    The next morning, when Su Chen got up and went to the dining room, most of the women were already there.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and the others went to work.


    Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning were supposed to go to work too, but they had to move today, so they didn''t go.


    Su Chen and Qi Meng, besides cultivating, had nothing to do, so they went with them to move.


    With so many people helping, even though Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning had a lot of stuff, it was finished in just over half a day!


    After moving, everyone was pretty tired, so they went to the hot springs, which had be the best way to rx at the vi!


    Since Qi Meng and Ye Mei''s physiques were simr, and Du Hanbing and Xiao Yaning were closer in size, the women got them swimsuits ordingly.


    If you were to ask what the most abundant item among the women in the vi was, it definitely wasn''t cosmetics, but swimsuits!


    What can they do? They all like this bad guy Su Chen?!


    After changing into her swimsuit, Xiao Yaning couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen, who was already lying impatiently in the hot spring, reminded of the time in Jiangbei when they bought swimsuits for the hot spring!


    That was a particrly intimate encounter for them!


    Receiving Xiao Yaning''s nce, Su Chen''s lips curled into a smile, also recalling that day!


    Su Cheny there, surrounded by six stunning beauties, truly feeling content!


    After resting for a while, his old habits resurfaced, and he started to misbehave!


    But the women were already ustomed to his misbehavior¡­


    .....


    Just like that, several days passed by again.


    During this time, Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning became more familiar with the vi''s situation and got along well with the other women!


    They were all smart women, and with Lin Ruoxue and the others showing inclusiveness, they naturally knew what to do!


    Seeing everyone getting along so harmoniously made Su Chen very happy and at ease.


    Over the past few days, aside from cultivating, he lived quitefortably.


    This day, while he was cultivating, Ouyang Jing suddenly sent him a message asking him toe over.


    Generally, without any special matters, Ouyang Jing and Sun Yang wouldn''te here, as there were too many women around, making it inconvenient!


    Without much thought, Su Chen headed over.


    Ouyang Jing was already in the living room of the other courtyard, and Sun Yang was also there.


    "Ouyang, what''s up, sending me a message toe over?"


    Su Chen walked in and asked with a smile.


    "Oh, you broke through to Kaiyuan Middle Stage?!"


    Su Chen was then surprised to find that Ouyang Jing''s aura seemed to have reached a new level.


    "I just broke through the day before yesterday; I was about to tell you, and you noticed first."


    Ouyang Jing smiled and said:


    "Without the formation here and the treasures you gave mest time, who knows when I would have broken through! I really have to thank you for this!"


    "Let''s not be so polite between us!"


    Su Chen waved it off with augh:


    "By the way, you still haven''t said what you called me over for."


    "Well, I''ll be away for a while in a few days."


    Ouyang Jing said.


    "Uh, is something wrong?"


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback and then asked.


    "It''s nothing major, just that a senior is having a birthday, and I have to go."


    Ouyang Jing smiled and said:


    "Also, I haven''t been home for a while, so it''s a good time to visit, and then I''lle back."


    "So that''s it!"


    Su Chen thought it was something big but realized it was just a small matter.


    "Are you going to attend the Yunhai Hall Master''s 50th birthday celebration?"


    Su Chen suddenly recalled the call from Lan Xinyi a few days ago and asked.


    (ps: That''s it for three chapters today; as usual, updates will be at midnight daily, and there are three guaranteed chapters, with an effort for four each day if possible! Thank you all for your continued support!)

 Chapter 1168: Qin Nishangs Doubts

    "How did you know?"


    Ouyang Jing asked with some surprise. He was indeed going to attend the Yunhai Hall Master''s fiftieth birthday celebration.


    "Xinyi called me a few days ago and invited me to join as well."


    Su Chen said.


    "Do you know Lan Xinyi?"


    Ouyang Jing asked:


    "It seems like you have a good rtionship!"


    Since returning from the ruins, Su Chen hadn''t described the events inside in detail. Seeing Su Chen return safely, Ouyang Jing didn''t ask much, so he still didn''t know precisely what had happened in the ruins.


    "I guess we''re pretty good friends."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "That''s perfect. We can go together in a few days."


    Ouyang Jing also smiled.


    Su Chen naturally agreed with pleasure; it''s always good to have someone to apany you.


    After chatting with Ouyang Jing and Sun Yang for a while, Su Chen got up to prepare to leave. However, after taking just two steps, he suddenly remembered something and stopped.


    "By the way, Ouyang, do you know the Red Blood Sect?"


    "Why are you asking about that?"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Ouyang Jing''s heart trembled immediately, and he asked hurriedly.


    "Just asking casually. It seems you know about them, tell me about it."


    Su Chen said.


    Ouyang Jing didn''t think much and started speaking:


    "You know, everywhere has divisions between righteousness and evil. Most Ancient Martial Forces belong to the Righteous Path, but among them, there are a few belonging to the Evil Path."


    Su Chen nodded upon hearing this, understanding that it wasn''t difficult toprehend. Then he looked at Ouyang Jing:


    "You mean to say, this Red Blood Sect belongs to the Evil Path?"


    "That''s right, the Red Blood Sect is one of the bigger factions of the Evil Path, and their strength should not be underestimated!"


    Ouyang Jing said:


    "Those forces are called the Evil Path mainly because they are insidious and ruthless, and their cultivation techniques are of fringe and deceptive origins, despised by the righteous!"


    Su Chen agreed more with this as he could see from the Red Blood Sect''s Sect Master''s intentions to use the Yin Girl for Cultivation.


    Of course, the Evil Path is certainly hateful, but those supposedly righteous ones aren''t necessarily much better!


    Ultimately, most are driven by interests!


    This essence is the same whether in the Secr World, Martial Arts World, or Ancient Martial World!


    So even among the Righteous Path, Su Chen only cares about who''spatible with him, like Ouyang Jing or Lan Xinyi, whom he considers very good friends and worth deepening rtionships with!


    Even with Zhu Ming, who''s mocked by many, Su Chen finds him to be quite loyal!


    "Su Chen, you didn''t provoke the Red Blood Sect, did you?"


    Ouyang Jing asked with some worry.


    Mainly because, although Evil Path factions are few in number, each one isn''t easy to deal with!


    Moreover, this Red Blood Sect is one of the major Evil Path forces!


    "No, I just heard about them and asked casually."


    Su Chen smiled casually.


    "That''s good. Although I''d like to eliminate those evil paths, sometimes we have to act within our means. Once we''re strong enough, we can remove them and prevent them from continuing to harm others!"


    Ouyang Jing said with righteous indignation.


    Su Chen smiled upon hearing this, knowing that Ouyang Jing is very upright, with a life-long ambition to eliminate those harmful people and matters in the Ancient Martial World!


    Su Chen still remembers the first time he met Ouyang Jing, he was fighting against the Mobei Three Wolves, who had harmed many innocents!


    After learning about the Red Blood Sect information, Su Chen left the courtyard and went back.


    "It seems this guy has feuded with that Red Blood Sect."


    After Su Chen left, Sun Yang murmured to himself.


    Evidently, he knows Su Chen better and understands that Su Chen wouldn''t mention the Red Blood Sect without reason!


    However, since Su Chen didn''t say, he naturally wouldn''t speak out, although he doesn''t understand why.


    Returning to his room, Su Chen continued his cultivation...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in the vi on the mountainside of Tianxiang Vi, a woman draped in a light veil stood by the window looking at the small garden outside, where flowers blossomed vigorously,peting with each other in splendor, their fragrance overflowing!


    The door was not closed, and at this time, a woman in a long dress quietly walked in, seemingly afraid of disturbing her.


    "Did you find out?"


    Qin Nishang lightly opened her mouth and asked.


    "Miss, we indeed discovered that those people came to Yandu, but after that, they disappeared without a trace."


    The long dress woman stopped a bit behind Qin Nishang and said.


    "Could it really be him who killed those people?"


    Qin Nishang slightly furrowed her brows and asked.


    "Miss, it can''t be, right?"


    The long dress woman rarely spoke, but at this moment, she couldn''t help but say:


    "Hei Feng and Peng Yue are both Kaiyuan Middle Stage, while Song Haitian has even reached the Kaiyuan Late Stage. How could he possibly..."


    "I also find it unlikely, but besides this exnation, what else could exin their sudden disappearance in Yandu?"


    Qin Nishang muttered, looking out the window.


    If her bold spection earlier was true, the affair she handledst time seemed a bit off!


    But could that really be true? Could that young man indeed solve Song Haitian and the others?


    At this time, Qin Nishang couldn''t help but recall the time the two spent in this vi, seemingly unrestrained and casual.


    The long dress woman didn''t disturb her and stood quietly beside waiting!


    "Alright, you can leave, let me think alone."


    After a moment, Qin Nishang said.


    "Yes!"


    The long dress woman bowed in agreement and then retreated.


    Qin Nishang looked at the flowers outside, feeling as if that man was obscured in ayer of mist, making it hard to see clearly...


    .....


    Su Chen was continually cultivating in his room, unaware that the woman named Qin Nishang was still thinking about him.


    However, he''s always been curious about why this woman wanted to recruit him!


    Of course, for now, it''s just curiosity. He doesn''t necessarily mean to investigate deeply.


    Su Chen cultivated until the evening. Lately, his main focus has been Cultivating Ster Power.


    Of course, he would also take some time toprehend the Thousand Hand Seal, considering he''s only grasped the basics of it!


    When Lin Ruoxue returned, he stopped his cultivation and went to the dining room to prepare for dinner!


    The meals at the vi are generally some home-cooked dishes, simple yet abundant, with a taste of home!


    At the dinner table, everyone talked casually, some discussing work, others discussing things that interest women.


    Especially Lin Ruoxue and Ye Mei, both being group presidents, naturally had more topics to discuss!


    Lin Ruoxue hadn''t anticipated earlier that Ye Mei was actually the president of the Rose Group, which had just advanced into Yandu this year!


    She had certainly heard of Ye Mei but hadn''t seen her before!


    Thinking about this, Lin Ruoxue couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen!


    Not knowing what magic this guy possesses, he managed to charm a woman like Ye Mei!


    Of course, another woman named Xiao Yaning is just as impressive, possessing a unique air that can easily capture a man''s heart!


    However, considering herself and the other stunning women in the vi, Lin Ruoxue found nothing too difficult to understand...

 Chapter 1169: Begging for Mercy

    After dinner, the women took a walk and then gathered in the living room at the back of the manor to continue their conversation.


    There are always various topics for women to talk about, from work to fashion to travel, from cosmetics to bags and clothes to all sorts of other things; each seems to resonate deeply!


    Su Chen stood by, smoking idly. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to join in, but even if he wanted to, he couldn''t get a word in!


    So, he simply acted as the audience, puffing away idly...


    Thedies chatted until around ten o''clock, feeling a bit unsatisfied but heading to their rooms, as many had work the next day.


    After returning to his room, Su Chen continued with his cultivation, primarily because the past few days he had been quite taxing on Lin Ruoxue and Du Hanbing!


    There were nights he visited two or three women''s boudoirs; sometimes one woman simply couldn''t handle it!


    Of course, he hadn''t managed to bring the women together to do those intimate things, so he had to work a little harder himself!


    So, this night, Su Chen decided to "let them off" and cultivated alone in his room!


    The night deepened; there were no sounds except the rustling wind outside the house.


    At that moment, Su Chen seemed to hear faint footsteps outside the room, as if someone was intentionally trying not to make any noise!


    Su Chen pondered silently: could someone be sneaking into the manor?


    He pretended not to notice, continuing to sit cross-legged on the bed, cultivating...


    "Creak!"


    Soon after, the door was gently pushed open, and a slender figure slipped inside cautiously!


    "Qi Meng?!"


    When Su Chen recognized the charming silhouette, he showed a hint of surprise!


    At this moment, Qi Meng''s hair was slightly damp, with a flush on her face, unclear whether from the heat of the bath or from nerves!


    She was wearing a ckce camisole nightgown, which was extremely sexy!


    Seeing Su Chen''s somewhat surprised gaze, she nervously bit her moist red lips, feeling quite at a loss!


    Qi Meng was already quite alluring and sexy, and her demeanor made her even more tempting!


    Su Chen was stunned for a moment, then understood Qi Meng''s intentions, a crafty smile forming at his lips!


    "Why are you smiling?"


    Seeing the smile on Su Chen''s face made Qi Meng even shyer!


    Though Qi Meng had tried to seduce Su Chen before, it was out of necessity at that time!


    "I''m not smiling at anything!"


    Su Chen feigned innocence and said:


    "What''s the matter,ing over sote at night?"


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng wished she could bite him; she really meant it!


    Isn''t this guy a jerk?


    She dressed like this and came over in the middle of the night, and he still asked what she was here for!


    Actually, as a woman, Qi Meng always waited for Su Chen to be proactive. However, this guy kept taking advantage of her without making any substantial moves!


    This left Qi Meng feeling quite uneasy!


    Moreover, there were more and more women around Su Chen, and their rtionships seemedplicated, adding pressure on Qi Meng!


    She didn''t even know how many women he would have in the future!


    Qi Meng thought for a long time before deciding to take the initiative, which required considerable courage for her!


    Earlier, as Qi Meng walked out and saw the lights on in Su Chen''s room, she knew he hadn''t gone to visit other women tonight and was possibly cultivating, so she quietly came over!


    For this guy, moments of honesty weren''t many, so Qi Meng gritted her teeth and took the plunge!


    She initially thought that if Su Chen understood her intentions, and if he liked her too, some things would naturally happen!


    But unexpectedly, this jerk asked why she came!


    How should Qi Meng respond?


    Should she say, "I''m here to sleep with you?"


    "I''m leaving!"


    Qi Meng stomped her foot, angrily preparing to leave!


    But just as she turned away, Su Chen suddenly grabbed her, pulling her onto hisrge bed!


    "Ah!"


    Su Chen''s abrupt action startled Qi Meng, causing her to exim!


    At that moment, Su Chen was already leaning over her, and Qi Meng could even hear his breathing!


    "Since you''re here, do you n on running away?"


    With a mischievous smile, Su Chen looked at Qi Meng''s beautiful face and asked.


    "You bad guy!"


    Qi Meng''s face turned even redder, overwhelmingly hot!


    Before the words were out, Qi Meng''s delicate body trembled slightly, because Su Chen''srge hands had started to roam...


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen casually turned off the light, and the room plunged into darkness.


    And simultaneously, Su Chen lowered his head, capturing Qi Meng''s soft lips!


    Their touch was like a spark igniting dry grass, erupting instantly...


    ..............


    When everything returned to silence, both were drenched in sweat!


    Su Chen leaned against the headboard, holding Qi Meng with one arm, lighting a cigarette with the other!


    In Su Chen''s arms, Qi Meng felt a distinct feeling!


    Had she finally be his woman?!


    Perhaps!


    Qi Meng couldn''t help but recall the first time she met him, when she was sent to assassinate him at Jianghai''s manor!


    Unexpectedly, after twists and turns, they formed an inseparable bond!


    "How about it? Want to go again?"


    Su Chen stubbed out his cigarette and yfully asked Qi Meng.


    "No, no more!"


    Upon hearing this, Qi Meng was immediately scared, shaking her head repeatedly!


    Although she had felt an unprecedented joy as things progressed earlier, after stopping, she did feel sore all over!


    "Begging for mercy?"


    Su Chen''s lips curved into a smile as he asked.


    He was merely joking; Qi Meng being a first-timer, he wouldn''t be such a beast!


    Qi Meng''s natural allure indeed fascinated him, making it hard to resist!


    Moreover, her beauty was breathtaking, her skin smooth like creamy jade!


    But Su Chen wouldn''t rush in one day; she was his woman now, and they''d have plenty of time in the future!


    "My lord, please spare this humble maiden, I''lle to serve you in a few days, okay?"


    Qi Meng''s beautiful eyes shone with a pitiful light as she spoke.


    Honestly, Qi Meng''s pitiful act made Su Chen''s heart warm again, yet he held back, casually chuckling:


    "Alright, I''ll spare you tonight!"


    Soon, the two embraced each other and fell asleep.


    That night, Qi Meng slept especially soundly...

 Chapter 1170: Preparing to Depart

    When she woke up the next day, it was already a littleter than usual.


    "You just keep sleeping, I''ll bring breakfast over to youter."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "No need, I''ll get up anyway."


    Like thest time with Du Hanbing, Qi Meng also felt embarrassed to sit in the room waiting for Su Chen to bring breakfast.


    Su Chen persuaded her a bit, and seeing that she insisted on having breakfast, he agreed. After all, it wasn''t a big deal.


    When the two finished freshening up and came to the dining room, the women were all giving them knowing looks!


    "Qi Meng, you''ve finally achieved your heart''s desire?!"


    Du Hanbing was the first to joke.


    "Sister Qi Meng, how did youe out from the back vi?"


    Huang Menglei yfully stuck out her tongue and said with augh.


    As soon as she said this, the women all burst intoughter!


    Though there was a teasing element to it, it was more a form of blessing!


    "Alright, stop teasing Qi Meng. Everyone sit down and have breakfast."


    Lin Ruoxue also said with a smile.


    In fact, this day had long been expected by everyone, including Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning, who had been here for less than a week, had also long seen iting.


    So when the two walked out of the back vi together just now, it wasn''t too surprising!


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue, Xia Qiuru, including Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning, all went to work, leaving only Su Chen, Huang Menglei, Eniel, and others at home!


    After a while, they went back to their respective rooms to cultivate as usual.


    Although Qi Meng also went back to her room, today was definitely not suitable for cultivation, so shey down on her bed again to rest...


    To be honest, Qi Meng really wanted to rest for a while, as her body was still very sore, but the unrest and excitement in her heart made her unable to fall asleep!


    "Why haven''t you rested a bit?"


    Su Chen suddenly walked in with a smile and asked.


    "I can''t really fall asleep."


    Qi Meng replied with a slight smile.


    "Then I''ll keep youpany and chat."


    Su Chen also sat down by the bed and said.


    "Okay."


    Hearing this, Qi Meng was very happy, and she sat up a little, leaning against the headboard.


    The two then started chatting, not caring where the conversation led.


    After chatting casually for an hour or two, Qi Meng finally felt sleepy, struggling to stay awake. After all,st night was her first time, and it was quite wild!


    Once Qi Meng fell asleep, Su Chen helped tuck her in a bit and then quietly left, closing the door softly...


    ......


    Ten days passed by quickly, and everyone continued living as usual, without any major waves.


    The women of the vi still went to work and cultivated as they should, rxing in the hot springs or going shopping on weekends.


    Of course, Su Chen often "teased" the women of the vi, and the recently initiated Qi Meng was no exception!


    However, Qi Meng did not move from the front vi to the back vi. Everyone was indifferent to this, as it was just a formality in the beginning, and moving now would seem a bit deliberate, so there was no need!


    Moreover, in the views of Lin Ruoxue and others, it''s estimated that the other women currently living in the vi would eventually fall into this guy''s "clutches" sooner orter!


    Of course, they were also willing participants!


    Therefore, from this perspective, there wasn''t much difference, as long as they were all in the vi.


    However, among these women, there was an exception, and that exception was undoubtedly Luo Xiwen!


    She and Su Chen seemed to be always at odds, and the usually gentle Luo Xiwen would immediately have a frosty demeanor whenever she saw Su Chen!


    Even though sometimes it wasn''t so exaggerated, there was definitely some displeasure!


    Su Chen felt quite helpless about this. In his mind, wasn''t it just that he mistook her for someone else initially and touched her a bit, oh no, several times?


    Did she have to react like this? As if he had done something universally heinous to her!


    Actually, Luo Xiwen wasn''t the type to get so upset over what could have been an ident. The key was the umtion of multiple events!


    For instance, that day in Lin Ruoxue''s office, when this guy stared at a certain part of hers...


    Or like when she was practicing yoga...


    Of course, what made Luo Xiwen most furious was that day when he helped her solve the Dimans problem. She was genuinely grateful and even thanked him!


    But this guy still yed a trick on her!


    Adding all these incidents together, naturally, it made Luo Xiwen quite unhappy, to the point of developing a conditioned reflex whenever she saw him!


    Su Chen, though, despite feeling a bit powerless, didn''t mind too much, instead finding this side of Luo Xiwen quite amusing!


    Sometimes, Su Chen would even tease her on purpose, finding a bit of amusement for himself!


    .......


    Of course, Su Chen still spent most of his time cultivating these days. For now, he had once again shifted his focus back to cultivating the "Nine Yang Divine Technique"!


    No matter what, the improvement of realms is the most fundamental thing; it''s the foundation!


    Su Chen is currently at the Meridian Expansion Peak realm, and the next step is to ascend to the Half-Step Kaiyuan!


    Once at the Half-Step Kaiyuan, his cultivation will naturally improve further!


    Of course, even at the Half-Step Kaiyuan, it cannot bepared to a Martial Artist at the Kaiyuan Late Stage realm!


    After all, there''s still a huge gap between the Kaiyuan Middle Stage and the Kaiyuan Late Stage; it''s not easy to cross!


    However, Su Chen believes that if he enters the actual Kaiyuan Primary Stage, it should be about right, maybe even more!


    Because transitioning from the Meridian Expansion Realm to the Kaiyuan Realm is also a huge leap, after all, it''s a significant improvement in realm!


    If that''s the case, Su Chen would be very satisfied, as reaching the Kaiyuan Primary Stage is already equivalent to the Kaiyuan Late Stage, or even higher cultivation, which is extremely rare!


    Of course, by then, his true strength would far exceed even that!


    It''s worth noting that even the current Su Chen already has absolute confidence when facing masters at the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection!


    As for the Kaiyuan Great Perfection, it''s not necessarily a battle he can''t win!


    And over this period, the cultivation of everyone in the vi had also been rapidly improving, which was the most gratifying thing for Su Chen!


    That day, after finishing his cultivation, Su Chen went to the other courtyard again, as Ouyang Jing and Sun Yang usually didn''t go there, so Su Chen would often visit.


    "Su Chen, shall we set off tomorrow?"


    Seeing Su Chen arrive, Ouyang Jing asked.


    "No problem."


    Su Chen nodded, as this was the time they had agreed on earlier.


    They were, of course, talking about attending the birthday banquet of the Hall Master of Yunhai Hall, which Ouyang Jing had also invited Sun Yang to, but Sun Yang declined.


    Firstly, he wasn''t familiar with Yunhai Hall, and secondly, he had spent a long time out previously, so he nned to stay at the vi to cultivate.


    Regarding this, Su Chen and Ouyang Jing naturally respected Sun Yang''s own decision...


    (PS: That''s it for today. More excitement continues tomorrow!)


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1171: Waiting for Someone

    Early the next morning, after saying goodbye to thedies, Su Chen left with Ouyang Jing and drove to the airport.


    Because the journey was rather long, Su Chen couldn''t be bothered to take the helicopter.


    Soon enough, the two boarded a flight to City W, one of the country''s major metropolises, as bustling as Jianghai City.


    The birthday banquet for the Hall Master of Yunhai Hall was being held in City W, though Yunhai Hall''s headquarters is not actually in the city, nor could it be!


    Yunhai Hall chose to host it in the city proper partly because it''s livelier in a big city, and partly to make it easier for guests to attend the banquet!


    After all, going to the headquarters deep in the mountains would be too inconvenient!


    In fact, it''s not just Yunhai Hall; many Ancient Martial Forces also choose nearby big cities to hostrge banquets or events!


    Of course, sometimes they will choose to host them at their headquarters or ancestral homes!


    After a few hours on the ne, they arrived in City W by the afternoon.


    "Is Yunhai Hall''s headquarters near City W?"


    As they left the airport, Su Chen casually asked Ouyang Jing.


    "Yes, about three to four hundred kilometers east of a small county under City W, in a hidden spot,"


    Ouyang Jing nodded and replied.


    Su Chen was just asking casually, and then the two hailed a cab and headed to their destination.


    Twenty minutester, the car stopped not far from an estate on the outskirts of the city, which was the venue for Yunhai Hall''s birthday banquet.


    Of course, this estate was part of Yunhai Hall''s own property!


    Most of the Ancient Martial Forces also have their own businesses in the Secr World, as they need to make a living!


    At this moment, people wereing and going around the estate, almost all of whom were Martial Artists, and at least at the Late Stage of Meridian Expansion, with many at the Kaiyuan Stage!


    Of course, these individuals were all from the Ancient Martial World, and most belonged to first-rate forces!


    Just like in the Secr World, the Ancient Martial World also has hierarchies everywhere. After all, wherever there are people, there are circles!


    In the Ancient Martial World, this manifests in second-rate forces, first-rate forces, and super first-rate forces having their own circles!


    It''s not that they don''t interact at all, it''s just rtively rare.


    Like in the Secr World, where millionaires and millionaires are on the same level, multi-millionaires with multi-millionaires, and billionaires with billionaires¡ªit''s the same logic!


    "Xinyi, don''t stand at the door, you''ll get tired. Uncle Zhang is here,"


    At that moment, a middle-aged man at the estate entrance said to a young woman in her twenties nearby.


    "It''s okay, Uncle Zhang, I''ll keep youpany."


    Lan Xinyi smiled, while her eyes roamed around constantly, appearing a bit anxious.


    "Xinyi, are you waiting for someone special?"


    The middle-aged man asked, noticing Lan Xinyi''s demeanor.


    "Uncle Zhang, what are you talking about?"


    Lan Xinyi blushed slightly and pouted, saying:


    "Who could I be waiting for?"


    Just then, a figure caught her eye!


    Her beautiful eyes immediately lit up, and she quickly ran a few steps forward!


    "Su Chen, you''re here?"


    Lan Xinyi, seeing Su Chen finally arrive, said happily.


    Su Chen had told her his estimated arrival time earlier, so Lan Xinyi had been waiting at the entrance in advance.


    "How could I note when the beautiful Lan specifically invited me?"


    Su Chen joked.


    "What are you saying!"


    Lan Xinyi said, slightly embarrassed.


    "By the way, Xinyi, here''s a birthday gift for Uncle,"


    Su Chen said, taking a box out of his pocket and handing it to Lan Xinyi.


    "You being here is enough, why bring a gift?"


    "It''s only right for Uncle''s birthday,"


    Su Chen smiled, having randomly picked a gift from his Cangyue Ring.


    Those items were all treasures he had acquired in the Dark World, worth fortunes.


    Of course, Su Chen didn''t mind.


    "Senior Brother Ouyang, you''re here too!"


    At this moment, Lan Xinyi turned to smile at Ouyang Jing, next to Su Chen.


    "Oh, Xinyi, you finally noticed me! I thought I was invisible!"


    Ouyang Jing joked with a rare teasing smile.


    "Senior Brother Ouyang, stop joking!"


    Lan Xinyi blushed again.


    When she saw Su Chen appear earlier, she really had overlooked Ouyang Jing.


    Upon hearing Ouyang Jing''s joke, she naturally felt a bit embarrassed.


    Seeing Lan Xinyi''s reaction, Ouyang Jing suddenly understood that Lan Xinyi surely had some special feelings for Su Chen!


    This made Ouyang Jing feel quite puzzled about what kind of charm Su Chen possessed that made every woman he met fancy him.


    He wasn''t extraordinarily handsome, was he? Just a bit more so than Ouyang Jing himself?!


    That was really frustrating!


    Of course, Ouyang Jing was just thinking randomly, as he didn''t harbor any improper thoughts about Lan Xinyi, treating her more like a sister.


    But he did know that in the Ancient Martial World, there were not a few who adored Lan Xinyi. After all, she was a rare beauty in the Ancient Martial World!


    "Xinyi, I didn''t bring a gift! You won''t stop me from entering, will you?"


    Ouyang Jing said with a smile.


    "Senior Brother Ouyang, you''re joking again! Let me take you inside, Uncle Ouyang and the others have arrived."


    Lan Xinyi said with a smile.


    Unlike Su Chen, Ouyang Jing was the Young Master of the Ouyang Family, which surely had given a gift, so he didn''t mind.


    The middle-aged man at the door watched the scene from afar and then understood.


    Oh, so thedy was waiting for them. He knew the young master of the Ouyang Family, but as for the young man next to him, he had never met before.


    It seemed that thedy was actually waiting for that unfamiliar young man, not the Ouyang Family''s young master, which he found rather curious.


    At that moment, Lan Xinyi was already leading Su Chen and Ouyang Jing over.


    "Uncle Zhang, let me introduce you; this is my friend Su Chen, and you surely recognize Young Master Ouyang, no need for an introduction!"


    Lan Xinyi said with a smile.


    "Uncle Zhang,"


    Su Chen greeted courteously, as a gesture of respect towards Lan Xinyi''s elder.


    "Hello,"


    Uncle Zhang smiled at Su Chen, while continuing to size him up, as if trying to discern something unique!


    "Uncle Zhang, long time no see!"


    At this point, Ouyang Jing also greeted with a smile.


    "Young Master Ouyang,"


    Uncle Zhang, hearing the voice, turned his gaze to Ouyang Jing and responded.

 Chapter 1172: Farewell to Zhu Jun

    "Uncle Zhang, I''ll take them inside first."


    Lan Xinyi said.


    "Alright, Xinyi, you go ahead and take the guests inside."


    The middle-aged man nodded and said.


    At this moment, he naturally understood that Lan Xinyi was here to wait for them, or more precisely, to wait for that unfamiliar young man!


    The Yunhai Hall''s estate wasrge, definitely bigger than Su Chen''s Yuquan Mountain Vi and the one by Laixing Lake!


    Of course, the estate had many houses, enough to amodate hundreds or even thousands of people.


    The main purpose of this estate was to serve as a venue for Yunhai Hall''s banquets and the like, so while it wasn''t overly luxurious, it was certainly magnificent!


    As Su Chen followed Lan Xinyi inside, many people were already there, most of them chatting casually in the courtyard.


    Some people noticed the eldest daughter of Yunhai Hall bringing in two young men and immediately looked over.


    Soon, they recognized one as the eldest young master of the Ouyang Family, but the other they didn''t recognize.


    They couldn''t help but be curious¡ªwho was this young man who could apany both the eldest daughter of Yunhai Hall and the eldest young master Ouyang Jing?


    Su Chen also nced around casually, and at first nce, he was genuinely a bit shocked!


    There were just too many Kaiyuan Realm experts present, with quite a few even at the Kaiyuan Late Stage, and he even saw several top-tier experts at Kaiyuan Minor Perfection!


    In fact, today wasn''t the main day; it was tomorrow. However, most people came today anyway!


    The most important reason for this was, of course, the status of Yunhai Hall!


    Among the top-tier powers in the Ancient Martial World, Yunhai Hall was one of the very top entities!


    Other forces naturally had to demonstrate their utmost respect, and apart from sending valuable gifts, arriving early was a way to show it!


    "Su Chen, my father is over there. Let me introduce you."


    At this moment, Ouyang Jing saw his family members and said.


    Su Chen had no objections, so Ouyang Jing led Su Chen over.


    "Father!"


    Ouyang Jing approached a middle-aged man and called out.


    The middle-aged man, whose appearance bore some resemnce to Ouyang Jing, was none other than Ouyang Jing''s father, Ouyang Pei.


    Ouyang Pei nodded. He had already noticed Ouyang Jing earlier but hadn''t gone over to meet him!


    In Ouyang Pei''s view, what reason would a father have to go greet his son?!


    "You''ve indeed reached the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, not bad, keep working hard!"


    Ouyang Pei looked at Ouyang Jing and said calmly.


    Although his tone wasn''t excited, there was still a hint of satisfaction and approval in his eyes!


    Because now, Ouyang Jing was strong enough to be one of the top ten prodigies!


    This was undoubtedly a major event concerning the rise and fall of the Ouyang Family!


    How could he truly remain indifferent?!


    Immediately, Ouyang Pei''s gaze fell on Su Chen, and he revealed a slight smile.


    "This must be Mr. Su, yes? Jing''er has spoken of you before..."


    Ouyang Pei then said:


    "Mr. Su, thank you for looking after Jing''er in Yandu!"


    "Uncle Ouyang, you''re too kind."


    Su Chen replied with a nonchnt smile.


    "I didn''t expect you and Xinyi to know each other!"


    Ouyang Pei said with some surprise, as he had just seen Su Chen walking with Lan Xinyi, chatting andughing along the way.


    "Yes, we met by chance."


    Su Chen chuckled.


    "Uncle Ouyang."


    Lan Xinyi also called out with a smile.


    "It''s been a few years, and Xinyi, you''ve be even more beautiful. I wonder which lucky boy will benefit from that!"


    Ouyang Pei joked.


    "Uncle Ouyang, you''re teasing me again."


    Hearing this, Lan Xinyi immediately replied shyly, casting a nce at Su Chen unintentionally.


    Meanwhile, Ouyang Jing thought to himself that the lucky boy would probably be the guy right next to him!


    "Brother Zhu, do you know that guy?"


    Not far from Su Chen and the others, a young man was staring at him intently, as if he wanted to devour Su Chen!


    Another young man standing next to him, seeing his intense demeanor, leaned closer and asked.


    "Know him? Of course, I know him well!"


    Zhu Jun responded, his eyes zing with mes!


    Ever since returning from the ruins, Zhu Jun hadn''t been able to forget Su Chen; he considered that event the greatest humiliation of his life!


    As Su Chen had suspected, the reason Zhu Jun hadn''t revealed that Su Chen killed Zhou Hao and Lan Haifeng, not even telling the Zhu Family, was that he wanted to personally kill Su Chen to cleanse his humiliation!


    Being one of the top ten prodigies, he was disgraced by that obscure kid to such an extent, eventually having to flee to save his own life. This was something he couldn''t swallow!


    After chatting a bit with Ouyang Jing''s father, Ouyang Pei, Su Chen left with Lan Xinyi, as she wanted to introduce Su Chen to her father.


    Ouyang Jing stayed behind to chat with his father, as it had been a long time since he''d been home.


    After only a few steps, Su Chen sensed a gaze fixed on him!


    So he turned his head to look, and when he saw Zhu Jun, a cold smile appeared on his face!


    So it''s this guy!


    Lan Xinyi saw Su Chen suddenly stop and look in a certain direction, so she followed his gaze!


    When she saw Zhu Jun, her heart gave a violent shudder, and her face slightly changed!


    Because, apart from Su Chen, the only people who knew what happened at the ruins were herself and Zhu Ming, with Zhu Jun being the only other informed individual!


    And among these people, the only one who might reveal these events was Zhu Jun!


    To be honest, after returning from the ruins, she was genuinely worried that Zhu Jun would expose what had happened.


    If that happened, the elders, including those from the Liewu Sect, would definitely seek vengeance against Su Chen!


    But for some reason, Zhu Jun hadn''t said anything.


    As time went by, Lan Xinyi gradually let go of the matter, and even when she invited Su Chen, she hadn''t anticipated they''d encounter this situation here!


    Su Chen, although very skilled and having defeated Zhu Jun before, couldn''t possibly be a match for the elders or the Liewu Sect''s Sect Master!


    At this moment, Lan Xinyi couldn''t help but sp Su Chen''srge hand, making Su Chen turn to look at her, noticing her pale face!


    Her hand sping his was also icy cold!


    "Don''t worry, there''s no need to be afraid!"


    Su Chen gently squeezed Lan Xinyi''s soft and delicate hand.


    He was well aware of why Lan Xinyi reacted this way; she was worried that Zhu Jun would reveal the matter of him killing Zhou Hao and Lan Haifeng, putting him in danger!


    Although Su Chen''s words offered somefort to Lan Xinyi, she still couldn''t help but feel tense!

 Chapter 1173: Lan Xinyis Plea for Help

    "Alright, let''s go. Don''t you want to introduce me to your father?"


    Su Chen smiled slightly, then patted Lan Xinyi on the shoulder and continued walking toward the main building.


    As for Zhu Jun, he didn''t pay any attention to him!


    He never took this Zhu Jun seriously before, and now even less so!


    After Su Chen and Lan Xinyi entered the main building, they arrived at a room.


    This room was clearly meant for receiving guests, with some teacups on the table and leftover tea inside.


    At this moment, there was a middle-aged man in his fifties sitting there, exuding a natural aura of authority!


    Su Chen was slightly shocked upon seeing this man, as he gave off an incredibly powerful feeling!


    "Father."


    Lan Xinyi called out upon entering, after having adjusted her nervous emotions outside the door.


    "Xinyi, you''re here!"


    The man smiled warmly when he saw Lan Xinyi, and the aura of authority seemed to vanish instantly!


    "And this is...?"


    He then noticed Su Chen, who hade in with Lan Xinyi, and asked.


    "Father, this is Mr. Su Chen, whom I''ve mentioned to you before."


    Lan Xinyi introduced.


    "So you are Mr. Su!"


    Upon hearing this, Lan Minghe immediately stood up, came over to Su Chen, and gratefully shook his hand:


    "So you are Mr. Su! Last time in the ruins, it was really thanks to you for saving Xinyi. I''ve been wanting to properly thank you!"


    "Lan Uncle, you''re too kind. It was the right thing to do."


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    Previously, Lan Xinyi had told Su Chen that she had mentioned to her father about being rescued by him from a demon beast encounter, so her father wanted to thank him in person!


    Of course, Lan Xinyi only told her father about this matter and nothing else.


    "Father, this is a gift from Su Chen for you."


    Lan Xinyi handed the box to Lan Minghe with a smile, looking as if it was a gift from herself!


    Lan Minghe nced at his daughter, smiled, and then said to Su Chen:


    "It''s too generous of you, Mr. Su. How can I ept this?"


    With that, Lan Minghe opened the unassuming box...


    "It''s nothing, just the first time visiting, so it''s appropriate."


    Su Chen also smiled and said.


    When Lan Minghe opened the box, a dazzling light burst forth, illuminating the slightly dim room!


    Lying quietly in the box was a pristine, translucent diamond, its surface sparkled with brilliant colors!


    "This...!"


    Lan Minghe initially didn''t think much of it, but it turned out to be a diamond!


    Although Lan Minghe didn''t know what kind of diamond it was, it was undoubtedly of immense value!


    In terms of Huaxia currency, it could be worth hundreds of millions or even billions!


    "It''s so beautiful!"


    Lan Xinyi couldn''t help but exim.


    "This is too valuable! Mr. Su, please take it back!"


    Lan Minghe immediately said.


    "Lan Uncle, Xinyi and I are good friends; it''s just a gift, nothing more!"


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    To be honest, among Su Chen''s treasures, there were plenty of such exquisite diamonds.


    Not knowing what gift to give, he just casually picked a diamond!


    Likest year, for Lin Ruoxue''s mother''s birthday, he also gave a superb diamond!


    "Lan Uncle, if you make me take back a gift I''ve given, wouldn''t that put me in an awkward position?"


    Su Chen continued with a smile.


    These words left Lan Minghe unsure of how to respond. He paused and said:


    "Alright, I''ll ept it, but if I pass it on to someone else, would Mr. Su mind?"


    "Of course not. Since I gifted it to Lan Uncle, it''s yours, and you can do as you see fit."


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    "Xinyi, I see you like this diamond quite a bit, why don''t you keep it?"


    Lan Minghe closed the box and handed it to Lan Xinyi with a smile.


    "Ah!"


    Lan Xinyi was slightly startled, then happily epted it and said:


    "Thank you, Father!"


    Seeing this scene, Lan Minghe suddenly understood. He had only been testing a moment ago!


    He knew his daughter well; her joy wasn''t just about the diamond but more about the fact that the diamond was from this young man!


    It seemed that his beloved daughter indeed had some unusual feelings towards this young man!


    He had sensed this a bit when they entered the room, and now he was even more certain!


    "Su Chen, my father and I have something to discuss. Why don''t you go out and look around for a bit?"


    At this, Lan Xinyi said with some apologetic tone.


    "Alright then, Lan Uncle, I''ll step out for now. Happy birthday!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Thank you!"


    Lan Minghe nodded.


    Su Chen then walked out. It was only natural for the father and daughter to have some private conversation.


    "Xinyi, what is it you want to say?"


    Lan Minghe asked with a smile.


    "Father, please help Su Chen!"


    Lan Xinyi pleaded worriedly.


    "Help him? What''s wrong with him?"


    Lan Minghe asked, puzzled.


    "Father, you know about the death of Zhou Hao from the Liewu Sect in the ruins, right?"


    "Yes, what about it?"


    Lan Minghe was even more confused as Lan Xinyi suddenly brought up Zhou Hao.


    "Could it be that Zhou Hao''s death is rted to this Su Chen?"


    Lan Minghe suddenly had a sh of insight, blurting out with disbelief on his face!


    "Actually, Zhou Hao was killed by Su Chen."


    Lan Xinyi nodded.


    As soon as Lan Xinyi finished speaking, Lan Minghe was stunned!


    The young man who had been so courteous and polite, with a warm smile, was the one who killed the son of the Sect Master of Liewu Sect, Zhou Hao?


    "Actually, not just Zhou Hao, but Lan Haifeng was also killed by Su Chen."


    Lan Xinyi continued.


    This time, Lan Minghe waspletely taken aback!


    "What exactly happened? Tell me everything!"


    Lan Minghe instantly became serious, speaking in a grave tone.


    Lan Xinyi then briefly recounted the events that urred in the ruins'' ruins to her father.


    Of course, she did not mention Su Chen breaking the formation or anything about what was beneath the stone chamber!


    She naturally trusted her father, but since it involved some of Su Chen''s secrets, she chose to leave them out, respecting Su Chen!


    Even so, Lan Minghe was left in awe!


    He could hardly believe that the young man not only killed Zhou Hao and Lan Haifeng but also managed to send Zhu Jun running in defeat?


    Who was Zhu Jun?


    He was one of the top ten prodigies!


    If these words hadn''te from his own daughter''s mouth, he would never have believed them!


    (PS: There are still three chapters today, thank you all for supporting Feng Yu!)


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1174: Good Dogs Dont Block the Way

    Listening to his daughter''s story, Lan Minghe felt somewhat dizzy, feeling like it wasn''t quite real!


    He simply couldn''t connect the man his daughter spoke of, who killed Zhou Hao and Lan Haifeng and chased Zhu Jun away, with the polite young man he just met!


    Of course, he also understood that his daughter probably hadn''t told him everything, like those top-grade Spirit Stones she brought back from the relic, and various other treasures, likely had something to do with that young man.


    But since his daughter hadn''t said, he feigned ignorance and didn''t ask, estimating she was likely thinking about the young man!


    Thinking of this, Lan Minghe couldn''t help but sigh, indeed daughters lean outward!


    His beloved daughter, whom he''d raised carefully, worrying so much for a man she''d just met, was still somewhat sour in Lan Minghe''s heart!


    There was always a feeling like his daughter was being taken away by another man, although he knew this eventually would happen!


    After all, daughters grow up and eventually need to date and get married!


    But this is probably the sentiment of most fathers in the world!


    Especially when they''re an only child, even more so!


    "Father, you must save Su Chen!"


    Lan Xinyi said, suddenly kneeling on the ground.


    "Child, what is this for, get up quickly!"


    Lan Minghe hurriedly said.


    "If you don''t promise me, I won''t get up!"


    Lan Xinyi stubbornly said.


    "Alright, I promise you! Get up!"


    Lan Minghe sighed and said.


    He could refuse everyone, except his precious daughter!


    "Thank you, father!"


    Upon hearing these words, Lan Xinyi stood up with a smile.


    "But Xinyi, I can only ensure his safety in this manor, and at most, arrange people to safely escort him when he leaves."


    Lan Minghe looked at Lan Xinyi and said:


    "Xinyi, this is all your father can do! You need to understand!"


    "I understand, father."


    Lan Xinyi nodded.


    She naturally understood her father''s difficulties, after all, her father is the Hall Master of Yunhai Hall, and couldn''t flip over just for an insignificant Su Chen against the Liewu Sect and Zhu Family!


    Especially involving the Grand Elder, who is a member of Yunhai Hall!


    This matter, if not handled well, could have severe repercussions within Yunhai Hall!


    Actually, regarding the death of Lan Haifeng, Lan Minghe also had mixed feelings!


    Firstly, he''s from Yunhai Hall, secondly, he''s the son of the Grand Elder, who seemingly had a tendency to form a faction in recent years!


    And sometimes showing little respect even to Lan Minghe, the Hall Master!


    Moreover, his son was a scoundrel, having done numerous dirty deeds over the years!


    But Lan Minghe, due to former sentiments with the Grand Elder and internal stability, had been turning a blind eye!


    "Come, sit next to father."


    Lan Minghe beckoned with a smile:


    "You''re so worried about that boy, do you like him?"


    "No way, we''re just good friends!"


    Lan Xinyi''s face blushed instantly upon hearing this!


    .....


    After Su Chen walked out, he casually strolled around the courtyard.


    But soon after he started walking, a young man blocked his way, and that person was Zhu Jun!


    "Good dogs don''t block the way!"


    Su Chen nced at Zhu Jun, who looked at him with a cold expression, and said.


    "I think you''re seeking death!"


    Hearing Su Chen calling him a dog right off, Zhu Jun''s face became colder!


    "Just with you? You better see if you have the skills!"


    Su Chen spat disdainfully.


    Zhu Jun''s face turned ck, he didn''t expect this guy to be so bold, to dare to be so arrogant in this ce!


    Originally, he thought in such an environment, especially with Zhu Family members still around, this guy would dare not be so audacious!


    Unexpectedly, this guy seemedpletely unafraid!


    "Who exactly is this young man?"


    "Who knows, but earlier he was with Yunhai Hall''s eldest young miss and the young master of the Ouyang Family, now he''s with Zhu Family''s youth prodigy?"


    "However, it doesn''t seem like the same thing, earlier he was chatting happily with those two, now Zhu Family''s prodigy seems to have a grudge with him!"


    "Now that you mention it, it does seem that way!"


    The situation between Su Chen and Zhu Jun attracted the gaze of some people, causing them to specte about Su Chen''s identity once again!


    "Zhu brother, who exactly is that young man? Seems like he doesn''t get along with your son very well!"


    At this moment, a middle-aged man opposite Zhu Yuanfeng asked.


    "I don''t know him either, but let the young people handle their own matters."


    Zhu Yuanfeng smiled.


    "Indeed!"


    The person opposite Zhu Yuanfeng smiled, but thought to himself that his son is a prodigy, few in the Ancient Martial World could match him, so naturally he wouldn''t bother to interfere!


    Moreover, the young man on the other side is just a Meridian Expansion Peak kid!


    Of course, this is something he would definitely not say!


    "What? Still not letting me pass?"


    Su Chen said calmly:


    "Do you want a repeat of what happenedst time?"


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Jun''s face turned even darker, his fists clenched tightly!


    He came alone precisely fearing that this guy would bring up the incident in the relic, which would utterly disgrace him!


    Thus, upon Su Chen mentioning it, he naturally felt an angry me burning inside, almost ready to burst!


    "Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains!"


    Finally, Zhu Jun shouted and drew his long sword, shing directly at Su Chen!


    Zhu Jun knew Su Chen''s strength, so right from the start he used his Zhu Family''s strongest martial technique "Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains"!


    As this sword was swung, cold light flickered, and majestic True Essence Energy and Sword Qi surged forth!


    Since returning from the relic, Zhu Jun had been training hard, and took numerous precious Pills, all to personally kill Su Chen for revenge!


    As one of the top ten prodigies, Zhu Family''s future hope, Zhu Family naturally provided him with limitless cultivation resources!


    Through hard training during this period and the assistance of Pills, he finally broke through to Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    Of course, this was also because he was just a step away from Kaiyuan Middle Stage before!


    Thus he could rapidly break through with intense effort!


    Therefore, the power of this sword was much stronger than before, as if it really could cut through mountains and sever rivers!


    If during the relic before, Zhu Jun''s power with this move was only approaching Kaiyuan Late Stage!


    Now, the power of his sword was no different from the true Meridian Expansion Late Stage!

 Chapter 1175: Shocking the Entire Audience

    The crowd was stunned when they saw Zhu Jun suddenly draw his sword. They felt a tremor of fear at the power of that strike!


    Zhu Jun is incredibly strong!


    Some people present were sufficiently cultivated to sense that the power of Zhu Jun''s sword was almostparable to that of a typical Kaiyuan Late Stage Martial Artist!


    Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains¡ªsuch a powerful martial technique, and Zhu Jun mastered it at such a young age!


    At this moment, everyone felt that Zhu Jun''s ranking among the top ten elite young martial artists was too low!


    He should at least be in the top six or seven, but definitely not the ninth as everyone knew!


    The crowd was puzzled as to what grudge the Zhu Family''s genius had against this unfamiliar young man to draw his sword on sight!


    Moreover, to use such a powerful swordsmanship martial technique, this was clearly intending to im the enemy''s life!


    Seeing this, everyone assumed that the unfamiliar young man was doomed!


    How could a young man at Meridian Expansion Peak possibly withstand such a strike?


    Ouyang Jing was chatting with his father on the side and initially didn''t pay attention when he saw Su Chen and Zhu Jun seemingly standing together, even though there seemed to be some tension!


    At this moment, Ouyang Jing''s face turned pale upon seeing Zhu Jun unleash such a powerful swordstrike!


    He froze, his mind going nk!


    Faced with this unexpected situation, he couldn''t react, and even if he did, there was nothing he could do!


    Ouyang Pei was also bewildered. What was going on?


    Even he couldn''t offer assistance due to the distance!


    In other words, this young man was undoubtedly dead!


    This was everyone''s assessment of the situation!


    Even though most were below the Kaiyuan Late Stage, they could feel the power of that sword strike!


    Zhu Jun''s face bore a cold smile, clearly satisfied with his strike!


    Punk, let''s see you survive this one!


    Initially, he didn''t want to fight in such a public setting, but Su Chen''s words enraged him!


    All he wanted was to cut down this punk with one sword to clear his mind!


    In this strike, he believed, the punk would die for sure!


    However, facing this sword, Su Chen only wore a mocking smile, seemingly indifferent to it!


    Although Zhu Jun''s strength had improved, did Su Chen''s not?


    Moreover, Zhu Jun''s improvement was iparable to his own!


    The crowd noticed the mocking smile on Su Chen''s lips and found it incredible!


    Did this guy be stupid with fear?


    And still manage to smile at this moment!


    However, a sense of foreboding suddenly struck Zhu Jun!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    At that moment, Su Chen shouted, and his palm shot out, instantly forming three palm prints in front of Zhu Jun!


    Zhu Jun was dumbfounded seeing these three palm prints!


    What was going on?


    He wanted to defend himself but found it impossible!


    As these three palm prints emitted no True Yuan fluctuation, he couldn''t discern which were real!


    "Boom!"


    At that moment, upon Su Chen''s mentalmand, one of the palm prints charged at Zhu Jun, sending him flying like a kite with a broken string!


    Additionally, the power behind his sword strike dissipated, and the remaining force posed no threat to Su Chen!


    To be safe, Su Chen had already activated the Calm Spirit Body Technique.


    This would mean that even if the sword struck him, the damage wouldn''t be significant!


    At that moment, a silhouette swiftly moved out, catching Zhu Jun still flying in the air!


    "Jun''er!"


    As the figurended, they called out!


    "Pfft!"


    Zhu Jun, held by the figure, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, seemingly wanting to speak but unable to utter anything!


    "Jun''er, don''t speak; take this elixir!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng took out a pill and fed it to Zhu Jun. This elixir was a precious Zhu Family treasure, used to save lives!


    Such a thing was used only when absolutely necessary!


    The onlookers were utterly dumbfounded!


    Could this young man truly be human?


    Zhu Jun had unleashed such a powerful move, yet was still defeated in one strike by this youth and severely injured!


    How could this not fill them with shock and awe!


    Soon, everyone pondered a question: ording to his strength, should this guy already rank among the top elite young martial artists?


    Thinking this, everyone shivered!


    It seemed a new star, perhaps even a monster, was rising in the Ancient Martial World!


    "Jing''er, what''s the background of your friend?"


    Ouyang Pei was equally taken aback, asking hesitantly!


    For a Martial Artist at the Meridian Expansion Peak to defeat one with Kaiyuan Late Stage strength in one move was unheard of!


    "I... I..."


    Ouyang Jing stammered for a while, unable to articte!


    Even he waspletely stunned!


    He never imagined Su Chen had grown this powerful!


    But after the initial shock, he genuinely felt happy for Su Chen!


    No wonder Su Chen smiled and rejected him when he had wanted to spar!


    Initially, he thought Su Chen was afraid of losing face by being defeated!


    Now he understood, Su Chen feared it would be awkward for him!


    .....


    Although everyone was shocked, Su Chen was somewhat dissatisfied!


    Because that final palm strike didn''t settle things with Zhu Jun entirely!


    Not that Su Chen couldn''t; he had once killed a real Kaiyuan Late Stage, Song Haitian, with a palm strike!


    He just didn''t want to reveal his true strength publicly, opting to conceal it as much as possible!


    After all, Zhu Jun was different from a true Kaiyuan Late Stage, especially in terms of defense!


    He thought it was enough to deal with him, but unexpectedly it was just a bit short!


    .......


    After some time, Zhu Jun felt slightly better!


    Zhu Yuanfeng promptly inspected Zhu Jun''s condition, and his face instantly darkened!


    He discovered his son''s internal injuries were severe, and without that precious elixir, he might''ve died!


    He had more than one son; the Zhu Family had other young members, but Zhu Jun was the one he and the family valued most!


    In the first-ss forces of the Ancient Martial World, only two could rank among the top ten elite young martial artists!


    He always took pride in his son, Zhu Jun, who was the pride of the Zhu Family!


    But today, that pride was severely injured, nearly losing his life. How could he not be furious?

 Chapter 1176: Lan Minghe

    "Kid, I''m going to kill you!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng looked at Su Chen, his eyes filled with intense hatred!


    At this moment, he seemed to have forgotten the words he just said to others about letting young people solve their own issues!


    Seeing Zhu Yuanfeng like this, everyone was suddenly shocked!


    They were just impressed by that young man''s performance and forgot Zhu Yuanfeng''s presence!


    Indeed, with his best son beaten like this, would Zhu Yuanfeng let that young man go?


    Everyone looked at Zhu Yuanfeng, then at the young man whose background was still unclear, feeling that the newly risen star was about to fall!


    Although he just defeated Zhu Jun with one move, people didn''t believe he was a match for Zhu Yuanfeng!


    Because, ultimately, Zhu Jun was only at Kaiyuan Middle Stage, just showing strength equivalent to Kaiyuan Late Stage with martial techniques!


    But Zhu Yuanfeng was firmly at Kaiyuan Minor Perfection Realm!


    No matter what, they wouldn''t believe this unfamiliar young man had such strength!


    "What, the younger can''t beat me, so now the older wants to step in?"


    Su Chen smirked.


    This remark left people speechless!


    This guy is really arrogant!


    Facing Zhu Yuanfeng, he''s still so brazen as if he''s not afraid to die!


    Everyone had to admire his courage!


    "Fine, let''s see if you can keep this tough talkter!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng said, gritting his teeth.


    He called over a Zhu Family member to attend to Zhu Jun, then stood up!


    At this time, a powerful pressure from Kaiyuan Minor Perfection Realm was released from him, causing the air to rage wildly around him, with wind roaring!


    "Father!"


    Ouyang Jing became extremely anxious seeing Zhu Yuanfeng about to act.


    Ouyang Pei of course knew his son wanted him to save the young man named Su, but this matter confused and hesitated Ouyang Pei!


    "Father!"


    Seeing his father not speaking, Ouyang Jing became even more anxious!


    He knew that in such situations, if he stepped forward, it wouldn''t be effective; perhaps his father stepping in might have a chance!


    "Alright!"


    Just as Zhu Yuanfeng was ready to act, Ouyang Pei finally nodded.


    His son rarely asked him for help from childhood till now, so he was willing to risk offending the Zhu Family to mediate!


    "Family Head Zhu, stop!"


    At this moment, a powerful voice sounded as Lan Minghe and Lan Xinyi walked over from a distance!


    "What, Hall Master Lan, do you want to stop me?"


    Zhu Yuanfeng asked Lan Minghe, but his tone was somewhat aggressive.


    It''s no wonder, given his current state of anger.


    "Family Head Zhu, what happened to make you want to act against a junior?"


    Although Lan Minghe''s words seemed normal, they subtly hinted that it''s not great to act against a junior.


    Of course, most people didn''t sense any problem, as Lan Minghe''s question was indeed very normal.


    "This kid beat my son Zhu Jun like this, shouldn''t I teach him a lesson?"


    Zhu Yuanfeng said coldly.


    "What exactly happened?"


    Lan Minghe asked, furrowing his brows.


    He was chatting with his daughter Lan Xinyi earlier when suddenly hearing noises from outside, he came out.


    Zhu Yuanfeng snorted without speaking, mainly because things didn''t look good earlier.


    Yet, he didn''t need to speak, as someone from Yunhai Hall came over to roughly exin what happened to Lan Minghe.


    Actually, this person''s ount was much like Zhu Yuanfeng''s earlier statement, not much to add, just Zhu Jun drawing his sword against the unfamiliar young man and getting defeated in a single move.


    Of course, he quietly told Lan Minghe that Zhu Jun has mastered Zhu Family''s unique technique, Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains, disying strength akin to Kaiyuan Late Stage!


    Lan Minghe was suddenly shaken hearing this. Could the guy his daughter admired be that formidable?


    He felt this young man constantly surprised him!


    If true, this young man is indeed very promising!


    "So that''s what happened!"


    Lan Minghe smiled and said:


    "Young people have fiery tempers; conflicts are inevitable. How can we elders interfere? It''s like showing a spectacle!"


    Upon hearing these words, Zhu Yuanfeng''s mouth twitched in anger, yet Lan Minghe''s remarks left him no room to refute!


    Everyone was surprised to see Lan Minghe stand by the young man, but seeing Lan Xinyi looking at him caringly, they somewhat understood!


    "Will my son being beaten like this be simply dismissed?"


    Zhu Yuanfeng spoke angrily.


    "Family Head Zhu, this is my birthday celebration. If you act here, where should I put my face?"


    Lan Minghe said seriously:


    "They''re juniors; I don''t mind. But if you act here, I''ll have to be impolite."


    Lan Minghe, worthy of being Yunhai Hall''s Hall Master, spoke wlessly!


    Though reluctant, Zhu Yuanfeng had to give up!


    First, Lan Minghe''s strength far exceeded his; second, Lan Minghe spoke right; the face couldn''t fault!


    Third, as the Zhu Family Head, he didn''t want conflicts with Yunhai Hall!


    "Fine, I''ll give Hall Master Lan face!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng suppressed his anger and said.


    Of course, he sensed Lan Minghe didn''t want to turn against the Zhu Family.


    If so, he could take a step back!


    "Hall Master Lan, I can''t stay for the rest of the banquet. Jun''s injuries are severe; I must hurry back to treat him."


    Zhu Yuanfeng said, cupping his hands.


    Indeed, partly for healing Zhu Jun, but also the Zhu Family lost face and had no mood to stay longer!


    "Fine, I won''t keep Brother Zhu; let''s meet next time!"


    Lan Minghe nodded and said.


    "Farewell!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng said and then walked towards the door, followed by other Zhu Family members.


    Before leaving, Zhu Yuanfeng gave Su Chen a deep look, everyone understood its meaning!


    It''s both a warning and a threat!


    Everyone knew this matter wouldn''t be let go by Zhu Yuanfeng or the Zhu Family!


    Su Chen, however, returned a nonchnt smile; even if Zhu Yuanfeng acted, he wouldn''t care!


    As for Lan Minghe stepping in to resolve the situation, since it was well-intentioned, he didn''t need to show off!


    Moreover, frankly speaking, Su Chen didn''t want to expose more of his strength before so many people!


    (ps: This chapter is added for the night!)


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1177: Outing

    "Su Chen, you need to be careful, Zhu Yuanfeng won''t let you off."


    After the Zhu family left, Lan Minghe said to Su Chen.


    "Don''t worry, Uncle Lan, if he wants toe, let hime!"


    Su Chen shrugged casually.


    The only person Su Chen was somewhat concerned about in the Zhu family was Zhu Ming; the others were irrelevant. It''s just that Zhu Ming didn''te this time!


    "You kid..."


    Lan Minghe was slightly taken aback, then shook his head with a wry smile and said:


    "You young people really are fearless in your ignorance!"


    "Su Chen, to be honest, this is all I can do. Take care of yourself from now on."


    Lan Minghe sighed and said.


    "Thank you, Uncle Lan. I''ll be careful."


    Su Chen nodded.


    Su Chen is someone who knows how to be grateful. He was already very thankful for what others did for him; how could he ask for more?


    "Okay, young man, I have high hopes for you!"


    Lan Minghe patted Su Chen on the shoulder and said, then left.


    After that, Ouyang Jing also came over to Su Chen. The three of them had nothing particr to do, so they sat at an empty table and chatted casually!


    At that moment, Su Chen immediately became the center of attention, and everyone grew even more curious about who this unfamiliar young man was.


    However, Su Chen ignored those gazespletely, not caring at all!


    After more than an hour, it was time for the dinner banquet.


    Since today wasn''t a special asion, Yunhai Hall only hosted a simple dinner and then arranged for everyone to rest.


    Of course, saying it was simple doesn''t mean it was really simple, especially considering the reputation of Yunhai Hall!


    After dinner, Su Chen went into his room, having nothing else to do, he began cultivation. He cultivated until almost dawn the next day before going to sleep.


    He slept until around nine o''clock in the morning, then after freshening up, he left the room and went outside.


    "Su Chen."


    At this moment, Lan Xinyi came out from the side, with a hint of a smile on her face.


    "Did you sleep wellst night?"


    Lan Xinyi asked casually.


    "It was fine."


    Su Chen nodded.


    "Do you have any ns today?"


    "What ns could I have?"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Can you apany me out? I rarely go out and would like to go shopping."


    Lan Xinyi said, her eyes showing a bit of expectation.


    "Of course."


    Su Chen also felt that it was quite boring here, and having so many people watching was ufortable. After all, he did make quite a ssh yesterday!


    Lan Xinyi also knew Zhu Jun had left and hadn''t exposed Su Chen''s matters, so she was relieved to invite Su Chen out.


    Although there were cars in the estate, the two of them didn''t drive but walked a bit and took a taxi.


    W City is very prosperous, withprehensive shopping malls everywhere. When they reached the city center, they got out of the car.


    They then walked into a very upscale-looking mall. In fact, Lan Xinyi didn''t really know what to do, as there seemed to be no better ces other than malls.


    Of course, she could also buy a couple of outfits while she was at it. Women naturally have a love for beauty, and Lan Xinyi was no exception.


    Although Lan Xinyi initially said she was going to buy a couple of outfits, after wandering for two or three hours, they ended up with quite a few¡ªfour or five packages!


    Though they didn''t buy much, Lan Xinyi tried on no fewer than thirty to forty outfits!


    Su Chen couldn''t help but marvel at how unstoppable women are when ites to shopping!


    As they continued to shop, they went up to the third floor and while walking, Lan Xinyi suddenly stopped at the entrance of a big arcade, her eyes gleaming with a hint of excitement.


    Su Chen noticed that it was arge arcade, filled with young people jumping around and the music was loud and raucous!


    "Want to y?"


    Su Chen smiled at Lan Xinyi and asked.


    "No, just looking around."


    Lan Xinyi said with a bit of embarrassment, although she did want to give it a try.


    "If you want to y, then go for it!"


    Su Chen said while grabbing Lan Xinyi''s hand and leading her inside.


    Lan Xinyi felt her delicate hand suddenly grabbed by Su Chen, her heart skipped a beat, but before she could say anything, Su Chen had already pulled her inside.


    Soon after, Su Chen let go of her hand, and Lan Xinyi could only pretend not to notice.


    However, a small ripple was stirred in her heart...


    "What do you want to y?"


    Su Chen turned to Lan Xinyi and smiled:


    "They have racing, fighting, basketball shooting, shooting games, dance revolution, and so on!"


    "I''ll try basketball shooting first."


    Lan Xinyi said a bit bashfully, she thought throwing hoops into moving baskets seemed quite fun.


    So Su Chen went to buy a hundred yuan worth of game coins and brought them over.


    The two of them went to the moving basketball shooting station and started ying. Su Chen didn''t have much interest in these games, so after ying a few rounds, he watched Lan Xinyi y.


    At first, Lan Xinyi got the hang of it, then she almost made every shot!


    It wasn''t surprising, as Lan Xinyi was a Martial Artist in the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, ying this was child''s y for her. It wasn''t even considered child''s y!


    It was equivalent to having a cheat in a game!


    Before they knew it, a crowd gathered around Lan Xinyi.


    People watched in amazement as this beautiful young woman effortlessly scored shot after shot, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads!


    Some more outgoing men even approached to ask for her phone number, but at that point, Su Chen acted as the Protector!


    Those people assumed Lan Xinyi was already taken, and had to walk away disappointed!


    Lan Xinyi saw those people leave and covered her mouth with a smile, bright as a flower!


    After a while, Su Chen took the packages and sat on a bench, watching Lan Xinyi y!


    Of course, as they continued to watch, the onlookers gradually dispersed!


    As Lan Xinyi kept ying, she started to let loose and didn''t feel the initial nervousness anymore!


    Lan Xinyi yed the moving basketball shooting game for more than half an hour and then got bored. She noticed girls ying something like dancing on a tform, constantly twisting and stepping on spots, and she felt eager to try it!


    She found it more interesting than basketball shooting!


    Seeing that she wanted to try it, Su Chen came over and briefly exined how to y.


    Even though Su Chen hadn''t yed it before, he knew the basic concept, mainly controlling the rhythm!


    Lan Xinyi immediately understood and was excited to try it!


    After briefing her, Su Chen returned to the bench to watch her y.


    Lan Xinyi already had a great figure, especially her long legs, which were very eye-catching!


    Because Lan Minghe''s birthday banquet was held in W City, Lan Xinyi wasn''t in her usual traditional attire, but wore a chiffon blouse and fitted capris!


    She looked like a modern city beauty¡ªfresh and smart¡ªa different taste from what Su Chen had seen in her before!

 Chapter 1178: First Encounter with the Ximen Clan

    Su Chen watched her swaying and twisting her body along with the music, feeling the flexibility in her movements!


    This scene truly stimted Su Chen''s senses!


    "We are good friends, what are you thinking?!"


    Realizing his thoughts, Su Chen immediately chided himself internally!


    "Su Chen,e and join us!"


    At that moment, Lan Xinyi, who was ying and slightly sweating, turned her head and waved at Su Chen with a smile.


    "No, you go ahead and y!"


    Su Chen waved his hand with a smile; he really wasn''t interested in these things!


    Lan Xinyi didn''t mind, she turned back and continued to y, feeling encouraged and very happy every time the word "PERFECT" appeared on the screen!


    At this moment, her excitement was like that of a little girl!


    Lan Xinyi yed this dance game and then some others, until around three in the afternoon, when she decided to go back!


    No choice, today is her father''s birthday, she couldn''t return toote!


    "So, did you have fun today?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile as they walked out of the mall.


    "Yeah, I''ve never had this much fun before!"


    Lan Xinyi replied with a happy smile, with some small beads of sweat still left on her forehead!


    The most important thing was having a man she felt good about next to her.


    Even though he spent most of the time sitting there watching her!


    The two of them then took a cab back to the manor, where most people were still outside casually chatting.


    Seeing Su Chen and Lan Xinyie in, quite a few people turned their attention toward them, making Lan Xinyi feel a bit embarrassed.


    Of course Su Chen didn''t like being watched by others, but since they were just curious, he didn''t mind!


    He saw quite a few new faces here today, which was normal; even though most people arrived yesterday, some came today due to obligations or other reasons.


    After all, today is the real fiftieth birthday of Lan Minghe!


    The manor was also decorated in a grand fashion at this time, although Lan Minghe himself didn''t care much about his fiftieth birthday.


    But since he is the Hall Master of Yunhai Hall, the prestige of Yunhai Hall couldn''t bepromised, so necessary formalities must be observed!


    "Where did you two go for a date?"


    At this time, Ouyang Jing suddenly appeared out of nowhere, joking with a smile.


    "Brother Ouyang, what nonsense are you saying?"


    Lan Xinyi''s face suddenly turned red:


    "We... we just... went out for a bit of fun."


    "Ouyang, Xinyi is thin-skinned, don''t tease her."


    Su Chen said with a smile, knowing that although Ouyang was usually quite serious, he did joke around sometimes.


    "Oh, now you''re her defender?"


    Ouyang Jing said with a smile.


    As soon as he said that, Lan Xinyi became even more embarrassed and felt a strange sensation within her!


    "Alright, Ouyang, aren''t you being too idle?"


    Su Chen said somewhat speechlessly.


    .......


    "Big brother, is that the kid over there?"


    At this moment, a middle-aged man not far from Su Chen spoke to another middle-aged man next to him.


    "Which kid?"


    Thetter followed the speaker''s gaze, his eyes narrowing suddenly, a sharp glint appearing!


    "Why is he here? He''s not someone from the Ancient Martial World, is he?"


    The middle-aged man mumbled to himself.


    "Who knows!"


    The first middle-aged man also seemed puzzled as he spoke.


    .......


    Being watched like that, Su Chen soon felt it too.


    He looked over and found that the gaze from those few people felt somewhat strange!


    Although many others were also looking at him, since he seemed to have made a bit of a ssh yesterday.


    Yet, at this moment, he felt the gaze from those few was different!


    Not curiosity, nor malice, but more like a scrutinizing look!


    Su Chen didn''t like that kind of gaze and frowned slightly, asking Ouyang Jing and Lan Xinyi beside him:


    "Who are those people?"


    "Oh, those are people from the Ximen n, the one in the middle is Ximen Bohai, next to him is his brother Ximen Boyuan, and the other two or three young ones are also from the Ximen n."


    Hearing Su Chen''s question, Lan Xinyi answered:


    "The Ximen n is also well-known in the Ancient Martial World as one of the first-rate forces!"


    "Indeed, the Ximen n has a long history in the Ancient Martial World, even more profound than our Ouyang Family''s heritage!"


    Ouyang Jing nodded and said:


    "I was just chatting with my father, and he told me that the old master of the Ximen n just came out of retreat recently, but it seems he didn''te this time!"


    "Ximen n?!"


    Su Chen muttered upon hearing the name, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.


    He finally understood why these people were looking at him like that!


    "Ximen n, finally we meet!"


    He said to himself.


    Su Chen didn''t see them yesterday; they probably only arrived today.


    Then Su Chen started walking towards those few individuals, Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing felt a bit strange, unsure what Su Chen was nning to do, so they followed him immediately!


    Ximen Bohai and Ximen Boyuan, seeing Su Chen approaching, were also surprised!


    Being the core members of the Ximen n, they certainly knew of Su Chen and recognized his appearance!


    However, this was their first time seeing Su Chen in person, so they couldn''t help but take a few more nces!


    They weren''t sure why Su Chen was suddenly walking over!


    Could it be that this guy already knew that Shengyi Gate was backed by their Ximen n?


    Even if he knew, what could he do? What could he possibly aplish?


    While they were still pondering why Su Chen was approaching, Su Chen had already arrived where the Ximen n was!


    Quite a few people were watching Su Chen, and seeing him walk over to the Ximen n, they felt it was even stranger, wondering if this guy, who they had never seen before, had some connection with the Ximen n?


    "Ximen n?"


    Su Chen said lightly as he arrived in front of Ximen Bohai.


    "Is there a problem?"


    Ximen Bohai also responded with a slight smile, curious to see what this young man was up to!


    "No problem, just wanted to ask you to take a message back to your old master."


    Su Chen said casually.


    "What message?"


    Ximen Bohai was, after all, the current head of the Ximen n. The old master was still the Family Head, but he hadrgely stepped back from affairs, leaving Ximen Bohai in charge!


    So, although Su Chen''s sudden approach caught him off guard, he maintained hisposure!


    "Nothing much, just to remind him that some things need to be repaid!"


    Su Chen said with a bit of indifference.

 Chapter 1179: Blood Feud!

    "Oh, repay what? How do you n to repay?"


    Ximen Bohaiughed.


    "Repay what, you all know, and as for what to use to repay, of course, it would be with the Ximen n!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    Although his tone was calm, this sentence sounded like a massive stone thrown into a stillke to Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing!


    Su Chen is way too arrogant!


    To use the Ximen n to repay?


    Even Yunhai Hall probably wouldn''t dare to say such a thing!


    "Who do you think you are? Dare to talk to my uncle like that!"


    At this moment, a young man behind Ximen Bohai heard Su Chen''s words and angrily rushed forward!


    This young man was none other than Ximen Boyuan''s son, Ximen Ziming!


    Of course, he also knew about Su Chen, but if it weren''t for the token likely being in this guy''s hand, he wouldn''t even bother to nce at him!


    Just a boy from the Secr World, so what if he has a bit of cultivation?


    Compared to the Ximen n, he is nothing!


    "Who do you think you are, barking away like that; say another word, and I''ll end your life right here!"


    Su Chen nced coldly at Ximen Ziming.


    A sharp coldness shot from his eyes, a murderous intent like an unsheathed sword!


    At this moment, not just Ximen Ziming, even Ximen Bohai and his two brothers, along with Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing, involuntarily shivered as if they had fallen into an ice cave, frozen to the bone!


    For a moment, Ximen Bohai even felt that standing in front of him was a harbinger of death, or perhaps a king of high status, making one unable to resist!


    However, that feeling passed in an instant!


    Strange, why did he have that feeling just now?


    Ximen Bohai felt perplexed!


    The gaze was directly aimed at Ximen Ziming, making this feeling even more intense!


    Just like with the others, the feeling quickly vanished, almost like an illusion!


    Just as he realized what Su Chen had said earlier, he couldn''t handle it and immediately wanted to teach Su Chen a lesson!


    At this moment, Ximen Bohai extended a hand to stop him, then looked at Su Chen and said in a deep voice:


    "Young man, don''t you think you''re too arrogant, ignoring my presence?"


    "Then let him try, see if I can spare his pitiful life today!"


    Su Chen looked at Ximen Bohai and said.


    Su Chen''s words immediately startled Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing!


    This guy is really crazy!


    How dare he say that to Ouyang Bohai!


    Does he know what level of cultivation Ouyang Bohai has?


    His cultivation is not inferior to that of Zhu Yuanfeng!


    But what grudge does Su Chen have with the Ximen n?


    Su Chen''s words also caused ayer of frost to appear on Ximen Bohai''s face:


    "Young man, overreaching leads to breaking!"


    "Breaking? You have already broken so many times, and I''m still alive and well!"


    Su Chen scoffed dismissively:


    "Well, as for whether your Ximen n will break, I don''t know!"


    Now that everyone knew of each other''s existence, Su Chen had no need to hide anything from the Ximen n!


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing were even more curious about the rtionship between Su Chen and the Ximen n, feeling like they were listening to a story,pletely bewildered!


    Lan Xinyi even had a headache thinking, "How many enemies has this guy made?"


    "Are you dering war on our Ximen n?"


    Ximen Bohai said indifferently, thinking this young man was indeed too arrogant.


    As for the feeling he had just now, he dismissed it as a momentary illusion!


    "Do you think I''m here to forge a friendship pact with you?"


    Su Chen said coldly, his hostility fully disyed!


    "Fine, if so, our Ximen n will be waiting for you!"


    Ximen Bohai said to Su Chen, shooting a sharp gleam from his eyes!


    "I definitely will not disappoint your Ximen n!"


    Su Chen retorted defiantly.


    He certainly would not let the Ximen n off, given that his parents and grandfather had died because of them!


    One could say the Ximen n was the original culprit!


    Although they weren''t his biological parents, in Su Chen''s eyes, they were closer than his biological parents!


    How could Su Chen not avenge such a deep hatred?


    Otherwise, how could his heart be at peace?!


    However, considering all aspects, today was not a good time, so after saying this, Su Chen left!


    Today for Su Chen was just an encounter, and certainly a release!


    Su Chen felt that if he didn''t do something, he couldn''t ease the frustration in his heart!


    Ximen Bohai also didn''t take any action, firstly because this was the Yunhai Hall''s territory, and today was the Hall Master''s birthday, acting would be disrespectful!


    More importantly, they were worried that acting would reveal the secret of the token!


    The token''s secret was currently the Ximen n''s biggest secret!


    Of course, today this young maning here already posed a bit of a dangerous signal, but fortunately, it was still within a controble range!


    After all, there weren''t many people around them just now, and it was quite noisy, so no one could clearly hear their conversation!


    Precisely because of the token, even though this young man almost insulted them just now, they endured it!


    If the Ximen n were to act against this young man, they must do so secretly!


    "Su Chen, what kind of grudge do you have with the Ximen n?"


    Not long after Su Chen walked away, Lan Xinyi anxiously asked.


    Ouyang Jing also looked at him with curiosity and concern.


    "A blood feud!"


    Su Chen spat the words out through clenched teeth.


    "How do you have a blood feud with the Ximen n?"


    Upon hearing this, Ouyang Jing became even more puzzled, feeling that Su Chen was bing increasingly mysterious, and Lan Xinyi felt simrly!


    Ouyang Jing and Lan Xinyi knew that Su Chen hadn''t been in contact with the Ancient Martial World for long and wasn''t aware of many things in it!


    "Forget it, I know you care about me, but this is my private matter, and I will deal with it."


    Su Chen struggled to calm his emotions and smiled at the two.


    Seeing that he didn''t seem willing to say more, Ouyang Jing and Lan Xinyi didn''t push further.


    But they were still worried for him, knowing that the Ximen n was no easy target!


    After calming down, Su Chen felt his trip was worthwhile!


    Previously, he had only heard of the Ximen n, never having seen anyone from it; now he finally did, and it was the most central figures!


    At least he had a rough idea of the Ximen n''s strength!


    "Ximen n, all the scores will be settled with you one by one!"


    Su Chen silently vowed in his heart.


    (ps: To be continued tomorrow!)

 Chapter 1180: Luo Xiwens Thoughts

    Lan Xinyi then took Su Chen and Ouyang Jing to a room inside to chat; there were too many people staring outside, which was ufortable.


    Of course, Lan Xinyi only chatted with them for a while before leaving; after all, she is the young miss of Yunhai Hall and has things to do.


    Su Chen and Ouyang Jing understood this, so they casually chatted in the room and enjoyed the peace.


    Less than two hourster, the real banquet began.


    Of course, this banquet wasn''t particrly special, just Lan Minghe going up to say a few formal words, like thanking everyone foring, etc.


    Well, that''s how it usually goes anyway!


    Su Chen did see the Sect Master of the Liewu Sect at the banquet, a middle-aged man with a square face, though he attended the birthday celebration, his face remained sullen.


    However, others understood that this was because his son had just died, and he still didn''t know who the murderer was.


    Compared to him, the Elder of Yunhai Hall was all smiles, although Su Chen detected shadows in his eyes.


    Su Chen wasn''t too concerned about the Sect Master of the Liewu Sect, but this Elder of Yunhai Hall gave him a very bad feeling!


    This person gave Su Chen a very insidious impression, like a venomous snake lurking in the dark and damp ces!


    Though Su Chen had killed the sons of these two people, he felt no remorse.


    Because if Su Chen hadn''t killed them, they would have killed him, so being killed is reasonable!


    Su Chen and Ouyang Jing sat together; of course, it was Ouyang Jing who invited him over.


    People around Su Chen were indirectly probing to learn about him, but this was easy for Su Chen to handle casually.


    After the banquet, Su Chen and Ouyang Jing took a casual stroll nearby and then went to rest!


    The next morning, after breakfast, everyone began to leave!


    "Su Chen, why don''t youe to my home for a few days?"


    Ouyang Jing invited Su Chen.


    "Forget it, I''ll say when I have the opportunity next time."


    Su Chen replied with a smile.


    "Alright then."


    Ouyang Jing had to let it drop hearing him say that.


    "Su Chen, make sure to visit us; our Ouyang Family always wees you."


    Ouyang Pei also said with a smile.


    Ouyang Jing showed a hint of surprise upon hearing this; his father rarely invited others, especially young people, proactively.


    "Okay, thank you, Uncle Ouyang!"


    "Su Chen, we''re leaving first; I''ll visit youter."


    Ouyang Jing said, then left first.


    He had long agreed with Su Chen to first go home for a while.


    Su Chen nodded with a smile.


    "Uncle Lan, Xinyi, I''ll take my leave as well."


    Su Chen then walked up to Lan Minghe and Lan Xinyi, smiling and bowing.


    "Okay, visit the Yunhai Hall headquarters if you have time."


    Lan Minghe also extended an invitation, finding this man his daughter recently met quite interesting!


    "Thank you, Uncle Lan!"


    Su Chen replied with a smile as well.


    "Su Chen, you''re leaving already!"


    Lan Xinyi said somewhat dejectedly.


    "I''ve been out for two days, it''s time to head back."


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "Xinyi, if you have time, you''re wee to visit my home."


    "Oh, okay!"


    Lan Xinyi blushed slightly upon hearing this.


    Su Chen had invited herst time they parted at the ruins, but she hadn''t had the time to visit yet.


    Of course, it was also a bit embarrassing!


    Upon hearing this, Lan Minghe thought inwardly:


    If his daughter went, she''d probably find it hard toe back!


    He knew they had gone out for half a day together yesterday, not returning until the afternoon.


    However, Lan Minghe adored his only daughter and wouldn''t set any limitations on her.


    Su Chen bade a brief farewell and left, as Lan Xinyi specifically escorted him to the gate.


    Su Chen then walked to the street, caught a car, and headed toward the airport.


    Two to three hourster, he was on a ne heading to Yandu.


    By evening, the ne was slowlynding at Yandu Airport!


    When Su Chen exited the airport, a light drizzle was falling from the sky.


    Fortunately, Su Chen had parked his car in the airport garage previously, so he directly retrieved his car and drove back!


    He quite enjoyed this drizzling weather; the air was refreshingly clean, so he drove with the window open, feeling the rain lightly on his face, veryfortable...


    Driving not too fast, Su Chen reached Yuquan Mountain Vi after more than half an hour.


    When he walked into the vi, everyone was cultivating.


    To return to his room, Su Chen naturally passed the front vi; upon sensing movement, Qi Meng and Huang Menglei came out.


    "Back so soon?"


    Qi Mengmented upon seeing Su Chen with a smile.


    "With words like that, do you not want me toe back?"


    Su Chenughed, hugging Qi Meng close.


    "Yes, it''s better if you nevere back!"


    Qi Meng pouted teasingly.


    Su Chen burst intoughter upon hearing this...


    Before long, everyone headed to the rear vi; hearing footsteps, Du Hanbing and Eniel also came out of the rooms.


    Seeing Su Chen''s return, a hint of delight flickered in their beautiful eyes, as it was rare for Su Chen to return after only two days away.


    Since it was almost time, they didn''t chat for long, and the women headed to make dinner!


    Su Chen continued acting as the master, watching the women cook.


    While they were cooking, the women returning from work arrived one after another.


    The other women were very happy to see Su Chen; the only one not quite, "happy" was Luo Xiwen!


    "Howe this guy''s back so soon!"


    Luo Xiwen thought irritably upon returning and seeing Su Chen.


    Seeing Luo Xiwen''s annoyed expression made Su Chen happy instead and he looked at her "provokingly!"


    Luo Xiwen became even more irritated seeing Su Chen''s expression!


    The other women found these two quite amusing!


    Like Lin Ruoxue, they didn''t understand why these two were always at odds!


    Sometimes it felt like these two were just like children!


    Now, the women, including Lin Ruoxue, didn''t take their issues too seriously anyway, as it wasn''t any big deal!


    Honestly, even Luo Xiwen often forgot why she disliked him; it was just reflexive!


    But if she thought about it, it wasn''t like she particrly hated this man!


    Sometimes, seeing him joyfully with other women, a glimpse of envy stirred inside her!


    Of course, in Luo Xiwen''s mind, all their problems stemmed from Su Chen''s fault!


    Because this man always provoked her!

 Chapter 1181: "Truce

    Around 7:30, Lin Ruoxue returned.


    Seeing Su Chen back, Lin Ruoxue felt equally surprised and delighted!


    After a while, dinner was served.


    Because Su Chen was back, everyone enjoyed the meal happily.


    Luo Xiwen didn''t want to dampen everyone''s mood, so she didn''t re at Su Chen anymore.


    After dinner, they went out for a walk and theny chatting by the hot spring pool.


    By after 9:00, everyone returned to their rooms.


    Su Chen also returned to his room, and once there, he took out the Token.


    The appearance of the Ximen n reignited his curiosity about the Token!


    What secret does the Token hold to intrigue the Ximen n so much?


    Su Chen started examining the pitch-ck and worn Token again.


    But as before, after over an hour, he gained nothing!


    Su Chen had to put the Token away again, not thinking about it anymore.


    His eyes flickered, he walked out of his room, came to a door, and pushed it open to go inside.


    Lin Ruoxue had just finished her bath and stepped out, only to find this mischievous guy sneaking in!


    Seeing his cheeky face, Lin Ruoxue knew exactly why he came!


    At this moment, Lin Ruoxue looked like a beauty just out of the bath, making Su Chen instantly captivated!


    "Darling, you''re so beautiful!"


    Su Chen wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoxue and genuinely praised her.


    "Only you can say sweet things!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Lin Ruoxue retorted, but her heart was still sweet.


    Just then, Su Chen skillfully kissed Lin Ruoxue, and she quickly responded.


    Slowly, the two fell onto the soft bed...


    .....


    After the storm passed, both were drenched in sweat, lying at the head of the bed resting, a thin quilt covered them, Lin Ruoxue nestled in Su Chen''s arms.


    Su Chen habitually lit a cigarette, and his hand gently slid over Lin Ruoxue''s arm.


    "Honey, can you reconcile with Luo Xiwen?"


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue said.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.


    "Think about it, one is my husband, and the other is my best friend, I''m really in a tough spot."


    Lin Ruoxue said, after all, she didn''t seem right siding with either.


    "Alright, for my dear wife''s sake, I won''t argue with that little girl!"


    Su Chenughed, he originally had no real issue with Luo Xiwen, just sometimes found it amusing when she looked upset.


    Since Lin Ruoxue said so, he agreed.


    "Smooch!"


    At his words, Lin Ruoxue kissed Su Chen''s face:


    "You''re still the best, hubby!"


    "Of course!"


    Su Chen cheekily dered, then looked at Lin Ruoxue with a mischievous grin:


    "I agreed to your request, shouldn''t you show some gratitude?"


    "How do you want to be thanked?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s heart immediately skipped a beat...


    "Of course... A repeat performance!"


    Su Chenughed heartily, then enveloped them both under the quilt.


    Lin Ruoxue''s gasp quickly followed...


    .....


    Early next morning, when the sunlight streamed through the curtains into the room, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes.


    Looking at Lin Ruoxue still sleeping in his arms, a tender smile of love appeared on his face.


    He gazed at Lin Ruoxue''s beautiful face, gradually bing enchanted...


    "Honey, you''re awake, huh?"


    After a while, Lin Ruoxue also opened her eyes, saw Su Chen staring at her, and smiled slightly.


    "Yes."


    Seeing Lin Ruoxue awake too, Su Chen leaned against the headboard and lit a cigarette.


    Lin Ruoxue got up too, though she felt a bit sore as she rose!


    No doubt, all thanks to that mischievous Su Chen, who had worn her out during the night!


    Su Chen finished his cigarette and also got up.


    After washing up, they headed to the dining room.


    At that moment, all the otherdies had also gotten up and gathered there.


    Breakfast was prepared by Xia Qiuru and Du Hanbing, it looked quite nice.


    So, everyone sat at the dining table, ready to eat breakfast.


    Just then, Su Chen reached out a hand towards Luo Xiwen across the table:


    "Xiwen, how about we reconcile and call a truce?"


    As he said this, a warm, spring-like smile appeared on Su Chen''s face, exuding friendliness!


    Su Chen''s gesture startled not only Luo Xiwen but also the other women!


    Luo Xiwen stared at Su Chen''s extended hand, momentarily nk!


    What''s with him today?


    Did he take the wrong medicine?


    He''s actually initiating a reconciliation and truce with me!


    It''s not surprising Luo Xiwen thought so, given how at odds they were justst night!


    "Oh, alright!"


    After a moment, Luo Xiwen, somewhat bewildered, and irresistiblypelled, also reached out and gently shook Su Chen''s hand.


    Seeing Su Chen offering a bridge, Luo Xiwen even felt uncharacteristically embarrassed, pondering:


    Was she perhaps a bit excessive in the past?


    After all, aside from the mistaken identity incident and being yed at thepany gate, he hadn''t really done anything over the line but rather helped solve her issue with Dimansst time.


    It''s undeniable, women are "fickle," and even the previously unimpeachable Luo Xiwen, upon Su Chen''s morning gesture of reconciliation, began to reflect on her own behavior!


    "Ruoxue, you made that guy make up with Xiwen, right?"


    Du Hanbing whispered with augh to Lin Ruoxue beside her.


    Lin Ruoxue smiled, nodded gently in silence.


    "Aren''t you worried that once they reconcile, Xiwen might fall for that guy?"


    Du Hanbing said jokingly.


    "If that''s really the case, then it''s their fate."


    Lin Ruoxue also smiled softly, her voice low.


    Being as sharp as Lin Ruoxue, she had certainly considered this possibility!


    For he indeed possessed a charm that attracted women!


    No need for further evidence, just look at the women in the vi!


    Yet now Lin Ruoxue had already figured things out regarding this aspect; such matters can''t be stopped just by wanting to!


    Moreover, who knows how many women this guy might have in the future!


    After the incident in the M Country, Lin Ruoxue only needed to be certain of one thing!


    That is¡ªdoes this man love her deeply enough!


    Compared to that, everything else bes less significant!


    (ps: First two chapters at night, one more chapter during the day aspensation! Sorry!)

 Chapter 1182: Testing the Waters

    Du Hanbing, upon hearing Lin Ruoxue''s words, sincerely admired her, admiring her tolerance and wisdom!


    Otherwise, the vi wouldn''t be as harmonious and wonderful as it is now!


    Su Chen marrying her is truly a great fortune!


    Suffice it to say, even these women wanting to live in the vi and live with Su Chen would be impossible!


    "Xiwen, it was mostly my fault before, I apologize to you!"


    Su Chen said straightforwardly, without any hesitation!


    "I... I also have faults..."


    Luo Xiwen felt even more embarrassed when she heard Su Chen take the initiative to apologize and speak so sincerely.


    "No, I''m the man, so it''s of course my fault!"


    Su Chen alsoughed.


    "No, I was being a bit petty too..."


    Luo Xiwen was someone who softened when treated gently; seeing Su Chen taking the me, she genuinely felt she had some responsibility for the earlier matters.


    "Alright, you two were still ring at each otherst night, looking like you wanted to bite one another. Now, early in the morning, you''re being so polite, we''re really not used to it!"


    Eniel said with augh.


    "Exactly,e on, let''s eat breakfast; otherwise, it will get cold!"


    Xia Qiuru added with a chuckle.


    As soon as these words came out, Luo Xiwen''s face turned slightly red!


    It was the first time Su Chen had seen Luo Xiwen look so shy, very charming!


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and the others went to work, leaving Su Chen, Qi Meng, and others in the vi.


    After chatting for a while, everyone returned to their rooms to cultivate...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in a side hall of the Ximen n.


    Ximen Bohai and Ximen Boyuan were sitting there reporting to the elder seated at the head about the events at Lan Minghe''s birthday banquet.


    Of course, the main focus was naturally their encounter with Su Chen; other matters were just briefly mentioned.


    He had nned to report it as soon as he got homest night, but the elder was cultivating at the time, so he had to report it this morning.


    "Is this kid so arrogant?"


    The elder turned to look at his two sons and said.


    "That guy was indeed quite overbearing!"


    Ximen Boyuan said indignantly; after all, that guy had severely insulted his son at the time!


    "Boyuan, don''t be too angry. Your brother handled the matter well; at that time, forbearance was the right choice. After all, the token was the most important thing!"


    The elder said to Ximen Boyuan.


    "Yes, Father!"


    Ximen Boyuan nodded quickly.


    "Father, there''s one more thing weter found out about."


    Ximen Bohai said with some seriousness.


    "What is it?"


    "The day before, that Su kid somehow got into a conflict with Zhu Family''s Zhu Jun, and Zhu Jun suddenly drew his sword on him."


    Ximen Boyuan said:


    "That Zhu Jun deserves to be called a genius; in his twenties, he broke through to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage and mastered the Zhu Family''s strongest martial technique, Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains, with sword powerparable to the Kaiyuan Late Stage!"


    "Yes, I''ve seen that Zhu Family boy; he indeed has extraordinary talent. But how did hee into conflict with that Su boy?"


    The elder nodded and asked.


    "That we don''t know, but the most shocking is the result. Everyone thought Su was going to die without a doubt, only to find that the Su kid actually sent Zhu Jun flying with one move, gravely injuring him, nearly fatal!"


    Ximen Bohai said.


    "What?!"


    The elder sprang to his feet in disbelief!


    "What on earth is this guy''s cultivation now?"


    The elder murmured, with a face full of shock!


    "The weird thing is, that guy looks like he''s only at the Meridian Expansion Peak; this is something I absolutely won''t see wrong!"


    Ximen Bohai frowned and said.


    But the affair between that kid and Zhu Jun happened in full view, and it couldn''t possibly be wrong!


    He really couldn''t understand how that kid, just at Meridian Expansion Peak, easily defeated Zhu Jun!


    Even if Zhu Jun was below a real Kaiyuan Late Stage, his Kaiyuan Middle Stage realm should be real, right?


    Meridian Expansion Peak defeating Kaiyuan Middle Stage, that''s equally inconceivable!


    "No matter the real strength of this Su kid, if he thinks this is enough topete with our Ximen n, he''s overestimating himself!"


    The elder snorted heavily, emitting an invisible pressure!


    Even Ximen Bohai and Ximen Boyuan felt a little breathless!


    After a while, Ximen Bohai and Ximen Boyuan left the ce.


    After they left, a human figure appeared beside the elder.


    "In a while, go test that kid and see what he''s truly capable of!"


    The elder said indifferently:


    "Remember, just probe!"


    "Yes, Family Head!"


    That figure said before disappearing from the side hall.


    .....


    After cultivating for a few hours, Su Chen drove to Belle Group.


    Arriving at the group, his old habit kicked in, and he flirted with a few of the receptionists downstairs before taking the elevator up.


    But he didn''t go to his office; instead, he went to Xia Qiuru''s office.


    At the time, Xia Qiuru had justpleted some work, feeling a bit tired, gently rubbing her temples.


    "Tired?"


    Su Chen pushed open the door and walked in, seeing Xia Qiuru like this, he said with a smile.


    "Why are you here?"


    Xia Qiuru asked casually when she saw Su Chene in.


    "I missed you, so I came to see you."


    Su Chen smiled and walked behind Xia Qiuru, cing his hands on her shoulders, gently starting to massage.


    "You''re full of sweet talk, who''d believe you!"


    Xia Qiuru retorted, but she didn''t stop Su Chen because she really was feeling a bit weary!


    Su Chen smiled without a word, quietly giving Xia Qiuru a massage!


    After a while, Xia Qiuru leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and rxedpletely!


    She quietly felt Su Chen''srge hands massaging her, extremelyfortable and warm!


    However, after a while, she felt something was off. When she looked down, a hand was acting mischievously!


    "p!"


    Xia Qiuru pped away the troublesome hand:


    "What are you doing!"


    "Sorry, my mistake, my mistake!"


    Su Chen sheepishly smiled.


    "Behave, keep massaging properly!"


    Xia Qiuru blushed and retorted!


    This guy really needs constant vignce; if you''re not careful, he''ll misbehave!


    It''s not home, after all; this is the office...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1183: The View from a Higher Place

    Before long, Su Chen was kicked out by Xia Qiuru!


    Xia Qiuru had no choice, she had to work while this guy could wander around!


    After being kicked out, Su Chen went to his office, and of course, he brewed a cup of tea and started reading the magazine "Men''s Wear"!


    Another hour passed, and he came out of his office and started wandering around the group.


    He first went to Lin Ruoxue''s ce, then to the public rtions department, and found himself a bit bored aftering out.


    However, he was kicked out at Lin Ruoxue''s ce, but he escaped from the public rtions department!


    Seeing nothing much happening at the group, he drove back, after all, he was just here for a casual stroll...


    ....


    Meanwhile, in a room of a five-star hotel in Yandu, a blond, blue-eyed man was reveling with a woman.


    The woman''s appearance and figure were quite good, akin to that of a typical female star!


    At this moment, a series of knocks came from outside.


    "Come in!"


    The man shouted, and immediately a man in a suit walked in!


    Upon entering, he stood quietly to the side, seemingly indifferent to the scene before him.


    "So, did you get the person?"


    The man asked, without pausing his actions.


    "Yes, I got them."


    The man who just entered in a suit replied:


    "I have settled everything!"


    "That''s good!"


    The man nodded and said.


    Then, after a few vigorous movements, the man patted the woman and unceremoniously said:


    "Get out!"


    The woman hurriedly dressed and left upon hearing that.


    The blond, blue-eyed man wrapped a towel around himself and got off the bed, a glint of sharpness sparking in his eyes:


    "Dare topete with this young master for a woman, dare to insult this young master, I shall ensure he dies without a burial ce!"


    .....


    After Su Chen returned to the vi, Qi Meng and the others also finished their cultivation and were soaking in the hot spring!


    Several wine sses were ced on the edge of the pool, and there were plenty of red wine and juice avable!


    A few womeny in the hot spring pool, drinking and chatting, immensely at ease!


    "Oh, you all seem to be enjoying yourselves!"


    Su Chen walked over and said with a smile.


    "Of course!"


    Eniel smiled and said:


    "Do you want to join us and soak for a bit?"


    Eniel said and winked flirtatiously at Su Chen.


    Su Chen''s heart skipped a beat immediately, and then he said:


    "You all wait here, I''ll be right back!"


    After saying this, he hurried back to his room!


    Back to the room for what? Obviously, to change into swimwear!


    In less than a minute, Su Chen came back wearing swim trunks!


    The women, seeing him return so quickly, immediately showed shy expressions, thinking to themselves:


    "This lecher!"


    Su Chen then sat down between the women and hugged Eniel and Qi Meng into his arms!


    "Come, give hubby a kiss!"


    Su Chen said and then kissed both of them on their lips!


    "Come, Hanbing, let hubby give you a kiss too."


    Su Chen gently tugged Du Hanbing''s arm, pulling her around Eniel into his arms and then kissed her on the lips!


    That soft sensation made Su Chen thoroughly enjoy it!


    Moreover, the taste of each woman was somewhat distinct, not quite the same!


    The three women were already ustomed to his antics, instead, when he behaves himself, that would be unusual!


    Before long, the women couldn''t quite handle his mischief, faces full of blushes!


    On the side, Huang Menglei watched, feeling both shy and envious, her face a bit hot!


    "I''m heading back to my room first!"


    Huang Menglei said and fled back to her room.


    "Look at you, you even made Menglei embarrassed!"


    Du Hanbing spat, her face flushed.


    "It''s fine, it''s not like it''s her first time seeing it!"


    Su Chen chuckled and said, his hands still quite mischievous!


    Hearing Su Chen''s shameless words, the women were left speechless!


    But he wasn''t wrong, Huang Menglei indeed had witnessed such scenes frequently in this vi!


    After all, asking Su Chen to behave was nearly harder than reaching the sky!


    Sometimes, Huang Menglei even wonders what it would feel like if Su Big Brother did that to her!


    Every time she thinks about it, Huang Menglei bes uncontrobly shy...


    After a while, Qi Meng and the others stood up, changed clothes and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.


    On the one hand, it was about that time, but more importantly, they couldn''t endure Su Chen''s mischief anymore!


    God knows what ridiculous thing he might do if this continues!


    Su Chen, therefore, was left alone to soak in the hot spring, sipping red wine, smoking, while gazing at the distant blue sky and white clouds!


    The life couldn''t be morefortable!


    After soaking for a while, Su Chen stopped, and returned to his room, as staying alone in the bath for too long was not that fun!


    After returning to his room, Su Chen continued his cultivation, and of course, he was cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique now!


    For the past period, he spent most of his time cultivating the Supreme Star Shifting Technique, and had stored enough Star Energy, enough for normal usage at least!


    What Su Chen now aimed to break through was of course the Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm, reaching the Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm, although not bringing his cultivation to the Kaiyuan Late Stage of a standard martial artist, would certainly be a noticeable improvement from now!


    Reaching the Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm''s most notable sign is that the True Yuan within nine meridians achieves a perfect harmonious state, an indescribable feeling!


    Su Chen still has some way to go to reach Half-Step Kaiyuan, but he believes it won''t take too long for him to get there!


    However, this is merely Su Chen''s short-term goal; even reaching Half-Step Kaiyuan, he still needs to strive further!


    Because before him lies the Ximen n, a problem he must solve!


    What''s more, he now knows, this world indeed has quite a few powerful beings!


    Just within the first-tier forces of the Ancient Martial World, there were already so many, so what about those super-tier forces?


    He might not yet understand those super-tier forces, but one could guess, they must be more powerful and even much more powerful than first-tier forces!


    Su Chen is not someone who views the sky from the bottom of a well, and as a martial artist, there is a yearning to grow stronger that''s rooted deep within!


    Even someone like Su Chen, who enjoys a leisurely life, feels the same!


    Just like climbing a mountain, who wouldn''t want to see the view from higher up?!


    .....


    Su Chen''s cultivationsted until about eight o''clock when Lin Ruoxue came back, and he stopped and went out to eat.


    Due to his earlier reconciliation with Luo Xiwen in the morning, there wasn''t the previous situation where the two of them couldn''t stand each other at the dining table!


    Naturally, the current harmonious situation is what everyone is happy to see!

 Chapter 1184: Youre Really Full of Yourself

    In the following days, Su Chen''s life was rather uneventful, with nothing special happening.


    That day, Su Chen was cultivating when suddenly his phone rang.


    Seeing it was Meng Shan from the security department calling, he felt somewhat surprised!


    Because usually, Meng Shan wouldn''t call him, so Su Chen immediately answered!


    "Su Bro, that guy fromst time is here again, and he''s specifically asking for you!"


    As soon as the call was connected, Meng Shan''s voice rang out...


    "Which guy?"


    Su Chen heard this and was a bit surprised, then asked.


    "That foreigner fromst time!" Meng Shan said.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen understood immediately; he still remembered the name of that guy, it seemed to be Dimans!


    Unexpectedly, this guy hase again!


    "Alright, let him wait, I''ll be there soon."


    Su Chen solemnly said:


    "Also, tell the people in the group not to act recklessly!"


    That Dimans is a martial artist with decent cultivation, if the group members move carelessly, they''ll suffer losses!


    Even Qian Ying beside Lin Ruoxue is still at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Expansion and hasn''t reached the Meridian Expansion Peak!


    Even if reaching the Meridian Expansion Peak, he wouldn''t be a match for Dimans, who is half-step Meridian Expansion!


    After hanging up the phone, Su Chen immediately drove to Belle Group!


    ...


    At this moment, there were four men standing at the entrance of Belle Group, the leader was Dimans, looking arrogant!


    Opposite him stood many from Belle Group, including Lin Ruoxue, Luo Xiwen, Xia Qiuru, Yan Xi, and Qian Ying!


    "There''s five minutes left, if that guy doesn''t show up, I won''t be polite!"


    Dimans nced at his wristwatch and said casually.


    He looked at Lin Ruoxue and the others, with his desire rising, he hadn''t expected that this group had so many beauties!


    Each one is so stunning and pretty, truly perfect!


    Especially the president, absolutely wless!


    However, he was already obsessed with Luo Xiwen, secretly thinking:


    "Once I get Luo Xiwen, I''ll also taste the others!"


    Hearing Dimans say there''s five minutes, Luo Xiwen immediately wanted to step forward, after all, this was because of her. However, just as she took a step, Lin Ruoxue stopped her:


    "Su Chen said for us not to act recklessly, he''s on his way."


    Earlier, Meng Shan had quietly conveyed Su Chen''s words to her, and in this regard, Lin Ruoxue absolutely trusted her husband!


    Only upon hearing this did Luo Xiwen halt her step!


    "Luo Xiwen, what''s good about that guy? What makes him better than me!"


    Dimans said indignantly.


    "You can''tpare to him; every aspect is ten thousand times better!"


    Luo Xiwen snorted coldly.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue and the others were somewhat surprised to hear such words from her!


    Actually, about Luo Xiwen iming to be Su Chen''s womanst time, now everyone in Belle Group knows it''s false¡ªjust Luo Xiwen''s excuse at the time!


    "Xiwen, I didn''t expect I''m so perfect in your heart!"


    At this moment, aughing voice came from the side, Su Chen walked over, looking at Luo Xiwen, heughed.


    Seeing him, Luo Xiwen''s face immediately turned red, feeling a bit embarrassed!


    "You finally came!"


    Dimans looked at Su Chen, his eyes instantly spewing fire, having been filled with anger after hearing Luo Xiwen''s words!


    Now seeing Su Chene, he naturally transferred this anger to Su Chen!


    Yet Su Chen didn''t pay attention to him, but turned to Lin Ruoxue and said:


    "Ruoxue, let everyone return to work."


    Lin Ruoxue nodded, then told everyone:


    "Return to your posts and get back to work!"


    After all, Lin Ruoxue is the president; when she spoke, others naturally dared not disobey, and they returned...


    Only Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru and the others remained standing there.


    "You all should go back too."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "But... we..."


    Lin Ruoxue hesitated upon hearing his words; of course, she was worried.


    Simrly for Xia Qiuru, Yan Xi, and the others!


    "Alright, I won''t feel at ease with you all here!"


    Su Chen knew these women were worried, so he showed a warm smile and said.


    Lin Ruoxue acknowledged Su Chen''s point; with them here causing him distraction, it wouldn''t have the intended effect!


    "Okay, just be careful yourself!"


    Lin Ruoxue solemnly advised.


    "Don''t worry, honey, nothing will happen!"


    Su Chen said.


    "Alright, let''s go back then."


    Lin Ruoxue said to Xia Qiuru and the others.


    "Su Chen, I..."


    Luo Xiwen felt apologetic, causing the trouble and having Su Chen face and resolve it!


    "Don''t worry, it''s alright!"


    Su Chen slightly smiled and said.


    Under Su Chen''s insistence, Lin Ruoxue and the others reluctantly returned to the building.


    Seeing them still standing not far away, Su Chen waved his hand, indicating for them to go upstairs to their offices.


    Lin Ruoxue and the others, though feeling uneasy, had no choice but to go upstairs.


    With Lin Ruoxue and the others having left, Su Chen turned back, slightly tilting his head, and said:


    "I''m here, so what now?"


    Seeing Su Chen take so long to respond, Dimans felt slighted and insulted, gritting his teeth and said:


    "What now? I want you dead!"


    "Want me dead?"


    Su Chenughed upon hearing this:


    "Then let''s see if you have the ability!"


    Su Chen clearly saw Dimans''s reliance on the three men behind him; they were all in the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, with one nearing the Kaiyuan Late Stage!


    However, in Su Chen''s eyes, these few people were hardly worth mentioning!


    "Let''s change locations!"


    Su Chen said casually; he didn''t want to act in a busy area and cause panic, unlikest time when he had no choice as the opponent had already made a move!


    After speaking, Su Chen immediately moved and dashed into the distance!


    "Catch up with him!"


    Dimans ordered and swiftly chased, as did the other three!


    Su Chen rushed towards the outskirts, with those people closely following!


    Upon reaching a more deste area, Su Chen stopped and looked at the few people who caught up behind him!


    "Alright, can you tell me who exactly you are?"


    Seeing Dimans and the others stand before him, Su Chen asked.


    This was his first time encountering foreign martial artists with such high cultivation, so he was very curious about their identity.


    "Once you''re in Hell, someone will tell you!"


    Dimans arrogantly spat.


    "With this trash by your side?"


    Su Chenughed with disdain:


    "You sure think highly of yourselves!"


    (ps: That''s all for now, there''ll be more during the day!)

 Chapter 1185: Europe Also Has Ancient Martial Forces

    Dimans had been belittled and insulted by this young man several times, leaving him utterly infuriated!


    The few people at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage beside him, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, were also filled with rising anger, and pressure was immediately released!


    This youth from Huaxia actually dared to call them trash, it was simply courting death!


    "Kill him for me!"


    Dimans roared!


    The few at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage could hardly wait, so as soon as Dimans'' words fell, they charged forward, and the air currents around became chaotic!


    Su Chen faced the attack of these three people at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage with indifference, as if he was not facing three at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage but three children!


    He shed to the front of the person on the outermost side and threw a in punch!


    "Bang!"


    Su Chen''s fist connected after a dy, mming into the opponent''s chest!


    The person felt as if struck head-on by a speeding train and was instantly sent flying backward!


    The other two people, seeing this scene, were slightly taken aback, not expecting that just aftering face to face one of them had already been blown away!


    The two of them instantly grew solemn, arousing more True Yuan, making their attacks even more fierce!


    Because they realized that this young man might not be as easy to handle as they thought!


    Seeing the intensified attacks from the two, Su Chen curled his lips in contempt, a cold smile emerging!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Su Chen struck a palm towards the person whose strength was close to the Kaiyuan Late Stage, and suddenly three palm prints appeared!


    Seeing three palm prints suddenly appear in the void in front of him, the person was startled; although the palm prints had no True Yuan fluctuations, they gave him an unusually dangerous feeling!


    He wanted to resist but had no idea how to counter these three palm prints!


    As for dodging, how would he avoid the three palm prints right in front of him?


    At that moment, one of the palm prints suddenly sted out, and the person screamed and was, without exception, sent flying!


    "Ah!!!"


    Thest remaining individual, seeing his twopanions knocked away in the blink of an eye, turned pale with fear and fled!


    As a joke, even their strongest was taken care of by this kid in one move; staying would be waiting for death!


    At this moment, his strong desire for survivalpletely erupted, and he decided to flee!


    "Swish, swish, swish!"


    At that moment, the sound of something tearing through the air was heard, and several silver needles shot out!


    The man turned his head, and upon seeing the silver shine, instantly dodged, the needles passing by his face!


    Su Chen knew these silver needles wouldn''t harm the opponent since their actual cultivation was simr, both at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    The opponent being able to dodge was actually unexpected!


    What he truly wanted was the time gap during which the opponent dodged, so as he shot the silver needles, he was already on the move!


    The man had just dodged the silver needles when Su Chen was only a few steps away from him!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Su Chen struck again, sting him away.


    After all, Su Chen''s Thousand Hand Seal wasn''t something even those at the Kaiyuan Late Stage could withstand, let alone him at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    Though Su Chen dealt with these three people without much effort, it still took some time, and at this moment, Dimans had already run quite a distance!


    This guy was smart enough to realize something was wrong when Su Chen knocked the first person away and then turned to flee!


    In his eyes, staying was useless; if these guys couldn''t handle this kid, he definitely couldn''t either!


    "Trying to run?"


    Su Chen sneered and shed as he pursued!


    Su Chen''s speed was much faster than this Dimans, and after a chase, the gap between them gradually shrunk!


    When the time was right, Su Chen''s wrist flicked, and several silver needles shot out again with a sound of piercing the air!


    This time, Su Chen was confident he could settle Dimans with the silver needle, yet he didn''t do so, targeting only his leg bends instead.


    "Thud!"


    As the needles pierced his leg bends, Dimans immediately fell to the ground, swallowing a mouthful of dirt, looking extremely pathetic!


    "Tell me, who are you people really?"


    Su Chen looked at Dimans and asked.


    Dimans remained silent, only looking at Su Chen with blood-red eyes!


    His eyes were full of hatred, and of course, also shock and fear!


    He couldn''t understand how this young man, who seemed to be only at the Meridian Expansion Peak, could be so powerful?


    "Not talking, huh? Then I can only send you to Hell!"


    Su Chen shrugged indifferently.


    "Hmph, not afraid to tell you, we... we are from the Illusory Pce!"


    Dimans'' body shivered violently at the words, then he spoke.


    He was truly scared that Su Chen would just kill him!


    "Illusory Pce?"


    Su Chen raised an eyebrow; he hadn''t heard of it, so he asked:


    "What is this Illusory Pce?"


    "Illusory Pce is the most powerful ancient martial force in Europe!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, Dimans proudly answered.


    Clearly, the Illusory Pce held a high ce in his heart, and he was proud of it!


    "Europe also has ancient martial forces?"


    Hearing this, Su Chen was somewhat surprised, but he quickly understood.


    If Huaxia could have ancient martial forces, why not abroad? Or rather, it would be strange if there weren''t any!


    However, regarding Dimans'' im that the Illusory Pce was the most powerful ancient martial force in Europe, he remained nomittal!


    Of course, judging by his demeanor and tone, even if it wasn''t the strongest, it was probably one of the strongest!


    "Alright, now you can bid this world farewell!"


    Su Chen said calmly.


    Since he had learned of the organization behind the opponent, there was no need to spare him!


    "You can''t kill me, I am..."


    He assumed that revealing the Illusory Pce as the most powerful ancient martial force in Europe would intimidate the young man, dissuading him from killing!


    But unexpectedly, this young man seemedpletely unfazed!


    So when Su Chen told him to bid farewell to the world, his whole body trembled involuntarily, and a look of immense fear appeared on his face!


    But before he could finish speaking, Su Chen''s foot came down.


    His chest immediately caved in, dying beyond even being dead!


    Su Chen, of course, knew that this Dimans'' status in that so-called Illusory Pce was not ordinary!


    But so what?


    Knowing the force behind them was enough for him; whether it was ordinary or not, he had no interest!


    Being caught by him was just his misfortune!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1186: Wont Let Him Off

    After Su Chen dealt with these people, he went back.


    His first stop was, of course, to visit Belle Group, as Lin Ruoxue and the others were surely still worried.


    When he arrived at Lin Ruoxue''s office, several women, including Yan Xi, were inside, looking a little anxious!


    "Yo, everyone is here!"


    Su Chen pushed the door open and smiled as he spoke.


    "Are you okay?"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue immediately ran over to check if he was hurt, and the other women also gathered around!


    "How could I be in any trouble!"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    Seeing that he was indeed fine, the women finally rxed.


    After a while, Xia Qiuru and Yan Xi left first since they still had work.


    "Wife, I''m heading back; don''t work too hard!"


    Su Chen said to Lin Ruoxue with a smile.


    "Hurry up and go!"


    Seeing he was okay, Lin Ruoxue didn''t feel like keeping him there, as it would only distract her from work!


    As for those foreigners, Lin Ruoxue didn''t ask, knowing Su Chen had his reasons for whatever he did!


    .....


    "Wait a second!"


    Just as Su Chen was about to leave, a voice called out from behind.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Turning his head, Su Chen saw Luo Xiwening out from inside, so he asked.


    "Su Chen...."


    Luo Xiwen wanted to say something but was unsure how to express it.


    "Don''t worry, the whole Dimans issue is all sorted. You don''t have to worry about him bothering you anymore."


    Thinking she was still worried about Dimans, Su Chen said with a smile.


    Actually, it wasn''t what Luo Xiwen intended to say; she felt apologetic and a bit embarrassed for dragging Su Chen into this mess.


    After all, it was unrted to him!


    So upon hearing his words, she couldn''t help but feel touched, a glimmer of light shing in her eyes!


    "Xiwen, are you so moved that you want to offer yourself?"


    Seeing her expression, Su Chen teased.


    "Oh, shut up, in your dreams!"


    At his words, Luo Xiwen blushed and spat out.


    She was just starting to think he wasn''t so bad, and then his mouth had to ruin it!


    Then Luo Xiwen ttered down the hall in her high heels...


    Watching her elegant form sway under her business attire, Su Chen felt a stir in his heart!


    But he quickly reined in those little thoughts and took the elevator downstairs.


    After leaving, Su Chen drove back home.


    Once home, he returned to his room to continue his cultivation...


    .....


    Meanwhile, in the heart of a mountain range in Huaxia, within the Zhu Family''s old residence.


    Zhu Juny in his room, his face dark as a storm cloud!


    After returning, he had been bedridden, for Su Chen''s blow had been too heavy!


    But for his father''s timely administration of an elixir, he might have lost his life!


    Footsteps sounded outside, and then the door opened.


    "Jun''er, feeling any better these days?"


    Zhu Yuanfeng sat by the bed and asked.


    "Much better, Father."


    Zhu Jun sat up a little and said.


    "Jun''er, your injuries were severe, and I haven''t had the chance to ask; what exactly is your grudge with that kid?"


    Zhu Yuanfeng asked.


    Hearing this, Zhu Jun hesitated.


    Truth be told, the incident in the ruins was too embarrassing, so he hadn''t mentioned it to anyone, not even his father!


    He had always wanted to personally take revenge on that young man!


    But unexpectedly, at the Yunhai Hall Master''s birthday celebration, he not only failed to avenge himself but also suffered greater shame!


    More importantly, this happened in front of many in the ancient martial world!


    This made his hatred for Su Chen reach an unprecedented level!


    "Jun''er, we are father and son; is there anything you can''t tell me?"


    Zhu Yuanfeng looked at Zhu Jun and said.


    At these words, and already having been shamed before so many, Zhu Jun no longer concealed the incident in the ruins and recounted it!


    As Zhu Yuanfeng listened, his reaction was simr to when Lan Minghe first heard of it, utterly stupefied!


    "You say it was that kid who killed Zhou Hao from the Liewu Sect and Lan Haifeng, son of Yunhai Hall''s Elder?"


    Zhu Yuanfeng asked incredulously.


    He knew these two had been investigating the matter but seemed to have made no progress so far!


    "Yes, Father, besides me, only Lan Xinyi, the Yunhai Hall''s eldest daughter, and Zhu Ming know of this matter!"


    Zhu Jun nodded.


    Though he hadn''t seen Su Chen kill Lan Haifeng, he could easily deduce that it was none other than him!


    "Zhu Ming knows this too?"


    Zhu Yuanfeng quickly asked.


    "Yes, it seems he has a good rtionship with that guy, though how they know each other, I don''t know!"


    Zhu Jun nodded.


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanfeng''s eyes took on a cold gleam as a sharp light shot out!


    Though Zhu Ming was also his son and had recently made significant progress in his cultivation, slightly altering his perception!


    But no matter what, he could notpare to Zhu Jun!


    Zhu Jun was among the top ten geniuses, the hope of the family''s future!


    "Alright, I understand this matter!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng stood up and said.


    "Father, you must avenge me and kill that kid to soothe my pain!"


    Zhu Jun gritted his teeth and said!


    Previously, he had wanted to personally kill that kid, but after thest incident, he realized he wasn''t his match!


    As much as he hated to admit it, it was the truth!


    So now he settled for the next best thing, as long as that kid died, he would be satisfied!


    As long as that kid lived, he couldn''t remain content!


    "Rest assured, I won''t let him go!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng said solemnly.


    "Alright, Jun''er, rest well, I''m heading out!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng patted Zhu Jun and said:


    "As for that matter, don''t dwell on it, bing stronger is your top priority!"


    "I understand, Father, I won''t let you down!"


    Zhu Jun nodded seriously.


    He knew his father was right, in the ancient martial world, everything else was an illusion, personal strength was the only reality!


    .....


    After several hours of cultivation, Su Chen concluded his training of the Nine Yang Divine Technique.


    Then he beganprehending the powerful martial technique, "Thousand Hand Seal"!


    Nowadays, he had fully grasped the power of the Thousand Hand Seal!


    One could say that the Thousand Hand Seal had given him a significant boost in strength!


    However, he could only unleash three hand seals in one strike, which was still too few!


    To release more hand seals in one strike, he needed a deeper understanding of this martial technique!


    Of course, this wasn''t something that could be aplished quickly; at least the initial progress was rather challenging!


    As the saying goes, the first step is always the hardest!


    Su Chen wasn''t in a rush, finding time to contemte whenever possible...

 Chapter 1187: You Dont Mind Adding One More, Right?

    The next morning, after having breakfast, Su Chen drove out shortly afterward, but he didn''t go to thepany; instead, he went to the Pei Family estate.


    "You''re here!"


    When Pei Man saw Su Chen arrive, she showed a gentle smile and said.


    "I haven''t been here for a while, so I came to see you."


    Su Chen smiled slightly as well.


    Being with Pei Man always brings a feeling of calm and ease.


    The two seemed like long-time friends, always sharing an indescribable tacit understanding.


    Before long, the two were casually walking around the Pei Family estate.


    "By the way, is there any progress on your parents'' situation?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    In fact, the main reason Su Chen came today was for this matter, as he knew it weighed heavily on Pei Man''s heart!


    She mentioned the Ancient Martial Worldst time, so naturally, Su Chen was a bit worried.


    After all, if it really involved the Ancient Martial World, it wouldn''t be something the Pei Family could handle.


    "No progress yet, but after waiting all these years, I have patience."


    Pei Man smiled gently, having realized why Su Chen came, which warmed her heart.


    "That''s good. If there''s any definite news, let me know, maybe I can help."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Alright, thank you!"


    Pei Man nodded with a smile, then continued to walk forward.


    "By the way, I heard from Xin that there are quite a few women in your vi, can you handle it all?"


    After walking for a while, Pei Man suddenly turned her head and looked at Su Chen with a smile.


    Su Chen was a bit embarrassed upon hearing this and awkwardly replied:


    "It''s okay, it''s okay!"


    "I suppose you wouldn''t mind adding one more, would you?"


    Pei Man said with a mischievous smile.


    This remark from Pei Man left Su Chen unsure of how to respond; saying he minded wouldn''t be appropriate, but saying he didn''t mind seemed wrong too!


    In fact, Pei Man had directly expressed her feelings before, but after that time, she hadn''t mentioned it again.


    Unexpectedly, today, Pei Man brought it up again!


    Of course, this has always been Pei Man''s personality; she never hides anything, just acts as she feels!


    Still, Su Chen wasn''t quite sure if Pei Man meant that the women living in the vi wouldn''t mind adding her, or that he wouldn''t mind having her as one of his women!


    To be honest, saying he had no desires for Pei Man at all would absolutely be self-deception!


    Pei Man, in terms of appearance and temperament, is undoubtedly a wless woman!


    But at this moment, it was a bit sudden, and without rifying her exact meaning, Su Chen was naturally at a loss!


    "What? Is it inconvenient?"


    Pei Man looked at him again with a smile and said.


    "Of course not, there are many rooms in the vi; you can move in anytime."


    Su Chen quickly replied.


    Thinking carefully, he realized he had indeed taken quite a few liberties with Pei Man!


    For instance, when Pei Man first came to thepany to find him, he kissed her; and during their time pretending to be a couple, the liberties taken were even more!


    Realizing this, Su Chen was genuinely a bit embarrassed...


    This was indeed a rare urrence for Su Chen!


    "Alright, I''ll find a time to move over."


    Pei Man said with a smile.


    In fact, she had long anticipated Su Chen''s current situation!


    She knew a man like Su Chen would definitely have more than one or two women; some men are naturally like poison, making one fall in love and unable to extricate themselves!


    So although she had long fallen in love with this man, she wasn''t in a hurry!


    The current situation also proved her judgment back then was correct!


    And of course, she had long noticed that Su Chen had feelings for her too!


    After the two wandered around the Pei Family estate, Su Chen left.


    ...


    After returning to the vi, Su Chen resumed his cultivation, practicing until the afternoon.


    After finishing his cultivation, he came out to breathe some fresh air.


    Just then, his phone rang, and seeing it was Yunlong calling, he immediately picked up!


    "Big brother, I''ve arrived at the entrance of your vi!"


    Yunlong said over the phone.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately hung up and walked towards the entrance.


    Upon arriving outside the entrance, Yunlong was standing next to an SUV packed with things, apparently having moved all his belongings here!


    "You finally made it!"


    Su Chen punched Yunlong''s shoulder and said.


    He had been telling Yunlong for a while to move over when he had the time.


    Now Yunlong''s cultivation had entered the Righteous Path, capable of cultivating on his own!


    The so-called ''masters lead the way, but cultivation depends on oneself,'' how far one goes in the future depends on his own choices!


    "Come, settle down first, then we''ll talk!"


    Su Chen said, then led him into the other courtyard.


    With the vi inhabited by women, it certainly wouldn''t be convenient for Yunlong to stay there, and since Ouyang Jing was away recently, he could keep Sun Yangpany!


    Hearing the sound, Sun Yang came out of the house, and Su Chen briefly introduced the two.


    Being men, they didn''t engage in too much small talk!


    Su Chen then took Yunlong to pick any room he liked, and after choosing, Sun Yang and Su Chen helped him move his belongings in.


    Yunlong wasn''t in a hurry to unpack, so the few of them sat down in the living room.


    "By the way, why didn''t Little Xiae?"


    After sitting down, Su Chen asked.


    He knew Zhuge Dongming was unlikely to want toe here, that old hermit preferred his own courtyard just like Su Chen''s master had preferred living in the Kunlun Mountains all these years!


    However, he did tell Yunlong to bring Little Xia along, and he had also called Zhuge Dongming about this matter.


    "Master said that Little Xia is still too young, maybe in a few years."


    Yunlong responded.


    Su Chen nodded; the old hermit''s reasoning made some sense.


    Su Chen then chatted with Yunlong and Sun Yang for over an hour, then got up and said:


    "Yunlong, familiarize yourself with the ce first, you two cane over for dinner tonight."


    Since it was Yunlong''s first day, it was only fitting to wee him with a good meal.


    "Alright, big brother!"


    Yunlong nodded in agreement.


    After going back, Su Chen continued exploring the "Thousand Hand Seal" until Lin Ruoxue returned.


    Su Chen then called Yunlong, inviting him and Sun Yang over.


    When Yunlong entered the dining room and saw so many women, he was stunned!


    Among the many women, he only recognized Lin Ruoxue as the legitimate wife, and Xia Qiuru who seemed a bit familiar.


    As for the other women, he didn''t know any of them...

 Chapter 1188: Celestial Melody

    "Hello, sisters-inw!"


    Yunlong suddenly bent over and shouted.


    In Yunlong''s view, those living in the vi with his elder brother must be his brother''s women!


    At his shout, all the women were stunned, and then their pretty faces turned red!


    Lin Ruoxue, Eniel, and the others who had already established a rtionship with Su Chen felt a bit better, but those who hadn''t, like Ye Mei, Xiao Yaning, Yan Xi, and Luo Xiwen, felt their faces burning!


    This guy, who is he? How can he shout like that upon meeting us!


    However, upon hearing this "sisters-inw," these women still felt a strange feeling in their hearts!


    Especially Luo Xiwen, this feeling became even more subtle...


    "Smack!"


    "What nonsense are you talking about!"


    Su Chen tapped the back of Yunlong''s head, then modestly said:


    "Some of them are just friends!"


    "Su Chen, your little brother is not wrong; they will be eventually!"


    Qi Meng gave a charming nce and said with a subtle smile.


    As she spoke, Lin Ruoxue and Du Hanbing chuckled softly, clearly sharing the same thought as Qi Meng!


    Even Luo Xiwen, who just a while ago was always ring at this guy and almost wishing to bite him, couldn''t escape it, let alone the other women!


    Hearing this, Su Chenughed awkwardly and then called out:


    "Let''s eat, let''s eat!"


    As a result, everyone sat down at the table, and Yunlong, being lively and sweet-tongued, kept theughter going throughout the meal!


    Yunlong thought, his elder brother has so many women, and each one is so beautiful, seems like he needs to hurry his sister a bit!


    Yunlong was still thinking about "selling" his sister!


    Of course, he believed that only his elder brother was worthy of his sister!


    Otherwise, why would so many excellent women live in the vi?


    After dinner, the women went to the living room to chat, leaving the space for Su Chen and the others.


    "Elder brother, how about we go to Yun Ya Residence for a while?"


    After chatting for a bit, Yunlong winked at Su Chen and suggested.


    While in the courtyard, he was under the watchful eye of Zhuge Dongming and naturallycked freedom.


    Now that he moved to Su Chen''s ce, he surely wanted to rx a bit.


    "Don''t think just because there''s no old master watching, you can ck off on your cultivation!"


    Su Chen nced at him and said.


    "How could I, elder brother, I just want to rx for a few days."


    Yunlong quickly said.


    He knew that for a martial artist, the most important thing was to improve one''s strength!


    "As long as you understand, rxing for a few days is fine."


    Su Chen said, believing Yunlong already knew the importance, and his words were merely a light reminder.


    "So, elder brother, are we going?"


    Yunlong eagerly asked.


    "Alright."


    Su Chen nodded.


    He had already learned that the one ying the guqin at Yun Ya Residence was Dugu Mingyue, whom he met at Yandu University!


    Su Chen still had a very deep impression of that fairy-like woman!


    "Brother Sun, want toe along? The guqin music there is pretty good."


    Yunlong invited with a smile.


    "No, you guys go ahead."


    Sun Yang smiled and waved it off, having little interest in such things.


    Su Chen knew Sun Yang''s temperament, so he didn''t insist further.


    Before long, he and Yunlong went out, and Sun Yang returned to the other courtyard...


    .....


    Yunlong drove, and after a few dozen minutes, they finally reached the outside of Yun Ya Residence, where the setting remained as elegant and unique as ever!


    When the two entered the small courtyard, quite a few people were already there, all waiting quietly.


    Sitting down in the same spot asst time, Su Chen ordered a pot of sake.


    Soon, a maid dressed in ancient garb brought over the pot of sake on an exquisite tray, along with two small ceramic cups.


    So, Su Chen and Yunlong sipped leisurely, the breeze blowing, bringing a veryfortable feeling.


    In this scenic setting, with the weather just right, sitting here enjoying a cup or two of sake was indeed a very pleasant experience.


    After a while, a woman in flowing white appeared in the pavilion ahead, her silhouette obscured by sheer curtains, giving an illusion of a fairnd!


    She calmly sat before the harp, nodding slightly through the curtain, with a faint smile!


    Su Chen had a feeling that the nod and smile were intended for him!


    But he quickly shook his head, smiling self-deprecatingly:


    Surely he was overthinking things!


    At this moment, everyone held their breath and quieted down!


    As the woman inside lightly plucked the strings, a heavenly sound resonated, ethereal and beautiful!


    As the music gradually rose, everyone was slowly entranced, just likest time!


    Su Chen, while sipping sake, listened to the beautiful guqin melody as if the sake tasted more vorful, more refreshing!


    Unaware, the music seemed to transform; Su Chen felt it no longer sounded like it came from the guqin strings but was pouring down from the sky!


    Su Chen found people''s expressions even more enraptured, deeply immersed, unable to extricate themselves!


    It seemed this small space was the entire world, and the entire world was within this small space!


    Even Su Chen found himself somewhat dazed, though he quickly regained rity!


    Not minding it, Su Chen continued sipping his sake...


    Shortly after, the music slowly faded away, its lingering notes still resonating among the ripples...


    After a few minutes, everyone gradually came back to their senses, with traces of enchantment still lingering on their faces!


    Then, the woman inside the curtain stood, bowed slightly, then left the pavilion again!


    Reluctantly, the crowd began to leave; they came here for no other purpose than to listen to this tune!


    "It''s truly celestial music!" Yunlong sighed, and then both stood up, ready to leave.


    "Mr. Su, please wait a moment!"


    At this time, a voice called out from the side, stopping Su Chen and Yunlong in their tracks to see who it was.


    "It''s you!"


    Seeing the woman, Su Chen couldn''t help but smile.


    This maid was the same one he had saved from being bullied during his first visit.


    "Mr. Su, do you remember me?"


    The maid also smiled slightly, very grateful for Su Chen''s helpst time.


    "Of course, I remember. Is there something you need?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.

 Chapter 1189: He Is Very Interesting and Fun

    "Our Miss Dugu would like to meet you."


    The maid said.


    Standing nearby, Yunlong was taken aback and nced at his big brother!


    He thought, who is this Miss Dugu?


    Could it be the mysterious woman who was ying the zither just now?


    His big brother really is his big brother, always attracting women wherever he goes!


    Luckily, Su Chen didn''t know what he was thinking, otherwise, he would certainly have kicked him. What nonsense!


    Su Chen was somewhat puzzled hearing the maid''s words.


    He naturally knew that the Miss Dugu the maid referred to was Dugu Mingyue, but why would she want to meet him?


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen nodded and looked at Yunlong.


    "Big brother, you go ahead, I''ll wait for you in the car outside."


    Yunlong said with a grin.


    "No need, you head back first. I''ll catch a rideter."


    Su Chen replied.


    "True, in case you end up as the distinguished guest tonight, there''s no need toe back!"


    Yunlong winked,ughing meaningfully.


    "Get lost!"


    Su Chen kicked Yunlong right on his backside, leaving a clear footprint!


    Yunlong justughed heartily and ran off...


    The maid couldn''t help butugh at this sight, finding these two quite amusing.


    "Mr. Su, please follow me."


    The maid then led Su Chen to a wooden house behind the waterside pavilion.


    At the entrance were a few steps, and on the steps were a pair of clean slippers.


    "Mr. Su, please go in. Miss Dugu is waiting for you inside."


    The maid said with a smile from below the steps.


    Su Chen nodded, changed into the slippers, and walked in.


    Upon entering, he noticed several folding screens blocking the view, and in the middle was a small low sandalwood tea table, with a pot of sake and two cups on it, Dugu Mingyue sat quietly to the side.


    The entire wooden house gave Su Chen an impression of Tang and Song Dynasty architecture, full of antique charm!


    "Mr. Su, please!"


    Dugu Mingyue gestured gracefully with a pristine hand for him to take a seat opposite her.


    Su Chen approached and sat down facing Dugu Mingyue.


    Dugu Mingyue picked up the wine pot and poured Su Chen a drink, revealing a stretch of her fair arm!


    "Come, Mr. Su, let''s drink to our meeting."


    Dugu Mingyue raised her cup invitingly.


    Su Chen thought nothing of it, picked up his cup, clinked it lightly against hers, and took a sip!


    She then poured herself a cup, tilted her head slightly, and asked:


    "Mr. Su, how did you find Mingyue''s zither performance tonight?"


    "Worthy of being called celestial music!"


    Su Chen smiled as he replied.


    "Mr. Su, you tter me."


    Dugu Mingyue said with a slight smile.


    "Miss Dugu, I wonder why you called me here?"


    Su Chen asked, a bit curious.


    "Does there have to be a reason?"


    Dugu Mingyue''s face showed a faint, serene smile.


    "I''m self-aware enough to know that while I''m not bad looking, I''m not quite someone everyone adores, like a blooming flower!"


    Su Chen shrugged casually:


    "So naturally, I''m a bit curious about Miss Dugu''s sudden invitation."


    "That''s fair enough."


    Dugu Mingyue nodded at Su Chen''s words.


    "Miss Dugu, are you not good at talking?"


    Su Chen felt wounded by Dugu Mingyue''s remarks.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Dugu Mingyue asked with some confusion.


    "What I said just now was self-deprecation, shouldn''t you haveplimented me instead, like saying, ''actually, you''re quite handsome!''"


    Su Chen pouted.


    "Pfft!"


    Dugu Mingyue burst intoughter at these words!


    "Sorry, I''m not good at that."


    Dugu Mingyue said earnestly afterward.


    Su Chen felt injured by this remark!


    He was once again certain that Dugu Mingyue and Pei Man, although both had a celestial aura, were very different!


    One is worldly wise, full of wisdom; the other as pure as white paper, without a trace of dust, each having their unique charm!


    Of course, if we talk about appearance, both are beauties possessing mesmerizing allure unparalleled by few!


    To most men, they are the kind of women who can only be admired from afar, not to be vited!


    Perhaps, only Su Chen, can be so carefree and unrestrained, no matter what kind of woman he faces!


    After chatting for a while longer and finishing half a pot of sake, Su Chen bid farewell without Dugu Mingyue trying to keep him.


    Su Chen felt even more puzzled as he headed toward the entrance of Yun Ya Residence.


    It seemed that Dugu Mingyue truly had no ulterior motive in inviting him, just casual chatting!


    ......


    After Su Chen left, Dugu Mingyue stood up as well, and a middle-aged woman in a qipao walked in.


    This middle-aged woman, while already of a certain age, still maintained a charming allure, exuding mature elegance!


    "Aunt Lan, do you think I''m dumb?"


    Dugu Mingyue looked at the middle-aged woman and asked.


    "How could that be?"


    Aunt Lan asked puzzledly:


    "Why does Miss ask this?"


    "He said I was dumb!"


    Dugu Mingyue spoke up.


    "That Mr. Su?"


    Aunt Lan asked.


    "Yes!"


    Dugu Mingyue nodded.


    "Miss, how could you be dumb?"


    Aunt Lanughed as she said:


    "If even you say you''re dumb, then there may be no smart people left in the world!"


    "Aunt Lan, you''re talking about Martial Arts. In other areas, I seem quite dumb."


    Dugu Mingyue furrowed her brow slightly.


    Hearing this, Aunt Lan was at a bit of a loss for words.


    Miss indeedcks experience in worldly matters!


    But someone like Miss may not need it!


    Yet she found it strange why Miss cared so much about that man''s words?


    "Miss, what do you think of that Mr. Su?"


    Aunt Lan asked cautiously.


    Dugu Mingyue contemted for a moment, a smile appearing on her face:


    "He is quite interesting and amusing!"


    She had never met a man who spoke to her like that before...


    ......


    When Su Chen walked out of the Yun Ya Residence gate, Yunlong''s car was no longer there.


    "That guy really left!"


    Su Chen pouted, reluctantly walking onward.


    Yun Ya Residence was located in the suburbs of Yandu, some distance from the city center, making it difficult to catch a taxi.


    Fortunately, this was no problem for Su Chen, so he strolled leisurely in the direction of the city, unhurriedly.


    About twenty minutes into his walk, near a patch of woond, a man suddenly appeared in front of him!


    This man wore nightwalking clothes, his features indistinct, appearing almost as if out of thin air!

 Chapter 1190: The Ximen Clans Probe

    "Who are you?"


    Su Chen stopped in his tracks upon seeing the man and asked aloud.


    Although the man reined in his aura, he still gave Su Chen a sense of danger!


    Su Chen felt that this man who appeared suddenly must be extraordinary in strength, but he didn''t know who this person was or why he suddenly came looking for him!


    Nowadays, he had angered quite a few enemies: the Zhu Family, the Ximen n, the Liewu Sect, the Heavenly Thunder Sect, and even the Yunhai Hall''s grand elder''s men; any one of them was possible!


    "ng!"


    The man in nightwalking clothes didn''t speak, he immediately drew a longsword, which sung with a sword whistle, and then thrust it towards Su Chen without hesitation!


    The cold light of the longsword, under the moonlight of the wilderness, emitted a soul-stirring glow!


    From a distance, Su Chen could feel the powerful sword qi and the robust True Yuan aura; he sensed that this man''s strength far exceeded the Kaiyuan Late Stage, likely reaching the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection Realm!


    However, regardless of the adversary''s realm, he had to deal with it first!


    Seeing the opponent''s sword thrust, Su Chen directly struck out with a palm, infusing it with strands of Ster Power!


    "Bang!"


    The Palm Print collided with the opponent''s sword qi and True Yuan, immediately exploding with a resounding boom, with energies scattering everywhere, causing a "hiss" sound in the air!


    Just as Su Chen was about to continue his attack, the opponent retreated lightly, then turned and vanished into a nearby grove...


    Su Chen, seeing this scene, did not give chase, because he roughly guessed who the opponent was!


    "The Ximen n!"


    Su Chen''s lips involuntarily curled into a cold smile!


    The man in nightwalking clothes who suddenly appeared wasn''t there to take his life, it seemed more like a test!


    If it were the Zhu Family, the Liewu Sect, or the Yunhai Hall''s grand elder''s men, they surely wouldn''t act this way!


    Even if they wanted to lure him into an ambush, it would have to be more convincing; retreating after just one move doesn''t make sense?!


    Only the Ximen n had the motive and reason to do this!


    Because they wanted the Token, not his life!


    Su Chen surmised that the Ximen n sent this man primarily to test his strength!


    Su Chen didn''t mind this though, as it was something that had to be resolved eventually!


    "Looks like you can''t hold back anymore!"


    Su Chen thought silently, looking in the direction where the person vanished.


    A momentter, Su Chen continued walking forward, heading into the city, caught a cab, and went back to the vi.


    Upon arriving at the vi, the women had already returned to their rooms since it was alreadyte.


    Su Chen didn''t disturb them and returned to his own room.


    He didn''t think too much about the man in nightwalking clothes since their intentions were obvious, so Su Chen didn''t dwell on it.


    What he found intriguing was Dugu Mingyue; when he first saw her at Yandu University, she felt special.


    Now he found it somewhat difficult to see through her, yet she still gave him a pure and untainted feeling, which was quite contradictory!


    Of course, Su Chen just thought about it casually and then continued with his cultivation.


    After all, there were no real intersections between Dugu Mingyue and his current life...


    .....


    The next day was the weekend, and the women in the vi woke up around the same time for breakfast!


    After breakfast, they didn''t go out; some chatted, some soaked in hot springs, some cultivated, everyone had something to do.


    It seemed like Su Chen was the only idle person in the vi; most of his time recently was spent on cultivation, but he decided not to cultivate during the day today.


    After all, sometimes he had to rx, bncing work and leisure!


    However, with him rxing, it was the women who''d have to endure!


    Su Chen wandered here and there, teasing one, then taking liberties with another!


    Just after "teasing" Qi Meng, as he walked out of her room, he heard soundsing from the front vi hall not far away.


    He guessed it was likely Luo Xiwen doing yoga, so he walked over with a smile!


    At the moment, Luo Xiwen was dressed as usual for yoga practice, with a sports bra on top and tight pants that perfectly entuated her slender legs!


    "Xiwen, your figure is good enough, if you keep practicing, I''ll get a nosebleed!"


    Su Chen walked in, sat down, and watched Luo Xiwen as she performed poses so elegant they sparked one''s imagination.


    "You pervert!"


    Luo Xiwen nced at him and spat.


    At this moment, sweat trickled down from her forehead and neck, giving her a particrly enticing aura!


    "When have I ever been a pervert to you, except that one time I mistook you for someone else?"


    Su Chen said with a dismissive pout.


    Upon hearing this, Luo Xiwen red fiercely at Su Chen!


    This guy sure knows how to bring up old issues!


    "Whew!"


    Just then, Luo Xiwen finished a set of poses and stood up.


    She looked at Su Chen again, thinking to herself:


    "Your gaze just now was anything but proper; don''t think I don''t know!"


    Of course, Luo Xiwen was definitely too shy to say this out loud.


    She walked to the coffee table, picked up a teacup and drank, reaching out for a towel to wipe her sweat.


    Seeing this, Su Chen casually picked it up and handed it to her...


    A whileter, as Luo Xiwen resumed her practice, Su Chen left as he had juste by for a casual visit!


    Unwittingly, the day passed by, and Su Chen spent it quite fulfillingly and happily!


    After dinner, he chatted with the women and then went back to his room to continue cultivating...


    He felt he was close to breaking through to the Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm, but wasn''t sure exactly when since cultivation is about letting ite naturally!


    Another area of progress for him was the "Thousand Hand Seal"; his understanding of this powerful martial technique had deepened over time, though he could still only unleash three Palm Prints with one strike!


    ...........


    Time flew by, and a few more days passed, with Su Chen still devoting most of his time to cultivation.


    Of course, sometimes he would visit thepany, fulfilling a bit of his duty as the PR Director of Belle Group!


    Frankly, his role as PR Director was just in name, as he didn''t handle any tasks; Ran Ting and Zhao Lin took care of everything!


    However, Ouyang Jing called a few days ago, saying he nned to return soon...

 Chapter 1191: Gathering

    Inside a castle in Europe that resembles a medieval structure, a man in his fifties or sixties stands there, and in front of him is a man kneeling, dressed in a ck suit!


    "You say my son Dimans died in Huaxia?"


    The man exudes an aura of immense pressure, his eyes shooting out a fierce re!


    "The Young Master said he was going to find that man. I waited at the hotel for the Young Master for a few days, but the Young Master never returned. I''m afraid the Young Master has already..."


    The man kneeling there said, trembling.


    "Since my son hasn''t returned, how dare youe back!"


    The man said coldly, and then he struck down a palm, causing the kneeling man to die instantly!


    "No matter who it is, dare to kill my son, I will make you regreting to this world!"


    The man didn''t even nce at the dead man, his chest filled with fury.


    .....


    Su Chen didn''t know what was happening far away in Europe, and even if he did, he wouldn''t care much!


    At this moment, he was practicing "Thousand Hand Seal" in the back mountain. He has always wanted to release more palm prints with a single strike!


    However, after many trials, only three palm prints appeared!


    "It seems I''m still a bit short!"


    Feeling a bit tired, Su Chen shook his head and said, then headed towards the vi.


    He also knew that the more profound it is, the harder it is to cultivate, whether it is a cultivation technique or a martial technique!


    Especially in the beginning, it''s like climbing a high peak, requiring progress little by little, so Su Chen wasn''t too impatient!


    Just as he reached the entrance of the vi, he suddenly saw a taxi stop at the foot of the mountain, then saw Ouyang Jing getting off the car.


    "Ouyang, you''re finally back!"


    Su Chen walked down and said with a smile.


    "I haven''t seen you in so many days, I really missed you!"


    Ouyang thanked the driver and then turned to Su Chen with a smile.


    "Come on, if others hear this, they''ll think something''s up between us!"


    Su Chen quickly waved his hand.


    "I''m not into that!"


    Ouyang rolled his eyes.


    "Let''s go, neers have arrived at the other courtyard, I''ll introduce them to you."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Upon hearing this, Ouyang knew that the neer must be a man, if it were a woman, she wouldn''t stay in the other courtyard but in the vi!


    Soon, Su Chen led Ouyang to the other courtyard and introduced the newly arrived Yunlong to him!


    After arriving, Yunlong also heard that there was another person in the other courtyard with a very high cultivation, who had recently gone home and would be back in a while.


    He had been wanting to meet him, and today he finally did!


    "By the way, Ouyang, didn''t you say you were going to stay at home for two months beforeing back? Why did youe back so soon?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    At Lan Minghe''s birthday banquet, Ouyang indeed told him that he nned to stay at home for a longer time this time, about two months before returning.


    Now, less than a monthter, Ouyang has returned, and Su Chen naturally found it a bit strange.


    "Well, it''s because in two days there''s going to be a gathering of disciples from first-rate Ancient Martial forces here in Yandu, so I came back early."


    Ouyang Jing said, then looked at Yunlong and Sun Yang:


    "You two cane have a look when the timees."


    As for Su Chen, it went without saying.


    "Is this appropriate?"


    Sun Yang asked hesitantly, firstly because this is a gathering of disciples from first-rate Ancient Martial forces, and they are not part of this circle.


    Secondly, more critically, Sun Yang now has some understanding of the Ancient Martial World and feels his strength is too weak and might embarrass Ouyang!


    "What''s inappropriate? I can still bring a few friends."


    Ouyang Jing said indifferently.


    Upon hearing Ouyang Jing say this, both Sun Yang and Yunlong showed a hint of excitement. To be honest, they were both very curious and eager to see that unfamiliar world!


    During these days of Yunlong''s arrival, Su Chen also told him about some aspects of the Ancient Martial World!


    Su Chen mainly wanted to broaden his horizons, prevent him from having a narrow vision, and let him know that there are many people much stronger in this world!


    After chatting for a while with Ouyang Jing, Su Chen went back to the vi.


    ......


    Two dayster, the group took Yunlong''s SUV to a five-star hotel in Yandu, where the gathering Ouyang Jing mentioned was being held.


    Su Chen also asked Qi Meng and Eniel and the others if they wanted toe and have a look since they were martial artists too.


    However, they all refused, partly due to concerns simr to Sun Yang''s, that their strength was too insignificant!


    The main issue was that Ouyang was already bringing three people, and if he brought these four or five women, what would it look like?


    Wouldn''t this be causing trouble for others? After all, it''s all on Ouyang''s behalf!


    Even Huang Menglei said she wouldn''t go.


    Moreover, with these women around, the men might not be at ease!


    "Ouyang, do you often have such gatherings in the Ancient Martial World?"


    Su Chen asked casually in the car.


    "Not exactly often, maybe once or twice a year."


    Ouyang Jing said:


    "But before, it was always in some secluded ces, and in recent years, they''ve started preferring to hold these gatherings in big cities!"


    Su Chen thought to himself, this might be a way for the Ancient Martial World to integrate into modern society!


    After all, with the development of technology and the progress of society, the Ancient Martial World can no longer hide away in deep mountains like before!


    Especially for the young people, this tendency might be even more pronounced.


    In no time, they arrived at the hotel entrance, and since it was a five-star hotel, its grandeur and luxury need not be borated!


    After alighting, the group followed Ouyang Jing towards the main entrance.


    Ouyang Jing took out an invitation card at the entrance and showed it to the guard, then walked in.


    Since Su Chen and the others came with Ouyang Jing, the guard said nothing.


    Undoubtedly, this hotel has been booked entirely, and it might even be a property of some Ancient Martial force.


    Ouyang Jing led Su Chen and the others straight to the elevator and went up to the hotel''s top floor!


    On the top floor, there was a huge hall, decorated in opulence and splendor!


    Quite a number of people were already inside, gathering in small groups and chatting jovially!


    Su Chen and others entering didn''t create much of a stir.


    But very soon some people noticed Ouyang Jing and came over to greet him!


    "Ouyang, you don''t have to greet us, we''ll be fine on our own."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Ouyang Jing, being a member of the Ouyang Family and the undisputed heir, naturally had to socialize.


    "Yeah, we''ll just look around ourselves!"


    Sun Yang and Yunlong said simrly.


    "Alright then, you handle yourselves."


    Ouyang nodded.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1192: Another Encounter with Lan Xinyi

    Perhaps because of integrating into modern society, this hall is not much different from typical gatherings in the Secr World, all in a self-service style.


    Su Chen and the others took a ss of red wine and started drinking, while sizing up everyone around!


    Among these people, Su Chen didn''t know most of them; he had seen a small portion at Lan Minghe''s birthday celebrationst time.


    However, this is understandable. Most of the guests at Lan Minghe''s birthday celebration were family or sect helmsmen and important figures, so the presence of young people was not that significant!


    In this kind of gathering for young people, most from first-rate forces havee!


    Su Chen did not see Zhu Jun here; he didn''t know if it was because he couldn''t face anyone after that incident or if his injuries hadn''t healed!


    "Su Chen, what is the cultivation level of these people? I can barely see through them. I''m afraid my strength is the lowest here, right?"


    Sun Yang said, seeing so many young people exuding a strong True Essence Aura.


    Seeing this, Sun Yang again felt the gap in strength between himself and these young descendants of the Ancient Martial World!


    Su Chen nced at Sun Yang; he was really embarrassed to say!


    To be honest, if you put Sun Yang among these people, his strength would indeed be the weakest!


    Among these people, the weakest are probably around the Meridian Expansion Eighth Layer. Meridian Expansion Peak and Half-Step Kaiyuan aremonce, and some have reached the Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    However, besides Ouyang Jing, there don''t seem to be others at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    This is normal because among the Ten Outstanding Talents, only two or three people from first-rate forces in the Ancient Martial World are there; the rest are from super first-rate forces!


    As for Zhu Jun, he was already among the Ten Outstanding Talents when he was just a step away from the Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    Comparatively, if they were to reselect the Ten Outstanding Talents now, Ouyang Jing would certainly be one of them!


    Of course, his rank would not be too high, perhaps only around seventh or eighth!


    Although people at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage are not few present and there are quite a few, crossing from the Kaiyuan Primary Stage to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage is not that easy!


    The reason why Ouyang Jing could cross over in such a short time is first because his talent is not bad, and second because he had been at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage for two or three years.


    More importantly, it''s of course due to thatrge Gathering Yuan Formation on Yuquan Mountain!


    You know, the abundance of Yuan Qi in the manor and the other courtyards is equivalent to fourteen or fifteen times that of other ces!


    Ouyang also cultivated there for two months, which is equivalent to cultivating elsewhere for three years!


    Adding the treasures Su Chen brought back from the ruins, Ouyang''s smooth breakthrough to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage was only natural!


    Seeing Su Chen not speaking, Sun Yang knew his guess was right!


    Just when Sun Yang felt a little dejected, Yunlong next to him spoke up:


    "Brother Sun, you were wrong just now."


    "How was I wrong?"


    Sun Yang was slightly taken aback and asked without thinking.


    Hearing this, Su Chen also curiously looked at Yunlong.


    "Because you''re not the weakest here; it''s me!"


    Yunlong pointed to himself with a pout, his face showing a touch of grievance!


    "Pfft!"


    Su Chen and Sun Yang burst intoughter upon hearing this!


    Indeed, if you talk about the weakest, no one canpare with Yunlong, because he is still in the Qi Refinement Realm, not even reaching the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    Of course, part of the reason is that he has only been cultivating for more than half a year, and on the other hand, the old swindler doesn''t want him to progress too fast, preferring him to have a solid foundation, which would be more efficient for future cultivation!


    Hearing theughter from Su Chen''s side, someone nearby looked over with displeasure.


    He saw that he didn''t recognize Su Chen and the others, and except for one at the Meridian Expansion Peak who seemed notable, the other two were too weak, with even one in the Qi Refinement Realm, so he frowned slightly:


    "Where did these guyse from?"


    The other two or three people also frowned slightly with some dissatisfaction!


    "Forget it, I just saw that they seemed toe with Ouyang Jing."


    Another person said.


    "For Ouyang''s sake, let''s not bother with them!"


    The initial person nced at Su Chen and the others again and said.


    However, Su Chen could see that it wasn''t that he was not bothered, but rather that he was apprehensive about Ouyang Jing!


    In the past, Ouyang Jing could already be considered among the top ten, or even top five, figures in first-rate forces, and now that he has broken through to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, he''s even more remarkable!


    Moreover, although the Ouyang Family is not the topmost among first-rate forces, it is still a force to be reckoned with!


    Su Chen didn''t mind these words either; although these people seemed high and unattainable in Sun Yang and Yunlong''s eyes, to him, they were just so-so!


    After a while, the three of them also went their separate ways, and Sun Yang and Yunlong also wanted to look around; after all, they came here to broaden their horizons!


    If they stayed together the whole time, it would be pointless to havee; it would have been better not toe at all!


    Su Chen, however, didn''t have their enthusiasm and stood there alone, leisurely sipping the red wine in his ss.


    He saw Ouyang Jing chatting happily with a few young people, so he didn''t interrupt; they seemed to have a good rtionship, probably old friends.


    After a while, he felt a bit bored.


    Just then, someone suddenly tapped his shoulder from behind. He turned to look and was surprised and delighted to see it was Lan Xinyi.


    "What brings you here?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "If you cane, why can''t I?"


    Lan Xinyi said with a smile.


    "That''s true."


    Su Chen nodded with a smile.


    After all, Lan Xinyi is the youngdy of Yunhai Hall, so her presence here is only too normal!


    "By the way, when did you arrive?"


    Su Chen asked:


    "I didn''t seem to see you earlier."


    "I just arrived."


    Lan Xinyi smiled. She didn''t expect to see Su Chen here either, which pleasantly surprised her!


    So the two of them stood there chatting casually¡­


    Beautiful women always have more allure. When Su Chen came in with Ouyang Jing earlier, not many noticed them, but as soon as he stood with Lan Xinyi for a while, they immediately attracted a lot of attention!


    For one, Lan Xinyi is the youngdy of Yunhai Hall, and her status is undeniable!


    Secondly, Lan Xinyi is one of the great beauties in the Ancient Martial World!


    In the Ancient Martial World, there are quite a few admirers of her!


    Of course, most people know they don''t actually have much of a chance, so this admiration can only remain hidden!


    So when they saw Lan Xinyi chatting so happily with a stranger and her face blossoming with a happy smile, they all wondered who this man was!


    Some of those who had seen Su Chen at Lan Minghe''s birthday couldn''t help but shudder when they saw him!


    Back at Lan Minghe''s birthday celebration, Su Chen''s one move that sted Zhu Jun flying left an indelible impression on them!

 Chapter 1193: Conflict

    But even those who have met Su Chen don''t really know who this guy is, they only know he gets along well with Ouyang Jing and Lan Xinyi!


    "Seems like being with a beauty always makes you the center of attention, huh!"


    Su Chen joked as he noticed the stares from others.


    "What''s wrong? You don''t want to be with me?"


    Lan Xinyi joked back, though she also felt a bit embarrassed being noticed by so many people.


    "How could that be! I''m honored!"


    Su Chenughed:


    "Let them wallow in their envy and jealousy!"


    Hearing this, Lan Xinyi covered her mouth andughed!


    Seeing this scene, those people indeed felt a surge of envy and jealousy in their hearts!


    At this moment, amotion suddenly erupted at the entrance of the hall, drawing most of the crowd''s attention!


    Su Chen also turned to look in that direction and his eyes immediately narrowed!


    Because he noticed that two people were having a dispute there, and one of them was Yunlong, while the other was someone he naturally didn''t know!


    "So what do you want? I offered to dry-clean it for you, and you refused. I offered topensate you with a new set, and you still refused!"


    Yunlong looked at the person in front of him, feeling somewhat displeased.


    "So you''re saying I have to wear these wine-stained clothes here?"


    The person coldly snorted at Yunlong, eyes full of disdain!


    "I told you, someone identally bumped into me, causing me to spill wine on you!"


    Yunlong was getting slightly angry:


    "Also, I already apologized to you!"


    He was standing there just fine when someone suddenly brushed past him from behind, identally making contact.


    Yunlong didn''t notice at all, so his body tilted slightly, causing the wine in his cup to spill on this person.


    Yunlong saw the person who ran by seemed to be in a hurry, it didn''t look intentional. After the bump, the person even waved an apology, so Yunlong said nothing more.


    However, his wine did spill on someone, so Yunlong promptly apologized and offered to have the hotel dry-clean the clothes, the cost on him!


    Alternatively, he couldpensate with a new set, no problem!


    Yunlong was here with Ouyang Jing, not looking to stir up trouble!


    But this guy just couldn''t let go of such a trivial issue!


    Yunlong, once the eldest young master of the Yun Family, although his strength might be modest, he still had a temper!


    Besides, Yunlong believed his attitude was good enough, what more could the guy want?


    "Just saying sorry counts as an apology?"


    The person curled his lips.


    "Then how do you want me to apologize?"


    Yunlong suppressed his anger.


    "Kneel and apologize properly to me!"


    The person looked at Yunlong, a yful smile on his lips!


    "Dream on!"


    Upon hearing this, a surge of anger rushed through Yunlong!


    This guy is simply bullying too much!


    "Since you refuse to kneel and apologize, don''t me me for being rude!"


    The person''s expression turned cold, then casually threw a palm strike!


    This person was at the Kaiyuan Primary Stage, with a fist so powerful it seemed to pierce the air, an immense True Yuan burst forth!


    Seeing this punch, Yunlong''s face changed drastically. He wanted to resist, but found himself so insignificant before this punch, unable to resist at all, he couldn''t even move a step!


    "Hmph, a mere Qi Refinement Realm, dare toe to a ce like this!"


    The person coldlyughed in his heart, not taking this man in front of him seriously at all!


    At this moment, Yunlong seemed to be pulled by someone, his body swiftly retreated like lightning, dodging the punch!


    The person didn''t expect his punch to miss, when he retracted his fist, he saw a stranger standing before him!


    The person he wanted to teach a lesson had already been shielded behind him!


    "Who are you?"


    Seeing this person spoil his n, making his punch miss, he immediately asked angrily!


    "Who I am, you don''t need to know!"


    Su Chen replied calmly, then slightly turned his head:


    "Yunlong, what exactly happened?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s question, Yunlong recounted what had happened!


    After listening, Su Chen turned to the person:


    "My brother has already apologized, you''re overdoing it!"


    "Overdoing it? I have never known what that means!"


    The person arrogantly replied!


    "Gu Sheng, they''re my friends, could you give me some face and let this matter go?"


    Lan Xinyi, who had apanied Su Chen earlier, spoke up.


    Although she didn''t know Yunlong, since he was Su Chen''s friend, she felt obliged to help.


    "Gu Sheng, they''re my friends too, give me some face!"


    At this point, Ouyang Jing and Sun Yang arrived, Ouyang Jing spoke to the man.


    Hearing both Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing plead, the crowd looked towards the man called Gu Sheng!


    If it were anyone else, they would assume it''s a foregone conclusion, surely he''d step down!


    After all, one was the eldestdy of Yunhai Hall, the other the eldest young master of the Ouyang Family, their faces had to be given, right?


    Moreover, these two were also very powerful, one at Kaiyuan Primary Stage, the other at Kaiyuan Middle Stage!


    Still, if the person was Gu Sheng, it might not be so!


    This guy was notoriously unreasonable and arrogant in the Ancient Martial World, many found him troublesome!


    If he weren''t so unreasonable, things wouldn''t have escted this far!


    After all, someone identally spilled wine on him, it''s not a big deal, and they honestly apologized!


    Of course, he had the power to be so unreasonable, not because of his own strength, but due to his background!


    Although he was no weakling, being at Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    Sure enough, Gu Sheng nced at Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing, saying:


    "Sorry, I don''t intend to give you this face!"


    Hearing this, Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing''s faces showed a trace of anger!


    If it was some irreconcble major issue, not backing down is one thing!


    For something so trivial, isn''t this too much?!


    They had long heard of Gu Sheng''s arrogance, unreasonable behavior, and pride, today they finally witnessed it!


    Su Chen heard this guy being so cocky and showed a look of surprise!


    Considering Yunhai Hall''s status as one of the top forces in the Ancient Martial World!


    Considering Ouyang Jing''s personal strength at Kaiyuan Middle Stage, also top-tier among the young generation of top forces!


    This man attending the gathering must belong to a top force in the Ancient Martial World, what gives him the confidence to be so arrogant?


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1194: Stop!

    Although Su Chen was slightly puzzled by this man named Gu Sheng, he didn''t take it too seriously. He looked at the man and said calmly:


    "So you definitely want my brother to kneel before you, huh?"


    "It''s fine if he doesn''t kneel. Since he''s your brother, you can kneel in his ce!"


    Gu Sheng still had a mocking smile on his lips as he said.


    Even though the man in front of him was much stronger than the previous one, he was ultimately just at the Meridian Expansion Peak, so Gu Sheng didn''t take him seriously!


    After all, he hadn''t even given face to Ouyang Jing and Lan Xinyi, so why would he care about this stranger?


    In fact, aside from being famous for his unruliness and arrogance, there was one more thing about Gu Sheng that was even more disdainful¡ªthis guy took pleasure in toying with people, especially those he looked down on!


    His mindset towards Yunlong at first, and towards Su Chen now, was exactly this!


    Hearing this, Su Chen slightly clenched his fist, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. He then looked at Gu Sheng and said softly:


    "You want me to kneel for you?"


    Su Chen''s demeanor made Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing shiver violently, feeling that something was about to happen!


    After all, they hadn''t known Su Chen for long, so they didn''t really understand him!


    If it were people from the Nether Temple, they would know from this expression that Su Chen waspletely angry!


    What follows wouldn''t be peaceful...


    "That''s right! If you don''t kneel today, it won''t be easy for you to leave!"


    Gu Sheng snorted.


    He didn''t care about Su Chen''s reaction; he was even a bit annoyed that Su Chen dared to smile at this moment!


    Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing were a bit puzzled by Gu Sheng''s words, as they stood by Su Chen''s side, even if they didn''t understand Su Chen''s strength!


    What gave Gu Sheng the confidence to say such things!


    Did he think he could handle the two of them by himself? That was obviously impossible!


    "Alright then!"


    Just as the two were still puzzled, Su Chen spoke calmly.


    Before the words were fully spoken, he suddenly swung out a p like a whirlwind, without any warning!


    "Pa!"


    A loud p echoed, crisp and sharp!


    Everyone was stunned, their faces nk!


    This guy actually pped Gu Sheng!


    This... this...


    Even Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing were a bit dumbfounded, their minds nk!


    "You fucking dared to p me!"


    Gu Sheng stumbled a few steps after the p, a crack appearing at the corner of his mouth with some blood trickling out!


    At this moment, his eyes were like those of an enraged beast!


    From childhood to now, he had never been pped before, yet today he got pped, and by an obscure guy!


    His anger erupted like a volcano!


    He immediately punched out like a cannonball, seemingly creating a vacuum tunnel in the air!


    The air was distorted andpressed as a sharp momentum burst from his fist!


    The power of his punch had multiplied since he struck Hong Yunlong!


    At this moment, he had but one thought, to punch the man in front of him to death!


    Daring to p me, I''ll make you die!


    To be honest, the reason Su Chen couldnd a p on him was partly due to Su Chen''s strength and partly because Gu Sheng hadn''t expected Su Chen to suddenly make such a move!


    Most people in the hall witnessing this scene thought Su Chen was doomed!


    After all, how could a Meridian Expansion Peak be a match for someone at Kaiyuan Primary Stage?


    After all, there was a major gap in Realm between them!


    However, Su Chen seemed entirely unfazed by the full-force punch from Gu Sheng!


    "Get lost!"


    He roared,unching a kick that sent the aggressively advancing Gu Sheng flying!


    "Bang!"


    Gu Sheng flew out, smashing several tables beforeing to a stop!


    Once stopped, he felt his insides churning and couldn''t help but cough out a mouthful of blood!


    Most people in the crowd were dumbfounded, unable to believe what they just witnessed, as if in a dream!


    This young guy actually kicked Gu Sheng flying so effortlessly?!


    You have to know, though arrogant, Gu Sheng was at least at Kaiyuan Primary Stage!


    Didn''t that mean this young guy had at least reached Kaiyuan Middle Stage strength?


    At this moment, everyone''s perception of this young man''s face changed!


    Even Gu Sheng, after spitting out blood, looked at Su Chen in shock!


    He hadn''t expected at all that this young man he disregarded was actually so formidable!


    Only a few people present, who had seen Su Chen take action at Lan Minghe''s birthday, and Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing, were not too surprised!


    "Su Chen, let it go!"


    At this moment, both Ouyang Jing and Lan Xinyi came forward to persuade!


    "Don''t worry, I have it under control."


    Su Chen nodded and smiled, appearing unconcerned!


    "But this Gu Sheng..."


    Lan Xinyi tried to say something else, but Su Chen interrupted her.


    "Enough, you don''t need to say anymore, I''ll handle this myself!"


    He said with a smile, though his tone carried firmness and irrefutability.


    He understood that Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing were concerned for him.


    The reason wasn''t hard to guess; perhaps this guy had aplicated background!


    But to Su Chen, since this guy wanted to y, Su Chen naturally would y along!


    For some reason, when they saw Su Chen''s demeanor, Ouyang Jing and Lan Xinyi were inexplicably convinced, as if his words were indisputable!


    Those who were watching were extremely shocked by what Su Chen said!


    This guy still wasn''t letting Gu Sheng go?


    Did he know who Gu Sheng was?


    Even if his strength was above Gu Sheng''s, going against him was just courting death!


    Initially, after a moment of shock, Gu Sheng looked at Su Chen with a face full of rage!


    But when he realized Su Chen still intended to act, he was immediately filled with fear!


    "Do you know who I am?"


    He trembled as he spoke, watching Su Chen approach.


    Su Chen heard his words andughed disdainfully!


    Why did these people always bring up their background at this point?


    Did they think this would make him stop?


    If that were the case, he wouldn''t have kicked him earlier!


    With a smile on his face, Su Chen walked step by step towards Gu Sheng!


    Seeing Su Chen''s smile, Gu Sheng inexplicably felt deep fear!


    So, he struggled to stand up and involuntarily retreated!


    Su Chen continued to approach step by step, and now they were not far apart!


    "Stop right there!"


    Just then, a sudden shout rang out!

 Chapter 1195: The Top Prodigy

    Upon hearing this outburst, Su Chen couldn''t help but turn his head to look, only to see a young man suddenly walk in!


    The others did the same, but when they saw who it was, everyone''s expressions changed!


    Even Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing''s faces immediately changed color!


    "He''s here!"


    "Now there''s going to be a great show!"


    "Indeed, that young man was so arrogant just now, now he''s going to be in trouble!"


    "Of course! This guy thinks he''s formidable because he has some strength, but he doesn''t know that there''s always someone better out there!"


    "Exactly, he probably doesn''t know that the Gu Family is a top tier force on par with Yunhai Hall, and Gu Sheng''s brother, Gu Heng, is the top genius among the younger generation of such forces!"


    ...


    As soon as this young man appeared, the crowd in the hall immediately started discussing!


    Their eyes showed expressions of admiration, envy, and even jealousy!


    Just because this man was the most dazzling existence among the younger generation of top-tier forces!


    Even though Ouyang Jing has now broken through to the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, he still can''tpare to the man in front of him!


    Su Chen naturally heard these discussions and finally understood why Gu Sheng was so arrogant earlier!


    It turns out he was relying on his family and his brother''s power!


    "Brother, save me!"


    Seeing this person, Gu Sheng immediately shouted, joy spreading across his face!


    Of course, he came together with his brother, Gu Heng, but Gu Heng had some matters to attend to, so he arrived a littlete!


    Just now, as Su Chen wasn''t letting go, Gu Sheng had been hoping in his heart for Gu Heng to appear sooner, and as expected, he appeared just in time!


    To Gu Sheng, it was like seeing a lifebuoy while drowning!


    "Kid, if you kneel down obediently now, I might spare you!"


    Seeing Gu Heng''s arrival, Gu Sheng once again regained his previous arrogance and said domineeringly.


    "Do you think that just because your brother is here, I won''t dare touch you?"


    Su Chen tilted his head slightly, still smiling at Gu Sheng!


    "Hmph, I bet you don''t dare!"


    Gu Sheng raised his head and spoke proudly:


    "Let me tell you, my brother is..."


    "p!"


    Before Gu Sheng could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a sudden p!


    This time it seemed even heavier, as Gu Sheng was directly pped to the ground!


    The entire hall fell silent, with everyone''s eyes wide open!


    In everyone''s heart, a single thought emerged: So he really dared!


    Even Lan Xinyi and Ouyang Jing were stunned by this sudden p!


    Su Chen really didn''t y by the rules, he acted when he wanted!


    Unlike Ouyang Jing, Lan Xinyi, besides being a bit shocked, felt something indescribable about Su Chen right now, making her heart flutter!


    "So, still want me to kneel?"


    Su Chen looked at Gu Sheng on the ground and taunted with a smile!


    At this moment, both sides of Gu Sheng''s face were swollen, with blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, looking utterly embarrassed!


    He looked at Su Chen, his eyes zing with fury!


    He couldn''t believe that even after Gu Heng had arrived, this young man still dared to act!


    Not just him, the others couldn''t believe it either!


    But the most unexpected of all was Gu Heng. At this moment, his expression was dark as storm clouds!


    "You''re courting death!"


    He looked at Su Chen not far away and said word by word!


    That p wasn''t just on his brother Gu Sheng''s face but felt like it was on his own, stinging painfully!


    It would be one thing if he wasn''t here!


    But he was here, and had even spoken up, yet this person dared to be so brazen!


    To Gu Heng, this was a tant provocation!


    "Wind Wave Palm!"


    Gu Heng moved, a shadow swept past, as heunched a fierce palm at Su Chen!


    As he struck, a massive amount of True Yuan surged out from within him, gathering on his palm print!


    In that instant, the airflow in the air was affected by this palm, powerful energy sweeping forth as sudden gusts erupted around them!


    This palm strike was like stirring up a great storm on a river, as if it could engulf and devour a person!


    The people in the hall saw this palm strike, and their expressions changed dramatically!


    Gu Heng truly deserved his title as the number one among top-tier forces, his cultivation was too formidable!


    Ouyang Jing and Lan Xinyi also clenched their fists tightly, wanting to help, but Gu Heng was too fast!


    Moreover, they knew there was a gap between their strength and Su Chen''s.


    If Su Chen couldn''t handle it, there was probably little they could do to help!


    Honestly, although Su Chen had previously defeated Zhu Jun, they were still very worried!


    Because that Zhu Jun, after all, was at the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, borrowing the Zhu Family''s strongest martial technique to bring his attack momentarily to the power of the Kaiyuan Late Stage!


    But Gu Heng was a genuine Kaiyuan Late Stage cultivator, there was a clear difference!


    However, what gave them some peace of mind was that even if Su Chen was slightly below Ouyang Jing, it shouldn''t be by much, so there shouldn''t be too much of a problem!


    They thought, if only Su Chen hadn''t delivered that second p, perhaps they could have interceded, and Gu Heng might give them some face!


    After all, Gu Heng is the Gu Family''s heir, and he would consider rtionships with Yunhai Hall and the Ouyang Family!


    But after Su Chen pped a second time, that possibility was very slim!


    "Not bad!"


    Su Chen watched Gu Heng''s palm strike, smiled faintly, but didn''t seem to take it too seriously!


    Just as Gu Heng''s palm was only a few dozen centimeters away from Su Chen, Su Chen also struck out with a palm!


    "Bang boom!"


    Immediately, the two palm strikes collided, producing a deafening sound, as if it would lift the roof off the ce!


    At the same time, True Essence Energy and Star Energy were scattering wildly, and the airflow twisted and deformed!


    "Thump thump thump~~~!!!"


    Gu Heng''s body couldn''t withstand it and was forced to retreat continuously, stepping back seven or eight steps before forcibly stopping!


    Yet Su Chen seemed rooted to the spot, not moving an inch!


    After stopping, Gu Heng immediately gazed in shock at this unfamiliar young man opposite him!


    He... he... how could he be so strong?!


    Earlier they had both engaged in a direct confrontation, but the result waspletely beyond his expectations!


    He was defeated...


    Moreover, in that previous palm from his opponent, he sensed some kind of special energy, although sparse, it was terrifyingly formidable!


    He had no idea what that energy was...

 Chapter 1196: Inviting Lan Xinyi

    The scene was now quieter, so quiet that it made one feel uneasy!


    They all stared in amazement at what had just happened, feeling a sense of unreality!


    Gu Heng was defeated?


    The top prodigy of first-rate forces, Gu Hui, was actually defeated?


    What was even more important was that he was defeated by a young man most of them didn''t even know!


    This gave them a strong sense of disbelief!


    Not to mention them, even those few who had seen Su Chen in action were shocked!


    At first, they thought Su Chen was somewhat inferior to Gu Heng, after all, Gu Hui''s strength was ingrained in their minds!


    But unexpectedly, the final result was a shock to everyone!


    Ouyang Jing and Lan Xinyi exchanged a look and saw shock and disbelief in each other''s eyes!


    They wondered, what is this guy''s limit? Just how strong is he?


    They really found it increasingly difficult to understand him!


    No wonder he was so calm earlier; he was genuinely confident!


    And at this moment, Gu Sheng, who had stood up again, waspletely dumbfounded!


    His genius brother, whom he had always been proud of, was also defeated by this kid?!


    He couldn''t believe what he had just witnessed!


    How could this be possible?!


    In his mind, apart from those few extraordinary geniuses from super-first-rate forces, his brother was undoubtedly the best!


    "Su Chen, let''s go."


    Lan Xinyi said.


    "Yes, let''s go."


    Ouyang Jing chimed in.


    With what had happened, they didn''t want to stay any longer, and both Yunlong and Sun Yang nodded.


    "Let''s go."


    Seeing that everyone agreed, Su Chen nodded, and then they all walked out...


    Gu Heng watched Su Chen''s retreating back, gritting his teeth, but he didn''t dare to stop him!


    Because he knew he was not a match for this young man; the palm strike just now had already proven that!


    .....


    "Su Chen, you were really reckless today."


    After walking out of the hotel, Lan Xinyi nced at Su Chen and said.


    "Was I?"


    Su Chen touched his nose and smiled:


    "That guy was also one of the top ten talents, right?"


    "Of course, Gu Heng ranks around fifth or sixth among the top ten talents!"


    Lan Xinyi said and then smiled a little:


    "Of course, if there was a reevaluation now, Ouyang would definitely be one of them too."


    "Ouyang, will those two people seek revenge since my brother taught them a lesson today?"


    At this moment, Yunlong asked worriedly.


    "Who knows!"


    Ouyang sighed.


    To be honest, he and Lan Xinyi suggested leaving because they were worried that things might escte beyond control!


    But since the two Gu brothers had lost face in front of everyone today, it''s unlikely that they would let this go easily!


    Su Chen of course understood this, but he was not one to kill indiscriminately and couldn''t kill over such a minor issue!


    A little lesson would suffice for such matters!


    Su Chen also didn''t want to be such a bloodthirsty person; this was about one''s temperament!


    Of course, if there was truly a need, he would not hold back either!


    "Big brother, I''m sorry for causing trouble for you."


    Yunlong said apologetically.


    Though he didn''t know much about the Gu family, he knew they were not ordinary and definitely very powerful!


    "Today''s matter is not your fault!"


    Su Chen ced a hand on Yunlong''s shoulder and said seriously:


    "We don''t look for trouble, but we''re also not afraid of it! A man might not be as strong as others, but he mustn''t lose his dignity!"


    "I understand!"


    Yunlong nodded solemnly, remembering Su Chen''s words!


    "Alright, let''s just let this matter pass!"


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "Xinyi, since you''re in Yandu, why not stay at my ce for a while and let me be a good host!"


    Upon hearing this, Lan Xinyi''s face turned slightly red!


    To be honest, she certainly wanted to go, but she just felt a bit shy!


    "Go ahead, I''m staying at his ce too."


    Ouyang Jing said with a smile.


    "Alright then."


    Hearing Ouyang Jing''s words, Lan Xinyi nodded shyly and said:


    "I''ll go get my luggage from the hotel."


    So, the group escorted Lan Xinyi to the hotel she was staying at, which wasn''t too far from the gathering ce, and Yunlong drove them there quickly.


    Even though there were quite a few of them, Yunlong''s SUV had plenty of space, so it was no problem!


    Before long, Lan Xinyi came out of the hotel with a suitcase, a bit shy on her pretty face!


    Once Lan Xinyi got back in the car, it started moving slowly again, leaving the ce...


    The longer they drove, the faster Lan Xinyi''s heart raced!


    Actually, during their casual chat, Lan Xinyi knew Su Chen had a few women!


    However, in the martial artist''s world, such things weren''t taken too seriously; her father had more than one woman too!


    "Feeling a bit nervous?"


    Ouyang Jing teased as he saw Lan Xinyi fidgeting with her fingers.


    "No..."


    Lan Xinyi replied softly.


    After a while, the car finally arrived at the base of Yuquan Mountain, where a luxuriously decorated vi appeared before them.


    "This is it."


    Su Chen smiled and said to Lan Xinyi.


    After getting out of the car, Ouyang Jing and the others said a word and went to the annex, while Su Chen led Lan Xinyi into the vi''s main gate!


    At this moment, Lan Xinyi felt her heart was about to leap out, so much so that she didn''t notice the unusual Yuan Qi around!


    "Don''t worry, they''re all friendly and easy to get along with."


    Since the gathering was held in the afternoon, it wasn''t yet evening, so only Qi Meng, Eniel, and others were in the vi.


    Hearing Su Chen return, the women who were cultivating all came out!


    When they saw Su Chen bringing back another beautiful woman, they all smiled meaningfully!


    They immediately noticed the strong True Essence Aura emanating from Lan Xinyi, and her profound cultivation which they couldn''t discern, leaving them surprised!


    But since Su Chen brought her in, it was naturally fine!


    "This is my friend, Lan Xinyi; you can call her Xinyi."


    Su Chen said to the women and then introduced Qi Meng and others to Lan Xinyi.


    "Su Chen, can you tell us how many such beautiful friends you have?"


    Eniel said with augh.


    Hearing this, the other women allughed together!


    This made Lan Xinyi, who was already nervous, blush even more!


    "Alright, Xinyi, wee!"


    Du Hanbing smiled and said seeing Lan Xinyi''s embarrassment.


    The other women also weed Lan Xinyi warmly; after all, they were just teasing Su Chen earlier...

 Chapter 1197: Teasing

    Just as Eniel and Qi Meng were weing Lan Xinyi, Huang Menglei slightly frowned and suddenly her beautiful eyes lit up!


    "Are you the eldest miss of Yunhai Hall, Miss Lan Xinyi?!"


    Huang Menglei blurted out, somewhat incredulous!


    "And you are?"


    Lan Xinyi saw that Huang Menglei actually knew her and couldn''t help but ask.


    "I''m from the Huang Family, my father is Huang Zhenhua."


    When Huang Menglei heard Lan Xinyi say this, she knew she hadn''t guessed wrong!


    Just now, she found the name very familiar, and when she considered the opponent''s profound cultivation, she suddenly thought that the eldest miss of Yunhai Hall was named Lan Xinyi!


    "So you''re the eldest miss of the Huang Family!"


    Lan Xinyi smiled slightly; she had heard about the Huang Family and Huang Zhenhua, but had never met them.


    This was normal. After all, the circles in the Ancient Martial World were quite distinct. In the second-tier forces, the Huang Family was just an ordinary presence, at most a bit upper middle!


    Whereas Yunhai Hall was one of the top-notch presences among the first-tier forces!


    The gap between the two was incrediblyrge!


    Even Ouyang Jing was someone Huang Menglei only got to know by chance!


    However, since Huang Menglei was also someone from the Ancient Martial World, it made Lan Xinyi slightly rx.


    After chatting simply for a while, Du Hanbing and Qi Meng went to prepare dinner.


    Su Chen first asked Lan Xinyi to choose a room in the front vi, and then took her around the manor to get familiar with the surroundings!


    "Su Chen, the Yuan Qi here is so abundant!"


    At this moment, Lan Xinyi''s nervous mood slightly eased, so she asked.


    Lan Xinyi had of course noticed it at the foot of the mountain, but back then, she was too nervous to pay attention.


    "I set up arge formation here to gather the surrounding Yuan Qi!"


    Su Chen said casually as he walked.


    Upon hearing this, Lan Xinyi, like everyone else, was suddenly taken aback!


    Even though she had seen Su Chen break through formations in the ruins, she still felt amazed at the moment!


    She looked deeply at Su Chen, feeling more and more unable to see through this man...


    .....


    "Brother, what should we do about this?"


    On the streets of Yandu, Gu Sheng cautiously asked Gu Heng beside him.


    Not long after Su Chen and the others left, the two of them also left because they couldn''t stay there any longer!


    "We''ll talk after we return!"


    Gu Heng replied with a gloomy face, feeling that he had thoroughly lost face as the top genius of a first-tier power today!


    Seeing Gu Heng like this, Gu Sheng didn''t dare to say much and the two of them headed back to the hotel...


    ....


    After Su Chen took Lan Xinyi for a tour around the manor, he let her go back to her room to rest, and he also returned to his room to cultivate.


    When Lin Ruoxue returned, everyone sat down in the dining room to have dinner!


    Seeing so many women, Lan Xinyi was also quite astonished!


    What she didn''t expect was that each and every one of them had such exceptional looks, definitely stunning!


    Fortunately, all the women were quite friendly to her, which eased a lot of her anxiety!


    Lin Ruoxue and the others were also not too surprised that Su Chen brought back another beautiful woman!


    The dinner, in the end, was quite joyful...


    After dinner, everyone took a casual walk and chatted, and by around ten o''clock, they each returned to their rooms...


    .....


    Time flew by, and more than ten days passed in the blink of an eye!


    In these days, the manor was very peaceful, and nothing special happened.


    Lan Xinyi also blended into the environment, no longer feeling anxious as she did at first; she felt quite happy in this manor!


    After all, Yunhai Hall''s headquarters was in an isted ce, and it was rtively dull!


    After finishing cultivation that day, Su Chen changed into swim trunks and came out, ready to soak in the hot springs.


    He came to the hot spring pool and found that Qi Meng and others were soaking in it, and even Lan Xinyi was there!


    When Lan Xinyi saw Su Chen approaching, her face instantly turned red, and she couldn''t dare to look at him!


    After all, Su Chen was only wearing swim trunks, and more importantly, she was in a swimsuit!


    Actually, watching Qi Meng and the others casually soaking in the hot spring, she also wanted to try it, but the sexy swimsuit felt a bit too bold for her!


    So when Eniel and others invited her a few times, she refused, but today they dragged her in!


    Of course, mainly she also wanted to try the feeling; otherwise, they couldn''t have dragged her!


    Qi Meng even warmly gave her a set of her swimwear!


    Although it was a one-piece swimsuit, it was still a swimsuit; most of her skin was exposed in the air!


    For Lan Xinyi, it was her first time wearing something so bold and sexy!


    Su Chen hadn''t expected Lan Xinyi''s figure to be this good, no lesspared to Du Hanbing and Qi Meng!


    For a moment, he couldn''t help but stare!


    "Oh, someone''s about to drool!"


    Qi Mengughed with a "hehe" when she saw Su Chen like this.


    Upon hearing this, Lan Xinyi''s face turned even redder, feeling hot, and she lowered her head!


    "Xinyi, you''ll slowly get used to this pervert in the future!"


    Eniel also joked with a smile.


    "Go ahead and tease me!"


    Su Chenughed heartily and then with a "ssh," jumped right into the pool, sshing water onto the faces and bodies of the women!


    The women saw this and immediately got "angry," rushing up to teach him a lesson!


    Only Lan Xinyi and Huang Menglei watched from the side...


    But before hitting too much, they ended up under his "clutches," all begging for mercy!


    How could Su Chen let them off easily? He didn''t let go until he had enough fun with Qi Meng and others!


    Lan Xinyi and Huang Menglei watching this scene felt very shy, their faces almost dripping with water!


    Huang Menglei was slightly better; such scenes weremon in the manor!


    Lan Xinyi felt a different kind of feeling watching this embarrassing scene!


    In fact, since Lan Xinyi had stayed here for some days, she had seen simr situations a few times, so it wasn''t strange!


    But before, every time she saw it, she would sneak back to her room, feeling embarrassed!


    Today was the first time she watched such an embarrassing scene up close, naturally feeling an extraordinary sense!


    Although Lan Xinyi was slightly older than Huang Menglei, like her, she was still nk when it came to matters between men and women!


    After "bullying" Eniel and others, Su Cheny down next to the pool for a nap, thoroughly enjoying himself!


    Whereas Eniel and the others looked very displeased at this bad guy...

 Chapter 1198: No Time!

    They soaked for more than an hour and then stopped, going back to their rooms to change clothes...


    Before long, an unexpected guest arrived at the vi¡ªa woman in a long dress who had been there once before.


    "What brings you here again?"


    Su Chen sat down on the sofa in the lounge of the front vi and asked casually.


    "Mydy wishes to invite Mr. Su to Tianxiang Vi again."


    The woman in the long dress said.


    "Sorry, I''m busy!"


    Su Chen stood up before finishing his sentence and said:


    "Please leave."


    His meaning was clear: he was showing her out!


    Su Chen didn''t have a good impression of Qin Nishang, who wanted to recruit him, even though she exuded charm that could captivate any man!


    But for Su Chen, no power or person can recruit him!


    The woman in the long dress was a bit angry upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    Who was herdy? So many people dreamed of seeing her, and it was impossible!


    Yet now, as herdy took the initiative to invite him, he was showing off, which was simply outrageous!


    "Mr. Su, I advise you to think it over!"


    The woman in the long dress looked at Su Chen and said.


    "Alright, I have things to do, so I won''t entertain you!"


    Su Chen waved his hand impatiently and directly walked out of the lounge, leaving the woman in the long dress clenching her fists!


    "Just you wait!"


    The woman in the long dress said angrily and then left, what else could she do?


    .....


    After Su Chen left the lounge, he saw Qi Meng and the others were already cultivating, so he didn''t disturb them and went back to continue cultivating!


    During the past ten days, Su Chen sessfully broke through to the Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm.


    This made the True Yuan in his body reach an unprecedented harmonious state; once he operated the True Yuan, it seemed to cause a certain resonance!


    Of course, this was something imagined by Su Chen, considered a natural course!


    Although he had reached the Half-Step Kaiyuan Realm, Su Chen didn''t stop cultivating the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique," hoping for a breakthrough to the actual Kaiyuan Realm!


    However, he also knew that reaching a major realm wasn''t easy, but he was confident!


    .....


    While Su Chen was cultivating, the woman in the long dress returned to Tianxiang Vi, immediately went upstairs, and pushed open one of the rooms.


    "Mydy."


    She bowed to Qin Nishang in greeting.


    "So, was he invited?"


    Qin Nishang asked, lightly parting her lips.


    "No."


    The woman in the long dress replied, with traces of anger still on her face:


    "I just said one sentence, and he said he was busy, then got up and left!"


    "Oh, quite a temper!"


    Upon hearing this, Qin Nishang''s lips curled into a light smile.


    "Indeed, he seems to think highly of himself!"


    The woman in the long dress answered indignantly.


    "Angry?"


    Qin Nishang nced at the woman in the long dress and smiled slightly.


    "Madam, why bother with someone so ungrateful?"


    The woman in the long dress said.


    "I have my reasons!"


    Qin Nishang said softly, exuding a certain dignified aura!


    "Yes!"


    The woman in the long dress bowed again; indeed, herdy''s decisions were not for her to question.


    "Alright, I understand. You may leave now!"


    Qin Nishang waved her hand gently.


    Hearing this, the woman in the long dress backed out and closed the door behind her.


    At this moment, Qin Nishang picked up a wine ss from the coffee table and began to pace the room slowly.


    "Not even Gu Heng was your match; you continue to surprise people! No wonder Dugu Mingyue has an unusual interest in you!"


    Unconsciously, Qin Nishang''s mouth curled into an amused smile:


    "I''m bing more and more interested in you¡ªSu Chen!"


    ......


    Su Chen came out of his cultivation at dinnertime, and everyone gathered at the dining table!


    Thankfully, the dining table was big enough; otherwise, there wouldn''t have been enough seats!


    Because there were too many people in the vi now!


    Of course, to be precise, it was because there were too many women, with Su Chen being the only man!


    But recently, the after-dinner activities had gradually be a bit different than before, with everyone bing more rxed!


    The new residents had been there for a short time, so activities were initially organized for familiarity!


    For instance, after dinner, everyone usually went for a walk and chatted before returning to their rooms.


    But over time, the women had be like a family and were much more rxed!


    Some chatted in the lounge, somey on loungers in the hot spring pool chatting, and others soaked in the hot spring gazing at the stars...


    Of course, sometimes groups of three to five would feel like going out shopping, as the nights in Yandu were quite bustling!


    asionally, Yan Xi would even invite Ran Ting, Zhao Lin, and others to sit at a bar!


    For neers, everyone would take extra care!


    Like Lan Xinyi, and even Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning!


    Su Chen was pleased to see everyone more rxed and at ease!


    That night, after cultivating for two to three hours, he took a shower and then sneaked into Du Hanbing''s room!


    "Smells nice!"


    Su Chen embraced Du Hanbing, who had just finished bathing, whispering softly.


    "You rascal!"


    Du Hanbing, caught in his embrace, said with a slight spitting sound.


    Though Du Hanbing and Su Chen had been intimate many times, she still felt a bit shy at times!


    Just then, Su Chen''srge hands began to move, making Du Hanbing feel a strange sensation rising in her heart!


    Du Hanbing had once been a soldier and had a well-proportioned body with no excess fat on her abdomen. Her skin was incredibly firm, making Su Chen reluctant to let go!


    Before long, Du Hanbing''s breathing became rapid, and Su Chen lifted her to the bed...


    ........


    After two hours of intense activity, the room returned to silence, with their sweat glistening under the light!


    At this moment, Du Hanbingy exhausted on Su Chen''s chest, unwilling to move!


    Su Chen, feeling satisfied, lit a cigarette. In the recent action, he and Du Hanbing had tried several new challenging positions!


    "You''re bing more mischievous and bullying!"


    Du Hanbing shot Su Chen a nce,ining.


    Recalling the scenes from moments ago, she felt an uncontroble shyness!


    "You seemed quite happy earlier, too!"


    Su Chen blew out a smoke ring, chuckling as he spoke.


    "Don''t say that!"


    Du Hanbing red at Su Chen upon hearing his words!

 Chapter 1199: Commotion

    The next morning, as the sunlight poured into the room, Su Chen opened his eyes!


    Du Hanbing''s head rested on his arm, her soft short hair draped casually...


    Before long, Du Hanbing also opened her eyes and looked at Su Chen.


    At this moment, she couldn''t help but recall the times when the two of them fought side by side in the Eighth Brigade, and how she spent those hard days on the back cliff honing herself during his absence!


    Thinking about it now, it all feels like a lifetime ago!


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Su Chen looked at Du Hanbing and asked with a smile.


    "I''m thinking about our past,"


    Du Hanbing said softly.


    Hearing this, Su Chen also sighed and said:


    "It was my fault before, I made you suffer."


    "Don''t say that!"


    Du Hanbing reached out a smooth arm from under the quilt, ced her slender hand over his lips, and then smiled slightly:


    "I feel very happy now! Happier than I''ve ever been!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen also showed a knowing smile and gently kissed her forehead...


    Soon, the two of them got up and went to the restaurant for breakfast.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and the others went to work as usual, while Su Chen and the others stayed at the vi to cultivate!


    ...


    By the afternoon, feeling bored, Su Chen drove to Belle Group, nowadays he only went there for leisure and rxation!


    Back in his office, of course, it was the same as before, a cup of tea, a copy of "Men''s Wear" magazine!


    He was leisurely enjoying the photos of the sexy models while sipping tea!


    He wondered whether he should take simr photos of the women at the vi just for his own private viewing?


    To be honest, the women at the vi in terms of both looks and figures could easily surpass any star in the magazine!


    The only one who couldpare with them would probably be Jiang Ying!


    But this was just a thought, practically impossible!


    Taking swimsuit photos might be feasible since the women often bathe in hot springs, but posing them in such alluring positions, might be problematic...


    If he really went through with it, those women definitely wouldn''t let him off easy!


    Thinking of Jiang Ying, Su Chen started to miss her a bit. They kept in touch asionally, but not often!


    He figured her recent film should bepleted by now and she''d likely be starting its promotion!


    After finishing with the magazine, Su Chen went to see Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru and then made a stop at the PR department.


    Coming out of the PR department, Su Chen once again found himselfzily wandering around the group.


    Although he didn''t visit Belle Group often these days, he was still quite familiar with its various departments.


    Suddenly, his eyes lit up as an idea came to him ¡ª why not check on Luo Xiwen?


    Honestly, Luo Xiwen had been working at Belle Group for quite some time now, and Su Chen hadn''t dropped by to see her yet!


    Luo Xiwen was in charge of two departments at Belle Group: the Investment Department and the Overseas Department.


    Partly because of her expertise, and partly due to her overseas work background!


    Before returning to the country, Luo Xiwen was a core executive at a multinational corporation in Europe ¡ª her work ability was undoubtedly strong!


    Although Luo Xiwen now spent most of her time domestically, several people managed the overseas affairs.


    However, she still had to travel overseas every so often to better formte overseas strategies, thus aiding Lin Ruoxue in decision-making!


    Lin Ruoxue has had rtively more free time in recent months duergely to Luo Xiwen sharing this burden.


    After all, these responsibilities were previously all on Lin Ruoxue''s shoulders!


    ...


    "I''m really curious to see what that girl''s work looks like!"


    Su Chen smirked and took the elevator to the floor where the Overseas and Investment Departments were located!


    Both departments were on the same floor to facilitate Luo Xiwen''s management!


    Like Su Chen in the past, Luo Xiwen didn''t work in a separate office, instead, she operated within these two departments!


    Within these departments, Luo Xiwen had requested a small office to be set up, surrounded by ss walls, so the outside could see in and vice versa!


    Although both the past Su Chen and Luo Xiwen didn''t work in their own offices, the reasons werepletely different!


    Su Chen used to stay out to check out the beauties in the PR department, while Luo Xiwen focused on improving work efficiency!


    Su Chen saw the busy figure of Luo Xiwen in her little office at the Investment Department, with people constantlying and going!


    "Minister Su, what brings you to our department?"


    Upon entering, the staff at the Investment Department were surprised ¡ª Su Chen rarely visited them.


    "You go on with your work, I''m just here to take a look around."


    Su Chen casually said with a smile.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, they all resumed their work, assuming he was there for an inspection, considering he was the boss''s husband!


    Su Chen then pushed open the ss door, entering Luo Xiwen''s office:


    "Xiwen, you sure are busy!"


    "Can''t help it, I have to work hard for your wife!"


    Luo Xiwen joked and said:


    "By the way, what brings you to our Investment Department, quite the rare visit!"


    Just now, Luo Xiwen had seen Su Chen enter through the ss walls.


    "If I say I came specifically to see you, would you believe me?"


    Su Chen said with a smile, then casually sat down in a chair nearby.


    "Something tells me that''s not true!"


    Looking at a document, Luo Xiwen nced at Su Chen and said upon hearing this.


    "I''m just too bored, came over to check out your work environment."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Now that''s the truth."


    With a slight smile, Luo Xiwen said.


    As Luo Xiwen was just taking a break, the two of them casually chatted for a while.


    Their rtionship wasn''t as strained as before, naturally allowing them to chat like friends!


    Su Chen stayed at Luo Xiwen''s ce for about half an hour before leaving.


    With nothing much to do, Su Chen drove back to the vi...


    ...


    That evening, after having dinner with the women, Su Chen was about to return to his room to cultivate.


    Just then, his phone suddenly rang. To his surprise, it was a call from Ouyang Jing.


    Feeling a bit unusual, he quickly answered.


    "Su Chen, I just went for a walk and noticed some activity at the foot of the mountain!"


    As soon as the call was connected, Ouyang Jing spoke immediately.

 Chapter 1200: Visitors from the Illusory Palace

    Su Chen was startled by Ouyang Jing''s words:


    "Do you know who they are? How many?"


    "Not sure about the specifics, but I felt they were quite powerful, so I pretended not to notice and came back."


    Ouyang Jing said.


    "Alright, I''ll go meet them. I''d like to see who has a death wish!"


    Su Chen''s eyes shed intensely as he spoke.


    "I''ll go down with you to check it out."


    Ouyang Jing said somewhat uneasily over the phone.


    "No need, Ouyang. Standard procedure, just keep an eye on the manor. If someone sneaks in, let me know immediately!"


    Su Chen pondered for a moment before saying.


    "Okay then, I sense they''re not friendly, so be careful."


    Ouyang Jing agreed without much fuss.


    After hanging up, Su Chen walked out the gate and headed down the mountain.


    "Since you''vee, there''s no need to hide. Come out!"


    Standing at the foot of the mountain, Su Chen said casually.


    As soon as he finished speaking, two people emerged from the foliage on either side of the road!


    Although they couldn''t understand Su Chen''s Huaxianguage, they knew he had discovered them!


    Seeing the four of them, Su Chen was slightly surprised because the two men were both blond and blue-eyed!


    At first, he thought it might be people from the Zhu Family, or the Liewu Sect, or perhaps someone from the Gu Family who held a grudge from a previous encounter. Unexpectedly, they were foreigners!


    "Are you from the Illusory Pce?"


    Su Chen asked coldly, not in the Huaxianguage this time!


    There were many foreign enemies of Su Chen, but those capable of the cultivation levels of these individuals were probably only from the Illusory Pce, where Dimans was from, hence his question!


    "That''s right!"


    One of them answered coldly as well.


    They had nned to actter into the night, but were surprised to find they had been discovered, likely by the person who had just left.


    But since the target was out, it was perfect timing!


    "Since you''re here, prepare to die!"


    The man looked at Su Chen with contempt and said.


    "Hmph, just you all!"


    Su Chen sneered:


    "You''vee all the way to Huaxia, might as well stay here forever!"


    These people were merely at the Kaiyuan Late Stage, Su Chen really didn''t take them seriously!


    Hearing this, the few of them were instantly enraged, and their bodies moved like two bolts of lightning, rushing towards Su Chen!


    Faced with theirbined attack, Su Chen remainedposed and suddenly moved, throwing a punch directly at one of them!


    "Bang!"


    The two punches collided, and Su Chen''s fist shattered the opponent''s arm, then struck his body, sending him flying!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    At this moment, as another punch came from beside him, Su Chen directly used the Thousand Hand Seal!


    Three palm prints appeared before the man, with one colliding with the opponent''s Fist Mang, causing the surrounding air currents to be violent!


    Witnessing this strange scene, the man was filled with terror!


    "Boom!"


    The remaining two palm prints exploded on his chest, sending him flying as well!


    In a blink, Su Chen had killed two people, leaving the other twopletely stunned!


    Is this guy human or a ghost?!


    How could he be so powerful?


    The two exchanged nces, releasing a powerful oppressive aura, reaching an unprecedented intensity!


    At first, they thought dealing with this young man was a piece of cake, but things had progressedpletely unexpectedly!


    Only now did they truly exert their full strength!


    Between the two, they achieved a rtively bnced state of offense and defense; earlier, they hadn''t even considered defense!


    The reason being they hadn''t taken Su Chen seriously!


    Su Chen looked at the two and couldn''t be bothered to waste words. With a thought, he grabbed the Dragon-ying Sword, and swung it!


    Like overturning seas and rivers, the mighty Sword Qi surged out crazily!


    Su Chen''s cultivation was now far beyond what it used to be, and the power of this sword strike had naturally increased significantly, bing much stronger than before!


    Feeling the terrifying Sword Qi, terror appeared on their faces, and they turned to flee!


    However, they were too close to Su Chen, and it was already toote!


    Having no choice, they could only muster all their strength to resist, disregarding any notion of offensive-defensive bnce!


    Yet all they did seemed to be in vain, as they were immediately sted away by the powerful Sword Qi,nding on the ground!


    Their chests and abdomens were drenched in blood, a gruesome sight!


    Though not immediately dead, it was only a matter of time. Su Chen stepped forward to send them on theirst journey!


    Su Chen briefly handled the bodies and returned to the manor.


    "How''d it go?"


    Seeing Su Chen return, Ouyang Jing quickly asked.


    In fact, when Su Chen went down the mountain earlier, he had already entered the manor to fully ensure no one sneaked in from elsewhere!


    "Handled, it''s fine now."


    Su Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    "Who were they? People from the Zhu Family or the Gu Family?"


    Ouyang Jing asked.


    "Neither, it was a foreign Ancient Martial force."


    Su Chen said.


    "Su Chen, just how many enemies have you made!"


    Ouyang Jing sighed helplessly.


    Dealing with the Zhu Family and the Gu Family was one thing, and now a foreign Ancient Martial force had appeared!


    Fortunately, he didn''t know that among Su Chen''s enemies were also the Liewu Sect, the Great Elder of Yunhai Hall, and the Heavenly Thunder Sect, otherwise, Ouyang Jing would be even more speechless!


    "They provoked me first, I didn''t go out of my way to provoke them!"


    Su Chen spread his hands, expressing his helplessness...


    ...


    Before long, Ouyang Jing went back to the courtyard, while Su Chen returned to his room.


    That night, Su Chen didn''t go to any woman''s room but stayed in his own room cultivating.


    As for the incident earlier, he didn''t dwell on it much...


    He cultivated until dawn, took a shower, feeling refreshed, then casually went to make breakfast.


    A short whileter, Eniel and Xia Qiuru almost simultaneously arrived in the dining room, naturally helping to prepare breakfast.


    Once breakfast was ready, the other women also woke up and came to the dining room.


    After a joyful breakfast, as usual, Lin Ruoxue and the others who had to go to work, went to work...


    (ps: There are two more chapters tonight!)


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1201: The Little Girl in the Mountains

    Su Chen and Qi Meng chatted casually for a while before returning to their rooms. He couldn''t help but take out the token again, wanting to study it further.


    He was already very familiar with this token. Aside from some intricate patterns, there was nothing particrly special about it.


    Su Chen looked at it over and over, trying to find something special, but still had no results!


    "The true secret of this token probably lies with the Ximen n!"


    Su Chen thought to himself.


    However, ever since the Ximen n tested the watersst time, they seemed to have gone quiet again, making Su Chen even more cautious!


    This indicated that the opponent was very cautious, which also proved the value of this token from another angle!


    Fortunately, this token was always kept in the Cangyue Ring, unless he died, they could never get it!


    After a while, Su Chen put the token away again and continued his cultivation.


    ...


    At the foot of the vi, a woman in a green silk dress appeared.


    "When Xiao Yu told me the Yuan Qi here was especially abundant, I didn''t quite believe it. Who would have thought it was really true!"


    The woman walked towards the vi, feeling the Yuan Qi between heaven and earth while murmuring.


    Before long, she arrived at the entrance to the vi and walked straight in.


    Huang Menglei had just finished cultivating for one or two hours and came out for a casual stroll.


    She happened to see a woman walking in, and as soon as she saw her, she froze!


    Because the woman was too beautiful, almost as much as Ruoxue and Sister Qi Meng, and there was a special charm about her that even made Huang Menglei''s heart tremble!


    "Who are you looking for?"


    Huang Menglei asked curiously.


    "Is Mr. Su here?"


    The woman asked casually.


    "You''re looking for Brother Su?"


    Huang Menglei couldn''t help but ask.


    The woman nodded with a smile.


    "Then please have a seat in the living room first, I will go and call him for you."


    Huang Menglei said, then led the woman to the living room.


    "Howe another beautiful woman is here looking for Brother Su?!"


    Huang Menglei muttered to herself as she walked towards the rear vi, her tone a little sour!


    Before long, Su Chen came to the front vi''s living room with Huang Menglei, after which Huang Menglei left.


    Su Chen was a bit stunned as soon as he saw the visitor:


    "Why are you here?"


    Because sitting in the front vi''s living room at that moment was Qin Nishang.


    "Since the people below couldn''t invite Mr. Su, I had toe personally!"


    Qin Nishang said with a smile.


    "You are indeed very persistent!"


    Su Chen also shrugged andughed:


    "But I already made it very clearst time."


    "Mr. Su, don''t worry, I won''t bring that matter up again."


    Qin Nishang said with a smile.


    "Oh, Miss Qin changes quite fast!"


    Su Chen nced at Qin Nishang and said with a faint smile.


    "A nobleman cannot be robbed of intent, let alone Mr. Su? I was too abruptst time."


    Qin Nishang smiled slightly.


    "Miss Qin is too kind."


    Since she said this, Su Chen had to be polite.


    Not just because of her personallying over, but also considering her breathtaking beauty!


    Going too far wouldn''t be good, right?


    Su Chen generally had quite a bit of tolerance for beautiful women!


    "Mr. Su really knows how to enjoy himself, cultivating in such a luxurious vi on Yuquan Mountain."


    Qin Nishang said with a smile.


    "Not bad."


    Su Chen shrugged casually.


    "By the way, does Mr. Su know a ce called Yun Ya Residence in Yandu?"


    Qin Nishang suddenly asked.


    Su Chen felt a bit strange when Qin Nishang suddenly mentioned Yun Ya Residence, but still nodded:


    "I know, I''ve been there twice."


    Upon hearing this, Qin Nishang looked at Su Chen and said:


    "How does Mr. Su feel about the Dugudy who ys the zither there?"


    "Miss Qin also knows that it''s Miss Dugu ying the zither at Yun Ya Residence? Do you know her?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask upon hearing this.


    "Sort of."


    Qin Nishang ambiguously nodded:


    "How does Mr. Su feel about Miss Dugu?"


    "I''m not familiar with her, just had a chat after she finished yingst time and drank two cups of sake."


    Su Chen did not hide it, after all, there was nothing to hide.


    He felt that Qin Nishang seemed quite concerned about Dugu Mingyue, though he wasn''t sure why.


    However, upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Qin Nishang''s heart trembled!


    Perhaps he thought it was nothing, but Qin Nishang knew that if this news got out, it would surely shock many people!


    Dugu Mingyue inviting a stranger to drink alone, anyone hearing this would feel it was like a fairy tale!


    Of course, if people knew that she, Qin Nishang, went to see a rtively unfamiliar man proactively, the effects wouldn''t be much different!


    If initially it was because of Dugu Mingyue she became interested in this man, gradually, she genuinely felt this man was bing more interesting!


    At least, there''s quite a bit of intrigue about him!


    As for Su Chen, he was still pretty oblivious about everything at the moment!


    After the two chatted for a while, Qin Nishang left, but didn''t say anything about inviting Su Chen to Tianxiang Vi.


    After sending her out the door, Su Chen returned and encountered Qi Meng and Lan Xinyi in the front vi.


    They were also taking a break from cultivation, chatting to rx.


    For women, there''s never any worry about not finding a topic to talk about.


    "I heard from Menglei, another stunning beauty came looking for you just now?"


    Qi Meng asked mischievously.


    "Why didn''t you introduce her to us?"


    Eniel alsoughed meaningfully.


    "What are you thinking? She''s just someone I''ve just met, not even friends."


    Su Chen spread his hands andughed speechlessly.


    Indeed, as of now, he and Qin Nishang could only be considered acquaintances.


    "Really?"


    Du Hanbing nced at Su Chen, lookingpletely unconvinced, and Eniel and the others had simr expressions.


    "Of course, what else would you think!"


    Su Chen said, pouting upon seeing their expressions.


    "We thought you brought back another woman!"


    Eniel chuckled.


    The other women alsoughed...


    Of course, they were just casually joking.


    Nowadays, they thought simrly to Lin Ruoxue, as long as this man loved them it was enough!


    Is there anything more important than that?


    After a few jokes, everyone returned to their rooms for cultivation again...


    ...


    Meanwhile, on Kunlun Mountain, a young girl with violet hair sat on a slope, arge yellow dog crouching at her side, her small hand gently stroking it.


    A breeze arose in the mountains, tossing her violet hair...

 Chapter 1202: Gongsun Liangs Sigh

    "Didn''t that brat call a few days ago and say he''de to pick you up for Yandu? Why aren''t you happy?"


    At this moment, an old man walked over, smiling slightly.


    "I can''t bear to leave Master and Dahuang."


    Xiao Xun turned to the old man and said:


    "Master, why don''t youe to Yandu with me?"


    "I''ve gotten used to living on this mountain, so I won''t go."


    Gongsun Liang said with a smile, appearing somewhat carefree.


    "But won''t you feel lonely here by yourself?"


    Xiao Xun tilted her head and asked.


    "I''ve been living here for decades, so I won''t feel lonely."


    Gongsun Liang smiled and said.


    "Master, after I leave, I''ll definitelye back to visit you often."


    Xiao Xun looked at Gongsun Liang and said.


    "You''re more considerate than that brat!"


    Gongsun Liangughed and said.


    "Actually, Brother Su also cares about you, Master, he just hasn''t said it out loud."


    Xiao Xun said seriously.


    Gongsun Liang smiled without saying anything; how could he not understand his own disciple?


    One of Gongsun Liang''s proudest achievements was that disciple, although the brat rarely called him Master, instead calling him Old Ghost!


    But there is no doubt that the brat is someone with deep emotions!


    As for the little girl in front of him who was worthy of pity, whether it was pride or regret was still hard to say!


    Thinking of this, Gongsun Liang couldn''t help but sigh silently!


    Hopefully that brat can help you in the future, because besides him, probably no one else can!


    "Alright, the wind is picking up, go back and continue your cultivation."


    Gongsun Liang said.


    "Okay."


    Xiao Xun nodded, patting the big yellow dog sleeping beside her:


    "Dahuang, let''s go home!"


    .....


    Su Chen cultivated until Lin Ruoxue returned at night, and then headed to the dining room.


    After dinner, everyone still did what they had been doing these past few days, some chatting in the living room, some chatting in their rooms, some lying on loungers next to the hot spring chatting, and a few soaking in the hot spring under the night sky, asionally chatting with the women on the loungers!


    Xia Qiuru, Huang Menglei, and Yan Xi went out shopping together...


    Su Cheny on the lounger for a while before heading to the other courtyard to see Ouyang Jing, Sun Yang, and Yunlong.


    Su Chen often came to the other courtyard to sit and chat casually, as it was inconvenient for the few men to always stay on their side!


    Since Sun Yang and Yunlong attended a gathering of leading forces in the Ancient Martial World some time ago, they deeply felt the gap between themselves and others, so they cultivated even more diligently!


    Sun Yang was fine, as he had always cultivated diligently, but Yunlong had changed significantly, bing much more focused than before!


    He secretly resolved to improve his cultivation as soon as possible, as his current level was too low!


    Luckily, he now had the help of therge Gathering Yuan Formation, and most of the treasures Su Chen gave himst time were still unused.


    He was confident that he could quickly improve his cultivation level!


    .........


    While Su Chen was chatting with Sun Yang and the others, in Ye Mei''s room, Qi Meng and she were lying on the bed.


    "Qi Meng, do you think Su Chen likes me?"


    Ye Mei asked with some distress.


    "Ye Mei, you''re quite smart, how could you ask such a question?"


    Qi Meng chuckled in response.


    "What?"


    "Anyone with eyes can see that rascal likes you!"


    Qi Meng said with a smile.


    "I feel that too, but I''ve been here for so long, why hasn''t he..."


    Ye Mei said, but felt embarrassed to continue.


    Qi Meng understoodpletely andughed, saying:


    "You should know him by now; he''s more wicked than anyone else and more proper than anyone else when acting serious!"


    Qi Mengughed.


    Ye Mei heard this and couldn''t help but chuckle, realizing it was true!


    "If he doesn''t take the initiative, you can!"


    Qi Meng looked at Ye Mei and said:


    "I can tell you, that''s how it started with me too. This guy took advantage a lot, but never made any concrete moves, which really aggravated me!"


    "Finally, in a fit of anger, I went to his room at night!"


    "This is really just about breaking that thinyer of window paper!"


    Ye Mei felt Qi Meng''s words made sense.


    However, taking that step herself was something Ye Mei wasn''t quite prepared for...


    "Alright, think it over, and see if it makes sense. I''m going back to my room."


    Qi Meng stood up and said with a smile, then left, leaving Ye Mei still in meditation...


    ......


    Su Chen stayed in the courtyard for about an hour before returning to his room, unaware of Ye Mei''s grievance.


    If he knew, he might have gone straight to Ye Mei''s room...


    The next day, after breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and others were nning to go to work when Lan Xinyi suddenly said:


    "I want to let everyone know that I''m nning to leave today."


    Lan Xinyi said this with an inevitably mncholic and pensive expression.


    Upon hearing this, everyone, including Su Chen, was taken aback, and even Lin Ruoxue and the others paused.


    "Why leave? Aren''t you happy here?"


    Du Hanbing immediately said.


    "No, I''ve been very happy with everyone here, even the happiest I''ve ever been."


    Lan Xinyi said with a smile.


    "If that''s the case, then why not stay?"


    All the women said, after all, they had been together for so long and developed good rtionships.


    Lan Xinyi''s sudden decision to leave was naturally something they couldn''t bear.


    "I''ve been away from home for a long time, and it''s time to go back."


    Lan Xinyi said, mentioning she had initially nned to attend a gathering and stay for only two or three days.


    Now, having stayed so long without returning, it was hard to justify.


    Upon hearing this, the women didn''t know what to say.


    "How about this, Xinyi, after you go back, spend some time with your family ande back after a while?"


    Lin Ruoxue suggested after some thought.


    "Yeah, yeah!"


    All the other women echoed Lin Ruoxue''s suggestion.


    In truth, what Lin Ruoxue said tempted Lan Xinyi, as she hoped for that oue, but felt a bit embarrassed...


    "Xinyi, your room will always be avable for you, you''re wee back anytime."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Mm."


    Lan Xinyi nodded shyly, speaking softly.


    Seeing Lan Xinyi agree, the women all shared a knowing smile...


    That afternoon, Su Chen personally took Lan Xinyi to the airport and only left after she boarded the ne....

 Chapter 1203: Vanished Without a Trace

    On his way back from the airport, Su Chen received a call from Jiang Ying!


    "Jiang the superstar, howe you suddenly have time to think of me?"


    Su Chen joked.


    "Su Chen, there you go again with your nonsense!"


    Jiang Ying''s voice on the other end of the phone carried a trace of yful annoyance.


    The two of them would contact each other once or twice, or two or three times a month, so they had grown quite familiar with each other, like old friends.


    "How have you beentely, everything going smoothly?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Everything''s been pretty good."


    Jiang Ying replied.


    "That''s good to hear."


    Su Chen said with a smile,


    "By the way, is there a reason you called me today?"


    "Well... next month the film crew will be holding a movie release event in Europe. Can youe?"


    Jiang Ying asked with a bit of anticipation from the other end.


    "Sure, if it''s convenient timewise, I''lle and take a look, and see how our superstar Jiang is doing!"


    Su Chen responded casually, thinking it had been a while since hest saw Jiang Ying, and it would be nice to catch up with her.


    .....


    While driving, Su Chen suddenly thought it had been a long time since he visited Aunt Pei, so he turned towards the governmentpound.


    A little whileter, his car stopped in front of Building No. 2 in the governmentpound. Pei Rou happened to be taking out the trash. When she saw Su Chen''s car, she stopped immediately; she knew Su Chen''s car well.


    "Hello, Aunt Pei."


    Su Chen greeted with a cheerful smile.


    "What brings you here today?"


    Pei Rou asked with a bit of surprise, as Su Chen hadn''t visited in a long time.


    But as soon as Su Chen heard Pei Rou''s words, he knew that after so much time, past events had almostpletely blown over, which made him very happy.


    "It''s been a while since Ist visited you, so I thought I''d drop by and see how you''re doing."


    Su Chen replied with a grin.


    "Dropping by?"


    Pei Rou gave him a sideways nce.


    "I misspoke; I came specifically to see you, Aunt!"


    Su Chen quickly corrected himself.


    "Alright, I was just teasing you. Come on in."


    Pei Rou said with augh.


    Su Chen then followed Pei Rou inside, carrying two gift boxes in his hand.


    "Next time, don''t bring gifts!"


    Pei Rou remarked as she saw Su Chen ce the gift boxes on the table.


    "Okay, Aunt."


    Su Chen chuckled. Back when he was in Jianghai, he rarely brought gifts to Pei Rou''s house, but he was worried that Pei Rou might still hold some resentment, so he brought two boxes.


    "Have a seat."


    Pei Rou invited Su Chen to sit down and poured him a cup of tea.


    Thest time Su Chen was here, Pei Rou had already gotten over most of her anger, and after this much time, it was almostpletely gone.


    It''s just that Su Chen hadn''t visited in a while, and sometimes she missed him a bit, as she practically treated him like half a son before!


    "Aunt Pei, how have you and Uncle Tang beentely, health-wise?"


    Su Chen inquired.


    "We''re both doing well."


    "We''re all fine, no need to worry."


    Pei Rou responded with a smile.


    The more they talked, the more they rekindled that familiar feeling from before.


    Pei Rou couldn''t help but be delighted, as Su Chen was indeed adept atforting people!


    Otherwise, why would Pei Rou have been so fond of him before?


    "Oh, why did you get married so early?"


    Pei Rou couldn''t help but sigh again; she was indeed very satisfied with Su Chen!


    If Su Chen hadn''t been married, she would have unhesitatingly married her daughter to him!


    Hearing this, Su Chen could only offer an awkward smile, not knowing how to respond.


    They continued chatting until the door suddenly swung open, and Tang Yun walked in. She paused slightly upon seeing Su Chen:


    "Why are you here?"


    "Why wouldn''t I be?"


    Su Chen grinned at Tang Yun.


    Tang Yun didn''t respond but quickly nced nervously at her mother.


    Seeing her mother in a good mood, not at all upset, Tang Yun rxed.


    "Alright, you young people chat."


    Pei Rou seemed to have something to tend to, so she stood up and said,


    "Little Su, Aunt''s going out for a bit; you''ll be staying for dinner."


    "Okay, I''ll happily ept the invitation."


    Su Chen nodded without hesitation.


    Afterwards, Pei Rou left, leaving just the two of them and the housemaids.


    Pei Rou wasn''t so conservative as to forbid them from meeting just because Su Chen was married.


    Of course, except for the initial furious period, since she was genuinely upset back then!


    "Why are you here?"


    As soon as Pei Rou left, Tang Yun asked Su Chen.


    "What, you seem particrly unwee to see me here?"


    Su Chen''s lips curled into a smile.


    "I didn''t mean it that way..."


    Tang Yun hastily exined.


    Su Chen naturally understood what she was worried about, shrugged, and smiled:


    "Nothing much, really, just suddenly remembered I hadn''t seen Aunt Pei in a while, so I came over."


    Tang Yun found his words reasonable with nothing to argue against.


    At least, her mother seemed to havepletely let go of her past anger, which put Tang Yun at ease significantly!


    "By the way, howe you''re back?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "School''s out, so of course I came back."


    Tang Yun pouted yfully.


    The elementary school Tang Yun attended was near the governmentpound, so she woulde home in the evenings.


    About half an hourter, Pei Rou returned, carrying some vegetables and meat.


    Seeing that it was all his favorite dishes, Su Chen was rather touched...


    After all this time, Aunt Pei still remembered the food he liked!


    In the evening, the three of them had dinner together, as Tang Mingji had social engagements and didn''te back.


    After dinner, they chatted for a while, and then around nine o''clock, Su Chen prepared to leave, with Tang Yun and Pei Rou seeing him off.


    Su Chen waved goodbye and drove off...


    .....


    When Su Chen got home, the other women had also finished dinner and were each engaging in their own activities. Of course, Su Chen had informed them in advance he wouldn''t be home for dinner.


    At that moment, Lin Ruoxue was in the hot tub with Xia Qiuru and Luo Xiwen, discussing some matters of their corporation.


    Before long, Su Chen joined them in swimming trunks, grinning:


    "Ladies, mind if I join you in the hot tub?"


    With that, he sat between Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru, wrapping his arms around them!


    The women knew that once he joined, any productive discussion was hopeless!


    "Ruoxue, your skin just keeps getting better!"


    Su Chen remarked with a mischievous grin, lightly tracing his fingers along Lin Ruoxue''s arm.


    Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes in response.


    No way she would bother asking him to remove his hand!


    Unfazed, Su Chen then turned to Xia Qiuru:


    "Qiuru, it seems like you''ve grown again, up to a D cup now?"


    Xia Qiuru blushed furiously at hisment. This guy was really shameless!


    (ps: There are two more chapters at night!)


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1204: Just as Expected

    Luo Xiwen watching this scene couldn''t help but cover her mouth andugh. This guy is truly an undeniabledies'' man!


    "Xiwen, what are youughing at?"


    Su Chen saw Luo Xiwen beside himughing and a mischievous smile appeared at the corner of his mouth:


    "Do you want me to help you expand in scale too?"


    "Get lost, you wish!"


    Luo Xiwen blushed and spat.


    "How does it feel to be snubbed!"


    Lying on the deck chair chatting with Du Hanbing and others, Eniel said "schadenfreude"ly.


    Su Chen was indifferent, leisurely soaking in the hot spring...


    As night fell, the women returned to their respective rooms, and after Su Chen returned to his room, he changed clothes and slipped into Lin Ruoxue''s room!


    Lin Ruoxue saw hime in so quickly and couldn''t help but nce at him, truly alluring!


    Su Chen went straight up and kissed Lin Ruoxue...


    .....


    After the storm had passed, Lin Ruoxuey quietly on Su Chen''s chest resting, while Su Chen casually lit a cigarette.


    Su Chen looked at Lin Ruoxue''s stunning face and felt a subtle taste of happiness.


    However, Su Chen suddenly thought of a somewhat strange question: why haven''t any of his women gotten pregnant yet?


    Even from a probabilistic perspective, this doesn''t make much sense!


    Last year, after he and Lin Ruoxue had a substantive rtionship, he thought it was the Gu in Lin Ruoxue''s body causing the issue, so Lin Ruoxue hadn''t gotten pregnant!


    But a few months ago, that Gu was gone, and yet there''s still no sign!


    If it were just Lin Ruoxue, it would be okay; after all, some people take years or even longer to get pregnant.


    But now he has several women, and none of them are pregnant, it''s somewhat unreasonable!


    Both Su Chen and the women haven''t taken any precautions!


    Could it be something wrong with himself?


    But it shouldn''t be; as Ghost Doctor, he would have known if there was a problem with his health!


    He can be 100% sure that he doesn''t have any issues in this area, even healthier and stronger than most people!


    So why is it?


    Su Chen frowned slightly, unable to figure out what the problem was!


    Luckily, everyone is still young, so there''s no urgency regarding pregnancy issues!


    But not being able to figure this out always makes Su Chen feel something is quite off!


    But now he doesn''t have much of a clue, so he can only temporarily set this doubt aside...


    .....


    In the following three or four days, Su Chen''s life remained calm, with nothing particrly noteworthy.


    Besides cultivation, he''d visit Belle Group and sometimes go to Rose Group to see Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning!


    That morning, after breakfast, Su Chen went to the helipad not far from the back of the manor, and left by helicopter.


    He was heading to the Kunlun Mountains to visit his old Ghost master and pick up the little girl Xiaoxun.


    Since hest inquired about matters of the Ancient Martial World, it had been several months since hest visited.


    It was afternoon by the time Su Chen reached the little town at the foot of Kunlun Mountains and parked the helicopter there.


    Su Chen then walked towards the foot of Kunlun Mountains, and as he arrived, the big yellow dog came dashing down, followed by a little girl with purple hair, her hair fluttering in the wind!


    The big yellow dog immediately ran up to Su Chen''s feet and excitedly barked around him.


    "Big Yellow, you''ve gained weight again!"


    Su Chenughed, and the big yellow dog responded with enthusiastic "woofs."


    "Brother Su, you''re here!"


    Xiaoxun saw Su Chen and couldn''t help but smile joyfully.


    "Of course, Brother Su told you I woulde to pick you up today, and I have to keep my word!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Then he and Xiaoxun walked towards the mountain together with Big Yellow.


    "Xiaoxun, already at half-step Meridian Expansion, huh!"


    Su Chen gently rubbed Xiaoxun''s purple hair and said with some surprise.


    "Yeah!"


    Xiaoxun nodded happily.


    Soon, Su Chen and Xiaoxun arrived at the wooden house, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked in.


    "You''re here!"


    Gongsun Liang wore a long robe, cloth shoes on his feet, and greeted Su Chen indifferently:


    "It''s almost time for dinner."


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen rolled his eyes:


    "You old ghost, can''t you be a little humane?"


    But he still obediently went into the kitchen, for there was no way around it!


    Xiaoxun happily went in to help out, though it was more like apanying Su Chen.


    About two hourster, Su Chen had prepared some dishes and served them on the table.


    Gongsun Liang took a couple of bites, nced at Su Chen without saying anything, then continued eating...


    Life in the mountains was monotonous, after dinner, Xiaoxun went back to her room to cultivate and then rest!


    Su Chen, of course, went to Gongsun''s room, where a pot of tea had already been prepared on the small table, and Gongsun Liang was sitting by the table savoring it.


    Su Chen sat down, poured himself a cup, and tasted it too.


    The old ghost was picky about food and naturally picky about tea as well, the red robe he was drinking was something Lin Ruoxue had managed to send over.


    Lin Ruoxue still sends things over every couple of months, fulfilling her filial duty to this apprentice.


    "Tell me, what''s bothering youtely that has your mind so unsettled!"


    Gongsun Liang put down his tea cup and asked.


    Su Chen didn''t answer immediately, but after a moment of silence, looking at the tea in the cup, he spoke:


    "I recently found out about my background, my parents aren''t my biological ones."


    Su Chen had always kept this in his heart, pretending not to care, but how could he not care?!


    The always-calm Gongsun Liang was immediately shocked upon hearing this!


    "Indeed, it is so!"


    He murmured inwardly.


    "What do you n to do?"


    Gongsun Liang asked, looking at him.


    "Leave it to fate, I don''t have any clues, looking for them would be like searching aimlessly in the ocean!"


    Su Chen sighed, his tone somewhat deste.


    "That''s all you can do."


    Gongsun Liang nodded:


    "If you are truly destined, there will be a day you meet, then you can figure out the reason!"


    "I understand."


    Su Chen nodded as well.


    "Don''t let this weigh heavily on you, isn''t your life quite happy now?"


    Gongsun Liang, worried Su Chen might be overwhelmed by it, offered rarefort.


    "Don''t worry, old ghost."


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "You''re right, I''m not thinking too much about it now, just asionally pondering, as for this matter, I''ll take it as ites."


    Seeing his mindset still decent, Gongsun Liang felt relieved...

 Chapter 1205: Demonic Nature

    "By the way, when you take the little girl back this time, make sure to pay attention to the Demonic Qi in her body!"


    After chatting for a while longer, Gongsun Liang said.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll definitely be very careful."


    Su Chen nodded, acknowledging the importance of the matter.


    "More importantly than that, you need to pay attention to her Demonic Nature!"


    Gongsun Liang looked at Su Chen and said solemnly.


    "Demonic Nature?!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but exim; it was the first time he had heard this term.


    "That''s right, I didn''t tell you before; the Demonic Qi in the little girl''s body isn''t the main concern. The most important thing is her Demonic Nature!"


    Gongsun Liang''s face showed an unprecedented seriousness as he spoke:


    "Once the Demonic Nature awakens, I don''t know what might happen either!"


    "If that day reallyes..."


    At this point, a look of struggle and pain appeared on Gongsun Liang''s face.


    "Old ghost, you don''t need to say more. Even if that day doese, I will never give up!"


    Su Chen said firmly, even though Gongsun Liang didn''t finish his sentence, he understood what Gongsun Liang meant!


    Su Chen knew about Gongsun Liang''s affection for Xiaoxun; for him to say this or imply it, meant the situation was far more serious than he had thought!


    Otherwise, he would never have said such a thing!


    But no matter what happened, it was impossible for Su Chen to give up on Xiaoxun!


    In Su Chen''s mind, this was beyond doubt!


    He had long considered Xiaoxun as his own family!


    Gongsun Liang felt bothforted and pleased, yet also worried and fearful upon hearing Su Chen''s words!


    He knew Su Chen well, so Su Chen''s attitude was not unexpected!


    "I hope you can truly help this poor little girl!"


    Gongsun Liang sighed deeply.


    He certainly didn''t want to see that scene unfold either.


    Later, Su Chen asked Gongsun Liang more specific questions about Demonic Nature before quietly returning to his previous room.


    Upon entering the room, he saw that little Xiaoxun was already asleep, very peaceful, like an angel!


    "Sigh, why does fate have to treat such a little girl this way?"


    Su Chen also sighed in mncholy and felt even more pity for the little girl he met on Tianshan!


    He couldn''t understand how such a lovely little girl could be entangled with things like Demonic Qi and Demonic Nature?!


    Su Chen theny down on the edge of the bed but didn''t sleep; instead, he was lost in thought.


    Unconsciously, the eastern sky began to brighten...


    After a while, he got up to start making breakfast.


    .....


    Su Chen stayed there for another day, and it wasn''t until the morning of the second day that he prepared to leave with Xiaoxun.


    While Xiaoxun was happy about going back to live with Su brother and Lin sister, she also felt reluctant to leave Gongsun Liang and Dahuang!


    Her beautiful eyes welled with tears, truly pitiful and stirringpassion!


    Fortunately, Su Chen promised her that whenever she missed her master and Dahuang, he would bring her back to visit, which lifted the little girl''s spirits somewhat!


    "Master, I''lle back to see you."


    Xiaoxun said reluctantly to Gongsun Liang.


    "Go on, go!"


    Gongsun Liang waved his hand, a slight smile appearing on his face.


    "Dahuang, I''lle back to see you too!"


    She then gently petted the whining big yellow dog and said.


    Every time Su Chen was about to leave, it would act like this, and now there was one more person!


    "Alright, Dahuang, next time I''ll bring you some tasty food!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Upon hearing this, Dahuang immediately barked, "Woof woof"...


    "Dahuang, you''re quite the foodie!"


    Su Chen chuckled, then took Xiaoxun''s small hand and walked towards the log cabin door, with Dahuang following along.


    Nearing the small town, Su Chen told Dahuang to go back, as he didn''t want to witness the scene of parting either!


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Dahuang reluctantly turned back, taking three steps with each look back...


    .....


    Su Chen then took Xiaoxun on board a helicopter, which soon lifted off slowly, heading towards Yandu...


    Xiaoxun, being just a little girl and flying in a helicopter for the first time, was naturally filled with a sense of wonder!


    She couldn''t sit still in the helicopter, constantly getting up to look out the window, and the sadness of parting gradually faded...


    Su Chen also prepared some snacks on the ne for her to take out and eat.


    When flying over the big city, looking down at the skyscrapers from above, it gave her a different feeling, eliciting bursts of exmations!


    Su Chen found her reactions rather amusing!


    During his time on the mountain, Su Chen had alsoe to terms with Xiaoxun''s situation!


    Firstly, it''s not certain if her Demonic Nature will awaken, nor is it certain when or under what circumstances it would!


    Su Chen, being an optimistic person, believed that even if that day came, he might still have a solution!


    Before that happens, he only hoped that Xiaoxun could live healthily and happily, enjoying the beauty of life!


    Why worry every day about things that haven''t happened yet?


    By the time dusk approached, the ne had already reached above Yandu!


    Yandu was the most prosperous city in Huaxia, and naturally, it looked even more magnificent from above!


    "Xiaoxun, we''re almost home, happy?"


    Su Chen asked with a smile.


    "Happy!"


    Xiaoxun nodded vigorously and said:


    "Su brother, when can Ruohan sistere y with me?"


    "Your sister Ruohan is still in school; I''ll bring her over whenever there''s a chance, okay?"


    Su Chen turned to look at Xiaoxun with a smile.


    Honestly, seeing little Xiaoxun reminded him of little Ruohan!


    Who knows who could handle that little monster of a girl in the future!


    "Mm!"


    Xiaoxun nodded again, happily saying.


    Before long, the ne slowlynded on the helipad behind Yuquan Mountain Vi, and Su Chen led Xiaoxun down.


    Su Chen had changed residences, making this a brand new environment for Xiaoxun, so she couldn''t help but feel a little nervous!


    "Xiaoxun, it''s okay, Su brother''s home is your home."


    Su Chen said with a gentle smile.


    Not long after, Su Chen led her by the hand into the vi, where Qi Meng and the others happened toe out!


    They knew Su Chen had returned because they had heard the sound of the helicopter.


    "What a pretty little girl!"


    The women were surprised to see Xiaoxun!


    This little girl had purple hair, and even though she looked about eleven or twelve, her features were perfectly delicate, surprising everyone!

 Chapter 1206: You Really Are the Master

    The girls at the manor knew that Su Chen was going to pick up a young girl today, but they didn''t expect the girl to be so beautiful and unique!


    What surprised them even more was that this young girl was actually a Martial Artist at the half-step Meridian Expansion stage, making the surprise even more intense!


    Xiao Xun felt a bit anxious upon seeing so many beautiful strangers.


    "Xiao Xun, these sisters are all very kind."


    Su Chen said:


    "This is Sister Qi Meng, this is Sister Eniel, this is Sister Hanbing..."


    Su Chen introduced Xiao Xun to them one by one. Every time Su Chen introduced one, Xiao Xun sweetly greeted them, making the women very pleased!


    After a while, a few women went to prepare dinner, while Su Chen took Xiao Xun for a stroll around the manor to familiarize her with the environment and then took her to the other courtyard to meet Ouyang Jing and others.


    Ouyang Jing and the others, though big men, really liked Xiao Xun!


    The women who went to work were gradually returning, and upon seeing Xiao Xun, they were equally fond of her because she was inherently a very lovable little girl!


    "Sister Lin!"


    When Lin Ruoxue returned home, Xiao Xun immediately rushed to her.


    No wonder, among so many women, she only knew Lin Ruoxue from before, and Lin Ruoxue had always been very fond of her!


    "Xiao Xun, did you miss Sister Lin?"


    Lin Ruoxue''s face lit up with a delightful smile when she saw Xiao Xun.


    Honestly, she had really missed this little girl during the time they hadn''t seen each other!


    She originally wanted to go with Su Chen to pick her up, but she was too busy in recent days to find the time!


    Even so, Lin Ruoxue still managed toe back by after six o''clock!


    "Yes!"


    Xiao Xun happily nodded.


    Afterwards, Xiao Xun became the center of attention among the women. Xiao Xun was a bit puzzled about why there were so many women in Brother Su''s house!


    Fortunately, both Su Chen and Lin Ruoxue were present, so it was alright!


    After dinner, Lin Ruoxue and Su Chen took Xiao Xun shopping and bought her some things!


    Actually, Lin Ruoxue had already purchased most of what was needed during her free time, it was mainly to take her out for a walk!


    Around ten o''clock, they returned home, and the two took Xiao Xun to her room.


    Xiao Xun''s room was arranged in the front manor, mainly because it had a recreation room and a media room, which would be convenient for her to y!


    Once Xiao Xun was settled in, the two returned to the living room where the women were still chatting.


    After a while, everyone went back to their rooms one by one...


    ....


    Time flew by, and in about ten days, Xiao Xun gradually adapted to the new life at the manor, constantly calling out this sister and that sister, making the women very happy!


    At the manor, whenever the women took a break from cultivation, they liked to tease her!


    However, Su Chen was considering that once she became more familiar with the environment, he would send her to school.


    After all, being with peers should make her happier!


    Also, Su Chen thought that perhaps learning more academic knowledge might help suppress her Demonic Nature!


    Elementary school doesn''t take too long, so it wouldn''t interfere much with her cultivation!


    Besides, with Tang Yun around, sending Xiao Xun to school was a simple matter!


    ........


    After finishing his cultivation this day, with nothing else to do, Su Chen drove to the corporation.


    He flirted a bit with Xiaojun and Xiaojing at the reception before taking the elevator upstairs.


    Once in his office, with nothing else to do, he stuck to his old routine of having a cup of tea and flipping through a couple of magazines!


    "You really are a master idler!"


    Luo Xiwen had juste out from the Public Rtions Department and noticed someone in his office, so she pushed the door open and came in!


    Once inside, she saw Su Chen with his legs propped up on the desk, sipping tea and browsing magazines!


    Luo Xiwen was in charge of the overseas department, which naturally required her to deal often with the Public Rtions Department, though she often bypassed him, the so-called head of public rtions!


    "Miss Luo, what brings you here?"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "It''s not surprising for me to be here, but youing here is a surprise!"


    Luo Xiwen casually sat down upon seeing him, and immediately noticed the magazine ''Men''s Style'' in Su Chen''s hand!


    On the magazine cover was a sensuous woman striking a pose!


    "You really are a pervert, with so many women at home, yet you still look at this!"


    Luo Xiwen sneered.


    "You don''t understand, this is about aesthetics!"


    Su Chen said ''seriously'':


    "Do you think I''m viewing from a vulgar standpoint? No! I am appreciating it from an aesthetic perspective!"


    Luo Xiwen was left speechless by Su Chen''s nonsense!


    She really didn''t know where he got the nerve to turn something so embarrassing into something so ssy and refined, and even made it seem like her own thinking was sordid!


    Luo Xiwen couldn''t help but recall a phrase: ''When a person is shameless, they are invincible.''


    She hadn''t understood it before, but seeing Su Chen today, she finally grasped the meaning!


    Luo Xiwen was busy and didn''t have time to debate such a profound issue with this shameless guy, so she sauntered off on her high heels...


    After Luo Xiwen left, Su Chen continued sipping his tea and enjoying the magazine...


    .......


    Meanwhile, far away at the Ximen n, two young men were walking together.


    "Ziming, has anything happened at home while I was away?"


    One of the young men asked.


    "Nothing major, just..."


    The other young man hesitated.


    "Just what?"


    The first young man stopped and turned to inquire.


    "Since you asked, I''ll tell you. Anyway, Grandfather and Uncle will surely tell you in a day or two."


    Ximen Ziming thought for a moment before saying:


    "The Sect Leader of Shengyi Gate, Mo Changqing, whom our family supported, was killed recently."


    "Oh, who did it?"


    The young man asked indifferently, not showing much emotion upon hearing the news.


    This young man was Ximen Bohai''s son, the eldest young master of the Ximen n, Ximen Zirui.


    "It was done by that guy who likely has the token."


    Ximen Ziming replied.


    "Him?! That kid from the Secr World?"


    Upon hearing this, Ximen Zirui was taken aback and couldn''t help but ask, "Does that kid have such ability?"


    "Indeed, and not just that, this guy even defeated Zhu Jun a while back!"


    Ximen Ziming continued as he looked at Ximen Zirui...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1207: Ximen Ziming’s Cunning

    Ximen Zirui was genuinely taken aback by these words!


    "Is that true?"


    Ximen Zirui couldn''t help but ask, after all, that Mo Changqing couldn''tpare to Zhu Jun at all.


    To put it bluntly, Mo Changqing was merely a tool cultivated by their Ximen n, whereas Zhu Jun was one of the top ten prodigies of the Ancient Martial World. They weren''t on the same level!


    "It''s absolutely true!"


    Ximen Ziming nodded.


    "I''ve never understood, why does grandfather value that token so much? After all these years, he''s still fixated on it?"


    Ximen Zirui frowned slightly.


    "Shh!"


    Upon hearing this, Ximen Ziming quickly shushed him and then whispered:


    "Grandfather revealed a bit at thest family meeting."


    "Oh, what did he say?"


    Ximen Zirui immediately asked, lowering his voice as well.


    "Grandfather said that thing is rted to our Ximen n''s future. With it, our n might even be a super-first-rate power!"


    Ximen Ziming whispered, his face couldn''t help but show a trace of excitement as he spoke!


    Ximen Zirui''s body shuddered uncontrobly upon hearing the words "super-first-rate power"!


    "Does that token really have such great use?!"


    Ximen Zirui couldn''t help but ask.


    "Grandfather said it himself, it shouldn''t be false!"


    Ximen Ziming replied.


    "Indeed!"


    Ximen Zirui nodded in agreement.


    "Since that''s the case, why not immediately send someone to retrieve that token from that kid?"


    "Grandfather said the token is too important to act rashly!"


    "Grandfather is overly cautious, what''s so problematic about that brat!"


    Ximen Zirui said disdainfully.


    "Big brother, do you have any thoughts?"


    Ximen Ziming couldn''t help but ask:


    "Big brother, don''t act rashly. Even Zhu Jun was defeated by that kid!"


    "Although your cultivation is about the same as Zhu Jun, with you ranking ninth and him tenth, and both of you having reached the Kaiyuan Middle Stage, Zhu Jun has already mastered the Zhu Family''s ultimate martial technique, Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains!"


    Ximen Ziming continued, his eyes carrying a somewhat cryptic meaning!


    "So what?"


    Ximen Zirui didn''t notice Ximen Ziming''s gaze, arrogantly saying:


    "If he can defeat Zhu Jun, does it mean he can defeat me?"


    "Big brother, are you thinking of confronting that kid?"


    Ximen Ziming asked.


    "That''s right, I want to see what''s so remarkable about that kid!"


    Ximen Zirui said disdainfully, then looked at Ximen Ziming:


    "Remember, don''t tell the family for now, I''ll give everyone a surprise when I return!"


    "Big brother, you should be more cautious. That kid is really not easy to deal with!"


    "Alright, I''ve made up my mind, just wait patiently!"


    Ximen Zirui waved his hand.


    Ximen Zirui is one of the top ten prodigies, though rankedst, he still looks down on people from the secr world!


    Even if Ximen Ziming told him that young man defeated Zhu Jun, because such disdain is innate!


    Perhaps he would have thought more in the past, but during this journey, he acquired a treasure, greatly boosting his confidence!


    Moreover, grandfather said the token is so significant, if he obtains it, wouldn''t it be a great achievement?!


    Ximen Ziming, seeing Ximen Zirui''s firm attitude, could only let it be!


    However, deep in his eyes, there was a glimmer of cunning!


    ......


    Su Chen stayed in the office, quickly flipping through two magazines, before he left the office.


    He thought for a moment and then headed towards Xia Qiuru''s office!


    Xia Qiuru was standing by the window, looking at the blue sky and white clouds, holding a cup of coffee in her hand!


    At this moment, Xia Qiuru was wearing an off-white professional suit, outlining her graceful curves!


    Seen from behind, Xia Qiuru was a perfect intellectual professional woman, exuding a special charm!


    Su Chen went up and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind:


    "What are you thinking about?"


    "Why are you here, you naughty guy?"


    The moment Xia Qiuru sampled a sip of her coffee, she put down her arm and smiled.


    "I knew you were thinking about me, so I came over!"


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Who was thinking about you, you narcissistic guy!"


    Xia Qiuru turned around and smiled.


    "Not at all?"


    Su Chen''s hands gently caressed her waist.


    "Alright, stop teasing. Have a seat, I have something to discuss with you."


    Xia Qiuru moved his mischievous hands away and turned her head, smiling.


    "Oh, what''s up?"


    Su Chen released her and casually sat down on the sofa beside her.


    "My mom''s birthday ising up in a few days. I want to buy her a jade pendant as a gift. Would youe with me to pick one?"


    Xia Qiuru said.


    "No need to trouble yourself, I happen to have a few nice jade pendants here. How about giving one to Auntie?"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "No, I want to pick one myself. That way, it shows my filial piety!"


    Xia Qiuru pouted her moist lips.


    "Alright, I''ll go with you then."


    Su Chen chuckled, not minding at all. If Xia Qiuru wanted to choose one personally, he''d go with her.


    After spending a while with Xia Qiuru, Su Chen went back.


    When he got home, all the women, including Xiaoxun, were cultivating, so Su Chen didn''t disturb them and went to his room to cultivate!


    Most of Su Chen''s time was now spent breaking through to the true Kaiyuan Realm. Reaching the Kaiyuan Realm represented a new level, different from before!


    Of course, besides working towards the Kaiyuan Realm, Su Chen also took time toprehend the "Thousand Hand Seal"!


    Su Chen cultivated until Lin Ruoxue returned, and then everyone sat down for dinner.


    With Xiaoxun''s arrival, Lin Ruoxue adjusted the dinner time to 7:30. After all, making Xiaoxun wait until eight was toote for a child!


    But Lin Ruoxue was indeed very busy, so 7:30 was a well-considered time.


    After dinner, Xiaoxun went to the media room to watch cartoons!


    This little girl had always loved watching cartoons while in Jianghai, often pulling little Ruohan to watch with her, only to be reprimanded by Ruohan, who acted like a little adult, for being immature!


    The other women dispersed to do their own activities, while Yan Xi changed into shorts and mentioned to the otherdies that she was going out to the bar!


    "Dressed like that, are you nning to attract some sleaze?"


    Su Chen joked, eyeing Yan Xi''s eye-catching long legs.


    "I''m not afraid of the biggest sleaze at home, why would I worry about them!"


    Yan Xi pouted.


    Once she said that, everyone burst intoughter!


    To be fair, Yan Xi had a point!


    Su Chen pouted, thinking to himself:


    This little girl is getting more and more talkative!


    Of course, what he had said was just a joke. For a young woman like Yan Xi, in her early twenties, not wearing lively clothes to the bar would seem odd, as if she was wearing a business suit!


    As for the problem of sleaze, it was nothing to worry about!


    Yan Xi had reached the Meridian Expansion Third Layer, so for someone to be so blind would only be a self-inflicted lesson!

 Chapter 1208: Certain Death!

    Around eleven o''clock, all the women also returned to their rooms, and Su Chen went back to his room to continue his cultivation.


    The next morning, Su Chen, who hadn''t slept all night, took a shower and got up to make breakfast.


    After a short while, people started to get up one after another.


    By the time breakfast was almost ready, all the women had gotten up, including the little girl Xiaoxun.


    While they were on the mountain, Xiaoxun had already developed a good habit of routine, thoughtely, she went to bed a bitter than when she was on the mountain since there wasn''t much to y with on the mountain!


    After Lin Ruoxue and the others went to work, everyone started to cultivate!


    ...


    "Bang boom!"


    Two days passed in a sh. That afternoon, everyone was cultivating when suddenly a loud noise erupted, sounding like a gate falling!


    "Who are you?!"


    Upon hearing this noise, the women in the front manor naturally were the first to rush out.


    When they saw a young man walk past the fallen gate, Huang Menglei, who came out first, shouted sternly!


    "Oh, quite a pretty girl!"


    The young man smiled at Huang Menglei, his tone flippant!


    "Menglei, what''s wrong?"


    Qi Meng asked as she came out, and upon seeing the fallen gate, ayer of frost instantly appeared on her face!


    "What do you mean by this?"


    Qi Meng asked coldly.


    "Another one, even prettier!"


    Ximen Zirui gasped when he saw Qi Meng!


    He didn''t expect there to be such a beautiful woman in the manor, so beautiful that it even got him excited.


    At this moment, Xiaoxun came out as well, and Qi Meng quickly protected Xiaoxun behind her!


    "Who exactly are you, and what do you want?"


    Qi Meng asked again, her voice icy, displeased by the way he looked at her!


    "Nothing much."


    Ximen Zirui chuckled in response and said lightly:


    "Just here to fetch something from that Su guy!"


    Looking for Su Chen?


    What does he want from Su Chen?


    Qi Meng and Huang Menglei were slightly taken aback, but judging by his behavior from the moment he came in and broke the gate, he most likely didn''te with good intentions!


    At this moment, the sound of footsteps arose!


    Su Chen, along with Eniel and Du Hanbing, walked through the front manor to the small courtyard by the gate!


    When Ximen Zirui saw Eniel and Du Hanbing, his eyes widened even more!


    He couldn''t help but marvel at how many beautiful women this manor had. Each one of them was amazing!


    Especially this foreign woman, her figure was simply explosive, making people''s hormones surge at first nce!


    Of course, the woman next to her was just as impressive, and though she didn''t have the same strong visual impact, her short hair paired with delicate features exuded a unique kind of valor!


    Her well-proportioned figure also allowed a man''s imagination to run wild!


    As for the other side, Su Chen was momentarily ignored by Ximen Zirui!


    His eyes flickered back and forth among the women, finding it somewhat overwhelming!


    Seeing the fallen gate, a rage rose within Su Chen as well, but he didn''t immediately lose his temper and instead softly said to Xiaoxun:


    "Xiaoxun, why don''t you go back and watch some cartoons, okay?"


    Although Xiaoxun was a half-step Meridian Expansion martial artist, Su Chen didn''t want her to witness certain things.


    The main purpose of Xiaoxun''s cultivation was merely to suppress the Demonic Qi within her and alleviate her pain!


    "Okay."


    Xiaoxun nodded obediently and then walked back inside.


    "Speak, who exactly are you? What are you doing here?"


    Su Chen then looked at the unfamiliar man and asked coldly.


    "Hmph, I am the Eldest Young Master of the Ximen n, Ximen Zirui. I think you are well aware of my purpose here!"


    Hearing Su Chen''s question, Ximen Zirui finally shifted his gaze from the women, looking at Su Chen as he spoke.


    "The token?"


    Su Chen responded, not expecting the Ximen n to act so quickly, and certainly not expecting the Eldest Young Master of the Ximen n himself toe looking for it!


    Could it be that the previous probe wasn''t from the Ximen n, or perhaps this so-called Eldest Young Master Ximen isn''t aware of the probing?


    Otherwise, where did he get the courage toe alone?!


    "Correct, I advise you to hand over the token and..."


    At this point, Ximen Zirui paused, once again scanning the women, his eyes zing with a fiery gleam as he licked his lips:


    "And let these women y with this young master. Maybe I''ll spare your life!"


    Of course, Ximen Zirui was just saying that; he had no intention of letting the young man in front of him go.


    But he did find that this manor was indeed a nice ce. Not only were there many beautiful women, but the Yuan Qi was so abundant that it left him in awe!


    He thought that if he cultivated here, the effects would be ten times better than anywhere else!


    Such a treasure trove being upied by a mundane person was simply too wasteful!


    He spected that the mountain must have some peculiar feature, and didn''t realize at the time that there might be a formation here, considering that even in the Ancient Martial World, those proficient in formations were exceedingly rare!


    Upon hearing Ximen Zirui''s words, a chill appeared on the faces of the women, this guy was simply shameless!


    "For that statement alone, today you shall die without a doubt!"


    Su Chen''s face also showed a hint of Hanshuang as he spoke coldly, as if pronouncing his death!


    "Die without a doubt? Are you joking?"


    Hearing this, Ximen Ziruiughed heartily, then his eyes turned cold, ring at Su Chen:


    "Who do you think you are? Since you are so ungrateful, I''ll show you the consequences of being ungrateful today!"


    "Ximen Zirui, what are you trying to do?!"


    Just then, another voice rang out from the gate, and Ouyang Jing, Sun Yang, and Yunlong entered from outside!


    The earliermotion was so loud that they naturally heard it too!


    "Ouyang Jing, why are you here?"


    Ximen Zirui, who naturally recognized Ouyang Jing, was surprised to see him here!


    "Ximen Zirui, Su Chen is my friend, and if you dare to cause trouble, don''t me me for being impolite!"


    Ouyang Jing said seriously.


    "Ouyang Jing, I advise you not to meddle!"


    Ximen Zirui replied coldly:


    "Otherwise, the ones being rude will be us!"


    "Ouyang, you don''t need to interfere in this matter, today I must kill this man!"


    Su Chen spoke simrly.


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Ouyang Jing suddenly remembered that this guy wasn''t an ordinary Half-Step Kaiyuan, his strength was even above his own, he had just been overthinking!


    At this moment, Ouyang Jing recalled Su Chen mentioning that he had a blood feud with the Ximen n!


    Although he didn''t know what kind of blood feud Su Chen had with the Ximen n, since there was a blood feud, it wasn''t his ce to say much...

 Chapter 1209: Magic Artifact

    "I want to see what skills you have, daring to boast so shamelessly!"


    Ximen Zirui''s anger surged upon hearing Su Chen''s repeated im to kill him.


    Before he finished speaking, Ximen Zirui moved, a shadow darted forward, heading straight for Su Chen with the powerful aura of Kaiyuan Middle Stage surging on him!


    The air seemed to twist wherever he passed!


    "Copsing Mountain Fist!"


    Ximen Zirui roared, throwing a punch that directly shattered the void, creating a vacuum zone!


    The surrounding temperature seemed to rise rapidly, making a sizzling sound!


    This punch, as if it could truly copse half a mountain, was incredibly menacing!


    The power unleashed by his punch was almost at the level of Kaiyuan Late Stage!


    The nearby women felt the power of this punch and their expressions changed, bing tense!


    Thankfully, Su Chen had quietly had them move back a bit earlier, otherwise, the pressure would have been too overwhelming for them!


    Ouyang Jing was also startled, unexpected by the strength of Ximen Zirui''s first punch!


    It seems Ximen Zirui had a fortuitous encounter during his travels!


    Ouyang Jing knew a bit about Ximen Zirui''s travels since they were all part of the same circle!


    For young people in the Ancient Martial World, traveling and adventuring is nothing unusual; Ouyang Jing himself often did so in the past.


    However, the Yuan Qi around Yuquan Mountain was abundant, so he spent most of his time here cultivating over the past few months!


    He intended to use this opportunity to improve his strength and then go out again!


    Although Ximen Zirui''s punch was powerful, Ouyang Jing, having witnessed Su Chen''s strength, was not too worried!


    Su Chen saw the iing Copsing Mountain Fist and immediately raised an arm, then sted straight forward!


    Seeing his opponent dare to punch back, Ximen Zirui smirked coldly, channeling more True Yuan furiously towards his fist!


    "Boom!"


    Two fists collided, like a cosmic collision, turbulent currents crashed like waves hitting the shore!


    At the same time, a figure flew back,nding heavily on the ground more than ten meters away!


    Ximen Zirui looked astonished at Su Chen,pletely incredulous!


    Only then did he fully believe Ziming''s words; this kid was indeed extraordinary!


    Enduring the pain in his body, he slowly climbed up, staring at Su Chen with resentment!


    "I said, today you will certainly die!"


    Su Chen spoke coldly, as if stating a fact, not caring about the resentment on the other''s face!


    "You think this means you''ve won?"


    Ximen Zirui responded with a frigid tone.


    He thought his return from travels would be the time to shine, making the Ancient Martial World reevaluate him!


    Unexpectedly, the first battle was so humiliating!


    "Oh, if you have other tricks, feel free to show them!"


    Su Chen responded indifferently.


    "Fine, let me show you the power of a Magic Artifact!"


    Ximen Zirui said coldly, then took a knife from his waist, slowly drawing it!


    As the de came out of its sheath, it emitted a long, crisp buzzing sound, cold gleams shing from its edge, captivating!


    "Magic Artifact?!"


    Upon hearing this, Ouyang Jing and the women all trembled suddenly!


    They couldn''t have imagined that Ximen Zirui actually owned a Magic Artifact!


    In the Ancient Martial World, Magic Artifacts are incredibly rare, with only one existing, and Spiritual Artifacts are even rarer!


    The women, seeing Su Chen''s previous advantage, had rxed, but upon hearing "Magic Artifact," their hearts leapt!


    Even Ouyang Jing was shaken, suddenly incredibly tense!


    However, Su Chen showed some interest upon hearing this!


    He had always thought his Dragon-ying Sword was a Magic Artifact, but his teacher recognized it as a weapon even superior to a Spiritual Artifact!


    At this moment, he was quite curious about the potential of a Magic Artifact!


    "Primordial de Technique!"


    Suddenly, Ximen Zirui shouted, holding the knife tightly as he charged forward, slicing fiercely towards Su Chen!


    As the knife descended, the air shookpletely, overwhelming de Qi surged forth fiercely!


    The women, including Ouyang and Sun Yang, couldn''t withstand the force of this strike, retreating involuntarily!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Facing the overwhelming de Qi and True Essence Aura, Su Chen struck out with a palm!


    This time, he didn''t take it lightly, directly infusing thirty strands of Ster Power into the Palm Print!


    This meant each Palm Print contained about ten strands of Ster Power!


    "Boom!"


    A deafening roar sounded as the Palm Print and de Qi shed, erupting like a flood, overturning the stones on the ground!


    Meanwhile, Su Chen activated the Calm Spirit Body Technique, a subtle glow surrounding his body!


    The Thousand Hand Seal was already powerful, not to mention when enhanced by Star Energy, making it even mightier!


    Of course, being divided into three Palm Prints naturally diminished its powerpared to a single Palm Print!


    Nheless, the Thousand Hand Seal still blocked most of the de Qi and the opponent''s True Yuan, but three Thousand Hand Seals couldn''t impede all de Qi, so some hit Su Chen!


    However, it barely affected Su Chen, who had activated the Calm Spirit Body Technique, merely causing him to step back two or three paces!


    When everything settled, everyone was stunned!


    The women gazed at Su Chen, their eyes sparkling, surprised by his incredible prowess!


    Ouyang Jing was thoroughly confused, pondering again, how strong is this guy really?!


    He always assumed certain strength for the opponent, but soon found his perceptions challenged again!


    Strong Martial Techniquebined with a Magic Artifact, yet it had no substantive impact on him!


    "Impossible!"


    "Impossible!"


    "Impossible!"


    ....


    Ximen Zirui couldn''t believe his eyes, murmuring endlessly, seemingly insane!


    "Now, do you have any more cards to y? If not, it''s my turn!"


    Su Chen chuckled coldly!


    "Never!"


    Ximen Zirui shouted unwillingly:


    "Primordial de Technique!"


    He sliced towards Su Chen again, pouring almost all his True Yuan onto the de!


    The de rolled, and the overwhelming de Qi and powerful True Yuan advanced with crushing strength...

 Chapter 1210: Unwilling to Accept Defeat

    "Die for me!"


    Ximen Zirui roared, his eyes bulging with rage!


    Su Chen seemed indifferent; he now had a clear understanding of the power of the Magic Artifact!


    Although the Magic Artifact was indeed formidable, it wasn''t overwhelmingly so!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Su Chen struck out with another palm, this time infusing it with even more Ster Power!


    He had plenty of Ster Power in his body now, and his speed in Cultivation had considerably increased, so he didn''t hold back!


    His main intent was to test the power of the Thousand Hand Seal fused with Ster Power; after all, it was his first attempt to merge Star Energy into the Thousand Hand Seal earlier. The effect seemed promising, significantly boosting its power!


    If not, he would have directly used the Dragon-ying Sword to end this opponent with one strike, and he was quite confident of that!


    Furthermore, using the Dragon-ying Sword in front of everyone in the manor posed no concerns, as he trusted these people absolutely!


    "Rumble!"


    Three Palm Prints shattered most of the opponent''s Sword Qi and True Yuan, and their power was greatly diminished. However, some Palm Prints infused with Star Energy continued forward and struck Ximen Zirui!


    Ximen Zirui had almost exhausted all his True Yuan in the earlier de Qi, leaving him defenseless!


    So when the residual Palm Prints infused with Star Energy struck him, he was sent flying backward!


    Of course, Su Chen was pushed back a few steps by those unchecked de Qi as well, but that was the extent of the impact!


    When Ximen Ziruinded again, blood gushed from various wounds all over his body, a pitiful sight!


    Ximen Zirui stared at the approaching Su Chen, his eyes filled with disbelief!


    Such formidable strength, aided by a Magic Artifact, yet defeated effortlessly!


    Is this guy even human? He''s nothing short of a demon!


    He thought this trip would merely be a test of his skills, but unexpectedly, it ended with his death here!


    He was unwilling, yet what use was his unwillingness?


    A momentter, Ximen Zirui breathed hisst, bing a dead man...


    By now, everyone present was utterly dumbfounded!


    Especially the women, although they knew Su Chen was very powerful, they hadn''t imagined he was powerful to this degree!


    Sun Yang and Yunlong were equally stupefied!


    Yunlong felt that his earlier decision had been incredibly wise; otherwise, how could he have been exposed to such a world!


    "Ouyang, this de is decent, you should take it."


    Su Chen picked up Ximen Zirui''s de and handed it to Ouyang Jing, smiling.


    "For me?!"


    Ouyang Jing was momentarily stunned; this de was a Magic Artifact!


    It''s known that the Ouyang Family doesn''t possess any Magic Artifacts!


    Moreover, there were so many of his own women present, even ignoring them, Yunlong calls him brother, Sun Yang has been his friend for years, and he had only known Su Chen for a few months, yet Su Chen gave this de to him!


    This made Ouyang Jing feel surprised and touched!


    "This de can only reach its full potential with you!"


    Su Chen casually smiled; he hadn''t given it much thought.


    Actually, in his mind, these people present were ones he trusted absolutely, so there was no major distinction between them!


    Moreover, as he mentioned, the de''s full effectiveness can only be unleashed in Ouyang Jing''s hands!


    Because aside from Su Chen, Ouyang Jing was the strongest in the manor!


    Others also had no objections to Su Chen giving the de to Ouyang Jing, acknowledging that he was indeed most suited for it!


    If given to Yunlong, the effectiveness would be considerably limited!


    After all, a Weapon is one thing, but the wielder is equally important!


    "Thank you!"


    Ouyang Jing solemnly epted the de, inspecting it; he saw two characters inscribed on it, "Thunderp!"


    He examined the de closely for a while, his liking for it growing!


    "Why be so formal between us!"


    Su Chen casuallyughed.


    A whileter, Ouyang Jing and the others left, taking care of Ximen Ziming''s body along the way...


    ....


    Su Chen and the women looked at the damaged gate and some walls and ground, realizing the need to find someone for repairs.


    So, Su Chen called the project manager who previously helped him build the manor, asking him to send people over.


    The project manager had earned twenty million inmission from Su Chen earlier, so he readily agreed, though it waste and would have to wait until the next day!


    Su Chen didn''t mind and returned with the women...


    ......


    That evening, upon returning, the women were startled seeing the demolished gate and copsed walls outside!


    When they learned someone had broken in, they became worried and hurriedly asked if anyone had been hurt, only rxing upon hearing no one was injured!


    .........


    That night, Su Chen slept in Lin Ruoxue''s room. After a fierce battle, Lin Ruoxue leaned on Su Chen and asked:


    "Honey, what happened during the day?"


    Su Chen pondered for a moment before replying:


    "You''re aware of my parents'' affairs; the true mastermind behind it all is a n called Ximen!"


    "Ximen n?"


    Lin Ruoxue paused momentarily, then asked:


    "Why did they do that?"


    "To obtain something from my mother!"


    Su Chen lit a cigarette and replied calmly.


    "That item is with you now, and the people who came today were from the Ximen n?"


    Lin Ruoxue quickly grasped the key point and asked, looking at Su Chen.


    "Yes, that person came today to obtain that item."


    Su Chen took a drag from his cigarette, having nothing to hide from Lin Ruoxue!


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue finally understood the situation, having thought that Su Chen''s parents'' matter was concluded, not expecting there to be more to it!


    "Honey, you need to be careful!"


    Lin Ruoxue expressed her concern.


    She didn''t ask Su Chen what the item was, but undoubtedly, it must be very important!


    Moreover, she felt that the Ximen n was definitely not a simple existence!


    "Don''t worry, they won''t easily deal with me, and I''ll surely settle this blood debt with them sooner orter!"


    Su Chen said resolutely.


    Lin Ruoxue didn''t say anything further upon hearing that, merely hugging Su Chen tighter...


    The next morning, bathed in sunlight, the two awakened, and after Su Chen had a cigarette, they both got up...


    As usual, after breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and the others drove off to work!


    However, unbeknownst to Su Chen, Lin Ruoxue had quietly made a decision by then...

 Chapter 1211: A Meeting of Minds

    Su Chen and the others naturally returned to their rooms to cultivate. Around eight o''clock, the project manager personally brought four or five people over to repair the house!


    He didn''t dare dy when it came to Su Chen''s matters!


    These people were quite efficient, and it didn''t take long for things to be mostly settled!


    Of course, this was also because, aside from the main door, there were only two or three ces damaged, so the repairs weren''t tooplicated.


    In the afternoon, Su Chen received a call from Xia Qiuru and drove to thepany.


    When he arrived downstairs at thepany, Xia Qiuru was already waiting there.


    Seeing Su Chen''s car, she smiled slightly, opened the car door, and got in.


    Su Chen then drove away from there, heading to arge department store.


    They originally nned to visit Jade Street, but after some thought, Su Chen realized that ce mainly sold to experts. In terms of exquisite appearance, arge department store might be better!


    After all, this gift was for Xia Qiuru''s mother as a birthday present. Since the recipient was just an ordinary rural woman, she would be happier to see something with a more beautiful appearance!


    Su Chen''s intention was to make the recipient happier, and mary considerations were irrelevant to him!


    After parking the car in the mall''s parking lot, the two took the elevator up.


    "Qiuru, for Auntie''s birthday, should we go back and help organize a birthday party for her?"


    Su Chen asked casually in the elevator.


    "No need, it''s just a casual birthday, not a significant one. If we make it too grand, she might feel ufortable."


    Xia Qiuru said:


    "I can''t go back to apany her, buying a birthday gift to show my care is enough."


    "Alright, I''ll follow your lead then."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Not long after, the two reached the floor where gold, silver, and jade items were sold, and walked into one of thergest jade stores.


    The variety here was quite abundant, offering items at various prices, with the most expensive ones costing hundreds of thousands!


    Xia Qiuru was a bit dazzled and began to choose carefully.


    "Hello, could you please take out this jade pendant for me to see?"


    Xia Qiuru pointed at one through the disy window, feeling that this jade pendant was quite suitable for her mother!


    "Miss, this is a bean-green jade, priced at 160,000!"


    The attendant took out the jade pendant and said.


    "Ah, so expensive? Then forget it!"


    Xia Qiuru quickly said, having only focused on the design and neglected to notice the price earlier.


    It''s not that she was unwilling to spend the money; with her current annual sry of one or two million, she could afford this!


    But if she bought it, her mother would be scared stiff!


    She''d probably have to buy a safe to keep it in, not daring to wear it!


    She knew her mother well, and at that time, it wouldn''t be a pleasant surprise but a shock!


    "Just go with this one."


    Su Chen chuckled, guessing Xia Qiuru''s thoughts, and said:


    "You can just tell Auntie it cost a few thousand yuan. She wouldn''t know the difference."


    Xia Qiuru thought about it and realized it could work since her mother knew nothing about jade and certainly wouldn''t get it appraised!


    As Xia Qiuru prepared to pay, Su Chen had already handed over a bank card.


    "What do you mean by this?"


    Xia Qiuru pursed her lips and said.


    "You picked the gift and I paid for it. This way, both our intentions are included!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Hearing this, Xia Qiuru suddenly felt bashful, though her heart was filled with sweetness.


    "Alright, I''ll give you this opportunity!"


    Xia Qiuru raised her elegant neck and said.


    She knew this amount of money was nothing to Su Chen, so it wasn''t worth quibbling over.


    "Thank you, Miss Xia, for granting me this opportunity!"


    Su Chen said jovially.


    As soon as the words fell, both the female attendant and Xia Qiuru burst intoughter!


    Seeing the attendantugh only made Xia Qiuru more embarrassed, her face slightly flushed...


    After paying, the female attendant packed the jade pendant and handed it to Xia Qiuru.


    ...


    Since it was rare for her to sneak out of work, Xia Qiuru decided to stroll around a bit longer and bought two more sets of clothes for her parents!


    Of course, at this time, Su Chen could only act as the freebor!


    "Qiuru, let''s go inside here and take a look!"


    While wandering, they arrived at the entrance of a store, and Su Chen''s eyes suddenly lit up!


    Xia Qiuru was walking forward but turned her head after hearing Su Chen''s words.


    Upon looking, Xia Qiuru''s face instantly turned red again!


    Because Su Chen was talking about a lingerie store, more precisely, a lingerie store with intimate apparel!


    Xia Qiuru hadn''t even walked inside, but just looking from the outside, the clothes hanging inside were already enough to make her blush and her heart race!


    Because they were truly eye-catching, weren''t they!


    Xia Qiuru originally wanted to leave, but she couldn''t resist this mischievous fellow Su Chen and was still "tricked" by him into going inside!


    Upon entering, Xia Qiuru didn''t dare lift her head, only feeling her face zing hotly!


    After a while, Xia Qiuru noticed some other customers in the store, easing her anxious mood slightly!


    Looking at Su Chen again, she found this guy was looking around with great interest. Sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking his head, just like appreciating famous paintings at an art exhibition!


    Xia Qiuru was truly speechless; this mischievous guy was really a marvel!


    No, rather, he was simply a thorough rascal!


    Soon, Su Chen finished looking around, holding two garments and walking over to Xia Qiuru with a smile:


    "Try these two on; they will definitely suit you!"


    Xia Qiuru really wanted to say, "Suit you, you big-headed ghost. If anything suits, it''s probably you getting up to mischief, you bad guy!"


    Although Xia Qiuru didn''t want to try them on, for sure out of embarrassment, she still went into the fitting room under Su Chen''s encouragement!


    Initially, Su Chen thought of going in to help her check them out, but was firmly stopped by Xia Qiuru!


    With no other choice, Su Chen had to wait outside...


    He was thinking about bringing his other girlfriends over sometime to see which styles and designs suited everyone!


    After all, it could add more fun to life!


    ...


    In the fitting room, Xia Qiuru looked at herself in the mirror, her face practically dripping water from embarrassment!


    They looked good, but were still too bold!


    Fortunately, such clothes allow one to check the effect inside the fitting room, with a mirror provided to protect privacy!


    But thinking about how much Su Chen enjoyed it made Xia Qiuru, although feeling very shy, decide to let it go!


    She thought about telling Ruoxue, Hanbing, and the others about itter. If everyone bought some, perhaps it wouldn''t be as embarrassing!


    Now, all their women could talk about any intimate topic.


    Her idea coincidentally aligned with Su Chen''s intentions. If Su Chen found out, he''d probably be overjoyed!

 Chapter 1212: Five Palm Prints

    "Now you''re feeling smug!"


    Walking in the mall corridor, Xia Qiuru grumbled unhappily.


    Especially seeing Su Chen''s triumphant expression, it made her even more displeased!


    "How about we try on a set tonight?"


    Su Chen leaned closer to Xia Qiuru, winked, and whispered.


    "In your dreams!"


    Xia Qiuru''s pretty face turned red as she spat.


    But she knew too well that she probably wouldn''t escape this guy''s clutches tonight...


    It''s hopeless, she fell for this rogue after all.


    Of course, women enjoy such things too¡ªwho wouldn''t want to admit it!


    Before long, the two were driving back to the vi. Xia Qiuru originally wanted to go to the headquarters after shopping, but with that bag in hand, she felt too embarrassed to go; even though the bag didn''t reveal anything!


    Once back at the vi, Xia Qiuru sneaked into her room and tucked away those two pieces of clothing!


    Su Chen watched Xia Qiuru''s guilty-as-a-thief expression and couldn''t help butugh, finding it quite amusing, and then he went back to his room to start cultivating!


    Since it was almost evening by then, Xia Qiuru decided not to continue cultivating; she yed with little Xun for a while and then went to cook.


    She''s used to making breakfast, but she hardly ever cooks dinner.


    Before long, Du Hanbing and Eniel came to help too!


    By around seven o''clock, Lin Ruoxue returned as well, and everyone sat down to eat!


    Now, everyone''s like family, enjoying a harmonious meal, especially with little Xun, who was given extra care!


    Little Xun''s little face was slightly rounder than when she first arrived, and as Qi Meng put it, she was now even more squeezable!


    After dinner, Du Hanbing and Qi Meng took little Xun out to y, while the other women had their own activities...


    Su Chen joined in for a while before heading back to his room; rather than cultivating, he pondered over the Thousand Hand Seal...


    Around ten o''clock, the women went back to their rooms...


    Once Xia Qiuru returned, she naturally took a bath and changed into nightwear.


    She contemted a bit, then got up to change into a piece of intimate lingerie she just bought today; looking at herself in the bathroom mirror made her blush!


    Even though no one was around, she still felt embarrassed!


    However, she gathered her courage and stepped out again, sat on the bed for a while feeling awkward, then climbed under the covers!


    Even so, Xia Qiuru''s heart was racing...


    After a long while, Xia Qiuru managed to calm herself slightly!


    Yet, she felt something was off¡ªwhy hadn''t that scoundrele yet? It didn''t make sense?!


    Xia Qiuru didn''t know whether to feel happy or disappointed...


    She was d she wouldn''t have to face Su Chen dressed like this, but secretly, she felt saddened; she''d bravely put on those enticing clothes for him, and he didn''te!


    Just as Xia Qiuru was lost in thought, the door suddenly creaked open, and a figure slipped in!


    Xia Qiuru immediately grew anxious, wishing she could bury her entire face under the covers...


    "Qiuru, I''m here!"


    Su Chen said cheerfully.


    Earlier, when thedies returned to their rooms, he''d just reached a crucial point in hisprehension and couldn''t stop halfway!


    After a little over an hour, he finally sorted his thoughts enough toe over...


    "Hmm!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Xia Qiuru responded with a sound from her nose!


    "Qiuru, did you already change into..."


    Seeing Xia Qiuru obviously more tense than usual, wrapping herselfpletely in the nket, he involuntarily eximed, his eyes gleaming!


    Slowly uncovering Xia Qiuru''s nket, he widened his eyes, and Xia Qiuru, unable to face him, covered her eyes!


    The key was that Xia Qiuru usually gave off an intellectual impression, and now wearing this yful lingerie heightened the contrast dramatically!


    Su Chen could no longer restrain himself and lowered his head to kiss her, the kiss more intense and wild than usual...


    ...


    ...


    They didn''t know how much time had passed, just that the night was already deep and silent, and both were drenched in sweat!


    "You''re just too naughty!"


    Xia Qiuru felt as if all her bones didn''t belong to her!


    "But you love it!"


    Su Chenughed!


    "Nonsense!"


    Xia Qiuru spat; even if it''s true, she can''t admit it!


    After a while, they fell asleep in each other''s arms...


    When they woke the next morning, Xia Qiuru still felt sore all over; naturally, a result ofst night''s wildness!


    "It''s all your fault!"


    Xia Qiuru punched Su Chen with her pink fist.


    Su Chen protested his innocence, it was a two-person affair, how could it be all his fault?!


    Of course, he wouldn''t say it out loud, otherwise...


    Xia Qiuru rested a bit longer, gradually recovering before slowly getting out of bed.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue and the others went to work, while Qi Meng, Huang Menglei, and others headed back to their rooms to cultivate.


    Su Chen didn''t return to his room to cultivate but instead went to the foot of Yuquan Mountain''s back mountain.


    Yesterday he had gained new insights into the Thousand Hand Seal, so he came to test them out!


    ......


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Su Chen took a deep breath, shouted, and struck out with his palm, causing the air to tremble as five palm prints suddenly appeared in the void!


    "Finally seeded!"


    Seeing these five palm prints, Su Chen''s face instantly showed excitement!


    After contemting for so long, he finally made progress and immediately added two more palm prints!


    With a thought, one of the palm prints instantlyunched out, toppling a towering tree, sending dust flying!


    There''s no doubt the power of these five palm prints was greater than before; though it didn''t bring a qualitative leap, it was an improvement nheless!


    But that''s not the key; the most important thing is that his understanding of the Thousand Hand Seal has deepened!


    "Bang, bang, bang~~~"


    Just like when he firstprehended the Thousand Hand Seal, Su Chen couldn''t stop firing palm prints at the foot of the mountain, his shadow appearing all over, feeling very excited!


    Before long, the area became quite deste, and it might take a while for nts and flowers to grow back!


    After a little over an Hour, Su Chen grew a bit tired, small beads of sweat appeared on his face, so he plopped down on the ground smiling happily...


    (ps: There''s more tonight!)


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1213: Union and Separation – Division and Integration

    But after the happiness, Su Chen ultimately felt that the power enhancement of the Palm Print was a bitcking, leaving him somewhat dissatisfied!


    He''s thinking, is there any way to enhance the power of this Palm Print?


    He thought for a long time but still couldn''t figure it out, so he justy down on the grass, looking at the sky and started pondering...


    He''s not in a hurry, nor does he have any urgency in his heart. As he thought, it turned into watching the blue sky and white clouds above, his mind seemingly wandering...


    A few hours unknowingly passed by, he watched the clouds gather and disperse, forming various shapes. Sometimes like a horse, sometimes like an elephant, sometimes like a rabbit, and sometimes like nothing recognizable, it was quite amusing!


    "Gather and disperse¡ªunite and separate!"


    Suddenly, a sh of lightning crossed Su Chen''s mind, making him shiver all over, and he immediately sat up!


    He then slowly began to organize his thoughts...


    Yes, if three Palm Prints, five Palm Prints can be separate, then can they unite?


    If he can aplish merging three Palm Prints, five Palm Prints into one Palm Print, wouldn''t the power increase even more?!


    At the moment, Su Chen felt his idea was quite genius!


    So he started to think about how he could achieve this step!


    Of course, merging may not necessarily be better than separating, after all, the biggest advantage of separating is the element of surprise!


    However, if merging can enhance the power, wouldn''t it offer another choice?


    Su Chen sat there till it was already dark without too much rity!


    He knows well that this is not an easy task, fortunately, it''s not something urgent, he has enough time to think slowly!


    At least he has a new direction now, if his assumption is correct, when he can unleash more Palm Prints, he would also be able to merge them to unleash greater power!


    "I really am a genius!"


    Su Chen thought narcissistically again, then stood up brushing off the dirt from his butt, and went back to the vi...


    .....


    Time passed swiftly for a few days, and during dinner, Luo Xiwen suddenly said with a smile:


    "I''m going to Europe in a couple of days. If anyone wants to bring something, hurry up and make a list these two days!"


    The women cheered upon hearing this, even forsaking their meals as they immediately grabbed paper and pens!


    They were thinking about what they needed to buy, and sometimes when someone mentioned something, they immediately said:


    "I want that too!"


    And then added that item to their list!


    Su Chen was a bit dumbfounded watching this scene; no wonder shopping agents are so crazy now!


    Just look at these women here!


    All kinds of cosmetics, various bags, various clothes, various essories...


    Su Chen looked at the white papers filled with writings, feeling nothing but admiration!


    Even little Xun went calling Luo sister, asking her to bring a couple of toys that aren''t avable domestically!


    "You guys are going to wear me out!"


    Luo Xiwen sighed looking at the pieces of paper in her hand.


    The womenughed upon hearing this...


    "Xiwen, why are you going to Europe?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "You should ask your wife. I''m just a poor working soul, still under exploitation''s fate!"


    Luo Xiwen nced yfully at Lin Ruoxue and said.


    "Xiwen is mainly going for some tasks from the Haimen department that need her handling."


    Lin Ruoxue said with a smile.


    "Xiwen, which part of Europe are you headed?"


    Su Chen asked again.


    "Mainly to the F country, though I might go to some neighboring countries, depending on the situation."


    "Perfect, I also need to visit F country, let''s go together then."


    Su Chen casually replied.


    "Uh, what are you going there for?"


    Luo Xiwen asked in surprise.


    As soon as the words fell, all the women looked at him with yful and meaningful expressions!


    "Su Chen, do you have some beauty waiting for you there again?"


    Qi Meng asked with a yful smile.


    "Yes, be honest!"


    Du Hanbing chimed in.


    Although the other women didn''t speak, they shared simr thoughts!


    "What are you saying? It''s just that a friend who just shot a new film in Hollywood has a premiere in Europe and invited me to attend!"


    Su Chenughed casually.


    "Still a star? Does that mean she''s a female star?"


    Ye Mei looked at Su Chen and added immediately.


    As soon as her words fell, all the womenughed looking at Su Chen!


    "She''s indeed a female star."


    Su Chen chuckled sheepishly.


    The women then gave a knowingly expression, making Su Chen feel quite embarrassed!


    Originally, he and Jiang Ying didn''t have anything, but hearing the women say it like this, it indeed felt like there was something going on!


    "Perfect, I have so much stuff to carry, I was just worrying about not having freebor!"


    Luo Xiwen said with a smile.


    Those words made Su Chen instantly feel a bit unlucky!


    Looking at the lists in Luo Xiwen''s hand, he felt unsure if suggesting to travel together was a wise decision!


    After all the lists were handed to Luo Xiwen, the women resumed their dinner.


    Having finished dinner, little Xun was then taken out to y by Yan Xi and Huang Menglei, anyhow she is constantly being taken out shopping by the women in the vi these days!


    Ye Mei, Xiao Yaning, and Qi Meng were soaking in the hot springs while sipping wine and stargazing!


    Su Cheny on a deck chair next to the hot spring, chatting with Lin Ruoxue and Eniel beside him, while enjoying the sight of Ye Mei, Xiao Yaning, and others in the hot spring, managing both simultaneously!


    When it was about time, everyone went back to their rooms.


    That night, Su Chen didn''t go to any other woman''s room but stayed in his own room to cultivate!


    Of course, in the past few days, apart from cultivation, he kept pondering how to merge multiple Palm Prints into one!


    However, a few days passed, and there seemed to be no progress in this aspect...


    Fortunately, Su Chen didn''t feel discouraged, nor did he have any thoughts of giving up!


    .....


    Two dayster, Su Chen and Luo Xiwen drove to the airport together, and Luo Xiwen felt a bit special about traveling with him!


    However, it was hard to say exactly what made it special...


    After waiting for an hour or so in the waiting hall, they checked and boarded the ne.


    Soon after, a huge roaring sound was heard, and the passenger ne slowly ascended, flying towards the direction of F country!


    Since the news conference for Jiang Ying''s new film wouldn''t start for a few days, he decided to apany Luo Xiwen to handle the matters of Belle Group first!


    After all, he is both the PR department manager of Belle Group and Lin Ruoxue''s husband, so this is within his duties!


    (ps: That''s it for tonight, there''s another chapter to be supplemented tomorrow during the day!)

 Chapter 1214: Discovered a Problem

    Luo Xiwen, being a high-level executive of the group, was naturally traveling in first ss. However, as she nced at Su Chen sitting next to her, that special feeling seemed to be even more apparent.


    It wasn''t dislike, nor shyness, nor difort. She couldn''t quite put her finger on it, but it was definitely something different.


    Su Chen didn''t possess Luo Xiwen''s sensitivity; when the flight attendant came by, he even chatted her up, making her giggle!


    In first ss, of course, one must maintain decorum, so the flight attendant covered her mouth as sheughed, her graceful body inadvertently quivering!


    "You, seriously..."


    Luo Xiwen saw how Su Chen amused the flight attendant with just a few words and was genuinely impressed by his skills!


    But having known him for so long, she wasn''t surprised by it anymore...


    After about ten hours of flying, the ne finally arrived in the capital of Country F, andnded slowly at the airport.


    "Finally, back here again!"


    After exiting the airport, Su Chen took a deep breath of fresh air and sighed!


    "You''ve been here before?"


    Luo Xiwen couldn''t help but ask.


    Su Chen smiled without speaking. He had been here countless times; during his days in the Dark World, he was very familiar with Country F!


    Before long, two extended Mercedes cars slowly drove over, stopping beside them. A well-maintained man in his forties stepped out from the first car.


    "President Luo, wee to inspect the work!"


    Upon seeing Luo Xiwen, the man immediately came over and spoke enthusiastically.


    Several bodyguard-like individuals followed behind him.


    Luo Xiwen held the position of Vice President and General Manager at Belle Group, so it was only natural for him to refer to her as President Luo.


    "President Luo, the hotel has already been arranged. Let me take you there to rest first."


    The middle-aged man continued to say:


    "Also, I''ve arranged a banquet for the evening. I''ll have a car pick you up then."


    "President Wang, skip the banquet, just prepare the materials. I''ll go to the branch first thing in the morning."


    Luo Xiwen casually replied.


    "But... everyone''s eagerly anticipating, won''t it be...?"


    President Wang hesitated, expressing his concern.


    "Don''t worry. Just exin that I''m too tired from the flight, and convey my apologies to everyone."


    Luo Xiwen waved her hand dismissively.


    "Alright then, since President Luo insists, we''ll do as you say!"


    President Wang nodded in agreement.


    "And this is...?"


    At this point, President Wang noticed Su Chen beside Luo Xiwen and asked.


    "President Wang, let me introduce you."


    Luo Xiwen spoke up:


    "This is the Director of our Belle Group''s PR Department and also President Lin''s husband!"


    "Su Chen, this is President Wang, responsible for the Group''s affairs in Country F and all of Europe!"


    Luo Xiwen then introduced Su Chen to President Wang.


    "Oh, so it''s Director Su! I''ve long heard of your reputation and am finally meeting you in person today!"


    Upon hearing this, President Wang enthusiastically stepped forward, shaking Su Chen''s hands firmly!


    However, a trace of disdain flickered in his eyes. He had heard of Director Su''s reputation!


    In the group, he seemed to be a figurehead, leveraging his rtionship with the President, and only visiting the group a few times over half a year. Even when present, he never handled any affairs!


    Since he had been sent by Lin Ruoxue to establish the European branch in Country F three years ago, due to Lin Ruoxue''s ns to enter the international market, he seldom returned. Thus, he knew little about Su Chen''s other affairs, much less understood him deeply!


    Because he rarely returned, and Su Chen seldom visited the group, this was their first meeting!


    Faced with President Wang''s overwhelming enthusiasm, Su Chen merely smiled faintly and subtly withdrew his hand!


    "By the way, I didn''t know Director Su wasing, so I''ll arrange a room next to President Luo''s now."


    President Wang said with a smile.


    "That works."


    Su Chen nodded.


    He had indeed decidedst minute to apany Luo Xiwen, although Lin Ruoxue had nned to arrange amodation for him here in Europe.


    Su Chen mentioned it wasn''t necessary, and said he could simply book a room himself, to which Lin Ruoxue agreed.


    But since the offer was made, Su Chen epted.


    Before long, the two of them sat in the back of a Mercedes car, heading towards the hotel!


    After a half-hour drive, they arrived at the entrance of a five-star level hotel.


    The hotel was full of Country F''s characteristic charm, looking like a garden, and was very beautiful!


    Upon entering the lobby, someone was already waiting there, handing the room cards to President Wang.


    He then gave them to Su Chen and Luo Xiwen with a smile, saying:


    "You two should rest well today. Do you need someone to pick you up tomorrow?"


    "No need, we''ll head over ourselves!"


    A professional smile appeared on Luo Xiwen''s face as she replied.


    "Alright then, I''ll take my leave. I''ll await you both at the branch tomorrow!"


    After President Wang left the lobby, Su Chen and Luo Xiwen took the elevator upstairs, quickly arriving at their room doors.


    "Rest for a while, then we''ll go out for dinner."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Okay."


    Luo Xiwen nodded, then opened the door and went inside.


    Su Chen did the same, sitting on a sofa chair once inside, then lighting a cigarette and casually smoking.


    Meanwhile, he casually observed the surroundings.


    This had be an instinct for Su Chen over the years; whenever he was in a new environment, he habitually observed everything.


    Two or three minutester, Su Chen''s eyes suddenly narrowed, a sharp light shing through them!


    However, he didn''t show it and pretended to stroll casually, walking around the room.


    Momentster, he exited his room, going to Luo Xiwen''s room next door and knocking a couple of times.


    "Why are you here?"


    Luo Xiwen heard the knock and walked over to open the door. By then, she had taken off her coat and was only wearing a shirt.


    She had nned to lie down for a while, even though it was a first ss flight, sitting for ten hours was still tiring!


    She was puzzled why Su Chen suddenly came over; hadn''t they agreed to rest a bit then have dinner?


    "Shh!"


    Su Chen grabbed Luo Xiwen''s arm, pulling her outside the room.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Luo Xiwen looked puzzled, feeling inexplicable!


    "There are pinhole cameras and listening devices in my room!"


    Su Chen said:


    "If I''m not mistaken, your room has them too!"

 Chapter 1215: Mere Decoration

    "Ah..."


    Luo Xiwen jumped in shock upon hearing there were pinhole cameras and listening devices in the room!


    "Shh, when we go in, act as if you don''t know anything. Let me check first and then we''ll talk."


    Su Chen said.


    "Okay!"


    Luo Xiwen nodded and then tried topose herself.


    "Xiwen, how long are you nning to stay here?"


    After they went in, Su Chen asked casually.


    "I''m not sure yet. It depends on how things go, maybe just a few days."


    Luo Xiwen, being a strong woman in the business world, gradually returned to normal.


    So the two of them started chatting casually, just like an ordinary conversation.


    Meanwhile, Su Chen wandered around casually, and after a while, he had an understanding!


    "Were you nning to rest just now?"


    Su Chen continued to ask casually.


    "Yes, I was feeling a bit sleepy."


    Luo Xiwen nodded.


    "Don''t sleep now, otherwise you won''t be able to sleep tonight!"


    Su Chenughed:


    "Let''s go out for a walk. Since we''re here, you might not have the timeter!"


    "Sounds good."


    Luo Xiwen deliberately pondered for a moment before speaking.


    Not long after, Luo Xiwen put on her coat again and walked out with Su Chen.


    "Well, is there anything?"


    Once in the corridor, Luo Xiwen hurriedly asked.


    "Yes, two listening devices and three cameras."


    Su Chen nodded.


    "It seems the Europe division indeed has problems!"


    Upon hearing this, Luo Xiwen immediately eximed, a trace of anger shing in her beautiful eyes!


    A momentter, the two sat down in the hotel''s restaurant and ordered two drinks.


    "Did youe to investigate the issue with the Europe division?"


    Su Chen asked, having originally thought Luo Xiwen was just doing a routine work inspection, after all, she is now in charge of overseas departments!


    "Yes, since my appointment, I''ve carefully reviewed the data and ounts of overseas departments and found the Europe division''s situation very serious! There might be falsification of documents and ounts, and even asset diversion!"


    Luo Xiwen nodded and said:


    "Actually, Ruoxue discovered this issue too, but the Europe division has always been her most valued territory for entering the international market, so she never acted on it!"


    "Just as I returned a few months ago, Ruoxue decided to address the Europe division''s problem!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen finally understood the purpose of Luo Xiwen''s trip and couldn''t help but say:


    "How does Ruoxue trust you toe alone? Aren''t you afraid that if you really have evidence, they might react desperately?"


    "Do you think Ruoxue hasn''t considered this?"


    Luo Xiwenughed:


    "Originally, some people were arranged toe with me, but since you are here, there''s no need for them."


    "And besides, bringing more people would definitely alert them, now with just the two of us, we can somewhat confuse them!"


    "You really trust me!"


    Su Chenughed upon hearing this.


    "What are you nning to do now, do you need me to deal with those devices? I can make it so they only see the current view of the room, without seeing you, nor hearing any sounds!"


    Su Chen promptly said.


    "You can do that?"


    Luo Xiwen asked in amazement.


    "Of course!"


    Su Chen smiled slightly.


    Luo Xiwen pondered for a moment and said:


    "Forget it, don''t touch them. If they don''t see me for long, they will definitely find it abnormal. To avoid alerting them, let''s leave it for now!"


    "Sounds good."


    Su Chen nodded, acknowledging there was some truth in what Luo Xiwen said.


    "By the way, there aren''t any listening or surveince devices in the bathroom, right?"


    Luo Xiwen suddenly asked.


    "No, there aren''t." Su Chen said.


    "That''s good, just let it be then."


    Luo Xiwen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, as long as it''s not in the bathroom, it''s fine!


    This is not surprising, since they''re not here to spy but for other purposes!


    .......


    Meanwhile, in an office at Belle Group''s Europe division, two middle-aged men sat on the couch, one of them being the Wang Director who had just received Su Chen and Luo Xiwen!


    "Director Wang, does the group know what we''re doing?"


    The other middle-aged man looked at Wang Kesong and said:


    "Otherwise why would this new group elite suddenlye over?"


    "Vice Director Yao, don''t lose your cool. It''s possible that Director Luo is merely asserting her presence as a newly appointed official."


    Wang Kesong took a puff of his cigar and said:


    "Moreover, if the group really discovered us, they wouldn''t just send two people over."


    "Though that''s the case, what if they''re deliberately trying to confuse us?"


    Vice Director Yao was still worried, he was the vice director of Belle Group''s Europe division, Yao Bin!


    "Don''t worry, I''ve installed pinhole cameras and listening devices in their hotel room. If they''re really unfriendly, I''ll know."


    Wang Kesong said confidently.


    "They won''t find out, will they?"


    Yao Bin asked again, uneasy.


    "Of course not. I''m using thetest high-tech products; they''re hard to detect!"


    Wang Kesong reassured.


    "That''s good, that''s good!"


    Upon hearing this, Yao Bin felt relieved...


    .....


    Su Chen and Luo Xiwen chatted downstairs for a while, and just around dinner time, they conveniently ate in the hotel''s restaurant.


    After dinner, the two wandered nearby and returned to their room at around ten.


    Luo Xiwen took a bath, changed into her pajamas, and went to bed...


    Anyway, in her clothes, Luo Xiwen wasn''t too nervous!


    As for Su Chen, he was even more indifferent, of course, that night he didn''t cultivate but had a good night''s sleep...


    Early the next day, the two took a cab at the hotel entrance and headed to Belle Group''s Europe division.


    When they arrived, there was a banner at the entrance, and everyone in the division stood on either side. Seeing Su Chen and Luo Xiwen, they respectfully shouted in unison!


    "Director Wang, what''s all this for?"


    Luo Xiwen frowned slightly and said to Wang Kesong.


    "Director Luo, it''s your first visit here, and this is everyone''s way of showing respect for you!"


    Wang Kesong smiled.


    Behind him stood five or six others, all high-ranking members of the Europe division!


    "Director Luo, let me introduce you, this is Vice Director Yao, and this is..."


    Wang Kesong enthusiastically introduced.


    "Everyone should carry on as usual, do what you need to do!"


    Luo Xiwen said with a professional smile, then looked at Wang Kesong:


    "Is all the information prepared?"


    "Director Luo, rest assured, it''s all ready, and moreover, your and Minister Su''s offices are prepared as well."


    Wang Kesong said with a smile.


    "That''s good."


    Luo Xiwen nodded.


    "I don''t need my office, I''ll share one with Director Luo, to avoid wasting space."


    Su Chen said dismissively.


    Upon hearing this, Wang Kesong immediately thought to himself:


    "It seems the rumors are true, this group member''s son-inw is just ornamental!"


    (ps: More tonight!)

 Chapter 1216: A Solution

    Before long, Luo Xiwen and Su Chen, led by Wang Kesong, arrived at the office he had prepared for Luo Xiwen!


    When Luo Xiwen walked in and took a look, she was instantly dumbfounded!


    Because at that moment the desk was piled high with various documents and files, leaving almost no empty space!


    "Mr. Wang, what does this mean?"


    Luo Xiwen said with a hint of dissatisfaction.


    "Ms. Luo, weren''t you asking for all theplete documents and ounts since the establishment of the European division? So I brought all the documents and ounts over, is there a problem?"


    Wang Kesong spread his hands and said, but a sly curve appeared on the corner of his mouth!


    How could Luo Xiwen not understand that the other party was doing this deliberately, just to make it impossible for her to investigate!


    But the other party''s words left her with no grounds to argue!


    Su Chen, who was beside her, nced at Wang Kesong and smiled faintly.


    "Alright, I understand, you may leave now!"


    Luo Xiwen said, holding back a surge of anger.


    "Bastard!"


    After Wang Kesong went out, Luo Xiwen couldn''t hold back anymore and blurted out.


    "What''s wrong, are you angry?"


    Su Chen smiled as he spoke.


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Luo Xiwen suddenly tensed, as if worried about something!


    Su Chen understood what she meant and smiled, saying:


    "Don''t worry, there''s no surveince or monitoring here."


    Hearing this reassured Luo Xiwen, which was unsurprising, given they were in the division, right under their noses, with no necessity for surveince!


    She couldn''t help but say:


    "There must be a big issue with this European division, I don''t believe I can''t figure it out!"


    Perhaps if the other party had presented these materials separately, she couldn''t be sure, butbined with the surveince and monitoring devices in the hotel room, it became undeniably clear!


    Indeed, just based on the surveince and monitoring devices in the hotel, it already strongly suggested issues!


    With that, she sat down and began browsing through the materials.


    "Are you really nning to go through all of them by yourself?"


    Su Chen smiled as he spoke.


    "What else can I do?"


    Luo Xiwen said, casting an annoyed nce at Su Chen.


    "Alright, you just pretend to work, take all the materials away tonight, I have a way!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "You have a way? What way?"


    Luo Xiwen asked hesitantly.


    "Don''t ask, if I say I have a way, then I have a way."


    Su Chen smiled and shrugged.


    .....


    "Mr. Wang, you''re the one with the skills!"


    In Wang Kesong''s office, Yao Bin gave a thumbs up and said:


    "With these documents and ounts, there''s no way she can figure them out in less than a month!"


    "Exactly!"


    Wang Kesong said with a proud smile.


    "By the way, won''t this make them even more suspicious there''s something wrong?"


    Yao Bin immediately asked.


    "Probably not."


    Wang Kesong frowned slightly and then waved his hand:


    "Even if they''re suspicious, so what? They don''t have evidence! At most, we''ll be transferred, or maybe fired!"


    "True enough!"


    Yao Bin nodded, after all, they''ve earned quite a bit over these two years!


    Since Belle Group had long started to pay attention to overseas markets, their investments, especially in the European market, have always been significant!


    .......


    When it was time to get off work at six, Wang Kesong and Yao Bin walked into Luo Xiwen''s temporary office, intending to check the situation.


    "Mr. Wang, could you please arrange a vehicle to load these materials and send them back to the hotel?"


    Seeing the two walk in, Luo Xiwen instructed.


    Wang Kesong and Yao Bin were a bit stunned upon hearing this, not expecting that Luo Xiwen would want to take all these documents and ounts back!


    "What''s the problem, can''t I?"


    Luo Xiwen nced at the two of them.


    "Ms. Luo, these documents are the group''s secrets, taking them back to the hotel might not be appropriate."


    Yao Bin looked at Luo Xiwen and said.


    "Do you have any objections with me taking them?"


    At that moment, Su Chen stood up and said:


    "The whole group belongs to my wife. If I want to burn them, do you have a say in it?"


    "If you keep pestering, you''ll pack up and be gone by tomorrow!"


    Yao Bin was just about to speak when Su Chen interrupted directly.


    He looked like aplete wastrel!


    What could they say after this?


    After all, the guy was not only the head of the PR department but also the husband of President Lin!


    "What are you waiting for, hurry up and arrange the vehicle!"


    Su Chenmanded sharply.


    With no choice, Yao Bin had someone immediately arrange for a vehicle and get the materials loaded on!


    Su Chen didn''t dawdle, immediately taking Luo Xiwen and driving away!


    "I want to see what they can do! Could taking them back help to figure things out quickly?"


    Wang Kesong muttered, watching the car fade into the distance, but there was still some worry on his face!


    .....


    "Su Chen, what exactly is your n?"


    Luo Xiwen asked as she watched Su Chen drive with a rxed expression.


    To be honest, she couldn''t figure out how this guy could im he has a n!


    "You''ll find out soon enough."


    Su Chen smiled slightly, seeming a bit mysterious!


    "Stop pretending!"


    Luo Xiwen rolled her eyes.


    Su Chenughed, but didn''t say much. Shortly after, the two had already arrived at the entrance of the hotel!


    "Mr. Su!"


    Suddenly, three people appeared before Su Chen, greeting him respectfully.


    "You''re here!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "If Mr. Su has any instructions, just say it!"


    "Su Chen, who are they?"


    Luo Xiwen asked curiously upon seeing the sudden appearance of the people.


    "Didn''t you ask what my n was? My n is them."


    Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Just these three?"


    Luo Xiwen hesitated.


    She had considered bringing in specialized staff from Belle Group to check the ounts, but that would be too time-consuming and might alert the opposition!


    After all, inspections usuallyst only a few days, but staying for half a month or more would raise suspicions!


    But where did Su Chen find these people?


    Even so, three people seemed too few, at least ten days or more would be necessary!


    "Su Chen, three people is too few, even if they''re dedicated staff from headquarters wouldn''t be able to clear things up in ten days."


    Luo Xiwen voiced her concern.


    "Don''t worry, leave it to them, it''ll be sorted out to your satisfaction!"


    Su Chen smiled.


    Note that these three people aren''t ordinary people; they are specialized talents under the God of Wealth!


    The God of Wealth manages such extensive conglomerates and funds, it''s not something one person can do, he has various specialized talents under him!


    Earlier, he called the God of Wealth and asked him to arrange for a few people to help him check the documents and ounts!


    The God of Wealth and Nether Temple have a semi-cooperative rtionship, but mostly it''s due to Su Chen''s personal friendship with him, so contacting him was no issue for Su Chen.


    The God of Wealth promptly agreed to Su Chen''s request and arranged for a few people toe over...

 Chapter 1217: Efficiency

    The three people who arrived had already booked a presidential suite and moved all the data and ounts from the car into the room.


    "By the way, how long will it take you to go through these materials and ounts?"


    Luo Xiwen asked somewhat uneasily.


    One of them estimated in his heart and then said:


    "To finish reading, analyzing, and give a conclusion, it will take about 28¨C33 hours."


    "Are you kidding me?"


    Upon hearing this, Luo Xiwen was dumbfounded, a look of shock written all over her face!


    28¨C35 hours?


    How is that possible?


    "If faster is needed, 25 hours is also doable, but below 25 hours will be difficult. The conclusions drawn might not be too rigorous."


    Another person said.


    "No rush, no rush."


    Luo Xiwen made a difficult swallowing motion and immediately replied.


    If these people hadn''t had such serious expressions, she would have definitely thought they were joking with her!


    Even with their serious expressions, Luo Xiwen still felt it was an incredible story!


    After all, that''s too exaggerated!


    Even the most talented person in this field in the world probably couldn''t do it, right?


    "Alright, you guys can start working."


    Su Chen casually remarked:


    "We''ll bring dinner back for youter."


    "Thank you, Mr. Su!"


    The three people immediately responded respectfully.


    Although they didn''t know this man, they understood his importance!


    Seeing the respectful attitude these people had towards Su Chen, Luo Xiwen became even more curious, thinking this guy is indeed unpredictable!


    "Su Chen, where did you find these three people?"


    In the hotel restaurant, Luo Xiwen asked out of curiosity.


    "Borrowed temporarily from a friend."


    Su Chen replied casually.


    "But just the three of them, can they really finish it in such a short time?"


    Luo Xiwen was still uneasy, or rather, she didn''t believe it because it was hard to ept.


    "You''ll see when the timees."


    Su Chen smiled nonchntly.


    After a while, the two had finished eating and brought some food upstairs.


    After entering the private room, they ced the food on the dining table for them to eat!


    In just over ten minutes, they finished eating and then resumed work!


    When Luo Xiwen really saw them working, she was astounded!


    The speed, the efficiency, it was nothing short of astonishing!


    How strong their mental power must be, and how much information they must have gone through to develop such working efficiency?!


    In the room, only the sound of flipping through documents could be heard, "swish, swish"!


    What are they, if not humans, living machines!


    More importantly, at such speed, they were still making summaries and writing brief analyses!


    At this moment, Luo Xiwen believed!


    She couldn''t help but look at Su Chen, wondering where this guy got these three people from?


    Any one of them would be considered a treasure in any financial group!


    Most critically, these few people worked extremely well together, maximizing efficiency!


    In contrast to Luo Xiwen''s shock, Su Chen calmly smoked.


    In fact, for him, he didn''t really care about these things!


    He never paid attention to business or financial matters, and now he cared even less!


    After all, for someone of his Martial Artist level, he only focused on one thing, and that was the improvement of his own strength!


    In fact, for the current Su Chen, the only thing that could truly catch his attention might be the top-tier forces of the Ancient Martial World!


    As for other things, what significance do they have in the face of absolute power?!


    If he were to handle this matter, it would be much simpler. He had ten thousand ways to make those peopleply obediently!


    It''s just that he respected Lin Ruoxue and Luo Xiwen''s way of handling things in business; he just needed to silently y the man behind the scenes!


    After a while, Su Chen and Luo Xiwen went back to their rooms to rest!


    To prevent those people from being suspicious, Luo Xiwen even pretended to take a few documents that had already been read by the three people upstairs.


    ........


    Time flew by, and at twelve o''clock the next night, the three people had finished processing all the materials and ounts and handed over a roughly ten-page document to Su Chen:


    "Mr. Su, this is the final summary report, absolutely urate!"


    "Good."


    Su Chen nodded and casually handed the document to Luo Xiwen!


    As soon as Luo Xiwen read the first page, her face changed, and by the time she finished, she was on the verge of exploding in anger!


    "What happened?"


    Su Chen asked seeing her reaction.


    "These people are too much. If they were greedy for a little, it wouldn''t be a big deal, but they actually embezzled or transferred most of the money and resources that the group headquarters allocated to them!"


    Luo Xiwen said angrily.


    "Is it that serious?"


    Su Chen also inquired, though he didn''t care about money, it was very displeasing for these people to embezzle his wife''s money!


    "With Ruoxue''s shrewdness, how did she just discover such serious problems recently?"


    Su Chen then curiously asked.


    "It''s normal!"


    Luo Xiwen held back her anger and exined:


    "After all, the overseas department is still in the expansion stage, mainly to burn money, and it''s not yet time to focus on profits. Plus, it''s overseas, and Ruoxue is so busy on a daily basis, so¡­"


    With this exnation, Su Chen understood, and then, smiling, he said to those three people:


    "Alright, thank you for your hard work this time. Have a good restter."


    "It''s our honor to serve Mr. Su!"


    One of them immediately said.


    Su Chen nodded, then went to rest with Luo Xiwen...


    ........


    Early the next morning, the two drove once again to the group''s Europe division!


    "Ms. Luo, have you finished reviewing the materials?"


    Wang Kesong asked with a deliberate smile upon seeing Luo Xiwen and Su Chen arrive.


    "Of course!"


    Luo Xiwen replied coolly:


    "Let''s go to your office and have a good talk!"


    Wang Kesong''s heart tightened at these words!


    How is this possible?


    In such a short time, she had gone through so many materials?


    Even if staff were called from the headquarters or other divisions, it wouldn''t be this fast?!


    With an anxious heart, Wang Kesong led the two into the office.


    "Oh, and call Vice President Yao in as well."


    Su Chen remarked casually.


    Last night, he had those three people inform the God of Wealth, asking if he could help track down more clues!


    In the morning, the God of Wealth called him to reveal that the real culprits were Wang Kesong and Yao Bin!


    Hearing this, Wang Kesong felt even more uneasy!


    How could they figure out those materials and ounts in such a short time?

 Chapter 1218: Where Did You Get Your Confidence?

    Not long after, Yao Bin walked in with Wang Kesong. If you observed closely, you could notice that he looked a bit tense, even though he was trying hard to hide it!


    "Wang Kesong, Yao Bin, the group sent you to Europe, gave you absolute power, is this how you repay the group and President Lin?"


    Luo Xiwen said coldly.


    "President Luo, what do you mean by this? We have always worked tirelessly for the group, even if we have no merits, we have made hard efforts, right?"


    Wang Kesong said with a slightly drawn face, appearing righteous!


    "Working tirelessly?"


    Upon hearing this, Luo Xiwen sneered and said:


    "Working tirelessly to amass wealth for yourself, depleting the group!"


    "President Luo, you need to speak with evidence. Your baseless usations are really disheartening!"


    Wang Kesong had to argue with reason at this moment, after all, he still didn''t quite believe that Luo Xiwen had really found out anything!


    "You''re really going to hold on until the end, aren''t you?"


    Luo Xiwen threw the ten-page document onto the opponent''s desk with a p, angrily saying:


    "Take a good look at it yourselves!"


    The throw from Luo Xiwen really gave Wang Kesong and Yao Bin a startle, Wang Kesong hurriedly picked it up to review it!


    Upon reviewing it, his face changed drastically, filled with shock, and the further he read, the more shocked he became!


    He couldn''t figure out how Luo Xiwen could investigate all the issues in just over a day!


    This should be impossible!


    Yao Bin, seeing Wang Kesong''s expression, hurried to take a look too!


    After reading it, Yao Bin''s face turned even paler!


    "Do you have anything more to say?"


    Luo Xiwen snorted.


    Wang Kesong and Yao Bin were speechless, as the facts were alreadyid out!


    "President Luo, what do you n to do?"


    Wang Kesong asked coldly.


    "This still needs President Lin''s decision!"


    Luo Xiwen said:


    "I suggest you return the funds you''ve transferred, so even if you''re sentenced in the future, it might be lighter!"


    For people like them who embezzled suchrge amounts, the only option is to report to the police, there''s no room for negotiation!


    Otherwise, if others in the group follow their example, it would be disastrous!


    "Since President Luo doesn''t want to leave me a way out, don''t me me for being rude!"


    Wang Kesong suddenly showed a fierce expression on his face!


    Making him throw up what he had already swallowed was impossible, and once reported to the police, the sentencing would mean decades in prison!


    What surprised him was that from Luo Xiwen''s tone, it seemed she hadn''t reported this matter back to Yandu''s headquarters!


    "What do you want to do?"


    Luo Xiwen was startled by the suddenly grim expression on the other''s face, especially since this was the other''s territory!


    "President Luo, you found the evidence, yet you dare toe here, I don''t know if you are foolish or brave!"


    Wang Kesong sneered.


    Luo Xiwen felt even more frightened at this remark!


    Actually, Luo Xiwen knew what the other person said made sense. Her n was of course to inform Lin Ruoxue first, then have Lin report to the domestic police, and finally have the Huaxia police cooperate with the police of country F to arrest them unexpectedly, that would be the best way!


    However, Su Chen smiled and said it''s fine, there''s no need to bother Ruoxue and the homnd''s police officers!


    For some reason, Luo Xiwen just trusted him and came over directly!


    Fortunately, she knew Su Chen was quite capable, which made her less afraid. Had she been alone, she would have been scared out of her wits!


    After all, who knows what desperate measures these two might take!


    Standing against the wall, Su Chen hadn''t attracted much attention. He was calmly smoking, watching the suddenly changing face of Wang Kesong, not caring at all!


    "p p p!"


    At this moment, Wang Kesong pped his hands a few times, and the office door opened, with four or five men walking in from outside!


    Of course, they had typical European features!


    These people walked in with arrogance, looking very haughty!


    Su Chen noticed a trace of surprise in his eyes upon seeing these people, because they were actually martial artists!


    However, their cultivation was so weak, only at the Middle Stage of Qi Refinement, the strongest was only about the seventh stage of Qi Refinement!


    Soon, Su Chen noticed a tattoo on their necks and the smile on his lips deepened...


    "President Luo, Minister Su, unfortunately, I''m afraid you won''t be able to return to Huaxia!"


    Wang Kesongughed.


    "Exactly, you can only me yourselves for being too capable!"


    That previously cowardly Yao Bin seemed to have gained some courage after seeing these people walk in!


    In the eyes of these two, as long as they killed Su Chen and Luo Xiwen without leaving a trace, the problem would be solved!


    By that time, they could destroy all the documents thoroughly, and even if the group wanted to investigate further, it would be impossible!


    Even if Lin Ruoxue suspected or was sure it was them, what could she do without evidence?


    At best, they could leave Belle Group, after all, they had earned enough money already!


    The reason they hadn''t done this before was because they hoped theter they were discovered, the longer they could continue to embezzle money!


    "What exactly do you want to do?"


    Although Su Chen was in the room, Luo Xiwen couldn''t help but feel scared, for she was, after all, a woman!


    "Blunt, this matter is up to you."


    Wang Kesong ignored Luo Xiwen, addressing the leader among them.


    "It''s just a small matter!"


    The leader replied indifferently.


    "Who gives you such confidence?"


    At this moment, a calm voice sounded, and Su Chen walked up,ing to stand beside Luo Xiwen.


    Seeing this, Luo Xiwen instinctively held his big hand, as if this would make her feel less scared!


    "Haha, Minister Su, do you know what kind of person Mr. Blunt is?"


    Wang Kesongughed proudly:


    "Daring to speak to Mr. Blunt this way, I think you''re getting tired of living!"


    "Oh, really?"


    Su Chen said calmly, then nced at Blunt:


    "Just these few trash?"


    "Fuck!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen call them trash, Blunt was furious, throwing a punch directly at Su Chen!


    His punch was full of brute force, with immense momentum, scaring Luo Xiwen so much that her face changed!


    However, in the face of this punch, Su Chen gently flicked his hand, just like brushing off dust, and sent Blunt flying!


    When the others saw Blunt being sent flying, they immediately rushed forward together!


    But soon they were also sent flying with a "bang bang bang," smashing against the wall!


    Fortunately, Wang Kesong''s office was soundproof, preventing amotion!


    This process looked almost like a child''s y!


    By this time, everyone was already dumbfounded!


    Is this young man a demon? How could he be so powerful?


    Wang Kesong and Yao Bin were even more at a loss and terrified. How could the group''s son-inw defeat Blunt and the others so easily, like squashing a few ants!


    "Who exactly are you?"


    Blunt asked tremblingly. At this moment, Su Chen was so restrained that, with his level of cultivation, Blunt couldn''t discern Su Chen''s realm!


    Of course, he hadn''t even heard of that realm!


    "Who I am, you''re not qualified to know."


    Su Chen said calmly:


    "But your Snow Eagles are really progressing- taking on this kind of job now!"


    As soon as Su Chen''s words dropped, Blunt and the others'' bodies shook violently...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1219: His Excellency the Hades King

    "How do you know our identities?"


    At this moment, Blunt was truly frightened. The other party had already known their identities!


    You have to know, they are an organization from the Dark World, and very few people on the outside know about them!


    Then who exactly is this young man?


    "Alright, hurry up and call Andrew, I want to have a good chat with him!"


    Su Chen said with a dismissive tone.


    Upon hearing this, Blunt and the others were even more scared out of their wits!


    Who is Andrew?


    He is the boss of their Xue Ying!


    And this person mentioned their boss as if calling a subordinate!


    Blunt realized that something might really be wrong, and he didn''t dare to take out his phone!


    Wang Kesong and Yao Bin also knew Andrew''s identity and were so scared that their legs went weak, only managing to stay upright by holding onto the desk!


    To them, Andrew was simply an absolute big shot, incredibly powerful!


    They couldn''t help but look at Su Chen again. Is this guy really just a figurehead in the group as they''ve heard asionally?


    "What, you''re not calling yet?"


    Su Chen''s voice suddenly turned cold!


    As soon as Blunt encountered that gaze, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, shuddered violently, and quickly said:


    "I''ll call, I''ll call..."


    There''s no choice, this young man is far stronger than them, he has no choice but to obedientlyply!


    After a while, the phone started making a "beep beep" sound!


    Blunt held the phone and actively turned on the speaker mode!


    "Blunt, do you know what the consequences are for disturbing my sweet dreams?"


    As soon as the call connected, a somewhatzy voice came through!


    Apparently, the other party was still sleeping, after all, it was only a little after eight in the morning!


    "Andrew, you really know how to enjoy life!"


    Su Chen casually remarked:


    "Aren''t you worried that your head might relocate while you''re dreaming?"


    "Who are you to talk to me like this? Are you tired of living?"


    Andrew snorted immediately at Su Chen''s words.


    After all, given his status, not many people dared to speak to him this way!


    "I see you''ve been indulging in too many women, growing old before your time!"


    Su Chen casually said:


    "Do you want Lone Wolf or the Clown to pay a personal visit to Xue Ying''s headquarters, or would you like to meet the Demon directly?"


    Still lying in bed, Andrew sat up abruptly at the mention of these names, his sleepiness instantly vanishing!


    He then carefully recalled the voice just now, and suddenly, his whole body shuddered, a realization dawning in his mind!


    "You...you are... His Highness the Underworld King?!"


    Andrew trembled as he spoke, his voice filled with a strong sense of fear!


    "Looks like you haven''t lost all your faculties yet!"


    Su Chen casually replied.


    "tter"


    Suddenly, Blunt''s phone fell to the ground!


    At this moment, he stared at Su Chen in shock, with only one thought in his mind:


    He''s the Underworld King?! He''s the Underworld King?!


    Of course, he had heard of the Underworld King, who in the Dark World hasn''t heard of this legendary name?


    Blunt''s subordinates were alsopletely stunned!


    They never expected that the young man standing in front of them in casual clothes was actually the Underworld King!


    At this moment, Wang Kesong and Yao Bin looked at Su Chen with utter confusion!


    His Highness the Underworld King?


    What is that?


    They had never heard of it, but from Blunt and the voice on the phone, it was clear that this title seemed to mean something!


    Especially Luo Xiwen, she looked at Su Chen curiously, thinking in her heart, why did the person on the phone just now call him "His Highness the Underworld King", what exactly does that mean?


    "His Highness the Underworld King, why...why did you contact me, and using Blunt''s phone, did he offend you?"


    Andrew cautiously asked from the other end of the line.


    "They tried to kill me and my friends. Do you think that offended me?"


    Su Chen said with a casual smile.


    "Ah! This must be a misunderstanding. Can you tell me where you are, Your Highness?"


    Upon hearing this, Andrew was frightened out of his wits and quickly said.


    What a joke, daring to kill His Highness the Underworld King, isn''t that a death wish?


    And his friends, who doesn''t know, the Underworld King is extremely protective of those he values!


    "I''m at the European branch of the Belle Group in Country F."


    Su Chen casually replied.


    "Your Highness the Underworld King, I happen to be in Country F, give me two... no, one and a half hours, I''ll be there immediately!"


    Andrew quickly said.


    Su Chen pondered for a moment and said:


    "I''ll wait for you!"


    Then he hung up the phone.


    Hearing this, Andrew breathed a slight sigh of relief. If the Underworld King didn''t even want to see him, then Xue Ying might really be erased from existence!


    You have to know, now the Nether Temple, setting aside the Underworld King factor, is even more powerful than before!


    Of course, what they didn''t know was, it''s because Su Chen had set up a Formation there, causing everyone''s Cultivation to advance rapidly!


    At this time, Wang Kesong and Yao Bin werepletely dumbfounded!


    The development of this situation waspletely beyond their expectations, they felt like fish on a chopping board, waiting to be handled by others at any moment!


    During the wait for Andrew to arrive, Su Chen learned the general situation from Blunt''s mouth!


    Wang Kesong and Yao Bin were embezzling funds and transferring assets, naturally fearing one day they''d be discovered!


    By chance, they met the people of Xue Ying and witnessed their strength!


    The two parties reached an agreement that these two would supply Xue Ying two hundred million US Dors each year, and if they were ever discovered, Xue Ying agreed to help them solve the problem!


    For Wang Kesong and Yao Bin, this two hundred million annually was equivalent to an extra retreat path, and the money the group allocates annually to the European branch reached one to two billion US Dors!


    And for Xue Ying, they would only need to step in when there are problems, and previously they didn''t think it was a big deal either!


    And having an annual ie of two hundred million US Dors beforehand, why not do it?


    But they never imagined that when a problem did ur, they would have to face the Underworld King, who had disappeared from the Dark World for far too long!


    If they had known, let alone two hundred million US Dors, even two billion, they wouldn''t dare take it!


    After all, earning money is one thing, but staying alive to spend it is another!


    ......


    More than an hour passed in the blink of an eye, but during this time, for Wang Kesong and Yao Bin, it was like torture!


    Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded.


    Subsequently, a tall, blond, and blue-eyed middle-aged man walked in, his face full of anxiety...


    (ps: To be continued tomorrow!)

 Chapter 1220: Thats Not How You Seek Death!

    The burly middle-aged man walked in and immediately knelt on the ground upon seeing Su Chen!


    This act of kneeling made Blunt, especially Wang Kesong and Yao Bin, turn deathly pale, almost bloodless!


    They were somewhat aware of this middle-aged man''s influence; even the official institutions of F Country were wary of him and couldn''t handle him.


    Yet now, without any hesitation, he was kneeling in front of the son-inw of this group!


    Even if Wang Kesong and Yao Bin were foolish, they understood that this son-inw is truly the wolf in sheep''s clothing!


    Luo Xiwen, who was holding Su Chen''s hand, was stunned seeing the man kneeling directly before Su Chen!


    She thought, what exactly is this so-called Dark King, who can make people so terrified and fearful?


    "Your Majesty, this matter is my responsibility. Andrew acted blindly, offending you and your friends!"


    Andrew said solemnly:


    "How would you like to deal with it? I, Andrew, have no objections!"


    "Do you think by doing this, I will let you off?"


    Su Chen said indifferently.


    In fact, hearing Andrew''s words, Su Chen was slightly surprised!


    He wasn''t surprised by Andrew''s honest attitude, because anyone with a clear head would know that resistance is futile and will onlyplicate matters!


    He was more surprised that this guy had some responsibility, not pushing everything onto Blunt and others!


    Initially, Su Chen thought this guy would im ignorance, saying everything was Blunt''s and the others'' decisions!


    After all, that''s what most people would choose!


    "In front of Your Majesty, Andrew wouldn''t dare to y any tricks!"


    Andrew quickly said.


    Andrew''s humble attitudepletely dashed Wang Kesong''s and Yao Bin''s hopes!


    The two exchanged a sneaky nce, immediately understanding each other''s intention!


    Suddenly, like hungry tigers, they pounced on Luo Xiwen, each holding a knife, intending to seize Luo Xiwen!


    To them, this seemed the only option now!


    Only by capturing Luo Xiwen could they leave here; what happens afterward, they would have to take it one step at a time!


    Otherwise, even if they didn''t die, they couldn''t escape decades-long imprisonment; their lives would be over!


    They were already very close to Luo Xiwen, and under this sudden onught, they were about to control Luo Xiwen, a sh of delight shone in their eyes!


    "Shoo, shoo, shoo!"


    At this moment, there was a sound of something whizzing through the air, several Silver Needles gleamed in the air, swiftly piercing the center of their foreheads, their movements halted, immediately falling to the ground!


    "Courting death!"


    Su Chen looked at their corpses and said coldly.


    If they had just embezzled some money, Su Chen might not have killed them, perhaps allowing Lin Ruoxue and Luo Xiwen to proceed through legal channels!


    Although they stole his wife''s money, which annoyed Su Chen, it didn''t warrant death!


    However, they intended to kill him earlier, and now also tried to harm Luo Xiwen in a desperate attempt, which was their self-inflicted doom!


    "Su Chen, did you... did you kill them?"


    Luo Xiwen said, trembling with fear!


    "Don''t worry, it''s fine! They tried to harm you twice, which was courting death for themselves!"


    Su Chen squeezed Luo Xiwen''s hand slightly, a gentle smile on his face!


    Upon hearing his words and seeing the smile on his face, Luo Xiwen''s heart trembled!


    She just didn''t understand how he could remain calm after killing someone?


    Was he not afraid?


    Andrew and Blunt, who were on the ground, had no reaction, only cursing the two guys as foolish and naive in their hearts!


    In front of the Dark King, they still dared to try and seize his friend; what foolishness and naivety is this?


    Seeking death shouldn''t be done in this manner!


    Andrew and the others were now more concerned about their own fate; they didn''t know what awaited them!


    "Your Majesty, please give Xue Ying a chance!"


    Andrew pleaded with Su Chen.


    "Your Majesty, spare us, we were wrong!"


    Blunt and others also kowtowed for mercy, as after all, everyone fears death!


    "Su Chen, let it go."


    Luo Xiwen said upon seeing the scene, she was, after all, a normal woman, with a tender heart!


    Su Chen thought for a moment, then said calmly:


    "Stand up!"


    Upon hearing this, Andrew and Blunt were instantly pardoned!


    They knew they had just walked away from death, as their lives or deaths hinged on this young man''s whim!


    Actually, Su Chen spared them not only because of Luo Xiwen''s plea but for another reason: despite Andrew''s arrival, he didn''t shirk responsibility!


    More importantly, as Su Chen understood, Xue Ying possessed a decent reputation in the Dark World, not the type reveling in evil deeds, particrly untainted by drugs!


    This indicated Andrew had some principles; as for Blunt and the others attempting to deal with them, ultimately, they were merely paid to clear troubles!


    Expecting an organization like the Dark World to behave saintly is unrealistic!


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!"


    Andrew and others said excitedly, slowly standing up.


    "Now that these two people are dead, how do you propose to handle Belle Group''s losses?"


    Su Chen nced at Andrew and asked.


    Although he spared Andrew and the others, it didn''t mean there were no consequences!


    Andrew naturally understood, promptly saying:


    "We''llpensate double!"


    In fact, Xue Ying was just a medium-level organization within the Dark World; the investment Belle Group made to the European division was substantial, and a significant part was transferred by Wang Kesong and Yao Bin!


    Sopensating double was equivalent to Andrew taking a substantial hit, but he had no choice!


    Luo Xiwen was also surprised; Andrew didn''t even ask how much, directly saying double!


    For Andrew, being spared by Su Chen was already extraordinary luck, how could he care about money!


    After all, money lost can be earned back, but once one''s life is lost, nothing can be regained...


    ...


    In the following two to three days, Luo Xiwen began restructuring the European division, temporarily selecting a person in charge!


    Regarding Wang Kesong and Yao Bin, Luo Xiwen only stated that they transferred group funds and were fired by the group, leaving other matters unmentioned!


    Of course, this was merely a temporary measure, yet it showcased Luo Xiwen''s remarkable capabilities!


    Three dayster, having arranged the European division''s affairs somewhat, Luo Xiwen finally had a bit of leisure...


    However, more matters needed to be addressed in meetings upon returning; for now, maintaining normal operations suffices...

 Chapter 1221: Encountering Members of the Illusory Palace Again

    "By the way, Su Chen, is it really okay that you killed those two people?"


    During lunch that day, Luo Xiwen couldn''t help but ask worriedly.


    "This world has many things beyond your imagination."


    Su Chen smiled slightly and said:


    "Don''t worry, there won''t be any problems."


    For Su Chen, dealing with those two people was a trivial matter, there''s no need to worry at all!


    Of course, it was also because they were asking for trouble, and Su Chen naturally obliged them!


    Luo Xiwen saw his calm and carefree demeanor, and seemed genuinely not worried, which put her at ease!


    At the same time, she became more intrigued about exploring Su Chen!


    She forgot that when a woman bes interested in a man, it opens up many possibilities...


    "In a couple of days, my friend''s movie premiere is happening. Let''s go check it out then."


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    "Sure, I''m curious to see which big star you know so I can report back to Ruoxue and the others!"


    Luo Xiwen joked with augh.


    She thought staying a few more days wouldn''t have too much impact.


    "We''re really just friends!"


    Su Chen spread his hands, a bit helplessly.


    "I never said you weren''t friends? "


    Luo Xiwen''s lips curled into a sly smile.


    Hearing this, Su Chen simply chose not to speak further!


    After lunch, they started a shopping frenzy!


    There was no other way, almost every woman had given her a long list before setting off!


    Even though Su Chen was unwilling, Luo Xiwen still dragged him along as freebor!


    The two of them shopped for the whole day until the starlight covered the earth, only then did they return to the hotel!


    By this time, not only was Luo Xiwen exhausted, but Su Chen was too, more so than after a match against a master!


    For any man, shopping is never an enjoyable experience...


    The scary thing is, they haven''t finished shopping, and will have to continue the next morning!


    After all, there are just too many items on those lists...


    That night, Su Chen was toozy to cultivate, he just took a bath and went to bed...


    ......


    Early the next morning, after breakfast, the two continued their "battle"!


    It wasn''t until after 1 PM that they dragged their tired bodies back to the hotel and copsed on therge bed to rest...


    Luckily, they had a decent rest the previous night, so Luo Xiwen was able to recuperate after lying in bed for over an hour.


    Suddenly, Su Chen received a call from Jiang Ying, who told him she had arrived in F country and asked him if it was convenient to meet, as she knew about Su Chen being in F country.


    Su Chen had no objections and gave Jiang Ying the address of his hotel.


    Luo Xiwen got a bit excited after hearing that Su Chen''s celebrity friend would being soon, eager to see who it was!


    When Jiang Ying removed her sunsses in front of her, Luo Xiwen was stunned!


    She didn''t expect Su Chen''s celebrity friend to be Jiang Ying, who had already gained some fame in Hollywood and was a huge star back home, praised to high heights!


    After all, very few stars from Huaxia Country could make a name in Hollywood, especially a female star, which was even more rare!


    Su Chen hadn''t seen Jiang Ying for a long time, and upon meeting again, she seemed even more beautiful and graceful than before!


    He then gave a simple introduction between the two.


    "Miss Jiang, nice to meet you."


    Luo Xiwen extended a hand and said:


    "I never thought the celebrity friend Su Chen mentioned was you."


    "I''m also d to meet Miss Luo."


    Jiang Ying smiled faintly.


    The three of them didn''t have anywhere else to go, so they went to a coffee shop next to the hotel and sat down.


    After half an hour, Su Chen once again witnessed themunication style between women that men could never understand!


    The two women started chatting about some fashion cosmetics, and soon they were enthusiastically talking as if they had found long-lost sisters!


    Mind you, it hadn''t even been an hour since they met!


    Su Chen, somewhat disdainfully, pouted at this situation, but the two women were so engrossed in their chat that they didn''t notice Su Chen at all!


    After sitting in the coffee shop for two to three hours, it was almost dinner time, so the three of them went to an authentic Western restaurant on the street!


    After dinner, the trio explored the romantic capital of F country!


    To be honest, although Su Chen and Luo Xiwen had been here for a few days, they hadn''t really had a chance to enjoy themselves!


    The previous days were spent dealing with matters of the European branch, and just as that was almost settled, yesterday and today were busy buying things for thedies at the vi!


    Fortunately, everyone was quite familiar with the area, so they enjoyed themselves quite smoothly!


    By 10 o''clock or so, they were strolling down the street, the dim street lights stretching their shadows long!


    Although tired, they were very happy!


    Just then, a car suddenly sped towards them, startling the two women. The car performed a beautiful drift stop right in front of Su Chen!


    Several blond, blue-eyed men with high cheekbones got out of the car!


    Su Chen wasn''t surprised when they stopped. From a distance, he had sensed that the car wasing for him!


    However, these men caused him to be slightly shocked!


    Because two of them were at the Late Stage of the Kaiyuan Realm, and if Su Chen guessed correctly, the other two were at the Minor Perfection of the Kaiyuan Realm!


    "Are you from the Illusory Pce?"


    Su Chen asked calmly.


    It wasn''t hard to guess their identity, as the only faction with that level of power in Europe and a grudge against him would be the Illusory Pce!


    After all, the Illusory Pce is an ancient martial force in Europe, so Su Chen wasn''t too surprised that they found him!


    Of course, he wasn''t afraid of these sudden visitors, but the trouble was that he had two women with him!


    This was undoubtedly a weakness!


    "Indeed!"


    One of them replied in amanding tone after hearing Su Chen:


    "Someone wants to see you,e with us!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen deliberately remained silent for a while without responding.


    "You bettere with us willingly, don''t make us do it the hard way!"


    The person impatiently snorted coldly.


    "I can go with you, but these two women have nothing to do with this. Let them leave first!"


    Su Chen hesitantly requested.


    "Do you think you have the right to make demands? What if I don''t agree, what can you do?!"


    The man mocked defiantly once again.


    (ps: Another chapter will be released tonight!)

 Chapter 1222: Utter Domination

    "If that''s the case, then we have no choice but to fight!"


    Su Chen''s eyes emitted a determined look as he spoke.


    "If he wants to let those two women go, let them. Completing the mission is the priority!"


    At this moment, a man standing beside the opponent spoke softly.


    The man pondered for a moment upon hearing this. Although he didn''t think too much of Su Chen, he didn''t dare to underestimate him!


    Because they had been informed from above that several people in the Kaiyuan Late Stage had been sent to Huaxia to deal with this kid, but those people went missing!


    Even though it might not be the young man who did it, it was certain those people were likely doomed!


    If so, then less trouble is better than more. As long as this kid is willing to go with them obediently, it would be fine!


    The task given from above is to bring him back if possible. After all, this ce is not like Huaxia; it''s their territory!


    Of course, if it''s really impossible to bring him back, then kill him on the spot!


    In any case, they cannot let this kid return to Huaxia alive!


    "As long as youe with us obediently, I can let them leave first!"


    The man nodded and said:


    "If you dare y tricks, you know the consequences!"


    He agreed with confidence in their own strength, not believing that two in the Kaiyuan Late Stage and two in the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection couldn''t handle this young man!


    This was mainly for two reasons: first, the previous people might not have been killed by him; more importantly, there''s still a considerable gap between the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection and Late Stage!


    Generally, it''s normal for one in Kaiyuan Minor Perfection to deal with several at the Kaiyuan Late Stage!


    "Don''t worry, as long as they leave, I''ll go with you!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen then turned around to the two women and said:


    "You guys go back first."


    "No way!"


    The two women said in unison.


    As soon as they spoke, they nced at each other, a slight blush on their charming faces!


    Luo Xiwen saw Jiang Ying''s anxious look earlier and didn''t believe that Su Chen and the two were just friends!


    At least, in the mind of this big star Jiang, it''s definitely not like that!


    She didn''t know that seeing her, Jiang Ying had the same thought!


    Of course, this moment wasn''t the time for petty rivalry. Even an idiot could see these people weren''t simple, and Su Chen going with them could be dangerous!


    "Su Chen, if something happens to you, how do you expect me to exin to Ruoxue when I go back?"


    Luo Xiwen said righteously.


    "I am not leaving either!"


    Jiang Ying said softly, but her tone was firm!


    "Alright, don''t worry, I''ll be fine. If you stay, it''ll only be a distraction for me!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    Upon hearing this, Luo Xiwen and Jiang Ying suddenly didn''t know what to do!


    After all, they also knew they wouldn''t help by staying and might be a burden instead!


    But leaving just like that, how could they be at ease?


    "Make sure youe back safely!"


    Jiang Ying looked at Su Chen and said, the worry in her beautiful eyes was evident!


    Luo Xiwen didn''t speak, but her charming face also revealed a worried look!


    At this time, just as a taxi passed by, Su Chen hailed it, letting them get in, and then said to the two women at the car window:


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be back soon!"


    The people from the Illusory Pce hearing this sneered disdainfully, thinking to themselves:


    "Going back? Too naive! You probably won''t have that chance again!"


    "Alright, let''s go!"


    The man who spoke earlier said.


    Su Chen didn''t say a word, directly walked to the car, opened the rear door, and got inside!


    Just as he sat inside, a cynical smile tugged at the corner of his mouth!


    Subsequently, the four people also got in. This was a stretch Rolls-Royce, so it wasn''t crowded at all.


    Two people in the Kaiyuan Late Stage sat in the front row, and the other two in the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection sat on either side of Su Chen, preventing his escape!


    They didn''t know Su Chen was now worried they might escape!


    Soon, the car slowly started moving, leaving the ce...


    .....


    Su Chen sat in the car, leaning his head against the seat with his eyes closed, showing no trace of tension or anxiety!


    This made the few people from the Illusory Pce puzzled!


    Is this kid really so thick-skinned?


    Does he not realize what awaits him on this journey?


    At this moment, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes and chuckled softly:


    "Almost there."


    "What do you mean by almost there?"


    The two people beside him couldn''t help but ask.


    "It means it''s almost time to send you to Hell!"


    Su Chen said with a smile.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the people on both sides were immediately stunned!


    At this moment, Su Chen already simultaneously struck in both directions with his palms!


    In one palm, he used the "Thousand Hand Seal," and the other he simply struck straight!


    In the palm using the Thousand Hand Seal, he only infused a dozen strands of Ster Power, but in the other palm, he infused dozens of strands of Star Energy!


    After all, the Thousand Hand Seal is inherently powerful, but he still couldn''t use it with both palms simultaneously; this also required strong Telekinesis, or spiritual power!


    Fortunately, he had Star Energy, more than enough to make up the difference!


    The two people, seeing Su Chen attack suddenly, were taken aback!


    Especially when they felt the power of the palm heading towards them, it sent chills up their spine with terror!


    For a moment, it was as if the Grim Reaper suddenly descended!


    At this time, they were too close to Su Chen; there was no way to escape and could only instinctively raise their arms to defend!


    Su Chen''s palm strike using the Thousand Hand Seal sted directly into the opponent''s abdomen!


    Since Su Chen''s current Thousand Hand Seal could send out five palm prints simultaneously, there was no way to block it!


    In the other direction, Su Chen''s palm directly shattered the opponent''s arm, then continued forward, crashing into the opponent''s chest!


    "Boom!"


    Two loud bangs echoed simultaneously, and the two people in Kaiyuan Minor Perfection were sted away, crashing through the car door and flying out!


    All this happened almost instantaneously, so the two in the front didn''t react at all!


    By the time they realized something was wrong and turned their heads, it was toote, greeted by a dagger shing with ominous light!


    Two sprays of blood mist erupted, and Su Chen easily ended their lives...


    Su Chen then got out of the car and walked towards one of the people he had sted away!


    At this moment, blood was continuously flowing from that person''s mouth, and he was barely breathing...


    Seeing Su Chen approach, his face was full of horror!


    He never imagined this young man would suddenly attack them both!


    Even more, he never imagined this young man was so strong, being so powerful while attacking simultaneously!


    Su Chen looked at him coldly, a mocking smile on his lips!


    He really didn''t know if these people were arrogant or stupid; with his current strength, he couldpletely crush the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection, and his only w might be speed!


    Yet these two actually transported him in a car, in such a confined space, so close; wasn''t this gifting themselves to him for a beating?


    After a few tens of seconds, the man breathed hisst in horror...


    Su Chen then went to check on the other person, who was also dead!


    Su Chen briefly dealt with the car and the bodies, then continued walking forward.


    After walking some distance, he spotted a taxi, and he stopped it to head back to the hotel...

 Chapter 1223: Schemes

    "You''re back, are you alright?"


    When Su Chen arrived at the hotel, Luo Xiwen and Jiang Ying immediately approached!


    "What do you think?"


    Su Chen smiled, then turned around to let them see clearly!


    "As long as you''re fine!"


    Seeing Su Chen was okay, the two women finally rxed!


    "Alright, I''ll go check in first."


    Jiang Ying said, she hadn''t checked in since Su Chen hadn''t returned.


    After saying that, she went toplete the check-in formalities.


    After finishing the check-in, they took the elevator up. Jiang Ying had chosen a room on the same floor as Su Chen, although not directly adjacent, it was not too far away!


    After they wished each other a good night, they went back to their rooms to rest...


    .....


    At this moment, it''s still daytime in Huaxia. In a room of the Ximen n, a few people stood there, looking somewhat serious, and the atmosphere in the air seemed a bit different.


    "Ziming, where exactly did your brother go?"


    The old master of the Ximen n sternly asked.


    "I don''t know."


    Ximen Ziming, hearing his grandfather''s question, replied tremblingly, seeming a bit scared.


    "How can you not know?"


    Next to him, Ximen Bohai also asked with a serious face:


    "A few days ago, you said he went out for something."


    "Ziming, if you know, then quickly tell your grandfather and uncle!"


    Ximen Boyuan also said likewise.


    In the Ximen n, the importance attached to this eldest young master is simr to the importance Zhu Family has for Zhu Jun. After all, in top forces, only two or three people can be considered top talents!


    Hearing his father say this, Ximen Ziming hesitated with his words, seeming a bit indecisive!


    "Speak!"


    The old master of Ximen shouted sternly once again!


    Hearing this roar from his grandfather, Ximen Ziming seemed to tremble, whether from fear or pretend.


    "Brother seems to... seems to have gone to find that Su guy."


    Ximen Ziming said in a low voice.


    Upon hearing this, the old master of Ximen and Ximen Bohai''s hearts jolted!


    "Why did he suddenly go looking for that Su guy?"


    Ximen Bohai quickly asked.


    "After brother returned, he asked if there had been any happenings in the family. I told him about that Su kid and the token."


    Ximen Ziming said:


    "I thought that since you were going to tell brother about it anyway, and as soon as he heard the token was important, he decided to find that kid."


    The old master and the two Ximen brothers nodded, understanding that Ximen Zirui, as the eldest young master, was bound to know. He had just returned and they didn''t have time to fully discuss it with him.


    "Why didn''t you stop him? Didn''t you tell him that kid defeated Zhu Jun in one move, and that grandfather had ordered that without hismand, no one should act rashly!"


    "I tried to stop him, said all that needed to be said."


    Ximen Ziming seemed very aggrieved as he said:


    "But brother wouldn''t listen, seems he had some kind of reliance!"


    Upon hearing this, Ximen Bohai paused, could his son have had some rare encounter during his travels?


    But if that was the case, why hasn''t he returned?


    However, upon learning Ximen Zirui went to find Su Chen, the old master''s heart sankpletely!


    He knew that kid wasn''t just as simple as defeating Zhu Jun, even the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection he sent to test him out concluded that that kid at least was also Kaiyuan Minor Perfection!


    With that, it''s likely his grandson can''te back!


    He regretted not telling this to the family.


    It''s not really his fault, as he''d already given strict orders forbidding anyone from moving rashly without hismand!


    He didn''t expect his eldest grandson would go find that kid as soon as he returned!


    He understood Ximen Zirui''s actions, as one of the top talents, he certainly looked down on a kid from the Secr World!


    Being the hope of the Ximen family, he was usually given more leeway, which resulted in this grandson not fearing him as much as others!


    The old master then exined the situation with a defeated look!


    Ximen Bohai, hearing this, seemed like he was struck by lightning, standing petrified!


    Besides being shocked by the strength of that kid, Ximen Ziming was secretly overjoyed!


    What no one knew was when Ximen Ziming spoke to Ximen Zirui about this, he hoped Ximen Zirui would go find that kid!


    Because no matter the oue, it would be beneficial to him!


    If Ximen Zirui solved the matter and retrieved the token, ording to grandfather, the token had great benefits, and as the second young master of the Ximen n, he would naturally benefit as well!


    Also, that kid called him a dogst time, which infuriated him greatly. Dealing with him would also be a personal vindication!


    If that kid dealt with Ximen Zirui, the benefits would be even more apparent!


    It would mean he could potentially be the family''s future heir!


    With Ximen Zirui around, he stood almost no chance!


    To Ximen Ziming, he naturally hoped for the second scenario, where that kid dealt with Ximen Zirui!


    It now seemed that his dream might havee true!


    As for the token itself, he believed, given their Ximen n''s immense power, it would ultimately belong to them!


    "Father, I''ll go kill that kid!"


    Ximen Bohai spat through gritted teeth, with his precious son possibly murdered, he felt as if a fire of anger burned within him!


    "No way!"


    The old master of Ximen immediately shouted!


    "Father!!!"


    "Bohai, the matter of the token outweighs everything, don''t act rashly!"


    The old master of Ximen said in an unarguable, stern voice:


    "Anyone who acts rashly will be immediately expelled from the Ximen n!"


    Hearing this, Ximen Bohai dared not oppose but the anger on his face was evident!


    "Bohai, I promise, if it truly was that kid who killed Zirui, I swear he won''t die well!"


    The old master of Ximen said, patting Ximen Bohai''s shoulder to console him.


    Hearing this, Ximen Bohai''s expression slightly softened, as he nodded.


    ......


    In Europe, Su Chen naturally did not know what had happened in the Ximen n, though he could probably guess that due to the existence of the token, they wouldn''t act hastily!


    After waking up in the morning and having breakfast with the two women in the hotel''s restaurant, the three headed to another major city in France for the European premiere of the film Jiang Ying had shot...


    (ps: Two more chaptersing out tonight!)

 Chapter 1224: Returning to Yandu Again

    The country of F is not veryrge, probably about the size of one or tworge provinces in Huaxia, so it only took them about three hours to get there.


    The movie premiere was held at a famous convention center in the city, and by the time they arrived, it was only two hours until it started.


    Jiang Ying then brought Su Chen into arge room, where all the principal members of the movie production team were present!


    When Jiang Ying entered, everyone stood up and greeted her with smiles!


    Their enthusiasm was partly because, over the long period of working together, this beautiful Dongfang woman had earned their respect through her efforts.


    Of course, more importantly, everyone knew that this Dongfang woman had an extraordinary background!


    Whether it was the renowned director Cameron in the film industry or James, thergest theater chain owner in the U.S., they all seemed to treat her unusually.


    Initially, everyone thought she was like many women in the entertainment industry, who rely on certain unspoken rules. However, gradually, they realized that wasn''t the case.


    Especially James seemed quite respectful towards her, which aroused some people''s curiosity!


    But this woman did not throw tantrums because of this. Instead, she worked even harder to adapt to the different environment in Hollywood and put more effort into her acting!


    With a strong background yet working even harder, her achievements weremendable. This was the main reason she earned their approval!


    Jiang Ying also greeted everyone enthusiastically...


    At this moment, everyone noticed that Jiang Ying was followed by a man and a woman.


    Just as they were about to ask, a figure quickly rushed forward!


    "Mr. Su, how did youe here?"


    Cameron eximed excitedly as soon as he saw Su Chen.


    "Long time no see, I''m friends with Jiang Ying, so of course, I came to support her."


    Su Chen said with a smile:


    "You''re not unwee, are you?"


    "How could that be? You''re a most wee guest!"


    Cameronughed, looking very excited!


    Everyone witnessing this scene grew even more puzzled. Who was this person?


    Why was Director Cameron so thrilled to see him?


    Was he the real bigwig behind Jiang Ying?


    Just then, the door of the room was opened again, and a middle-aged man in a splendid outfit walked in!


    "Lord..., Mr. Su!"


    He was about to address Su Chen as Lord Hades, but suddenly realized that it might not be appropriate here, and as Su Chen cast him a nce, he immediately changed his words!


    "James, you look in good spirits!"


    Su Chenughed heartily:


    "Looks like you''ve been doing welltely!"


    "Not too bad, not too bad!"


    Cameron, noticing that Su Chen and James knew each other, was also a bit surprised, understanding why James would take such good care of Jiang Ying!


    Unlike him, James knew Su Chen''s identity, while Cameron''s acquaintance with Su Chen was purely by chance.


    His young daughter had been kidnapped once, and it was Su Chen who happened to save her and send her home. That''s how they got to know each other!


    Seeing this, everyone understood that the real bigwig behind Jiang Ying was probably this young man!


    No wonder James came especially today; someone of his stature rarely attended such events!


    Actually, they weren''t wrong; James came today not to show respect to Cameron, but to respect Jiang Ying, or more precisely, the man behind Jiang Ying!


    Luo Xiwen naturally knew these two bigwigs as well. Seeing they also knew Su Chen, she became even more intrigued by him!


    What kind of person was this guy, anyway?


    Since the production team needed to prepare for the premiere, Su Chen and the others did not disturb them and stepped out with Luo Xiwen, with James following closely.


    While Su Chen and James chatted, Luo Xiwen deliberately stood a bit further away, not trying to eavesdrop!


    When the premiere started, Su Chen declined James''s invitation to sit in the front row, preferring just to be an ordinary audience member!


    Actually, this movie premiere wasn''t very special; it was simr to any other blockbuster premiere.


    However, Su Chen and Luo Xiwen mainly came to support Jiang Ying, so it didn''t matter much.


    The premiere wasn''t long,sting about an hour and a half...


    ......


    "Jiang Ying, Cameron just told me that your potential is not bad. He ns to let you be the lead in a movie he''s nning for next year."


    On the street outside, the three of them walked casually as Su Chen said.


    "Thank you, Su Chen, but it''s not necessary."


    Jiang Ying slightly smiled.


    "Uh, why?"


    Su Chen asked, slightly puzzled. After all, such an opportunity was rare for an actress.


    "I n to return to my country for development soon."


    Seeing Su Chen''s confusion, Jiang Ying continued speaking:


    "I''ve seen and experienced it, and proven myself. That''s enough! I have you to thank for this!"


    "However, the mainstream culture here doesn''t really amodate Asians, and that''s not something one or two people can change. I don''t have such ambitions and am more ustomed to life back home."


    Hearing this, Su Chen could only nod and then smiled:


    "As you please, as long as you feel happy."


    Jiang Ying''s point was valid, after all, cultural differences aren''t easily bridged!


    Luo Xiwen, on the side, cast a yful nce at Jiang Ying, sensing that her decision had something to do with Su Chen!


    Seeing Luo Xiwen''s expression, Jiang Ying blushed slightly, as if her mind had been seen through!


    Of course, Luo Xiwen just smiled without saying much...


    ..........


    That afternoon, around three o''clock, Su Chen and Luo Xiwen returned to the hotel they had previously checked in, packed up, and prepared to board the ne back home, as they had been out for several days!


    As for the things they brought back for the women, those naturally had to be shipped.


    Heading back, Luo Xiwen nced again at Su Chen, as if her feelings toward him had changed somewhat, but she still couldn''t pinpoint exactly how...


    Shortly after, the ne took off into the night sky, heading back towards Huaxia!


    A whileter, both of them closed their eyes and rested...


    Due to the time difference and flight duration, it was already past nine in the morning the next day when they arrived at Yandu International Airport...


    They collected several pieces of checked luggage and then exited the airport...


    At the airport entrance, Qi Meng was already waiting next to a rtivelyrge SUV...


    The reason for bringing this vehicle was because it could fit so many things!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1225: Come Here!

    After loading the luggage into the car, Su Chen also went to retrieve the car that had been parked here earlier, and then both cars drove towards the vi together!


    When they arrived at the vi, the women were already waiting there, and eagerly moved everything inside!


    Even little Xun was the same, constantly asking where her gift was!


    In no time, all the things were moved into the vi''s living room, and the women began sorting through them...


    Su Chen watched them bustling around and simply went back to his room. After changing into swimming trunks, he came out to soak in the hot spring to rx!


    Having been away these days, he really missed the hot spring at home!


    Soaking in it now, he immediately felt refreshed all over...


    Su Chen soaked for two or three hours, then returned to his room to cultivate, after all, he hadn''t had much time for cultivation in the past few days.


    Before that, he took a peek into the living room and saw the women still busy as bees, so he wisely retreated to his room!


    Su Chen cultivated for several hours, and when he came out, the women had finally finished sorting everything, with each person''s portion set aside for them to pick up after work.


    Luo Xiwen had already gone to the corporation, as she needed to discuss some matters regarding the European branch face-to-face with Lin Ruoxue.


    Su Chen pondered for a bit, then walked out of the vi to the neighboring courtyard.


    When he arrived, Ouyang Jing and others were cultivating, and upon seeing him, they paused temporarily.


    There wasn''t much for the group of men to chat about, so they just casually talked about everything under the sun...


    However, Yunlong''s cultivation progress had improved significantly recently and was on the verge of entering the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    After all, there was arge Gathering Yuan Formation here, and thest gathering of first-rate forces from the Ancient Martial World had also stimted him, making him more proactive than before!


    Of course, Ouyang Jing often gave him guidance, which was also somewhat helpful...


    Su Chen stayed in the courtyard for over an hour before leaving...


    ......


    A few more days passed, during which Su Chen spent most of his time on cultivation orprehending the Thousand Hand Seal!


    Whileprehending the Thousand Hand Seal now, he wasn''t trying to produce more palm prints with one p but intended to realize a previous idea ofbining several palm prints into one to unleash maximum power!


    He had some vague ideas about this, but they weren''t clear yet, and he hadn''t fully figured it out!


    Of course, in the spare time between cultivation andprehension, he''d also visit the corporation...


    During these days, Lin Ruoxue had almost handled the matters of the European branch and made many new initiatives, making her seem a bit busier.


    ......<fnf35c> Official source is find[f]ovel</fnf35c>


    After finishing cultivation that day, Su Chen thought for a moment and then went to Tang Yun''s ce.


    The main purpose of Su Chen''s visit was to talk to Tang Yun about little Xun''s schooling soon. Tang Yun was very fond of the simple yet special little girl, little Xun, and readily agreed after hearing Su Chen''s words.


    Su Chen naturally had dinner at Tang Yun''s house before returning. When he arrived home, the women had also finished their dinner.


    Today, they were all sitting together in the living room chatting...


    Su Chen chatted with them for a while, then went back to his room, took a shower, and returned to cultivating...


    .......


    By around ten o''clock, the women each returned to their rooms.


    After a while, Su Chen''s phone suddenly rang with a message alert.


    He picked it up to see, and it was a message from Ye Mei, containing just two simple words:


    Come over!


    Seeing this message, a mischievous smile unconsciously appeared on Su Chen''s lips!


    He then tiptoed to Ye Mei''s room, where she seemed to have just finished her bath, her hair still slightly damp, and she was wearing a loose white shirt!


    The hem of the white shirt reached down to her thighs, beneath which were a pair of long, slender, and fair legs, especially eye-catching!


    At this moment, Ye Mei looked just like a fairy, tempting one to sin!


    Though Su Chen felt a certain itch in his heart watching this, he deliberately asked:


    "What do you mean by asking me toe over?"


    "Don''t y dumb!"


    Ye Mei replied simply and domineeringly.


    This left Su Chen momentarily speechless.


    After a while, he put away his roguish expression and asked sincerely:


    "Are you sure about this?"


    "I''ve been sure for a long time!"


    Ye Mei also looked at him affectionately and said:


    "Since you took me away from the Situ Family''s wedding, I''ve made up my mind to stay beside you for the rest of my life!"


    To be honest, after hearing Qi Meng''s wordsst time, Ye Mei had already made her decision!


    If this guy won''t take the initiative, then she would!


    Of course, making up her mind was one thing, but taking this step wasn''t easy, as women are generally more reserved!


    Ye Mei had thought about it for a long time before finally making up her mind, no more waiting!


    Today, she had bathed, put on clothes, then sent a message to Su Chen.


    She had read online that women wearing white shirts had a special appeal to men, so she did so.


    Judging by Su Chen''s expression now, it seemed to be true, which made Ye Mei feel a trace of joy!


    Moved by such touching words, Su Chen was filled with emotion!


    If that''s the case, then why hesitate any longer?


    Su Chen instantly lifted Ye Mei by her legs, carried her to the bed, and gentlyid her down...


    In no time, Ye Mei''s white shirt had floated to the ground, with several buttons having fallen off...


    ......


    Nobody knew how much time had passed, but the sounds ofbat in the room finally began to subside!


    Su Chen looked at Ye Mei, who was dripping with sweat, and couldn''t believe how wild she was; he was afraid he couldn''t handle it, especially since it was her first time!


    In fact, initially, Ye Mei didn''t feel much, but now when she moved slightly, she felt a sharp and sore pain clearly...


    It was likely that she wouldn''t make it to the corporation tomorrow...


    "Are you okay?"


    Su Chen, who was smoking, saw Ye Mei''s furrowed brows and asked concernedly.


    "I''m fine, but I probably won''t be able to work tomorrow."


    Ye Mei said, lying on Su Chen''s chest.


    "Work? Forget about it tomorrow, just rest at home."


    Su Chen immediately said.


    "Mm."


    Ye Mei nodded obediently.


    After chatting for a while, they held each other and fell asleep...


    ........


    Early the next morning, a light rain fell, and in the sound of "µÎ´ðµÎ´ð" of the rain, the two of them awoke!


    Ye Mei looked at the man beside her, holding her in his arms, and felt a curious sensation well up inside her...

 Chapter 1226: Something Happened

    Su Chen and Ye Mei got up and headed to the restaurant, although Ye Mei was already trying her best to endure the difort, her walking posture was still somewhat different!


    Like other women, she insisted on going for breakfast, although teasing was unavoidable, not going would probably make the situation even more "serious"!


    Sure enough, as soon as everyone saw her with Su Chen, they all started joking. Although Ye Mei was mentally prepared, she was still overwhelmed with shyness, her pretty face flushed!


    But soon, the atmosphere shifted, and the women asionally nced yfully at Xiao Yaning!


    They had been very close friends before, and now that Ye Mei and Su Chen had taken this step, when would it be her turn?!


    Seeing the eyes of all the women on her, even though they didn''t say a word, Xiao Yaning''s little heart couldn''t help but start "thumping."


    Especially when Ye Mei gently squeezed her hand, making her feel even more embarrassed. Of course, she understood Ye Mei''s meaning, it was encouragement!


    After breakfast, when the women going to work left, Ye Mei naturally returned to her room to lie down and rest.


    Even if she wanted to go to work today, she was still too weak to manage.


    Su Chen, of course, went back to the room to cultivate as usual!


    .....


    Time flies like a galloping horse, always fleeting, and in the blink of an eye, twenty days had passed.


    During these twenty days, Su Chen didn''t actually spend much time cultivating; most of it was spent researching the "Thousand Hand Seal," studying how to merge several Palm Prints into one!


    On this day, Su Chen appeared once more at the foot of the mountain behind the vi!


    Prior to this, he had appeared here many times, each time he felt he had some new insights, he woulde to test them, but he had never seeded!


    Now he stood there again, thinking about his research findings during this period, feeling that his direction was probably correct!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Su Chen growled softly, and once again struck out with a palm, a Palm Print immediately appeared in the void!


    Just as Su Chen was feeling somewhat delighted, he suddenly realized that the Palm Print was unstable, even threatening to disintegrate!


    Su Chen hurriedly tried to control it with his mind, finding the Palm Print trembling, unable to strike out, much less exert any power!


    It subsequently really did scatter...


    This caused Su Chen''s mood to sink involuntarily, he lit a cigarette, after all, for a moment there, he thought he had seeded!<fn0fbc> Official source is fin?novel</fn0fbc>


    But after finishing the cigarette, his mood improved, not because of anything else, but because he figured it out!


    The fact that he was able to strike out a Palm Print just now showed he had made progress, and that the direction was right, just some issues might not have been addressed properly!


    Sess might be just in the next attempt!


    Having figured this out, a light smile reappeared on his face. Since it didn''t work this time, he continued to research, what''s the big deal!


    Afterward, he leisurely strolled back into the vi. Upon entering, Qi Meng and Eniel were soaking in the hot springs, and Su Chen naturally joined them!


    With that, the two women inevitably received severe "harassment" from this guy!


    After a while, the two women originally enjoying their time in the hot spring left with slightly weak bodies to change clothes, giving this guy a hard stare before leaving!


    Su Chen simply pretended not to notice, casually picked up a wine ss they had used earlier, and started drinking red wine!


    The previously gloomy mood was cast far into the skies...


    .....


    Being alone, he soaked for another half hour then got up to return to his room and changed clothes.


    Thinking it over, with nothing else to do, he drove to the Belle Group.


    In the lobby, after teasing a few receptionists for a while, he took the elevator upstairs and went to his office.


    A cup of tea, two or threetest issues of "Men''s Style" magazine was still the standard.


    Su Chen looking at the sexy women inside, when he saw something exciting, eximed "tsk tsk" in praise!


    After half an hour, having finished reading the magazines, he casually started ying a matching game...


    It was at this moment when his phone suddenly rang, he saw it was Qi Meng calling, and casually answered.


    "What, you missed your hubby already after just a short while?"


    Su Chen smirked mischievously.


    "Su Chen, Eniel and I have run into trouble!"


    Qi Meng''s voice quickly came through.


    "What happened?"


    Su Chen immediately asked, sensing from Qi Meng''s tone that she wasn''t joking.


    Momentster, he hung up the phone, quickly rushed downstairs, and drove at high speed!


    After all, Qi Meng and Eniel were now Martial Arts experts of the fifth or sixth Meridian Expansion; if they couldn''t resolve the issue, it meant the opposition was quite formidable!


    His face was already covered with coldness...


    ......


    Meanwhile, at the entrance of a store on the streets of Yandu, Qi Meng and Eniel stood there, facing a few men in their twenties!


    A crowd was around them, watching the scene, but kept a distance!


    At this moment, Qi Meng and Eniel''s faces were frosted over, after soaking in the hot springs at the vi, they came out for a stroll together!


    However, when they reached the entrance of this store, they encountered several men who spoke rudely and even tried toy hands on them!


    Qi Meng and Eniel were not women who swallowed their anger, and they immediately wanted to teach these men a lesson!


    Unexpectedly, these men turned out to be experts, and she and Eniel were not a match for them!


    "What''s the matter, your men haven''t arrived yet?"


    Several men across from them watched Qi Meng and Eniel with a yful look, their faces showing unabashed lewd expressions!


    These two women were just unbelievably beautiful!


    They rarely came out, not expecting to encounter this kind of stunning beauty, and moreover, there were two, naturally, they couldn''t remain unmoved!


    Initially intending to subdue these two women, one of them surprisingly said if they dared to move against them, their men would not let them off easily!


    So they intentionally let these two women call their men over!


    They wanted to see what kind of abilities the man who owned these exceptional beauties had that made these women say such things!


    Of course, it was entirely a form of malicious amusement!


    The men thought that if the man these women mentioned indeed came and obediently listened and let these stunning women apany them, that would be fine.


    Otherwise, they would definitely teach him a lesson on how to behave...

 Chapter 1227: Su Chens Stubbornness

    "Don''t worry, our man will definitelye over, but when he arrives, it''ll be bad luck for you!"


    Qi Meng deliberately provoked.


    Because she knew, most men couldn''t handle being provoked!


    Sure enough, upon hearing this, the leader immediatelyughed:


    "Alright, we want to see just how capable your man really is!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the other men burst intoughter, as if they''d heard a joke!


    "Really? Then you better watch carefully!"


    Just then, a low, middle-range male voice sounded, and a young man came over!


    "Su Chen, you''re here!"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, Qi Meng and Eniel shouted out in surprise!


    They had originally nned to stall for some time, but unexpectedly, this guy arrived so quickly!


    They knew he came so fast because he was worried about them, which made them feel touched!


    "Of course, when someone''s bullying my women, how could I note immediately?"


    Su Chenughed, seeing the two women were unharmed, the weight in his heart was lifted!


    Hearing what Su Chen said, Qi Meng and Eniel were delighted, feeling sweetness in their hearts!


    "You''re their man?"


    The leader among the men asked.


    "That''s right, any problem with that?"


    Su Chen smiled lightly, his lips curving into a grin!


    "No problem, your woman said you came, and we''re doomed!"


    The leader sneered:


    "I just want to see how you make them doomed!"


    "Alright, since you''re so eager to see, I''ll fulfill your wish!"


    Su Chen curved his lips.


    Although Qi Meng and Eniel weren''t harmed, these guys dared to make a move on his women, so he wouldn''t be polite!


    "Damn, this kid is really arrogant!"


    Upon hearing this, the leader got angry and said to the others:


    "Go and teach this kid a lesson!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, those people near him emitted a powerful aura, stirring the air around them!


    Although Su Chen paid them no mind, they were stillte-stage Meridian Expansion martial artists, the aura they emitted was not something ordinary people could withstand, so they backed away!


    Seeing this, Su Chen''s figure flickered, and in the blink of an eye, he was among them!


    "Bang bang bang~~~"


    A series of muffled sounds rang out, and those men fell to the ground like falling leaves in the autumn wind, groaning in pain!


    With just one move, Su Chen almost broke a leg and an arm of each person!


    The leader heard the groans of hispanions, his eyes widened, his face shocked!


    Who is this guy, how could he be so strong?


    "Now you know how doomed you are, right?"


    Su Chen looked at the only man still standing and smiled.


    "Ah!!!"


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, the man shouted and charged at Su Chen, throwing a punch!


    He knew the opponent wouldn''t spare him, and he refused to believe this kid was so powerful!<fndef1> Original content can be found at f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fndef1>


    However, a few secondster, he realized he was wrong!


    His punch got stuck, unable to move forward, just dozens of centimeters away from the opponent!


    The opponent''s big hands wrapped around his fist tightly, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t budge an inch!


    At this moment, he realized the enormous gap between them!


    "Crack!"


    A crisp sound rang out, and his arm twisted out of shape!


    "Crack!"


    Su Chen followed with a kick, breaking his legpletely!


    "Ah~~~~"


    The man immediately let out a pig-like scream!


    "Get lost!"


    Su Chen coldly shouted.


    Upon hearing this, those men hurriedly stood up, limping away on one leg!


    The leader didn''t awaken or feel grateful because Su Chen spared him, instead his face showed unbounded hatred!


    Of course, Su Chen didn''t care about him or their attitudes, he spared them not out of kindness!


    Su Chen mainly considered that it was close to the street, with many people and onlookers, he didn''t want to cause panic unless absolutely necessary!


    Except that Qi Meng and Eniel were unharmed, otherwise, Su Chen definitely wouldn''t have let them leave alive!


    Su Chen then left with Eniel and Qi Meng, and the crowd dispersed...


    The two women were a bit worried about the incident since those people surely weren''t ordinary, how could ordinary people have such cultivation?


    But unlike the women, Su Chen was not too concerned...


    ...


    Back at the manor, Du Hanbing and Huang Menglei were already preparing dinner, and Qi Meng and Eniel went to help.


    Su Chen returned to his room and continued researching the "Thousand Hand Seal"!


    Su Chen sometimes had a stubborn streak, like now, he was determined to make his idea seed!


    That is, tobine several palm prints into one, to unleash maximum power!


    For this, he even halted his cultivation of the "Nine Yang Divine Technique" and the "Supreme Star Shifting Technique," focusing entirely on this!


    A little after seven, Lin Ruoxue came back, then everyone sat down for dinner!


    After dinner, thedies engaged in their activities, but after half an hour, they all gathered by the hot spring, lying on loungers chatting...


    Su Chen was also there with thedies, feeling very content...


    When the time was about right, everyone returned to their rooms!


    After a shower, Su Chen smirked mischievously, sneaking into Ye Mei''s room.


    ...


    At midnight, outside was silent, both were soaked in sweat, under the light, their skin glimmered, creating an enchanting atmosphere...


    Su Chen held Ye Mei with one hand, lightly stroking her with his fingertips, while the other hand held a cigarette, smoke wafting.


    Ye Meiy on his chest, feeling extremely happy...


    "By the way, you mischievous guy, when are you going to bring Yaning around?"


    After a while, Ye Mei suddenly said.


    "What bring around?"


    Su Chenughed.


    "Don''t y dumb!"


    Ye Mei looked up at Su Chen and said:


    "Don''t you know Yaning''s feelings? How much longer do you n to make her wait!"


    Because Ye Mei and Su Chen had already confirmed their rtionship, but Yaning hadn''t, Ye Mei felt a bit guilty towards her...

 Chapter 1228: Not a Good Guy!

    Su Chen couldn''t help butugh and cry upon hearing this, and said with a smile:


    "You and Yaning really are good friends!"


    "Of course, good things are meant to be shared together!"


    Ye Mei said with a heartyugh.


    "Are you referring to me as a ''thing''?"


    As soon as Su Chen heard this, he pouted.


    "No, I didn''t mean it that way, you''re certainly not a ''thing''!"


    Ye Mei quickly responded.


    However, upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn''t help but disy three ck lines on his forehead. Why did this sound so wrong?


    "I said it wrong, I''m not... "


    "Pfft!"


    Suddenly, Ye Mei was amused by herself!


    "You bad guy were never a good thing anyway!"


    She then nced at Su Chen, her face turning red as she scolded.


    Su Chen thought to himself: Great! Just now I wasn''t a thing, and now I''ve be a bad thing!


    "If that''s the case, then I''ll show you how bad I can be!"


    Su Chen shed a mischievous smile, which made Ye Mei''s heart tremble!


    "What are you going to do?"


    Ye Mei couldn''t help but ask.


    "What do you think!"


    Su Chen flipped over and kissed Ye Mei''s lips again, rendering her unable to make any sound...


    .....


    ...


    After stopping again, Ye Mei felt like she did the first time, like her bones were about to fall apart!


    Ye Mei red at Su Chen; this guy really was too bad!


    Soon after, the two fell asleep...


    The next day, when the sunlight spilled into the room, the two got up. Su Chen followed his usual routine, getting up after finishing a cigarette while Ye Mei also started getting dressed, still feeling a bit sore.


    Luckily, today happened to be the weekend, so there was no need to go to work.


    After breakfast, everyone went about their own activities, while Su Chen wandered around the vi.


    Soon, he wandered to the front yard, where Luo Xiwen was doing yoga, having not eaten breakfast yet!


    Yoga is best practiced on an empty stomach!


    She usually didn''t have time for yoga during work, so she mostly practiced on the weekends, asionally doing a little bit after work too.


    At this moment, Su Chen sat on the living room sofa, admiring Luo Xiwen''s graceful figure in her sports bustier and leggings. He couldn''t help but marvel at how great this girl''s figure was!


    Luo Xiwen had be used to Su Chen''s sometimes lecherous stares; after all, this guy had been looking for some time!


    Of course, sometimes she still felt embarrassed because his gaze could be quite aggressive!


    Whenever that happened, she would give him a fierce re, but Su Chen, with his thick skin, would simply pretend not to see!


    Luo Xiwen had no choice about it, so she usually just let it go...


    ...


    At this time, Su Chen suddenly heard the sound of someone entering from the doorway.


    The front yard''s living room was close to the door, and coupled with Su Chen''s exceptional hearing, he detected it immediately.


    "Who''s here?"


    Su Chen curiously murmured to himself, then stood up and walked outside.


    Seeing Su Chen suddenly walk out, Luo Xiwen found it odd, so she too stopped, picked up her jacket, put it on, and followed.


    "Aunt!"


    Su Chen was surprised when he saw the visitor but more filled with joy as he spoke.


    Upon hearing Su Chen call this woman "Aunt," Luo Xiwen widened her eyes!


    So she was Su Chen''s aunt!


    "Aunt, why are you here?"<fn202c> The source of th?s content is find(?)ovel</fn202c>


    Su Chen asked, somewhat perplexed.


    "You brat, I told you to bring your women over for me to meet, but got no word from you, so I had toe myself!"


    Su Jin said with mild annoyance.


    "Aunt, I''m sorry!"


    Su Chen replied, touching his head awkwardly and smiling sheepishly.


    Actually, after Su Jin mentioned it, he did bring it up, but the women were shy!


    Su Chen suddenly having them meet a senior felt a bit awkward!


    So Xia Qiuru and Du Hanbing, among others, had suggested waiting a while, preparing themselves a bit before saying anything.


    Of course, Su Chen respected their opinion, and then got busy, somewhat forgetting about the matter.


    "Alright, since I''m here, take me to meet them!"


    Su Jin said, looking at Luo Xiwen with a smile:


    "This one''s included, right?"


    Upon hearing this, Luo Xiwen''s face blushed instantly!


    "Well... actually not."


    Feeling a bit embarrassed, Su Chen touched his head and led Su Jin to the back yard living room.


    Upon hearing that Su Chen''s aunt had arrived, all the women came to the living room, including Xiaoxun, who was curious and ran over upon hearing that Su-ge''s aunt was there!


    Seeing so many women of different demeanors, Su Jin was stunned, her eyes widened!


    "You brat, are you nning to have a harem?"


    Su Jin had only heard from Ruoxue that Su Chen had a few women, but she didn''t expect so many to appear all at once!


    One, two, three, four...


    How many are there!


    The women couldn''t help but feel embarrassed upon hearing this, their faces turning slightly red!


    "There are a few who aren''t."


    Su Chen felt embarrassed and smiled sheepishly.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue and the others internally remarked that they may not be now, but they probably will in the future!


    Hearing her nephew''s shameless words, Su Jin couldn''t help but roll her eyes!


    At this point, apart from the already familiar Lin Ruoxue, the other women who had established rtionships with Su Chen were somewhat uneasy!


    After all, she''s Su Chen''s elder!


    Su Chen first introduced each of the women to Su Jin, and Xia Qiuru and the others timidly called her ''Aunt.''


    Seeing all these attractive women, Su Jin couldn''t help but admire her nephew!


    When she saw Xiaoxun, her face immediately showed a kind expression, and she waved for Xiaoxun toe over!


    Xiaoxun looked towards Su Chen, and seeing him nod, she walked over.


    After a while, Su Jin pulled Xiaoxun into her embrace and started chatting with the women.


    Su Jin naturally interacted warmly with these women, and with Lin Ruoxue there, they quickly became engaged in conversation!


    Of course, it was mostly Su Jin asking questions and them answering.


    Su Jin, not being an ordinary person, formed a rough idea of the women after chatting for some time; at least in terms of character, they were decent!


    This made Su Jin even more puzzled as to how Su Chen managed to win over so many good women!


    More importantly, their rtionships seemed quite harmonious, which was indeed a curious matter!


    Approaching noon, Su Chen personally went to the kitchen to cook. Since Su Jin rarely visited, naturally, she''d be having lunch here...

 Chapter 1229: Zi Mei

    During the meal, although thedies were still a bit reserved, it was better than at the beginning.


    Everyone chatted andughed, and it was a harmonious scene...


    Su Jin only came to visit for the weekend, so she was preparing to leave in the afternoon, with Su Chen escorting her all the way to the foot of the mountain.


    "You rascal, if you ever dare to wrong Ruoxue, just see how I''ll deal with you!"


    At the foot of the mountain, Su Jin said "viciously."


    She knew that in this matter, the one who sacrificed the most was Lin Ruoxue!


    She knew how proud and excellent Lin Ruoxue was, and how difficult it was to go this far!


    "Aunt, don''t worry, I wouldn''t wrong Ruoxue even if it meant wronging myself!"


    Su Chen said with a smile. In his heart, Lin Ruoxue always held that special position, and all thedies understood this!


    "That''s more like it."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s words, Su Jin nodded slightly and said:


    "Of course, the other women seem nice too, don''t let them down!"


    "Naturally, rest assured, Aunt!"


    Su Chen nodded, for he clearly understood the feelings those women had for him!


    The grace of a beauty is not to be betrayed!


    "I''m not assured at all!"


    Su Jin rolled her eyes impatiently and said:


    "Oh yes, there''s one more very important thing!"


    "Uh, what is it?"


    Hearing this, Su Chen asked instinctively.


    "What do you think, obviously it''s about having kids!"<fn94d4> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? F?ndNovel</fn94d4>


    Su Jin looked at Su Chen and said:


    "You have so many women, why isn''t there any progress?"


    Here, Su Jin lowered her voice a little and said:


    "Do you have some issue in that area? Do you need to visit a hospital for a check-up? After all, this is a big deal!"


    Su Jin was his only elder, and others couldn''t bring this up, but she naturally could, and she did so without hesitation!


    Hearing this, Su Chen immediately felt awkward, as discussing this topic in front of his aunt was a bit embarrassing, especially being suspected by her of having certain deficiencies!


    After all, it concerns a man''s pride!


    "Aunt, rest assured, there''s absolutely nothing wrong with my body!"


    Su Chen replied.


    Indeed, he believed that if he couldn''t detect any issues, then even the best hospitals with the best doctors wouldn''t be able to find any!


    "Then why is there no progress with so many women?"


    Su Jin asked suspiciously.


    "I don''t know either."


    Su Chen said helplessly. To be honest, he really didn''t know where the problem was!


    Neither he nor the women had any physical issues, yet none were pregnant!


    Su Chen realized that there must be a reason behind this, otherwise, it couldn''t be such a coincidence!


    But as for what exactly that reason was, he had no clue at all!


    "Anyway, you should take it seriously yourself!"


    Su Jin said, although Su Chen was not rted to her brother and sister-inw by blood, in her heart, Su Chen was her brother''s son, her nephew!


    His descendants would naturally be considered her brother and sister-inw''s future generations!


    "Got it, Aunt." Su Chen said with a smile.


    After a while, Su Jin drove away herself, and Su Chen turned around and headed back to the vi...


    Upon returning to the vi, Xia Qiuru, Qi Meng, and the others immediately gathered around, asking what impression Su Jin had of them!


    "Well, it''s alright."


    Su Chen pondered for a moment, then smirked:


    "But Aunt said you all should serve this old master with more dedication in the future!"


    "Tsk~~~"


    Upon hearing this, thedies began to disdain, knowing full well this guy was spouting nonsense!


    Before long, thedies went back to their respective tasks, and with nothing else to do, Su Chen returned to his room to continue studying the Thousand Hand Seal...


    ...........


    .......


    About ten days passed, with Su Chen still spending most of his time on studying the Thousand Hand Seal!


    He seemed to have some knew thoughts and insights onbining the several Palm Prints of the Thousand Hand Seal!


    So on this particr day, he again came to the back foot of Yuquan Mountain Vi!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Su Chen shouted, striking his palm toward the void!


    Perhaps because of the many previous failures, subconsciously he was ready to not seed this time!


    So this time he wasn''t as nervous as before, nor did he have a ritualistic feeling!


    Recalling some recent insights, he struck with his palm more casually.


    But as soon as this Palm Print was released, he immediately felt something different!


    Though it came suddenly, the feeling was very strong!


    Su Chen patiently waited and found no sign of this Palm Print disintegrating!


    Following his intent, that Palm Print immediately sted out, seeming to puncture a hole in the void, causing it to copse!


    For a time, the void was filled with raging turbulence and chaos, restoring calm only after dozens of seconds!


    "I did it! I did it!"


    Su Chen was overjoyed,ughing foolishly!


    Though he always believed he could seed, there had been some concern before it became reality!


    Now that he finally seeded, he felt an immense sense of achievement!


    Although it was just striking toward the void, he clearly sensed its power, which was a significant level up from the previous five Palm Prints!


    "Not bad."


    Just then, a somewhatzy voice suddenly rang out!


    "Who?!"


    This voice instantly terrified the still joyful Su Chen, changing hisplexion drastically!


    Because he hadn''t noticed anyone nearby just moments ago, yet the voice was so clear, indicating the other party hid well and was undoubtedly very powerful!


    "Show yourself!"


    Su Chen shouted again, his nerves highly strained!


    He was now prepared forbat at any moment!


    "Why all the yelling?!"


    At that moment, a graceful figure emerged from Su Chen''s Sea of Consciousness, swirling in front of him!


    "Who...who are you?!"


    Seeing the figure emerge from his mind, Su Chen was stunned, instinctively retreating, his face turning deathly pale!


    "Do I look that scary?"


    The graceful figure rolled her eyes at Su Chen, saying annoyedly:


    "You may call me Zi Mei!"


    "So, are you human or a ghost?"


    Su Chen blurted out.


    Though he always considered himself an atheist, the situation seemed too bizarre not to consider it!


    "What do you mean ghost? How do I look like a ghost?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s words, Zi Mei was clearly displeased:


    "Besides, when have you ever seen such a beautiful ghost like me?"

 Chapter 1230: Laws Forbidden Tome

    "Then what exactly are you?"


    Su Chen asked cautiously.


    "Thisdy is not a ''thing''?"


    Upon hearing this, Zi Mei immediately scolded!


    Then, like many others, she realized something was off with those words, and pouted:


    "Ignorant, thisdy now is just a soul consciousness entity!"


    "Soul consciousness entity?"


    Su Chen murmured, as he heard this term for the first time!


    "No need to be surprised. If you train hard enough, you too can achieve soul separation!"


    Zi Mei said.


    "Where are you from? How did you end up in my mind?"


    Su Chen continued to ask, as this was the most incredible and rming thing to him!


    After all, if someone suddenly floated out of your mind, anyone would be scared silly!


    "I''m not in your mind¡ªI''m in your sea of consciousness. As for where I came from, I was previously sealed in that sheepskin scroll."


    Zi Mei nced at Su Chen and said.


    Sheepskin scroll?


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen''s mind shed with a spark!


    He couldn''t help but recall that night in the Yu Family''s old residence...


    Back then, on that mountain, the starlit sky was as bright as day!


    Under the starlight, a line suddenly appeared on the sheepskin scroll: "With the innate bloodline, receive the inheritance!"


    He then bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall on it, and then he inexplicably fainted!


    When he came to, he had three cultivation techniques in his mind, which proved to be incredibly powerful!


    Back then, Su Chen felt there was something more in his mind, but he never knew what it was?


    Could it be this soul consciousness entity called Zi Mei?


    "Are you saying I saved you?"


    Su Chen asked as he looked at the graceful figure.


    "You could put it that way."


    Zi Mei nodded.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen rxed a little.


    Since he saved her, she wouldn''t likely harm him, right?!


    Because he felt that the graceful figure in front of him seemed very powerful¡ªso powerful that he couldn''t perceive her clearly!


    ........


    Perhaps because there had already been the precedent of three cultivation techniques suddenly appearing in his mind, or perhaps because Su Chen had a particrly strong psyche, after a while, Su Chen gradually epted this fact!


    He asked Zi Mei some more questions and finally cleared up a few things!


    "By the way, you''re in my mind, oh no, my sea of consciousness, so when I''m doing intimate things with my women, you can see everything?"<fn914b> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? FindN0vel</fn914b>


    Su Chen suddenly thought of a rather "serious" question and immediately asked!


    Upon hearing this, Zi Mei was speechless!


    She never expected that after calming down a bit, this guy''s first concern would be such a question!


    What did he take her for?


    Zi Mei looked at Su Chen and said word by word:


    "Firstly, I was asleep most of the time before, and rarely awake; secondly, do you think I have any interest in spying on you and your women doing such things?"


    As she continued, Zi Mei''s voice became sharp, indicating just how annoyed she was!


    "Don''t be angry, don''t be angry!"


    Su Chen hurriedly said with a smile. He wouldn''t dare offend thisdy residing in his sea of consciousness now.


    "It''s actually no big deal if you saw. After all, you''re also a woman, so it''s no loss for me!"


    Su Chen continued to chuckle, teasingly, despite the fact that the being before him was merely Zi Mei''s soul consciousness entity, yet still brimming with allure and charm!


    Having such a woman see him, Su Chen wasn''t too bothered...


    However, upon hearing this, Zi Mei immediately found herself at a loss for words.


    "Could this rascal really be the one with whom I have such an unbreakable bond?"


    Zi Mei thought to herself, momentarily unable to ept this reality!


    But she knew, this was the truth¡ªan unchangeable truth, or perhaps destiny!


    "Let me ask you one more question: since you''re in my sea of consciousness, do you know all my information and everything I do?"


    Su Chen asked again, a bit tense. After all, nobody likes being watched; nobody likes having no secrets before someone else!


    "Rest assured, I''m just staying in your sea of consciousness, like a guest in your house."


    Zi Mei huffed:


    "We haven''t merged, only then could we share memories and information!"


    Saying this, Zi Mei nced at Su Chen and added:


    "Besides, I''m not interested in your secrets at all!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen rxed instantly. With that being the case, there really wasn''t much to worry about!


    "Who are you really?"


    Having figured out the general cause and effect, Su Chen naturally didn''t consider her a ghost anymore. That thought had only popped up because of a sudden huge shock!


    "You''ll find out in due time."


    Zi Mei spoke:


    "Alright, I have something to give you!"


    "Uh, what is it?"


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "A tome."


    Zi Mei said, as her jade-like hand lifted, presenting an azure jade slip in the space between them!


    "Drip a drop of blood on the jade slip."


    Zi Mei instructed.


    Su Chen listened, froze for a second, then quickly bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto it!


    He knew many mystical items required forming a bond with a master, and he felt Zi Mei wouldn''t harm him.


    As soon as his blood touched the jade slip, it burst into a green light, which swiftly converged into a beam that shot straight towards Su Chen''s forehead!


    Instantly, a tome appeared in Su Chen''s mind, with fourrge characters written on it: "Laws Forbidden Tome"!


    "Zi Mei, what is this ''Laws Forbidden Tome''?"


    Su Chen asked curiously, as he casually called out to Zi Mei.


    "You''ll understand after researching it yourself."


    "Is it something good?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "What do you think?"


    Zi Mei replied, annoyed:


    "Do you know how many people desire this?"


    If it weren''t for this guy saving her and having such aplicated entanglement with her, she wouldn''t have given this thing to him!


    Of course, there are also other special reasons...


    Upon hearing Zi Mei''s tone, Su Chen knew immediately that this ''Laws Forbidden Tome'' was extraordinary!


    Moreover, he realized that Zi Mei''s identity must be very special¡ªperhaps with a prominent background!


    "Alright, I''m tired and need to rest. In the future, if it''s inconvenient for you to speak out loud to me, you can just talk within your mind!"


    Zi Mei added, then casually quipped:


    "Remember, don''t disturb me without reason!"


    As she finished speaking, Zi Mei transformed into a stream of light, merging back into Su Chen''s sea of consciousness...


    Su Chen had already epted Zi Mei''s existence, so he wasn''t too bothered by it.


    After a while, he took a leisurely walk back to the vi...

 Chapter 1231: Elixir Chapter

    When Su Chen returned to the vi, Du Hanbing and Qi Meng were making dinner, while the other women, including Xiaoxun, were still cultivating.


    Su Chen went to the dining room to help out as well, and around seven o''clock, the women returning from work also came back. Dinner was almost ready, so everyone sat down to eat together!


    After dinner, everyone went about their usual activities. Su Chen apanied some here and wandered around there, of course, not missing any chance to take advantage!


    Around ten o''clock, the women headed back to their rooms, and Su Chen also returned to his own room.


    After going back to his room, he sat cross-legged on the bed. He was about to cultivate when he suddenly thought, why not check out what the "Laws Forbidden Tome" is all about first!


    Given his previous experience, checking the "Laws Forbidden Tome" was not difficult; he just needed to focus his telekinesis on it!


    At this moment, three words suddenly appeared in his mind¡ªElixir Chapter!


    Seeing these words, Su Chen was instantly shocked, bing incredibly excited!


    Elixirs! It''s actually elixirs!


    The role of elixirs in cultivation needs no extra exnation, but ording to Su Chen''s understanding, even in the Ancient Martial World, those capable of making elixirs are very few, much like formation, with talents in this area being extremely rare!


    After a while, Su Chen suppressed his excitement, wanting to see what other good things were in this "Laws Forbidden Tome"!


    "Damn, why is it like this again!"


    What irked him was that, like previous cultivation techniques, he could only see the Elixir Chapter for now, with the rest inessible!


    "Whatever, if I can''t see it, I can''t see it!"


    Su Chen shrugged, deciding to first study the Elixir Chapter!


    First, he took a general look at the Elixir Outline, which included introductions to various herbs and the like, methods for making elixirs, elixir recipes, and other knowledge rted to making elixirs!


    The sheer volume andplexity of the content left Su Chen somewhat speechless!


    Not to mention anything else, just the various herbs and other raw materials inside made Su Chen feel like a novice!


    And to think, he is the renowned Ghost Doctor!


    He knows way more about various herbs and raw materials than many so-called grand masters!


    Then he continued to look at some other knowledge about making elixirs, spending almost the entire night researching the content of the Elixir Chapter...


    It wasn''t until theter part of the night, when he felt a bit mentally fatigued, that he took a shower and slept for a while...


    ...


    In the next few days, most of Su Chen''s time was spent researching the Elixir Chapter. Firstly, he knew the importance of elixirs to cultivation, and secondly, as he was new to this, it was quite novel to him, and his enthusiasm was naturally high!


    Of course, he also understood that he still had a lot to learn, and it wasn''t something achievable overnight...


    Like formation, elixirs also represent a grand path!


    It''s quite challenging to even get a foothold, andpared to formation, making elixirs is much moreplex!


    Therefore, a true master of elixirs is absolutely respected!


    But the fact is, there are very few true masters of elixirs in the Ancient Martial World, perhaps only one or two!


    ...


    After researching alchemy knowledge for half a day, Su Chen grew a bit bored. Thinking it over, he decided to drive to Belle Group...


    In any case, whenever Su Chen wanted to rx, aside from soaking in a hot spring or wandering around the vi, Belle Group seemed to be the only ce to go to, of course, sometimes he would also visit Ye Mei''s Rose Group!


    After arriving at the group, he didn''t go to his own office but went to Xia Qiuru''s office instead.


    However, upon arrival, Xia Qiuru wasn''t there. Her assistant, Xiaoli, said she had gone out on business.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen had no choice but to leave and then wandered over to Lin Ruoxue''s office.


    Lin Ruoxue was indeed in the office, but she was busy. When she saw hime in, she nced up and continued with her work.


    Su Chen stayed there for half an hour, and Lin Ruoxue would acknowledge him sporadically, clearly quite busy!


    Su Chen shrugged and left, thinking to himself, forget it, he''d just go back to his office, drink tea, and read magazines!


    Shortly after, he went to his office, half-lying on the chair, holding a magazine. A freshly brewed cup of tea on the table was still steaming...


    Since he was only looking at the sexy models inside, he quickly finished it. Feeling bored, he randomly picked up other magazines, and after flipping through for a while, he came across the one Jiang Ying had photographed!


    So he casually picked it up, and he had to admit, Jiang Ying''s photography this time was excellent, fully presenting another side of her, with a perfect blend of coldness and sensuality, a very unique vor!


    At this time, he couldn''t help but recall the scene of their first meeting. Although it was because of Lv Shimo, he couldn''t deny that the first time they met, he had kissed her!


    However, what he still didn''t know was that it was Jiang Ying''s first kiss!


    If he knew, he might feel a bit embarrassed...


    After a while, Su Chen put all those magazines away and then stepped out of his office.


    Standing at the door of his office, he pondered what to do next.


    He initially wanted to visit the PR department, but after a moment''s thought, he decided against it!


    After all, the women in the PR department were too fierce now, and he felt his safety might be at risk!


    Forget it, he decided, he''d go check out that little girl, Luo Xiwen!


    Not long after, he arrived at the investment department where Luo Xiwen was, casually strolling in.


    "Hello, Minister Su!"


    Those in the investment department were not too surprised to see him, as this wasn''t Su Chen''s first visit since that time. After all, Su Chen typically only visited Lin Ruoxue and Xia Qiuru or stayed in his PR department at the group!


    Besides those, it seemed the only other ce was here with Luo Xiwen!


    "Are you here because you had nowhere else to go?"


    Seeing Su Chen enter her ss office, Luo Xiwenughed.<fn9489> Get full chapters from find(?)ovel</fn9489>


    "Why do you say that?"


    Su Chen casually asked.


    "Because I know Qiuru went out on business, and Ruoxue has an important contract to handle today, with no time to deal with you!"


    Luo Xiwen nced at him andughed as she said this.


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen realized why Lin Ruoxue hadn''t made time for him earlier.


    "Can''t you just pretend I''m here especially to visit you?"


    Su Chen joked as he quipped.


    "Are you really that kind-hearted?"


    Luo Xiwen saw right through him and said:


    "I think you''re just bored with nothing else to do!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen awkwardly chuckled. Luo Xiwen''s words weren''t wrong...

 Chapter 1232: Going to the Bar

    Su Chen didn''t stay long at Luo Xiwen''s ce. Although she wasn''t as busy as Lin Ruoxue today, she still had plenty of work!


    After leaving the investment department where Luo Xiwen was, he drove back again.


    After returning to the vi, he went to the other courtyard. He had been researching elixirs these past days and hadn''te over.


    "Oh, you''re here. Perfect timing, I have something to tell you."


    As soon as he saw him, Ouyang Jing said.


    "What is it, Ouyang?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "It''s like this, the Tianyuan Auction House will be holding an auction in Yandu in a few days. Let''s go take a look."


    Ouyang Jing said.


    "Uh, Tianyuan Auction House?"


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback, then said,


    "Menglei and I once attended an auction at their Lin''an Auction House. I think it was called Tianyuan Auction House too."


    "The background of this Tianyuan Auction House is quite mysterious, not many people know about it!"


    Ouyang Jing replied,


    "But the one you and Menglei attended should be a lower-end one."


    "How so?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    "The Tianyuan Auction House is also graded. Since the Ancient Martial World is gradually merging into mainstream society, those in smaller, less economically developed cities are aimed at second-tier forces."


    Ouyang Jing exined,


    "And those held in super metropolises like Yandu are generally aimed at first-tier forces."


    "Of course, for super first-tier forces, they generally wouldn''t attend auctions no matter where they are held!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen understood. It''s just likepanies selling products, targeting different tiers of customers!


    "Alright, if there''s nothing special happening then, let''s go have a look."


    Su Chen smiled and then asked,


    "By the way, where are the two of them?"


    Su Chen was of course asking about Yunlong and Sun Yang.


    "Oh, they went out."


    Speaking of this, Ouyang Jing couldn''t help butugh,


    "Yunlong said that old Sun was too boring, so he took him out for some fun."


    Hearing this, Su Chen alsoughed. Yunlong wasn''t wrong; old Sun really did have too few leisure activities and was a bit too dull!


    Now that Yunlong has shown initiative in cultivation, he''s not worried about that kid cking off. Going out to rx asionally, bncing work and leisure, is quite good!


    After staying in the other courtyard for a while, Su Chen returned to the vi to cultivate!


    He hadn''t practiced the Nine Yang Divine Technique much during this time, so he should catch up!


    After all, enhancing one''s realm is the most fundamental thing!


    Moreover, in his spare time, he would continue to deepen his understanding of the Thousand Hand Seal and further research alchemy knowledge.


    ...


    Even though Lin Ruoxue was very busy today, she still got home a bit after 7 PM, and Su Chen finished a few hours of cultivation and was ready for dinner.


    After dinner, all the women went about their own activities, while Lin Ruoxue went back to her room to continue working.


    And Su Chen, he wandered around and soon came to the front vi, just in time to meet Yan Xi, who had just walked out of her room!


    At this time, Yan Xi had already changed her outfit, wearing a sports bra with a shirt on top, and beneath the shirt was a pair of hot shorts, making her look youthful and sexy!


    Yan Xi''s figure was already very good, and this outfit made it even more eye-catching!


    At first nce, most men would probably get a nosebleed. Even Su Chen couldn''t help but nce twice, especially at those long legs!


    "Are you going to the bar again?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help asking.


    "Yeah, do you want toe along?"


    Yan Xi''s eyes suddenly lit up as she said.


    "Nah, I''m not really interested in that kind of thing right now."


    Su Chen smiled faintly and said.


    "You talk like an old man!"


    Yan Xi pouted and said,


    "Come on, I see you have nothing to do!"


    With that, Yan Xi pulled Su Chen out...


    "Forget it; you go by yourself."


    Su Chen said, as he was already out today and was nning to go back to cultivateter!


    "Su Chen, it''s rare for Yan Xi to invite you. You should go!"


    At this time, Qi Meng and Ye Mei also came over. They had heard the conversation between the two just now, and Ye Mei said with a smile.


    "Exactly, spare us from being bullied by you here!"


    Qi Meng also covered her mouth andughed.


    "Why are you so hesitant? Are you going or not?"


    Seeing him this way, Yan Xi was also displeased and said.


    "Alright, alright!"


    Su Chen responded helplessly,


    "Stop pulling, I''ll go with you."


    "That''s more like it!"


    Yan Xi snorted, and then the two walked forward.


    Su Chen thought he hadn''t been to a bar in a long time; going once in a while wouldn''t hurt, perhaps reminiscing about old times!<fn4fe3> Th?s chapter is updated by f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn4fe3>


    Before long, Yan Xi drove her car, which she bought with eighteen credit cards, taking Su Chen to a bar street in Yandu!


    At this time, the street was already brightly lit, with neon lights constantly shing, and young men and women were everywhere!


    The women were dressed quite provocatively because if you wrap up tightly in a ce like this, it seems a bit out of ce!


    After parking the car, Yan Xi led Su Chen forward, directly entering the entrance of a bar.


    Upon seeing Yan Xi like this, Su Chen knew she was a regr at this ce!


    Once inside, the familiar noise quickly hit Su Chen, with dynamic music stirring the ears, and colorful lights were spinning over everyone''s body!


    After reaching the bar, Yan Xi ordered a cocktail and, after asking Su Chen, ordered one for him too.


    Su Chen nowadays didn''t drink strong rum much, perhaps it had something to do with his mental state...


    The two of them leaned against the bar, watching the men and women twisting in the dance floor while drinking their drinks. Yan Xi also lightly swayed to the beat of the music...


    Not long after, the current track ended, and the prelude to another upbeat song started to y.


    "Come on, let''s dance!"


    Without giving Su Chen a chance to refuse, Yan Xi took his not-yet-finished drink and put it back on the bar, then pulled him towards the dance floor.


    Left with no choice, Su Chen had to follow this little girl...


    As soon as the real music began, Yan Xi started moving like the other men and women, looking quite graceful!


    Su Chen was skilled, even proficient, in many things, but dancing seemed to not catch his interest or skillfully engage him.


    Seeing the typically omnipotent Su Chen look somewhat awkward now, Yan Xi found it quite amusing...


    (ps: Sorry, the updates have been slow these past couple of days, but I''ll make up for the missed chapters when it rains, consider this the first chapter of today!)

 Chapter 1233: Many Want to Kill Me

    Because Yan Xi is pretty and has a good figure, in this crowded dance floor, she naturally bes the target that those men want to approach.


    Of course, this is a normal phenomenon in the bar!


    However, Su Chen deliberately changed his standing position, cing his arms around Yan Xi''s sides, isting Yan Xi from those men!


    Seeing Su Chen''s actions, Yan Xi immediately understood his intentions, and a strange feeling arose in her heart!


    However, Su Chen did not realize that this way, Yan Xi was somewhat like dancing in his arms!


    At this moment, courage suddenly surged in Yan Xi''s heart, and she deliberately moved closer to Su Chen, raising her hands and passionately swaying her body to the rhythm of the music!


    As a result, her graceful body inevitably came into contact with Su Chen!


    Currently, Yan Xi''s pretty face waspletely flushed and boiling hot, but fortunately, the environment here wasn''t too clear!


    Actually, Yan Xi''s feelings for Su Chen were quite apparent to the women at the vi!


    It''s just that Yan Xi was shy and didn''t dare to be as bold as others at the vi, only in this special environment did she suddenly muster such courage!<fn844f> This text is hosted at F?ndNovel</fn844f>


    Just like this, Su Chen was not feeling well, Yan Xi was too close to him, he could even smell the faint fragrance on this little girl!


    The more critical issue was the asional touches between bodies, which made him somewhat disoriented!


    Finally, after the music ended, Su Chen immediately pulled Yan Xi out, having no choice, the few minutes just now were enjoyable, but they were also more torturous, weren''t they!


    He couldn''t say anything, only had to endure this "agony"...


    Actually, slowly Yan Xi''s courage was also exhausted, she barely managed to finish the whole dance!


    Being pulled out by Su Chen at this moment, her little heart was still pounding rapidly!


    "Yan Xi, why is your face so red?"


    After the two found a booth to sit down, Su Chen asked curiously.


    "Ah! Nothing... nothing..."


    Upon hearing Su Chen''s question, Yan Xi felt a panic in her heart and replied casually:


    "Just a bit tired from dancing earlier..."


    "Ran Ting, Zhao Lin, over here!"


    Just as Su Chen was about to say something, Yan Xi''s beautiful eyes suddenly lit up, waving towards the door!


    Su Chen turned his head and saw two women, equally fashionably and seductively dressed, walking over ¡ª weren''t they those two little seductresses!


    "Minister Su, so you''re here too!"


    Seeing Su Chen, the two women''s faces immediately showed a pleasant smile!


    They swayed as they walked over, but didn''t sit next to Yan Xi, instead sat on either side of Su Chen!


    Seeing this, Yan Xi couldn''t help butugh, this scene was also within her expectations!


    They dared to act like this in the office, let alone in a ce like a bar!


    At this moment, Yan Xi couldn''t help but feel grateful for their timely arrival, alleviating her awkwardness!


    "Minister, you haven''t visited our PR department much recently, are you afraid of us?"


    Zhao Lin asked with a teasing curl at the corner of her mouth.


    "Yeah, we''ve been hoping for you every day!"


    Ran Tingmented with a face full ofints.


    "How could that be! You''re overthinking!"


    Su Chen replied with an awkward smile.


    "Really?"


    Zhao Lin''s slender hand was already acting mischievously, and she breathed softly in Su Chen''s ear, saying:


    "Minister, your figure is getting better and better!"


    "Yes, it feels really nice!"


    Ran Ting naturally refused to be outdone, teasingly said.


    "Can you two sit properly?"


    Su Chen pleaded, the little spark ignited by Yan Xi''s hot dance hadn''t extinguished, and now being provoked by these two seductresses, it was naturally bing more ufortable!


    Su Chen felt frustrated, usually he''s the one teasing others and taking advantage, but when it came to these women from the PR department, things turned around!


    In those women''s eyes, he seemed to have be a desirable delicacy, like Tang Monk''s meat!


    Being teased by these two women at the moment, Su Chen felt like he was too innocent!


    This wasn''t his style!


    Moreover, if he continued to let them fool around, who knows how bold they''d get!


    So Su Chen decided to fight back!


    At this moment, it proved the saying right, when one''s shameless they are unbeatable, once Su Chen let go of his limits, nothing could stop him, let alone those two girls!


    Soon, the two women began to breathe heavily and beg for mercy!


    This guy was too shameless, wasn''t he?


    Even Yan Xi on the opposite couldn''t stand watching...


    But it''s not Su Chen''s fault, it was Ran Ting and Zhao Lin who first provoked this bad guy, only Su Chen turned out to be even more wicked!


    "Behaved now?"


    Su Chen curled his lips with a smug smile and said.


    "Not ying with you anymore!"


    "Exactly, you this guy are just a rogue!"


    The two women said in annoyance.


    Su Chen heard this without any concern...


    "Alright, you guys continue ying, I''ll head out first."


    Su Chen stood up and said.


    Truth be told, he wasn''t too affected by this environment anymore.


    At this point, the two other women had suffered defeat at Su Chen''s hands, so they didn''t stop him, just red at him with displeased beautiful eyes...


    Su Chen smiled and then walked out towards the main door.


    ......


    After stepping outside the bar, the air immediately became fresh, with gusts of cool wind blowing, which was quitefortable.


    So Su Chen didn''t call a car but lit a cigarette and started walking...


    After walking for a while, there weren''t many people around anymore, considering it was already almost eleven at night.


    Aside from areas near bars and nightclubs, not many people would be out thiste.


    At this time, Yandu was in the rainy season, and it had frequently been raining these days, though usually not too heavily.


    When Su Chen was not far from the vi, the sky started to drizzle...


    Su Chen decided to quicken his pace to head back, there was no need to call a cab at this point, and this ce was far from the city center, not bustling, waiting half an hour might not even get a cab.


    However, at this moment, suddenly a few figures appeared in front of Su Chen!


    These people emanated a powerful True Essence Aura from their bodies, clearly, they were not ordinary people!


    Of course, from their attire, it was also possible to tell!


    Su Chen had quite a few enemies in the Ancient Martial World now, he didn''t know who these people suddenly appearing in front of him were!


    "Who are you?"


    Su Chen naturally asked.


    "We''re the ones who will kill you!"


    The man standing in the middle looked at Su Chen and coldly said.


    "Many have wanted to kill me."


    Su Chen shrugged and smiled...


    (ps: This is the second chapter to make up for yesterday, owing a chapter from yesterday, plus today''s three chapters, totaling four chapters, will be made up today!)

 Chapter 1234: Disadvantage

    "Alright, then let me reveal the truth to you before you die!"


    The man in the middle said:


    "I am Lei Yang, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Thunder Sect!"


    "Heavenly Thunder Sect?"


    Su Chen was slightly taken aback, thought for a moment, and immediately remembered that he had once killed Lei Gang, a direct disciple of the Heavenly Thunder Sect''s Sect Master!


    But it seemed the Heavenly Thunder Sect had not sent anyone after they dispatched someone previously, and now they suddenly appeared again!


    "Now do you understand?"


    Lei Yang stared coldly at Su Chen.


    "I understand!"


    Su Chen responded with a casual smile, appearing unconcerned.


    "Since you understand, then prepare to die!"


    The murderous intent emanated from Lei Yang in an instant.


    He hade to participate in the auction event happening in a few days, arriving early to personally deal with the one who killed Lei Gang to avenge him!


    Because they had sent an Elder before who then disappeared, he was being a bit more cautious this time!


    Indeed, apanying him were two other Elders to ensure nothing would go wrong!


    In truth, he believed he alone would be enough, as his cultivation had reached the Minor Perfection of the Kaiyuan Realm!


    Originally intending to head to Su Chen''s manor, he unexpectedly met him halfway!


    Given the circumstances, it was an opportune moment!


    "That depends if you have the skills!"


    Su Chen sneered.


    "Arrogant!"


    Upon hearing this, Lei Yang was instantly enraged, and he and the two elders of the Heavenly Thunder Sect moved simultaneously, like a sh of lightning!


    While Su Chen intended to capture the leader first, Lei Yang cunninglygged slightly behind, allowing the two elders to attack first!


    Su Chen couldn''t quite determine if he was being cautious or simply underestimating him!


    If it were thetter, it would be easier to manage; if the former, there might be trouble!


    Regardless, he had to deal with the other two first!


    As one of them on the left threw a punch at him, Su Chen had already anticipated this, deftly sidestepping!


    At the same time, he struck out with his palm towards the person on the right!


    Although Lei Yang had warned them not to underestimate Su Chen, this man didn''t take Su Chen seriously, seeing that his cultivation hadn''t even reached the Kaiyuan Realm!


    Moreover, the young man audaciously sought to engage him in a one-on-one sh, prompting him to amplify his True Yuan, rolling powerfully!


    He seemed to foresee the youth being sent flying in the next moment, and a cold smile spread across his lips!


    "Bang!"


    With the sh of palms, turbulence roared through the air, energy scattered everywhere, and indeed one figure was sent flying!


    However, contrary to his expectations, it was him that was thrown back!


    After soaring for more than ten meters, hended on the ground nearby...


    The left elder saw Su Chen dodge his attack and immediately threw another punch as Su Chen struck the other elder away!


    But this was within Su Chen''s predictions; he knew if the opponent''s punch missed, they would immediately continue their attack!


    Sensing the airflow from behind, he instinctively bent, evading the punch aimed at his head!


    In that instant, he spun on his tiptoes, turning his body 180 degrees!


    Simultaneously, he threw a punch directly at the opponent''s abdomen!


    "Boom!"<fn232f> Find the newest release on findnovel</fn232f>


    A dull thud echoed, and the elder flew backward like a severed kite...


    All of this happened in a sh!


    So much so that Lei Yang didn''t immediatelyprehend what had urred!


    Su Chen wouldn''t miss this opportunity,unching another punch!


    As it neared him, Lei Yang suddenly awoke to the danger, breaking into a cold sweat, instinctively darting backward to narrowly escape Su Chen''s blow!


    Having gained some rtive distance, he began to regain rity!


    Facing the young man before him, his face registered shock!


    Su Chen''s strength had greatly exceeded his expectations, the ease with which he dispatched twote-stage Kaiyuan martial artists was astonishing!


    To achieve this feat at such a young age meant he was among the top three or four chosen talents at least!


    But how could a mere secr world youth possess such power?


    At this thought, Lei Yang considered that perhaps this young man had also reached the Minor Perfection of the Kaiyuan Realm like himself!


    Lei Yang realized that since a grudge had already formed with the youth, he must resolve it quickly!


    Fortunately, though they hadn''t shed directly yet, Lei Yang identified the opponent''s weakness: speed!


    Even while dodging in panic, he managed to evade safely, indicating speed was indeed the youth''s weakness ¡ª at least a major w!


    Understanding this filled Lei Yang with renewed confidence!


    Once regainingposure, Lei Yang attacked again, but this time he adopted hit-and-run tactics, slippery like an eel!


    Su Chen sighed inwardly upon seeing his tactic!


    He knew the opponent had discovered his major weakness: speed!


    Excluding speed, Su Chen was confident in his strength and even dared to challenge the Solidifying Pill Realm!


    Facingte-stage Kaiyuan opponents, he relied on his strong True Yuanparable to theirs, coupled with his battle expertise and sharp predictive ability to offset speed differences!


    Yet, against the Minor Perfection of the Kaiyuan Realm, this disparity became noticeable!


    At least on the surface, unless the opponent faced him head-on, they were nearly unassable!


    Su Chen''s earlier remark about trouble if cautious referred to this!


    Previously, in F Country, his victory against two Minor Perfection Kaiyuan was due to the closed car space leaving no room to escape!


    But now, in the vast space, speed advantage was evident!


    Though factual, Su Chen could only ept it and seek solutions!


    Comining now was neither meaningful nor helpful!


    Consequently, Su Chen dared not reveal the Cangyue Ring nor the Dragon-ying Sword without absolute certainty!


    He wasn''t unsure of the Dragon-ying Sword''s power, but of his speed, knowing the opponent was much faster and might evade!


    The Cangyue Ring was less risky, but exposing the Dragon-ying Sword without defeating the opponent would incite their greed!

 Chapter 1235: Its a Divine Skill, Not a Martial Technique!

    Since Lei Yang is quite wary of Su Chen at the moment, he didn''t dare to recklessly attack, only slowly looking for an opportunity!


    At this moment, Lei Yang''s eyes suddenly brightened, as he discovered a w in his opponent!


    And this was exactly the w he was waiting for; he believed that with his speed advantage, it was only a matter of time before the opponent showed a w!


    "Rushing Thunder Fist!"


    Lei Yang, with his rich experience, knew he had to seize this opportunity. He immediately shouted and punched towards Su Chen''s back!


    The punch unleashed like a p of thunder, the momentum raging, carrying an overwhelming pressure!


    Su Chen sensed the punch behind him, instinctively turned around, and felt the power of the punch. A look of fear suddenly appeared on his face!


    Seeing this expression, a cold smile tugged at the corners of Lei Yang''s mouth!


    It''s time to end this!


    "Bang!"


    Since Su Chen turned around, Lei Yang''s punch solidly struck Su Chen''s chest, sending him flying!


    Su Chen shot backward like a cannonball, flying about ten meters before hitting the ground!


    "Pfft!"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but spit out a mouthful of blood, staining a small patch of soil beside him red...


    "Kid, you''re quite something, killing two Elders of our Heavenly Thunder Sect so easily!"


    Lei Yang snorted at Su Chen:


    "If your speed didn''t mismatch your strength, I might have really failed today!"


    "Pfft!"


    Su Chen seemed to want to say something, but before he could speak, he spat out another mouthful of blood, his face bing somewhat pale!


    "Kid, you''ve killed three Elders of my Heavenly Thunder Sect and one of my direct disciples. Your death here is well deserved!"


    Lei Yang walked step by step towards Su Chen, now without any worries, as the person before him was struggling to even stand!


    In Lei Yang''s view, this was expected, since his Copsing Thunder Fist brought his attack power close to Kaiyuan Perfection!<fndc05> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find~Novel</fndc05>


    Kaiyuan Perfection Realm is typically divided into two tiers: Kaiyuan Minor Perfection and Kaiyuan Great Perfection, but the gap between the two is so vast that a sub-tier, Kaiyuan Perfection, is faintly acknowledged.


    Of course, this is a refined division made by the Ancient Martial World to distinguish levels of cultivation, and it has been epted by everyone!


    When Lei Yang reached Su Chen''s side, Su Chen finally managed to stand, albeit shakily, clearly just barely holding up!


    Lei Yang gave him a cold look, then slowly raised a hand, surrounded by True Yuan!


    He didn''t rush to strike, wanting this kid to feel the arrival of death!


    The next moment, just as Lei Yang was about to deliver the killing strike, he suddenly saw a yful smile pulling at the corners of Su Chen''s mouth!


    This smile immediately made Lei Yang''s heart flutter; he couldn''t understand why this young man would smile like that at this moment!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Just then, Su Chen suddenly struck, and five hand seals appeared abruptly in the void!


    Su Chen wasn''t aiming for raw power; he needed a sure hit, so he didn''tbine the five hand seals into one!


    For this Kaiyuan Minor Perfection Lei Yang, such power was already sufficient, not to mention he could also infuse some Star Energy!


    Seeing this eerie scene, Lei Yang''s nerves tightened, and cold sweat broke out!


    Although there was no True Yuan fluctuation in these five hand seals, Lei Yang felt a deep sense of danger!


    Just five hand seals, positioned around his body; how could he resist?


    The only option now was to dodge, but at this moment, their positions were too close for that!


    "Boom~~"


    The next instant, one of the hand seals mmed into him!


    The power of the seal waspletely beyond his expectations, like a ten-thousand-ton train colliding into him, sending him flying!


    Lei Yang was thrown into the nearby grove, breaking tworge trees in session before finally hitting the ground!


    When Su Chen walked over, Lei Yang was already lying on the ground, barely alive!


    Like many before who''d been dealt with by Su Chen, his face showed an expression of disbelief!


    He stared nkly at the young man, feeling his life slipping away...


    Before long, with a heart full of doubt, he breathed hisst, dead...


    "Hey, you cheeky brat, your skills are trash, but your speed is even worse!"


    At this moment, Zi Mei''s voice rang out:


    "If he hadn''t underestimated your strength, your trick wouldn''t have worked so easily!"


    Hearing Zi Mei''s words, Su Chen bitterly smiled and said:


    "There''s nothing I can do about it!"


    Su Chen surely wished for his speed to improve, but it wasn''t something he could achieve just by wanting it!


    Yes, Su Chen''s previous strategy was indeed a trick; the w was intentionally shown to lure the opponent into a trap!


    When Lei Yang unleashed his Rushing Thunder Fist, Su Chen had already activated the Calm Spirit Body Technique, so all the subsequent weakness was just a fa?ade.


    With Su Chen''s Ghost Doctor skills, this wasn''t hard to pull off!


    "Forget it; I happen to have a movement technique Divine Skill for you. Otherwise, if you die one day, you might drag me down with you!"


    Zi Mei grumbled unhappily.


    "You''re giving me a movement martial technique?"


    Hearing this, Su Chen was instantly delighted!


    He had always longed for a movement martial technique, but good martial techniques were rare, especially movement-based ones!


    It could be said that Su Chen''s biggest weakness currently was his speed!


    If speed was excluded, he was very confident in his current strength!


    After all, besides his formidable True Yuan, which far exceeded his Cultivation Realm, he also had Star Energy at his disposal, which was no longer as scarce as before, allowing for a rather indulgent use!


    Star Energy, a power derived from the stars, needed no further proof of its might!


    Now, Su Chen also possessed the Thousand Hand Seal, and he had improved it such that it could bebined into one, unleashing power far beyond its original strength!


    Thus, Su Chen was confident enough to handle foes at the Condensation Pill Realm Primary Stage, and even those at the Middle Stage weren''t impossible battles!


    However, all this was outside the factor of speed. Can speed really be excluded?


    Of course not. In battles, speed also ys a critical, often decisive role!


    So when hearing Zi Mei mention giving him a movement martial technique, Su Chen was naturally overjoyed!


    "You just gave me the ''Laws Forbidden Tome,'' and now a movement martial technique as well. How embarrassing for me!"


    Su Chen said, though his words mentioned embarrassment, there was little sign of it on his face!


    "To be precise, the ''Laws Forbidden Tome'' wasn''t given by me."


    Zi Mei said:


    "Moreover, it''s a Divine Skill, not a martial technique!"


    Zi Mei''s annoyed voice rang out once more...

 Chapter 1236: Wind Shadow Step

    "Isn''t it the same thing?"


    Su Chen asked naively, he had overlooked Zi Mei''s previous casual remark.


    "Nonsense, of course it''s not the same thing!"


    Zi Mei replied irritably.


    "So, what''s the difference?"


    Su Chen asked curiously, like a little student.


    "Let me put it this way, a Divine Skill is the trunk, while Martial Techniques are just the branches and leaves. All branches and leaves grow from the trunk, simrly, all Martial Techniques evolve from Divine Skills."


    Facing the clueless Su Chen, Zi Mei patiently exined:


    "A single Divine Skill can evolve into dozens or even hundreds of Martial Techniques, but their roots are all in the Divine Skill!"


    "Oh, so that''s how it is!"


    Su Chen finally understood, and he couldn''t help but think of his "Thousand Hand Seal," no wonder it felt so powerful, far beyond ordinary Martial Techniques, that was the reason!


    "Alright, stop with the nonsense, do you want it or not?"


    Zi Mei asked again with an unhappy tone.


    "Yes, yes!"


    Su Chen quickly replied.


    Kidding, Zi Mei was offering him a movement-type Divine Skill, only a fool would refuse!


    Immediately, some information appeared in his mind, naturally rted to the movement-type Divine Skill!


    Su Chen nced at it, the name of this Divine Skill was quite fitting, called the Wind Shadow Step!


    "Remember, like the , this Wind Shadow Step Cultivation Technique is also not to be taught to others!"


    Zi Mei instructed somewhat sternly.


    "I understand."


    Su Chen didn''t ask for a reason; if Zi Mei said so, there must be a reason!


    "By the way, Zi Mei, have you studied the ? I have a few questions. If you have researched it, we can exchange insights!"


    Su Chen then asked; he''d been delving into the Elixir Chapter recently, and there were indeed some parts he didn''t quite understand!


    This was actually quite normal, after all, he was new to this field!


    "No."


    Zi Mei replied briefly.


    "Why not?"


    Su Chen couldn''t help but ask.


    ...


    "Why did you stop talking?"


    Seeing Zi Mei didn''t answer, Su Chen asked again.


    "If you don''t know, figure it out yourself!"


    Zi Mei replied irritably.


    "Alright."


    Seeing Zi Mei was unwilling to speak, Su Chen stopped inquiring.


    "Well, if there''s nothing else, I''m going to rest!"


    Zi Mei said.


    "Wait!"


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen quickly said.


    "If you have something to say, hurry and say it!"


    Zi Mei retorted.


    "Um... uh, do you have any other powerful Divine Skills or Cultivation Techniques?"


    Su Chen asked a little embarrassed; after all, Zi Mei had already given him the Myriad Laws Forbidden Tome and Wind Shadow Step!


    "Do you think Divine Skills are asmon as cabbages?"


    Zi Mei replied, annoyed.


    "If not a Divine Skill, a Martial Technique would do too!"


    Su Chen quickly added:


    "Look, I have a few women in my manor who are also Martial Artists, and a few friends in my other vi, I can''t just forget about them, can I?"


    Hearing this, Zi Mei felt that this guy wasn''t selfish, so she said:


    "Apart from the Wind Shadow Step, which I obtained unexpectedly, my other Cultivation Techniques aren''t suitable for others to cultivate."


    "Why?"<fn0fea> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? FindN()vel</fn0fea>


    Su Chen asked curiously.


    "You''ll understand once you know my identity!"


    Zi Mei said.


    "So mysterious!"


    Hearing this, Su Chen stopped asking, but he became even more curious about Zi Mei''s background!


    "Alright, I''m going to rest!"


    Zi Mei said once again.


    When Su Chen tried to speak again, Zi Mei didn''t respond at all.


    Su Chen could only smirk, tidied up the corpses, and headed back...


    He thought, since that''s the case, he might as well wait for the uing auction to see if there are any Martial Techniques suitable for the people in the manor!


    When Su Chen returned to the manor, most of the women were already resting, while some were still cultivating.


    Su Chen didn''t disturb anyone, quietly returning to his room.


    He first took a bath, changed his clothes, then sat on the bed and studied the Wind Shadow Step!


    After all, he had long been eager to acquire a movement-type Martial Technique, and now that he had the Wind Shadow Step, he delved into it with enthusiasm!


    Because speed was his biggest shoring!


    ording to the introduction, once you get started with this Wind Shadow Step, you can cover two hundred meters in one breath!


    If further improved, three hundred or five hundred meters would be no problem, a speed far exceeding Su Chen''s imagination!


    With this, his speed not only wouldn''t be a disadvantage, it would instead be a major advantage!


    This made Su Chen utterly delighted, naturally making him more eager to immerse himself in the study!


    ...


    In the following days, Su Chen almost relentlessly studied the Wind Shadow Step, his zeal even surpassing when he initially studied Formations!


    Fortunately, his hard work paid off, and a few dayster, at the back foot of Yuquan Mountain, a figure drifted like a phantom, nearly impossible to track!


    Zi Mei waspletely stunned!


    In just a few days, he had gotten the hang of it!


    Even if this kid was working day and night, this was too much!


    Keep in mind, this was a Divine Skill, the difficulty of which goes without saying!


    At this moment, she believed that he really was the one!


    Actually, Su Chen didn''t think much of it, as when he cultivated the Thousand Hand Seal, although it took more days, if you counted the hours, it was about the same!


    After experimenting with the Wind Shadow Step for a while, he was tired and sat on a patch of grass, lighting a cigarette.


    Looking at the blue sky and white clouds, Su Chen reflected on his recent gains, and felt a bit incredulous!


    During this time, even though his Cultivation Realm stayed at half-step Meridian Expansion, and he hadn''t truly entered the Kaiyuan Realm, his real strength had skyrocketed!


    Firstly, hepleted his previous n, fully merging several Palm Prints into one, greatly enhancing the power!


    Secondly, his speed had significantly improved too!


    Thebination of these two was decisive in boosting his strength!


    Besides these two, there was another unmaterialized benefit, which was the !


    Although he didn''t yet know what theter contents were, just making sense of the Elixir Chapter would have an immeasurable effect on his cultivation!


    Of course, though the  and Wind God Step were given to him by Zi Mei, it was also inseparable from his talent and efforts!


    If it had been another person, the oue would have been uncertain!


    Especially the modification of the "Thousand Hand Seal," which he fully envisioned and sessfully researched himself!


    This was only natural. After all, there''s no free lunch in the world; every gain requires effort!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1237: Xu Xinran Arrives

    After lingering for a while at the foot of the back hill, Su Chen strolled back to the vi. Finally having mastered the basics of the Wind Shadow Step, his mood was exceptionally light and cheerful, and he hummed an unknown tune.


    As he passed by the front living room, he saw several women chatting inside, so he walked in.


    "Looks like you''re in a good mood!"


    Hearing Su Chen still humming, Qi Meng couldn''t help butugh.


    These days, this guy had locked himself in his room almost every day, and even at night, he hadn''t misbehaved around them, which made the women a bit worried. After all, he seemed too different from usual!


    Seeing him now seemingly back to normal, they were finally a bit relieved!


    "Naturally!"


    Su Chenughed and sat down among the women.


    Once he sat down, everyone except Huang Menglei ¡ª Qi Meng, Du Hanbing, and Eniel ¡ª was in trouble!


    Especially since Su Chen had been behaving for several days and was now in a rxed mood, he naturally wouldn''t let the women off the hook!


    Soon, the women were blushing and flustered, and they all fled the scene!


    They were sure of it; that familiar rascal was back...


    .....


    In the next couple of days, Su Chen temporarily put other things aside and began cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Technique!


    During this time, he hadprehended the Thousand Hand Seal, gained some understanding of the Elixir Chapter of the Laws Forbidden Tome, and mastered the basics of the Wind Shadow Step. The only thing he was behind on was his own realm!


    After all, he hadn''t truly stepped into the Kaiyuan Realm, and the Kaiyuan Realm is andmark of a martial artist reaching a new level, so naturally, Su Chen wanted to break through as soon as possible!


    Nheless, he wasn''t under much mental pressure in this regard. He knew it was just a matter of time, sooner orter, with no significant issue!


    .....


    That afternoon, while he was cultivating, his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up casually and was somewhat stunned by what he saw!


    Unexpectedly, the call was from Xu Xinran!


    Why did this little girl suddenly call?


    Su Chen was so surprised because ever since the two of them had some ambiguous moments at Belle Groupst year, after Xu Xinran returned to Jianghai, the two hadn''t been in touch by phone for over half a year!


    Sometimes when Su Chen thought of this little girl, he wanted to call her, but for some reason, he never did...


    Actually, he had understood what he felt for Xu Xinran, the police beauty of Jianghai, during the time she stayed at Jianghai Manor.


    It''s just that back then, Lin Ruoxue wasn''t aware of his rtionships with other women outside, let alone understanding them, so Su Chen could only y dumb...


    Honestly speaking, didn''t he have a slight crush on this police beauty?


    After all, Xu Xinran was a super beauty and quite kind, even if she seemed a bit "unreasonable" at times, it added a cute charm to her!


    Since she called now, Su Chen didn''t overthink and just answered the call!


    "Miss Xu, why did you suddenly think of calling me?"


    Su Chen deliberately said with a lightheartedugh.


    "I''m at your front door,e out quickly!"


    On the other end, Xu Xinran''s voice came through directly.


    Su Chen was taken aback when he heard this; this little girl was here?!


    He quickly walked out, only to see Xu Xinran casually dressed, standing at the door. As a breeze blew by, her hair fluttered slightly!


    At that moment, Xu Xinran was dressed in a white, modest T-shirt on top, and low-rise, slim-fit jeans on the bottom, revealing a slim waist without an ounce of excess fat!


    Her outfit unted her curvaceous figure and exuded a vibe of a modern urban beauty!


    Seeing this, Su Chen''s eyes lit up, but he immediately noticed the tworge suitcases by her feet!


    "What''s this...?"


    Su Chen hesitantly asked.


    "I''m going to stay here, you don''t mind, do you?"


    Upon seeing Su Chen, Xu Xinran immediately said, as if seeking consent, though her tone sounded more like a statement!


    "Not at all."


    What else could Su Chen say besides that?


    "That''s more like it. Now, help me carry my luggage inside!"


    Xu Xinran nced at Su Chen and instructed.<fna799> Th?s chapter is updated by find~novel</fna799>


    Hearing this, Su Chen thought, has this little girl been treating me like a servant just because we hadn''t seen each other for a while?


    Yet, touching his nose, he still obediently took one in each hand and brought Xu Xinran''s luggage into the courtyard!


    What he didn''t know was that Xu Xinran was deliberately putting on such an act to suppress her own nervousness and anxiety!


    Hearing noises from outside, Qi Meng and Huang Menglei came out from the front of the vi!


    But upon seeing Xu Xinran, they couldn''t help but disy amused expressions, and were somewhat speechless!


    They thought to themselves: How many women has this rascal hooked up with?


    Su Chen naturally introduced everyone to each other. At this moment, Xu Xinran wasn''t as forward as she was with Su Chen before, somewhat reserved as she greeted Qi Meng and the others...


    After a brief introduction, Su Chen took Xu Xinran to choose a room to settle down, although he wasn''t quite sure why this little girl had suddenlye over.


    Afterward, Su Chen took her to the back of the vi to meet Du Hanbing and Eniel!


    Seeing Su Chen bring yet another beautiful woman, they had simr thoughts to Qi Meng and the others!


    Soon, everyone gathered in the living room at the back of the vi, and Qi Meng and the others came too.


    Although they had someints about Su Chen, they remained friendly with Xu Xinran, which was a tradition of the vi!


    When they learned that Xu Xinran was Xia Qiuru''s cousin, they were pleasantly surprised and even more weing!


    After all, having that connection with Xia Qiuru made everyone feel like part of the family!


    Though Xu Xinran and Xia Qiuru were not direct cousins but rather distant ones, their blood rtion was quite diluted!


    This was obvious, given that Xia Qiuru''s family was from a remote rural area, while Xu Xinran''s family was in the bustling metropolis of Jianghai.


    When they used to live together, they were more like close friends, much like the rtionship between Ye Mei and Xiao Yaning!


    Xia Qiuru was just slightly older by a year or two and tended to take care of Xu Xinran in daily life.


    The warmth of the other women gradually eased Xu Xinran''s nervousness...


    When Xia Qiuru returned in the evening and saw that Xu Xinran was here, she was also very pleasantly surprised!


    She had always known Xu Xinran''s feelings and had already told her about the situation at the vi!


    She was happy for Xu Xinran when she finally got together with that rascal Su Chen!


    Of course, there was also a bit of envy...

 Chapter 1238: "Its You!

    During dinner, everyone chatted casually and finally found out why Xu Xinran came over¡ªit was to avoid a family matchmaking!


    But the expressions of the women were all a little yful. Avoiding matchmaking at home is understandable, but why hide at Su Chen''s ce?


    Although it seems like it''s because Xia Qiuru, her cousin, is here, the women felt it was more because of Su Chen!


    If you observe closely, you can see that there is something unusual between the two...


    .....


    After dinner, the women went their separate ways. A few women chatting in the back hall pulled Xu Xinran to join them.


    Actually, Su Chen and Xu Xinran were already very familiar with each other, having "cohabitated" for a long time in the estate in Jianghai!


    He was only slightly surprised at first, but didn''t think much of it!


    Su Chen wandered around for a while and then went back to his room to cultivate.


    He cultivated until almost dawn, and Su Chen didn''t bother sleeping since he felt wakeful!


    He took a shower and then started making breakfast in the dining room.


    Of course, not long after, a woman got up to assist him.


    By the time breakfast was ready, all the women were up, and they sat together to eat breakfast.


    After breakfast, Lin Ruoxue, Ye Mei, and the others went to work, while Du Hanbing and the others did not cultivate as usual but instead took Xu Xinran shopping!


    They knew Xu Xinran had just arrived and would naturally be a little ufortable, and shopping was the best way for women to quickly get to know each other...


    .....


    That afternoon, Su Chen, Ouyang Jing, and Huang Menglei walked out of the estate and drove away.


    They were heading to attend an auction held by the Tianyuan Auction House in Yandu.


    There were many martial artists in the estate, and it wasn''t possible for everyone to go, and after all, they weren''t from the Ancient Martialmunity.


    About half an hourter, Su Chen''s car stopped at the entrance of an auction house in the eastern part of the city, where people were already walking in twos and threes.


    Su Chen was surprised to find a Tianyuan Auction House here.


    However, this ce wasn''t bustling but rather on a rtively quiet street, usually less frequented by people, and even fewer cars!


    But today, on the contrary, there were quite a few, and of course, they were mostly from the Ancient Martialmunity!


    After Su Chen parked the car, the three of them walked towards the entrance.


    Most of the people arriving were middle-aged, the backbone of various forces!


    Most of these people had attended Lan Minghe''s birthday celebration and couldn''t help but nce at Su Chen when they saw him.


    Su Chen didn''t mind and walked directly inside with Ouyang Jing and Huang Menglei.


    He noticed that the number of people attending wasn''t particrlyrge, likely only from the first-tier forces of the Ancient Martial World!


    But this was normal, as Ouyang Jing mentioned, such auctions are held every year!


    Besides the first-tier forces, some second-tier forces who got the news also came to participate, but there were only a few.


    Su Chen looked around briefly to see if the Yunhai Hall representatives were there, mainly to see if Lan Xinyi hade.


    Just as he was looking around, he met a gaze that stared at him like a venomous snake!


    The person was Zhu Jun''s father, Zhu Yuanfeng!


    Of course, Su Chen knew of Zhu Yuanfeng''s animosity towards him, but he didn''t care!


    "By the way, let''s go exchange for some Spirit Stones first."


    Ouyang Jing suggested.


    Su Chen nodded at these words; this auction doesn''t ept money, as Spirit Stones are the currency here!


    However, they carried top-grade Spirit Stones that Su Chen brought backst time, while the Ancient Martial World still primarily used Low Grade Spirit Stones.


    Since top-grade Spirit Stones are extremely rare, and given that the estate had arge Gathering Yuan Formation, they didn''t use many Spirit Stones and still had a few left!


    Su Chen originally thought his Spirit Stones would be enough, but many, including Yunlong and Sun Yang, handed him an extra piece!


    Of course, as they said, it was a gesture of returning a favor since Su Chen had given these to them, and his visit this time was mainly for them!


    Seeing their insistence, Su Chen epted them, as everyone felt like a family, and it didn''t matter!


    Then Su Chen and Huang Menglei followed Ouyang Jing to the second floor, where there was a counter-like window at the corner.


    At that moment, there were two or three people exchanging Spirit Stones there; any cultivation resources could be exchanged for Spirit Stones, such as some personal cultivation techniques, pills, or even valuable herbs!


    After these two or three people finished exchanging, Su Chen and the others approached the counter!


    "Sir, what would you like to exchange?"


    A woman resembling a maid inside asked, her voice as melodious as an oriole.


    "Spirit Stones."


    Su Chen smiled and replied.


    "Sir, are you teasing me? Coming to exchange Spirit Stones when you already have them!"


    The woman resembling a maid frowned slightly at these words and pouted.


    "How is it teasing? My Spirit Stones are slightly better, so they need exchanging."


    Su Chen said with a light smile.


    "Are they Middle Grade Spirit Stones?"


    The maid immediately asked upon hearing this.


    Su Chen shook his head at the question.


    "High Grade Spirit Stones?!"


    The maid''s expression changed dramatically when she saw Su Chen shake his head!


    Even in top-tier forces, High Grade Spirit Stones are quite rare!


    "No."


    Su Chen said, taking out a Spirit Stone and cing it on the counter.


    "Top Grade Spirit Stones?!"


    The maid eximed upon seeing the Spirit Stone, sensing its extraordinary quality as she held it. She was amazed!


    Although she had never seen a Top Grade Spirit Stone, she had seen High Grade Spirit Stones, and the Yuan Qi in this stone was significantly denser than that of a High Grade one!


    "How do they exchange?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Please wait a moment; I need to report this."


    The maid said to Su Chen.


    "Please go ahead."


    Su Chen smiled and nodded, then the woman put down the Spirit Stone and walked out from a side door to the back, where there were several rooms.


    "You scared her!"


    Ouyang Jingughed and said.


    "Is it that bad? Didn''t you say that the auction house might be backed by a top-tier force?"


    Su Chen shrugged and said casually.


    "Even in top-tier forces, Top Grade Spirit Stones are extremely rare, let alone Top Grade ones; even High Grade Spirit Stones are probably scarce!"


    Ouyang Jing shrugged, so the maid woman''s reaction was also within her expectations.


    After a short while, two footsteps approached from the back. The previous woman led anotherdy in a long dress into the room!<fn82da> Readplete version only at Find¡ïNovel</fn82da>


    "Sister Yu, it''s this gentleman!"


    The maid said to thedy in the long dress.


    "It''s you!"


    "It''s you!"


    At this moment, two voices sounded simultaneously.

 Chapter 1239: Spending Spirit Stones Like Dirt

    Su Chen and the long-skirted woman who had just entered both showed a trace of surprise on their faces!


    The others who heard the voice couldn''t help but nce at the two of them!


    "You know each other?"


    Ouyang Jing asked with some surprise.<fnba04> Official source is Find_Novel(.</fnba04>


    "We''ve met a few times."


    Su Chen smiled and said, not expecting that the woman who had just walked in was the very one who was beside Qin Nishang!


    He immediately thought, could it be that the family or faction where Qin Nishang belongs is actually behind this Tianyuan Auction House?


    "Mr. Su, long time no see."


    The long-skirted woman quickly returned to normal and said with a slight smile.


    Although she was somewhat unhappy with Su Chen''s previous attitude at the vi, guests are guests after all, and moreover, thedy seems to hold this man in a special regard!


    "Yes, it has been a long time."


    Su Chen smiled and said:


    "Let''s take a look at how to exchange my spirit stones first."


    "Alright."


    The long-skirted woman picked up the spirit stones on the table and looked at them, ncing at Su Chen from time to time, wondering how he came to possess such top-grade spirit stones.


    "How is it?"


    After the long-skirted woman had been looking for a while, Su Chen asked.


    "To be honest, Mr. Su, we haven''t exchanged top-grade spirit stones before, how about one hundred to one?"


    The long-skirted woman looked at Su Chen and said:


    "Of course, if Mr. Su is not satisfied, I can ask thedy for instructions."


    "No need, that''s fine. Please exchange them all."


    Su Chen waved nonchntly, then pulled out a handful of spirit stones from his pocket and ced them all on the counter!


    These included the spirit stones of everyone from the vi, including those of Ouyang Jing and Huang Menglei!


    Seeing Su Chen suddenly take out so many spirit stones, and all of them top-grade, both the long-skirted woman and the maid from earlier were deeply shocked, their mouths slightly agape!


    Just one top-grade spirit stone would be enough to shock them, and this man unexpectedly took out so many at once, roughly ten in total!


    After a moment of being stunned, the long-skirted woman looked at Su Chen once more, bing extremely curious about this man!


    Even among super-first-ss forces, no one could possibly take out that many top-grade spirit stones!


    As the long-skirted woman prepared to exchange the spirit stones for Su Chen, he spoke up:


    "No need to take them. It''s not convenient to carry so many spirit stones. Anyway, I''ll be bidding at the auctionter, and we can settle it then."


    After all, ten top-grade spirit stones are equivalent to a thousand low-grade spirit stones, which would be cumbersome to carry, and Su Chen didn''t want to expose the existence of the Cangyue Ring!


    "Alright."


    The long-skirted woman nodded.


    "By the way, though we''ve met a few times, I still don''t know your name!"


    At this moment, Su Chen smiled and said.


    "Mu Yu."


    The long-skirted woman replied.


    "Mu Yu? Nice name!"


    Su Chen smiled lightly and then left the counter, heading downstairs.


    "Brother Su, you''re flirting with beauties again!"


    As they headed downstairs, Huang Menglei pouted.


    "What are you talking about? I just asked for a name!"


    Su Chen said, feeling slightly amused and exasperated.


    Once downstairs, they sat down in adjacent empty seats.


    After waiting for just over ten minutes, much like the auction in Lin''an, a woman in a qipao with a graceful figure came out with a smile on her face!


    ...


    In the next two or three hours, Su Chen truly lived the life of a wealthy man, experiencing the feeling of spending spirit stones like dirt!


    No, to be precise, it was spending spirit stones extravagantly!


    Nearly everyone''s attention was focused on him, for no other reason than that this guy was really infuriating!


    In the past few hours, whenever a good martial technique appeared, this guy would always im it, ignoring all restrictions!


    If anyone tried topete with him, this guy would immediately offer a t price, crushing the opponent!


    Everyone deeply doubted whether this guy truly had so many spirit stones!


    Especially since he had spent several hundred spirit stones already, as though money was no object!


    Zhu Yuanfeng, who was brimming with resentment, red at him. Just now, he finally set his eyes on a set of swordsmanship martial skills, bidding eighty spirit stones to defeat hispetitors, only for this guy to suddenly offer one hundred!


    It''s known that eighty was nearly his limit!


    After all, eighty spirit stones were quite a lot, otherwise, he wouldn''t have beaten the others!


    Su Chen, however, paid no mind to Zhu Yuanfeng''s discontent, feeling quite satisfied at the moment, as he had already secured seven or eight sets of martial skills!


    Though these martial skills couldn''tpare to his "Thousand Hand Seal" and "Wind Shadow Step," they were quite decent and could at least significantly enhance the overall strength of the people in the vi!


    Ouyang Jing and Huang Menglei also selected cultivation techniques they liked. Ouyang Jing actually possessed decent martial skills, but now that he had the "Thunderp de" magic artifact, he had always wanted a de technique!


    Today, he happened upon one and bought the de technique!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a room at the back of the second floor of the auction house, Qin Nishang sat on the sofa, while Mu Yu in a long skirt stood beside her.


    "These are all brought by him?"


    Qin Nishang held a top-grade spirit stone in her hand, with a small pile of top-grade spirit stones stacked on the coffee table before her.


    "Yes."


    Mu Yu nodded and replied.


    "This guy is bing more interesting, constantly surprising people!"


    Qin Nishang smiled slightly, though she was inwardly filled with shock.


    "By the way, what did he bid on with all those spirit stones?"


    Qin Nishang nced at Mu Yu and asked.


    "Report from downstairs just now, he has practically collected all the better martial techniques."


    Mu Yu said:


    "He seems to have already aroused some public contempt, I really wonder what he wants with so many martial techniques!"


    Because typically, having one or at most two or three suitable martial techniques is sufficient for any individual!


    "Haha!"


    Hearing this, Qin Nishang burst intoughter and gently said:


    "If I''m not mistaken, he''s probably buying them for the women in his vi; aren''t some of the women there also martial artists?"


    "So, this guy isn''t too bad after all!"


    Mu Yu pouted, clearly still upset aboutst time when Su Chen refused her invitation so abruptly, feeling he was so rude then!


    "Still angry about him rejecting your invitation from before, huh!"


    Qin Nishangughed, seeing Mu Yu''s expression:


    "Alright, I also bore some responsibility for what happened before, being too abrupt and causing his aversion!"


    Mu Yu doesn''t actually harbor much resentment towards Su Chen, just feeling really embarrassed about before...


    At first, Mu Yu didn''t quite understand why thedy treated him so specially!


    Gradually, she also realized that this man is indeed quite unusual in many aspects...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1240: Interception

    After another hour or so, the auction ended. During this period, Su Chen acquired two more excellent Martial Arts Techniques!


    Of course, he had almost spent the entire thousand Spirit Stones.


    A thousand Spirit Stones is something that even many super high-level forces don''t have!


    But to Su Chen, this didn''t matter much!


    Su Chen felt that exchanging these Spirit Stones for Martial Arts Techniques suitable for the people in the manor to cultivate was quite deserving!


    After the auction ended, everyone dispersed. Under the staff''s guidance, Su Chen and hispanions came to a room where the staff handed over the prepared Secret Manuals and the remaining dozens of Spirit Stones to him!


    Su Chen took the Secret Manuals, and with a grand gesture, he gave the Spirit Stones to the other party. Naturally, the staff member was also a Martial Artist and was overjoyed to suddenly receive so many Spirit Stones, repeatedly expressing gratitude!


    Just as they were about to leave, the woman in the long dress walked in and said to Su Chen:


    "Mr. Su, the youngdy would like to have a chat with you."


    Ouyang Jing and Huang Menglei looked at Su Chen and thought that this guy really has some connections with the forces behind the Tianyuan Auction House!


    However, the Tianyuan Auction House is likely owned by a super high-level force. How does Su Chen know their young miss?


    Of course, it was not appropriate for them to ask more questions, especially now.<fn880e> Fresh chapters posted on ?ovelFind</fn880e>


    "Then Su Chen, Menglei and I will leave first."


    Ouyang Jing said.


    "Alright then, take the car with you. I''ll just take a cabter."


    Su Chen handed the car keys to Ouyang Jing.


    Ouyang Jing nodded, took the keys, and left with Huang Menglei...


    Later, Su Chen followed Mu Yu into a room inside on the second floor and then walked in, and Mu Yu stood behind Qin Nishang aftering in.


    "Mr. Su, wee!"


    Qin Nishang smiled slightly and said.


    "I really didn''t expect Miss Qin to be the one behind the scenes of Tianyuan Auction House!"


    Su Chen said with a smile as well and then sat down on a sofa chair next to Qin Nishang.


    "It''s a family business, I''m just temporarily managing it."


    Qin Nishangughed and said:


    "By the way, Mr. Su, how did you get hold of so many top-grade Spirit Stones?"


    "Obtained by chance."


    Su Chen said casually; naturally, he wouldn''t reveal the matter of the ruins, after all, he hadn''t even told Ouyang Jing, let alone Qin Nishang, with whom he was not yet familiar!


    Hearing this, Qin Nishang also understood that Su Chen didn''t want to talk, so she didn''t ask further.


    "Oh, right. Miss Qin, there''s a question I''ve always wanted to ask."


    Su Chen spoke up.


    "Please go ahead."


    Qin Nishang nodded.


    "Why is Miss Qin so interested in me?"


    Su Chen looked at Qin Nishang with a burning gaze and said:


    "Although I consider myself to be somewhat handsome, I''m not to the extent that Miss Qin would be fascinated, am I?"


    This question had been a mystery in Su Chen''s heart, and now he had roughly guessed that Qin Nishang was the young miss of some super-ss force, making it even more inconceivable!


    Although his current strength was good, during their first meeting, Su Chen''s strength, at least on the surface, didn''t seem to warrant such attention!


    "Haha, you''re not handsome enough to make me fascinated."


    Qin Nishangughed upon hearing this:


    "As for why I''m particrly interested in you, naturally there''s a reason. Let me keep that a secret for now, and you''ll know when the timees!"


    "Alright then."


    Su Chen shrugged, bing even more curious.


    Su Chen stayed there for a while longer and then left...


    Su Chen walked out of the auction house and continued forward. He nned to walk a bit further, then take a cab back.


    After all, the area was quite secluded with few people around, making it unlikely to hail a cab.


    However, as he walked a short distance, he realized that many people from the auction had gathered as if waiting for him!


    A cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth; he certainly understood their intentions, probably eyeing his Martial Arts Techniques!


    In fact, that was indeed the case; after all, those Martial Arts Techniques Su Chen obtained cost almost a thousand Spirit Stones!


    A thousand Spirit Stones would be difficult for even top forces like Yunhai Hall to produce, which was enough to illustrate the value of these Martial Arts Techniques!


    And although Su Chen had made a significant impression at Lan Minghe''s birthday celebration, he was still just a young man!


    So, some individuals at the Kaiyuan Late Stage and above began to harbor thoughts!


    As the saying goes, "One who holds a treasure is guilty," and that''s precisely the idea here!


    However, not everyone''s focus was on Su Chen''s Martial Arts; for instance, Zhu Family Head Zhu Yuanfeng!


    While he had his eye on those Martial Arts too, his hatred towards Su Chen was far deeper!


    If he could kill this kid and obtain the Martial Arts on him, it would be the best oue!


    Of course, he also knew that getting everything was impossible, given the number of people here; his primary target was the set of Swordsmanship taken by Su Chen!


    These people didn''t dare to make a move near Tianyuan Auction House due to its rules.


    Regarding Tianyuan Auction House, no one dared to provoke!


    However, until now, no one stepped forward, because for them, dealing with this young fellow might not be a big problem, but getting his Martial Arts was not easy, considering the many eyes watching!


    Thus, most people intended to fish in troubled waters, unwilling to be the first to act!


    Even Zhu Yuanfeng was holding back for the time being, waiting to see the situation unfold!


    Of course, this wouldn''t be sustained indefinitely as there would always be those who were impatient and unable to hold it back!


    "Kid, obediently hand over those Martial Arts, or today you''ll meet your death!"


    At this moment, a muscr, bearded man stepped forward, his rough voice ringing out.


    He was an impatient person who, seeing no reaction from others, stood out!


    "Sure, the things are on me,e and get them if you can!"


    Su Chen smiled faintly.


    "Alright!"


    The bearded man shouted and dashed towards Su Chen, throwing a punch.


    As his fist came toward Su Chen, Su Chen also punched, appearing rxed and casual!


    Seeing this, the crowd assumed Su Chen was in trouble, for they recognized this bearded man''s Cultivation was close to achieving Minor Perfection in the Kaiyuan Realm!


    Moreover, his forte was his fists, whose power even someone of Kaiyuan Realm Minor Perfection wouldn''t underestimate!


    And yet, the young man seemed to want to take it head-on, which was practically courting death!


    The crowd was already poised, ready to pounce on the Martial Arts Techniques once the bearded man finished the young guy!


    After that, it''d likely be a scramble among everyone!


    Most of them aimed to grab one or two sets and flee fast, as iming all for oneself seemed imusible...


    (ps: The owed updates have been settled these past few days; thanks for everyone''s support, deeply appreciated in wind and rain!)

 Chapter 1241: You Finally Stepped Forward!

    "Boom!"


    At this moment, an explosive sound erupted, drowning out the noise of shattering bones!


    Immediately, Su Chen''s punchnded fiercely on his opponent, sending the burly, bearded man flying back like a cannonball!


    Witnessing this scene, they couldn''t help but turn to look at the burly man who had been thrown back, seeing him coughing up a huge mouthful of blood, clearly severely injured!


    Everyone was suddenly shocked, then turned their heads to stare nkly at Su Chen not far away, their faces full of astonishment!


    How is this possible?


    How could he send a Kaiyuan Late Stage, almost at the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection, burly man flying with just one punch?


    Could it be that this young man''s strength has already reached the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection?


    Thinking of this, everyone couldn''t help but take a sharp breath!


    To know, among the people present, only four or five or five or six had reached this realm!


    In the first-ss forces of the Ancient Martial World, reaching the Kaiyuan Minor Perfection is already a mark of a top master!


    Many helmsmen of mid-high first-ss forces have cultivation not much more!


    At this moment, the fervor in everyone''s hearts cooled down, and the intent to watch and opportunistically benefit became stronger!


    To avoid ending up like that burly man, losing more than they gain!


    While everyone was hesitating and indecisive, a figure stepped out, his expression as gloomy as water!


    Seeing this person, a yful smile curled up on Su Chen''s lips:


    "You finally stepped out, huh!"


    "Hmph, today you''ll die here!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng said coldly, as if pronouncing a sentence!


    "I really don''t know where your confidencees from!"


    Su Chen shook his head andughed:


    "With your old age?"


    Hearing Su Chen''s sarcasm, Zhu Yuanfeng''s face turned red and white!


    Others were also somewhat surprised, this young guy is really arrogant!


    Though the Zhu Family isn''t the top among the first-ss powers in the Ancient Martial World, it''s still considered mid-high, and Zhu Yuanfeng is the Family Head, possibly having reached the Kaiyuan Realm Perfection!


    While everyone thought Zhu Yuanfeng would be unfriendly toward this young man, Zhu Yuanfeng didn''t move, instead, he looked towards the crowd.


    "Sect Master Zhou, haven''t you always wanted to know who killed your son Zhou Hao?"


    Zhu Yuanfeng''s voice echoed, then he pointed at Su Chen:


    "This is the true culprit who killed your son!"


    As soon as these words fell, the scene burst into an uproar, faces filled with disbelief!


    Of course, they were aware of the Liewu Sect Sect Master''s son''s death, which caused quite a stir at the time!


    The Liewu Sect naturally wanted to investigate who killed Zhou Hao, but until today, they hadn''t found out!


    Now, hearing Zhu Yuanfeng suddenly say this young man is the one who killed the Young Sect Master of Liewu Sect, everyone was quite shocked!<fn2a54> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? FindN0vel</fn2a54>


    "Family Head Zhu, is this true?!"


    At this moment, a near-fifty-year-old man stepped forward, a slender crack appearing in the road under his feet!


    His pressure of Kaiyuan Minor Perfection was fully unleashed, his face as cold as frost!


    "Of course!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng responded.


    "What evidence do you have?"


    Zhou Tai, the Sect Master of Liewu Sect, asked coldly.


    The truth about his son''s death was of utmost importance to him, so he took it very seriously!


    He already believed 70% in his heart because he trusted Zhu Yuanfeng wouldn''t speak nonsense about this!


    "This was personally witnessed by my son Zhu Jun at the ruins!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng said:


    "Not only my son Zhu Jun, but the youngdy of Yunhai Hall also knows about this, they argued over an elixir!"


    "Why didn''t Lady Lan say anything?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? During thest birthday celebration, you could tell she has a close rtionship with this kid, of course, she wouldn''t say!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng sneered:


    "Not to mention your son, even the Yunhai Hall Great Elder''s son Lan Haifeng was killed by him, the truth still unknown!"


    "If it weren''t for my son''s decent cultivation, he would almost have died at this kid''s hands too!"


    Hearing Zhu Yuanfeng''s words, everyone basically believed it, staring dazedly at this young man before them!


    He really is bold!


    The Young Sect Master of Liewu Sect, the Zhu Family prodigy, the son of the Yunhai Hall Great Elder...


    None of them are easy to deal with, yet he killed them all, except for the Zhu Family prodigy...


    For a moment, they felt this guy had too many enemies, each seemingly with a reason to want him dead!


    By now, everyone decided it was better not to get involved in this matter!


    Of course, if there''s a chance, seizing a Martial Technique or Cultivation Technique opportunistically would already be great!


    "Is what he said true?"


    Zhou Tai looked at Su Chen, eyes zing as if wanting to burn everything.


    He already believed 90%, but still reluctantly asked.


    Everyone thought Zhou Tai''s question was redundant, because even if he asked, as long as the kid wasn''t stupid, he wouldn''t admit it anyway!


    Because once he admits it, he would face the absolute masters Zhu Yuanfeng and Zhou Tai!


    No matter how formidable the kid is, it would only mean certain death!


    "That''s right! They brought it upon themselves!"


    Su Chen shrugged and said.


    Su Chen felt no regret about killing Zhou Hao and Lan Haifeng, because they wanted to kill him and take his Jade Spirit Pill at the time, so Su Chen naturally had to kill them!


    Everyone hearing this felt a bit overwhelmed, did the kid really admit it so easily?


    Not only that, he even added that they brought it upon themselves!


    In everyone''s eyes, this kid was just living recklessly!


    "Very well, you''re bold to admit it!"


    Zhou Tai looked at Su Chen, gritting his teeth, the burning rage was palpable to all!


    "Sect Master Zhou, since that''s the case, let''s settle this kid together!"


    Zhou Tai''s reaction pleased Zhu Yuanfeng, speaking in a deep voice.


    Zhu Yuanfeng always wanted to personally take revenge, which is why he hadn''t told Liewu Sect and Yunhai Hall''s Great Elder about this news yet!


    And the reason he hadn''t acted was that Zhu Jun''s injuries had only recently started to improve, before which he wasn''t at ease!


    He didn''t expect to encounter this kid again at the auction!


    But seeing Su Chen take down the burly man with one punch made him somewhat apprehensive, to ensure nothing went wrong, he got Zhou Tai involved!


    "Alright!"


    Zhou Tai nodded, Su Chen''s performance earlier made him less confident too!


    As soon as the words fell, the two moved, standing on either side of Su Chen, eyes fixed on him!


    "Now this kid is surely doomed!"


    "What doom, I say certain death!"


    "Exactly, even if he''s a genius, being too firm leads to breaking, he doesn''t know how to restrain at all!"


    ...


    Seeing this scene, everyone immediately started discussing, almost none optimistic about Su Chen!


    And within the crowd, an old man quietly stood there, his cloudy eyes always paying attention to the scene...

 Chapter 1242: Monster and Devil!

    However, Su Chen stood there without much movement, his expression remaining calm and unperturbed!


    Su Chen''s disy, in the eyes of others, waspletely reckless!


    Of course, it also slightly infuriated both Zhu Yuanfeng and Zhou Tai. The two exchanged a nce and thenunched a fierce attack on Su Chen simultaneously!


    Especially as Liewu Sect''s own son was killed by this guy, he naturally wanted nothing more than to tear the opponent apart!


    When an individual at the Kaiyuan Realm Perfection and another at the Kaiyuan Realm Minor Perfection attack simultaneously, the momentum is naturally enormous!


    The True Essence Aura on both of them surged, their robes billowing with the sound of "swish swish," as if ripping the surrounding space apart, causing air currents to swirl chaotically!


    Even those spectators with decent cultivation felt a surge of oppression!


    Yet, just as their attacks were about tond on Su Chen, Su Chen moved, a sh of lightning passed before their eyes!


    "Boom boom boom~~~"


    Their attacks allnded into the void, producing a "hiss hiss" sound, as if the air suddenly increased by ten degrees!


    What''s going on?


    Zhu Yuanfeng and Zhou Tai''s faces showed a tinge of shock, they were just about to hit this brat, how did he suddenly disappear, like seeing a ghost!


    They turned to look, only to see Su Chen standing twenty or thirty meters away, looking at them with a smile!


    They realized it wasn''t seeing ghosts; it was the opponent''s speed that was too fast!


    How could this guy be so fast?


    This indeed filled them with immense surprise!


    At the same time, their expressions grew even more solemn!


    This brat is truly too bizarre!


    Su Chen was quite pleased inside; this was his first time using Wind Shadow Step in actualbat, and the result was very satisfactory!


    Moreover, he hadn''t even utilized the limit of his Wind Shadow Step because facing these two, it simply wasn''t necessary!


    The others present were also a bit astonished, most having not seen how Su Chen dodged the two attacks!


    The elderly man in the crowd saw this scene and a sh of surprise crossed his eyes as well!


    ....


    "Is this all you''ve got?"


    Su Chen nced at the two, spoke calmly.


    Yet, Su Chen''s words felt like a p on their faces, making them feel a burning sensation!


    "Courting death!"


    Zhou Tai looked at Su Chen, almost grinding his teeth to pieces; Zhu Yuanfeng also had a sinister look on his face as he stared at Su Chen!


    At this moment, the two moved again,unching an attack toward Su Chen!


    "Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains!"


    Zhu Yuanfeng swiftly drew the long sword from his waist, a cold light shing, shing towards Su Chen!


    The air was stirred into a storm, like a tornado; the street below cracked under its might!


    Though the same "Sword Falls Rivers and Mountains," the version used by Zhu Yuanfeng and Zhu Jun were leagues apart, utterly iparable!


    "Mysterious Ice Finger!"


    At the same time, Zhou Tai pointed a finger, True Yuan coiling at his fingertip, forming beams of true light, exuding a chill!


    The true light shot forth like a beam, rushing directly at Su Chen!


    Wherever it passed, the air seemed to freeze, halting its flow, forming a vacuum region!


    These two powerful martial techniques left most of the spectators stunned, eyes wide open!


    They couldn''t help but wonder if the young man could dodge such an offensive!


    The elder in the crowd also shifted his steps slightly, seemingly preparing to step in if necessary!


    Yet, at this moment, he noticed a cold smile appeared on the young man''s face, as if mocking, causing him to pause slightly!


    In that pause, the two attacks were already upon Su Chen!


    On one side, there was an overwhelming Sword Qi and True Yuan, and on the other, like icy arrows of true light!


    The speed was extraordinarily swift!


    Regardless of which sidended on him, it would likely be very unpleasant!


    However, at that moment, Su Chen moved again, disappearing from where he stood, naturally evading the two fierce killing intents!


    When he reappeared, he was already beside Zhou Tai, as if teleporting!<fn0e02> Content originallyes from find¡¤novel</fn0e02>


    Zhou Tai saw Su Chen suddenly appear before him, an immense terror instinctively appearing on his face, pores opening wide!


    "Thousand Hand Seal!"


    Su Chen struck with his palm, five hand seals appeared in the void!


    Zhou Tai saw these five hand seals, his mind going almost nk!


    This was all too bizarre for him!


    "Boom!"


    One of the hand seals struck, sending him flying, vomiting arge mouthful of blood mid-air!


    "Bang!"


    Another dull sound resounded, thrusting Zhou Tai''s body onto the ground, twitching a few times before dying!


    Zhu Yuanfeng saw this and his pupils contracted abruptly, just as he was preparing to continue striking at Su Chen, Su Chen was already before him!


    "Boom!"


    Su Chen straightforwardly punched Zhu Yuanfeng''s chest, sending him flying as well!


    Zhu Yuanfeng flew a good twenty or thirty meters beforending!


    Uponnding, he couldn''t help but spit out threerge mouthfuls of blood, then copsed weakly to the side!


    ...


    The spectators saw this scene, utterly dumbfounded, unable to believe what had just happened!


    This young man, he, actually, truly won!


    Everyone looked at this young man, feeling as if they were looking at a monster!


    If such a person isn''t a monster, then who is?


    At this moment, they couldn''t help but be grateful they hadn''t acted recklessly before, or the ones lying on the ground would be them!


    The elder was also shocked, not expecting the oue to turn out like this!


    "What... what... what do you want?"


    Seeing Su Chen approach, Zhu Yuanfeng was utterly terrified, and his body started trembling!


    To him, Su Chen now resembled a demon!


    "For Zhu Ming''s sake, I''ll spare your life today! I hope you take care of yourself!"


    Su Chen looked at Zhu Yuanfeng and spoke softly.


    After all, he was Zhu Ming''s biological father, even though he might not care much for Zhu Ming, they were still connected by blood!


    Of course, if Zhu Yuanfeng persists, there isn''t much Su Chen can do!


    Having said this, Su Chen left the scene, and naturally, no one dared have any designs on his martial arts techniques anymore...


    Kidding, anyone with such thoughts now must be tired of living!


    Before long, the crowd gradually dispersed, each going their way...


    What happened today had been too shocking and overwhelming for them!


    The elder among the crowd also entered a nearby auction house after everyone had left...


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